Their Knight of Scales

by Radiant Dawn

First published 18th of July, 2014

Spike spent much of his young life trying to find his place in the world, only to realize it was with those who had become his family. Now, he must decide what to do with new emotions and desires.

Life is pretty unpredictable for me, but that alone is the predictable part of it. Pretty early on, I learned that I should expect the unexpected, and enjoy the brief moments of peace when they were there. Such an outlook helped me early on to keep from going crazy with all of the stuff that's happened to us all.

As the years passed though, I found my own source of peace: my closest friends.

My best friends were always there for me, and I for them. We held each other up when we fell below the surface of the sea of life, and offered friendly smiles and listening ears to each other when we needed it most. Even with all the insanity we weathered over the years, we became closer in spite of it...or, perhaps because of it. In a world of hoarding dragons, I may be the only one that cherished a small group of ponies over gold or jewels.

---

Rated T for use of alcohol, language of a sexually suggestive nature, and implied sexual acts.

Cover art provided by Ende26, used with permission.

Note: Ponies are considered adolescent/mature at a much younger age than humans (six and fourteen, respectively). I've made an oversight on this, and I believe this explanation will fix that. Also, this will be a Spike-harem fic, but as with all my other submissions, there is no clop; just a heads up.

Featured multiple times!

Chapter 1

Ever since I was old enough to understand who and what I was, I knew I was more than a little weird. After all, even though dragons might physically mature differently than ponies do, my mind matured about as fast as it should have for someone my age, and it was helped along by the fact that I had great mentors and friends early on. Still, I always knew I was different, but came to terms with that fact pretty easily. Different didn’t mean less, after all.

I never had a problem fitting in either, since Twilight always eased the tension wherever we went (although that wasn’t much, seeing as how until we left Canterlot, we rarely even left Princess Celestia’s castle). The idea of a dragon living among ponies was made more acceptable when the friends she made in Ponyville all vouched for me, even after I went on a greed-rampage and started snatching up anything and everything I could. All supernatural things aside (and a few draconic issues I had to work through), I became as much a part of our society as any pony, and I was happy.

Years passed and we all matured, growing closer as our bonds strengthened through mutual trials. I grew physically to more readily match my mental and emotional age, which meant I didn’t get treated like a little kid anymore (thank Celestia for that), but that didn’t mean life got any simpler. Quite the contrary: it got more complex.

- 22/4/1012 P.N.M. (Post Nightmare Moon)

I idly kicked my clawed feet in the liquid rainbow as it flowed toward the cliffside, waiting for the sun to rise. It was quiet, with only a few ponies being out and about before daybreak, which meant I could simply enjoy the feeling of dewy grass on my bare scales. It was something I spent more and more time doing ever since my wings had finally come in (for which I was infinitely thankful for), since as a “baby” dragon, Twilight had never let me go anywhere without her. True that it had taken some doing to convince Twilight that I was a big boy now and could take care of myself, but it had been worth it in the end. Besides, she needed to learn how to clean up after herself sometimes.

Don’t get me wrong: I love my friends. I love being around them, I love hanging out with them, and I love spending time with them doing whatever came to mind, but sometimes I needed some time to myself. Before my independence was granted to me with a larger body and wings, I’d always needed a chaperone whenever I wanted to go anywhere outside of Ponyville; thankfully, things were different now. It was now not uncommon for me to be gone before Twilight woke up, only leaving a short note to let her know what I was doing before I left. Sometimes I felt a little bad at the fact that Twilight seemed so morose if I wasn’t there to cook her breakfast, but a wise pony once said, “Positive change is never easy; doubly so when dealing with the heart.”

I’d make it up to Twilight by swinging by and picking up some breakfast from the Cakes and Pinkie; muffins and coffee always put a smile on her face in the morning.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, the very tip of the sun crested the horizon, spilling light across the landscape. The ocean shimmered like it was made of quicksilver, and the land glowed orange like hot iron. It was a beautiful sight, and one I never got tired of seeing, no matter how many times.

With my morning reverence complete, I stood from the bank and shook off the errant drops of liquid rainbow from my legs before standing and grabbing my shirt. Tossing it up in the air, I used the technique Rainbow Dash had taught me to put shirts on with wings: wings first, then arms, then head, all in one fell swoop. Besides being easier than fighting with four limbs and a head and stretching the shirt, it also looked pretty cool to do.

Rolling my shoulders once, I practiced a takeoff taught to me by Rainbow Dash herself; I crouched low to the ground on all fours and extended my wings before leaping and flapping at the same time, rocketing into the air as if I were shot out of a cannon.

It was still early morning by the time I got back home to Ponyville, and I was able to see young colts and fillies pointing up at me as I wheeled in the sky, looking for a safe place to land. I was pretty well-known in town (and pretty hard to miss, with a wingspan double that of your average pegasus), which meant that I could comfortably fly around town without causing an uproar. The only problem was that I had to watch out for-

“Spike, think fast!”

I had no time to react before a smaller, furry body plowed into me, which would have knocked me out of the air if I hadn’t been halfway expecting it. With a practiced maneuver, I used the momentum from the hit to swing my attacker around and throw her into a nearby fluffy cloud, causing the pegasus to disappear with a comical *POOF* of white fluff.

I slowed to a hover next to the cloud and smirked as a rainbow-maned head poked out, grinning at me. “Heya, Spike!”

I rolled my eyes with a grin. “Good morning, Rainbow. Do I want to know why you’re up so early?”

She shrugged and hopped out of the cloud, patting herself down to remove the small puffs of cloud that remained. “It was nothing serious, if that’s what you’re asking. Scoots just had a bad dream is all; she’s been having them ever since she watched that movie two nights ago with her friends.”

I raised an eyebrow. “She’s still staying with you?”

Rainbow crossed her arms and huffed. “What are you trying to say? Her parents get back tomorrow, and I think I can handle a little filly for a few days.”

I smirked in response. “Says the pegasus who found a way to set her kitchen on fire -- which is made of clouds, need I remind you.”

“I’m just an overachiever like that.” she snarked, slugging me in the shoulder playfully. “Besides, that only happened once.”

I grinned. “Didn’t you also set your hair on-”

“Finish that sentence and I’ll have a raincloud following you around for a month.” Rainbow warned, though I could tell it was in good humor. She then dropped her annoyed facade and swooped in close, giving me a big hug, as had become common nowadays. “It’s good to see you, Spike.”

A hug or friendly touch here and there was pretty common from the rest of my friends, but only recently had Rainbow become so tactile as well. Not that it bothered me -- quite the contrary, actually -- but I had found it a little strange until I got used to it. Then again, Rainbow had grown a lot from the brash, tomboyish pegasus I had met twelve years ago. Frankly, we all had done a lot of growing up (which made sense, seeing as how they were just little preteen fillies when we first came to Ponyville), so I guess I could readily accept that Equestria’s coolest pegasus had started to slow down and enjoy the finer things in life. I still didn’t expect to see Rainbow Dash all dolled up on a fashion runway anytime soon, but that was okay. Baby steps.

Since I was now holding Rainbow’s weight as well, I was forced to flap with a little more strength to keep us aloft; not that it bothered me much, since she was so light compared to me, and I think she finds it cool that my wings are so huge compared to hers. Even though Rainbow didn’t use like twenty different conditioners like Rarity did, her fur was still very soft to the touch, and I enjoyed the feel of it between my claws as I held her.

All too soon for my liking, she pulled away with a bright smile. “So, whatcha up to?”

I shrugged. “Just got back from Rainbow Falls, so I figured I’d swing by Sugarcube Corner and get Twi and I some breakfast.”

Rainbow nodded before gesturing to the sky. “Well, I’ve got some work to do, so I’ll see you later, kay?”

I nodded. “Sounds good, Rainbow. Take care.”

I watched Rainbow Dash jet away in a burst of prismatic color, taking great pleasure in the way her shorts hugged her hindquarters. Let it be said that while I was a gentledrake to all the girls, I was still a male, and so I afforded myself a few pleasant things here and there so I could keep my sanity around so many beautiful mares...and there were a lot of them. Beyond the Element-bearers, I got on well with almost everyone in Ponyville, and with Ponyville being a mare-dominated town in Equestria, that meant I was often surrounded by friendly mares who didn’t seem to realize just how pretty they were.

I’d gotten over my single-minded infatuation with Rarity (though I could admit I still liked her), which meant that I was more than aware of how handsy some of the girls could get when I was around them, especially when I was forced to take off my shirt to work. Yet again, I didn’t mind, but it was also a hard thing to miss. I knew why things happened that way, of course; in a town of about three-hundred, only around forty of the population were males, which meant that mares had to be a bit more obvious with their affection if they wanted to attract a male.

Now, I’d learned a lot about dragons during a brief three-month long journey through the dragon lands to the north, which meant that I knew that while ponies and dragons looked and behaved very differently, there were still a lot of things the two races shared.

First and foremost was the fact that both dragons and ponies were magical beings, able to cast spells of all sorts. This meant that if I could find a dragon to teach me draconic magic (or Drakespeak, for that matter), I could cast spells like Twilight could. We were also similar in the sense that we both held reverence to the Two Sisters (Princesses Celestia and Luna), and preferred peace to war; sure, dragons could be temperamental, but they weren’t the warmongering monsters most ponies made them out to be. It was kinda weird that ponies saw me as a pony, but I couldn’t complain.

As I had come to find out though, one thing that ponies and dragons didn’t share was polyamory. For dragons it was strange and downright taboo for one to have more than a single mate, but for ponies it was completely normal. Big Macintosh’s herd is a fine example: two stallions, twelve mares. I honestly never thought such a quiet pony like Mac would get the attention of so many mares, but I guess stranger things have happened.

I was glad I didn’t have to worry about all that, though. I had dated a bit here and there, but more often than not found myself being a bachelor who spent his free time reading and enjoying time with friends. Besides that, I enjoyed my privacy. I knew that Twilight and the others missed me when I would go ‒ even if just for a day -- but I also knew that I wouldn’t be missing any date nights or anything if I left.

I pushed my thoughts away for the moment as I approached Sugarcube Corner, its frosted cake-like appearance one of the things that hadn’t changed, even though the size of the building had. With the younger Cake twins being teenagers and their business growing, the entire place had been renovated nearly seven years ago to accommodate the need for space. Though Pinkie’s antics were the main attraction (besides the masterfully-baked treats, of course), the Cake twins had taken after their surrogate older sister, mixing work and play.

I placed my hand on the wooden door that led to the interior and pushed, hearing the polished brass bell chime to announce my arrival. Pound Cake was manning the counter while his sister energetically trotted around the many tables of the establishment, helping customers. Pumpkin and Pound Cake had been downright ecstatic to take over the family business, which meant Carrot and Cup were free to meander about the store, making sure the customers felt not only welcome, but like friends. It was the warm and family-like atmosphere of Sugarcube Corner that made it so popular (yet again, besides the wonderful baked goods), so fostering relations between the workers and customers was of paramount importance.

Pound had just finished serving a customer when he noticed me in line, and waved excitedly to me. I chuckled to myself and waved back, adjusting my wings as I waited patiently. After a little over five minutes, I was finally standing at the counter, and offered my fist for a bump to a friend.

“G’mornin’, Spike. Fancy some breakfast?” Pound asked jovially.

I nodded before looking down at the glass case, examining what was for sale. “Umm...let me get two Razzle-Dazzle raspberry tarts, two pumpkin spice muffins, and two coffees -- one mint chocolate, the other black with two sugars.”

Pound nodded and told me my total, so I fished a few bits out of my coinpurse and paid before standing to the side to wait for my order. As always, morning was one of the busiest times of the day for Sugarcube Corner, which meant most of the town was either actively in the establishment, or would be passing through soon enough.

“OHMYGOSH, SPIKE!”

That was the only warning I had before a fluffy pink projectile proceeded to glomp me, bringing me to the floor and causing all eyes to stare at me and my attacker for a moment before the patrons went back to their business. As I said, we had all grown and matured with time, but one thing that (thankfully) hadn’t changed was Pinkie’s overly-affectionate-ness. I guess if you were the type of pony who wasn’t too keen on hugs, Pinkie could be a bother, but I happened to like it. Much as I would never tell Twilight or the others, I was a bit of a cuddler, and loved to get hugged and things of the sort.

So instead of doing what most would have done and yell at my assaulter, I just brought my claw to the back of her wild mane and briefly massaged her scalp gently.

“Hey Pinks,” I greeted with a smile, “it’s good to see you. Can you let me up now?”

Pinkie giggled and nodded against me before pushing herself to a standing position, and offering her hand to pull me up.

As I matured over the years, I had become acutely aware of the bodies of the mares I called friends, and with their mutual assurance that they didn’t really mind me looking, I would often find myself casually admiring them from time to time.

For example: Pinkie, to put it simply, was voluptuous. Whether be it because of a natural body style she had been born with or some strange workout she did to keep in such good shape, she was the definition of “curvy”. She was a little thicker than the others, but made up for it with a solid figure brought about from so much time bouncing and running around everywhere, as well as helping Dash train from time to time. Even as I cradled her smaller hand in my own, I could feel the strength within the digits, and was already quite aware of just how graceful she was for an earth pony. Yes, I just called Pinkie graceful...for an earth pony.

Also, to my eternal shame, I had once or twice purposefully “slipped” a hand and groped her hindquarters.

As I said, I’m still a male; don’t judge me.

Thankfully for me, Pinkie was known to borderline-molest nearly everyone she considered a friend, so she was certainly fine with a friend being a bit more handsy than most...even if he was her only close male friend...a-and a young adult who’d been sexually repressed through his adolescence because his body was that of a young child instead of a teenager.

Pinkie didn’t seem to mind though, and contrary to what ponies thought of her, she wasn’t just some ditzy innocent little filly. She knew how things in the world worked, and I’m quite sure she knew I probably really liked it when she’d tackle-hug me, or squeeze me tightly at random intervals.

Back to the matter at hand, though…

“So what are you doing today, Spike?” Pinkie asked, bouncing in place just enough to draw the eye of every pony with a pulse.

I shrugged, motioning to Pound. “Well after I get breakfast for Twi and I, I’m not sure. Probably just mosey and see what I can do around town. I might go and see what Fluttershy’s up to before you all come over later.”

Pinkie let out one of her exaggerated gasps as she clutched my hand firmly with both of hers. “How is Shy-Shy? I haven’t seen her in FOR-EV-ER!”

I couldn’t help but grin at her exuberance; it was cute. “She’s fine. Fluttershy’s just busy this time of year since most of the animals are either getting ready to hibernate for winter, or fly somewhere warmer until spring comes.” I released a loud sigh, making my displeasure known. “Must be nice to have someone take care of you during winter. I might not be cold-blooded, but I still can’t stand the cold.”

Pinkie frowned just slightly. “Twilight doesn’t take care of you during the winter?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m grown now, Pinkie. My day consists of something like this:” I cleared my throat as I prepared to speak in falsetto, “Spike, can you get me some hot chocolate? Spike, can you make dinner tonight? Spike, can you light a fire?” I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. “Celestia knows I love her, but ugh, would it kill her to learn to cook?”

Pinkie giggled and shook her head. “Twi might be all smartsy, but not even she can do everything! I mean, she even gets to fly now; how cool is that?”

Princess of Friendship...more like Princess of I-have-mastered-the-art-of-burning-soup.

Pound interrupted our conversation by holding a bag of pastries in front of my face, which I took with a grateful nod before reaching over and grabbing my carrier of two coffees. “Well Pinkie, I gotta head out. Come and see me after work if you’re not doing anything; we’ll hang out or something before the sleepover.”

She nodded vigorously as her smile grew to cover her entire face. “Sure! See you later then, Spikey!”

As I made my way out of the bakery, I couldn’t help but smile at just how easy it was to talk to the girls. Some of my childhood friends like Snips, Snails, Pipsqueak and Featherweight had grown up into fine young stallions, but they would still get a little nervous talking around a pretty mare if I wasn’t there to lend support and keep them from sticking their hooves in their mouths. I suppose if I hadn’t been raised around six national heroines, I would likely react the same, but my experience with being comfortable around pretty mares made me the subject of quite a few rumors between them. I didn’t mind, really, though I did thoroughly correct them when they started talking about how Twilight and I seemed a little close for just living together. Anyhow, the point is that talking to a pretty face was no big deal to me, as I’d had over a decade to become desensitized to it.

Such a point is important for this very reason: to anyone else anywhere else, it would look like I was the town playboy.

After about a month of trying to stop the rumor mill on that specific track, Twilight and I gave up on it and just let it go. After all, save for anything remotely sexual, I was about as close to Twilight and her friends as any special somepony could be, so much so that some of them -- Rarity and Pinkie, in particular -- had taken to calling our outings “dates”, even in public. As Rainbow Dash had put it, “If everyone’s going to believe something that’s not true, no matter what you say, you might as well have some fun with it.”

Dash did have her moments of insight from time to time.

Besides all that, as stated earlier, I enjoyed the attention I got from my friends. I suppose my desire to have closeness between me and those I cared about stemmed from the time when Celestia raised me as a hatchling, during which she would often fall asleep with me on her chest, where I could hear her heartbeat as I snoozed. While I no longer needed a warm body nearby to sleep, I couldn’t deny that I was addicted to physical contact. As a young drake wanting to step out into the world on his own, I used to shun the contact, since said attention was often in the realm of “babying”, but ever since my previous growth spurt, things had evened out for me rather nicely. Nowadays, I felt more like a stallion than just “Twilight’s assistant”, and I have to admit that it was a rather nice change.

Speaking of my purple pony friend…

“Twi~light!” I sang as I opened the front door to the common room in the living quarters of the castle, closing and locking it behind me. I halfway expected her to be asleep between the pages of a book, seeing as how she had been very keen on studying a new spell lately. It wouldn’t be the first or even hundredth time I would have found her in such a state, but what I actually found was just as common an occurrence.

She was floating a few feet off the ground, suspended in a sphere of her own magic aura as she meditated to more easily control her immense internal power. Also, seeing as how the throne room wasn’t set to open for another three hours, she was quite shamelessly doing so in nothing but a tank top and pajama bottoms. To any other red-blooded stallion, the image of one of their princesses in a thin top and silk bottoms would send them into a lustful frenzy; for me, it was something I’d seen so many times it may as well have been expected. You live with somepony long enough, you’re going to see them naked...often.

As I quietly sat down at the table and waited for Twilight to finish her weekly session, I turned my thoughts toward my oldest friend.

Twilight was -- quite literally -- my first friend in the world. She was the first pony I saw when I came into the world, and for years afterward the last thing I would see before I went to sleep at night. I owed my literacy, script, and vocabulary to her, as well as my life many times over. We had saved the world together and weathered storms, both metaphorical and literal. Life for us had been downright deadly sometimes and we walked a path that was far from typical, but we survived because we stuck together. With the help of our friends and most of all each other, we knew we could overcome anything the world threw at us.

As a pony, Twilight had grown and matured beyond the sequestered bookworm who was obsessed with pleasing Princess Celestia. Now, she was wise and confident, and valued the friends she had made in life more than anything else in the world. While she was still rather high-strung and a bit anxious at times, I knew I could count on her no matter what if life came crashing down around us. I had learned early on that a constant of life was, in fact, its inconsistency, but knowing Twilight had my back was something I knew would never change. Sure we bickered and fought sometimes -- more, it seemed, ever since I had grown -- but besides Celestia, she was the closest thing to family I would likely ever have.

Growing up had some interesting effects on my perception of her, though. First of all, I came to realize that Twilight was no longer just a pony I knew, but a mare...yes, I realize that sounds stupid, but bear with me. All of my life I had lived with the same pony, and as such, had been exposed to every facet of her being. I knew about her worries and fears, her dreams, and even her nightmares...but she had always just been Twilight to me. Now, with the eyes of an adult, I had begun to see her for the beautiful mare she had become over the years. It was disturbing at first, feeling the desire to look at Twilight’s body and admire it when she would bend or stretch certain ways, but I found it within myself to endure. When it came right down to it, what I thought when I looked at Twilight could be summed up in three words:

She’s so beautiful.

I wasn’t so shallow to focus solely on physical beauty, though that was nice too. No, it was who Twilight was that made her so attractive. She was intelligent, loving, kind, and a host of many other things that just made her an amazing pony. More than that though, I had come to know Twilight as no one else had; I had seen her in her darkest moments, and had more often than not been the only one to help her through trying times in her personal life. I had been there during her first relationship, and the fallout that followed soon afterward, for example.

It was all those memories and trials that made Twilight who she was to me, and it only made her more beautiful as a pony. It was that beauty within her that allowed her to transcend what was thought possible to become an alicorn, and it was that love and care for her friends and fellow ponies that made her such a great princess.

I glanced over at Twilight as she began to slowly lower to the ground after at least a few hours doing her meditation, and smiled. I don’t think Twilight realizes exactly how important she was to me all these years, and I’m not articulate enough to explain it in words.

Twilight had once asked me why I was always there for her when she needed me most; well that was why. She deserved it, because she made me feel like someone should be there for her, since she was always available for everypony else. She was a princess without a knight, as it were.

“Raspberry tarts and coffee? Spike, you shouldn’t have.” Twilight commented with a grin as she slowly walked to me.

I nodded, returning her smile. “I figured I should get us breakfast, seeing as how I left early this morning. I know you don’t like it, so I thought I’d-”

“Bribe me with baked treats and minty nectar of the heavens.” she finished, smirking as she took a bite of one of the tarts and swallowing. “Good idea.” Her smile then faltered a bit as she said, “All kidding aside though, I would really prefer if you didn’t just leave like that. You know I worry about you, Spike.”

I chuckled and shook my head as I stood. “Twi, I’m a big drake now;” I used my hand to visually compare our heights as my smile grew, “bigger than you, actually. I’ll be alright.”

Twilight huffed before stepping forward and resting her forehead on my chest, shifting her wings in what I had come to recognize as a nervous pegasus response. “I know Spike, it’s just…” she sighed and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tight, “I still worry about you. We live a dangerous life sometimes, and I don’t like it when you go off alone. If something were to ever happen to you, I…” Her voice broke as she trailed off, and her grip tightened.

I brought my own arms up around her smaller form, taking care to keep my claws away from her wings as I did so. I then rested my head beside her horn and released my own sigh as I explained, “I’ve had to see all you girls in the hospital at least once each, so I’m really the only one left. Sooner or later Twi, I am gonna get hurt somehow,” I brought one of my clawed hands up to run fingers through her hair, “but I’m also in no hurry to end up in a cemetery under a headstone. I’m always careful, and I never go looking for trouble.”

“Like Rainbow Dash.” she mumbled good-naturedly.

I chuckled softly and nodded. “Like Dash.” I released her and held her at arm’s length for a moment before jerking my head to the table. “C’mon, breakfast is gonna get cold if we wait much longer. If you’re having a slumber party today, you need to be awake enough that you won’t fall asleep when we’re cleaning this place up.”

Twilight furrowed her brow as she followed me to the table. “When was the last time I fell asleep during cleaning?”

“Last week,” I answered immediately, “when you didn’t get any sleep the night before because you were convinced Discord was behind the hurricane that hit Fillydelphia.” I shrugged and took my seat, digging a pumpkin spice muffin out of the bag. “Turns out it was just a rogue storm from the sea.”

Twilight sat down as well, but crossed her arms and pouted cutely. “Hey, it was a perfectly reasonable explanation since we haven’t had an unplanned storm in Equestria for nearly two hundred years. What else was I supposed to think?”

I rolled my eyes as I swallowed a bite of muffin and sipped some coffee. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe since Discord was here it was just a freak storm. You know he can’t be in more than one place at once unless he splits himself, and then he just gets smaller. Besides,” bite, swallow, “Discord might like playing pranks still, but he’s never downright malicious, and even he agrees that purposefully hurting or killing ponies isn’t funny.”

“So the only reason he doesn’t hurt or kill is because he doesn’t think it would be funny?” Twilight asked incredulously. “I hate to think that a global collapse of everything we hold dear hinges on whether or not Discord’s sense of humor is morbid enough.”

I sighed and shook my head. “You worry too much, Twilight. Fluttershy’s assured all of us that he’s reformed, and you should trust her. Regardless of what you might think, Fluttershy is not as naive as most ponies think she is, and Discord’s been her friend for ten years now. If Discord’s up to something, he’s not patient enough to set something up for that long.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What about the black vine seeds that took over the Everfree that one time?”

I prepared to retort, only to realize I had nothing to say. Instead I just took another bite of my muffin before answering, “Alright fine, you got me there. Still, that was Discord in the past, not now. If Fluttershy says he’s reformed, you need to trust her on that.”

Twilight was silent for a moment before sighing and nodding. “You’re right. Fluttershy would be upset if she knew how I felt about that, but I can’t help it. I guess I’ll just have to trust them.”

Silence then enveloped us as we ate breakfast across from each other, and I smiled to myself as I enjoyed the comfortable atmosphere in our beloved home.

Two or three hours later found me tired on the front steps of a meticulously-cleaned tree-like castle, and it was at that time I thanked whatever force created the dragons that we didn’t sweat. Twilight, on the other hand, was collapsed in a heap against my shoulder, her fur and mane mussed and tangled in quite a few places. Still, the ground floor had been polished to a near mirror sheen, and the rest of the place was cleaner than the day we moved in. The sad part was, Twilight pretty much forced me to help her clean it like this anytime our friends would be over for any longer than a few hours. It didn’t really matter to me though; the soreness I felt was more than worth it just to see Twilight smile.

My feelings for Twilight were...complicated. On the one hand, she had helped raise me, and taught me many life lessons that would normally make her a mother or older sister figure in my life. However, whether it be because of the subtle changes of the dynamic between us or some other unknown reason, I no longer saw her as such. We were only two years apart in age after all, and there were a lot of times when I sometimes felt I was the mature one in our little group of two. The point is, Twilight was more important to me than I could ever express to her in mere words; I loved her, and we both knew it. The type of love I held for her had slowly changed over the years though, as was evidenced by the fact that I would sometimes find myself subtly checking her out when she wasn’t looking.

Brothers aren’t supposed to do that to their sisters.

That fact alone should have bothered me more than it did, but in our decidedly-crazy life that we lived, I had learned pretty quickly to just go with the flow and adapt quickly to changes. It had served me well thus far, so I wasn’t going to stop following that plan. Nonetheless, I was still reluctant to cross any invisible boundaries with such an important pony in my life; Twilight’s happiness and wellbeing meant more to me than some recent desires I had.

Twilight began to mumble in her sleep and gnaw on my shoulder, which likely meant it was time for her to get cleaned up so we could prepare for the arrival of the other girls. No doubt she would kill me if I let her be seen so disheveled by the others, so I nudged her gently with the tip of one of my claws.

“Twi…” I cooed gently, “Twi, it’s time to get up.”

“Mmrf, don’t wanna…” she whined before snuggling deeper into my grasp.

I sighed and stood, pulling her roughly up with me, righting Twilight on her hooves and giving her a good shake. “Twi, you need to go shower and stuff. Applejack likes to be early which means she’ll probably be here within the next thirty minutes, so go and get ready while I make up some snacks for you all.

Awake but still a bit out of it, she mumbled a few things before hugging me and whispering, “Thanks Spike; love you.”

“Love you too, now go on.” I returned, nudging the drowsy princess through the door.

Voicing “I love you” to each other was something Twilight and I only did in private, as other ponies would likely get the wrong idea if they heard us. We had been doing it since I could speak, and were not going to stop simply because I was nineteen -- or twenty-one, in Twilight’s case. Why she had started in the first place I’ll never know, but it was such a habit that the days felt empty if we hadn’t heard the other speak the words. It made trips spent away from each other (which thankfully were rare) a bother, since we both literally lost sleep over it.

As I waited for Applejack or one of the others to arrive, I observed the ponies of Ponyville as they went on their daily errands and such. Many of them would offer me a smile and wave as they passed the road leading to the library, though those that were in a hurry still gave me a nod of recognition.

I knew many of them as personal friends, including a unique addition to our town: the changeling soldier named Lyla.

One of the first things Twilight did when she was given control of some of the foreign affairs of the kingdom was search for and find those from her past that she felt had more of a story to tell than what was readily apparent. Trixie Lulamoon was one of them, as was the gryffin, Gilda, but Twilight wasn’t satisfied with half-measures. One of the things she felt didn’t add up was why the changelings had attacked Canterlot during her brother’s wedding.

Twilight and I left on a year-long expedition across Equestria and the neighboring territories, searching for any trace of changelings. Much to our surprise we didn’t need to look very long, as they were found dotted around small settlements throughout pony lands, which made sense since they needed ponies to live. Upon forcefully capturing and interrogating a changeling we found, she came upon some very useful information regarding changelings as a whole.

First of all, just like ants, there were multiple nests (or Hive Clusters, as the changelings called them), and multiple “queens”; this meant that Queen Chrysalis was just one of many, but we were surprised to find that many of the other changelings apparently disagreed with her methods. It turned out that Chrysalis’ hive was starving, and so she attempted to solve her race’s nourishment problems permanently by enslaving the ponies of Equestria. Truthfully, I understood her desperation, but couldn’t condone the enslavement of an entire race of people.

Contrary to what we initially believed of changelings, they were predominantly a peaceful race that thrived more from peace than strife. Also, strange side-note, those holes we had all seen on the changelings of Chrysalis’ swarm were only there as a physical manifestation of starvation; a healthy changeling’s carapace-like hide was solid.

Anyhow, once Twilight took the reigns, things progressed rather quickly.

Twilight set up a meeting between all three Equestrian princesses and a few changeling queens that were brave enough to meet them, and in doing so formed an alliance and pact with them; changelings would be allowed to slowly integrate into Equestrian society with her personal help, and in doing so, the race’s sustenance needs would hopefully be solved. It was slow going and took nearly a decade for the prejudice to die down, but it was now not uncommon to see one or two changelings in a town of ponies, though the younger generations were more friendly than those that were old enough to remember the attack on Canterlot. That being said, it was made clear that any and all prejudicial actions toward changelings -- physical, verbal, or otherwise -- would not be tolerated, and depending on the severity, would be dealt with harshly to the full extend of the law. Luckily, most issues were headed off by Twilight’s charisma as she made frequent visits around the kingdom and preached her teachings of love and friendship to doubting ponies. Twilight succeeded where many others would fail, and the changeling queens and their subjects were eternally grateful to the youngest princess.

Unlike ponies, changelings matured very quickly, often living on their own by their fourth birthday. Lyla, by this rule, was allowed to come and live in Ponyville at only five years old, which put her a good six years younger than me. Twilight had paid for and helped build a home for Ponyville’s first changeling resident, and had asked me to become friends with Lyla. As the years passed, Lyla was readily accepted by the town as much as I was; different, but someone that still belonged.

Another thing that was a misconception for ponies: not all changelings -- even drones -- looked the same. Lyla, for example, had eyes just like a pony’s, and hair as well as a tail. The only thing that marked her as a changeling were her fangs, hairless black carapace and insectoid wings. She acted just like a pony did (though she didn’t need to eat as much physical food), and her close contact with me and Twilight helped her quickly fit in with others. It was a huge step forward for changelings as a whole, and it just worked further to help them live more comfortably in a changing world.

Like the rest of my friends, Lyla’s behavior around me changed a bit when I grew to fit my age, though in a much different way than Pinkie or any of the others. True to her name (which meant “dark beauty” in an ancient changeling language), Lyla was eye-catching with her polished obsidian body and deceptive grace. I say deceptive since even though she had spent so much time around ponies, she was born to be a soldier, which meant she was far more powerful than she appeared. Her personality, however, did not match the fact that she had been born as a soldier-caste changeling, since she was as flirty as Rarity was, and almost as smart as Twilight. Sure there were some ponies that were still a little put off by the fact that she was a changeling, but I just saw a friend who was kind and affectionate...like all my other friends.

Overall though, I ignored it. Ponies as a species were instinctually very physically affectionate towards close friends and family, while dragons typically were not. True that as their respective species both dragons and ponies had evolved beyond mere creatures of instinct, but our base primal instincts remained intact; we could no more escape our innate instinctual behaviors than we could cause time to flow in reverse (the latter of which had been tried before by Twilight...more than once), but that did not mean we had to become slaves to those same base desires and actions. Dragons, for example, felt an instinctive desire to hoard, which was a desire that I had succumbed to once before, and consciously battled nearly every day in small ways.

All that having been said, I found that the friendship and love that ponies readily gave to be something I wish dragons could learn. Be it my childhood surrounded by ponies or another reason I didn’t know of, I had no desire to join any of the dragon clans, even those that were at peace or allied with Equestria; I liked the life I had with my friends, and had long ago decided I belonged with them rather than my own kind. I was blessed to find my place in the world so early in my life, and was secure in my choice.

I was brought out of my brief introspection by the sight of another of my friends, and by far the cutest: Fluttershy.

She was daintily flitting along the path leading from the outskirts of Ponyville toward the Friendship Rainbow Palace (ugh, what a mouthful), offering a smile to anyone and everyone. The years had been kind to her, and a comfortable atmosphere and friends had done wonders for her confidence. While she was still wary of strangers and avoided crowds, she no longer jumped at the slightest movement or sound. She was the second youngest of us all, being only seventeen years old, but her observant eyes and tendency to be a wallflower meant that she was wise in ways many others were not. While she would never outclass Rainbow Dash in confidence or assertiveness, those that assumed Fluttershy was a doormat would be surprised.

Fluttershy and I had always got on well, from the very first moment we met. Her deep connection with nature and animals meant she was always interested in meeting new and exciting creatures, and apparently that included cute baby dragons. Most of the coddling I received when I was younger came from Fluttershy and Rarity, but thankfully they had both stopped such behavior when I stopped looking like a baby. Still, that didn’t stop Fluttershy from fawning over me from time to time.

Fluttershy’s eyes lit up with happiness when she spied me on the front steps of Ponyville’s castle, and she gave her wings a powerful flap, landing in front of me only a second later.

“Good morning, Spike.” she greeted warmly, aquamarine eyes following me as I stood. “How are you doing today?”

I stretched and shrugged, gesturing behind me. “I’m alright; just getting everything ready for you girls.” I then motioned to her. “What about you; everything alright with your chores? I can help if you need it, since I don’t have anything to do today.”

Fluttershy seemed to consider my words for a moment before shaking her head. “No thank you, I have things handled. Angel has become a big help in his old age, so things are going quite smoothly this year.” Her smile then fell as she sighed sadly. “I’m going to miss him when he’s gone.”

For someone with Fluttershy’s personality, most would assume she would break down in tears at the mere thought of one of her animal friends dying. That, however, was sadly untrue, since animals didn’t live anywhere near as long as ponies did. Fluttershy had become desensitized to loss at a young age because of her work with animals both wild and domestic, but that didn’t mean she didn’t still feel sad from said losses.

I placed my hand on her shoulder and squeezed firmly, smiling gently. “We’re all here for you, ‘Shy; never forget that.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath before looking up at me again, smiling softly. “Thank you, Spike. I appreciate that. So, what are you going to do tonight then?”

I shrugged. “I don’t really know. A single guy hanging around six pretty mares sounds great, but it might send the wrong message to the town.”

Fluttershy shook her head with a smile. “You’re always welcome around us, Spike; you know that. You don’t have to leave if you don’t want to.”

I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head. “Twi doesn’t get much girl-time with me around, and that’s besides the fact that you all don’t hang out as much as you used to. You all need this to make sure your friendships don’t fall apart as the years go on.” I smiled and rubbed her shoulder gently. “I’ll find something to do tonight; don’t you worry.”

Fluttershy looked unsure, nodding hesitantly. “If you’re sure…”

I nodded. “I am.” I then leaned in close and whispered, “Besides, I don’t think Rarity’s forgiven herself for Canterlot yet.”

She giggled softly and shook her head, playfully smacking my arm. “Silly Spike. Equestria’s never been around dragons before as much as we have you; how was she supposed to know you were allergic to blackberries?”

We were of course referring to a nasty oversight on the parts of Rarity and I, brought about by our ignorance of my race. It seemed that much in the same way that dogs and many other animals were violently allergic to chocolate, dragons were similarly upset by blackberries and raspberries. While I ended up being fine in the end, my throat had closed up from a cake Rarity had bought for me during a short jaunt we took together to the capital, and she blamed herself for it all. For the first week after we returned to Ponyville, she couldn’t even look at me without breaking into tears, often wailing about how she’d “nearly killed Equestria’s greatest treasure”...

Whatever that meant.

“I don’t blame her,” I answered in annoyance, “and I’ve told her that multiple times. For a businesspony who makes her living off of creating unique dresses and suits, you’d think she’d be a little better at listening.”

“One of her closest friends almost died, Spike.” Fluttershy admonished gently. “I know that you’re grown now, but she took you on as her responsibility that day. Be a little more sensitive to that fact; you know how she can get.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I know how she can get. I’ve only known her for like ten years, after all.”

Fluttershy stared at me for a moment before asking, “Have the two of you ever actually talked about it at length?”

Just as I was about to answer with an immediate affirmative, I realized that, “...No, I don’t think we have.”

She smiled again, grasping my hand in both of hers this time. “Then I know what you’re doing tonight: you’re spending time with us. I know you think that tonight is supposed to be just us girls, but it’s a night meant for our closest friends to spend time together all at once;” Fluttershy punctuated her statement by poking me in the chest with a finger, “that includes you, Spike.”

I raised my eyebrow as the small pegasus began pulling me toward the marketplace. “B-but it’s girl time-”

“It’s friend time, Spike.” she corrected.

I sighed and answered, “Alright fine, so why are you leading me to the market?”

“Because I still have some things to do, and since you don’t have anything to do, you’re going to help me.” she answered firmly.

Did I mention that Fluttershy became more confident over the years?

I just nodded dumbly and followed the normally-shy mare into town.

After nearly an hour of shopping, hauling, and distributing, all of Fluttershy’s animals were fed and taken care of, just as the sun began to fall from the sky. I was amazed at just how much work went into Fluttershy’s daily life, and though I knew her to be hardworking, I often forgot just how in shape she must be to get everything done and still have time for her friends.

While this wasn’t my first and probably not the last time I’d help her with her chores, I had a strong appreciation for just how much she did every day.

“Aaaand done!” she announced clearly, flitting down from a tall tree after tending to the birds and squirrels within. “How are things on your end, Spike?”

I stood and stretched from my place beside her small garden. “Everything’s all set; nocturnals have been provided for, as have the carnivores. I think they’re good for another day.”

Fluttershy landed quietly beside me and glanced around, nodding approvingly. “Good job, Spike.”

I nodded just before scrutinizing my shy friend. “I thought you said you didn’t need my help when I first asked you.”

She giggled softly and nudged me with her shoulder. “I didn’t, but it gave the girls time to prepare for another guest tonight.”

I raised my brow skeptically. “How would they know? You’ve been with me the whole time and-”

I was interrupted by a bluebird flying over and landing on her shoulder, holding a small scroll in its mouth. Fluttershy simply smirked at me and unrolled the scroll. “They said it’s fine, and they’re happy to have you.”

Thank Celestia someone like Fluttershy is a friend to animals and not someone like...well, anyone else.

“That’s...borderline awesome and creepy.” I replied after a few seconds of silence, then added, “Although for you, we’ll go with awesome.”

She smiled gently before turning away and picking up her satchel. “I think Rainbow Dash said the exact same thing when she first realized I could speak to animals.” After turning toward me again and placing her finger on her chin she added, “I think most ponies are under the assumption that I’m some crazy pony when they first hear about my skill with animals.”

I shrugged. “I thought it was cool. Besides that fact, it made you want to talk to me, and you were the first real friend I made outside of Twi and Princess Celestia. I don’t know if you noticed it at the time, but Twi and I were pretty sheltered when we came to Ponyville.”

“And I wasn’t?” Fluttershy questioned rhetorically, looping her arm in mine and beginning to lead us back toward town. “Before we all became friends, I only left my cottage to get groceries, and then, only early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid other ponies. Applejack and I lived in the same town and even saw each other now and then, but I never spoke to her.” She pointed to me and said, “If it weren’t for you and Twilight coming to Ponyville, I don’t know if we would ever have been as close as we are now. So,” she began, only to glance out of the curtain of her pink mane at me, “you’re more important to us than you know.”

“How so?” I asked, my interest piqued. While I knew Fluttershy and the others considered me a close friend, I wouldn’t have said I was that important to them.

As we continued our walk, she began to explain her words to me. “There might be only six Element-bearers Spike, but the group includes seven of us. Twilight’s the leader, and makes sure to organize us and give us courage. Applejack keeps us honest and true to ourselves.” She stopped for a moment as we both spied a familiar rainbow contrail in the sky. “Rainbow Dash gives us the strength to be loyal -- to each other, and to ourselves. Pinkie Pie reminds us that even when we’re afraid or sad, there’s always a reason to smile.” She then pointed to the Carousel Boutique, which could just be spotted in the distance. “Rarity reminds us to be generous and welcoming, even to strangers. And me…” she paused, and offered me a shy smile, “I urge the others to be kind, even when sometimes we don’t want to be.”

“I don’t think I have to ask who number seven is,” I mused aloud, “but all the bases seem to be covered. What do I offer all of you?”

The arm curled around my own tightened its grip ever so slightly, and I felt as one feathered wing brushed underneath my own to lay against my back. “You Spike…” she started, trailing off and taking a slow breath, “you’re the heart of the whole group. You’re the peacemaker, and you’re the glue that holds us together when things get rough.” My confusion must have been clear on my face, since Fluttershy elaborated on what she meant. “Loyalty, honesty, and kindness are all well and good for keeping friends together, but sometimes things can happen that make us act and think unlike ourselves.” A small finger pressed just over my sternum as Fluttershy focused her teal eyes on mine. “You remind us of who we are -- both to ourselves, and to each other. You remind us of what’s really important when we lose our heads, and you make sure that no matter what happens, we remember to take time out of our daily lives to just be friends.”

When I really thought back to everything that had happened over the years, I realized she was right.

Calling in all the girls to help Applejack with the Annual Apple Family Hoedown; my idea. Having Rarity model her new designs on me and Twilight; also my idea. Convincing Rainbow Dash that joining a flight team that would throw aside one of their own if they found something better was a bad idea; me, me, me. While it’s true that Rainbow Dash had been more than a little reluctant to let go of her fillyhood dream, she had found in the years that followed that passing on her phenomenal skills to future generations would ensure her name lived on much longer than if she had been a stunt flier.

The point was, it had mostly been me making sure we all stayed close over the years. Growing up, they had become my family, and it terrified me to imagine them drifting away. It was because of that fear I made it a personal mission to make sure such a thing never happened. I made it a point to get them together in a comfortable setting whenever I could, ensuring the bonds that had been made remained strong as the years progressed.

“Do you see now, Spike?” she prodded gently. “It’s because of you that we stayed together all these years, and if anything, we’ve become even closer because of it. Without you, we all might have fallen apart.”

I frowned and shook my head slowly. “Now I don’t know about that-”

“Did Rarity ever tell you she received an offer from Hoity Toity to open shops in Canterlot and Manehattan?” Fluttershy interrupted swiftly. “I bet not, and I also assume Pinkie never said anything about being offered by the cakes to move to Bridleridge to open her own branch of Sugarcube Corner there.”

The breath seemed to leave my lungs for a moment as I became unable to respond. After a few moments of shock, I croaked out, “N-no, neither of them said anything about that.”

Fluttershy sighed softly before continuing. “You deserve to know, so I’ll tell you myself: both of them said in no uncertain terms that they couldn’t leave Ponyville, since it is and always will be home for them. Both of them also mentioned you in particular among the reasons they decided to stay.”

This time, I couldn’t respond for a very different reason than before: shame. I felt ashamed that these two wonderful mares had felt obligated to stay because of me. Granted that you couldn’t tell now just by looking at me, but I was only a few years older than Fluttershy and Pinkie; until my body grew, however, I was always seen as "little Spike", so that had always made me a bit of the kid-brother. It was things like this that made me feel like a burden instead of a constructive force, since I had just come to find that two of my closest friends had given up wonderful opportunities for me.

“Stop that, Spike.” Fluttershy scolded, gently slapping my upper arm with the palm of her hand. “I know what your face looks like when you feel guilty, so stop blaming yourself; it was their choice to stay here instead of leaving, so you’re not at fault.”

“But I kinda am, ‘Shy.” I retorted forcefully, pulling away to look at her directly. We stood for a few moments in silence in the middle of an emptying marketplace, just looking at each other before I added, “If I had been more responsible earlier on, you all wouldn’t have felt like you had to keep an eye on me so much, and you all could have gone off and done your own things. I mean...Celestia, I don’t want any of you to leave, but I also don’t want to be the reason you all feel like you have to stay.”

Fluttershy just stared right back at me, and her expression shifted from concern to...well, deeper concern. “You really don’t understand, do you?” Before I could ask what she meant, she again looped her arm in mine and continued leading me the rest of the short journey to Twilight’s castle-tree-thing. “I’ll let them explain for themselves, Spike; it isn’t my place to tell their stories in this matter. Just know that their desire to stay wasn’t done out of obligation. Instead, it was done for a very different reason.” She motioned to what had been my home ever since the battle with Tirek had destroyed Golden Oaks. “Now come on, our friends are waiting for us.”

I still didn’t think it was proper for me to be around a bunch of mares for a sleepover -- even if it was my home -- but I’d trust Fluttershy’s judgement for now. Besides, if they already knew I was coming and said it was okay, they wanted me there, right?

I breathed deeply of the late afternoon air and pushed open the crystalline wood doors and stepped inside with Fluttershy’s warm body by my side, having a bad feeling that I was woefully unprepared for whatever was to come, as innocent as it seemed.

Oh well; go with the flow, as always.

Chapter 2

The short walk from the ground level to the royal apartments was quiet and honestly a little awkward, since I was dreading bringing up a painful memory for Rarity. Besides that, as much as Fluttershy tried to call the night “friend time”, I was practically going to be swimming in a sea of estrogen. Not that I really minded, since I had a lot of experience dealing with the fairer sex, but I would be spending the night with six of them, and though I had my own room, it was likely Twilight was going to force me to sleep in a room with all of them, since a slumber party practically demanded sleeping bags and talking late into the night...or at least that’s what Twilight’s “The Ultimate Guide to Sleepovers, Vol. 3” stated.

Yet again, not that I minded any of that much, save for the fact that I was a light sleeper nowadays, and Rainbow Dash’s snoring was legendary.

What I saw when Fluttershy and I entered into the common room was pretty much what I expected: Rainbow Dash and Applejack were arm-wrestling while Pinkie was placing bets against Scootaloo on who would win, and Twilight and Rarity were chatting quietly while Rarity brushed the princess’ hair. While I hadn’t thought that Scootaloo would be here as well, I guess it made sense since Rainbow Dash would be at the slumber party, which would leave the younger pony by herself at Rainbow’s cloud home.

Upon seeing me, Pinkie gasped, which startled Rainbow Dash and made Applejack forcefully slam her opponent’s hand onto the table, simultaneously toppling the rainbow-haired mare and causing Scootaloo to burst out in a fit of guffaws. Rarity brushed too roughly through a knot in Twilight’s mane, yanking the alicorn’s head back and causing both to fall off the edge of the large bed they sat upon.

Yeah...I lost it.

Fluttershy squeaked adorably as I fell past her onto the floor, hugging my sides as I laughed uncontrollably at the sight of so much going wrong all at once. This in turn caused Fluttershy to begin giggling, and within only a minute, the entire room was full of laughter the likes of which was so rare that I treasured every second of it. Not that laughter was a novelty with us or anything, but it was so uncommon for us to be all together, all at once, and be laughing like idiots. It felt good, and I wished we had more moments just like it.

After nearly five minutes of excessive laughter, we all calmed down enough to greet each other.

Pinkie was first, of course, deciding that an overly-strong hug would suffice rather than words. From there, Applejack stood and approached, extending her hand with a warm smile.

“Glad to see you could make it, Spike. Ah was wonderin’ if y’all were really comin’.” the farm mare greeted in a friendly manner.

I wrenched myself from Pinkie’s grasp and shook her hand firmly, smiling as well. “Well, Fluttershy said it would be alright if I came by tonight, so here I am. I didn’t have anything else going on tonight, so…” I shrugged. “Besides, I’m always in the mood to hang out with you girls; I just didn’t want to intrude or anything.”

“Spike,” Twilight began, trying her best to fix her mussed hair, “this is your home. Beyond that, I think I speak for everypony when I say you’re always welcome being around us, no matter what; you could never ‘intrude’.”

“She’s right, Spike.” Rainbow Dash added with a grin. “Honestly, we were hoping you’d join us sooner; it just doesn’t feel right anymore without you around.”

I raised one of my brows. “Since when?”

Scootaloo stepped forward now, smiling brightly. “You’ve helped everypony in this town in some way or another; you’ve become a part of everyday life for everypony -- some of us more than others.” She stopped right in front of me, tilting her head back to look at me, as she was a rather petite young mare. “Do you remember when I found out from the doctors that I would never be able to fly like a normal pegasus?”

Her words brought to mind the memory, and I nodded slowly. “Yes. It was a hard day for everypony close to you...Rainbow most of all.” I glanced at Rainbow Dash, and she nodded to me with a smile. “We all banded together to make sure you knew that just because you might be short in the flight department, it didn’t make you any less of a pony; we love you for who you are, not whether you can fly or not.” I rolled my eyes and sighed, nodding. “Fluttershy and I talked about this on the way here. Apparently I’m really important to all of you.”

Scootaloo nodded, her gaze never breaking with my own. “You are. To older ponies, you’re the kind of dragon they wish most younger ponies could be like, and to the youth, you’re the one we aspire to be like. You inspire us to be our best, even if you don’t realize it.” Her smile then dropped away as it was replaced by a more somber expression. “We’ve all seen what your kind can be like Spike, and that’s why you’re so special to us; you’re not like other dragons, but you’re still willing to protect your home and everypony in it.”

Scootaloo held a special place in my heart. She was my first flame, so to speak, after I let go of my childhood crush on Rarity. Scootaloo and I had always been closer to each other than I had to the other “crusaders” seeing as how we had a lot in common as far as personality, hobbies, and even sense of humor. Beyond that, I had been the one to inadvertently prove to Scootaloo that she was not interested in stallions, and was subsequently the first one she had spoken to about her preferences. Now I know a lot of others out there that would see such a realization by a filly or mare right after dating them as a failure as a stallion, but truthfully I was relieved. I had noticed the whole time we were together that she seemed to just be going through the motions as far as a relationship was concerned, which had originally led me to believe that I was doing something wrong. She had later admitted to me that I was the one male she would ever consider marrying, if only for the fact that I was one of her best friends and she knew I would never hurt her. I’m still not sure how I feel about the whole situation, but I choose to see it as a positive.

“Don’t let all this praise give you a big head though, Spike.” Rainbow Dash commented with a smirk. “I’m more than happy to knock you down a few pegs if you get all full of yourself.”

I raised my brow again, this time with a smirk. “Is that a challenge? I’ll throw down with you right now if you’re feeling brave, and I’m pretty sure we both know I’d win.”

Twilight then stepped in front of me, her eyes narrowed in a glare. “If you two want to do that, take it outside.”

I looked out one of the nearby windows and saw clouds gathering for an overnight rain. I shook my head with a sigh as I looked back to my prismatic friend. “I guess we’ll have to wait until another time for you to get your butt kicked.”

Rainbow Dash just smirked right back. “Anytime anywhere, scales. Bring it.”

I simply shook my head and settled in for a night with a few great friends.

Night had settled in nicely in Ponyville, and Twilight’s gramophone was putting out some soft music for us all to listen to as we relived the adventures of our past. Scootaloo, of course, hadn’t been there, but seeing as how Rainbow Dash told her everything, she already knew of many of the things we had done. Needless to say, the eight of us had quite a bit of fun talking about old times and reminiscing about how we all came to know each other. It was a night that I think we all enjoyed immensely, since for those few precious hours we could forget about our responsibilities and chosen professions to just be friends again.

I found it funny that some things never changed about all of them, such as Pinkie’s exuberance or Fluttershy’s gentle nature. Though we had grown (some of us more or faster than others), we had never forgotten or forsaken the bonds we had with each other. It was worth more than its weight in gold or jewels to me, and I would protect what we had to my last breath.

On a less dark note, Applejack was happy to announce that she and Thunderlane would be celebrating their six-month anniversary soon, which meant that among all those present, she would have the longest-standing relationship. It was kinda sad when I really thought about it, but I guess we can’t all be winners. Besides, I pretty much had everything I could want anyway, minus anything physically intimate...and I’ll admit, the latter is something I do crave, as any other sane stallion does.

Nonetheless, we were all happy for Applejack, since she had so little time to herself with work on the farm and everything, which meant that not only was it nearly a miracle for her to even find someone, but also incredible that he understood just how much time she would have to devote to the farm. We all knew of course, but then again we weren’t her special somponies, so I don’t think that counts.

After that little congratulatory moment, we all sat down to watch a movie in Twilight’s bedroom, which from what the others told me was a regular thing, as was the fact that everypony would likely fall asleep around or on each other. Twilight told me (much to my disappointment) that scantily-clad female pillowfights were “not a thing”, as cited in her issue of “One-Thousand and One Things that Never Happen” (yes, it’s a real book, and yes, the rule was in there). However, I was overjoyed at the fact that mini-pizzas and chips were in plentiful supply, which more than made up for the fact that I wouldn’t be living every young stallion’s dream.

It was around one in the morning when I felt nature call, so I slowly and carefully extracted myself from the grasp of Twilight and Pinkie Pie -- the latter of which was drooling on me -- and made my way to the public lavatory.

After relieving myself and cleaning up, I strolled over to the railing of one of the balconies on the first floor of the apartment wing and gazed up at the moon, simply enjoying the night air. The night had gone pretty well, even though I had never gotten my chance to speak to Rarity alone, but I had come to find that perhaps sleepovers weren’t so girly after all. Besides, who doesn’t love hanging out with best friends?

“You seem troubled.” whispered a voice from above.

I looked up and smiled, waving to my visitor. “Hey, mom. Do the guards know you’re sneaking out at night?”

Princess Celestia, in all her sweat pants and tee-shirt’ed splendor, flared her wings quietly before landing on the balcony next to me, returning my smile. “I think what I do during my off-hours is none of their business. Besides,” she continued, reaching out to rub a hand along my newly-growing cranial fins, “I’m allowed to visit those most important to me from time to time, am I not?”

I raised a brow at this. “And Twilight?”

She shrugged, shifting beside me and extending her wing to wrap around me. “You do realize I hear from her every day, right? I haven’t heard from you in nearly two weeks, Spike. I’m starting to think you don’t love me anymore.” She then pouted in a way that immediately drew me to assume she must have been a real brat when she was younger.

I sighed and shook my head. “I just didn’t want to bother you is all. Besides, you told me that now is the time when I should be striking out on my own.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t keep in contact with family, dear.” she admonished gently.

I leaned against her side, enjoying the feeling of her soft, warm fur. “I guess. I just can’t help but think of how much you and the others have to do every day to keep this country running. By comparison, my daily routine seems pretty unimportant.”

I felt the large feathered wing tighten ever so slightly against me, and found two pink eyes almost glaring at me. “Comparing your wants, needs, and habits to another who lives a life so different from yours will always lead to a feeling of insignificance, my son.” Her hand once again brushed my soft head fins, and her glare softened into a loving smile. “To those that matter, how you feel and what you do are the most important things in the world. Never think for a moment that I or any of the others whose lives you have touched do not wish to keep in contact, no matter where life may take us.” She then smirked mischievously. “Besides, I know of no one else who was artificially aged by a curious princess.”

Her latter statement referred, of course, to Twilight; more specifically, it referred to the time when she was dabbling in magic and unfinished spells that were dreamt up to control or alter time. One such spell would allow her to open a portal to a fixed point in the past if she could figure out how to get it to work right. Instead of doing what was intended, the spell had backfired and altered both our ages by five years. It was after this incident that Twilight destroyed all copies of the spell and forwarded the original and all her notes to be kept safe in the Canterlot Royal Archives. She had later told me that seeing me grow five feet within two seconds had scared her more than she initially thought, especially when she recognized the fact that the spell could have very well aged me far past that point had it gone even worse...and by worse, she meant death, even though she never actually said it. Regardless, she promised both me and herself that she would never experiment with dangerous magic on another living subject again.

“That might very well have been one of the strangest things to ever happen to me.” I commented dryly. “Though, it did have some nice side effects; for one, I’m not small anymore.”

“You have a long life ahead of you, Spike.” she chastised gently. “Don’t ever be in a hurry to grow up.” I noticed as her ear flicked, and she grinned slyly. “It seems we have company.”

I turned with her toward the balcony door and smiled when I saw Rarity walk out before stopping abruptly, nearly falling in the process. “O-oh, I’m sorry. I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Celestia looked at me before shaking her head and spreading her wings. “Not at all dear, I’m just saying goodnight to Spike here.” She then turned to me with a smile as she stroked my cheek lovingly, kissing it shortly after before ascending with one powerful flap of her wings. As she hovered for a moment in the air, she looked Rarity and I over with a knowing smile before waving. “I’m off to the palace, dear. Take care of them.”

Rarity watched in confusion and awe as the alicorn of the day flew away, clearly unsure what to make of what she had just seen. “S-so, umm…”

“It’s not what it looks like, Rarity;” I began, still not taking my eyes off of the ruler as she continued to retreat in the distance, “she’s my mom.” Before she could say anything else, I turned around to face Rarity. “Why are you awake?”

Rarity looked away from the sky to focus on me, shifting uneasily on her hooves. “I-I heard you get up, and I was worried.”

I closed my eyes and exhaled through my nose. “Rarity, we’ve been dancing around this for awhile now, and it has to stop. For months now, any time you don’t know where I am or where I’m going, you act as if I just took up a fight with a hydra. Accidents happen; I forgave you and-”

“You were dying,” she spoke suddenly, her voice very soft and her tone vulnerable, “and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop it.” She stepped forward and leaned her rump against the railing, unwilling to look me in the eyes anymore. “We’re lucky there were guards on standby that knew what to do, because the sight of you suffocating was so horrifying that I just locked up in terror.” Rarity shook her head shamefully as the tears began to come, more quickly than I would have expected from her. “It was all my fault, and there was not a thing I could do to correct my mistake…”

I shook my head. “Rarity, we didn’t know; hay, I didn’t even know until afterward what had happened to me. It wasn’t-”

“IT WAS MY FAULT!” she suddenly shouted, her voice echoing briefly before the sounds of night once again enveloped us. She was hunched over, shaking with the effort of trying to keep silent, but choked sobs and tears still escaped.

We were all used to Rarity being dramatic, but there was a clear difference between something that she thought was important at the time, and something that truly bothered her. The way she presented herself the past few months -- her tone, her posture, and even her outfits -- screamed shame and depression. She had hardly ever approached me since the day of the incident, and spoke to me only in passing. For a long time I had worried I had done something wrong, but it was this night that confirmed to me that she didn’t feel worthy of being around me anymore; no...worse, she thought herself to be a hazard to me.

“Rarity…” I began, stepping over to her only to have her flinch away. I sighed and shook my head, shooting my hand out and grabbing her wrist before she could retreat, and pulling her close to me as I wrapped my arms around her. For a moment she struggled to escape and her horn even lit up with magic in an attempt to push me away or something, but soon she slumped against me and began sobbing against my chest. Her arms suddenly shot up and encircled me, clutching on for dear life as the two of us fell to our knees as her legs gave out.

“I-I’m s-s-s-so s-” she began, only for her words to dissolve into unintelligible babbles as she cried harder. Unable to do much else, I simply held her tightly as she soaked my shirt with tears.

Whenever it comes to anything dealing with emotions, Rarity truly goes all-out. When she falls in love, she falls hard, and the same extreme reactions happen whenever she’s very happy, very sad, or any strong emotion. Because of that, what would for anyone else be a mere few minutes of crying, she spent two hours on it, reducing my shirt to nothing more than a wet rag to be used for the explicit purpose of drying a unicorn’s tears.

One good thing did come from her breakdown though: she finally looked at me without shame swimming in her gaze, and didn’t retreat from me when I was close to her. While it’s true I didn’t actually say much to fix the issue, I think she may have finally gotten over her guilt that very night, as her behavior toward me did a complete turnaround.

Those hours later found the two of us laying together back in Twilight’s bedroom, her head on my chest and my hand lovingly stroking her mane. As I’d gotten older and larger, Twilight had been in Rarity’s very position a few times before, though never because of something having to do with me, luckily. This instance would make the first time I’d held Rarity in such an intimate manner, and I must admit, it felt exactly like I’d dreamed it would all those years ago when I was just a little whelp.

“Spike,” Rarity whispered suddenly, turning her head to look up at me as she pushed herself up from my bare chest, “why do you do all this for us?”

I raised one of my brows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

She gestured to the six others who were sleeping. “Everypony here cherishes you for one reason or another. You are there for us whenever we need you, and ask for nothing in return. My question is: why? What do you gain from all this?”

Rarity’s eyes were still a little puffy from crying so hard, but to me, she was still as beautiful as ever.

I looked down to her with a warm smile and motioned to the position we found ourselves in. “What, this isn’t enough?”

She slapped my chest gently, frowning at me. “Spike, don’t play with a lady’s feelings.”

I nodded slowly, but didn’t lose my smile. “Okay, you want to know the truth? It’s because you all are family -- every one of you. We’ve been together so long and been through so much, and I’ve made sure we stay close no matter what.” I continued my act of running my claws through her mane, and brought my hand around her back, rubbing my thumb along her shoulder gently. “I do what I do for all of you because I like seeing all of you happy, and when you’re happy, I’m happy.”

She nodded a few times before setting her chin on my scales, still looking up at me. “Spike, do you lov-”

“Yes.” I interrupted plainly, with no hesitation or doubt in my tone.

Rarity’s eyes of sapphire continued staring deep into my own as she considered my answer until finally, “You know, I’ve spent a large part of my life looking for a fairytale prince to marry.” She paused and glanced away briefly before looking back to me with a sad smile. “And it appears I’ve overlooked the precious gem that lay in plain sight.”

My heart raced as I began to imagine the possibilities of what she meant, though it was pretty clear by now where this conversation was headed.

‘Easy Spike,’ I chastised myself sternly, ‘be cool and don’t be too eager. Yes this has been a long time coming, but don’t act desperate even though...though…” I closed my eyes and inhaled as my eyes rolled back in my head. ‘G-gah, she smells good...’

“Spike?” Rarity called quietly as I opened my eyes, concern and nervousness etched on her face. “Are you alright?”

Deciding to turn the tables, so to speak, I brought the palm of my hand to her cheek and asked her, “Rarity, do you love me?”

My dream was now within reach; she only needed to give me the answer I craved -- the answer I knew she wanted to give -- and all would be well.

For a long few minutes of silence, she simply looked at me, as if contemplating what to say to my question before she answered not with words, but by crawling forward and hovering for just a moment before planting her soft lips against mine.

It wasn’t my first kiss. Fireworks didn’t explode in my mind and the sun and moon didn’t weep at the sheer right-ness of the action between Rarity and I, but across my entire body a pleasant warmth spread, and my heart sped to match pace with Rainbow Dash on her best day.

Slowly, I reached up as we continued our liplock to gently grasp the back of her head, pushing her deeper into the kiss. Rarity let out a quiet moan of surprise and happiness as her hand began to roam over my chest and neck, seeking to heighten the pleasure of our shared experience as it continued. Without consciously thinking about it, I slid my free hand up under the hem of her violet nightgown, caressing the diamonds on her flank, eliciting a gasp-turned-moan.

Rarity disconnected the kiss, pushing away and whispering, “S-Spike, stop...please.”

I swallowed hard at what I realized I had just done and began stammering, “O-oh Celestia. Rarity, I’m so s-sorry.”

To my surprise, she was smiling as she stayed mounted on my stomach. She brought a hand down to mine and pulled it to her lips, kissing it gently before saying, “Don’t ever apologize for desiring me, Spike.”

I raised my brow in confusion. “B-but then why…?”

“Because,” she purred softly, bending down to hover just in front of my face, “it wouldn’t be very ladylike to explore each other in a room filled with our friends, now would it? Besides that, I have saved myself for the one who will be my husband, and I’ll not give what no other has had after only one night, Spike; not even to you.”

I felt blood rush to my cheeks at what she insinuated, and I cleared my throat nervously. “Um, I-I wouldn’t have let it go that far…”

I felt Rarity’s muzzle push past my cheek as she settled right against my ear frill and whispered, “But much more and I wouldn’t have been able to stop.”

I felt Rainbow Dash move down by my feet, and glanced to our mutual bedmate before looking back to Rarity with a smile. “Alright, my lady.”

Rarity nodded before dismounting and laying beside me once again, laying her head across my chest and placing her warm hand against my shoulder. She sighed happily before looking to me and whispering, “Goodnight, Sir Spike; I love you.” I closed my eyes and resumed stroking her mane as I reveled in the embrace my own personal princess, only to feel the bed shift as somepony began to crawl toward the head of it.

Rainbow Dash then settled next to me while mumbling, “S’cold,” and shimmying underneath the duvet. Her hand then reached for mine, and I let her take it as she laced her fingers in mine and smiled sleepily with her eyes shut.

While Rarity might have been the only one that loved me as more than a great friend, all the ponies in the crowded room were my family, and I was more content than I would be with a mountain full of the most priceless gems and precious metals.

With a final happy smile and shift of my wings, I let Luna’s realm of dreams take me, though one of my greatest dreams had already come true.

Chapter 3

“They’re so cute!”

That was the first thing I heard in the morning, followed by a chorus of hushed giggles. While it was true I wanted to pry open my eyelids and tell whoever they were to kindly be a bit quieter, Rarity’s grasp on me was far too comfortable. It was then that I realized -- by scent and touch -- that last night was indeed real, and I nearly jumped out of the bed with a start before thinking it would probably be pretty rude to wake my bedmate up that way. So, I instead slowly and gently pulled my arm out from underneath the unicorn beside me and sat up, letting loose a mighty yawn and stretching my stiff wings.

I finally opened my eyes to see that six ponies were gathered around me, Rainbow sitting with a smug expression to my left.

“So…” Rainbow Dash began, her smirk growing even larger, “did you sleep well last night?”

Letting my quick wit work this out for me, I immediately replied, “You were right beside me Ms. Cuddlepony; you tell me.”

The rest of the girls giggled as Rainbow’s face lit up in a fierce blush, and she turned away in embarrassment. It was cute to be honest, so I let it happen; besides, she’d laughed quite a bit over the years at my expense, so I counted this as payback. Rarity, however, was still getting her beauty sleep, so I hurriedly shushed the others and pointed to the slumbering unicorn. Not to sound cliche or anything, but I never really understood the reason for someone as physically and mentally beautiful as Rarity needing beauty sleep, but she would likely say something along the lines of it being needed for “maintenance”, so I just stop that train of thought before it even makes it to my mouth.

Let it be said that I do think ahead from time to time.

“All kidding aside though,” Twilight began, more quietly than her rainbow-maned friend, “is everything alright between the two of you now?”

I nodded, smiling as I glanced to my sleeping bedmate. “Yeah. Mom visited late last night too --” I then preempted Twilight’s correction by adding, “or this morning, if you want to be specific -- and spent some off-time with me for a bit.”

Scootaloo looked confused, as did most of the rest of them besides Twilight. “Your mom? A dragon came by here last night?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Not my biological mother Scoots, rather, the one I consider my mother: Celestia.”

Rainbow Dash had apparently recovered from her embarrassment since she broke in with, “Celestia’s your mom?”

I shrugged with a faint smile. “She raised me before Twilight took over later on, and like a lot of animals, dragons naturally imprint on those they spend the most time with shortly after birth. Twilight hatched me, but those first few months were spent exclusively with Celestia, so I’ve always thought of her as my mom.” I chuckled and added, “She actually had to explain to me later when I was old enough to understand that I was not, in actuality, a pony. It was quite the revelation, to say the least.”

“To find out that yer not just a scaly pony?” Applejack chimed with a grin. “Ah can imagine so. Bet that was cute; wish Ah could’a seen yer reaction.”

I chuckled softly at the memory, remembering my childish overreaction. “I cried...a lot; like any young pony would at learning they were not, in fact, a pony.” I glanced to Applejack and clarified, “I guess it would be like you finding out that you were actually a wingless pegasus and not an earth pony.”

It took the knowledge gained from years of study under Twilight to know that the two were not, in fact, the same thing. Pegasi were usually the smallest of the three tribes, whereas earth ponies were the largest. Mistaking an earth pony for a pegasus would be difficult.

I stretched and stood, doing both quietly so as not to wake the sleeping pony beside me. “Alright, who’s up for breakfast?”

As was the custom among my friends, I cooked us all breakfast. Besides Twilight and Scootaloo, the rest were perfectly capable of cooking a hearty meal for a group, but it was sort of an unspoken rule that I was the one to cook whenever all of us were gathered together. While some others might feel a bit used because of this, I didn’t mind in the least. Besides the fact that cooking for grateful friends was hardly a chore, I actually liked to cook; it was a bit of a private hobby of mine, and one that I’d perfected among other skills I possessed.

So it was that the cloudy morning was filled with pleasant chatter as I prepared the meal, with my totally macho frilly pink apron on, with “Kiss the Cook” written in glittery red letters across the front.

…

…

It was a gift from Rarity, so keep your judging judge-words to yourself. Besides all that, the “requirement” written on it had been followed by nearly all in attendance at least once, so I was perfectly content wearing something that was pink and frilly...a-and sparkly…alright fine, so it’s kinda girly, but whatever.

“Mmm, smells good Spikey!” commented the bright voice of Pinkie from behind me as she peered past my shoulder. “Could I just-”

As a pink hand reached around me toward the sizzling peppers and hay-browns, I tapped the digits with my spoon and shook my head. “It’s almost done, Pinkie. You’ll have some when everypony else does.”

She appeared in my field of vision, pouting adorably as her blue eyes seemed to widen to nearly comical levels; comical, at least, if it wasn’t so pitiful-looking. “Spiiiike…”

I glanced at her for a moment before my resolve completely fell away, and I huffed before grabbing a spoon from the drawer and scooping some of the mixture up and holding it in front of her mouth. She blew on the steaming food before wrapping her lips around the spoon, moaning in a borderline-inappropriate manner as she closed her eyes and chewed. It took all I had within me to keep my thoughts focused on something other than every fantasy I’d ever secretly had about her as a younger drake (and even from time to time more recently), but-

I slapped myself and took a deep breath, shaking my head at the fluffy-haired baker beside me. “You’re gonna get me in trouble one of these days Pinkie, and when that day comes you’re totally getting part of the blame.”

She shrugged with a smile as she swallowed her food with an exaggerated lip-licking. “As long as I get to share in the fun when it happens, that’s okay!”

I waited for Pinkie to clarify her statement for me since it was pretty vague as far as how I was supposed to take it, but she just winked at me before walking away. I knew for a fact that Pinkie was smarter than most strangers took her for, so I was pretty sure she knew when she was messing with me. No one, no matter how innocent, could tease the way she did and have no idea of the implications of what she said and did.

Sometimes it’s hard out here for a drake, but the perks make it worth it...most of the time.

With a flourish I began to serve the food up into the bowls set aside, topping Twilight’s with a generous portion of ketchup and adding fresh habanero Mexicolt peppers to Pinkie and Rainbow’s. With the meals ready, I began bringing them to the crystal dining table the mares were all sitting near. Conversation quickly died, replaced by grateful words and praise, but I didn’t let it get to me. Nope, I surely didn’t let the praise of six of my best friends inflate my ego, and I’ll completely deny that I had a bit of a swagger in my step as I served the meals up.

“Y’all might as well be an Apple with how good at cookin’ ya are, Spike.” Applejack praised with a smile and wink.

I shrugged, making my way back to the kitchen after setting all the assembled ponies’ meals in front of them. “It doesn’t come naturally, I’ll admit. Still, practice makes perfect, and dragons do have a lot of experience with cooking things. I just had to learn to stop heating food before it became ash and everything was good.” I ignored Rainbow Dash’s amused chuckle and instead looked to the stairs leading to Twilight’s room. “Anypony know if Rarity’s coming down?”

Scootaloo snorted to conceal a laugh. “Maybe she’s waiting for her dreamy dragon to come wake her with a kiss.”

My shock and surprise at the youngest of us all having put the pieces together was clear, and I looked worriedly to the rest of them. Pinkie decided to save me from my anxiety by adding, “You two aren’t really good at keeping a secret, Spikey. Rarity doesn’t hold just anypony like that.”

I furrowed my brows as I looked at the faces of all who were gathered. “You all aren’t...weirded out by this?”

Twilight shrugged with both her shoulders and wings, for some reason. “It was a little strange when she was twice your size, but it’s a lot easier to see you as a mature dragon when you look the part. Personally, I think it’s great; you finally got what you had been chasing all your childhood.”

I smirked as the metaphorical door was left open for me. “I also wanted to be a superhero and a valiant knight; do you think those will come true for me too?”

“Now you’re just being silly.” she retorted, but couldn’t hide a grin.

I raised my hand as I made my way to the stairs. “Well this silly dragon is going to wake up Miss ‘I-Need-My-Beauty-Rest’.” Before climbing the steps, I stopped and turned, offering a grateful smile. “All kidding aside though, I’m happy you all are being so supportive. I’ve had nightmares about something like this going horribly wrong.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me. “How could this have gone horribly wrong?”

I shrugged, beginning my ascent. “I’ve imagined things from stern scolding ranging all the way to banishment and a forced make-out session with Discord.” At the silence that reigned after my explanation, I glanced to the room of silent ponies and shrugged. “If there is something worse than trading spit with one of my guy friends, I can’t think of it.”

Another bit of laughter answered my words, but I didn’t stay any longer; there was a portion of greasy, thrown-together breakfast with Rarity’s name on it, and I wasn’t going to let her miss it. I quickened my pace to skipping a stair or two with each stride, and soon arrived at the door to Twilight’s room. I knocked softly and waited for an answer, but only silence answered me. Assuming that Rarity was still asleep, I turned the crystalline knob and pushed the door open, shutting it behind me.

Rarity was still and breathing deeply, though without me nearby she had fully extended her legs to cover the entire surface of the bed. Contrary to what many of the others thought with how often I had been over Rarity’s home, this would mark the first time I had caught her in a natural sleep state...and it was adorable. She was holding the pillow we had shared tightly as she slept peacefully. Rarity was apparently just as refined asleep as she was awake, since she didn’t snore, didn’t drool, and only tossed and turned when she was ill.

Still, as blissful as she may have been, breakfast waits for no pony.

I made my way to her side and sat down on the bed, extending a hand and shaking her gently. “Rares...Rarity, it’s time to wake up.”

She groaned loudly before rolling onto her back, fluttering her eyes a few times before looking over to me. Once our eyes met hers closed once again, and she reached out to me as she sat up, embracing me. “Good morning Spikey-wikey.” She then surprised me with a few kisses to my cheek and jawline, causing me to stiffen a bit. While it was true she had finally seen me as more than just a friend (much) earlier in the morning, it was going to take some getting used to in order to not flinch or react when she openly showed affection to me. It was okay though; for her, I would weather a storm of kisses. Ah, the things I’ll do for love.

I felt blood rush to my cheeks as she repeatedly planted her lips against my face, slowly and lovingly. I did my best to keep from looking too much like I was losing myself to an overpowering giddiness, but my eyes momentarily rolling back in my head probably ruined that.

After gathering enough of my composure to speak I greeted, “‘Morning, Rares. How did you sleep?”

Rarity ceased her oral assault upon me (and I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed) as she laid her head against mine. “Mmmm...wonderfully, darling. And you?”

I chuckled and nodded. “Same.” I then gently nudged her and gestured to the door. “C’mon, I made breakfast.”

Rarity nodded against me and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, standing with a dainty yawn as she adjusted her sleepwear. While at one point in our history I might have to worry about her taking the next two hours just to make herself “presentable”, our years together as a family of seven had done wonders for her self-confidence around us. I suppose it took someone seeing you at both your best and worst -- still sticking around to offer love and support through it all -- in order for us to feel truly confident that we would not be judged by something so trivial as bedmane or mussed fur. Scootaloo might not have spent as much time with all of us, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t also trust her in that respect, since we had been the ones to help her through her tough times.

Still, I was often thankful that I didn’t have any fur to muss, and no mane to get tangled; it made getting ready in the morning a breeze.

As Rarity stumbled sleepily a few times, I bounded down the stairway ahead of her to prepare a strong cup of coffee. While it was true I was eager to prove I was observant and thoughtful enough to do that for the mare I loved, I knew it was more for everypony else’s benefit than hers. A cranky Rarity is scarier than an angry ursa, and I wanted our first day together as a couple to be a good one, as cheesy as it sounds.

I arrived at the common room to find the others already eating and chatting happily, so I silently prepared the steamy caffeinated drink and arrived with it at the table just as Rarity arrived in the room. She nodded thankfully to me as she took her place between Applejack and myself, sipping the beverage slowly and letting out an audible sigh of contentment.

“Mornin’ Rare. Ya sleep alright?” Applejack greeted with a smirk, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Rarity took a breath and muttered, “Honestly Applejack, must you be so crass? As a lady I would never submit myself to raising my tail so quickly for anyone, much less in the company of others. Proper etiquette demands restraint and self-control, and I would never lose myself to such a base desire.”

I noticed a few things at that moment. First of all, Rarity never once denied that her and I were an item. Also, Applejack’s grin had slowly fallen away until she looked a little worried for offending a friend. Lastly but certainly not the least, Rarity’s mouth had slowly curled into a mischievous grin...and it was the following words that flowed from her mouth that proved to me that while Rarity considered herself a proper lady, this particular fashionista was far more complex than a stranger would think.

“But,” she began, taking another sip of her aromatic coffee, “more than that, I simply didn’t want to wake the entire town when I began shrieking Spike’s name to the stars in an attempt to find an outlet for the sheer bliss of mutual loving release.” The last word was said more slowly, and with a seductive purr; her words had the desired affect as Rainbow Dash began choking on her food and Fluttershy began chanting “oh my goodness” repeatedly as her face turned from pale yellow to ruddy orange. Twilight and Applejack just stared with slack jaws as Scootaloo giggled, and Pinkie was actually…

“I’m…actually kinda jealous.” Pinkie admitted, biting her lip. It took a playful shove from me to cause the pink mare to begin giggling, and I laughed as well. Soon, much as we had the day before, all eight of us were laughing loudly as the contagious joviality spread among us, and I basked in the warmth and love of great friends.

While we all made it a point to spend time together as often as possible, each of us still had our own obligations -- the farm for Applejack, for example -- so, after breakfast we were forced to say our goodbyes as the group split up.

As Rainbow pulled Scootaloo up onto her back to take her home, Rarity, Twilight and I were the only three left standing out in front of the Friendship Castle. Seeing as how I didn’t particularly have anything important to do at the moment, I thought it a good idea to suggest, “So...lunch later?”

Rarity and Twilight turned to me before briefly glancing to each other. After nodding Twilight answered, “That sounds nice, Spike. Your treat?”

While it was true we practically had to fight with the restaurant owners of some places simply to pay for our meals, most of the ponies who had known us when we were younger treated us exactly the same as they always had. It was because of that issue that Twilight and I often ate out at a specific eatery when we wanted to spend time out of the castle, so I already had a place in mind.

With a nod, I smiled. “Sure; we’ll head to Chunky’s at around 1:00, alright?” Before Rarity could comment on the name I added, “They have healthy food options available too, Rarity.”

Considering my answer, Rarity looked to Twilight again before smiling at me. “That sounds lovely, Spike. Thank you for offering.”

Taking a chance, I leaned forward and planted a kiss on her mouth, lingering for a moment before pulling away and cupping her face in my hand. Her eyes fluttered open after having closed for a moment, and she smiled at me as I whispered, “Just thought I’d treat two of the world’s greatest to a simple lunch, as well as show you off a bit.”

Rarity pulled away with a soft blush and shoved me half-heartedly, only to drape her arms around my neck a second later to plant a single kiss on my lips. By the stars, that will never get old.

“Then, my shining knight, your lady will see you midday.” she replied, still smiling warmly.

‘My lady...’ I thought quietly to myself. With a radiant smile I nodded before releasing her. “I’ll see you then, Rares.” Then, deciding to see just how-

“I love you.” she murmured, her hands still around my neck.

I stood stock still for a moment before answering, “I was literally just about to say that.” Even though she said it first (and in doing so, sent a very potent thrill through my entire body), I eagerly reciprocated with a soft, “I love you too, Rares. See you later.” Rarity finally released me and began walking away, her designer overnight satchel in hand. It seemed that even doing something so mundane as spending the night over a friend’s house, she still had to be “chic and magnifique” while doing it.

*sigh*...I love that mare.

“It’s about time, Spike.” Twilight snarked from beside me, leaning her weight against me as she did so.

I extended one of my wings and wrapped it around her, still keeping my eyes locked on Rarity as she slowly disappeared around a few buildings. “It just kinda all happened at once last night, Twi. We finally had a serious -- albeit short -- talk about what happened to me in Canterlot, and then it just kinda...escalated. Next thing I know we’re kissing, and I’m fighting my own instincts to keep from hurting her...or mentally scarring the rest of you.” After realizing what I’d just said I turned my eyes to Twilight with a sheepish smile. “Sorry; TMI, right?”

Twilight had a mild blush along the tops of her cheeks, but she smiled supportively at me. “Don’t ever be afraid to talk to me about anything, Spike. There are things that Discord just wouldn’t understand, and I honestly don’t think Snips or Snails could help you out with anything pertaining to Rarity or your relationship with her.” She then nudged me with her shoulder. “Besides, I’ve known you the longest. If you can’t talk to the pony you’re closest to, who can you talk to?”

While it was true that my concept of Twilight had slowly changed from friend/sister to something else over the years, it was times like this that reminded me of just how close we were. There were things I’d spoken to her about that no pony else knew...not even Celestia. I’d spoken to her about my greatest fears of turning into an aggressive, hoarding dragon, and of my most loved dream of us always being together -- yes, even more than winning Rarity’s heart. Twilight was the pony I valued most in the world, and so long as she stood by my side, I knew everything would be alright.

“I thank whatever force put us together, Twi.” I commented, tightening my wing-hold around her. “We’d be messes alone.”

I felt Twilight nod against my shoulder before she moved away from me toward the door behind us. “I have to get cleaned up,” she then threw a glance over her shoulder, “and you get to start the laundry.”

I groan and threw my hands up as I followed her to the interior. “But I did it last week!”

Twilight nodded, but her mouth curled into a satisfied smirk. “You did, but who was the one that filed all those tax forms for the mayor? And, in case you’ve forgotten, I was the one that made sure you were able to make it to Canterlot for Vinyl’s party last week; you owe me, Spike.”

While normally I would consider the favors she did for me a gift, she quite clearly said in the past on both occasions that I would owe her for it...and I couldn’t go back on a promise to deliver.

I sighed, groaning at the end of it. “Fine, I’ll do the laundry...but I won’t like it!”

Twilight giggled softly and said, “You’ll make the perfect husband someday.”

While it was new to hear Twilight say such a thing to me, the thought itself was not...and I have to admit, the thought of “Husband Spike” one day for Rarity was a pretty nice one.

“Spike, stop! It isn’t going to fit like that; just push harder!”

“Ugh...this is a really tight fit, Twilight. Are you sure that’s where you want it?”

“Quit playing around and just shove it in, Spike! You’ve kept me waiting far too long!”

*grunt*

“Harder S-Spike!”

*grunt*

“A-almost there…”

With a final, satisfying push, Twilight and I collapsed to the floor, completely spent. Twilight was sweating, both of us were gulping down air, and the library was silent once again.

“Oh *pant* Celestia, I *pant* can’t feel *pant* my legs.” Twilight whispered hoarsely.

I barked a laugh through my own heavy breathing. “You’ll *pant* regain feeling *pant* soon.”

Twilight lay on top of me for a moment before turning and looking at the relocated crystal bookshelf, now moved next to the fireplace. “I like it *pant* much better there.”

I lay with Twilight leaning over me from the side, looking to the bookcase as well. “You better, because *pant* I’m not moving that thing again for a long *pant* time.”

Twilight sighed heavily as she finally got her breathing back under control and stood, offering her hand to help me stand. I accepted and stood next to her, looking at the newly-organized library of our home. It was better-stocked than the Golden Oaks used to be, but it was also much more spacious. The problem was that Twilight -- ever since coming to terms with the fact that this was our home now and Golden Oaks was truly gone -- made it a point to “freshen the flow” of the room every now and again by moving things around periodically. While I appreciated the fact that we both lived here, sometimes I wish she could just do it on her own. Twilight’s excuse for requesting my help was that she didn’t trust she had enough control over her levitation to move such large things without bringing the whole castle down.

I call horseapples; she dealt with an ursa minor when she was still just a unicorn, but whatever.

“Looks good, Spike. Thanks so much for your help.” she spoke with a grateful tone and a smile.

Even though my breathing was still moderately heavy and my muscles were burning, I nodded with a smile. “Anytime, Twilight.”

Twilight then glanced to the clock on the wall, nodding with a smile. “We have some time before meeting Rarity at Chunky’s, so I want to clean up first.” Twilight made to walk toward the cloud-shower she had installed off of the commons room, but suddenly yelped and began to fall as she reached toward her thigh. I reacted quickly and caught her in a “dip” position as if we were dancing...which would have been smooth and -- dare I say it -- romantic if I hadn’t fallen as well when my balance shifted.

My wings flailed as I fell, still gripping Twilight in my arms. At the last possible second, my wings reacted as if by instinct, sticking both sharp spines that grew at the joints into the crystal floor and stopping my fall. I cringed at the sound of the crystal cracking, but breathed a sigh of relief as I found myself hovering a mere few inches off the floor with Twilight safe in my grasp. Twilight’s face was one of utter surprise as she stared back at me, her amethyst eyes focusing on my own. Her breathing was splashing over my face as gentle puffs of air, and I couldn’t help but notice just how matted her sweaty fur was. Still, it made her look...cute.

After a few moments of complete and awkward silence she whispered, “Thanks…”

I nodded slowly before setting her down and kneeling, looking over her worriedly. “What the hay happened?”

Twilight’s hand was still on her thigh as she sheepishly answered, “Muscle cramp.”

I recognized the problem and pushed myself up, retracting my wings and internally wincing at the two small dips my spines had cut into the floor. Nonetheless, I made my way quickly to the fruit bowl on the table a short distance away and grabbed a banana, tossing it to Twilight.

She raised an eyebrow at me before she slapped a palm to her forehead with a groan. “Potassium...right.”

“You drink enough water, so it’s not that.” I replied, grinning at her forgetfulness. While it was true that Twilight was a wonderful friend and well-loved princess, she could often forget to take care of herself...but then again, that’s what she had me for. “Besides all that, bookworm princesses aren’t made for strenuous physical activity...like moving a bookcase by hand.”

Twilight huffed, but couldn’t logically rebuke my argument. Granted she was stronger and more fit than she had been in the past, but working out with Rainbow only once a week wasn’t going to turn her into a powerhouse of physical strength, no matter how much her alicorn blood tried to change that; some ponies were just squishy.

Twilight quickly finished the yellow fruit (insert lewd banana joke here) before attempting to stand, only to wince and sit on her rump once again, rubbing her leg with a grimace. “Still hurts…”

I walked over and took a knee once again, bringing my hand to the affected area and kneading it gently. “Much as you wish it weren’t so, food takes time to digest. We talked about this once before, remember?”

Twilight rolled her eyes at my mention of another failed spell. “It would make things more efficient, though. How was I supposed to know it would make me sick?”

I chuckled as I continued working the tension out of the cramped muscles, shaking my head. “I hope you’ve learned not to test spells like that on yourself anymore. You were on the washroom floor for hours afterward, and I don’t think the toilet bowl can take it again.”

She crossed her arms as a light blush began to blossom over her cheeks and grumped, “It wasn’t that bad…”

I stuck out my bottom lip and nodded, giving me a very disbelieving look. “Right...so we must not remember the same night.” I cleared my throat and continued with, “S-Spike, hold my mane *BWLARGH*!” I glanced at Twilight with a smug smile. “That went on for almost four hours; I thought I was going to have to take you to the hospital! Could you imagine what kind of news headlines would have circulated because of that?”

The blush that had been growing on Twilight’s face began to extend to her ears and neck as she placed her head in her hands. “I know; Rainbow Dash was calling me ‘princess puke’ for weeks!”

“Haha...yeah, that was great.” I blurted with a chuckle before I could think about it. Twilight’s glare silenced my laughs however, and I coughed awkwardly before amending, “I-I mean, terrible...just terrible. How could she joke about one of her best friends’ suffering?”

Twilight stared at me with an unamused expression for a few tense seconds before breaking into a grin and releasing a giggle. “I guess it was pretty funny though. We can always trust Rainbow to be Rainbow.” Twilight’s smile then fell away briefly before she noticed me staring at her, at which point she plastered a noticeably fragile smile back on her face.

I wasn’t buying it.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” I inquired, frowning at the sudden change in her mood. Just as she began to shake her head and open her mouth I added, “And if you say ‘nothing’, by the stars I’ll hide Spells, Rings, and Other Things until you spill.”

My threat of hiding Twilight’s favorite nighttime reading material (lately, anyway) hit home, and her eyes widened in horror briefly before she closed her eyes, sighing deeply. “W-well, you and Rarity are together now, and that got me thinking about life moving on and all that…”

As she trailed off and went silent for a few seconds, I nodded encouragingly. “And?”

For some reason a noticeable sadness entered her eyes, and the looked away from me. “I got to thinking about, y’know, life moving on and-”

“You’re repeating yourself, Twilight.” I commented, placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

She breathed deeply a few times before looking up to meet my gaze once again. “What’s life going to be like for us in ten years -- or twenty, or so on…” Just from the way her lip trembled, I could tell she was holding back tears. “I mean, I know I’m not pretty like Rarity or outgoing like Pinkie, and I’m definitely not ‘awesome’ like Rainbow Dash...b-but I just…” She sniffled once, and that single sound seemed to launch a crack through my heart, even as she composed herself enough to say, “I just don’t want to go through life knowing that I have to be alone.” She then smiled weakly at me and waved it away. “I’m sorry Spike, I’m being selfish.”

While selfishness was generally viewed as a bad thing, everyone was allotted a certain degree of it during their lives for self-preservation and sanity. So, with a shake of my head, I gave her shoulder a brief squeeze. "Twilight, you're allowed to want things for yourself once in awhile. It's natural to desire things for your own use and experience, and no pony, not even Celestia and Luna, is completely without selfish desires." I smiled gently at her, proud at how she had lived her life. "You give far more than most ponies would, often asking for little to nothing in return, so you're allowed to be a little selfish from time to time." I then sighed and brought her a bit closer, resting my head just to the left of her horn. "But besides all that, don't ever think you're going to be alone. You'll always have me, and the girls as well; we're not going anywhere anytime soon."

Twilight sighed and reached a hand around my back, doing her best to hold me in the awkward position. "I know it's just..." she breathed deeply again, her body language laden with worry, "dragons live a long time Spike, and no pony really knows the lifespan of an alicorn either. Eventually, it's just going to be the two of us;" she then pulled away briefly to stare at me with tears brimming in her eyes, "doesn't that scare you?"

I had been told the same thing by Celestia years ago, once she felt I was mature enough to handle such a revelation -- the realization that I would remain while many others passed on, and would likely live and grow for a thousand lifetimes before death finally took me...if at all. Much like it was for Twilight, said revelation hit me pretty hard, and it was at that point that I began making my weekly trips out to explore other parts of the world, wanting to see and experience as much as I could. Granted I would have eons to do so, and the planet rarely changed so much that I wouldn't recognize it in ten years, but I wanted to experience the world as it was now, with all of my friends here; I wanted to remember everything about this time, which I had no doubt would be one of the best times of my entire life, regardless of how long I would watch time march on. Celestia, in my sorrow, had comforted me with wise words from a pony who had seen more in her life than most could ever imagine:

"Enjoy life to the fullest including all the ponies in it, and keep them alive in your heart forevermore. No one can stop time from moving ever onward, but in experiencing joy and love, those of us blessed and cursed to remain when others fade away will find life worth living, even in the darkest of moments."

"It terrifies me," I began, swallowing hard at the thought of having to watch a pony as vibrant and lively as Pinkie grow old and wither away, "but I won't let it keep me from enjoying every moment to the fullest. Our memories of these important times and beloved ponies will ensure we remember them forever, even if it hurts when they're gone." I then brought myself forward once again, resting my forehead against Twilight's. "But even after the skies fall and all that remains of Ponyville is dust, I'll still be here." I focused hard on her glassy eyes, which swam with both sorrow and hope. "No matter what, you'll always have me; you promised once to never leave me alone, and I promised you the same."

The hope I saw in her gaze retreated briefly as Twilight muttered, "B-but Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash...a-and Rarity..."

I nodded, understanding. "Yes...but they're not gone yet, and won't be for a long, long time. Worrying about the future isn't going to change it, and you've learned that not everything can be fixed with magic." I then smiled, "But you're the Princess of Friendship for a reason, so honor that title by ensuring the ponies who helped you attain that title realize how important they are to you."

Twilight sighed and nodded, closing her eyes. "Yeah...but it just kinda..." she motioned generally with a hand, "hits you sometimes, you know?"

"Because you try not to think about it," I replied knowingly, "and nor should you. Like I said, worrying about it won't change anything. Still, it's something you know in the back of your mind, and so every now and then those thoughts will rear their heads and will have to be dealt with." I shook my head, releasing my own sigh of sorrow. "Much as I love them all, our friends just wouldn't completely understand the situation -- sure, they'd be understanding, but they'd never really understand something they'll never experience." I then nudged Twilight's jaw with a curled finger, smiling affectionately. "But that's what you have me for, Twi. Don't ever be afraid to bring stuff like this to me, because I'm always willing to help any way I can, even if it's just to offer an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on."

Once again, as she had many times before, Twilight looked back at me with an expression of utter gratitude and love as she brought her free hand to the hand I had on her shoulder. She sniffled once again as a few tears fell, but she was smiling this time. "T-thank you s-so much Spike. I love you." I nodded, though nothing needed to be said, so I simply held Twilight and allowed her to bask in the comfort of an important person in her life.

After a few minutes, however...

"Um...S-Spike?" Twilight muttered, her voice shaking a bit with some sort of emotion I couldn't quite identify. "You uh...you can stop now; my leg feels better."

I raised an eyebrow before looking to her legs...and noticing my left hand was still kneading her sore muscle. I snatched my hand away in the same way that someone who felt the heat and danger of fire would, coughing nervously and stammering, "S-sorry about that, Twi. Didn't even realize I was doing that, to be honest."

Upon actually looking at her face, I noticed she seemed visibly flustered with both a blush and increased breathing rate, and internally cursed myself until she cleared her throat and replied, "I-it's okay, Spike. It felt really nice and my leg feels much better, so thank you. Just, umm..." she glanced away shyly, "b-be more careful should you find yourself in a similar situation; your hand was drifting a little bit." My shame at practically fondling my roommate without her consent must have been clear since she shook her head with a smile. "I know you didn't mean anything by it, Spike. You might be a little oblivious sometimes and even mischievous, but you're not a pervert."

I wisely decided to keep from her the fact that I had occasionally admired Pinkie's rump...physically, once or twice.

"Furthermore," she continued, making to stand and accepting my helping hand to do so, "you are almost constantly surrounded by nothing but mares, day in, day out. I think you need to be extended a little leeway to keep your sanity."

I raised an eyeridge at Twilight skeptically. "So you wouldn't be mad if something like that happened again?"

"Depends on whether or not it was on purpose." Twilight replied with a deadpan expression. "It it was, you can expect a slap to the face or other repercussions, depending on the offense committed."

I rolled my eyes. "I understand, but now you sound like a guard. It was an accident, and I think you know me well enough to realize I wouldn't do something like that on purpose." I glanced at the clock, only now realizing how much time had passed since Twilight had initially stated she was going to clean up. "Twi, we've been sitting here talking for almost an hour. You should probably hurry if you want to get cleaned up properly."

Twilight's eyes widened as she flared her wings and whipped her head around, smacking her mane in my face as she gasped. "Oh Celestia, I have to hurry!" She then rushed off to her room, completely overlooking the fact that I'd damaged the floor.

I chuckled and looked to the crystal stairway. "Don't ever change, Twilight."

"Twilight, hurry up! We're going to be late!" I urged playfully as my companion rushed to catch up with me, flapping her wings rapidly as we soared through the air. "If you don't hurry, we'll be *GASP* tardy!" Twilight was breathing rapidly, but spared enough energy to glare at me silently as we flew on. I shot her a playful grin before angling down to land at the restaurant, which we were fast approaching.

After a moment of waiting for the area to clear she and I landed, receiving a plethora of friendly greetings and even a few respectful bows, the latter of which we both felt weren't really necessary, but whatever.

"Spike, Twilight!" called a familiar voice, who could only be the friendly entrepreneur who owned the successful restaurant.

I turned to see "Chunky" Cheery (who, oddly enough, was in no way related to Cheerilee) bouncing happily on her hooves as we approached. I had always found it strange that such a fit mare was nicknamed "Chunky", and while I'm sure there was a story behind it, I had never been forward enough to ask.

I smiled and walked forward, embracing the tan pegasus tightly. "Heya Chunk, how is the family?"

Chunky hugged me back tightly before releasing me and smiling. "Just great! Cloud Bolt is starting to get a little air with his wings, and his sister just started flight school." She then squealed in a way that was adorable and disturbing at the same time for a grown mare, giggling as well. "Oh, I'm so proud of them!"

I grinned as she next latched onto Twilight, who unlike me was quite a bit more excited about the mare's children. "They are?! Wow, and at such young ages! Rainbow Dash will be proud, I'm sure!"

Chunky released Twilight before gesturing with her head to the restaurant off to the side. "A friend of yours came by just a few minutes ago; she's waiting inside for you." She then glanced to me with a sly smirk as she walked away. "Go on, loverdrake."

I raised an eyeridge at her as I muttered to Twilight, "What was that all about?"

As we entered the restaurant, I found out. Rarity was wearing a dress I'd never seen before. It was a long white gown with violet accents, but it was only when I arrived at the table she had chosen that I recognized just what the accents were made of

Scales...my scales.

Dragons shed scales all the time, in much the same way that ponies shed fur during the summer. However, strong as the scales are, they often drop off without me even knowing, and they aren't really of great value to me, since I grow new ones constantly. It appeared that Rarity had placed great value on them though, and had silently collected the ones she could when I would visit or do work for her. I hadn't thought something so simple would cause such a great impact on me, but the mere thought that Rarity was willing to wear literal pieces of me in public was an unbelievably large ego boost.

"R-Rarity...you..." Twilight gasped out, likely in utter shock as well. She slowly stepped toward our mutual friend, who was standing with a wide smile on her face, and reached out tentatively with her hand to touch the dress. "These...these are Spike's scales! They're small, but there are hundreds of them!" Just as Twilight's hand made contact with the dress accents, she gasped again and locked eyes with Rarity. "How did you get all of these?"

Rarity smiled gently and glanced to me. "Spike has been in my life a long time, and over the years has left behind quite a few shed scales. Being the resourceful mare that I am, I always thought it was a shame that such a beautiful, strong material, small as it is, could not be put to use after the dragon no longer needed it. So," she gestured to her dress with a smile, "I've been saving them. I didn't know quite what I would use them for until last night, when I suddenly found some inspiration."

"No coincidence there." I muttered, grinning.

Rarity giggled at my comment before lovingly replying, "I've worried for far too long what others would think of me for so many things, and I wanted to be sure this" she motioned to herself, then me, "was not one of them."

I smiled to myself; Rarity truly does go all-in when it regards matters of the heart, and I was going to do the same. Deciding once again to take initiative and having faith that Rarity was being completely honest in what she said, I leaned forward and kissed her softly, lingering a few moments before pulling away with a smile.

Rarity pulled back as well with a smile, bringing her hand to my cheek. "I'm glad you approve, Spikey."

We took our seat in the round booth in time to see Twilight roll her eyes, but I could tell my friend's reaction was in good fun. Besides, Twilight and I's conversation after the others left seemed to have deepened our bond even further, so I knew if anypony would be fine with me being affectionate with my new marefriend, it would be Twilight. Chunky arrived not a minute later to take our orders, and then Twilight, Rarity and I sat and made small talk while we waited...at least we were until Rarity randomly asked:

"So Twilight, what do you know about herding?"

Unfortunately I was taking a gulp of the glass of water provided to me, and ended up choking on a large quantity of it as I wet my shirt with the spill. Twilight let out an adorable squeak of shock and embarrassment as she reflexively raised her wings to shield herself, doing a very accurate impersonation of Fluttershy in the process. While it was true blushes didn't show too well through my scales, I was sure my face was crimson by now, and if drowning wasn't my demise, the amount of embarrassment I felt would surely kill me.

After spending a few seconds coughing and pounding my chest in an attempt to get the water out of my lungs, I calmed myself enough to stammer, "R-Rarity, what the hay?!"

Rarity, by her token, looked to me with a bemused expression on her face. "What? It's a perfectly valid question, and it isn't as if our dear Twilight-" Seemingly realizing what she had implied, Rarity suddenly brought her hand to her lips and shook her head. "N-no no no, that isn't what I meant! I was simply asking because a client of mine from Canterlot was thinking of starting one with his wife, and wanted some more information beforehand. I apologize if you took that the wrong way."

While Rarity's question had surprised me, what I failed to mention to either of them was that somewhere deep inside I wasn't exactly averse to the idea of a herd, but I kept my thoughts to myself; simply by Twilight's reaction, I knew she'd probably have a heart attack if I mentioned it, and I didn't want to cause her any undue stress since we'd already met our quota for this day's "heavy talks". Even without Twilight's reaction being taken into consideration, Rarity and I had just gotten together, so I wanted to spend some time getting comfortable before I even thought about adding any-

Oh horseapples, now I'm thinking about herding...

"Spike...Spike, are you alright?"

I snapped my head up and glanced at the mares on either side of me, nodding once I realized their faces held concern for my blank stare. "Y-yeah...yeah, I'm fine."

Twilight looked to be unconvinced. "We lost you for a few seconds there; are you sure there's nothing on your mind?"

For the first time in years, I followed through with a lie to Twilight...and I felt dirty with every word I spoke. "Nope, I'm good. Thanks for asking though." What hurt even worse was the fact that Twilight accepted my answer as truthful without another thought, nodding to me with a bright smile.

Lunch passed pretty slowly for me from then on.

The three of us walked away from the restaurant an hour later to a bright and sunny day, though to me it felt gray and dreary. I hadn't been able to get what I'd done out of my mind, and because of that, I hadn't been able to forget about why I'd lied either. It seemed my draconic instincts were surfacing stronger than they should have with such a situation, basically melding a dragon's instinctive greed with a pony's instinctive desire for a herd. It was something that I could never have predicted, and I knew this was something no other dragon would be able to level with. After all, as far as I knew, I am the only dragon to be raised by ponies instead of his own kind, and that alone made my situation a rather unique one.

Since we had opted to head home after lunch, I was walking Rarity to her door when she suddenly asked, "Would you mind if I borrow Spike for a short while, Twilight? I just have a few minor requests for him to complete for me, if you don't mind."

Twilight smirked at me and nodded, shooing me away with her hand. "Of course you can, Rarity. Don't tire him out too badly though; he has to be able to make it home!"

Rarity rolled her eyes while I tried my best to melt into the ground as Twilight took to the air and headed home. Who'd have known having Rainbow Dash as a friend would turn Twilight into a snark-shark? Ugh...

After Twilight left though, I was going to make it a point to-

"Spike, how long are you going to keep lying to her?"

Buck...

I turned to Rarity and feigned innocence the best that I could, including the large glistening eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Rarity's eyes narrowed to a glare, and she pointed to her door. "We'll talk about this inside, young drake."

I chuckled and shook my head. "Rarity we're together now; ordering me around like a little kid isn't going to work any-"

"INSIDE NOW!"

"Yes ma'am!" I whimpered, unwilling to make her more angry than she already was.

Chapter 4

*TICK, TOCK, TICK, TOCK, TICK, TOCK...*

The grandfather clock Rarity had in her sitting room kept its steady pace as silence filled the room, the quiet only broken by the soft sipping of tea from her cup every now and then. She hadn't asked me a single question after forcing me to sit on the chaise across from her, only a small glass coffee table separating us. The tension was growing within the room as the quiet started to bother me, and I knew that any moment I was going to crack.

Crack and tell what, I'm not entirely sure; I could only hope I didn't say anything too stupid.

After a few more stressful moments of silent waiting I finally blurted out, "What do you want to know?!" I cringed at how desperate I sounded, and felt my shoulders sag of their own accord with self-loathing at my inability to control myself.

Rarity's eyebrows rose as she glanced to the clock merrily ticking away. "Fifteen minutes -- I'm impressed, Spike." She gently placed the cup of steaming tea on its saucer before leaning over on her elbows and resting her chin on a bridge of laced fingers. "Well, let's start with something simple and to the point: what was bothering you during and after lunch today?"

I sighed and lowered my head as the finished asking, even though I knew she was going to be direct about this. "Umm...promise you won't get mad?"

"I will never be upset from honesty, Spike;" she replied firmly, "I am upset because you are hiding something from me, and secrets are not good for any relationship, romantic or otherwise." She sighed heavily, causing me to finally look up and see a deep frown on her face as she looked directly at me. "I love you Spike -- so much more than I thought possible when I met you those many years ago, when you were but a cute baby dragon -- but if you cannot be honest with me, no amount of love I have will be able to overcome that; if you cannot be honest, we will not work."

Knowing that Rarity was far more intuitive than I was, I opted to only answer with, "Herding..."

Rarity's eyes widened in understanding, and she nodded slowly. "I see. And I assume it is quite clear who immediately came to mind, given the situation." I nodded in response, but chose to keep silent to prevent any further embarrassment. Rarity silently pondered her thoughts for another few moments before assuring, "I'm not upset, if that's what you were worried about."

I raised my eyebrow while choking out, "Y-you're not? Really?"

Rarity smiled gently and shook her head. "No Spike, I'm not. I know you try your best to stay true to at least some of your draconic heritage, but you don't live with them, dear; you live with ponies -- you are in love with a pony for Celestia's sake. Why would you hold yourself to the standards of dragons in terms of relationships when you don't even live around them?" Before I could answer, Rarity's eyes widened once more as she blurted, "Greed...you're afraid this has something to do with your greed and hoarding instinct." She then stood and began pacing -- something she rarely did -- and muttering to herself.

"I'll just be over here if you need me for anything..." I snarked, resting my feet on the coffee table and-

"Feet off the table, Spike." Rarity commanded without stopping her pacing, or muttering.

I placed my clawed feet back on the ground and just waited patiently as Rarity continued her pacing. I couldn't help but admire the way her decidedly-casual wear still hugged her body and brought out all the femininity she possessed. She truly was beautiful no matter what she wore, but seeing her in her natural state, without a front put up for her clients, was far more attractive than anything else. Even though she was currently not in the most positive of moods, she was still real, and I loved her for it.

After some minutes passed Rarity finally turned and asked, "How long have you admired Twilight as a mare, Spike; be honest."

Her tone was gentle and non-accusing, so I softly answered, "A few years now -- ever since I could look her in the eye, really; it seems my hormones changed with my size and made me see her differently." I shrugged as I without shame added, "I've always loved Twilight -- that'll never change -- but the type of feelings I have toward her have slowly evolved as time has gone by." I sighed as I looked directly to Rarity's eyes, knowing that any further withholding of truth would only frustrate her. "I love you Rarity, so much, but Twilight is unequivocally the most important pony in my life, and it's always going to be that way."

Rarity, to my surprise, was not offended in the slightest. Instead of a scowl or a jealous twinge in her face, I only saw an understanding smile and nod. "The two of you have been through quite a bit together, and I imagine there are many things you both have experienced that the rest of us can only guess at. If it works out, living with somepony else can make the two closer than most on the outside could even fathom." Rarity then took a seat next to me on my chair, placing her hand upon mine with a loving grin. "What you're feeling isn't greed Spike, it's love. The heart -- whether it be that of a dragon or otherwise -- doesn't follow rules, and it refuses to allow culture to decide who it can love. Gryphons, for example, are monogamous in their relationships, and while I can understand their reasons for it, I imagine having to basically choose who you love the most causes a great amount of heartache and struggle in their society."

"But you're okay with that?" I asked nervously, staring at our hands since I was unwilling to look Rarity in the eye. "You're okay with knowing I love another pony?"

Rarity tittered softly and gave my hand a gentle, affectionate squeeze. "So long as that pony is someone I know will treat you well then yes, I am."

I sighed and shook my head at her answer. "I don't think we have to worry about any possible complications though."

Rarity tilted my chin up to look at her while she frowned with concern at me. "Why is that, Spike?"

"Because Twilight's not at all interested in me that way." I answered plainly. "As soon as I went through my little magical growth spurt, she moved me out of her room. I got the distinct impression it was because she didn't want me gawking at her like some lovesick teenager."

Rarity raised a single eyebrow at me skeptically. "And did you gawk at her?"

I bobbed my head around with a shrug of my shoulders. "M-maybe a little, but that's not the point. The point is that ever since that moment, it's felt like there was this...I don't know, barrier between us. We're still close and everything, but it's different now." I sighed in frustration. "It's...hard to explain, really. It's just a feeling."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe she's nervous about having an attractive drake living with her?" Rarity blandly countered, as if she were teaching a child...and somehow, it felt like she was.

I shrugged. "Maybe, but it's unlikely. Twilight told me that we wouldn't keep secrets from each other ever again, so if it was something that important, she would have told me."

"Unless she doesn't know about it." Rarity commented with a knowing grin. "Our Twilight has a habit of being romantically oblivious, most often about her own feelings no less."

I sighed heavily as I sank into the cushioned chaise. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Of course not." Rarity immediately replied, a loving smile upon her perfect lips. "I will love and support you in anything you are going through, and that includes pushing you to confront things that are uncomfortable. While Twilight tends to be oblivious, you tend to ignore things that you are afraid of confronting, if you have the choice."

While I felt a little offended she felt the need to point that out, I couldn't deny it. Instead, I simply threw a glare her way. "Thanks, Rares. Love you too."

She giggled softly, situating herself between my legs and laying back against my chest. She then looked up at me from her position and shot back, "The mark of a true adult is being able to admit your faults, but sometimes we need friends to point them out to us. I don't do it to be cruel dear, I do it because I want you to continue to grow and mature properly as the years progress."

I slipped my arms underneath hers and rested my hands against her firm stomach, smiling as I did so. "Alright Rarity, I understand. I'll ask Twilight about it tonight." Groaning, I flopped my head back against the cushion. "Ugh, this is gonna be so awkward!"

Rarity playfully tapped my knee with the tips of her fingers. "Have more faith in Twilight, Spike. I have a sneaking suspicion there isn't much you and her haven't discussed over the years."

“That doesn’t make asking my oldest and closest friend if she has the hots for me any easier, Rares.” I grumbled, but with a smile adorning my face.

Even though I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to my little conversation with Twilight in the near future, Rarity had done a great job of reassuring me. I could only hope that confidence would hold strong until I spoke with Twilight. Rarity had understood and accepted what I felt -- even encouraged it, strangely enough -- which did wonders to calm me and correct my assumption that what I had been thinking was wrong. One question still remained, though…

“What if she’s attracted to me too, Rarity?” I questioned, at a loss for what to do if the future answer to my yes-or-no question ended up being an affirmative. “I mean...what do we do? I don’t know much about courting as it is other than that I should be nice and smell good, and make sure that I’m attentive and all that stuff.” I shrugged helplessly. “All that comes easy to me because it’s who I am as a drake, but I have no idea how to approach this situation.”

Rarity brought her hand to her chin as she thought aloud. “Indeed...what to do…” While her act said she really was poring over the issue, her tone told me she had not only predicted my question, but had an answer ready as well. “Well, what do you want to do? Could you see Twilight as a romantic partner?” Before I could spit out some lovely and careful explanation of how devoted I was to Rarity and the idea of an “us”, she interrupted me. “Forget about me for a moment and just think about Twilight: could you be with her not as simply her friend, but as a mate? Could you love her as a marefriend, and perhaps one day, a wife?”

That was the question, wasn’t it?

Opting to put some real thought into Rarity’s question, I went silent as I pondered the issue. ‘So,’ I thought silently, ‘could I? Could I love Twilight the same way I love Rarity? Could I be comfortable showing my love to her in a physical way?’ In theory alone, yes, I could. I had no problem admitting Twilight was an attractive mare, far more than she believed herself to be. While it’s true she was no Fleur de Lis, Twilight had a beauty that was real instead of just some unattainable thing. While I could readily admit that Twilight looked drop-dead gorgeous when Rarity had her get dolled-up for one reason or another, she never needed makeup to catch my attention; she simply had to just be herself, and that was enough.

Unfortunately, physical attraction wasn’t the only component of a healthy relationship.

While Twilight and I rarely -- if ever -- openly spoke about relationships in a general sense, I knew her well enough as just a pony to recognize that she was the type to worry more about ruining a relationship than enjoying it, which had caused her to unintentionally sabotage a few prior attempts of hers in the dating world. A fellow intellectual named Silver Lining had been her first, which she had unintentionally driven away by -- for lack of a better term -- trying too hard. Essentially, she had smothered him in an attempt to show her affection, and an unfortunate instance of “too much, too soon” had caused them to drift apart. Following that, her logical thinking had led her to believe that showing affection had caused the breakup, so her next attempt -- a gardener by the name of Golden Harvest -- failed abysmally, simply because Twilight showed minimal affection. This made her miserable and mistakenly insinuated to Golden Harvest that she only wanted a friend, all because the scientist in Twilight decided to completely remove the variable of physical affection, rather than just reduce it. From then on, every potential romance had failed, now because Twilight was so afraid of the possibility of failure that she was too nervous to devote herself to the other pony.

Now, logic would dictate that since Twilight already knew me -- better than anyone else, if you wanted to be specific -- that she would be more comfortable with the idea of a “me-and-her”. I knew in the back of my mind that would be untrue, since she would be so afraid of ruining what we already had that she would likely blatantly turn me down. While I was the kind of drake that could be turned down for a date by a friend and still be cool with them, Twilight was the kind of mare to feel awkward about it for weeks afterward, going so far as to avoid that pony -- or drake, in my case -- to keep the awkward feelings to a minimum. Before we moved to Ponyville, avoiding possibly awkward situations had led to Twilight missing out on a lot of potential friendships; I just hoped she cared and trusted about me enough not to do the same thing to me.

“So, what would you recommend I do?” I asked directly, foregoing small talk or beating around the bush.

I enjoyed the feeling of Rarity’s shapely form pressed against my body as she fully lay against me, sighing as she did so. “I would recommend you follow your heart, darling. You may swear up and down all you want that I would perfectly satisfy your wants and needs, but I know you better than that.” She glanced up at me and grinned. “I know it feels strange to hear me say this to you, but if you find yourself loving others as well as me, I give you my blessing to court them. If the attraction between you and any others is mutual -- and they treat you well, of course -- then I say follow through. To be honest Spike, many of the mares in Ponyville -- your friend Lyla included -- had expected you to start a herd at least a few years ago, or already thought you had one. You’re just about the only one who lives here that hasn’t mentioned or thought about it. We all know your heart is far too large for just one pony.”

I shrugged. “I’ve never understood why stallions are pushed to form herds. I mean I know it’s part of pony culture -- and it’s not like I’ve lived anywhere but Equestria, so it should make sense -- but I just don’t know why.”

“What’s the ratio of mares to stallions in Equestria?” Rarity asked ominously.

I looked to the ceiling as I called on my memory. “Um, I think last time the census was done, it was like 5.5 or 5.6:1.”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, and females are naturally conceived more often than males. Why would having herds be so important then?”

With a roll of my eyes I boringly drawled, “Because to keep the population stable, the males that exist have to be available to offer their specific ‘assistance’ so that foals can continue being born, yadda yadda…” I shrugged. “As far as I know though, ponies and dragons aren’t compatible for reproduction; believe me, I’ve tried without thinking about it and- don’t look at me like that.”

Rarity’s glare would have been paralyzing to anypony else, but I had built up quite the resistance to it over the years.

“With whom, Spike?” Rarity ground out, her voice quiet in a way that a bomb was just before it exploded.

I chuckled and shook my head, knowing what she was basically asking. “It wasn’t Sweetie Belle. I know what the rumors around town have said over the years, but we’ve never dated or been anything other than just friends. Shoot, I’m closer with Scootaloo than I am your sister.”

Rarity’s righteous anger was replaced with embarrassment as she glanced back down and away from me. “O-oh...forgive me Spike. Um...who was it, if you don’t mind me asking?”

I shrugged with a warm smile. “It’s alright Rarity, I forgive you. It was actually a mare by the name of Moonshadow; her and I were friends back when Twi and I lived in Canterlot. She invited me to her birthday a year ago, alcohol got involved and...well, you can guess the rest.”

Rarity raised her eyebrow as she turned her head to stare skeptically at me. “I thought alcohol doesn’t affect dragons, what with the whole ‘inner fire’ and all.”

I shook my head. “Untrue. The fire is actually created by four glands near the back of my throat, so there isn’t actually any fire burning inside me. Not to say it would hurt me if I were to swallow something that was on fire, but that’s not the way dragons work.”

Rarity hummed and pursed her lips in thought. “Hmm...learn something new every day. Do you still speak with her?”

I nodded. “From time to time. We had a long talk the day after about our relationship and where it would go, but decided that in the end we should just remain friends. She was going to be travelling a lot because of her career -- she’s a pianist with the Royal Symphony Orchestra -- and I wasn’t going to be leaving Ponyville anytime soon, so we both knew any attempt at romance was going to fail because of the lack of being able to be there for each other. She’s still a good friend of mine and I care about her, but it just wouldn’t work out. She’s not the type to settle down anytime soon, nor is she one to stay in a single place for longer than a month or so.”

“So the lack of physical intimacy is what drove the two of you apart.” Rarity surmised, then narrowed her eyes in my direction. “Spike, we taught you better than to be so superficial.”

“You did,” I growled in annoyance, “so I’m kinda offended that you think so little of me. You mean to tell me that you would be able to be with somepony if you couldn’t touch or hug them? You could stay in love with a pony that you were unable to hold as they cried, or who could hold you as you did the same?” Rarity’s mouth opened once for a rebuttal before she closed it and sighed, looking away. I nodded firmly. “I thought not. While the desire for physical intimacy is always there -- especially for a guy like me, who’s surrounded by mares twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week -- it’s not the most important thing in the world for me. Still, I want to be able to reach out and touch the one I love to let her know that I’m there for her, and so she can do the same for me.”

A few more moments of silence surrounded us as I just relaxed and felt the soft breathing of the pony in my grasp. Then, reluctantly, Rarity replied, “I...I suppose I can understand and agree with what you say, Spike. I do not like it, but you are correct in thinking that it is nigh impossible for long-distance relationships to work out for similar reasons.”

I chuckled softly. “I have learned a few things over the years, Rarity.” Then, as my laughter tapered off, I revisited what we had been speaking about before. “So...Twilight then.”

“Talk to her tonight.” Rarity answered, grasping my hand in one of her own and running her thumb lovingly along my smooth scales. “Tell her exactly how you feel, and know that you have my full support no matter what happens.”

“You know this still feels weird for me, right?” I muttered in defeat. “My marefriend is telling me to tell my closest friend that I totally want her.”

Rarity giggled softly and nodded. “Your marefriend is a mare of the times, and beyond that, trusts Twilight and the others with both her life and yours. As a male Equestrian citizen, you are encouraged to shoulder the duty of ensuring love continues to flourish here.” She then paused and laced her fingers in my own. “As Spike, I encourage you to spread the love that overflows from you to whomever is truly worthy. I am not the only one whose eye you have caught, and something tells me Twilight is not the last of the females that have drawn your attention.”

“There are already enough rumors that float around Equestria about me; I don’t need to make any of them right.” I grumbled, though I can’t say I wasn’t interested in just who Rarity might be talking about.

“Ponies always talk, Spike.” Rarity commented sagely. “You can no more stop the rumor mill than you can change iron to gold.”

“Actually,” I began, a smirk adorning my face, “through some clever transmutation that rearranges the protons and electrons of atoms, changing iron to gold is theoretically possible with enough magical control and a strong enough spell matrix.” After a moment of revelling in Rarity’s inability to come up with a better metaphor, I added, “I understand what you mean, though. Even so, that doesn’t mean I like it.”

Rarity tittered softly as she sat up and pulled away from me. “I don’t enjoy it when it rains just after I’ve done my hair, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.” She then glanced out the window near us and nodded resolutely. “You have a little over two hours until nightfall, so here is what you’re going to do: you will go to Sugarcube Corner and purchase something tasty for Twilight, and then you will cook dinner for her tonight -- something light yet flavorful would be ideal. You are going to prepare the dining area for the two of you to create an atmosphere of relaxed intimacy, which I am sure Twilight will find unusual, but not unwelcome. Then, after a lovely evening with each other, you will confess to her exactly how you feel, how long you’ve felt this way, and that I have given my full support.”

I took a deep breath, exhaling through my nose as I stood and stretched. “Alright then, we’ll see how this goes. Here’s hoping Twilight doesn’t freak out and teleport again; it took me almost two days to clean up last time.” I took a few steps toward Rarity and cupped her cheek before naturally leaning in and planting a gentle kiss on her lips, which she returned, causing a smile to blossom on my face. “I’m heading to the market to pick up some supplies, then I’ll head home to start preparing.”

“Good luck, Spike!” Rarity called after me as I made my way to the door and left, unable to keep a bit of a bounce out of my step.

The market was pretty empty, which made it easy to quickly gather what I needed and make my way home. True that with my burdens I was unable to fly without jostling them, but I liked to walk around Ponyville from time to time. While pegasi were able to see the world in a very different way from others due to their unique vantage point, the same went for earth ponies and unicorns; seeing things from the ground offered a different perspective, and made it much easier to experience the living, breathing organism that was Ponyville.

With the changing of the seasons though, Ponyville -- and Equestria in general -- was preparing to hunker down for the winter that was to come. In a few weeks the Running of the Leaves would be taking place, and then the first snowfall a few weeks after that. Rainbow had told me that the Weather Factory of Cloudsdale was preparing for a pretty severe winter, which meant really cold temperatures and a lot of snow. Technically speaking dragons were impervious to extreme temperatures, but painful ice crystals forming underneath my scales was not the way I wanted to spend winter. Nonetheless, I couldn’t deny that lazy days spent in front of a fire sounded really nice, and tonight would be cool enough for one as well, which would only add to the content atmosphere I needed to create.

Even with Rarity’s approval and suggestion that I actually talk to Twilight about us, the whole situation still felt odd to me.

Luckily for me, Twilight was out in town for whatever reason, which meant I had time to mentally prepare myself as I cleaned up the living quarters and prepared dinner for the two of us. I had quite a bit of experience with preparing meals in general, and etiquette training from tutors in Canterlot had refined my manners, the latter of which would let me look like someone respectable instead of...well, a dragon. Not that dragons couldn’t command respect, but I wanted to cook and eat with dignity instead of charring the food and shoveling it into my mouth like a savage.

“Almost done…” I muttered to myself as I pulled a pan of baked eggplant parmesan out of the oven, using my dextrous tail to grab a spoon and stir the simmering vodka sauce as I hummed a jaunty little tune. I then brought the spoon to my mouth and flicked my forked tongue out, allowing my well-developed sense of taste to work its magic. “Needs more cream and tomato.”

As I added a dash of the two ingredients to the mix and set the pan onto the countertop to cool, the door a room away opened with a loud, “Spike, I’m ho- oh wow, what is that?” I heard the hurried steps of Twilight’s hooves clicking along the crystal floor until she appeared in the doorway, taking a generous whiff of the air. “Mmm...what are you making tonight?”

“Just a dish I’ve never got around to actually cooking; I thought it would be nice for a treat.” I answered, bringing my eyes back to my work. “It’s called eggplant, and it’s a part of the nightshade family. The Zhongian people discovered it a few hundred years ago, but have only recently begun exporting to other nations. Soon as I tried it the first time a few months ago, I fell in love with it -- it’s got a ‘meaty’ texture that you can’t really get from other vegetables. I know you girls say you’ve accepted my diet, but I still try and stay mostly vegetarian.”

Twilight nodded with a smile. “And we appreciate that Spike, but you shouldn’t cut essential nutrients out of your diet; you could get sick, and that wouldn’t help anypony.” She then glanced at the pot of sauce and the noodles boiling merrily nearby. “Looks good though, Spike. What’s the occasion?”

I set the different utensils and pots down before turning to her with a smile. “What, I can’t cook a nice meal for you once in awhile?”

Twilight stared at me disbelievingly. “You can, but more often than not it’s because you want something...or did something.”

I rolled my eyes and pointed to the counter, which had a large bottle of marelot resting on it. “Pour yourself a glass of wine and go sit down; dinner’s almost ready.” Twilight stared at me skeptically for a moment before using her magic to comply, while I grasped my now half-empty stemmed glass and took a sip. Hopefully Twilight wouldn’t notice the bottle was only three-quarters full.

After taking a few more minutes to drain the noodles and arrange the meal on our plates, I wiped my hands off and brought them to the table with a smile on my face. A bit of liquid courage had done wonders to calm me, but while I still worried a bit about what would happen after tonight, I was confident that my fears about Twilight abandoning me or something crazy like that were unfounded. Besides, the warm fuzzies caused by the wine made it much easier to ignore the fact that my very recent marefriend was directly ordering me to confess to another mare.

