Chapter Six- Storm

“Spike, open this door, right now!”

A loud banging roused Spike from his sleep. He groaned as he lifted his head up off the futon, then glanced at the clock on the wall.

Nine thirty in the morning.

“What in Tartarus...?” Spike snorted while getting to his feet. He walked over to the door, unlocked it, and opened it.

Greeting him at his doorway was a very upset Twilight Sparkle. “What in the name of Equestria has gotten into you, Spike?”

Spike sighed, knowing full well what his enraged adoptive sister was here for. “If this is about last night—”

“You’re damn right it’s about last night!” Twilight continued.

That got Spike’s undivided attention. Profanity of any degree with Twilight was rare.

“Look, Twilight—”

Using her magic, she pulled him down by the ear frills so he was eye level with her. Not too hard, but enough to make him wince. “Here I find out from Derpy when she dropped off my mail this morning that Rainbow Dash didn’t show up for work.” She exhaled through her nostrils, having a difficult time remaining calm. “That’s understandable, considering you two went out last night. She might have partied a little too hard or something.”

“Twilight...”

“Hush! You’ll get your turn.” Twilight said, her clipped tone not allowing a breach for argument. “So, that’s nothing too out of the ordinary. Then, however, I hear from Fluttershy that she found Rainbow Dash sitting on some cloud outside of town by herself. The best part, though: she had been there since last night! Crying!”

Spike’s ear frills were starting to sting from Twilight’s magical grip, but he dared not stop her. Not when her mane was fluttering from all the restrained arcane fury she was holding within her.

“So, I take it she told Fluttershy everything?”

“Yes, and I have to say, I thought you would be better than that.” She narrowed her gaze. “First and foremost, you listened to some stupid conversation between a bunch of knuckle-heads talking about Rainbow Dash’s personal life and took it instantly to be the truth.”

“Well, for your information,” Spike retorted, “Rainbow even admitted that what they were talking about was true.” He grimaced as Twilight continued to hold him by the frill. “It wasn’t all just lies and hearsay.”

“So?!” She shook her head and continued. “Spike, for Equestria’s sake, she was barely an adult! A filly who had just become a mare! She definitely wouldn’t be the first to do such things. What difference does it make?” Her muzzle was near inches from his face, sparks dancing in her eyes. “You didn’t even give her a chance, Spike!” She let go of his ear frills, and looked up at him with a glare that could make an Ursa Minor whimper. “You are going to march over to her place and apologize!”

“Twilight, Rainbow Dash said it herself. She didn’t know if she’d be willing to take a relationship seriously...or if she’d ever be willing to not...date like that again.”

Twilight’s mane stopped fluttering, and her muscles relaxed a little. “Spike,” Twilight sighed as she stepped forward. “Did you ever stop and think that maybe she would be willing to give it a chance for you? Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, she was still sensitive about those topics, and bringing them up like that would hurt her?” She let out a groan. “On top of that, polyamorous relationships aren’t all that uncommon in Equestria, Spike. You know that.”

“I guess...”

The unicorn rubbed her right temple slowly with a hoof. “Oh Spike...” Her anger was fading quickly now, replaced with weariness and concern for her big little-brother. “You should go talk to her; try and patch things up.”

“I think I already burned that bridge when I made her cry,” Spike’s voice was full of defeat now. “I mean, think about it, Twilight. I go and run off on Rarity and have her worried sick about something that’s not her fault. Then I go and have a night out with Rainbow. Look where that got me. I think...look, Rainbow’s past is her business, but that’s not the only reason I don’t think it would work between us,” Spike said in a somber tone.

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. She watched as Spike looked at his claws, digging them into the ground and letting the soil fall through his fingers. He had a distant look in his eyes, a look of contemplation and pain.

“Twi...I’m a dragon. A rather young dragon, at that. Rainbow and I are close to each other in age and the physical stages in our lives, but that’s going to change in another couple of decades. By the time she’s an old mare, my muscles will just be begining to start any real development. I’m still not a full-fledged adult, Twilight, and I won’t be for another century or so. Think about that. I’m more than two decades in age, and I’m still in the beginning stages of my life for the most part. I could, technically, start a family with a dragoness if I wanted, but...few dragons do at my age.”

“Whoa, hold on. Nopony said anything about forming a bond and having kids, Spike. I’m talking about just dating. Nothing that would involve vows.”

“Yeah, but...what if, by some chance, it got to that point between us?”

It all clicked. Spike wasn’t just afraid of being having his heart broken.

He was afraid of loss.

While she was still upset about what happened last night, she was starting to see where he was coming from with his reasoning. “Spike...”

“I don’t want her to worry about that stuff with me, alright? She has the Wonderbolts practically begging her to join them. She... she deserves that.” He let out a deep breath, closing his eyes. “She should enjoy her life as much as she can, while she can, and not constantly worry that she’s not making me happy or something like that. She deserves somepony that can make her happy in every way possible. She deserves that, and I’m not sure I can give her all that.”

“Stop that.”

It was just above a whisper, but he heard it clearly. He looked at Twilight, and almost gasped. She was shedding tears, biting her lower lip as she stared at him. Her eyes glistened, her expression a mixture of anger and worry.

“Twilight?”

“Spike...look, I know you’re not a pony. That’s a no-brainer, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She closed the distance between them, giving him a loving nuzzle. “I can only imagine it probably won’t ever be that easy for you, but you deserve to be happy, too. You both do.” She offered him a shaky smile. “Just because you’re a dragon and she’s a pony... that doesn’t mean you can’t be with each other. It doesn’t matter how much time you have... what does matter is how happy you are during that time you spend together. I don’t think you realize how much of an impact you two have had on each other.”

For a long while the two said nothing. The sound of birds chattering was the only noise filling the silence around them.

“I’m an idiot, Twilight.”

“Yes, sometimes you are. You’re not a jerk though, which is why what happened last night was so unlike you.” She wiped away a few tears with a hoof and gave him a curious look. “Do you honestly believe she wouldn’t be willing to have a serious relationship with you because of stuff like species? Do you think she’s really like that?”

“I...I don’t know. She wouldn’t be in the wrong if she wasn’t interested, though. It is odd, even for Equestria.” He shrugged. “Rainbow Dash made a point about the way I was acting, though.”

“Oh?” Twilight quirked an eyebrow.

“I tend to run from my problems. Let’s face it; I have insecurities. I’ve never dated, and I’m worried that a relationship wouldn’t work out before it even started.”

“Sounds like a confidence issue more than anything,” she sighed. “Spike, do you think you’re ugly?”

“That’s a pretty biased question, Twilight.”

Twilight frowned.

“I-I mean, no. Not especially.”

She continued. “Do you think you’re fun to be around?”

“Well, most of the friends I have seem to think so. I guess so, yeah...”

“Right. Now, what about Rainbow Dash? Do you think she’s attractive? Do you think she’d intentionally hurt you?”

Spike slowly shook his head. “Yes, I think she’s very attractive. I don’t think she’d try to hurt me, though. No...”

“So, do you trust her?”

“Yes.”

“Then I don’t see anything stopping you two from dating, since I’m pretty sure she feels the same about you.”