“Your meal, princess.” I quipped playfully as I set Twilight’s serving in front of her, followed by me taking my own seat across from her at the crystal dining table. For those who would wonder, yes, crystal making up nearly everything in my home got on my nerves from time to time; stars, even most of our dishes were crystal.

Twilight didn’t seem to care much, but more importantly at the moment, she seemed embarrassed as she glanced away from me with a shy smile. “Spike, don’t call me that. You know how I feel about my friends using my title.”

“That doesn’t eliminate the fact that you are a princess.” I retorted with a grin. “You know I don’t mean it negatively, and I don’t treat you like a princess -- none of us do. You’re just Twilight to us, and no matter how much political power you have, that’s never going to change.” I shrugged as she looked unconvinced. “I know you’re still getting used to the whole thing, but just know that me and the girls are more than happy to remind you of who you are should you ever forget; a title isn’t going to change who you really are.” I then picked up my cutlery and pointed with my fork to her plate. “I made that for Twilight Sparkle, the adorkable alicorn that’s the pony I’m closest to in the entire world. For a princess, I would have made something unreasonably elegant that wouldn’t taste half as good as it looked.”

I couldn’t help but smile even wider at the cute way she squeaked and refused to meet my eyes at the word “adorkable”, but assured myself I had teased her enough for now. Instead, I allowed her to eat the meal I’d prepared, opting to remain silent instead of mess with her further. After a few moments of silent munching, Twilight thought it prudent to shout at me.

“Wow, this really good, Spike!” she exclaimed with a radiant smile, tearing into the saucy meal with gusto. Twilight was the picture of poise and grace due to Rarity’s etiquette training (which Rainbow Dash referred to as “lady-fying”), but put a plate of food she liked in front of her and she tended to wear a rather staggering percentage of it all over her face. Never in public of course, but it seemed over the years some things never changed about Twilight, regardless of how much the world wanted them to.

Twilight would always be Twilight, thankfully.

A content air of quiet enveloped the two of us as we ate, though happy hums of approval came from Twilight from time to time. I couldn’t help it as an amused smile found itself on my face, but said nothing. I was happy just enjoying the mutual companionship between the two of us as we ate and drank our fill.

A good amount of time later, the two of us were sitting satisfied at the table, me rubbing my stomach with a pleased grin at how well the meal had turned out. While I was definitely no slouch in the kitchen, it was nice to know I was able to get things right on the first try when it came to a vegetarian recipe. I had a lot of practice after all, since only Lyla and a few of my other friends and acquaintances ate meat.

“Okay,” Twilight finally sighed out, “what did you do?”

I raised my brow in slight offense. “Who says I have to have done something wrong to cook a nice meal for you? Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, I ate too, you know.”

“Yes, but the last time you cooked such a nice meal for me, you had started a forest fire in the Everfree.” Twilight returned with a frown. She then gestured around the main common room. “Plus there’s a roaring fire going, and you served wine with a meal; Spike, you hardly ever drink. What’s going on?”

Using a tactic Luna herself had taught me, I used my next sentence to both distract Twilight and unknowingly build up to my true point. “Twilight, why don’t you date anymore?”

Raising her eyebrow and sitting up straight, Twilight squeaked out, “W-what?”

“Date...why don’t you date anymore?” I repeated, louder this time. “It’s been almost two years since the last time I’ve seen you accept a date from anypony, or even be interested in another. You gave me a vague explanation of it not being worth it, but you never said anything beyond that.”

Twilight stared at me for a few moments in silence before she was able to put words together -- nervously, I might add. “W-why are you asking?”

“Why are you avoiding the question?” I shot back smoothly.

Twilight raised her hand, ready to fire off a response...but after a few moments she lowered it and slumped slightly. “I really don’t like talking about this, Spike -- bad memories and such, you know?”

I reached across the table and grasped her hand in my own, leaning closer and looking into her eyes with concern. “Then tell me about it. I’m curious about it lately, and I don’t like seeing you lonely.” Before she could counter my latter statement, I quickly added, “And don’t say you’re not, because I saw it very clearly when you found out Rarity and I are together. You’re happy for us -- I’m not denying that -- but I know a part of you wishes you had that same sort of connection with somepony. I want to know why you’re so reluctant to get yourself out there again.”

She sighed and closed her eyes, tightening her grip on my hand. “I already have too much to worry about as a Princess of Equestria, and while I’m allotted a fair amount of free time for royalty, the bulk of my weekdays is full of paperwork, meetings, and even court appeals. Outside of spending time with my close friends, I have just enough time to sleep and eat; it wouldn’t be fair to another pony to have to wait weeks or even months for us to go out and do something together.” She shook her head with a frustrated grunt. “Most ponies wouldn’t understand, and would just get frustrated.”

Seeing my opportunity, I took it. “Well, what about your friends?”

Twilight opened her eyes and glanced to me quizzically. “What about them? I always make time for you and the girls, as well as the few other ponies around, but-”

“No,” I interrupted firmly, “I mean why not choose somepony you’re already close to -- somepony that understands you and your obligations?”

Twilight’s eyebrows raised up into her bangs in surprise. “You’re suggesting I ask one of the girls out on a date? Something tells me that’s going to be more than a little awkward.”

“I never said that,” I answered with a grin, “I only said you should try it with a friend, and you have far more friends -- both personal and professional -- than just the other five Element-bearers.” I let Twilight simmer in her own thoughts for a moment before deciding I’d let her squirm enough. “Twilight, I’m just going to come out and say it: the possible romantic partner I was hinting toward is me.”

Twilight’s mouth fell open, and her eyes became focused as she entered what I call mind-freeze panic-mode, in which she quite literally freezes on the spot because something was so shocking that she honestly has to stop thinking for a moment, restart her brain, and then address the problem. It usually took a few moments for her to go through said process, so I simply sat back in my chair and waited, sipping the remainder of my wine.

After a minute or two of amusing face contortions, Twilight’s eyes focused on me as she squeaked out, “D-did you just ask me on a date?”

I shook my head. “No, but I do have something I need to tell you in regards to that.” Swallowing my nervousness with a close-eyed grimace, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes again, locking my gaze with Twilight’s. “Twilight, I love you. I have for a long, long time now, and we both know it. You’re the most important pony in my entire life -- even more than Celestia -- and we’ve grown in each other’s company for years now. We’ve been through some of the world’s worst disasters together, and used one another as life rafts when the world threw metaphorical tsunamis at us. We say ‘I love you’ to each other every day; is it so strange that over the years, I started to feel differently about you besides just as a friend?” At her shocked and uncomprehending expression, I continued to explain. “Today when we went to lunch with Rarity and she started asking about herds, I’m sure you can guess what I thought, because you were obviously thinking the same thing. Guess who was the first pony to come to my mind when I thought Rarity was suggesting I start a herd?”

Twilight stared blankly at me. “But Spike, you and Rarity just got together and-”

“Talking to you about it tonight was her idea, Twilight.” I interjected with a smile. “We had a long discussion about this, and she supports me 100%.”

“-and I can’t be with you like that!” Twilight nearly shouted.

Her outburst completely took the wind out of my sails, and caused me to gape like an idiot. “W-why not? What’s wrong?”

Twilight pulled away from the table and stood, taking a few breaths before looking back at me with moist eyes. “I’m...I’m sorry Spike, but I can’t…” Without another word, she hurriedly left the room, her hooves clopping as they ascended the stairs to her room. I heard a door close from upstairs, and then save for the crackling of burning wood in the hearth, there was silence.

Rarity and I had apparently completely read Twilight wrong, and now I feared that I may have made a horrible mistake. Because of one little assumption, things between Twilight and I might never be the same. Twilight gave me her answer as a resounding no, and for some reason, I couldn’t help but worry if I’d just screwed up my relationship with the closest friend I might ever have.

With a long-suffering sigh, I stood and proceeded to clean up the remains of dinner.

Chapter 5

The next few days came and went without incident, but I was aware enough to recognize that Twilight was intentionally avoiding me, since she had taken to teleporting directly from her room or study to wherever she needed to be in the castle, so as to hopefully avoid talking to me. It hurt a bit that she went to such lengths simply because of what I had said to her, but I also can’t say I didn’t expect such behavior, either. With that in mind, after the first day of her antics, I chose to spend most of the following days out among the town.

Rarity had done her best to console me, but despite the whole situation, I took a sick bit of pleasure in laying a surprisingly satisfying “I told you so” speech on her. Fortunately, I knew worrying about what was going to happen between Twilight and I wouldn’t help the situation, so I just spent my nights at friends’ houses to give her the space she needed to think through everything.

Besides all that though, life in Ponyville proceeded as normal, even with a timberwolf encroachment and a group of hydras that had settled in too close to the town, the latter of which I dealt with myself. Ponyville was a flourishing town after all, but the truth of the matter was that it was surrounded by many different dangerous areas, which spawned all sorts of beasties that could terrorize the citizens. Seeing as how I was the most hardy resident that lived in Ponyville, I usually took it upon myself to usher these undesirables further away from town, though I sometimes asked Fluttershy for help. Among my usual duties of tending to Twilight and being the unofficial secretary of Equestria’s most recent princess, keeping the ponies of Ponyville safe from baddies kept things interesting.

It was the day just before the weekend when things calmed down finally, which left me without much to do other than sit by myself in the park and watch the day go by.

The main plaza of Ponyville had been built up into a lush, green park years ago, and that park surrounded the town hall. It was a place for young ponies to play and lovers to bask in nature’s beauty, which only added to the appeal of Ponyville. Ever since Twilight ascended those many years ago, ponies from all over began flocking to the small town, turning it into a near-city in its own right. Because of that, Ponyville as a whole had been renovated, and much of it was modernized. Traditional landmarks such as Sweet Apple Acres stayed the same however, which kept the warm, close-knit atmosphere from leaving Ponyville as it grew and matured.

It was always interesting to see how much the ponies of town had changed over the years. For example, the “Crusaders” had all matured, and while they would still often be seen together throughout town, they were now mares in their own right, with lives of their own. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were still Ponyville’s native upper-class, but their haughtiness had died down, and they were now respected members of the community that while not as kind as Fluttershy by any means, still showed respect where it was due and offered kind words and smiles to strangers and friends alike. New foals had taken the place of the colts and fillies I grew up with, but Ponyville was still a family-centric town through and through, and it was for that reason that I loved living here.

Ponyville as a whole had grown to become very warm and accepting of differences and the uniqueness of those who resided in it, which was also a great attribute.

It was in the park plaza that I found myself, going over paperwork and forms in the comfortable outdoors while life went on around me. The sounds of young ponies playing and laughing could be heard as they reveled in their weekend time off, and even though work bogged me down, I couldn’t help but smile. It was atmospheres like this that made Ponyville such a nice place to live, and I, personally, believed it was why so many chose to stay instead of move away. This all evened out the burden of parchment in my lap, making for a decent workday as I relaxed underneath a sparsely-leafed tree. The past few hours had been monotonous, but easygoing for the most part. It’s true that autumn in Ponyville was famous for its windy days, so I had been forced to chase down a page or two whenever I was caught off-guard by a wayward gust. Still, I enjoyed the cool air of late autumn.

Most of my friends were busy -- especially Rarity, who was working avidly on her winter clothing line -- which left me to get a head start on work for the coming month. Let it be said that the life of a national hero wasn’t all fame and glory; eventually, we all have to get back to normal life, and for me, that meant a lot of forms to sign off on and budgets to balance. Governmental forms and audits didn’t just happen after all, so I took it upon myself to do the more mundane work while Twilight focused on the more political matters.

Just as I was looking over a month-to-date fiscal report for Ponyville, a sharp whistle from off to the side caught my attention, and I brought my eyes up to see a familiar changeling strutting toward me. “Strutting” was the only way to describe the type of gait that Lyla naturally used, as nothing else truly did it justice.

“Yoohoo, darling!” she called to me, adding a bit more hip sway as she made her way to me.

I chuckled and shook my head. “Don’t do that; it doesn’t suit you.”

Lyla focused her shimmering aqua eyes on me before popping her hip out and resting a hand on it. “You like it when Rarity does it.”

“She nibbles my bottom lip after we kiss, too; are you going to do that as well?” I snarked, thinking I had won our short little verbal chess game.

Lyla placed a finger on her lips and turned her eyes skyward, mock-thinking aloud. “That depends...how long is your tongue?”

Checkmate: Lyla 12, Spike 2. To think after years of knowing each other and my own mental and emotional maturity, Lyla still knew hot to make me blush like an idiot. It doesn’t do much to strengthen my facade of being a cool, chilled-out adult in Ponyville, that’s for sure. Neither did it help that Lyla loved wearing form-fitting clothing

“So, why so glum, chum?” Lyla playfully quipped as she took a seat next to me. I sighed and held up the stack of forms I still had left to sign off on, which was nearly an inch thick. She whistled before resting against the trunk of the tree we sat under. “Well, can’t help you with that. I’m open to keeping you company until you finish, though.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I nodded to her. “Sounds nice, Lye.” I continued my work as I felt Lyla’s weight settle against me, just enjoying the cool air and the company of a good friend.

I offered small talk here and there as the hours passed, while Lyla kept my mind off of the boring monotony of my work, as well as...other things. Thankfully for me she never asked why Twilight and I hadn’t been spending much time together lately, though I suppose it wasn’t exactly a secret. For now though, I just chose to enjoy the company of a friend who didn’t ask questions.

It a few ways, changelings were a lot easier to understand than ponies were. Their magic was specialized for the most part, save for levitation and a few battle spells, and their bodies were pretty similar among others of the same caste. Beyond that though, changelings wore their emotions on their sleeves -- you could always tell what a changeling was feeling, and they never tried to hide it. In changeling culture, it was considered an insult to hide things from close friends or family members, and the hive-mind (it was a thing, apparently) pretty much cut privacy out. It took some time to get Lyla used to the pony world, which was a fair bit more private than that of changelings, but she had settled in rather well.

It was by this token that I learned pretty early on just how “connected” to me Lyla felt.

It probably had a lot to do with the fact that I had a personal hand in welcoming her to Ponyville and Equestria as a whole, as well as making sure she was protected from any retaliation because of the event at Shining and Cadence’s wedding. There were a few...less than ideal instances of said retaliation (as well as a hospital visit for Lyla), which ended with Twilight nearly screaming at the entire town from atop our home. After that, Lyla and I became nearly connected at the hip. I nursed her back to health and eased her into friendships with all of the rest of the Elements, which began to slowly change the way the town felt about her. It took some time -- and more than a few talks with the more prominent members of town -- but eventually Ponyville tolerated Lyla just fine...and in time, even grew to like her.

As time went on, Lyla and I spent more and more time together outside of practicality, to the point where we were meeting a few times a day, every day. Our visits with each other toned down once she had her own place, but we stayed close over the years. We met at least every other day since then, more often when Twilight or I needed something fixed (Lyla was good at fixing things), but generally we made it a point to see each other at least twice a week. Being Lyla’s direct contact with the princesses of Equestria wasn’t the reason, though; instead, it was because we enjoyed the time we shared together.

The current time we shared, for example, was quite nice. Resting against the tree with Lyla, I soon found all forms of tension leaving my body as I enjoyed the autumn air.

The day passed unbearably fast for me, though that made sense seeing as how I had fallen asleep in the park with Lyla. Thankfully I had the presence of mind to put all the papers back into a folder before doing so, otherwise my work would have been spread all across Ponyville. Still, I felt a little bad that instead of coming up with something fun and exciting to do, Lyla and I just fell asleep. Lyla didn’t seem to mind, however, and I had a sneaking suspicion she knew I was mentally burnt-out by more than just the paperwork.

Lyla wasn’t like Pinkie nor Fluttershy in the sense that she would try and cheer me up, and nor was she like Twilight and Rarity, who would try and get me to talk about what was bothering me. Instead, whenever I was down for some reason, she would keep me company and offer her comforting presence until I decided I was ready to talk about what had me bothered. I mentally thanked her for that, since I was in no mood to have someone poking and prodding at me for info. Sure she could be a bit of a handful sometimes when she was being particularly amorous, but when it came right down to it, she was a great friend who had proven herself time and time again.

Unfortunately, the day had to end, and I found myself standing in front of the castle doors. I mentally chuckled at how it likely looked as if Lyla had escorted me home after a date, but brushed the thought aside. Besides the fact that I was fairly sure Lyla preferred those of the female persuasion, I had more than enough on my plate at the moment when it came to relationships. Adding a flirty changeling that had little to no shame with PDA would only complicate things, and I didn’t want to damage any more relationships if at all possible.

With a sigh, I turned toward Lyla with a smile. “Thanks for the company today, Lye. I needed it more than I thought.”

With a smile she clasped her hand on my shoulder affectionately. “Of course, Spike. You know I’m always here for you.” She then inclined her head to the castle we stood in front of. “Get some rest. You seem like you need it.”

I nodded tiredly, but smiled nonetheless. “Thanks, Lye. You take care of yourself.” She nodded shallowly before turning and jogging away, leaving me to enter the crystalline tree-castle alone.

The overly-large front door gave way to a long entryway that led to a dais some hundred or so feet away -- which, considering the size of the entire castle, should have been impossible. Twilight had once explained it as “subspace organic spell matrices working in tandem to produce reality-bending compact volumes in real spacetime”. I simplified her explanation to “it’s bigger on the inside”. We happened to be having said conversation at a small outdoor cafe in town, and Timeturner chuckled for some reason when he heard it in passing -- I’m still not sure why. Regardless, because of said somehow-possible magic that the crystalline structure produced naturally, the deceptively-compact design of the castle gave way to an interior that rivaled Canterlot Palace in size. It really freaked me out the first few times, as trying to find my way through our home was like walking backwards through a maze with a blindfold on and one leg, but Twilight had come up with a very simple and practical solution to the entire dilemma: maps. Most public rooms within the castle had a map framed on one of the walls, which allowed those visiting or petitioning to make their ways through the place without getting lost for hours.

“I’m home!” I called through the empty throne room as I made my way toward the rear of the dais, where the stairs that led to the royal apartments resided. One thing was for sure: without Twilight answering me the past few days, the entire castle didn’t feel like home anymore. My voice seemed to echo more across the empty rooms, and the faint ringing of the crystal walls when they reverberated made it seem as if the castle itself was weeping.

Twilight’s study beside the stairs showed signs of work having been done, so I dropped off the paperwork I had finished on the desk before making my way up the spiral stairwell. My gait could certainly be called “trudging” at this point, as I was more exhausted than I would have liked. As I mentioned before, Twilight and I had trouble sleeping if we didn’t mutter our words of affection to each other at least once a day, so it goes without saying that with Twilight avoiding me, my nights had been restless at best. Rarity and I also weren’t at the place in our relationship where we would be sharing a bed every night either, so more often than not I was forced to stare at the ceiling of my quarters as the hours passed.

With a quiet sigh of defeat, I made my way to my room.

Something else that being a dragon made easy was grooming and hygiene. Since I didn’t sweat or have hair to catch dirt and debris, I technically needed to shower much less often than ponies did. Of course, I still showered every day simply because of habit, but if I were to go three or four days without a bath, I wouldn’t stink like a pony would. In addition, I could be in and out of the shower in three minutes, as I only really needed to rinse off unless I had actually come in contact with something distinctly filthy. Twilight, on the other hand, could often take an hour or more, seeing as how she had a coat of fur, a mane and tail, and wings to wash.

This was is all pertinent information because of what I was doing as evening gave way to night, since I was bored and too tired to do anything besides clean up and go lay down. With that being the case, I had gathered a clean pair of underwear and walked down the hallway in my robe, towel in hand, to hopefully put another day of mundanity behind me.

Arriving at the shared washroom, I knocked and listened for any indication of occupation before opening the door and locking it behind me. I ran my eyes over the odd setup that Twilight had installed a few years ago, which was a style that she had fallen in love with during her visit to the far eastern nation of Neighpon. It took some getting used to, but being able to soak in a steaming bath for an hour or so after washing was pretty nice, I’ll admit.

Stripping off my robe and placing the towel on a rack, I turned on the faucet that would auto-fill the tub before making my way to the shower head and taking a seat on the small stool. I turned the knob to scalding before pulling on it, causing a spray of magically heated water to come pouring out. I methodically went about washing myself down -- paying special attention to my wings -- before shutting the water off and stepping over to the tub.

The water was pleasantly hot as I stepped in, and I released a sigh of pleasure as I eased myself in, taking care not to sit on my wings. While it was true I barely felt the heat through my hide, I soaked more for the hot, moist air that always seemed to relax me as I breathed it in. With nothing left to do but enjoy myself, I sat against the molded backrest and let my mind wander.

Knocks at the door roused me, and brought me back to the waking world. Realizing I had fallen asleep during my soak, I clambered out of the tub and pulled the plug, allowing the now-lukewarm water to drain. I quickly toweled myself dry before slipping on my underwear and donning my robe, then made my way to the door.

While I should have been happy that Twilight was actually purposefully approaching me (as it wouldn’t have been anyone else), I couldn’t help but snarl out, “What do you want?”

“...can we talk?” Twilight’s cracking voice answered through the door.

I couldn’t help a growl as it escaped my mouth, but opened the door fully and stood before the now-blushing princess. “What do you want, Twilight?”

“I…” she croaked out before clearing her voice, “I just wanted to talk about-”

“Oh, now Twilight wants to talk.” I interrupted, laying the snark on thickly. “Thank the Maiden Ponyville’s princess has decided to grace me with her presence after three days! Oh praise thee Faust, for you have blessed me today!” For some reason I couldn’t stop the words, and all my frustration boiled over for some reason. Flaring my wings and growling threateningly, I took a step closer to the smaller pony and shouted, “You swore you would never send me away or abandon me, yet the first thing you do when there’s any sort of stress between us is run away and ignore me!”

Twilight was nearly cowering now, and while I should have felt bad for how intimidated she suddenly was, I felt too upset to care.

“S-Spike, I just-”

“No,” I spat angrily, “shut up; you don’t get to talk right now. You’re going to sit there and listen to me, because unlike you, I never got to talk with anypony about this.” At her surprised expression, I nodded. “Yeah, I know you talked to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash about this. You know who I talk to -- who I bare my soul to -- when I’m upset?” I reached forward and firmly, yet gently, poked Twilight in the chest. “I talk to you. Not Rarity and not even Lyla are my first choices -- I seek you out first, because I know that you’ll understand me better than anyone ever has or will. And yet, here I was needing you, and you were only thinking about yourself and how stressful this was for you. Must be nice to have the ponies you confide in there for you when you need them.”

Twilight was the very picture of shame, with splayed ears, droopy posture, and eyes unable to meet my own. I never thought in a million years that it would be satisfying to intentionally make a pony feel bad, but wow, was it nice; I’d probably feel bad about it later, but in my emotional state I couldn’t find myself caring much.

I guess it’s true what they say: hurt ponies hurt ponies.

As the inferno bled away, a cold pit of ice was left in my stomach. “You give me no explanation, and instead of doing the sensible thing and politely turning me down, you immediately cut me out of your daily life. I told you I wanted to share my heart with you, and you ran without even telling me why.”

“I WAS AFRAID!” she suddenly shouted, bringing her magical voice to bear for one of the few times since she’d gained the ability.

Surprise warred with smoldering rage, and somehow won out, only to be replaced with concerned confusion. “Afraid of what?”

Twilight fell to her knees in front of me, and began sobbing as she brokenly answered, “...o-of lo-hoo-sing y-you!” She broke down into complete hysterics as she wrapped her wings about her body and shook with tears and sorrow.

At seeing Twilight so broken over such an innate fear for her, the remainder of my anger fled, replaced only with utter concern for the pony I was closest to in the world. Kneeling and wrapping my arms and wings around her, I placed her head under my chin and held her close as she continued to weep loudly.

After nearly ten minutes of this, her cry-heaving tapered off into mere sniffles, at which point I spoke to her once again. “No matter what happens between us or what trials may come our way, you will never lose me.” I sighed and held Twilight a little tighter, and felt her wings unfurl a bit as her own hands reached out for me. We held each other in silence for a few more moments, but I knew the issue between us needed to be addressed. “If you don’t feel for me the way I do you, that’s fine. I knew in the back of my mind there was always the chance that you would turn me down, but that won’t change the fact that I will always be here for you, no matter what.”

“Could you really still be around me if you knew we could never be together?” she murmured quietly, almost pleadingly.

I nodded solemnly. “Yes. It will be a little uncomfortable for awhile, but I’ll get over it and things will go back to how they’ve always been. Our friendship will trump whatever other issues we have every time, and nothing is ever going to change that.” For another few moments all was quiet, until I queried, “So, are you ready to tell me why you ‘just can’t’?”

Twilight flinched noticeably, but didn’t pull away as she muttered, “Romantic love is one of the things I’m just not good at, Spike. Every attempt has ended in failure, and I just can’t risk damaging our relationship. You mean too much to me for me to risk anything like that.”

“Hiding things and ignoring each other damages the relationship too.” I added with a sigh of frustration. “However,” I pulled away from her, holding Twilight at arm’s length, “if you’re really so against it, then I won’t bother you about it again.”

Twilight lowered her eyes and nodded shallowly. “O-okay, Spike. I’m sorry.”

I shook my head with a flat look. “Don’t apologize for saying ‘no’, Twi. I’ll love you no matter what, and that’ll never change.”

Twilight nodded once more before looking down and blushing. “U-um Spike...your robe fell off.”

I glanced down and noticed my nearly-naked body was exposed. “So it has; sorry about that.”

I had never understood the need to wear clothes really, seeing as how all my “parts” were internal unless I chose otherwise, but it was one of the many things I had gone along with to make it more comfortable for ponies to be around me. So, with a flick of my wings, the robe draped itself over my shoulders once more as I stood.

Now “decent”, I turned my gaze toward Twilight again and smiled gently. “Well, I’ll let you get off to bed then. And…” I cleared my throat nervously as I prepared to apologize for my actions, “and I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

Twilight’s face was a little flushed, but she shook her head and smiled at me. “It’s okay, Spike; I probably would have had the same reaction, honestly.” As I turned away, I was stopped as she blurted out, “W-wait!”

I turned around with my brow raised. “Yeah Twi?”

Twilight shuffled on her feet, looking down at the ground shyly as she did a very accurate impersonation of Fluttershy. “Um...c-could you stay with me tonight; you know, l-like you used to?”

Something about the way the situation was headed just screamed “bad” at me, but I couldn’t help but melt under Twilight’s teary-eyed pleading. So, with a sigh, I nodded. “Fine...just let me go and get some pajamas on.”

I knocked at the door to Twi’s private quarters, which only a second later opened by way of a magenta aura. I stepped inside and closed it behind me, seeing Twilight had already settled herself under the sheets, wearing only one of my long shirts that I’d given to her years ago to sleep in on a trip we took out of Equestria. In honesty I didn’t know why she still had the old thing, but that wasn’t really for me to question. I was in her room after all, so if she had chosen to sleep in lingerie or even naked, who was I to say no?

And I’ll admit I had to steel myself as the latter thoughts cropped up.

Twilight pat the space next to her with a gentle smile. “C’mon Spike, I haven’t slept in days. Let’s get to sleep so we can get up early tomorrow.”

Knowing exactly what she meant by the lack of sleep, I made my way to her bed and slid in beside Twilight, shifting for a moment to allow my wings the space to comfortably rest. Twilight then shuffled over to me and grasped my arm with her own before laying her head on my chest and sighing happily. I could only look down at the smaller form against me, thinking about just how doomed I was when it came to getting over Twilight’s refusal.

“I love you, Spike…” Twilight murmured quietly.

Unable to keep from replying, I muttered a heartfelt, “Love you too, Twi. Get some sleep.”

Silence reigned for only a few minutes before Twilight’s soft snores began to issue forth, which left me to stare at the ceiling as my emotions warred with one another. On the one hand, Twilight had pretty much denied my request to join Rarity and I and form a herd, but at the same time she was now holding herself against me in a way I imagined she would if we were together. Sleep eluded me as my heart both throbbed with elation and ached at the same time, so I was able to do little more than lay still and let Twilight sleep.

I turned my head and looked down at the slumbering alicorn, and was unable to restrain a smile from crossing my lips. Maybe, just for tonight, I could pretend -- I could pretend that Twilight had said yes to me, and that she had told me that she loved me the same way I did her.

Pulling my arm from Twilight’s grasp, I instead wrapped it around her and pulled her body right up against mine. A sleepy hum of happiness was her response as she rested her head against me again, and without thinking, I brushed the bangs away from her horn and leaned down to press a soft kiss just at the base. Twilight squirmed in her sleep and hummed once again in approval, and I felt as one of her wings extended to cover my body.

I could only sigh in happiness as well, and closed my eyes for some much-needed sleep.

‘What are you doing, Spike?’

Chapter 6

‘That was a terrible idea.’

The thought came unbidden to my mind as I stood in the doorway to Twilight’s bedroom, leaning against the doorframe and watching her sleep with a smile on her face. Before I even fell to sleep the previous night, the thought that I was making a mistake by even pretending had lodged itself in my mind, and looking down at Twilight and having to resist waking her with a good morning kiss just cemented the worry.

This was going to be far more difficult than I thought.

Nonetheless, the logic-driven side of me reminded that Twilight wasn’t the only pony that I cared enough about to start a herd with, should I be so inclined. I was friends with plenty of ponies -- and with it being Equestria, most were mares -- so there were plenty of other choices out there; there were plenty of other fish in the sea. While I cared deeply about Twilight -- loved her, even -- if she didn’t want to be with me, I wasn’t going to force the issue. I cared about her too much to throw away our long friendship over some silly crush I had on her, and I knew that even though it would be difficult, I could overcome this if I put my mind to it.

But did I want to?

...no, I didn’t.

Much as it hurt to know Twilight just didn’t want what I did, I didn’t want to just get over it. I’d felt differently about her for a long time, so simply forgetting about it all wasn’t an option. We lived together, and regardless of what Twilight thought of herself, she was a beautiful, desirable mare that anyone would be lucky to have. I knew for a fact that the relationship between the two of us was strong enough to weather almost anything, but if she wasn’t willing to give the concept of “us” a chance, I wasn’t going to push it at the moment. That didn’t mean that it didn’t bother me, but fear makes ponies do and think strange things. Perhaps with time things would change...or perhaps not. Either way, Twilight and I were going to remain close, no matter what happened between us.

The pain I felt in my heart from her rejection still hurt, though, and I knew I’d have to get away for a bit to clear my head. With that in mind, I made my way to Twilight’s personal writing desk and quickly scrawled a note out before walking over and placing at the bedside table next to her. Looking down at Twilight, however, I was unable to simply leave, and found myself reaching out and gently brushing the stray locks of hair away to frame her serene expression. Smiling gently at the sight, I turned on my heel and strode from the room -- and subsequently, the castle -- before extending my wings and pushing off with a mighty flap into the air.

Like pegasi, I was able to float on clouds as a dragon that had wings. Unlike pegasi, I didn’t have to worry about thunderheads jolting me, since dragonhide was virtually impervious to most non-magical energies. This meant that I had the perfect perch upon which to look out over Ponyville from the top of the supercell that was over the Everfree, alone with my thoughts.

Much as I tried to tear my mind away from her, Twilight dominated my thoughts, and I found myself halfway wishing I hadn’t admitted to her how I felt. However, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to hide from her what I felt, since we had long ago promised not to keep things of any import from each other. Now, that didn’t mean that neither of us had privacy from the other, but we had found over the years that it was better to be honest about what we felt and thought in order to keep harmony within the household, since we lived together.

Still, I’d just gotten together with Rarity after years of pining, so maybe I should just be happy with her.

With a deep sigh, I did a half-flip to point at the ground a few thousand feet away before plunging through the cloud. The powerful updraft pulled at me and the moisture drenched me, but I held firm and let myself fall on a course toward the earth far below. I couldn’t see the ground through the dense cloud, but the instinct within me to open my wings grew and grew until I couldn’t wait any longer, so I angled myself toward the unseeable sky again before flaring my wings and catching the thick air to slow myself. I burst from the bottom of the thunderhead to a torrent of rain and crosswinds, which I fought for about a minute before touching down on the soaked ground of the forest.

Even when ponies would be inside to get out of the rain, the Everfree forest was alive with activity in the midst of the storm, the many creatures of the forest delighting in the life-giving rain. From every direction I could see animals large and small drinking, washing or just playing in the rain that fell in droves. It made me smile, regardless of the fact that I was getting soaked straight through my clothes, which served to lift my spirits a bit in the process.

Being out in nature always served to give me a sense of peace even in my most stressful moments, which was why I enjoyed simply being able to fly wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. It all allowed me a freedom I’d never known as a younger dragon, seeing as how I usually had to take a train or flying chariot to get anywhere in a decent amount of time, but having my own wings opened the world to me. True that there were some places I hadn’t been to -- the Lupine Tundra among them -- but being able to just...go places was nice.

Nonetheless, today was not an off-day for me, so I had work to do that couldn’t be put off any longer. With a long sigh of resignation, I pushed off of the ground with a strong flap of my wings and headed back toward Ponyville.

Work was boring and monotonous, as it usually was, but it was also pretty quick considering I had gotten started later in the day. By lunch I was finished with what was on the schedule, which left the rest of my day open to do whatever unless Twilight had something important that she hadn’t been able to put on the schedule (Twilight refraining to put something on the work schedule was near impossible though, so I didn’t really worry about that). The day was nice in late autumn however, which gave me the opportunity to just walk around town and see the sights.

As usual, everyone offered me a smile and/or wave as I made my way through the streets of the homey town, with more than a few ponies personally greeting me by name. It did wonders to bring me out of my mental rut, and before I knew it, I couldn’t help but smile as well. Things might not be at their best right now, but I knew that Ponyville was still the place I loved, with the ponies I loved living in it, and that was more than enough to bring a smile to my face.

“Spike!”

The panicked call quickly caught my attention, as well as that of everyone else within earshot, and we all looked to see Applebloom dashing toward me at a speed that was downright scary. Before I could even ask what was happening, she latched onto my arm and began using her powerful form to pull me away.

As I stumbled and tried my best to set my feet underneath me I asked, “Where’s the fire, ‘Bloom? What’s going on?”

“No time,” she huffed quickly, continuing to pull me along, “we need to get to the Acres quick!”

Recognizing the sheer amount of worry in her tone, I pulled her to a stop and kneeled, motioning to my back. “Then climb on and I’ll get us there while you explain just what you’re getting me into.”

She quickly complied, clambering onto my back and grasping tightly around my midsection. Before we could take off though, she said only one thing that kicked my urgency into overdrive: “Applejack’s in trouble!”

My wings flared strongly as I made a touchdown in front of the farmhouse of Sweet Apple Acres, barely noticing as Applebloom dropped off of my back and onto her hooves. Whirling my head around rapidly I shouted out, “Where is she?”

“This way!” Applebloom answered, taking off at a panicked pace toward the southwestern fields, where Sweet Apple Acres bordered the Everfree forest.

I followed just behind Applebloom, keeping my eyes and ears open for any indication of what I would find and trying not to think of the worst. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to see Thunderlane pacing around a collapsed section of fencing, giving way to what looked like a sinkhole. The sound of Big Mac’s deep voice shouting at him could be heard, though I won’t repeat the curses he was slinging, but it was clear to me what was going on.

My heart dropped into my stomach when I arrived on site and looked into the hole.

Big Mac had his hands wrapped around one end of an overturned cart that they used to haul things around the farm, shouting angry and frightened pleas to help at Thunderlane as the latter just paced with a panicked expression, muttering over and over again how he “just can’t”. I shoved the pegasus out of the way before hopping down into the giant hole that was far deeper than it looked -- at least twenty feet down -- and walking over to Big Mac.

I didn’t have to guess what had happened as I asked, “Is she all right?”

Big Mac locked eyes with me, and I saw tears gathering in the corners of his own eyes as he answered, “A-Ah don’t know, she ain’t answerin’ me.”

I wasn’t able to see any sign of Applejack because of the rubble of the broken cart, but I knew she had to be underneath it somewhere, and I wasn’t going to give up until she was safe.

Turning my head toward the lip of the hole I shouted, “Applebloom, I need you to bring me the axe!” Applebloom disappeared from the lip and I heard her hooves hitting the ground as she ran, but then knew I had to reassure the eldest sibling of the Apple family. I turned my attention to Big Mac and leveled him with a serious stare. “We’ll get her out of here, Mac; I promise. She’ll be fine.”

I just hoped I wasn’t lying to him.

Big Mac nodded slowly, but didn’t take his eyes off of the cart that his hurt sister was under. I then turned toward the frantically muttering Thunderlane and shouted, “Hey!” He jumped a bit and shot his eyes to me, so I pointed to the sky. “Make yourself useful and go get Nurse Redheart and Nurse Tenderheart from the hospital. We’ll need them here, because I don’t want to move Applejack any more than I have to.”

Seemingly relieved to be of use, Thunderlane nodded and shot into the sky in a blur of speed toward Ponyville General, which left Big Mac and I alone. The giant of a stallion was still holding firmly onto one end of the cart, his muscles straining and his body sweating. I quickly looked around the sinkhole and found two decently-sized stones, which I brought over to the side Mac was holding. With a grunt, I grasped the cart next to him and lifted, using my foot to slide first one stone, and then the other underneath the end of the cart we had been holding, allowing Mac to rest while we waited for Applebloom to return with the axe. With the immediate danger removed, I surveyed the site to see exactly what we were dealing with.

From the way the cart had fallen and splintered into the earth, it was clear that both Applejack and a few barrels had been on top of it, and the debris had prevented Big Mac from getting underneath to get his sister out. The cart didn’t look in danger of falling apart, though -- being made of well-tended, solid oak (which was what made it so heavy) -- but the stability of the cart itself meant that we couldn’t simply move it on our own or pull it apart. After all: Mac and I were strong, but we weren’t superheroes.

I continued inspecting the area, and found some rubble around the side of the cart that wasn’t part of what was keeping it together, so I slowly and carefully began to move it away to see if I could find a way to dig Applejack out. Much to my displeasure, there didn’t seem to be a way to move much without possibly causing the remainder of the cart to collapse, but the hole I’d made was large enough for me to reach through and feel around. It seemed that at least two barrels worth of twisted wood was still underneath the cart itself, but after a moment I found something that felt like a hand.

With wide eyes, I turned to Mac and beckoned him over. “I found her hand; check her pulse, Mac.” I held my hands up and explained, “My scales are too thick to feel it.”

Big Mac scrambled over to me with a nearly-manic expression, and dropped to his knees before fishing his arm through the gap I’d made. He felt around for a few moments, eyes closed, before gasping in relief.

“Sh-she’s alive...thank Celestia she’s alive!” he cried out in relief, releasing a long breath in the process. He then pulled away and sat on the rocky ground, nodding to me. “Pulse is nice ‘n’ strong, so Ah know she at least ain’t bleedin’ out. Prob’ly banged up purdy good, but that ain’t nothin’ the nurses won’t be able ta fix.”

The morbid part of my mind reminded me that there were plenty of crippling brain injuries possible that wouldn’t coincide with profuse bleeding, but I kept my mouth shut for the moment. Big Mac needed to be reassured, not scared, so I just nodded silently while we waited.

The pounding of hooves on dirt approached, and I stood just as Applebloom arrived at the side of the hole, axe in hand. “Ah got it!”

I opened my hands and gestured for her to toss it down, which she did without a moment’s hesitation. Catching the axe in my hands, I turned to Big Mac and handed it to him, pointing at the side of the hole. “Set it over there for now; we need to find some more stones to prop this up so it doesn’t fall when we split it.”

It took a minute or so of careful excavation around the area, but Big Mac and I found a few more suitable stones to prop up both sides of the ruined cart. With that, I handed the axe to Big Mac and stood back while he got to swinging.

I was a hardy guy -- there was no getting around that, being a dragon and all -- but Big Mac was a veritable powerhouse of pure earth pony strength. He hefted the axe into the air and brought it down repeatedly as if it were nothing, making quick work of the flat underside of the cart. A single, long split down the middle separated the two halves, and after gripping one of said halves, Big Mac and I gave a collective grunt as we lifted the halves, one by one, up and off of the trapped farmpony underneath.

What we all found was worrying.

Applejack wasn’t actively bleeding, but the entire right side of her face was discolored from blunt force, and swollen worryingly. Furthermore, her right arm was clearly broken -- it was bent oddly between the elbow and shoulder -- and shallow cuts from the splintered wood covered her body. She was breathing, luckily, but the rest of her looked like she’d been in a fight with a timberwolf.

Without waiting for prompting, I gathered Applejack into my arms gently before slowly and painstakingly flapping my wings to ascend as slowly as possible. Once I cleared the lip of the sinkhole, I walked a short distance away before laying Applejack down onto solid ground, then going back and helping Big Mac exit the hole. Once the both of us were on flat ground again, we both rushed over to see what we could do for Applejack. From just initial observations, I knew there wasn’t much we were going to be able to do for her arm other than splint it, but some basic triage could mean the difference between healing properly and being crippled for life.

“Applebloom, I need you go get two flat sticks we can use as a splint, and some rope or cloth to tie it.” I ordered, keeping my eyes on Applejack. “Big Mac, stay with Applejack and I’ll go get some ice for her face to bring down the swelling.” With the orders given out, I took to the skies toward the farmhouse at a speed that I rarely used, simply because the lack of tail fins made it harder to steer, but the worry for Applejack’s wellbeing overrode my need for personal safety.

I landed only a few seconds later in front of the farmhouse, seeing Granny Smith waiting anxiously on the front step for someone to tell her what was happening. I offered a simple explanation of, “Applejack alive; nurses on the way,” before entering the house and heading toward the kitchen. Reaching under the cabinet and grabbing a plastic bag, I flung open the freezer and began shoveling ice inside of the bag until it was full. I then wrapped a dish towel around it and headed back to the door, stopping when Granny Smith grabbed my arm in a surprisingly strong grip.

She fixed me with a stern eye as she ordered, “Ya better look after mah granddaughter, ya hear? Ah wanna have grandfoals from her yet, Spike.”

Despite the situation, Granny Smith’s words caused a smile to jump to my face, and I nodded. “I’ll take care of her, Granny Smith.”

The elderly mare nodded to me with a reassured smile and shooed me away, so I again took flight and made my way back to where Big Mac was waiting for me. I was relieved to see Applebloom had already returned -- rather quickly, I might add -- with two planks and a length of rope. I landed next to them and approached, handing the wrapped ice pack off to Applebloom and dropping to my knees next to Big Mac.

He looked at me with a grimace as he held the two planks in his hands. “We gotta straighten it.”

I looked down at the misshapen arm and swallowed hard, nodding. “All right then, let’s do it.” Just by the way it was broken, I knew Applejack wasn’t going to be doing heavy lifting for quite awhile -- her humerus was completely snapped -- but seeing as how winter was just around the corner, she would have plenty of time to recover. I just hoped the bash to her head hadn’t caused any sort of brain injury.

With another nod to Big Mac, I took the arm in my hands and wasted no time in quickly pulling and straightening the arm, causing a pained whine from Applejack as she squirmed around despite her unconsciousness. I grabbed the wooden pieces and placed them on either side of the break, then looped the rope around it a few times before tying a knot. I knew that it looked messy, but triage was about doing as much as possible to stabilize the patient before more specialized treatment could be administered, and I definitely wasn’t a doctor.

A whistling sound caught my attention, and I turned my eyes skyward to see Thunderlane approaching with an emergency chariot from Ponyville General. Two familiar ponies were on board -- Nurses Red Heart and Tenderheart, respectively -- which meant that Thunderlane had been at least somewhat useful and had returned with help.

Thunderlane flared his powerful wings, slowing to a hover so that the swiveling chariot could softly touch down first before he landed. The two nurses bounded off of the chariot as soon as it was safe, and rushed over to Applejack with instruments in their hands.

After a brief checkup, both looked to us with a smile as Red Heart assured, “She has a mild concussion, but besides that and her arm, it looks worse than it is. You three did a good job of getting her out of there and safe. If you’ll follow us to the hospital, we’ll get started right away.”

I nodded and helped them load Applejack onto the chariot, belting her in to be sure she didn’t move too much. After only a few seconds, the nurses boarded, and once again the chariot was airborne. I was happy that Applejack was going to be all right, but I couldn’t help as worry clutched at my stomach regardless. I didn’t like seeing my friends hurt, and Applejack was always such a strong mare; it just seemed wrong for her to be so hurt, for some reason.

I turned to the two Apple siblings standing worriedly behind me and stated, “I’ll fly ahead and gather all the girls to meet us there. You two get Granny Smith ready and come to the hospital when you can; we’ll be waiting.”

Without waiting for a response, I shot into the sky and went about finding and gathering the other five representations of the Elements of Harmony, trying my best not to think about how bruised and battered Applejack was.

Within the hour, the waiting room of the ER was clamoring with ten ponies, all stressed to the breaking point and trying to look on the bright side as best we could, but it wasn’t working all that well. For one, the Apple family looked like they were waiting for that terrible news that yet another loved one of theirs was lost, and I couldn’t honestly reassure them of otherwise. After all, I was well aware that complications with even the simplest injury could cause disfigurement or even death, so I knew that in this case, saying nothing at all and simply being a reassuring presence was the best thing to do at the moment.

Rarity, on the other hand, had a far more active way of letting her feelings be known.

“...AND YOU COULDN’T DO ANYTHING BUT STAND AROUND LIKE A USELESS SACK OF FEATHERS WHILE SHE COULD BE DYING!”

No one saw fit to correct her, because in all honesty, our feelings on the matter wouldn’t let us. I was understanding when it came to many things, but regardless of whatever issue he might have been having, I couldn’t understand how Thunderlane, who claimed to love Applejack, could do nothing when something so serious happened. I couldn’t help but morbidly imagine how bad things might have gotten had Big Mac or I not been available. True that Thunderlane was just one pony, but I was the one who’d had to take control of the situation when he’d been freaking out instead of helping.

I just didn’t get it, but then again I wasn’t him.

Thunderlane just glared at Rarity, as if trying to burn a hole in her head. “You wouldn’t understand; you don’t suffer from taphophobia like I do, so you wouldn’t know just how debilitating it can be. I can’t even be buried in sand at the beach without freaking out, and you all expect me to jump into a hole?” He shook his head with a sneer. “I’m not apologizing for that, so get over it.”

I caught the twitch in Rarity’s arm just before her hand rose to slap some sense into the pegasus she was shouting at, but at much as I wanted her to follow through with it, I had to stop her. From my place just behind her, I reached out before she could connect and grasped her wrist firmly, shaking my head with a frown.

“Rarity,” I urged in a firm yet calm tone, “this isn’t helping. Shouting at Thunderlane isn’t going to undo the damage done, and making him feel bad isn’t going to make anyone feel better.” I pulled Rarity back into me and wrapped my wings and arms around her, resting my head beside hers. “I know you’re upset, and worried, but getting into a shouting match isn’t going to do any good. For now, the best we can do is be here for them.” I ended my statement by pointing the joint of my wing at the three Apple family members.

Thunderlane looked relieved at my intervention. “Thanks Spike, I-”

I snapped my gaze to him with a snarl. “I didn’t do it for you, Thunderlane. I’m sure Applejack would have her own choice words for you, but for now, slinging venom your way isn’t going to solve anything, so everyone needs to just sit down, shut up, and wait for whatever the doctors have to say.”

Thunderlane looked like he wanted to say something, but he wasn’t stupid enough to start an argument while already being on thin ice with everyone, so he reluctantly took his seat and waited just like the rest of us. I wordlessly pulled Rarity to sit in my lap as I took the chair between Big Macintosh and Rainbow Dash, doing my best to keep the nervous tremors from showing through my wings as we continued to wait.

We waited, and waited, and waited some more.

Finally, after nearly an hour and a half since the time we arrived at the hospital, a doctor came walking out into the waiting room and announced, “Applejack Apple?”

All of us stood and approached the doctor, allowing the three family members to the front as Granny Smith asked, “How’s mah granddaughter, doctor?”

The doctor -- a tan stallion whose name I couldn’t read from my place behind Rainbow Dash -- flipped through the chart and read off what he had. “She was admitted with what seemed to be mostly surface injuries and a fractured humerus, but upon analysis we also found a mild concussion. Other than that, it appears she was very lucky. She will be on the mend for awhile, but we expect a full recovery.” We all released a collective sigh of relief before the doctor continued with, “She’s currently sedated at the moment so she could rest through the pain, but I can allow family to see her for tonight. The rest of you will need to return tomorrow, after she’s had time to sleep off the worst of it.”

Granny Smith reached forward and grasped the doctor’s hand, smiling brightly at him. “Thank ya for takin’ care of ‘er, doctor. Ah’d like ta see mah girl now, please.”

With the danger over and our fears assuaged, I nearly collapsed into the chair next to me as the doctor and Apples walked down the hall toward the patient rooms. I rubbed my tired eyes and sighed heavily, glad that Applejack was going to be okay.

Rarity took a seat next to me and the rest of the girls surrounded me as Rainbow praised, “Ya did good, Spike.”

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply a few times before muttering, “Y’know, the whole time Mac and I were trying to get her out of there, I couldn’t help but think that maybe we wouldn’t be able to save her, or she had, like, crazy brain damage or something. I didn’t say it because I didn’t want to worry him, but…” I sighed again, feeling more of the residual tension leave my body through the breath. “I’m just glad she’s okay.”

“Because of you, Spike.” Fluttershy commented softly, her tone light and relieved. “You were there when one of us needed you the most, just like you always are, and you saved her.”

I chuckled tiredly, shaking my head. “It was just a lucky break ‘Shy, and that’s just it:” I sat up a little straighter with a more serious look on my face, “if I hadn’t been there, she might not be so okay right now. What if I had been out of town, or in Canterlot?”

“Don’t do that to yourself, Spike.” Rainbow Dash chided sternly. “Don’t torture yourself by thinking about the ‘what-ifs’. What matters is that you were there, and you probably saved her life.”

“Yeah…” I breathed out, slumping back into the chair again, “I did, didn’t I? That was pretty cool.”

Rainbow Dash nodded with a wide grin. “It was. Yet again, you were there when one of us needed you the most, and I know Applejack will be thankful.”

For the mares around me all took seats close together, and we spent the following time just sitting quietly, letting the stress of the day pass out of us with the confirmation that Applejack was going to recover.

Twenty minutes had passed since the Apples had gone back to visit Applejack, and I was trying my best to relax when a voice suddenly brought me back to attention.

“Spike?” called a gentle voice from near the front desk of the waiting room, and we all swiveled our heads to see Nurse Redheart approaching with a smile on her face. “She’s awake, and she’s asking for you.”

I frowned slightly. “She’s asking for me? Why?”

Nurse Redheart shrugged. “She didn’t say, but she’s been calling for you for a few minutes now after finding out what happened to her. We don’t normally allow anypony but family members back after so soon, but she refuses to accept that. Her response was, and I’m quoting, ‘If y’all don’t get ‘im in here, Ah’ll drag mahself out there on mah own.’”

I chuckled despite it all, and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like Applejack.”

“Wait wait wait, what about me?” Thunderlane broke in angrily. “I’m her coltfriend!”

Nurse Redheart only shrugged as she looked to him with a neutral expression. “She didn’t ask for you -- she asked for Spike. You can see her tomorrow with everypony else.”

Thunderlane growled and looked as if he wanted to argue, but the hard stares of Rainbow Dash and Rarity kept him from causing trouble, and he instead stomped out of the hospital while muttering curses under his breath.

I watched Thunderlane leave until the doors closed, then turned back to Nurse Redheart as I stood. “All right then, let’s go see Applejack.” I turned back to the girls and offered, “I’ll be home in a bit, so you all can wait for me until I get back unless you have something important going on.”

One by one, they all shook their heads as Twilight answered, “We’re free, Spike. We’ll see you when you get home.”

I nodded before following Nurse Redheart as she led me through the double-doors that closed off the patient rooms from the rest of the hospital. We walked for a few moments before stopping at room 127, where the deep voice of Big Mac could be heard within.

Nurse Redheart turned to me with a strained expression on her face. “As I said, we don’t normally allow this, so try and keep it brief. Regardless of what she might think right now, she needs to rest.”

I nodded solemnly as the nurse walked away. I stood in the hall for a moment to collect myself before bracing my hand against the door and pushing it open, stepping inside.

Ponyville’s Apple family was huddled together, talking softly to each other in a way that made me feel as though I was intruding. Upon my entrance though, Granny Smith turned around to look at me, and beckoned me forward with a wrinkled hand. Applejack looked pretty much the same as I’d found her, though now covered in bandages and with a plethora of lines leading into her body from the various machines and drips around her. The blood around her face had been cleaned away, but she still looked like she’d just lost a fight with a timberwolf. Yet again, I was struck with just how wrong it felt for Applejack to be so...vulnerable. I was so used to her being so strong and dependable, that I seemingly forgot that she was just a pony like everyone else.

Applejack’s non-swollen eye was focused sharply on me, and she held up her arm in a beckoning motion. After a moment of me standing still like a fool, she frowned and threatened, “Spike, get over here and gimme a hug. Don’t think Ah won’t get outta this bed and put ya in a headlock if ya don’t.”

Chuckling despite it all, I nodded and approached, leaning down and wrapping arm around Applejack as gently as I could to avoid hurting her. She wasn’t having any of that though, and used her powerful arm muscles to drag me down onto the bed in a tight embrace, to the point where I was practically on top of her. Forgoing my original plan, I instead wrapped both arms around Applejack’s back and held her tightly until she let go, gently lowering her back to the bed as I stood back up.

Applejack, bruised as she was, was still able to smile warmly up at me as she quipped, “Saved tha day again, Spike.”

I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. “It was a group effort, Applejack. All I did was make sure everyone did what needed to be done instead of losing their heads. Applebloom got the axe, Big Mac chopped up the cart, and Thunderla-”

“Spike, Ah…” Applejack interrupted, her expression souring, “Ah don’t wanna talk about him right now.”

I didn’t like where this was going…

“Applejack,” I pleaded softly, “if you’d have been really hurt, him doing what he did might have saved your life.”

“Ah’ll tell you who would’a saved mah life:” she shot back, frustration and anger roiling in her eye and tone, “it was tha drake that helped get me out from under all that stuff, and tha one that took control’a tha situation when everypony was losin’ their heads. That’s who saved me, not some scaredy-pegasus who couldn’t even jump in a hole fer me. Ah don’t ask much’a mah friends, other than that they give as much as Ah do.” She then snarled up in my direction, the full brunt of her annoyance focused on me. “So, you tell me how Ah’m supposed ta feel when Ah find out mah coltfriend was so wrapped up in ‘imself that he couldn’t help me when Ah needed it tha most!” She was shouting by the end of her outburst, and after doing so was panting with rage. I knew her anger wasn’t actually directed at me, but it was scary to be around her when she was like this. After a few moments of deep breaths, she calmed and looked away from me. When she spoke again, her tone sounded much more sombre, almost broken. “If he wouldn’t do that fer me, Ah know he wouldn’t do nothin’ fer tha rest of mah fam’ly. Ah don’t need that kinda pony in mah life.”

Much as Thunderlane could be a bit of a jerk sometimes, I didn’t want Applejack making a rash decision simply because she let her temper get the best of her. “Applejack, you’re not thinking straight right now. Sleep on it; we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

“Be here t’morrow in tha mornin’, Spike.” she continued, acting as if she hadn’t even heard me. “Ah want ya here when Ah talk to ‘im. Knowin’ his work schedule, he’ll be here at tha start of visiting hours at 9:00, so Ah want ya here then. Can ya do that fer me?”

I just stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded at how she was acting. “A-Applejack, I think you might be making a rash decision here.”

Her eye narrowed at me, and she repeated, “Can ya do it? Ah ain’t askin’ ya to agree with me; all Ah’m askin is fer ya ta be there fer me.” Even through her stern expression, I could see the wavering vulnerability in her eye, and the glassiness that came with unshed tears. Then came the clincher, as she nearly whispered out a soft, “Please, Spike?”

I didn’t like this at all. Out of all of us, Applejack had the longest relationship with another pony, and I had assumed she was happy with him. I had my own personal feelings about Thunderlane, of course -- to put it simply, I didn’t like him -- but he was Applejack’s special somepony, not mine, so I usually just avoided him when I could. On the surface it looked to me like Applejack was making a rash decision, but deep down, I knew her better than that. Applejack had a temper, it was true, but she made it a point to think through things that were important. That meant that either the relationship Applejack had with Thunderlane didn’t matter as much as I thought, or there were other issues in their relationship before this whole event happened.

I didn’t know the whole story, but I knew that I would be there for my friend, no matter what.

I reached out and took Applejack’s hand in my own, nodding firmly. “Okay. I’ll be here tomorrow in the morning.”

“Thank you, Spike.” Applejack replied with a smile, pulling me down once again to embrace me. It was then that something odd happened that had never happened to me before, at least not with Applejack.

As she held me close, her earthy-yet-feminine scent caressing my nose, I very clearly felt as Applejack’s soft lips planted a kiss on the side of my face, only an inch or so away from the corner of my mouth. I froze, and her lips lingered for a few seconds before she pulled away, causing me to do the same. Instead of a blush like I’d expected or even averted eyes, Applejack was smiling serenely at me, her good eye locked onto me.

I smiled crookedly at her, unsure of how to feel about her uncharacteristic gesture of affection. I suppose I should feel flattered that she thought me a close enough friend to do that to, but at the same time, I was both excited and worried about what it meant...or that it meant nothing at all. It was all so confusing and I wasn’t sure how to respond, but thankfully Applejack broke the silence on her own.

She groaned a bit as she shifted in the bed. “Well, Ah’m really happy y’all are here, but these drugs’re startin’ ta get ta me, so Ah’m gonna call it a night.”

We all said our goodbyes and goodnights to Applejack before leaving as a unit, walking to the waiting area together. It was a slow, somber sort of walk, more out of mental exhaustion than anything else. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about the unexpected kiss Applejack had given to me, but worked to steel myself and act simply as if I were very tired, which wasn’t much of a stretch, really.

When we finally made it to the waiting area that was still filled with the other five Element-bearers, I turned to the Apple family and asked, “Are the three of you okay, or do you want a dragon to walk you home?”

Big Mac looked over his younger sister and grandmother before shaking his head with a tired smile. “Naw, Ah think we’ll be all right. Have a good one, Spike.”

I nodded and waved goodbye to the Apple family as we all left the hospital, each going our separate ways as late afternoon gave way to evening. It had been a trying day for all of us, but because of a certain instance that apparently only I had noticed, my mind refused to stay quiet. I knew none of the others would judge me for it though, so as soon as I was sure it was just me and the Element-bearers, I made my thoughts known.

“Applejack kissed me.” I calmly stated, or at least as calmly as I could considering what I was saying.

Of course, all six of us stopped at hearing that, and Rarity blurted out, “I’m sorry, what now?”

“Applejack kissed me.” I repeated a little more loudly. “Not on the lips or anything, but...well when we were hugging before I left, she gave me a kiss on my cheek; she’s never done anything like that before, at least not to me.”

“Well,” Rainbow Dash began with a shrug, “you did just save her life, and no matter what you might think, that’s the truth. If you hadn’t been there, she might not have been able to do anything ever again.”

I shook my head. “She’s been grateful to me before for things, but that’s the first time she’s given me a kiss for anything. It’s just...odd for me, is all. I’m so used to seeing Applejack as almost one of the guys, so it’s different for her to act like that. I never dated her or anything, so I don’t know her as any different than a rough-and-tumble farmpony that makes fun of how prissy Rarity is.”

My half-playful jab at Rarity was received well enough, as she just smiled and shook her head. “We all know that Applejack has never placed much stock in acting like a classy lady, but that does not mean she is not still a mare. Though she may not show them as much, Applejack has feelings just like any of us, and after being told she could have lost her life -- and that you were the one that saved her -- it makes sense that she would wish to show her gratitude to her savior.”

I shrugged, having no choice but to accept it, as the alternatives were worrying for a number of reasons. “I guess. I just wasn’t expecting it is all.” Before we could continue our way home, however, I added, “I think she might be breaking up with Thunderlane tomorrow, though.”

At this, the only one who looked surprised was Fluttershy, though I’m not sure why. It’s no secret that Thunderlane and I had never gotten on well, and as Rainbow Dash had explained months ago, “Anypony who doesn’t like Spike isn’t the kind of pony I want to know.” I had to admit that I agreed with her, and not because of my own ego. All of the Element-bearers were close with me, so if someone didn’t like me, what did that say about them? Six mares -- and national heroines, at that -- can’t all be wrong, can they?

Rainbow Dash was the one to break the growing-awkward silence with, “It’s about time.” Everypony present nodded in silent agreement, except for one…

“What do you think, Fluttershy?” I asked gently, so as not to make my friend any more nervous than she had to be.

Regardless, Fluttershy almost cringed as she was put on the spot, but still answered with a soft, “I-I just think she might be making a rash decision in anger.”

I nodded, agreeing with her. “I think the exact same thing, but she wanted me to be there with her tomorrow when she talks to him. The way she was talking, I don’t think their conversation could be anything but a breakup. She was practically dripping anger when she talked about him, but this is her decision, not mine.” I then shook my head with a huff of both frustration and confusion. “What I don’t get is why she wants me there instead of somepony else.”

We started walking again as a group as Twilight questioned, “What do you think would happen if Big Mac were there and Thunderlane blew up at Applejack?”

I shrugged. “He’d tear Thunderlane apart, and then the hospital would have another patient. I get that, because she knows I’ll keep my cool regardless, but I still don’t get why she couldn’t have asked any of the rest of you, though.”

Fluttershy, who had been mostly quiet all day, piped up with, “She feels safe with you, Spike.”

“You’re always there for us, Spikey.” Pinkie chimed, smiling widely at me as she took my arm in her own and walked beside me. “Even when you were little, you were always there for us when we needed help, even if you couldn’t do much. You just protected Applejack when she was covered in ouchies, so she knows she can trust you to watch out for her when she can’t.”

I shrugged again. “I mean, I guess, but you all -- including Applejack -- would do the same for me.”

“Yes,” Rarity broke in, taking hold of my other, unoccupied arm, “but how many stallions do you believe Applejack feels she can truly trust like that? Not many, I imagine. Besides the fact that stallions are in short supply in Ponyville, you and I both know that earning the Element of Honesty’s complete trust is difficult indeed.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I know. Still, it’s because we’ve been through so much together. I’ve saved her, she’s saved me, we’ve saved each other -- it’s a cycle, and we know we can count on each other. I don’t understand why she’s suddenly putting all this trust in me now though.”

“Regardless of what you might believe or what she might delude herself into,” Twilight began, flipping her hair to the side and looking at me out of the corner of her eye, “Applejack is in a very vulnerable position right now, and she is naturally going to seek out those she trusts the most. In you, she likely sees the proof that there are good stallions out there that will treat her right, and so she is latching onto you for that reassurance, along with the comfort of knowing you will be there for her when she needs you, no matter the reason or severity of the instance.”

I just shook my head with a wry chuckle. “I really think you all are placing more importance on this than there needs to be, but all I know for sure is that Applejack wants me there with her, and I’m going to follow through. Whatever she’s actually feeling, that’s her business. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that trying to get Applejack to talk about her feelings is like trying to give a dragon a root canal: it’s going to be ugly, bloody, and I’m probably gonna get hurt.”

All the girls laughed at my words, which lightened up the atmosphere as we continued home. Once we reached the town’s heart though, we all began to separate and go to our separate homes. I gave Rarity a kiss goodbye -- much to the teasing of Rainbow Dash -- but eventually, it was just Twilight and I again, like it had been before I woke that morning.

As Twilight and I walked arm in arm toward our home, the creeping thoughts from the morning resurfaced, and I found myself soon having to fight from pulling away from her just to avoid the desire to kiss her. Twilight’s action of leaning her head on my shoulder -- which was neither new nor uncommon -- forced a sigh from me, soft though it was, and I couldn’t help but find it strange that Twilight still felt so comfortable around me. I mean, wouldn’t it make sense that Twilight would feel strange around me now -- at least a little bit? Instead, she was acting just as she always did toward me, which both relieved and stressed me: it relieved me because it meant that she still trusted me and cared deeply about me, but it stressed me because the whole walk home, I was constantly thinking of how easy it would be to just lean down, cup her cheek in my hand, and kiss her.

Just like I’d thought this morning, I couldn’t help but imagine that my “moving on” was going to be much more difficult than I thought, and I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to move on.

I was in love with Twilight, and it took Rarity’s prodding for me to realize it.

“Spike, are you all right?” Twilight asked suddenly, and I found her looking at me with concern clear in her amethyst eyes. “You seem very deep in thought.”

I mentally shook myself and sighed. “I’m just tired, and worried about Applejack.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but neither was it the complete truth.

Luckily, Twilight bought it, and nodded before magicking the door in front of us open and leading us inside. “Me too. Today’s been quite a day for all of us, and I’m worried about Applejack’s emotional wellbeing. I can’t say I ever really thought she and Thunderlane were right for each other, but I don’t want her to make a mistake simply because she’s upset with him; that wouldn’t be fair to either of them.”

Glad to have another subject to think and talk about, I just shrugged and pushed my previous thoughts out of mind. “Well, it’s her choice in the end, and she’ll have to live with whatever consequences there are, good and bad. She just asked me to be there for her, so that’s what I’m going to do.” I then rolled my shoulder as Twilight finally pulled away from me, setting my jaw as thoughts of what tomorrow would bring washed over me. “As much as I try and keep calm, I almost hope Thunderlane loses his cool tomorrow, just so I can have an excuse to sock him in his face once or twice.”

Twilight patted me on the shoulder softly. “Easy Spike, we don’t need the guard called in because you beat Applejack’s ex-coltfriend.”

I rolled my eyes and brushed Twilight away. “Aw c’mon, it’ll just be a few love taps. He’s a grown stallion; he can take it.”

Twilight also rolled her eyes in response, shoving me playfully as she made her way to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and rummaging through it for something quick to eat for the two of us. Respectfully, I looked away so I wouldn’t stare at the way her blue skirt framed her firm rump, her well-groomed tail slowly swishing from side to side in an almost playful manner.

It bothered me that Twilight was attractive in that adorably cute way without even trying, just by being herself.

Twilight finally pulled back and righted herself, turning to me with a small container of strawberries and a tub of whipped cream. Much as I tried not to, I couldn’t help but imagine that had things between Twilight and I been different, this would be a very flirty treat where we fed each other. Instead, she simply brought the two items over to the table, and we sat across from each other as we began fishing out strawberries and eating them with the sweet cream.

We ate in silence for quite awhile, just enjoying the downtime after such a long day.

“Why me, Spike?”

In a comical manner, her question caused me to inhale and choke on the strawberry I had just popped into my mouth, leading me to pound on my chest a few times to dislodge it. My mind was racing with questions of just what she could have meant besides the obvious, but I came up with nothing.

After coughing up the errant chunk of fruit and swallowing it to allow it to go down my esophagus instead of my windpipe, I brought my eyes to Twilight and blurted out, “Bwah?”

“Why me, Spike?” she repeated, her tone even and face relaxed despite the question. Had I been deaf and only able to go off of her facial expression, I would have thought she was just talking about the weather as she asked, “What about me made you think, ‘I want her’?”

While it was much harder for a blush to show through my scales, I was sure my face was flushed as I worked to compose myself even just a little bit. It took a few awkward moments and several throat-clearings later, but I was finally able to choke out, “A-are you serious?”

Twilight, who was usually the one out of both of us to get embarrassed, was calm enough for two, and simply nodded. “I’m very serious.”

Finally in control of myself -- though the flushed feeling in my face remained -- I coughed to clear my throat again and asked, “What brought this up? I was under the assumption that you had said all that you needed to about all of this.”

Twilight suddenly looked a little ashamed, and looked away from me with a deep sigh. “When we were sitting in that waiting room -- both with you and after you left to meet with Applejack -- I didn’t have anything to do but think, and I found myself wondering the greatest and most common question of all: why? Why me; why now?”

During Twilight’s short explanation, I had calmed myself down again, and was able to respond in a way that better suited me, rather than as a nervous and jittery little drake. “Well, you’re the pony I care about most in the entire world. You’re beautiful inside and out, you’re intelligent and kind, and you care more about others than you do yourself. Beyond that, I’ve known you my entire life; how could I not fall for somepony like you?” My explanation caused a faint dusting of blush along her cheeks, but I powered on anyway. “As for why now, you can thank Rarity for that. When Rarity asked us what we thought about herds, we both likely thought the same thing: that she was asking you to be in a herd with me and her.” I shrugged. “For the rest of the day, herding was on my mind, and for some reason even though I’d never really had a problem with herds nor ponies who were in them, I found the idea of me having a herd pretty strange. Still, you kept coming to mind at the forefront, and…” I nervously scratched the back of my head, “well, the idea was pretty attractive, I’ll admit. Rarity brought it all out of me, but it was something I wanted.”

“Wanted?” she echoed, raising her eyebrow at me.

I sighed and leaned back in the chair, chomping down another strawberry to give myself time to think about how to respond. On the one hand, I didn’t want to make things between Twilight and I any more strained than they were (at least on my end), but I also knew that Twilight deserved the complete truth. I’d made the mistake of keeping things from her lately, and it hadn’t worked out well for anyone.

“Well,” I began, swallowing harder than necessary, “I guess the present tense ‘want’ is more accurate. Unfortunately, wanting something isn’t enough to have it when it involves someone else.” I then shrugged helplessly. “I’ve experienced what it’s like to be forced into something you don’t want to do though, so I’d never do that to somepony else.” I then turned my eyes to Twilight, smiling softly. “...especially you.”

Twilight returned a ghost of a smile, but said nothing for a few minutes as we just ate in silence.

Eventually, the berries and cream ran out, and Twilight cleared her throat before leaning forward with a serious look on her face. “Spike, I want you to listen very closely to what I’m about to say, okay?”

I raised my brow, but nodded. “Y-yeah, sure.”

Twilight stared at me for a moment before taking a deep, calming breath. “Spike...the other reason I’ve stopped seeking another pony to add to my life is because I already have everything I need. I have friends that love and care about me, and…” she closed her eyes as her cheeks brightened a bit from a blush, “I have a certain special drake that means everything to me, and he’s everything I could want in a special somepony.” She then opened her eyes and smiled at me brightly, her eyes almost sparkling with happiness...or tears, I’m not sure which. To my surprise, she reached across the table and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as she added, “I just...I can’t risk losing you because of my own inadequacies. I wouldn’t be able to survive it.” Twilight released my hand at that point, and glanced away as she muttered, just above a whisper, “You’re not the only one that’s thought about us being together.”

While one part of me was unbearably happy at what Twilight had just said, another much larger part of me was frustrated and angry. So, in an effort to keep from having an unfair outburst, I slammed my head on the table and groaned. After a few moments of this, and Twilight prodding me while worriedly calling my name, I picked myself up and stood from the table.

I composed myself as best I could before commenting, “I’m trying my best to get over all this Twi, but saying things like that is going to make things infinitely harder for me. I appreciate the honesty -- truly, I do -- but some truths are better left unsaid.” I sighed and rolled my shoulders, which were starting to cramp up with stress from the day as a whole. “I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow.”

Twilight called me at least once when I left, but I ignored it and just made my way to bed.

I had locked my door and activated the soundproofing crystal in my room, which meant that I would be left alone for the night, but I still wasn’t able to sleep. My mind and body were both exhausted, but still my thoughts ran in circles over what had happened during the day. Much to my annoyance, I just wasn’t able to rest, no matter what I tried, so I instead took flight off of my balcony and soared through the cool air of evening for awhile.

There’s no denying that I enjoyed the day, but the night had its own wonders that drew me, one of which was the fact that it was quiet. There were no ponies that wanted to talk to me, no noise from the bustling marketplace of Ponyville, and the sky was clear and free. The responsibilities and obligations of day were gone, which left me with time that was truly mine to do with as I wished. More than anything though, the flight through the cool air of night allowed me to relax just a bit, which would have to be enough. I was a social guy -- there was no getting around that -- but sometimes I needed time to just focus on me for a bit, since the majority of my time was devoted to doing things for everypony else in one way or another.

“Didn’t think I’d see you out here.”

The voice stopped me dead in my flight, and I turned around to see a familiar changeling soldier standing on the limbs of a tall tree I had been flying over near the Everfree. I thought for a moment that it was an odd place for somepony to stand on since there were plenty of clouds around, only to remember that changelings couldn’t stand on clouds.

I pulled back and reversed until I was hovering near the tree, and I could see Lyla bathed in the moonlight of the half-moon above us. She wore a half-shirt that cut off at where her bellybutton would be (if she had one), and the fitted shorts she wore told me she was likely enjoying the cool atmosphere as well. Unlike most other creatures, changelings required far less sleep than the rest of us, so it wasn’t exactly uncommon for me to see Lyla out and about late at night.

Still, if I didn’t know better, I’d say she was…

“Were you looking for me?” I asked, genuinely interested. After all, I had lived long enough to be skeptical of something that seemed to be a coincidence.

With a nod, Lyla confirmed what I thought. “I heard about what happened today, and I could feel your inner turmoil from across town. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but something tells me you could use a friend right now. After all, it isn’t often you just go for a night flight without a friend to accompany you.”

I sighed heavily; Lyla wasn’t going to outright make me tell her how I felt, but we both knew that with something of this magnitude, I would anyway. Putting it off was just going to waste both of our time, so I sucked it up and began to explain.

It took a few minutes to give backstory as to why I felt and thought the way I did at the moment, and then a few minutes more to catch Lyla up to what all had happened that day. By the end, we had both landed at my home and entered my room, and we both sat on my bed as I basically poured out my heart in an effort to get some of the pain and frustration out of me.

During my explanation, Lyla had moved over to my side and draped her arm around my shoulders, offering what comfort she could as I bled out all the stress that I had picked up from the past weeks and this day. Though I didn’t say it in words, we both could feel just how much her support meant to me.

“Well,” she began after I had finished, “it appears you’ve been dropped head-first into a pool of emotional turmoil. It seems that every time you turn around lately, there’s something else that’s putting strain on your heart and mind.”

I shook my head with a dry chuckle. “Ponies always praise me for keeping the Everfree border safe and such, but dealing with the beasts of the forest is easy compared to having to put up with everything else going on in my life right now.” I fell back onto my bed, in turn, falling out of Lyla’s embrace. For a few quiet moments, I just stared at the ceiling without saying anything. Finally, mostly to myself, I muttered, “Why can’t things ever be simple? Why can’t somepony just say, ‘hey, I like you; let’s be together’? There’s always some crazy thing that they’re dealing with, or there’s the fact that I’m head over heels in love with her, but she’s too afraid to take a risk with me.”

Lyla followed me to lay down, settling herself next to me as she let out a long breath of her own. “This thing with Twilight has you really torn up, I see.”

I nodded glumly, unable to do much else. “It’d be different if I didn’t live with her, but things would still be complicated; my entire life is complicated.” I then shook my head, as if trying to convince myself of what I was about to say. “I love my life, but I just wish it could be a little more simple in some aspects.”

I felt Lyla shift beside me before laying still, almost as if she were hesitating about something. For a long few minutes we were both silent, but then she broke the tranquil quiet by rolling over and mounting me in one smooth motion. I could only stare up at her as she straddled me, wondering what she was doing before she descended upon me and connected us in a kiss.

I’d never kissed a changeling before, so I didn’t know what I was getting into, but for those few moments we were connected, I felt everything she felt about me, and knew instantly that this act was not random for her. Through the unspoken bridge she had made with me, I saw who and what she was inside, and found that in much the way I had pined for Rarity, Lyla had been pining for me, her savior and best friend in the entire world.

And then, the moment was broken as she pulled away and looked down at me, capturing her lip between her teeth as she waited for me to respond. In those few moments we had just shared, I had seen all I needed to...and I acted on what I felt for once, instead of what I thought.

I reached up and pulled Lyla back down, bringing my hand up through her silky hair as I connected us once again. In Lyla, in that moment, I found simplicity in itself: she liked me, and I could readily admit that I liked her; we were -- and had been, apparently -- attracted to each other for a long time...and that was everything I needed to know.

Maybe later I would think back on how much a mistake this was or that I should have done things differently, but for tonight, there was only Lyla, my dark beauty.

Chapter 7

Author's Notes:

Many thanks to my two prereaders, an-observer and EchelonHawkeye for checking things over before I posted. Here's hoping their eyes helped turn this into a more polished chapter.

Morning came, as it did every day, with a precision beam of sunlight somehow finding a way through the minute gap in the curtains, and landing right on my eyelid. I groaned angrily, silently wishing Celestia would follow my request and push morning back just another hour, but woke nonetheless...only to find something very different this particular morning. I was naked and a little sticky, which was odd enough, but I also felt that something was...off.

I cracked open an eye and started methodically scanning the room...

Ridiculously ornate crystal ceiling: check

Framed, signed photo of Sapphire Shores in a decidedly alluring pose: check

Dresser strewn with a shirt and pair of underwear that…

Wait…

‘Those aren’t mine.’

I began to push myself up from my stomach to a kneeling position, only to be held fast by a deceptively slender obsidian arm, the mere sight of which immediately brought me to be fully alert. I followed the arm to the sleeping face of a special changeling friend of mine, at which point the previous night’s events flowed back to my mind. Despite the lingering tension from mine and Twilight’s talk, I couldn’t help but smile lovingly at Lyla’s serene expression as she rested. While I would never say so to her face -- while she was awake, anyway -- the innocent vulnerability she portrayed while she was asleep was adorable, as proven by the faint snort and wiggling of her nose as she dreamed.

“You are just too cute for words.” I whispered, reaching over and using the tip of one of my claws to brush the hair away from her eyes. Acting completely on impulse, I leaned over and placed a kiss on her bare temple, to which she responded with a murmur and a smile as I pulled away. With a brief mental comb of today’s schedule, I surmised that I could afford an extra hour or two of sleep, so I stretched my arms and wings to loosen them up before carefully laying back down beside Lyla, my left wing covering her bare back.

“You wake up far too early.” she grumbled, startling me in the process. She scooted closer to me and draped one of her own, see-through wings over me as she cracked an eye open in a half-glare. “Just because you were raised by the sun princess doesn’t mean you need to rise with her.”

I chuckled softly and shrugged. “Sorry, force of habit.” I leaned over to her again and planted a kiss on her lips, closed-mouthed to avoid morning breath, before asking, “How did you sleep?”

Lyla smiled and closed her eyes, bringing her arm around and laying her head on it. “Wonderfully, thanks to you. Your wing makes a good blanket against the cold, and whoever claims otherwise is lying.” Slowly, almost so subtly that I didn’t even notice the transition, her mouth curved into a small frown as her eyes opened to look at me, worry clear in their depths. “Please tell me the truth, Spike: did last night mean anything to you?”

I couldn’t help but frown as well, a little offended at her question. Nonetheless, I knew why she was asking: I had felt in that first kiss, clear as the moon in the night sky, the true depth of her feelings for me. I had thought she would have felt the same from me, but it appeared I was mistaken in that assumption. So, I simply reached over and took her hand in mine, pulling her a little closer with my wing as I stared directly into her eyes.

“Lyla, I’ve always felt close to you, and I won’t lie about that.” I answered truthfully, then grinned at the next thought that came to mind. “Honestly though, I never really thought about you that way until last night. I kinda…” at this, I nervously scratched my cheek with a sheepish grin, “...I kinda always thought you were bent towards mares. Now,” I interrupted her as her mouth opened to retort, placating her with a soft smile and squeeze of her hand, “that doesn’t mean that last night didn’t mean everything to me that it did to you, because it does. What I’m saying is that…” I sighed and gave her a flat look, “you’re going to laugh at me for this.”

She raised her brow at offered a mischievous smile. “No, c’mon, I wanna hear it!”

I motioned nondescriptly to the air. “Before this whole thing with Twilight, and me getting with Rarity, I had kinda given up on romance and all that stuff -- since I assumed you weren’t into guys, I kept daydreaming about how nice it would be if I could find someone like you to be with.” I felt blood beginning to congregate in my cheeks, and I turned my face away as I continued to explain. “I mean, you’re a loyal friend, you’re smart, witty, and yeah, I’m not supposed to say it because it’s rude and all that, but you have a great body.” Again, I shrugged, as I couldn’t really think of any other motion to do that would fit how I felt at the moment. “We’ve been through a fair bit together -- you’re one of my closest friends out of dozens of ponies I know by name, and you’re one of the few that I know will give me an unbiased opinion of whatever I ask of you.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Lyla asked, hugging me closer with her arm wrapped around me. “Even if I weren’t into you -- which, I’m pretty sure you know otherwise, now -- I would still want to know how my friend feels about me.”

I shook my head and let out a deep sigh, clutching the pillow in my claws and resting my chin on it. “Ponies and dragons aren’t the same as changelings, Lye.” I answered glumly, waving my hand towards the door. “What’s happened with Twilight is pretty much the exact thing I was afraid was going to happen if I told her how I felt, which is why I kept quiet about you too. I know that changelings think differently than the rest of us when it comes to emotional stuff, but the fears I have are based off of the way I was raised, so it has no bearing on you specifically.” I glanced over to Lyla at that point, trying to convey to her just how much she meant to me as I whispered, “Twilight and I are gonna live a long, long time, so my friends are really important to me. The experiences and memories I share with all of you are going to stick with me, even after you’re all gone. The last thing I want is to look back on my time with all of you and have regrets because of a stupid decision I made.”

Lyla stared at me for a few moments before nodding understandingly. “I guess I can understand that; I’m afraid of things too. I guess it’s a good thing that you have a friend that’s willing to make the first move, then.” She smirked and traced her fingers over my spine, the digits dancing playfully between the joints of my wings. “It’s nice to hear that you’re still afraid of things, once in awhile.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the warm tingles caused by her fingers. “Are you kidding me? I’m scared of a lot of things. Even when I go out and drive hydras or timberwolves away from Ponyville, most times I’m standing there afterwards thanking the sun, moon and stars that they ran instead of fighting.”

Lyla rolled her own eyes and shook her head at me. “Spike, I’ve seen you spar with Rainbow Dash and the local guard, and you’re not too shabby. True you’re not gonna be beating a hydra into the ground anytime soon, but those scales of yours are strong enough to protect you. Besides,” she raised her brow at me again, “you think I win all my fights because I’m stronger than who I’m fighting? Any true soldier knows that preparedness, the lay of the land, and the illusion of power is just as important as ability and skill. Most of my battles were over before they ever truly began, because I struck hard, I struck fast, and I was able to put into the mind of my opponents that it would be smarter for them to run than to fight. Across the entire world, dragons are revered or feared by everyone, so you’ve got a lot of pull simply because of what you are. Stars, most of Ponyville sees you as a real-life superhero, who chases off the baddies and gets the girl...well, girls.”

“Good thing they don’t know I’m practically shaking in my scales whenever I have to chase away a pack of timberwolves, or convince a rival dragon to find another place to roost.” I countered with a frown. “I don’t like ponies making me out to be something that I’m not, especially since most of the ones around here have known me since I was knee-high.”

Lyla nudged me with her knuckles, and leaned over to touch her nose to mine affectionately. “Hey, don’t worry about that. Your close friends all know who you really are, and that’s all that matters.”

There was a simple sort of wisdom in Lyla’s words, and even though I’d heard the same words from all of my other friends at least once, it seemed more meaningful coming from a changeling, since Lyla’s kind were still often judged on what they were, instead of who they were.

I nodded understandingly to Lyla, and returned the little nose-bump with a smile. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” With a glance at my bedside clock, I sighed and retracted my wing. “Well, it’s still kinda early, but I gotta be there for Applejack this morning,” I then glanced down at the sheets we were laying on, my nose scrunching in the process, “and I think we should wash ourselves and this bedding.”

Lyla frowned briefly, turning her eyes down to her blanketed lower half. “...this is one of those pony-things, isn’t it?”

I shrugged, pushing myself up from the bed, and trying not to cringe at the fact that the soiled sheets started to follow me. “Well, it’s rude to be around other ponies if you stink, and the smell of sexual pheromones is pretty hard to miss.”

Lyla stood with me, pulling herself away from the bed and frowning down at her rather messy skin. “Hmm...that is kinda strange. I mean, I know you told me a long time ago that ponies wash every day, but I never really thought about why, beyond cleanliness. Changelings actually use pheromones for most of our communication between each other, so while we strive to keep things sanitary, we don’t make it a point to overpower our natural scents.”

I raised my brow at her words, then on a whim, leaned over and took a long sniff of her before pulling back and shrugging. “I don’t know if it has something to do with different biology or something, but you don’t really have all that strong of a smell, at least to me; I haven’t heard any of our friends complain about you stinking either, so I think only changelings pick up on the pheromones of other changelings. Still,” I motioned to the mess that was clear on our naked bodies, “I can smell myself all over you, and so would any pony, so you’re showering.”

I turned away and gathered our clothes and my bedding into a wad as Lyla grabbed towels out of my closet for us. Pulling on a pair of shorts to cover myself, I grabbed the dirty laundry and pushed open my door, sticking my head out and looking from side to side before stepping out into the hallway, Lyla following. She made her way toward the washroom as I closed the door behind us, only for me to notice a slip of parchment taped to the back of my door. I pulled it off of the door, already knowing who it was from and what it was likely to say:

“Spike,

We need to talk.

-Twilight”

I stared at the note for a few moments, surprised that it was so short and to the point, as well as halfway annoyed that I got a note at all. I crumpled up the note and headed down the hallway, reminding myself that Twilight would have to wait; this morning, my time was going to be set aside for Applejack, and Twilight and I had spoken enough about all this, I think.

I was pleased to see that Twilight’s door was still closed when I passed it, meaning I wouldn’t need to speak with her until later, but I couldn’t deny that a part of me was still curious of just what she wanted to say to me. Nonetheless, I made my way to the utility room to start the washing, before bounding back up the stairs to join Lyla in the shower.

After a good forty-five minutes of playful washing between the two of us, Lyla left with me from the front door of the castle, the two of us dressed in clean clothes and much more put together than we were when we woke. Granted, we were walking quite a bit closer than usual to each other, and yes, our fingers were entwined, but it was otherwise a normal walk between us toward Ponyville’s Business District. We needled each other as we always did, throwing banter back and forth, before Lyla was forced to go her separate way as we came to Ponyville General.

She looked up at the hospital and gave my hand a firm squeeze before releasing it, and patting me on the shoulder. “Well, this is where I leave you. I have some things to do, and you have a friend that needs you, so I’ll see you later.”

Lyla had taught me quite a bit about changelings over the years, so instead of doing the pony-thing and giving her a kiss goodbye, I cupped her head in my hands and brought her forehead to mine as we closed our eyes and enjoyed a moment of silence as we performed the changeling version of an affectionate hug. I could hear Lyla’s wings buzzing happily behind her at the action, and I smiled as we held the moment for a bit before she pulled away and nodded to me. Without another word, we went our separate ways, and I strode through the automatic doors to the hospital.

Nurse Silver Lining -- who was one of only five male nurses in the entire hospital, mind -- was calmly organizing the front desk as another day was beginning, no doubt looking forward to trading off with whoever was going to relieve him for the day. He glanced up at me as I entered, and nodded silently before pointing to the sign-in sheet on the desk. He was a very methodical stallion that was good at his job, but tended to not speak very much, even compared to Big Mac. So, I simply made my way to the clipboard and signed my name, then waited patiently for him to lead me to the room.

…

A few minutes later, I found myself approaching Applejack’s room with Nurse Silver Lining at my side, trying my best to prepare myself for whatever was going to happen today. I could guess what Applejack was going to do today concerning Thunderlane, but he wasn’t in the waiting room with me, which meant he would probably be arriving a bit later in the morning. That might give me a little time to try and glean a bit more from my friend before he arrived, and maybe prevent her from making an impulsive decision in anger.

The two of us arrived at Applejack’s room without preamble or fanfare, and the nurse simply nodded to me before leaving me to my visit with Applejack. I watched him walk down the hallway before taking a deep breath and pushing the door open.

Applejack wasn’t awake yet, and was sleeping rather peacefully, considering the state of her. I had learned, through my own schooling and Twilight’s tutelage, that because of the way blunt force injuries healed, they always tended to look and feel worse the two or three days following the actual incident, and the state of my sleeping friend proved that. The bruises along her face were quite a bit more noticeable, as was the swelling that accompanied it, turning her robust orange fur different colors as the bruises on her skin shone through. It was a disturbing sight, to say the least, but the logical side of me knew that the fact she was sleeping, and wasn’t on life-support, was definitely a good thing. For my part, I would just need to be supportive as she healed, and schedule out a bit more time to help out around the farm until she could handle things on her own again.

That conversation could come later, though, and I wasn’t looking forward to trying to convince the stubborn mare that she wouldn’t be able to do much until the doctors gave her the okay to work in the fields again.

I moved around the bed and took my seat in one of the three chairs along the wall beside it, just in front of a large window that had the early morning light of day pouring through it. I stretched my wings out behind the chairs and took to waiting patiently for Applejack to wake, which would no doubt be the moment the light touched her eyelids; she had always had a penchant for rising and setting with the sun itself, even on days she hadn’t woken before dawn to work, so I knew that I just needed to wait, and she would wake on her own.

The rays of sunlight that were settled on her blanketed lower half slowly crawled up her body as the minutes passed, until finally, it reached her closed eyes. As I expected, she started to stir from the light, and groan a bit as she came into the waking world, though whether that was soreness from her injuries or the loss of a good dream, I didn’t know. Nonetheless, it only took a minute or two for her to fully enter the waking world, at which point she cracked open her eyes, squinting against the sunlight, and spotted me sitting in the corner.

Immediately, her face morphed into a gentle smile, and she held her good hand out to me, which I took into my own as she smiled at me. “Spike...you came.”

Her voice was barely loud enough to be called a whisper, which was a far cry from the regular for Applejack. The weakness in her words scared me more than I care to admit, but I offered her a supportive smile nonetheless, and nodded to her. “Of course; I promised you I would.” I looked the pony over again, frowning at the state of her. “You must be feeling it today, pretty hard.”

Applejack glanced down at herself, shrugging her good shoulder. “Ah guess. Medicine’s doin’ its job purdy good, but Ah’m still not feelin’ mah best. Could use a good soak in a hot bath, t’be honest.” She then turned her eyes back to me, her gaze narrowing slightly as her expression became more serious. “Ah guess ya know why Ah asked ya here today.”

I shrugged faintly, releasing her hand and sitting back against the chair. “Kinda hard to misunderstand your reasons, frankly. All I want to ask is: why? If he’s really got a phobia of being buried alive or underground, that’s not fair to hold that against Thunderlane; he can’t help it.”

Applejack’s lips pressed into a thin line as she seemingly thought to herself, then took a deep, pained breath and shook her head slightly. “It ain’t jus’ that. We been on tha rocks fer about two months now, an’ it’s just been gettin’ worse.”

I raised my brow at that; she’d never told us about issues they’d been having. Sure, it wasn’t really any of my business, but I didn’t take Applejack as the type of mare that would fake her way through a relationship. “Care to elaborate? You two seemed pretty happy together, to me.”

Applejack pursed her lips and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Yeah...Ah guess we were, for awhile. Thing is, he’s been gettin’ really upset about how much time Ah been spendin’ on the farm lately, among other things.”

I frowned at hearing that Thunderlane was getting upset about her dedication to the farm. “I kinda figured you would have let the guy know up front that your family and farm came first, no matter who he was.”

Applejack nodded faintly at that, still looking at the ceiling. “Ah did, a buncha times, actually.” Again her eyes gravitated to me. “Past few months, he was hintin’ at us movin’ away to Canterlot or Fillydelphia one day; never actually said it, but it weren’t hard ta catch on ta what he was askin’ me. So, Ah told him Ah had ta think about it, an’ from then, things’ve just been gettin’ more strained ‘tween us.”

The thought of him trying to take Applejack away from us -- away from me -- awakened an irrational possessiveness within me that I just barely quelled by reminding myself that I didn’t own Applejack: she was my friend, but she was allowed to do whatever she wanted. I knew it was my dragon instincts kicking up in me, but I’ll admit that I couldn’t completely stamp out the feeling of wanting to protect Applejack and keep her near me, even though I knew it was wrong to think of her that way.

After a minute or so of calming myself down, I was finally able to articulate a response. “I knew there was a reason I didn’t like the guy.” The tail-end of my sentence was growled out, and I had to stop myself from smoking up the room as my fire glands started to throb.

The feeling of Applejack’s hands on my hand brought me out of my growing agitation, and I looked to see her frowning at me while shaking her head. “Don’t, Spike. Thunderlane ain’t a bad guy -- fact, he’s a durn good stallion -- but we want different things outta life. He wants ta go out into tha world and find a place ta call his own, travellin’ and havin’ adventures out in far ‘way lands, but Ah already found mah place when Ah was just a filly.” She smiled gently, squeezing my hand a little more. “It’s here, in Ponyville, with mah friends ‘n’ family. Ain’t no place else Ah’d rather be.”

A knock on the door caught our attention, and Applejack pulled her hand away as the door opened to reveal the very stallion we had been talking about. His brown eyes flicked between the two of us, a frown coming to his face, as he entered the room. Without a word, he walked toward me, grabbed one of the chairs, and dragged it to the opposite side of the bed, where he took his seat. Applejack watched him the whole way, saying nothing as he settled himself, obviously waiting for him to speak first.

“I’m sorry, Applejack.” Thunderlane nearly whispered, his head and posture drooping a bit in the process. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help when you needed me.”

Applejack’s eyes rolled to me briefly before she took a strained breath and turned her attention back to her coltfriend. “...Ah don’t blame ya, sugarcube.” Thunderlane’s head shot up at her words, and I could see a smile crossing her lips as she continued. “If y’all really got one’a them phobias, Ah can’t hold that against ya: ya didn’t ask fer it, and ain’t much ya can do about it, from what Ah’ve heard Twi say.”

Thunderlane’s lips slowly curled into a smile as he said, “I thought you said you didn’t listen to Twilight when she was doing her lectures.”

Applejack rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner, but held the smile. “Throw enough nails at a barn ‘n’ some’a them’ll stick, even if ya don’t mean fer ‘em to.”

Thunderlane let out a long breath and relaxed a bit at her words. “Phew, I thought you were gonna be really mad at me.”

Applejack stared at him for a long few moments before reaching her good hand over her chest, which he reached for and took without hesitation. She smiled at him, just looking into his eyes before she finally answered, “Naw, Ah ain’t mad atcha. Ah was at first,” she then glanced to me briefly before turning her full attention back to Thunderlane, “but a friend helped me see it ain’t fair t’be mad at somepony fer bein’ who they are. ‘sides, y’all fetched tha med team that brought me in, so Ah think ya did all y’all could do in that situation.”

Thunderlane noticed Applejack suddenly go very quiet, and he prompted her with the words I knew she was thinking, but was apparently afraid to say aloud: “But…”

Applejack let out a long sigh, closing her eyes and breathing through her nose, likely in an effort to calm herself and keep from breaking down. “Hun...Ah know y’all want me ta travel with ya.”

Thunderlane looked momentarily caught off-guard, but quickly composed himself and answered, “Well yeah, when you’re ready.”

Applejack’s eyes opened again, focusing intently on him. “...Ah don’t think Ah’m ever gonna be ready fer that, sugarcube.”

Those few words of hers had a noticeable effect on Thunderlane, his face and body language the look of a person whose heart was breaking. I knew things were about to get really heavy in the room, so with a brush of my hand along Applejack’s arm to get her brief attention, I pointed to the door before walking out of the room, closing the door behind me.

The talk between the two was taking longer than I had thought it would, so during my wait, I had gone to the hospital cafeteria to get some breakfast before heading back to the room and waiting patiently. They had been talking for the better part of an hour by this time, but I knew that whatever was being said wasn’t for my ears to hear, so I just kept quiet and stood outside until I was needed.

I didn’t have to wait too long for the door to open again, Thunderlane exiting with a noticeably melancholy look on his face. There were clear tear-tracks along his cheeks, even as he wiped them furiously in an attempt to appear as if he hadn’t just been crying.

Thunderlane sniffed his nose twice before looking over to me, a far more serious expression crossing his features. His body turned to me, obviously tense, and he only looked at me for a moment before he spoke. “Spike...I know we’ve never really gotten along all that well, but…” he swallowed hard at that point, I would guess to keep his voice from cracking, “...can you promise me you’ll look out for her when I’m gone?”

I shrugged faintly, trying my best to appear nonchalant. “Well yeah, but I hope you don’t take it the wrong way when I say that I’m not doing it for you.” I looked to the door, able to mentally picture the mare that lay in the bed beyond it. “She’s family, and I’ll always look out for her, for better or worse.”

“...thank you.” Thunderlane replied, his voice only followed by retreating hoofsteps down the hallway as he left the hospital. I turned my head and watched him go, feeling somewhere between ill and relieved, though I wasn’t sure of the reason for either of said feelings. All I knew was that I was moderately happy that things had gone a whole lot better than I had mentally prepared myself for, but as the tension that had been held in my body started to melt away, it only left a faint feeling of exhaustion within me as I pushed on the door, entering Applejack’s room once more.

The head of her bed was tilted up this time, allowing her to sit comfortable at a relaxed incline as she looked out the window at the sunny autumn day the weather team had brought us. With her posture and subtle body language, she was the very picture of introspection, but the periodic sniffles that she elicited made it clear that she was likely as hurt as Thunderlane had been, if not more.

“Ah did tha right thing, Spike.” she spoke aloud, without turning her head to me. “Ah know Ah did -- fer both of us. Ah talked to ‘im, asked ‘im if this was just some passin’ fancy or if him travellin’ was his dream, just to be sure, and Ah had ta make a decision offa that.” She then shook her head almost unnoticeably before turning to look at me. Her eyes were rimmed red from crying, and the faint tremors in her facial muscles told me she was fighting to keep herself composed. “...so why does it hurt so much? Why does doin’ tha right thing hurt so dang much?”

Applejack sniffled again, but didn’t break down into sobs like I would have expected most of the rest of my friends to do -- minus Rainbow Dash, of course. However, I still couldn’t stop myself from quickly making my way to her good side and leaning in to give her a firm hug. Even if she didn’t show it on the outside, I knew that she needed me now more than ever to assure her that someone was there to offer support. Applejack was a strong mare -- I would be one of the first to say so, in fact -- but I knew that even the strongest of us needed someone to lean on from time to time, even if no words were spoken.

So, for the next hour or so, I just held Applejack as close as I could, letting her know that I would support her no matter what.

By about 10:00, Granny Smith and Applebloom arrived to visit with Applejack, so I said my goodbyes and went on my way. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to stick around, but regardless of what was going on with Applejack, I still had work to do. The value of schedules had been drilled into me from an early age, so I knew that I couldn’t put off work just because I wanted to spend time with a friend. Applejack and the two others of her family in the room had understood my reasons for leaving, so I didn’t feel too bad about leaving the hospital.

First, I swung by the town hall to fetch whatever was in our inbox for the day, then I headed to Sweet Apple Acres to briefly discuss some budgeting with Big Mac, to be sure their tax rates for land and produce hadn’t suddenly risen within the last few months as a result of Canterlot bureaucracy; unfortunately, the latter happened more than I’d like to admit, and not always maliciously. From there, I traipsed across town to the local guard department, and set up a meeting between Twilight and the acting superior.

After my royalty-related errands were finished, the remainder of my day was spent on the more mundane side of things, though they were just as important, in my opinion. These errands were comprised of things like: grocery shopping, meeting up with a few of the more prominent members of society, chatting up a few pretty mares, simply for the fun of it (don’t judge me), and swinging back around Sweet Apple Acres to help Big Mac with some of the chores he had in preparation for winter.

Yes, I’ll admit, I was intentionally putting off heading home.

The truth is, I hadn’t really organized my thoughts yet. Twilight would want to speak with me for whatever reason -- though I was moderately sure I knew where the subject lay -- and, to put it simply, I wasn’t entirely sure us talking was going to do anything to help; Twilight had made it quite clear what her stance on the matter of “her and I” was. I would be able to handle it if Twilight simply didn’t want to be with me -- regardless of the reason -- but the problem with the whole thing was that she seemed to want all the closeness of a romantic relationship, but without physical intimacy or kisses...which, in the grand scheme of things, doesn’t really change a whole lot in a relationship unless you want it to.

A kiss was just a kiss, after all; instead, it was the person I kissed and the feeling behind the act that made it special. At the base level, a kiss was just two ponies mashing their faces into each other: a kiss only mattered as much as we wanted it to, and only complicated relationships that didn’t have a strong foundation. The truth of the matter was that even before Rarity opened my eyes to things, Twilight and I had been about as close as two ponies -- or a pony and dragon, in our case -- could be. While we never touched our lips together or engaged in actions of a more intimate manner, Twilight and I never felt uncomfortable sleeping in the same room or even the same bed. We hugged and smiled together, held hands, and routinely used “the L word” with each other. Anyone who didn’t know us would assume we already were an item, but for some reason, Twilight was adamant that if we were together “like that”, things would be different enough for something horrible to go wrong.

And because I was part of the “problem”, it was unlikely I would be able to convince her that she was just being a silly filly.

“Spikey-wikey, dear!.”

The familiar, cultured voice of fashion brought a smile to my face, even in my deep thoughts. As I rounded the tree that was currently obstructing my vision, I saw Rarity sitting outside of a sidewalk cafe, sipping what I assumed was a cup of tea. She was dressed in a functional-yet-fashionable ensemble of a soft blue dress and hoofshoes, with a certain fire-ruby necklace clasped around her neck. The sight alone caused my smile to widen, and I couldn’t help but put a bit of a bounce in my step as I made my way over to her.

I leaned down and took her hand, offering a soft kiss to it before taking the seat across from her and setting my satchel down beside me. “Hey Rares. You okay today?”

Her eyes brightened at my greeting, and nodded to me. “I’m doing fabulously, darling; thank you for asking.” After giving me a moment to settle myself, she broached the obvious subject on her mind: “How was Applejack this morning?”

I let out a loud sigh and slumped in the chair, rubbing my hand over the semi-soft spines of my head. “All right, I guess. She broke up with Thunderlane, but she seemed pretty down about it. I don’t think she really wanted to, but she felt like she didn’t have much of a choice.”

Rarity’s brow rose at my statement. “What do you mean?”

I shook my head solemnly. “It’s not really my place to say. Ask Applejack when you visit her.”

She nodded slowly with a soft smile. “Very well, I’ll do that. Well, on the more juicy side of things: Lyla looked to be positively glowing this morning.”

The mention of Lyla, and her demeanor this morning caused a spike of panic to rise within me, so, like a fool, I tried to play it off like it was nothing...though I’m sure I was trembling a bit. “...I don’t know what you mean.”

Rarity’s smile became decidedly shark-like. “Oh, don’t avoid the subject, darling; what of you and Lyla?”

I felt a bit of heat start to crawl up to my face as I struggled to compose a proper answer. “W-well, I...um…” After a few moments of me gaping like a fish from trying to formulate a more elegant response, I blurted out, “I’m sorry.”

Rarity’s hand froze in the middle of bringing her tea in for a sip, and her lips curved into a slight frown. “What are you apologizing for, Spike?”

My nerves began to get the better of me, and I found myself tugging at the collar of my button-down shirt in an effort to get some more airflow to my suddenly-boiling body. “W-well I, er...what I mean to say is...well…” Again my words failed me, and I found myself slamming my head down on the table in frustration, mumbling out a response and cringing.

“I’m sorry dear, what was that?”

I took a deep breath and looked up to meet Rarity’s deep sapphire eyes. “We slept together.”

Rarity’s brows climbed up her forehead as she innocently replied, “You shared a bed with her? Well of course -- you’re far too polite to let a lady sleep on the floor.”

Now, if I were thinking clearly, I would easily pick up on the fact that Rarity was messing with me, but in the state I was in at that time, all I could do was become a little frustrated that I had to “dumb things down”.

My face showed zero amusement at her words as I bluntly clarified: “We bucked...vigorously; several times.” Before I could even think of what I was doing, the reflex caused by my own stupidity caused my palm to meet my face as I groaned in mortification of what I’d just said. I had let my frustration get the best of me, and once again let my mouth speak before my brain could think. Unwilling to face the perceived wrath of the mare in front of me -- and halfway expecting her to resolutely state that we were “through” -- I kept my face covered and slowly lowered to the table until my forehead rested against it. From there, I silently berated myself for letting my mouth get me in trouble, again.

“Well,” Rarity began, her tone even and neutral, “I suppose I have a few things to ask, then:” she went silent, and the suspense built, until… “is it true what they say about changelings?”

Though she couldn’t see it, I frowned in confusion. “Is what true?”

“Do changelings not have nipples?”

I raised my head slightly, also raising one brow high as bewilderment overcame me. “...what?”

“And do they have tentacles ‘down there’, or is everything more mundane?” she asked, a finger finding its way to her chin. “Shamefully, I’ve often found myself wondering just how versatile a changeling would be in the bedroom, but...well, you know my rule.” Rarity leaned closer to me, locking her eyes on my own. “I’ve also heard that both male and female changelings can ‘accommodate’ any size lover quite snugly, as well.”

Can’t brain...think is broken.

As I struggled to put my thoughts in order -- as well as decide which issue needed to be addressed first -- I could only stare blankly at Rarity with what was likely a very amusing expression. I know this because Rarity had her hand held over her mouth, shoulders shaking with repressed laughter and eyes sparkling with mirth. I had no doubt that, had we not been in public, she would be doubled over in laughter.

As it was, she was still unable to completely stifle a silly snort, which made me laugh a bit despite myself. The reaction helped to dissolve the tension I felt, which brought me back to a coherent state, at which point I could only respond with, “What kind of smutty magazines do you read?”

Rarity’s eyes widened at my comment, and a fierce blush lit up her face as she retorted, “They aren’t magazines...they’re novels.”

“I like how that’s the only thing you refuted, there.” I countered, a grin crawling across my face. Internally, I was smiling as well. Rarity always had a way of loosening me up when things were really getting to me, and I’m pretty sure I’d actually verbally thanked her for it a few times.

A few audible giggles came from Rarity before she settled down and just smiled lovingly at me. “Do you feel better now, darling?”

I nodded with a deep breath, though I was still a little confused. “Yeah, but I still have a question: why aren’t you screaming at me in anger?”

Rarity flipped her masterfully-styled mane and rolled her eyes at me. “Do you remember nothing that I told you, Spikey? I told you that I don’t mind if you desire others, so long as they treat you well and I approve of them. And, as you know, I would only have your best interests at heart: I wouldn’t disapprove of another you were interested in because of something petty. However…” her expression suddenly darkened, and the sky itself seemed to darken as well, “...should anypony willingly cause you or our friends suffering, there is not a place they can hide, nor any distance they can run to escape my wrath.” Rarity held the fierce, predatory expression for a moment before she immediately brightened, smiling at me with that same, loving smile as before. “Could you pass that message along for me?”

“...n-no problem, Rares.” I muttered nervously, forcing a smile.

Though her lips didn’t move, her smile seemed to become warmer, somehow. “Marvelous, darling. Now,” she lifted the remainder of her tea to her lips, and took a long sip to drain the rest before lowering the cup back to the saucer, “about Lyla; first things first: do you love her?”

I didn’t even have to think about my answer. “Yes.”

One of Rarity’s eyebrows climbed up her forehead, and she regarded me curiously for a few moments before she spoke. “My my, that was a rather resolute answer.”

“You taught me that I shouldn’t be afraid of what my heart feels.” I answered, then frowned as I found myself looking at the table. “I forgot that for awhile, but I’m not going to screw up with Lyla.”

Rarity’s hand reached across the table to settle on my own, and I looked up to see her smiling gently. “That’s good, Spike. That resolve will make solving issues between the two of you much easier.” She then released me and sat back in her chair, composing herself with a ladylike air even as she relaxed. “I would like to get to know her a bit better at some point; I am ashamed to say that I am not nearly as acquainted with our resident changeling as I would like to be, and I wish to rectify that.”

I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know everything about her either, but one thing I do know for sure about Lyla is that she isn’t shy about her life: if you want to know anything, just ask and she’ll tell you. Changelings aren’t as secretive as ponies, so you tend to get a lot more if you just ask.”

Rarity’s eyes rolled skyward and she placed a finger on her lips as she thought quietly for a moment. Then, suddenly, she asked, “What does she do for a living?”

I opened my mouth to respond...only to look like an idiot when I realized I didn’t have an answer. What did Lyla do? She had a house of her own and, though she didn’t have the same fashion preferences as Rarity, Lyla made enough money to buy plenty of her own clothes -- which usually consisted of what was commonly known as “athletic wear”. Clearly she had a plentiful source of income that was stable enough for her to live quite comfortably, but I had never thought to even ask where it all came from. It didn’t really matter in the end, but it was weird to think that I didn’t even know what she did for a job.

“I have no idea.” I concluded aloud, after a few moments of silent thought. After trying to stare a hole in the table for a few more silent moments, I leaned back in my chair and brought my eyes to Rarity’s, shrugging. “Never thought to ask, really.”

“Hmm,” Rarity hummed aloud, absently stroking her silky dress, “curious. I wonder how she pays for that lovely home of hers, and the clothes she has custom-made.”

I raised a brow at that. “Custom-made clothes? What do you mean?”

Rarity’s expression resolved into a smirk at my words. “Take it from a clothing designer, dear: those clothes were, quite literally, made for her. The way they drape over her form and hug her close in all the right ways confirms that they were created specifically for her body, much like how all my favorite works were cut and measured to fit a specific body, for a specific mare or stallion.”

I brought my hand to my chin and rubbed thoughtfully. “Hmm...I never really noticed. I might have more of an eye for fashion than most guys, but compared to you, I’m still just a novice.” I shrugged, sitting back in my chair once again. “Well, I know that she turned down the offer of a royal stipend from Twilight, so she’s getting her cash from somewhere else.” I glanced at the sky, noting the sun’s position, before shrugging. “Well, I guess I’ll ask her the next time I see her. Anyway, I have to get home.”

When I brought my eyes back to Rarity, she was frowning at me. “What was that just now, Spike?”

I raised my brow to her, her flat tone making me nervous, for some reason. “What was what?”

She pointed at my face. “When you mentioned going home, your expression dropped to what I can only describe as morose, which in turn leads me to believe there is something -- or somepony -- at home that you want to avoid.” I looked away, a little ashamed that she was able to read me so easily, but her firm call of, “Spike,” forced me to bring my attention back to her and explain what had happened the past few days.

It didn’t take long, thankfully, but by the end of it, Rarity’s eyes held both sympathy and frustration, likely on my behalf. While not the Element of Kindness, Rarity had always been very empathetic, which helped her better relate to those she cared for.

“That is...quite the situation, Spike.” she spoke after a lengthy silence spent in thought. She brought her tail up onto her lap and petted it, a gesture I came to recognize as a clear indicator that she was worried about something. “...are you going to tell her about you and Lyla?”

I shrugged nonchalantly, trying my best to act like I didn’t really care. “I don’t think that’s any of her business, do you? I think she’s made it pretty clear that she’s not interested in becoming a part of my life that way, and thus, she doesn’t have any right to information pertaining to it.”

“Spike, don’t be needlessly spiteful; you’re better than that.” Rarity shot back, her frown deepening.

A part of me wanted to be a jerk about the whole thing -- it kinda felt like, with everything she was putting me through, Twilight kind of deserved it -- but I just wasn’t that kind of dragon, when it came right down to it. For better or worse, I had a kind heart, and I would never be mean to anyone without reason. Because of that, I could only let out a big sigh in response to Rarity’s mild chastising. “I’m sorry, Rarity. The truth is, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about all this with Twilight.” I held her gaze as I continued, reaching across the table to take hold of her hand. “With you, it was so easy. I mean, besides the fact I’ve been chasing you for years, when things actually played out with you and I and we admitted our feelings for each other, it just fell into place. And with Lyla, since we met, we’ve always been there for each other. Because I figured she didn’t care for stallions, I always just cut my feelings for her off, telling myself they would never happen and I should just get used to that fact, but when she kissed me and I felt how she felt about me, it was like a dam being broken down, and…” I shrugged helplessly, “well, things just kinda went from there.”

Rarity nodded understandingly, holding my hand and my gaze for a long few seconds before she answered with a simple, “You and Twilight need to have a long talk.”

I let out a long sigh at the suggestion. “We’ve talked about this all we can, and it hasn’t helped.”

Rarity shook her head this time, frowning at me, for once. “She has spoken plenty Spike, but when did you get a say in things? From what you’ve told me, your ‘talks’ have been either you answering her questions, or her talking to you; perhaps it’s time that you have your own turn to get things off your chest, regarding the two of you.”

I thought about what Rarity was saying for a moment or two, only to realise she was right. The problem was…” I’m not sure what to say, though. I just know that it bugs me that Twilight basically wants the hugs, support, and occasional bed-sharing that comes with being together with somepony, but she doesn’t want to actually commit, because that would ruin everything, apparently. To be honest, the whole thing’s just making me mad: she reminds me of somepony that lives on the beach without ever actually touching the water, but then wonders why they were in the damage path of a tidal wave.”

“Well,” Rarity began after a moment’s thought, “maybe you should just tell her what you just told me. At the very least, it seems like a good place to start; it adequately explains what you’re feeling, at the very least.” She released my hand and sat back in her chair, her posture dignified and authoritative. “Sometimes, to get through to those we care for, we have to remind them that they aren’t the only ones affected.”

It was an idea, at least -- not the best, but I didn’t have one of my own, so it would have to do. I would have to give it a try and hope for the best, I supposed. Standing, I made my way around the table and leaned down to give Rarity a chaste kiss on the cheek and thanked her appreciatively before gathering my burdens and setting off toward home. Regardless of what happened after tonight, I knew that I would have Rarity’s support and advice to help me through it.

It was completely quiet when I arrived home, which made sense because of the fact that Twilight’s workday was still in progress, while mine was over. With that in mind, I put my groceries away and made my way towards our apartments, noticing that the door to Twilight’s study was cracked open, and the scratching of quill against paper could be heard. I pushed through and set the stack of papers on Twilight’s desk, her mumbling a “thanks” to me, but not looking up from her work. Her response wasn’t exactly uncommon, as when she was focused on her work, she tended to block everything else out. In the past, I’d had to force her to eat so she wouldn’t starve.

After that, I made my way to the bathroom to give myself a quick rinse to refresh myself from the day, followed by me lounging in a loveseat in the common room with a book in hand. Seeing as how I had nothing else to do for the next few hours, I resolved to relax and try to mentally prepare myself for the “talk” that Twilight wanted to have with me.

Much to my annoyance, I had only just opened the book when I heard the telltale sound of hooves upon crystal stairs, the noise getting progressively louder as they approached the common room. A few moments later, Twilight appeared around the corner, stretching her arms and wings high above her head as she walked to the plush chair across from me. Without a word, she flopped onto said chair with a grunt, her face buried in the armrest.

I closed the book and set it aside, swinging my legs over the edge of the loveseat and curling my tail off to the side. “So,” I began, thinking it prudent that we get things over with as soon as possible, “you wanted to talk.”

“I did.” she replied, not moving from her awkward position.

“What about?” I asked, though I already had a pretty good idea what the subject would be.

“Us…”

Bingo.

I let out a long, tired sigh as I settled my face into my hands. “I think we’ve done enough talking about ‘us’, and your stance on the matter is pretty clear to me.”

Twilight rolled over to sit properly, fumbling with her large wings for a few awkward seconds before she settled herself to stare at me with a frown. “Spike, you don’t understand-”

“You love me, like ‘that’, but you’re so afraid that you’ll ruin our relationship that you’re unwilling to take that leap.” I summarized, my lips twisting in a half-frown of my own. “Also, even with that being the fact, you still want the hugs and cuddles that you would get with your special somepony, and you want me to comfort and support you like always.” I snorted, a small flame shooting out between my teeth as I began to get frustrated. “You’re not the only one involved in this whole thing, Twilight; your indecisiveness hurts, and I’m sick of it. If you just didn’t like me, I could take that: I would be a little put out from the rejection, but I could handle it because I knew I never had a chance, but you keep telling me how much you care about me and the fact that you love me more than Celestia loves cake.” The frustration bled away after that statement, and all that was left was smoldering annoyance. “Twilight, do you realize that the only two things we don’t do already is kiss and stare into each other’s eyes lovingly? Seriously, everything else that couples participate in, we already do; we even argue like a couple!”

“I told you: I’m afraid!”

“Of what?” I asked, purposefully keeping my voice flat. “Twilight, of all the ponies in the world -- even Celestia and Rarity -- you’re the one I’m closest to. We grew up together, learned together, and went through some of the most dangerous events together as well; if anything could tear us apart, it would have happened already.” I stood and stretched out my wings to relieve some of the tension, then walked to Twilight. “Do you love me?”

“Yes, but-”

“Do you want to be with me?”

“Of course, but-”

“Stand up.”

Twilight looked a little annoyed at being interrupted twice in quick succession, but did as I said, looking up at me with a half-confused, half-fearful expression. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing anymore, instead letting my heart guide me more than my head, but my mind was screaming at me that I was about to do something extremely stupid...but at the same time, it had to be done.

Or at least, that’s how I felt at the time.

I stood a mere foot away from Twilight for a moment before leaning forward and embracing her, both my arms and wings enveloping her safely and securely. I felt her wings attempt to flare purely on reflex, but after a moment, she settled herself and let out a happy sigh. Looking down at the top of her head, I asked, “Does this feel bad?” I felt more than saw her shake her head, so within the cocoon of my wings, I brought a hand up and ran it through her mane, nuzzling the top of her head affectionately. “And this?”

Despite the fact that she had been very tense moments before, I could feel Twilight practically melting at my touch as she whispered, “...no. ‘t feels good.”

Twilight was a complicated pony -- there was no getting around that -- but in some ways, she was easily-understood, as well. For example: Twilight related sensations with memories, which made her a very stimulus-oriented pony. The smell of lavender -- her favorite scent -- reminded her of her mother, and of long days spent reading at her side. The feel of silk sheets reminded her of her younger years growing up under Celestia’s wing -- sometimes literally. And, the feel of a strong hug from someone she cared about brought to mind cold days spent in front of a fireplace, a mug of hot chocolate in hand and me at her side. Because of the latter -- which, I’ll admit, was something I was purposefully using to manipulate her into a relaxed state -- it was very easy for me to coax her to do nearly anything I wanted, and I knew it. However, at the moment, I only wanted the truth from her.

“Twilight,” I whispered carefully, gently, “do you trust me?”

She moved her head from my chest, where her muzzle had been buried, to look up at me, her eyes shining with emotion. “...of course, Spike.”

“Do you believe for a moment that I’d ever leave you, for any reason?”

Twilight bit her lip, which had begun quivering slightly, and shook her head after a few moments. “...n-no, Spike. I know you better than that.”

And now, for the leap of faith…

I creeped my face forward slowly, her watching me the entire time with wide eyes, before I purposefully deviated and have her a gentle, affectionate nuzzle along her cheek. I felt her smile against my face, and as I pulled away, I made my request. “Kiss me, Twilight.”

Twilight stared at me for a moment -- only a moment -- before she pushed forward and connected us by the lips. It was feather-light, simple, and only lasted a few seconds before she pulled away with a visible blush on her face.

Slowly, a smile crept across my lips as I said, “Guess what, Twi? I feel exactly the same about you as I did ten minutes ago. Nothing has changed between us, no horrible force has come to tear us apart, and nothing unfathomably bad has happened.”

Twilight simply stared at me for a few moments, her lip beginning to quiver in what I noticed was a nervous reaction. “B-but Spike, I’m scared that I’ll mess this up. I...I can’t…” She gulped audibly, steadying herself before choking out, “I-I can’t lose you like I did the others. You’re my closest friend in the whole world, and-”

I placed a finger on her lips, offering a gentle smile to the panicking alicorn. “Twi, it’ll be okay. I know you, and you know me better than anypony else. I know neither of us can screw this up, because we care about each other too darn much, and have been through enough in life to be able to weather a little romance.”

Twilight still looked a little unsure, but was no longer on the verge of a panic attack, which was a plus in my book. She caught her bottom lip in her teeth and darted her eyes around my face before whispering out, “...c-can I kiss you again?”

I cracked a grin, moving forward to nuzzle against her again as I quietly replied, “You never need to ask, Twi.”

Slowly, with trepidation clear in her posture and expression, Twilight again connected our lips together, this time pushing deeper into me and wrapping her arms completely around my back to hug me tight. The kiss was kept simple, close-mouthed and without anything fancy, but it was still clear to me just how much Twilight was enjoying it. My hand moved to her ear, kneading it softly between my thumb and index finger, causing her to moan softly and suck in a deep breath through her nose as her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

After a few more seconds, we separated, and I gently pulled her to the seat she was sitting in before. I took my place first, and then pulled her onto my lap, again wrapping my arms and wings around her as I settled in for the night with my closest friend in the world. Now freed of most of her trepidation, she nuzzled up against my throat and jaw lovingly, curling up to be as close to me as possible.

“I love you, Spike.”

I looked down at her and smiled with love in my eyes. “I love you too, Twi.”

Nothing had changed on the whole in regards to how we showed affection to one another, save for kissing, but at the same time, this night had opened us up to something bright and beautiful with each other. We had always stood by each other’s side in life -- whether it be an assignment from Celestia on the line, or the world itself -- but now, I had proven to Twilight that the courage and support we offered to each other could now be used for each other. I had no doubt that this would not be the end of Twilight’s insecurities when it came to romance -- or my own, for that matter -- but I knew that, just like everything else, we could overcome it together.

“Will you be here when I wake up?” she asked with a half-yawn, her half-lidded eyes tiredly focusing on me.

I nodded and placed a kiss on her forehead, tightening my grip around her waist. “Of course. Goodnight, my pretty purple princess pony.”

Twilight’s response was nothing more than a muted, tired giggle before her breathing slowed and evened out, confirming she had fallen asleep. I stayed awake for a bit longer, watching her sleep with a smile on my face. Talking to her about Lyla could wait for now: tonight was only about Twilight, and having the beautiful mare in my arms was a great way to end the day. Tomorrow, we would talk about what was to come and who would be there with us, but for tonight Twilight was my primary focus.

I was only able to stay awake for a few minutes before I followed my mare into the realm of dreams, where I would allow my subconscious to attempt to come up with something better than the present I found myself in.

Chapter 8

The days following mine and Twilight’s talk, and subsequent getting-together, were calm and monotonous, which was just fine with me; it meant mindless paperwork, spending time with my friends when I could, and in general, settling back into a more normal day-to-day routine again...save for a couple new things, of course.

First of all, I had to keep on top of three new relationships I’d formed with Rarity, Twilight, and Lyla, the latter of which was honestly the easiest to maintain. While I was no master when it came to romance, I’d had enough experience to know the obvious “do’s and don’ts” to follow, as well as plenty of time spent in friendships with the three to help me keep from sticking my foot in my mouth. Still, other than offering more affection and support than before, things hadn’t really changed a whole lot, when it came right down to it: we still talked, laughed, and gave support to each other just like any other day, the only difference being me offering a goodbye kiss -- or changeling embrace, in Lyla’s case -- before we parted.

Second of all, however, was the fact that I actually had a sit-down with all three girls and had a talk about what was going on between all of us, and where we would go from there. Initially, after Twilight found out Lyla and I had gotten together the night of our disagreement, there had been a great amount of tension between all of us, and Twilight even accused me of using Lyla as a substitute for her. Lyla, of course, took this as a challenge -- as per changeling culture norms -- and prepared to attack Twilight for the disrespect, transforming into her “true” battle-tested soldier form in the process. The sight of a six-limbed, scythe-clawed behemoth ready to do battle against an alicorn made me get between them and calm them down, which allowed the four of us to talk things out, with Rarity’s help to lubricate the whole process. At the end of the whole debacle, Twilight and Lyla apologized to each other, hugged it out, and promised each other they wouldn’t insult one another like that again.

That being said, I still would have paid to see Twilight go toe-to-toe with Lyla, just to see who would win, but I kept that little piece of info to myself.

For the most part, life had returned to some sense of normality, which meant plenty of paperwork and mindless errands -- though, honestly, I was quite happy with getting back to a routine; Ponyville was crazy enough with it being a veritable disaster-magnet, so I took what peace and quiet I could get. Of course, “routine” for me meant other things besides mundanity, unfortunately.

”Okay, and you want me to treat with a dragon as tall as the castle?” I clarified in utter disbelief, looking over the guard reports for the past week.

Lieutenant Silverwing, a decidedly imposing pegasus guard from Canterlot, nodded firmly to me. “You’re the only one of its kind on ‘our side’, so we need your help. It’s smarter than the hydra pups you deal with from time to time, so-”

“Exactly!” I interrupted, more than a little unease creeping into my tone. “Hydra pups aren’t smart enough to think anything but, ‘That’s a dragon; dragons are bad. Run away.’ This guy knows what we’re capable of, and he knows that, should he decide it, he could chomp me in one bite!”

“She.” the lieutenant corrected.

I stopped my tirade, staring at the guard in surprise. “...I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

“The dragon is a female.” he clarified, a hint of a grin crossing his otherwise stony features. “I’m sure you can find a way to persuade it to move along.”

I glared at the guard, more offended than anything else by what he might be insinuating. “I’m not sure what you heard, but I’m not going to whore myself out for a job, let alone to someone ten times my size.”

“Wait a minute,” Twilight suddenly broke in, “this doesn’t make sense. Dragons are generally shrewd creatures, and they know living near ponies tends to be more trouble than it’s worth.” With a snap of her fingers, she materialized a leatherbound journal from our time spent in the dragon lands, and began to flip through it. “...according to my notes, the only reason a dragon -- especially a female -- would encroach upon this territory would be because it was invited, or…” Twilight trailed off suddenly, her expression morphing to one of wide-eyed surprise as she brought the book over so I could read where she was pointing with her finger.

Looking over the words, I gulped audibly and finished, “...or it could be searching for a mate.” Slowly, I rolled my eyes to Twilight, my mouth going dry. “Please tell me you sent out an invitation.”

Twilight shook her head solemnly. “Let’s hope there’s another unknown male hanging around somewhere.”

Lieutenant Silverwing removed his helmet, catching my attention as his shaggy, white mane billowed out behind him. He locked eyes with me as he explained, “I’m going to level with you: we need your help. We’ve done as much scouting as we safely could, but none of my teams have been able to get within shouting distance before she offered a threat display to warn us not to approach closer. We’ve been lucky so far, but sooner or later, some curious pony is going to get hurt, and we have to keep that from happening.”

Pursing my lips, I took a deep breath and let out a long, exaggerated sigh, before nodding. “All right fine, I’ll see what I can do.”

The lieutenant nodded before reaching into the satchel at his side, pulling out two scrolls. “This is everything we have from our scouts. From what we’ve seen, it has a small hoard of jewels and precious metals, but nothing that suggests it’s been there for long. We estimate it’s only been in the immediate area for a few months, at most.” He then lowered his voice and added, “To be honest, I didn’t think it was smart to involve a civilian, but Princess Luna advised you would be our best chance to avoid bloodshed, so here I am. Please prove my assumptions wrong, Sir Spike.”

I understood his misgivings about the situation. Though the seven of us were known as national heroes, all but one of us had never had any sort of formal military training, and even Dash had only been trained for the Wonderbolts Rescue Squad. When it came right down to it, we were just regular people, but we were also regular people that had triumphed where others had failed, and learned from those experiences. True that none of us had ever been to war, but we were no strangers to tough situations.

“I’ll do my best, Lieutenant.” I answered, reaching my hand and shaking his.

After releasing my hand, he took a step back and turned, walking briskly out of the main hall of the castle. The doors closed behind us, and once again Twilight and I were alone in the castle.

“So...that just happened.” I muttered to myself, looking down at the scrolls I still grasped in my left hand.

Twilight took my free hand in hers and gave it a squeeze, which brought me to look at her as she frowned worriedly. “I don’t like this, Spike. I have a feeling this other dragon is here because of you, and I don’t know what’s going to happen because of it.”

I quirked my brow at her statement. “I’m not going to elope with her, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

She slapped my shoulder forcefully, her frown darkening. “Spike, I’m serious. You know as well as I do that most of your kind isn’t as nice as you are, and while she might listen to what you have to say rather than just attack you on sight, that doesn’t mean things will go well.”

My face dropped into a look that would kill many pans...all the pans. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Twi. Feelin’ the love.”

Twilight held my gaze for a few silent moments before she pulled herself to my chest, embracing me tightly as she let out a long sigh. “I don't mean to second-guess your abilities Spike, I just worry. And this time, I can't go with you, even if I wanted to.”

I brought my arms around her body and gave her a firm squeeze, understanding what she meant: having any kind of support for my meeting would be like I was admitting to the dragon that I couldn't handle things on my own, and that could end...badly. I'd need to think like a dragon for the coming job, and that meant recognizing that certain actions on my part -- some of which were natural to me, due to my upbringing -- could be offensive.

This was going to be harder than I thought.

”Faster, Spike!”

Heeding the command, I tucked my wings tighter against my frame as I continued my dive, doing my best to keep a straight line as the air tore at me to try and throw me off course. The custom-made helmet I wore kept the wind out of my eyes, but if it weren’t for the charged audio gem within it, I wouldn’t have been able to hear Dash’s words due to the roar of the wind.

As I reached the lowest part of my flight zone, I slowly began to open my wings, tilting them in such a way to translate my vertical velocity into horizontal, as I’d been trained to do, which meant I was cutting through the air only a few dozen feet above Ponyville’s rooftops, at a few hundred miles per hour.

“Good...good job, Spike.” Dash’s praise crackled through the helmet’s comm system. “Now, I want you to do ten more runs to get it perfect, and we’ll call it a day.” Opting to conserve energy rather than respond, I banked and tilted skyward as I flapped my wings to get back to the my starting point a few thousand feet above the ground.

Seeing as how Dash was an expert in all things flight, it made sense to be trained by her. Even so, I kept in mind that no matter how much I trained or how fast I became, she would always be a step above, simply because of who she was as a pony...but I was fine with that. For me, flight was more about the freedom and rush rather than the speed of it all, and control was every bit as important as raw speed in a life or death situation -- it was something we often found ourselves falling into, for one reason or another. Obviously, because of the unofficial task I’d been given, I wanted to be sure I was in peak physical condition and that my reflexes were on point, as I was unsure if a mere conversation with a dragon would explode into a fight. Dash was more than happy to help, thankfully, which was why I found myself doing repeated high-altitude dives to make the control of my wings at high speeds muscle-memory, instead of something I had to actively think about.

There were a few hiccups here and there -- a midair spin and tumble among them -- but, on the whole, my practice went well, and Dash was pleased with my performance; flight wasn’t about perfection, after all, but rather the ability to quickly adapt to changes and see possible problems before they happened. Following my flight training was a brush up on multi-altitude combat, but, even with my larger frame and more powerful musculature, things didn’t quite go according to plan: to put it simply, I ended up with a bloody nose, a set of bruised ribs, and a new appreciation for agility and skill over raw power. Let it be said that even with Dash being known for her bravado and borderline-arrogance, she could walk the walk as well as she could talk the talk.

With all that being the case, I wasn’t exactly feeling confident in my abilities. Even as a little whelp, I was more of a scholar than I ever was a fighter, dragon endurance and resilience notwithstanding, so fighting was never a part of my repertoire of skills. I could only hope that diplomacy and clever linguistics would win the day, as I wasn’t in any hurry to get into a fight with a grown dragon, regardless of the reason.

…

“So, what’s this job all about?” Dash asked as we sat together on a cloud overlooking the town.

I shrugged, adjusting the icepack to more comfortably rest against my sore ribs. “Apparently some dragon shacked up nearby, so I’m supposed to convince it to go away.”

Dash let out a whistle at that, kicking her hooves idly over the edge of the cloud. “Wow, that’s heavy. Did they tell you anything useful?”

Those words soured my expression, much as I tried to keep it from doing so. “The guard told me it’s a female, so I might be able to find a way to convince it to leave without a fight.”

It took a few moments for the implications to hit home, but when they did, Dash fell onto her back as loud, boisterous laughter bubbled up inside of her. I couldn’t help but grin despite the situation, pleased that, even with all the recent craziness, Dash was still Dash.

“Y-you hehehehe…” Dash attempted to respond, but had to try again due to the fact that she was laughing so hard, “you got w-whored out by the royal guard?! Bwahahahaha!”

A very small part of me wanted to be offended, but truthfully, Dash always had a way of making the ridiculous seem hilarious, and this was no exception. So, instead of rolling my eyes and crossing my arms with a frown, I ended up joining her in laughter for a few seconds, only for my aching ribs to remind me that laughter wasn’t a good idea at the moment. Nonetheless, Dash’s snorting laughter and giggles in response to my “mission” lightened my mood considerably, enough so that I didn’t feel so apprehensive about it anymore. I was going to require compensation of some sort, of course, but now I wasn’t 100% sure this was going to go badly.

More like 65-74%.

Definitely no more than 82%.

Probably.

“So Spike,” Dash chimed in, her voice teasing, yet free of laughter for the moment, “you excited about finally getting some dragon nookie?”

At that I did roll my eyes, though I couldn’t stop the warmth that began to congregate in my cheeks. “A knight’s job is to slay dragons, not lay dragons.” Dash’s blank look prompted me to elaborate. “I was formally knighted by Cadence a few years after the Crystal City got things together as a modern city, which technically- you know what? Nevermind. No, I’m not going to bang a dragon the size of Twi’s castle. She could swallow me from both ends.” The latter part of my statement caused Dash to once again burst out in laughter, which again prompted a grin from me despite the situation.

After a few more minutes of laughter, Dash began to compose herself as she panted with a stupid smile on her face. “N-no more, no more! It hurts! A-heh, hehehehe! I-it’s too much, I can’t take any more!”

Maybe it was being around Dash that did it, but I found myself blurting out, “That’s what she said,” before I could stop myself. Of course, this brought forth another tsunami of belly-laughs from the pony at my side, and I could only hold the ice to my side and smile at the simple enjoyment of good times with a best friend.

I flopped back onto the cloud, letting the cool and soft surface soothe my sore body into a state of relaxation as I bathed in the warm sunlight and cool breeze. I tuned out Dash’s giggles and simply enjoyed the moment of calm in my life, treasuring it for all it was worth; it wasn’t so often that I had moments in my day that I didn’t actually have something I should be doing, so I made sure to exploit the moment to the fullest.

“You’ll be okay, Spike.” Dash’s voice floated in from my side. Turning my head to look at her, it was to see her large, magenta eyes focused squarely on me as she offered me a confident grin. “You’re a smart guy, and I know you’re going to figure out some way to get this job done the right way.”

I returned her smile, even though I was still nervous. “I hope so. Besides the fact that I don’t want anypony to get hurt, it could look bad if a dragon hurts somepony when I live here. Much as I don’t want to think about it, I could wind up in a lot of trouble if I can’t handle this without incident.”

Dash turned onto her side and propped her head up on her arm, her wings fluttering out behind her. “What do you mean? Everyone knows who you are, and it’s not like it’d be your fault.”

I nodded, but still felt the need to explain. “Yeah, but if a dragon is the problem, all dragons are going to be blamed by scared ponies, and that means me.” I shrugged with a helpless, sad smile. “It’s not cool, but I know that’s what would happen, so this is as much for ponies as it is for me.”

“Hey,” Dash softly called as she scooted closer and grabbed my hand in hers, “you know I’m always here for you, dude. If you think you’ll need help, I’m always willing to be your backup.”

I smiled at her, glad for her support, but shook my head. “I appreciate it Dash -- truly, I do -- but it’s kind of a dragon rule that I have to do this alone. If you or anypony else were there with me, things could get really bad, really fast.”

Dash looked like she wanted to argue, but, likely because she knew next to nothing about dragons other than me, she simply let out a long sigh and nodded her assent. “I don’t like it, but you would know better than me how this is supposed to go. Just…” Dash trailed off as she briefly glanced away, swallowing hard, “...just be careful, Spike.”

I gave her hand a little squeeze before nodding to her. “I will be. I’m in no hurry to end up six feet under.”

Dash nodded before pulling her hand away, her expression shifting to a playful smirk. “So, change of subject: how are things?” It took me a few moments to cotton on to what she was asking, and the wiggle of her brow helped things along, I’ll admit.

I chuckled at her expression, but was happy she asked. “Things are going really well, actually. Twi and Lyla worked everything out pretty quickly, so now, we’re just enjoying the time we have together.”

“I’ll bet you are.” Dash interjected with a lascivious grin.

“Hey,” I shot back with a fake frown, “I’ll have you know that Rarity and Twilight haven’t done anything with me beyond kissing, thank you very much.”

Dash raised her right brow at me, her smirk still present. “And Lyla?”

Trying and failing to hide my smile, I answered, “She appears to be making up for lost time -- vigorously, and often. Why, are you jealous?”

Snorting with a roll of her eyes, Dash shoved me with one of her wings. “Keep dreaming, loverdrake. You couldn’t keep up with me even if my wings were cut off and I had gout.”

I always enjoyed the banter between Dash and I, but in some ways, I couldn’t really figure her out. I mean, sometimes she seemed to be outright flirting with me, but when I addressed it, she shut me down every time. On the other hand, she was clearly comfortable being around me, and had no issue showing affection with those she cared about, or at least not anymore. I’ll admit that I’d had a few fantasies about her swimming around in my noggin -- and, to my shame, even a few dreams -- but Dash had always been quite clear with the fact that she was out of my league. I mean, let’s face it: a scholar at heart getting with Equestria’s star athlete? It was ludicrous. Besides the fact that we didn’t share too many interests besides flying -- and with that, only a small bit on my side -- Dash preferred older stallions, and that was not me; even with my magical aging due to a spell gone wrong, Dash still had a good five years on me. So, with that all being the case, I admired her the way one would any unattainable desire: looking, but knowing I was not allowed to touch.

It was a nice thought, though.

As usual, my thoughts became rather chaotic in the time I had to think, so much so that I suddenly blurted out, “Do you think I’m greedy?”

Dash had settled herself back down onto the cloud, eyes closed and head resting on her crossed arms as she lay on her stomach. Without opening her eyes she muttered, “Greedy about what? Be a little more specific.”

“Mares.” I answered plainly, hoping I wouldn’t have to explain more than that.

Luckily, Dash was quick on the uptake. She rolled over onto her side again, and opened her eyes to look at me carefully as she answered. “Look Spike, I know you’re always trying to be careful you don’t go nuts like you did on your birthday years ago,“ I cringed at that, but let her continue regardless, “but this isn’t the same. These girls love you for whatever reason, so it’s their choice just as much as it’s yours. If you really feel for them, and this isn’t just you wanting to sleep with your friends, then that’s what us ponies call love, not greed.” At my short snort from hearing Dash talk about love of all things, she shoved me again with her wing and nodded faintly. “Yeah yeah, I know I’m not really one to talk about all that mushy, gushy stuff, but even I’ve learned a few things over the years.”

“Mushy gushy stuff, hm?” I echoed, just barely keeping from bursting out in laughter. “Are you sure you’re not secretly a 10 year-old virgin?”

Instead of hitting me again like I’d expected, she just let out a long, slow breath as she watched me. “Y’done yet?” At my grinning nod, she continued her explanation. “All I’m trying to say is that it’s only ‘being greedy’ if you want what you haven’t earned, Spike, and I’ve seen you with all of them: you love them back just as much. Trust me, you’ve earned every bit of feels those girls have for you, so don’t worry that you’re asking for more than you deserve or some crap like that.”

I had admitted to myself and others many times in the past that Dash had her moments of great insight from time to time, and this was one of those times. While I would always have to work to keep some of my more troublesome instincts in check, Dash’s words, plain as they were, had alleviated a lot of the pressure I had put on myself regarding my relationships with my mini-herd-thing, as well as my friendships that I’d held onto over the years. I had always worried that wanting something so much was a form of greed, but come to find out, I was misunderstanding my own desires.

Dash and I sat for several minutes in complete silence after her words to me, likely enjoying the cool air, while I was reflecting on what had been said. Eventually, I had to voice my thoughts and feelings once again, simple gratitude though they were. “Hey Dash?”

“Yeah?”

“...thanks.”

I felt as Dash’s primaries brushed along my side gently in a way I had seen her do with only a few others besides me. She was smiling at me warmly, the expression contrasting her often-brash personality as she answered, “You’re welcome, Spike.” She then glanced up at the orange sky and and pushed herself up to a sitting position. “C’mon, let’s get back home. It’s gonna get pretty chilly tonight, and I don’t want to be outside after the sun goes down if I don’t have to.” Shooting a grin my way, she added, “Up for a race to the castle?”

I rolled my eyes as I sat up as well. “Besides the fact that I couldn’t keep up with you at full strength, my wings are pretty sore right now, and I’d rather not fall out of the sky like a fool.”

Dash rolled her eyes with a playful grin. “Fine fine, I’ll fly you home you big baby.”

“Why Dash, how sweet of you!” I commented in a falsetto voice that dripped snark. “Do I get a kiss goodnight, too?”

Dash choked out a laugh before quickly composing herself. “Celestia, you do aim high, dontcha?” Rolling her eyes again and shaking her head she offered, “I’ll tell you what: the day you beat me in a fair race, one-on-one, I’ll Prench kiss you.”

I hadn’t expected the wager, but hay, I wasn’t going to turn down a possible tongue-wrestling with one of Equestria’s hottest flanks. Besides, it wasn’t like I was ever going to win, but it was still fun to keep things interesting. So, reaching out my hand, I took hers and shook it firmly. “You know what? Yeah, I’ll take that little wager of yours; after all, it’s not like I even have to bet anything.”

“Honestly,” she began, pulling her hand away and stretching her wings, “if you can find a way to win a fair race with me, you deserve to get a piece of this.” She punctuated the statement by running her hand through her hair and batting her eyelashes at me in a convincing imitation of a pinup model. She then chuckled and turned away. “Not like it’ll ever happen, but at the very least it’ll give you something to shoot for...and it’ll probably be pretty entertaining.”

I shrugged and stretched my own wings, working my way through the sore twinges I got here and there. “Sometimes, miracles happen. If I recall, you and the girls have proven that quite a few times. Who knows: someday, you’ll get to experience how dexterous a dragon’s tongue is.” I demonstrated by sticking out my long, prehensile tongue and waving it through a few different motions before pulling it back in and smirking.

Dash just stared at me for a moment, before grinning. “I’ll admit, that’s pretty impressive. Still, flopping a wet noodle around isn’t going to work for anyone, so good luck with that.”

There were certain things I could say that would catch a mare’s attention if she were comparing dragons to ponies, but since I wasn’t really serious with Dash, I remained silent about it. Dash and I messed around with each other like this all the time, and I knew it was just Dash being who she was, so I left it at that. Let it just be said that dragons were different from ponies in quite a few ways, some of which simply didn’t make sense to said ponies.

“C’mon Spike,” Dash chimed impatiently, “let’s go. Temperature’s starting to drop, and I’d like to be inside before it gets any cooler.”

Nodding my head, I leaned forward and lazily tipped myself off the cloud, opening my wings to stabilize myself in a slow glide back toward the town. A second later, Dash was right beside me, and together, we flew toward the large crystalline castle. We were a relatively short distance away, so within only a minute or two, Dash and I were hovering by the balcony that led to the common area of the royal apartments. Upon landing, I felt a faint tingle of the tree’s magic flow through me, and the solid wall before us shimmered into an ornate door that led inside.

A glance at Dash revealed her to be grinning at the minor spectacle. “Y’know, I don’t think I’ll ever get over how cool this thing is. Anyway,” she turned to me and pulled me into a firm, yet short embrace before backing away, “I’ll see you tomorrow. G’night, Spike.”

“Goodnight, Dash.” I returned, smiling at her as she ascended and shot off toward her home in the distance.

I watched her for a bit more until the failing light robbed my ability to follow any longer, then turned to the door and opened it, stepping inside with a long sigh of relief. Bringing the ice pack I’d been holding back over to my ribs, I made my way over to the cushy chaise lounge and fell onto it, groaning in contentment at the soft, cushiony embrace. Closing my eyes, I opted to just relax for a bit before doing anything else.

“Welcome home.” Twilight’s voice greeted from off to the side, the clicks of her hooves approaching. “How was it?”

I shrugged, repositioning my wings to more comfortably lay behind me before blowing out a long breath of air. “Tiring. I haven’t trained for real in quite some time, so I’m a little out of practice, and Dash doesn’t do training by half-measures.”

I heard Twilight’s steps stop behind me just before her hands descended to my shoulders, rubbing firmly at the sore muscles there. True that she was no Aloe Blossom, but Twilight had read enough anatomy books in her life to know what she was doing, at the very least, and my groans of appreciation were proof of that.

After a few minutes of Twilight tending to me, I commented, “Brains, beauty, and backrubs? You’re one hay of a catch, Twi.”

I could practically feel Twilight’s blush, but she giggled nonetheless. “Just returning the favor that you’ve given me many times before. I’m not too good at it, but-”

“It feels great, Twi. Thanks.” I interrupted, smiling widely.

“So,” she began, her fingers trailing over my collar a bit, “any ideas on how you’re going to handle this job?”

The mention of the clusterbuck I’d willingly crawled into made me frown, but I nodded regardless. “I have one so far, yeah. The end of this week is going to be the last warm day this year, so I’m going to go see the dragon then. I’m hoping that the warmer temperature will have her in a more cooperative mood, which means it’ll be less dangerous for me.”

“Have I said before that I don’t like this?”

I nodded again, moving the icepack away for the moment, as it was leaking on the furniture. “A few times, yes. I don’t like it either, but it’s either I handle it and reduce or eliminate collateral damage, or ponies get in there and probably get torched.”

Twilight said nothing, but I knew her well enough to be able to predict her grudging acceptance of the whole thing. “I guess. I just wish there was another way.” She let out a long sigh of her own before pulling away, causing me to open my eyes and look at her. “Well, we’ll have to worry about that later. For now, I’ve got some Neighponese takeout for dinner, and you look and sound like you need some serious sleep.”

I nodded and painstakingly pushed myself up, following Twilight to the kitchen. Overall, the day hadn’t been bad per se, but it was definitely stressful, and I could use some hot food and a good rest. I could only hope that the next day was more subdued than this one, or I’d need more than food and sleep. Maybe some gems -- gems would be nice.

“Oh, and I got Pinkie to make a cheesecake for dessert, and I have some sapphire shavings for a garnish, for you.” Twilight advised from just ahead.

I grinned wide at the thought; Twilight truly was sent by Faust herself.

Chapter 9

“Rarity, this is cruel and unusual, and you know it!” I groaned out pitifully, doing my best to control my...urges.

Rarity, on the other hand, was clearly enjoying tormenting me as she modeled some of the lingerie she had created for a new “personals” line of clothing she would begin marketing next year. The set of violet panties and brassiere, coupled with stockings and a certain fire-ruby necklace, was enough to completely hold my attention. To be honest, a swarm of parasprites could have eaten everything in town at that moment, and I wouldn’t have even noticed.

“Oh come now, dear,” Rarity began coyly, winking at me, “you can’t tell me you aren’t enjoying yourself. Besides, regardless of what you may believe, you are helping me.”

Trying my best to remain indignant, I rolled my eyes...only for them to snap right back to her gorgeous form a moment later as I grumbled, “By boosting your ego and letting you know that you could take over the world if you used your powers for evil? Yeah, really helping, I’m sure. It doesn’t matter what you wear -- you could have on a burlap sack, and I’d still think you were beautiful.”

Rarity smiled at me in that way that let me know I was being corny, but she loved it anyway. “I appreciate that, but you and I both know that presentation is everything, in my business.” She crossed the room with a slow saunter before sitting sideways on my lap, throwing her arms around me. “What I look for is something that is comfortable and keeps one modest, while still causing the audience’s eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets.” With a slow, sensual rub of the fins on the sides of my head, she added, “You are proving what is and isn’t good, simply by your reactions. For example: what did you think of the corset and garter belt?”

“It looked uncomfortable and the corset would probably be a pain to get on and off, even with help. Just doesn’t seem practical.” I answered honestly, remembering the first set she had shown me. “Also, because of the bulkiness, you couldn’t really wear it under anything, so it would be limited to just the bedroom, instead of a surprise for a lover after a nice date, without even having to go home...if that’s how the night ends, that is.”

Rarity smiled again, clearly pleased with my answer. She gave a loving kiss to my temple before replying, “See? You have more fashion sense than you think. Most ponies believe that the point of lingerie is simply a wrapping to be removed from a present, but any mare will tell you that the tease is just as important as the physical acts themselves. After all,” she held a hand to my cheek, grinning like a cat, “it’s gotten you quite bothered, hasn’t it?”

“Considering you can turn my insides to goo just by fluttering your eyes with a cute pout, that’s not a big accomplishment.” I shot back playfully, relaxing a bit at realizing that -- even in a small way -- I was being a help to my marefriend, instead of just being a toy to be played with.

Rarity’s expression dropped a bit as she queried, “I’m not putting undue stress on you like this, am I? I don’t mean to be needlessly cruel, if that’s how you perceive it. I just...” she glanced away as she bit her lip, “it’s nice to be desired by someone that cares about me as more than just a thing or an ideal.”

Her words caught me a bit by surprise -- Rarity was always so confident, so it was uncommon to have her actually seem regretful or unsure about something she did or said. While it’s true that I’d be more than willing to rip off the undergarments she wore, should she ask me to, I knew her teasing and playful moments weren’t done out of maliciousness or spite, and neither were they even done out of a need to assert a form of control over me. Instead, from what I could gather, Rarity was enjoying having a romantic partner that adored her for more than her well-kept body. True that said body was very nice to admire, but the time we’d spent as friends had helped me look past all that to fall in love with the mare she was.

“I don’t really mind.” I answered honestly, smiling at the mare in my lap. “Sure, you acting like this, wearing what you are tends to make my mind head in only one direction, but I know you love me. Besides,” I ran my fingers up her spine, starting just above the dock of her tail and trailing all the way to her neck, causing her to shiver violently, “we both know it’s all building up to the future, and we’ll have plenty of time to express ourselves.”

Rarity was unable to stifle the soft whine that escaped her mouth, nor could she stop the subtle roll of her hips that told me I was by no means the only one that felt the desire for more carnal delights. Still, she had been quite adamant that only the one that she would spend her life with was going to be given her body, and I could understand that. I had a great amount of respect for someone who could stick to their morals, even when they strongly desired something that would go against said morals. Still, part of the reason Rarity teased me so much was because I did the same, and it only made the anticipation for our mutual future that much more intense.

And so I continued, pulling her body until she was pressed firmly against me, to the point where she could feel the strong thumping of my own heart, even through her fur. I buried my nose in her neck, taking a deep breath and laying gentle nips along the sensitive flesh, eliciting gasps and more whimpers from my victim. She writhed against me, reaching behind and grasping at the back of my head to keep me there, as if I ever wanted to stop. Unfortunately, free time was a novelty for the average working pony, and doubly so for Rarity.

The chime of her shop’s bell caused Rarity to freeze momentarily before letting out a muted groan of frustration. I echoed the noise as we both slumped in annoyance.

Rarity stood and sashayed over to her wardrobe, quickly throwing together a white business-casual outfit with violet accents, winking over her shoulder at me as she chose to keep wearing her new creations underneath her outfit. Even though it shouldn’t have, knowing she chose to keep on the lingerie made me smile. Without hesitation, she then pulled me up from my seat and engaged me in a kiss, which I was perfectly happy to return.

As we separated, I jerked my head to the balcony. “I’m actually going to go meet Big Mac at the hospital; AJ’s being released today, as all her tests came back and the doctors feel safe sending her home.”

Rarity grinned and planted another kiss on me before suggesting, “Give her my love, dear.”

I chuckled a bit and pulled away, heading to the open balcony. “I don’t know if she’d appreciate me giving her some love, but I think some support would do just fine.” I felt Rarity slap my one of my extended wings playfully, which I only chuckled at before stepping outside and taking off into the air.

By now, everyone knew that Rarity and I were together, but that didn’t mean I wanted her to seem unprofessional in the face of her clients, which was why I chose to duck outside instead of walk with her downstairs. It was true that many of her clients had known the two of us for years now, but I didn’t want to risk her business due to my own carelessness. That said, I landed shortly after leaving the boutique, and walked the rest of the way into town.

One of the upsides of being with a clothing designer was that I had first pick of some of the latest fashions, the most recent of which was a new type of collared shirt that opened down the entire front, and was fastened with buttons. It was meant to be worn with an undershirt, and depending on how one wore it and with what pants, it could be considered casual or business-casual, which meant it could look nice regardless of the setting. I knew this was a fact when I recieved casual praise for the nice outfit by ponies in town, most of whom usually didn’t comment on my clothing choices otherwise. I’d have to tell Rarity about her success later on, though something told me she’d already know by the time I saw her again.

It only took a few minutes to reach the hospital -- it was one of the largest buildings in Ponyville, and was purposefully located right in the center of town -- which allowed me time to greet the staff and meet up with Big Mac when he arrived as well. The two of us only had to wait a few moments before AJ was wheeled out to the waiting room, and we didn’t even have to ask how happy she was to go home, as it was pretty clear just from looking at her face. After a quick sign out, the three of us were on our way out of the hospital, and to Sweet Apple Acres.

Against her wishes, Big Mac forced his younger sister to be wheeled home in the wheelchair, as she had some nasty bruising along her left leg. This meant that I had a front-row seat to see Applejack foalishly pouting with her arms crossed as we made our way to the farm -- I’ll admit it: it was adorable, and I have no problem saying so. The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was quiet and calm the whole way, which probably had more to do with the time of day than anything else -- most ponies were still at work, which meant clear roads for us.

Upon arriving at our destination, I silently offered my aid in getting Applejack into the farmhouse and set up on the well-loved couch in the main room, after which Big Mac went to fetch Granny Smith. This left me alone with Applejack for a few minutes as we waited, so, with no other pressing obligations, I sat next to my friend and offered silent support. I enjoyed the moment of comfortable silence in my day, happy that Applejack was home.

“Thanks f’r bein’ there for me, Spike.”

The gratitude was simple, yet powerful, as Applejack didn’t like being vulnerable in any way. Beyond being the Element of Honesty, Applejack made it a point to only say what she meant, and only if it needed to be said. So, for her to feel she needed to thank me again for offering her support when she needed it, she must have felt it was important I knew how valued my actions were. Granted that I may have saved her life, but it wasn’t anything she hadn’t done for me in the past. In my mind, I was just returning the favor for a best friend, and that was enough for me. I’ll admit it was nice to receive the gratitude, though.

I nodded to Applejack in response before asking, “So, are you looking forward to a stay-cation from work?”

I heard her blow out an exaggerated breath as she grumbled, “Are ya kiddin’ me? It’s drivin’ me crazy. Ah don’t know how some ponies just laze around, doin’ nothin’.”

I shrugged with a grin, turning to look at her. “I don’t know, it all depends on what you have to do, and who you spend the time with. Time off can be a blessing, trust me.”

Applejack glared at me before slumping with another loud sigh. “Maybe, but an entire season? Last time Ah had that much time to mahself, Ah was four.”

I rolled my eyes with a smirk. “You’re being dramatic, but if it really bothers you to have that much free time, you can focus on the logistics of Sweet Apple Acres while you mend. That way, when the time comes for you to get back out in the fields, all the paperwork has already been worked out.”

Applejack huffed and tried her best to look indignant, but it was clear her heart wasn’t in it as she let the tension of the day leave her. She closed her eyes, absently pushing her “scratch stick” down into the cast on her arm to rid herself of an itch, before commenting, “Ah hope it’s a calm winter, because Ah’m about full-up on mah big surprises for tha year.”

“Well, funny that you should mention surprises.” I commented, taking a sort of mischievous joy in how Applejack stiffened, as if bracing herself for a physical blow. After a few seconds of watching her try and fail to keep herself calm, I blandly stated, “Twi and I got together...and me and Lyla got together as well.”

By how big of a flinch it caused, I had a feeling that if she’d been standing, she’d have fallen over.

It took a minute or two for Applejack to compose herself enough to cutely squeak out, “T-Twi and Lyla?” I simply answered with a nod, which prompted a shake of her head. “Mah word, y’all don’ waste any time, do ya?”

I shrugged nonchalantly, crossing my arms behind my head and relaxing on the sofa. “Sounds like jealousy to me, AJ. If you want in, you need only ask.” I’d meant the comment to poke fun at her -- as I always did -- but the way she clammed up made me think I might have said the wrong thing. The wound from her breakup with Thunderlane was still pretty fresh, after all, but before I could apologize, the matriarch of the family entered the room. I quickly stood from my place and offered it to the wizened old mare, who took it gratefully and nodded her thanks to me.

As the two mares began speaking, Big Mac pulled me aside and quietly asked, “Can ya wait f’r the others outside? We got some family stuff ta work out, and Ah hope ya don’t-”

I waved his concern away with a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry about it, Mac. I know there’s some stuff that’s just between blood, so I get it.”

He nodded to me, smiling slightly. “Right, thanks. Anyway, Cheers and tha others should be ‘round soon, so could ya greet ‘em and bring ‘em in when they get ‘ere?”

I nodded back to him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Sure, I gotcha. See you in a bit.” I left without another word, closing the farmhouse door behind me and taking a seat on a well-loved bench on the front porch. With the trees having lost all of their leaves by this point, it was a simple thing to see all the way to the gate in the distance, so I simply waited patiently for some of Big Mac’s herd to arrive, or Applebloom. Until then, I just closed my eyes and kept an ear out for any visitors.

It didn’t take long for the telltale sound of hooves on dirt to catch my attention, as well as the sound of multiple voices. I waited until the voices were close enough to pick out individually before opening my eyes and standing to greet the visitors.

The first one I noticed was Big Mac’s first flame, Cheerilee. While I had never been one of the younger generation that was “hot for teacher”, I had to admit that Cheerilee pulled off the modest teacher look very well, creating an authoritative yet supportive presence, all wrapped up with a warm smile and kind eyes. Next to her were the twins, Flitter and Cloudchaser, both of which worked on the weather team and both of which loved Sweet Apple Acres cider (which was probably how they met Big Mac in the first place). Following them was Sea Swirl, the soft-spoken marine biologist, and Boysenberry, a fellow farmer -- the latter of whom was offering support to the final two ponies: Berry Punch and her daughter, Ruby Pinch.

I had grown up around most of the ponies in Big Mac’s herd, so it was easy to feel comfortable around them, which made the near-Pinkie-level glomp from Ruby Pinch easy to deal with. Even with the new generation of foals around Ponyville, being the only dragon around had the perk of me being quite popular, which was why I was asked to speak as a special guest at the schoolhouse every year. Being different had its own positives, it seemed.

“Hiya, Spike!” Berry Punch greeted brightly, moving swiftly over despite using crutches. Upon settling herself in front of me, she reached down and used her uncommon strength to pull me up before wrapping me in a half-embrace. I returned it with a smile, shifting Ruby Pinch to rest comfortably in my free arm.

Much as ponies wouldn’t think of it just from meeting the jovial, unorthodox earth pony, Berry Punch was quite the martial artist, and had gotten quite a few bruises and bumps from her ring fights. Her busted leg was the most recent one, as a result of a bout with a thestral from Wispy Woods far to the east. Though she was an unassuming mare otherwise -- she was a loving mother and owner of the town’s commercial distillery -- Berry Punch lived up to the second part of her name easily.

Pulling away, I motioned to her immobile leg in a cast. “How’s it feeling?”

She glanced down at her cast and tapped it with one of her crutches. “Eh, it’s all right. It itches more than anything else, though. Luckily, doc says I’ll be able to take it off in another three weeks, if I keep healing the way I have.”

I gently set down Ruby Pinch and jerked my head toward the door. “Well, the family’s inside talking, so give them a few minutes before you all go in. I’m sure you and AJ will have a blast signing each other’s casts.”

Berry Punch grinned before taking a seat on the bench I had been using. This was followed by warm greetings from the rest of the group, before all of us took seats and waited patiently for Big Mac to fetch us. We made small talk to pass the time, though it only took a few minutes before a certain giant red stallion came to the door and greeted his herd, at which point Ruby Pinch happily jumped off my lap, only to be swept into a gentle embrace by Big Mac himself. He exchanged kisses and hugs with his mares before beckoning them inside and turning his eyes to me with a serious look.

“AJ wants ya here at sundown, Spike. Didn’t say why, other’n she wants to talk ta you.” he intoned thoughtfully. He then shrugged before waving at me. “Be seein’ ya, Spike.”

I raised my brow at his words, but nodded. “Yeah, see ya.”

As the door closed, I turned on my heel and walked away from the farmhouse, letting out a loud sigh. Much as I didn’t want to, I still had a bit of work to catch up on before tomorrow, so I took flight to run some errands around town to kill time.

A meeting with the the local guard’s district clerk had taken up a good chunk of time, and by the time I left the town hall, the sun was well on its way to the horizon.

I still had about an hour left to drain, so I slowly glided towards Lyla’s home to see what she was up to. Thankfully, it wasn’t hard to spot her place from the sky, being the only changeling home in the town, since it was in a rather sizable hill outside town. Since most changelings lived and worked in their respective hives (most spent their entire lives there), they tended to build their dwellings to reflect what they felt comfortable with, which meant Lyla’s home was largely underground, with only a very small structure on top to serve as a visual entrance. This, of course, made pegasi pretty claustrophobic when they visited, but I never actually minded much. Truthfully, I enjoyed the quiet, and the ground insulated far better than artificial insulating materials ever could. Changelings also lined their rooms, hallways, and corridors with a sort of mucous they created naturally -- which, I’ll admit, was kinda gross -- and said mucous dried into a durable, shiny material that added structural integrity to the earth it was bonded to. As an odd side-effect of the biological building materials used, changeling pheromones were more concentrated in their dwellings, which lent the places an odd, sweet scent that, for ponies at least, worked as a natural freshener for what would normally be a damp, earthy smell. Living underground, changelings were also far more adept at sensing seismic waves, which was proven by the fact that Lyla didn’t have a doorbell. Instead, like all the other times I visited, she greeted me at the door thirty or so seconds after I arrived, having felt me land.

Lyla opened the door for me with a bright smile, practically yanking me inside as she exclaimed, “Spike, welcome! It’s so good to see you.”

Once inside, I brought her in for a strong embrace, letting my own joy be known. “It’s good to see you too, Lyla. Sorry I’ve been busy the last few days; things have been kinda hectic.”

Lyla pulled away after few moments and just smiled comfortingly to me. “It’s all right, I know you’re a busy guy. Frankly, we’re all busy this time of year, so I kinda expected it. It’s good you’re here though, because I could use some help from someone with your unique skills.”

I followed her as she pulled away and began descending into her home, intrigued by what she could be talking about when referring to my “unique” skills. Generally speaking, anything intimate we participated in was limited to the evening, when the day’s work was done, so I was fairly sure it wasn’t that. Still, the possibility existed, which, I’ll admit, was exciting.

“Fluttershy, guess who’s here...”

Okay, so maybe that wasn’t a possibility after all.

As we rounded one of the passageways that led to Lyla’s main sitting room, I saw Fluttershy sitting on the ground a short distance away from a very agitated wyrm pup, the latter of whom was half-buried in Lyla’s floor. I just raised my brow to the two girls, who just shrugged helplessly.

“From what I can deduce,” Lyla began to explain, her hand rubbing her forehead, “this little guy was tunneling around, and happened to dig straight into my sitting room. He got stuck because of the kherak gloss* covering the floor, and so I called Fluttershy in to try and keep him calm until we can dig him out.”

“It’s not working too well, though.” Fluttershy added helplessly, releasing a frustrated sigh. “I can’t communicate with wyrmkin, and he doesn’t seem too fond of ponies.” She held up part of her green flower-print sundress, which was clearly shredded by claws. My eyes widened as I noticed more than a few red lines through the fur of Fluttershy’s thigh, and while she blushed a bit, she still assured, “It’s fine, Spike. I’ve had worse from Opal.”

Maybe it shouldn’t have really bothered me -- I had seen worse on some of the other girls, after all -- but for some reason, I didn’t like the idea of Fluttershy getting injured, even if it was only minor. Be it an innate protective instinct or simply how Fluttershy’s personality made others want to keep her safe, it made my gut twist up uncomfortably at the thought of her being in any sort of pain. However, that could wait until later -- for now, I had a problem to solve.

Now, wyrms and their kin were very closely related to dragons, but only as close as monkeys and minor primates were related to the great apes of Equis. Regardless, because of this, wyrms were drawn to inhabit the same areas as dragons did, and some species had actually been domesticated as pets because of their ability to be trained and submissive nature towards dragons. Intelligence-wise, they tended to be about as smart as the average domesticated dog or cat, and were actually known to be very affectionate to their masters.

What Lyla had originally said now made a little more sense.

I took a deep breath and shrugged. “Can’t say I’ve ever dealt with a wyrm on my own before, but I suppose there’s a first time for everything.” Slowly making my way over to the pup and doing my best to appear non-threatening, I desperately tried not to think of all the ways this could go wrong. Nonetheless, my decision was made for me when the wyrm pup’s head whipped around to me, and its glossy, orange eyes immediately locked on my face. While I hadn’t ever personally spent time around wyrms (what I knew was taken from books shared with me by dragon scholars), judging only by the look the little creature gave me, this little wyrm pup definitely knew what I was.

With painstaking care, I kneeled a short distance away from the pup, and while it had ceased thrashing its forelimbs in an attempt to dislodge itself from the floor, I had the distinct impression it was more afraid of me than anything else; much like how Fluttershy could become paralyzed with fear when something sufficiently scary startled her, the wyrm pup was, quite literally, too afraid to move. While there were still doubts in the scientific community as to whether all animals had a true sense of self and some sort of rational thought, even the most instinctual animal was well aware when it had caught the attention of a larger, more dangerous predator -- not that I did any predation in my day-to-day life, but a wyrm pup wasn’t going to know that. Regardless, I still had to be careful: the nails and teeth of a scared pony might not be much good against dragonhide, but the claws and fangs of a terrified wyrm pup were certainly capable of causing me quite a bit of pain.

Without taking my eyes off of the wyrm pup, I gently shooed Fluttershy away with a wave of my hand. Taking my cue from how dragons related to one another, I spread my wings wide to assert dominance, my gaze neutral, but unwavering. The pup let out a growl -- which, I’ll admit, was just cute -- which I returned as we continued to stare each other down. It only took a few seconds before the pup took a much more submissive posture -- prostrating itself as much as it could, and crossing its large claws under its belly -- which was much better than fear or hostility. I shot a satisfied look to Fluttershy and Lyla before moving closer to the pup and slowly reaching my arms out to attempt to dislodge it from the ground. I quite clearly saw the pup’s eyes flash crimson for a fraction of a second, and I only had enough time to start to wonder why it had happened before the small wyrm reached out and sank its teeth into my extended hand. I clearly felt the intense pain of fangs sinking through my flesh before the whole world flashed white as it fell away around me.

…

I couldn’t see anything, but I knew I was being watched. A very intimidating and oppressive presence was somewhere, watching me, but without being able to see, I had no idea what to do or where to run.

“I SEE YOU!”

The voice came from all around me, and I only had a moment to cringe in fear before I felt myself “falling” again.

…

Something that felt like knives piercing my skin brought me to full attention, and I noticed the wyrm pup was clamped on my hand firmly. Before I could do something stupid, like jerk my hand away, the pup released me with what I could only discern as a very confused look on its face. It glanced around curiously before it seemed to notice me, as if for the first time. And then, to completely confuse me, it held its forelegs up to me, like a child would to their parent. After a few moments of me standing there completely dumbfounded, it whimpered helplessly.

With a great degree of confusion and hesitation -- with my hand actively bleeding, mind -- I shook my head and reached down to attempt to pull the pup out of the ground again. “I must be nuts…” Much to my surprise, it allowed me to touch it this time, and I quickly and easily pulled the little wyrm out of Lyla’s floor. Once free, the pup wasted no time in giving me what I imagined was a thankful nuzzle, before diving headfirst back into the hole, I assume to head home.

…

…

“What in the bucking hay just happened?!”

I normally don’t curse much, if at all, but I honestly couldn’t think of anything else to say at the moment. All I knew for sure was that my hand was in immense pain, I had some sort of vision that I couldn’t explain, and my hand hurt like a motherbucker. I mentioned my hand twice because one sentence wasn’t enough to completely explain how much it hurt. At least, that was until I realized…

“...forgot about the venom.” I muttered, sighing angrily as well. I turned around to the girls, only to find one of them missing.

Lyla walked over and gently took my injured hand in hers as she led me over to a chair to sit down. “Fluttershy bolted out the door when you were bit, saying something about an ‘antivenin’. For now, let me clean this so you don’t get an infection.”

“You’re surprisingly calm right now.” I observed aloud, glad that both of my friends were quick to act on my behalf. After my words, I slapped myself on the forehead with my free hand. “Soldier...right. Don’t know how I keep forgetting about that.”

Despite the situation, Lyla let out a soft chuckle as she walked out of the room, presumably to fetch her first aid kit. “It pays to be calm in a battlefield scenario, and life as a whole tends to be the same. When you let your emotions take over, you lose focus. When you lose focus,” she stepped back in the room, holding a small red box with a white cross on it, “you could die. Granted that the venom of a wyrm pup isn’t exactly deadly, but it can cause a fair amount of soft tissue damage, and the bacteria in its mouth could be deadly. So, let’s get this cleaned up.”

The first thing she took out of the kit was rubbing alcohol, so I took a deep breath and braced myself as she brought a gauze pad over, dampened it with said alcohol, and began gently dabbing my hand. Still, the wounds already hurt, and the added burning sensation didn’t help how it felt. All I could do was bite my lip to keep from crying out as she disinfected the small pictures. After what felt like hours, she pulled away briefly before wrapping my hand in fresh gauze.

“There, that’ll have to do until we can get you to the hospital.” Lyla concluded, inspecting my wrapped hand critically. “At the very least, it should keep it clean until we get there.”

I stared at my wrapped hand as well, huffing angrily at the situation. “It just figures that the first thing in five years to hurt me is a quarter of my size. I’d be laughing if it didn’t hurt this much.”

“Venomous snakes are just one of many examples of how danger can come from something small.” Lyla commented with a grin, snapping the first aid box closed and pushing it aside. “So,” she began, turning and boring her eyes into mine, “are you going to tell me what else happened during the bite?”

I raised my brow, trying to seem confused about it, since I wasn’t really sure I wanted to talk about it. “What do you mean?”

Lyla let out a slow breath through her nose as she answered, “For about half a second, your eyes went completely glossy and I could tell you weren’t conscious of the world. Something else happened, and I would like to know what it is so I can help.”

Mentally cursing how observant Lyla was, I sighed in defeat as I prepared to explain. “I...I’m not sure what it was. I guess you could call it a ‘vision’, though it only lasted a few seconds before I came to again. All I remember is it being dark, and then some loud voice says it sees me. I did notice the wyrm pup’s eyes flash red before it bit me, though I can’t be sure that’s connected.”

Lyla frowned briefly as she thought aloud. “I can’t be sure, but going only off of what I saw and you experienced, it sounds like a form of consciousness projection. Whatever you ‘heard’ could have been what led the wyrm pup here.” Lyla let out a long, slow breath as she stood and began pushing the loose rock and soil back into the hole made by the wyrm pup. “It’s only a theory, but it might be that wyrm pup was looking specifically for you, which is worrying.”

Going simply by how quickly Lyla had packed the rock and soil back in the hole and covered it with more kherak gloss, I had a feeling this wasn’t the first time a ground-dwelling animal had ended up in her home, but what she was suggesting regarding what had happened was a little more upsetting. It took me only a few seconds to come to a possible conclusion.

“Do you think it might be the dragon?” I asked carefully, trying not to sound as worried as I was.

Lyla froze and tensed briefly before turning to me with a frown. “It could be. Most of what changelings knew about dragons was destroyed in the Great Crusade*, but I distinctly remember reading about dragons being capable of much of the same magic unicorns use. It stands to reason that it’s quite possible you were the target all along.”

I was still worried, but the fact we didn’t have a castle-sized dragon bearing down on us spoke volumes. If our theory was correct, the dragon knew where I was now, and if it had wanted to come for me, it would have already arrived by that point. What this meant was that either the dragon simply wanted to confirm where I was, or that there was another entity we didn’t know about. I hoped with everything I had that it was the former instead of the latter.

Lyla perked up and looked down the hallway, putting the jar of kherak gloss away as she headed for her front door. “I think Fluttershy’s here. Wait here and I’ll be right back.”

After Lyla left the room, I spent the brief time marvelling at how the glossing changelings applied to tunnels could not only add strength and stability, but also change the color of the surface itself. Even now, if I let my mind drift, it’s easy to forget her home is underground, even with the distinct lack of windows. I liked it, though: it was well-decorated and furnished, lending the home an elegant, homey feeling. Plus, the fact it was underground made modern heating unneeded, since the insulating ground could keep the entire home warm with just the single indoor fire pit located in the main chamber.

I had no more time to admire the decor, as Fluttershy practically sprinted into the room, sliding to a stop next to me. She handed me a vial of what I assumed was the antivenin before kneeling and pulling out a larger hypodermic needle, which was specifically made for thick-skinned creatures like myself. She wasted no time in quickly wrapping a rubber tourniquet around my arm and disinfecting the chosen site of my inner elbow, then connecting the needle to the syringe and sticking it into the top of the vial. Another few seconds later she finished, and looked to me apologetically before bringing the needle in and pressing around on my arm as she presumably tried to find a vein. Again she disinfected the site before slowly and carefully sticking the needle into my arm. I was thankful for the fact that I only had scales on certain parts of my body now, but to pierce dragonhide, the needle still had to be large and strong so that it didn’t break. This all meant that the injection was uncomfortable to say the least, and I had to suppress the knee-jerk reaction of jumping away.

It was all over within about five seconds, and Fluttershy pulled the needle out of me before placing a folded piece of gauze over the needlepoint on my arm, and bending my elbow so that it was held there. Removing the rubber band from my arm, she then glanced to me with a worried frown. “That should take care of the burning sensation, but how do you feel otherwise?”

I shrugged, holding my wrapped hand up. “Like I just got bit by an adorable little monster. Hand hurts like crazy and I’m more than a little upset by it, but I guess I’ll be okay.” I then glanced to Lyla briefly before adding, “...that’s not all that happened, though.” I briefly explained what else I had experienced during the bite, and while Fluttershy was clearly concerned, she seemed more confused than anything else...which was pretty much what I was expecting, because it’s what I felt.

Busying herself with doing something constructive while she thought, Fluttershy gently unwrapped my hand and took a look before wrapping it back up with a relieved expression on her face. “Well, you may need a few stitches, but it appears the wyrm pup didn’t want to hurt you, since it looks like you only have a mostly surface damage. I think some proper care from the hospital and some rest should make you feel much better, i-if you want to do that.”

Fluttershy’s token shyness seemed to disappear whenever she was working -- whatever that may be -- but came right back once she realized it. Much as we had all gotten used to it over the years, it still made me want to give her a squeeze until she squeaked, because she was just so darn cute. Luckily, I had learned to control those impulses, since a cute baby dragon giving a hug was...well, cute. A dragon larger than most mares, though? That could be a little scary.

Instead, I simply smiled at her, and nodded gratefully. “That sounds like a good plan, actually.”

Unfortunately, before I could even glance at Lyla, she suggested, “I guess Fluttershy can go with you, then. I’ve got to stay here and make sure the floor sealant sets right so that I don’t end up with a crater in my home.” She nudged Fluttershy towards me with her elbow, grinning in what I could only discern was a mischievous way. “Go get’im, tiger.” Fluttershy’s face lit up like a ripe red tomato at the words, but nodded before taking my hand and guiding me out of the home as quickly as she could.

As much as I tried to ignore it, I could easily tell something was bothering Fluttershy. While she’d never been overtly outspoken on much of anything unless she had to be, she also wasn’t known to be so quiet around her close friends. Even though soft-spoken, she usually had no problem with conversation between us, which meant something was really wrong. I just hoped I would be able to figure out what it was, because dragging information out of a walled-off Fluttershy was about as likely as teaching an earth pony how to fly without wings.

“So,” I began, moseying along languidly next to her, “nice weather we’re having.” My words were only answered by a soft mumble and a meek nod, so I tried again. “I’m sure your critter friends are enjoying the clear skies as they prepare to go into hibernation, so at least there’s that.”

She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, muttering a barely-audible, “Yes...it’s, um...nice.”

Frowning in frustration, I just continued following Fluttershy toward the hospital silently, doing my best to keep from grinding my teeth. As kind as she was, if Fluttershy truly didn’t want to talk to me, there was very little I was going to be able to do about it.

That being said, I still had just one question before I shut up and just dealt with it: “Did I do something wrong, ‘Shy?”

My question seemed to shock Fluttershy out of whatever funk she was in, as she was quickly at my side, spreading her wing under mine across my back. She firmly shook her head as she answered, “No Spike, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

I stared at her for a few moments, a little surprised by the complete turnaround in her behavior. “But then why have I gotten the cold shoulder since we left Lyla’s?”

It was interesting to see the blush slowly grow on Fluttershy’s face from up-close, just before she pulled away from me and shuffled nervously in place, darting her eyes away. “Well, um...I was just really embarrassed. I-I was in a hurry to get to the cottage and back with the antivenin, and I wasn’t thinking about anything else. I was flying above everypony on the way there and back, and I only noticed when I got to Lyla’s door.” Again she was wringing her hands together as she fidgeted in place with that cute embarrassed expression she often got.

I raised my brow as I tried to understand what had her so worked up, only to look down and gasp in realization. “Oh gosh, everyone saw up your dress, didn’t they?” Fluttershy’s blush seemed to increase even further, but she nodded meekly in response. I’ll admit, I was silently ashamed at myself for my first thought being, “I wish I could have seen that.”

“...th-there’s more, though.” Fluttershy added, so embarrassed I imagine she wished the ground would just swallow her up at that moment. At my questioning look, she added, “My dress wasn’t the only thing that the pup tore when it scratched me. Th-they must have come off when I was flying.”

“What do you mean by ‘they’?” I questioned, hoping what I was thinking was wrong.

I was certain that if Fluttershy blushed any more, she would have fainted at that point, but she was still able to point to her lower abdomen and mutter, “...undies.”

My mind froze with my body at the implications of what she just said, and now I was definitely jealous of the ponies who happened to be out and about. Still, I knew Fluttershy was likely going to die of embarrassment if I didn’t think of something to make her feel better. Instead of taking a few seconds to come up with something comforting that might help, my stupid mouth decided to take the initiative with, “Well, look at it this way: you probably made somepony’s week.” The sharp intake of air from her made me realize what I’d said, so I amended with, “I-I mean, it would have made my week at least…” I felt the blood begin to congregate in my face as I embarrassed myself, so I ended with a quiet, “...I’ll just shut up, now.”

Needless to say, the rest of the walk to the hospital was completely silent, and I spent the entire time mentally kicking myself.

I only had myself to blame for it, but Fluttershy was quite quick to leave as soon as I was signed in at the hospital, which made me feel further guilt on my behalf. Then again, though, I knew I only had myself to blame for speaking before I thought, so I resigned myself to dealing with it until Fluttershy could find it in herself to forgive me, or at least allow me to make it up to her. This all made the trip to the hospital seem to take a lot longer than it actually did.

With a hand covered in salves and fresh bandages, I later found myself soaring through the sky toward Sweet Apple Acres, just as the sun sank beyond the horizon and the moon began its journey across the sky. I knew I’d have to apologize to Applejack for my words to her earlier in the day -- I later realized they were not appropriate, at all -- but I knew that Applejack, as a pony, was quick to forgive if the apology was honest and straightforward, so I held out hope that I wouldn’t thoroughly upset two of my friends in the same day.

I was a few minutes late, but I was pleased to see the lights still on in the home, which meant I wouldn’t be waking everyone up if I knocked. With that in mind, I quickly landed and walked the last few feet to the farmhouse door before knocking firmly and waiting for someone to answer. Big Mac was the one to greet me after a minute or two, and wasted no time in inviting me in with a nod and smile. I thanked him before entering, and moved quietly to the living room.

I was just about to ask where Applejack was before hearing a loud, “Ah said, Ah can do it mahself! Mah leg’s sore, not broke, so gimme some room!” It wasn’t hard to identify the voice shouting at her family, so I just waited patiently for her to get downstairs.

A few knocks and thuds against wood, followed by some muffled curses, slightly preceded Applejack, and she rounded the stairwell only a few moments later. I stood to assist her, noticing the slight limp in her gait, but a glare she shot my way strongly recommended I sit back down, so I took my seat again. She hobbled her way over and leaned over to brace her left hand on the arm of a well-loved armchair before gently sitting down and exhaling loudly.

“Ah swear, Ah ain’t never gonna take a healthy body f’r granted again.” she droned tiredly, reaching up and rubbing her eyes as she wiggled her slinged right arm around uncomfortably. However, because she didn’t ask a question, I didn’t say anything in response, and just waited patiently for her to speak again.

Unfortunately, once again, my adverse reaction to tension in the air caused me to blurt out, “AJ, I’m sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have teased you about my new relationships; it was insensitive, and I apologize for that.”

“Ah ain’t mad atcha, Spike.” Applejack answered immediately, saving me from making myself out to be more of a fool. She let out a long, measured breath before continuing. “Ah’m sore -- ain’t no way around that -- but Ah ain’t sore at you. It’s like when ya do a number on yer wings flyin’: ya f’rget ‘bout tha ache after awhile, ‘til someone mentions it. Then it all jus’ comes back fresh.”

Even though she said she wasn’t mad at me, I still felt bad for what I’d said, so I found myself saying, “Is there anything I can do to make it better?”

Applejack was quiet for awhile, her eyes glancing toward the ceiling as she sat there and thought. Finally, almost so quiet that she was whispering, she answered, “...Ah could use a hug right about now…”

I was momentarily caught off guard by the request. It wasn’t that Applejack was distant normally, but I wasn’t used to her being so vulnerable either. After all: Applejack was known to be as honest as ponies came, and was “the most dependable of ponies”, in her words. Though she was the middle child of Ponyville’s Apple family, she was the one that took the dominant role in the household, and nothing happened around the farm without her say-so. She was proud, and strong, and though loving to friends and family, had a strictly no-nonsense attitude when it came to life. She was one of the ponies I admired, so it was still odd to think she could be scared, or need comforting.

Nonetheless, I didn’t have to think long on her request, because while Applejack might be the most dependable of ponies, I was the most dependable drake of Ponyville, and I had no problem proving it. So, I stood and gently pulled her off of the chair before wrapping my arms and wings around her, nestling her head on my shoulder as I held her close and rubbed her back in a comforting manner. With her one good arm, she held me just as close and seemed to relish the embrace as she relaxed in my arms and drew deep breaths as we stood there for several minutes. I heard her sniffle a few times, and saw a tear or two fall down her cheek from the corner of my eye, but said nothing as we just enjoyed the closeness.

After an indeterminable amount of time, I heard her whisper, “Pinkie always said ya gave tha best hugs, and Ah gotta agree. Yer warm, and two arms just can’t compete with a set ‘a wings.”

“I didn’t know that was a thing ponies around town said about me.” I returned, smiling despite my words. “But, I guess if I have to be known as ‘the scaly hugger’, I’ll deal.”

Applejack chuckled softly before pulling away, and she wiped her eyes as she looked up at me. “Thanks for comin’ by, Spike.”

I nodded gently. “You’re welcome, but why did you want me here? I mean, I figured it was because I was going to get a talking-to for saying what I did earlier today, but you said that you weren’t mad at me.”

Applejack nodded before taking her seat again, and waited until I had done the same to answer me. “Well, Ah wanted ta tell you that, first of all, but other’n that…” she shrugged helplessly, “Ah wanted ya here. Can’t rightly say why, but Ah wanted ta see ya tonight, so Ah asked Mac ta tell ya.” She then pointed to me and drawled, “So, are ya gonna tell me why yer hand is wrapped up?”

I raised my hand up and glanced at it, honestly forgetting about the injury until that moment. “Little mishap from visiting Lyla after I left here. A little wyrm pup had popped up through her floor, and before I could get it out, it bit me. Fluttershy gave me antivenin to counteract the venom, then I went to the hospital to get it stitched and wrapped, and that’s pretty much it. Well, except…” I paused as I rolled my jaw around in thought again, remembering what I had seen during the bite, “when it bit me, I kinda went out of it and had some kind of vision of something that apparently saw me. Lyla said it could’ve been that dragon that I’m supposed to meet, and it was controlling the pup to find me.”

Applejack twitched her mouth around as she silently pondered what I told her, then answered, “Well, Ah guess if that lady dragon wanted ta hurt’cha, she’dve been here already. Still, Ah got a bad feelin’ about this, Spike.”

I nodded solemnly, letting out a loud sigh. “Yeah, you and me both. I guess we’ll find out her motivations when I meet with her at the end of the week. I figure if she wanted to do anything violent, she’s had plenty of chances. Honestly, at this point, I’m actually kinda curious to see what she wants with me.”

“An’ yer sure Ah can’t convince ya ta take some backup with ya?” she questioned hopefully, though I could tell she already knew my answer.

I shook my head, shooting a smile her way. “I appreciate the concern AJ, but this is something I have to do alone. It’s clear she doesn’t want to hurt any of us, or she’d have bolted here once she found me, so I’m just going to go see what she wants. Hopefully, I make a new ally, and we can put this all behind us.”

“Ah hope yer right.” Applejack mumbled half-heartedly.

It was clear she would much rather I accepted help for this, even though I’d already explained to her why I had to handle this alone. Much like Rainbow Dash, Applejack felt lost whenever she couldn’t do something in a situation, but unlike Rainbow Dash, she didn’t have anything to distract her. Instead, all she was going to be doing was sitting around worrying, and probably praying that she wouldn’t lose someone else close to her so soon. I knew that, but there still wasn’t a whole lot I would be able to do to help her feel better about my “mission”. Still, there were a few things I could say to at least give her something to focus on, other than the possibility of me getting hurt.

“Chances are that I’m going to be pretty tired by the end of that day, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to crash here that night, unless you mind.” I suggested casually, glancing over to her again. “You’re the closest to where I’ll be coming from, and some Apple hospitality is just what I could use after a rough day -- even if everything goes good, I’m still going to be stressed out.”

Applejack wasn’t a stupid mare, so I had a feeling she knew there was more behind my proposal than the obvious. “Are ya sure? Won’t Twi get ‘er wings in a twist if ya don’t come ta her first?”

I shook my head resolutely. “Twi’s going to be in Canterlot that day, so she won’t be here, and the rest of the girls will be sleeping by the time I get back. I have a feeling that, without something to tire you out, you’re probably still going to be up when I arrive back in town, so I figured I’d chill with you that night.” I then gave her a pleading look as I added, “Plus, if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to need some that pie of yours by the end of that day. I’m not gonna have time to stop somewhere on the way back, and I’m going to try and bring as little with me as possible, so that I can get there and back quicker.”

Near the end of my explanation, Applejack snickered, and it was only after I’d finished that I noticed what I’d said. She had no problem bringing it up as she commented, “So, ya want my pie, do ya? Can’t say Ah ain’t heard that from plenty’a smooth stallions b’fore, but it’s a first fr’m you.” Her grin was decidedly lascivious and playful, so while I had to suffer near-death by embarrassment, it was clear Applejack was already in a better mood than she had been just a few minutes prior. I just closed my eyes and tried to will away the warmth in my face before making a response.

I just stayed silent for a few seconds before deciding to return fire with, “...I mean, are you offering? I just wanted some apple pie, but if I’m allowed to-” I was silenced by a couch pillow thrown at my face, followed by Applejack’s laughter. When I pulled the pillow off my face, I let out a chuckle of my own, unable to keep the smile off my face at the sight of the smile on Applejack’s face. It wasn’t much, but I’d made her smile, and that would be enough for now.

Eventually the laughter tapered off, and Applejack answered, “About yer question, Ah’d love ta have ya, Spike. Ya can tell me all about yer ‘grand adventure’, and Ah’ll make sure some warm apple pie is waitin’ for ya.” She gave me a teasing grin, but she was sincere nonetheless.

I stood with a firm nod, stretching my back and wings out. “Thanks, AJ. Anyhow, I hate to flirt and run, but I have to get back home.”

She nodded with a grin and stood as well, walking over and embracing me without hesitation. After a few silent moments, she whispered, “Thanks again f’r comin’, Spike. Ah needed it.”

I nodded and pulled away, holding her at arm’s length. “Before anything else, we’re friends, and I’m going to help you get to 100% again. I don’t care if it takes the whole winter: I’ll be here every week, if I have to.”

Applejack’s smile softened to something much warmer, and nodded to me. “Ah wouldn’t have a problem with that.” She then reached up and ruffled the fin on the side of my head. “Now go on, git. Twi’s prob’ly waitin’ for ya, loverdrake.”

Applejack walked me to the door and nudged me on, so I quickly jogged down the front steps and spread my wings before glancing back. Applejack was still there, smiling at me, and offered me a silent wave.

I returned the wave before blasting into the air, rapidly gaining altitude until Sweet Apple Acres was visible in its entirety. I hovered for a few minutes, just looking down at the farm with a faint smile on my face. I hadn’t been able to do much, but a smiles and laughter were good enough for the moment, and I would make sure I was there for Applejack through the winter. Applejack’s body wasn’t the only thing that would need time to heal, but I hoped that with some support, I could help bring the sunshine back to her life.

Author's Notes:

kherak gloss: a changeling-manufactured paste comprised of changeling glandular secretions, various plant matters, all heated to boiling in a pressurized environment. The resulting creation can then be modified with different ingredients, making it usable in anything from construction to home decoration, depending on the type used and pigments added.

The Great Crusade: in the time before Equestria became a nation, the lupine and ursine nations led a bloody crusade with the objective of ridding the badlands and the neighboring jungles of anything that was not a mammal. The reasons are debated, but many historians believe it was due to decades of encroachment from changelings and dragons. It is widely believed that eventually, the cornered beasts of the ursine and lupine formed an uneasy alliance borne from a desire to survive, and they slaughtered tens of thousands over the next thirteen years. While the reasons for the crusade are still only hypothesized, all agree that it ended with betrayal between the two races, and the fledgling gathering of ponies that would become Equestria helped the changelings push the weakened armies all the way back to their homelands. Thus ended the great crusade, and the changelings returned to the badlands to rebuild their destroyed homes.

Chapter 10

The previous day had ended with me getting scolded by Twilight for getting bitten by a wyrm pup, but after I explained what led up to it and what happened afterwards, she let me off the hook and we just went to sleep early. As had become more common recently, we shared a bed -- mine, this time -- which gave both of us a most restful sleep.

As I woke, it was to a dark room, which meant I had awakened earlier than normal. Twilight was still asleep, nestled next to me under my extended wing, while I lay on my stomach. As usual whenever she got a good, restful sleep, Twilight’s hair was adorably mussed and sticking up in different directions, but to me, it was still one of the most beautiful sights in the world. To think that after all these years of knowing each other, we would pair up; it was surreal, in a way, but definitely an enjoyable turn of circumstances. We couldn’t lay in bed all morning, but for a few minutes, I afforded myself time to just lovingly watch over Twilight as she slept.

“If you were anyone else, that’d be creepy, you know.” she mumbled sleepily, opening one eye to look at my startled expression. Though at first seeming annoyed, her face eased into a gentle, affectionate smile as she let out a happy sigh through her nose. “But you’re not anyone else. This isn’t the first time you’ve kept me safe, and I know it won’t be the last.”

My surprise gradually changed to a warmth on my face, and in my chest, as I moved forward to connect us in a chaste peck on the lips. Pulling away, I answered, “Yeah, but I didn’t get to do that until recently. Besides, there’s not much to protect you from inside your own castle.”

Regardless of the fact that Twilight had chosen to commit to a relationship with me, it was still easy to make her blush with just a short, casual kiss. In much the way that I imagined Fluttershy would, Twilight shifted her wings from underneath mine, hiding all but her eyes behind one of them as she muttered, “Well I still felt safe. I never said we have to be in danger for me to feel that way.” After a few seconds of us just looking at each other, smiling, she glanced at the clock and sighed. “It’s a bit early, but we’ve got to go over those guard reports today. I’ve cleared out a good block of time in our schedule for it, and the more prepared you are, the better.”

I’ll admit, I let out a whine, but pushed myself up and crawled out of the bed. “Fine. I’ll get breakfast started while you clean up. Come downstairs when you’re ready.”

Twilight walked over to the door with me and out into the hallway, leaning over and placing a kiss on my cheek. “Mmwah. Thanks, Spike. You’re the best.” I couldn’t help but grin like a fool as I watched her walk away, letting out a lovestruck sigh before heading to the private kitchens.

While Twilight’s castle was massive on the inside, it was predominantly for looks. Like a museum, most of the rooms, furniture, and fixtures were largely for decoration, as they were either rarely used, or never, in some cases. For example: the grand dining hall was only slightly smaller than the one in Canterlot Castle. While large, and opulent, it was primarily just for show, as we had only used it once since the castle sprang from the earth. Twilight, being a master of forethought, had decided it was best to put powerful enchantments on these rooms that would repel dust, so long as they remained unattended. I mean, let’s face it: if not for Twilight’s spells, it would take the two of us all week to clean an entire castle, and by that time, we’d need to start again; it would be an everlasting battle against dust that we could not win.

This was all important because of the fact that there were two separate kitchens: one for the private apartments, and one for the public floors. Both were well-stocked with kitchenware and dishes, but the “royal” kitchen had never actually been used, while our private kitchen was used nearly every day. It was important to have a separation between the public areas and our own, because regardless of the fact that the castle was a major landmark and place where ponies could meet their local branch of royalty, it was also our home, and we needed our privacy. Besides, I didn’t want just anyone seeing me in my frilly “kiss the cook” apron.

It took some time to sterilize and wrap my hand wound, but I was soon cooking a fresh, healthy breakfast for the two of us, which also included a small pile of gemstones for me. Due to the inherent magical nature of dragons, I had to consume some form of magic every now and then to remain healthy -- the amount increased whenever I needed to heal from injuries, as my body used that magic to help mend my body. Gems, being natural storage vessels for ambient magic, were simply the easiest way to get magic into my body. The other was to hunt, but for obvious reasons, gems were much simpler to find, process, and consume.

Twilight entered the dining area just as I brought out our breakfast, dressed in a simple v-neck tee and skirt, obviously opting for function over fashion, since we would be spending the day studying. Nonetheless, she still looked innocently cute, which was a type of beauty only a few ponies my age could easily pull off. That and, maybe because Twilight was one of the most dedicated students alive, she rocked the schoolgirl look. She unhurriedly made her way to her chair, offering me a loving kiss on the cheek as I bent down to set her plate on the table. I allowed myself a smile as I walked back over to my side, unfolded my napkin in my lap, and began eating to energize myself for the day ahead.

The guard reports were largely monotonous, with simple time and date marks showing that the dragon rarely left the cave it had claimed, only doing so for short amounts of time to hunt some of the other undesirables in the area. Thankfully, even for the guards or other curious ponies that approached close to the lair, the dragon did not attack them; other than a roar and some warning firebreathing, the dragon did not actually do anything that was a danger to anyone. In fact, simply going by what was documented, the dragon seemed to only want to be left alone, which matched what we had learned from our time in the dragon lands. Much of our research involved going through the guard reports and cross referencing the behavior with our notes on dragons, but when we came upon the descriptions of the dragons, our work became far more intensive.

One of the things we had documented while in the dragon lands was the different dragons we met, recording detailed descriptions, names, and even their prominent personality traits. The reason for this was simple: dragons were not restricted to one color, and came in a variety of hues, body types, and even demeanors. Dragons, unlike ponies, were a more primal race, and though they had evolved beyond mere beasts, the majority of them were still bound by their genetics in such a way that it could even affect their behavior, depending on the clan they came from. Color usually related to clan directly, so one could make an accurate assessment of which clan a dragon came from simply by the color of their scales. So, while the color of skin might not mean much to a pony, it was incredibly important when dealing with dragons.

“Blue.” Twilight read aloud as she looked over the dragon’s description from the guard reports. “From the lustre of the scales, it appears to be a younger female, likely only a short stretch past adolescence.”

I nodded my acknowledgement, looking over the extensive notes we had on dragons. “Blues belong predominantly to Clan Narrowscale, an older dragon clan that can trace its roots thousands of years into history. They are shrewd negotiators and diplomats, and Valla, one of the more notable members, was once able to convince a rival dragon to hand over its hoard, using nothing more than words. Because of this, they are more commonly known as ‘the Silvertongues’, and they are feared due to their intelligence, which is rare for a dragon.” I frowned at that note. “I mean, not to say that other dragons are dumb, but I suppose these are just known to be some of the best and brightest.”

“Dragons don’t really share their knowledge with many outside of their own clan, so ponies can largely only guess at what they are capable of, and what they know.” Twilight placated while still looking at the reports. “One can’t rightfully assume someone is stupid, simply because one doesn’t know anything about them.”

I nodded in agreement, looking back toward our notes. “The last time we were in the dragon lands, the leader of Clan Narrowscale was Torch. Through the competition years ago, it was decided that his daughter, Ember, would succeed him when he decided to pass on the reigns of leadership.” Memories sprang forth at the mention of Ember and the competition we were dragged into, and I couldn’t help but smile fondly at them. “It’s been awhile since Ember’s returned my messages, but I guess dragons aren’t really keen on mail, at least as much as ponies are.”

Suddenly, as if being physically struck, I flinched as realization overcame me: Ember was a blue female dragon, as was the dragon I was supposed to meet. I felt stupid for not realizing it earlier, but before I could voice my thoughts, Twilight beat me to it.

“You don’t think…” she muttered, looking up and over at me with an unsure expression.

Catching her eyes, I gave a firm nod in confirmation. “It would make sense. I mean, if it is Ember, I guess she would be more comfortable around ponies than most other dragons would be, which would explain why she chose a location so close to us. What I can’t figure out is why she wouldn’t just send a letter or something if she needed to see me, assuming it is her.”

Twilight shrugged helplessly. “I can’t say, and the only way you’re going to find out is when you go to meet the dragon tomorrow. Although, if it is Ember, please let me know via dragonfire so I don’t have to sit in Canterlot worrying about you until the next day.” She frowned slightly as she looked at the reports again. “Unfortunately, we won’t know for sure who it is until you get there. I hate going in blind like this, but we don’t have another choice.”

I stood from my desk and walked over to Twilight, ducking through her circle of floating guard reports. My sudden arrival startled her a bit, but her surprise was short-lived as I gently took her chin and captured her lips with my own. Twilight and I both let our eyes drift closed and enjoyed the moment of closeness, followed by a tender hug between the two of us. Sometimes there were no words needed, so I was content to just hold her close and do my best to assuage her fears.

We released each other and Twilight took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she opened her eyes and looked to the reports again. “All right, let’s see what else we can learn. We already know the basics, but maybe there’s something in the description that would mean more to someone acquainted with dragons.” She began going through the reports again, and with nothing to do until she found something, I pulled my chair over and brought the journal to sit nearby. Other than the shifting of parchment in the air, the study was quiet, and I decided to just offer my silent support as Twilight did her thing.

“Wait…” she muttered as she reached and snatched one of the reports out of the air. Looking over it, she hummed to herself for a few moments before requesting, “Turn to the section about clan marks. I think I’ve found something.”

“Clan marks” were essentially tattoos, the dragon equivalent of pony cutie marks; since dragons were a far older race than ponies, the practice technically came before cutie marks, or ponies, for that matter. In simplest terms, dragons used a combination of precise scorching and inked pricking of their hide to create colored designs that were used as both decoration and identification. Some of the more intricate designs covered whole swathes of the body, or even the face, but those were often the marks that were for decorative purposes only. Clan marks, by comparison, were often simple, small, and were always situated on the forehead or chest.

Opening to the requested section, I handed the journal to Twilight, which she held in front of her as she compared it with the reports. Her eyes darted back and forth a few times before she nodded and looked to me as she turned the book around and pointed to the mark. “It’s a current dragon lord. There are only six -- one for each clan -- and only two of them are Blues, so there’s a one-in-two chance it’s Ember.”

I took the book from her magical grasp and looked over the mark -- a stylized dragon head with a circle over the top and three horizontal lines underneath. I brought my hand up and rubbed my chin as I thought, wondering what a clan leader would want with me. I mean, if it is Ember, why hadn’t she contacted me before now? If it wasn’t, however…

“This just got a whole lot more complicated.” I mumbled, letting out a sigh of frustration.

“And potentially dangerous.” Twilight reminded dourly. “We could be dealing with an unknown dragoness clan leader, and if she is here for you, and it’s not Ember, things could be quite volatile.” She magically gathered up all the reports and stacked them before putting them back in the folder. With that done, she turned to me and pulled me into another hug. “I’m going to say it again: I don’t like this.”

Bringing my hand up to cradle her head, I nodded gently as I held her close. “I agree with the sentiment. Gotta do this, though, so I’m going to make sure I’m as prepared as possible. I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not nervous, but this is the kind of thing a royal has to do for their people, sometimes. And,” I preempted Twilight’s rebuttal, “I know my title as Celestia’s son is kept a secret, but this is still my home, and I'm going to do what I have to in order to protect it.”

Twilight remained nestled against me before letting out a long, slow breath as she looked up at me. “A part of me knows that we have little to worry about -- if the dragoness wanted to cause trouble, she’s had ample time to do it -- but the fact that we don’t know what she wants is what’s worrying me the most. I almost hope she just wants to steal you away and elope, because at least that would be something relatively simple to deal with.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought, and ran my claws through Twilight’s mane as I worked to assuage her fears. “I’m coming home, Twi. AJ will take care of me tomorrow night, and I’ll see you the following day. Just like everything else, we’ll figure this out, and we’ll all have another story to tell and likely laugh about.” Twilight giggled and nodded in agreement, so I counted it as a win.

Giving me one last squeeze, Twilight pulled away and straightened her clothing before setting her face in a determined glare. “All right, we finished earlier than I predicted, so we should get things caught up so that you and I don’t have to come back to be swamped with paperwork and appointments.” She snapped her fingers and held her hand open, and two folders flashed into existence in her open hand. She handed one to me and nodded firmly. “Since I have to meet with the Ponyville guard detachment today, I’ll handle the errands on the east side of town, and you can handle the west. Pick up Lyla and Fluttershy on the way back, and I’ll get the rest of the girls gathered so that we can all head to Sweet Apple Acres together to have dinner with Applejack. I think that should end the day quite nicely.”

My stomach let out a loud rumble of agreement, which I could only bashfully smile at, but nodded regardless. Grabbing the folder and opening it to do a quick skim, I quickly followed Twilight out of the castle via our balcony, eager to get some good food in me.

My half of the errands consisted of doing a quick patrol of the Everfree border, gathering samples from the soil around Sweet Apple Acres, and filing a report with Town Hall about what I would be doing tomorrow regarding the dragon. Needless to say, news of the dragon had been intentionally kept a secret, as was my role in dealing with it. Having a crowd of ponies milling around a dragon’s cave would complicate things, and I already had enough to deal with without that being a factor. I just hoped that no gums had been flapping in Canterlot, because the last thing we needed was a noble house trying to make a power play somehow, and causing innocents to be hurt.

Thankfully, when I arrived at Fluttershy’s, it was to the serene scene of her lovingly tending to Harry the bear in her front yard, brushing his fur in long strokes as the large mammal ate his fill of fish to prepare for hibernation. This was always a busy time for Fluttershy, being one of only three ponies who assisted the wild animals in preparation for winter, so it didn’t bother me so much that she had little time to meet with friends. I knew the following week would be different, but until then, we would have to grin and bear it.

Hehe, bear, because she was brushing...ah, whatever, that was funny.

Harry nudging her with his nose and pointing in my direction caused Fluttershy to look at me, and though she blushed a bit, she still waved with a gentle smile. It seemed she was still a little shy about what happened the previous day, but she wasn’t dashing inside her house like the old days, so that was a good sign. Nonetheless, I still needed to apologize for sticking my foot in my mouth and embarrassing the hay out of her by implying I would like to see under her dress. I readjusted my wings and walked toward her as I returned the smile and wave, trying to think of a way to apologize without causing further unneeded embarrassment to her. After a few moments, I concluded that was impossible, so I decided to suck it up and do what had to be done.

Stopping by Harry’s head to offer him a good scratch behind the ears, I focused my gaze on Fluttershy and chose to just be direct. “Fluttershy, first, I’d like to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I said some things that were inappropriate, and I’m sorry for that. I hope you can forgive me.”

Exactly as I had predicted, Fluttershy’s face quickly flushed as embarrassment overcame her, and she did that adorable squeaking thing she does when she was trying to say something, but was too embarrassed to form coherent words...or a pitch that was audible to ponies. Her soft pink mane worked well as a shield as she retreated her face behind it, even going so far as holding up a wing to cover herself and attempt to shut out the world. I knew both were a coping mechanism for her shy nature, so I stood silently by her side, gently laying a hand on her back above her wings and rubbing soothingly as she trembled, likely fighting to not bolt from the mortification alone. The fact that I had suggested I was jealous of the ponies she had unintentionally flashed was what I was apologizing for (or, at least, the fact that I said it aloud), but I knew Fluttershy was probably reliving the embarrassment of the entire situation, at that exact moment.

“I-I forgive you, S-Spike…”

In traditional Fluttershy fashion, the words had been genuine, but so quiet that calling it a whisper would be more accurate. It was completed by a single teal eye peeking out at me and a slightly wobbly smile, but Fluttershy wouldn’t have said she forgave me if she didn’t mean it. Things between us might be awkward for a bit, but it was good to know that we were back on solid friendship ground again.

I nodded to her with a reassuring smile. “I really am sorry, though. It was stupid for me to say something like that, especially in public, so I’m going to think of a way to make it up to you.”

At that, she practically burst forth from her barrier of soft locks and feathers, shaking her head fervently. “O-oh, no Spike, you don’t have to do that. Really, it’s-”

“Too bad,” I interrupted firmly with a smile, “still gonna do it.” I tried not to chuckle at the pouty lip she gave me, as even though she turned away with what most would think was a frustrated huff, I caught the smile that crossed her lips before she turned away. Replacing my hand on her upper back and rubbing gently, I shifted subjects. “Anyway, that wasn’t the only reason I came over, though. Since I’m going on my little ‘adventure’ tomorrow, and Applejack is at home, Twi thought it’d be nice if we all got together at the farmhouse for a dinner together, tonight.”

At the mention of my mission the following day, I felt as every muscle in her back and shoulders tensed, and she froze completely still. It didn’t take a genius to know she was worried about me -- no matter how you looked at it, the situation was scary -- but the fact that she started trembling again worried me. The love and support of her friends had helped her come out of her shell a little more over the years, but Fluttershy had a tendency to bottle up her more uncomfortable emotions, unwilling to become anything like her “new Fluttershy” phase. Fluttershy’s very nature was that of a worrier, so I knew that she had likely been purposefully not thinking about it in an effort to not work herself up into a tizzy. My mention of what was coming had probably brought all that to the forefront of her mind, and so she was having to deal with it, now.

At this point, even Harry was looking up at his caretaker, a worried expression clear even on the bear’s face. Just as I was about to verbally ask if she was going to be okay, all of the tense muscles relaxed, and she unhurriedly put the brush down on the nearby worktable with all the gentle ease she normally embodied. She then turned slowly to me, and I was unfortunate enough to witness “sad Fluttershy”, complete with a lip bite that any other time would be adorable, and the teary turquoise eyes of a heartbroken pegasus cutie. The lip tremble was the final straw, and I immediately closed the distance between us, wrapping my arms and wings around her in a powerful hug. The sound of shifting beside us preceded two large, furry arms enveloping the both of us, as Harry and I did our best to comfort the distraught pegasus.

Unhealthy as it likely was, Fluttershy rarely let out the entirety of her true emotions. Even now, nestled in the protective embrace of two of her friends, she still only released a stifled cry every now and then, unwilling to truly let go, as she probably should have. Still, I knew that if she was being affected even this much, she was likely feeling much worse inside, so I did my best to comfort her.

“I’ll be okay, Fluttershy.” I assured, tucking her head underneath mine and ensuring she was as secure in my grasp as possible. “If the dragon wanted to cause trouble, it’s had ample time to do so. And besides that, I’m fireproof.”

“...b-but you don’t know that for sure!” her soft voice vehemently argued. The worry had driven her voice to a volume much louder than normal for her, though even calling it a raised voice was ludicrous, by anyone else’s standards. “Y-you can’t know that you’ll be okay, Spike!” She pushed herself up until her face emerged from the cocoon of arms and wings around her, and she looked me square in the face with an intense, pleading stare. “Please Spike...please don’t do this. I-I’m so afraid something terrible is going to happen, and I don’t want you to be hurt…”

The glassy, teary eyes of Fluttershy nearly broke my will, but a single thought was all it took to put me back on track.

I reached a hand up and affectionately stroked her soft, pink locks as I let out a deep sigh. “I have the best chance of coming out of this unharmed, Fluttershy. The dragon doesn’t seem to be here with the intent of purposefully starting anything with the local populace, but every time one of the guard patrols has gotten close, it’s noticed them, and warned them to keep away. How do you think I would feel if one of our friends got hurt because of something gone wrong with this situation? How would you feel if Twilight, or any of our other friends ended up severely hurt?” I saw the uncertainty in her expression, so I pressed my advantage. “I don’t like this either, and neither does Twilight, but we’ve gone over all the data available to us, and the chance of me actually getting hurt is very low. Dragons generally don’t respond well to non-dragons, which is why I was the most logical choice. I’m doing this to prevent my friends from getting hurt, Fluttershy. It has to be done.”

Her soulful teal eyes just stared back at me, as if judging my words and searching for any deception in them. Finally, after a few silent moments, Fluttershy released a resigned, shuddering sigh as she pressed her face into my hand and nodded with a sniffle. “...o-okay, Spike. I’m still scared for you, but I know you aren’t someone who does dangerous things for no reason. Just…” she swallowed hard and looked to me again, “just promise me that if things go bad, you fly as fast as you can to safety. Don’t worry about being brave o-or noble, just get away and be safe. I...I-I don’t know if I could handle it if something really bad happened to you.”

Rubbing my thumb and forefinger along the lower part of her ear -- and earning a pleased sigh in the process -- I nodded firmly. “I promise. You can trust me when I say I’m in no hurry to die.”

Again looking deeply into my eyes -- almost looking through me, it seemed -- Fluttershy finally nodded with a gentle, if nervous, smile. “O-okay, I believe you.” She pulled away from me, so Harry and I released her from the impromptu “safe-zone” we had created with our arms, and she rubbed the tears from her eyes with a final few sniffles. “W-well, I would love to share a meal with my best friends. I have some things to finish up here though, so can we meet in front of Sweet Apple Acres in twenty minutes?”

Nodding an affirmative, I replied, “Sure. I have to go and get Lyla anyway, so I’ll be doubling back that way regardless. I’ll see you soon then, Fluttershy.” Another gentle nod was my answer, so after giving another good ear scratch to the large brown bear, I headed to my next destination, hoping that I had helped settle some of Fluttershy’s nerves...and also hoping I hadn’t been lying when I said I’d be fine.

Lyla and I exited her home, with me looking a little less put-together due to her rather...spirited show of affection she’d heaped on me as soon as I arrived. I had barely crossed the threshold into her home when I was pounced upon and shown exactly how much she had missed me in the past few days. In some ways, it was like having an affectionate puppy for a marefriend: whether it be a few hours or a few days, I was given love and affection as if we hadn’t seen each other in months. Not that I was complaining at all, of course.

After finishing buttoning up my shirt and straightening my trousers, I took Lyla’s hand in my own and walked with her toward the main town. I found myself reminiscing about the earlier days of Lyla’s life in Equestria, we had also held hands when walking together, though more for her safety than anything else. Now, the simple contact was a way for us to show our feelings for each other -- both to each other, and to those curious enough to watch us. I was quite adamant in publicly acknowledging the relationships I had formed, even in little ways, so that the less romantically-confident ones -- Lyla and Twilight -- were reassured that I wanted this with them, and was not afraid to show others. Twilight had her own hang-ups about a relationship, due to her past experiences, but Lyla had never had one before, so I was just fine with taking the lead and showing the town that I was secure in my choices.

Besides, though I worked every day to keep my draconic nature in check, sometimes it needed to be sated in more overt ways. The simple act of holding hands with a chosen marefriend of mine was asserting to anyone watching that they were mine, and that actually worked quite well to keep “Spike Want” quiet.

After crossing through the town center and taking the long walk to the north fields, we crested a final hill and saw Sweet Apple Acres. A familiar rainbow-headed mare was sitting on top of the sign, talking to our yellow pegasus friend as they waited for us to arrive. Rainbow, being the one facing the road, spotted us first, and shouted a greeting as she waved happily. Fluttershy turned around and gave a much more demure smile and wave, though she was no less happy to see her friends.

Lyla and I extended our wings and flew the last few dozen paces, landing moments later in front of the main gate to the farm. Some quick greetings from our friends preceded the four of us walking at a sedate pace through the dormant apple fields, making our way to the old farm house in the distance. At this point, only a few of the trees even had leaves left on them, so the vibrant fields of Sweet Apple Acres looked far more barren. We all knew that come springtime, the trees would blossom beautifully, and they would continue with another year of vibrant life, but even when I was young, the sight of the leafless trees unnerved me -- it just seemed...wrong, somehow.

I didn’t have to think about it all for very long, since within only a few minutes, we were standing in front of the farmhouse. Voices could already be heard inside, and Rainbow Dash wasted no time in pushing open the door to let us in, closing it firmly behind us. Immediately the warmth of the home permeated my body, and I found myself smiling as the atmosphere of the old, yet well-kept house soothed my mind and body. Judging just by the familiar voices, it was clear the four of us were the last to arrive, which was further evidenced by Twilight’s familiar scarf hung on a coathook, and Rarity’s “fashionable-yet-functional” white coat. The last of the group, Pinkie, surprised me from behind by wrapping me in a tight hug and nuzzling the spot between my wings.

While moderately surprised, the familiar scent of my bubbly baker friend caused my smile to widen, and after using my tail to reach up and tickle her ribs, I turned around and greeted her with an embrace of my own. Even with the night just beginning, I could already tell this was exactly what I needed to steady myself for the mission the following day. Somehow, just the presence of these important ponies already made the whole thing seem not so big and intimidating, and I felt more confident that everything would be fine. In addition, it was the little things like a Pinkie-hug that reminded me of exactly how much I had to come back to. Not that I didn’t already have reason enough to make sure I made it back to Ponyville, but it was always nice to have little reminders of just how great my home was.

“Spike, ‘s that you? Ah could use some extra hands in here!” Applejack’s voice called from the kitchen, so I quickly freed myself of Pinkie’s grasp and made my way through the home.

The kitchen was a bustle of activity, with Applejack, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Rarity, and even Twilight in it (though the latter seemed to be focused on grabbing the needed utensils and pans, instead of actually preparing the food). With it being so full, I quickly headed to the sink and washed my hands before looking to Applejack for direction.

She pointed with her good arm toward the table against the wall of one side, where the produce was settled. “Ah’d appreciate some peelin’ ‘n choppin’, if ya could. We’ll take care’a tha cookin’ if you can get tha food ready.” I nodded my assent before heading to the table and grabbing the peeler, starting on the potatoes first. It was monotonous work that didn’t take any thinking, so I let my body do the work as I let my mind blank out everything but the current task. Before I knew it, the table was now full of peeled and chopped veggies and apples, so with my work done, I took the skins and put them next to the barn in the pig feed trough before making my way back inside the house.

Upon my arrival, Mac nodded his thanks to me before shooing everyone that wasn't an Apple out of the kitchen, rumbling that they'd take care of the rest. So, with that done, I joined the crowd in the family room, where a few of Mac's herd were gathered, including the other stallion: Caramel.

I had known Caramel for awhile. Being a Ponyville native and the older brother of Bon Bon, he was a common sight around the market district of Ponyville. He lacked his younger sister’s proficiency for making sweets, but he was well known as one of the best and most reliable construction ponies around, which, in a town like Ponyville, was a high-demand job. While a good deal older than me, he had always been a laid-back stallion that was a friend to any and all, so long as they didn’t cause trouble in his town. Even though she’d never admit it, Twilight even had a bit of a crush on him for awhile, when we first came to Ponyville.

The tan-coated stallion glanced over to me as I entered the family room, and flicked his thick, wavy hair out of his eyes with a jerk of his head. Offering me a smile and a fist to bump, he greeted me warmly with all the hospitality of any other Apple family member -- though he wasn’t born into the family, Mac had once commented that he somehow just “fit” into the herd so well, it was like he had belonged there all along. This was evidenced by the clear love and affection he had for the mares he herded with, and the loving attention he gave to the little Ruby Pinch, who was currently slumbering on his lap.

In honesty, since there weren’t too many others in Ponyville, I secretly modeled a lot of myself after him and Macintosh, when it came to being a stallion.

I took a seat on the opposite end of the large, L-shaped couch in the room, and was quickly joined by Lyla and Rarity -- the latter deciding to claim my lap. For the first time in awhile, there was nothing I had to do and no one I had to impress, so I just settled into my cozy seat and held my two girls close, content to let all the friends catch up and enjoy themselves for the night. It was a night together we all needed, I think, for several different reasons. The Apples -- and Applejack in particular -- needed a nice family night to give love and support to the injured family member, and the most common way of doing that was a large family dinner. For Twilight, Rarity, and the other Elements, the night was a way to reassure themselves that Applejack was okay, and to show their support for their dear friend. And, for me, it was a good way to recharge after a stressful past few days, as well as to prepare for the mini-adventure I’d be a part of the following day.

In addition to all this, for the Apples themselves, hosting a dinner was as natural as bucking apples, or working on a farm; it was no imposition to them at all, and Granny Smith herself had been quite clear on that, as Twilight had explained to me. When I really thought about it, it all made sense: the Apples were spread across all of Equestria, but were known to be a very close-knit family where foals grew up knowing four or five different pairs of grandparents, just as many aunts and uncles, and dozens of cousins. Quiet and solitary was simply not the life they were used to, so in actuality, they were quite comfortable with -- and even desired -- a home full of family and friends laughing, telling stories, and sharing their life experiences with each other. Their doors were truly always open for family and friends that were ready to help out, tell good stories, and share a good meal. Though it seemed simplistic to a lot of city ponies, I still find it impossible to explain in words just how the atmosphere of the home, the ponies in it, and the history of that home infused one’s body, relaxing away tension and bringing a smile to the face.

That must be why, with just the two of us, Twilight’s castle felt so empty.

After she finished up in the kitchen, Twilight joined the rest of us in the room, and took the place I had left next to me, against the armrest. It was a snug fit for two people with overt wings, but after some maneuvering, I was comfortably nestled into the cushions, surrounded by my three girls. It was warm, and cozy, and after such a busy day, I found myself falling asleep before I even realized I was tired.

What felt like only moments later, I was being gently nudged awake by a certain changeling, who was grinning at me like a loon. The second thing I became aware of was the scent of lovely food, and that worked quite well to rouse me to full awareness -- there were...other things Lyla could have done to wake me, but we were in polite company, so we silently elected to explore those options sometime later.

With everypony else having already taken their places, I headed with Lyla to the last two open seats, nestled between Big Mac at the head, and Twilight along one side. With everyone seated, Macintosh started us off by spooning some roasted vegetables in gravy onto his plate, passing it to his right as another dish was passed to him from the left. This continued until everyone had been served, at which point we began eating, trading stories and comments as conversation flowed freely. The long table itself was easily as large as the one in the dining hall back at the castle, but having it filled with friends and family somehow made it so much better, even though it was carved from oak instead of opulent crystal. Luckily, most of the conversation was focused around the six Elements and their adventures, so I was largely left to just silently eat and enjoy reminiscing about the events mentioned. Eventually, though…

“So what’s this Ah hear ‘bout you goin’ on some solo mission t’marrah?” Granny Smith spoke up, looking directly at me from the foot of the table.

Nearly choking on a bite of roasted turnip, I swallowed hard and focused my gaze on the elder matriarch. “...umm, it’s just a bit of trouble that’s cropped up that I need to go and take care of. I actually can’t really talk about it, at the moment. Suffice to say it’s a state secret for reasons I can’t disclose.”

Granny Smith squinted at me for a few silent moments before raising a weathered eyebrow. “Ain’t no danger ta mah fam’ly, is it?”

Thinking about how to answer properly, I took a moment to myself before replying, “I’m going to prevent danger, not cause it. No pony’s going to be in trouble if I have anything to say about it -- and I do. I promise to do all that’s in my power to keep everypony safe and sound.”

A long stare was the response I got from the old pony, before she nodded gently and returned to eating. “Just ‘slong as ya take care’a yerself. Ain’t gonna do nopony no good iff’n ya get yerself hurt.”

I admit, it was discomforting to see every single one of my friends stiffen up -- even if just for a second -- at the thought of harm coming to me. While a part reminded me that it was just more proof of how important I was them, another part of me hated that I was the cause of this much stress. Much as I detested the very idea, a tiny voice whispered in my mind that I should have kept this to myself, so as to spare them all the worry.

Giving a hard swallow -- and not to clear food out of my mouth -- I nodded firmly to Granny Smith. “I will. I’ll make sure I come home safe.”

With that said, we all went back to eating, and while the conversations never drifted toward that particular subject again, I’m fairly sure I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stop thinking about it.

As a group, we all helped clean up afterwards. With nearly twenty of us on hand, picking up after the meal took practically no time at all, but so as to allow them all time to relax and spend time with Applejack, I elected to help wash the dishes in the kitchen. This left me alone with Applebloom and Granny Smith, but with the older pony rinsing and Applebloom drying, the job went very quickly, even with an entire counter full of dirty dishes.

I tuned out the chatter, for the most part, as it just consisted of Granny Smith asking the youngest sister about school and what her friends were up to these days, but I was aware enough to recognize a dismissal when I heard one.

“Bloom, Ah think we c’n finish tha rest. Go spend time with yer sister.”

“Okay Granny!”

It was clear she wanted to speak to me alone, though I had no idea what it could be about.

We finished washing up the remainder of the dishes, and after putting them away, I leaned back against the sink and looked at the old mare. “I take it you wanted to talk to me privately.”

Despite my light accusation, Granny Smith smiled a wrinkly smile. “Ya catch on quick, sonny.”

Nodding and slowly hobbling over to a free chair against the wall, she took a seat and looked up at me with deep, wise eyes. Most didn’t know it, but Granny Smith was older than she looked (which, without being mean, was hard to imagine). Celestia had once explained to me that every pony subspecies drew ambient magic from the environment whenever they used the abilities unique to their subspecies -- flying and cloud-forging for pegasi, for example -- and a little bit of that magic became a part of the pony every time they used it. Magic was a neutral energy -- it wasn’t inherently good or bad -- but some of the races, such as ponies, had evolved to make it a part of who they were. For ponies specifically, bonded magic bolstered their bodies, as well as slowed the aging process. Granny Smith, for example, often told the story of her traveling and fighting off timberwolves before she stumbled upon the site of what would one day become Ponyville. This, in particular, was all the more impressive when one took into account the fact that Ponyville was founded nearly two centuries prior. Granny Smith had seen and experienced more than most normal ponies had any right to, so when she spoke, you listened.

Settling herself more comfortably, the elderly mare nodded to me firmly. “Right. Now, Ah ain’t gonna nag ya ta be careful again, and Ah ain’t gonna say this all is a bad idea ‘r nothin’ -- Luna knows Ah’ve done mah own share’a things that don’t make no sense ta nopony but me.” She shifted her legs, digging into her pocket and pulling out an old, worn pipe. Pulling out a small plastic baggie of dry brown leaves, which I could only imagine was tobacco, she methodically packed a bit into the pipe before lighting a match and bringing it to the mouth of the apparatus. After a few puffs to get a good, slow burn going, she slowly exhaled the smoke and pointed to me. “Ah ain’t here ta try ‘n’ convince ya ta not do what yer doin’: Ah’m here ta talk ‘bout AJ.”

I raised a brow, confused. “Applejack? What about her?”

“She cares ‘bout ya somethin’ fierce, Spike -- more’n Ah’ve ever seen ‘er care ‘bout anypony but fam’ly.” My eyes widened at this, but she simply took a long drag from the pipe, letting the breath out her nose this time. “Ah can’t say what’ll happen ‘tween tha two’ve ya, but first, Ah want ya ta make me a promise.” The old pony sat up a little straighter and her expression became very serious as she spoke: “Ah want ya ta promise me y’all will always watch out f’r each other. Keep ‘er safe, but most’ve all, keep ‘er happy. Mah girl’s been through too much ta have ta live without ya. Y’all don’t have ta live in tha same place f’r tha rest of yer life, but Ah want tha peace of mind ta know y’all ain’t gonna f’rget about ‘er one day.”

I could only stare at her for a few silent moments, the only sounds in the kitchen that of her taking slow draws from the pipe and breathing out the smoky air. Maybe I was misreading things, but by the way she spoke, it almost sounded like…

“Are...are you insinuating that I’m going to be a part of Applejack’s love life?”

Granny Smith just stared back with an unreadable expression.

I stared right back at her before fervently shaking my head. “W-whoa, whoa, that is not what’s going on between us at all. We’re just friends, and besides that, she just broke up with her coltfriend. Even if that were my intention, I have no desire to be ‘the rebound guy’. Applejack…” I took a breath to calm myself, and shook my head again. “Applejack doesn’t need some other guy trying to slip his way into her pants, no matter who it is. She’s a friend and family first and foremost, and that’s what I’m going to be to her.” Realizing I had raised my voice a bit, I quieted down so as to keep our conversation private. Taking another calming breath, I let it out slowly before bringing my eyes back to Granny Smith. “I would never forget about Applejack, and I’ll always be here for her. Maybe I’m too young to understand completely, but Ponyville is my home, and I don’t want to be anywhere else. Applejack and all the ponies I care about make it home, so I wouldn’t want to be in a place where I couldn’t be around them anymore.”

Again, the strangely deep eyes of the Apple matriarch bored into me, until she seemingly found what she was looking for, and smiled. With a resolute nod, she replied, “Then that’s good ‘nough f’r me.”

Blinking once, I nodded. “Um...a-all right, good.” I then pushed off of the counter and shifted unsteadily as I thought of how to word my thoughts. “...what exactly did you mean by you don’t know what’ll happen between us? You know I’m not trying to ‘woo’ her or anything, right? She doesn’t need that, especially now.”

“Y’all might be a dragon Spike, but not even tha most magical of critters c’n see tha future.” she replied, grinning softly. “B’cause’a that, ya can’t say it won’t happen. Mah lil’ Apple loves ya like yer already fam’ly, an’ it might be one day she wants more’n friendship from ya...and somethin’ tells me you’d ‘least give it a chance.” She slowly pulled herself to stand, moving over to the sink and pounding out the ash from her pipe into the sink before washing it down. Without looking at me she voiced, “Iffin’ mah mem’ry serves, used to be all yer girls started out as ‘just friends’ too, right?” Finishing washing her hands, she slid the pipe back in her pocket and turned to me, reaching out and giving a firm pat on the shoulder. “Jus’ somethin’ ta think ‘bout fer tha future, sonny.”

With that, she slowly meandered out of the kitchen, likely to go rejoin the rest of the ponies in the home. This left me alone with my thoughts, and It’s a safe description to say they were violently turbulent.

I trusted Granny Smith’s analysis of her granddaughter more than I did my own, so it was okay to take her words at face value. Now, I wasn’t surprised that Granny Smith had said Applejack loved me -- after all, ponies in particular were easily able to understand the fact that there were many different types of love, and referring to love between two people didn’t necessarily mean romance; I knew Applejack loved me, and I loved her back, but as a friend. However, the old mare had clearly seen something I didn’t, and whether it was merely wishful thinking or a true possibility, I couldn’t say. Even with just myself, I couldn’t lie and say I’d never thought of Applejack as attractive, or that I’d never had a fantasy of bagging the cutest “farmer’s daughter” this side of Equestria. The difference is, I’d grown up around Applejack, and she was never the type to be swept off her feet and wooed properly -- frankly, when she initially started dating Thunderlane, I was surprised more at the fact she was dating, rather than who she was dating.

Applejack was a tough farm girl, and wasn’t usually huggy like Pinkie was, and nor was she particularly one known for kisses between friends (much as I didn’t want to admit it, the kiss she had given me was still stuck in my head). Applejack, for the most part, related to her friends in ways that a stallion would -- it was common for her to show support with a reassuring, firm pat on the back rather than a hug, and she was more likely to laugh off something uncomfortable, rather than let it pull her down. Like Rainbow Dash, while her body was clearly “mare”, her personality and the way she handled day-to-day life was more akin to a stallion. While it was easy to look at her from afar and admire her prominent curves -- especially around the rump -- for someone like me who had known her for years, it was difficult to see her as an attractive mare and possible romantic partner. Unfortunately for me, much like it had started for me and Twilight, I was sure this was going to be on my mind for days or weeks afterward, whether I wanted it to be or not; the only difference was I knew there was no chance of Applejack and I becoming an item, let alone just after she broke up with her coltfriend.

With my mind quieted, I nodded resolutely and left the kitchen, determined to be a good friend to a friend in need.

Being a get-together with the Apple family, the night ended relatively early, as farmers rose with the sun. We all said our goodbyes and gave our thanks to the gracious family that had us over, and Applejack surprised me with another hug as her way of saying goodbye. With a whisper in her ear that I would be okay and I’d see her tomorrow night, she released me, and the rest of us headed home.

Rainbow Dash opted to fly straight to her house after a hurried farewell, and Lyla chose to escort the skittish Fluttershy home, which, after parting ways with Pinkie, left Twilight, Rarity and I alone for the night. Since the workload was relatively light the next few days, Rarity accepted Twilight’s invitation to stay the night at the castle.

Twilight’s temporary portal within the private commons area allowed Rarity to step through to her home and fetch a few toiletries and some nightwear, after which we all cleaned the day off of us and dressed down to relax for the rest of the night, but with it being so early, we treated the gathering as a sleepover. This, of course, meant junk food in Twilight’s room while watching silly B-movies, and the three of us laughing uproariously at just how bad the acting and special effects were. It was...nice.

Of course, as we relaxed in our pajamas on a bed, sitting graduated to laying, and simply being close to each other became an impromptu cuddle session between the three of us. Luckily for me, the two mares had been friends for many years, so although there were little bouts of competition between the three of my new herd, there was no jealousy, so it was all in good fun. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised that, for the most part, things were turning out exactly like they were supposed to: Twilight and Rarity were different ponies that brought different things to the herd, but they added to it and supported one another, rather than fighting. I guess part of what made it so easy was the fact that we all knew each other, so there was none of that awkward “getting to know you” phase most ponies had to deal with. It was because of all this that the two of them were laying at either side of me, cuddled close, watching and giggling at the silly “horror” movies that were playing. I, of course, was more focused on the warm, curvy bodies on either side of me, and while it was true that I enjoyed a silly movie as well, two gorgeous mares holding themselves against me was quite distracting, to say the least.

Unfortunately, as I found out fairly early in my life, lying on one’s back with wings is not comfortable without the room to stretch them out, so I had to shift to a sitting position against the backboard. This, of course, left my sides uncuddled, but like so many other things in my life, I had to just remember that it was a part of growing up. I mean, at some point, I wouldn’t even be able to fit inside buildings anymore. For that reason, I found myself content with just being able to be near those I cared about. I occupied myself by reaching down with my hands to gently rub the ears of the two mares still laying down, and just watched the remainder of the movie, savoring the simplicity of a quiet night between friends.

As usual, I woke up in the middle of the night, after we had finally succumbed to sleep. I was nestled on my stomach, as was Twilight, while Rarity was turned on her side, facing away from me. Both were pressed tightly against me to conserve warmth on the cool night (though I knew that wasn’t the only reason), so I had to carefully shimmy myself from between the two as I thought about how to get off the bed without waking the two of them. It took a minute, but I finally found my answer when I looked up, and saw the ornate crystal light fixture securely anchored to the ceiling by being part of it.

A little known fact about flying dragons: they can climb really well, too. In the mountainous regions where my kind evolved, flying wasn’t always an option, and so our wings evolved over millions of years to be able to help us climb when the lay of the land became too restricted to allow us to take flight. The sharp, earth-rending claws of our hands and feet were already well-suited to the task, but to give us an edge, our wings slowly evolved to have small claws at the wrist (third joint), which was also where those bony spines were.

Looking at my own wings, I flexed muscles I rarely used (though they were still strong), and a small clawed appendage unwrapped from the base of the bony spine, looking like a finger, except much thicker. I stood and reached my wings up, hooking both of them on two of the arms of the light fixture. Slowly, I pulled myself up and with a quick swing of my legs, let go and let my momentum carry me through the air. Flaring my wings just before landing, I touched down relatively softly, the sound audible, but not enough to wake the two ponies sleeping in bed. I couldn’t help the triumphant grin that crossed my lips, but made sure to keep quiet as I silently left the room.

My first stop was the bathroom, which was the reason I had awoken in the first place, but after relieving myself, I made my way to the large window overlooking most of the town. Gazing out over the slumbering town I called home, I loosed a gentle sigh and smiled as I thought of all the friends I had made since Twilight and I moved to Ponyville. We had traveled a lot in our relatively short lives, and seen more than most ponies do in their entire lifetimes. Even so, with the culture and food of Manehattan, or even the glitz and glimmer of Los Pegasus, Ponyville would always be home for us. Even now, just reminiscing about the many ponies I had grown up with, I could almost see the flower sisters selling their wares out in front of their shared house. Derpy and Time Turner were trotting happily through the park with Dinky, who was not so little anymore. Lyra and Bon Bon were relaxing on a bench underneath their favorite red maple tree, the former playing soothing music on her lyre while the latter tried to look as though she wasn’t enjoying it as much as she was. Octavia and Vinyl, the two local musician big-shots, were playfully bantering back and forth as they walked the streets of Ponyville. Then, of course, were the seven that were far more important to me -- they were family. The strange thing was, it seemed odd now to picture any one of them just on their own. Even Lyla, who had come into our lives years after we had all gotten to know each other, had become a part of the group as if she had always been there. Sure, there were things about her that we still didn’t know (mostly because we hadn’t asked), but who she was as a person...we already knew all that. Applejack, Rarity, Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Lyla...every single one of them had left their mark on my life, and it no longer seemed right if they weren’t a part of mine. Maybe it was a bit selfish when I really thought about it, but I didn’t want to live my life without any of them. I had already lost one or two important people in my life because I allowed them to drift away, and I couldn’t let it happen to my closest friends.

That, of course, meant I had to be there, too. It meant that whatever happened the following day, I had to make it back to Ponyville, and keep my promise to Fluttershy. Besides that, I had a feeling that Applejack would completely lose it if I didn’t show the next night, because as much as she would never admit it, Applejack was depending on my support as she healed her physical and emotional wounds. It was a little intimidating to know that my safety -- or lack thereof -- was going to be weighing heavily on the minds of seven mares (nine, if you counted Celestia and Luna). They all knew this was one dangerous mission they wouldn’t be able to follow me on, but after years of watching Twilight and the others go on adventure after adventure, I think doing one on my own was acceptable. I didn’t like knowing this was all stressful to them, so I promised myself that I’d return safe and sound, and hopefully, with news of a new draconic ally.

I glanced once more at the sleeping town, feeling the warmth in my heart that reminded me of what home truly was, before I turned on my heel and headed back to bed.

Chapter 11

“Twilight, you -- mmh -- really need -- mmh -- to go-mmh.”

Twilight appeared to be trying to drown me in kisses for good luck, and while I would normally have no problem with that at all, we both had places to be. Besides that, I was pretty sure the flower sisters (whose stand we happened to be in front of) were going to faint if we didn’t stop.

On the spectrum of intimacy, Twilight was the opposite of Lyla. While comfortable sleeping in the same bed as me, she was not ready to do anything beyond kissing. I didn’t mind, as I was in no way starved for affection, but even in the short time we had been together, Twilight had been quite happy to give me smooches, even in public. I’ll say one thing for sure: Twilight was a quick study, which was evidenced by the fact that my knees were weak when she finally pulled away after a particularly loving kiss on my lips. While a more carnal side of me whispered that I could teach her oh-so-many other things, I beat it back mentally with a stick labeled “Friendship Comes First”.

The guards that were in charge of flying the chariot were watching with amused grins, neither willing to tell the princess she had to do anything. I would be getting no help from them, unfortunately, so I was finally forced to grab Twilight by the shoulders and push her away from me. It was cute how she whined briefly and attempted to lean back in, but I held firm and shook my head at her.

Leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on the end of her nose, I gave her a reassuring smile. “Twilight, it’s gonna be okay. Go to Canterlot, do princess things, and have some good times with Celestia and Luna. I’ll be home by tonight, and you and I can spend tomorrow trading stories of our adventures.”

Pouting slightly -- though because I stopped her or for some other reason, I wasn’t sure -- Twilight huffed good-naturedly. “Presiding over a budget meeting with engineers and scientists is hardly an ‘adventure’, Spike. You might be spending the day dodging fireballs, while I’ll be having to bite my own lip to keep from falling asleep.”

Releasing her arms, I quirked my brow at her. “But this is the kinda stuff you love learning about.”

Finally pulling away and straightening her blouse, Twilight only stared at me. “It’s a budget meeting, not a scientific expo. We’ll be talking about how much money everything costs, not the wonders of modern science and engineering. Boring isn’t a strong enough word. It won’t even be a good distraction to keep from worrying about you.”

Realizing she was right, I thought furiously about how to help her, and an idea immediately came to me. Grinning at her, I offered, “Tell Celestia I told you to ask about carrot and pickle soup.” The mention of the odd combination of course caused her to stare at me questioningly, but I just shook my head. “It’s a code, basically. She’ll know what it means, and she’ll take care of everything. You won’t be bored, I promise.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at me, but I refused to say anymore on the matter.

Resigning herself to whatever it meant, Twilight sighed and nodded to me. “Fine. I’ll follow this, and here’s hoping things don’t get weird somehow.”

“Oh, things are gonna get weird,” I answered, grinning like a shark, “but that’s what’ll make it fun. Trust me.”

Twilight leaned up on the tips of her hooves and planted another kiss on me before huffing and pulling away. “All right, I need to go now or I’ll never leave.” Glancing back at me once more, she frowned in worry. “Stay safe, Spike. See you tomorrow.” I offered nothing more than a nod, and quietly watched as she boarded the chariot, taking off a few moments later. I watched silently until she disappeared into the dense cloud cover, then turning on my heels and making my way back to the castle.

Both Rarity and Lyla had things to do today, so that left me alone to pack the few things I was going to bring with me. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it became much more difficult to distract myself from my growing anxiety if I didn’t have someone to talk to. The beautiful crystal of the castle itself seemed to echo with my own thoughts, and within only a few minutes, I was hustling to finish packing as quickly as possible, just to get going and stop working myself into a destructive spiral of self-doubt and anxiety.

My pack was modest even by my standards, only having a notebook, a brief summary of my job, a change of clothes, a few dozen gems, and a short-use fire-repelling crystal enchantment. The bag itself was woven with magical fibers and spells that would protect it from all but the hottest fires of the sun itself, but the clothes I was wearing were still very flammable, so I could only hope that this would be a more cordial meeting. Not that being naked would be the worst thing to happen, but I didn’t like losing clothes, especially those made by Rarity.

After checking over everything to be sure I was ready, I launched into the air from the second floor balcony and headed north toward the edge of town, passing the town hall and Sweet Apple Acres in short order before the lush greenery of the Whitetail Wood became all that was visible in every direction. Using the position of the sun as orientation, I mentally settled myself in for a long, boring flight toward the barely-visible mountains in the distance.

It was well into the afternoon when I arrived at the foot of the mountain range, as the flight itself had taken me around three hours at a casual pace. I was somewhat surprised that my wings barely felt tired at all, but then remembered why Rainbow Dash’s training was so hard on me: dragon wings were built for power and distance, not speed and agility. While this worked against me when Rainbow Dash ran me through the wringer, it was a blessing for long flights, since I could practically fly all day long and still be relatively okay. I thanked my luck for that, since I was unsure how this was going to go.

The cave I was looking for was about halfway up one of the mountains in front of me -- high enough to be safe from most rain, but still well-insulated to keep its occupant shielded from chilly mountain storms. Not that a large dragon had much to fear from the cold, but it was still miserable to be chilly and wet, even if it wouldn’t make them sick. Unfortunately, the only way to safely approach the cave was by flight, which was also what made it impossible to approach stealthily. The dragon would know I was coming, if it didn’t already, so there would be no subtlety to this whatsoever.

I mentally sighed and pulled my satchel up from my hip, digging inside blindly and finding a few gems. Popping them into my mouth, I sated a bit of my hunger before taking a few deep breaths to calm myself. Turning my eyes toward the mountains, I scanned the faces to see if I could spot any obvious caves. There were a few to be seen, just from the ground, but none of them were big enough to house a dragon, which meant the cave was likely on the other side. Unfortunately for me, this meant I was going to have to brave the chilly winds around the mountain for a good length of time, while I located the cave.

Settling my satchel against my side again, I blasted into the air and began to eyeball the mountain faces, looking for a sufficiently-sized opening for an average-sized dragon. Starting from the lower portion of the three mountains, I slowly rounded each one in a weaving pattern, working my way up higher and higher. It was unfortunate that the caves and alcoves were still too small for what I was searching for, which eventually drove me into the clouds. The icy winds and snow buffeted me as I continued to ascend, but after nearly an hour, I found what I was looking for, and immediately swerved to land on the lip leading to the large recess in the mountain. I shook the forming ice crystals from my hide and head spines, brushing the more stubborn ones away by hand. I couldn't help but release a frustrated sigh at the feel of the tiny, but still noticeable pricks against the sensitive skin underneath the scales of my hands and face, hoping that the warmth of the cave would melt them.

And yes, it was indeed warm.

The obvious smell of smoke and sulfur, along with an accompanying heat, told me I was either inside a volcano, or I had found what I was searching for. Frankly, at this point, I had hoped for the former, since while a volcano could be dangerous, it wouldn’t be actively trying to hurt me. Much to my disappointment, however, the very noticeable claw marks on the ground and walls around the entrance made the latter possibility far more likely.

Pulling open my satchel again and fishing out my notebook and a pencil, I turned back toward the windy entrance and stepped out to the lip again. It took a moment of squinting to be able to see through the harsh winds and snow, but I was able to get an approximate location of the cave in mind, and after cross-referencing it with what I remembered from the guard reports, I concluded I was in the right place. I turned on my heel again and looked around the entrance chamber, jotting down quick notes on what I saw, just in case it might come in handy later. What I was sure to notate was that the dragon was not in view, but from the reports stating it had spotted the pony scouts and warned them not to get closer, I could only conclude it already knew I was there. I noted that as well, unsure what information would be useful in the future. Taking a few deep breaths in an effort to calm myself a little, I placed my notebook and pencil back in the pack before deciding to abandon the idea of sneaking in -- an adult dragon’s hearing was about the same as the average pony’s, but they were able to sense vibrations within the ground to great effect. Unless I suddenly discovered how to teleport without magic, I wasn’t going to be surprising this dragon.

Even though I kept mentally reminding myself that it was clear this dragon wanted to see me for some reason, not knowing why was still making me quite nervous.

And so my nervousness gave way to tapping my fingers on my chest, which was something I did whenever I was feeling particularly uneasy. I could only hope I wasn’t going to somehow insult this dragoness by doing so, but I also had no idea who I was dealing with, so my mere presence might be that insult. Nonetheless, I continued down into the deeper part of the cave, carefully sliding down a steep descent and trying not to imagine the odd dripping noise I could now hear was blood instead of water. With each step, my heart began beating just a little faster, and it became quite clear that all my self-psyching hadn’t done much to actually prepare me for facing something like this. A growing part of me began screaming to just run, fly away and not look back -- damn the mission and damn whatever ponies would be stupid enough to bother a dragon. I’ll admit, I was a little ashamed that I seriously thought about doing just that.

Regardless, I continued on. What kept me going, kept my feet moving forward instead of back, was the mental image of a bruised and burned friend of mine, looking at me with an odd sense of betrayal and acceptance as the trust they once had in me was replaced with disappointment. The mere thought of such a thing happening, when I could have stopped it, was what kept me going. I might not be able to fight off a full-grown dragon, but perhaps meeting with one would be enough to avert tragedy.

The breathing was the first thing I noticed. It was deep, relaxed, and decidedly not-smoky. I was pleased this wasn’t a repeat of the dragon that covered Ponyville and Canterlot in smoke just from breathing, but that “smoky” dragon had also been napping. This one clearly was not, which meant she was waiting for me. I stopped just outside of a large chamber, and judging by the scent of jewels, the heat of dragonbreath, and the quite audible sound of breathing, this was where my quarry would be found. Heart beginning to race, I peeked around the side of the rocky wall, and immediately caught sight of a massive blue tail laying haphazardly over a decent-sized pile of gold and jewels. It felt like my heart juddered in my chest at the confirmation that I was here, and this was happening, and I found myself momentarily frozen.

“If you’re going to ogle me from afar, at least come out where I can see you.”

It should be mentioned that female dragons, while different from the males in quite a few feminine ways, were difficult for those without experience to discern from male drakes. Her voice, while not recognizable as “feminine” to a pony due to the deep tones, was smooth and yet powerful, like the oozing of fresh magma from a dome volcano. Male dragons, on the other hand, tended to have a rumbling, gravelly voice that was reminiscent of the churning of rocks during an earthquake. Just for this reason, both could easily be referred to as “exotic” when compared to most of the other sapient creatures of the planet. Of course, there was the fact that they towered over nearly all other living things in the world, but their voices alone were unique. Twilight, of course, had quickly discovered that the reason for such a deep voice was rather simple: a larger body and longer neck meant longer vocal cords, which, in turn produced deeper, lower tones than those of smaller creatures.

Regardless, even with the surprisingly gentle tone, such a deep, loud voice quickly brought me out of my momentary paralysis. Taking a trio of deep breaths to try and settle my nerves, I prepared myself for the possibility of the worst, and stepped out into the open area of the cave.

While the majority of her leathery hide was a vivid sky blue, the thick scales of her chest were the color of desert sands, and her eyes were a piercing silver. She had only two straight, rear-facing horns (the small number an oddity for a dragon her size), and the small black clan-mark was featured on her forehead, between the two horns. While a similar color, the eyes and shade of the underbelly scales immediately confirmed to me that this was not Ember.

“You look as if you were expecting someone else,” she observed aloud, her expression giving nothing away.

Deciding it was best to keep things to myself, lest I somehow insult her, I shook my head slowly. “Not so much that as the fact that I’ve never seen a dragon so calm about someone intruding on their hoard.”

Though the scales of her face were tougher than most armor, they were malleable enough for her to smile in a decidedly gentle way, almost slyly. “Everydrake knows who you are, little Spike, and we know about your connections to the living Sun and Moon. I knew it would simply be a matter of time before they sent the only native dragon in Equestria to try and ‘talk me down’.”

Immediately, something about her words didn’t add up to what I had experienced the last week, namely, my encounter with the wyrm pup. I had both Twilight and Lyla give me a layman’s rundown on consciousness projection, and the one thing that was always noticeable in the victim was that their eyes would change color to match that of the caster. That wyrm pup had red eyes when it had bit me -- this dragoness had silver eyes, which meant this whole thing just became much more complicated. It appeared that this dragoness had no clue I was coming, and had simply elected to play the waiting game.

I kept my expression as stoic as a mountain so as not to give away my thoughts, and simply nodded to her. “You thought right. I don’t want anyone getting hurt, so I came here to see what you wanted.”

Rolling her eyes and waving a giant claw dismissively, the dragoness huffed. “I just wanted to keep them away, not hurt them. How would you feel if you had strangers hovering around your home all hours of the day?”

Already, this was not at all going how I assumed it would. First of all, the informality was a bit jarring -- dragons liked their traditions, generally -- and this dragon was far too placid for one raised with other dragons, at least by my experience. There was something odd going on, but I couldn’t put a finger on what. The off-putting feeling had the unfortunate effect of making me tense up ever so slightly, and if the nearly-imperceptible flash in the dragoness’ eyes was any indication, it was noticeable. I felt my wings twitch in anticipation and I found myself taking a cautious step back, keeping my eyes on the larger dragoness across the open cave space.

Her sharp silver eyes were focused intently on me, and she carefully brought up a hand to her mouth and breathed a silvery flame over it. She began “drawing” in the air with a flaming claw, leaving odd symbols floating where they were drawn. I was momentarily awed that a copy of those same symbols faded into existence in front of me, merrily burning in mid air. I had only a moment to admire the odd magic before a giant blue claw reached through the suddenly-portal, and pulled me through. The next thing I knew, I was looking at the large eyes of a rather intimidating dragoness.

Her long, serpentine forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air around me, while I tried not to spoil the smells by wetting myself. Her expression morphed into something resembling pity as she casually dragon-handled me. “Just as I thought: their scents are all over you. You don’t even smell like a dragon anymore.”

Unfortunately, I had a bad habit of snarking when I was put in an uncomfortable situation.

Rolling my eyes and speaking before I could think about it, I blurted, “O woe is me, I don’t smell like old gems, charcoal, and musty caves. Whatever shall I do?” A rather uncomfortable tightening reminded me that I was being held in a hand as large as my body, and my wings casually notified me that wing bones were significantly less durable than the rest. In essence, if I wanted to get out of this without mangled wings, I should probably shut up.

Shooting me with a sharp glare, the dragoness continued to inspect me. “You’re a fair bit older than your size would suggest, and you’re even wearing pony clothing. Do they even let you hunt, or are you kept in a cage like a pet?” She snorted out a jet of smoke derisively. “Though I suppose we can’t expect much from a race of prey creatures who live in their little bubble of harmony.”

“What do you want?” I queried, surprised at my unwavering tone despite being utterly helpless.

Seemingly realizing that she wasn’t, in fact, speaking to an inanimate object, her eyes once again focused on mine as the dragoness leveled me with a flat stare. “I’m taking you home.”

Staring right back, I retorted, “I was home, just this morning, before I flew here. It’s a nice little town at the base of a mountain, named Ponyville. I’ve spent most of my life there, have my friends and family around there, and all my stuff is there. That’s home, to me.”

The dragoness shook her large head, still looking at me with a mix of contempt and pity. “Home is the place where you belong, and a dragon does not belong amongst ponies. You may walk, talk, and dress like them, but you will never be a pony. I will not have my mate living away from his own kind.”