Spike shook his head again. “I... I still don’t know. I just... she’s got so much

“Ah! Hold it right there!” Twilight cut him off. “There. That. Firstly, I can say without a doubt that Rainbow Dash would never put the Wonderbolts before someone she cares about.” She poked him in the stomach with a hoof. “As for her and the possibility of suddenly dating someone else... stop it. Rainbow Dash isn’t like that. She wouldn’t just toss you aside for some stud with a million-bit smile. You know that.”

“Well... but—”

“Spike, you’re putting a label on somepony that is unfair and inaccurate. Just because she may have been with quite a few ponies when she was younger doesn’t mean she’s a bad individual, or that she can’t have a serious relationship.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “I don’t like to say this, but I’m disappointed in you. You’re smarter than this. Even if you weren’t interested in her that way, you could have gone about letting her know without hurting her feelings.” She massaged her forehead, exhaling deeply. “I know for a fact that you’ll probably be getting an earful or more from the girls because of this.”

Spike blinked a few times then groaned deeply. “Great...”

“I’m sorry to say it, but you did it to yourself, Spike,” Twilight said. “If I were in your place, I’d head over to Rainbow’s place and apologize as soon as I can.”

Spike pinched the bridge of his nose and massaged it, letting out a deep breath. “Would you come with me if I did?”

“No,” Twilight replied. “While I might be getting involved here, it’s only because Rainbow is my friend, and because I really care about both of you. I can’t make you do anything, but I can highly suggest you do something.”

The dragon nodded, but his frown remained on his face. “She’ll probably tell me to get lost, you know.”

“She might. Still, you owe her that much and you know it.” She patted his claw consolingly. “I’ll stop by later, okay? If... if anything comes up, you know how to find me. She might be angry now, but Rainbow Dash isn’t the kind of pony to stay angry forever. I’m sure she will understand where you’re coming from... even if it hurts her to think about it.”

With that, Twilight left, making her way down the road and back towards Ponyville. As she became a distant, violet speck disappearing over the hill, Spike wondered about the advice she had given. Would it even be worth it to see Rainbow Dash right now? Even if, by some miracle, she forgave him, would things ever be the same?

Probably not, he thought to himself. He had screwed himself over because of his own self-doubts and some new information he had learned about Rainbow Dash that he should have just ignored. Even after she had been upfront about it and confirmed said facts, he had still doubted her. Now, only the morning after the events had transpired did he see how much of an imbecile he had been.

I still should tell her I’m sorry... even if she won’t forgive me.

He took a deep breath, and gazed over towards the distant little blip that was Rainbow Dash’s cloud house.

“Well... the worst that could happen is that I end up in the hospital for a couple of months...”

All in all, his odds could have been worse.

“What the hay are you doing here?”

Okay, not the best start, but he still had hope. She hadn’t slammed the door in his face, after all.

“I... wanted to apologize. For last night.”

Rainbow Dash’s glare lessened, but she still seemed far from happy to see him. Even worse was the fact that Fluttershy was there, standing right behind her with a less angry, yet still disapproving glare.

“Yeah? Well, save it...”

“Rainbow—”

“No!” Rainbow Dash growled. “You know, Spike, I can respect you for having certain beliefs, but... last night... I...”

“I can completely understand why you’re angry. Look, I’ve got some issues with myself that I’m going to have to work out. Still, that... that doesn’t make what I did last night right.” He lowered his head.

“You...” She shook her head. “Maybe I have issues to work out with myself as well, but I don’t let them define me!” She flapped her wings and was now face to face with him. “I thought you were... I don’t know, better than that. Honestly, I thought it was kind of stupid to think that you’d be like that.”

Spike just nodded. “Well, it was stupid of me to act that way.”

“Yeah. It was.” She turned around and made her way back inside. “I can understand you wanting to be with somepony that will only be with you. I respect that. A lot of ponies would probably agree with you on that.” She looked over her shoulder. “I guess you at least admit that you have no right to judge somepony by their relationships. Even so...”

“Rainbow, that’s not all—”

“Just...leave, Spike. You’ve done enough damage as it is. I have a lot on my mind right now.” She turned around once more. “At least you had the guts to face me again. I’ll give you that. Maybe I was wrong about you running away from everything...”

“Rainbow Dash, please just wait—”

“Spike,” Fluttershy spoke up, now standing at the entrance. “I think it would be best if you did leave. Now.”

He didn’t miss the tone in her voice. He slumped a bit, but made no protest. Instead, he lifted off the floating door mat on Rainbow’s house, and made his way slowly towards the foothills outside of Ponyville.

Work would probably help get his mind off things for now.

“You got a lot of nerve, Spike!”

Spike could barely focus on the chunk of granite he was attempting breaking apart with Scootaloo hovering around him.

“Not now, Scoots...”

“I guess in some way I can see where you’re coming from, but... what you did was stupid.”

Stupid. Apparently this was the word of the day for him. “Yeah, so I’ve been told.”

“I mean, Spike, I still think you’re a great guy because I know from what I’ve heard that you were just being an idiot... but... still...”

“From what you heard?” Spike repeated. “Geesh, word travels fast in this town.”

She groaned. “I should really buck you in the teeth for what you did to Rainbow Dash.”

“What’s stopping you, then?” Spike asked, his tone neutral.

Scootaloo shrugged as she hovered in front of him. “Honestly, you look like you’ve been beating yourself up enough without anypony’s help.”

The drake set down his chisel and rubbed his forehead. “Last night wasn’t as horrible as it might sound. We didn’t really fling insults at each other, and we didn’t say we hate each other, but... it looks like everything finally caught up with Rainbow. She was less than happy to see me today.”

“I’m just surprised Dash didn’t kick you off her cloud house the first chance she got.”

“Same.”

Scootaloo landed back on the ground and sighed deeply. “Just... give it time, Spike. Rainbow’s not one to hold grudges with friends.”

“Yeah... too bad I kind of jeopardized our friendship,” Spike added.

“Well, you made a class-A doofus out of yourself... but you did go and apologize.”

“Twilight ‘encouraged’ me to,” Spike grumbled. “Truth is, I probably would have just let it be. I just... I don’t think there’s any way this can be fixed.”

“What went wrong? Weren’t you and Dash this close to dating?”

Spike set down his pickaxe and wiped his brow. “Who knows? We were both interested in each other, but that fell through.”

“Why?”

“It’s not my place to say,” Spike answered. “I just... I think there was some lack of communication for the most part.”

“Yeah?” Scootaloo gave a nod. “How so?”

“I...” Spike shook his head. “No, I can’t talk about it.”

“I thought you might be here.”

Spike jumped a bit at the sound of a familiar voice nearby. The duo turned around to see Fluttershy making her way towards them.

Well, towards Spike to be more specific.

“Fluttershy? What—?”

The mare stopped before Spike, the same disapproving look still on her face. “Spike... I’m really having a hard time not yelling at you right now, but... I am glad you at least apologized...” She looked to Scootaloo. “Scootaloo, I need to borrow Spike for a bit.”

“O-okay...” The younger pegasus gulped a bit, stunned by Fluttershy’s demanding demeanor. Well, as demanding as you could get with Fluttershy, anyway.

Within a few minutes Spike was walking towards the shade of a large maple tree, Fluttershy a few feet ahead of him. She chose a soft spot beside some wildflowers and indicated for Spike to join her. He did so without question.

“Spike... can I ask you a question?”

“I guess, yeah.”

“Was there anything before your... incident with Rainbow Dash that was bothering you?”