Opening my mouth to shoot back with the venom I had ready, the latter part of her explanation suddenly struck me cold. It took a few moments, but I was able to barely croak out, “...m-mate?”

“Why did you think I came here? I remember you touring our homeland with that pony caretaker of yours, so I’m quite sure you’re aware my appearance here had something to do with you.” she condescendingly explained with a roll of the eyes.

I found myself shaking my head vigorously. “Not that! I mean yeah, I knew it was a possibility, but why on earth does it have to be me?”

Shrugging her shoulders, the dragoness explained, “You are the adopted son of The Living Sun, you are connected to great heroes and heroines alike, and you are hailed as the hero of an ancient kingdom-”

“Oh, that doesn’t even count!” I shot back with a groan. “I grabbed the Crystal Heart and brought it to Cadence -- that’s it. If that’s all it takes to be a hero, I’m sorely disappointed.”

“That,” she broke in harshly, glaring at me, “and you are one of the last of your clan.” At my uncomprehending stare, she tilted her head. “You toured our lands for quite some time; did you not find it odd that there were so few that shared your color?”

Shrugging to the best of my ability, I could only answer, “Not really. Whatever clan I belong to, no one was able to tell me, and I wasn’t there to learn about me specifically, but dragons as a whole. Knowing what clan I came from doesn’t change who I am, or what I’m going to act like, so it’s irrelevant.”

“You say that now,” she sneered, still glaring at me, “but-” suddenly she stopped, sniffing the air and tilting the right side of her head toward the cave entrance. After a moment of my confused silence, she snarled at me. “You were to come alone, and you know this!”

Leaning back from her suddenly quite-close proximity, I squeaked, “I did! I flew here alone!”

Pointing one large, clawed finger to the entrance, the dragoness boomed, “THEN WHY DO I SMELL PONIES?!”

Mouthing the word to myself, I turned my own head to the entrance and only muttered one word: “Buck.”

Twilight was away on business, and knew to follow the rules, and as for the rest, all but Rainbow Dash would be too slow to keep up with me, without being seen. Well, her and…

“LYLA?!” I shrieked fearfully as a certain unassuming changeling walked in, followed shortly thereafter by a slightly shorter sky-blue pegasus with a rainbow mane. “R-RAINBOW?! You both need to leave NOW!”

Neither female seemed particularly worried, or even nervous, for that matter. Both were dressed in their regular clothing, consisting of athletic wear, and were either not expecting a fight, or didn’t think they’d need armor. They were either ignorant, or crazy, though I tended to lean toward the latter.

Stepping forward, with the calm presence of a lurking monster, Lyla announced, “Spike’s not going anywhere, but you are. You aren’t welcome here, and it’s time for you to leave.”

While Rainbow didn’t have the presence to back up her determination, being a small pony, I knew she wasn’t going to back down either, no matter what. “Ditto.”

The dragoness was not impressed, and the tightening of her hold on me was proof of that. Shooting a glare and a snarl their way, she replied, “This isn’t your business, bug-pony. Take your pony pet back home, and you might yet live to see another day.”

“...did she just call me-”

Lyla shot a look at Rainbow Dash, which silenced her. Her bright eyes then settled on the dragoness again, and she just smiled in what would otherwise be a completely non-threatening manner. “First and last time I’m going to ask, dragoness: put Spike down and leave. I would advise against making the wrong choice.” To my horror, the dragoness merely squeezed me tighter, and I felt the bones in my wings starting to creak from the pressure; she was not backing down, and I was in the middle of it all. Heaving a heavy sigh, Lyla briefly shot her eyes to Rainbow Dash. “Dash, your job is to get Spike out of here. I’ll take care of the rest.”

With that, Lyla began calmly crossing the chamber, the dragoness having no clue about what was going to happen. I did, however, and I just hoped I could get out of the way in time.
Stopping a dozen or so paces away from the massive dragoness, Lyla sighed noisily through her nose. “Just remember: I tried to give you an out, for this. This is on you, now.” The next moment, Lyla seemed to explode in a burst of heat-less emerald fire, concealing her from the widened eyes of the dragoness. A moment later the fire receded, revealing the tiny “bug-pony” had completely transformed herself.

Thick, plated chitinous armor covered her body, and she had grown another set of arms. Each thick, armored arm ended in massive, clawed appendages with retractable blades on each wrist. Her head had morphed into something more akin to a hornet, but with giant, powerful mandibles more at home on an umber hulk. Her legs had shifted to something more primal, even bestial, with claws that were made to rend flesh, and even climb walls. Wings unfolded from the protective shell on her back, buzzing angrily. Lastly, the small, unassuming size of the lovable changeling had increased tenfold, allowing her to look the dragoness in the eye with her own large, compound eyes.

The dragoness, who had been so confident and even arrogant a few moments before, was now frozen in shock. Sensing this as my chance, I reared back with a wide-open mouth before clamping hard onto one of the fingers holding me. A shrieking roar answered my attack as I tasted iron, and I found myself tumbling through the air and hitting the hard stone ground rather roughly, but I was free.

Letting loose a Tartarus-borne screech, the monster that was once Lyla charged the distracted dragoness, latching her giant mandibles onto the throat and driving her into the wall with an earth-shaking rumble that threw treasure everywhere. Each clawed hand gripped onto the dragoness’ thick hide, unable to draw blood, but more than capable of getting a firm hold so as to not let Lyla’s prey get away. The dragoness could only shriek in pain as she found herself suddenly in battle with a very large, very angry changeling soldier.

Watching the ensuing battle in awe, I was suddenly brought back to reality by Rainbow Dash grabbing me firmly as she shouted, “Spike, we gotta go now!” Half leading, half dragging me to the entrance, we tripped and stumbled over some coins and jewels before taking flight...only for me to stop at the entrance to the outside air.

Looking at me with frantic eyes, Rainbow Dash tugged at my arm. “Spike, we gotta go! What are you doing?”

I looked away from her, back at the cave we had just left. The sounds of a giant battle could still be heard, and as much as it scared me, “...I can’t leave her, Dash.”

Jerking my arm again, Rainbow Dash shook her head. “My job is to get you somewhere safe, and I'm gonna do it. This is exactly what Lyla is trained to do -- it's what she was born to do. She can handle it.”

“Can she? Are you sure?” I spat back, my worry turning quickly to anger as I tore my arm from her grasp. Pointing firmly back toward the cave, I growled, “She's fighting a dragon, and a clan-leader at that. One changeling soldier isn't gonna cut it, not for long. This is exactly why I told all of you to stay out of it!”

“Hey!” she shouted back, poking me in the chest with a finger, “If it weren’t for us, you would be halfway to the dragon lands by now, Spike. You’re welcome.”

Snorting angrily, I shot back, “Right, because someone I care about getting hurt or possibly killed is so much better.” Realising I was letting my anger get the better of me, I stopped, closed my eyes, and took a few deep breaths to calm myself. My heart rate slowed, my fingers stopped trembling, and I was finally able to open my eyes and look at Rainbow Dash with a calm mind. “Look, I appreciate what you both are trying to do -- truly, I do -- but there are ways to handle this, even if I get foalnapped and taken to the dragon lands. We both know Twilight would have gone all ‘fire and fury’ just to get me back, so I wasn’t really worried about that. But now,” I jerked my head toward the cave, “someone I care about is fighting a losing battle, and I’m not gonna let her do it alone.” With that, I began methodically removing all my clothes one by one, which caused an amusing blush to light up Rainbow Dash’s face.

Sputtering and turning her head away, she squeaked, “W-what the hay are you doing? Look Spike, you’re cool and all, but now really isn’t the time!”

I quirked my brow at her as I finished removing my underwear, being more naked in front of her than I had been in almost ten years. “What are you talking about? I’m about to step into a fight with a fire-breathing dragon. Clothes burn pretty easily, and I kinda like these clothes.”

Glancing back at me with an abashed expression, she smiled sheepishly. “Oh...r-right, I knew that.” She reached up and nervously scratched the back of her head as she kept her eyes averted. “S-so, um...what are you gonna do?”

I stared at the rumbling cave for a moment before sighing heavily through my nose. “I have no bucking idea, but I have to do something.” We both stood in silence for a few moments, furiously trying to come up with a decent plan.

“... a high-altitude dive.”

Turning my head back toward Rainbow Dash, I quirked my brow again. “Say again?”

Her eyes lit up with sudden clarity as she wildly pointed to the sky. “Do a high-altitude dive right into that dragoness!”

I could only stare at the elite flyer for a moment before countering, “You've seen the inside of that cave; you're suggesting threading the needle at breakneck speed. I think we've established I can't fly anywhere near as well as you, Dash.”

“Spike,” she placed a comforting touch on my chest, staring into my eyes with fiery determination, “you got this. I’ve seen how you fly, and I know you can do it. Compared to all the stuff I put you through just for training, this is a cakewalk.”

“If that’s the plan,” I motioned to her, “then why can’t you do it? You’re faster and far more agile than I am. You could build up and connect with double the speed.”

Dash chuckled ruefully. “Yeah, and I’d break every bone in my body, too. I figured out that’s part of the reason you’ll never be as fast as me: you’re a lot denser than I am. Your bones are thicker and heavier, and your whole body is built to fight. The difference between the two of us is that while slamming into a tree would put me in the hospital for a few days, all that would happen to you is maybe a bruised ego.”

Again I raised my brow at her. “Rainbow Dash admitting someone’s better than her at something, hm? Wow, you really have matured over the years.”

Rolling her eyes, she slung an arm around my shoulder. “The most important thing to learn in life is your own limits. I know mine, but you apparently don’t, yet.” A loud, screeching roar caused both of us to shoot a glance toward the mouth of the cave, and I felt Rainbow Dash shiver ever so slightly before she gave me a squeeze. “You got this, Spike. Break up the fight, and I’ll get Lyla out of there while that dragoness is stunned.” Her other hand, which oddly hadn’t left my chest, began pressing around my pectoral muscles as she released a low whistle. “Wow, all that training is really paying off.”

My wings flared out like those of a pegasus, and for the same reason, as a flush began to crawl through my face and neck. “Aaaand, now you made it weird.” I quipped, raising one claw and miming a squeezing motion. “We can always go tit-for-tat, to make it even.”

Seemingly realizing what she’d done, I was privy to seeing Rainbow Dash explode in a blush that hit the tips of her ears, and extended down onto parts of her neck. She jerked away from me as if my entire body were a hot coal, and she brushed herself off, trying her best not to appear as if she’d just been feeling me up.

Clearing her throat loudly, Rainbow Dash jerked her head toward the sky. “S-so, um...you go...do the the thing, and I’ll...thing, with Lyla.”

While part of me wanted to tease her for sticking her metaphorical hoof in her mouth, I had more pressing matters to attend to, so I shot off the ground without another word and quickly ascended as far past the cloud level as I could. Before I knew it, Rainbow Dash was just a little blue speck in the shifting cloud cover, and I found myself momentarily floating in the high-altitude, thin air before flipping toward the ground and diving straight at the ground. My speed increased rapidly, and before I knew it, I had broken the cloud layer and could see my target fast approaching. Beginning to tilt my wings, I transferred my vertical velocity into a lateral vector, pointed straight at the mouth of the cave. Knowing I only had one chance at this, I felt my wings quivering as I prepared for the split-second, high-speed maneuvers I was about to perform, and squinted my eyes to see better in the growing dark. With a subtle flick of my wings -- forward, then left, then right -- I successfully made it through to the main chamber, and the dragoness only had a moment to catch sight of me with wide-eyed shock before I slammed into her face at a few hundred miles an hour. The entire chamber rumbled from the impact.

I was quite sure a few ribs were broken, and the metallic taste told me I again had blood in my mouth, but the dragoness was out of commission -- her head had slammed into the cave wall, and while it was highly unlikely a creature her size would have life-threatening injuries, she was out cold for at least a few minutes. With the immediate threat out of the way, I picked my sore body off the ground and turned my attention to the changeling soldier, concern overtaking me as I swore under my breath.

The armor of a changeling soldier was nothing to scoff at, and it had kept her alive for far longer than anything but an alicorn or another dragon would have been able to survive, but her body showed several large bite marks and scratches where her dark green blood was flowing in rivulets. While largely whole, Lyla was significantly injured, and the bacteria in a dragon’s mouth was far from harmless.

Holding my right side and grunting in pain, I dashed over to Lyla and stood in front of her so that she could focus on me properly. She was kneeling on the ground in her transformed state, doing her best to catch her breath as she recovered from what was likely the fight of her life. With a glance at me, she erupted in bright emerald flames again, the column of green fire giving way and revealing a battered, bleeding familiar changeling. Her clothing was normal other than being specially tailored, which meant it had shredded when she transformed, leaving her completely nude. Despite the situation, I couldn’t help but admire just how unassumingly feminine her body was. That was, of course, until I noticed Lyla was looking up at me with a look somewhere between relief and annoyance, but she smiled regardless.

“Y-you,” she began, only to be overtaken by a coughing fit for a few moments, “...you were supposed to get to somewhere safe.”

Ignoring the spots of blood on her chitin, I pulled her soft, warm body close and hugged her firmly, focusing on every positive emotion I could in an effort to nourish her and hopefully give her the energy to survive the trip to the nearest hospital. After a moment of silence, I pulled back and looked her in the eyes, smiling sadly. “I couldn’t leave you behind, Lye. I’m not willing to let you sacrifice yourself for me, because I’m not ready to let you go.” Looking over to Rainbow Dash, who had come up behind us, I jerked my head to Lyla. “Get her out of here. Hollow Shades is closer than Ponyville, so take her there.”

Rainbow Dash walked over and took my place, slinging Lyla’s arm over her shoulders. “The thestral town? Do they even have a hospital?”

“They do now.” I confirmed, trying not to cringe at the sight of the new holes in Lyla’s wings. “It’s more of a small clinic, but thestrals are quite familiar with changelings, as well as how to treat them. They’ll take good care of her.”

The pony nodded and slowly guided Lyla toward the cave entrance before glancing back at me. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

I focused on Rainbow Dash for a moment before glancing back at the dragon, frowning as I did so. Upon bringing my eyes to Lyla and Rainbow Dash again, I slowly shook my head. “I can’t leave. You two need to get out of here.”

Nearly dropping her hold on Lyla, Rainbow Dash stumbled and furrowed her brow at my words. “What the hay are you talking about? The dragoness is down for the count, so let’s make tracks.”

“Have you ever tried to take something from an adult dragon?” I questioned rhetorically, knowing she hadn’t, simply by the fact she was still alive. “Dragons as a whole take their hoards very seriously; besides being a collection of pretty things to decorate whatever place they choose as their home, it feeds their greed instinct, which is what causes them to grow.” I pointed to myself, and despite the situation, it was still amusing to see the blush that crawled over Rainbow Dash’s face. “If I had been raised by dragons instead of ponies, I would have my own hoard, and would be much larger than this -- being a male,” I pointed at the downed dragoness, “I would actually be bigger than her. Because of this, dragons are extremely protective of anything they claim as theirs, and they will do anything to get it back. You two were here, so I have a feeling you heard what she called me.”

Rainbow Dash quirked a brow at me in clear confusion, but Lyla’s face suddenly showed stark realization and horror as she realized what I was getting at. “...she called you her mate. She’s claimed you.”

Deciding to clarify for Rainbow Dash, I explained, “Whether it’s realistically true or not, in her head, she’s decided I belong to her now. In essence, she’s decided I’m a part of her hoard. This means that if I just leave now, she’s going to come looking for me, and she’ll be willing to tear through anything or anyone that gets in her way.”

Finally, Rainbow Dash seemed to realize what I was saying, and for the first time in a long time, I saw unadulterated panic on her face as she wildly shook her head. “No, hay no! You are not staying here with her! We’ll figure something out, but there is no way in Tartarus I am leaving you here!”

Looking around the open area, I took in the sight of all the treasure...and began to formulate a crazy plan. “...well, I have an idea on how to deal with her, but you still need to leave. Get Lyla to Hollow Shades and then fly as fast as you can to get Luna from Canterlot. Bring her here, and she can handle me.”

“Handle you?”

Looking back to the desperate pony and changeling, I nodded solemnly. “I’m going to claim this hoard as my own. When I do that, I’m going to get big enough to deal with her. The problem is, I haven’t had an entire lifetime to learn to stay level-headed in the height of greed, so I’ll probably lose control like I did on my birthday that one time.” Letting out a loud, tired sigh, I picked up a few golden coins from around my feet, and tossed them one by one back to the pile. “Luna’s the only one that’s going to be able to bring me back without being in danger, since she has the power to protect herself until she can knock some sense into me.”

“But what then?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, gesturing wildly to me with her free arm. “You’ll be right back where you started, with a ticked-off dragoness wanting to take you back to the dragon lands!”

“Except that dragons are, shall we say, wary of alicorns.” I answered quickly, grinning slightly. “Suffice to say they have a history with Celestia and Luna, a history that taught them that alicorns are not to be bucked with. Luna will be able to take care of things, but Lyla needs medical treatment, and I need to stay here to keep the dragoness in one place.”

Rainbow Dash slowly hobbled the two of them back over to me before she unceremoniously pulled me into a tight embrace, with Lyla adding herself to the hug as well. I held the pony and changeling close for a few moments -- and it might have been my imagination, but it felt like Rainbow Dash nuzzled my cheek -- before pulling away and nodding to them. I pulled the fire-protection charm off of my neck and eased it over Rainbow Dash’s head, patting it gently with my hand.

Rainbow Dash clapped a hand on my shoulder and stared sternly at me. “You better not die, Spike, or I’ll drag your butt back from Death itself and beat you to a pulp.” Though her words were meant to be threatening, the effect was ruined by the shakiness in her tone. I said nothing, only reaching up and taking her hand in mine, giving it a firm squeeze before jerking my head to the mouth of the cave. Rainbow Dash only stared at me for a few moments more, her wings twitching madly, before she pivoted and began quickly pulling Lyla to the entrance. While externally, I was merely listening to them leave, on the inside, I was practically crying like a little whelp, wishing there were another way to do this -- a way that didn’t make me into a monster, and that didn’t make the ones I cared about worry about me. Unfortunately, Lyla and Rainbow Dash’s valiant attempt to get me to safety had made this necessary, so now I had to deal with the aftermath.

A part of me wanted to be mad at Rainbow Dash for coming when I told her not to, but I was instead proud, and touched that she cared so much about me that she was willing to put herself in harm’s way for my sake.

The blast of air from the entrance signified their departure, so I took a deep, steadying breath, and began gathering a small pile of gold and jewels at my feet. Having trained myself for many years to resist my kind’s natural greed instinct, I knew I was basically going to have to trick myself into giving in, since I didn’t feel any desire to hoard material things anymore. So, I slowly began gathering nice, shiny things into a growing pile at one side of the room, until I recognized the attraction toward a steel lockbox. I felt a desire to open it, to see what shiny, pretty things might be inside, and pick which ones were the nicest. I was aware of the feeling immediately, because it was something I dealt with every day in little ways, but this time, instead of turning away from it, I willingly chose to follow the desire.

The box was, of course, locked, but a blast of fire to the lock itself heated it enough to be malleable. I dug the claws of both hands into the soft, red-hot metal, and tore the box open, noticing that it was quite a bit easier than it normally should have been. Inside was a mini treasure trove of glittering gems and semi-precious stones, and I found the desire to take them much stronger now. I didn’t even try to fight it, and before I knew it, my little pile I had started was beginning to be bigger than I was. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was quite aware that my hands were able to hold far more than before, and the ground was further away than usual, but they were mere unimportant details. Eventually, I gave in completely as I felt the desire to own more and more of these pretty things overwhelming, and I found myself rapidly gathering and rearranging entire armfuls of precious metals, artifacts, and gems to my side of the cave. Each load was bigger, yet easier to carry than the last. I felt my head bump into a low-hanging portion of the ceiling, and carefully ducked under it as I continued gathering all the nice things in the cave.

A snort and a grunt from the forgotten side of the cave drew my attention, and seemingly for the first time, I realized I was not alone. Another dragon was stirring, seemingly coming out of a deep sleep. Up until that point, I had been lucid enough to still have my mental faculties, but the sight of another grown dragon made me realize that she might try to take the things I had gathered for myself. I felt what was left of my logic slip away as a red haze began to seep into my vision.

With a mighty roar that shook the cavern, I charged the dragoness.

”...c’mon Spike, come back. There you are. Easy now, don’t try to sit up. Just rest.”

I came around sometime later, my clarity of thought restored, yet sluggish. I could tell I was laying down even though I hadn’t opened my eyes yet, and someone was holding my head in their hands as the world slowly came back to me. As my senses completely reawakened, a steady throbbing pain became noticeable on my right temple, and I groaned as it pulsed in time with my heartbeat. Through the annoying pain and the murky thoughts of what had happened, I tried to place the voice I was hearing to a face I knew. For some reason, I just couldn’t seem to identify it, though the voice was frustratingly familiar. I decided to try opening my eyes, and while it felt like lead weights were attached to my eyelids, I managed to slowly pry them open.

The late afternoon sky was the first thing I saw, its subtle oranges, purples, and reds painting a beautiful transition into night. The sky was marred by only a few puffy clouds, and the air was just chilly enough to let anyone know that winter was on the way. Turning my head to the right, I found myself looking up at the one holding me: another blue dragoness, with two front-facing horns curling from the sides and two more curved, ridged horns going back over her head. Unlike the one from before, she was roughly pony-sized; a dragon lord clan mark was proudly displayed on her forehead, but it was her warm, ruby-red eyes that drew me in.

“...E-Ember?” I croaked, not believing what I was seeing.

The dragoness smiled down at me and nodded, her eyes dancing with amusement. “Long time no-see, Spike.” I pushed myself up, wincing as I did so. “Easy, easy. Not so fast, now. Take it slow; you’ve been through a lot, today.”

My entire body ached as if I had just been through the harshest workout of my life. I felt like I could eat the entirety of Canterlot Palace kitchens and leave nothing, and I also felt like I needed to sleep for the next week or two. With Ember’s help, I was able to bring myself to a sitting position, though my muscles protested every movement. I was still as naked as the day I hatched, but that was unimportant at the moment.

“W-what happened? Where am I?” I muttered, holding the throbbing side of my head with a grimace.

“Well,” Ember began, a tone of mischief in her voice, “we’re at the foot of what used to be three mountains. Now, it’s more like two and a half.”

Shaking my head slightly, I grumbled, “What do you mean two and...a half…?” My words trailed off as I took a look around, and noticed that the center mountain -- the one I had been in -- was now collapsed upon itself. My mouth dropped open, and my pain was momentarily overridden by shock and a sense of self-loathing. “Oh…”

“If it allays your shame, technically speaking, you were defending yourself and your loved ones.”

I turned my head toward the new voice, and saw Luna standing before me in a midnight blue tunic, cotton trousers, and boots -- much to Rarity’s annoyance, Luna always preferred function over fashion. She had a longsword strapped to her hip, and her right hand was wrapped in bloody bandages.

Noticing my gaze had focused on the bandages themselves, Luna chuckled wryly and explained, “The head of a full-grown dragon is not exactly soft, dear Spike.” I silently pointed to the tender part of my head, and Luna nodded solemnly. “Suffice to say, you were beyond reason, so I was forced to incapacitate you. Worry not: save for some raw knuckles and bruising, I am unharmed.”

Letting out a slow breath, I nodded to her. “Thanks, Auntie Luna. Sorry you had to be called here on my account.” Suddenly realizing I was forgetting something, I glanced around the open field. “Wait, where’s that other dragoness?”

The look that Luna gave Ember, and the embarrassed expression Ember wore, worried me. Luna simply nodded to her and announced, “I will give you some time to speak.” With that said, Luna fluffed her wings and walked off to a tree a dozen or so feet away, taking a seat on the opposite side of it.

Once Luna was deemed far enough away, I turned my gaze toward Ember, who still looked embarrassed, and even a little ashamed. “What’s going on, Ember?”

Releasing a drawn-out breath, the dragoness finally brought her eyes to mine as she shifted closer to me and wrapped her wing around me, pressing her warm body to mine. After a few false starts, where she would open her mouth, only to close it again, she finally began speaking. “That dragoness won’t be bothering any of you again, Spike. I made sure of that.” The look of horror on my face must have been quite noticeable, since Ember rapidly shook her head and waved her claw frantically. “No, no, no! I didn’t kill her, I just made sure she will be leaving you and Equestria alone from now on.”

Catching my breath from the sudden mini-heart attack, I nodded absently. “O-okay. Geeze Ember, don’t do that to me. I mean, she needed to go, but I wouldn’t have been able to handle getting rid of her that way.” The question went a bit unanswered, though. “Wait...how did you get her to leave?”

Bobbing her head from side to side, Ember reached back and scratched the back of her head. “Honestly, it wasn’t that hard. I know you don’t remember, but you did a number on her, so she was more...well, shall we say, pliant.”

I began to get the feeling she was deliberately avoiding telling me exactly what she did, and that worried me. “Ember...what’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”

She shifted nervously, and while it was clear she was uncomfortable, a part of me still enjoyed the comforting contact. Seemingly deciding on a plan of action, Ember began, “Okay, before I tell you, I just want you to know that I said what I did because it was the only way to permanently get rid of her without having to kill or disfigure her. I also want to apologize beforehand, because...well…”

The sound of fluffed feathers nearby made me aware of Luna’s return, as she walked over and took a knee, placing a hand on Ember’s back. “Go on, Ember. He needs the truth. Trust in your friendship.”

Ember’s, dare I say, cute lip-bite told me how nervous she was, so I brought my hand over and took hers. She jumped at the contact, but looked to my eyes as I locked my gaze with hers. “Look, Ember, I know we haven’t really spoken in awhile, but you’re still my friend. Whatever you had to say or do, that doesn’t-”

“I told her that she was poaching what didn’t belong to her, and I used what happened at the Gauntlet of Fire as grounds to claim you for myself!” she blurted in a Pinkie-esque rush, turning her face away from me as she cringed.

Due to the speed of the words, it took me a few moments to decipher what she had said, but when I did, “...what exactly do you mean by ‘claim’? And why does it have anything to do with what happened during the Gauntlet?”

Ember refused to look at me, but took a few deep breaths and spoke. “The Gauntlet of Fire was a contest to decide who would become the dragon lord of the Narrowscales, and you won, Spike. By winning, and by taking the Bloodstone Scepter, the right to be the dragon lord was yours.” Despite how much this situation clearly pained her to explain, she smiled when she continued with, “But then...you showed a generosity that no dragon has ever shown before. You took the Scepter -- a prize that you won fairly, despite your friends -- and you willingly gave it to me.” She shook her head with a dry chuckle. “The Scepter isn’t just some pretty trinket, Spike. Besides being a sort of ‘badge of office’, it gives a dragon lord a degree of control over fire itself, and even the volcanoes in the dragon lands. Even if the other dragons don't like the one who wields the Scepter, they are still respected due to the power they command, and their hard-won place as a dragon lord. Even though you didn't know it at the time, you passed all that on to me, simply in the name of friendship.”

She chucked ruefully, holding her tail the same way I did whenever I was really anxious. “What you did that day...it's never happened before.” She went silent for a few moments before looking to me again. “Traditionally, whenever a dominant dragon bestows a gift of that magnitude to another of the opposite sex, they usually become mates -- that's because things usually don't get to that point until the two have known each other for quite some time. However, because we barely knew each other, you were so young at the time, and you honestly had no idea what other connotations your action had, nothing came of it.”

Throughout her explanation, all the pieces slowly fell into place, but this only caused more issues than it solved. “So what you're saying is, when you told that other dragoness that you ‘claimed’ me, you were essentially just following through with what should have happened in the first place." Hesitating briefly, she answered with a silent nod. This only caused the majority of the blood in my body to seemingly congregate in my face as I just barely avoided fainting.

Noticing the symptoms of an impending freak out, I took a deep breath, held it for three seconds, and then exhaled to keep my heart from jumping into my throat or out of my chest. After repeating the process a few more times, I felt calm enough to work through this new issue. ‘Okay,’ I thought to myself, ‘so by just being a good friend and giving the reigns of leadership to Ember -- who is far more qualified to lead than I am -- I essentially publicly proclaimed that I wanted her for my own. I had thought she was blushing because she was awkward and embarrassed by making a friend; turns out, she was embarrassed because to her and every other dragon, it looked like stupid little me had a crush on her or something.’

Turning my eyes back to Ember, I thought about her as an individual, in that way. After all: if this really was a thing, I needed to at least consider the possibility.

Being a dragoness instead of a mammal, Ember was built quite a bit differently than a pony female was. First of all, she was taller than most, more muscular, and was lacking any mammary structures -- dragons hatched from eggs, after all, and they were ready to eat solid food from the moment they're born. Her legs were a more primal shape, being more akin to those of a quadrupedal predator; this made sense, since dragons were able to run just as well on all fours as they could on two legs. Though lacking the bountiful chest ponies had, it still had a gentle slope to it, and her hips and hindquarters were distinctly feminine (and alluring, I might add). Her hide, though mostly a uniform sky-blue, had what I could only imagine were the dragon equivalent of freckles on parts of her body, offering darker blue accents that accentuated her unique look, along with a line of four cyan spots under each eye. What drew me in the most, however, were her vivid carmine eyes situated on an almost dainty face.

Yes, she was quite attractive, and if I were honest with myself, I kinda sorta had a crush on her when I was little.

More than that, though, she was the first dragon that proved to me that they weren't all greedy jerks, and I wasn't the only one that felt that I sometimes didn't belong. Before the long silence between us, we had sent letters at least every week, if not every other day. Through those letters, I got to know a cheeky, witty dragoness that had aspirations to bring her people to a new age of intellectual advancement, to show the world that dragons like me could be the norm, not the exception. While she didn't have a formal education like I did, she was very intelligent (which, because of Celestia and Twilight, was a trait I placed high value on), and she loved to learn about the world outside of the dragon lands. And, even though she put on a tough front for the outside world, she was actually quite bubbly in private. She was certainly the kind or person I could be friends with, and if I were completely honest, I’d had daydreams in the past of it going further than that.

“What’s on your mind, Spike? You’ve been frown-thinking for a few minutes, now.”

Ember’s voice brought me out of my mental review, and without thinking about it, I blurted out, “I was thinking about you.” Glancing at her face, I saw as a noticeable tremor ran through her at my words, and I mentally facepalmed at my stupidity. “No, I meant…” I sighed heavily, turning from under her wing so I could look at her properly. “It’s just...what does this all mean to you, Ember? Was what you did simply the best way to handle a bad situation, or is there an underlying motive behind it?” Raising my hand, I revealed the faint scars of the wyrm bite wound that had healed along with my ribs during my recent growth. “I know it was you that sent that wyrm pup, so I need to know: were you just checking up on me to keep me safe, or is there something more behind your actions?”

Dragons didn’t blush the same way ponies did. Because of their scales and thick hides, blood could only be seen through the frills on the head, and the the soft spines. Due to this, when Ember blushed, her head spines flushed a deeper blue, almost purple color, which was what was happening at that moment.

“W-well, I uh…” she mumbled, turning her face away in what I imagined was embarrassment. Much as I was serious about my questioning, I couldn’t help but notice how adorable the suddenly bashful dragoness could be.

Again taking her hand in mine, I gave a comforting squeeze. “Hey, I’m not going to judge you, and neither is Luna.” At this, the alicorn nodded as we both briefly looked at her, and she smiled to us as I continued. “I just need to know where we stand, and what both of us feel. I’ll start: when I was little, I had a crush on you. You were -- and still are -- an eye-catching dragoness, and you have a personality to match. You’re strong, proud, and cunning in ways I wish I could be, and I admire you for your leadership abilities. I never thought of the two of us being more than just friends -- you were just an unattainable ideal for a young, foolish drake, and I knew it was likely nothing would ever come of it -- but I can admit that the potential for a deeper relationship between the two of us exists, for sure. So, that’s why I’m asking: did you do what you did just to save me and keep me safe, or was there an additional motive behind it?”

At the contact of our hands, her spines flushed darker, but she tightened the grip and breathed slowly for a few moments of silence. After seemingly settling herself, she turned back to me and focused intensely on my eyes. “Dragons generally don’t become mated for love or physical attraction, Spike. Usually, it’s due to who’s the strongest, or the biggest, or the most willing to fight for their right to be with a certain mate. My mom and dad were only the twentieth pair to break that mold in all the history of the dragons, and honestly, I thought I would have to stick to tradition on that aspect of my life.” Her expression softened a bit, and she smiled a tiny, fragile smile at me. “But then, I met you. When we first met, and the few years after, you were just too young for me to even consider anything like that with you. But then, not only did you grow physically, but I got to know you through our letters. I learned how smart and kind you were, and how you showed a loyalty to your home and friends that most dragons couldn’t even fake, even if they wanted to. I learned that you have a silly, dorky sense of humor that can always put a smile on my face, even when life was particularly grim, and I can’t tell you how much I treasure that about you.” Her smile was affectionate, even loving, but then she sighed and lowered her gaze. “But I have to return to the dragon lands, and I know you wouldn't leave your home for anyone, so beyond the title I've claimed with you, there can't be something more.”

Realizing what she meant, I could only nod sadly, knowing that our conflicting duties and loyalties wouldn't allow us to leave our homes for any significant length of time. With a forlorn expression, I found myself asking, “Do you wish it were different? Do you wish we had the luxury to find out where this could go?” I punctuated the latter part of my statement with another firm squeeze of her hand, which she immediately returned.

It took a few moments of silence, but eventually, “...yeah. I'm sorry about not returning your letters, but that's part of the reason why: I was basically trying to wean myself away from your friendship, because I doubted if we'd ever see each other again. Thorax has helped us a lot, and I even see Starlight Glimmer from time to time, but there's just too much back in the dragon lands that needs my attention. My people have to come first, and I'm going to make sure I'm worthy to be called a dragon lord.”

Nodding solemnly, I released her hand. “I can respect that. I don't like that we hardly ever get to see each other, but I've also learned that being a part of the bells and whistles of a nation means you have to do a lot of things you don't want to do, for the good of the majority.”

Pulling away from her warm body and out from the shelter of her wing, I carefully stood before reaching down and pulling her up with me. Before she could react, I pulled her in close for a hug, holding her tightly as she slowly returned the gesture with equal fervor. I savored the moment, realizing how much I had missed her.

“No matter what, I'll always care about you, and we'll always be friends, Ember. Never doubt that.” I whispered to her gently. She responded by momentarily squeezing me a bit tighter before releasing me.

She stepped back and took a deep breath before breathing magenta flames on her hands. Much like the larger dragoness from earlier, Ember began drawing odd characters in the air. After a line of them were formed, she twirled her fingers and they rolled into a circle and shrank, then retreated to the palm of her hand.

Ember looked at me with an apologetic expression. “Do you trust me?” I nodded, and she approached me with her marked hand held up. She brought it to the right side of my neck, just above my collarbone, and sighed. “This is going to hurt. Brace yourself.” I nodded and did as she said as she brought her hand to press against my neck.

Being a dragon, I was unaware just what a burn felt like, so needless to say, feeling it for the first time was a shock. For the first time I could remember, heat was painful, and I had to grit my teeth and tense my entire body to keep from jerking away. Luckily, it only lasted a few seconds before the burning was replaced with an oddly pleasant wet sensation on the burn itself. I pried open my eyes and looked over to see Ember’s face tilted down, and she was darting her forked tongue out to coat the burn in thick saliva. While I felt this was odd and even a little gross, it was soothing the pain, so I stood still, blushed like a whelp, and trusted that Ember knew what she was doing.

After one final pass, Ember pulled away, also flushed, and cleared her throat. “All right, your turn.”

…
…

“I have no idea what you just did, or how to do it.”

Ember nodded and stepped behind me, pressing herself against my wings and back as she took my wrists in her hands. Her slightly larger form allowed her to easily rest her head next to mine as she explained, “It's a physical claim mark, used between mates to show others who ‘belongs’ to who. It's a little outdated, but with you being so small for your age, it's the only thing that's going to get rid of other dragonesses, should they show up. Now, get some flames on those hands, and point your index fingers.” I did as she instructed, and breathed a gentle stream of emerald fire on my hands. She then guided my wrists, drawing shapes in the air with my flames as she narrated, “This is your name in what ponies call ‘Drakespeak’. I'd love to teach you more about what dragons are truly capable of, and the language itself, but right now I don't have the time or materials to do that.”

She then did the same roll and flicking motion with my hand, and the characters rolled up and shrank before settling onto my right palm. She stepped out from behind and took her place in front of me, tilting her head slightly as she pointed to the right side of her neck. “Press your palm here and hold it there until you feel the warmth fade. When you do that, focus on the good memories you have of me, the ones that make you happiest; that activates the brand.”

Nodding to show I understood, I reached my hand out, hesitating briefly before placing my hand on her neck. I focused on the happiest memories I had of Ember, and oddly found them to be the correspondence we held through the letters. Immediately, a gentle warmth emanated through my hand, yet Ember immediately tensed up and whimpered before holding still. Watching her standing there suffering ignited a spark within me, and I quickly closed the distance and wrapped my free arm around her waist, pulling her against me. She responded by snaking her own arms around my body and under my wings as she held herself close and breathed in a stuttered manner, likely to keep from outright yelling in pain.

Luckily, after only a few seconds, the warmth in my hand faded, and the sizzling sound stopped. While still clinging to me, Ember relaxed ever so slightly, so I took her actions as inspiration and extended my tongue, beginning to gently coat the affected area in my thick saliva after I removed my hand. Almost immediately, I heard a gasp from her, and her grip tightened once again, her claws kneading the muscles on my back. One of her legs also curled around my back as she forced our midsections together, and she spread her wings wide as she began breathing a bit faster. Now, I knew what all this seemed like, and I’ll admit my mind wandered a bit as I continued my ministrations, but it wasn’t until Ember let out a soft, girly moan that I felt my more primal instincts fighting against my will to do to this dragoness exactly what she wanted. It was made infinitely harder when she whispered my name in my ear, but I finished coating the brand and pulled back my head to look Ember in the eyes.

Contrary to normal, she looked at me with a definite note of longing and desire, along with a vulnerability that I had never seen in her before. I’ll admit it: it was hot.

Seemingly realizing what she had done, and the compromising position we were in, Ember dropped to both of her own feet again and nearly jumped away from me as her spines somehow lit up in a blush even darker than before, and she refused to look at me. I knew what the embarrassed “just kill me now” feeling looked like, as both Twilight and I had experienced it many times before. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to say anything without making the situation even more embarrassing, so I just kept silent and waited for her to speak.

“That, uh…” she finally began, clearing her throat twice and rolling her hand in the air, “so that just happened. I wasn’t expecting that at all.”

I nodded, reaching and scratching the back of my head with a sheepish smile. “Yeah. I swear I wasn’t trying to get you off or anything, I was just doing for you what you did for me.”

She nodded immediately and answered, “I-I know. I wasn’t expecting it either. Let’s just, uh...pretend that didn’t happen and I still have my dignity.”

“Good plan.”

Both of us jumped at the voice, and slowly turned to see Luna still standing there, a small smirk on her lips. It seemed that in our focus, we had both completely forgotten she was there.

After a moment of staring and doing a good impression of a suffocating fish, Ember covered her face in her hands and groaned. “Right, I’m going to go back to the dragon lands and kill myself, now. Spike, I’ll write you. Bye.” Without another word, Ember blasted into the air, quickly gaining speed and altitude until she disappeared in the darkening sky.

Luna stepped beside me and passed me my clothes, as well as my pack. “Worry not, I will not tease either of you about this -- it was a personal moment, and though I was a spectator, it is private and will remain so. Get dressed and I will teleport us to Ponyville.”

Nodding absently, I began dressing myself. “Sounds good. Where’s Rainbow?”

“She was beyond exhausted by her frantic flight, so I lay her down in a guest room in the palace. You will see her tomorrow, I promise. And before you ask, Lyla is well, and recovering. She will rejoin you all in Ponyville in a few days.” Luna answered my questions, even the ones I hadn’t asked yet.

Again I nodded, smiling faintly. “Thanks for taking care of things, Auntie. I appreciate it.”

After I pulled my shirt on, I felt a warm hand settle on my shoulder, and I looked to see Luna’s brilliant eyes looking to me with nothing but love and affection. “Of course, Spike. You know I would do anything for you.” She paused. “Anything within reason.”

I chuckled at her response before pulling my pants on and buckling the belt. After being sure I had everything I needed, I stood next to Luna and nodded to her. “I’m actually staying with AJ tonight, so if you could get us somewhere near Sweet Apple Acres, I’d appreciate it.”

Luna nodded as she lit her horn with a bright spark, and I closed my eyes to prepare for the teleportation. I felt the grass leave my feet, and the world seemed to fall away.

With her eons of practice, Luna’s teleportation was as seamless and simple as walking from one room to another. There was no snap-crack discharge of magic, and save for the fact we hadn’t actually moved our bodies, it was as easy on the senses as stepping over a door threshold. I opened my eyes to see we were standing just in front of the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse, which was startlingly accurate for a long-distance teleport. I couldn’t help but stare at Luna in awe: with her occasionally immature mannerisms, it was hard to remember she was an alicorn that had seen and done more than anyone currently alive except her sister, and she had both the power and knowledge to put almost everyone but Twilight to utter shame.

“I wonder when I’ll stop being surprised by the things you can do.” I muttered, mostly to myself.

Luna smiled bashfully, nudging me with one of her wings and jerking her head to the farmhouse. “Goodnight, Spike. I will ensure your dreams are pleasant and free of troubles.” I nodded to her as she lit her horn again, and other than a bright flash, there was no evidence she had been standing beside me a moment before.

I smiled to myself and strode up the steps to the porch, offering a soft knock on the doorframe. Only a few moments later, Applejack opened the door and ushered me inside, only to stop and gasp as she saw what was on my neck.

“Landsakes...Spike, what is that on yer neck?” I felt as she reached out and touched it, immediately whipping her hand away and grimacing. “Blegh….and why’s it slimy?”

I walked with her to the family room and helped her ease down onto the sofa with me, setting my bag down beside me and grinning as I conspiratorially answered, “Have I got a story for you, AJ. Get comfortable, because today was wild, and I got some cool stuff to tell you.”

And so, we talked long into the night about my own adventure, and I excitedly regaled Applejack with what I had been through in just a day.

Chapter 12

“WHAT?!”

Twilight really had a pair of lungs in her, that was for sure.

The end of the previous night had been simple, with me regaling Applejack about what had happened during the day as we munched on fresh apple pie, washed down with her special spiced apple cider. There were some parts I left out, of course (the embarrassing bits of what happened between Ember and I, for example), but all the important bits were covered, and Applejack was awed at my story. And, while she seemed unhappy about me choosing to give into my greed like I did, she also was pleased that Rainbow Dash, Lyla, and I had all come out of it alive, and relatively unharmed.

Twilight, however, was another matter entirely.

I met Twilight at the door to the castle when she arrived home sometime around mid-morning, and her smile immediately dropped when she saw the brand on my neck. This, of course, led to me having to explain to her what had happened, which was why I had taken a blast of the “traditional Ponyville librarian voice” at point-blank range.

I did a yawning motion a few times in an effort to get my ears to pop so I could hear again. When they finally did so, I looked to Twilight with a deadpan expression. “Are you ready to calm down and listen, or do I need to get some earplugs?” While externally, I was calm and even seemed bored by the outburst, inside, I was making plans on how I would keep Twilight from rushing to the dragon lands and “putting that blasted dragoness in her place” (her words, not mine).

Twilight did the motions for the breathing exercise that Cadence had taught her so long ago, and it still worked to calm her down. After getting herself under some semblance of control, she looked to me with righteous fury, though it was tightly contained. With clenched teeth, she growled, “This had better be good, or that dragoness is going to get a personal visit from me, and the dragon lands is going to become short a few mountains.”

The statement caught me a little off guard, so I had to ask for clarification. “Wait...you’re not mad at Ember?”

Twilight held her angry regality for a moment before slumping, her wings hanging listlessly instead of folding properly. She looked tired, and worn out, as if she hadn’t slept all night -- which, if she was as worried about me as I assumed she was, that was probably the case. She shook her head wearily as she walked over to her throne in the map room, flopping down on it with a lazy exhalation of breath. “No Spike, I’m not angry with Ember. I understand that dragons do things very differently from ponies, and I know that most ponies would find it absolutely abhorrent that part of their traditional practices involves branding their mates with their name -- which I didn’t think was possible, due to the nigh-immunity to heat. But, I traveled with you through the dragon lands, and I learned that I can’t relate their practices to those of ponies, because they are very different. This is just a part of their culture that I have to accept, and I’ll make sure the others are aware of all of it so they don’t completely lose it.”

I winced as I thought about the reaction Rarity and Fluttershy would have. “...yeah, I’d appreciate that.”

“Anyhow,” she continued quietly, “besides the fact the dragoness was essentially going to foalnap a member of the royal family -- which, legally, you are -- she was taking you away from me, and Rarity, and Lyla...you see where I’m going with this?” She let out a long sigh, bringing a hand to rub between her eyes. “Because of your status within Equestria, there are quite a few laws that can be brought against her.” She raised her free hand and began counting off, “You’re a diplomat for relations between the dragon lands and Equestria, you’re a part of the Council of Friendship, you’re close friends with Thorax, the leader of the new changelings, you’re a citizen of great importance to the Crystal City for your work there, not to mention the fact that you’re the adopted son of one of the Two Sisters, and the beloved nephew of the other. Spike,” she breathed out a few more times, likely trying to keep from having another outburst, “...this could have started a war -- you’re that important, and this idiot dragoness thought she was going to subvert our laws and your rights as an Equestrian citizen. The only -- and I mean only -- reason the entire special forces unit hasn’t been mobilized with Luna at the helm to take her into custody by force is the fact that it would cause too many problems for Ember and our relationship with the rest of the dragon clans. But,” she removed her hand from her face and looked at me sorrowfully, “we can’t let this lay as it is, Spike. As much as I wish we could just sweep this under the rug and forget about it, the collapsing of a mountain and the sounds of a dragon fight nearby has been witnessed by too many, and it’s only a matter of time before this event goes public in some way. We have to take action, and there are only two possible options that will lay this to rest without too much fallout.”

Taking my seat in my (thankfully resized) throne beside her, I propped my head up on my hand and nodded to her. “All right, so what can we do?”

“Well,” she began, pulling herself up to sit more properly and fluffing her wings to settle them, “if we can somehow get the other dragon lords to denounce the actions of this one dragoness, we can call for a summit between Equestrian dignitaries and the other dragon lords so that we can come to a consensus about how to enact justice on the dragoness.” Twilight stopped suddenly, chuckling dryly. “Did she ever introduce herself? Do we even know her name?”

I shook my head, chuckling as well once I realized how stupid the situation was. “No, that never happened. She was basically handling me like a toy until I grew, at which point I wasn’t exactly in a talkative mood. To me, she’s just ‘the jerk dragoness,’ so that’s what I’m gonna call her.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, that got a giggle out of Twilight, and she whapped me with the tip of her wing before she composed herself and nodded to me with a grin. “All right, fair enough. Anyway, I’m really hoping the first option is the one that works, because the second is...less desirable.”

I couldn't help but frown at her words. “Exactly how much less desirable are we talking?”

Again, Twilight began rubbing the space between her eyes. “If the other dragon lords are unwilling to denounce her actions and/or engage with us, it'll likely lead to Equestria marching sixty-thousand strong to the border, and Luna threatening to drop meteors on them if they don't give us the dragoness. I don't think I have to say why that route would be bad for dragon-pony relations.” Letting out yet another annoyed sigh, she shook her head ruefully. “If and when ponies find out what happened -- even if it’s just the most basic points about the event -- they are going to ask us what we did to handle the situation. Very few ponies know about what you did for us, but sooner or later, one of them is going to talk, and the public is going to demand answers. And, when what the dragoness tried to do finally comes to light, we either need to have already done something about it, or need to be in the process of bringing the aggressor to justice.” She opened her eyes and looked over at me, an expression of grim acceptance. “Ponies have to know that if something like this happens, the royal family is going to make sure they are safe and protected. To keep from losing the support of the public majority, we have to do something about this.”

I stared at Twilight for a few moments before dropping my head into my hands with a groan. “This is why I hate politics. Nothing can ever just be simple when politics are involved.”

“Don’t worry Spike, we’ll handle this.” she replied, and I felt as she rested her hand on my shoulder. “It’s going to take some clever diplomacy, but one way or another, we’re going to prevent an all-out war. I promise.”

I could only nod as I removed my face from my hands, looking forlornly to Twilight. “Of course, I’m sure the nobles are going to have a hayday with this. There are a few of them that still think I should be banished for being a liability, and they still haven’t let go of what happened on my tenth birthday.”

“They probably will kick up a fuss,” Twilight admitted with a resigned frown, “but they also know there isn’t much they can do about it. Legally, there’s nothing me, the girls, or even Celestia or Luna can do if they start causing trouble for you, so long as it's within the bounds of the law, but they also know that our political power and influence will overcome theirs, especially since you grew to protect Equestria, even though you weren’t aware of it during the fight itself. Motive determines quite a bit when it comes to politics, and your motive takes quite a bit of the heat off of you for ‘becoming a raging beast,’ as I’m sure they’ll try to say. Besides that, losing the support of so many powerful members of Equestrian society isn’t worth them pushing an agenda or narrative of some sort, and they know it.”

“Have I ever told you I hate politics?”

Twilight smiled gently at me and got out of her chair, walking to me and leaning down to hug me tightly. “Yes, quite a few times. I don’t particularly like them either, but I’m good at playing the game. Celestia’s basically been training me to be royalty since I was a filly, so I’m well aware of how to handle things should they try and somehow turn this against you. Don’t worry about it, Spike. You just focus on making sure you stay out of trouble, and...just keep being yourself. Your day to day life is mundane and uninteresting, so if you just stick to it, chances are they’ll lose interest when they find that there’s nothing they can do to ruffle you, at least not without hurting their relations with fifteen important political leaders across Equestria, the Crystal City, the badlands, and the dragon lands. As much as I know you don’t like using your friendships with us all to get favors, in instances like this, it helps to know people in high places.”

She was right, on the latter note. The only major incident that had happened was my first greed growth -- and, being a non-pony citizen, I made sure to keep a positive public reputation -- but I still didn’t like knowing that, if it weren’t for my relationship with these “Pillars of Equestrian Society” (as they had been called in the media, on a few occasions), I might have been banished or imprisoned for causing so much damage, even if it had been fixed. As it was, the only reason we were going to be able to spin this one as a positive was because there had been another dragon that had willingly illegally entered Equestrian borders and had outright refused to initiate a dialogue with the guard scouts that had found her. When it came down to it, even if they were more than willing to do so, I didn’t like knowing that my friends and adopted family had to stick their necks out for me because some of the less-accepting members of Equestria still had a hate-boner for me, after all these years.

Regardless…

“I think I should make a public appearance of some sort, before all of this comes to light through the rumor mill.” I grudgingly suggested. “As you said: they’re going to find out anyway, so I think it would be better if we released the details as a cohesive unit rather than let it happen without our hand in it. It’ll look better that way for all of us, and I’ll get to prove to the dissenting citizens that I’m not afraid of their petty slings and insults.”

Twilight nodded before standing, and unceremoniously taking a seat sideways in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her midsection without hesitation, and released a pleased grunt as she leaned against me. She released a gentle sigh as we sat silently for a few moments, before she nodded against me. “I was thinking the same. I’ve already passed the idea on to Celestia and Luna, so we’re going to be gathering for a public announcement tomorrow to ‘nip this in the bud’, as Applejack would say.”

I nodded as well, pleased that no matter what, I could always depend on Twilight to have forethought on important matters. “Sounds like a plan.”

I brought my right hand around her back and rubbed her stomach in slow circles, something that I’d found she especially enjoyed when she was stressed or feeling under the weather. Twilight released a pleased coo and I felt her nose nuzzle into the crook of my neck. For a few minutes, we just sat silently and bathed in the glow of our mutual love and affection -- much as work took up most of our daily life, it was important for us to remember to spend what little free time we had with those we cared about, even if it was only for a short time. Twilight had it the easiest, of course, since we lived together, but her days were also far more full than any of our other friends, so our time together was often spent a few minutes at a time between work, or the short hour or so during meals and before bed.

“So what about Ember?”

Though she wasn’t looking up at me, still comfortably nestled against my body, I still glanced down at her from the corner of my eye. “What about her? I mean, there’s not much to say, other than her promise that we’re going to keep in contact better from now on.”

Twilight reached up and rubbed below the brand on the opposite side of my neck. “Dragons don’t do this on a whim, Spike. A mate’s brand is permanent, as I’m sure you know, so Ember feels for you quite a bit stronger than just a passing fancy. She’s a bit hot-headed at times, and is still learning as far as friendship is concerned, but she doesn’t strike me as the type to jump headlong into something like this without it meaning something more.”

Slowly, I nodded my acquiescence. “Yeah, I agree, but she made it clear that unless something changes, there’s nothing that can really happen between us. Other than sporadic visits here and there, she has to stay in the dragon lands, and I need to stay here.”

Twilight was silent for a few long moments before she spoke again. “...I don’t want to get your hopes up, Spike, but I’ve been working on something in secret that could help. I don’t want to reveal what it is just yet, but if you had the opportunity to have a steady relationship with Ember, would you?”

I didn’t even need to think about it, after having all night to go over it in my head. “Yes, of course.”

“Good,” she answered lightly. “If nothing else, I'm sure Ember would be happy to know you take her and her feelings seriously.”

I shrugged, as if it were an odd thing for me. “I mean of course I do; I take all of your feelings seriously. It would be insensitive and mean of me to do otherwise.”

Before I could comment further, the sound of the bottom floor door opening caught our attention. Twilight and I glanced at each other briefly before we both stood, Twilight grabbing me with her magic aura as I closed my eyes to prepare for the imminent teleport. After the lurching sensation ended, I opened my eyes to see we had arrived in the “traditional” throne room, and at the long end of the hall stood a familiar pink-coated unicorn with a violet and teal mane, suitcase in hand and knapsack still secured to her back. She seemed to be simply basking in the warm feeling of the castle she called home, eyes closed and a gentle smile upon her lips.

Twilight, of course, couldn’t contain herself, and only briefly called out to our close friend and roommate before she practically cannonballed into Starlight Glimmer with all the excitement of Pinkie on a sugar high. I imagine Starlight would have been far more upset had Twilight not conjured a poofy plush purple pillow and teleported her luggage safely a few feet to the right. As it was, Starlight Glimmer just giggled as she hugged her friend back, obviously enjoying the welcome home just as much as Twilight did.

I slowly made my way over to the hugging mares, only barely restraining my laughter, and just allowed them to enjoy the affectionate moment in peace. I’ll admit, even though royal duties kept us busy, Starlight’s presence and support had been something we both missed over the past few months of her tour of Equestria. The once-student of Twilight was now an expert in her friendship studies, but even though Twilight had long ago said there was nothing more about friendship she could teach the unicorn, Starlight had voiced her desire to stay regardless, and Twilight had wholeheartedly replied that she also didn’t want her student to leave. If I was honest with myself, I liked having Starlight around as well, so I shared the sentiment. True that often meant having to tolerate Trixie, but the showpony’s friendship with Starlight had done her a lot of good, so it was “baggage” I was willing to accept for the sake of having a good friend around.

A few minutes passed before I finally cleared my throat, causing both mares to look up at me. Upon Twilight realizing she was lying on top of the unicorn, and upon the unicorn realizing she had been nuzzling Twilight’s face with great affection in front of another, they both lit up with fierce blushes that made me finally chuckle aloud. Twilight shot to her hooves immediately, and offered a hand to Starlight so she could stand as well.

Starlight straightened out her blue camisole and fixed her silky hair with magic before smiling and walking to me, embracing me tightly as well. Granted she didn’t tackle me like Twilight had her, but I could tell by the firmness of the embrace just how much she missed being home, and I returned it with gusto.

“It’s good to have you back, Starlight.” I whispered to her with care.

She nodded with a muted giggle. “It’s good to be back, Spike.” She pulled away briefly before her smile morphed to a frown. She again embraced me, pulling back, then doing so once again. I could only stare in confusion before she pulled away the last time and inspected me with her focused gaze. Just as I started to become uncomfortable, she asked, “Spike, have you grown?”

Thinking back to the odd thought this morning that my clothes seemed somehow more snug than usual, I glanced to Twilight, who nodded emphatically. “I knew I wasn’t just imagining things! Spike, you have grown, just since yesterday!”

“Did something happen yesterday?” Starlight questioned, concern flashing in her eyes.

I took a long inhalation and nodded. “Yeah. You might want to take a seat though, as this is going to take some time.”

Twilight had been kind enough to brew some tea for us as we chatted, which left us to relax as I recounted my recent “adventure”. To put it simply, Starlight was stunned.

For a minute or two, all Starlight was able to do was stare, slack-jawed, after I finished my recollection. I wisely chose to ignore the growl she had made earlier when I told her the larger dragoness had tried to foalnap me, but now it was clear she definitely felt strongly about all that had happened. I couldn’t say why exactly, but it was obvious she was shocked that something like this could happen without her hearing about it.

“...wow. Okay, umm…” she intelligently mumbled, again falling silent as she closed her mouth and sat back to think for a moment. “That’s certainly something. A whole lot of somethings, actually.” She pointed to my neck, upon which the brand was proudly displayed. “So, with that mark, you’re basically married to a dragon lord, now?”

I felt a flush crawl up my neck and face as I realized she was accurate in her analysis. “I can’t say I thought of that, but yeah, you’re right. Dragons don’t exactly have marriages like ponies do, but yes, we’re officially bound for life with these marks. Not magically or anything, but any dragon that sees them will know what they mean, and who we ‘belong’ to.” I shrugged helplessly. “This isn’t exactly the way I thought things would happen in my life, but I learned pretty early on to go with the flow and adapt, so here I am. Nonetheless, even though it wasn’t the primary reason for it, being bound to Ember can only help Equestria’s relationship with dragons, even if just in small ways.”

Again Starlight’s mouth had gone slack from the information, but she quickly shook her head to compose herself before chuckling softy. “I have to be honest, I always thought you’d propose to Rarity or something. Did you give up on that while I was gone?”

“…we're not married, but actually...”

She was staring again. “No way. Really?” She pouted adorably and huffed. “I swear, I missed all the fun stuff when I was gone.”

“I also, kinda sorta, started a herd…”

“Seriously, what the hay, Spike?” Starlight blurted, followed by a laugh. “Were you just waiting for me to leave before you did all kinds of crazy stuff?”

I brushed off her playful accusation with a chuckle of my own. “Nah, it just kinda happened that way. Anyhow it’s Rarity, Lyla, and…” I glanced subtly to Twilight.

Twilight decided to pick it up from there. “And me, Starlight. Spike and I are together. I um...I hope that doesn’t make things weird between us, y’know, with us living together and all.”

Starlight continued laughing and just shook her head. This continued for a minute before she finally calmed down enough to reply. “Honestly, I’m more surprised it took this long. You two were dancing around each other for years; I expected this sooner. I’m just a little disappointed I missed you two getting together.” She shrugged and took a long sip of her tea, closing her eyes and savoring the simple black tea with lemon. After taking a moment to enjoy the hot beverage, she opened her eyes and looked back to us. “Apparently you’ve forgotten all the embarrassing moments we’ve shared together, Twilight. I’ve walked in on both of you naked at least twice each, I’ve caught both of you reading less-than-innocent material more than a few times, and there was even that one time where I caught you in your study with a ‘private apparatus’ shaped like a dragon’s-”

“Okay, that’s enough! We get it!” Twilight cut in loudly, a furious blush on her cheeks that reached all the way to the tips of her ears.

Unfortunately for her, my curiosity was piqued. If what I assumed was true… “A dragon’s what, Twilight?” I’ll admit, my grin was decidedly predatory as I watched her freeze and shiver ever so slightly. She slowly turned to face me, still blushing brightly, as she did her goldfish imitation. After a few moments of her gaping silently, and me trying my darndest not to laugh, I prodded, “Twilight, have you been doing naughty things in the study?”

While most of the teasing was because Twilight was adorable when she was embarrassed, I admit, the thought of her pleasuring herself with something shaped like a certain part of me was more than a little arousing. Thoughts for another time, I suppose, when she’s comfortable enough to open herself up to me that way.

“Twilight, we’re just teasing you.” Starlight assured with a warm smile. She placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “What you do in private is your own business, and neither of us are going to judge you for it. It’s a natural act that everypony does at some point or another -- some more than others -- but it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ve done it, Spike’s done it,” while I blushed a bit, I nodded, “and I’m pretty sure all your friends have done it.” Starlight paused briefly. “Except maybe Pinkie Pie. I don’t think she even knows what sex is.”

I wisely chose not to mention some of the teasing Pinkie Pie has given me over the years.

Twilight’s blush had not abated, and now she was holding her head in her hands, as if trying to hide away from the world as she grumbled, “That’s several images I won’t be getting out of my head anytime soon. Thanks, Starlight.”

The unicorn giggled and rubbed Twilight’s shoulder soothingly. “It’s okay, Twi. I’m just trying to help you realize that what you feel -- and sometimes do -- is completely natural, and normal. Honestly, with as much as an academic as you are, I had figured you to already think like that, but that’s beside the point.” She scooted closer to Twilight and pulled her into a tight embrace, setting her cheek next to her mentor’s. “You don’t have to be embarrassed around us. I can’t speak for your other friends, but with us, at least, it’s okay to talk about this stuff, and we’ll never judge you. If it wasn’t clear already, I’m perfectly fine with you and Spike being an item, and I’m actually happy for both of you. I just ask that if and when you both decide to become physical, please lock the door and activate the silencing crystal in your room. That’s one thing I’d really prefer not to walk in on.”

Twilight’s face was still flushed, but she was clearly enjoying the hug and had a warm smile on her face now as she affectionately rubbed her cheek against Starlight’s. “Thanks, Star, for being so understanding about all this. I really missed having you here to help me realize when I’m being silly.”

Starlight pulled away from Twilight slightly, just enough to look her in the eyes as she gestured to me. “I’m sure Spike will agree that your ‘silliness’ is one of the things we love about you. Never change, Twilight.” When Twilight looked to me, I offered a firm nod and a smile of my own, which seemed to comfort her.

“So,” Starlight began, pulling fully away from Twilight and levitating her knapsack to her lap, “let me regale you with my travels, if you both have the time.”

I caught Twilight’s eyes briefly before nodding to Starlight. “For you, we have all the time in the world.”

Starlight’s stories weren’t as wild as mine was, but they were still important, and told a lot about how the neighboring nations were living and growing. Griffonstone, for example, had just opened its first set of businesses and lodging specifically catered toward ponies, which meant their tourism industry was about to boom. Minos was still in the midst of a civil war, while the neighboring badlands were slowly becoming greener as the magic of the new changelings brought life back to the wasteland. The several zebra nations (none of which I could pronounce...or spell, for that matter) had just passed a law as one that would outlaw slavery within their borders, which was sure to bring in a new era of progress for their people.

The most interesting story, however, was about a place we long thought only a myth.

“Wait wait wait,” Twilight interrupted, her quill writing furiously as she struggled to take everything down, “Atlantis has reappeared?”

Starlight nodded excitedly. “It has! Oh, it was amazing to see the mythical ‘floating island’ for myself.” She then narrowed her eyes and pointed to the parchment in Twilight’s magical grasp. “You also might want to note that by ‘floating’, the legends apparently didn’t mean on just the ocean.”

I quite clearly heard as the tip of the quill punctured the parchment, and Twilight lowered it to stare intensely at Starlight. “You mean…?”

She nodded with an almost manic grin. “It’s in the sky, Twilight! An entire landmass, just floating in the sky! It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen! I wasn’t able to get close enough to get a reading on the energy fields, but there’s something very interesting going on to cause it, some sort of anti-gravity tech or magic.”

“That’s insane.” I voiced with no small amount of surprise. “I mean, up until now, that place was just a legend, from before the time when alicorns even existed. Imagine how differently the flora and fauna evolved, isolated from the rest of the world for ten thousand years. Did you catch sight of any seaponies?”

Starlight shook her head, still grinning. “No, I wasn't so fortunate, but I saw what looked like architecture built into the cliffs.”

Twilight nodded as she continued taking notes. “I'm sure Celestia will want to send research teams to scout the location as soon as possible. Where did you last see it?”

“In the Placid Sea, heading slowly northeast, about a week ago. I came home immediately after I spotted it.” Starlight answered with a frown. “I can only hope it hasn't somehow changed its heading, or it could be anywhere by now.”

“I don’t think it’ll be too hard to find a giant floating island, and there aren’t any flying species near that part of the continent anyway.” Twilight assured as she literally wrapped up her notes, rolling the scroll and tying it with a lavender bow before handing it to me. I blew a puff of emerald fire over the parchment and watched it turn into ash, carried away by magic toward Canterlot. Twilight then stood from her spot beside Starlight and stretched, her wings flaring wide in an impressive display of plumage. I admit, I stared for a few moments at the sight, wishing I could touch them.

Starlight stood as well, glancing between the two of us. “So, what do the two of you say to lunch at Sugarcube Corner? My treat.”

While Twilight and I were likely thinking the same thing -- Starlight shouldn’t waste her money paying for two people that practically have to fight with most restaurants to even pay -- the gesture was appreciated, and Starlight wasn’t even close to being poor. We both nodded our acceptance to her and I answered, “Sounds good, Star. I’m sure Pinkie will be happy to see you again, if she doesn’t already know you’re here.”

Walking through Ponyville with attractive mares was always a fun experience for me. Everypony in town knew Twilight and I were together by now, so seeing Starlight on my other side garnered quite a few interesting looks from the locals. The majority of the stallions gave me a thumb-up or a smile and nod, and I would often get a look of profound approval from the mares who had seen me grow up over the years.

The looks that made the walk interesting were those from tourists, or Twilight’s (thankfully few) would-be courtiers. Those from the smaller towns or neighboring nations were usually more focused on me than Twilight, since alicorns in Equestria were more common than dragons. The other looks were from the upper class ponies that tended to come from Manehattan, Canterlot, and Los Pegasus, and those tended to be a bit more...accusatory. As a younger, smaller drake, the looks made me uncomfortable, as if they were loudly proclaiming that I did not belong in the same town as ponies, let alone ponies like Twilight and her friends. Now though, it just made me giggle, since it reminded me of just how little they knew about Twilight, or any of the rest of us. Considering all that had happened in the past years since we came to Ponyville, a dragon in Equestria couldn’t even be called odd anymore. What I found truly entertaining, however, was just how many looks of envy would be directed toward us -- to me or the girls specifically, I was never sure, but it was always funny nonetheless.

This was why I took great pleasure in holding Twilight close to me with a wing, proclaiming to everypony that saw us that she was mine.

Luckily for Twilight, who was blushing profusely from all the attention we were getting, Sugarcube Corner was relatively close to home, and within only a few minutes, the three of us were stepping up to the front door. I pushed it open, the brass bell chiming merrily as always, and waited for both mares to enter before following in behind them. It was around lunchtime, so while only a few of the tables had ponies sitting down for a meal, there was a line to the counter where working ponies were grabbing a quick bite to eat before heading back to work. Starlight motioned to Twilight and I to find a place for us to sit, so I grasped Twilight’s hand in my own and gently pulled her along to sit in one of the booths off to the side of the room. Like always, the bakery was full of friendly faces, and both of us were on the receiving end of pleasant smiles and greetings from the ponies there, and a few of the out-of-towners even bowed to her (much to her chagrin). I merely chuckled at the embarrassed blush from Twilight, steadily making my way to an open booth and allowing Twilight to sit on the inside, so she could use me as a sort of shield from prying eyes.

A few minutes of silence later, Starlight slid in the opposite side of the booth, passing a paper cup of coffee each to me and Twilight, and by the smell alone, I was able to discern that Starlight had a good memory of what we liked. I brought the paper cup and sipped heartily, enjoying the sweet-yet-bitter brew that ran down my throat and into my stomach. I felt Twilight lean into my side, and reflexively, I wrapped my wing around her and grasped her hand in mine as we continued to enjoy our morning beverages.

When I looked across the table again, it was to see Starlight smirking at us. “You two are adorable, you know that? If I’d known you two would be this sweet, I would have asked Mrs. Cake to leave the sugar out.” She shook her own cup, still grinning.

I just snorted good naturedly, turning my nose up in a snooty manner. “I hope you know I’ll remember this when you get your own special somepony. I’ll be hazing the hay out of both of you.” I then smirked right back at her. “Speaking of that, how’s Sunburst?” I completed the accusation with a wiggle of my brows.

Starlight just stared at me, her smile having fallen away. “...you can’t be serious.” My look of confusion must have answered her question, as she just slapped her palm to her face. “By Luna, you are serious. Okay,” she removed her hand and pointed to me, “did you never notice just how friendly he was to you when we were visiting Flurry Heart on her birthday last year? You know, how he stayed by your side, laughed at all your jokes, and didn’t take his eyes off you even once while you were talking? Did you not notice how he would playfully touch your shoulders or your arms when he was conversing with you, and he was stuck to your side nearly the entire night?”

“Oh…”

I turned to Twilight in confusion, whose mouth was still formed into an “Oh” of realization. “What? What am I missing, here?”

At that, Twilight palmed her own face as well, muttering, “Sometimes, Spike, I swear…”

Starlight had reached across the table, and my eyes were drawn to her as she took my hand in her own and looked to me with a serious expression. “Spike, Sunburst wasn’t interested in you because you helped save the Crystal City, or even because you’re part of the royal family; he was interested in you because you’re a male.” She punctuated her statement with a raised eyebrow.

It took a few moments of thought before the reality struck me, almost physically, and I flinched in realization. “W-wait, so he…?”

Starlight just grinned as she pulled back to recline victoriously on her side of the table. “Do you seriously think I’d let a cute colt like that get away if he was at all interested in mares? I’ve never had a special somepony before, but I’ve known him since foalhood, Spike. If I had even the slightest chance, I’d have snapped him up faster than Rainbow Dash does cider during cider season. Yes, he’s very into stallions, and you certainly qualify.”

I now felt very awkward, thinking back on my previous interactions with the stallion. “Oh...wow. He does know I’m not…”

Starlight nodded with a faint smile. “Oh yes, he knows. I actually was forced to confront him about it years ago, since he spurned every one of my advances. In his own words, he did nothing to hide his attraction to other stallions, and honestly thought I knew beforehand. Since I learned that, I spoke to him after Flurry’s party, and told him that I knew for a fact that you were completely and utterly uninterested in stallions. I believe he’s holding out a hope that I was wrong and that he can somehow interest you, but I think we all know the answer to that.”

Twisting my lips slightly, I shook my head. “Yeah, no. That’s never going to happen. I really like Sunburst -- he’s a great guy, a great friend, and a wonderful crystaller for Flurry Heart -- but that’s not going to change the fact that I just plain don’t feel anything toward other guys. I mean yeah, I can admire a stallion in a way like, ‘Oh, I wish I looked like him or had a voice like his,’ but there’s literally zero attraction whatsoever. I honestly feel kinda bad about it now, because I have a feeling I’m gonna have to break the guy’s heart some day.”

Again Starlight reached across to take my hand, and she gave it a firm squeeze as she focused her eyes on mine. “I’ll be sure to talk to him when that time comes. You’re both important to me, so I’ll make sure you both come out of that without hating each other.”

Taking a steadying breath, I nodded gratefully. “Thanks, Star. I’d appreciate that.”

“SPIKE!!!”

My free wing flared on instinct at the shout, and if I hadn’t already been sitting in the booth, Pinkie’s glomp would have mashed me into the ground. Instead, the right side of my face was shoved into Twilight’s lap, while the left side was pressed against a pair of warm, soft things covered only by a tee shirt and an apron. I returned Pinkie’s hug with my non-pinned arm and released a muffled laugh into my not-so-bad prison, only for the familiar tingle of Twilight’s magic to grab both me and Pinkie to sit us up properly...and remove my face from the skirt between Twilight’s thighs.

I wisely decided to ignore the full-face blush that had broken out on Twilight and instead just pulled her close with my wing again as I resigned myself to being suffocated by Pinkie Pie. I suppose there were worse ways to go than being forcibly mashed into a mare’s dirty pillows.

Of course, the gasp from Pinkie made me realize that my mark was in full view, and I cursed silently to myself.

Deciding to bite the bit and get on with it, I pulled away from Pinkie a bit -- who, thankfully, had relaxed her grip -- and looked into her confused and concerned blue eyes. “Long story short, Ember claimed me to protect me from a dragon that wanted to take me away from Equestria, as well as any future ones that might try the same. It’s similar to a pony marriage, except it’s more obvious, and it hurts more. And yes, it still hurts.”

Pinkie’s big, soulful blue eyes began to glisten with unshed tears as she more reservedly hugged me, nuzzling the top of my head comfortingly as she sighed loudly. “...I don’t like it Spikey. Why did she have to hurt you just to stop a mean ol’ dragon?”

Reaching up with my left arm, and wound it around one of hers and up to the back of her head, scratching softly behind her ears. “It’s just part of dragon culture. I did it so that something like this wouldn’t happen again. Lyla almost died, Pinkie. This,” I tapped just above the mark, “will keep a similar situation from happening again. A little pain is worth the life of somepony I care about.”

I felt Pinkie let out a long breath before she pulled away and wiped her eyes with her thumbs. She looked down at me, still with glassy eyes, and nodded slowly. “I don’t like that you had to be hurt Spikey, but I know you wouldn’t be saying it was okay if it really wasn’t.”

Seeing that she was still distraught, I pulled my wing away from Twilight and stood, wrapping both arms and wings around Pinkie as tightly as I could without crushing her. She immediately reciprocated, settling into the embrace and closing her eyes as she let out a content sigh. I held the embrace for a few moments before pulling away a bit reluctantly, using a hand to grasp her chin and force her to look up at me.

“I promise, I’ll be okay. I just didn’t want to have to leave any of you, so I did what I had to in order to prevent that from happening because of dragons.” I explained slowly, hoping she would understand the reason behind it.

Thankfully, by her more accepting expression, it seemed she did. She spoke in a low tone, still a bit somber. “I just don’t like thinking about my friends being hurt. It makes me sad, ‘cause I can’t do anything about it; I’m a baker, not a nurse.” Before I could even think about the statement, I noticed a twinkle in her eyes as she commented, “...I mean, unless you want me to be a nurse.”

“PINKIE!”

My face felt flushed, and I was sure she could see the blush on my spines, but she just giggled adorably as she reached up and patted me on the head. “You’re so cute when you’re all embarrassed, Spikey. Well okay, I guess everything’s okie dokie, so,” she reached behind her back, into nothing, and pulled out a tray that had three sandwiches and three muffins on it, placing it on the table, “I think some good eats will lighten things up. Anyway, I’ll see you later, Spikey! Be good!” She ended her farewell with another firm embrace, and was then gone faster than I could blink.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that pony.” Starlight muttered, mostly to herself.

I just shook my head with a quiet chuckle. “She’s definitely an acquired taste, but you’ll not find a more friendly pony in Equestria. I wouldn’t be who I am today without her, so she’ll always be special to me.”

Glancing back to Starlight, I saw her nodding to me. “Yeah. You were just a little baby drake when you first came to Ponyville, so I imagine she influenced you quite a bit as you grew up.”

“Not all of it good,” Twilight grumbled as she took a bite of her sandwich, and I knew she was referring to my love of pranks. Regardless, Twilight was smiling slightly, so I knew it was all in good fun.

For the next few minutes, the three of us just silently enjoyed lunch in the bakery, basking in the warm, homey atmosphere of the place. Before we knew it, however, lunch was finished, so the three of us simply offered our thanks to the proprietors before leaving.

Now out in the free air again, I noticed the distinct chill of the coming winter, as well as the many weather pegasi helping the ponies of Ponyville finish their preparations for winter, which mostly consisted of gathering up all the dead leaves and disposing of them. Rainbow Dash was absent, and that worried me briefly until I remembered she was likely still in Canterlot resting after her experiences the prior day; Rainbow Dash often joked about being the most awesome pony alive, but we all knew that even she had limits, and yesterday definitely qualified her for a good, long rest. Nonetheless, it was nice to see that Ponyville was still as friendly and helpful as ever, and were, at this point, a bit jaded to the events that took place nearby, or in the town itself. None of them were even glancing twice at us, even after the dragon fight the day before, and Twilight’s angered shout from earlier in the day. I could only assume they gauged their reactions off of the members of The Council of Friendship: if we weren’t panicking, whatever was happening wasn’t something to worry about.

As a group, we decided we should visit Rarity. Besides all of us wanting to check up on what winter clothes she had available, I was going to need a new wardrobe because of my slight increase in size (two or three inches in height was slight, right?). Besides that, Rarity needed to know what had gone on, and I needed Twilight there as a buffer to explain the culture of dragons to her, so she wouldn’t freak about a permanent scar given to me as a part of that culture. I also missed her, since it had been almost a week since I’d seen her, so there was that.

The Carousel Boutique came into view as we crossed the center of town, and I found my steps becoming just a bit lighter and a smile adorning my face as I thought about my beautiful, generous unicorn marefriend. I suppose it’s true what they say: absence makes the heart grow fonder, and this was evidenced by the fact that I was not concerned whatsoever about how angry she was likely going to be with Ember, or how upset she was going to be with me for allowing someone to brand their name into my skin -- as long as I could be with her, I knew everything would be okay.

The three of us stepped up to the door, and I gave a firm knock on the door to let Rarity know she had company. A musical “~Comiiing~,” answered, so we waited patiently for the owner of the home to invite us inside.

The beautiful white-furred unicorn pulled open the door, eyes closed with a bright smile upon her face as she greeted, “Welcome to the original Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and magni- Starlight, darling!” Rarity’s eyes had opened midway through her greeting, and she excitedly pulled Starlight into a hug without hesitation. Starlight, while initially looking a bit startled, soon relaxed into the embrace and returned it readily. After a few moments, Rarity pulled back with a much warmer smile. “Darling, it is wonderful to see you home again. How was your journey? Oh,” she scoffed, stepping back through the doorway, “where are my manners; come in, come in!”

The three of us entered the boutique, and just a cursory glance was enough to confirm we had caught Rarity in the process of finishing up her winter line of designs, if the half-finished outfits upon mannequins and scattered bolts of cloth were any indication. “Rares, we’re not in the way right now, are we? I know you get busy this time of year.”

She simply waved my concerns away. “It’s fine, dear. I can afford an hour or two for the ones I care about. Besides, I’m nearly finished and ahead of schedule, so it’s really no trouble at all, I assure you.” She led us to her sitting room and asked, “Tea, water, cocoa?”

The three of us glanced at each other, a wordless conversation briefly being exchanged, after which Twilight looked to our hostess and answered, “Some tea would be nice, Rarity. Thank you for the hospitality.” Nodding with that same warm smile, Rarity pivoted with practiced grace and strode into her kitchen to prepare us some fragrant hot tea, which was always nice to have during the cooler months. The three of us took a seat on the plush sofa Rarity kept for customers in the sitting room, me sitting on the end with Twilight in the middle, and Starlight on the other end. Rarity returned only moments later, however, her horn alight around a fine porcelain teapot as she carried a tray with the teapot and four cups and saucers into the room, along with a small set of containers that held the sugar and milk for the tea and a bowl for lemon wedges.

Though Rarity would never admit it, she was an expert at brewing the proper cup of tea, so much so that even Celestia had picked up her current favorite brew from Rarity herself, as well as the skills to properly make it. I had once asked Rarity why she had taken so much time to become a master at brewing teas, and she simply told me, “A properly brewed cup of tea can turn a battle negotiation into the end of a war, a business proposal into a successful deal, and a simple day with friends into a memorable experience. A good cup of tea can make a bad day better, it can soothe the soul from the crushing weight of life’s trials, and it can offer good friends a reason to be together, if only simply to relax with a good cup in each other’s presence.” I had to admit that Rarity’s tea brews had a way of giving us a respite from whatever might be happening during the day -- even if only for a few moments -- but sometimes, that little change in the day could turn things around for the better. Because of this, I deferred to her judgement on the matter, because even though I didn’t understand all the subtle nuances that she did, what we experienced from simply having tea together spoke for itself.

Rarity took her seat at her favorite chaise next to me, and set all the implements down on the table as she gestured with a wave of her hand. “Please, enjoy.”

I took the cup closest to me, poured a little sugar into it with a squirt of lemon, then grabbed the teapot still covered in a faint blue glow. Deeming it hot enough, Rarity’s magic faded from the teapot, and I nodded my thanks before pouring the dark, steaming liquid into my cup. Immediately the myriad of exotic spices and earthy scent of the tea itself filled the immediate area, and I inhaled deeply as I reveled in the smell. I had never really been one for tea before coming to Ponyville -- and, I’ll admit, my initial interest had been as a way to get closer to Rarity -- but now, I enjoyed it quite a bit; unless it was morning and I hadn’t yet had my coffee, it was generally my drink of choice. Tea truly had the ability to calm the nerves and relax the soul, with the right brew.

“So,” Rarity began, setting her own cup down on the saucer as she sat a bit straighter, “I’m pleased to see you back home, Starlight. I’ll admit I hadn’t expected you back today, but Spike here had- OH MY WORD!”

I cringed at her explanation, as well as the sound of a teacup and saucer shattering on the table. It was clear she had seen my brand.

Rarity had jerked to her hooves, hand held over her mouth as tears glistened in her eyes. Her arm was half outstretched, as if afraid to touch me, so I slowly reached out and grasped her hand in mine and slowly brought it to the mark, ignoring the uncomfortable warmth of her hand. She initially jerked away, but I held her hand against the mark and smiled guiltily at her. “I suppose I have some explaining to do.”

Rarity’s eyes were still glistening with tears as she took a seat on the plush armrest, nodding to me. “I suppose you should, yes.”

“Well,” I began, organizing my thoughts to the simplest explanation, “to be as direct as possible, this,” I pointed to the mark that was still covered by Rarity’s left hand, “is a mate’s brand. The odd writing is the draconic language, and it...spells Ember’s name. Basically, she had been watching me since before I went to confront the other dragoness, and in order to get her to leave, Ember claimed me as her own mate -- what happened between us during the Gauntlet of Fire gave her that right. The reason she did so was because the other dragoness wanted to do the same, and take me back to the dragon lands against my will. I gave the same mark to Ember, and both of them together mark us as bonded in the eyes of all the dragon clans -- no other female has the right to claim me now, and my name on Ember will make the other dragonesses aware that I’m off limits. This was the only way to end the possibility of more dragonesses coming to try and claim me for themselves, without starting a war.”

I watched as she gently wiped the growing tears away with a thumb, but the sour look on her face remained. “But why you, Spike? I mean no disrespect when I ask this, but what makes you so important?”

Holding up my hand, I began to count, like Twilight had earlier. “I’m a member of the Council of Friendship, I’m the intermediary between Equestria and the dragons, I’m connected in some way to all the Equestrian princesses, I’m a personal friend of Thorax, and I’m the adopted son of Celestia herself. Dragons place quite a bit of importance on status, and due to all the connections I have and the friendships I’ve made, I’m very important. Even though dragons don’t necessarily have a high opinion of ‘squishy races’ like ponies, there’s no denying the marvels they’ve created, or the fact they’ve survived and flourished in such a dangerous world. My connection to Celestia and Luna is also very desirable -- while they’re not worshiped or anything, ‘the Living Sun and Moon’ are highly respected and revered among dragons. While Equestrian nobles tend to believe I’m, at best, a liability, the other races know exactly how much power I hold because of who I am in Equestria, who I know, and what I’ve done.” I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. “I’ve never really had reason to think about it before, but now that I have, it’s actually surprising it took this long for a dragoness to attempt this.”

Still rubbing the skin around the brand, Rarity frowned as she thought aloud. “I suppose it makes sense, then. I detest that the situation called for this, however. Also, ponies will talk about this downright…” she glanced to me, as if asking for permission.

I nodded to her. “Go ahead, you can say it.”

Smiling briefly to me, Rarity continued with, “This...barbaric practice is not exactly acceptable among ponies, Spike. It’s too detailed to simply pass off as an accident of some sort, so ponies will talk. I shudder to think of the rumors that will be created in response to this.”

Again I nodded. “Yeah, same. However, this was the result of a willing action between two participants, and that’s exactly what I’m going to tell ponies that kick up a fuss about it. What it means to Ember and I is not their business to know, so that’s all they’re going to get.”

Removing her hand from the tender mark, finally, Rarity leaned a bit onto my side and more comfortably settled herself. “Speaking of that, I think it’s a safe assumption that this is a rather intimate gesture, considering the fact it’s called a ‘mate’s brand’, but what specifically does it mean to you, Spike?”

I glanced to Twilight, and she nodded to me encouragingly. Taking a deep breath I prepared to explain as plainly as I could. “Ember cares about me, Rarity. A lot. It’s more than just friendship, too, but she refuses to push further due to the fact that we can’t be together for any length of time. She trusts me, and has clear attraction to me, but our respective duties are going to keep us apart. We both agreed that a long-distance relationship wouldn’t work, so while we care about each other, my place as her consort is merely a title that will work to our mutual benefit.”

“That’s...not very romantic at all, Spike. I’m rather disappointed, actually.” Rarity bluntly countered. “While I understand that a relationship of such a distance would be all but impossible to maintain, it is...frankly, it’s saddening that the two of you cannot explore your mutual affections for one another.”

I raised my brow at that. “Wait, I thought you didn’t like Ember.”

Snorting gently through her nose with a grin, Rarity shook her head. “I admit, she’s unrefined, completely lacking feminine decorum, and is rather brutish, but I don’t distinctly dislike her, Spike. We do not share much in common when it comes to personality or hobbies, it’s true, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like Ember. I simply don’t know her well enough, and we haven’t spent more than a few minutes together at a time, and she is hardly interested in gossip or dressmaking.” She placed a velvety hand on my chest as her smile changed to something warm and loving. “What I do know is that she cares for you -- deeply, it seems -- and she has nothing but your happiness and wellbeing in mind. That alone tells me she is a good person, and though I do not know her personally, that is good enough for me.”

I nodded gently, surprised and pleased. “Cool, works for me. Well, now that the main deal is out of the way, we actually came by to check on your winter line, and also…” I chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck, “I’m gonna need some new clothes.”

At the latter part of my statement, I saw Rarity’s eyes begin going over my form with a critical eye. Of course, the signs that the clothing was tighter was obvious: since Rarity made our clothes tailored to our respective bodies, they weren’t really made to stretch. The tightness of the relatively new buttoned, collared shirt was most visible around my biceps and chest, where the cloth and buttons could be seen straining a bit. They were still nice clothes -- and, I suppose if I were the type, they’d be good for showing off a muscular form -- but I didn’t regularly wear my clothes to be form-fitting, so it felt uncomfortable to me.

“My my, has someone been working out?” Rarity purred, reaching out to stroke my chest as she not-so-subtly felt me up.

While I reflexively flexed the muscles there to show off (don’t judge me), I released Twilight and stood, shaking my head. “Yes, but that’s not why I need new clothes.”

Again Rarity’s eyes roved over me as she also stood, when she suddenly gasped as she summoned a tape measure and dropped one end to the floor. Her magic held it above my head, and she brought it down to read off the marking, only to gasp again. “Seventy-six inches -- Spike, you’ve grown four inches in just a day! Did you-?”

“I had to grow and fight the other dragoness while Lyla and Rainbow Dash escaped to safety.” I answered guiltily. “They had both followed me, and Lyla transformed to take on the dragoness so I could get somewhere safe...but I couldn’t leave her. I knocked out the dragoness so Rainbow Dash could get Lyla medical attention, but I had to keep the dragoness in one place until Dash could get Luna to me. I don’t remember anything after the fight started, but the next thing I knew, I was waking up in Ember’s lap, and I was normal-sized again.”

Staring at me blankly for a moment, Rarity’s mouth hung open dumbly as she took in what I said. Following a quick shake of her head, her tape measure began flying all over my body, taking the many different measurements she normally gathered when making clothes. She meticulously marked down all the measurements on her notepad until she finished, at which point the tape measure unceremoniously dropped into a coiled heap on the floor.

Rarity lowered her red working glasses over her eyes and I watched as her eyes darted over the page. She flipped back a few pages -- presumably to compare my old measurements with the new ones -- before nodding firmly and lifting the glasses to rest on her horn as she looked up at me. “You haven’t just gotten taller, Spike. All of your measurements have increased -- you’ve grown. Even…” she quickly used her magic to ease open my wings, once again floating the tape measure up to take numbers before nodding again, “even your wings have gotten bigger. I think it’s a safe assumption that this is due in part to what happened yesterday, though I cannot say what.”

“Neither can I.” Twilight added from behind me. “His behavior hasn’t changed, so I’m not worried, but it is a bit jarring. There’s simply too much that happened yesterday to effectively pin down a cause.”

Rarity nodded while looking off to the side, biting her lip. She eventually looked up to me with a loving smile and a nod. “Of course I will make you a new wardrobe Spike, and I’ll only charge for the cost of materials and a quarter of the labor.”

Knowing how much Rarity normally was able to price her clothes, I raised my brow at her incredulously. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m thankful, but I would feel more comfortable paying in full for taking up your time.”

With that same loving smile and a gentle rub of my cheek, Rarity nodded resolutely. “Of course I’m sure, darling. As I said, I’m nearly finished and ahead of schedule with my current orders, and I have nothing on the calendar after that, other than a visit to my Manehattan shop in two weeks. That is more than enough time to make a few necessary items for you, and I would not think of charging a friend or lover the same as a normal customer. If,” she began, silencing my attempted counter, “you still feel indebted to me, you can take Twilight and I to La Porte du Paradis for dinner tomorrow night, and we can call things even.”

I held my brow high. “Taking two of my mares on a date? That still doesn’t sound like I’m losing anything in this deal.”

Fluttering her lashes with a saucy smile, Rarity stood as tall as she could, a mere few inches from my face, as she whispered, “Well, I suppose you will just have to endure taking two beautiful mares out, won’t you? Oh dear, I don’t know how you’ll cope.” With a more coy lip bite and a challenging raised eyebrow, she punctuated her statement with a gentle rub of the unbranded side of my neck.

Shivering slightly from the teasing, I cleared my throat and nodded. “O-okay, yeah. I think I can do that.”

“Wonderful darling.” Rarity replied as she pulled away and released me, levitating her notepad back to her hands as she began walking toward her sewing room. “Now, the winter clothes I have planned for all of you should be ready tomorrow. Spike, I should have something ready for you by tomorrow as well, though I’ll need to make a few alterations to the original design. Twilight if you could…” she looked to see Twilight had already repaired the cup and saucer, as well as cleaned up the spilled tea. Rarity gave her a bright smile in response, “Thank you, darling. Now, I hate to talk and run, but inspiration calls, and I must prepare for tomorrow. Twilight, do be sure Spike gets a good rest tonight. Ta, dears!”

I watched Rarity leave briefly before reaching down and pulling Twilight up with me, then jerking my head to the front door. “Guess we should leave her be. I know Fluttershy’s really busy this time of year, so it would be pointless to visit her until tomorrow, earlier in the day. So, what do you two want to do for the rest of the day?”

As we made our way out of the boutique, and Starlight shut the door behind her, Twilight took her place at my side and looked up at me with a smile. “Well, we don’t have any work to do until tomorrow, so I’m up for spending the day at the park, unless you have a better idea.”

I shrugged. “Not really, and some fresh Ponyville air sounds nice.” I glanced to the other mare, who was waving to one of our fellow residents. “What about you, Starlight? Feel like spending the day together?”

At hearing her name, Starlight’s ears twitched my way before she swung her gaze around and looked at me incredulously. “Really? I mean, I don’t want to cramp the two of you.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “I’m having a date with my girls tomorrow, this is just a casual outing between friends. Besides, Twilight and I both missed having you around, so we should spend some time together. You’re not intruding or anything, I promise.”

“Spike’s right,” Twilight added warmly, “we’d love to spend time with you. Please join us; we’ll pick up some fizzy drinks from Barnyard Bargains, some snacks from Sugarcube Corner, and we’ll make a day of it. Frankly, I think we could all use some real downtime, and the weather is still warm enough to enjoy time outside without warmer clothing.”

I looked back to Starlight with a raised brow. “So? I mean, if you have other things to do, we don’t-”

“No, I…” Starlight blurted, wincing slightly before continuing more confidently, “I’d love to join you two, if you really don’t mind. It feels like forever since I’ve been here, and I did miss my friends while I was away. A day in the park sounds nice.”

“Cool.” I answered, giving a thumbs-up. I nudged Twilight and suggested, “You go with Starlight to Barnyard Bargains, and I’ll pick up some eats from Pinkie. We’ll meet by the great oak in a half-hour. Sound good?” With nods from both mares, I turned on my heel and began walking back toward Sugarcube Corner.

Only a short time later, the three of us had reconvened and were settled in the shade of a massive oak tree growing near the center of town. Even in the late fall, the air was still warm enough that even in the shade of the old tree, it was a pleasant and enjoyable day. Twilight and Starlight had bought a couple of bottles of pop, and I had gathered a few sweet pastries from Sugarcube Corner. With our snacks and drinks gathered, we whiled away the day in pleasant company, mostly reminiscing about the past. I was pleased to notice that Starlight had settled into Ponyville life again just fine, since she was on the receiving end of friendly greetings from the local populace. It was always nice to see all my friends being accepted as just another citizen, regardless of their past.

For over an hour, we just enjoyed each other’s presence in a rare moment of completely free time.

The relaxing day was disrupted by a deep rumble in the distance, which could easily be mistaken for thunder, if not for the fact that it was a clear day. Looking toward the source of the sound, I caught sight of a familiar rainbow contrail heading directly for Ponyville, which only one pony alive could make. I pointed to it, drawing the attention of the two mares sitting with me, and we all stood and waited for the speedy pegasus to arrive -- due to her flying at such a speed, I was pretty sure it was because she would be looking for me.

I came up with an idea to keep Rainbow Dash from frantically flying all over town at dangerous speeds, so I looked to Twilight and suggested, “Could you send up a flare so she can find us?” Twilight’s face brightened at the idea, and nodded before lighting her horn. A moment later, a bright lavender spark shot up into the air, through the branches of the tree and into the open sky. I knew that for a pony with eyes as good as Rainbow Dash, it would be foals play to find the origin of the flare.

Just as I planned, we were all able to see exactly when the approaching pony changed course, flying directly for the base of the tree, and though I had seen it hundreds of times, it was always amazing to see the power and control over flight that Rainbow Dash had. Even after flaring her wings and bleeding much of her speed away, she was still approaching at a velocity that would make most pegasi sick from being so close to the ground. It only took me a second to realize what was about to happen, so I casually stepped away from the other two mares and extended my arms and wings, waiting for Rainbow Dash to-

WHAM!

...grind me into the ground like a plow blade. It took a moment for my head to stop spinning, but when I was finally able to see clearly, I looked down at the messy head of rainbow hair and wrapped my arms tightly around her. Just from the look of her, it was clear she hadn’t slept very soundly the night before -- and likely only got the little sleep she did due to a spell from Luna -- so I just held the embrace silently and waited for her to ease up, regardless of the new soreness in my chest and back. After a minute or so, her grip relaxed slightly, enough so that I could maneuver my arms to push us up to a sitting position with help from my wings. From there, I was able to get my legs underneath me to stand, and when I did, Twilight and Starlight joined the hug from both sides.

Reaching up with both hands just under her wing joints and pulling her closer, I nuzzled the top of her head with my nose, reassuring her. “I’m okay, Rainbow Dash. Everything’s okay. Lyla’s safe, the dragon’s gone, and everything’s okay.” It took another minute or so for the anxious trembles to die away, and eventually Rainbow Dash calmed enough to look up at me with a critical eye. Like Starlight, it took a few moments, but a gasp suddenly escaped her, followed by my preemptive, “I’ll tell you all about the mark. And yes, I’ve gotten bigger.”

“I’ll say.” she breathed almost reverently. I watched as her gaze roved over my chest and arms, silently amused at her sudden interest in the way my shirt now barely fit. Seemingly realizing what she’d said, she shook her head and couldn’t quite keep from blushing as she amended, “I mean, it’s kinda hard to ignore you growing bigger when I just saw you yesterday. That’s all.”

I decided not to tease her -- now wasn’t the time for that -- and instead motioned to the collection of snacks and drinks by the base of the oak tree. “Why don’t we take a seat and I’ll catch you up on everything that happened after you left, hm?”

Rainbow Dash glanced at the food, and immediately her stomach roared angrily. With a deeper blush, she admitted, “...sounds good. I kinda slept in, and skipped lunch to make it here.”

The four of us sat down and allowed Rainbow Dash to eat in peace for a few minutes before I began to recount the events that took place after she had fetched Luna. She didn’t speak the whole time (which made sense, since she couldn’t eat, breathe, and talk all at the same time), but it was clear to me that she was listening intently to the story. She had a look of distinct concern when I went over my forced growth -- like, for example, the fact that I didn’t consciously notice myself getting bigger -- but the expression changed to wonder when I talked about how I fought and won against the dragoness. Surprise colored her as I spoke about my next conscious memory of waking up in Ember’s lap, followed by a chuckle at how Luna had needed to Goddess-punch me in the face (her words, not mine). Concern washed over her as I talked about what the mark was, as well as how it was given to me, but her worries were apparently sated when I assured her that I wasn’t going anywhere, and we’d be hearing more from Ember from now on.

She had finished her stand-in meal by that point, and sat in silence for a quiet minute or two as she mentally went over everything I had told her. Finally, seemingly coming to a conclusion, she looked to me and shrugged. “Well, you didn’t get to bang that one dragoness, but Ember’s a good prize. She’s pretty hot.” Her teasing smirk was enough to force a mirthful chuckle out of me at her antics.

“Really Dash? Just couldn’t help yourself, could you?” I mildly chastised, without any real heat behind it.

She only grinned like a dork. “What? I mean, at least you got something out of this. Ember’s a catch; heck, if I swung that way, I might make a pass.”

I rolled my eyes at her and shook my head. “This ‘union’ is largely for our mutual benefit. We can’t be anything more due to the distance. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us. For now, this is just the best of a bad situation. Although, I will admit that it was good to see her again, and she promises to send messages back and forth again.”

Rainbow Dash’s playful mirth receded, leaving only a warm affection in its place as she reached out and took one of my hands in her own. She gave it a firm squeeze and smiled at me with relief. “All kidding aside, I’m glad you’re okay, Spike. When you sent me away yesterday…” she momentarily glanced away and caught her bottom lip in her teeth before continuing, “gosh, I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared before. I flew like a bat out of Tartarus after I dropped off Lyla with the thestrals, and I’m pretty sure the castle staff isn’t happy I destroyed pretty much an entire section of the garden when I landed outside. I couldn’t stop thinking about what might be happening without me there, but my wings were shaking, and I could barely even fly after all that. I got Princess Luna and told her what was going on, and then the next thing I knew, I was waking up in a guest bed today.”

I nodded my understanding. “I kinda figured Luna would have put a spell on you to make you sleep. She probably knew she could get things handled at that point, and you needed to sleep to keep you from basically killing yourself flying in your state. Don’t be mad at her, Dash. She did the right thing, and everything turned out fine.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I’m not, I just wish she would have let me know what she was gonna do before she did it. It was...um…” she snapped her fingers a few times and looked to Twilight.

“Jarring, I believe.” Twilight answered with a faint smile. “Luna’s sleep spells usually are, due to her connection with the night. Other similar unicorn spells make a pony get progressively sleepier until they finally succumb, but for Luna, they just...knock you out.”

Rainbow Dash nodded her thanks to Twilight before looking back to me with a smile. “Well, I’m glad everything’s cool, now.” When Rainbow Dash looked away, I shot a subtle glance at Twilight, only for her to shake her head. She was right; Rainbow Dash didn’t need to know this was a lot more complicated than it seemed, since she couldn’t do anything about it. I hated keeping secrets, but this one wouldn’t do anything but upset her, and she’d feel helpless.

“So, when did you get back, Star?” Rainbow Dash chimed, sipping from her glass of sarsaparilla as she looked at the pink unicorn.

Starlight smiled at Rainbow Dash, shrugging slightly. “Eh, not too long ago; just a few hours before now, actually. I figured it was time to come back home and tell some stories. Oh, speaking of,” her grin turned slightly smug, “you’ve got fans all the way at the southern cape, past the Black Forest. I told them I’d come all the way from Equestria, in Ponyville, and a few of the minotaurs and even gryphons immediately asked me if I had met any of the Elements. When I said yes, I did know all of you, this little chick named Griselda would not shut up about you. It was all ‘Rainbow Dash’ this, and ‘she’s so awesome’ for hours. So, if you ever need your ego stroked, keep in mind that there are people all over the continent that know who you are.”

I was able to witness the pride practically filling Rainbow Dash’s body, and if it weren’t for the fact she was already a pegasus, I imagine she’d be able to fly on ego alone at that point.

“Hah, little chick has good taste, then!” she answered, her smile brighter than the sun at that moment. She thumped her chest and closed her eyes with a pleased smile. “I mean, I guess it’s only natural word’s gotten out. You can’t keep this much awesome contained in Equestria!”

From my place next to her, I reached with a claw and poked Rainbow Dash in the ribs, eliciting a girly, adorable squeak from her as she practically jumped away from my finger. I just smirked back at her scowl and teased, “Yeah, awesome. So awesome she squeaks like a dog toy when you poke her, and she still squeals like a fanfilly when a new Daring Do book comes out.” She blushed and visibly deflated, so I reached out and gave a pat to her shoulder patronizingly, and she mockingly snapped at my hand like an angry dog. I only found the gesture all the more adorable, and I had to restrain myself from laughing at her embarrassment. The foalish raspberry she blew at me broke my composure, and she soon joined me in laughter, along with Twilight and Starlight.

After a few enjoyable moments of laughter, we got ourselves under control and just sat together, smiling happily. Rainbow Dash was okay, Starlight was back, and there was no dragon pillaging Ponyville, so today was a good day.

The day ended with a heartfelt goodbye from Rainbow Dash to the three of us, and a promise from her that she would be swinging by to visit tomorrow after she finished work. We all exchanged parting words -- and me, gratitude for what she’d done yesterday -- before she flew home to leave Twilight, Starlight and I alone for the rest of the night.

The night was relatively boring by comparison to the last few days, but I told myself that was a good thing. It was mundane in the sense that we simply ate a modest dinner, bathed, and then gathered in Twilight’s room to watch a movie as early evening progressed to night. Termarenator was one of my favorites, but a worry that had been politely knocking on the back of my mind became impossible to ignore, now that I had very little to distract me.

I was worried about Lyla. I knew that, as a soldier changeling that was practically gorged on love and positive emotions every day, she was quite capable of holding her own in combat against most of the dangerous things of the world, but that didn’t mean I liked that she was hurt. I also knew that thestrals, with the help of modern Equestrian medicine, would be able to adequately provide for her and make sure she made a speedy recovery, but I still felt a little sick to my stomach knowing that she was likely laying in a bed right now, alone, with nothing to do but wait for her wounds to heal enough to safely make the trip home. Part of me wanted to blame her for putting herself in harm’s way for my sake, but I knew I had my own list of stupid decisions I’d made in life, so I couldn’t judge her.

Before I knew it, much like the slumber party Twilight and the others had invited me to some time ago, we had all progressed to laying down, eyes half-closed, as we tried to continue watching the movie -- even I was unable to resist the call to sleep. Twilight was the first to fall, quite literally faceplanting into her pillow in a comical manner. Starlight glanced sleepily at her, before catching my eye with an unsaid question. I nodded toward the video player and television, and with a light of her horn, both shut off for the night as the room was bathed in darkness. I yawned, relieved that I hadn’t had to get up from the comfortable spot, before I rested my own head on the pillow in front of me as I surrendered to sleep. Distantly, I felt who could only be Starlight nestling her pillow against my side as she also settled in, but paid it no mind as Luna’s realm welcomed me. Tomorrow was sure to be busy for all of us, but for tonight, it was nice to just enjoy a nice day with friends.

Or at least it would have been, if not for a tapping on the far window.

With a muted growl, I lifted my head and glared at the window in question. At this height, it could only be a pegasus or alicorn, and for this window (which was just a plain wall when viewed from the outside), it had to be somepony that knew the layout of the castle. I let out a pitiful whine before carefully extracting myself from the soft bed and comforting presence of two best friends, and I would have stomped over to the window if not for the fact that I didn’t want to disturb my two roommates. Regardless, the snarl on my face could have curdled milk.

I flung open the window, darted my head out, and growled, “This had better be important.” A part of me was screaming in self-admonishment -- what if it had been Fluttershy that I had just rudely growled at? However, besides the fact that it was also rude to knock on someone’s window late at night, I was tired. Tired dragons get cranky.

I admit I was surprised to see a rainbow-patterned mane and powerful wings the shade of a beautiful blue sky.

Still, my annoyance bled through my surprise and was audible in my tone. “And what can I do for you, Rainbow Dash?” We only called each other by full names when we were upset, so I’m sure that would be enough anyway. I admit, I felt guilty at the flinch my words caused, and it made me aware enough to take in her appearance: splayed ears, crossed arms against a hunched form...oh, and she had apparently flown over without a shirt on, only wearing her sports bra and a pair of mesh shorts. Concern overrode my crankiness, and I opened the window a little wider as I whispered, “Dash, are you okay?”

I couldn’t see her eyes, since her bangs were in the way, but I could see her catch her lip between her teeth as she continued hovering silently outside the window. Without another question, I backed up and motioned her inside, and she took the invitation immediately. With a strong flap of her powerful wings and aerial precision that could only come from nearly twenty-five years of rigorous training, Rainbow Dash entered the bedroom, and landed nearly silently on the fluffy rug. Her wings folded tightly at her side, little tremors running through them as she continued to do the impression of a pony trying to melt into herself. At this point, I was almost fully awake, so I silently led her out of the room to the commons area, where we could talk without waking the other two.

I took a place on the plush loveseat, and to my surprise, Rainbow Dash took the spot right next to me. She still wouldn’t look at me, which worried me, but I knew that trying to pry out things Rainbow Dash didn’t want to tell was going to be nearly impossible, so I just waited silently, offering what I could with my (hopefully) reassuring presence. It took a few somewhat-awkward moments of silence before she spoke, but when she did…

“It was a nightmare.”

I raised my brow at the nearly-silent words. “A nightmare?” She only nodded faintly, her posture still defensive. I rolled the thought around my head for a moment, and thought about the impact of it.

Since Luna’s return to Equestria, nightmares had become increasingly rare among the populace. As the princess of the night, dreams were a part of her realm of power, and she could influence them, as well as banish them completely, if needed. I had once asked Luna why she didn’t banish all of them, and she simply replied that, “Not every nightmare is without purpose, Spike. Sometimes, to spare somepony from a greater evil within his or her life, I must allow the nightmare to run its course so that they can learn from the experience.” Luna’s power within the dream realm was without equal, so if she wanted to banish every bad dream that happened every night, she could. By her words though, sometimes, people needed a bad dream to push them to confront something in the waking world. Sometimes it was a simple fear, much like the dreams themselves, but sometimes it was far more complex than that. What this all told me was that, while Rainbow Dash was undoubtedly shaken from the nightmare, there was a reason Luna had let it run its course.

I had to choose my next words carefully, since I didn’t want her to completely shut me out. Thinking for a few moments, I eventually settled on, “Is there anything I can do to-”

“It was about you, Spike.”

My mouth seemed to stop working at her words. I just sat there with what was likely an amusing look on my face for a few seconds before I closed my mouth and nodded. “I see. Well, as you can see, I’m safe, and I’m not going anywhere.” I slowly reached out to grasp her hand, and while she initially flinched away, Rainbow Dash eventually allowed me to make the contact with her. Though she still wouldn’t look at me, I tried my best to soothe her. “Yesterday was...it sucked, but we’re all okay, and everything’s the way it should be. Sure, I’ve got a new scar, but we’re all okay, and even Lyla will be coming back in a day or two.”

She breathed a shuddering breath before croaking, “But what about the next time? I feel like every time we do this, we’re just pushing our luck now. This wasn’t a friendship emergency or anything, so you could have just said ‘no’ to the guard when he came to ask you.” She looked up at me finally, with glassy magenta eyes. “Why didn’t you? I could tell you were scared, so why didn’t you tell him to shove it up his plot? You didn’t have to do any of that, Spike!” Her voice had risen considerably by the last word, and she suddenly shot to her hooves to begin pacing. “I mean, surely if it came down to it, Luna could have gotten involved, or we could have flown to the dragon lands before this and gotten Ember involved!”

“And we would have shown Equestria, as well as the rest of the world, that Twilight and the others in the Council of Friendship are either incapable or unwilling to handle threats to Equestria.” I answered blandly, but firmly. “I measured the distance; this dragoness was much closer to us than any other settlement, so it was technically our jurisdiction on this. If we have to call on Celestia and Luna to handle problems every time, it’s going to look like Twilight’s not able to do it on her own. Legally, I’m Twilight’s registered honor-guard -- it was the only way to keep from having to spend tax dollars to build a guard barracks in Ponyville; I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we don’t exactly have the room for a building of that size anywhere near town. I did this because it had to be done, and if we needed to call on the other two princesses to help, it would have looked bad that me -- another dragon -- couldn’t deal with this threat.” I snorted a bit at the thought; it still irked me. “I didn’t want to be the one to do this, and, to be honest, I was practically shaking in my scales. I did it because it had to be done, and because me handling it had the most positive outcomes to it.”

Rainbow Dash glared at me, with tears in the corners of her eyes, and crossed her arms over her chest again. “I thought I was talking to Spike, not some Canterlot diplomat. Who gives a flying feather about all that; what about you? Don’t you matter?”

“Not to Equestria, no.” I answered immediately. At that, Rainbow Dash’s mouth dropped open in shock, and any other time, I would have laughed at the look. At the time, however, I could only sigh heavily and rest my face on my hand. “Here, I’m just a number, and as a part of the ruling class -- though only as Twilight’s second, in the eyes of the public -- I have a duty to do what’s best for our people.” Removing my hand from my face, I focused on her face as I stood and made my way over to her. I stopped only a few inches from her, and bored my gaze into her eyes as I poked her in the sternum. “But in my heart, I did it for you, and all my friends.” Her lips began quivering, though she kept silent, so I soldiered on. “In my mind, as a dragon, Ponyville and all of you are a part of my hoard, and even though you don’t know as much about dragons as Twilight, I know you know how dragons are about their hoard. You and all the other girls are what’s most important to me in the entire world, and I’d rather face my fears than let something happen to you.”

She continued gazing at me for some seconds before she whispered, “S-so…” but took a moment to clear her throat before trying again, “...so, you really were scared?”

I snorted at the innocence of the question, and I couldn’t quite stop the small jet of fire that shot out of my nose. “Are you joking? Of course I was scared. Remember what I was like when I was smaller? Yeah, that hasn’t changed at all. I’m still a big scaredy-drake when it comes down to it; I’ve just gotten better at hiding it. ‘Fake it until you make it’ is what Shining Armor always told me, so I’ve gotten really good at acting.” I released a long breath before smiling at her, giving an affectionate squeeze to her shoulder. “But you showed me how to be brave, when I was younger. You taught me that being brave doesn’t mean we’re not scared, it just means that even when we’re afraid, we can overcome it to do what we need to do.”

The expression on Rainbow Dash’s face changed to one of mild pride at my praise, and I counted that as a win. She still looked a little shaken up, and it was clear this was going to be bothering her for awhile yet, but she looked reassured that I hadn’t been acting needlessly recklessly, and I had a good reason for it. And, most importantly, that I was afraid, just like everypony else could be.

Since when did she place me on a pedestal?

A squeaky, cute yawn escaped her as the exhaustion became clear to her once more, and while she pouted with a blush at my chuckle, she didn’t try and deny it as I gestured to her to follow me again. “C’mon, you’re staying the night. We both need sleep, and I think you’ll sleep better with some friends nearby.” She didn’t deny the attractiveness of my suggestion, and just quietly followed me back to the bedroom.

Twilight, as usual, had stretched out in my absence -- so much so that she now had a leg and wing draped over Starlight. I chuckled quietly at the sight, but walked forward to gently make room for me again. Twilight slept like a floppy stuffed animal, her limbs everywhere, but loose, so it was relatively easy to move her into a more comfortable position. Starlight, for her part, hadn’t actually moved much at all, other than to flip from her back onto her side, so I carefully stepped onto the princess’s oversized bed, nestling myself into the area between the two slumbering mares, extending my wings over Twilight’s body and Starlight’s legs.

Rainbow Dash, after looking around for a few moments, fluttered into the air behind me out of sight. I felt a weight settle onto my back and between my wings as her compact chest pressed against the skin just under my wings. Any other time, the feel of that particular type of softness would have brought a flush to my face, but with the talk we had just shared and exhaustion again creeping in, I just enjoyed the warmth and the way she nuzzled the back of my neck as she got comfortable. Eventually, she lay still, which left me in silence for the next few minutes.

“Hey Spike?”

While my eyes didn’t open, I couldn’t help the raise of my eyebrow, even if she didn’t see it. “Yeah Dash?”

A long silence followed. I didn’t think she was going to say anything, but eventually she answered with a nearly-silent, “...thank you. For everything.”

I reached around the back of my head and playfully tousled her hair before murmuring, “Anytime, Dash. I mean that.”

Again silence descended, and within only a few minutes, I found myself welcoming the embrace of Luna’s dream realm as the world faded away.

Chapter 13

The following month was comfortingly monotonous. The first snow blew through Equestria, turning Ponyville into a winter wonderland. Fall clothes gave way to winter wear, and ponies everywhere began to enjoy warm hearths with hot cocoa and loved ones. It was because of the close, loving atmosphere that winter was my second favorite time of year, and it would be the favorite if not for the tendency for ice crystals to form under my scales. Nevertheless, even with the cold season in full-swing, work did not stop for Twilight and I, and Rarity in particular became quite busy due to the influx of winter clothing commissions. Rainbow Dash, too, was occupied, since she spent most of the winter training younger fliers due to their winter break, and she also spent time with her parents in Cloudsdale. As for the other girls, they were moderately busy with their own work, especially Pinkie, since Sugar Cube Corner became increasingly popular during the cold months.

Lyla, however, had plenty of free time, and spent most of it with me. Since the close call with the dragon, she had been practically glued to my side. I suppose it worked to my advantage that changelings were so bad at hiding their feelings, because it allowed me to know exactly how worried and mildly traumatized she was due to her injuries. I assured her repeatedly that everything was okay now -- and, I’ll admit, I even asked Luna to watch over her dreams -- but all in all, she was still adamant on spending as much time with me as possible. I didn’t mind it at all, but I wished there was more I could do for her than simply being with her...but maybe that would be enough.

True to her word, the week following my return to Ponyville and every week after, Ember began to send letters once again, and I was happy to have reconnected with a fellow friendly dragon. She caught me up with everything that had happened in her home since the last time we had spoken, including how Smolder was doing. It was nice to hear about them all, and surprising to hear that the dragons were sending envoys to other nations for peace. The dragon lands were thriving under Ember’s leadership, and it was impressive to hear all that had been done in such a short time.

I kept my promise and helped out around the farm, spending time with Applejack and ensuring her injuries wouldn’t cause her home and business to languish. Luckily for me, with the workload being lighter than other times during the year, I was able to efficiently balance my duties with Twilight and Starlight with work on the farm, so while I didn’t have as much free time as, say, Fluttershy, I was still able to do everything I needed to do and still get a good rest at night.

Again, the monotony was comforting and familiar, but life was unpredictable, and I knew it was just a matter of time before the next big thing came along to shake up life. Because of that well-learned lesson, I made sure to enjoy the momentary calm.

It was another snowy day in Ponyville, and with Hearth's Warming being only a month away, everyone was preparing for the holiday. Wreaths were being hung up, pine trees were getting decorated, and warm, stick-to-your-bones food was being prepared for family and friends. While the work of royals never ended, it was less intensive, which meant a small measure of more free time for us, helped in no small part by Starlight being home. With the lighter workload and an extra pony to share the burden with, we were all able to spend time with our friends nearly every day; that meant I could be sure to help Applejack with her farm’s paperwork, I could spend time with Lyla to be sure she knew all was well, and I still had time to relax at home with Twilight and Starlight before the day ended. Unfortunately, this also meant we had a frequent visitor to the castle…

“...and then Trixie was heckled by an earth pony! The nerve! Minus the fact she could not even do magic, the mare had the audacity to call Trixie a fraud in front of her adoring masses! Well, Trixie certainly could not let such disrespect stand, so she set off a small series of flashbang spells in her face to scare her off, and suddenly, the mare drops to the ground in convulsions! How was Trixie supposed to know she was epileptic? The townsfolk all shouted at Trixie as if it were her fault!”

I don’t hate Trixie -- truly, I don’t -- but the arrogant, haughty, self-assured attitude she exuded day in, day out, was...grating. I became friends with others that weren’t exactly easy to deal with (Discord came to mind), but Trixie didn’t listen when others would tell her she was being mean, or abrasive. Or, at least she hadn’t before. Ever since her friendship with Starlight had taken off, Starlight became the only pony Trixie would accept criticism from, and I knew that while it was only one pony, it was a good thing; at least there was somepony that was able to humble the proud showmare, even if just a little bit.

Starlight sighed through her nose and shook her head slowly. “To be fair to all parties involved, it was your fault.”

I shouldn't be so amused by the shocked, outraged expression on Trixie’s face.

“E-excuse Trixie, but how is this her fault?” the unicorn stammered, clearly offended. “She did not intend to-"

“Do those ponies know you, Trixie?” Starlight interjected, leveling her friend with an intense stare. “You call them your ‘adoring masses,’ but do they actually know anything about you, other than your shows and stories? Do you make any friends among the patrons, or do you keep them at a distance?” Before Trixie could try and rationalize her actions again, Starlight reached across the table and grasped her friend's hand, smiling gently at her. “I know you didn't mean to cause any harm, Trixie -- I know you're a different mare nowadays. However, patrons and acquaintances don't know your intentions, so they can only judge your actions…and your actions hurt a pony.”

Trixie’s face scrunched up as if she'd sucked on a lemon, but she let loose a sigh and nodded. “Trixie understands. She...I have ponies to apologize to, don't I?”

“Only if you mean it.” I answered, causing the mare to turn to me. Her expression was curious, but guarded, so I ventured, “Without actually meaning it, an apology is just words. Don't apologize just because you should, especially if you're not actually sorry. An apology should come from the heart, meaning you would understand why what you did was wrong, and you truly feel remorse for it.”

“He’s right.” Starlight added, sending a nod my way. “Honesty is more important than placation, and ponies will respect you more if you’re honest with them, even if it’s not what they want to hear. Sometimes, that might mean refusing to apologize because you’re not actually sorry for what you said or did. Being kind and considerate to others is important, but showing you respect somepony enough to tell them the truth, even if it doesn’t make them feel better, shows integrity.”

Trixie stared down at the table between them for a few moments before looking up at Starlight and nodding. “That makes sense. Thank you, Starlight. Tr- I am still learning, so I am grateful for your help.”

“I’ve not exactly got the brightest past either, Trixie.” Starlight reminded gently. She motioned to Twilight and I, who were signing off mundane reports and such from the desk in the corner of the office. “If it weren’t for these two, I would have been a very different pony -- a worse pony. You know my story, so you know I understand what it’s like to walk a different path than the one you’ve walked nearly your entire life. It’s not easy, and I know that, so I’ll always be here to offer a supportive ear, when you need it.”

Trixie wasn’t one to allow herself to appear vulnerable in front of others -- least of all to those she didn’t know or trust much -- so she didn’t show much outward emotion. The slightly glassy eyes and quiet “thank you” conveyed her gratitude quite well, though, and I couldn’t help but smile. Sure, she was annoying sometimes, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want her to better herself and make friends. I could admit that she’d come a long way, in no small part to Twilight’s forgiveness and Starlight’s friendship.

“Almost done there, Spike?” Twilight’s voice floated over.

I blinked and looked down to the stack of paperwork, and nodded. “Yeah. A few more forms to look over, and I’ll be done.” Moving onto the next group, I read over it and frowned. “What’s this about the ‘Coming Dawn’ I keep reading about? This is the fourth bill in a month regarding them, and it’s for…” I kept reading, frowning deeper, “giving a few key members of the citizenry privatization over agricultural research. I see a few names here I recognize -- Granny Smith, Fancy Pants, Fleur de Lis, and Time Turner -- but Jet Set I don’t know, nor most of these other names.”

“Let me see that.” Twilight urged, holding out her hand. I handed the form to her, and she brought it to her eyes, quickly scanning the page. After a few silent moments, she hummed as her brow furrowed. “Hmm...I don’t like this. I’ve also seen this group come up more than a few times in the past few months, and it sounds like a private interest group. Giving power over agricultural advancements to just a few ponies doesn’t sound like a good idea even in theory, and the only pony I see here who would actually bring those advancements would be Granny Smith. And…” she continued looking over the bill, her frown growing, “the incentives for this new law would be tax write-offs and investment in the farms, which would make things easier for farming families that would be under their jurisdiction. However, from the wording of this bill, agricultural technology and practices would be the property of the group, not the individual, to be shared and distributed as necessary so that all can benefit from it. They’re trying to consolidate select Equestrian farms under one entity, essentially commercializing it, and putting an end to individual identity. Ideally, all would benefit from this, but I don’t like that it puts the power over decisions in these few ponies, most of whom aren’t the land owners, and it appears to vote on a ‘majority rules’ system. While I don’t want to assume the worst, the majority leaders could, by law, force ponies like the Apples to give up their trade secrets -- such as zap apple harvesting and their cider recipe -- while cutting them out of most of the profit.” She continued eyeing the bill, her eyes never wavering, and sighed heavily through her nose. “This will have to go through parliament, and it can pass with a two-thirds vote. Any three of the Equestrian princesses can strike down the bill anywhere in the process, but doing so would imply favoritism, since we know the Apples personally. This is unnervingly clever, since most farmers -- I hate myself for saying this -- are ignorant when it comes to the law and politics. A smooth-talking representative could get one of these landowners to sign their bill as a co-signer, making it seem like this is a great idea for everypony, only for them to then…” Twilight set down the bill and closed her eyes, doing the breathing exercise Cadence taught her before opening her eyes and looking to me. “That’s not fair. I know very little about most of these ponies, and I’m assuming the worst of them. That’s clearly a biased opinion on my part.”

“If you think Celestia and Luna don’t have personal biases, you’re nuts.” I countered, smiling supportively to Twilight. I stood and stepped to Twilight’s side, kneeling and wrapping my arms around her waist as I gave her a comforting squeeze. I gazed into her eyes and nodded to her. “We all have personal biases, Twilight. As long as you don’t let them affect your decisions when it comes to things like this, it’s okay. Although,” I jerked my head toward the bill in front of her, “in this case, it helps to be able to identify and understand how things could go horribly wrong. A big part of the law is ensuring the negative effects are accounted for, so if you’re able to recognize the possible pitfalls and loopholes in a bill, that’s a strength, not a weakness. You’re allowed to voice how a bill or current law can be exploited, and as long as you keep your concerns focused on the bill instead of the ponies pushing for it, they can’t say anything about it without confirming the possibility that it could be used for their benefit at the expense of others. Even if no one could prove that’s what they had in mind, the possibility alone is enough for ponies to withdraw their support due to bad press, possible sanctions, and a visit from the inquisitors. Sometimes a few words, even if they don’t actually accuse anyone of anything, are enough to put a stop to something like this.”

Twilight eyed me skeptically, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you hated politics.”

I sighed heavily, nodding up at her. “I do, but being friends with Discord has helped me learn to see beyond my own nose, and how to do things with subtlety. Well…the latter was more thanks to Lyla and Thorax, but still.” I snapped my fingers as a memory popped up. “Oh, speaking of, Thorax wanted to visit this Hearth's Warming to experience the Equestrian celebration. He said Ocellus wanted to visit too, and if things go the way I think they will, this castle might be full of visitors for the first time.”

Twilight continued staring at me, her eyebrow climbing even higher. “How do you figure that?”

I held up a hand and began counting off. “Well, there’s Thorax, Ocellus, probably all the friends Ocellus made at the school, Silverstream’s guardian, Scootaloo, Fluttershy if she accepts my invitation, Lyla, Celestia and Luna if they can get away, your parents,” I glanced to the powder-blue unicorn, “Trixie if she wants to,” she blushed and looked away, but didn’t decline, “Starlight, plus Cadence and Shining, which means Flurry as well. In addition to all of them, we’ll have the place packed the night of the Lighting of the Hearth, since most of the town will show up. We definitely have the room and can get plenty of food and amenities, but this place is going to be more lively than it’s ever been. The rooms will actually be put to use for once.”

Twilight had closed her eyes by this point, and from the twitching under her eyelids, I knew her eyes were doing the “book-scanning” motion they did whenever she was thinking very hard or doing calculations. We allowed her some quiet as she thought, when she suddenly opened her eyes and locked her eyes on me. “Do you think Applejack and Pinkie might be up for catering?”

I shrugged. “Only one way to know for sure. Applejack might not be able to do farm work, but she’s proven she can still cook up a storm. I think we can use some of the budget for ‘public events’ to cover expenses.” I pulled away from the princess and straightened my hoodie as I stood. “I don’t know when Pinkie will be leaving to visit her family though, so I should probably go ask. Write up a plan for the gathering, and I’ll make sure we get Pinkie and Applejack on board.”