“I’m... not following you.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. When she opened them, she gave him a patient frown. “Were there any doubts you had about dating Rainbow Dash before last night’s fight?”

“O-oh... well...” Spike stared towards the ground, avoiding the pegasus’ gaze. “I... yeah... sort of...”

Fluttershy nodded to herself. “I thought as much.” She gave him an expectant look. “Rainbow told me you were rambling on about reasons why it wouldn’t work between you two. Some of them were... rather weak, even if they made sense...”

“Like...?” Spike dared ask.

“Well...” Fluttershy’s timidness returned for an instant. “Um... I-I have heard of ponies and dragons... being intimate with one another... successfully. Y-you seemed to be worried about that.”

“Yeah, I’d say that’s a legitimate concern,” Spike huffed. “Seriously, the size difference alone would cause some serious difficulties. Whatever, it’s not important now, anyway.”

“Y-yes, but... there are... um... ways around that.” She cleared her throat. “You also mentioned about Rainbow Dash and her likely future as a Wonderbolt, right?”

Spike nodded. “She’s going to be swamped by media, and I know there are plenty of handsome ponies out there. Plus, can you imagine how many problems we would have to deal with as a pony and dragon couple? She’d have enough stress on her plate performing shows and protecting Equestria from Tartarus knows what. I don’t want to have everypony flocking her and making assumptions about her personal life before printing it on the tabloids.”

“Do you really think she’d care about what others think?”

“...is that a serious question?”

Fluttershy sighed. “You know Rainbow Dash is better than that, Spike.”

Spike felt like a scolded whelp at the moment. He was still upset, but most of that anger was directed towards himself now. He had ruined something that never got a chance to start, and why?

Because I’m too afraid of taking chances on a pony just because of the chance it wouldn’t work out...

He groaned and dragged a palm across his face. “Damn it...”

Despite how upset Spike had made Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel for the drake. It was hard not to after knowing him for so long. “Spike... you need to really—and I mean really—talk to Rainbow Dash about this, and soon.”

“I tried to. This morning. Remember?” Plumes of smoke wafted from his nostrils as he glared at a spot on the ground. “She wants nothing to do with me, now. I can’t say that I blame her.”

“Well, yes... right now she doesn’t want to talk to you. You upset her, Spike, but... I think she still wants to try and fix this. She’s just... well, you know how she can be.”

“Yeah...”

“There is something else I want to talk to you about.”

Spike cringed at the change in her tone, once more stern and leaving no room for negotiating. “Yes?”

Fluttershy’s wings were flared out as she stood up. “I don’t care what anypony has said about Rainbow Dash, but she is not a bad pony. I... some might think that the way she... um...” She paused, unsure how to continue. “So she might have had... more than one marefriend or coltfriend at a time... and... sometimes they didn’t know this... but... she never tried to hurt anypony’s feelings intentionally. Some might think bad of her because of this, and I can understand that, but you know her better than most. I thought you’d be willing to hear her out before drawing a conclusion like that.”

“Did... she have trouble with other ponies back then?”

Fluttershy went quiet, her wings folding back to her sides. “Oh... well...” She nodded. “I... I won’t lie. At first, I wasn’t sure what to think of her as well. I mean, I knew her when we were just little fillies, so I knew her better than most of the other ponies in school as we grew up. I was there for her a lot when the rumors and talking started spreading. I-I mean, it’s her life, and I didn’t mind what she did, as long as she was happy. I may not have agreed... but... she’s my friend. She’s been there for me when I needed help. I gladly did the same for her.”

The two sat there in silence for several minutes, Spike stewing in his growing depression and Fluttershy torn between giving the drake before her a piece of her mind and comforting him. She instead settled for sitting there quietly, not making eye contact.

“It’s probably for the best.”

“Huh?”

Spike blew out a few embers of green, staring off into the distance. “I said that me and her not being together is probably for the best. She can focus on the Wonderbolts and working on her skills while I continue with my business and gain more skill in the trade.”

“Spike—”

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain myself to her and talk it out, but... I just honestly think that us staying friends and nothing more would be the best for us.” He shrugged a little. “Aging isn’t the same for my kind, and...” His voice faded, and he glanced down at Fluttershy. Her eyes had widened a little as an understanding look made its way onto her features.

“I hadn’t thought of that...” she whispered. “Oh, Spike... that...” Her head drooped as she exhaled slowly. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”

“Well, how many dragons do you have for friends?” Spike chuckled quietly. “Most ponies wouldn’t think of that. I don’t blame you.” He cleared his throat and gazed at the ground. “Yeah. I... like I said, it’s for the best.”

The silence returned between them once more, though the tension had been replaced with a somber feeling.

“No... it’s not for the best.”

“What?” Spike asked, not catching Fluttershy’s whisper.

“I said no. You... you can’t just give up like that.”

Spike shook his head. “Fluttershy, you don’t get it. Rainbow Dash might live to be one hundred years old, and that’s only because she takes such good care of herself. By the time I’m that old, though, I’ll be done with my second growth spurt and will have to wait about another century or so before my third.” He frowned. “Do you know how many growth spurts a dragon goes through?”

“No...”

“Neither do I. Do you know why? It’s because there are still dragons alive out there that were my age when Luna and Celestia were still roaming the wilds and Equestria was a budding nation without a true form of government!” He slumped. “Judging by my current growth, though, I’m going to live for a long time if I continue to take care of myself like I do. I’ll probably live longer than most dragons because I live so close to civilization and have access to medicine and things like that.”

Fluttershy’s face was now hidden by her mane. She said nothing as she got back to her hooves, and walked back towards the direction of Ponyville. Before she was out of earshot, she stopped and turned towards him.

“Love has a way of making things work out, Spike... just try to remember that.”

Spike watched as she grew into a distant patch of pink and yellow on the dirt road leading into town. Her words echoed in his mind, but he didn’t really give them that much thought. Love was a powerful force, sure. Cadance and Shining Armor had proven that much on at least one occasion. Still, that was love between two ponies, and one of them was an alicorn and a princess of love. There had to be some sort of exception with Cadance in that regard.

He looked around, noting that Scootaloo was nowhere to be found. She likely had decided to make her way back into town as well. He was relieved, to be honest. Right now he just needed some time to himself.

The day continued on for the young drake, and before he knew it the sun was beginning to dip into the horizon, casting rays of orange and red as Celestia’s day gave way to Luna’s night. Spike stood up straight and cracked his neck and back, grunting as he felt some his muscles protest before loosening up.

Honestly, though, he didn’t feel much like heading home quite yet. He was restless, and needed to burn some steam.

“Well...” He thought aloud. “I know one way to do that...”

Unfurling his wings, Spike gave a few hard flaps as he lifted off the ground. Within a few seconds he was flying through the air and cutting through a few of the low-lying clouds within Ponyville’s town limits. The voice of Rainbow Dash could be heard somewhere in the back of his mind, reminding him that he would need to be extra careful about keeping his altitude with the lack of wind blowing through the valley this evening. He frowned, but made sure to keep a tab on the ground below.

He tilted to his left and dipped down to the edge of Sweet Apple Acres’ western field. The trees shook a bit as he passed over them. The scent of fresh growth and apple blossoms wafted past his nostrils, and he took it in as he gazed down at the orchards below. The farmland of the Apple family really was beautiful, and seeing it all from above was something worth experiencing.

He banked to his right and continued onward, towards the direction of his home. Spike smirked as he saw the faint reflection of light playing off the lake beside his house. He swooped in low and grazed the water’s edge with a wingtip. A fine streak of mist trailed behind him as he increased his speed, and he swore he saw a fish or two leap out of his way as he neared the edges of the water.

Spike flapped his wings as he passed the lake by, sending up a cloud of dust as he flew over the sandy shore. Feeling adventurous, he soared higher into the air before rolling to his left, then his right, and finishing with a backroll. The exhilaration of flight caught up to him, and he laughed as he circled downward to the road leading to his house.

Once he was on solid ground, Spike let out a deep breath, a grin still on his face. He gazed towards the horizon once more and noticed that the last streaks of light were vanishing quickly as the moon rose into the sky. Stretching his wings, he sighed and took a moment to catch his breath. He hadn’t flown like that since...

...since Rainbow Dash had taught me how to do acrobatics...

His mood plummeted like a lead weight through the sky. He ran a claw over his spines and shook his head. Of course flying was going to remind him of her; she had taught him pretty much everything he knew about it.

“Damn it...” He grumbled, and made his way up the hill to his house.

Hopefully his sleep wouldn’t be as plagued by thoughts of the pegasus mare.

“Spike.”

The drake opened his eyes, only to yelp in surprise as his vision was flooded with cyan and rainbow. He took in a few shaky breaths as he looked at the laughing mare before him.

“Rainbow? What are—?”

“I’m waking you up, duh!” She flew up to him and gave him a light bop on the nose. “And you say I sleep in too much...”

Spike quirked an eyebrow, and stared at the clock on the wall. Seven o’clock in the morning.

“What...what are you waking me up so early for?”

Rainbow had flown over to his kitchen, scrounging for something to eat from his pantry. “Did you forget? I have my first show with the Wonderbolts today. You said you’d come to Cloudsdale with me, remember?”

What?

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Ugh, did you conk your head against one of Applejack’s trees on your way home last night again? I told you to be careful flying low at night.”

“Wait, wait... the Wonderbolts? When did this happen?”

Rainbow Dash gave him a quizzical look. “Uh...like...a year ago. You were there at my tryouts. You were rooting for me with the girls...” She frowned as his expression remained utterly confused. “Did you hurt yourself flying again?” Her expression turned serious. “You didn’t go flying through that thunderstorm, did you? You promised you wouldn’t pull a stunt like that on me again.”

“What?” Spike cocked his head to the side. “Thunderstorm?”

Rainbow’s annoyance turned into concern. “You... don’t remember that thunderstorm last night? I told you about it and everything... you asked what it would be like to fly through a thundercloud...” She looked him over as she continued. “Spike, are you alright?

“I...” Spike rubbed his head. “I’m not sure.”

Rainbow sighed heavily and left the pantry, flying over to his side. She swatted his claw away from his head and examined it herself. “I don’t see any bruises or damaged scales...” She gently pulled back either of his ear frills, causing him to shudder at the touch. He could see the smallest of smirks on her face as she did so. “You look fine to me.” She placed her hoof against his forehead. “You don’t feel like you got a fever or anything.”

Spike groaned. “I just...this feels weird. It’s like—”

“I’m dreaming...”

Spike looked around, his eyes falling on his futon. He raised his head up, taking in the surrounding darkness of his room. He could see the faintest hints of pink and yellow coming from the eastern sky.

After squinting at the clock on the wall for over a minute, he managed to see that it was almost six o’clock in the morning.

Slumping back onto his futon, he growled in frustration. That dream. It felt real. Sure, he had dreams that he swore were real before, but none like that. The phantom touch of Rainbow’s hoof against his ears... the way she studied his head, her eyes scanning for even the faintest hint of injury. He would be lying if he said he had not enjoyed it.

Forcing his eyes closed, he tried his best to clear his sleep-addled mind of the images of Rainbow Dash a few breaths apart from him, a smile as wide as ever on her face.

He didn’t want to think about what he would be missing from here on out, after all.

The days flew by for Spike, and before he knew it spring had given way to summer. Life was in full bloom, and the days were growing longer with the increase in temperature. He had managed to finish the additions for 2 Hot 2 Trot’s bathrooms yesterday, which left him with a bit of time to scope out an area with gneiss for a client in Hoofington. Why they wanted gneiss instead of regular granite was beyond him, but he was certain he could find it with time.

Aside from work, Spike had done little else. He had fallen into a routine of sorts: wake up, eat, work until evening, head home, eat, sleep, repeat. He had gone on like that for the better part of three weeks, at least he was pretty sure he had. Time had a way of slipping by him when he was busy. Twilight had continued to press him into talking to Rainbow Dash, but he always made up an excuse, and even she was finding it hard to continue pressing the issue.

The rest of the girls, like Twilight had predicted, had spoken to him. None of them had been as vocal or upset as Fluttershy or Twilight, thankfully. Applejack had been rather disappointed by how things turned out, and had suggested he go talk it over as well.

“It’s not right to stay mad at eachother like this, Spike. You two are both friends of mine, and...I just hate seein’ you two hurtin’ like this...”

She hadn’t spoken to him since then. Pinkie Pie... well, Pinkie had been less cheery than she usually was, and it had seemed like she wanted to say more to Spike about the whole thing, but had left it at a simple suggestion to ‘talk it over’.

“Maybe you two just need to talk it over? Sometimes talking with somepony helps me feel better when I’m feeling mopey and really sad. I bet if you two just... talked it out... then... w-well, then maybe you could both be friends again! Right?”

The most awkward incident had probably been with Rarity. This was mostly because of how close to home it hit for Spike to be given advice on mending relationships by the very mare he had once been infatuated with. Rarity had been rather insistent that he not give up, also suggesting that he do something about the problem sooner rather than later.

“She may act brash and carefree, Spike, but she still hurts and feels like you and I. The sooner you two can fix things between each other, the sooner you two can heal...”

That talk had been almost a week ago.

Spike paused at a small hill and noted a band of exposed rock on the northern side. A few bands of granite to be precise, but no gneiss. Still, gneiss came from granite, so he kept his hopes up.

“The one time I need a particular rock is when I can’t find any of it, of course...” he said with a groan. “I mean, sure, gneiss is nice, but granite is just as fine in my opinion.”

“Yeah, but I always liked how gneiss can have those wavy bands of color in them. Really pretty, but granite’s also pretty with all of those quartz crystals in it.”

Spike let out a yelp and whirled around, coming face to face with Pinkie Pie. “Yeesh, Pinkie, give a guy a warning next time, will you?”

“Hiya, Spike!” greeted the pink pony. “What are you doing? You said something about gneiss, right? Do you want some help? I know just the spot for gneiss!”

“You do? Really?” Spike’s eyes lit up. “That’d be awesome, Pinkie. I’d really appreciate—

“I’ll show you on one condition!” Pinkie interrupted with a smile.

“Um...” Spike paused and gave her an uncertain look. “What condition would that be?”

“Weeeell....I’m holding a party tomorrow, since it’s Fancy Pants’ birthday, and I just wanted to ask if you were coming.” She bounced in place, her smile widening a little. “You’ll come, right?”

Spike blinked. A party. He should have expected as much from her. “What time?”

“Three o’clock, at Sugarcube Corner!”

“Hm... I... guess I could stop by for a little bit...”

“Pinkie Promise that you will?”