“On it.” Twilight answered, already pulling out a fresh scroll as she began to draft some plans. “Let me know what happens as soon as you can so I can have an accurate idea of how this needs to go.”

I nodded and opened the window, diving out of it and into the open air. I quickly shut the window behind me before darting off toward Sweet Apple Acres first, since I knew Applejack was not going to be busy. Luckily for me, with the cold air and steady snow, the skies were relatively clear, which meant I could really open up and speed my way to the farm -- while it was true it took more physical effort to move faster, the exertion meant I spent less time in the cold air, which meant less of a chance of ice forming underneath the scales. I can’t emphasize how much that hurts.

Anyhow, it only took a minute or two for the snowy fields of the farm to come into view. Tilting my wings, I angled myself toward the quaint farmhouse, only to have to flare my wings strongly as Sugar Belle walked out of the front door with a covered tray in hand. I could only smile apologetically as she glared at me, having been covered with a fine dusting of snow from my rapid stop.

After a moment though, she smiled as well, and offered a friendly wave as she greeted me. “Hiya Spike, it’s good to see you. How’ve you been?”

I shrugged as I reached around and held her hood as I punched it inside out, throwing out the snow in the process. “Eh, things have calmed down. Lyla’s back from her medical leave, and everypony else is preparing for the holiday, so life’s become pretty mundane compared to the last few months.” Stepping back around to her front, I motioned to the tray. “What’cha got there?”

Sugar Belle smiled brightly and removed the lid, the smell of fresh-baked apple pastries wafting out. “Just trying out a new recipe. Here,” she held the tray closer to me, “try one and let me know what you think. I tried some different ingredients for a more festive taste. Mac says they taste amazing, but you know that big softie: he claims everything I make is perfect. I need an unbiased opinion.”

I shrugged again and picked up one of the pastries. The first thing I noticed was that it was made with a flaky pastry crust dusted with what could only be sugar and cinnamon. My nose told me there were hints of nutmeg and pimenta in addition to the cinnamon, and I also detected a note of vanilla. The smell of apples, of course, was prevalent, but without tasting it, I wasn’t going to be able to discern anything else; so, with a mental shrug, I opened the hatch and took a bite. The buttery, flaky pastry gave way to a subtle spiced sweetness, followed immediately by the taste of potent apples with a heck of a zing to them. It only took looking at the rainbow-shimmering mixture to figure out what kind of apples were used.

Even though my wide eyes and unhinged jaw probably told her all she needed to know, I still looked directly at her and answered, “Oh yeah, he wasn’t just blowing smoke; this is incredible. The spices add a more festive flavor to it, and the zing of the zap apples really ties it all together. I imagine this would go really well with some hot cider or tea in front of the fireplace.”

She beamed at me and nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes! That’s just what I was thinking! Zap apples aren’t exactly easy to come by, and I have a feeling this recipe will go over very well back at the town.”

At the mention of the town she came from, I couldn’t help but feel slightly awkward about it. While Starlight was a friend and we had all forgiven her for what she had done, the fact that ponies still lived in that town just seemed...odd, to me at least.

“I don’t understand why you don’t just move to Ponyville.” I commented, gesturing to the farmhouse behind her. “You and Big Mac are together, so it would be much easier for you to be with your herd. I’m sure the Apples would be happy to have you.”

At the mention of her coltfriend, Sugar Belle blushed slightly and smiled sheepishly. “Y-yes, I know they would welcome me, but I feel like there’s still something I need to do there.” She frowned briefly before shaking her head. “I can’t really explain it, but it’s like there’s something telling me I’m still needed there. With the train line running again, it isn’t far to visit -- a day trip, at the longest -- and Big Mac is quite happy to come and go to my shop for the business opportunity.”

“You and I both know that’s not why he visits.” I quipped with a smirk.

Sugar Belle’s blush intensified, but she smiled more radiantly. “N-no, I suppose not. Still, it’s a good business opportunity for us both, and the ponies in the town love my creations. We’re happy together, and we’re both fine travelling. Maybe sometime in the future I’ll move on, but for now, it works for us.”

I shrugged and nodded to her. “Well, I can’t fault that. If you’re happy, I’m happy.” I inclined my head to the farmhouse. “Anyhow, I gotta go talk to AJ, so I’ll see you later. Stay warm, Sugar Belle.”

“You too, Spike! Bye now!” she returned, trotting off with a happy bounce in her step. I just smiled as I watched the adorable older mare leave.

Still smiling, I turned and walked the few steps up to the front door and gave a loud trio of knocks. It only took a moment for the door to be answered, and I only had a moment to say “hello” before Applejack practically yanked me inside and shut the door behind me. I was immediately wrapped in a strong one-armed embrace, and it took a moment for me to shake off my surprise to return it. I’ll admit that I was tempted to bury my nose into Applejack’s golden hair and inhale the sweet scent of apples and spice from a combination of the shampoo she used, as well as some other thing I didn’t know about. I restrained myself, if barely, but was unable to keep from smiling at the warm greeting I was receiving.

“It’s good t’see ya, Spike.” she murmured after a few moments, pulling away to look up at me with a bright smile. “This visit fer business or pleasure?”

I had to fight to keep from giggling like an idiot at the unintentional innuendo, instead riposting with, “Who says it can’t be both -- business, and then pleasure?”

Applejack chuckled heartily as she pushed me away playfully, shaking her head. “Yer gonna get in trouble talkin’ like that, Spike. Now, really, what can Ah do for ya?”

While I wanted to tease her a bit more, she was right: I was here for a reason. “How do you feel about catering at the castle for Hearth's Warming? If things go the way it’s looking like they will, we’re going to have a lot of company, and while I’m quite capable in the kitchen, I could use help from someone else who knows what they’re doing.”

Applejack furrowed her brow as she looked to the kitchen. “How many r’we talkin’?”

“Around twenty,” I answered, waving her off as her eyes widened, “and we’ll be covering the cost of supplies. While Starlight can follow directions well enough, we’re going to need at least four or five others to help make the food, as well as volunteers to set everything up. Twilight can cover the volunteers -- her magic can take care of most of it, after all -- but I’m going to need more to help me actually make the food. Are you in?”

Applejack placed the hand of her good arm on her chin, humming to herself. “Okay, and who else ya thinkin’ of askin’?”

“I’m heading to Pinkie next, and I’ll ask the Cakes while I’m there. I know Lyla’s a good cook, so I can get her on board, and with me, that’s enough for a good kitchen staff. What I really want, though, is somepony who knows how to make some good, traditional Ponyville food.” I explained, reaching out and poking her on the sternum. “That’s what I need you for. You can’t get much more ‘traditional Ponyville’ than an Apple.”

Applejack rolled her eyes at my good-natured jab, and nodded. “Sounds good, and Ah’m free. Other’n openin’ presents and eatin’ food, we don’t do much else f’r Hearth's Warmin’. Granny’ll tell ‘er stories to tha foals, so that’ll leave me free ta help y’all out.”

I motioned to her arm, which was still in a sling. “That’s not gonna slow you down, is it? I don’t want to-” A strong glare thrown my way shut me up pretty quick, and I raised my hands placatingly. “All right, no need to get testy. I just don’t want you overexerting yourself; you do have a habit of doing that, AJ.”

She crossed her arms the best she could, sticking her lip out in a pout. “Ah wish ev’rybody would stop coddlin’ me. Ah ain’t made’a glass, and mah leg works just fine. S’long as Ah don’t need both arms t’do it, Ah can manage.”

Realizing she had likely been treated like she was some fragile mare since the accident, I nodded to her with an understanding smile. “I get it -- really, I do -- but not listening to your body is just going to make it take longer for you to heal. We don’t do it because we think you’re weak or anything, we do it because we care about you. If you say you’re fine, I’ll believe you, but please: for your sake and the sake of those that worry about you, try and take it easy at least until you get that arm out of the sling.”

“Fine,” she grumbled, accepting the concern, “but Ah can cook just fine. Ah’ll get together a good menu for vittles, and we’ll have a good time.” She smiled and nudged me. “B’sides, Ah ain’t celebrated at tha castle in years. It’ll be nice ta see it full, f’r once.”

I clapped a hand on her shoulder and nodded with a grateful smile. “Cool, I knew I could count on you. Anyway, was there anything you needed before I go?”

Applejack seemed to think for a moment before shaking her head. “Not f’r now, but Ah’d appreciate it if you could stop by after gettin’ tha plans in order. It’s a might bit quiet ‘round here with Mac busy ‘n Granny out, so Ah was hopin’ maybe you’d want ta…” she trailed off, shrugging her unrestrained shoulder.

I favored her with a slow nod, my smile widening. “Sure, sounds nice. I’ll be back sometime later in the afternoon, after I’ve put things together with Pinkie, the Cakes, and Twilight. Do you mind if Lyla joins us?”

She smiled wryly. “Poor girl is still a bit rattled, hm?” I only nodded, and Applejack shrugged again. “Ah don’t mind. Been awhile since we spent more than a few minutes together, so Ah think it’d be nice t’see ‘er. Sure, bring ‘er by, and we’ll find somethin’ ta do.”

I gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before pulling away. “Thanks, AJ. All right, I’m heading off to Sugarcube Corner to do some more recruiting, and I’ll stop by in a few hours. Take care until then.”

She offered me a warm smile with a nod. “Ah’ll be waitin’. Take care until then, Spike.”

As had become habit by now, I gave her another hug before I left. After pulling away, I quickly left the house and blasted into the air, with only the wind to accompany my thoughts.

Basically, any time I didn’t already have devoted to other work or spending time with my small herd, I spent with her, helping around the farm or sometimes -- as was going to be the case later in the day -- just to spend time with Applejack. I had known Applejack for quite a few years -- most of my life, if you wanted to be specific -- so I would like to think I knew her rather well by this point. Still, before fairly recently, I had been seen as “Twilight’s little dragon assistant,” so there were quite a few things I wasn’t privy to, or things Applejack and the other girls didn’t talk to me about. They all had similar excuses, somewhere in the realm of not wanting to burden a younger child with the stresses and rigors of adult life.

I had spent quite a bit of time with Applejack since the confrontation with the dragon, and I had noticed changes in the dynamic between us -- not in a bad way really, just...different. Much like Rarity, flirting was simply a part of the way I bantered with the many ponies of the opposite sex I knew, and most times, it didn’t really mean anything beyond being playful and mildly affectionate to a good friend or acquaintance. Applejack had always taken said banter and playful ribbing well, except for when I cut it off completely once she became involved with Thunderlane. During that time, I felt more awkward around her than before, since there was a part of who I was that I wasn’t allowed to share with her anymore. That had changed since her breakup, and even though I hadn’t wished she had to go through the pain of a breakup, her and I had picked up our old friendship like Thunderlane had never happened. My personal feelings for her ex-coltfriend aside, Applejack being single again had been good for our friendship, from an objective standpoint. What was different now was the fact that she would lean on me if we were sitting next to each other, or give me a hug both as a greeting, and as a farewell. She made it a point to be close to me whenever we were in the same room, and even though I wasn’t the most observant guy, I noticed she had been brushing her fur and hair more often, and had transitioned from using practical, scentless soaps to scented soaps and shampoos that featured smells she knew I liked. I mean, if I didn’t know better, I would think…

‘Don’t even think about it, drake,’ I told myself with an internal growl. ‘Yes, Applejack is cute, single, and a close friend, but that doesn’t mean you have a shot at all. Shame on you for even thinking about her like that, especially so soon after she broke up with her coltfriend. You’re spending time to help her and lend your support, not to try and get in her pants.’ It was a little concerning that I was nowadays finding it so easy to mentally add other mares to my herd, even if just by passing thought. I needed to talk to Twilight and Rarity about that at some point, but for now, I had other things I had to take care of.

Sugarcube Corner came into view as I entered town, and I was happy to have something else for my mind to focus on. With it only being midday, I had assumed they would be busy, but the line of ponies leading in the door caught me off-guard, and I grumbled to myself as I resigned myself to waiting for things to calm down. I took my place at the back of the line, a few familiar faces offering me greetings that I returned, but I otherwise just settled myself in for a long wait.

Some twenty minutes later, I was finally standing in front of the counter, and Pumpkin cake smiled warmly at me. She was tall like her father, if a bit lanky for a mare, but her bright smile and bubbly demeanor made her quite the likable young mare. Similar to her brother, her and I were very close as a result of many hours spent entertaining them with Pinkie when they were younger, and she was practically another younger sister to me.

“Hi uncle Spike!” she practically squealed, bouncing happily on her hooves to accentuate her greeting. “Do you want something sweet, something warm, or maybe both?”

I glanced over the display case, looking at the many baked treats set out for customers to see. “What do you have that’s both?”

“We have cherry cheese tarts, blueberry brownies, regular brownies, orange cream cheese danishes, and all of our muffins.” she explained, holding up a covered tray of the muffins in question. “Pinkie and mom are in the back though, so if you don’t mind waiting a bit, I’m sure they can make a fresh batch of pretty much whatever you’d like.”

I shook my head with a grateful smile. “That won’t be necessary, Pumpkin. I’ll have one of those blueberry brownies and a cherry cheese tart, please. Oh, and medium hot spiced cider.”

Pumpkin nodded, punching the buttons on the antique register before smiling at me again. “All right, that’ll be eight bits.”

I fished a ten-bit piece out of my pocket and handed it to her. “Keep the change, Pumpkin.” She nodded with that same bright smile, quickly getting my order and finishing by pouring my drink from the magically-heated keg behind the counter.

Once she handed all three to me, she offered me a much warmer, more personal smile than she gave to all the other customers. “Thanks for coming, uncle Spike. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

I shook my head. “Not at the moment. I need to see Pinkie and your folks when things slow down, but for now, I’m going to take a seat at the table and let you all keep things moving. Just let them know I’m here when the rush ends.”

“Okay then. We'll be busy for about another hour, but I'll let them know when things calm down.” she assured. With that, I made my way to one of the few open tables and took a seat, settling myself in for a bit of a wait.

As I munched on my sweets and sipped my piping hot drink, I was aware of a few new faces in the crowd, and this became all the more apparent when they continued glancing at me. As a growing town with national heroines, a resident chaos lord, and a princess, Ponyville had become a more popular tourist destination over the years. The odd stares and outright gawking was something I had become used to, and by this time, I knew that there were three ways newcomers would react to my presence: with curiosity, with interest, or with fear. Thankfully, the latter was pretty rare, but it still happened, so I did my best to look the part of a regular citizen, and kept calm and polite with everyone I met. Obviously, I was well-known in Ponyville and Canterlot, but seeing as how dragons were still rare in Equestria, ponies from anywhere but those two places tended to see me as a novelty. Well, except the Crystal City, but that was an exception to the rule. And so, I mostly just kept to myself, which was exactly what I did at that moment.

It didn’t take me long to finish my two baked treats, so for the following hour, I slowly nursed my hot spiced cider that Pumpkin had been thoughtful enough to place in a ceramic mug for me. This allowed me to keep it warm with my own fire without destroying the cup, which again caused the scattered new ponies to stare at me. From who I spotted out of the corner of my eye, however, I knew the show was about to get all the more interesting for those watching me.

Lyla was eye-catching no matter what, and her glittering wings and smooth obsidian skin gave her a unique, exotic appeal that ponies just didn’t have. She was taller than most other ponies -- even some of the female earth ponies -- and her athletic body was easily noticeable with the snug clothing she often wore. For whatever reason, she had not yet gone through the change to become a “new changeling” like Thorax and his followers, but even though she never actually said so, I believed it was because she thought I would no longer find her attractive if she did. That was ludicrous of course, but unless she brought it up, I wasn’t going to press her; besides, in a loving place like Ponyville where she was accepted, she was in no danger of starving.

She sauntered over and pulled up a chair to sit next to me, immediately offering me a chaste kiss, which I eagerly returned. We both simultaneously decided to keep things proper for being in public, and pulled away after only a quick moment, but she still sat practically in my lap, which had become the norm since she had gotten back from Hollow Shades. After having tried several times to use words to comfort and reassure her, I learned over the weeks that nothing I said was going to dissuade her, so I just accepted the affection and supported her the best that I could. Luna had told me of a few choice nightmares Lyla had due to the incident, but all in all, Lyla seemed to be healing, mentally and physically, quickly and easily due to the love and support of those in Ponyville.

Slowly, as time passed, the bakery began to calm down as the lunch rush expired, and even the visitors from other areas of Equestria lost interest in Lyla and I and moved on. With the pandemonium ended, the Cakes were able to clean up and restock, which left the establishment mostly quiet save for a few customers trickling in here and there. I had long ago finished my tasty cider, so I just held Lyla close and waited patiently for the Cakes to have a moment to talk.

Some time passed, and I saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake approaching, along with a bouncy Pinkie behind them. Pinkie, of course, glomped me as usual -- bringing a pleasantly surprised Lyla along for the ride -- while the elder two just smiled with a sort of loving exasperation from Pinkie’s antics. Lyla and I both laughed and hugged the pink pony-shaped lump of joy, and enjoyed the mutual affection from a close friend.

Pinkie hopped off of us and pulled us both to our feet with her deceptively strong arms, and smiled brightly at me. “Hi guys! What brings you here?”

I jerked my head to my changeling. “Lyla’s just hanging out, but me, I came here for some help.” I glanced to the two Cakes, “We’re having an event on Hearth’s Warming Eve at the castle, and we’re going to need some goodies. I was hoping you all would be able to help out.”

Mr. Cake looked to his wife, and upon getting a nod, he smiled at me. “Sure can, Spike! How many are we catering for?”

I shrugged. “Not too many, only twenty. I’m going to get with Twilight to hire a larger catering service for the rest of town, but for those that will be staying in the castle with us, I want the best of the best. That’s where you all come in.” I couldn’t help but look directly at Pinkie when I finished, well aware of just how gifted she was as a baker.

Pinkie blushed adorably and imitated a refined southern accent as she replied, “Flatt’ry will get you evr’ywhere, darlin’.” She giggled cutely before turning around to address the Cakes. “Well? I’m in! How about you two?”

Mrs. Cake rolled her eyes at the poofy pink mare. “Of course we are, Pinkie. We’ll put together a menu and come up with some delicious treats for Twilight, Spike, and their guests.” She turned her attention to me next. “Any requests or things I should know about?”

I thought hard, trying to come up with anything in particular. In the end, I couldn’t, simply because it was all good. “Nah, not really. Other than asking that you clearly label anything that has raspberries or blackberries in it, I leave the menu completely up to you. I’ve yet to have anything that you guys sell that I haven’t liked, so I trust you all to make some awesome eats. After you’ve come up with an estimate, let me know and Twilight and I will get you the funds to get this done.”

At this, Mr. Cake’s face soured a bit. “Spike, you should know by now that-”

“And you should know by now that we don’t mix business and our personal lives.” I interrupted, already knowing where he was headed with his line of thought. “If we meet on the street or spend time together for anything, that’s just friends hanging out, but this is your business. So, because you’re our friends, we want you to have the business, because we know how good your food is; because you’re a business, we’re not going to use our friendship to get free stuff. I appreciate it -- truly, I do -- but I can’t accept that. I ask that you respect me enough to allow us to pay you for your fine goods and services, like you deserve.”

Mr. and Mrs. Cake glanced at each other, apparently having a silent conversation, before the former offered me a wry smile. “Very well, Spike. We should have a decent estimate in a few days, so we’ll send Pinkie to get you when we’ve got it all worked out. It’ll be pretty tight with Pinkie spending the holiday with her family, but we can do it.”

I clapped my hands with a bright smile. “Fantastic! I think this is going to be a great Hearth’s Warming, especially with all the visitors. Was there anything you all needed before I head out?”

Rolling his eyes again -- at me, this time -- Mr. Cake shook his head. “Spike, I appreciate the offer, but we’ll be okay. We’re used to this, I promise.”

Offering one more smile, I nodded to the three of them. “Cool, I’ll let you all get to it, then. Let me know if you need me; you know where to find me.” I gave Pinkie a wink as I turned with Lyla and left the bakery, blasting into the sky and making my way back to the castle.

As I assumed, Twilight was making plan after plan after plan when I got back, and she offered me a kiss to the cheek without looking away from her new project, while I made my way to the kitchen with Lyla. We made a quick lunch for the three of us, leaving some in the fridge for Starlight and Trixie, wherever they were. I dropped off a simple daisy sandwich at Twilight’s desk, giving her a better kiss and explaining what had happened in regards to my recruitment, as well as that I was heading to Applejack’s to spend some time with her. Twilight merely nodded and took a too-large bite of her sandwich, continuing her work without saying anything other than “okay”.

Lyla and I took flight from the second floor balcony, quickly making our way through the gentle snowfall to the farm in the distance. Again I landed in front of the farmhouse, this time with Lyla by my side, and knocked firmly on the door.

Almost as if she’d been waiting for me, Applejack nearly immediately opened the door to greet me. She smiled widely at the sight of Lyla and I, quickly inviting us in, away from the cold. With Granny Smith and Big Mac both out running errands and Applebloom with her friends, the house was all but empty save for Applejack and her faithful dog Winona. The collie was older, and a little slower, but she still greeted me happily with licks to my hand and happy yips.

Applejack looked at our exchange fondly. “Y’know, Ah f’rgot how much she likes ya. It’s a shame Peewee ain’t in town no more.”

I gave the wiggly collie a few more pets before standing and smiling at Applejack. “Yeah. He’s still learning to control his powers, so it’s not a good idea for Peewee to be in town. He’s a phoenix though, so I’ll see him again someday.”

Applejack just continued smiling before looking to Lyla next. “So, how ya been, girl? Been awhile since Ah’ve seen ya in a more private settin’.”

Lyla bobbed her head from side to side before taking a seat with me on the sofa, snuggling up to my side. “I’ve been okay. My chitin still itches a bit from time to time,” she rubbed over the scar along her collar, which was hidden by her shirt, “but I’m not in any pain.” She motioned to Applejack’s arm. “What about you? I can only imagine it’s driving you nuts.”

Applejack took a seat on the well-worn chair just to the side of me, letting out a long breath. “Y’all don’t know tha half’a it. Ah had ta re-learn ta wash mahself in tha shower -- hay, doin’ pretty much anything with two hands is purdy much impossible. If it weren’t f’r common decency, Ah wouldn’ even get dressed.” Applejack then shot a decidedly evil smirk my way as she commented, “A’course, Spike here prob’ly wouldn’ mind that, Ah reckon.”

I have to admit, I immediately imagined -- vividly -- Applejack walking around wearing nothing but her underwear and a smile.

As it was, I could only blush and mutter, “Well, I mean, I wouldn’t be against it…”

Lyla looked between us before her mouth formed an ‘o’ shape. “Ah, this kind of banter between the two of you must be why I always sense lust from him when-”

“Lyla, SHUT. UP!” I hissed immediately, feeling like I was about to die from embarrassment.

Unfortunately, Applejack had caught that, and it didn’t take her much to figure out the rest. She just leveled me with a sultry gaze as she teased, “Ah see. So, tha apples off tha trees ain’t the only ones yer interested in, hm?” She chuckled in that rich, husky way that was so warm and inviting, and just reached out with a hoof to nudge my leg playfully. “S’all right Spike. Ah ain’t blind, and Ah knew ya been lookin’ at all’a us different f’r years, now. We’re still young mares, ‘n we’re all close friends. Ah’d be s’prised if ya didn’ have a wanderin’ mind, fr’m time ta time. That bein’ said,” she turned her eyes to Lyla, “his feelin’s are his business, no matter what they’re about. Try not ta do that to ‘im again, y’hear?”

Lyla had the good grace to look quite chastised, and nodded with a solemn expression. “Right, s-sorry. Some things about non-changelings still don’t make sense to me.” The changeling then looked to me and nosed my cheek affectionately. “I’m sorry, Spike.”

I had fought down most of my embarrassment by now, and returned the nuzzle with my own as I reached my arm behind and hugged her close to me. “I forgive you. It’s just...keep in mind that other races are more private, so let others tell their own private things. I’m not mad, I promise, it’s just...embarrassing to know you can feel that, and the fact you said it in front of the one it concerns.”

My tone and words were enough to make it clear that she had screwed up, so I knew Lyla was making another mental note not to do something like that in the future. As much as Lyla had learned about pony society (including mine), I had to constantly remind myself that she was still learning every day, and would likely continue learning new things for the rest of her life; hay, even I was still learning, which was why I wasn’t angry with her, only extremely embarrassed.

“Spike.”

I looked back to Applejack, who was still smiling at me, with a more gentle expression. “It’s okay, Ah promise. Ya think Ah ain’t had stray thoughts about mah own extended fam’ly? ‘Magine how mortifyin’ it was f’r a young filly ta learn just why it was wrong ‘t have a crush on an older cousin.” She guffawed at that, likely remembering the embarrassment and awkwardness she felt. Stars, I could only imagine. She continued by pointing to Lyla. “In a lotta ways, she’s like a foal. There’s jus’ gonna be certain things she don’ know’re wrong or indecent, so ya gotta teach ‘er. Foals’re tha same. We ain’t born knowin’ right fr’m wrong: we gotta learn fr’m our elders, or experience. Jus’ be patient with ‘er, ‘n remember we all have ta learn things in life.”

I looked to Lyla, and she gave me that cute sheepish smile she wore whenever she did something silly. I knew her actions were rooted in a good place, and I also knew she didn’t have a truly mean bone in her entire body. She was witty, and innocent in ways most our age weren’t, and as I thought of these things, it was like falling in love with her all over again. I gave in to temptation and locked lips with her, cradling the back of her head as I poured love and affection into the kiss, hoping I could pass on even just a fraction of what I felt for her.

We separated a few moments later, eyes opening simultaneously to gaze at each other with adoration. A throat being cleared to my right reminded me that we were not alone, however, and I could only blush a bit as I looked to a similarly blushing Applejack.

“Y’all know Ah ain’t got a problem with tha two’ve ya bein’ t’gether, but maybe mah house ain’t the place for that kind’a kissin’.” Applejack politely commented, her face flushed a deep red. “A peck on tha lips, sure, but that was a ‘Ah’m ‘bout ta jump yer bones’ kind’a smooch, there.”

I had forgotten that Applejack was rather reserved when it came to PDA, so with that in mind, I gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that. I’m so used to just being open with Lyla that sometimes I forget that not everypony is used to that. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything, Applejack.”

Her slightly embarrassed expression melted into a warmer, more affectionate smile. She took a deep breath and shook her head. “Naw, it ain’t yer fault. It’s just…” she sighed wistfully, glancing away from us, “Ah remember what it was like t’be that in love with somepony, ‘n it just stings a little.” Before I could offer further apologies, she waved my concerns away. “It’s all right, Spike. Ah’m still healin’ from it, so don’ take it personal. Ah jus’...” again she trailed off, shaking her head again before going silent.

“You miss it.” I suggested, though I already knew it was true.

Applejack took another deep breath before nodding. “Yeah, Ah do. Goin’ single again was tha right choice f'r both of us, Ah truly b'lieve that...but yeah, Ah miss it sometimes.” Her gaze grew a bit distant as she relived memories only she could see. “Ah miss how it was in tha beginnin’. Ah was still on a high fr'm havin' mah first steady coltfriend, ‘n we were just enjoyin’ life as it came at us. Ah had someone ta give me tha kinda love that ain’t real proper b’tween blood, ‘n someone that Ah thought understood me ‘n mah life. The Apples’ve always been a real close-knit, so that’s a given, but it’s diff’rent t’find that in someone outside tha fam’ly.”

“Family doesn’t really count.” I added, nodding to Applejack when she looked at me. “I know some poor ponies aren’t so lucky, but generally speaking, being part of a family means love and acceptance -- it’s just part of being a member of that particular group. That’s why, I think, it feels more special when you find that in someone outside your family: you didn’t know that person your whole life, and they have no obligation to you whatsoever. When someone falls in love with you, you know it’s due to your own merit and personality, rather than simply ‘because’.”

Applejack returned my nod, smiling gently. “Yeah, and Ah miss that. There’s…” she trailed off as she quietly mumbled, “there’s a whole lot Ah miss ‘bout it, truth be told.” Her cheeks began to darken with a blush, and it didn’t take much thought to deduce some of the things she might be thinking about.

I glanced to Lyla briefly before reaching across the gap and grasping Applejack’s hand in my own. Her eyes immediately shot to me, and I offered her a reassuring grin as I assured, “This isn’t a ‘one and done’ situation, Applejack. I know that right now you probably don’t really want to think about it, but you will get over this, and one day soon, you’ll find someone better suited to who you are as a pony. You’ll find a stallion that understands who and what you are, what your priorities in life consist of, and most of all, that you don’t need to change.” I motioned to me and Lyla. “Your friends love you, Applejack. We may not be your special someponies, but the pony we all care about is a great mare that is dependable, hardworking, loving, and all-around amazing. Any guy would be blessed to catch your eye, and I know your ‘someone’ is out there. You’re too great of a pony to not be loved.”

In addition to the blush on her cheeks, tears had now gathered in the corners of Applejack’s eyes. She closed them and took a deep breath, wiping them away with her hand before grasping mine again, opening her eyes to look at me with a fond smile. “Thanks Spike. Ah...Ah really needed t’hear that.”

“And in the meantime,” I continued, holding her hand firmly in my own, “you’ll have all of us to love and support you, like family should. No matter what, you’ll never be alone; I promise that.”

Applejack held my gaze for a few moments before turning her attention to Lyla. “Ah hope you treasure this ‘ere drake, Lyla. Ah’ve known Spike f’r years, ‘n Ah reckon ya got yerself a great guy. Ah trust you ta take good care’a him.”

Lyla pressed herself more firmly against my side, giving a quick peck to my cheek. “In every way I can, for as long as I can. He's done more for me than I can ever repay, but I'll do everything in my power to be the best me I can, for him, and maybe that will be enough.”

“Just keep being you, Lye.” I lovingly commented, bringing her hand up and brushing my lips across the back of it. Bringing my attention back to Applejack, I pointed to her arm. “So, you’ve seen the doctor; what did he say?”

She shifted her arm a bit, sighing heavily. “Ah get tha sling off next week, but doc said there’ll be no liftin’ more’n five pounds for at least another two months. Lucky f’r me, Ah’ll be all healed up by tha time spring rolls ‘round, but f’r now, it’s a pain in tha tail. Only thing is, ‘cause of tha atrophy, Ah still ain’t gonna be much good with this arm for another four ‘r five months. Ah can start some’a tha physical therapy once tha sling comes off, but until tha bones’re strong again, it ain’t safe to do muscle trainin’.”

“I’m sure Dash would have no problem helping you out with that.” I suggested, nodding to Applejack. “She might be kind of a meathead sometimes, but she knows how to handle the pony body, and she’s been in enough accidents to know how to rehab just about everything.”

Applejack hummed to herself, nodding absently. “...yeah, that might be a good idea.” She then looked to Lyla and I again before catching sight of the window. “Well, weather is pickin’ up again, so Ah think Ah should let y’all get back home b’fore it hits.” I looked out the window to see she was right; the sky was getting darker, and the snow was starting to come down more heavily than it had earlier.

I stood with Lyla and pulled Applejack out of her chair before she was pulled into a hug by both Lyla and I. I felt her momentarily tense before melting into the embrace, and she even offered an affectionate nuzzle to the both of us before resting her head between ours. I was left with the lingering scent of apples and spice, and I relished in the warm fuzzies it brought me.

All too soon, however, we all pulled away from each other, and I gave Applejack a parting smile. “Well, it was nice of you to have us, AJ. Remember though: you’re welcome to visit us at the castle anytime. Take care of yourself, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Applejack released us and walked Lyla and I to the front door, offering only another silent smile as a farewell when we exited the warm farmhouse. Lyla and I immediately took to the skies, orienting ourselves toward the castle in the distance. The snow was starting to become much heavier as the sun headed toward the horizon, so Lyla and I picked up the pace to make it back home before the snowfall became dangerous to fly in.

We arrived back at the castle only a dozen minutes later, entering through the front entrance so we wouldn’t track snow into the living areas. We made our way through the winding corridors full of doors, me doing so mostly by memory at this point, and took the long, rounded staircase that led to the private quarters.

As we entered the private quarters of the castle, I took notice of a familiar aqua-blue butterfly-printed scarf hanging next to a knitted woolen scarf of rainbow colors. “Ah, it looks like Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy decided to visit.” I couldn’t help but smile at the thought; it had been some time since I had seen either of them for longer than a few minutes. As we continued our journey, the familiar scent of jasmine chamomile tea teased my nose, and I knew the girls were enjoying Fluttershy’s favorite blend, likely in the commons area.

As I rounded the final bend, however, I picked up the distinct sound of sniffles, and whimpering.

I felt Lyla’s hand grab my shoulder to stop me, and she looked directly in my eyes as she advised, “Something’s happened, Spike. I don’t know what, but I can feel a great deal of sorrow coming from the direction we’re headed. Prepare yourself.” I took a steadying breath and nodded firmly, continuing the walk to the commons room.

The room came into view, and I could see Starlight, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Trixie all sitting in the commons room, gathered around a certain gentle pegasus, with a warm fire crackling merrily in the hearth. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were both sat on either side of Fluttershy, while Starlight was sitting across from them, facing me. Trixie was next to Starlight, looking lost and saddened, seemingly unsure if she should try and comfort the crying pony or not. The pony who was whimpering and sniffling was, of course, Fluttershy, which instantly put me on edge as concern bubbled up in me.

Starlight caught my eye as I approached, and she only looked at me with glassy eyes as she shook her head solemnly. Her movement caught the attention of Twilight and Rainbow Dash, the former of who turned and spotted me, standing and rounding the long sofa to meet me before I stepped over to them.

She stepped over and came in close, bringing me into an embrace as she whispered the simple explanation into my ear: “Angel passed away this morning, Spike.”

A lump of ice dropped into my stomach, and I swallowed hard to keep from making any noise. Twilight pulled her head back to look at me, and I could see the bloodshot sclera of her eyes, as well as a good deal of wetness along her cheeks, signifying she had been crying with Fluttershy for some time, now. I held her gaze for a few moments before nodding firmly, girding myself for a very emotional rest of the day. Considering how the earlier parts of the day had gone, I couldn’t help but repeatedly think, “This isn’t how I thought today was going to end.”

My mind was now completely focused on Fluttershy, and I decided I was going to do whatever it took to help her through this. I followed Twilight back around the sofa, and I was only slightly aware of the sound of what sounded like thread straining and snapping as I made my way closer to the other four mares. By the time I had come around the sofa and approached the sitting area, I could feel something falling around my shoulders as something around my waist snapped. Starlight glanced back to me, along with Trixie, and the eyes of both mares widened almost comically, while Trixie stood up and backed around behind the seat her and Starlight had been sharing. Rainbow Dash, also, was staring at me with wide eyes and a slackened jaw, but none of that was important: I only had eyes for Fluttershy, and only she mattered.

Fluttershy, the poor mare, was hunched over with her face buried in her hands, quietly whimpering and sniffling to herself as her dainty, soft wings lay slack against her back and her hair resembled a tangled mess far removed from the normal pink, silky waterfall it normally was. Sensing that I was standing in front of her now, Fluttershy slowly removed her face from her hands and looked up at me. She was the only one that didn’t react with surprise at the sight of me, and seeing as how I was somehow very high above her now, I took a knee so that I could more easily look her in the eye -- even so, the pegasus still had to crane her neck quite a bit to look up at me. I reached out with a hand, nearly encapsulating her entire head, and it was at that point I realized what had happened: I had grown again, and not due to greed. That could wait until later, though; I had a pegasus that needed me, and the questions I had for myself were less important than she was.

Fluttershy continued holding my gaze as she slowly stood, bringing her eye-level with me, finally. She just stared for a few moments before holding her arms up to me with tears streaming down her face, and I wasted no time in scooping the small pegasus up in my arms, cradling her against my chest as she began sobbing for what I imagined was just one of many times today. I stood and effortlessly held her in my large arms, imagining that this must be similar to what it’s like for a father to comfort a distraught child. I gave in to instinct and extended my massive wings around her, forming a warm, leathery cocoon around Fluttershy, hoping that the small, warm, safe area might help her, if even just a little bit. I knew this was going to be a long night for all of us, so I continued to hold Fluttershy close as she wept, hoping that I might be able to ease her pain by even just the smallest percentage.

I pulled the quilt up over Fluttershy as she finally drifted off to dreamland, knowing that it was going to be a few days before she would even be able to pull herself out of bed for much more than to take care of the few animal friends that hadn’t hibernated or flown south for winter. I rubbed my thumb along her cheek, removing some of the dampness there and wishing there was more I could do for her.

A thought came to mind, and I quickly made my way to the nearby writing desk to pull out a piece of parchment and a pen. I quickly drafted a letter to a certain night princess, asking her to watch over Fluttershy, before I wrapped it with one of the enchanted ribbons we had. I exhaled a modest flame over the letter, and watched as it turned into smoke, whisking away toward the commons room, presumably to exit via the chimney. It wasn’t much, but I hoped that perhaps Luna could spare her from nightmares, and that would hopefully make the grieving process a little easier for Fluttershy.

The subtle sound of hooves upon crystal flooring brought my attention to the open doorway, where Twilight was waiting for me with an obvious expression of concern visible on her face. I sighed through my nose before grabbing my noticeably-loose pants and making my way out of the room.

I followed Twilight back to the commons room, stopping only as I came upon Rainbow Dash to ask, “Dash, do you think you could…?” I jerked my head toward the room Fluttershy was in.

Rainbow Dash clearly wanted to talk with me about what had happened, but we both knew Fluttershy was far more important right now, and she was going to need a friend in there with her. With that in mind, she sighed heavily and nodded, giving me an affectionate punch to the arm. “Yeah, I’ll keep an eye on her. But we are getting an explanation tomorrow, got it?” I nodded to her, and that seemed to satisfy her enough to make her way without any further protest to Fluttershy’s room.

Twilight and I then continued to the commons room, reentering a moment later to Trixie, Starlight, and Lyla waiting for us, along with the shredded remains of my undershirt, my hoodie, and my belt. I groaned at the sight of the ruined clothes; Rarity was gonna kill me. Still, that could wait, and we had something new to discuss.

“What the hay happened, Spike?” Trixie wasted no time saying what everyone was thinking right then. I had to admit, I was pleased with her direct approach, as well as the fact she used my name, for once.

I could only shrug helplessly. I took a seat on the sofa, since I had shrunk back to normal size, and took a long moment trying to come up with anything. I simply shrugged again, having nothing to explain what happened. “Short version: I don’t know. Long version? I really don’t know. The only other times I’ve grown were due to a time spell, and growth by greed. But this time…” I paused and shook my head with a huff of frustration. “I have no idea. During greed growth, I lose my ability to think rationally, but I was fully aware the entire time. Furthermore, I wasn’t feeling at all greedy, so that can’t be it. This...this was something else.”

“How do you feel?” Twilight asked, bringing up another obvious question.

I silently took stock of how my body felt, noticing a slight soreness in my muscles that was familiar with the growth. “I feel a bit sore, but nowhere near as much as I did after fighting the dragon. I don’t know whether it’s because I wasn’t in a fight or because I didn’t grow as large, but it’s not too bad. Other than that, I’m just hungry and tired.”

Twilight silently held out a star sapphire the size of my fist, and I nodded to her in thanks as I took it and immediately began chowing down. The fruity, earthy taste of the gem pleased my palate quite well, and while it wasn’t good for a full meal, it would tide me over until breakfast.

After silently eating and finishing my treat, I licked my fingers before speaking again. “While we know quite a bit more about dragons than we used to, there’s still plenty about my own kind that is a mystery to us. Thinking about it, I never actually asked Ember if greed was the only way dragons could quickly grow. I’m sure there’s an explanation for this, so I’m going to write her a letter tomorrow with all the details. Hopefully she’ll be able to explain just what the hay happened, so we can put this to rest.”

Twilight nodded to me, looking out at the snowstorm that was blowing against the windows of the castle. Frowning gently, she turned her attention to Trixie. “Come with me and we’ll set up a room for you for tonight, Trixie. It’s too late and too dangerous for you to go outside right now, and your trailer will be fine for tonight. I’ll help you dig it out tomorrow morning, but for now, I think we should all get some rest.”

Trixie looked to Twilight with subtle gratitude, and quitely muttered a “thank you” before standing and following Twilight down the hallway to another of the guest rooms. This left Starlight, Lyla and I in the commons room, so I stood next and jerked my head toward the rooms. “C’mon, let’s get to sleep. There’s plenty to be done tomorrow, and I think we could all use the rest.”

As the three of us headed to our respective rooms for the night -- Lyla heading to mine, obviously -- I couldn’t help but mentally groan at the latter part of this day. Not only was it going to be a tough time in the near future, helping Fluttershy recover from her loss, but now we had whatever this new thing was, going on with me. I could only hope it was something simple and benign, because I wasn’t sure if I could handle anymore world-shattering events this year.

Seriously, can I never just have a normal year?

Chapter 14

It had been about a week since the incident with Fluttershy and my non-greed growth. We had sent a letter to Ember early the following morning, and the dragoness had been rather evasive with her response as to what was going on. Apparently, she had explained that it was something she would have to tell me about in person, and while I was quite happy to be seeing her again so soon, it irked me that I still didn’t have answers.

Rarity had made good on her promise to make me a new wardrobe, but with my recent incidents regarding my fluctuating size, she chose to create clothing that was incredibly stretchy, though a bit less fashionable. I distinctly remembered her face looking quite pouty when I remarked that the skintight clothing made me look like a superhero, though I’ll admit to liking the way her eyes roved over my body as I wore the stuff. Her and I had been sure to prepare for any clothing emergencies, so I was always sure to carry some extra clothes with me, just in case.

For the following week, life progressed as usual, and we even had a friendship problem come up that the map sent Lyla and Rainbow Dash to handle, out near the badlands. I still helped Applejack with her work at the farm, and royal duties never seemed to end, but the difference was that I ensured I had a few hours set aside every day to spend time with Fluttershy.

The kind pegasus was taking Angel’s passing particularly hard (which was to be expected), so I personally did all I could to support and care for my friend. I spent the afternoons helping out around her house, cleaning and organizing for winter for the most part, and spent at least half of the time just talking with her about the good memories she had of her animal friend. Rarity had come by to take her to the spa on Thursday, and all the other girls had done what they could to try and cheer up our friend, but for the most part, it was me ensuring Fluttershy wasn’t alone during her grieving period. Many times, the days ended with her just crying silently in my arms, and my heart broke, knowing there honestly wasn’t much I could do other than just be there for her. Nonetheless, it was nice to know I was able to do something to help, even if it seemed insignificant. The side effect of spending so much time with Fluttershy was that her and I inevitably grew closer as a result, so much so that it felt normal to be holding her in my arms, even if it wasn’t to comfort her. It was a bit alarming once I noticed my growing attachment to my friend, but I buried the worries for the time being; my assistance to her was because she needed me, and so I was going to do whatever it took to help her through this tough time.

And so the week passed in similar form, until finally, during the weekend, Ember arrived.

“I have to give credit where credit is due, Spike: you certainly know how to make life interesting.” Twilight snarked from beside me.

The two of us were waiting out on the front balcony of Ponyville’s castle, keeping our eyes on the sky for Ember. Due to flying all the way from the dragon lands, she couldn’t exactly give an ETA other than “some time on this day”, so Twilight and I took shifts waiting for the dragoness to show. As the day bled into the afternoon, and we had finished our daily duties, we decided to wait together on the balcony of the castle that faced the direction our guest would appear. Twilight had been stretching herself rather thin trying to discover just what was happening to me, even though Ember was coming to explain all of it to us, which was why the alicorn currently looked a bit more disheveled than she would otherwise at this time of day. Normally, Twilight would be worried about incurring Rarity’s wrath because her state was “unbecoming of one of the royal family,” but since she had practically been working herself to the bone for the previous three days, she was apparently beyond caring. Even though I’d never say it aloud, I thought she looked cute with her fur mussed and hair not-quite-perfect; it gave her a more “down to earth” feel that she hadn’t had since she was a unicorn, and I felt privileged that I was often the only one to see her that way.

“You act as if I did this on purpose, Twi.” I retorted, snorting a shower of annoyed sparks out of my nose. “I didn’t ask to be weird, or to grow, or for any of this.” I then glanced to Twilight out of the corner of my eye. “Besides, compared to some of your exploits, my life is comparatively tame.”

Twilight opened her mouth to return fire, only to close it and pout instead. We both knew she practically invented “excitement” when it came to life. Celestia had long ago told me that she had guided Twilight toward some of the more character-defining moments of her young life, but most of Twilight’s life was completely her own. It didn’t help that we had a rather interesting set of friends and acquaintances, all of whom were crazy in their own way. There was no denying we could fill volumes upon volumes of books with our adventures, and most of them would be considered fiction simply based on the insanity of it all.

“The girls are really worried about you, you know.” she voiced, shuffling over to lean against me as we rested against the railing, eyes scanning the horizon for a familiar dragoness. “I know they haven’t exactly been able to spend much time around due to prior obligations, but all of them have been asking about you, making sure you’re okay. I’m not really sure what to tell them, other than ‘we’re looking into it’.”

I nodded to her, nudging her with my shoulder. “It’s okay, Twi. We don’t exactly know what’s going on either, so we just have to wait for Ember to give us the details. I don’t blame them for not being around more; it isn’t like when we were younger, when we could just drop whatever we were doing to run to the assistance of each other. We all have important duties now -- whether they be royal or otherwise -- and there are other ponies depending on us. Rainbow can’t just abandon her students, Rarity can’t tell her clients to go screw themselves, and Lyla promised to help rebuild the clock tower after the last storm.” I shook my head with a tired sigh. “Adult life is full of responsibilities to keep up with, so I don’t blame them for any of it. I miss them, and I wish we could be together more often, but I don’t care about them any less, nor am I upset with them.”

“Well, we need to be sure to keep them up to date on the situation, no matter what it is,“ Twilight advised, her fluffy wing settling over both of mine. “Rainbow Dash in particular has been practically pulling out her mane with worry, so the sooner we can tell them something, the better.”

I raised my brow at the words, turning to look at Twilight. “Rainbow Dash? I figured she’d be the most calm, out of all the girls. It isn’t really like her to worry about things;” I nudged Twilight at that point, “that’s more your job.”

Twilight took the good-natured jab well, shaking her head with a sigh. “You know how she is about things she has no control over. If she can’t be doing something about a problem, she gets anxious. You should know by now that Rainbow Dash is far more complex than she appears.”

“Maybe,” I conceded, “but she never talks about it. It’s like she’s afraid of looking weak if she’s worried about something. I thought we had gotten past the bravado by this point.”

Twilight finally looked to me with a small frown. “Which means that if she’s acting this way, she’s very worried. As a mare of action, she prefers to do things instead of talk about them; she can’t do anything about this, so she just worries and feels helpless.” Twilight nudged me back. “You should probably go see her tomorrow, after Ember arrives, to let her know everything’s all right.”

“If everything’s all right.” I reminded, frowning a bit at the thought. “I’d like to think everything is fine, but we don’t really know until Ember tells us. I might have some kind of weird dragon thing going on that’s going to turn me into a monster at any moment, or I might be growing again. If I grow much more, I won’t be able to fit indoors anymore.”

Again, Twilight opened her mouth to fire off some sort of denial, but she could not. We met with Rarity the next day after my sudden growth, and we discovered I had grown another two inches in height. Luckily, I wouldn’t need new clothes again, but it was still worrying; it was the most I’d grown within a year in the past ten years, not counting the temporal spell Twilight had unknowingly cast on us. Even though I hadn’t told Twilight, I’d actually had nightmares about literally outgrowing Ponyville, becoming so large that it would be dangerous for me to live around ponies. That nightmare in particular was why I was really hoping for Ember’s help, because I didn’t know what I’d do if I was forced to leave Ponyville due to getting too big for it. I’d like to imagine perhaps that was a reason the huge “mature” dragons were so grouchy: they outgrew life as a whole, and had to isolate themselves to keep from breaking things...and people.

A gentle kiss to my cheek brought me out of my inner thoughts, and I looked to Twilight, who was frowning with concern. “Spike, if worse comes to worst, we’ll figure something out.” She stomped her hoof on the crystal floor. “I’m not letting you go, ever. I don’t care if it means I need to leave, too; we’re not splitting up because of something beyond your control.”

The determination in her gaze and the finality in her tone practically made my heart explode with love, and I couldn’t stop myself as I pulled her close, and captured her lips with mine. As always, she melted into me, and we both relished the kiss as long as we could before pulling away. As I looked into her bright eyes, I was reminded once again of just how much I owed to Twilight -- how much I depended on her. I hoped with everything in me that my plight wouldn’t end with voluntary banishment, but I knew without a doubt that Twilight would willingly follow me to the gates of Tartarus if she had to.

Still…

“I couldn’t let you do that, Twi.” I replied, shaking my head sadly as I bored my eyes into her own. “You’re the Princess of Friendship; how can you be the princess of something that you give up on? Twi, I appreciate the sentiment, but what makes you think I’d let you abandon all your friends, Equestria, and your family, just for me?” Before she could launch into a rebuttal, I turned and cupped her cheek in my hand, wiping away the gathering tears of her eyes with my thumb as I smiled sadly to her. “I love you, Twi -- and I love that you would be willing to sacrifice that for me -- but I couldn’t stand by and watch you destroy everything that you’ve worked for, and everything you care about, just for me. Don’t worry,” I pulled my wings out from under hers, and wrapped my significantly larger wingspan around her, “we’ll figure this out. One way or another, we’ll make sure things turn out okay.” I tried my hardest to sound more confident than I felt, but I had a feeling the effect was miniscule at best. Twilight didn’t look entirely convinced, but knew we should wait and see what happened with Ember before she started freaking out.

She nodded gently, resting her head against my chest as she silently relished in my warmth, safe from the winter cold.

We were thankfully not kept waiting long, as a blurry dot appeared on the horizon from the north, quickly approaching Ponyville. As it drew closer, I was able to easily make out the coloration of the person approaching, as well as the fact it wore nothing in the realm of clothing. Though the distance was at least a few miles, my sharp eyesight was able to identify Ember as she approached, her polished scales shining in the winter sun as she flew over the northern Everfree border, and the light reflected off of the snow made her lighter-colored scales glitter like jewels. She truly was a beautiful creature to behold, even from a purely academic standpoint, and I couldn’t look away from the dragoness as she journeyed ever closer to us. Twilight and I were both able to recognize the moment Ember spotted us, as she changed her vector to our location, and I could clearly see a toothy smile grow on her face.

Twilight and I backed up a few feet just as Ember flared her wings to land, and once her clawed feet touched down on the balcony, Twilight immediately rushed forward to greet the dragoness. “Dragon lord, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Thank you for coming.”

Ember folded her wings and settled into a more comfortable stance, rolling her eyes at Twilight. “Twilight, stop with the titles. I’m not here as an ambassador or even a dragon lord: I’m here as a friend to both you, and Spike. Anyhow,” she continued before Twilight could inevitably start to apologize, “can we head inside and warm up? My tailtip went numb over an hour ago.” I looked to the feathered appendage with confusion, only to remember that we were technically two different subspecies of dragon: as a narrowscale, Ember did not share my immunity to cold, but she could also fly far longer than I could, and was effectively immune to lightning; it made sense, then, that cold was far more inconvenient for her than it was for me.

I opted to just keep us moving, so I opened the glass doors that led inside, ushering the dragoness and pony indoors before shutting out the cold. The pleased sigh that escaped Ember told me she was enjoying the warmth of the fireplace, which she directly approached and sat in front of; I was quite sure that, if it weren’t for the fact she wouldn’t fit, she would have climbed onto the fire. With the confident, assertive exterior she often displayed, it was nice to see Ember sitting cross-legged in front of the fireplace, eyes closed, with a smile of childlike happiness on her face.

It was a few moments before she spoke again. “Sorry if I was short with you, Twilight. Like I said, I was cold, and I get...grumpy when I’m cold. Anyhow,” she opened her ruby-colored eyes and tilted her head back to look at us, “it’s good to see the two of you, and I’m grateful for the hospitality.”

Twilight composed herself and nodded to the dragoness, smiling in return. “Thank you for coming, Ember. While I wish it were under better circumstances, it truly is good to see you again.”

Ember’s eyes slowly navigated to me, and we both locked eyes at the same moment. For a long few moments, neither of us spoke, just letting our eyes do the talking for us. In hers, I saw more than I ever thought mere eyes could display: I saw concern, happiness, weariness, uncertainty, and utter joy all at once, along with a faint note of desire. I imagined my eyes showed much the same, since we both began to smile at each other at the same time.

After those moments passed, Ember looked to Twilight with a pleading expression. “Do you have anything hot to drink? I’m not like Spike -- I get cold -- so I could really use something to warm me up.”

Twilight jumped a bit at being addressed after a stretch of complete silence, but she nodded and answered, “Um, I suppose it depends on what you want. I have hot chocolate, coffee, tea…” Twilight trailed off as she thought, then she glanced to me. “Do you think she’d enjoy a hot toddy?”

I smiled at the suggestion and nodded. “I think she will. You could fix us all one; I think we’re going to be here for awhile, and a warming drink would be nice for a day like today.”

Twilight nodded before retreating from the room, likely to the private kitchen. This left me alone with Ember, and without even thinking about it, I immediately made my way to her side and sat next to the dragoness. I didn’t know it at the time, but the magical mate’s brand worked with dragon instincts themselves, which was why the desire to be near Ember was so strong.

Ember didn’t hesitate in leaning against me, drinking in the furnace-like warmth I gave off, compared to her. I extended my wing around her body, finding it slightly amusing that I was a good deal larger than her now. Still, it felt nice to be with Ember after what felt like far too long apart, so I just enjoyed the silent moment in front of the fireplace. It was a few minutes before either of us spoke again.

“I missed you.”

It wasn’t me that spoke, and such words coming from Ember were all the more surprising. Still, the declaration made me feel all sorts of nice, regardless of how out-of-character they seemed at the time. I held Ember tighter against my side, running the palm of one hand along her arm that was closest to me, and leaning my head to rest against her (my mate, my instincts reminded me).

“I missed you too, Ember.” I whispered affectionately, smiling as she nuzzled against me, not unlike a happy pony.

“I wish I could have come back sooner, you know.” she muttered, almost sounding disappointed in herself, “But, like I said before, I can’t exactly just pick up and leave. I have duties just like the two of you do, so I couldn’t just bail and fly away...even though I kinda wanted to.” She turned her head slightly, but only enough so her eye found mine. “To be honest, I wanted to come back as soon as I left. I wasn’t even five miles out, and everything inside me was screaming, ‘Just go back to Spike. Fly back, and forget about everything else.’ Fortunately, what’s happening to you gave me a perfectly legitimate reason to come back, as a dragon’s ‘awakening’ isn’t exactly something that can be ignored.”

“Is that what it’s called?” I asked, pleased to actually have a term to match with what was going on with me.

I felt Ember nod, still refusing to move away from me. “Yeah, or at least, that’s the best short explanation. In what ponies call ‘Drakespeak’, it’s called ‘voire wvōk,’ which roughly translates to ‘fire awakened’ in common*. Think of it like puberty, but for a dragon’s magic instead of their body.”

I pursed my lips at the thought, nodding only slightly. With that in mind, I relaxed further, knowing that, “This is a completely normal thing to happen then, right?”

Again, Ember nodded. “Yeah, though you’re going through it a lot later than other dragons do. That’s not your fault, though; you haven’t been taught to use dragon magic the way you should have, as most dragons learn to use their magic from their parents, only a year or two after birth. You’ve only been using your breath, which is why it took so long for your fire to ‘mature’.”

I absently brought a hand to my chest, rubbing it slightly. “My fire?”

Chuckling softly, Ember finally pulled away so that we could properly look at each other. Her eyes danced with the firelight, amusement and happiness flickering in equal measure within her glittering ruby irises. “As you’ll find out, fire plays a very important role in dragon culture, and the word is mentioned pretty regularly in what few recorded stories we keep. It’s the first bit of magic any dragon uses -- most do so instinctively -- and it does many things for us in life: for those of us not blessed with a resilient hide,” she gave a pat to my neck, “it keeps us warm. We hunt with it, cook with it, and even build with it; we use it for protection, and to attract mates. When we refer to a dragon’s fire, however, we’re referring specifically to his or her magical core, not the magic breath they expel.” She chuckled slightly. “If you ask Twilight about maturation of a magical core, she’ll know exactly what you’re talking about, though. Ponies go through the same thing in their lives, though not with the same effects we experience.”

“We do indeed.” Twilight answered as she reentered the room, a tray with four oversized, steaming mugs on it floating in her magic. She passed the drinks between the three of us, and at Ember’s questioning stare, explained, “It’s whiskey, slightly watered down, with honey and a stick of cinnamon in it, warmed to steaming. It does a good job of warming the body up from the inside, without actually making you drunk; it’s perfect for cold days and nights.”

Raising one of her brows at the explanation, Ember looked down appraisingly at the mug in her hand. She gave a sniff, and then a small sip, before humming happily and taking a larger pull from the warm, sweet drink. I followed her example with my own, and for minute or two, the commons area was filled only with the sound of a crackling fire, and three people enjoying warm drinks on a cold day.

“So,” Ember began, swallowing a gulp of the steaming beverage as she turned her eyes to Twilight, “the good news is that what’s happening with Spike is completely normal for dragons. We all go through it, and there’s nothing inherently bad about it. He’s going through the process later than most do, but that’s because he hasn’t been raised like a dragon.”

Twilight released a breath she had apparently been holding, relaxing slightly. “Okay, good. That’s a load off of my mind. Is there bad news?”

Ember shook her head, motioning to me. “Nope, not really. There is, however, news, but it’s not bad: I have to be here to teach him things that he should have learned a long time ago. It’s because of this lack of ‘education’ that his magic core is maturing much later in life than it should have.” She again looked to me, her eyes twinkling with noticeable joy. “I won’t lie and say I’m not happy to get to be around Spike, but he also needs someone to teach him the things he never learned as a younger drake, which is what I’ll be doing.”

Twilight stood and moved closer to us, sitting in a cushy chair just off to the side of the fireplace. “How long do you think it’ll take?”

Ember shrugged her shoulders, nudging me in the ribs with a claw. “That depends almost entirely on him -- it could be weeks, or it could be months. I’m leaning more toward the former though, considering the guy isn’t known for being stupid.”

Twilight giggled at the jab. “Maybe a little goofy and oblivious sometimes, but no, not stupid.”

“Hey!”

Twilight giggled again, reaching out and poking me in the cheek. “Oh, don’t act like it’s not true, Spike. Don’t worry, it’s endearing.” Twilight then turned her attention back to Ember. “Well, we’ve got plenty of room available, and we’d be happy to have you. But please, don’t eat my castle this time.”

I felt Ember’s body go rigid, and watched as her head spines turned a deep, vivid blue as she blushed. “Hey, how was I supposed to know it wasn’t food? To a dragon, your place looks like a giant gemstone, and gems are food, so…”

I chuckled at the memory, shaking my head. “To be fair, the castle does look like it’s made out of gemstones. And, it doesn’t exactly taste bad.” Twilight’s glare made me laugh again. “Hey, it grew back! I promise, no eating of the castle.”

Twilight’s expression softened as she continued looking at me, and she smiled as she flicked her eyes from me to Ember, and back again. Finally, she commented, “Even though there was a good reason you had to come see Spike, I’m glad you did, Ember. As much as we all try, there are simply some things about being a dragon that we can’t help with, and I know he’ll enjoy having someone in his life that can easily empathize with what he deals with as a dragon. And, of course, even though you did it with good intentions at heart, I know that the brand is magical, and has affected more than just his exterior.”

Again, Ember stiffened and again she blushed, but this time she looked distinctly ashamed. “R-right, I guess we should start with that, then.” She cleared her throat and turned to look at me directly. “A mate’s brand isn’t just a physical mark, Spike; as I’m sure you know by now, your hide is pretty much immune to heat and fire. The brand has to be magical to burn into a dragon’s hide, and it’s more than just an exterior mark. When we branded each other, we were also trading our magic with each other, as well. Doing that creates a form of imprinting that I’m sure Twilight is familiar with.”

Looking to Twilight, she gave me a nod. “Basically, anything a pony puts a significant amount of magic into, they feel connected to it -- the technical term is ‘harmonic imprinting’. This is part of the reason I seem so obsessed with the books I read, as well as why Rainbow Dash loves to fly so much; whether it’s an action or an object, anything a pony spends a lot of their magic on becomes something they are drawn to have in their life.” She motioned to the two of us. “If a mate’s brand is so magical I can still feel it, then it’s a safe bet that the two of you exchanged a fair share of magic to give them to each other. Because of that, it makes you feel drawn to the one you gave the brand, missing them when they’re gone, even if only for a few hours.”

Ember nodded as she picked up where Twilight left off. “For dragons, though, the fire we use for the brand merges with that of our chosen mate, and it affects thought and behavior to a minor degree. A mate’s brand makes the two more affectionate to each other, more protective, and even more...amorous.” The last bit was said with a much deeper blush, and Ember looked away, this time.

It took me a few seconds to understand exactly what she was saying, and when I did, I matched her blush with my own. “...a mate’s brand increases the sex drive?”

Ember shrugged helplessly. “Mates are supposed to procreate, right? Evolutionarily speaking, the reason for mates is to ensure the species continues, and to do that, mates need to...well, mate. The mate’s brand was created with that in mind, though,” she raised a claw and waved away my growing concern, “it only works with the two that have the brand. Giving a dragon a mate’s brand doesn’t make them sluts, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Twilight quirked an eyebrow at the new vocabulary word. “Slut? What’s a slut?”

Ember looked to me for help, and I just shrugged. “I don’t really know either. Speak pony, if you would.”

The dragoness snapped her fingers a few times. “Umm...I think you use the word whorse, right?”

“Oh. Oh! Okay. Well, that’s good.” I replied, understanding and relief washing over me. I chuckled a bit at the thought of all the new words Twilight and I could learn, just from talking with Ember. However… “So you mean that I’ve been missing you because of the brand?”

Ember chuckled a bit as she shook her head. “No, not really. Think of how you would water the ground to grow a tree: if there’s no seed, nothing happens. The mate’s brand works the same way. If we didn’t already care about each other, it wouldn’t do much of anything. The brand only amplifies what’s already there, if that makes any sense.”

I nodded slowly as the pieces all fell into place, and I understood the entirety of what the brand entailed. “Okay, cool. Well, that’s a load off my mind.” I then glanced between the two females questioningly. “So, what’s the plan as far as what I have to learn?”

Ember took another, larger gulp of her drink, enjoying the warmth it gave before she answered. “Well, I think we should start with your recent growth, and why it’s happening. We can cover that tonight, and the rest we can start with tomorrow, and go from there.” Ember pulled away from me a bit reluctantly (I have to admit, I shared the sentiment) in order to face me properly. “I think I should start by breaking down some of the incorrect assumptions you’ve likely made about our kind. First of all, dragons don’t grow due to greed on its own.” She nodded toward Twilight. “From what I understand about how horned ponies cast spells, you need to be calm, with a clear mind, or else you could risk miscasting the spell; well, dragons don’t work that way. At heart, all dragons are very emotional creatures, and our emotions are our power.” She then pointed a claw to me. “That’s actually probably the reason you stayed so small for such a long time. Without an older dragon to teach you, you basically learned to emotionally chain yourself up to keep from doing anything dangerous.”

Thinking back on how I grew over the years, I realized she was completely right. After learning that greed could cause me to become a hoarding beast, I made it a point to keep calm at all times, even if I didn’t particularly feel that way. With fire breath, wings, and sharp teeth, I knew I could be very dangerous to everyone around me if I lost my cool.

I gave a slow nod, half-ashamed. “...yeah, you’re right. I didn’t really know what else to do.”

Ember finished off her toddy, setting the mug aside as she reached across the small gap to place her hand on my shoulder. Giving me a smirk, she soothed, “And that isn’t your fault. You did the best you could do at the time, with no other input. Starting really soon, though, I’m going to have to teach you the opposite of what you’ve done pretty much your entire life.” Removing her hand and bringing it to press against her own chest, Ember closed her eyes as she reverently recited, “Emotions can be as unwieldy as an unbalanced blade: powerful, yet dangerous to handle. But, with training and dedication, you can master your emotions -- you can master your power. While all others train to resist emotion during critical moments, we embrace it willingly, and let it give us power. Control your emotions, and you will control one of the greatest forces on the planet.” Ember opened her eyes, focusing on me as she smiled sheepishly. “Or, at least, that’s what the elders say. They get kinda convoluted with their ‘lessons’ sometimes, but there’s truth to the words. Your emotions directly affect the amount of power you have at your disposal. So, in order to efficiently use that power without losing yourself to whatever emotion you’re feeling, you have to become mentally resistant to your own emotional whims, so that you can channel them into power without losing yourself and becoming a danger to everyone and everything around you.”

I’ll admit, it was a bit jarring to basically be told I had been living my life wrong the entire time.

“When dragons rage, they can level entire mountain ranges.” Ember continued, her tone slow and low, as if she were speaking from experience. “When dragons fall to sorrow, they can become as still and unmoving as the earth itself. When dragons embrace joy, the land itself rejoices with them, blooming and growing vibrant life.” She then smirked at me, sensually purring, “It’s because of this reason that, a long, long time ago, dragons were world-renowned for being the best lovers, bar none.”

While I took the comment as an ego boost, I was also privy to seeing Twilight’s entire face light up like a ripe tomato. I couldn’t help but tease her further by poking her in the knee with a lecherous grin. “See Twi? You’re missing out.”

I didn’t think it was possible, but her face reddened further as she mumbled, “...I thought Lyla was exaggerating when she said she saw stars.” At my surprised glance, Twilight rolled her eyes and retorted, “Oh please, you can’t tell me guys don’t get together with their other male friends and preach about their sexual exploits. Well, mares do the same, and Lyla, as you know, practically has no filter.”

“Right, the changeling.” Ember mused aloud, glancing to me. “I gotta admit, I never thought a dragon would fall for a changeling in modern times. There are claims of it happening in the past, but not since the time when the clans burned the hives.” She bobbed her head from side to side as she thought aloud. “Though, come to think about it, dragons have long memories, and some of the older ones still hold a grudge. I guess it’s lucky for your changeling mate that you were hatched and raised around ponies, so you could see her kind without centuries of racist stories.”

I raised a brow at the words, suddenly a bit worried. “Do you have a problem with changelings?”

Ember shrugged. “Can’t say I do. I never put much stock in the stories, because they were written centuries before even my parents lived. Times have changed a lot since then,” she gestured to Twilight, “and you ponies are proof of that. Going by the stories dragons kept, there’s no way one pony could stand up to a demon like Tirek, or turn an enemy like Discord into a friend. But, it happened, so clearly, the old dragons were wrong. Nowadays, I choose to believe what happens now, not what a biased history claims happened.” Again, she shrugged. “If what happened with that other dragoness is any indication, I think this ‘Lyla’ might be worth getting to know.”

I gave a wide smile at her answer. “Well, you’re going to be here for awhile, so you’ll have plenty of time to get to know her. I have a feeling you’ll get along pretty well with both her and Rainbow Dash.”

Ember gave a grin at that before clearing her throat. “Anyway, we’re getting away from the topic. The bottom line is that you grew in the face of Fluttershy’s grief because of an innate need to protect what you value the most. For most dragons, that would be their hoard, but a tiny minority place their value on their loved ones, or their mates. Instinctually, your desire to comfort and protect her fed your growth, because your primal brain recognizes that ‘size’ means ‘power’, and more power means you’re better able to protect what you care about. It was mostly temporary because you were fully rational the whole time, so once you recognized the immediate ‘threat’ to what you value had abated, you didn’t need that extra power any longer.” She held up a hand as I prepared to ask a question, silencing me. “As for why you’ve actually grown larger in your ‘resting’ state, that has more to do with your fire having matured than anything else. While the comparison is a little flawed, you can think of your body as a balloon: as the ‘pressure’ from your fire increases, your body grows to accommodate it. Unlike a balloon, however, you don’t have to worry about exploding, so stop making that face.”

The look of abject horror on my face faded to relief at her words, and I released a breath. “Wow, okay. That makes me feel better. Wait,” I felt myself tense again at what I was thinking, “so I’m going to keep growing?” I looked to Twilight with a worried expression, seeing it mirrored on her own face.

“If you didn’t have a fellow dragon to help you, yes.” Ember interjected with a smile, stopping my spiraling depressing thoughts. “However, if a dragon was completely at the whims of their fire, that wouldn’t make for a very powerful race, now would it? We would have to basically live like you have: locking away our powerful emotions, unable to embrace life to the fullest, due to the fear of losing control of what makes dragons, dragons. To be direct: through your magic, there are ways to regulate your size to pretty much any size you want, within reason. If you don’t want to outgrow ponies,” she glanced to Twilight on that, “then you don’t have to.”

As if a great weight had been suddenly lifted off of me, I slumped and released a happy sigh. “That is literally the best news I’ve had in a long time, Ember. Thanks.”

“Hey,” she nudged me with the tip of one of her wings, “a dragoness takes care of her mate. If you’re not happy, I’m not doing my job.” Seemingly realizing what she had said, Ember lost her bravado and turned adorably awkward as she glanced away and blushed hotly through her head spines. She turned her eyes toward Twilight as she asked, “Um...me being here isn’t going to be a problem for you all, right?”

Twilight frowned a bit, tilting her head in confusion. “How do you mean?”

Ember cleared her throat and gestured to me. “I mean, Spike already has mates here, and I’m an outsider. Technically, I’m a foreign dignitary and I’m not even a pony; is that going to cause issues with all of you?”

Still, Twilight was pretty confused (and, to be honest, so was I). “What do you mean? You’re a friend, you’re always welcome here.”

“No,” Ember growled, slapping her palm to her face, “I mean with his harem, or herd, or whatever you call it!”

I mouthed the words for a moment before I “oh’ed” in realization. “Oh, no, I don’t think so. Lyla might want to have some words with you to be sure you’re not going to try and steal me away or anything, but Twilight clearly doesn’t have an issue with you, and Rarity won’t either. The only one you might have to worry about would be Pinkie, but she’s not a part of the herd, so you don’t really have anything to fear from her anyway.”

Ember raised one of her brows. “Pinkie? The loud, poofy, pink one? She doesn’t exactly strike me as scary...or remotely threatening.”

I chuckled at that, shaking my head. “Oh, just wait. That mare has a way of surprising you in ways you never imagined, and I swear she has eyes all over town. I’m pretty sure she already knows your here, and is probably planning something for you tomorrow. I’ve known her for over a decade, and I still haven’t figured her out.”

Twilight picked it up from there. “She’s a sweetheart, and lives to bring a smile to the faces of everyone she meets, but she just...doesn’t operate in what most consider the ‘normal’ laws of reality. All I can recommend is: don’t try and figure out how she does what she does, or how she knows what she knows. If you don’t get it, just smile and nod, and eat the cupcake.”

“What cupcake?” Ember queried, looking at us as if we were crazy.

Catching sight of a paper plate behind her, I pointed. “That one.”

Following my finger, Ember pivoted on her behind and noticed the plate. She whipped her head around back to us, then back to the cupcake, and then back to us again. “Okay, I know darn well this wasn’t there a minute ago. How did…? What…?”

“What did we just say?” I asked rhetorically. “Don’t question it. Eat it, and enjoy. Thank you, Pinkie!”

“You’re welcome!” echoed from somewhere in the castle.

Ember retrieved the plate, which held a chocolate, blue-frosted, ruby-topped cupcake on it. She stared at the cupcake, as if trying to divine its secrets from sight alone, before shaking her head with a sigh. “I know she’s a great friend to you two, but that pony freaks me out.”

I shrugged with a bright grin. “If you’ll let her, she’ll be a great friend to you, too. You’ll get used to her, I promise.”

Ember pursed her lips as she looked at me before turning her attention to the cupcake. She cautiously peeled the paper off of the bottom before tossing the whole thing into her mouth, chewing a few times before swallowing. Her long, forked tongue leapt out to lick the frosting off of her lips and she hummed with delight as she closed her eyes happily. “Okay, I’ll admit, that pony knows how to bake a good cupcake.”

I chuckled at Ember’s response, knowing we all had similar reactions the first time we met Pinkie. While I didn’t see Ember and Pinkie becoming best buddies, I knew the pink mare would grow on Ember, if the dragoness let her. Just as I was about to comment with the thought, a knocking on the second story window (which looked like a blank wall from the outside) caught my attention, and all three of us looked toward the curtained window before I stood and made my way over.

With a grin, I loudly commented, “Only a flying pony can reach this window, and only one pony I know of practically refuses to use the front door, because it’s not fast enough.” I pulled open the heavy insulated curtains and pushed open the window, greeting, “Hey Dash. C’mon in, we got company.”

The cyan mare dashed inside with a front flip and a flourish, landing masterfully on her hooves as she shook off the dusting of snow from her coat and scarf. She wasted no time in unbuttoning the heavy fleece coat, removing it and tossing both it and the scarf over to the coat rack in the corner of the room, both catching onto the hooks with perfect precision. Next, Rainbow Dash bent over and removed the insulated boots she wore on her sensitive hooves, tossing them into the corner next to the rack before finally hopping over the back of the sofa and settling onto it, fully prone.

I readily admit to being jealous at how cool she could be just doing regular, mundane things.

“‘Sup Ember? How’s it hangin’?” Rainbow Dash greeted with a lazy grin from her resting place.

While Ember wasn’t necessarily “uppity” (as Applejack would call it), she still had a more proper way of speaking than Rainbow Dash, nevermind the fact that she wasn’t exactly up to date with pony slang. With a look of confusion toward the rainbow-maned pony, she glanced to me next with a pleading expression.

I chuckled again, shaking my head at the mare’s antics. “Translated, she’s saying, ‘What’s up, Ember? How are you doing?’”

Realization dawned on the dragoness, and she turned back to Rainbow Dash. “Oh, I’m good. Spike needed me, so here I am, and I’m going to be staying for awhile to teach him some things he should have learned a long time ago.”

While Rainbow Dash gave off the impression of unflappable calm, after having known her for so long, I was easily able to catch the tension that invaded her core, even as she laid lazily on the couch. I knew she was doing it because she didn’t know Ember all that well yet, and I knew it would be a blow to her ego to bring that up in front of Ember. Because of that, I decided to handle the situation in a way that would let her retain the image of “the cool pony” in front of the dragoness.

I jerked my head toward Ember. “She came here because of what happened last week, as well as a few other things. Bottom line: what happened to me is normal, and she’s going to help me learn to keep it under control so that I don’t just keep getting bigger and bigger.”

It was nearly imperceptible, even for those of us that had known her for so long, but I was able to detect the exact moment Rainbow Dash’s body relaxed fully, the worry nearly tangibly leaving her body as she sighed almost silently through her nose. “Cool. That’s...that’s good news. So,” Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and glanced to me, eyes twinkling with mirth, “this is your dragon honey, huh? She’s a lot better looking than I remember. The years are pretty good to dragons, I guess.”

Ember blushed through her spines once again, unsure how to respond to the compliment other than an unsure, “Uh...thanks, I guess. You’re very, um...blue. And rainbow-y.”

Rainbow Dash gave a bark of a laugh at Ember’s nervousness. “Girl, chill; I’m just teasing you. Strictly stallions for this mare, so stop looking at me like I’m going to molest you in your sleep.”

Ember just stared at the pony for a few moments, tilting her head side to side as she just took in everything that Rainbow Dash was showing her. After a minute of silence, Ember cracked a grin and held out a fist to the mare. “You’re all right, Rainbow Dash. I think we’ll get along just fine.”

While I told myself it shouldn’t matter, I was still very happy that Ember was getting along with my friends, especially the one that was essentially one of the gatekeepers to our inner circle. Rainbow Dash wasn’t the leader that Twilight was, she was hotheaded, and kindness was not her schtick, but her loyalty to her friends and family ensured that she was going to make the life of anyone she didn’t approve of a living Tartarus. Rainbow Dash’s casual teasing of Ember meant that not only did she like her, but the mare approved of her as a friend; Rainbow Dash didn’t tease people she didn’t like.

“Oh, Spike, I forgot to tell ya something.” Rainbow Dash announced, bringing me out of my thoughts. After getting my attention, she jerked her head generally toward the door. “I swung by Shy’s place earlier, and I told her she should come over tonight.”

Deciding not to chastise Rainbow Dash for inviting a friend to someone else’s house, I nodded to her with a smile at the thought of seeing Fluttershy again. “Cool. When’s she gonna be here?”

As Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to answer, a knock could be heard echoing from downstairs, the spells in place working to amplify the sound so we could hear it from the private floors of the castle. The pegasus grinned and hopped off the sofa, straightening her tank top as she answered, “Right now. I totally planned that.”

Hopping to my feet as well and offering a nod to the other two in the room, I followed Rainbow Dash out of the room toward the main door. We both opted to just bypass the stairs with our wings due to the hurry we were in, and after landing, I walked the last few dozen feet to the traditional throne room, hooking a right toward the main doors after that.

Grasping the oversized handle, I pulled the door open, inviting a chilling blast of air in as well as some snow flurries. Fluttershy entered first, wrapped up tightly in warm clothes and matching insulated boots, but she was also followed by a certain bouncing mare, who was immediately recognizable due to her pretty blue eyes and wide smile.

“Oh, hey Pinkie. I wasn’t expecting you as well, but I’m not complaining.” I greeted happily, helping the two mares dust off before taking their coats, hats, and scarves. I jerked my head toward the side door that led to the private stairwell. “Twilight’s already upstairs with Ember; why don’t you swing by the kitchen and fix up some warm drinks for you, Fluttershy, and Dash, hm? We’ll meet you upstairs.”

Pinkie nodded before zipping off at what would, for any other pony, be an impossible speed, leaving a poof of the snow that clung to her clothes in her wake. I just shook my head before turning toward Fluttershy, opening my arms with a warm smile. She looked up with those beautiful aqua eyes, still saddened, yet grateful for my offer. She wasted no time in pressing herself against me, and I cocooned the two of us in my wings as I just held her tightly for a few moments of silence. I released her and nodded to Rainbow Dash, who then led the way to the commons room on the upper floors. As had become more common in the past week, Fluttershy didn’t speak, but was practically glued to my side as we walked. Her fingers casually laced in mine, and I gave her hand a gentle squeeze for support. Similar gestures would have felt oddly intimate with any of my other friends, but I knew Fluttershy didn’t mean anything by it other than a desire for support and comfort. Besides, as I stated before, something about Fluttershy brought out a strong protective instinct within me...which makes more sense now that Ember had explained how dragons worked, in regards to emotions.

Huh…

As I expected, Pinkie was already waiting for us in the commons room when we arrived, already dressed down, with a small tray of steaming drinks prepared for her and the other two newcomers. She was sitting next to Twilight on the love seat, and I tried not to laugh out loud at the apprehensive look Ember was giving her. Rainbow Dash again flopped onto the sofa, taking up practically the whole thing, so I led Fluttershy to sit with me close to the hearth. I helped the yellow pegasus remove her heavy winter coat, gloves, and boots, allowing Twilight to levitate them over to the proper area. After helping the mare dress down, I took notice that she was still wearing a pair of cute, teal insulated socks with little yellow ducks on them, and I’ll admit, Fluttershy looked adorable in socks.

When I turned back to the others, I saw Ember with an odd little smile on her lips, nodding softly. “I get it. I can see how much you care about her, and I understand how she would have awakened your protective instincts.”

Fluttershy normally would have been mortified by the attention of a stranger, but wrapped in one of my wings, in front of a warm fire, and with a cup of hot cocoa, she might as well have been in her own little world. The pegasus just snuggled up close to me, with her eyes closed and a relaxed look on her face; while she wasn’t smiling, due to still grieving the loss of a dear friend, it was clear that simply being around us was doing wonders to help her heal.

Thinking on Ember’s words, I could only nod as I kept my eyes fixed on Fluttershy, ensuring she was symbolically shielded from the world by my wing. “...yeah, she does.” Glancing around the room again, I was treated to multiple smiles from my friends, including an uncommonly warm one from Rainbow Dash, who was giving that rare, gentle grin that only her closest friends regularly saw. Though the arrival of our friends was unexpected, the end of the day was turning out very nicely so far.

“So,” Ember began, raising her voice to draw attention to her, “for those of you who weren’t here earlier, Spike is okay, and I’m going to help him learn to control his magic; that’s why he’s grown, and why he temporarily grew a week ago. With my help, I’ll ensure he doesn’t keep growing endlessly, so that you all don’t have to say goodbye to your friend.”

“Oh. That’s...that’s very good.” Fluttershy answered, speaking for the first time that day. When I looked down to her, Fluttershy released a long, drawn out breath through her nose as she opened her eyes and returned my gaze. “I was very worried about Spike, so it’s nice to know he’s all right.” Though she spoke as if addressing the group, her eyes never left mine, and I had the distinct impression the words meant far more than I was able to grasp at the time. The intensity in those intense, yet vulnerable eyes somehow made me unable to look away (at the time, I could only rationalize it was some version of “The Stare”).

“Do uh...do the two of you need a room?” Twilight asked, her query breaking the spell on me.

I blinked a few times and looked away from Fluttershy, though I never once released her. “Um…n-no, we’re fine. Sorry.”

While none of the girls teased me about the fact that I had been staring “like a lover” into Fluttershy’s eyes for over a minute, Twilight’s insufferable smirk persisted.

Night had fallen a few hours ago, and Pinkie had helped me prepare a meal for all of us. The food was simple since it was a casual gathering between friends, three of whom hadn’t been expected whatsoever, but the meal was filling, the company was good, and the warmth of the fire and of the shared companionship was more than enough to make a mundane, unplanned night into something special.

To my surprise, Ember settled into the group just fine, compared with the past. While it had only been six years, it appeared time had calmed her down quite a bit, as the previously fiery dragoness (no pun intended) was much more understanding and less overbearing than she used to be. She had never been outright disliked by our friends, but since she had very little contact with ponies for most of her life, Ember was unintentionally abrasive to most ponies. Ember was truly a good friend and even selfless, when the situation called for it, but dragons related to each other very differently than ponies did, and so for years she was partially an outsider to most of my Ponyville friends.

Now, though, she was just one of the girls, and I can’t express how happy that made me. She was easily able to hold a conversation with Twilight in regards to history or even most magic, she was playfully competitive with Rainbow Dash, and even though Pinkie still threw her off-balance every now and then, she knew the mare just wanted to be friends, and she took the teasing well. As for Fluttershy, the mere fact that the pegasus was not cowering was a great accomplishment, and Ember even got her to smile a few times when she started a conversation on some of the animals native to the dragon lands.

As for me, I mostly kept close to Fluttershy and Ember, since they were the two that needed me most that night; for different reasons of course -- I somehow doubted Fluttershy wanted to be my mate.

Eventually, it became time for us to clean up and prepare to rest for the night, which left me with a bit of a conundrum. Normally, it would be no problem for me to sleep in the same room or even the same bed with my friends -- we had done it many times before, and there was nothing strange about it for us. However, Ember was a dragon, and I knew for a fact that dragons only slept in the same area with their own young whelps, or mates. Ember had been very understanding about Equestrian herd mentality, my own herd, and the fact that she was not the sole object of my affection, but I wasn’t sure how she would react to me asking if she would sleep in the same area with several ponies she didn’t know that well.

Fortunately for me, I knew that for Ember, at least, the direct approach would be best.

“...so are you gonna be okay sleeping in the same room, or do you want a separate room?” I asked the dragoness, standing next to her as the other girls all changed clothes for the night. As the only one not wearing any clothing, she was already prepared for bed. If nothing else, a lack of a need to wear clothes was efficient.

Ember stared at the door we were standing in front of, which led to Twilight’s bedroom. While her tail wasn’t lashing in the obvious display of anxiety or irritability, the lack of a response told me she was uncomfortable with the situation -- less so than she would have been earlier, before she got to know the mares better, but a lifetime of living in dragon culture wasn’t exactly something one could just disregard. She didn’t even move until I settled my hand on her shoulder, and then, only a subtle twitch of her left wing was all that happened.

After a few moments of complete silence, she sighed and turned to me. “I mean, are you sure it would be cool? I don’t want to be cramping your friends or anything; I feel like I’d be intruding.”

“Our friends.” I corrected. “You may not have known them as long, but this is something ponies do regularly with friends. I trust you, and Twilight trusts you, so that’s your in. If you want, you can think of the two of us as the alphas for this little group: the rest will go with it because we approve, and that’s good enough for them. Besides,” I nudged her in the ribs with a claw, “they like you. I watched you all night, and all of them became very comfortable with you, even to the point where Dash dropped the cocky attitude.”

Ember turned her eyes to me, raising a brow. “And that’s special?”

I nodded with a chuckle. “Of course it is. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but that mare acts like she’s got bigger balls than most of the stallions in town.” That earned me a snort of a laugh. “If she sets down that front, she likes you. Just…” I cleared my throat as a thought came to mind, “don’t be surprised if you find a pony or two cuddling up to you. Apparently, we run hot, so we’re like giant, personal heaters for a pony trying to keep warm.”

The words caused a slight blush to show through her spines, and she cleared her throat nervously. “Right. Ponies I just got to know might snuggle with me. Totally normal.”

“For ponies, it is.” I commented, wrapping my tail around hers. That, of course, immediately caught her attention, and I imagined if I had done that in front of the others, she would have practically leapt away in embarrassment. With us alone in the corridor, however, I knew I could afford such an intimate gesture to reassure my mate (my mate...that’s still sinking in).

As Ember looked to me, I smiled supportively. “Besides the fact I don’t think I could, I’m not going to make you do something you don’t want to do. I would like you to be in there, with me, but if you really don’t feel comfortable, there are plenty of comfortable guest rooms you’re more than welcome to take. You and I can pick one of those, and I’ll stay with you tonight.”

Her mouth twitched, and from the way her eyes widened, I could tell she was considering my offer. After a moment of silent thought, she shook her head. “No, I can’t ask you to do that. Besides the fact that your friend Fluttershy clearly needs you, this is a regular thing for you all. If you’re not in there with them, I’d essentially be stealing you away from four of your friends, and that...doesn’t sit right with me for some reason.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in through her nose, letting it out through her mouth, before she opened her eyes to look at me again. “No. If you say it’s okay, and that this is normal, I have to trust you. It’s...weird, but if they disagreed, Rainbow Dash, at least, would have said something.”

I chuckled and nudged her with my shoulder. “You’re learning already.” I gave her another supportive smile. “If you’re really willing to do this, then I’ll be right there beside you the whole time. Anytime you start getting nervous, or don’t know what to do, just grab my hand,” I demonstrated, lacing my fingers in hers, “and I’ll be there for you.”

At my words and my touch, Ember’s posture relaxed, and she nodded with a more confident expression. “...okay. Let’s do this.”

I chuckled again at her words. “Ember, you act like you’re getting ready to run the Gauntlet of Fire again. Calm yourself; you’re just sleeping in a room with a few ponies that consider you a friend. That’s not something to be afraid of, I promise.” Though her body was relaxed, it appeared she was still nervous: she had just chosen not to show it through body language. I sighed heavily at this, knowing I was going to have to do something uncomfortable. “Okay, I’m sorry Ember, but you’ve left me no choice. I apologize beforehand for what I’m about to do.”

“Wait, what?”

That was as far as she got before I pushed the door open, walking in on four mares, already dressed in night clothes, preparing to settle down for the night. I pointed to Ember and announced, “She’s under the impression that she’s intruding, and thinks she shouldn’t be here tonight- OW!” I rubbed my shin in pain, since Ember had saw fit to retaliate for me embarrassing her in front of the ponies. Still, even with the stinging pain, this had to be dealt with or it was never going to get better.

Twilight tilted her head in confusion with a frown. “Is that true, Ember?”

The dragoness threw a heated glare my way, but eventually sighed and nodded in defeat. “Well...yeah. You all have known each other for years, and I’m sure this had become a regular thing for you all, but dragons don’t really sleep in the same room as anyone but their young whelps and their mates. This feels...odd, for me, and I feel like I’m disrupting something special between Spike and his friends.”

Twilight seemed to frown harder as she stepped around Rainbow Dash, approaching the dragoness directly. Ember took a nervous step back as the normally calm alicorn approached almost aggressively. Once Twilight was standing directly in front of Ember, having to look up slightly to match her gaze with the taller female, she shook her head with disappointment. “Ember, I know we haven’t really known each other that long, but I’ve always considered you a friend. Sure, we’re not as close as you are to Spike, but I still consider you a friend of mine, and I know the girls agree.”

“We wouldn’t have invited you to stay the night if we weren’t comfortable with this.” Rainbow Dash threw in, smirking at the dragoness. “I know most dragons think ponies are all soft, squishy little scared things, but that’s not what’s going on, and it’s not why Spike suggested this.”

Pinkie picked it up from there, plopping down on the large bed with a much more reserved smile. “For ponies, it’s normal to want to be with your friends and those you care about, even when you’re sleeping. We wouldn’t just ask a random acquaintance to share a bed; we’re asking you because this is one of the ways ponies welcome and support close friends.”

“There’s nothing weird about it, Ember.” Rainbow Dash added, her grin slowly turning lecherous. “I mean, it’s not like we have a crazy orgy every night, but -OW!” She rubbed her arm with an abashed expression as Fluttershy, of all ponies, glared at her.

The normally-timid pony shook her head at the other pegasus. “Rainbow Dash, that was inappropriate. She’s nervous, and that’s making it worse.” She then turned her eyes to the dragoness, and while a bit of her token shyness kicked in, she still kept her eyes focused on Ember. “W-we don’t want you to be uncomfortable, Ember. If you really don’t want to join us, there are plenty of other rooms to stay in, and Spike can stay with you.”

I gestured with an open hand to Fluttershy as I glanced to Ember. “See? It would be fine. Besides,” I grinned mischievously again, “we only have orgies on Wednesdays -OW! The same place? Seriously?” And I was back to rubbing my shin with a grimace.

Ember was scanning the ponies in the room as she thought, before finally making a decision and shaking her head firmly. “No, it’s cool. If I’m going to be a part of Spike’s life, I need to adjust to the fact that he lives differently than I’m used to.” Extending her hand to me, she pulled me to stand once I had finished trying to soothe my throbbing leg. Looking to my eyes she continued, “If you can do it, I can do it. It’ll be weird at first, but I can deal with it.”

“I just want you happy, Ember.” I countered, frowning at the thought she was doing this because of me.

Her face relaxed finally, and she gave me a gentle smile. “I’m happy when I’m with you.”

“Awww, that's so CUTE!” squealed a familiar bubbly voice. Realizing we were all suddenly staring at her, Pinkie shrank a bit with a sheepish smile. “Uh, hehe. Oops.”

Ember, of course, began blushing again, but she strode confidently you the bed, stopping upon realizing I wasn't following. Throwing a raised brow my way, she taunted, “Well? Are you coming, or what?”

Shaking myself out of my momentary stupor, I followed behind Ember and quickly removed my shirt, tossing it into the hamper in the corner of the room. I grew my own blush at the approving gaze from Ember, but climbed into the giant bed next to her, regardless. Ember moved to the edge of the mattress, and immediately afterward, I felt Fluttershy slide in behind me. From my position, I was unable to see Twilight and Rainbow Dash, but the loss of the room's lights told me Twilight had dimmed them as everyone got settled.

Other than a single, awkward night during my tour of the dragon lands, Ember and I had never shared sleeping quarters before, and if her fidgeting tail was any indication, she was feeling just as awkward. Luckily, this time, I would be able to calm her down with a more hands-on approach.

I shifted to lay on my right side, extending my right wing behind me for Fluttershy to use as a warm, makeshift blanket, which I felt her do without hesitation. My other wing, I brought over to cover Ember, along with wrapping my arm around her stomach to pull her until her body was molded against me. If I was completely naked, like she was, our new position would be a very forward move on my part -- going off of the gasp and anxious trembling of Ember's wings, she still might see it that way. However, this was a position I shared with my other herdmates, and since Ember was my mate, I was going to share this with her, too.

“Spike,” Ember hissed, turning her head to shoot a glare at me, “we're not exactly alone right now!”

At her half angry, half embarrassed expression, I had to laugh. When her glare didn't abate, I calmed down and explained, “We're not doing anything. From how you reacted, I can guess what this,” I gestured to us with my wing, “means to you, but for me, it's just a comfortable position to sleep in with someone special. You're one of those, so I'm doing it with you.”

Ember squirmed a bit regardless, whisper-shouting, “But your crotch is pressed right up against-"

“Hence the pants I'm wearing.” I interrupted, whispering in return. It was at that moment, I saw an opportunity: Ember was here to teach me, but what if I could teach her things as well? I smirked at the thought, adding, “Let's call this a lesson.”

At that, Ember stopped moving. “...aren't I supposed to be teaching you?”

“We'll teach each other.” I answered, slowly moving my hand to rub the soft, broad scales of her stomach.

“Ooh~” Ember cooed softly (I'll readily admit, I enjoyed the sound, and promised myself to find more reasons to coax it out in the future). She turned her head to glance at me from the corner of her eye, and while I still recognized nervousness, underneath that was curiosity. “A-and what exactly is this supposed to be teaching me?”

I smiled a warm, private smile just for her, and nosed the area behind her ear as I answered, “Being close to others is nice, and physical affection doesn't have to progress to mating. Also, this position,” I pressed my palm against her stomach again, forcefully pressing her body against mine, releasing a comforted, soothed breath from Ember, “is great for a dragon that wants to be as close to his mate as possible.”

Ember turned to face forward again, going silent for a few moments before she admitted, “Maybe there are some things I need to learn.” Her hand found mine, and she released a pleased sigh. “Goodnight, Spike.”

I laid my head on the pillow, closing my eyes with a happy smile. “Goodnight, Ember.”

Author's Notes:

"Common": the generally accepted term for the modern Equestrian dialect. Being the most prosperous nation on the planet, nearly all of the different races trade, visit, and/or emigrate to Equestria. This, of course, neccesitates learning modern Equestrian, which makes the language the most widely spoken dialect of the civilized races.

Chapter 15

“So, this is what ponies call ‘courting’?” a certain confused dragoness asked.

Ember and I were sat at a gryphon restaurant in town that catered to carnivores and omnivores. Most ponies were fine with it, since the meat was sourced from non-sapient animals outside of Equestria, but I still got odd looks whenever I went to the place, as if I were expected to change my biology simply because I was raised in Equestria. Still, no one had given me trouble for it, so I figured it was a nice place to bring Ember to experience a bit more of modern Equestrian culture.

“Yeah,” I agreed, “though the modern term is ‘dating’.” I swirled my beverage a bit -- a strawberry fizzy drink -- before taking a sip from the straw. I glanced around at the mostly-empty restaurant, pleased that lunch was pretty quiet, since it made Ember more comfortable. “For ponies, dating includes outings and generally just spending time together with someone to see if you’re compatible. Dates can be as simple as a walk through the park, or as extravagant as a five-star restaurant visit in Canterlot. Really, so long as two consenting people are spending time together with the idea of romance, a date can be pretty much anything.”

Ember mulled the explanation around for a minute before asking, “So you’re trying to figure out if we’re compatible, then?”

Chuckling at her half-worried expression, I soothed Ember by holding her hand in mine and assuring, “Not at all. We already are, and I know that; dates are also ways to just spend time with someone you care about, setting aside time specifically for them. For you and I,” I gave her hand another squeeze, “that’s precisely what this is. You’re my mate, so I wanted to spend special time just with you.”

The color of Ember’s head spines deepened with a blush. “O-oh, okay. I get it. Why here, though?”

I shrugged, glancing around the restaurant. “Well, in here, you’re less likely to be gawked at. Here, we can be away from most prying eyes, we can get some good meat to eat, and it’s warm. We certainly could have just stayed at the castle, but we’re going to be doing plenty of that in the coming weeks, so I wanted to take my girl out somewhere.” I reached up and scratched my cheek as I tried my best to word what I felt. “It’s...kind of a primal thing for males, not just dragons. It sounds stupid when I say it out loud, but guys like to show off their girlfriends to others, almost claiming overt ownership.” I smiled sheepishly at her raised brow. “I know that’s not what we are and it’s not even what most ponies are, but like I said, it’s a primal thing that’s hard to articulate. Mostly, it feels more real if I can go out and do things with you, where other people can see.”

Ember waved the assurance away. “Hey, I’m not knocking it, I just didn’t understand. Doing things together is...nice.” She smiled at the end, nodding to me. “I used to see my parents being like that, which is weird for most dragons, but I couldn’t help but always think, ‘I want that.’ Now,” she nudged me with her shoulder, “I have it. And I gotta say, it’s kinda nice.” Leaning back against the backrest of the booth we were sat in, Ember released a long breath. “It’s freeing to not have to watch what I say or do. It’s liberating to know all I have to do is be myself, and that’s good enough.”

Nudging her back, I asked, “You have to put on a mask as a dragon lord?”

Snorting as if it were a dumb question, Ember glanced at me. “Are you kidding? I’m the daughter of Torch, and one of the youngest dragon lords. I have to become an entirely different dragon just to be accepted in the dragon lands, nevermind the role I’m supposed to play. If I step one claw out of line, I’ve got every dragon questioning my competence and making snide, passive-aggressive remarks under their breath. The phrase ‘I don’t know’ is basically forbidden for me to even say, so that’ll give you a good idea of just what I have to deal with.”

Luckily, while I wasn’t in a ruling position, by living with Twilight, I was quite familiar with the stress it brought. “I might not be a dragon lord or anything, but I know exactly how hard it must be, given what Twilight has to put up with. There’s thousands of ponies looking up to her for guidance, even disregarding the school, and it seems some of them aren’t happy with anything she does.” The thought of a certain group caused me to snort angrily, shooting sparks out of my nose. “And don’t even get me started on the nobles. Those puffed-up, good for nothing backstabbers practically make it their life’s mission to be a thorn in our sides. As elected officials that supposedly represent the people, we can’t just tell them to buck off, so we have to just deal with it. Basically, they do everything they can to block or slow any legislation that doesn’t benefit them -- or, stars forbid, regulates them -- and the majority of them do it just on principle, or out of spite from some perceived slight against them.” I shook my head with a tired sigh. “In Twilight, they saw a new, naive princess that they could manipulate to get what they want. But, when they found she wasn’t some stupid little filly that could be pressured to do what they wanted, they started doing whatever they could to aggravate her. She’s gotten used to it over the years, but in the beginning, I’d usually have to listen to her cry herself to sleep at night.”

“Now see, a dragon would just set their house on fire for being zräg ghour, but ponies are all about their laws.” Ember commented, half sarcastically. At my bewildered expression, she explained, “Oh, um, ‘zräg ghour’ is a really vulgar insult that translates to ‘stain of excrement’. Considering the taboo of talking about bodily waste among dragons in any way but academic, it's one of the better insults you use if someone is really pissing you off.”

I knew what “piss” and all its forms meant, but learning a curse in the draconic language was actually pretty exciting. A bit foalish maybe, but definitely entertaining.

“So anyway,” Ember began, drawing my attention once again, “I was thinking we can use the later hours of the day to start your education, since you already have responsibilities to take care of, and there’s no reason we can’t do it from inside the safety of the castle.” I noticed that, though she tried to make it sound as if she didn’t really care, the faint shudder in her body was more noticeable than she probably wanted.

Wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her close, I sent a smoldering gaze Ember’s way. “If you needed protection from the cold, all you have to do is ask. I’m quite happy to find ways to keep you warm.” Frankly, the words had practically tumbled out before I could even think about them, which left me internally throttling myself for essentially propositioning Ember in public.

I felt a shudder run through Ember at my words, and if her stuttered breathing and half-lidded gaze was any indication, she wasn’t exactly averse to my suggestion. I had never exactly been the kind of drake to be focused on the physical aspects of a relationship, but something about Ember specifically was demanding I yank her to her feet by the back of her neck, force her face into the table top, bending her over the table and-

“Spike, are you okay, there?”

The “fire” within me was practically an inferno at this point, and I released my own stuttered breath as I fought to control myself. Ember had told us that one of the effects of a mate’s brand was increasing the sex drive, but I was clearly unprepared for just how much.

Taking another, deeper, more controlled breath to steady myself, I nodded shallowly with my eyes closed. “Y-yeah, I’m fine.” My control was nearly thrown completely away when I felt a firm, clawed hand posessively grab my behind and squeeze, and had I not been restrained by a table and the dragoness next to me, I would have probably shot into the air with a very feminine screech.

Looking at Ember with a wide-eyed gaze awarded me with a positively predatory expression from her, as she assured me, “You’re not exactly subtle, you know, and you’re not the only one. If your twitching wings and stronger scent* are any indication, you’re thinking exactly the same things I’m thinking.” Leaning her muzzle into my neck and flicking her forked tongue out to tease the side of my throat earned her a barely-restrained groan from me, and I shot her the same look she had just given me. She just chuckled at me. “Oh, believe me, the only thing that’s keeping me from practically jumping you is the fact that there are a lot of breakable things around here, and I imagine you want to be able to come back to this place at some point.”

And to think, I thought Lyla was assertive with her flirting.

With a muted whine, I closed my eyes again, working on breathing to calm myself. “Ember, you’re killing me, here.”

Fortunately, before Ember could tease me further, I picked up the sounds of claws on wood from the stairs that led from the bottom floor to the second floor, which was where our booth was. The scent of seared steak and sautéed seafood was unmistakable, and I had to swallow the excess saliva that was building to keep from outright drooling.

“Okay, we have the filet mignon,” the gryphoness announced, setting down a finely seared, rare cut of beef tenderloin with all the trimmings in front of Ember, “and the seafood platter.” The latter dish was set in front of me, with an assortment of steamed prawns, sautéed scallops, and a dish of fragrant, creamy lobster bisque with a fresh-baked roll. The server smiled as she motioned to our meals. “This was prepared with care by our finest chefs. Please, enjoy. Ring the bell if you need anything.” She punctuated the statement by pointing to the braided string that led to a cord that ran through the wall, presumably to the kitchen. Without anything further to say, she left us to our own devices.

After a few moments of me just enjoying the aromas of the food, Ember commented, “It seems males are the same no matter where they are. Easiest way to the heart is through the stomach.”

Unable to even offer a retort, I nodded sheepishly, shooting a goofy grin her way. “Heh, yeah. Even as a puberty-driven younger drake, if the food is good enough, it wouldn’t matter if a supermodel was delivering it topless: food would be the only thing on my mind.”

Tilting her head a bit at the statement, Ember shrugged. “I guess ‘topless’ means a lot more if you have something to cover.” She glanced down at her slim, scaly chest and poked the delicate scales with her fingers. “Kinda lacking in that department, but it saves on expenses, since I don’t have to wear clothes.”

She was right, of course. Female dragons lack mammary structures, and a reptilian cloaca kept “naughty bits” well-covered, so that they could be completely decent, even when naked. Still, even though she resolutely refused to wear clothes for modesty, she had already teased me when she caught me staring at her fit form in the morning. It was a lot more difficult for a pony to sexualize a dragoness, since they lacked “traditional” feminine features, but from a drake’s standpoint, she had plenty to show off, and I had a feeling she wanted me to look.

“Trust me when I say I don’t feel cheated when I look at you.” I blurted, blushing immediately when she smirked victoriously at me.

Leaning in closer to my ear, Ember whispered, “I like it when you look at me, Spike. Knowing that your eyes are on me, running over my well-kept scales, probably imagining running your fingers over every part of me, is thrilling.” Her admission made me shiver, and I had to remind myself again to remain decent in public.

“You’re making this very hard, Ember.” I muttered, picking up my spoon and ladling a bit of the steaming lobster bisque to my lips. The soup was perfectly cooked and seasoned, as I expected, and the creamy, cheesy, lobster flavor practically made love to my taste buds as the soup splashed over my tongue. I couldn’t stop the pleased moan from escaping my throat, but I didn’t even care at that point.

“Maybe I want to make it hard, my mate.”

And suddenly I was choking on the wonderful soup, Ember’s purring declaration making me gasp...and a gasp plus soup equals a bad time indeed.

Ember, of course, was laughing hard enough for the both of us. “I-hehehehe! I couldn’t h-have timed that better! Bahahaha!”

I probably committed a few social screw ups due to spraying the tablecloth with bisque, as well as pounding my chest to aid with expelling the offending substance from my throat, but health and safety comes first. Ember was still laughing when I stopped coughing, so I just rolled my eyes and tore into my food, trying my best to ignore the chuckling dragoness next to me.

After a few moments of this, Ember chimed in, “Aww, c’mon Spike, I was just playing around. Don’t get all butthurt on me.”

I actually snarled at her, annoyed at her antics. “You can’t say that kind of thing to me just for a prank, and expect me to be cool with it. That was too far, Ember.”

An awkward silence settled between us as I turned back to my meal, but it was only a few seconds before I felt the tips of a forked tongue tease my ear fin, as a warm breath whispered, “It wasn’t for a prank; your reaction was just a bonus. I meant everything I said.”

I felt my whole body stiffen at the words, and my pants were suddenly becoming a bit tight around the front for...another reason. This would mark one of only a dozen times any female had gotten such a reaction out of me, not counting physical contact -- there was just something exciting and alluring about the sheer confidence Ember had, and her voice alone was like auditory foreplay. There was no denying I loved and was attracted to Lyla, Twilight, and Rarity, but there was a different sort of attraction between Ember and I. It was something raw, primal, and, dare I say, a little intimidating.

With a delighted shiver, I turned my attention back to my food as I whispered, “Hold that thought for when we’re not in public, then. I’d rather not be pitching a tent in public, thank you very much.” At Ember’s confused tilt of her head, I explained, “When a stallion -- or dragon, in my case -- is wearing pants, arousal looks like-”

“A tent,” Ember surmised, chuckling at the imagery. She nudged me with her elbow. “Well, it’s nice to know I can get that kind of reaction from you.”

“You’re among a special few able to do it with just words.” I answered honestly. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. “I trust you’ll wield that power gracefully, and with restraint?”

Ember glanced back, delicately grabbing her own fork and knife to cut a bite-sized piece off. As she brought the bite of steak to her mouth, she casually replied, “I won’t get you into trouble, if that’s what you’re worried about, but a sword that goes without maintenance becomes rusty, and weak. I’ll need to keep practicing to make sure I stay on top of it. Besides,” she popped the bite of steak in her mouth, chewing slowly with a happy hum before swallowing and adding, “you’ve become too confident and smooth in the past few years, so I need to be sure you don’t get too full of yourself.”

Clearing my mouth of some of the lovely scallops before speaking, I queried, “Don’t females like that, though? Hasn’t gone bad for me yet, at least.”

Ember shrugged. “Can’t really say. I’ve never had a mate before, and besides that, I’m not a pony; I know we share a lot of similarities, but the few differences in culture we do have are pretty big, so it’s not safe to assume. But,” she paused for a moment, taking a sip of her drink, “for me at least, I enjoy the confidence, and respect that it takes a lot of it to be able to say and do things with the possibility of it blowing up in your face, though I imagine it comes a lot easier if you know your target well. It’s only a risk if you’re dealing with someone you’re unfamiliar with, so I guess you got it pretty easy.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Oh, don’t presume that this comes naturally. I’ve had a lot of cringe-worthy moments in my early dating life, and they still pop up from time to time. Let’s just say there are a few ex-marefriends that will never speak to me again, and even a few that I still kinda miss due to unresolved issues between us.” I gave my own shrug as I mused aloud, “I guess romance is the same as any skill: no one starts out great, regardless of talent; you just have to practice and get experience to learn and grow.”

Ember just stared at me for a few moments before teasing, “You know, with you being a O&O player, I see you not saying ‘level up’ as a missed opportunity.”

While I was glad Ember didn’t make fun of my dungeon-crawling RPG that I still played with Macintosh and Discord from time to time, the fact she brought it up was embarrassing enough to make me blush. As much as I would like to say it didn’t matter, I had worked very hard to not be seen as the only dragon that was a major geek. I got enough teasing being a pony-raised dragon when I was younger, so I didn’t need to give the few bullies I came across more reason to mess with me.

“And give you more reasons to tease me?” I snarked at Ember, half-seriously. “You already are using our relationship to fluster me, so I think it would be pretty stupid to basically give you a roadmap on how to publicly embarrass me.”

Ember’s grin turned very predatory. “You really think O&O is the only embarrassing thing I know about you? That’s cute.”

I sighed to myself, turning back to my meal. I cared about Ember a lot, and I was happy she felt the same, but I knew that she was constantly going to keep me on my toes. I’d need to practice finding ways to fluster her, so that I wouldn’t feel like some young stupid drake in the claws of an intimidating dragoness...even if the latter was true. One thing was for sure, though: no matter what happened in the future for us, a romantic relationship with Ember was sure to have no end of entertainment.

On our way back from lunch, we met up with Lyla, and Ember got to know my changeling soldier. I had thought that the protective nature of Lyla would clash a bit with the proud bearing of a dragon lord, but to my utter surprise, they found a sort of kinship with one another. If I really thought about it, the strange bond made sense, since both were bluntly honest for the most part, and both felt the need to assert themselves as my protectors. I’ll admit, the latter point had me feeling a little emasculated, but a playful wink or affectionate brush from the two calmed those feelings of inadequacy rather quickly. Without anything particularly pressing to do, Ember and Lyla followed me around as I ran my daily errands, though we quickly found our path to the Carousel Boutique when Ember began shivering due to the cold.

The small brass bell on the hook above the door frame chimed from our arrival, and Rarity announced, “Comiiing~!” as her hooves clopped on the upstairs floor. After only a moment, the unicorn herself appeared around the corner leading to the stairs, and she immediately brightened upon seeing me. “Spike, darling! I thought that was you. And you brought guests! Welcome, welcome!”

I met Rarity halfway and embraced her, sharing a chaste kiss with the beautiful seamstress. “Mmm, afternoon. Anyhow, I dropped by because I have a commission, if you’d be so kind.”

Rarity’s horn lit up with a familiar blue cloud of magic, and her red working glasses settled onto her nose as a small notepad and pencil floated to her hands. “Of course, darling. What can I help you with?”

I jerked my head to Ember, who looked like she felt out of place in the clothing shop. “Well, Ember here feels the cold, unlike me. We would like to get some winter gear made for her. I was thinking the full shebang: a coat, a hat, gloves, leggings, and some boots.”

Rarity was taking down some notes as I spoke, nodding once I’d finished. “Right, I believe that’s doable.” She then raised her eyes and took in the sight of the dragoness herself, who was nearly half a foot taller than Rarity. The unicorn approached Ember and began circling her slowly, her eyes roving over the form of the dragon lord. Before any of us could say a word, four tape measures were levitated into the room, and they began measuring every inch of Ember in a dizzying array of speed and precision, and I chuckled when Ember yelped a few times when she likely felt what could be mistaken for a snake slithering across certain areas of her body.

Finishing with her measurements, Rarity dismissed the tape measures, taking a knee to look closer at Ember’s feet. After a few moments, she nodded and stood, finishing her notes with a few lines on her notepad. “I think that should do it. You know, Spike, I think Ember will actually be a far simpler client to clothe. Her scales are much smoother than yours, and her feet are more akin to paws than dragon claws.”

Ember, feeling suddenly self-conscious, shifted a bit at the words. “Is that a bad thing?”

Looking to the dragoness, Rarity shook her head with a small smile. “Not at all, it is simply different. While it is true you aren’t ‘soft’ by pony standards, the differences between you and a male like Spike are very obvious. Spike has made it quite clear that you would not wear clothing for fashion or modesty purposes.”

“Yeah, no,” Ember bluntly agreed.

Rarity waved the thought away. “It is no real loss, dear. Over the years, friends like Applejack have shown that I was missing out on quite the market: practicality is all that matters to some, and I was unintentionally turning down business by only catering to fashion. While I would like nothing more than to make you look beautiful for our dear Spike,” she threw a smile my way, “I know when not to push my views of beauty on another, even one who is so naturally gifted.”

Ember’s head tilted at the latter statement. “What do you mean by ‘naturally gifted’?”

Rarity mock-gasped as if the dragoness had just said something completely ridiculous. “Darling, have you looked into a mirror lately?” She gently took the dragoness’ hand in her own and ran her fingers along the back of it, marveling in the thick, yet well-tended hide. “You may not be a pony, but there is a certain je ne sais quoi about you that cannot be denied. You are an exotic specimen, and your very bearing -- the way you hold yourself amongst others -- exudes strength and confidence in oneself. As any honest pony will confirm, confidence is very attractive.” Releasing a blushing Ember’s hand, she gestured to the dragoness’ midsection, leading down to her legs. “You have a beautiful complexion, with striking coloration that accentuates your natural attributes. I see long, toned legs, and wide hips leading to a narrow waist and sculpted abdomen; you have a body most mares would kill for. Darling,” she looked directly into Ember’s eyes with an intensity that I knew would provoke a certain effect, “you are beautiful, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

I was well aware that Ember wasn’t used to being complimented on her looks in an honest way that wasn’t an attempt to bed her, so the awkward scuffing of her foot against the floor was certainly expected. Still, I had to admit she was adorable when embarrassed, and I was definitely going to try and make that happen more in the future.

Ember silently stared down at the floor as a flush held strong in her head spines, before she finally mumbled. “...d-do you really mean that?”

Rarity smiled wide and nodded. “I do, darling. However,” she held up a hand as her demeanor shifted to a more professional mode, “I know fashion is not exactly your cup of tea, so I will let you decide if and when fashionable clothing is what you desire. If you truly do feel the cold, unlike Spike, then I will promptly create an outfit tailored for you. And I promise, I will refrain from adding unnecessary frills. It will be a well-made, practical bundle that will keep you warm even during the coldest day.”

Ember had composed herself, returning to her usual casually confident demeanor, and was quite obviously appraising Rarity in much the same way the pony had her a few moments ago. After a few seconds of silence, apparently having come to a decision, she smiled to Rarity with a tilt of her head. “You know, you’re not what I was expecting, going off of what Spike wrote about you. I expected someone more prissy, to be honest.”

Rarity briefly shot a glare my way, silently promising retribution, before smirking at the dragoness. “I am pleased to have surprised you, then. I think you will find that we ponies are not the soft, quaking little creatures that some may assume we are. I will admit, we live within a culture built upon the tenets of Harmony, but it would be unwise to mistake our adherence to Harmony as weakness. I think that if you take the time to get to know some of us, you may find yourself surprised quite a bit, and often.”

Ember shrugged nonchalantly, looking out a window toward the distant mountain that housed Canterlot. “Most dragons choose to dig in their heels and stick by their biased beliefs, rather than have their beliefs challenged. For me, though, I can see a lot of the assumptions among my kind are wrong, just based on Canterlot itself.” She shot a look at Rarity with a toothy smile. “Dragons stand on their own for the most part. Even though they swear fealty to the dragon lords, we are more of guides than actual rulers, because dragons do not like being told what to do. For you ponies, though, ‘togetherness’ is part of your culture; ponies are comparatively weak, and squishy when you compare them to dragons, but put a bunch of ponies together and you get a place like Canterlot.” Again she glanced out the window toward the marble mountain capitol. “Canterlot is not weak, and even the most arrogant dragons speak about the ponies that protect it in hushed tones, with reverence.”

Rarity tilted her head as well, allowing a moment of silence as she mused over the words spoken. After a pregnant pause, she returned Ember’s smile. “I am surprised as well. Contrary to our earlier impressions of you and your kind, you appear to be quick-witted, intelligent, and humble. I believe that we could all stand to learn quite a bit from each other during your time here, Ember.” Rarity seemed to drift off to a very warm place for a moment before catching herself, shaking her head slightly, and plastering on a practiced smile. That was odd. “Anyhow, darling, I should have some winter wear ready for you by tomorrow. Come back here to pick it up, and we can perform a final fitting with any minor alterations to be sure the clothing fits comfortably.”

“I’ll pay, Ember.” I interrupted, Ember not even able to open her mouth before I answered the obvious question...or, depending on the confused looks Rarity and Lyla were sending my way, it wasn’t so obvious.

“Cool, I was just about to ask. I figured you would, but I didn’t want to assume.” Ember returned, confirming my guess (Was it a guess?).

Seemingly shaking off her momentary surprise, Rarity again smiled brightly. “Well then, I will see all of you tomorrow, unless we run into each other sooner. Now, I must get started. Ciao, dears!”

I met Ember and Lyla’s eyes with mine as I suggested, “We should get going, then. Rarity’s going to be working hard, so there’s no point in bothering her. Was there anything you two wanted to do before we check in with Twilight?”

Ember shivered a bit as we stepped back out into the winter cold. I extended my wing to cover her, earning a grateful smile as she answered, “Eh, I’m not really sure. It’s been awhile since I’ve been here, so a lot of things have changed.”

That was true, of course. “I guess you’re right. Well, I visit Applejack and Fluttershy each at least once a day, so we can swing by them if you’re cool with it.” I glanced at Lyla with a raised brow, as well.

Ember just nodded in response, while Lyla gave an affirmative hum. “Yes, I think it would be a good idea to visit Applejack, at the very least. Fluttershy was with us last night, but it has been nearly a day since you’ve visited Sweet Apple Acres.”

I gave my own nod as we turned down one of the plowed paths that led toward the farm. I shot a grin to Ember as I teased, “So, how was your first pony sleepover? Not so bad, was it?”

At the mention of the previous night, where she had shared a bed with not just me, but four others, Ember began to blush once again. “...it was all right, I’ll admit. I still can’t say it’s something I would seek out, but it wasn’t as bad as I was thinking.” She then threw a look to Lyla. “How did you settle into Equestria?”

The mention of Lyla’s “settling” brought back some bad memories for the both of us, considering how much racial discrimination changelings faced as a whole. It took years for the “old-style” changelings to be accepted in Equestria, and even now, there were certain parts of the nation that were wary of the shapeshifters. I couldn’t even feel vindictive about the response either, since certain hives gave changelings as a whole a bad reputation, and ponies had no idea there were separate hives.

“It was...really hard,” Lyla reminisced, frowning slightly. “Early on, there was still outright hostility against my kind, due to the multiple major instances of hostile actions by certain hives, against Equestria. A part of me knew it wasn’t the fault of Equestrians -- changelings are secretive by nature, so there wasn’t exactly much known about us -- but even so, it is still upsetting that I can be judged for the actions of others with which I share no connection.” I extended my other wing to curl around Lyla protectively, but she still sighed in defeat. “Things have vastly improved, but to certain ponies, all changelings are ‘cut from the same cloth’, so to speak, and we are all judged the same.”

I gave a reassuring nuzzle to my changeling, adding, “And honestly, Thorax didn’t have much to do with that. Don’t get me wrong, he helped move things along when it came to integrating changelings into Equestrian society, but it was easier for him because he and the other ‘new changelings’ look completely different than what most Equestrians remember, so it was easier for them to separate the new changelings from the ones of the past.” I gestured with my head toward Lyla. “But Lyla, here, has not gone through the change, so she’s a walking reminder of a lot of bad memories, to some ponies. If it weren’t for Twilight and Starlight, things wouldn’t be as good as they are now.”

Ember looked between the two of us for a few moments before cautiously asking, “Was Lyla ever attacked?”

I sighed through my nose, doing my best to keep from losing my cool over past memories. “Yes, once. We still don’t know what happened, or how. I was walking around town one day, doing a quick patrol of the Everfree border, and I found Lyla face down in a creek near the edge of the forest, with hoof prints all around her. She was battered and bruised, her chitin cracked and warped, and there were even magical burns over parts of her face.” Ember winced at my description, but I continued nonetheless. I couldn’t help the hitch in my breathing as I remembered what I felt that day. “...she was a mess, and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to save her. I was still kid-sized back then, so carrying her to the hospital was nearly impossible, but I somehow managed.” I tightened my wing around the changeling soldier, remembering how frail and vulnerable she looked at that point. “I’ve never been more afraid in my entire life; the storm king taking over Equestria doesn’t even remotely compare.”

I found myself unable to speak more at that point, but thankfully, Lyla was able to pick it up from there. “The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital, and Spike was sleeping, half-laying down on the hospital bed, gripping my hand as if he were trying to physically keep me from leaving this world.”

The memory of that moment, when I woke up and looked into Lyla’s tired, yet grateful eyes, was enough to bring a smile to my face as I composed myself a bit to be able to speak. “I was so relieved, I almost kissed her. The terror I felt knowing that Lyla might die, and there was nothing I could do, shook me to my core, and I realized just how much I cared about her at that moment. I wouldn’t call it romantic love, at that point -- not yet -- but the seed had been planted, and I vowed to stand by her side for however long I needed to.” The memory that followed caused me to chuckle a bit. “Anyway, after Lyla woke up, the entire hospital started shaking, and instruments went crazy for a few minutes; it turned out Twilight was basically screaming at the entire town from on top of the castle, openly denouncing what had happened, and daring anypony to defend those actions. She openly called Lyla her friend for the first time, defending her and the innocents of her kind, and made sure the entire town knew she was ashamed that such an atrocious act had happened in her own town.” I gestured generally to the air with one hand. “Ponies respect Celestia due to her fair ruling practices and endless patience, and they respect Luna due to her power, majesty, and adherence to the old ways of chivalry and honor. But,” I smiled a bit at the thought of my alicorn mate, “people respect Twilight because she is willing to see past the barriers of race, ethnicity, or creed in order to forge friendships among anyone and everyone. To disappoint Twilight is to know the shame of being the anathema of friendship, to be the one that the Princess of Friendship can’t even stand to look at. Twilight doesn’t truly hate many things in this life, but baseless bigotry and hatred of others, especially just because they look different, is something that strikes a nerve within her every. Single. Time.”

“None of us could ask for a better friend,” Lyla praised with a bright smile. “Twilight isn’t perfect, but there is no doubt in my mind that she would be the first pony to stand beside someone in need, even if she didn’t know them. She helped to reform Discord, reformed Starlight Glimmer, and reformed Fizzlepop Berrytwist.”

“Wait,” Ember held up a claw, “who’s the last one? I don’t recognize that name.”

“Tempest Shadow.” Lyla and I answered at the same time.

A surprised look crossed Ember’s face. “The storm king’s lieutenant? That Tempest Shadow? The hornless unicorn that took down three alicorns, and an entire city of royal guards, without magic?!”

I chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. “Y-yeah, that’s the one.”

Ember nearly tripped over her own feet as I confirmed what she had asked about, and she was silent for a long few moments before speaking again. “If you tell anyone this, I’ll deny it, but there were a lot of dragons terrified about going up against Tempest Shadow. The storm king might have been the leader, but he was just some pompous yeti with a lust for power. Tempest Shadow, though...” Ember shivered a bit, and I had a feeling it had nothing to do with the cold, “this little, unassuming pony was more ferocious than we’d ever have expected from such a small, squishy species. She single-handedly brought the minotaurs under her boot, and the deerfolk of Clefthoof Isle were forced to surrender when she set their entire forest ablaze...and then, she let it burn to the ground, eliminating all but a few lucky survivors.”

I’d never heard about the darker portions of Fizzle’s crusade across the world, but even before Ember said so, I knew that she had probably done some terrible things. Honestly, the only thing that kept Celestia and Luna from charging her with war crimes was the fact that she was manipulated by the storm king, and Fizzle had willingly gone out into the world to atone for the atrocities she’d committed. Even now, we received letters every now and then about her progress, but I knew it might be years before we saw her again, because there was a lot of damage caused by the storm king’s armada. Even though I was sad a new friend was going to be gone for quite some time, I was kinda glad I wouldn’t have to be teased by the girls anymore. Let’s just say it was hard for me not to stare and enjoy Fizzle’s bodysuit-clad form.

“Y’know, I had a feeling more had happened than she told us, but this is my first time hearing about it.” I mused aloud, trying not to sound horrified at what I had heard. I’m not sure I succeeded, if Ember’s knowing look was any indication.

Ember nudged me as we kept moving. “It’s not really her fault, you know. From what I heard, she was loner for pretty much her whole life, even compared to Starlight. She probably doesn’t feel comfortable trusting other people.”

I frowned a bit at the thought. As someone who had been surrounded by family and friends since day one, I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to only be able to count on myself for everything. I guess I would have become a very different person if I had to depend on myself for food, shelter, protection, and stars knows what else. It would probably make me more serious, less willing to let others help, and maybe even cold-hearted.

“...I guess I can see that,” I admitted, with a sigh of defeat.

Conversation trailed off as the farm came into view, and I quickly led the three of us to the front door of the farmhouse. Knocking three times, I waited patiently with Lyla and Ember on the porch. The heavy, spaced steps that approached told me that Big Mac was back, and only a moment later the door was pulled open by the giant of a stallion. He glanced briefly at my two companions before silently nodding to me and standing aside to let us enter.

After a moment of staring with a dumbfounded look of surprise at the giant pony, Ember allowed herself to be tugged inside. After Big Mac walked away, presumably to fetch Applejack, Ember turned to me and whisper-shouted, “What in the seven hells was that?!”

I shrugged calmly. “That’s just Big Macintosh. He’s the oldest child of the Ponyville Apple clan, a mean Paladin in O&O, and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. I’m surprised you’ve never met him before.”

Ember kept staring at the doorway he’d disappeared through, shaking her head slowly. “Never had a reason to. That guy is, like, freakishly big. Ponies aren’t supposed to be that big.”

I shrugged again, mentally chuckling at the response my next comment would get. “His herd seems to be able to handle his size just fine, from what I can see.”