Spike sighed and did the proper gestures, ending with a claw over his closed right eye.

“Great!” Pinkie cheered. “Now come on, I remember seeing some gneiss over in the foothills just past Sweet Apple Acres!”

For the next three hours Spike and Pinkie scoped out close to two acres of land that had deposits of gneiss. He would have to do further investigation and get the required permits for quarrying. Thankfully he didn’t need much for the order to Hoofington, so he wouldn’t be causing any major disturbance to the surrounding environment.

“Thanks again, Pinkie. You saved me about a week’s worth of work; I was about ready to head north towards Ghastly Gorge, and I’d rather not deal with Quarray Eels while hauling a wagon of stone behind me.”

“No problem, Spike-a-roonie! Just remember, you promised to go to the party tomorrow!”

“Yeah yeah, I mean... it’s going to be weird, though. I hardly know the guy, and while I’m sure all the girls will be...” Spike’s eyes narrowed. “Rainbow’s going to be there, isn’t she?”

“Maybe,” Pinkie answered with a grin.

“...you tricked me.”

“No, I just asked if you wanted to come to the party, then made you Pinkie Promise that you’d come to the party!” Pinkie gave a shrug. “I’m not sure if Rainbow Dash will be there. I tried to convince her to, but she’s been taking extra shifts with the weather team lately.”

“Well... I won’t be there long. I do have to get started on my work.”

“No problem, Spike! You’re a big dragon, so we understand that you have to work.” She was in his face a second later, still smiling that cheerful smile of hers. “Just remember. You Pinkie Promised.”

“You really scare me when you act like that, Pinkie.”

She giggled and gave him a playful nudge in the side. “I know, but I only do it because I want you to show up.”

The drake exhaled deeply. “You’re really something, Pinkie.”

“Aww, I love you too, Spike!”

A day had passed since Spike had been, in his own words, “Pinkie Duped”. As he made his way towards the cupcake-topped building he could already hear the record player inside, playing that jaunty tune that Pinkie Pie had popularized after the parasprite infestation several years back.

Heck, he was pretty sure she still had that ensemble of instruments stored away in her room somewhere.

Steeling himself, Spike took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Alright, just go in, chat it up for an hour, then excuse yourself for the day. He glanced over at the clock near Town Hall. Technically he still had a half an hour before he promised to arrive. He could probably head back to his place and do some last minute work on that permit paperwork before–

“Oh, Spike, you’re early too?”

The voice of Fluttershy snapped Spike out of his thoughts. He turned around and forced a smile onto his face. “O-oh, hey there, Fluttershy. Yeah, I was going to head inside, but I just remembered that I have a permit to fill out, and I still have a half hour before I promised to show up. I was—

“Oh my, sounds like you’ve been busy.” Fluttershy smiled, but he didn’t miss the faint glimmer in her eyes. “I’m sure you could use a break from all the work. Pinkie Pie told me you’ve been working on a new order from Hoofington already.” She walked towards Spike, who didn’t realize until the last second that he had effectively been herded towards the entrance of Sugarcube Corner. “I’m sure nopony would mind if you arrived early.”

Damn Fluttershy and her passive-aggressive assertive mannerisms. He slumped and gave a nod. “Heh, y-yeah, that’s what I was thinking.”

He was surprised to see that Sugarcube Corner already had a healthy number of partygoers, among them being Fancy Pants himself. Rarity, Pinkie, and several other familiar faces were chatting up and enjoying a various assortment of sweets and treats. He was mildly relieved to see a lack of rainbow colored manes amongst the ponies gathered.

“Ah, Spike! You’re just the drake I was hoping to see!”

Spike looked to see none other than the guest of honor making his way towards him. “Oh, hey, Fancy Pants! Happy birthday!” Spike unfurled a wing and handed him a small jar. “I remember hearing about this pomade. The store clerk said it works wonders on holding a mane together. I figured a stallion like yourself would appreciate it.”

Fancy took the jar of pomade and held it up with his magic. “Hm, ‘Olde Manehatten Slick Stallion Pomade’. You know, one of the boys in Canterlot swears by this pomade. I haven’t given it a chance myself, but I’ll have to let you know how it works.” He gave Spike a nod. “Thanks much, old boy.” He set the pomade on a table with a few other gifts. “So, how has the rock-cutting business been lately?”

“Oh, pretty good. I mapped out an area full of gneiss the other day. First time I’ll ever work with the stuff, though I’m finding out that it’s more popular than I thought. Some old stallion in Hoofington who used to be an architect wants to build a small pond, and insists on having a stone path circling around it made entirely of gneiss.” Spike waved a claw in the air. “I’ve learned not to question it, but I think it’d be just as nice to have granite. I shouldn’t be complaining too much, though, since I’ll be getting paid a bit more for it.”

Fancy chuckled. “Sounds like one of those old eccentric millionaires my father always grumbled about.” He shook his head and sighed. “All the bits a pony could ask for, but nothing to make them happy. Money doesn’t buy happiness, that’s what my father told me.”

“Too true,” Spike agreed.

“I believe it was Waxing Crescent who said ‘Gold doth glitter and gold doth shine, but never shall it fill the heart, so deeper than any mine’.”

“Wait. You’ve heard of Waxing Crescent?” Spike asked, barely containing his excitement.

“Indeed, I have! She was a favorite of mine when I studied literature back in my university days. Depending on who you ask, she was an amateur or a master.”

Spike grunted as he rolled his eyes. “Most negative criticism on her work is from those who say she rarely stuck to a certain form of poetry. She did a lot of free verse. She was one of the pioneers of free verse poetry, actually.”

Fancy Pants laughed. “Rarity wasn’t joking about you.”

“Huh?

“She told me you’re practically enamored with Waxing Crescent’s work.”

“I... well, I guess I can’t entirely argue that.” Spike glanced over towards Rarity, who happened to be looking towards him. She gave him a friendly wave, which he returned. “How is Rarity doing? I-I mean... I haven’t spoken to her in awhile...”

Fancy’s smile fell a little, but he held a look of understanding in his eyes. “She’s doing quite well, Spike. She really opened my eyes up to the world outside of Canterlot,” he chuckled. “I used to think myself a learned stallion. It turns out I living in Canterlot for most of your life hardly helps one see the rest of the splendor that Equestria has to offer.”

Spike tried not to think too much about the way Fancy gazed towards Rarity as he said that last part, instead nodding in agreement. “Ever since I had these, travel has been easy for me.” Spike flapped his wings to emphasize his point.

“Mm, I can imagine. It must...” Fancy Pants’ words faded as he glanced towards the entrance. He looked up at Spike, then back towards the door.

A sudden feeling of discomfort wash over Spike, and he could feel an intense gaze boring down on the back of his head. He lowered his voice and spoke. “Is that Rainbow Dash at the entrance?”

“Yes,” Fancy Pants answered. “I take it things are still rather... erm.... askew between you two?”

“That’d be putting it lightly,” Spike answered, afraid to turn around.

“Right, well, I shall go and greet Miss Rainbow Dash and Miss Applejack. It’s only proper, after all. I do believe the Miss Pinkamena mentioned she’d left the kitchen door unlocked so she could slip back to make more sweets, should there be a need for it.”

“I owe you one, Fancy Pants.”

Fancy Pants gave a slight nod and put on his best smile as Spike headed further into the crowd. “Ah, Miss Applejack and Miss Rainbow Dash. It’s so wonderful to see you two!”