Ember’s face went through a multitude of expressions, chiefly confusion, before realization struck her and she practically fell on the floor in laughter. Though Lyla looked downright ashamed at my terrible joke, I could only think, “Totally worth it.”

A few moments later, after Ember had composed herself, Applejack strode into the room with a bright smile on her face. She looked momentarily surprised by Ember, but approached regardless and pulled me into a hug. While pulling away, she ran her cheek over mine, and her eyes were shining with happiness.

“Heya Spike, good t’see ya,” she greeted jovially, then turned her eyes to Ember. “And it’s good t’see ya again too. First things first: is Spike all right?”

“Yes, and he’s going to stay that way.” Ember answered directly. She jerked her head to me. “Just some dragon stuff he’s going through, and I’m going to help him adjust. He’s not going to grow anymore, and he’s going to learn things that he should have a long time ago. He’ll be just fine, I promise.”

Applejack visibly sagged in relief as she made her way to her favorite chair, plopping down into it with a groan. “That’s real good news, ma’am. Ah’m glad t’hear it. Ah ain’t gonna lie ‘n say Ah wasn’t worried somethin’ fierce.”

I smiled at Applejack’s concern, then pointed to her healing arm. “So, how does it feel?”

Applejack shifted her shoulder around, and though the arm was still in a cast, I could tell just by looking that she was quite happy to be able to move it a little more. “Gettin’ better every day. ‘Least now Ah can use tha arm again, even though Ah still can’t lift nothin’. Still, some mobility is better’n none. It’s annoyin’, but Ah’ve made peace with tha fact Ah’m just gonna have t’deal with it for some time, yet.”

“Dash and I will help get you back to 100%, AJ. Promise.” I assured with a smile. “Just because you’re weak now doesn’t mean you’re going to stay that way. An Apple never stays down for long.”

Applejack grinned at my words, puffing up a bit in pride. “Darn tootin’. Ah’ll be up ‘n about by early next year.”

“So,” I began, glancing around the house, “was there anything you needed help with? I figure that since we're here, I might as well lend a hand.”

The farm mare bobbed her head from side to side for a moment before shaking her head. “Nah, Ah think Ah got ev’rything well ‘nough in hand, right now. Ah think Mac could use a hand in tha barn though, Spike.” I stood to leave, as did Lyla and Ember, but Applejack stopped them with a quiet, “A-actually, do y’all think you could stay? Ah wanna talk to tha to’ve ya about somethin’.” At my raised brow, Applejack just shot a nervous smile my way. ”Girl stuff. Sorry, Spike.”

I stared at the notoriously-bad-at-lying mare for a few moments before shrugging and turning again to leave. “Eh, that’s fine. You know where to find me if you need me.” With my piece said, I quickly jogged out the rear kitchen door, and out into the snow again. The large, red barn was only a hundred or so feet away, so it was easy to see Big Mac moving stuff around inside, with the doors wide open.

The stallion’s ears perked up as I approached, and he turned to me as I entered the barn. He shifted the sprig of wheat around in his mouth before guessing, “AJ sent ya out ‘ere?” I gave a nod of affirmation, so he jerked his head toward the haybales. “Gotta feed tha cows. Help me spread it out to tha girls.”

I joined Big Mac in his work, trying not to be disturbed by the fact that he was no longer the giant to me that he once was -- where he had once been head and shoulders taller than me, now he only topped me by an inch or two. If physical labor was good for something, though, it was allowing the mind to wander and relax, so I threw myself fully into the monotonous work. My recent gains in both strength and size came in handy, allowing Big Mac and I to quickly and efficiently tend to the cows.

Unfortunately, with the job so easy and quick, my mouth saw fit to bring up what my mind was thinking. “It kinda worries me that AJ wanted me out of the room like that. I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other.”

Having spread out the hay among the twelve cows, Big Mac stuck the pitchfork in the ground and raised an eyebrow at me. “Ya wanna be the pot, ‘r the kettle?”

I raised my own brow in response. “What the hay are you talking about?”

“Did ya tell ‘er about O&O?” he challenged.

“What's to tell? She already knows about it.” I countered with a frown.

With a snort, Big Mac argued, “She found out about it, yeah, but y'all never told her. It woulda been a secret you kept, Ah’d wager.” The normally-stoic stallion let out a sigh as he rubbed his eyes. “Ah ain't perfect Spike, ‘n neither are you. We both got battles we fight with ourselves, ‘n we both got secrets we keep from tha world. Don't make tha mistake ‘f holdin’ somepony to a standard that ya ain't reachin’ yerself. Y'all only got tha right ta demand honesty if ya ain't got no secrets ‘f yer own.”

I couldn’t refute that, unfortunately. “Everyone has secrets, Mac.”

“Then don’t expect ‘t know ev’rythin’ about yer friends.” he answered, turning back to his work and beginning to pick up the hay ties and stray strands. “Some people got skel’tons in their closets, ‘n they’ll take ‘em to tha grave with ‘em. Ya gotta accept that, if yer gonna be close ta anyone.”

While I agreed on a silent, private level, I didn’t say so. I wished that I could know everything about those I cared about, but Big Mac was right: I had my own things I kept from others, so I had no right to demand to know everything about everyone. And to think, I didn’t used to keep things from those I care about. Adult life was complicated.

“Is there anything else you actually need help with out here?” I questioned, glancing toward the hulking stallion.

Big Mac shook out his orange mane and snorted. “Naw. Truth is, Ah didn’t need help t’begin with. You ‘n Ah both know AJ just wanted t’ talk with tha girls in private. You ‘n AJ are thick as thieves, but there’s some stuff that’s just b’tween other girls.”

I gave a thoughtful nod, knowing that there were certain things about being a guy that I didn’t bring to my female friends -- not so much because it was embarrassing, but because they wouldn’t be able to relate or properly understand. With a lazy salute to Big Mac, I made my way back to the farmhouse and knocked on the door before entering.

Walking back into the main room, I was treated to the sight of Ember looking confused, Lyla grinning like a cat that caught the canary, and Applejack looking as pale as a ghost. With a look over the gathered girls, I decided to be blunt and ask, “Did something happen that I should know about?”

Before Lyla could even form words, Applejack blurted, “Nope, nothin’ here. Ain’t nothin’ happened, and ain’t nothin’ gonna happen. All’s good here, Spike.” Her eyes betrayed her with that shifty-eyed thing she did when she was telling a horrible lie.

Raising a brow high, I placed my hands on my hips. “You sure about that? We’ve known each other for years AJ, and you know that we all know you’re a terrible liar.”

A faint blush lit up her cheeks, but she glanced away and mumbled, “A-Ah can’t, Spike. Sorry. It’s personal.”

I kept Big Mac’s words in mind for her answer, and just sighed with a nod. “All right then, I’m not going to bug you about it. When you’re ready, you know I’ll listen.”

Applejack opened her mouth before closing it a moment later. After a few seconds of silence, she offered a quiet, “Thanks, Spike. Ah’ll keep that in mind.”

Glancing out the window, I noticed the weather was starting to pick up again, so I motioned to the door. “Anyhow, unless you all needed anything, I think we should mosey. We still want to go see Fluttershy before the blizzard hits tonight.”

Applejack, to my surprise, looked a little disappointed for some reason, but she nodded regardless. “Ah understand. Naw, we don’ really need nothin’ -- thanks to yer help, all tha logs f’r winter are caught up, so we’re good for the season.” She stood from the cushioned chair and made her way to me, bringing me in for a strong, one-armed hug. “You be safe out there, ya hear?”

I returned the embrace readily. “Of course. Take care of yourself, AJ. I’ll see you tomorrow, if I can.” Lyla and Ember offered their own farewells before following me out into the winter cold again.

With the day waning and the temperature dropping, I took a shortcut through the south field of Sweet Apple Acres, hopping the fence and continuing toward Fluttershy’s cottage. The cottage was visible through the leafless trees, and I wasted no time in hopping the small creek and skirting the edge of the forest toward our destination. I found Ember floating next to me with a raised brow, her wings flapping lazily, and I mentally kicked myself for not just using my own wings to make the trip easier and quicker. Nonetheless, we arrived at Fluttershy’s place within only a few minutes, and since Lyla and I were close friends of Ponyville’s resident animal caretaker, we just walked inside without knocking.

Fluttershy was in the living room, carefully wrapping a bandage around the rear hoof of a young male deer. The woodland animal nearly bolted at the sight of us, but a shushing sound and comforting hand on its back from Fluttershy settled it quickly, and while we were watched cautiously, it was now not on the verge of a panicked sprint. The three of us waited patiently for Fluttershy to finish her work, and within only a few minutes, she gave a firm nod and words of encouragement to the deer, walking over to her back door and opening it for the animal to leave.

“Now, I want you to take it easy on that hoof. I don’t doubt you’re a strong young buck, but it needs to heal.” she warned, mildly chastising the animal, likely for something it had done to injure itself in the first place (conjecture on my part, only due to the fact I knew Fluttershy’s body language pretty well by this point). The deer gave a thankful lick to her cheek before carefully walking outside, soon disappearing into the nearby forest.

Fluttershy spent the next few moments cleaning up the gauze and bandages before finally turning to me with a half-smile. “Good afternoon. I’m sorry I couldn’t greet all of you at the door, but…” she shrugged helplessly.

I gave a shake of my head and reassured, “Nah, it’s okay. We’re not injured, and he was, so your animal friend was the priority. Is he going to be okay?”

With a look that suited an exasperated mother, Fluttershy sighed and answered, “Yes, but I don’t doubt I’ll see him again sometime pretty soon. Like many growing males, he thinks he’s invincible, and does foolish things for recognition. He tried to buck a tree like Applejack and her family, and ended up splitting his hoof instead.”

The surprise I felt was mirrored by my two companions. “Animals talk about the Apples like that?”

She nodded with a sigh. “Yes. Sometimes, like this time, it ends up causing trouble for them when they do something to hurt themselves. Just because they can’t speak like us doesn’t mean animals don’t talk about us.”

I suddenly found myself becoming very paranoid.

“Anyhow,” Fluttershy continued, smiling that slightly sad smile I had become used to recently, “it’s good to see you, Spike. Thank you for visiting. Oh,” she jumped a bit at finally noticing the blue dragoness beside me. While she held eye contact, she retreated a bit into herself, with hunched shoulders and a cautious stance. “H-hello, Ember. It’s good to see you, too.”

I had long accepted the fact that Fluttershy would always be shy around people until she got to know them, so I just smiled to the mare and opened my arms for a hug. The pegasus wasted no time in rushing to my embrace, practically teleporting, if I didn’t know any better. We held the embrace for a few moments before stepping away from each other.

Running a curled digit along her cheek, I offered a customary, “How are you, ‘Shy?”

Fluttershy shrugged slightly, glancing around the dimly-lit room. “I’m...coping. It’s hard, and I still miss A-Angel, but I’m doing all that I can to keep going. Having my animal friends drop in for help lets me focus on something else, so I’ve been dedicating my time and energy to that.”

“I know it gets kind of lonely around here during winter,” I commented idly, giving a shrug, “so you’re always welcome at the castle. I know Twilight wouldn’t mind, and we’re always happy to see you, regardless of the reason.”

Fluttershy grew a cute blush as she scuffed the floor with a hoof. “W-well, I don’t want to be a bother. You two are so busy all the time, so I feel like I would be in the way.”

I rolled my eyes at the behavior, which was reminiscent of how she always acted in the past. “Fluttershy, you could never be a bother. While Twilight and I are mostly focused on administrative tasks nowadays, simply having a friend to talk to during work makes the day pass so much faster, and easier. Please, if you ever feel like you want to see us, visit; we would love to have you any time you want to come over.”

Fluttershy continued looking at the floor for a few moments before shyly looking up and asking, “...w-well, what about now?”

I glanced at Ember and Lyla, who offered their own shrugs. I turned back to the pegasus and answered, “I did say you’re welcome anytime. Are you sure you don’t have prior engagements?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh, no. As you know, winter gets rather quiet around here, so I often spend my time reading or listening to music. It would be nice to spend time with friends, though.”

I nodded with a smile to my friend, jerking my head toward the door. “Well, even though I set aside time to spend here, with you, it would be better if we left sooner. Grab whatever you need to and let’s head back to the castle, before it gets too cold.”

Fluttershy gave me a nod before scampering up the stairs, likely to her bedroom, and the three of us were left standing in the living area. After only a few seconds Ember asked, “Is having friends over this often commonplace for you all?”

I shrugged with a nervous grin. “Eh, not really. Ever since Twilight and I took on a heavier workload regarding local government, we usually don’t see the girls but once or twice a week, and spending the night over was pretty rare until recently. Not that we wouldn’t love to see everyone every day, and it’s not like we’re lacking the space to have friends over, but we just don’t usually have the time, and the others are often just as busy with their own lives.” I tilted my head as I really thought about the situation. “Thinking about it, it’s kind of sad to know that we’re all living such separate lives, when we all were once in each other’s lives every day. We do the best we can, but adult life and responsibilities have a way of wedging our lives apart.”

“Dragons like their space, as I’m sure you know.” Ember commented, glancing to me from the corner of her eye. “Having get-togethers and inviting friends into one’s home is a foreign concept to most dragons; friendship in itself is a foreign concept.” I was slowly learning the more subtle bits of Ember’s body language, and so I caught the twitching of the tip of her tail and shifting of her wings that practically screamed “nervousness.”

“You’re uncomfortable around my friends.” I prodded. It wasn’t a question.

Ember turned her head fully so that she could focus completely on me. “...kinda, yeah. It’s not their fault, though. To a dragon, home is quiet and often solitary, and it’s a place we can go to feel safe and protected. My instincts are telling me that we shouldn’t be inviting people over to the place where I’m going to be staying. It makes me...antsy.”

I brought my hand up and began rubbing between her shoulders, just above Ember’s wing joints, a place I had found soothed her. Slowly, as I caressed the soft hide there, the tension in her shoulders, wings, and neck began to dissipate, and I offered a nuzzle behind her horn as I assured, “You’re already accepted by all of them, so this is okay. You’re safe, and even if you weren’t, I’d keep you well-protected.”

Ember gave a lazy snort. “I don’t need protection.”

“No,” I soothed, “I don’t suppose you do. Still, the eyes only face one direction, so it’s nice to have someone at your back, that can watch out for the things you don’t see. This is what it means to trust someone: to have someone know how and where you are most vulnerable, but rather than exploit those weaknesses, they protect them from those that might do you harm.” I chuckled a bit as I lowered my hand and wound it around her waist, pulling her close. “Or, in our case, I’m just guiding you in the weirdness that is pony society, so that you don’t feel so out of place.”

With a sigh that seemed to be half defeat, half grateful, Ember nodded. “All right, fine. Anyway, I can feel the temperature dropping, so we should get going soon.”

“Just as soon as Fluttershy is ready.” I answered, only for that to apparently be the cue for the pegasus to float down the stairs with a packed back ready. “Okay, cool. Let’s get going, then. C’mere and I’ll help you out, ‘Shy.” I gestured to her winter gear next to the front door.

The mare blushed, but made her way over to me without protest and I helped her get dressed in her coat, gloves, and boots, finishing the whole ensemble by wrapping her scarf around her neck. She was bundled up in browns and dark greens for the most part, the only splash of color besides her fur and mane being her scarf. Honestly, it was almost criminal how cute Fluttershy was.

It was only when Ember loudly cleared her throat that I realized Fluttershy and I had been staring into each other’s eyes for nearly a minute, and I violently shook my head as I coughed nervously. “R-right. Well, I think we’re all set. Let’s head back to the castle.”

What was wrong with me lately?

“Again,” Ember ordered.

We had all arrived back at the castle as the sun just began to touch the horizon, and though she would never admit it aloud, Ember was grimacing at just how cold it had gotten, and how quickly. After getting everyone inside, fixing some warm drinks to heat everyone up, and rejoining Twilight, Ember and I made our way to a secret room on the bottom floor that technically didn’t exist. The room had been developed by Twilight, using certain spells to create a pocket dimension behind a door that normally led to an empty storage room. When a crystal geode lock from outside was properly manipulated with fire, however, the spell activated, allowing the normal door to open to the secret room.

The room itself was solid stone, with no windows and only a few slits in the ceiling and walls to vent air, and the walls themselves were scorched, burned, and scratched all over. This had become Twilight’s practice room for dangerous spells she learned or created, so that it wouldn’t cause damage to the rest of the castle. Since it was technically in a different dimension than Equestria, nothing that happened in this place would affect anything outside of it, even though it was accessible from a certain doorway within the castle. Because of this, it was the perfect place for Ember to begin teaching me about what I had missed regarding dragons, their magic, and their heritage.

At the moment, however, I was learning that dragon magic was much different than pony magic.

“This is a pain.” I grumbled, watching as a burning draconic character, made in my emerald fire, faded away from the air in front of me.

Ember crossed her arms as she stood a dozen paces in front of me. “Unfortunately, growing up around Twilight will work against you when it comes to casting spells. By fetching her books, helping her study, dictating letters and notes, and even reading her the spells out of her tomes, you’ve subconsciously latched onto how ponies cast magic. However, as you’re finding out, dragon magic isn’t cast the same way as pony magic. Instead of intense focus, clearing your mind of emotions, and studying spells and matrices, dragon magic is far more primal. As I said before, your emotions are your power, so you have to learn to let go. Dragon magic isn’t studied, perfected, and tested like a science experiment, it’s just done. In that way, it’s much simpler than pony magic, since you don’t have to learn spell diagrams, arcane matrices, and the primal words of the aether, but being by Twilight’s side all these years has filled your head with the wrong approach. Here,” she walked around me, and I felt as her claws slowly began to massage my shoulders, “you need to relax. Getting yourself all worked up isn’t going to do you any favors when it comes to casting spells. Emotions are our power, but that doesn’t mean we give up control to them. You have to learn to embrace them, and harness them properly, or else you’ll be a danger to yourself and others.”

I won’t even try and deny that Ember’s slow, firm ministrations relieved the tension in my shoulders, and I eventually found myself succumbing to her gentle massage. Breathing a deep sigh of relaxation, I gave a nod. “You’re right, I’m sorry. So,” I glanced to her from the side, “what exactly is this spell again?”

Stepping out to my side, and moving her one remaining hand to massage my neck, she gestured to her own draconic character, which was still burning happily on the other side of the room. “This spell only uses one character, so it’s just a weak spell. The character is called ‘laah’, which translates to ‘light’ in common. Care to guess what it does?”

I shrugged, guessing, “It’s a light spell?”

Ember nodded before releasing me completely, stepping away to the side. “Yes, one that follows you around like a personal torch. Depending on how much power you put into it, it can last anywhere from a minute, to a few days before dissipating. Put too much power in it, though,” she raised her flaming hand into the air, and the fire on her claws grew brighter in intensity at the same time the glowing character did, until with a loud boom, it blew up and disappeared, “and you overload the spell, eliminating it. Control is just as important as skill, no matter the spell, so you have to learn to control those emotions. A spell like this isn’t going to hurt too much, but even with you being immune to fire, the concussive force is still enough to knock you off your feet.”

I gave another nod before raising my own hand in the air. I breathed another gout of flame onto my hand, and the flames burned merrily on my scales, though they didn’t harm me in any way. Slowly, keeping in mind to feel the emotion of happiness within, I began to draw the character as neatly as I could.

Seemingly sensing what I was doing, Ember commented, “Dragons aren’t perfect when it comes to penmanship. The emotion is far more important than getting the exact shape of the character; so long as your character closely resembles what you wanted it to be, the emotion you hold within you will be enough to make the spell do what it’s supposed to. You have to feel it deep inside, let it fill you up, and draw with that feeling in the air. Let your hand dance with that emotion in each movement, and try and translate the intangible into the motions you make.”

I thought of what she meant, and in my mind’s eye, I saw Twilight taking notes. I could easily remember how her quill strokes would change depending on her mood -- when she was happy, her words were flowy and pretty; when she was annoyed or stressed, the words became straight, block letters. Finally realizing what Ember meant by “writing with emotion”, I brought my claw back to my half-finished character and continued, this time with a smile on my face.

I thought of the most recent time all of my friends got together, at Applejack’s house. For once, everyone had been free at the same time, so we all gathered at the farmhouse to spend time with the Apple family. It was a rare occurrence, but this had been one of the times when there were no obligations we needed to discuss, no royal business to take care of, and no matters of state or national security. For the first time in what felt like forever, all nine of us (not including Big Mac and his herd) spent time together, with nothing more pressing in mind than just enjoying a good time with our best friends. Just like the old times, Applejack and Rainbow Dash joked and teased each other, Rarity gleefully talked about her recent dress designs, as well as the shop in Manehattan, and Twilight excitedly recounted her most recent discoveries. Pinkie of course was bouncing around, adding her own two-bits to each conversation, while Starlight was sitting back with a drink, just enjoying the very concept of having friends that loved and accepted her. Lyla, of course, was glued to my side, simply happy to be with me, and Fluttershy was the same, smiling gently at the warm, comforting atmosphere. It was a wonderful memory, and I knew I was going to have to make similar things happen more often in the near future, and hopefully Ember would join us.

“Woah.”

I opened my eyes, not realizing I had closed them, and saw the burning character in front of me. It was pulsing with light, instead of burning like my normal fire, and I could feel something bubbling up inside of me. Without knowing what I was doing or why, I began to sing a seemingly random melody, with no words, and with a beaming smile on my face. I felt the happiness swell up inside of me, and I let my hand dance around the character, adding pretty filigree around the edges, which broadened out into a vaguely circular border around the character. I reached out to Ember, pulling her close as I lowered my hand, continuing to sing, and began to dance a simple waltz with her. I could easily tell that Ember didn’t know how to dance, since her steps were clumsy and unsure, but she followed me regardless, and a smile slowly bloomed upon her own face. We danced for a few minutes as I just enjoyed myself, nearly forgetting what we were there for, until I noticed the room was now awash in green light, pulsing to the beat of my song. I decided to stop finally, and ceased my song, noticing my still-glowing character stopped pulsing with light, fading to a normal fiery flickering.

We stood still for a few moments, as I was unsure exactly what just happened, before Ember finally breathed, “I have to be honest, I didn’t think you’d be able to do something like that.”

“What did I do?” I asked, honestly confused as to just what the hay I did.

“A few things, actually.” Ember began, smiling at me. “That elegant design you added to your spell is what’s commonly known as ‘padding the words’, and it adds power to the spell in a way that doesn’t increase the strength, but rather the stability. With that skill, spells can be built stronger than normal, so long you’re good at your calligraphy.”

I shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry. A lot of the arcane words in Equestrian magic are really complex and flowy like that, so after helping Twilight take her notes for so many years, it’s basically second-nature.”

Ember shook her head fervently. “No, that’s a good thing. You might not know much about dragon magic, but that skill will help you, a lot.”

I gave a slow nod before biting my lip. “What about the singing? I just suddenly felt the urge to start singing, and I’m not sure why.”

“I told you that dragons are deeply tied to emotion.” Ember lightly teased, smirking at me. “Music is a creation of emotion, and so dragons are also tied to that. I hadn’t thought about it before, but that’s another advantage you have over most other dragons: with Equestria’s ‘Music of Harmony,’ you’ve been exposed to music as a part of normal life, so much so that it’s a part of this culture. Think about it,” she nudged me in the side with a finger, “there’s music for every emotion that exists. Dragons are innately musical. We don’t build instruments or symphonies, but we can sing. It’s an instinct that’s existed for thousands of years, and you’re proof that it still runs strong in us.”

I scratched the back of my head nervously. “I’ve never really been a singer.”

“Maybe you never did it as a hobby,” Ember soothed with a bright smile, “but all dragons are singers. Our songs don’t need to have words, written music, or rigid rules: our songs come from the heart, and they show exactly what we’re feeling. Every dragon has a certain way that they cast spells -- some harness emotion directly, some practice until it’s practically muscle-memory, and some sing. I think you’re a singer, Spike.”

I nodded, trying to take everything in. “Okay, but how was my spell reacting even after I drew it?”

Ember reached to my wrist and held up my hand, which was still on fire. “As long as your fire is still active on your claws, you can control your creations in certain ways. Since you never rid yourself of the fire, it reacted when you started singing. It was an amazing display, if I do say so myself.” She went over my fireproof bag in the corner, reaching inside and pulling out a watch. “Anyway, it’s getting late, so I think that’s enough work for today. You stepped into your first bit of dragon magic, and from there, we’ll be able to pretty quickly reach the point where you can control your size. I guess I was right when I figured you’d pick this all up pretty fast; you’ve got a natural aptitude for magic, though I guess that’s not surprising.”

I shook off my hand, causing the fire to go out, and waved my hand through the burning character. The character wisped away like a smothered flame, casting the room into dim light, since it was now only lit by Ember’s light. As we made our way over to the door, she did the same with her own light, and the room faded into darkness as we reentered the castle, reactivating the magical lock before making our way to the upper floors.

Twilight, Fluttershy, and Lyla were waiting for us when we returned, and Twilight immediately asked Ember, “So, how did he do?”

“He’s basically a dragon version of you.” Ember quipped, chuckling lightly. “He’s got the instincts of a true dragon, so it’s making this a lot easier than I could have hoped for, because most of what he has to know, his mind already wants to do. I just have to teach him to realize what he’s doing and why, and he’ll be casting spells like a master in no time.”

I couldn’t help the blush that crawled into my spines and ear fins. “I wouldn’t say that, but it’s going better than I thought it would.”

Twilight, of course, nearly glomped me in excitement, and only my larger frame and mass kept her from knocking me over. “That’s so great, Spike! I knew you could do it!”

“Congratulations, Spike!” Fluttershy quietly threw in, smiling supportively.

Lyla added her own praise in the way of a silent smile and raising of her mug of what smelled like hot chocolate.

I blushed harder at the praise, but smiled anyway. It was nice to be reminded of all the support I had, and it brought up a now-familiar warmth inside. Deciding to let loose one more time, I closed my eyes and sang a wordless tune that was “bouncy” and happy. I only sang for a minute before going silent, opening my eyes to see all but Ember staring at me, jaws agape and eyes wide.

Twilight recovered first, stammering, “W-what...what was that? I didn’t know you could sing like that, Spike.”

“All dragons can,” Ember answered in my stead, smiling proudly. “It’s a part of who we are, and that right there was a song of happiness. Dragons can assist the casting of their spells by singing with the emotion tied to the spell, and Spike just happens to do so instinctually.”

While I would never get a cutie mark like a pony, it was nice to know that, as a dragon, I had certain innate talents that some ponies just didn’t have. It made me feel special, and unique.

“Anyhow,” Ember interjected, “we’ve finished with Spike’s education for today, so we thought we’d join the rest of you for the night.”

Snapping back to attention, I nodded to Twilight. “Yeah, was there anything you all wanted to do?”

Twilight glanced at Lyla and Fluttershy before shrugging. “I was thinking just some warm drinks and spending time together in front of the fire, unless you wanted to put on some music.”

“Music sounds good.” Twilight answered herself with a nod, moving around the furniture toward her new record deck, which replaced the aged gramophone we once used. The gyro-balanced deck and diamond-tipped needle were pricey, but the soothing tones of some contemporary piano music showed how much the quality was improved by those implements. Twilight then left the room toward our private kitchen, likely to fetch those warm drinks she promised.

With night falling, as well as my mind and body switching to “relaxation mode,” I decided to forego my normal modesty and remove my shirt, which was singed and burned in a few places due to my “tutoring” with Ember -- luckily, the shirt was an older piece that I often only wore around the castle for cleaning and such, so its loss wasn’t a big deal.

I was now the target of both Lyla and Ember’s gazes, as well as the third party, who was blushing madly. Realizing my faux pas, I grunted and slapped my hand on my face. “Ugh, I’m sorry Fluttershy. Give me a second and I’ll go put on a shirt.”

The blushing pegasus reached a hand out to me briefly before jerking away and shifting her head in a perfect, practiced way that concealed her face behind a waterfall of pink hair. “O-okay, Spike. Umm...I’m sorry.”

I balled up the damaged shirt in my hands and raised my brow at Fluttershy. “Sorry for what?” Fluttershy opened and closed her mouth a few times in a few “false-starts” before shaking her head and remaining silent. I just shrugged and bounded off toward my room to quickly fetch another “house shirt” to wear, returning only a few minutes later to see Ember standing outside of the main room, in the hallway leading to our personal quarters.

Again my brow slid up my forehead as I asked, “Why are you hanging out over here? Did you get nervous without me there or something?”

Ember shot a glare my way, promising punishment for my slight, before jerking her head back toward the main room. “No. Fluttershy wanted to speak to Lyla privately about something after you left, so I graciously gave them privacy. Due to how well dragons can hear, I had to come all the way over here to keep from eavesdropping.” I continued staring at her, silently asking why she felt the need to do that, but she seemingly read my thoughts as she elaborated with, “I might not get a lot of things about ponies or their culture, but dragons definitely understand the value of privacy. Besides,” she did that quickly-becoming-adorable foot-scuffing motion on the floor as she averted her eyes, “if I’m being completely honest, I do feel more comfortable when you’re there with me. I know you all have said it’s cool, and that this is normal for ponies, but it’s still weird to me. It’s going to take time for me to get used to being welcomed with open arms into the home of someone else, and told that it’s completely normal to do so with friends.”

I tried to stop myself, but I couldn’t help it as my mouth worked faster than I could control. “I never thought you would be scared of a bunch of ponies.” I winced as she elbowed me in the ribs, and I offered a sheepish smile as I rubbed the sore spot. “Right, sorry. That was uncalled for.”

Ember continued glaring at me for a few moments before sighing and closing her eyes. “...it’s fine, and you’re not wrong. I’ve lived my whole life one way, and all of the sudden, to fit into your life, I have to adapt. I’ll get there, but it’s going to take some time, and I need you with me.”

“Hey,” I took her hand in mine and rubbed my thumb over the back of it, soothing, “it’s okay; I’m not going anywhere. I need to ask for your forgiveness ahead of time, because I’m probably going to stick my foot in my mouth quite a few times, but if you can put up with that, I’ll stand beside you every step of the way.”

Ember’s features relaxed into a loving smile and she leaned over to run her nose along my cheek. “Right, let’s get back, then. I can smell that coffee Twilight makes from all the way over here, and that stuff is good.”

I guided Ember along with me by her hand, shrugging noncommittally. “Eh, I’ve never really been a coffee kind of guy, except in the mornings. I know plenty of ponies that love the taste of coffee, so much so that they’ll eat things that taste like it, but I’ve never been one of those.”

Ember poked me in my stomach with a claw, teasing, “I know. You used to be a chubby little thing back in the day, and I’m well-aware of your sweet tooth. Honestly, I’m surprised you’re not a bit more round, even now.”

I shot a glare her way. “Hey, I’ll have you know that I work hard with Rainbow Dash to keep myself in tip-top shape. I might enjoy sweet things, but I have no intention of being chubby.” I paused for a moment, adding,”...again.”

Ember chuckled, her voice ringing delightfully in my ear. “Hey, you might not have been hot or sexy as a younger drake, but you were cute for a whelp. Besides,” she ran her free hand over my stomach (and yes, I admit, I tightened my abs), “whatever exercise you do is clearly working. I’m not complaining at all.” And again, just like at the restaurant, I was grinning like a fool, and blushing like a lovestruck teenager.

We arrived back in the commons room to find Twilight sitting next to Lyla and Fluttershy, the latter of whom was still blushing like crazy. Upon catching sight of me, Fluttershy looked like she was going to have a panic attack, but Lyla leaned in and whispered something that I couldn’t hear, which caused the pegasus to release a breath and relax. Twilight, by her token, looked very conflicted, but after a few tense moments, she sighed and performed a zipping motion across her lips. A part of me was irked that there was clearly something being kept from me for the second time in one day, but I kept Big Mac’s words in mind and remembered that we all had things we kept secret. I had to accept that I wasn’t going to know everything about everyone close to me, and that’s just how life was.

True to Ember’s nose, there was a steaming mug of coffee waiting for her, and some lemon tea for me, so we took a seat on the free loveseat and took our drinks from Twilight’s magic. Lyla nearly scrambled over to sit next to my unoccupied side, while Twilight graciously took her place next to Fluttershy on the sofa. I allowed a few moments of silence as I joined Ember in enjoying the drink provided to me.

“So,” Twilight broke the silence, focusing on Ember directly, “as I’m sure Spike has told you, I like to have schedules to plan everything out. Do you, at this point, have any idea how long Spike is going to take to learn everything you have to teach him?”

Ember immediately shook her head. “At this point, no. It’s too early to tell, and while Spike shows a natural aptitude for magic, that’s not to say he’s going to have an easy time with everything. I’m sure you can relate to the fact that not everyone learns everything equally easily, and some concepts will be harder to understand than others. For example: I still have to teach Spike the whole of our language, he needs to learn to have better control of his emotions, and I have to basically reprogram his way of learning so that he thinks about magic like a dragon, instead of like a pony.” Twilight looked moderately offended, but before she could respond, Ember held up a hand. “I don’t mean that as an insult, Twilight. I explained the same thing to Spike, so I’ll give you the basic footnote: dragons don’t use magic the same way ponies do. Much of what Spike knows about how magic works is based on a pony’s perspective, and while we both technically use the same naturally-occuring energy to cast spells, the execution is very different. He’s going to have to learn to see magic and its applications from a dragon’s perspective in order to use it for more than sending letters with his breath.”

With a look of startled realization, Twilight’s horn lit up and she snapped her fingers, causing a sealed scroll to fall into her open hand. “Speaking of letters, this came for you, Spike. It has anti-tamper spells keyed to your magical signature, so I thought it was best to leave it for you to read in private, if you wanted.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, there are spells to ensure privacy when reading, so I’m sure if it was that important, there would be some of those.” I pulled the ribbon off and unrolled the parchment, reading over the first few lines. “Oh hey, it’s from Thorax! He says hey to everyone, and…” I continued reading a little further, finding a smile coming to my face, “he says he’d be happy to join the Hearth’s Warming celebration, and he’ll bring Ocellus with him.” Squinting at the words on the scroll, I glanced to Lyla. “He actually says he wants to speak with you privately when he gets here, but it doesn’t say what about.”

Lyla leaned past my shoulder to glance over where I was pointing on the scroll, and she shrugged her shoulders with a look of confusion. “I’m not sure what about. I haven’t spoken with him that often, to be honest, so I can’t think of what he might need to say to me personally.”

“May I?” Twilight asked, holding her hand open toward me. I handed the scroll to her, and her horn lit up as a bright spell diagram formed over the palm of her hand, between her skin and the parchment. After a few moments, the diagram faded, and she handed the scroll back to me. “I can’t find any hidden distress signals or illusion spells, so whatever it is, it must not be urgent. I guess you’ll just have to wait and see what he wants. Hearth’s Warming isn’t too far away, so you won’t be waiting long.”

I set the scroll aside and continued nursing my tea, while Twilight picked up a conversation with Ember about some of the intricacies of dragon magic. I tuned the two out, having done my part with magic for the day, and pleased with my results so far. Lyla snuggled up to my side, leaning her head to rest on my shoulder as we just sat and enjoyed the warmth of the fire and the friendly atmosphere. Through my half-closed eyelids, however, I caught sight of Fluttershy staring intently at me and my changeling. I couldn’t decipher exactly what she was feeling by her expressions alone, but to my surprise and confusion, Fluttershy almost looked...sad.

As much as I wanted to address it, I wasn’t sure how, so I decided to fall back on an (admittedly unhealthy) response by just ignoring it, and hoping things would work themselves out. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to think about it for long, because before I knew it, the voices became muddled, and I found myself slipping away into a light doze.

I awoke what must have been hours later, as everyone around me was asleep, and the fire was burning on glowing embers instead of fresh logs. I carefully maneuvered myself out of the grasp of the changeling and dragoness before standing, walking over to the hearth and adding two more logs to the fire, including one of a set that Twilight had enchanted specifically to burn cooler than the others, but much longer, so that the fire wouldn’t go out overnight.

With that done, and the natural flow within the castle ensuring the private chambers wouldn’t get too cold during the night, I carefully picked Lyla up in my arms and trekked to Twilight’s room, laying the changeling down on her side after pulling the topsheet and blanket back. Following that, I repeated the action with both Twilight and Fluttershy, but before I could return for Ember, a strong hand grabbed me from one of the side rooms and yanked me inside, tossing me onto the bed with a poof of escaping air from the comforter and mattress.

After taking a quick moment to deduce what just happened, I glanced to Ember with a raised brow as she closed the door behind her. She stood by the entrance, looking over the switches on the wall beside the doorframe, asking, “What are these for?”

I was confused by the question, but answered regardless. “Um, the top knob is a light with a dimmer function, the middle activates or deactivates opacity on the walls for windows, and the bottom one is a silencing charm that keeps sound from getting into or out of the room.”

Ember turned to me with a smirk and locked the door, tapping a claw on the silencing crystal, which began to glow a soft blue. Without any warning, she shot forward with a single, powerful flap of her wings, and pounced on me like a deadly predator capturing prey...and I’ll admit, I was both worried and excited.

Ember held a grin on her face as she bent her knees to sit on my thighs, and began running her claws over my clothed chest for a few moments before stopping abruptly, licking her lips with her forked tongue. She stared down at me with an unsure expression before leaning closer. “...you know, there’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but never found someone to share it with until now. And no, it’s not what you’re thinking.”

Of course, my mind had gone to dirty places, so I tried not to sound disappointed as I answered, “And what would that be?”

Carefully, tentatively, as if she were afraid to scare me away, Ember slowly leaned closer and closer until we were only a hair’s breadth apart. The anticipation built as her warm, earthy breath splashed over my face, and when I finally felt I couldn’t take anymore, she leaned the last few centimeters, and connected us together. Unlike me, she was extremely inexperienced when it came to kisses, having apparently never done it before, but the fact she was trying was enough for me. So, like any good teacher, I guided her; bringing my hand up to the side of her face, and softly stroking her cheek with my thumb, I gently moved my lips against hers, keeping the kiss “clean” to avoid surprising her with too much, too soon. Nonetheless, if the happy vocalization in the back of her throat was any indication, she was enjoying the new experience, and I definitely was as well. I allowed my free hand to move up to her lower back to add a new dimension to her experience, and she moaned at my touch, pressing her lips more firmly against mine as her eyes fully closed and she lost herself to the kiss.

Her lips, soft and supple, moved against mine slowly, cautiously, and the pleasured “mmhs” that she gave every now and then were invigorating. I have to admit, it was downright adorable how innocent the proud dragoness was with this new experience, but I was very happy to be the one to bring her into the more pleasurable parts of being with someone in a romantic sense.

After a few minutes of this, we finally broke apart, both of us with heavy breaths. She held herself only a few inches away, breathing heavily, before uttering a surprised, “Wow.”

I continued rubbing the side of her face with my fingers, and she closed her eyes as she enjoyed the touch. I silently willed her down again, and as if hearing my request, Ember reconnected our lips, this time with a bit more confidence. This time, as opposed to a timid student, Ember pressed both her lips and body against me insistently, seemingly trying to be as close to me as physically possible. Of course, my stupid-smart brain immediately brought up the Pauli Exclusion Principle, and I had to fight to keep from outright laughing, though a few chuckles escaped anyway.

Ember pulled away with an audible pop, and licked her lips before saying, “What? What’s so funny?” The slightly defensive tone in her voice wasn’t lost on me, and I immediately placated her with a loving smile and a continued caress of the soft hide of her lower back.

“Nothing, just me being a dork.” I assured, continuing to smile at her happily. “Not about you, I promise. You were -- are -- great.”

After a moment of thought and a grin, Ember returned, “Yeah, but you’re my dork, and I like you this way.”

I smiled at her, happy she enjoyed a quality I sometimes saw as less-than-desirable about myself. After a few moments of just looking at her, taking in the primal beauty that was Ember, I subtly suggested, “...so, is there anything else you wanted to do?”

At this, Ember bit her lip as she shifted on top of me. After a few silent moments of deliberation, she shyly answered, “I know that I got you all worked up earlier, and the things I said at the restaurant kinda led you to think I’d be ready for that, but…” she glanced away from me, seeming ashamed as she mumbled, “...d-do you think we could wait on that?”

While a part of me was a little disappointed by being turned down, a much more prominent part of me was surprised that this proud, strong dragoness was nervous about this subject. Honestly, I had expected her to take complete charge, and be wild and crazy just like…

And there I realized I had made my mistake.

I had been thinking of Ember as a dragon, instead of a female -- my mate -- that just happens to be one. I had forgotten the most important thing that I had to teach others about me, once I started growing larger, and more intimidating: what I was did not decide who I was, and it was unkind to expect someone to act a certain way just because they were different. Unknowingly at the time, I had pushed those same prejudiced thoughts onto this aspect of Ember, and I had made the same mistake about her that many ponies had made about me over the years.

My smile softened, and I again caressed her face with my hand as I brought her down for a quick, but no less affectionate, kiss. Looking deep into her eyes as we separated, I nodded to her. “I’ll wait for as long as you want, Ember. I’m sorry if I made you feel pressured.”

Ember’s own features softened as she returned my smile, shaking her head. “I’m kinda at fault, too. I mean, I shouldn’t have been teasing you that much, so I have myself to blame, as well. Still,” she held my gaze firmly, bringing her own hand to replicate my own actions, and I have to admit, it felt nice, “I’m not going anywhere, so if you’ll just give me time, I promise I’ll get there.”

“Again,” I soothed, “don’t feel pressured. We’ll move at your pace, and I’ll wait for you. I care too much about you to screw this up.”

Chuckling heartily, Ember dismounted me and laid at my side instead. “You’re just a big old softy, aren’t you? Any other dragoness would walk all over you, you know.”

Reaching across to rub the soft scales of her stomach, I praised, “I guess I’m privileged to have one that’s caring, and understands me, then.”

Ember said nothing more, but blew a burst of flame over her claws. Before I could ask what happened, she drew a familiar symbol in the air before reaching through a fiery portal, and I noticed the light dimming until darkness overtook the room.

As Ember pulled her hand back through the portal and extinguished the fire, I chuckled and commented, “That’s really useful. I’m not sure if you should teach me that, because I’ll be really lazy if I don’t even have to move to get things.”

The dragoness stretched in a languid manner before settling herself down and yawning, sleepily answering, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you stay active, and I’m sure your friend Rainbow Dash will help, too.”

The warmth of the body next to me was quickly relaxing me to the point of no return, so I was only able to offer a snort of a laugh before my heart finally calmed, and sleep began to overtake me. Before the waking world completely left, however, Ember gave me one last kiss to the side of my mouth before she joined me in slumber.

Author's Notes:

*stronger scent: pheromone communication is far stronger for dragons than for ponies, and so, their sense of smell. Because of this, for dragons, much of their culture revolves around smells, and they are very vulnerable to strong smells (certain smells can make dragons sick, or even faint, if they are potent enough).

Pauli Exclusion Principle: "the quantum mechanical principle which states that two or more identical fermions cannot occupy the same quantum state within a quantum system simultaneously". For matter within the physical world, this essentially states that no two particles can occupy the same space at any time.

Chapter 16

Author's Notes:

A few of you brought up that the whole debacle with the dragoness seemed glossed-over, and I'll be beginning to address that in this chapter. It won't be resolved until later -- and there's a reason I'm doing things this way -- but I haven't forgotten, and it's going to be one of the things that will be pushing this story forward. Anyhow, here is the most recent chapter, and I think it's my longest yet. Enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions.

Spell ping*: a gentle wave of magical energy, like ripples on the surface of still water. A skilled caster can tune the spell to only be detectable by certain parties.

While the winter season tends to bring feelings of peace, love, and goodwill to most, life as a whole is not without its trials, and that includes herd life.

“I understand you want to be near Spike every moment you can,” Twilight tiredly explained to a glaring changeling soldier, “but we planned this event months ago, together. Suddenly inviting a stranger to this gathering would be bad for relations with the upper classes, and you should know by now how they feel about outsiders.” Twilight motioned to me. “It took years before they would even allow Spike, and I’m still positive they only do it for my sake.”

Lyla was positively fuming, and even if one didn’t know her, it was plain to see she was just barely keeping herself under control. “You both know how traitorous those snakes up in Canterlot can be. If I remember correctly, it was a group of them that tried to get Spike banished from Equestria at the press conference held regarding the destruction of the mountain. He needs protection!”

“Hey now,” I interjected, honestly a little offended, “I may not have been raised as a soldier, but I’m able to look after myself around a bunch of prissy noble ponies.”

Lyla snorted, crossing her arms and glaring at me. “It’s not the noble ponies you have to watch out for, it’s who they employ. I know you’re smart enough to recognize that those who get on the wrong side of the upper class tend to ‘disappear’. You need someone to watch out for you while you meet with the snakes.” Twilight just stared blankly at Lyla before slowly raising her hand above her head, and pointing directly down at herself. Lyla merely rolled her eyes and said, “Preferably someone who isn’t going to be distracted by the ponies there.”

“We have personal guards that will tend to that.” Twilight immediately countered blandly.

Lyla growled in frustration. “And how well do you know them, hmm? How do you know they can be trusted?”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed at the challenge, and I could practically see a fire burning behind her eyes. “Because I grew up with them when we lived in Canterlot, and they were hand-picked by Luna herself. If she trusts them, that’s good enough for me; Luna wouldn’t pick ponies she didn’t completely trust as our personal guard detail.” Seemingly realizing how much this discussion was escalating, Twilight closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. “Lyla, this isn’t personal, and it’s in no way a slight against you. Honestly, I wish you could come, because I think I speak for both of us when I say we want you there with us.” At Twilight’s glance toward me, I nodded slowly. Bringing her eyes back to the changeling, Twilight flared her horn and nudged Lyla closer, so that she could wrap her up in a hug. It took a few moments, but eventually, the changeling soldier returned the embrace, even though she was practically shaking with anxiety and worry on my behalf. I stood and wrapped both girls in my arms and wings, hoping to calm the two of them down a bit.

“...’m scared. I don’t like this.” Lyla mumbled weakly, in an innocent tone of true worry. It was times like this that reminded me exactly how much the instance with the unnamed dragoness had affected her. With our gentle support and Luna’s assistance in the dream realm, it would still take quite some time for Lyla to fully recover from her fears.

“Ember will be there too, Lyla.” I gently reminded the distraught changeling. “She’s far more alert than I am, so I’ll be very well protected.”

Lyla pouted at that, huffing. “I find it mildly insulting that these Canterlot vermin feel safer around a dragon than a changeling.”

I shrugged helplessly. “You’re not alone. A lot of what they think and do makes no sense to us; living in Ponyville has given all of us a very different perspective on the world.”

“I can’t make the promise that nothing bad will happen, Lyla,” Twilight said, and I realized she was appealing to something the changeling would appreciate: honesty. Twilight reached her hand up and gently ran her fingers through Lyla’s silky hair, smiling gently at her fellow herd member. “What I can promise is that Spike will be watched by us the entire night, and if anything should happen, we will ensure he escapes immediately to safety. I’m well aware that he still has quite a large target on his back, so please believe me when I say he will be watched closer than a changeling watching her first nymph hatch. If anyone wants to get to him, they’ll have to go through an entire squad of Luna’s elite guard, Ember, and me. As cold as it sounds, if anyone could get through all that alive, they deserve to get to Spike.” As Twilight made her case, her body began to tangibly radiate with thick, almost syrupy, unfocused magical energy. Normally, Twilight kept her power under strict lock and key, due to the almost suffocating effect it had on everyone around her. However, I knew why Twilight was doing it: she was subtly reminding Lyla just who she was, and what she was able to do.

I decided not to mention that the terrible power we felt was only a tiny fraction of what the Alicorn of Magic was capable of.

Lyla sighed heavily, still clearly uneasy about the situation. “...fine. I didn’t mean it as a slight against any of you personally, I just worry.”

I leaned closer to the distraught changeling and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, prompting her to look at me directly. I offered a reassuring smile as I advised, “I’m happy you love me enough to worry this much, but I’m well-protected. I promise, I’ll come right home tomorrow night and tell you all about the boring, prissy party.”

Lyla giggled softly, nodding her assent. “Yeah, that sounds nice. I’ll be waiting for you.” She stepped away from Twilight and I’s embrace, fixing her shirt before jerking her head toward the staircase that led to the main hall. “Anyhow, I’ve said what I needed to, and I have a commission I have to complete before Hearth’s Warming in four days -- Roseluck is having me build them a new trio of mini-apiaries for their garden.”

I lifted my chin to signal my approval. “Nice. I’ll let you get to it, then.” I smoothed my palm against Lyla’s cheek before letting her go, and she swiftly left the private quarters of the castle, and I heard the front door open and close a few moments later.

Twilight let out a long sigh as she rubbed her temples. “I really wish we could help her get over this debilitating fear she seems to have of leaving your side for any length of time.”

I casually wrapped my arm around Twilight’s shoulders, giving her body a gentle squeeze. “Yeah, me too. She’ll get there, but it’s going to take more time.

Twilight nodded before nudging me with her shoulder. “You should head over to Rarity’s to be sure everything’s okay with your suit. We leave tomorrow, and I’m sure she’s going to want to do a fitting to be sure everything fits the way it should.”

I gave my own nod and headed toward the balcony. “Right, I’ll head out. Send a spell ping* to me if anything comes up.”

I quickly dove off of the balcony into the clear air, heading directly for the Carousel Boutique, trying my best to ignore my worries of Ember herself; apparently, the cold had gotten to my dragoness mate more than we thought, and a few days after her arrival, she came down with a devastatingly high fever and chills. From previous experience, I knew that not many pony remedies would work for her, so we kept her hydrated and rested as much as possible. Today, luckily, she had nearly fully recovered, and was simply resting to catch up on sleep and replenish her internal magic with some gems I provided. I knew she would be fine on the following day, but I was still concerned, so the fears continued to plague me.

Unfortunately, the world does not stop simply because someone I care about gets sick, so work continued, and obligations had to be met. I kept this all in mind as I landed at Rarity’s place, and walked inside after ensuring I wasn’t going to track snow inside.

Rarity met me nearly as soon as I entered, and I was roughly pushed up against the wall as she aggressively engaged me in a kiss that set my body on fire and made my mind hazy.

After a few minutes (or hours, since that’s what it felt like), Rarity pulled away with heaving breaths, resting her forehead on my chest as she greeted. “Good afternoon, darling. It’s wonderful to see you.”

I greedily sucked in air as I fought to compose myself, eventually able to imperiously announce, “I hereby decree that you will greet me every time just like that. So say I, Spike Sol.” I completed my little act with an upturned nose and gently dismissive expression. As I had come to find out in my time with Rarity, she liked to roleplay a bit when it came to more personal matters between us, and had often referred to me as her knight, or her prince. Because of that, I had once given in to the act and portrayed myself as a chivalrous knight, and she practically melted. So yeah, Rarity still liked to “play pretend,” even as an adult.

Rarity’s hands smoothed over my chest, and she released a ragged breath as she growled, “Anything you wish, my liege.”

I lowered my head and inhaled the sweet-smelling scent of her well-managed hair as I playfully nosed her scalp, and muttered, “You are truly an incredible mare, Rarity. Sometimes I think I don’t deserve you.”

Finally having composed herself to some semblance of normality, Rarity raised her eyes to look into mine, and smiled lovingly. “I choose you, so you deserve me. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.” She again rested her forehead on my chest as I simply held her in my arms, and for a few quiet moments, we just enjoyed the closeness and the warmth of each other’s bodies. Eventually, she again looked up to me and prodded, “So, while I quite enjoy entertaining you, I have a feeling this visit isn’t simply for pleasure.”

I gently placed a kiss on her nose before offering a wry smile. “Unfortunately, no. Twilight and I have that thing in Canterlot tomorrow, so I came by to see if you wanted to do a fitting, and how it’s all going.”

Rarity beamed at me, pulling away with my hand clasped in her own. “Well, it appears you have a secret sense about timing, because I was just preparing to fetch you from the castle; the suit is finished, and you need to try it on so I can be sure it fits correctly.”

I allowed myself to be led to Rarity’s main studio, which as usual was a mess of sketches, fabrics, and half-finished projects. In the corner of the room, however, was a dark gray lounge suit, complete with a jacket, white shirt, waistcoat, and trousers. Hung around the neck was a white ascot tie, an emblem displaying my name in Drakespeak stitched into it. To put it simply, the suit was a work of art, but I had expected nothing less from Rarity.

“Well, what do you think?” Rarity’s voice floated in from the side.

I stared dumbly at the outfit, unable to say anything more than, “Incredible.”

Rarity nudged me forward with her fingertips. “Go on then, try it on.”

I quickly gathered the clothes off of the mannequin and stepped behind the changing screen. It took practically no time at all to fully dress myself, and I was pleased with the quality of the fabric. As I stepped out from behind the screen, I worked hard to keep from chuckling at the awestruck look on Rarity’s face.

She immediately recovered and clapped with a bright smile. “Darling, you look marvelous. Now, step over here and tell me how it fits.”

I did so, and went through the motions of raising my arms, moving them back and forth, bending at the elbow, sitting, crouching, and bending over. As I rattled off my observations on how the fabric felt and any tension I felt in the garments, Rarity was taking notes in her notebook. Luckily, I was quite familiar with the questions she would ask by this point in life, so the process was quick and efficient, and within only a few minutes, I was getting dressed in my casual clothes once again. Upon stepping out, I was met with the sight of Rarity with her lip caught in her teeth as she looked over her notes.

Recognizing she was either confused or anxious about something, I asked, “Something wrong, Rares?”

She glanced up at me briefly before gesturing with a nod of her head to the notepad. “I’m simply trying to make sense of the measurements.” With another nod, this time of a decision made, she focused intently on me as she ordered, “Take off your shirt, please.”

Finding the request a bit sudden, I was momentarily hesitant before removing my collared shirt, followed by my undershirt, leaving my torso naked. Rarity then began to circle me, her sharp eyes taking in what she could see, before she brought her hands up and began feeling my arms, chest, and back, even smoothing a wandering hand over my stomach. I enjoyed the attention, but could tell by the look in Rarity’s eyes that she was doing this mostly for work, and not play.

“Have you been exercising more?”

Slightly surprised by the question, I nodded. “Um, yeah. Ember recommended I do so, since the strength of my muscles scales with my size. It seems that being physically strong has benefits no matter what, I guess.”

Rarity nodded approvingly. “And it shows. Your upper chest is larger, your back sculpted, and your arms and legs are thicker, yet you haven’t grown in height.” She then threw a sultry wink my way. “If you were aiming to become Ponyville’s local heartthrob, you are succeeding.”

As a blush worked its way to my head spines, I coughed with a goofy grin. “W-well, that wasn’t the reason for it, but it’s always nice to hear things like that from you, Rares.”

She smoothed her hands over my upper chest and collarbones, smiling lovingly. “Always, darling. While my feelings for you did not grow from something so shallow as physical attraction,” she wrapped her hands around me, pressing her body against my own as she purred, “I will admit that you have become quite the eye candy in the past few years, especially recently. I almost feel pity for the mares that never took the time to get to know you.” Rarity paused for just a moment, grinning like a shark. “Almost.”

I barked a laugh at the possessive streak she showed, however briefly. Rarity was known for her generosity, true, but she also had a jealous streak a mile long. It was an odd dichotomy for a pony like her, but in times like this, it was just adorable. Besides, I knew Rarity’s jealousy wouldn’t manifest dangerously, like mine could, so I wasn’t all that worried.

Deciding to turn on the charm, I held her firmly against me, grinning slyly. “When I’ve already got the best, why would I need to look elsewhere? I have a powerful, intelligent alicorn, a generous, beautiful unicorn, a steadfast and infinitely loving changeling, and a sultry, dangerous dragoness; what more could a guy ask for?” Rarity’s own smile diminished just a smidge, and had I not known her as well as I did, I would have missed it, but that subtle change was more telling than anything she could have said. With a raised brow, I asked, “What? What’s wrong?”

Rarity, as expected, tried to play it off. “N-nothing, dear! Everything is-”

“Rarity,” I chastised, finding it odd that, for once, I was the one catching her in the act of trying to keep something from me. The feeling of mild disappointment, coupled with frustration, must be what she felt when I did the same; I understood why she was so adamant about honesty between us, at that moment.

Her resolve cracked and eventually crumbled, with her releasing a long sigh of defeat. Her eyes focused on me once again as she admitted, “...quite a few have approached me regarding the herd, Spike. You have far more admirers than you think, it seems.”

While the mention of “admirers” was a bit surprising, what confused me more was, “Why did they approach you? Why not me directly? That’s not very forthright, if you ask me, and anyone that knows me is aware that I respect courage.”

Rarity merely stared at me for a few moments before a look of realization crossed her face. “Oh dear, that’s right, this is your first herd.” She released another sigh, this time of exasperation, before muttering, “This is exactly why I told Twilight not to leave this out of your education. Okay,” she pulled away from me, beginning to pace a bit as she explained, “what I’m referencing is a very old tradition, but as I’m sure you know, Equestrians love tradition, so it still persists even though it is, frankly, no longer needed.”

My confusion only grew, and I mentally reminded myself to ask Twilight why she had not taught me about something that was clearly a big deal. “Well, don’t leave me hanging; what are you talking about, exactly?”

“Immediately following the unification of the Three Tribes, ponies were in a state of desperate survival.” Rarity lectured, taking on a tone and sharp diction I was quite familiar with from my lessons with Twilight and Celestia. I, unfortunately, was momentarily distracted by the thought of Rarity in a schoolfilly uniform, but was able to wrench my attention back to the lesson as she continued retelling a dark moment in Equestrian history. “Much of the land was still a frozen wasteland, birth rates were low, and infant mortality was uncommonly high. Because of this, procreation was extremely important, simply to keep us from dying off, and so, that was when herds became the norm. More mares with each stallion meant more foals could be conceived to offset the low healthy birth rates. Through this, a sort of hierarchy was born within herds themselves, and while most herds nowadays are not as strict as they once were, certain traditions have never completely died off.” Clearing her throat, Rarity pointed to herself. “As the first mare that courted you, I am essentially the lead mare of your herd, and it is my job to assess each prospective member of the herd to see if I feel they would make a good fit for us.” She then pointed to me. “And, as the first -- and only -- male in the herd, you are the lead stallion, and all new members must go through me to get to you.” Rarity then blushed a bit as she added, “In days long passed, it was customary for new members to prove to the lead mare that they could properly ‘perform’ before they could even present themselves to the lead stallion, but luckily, that is one of the traditions that did not last. Regardless, any mares or stallions interested in joining the herd will speak to me before they will you, since I have the first say on the matter.”

My mouth had dropped open at some point, and a blush lit up my spines. “...h-how many have come to you?”

“Thirty in just the last few months, and all but three of them were just since your fight with the dragoness.” she explained, a sour look of distaste on her lips. “Vultures, the lot of them.”

“Why now?” I had to ask, curious as to why I was suddenly a hot topic. “This all seems very...abrupt, considering I was pretty much left alone most of the time I’ve lived here.”

Rarity shrugged her shoulders. “It’s a proven fact that a herded male is more desirable than a single one, since it shows he has something worth pursuing. Also…” she bit her lip again, this time nervously as she glanced away, “I regret to admit that having you surrounded by national heroines -- one of which is a part of the royal family -- is very intimidating for most mares, and that may have contributed to your isolation.”

I waved my hands at her half-apology. “Hey, I’m not mad or anything. You know me: I like my space to be able to do my own thing. It just...didn’t make sense.” I mulled over my next question carefully, honestly unsure if I even wanted an answer. “...do I know any of the ponies that spoke to you?”

Rarity nodded slowly. “Yes, and they are also the ones I approve of. In the spirit of privacy, however, I will not reveal names. I gave my blessing and told them to approach you if and when they are ready.”

I reached behind my head, scratching the back of my neck nervously as I admitted, “Rares, I gotta be honest, I’m not sure if I could handle having more than maybe one more mare in my herd. Already I feel like I’m not giving all of you the time and dedication you deserve.”

“Have you heard any complaints?” she asked flatly. At the shake of my head, she added, “Neither have I. Your herd is healthy, happy, and fulfilled. You are doing a good job, and we are all pleased with you and the herd you are helping to build. Do not doubt yourself, dear.”

I released a long breath, nodding. “I’ll try.” I glanced down at her again, quirking a brow high. “So, how many do I need to keep an eye out for?”

Rarity glanced away briefly before sighing. “I suppose the number isn’t exactly a breach of privacy. Of the ones I have personally met and spoken to, whom I have given the approval to approach you directly, there are six. And yes, you have personally met all of them, so you would not be meeting strangers.”

I gave a nod as thanks for the information before frowning. “Wait, so I kinda jumped over you with Ember, didn’t I?”

Rarity hesitated before giving a reluctant nod. “Technically, yes. As the lead mare and stallion of the herd, it is for both of us to decide, together, who is to be welcomed into it. You are lucky I approve of the Ember we have come to know, but yes, that could be considered a breach of trust on your part. Take care in the future, Spike.”

I felt ashamed that I had basically gone behind Rarity’s back with Ember, but it was also a heat of the moment type thing, and Rarity already assured she approved of the dragoness. Nonetheless, I would have to be sure I didn’t make a similar mistake in the future. “So how will I differentiate between those who haven’t spoken to you, and those that received the go-ahead from you?” Rarity’s horn flashed with her blue magical aura, and a small brooch dropped into my hand. It was in the shape of a Japonese mythical dragon, and its eyes were tiny sapphires. Realizing the significance of the shape and sapphires, I chuckled. “Well, that’s pretty smart. Okay, so if they’re wearing this, that means they got the green light from you.”

“Exactly.” she confirmed, running her fingers over the brooch in my hand. “We are the only ones that know what it means. The outer plating is gold, but the main body is wolfram; this means that you can tell a fake simply by breathing your flame on it, since wolfram is not a material used in decorative brooches and jewelry, due to how difficult it is to work with. However, if one were to, oh, I don’t know...have a father that knows how to purify wolfram alloys, it becomes far more malleable while retaining its hardness.”

I inclined my head with an “oh” on my lips. “That’s right, your father’s a master chemist.” I looked back down to the brooch before chuckling and turning my eyes back to Rarity. “Wait, so did you contact your father just for this?”

Rarity merely smiled sheepishly. “Magnum would do anything for his daughters. I paid him for the time and effort of course -- I’m no longer the type of pony to take advantage of someone’s love -- but I have no doubt he would have done it for free.” She then tapped the brooch again. “However, the reason why I chose wolfram is because it is essentially fireproof for our purposes, and so you can expose a fake easily. Simply because of who you are connected to, I don’t imagine many would try to deceive you, but it pays to be prepared.”

While I would like to believe the people in Ponyville were close enough friends by now not to do something like Rarity mentioned, I also knew that Ponyville had fairly recently become a popular place to visit for out-of-towners. I had already been the target of a fair number of fluttering eyelashes by ponies I didn’t recognize, as well as those that wore fashions that were clearly not styles that existed in Ponyville or Canterlot. I had to constantly remind myself that this was an inevitability for someone like me, being essentially an “exotic specimen”, but that didn’t mean I liked it.

“Let’s hope I don’t have to scare the hay out of anypony by testing that, then.” I muttered, knowing in that instant I practically invented the universe to do just that.

“Anyhow,” Rarity began, walking back to my suit and placing them back onto the mannequin, “I’ll have the final alterations finished tomorrow, and you can pick it up in the morning before you and Twilight leave for Canterlot.”

I stepped up behind her, gently wrapping my arm around her waist and pressing her back into me as I just held her lovingly for a moment. After enjoying her warmth and scent for a moment, I grumbled, “I really wish you could have come.”

Rarity reached a hand up to smooth along my cheek, lamenting, “I wish the same, darling. Unfortunately, I have prior engagements in Manehattan with Sassy and Coco, and it would be rude to suddenly call that off, since we made these plans months in advance. Know that you will be in my thoughts, though, and I will send you off with my best wishes.”

Smiling, I draped my head over her shoulder. “Then that’s good enough. I hope you have fun.”

She tittered, still stroking my face with her soft palm. “Three mares shopping in one of the most fabulous cities in Equestria?” She released a sigh of mock resignation. “I will cope...somehow.”

I couldn’t help but snort as laughter threatened to escape, but kept myself composed. “And you say you’re not overly dramatic.”

She nudged me in the ribs -- not enough to hurt, but enough to get her point across. For a few more moments we just enjoyed the time we had together before she suddenly said, “So, what’s bothering you, Spike?” At my raised eyebrow, she pointed to her stomach, where my fingers were idly tapping a beat on her midsection. “You only do that when you’re anxious or something worrisome is on your mind.”

Having learned early on in our relationship that I shouldn’t try and hide things from her -- especially when she knew something was on my mind -- I surrendered immediately. “It’s a few things actually. I feel out of the loop, for one thing, and I’m also feeling pretty bad about leaving Lyla behind.”

She slipped out of my grasp and turned to look at me directly, her sapphire eyes deep and understanding. “What do you mean by the former, Spike?”

I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. Applejack was talking with Lyla and Ember the other day, apparently about something she couldn’t talk to me about; the same thing happened that same night with Fluttershy, but between Lyla and Twilight. Big Mac talked to me about it earlier in the day, regarding Applejack, and how I shouldn’t expect complete honesty from anyone if I don’t do the same. I’ve made my peace with it, because he’s right, but I still don’t like the idea of being kept in the dark about something, especially when it involves me.”

Rarity raised a single manicured eyebrow as she asked, “How can you be sure it was about you?”

“Because no one will tell me anything, and both looked like they were about to have a panic attack when I walked back into the room.” I grumbled, surprised that this was still bothering me this much. “I’m not stupid, Rarity. I’m well aware of when secrets are being kept from me, even if I don’t know the details.”

As I looked back to Rarity, her face immediately caught my attention. It was a practiced, impassive mask of stoicism that she used with her upper-class clients, one that gave absolutely nothing away, and was as calm as an underground lake. Unfortunately, I was aware enough to know she only donned this “mask” around her close friends when she was hiding something, and trying desperately not to betray someone’s trust by blurting out a secret that wasn’t hers to tell.

With a frustrated sigh of defeat, I covered my face with my hands and groaned. “Right, so you know something about it, but you’ve made promises not to say anything.”

“I’m sorry, Spike.” Rarity apologized, and though I didn’t like it, I could tell she was honestly remorseful.

At that moment, however, puzzle pieces in my mind began to slowly fit together, and seemingly unrelated things began to make more sense. Slowly, I lowered my hands and stared blankly at Rarity as I went through each piece of information I had regarding Applejack and Fluttershy: both were keeping something from me, both seemed desperate to only speak with other females about it, and both had become more affectionate in the past few months. I remembered the way each of their faces would light up with happiness (albeit subdued, in Fluttershy’s case) at the sight of me, and both were keen to spend as much time with me as possible. I then compared that with the fact that Rarity clearly knew what they were holding secret, and even though she had not been around them like the others, they had come to her for some reason. Adding all that to the fact that Rarity mentioned she had “approved” a few prospective members to approach me -- only six, which was a low number out of thirty -- and I had a sudden, startling realization.

I was able to see the exact moment Rarity realized I had pieced everything together, since she dipped her head and let out a sigh of utter defeat.

“...Rares?”

“Y-yes dear?”

“...are Fluttershy and Applejack two of the prospective members?”

Rarity was biting her lip again, so hard that I was afraid she would draw blood, but eventually, she slowly nodded. With that single gesture, my legs nearly gave out, and I had to catch myself on the wall behind me to keep from actually dropping to the floor. As it was, I still slid down the wall on my own to sit while I came to terms with what I had just discovered. Even within my own mind, I couldn’t readily reconcile how I should feel with how I actually felt. I mean, two of my best friends in the world were apparently interested in me -- I certainly liked them, they were easy on the eyes, and we had built a robust friendship that could stand up to almost anything. However, at that moment, all I felt was terror, and it took time to actually realize why.

“Spike?” Rarity called, her shadow gradually falling over me as she moved to stand over me. “Dear, are you all right?”

I couldn’t break my stare with the floor as I mumbled, “...’m I okay? I mean, I should be, shouldn’t I?” I was finally able to tear my eyes away from the tiled floor, catching Rarity’s eyes with my own as I stammered, “I-I mean I should be. I just found out two more beautiful girls are interested in me. That should be great news.” I slowly let out a shuddering breath as I covered my face with my hands again. “But I can’t help but think this isn’t a good thing.”

I felt and heard as Rarity kneeled before me, placing a warm hand on my shoulder. “But why, Spike? Certainly you like-”

“OF COURSE I DO!” I shouted, causing Rarity to flinch away as I grimaced at the volume of my own voice. While I lowered the volume, all of the sudden, the words wouldn’t stop. “I mean, Applejack is amazing. She’s running pretty much the entire farm at this point in her life, and she did it all from a young age, making Sweet Apple Acres a household name across Equestria. She’s smart, and yet so modest about it, and that’s one of the things I adore about her. She’s beautiful, and loving, and kind, and so many other things that make her an amazing mare, and I suddenly find out she wants me. And then…” I gulped as I thought of the next pony, “Fluttershy is the kindest pony I’ve ever met, and her heart truly knows no bounds when it comes to love. She’s cute, and adorable, and I just want to hug her for it, but she hides this layer of steel underneath that she readily brings to bear whenever any of us are in danger. She’s no fighter, but I have no doubt she wouldn’t hesitate to stand up to an entire army of dragons for us, her fears be damned.”

I knew Rarity was a bit surprised at my language, but I didn’t care at the moment. After a few moments of quiet breathing, I ended with, “And yet, I can’t help but think that their feelings aren’t real.”

“...what?”

I couldn’t help but flinch at the accusatory tone in Rarity’s voice, but I looked up at her regardless; surprise, she was glaring at me. I shook my head and explained, “Both of them have gone through serious emotional events recently in their lives, and though Fluttershy’s wasn’t romantic, she had to lose a treasured friend to the sands of time. No matter how much I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, and enjoy it for what it is, I can’t help but worry that their desire is born from a need for comfort and support, not love.”

Rarity’s glare hardened as she let out a long, steady breath through her nose. “Spike, you should know to give them more credit than that. Both of them are adult mares that have lived long enough to think through this logically.”

“The heart isn’t logical, Rarity.” I mumbled, the words almost tasting like spoiled fruit on my tongue as I spoke them. “It doesn’t think, it just feels, and what we feel is not always what’s right. We’ve all made mistakes by letting only our feelings lead us, and I’m worried this is another one of those times, for them.” I couldn’t help the angry snort that escaped me, nor the jet of smoke that shot into the air above our heads, but neither did I care, at the moment. “If this was just some random mare that I didn’t know yet, I wouldn’t mind; I know going into it that relationships built after emotional trauma rarely last, but I wouldn’t really care, because the risk would be relatively low. But,” I narrowed my eyes at Rarity, and she had the good sense to actually take my words to heart instead of continue glaring at me, “AJ and ‘Shy are already family to me, and if our carefully-crafted friendships were destroyed because we jumped into a relationship that was born out of grief, I would never forgive myself.”

“This sounds very similar to what Twilight was going through, if I remember.” Rarity commented, half-accusingly.

Shooting a glare to the seamstress, I growled, “This isn’t the same, Rarity. Twilight was afraid that every relationship had failed because there was something wrong with her. I’m afraid of what’s happening because I worry something is wrong with their attraction, and that it was ill-conceived. There’s nothing wrong with them, but there might be something wrong with their sudden interest.”

Rarity bit her lip again as she darted her eyes around. “...s-she never actually asked for a Pinkie Promise, so I believe this is something you need to hear, Spike.” Rarity cleared her throat and leveled me with an intense, penetrating stare. “I cannot speak for Applejack, but Fluttershy has had romantic inclinations for you for quite some time. She’s never said it until recently, and I honestly don’t think she even recognized it, but the connection was there for a while. I know what a mare in love looks like, and…” she shrugged helplessly.

Well...this was certainly new information.

I swallowed hard at the stunning news. “H-how...how long?”

“Years,” Rarity answered blandly, and I could hear the annoyance in her voice. “The poor dear is quite withdrawn, as you well know, and while she has vastly improved in the time we’ve known her, she is still drawn to avoid or ignore situations that make her uncomfortable. Finding herself growing new, strange feelings for a longtime friend would be one of those things. I tried subtly bringing the subject up over the years, but she immediately dismissed any talk of it outright, and not with embarrassment. As much as I wish I could say otherwise, all evidence points to her actually being ignorant of what she felt. It is either that, or she has furiously convinced herself of the contrary for so long that she believed it.”

I released a half-relieved sigh. “Well, that’s one load off my mind; at least I know Fluttershy’s affections aren’t a result of her grief.”

“You don’t sound completely satisfied.” Rarity correctly observed.

I shook my head vigorously. “I’m not, because that still leaves AJ. As much as I wish this was something I could ignore until it blows over, she needs me. She needs my support and my help, so I can’t abandon her.” I mentally girded myself to do the best I could to ensure we all remained friends, no matter what happened, but I couldn’t claim to be at all optimistic about how things might turn out. I knew I didn’t have to worry about losing either mare’s friendship, but I was sure things would be awkward for awhile, regardless.

“At least Pinkie and Rainbow Dash haven’t shown any interest. Small mercies.” I gratefully thought.

“Would it really be so terrible to be courted by Applejack?” Rarity challenged.

I shot my eyes to her again, narrowing them at her tone. “Of course not. AJ is a wonderful mare, and any stallion would be blessed to catch her eye, but some things simply aren’t meant to be. If I reject Applejack due to the fear of her feelings being the result of grief and trying to fill a void, I know we will eventually move past it, and we’ll be friends again. But, if I give in, and give things a try, she might suddenly find she wasn’t actually interested in me at all, and I was just a crutch she could depend on in her time of need. For me, being with her would go one of two ways: either I would never fully commit, because I would always be fearing the worst outcome, or I would jump in with both feet, opening my heart, only to be told that what I felt was one-sided after all.” At Rarity’s disbelieving look, I clarified, “You see, it would be so easy to fall in love with her -- like, scarily easy. I already know pretty much everything about her, I’ve seen her at her best and her worst, and we have a foundation of friendship that’s been built strong and sturdy because of what we’ve all gone through together. She’s warm and loving, and I know I can depend on her no matter what, so believe me when I say I could easily see myself falling for AJ, and hard.” I lowered my eyes back to the floor during my explanation, quietly finishing, “I don’t know if I could take it if I gave all that, only to be told that what I felt wasn’t able to be returned, after I had invested myself in her life.”

Rarity’s soft hand again settled on my shoulder, and when I raised my eyes, I immediately met hers. She was frowning softly, no longer defensive, but still unhappy about what I was saying. “How will you know if you never try?”

I snorted at the tone she used, as if she were talking to a child; it was mildly condescending, and I didn’t like it. “I don’t have to be formally coronated as a part of the royal family to know it would turn out badly. Some waters are better left undisturbed.”

“And so instead, you would reject her, based on the chance that you may be right.” Rarity surmised, and even though she wasn’t frowning, I could tell by her tone alone that she was disappointed.

I again lowered my head in shame, muttering, “Not every love is meant to be, Rarity. I’ve learned that, and I’ve broken a lot of hearts in my journey. I’ve lost friends because I was too impulsive, too stupid, to recognize similar signs when they were there.” I gave a firm shake of my head, trying to dislodge the worry from my very mind. “Having the same thing happen between Applejack and I would destroy me, Rarity; I’m not strong enough to withstand that, and I know it.” Chuckling ruefully, I added, “You know, some of the elder dragons told me that ‘love’ was generally avoided among the smarter dragons, because it is such a great vulnerability, and the more you love, the more you have to lose. Me? I have over a dozen I can think of off the top of my head that I love, even if some are just as friends, and that’s just so many weak spots in my life that could easily be exploited.”

“Spike, darling, what are you talking about?” Rarity asked, beginning to sound a little more concerned.

I raised my eyes to look at her again and motioned for her to sit next to me. She hesitated briefly before taking a seat on my right, and I began to explain what I meant. “As part of my re-education with Ember, she’s also teaching me how the traditional dragon lives, how they act, and how they see the world. In dragon culture, much of the hierarchy and the way they interact with one another is based on strength, and the ability to protect themselves and what they value. That’s why size and power are so important, as well as why they hoard their valuables in one place.” I pointed to myself. “But me? What I value is my friends and family, and I can’t very well take all of you and lock you in a cave, even if I could keep you safe and healthy. No matter how big and strong I get, no matter how skilled of a spellcaster I become, I will never be able to protect everyone all the time. Sooner or later, one of you will get hurt -- or, Faust-forbid, killed -- and I’ll have to try and persevere through that. And then it’ll happen again, and again, and again, until I’m all that’s left. With us being such high-profile citizens and Ponyville being a veritable disaster-magnet, it’s the greatest fear I have in my entire life. Applejack getting hurt was bad enough, but I know she’ll eventually get better; next time could be far worse, and I’m well aware of just how fragile life is.”

I held Rarity’s gaze for a few moments before I spoke again, and I had to watch as tears gathered in her eyes, and her heart broke for me. “Every year, on my birthday, I’m reminded that this is all temporary for me. One day soon -- for a dragon, at least -- all of you will be gone, and I’ll be alone. I tell myself every year to live life to the fullest, to make memories that can be cherished for the rest of my life, but the fear never leaves. With that fear, I’m reminded of just how much I can screw up by making the wrong choice, or saying the wrong thing to a friend. While the rest of you will one day lay in a bed, looking back at your life fondly as you pass on, I’ll remain, knowing that with all my power, and all the longevity I possess, there is nothing I can do to slow or stop time for any of you.” Releasing a long, drawn-out sigh through my nose, I whispered, “Now do you understand? I don’t want to live the rest of my life with the regret of giving my heart to someone, only for it to be returned a short time later. I’ll have to live with the memory of knowing I wasted months or years on someone that ended up leaving; that’s time I could use for other people or other pursuits, making memories that will hopefully keep me from going insane later in life.”

Rarity’s eyes were flowing by now, and her mascara was running down her cheeks. I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket, offering it to her. She took the cloth from me, dabbing at her cheeks and eyes before sniffling and handing the item back to me. Rarity was still on the verge of crying, but I just felt dead inside as the spiral I had fallen into held me fast.

“Darling,” Rarity began carefully, reaching her hand out to grasp mine, “Applejack is a dear friend, and a steadfast ally. She is as honest as they come, and we both know she is no fan of dishonesty, which would include leading someone on; do you truly believe she would do that to you?”

“Do you truly believe it’s impossible?” I rasped, my voice hoarse from the lump in my throat. “That’s another reason I’m reluctant: Applejack is a good pony, so she would hate herself for doing that to me. As close as we are, she might never get over her guilt -- just look at how long it’s taking for her to recover from Thunderlane.”

Rarity said nothing to refute my argument, though I couldn’t tell whether it was because she agreed or because she just couldn’t find a counterargument. Nonetheless, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight against her warm, soft body as she assured, “No matter what happens, know that I will be by your side, Spike. I will support you for as long as I am able.”

I was mentally exhausted at this point, so I just did my best to push my worries to the back of my mind as I held my mare close, silently wishing life could be less complicated.

I left the boutique a short while later, with the promise of a “ravishing” new suit. Rarity offered me a sympathetic smile and wave as I left, and though I still had a glaring trial to get through, I felt better knowing I had understanding people in my corner. If there was any good news, it was that Applejack and her family were getting ready for the upcoming holiday, so they would be busy preparing the food that would be delivered to the castle, so that left me time to organize my thoughts away from the mare herself; I’ll admit, I felt a bit guilty due to the fact I felt relieved I wouldn’t have to face her with the new knowledge I had, but I also knew it was important for me to have the time to settle myself and accept the situation.

The skies were clear and blue, and the pure white snow glistened in the sun like billions of tiny diamonds. It was a beautiful sight to be sure, and the cloudless sky had changed a dreary winter into a day of fun in the snow for the younger generations. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the colts and fillies playing in the snow, building snowponies, and making snow angels with their family and friends. Not for the first time, I felt a longing somewhere deep within for a child of my own, but I furiously pushed the thought away. Now was not the time for such thoughts, and I knew I wasn’t ready to bring new life into the world just yet; my options for a partner were limited to Ember, for biological reasons, and I knew neither of us would be able to devote the time and energy to a little one because of our obligations.

Still, it was a nice dream.

I mentally shook myself and veered toward Sugar Cube Corner, knowing I would now need an energy boost to make it through the rest of the day, since my visit with Rarity had been emotionally draining. Nonetheless, it would also give me the chance to catch up with Pinkie, since I hadn’t seen her at all in over a week, so I was looking forward to seeing the bouncy pink baker. With what I had just been through, I was quite excited to be able to talk to someone that wasn’t pining for me, and just wanted to see her friends smile.

I landed a bit heavier than I would have liked a dozen feet away from Sugar Cube Corner, and was silently thankful I was the only one to see the sloppy arrival. After brushing the snow off of my shirt and trousers, I pushed my way through the door, entering the warm interior of the bakery. Immediately, the familiar scents and sounds of Sugar Cube Corner greeted me, and I nearly immediately felt myself relaxing as a smile crawled onto my face. The restaurant was currently calm, with only three patrons in the short line, so I made my way to the rear of the queue and patiently waited for my turn. It was just my luck that Pinkie herself was currently handling the register, and the sight of her practically buzzing with excitement at the sight of me made my smile grow further.

Finally, after she finished with the mare and foal in front of me, Pinkie practically squealed with joy as she greeted, “Hi Spikey! It’s so good to see you!” She quickly rounded the counter and pulled me into a tight embrace, which I readily returned. Both of us released simultaneous sighs of happiness at the mutual warmth we experienced, and I couldn’t help it as I nosed my way into Pinkie’s fluffy, curly mane, inhaling the familiar sugary scent of the plush pink pony in my arms. I enjoyed the soft, subdued giggle that I felt in her chest, and relished the tight embrace of a mare that wanted nothing more from me than my happiness.

I took another deep breath, letting it out slowly, and felt my body completely release all the tension that had built up from the day. Pulling away slightly and using my hand to tilt her chin up so she could look at me, I quietly greeted, “Hey Pinkie. Thanks...I needed that.”

She gave a rare gentle smile, and nodded. “You looked like you needed a hug. You know I’m always here for you, Spikey.” She then pulled away and brought her ear to my stomach, nodding with hums and even an “uh huh” thrown in for good measure. She then stood and patted my stomach with her fingertips. “And your tummy needs some goodies too, it sounds like. What can I getcha?”

I gave a chuckle at her antics, allowing her to retreat behind the register again. “Well, I definitely want some hot chocolate. As far as what to eat, let me get two fresh pastries; I don’t care what they are.”

She nodded and punched the keys on the register, and pointed to the little viewport that showed the total. I fished out the proper amount of bits and handed them to her, which she took and quickly gave me my change and a receipt. With that done, she pointed to a nearby booth before handing me a steaming cup of hot chocolate, which had not been there a moment ago. Similar to many other times, I reminded myself to just accept that Pinkie would probably always be an enigma, and just took the hot drink as I took a seat in the booth. Pinkie disappeared into the kitchen for a few moments before returning with a brownie and what looked like a fritter of some sort on a plate, placing the dish in front of me as she yelled back to the kitchen that she was taking her break. Mrs. Cake pushed her way through the door and settled herself at the register a moment later, waving to Pinkie and I as the younger mare slid into the booth across from me. Then, in a move that boggled my mind, she slid under the table in either a show of flexibility or chaos magic (still not sure which), only to slide back up next to me.

I just stared at her bemusedly. “You could have just asked me to scoot over, you know.”

Pinkie just smiled innocently. “But my way was more fun!”

I could only chuckle at Pinkie’s goofy antics, and even though the day had been stressful, already, I was feeling better just by being around her. I readily accepted her warmth and the hug she gave me as I enjoyed the brownie and hot chocolate. For the next few minutes, Pinkie just kept silent and allowed her presence to do what words could not, by calming and relaxing me.

After I had practically inhaled the brownie, I just sat back for a moment and sighed, letting the last bit of tension leave my body. “Thanks, Pinkie. You’re a lifesaver.”

She placed a finger on her lower lip, turning her eyes to the ceiling as she thought aloud. “Weeell, I don’t know about that, but I know I make bellies happy!” She punctuated her statement by rubbing my stomach vigorously, giggling as I gave my own laughter from her actions.

She then just settled herself against me and laid her head on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arm around her body, hugging her tightly. “No, you make me happy. So, thank you -- thank you for being you, Pinkie.”

Pinkie looked honestly confused as she stared at me with her bright blue eyes. “Well who else would I be?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, “but I couldn’t imagine Ponyville without you. It just wouldn’t be home.”

A soft blush crawled up Pinkie’s already-pink cheeks, and she bashfully replied, “Aw shucks, Spike. You know I’ll always be here for you.”

I smiled with her, enjoying the warmth and affection of the happy mare. Slowly, however, I found my smile diminishing as I found a longing grow within, and I felt myself say, “I really wish you could be here for Hearth’s Warming.”

Pinkie’s smile was bittersweet now. “Me too, but it’s not fair to be here every Hearth’s Warming. Last year, I spent it here, so this year, I’m spending it with my family.” She then pouted a bit. “I asked them if they could come visit me, but daddy said they couldn’t get away.” Her smile then came back full force as she assured, “But I’ll be back the next day, I promise, so promise me you’ll have lots of fun and make lots of memories to tell me about when I get back.”

While a part of me was still a bit disappointed that I wouldn’t get to spend time with Pinkie for the holiday, I would take her words to heart and make sure I enjoyed Hearth’s Warming with my friends that could be there. So, with a smile, I answered, “You bet, Pinks. Same for you. Oh, speaking of you and your family, how has Maud been?”

Pinkie brightened at the mention of her stoic sister. “Oh, she’s been great! She’s told me all about her trips around Equestria, finding new and shiny rocks, and she even promised to send me some samples as souvenirs!”

“She still with Mudbriar?” I felt compelled to ask.

Pinkie’s smile seemed to freeze on her face, but slowly, she deflated almost comically, and leaned heavily on me with a long, defeated sigh. “Yeah. And he still doesn’t like me, but I guess we’re probably never going to be friends.”

“It still bothers you, huh?” I observed with a sympathetic smile.

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, but I promised Maud I’d be nice and ‘accept him for who he is’, whatever that means.”

I shrugged. “The best I can guess is that she just wants you to be able to be with the same room as the guy without being at each other’s throats. You don’t have to like the guy, but you need to be able to fully accept that Maud does, and you have to respect that.” I tightened my hold on Pinkie as I assured, “Believe me, you’re not the only one that’s got to play nice with people you don’t like. I can’t count the number of times I had to sit in a meeting with Twilight with some jerk, and I still had to be polite. It’s just part of adult life, I suppose.”

Pinkie sighed again. “I guess. But, I mean, why can’t he be more like...I don’t know...you?”

The mere thought of Maud with someone like me made me laugh out loud. It took me a second to get myself under control to explain, “Pinkie, I don’t really like the guy either, but he’s a good match for Maud. Your sister needs someone that understands her interests and personality, and he does.” I poked Pinkie in the cheek, making her pout cutely. “You don’t have to like him -- he’s not your coltfriend, after all -- but you need to just come to terms with the fact that you and Maud are very different ponies, and you like different things. She still loves you, so you don’t have to worry about losing your sister.”

Pinkie let a breath go and snuggled against me. “Yeah, but I just wish it could just be me and her, like it used to be. Now, whenever I want to see Maud, Mudbriar is usually there too.”

I went back to eating my food with one hand while I wrapped the other arm around Pinkie. “Yeah, but he’s just a part of her life you have to accept. From what you’ve told me, and what I’ve seen, Maud has spent years catering to your life; I don’t intend to sound mean, but Maud needs to live her life the way she wants, not the way Pinkie likes.”

While I couldn’t see her eyes, I saw Pinkie’s lips curl into a pout once more, though she stayed silent. She didn’t move away, so I just continued holding her and refueled with the snacks and cocoa.

It was after a few minutes of complete silence that Pinkie eventually admitted, “...you’re right.” I stopped munching and glanced to her as she met my eyes, and she sighed as she explained, “Out on the farm, there weren’t other foals we could play with: it was just the four of us Pies. We worked together, ate together, slept together -- hay, to save water, we even bathed together. I know grown-up Pinkie is supposed to just be okay with that being the past,” she sniffled a bit, and my heart ached at the slight glassiness of her eyes, “but I miss it sometimes. Rock farm work was really hard, but me, Maud, Limestone, and Marble were really close because of it. Even when I moved away, I made sure to write every week, but we just...started to drift apart.” She snorted almost angrily, and shook her head. “And then, the next time I see Maud, it’s almost like we were fillies again. It just makes it so hard to forget about all that and move on when I still see Maud like I did when we were itty-bitty Pies a long time ago.”

I hadn’t expected such a long rant on such a seemingly simple subject, and I could only assume Pinkie had been holding it all in for a long time. I finished my second snack and wiped my mouth before fully devoting myself to Pinkie, using my now-free hand to grasp one of her own. My action again drew her eyes to mine, and I just gave her a gentle smile as I held her close. Sometimes, as I had learned, words simply didn’t give what we needed; sometimes, we just needed a hug from a good friend, and their presence. I will admit that I was not exactly averse to snuggling with Pinkie, even if it was in public, so I couldn’t honestly say the action was completely for her benefit.

Still, she enjoyed it, leaning against me heavily as she just enjoyed the contact I shared with her. Her soft, warm body and sweet scent made the situation perfectly enjoyable for me as well, so I just surrendered to her affection and let the moment play out on its own. The hand that was wrapped around her waist was slowly brushing along her hip, and though I knew similar touches would be considered halfway intimate by any other, Pinkie had never been one to shy away from affection of any kind. I couldn’t count the number of times she had practically suffocated me in her bountiful chest, gave rapid-fire kisses to my face, or casually complimented my physical attributes in ways that would, from anyone else, seem very crude. I knew she cared about me, and so did all our other friends, so we just passed all that off as Pinkie being her weird, lovable self.

Pinkie had actually been my first real kiss, from a Hearth’s Warming underneath a mistletoe many years ago, and though I knew she meant it simply as “part of the game,” I had never forgotten how it felt, and how much I liked it. In some ways, being that the incident happened in my early teens, her actions for all those years had practically catapulted me into the world of boyfriends and girlfriends, dating, and everything that entailed. There were quite a few times where Twilight had chastised Pinkie for her lack of boundaries, and not just with me. While Pinkie had learned over the years to leash herself, for lack of a better term, her life with her family as a young filly had left her with an odd take on what was acceptable among other ponies, be they friends, family, or (sometimes) complete strangers: when Pinkie wanted to show affection, her natural instinct was to give a hug or kiss. It was only after a few months of us living in Ponyville that Twilight had a formal sit-down with her and the other girls to strictly explain to Pinkie just why she got weird looks when she would do those things, and why they might not be okay with everyone.

Along with Pinkie’s lack of knowledge regarding the boundaries of others was a near-complete lack of her own. I knew that Pinkie wanted to be held, and cuddled, and all that good stuff; it was normal for her, because she had been that same way with her own family. I knew, that if I wanted to, I could kiss Pinkie on the lips with fervor, and she would be perfectly fine with it. I will admit that my selfish, “evil” impulses inside had told me that I should wholly capitalize on that, but I absolutely refused to do that to her. Of course, my impulses fought with me, whispering that you can’t molest a completely-willing subject, but I would know it was wrong, which was why I kept myself firmly in control whenever I was around her. The fact was, even though I was sure Pinkie had no romantic inclinations toward me, I knew that save for a few obvious actions (overtly sexual acts, for example), there was a lot I would be able to get away with, with her. Faust help her if I ever get corrupted by some evil wizard, or something.

“So, how's the herd doing, Spikey?”

This was an almost daily question I got from Pinkie, so I wasn’t surprised. As it was, Pinkie’s self-imposed job was to ensure all her friends were happy; so, even though my herd wasn’t in her direct control, she was still interested in knowing how everyone was doing, and if there were any problems. She was actually rather knowledgeable about herd dynamics, so I had welcomed her input.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Everything seems to be okay. I mean, Lyla is still clingy and we got in a little bit of an argument this morning, but other than that, everything seems good.”

Pinkie removed her head from my shoulder and frowned at me. “An argument doesn’t sound good, Spikey.”

“We resolved it,” I assured the worried mare, patting her head gently. “She doesn’t like that she can’t come, and is worried something terrible is going to happen without her there. Her and Twilight got into it about my safety, we assured her I would be well-protected, and she seemed to be mostly calm by the time she left. I would have followed to make sure she was okay, but she said she had work to do, so I left to run my errands.”

Pinkie pursed her lips as she thought, eventually suggesting, “Do you want me to go make sure she’s okay tomorrow?”

Even though I hadn’t expected it, I was still grateful Pinkie was offering her time and effort to ensure our friend was going to be okay. “If and only if you have free time, yes. I have a feeling she’s not going to be happy worrying about me alone tomorrow, so I think having our favorite pink pony there to cheer her up would help a lot.”

Pinkie gave a bright smile as she gave a wild nod. “You can count on me, Spikey! I’ll turn that frowny upside-downy, and maybe we’ll have a girl’s day or something!”

The thought of Lyla, who was a huge tomcolt, doing girly things with Pinkie was too good to pass up. “I’ll tell you what: if you can convince her to spend some girly time with you, take pictures.”

At that, Pinkie’s smile turned downright mischievous as she rubbed her hands together in a perfect impression of a mad scientist. “Oh yes, we need evidence of the deed. Don’t you worry, Pinkie is on the case!” And suddenly, she pulled a deerstalker cap out of nowhere, placed a monocle in her eye, and blew bubbles out of a wooden pipe.

I laughed like an idiot at her antics, and my heart felt lighter at that moment than it had all day. If nothing else, I could always count on Pinkie to lift my spirits when I was worried, using the power of laughter to overcome whatever stress I was feeling. While I knew I would still need to address the lingering issue with Fluttershy and Applejack, I now didn’t feel nearly as much dread about it, all thanks to a certain lovable pink party pony. I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing until she squeaked like a dog toy, and laughed long and hard. After a minute, I composed myself enough to utter a quiet “thank you” to her, even though I knew, by Pinkie’s own accounts, that my laughter would be enough of a gift for her efforts.

“Pinkie!” Mr. Cake called from the kitchen, popping his head through the door as he jerked his head back toward the back room, “We just got a call for a big order tomorrow. We need your help!”

Pinkie looked to the older earth pony and nodded vigorously. “You got it, Mister Cake!” She then glanced back to me with a helpless shrug. “Well, duty calls. Don’t worry about Lyla, Spikey -- I’ll take good care of her. You just concentrate on whatever you need to do up in Canterlot, and leave Ponyville to your good friend Pinkie Pie!”

I gave her mane a playful tousle, standing to let her out of the booth. “Thanks, Pinkie. I owe you one.” I gave her one more tight embrace before she skipped toward the back room, leaving only the faint warmth of her hug behind with me. I shook my head with a much more relaxed smile, downing the rest of my hot chocolate with a gulp before tossing the paper cup and leaving the bakery.

Outside, the sky was still clear, and it was still early in the afternoon. Without anything particularly pressing to do at the moment, I shot into the air and found one of the few puffy clouds that remained in the sky today, settling down onto it to just sit and look over the town for a bit to let myself decompress. Granted, winter clouds felt a bit like cold toast as opposed to the pillow-like ones of spring or summer, but it gave me a place where I could be alone, since it was high enough to be too cold for most pegasi to feel comfortable, and it was near the edge of town. I let my legs dangle over the side as I just let my thoughts wander aimlessly. From so high above town, everything and everyone in Ponyville seemed so far away -- so insignificant. From the pegasus-eye view I had, it was easy to see why flying was considered so freeing; up here, you felt disconnected from the world below, and unfettered by the worries and trials of the ponies on the ground. In just that instant, I had a better understanding of just why Rainbow Dash spent so much time in the clouds, and I couldn’t fault her for it. My life had become progressively more complicated lately (most of it in just the past year), so I understood how addicting something like flying could be to someone who had so much to deal with in their everyday life.

Speaking of my rainbow-maned friend, I hadn’t seen much of her lately. Granted, Rainbow Dash was a busy mare, so it wasn’t exactly uncommon to not see her for a day or two, but nearly an entire week was odd, even for her. I knew that it was around this time of year that Scootaloo’s parents usually took a trip to volunteer in Vanhoover after the most recent bout of wildfires had devastated the area, so Rainbow Dash would be the one who would be watching over the younger pony while her parents were away. Still, usually Rainbow Dash would be out and about with her young charge, so we usually at least saw her in passing -- lately, however, it seemed like she had virtually disappeared from town, and no one knew where she was. We weren’t that worried, since Fluttershy had assured us that she had seen her fellow pegasus from time to time, but usually only late at night on her way home, or early in the morning as Rainbow Dash left to wherever she was going. With the holiday coming up soon, I had hoped to see her more often, but I guess she had some things to take care of, so I did my best not to worry. After all, if Rainbow Dash had been in trouble, she- well no, she wouldn’t tell us.

And suddenly, I began to worry.

“I need to find her.” I muttered to myself, pushing myself to stand on the cloud as I turned my eyes to Ponyville’s castle. “But I’m going to need help.” As I blasted off toward the castle, however, I couldn’t help but wonder why I was so worried. Rainbow Dash was a big pony, after all, and had proven she could handle her own life just fine. Of course I cared, but why was I worried? I shook my head hard, grumbling, “This doesn’t make sense, but I feel like...I just need to find her.”

At the speed I was traveling, it only took a few seconds to cross town and nearly smack into the side of the castle. I opted to bypass the main lobby, and pressed my hand to a bare wall. As the castle “recognized” me, a door appeared, and I wasted no time in bolting through it. Unfortunately, since I hadn't taken the time to work out where I was appearing in the upper levels of the castle, my bad luck was strong, and I ended up plowing into a damp Starlight.

“OW! CELESTIA DAMN IT! AGAIN?!”

The both of us tumbled to the ground heavily, and I let out an “OOF” as a soft body fell on top of me. My head was now sore, my dignity wounded, and my breath thoroughly knocked out of me, so I could only groan and wheeze for a moment before opening my eyes.

Starlight was grimacing with one eye closed, rubbing her horn tenderly. Her hair was wrapped up in a white towel, just like her body, and she looked like she was doing her best to glare a hole through my head.

“I'd always assumed you were hard-headed, but slamming your forehead into my horn isn't the way I wanted to confirm that.” she grumbled, shifting her weight on top of me.

Knowing I was in the wrong, I just smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, that was my fault.” Noticing her body towel was coming loose, and so as to avoid further embarrassment on my part, I gingerly pulled the cloth more snugly and tucked the free end in, so as to secure it better.

Realizing what I did, Starlight blushed a little and muttered a quiet “thanks” as she pushed herself to stand, offering me a hand to do the same. Once we were both better composed, she queried, “So was there a reason you were tearing through the castle like that, or did you just want to assault a helpless, naked mare?”

Doing my best to fight down my own blush, I answered, “Recent events aside, I was actually looking for you. I need your help.”

Starlight’s ears pricked up, and she focused on me for a few moments of silence. Seemingly finding what she was looking for, Starlight nodded. “Okay. Let me get dressed, and I'll meet you in the common room.”

I totally didn’t stare at the way her hips swayed with every step as she walked away.

I shook my head violently and slapped my face. “By Faust, what is wrong with me lately?”

“Hoarding instincts.”

“AAAHH!”

Contrary to what I had hoped I would do when surprised, I squealed like a filly and jumped about four feet into the air. The smirking dragoness below wasn’t helping my ego.

I opened my wings to prevent myself from falling painfully, hovering for a moment before softly touching down and shooting a glare at Ember. “We need to put a bucking bell on you or something. It’s not fair that we’re the same species, but you’re quiet as a mouse, and I’m not.”

Ember merely smiled at my comment before reiterating, “As I was saying: this is a hoarding instinct.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “I’ve overcome my hoarding instincts. If you remember, I had to trick myself just to grow.”

Ember just stared at me, unnervingly so, before she finally returned, “True, you don’t hoard material possessions like most other dragons, but no dragon is above their hoarding instincts. You can only channel it into something positive; it cannot be overcome.” She glanced down the hallway that Starlight had disappeared down. “Your hoard is special: it isn’t shiny metals, precious gems, or trinkets. Instead, you treasure your friends and family…” she then turned her head slightly, just enough for me to see her smirk, “and your mates. The desire to want more is always going to be there; all you can do is keep it under control, and be sure you channel that desire positively instead of negatively.”

I just frowned at her, not liking what she was insinuating. “Yes, Starlight is a great friend, but that doesn’t mean I have the right to ogle her like that.” Ember tilted her head slightly, her expression saying she knew something I didn’t. “What’s with the look?”

Shaking her head slowly, in the same way a mother would her ignorant child, Ember explained, “Your instincts don’t listen to what society says is right or wrong, and they aren’t going to listen to logic. You’re always going to want more, and that’s normal. As crazy as it might sound, you could hook up with every mare in this town, and you would still desire more. I told you from the beginning: you have to stop judging yourself like a pony, because you’re not one. Your instincts are going to drive you in ways that are downright strange to a pony, and you can’t help that. Your brain and heart always have the final say, but you need to keep in mind that your instincts are always going to do this. You’re not going to master your instincts by ignoring them or pushing them aside; you have to embrace them, and channel them in constructive ways.”

“You know, considering your personality, the whole ‘wise dragon lord’ thing is kinda weird.” I grumbled, huffing in annoyance. “You’re only a few years older than me.”

“But I’ve lived my entire life as a dragon, whereas you’re just now stepping foot into your heritage.” she countered, smirking once again. “I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m the same when it comes to ponies and their society. I’ve accepted that I have a lot to learn, and I’m going to make mistakes; you need to do the same.” She placed a claw on her chin for a moment of thought before she admitted, “I will say that you have a unique situation, in that you basically have one foot in each life -- one in the life of a dragon, and one in the life of a pony. You were raised as a pony, and so you’ve grown up with their culture and heritage, but your dragon instincts are still there. I’m going to help you the best I can, and teach you what you never learned, but it’s going to be...different.”

Raising a brow, I carefully asked, “How so?”

Ember just smirked again. “Normally, I’d go with you and show you how to carefully select hoard items in a controlled manner, so you can keep from losing control of your greed instinct. I can’t exactly walk around picking out mares with you, now can I?”

Against my will, I found myself contemplating that very thought for a moment...before shaking it away and groaning pathetically. “Really not helping, Ember.”

Ember stepped behind me and began pressing her digits firmly into the muscles around my neck, as an impromptu massage. She gently whispered, “Relax, Spike. Like I said: this is normal, and you have nothing to be ashamed about. If Starlight really had a problem with you looking at her, she would have lost it when you tackled her; besides, if I know you -- and I’d like to think I do -- this isn’t the first time you’ve admired her body.”

“Kinda hard not to; she’s really pretty.” I blurted before I could stop myself, slapping a hand to my mouth.

Ember’s fingers dug in deeper, and I couldn’t help but let out a groan as she practically forced me to relax. “Calm, Spike. Calm. I can’t speak for ponies, but a girl likes knowing she’s attractive. Starlight doesn’t strike me as the kind of mare that would get mad at you for a compliment, or a stray glance.” She released me finally, and walked around me, pulling me along by my hand. “C’mon, you said you needed help with something, and I might be able to offer my own help, depending on what it is.”

“I need to find Rainbow Dash.” I announced, choosing to be direct.

Ember glanced back at me with a raised brow. “Any particular reason why?”

I opened my mouth to give a good reason...only to find I didn’t really have one. “I...I’m not sure. I haven’t seen her in almost a week, and I just need to make sure she’s all right.”

“Hoarding instinct, again.” Ember confirmed, answering the question I hadn’t directly asked. “She’s important to you, and so you have to be sure she’s okay. Dragons get antsy if they don’t know if their hoard is safe, and as I said, your ‘treasures’ are the special people you care about.” As we continued to walk, Ember again faced forward, shrugging slightly. “I’m sure you’ve argued with yourself a bit on the way over here. ‘She’s probably fine; she’s a big pony, and she can handle herself,’ but your instincts aren’t going to let that be enough to calm you. Until you see her, safe and unharmed, the desire to track her down is just going to keep getting stronger. Considering you normally see her at least once every other day, I kinda find it weird it took you this long.”

I shrugged with a sheepish smile. “I was focused on making sure you felt better, actually. How are you feeling, by the way?”

Ember seemed to silently consider my question before she answered, “A lot better, thanks. It was stupid of me to fly through the winter air like that, but…” I was able to see as the spines on her head deepened with a blush, even though I couldn’t see her face, “I missed you, and needed to see you.”

Though I’d never say it to her face, because I knew she’d hate it, I couldn’t help but think of how cute Ember was when she got embarrassed -- even more so because she was admitting to missing me. I definitely didn’t grin like an idiot, and I certainly didn’t enjoy the warm, fluttery feeling in my chest.

Not buying it?

Yeah, me neither.

After taking a moment to school myself into something resembling respectable, I commented, “Well, with the gear Rarity made you, I don’t think the cold will be a problem anymore.”

Ember bobbed her head side to side as we entered the commons area. “I hate to admit it, but that mare is a wizard with a needle and thread. I don’t even like clothes, but even I can understand why she’s so successful.”

Smirking as I thought of the response I was going to get for my next comment, I added, “I wouldn’t mind seeing you in one of her evening gowns.”

Ember tripped over her own feet, and I just barely kept from laughing aloud. After taking a moment to comically pretend nothing had happened, she cleared her throat as she kept walking, but quietly answered, “...I’ll think about it.”

By the time we arrived in the commons room, Starlight was already waiting for us. I did my best not to be distracted by the way her coat and mane seemed to shine after a shower and a soak, and instead chose to silently enter the room and sit with Ember on the sofa next to the crackling hearth.

Starlight simply nodded to the two of us before getting straight to business. “So, what can I help with?”

Glancing momentarily to Ember, I answered, “I want to find Rainbow Dash, and I was hoping you might have a spell for that.”

Starlight raised her eyebrow high as she stared at me. “And you didn’t ask Twilight first?”

I shook my head. “Twilight’s never had the finesse for certain spells, and that includes tracking spells. Contrary to what you might believe, you are better than her at some things.”

Starlight blushed slightly in embarrassment. “You don’t have to butter me up, Spike. It’s true, I do know tracking spells, but if I’m going to track a living target, I need something personal -- I either need DNA of some sort, or something saturated in their magic. The spell is also very general, and only generalizes an area of a twenty meter radius.”

Well, that put a damper on my mood. Still, “A twenty meter radius is better than miles. Thats…” I did some quick calculations in my head, and estimated the best I could, “...about thirteen-hundred square meters. That’s a lot better than nothing.”

“Still forgetting the other part, Spike,” Starlight reminded gently. “I need something saturated in her magic, or her DNA. Unless you have a creepy Rainbow Dash shrine in your closet, I think we’re out of luck.”

I thought for a few moments before an idea came to mind...and it brought a blush to my head. “Um...be right back.”

Without any further explanation, I bounded up the stairs to the private quarters, and headed to my own room. Yanking open my top drawer, I searched for a few moments before finding what I was looking for, nearly slamming the drawer shut as I sped out of the room. I completely bypassed the stairs, and instead jumped over the railing to flare my wings at the very end, landing with a WHOOSH of air in front of Ember and Starlight. I cleared my throat nervously before handing over what I had found.

Starlight took the object from my hand, inspecting it for only a moment before raising both eyebrows to me accusingly. “Spike, why do you have Rainbow Dash’s sports bra?”

I swear, if any more blood rushed to my face, I would pass out. “She came here with me to hang out after a workout one day, and ended up spilling lemonade all over herself. She showered and changed, but said this had to be air-dried instead of magically, like Twilight had done with the rest. She left it here, and by the time it was dry, it was too late to bring it to her. Since I’m the one that does more errands around town, I kept it in my drawer, promising myself to bring it back to her...but I kept forgetting.” Ignoring the skeptical look Starlight was giving me, I added, “That’s one of her older tops -- years old, at least -- so I know that plenty of her magic has seeped into it by now. Sweat might wash out, but magic doesn’t.”

Starlight just continued staring at me, finally saying, “You know, if you were just holding onto this for ‘inspiration,’ I wouldn’t judge you.”

I went from embarrassed to annoyed in an instant, and if Starlight’s surprised look was any indication, my face showed it. “If that was my reason for it, I would have grabbed her thong or something. In case you don’t remember, during summertime,” I pointed to the article of clothing, “this passes as a shirt, in Rainbow Dash’s mind. She doesn’t even wear a shirt during the warmer months unless she’s going somewhere other than work or home.”

Starlight released a sigh and nodded reluctantly. “I suppose I can understand that.”

“What’s a thong?”

Both Starlight and I looked to Ember, me with a blush. Ember just shrugged. “What? It’s not like I wear clothes normally like ponies do.”

I cleared my throat and quickly explained. “Okay, you remember when Rarity offered to make you underpants and such?” Ember nodded. “Okay, well a thong has the normal concealment in front, covering a mare’s ‘bits,’ but only a string for the back part.” I gestured with my hands to press the point home.

Ember was silent for a moment, and I assumed she was trying to visualize what I was explaining, before raising her brow and asking, “Isn’t that uncomfortable?”

“It takes getting used to,” Starlight admitted, “but it frames a mare’s assets quite nicely for anyone lucky enough to see it.” She then shot me a playful glance as she pressed, “Doesn’t it, Spike?”

“Can we please focus?” I pleaded, my efforts to reduce my embarrassment seeming futile.

Starlight had the good grace to look suitably chastised, nodding with a sheepish smile. “Right, sorry. Now’s not the time for that. All right, stay quiet for a moment. This takes...ngh...a bit of focus.” Starlight strained as her horn lit up with her brilliant aquamarine aura, as she levitated the article of Rainbow Dash’s clothing in the air. Her horn gained a second layer of magic, then a third, and then a fourth, before with a chiming snap, the sports bra fell to the floor, and Starlight was left panting as she leaned over and rested her hands on her knees. “Whoo, it’s been a long time since I’ve had to cast a spell of that complexity.”

I glanced around, feeling a bit confused. “I don’t understand; was something supposed to happen?”

Starlight simply placed her hand on my forearm, and immediately, I found a strange pulling sensation in a certain direction. At my gasp of surprise, Starlight just grinned. “Think of me as a living compass, for the time being.”

As she pulled her hand away, I just stared at my own forearm, aware that the feeling had left. Trying to put words to what I had felt was useless, so I could only say, “That was freaky.”

“But it’ll help,” Starlight assured, standing and moving toward the coat rack in the corner of the room. “For obvious reasons, I’ll need to come with you. It’s a timed spell, so we only have about thirty minutes before I’ll need to cast it again, While it’s active, I can’t just self-levitate like I normally would, so…”

“You need to ride me.” I surmised, immediately regretting my word choice as Starlight blushed and Ember started laughing. I just groaned as my blush flared up once again and admitted, “Yeah, I realized it as soon as I said it. Get your minds out of the gutter, you two.”

“You first.” Starlight challenged, smirking with a faint dusting of lighter pink on her cheeks. She finished getting dressed before grabbing her satchel, putting a few items in it before nodding to me. “Okay, I’m set whenever you are.”

I glanced to Ember, and she just shook her head. “I’m not up for flying in the cold just yet, even with winter gear on. I’ll wait here and tell Twilight what you’re up to if she comes back before you return.”

I nodded and gave Ember a one-armed hug before crouching to allow Starlight to climb onto my back. Once she was secure with her seated just behind my wings, I grasped her behind her knees and stood, wasting no more time in exiting through the balcony and taking to the sky.

Thankfully, today was a good day for searching for Rainbow Dash: it had stopped snowing a day ago, so while the world was still quite white with snowfall, I didn’t have to worry about snowflakes blowing into my eyes as I flew. The only problem was, because everything looked the same from up above, I was going to have to rely on Starlight’s sense of direction to get us to our target and back to Ponyville, depending on how far we would be flying.

With an indeterminate amount of flying to do and the added weight of another on my back, I simply allowed silence to reign as I focused on flying.

“Signal’s getting stronger,” Starlight advised, speaking for the first time since we had taken to the air. While I could feel the same “pull” she could, I apparently couldn’t tell the difference between “strong” and “weak,” so I was glad she had spoken up.

“Guess that means we’re getting close, then?” I questioned with a hopeful tone.

I felt as Starlight gave a firm pat to the area just below my neck. “Yeah. We’ll know we’ve arrived when I can no longer tell which direction to go. We still have about 10 minutes left on the spell, so judging by the fact that the spell is getting stronger at the rate it is, we’ll arrive before the spell depletes.” She went silent for another few moments before casually asking, “So, is there a reason you need to find Rainbow? Do you have something important to tell her?” Her tone definitely said “smirk,” and it wasn’t difficult to guess what she was implying.

“No, I’m not going to confess my undying love for her, if that’s what you’re hoping for.” I grumbled, mentally cursing that miles of white snow weren’t good for distracting my mind from thoughts of Rainbow Dash in some of her...more friendly moments over the years.

Another stretch of silence before, “I have to ask: does it get difficult being around so many mares all the time?”

“Difficult how?” I asked absently, again trying to completely focus on flying to keep the blood in my wings and not my face.

“Well,” she began, pausing as she seemed to organize her thoughts, “I mean, you don’t have many guy friends.”

I frowned at the thought, but couldn’t deny the truth. “Not many guys to be friends with. It is Equestria, after all.”

“Right,” she answered, “and I get that, but even you have to admit that a guy being friends with so many mares seems kinda weird.”

I shrugged helplessly. “It kinda lost its weird factor for me a long time ago. I haven’t really known any different, so I don’t have a reason to feel weird about it. It is what it is, and I do the best I can with what I’ve got to work with.”

The moments of silence were becoming moments of dread, because I had a feeling where these questions were going.

“How often do you...look?”

I faltered in my flight only slightly, but it was enough to jostle Starlight and cause her to press herself tighter against me as her arms wrapped around my neck. I was very aware of the fact that, had this been any other situation, the sensation of her chest and pelvis pressed against me would be very intimate. I told myself over and over, to keep from getting worked up over this like some 10-second colt, that she had no reason to do it but to keep from falling. As far as the conversation itself, the way she had said “look” didn’t leave any room for denial about what she meant, but against my instinct to laugh it off or make something up, I had been working hard to be honest with everyone about things once again.

After a moment of silence on my side, I cleared my throat and shakily admitted, “A-a lot. I can’t really help it when you all are so comfortable around me by this point that walking around in underwear is not even considered embarrassing anymore. I do my best to keep from staring, but…” I swallowed hard as I continued with, “I think I’d break my own neck if I forced myself to look away every time one of my friends ‘got comfortable’ as far as clothing is concerned. I’m around all of you too much for that to even be practical -- hay, I live with two of you.”

I didn’t have to be a mind reader to know Starlight’s next question before she asked it. “And...me?”

“I did say ‘friends,’ didn’t I?” I returned playfully, smiling even though I know she couldn’t see it. “Let’s just say that earlier, when I ran into you after bathing, I was not as calm as I seemed. Basically, for the few seconds you were on top of me, my instincts were telling me to ‘breed this female.’ I can’t imagine it would be all that different for any other male that was in the same situation; you’re not exactly unattractive, Glimglam.” I smirked at the drop of the nickname, knowing the response I would be getting.

As I suspected, Starlight groaned and whined, “Spiiike! Don’t call me that! I swear, I’m going to find a way to punish Trixie for letting that slip while you were around.”

I just chuckled and commented, “I think it’s kinda cute. Sounds bubbly and fun.”

Even without being able to look at her, I knew Starlight was pouting. “I don’t do bubbly.”

“Still cute.” I teased, receiving a hard flick to the back of my head for my efforts. ‘Worth it.’

“Whatever,” she grumbled with a sigh. After a pause, she added, “But thanks. I don’t have many guy friends that will give me an honest answer, so it’s nice to know the compliments I get aren’t always just an effort to get me into bed or something.”

Thinking carefully about how to word my next sentence, I took a moment to think before replying, “I can’t speak for any other guys, obviously, but I think you’re a beautiful, smart, talented mare. When I look at you, I don’t see ‘Princess Twilight’s pretty protege’ or ‘the hot counselor,’ I see my friend, Starlight Glimmer, who happens to be an attractive mare. And yes, I’ve heard you called ‘the hot counselor’ by a student, but I’m not going to say by who. Let the colts have their fun, Star.”

Starlight went silent once again, this time apparently done talking. I hoped I hadn’t offended her in any way, but if the slight nuzzle behind my ear fin was any indication, she liked what I had said. It was nice to know that I could make her happy, even if it was with a simple compliment. I had found, over the years, that sometimes all it took to make someone’s day was a few honest, kind words.

Only a few minutes later, I felt Starlight suddenly sit up as she announced, “We’re here.”

I slowed to a stop, holding her legs tightly in my arms as I dropped to a vertical hover position. I glanced around the area, noticing we were a few thousand feet above a small town, with a smattering of pegasus buildings floating overhead. Quickly deciding on a course of action, I descended slowly to the ground.

As I landed, I gently released Starlight as I asked, “Look around down here, and I’ll check the cloud houses.”

Starlight rounded me and tilted her head back to catch my gaze. “How are you going to find her? It’s a little rude to just knock on the doors of strangers.”

I pointed to my nose with a smirk. “The nose knows. If I get close enough to places she’s been, I’ll be able to detect her scent.” Before Starlight could start to question that, I shook my head. “I’ll explain it later. For now, let’s split up. If you find her, send up a flare so I can find you.”

She offered me a determined nod and began walking away. “Good luck, Spike.” I watched her trot away for a moment before turning my head skyward and blasting into the open air.

I hadn’t been completely honest with Starlight when I said I'd be using my nose to find Rainbow Dash -- or, at least, I was omitting some information. Unfortunately, a dragon’s nose wasn’t much better than a pony’s normally, and scent doesn’t tend to stick around too long in the sky. Fortunately, I had recently been learning some rudimentary spells from Ember, one of which had the ability to temporarily enhance certain physical senses.

I began by landing on a cloud, knowing I would need a moment of focus to cast the spell. From there, I had to bring up a very specific emotion that I was not very familiar with: the thrill of a hunt. As a dragon that had never actually hunted for live food before, the emotion was foreign to me, but my current need actually filled the role quite well. In a way, I was already hunting for Rainbow Dash, and if the emotion was strong enough, that would work just fine.

‘Rainbow Dash,’ I thought to myself, picturing the colorful, athletic mare in my mind. Having spent so much time around her, I was easily able to call up an image of her, her smile, her voice, the way she moved and fidgeted, and even her smell. Following that, I focused on my reason for being here: ‘Need to find Rainbow Dash.’

The desire was strong, but it wouldn’t coalesce into the familiar warmth that accompanied the “feel” of a spell that was ready to be cast, which I often felt in my chest. I frowned at the momentary setback before settling myself again and closing my eyes. The simple desire to find Rainbow Dash, my dear friend, was not going to be enough to match the intensity that would be needed for this spell, so I had to change the way I thought about it...and the only way I came up with was a bit embarrassing.

‘Need to find Rainbow Dash,’ I mentally recited, taking a moment to truly feel what I was about to think. ‘Need to find...my mare. Must find my mare; have to make her safe.’

I was nearly thrown off-balance by the sharp thrum of power that vibrated through me, along with the growl of agreement I found myself uttering without consciously choosing to. I took a moment to mentally grasp that feeling, and channel it, before opening my eyes and beginning to write the spell in the air.

Incidentally, the character for this spell, when written on its own, simply meant “hunt” in the most basic form; it referred generally to the desire to find what one is searching for, to locate a target with frightening efficiency and take it for myself. With a careful hold on the required emotion, however, I began to hum a nameless tune, one of deep intensity and an almost anxious energy. As I had become familiar with recently, my song added power to my spell, and the now-familiar fiery filigree grew like vines around the floating, glowing character.

Once finished, the spell pulsed in time with my own heartbeat, and I ceased my humming to complete the spellform. And then, to properly activate the spell, I inhaled the burning character through my nose. It...went about as well as I expected, frankly; it felt like I had inhaled a handful of pepper, and for a moment, the itchy burning was all I could focus on. Slowly though, it was like an entirely new world opened up to me, and I was very aware of new scents all around me.

I could nearly point them out as they caressed my heightened sense of smell: there, a pie was baked with love from a mother or father, perhaps for a child. Over to my right, I could smell the moist air that heralded a rain that would be coming later. Somewhere to my left, I detected what smelled like-

There she is.

Rainbow Dash’s natural scent -- a sharp bite of chili peppers, covered in decadent chocolate, and almost playfully caressed by fresh spring air -- was impossible for me to mistake. It was a scent I was intimately familiar with, because of the many memories it brought, and the smile it always gave me. Her scent, to me, perfectly emulated who she was, and I would know it anywhere I smelled it.

I slowly flapped my wings, taking my time to orient myself before following the familiar scent up into the clouds. I ignored the few ponies that stuck their heads out of the cloud houses -- likely wondering who I was and just what the hay I was doing -- and decided to just focus on the task at hand. Unfortunately, my focus was not perfect, and I found myself momentarily laughing at the mental image of me with the head of a bloodhound before getting a firm hold on what I needed to do.

As I expected, the scent went all over the sky -- as I imagined Rainbow Dash would -- but was concentrated in certain areas. One was a cloud that she had apparently napped on, while another was a...volunteer rescue squad recruitment center? I just raised my brow at the building before pushing open the door and walking inside.

As I had figured, I caused a commotion almost immediately upon entering; dragons weren’t exactly a common sight unless one lived in Ponyville or Canterlot, after all. To my surprise, however, the commotion wasn’t from fear, but curiosity and excitement. And, to my further shock, a few of the pegasi even greeted me by name.

Any other day I wouldn't be bothered by the attention, but at the moment, I had a goal in mind that I needed to compete. With a loud clearing of my throat I asked, “Has anyone seen a pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail?”

One of the ponies, a mare with wide eyes and a dumbfounded look on her face, merely jerked her thumb to the back room. I gave a nod of thanks before making my way through the front room and through the indicated door. The door led to a short hallway with three doors -- two on the right and one on the left. Stopping briefly to close my eyes, I focused on my sense of smell and again began following the invigorating scent of Rainbow Dash through the hall. Without even opening my eyes, I was led to the last door on the right, and I opened my eyes only a moment before knocking and pushing the door open.

The inside of the room was spartan, even by comparison to Luna’s room in Canterlot. There was a bunk bed against one wall, a small television on another, and across from the television was a small desk set against a wall. The desk was home to countless scattered sheets of paper, scrolls, and small sticky-notes, but most importantly was that it also had my friend sitting in the chair, hunched over a notebook.

“I promise I’ll rest soon, Shimmer,” Rainbow Dash voiced, her tone tired and even more raspy than normal, “but I need to finish plotting the next search grid. Give me twenty minutes and I’ll hit the hay.” She continued scribbling in the notebook before brushing her bangs aside and turning my direction. Her normally bright eyes were swimming with exhaustion and a deep sorrow, and it took a few moments before she seemed to realize who she was looking at. “...S-Spike? What...what are you doing here?”

Before answering, I stepped over to the single window and leaned my head out, taking a deep breath and ensuring the area was clear before exhaling a massive gout of fire into the sky -- that would get Starlight’s attention. After doing that, I turned back to Rainbow Dash and crossed my arms, frowning slightly. “I was going to ask you the same thing. Dash, it’s been over a week since any of us have seen you, and I was worried. No one knew what was going on, so I had to find you.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her jaw around before pointing behind me. “Jacket.”

I pivoted and turned to where she was pointing, seeing a simple military-style camo blouse that matched the pants Rainbow Dash was wearing. On the sleeve was a patch that clearly read “Volunteer Rescue Squad, Div. 16”.

“I joined after I left the Wonderbolts,” she explained, letting out a long breath of exhaustion. When I turned to observe her, she was fully slumped in the chair, resting her head in her hands. “There was a landslide in a small town near the mountains outside Griffinstone, and I was called to assist in the S&R operations.”

Raising a brow, my frown only deepened. “I’ve never been a part of disaster relief, but I know how they work. There are enough volunteers staffed for something like this to rotate you home after a few days, so that you can rest and recuperate. So why are you still here?”

Rainbow Dash hesitated for a moment before swiveling on her chair to face me. She slowly reached into the back pocket of her pants and fished out her wallet, which was colored to match her hair. She opened it and silently fished out a small photo, handing it to me.

In it was a familiar young mare: Scootaloo. She was standing beside her parents, two older ponies with proud smiles, as she held aloft a gold medal from beside her scooter.

“Her parents were at ground zero when the landslide happened,” Rainbow Dash explained, her voice defeated and saddened all at once. “It’s been a week since it happened, and we’re starting to pull out bodies of ponies that froze to death. We still haven’t found them, though.”

I looked back to Rainbow Dash, and her eyes were staring at the back of the photo I held. Wordlessly, I handed it back to her, and she took it before gently sliding it back into her wallet. After a moment of silence, she glanced back up to me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “They were stopping for supplies there for their trip to volunteer for disaster relief in Vanhoover, and now they’re the ones that became victims.”

The tone she used wasn’t at all reassuring. “Dash, there’s still a chance you’ll find them. Maybe-”

“Spike,” she interrupted, shaking her head as she pushed my outstretched hand away, “I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m fresh out of patience for false hope. It’s been thirty below freezing nearly every day out there. If we haven’t found them by now, if and when we do, they’re not going to be alive.”