Spike weaved through the ponies with a grace he never knew he possessed, making his way to the kitchen door. Grasping the knob, he turned it and let out a sigh of relief as the door opened. The smell of freshly baked pastries and flour hung in the air, but he remained focused on getting out of Sugarcube as fast as he could. The back door of the building was right before him, and all he had to do was turn the knob and leave. No one would be any wiser about his absence.

He opened the door and quickly turned towards the direction of the road leading out of town and towards his house. With any luck he would be able to take flight and not draw any attention—

“So... what, you can’t even stand being in the same building as me now?”

Her voice wasn’t as loud as usual. It wasn’t timid or weak, though, either. It was... something. Spike wasn’t sure. Confused? Hurt? Insulted? More than it was a likely a combination of a few things.

He turned around, his eyes meeting those vibrant, rose colored irises that conveyed emotions louder than words could ever hope. There was a flame behind them, a flickering light that trembled behind suppressed feelings. He could feel it. That silent, demanding question.

Why?

“Rainbow Dash...” Spike said, not quite a greeting. “I was actually getting ready to leave and head out to do some work. I just stopped by to wish Fancy Pants a happy birthday. That’s all.”

Rainbow Dash snorted in annoyance. “Right.” She shook her head. “Liar...”

Okay, in his defense, he was telling the truth. Sort of. “No, honestly, I was going to head home and fill out a permit for some quarry work, then—”

“Spike, for pony’s sake, stop!” Rainbow’s voice cracked, and she closed while took in a deep breath. She exhaled slowly and rubbed her temples before continuing. “I... damn it, why does it suck so much to be angry at you?”

Spike had no answer.

“Look, Rainbow Dash, I didn’t want to make a scene. I figured there was a chance you’d stop by, so I didn’t want to create an awkward situation for the two of us. I’ll just be on my way and we can just forget about this.”

“No.”

He bit back a groan. Of course, it’s never that easy. “Rainbow Dash, please. We’re not making this any better by stressing ourselves out.”

“Spike... Twilight said she talked to you. She said there’s more to what you and I talked about at the club not too long ago...”

“Oh, great,” Spike blurted out. He winced as the words left his mouth, and slumped a bit. “I-I mean, what... um... did she tell you?”

“For starters?” Rainbow began. “She said you were going to tell me about whatever it was that we didn’t talk about sometime soon. Turns out that soon actually means ‘later’ in dragon terms.”

He couldn’t fault her on being angry. “Alright, yes, there... there is more to the story, but it’s pointless now. I talked to Twilight about everything that went down. I regret a lot of what I said, especially about... well, you know... the stuff those guys said about you.”

Rainbow nodded, her anger fading a bit from her eyes. “Yeah. Twilight told me about that, too. Though, honestly, I figured something was off about you that night.”

Spike’s gaze dropped to the ground, unable to meet her eyes. “I’ve done a lot of thinking lately.” He thought out his next words as best as he could. “Look, it’s nothing against you. I promise, alright? It’s just... I’ve got some issues that I need to sort out. I know it sounds like I’m making excuses, but I really think it’s for the best that I figure them out.”

“Yeah... that’s why I think we should talk.”

“I don’t want to have a repeat of what happened last time. That didn’t go well for us, remember?”

“Look, I was ticked off, alright?” She snapped, her voice rising in volume for a moment. She paused, and took in a slow, deep breath, then continued. “I still am, but... but I’m more worried about what’s eating at you. What happened that night... it just... it wasn’t right! It wasn’t like you!” Rainbow Dash was now walking towards him, the sound of her hooves on the ground reaching his ears. He refused to look up though. “Spike, look, even... even if we can’t be... together like that... I still want to be friends with you.” Her voice wavered a bit. “Is that so bad?”

“You’re a better friend than I am in that regard, I guess,” He could feel her eyes boring into him, silently begging for him to look at her. “Rainbow, I hope you’re not doing this out of guilt,” Spike sighed. “It’s bad enough that I hurt you like I did... but to make you feel guilty for something you have no blame in...”

He heard her wings flapping once more. This time he was unable to keep his eyes from looking up. She was hovering before him, forelegs folded together and a guilty expression across her face. “It is my fault, though. At least a little bit.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is,” Rainbow countered. “Spike, I was angry, but I should have tried to look at it from your angle.”

“Okay, I wouldn’t expect anypony to think like that after experiencing what you did at the club. I was insensitive, and you can’t be blamed for how you acted.” Spike said flatly. “You’re not in the wrong here.”

“Still... the day afterwards, when you came to apologize, I was hardly forgiving about it.”

“Again, you can’t really be blamed for that. You said it yourself, you were angry. Sure, it might have made things easier if you were more willing to listen, but I was expecting some backlash from you. Reacting like that is normal.” He shrugged. “Heck, even Fluttershy was angry at me.”

Rainbow Dash smiled a little. “Heh... yeah. I... I don’t know what I’d do without her around, sometimes. She saw a train wreck coming, so she got you out of there before it happened.” She sniffled a bit. “I... might have said a few choice things about you after you left. I didn’t mean any of them...”

Spike let the question hang on the tip of his tongue. Perhaps it was best he didn’t know what she said about him, especially when she never meant any of it. “Alright...” He paused for several long moments. “So.... about what I haven’t told you...”

Rainbow Dash said nothing, instead continuing to hover before him.

“I’m a dragon, Rainbow Dash. Dragons live for many—emphasis on the word many—centuries...sometimes a few millennia.”

Rainbow’s flapping ceased. She landed on the ground, and took a seat. Her head hung low as she spoke, realization dawning upon her. “Oh...”

“I don’t like talking about this, but suppose we really did start a relationship, and, I don’t know... ended up being very serious about it. Think about this: Eighty plus years from now—and I’m positive you’ll live to be that old, since you’re so active—most dragons, including myself, are just starting to get a grasp of what being an adult dragon is really like. That’s just touching upon the age factor, though. There’s a lot of other complications that could arise between a dragon and a pony in a relationship.”

The pegasus was quiet for several long moments. Her wings sagged slowly to her sides as she spoke softly. “I... I get it, Spike.”

Spike got up. “Rainbow... I’m sorry. I should have thought about this way sooner. Before... before Rarity, before...”

He stopped as saw her begin to tremble. He cursed himself, and hesitantly placed a claw on her shoulder. “Rainbow...?”

“I... I really want to hate you right now.” She looked up at him, the corners of her eyes holding back tears. “You... you think I care about something like... like age? Or... or about those other things? Like... like the fame that comes with being in the Wonderbolts? You think I care about stuff like that more than about my own friends?” She let out a shaky breath. “Do you?”

Spike removed his hand from her shoulder. “No. I wasn’t thinking. You’re not like that at all, Rainbow.” His eyes fell to the ground once more. “I-I know it sounds horrible to say... but this is probably better for—”

“Y-you’re just a huge idiot sometimes, you know that? A big... stupid...” She sniffled, her eyes never leaving his. “It’ll take time, but... but I guess I’ll get over this.”

“I’m sorry,” Spike whispered.

“So am I...” Rainbow replied. “Thinking you can’t be with someone special because of what you are? That’s gotta suck...”

She got back to her hooves and made her way back inside. She stopped at the doorway, and looked back to him. She shook her head slowly, and disappeared as the door closed behind her.

For what felt like hours, he sat there, staring up into the sky. He was torn between going back after her and giving her a piece of his mind, begging for her forgiveness, or leaving and going back to work while stewing in his emotions. Instead, he settled for a fourth option.

Letting out a plume of smoke, Spike unfurled his wings and took to the air. He set his sights to the north. He needed to blow some steam before it got the better of him.

Ghastly Gorge would provide the proper outlet for that.

Rainbow Dash watched through one of the back windows as Spike took off northwards into the sky. She fought back the urge to follow him and make sure he didn’t do anything stupid.

He always makes mistakes while flying when he’s distracted... she thought to herself.

Shaking her head, she turned around and made her way back out to the party. Her thoughts drowned out the music as she took a glass of punch, slugging it down in one gulp. She coughed hard as the burning sensation of alcohol ran down her throat. Looks like somepony finally got around to spiking the punch.

I never really thought about that. Rainbow mused as her coughing stopped. How old do dragons live? She had no clue, but she remembered Twilight mentioning that they take at least a single one hundred year nap at some point in their lives. If that was a nap for a dragon...

“There you are!”

Rainbow Dash was shaken from her thoughts by the bouncing pony before her. “O-oh, Pinkie! Sorry, didn’t see you there.”

Pinkie’s smile dropped instantly as she took in Rainbow’s expression. “Dashie?”

“H-huh?”

“What’s wrong?” She lowered her voice. “Did... did you and Spike have a fight?”

Rainbow shook her head. “No, we’re... I think we’re past any fighting, Pinkie. It’s just... I don’t know what it is now, but I don’t like it.” She sagged a bit. “The worst part is that he’s being stupid and making this more difficult for himself than it should be.”

“Guys are stupid like that, sometimes,” Pinkie agreed with a sage nod. “He might be a bookworm like Twilight, but that doesn’t mean he’s a know-it-all.”

“Pinkie... what should I do?”

Pinkie tapped her chin in thought, then smiled a little. “Tell him to stop being a Frumpy McFrumpy Scales and make up with him?” Her smile slipped, and scuffed the floor with a hoof. “I... don’t know. It’s just... I don’t know the whole story like you or Spike do.”

Rainbow nodded. “Sorry to throw that on you, Pinkie Pie.” She placed a foreleg on her friend’s shoulder. “You’re an awesome friend.”

Pinkie’s smile returned. “Thanks, Dashie. If... if I see Spike, I’ll try to talk to him.”

“Don’t worry about that right now. We have a birthday party to enjoy.”

The two made their way into the crowd once more, Pinkie eventually parting from the pegasus to talk to Fancy Pants about something involving games. Rainbow Dash saw a group of pegasi and made her way over.

“Hey, Raindrops. Dizzy Twister.”

Raindrops, a yellow-coated mare with a light cyan mane, looked up and smiled. “Hey, Rainbow Dash! Glad to see you’re better. We thought we wouldn’t be able to get all the work done today without your help,”

“Heh, yeah, I need to use up those vacation days before I lose them, you know?” Rainbow laughed weakly. She looked to Dizzy Twister, who said nothing, instead simply offering her a small smile. “So, what was so bad about today’s work?”

Raindrops let out a groan. “We had a stray cold front coming in from the west. The Everfree Forest must have given it some juice, because by the time we picked up on it, it was building up into a nasty line of storms. We managed to get it redirected not too long ago, so it’s heading north now.”

“Oh, that’s... wait, north?”

Raindrops blinked. “Um...yeah, that’s standard procedure, isn’t it? Sending it south would just make it build up when it hits the Southern Talon Peaks, then we’d have to worry about something really nasty forming down there. We are in charge of the entire Equestrian Valley region, after all.”

Rainbow’s mind began racing. “Where exactly did you send it? Northwest, towards the Harmony Mountains?”

“No,” Raindrops replied with a frown. “Northeast, towards Ghastly Gorge. There’s no real settlements over that way, so that storm can throw as much of a tantrum as it wants.”

Rainbow Dash was making her way out the front door before Raindrops could get another word in. She took to the air as soon as she was out of Sugarcube Corner, her eyes set on the direction of Ghastly Gorge.

“He was heading that way,” she said to herself. “I just know it.”

She could already see the line of dark clouds making their way across the northeastern portion of the Equestrian Valley. While it was distant, she swore she could feel the faintest traces of the winds that were coming off of that cold front.

The idea of a big, winged creature like Spike flying around in gale force winds...

She flapped hard, leaving behind a rainbow streak in her wake. Hurt feelings or otherwise, Spike was still a friend. A very stupid and stubborn friend, but her friend nonetheless. She couldn’t let him get caught up in that storm. With any luck, she would catch him before he reached the cold front. She would convince him to turn around, by force if necessary.

Spike soared over the gorge, his eyes looking for the spot where it started widening out enough for him to fly through. Right now, he needed to take his mind off of his problems, and flight was the best way he could think of doing so at the moment.

Spotting an area where the gorge widened suddenly, Spike took a sharp dive, righting himself as he flew into the gorge. The wind howled in his ears as he flapped his wings, taking a sharp right and veering left to avoid smashing into a wall of stone.

Months ago, he would have been a bloody smear just a few seconds ago. He had improved greatly, though.

Thanks mostly to Rainbow Dash.

Grimacing, Spike continued onward. He rolled to the side, dodging an outcropping and dipping low to avoid a small bridge of rock. He neared one side of the gorge and lined himself up so that he was nearly parallel with it. With a mighty kick of his legs, he pushed off the side of the gorge and flapped his wings hard, speeding ahead and narrowly decapitating himself as he ducked under another outcropping of stone.

Okay, that was cutting it a bit close. Spike snorted out a plume of smoke as he steadied himself. Get over it. She said she would in time. You’ll just have to deal with some awkwardness between you and her for a while. She didn’t say she hated you... though she looked like she wanted to. He growled in annoyance as he lowered a bit and took a hard turn to the left.

A strong wind buffeted his side, and he had to fight to regain control. After adjusting his wings and flapping hard to right himself, he continued onward. He glanced upward, his eyes widening as he took in the darkening skies.

“Where the heck did those clouds come from?”

He was positive those clouds had not been there a few minutes ago. Judging from the speed they were moving, though, they would pass over him in no time. He would just stay low and avoid any strong winds for the time being.

“Gyaah!” Spike cried out as he was blown to his left as another gale pushed him dangerously close to the side of the gorge. He spun around so his belly faced the stone, and pushed off with his arms and legs. He dove low, wings flapping as hard as they could. The effort seemed to be producing no real results, though, for he was sent reeling sideways once more.

I need to land! If I stay in the air, I could—

A particularly strong gust lifted Spike up from beneath his wings. He struggled to maintain control with no success. The mighty drake was now at nature’s mercy, something that rarely showed compassion for the weak.

It seemed like Spike’s luck had run out at that point, for an especially strong gale that whistled in his ears hit him, causing his wings to flare out involuntarily and tossing his body like a ragdoll. He spun around repeatedly, noting a solid wall of gray quickly approaching him.

Solid rock smashed into his back, and he howled in pain as he crumpled. His wings gave out completely as he fell several dozen feet to the ground, bouncing off a few jutting boulders before making contact with the ground and a resounding thud.