My heart dropped into my stomach as I took in what she suggested. “So…”

“Scootaloo’s parents are likely already dead, frozen to death in darkness,” she answered, sniffling once before furiously rubbing her eyes and choking down a sob as she half-heartedly pulled at her bangs with her fingertips. After a moment, she released another long sigh, resting her arms on her knees and staring at the floor. “I’m all she has left. Scootaloo has no other family, no next of kin, and no place to go. The life insurance policies from her parents aren’t going to fill the place of her family.” She grunted and punched her knee hard, letting a snort out of her nose as she raised her head and set a glare of determination on me. “I have to find them. If she has to say goodbye, she deserves the closure of knowing we found them, instead of just a plot of earth and two headstones.”

I was still coming to grips with what had happened. I liked to consider myself a realist, so I knew that if Rainbow Dash said it was highly unlikely we would find Scootaloo’s parents alive, she was right. I had just wanted to find my friend, and instead, I find she’s been basically killing herself over a self-imposed mission that no one pony should have to face alone. She hadn’t rested, hadn't decompressed, and hadn’t stopped. While a part of me was glad Rainbow Dash was healthy and whole, a much larger part of me was brokenhearted for Scootaloo, and worried about Rainbow Dash’s emotional state.

So, I did the only thing that came to mind: I pulled Rainbow Dash to stand before wrapping her in my wings and arms, fully encasing her in an embrace that almost seemed to shut out the world. I felt her attempt to jerk away, and even try and use her hands to push me away as she fought to escape, but after only a few seconds, her struggles began to taper off and then completely cease...and then she began to sob loudly against my chest. Her arms, once trying to shove herself away, now wrapped around my back as she held on for dear life. As her legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor, I followed her and pulled the bawling pegasus into my lap, using my wings to shut out the world as I just held her close and ran my fingers comfortingly through her mane.

Somewhere outside of my focus, I knew Starlight had found us and entered the small room, but Rainbow Dash was still the sole subject of my attention, and I was going to devote everything I had to being there for her.

So, for the second time in a month, I held a pegasus as she cried.

“It should only take a few seconds.” I assured, absently petting the sleeping pegasus in my lap.

Starlight was sitting beside me, seemingly torn between continuing to sit and beginning to pace. We had sent a letter to Twilight only a few moments ago detailing the situation, and were now awaiting a response.

Starlight sighed as she fidgeted anxiously. “What makes you think-”

With a loud belch, I exhaled a green flame, and a scroll materialized in front of my face. Knowing what it was for, I set it a good distance away from us and waited silently. After only a few minutes, a bright flash and crack of displaced air heralded the arrival of Twilight herself, who immediately rushed to us and kneeled beside me.

Twilight reached out and affectionately rubbed a thumb through the tear tracks of the sleeping pegasus in my lap, frowning slightly as she did. “Oh Rainbow…” After taking a moment to look over the sleeping mare, Twilight turned her eyes to me. “I want you to go with her to search tomorrow.”

I raised my brow at that. “What about the function in Canterlot? Won’t the nobles be upset if I don’t show?”

Twilight downright scowled at the mention of what we were supposed to be doing tomorrow. “You let me handle them. Rainbow needs you more than they do, and we can reschedule this for another time. I guess they’ll just have to make due with me in the meantime.”

While a part of me wanted to argue, I knew it would be fruitless; when Twilight truly set her mind on something, she would not be swayed, and I could see that look in her eyes. With a resigned sigh, I nodded. “All right, I’ll go. Tell Fancy Pants I said sorry for standing him up like that; he was looking forward to meeting up.”

Twilight grinned at the mention of the aged stallion. “Don’t worry, I know he’ll understand. Right now, you have something more important to take care of, and he would agree.” She then looked to Starlight and gave her a grateful smile and a hug. “Thank you for helping Spike, Starlight.”

Starlight returned the embrace, but replied, “Spike is my friend too, Twi. I wanted to help him, so I did.”

“Still,” Twilight pressed, “thank you. I’m always anxious about leaving Spike alone to deal with things,” she shot a look my way, and the words I had been about to say died on my tongue, “even though he has proven that he’s quite capable of handling things on his own.” She then turned back to Starlight and offered a gentle smile. “I’m so grateful for you, Starlight. Don’t ever forget that.”

Starlight began blushing hard as she glanced away from the taller alicorn. “...t-thanks, Twilight. I’m grateful for you, too.”

Twilight then stood and waved her hand through the air. The portion she had waved her hand through seemed to shimmer like oil before a circular window showing my room back in Ponyville appeared. Twilight turned to me and jerked her head toward the sudden portal. “Take Rainbow back home. We'll help get her cleaned up, and then make sure she gets a good rest. I can’t offer any assistance other than that, but if you’re going to be handling this on your own with her tomorrow, you both need proper rest,” she then turned to the minimalist bunk and scrunched her nose at it, “and while I understand that sometimes a simple cot is all we can afford to have, I’ll not let a best friend sleep in a place like this when we have far more supportive and restful bedding back at the castle.” Turning her head to glance at me again, Twilight gestured with her hand to the portal. “Go on. I have to get back to Canterlot to rearrange things for tomorrow. Expect another event next week to make up for this, and prepare for a lot of sour looks in your direction.”

Looking down at Rainbow Dash, and remembering why she was so broken up, I nodded firmly. “It’s worth it.” Looking back to Twilight as I gently stood, carrying Rainbow Dash bridal-style, I carefully asked, “What are we gonna do about Scootaloo? I don’t want to see her left alone in this.”

Twilight frowned and glanced away, clearly as unhappy about the situation as I was. “I have a plan in mind, and we’ll discuss it, but after you and Rainbow complete your task. Scootaloo doesn’t know what happened yet, and she doesn’t need to until you have some sort of closure ready for her.” Closing her eyes, Twilight let a single, crystalline tear fall to the carpeted floor under her hooves. “The poor mare deserves to be able to see proof of what happened, so she doesn’t spend the next decade holding out hope that a miracle will appear on her doorstep. We all know what that did to Applejack and Big Mac, so we need to make sure Scootaloo is able to properly grieve.”

I took a steadying breath before stepping toward the portal and through it, slightly disoriented by how seamless the transition was -- we had traveled the equivalent of nearly a hundred miles instantaneously, and not for the first time, I found myself completely in awe of Twilight’s power. Starlight arrived behind me, followed by Twilight herself, and the portal snapped shut behind us as if it had never been there in the first place.

Twilight lit her horn and gently levitated Rainbow Dash from my arms, nodding her head toward the doorway. “Starlight and I will get Rainbow cleaned up and ready for bed. As close as the two of you are, it still wouldn’t be appropriate if-”

I waved my hand. “She’s still a mare, and not my mate. I got it, and it’s fine.” I shooed them away with both hands. “Go ahead and get her ready. I’ll make sure everything in here is ready when you girls are done, so take good care of her.”

Twilight nodded to me, wasting no further time as she marched with Starlight through my door, presumably to the bathroom. I quickly cleaned up my room, picking up stray clothes and tossing them into the laundry basket, making the bed properly, and opening the windows to swap out with some fresh air before closing them once again. It was still only mid-afternoon, which was far earlier than I normally went to bed, but if Rainbow Dash and I were going to get all the way to the mountains of Griffinstone by the morning, we would need to go to bed so we could also get up early.

With a quick tidying up of the room done, I removed my clothes and tossed them expertly into the laundry hamper, pulling on a pajama top and bottom to keep myself decent, since I would have Rainbow Dash sleeping next to me (I normally slept only in underwear around my herd, but Rainbow Dash was just a friend, so I wasn’t going to make things weird for her). With all that done, I pulled back the bedding and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently for Twilight and Starlight to return with Rainbow Dash.

I wasn’t sure exactly how much time had passed, but the next thing I knew, my door opened once again to allow entry to the three mares. Rainbow Dash clearly must have been exhausted, since she appeared to still be in a deep sleep. Her coat was clean and fluffy, her mane silky and well-brushed, and she looked downright adorable in the loaned set of pajamas Twilight had dressed her in, the black and violet silk contrasting her vibrant coloration. The two mares gently laid the third on the right side of my bed, and I stood to greet them as they tucked her in.

“How was it?” I asked, wondering if anything had happened since they had taken her.

Despite the situation, Twilight smiled down at her sleeping friend, gently smoothing her fingertips over the pegasus’ cheek. “Not so much as a twitch. If I had to bet, I would put my bits on her having gone days without sleep.” As she continued to brush her fingers over Rainbow Dash’s face, her smile slowly dropped into a sad frown. “Oh Rainbow...I wish you would tell us these things.” Retracting her hand and directing her eyes toward me, Twilight nodded with a determined look. “You know Rainbow as well as the rest of us, so you know she won’t feel comfortable around too many others in this vulnerable state -- she’ll think we’re pitying her. It would be best if you were the only one here tonight, so she doesn’t feel confined.”

While normally the logic would seem backwards -- a single mare, alone, in a male’s bed? -- I knew Twilight was right about how Rainbow Dash would react to her and Starlight also being in the room. Nodding slowly, I gave a hug and whispered “thanks” to Starlight, followed by a hug and a kiss to Twilight, watching as the two mares left my room and closed the door behind them. With the heavy curtains on my windows, the room was nearly completely dark without the light on, with only small, orange slivers of light penetrating the curtains. Knowing I would need my rest, I ignored the early hour and laid down on my own pillow to go to sleep.

Before I could fall asleep, however, I turned my head to look one more time at Rainbow Dash. As Twilight did, I reached over and smoothed my fingers along her cheek, wishing I could fix all of this. For now, though, giving the mare a friendly presence and a comfortable bed to sleep in would be enough, and the following day I would be helping her accomplish what she had set out to do.

As I closed my eyes, I sent a silent prayer to the Creator. “Faust, if you’re listening, please watch over us.” And even though I wasn’t sure if Luna could hear me, I still sent one to her as well. “Lu, please let Rainbow get a nightmare-free sleep tonight. Watch over her dreams, and let her recuperate from what she’s put herself through.”

With those last thoughts, I turned on my side, facing the edge of my side of the bed, and tried to let myself slip off into slumber. Thankfully, be it my resolve or the help of a certain night princess, I felt the land of dreams welcoming with open arms, and I quickly slipped away into a restful night’s sleep.

Chapter 17

Author's Notes:

A comparatively short chapter that's mainly to bridge the next leg of the story, which will deal in heartache, loss, the grieving process, and how strife affects relationships. Read and enjoy, and please point out any mistakes you come across.

[Edit] I completely forgot that Scootaloo's parents have been revealed in the canon, so I've changed their names and descriptions to match.

Rainbow Dash and I had awoken together hours before the sun rose, and with only a brief explanation of what happened the previous night, we gathered supplies before leaving for the unnamed town that was the site of a landslide. While Rainbow Dash had tried to dissuade me from going with her (she tried to reason that I wasn’t part of the Volunteer Rescue Squad), I could tell from the expression on her face and the sparkle in her eyes that she was grateful I was helping her. Other than that, the flight was long and quiet, and the unremarkable landscape of peaks and valleys didn’t distract from the quiet that surrounded us. It worried me; I was used to Rainbow Dash being so vibrant, boisterous, and playful, that seeing her so reserved and quiet seemed off-putting in a way I can’t really explain.

The good news is that, with such a distance, I had the room and enough empty air to build up to a speedy cruising velocity, so it only took us an hour of flying to reach our destination. What I discovered upon our arrival was every bit as bad as Rainbow Dash had made it sound: the land was seismically active, and it appeared many small earthquakes over the years had shaken loose an entire side of a mountain, which had collapsed on the innocent town in its shadow. Only a smattering of several buildings had escaped the devastation, while the other 80% of the town had been buried under tens of thousands of tons of dirt, rock, and snow. Looking at it from the perspective of a first-responder, I now understood why they referred to the ones who immediately perished as the lucky ones, since the rest were doomed to slowly suffocate or freeze to death, most without any hope of salvation.

Pushing the detrimental thoughts from my mind, I turned my attention to the cyan pegasus hovering next to me. “So, where to, boss?”

Rainbow Dash tossed a look my way before reaching into the small pack on her hip and pulling out a folded sheet of paper. Unfolding it revealed a grid of the local area, and she pointed to an unshaded area. “Here. We’ve been working through the area piece by piece with two teams:” she pointed to the shaded areas -- one building from the bottom, while the other built from the top, “one starting from the north and moving south, the other starting south and moving north. We’ll eventually meet in the middle, but there’s a lot of ground to dig up before then.” She folded the paper again before shooting me a glance. “Is there anything special you can do to help?”

I nodded before closing my eyes and consciously focusing on the protective instinct within me, and focusing it toward Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. With the days of practice I had spent on this very thing, the change came easy to me, and I felt my clothes stretching a bit as I grew in size. After a few seconds, I released the “active” desire, and instead let the feeling simmer beneath the surface to keep my growth stable as I opened my eyes. I was now around three feet taller than I had been, and the rest of my body had grown proportionally to match.

Cracking my neck from side to side, I answered, “One guy able to lift what would normally take four or five should be some help, I think. I’ll stick to you, so you just lead me where I’m needed most.”

Rainbow Dash was staring up at me in awe, her mouth opened slightly as she seemed to try and do her best to comprehend what just happened. Eventually, she shook her head hard and commented, “Right, I’ll ask you about that later. Right now, we got work to do. C’mon, I’ll show you where we’re gonna be working.”

We wheeled in the air before slowly descending toward a portion of the area that, frankly, looked like the rest of it; I could only assume that Rainbow Dash knew where to look simply because she had spent so much time here. The ponies already working in the area gave her greetings and waves, but nearly fainted in shock when they saw me. I just barely kept the irritated growl in check by reminding myself that I was essentially twice as tall as most of them, and I hadn’t exactly gone through the official channels to get here. With that being the case, I just followed Rainbow Dash’s lead as she began pointing out areas to start digging, or toward large pieces of rubble that needed to be moved. I pointedly ignored the sight of a sizable stack of large, black body bags that we would likely be using.

To my endless discomfort, we ended up using them quite soon.

With my strength, we were progressing much faster than the ponies had been, and we quickly began to uncover bodies in varying states. I’ll admit, I chose to ignore them, letting the other responders tend to the dead, as I knew I would not be able to handle it myself -- just seeing them for fleeting moments was enough to send tremors up my spine, and start my gut roiling with an ill feeling.

Rainbow Dash was professional and efficient, and the ease with which she recovered the deceased, took notes on their appearance, and bagged them, was practiced in such a way that I could only imagine she had been doing this all week. My heart broke for her, and I wanted to hug her until that haunted, defeated look in her eyes calmed, but we still had a job to do, and...Scootaloo was counting on us, even though she didn’t know it.

To keep my composure, I ignored everything but the job, focusing completely at the task at hand, and Rainbow Dash’s commands as I continued digging and hefting boulders and chunks of rock and rubble sometimes weighing over a ton. My arms felt warm from the exertion, my chest and heart working hard to ensure I could continue to lend my assistance, but my mind was completely focused only on the job itself. I couldn’t think too hard about why I was doing this, and what we were digging for, or else I would start crying. I couldn’t do that, though; both Rainbow Dash and these volunteers were counting on me to help, so I was going to ensure I didn’t let them down.

It was midday, and even though the sky was clear and the sun directly overhead, the cold winds of the mountains still chilled the ponies to the bone. I was fine, of course (and I imagined some of the ponies were jealous that I was perfectly comfortable in this weather), but was still dirty and dusty from digging through the remains of what was once a town. The team that had been on scene when we started, which included Rainbow Dash and I, were now taking a break to rest and refuel with some lunch before we got back to work. I had unpacked the food I had brought with me, so Rainbow Dash and I enjoyed a simple meal of cucumber, tomato, and havarti cheese sandwiches, with apple juice. No words were spoken between us, and the mood was somber, but I could practically feel the determination radiating off of Rainbow Dash. I admired that drive to do what was right, but at the same time I found myself worrying for her emotional state; there was no denying that the days, weeks, and months following would be hard for everyone, and I worried that Rainbow Dash was going to shut herself off like she usually did. It was no secret that she didn’t like appearing weak or vulnerable in front of others, even her closest friends, so I was going to make sure I kept a sharp eye on her.

I was startled out of my internal musings by the feeling of a weight settling against me, and I looked to see Rainbow Dash leaning against my side as she continued eating her food. With my current size, she only made it up to my middle abdomen, and it would be impossible to wrap an arm around her like I normally would. Instead, I coiled my tail around her rump almost possessively, and shielded her from the air with one of my large wings. The other ponies watching us gave questioning glances, but Rainbow Dash either didn’t notice or didn’t care, and I was of the same mind. The others around us were colleagues, not friends, so I wasn’t going to waste time explaining the complexities of our relationship to ponies I likely wasn’t going to see again.

Rainbow Dash finished her second sandwich shortly after (and me, my sixth), so we both stood and stretched briefly before taking flight to make our way back to our assigned grid. Upon landing, Rainbow Dash took her notepad out of her hip pouch and began reading over the notes she had taken. Glancing from the area to her notes and back a few times, she eventually pointed to a half-buried church-like building, and gave the order to start digging.

I wasted no time in carefully excavating the area, hauling huge chunks of earth and rubble out of the way as I tried my best to keep the area stable so as to avoid a collapse. It didn’t take long to get through the top layer, which opened up the area to where I could see the street that underlaid the destruction. I wasn’t at all surprised when I found no bodies, since nearly all of the victims we had found had been earth ponies or unicorns inside of buildings, so I prepared myself for a grisly find I would likely discover upon opening the building.

“Spike,” Rainbow Dash began, though I didn’t turn around to look at her, “...I just want to say thanks for this. You didn’t have to be here.”

Though she couldn’t see it, I found a ghost of a smile upon my face. “No, I didn’t have to, but you needed me. You’ve always said you would never leave your friends hanging, and I’ve always thought it would only be fair if someone was there for you that way. You’ve done more for us all than anyone can rightly ask for, so I’m just doing what any good friend would do in return.”

“Yeah, I know,” she muttered, seemingly trying to make my actions out to be more than they were, “but I still appreciate it. We haven’t always said thanks for the stuff you do for us, and I just thought it’d be nice if I did.”

My smile widened just a bit, and I nodded with a grunt as I lifted a particularly large stone out of the way, exposing the side of the buried structure. “Well I appreciate your appreciation, and thank you for your thanks.” I tossed a smirk over my shoulder at her as I motioned to the building. “Anyway, I think I’ll need your help here. I’m sure you know what we’ll probably find.”

Rainbow Dash returned my smirk with one of her own before her lips settled into a flat line and she let out a sigh as she trotted over to me. “Right, let’s do this then.” She slid down the small slope made by my digging, and made her way into the rubble of the building itself, beginning her search as I watched from above. Since the area I’d dug out was too small for me, I was on watch duty, and kept a sharp eye alert for any shifting of the debris and rubble.

It only took a few seconds before Rainbow Dash called out, “Spike...we found them.”

I looked around the entrance I’d made and started gently moving more of the rubble away, trying to make a space for me without causing the entire thing to fall down on top of Rainbow Dash. Every shift and crumbling of stone caused my heart to leap into my throat and I held my breath as I kept moving rubble, until eventually, there was a space big enough for me. I carefully squeezed through the new opening I’d made, and entered the interior of the destroyed building.

True to my assumptions, it was a church of some kind, complete with an altar and pews. Rainbow Dash was stood at the other end of the room, looking down at a destroyed portion of the wall where the initial landslide had crashed through. Moving closer, I took my first good look at two pony bodies, the only focused observation of victims I had taken all day. On the left was a brown-furred, purple-maned stallion, his eyes shut and his face twisted in a grimace -- part of the collapsed roof lay on top of him, and if he hadn’t died from internal injuries, he had likely suffocated from being unable to take a breath. Next to him was a pink mare, with a dual-hued golden mane, whose eyes were shut peacefully as she lay on her side, completely unharmed save for some glass cuts on her arms and cheek.

They were holding hands, unwilling to let go even in death.

A strangled cry came from Rainbow Dash, and I felt my own throat quiver as I suppressed a sob of my own, but we still had work to do. Slowly, so as to not disturb the fragile equilibrium of the rubble around and above us, I strained and lifted the giant chunk of stonework off of the stallion, carefully moving it off to the side. Rainbow Dash composed herself and moved the smaller bits of debris away from the stallion, uncovering the couple completely for the first time. She knelt close, and began taking notes on what she had found, including the state of the body, how we had found them, and where, before standing and letting out a shuddering sigh.

“There…” she paused, swallowing hard, “there was nothing wrong with her.” She sniffled as she furiously rubbed tears away. “T-there was nothing wrong with her! I-if only we’d looked here sooner, we could have gotten her out alive! Instead, Allgood froze to death next to her dead or dying husband, knowing t-there was nothing she could do to survive! I-it’s not fair! IT’S NOT FAIR!”

With that anguished shout, Rainbow Dash repeatedly slammed her fists into the wrecked wall, screaming with each punch, tears streaming from her eyes. Before I could shake myself out of my shock and stop her, an ominous rumbling from above gave only a moment’s warning before the rest of the wall and the ceiling began to collapse, and I acted without thinking, tackling Rainbow Dash as I tucked her in my wings and threw us to the floor. If I hadn’t been a good deal larger than I normally was, the chunks of rock and rubble would have killed me, but the pain was still enough to cause me to grunt and groan.

Once the dust settled, I opened my eyes and looked around, finding us in a tiny space created by my own body and the unsteady settling of debris above us. I was pleased that I hadn’t been crushed by the weight, but the way the collapse had trapped us meant I wouldn’t be able to get us out. I quickly took stock of the situation, and was glad to find that save for a few new bruises and maybe a strained wing joint, I was uninjured, but our current position would not give me the leverage to escape. Rainbow Dash was virtually unharmed, and other than the uncomfortable situation of being in a small, enclosed space, she was otherwise fine. Since she was laying on her back, however, this put us face to face, and I could clearly see the tracks of tears even in the dim light.

“Dash! Dash, are you okay?!”

The other volunteers moved fast, and I felt calmed by their presence. Offering a short, “We’re okay,” I looked back to Rainbow Dash and did my best to shift into a more comfortable position, but was largely unable to do so due to the confined space; as it was, I was practically laying on top of Rainbow Dash, with my legs off to the side, and my wings were caught underneath her. Save for some minor shifting, we were essentially immobilized until the others dug us out.

“I feel like I should make a joke about you looming over me,” Rainbow Dash muttered, her tone flat and lifeless, “but I’m just not feeling up to it right now.”

I snorted softly at the ridiculousness of her comment, given the mood and situation. “Maybe something about a wild dragon boy taking advantage of a mare when she’s in a vulnerable state, and how I should be ashamed of myself for it.”

Rainbow Dash smiled slightly, but it was clear neither of us were in a particularly joking mood. Still, our banter felt comfortable and familiar, and it did wonders to keep us both calm while buried under a ton of dirt and rock. I knew for a fact that Rainbow Dash was claustrophobic, and while I didn’t share her phobia, I didn’t particularly like being buried alive. We both knew our words were mostly an effort to distract and calm the one between the two of us that could potentially freak out, but we didn’t mention it to each other.

“You’re really warm.”

I opened my eyes again, having closed them to keep the lingering dust out, and noticed Rainbow Dash laying there calmly, her own eyes closed as she was apparently focusing on remaining in a calm state of mind.

I shrugged as much as I was able. “Dragons run hot. I don’t feel temperature extremes all that much, but we give off a lot of heat due to the fact that we don’t have fur to insulate. If I were susceptible to the cold, I would be freezing right now; as it is, you won’t be freezing with me around.”

Snorting softly to hold in a laugh, Rainbow Dash just shook her head. “I guess I need to get myself a dragon assistant like Twilight, then. Maybe once you and Ember have a few little whelps of your own, I can have one to keep me warm.”

Even though she couldn’t see it, and though I knew she was joking, I still squinted hard at her. “Dragons aren’t puppies, Dash. Besides that, I couldn’t stand on clouds until my wings came in.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t get all stuttery and blushing like you normally do,” she quipped, smirking with her eyes still closed.

I thought about it, and she was right. Mostly though, it was, “Because...I can see Ember and I getting to that point one day. The way we got together wasn’t ideal -- hay, it’s downright strange, considering what’s considered ‘normal’ -- but it’s working, and we compliment each other’s personalities very well. I might not have felt the whole ‘love at first sight’ thing with her like I did Rarity, but I’m,” I swallowed as I struggled to properly translate my feelings into words, “...I-I’m really starting to fall for her, hard. I already cared about her, and everything that’s happened since the whole dragoness incident has built off of that. She’s funny, and confident, and cute, and-”

“All right, I get it. Enough with the mush,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, mocking up a look of revulsion at my words. She went silent for a few moments before she mumbled, “...never thought I’d hear you talking about starting a family, though.”

Again I shrugged, shifting myself a bit to take some of the weight off of my right arm, which was starting to go numb. “I never really had the choice to have that wish, until recently. Without some kind of magic I’ve never heard of, I can’t have a family with a pony. I could marry Twilight, Rarity, Lyla, or all three, but I could never father children with them. I won’t lie and say it isn’t something I’ve wondered about from time to time, but there was no point wishing for an impossibility. But then, Ember came into my life.” I found myself smiling at the thought that, someday in the future, I would become a father to children of my own flesh and blood. It brought a unique warmth to my chest that I’d never felt before, and I couldn’t stop the smile that crossed my lips.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes finally, staring directly at me for a few silent heartbeats, before she gave a smirk and a single laugh. “I think you’ll be a fun dad, Spike. Goofy, but fun.”

Smiling right back, I replied, “As long as I’m a good dad, I’ll be fine with that.”

Rainbow Dash’s smile slowly fell away as she looked off to the side, where a certain pink feather could be seen sticking out of a pile of rubble. I tried not to squirm at the thought of what had happened to the remains of the two ponies we had found, but Rainbow Dash was going to bring them to mind anyway. “Speaking of parents...what are we gonna do about Scootaloo?”

“We’re not gonna think about that right now,” I ordered, closing my eyes and shaking my head. “We’re going to take this whole thing one step at a time, which means excavating these two poor ponies, and getting them back to Ponyville for a young mare that’s going to be devastated. I have no idea what we’re going to do and I can’t think about it right now, because if I do, I’m just going to start panicking. We’re going to handle each part of this situation as it comes at us, and that’s all we can do. We’ll tackle this thing head on, but until we get to it, we’re not going to drive ourselves crazy thinking about it.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes lowered to her chest as she seemed to think. She eventually looked back to me and seemed unsure as she asked, “How do you destroy somepony’s world without hurting them?”

Yet again, Rainbow Dash was going to ignore my advice and keep worrying about this, and I had no choice but to support my friend, even though it was going to hurt me too. Just thinking about her question caused my heart to hurt, and an odd, sick feeling to rise in my stomach as I forced out, “You can’t. No matter what we do, no matter how you say it, she’s going to be hurt. Two pillars of a young mare’s life are gone, and there’s nothing that’s going to fix that. All we can do is support her in her time of grief, and be there to help heal the wound it will leave on her heart.” Hardening my face, bringing to mind some talks I had with the Two Sisters about loss, I advised, “There’s no getting around the fact that this is going to leave a scar in Scootaloo’s life. Our job is to make sure the scar eventually fades, and that it doesn’t result in self-destructive behavior. That’s all any of us can do, and it’s not going to be quick; grief of this scale can take years to recover from, so going into this, we all have to keep in mind that this will be a marathon, not a sprint.”

Rainbow Dash’s face twisted in a grimace. “I’m not good at marathons.”

“You never had a reason to be before,” I soothed, rubbing a hand along her shoulder as I gave her an encouraging smile, “but you have a good reason to become good. Her name is Scootaloo, and I know you would do anything for that little pegasus.”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off as the rubble above us began shifting around, and we could hear the other ponies talking to each other. We held our collective breath for a few seconds, and were relieved when a final chunk of the building was lifted away from my back, exposing us to the fresh air once more. One of the stallions reached down and pulled me to stand, and I pulled Rainbow Dash with me as we were carefully lifted out of the hole. I was mildly amused it took four ponies just to lift the two of us, but held my laughter as I instead gave a grateful smile to our saviors.

Rainbow Dash wasted no time in pointing next to where we had been trapped, ordering, “C’mon, we gotta start digging. We found two victims, and…” she went silent her words began cracking from emotion.

“We found who she was looking for.” I finished, gesturing with a hand toward the nearby pile of rubble and debris. “Get over here and help me dig them out.”

With me and nine other ponies focusing on one area, it took practically no time at all to uncover the deceased bodies of Mane Allgood and Snap Shutter, and though the sight still made my stomach churn a bit, I was simultaneously relieved that, at long last, Rainbow Dash would be coming home. Compelled by her duty, though, Rainbow Dash took out her notebook once more to add more details, specifically, the fact that further damage to the bodies had been suffered due to the collapse of their temporary resting place. She left out the fact that she had inadvertently caused the collapse, but I wasn’t going to give her grief for it.

Rainbow Dash took her time, carefully pulling the bodies onto stable ground before slipping each one into its own black bag, and zipping it up. After doing so, she stood and stared down at the two bags -- even though they looked exactly the same as all the rest we had used all day, we both knew these two were special, and the grief they would bring wasn’t over yet.

“Well, I guess you’ll be heading off then?” one of the volunteers asked, the mare sounding disappointed, but understanding.

Rainbow Dash turned to the mare and shook her head. “No. Today will be my last day before rotating home, but I’m not going to skip out early on a day of work. C’mon ponies, we still have work to do.” As the ponies began to disperse to their designated areas, Rainbow Dash glanced to me with a hopeful expression.

I gave a somber smile and shook my head. “I’m not going anywhere, Dash. Where you go, I go.”

Though the mood was still depressing, the fragile smile she gave brought just a little more light to the day.

Evening had fallen hours ago, and we were just approaching the outskirts of Ponyville. The day had been long, and I was aching all over due to slightly overexerting myself, but we had accomplished what we set out to do, and that would be enough. As it was, though, Rainbow Dash was forced to follow me closely, since the new moon didn’t give any light for her eyes to see by, and so she had to rely on my superior night vision.

Flying over the castle, I dove toward the balcony closest to us, which was the one that led to the commons room. I opened the door quietly, not wanting to wake Twilight or any of the others, allowing Rainbow Dash to enter before I did. After closing the door behind us and creeping inside, I motioned to the stairs and nudged the pegasus in that direction.

“You shower first, and then head to Twi’s room. After I’m done, I’ll meet you there,” I whispered, setting my bag down by the door to be dealt with in the morning. Rainbow Dash offered no resistance, following my request without question, clearly too tired to argue or say more than a subdued “okay”.

I watched Rainbow Dash climb the spiral stairs toward the private apartments until she disappeared to the upper floors, then released a long, tired sigh as I slumped to the ground. I was tired -- exhausted, actually -- so I was happy to know that it would take a few days to transport the bodies back to Ponyville. The day itself had been draining enough, so I was going to need the next few days to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for what was to come.

“Spike.”

Normally, the voice would have startled me enough to quite literally jump into the air, but as it was, I was too tired to do anything resembling that. Instead, I simply turned to Twilight and nodded to her. “We did it.”

She stepped forward with her arms open, causing the silky robe to open and show she was wearing nothing other than underwear. I smiled and prepared to embrace her, only for Twilight to scrunch up her nose and step away with a sheepish smile. “Er...after you get a shower.”

I chuckled tiredly and nodded. “Yeah. I’ll meet you in your room, then. Dash is staying the night, too.”

Twilight nodded with a soft smile. “I’ll make sure she settles in and gets some rest. Ember is waiting for you in your room, by the way. She said she wanted to talk to you privately whenever you got back.”

I watched Twilight walk away for a moment before heaving a tired sigh and following behind her up the spiral stairs. Normally, the sight of the playfully bouncing, pink-striped tail would cause a rush of warmth to flow through me, but all I wanted at the moment was to hug her and fall asleep, so lust wasn’t something I was capable of at the moment. I reminded myself (and mentally assured my aching body) that after a shower and a change of clothes, I could finally call it a night and get some well-deserved rest. Rainbow Dash was still washing, however, so I would kill some time by going to see what Ember wanted.

When we reached the top of the stairs, Twilight broke off toward her room, and I headed toward mine, where a certain blue dragoness awaited. I’ll admit, my gait was definitely more of a “trudge” than a “walk” at this point of the day, but I still made it to my room with little trouble, and entered without hesitation. Without even greeting the dragoness currently reclined on my bed, I removed all of my clothes, including my underwear, and then toppled face down onto the bedspread. The neat-freak in me was screaming at the fact I was probably soiling the bedspread, but I was beyond caring by that point.

“Long day?”

I grunted and let out a long sigh. Turning my head to the side, I answered, “Spent all day digging through a few dozen tons of earth and the remains of a town, looking for bodies. I’ve seen more dead bodies today than I ever needed to. At least I know that being a mortician or undertaker is not for me.”

I felt as a clawed hand settled on the side of my head, and I was too exhausted to even open my eyes at the moment. “Are you gonna be okay? I know that can’t have been easy; even dragons feel uncomfortable around dead bodies.”

Frowning, I mumbled, “I had the easy job, frankly. I was mostly just a glorified digger, while Dash was the one handling all the bodies. Still, I had to see them, and that’s…” I shivered a bit, and it certainly wasn’t because I felt cold. Taking a moment to calm myself, I opened my eyes to find Ember’s crimson eyes glowing in the dark room, gazing at me with stark concern. “I’ll be okay, I promise. I’m mostly just tired, so I need a shower, and then some sleep.”

Ember briefly glanced away before suggesting, “If you’re that out of it, we can put off your training until-”

I shook my head and raised a sore arm to place my own hand over the one of hers that was still on my head. “No, I don’t want idle time. We’ll keep going as normal. On the bright side, I was able to alter my size pretty easily, and as you can see, I’m back to normal.”

“How much did you grow?” she asked, looking genuinely surprised.

I thought back to how tall I had been compared to Rainbow Dash when I grew, then did a quick estimate based on how tall she normally was when I looked at her. “Three or four feet, I think. I still ache all over from the change, and I was ravenous with hunger, but the change is a lot easier since we’ve been practicing. Still, I felt like a glutton when I cleaned out a market stall on the way home.”

Ember chuckled softly. “The energy has to come from somewhere, Spike. A bigger body uses more energy, and the change itself is taxing all on its own. You’ll adjust, with time. I’m actually impressed you were able to pull off the change so easily, though.”

“I had good reason to do it, other than simply ‘practice’ like the other times I’ve done it,” I returned, secretly a bit giddy that Ember was proud of me. “You taught me that willpower was extremely important, since it would allow me to channel my emotions more effectively, without them overwhelming me. Well, for the first time, I had a real, important reason to do it, so it came a lot easier for me.”

Ember smiled softly, flipping her hand around in mine to lace her fingers with my own. “A dragon will do anything to ensure what they treasure is secure and protected. Your situation is unique, and you keep surprising me with what you’re capable of when one of your friends is involved.” She snorted with amusement. “I wonder if you’ll be able to best me one day.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I shyly mumbled, blushing a little bit at the praise. “Compared to you, I’m still just some dumb kid that doesn’t know anything.”

“Ignorance isn’t the same as the lack of intelligence,” Ember retorted, sounding suitably disappointed with my words. “You’re anything but dumb, Spike, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t refer to my mate that way.”

Her tone was actually defensive, and even a little upset at my words, so I felt myself shrink a bit at the admonishment. “...sorry. It’s just...that’s how I feel around you sometimes. I know I’m learning, but here I am, a dragon, having to be taught how to be a dragon.”

Ember smiled down at me again, shaking her head. “If there’s anything you’ve definitely proven, it’s that there’s no one way to ‘be a dragon’. All I’m teaching you is the things that are nature instead of nurture -- things you need to know about and understand, because even though you were raised with ponies, these things will still affect you.” She then shifted a bit, glancing away as her own bout of shyness caught up. “Besides...I like that you aren’t like other dragons; I like you the way you are, and I don’t want you to try and be like the other young, male dragons I know.” She then spun around on her rump with her back facing me before reclining again, laying herself over my back. “Anyhow, what I wanted to ask you is if, after I’ve finished your re-education, you would visit the dragon lands with me. I’d…” she went silent for a moment, and I felt her wings twitch against my own, “I want to introduce you to my parents -- this time, as my mate. Dad especially wants to see what you’ve become over the years.”

At the mention of Ember’s parents, I couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious. “I don’t expect he’ll be too impressed. Among certain ponies, I’m seen as a hero, but I don’t imagine dragons have as positive of an opinion of me.”

“Not all of them are like those adolescents you met years ago,” Ember assured, running a curled digit over my cheek affectionately. “The elder dragons, like my parents, will respect your courage and intelligence, even if they don’t understand pony customs. I’m confident you’ll be just fine.”

Well, when it came down to it, Ember did know the dragons of the homeland better than I did, so I would have to defer to her judgement of them. Speaking of the other dragons, however…

“Did you ever find out who that dragoness was?” I asked, mentioning the issue for the first time in over a month.

Perking up, Ember turned on her side to look at me. “Oh, yes I did. Sorry I didn’t tell you, but I’ve been...distracted.”

Knowing it was a compliment, I just smiled and nodded. “It’s cool. So, who is it?”

Ember’s expression fell into something a bit sour as she practically hissed, “Sapphira.”

Raising my brow, I deduced, “I get the feeling you didn’t like her even before she tried to abduct me.”

Ember gave a stern nod, still frowning from the mention of the dragoness. “You guess right. She’s from an old clan, older than my clan by a few centuries, but Sapphira herself is only a few decades older than us -- which, considering the lifespan of dragons, is practically nothing. She was the last one to win the Gauntlet of Fire before you, though there’s been rumors she cheated by bypassing most of the event. It’s never been proven, and there were no eyewitnesses, but her position as dragon lord has been contested a few times. She’s not well-liked outside of her clan, but don’t mistake that for weakness; she’s very powerful, and honestly, the only reason you overpowered her was because you caught her off-guard, and had the help of Lyla.”

Nodding slowly once, I let a breath out of my nose. “I told you what the royal family wants to do because of her, but I really don’t want to cause problems for you. Any ideas how to go about this?”

“Her clan isn’t going to surrender her,” Ember bluntly stated, shaking her head gently. “She’s not exactly popular among the clans, but each clan generally keeps to itself unless something like the Tirek event happens. You won’t be getting any help from them, and marching into the dragon lands armed is going to make dragons anxious, and possibly hostile.”

I groaned and slowly moved my hand up, rubbing the bridge of my nose with two fingers as I tried to fight off the headache that was starting to build. “Great, so this is going to be difficult no matter what.”

“However,” Ember began, reaching down and again taking my hand with her own, “since we’re mated, you are unofficially a part of my clan, and are under my protection. I can’t directly help you, but I can ensure the Narrowscale clan doesn’t get involved. This is counted under the Retribution Clause of the old laws, and a representative of the wronged group -- or nation -- is allowed to reclaim their honor by demanding a duel with the dragon that committed the wrongdoing.”

My eyes widened at the information, and I found myself becoming a bit more hopeful. “Oh, really now?”

Ember nodded before turning her eyes back to the ceiling. “I’m betting she was counting on you not knowing about it, since the Retribution Clause has to be specifically mentioned by you for it to be valid. You have to announce, and I’m quoting, that she ‘has disgraced me and herself through dishonorable actions, and I come for the return of my honor.’ Those are the exact words of the old texts -- translated, of course, but they will be enough to ensure you are given your chance. If she is beaten, her life is essentially in the hands of the combatant that defeated her. You have the choice to fight her yourself, of course, but a proxy would be accepted, so long as the one fighting for you is related to you, and aware that their life is quite literally on the line.”

“What about Luna?” I asked directly.

Ember raised her own brow. “The princess of the night? That Luna? Why would she fight on your behalf?”

Grinning, I confirmed, “As the adopted son of Celestia-”

“She’s your kin,” Ember finished, her eyes widening in surprise. She held the look for a few moments of silence before she spoke again. “Well...there’s no rules against alicorns, mostly because no dragon ever expected a single pony to fight one of them.”

Smirking as a plan began to form, I nodded. “That’s good news. Luna was furious about what happened, and I imagine if I hadn’t been the one to drive Sapphira away, she would have gladly been the one to do so. I think it’ll be pretty easy to talk her into a duel.”

Ember pursed her lips for a moment before asking, “Exactly how strong is she?”

“Ancient sects used to worship her as the Shadow of War,” I explained, smiling wider at the shocked look my words produced. “While I don’t doubt the legends have been embellished over the many years she’s been alive, she knocked me out with a single punch when I was in my greed-grown form, and all she had to show for it was some raw knuckles. That’s not even taking into account the vast stores of magic she has access to, and the likely thousands of battle spells she’s had millennia to learn and perfect.”

Ember went silent again for a few moments before quietly replying, “Spike? If I ever start getting a big head for whatever reason, always remind me to never piss off your family.”

Before I could respond with a witty comment, the sound of the bathroom door opening and closing could be heard, so I groaned and nudged Ember off of me before pushing myself to stand. “All right, I’m gonna go clean myself. I’ll see you in a bit.” As I made my way to the dresser to get myself some clean nightwear, Ember was right beside me, which caused me to raise a curious brow.

She just grinned. “I’m gonna help you get clean. Splitting a job between two people makes it go faster, right?”

While Ember was practically always naked anyway, the thought of her washing me brought a flush to my face. Still, the suggestion sounded nice, so I just gave a goofy grin and a nod, and the two of us quickly made our way to the bathroom.

While intimate, there hadn’t been anything distinctly sexual about bathing with Ember, but I was definitely going to be asking her to join me from now on. Currently though, we were walking together toward Twilight’s room, with the dragoness leaning her head against me as she nuzzled my arm like a happy kitten. I promised myself I was going to do my very best to make sure Ember was happy from now on, because a happy Ember was an adorable Ember.

We arrived at the royal bedroom only a few minutes later, and Twilight was already waiting just outside in the hallway. She was still dressed only in underwear and a robe (which, by the way, was quite distracting), but now stared at a book in her hand while she, presumably, waited for us to arrive. Upon hearing the sound of our approach, her ears twitched from atop her head, and she glanced up at us with a smile.

Giving a rather salacious smirk, she teased, “Took you two long enough. If you really wanted some alone time, you could have just said so.”

While the comment brought a blush to me, Ember just continued walking, smirking as she returned, “If Spike and I had mated, the entire town would be banging on your door about the noise. You’d also need to repair or replace the whole bathroom.”

Twilight’s face began to flush as a faint pink became visible on her cheeks, and she turned away as she silently opened the door to the room. Ember followed the mare, retaining her victorious smirk, while I followed just behind, thoroughly embarrassed. To my surprise, Lyla was apparently joining us for the night, as she was settled behind the already-slumbering Rainbow Dash, holding the slightly smaller pegasus in her arms as she, herself, was drifting off to sleep. With that in mind, I took more careful steps to reduce the noise I made, and followed Ember and Twilight to the obnoxiously-large bed of the princess.

Twilight slid in next to the unoccupied side of Rainbow Dash, ensuring she didn’t wake the pegasus, while I took my place next to Twilight, and Ember occupied the remaining space closer to the edge of the bed. As had become normal recently, Ember carefully tucked her head underneath my chin, and wrapped her tail around my waist as she snuggled closer for warmth. Also like usual, I silently smiled at the cute display, and wrapped the dragoness in my arms as I closed my eyes for a good sleep. With the exhaustion of the day creeping up on me, and the presence of my friends and family around me, sleep came quickly, and I found myself drifting away before I knew it.

I found myself opening my eyes only a few moments later, to a vastly different visual. The landscape was blank white, as far as my eyes could see, but I wasn’t afraid or even particularly surprised. I had seen this very sight many times over the years, so I knew what it meant.

“Aunt Luna,” I greeted happily, turning around to meet the presence behind me.

The mare herself seemed to materialize out of thin air, quite suddenly appearing with no flash of light, no theatrical construction, or anything particularly flashy -- she was just suddenly...there. She dipped her head respectfully (respectful of me, the dreamer, not of a superior), and moved to embrace me in a hug.

“I heard what happened, Spike. I am so sorry,” she said, her tone showing true concern and sorrow.

Taking a deep breath of the familiar, comforting scent of the alicorn in my arms, I released the breath and nodded against her shoulder. “Thank you, Luna. It was hard, and there’s more hardship to come, but I’ll be okay. Thanks for coming to see me.” I pulled away from the embrace, holding the mare at arm’s length, as I asked, “How is Rainbow Dash?”

I was well aware that Luna could not tell me the contents of another’s dreams, but cluing me in on the emotional state of another wasn’t breaking any rules. With that in mind, Luna sighed heavily and shook her head. “She is not well, dear Spike. She tortures herself with blame, and fears what her young charge will say or do when she learns of the truth. I will do what I can to ease her suffering within the dreamscape, but she will need the support of her friends in the waking world. You and I both know the young mare has a tendency to isolate herself from others when in times of strife; you must not let this happen. Be assertive, and forceful if you must, but do not leave her to suffer alone. Promise me, Spike.”

“No offense meant, Auntie,” I began, “but I would do so anyway. She’s one of my closest friends, and I’m going to make sure she’s not alone.”

Searching my face for a few moments, Luna eventually relented with a smile. “Good. I have faith in you, and you must have faith in the bond the two of you share. The coming months will be difficult, but I am confident you can overcome them, together.”

I nodded to her before a thought struck me. “Oh, by the way, Ember told me how we can handle this whole thing with that dragoness -- her name’s Sapphira, by the way.”

Releasing me completely and tilting her head in interest, Luna nodded to me. “This is good news. What must we do?”

I couldn’t stop the grin from appearing on my face as I answered, “A duel. It can either be me, or a ‘champion’ I choose, and as far as Ember knows, there’s no rule about who I choose, so long as they’re kin. Legally…”

Slowly, an evil grin of her own appeared on Luna’s face. “I am your kin. Oh, this will be fun!”

“Now,” I interrupted, hand raised to stop her, “I have a feeling that the elder dragons might try to stop it, on the grounds that we’re not ‘true’ kin, seeing as how we’re not even the same species.”

“However,” Luna continued, poking me in the forehead with a finger, “because of how you were hatched, pony magic is forever a part of who you are, and that cannot be debated. Dragons impart some of their own magic through their flame to hatch their eggs, which does the same.”

I nodded firmly. “Exactly, and that can work in our favor. If I can get permission for a few journalists from Equestria to see the duel happen, I think that’ll be enough to appease the ponies making a fuss about all this, and we can wrap all of this up, once and for all.”

Tilting her head the other way, Luna looked me over before commenting, “For never being a part of diplomacy, you are rather shrewd. I look forward to how you will further grow and mature in the coming years.”

The praise caused me to flush with embarrassment. “Th-thanks, Aunt Luna.”

She gave a single nod to me. “Now, I have said what I came to say, so I must depart. I will impart to you sweet dreams for your service to those in need. Know that the families of those affected thank you, dear Spike.”

While it’s true I had been primarily focusing on Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo’s needs, it was also true that I had helped quite a bit up north, and other families were going to be grateful that the remains of their loved ones were recovered. Bowing my head respectfully, I humbly replied, “I’m glad that I was able to help. Goodnight, Princess.”

“Goodnight, Spike.”

With that, the world shifted as Luna disappeared, and a forest clearing appeared. The voices of my friends began to filter in, along with the sounds of a vibrant wooded area, and I looked around to find all my friends arrayed in a lazy group as we sat on a blanket for a picnic. The knowledge that this was a dream began to fade, so that I could fully enjoy it, but before it did, I sent a mental thanks to the night’s guardian.

Chapter 18

Since our return from the disaster site (which I had later learned was once called “Tselinoyarsk”), Rainbow Dash had never left my side for any significant length of time, and the haunted, depressed look in her eyes was reminiscent of Fluttershy immediately following the passing of her beloved pet. The difference between the two was that I wasn’t used to Rainbow Dash being so dependant on another (let alone me), which made the change in personality all the more severe. Ever the saint of a friend that she was, however, Twilight welcomed Rainbow Dash into our home with open arms, advising that the pegasus was welcome to call the castle home for as long as she wanted, and we would always be there for her.

Contrary to her normal demeanor, Rainbow Dash was quiet, almost skittish, and withdrawn, rarely speaking more than a few words at a time. Gone was the brash, confident pegasus that had been the self-appointed most awesome pony in the sky; what remained was a shell of one of my dear friends, and it broke my heart to see what this had done to her. I was suffering from my own form of trauma, but Rainbow Dash’s deep connection with the attribute of Loyalty made the whole incident hit her so much harder, since she felt like she had failed not only Scootaloo, but herself. What hurt the most was that nothing any of us said or did seemed to be convincing her that what happened was not her fault, and she had done the best anyone could have done in the situation.

In only a few days, Rainbow Dash had transformed into someone I barely recognized. She slept double the amount of time she usually did, and had I not left the bed myself, I was sure she would have remained holed up in a bedroom, unwilling to face the outside world. Rainbow Dash stopped caring about hygiene, so Lyla took it upon herself to ensure the pegasus was kept clean and somewhat put-together. There was little any of us could do to combat her lack of appetite though, as Rainbow Dash had gone from being able to out-eat anyone but Applejack, to barely choking down a few slices of toast and water per day. There was no doubting that Rainbow Dash was falling apart, and I found myself dreading the confrontation that would come with Scootaloo once the bodies of her parents were transported back to Ponyville. Twilight tried to stay positive, saying that maybe finally getting this trauma out of the way and addressing it with Scootaloo might actually help Rainbow Dash, but I’ll admit that I had my doubts.

A long time ago, when we were younger, Rainbow Dash had been convinced by Fluttershy to dress up with her for Nightmare Night as a puppy, and I had made the (admittedly crass) comment that I would love to have my own personal Rainbow Dash to take home. I remembered laughing as she spluttered and blushed hard enough that I thought she was going to pass out, and I teased her about it for weeks. Now though, having the more mature mare following me around at all hours, much like a meek puppy, I couldn’t help but pray to any diety that might be listening that the Rainbow Dash we loved would come back to us.

The only upside to the whole situation was that Ember was getting to know Rainbow Dash better, and I was able to know for sure that the mare herself was at least physically unharmed.

In other news, I was intentionally acting as if Rarity and I had never discussed the prospective members of my herd, namely Applejack and Fluttershy. It was too much to deal with at the moment, and besides the fact that Rainbow Dash was currently my primary focus, I didn’t know what I was going to say to the two mares. My mood had taken a hit from what Rainbow Dash and I had been through, and I was still stressed about the fact that Scootaloo was going to be receiving the worst news from the two of us within the next few days; I simply didn’t have it in me to confront Applejack and Fluttershy on the matter, nevermind that even in a calm state of mind, I had tried to avoid the issue. I knew eventually I would be forced to deal with it when one of them eventually came to me, but I was thankful that they seemed to know now wasn’t a good time for it, and they just did what they could to support Rainbow Dash.

Yes, I felt like a coward, and I kinda hated myself for it.

Other than all that, life proceeded as it normally did, including the rescheduling of my meeting with the higher-ups in Canterlot that had already been delayed once. Twilight had assured me that the nobles and privileged upper-class ponies I had snubbed were not happy, and I could expect sneers, glares, and backhanded comments when I got there, but I still had a week to prepare in light of recent events, so that would be good enough for me. Besides, compared to digging up dead bodies and breaking the news to one of my closest friends, dealing with a room full of pretentious, pompous, proud phony ponies would be foal’s play. That was not to say I was looking forward to it, but if I had to choose between telling Scootaloo her parents were dead or going to Canterlot, I would choose Canterlot in a heartbeat -- not that there really was a choice, since I was doing both, but...yeah.

Anyhow, my lessons with Ember had resumed, and within only two days, I had finished learning the basics of the language of dragons. I knew all the characters, as well as the variations, but while I was able to fairly easily begin experimenting using them as spells, speaking the words was another matter entirely. To properly speak the words as intended, I would have to use a special ability that dragon vocal chords had, which would allow me to project my voice in infrasound (a low frequency that most creatures couldn’t hear). To ponies, for example, the only indication I was speaking would be my lips moving, since their ears couldn’t detect it. Speaking the words, however, came with its own challenges, since I had never learned to or needed to speak in infrasound levels, so Ember had to teach me to do that, too.

I was racking up quite a large amount of favors I would owe her, to be sure.

Twilight quivered underneath me as I let my lips and tongue tease her neck and jawline. Heated pants and subdued moans spurred me on, as well as the intoxicatingly salty-sweet taste of her perspiration. I pressed her firmly against the bookcase, feeling her wings flutter under my chest as I continued to drag heated kisses and licks along her sensitive throat. I wasn’t sure how we had suddenly progressed to this when we were merely doing paperwork minutes earlier, but I certainly wasn’t complaining.

“S-Spike, I-I ~hah~”

Even through my heated mind, I found it amusing that books were falling to the ground -- something that would normally make Twilight freak -- but she didn’t even seem to care, at the moment. Twilight was too preoccupied to even think about books, and as she squirmed against me, her hot body rubbing sensually against my bare chest, her mewls of wordless pleasure made me feel pretty much the same.

“Hey Twilight, I- WOAH!”

The shout caused Twilight and I to jump in surprise, and I quickly pulled away as the alicorn did her best to compose herself and seem as if we had not just been on the verge of breaking the final barrier of intimacy, in the public wing of the library.

Starlight was standing in the doorway, her arm thrown over her eyes to cover them, as a bright blush lit her cheeks. “Are you guys decent yet? I can come back in an hour or two if-”

“W-we're fine, Starlight.” Twilight stuttered, sporting her own blush that was not completely from the heated session she and I just shared. Passing a sheen of magic over her entire body to remove the sweat and smooth the mussed fur, she straightened her blouse and skirt before shaking out her hair. “Sorry you had to see that. Was there something you needed?”

Starlight slowly lowered her arm, checking to be sure all was well, before crossing the room and handing a stack of papers to Twilight. “These are some proposals sent over by the Equestrian Preservation Committee, and I have a feeling they want them handled before you and Spike head to Canterlot in a few days. Also…” she jerked her head out the door while looking my way, “Rainbow’s waiting for you.”

The mention of the pegasus immediately spurred me into action, and I wasted no time in quickly snatching my shirt off the ground and pulling it on before heading out of the room with only a cursory wave to the two mares I left behind. I practically blazed down the corridors toward where I knew Rainbow Dash would be, nearly completely ignoring the work ponies Twilight had hired to prepare the castle for Hearth’s Warming. I knew I was going to have to apologize to a few of the hired workers, but at the moment, my mind was singularly focused on a certain rainbow-maned pegasus.

I burst into the private library, out of breath and frantically searching the room, only calming down when I located the pony I was looking for. Rainbow Dash was sprawled out on the well-loved sofa on her back, wings splayed haphazardly and an arm draped over her eyes, and if not for the twitching of her ears, I would think she was so mentally distant that she hadn’t even noticed my arrival. She didn’t move otherwise, however, and other than a change of clothes and brushed fur, it would be easy to imagine she hadn’t moved since I left her earlier in the day to run some errands. She didn’t question as I walked over and sat in the space near her hooves, and once I settled myself, she spun around and settled her head into my lap as she stared blankly at the ceiling, her chest gently rising and falling with her breathing. She was dressed in long flannel lounge pants, as well as the sports bra I had used to find her a few days prior. Despite her current state, I couldn’t help glancing at her toned abs and athletic body, immediately chastising myself for it, as had become commonplace lately due to how much time we had spent in close proximity.

There was no denying that Rainbow Dash, one of my best friends, was a gorgeous mare, and even though she’d never admit it (and probably never test it), she could easily make it as the centerfold of any fashion magazine, had her life strayed from athletics. Having such a beautiful mare so close to me, willingly seeking my presence, would normally be quite the ego boost, but the listless, sullen expression she wore just made it difficult to not coddle her (since, even in her current state of mind, I knew she’d hate that). Rainbow Dash was the kind of mare that would drag herself to work, no matter how tired or ill she was, rather than abandon her responsibilities. It was because of that strong work ethic that it was increasingly heartbreaking to watch her now, barely even existing. I couldn’t exactly kiss and hold her lovingly like I would Twilight or Lyla, and going to the spa definitely wasn’t on the table. Unfortunately, until she decided she wanted to pull herself up by the horseshoes and get back to normal life, all I could do was be there for her, and hope my presence was helping.

“The bodies arrived today,” she whispered, her tone bland and saddened.

Glancing down to Rainbow Dash, I raised a brow. “Oh...that’s good, right? We can finally stop avoiding Scoots, and we can get this whole thing out of the way.”

Rainbow Dash nodded slightly, but didn’t look at all happy about it. “...yeah, I guess. But now I have to destroy a little filly’s world. How am I supposed to do that and be able to look at myself in the mirror?”

While a part of me was happy -- this was the most she had spoken in the past few days -- my heart still felt heavy, because I didn’t have an answer for her. “I...I don’t know. I guess you just have to keep telling yourself that it wasn’t your fault, and that you know she’d rather hear the news from someone that loves her, instead of a guard or volunteer just doing their job. Maybe if you hear it from yourself enough, you’ll start to believe it.” I gently grasped her chin and pulled her face until she was looking at me. Focusing firmly on her eyes, I strongly reaffirmed that, “This was not your fault, Dash. I know you feel like you could have done more, or that you should have gone a few more days without sleep, or done something more than what you did, but what happened was a freak accident. Everyone that watched you -- me, the ponies around you, and probably even the gryphons in the mountains nearby -- would agree that you worked harder, and longer, than anyone else there. You did far more than your fair share, and no one in their right mind would say you didn’t do enough; you were practically killing yourself by taking all this on by yourself, and you still wanted to do more. You are a responsible, loyal, hardworking pony that would put herself through Tartarus just so someone you care about wouldn’t have to be hurt, and everyone knows it.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t give any indication that she even heard me, save for the fact that her ears were twitching, but her eyes became glassy as unshed tears gathered in them. She held my gaze for a few moments before clearing her throat and wiping a hand over her eyes and pulling herself to a sitting position. “Well, we should go do this before it gets too late in the day. Do me a favor and gather everyone so we can do this together; Scoots is gonna need the support, so I want everyone there. I’m gonna get another quick shower before we go, so I’ll meet you in the commons room.”

This was more life than I’d seen in her since we had left the disaster site, and it took me a few moments before I understood why: as a mare of action, if Rainbow Dash couldn’t do anything about a problem she came across, she felt helpless, and even worthless. Until the bodies arrived, she didn’t have the means to properly break the news to Scootaloo, so she had forced herself to wait, which wasn’t one of her strong points. Now that she could do something about the problem, it was as if new life had been injected directly into her veins, since she now had a purpose and plan of action.

Acting on an impulse, I grabbed Rainbow Dash’s hand before she could walk away, and pulled her into a hug. She jolted in surprise and was utterly stiff for a moment, seemingly unsure of what was happening, before I felt her body relax and she melted into my embrace. With my mouth next to her ear I whispered, “Hey, it’s going to be okay. Yes, it’s gonna be hard, and there’s gonna be crying, but everyone’s gonna be there for you and Scoots, and we’ll get through this. No matter what, you’re not alone.”

Rainbow Dash kept silent as she presumably just enjoyed the embrace, before she pulled away slightly to look up at me. For a few quiet moments, she held my gaze before clearing her throat and glancing away with a chuckle. “Stars, you’re a sap. You looked like you wanted to kiss me for a minute there.”

The fact she was joking, even slightly, meant that she was feeling a little better, so I decided to return fire with, “Well...I mean, if you’re offering…”

Rainbow Dash pulled away completely and made her way to the door to the main corridors, throwing a teasing comment over her shoulder. “Maybe later, slick. Anyway, go get everyone and meet me in the commons room. See you soon.”

I just let her go for a moment until what she said registered. I shouted back a confused, “W-wait, were you serious?” To my annoyance, she just chuckled softly as she left, leaving me confused and a bit disappointed. Physically slapping my cheeks, I growled, “Focus, Spike. The playful flirting is a sign that she’s feeling a little better, but it never meant anything before, and it doesn’t mean anything now. Get your butt in gear and go get your friends.” I approached the window and pulled it open, throwing one last look at the door Rainbow Dash had disappeared through before diving out into the winter air.

Only a short time later, nine of us were heading toward the home of a certain soon-to-be heartbroken pegasus filly. The only one of us that had stayed behind was Ember, simply because she didn’t know Scootaloo all that well, and knew she would be unwelcome in such a situation, but I promised my dragoness to return when I could, and I would make it up to her. As the six representations of Harmony, me, Starlight, and Lyla all marched through the snow, I mentally shook myself and forced myself to focus on the task at hand; I knew the next few hours were going to be difficult for everyone, and I needed to be at the top of my game. Scootaloo deserved my full attention and support.

We had already unanimously decided that Rainbow Dash should be the one to break the news to Scootaloo, both for her own benefit, and the fact that she was closest to the filly. The determination in Rainbow Dash’s eyes was far nicer to see than the battered and broken expression she had sported since we returned from the site of the landslide. Still, I knew it was largely an act to mask the fact that she was terrified, and had no clue how she was going to do this -- frankly, none of us did. Still, upon discussing who should be the one to tell Scootaloo that her parents had passed on, she had been the very first to suggest that it should be her to do so. I admire that about her: the fact that she had no idea what she was going to do or how things were going to pan out, but she was going to forge on regardless, simply because it was the right thing to do.

The walk to Scootaloo’s home didn’t take too long, and before we knew it, we were standing in front of a decently-sized unicorn-style home with tea green paint and white borders. The weathered brown door looked far more menacing than it had any right to be, and even in a decently-sized group, we all stopped and took a collective breath to ready ourselves for what was to come. Galvanizing herself, Rainbow Dash marched onto the porch and knocked on the door. As we all waited for an answer, Rainbow Dash’s wings began trembling slightly, likely due to anxiety. As much as I wanted to wrap a wing around the mare and just walk away from all of this, I held fast and kept silent as I held my breath.

Scootaloo answered the door, pulling it open and immediately smiling upon seeing her unofficial big sister. “Rainbow Dash! What are you-” she trailed off as she saw all of us behind the mare, and her expression changed to one of concern. “What’s everypony doing here?”

Rainbow Dash’s wings continued quivering before she tightly held them against her back, stopping the tremors by force. While I couldn’t see her face, I imagined it was carefully neutral as she greeted, “Heya there, Scoots. Do you mind if we come in?”

The innocent confusion in the eyes of Scootaloo made my gut twist uncomfortably; a more mature, more experienced pony would immediately know something was wrong when a bunch of ponies showed up on their doorstep and asked politely to come inside. Fortunately for Scootaloo, she hadn’t experienced any major heartaches in her life thus far, so she had no idea what was coming...which was going to make this so much harder.

Scootaloo glanced at all of us briefly before mentally shaking herself and stepping aside. “Uh, yeah. Come on...come on in.”

We all filed into the home as Scootaloo shut the door behind us, and she led us to the sitting room, which had a long sofa, a love seat, and four other chairs set around a low table. All of the furniture was very modern-looking, with plenty of 90 degree angles and a very “sharp” look, which was common for unicorn design -- Scootaloo’s mother had always loved the look, and her preference was shown in the home decor. Regardless of the way it looked, however, the furniture was all clean and comfortable, and the pictures and trinkets that decorated the home still gave off a very “lived-in” feel to the place. I pointedly avoided looking at the pictures of two adult ponies on the walls, smiling and often doing silly things; the reason was because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep my composure if I thought about how two loving, vibrant ponies-

Nope, not gonna think about it.

We all settled ourselves on the furniture, leaving space beside Rainbow Dash for the filly to sit. After a moment of hesitation, Scootaloo took the remaining space and glanced around at all of us, her unease plain to see. “So, umm...what’s up?”

Rainbow Dash was clearly forcing herself to keep from standing and pacing, instead keeping her eyes focused solely on the young pony in front of her. She opened her mouth a few times to speak, only for no sound to come out. After a few false-starts, she began with, “Scoots…” she scooted a bit closer to the young mare, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “...we’re about to go through something very hard, right now. Just remember: you’re not alone.”

Scootaloo tilted her head to the side, as worry began to clearly show in her bright eyes. “Dash? W-what’s going on? What happened?”

Again Rainbow Dash was having trouble getting the words out, so I silently offered my support by rubbing her upper back with one of my hands. I felt as she took a few breaths, and she was finally able to choke out, “Y-your parents...they’re gone…”

The look on Scootaloo’s face was frozen, and save for rise and fall of her chest, she could have easily passed for a statue. The movement started again with the frantic twitching of her ears, then a general tremble that developed in her body, followed by a progressive increase in breathing as her eyes widened. The young pony looked at all of us, searching for any indication that this was just a mean joke, but at the sympathetic looks we returned, she suddenly shot to her hooves and seemed to be unable to decide where to go. She paced erratically in multiple different directions, her hands running up to frantically claw through her hair as the tears began to come. Taking this as her cue, Rainbow Dash stood and wrapped her arms and wings around the smaller pony, ignoring the shouting, cursing, and punching as the younger mare in her grasp fell apart in rage, grief, and tears. Rainbow Dash’s stronger body and determination won out in the end, and after a few minutes of fighting, she collapsed with Scootaloo onto the ground, crying along with her little sister as the grief finally hit full-force.

I won’t lie and say tears didn’t come to my eyes, but like the others in the room, I pulled myself off of my seat and kneeled to wrap the mares into a hug to support them. I was joined by all the other mares until we were gathered into a condensed group of sobbing people.

Yeah...the rest of the day was gonna be hard.

Eight of us were gathered in the dining room, sitting or standing. Some of us were having a cup of tea or coffee, but all of us were waiting with sullen expressions for something -- anything -- to happen.

After the news had been broken to the unfortunate filly, Rainbow Dash had taken Scootaloo to her room, and stayed with the younger pony, telling the rest of us to wait for her to return. It had been nearly an hour since then, and I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one that felt anxious about the whole thing. I knew that I, at least, wanted to join Rainbow Dash in trying to help Scootaloo through this -- I felt that, as one of her closest friends, I shouldn’t be sitting out in the dining room while a friend was bawling, mourning the loss of her parents. The only rationalization I could make was that, as her adoptive older sister, Rainbow Dash was the closest thing to immediate family Scootaloo had left, so there was a bond there that was special. And, of course, there was the fact that Scootaloo had that in common with Rainbow Dash: she didn’t like to be seen in a vulnerable state around others, even those she was close to. I was smart enough to realize that there were likely things that Scootaloo had discussed with Rainbow Dash -- one sister to another -- that I didn’t know about, and those private moments had forged a unique bond between the two that made Rainbow Dash the one pony Scootaloo would allow herself to be weak in front of.

Still, I felt useless just sitting around, and wished there was more I could do to help.

“Does anypony have any idea what we will do about her? Scootaloo, I mean,” Rarity asked, breaking the long silence with a question that we had all asked ourselves at one point or another since we found out what had happened.

Twilight slouched back in her chair, and scratched her cheek with a few fingers, looking about as tired as I felt. “Well, legally, Scootaloo is a grown mare; she doesn’t need a guardian anymore, and even though I know we’re all close with her, I doubt she’d take kindly to any of us stepping in to try and be a mother or father figure in the stead of her parents.”

“But she still needs a family,” Applejack countered, gently crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against a doorframe. “That girl ain’t got no one else in tha world, so ev’n though she don’t need a new ma ‘n pa, she’s gonna need kin that’re gonna step in and look out f’r her.”

I nodded as I looked down at the yellow tablecloth, fidgeting with the placemat in front of me. “And while both of her parents were well-off enough that she won’t have to worry about money for awhile, that plus the life insurance policies aren’t going to last for more than a few years, so she’s going to need support to get her on her hooves so she can be a self-sufficient mare. Besides helping her through the grieving process, she needs someone to help her step into the grown-up world the right way; she doesn’t have legal family to do that, so we’re gonna have to step in.”

“I don’t want her staying in this house all alone,” said a voice from off to the side. We all looked to see Rainbow Dash finally walking in, looking more disheveled and like she had been crying for the past hour. She sniffled a bit and hurriedly wiped her eyes before she continued. “This is...was her parents’ home, and with the way things are, it’s basically hers now. She grew up here, and I’m sure there’s a lot of memories in this place for her, but without her parents to come home to, it’s just gonna feel empty.” She glanced around at us before saying, “I’m gonna start staying here from now on. As long as I get an anchor for my house, I can leave it for a few months, and it’ll be fine.”

Pinkie looked almost uncharacteristically serious as she asked, “How long are you gonna stay?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “As long as it takes. Until Scoots feels like she’ll be okay, this’ll be my home.” She ran a finger over a shelf on the wall, pulling it away and scrunching up her face at the dust she pulled off of it. “This place is gonna need daily maintenance to stay clean, and I know Scoots isn’t gonna feel up to it, so I’ll take over until she wants to take the reigns. This is her house, but right now, there are probably some places in here she doesn’t even want to go, because it’s just gonna remind her of the fact that her parents are gone.”

Twilight nodded to Rainbow Dash, smiling slightly. “I think that would be a good idea. When do you want to have the funeral?”

Rainbow Dash frowned a bit more, thinking for a few seconds. “I say we give it a few days. Scoots isn’t gonna be able to face it until she’s had some time to process, so let’s let her simmer for a little bit. Set it up for Saturday if you could, Twi.”

Twilight gave a firm nod. “You can count on me, Rainbow.”

With that said and the silent agreement that it was probably time for the rest of us to leave, we began to file out of the house and back into the winter air. Before I could leave, however, Rainbow Dash pulled me aside and practically yanked me into her embrace, hugging me tightly for a few seconds before releasing me.

“Spike, I just wanna say thanks for your help these past few days,” she said with gratitude in her tone and smile. “I know I’ve been kinda uncool lately, and I’m...just...thanks for putting up with me.”

I gave a small smile of my own and clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t mention it. I know you’re gonna be busy with Scoots, but if either of the two of you need any of us, just say the word and we’ll be there.” Glancing back toward the interior of the home, which seemed somehow more dreary than it had ever been before, I added, “Take good care of her, Dash. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need help, though.”

Rainbow Dash pulled herself up a little straighter before giving a slightly more confident smirk. “What kind of big sister would I be if I didn’t do everything I could? Scoots is in good hands, don’t you worry.”

I nodded briefly before asking, “But what about you? I mean, I could stay here too, if-”

Rainbow Dash chuckled and shook her head. “Spike, I know you’re trying to be a good friend and all, but your life can’t stop just because some of us are going through a rough time. Your herd probably wants some alone time with you, and I know you probably got royal stuff piling up. I’ll come get you if I need you, but…” she seemed to consider it for a bit before finishing, “...I think I’ll be okay.”

I stood there for a moment, just inspecting her. It was true: while she didn’t seem to be at 100% yet, she already looked loads better than she had earlier in the day, or the past few days. It seemed that finally being able to start doing something about all of this was doing wonders for her emotional state, and while I knew it was far from over, a determined Rainbow Dash was far better than a depressed Rainbow Dash.

I gave a hesitant nod before stepping away. “All right then, I’ll head out. Take care, Dash.” She offered only a simple wave before shutting the door behind me, and I rejoined the rest of my friends as we made our way back toward the town.

Much of the journey was silent, and the mood somber, but I was glad to have my friends with me. I did regret that I could not stay with Rainbow Dash, but she was right: life and our obligations could not wait, and she would be okay. The hard part was largely over. Now, we just had to ensure her and Scootaloo had the support they needed.

“Welp,” Applejack began, breaking the silence, “Ah gotta head back home. Got a lotta work t’ do b’fore tha holidays, ‘n Ah ain’t gonna leave it all f’r mah kin. Y’all take care, now.” She then pushed closer to me and gave a tight embrace. “Bye, Spike.”

I silently watched as the mare turned down the long dirt road that led to her farm. I watched until she had passed the first row of trees before turning away from the road and walking toward the town. Having already spoken with the rest of the group and agreed upon a visit, I led us back toward the castle. We were greeted by a few of the ponies that were out and about, but I wasn’t much in the mood for small talk, so I kept us moving, offering polite greetings and farewells as we continued the journey.

Finally, we reached the castle, and I wasted no time in getting all of us inside. Twilight lent her assistance in helping everyone remove their heavy jackets and such, hanging them up near the door to the commons room. The fire in the hearth had done well to keep the place warm (for Ember and the ponies, since I wasn’t affected either way), so we all settled on the furniture (or splayed against me haphazardly, as was the case for Twilight) as we talked about what was going to be happening the next few days and the following months. Obviously, Scootaloo was our priority, and we were going to be sure she had a strong support structure of the people close to her. However, in addition, I couldn’t put off the visit to Canterlot anymore, and I was convinced it wasn’t going to be fun at all. Nonetheless, I was obligated to go, so I accepted the well-wishes from my friends, and hoped that the politics involved weren’t going to give me too much of a headache.

Ember strode into the room a few minutes after we had arrived, dressed. She was wearing one of my newer shirts, which was large enough to nearly be worn as a tunic all on its own. I still don’t quite understand why, since Ember was usually naked anyway, but seeing her wearing nothing other than one of my shirts, the bottom just barely covering her upper thighs and the curve of her rump…

Mmm…

And the smirk she sent my way told me I was affected exactly as she wanted.

I’ll admit, it was still a little strange to have the interest of the dragoness, seeing as how she was my senior by six years, but I guess the heart desires what it does. I was not complaining in the least, of course; besides her affection, Ember was a great help in educating me in the many things I did not know about my kind, and her personality was an interesting duality between cool confidence and bubbly excitement. There was no doubting I definitely approved of Ember as a mate, and if I was honest with myself, her and I were a great fit, even without the enforced desire brought on by the mate’s marks we gave each other. I enjoyed the lessons we shared with one another, as well as the more personal moments, and found myself dreading when it was all over. After all, as much as I wished otherwise, Ember could not stay in Ponyville, and I could not move to the dragon lands. The issue was always in the back of my mind, and I had yet to think of a plausible solution to the problem.

“What’s with the frowny-face all of the sudden, Spikey?”

I glanced up at the perfectly-poofy playful pink party pony, and just shook my head with a forced smile. “Nothing you need to worry about, Pinks. Just remembered I got some things I gotta take care of.”

She pouted at my response, leaning across the gap between the chair she sat in and the sofa I was seated upon, and poked me in the nose with her index finger. “Spike, don’t do that. If something’s bothering you, we want to help.”

While I didn’t really want to talk about it, since it would only cause the mood to drop further, I answered, “Well, can you find a way that Ember doesn’t have to go back to the dragon lands?” Pinkie opened her mouth for a moment, only to close it a few seconds later as she glanced away. I snorted and shook my head. “Yeah, that’s why I didn’t want to say anything.”

Ember made her way over to us and kneeled in front of me, looking up to me with a deep, soulful expression as she said, “Spike, I appreciate that you don’t want me to leave -- frankly, I wish I could spend everyday with you -- but I still have obligations in the dragon lands, and those obligations are being delayed because your reeducation was by far the most urgent issue that had to be addressed.” She leaned up a bit, pressing her body into my knees as she reached up and caressed my cheek softly. “If I had my way, I would never leave your side again, but we are needed in different places, and so our time together will be...sporadic.”

From beside me, I felt as Twilight pulled away, and my attention immediately jumped to her. She was holding her bottom lip in her teeth, apparently in silent debate with herself, before she came to a decision and turned to me with a determined look. “All of you, come with me. There’s something I want you to see.”

The strong, almost fierce tone that Twilight used, prompted all of us into action as we practically jumped to our feet and followed the alicorn out of the commons room. She led us down the staircase to the floor level of the castle, only to immediately turn and cast an absurdly powerful spell at a patch of the floor underneath the spiral staircase. The floor grew seams, and in only a second or two, a wooden door appeared, which she promptly pulled open with a wave of her horn. She lit her horn with a soft glow as she descended into a place I had never known existed.

“Twi,” I whispered, glancing around the dark passageway and trying to discern how I could have not noticed something like this, “what is this? Where are we going?”

Twilight kept walking, but flicked an ear in my direction as she answered, “I’ve been working on quite a few projects the past five years or so. Most of them have never been unveiled, simply because I think they’re too dangerous to be made public, or because they’re not finished yet. I discovered this place by accident one day quite a few years ago, and this cellar has served as my own private research and development wing for the castle. No one knows about it but all of you, and I would appreciate it if you kept things that way.”

We all murmured our agreements as we continued walking, but I had more questions that needed answering. “What exactly could be so dangerous that you had to bury it underground, locked by the same spells that are on the Canterlot Vault?” Twilight tossed an impressed glance my way, and I gave a roll of my eyes. “I’ve been around magic most of my life Twi, and two of the ponies I’m closest to also happen to be the most powerful magic users around. I can usually figure out spells just by the way they feel, how much power you put into it, and what it does.”

Twilight smiled at me and turned back to the passageway, which was leading to a dimly lit room ahead of us. “I liked the way the spell worked, so I made my own -- with a few augmentations of course. Well,” she stepped into the room and moved to the side to allow us access, “here we are. Pardon the mess, but until now, I’ve been the only one down here.” With us given the okay from the mare herself, we all began to explore the previously-unknown room as Twilight continued to causally explain, “I remember Rainbow Dash used to tease me by saying I spend so much time thinking, my cutie mark should have been a brain. Well...she was more accurate than she thought, at the time. Even if nothing comes of it, anytime I have inspiration, I experiment down here, where no one can disturb me.” At my raised brow shot her way, Twilight waved me off. “I don’t mean it like that, Spike. The projects I keep down here are either dangerous by design, or dangerous if they were in the wrong hands. For example…”

Twilight walked over to a steel work table, which had a wide array of half-finished projects, half of which I couldn’t even begin to understand the use of, and the other half looked like something out of a science-fiction novel. She picked up a pair of nondescript metal gauntlets, and immediately put them on. After only a moment’s hesitation, she powered up her horn, causing dozens of arcane characters to light up on each gauntlet. She held her arms slightly forward, the elbows bent and her hands pointing toward the ceiling, before jerking her arms slightly. Suddenly, two pink, ethereal blades materialized from the gauntlets themselves. Twilight had created magical wrist-blades.

After giving all of us a moment to stare, dumbstruck, in awe of the invention, Twilight shook her head slightly. “Unfortunately, they’re not ready.” With another jerk of her arms, the blades flickered before dissipating, leaving two plain metal gauntlets once more. “It takes a significant amount of power to use them, so they’re not practical for the use of the average unicorn, even one in the royal guard. Until I can find a way to make the energy-transfer system more efficient, these are a novelty, and nothing more. Anyhow,” she swept her hand around the room, “this is my ‘mad scientist’ room. Yes, I really do have one, but it’s not as scary as comic books make it out to be. The reason I wanted to show you all this, was because of what I have been developing the past few months.” Walking toward the far wall, Twilight led us to several more unfinished projects, most of these much larger, and more stationary.

“Twi,” Starlight began, her eyes darting excitedly all around the room, “if I weren’t so upset that you didn’t let me help you with any of this, I would kiss you right now. This stuff is incredible.”

Twilight had the decency to be thoroughly chastised, and flattened her ears against her skull as she led us the rest of the way to the far wall. “I’m sorry Starlight, and I promise, it had nothing to do with you specifically. I didn’t even let Spike down here, because some of the things in here can be dangerous just to stand next to.” Before Starlight could cause a panic by asking the question I’m sure we were all thinking, Twilight shook her head with a reassuring smile. “You’re not in any danger as long as you only go where I tell you. Stay near me, and you’ll be safe. Anyway,” she stopped in front of what looked like a collection of stone blocks, “this is what I wanted to show you.”

I stepped up next to the alicorn, looking down at the dozen or so large, clean-cut, dark-colored stones. After taking a moment to inspect them, I looked back to Twilight in confusion. “You’re taking up stoneworking?”

Twilight rolled her eyes at me before gesturing to us with one hand. “Everyone, back up a few feet.”

We did as she asked as Twilight lit her horn once more, bringing her hands up to it. She seemed to grab at her own magical aura, bringing one “glob” of it down into each hand, and then lit her horn brighter. Arcs of energy jumped from her two hands and her horn as the air around the room became charged with her power. From my angle, I could see as Twilight silently chanted to herself, her words indecipherable from the buzzing and crackling of the arcing magical energy she was building. Suddenly, she spread her wings as she began to levitate off of the floor, but her wings were not what made her float into the air -- the magic was lifting her up on its own. After a few minutes of this, she thrust her hands forward, and a massive, crackling ball of mauve magical energy crashed into the dark stone blocks.

Immediately, the stones lit up with previously-unseen arcane symbols, and began rumbling before levitating into the air. One by one, they began to arrange themselves into a large platform, and then built a large archway of stone. When the final stone found its place at the center of the top of the arch, a shimmering gateway tore itself into existence in the archway. I had seen Twilight cast portal spells many times before, and knew the spell itself was no different, but something was different by the simple fact that her horn was no longer glowing. Instead, Twilight was standing slightly to the side, winded, but otherwise fine, as she smirked at me.

“Behold,” she announced theatrically, “the first self-sustaining portal that does not need a unicorn to channel magic into it to keep the doorway open. With the right equipment and implementation, it will be possible to travel nearly anywhere in the world in an instant, and all that’s needed is a little bit of magic to get it started.”

It took me only a second of thought to realize just why she had wanted to show this to me, and what it had to do with Ember. I practically barrelled into Twilight and caught her in a deep kiss, not caring that the others were watching.

After a few seconds of this, during which Twilight generated a full-body flush, I pulled away with a manic grin. “Twilight! You beautiful, brilliant pony! You are amazing! Incredible! I just...I…” I laughed in what probably sounded like a crazy person, but I didn’t care at the moment. I hugged Twilight tightly, and whispered, “Thank you, Twilight. Thank you so much.”

Twilight was still slightly out of it as I thanked her profusely, and she could only mutter an embarrassed, “Y-you’re welcome, Spike.” After I finally released her, she ran a sheet of magic over her coat, brushing down the mussed fur and frizzy hair, before clearing her throat and explaining, “If I’m being honest, this wasn’t only for you; I’ve been working on this for many years now, but only made my latest few breakthroughs in the past few months. Anyway,” she jerked a thumb toward the gateway, which still glowed with a blank magical portal, “this is still just a prototype, but it works as a proof of concept, which proves it can be done.” She then stepped over to Ember, who was staring slack-jawed at the portal, and placed a hand on the distracted dragoness’ arm. Ember slowly rolled her eyes to Twilight, still in disbelief over the discovery, as Twilight gave a warm smile to her. “You’re a part of Spike’s life -- his mate, now -- and so I wanted to do this for both of you. Once I place one of these in a safe place back in the dragon lands, you’ll be able to visit anytime you want. Distance will no longer be an issue.”

Ember stood in shocked silence for a few moments, before surprising all of us, and wrapping Twilight in a tight embrace. Twilight’s equally shocked expression told me she also wasn’t expecting the reaction, but after taking a few seconds to process what was happening, she returned the embrace fully. I’ll admit, I was smiling like a fool at the sight of the dragoness (who was not so big on physical affection between anyone but me) gratefully hugging Twilight. Though she hadn’t ever said it aloud, I knew the thought of separating from me for long periods of time was not something she was fond of at all. While Twilight had been considered a friend for some time now, I counted this as the moment the alicorn personally endeared herself to the dragoness. To my further surprise, when she finally pulled away, Ember had shining tears in the corners of her eyes as she smiled down at the shorter pony.

While she quickly wiped the wetness away from her eyes, her happiness was still clear as day. When she finally spoke, it was with a low, emotionally shaky voice. “Spike is right; you are amazing. Thank you, Twilight. I can’t tell you how much this means to me; I was dreading the day when Spike would finish his training. Now, I don’t have to worry so much.”

Twilight was now thoroughly embarrassed by the attention, but gave a smile in return and nodded to the dragoness. “Of course. You’re a part of our lives now, and I think I speak for the rest of Spike’s close friends when I say that we’re not happy if he’s unhappy. The portal has applications far beyond this specific problem, but I knew that I wanted you all to be the first to know. Now, you don’t have to be afraid of being separated in the future. And besides,” she again placed a hand on the arm of the dragoness, “I know we haven’t always been all that close, but I’d like to change that. You’re my friend too, Ember, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on. Logically speaking, it would be in my best interest to do something like this for you.”

Ember snorted softly, holding in a laugh. “‘Logically speaking,’ she says.” She then glanced to me and commented, “I used to poke fun at how ‘touchy-feely’ you were, but now I see where you get it.” Ember looked over the gathered mares, nodding to them. “I never meant it in a bad way, either...just different. Ponies are a lot more in touch with emotions than dragons are, so I guess it kinda makes sense that Spike would turn out the same way. Still, now that I’m a part of is life -- and because of that, yours -- I’m actually kinda glad for it. It’s nice to feel like I belong, even so far from home.”

“And now,” Twilight added, gesturing to the fading portal, “your home doesn’t have to be so far away, either. Once I’ve worked out the kinks and produce a more efficient model, we’ll place one in the dragon lands to link with this one. For now though, you can rest assured that leaving Equestria doesn’t mean the months or years without Spike, like it once did.”

While she didn’t say anything more on the matter, Ember’s warm smile spoke of how much gratitude she felt for what Twilight had done.

Twilight jerked her head toward the far door. “All right, we should leave. While I trust all of you to be careful down here, there are a lot more people down here than normal, so I would like to minimize the chance of an accident happening.” We all silently followed her request and filed out of the room, being careful to keep our distance from the many scattered objects in the room. We left without incident, and Twilight secured the door with a few dozen different spells once we left.

We all made our way back to the commons area of the upper floors, and Twilight helped us settle in once again, telling me that whatever work we had to do could wait until tomorrow. I didn’t argue, and instead practically flopped down onto the sofa on my back, wings splayed haphazardly, and mentally planned to stay there the rest of the night.

Unfortunately, Rarity could not do the same. “Dear, I’m sorry to say, but I cannot stay this night. I have a few orders I have to complete before the end of next week, so I must head back to the boutique.”

I sighed through my nose, but nodded nonetheless. “It’s cool Rarity, I understand.” Quickly breaking up my own plan, I stood and gave her a hug and gentle kiss, offering a goodbye before she left the room.

As I glanced to the rest, and they looked to each other, it seemed that we would have an impromptu sleepover, so I decided a nice, filling dinner would do nicely, so I headed to the kitchen to prepare the meal.

It’s amazing what one can put together in only a few hours. I hadn’t planned anything major for the night, seeing as how it was originally just going to be me, Twilight, Starlight, Rainbow Dash, and Ember, but since we had company, I opted for something a little more special. The spicy curry ginger sauce was currently bubbling merrily with a variety of cabbage found in a nation far to the east, along with some tofu and scallions. For Ember and I, I had prepared some roasted pork skewers with some more eastern spices, and for the ponies and changeling, I had prepared the same, but swapping out the pork for tofu, mushroom, carrot, and zucchini. The main dish for both would be a kind of long rice noodle with the sauce, and for this having been only the second time making this particular dish, I was quite pleased with how it was turning out. The girls were currently enjoying the starter, which was salad with a light ginger dressing, while I finished the rest of the meal.

Besides my proficiency with cooking, the reason I had chosen to make something for all of us, rather than order out or something, was because I needed time alone to settle myself. As it was, my instincts were practically screaming at me to go and get Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, haul them back to the castle, and make sure they were safe from everything that might hurt them. My rational mind knew that wasn’t how grieving worked though, so I kept all of that to myself and did my best to distract myself from the desire. Cooking and providing for my friends and mates worked quite well to do that, which was why I was cooking up a storm for everyone; for some reason, the act of providing for the needs of those around me had always made me feel very satisfied in a way I couldn’t explain until recently, when I learned from Ember that it was an ingrained instinct to do so.

“It’s always a joy watching you cook, you know.”

I jerked a bit, startled by the voice of Pinkie at the kitchen entrance. I turned to smile sheepishly at her as I continued my work. “Thanks. Took a lot of practice to get good at it, but now I can make sure we’re all able to eat food that wouldn’t kill us. I used to be worse than Twilight, if you remember.”

Pinkie giggled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s what Twi-Twi said when we first became friends. Practice makes perfect though, and you got pretty darn close to perfect after all these years.”

I coughed, feeling suddenly embarrassed by the praise, as I hunched my shoulders a bit self-consciously. “C’mon, I’m not a world-class chef or anything. I’m just happy I can make good food for the people I care about; that’s good enough for me.” She went quiet for a few moments after that, until I suddenly felt her warm, soft body pressed against me from behind as her arms wrapped around my waist. “W-what are you doing back there, Pinks?”

She just giggled and continued to hug me. “Just hugging a best friend, Spikey. I thought you could use one as thanks for the food, if nothing else.”

I just glanced over my shoulder bemusedly. After the initial surprise wore off, I had to admit that despite the randomness of the action, the hug felt nice, and made me feel a little more relaxed. Pinkie had always had a sort of special extra sense, knowing instinctively when and how to cheer up her friends; sometimes the action was a hug or a party, but as we all grew and matured, more often than not, it could just be a few kind words. Considering how much she did to ensure all of us were happy, we didn’t thank her enough, frankly.

I set the pan I had been handling down onto the stove, laying my hands over hers as I just enjoyed the embrace. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, catching Pinkie’s scent in the process, I felt as if some of the stress of the day was physically leaving me, to the point where I could smile honestly without some sort of grand surprise being sprung on me (thanks again, Twilight!).

“Pinkie Pie,” I murmured, taking a moment to fully immerse myself in the moment, “what would we ever do without you?”

She giggled softly. “Don’t worry, you won’t have to find out. Your good friend Pinkie is always on the job!” I just silently enjoyed the hug for a few more moments before pulling away and turning toward the mare.

Smiling a bit, I inclined my head toward the door. “Go on, get everyone set at the table. Dinner’s ready.” Pinkie just nodded with a toothy grin before trotting back into the dining room, leaving me alone to gather the food into the proper serving dishes and bringing it into the dining room over a few trips.

Twilight was practically drooling at the sight of the meal. She always had a soft spot for eastern cuisine, no matter what it was. “Mmm...I can’t wait to see what you came up with this time. The salad was wonderful, Spike.”

Ember, too, nodded, looking impressed. “I’m with Twilight. Never thought I’d enjoy a bowl of greens, but I was proven wrong again. Might have to hire you as my personal chef or something.”

“Well, I guess that’s where you’re lucky,” I commented, setting the bowls and platters out around the table. “As a friend and mate, you’re welcome to my culinary expertise anytime, free of charge.”

“You spoil me,” Ember quipped, but I could tell she was pleased.

Taking a moment to gather up the salad dishes and darting out to deposit them in the kitchen, I reentered the dining room and took my seat between Lyla and Twilight, with Ember across from me. I took a look around the gathered people, smiling at the sight of my dear friends, before nodding to them.

“It’s no secret that the coming months are going to be tedious,” I announced to the table, catching eyes with each individual before continuing, “but, when I’m gathered around my friends like this, I’m reminded that anything is possible when we support each other. With the tenets of Harmony, the varied skills of the changelings,” I nodded toward a smiling Lyla, “and the strength of dragons,” Ember’s smile brightened at this, “I know we can overcome whatever hardship comes our way. When I look at all of you, I see the hope for a better world, and a better life. So, I’d like to say thank you for being there for me, and for each other. To friendship!”

All those gathered raised a glass in support (including Ember, with a good-natured roll of her eyes). With that, everyone dug in with gusto, passing the dishes around the table to sample the different foods. From there, chatter flowed comfortably, and the satisfied hums of approval for the food could be heard from everyone there (yes, it was an ego boost). As I glanced around the table, feeling a comforting warmth suffuse my body, I found myself smiling at it all. While I had no doubt that life would continue to have its hardships, times like this were what made all the work worth it.

The feeling of something strong and feathery wrapping around my leg caught my attention, and I looked up to find Ember catching my eyes. No words between us were said, but when she smiled at me, I found myself even more optimistic about our collective future. I had learned early in life that moments of true happiness were few and far in between, and sometimes it seemed like the darkness was all around us, swallowing up the world. It was because of that lesson in mind that I made sure to do things like this with those I cared about, so that we didn’t forget what the light looked and felt like, even on the darkest of days.

Life would go on, as it always did. For now, we just had to soldier on, and keep love in our hearts.

Author's Notes:

There are a few references in this chapter. +1 internet cookie if you found them.

Chapter 19

Author's Notes:

Third-tier noble house*: noble houses are separated into three tiers, depending on their wealth, lineage, and the power they have within the nation.

Third-tier houses have a family lineage in knighthood, having provided services to the crown. Their influence is minor, but they usually provide a high-demand service to the nation.

Second-tier houses are descended from ancient nobility and royal court officials. They have a hand in most major industries, and serve as a lucrative source of information, for the right price.

Only two First-tier houses exist, and are direct descendants of royalty or extremely wealthy landowners. All commerce passes under the watchful gaze of these houses, and they fancy themselves the true rulers of the nation. They serve on every important committee and parliament.

Slow, lilting southern accent*: sometimes called the "classic southern gentleman" accent. The "slant" of vowels is light, but consonants are particularly strong, sometimes even exaggerated (particularly t's, hard c's, and p's). If you've seen Django Unchained, it's the accent Leo DiCaprio uses, but far more relaxed.

Unique ability*: every pony has a skill they are uniquely talented in, which usually corresponds to their special talent. For unicorns, it is usually a spell. A pony's unique ability can be emulated by others, but requires far more skill, power, and/or luck to pull off.

Lust-frenzy*: as creatures of deep emotion, dragons are far more dangerous than most other creatures if they lose control. In the instance of lust, a dragon is drawn to mate with any creature of the opposite sex, regardless of if they are receptive or not. If not contained or sated, the lust of a Dragon can become...forceful.

[Edit] Minor changes, namely to the names of Scootaloo's parents.

The following day was starting out mundane, which I was perfectly fine with; due to all the recent surprises we had dealt with, no news was good news, in my opinion. I was currently strolling to Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie for some breakfast, since I didn’t feel like making breakfast this morning. It actually hadn’t snowed the previous night, which had allowed the Ponyville maintenance crew to shovel the walkways clean, which in turn encouraged more people to be out and about. The town was positively alive with activity, many scurrying here and there to finish their Hearth’s Warming shopping, while others were simply out enjoying the day. If it weren’t for the fact that the memories were so fresh in my mind, it would be easy forget that anything bad had happened in the past week. Even with the vision of Scootaloo, broken and sobbing, burned into the backs of my eyelids, the image of Ponyvillians smiling and bustling with activity brought a faint grin to my own face. As Pinkie would say, a smile is a smile is a smile, even if it’s small; even in the darkest of days, there is always something to be happy about, if you look for it.

Pinkie and I approached Sugarcube Corner, hand-in-hand, just as Mr. Cake flipped the lights on, turning the sign around to “OPEN”. There was already a line at the door, since a good amount of the Ponyville folk were regulars to the bakery’s fresh breakfast, and even for those that weren’t, the alluring scent of fresh-baked goodies was enough to draw many curious people to the business due to the smell alone. Pinkie hurried toward the back of the building, obviously to help the owners begin the day, and I took my place at the back of the line. The mares and stallions -- and even a new changeling drone, which was a welcome sight -- waved at me and offered smiles and greetings as I waited with them for the door to open. My eyes kept gravitating to a few mares who were shyly smiling and/or waving at me, and I found myself playfully waving back with a boyish grin. Sure, I wasn’t going to actually do anything, but a little flirting never hurt anyone. After a few moments of this, Mr. Cake unlocked the door, allowing the growing crowd to file into the warm interior of the bakery.

“Always great to get the fresh pastries right as this place opens, eh Spike?”

The voice of a certain pegasus from behind me startled me, and I whipped my head around to see Rainbow Dash smiling at me. I gave her a quick one-armed hug and greeted, “Hey Dash, it’s good to see you. I gotta be honest, I didn’t expect to see you out and about so soon.”

Rainbow Dash shook out her long mane, reaching up to tuck the locks behind one ear so it wouldn’t hang in front of her eyes. “Yeah, but here I am.” She glanced around briefly before leaning in closer and whispering, “I figured Scoots could use some comfort sweets for breakfast, and I’m not exactly a baker, so…”

I nodded in realization. “Ah. Okay, that makes sense. How, um…” I did as she had, leaning close to whisper to her, “how was last night after we left?”

Seeing as how we were probably looking like fools leaning back and forth to each other to whisper, Rainbow Dash pressed herself under my wing and arm, close enough that she would no longer have to whisper so conspicuously to me. “Well...I guess it went pretty much how we all thought it would. It was rough, and it’s gonna be that way for awhile; she didn’t sleep, and I can’t say I blame her. I know that until she sees the bodies for herself at the funeral, there’s gonna be a small part of her that’s always gonna hold out hope that we made a mistake, and that her parents are gonna walk in that door, and everything’s gonna be okay.”

I nodded again, this time more somberly. “Two days. Hold out for two days, and we can get her the closure she needs. Until then, it’s just a matter of slogging through this tough bit.”

Rainbow Dash nodded slowly, shuffling forward in step with me as the line moved. “Yeah, I know. It just...sucks. It sucks that any of this had to happen, especially so close to Hearth’s Warming.”

Again, I nodded. “The time of year when most people are either having people over, or travelling to be with family for the holidays. The only worse time this could have happened would be on her birthday.”

The pegasus stiffened, narrowing her eyes at me. “If you just jinxed her by saying that, I’m punching you in the mouth. I mean it.”

Smiling sadly, I shook my head. “If I did, I’ll cut my own wings off.”

It was then that both of us had another surprise, and it was not one I would have even believed enough to expect even if I had been told about it ahead of time.

“Well, you two seem to be getting along fine after all these years.”

The raspy, sharp voice of a mare had chimed in behind us, and for some reason it tickled something in my memory. I couldn’t quite place the voice, but if the violent jolt of surprise from Rainbow Dash was any indication, she could. As one, we both turned around to see a heavily clothed pony mare, obviously trying to conceal her identity, and if the bulky coat was any indication, it was a pegasus. A gloved hand reached up to tilt the aviator shades down, revealing yellow fur and fiery orange eyes.

The same hand shot out to intercept the hand of Rainbow Dash, which I realized had risen to snap a respectful salute to a superior officer. The mare just shook her head and said, “Wearing this bulky getup to hide is kinda pointless if ponies salute me in public. At ease, Dash.”

Going off of the eyes, fur color, and the fact that Rainbow Dash had reacted as she did, I quickly identified the mare as Captain Spitfire, the de facto leader of the Wonderbolts. I just barely kept my lips from blurting the mare’s name and blowing her cover, but was unable to stop the question, “W-what are you doing here?”

The mare’s head shifted side to side almost imperceptibly before nodding to Rainbow Dash. “I was actually looking for her. I’ll explain when we have some privacy; suffice to say, what we’re going to talk about isn’t for all ears present. Grab your eats, and let’s find somewhere a little more private to talk.”

Nodding dumbly, Rainbow Dash turned back to the front just as our turn came up. I quickly gave my (large) order to Pumpkin, allowing Rainbow Dash to do the same, before stepping off to the side and waiting with the rest of the patrons for our order to be called out. It took a decent amount of time, with it being the breakfast rush, but eventually I was now loaded with a large cardboard carrier full of pastries, and another carrier full of individual coffee cups. The three of us left the bakery, and since Scootaloo’s home was close, we just headed in that direction. After walking for a few minutes and ensuring no one was around, Spitfire spoke.

“I heard about what happened in Tselinoyarsk,” she mentioned off-handedly, bobbing her head in Rainbow Dash’s direction. “As Dash knows, part of the Wonderbolts’ job is search and rescue, and we were handling a few of the other zones of the disaster area. I wasn’t personally there -- I was stuck in Cloudsdale at the time, kissing the behinds of our sponsors -- but Soarin, Fleetfoot, Misty Fly, and Rapidfire had all volunteered.” While I couldn’t see her eyes, I had the feeling she was looking directly at me when she said, “I heard Dash had received backup from a certain purple dragon after she had been basically killing herself for days, for some reason.”

Rainbow Dash glanced down to the ground as we walked, biting her lip. “...I had an important reason to be there, and I wasn’t gonna stop until I finished what I set out to do.”

Her scarf covered her mouth, but I could practically hear the smirk in her voice as Spitfire replied, “Even without access to classified information about VIP’s in Equestria, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why you were there, and for who. A certain ex-Wonderbolt is close with a certain young mare that lives in this town, and that young mare’s parents just happen to be frequent volunteers for disaster relief efforts around Equestria…” She bobbed her head side to side, as if considering something, before continuing. “I knew the girl’s parents, Dash. They were good, respectable ponies who put in years of volunteer work for ponies in need across Equestria, and even some other people in the neighboring nations. I’d be surprised if anyone in the Wonderbolts doesn’t know who they are.”

Repeating my question from earlier, Rainbow Dash glanced to the older mare and asked, “Why are you here?”

We had just arrived at Scootaloo’s house, and we stopped in front of the door as Spitfire let out a sigh and just kept looking at the quaint home. After a moment, she answered, “This isn’t about the Wonderbolts. I’m not asking as Captain Spitfire, as your superior, or any of that. As just Spitfire, a mare that respects and admires all those two ponies did, I want to ask if me and some of the other ‘bolts can come and pay our respects at the funeral.”

Rainbow Dash stood still with her mouth open for a few moments before she seemed to mentally shake herself and she looked down again in thought. After a few more moments of silence, she finally answered. “...a part of me wants to immediately say yes, that of course you deserve to pay your respects. But…” she glanced to the house in front of us, “it’s not my choice, because they weren’t my parents. I’ll ask Scootaloo about it tonight after dinner, and I’ll see if she’s up for it. No matter what, it’s her word on this, not mine.”

Spitfire nodded slowly. “I can respect that. Anyway, I’ll be staying at Derpy’s bed & breakfast, so drop by and let me know what she says. Thanks for the consideration.”

“You can thank Scootaloo when you see her,” Rainbow Dash said, nodding back to the mare. With that said, we both watched as Spitfire turned on her hooves and strode away, offering only a wave as she left.

While I wasn’t exactly as obsessed with the Wonderbolts like Rainbow Dash used to be, I was still awed enough by the sudden appearance of their captain that I was only able to mutter, “...well...that just happened.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash murmured, seeming just as off-balance as I was. “Haven’t seen that mare in years, and all of the sudden she shows up to ask to come to a funeral. I knew Scoots’ parents got around, but I didn’t know they were so respected by the Wonderbolts.”

I shrugged, turning to the mare with a smile. “If nothing else, when Scootaloo finally gets to the point that she can see past the negative, she can be proud of the fact that her parents were great ponies who people respected.”

Rainbow Dash nodded a few times before turning to me with a smile. “Anyway, I should get back to Scoots. I don’t wanna leave her alone for too long.” She wrapped one arm around me and gave a squeeze before pulling away, and I’ll admit, I enjoyed it far more than I probably should have. “See you around, Spike.”

I watched Rainbow Dash enter the home and shut the door behind her, finding myself also smiling at the good that might come of the Wonderbolts being at the funeral. For a pony like Scootaloo, who had battled with self-esteem issues for years, I thought it would do her good to know she came from a family that was well-liked and respected, even among big-shots like the Wonderbolts. That would be something she would look back on though, because I knew that for the moment, Scootaloo was grieving, and that would occupy all of her thoughts.

Rolling my shoulders, I turned on my heel and headed back toward the castle.

“Again, Spike. Feel the emotion; let it fill you up, but stay in control.”

With the primary concerns of the week dealt with, it was back to training, for me. Twilight was kind enough to pick up the slack as far as our regular workload was concerned, but Ember was a harsh taskmaster that didn’t allow laziness or anything less than my best. I had worried -- actually worried -- that she might take things easy on me since we were romantically involved, but wow was I wrong. In Ember’s own words, because I was her mate, she would not -- could not -- tolerate weakness on my part. The reason why dragons were culturally so reluctant to form alliances was because of a core value of draconic culture: strength was pivotal in all things regarding survival, and allowing yourself to be vulnerable when a friend is too weak to watch your back was, to put it lightly, foolish. I had the positively wonderful title of “The Dragon Lord’s Consort,” and apparently that title came with expectations by both Ember herself, and the dragon lands as a whole. I was already a disappointment in the eyes of many of the elders, since I was raised as a pony, and thus, had not learned the things I was now catching up on. I could understand this part of the culture, and even appreciate it, but at the moment, I was wishing I could just pass out.

I was panting and tired, but I gave a nod to Ember as I stood on my feet again and took a solid stance. Today’s training was focused on an emotion that was notoriously difficult to control, but also important to gain control of: rage. Rage was an emotion that was wild and untamed simply because of what it was, and due to the fact it was tied to so many other emotions, it was of paramount importance that I master control of it as soon as possible. Deep emotional attachment could be a powder keg for rage, as was my strong sense of justice, and my tendency toward seeing the good in everyone. To put it simply, because of who I was as a person, I had quite a few weaknesses that could be exploited by an enemy, which was why Ember was working so hard to help me overcome them. I knew Ember was doing it out of love, but that didn’t change the fact that she was pushing me to my limits. I wasn’t dealing with “Ember, my mate” at the moment, but rather “Dragonlord Ember, daughter of Torch”.

Ember was standing a dozen feet in front of me, arms crossed behind her back and her chest held high like her head. With her narrowed gaze and firm stance, she was every bit the picture of the intimidating dragoness most of the other dragons knew her as. She flexed her wings as she mildly chastised, “I told you: you can’t overpower a wild emotion like ‘rage’. Emotions like ‘love’, ‘happiness’, and even ‘sadness’ are gentle enough that you can directly assert control of them like a shepherd controls a flock of sheep. ‘Rage’ isn’t like that at all; ‘rage’ is like having your wings tied down, and being thrown into the middle of the ocean. If you want to survive, you have to work with the current, not against it, and learn to immerse yourself in the emotion without letting it exhaust you. As you’re learning, fighting it is just going to leave you tired and defeated, and that isn’t going to help anyone.”

Still panting, I shook my head as I looked at Ember. “I’m trying, but it feels like a pot of boiling water that keeps boiling over, and then I have to fight with fang and claw just to keep from losing control.”

Ember sighed through her nose and shook her head slightly. “I figured this might be one of the more difficult lessons for you. Because of how you were raised, you don’t have a lot of experience with negative emotions. That’s why greed can still steal your rationale, and why ‘rage’ seems like trying to catch lightning with a butterfly net.”

I chuckled despite the situation. “Yeah, that’s a pretty apt description. I never had to feel this amount of emotion before, so I’m still learning to handle it.”

Ember nodded slightly, apparently deciding to throw me some measure of reassurance. “You’ll get there, but right now, it’s not going to be easy. I’m going to keep pushing you, and we’re not going to stop just because you’re tired. You need to learn this; there’s no other option. If you let rage take control, it will not give up that control until its desires have been sated; I don’t think I have to tell you that rage can be a very destructive emotion, so usually, it means the destruction of anything and anyone in the area. You might hurt or kill those you care about, and not even realize it until rage’s hold on you has been broken.”

Even before she told me, that had been the exact thought that had been my driving force behind this training. I had imagined Twilight, Lyla, Rarity, or any of my other close friends lying at my feet, broken and bruised, looking to me in fear and sadness. I had imagined hurting them, and not even caring because I was unable to feel anything but rage at the time. I couldn’t let that happen, which was why I was why I was perfectly okay with continuing the training, no matter how difficult it was.

I took a few more deep breaths before nodding once more. “All right, let’s go again.”

I turned my focus inwards, thinking about the things that would bring unbridled rage to my heart. It didn’t surprise me much anymore, but I still found it worrying just how easy it was to think of things that made me furious. I could think about some of the Canterlot Royal Court, and how some of them still brought up Luna’s past crimes right in front of her, sometimes blatantly claiming it was just a matter of time before she “fell” once again. Those same ponies would then try to charm her at banquets or special functions, attempting to curry favor with her with some pretty words and false respect. Hadn’t she paid enough for her crimes? She lost a thousand years of her life -- a thousand years spent in complete solitude -- and they still acted as if she hadn’t served her penance! Didn’t they realize that sort of irreverence had been what had caused her heart to fill with darkness in the first place? And now they were doing it again!

...see? It’s like I said: easy.

“There it is,” I heard Ember voice from across the room. “Now, try and forge that ‘hot’ rage into ‘cold’ rage. ‘Hot’ rage is intensely impulsive, indiscriminate in what it destroys, and it burns out fast; ‘cold’ rage, on the other hand, has been tempered. It is focused, calculating, and has a clear direction and purpose. Give that rage an objective, and guide it with logic so that you can accomplish that objective.”

In the thick of that emotion, it was easy to understand why learning to control the emotion “rage” was so important. Without direction or a cool head to guide it, “rage” would make me destroy anything and anyone around me, regardless of whether they were the source of the emotion or not. As Ember had said many times before, avoiding these negative emotions was an exercise in futility. Only by learning to harness them constructively could I claim to have overcome them, since as a dragon, I was particularly vulnerable to strong emotions.

So...what did I want to accomplish?

Rage without purpose was what made the emotion so dangerous, so I had to give it purpose. Rage was powerful, and downright intoxicating, so I had to focus to give it a proper direction to flow. With that in mind, I tried once again to come up with something I could use the power for, but before I could come up with anything, I once again felt the emotion bubbling up too strong within me, and threatening to take control. Once again I had to fight myself to keep control of my own body, and found myself growling in frustration.

“Spike, focus!”

Ember’s voice was like a splash of ice water on my burning body, and I felt clarity come back to me for a few moments. During that time, I was able to randomly pick a spell to channel the emotion into, and began drawing quickly in the air. First came the symbol for “body," followed quickly by "earth" and "force". The hastily cobbled-together spell resulted in a shockwave rolling through the ground from my feet, and I was vaguely aware of Ember hitting the ground with a dull thud.

With a purpose given to the emotion, rationale returned to me, and I was able to once again take in what was happening with a clear mind. I combined the first three words I could think of in an effort to give constructive form to “rage” before it could take control of me, and I found myself feeling sick at the possibility that I could have easily killed myself. Ember was right: I needed to learn better control.

“SPIKE! SPIKE, ARE YOU OKAY?!”

My ears were ringing from the blast, and if Ember’s loud, concerned yelling was any indication, her hearing had taken a hit, too. I opened my eyes and walked over to the downed Ember, who was repeatedly falling over as she tried to reassert her balance so she could stand. I was able to easily walk over to her, since (I assumed) as the caster of the spell, its effects on me were minimised. I extended my hand down to her and pulled her up, catching her in an embrace as she nearly fell over again. She kept nearly souting, which reinforced my theory that her hearing had been affected. I held a finger to my lips in a “shh” motion, and pointed to my ears. She seemed to get the message, and we spent a few minutes just standing silently until the ringing in her ears was apparently at a manageable enough level that she could hear herself to keep from yelling at me.

“Well,” I began, shrugging as I looked at her, “I might have a long way to go before mastery, but I’ve just proven to myself that I can do it.”

Ember smiled at me, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. “Remind me again: who said you could do it if you just kept your focus? I can’t seem to remember, but she’s clearly a smart girl.”

I rolled my eyes at her jab. “Yeah, yeah. You’re awesome, you’re a better dragon than me, and you know what you’re talking about; I already knew all that.”

She settled her hand on my shoulder as she affectionately nosed my throat, playfully darting her tongue out to tickle the brand she had left there what felt like so long ago. “Just because you were raised by ponies, it doesn’t somehow mean you’re less of a dragon. I’m already finding that there’s a lot of differences between you and other dragons that I really enjoy, like the fact you actually give a damn about me.”

By now, I was used to the fact that Ember used a few different swear words that were generally not accepted around polite pony company, and that’s if they were even understood. The language didn’t really bother me; after all, I’d grown up around Rainbow Dash and Applejack, both of whom were known to curse like dockworkers if they were particularly angry or frustrated. I instead found I actually liked her colorful, often passionate, way of speaking. Ember always said what she meant, having no fear of what others thought about her unless they directly affected her life; since she was not among the other dragon lords, and I had basically given her the all-clear as far as the language was concerned, she was quite happy to speak with no filters. I’d already known Ember was brutally blunt sometimes, and I was fine with her being herself. I wouldn’t want her any other way, to be honest.

“Of course I do,” I shot back, raising a brow at her. “I don’t understand how others can only look at you and see a pretty dragoness, or the daughter of Torch, or any of that other shallow stuff. Being raised like I was, I’ve learned there’s always so much more to someone than just what we see at a first meeting, and it's always interesting to get to know who someone is on the inside.” I then slowly trailed one of my claws down the center of her spine, between her wings, and ending just at the top of where her tail began, causing a full-body shiver to run through her. I just smirked and added, “That’s not to say there’s not plenty to enjoy externally, but you know by now that I like you because of who you are, not what you look like.”

Ember fluttered her eyes at me and pulled me into a quick, but heated kiss. After pulling away, she licked her lips and said, “Dad might not really understand you, or the customs of Equestria, but I think he’ll be happy for me. He always used to say I deserved better than the dragons my age in the dragon lands, and I guess he was right; I just had to find someone from another country.”

“Technically,” I teased with a stupid grin, “I found you, if you remember.”

She shrugged and turned her nose up. “Eh, same difference.” She glanced over to the wall, where a shielded face clock was ticking away. “All right, I think that’s enough for today. You were able to properly channel your rage, and all that you’ll need now is more practice. Besides, I’m thinking I should meet your family, so if we can’t do that today, you should set something up.”

I raised my brow, confused. “Why exactly do you need to meet my family?” At her challenging look, I backpedaled. “I-I mean not that I have anything against it, I just want to know why.”

She continued staring at me before poking me in the nose with a claw. “What decides how much political influence a dragon has in the dragon lands? I already taught you this.”

I furrowed my brow in thought for a moment before realization struck me and I slapped a hand to my forehead. “Family...right.”

She nodded and began to lead me out of the room. “And, as your mate, I need to meet your remaining family members. I know it doesn’t seem all that important, but it is to a dragon. If I didn’t know you like I do, I would see it like any other dragon does: if you are reluctant to introduce me to your family, it shows a lack of conviction on your part, which looks very bad. If dad found out you haven’t introduced me to your family yet, he’d be furious.”

Removing my palm from my face, I glanced at her worriedly. “You uh...you’re not gonna tell him though, right?” At Ember’s smirk in my direction, I pressed, “Right?”

She just chuckled and shook her head. “Part of me thinks I should, just to teach you a lesson, but no, I won’t. These aren’t things you’ve had drilled into your head since you were little, like the rest of us, so I’m not gonna expect you to be able to immediately remember all of them. Dad would, but I’m not my father, and I’m inclined to offer you a little leeway since you’re still learning. But,” she raised a finger and again pressed it onto my nose with a grin, “I want you to arrange a meeting as soon as possible. This is serious, and I’m not letting you get out of it.”

I nodded with a sigh of relief, allowing myself to be led out of the training room and into the corridor. “Well, Hearth’s Warming is coming up, and everyone’s going to be there, including Twilight’s parents. That’ll be the perfect time for you to meet them, and there’s no better time than a holiday that’s meant to be spent with family.” Thinking about it for a minute, I then chuckled. “You know, Shining used to joke that the only reason I became infatuated with Rarity when I was younger was because I didn’t have a dragoness around. Guess I proved him wrong; I have both, now.”

Ember chuckled as well. “Almost as if you’re any other dragon, picking out the prettiest treasures for your hoard.”

Smirking her way and turning on the charm, I quipped. “Well, if I’m gonna collect mates, it would make sense to pick the best ones, now wouldn’t it?”

“Cor-ny. Boo,” Ember teased, poking my side. “I’m immune to your charm now, Spike. You’re just a dork again, to me.” Even though she said that, I noted the blush that was showing through in her vivid blue spines.

“Your blush says otherwise,” I countered, poking her back and getting a girly squeak in as an answer. She glared at me and I just poked her again, which soon escalated into a poke war between the two of us.

Complete silence enveloped the room. No one moved, and I was sure at least one of us wasn’t breathing. Oh, wait, that was me. With a deep breath to restart my lungs -- and thus, my brain -- I darted my eyes from Twilight, to Lyla, Ember, and then to the fourth person in the room: a noblemare from Canterlot, and a member of a very influential family within Equestria. The mare was a pale pink with a mane and tail of graying violet, and her equally pale orange eyes seemed a bit mismatched as far as the rest of her coloration went. Nonetheless, as a member of House Silver Vein, Rose Quartz was a mare that had the power to make nearly anyone’s life very unpleasant if she so chose. This was the only reason a practically smoking Twilight was not physically throwing the haughty mare out the window right now, though I questioned whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

I gulped hard as I fought to find my words, eventually forcing out, “...I-I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

The mare adjusted her heavy cloak, pointedly ignoring the glares coming from the three other females in the room. “I said that I am here to enter into negotiations for marriage between our families.”

While normally I would make a silly quip about the mare being just a bit out of my acceptable age range (like, 40 years out of it), I reminded myself that I really didn’t want to piss off this mare. “Ma’am, with all due respect, I find myself very confused as to why you’re here. I understand the words you’re saying, but this is quite literally coming out of nowhere; it doesn’t make sense.”

The mare huffed in annoyance, rolling her eyes at me as she condescendingly answered, “You would do well to keep aware of the goings-on in Canterlot. Families are regularly crossed to form beneficial unions, or to produce heirs to keep noble bloodlines strong.”

Holding up my hand and counting two fingers, I answered, “I can’t produce offspring with ponies, and I’m no one. Until I started to do things on my own, most of the nobility said I was Twilight’s pet. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m caught off guard here because, yet again, you’re not making any sense. Please, explain your reasoning for this.” Yes, I was proud of myself for how calm I was being, because now that the shock had worn off, I was quickly approaching the same amount of anger that Twilight was just barely keeping contained.

The mare huffed and rolled her eyes once again, acting as if she were explaining to morons. “You have proven yourself as a valuable asset to Equestria over the years. As an Equestrian-raised dragon, you are an untapped resource that has remained unknown until recently. The incident in the mountains,” I winced at that, but narrowed my eyes at the smirk she gave, “your connection with a dragon lord, your close relationship with national heroines, and the fact that you are the only dragon citizen in Equestria makes you quite the desirable addition to any of the high houses. Luckily, I move quicker on more dependable information, which is why I am making this request now.”

This was a power play, and I knew it, but the sheer balls this mare had astounded me. What the hay made her think I’d even entertain such a thing? Wait...that’s a good question. “Why would I even entertain the idea? I don’t know you, I don’t know your family, and frankly, I’m not in the business of political marriages.”

I didn’t like the fact that the mare was still smirking. It spelled bad news for me, and I mentally braced myself for it.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she wondered aloud, checking her fingernails casually, “but I think it might be...let’s say problematic, if all of Equestria learned that you leveled three mountains in the mountain range because you went into a draconic rage, again. I wonder how Equestria would respond if they realize that you are quite the liability to have in this country.”

My eyes widened briefly, but I quickly schooled my expression to neutrality. “You have no proof that was me. I went there to evict a potentially dangerous dragoness, not to make it my own roost. I have an entire town behind me that would back me up, as well as a few important international individuals.”

The mare sighed, though she didn’t drop her smirk. “Oh yes, roughly forty thousand against sixty-seven million. I wonder how that would go, when so few actually know anything about you. You forget: you are not the two sisters. Most of Equestria only knows what they read in the papers, and if those papers just happen to claim you destroyed several million tons of rock in a rage, well...I think you may find your support quickly dwindling.” She then sneered at Lyla, and I nearly snarled at the mare as she added, “The integration of changelings in society is also very recent, and fragile. If they were to find that your precious changeling here had transformed into a monster strong enough to hold off a dragon...well, I don’t think I need to say what may happen to public opinion of them. Tell me little changeling, can your kind feed on fear?”

With that said, my mask of civility completely broke away, and with it went my fear of this mare. I pressed a palm to my forehead and chuckled darkly, muttering. “Wow, you must be shooting to make enemies of everyone today, aren’t you?” Sighing heavily, I removed my hand from my face and settled for a flat look of disgust. “It’s time for you to go. You are not going to intimidate me into some Canterlot political scheme, and you lost what little respect I had for you when you insulted my mate.” The mare’s face had fallen from a smirk to a slight frown, and then an outright grimace as I pointed my thumb to Lyla. Seeing the expression, I nodded with a grin of my own. “That’s right, that ‘little changeling’ is a part of my herd,” I then glanced to Ember and corrected, “or, I guess, since I’m a dragon, it’s hoard. That hoard includes Lady Rarity, who I’m sure you know, as well as Princess Twilight Sparkle.” The mare’s face had graduated from a grimace now, and she was now practically snarling at me as I finally grabbed Ember by the arm and pulled her against me. I then turned her so that her Mate’s Mark was showing, and showed my own as I explained, “And with these marks we share, we are basically the Equestrian equivalent of married as well, so I’m already claimed. I just want to remind you that you are standing in a room with three females that probably want to hurt you pretty badly right now, so if you don’t have anything smart to say, you should probably leave. In closing, thanks for coming, buck you, buck your family, buck your friends and colleagues, and buck that hairstyle, while I’m at it -- Rarity would be appalled at the lack of style. Oh,” I interrupted as she opened her mouth, stepping away from Ember and closer to the mare, who just now seemed to realize she was pissing off a dragon that was nearly twice her size (size is relative for a dragon, but she didn’t know that), “and if you think you’re going to head back to Canterlot and start planning ways to destroy my life and/or reputation, let me remind you: I’ve got the backing of Equestria’s most powerful living weapons, at least one clan of dragons would mark you for death, and then of course are the changelings.”

Seemingly reading my mind, Lyla stepped forward and quickly shifted her shape to a dozen different forms of differing sizes, genders, colors, races, and even to inanimate objects. Shifting back to her native form, Lyla glared at the mare and growled, “Remember, fool: changelings can be anything, go anywhere, and are the worldwide masters at perfectly replicating the way someone talks, acts, even breathes. If you want to make an enemy of Spike, fine. However, keep this in mind:” she leaned closer to the shorter mare, purposefully showing off her fangs for good measure as she whispered, “you will make enemies with a good number of the changeling race. There is nowhere you can go, nowhere you can hide to escape us. We could replace your son, your daughters, your house staff, your banker, your friend you meet at the corner cafe at noon on Tuesdays,” the mare’s eyes widened at that, and I raised a brow, “the maintenance stallion that regularly inspects things in your home, your carriage drivers, your attorney, even the stallion that works the counter at that donut shop you visit when you think your husband isn’t watching.” The mare was practically shivering now, realizing she just picked a fight with the wrong person. Lyla leaned just a little closer, close enough that the mare would be able to pick out the individual freckles under her eyes, as she maliciously hissed, “Your information network is nothing to a changeling. I know when you eat, I know when and where you lay your head at night, I know that you like the drink more than you should, and I even know where you hide the things you want no one to see. DO. NOT. TEST. ME.”

Once again, like so many times before, I was glad Lyla was my friend.

Lyla pulled away, stepping back and jerking her head toward the door. “You should see yourself out, and remember this little talk we had. Keep it in mind should you want to start flapping your gums about any of this, because if anything suddenly happens to us or any of our friends or family, I’ll know exactly who to hunt down, and how to find her. Now,” she pulled the door open with a flash of magic, letting the cold winter air invade, “safe journeys. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, you despicable mare.”

I had the great satisfaction in watching the older mare practically tripping over herself to leave, and the door slammed shut behind her by Lyla’s magic.We all stood silently for a few moments before letting out a collective breath.

Twilight, unfortunately, had to inject some truth into our relief. “I hate to say it, but that’s going to come back to bite us. House Silver Vein isn’t known for backing off when they have an ‘asset’ in their sights, so expect to hear from them again at some point. Once she calms down, she’ll realize that if Lyla did what she threatened, it would destroy Equestria’s relationship with the changelings that live here, so in the meantime, we need to think of a plan to neutralize their threats.”

Groaning, I stomped the ground and shouted, “I HATE POLITICS!”

After a moment of us all basking if my shout, Twilight cleared her throat and announced, “Actually...I just thought of something, and you’re going to like it even less. You might want to sit down for it.”

Shooting a tired look her way, I then tromped over to the public dais and sat on the stairs, slumping my head and shoulders. “All right, hit me.”

Twilight chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before she said, “...as rude and pompous as she was, the more and more I go over the exchange in my head, I don’t think this visit was for her house. I think she was a probe.”

To my annoyance, neither Lyla nor Ember seemed at all confused by the term. I raised my hand like a student and replied, “Pretend for a moment that not all of us are masters of politics and/or subterfuge. What do you mean by ‘she was a probe’?”

Twilight shifted uneasily, darting her eyes about. “W-well, what I mean is that it’s likely she was sent here by another house that has more power than hers, either for a monetary fee, or a favor of some kind. Her demeanor, her words, and even her insults seemed specifically catered to get a rise out of you...like a scout-”

“Probing defenses,” I finished, groaning as I collapsed back against the stairs, splaying my wings on the dais haphazardly. “Can we just move away to a different dimension or something? I’m so sick of this underhanded, two-faced game we always have to play.”

“Trust me Spike,” Twilight muttered with equal exhaustion, “you’re not the only one. What I do know is that her being a probe makes the most sense. The Silver Vein is a third-tier noble house*, but they didn’t become as powerful as they are by being stupid. The way she treated us and the way she approached you were all ‘rookie mistakes’, as Rainbow Dash would say; as one of the heads of the house, it doesn’t make sense that she would act the way she did without purpose...and the only one that does make sense is that she was a probe for another house.”

I released a blast of hot air out of my mouth, not caring that I was acting this way in a public area of the castle; I just didn’t care right now, and I was so tired of all of this.

“And, of course, we won’t know what house is responsible or what they want until it’s too late to prevent it,” I surmised, feeling just as defeated as I likely looked. Raising my arms briefly before letting them flop down again, I asked, “Do you think we should let Mom and Auntie Luna know?”