Spike’s vision was filled with spots and blurred outlines as he opened his eyes. He could taste iron in his mouth, and found his body unable to respond to his commands to move. Thoughts were muddled between confusion and intense pain.

“Spike!”

The dragon let out a low groan as something moist hit his nose. Then another. Somewhere in his mind he was aware that it was raining, but right now he couldn’t find it within himself to care. Though he couldn’t really be faulted, what with the sensation of broken ribs, probably few fractured limbs, and some internal bleeding.

“Spike!”

Something bright, colorful, and loud landed in front of him. He struggled to lift his head, but a sharp pain in his shoulders told him that wasn’t a good idea. Instead, he settled for letting out another painful groan.

“Spike!” shouted the voice frantically. The face of Rainbow Dash came into his view, streaks of water running down her cheeks and her wet mane threatening to cover her eyes. “Spike, can you hear me?”

Spike let out a weak moan and spoke. “Dash…?”

Rainbow Dash exhaled, her body relaxing a little. “Thank Celestia...” She looked around a bit, then took in his appearance. She halted her gaze at what must have been one of his wings, her face paling a bit. “Spike... are... how much do you hurt?”

“Unngh...” Spike spit up a globule of dark red. “Bad. Like... wrestling with Ursa Minor bad.” He closed his eyes for a moment, finding the idea of getting some sleep more appealing by the moment.

He could hear Rainbow pacing beside him as she spoke. “Spike, I have to run back to Ponyville. I-I’ll get... hey! Spike, stay with me!”

Spike felt something pat his cheeks several times. His eyes flickered open as he gazed at the blurry image of Rainbow Dash, who was now wide-eyed with worry.

“Rainbow...? Where... what happened?”

“S-Spike,” Dash was shaking now as she sniffled. “Spike, don’t close your eyes. I need you to stay awake, okay?”

Spike grunted. “Mmm... okay...”

“O-okay...” Rainbow nodded. “Spike, can you move at all?”

“No. Hurts too much.”

A flash of lightning, followed almost immediately by a boom of thunder, caused Rainbow to jump. Winds began to pick up, and Rainbow had to crouch low to avoid being blown off her feet. “This storm is picking up way too quickly!” She shouted.

“Yeah... out of nowhere…” Spike mumbled.

Rainbow Dash glanced back and forth between him and the storm. She let out a weak sob as she continued. “Y-you... why did you go and do that?”

“What...?” Spike mumbled.

“I.... don’t you remember? We talked about it: always check the horizon when flying...” She sniffled. “It’s... like, the first thing I taught you... and... and...”

“The most important rule for a big guy like me. I... I know...” Spike coughed up some blood, the metallic taste touching his tongue. “Rainbow... it’s not safe... here...”

“I know!” Rainbow countered. “I-I’m not leaving you out here alone, though!”

“Rainbow...”

Rainbow was in his face, and he could make out the faint smell of tears mixed with rainwater as her face touched his nostrils. Spike could barely feel the contact with how cold and numb he was, but he took what enjoyment he could from it. “Don’t give up on me, Spike! Please! You’ll pull through this, okay? You just... y-you just need to stay awake and…” Her eyes moved over his body, her expression growing more and more worried by the second. “Spike...”

She was crying openly now. He closed his eyes for a moment, and breathed slowly, wincing as he felt weak jolts of pain race through his body. He opened his eyes, speaking with as much strength as he could muster. “Rainbow, y-you need to get back into town, okay? I... I can manage myself until help arrives. I promise.”

The winds whipped past them, rain battering down on them relentlessly. Rainbow shook her head slowly. “I can’t fly in this weather. Not by myself. Even the Wonderbolts would be at risk in this storm.” She slumped into the mud. “I might be the best flier, but flying in these winds is suicide. I’m just lucky I landed here when I did...” She wiped her cheeks of tears and rain, smearing her cheeks with mud. “A-and running wouldn’t help... I’d be... too late...”

Spike’s eyes softened as he wheezed. “ Why did you follow me?”

“I-I was talking to Raindrops. She told me about the storm front moving through here, and... and I saw you flying this way.” Rainbow shook her head. “I was hoping to catch you before things got ugly.” She grit her teeth, her breath coming out in a loud hiss. Spike had only seen Rainbow so distraught once before, and he didn’t like thinking back on that time. Oddly enough, he had been the cause of her stress that time as well.

Spike tried to assess the situation as best as he could. He wasn’t alone, thankfully, but even so, Rainbow was a good distance away from Ponyville. Unless the storm cleared up suddenly—which, judging by the increasing rain and thunder, it wasn’t going to do—Rainbow’s only other option was to gallop back into town. Still, Ponyville was a good hour away on hoof, even for a fast runner like her.

If only Twilight was here. She would be able shoot off a flare of magic, or teleport, or...

Wait...

“Rainbow, c-can you help lift my head up?”

“What?” Rainbow shook her head. “Spike, your neck might be injured.” She winced as she looked at it. “It looks injured! I don’t want you getting hurt anymore than you already are.”

Spike sighed. “I know, but... I have an idea. It... it might work. I have to try it.”

Rainbow looked like she was going to argue further. She relented, however, and gently nudged her head under his chin. “Just... let me know if you start hurting, okay?”

Spike gave an affirmative grunt, and felt her balance his chin on her back. With her support, he was able to lift his neck up with his own strength, and took in a deep breath. He felt that familiar swelling in his chest, though it hurt this time. He ignored it, taking in more air and puffing out his cheeks slightly.

A large gout of green flame shot out of his mouth, forming into a fiery orb as it roared through the air. The fireball slowed in its ascent, then hovered in the air for a split second and exploding into a fiery cloud of green flame.

Spike coughed hard, but smiled nonetheless. “I...I almost forgot about...that...”

Rainbow watched as the nebulous cloud of dragonfire continued to burn in the air. “H-how?”

“Dragon fire is magical,” Spike explained in a hoarse voice. “It... water and wind don’t always affect it... if you do it right. Twilight... Twilight will recognize it. We’ll be alright now—”

Another fit of violent coughs caused Spike to spit up blood. He didn’t stop this time, his eyes watering and his throat feeling raw. His chest began flaring up in pain, like someone was jabbing his lungs with a red hot fire poker. Rainbow Dash rested Spike’s head on the ground once more, then walked around so she could face him directly.

“S-Spike?! What’s wrong?!”

Spike continued coughing. He was having trouble breathing by this point, and his vision was growing dark. He could faintly make out the frightened voice of Rainbow Dash amidst the thundering and his loud coughs. The taste of blood was fresh in his mouth, and he was certain he spit something warm and wet out of his mouth.

The last thing he saw before his world went dark was the face of the mare beside him, tears and rain streaking her face as she screamed out his name.

It’s back-to-school time, which I’m sure many of you are aware of. It could be ages before this updates again, and between the workload the author and myself are taking, it’s going to be slow regardless. Took me almost a week to find the time to go through this and tweak things. That being said, enjoy this next chapter, and keep on top of your schoolwork. Can’t really stress how important it is.

All hail Lord Suzumiya

~L.V.K.

Author's Notes:

Hey, all. told you I'd have this up soon, right? (I know, I'm just as surprised). Anyway, yep, ending the chapter here. It's not over yet, though, so don't fret.

I'd like to extend a huge thank you to Ludwikia VK, who has been patient and helpful with this story, even with his busy workload in school. Well, that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, more is still on the way!