“We all know there’s nothing they’re allowed to do directly,” Twilight reminded, “but, I suppose it can’t hurt to let them know you’re currently in the crosshairs of one of the big families. If nothing else, Luna’s spy teams can keep an eye on the movements of the members we know about. It will basically be putting a plaster on a broken leg, but it’s all we can do for the moment.”

“Well,” Ember began, and I could clearly hear the smirk in her tone, “it’s not all we can do.”

This was followed by the sound of a feathered wing slapping against something -- likely Ember herself, if the “Ow” was anything to go by -- and Twilight chiding, “Nuh uh, no burninating the nobles.”

“But-”

“No, Ember.”

“Fiiiine…”

I couldn’t help the chuckle that bubbled up in my throat, and with how stressed I was at the moment, the laugh felt soothing. There was sure to be issues we had to deal with in the future, but knowing my girls would be by my side made things not feel so bleak. And, if I were being honest with myself, turning the estates of certain noble houses into ashes had some appeal. Maybe another time…

“All right then,” I said aloud, sitting up again and looking to the three in front of me, “I defer to your knowledge. I have no idea what to do about this, and the three of you are clearly far more knowledgeable, so tell me what we need to do.”

Twilight reached down with Ember, each taking one of my hands, and pulled me to stand as she advised, “We’re going to take one day at a time. First things first: we need to prepare for the upcoming funeral, the trip to Canterlot, and then Hearth's Warming. It will take time to establish an information base on the noble houses, so just living our lives will give Princess Luna the time to do that. Until we have more information, we just have to keep moving forward as usual, and keep from doing anything particularly absurd.”

“Well,” Ember began, rolling her eyes with a theatrical sigh, “there goes most of my plans. You’ve put me in a box here, Twilight.”

Twilight only smiled at the dragoness and nudged her as we all began walking back toward the private apartments. “In all seriousness, maybe you should go out and spend time with Spike among the populace. You’ll be around a lot more once I get the gates up and running, so it would be a good idea to get to know the neighbors.”

With that idea, I got the chance to see the rare unsure, timid side to Ember that was adorable. The slightly withdrawn posture, hunched wings, and nervous expression was quite endearing, and I couldn’t help it as I took to her side and wrapped my wing around her tightly. Ember fell into step beside me, leaning her weight on me and lovingly nosing my throat as we continued walking back toward the common room.

“I-I mean...I guess if you think I should, I can,” Ember finally murmured, her anxiety clear as day.

Twilight turned around at the tone of Ember’s voice, and pushed herself into my wing right beside Ember herself. I felt as one of Twilight’s feathered wings wrapped around the dragoness as well, and the taller female herself jolted at the sudden embrace of the mare. After a moment of hesitation, Ember slowly snaked an arm around Twilight’s body, and accepted the embrace fully with a gentle sigh of appreciation.

“I think you should, yes,” Twilight breathed, barely loud enough to hear as she slowly stroked her hand in a comforting motion up and down Ember’s forearm, “but you don’t have to. In the end, it’s always your decision, and I’ll respect your feelings no matter what they are. Just know that I didn’t particularly like other ponies back when I lived in Canterlot, but getting out among this town, and getting to know the ponies that lived here, did wonders for me.” After a moment of holding the dragoness, Twilight slightly pulled away so that she could look her in the eye. “We want you to be comfortable here, Ember. I don’t think it would be fair for you to be essentially confined to the castle every time you come here, which is why I think it would be good if you desensitize yourself to Ponyville as a whole, so that you don’t have to confine yourself to such a small space when you’re here. I want this to be more for you than just ‘where Spike is’. With time, I want it to become a second home to you, and you will always be welcome here.”

While Ember wasn’t exactly comfortable sharing her emotions freely, it was easy to hear the sea of gratitude in her tone as she shakily breathed, “...thank you, Twilight.”

Since she didn’t want to push her luck and make the dragoness distinctly uncomfortable with physical contact between them, Twilight pulled away and ducked out of my wing, stepping around and nodding to Ember with a smile. “You’re welcome. Now, I do have some things to go through in preparation for the next few weeks, so unless you want to help…”

Ember’s face took on a sour look, sticking out her tongue for good measure. “Forms and appeals have never been my strong point. I think I’ll follow Spike around town for a little while, to see what trouble we can get up to.”

“Don’t do anything illegal,” Twilight warned. Then, thinking for a moment, she amended, “...rather, don’t hurt anypony. Or destroy property.”

I just chuckled aloud, leading Lyla and Ember out with me as we left the room. “Oh ye of little faith. I promise, the town will still be standing tomorrow. See you later, Twi.” Twilight threw a wave my way as we left, but said nothing more when we vacated the room.

Arriving at the coat racks, I began helping Ember get dressed up in her winter clothing, which included a long hose-like portion that connected to the rump of her trousers to cover her tail. I’ll admit, it was a bit odd seeing Ember’s brilliant blue coloration only on her face, but warmth was more important than beauty in this instance, so I shook the thought away. Even with her body mostly covered, Ember’s form was still distinctly female in shape, and her brilliant red eyes glittered like rubies in the dim light of the room. After also helping the equally attractive Lyla get dressed in warm clothes, I escorted the two out of the castle and into Ponyville proper, immediately picking up on the sounds of ponies out and about all around us.

There were some errands I had to run around town, namely grocery shopping, so I decided to start our little outing by heading to the market. With one mate on each side of me, I led the three of us toward the main square of the town, greeting the neighbors with a wave and smile. A few of the braver ponies approached and greeted Ember and Lyla directly, but while the changeling was quite used to interaction with ponies, Ember’s responses were still short, reserved, and nervous. Since part of the reason for us going out was exposing Ember to the populace more, I made it a point to stop and let the ponies talk to her directly when they wanted, so that the dragoness could get used to interacting with them. I’ll admit, I was impressed at how composed and formal Ember sounded to my own ears, but I knew that Ember only spoke formally when she was nervous, or intimidated. I could only hope that with time, and some effort on our parts, her awkwardness would fade away, and she would feel like just another part of the community. I knew it was going to take time, and Ember was unlikely to do it on her own, which was why I was quite willing to escort her. More personally though, I was always happy to spend time with my friends, whether we were romantically involved or not.

As we approached the market itself, we were treated to a fairly quiet affair, since most of the Ponyvillians were enjoying the day instead of shopping for groceries. This allowed us to quickly and efficiently pick up what we needed while allowing Ember to talk to one or two ponies at a time instead of six or more. She did much better with smaller interactions, and as time passed, she became more confident and animated in the way she spoke, which was closer to the way I knew her. It was heartening to see her adjusting so fast, and it brought a warmth to my chest to know she was willingly putting forth real effort in this endeavor. Having me and Lyla with her helped the ponies feel more comfortable around Ember, and the dragoness herself also felt more confident with us supporting her. It also helped that the ponies we met knew she was my mate, which made their salutations and greetings much more personal than if we had just met strangers on the street. All in all, I would like to think it was a good start for Ember, and she seemed to be getting used to casually speaking with other ponies.

Even though we didn’t have anything particularly pressing going on, there were other things I wanted to do, so we waved goodbye to the ponies in the market and made our way back to the castle to drop off the groceries. Twilight was hard at work on something or other, waving me off with a smile when I asked if she needed help, so the three of us left once again and headed toward Barnyard Bargains to just shop around and see what we could find; Filthy Rich was a shrewd business owner, but he was known for having good stock at fair prices. My idea was to find some things that Ember might be able to take back with her as momentos for her home in the dragon lands, but also, I wanted to give her the opportunity to meet more ponies in a more relaxed environment.

The glass doors opened and activated the air curtain that kept the cold air out, and warm air in. We passed through the rushing air and entered the building, and I heard the sigh of content from Ember as she enjoyed the warmth. The first pony we came across was the owner himself, since Filthy Rich devoutly believed that a good business owner should always be an integral part of his or her own business. The stallion was currently standing at the front door, meticulously going over a merchandise delivery from a few stallions with several large boxes full of goods.

Filthy Rich looked up at the sound of our entrance, and smiled brightly at the sight of me. He happily greeted me in his slow, lilting southern accent*, which was far different than Applejack’s. “Well hello there young Spike; it’s always good t’see you here. How are y’all doin’ today?”

I smiled back and nodded to him. “We’re doing just fine. We had some time to kill, so I thought we could come see what your store has to offer. I know it’s close to the holidays, and I don’t expect to find much, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you somehow always have a way of surprising me regarding your stock.”

Filthy Rich had the good grace to look respectfully flattered, and chuckled lightly as he signed off on the paperwork on his clipboard, handing it to the delivery ponies before facing me completely. “Well, I thank you for your kind words.” He glanced to the changeling and bowed his head slightly. “Miss Lyla, it’s good to see you as well. My thanks once again for your help with the roof.”

Lyla gave her own nod and smile. “Of course, Mr. Rich. You paid for the best, so you got the best. You let me know if you see any problems, and I’ll fix it right up.”

Filthy Rich nodded back before turning to the third member of our group, raising an eyebrow slightly at the sight of her. “Well now, I wasn’t expectin’ t’see another of Spike’s kind. If I remember it was...Princess Ember, yes?”

Ember looked a bit surprised, but nodded with a polite smile. “I’m surprised you remember me, sir. I didn’t exactly mingle all that much. Oh, and just ‘Ember’ is fine.”

“My dear, in my line of work, it pays to keep track of visitors to Ponyville, even if I don’t speak to’m di-rectly,” he answered, his smile never wavering. “That, and it would be difficult to ignore another dragon in our town, since Spike here was the only one we had regular contact with for many years.”

“That’s actually part of the reason we’re here, Mr. Rich,” I advised, gently placing my hand on Ember’s shoulder. “As you can imagine, Ember here hasn’t exactly had much experience interacting with ponies. I thought it would be a good idea for us to get out and about so we could change that.” If Ember’s angry snort was any indication, I was going to pay for that comment later, but it would be worth it to have another friendly neighbor ready to help if needed.

Filthy Rich nodded a few times before jerking his head to the store. “Well, I’m always willin’ to help a neighbor. Go on and browse ‘round the store to your heart’s content; I believe your friends Dinky and Snips are working today, if you want to greet them.”

I nodded to him with a smile. “That sounds great, Mr. Rich. Thanks for understanding.” I turned away from the stallion and made my way through the store, which sold everything from general knick-knacks to some more rare items, imported from all across Equestria, and even outside of it.

As we passed around one of the aisles, and out of sight of the front of the store, Ember suddenly jabbed me hard in the ribs and glared at me. “What in the holy flames was that? You made me look like some kinda meek little whelp that’s afraid of ponies.”

I expected the reaction, but was surprised she didn’t wait until we were at home. Nonetheless, I had a response planned ahead of time. Taking her hand in mine and placing the other on her shoulder, I assured, “I didn’t do it to be a jerk, I did it because that guy has a knack for talking his way in circles around even the most socially-adept pony. He got to be where he is because he knew who to talk to, how, and when. When it comes to communicating with other ponies, that stallion is a master, and it could only help to have him know we’re putting a real effort into helping you acclimate to life here. He doesn’t need to know why, but having a guy like him willing to help is always a good thing; if the worst happens and you step full-tilt into a social faux pas, he will be able to help smooth it over.”

Ember stared at me for a few moments before sighing heavily and slightly pouting. “I don’t like strangers knowing that I feel uncomfortable about certain things. It makes me look weak.”

“It makes you look like you’re willing to learn to be a part of Equestrian society,” Lyla pointed out, speaking up after being silent for so long. “As the ‘land of love and tolerance’, any effort to fit in and be accepted is seen as a good thing. The ponies of Ponyville -- who are quite literally under the watch of the Princess of Friendship -- will welcome you with open arms and stand beside you, if only you’ll let them. If they can accept and welcome me, they can do it for you, too.”

Nodding in agreement, I motioned to Lyla. “Changelings did the hard part. If you remember, Chrysalis nearly irreparably damaged Equestria’s view of changelings, but through some hard work by Thorax, Luna, Twilight, and yours truly, they’re now widely accepted everywhere, and are valued for their unique contributions to the nation. I don’t care if I have to go to each and every pony in town: I will never let you be excluded simply because of who or what you are. You’re my friend and mate, and I will ensure everyone knows that. I’ll write it with fire in the sky if I need to.”

By now, it was clear Ember was blushing, but she still smiled at me as she joked, “You don’t need to go that far...but thanks. I’ll put forth real effort, I promise.” With that we began walking through the store again as she continued with, “So who is Dinky and Snips?”

I smiled briefly as we looked over the different items on the shelves, some of which I found real interest in. “Dinky is the daughter of one of the local mailmares, and Snips is one of the few guy friends I have around here. I’ve known both of them since shortly after we first moved here, and we’ve stayed pretty close through the years. They both work here as part of their intern program with one of the schools in Canterlot -- Snips manages the stockroom while Dinky comes up with the interior design.” I pointed to the walls, which had a soft shade of blue-green paint along with the strategic placement of the merchandise and displays. “All of this is Dinky’s work, and simply going by the numbers, her work has increased sales for the store by 5% in just the last year alone. People don’t think about it, but colors and decor affects what we buy, and how much.”

Ember shook her head with an exasperated expression. “I’ll have to take your word for it. Colors are colors, to me.” She then stopped what she was doing and approached one of the shelves, which had a column of jars with a viscous liquid inside that shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. I knew what it was immediately, but Ember clearly didn’t.

“Liquid rainbow,” I advised, pointing to the jars. “Useful in alchemy, and when mixed with water, energized clouds, and a bit of pegasus magic, it can produce the same kind of rainbow fountains that Rainbow Dash has at her house. This stuff is pretty hard to come by,” I pointed to the price tag on the shelf, “so the 300-bit price is fair.”

Now realizing just how valuable the jars were, Ember was far more careful as she gently lifted one of them up to her face to examine it. “You know, ten years ago, if you’d told me ponies could distill a rainbow and make it into a liquid that could be bottled and sold, I would have called you crazy.”

I shrugged with a grin. “That’s the power of pegasus magic. They might not all be able to cast actual spells, but all ponies have magic that can do amazing things. Even before Twilight became an alicorn, it was nuts the kinds of things she could do.” I then smiled wider as a thought came to mind. “Oh, and a certain dressmaker I love knows a spell that can find gems in the ground, no matter where they are.”

Ember glanced at me with a surprised expression. “Really now? That’d save a lot of time for gem-harvesting. Would be nice to know exactly where we would need to dig, so we wouldn’t have to waste time in areas that have nothing there.”

“Unfortunately,” I continued, “the spell is her unique ability*. That isn’t to say other unicorns can’t learn the spell, but it’s extremely complex, and even Twilight has trouble casting it properly. Put simply, most unicorns would be unable to learn the spell. Rarity is the only pony that can use the spell with any sort of efficiency, and it wouldn’t be fair to ask her to find gem snacks for all of the dragons.” I then nudged Ember with a grin. “So, beyond becoming closer to another member of my hoard, being friends with Rarity would give you access to gems without needing to search for hours or days for a decent amount on your own.”

Ember shot a slight glare my way. “I wouldn’t try to be close to Rarity just to get gems, Spike. Give me more credit than that.”

“Does that mean you’d turn her down if she offered you some?” I countered with a knowing smile.

Ember ducked her head slightly and muttered, “...well, I didn’t say that…” Ember suddenly perked up and looked behind us.

I followed her gaze to see a familiar mauve unicorn mare, whose yellow eyes shone brightly with happiness as she gave some hand motions with a bright smile. Following that, she stepped forward and embraced me in a hug, and I almost laughed aloud at the growl Ember gave.

Turning toward the dragoness, I dipped my head toward the mare in my arms. “This is Dinky. She’s one of my childhood friends, and one of the first mares I dated when I was growing up.” The mare herself tapped me to get my attention before making some more hand movements, and I just chuckled at the display. “Hey, that was not my fault. I remain convinced your dad never liked me.”

Ember just looked confused. “Am I missing something?”

It took a moment for me to understand just why she was confused, and I slapped a hand to my forehead. “Oh, sorry about that. Dinky’s mute, meaning she can’t speak; she uses sign language to communicate. And put that green-eyed monster of yours away; you don’t need to feel possessive of me around Dinky. We had our time together, and it was nice, but we discovered we worked out better as friends. I care about her, and she’ll always be special to me, but Dinky and I are strictly friends.”

Ember released an audible “oh” of realization and had the good grace to look apologetic. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I promise. It’s just...y’know, dragon instincts.”

Dinky now looked confused, so I explained to her, “Dragons don’t usually have more than one special someone, Dinky. Ember is a part of my herd, so she’s having to learn to share me with others. Be patient with her.” The mare looked up to the dragoness and gave a nod with the “okay” hand signal, waving off the apology. She made some hand gestures, which I translated as, “Dinky says don’t worry about it. She’s willing to forgive and forget, and she hopes you can be a friend.” She made a flurry of gestures. “She also says you have beautiful coloration, and she loves the striking shade of your eyes. Your scales shine like polished gems, and your eyes carry the fiery intensity of a volcano.”

Ember was blushing up a storm as she absently stroked her cheek with a claw. “...I think I know where you got some of your smooth-talking, Spike.” She then shot a smirk my way and added, “You better be careful, or your friend here might lure me away with talk like that.”

I was well-aware that Dinky had no preference on the gender of those she was interested in, so the next response was sure to be entertaining. If there was one other thing Dinky was an expert at besides interior design and color-matching, it was knowing how to manipulate others to get a certain response. It was a small mercy that sign language was not a skill most ponies had. I had no doubt that in the infinite timelines among the aether, Dinky was a widely feared pony due to her silver tongue (hands?) in a significant number of them, and at least one had her as the leader of a comically-sized harem.

This was proven when Dinky left my embrace, and stepped up to Ember with a disarming smile. She extended one open hand toward the dragoness, and after a moment of hesitation, Ember placed her own hand in the mare’s. Dinky locked her eyes on Ember’s, and slowly ran the fingers of both hands over the digits of the larger female in front of her. Her gaze remained on the eyes of Ember as she touched just the right places, at just the right times, soon bringing another blush to Ember’s head spines, and causing her eyes to dilate as primal feelings began to swirl in her mind and body. Dinky then slowly released the hand she held, and gently ran her palms over the forearms of Ember, up her elbows, upper arms, and then across her collar as she almost lovingly cradled the jaw of the dragoness that was completely fixated on her. Unbidden, Ember leaned down toward the mare, completely captivated, but just before she could give in to the desire that held her, Dinky playfully booped the dragoness on the snout and pulled away, silently giggling as she turned to me and waved before walking away.

Ember was in a daze as she seemed to come back from some other place in her mind, and she roughly shook her head as she composed herself. She darted her eyes to the back door that Dinky had left through, and more gently shook her head with a snort. “I’ve never questioned who and what I was attracted to before now. That mare is dangerous.”

“See? You’re learning new things every day, just like me,” I quipped, smoothing my hand over the clothed back of Ember. “Ponies might not be physically big and strong, but I’d imagine you’re learning that they’re powerful in other ways.”

“I already knew there was more to ponies than meets the eye; this isn’t the first time I’ve been here, and my first meeting with you and the others at the Gauntlet of Fire proved that a lot of my assumptions were wrong,” Ember answered, shaking her head slowly again, seemingly in awe at what she had just experienced. “Still, to actually have it happen in front of me, first-hand, is...crazy. I understand how you can be so annoyed by a bunch of nobles up in the capital now.”

I nodded a little more soberly. “Since I make it a point of principle to adhere to the laws of Equestria, they can and will use it against me if I make them upset. They’ve done it before, and I have no doubt they’ll do it again. I’m already expecting them to do something when you, me and Twilight go up to Canterlot soon.” I glanced at Ember from the side of my eye. “Probably you specifically because you’re largely an unknown variable, and they’re going to ‘probe’ you like that mare did to me, earlier.”

Ember grimaced at that, and looked to Lyla. “I kinda wish you could be the one to go instead. I don’t do too well when people purposely try to get on my nerves.”

Lyla, who had been silently observing us until that moment, smiled reassuringly. “Twilight and Spike trust you to behave, so trust yourself. Follow their lead, and just try not to shout at anyone, and you’ll be fine. Yes, they’re probably going to poke at you, but the nobles know better than to do anything overt in front of Twilight.”

“Why does it sound like you two are preparing me like I’m walking onto a battlefield?” Ember asked, half-seriously.

I gave a short laugh before I began leading her through the store once again.

One thing I found interesting about dragons was that our culture was not so against piercings and body modification, like ponies were. Dragons regularly pierced parts of their bodies, faces, and even modified the size and shape of their horns, though as I really thought about it, the practice made sense. Dragons usually hoarded jewels and precious metals, so piercings would allow a dragon to take a little bit of their hoard with them. When I asked Ember why she hadn’t gotten any yet, she replied that she hadn’t had a reason to until recently.

“Like birds and many other animals that flash bright colors and adorn themselves with pretty trinkets, dragons also do the same to stand out and draw attention to themselves,” she explained as we browsed the wares of one of Ponyville’s master jewellers. She glanced back at me in an almost teasing manner. “Lately, however, I have a reason to look good. I might not like dresses or things like that, but shiny chains, rings, or piercings are more my style.”

The only experience I had with those that liked to pierce themselves was the “goth” clique among young ponies and teenagers. The group was still fairly new to Equestria, and thus were sometimes called “freaks” because of their abnormal appearance, but there was still something very interesting about the people that took that road. I’ll admit, the thought of Ember with piercings, maybe a tattoo or two, and a spiked leather collar was...shockingly exciting.

“You’re thinking naughty things again, Spike,” Ember commented off-handedly, smirking though she didn’t look at me directly. She pointed to her own mate’s mark, which was glowing slightly in green. “As our bond becomes stronger, we can pick up on what the other is feeling, if we’re in close proximity. I can’t read your mind, but I’ll know what you feel.”

“Same,” Lyla threw in, smiling at Ember as she drew her attention. “Nice to know that I’m not alone in being able to feel what Spike is feeling.”

I glanced at the two and rhetorically asked, “You two are going to use this against me, aren’t you?”

Ember just smiled enigmatically. “What were you thinking about that stirred you up?”

I rolled my eyes and continued looking over the display full of necklaces, chains, and bracelets of various materials. “Remember when we saw that pony in the market with all the piercings, and the black eyeliner, and the dark colors, and the collar?” At Ember’s raised eyebrow, I pointed to her. “I was imagining you like that, and for some reason it...stimulated my mind.”

Ember seemed to consider what I said before she chuckled and went back to the jewellry. “Oh yeah, I’m definitely going to use that against you. And Lyla here is going to help me.”

“I am?”

“Yes, you are. And it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Ember promised the changeling, shooting me a mischievous smirk.

Trying not to sound too excited at what might be in store for me, I muttered, “I’m not sure if I should be afraid or not. I’m well aware of what Lyla is capable of when she puts her mind to flustering me, and I’m beginning to understand just how dangerous you can be in that respect, Ember. Just promise me that I won’t get in trouble for whatever you have in mind.”

Ember seemed to think quietly for a moment before requesting, “Define ‘trouble’.”

I opened my mouth to respond, only to shut it a moment later. I stopped and thought about how I should define the word, eventually answering, “Just...make sure whatever you do isn’t going to get me ostracized or banished.”

“You worry too much, Spike,” Ember teased, pointing to a set of simple gold bracelets, and one golden ruby ring. The jeweller pulled out the items from the display case, and Ember casually put the bracelets up to her horns. “What do you think?”

I rounded her and stood in front so I could get a good look at the dragoness. Gold clearly suited Ember much better than silver, and dragons adorned their horns just as much as the rest of themselves. However, I couldn’t help but think, “...I don’t know. Your father has the same kind of thing, so I think you should get something a little more unique -- you know, something that says ‘Dragon Lord Ember,’ not ‘Ember, daughter of Torch’.”

She lowered the bracelets and looked at them carefully before placing them back on the display. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” She then pointed a claw at two small golden studs connected by a thin, curved piece of metal. After they were presented to her, she placed them up by her brow, looking to me with a silent question.

I did my best to visualize what Ember would look like with a brow piercing, and found it worked a lot better than I thought. “You know what, I think that one works.”

The jeweller then moved to the side, pulling up another set of items that looked like golden rings with one ball on each end. She explained, “You’re clearly interested in the recent interest in piercing among the younger folk, so I thought I’d mention a new trend we’ve begun seeing lately.” The mare pulled two of the rings up to her face, placing one on each side of her mouth, just under her lower lip. “The colts and fillies call these ‘snake bites’, and it’s become rather popular among the youth of Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and Canterlot. It hasn’t hit Ponyville just yet, since this is traditionally a farming town and tends to be...well, traditional, but I imagine it won’t be long before we see these, too.”

Ember looked at these “lip rings,” and grabbed them as well. “Sounds good, let’s do it.”

I raised a brow at Ember. “What’s with the sudden binge and decision to pierce yourself all up?”

Ember returned my expression before poking me in the chest. “Like I said, I’ve got a reason to look good, now. I’ve actually been wanting to do this for awhile, but it just wasn’t practical.”

I snorted and waved my hand in her face. “Hello? I already think you’re good-looking. You don’t have to do this if-”

“Like I said,” she interrupted, “I’ve wanted to do this for awhile. Now, I have a reason to. Do you think I’ll look ugly with them?” I had nothing to say, and at my silence, Ember just nodded with a grin. “Exactly. Just enjoy it, and I will too.”

The mare at the counter smiled to Ember and nodded. “I’m glad you’ve found something you like. We also do piercing services here, for a cleaner, safer experience.”

Ember didn’t even hesitate. “Sounds good, but you’re going to need a stronger needle than normal. Dragonhide is like armor in some places, and while the brow and mouth are softer, the flesh is still thicker than the skin of a pony.”

The mare smiled before heading to a back room. “I have just the thing! I’ll return in a moment!”

While we waited, I nudged Ember in the side with a finger, prompting a jolt and glare my way. I just returned the look with a flat expression. “And you say I’m impulsive.”

Ember just smiled at me and nudged me back. “You should get one.”

“Yeah, no. Twilight would freak,” I advised, though I’ll admit I had thought about it before that day. “I’ll have to ease her into the idea, and that could take some time. I think you having some would actually be a great ice-breaker, though, so this could actually work in my favor.” I glanced to Lyla, who had been silent the entire time. “What about you, Lye? Up for a piercing?”

Lyla just deadpanned at me. Her head lit up in emerald fire, and when it dissipated, two silver earrings could be seen hanging from her ears. Another flash of emerald flame, and they were gone. “Kind of pointless to get body piercings when I can just give the illusion that I have them. Why, do you like them?”

I shrugged, rubbing the back of my neck with a sheepish smile. “...kinda. Cadence had some when we were younger, and I’ve always thought they made her look really cute.”

Now Lyla was doing her own eyebrow-raise at me. “Auntie Cadence? You thought your aunt looked cute?”

“We’re not actually related,” I retorted, blushing all the same. “Besides...she’s the princess of love. You’ve seen her, and I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s almost like she was born to be a sex object. If little Flurry Heart got those genes from Cadence, she’s going to end up the same way, and Uncle Spike is going to have to scare off a bunch of horny teenage colts.”

Lyla just giggled and shrugged. “All right fine, you’ve got me there. Well, like I said, they’re just an illusion, so if you like the look…” Lyla’s head was again engulfed in green flames, and the silver earrings were back on the lobes of her ears. She fidgeted with her ears a bit to show the rings moved like they should, and then asked, “Do they look nice?”

I could only give a single, silent laugh at her, nodding with a smile. “Yes, they look good. And you’re a treasure, Lyla.” I affectionately pressed my nose against hers as I stroked my claws through her hair, and then pulled away as I heard hoofsteps returning from the back room.

The jeweller had returned, holding a small case in one hand and a sturdy stool in the other. “All right, let’s get you adorned with your new purchases.” She beckoned Ember back behind the counter, and we all followed. Pointing to the stool, she gestured for the dragoness to sit, and after that, she opened the case and pulled out a sealed package containing a shiny needle. “This here is made of tempered titanium, with an impurity rating of less than 1%. It’s stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum, as well as being magically sharpened to a microscopic degree. This could puncture through royal guard plate, if needed, so this will be nice and quick.” She pulled on a pair of medical latex gloves before grasping a bottle of rubbing alcohol, pausing. “Are dragons able to tolerate acetone and ethanol?”

I nodded. “Yeah, there’s no difference between us and ponies, there. She’ll be fine.”

The mare nodded before wetting a cotton ball in the strong-smelling liquid. “So, how do you want the eyebrow ring? One brow or both?”

Ember shrugged. “Both on the right side.”

The mare nodded once again before dabbing the area with the cotton ball. “Now, I’m going to use surgical steel piercings to actually hold the place until it heals. Since this metal is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction, it’s the safest kind to use until the site has healed. Once it’s healed, you can change them out for the ones you are buying.” The mare quickly tore open the package, which contained a curved, hollow tube-like needle. She fixed the piercing on one end of the needle and prodded the skin of Ember’s brow a few times, seemingly looking for a good area before pinching a place and saying, “Okay, hold still and take a breath. I’ll be doing both in quick succession. 1, 2, 3 and…”

The first piercing slid into place as easily as if she were a certain fashionista using a sewing needle. She quickly screwed on the ball to secure it, then immediately moved a half-inch over and placed the second piercing. Ember didn’t so much as flinch as this was done, and I have to admit, I was impressed that she didn’t even growl.

The mare pulled back briefly before grabbing another sealed package, this time with a much longer set of needles, which also looked quite a bit more intimidating. “Okay, so, do you want to wait for a moment, or-”

Ember shook her head. “Nope, keep it going. It’d be stupid to wait for the swelling to set in.”

The mare looked suitably impressed, glancing at me with a smile. “I like her. Well chosen, Spike.”

I felt embarrassed at the teasing, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, me too. She’s pretty cool. I might just keep her.” Ember attempted to shoot a deadpan look my way, but her amusement won out, and she just ended up smiling at me.

The mare then grabbed a pair of forceps with holes at the end, and brought them up to Ember’s face. “Okay, now relax your jaw so it hangs open, then close it normally.” Ember went through the motions, and the mare pressed a few times on her bottom lip. "Okay, relax your bottom lip and don’t move whatsoever; I’ll do everything, I do not need your assistance.” The mare used the forceps to grab Ember’s bottom lip on either side, pressing them and locking them on the skin just below the lip itself. I knew it would be a challenge since the skin of a dragon didn’t dimple or color the same way that pony skin did, but the mare was a professional and soon found what she was looking for. She nodded to Ember and let the forcep dangle as she pulled open the second package and brought the needle in close. “Okay, I’m going to pierce from the inside out. You’ll feel a sharp pinch, and I’ll follow with the piercing immediately. Don’t move, jerk, or bite me, and everything will go fine.”

Ember chuckled in her throat at the latter part of the statement, but did as she was told. Again, the mare counted to three, and the needle passed through her lip just as easily as the eyebrow was done. With practiced precision, the mare grabbed the curved lip ring and fed it through the hole as the needle was pulled through it, and immediately screwed on the small ball on the end. The second piercing was done the same in short order, and in only a few minutes, Ember was suddenly wearing four new pieces of jewelry that weren’t rings or earrings.

I’ll readily admit it was a bit exciting to see, and it made her look more alluring for some reason.

The mare pulled away after the last piercing, letting out a breath and smiling at the dragoness. “You know, I’ve been doing this for nearly ten years, and you are one of the best customers I’ve had. I’ve seen stallions cry at the sight of the needle or even pass out, as well as mares suddenly decide they didn’t want to do this while I was in the middle of pushing the needle through. You though, you held strong all the way through, and didn’t flinch once. Very well done, miss.”

Ember took the praise graciously, and nodded her thanks to the mare. “Thank you for doing this. Considering how dragons do this, your way was far less painful.”

I could only imagine how dragons would pierce things...and then remembered they had no formal industry for this kind of thing. I shuddered as I imagined the messy use of just claws and teeth to do the same job, and even felt a little sick at how agonizing that must be.

The mare stood up and put all the implements away, then handed a small pamphlet to Ember. “Here are your healing instructions. Follow them to the letter; I can’t stress enough how important it is that you do not deviate. Unless you want to end up in the hospital with a swollen, infected lip or brow, you better listen to the instructions.” She moved behind the counter again and pressed a few buttons on the register, looking back to me with a smile. “Okay, well, the piercing service and body jewelry comes to a total of 150 bits.” I pulled out the appropriate amount and handed the coins to the mare, which she took with a smile.

“Y’know,” I began, looking around the much more “traditional” jewelry all over the place, “I didn’t think you would have services like this, here. Maybe ear piercing, but not brow and lip.”

The mare giggled and shrugged. “I make it a point to expand my business as much as possible, so including things for both the ‘traditional’ crowd as well as the ‘modern’ crowd ensures I get plenty of business. Anyhow, was there anything else I can help you three with?”

I looked to Ember and Lyla before shaking my head. “Nah, not right now. I might be back later to get something for myself, but I have to run it by my other herdmates first.”

The mare reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to me. “Well, should you decide to shop for yourself, remember that Glittery Dreams has what you need. You three take care, and don’t forget to come back should you require an engagement ring or brooch for any of your mares.”

I blushed a bit at the implication, but smiled nonetheless. “We’re not quite there yet, but I’ll definitely keep you in mind. Thank you, ma’am.”

As the three of us headed back out into the cold weather, Ember momentarily shivered before pulling her coat tighter and walking beside me with a smile. Almost simultaneously, as if were rehearsed, both she and Lyla took one of my hands each, and smiled at the gestures.

“I like that mare. Professional, didn’t freak out at the sight of me, and even joked with me. Plus, it takes some pretty sturdy stones to pierce a dragon, I’d imagine,” Ember commented, looking rather impressed.

I gave a nod as we continued toward the center of town, catching sight of dozens of young ponies playing in the snow. “Ponyville’s become a far more welcoming place than most, over the years. It doesn’t have the traffic of places like Manehattan, and it’s not a capital like Canterlot, but with the School of Friendship and Twilight herself residing here, diversity has become normal. Besides,” I glanced over at Lyla briefly, “if there’s anything Ponyvillians are good at, it’s adapting to change. I guess they’d have to be to live so close to the Everfree, though.”

As we neared the main square, where most of the younger colts and fillies were playing in the snow, Ember slowed to a stop, forcing me to do the same. I glanced at her questioningly, only to find her staring almost dreamily at the young ones having fun. I looked to the ponies themselves, trying to discern exactly what was so interesting about them, but was unable to see what Ember was apparently seeing.

“You know, I want some of my own, at some point,” Ember commented softly.

She didn’t have to clarify, because I was able to easily pick up on what she meant. The thought brought a blush to me, along with a pleasant warmth in my chest. Nonetheless, I still joked, “I don’t think we’re allowed to buy ponies. I’d have to check with mom, but-”

Ember elbowed me in the ribs with a bark of a laugh, shaking her head with a smile. This of course drew the attention of a few of the ponies, and we received a few waves and smiles, as well as excited grins from the younger foals at the sight of dragons in Ponyville. A few of the braver colts and fillies approached, standing a dozen or so paces away, as they just stared at us in awe. The parents knew me well enough, but to most of the younger foals, dragons were still a novelty, so I understood why we were drawing a crowd.

Contrary to what I expected, as Ember finally realized we were drawing a small crowd of foals, she didn’t react the same way she had to the adult ponies earlier in the day. Instead of anxiety, she smiled warmly and kneeled in front of them, placing her hands on her thighs as she waited patiently for one to approach. It didn’t take long for one of the little fillies to gather her courage, and the little indigo-coated pony slowly inched forward until she was standing only a foot away from Ember.

Ember kept her welcoming smile and nodded to the filly. “And what’s your name, little one?”

The filly seemed surprised at just how gentle Ember’s voice was (I’ll admit, I felt the same for a moment), but quickly gathered herself and gave her own shy smile. “Um...m-my name’s Moon Lily.”

Ember slowly extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Moon Lily. My name is Ember.”

The filly hesitantly placed her own hand in Ember’s, but her smile grew as Ember gently shook her hand, maintaining her warm smile. “I-It’s good to meet you too, Miss Ember.” She then looked up at me, then back to Ember, before asking, “Umm, Miss Ember, are you Mister Spike’s special somepony?”

Ember looked up to me with an unsaid question, so I clarified, “She’s asking if we’re together.”

“Oh,” Ember exclaimed with a chuckle, “then yes, yes I am.” She turned her eyes back to the filly and nodded to her. “Dragons refer to their ‘special somepony’ as their ‘mate’, but it’s the same thing.”

The little filly, further displaying her adorability, blew a raspberry at one of the other foals. “See? I told you! Mister Spike has his own herd now, so,” she ended her statement by sticking out her tongue at the colt.

I was well-aware that recently, my herd and I had become a rather common point of conversation for most ponies, so I wasn’t really that surprised. What did surprise me was what happened next.

“My daddy says dragons should stick to their own kind,” the same colt said, looking confused instead of malicious. It was clear he was just repeating what his father had said, and didn’t really know what to think.

Ember, to her credit, didn’t snarl or growl. Instead, she merely nodded to the little colt, gesturing with a hand to me and Lyla. “Do you think we should treat people different just because they’re not a pony? Do you think that’s fair?”

The colt glanced down at the ground for a few seconds, apparently thinking, before looking up at me and smiling. “Nope! Mister Spike is cool; dragons are cool! And Miss Lyla can do really cool things, too!”

I found myself impressed at the answer, and felt a small measure of gratitude for the colt. I didn’t even know who he was, but already the young pony had become cool, in my book.

“Exactly,” Ember answered, gesturing to the ponies that were now all looking our way -- about half were parents, keeping an eye on their foals. “We might look different, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. We all have something special to offer, so never be afraid of someone just because they don’t look like you.”

The filly raised her hand and hopped around happily. “Yeah, that’s what Princess Twilight and the teachers at the School of Friendship said!” She then suddenly stopped, and huffed. “I miss Smoulder; she was really fun.”

Ember’s smile widened, and she gently laid a hand on the filly’s shoulder. “I’ll see if I can have her visit. You might find Ponyville becoming a very popular place, soon.” At the filly’s questioning look, Ember just tapped a finger on the side of her nose. “It’s a secret. You’ll just have to wait and see. Anyway,” she stood and smiled down at the gathered foals, “we should get going.” At the collective whines, Ember laughed and raised her hands. “Calm down, I won’t be going anywhere for awhile. We’ll be sure to meet again, I promise.”

The filly tilted her head as she seemingly noticed something for the first time. "Miss Ember, why do you have that metal on your face?"

Laughing nervously for the first time, she answered, "Ask your parents about them. Now, it was great to meet all of you, but we should get going. Have fun!"

Sufficiently placated, the foals ran back to the field to play, leaving the three of us to walk back to the castle once again.

As we left, however, I found myself commenting, “I have to be honest, I didn’t expect that. You’ve got a soft spot for young ones, it seems.”

Ember gave an embarrassed smile, but nodded anyway. “Even back in the dragon lands, I’ve always been enamoured with the young whelps. That youthful innocence they have, before life, politics, and culture beats that wonder and imagination out of them, has always been something I loved.”

Pulling her close and affectionately nosing her cheek, I assured, “We’ll have our own, someday. I promise.”

Ember took her place under my right wing as Lyla did the same with the other, and the three of us made our way back toward the castle.

“Don’t stare, don’t stare, DON’T STARE. STAHP!”

Even though I repeatedly recited those lines in my head, I still couldn’t take my eyes off of the pony rump a few feet in front of me, a rump which belonged to a certain roommate that wasn’t part of my herd. Starlight was bent over as she rummaged through one of the many bookcases, and I was doing my best not to drool as her tail languidly swished from side to side as she took her time selecting a tome. Though she was fully-clothed, the tight leggings she wore only barely passed for “pants”, and left very little to the imagination. I had, for example, now confirmed that Starlight also had been to a piercing specialist of some sort, though said body jewelry was not something that could be shown to polite company.

I swear she was doing it on purpose.

“Spike...Spike, are you listening?”

I jolted at the voice, and whipped my head toward Twilight, who was staring at me with narrowed eyes. I tried my best to play off the fact that I was ogling the backside of our mutual housemate, and coughed hard a few times before answering, “Uh y-yeah, of course.”

“Then what did I just say?” she challenged, her eyes narrowing further.

I shrugged helplessly, smiling sheepishly. “Stuff about...things.”

Twilight was silent for a few moments before her horn lit up. With a flash, a dome of translucent, magenta magic surrounded us, and she sighed heavily as her expression softened to something half exasperated, half understanding. “Spike, I know that dragons have a higher sex drive than ponies do most of the time, but you have to control yourself. I thought you had grown out of this years ago.”

I let out a long breath ending in a small flame, and slumped in my chair with a frustrated grunt. “Yeah, me too. All of the sudden lately I’ve been...looking. I can’t seem to stop myself. And it’s not just my friends either: mares in the market, on the street, and even Ms. Cake. MS. CAKE, Twi. She’s married with two kids, and isn’t even my type. It’s been getting worse and worse lately, but I’ve been just pushing it away since I had other stuff to worry about.”

Twilight blushed a bit as she asked, “Are you and Lyla on a break or something?”

It took me a moment to pick up on exactly what she was suggesting, and I blushed a bit as well with a hard shake of my head. “No, and that’s why it’s frustrating. If it were a biological imperative, that would take care of it...but it’s not. I feel like I’m turning into some kind of pervert, and I don’t know why.”

Twilight reached across the table we were sitting at, and grasped my hand in hers. “Hey, no matter what’s happening, we’ll get through it together...just like everything else.”

It was then that we both heard a jingling sound approaching from the corridors, accompanied by the padding of non-hoofed feet on the crystal floor. Moments later, a certain blue dragoness entered the room, complete with a new accessory she commissioned from Rarity in secret.

She approached Twilight and I, jingling the whole way over, and I commented, “You know, when I said we should put a bell on you, I wasn’t serious.” I pointed to the black collar around her neck, which held a small bronze bell on it, which chimed with every step she made.

Ember looked a little embarrassed by the mention of her new accessory, but countered, “...well yeah, but I thought it’d be a funny prank, and...I kinda like it.” She then forcefully shook her head and grabbed my hand, hauling me to my feet. Her eyes flashed green -- the same shade of green as my own eyes -- before returning to their normal crimson while she practically dragged me out of the room. “C’mon, we gotta talk. Twilight, stay here please.”

Immediately, my anxiety spiked, and Twilight’s worry mirrored what I felt as I was ushered out of the room. Nonetheless, I followed Ember as she led me through the corridors until we once again approached the door that led to our training room. Blowing a gout of flame over the crystal lock, the door shifted colors a few times before swinging open, showing the way to the room I had been training in for the past few weeks. Ember practically threw me inside and shut the door behind us, quickly walking purposefully over to me with a neutral expression.

She cupped my face in her palms, looking into my eyes for a moment before walking a small circle around and inspecting my body, clearly searching for something.

“Is there a reason we’re here, Ember? I thought you said we were done for today,” I asked, mostly confused with an undercurrent of fear from her actions.

Ember stepped in front of me again and sighed, lowering her eyes as she shook her head. “I should have known about this before, but your situation is unique, since you’re the first dragon in recorded history to be around so many ponies so regularly.” Raising her head again and focusing on me, she explained, “To put it simply, we need to vent your magic. It’s been building far too quickly because of the amount of magic you’re around every day, and as it gets worse, your dragon instincts amplify. Right now, for example, you smell like a dragon that’s about to go into a lust-frenzy*.”

I gulped and shifted uneasily, but as if to prove it to myself, my gaze began to rove over Ember’s form appraisingly. As the moments passed, I found the fire within growing stronger and hotter, and eventually, Ember was forced to smack me across the face to get my attention. To my surprise and shame, I actually growled at her, immediately backing away and shaking my head. “S-sorry, I don’t know why I did that.”

Ember closed the distance between us and placed a hand on my throat, over the mate’s mark. “Calm down Spike, it’s okay. This is what I’m talking about.” She motioned to the air as she explained, “Twilight is an alicorn that radiates raw, unfocused magic constantly, and even your other friends give off free magic of varying degrees. Whenever you’re around any of them, you’re absorbing that magic, and it’s building faster than you can get rid of it -- blasted flames, the entire castle is a magical construct. I should have seen it sooner, but it all makes sense now.”

Raising my brow at her, I asked, “What are you talking about? Why is it hitting just now? I’ve lived pretty much my entire life here, and I’ve never been ogling mares like some horny teenager before.”

Ember averted her eyes, removing her hand from my throat. “That...might actually be partially my fault. A mate’s brand forces your mana pathways open so that we can exchange our Flame with each other. Your body adapted a long time ago to live in a magic-rich environment by limiting how much ambient magic affected you -- think of it like a flood of people trying to rush down a hallway, but the hallway is only big enough for one at a time; no matter how many try to force their way in, only one can pass. With the brand, I basically took a sledgehammer to those walls, allowing all of the magic to flow into you without restraint, like a dam that’s all of the sudden had all the flow valves opened at once.”

I wasn’t as versed in the workings of how magic flowed as, say, Twilight, but I knew enough to recognize the danger of what Ember was suggesting.

Chuckling nervously I asked, “S-so what can happen if we don’t handle this?”

Ember grimaced slightly. “You know how you’ve been looking at random females more and more lately? Eventually, looking wouldn’t be enough, and you’d graduate to aggressive flirting, or even...indecent actions.”

Gulping and feeling my heart start to race, I shook my head fervently. “Then we gotta do something. What do we need to do? How do I fix this?”

“Like I said,” Ember said, glancing away again, “we have to vent your excess magic. There’s a few ways we could normally do this, but since I didn’t realize what was happening before just a few minutes ago, we have to resort to the most drastic way.”

Tilting my head slightly in confusion, I took note of how Ember seemed very uncomfortable with what she was saying. Hesitantly, I asked, “...and what way would that be?”

She still kept her eyes averted, for some reason unwilling to look at me. “Take off your clothes so they don’t get destroyed.”

While I was confused, I did as she said -- I didn’t exactly feel the need to be modest in front of Ember anymore, considering how often I’d been naked in front of her lately. After carefully removing my clothing and tossing it to the side, I turned back toward Ember and waited for her to tell me what we needed to do next. Before I could so much as blink, Ember gave a single mighty flap of her wings, and impacted me with enough force to knock me onto my back. Without any sort of warning, she mounted my waist and pinned my arms to the ground as she loomed above me.

Ember was still grimacing as she leaned close and whispered, “Mate with me, Spike. Make me yours, body and soul.”

A flaming inferno seemed to ignite within my chest, and it took every ounce of self-control I had left to throw Ember off of me roughly. My instincts and desires were roaring angrily at what I had just done, but my rationale wouldn’t allow this to happen. I stood up and backed away from her, keeping my sharp eyes trained on Ember so that she couldn’t surprise me again.

I shook my head hard, growling. “No. You don’t want this, and we’re not doing this just because-”

“WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE, SPIKE!” she shouted, her face showing both regret and a deep hurt that made my heart cry out in sympathetic pain. “Because of what I overlooked, we don’t have the luxury of waiting any longer. What I want is no longer feasible, because if we don’t, you might end up banished from Equestria. You might think, ‘I’m fine, I can beat this,’ only to lose control on the streets and breed the first mare you see, whether she wants it or not. How do you think that’s gonna pan out? Ponies might be able to overlook many things about your dragon heritage, but I don’t imagine rape during a lust-frenzy would be one of them.” She sighed and shook her head with a soft cry. “What I want now is no longer relevant. By joining with one another, I can channel your magic through me and use it to fuel the passion of our union. That’s the only safe way to vent your magic, at this point -- anything else runs the risk of you losing control.” She gave me a sad smile and pointed at herself. “If you want someone to blame, blame me. I should have noticed this sooner, and the mate’s brand was the catalyst.”

Again I shook my head, but more softly this time, pleading, “Ember...there has to be another way. I-I don’t...you shouldn’t have to do something like this just because there’s something wrong with me! It’s supposed to be something magical that we remember fondly, not because you’re just ‘opening the valve to release the pressure’! It…” I dropped to my behind on the floor, and leaned back against the wall. “This is wrong. This is not what love is!”

Ember smiled sadly at me, slowly approaching and kneeling in front of me. “This is the life of a dragon, Spike, and not all of it is nice. This can still be special and memorable, but this is also something that needs to be done. It’s either this, or you leave Ponyville for a few months and wait for your magic to normalize on its own; which is it going to be?”

The thought of the latter option brought to mind all of the ponies that cared about me, and all the ones that counted on me. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, and so many others...they all depended on me. As much as I hated it, when the options were presented that way, there was really only one choice.

“...I can’t leave,” I muttered, hating myself for this entire situation. I hated myself for being weak, for letting Ember take on the consequences of my own problem, and even more for knowing she was completely right.

“Part of being a proper mate is doing what’s in the best interest for one’s mate, even if it requires a sacrifice on our part,” Ember reminded, smiling reassuringly at me. “I’ll admit, this is not ideal, but it’s okay. I don’t blame you for this, and once all is said and done, I’ll make sure this doesn’t have to happen again.” At my questioning look, she backpedaled with a laugh, “No, not this, I mean what led to what’s going to happen between us. You’re right: physical intimacy should be something borne completely of affection and attraction, not a requirement. When it happens again, it’ll be because of that, not because you have too much magic in you.” Ember then blew a gout of flame onto her hand and traced a few characters in the air in front of her.

Reading the characters, I recognized “body”, “young” (the noun, not the adjective), and a character that simply meant “no” in the broadest sense. She then flicked her hand and caught the spiraling characters in her hand, and pressed her flaming palm to her lower abdomen. Upon removing her hand, the three words were arranged in a circle, glowing softly on the area she had pressed against.

At my silent question, she smiled gently. “Dragon contraceptive spell.”

The fact she had prepared a spell for this suddenly made it inescapable: this was going to happen -- it needed to happen -- and she was fully committed to it. Nonetheless, I still released a sad sigh and was unable to hold back a tear as I whispered, “Ember...I’m sorry.”

Ember grasped my chin softly, and raised my face to look at her. She had a look of trepidation, but also love and acceptance. She just shook her head at me, and grasped my hand as she brought it to her chest and pressed it against her warm hide. “Look into my eyes, Spike.” She gently squeezed the hand that was against her chest. “Feel my heartbeat.” She leaned in and placed her lips right by my ear and whispered, “Hear my voice. I am yours, and I give myself willingly. All I ask is that you give yourself to me as well, and I’ll be happy. I do want this, and I know you do too. Don’t hold back; you won’t hurt me.”

As Ember pulled away, I stared into her bright, ruby-red eyes, and pursed my lips as I took in what she said. Slowly, I raised my other hand, cupping her cheek and leaning in to gently kiss her firmly on the lips. I held it for several seconds before pulling away and smiling back at her, giving a firm nod as an answer. “I love you, Ember...I think I always have.”

Despite the severity of the situation, Ember’s eyes glistened with a glassiness that suggested she was just barely holding back tears, and she returned my smile. “I love you too, you big nerdy dork. Now, enough talk. Show me how much you want me, Spike.”

I lowered my knees extended my legs out in front of me, pulling Ember to sit on my lap in a position that was about as intimate as we could be while still being decent. She let out a soft squeak at the action, but settled herself comfortably as she wiggled her rump against me, coaxing the primal desire in me into a mighty flame once again. I ran my hands over her supple figure, letting my fingers tease over the joints to her wings, her lower back, and her tail, before finally settling hesitantly on her rump, taking one side in each hand. She moaned my name into my ear, further spurring me on as she leaned heavily against me, her breathing beginning to pick up. Hot puffs of breath tickled my ear as she reciprocated my actions the best she could, using her own fingers to touch me everywhere she could, as well as her dexterous tail to tickle my sensitive throat. This sent white-hot bolts of pleasure running down my spine, and I found myself groaning in response.

Carefully, I reached up and undid the clasp on the collar she wore, removing the accessory and tossing it vaguely over to some corner of the room. With that out of the way, I refocused my efforts on touching, squeezing, and kneading every pliable bit of flesh I could, coaxing more moans and half-coherent words. My body felt like it was on fire from the inside, and Ember was so hot I could feel her through my scales. As she ran her tongue over the fin of one ear, I jerked with a surprised moan of my own, and before I could realize what I was doing, I latched my teeth on her exposed throat. The startled gasp from Ember shocked me out of the lusty haze that had settled in my mind, but the feel of Ember’s palm pressing the back of my head into her even harder, I relaxed and gave myself over to the moment.

Scrambling to my knees, I pushed the beautiful, panting dragoness down onto her back, marvelling at how vulnerable she looked beneath me, and the burning desire in her eyes that mirrored what I felt. She growled low and pulled me by my wrist down onto her, spreading her legs wide and then locking her ankles behind my back. Her tail wrapped around mine as she gazed at me with unbridled passion and love in her blazing gaze.

“I am yours, Spike. You have left your mark upon me, now leave your mark within me. Join us together, as we are meant to be,” she pleaded softly, her husky voice stoking the fires within me even more. “Unleash yourself. You don’t need to hold back anymore, and I don’t want you to.”

With those words, the last of my resistance crumbled, and I felt my body reacting exactly as nature intended, preparing to claim my mate the same way that had been done since time immemorial. With a growl, I pressed myself against her roughly, hearing her gasp in surprise and pleasure as I completely gave into my desires and proceeded to show the beautiful dragoness exactly what I felt for her.

Chapter 20

Author's Notes:

Here's another chapter for you all. As always, with me being the one to write and edit everything, I appreciate any corrections or concerns directed my way. Other than that, read and enjoy, and let me know if you need anything clarified.

changeling caste*: like insects, "traditional" changelings are born into their role in life, their body, magic, and capabilities tuned to excel in that role, while sometimes sacrificing other skills or abilities.

Everyone Poops*: yes, this is a real book, and no, I certainly did not write it. If you're the parent of a young child, it is a good, tried-and-true book for introducing a young child to one of life's prominent bodily functions that everyone has to deal with.

I’a Tele*: samoan, literally translates to "great fish" or "big fish"

spicy, seasoned tomato sauce with whitefish, over a bed of rice*: this is the recipe I used. I've actually made it, and it's fantastic if done right.

There’s no getting around the fact that the period of life commonly referred to as “puberty” by most species is, to put it mildly, awkward. My own coming-of-age is filled with plenty of cringe-inducing stories, including quite a few involving hormones, bad choices, and a few instances that still cause me to blush. This was made all the worse because of the fact that most of my friends are attractive females, and I had varying degrees of personal attraction to all of them, not to mention living with two of them. Because of that, both Twilight and Starlight had caught me in rather...compromising situations more than a few times, and though we could laugh about it later in life, it was mortifying during the moments they happened. Twilight, being the organized mare she was, had actually developed a “scale of awkwardness” because of this, ranging from “mild discomfort” all the way up to “by the sun, moon, and stars, let me just die and end this embarrassment”. Even though that confusing time of bodily development was far behind us, the classification system still came in handy from time to time.

Right now was right at the top, in my opinion.

Following Ember’s hurried escort of me out of the room, followed by a certain vigorous and lewd private activity, it made sense that Twilight would cease being patient after three hours, and thus decide to investigate. This led to the poor pony princess being given a front-row practical education of dragon mating practices, as well as “popping her cherry” regarding binge-drinking by trying to drown herself in Sweet Apple Acres aged whiskey in an attempt to forget the sights, smells, and sounds she was subjected to. One of the worst parts about the entire situation was that neither Ember nor I even noticed Twilight’s arrival or her hurried exit. The only consolation was that, in regards to my sexual experiences thus far, my first time with Ember would be one I never forgot.

Twilight likely would never forget either, and alicorns have long memories.

Ember and I slept off the exhaustion and awoke the following day pleasantly achy, yet happy, and made our way out of the pocket dimension and back to the castle. After vigorously washing ourselves, we both nearly bowled over the mildly hungover resident alicorn, who only offered a squeak and blush at the sight of us.

Currently though, the dragoness and I were standing awkwardly in the private library, with Twilight looking over us with jaw dropped, cheeks flushed, and wings presented widely. We explained just what had happened, and why, but it didn't counteract the awkwardness.

“...academically, I’m impressed at the sheer utility of dragon magic,” Twilight commented softly, shaking her head as she slowly sipped a steaming mug of black coffee. “Turning emotions into pure power, and using that power to augment the physical capabilities of the body? That’s incredibly useful, and frankly terrifying.”

I pulled at the shirt I wore, wrinkling the hem as I shifted on my feet uneasily. “No one’s more surprised than me. I lived my whole life like a pony for the most part. Now, in just the last year, dragon genetic heritage has hit me like a freight carriage to the face.”

“If it helps at all,” Ember murmured, speaking for the first time since we entered the library, “this was just the best practical solution for an incredibly urgent problem. I won’t say I regret it,” she glanced at me with a strong blush, “because I don’t, but I didn’t drag Spike off to bump uglies because I all of the sudden had dirty thoughts I couldn’t control.”

Twilight settled herself a little bit and blew out a long breath as her wings finally settled properly. “I...I understand, and I’m not mad or anything.” She then glanced between me and Ember. “So, is this going to need to be a regular thing?”

Ember’s blush increased, but she shook her head. “Um...no. I won’t say we’re going to suddenly hold off on physical intimacy or anything, but there won’t be the same urgency. If Spike had lost control like he was very close to doing, he would have probably hurt some innocent pony...maybe one of his friends. I have a way that he can vent this extra magic so something like this doesn’t happen again.”

Twilight’s own blush matched Ember’s, but she nodded regardless. “Um...g-good. That’s good to hear. I’ll, um...I’ll let you handle that, then. Is there anything we need to do?”

“Not telling anyone about this, for one,” Ember said, frowning briefly. “Spike is already under enough scrutiny, so we don’t need anypony to catch wind of the fact that he was basically a ticking time bomb.”

Twilight snorted with narrowed eyes. “That goes without saying, Ember; what kind of idiot do you take me for?”

“I-I didn’t-”

“No,” Twilight interrupted, sighing heavily as she shook her head again with her eyes tightly closed, “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just...stressed. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Though she wasn’t looking at me, I squinted at Twilight in clear disbelief. Something was up with her, and I hoped she was being honest when she said she would be fine. Time would tell.

“Anyway,” Twilight continued, standing and smoothing out her clothes, “we have other important things to think about. Tomorrow’s Saturday, which means the funeral for Scootaloo’s parents, and then we head to Canterlot on Monday. Hearth’s Warming is the week following that, so things are going to get busy around here. Thorax and Ocellus will be arriving sometime in the middle of next week, and the rest of our out-of-town guests will arrive shortly after that. What’s the word on the catering?”

The shift toward business shook me out of my awkward state, and I straightened my posture at the question. “Pinkie and the cakes are running on schedule, and the catering company already sent an invoice with the delivery day and time. I put it in your inbox for you to go over.”

Twilight nodded firmly to me and turned to Ember. “I’d appreciate it if you could assist me today. I need an outside perspective on the speech I’m composing for our meeting in Canterlot, and you would work best since you don’t hold the reverence for me that most ponies do.”

Ember tilted her head at Twilight. “I mean, I guess I can. You know I’m not really one for speeches though, right?”

“That’s exactly what I need,” Twilight assured, smiling supportively. “I don’t imagine the nobles we’ve already snubbed twice will want to listen to the ‘youngest and naive princess’ prattle on for an hour, so what I need is someone that can tell me what’s unnecessary or needlessly boring.”

Ember playfully cracked her knuckles. “Finally, you’re playing to my strengths. Yeah, I’ll help.”

“Good,” Twilight gratefully answered, then turned to me again. “Spike, I need you to ensure all the guest rooms are properly prepared and stocked, then I need you to head out for a necessities run in Ponyville -- you know, things like toiletries, extra towels and sheets...stuff like that. I also need you to check the local mining company for sapphire and ruby jewel dust, and use my personal account to buy any they have. Lastly, I want you to ensure the local guard force is aware of the visitors we’ll be having. We don’t need another ‘incident’ like the last time that Yona visited.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory of the young yak and the “incident” Twilight was referring to. Yona had a good heart, but yaks could be rather abrasive to those that didn’t understand how their society worked. To make a long story short, three tables were broken, four guards put in the hospital, and a very irate Yona was jailed due to a “misunderstanding” that happened in a local pub. It was funny to think about after the fact, but let it not be said we all weren’t freaking out due to the potential public relations nightmare the incident could have caused.

I gave a nod and salute to Twilight. “I’ll take care of it. Send me a message if anything comes up.”

And, with our own jobs to attend to, I went off on my own to take care of my tasks for the day.

It was no surprise that my tasks took most of the day, since I was quite used to my day-to-day life being full of things to do. While Twilight and I didn’t actively take on too many governmental tasks (Parliament handled most issues of state nowadays, and Mayor Mare took care of most local government tasks), there was still plenty to do regarding relations with other nations, the school, and the mundane tasks that the average person had to take care of, simply as part of life. As a younger drake, it bothered me that I never really had time to just...be a kid, but I later realized that Twilight hadn’t exactly had a “free” childhood either; whether it be self-imposed or due to being Celestia’s personal student, Twilight was busy doing things every day, and those habits were passed onto me. It certainly helped as an adult, but didn’t exactly lead to a flourishing social life when I was younger.

Still, because of the skills I picked up earlier in life, my tasks were finished in short order. All the linens had been washed and laid out on the guest beds, the rooms themselves had been cleaned and dusted from top to bottom, and the washrooms had been stocked with everything one might need to take care of personal hygiene. The walk in refrigerators and freezers had been stocked well enough to feed a small army, and with all of that done, we were prepared for our guests at the castle. I spent the two or so remaining hours of daylight with an axe and a cart out near the forest, splitting some of the logs we had seasoned over the summer, to be brought back to the castle; it was a mindless, mundane task that allowed me to focus on the rhythm of placing a log and chopping it into smaller pieces, over and over again, for quite a while. It was so relaxing, in fact, that I almost didn’t notice a certain changeling trying to sneak up from behind me.

Without pausing in my work, I called, “You may be an expert at blending in, but you’re a novice at actually sneaking around. I heard you coming.”

A startled squeak answered, followed by a muted huff before the changeling entered my field of vision. She was dressed in heavy winter clothing, since she had no fur to insulate her like ponies did, and was looking quite adorable with the brooch Rarity had designed for my herd displayed proudly on the left breast of her coat. She tromped over and took a seat on a tree stump, crossing her arms underneath her chest as she pouted playfully.

“How do you always hear me coming?” she grumped, though I could tell she wasn’t actually that bothered by it.

Regardless, I answered anyway as I pointed to her with my tail. “You’re a soldier, not an infiltrator, so while you retain the ability to blend in with your species’ natural shapeshifting abilities, you were never meant to be stealthy. You were never taught to be, and as a soldier, stealth can actually work against you, and I have a feeling that was engineered into your caste*.” With a grunt, I finished splitting the current log and tossed the firewood into the cart, then turned to Lyla with a grin. “Besides, Ember is sneaky enough for the both of you. Remember when I joked that we should put a bell on her? Well…”

Lyla nearly burst out laughing, jamming a palm over her lips to stem the giggles before bubbling, “No way, she actually did it? That’s going to amuse me for weeks.”

I nodded with my own smile before meeting Lyla halfway as she stood, and enveloped her in a tight embrace. We held it for a few moments before pulling away. “It’s great to see you, Lye. Sorry I haven’t had a whole lot of time lately, but that’s gonna change soon.”

Lyla released me and shrugged as she let me get back to work. “Eh, I can’t really complain. I’ve had a lot of work lately as well -- mostly ponies wanting to be sure their homes are winter-proofed before we get a bad blizzard or anything, as well as some asking for commissions for Hearth’s Warming gifts.”

I grimaced slightly as I continued chopping the wood. “Yeah, woodworking’s never been a strength of mine. I can chop it just fine,” I tossed a few more split logs into the cart, “as you can see, but it’s never pretty. I tried whittling and woodworking when I was younger, but all my ‘projects’ looked like they were done by a three year-old having a seizure.”

“Singing seems to be something you do very well, though,” Lyla pointed out.

I shrugged, but continued my task. “I don’t really think that counts. From what I understand, singing for dragons is like shapeshifting for changelings: it’s an inborn ability, so much so that the ones that don’t have the skill are seen as defective. I would certainly say you’re a fantastic shapeshifter, but it’s not your talent. Your talent is something that is rare within your own species; it’s something not many of your kind can do, or do well.” I glanced up to her, noticing the changeling had a thoughtful look on her face. “LIke, for example, your skill with woodworking and carpentry. Changelings are experts at construction with natural materials, but not all of them are great at turning a hunk of wood into art. You have a few talents that set you apart, and that’s one of them.”

Lyla seemed to consider my words for a moment before deciding, “...yeah, I guess you’re right.” She then nodded toward me with a smirk. “So what’s your talent, oh great Dragon Sage?” My face soured at her question, and if her immediate frown was any indication, I didn’t do a good job at hiding it. “What’s with that look?”

I shook my head hard, barely choking back a growl that tried to rumble from my throat. “Don’t call me that, please.”

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of piquing the interest of Lyla, who was never one to back down from learning new things. She shook her head at me and rested her elbows on her knees with a hard stare. “Oh, I’ve gotta hear this. Clearly there’s a story behind that, and I want to know about it. C’mon, spill.”

I buried the blade of the axe into the stump in front of me before resting my rump on the lip of the cart. “All right fine, but don’t go spreading it around.” I rolled my neck around to work some of the tension out of it before beginning. “When I went to the dragon lands during mine and Twilight’s expedition there, some of the more ‘intellectually-inclined’ dragons were...let’s say more than a little impressed with me. They are a minority -- and honestly, I think they always will be -- but among them I was always welcome, and I felt more at home with those few than I have anywhere else but Equestria. It was nice to know I wasn’t just some freak dragon that wasn’t a noisy brute, and that even outside of Equestria, there were others like me.” I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. “Anyway, we were there for months, and during that time, I became pretty close with that specific group of dragons. I later learned that Ember was a part of that unofficial group, but that wasn’t why I became interested in them. For the first time, I felt valued by dragons for who and what I was. I wasn’t just ‘the squishy whelp’ or ‘the runt,’ I was a smart guy with lots of crazy stories, and my intelligence and wit was valued with them. As a bit of a joke, they started playfully calling me ‘The Dragon Sage’ because of all the knowledge I had and all the places I’d traveled.” The smile that had grown on my face faded away as I remembered the unhappy ending to this story, which not many new about. “Unfortunately, intelligence isn’t exactly valued among the younger dragons, and as I’m sure you know, they aren’t exactly known for being accepting of people like me. It’s almost like, until they reach a certain age, they completely lack the ability to see value in anything not related to strength or battle prowess.”

“Most other creatures call that maturity, Spike,” Lyla pointed out with a wry grin.

I could argue semantics with her, but I chose not to. “Well, anyway, I never found out what happened to the buddies I’d made among that little circle. There were five of us, and they all just...disappeared. I want to believe they just moved on to other lands or something, but I find it hard to believe that all of them are suddenly gone for seemingly no reason. I never found out what happened to them, but it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The little nickname they gave me just brings up heartache that I don’t like feeling, because there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Lyla’s expression had changed to one of sympathy, and she reached across the small gap to place a hand on my knee. “Did you ever try to track them down?”

I nodded with a sigh. “Yep, and before Ember went silent for that long while, I even asked her for help. Nothing came of it, though. For now, they’re just a part of my past, and so is that nickname.”

Lyla looked remorseful with her ears splayed and eyes lowered. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have dragged up a painful memory like that.”

I shook my head and raised her chin with the tip of my tail, offering a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. Memories are given new life when we share them with others, and it’s nice to talk to someone about things like that...even if it hurts a little. The happiness I feel from the memories outweighs the heartache, so I’m glad you ‘dragged it out of me’.”

Lyla smiled back before suddenly perking up. “Oh, I almost forgot what I came to find you for in the first place! Rarity agreed to a dinner with the herd if you’re not busy tonight. She suggested we could go somewhere to eat at around seven, seeing as how we haven’t had a proper date in awhile.”

I scratched my chin for a moment as I thought aloud. “Well, I’m not really doing much after I get this wood back to the castle, and as far as I know, Twilight and Ember shouldn’t be busy all night.” I shrugged and gave a smile to the changeling. “Yeah, sounds good. Run and tell Rares I’ll get the other two on board when I get back to the castle.”

Lyla practically bounded away, too excited to even fly properly, and I chuckled at the sometimes-childlike changeling. After she left, it only took me a few more minutes before the cart was full, so I then lugged it back toward town to drop it off, now looking forward to tonight. Unfortunately, the recent days never seemed to go the way I envisioned, and there were always surprises to be had. This was the case as I nearly flattened a familiar pink-maned pegasus with soft yellow fur, and I had to swerve hard to avoid crashing into the mare, nearly flattening myself in the process. Nonetheless, a crisis was averted, but now I was facing down a mare I had been shamefully avoiding for a little while now.

After she calmed her racing heart and checked herself to be sure all limbs were firmly attached, Fluttershy’s teal eyes wandered to me, and her face immediately lit up with a rosy pink blush that matched her hair quite nicely. “O-oh, hello Spike. I-It’s, um, good to see you.”

I lowered the front of the cart to rest on the ground, and cleared my throat awkwardly. “Umm, yeah. It’s good to see you too, ‘Shy.” I found my eyes darting away against my will as an uncomfortable feeling settled into my gut. I found myself offering a weak excuse of, “Sorry we haven’t seen each other much lately. Winter time always gets busy before Hearth’s Warming, and then there’s all the stuff with Scootaloo and the visitors coming to Ponyville…” I trailed off, unsure of what more to say, mostly because I had a feeling Fluttershy believed my excuse about as much as I did...which was not at all.

If she suspected though, she didn’t show it. Her eyes focused timidly on me as she answered, “I-it’s okay, Spike. Winter is busy for me too, so it’s not your fault.” She wrung her gloved hands a few times before adding, “...b-but I’ve missed you.”

And unfortunately, that quiet admission cut straight to my heart like an impossibly sharp blade, and I found every rationalization I had made over the past week falling away like dust in the wind, leaving only icy guilt. Regardless of what I felt regarding Fluttershy being interested in my herd -- in me -- she was my friend first, and I had been avoiding her. She was still mourning the loss of Angel to a lesser degree, and I had avoided her because of what I had learned from Rarity. Within the span of only a minute, I felt like the lowest of the low.

Releasing a sigh full of self-loathing, I shook my head slowly. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I should have made more time for you.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize. I know how busy-”

I held up a hand to silence her before bringing my eyes up to meet hers. “I made time for Twilight, I made time for Rarity, I made time for Lyla, Ember, and Starlight, and I even made time for Applejack when I could. The only one I didn’t fit into my schedule was you, and that wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.”

Fluttershy bit her lip gently before shuffling over to me. She hesitated for a moment before pressing her body against mine, and wrapping her arms around me. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she buried her face against my larger form, and her hair and hat hid her face completely as she gave me a hug I didn’t feel I deserved. Still, I couldn’t stop myself from reflexively encompassing her body in my arms and under my wing, and even though I felt undeserving of such affection, I relished it nonetheless.

After a few silent moments, she finally said, “It’s okay Spike. You’re here now.”

I settled my chin atop Fluttershy’s head, smiling at her ears flicking around almost playfully at the action. “I am. How have you been?”

Fluttershy pulled away a bit so that she could look at me, her soulful eyes still carrying a hint of melancholy in them even as she offered me a smile. “Better. I’ve been keeping busy and exercising to stay in shape.”

I’ll readily admit that the thought of such a dainty, soft (for lack of a better term) mare keeping to a strict exercise schedule was...odd, to say the least. Much like her personality, Fluttershy’s deceptively delicate-looking body held a hidden layer of steel just below the surface. It was easy to mistake the gentle pegasus for some weak little mare, but any who made that mistake would be shocked to learn she was the exact opposite.

“Speaking of exercising, you’ve improved recently, haven’t you?” she observed critically, looking over my neck and shoulders.

I ran my fingertips over the noticeable cords of muscle around my arms and neck. “Yeah. Training with Ember is hard work, so it makes sense I’d put on some more muscle. It’s a pain though, because my old clothes don’t fit quite right anymore, and some of them were my favorites.”

I was surprised by the feel of Fluttershy’s soft fingers tracing my shoulders and upper back, as if measuring me by hand (which Rarity had done before, and not entirely for practicality). Her expression was distant, as if she was in a trance, and it took me clearing my throat to bring her back to the present. The mare practically jumped away from me with a squeak of fright, and I did my best not to blush or display just how much I enjoyed the attention.

After a moment of awkward silence, I broke it with a loud, “So, anyway, I’m glad you’re doing okay, so I’m gonna go ahead and-”

As I turned to leave, however, Fluttershy’s fingers grasped my wrist, and while I could have easily pulled away, I didn’t -- something in the way she touched me, and the fact that she stopped me, bid me to stay; even though my mind was furiously denying it, my heart knew exactly why she had stopped my retreat. The sound of shuffling from behind me drew my curiosity, and I turned around to see something that burned away all rationalizations my mind could come up with.

There, displayed proudly on the left breast of Fluttershy’s overcoat, was a familiar brooch designed by Rarity to identify those she had vetted and accepted as prospective herd mates. I didn’t have to test the brooch to know it was real, since Rarity had confirmed to me that she had already spoken with Fluttershy, and gave her approval. What seemed like so long ago, when a little wyrm pup had bit my hand, I remembered thinking it was odd that Lyla had commented “Go get him, tiger” as we left...but now it made sense.

Fluttershy’s entire face was practically glowing from the blush that lit up her cheeks, and her eyes were darting to me and back to the ground repeatedly before she growled to herself, stamped her hoof, and forced herself to look at me. Her posture straightened, her eyes sharpened, and she no longer looked like the timid mare I knew. Instead, when she spoke, that inner steel that I admired could be heard in her voice, clear as crystal.

“I’m afraid of a lot of things, Spike,” she began, her blush beginning to fade as her posture straightened completely, and she looked far more confident than I ever remembered seeing her. “Monsters scare me, loud sounds scare me, and even some of my animal friends can scare me. I’m afraid of seeing my friends hurt, I’m afraid of getting hurt, and I’m afraid of being afraid.” She kept her gaze focused on me as she slowly shook her head. “But I’m not going to be afraid of this anymore. Spike…” she stepped forward, only a few scant inches separating us, and tilted her head back to look me in the eyes, those shining jewels of aqua more radiant than I could ever remember seeing before. “...will you accept me into your herd? Please?”

To put it simply, I was flabbergasted. The mare before me was not the scaredy-pony I knew from my childhood. Instead, before me stood a resolute, confident mare, confessing her desire to join my herd, and holding my gaze the entire time.

Slowly, as my mind caught up with what she said, I found the idea far less scary than I once did. What had I ever been afraid of in the first place? Sure, Fluttershy had been through a traumatic experience recently, and yes, maybe all the time we spent together following it had pushed her toward this...but I could tell this wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. If what Rarity told me was accurate, Fluttershy had been pining for me for quite some time...and I had somehow never noticed. I felt bad about that, but I couldn’t change the past. I could, however, do something about the present, and about a possible future.

But I still had to be sure.

“Fluttershy,” I began, ensuring my face matched how serious my words were, “are you sure this is what you want? Being with me -- with us -- is not going to be easy. Being a part of my life is going to thrust you into the spotlight; there’s going to be no avoiding becoming a high-profile pony, at that point. Everyone will know about you, and everyone is going to want to talk to you and talk about you. Privacy in the way you’ve enjoyed it for years is going to be at an end.”

Without even hesitating, Fluttershy nodded firmly, the determination in her voice matching the resolution in her eyes. “Yes. I know it won’t be easy, and I know things might get scary, but I won’t let that push me away. I’ve wanted this for a long time, and I’m not running anymore. If I succeed or fail, I have to know I tried my hardest, or I’ll live the rest of my life wondering what could have been.” She briefly glanced away as a forlorn expression settled over her features. “I’ve missed out on so much because of my fears, and I’m done letting those fears rule over my life.” Turning her eyes back to me, she nodded once again. “I want this.”

Once again, Fluttershy surprised me, and I was eager to learn just what she would be capable of in the future.

A smile slowly grew on my face. “Then I accept you. Welcome to the herd, ‘Shy.”

“Congratulations, Fluttershy!” Twilight gushed, having immediately noticed the brooch when we returned to the castle. She rushed over to us, and was now proceeding to hug the stuffing out of the shorter pegasus. Fluttershy could only smile and return the hug while I watched the two friends embrace.

After a few moments of this however, Ember stepped over to join us, and her imposing figure dwarfed Fluttershy’s. The two ponies noticed the metaphorical shadow that had been cast over them, and Twilight subtly stepped away from Fluttershy at the same time I did. We as a group had discussed how new members to my growing herd would be greeted, so we knew this was coming.

Even though herds nowadays had a far more relaxed hierarchy than those of the distant past, a sort of “pecking order” still existed within all modern herds, and we knew this was part of it. Luckily for us all, Ember did not feel particularly threatened by any of the others in the herd -- through our shared brands, she had firmly established herself in my life, and we both know she wouldn’t be going anywhere (metaphorically, at least). That being said, as a dragoness raised as a dragon, Ember brought a unique perspective to our lives...thus what she was going to subject Fluttershy to. As someone that was well aware I was a valuable asset to any nation that had me, Ember was adamant that I had to learn to protect myself, as well as be protected, so she was not going to allow weakness within the herd. Hierarchy-wise, she was below Rarity and Twilight, but was still high enough that she had been elected to test the courage and strength of will of any new members we may welcome.

Nothing visibly changed about Ember, but suddenly, a chill seemed to spread throughout the room, and the lines of Ember’s body somehow looked sharper, and more dangerous. My senses were sounding off with warning bells telling me that there was a large, dangerous predator now in the room with us, and even though I knew it was Ember that was putting out those signals, I still felt my body tense. I knew that if I felt it, ponies -- a race evolved from prey animals -- definitely felt it. To the shock of both me and Twilight, Fluttershy was calm and collected as she watched the larger dragoness approach.

Normally when faced with an uncomfortable situation, Fluttershy’s body language would become more passive, more defensive, and far less confident. I was nowhere near as adept at recognizing body language as Fluttershy herself, but I knew enough to be downright flabbergasted at the change in the normally-timid mare. Usually, at this point, Fluttershy’s hands would be clasped together, her arms raised and held nervously over her chest, her shoulders and posture hunched, and her wings slightly raised over her head. The mare we saw at that moment was completely different: Fluttershy’s back was straight, her shoulders relaxed and hands at her sides. Her eyes were completely focused on the dragoness with a steely, yet neutral stare, and her wings were actually flared slightly. This version of Fluttershy was practically taunting Ember, her body language clearly telling us that she was ready to fight -- not run -- if she needed to. For a moment, I thought I was looking at Fluttershy’s mother, and the resemblance was uncanny.

Ember was staring down at the smaller pony, and I could practically feel the surprise rolling off of her. Like us, she had likely expected this meek, little pony to back down or cower away from the larger, stronger female, but instead, Fluttershy was standing her ground and, even if she didn't realize it at the time, asserting her place within the herd. We all knew Fluttershy was nervous around others that she didn’t know well, but she was a master at dealing with dangerous predators, and it appeared that skill was working to her advantage against her predatory herdmate.

The stare-down lasted for a few more moments before Ember smirked and reached up to the top of Fluttershy’s head, running her claws through the pink locks. She glanced back to me and said, “This is a strong pony here; no backing down, and no warning displays.” She looked back to the mare she was currently petting (for lack of a better word) and nodded approvingly. “I have to say, I’m impressed.”

Fluttershy relaxed completely and giggled slightly at the feel of the claws in her hair. She looked up to Ember and nodded in return. “I’m strong when I have to be. If that means I need to prove to you that I can be strong, then this is one of those times. It’s true, I’m a scaredy-pony most times, but I’ll always be strong for my friends.”

Ember just smiled down at the mare before turning to me and Twilight. “You two got one brave friend. We gotta take good care of this one so she doesn’t run away.”

I raised my brow at Ember questioningly. “Y’know, you’re surprisingly on-board with this ‘herding’ thing lately. Sure you’re not the one that wants her?”

Ember accepted the jab with a good-natured chuckle and shook her head. “I’m just a dragon that knows the value of things and people. Any dragon knows that the things he or she collects -- mates, it seems, in your case -- must have a value beyond what others might see. This mare,” she patted the head of the pegasus that still stood next to her, “is a valuable addition. Anyone can see that.” She then nodded toward me. “As you fully master control of your greed instinct, you’ll find that even when you feel the need to hoard, it won’t be for things that are shiny anymore. For mature dragons, the things they hoard sometimes look mundane to others, but hold a special significance to them. One of my most treasured items, for example, is a smooth, round river rock given to me by my father when I was very young.”

I shrugged slightly. “I guess that makes sense. I have a lot of little knick knacks and souvenirs that don’t have a lot of value objectively, but they mean a lot to me for certain reasons.” It was at that moment that I remembered why I headed back home in the first place, and I slapped a palm to my face, groaning loudly. “Ugh, and I completely forgot why I was heading back here. Lyla and Rarity suggested we all go out and have a dinner date as a herd,” I then glanced to Fluttershy, who was staring at me quietly, “and it looks like we can introduce our new member, as well.”

Fluttershy was adorably delighted at the suggestion, and was smiling brightly with a happy flutter of her wings. “Oh my, that sounds wonderful! When are we meeting them?”

I shrugged. “The date is around 7, so I figured we could meet up at Rarity’s boutique at 6:30. I have a feeling she’ll still be getting ready by then.”

Twilight glanced at the wall clock as she observed aloud, “That gives us about two hours, then. Fluttershy and I will get ready, while the two of you,” she pointed and Ember and I, “get to clean up the mess you left in the pocket dimension.”

I felt the blood rush to my head at the mention of the room Ember and I had thoroughly “used”, and could only offer a meek nod and, “...yeah, we’ll take care of it.”

The four of us -- me, Twilight, Ember, and Fluttershy -- all approached the Carousel Boutique together as the last light of day disappeared over the horizon, and the moon rose to take its place in the sky. With the night being as clear as it was, the moon was bright enough to bounce light off of the snow all around, which gave ample light for anyone to see, even in the middle of the night; this gave night an interesting feeling to anyone out and about, since we knew we should be preparing for bed and such, but there was still plenty of light to see by. Winter was truly a magical time of year, and I loved it.

The door opened as we approached, revealing a younger mare at the door, beckoning us inside with a smile. “Well c’mon, get inside before all the warmth escapes.”

I greeted Sweetie Belle with a smile, ushering all four of us inside before turning to give her a hug. Sweetie Belle and I might not be as close as I was with the other two Crusaders, but she was still important to me.

After pulling away, she motioned to the sitting room. “Take a seat. Rarity is still fussing over herself and Lyla, so she’s gonna be a few more minutes. Does anyone want anything? Tea? Cocoa? Coffee?”

“Some tea would be nice, Sweetie,” I answered for the group. I also gave her another warm smile as she trotted away to the kitchen.

“Whenever you call her name, I always feel like you’re giving her a pet name,” Ember quipped, smirking at me.

I shrugged and returned her look. “Which is why I tend not to really use ‘sweetie’ as a pet name. It makes it weird since I know someone named Sweetie. Still, it would be funny if her and I were together, because that would be ‘Sweetie squared’.”

Ember just stared at me with a deadpan expression. “That was bad and you should feel bad.”

I shrugged again. “Eh, they can’t all be winners.” I glanced to the pegasus on the other side of me, who was presently watching the banter between Ember and I. “So, I was just wondering: how long have you liked me?”

With the attention brought to her, Fluttershy stiffened and blushed, but didn’t shy away from me. It took her a few moments, but eventually she admitted, “...u-um, a long time. Y-years.” I continued staring at her, waiting for elaboration, and eventually she continued. “W-well, I’ve always liked you as a friend, Spike. Before you and Twilight came to Ponyville, the only dragons I had ever seen were the ones that flew by during the dragon migrations, and they were big and s-scary. But then, Twilight brought you with her, and I got to meet and get to know a baby dragon. You changed the way I thought about dragons -- I was still afraid of them, but you proved they could be nice, and smart, and live with ponies.” She grew a gentle smile as she continued talking. “As you and Twilight lived in Ponyville and we did so many things together, I got to know you even better, and it was easier to see you as your own dragon, instead of ‘Twilight’s assistant’. Sure, there were the things we did as ‘the Elements of Harmony’, but the most important parts of our friendship are the regular things we do every day.”

I nodded understandingly. “I agree. That does answer a lot of questions, but when did you start to like me? Not as a friend, but as...more?”

Fluttershy finally averted her eyes, but for only a second, before reaching over and taking my hand in hers. “W-well, if I’m honest, I think it started from the moment you began to mature into a real grown-up. You remember the whole thing with the stonescales, and when your wings grew in?”

I remembered the uncomfortable time, and scratched at a phantom itch on my face. “Yeah...that sucked.”

“But,” she continued, giving my hand a squeeze, “it showed me that you were growing, and aging. For so long, you were the same size, same shape, same everything. I know it wasn’t actually true, but it felt like we were all maturing, and you were just...frozen in time. But then, you grew wings and got a little bigger, and that showed that you grew just like the rest of us.” The blush that had started to fade came back full force as she kept going. “And then, you had your first major growth spurt. All of a sudden, you weren’t this pudgy little baby dragon with wings. Instead, you were taller, and sharper, with a deeper voice and bigger wings. You had muscles, and you were strong, even for your size. You were still goofy and awkward, but you were growing into something more than just a cute baby dragon. Instead, when you wore the right clothes and acted just the right way, I found myself sometimes thinking you were handsome, like a stallion. I-I’d never really looked at stallions that much when I was younger; they were scary and loud, and they always wanted to talk to my other friends instead of me, which was...fine.”

“But then I came along,” I surmised, slowly smoothing my thumb over the back of her hand.

Fluttershy nodded and smiled again. “Yes, you came along. You were a good friend already, so there wasn’t any reason for me to be afraid as you grew up and turned into...um…” she trailed off and her blush increased tenfold as she looked to the other girls for help.

“A hunk?” Lyla playfully teased.

Fluttershy just wrapped her wing furthest from me around herself, attempting to hide her embarrassment. “U-um, yes. I never had any problems finding stallions or even some mares attractive, but Spike was always ‘cute’, not...hot. It took some time for me to work through those feelings.” She then inclined her head towards the stairs that led to the second level of the building. “I talked to Rarity about it a long time ago, and she suggested that I might...love you.” Fluttershy absentmindedly twirled her finger in her pink locks, shrugging helplessly. “And that took more time to process. I-it’s been years since I finally admitted to myself that I liked you like that, and it was only after l-losing Angel that I decided I needed to do something about it. Rarity was the first of your herd though, so I had to talk to her. The conversation was short, and she made sure I knew that I needed to commit to this, or it wouldn’t work. And...well, that took some more time.” She glanced out the window, apparently remembering the time a few hours earlier. “Today, I just threw all my nervousness away and did it, because if I didn’t do it now, I don’t think I ever would get around to it. It was scary, and I was afraid of what you would think,” she then glanced back at me with a faint smile, “but I’m happy I did it. It feels good to be brave.”

I affectionately nudged her with an elbow. “You’ve always been brave when it counted, 'Shy. Don’t ever feel like you have to compare yourself to others in terms of confidence, because we all like you just the way you are.” The mare blushed a bit, but leaned into my side with a happy sigh.

Sweetie entered the room with a tea set and the cups levitating behind her, and set it down on the coffee table as she sat on the arm of the love seat, next to Twilight. “So, how is everyone? It’s been awhile since I’ve been in Ponyville.”

Twilight took the cup offered to her, taking a deep whiff of fragrant tea. “Mmm...that’s good tea.” Upon noticing our stares, she giggled a bit in embarrassment before shrugging. “Nothing too crazy, other than Spike finally starting his herd. I…” she released a happy sigh and glanced to me briefly. “I’m very happy with the way things turned out. Life is in a good place right now, and I see a lot of good things in store for the future.”

“W-well, I’m sure you heard about Angel passing away,” Fluttershy added, taking a long draw from her teacup, clearly trying to calm herself, “but death is simply a part of life, for me.” The pegasus glanced to me and gave a smile “From the end of a short, yet bright life, Spike and I bonded like never before. I wish Angel could have stayed with me forever, but I know he would want me to be happy even though he’s gone.”

Sweetie gave a gentle, yet sad smile, and nodded. “I’m sorry for your loss. I’m happy to see you can live on after the loss of someone so important to you.”

Fluttershy gave a little nod and smiled. “Things are getting better. Everyone is still working, everyone is still healthy, and we’re happy. That’s everything I could ask for.” The pegasus then settled her head against my arm again, which I readjusted a moment later to wrap around her. I just barely kept myself from cooing aloud at how ridiculously cute “Cuddle-shy” was.

Sweetie then turned to Ember, and the dragoness chuckled a bit nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Heh, it’s uh...it’s actually a funny story…”

Ember went through the events in the past few months, with me throwing in input here and there. Sweetie’s eyes widened at quite a few parts, and her expression showed utter horror at the mention of the brands (much like my other friends), but at the end, her eyes were shining as she smiled at us. Sweetie had always been a romantic at heart since she grew up with a sister like Rarity, so she found the trials that Ember and I had gone through together to be very interesting.

It was just as Ember was finishing up her story that Rarity finally descended the stairs, with Lyla just behind her. The unicorn was dressed in a silky, red dress that hugged her form like a second skin, and the slit on the side was high enough that one could just barely catch the bottom of her cutie mark. Lyla, by comparison, was dressed in a similar dress, but colored green and violet to match her natural accents, and backless to allow room for her wings if needed. Both ladies, to put it mildly, looked like they had just stepped off of a fashion runway and into the living room, though I could always expect that when Rarity was involved with the clothing.

Rarity smiled at all of us as she approached, but stopped short when she saw Fluttershy and the brooch she wore. She was silent for a few moments before squealing excitedly and wrapping her arms around the startled pegasus. “Oh dear, I’m so happy for you! Welcome to the herd, darling!”

Fluttershy blushed brightly, but smiled as she accepted the embrace from her longtime friend. Rarity and Fluttershy had always shared a special bond between them, and I knew Rarity wasn’t exaggerating her happiness at seeing Fluttershy wearing the brooch. They hadn’t been distant, but I knew that it felt somehow different to have her within the herd: Fluttershy wasn’t only a good friend now, she was a part of our family, and that meant a lot to all of us.

Rarity pulled away from the pegasus and stood, nodding to the group. “I’m pleased to see you’re all here. So, shall we go?”

I stood with the others and led us out of the Boutique. Though I was leading us to the restaurant, I couldn’t help but pick up a short conversation from behind me between Twilight and Rarity.

“That dress is very beautiful Rarity, but it makes me feel...underdressed.”

“Oh, pish posh, dear; you look wonderful in anything you wear. Besides, this is a casual outing, so, to be frank, Lyla and I are the ones that are overdressed. You look wonderful as always, darling.”

“...that dress is also rather...risque for winter, don’t you think? I mean, someone might see your underwear.”

“I suppose I would be worried about that...if I were wearing any.”

And immediately, I felt the flame within me burn so much hotter...and I knew Rarity had intended for me to hear that.

The restaurant we decided on was a four-star place that could be enjoyed by both the common pony and elites alike. It was actually the place where Ember and I had shared a meal shortly after she began her stay in Ponyville, and even though it was commonly considered a “carnivore” restaurant, that was mostly only because they specialized in omnivorous options; they still had plenty of choices for vegetarians though, so it was still a good place to eat as long as a pony wasn’t one of the (thankfully few) that couldn’t stand the presence of meat, or those who ate it. Because of this, it was a popular restaurant, since it also encouraged other races to emigrate to Equestria.

Though it was a Friday, winter had thinned the dinner crowd a bit, so we were easily able to get a table on the 2nd floor of the restaurant, overlooking the small center stage that held a grand piano. A white unicorn mare with a two-toned blue mane was playing beautiful music on the instrument, and because of her immense skill, it was difficult to imagine the elegant mare was also one of Equestria’s most famous DJ’s. Her delightful music gave a refined, relaxed atmosphere to the restaurant, which tied the entire experience together into a package that was nothing short of wonderful.

The server brought us to a large booth set against one wall, which was just large enough to seat the six of us comfortably. He then left to get our drinks, allowing us to look over the menus. I was seated near the middle of the table, with Rarity on one side and Fluttershy on the other, and I’ll admit it was difficult to concentrate on reading the menu with two beautiful mares cuddled up close. Luckily, I had frequented this restaurant enough that I knew what to order, so that was one “crisis” averted. Unfortunately, whether it was a planned, coordinated attack or just coincidence, I felt two other hooves playfully teasing my calves from two different directions, as well as an unmistakable, leather-like feathered tail. Twilight, Lyla, and Ember looked far too innocent, and I knew at once that this was going to be a memorable dinner, if nothing else.

The waiter approached a few minutes later with pad and pen in hand and our drinks floating in his magic, the latter of which he distributed to us. He then gave us a bright smile and asked, “So, have we decided what we’ll be having tonight, or would you like to hear the specials?”

I admit, I was impressed by the ladies answering him without giving away their little under-the-table game they were playing with me. As for me, I was trying my best to keep from shivering from some of the more adventurous caresses.

“Sir? Sir, are you all right?”

The voice of the stallion brought me out of my stupor, and I answered with a supremely intelligent, “Huh?” I mentally shook myself before looking to the waiting stallion and answering, “Oh, uh, I’ll put myself in the claws of the head chef. Just tell her I’m fine with meat, and I’m feeling like something spiiii-cy!” My words ended in a squeak as Ember’s tail stroked deviously over my clothed crotch. I refrained from looking at the dragoness, but cleared my throat loudly as I subtly reached under the table and firmly gripped the end of her tail in my claws, holding it tightly as I smiled at the waiter. “Besides that, I would like to see what the chef can come up with.” I barely kept a straight face at the sound of Ember’s squeak of surprise, but internally, I was laughing my rump off.

The waiter finished taking down my request before gathering the menus and nodding to us. “Very well. I’ll return in a few minutes with the starters. Ring the bell if you need anything.” He scurried off to the kitchen, leaving the six of us alone for the moment.

Once we were alone again, I smirked at Ember as I reached out with my own tail under the table, returning her teasing with an otherwise straight face. “Are we really going to do this here? I’m game if you are, Little Fire.”

At the mention of the nickname, Ember practically exploded in a blush. Rarity only made it worse for the dragoness by commenting, “‘Little Fire’? Oh, that is adorable.”

Ember tried not to look like she was enjoying how I was toying with her as she hissed, “You are so paying for that, Spike.”

Resting my elbow on the table and resting my chin on that hand, I grinned devilishly at the dragoness. “Do I need to call you ‘Mistress’? My safe word is ‘kumquat’.”

Ember sputtered incoherently for a moment, halfway between outrage and embarrassment, before yanking her tail from my grasp and crossing her arms with a pout. She didn’t stop me as I slowly ran my own tail along her legs though, and her twitching wings told me she wasn’t as calm as she was trying to appear.

I rolled my eyes and poked her with the end of my tail. “Oh c’mon, stop pouting. Nicknames are how I show affection, and it was just a matter of time before you got one. Besides,” I rested my elbows on the table and leaned forward a bit, “you don’t need to keep up any sort of act to save face around those gathered at this table. This,” I gestured to the mares around her, “is your family now. They aren’t competitors, they aren’t rivals for resources or mates, and they aren’t looking to undercut you in any way. Around them, you don’t have to always keep your defenses up; you can relax, because they’ll always watch your back, just like me.”

Ember hesitatingly raised her eyes as she looked around at the gathered ponies, each giving a reassuring smile (or an affectionate wing-hug in Twilight’s case) to the embarrassed dragoness. I knew Ember was still adjusting to the fact that ponies were so affectionate, and that they openly welcomed her, but the very fact that she was able to smile at their actions told me she was adjusting far faster than I could have hoped. I had no doubt that there would be times in the future where cultural differences would clash between all of us, but Ember was trying, and time had already proven our differences were a strength, not a weakness.

“Dragons don’t...usually talk about sex or physical affection so openly,” Ember muttered, still blushing a bit shyly. “That kinda stuff is considered private, so we don’t really talk about it. Hell, we barely talk about it with mates.”

While the ponies at the table likely had no idea what “hell” was, there was enough context to relate it to how they used “hay”. Judging by Rarity’s thoughtful expression though, she was far more interested by the context itself.

“So,” the white unicorn began, pausing as she appeared to try and formulate the right words, “...how do young whelps learn about these things? Do the elders teach them? I don’t imagine the dragon lands have schools the way ponies think of them.”

Ember chuckled a bit dryly as she shook her head. “Oh hell no, the older drakes don’t tell us anything; and you’re right, we don’t really have schools. Mostly, it’s by exploration and experimentation.” She shrugged helplessly. “Instincts have allowed us to survive for hundreds of thousands of years, and it allowed our ancestors to last long enough to evolve complex brains. As...animalistic as it probably sounds to ponies, we just let those same instincts tell us what to do. I think Applejack would refer to it as, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.”

While Twilight and I were aware that dragons were almost hilariously shy about some aspects of life, the rest of the ponies were clearly shocked by what they heard, as was Lyla. Frankly, I understood their surprise -- Twilight and I had been similarly shocked when we took our tour through the dragon lands, and found it amusing that such large, powerful creatures were easily embarrassed by just talking about simple biological laws of nature. The book for foals titled Everyone Poops* would probably have them in an uproar.

I also knew, however, that dragons hated pity, and the looks Ember was receiving primarily from Fluttershy and Rarity were going to make things worse, not better, if I didn’t jump in.

“Hey,” I interrupted, bringing the attention to me as I slowly shook my head, “it’s not her fault, and it’s just the way dragons are. They live a very long time, and so they’re pretty...let’s say resistant to change.” I shot a look to Rarity as I continued. “I agree that Ember is a bit behind when it comes to Equestrian culture, but she needs support, not pity -- don’t feel sorry for her. Instead, if she wants to learn,” I caught Ember’s gaze briefly, “teach her. Ember is quite willing to learn if we’re willing to be patient with her.”

Ember sent a silent, grateful glance my way before clearing her throat and sitting up straight in her chair again. “...Spike’s right. Just by getting to know all of you, I can see that there’s nothing noticeably bad about the way you all learn this stuff -- you’re not all just mating in public, defecating on the streets, or holding giant orgies with strangers, so ‘pony ways’ can’t be as bad as our lorekeepers make it out to be.” She closed her eyes briefly and took a breath before opening her eyes again and scanning everyone at the table. “I do want to learn. Please, help me feel less like an outsider all the time.”

Externally, I calmly gave a reassuring smile to Ember, but internally, I was rejoicing and praising her to the heavens. Pride was a large part of dragon culture, and I knew it couldn’t have been easy for Ember to ask for help like that. Also, the fact that she was putting forth this kind of effort just made it even more clear that she was serious about fully integrating into my life, even if she won't always be able to be around after my training was finished. More than all that though, she was ensuring her place within my herd/hoard was a positive influence on us all, and that her strength would give us all strength.

Faust, what did I ever do to catch the eye of such an amazing dragoness?

Rarity seemed to be quietly analyzing what Ember was saying before finally nodding to herself. She beamed to the dragoness as she said, “Of course, darling. We will help you in any way we can; you need only ask.”

Ember returned the grin before turning to Twilight and nodding, at which point the alicorn finally removed her wing and scooted back to her place. At that point, chatter around the table began to be traded freely, and I tuned it out unless one of them directly spoke to me. Rarity was getting to know Ember better, Fluttershy was becoming more comfortable as a member of the herd, and Twilight was chatting animatedly with Lyla about something (magic, if I had to guess). It was a warm, peaceful few minutes, and I enjoyed the atmosphere as I just relaxed and spent time with my mates (and yes, it still feels good to be able to say that).

“So Spike,” Twilight called after a few minutes of me zoning out, garnering my complete attention. The alicorn smiled the type of smile that promised a nice surprise of some sort, casually advising, “So, I-uh...heard from a friend of ours after you left to get wood, and I think you’ll be rather excited to hear that she’s coming to Ponyville this Hearth's Warming.”

I raised my brow, sitting up a little straighter as I devoted my full attention to her; I couldn’t think about anyone off the top of my head that would be coming to visit us other than those we were already expecting. “Oh? Who is it?”

Twilight playfully grinned. “Well, I’ll give you a hint: it’s someone Ember hasn’t met yet, and we haven’t seen her in a few years. She’s another of our ‘reformed friends’-”

“As if that narrows it down,” I commented dryly.

Twilight just continued as if I hadn’t spoken, “And she’s an incredibly powerful unicorn-”

“Again, as if that narrows-”

“With a broken horn,” she finished, the final hint causing my eyes to go wide with shock.

I stared at her dumbly with my mouth slack before cautiously asking, “...Fizzle is coming back? Is she just visiting or-” Twilight flashed her horn, materializing a rolled scroll in front of me. I snatched it out of the air and quickly pulled it open, my eyes roving over the text in an effort to decipher just what Twilight had meant. After a thorough inspection of the short note from Fizzlepop, I brought my eyes up and looked at Twilight. “She says she’s coming ‘home’. What does that even mean? I thought you said she’s coming to Ponyville.”

Twilight just gave me a bittersweet smile. “You know her story, so you also know that after she left her hometown and joined with the Storm King, she didn’t really have a home anymore; fifteen years of her life were completely devoted to the Storm King and the lies he used to manipulate her.” Twilight lowered her eyes as she stared sullenly at the tablecloth. “She had nothing and no one left, and that’s why she felt she had to go out and do everything she could to atone for her crimes and the sins of the Storm King’s armada.”

“I imagine she felt she had to discover who she really was,” Rarity suggested, frowning briefly as she said so. “I unfortunately did not get to know her very well before she left.”

“I don’t think she knew herself very well, so this journey has been a way for her to rediscover who she really is as a pony,” Twilight said. She then smiled as she raised her eyes and added, “But that’s also why I told her that she would always have a home in Ponyville, and that I would be her friend, even if no one else would.”

I nodded slowly. “I see. So when she wrote that she was coming home, she meant-”

“To the castle, yes,” Twilight finished. “I don’t doubt Fizzlepop Berrytwist is a very talented individual, but I imagine many ponies would be wary of giving her a chance, even after what she did in the fight against Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow. Not only did she lead the Storm King’s armada and brought most of the developed world to its knees, she was the only one in longer than most ponies can remember that actually conquered Canterlot, and neutralized three alicorns. That’s very scary, and even though I’ve been able to teach ponies to be more accepting of different types of creatures, someone like Fizzle still makes ponies wary.”

I didn’t like it, but it made sense. Because of what she’d done, Fizzle would likely always be an outcast in the world, and our castle was probably the only place she would be able to call home. With Starlight and even Trixie, it had been relatively easy to ease them back into normal society -- yes, ponies remembered the things they did, but they didn’t carry physical reminders of what they had done with them. Fizzle though, she was “the scarred unicorn with a broken horn”, and she would be recognized no matter where she went in the world. It was unlikely she would ever be able to just have a normal job and a normal life, all because of the mistakes she made in the past.

With a grim expression, I nodded. “I understand. I don’t like it, but we can’t just make ponies accept her.” Ember caught my attention out of the corner of my sight, and I noticed her wings quivering behind her as she was sitting very stiffly in her chair. “You okay, Ember?”

Ember chewed on her lip as she glanced over the gathered ponies before sighing and lowering her eyes to the table. “I’m kinda...nervous about meeting Tempest-”

“She doesn’t like to be called that,” I snapped, shooting Ember a stern glare before realizing what I did and looking away in shame. After a moment of silence, I said, “...sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you like that, but that name is a part of her dark past she wants to move on from.”

Ember smiled briefly to let me know she forgave me before she continued. “It’s okay. Anyway, I’m just kinda nervous about meeting Fizzlepop in person. She’s like a storybook villain come to life, and no matter what they might tell you, most of the dragons back home were terrified she was going to come for us next. I trust all of you if you welcome her into your home like that, but I’m still...anxious.”

Again, with pride being such an important part of dragon culture, I was very proud of Ember for having the courage to admit she was actually nervous about something. It meant she was already making great strides in better settling into Equestrian life. I’ll admit, it gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

I again reached under the table with my tail, and ran it along Ember’s leg in a more soothing manner as I gave her a reassuring smile. “I know you won’t stop feeling uneasy until you actually meet her, but I promise, you don’t have anything to worry about. We wouldn’t be inviting someone into our home that we thought would blow it up.” I then glanced to Twilight and amended, “...well, on purpose, anyway.”

Twilight levitated her cloth napkin off the table and tossed it at my face as I laughed, rolling her eyes with a good-natured grin. Just like that, the atmosphere was light and happy again, and Ember loosened up little by little until she was smiling and chatting animatedly again.

After a few minutes of idle talk, the server approached our table again with the starters, which consisted of some sort of creamy dip with crackers, another plate of what smelled like cheese puffs over a bed of lettuce, celery, and carrots, and what I could tell by smell alone was the restaurant’s popular seafood sampler, which had garlic-basted butterfly shrimp, baked scallop dip, and a few crab cakes. After setting down the dishes and handing out smaller plates for each person, he smiled to us and bowed. “Enjoy. Your meals are being handled by the head chef herself, and they will be prepared with great care.” The server then departed, leaving us to try the food.

Ember, of course, looked a bit lost, likely wondering if she was supposed to wait for her turn or if there was some sort of rule she was meant to follow. I just nodded to her and said, “You don’t have to wait; go ahead and get in there. Try a little of each one, and if you like it, grab a little portion for yourself on your plate.”

Ember nodded before licking her lips and reaching for the seafood (which I expected, since it was more familiar to her). In the middle of portioning out a little of each seafood dish on her plate, she stopped and glanced at me as she asked, “Wait, I thought that ponies don't eat meat. Is this just for us?”

I smiled and gestured to Fluttershy and Lyla, who were both eyeing the seafood dishes with interest. “Red meat, pork, and poultry is generally off-limits for most ponies, but seafood is usually something most can tolerate and even enjoy; pegasi especially love seafood.”

“Oh...cool,” Ember answered, sounding pleasantly surprised as she settled back into her chair and began tasting what she had. The pleased hums she produced told me the seafood was definitely a winner, and I had a feeling she’d probably like the other dishes as well, if I could convince her to try them.

Chatter at the table was reduced to a minimum as we enjoyed the appetizers, though I kept my eyes on Ember to keep track of the adorably pleased expressions and noises she made whenever she took a bite -- it was likely she had discovered, in this very moment, that there was a lot she was suddenly willing to try regarding Equestria, if she could find food like this. Ember was even adventurous enough to try the other appetizers, and though the creamy dip (which turned out to be cold seasoned cream and dill) wasn’t a favorite of hers, her participation in the meal helped the rest bond with her just a bit more, which would always be a plus in my book.

The appetizers were finished in short order, and the timing of the arrival of our main courses was perfect. The same server came to the table to take our dirty dishes away, returning shortly afterward with a female gryphon who was clearly the head chef of the restaurant. I hadn’t met the hen before, but the pure white jacket, slacks, and chef’s toque made it clear to anyone that saw her that she was the boss of the kitchen. She was a pale gray with white accents and bright yellow eyes, and she followed the server with a relaxed, professional gait.

After our meals had been placed at the table, the chef gave a short bow and gestured to the dishes provided to us. “I am Head Chef Griselda, and I have personally overlooked the preparation of these dishes tonight.” She then motioned to my dish specifically with a proud smile. “Since you asked for my choice on the dish, I have taken the liberty of preparing for you a favorite of mine from my homeland, the balmy islands of I’a Tele*. It is a surprisingly simple dish of ocean white fish poached in spiced tomato sauce, but the secret is in the preparation by a skilled, experienced hand. Please,” she nodded to me, “try it, and tell me what you think.”

I looked down at my plate, which was a red-sauced slab of fish over a bed of white rice. I could see green onions and crushed tomatoes in it, and my nose told me there must be garlic and some sort of citrus as well, so I wasted no time in bringing my fork and knife to cut off a small bite. To my surprise, the fish was extremely tender, able to easily be cut with only my fork, so I simply scooped up some rice with it before taking the bite into my mouth. Immediately, my taste buds were assaulted by a myriad of flavors and spiciness, including the light, subtle taste of the fish itself. Unable to stop myself, I let out a borderline obscene-sounding groan of approval, nodding to the chef as she smiled, clearly pleased I enjoyed her hard work.

The chef gave another bow. “It is always a pleasure to share the tastes of my home with others. Enjoy your meals.” She then turned and left the table with that same professional-yet-relaxed gait that said, “I’ve worked very hard to get where I am, and I love what I do.”

"So what is it?" Lyla asked, eyeing my dish with interest even as she ate her own.

I shrugged before taking another bite of the wonderful meal, humming happily at the taste. I adhered to manners and swallowed before speaking, but couldn’t stop the happy hum that escaped. “Some sort of spicy, seasoned tomato sauce with whitefish, over a bed of rice*. I’d have to ask her for the recipe, but just from the taste, I can guess she used some kind of peppers or pepper sauce to give it some heat.” I scooped up a bit on my fork and held it up. “Want to try some?”

“Mmm, don’t mind if I do,” Lyla happily replied, leaning over the table and taking the bite before sitting back down. The others at the table watched her chew, apparently waiting for a verdict, before the changeling smiled happily. “Yeah, that’s pretty good. Not something I’d normally go for, but it’s got a light, unique flavor. I might have to order that next time we come out.”

…

About an hour later, the six of us were chatting happily as we relaxed in the booth, just enjoying the music and each other’s company. We had collectively abstained from dessert, but alcoholic drinks flowed rather freely (except Fluttershy, who tended to avoid alcohol), which led to the normally more-composed Rarity getting a bit loopy and silly, and Twilight couldn’t stop the perpetual smile that crossed her rosy cheeks. Ember was simply getting to know her herd-mates better and learning odd things here and there (like the fact that Twilight became rather affectionate when under the influence), and I was very happy to see her becoming a bit more relaxed around the mares. Lyla would normally be snuggling against me, but since that spot was taken by Fluttershy at that current time, she instead spent time reconciling what little she knew about traditionally-raised dragons with the dragoness next to her -- Lyla loved to learn new things, after all, and she was especially drawn to history and archaeology, so a member of a long-lived race like dragons was a metaphorical gold mine for the changeling soldier.

Eventually though, I noticed Twilight’s horn glowing every now and then without anything happening, which I had learned meant she was checking the time. I decided to save her the trouble of having to be the one to break up the nice time by letting out a loud groan and sitting up straight. “All right, I think we should get out of here before it gets too late. We all have to be up early to get ready for...you know.” I hated to bring the mood down, but there was no avoiding the funeral tomorrow. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash needed us all there, so I was going to make sure we weren’t half-asleep during the ceremony.

Rarity seemed to sober up a bit, and she nodded firmly. “Yes, you’re right. Come on then, let’s get going; it wouldn’t do to deprive ourselves of sleep when we need to be at our best for tomorrow.”

We all began standing as one and shimmied out of the booth. I reached into my pocket and fished out the required money before tucking it into the bill booklet, ensuring there was a hefty tip in it for the great food and nice service. We filed out of the restaurant, thanking the staff as we did so, only for another white unicorn in a sparkly blue dress to stop us. Even if I hadn't known her personally, one would have to be literally living under a rock not to know who she was.

“How’s it goin’, Scaley?” Vinyl greeted jovially, smiling brightly as she approached. She then looked over the gathering and nodded to the rest. “Evenin’ ladies. Did you all enjoy the tunes?” Her smile slipped from her face as she noticed the changeling of the group was frozen stiff, looking like she was about to faint. “Yo, you okay? Spike, I think I broke your girl, dude.”

A sound began to come out of Lyla’s mouth, starting soft as a whisper and gradually growing in volume. It was a sound I heard so rarely from the changeling: an honest-to-goodness squeal of joy. At its apex, Lyla was bouncing excitedly on her hooves as she clasped her hands tightly over her chest.

“AAAAHH!! OHMYGOSH, YOU’RE DJ PON-3!” the changeling exclaimed, doing a rather spot-on (and adorable) imitation of Pinkie Pie as she bounced on her hooves in front of the DJ-turned-concert-pianist.

Saying Vinyl was used to excited and exuberant fans would be an understatement -- she was close personal friends with Pinkie Pie herself, after all. Vinyl just smiled brightly again and nodded to the happy changeling girl. “That’s me. I take it you’re a fan?”

“A-am I a- OF COURSE I’M A FAN! Who isn’t a fan? I mean, what-” Lyla blurted, making several false-starts before composing herself enough to ask, “w-what are you doing here? I-I mean I thought you looked familiar, but I didn’t know you could play the piano, so I didn’t think twice.”

Vinyl just smiled good-naturedly at Lyla as she shrugged. “Eh, it’s a hobby of mine. Tavi is out of town for the symphony's winter performances, so I was just chilling out at home. Griselda is a friend, and her normal pianist came down with the flu, so I figured I’d help her out.” She glanced at me and raised an eyebrow as she removed her shades, revealing deep, ruby-red eyes that rivaled the beauty of Ember’s. “Did you not tell her you and me are tight? You could have introduced us years ago.”

“If you haven’t noticed,” I countered, jerking my head at the changeling next to me, “Lyla’s a bit of an EDM-head, and you’re her favorite artist. I’ve offered many times, but every time I did, she made some excuse about not wanting to bother you.” I heard an offended snort from beside me, and I caught eyes with Lyla as I challenged, “What? It’s true. You acted like I was going to introduce you to a deity or something.”

Vinyl just chuckled and shook her head before poking Lyla in the shoulder. “Look, for the future, if I’m not on tour and Tavi’s out of town, I’m just sitting at home, bored out of my mind; please, bother me. I’m glad you love my songs, but I don’t like it when ponies treat me like I’m some kinda celebrity. If I wanted to look down my snout at everyone, I’d be living in Canterlot, in a mansion. But screw that mess,” she tossed her head to get the wandering strands of blue mane out of her face, “if I had to live around those uptight douchebags, I’d probably wanna gouge my eyes out with a spoon after about a month. So not worth it.” She then backed up a bit and took a look at all of us collectively. “Anyway, it’s good to see you all doing good. I’ve been busy most of the year, but it was good to come back and see Spike finally got a herd of his own.” The unicorn slugged me playfully in the shoulder. “Proud of you, man. It’s about damn time. Anyway, Tavi’s gonna be home late tonight, so I’m gonna head out too and be ready for her when she gets back. Peace, and thanks for comin’ out.”

We all watched as the mare walked out of the restaurant and into the cold winter air, completely unbothered by the temperature. I knew why, but if what Ember asked next was any indication, she wasn’t exactly up-to-date on just what kinds of ponies lived in the nation. We would rectify that.

“She confuses me,” the dragoness commented as she pulled on her coat and hat again, preparing for our own foray into the cold air.

I raised my brow at Ember. “How so?”

Ember finished securing her hat on her head before looking to me with a matching confused expression. “She talks like she’s just one of the younger ponies, which I guess is why she’s so popular with them, but her voice says she’s a lot older than the rest of us.” At my questioning look, Ember explained, “You can tell a lot about someone just from their voice alone. The tone, the subtle harmonics, the way they speak, and even the words they use can tell you what kind of person you’re talking to. For us, though,” she gestured to the two of us, “practiced dragons can hear a lot more in a voice than most other races. It’s…” she trailed off, apparently considering how to word her explanation, “it’s like, there’s another layer of information underneath what most other races can hear. When you learn how to hear it, you can’t turn it off, and it’s like a whole new world is suddenly open to you.”

I just stared at her for a moment. “You’re totally teaching me that next week.”

Ember smirked at me briefly before her expression turned serious. “Anyway, once you learn to use the ability, just by listening to the undertones, you can learn a lot about someone. You can tell how strong they are, whether or not they’re lying, and all kinds of other things. For this situation, you can even tell how old they are, and that,” she pointed toward the door where Vinyl had walked out of only a handful of seconds prior, “is an old creature.”

I gave my own smirk at her deduction. “Want to guess how old?”

Ember went silent for a few moments before guessing, “Older than the Two Sisters. Can’t get much more than that without talking to her more.” She then raised an eyebrow at me curiously. “What is she? I know for a fact that no pony except an alicorn lives longer than maybe three or four hundred years, and even that’s pushing it.”

I frowned a bit as I mentally organized my response. Twilight led me out into the winter air as we all began making our way back to the castle, which was fine because it took me a few seconds to come up with a decent answer. “...frankly, we don’t know. Vinyl’s mind isn’t perfect, and even though she remembers more than most would think possible, she’s told me there are gaps in her memory centuries long, where she just...doesn’t remember anything. I’ve never gotten a clear answer from mom when I’ve asked her how old she and Luna are, but I know they were already adults before they faced Discord for the first time, and that was nearly two thousand years before...well, before Nightmare Moon. Then, Nightmare Moon was imprisoned for a thousand years, and…” I shrugged. “We don’t really know how old they are, but the best we can guess is at least five thousand, judging on what little we know of their biology, and Vinyl said she was already grown by the time they were born.”

Ember was just staring at me with her jaw slack. “...okay, so what is she?”

“Equus Sanguis is the official scientific term,” I answered, frowning briefly as I did so. “She’s one of the scant few left of her kind, at least that we know of.”

Ember silently mouthed the words, clearly using what knowledge she had of ancient languages to puzzle out what it meant. “W-wait, that translates to ‘blood horse’. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

I kept my voice low as I answered, even though no one else was on the roads at that time of night. “Yeah. The term used before that one was Equus Nosferatu Vampiris, based on legends of a nightmarish creature called Nosferatu -- which was, of course, a vampire. Findings in the last few decades showed a distinct lack of evidence that the creature ever actually existed, so the name for VInyl’s kind was changed to be more accurate to what vampires are.” I shrugged. “They have a very intimate relationship with blood, for obvious reasons, so having ‘blood’ in their scientific nomenclature made sense.”

Ember just stared for a few moments once again before shaking her head and turning back toward the path. “Just when I think I’ve got a grasp on Equestria, I learn that vampires are real, and what’s more, you’re friends with one.”

I nodded before nudging her to get her attention again. “She’s a legal citizen and the royal family knows what she is, but most ponies would react...poorly. I trust you to keep the information private.”

Ember nodded firmly, her face serious, before she again looked confused. “Wait, so how did you find out she was…?”

We arrived back at the castle by that point, so I opened the door and ushered the ladies inside before closing the heavy door behind us to keep out the cold. I continued my explanation as I helped them take off their heavier winter wear. “Well, the first time Tirek attacked, she was one of the victims. Unlike normal ponies, she didn’t recover when her magic was returned to her -- she needed blood, and it took awhile for any of us to find her. By that time, she was starving, and she lost control and bit me. I was still a little whelp back then, so she was easily able to overpower me, but something about the potency of my blood shocked her back to sanity, and she stopped herself. She took a minute to explain just what she was, and then…” I frowned briefly at the memory, “she apologized and told me to leave her to die.”

“And you said no,” Ember surmised, pulling off her boots at last, sighing happily as she was once again free of the constrictive winter clothing.

I nodded as I draped her coat over my arm, following the rest from behind as we made our way toward the upper levels of the castle. “I had known Vinyl for years by that point -- we were already good friends -- so there was no way I was gonna just leave her to die when I could do something to save her. I had found her by accident after Tirek had been sent to Tartarus, and I didn’t know how much longer she would be able to endure, so I offered my own blood to save her.” I chuckled at Twilight’s growl ahead of me, since she was likely remembering how much she freaked out when she found us in that alleyway hours later. “Turns out, you have to choose to become a vampire, which is why there are so few of them -- getting bit by a vampire doesn’t cause you to become one. I didn’t find that out until after the fact, but Twilight made sure to let me know just how stupid I was for putting myself in danger like that.”

The named mare snorted loudly from in front of us, her tail lashing stressfully. “How do you think I would have felt if you had made such a huge life change like that on a whim?” While Rarity didn’t say anything, the narrowed gaze she was shooting me from the corner of her eye told me she felt the same.

“Hate to gang up on you, but I agree with Twilight,” Ember replied, shoving me hard enough to make me stumble to the side. “I get that she’s a friend, but you’re lucky things didn’t turn out way worse.”

I lowered my gaze to my feet as we made our way up the spiral staircase. “I know, but I was having what you might call a personal crisis during that time. Up to that point, almost every time something was going bad, or some world-ending catastrophe was looming over the horizon, I just had to watch as my friends and family put themselves in harm’s way. There was never anything I could do, and I just had to stand back, chewing on my claws, praying that everyone would be okay, because there was nothing I could do.” I shrugged weakly. “It...was stupid, and I know that, but at that moment, there was finally something I could do to help one of my friends. I wanted to be the one to save someone for once, instead of relying on the rest of my friends to do it. Plus, I was being honest when I said I didn’t know how much longer she had left.”

Ember was clearly trying not to frown -- and failing miserably -- but eventually conceded, “...all right, I get it. Still, you haven’t exactly grown out of your impulsive behavior, so that’s another reason we gotta teach you how to protect yourself.”

I raised my brow at this new information. "What do you mean ‘another reason’? I don’t recall discussing this.”

Ember just looked to Twilight, who smiled sheepishly at the dragoness. “I um...might have forgotten to bring it up.”

Ember just sighed and shook her head before looking to me again. “Long story short, we can’t always count on someone else to look after you, so we’re going to teach you how to defend yourself.” Before I could respond, she held up a hand and said, “I don’t mean brawling, I mean fighting -- to the death, if you have to. Look,” she placed her hand on my shoulder as we finally walked into the commons area in the private wing of the castle, “I wouldn’t recommend this if it wasn’t necessary, but it doesn’t take a genius to understand why you’re such a valuable asset, and depending on others to look out for you is just going to make them targets first.”

“I’m sure you remember what happened to me, Spike,” Lyla commented from off to the side, causing me to deflate a bit in shame. She leaned in and planted a peck on my cheek as we sat on the main sofa, taking my hand in her own. “You know I will always jump in to protect you without a moment’s hesitation, but if nothing else, it would put my mind at ease to know that if the worst happens, and I’m no longer able to protect you, you won’t be defenseless.”

It was true, I already knew some rudimentary fighting techniques, but it was also true that “rudimentary” wasn’t going to cut it if I had a trained team come after me. I was relatively safe in Equestria, but I was also technically high-profile, meaning the probability was high that someone, at some point, was going to try and do something to me or the ones I cared about. I felt a bit guilty that I’d brushed it off for so many years, but guilt wasn’t going to do me any good, so I buried it.

With a sigh and a nod, I acquiesced. “Okay. You’re right, I should be more to all of you than dead weight in a fight.”

“Hey,” Twilight broke in, poking me hard in my shoulder, “stop that. If anyone should feel guilty about that, it’s me, because I never made it a priority. We can’t do anything about that now, but we can do something for the future by making sure you’re not helpless. Yes, you can grow, and you’re learning to use your magic, but brute strength and power is nothing without skill.”

I let out a short breath from my nose, giving a nod of assent. “I get it.”

“Now now, this all can wait until later in the week,” Rarity interjected, motioning all of us sitting around the room. “Tonight is a time for our herd, in preparation for tomorrow. We will deal with business at the start of next week, including whatever training Spike might need.” With a dainty yawn, Rarity physically shook herself. “Now, however, I believe we should all get our rest. Ember dear, please wait with Spike while the rest of us change into something more fitting for sleeping.” Whether it was the alcohol or simply her being a tease, I couldn’t help but notice a distinctive sway to Rarity’s gait that was the equivalent of putting a giant “LOOK AT ME” sign on her rear; I was happy to oblige.

“Do you think hers is nicer than mine?” Ember commented playfully from off to my side.

I was quite used to the way Ember teased me by now, so while it could still be embarrassing at times, it no longer turned me into a stuttering mess. Still, I will admit I had a mild blush as I gave my reply. “‘Nice’ is relative. Hers is a little bigger and squishier, but yours is more sculpted and I can really sink my claws in without hurting you.” I turned my eyes to Ember and smiled slightly. “You do know I find you immensely attractive, right? You don’t have to compare yourself to others.”

Ember smirked at me before brushing her hands over her chest. “The only thing I feel mildly jealous of is pony breasts, only because I see the way they make you stare.”

My blush increased tenfold at the mention of that, and I could only nod quietly.

“Is there anything you want me to do while you all are gone tomorrow?” she asked in a more serious manner.

The thought of the implied event brought me out of my embarrassment. I gave another nod and said, “Yeah, study up on court etiquette -- Twilight should have a few books about it. I could tell you and try to prepare you for when we go to Canterlot, but there’s probably a bunch of rules and stuff I’m forgetting; Twilight usually takes care of all the ‘royal stuff’, so while most of it is a sort of ‘muscle memory’, I can’t really articulate it to teach you. We’ll brush you up over the weekend, but it couldn’t hurt for you to get started on your own.” I glanced to the clock to judge how long it had been since the others left the room, then jerked my head toward the bedrooms. “C’mon, they’re probably finished by now. Let’s get to bed.”

As Ember and I walked toward the bedrooms to rest for the night, I couldn’t help but silently dread what the next day would bring. I was going to be there to support my friends, but I wasn’t exactly an expert in the grieving process, and nor was I particularly good at hiding my emotions if I was really sad. I could only hope that the support of all my friends and family around me would allow me to compose myself a little better, to be there for Scootaloo. I didn’t know what would come next after that, but while I was certainly going to attend, I was not particularly looking forward to the event itself.

With a long sigh, I entered the bedroom to sleep, doing my best to pass the thoughts out of my mind so that I could get a good rest to prepare for the mourning that was soon to come.