Chapter Eight- Fair Weather Inbound

If there was one thing Spike had learned in his many years living and working beside Twilight, it was patience. That and the ability to keep himself entertained during long stretches of relative inactivity aside from occasionally fetching a book for Twilight during one of her study binges. Such skills were rarely needed these days for him, what with having a job that required constant physical activity and having plenty of things to do in Ponyville with good friends.

However, being bedridden and having almost eighty percent of his body wrapped in bandages and casts, he found himself falling back on old, tried and true methods of keeping himself entertained.

Equestria Girls, we’re kinda magical! Boots on hooves, bikinis on top… Spike let out a heavy sigh as the song faded back into the recesses of his mind. You know, now that I think of it, why the heck would ponies wear bikinis in the first place? I mean, they hardly wear clothing as it is. That and boots…? Seriously, what was Sapphire Shores thinking when she wrote this song? She really should get back to her roots, back before she went all mainstream on her fans. Honestly, if she stood up to the record labels a bit more, she could stretch out her artistic muscles and get back to the music that put her on the charts in the first place…

It had been a whole day since he had awoken from his apparent coma, and while he was thankful to be alive, he really wished the hospital had better means to keep their patients entertained. Counting the tiles in his hospital room—all two hundred and fifty-eight of them—three times over, had gotten dull quickly. The song birds twittering outside his window had been nice for awhile, but they had flown off about an hour ago. He had asked for some reading material from one of the nurses when they had come to check on him, but that had only resulted in being given reading material that he had read before or had no interest in reading at the moment.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. It wasn’t even nine o’clock in the morning yet.

Stars above, I might be the first recorded case of death by boredom with the way things are going right now…

The sound of the door to his room being opened grabbed his attention. An earth pony stallion, dressed in the usual nurse wardrobe, entered his room with a tray of food balanced on his back and a clipboard in his teeth. He had a short, dark red mane and tail, and his coat was an off-white hue. Spike barely caught his cutie mark beneath his clothes: a red heart with a dark red cross over it. With skill that Spike found himself envious of, the stallion slid the tray off his back and onto the table beside Spike while taking the clipboard out of his mouth in one smooth movement.

“Good morning, Mr. Spike,” the stallion greeted, his voice mellow and calm. Not too cheery, but not off-putting or cold, either. “I’m Chordae, and I’ll be in charge of your care for the first half of today.” He scanned over the pages of his clipboard before continuing. “How are you feeling right now?”

Spike gave a noncommittal grunt and lifted his free claw a little. “Sore, but not in too much pain. Probably the pain meds working through my system, though. Other than that, alright. Just bored.”

The stallion cracked a small smile as he continued to study the clipboard. “Good to hear. Wish I could help with the boredom.” He glanced up, then added, “If it’s any consolation, boredom is normal for bedridden patients in your type of situation.” Spike swore he heard the smile in the stallion’s voice as he raised his clipboard up to study a particular page. “Redheart says you’ve already read most of the books we have here for patients to read while they recover.”

Spike chuckled softly. “A side-effect of being a librarian’s assistant for so long. Some of those books were donated by the library, actually.”

The nurse gave a grunt and slight nod, his attention having returned to the clipboard. Chordae went about studying the IVs connected to Spike. He seemed particularly interested in studying the large bag of liquid that Twilight had helped to administer.

“Twilight Sparkle said you require a special IV solution of quartz and calcium dissolved in water…” The stallion studied the bag for a moment longer, then added. “Looks like we’ll have to change the IV before noon. She gave us a few more IV bags last night, so we’ll make sure to do that for you before lunch time.” He looked up from the clipboard, and gave a faint smile. “Other than that, you appear to be recovering well enough, all things considered.”

Spike couldn’t help but wince a little. “Yeah. I… I’m lucky. Could have been a lot worse.”

“Just get plenty of rest and you should recover fine,” Chordae said. He pulled down a desk-like surface on the side of Spike’s bed and positioned it so that it was right over Spike’s lap. “Nurse Redheart told me you don’t have much trouble eating with your free claw, am I right?”

Spike gave the stallion a thumbs-up. “I’ll be good.”

Chordae nodded, and set Spike’s breakfast on the tabletop placed before him. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call for me with the buzzer.” He made one final check over Spike’s IVs, bandages, and casts. “Comfortable enough?”

“Mm. Thanks, Nurse Chordae.”

“Of course. I’ll see you before noon, Spike.” With that, the nurse left the room, leaving Spike to himself once more.

Spike nibbled on the food, which consisted of a plate of scrambled eggs, some applesauce, a small bowl of cinnamon oatmeal, and a glass of apple juice on the side. While Spike could easily eat more than what had been given to him, he was also content just to have something to put in his stomach.

He was fairly certain, upon studying the apple products before him, that the juice and applesauce had come straight from Sweet Apple Acres. He had consumed enough apples from there to know, after all. Thinking about Sweet Apple Acres brought his thoughts around to Applejack, which eventually led to him thinking about his other friends and family. Twilight had promised to stop by at least once a day, and he was fairly certain he’d be seeing the rest of the girls, too.

His mind recalled the fact that Twilight and Applejack were a couple now, something he had almost forgotten. The two were alike in the fact that they tried not drawing attention to each other in that regard, at least.

They’ll make a cute couple once they get comfortable with each other, Spike thought to himself, chuckling as he pictured Twilight trying to help Applejack with baking some apple pastry or another. Poor Applejack was going to have her hooves full with that. If he knew Twilight as well as he thought he did, his adoptive sister would go above and beyond to show Applejack how much she cared.

It was just the way she was. Twilight Sparkle didn’t do things by half-measures. No, Applejack was going to get all one hundred fifty percent of that unicorn mare’s love and affection. He could only hope that the earth pony mare would be ready for it.

Before Spike knew it, his plate was clean and his juice was gone. Satisfied, he pushed the tabletop to the side so it was no longer over his lap. The drake closed his eyes, deciding he might as well get some more rest. He swore he heard the sounds of hooves against the floor at one point, and he opened his eyes a few minutes later to see that the tray with his breakfast had been taken.

I remember hearing that Ponyville has been considering adding another wing to the hospital for a few years, now… Spike thought to himself. I’ll give them a huge discount on some building material when I get back to work…

With that in mind, Spike dozed off.

“I… must admit, I’m surprised anypony… or dragon, knows of my work after all these years…”

Rainbow Dash, Princess Luna, and Twilight all sat in the center of Spike’s home. Twilight had been doing some tidying up while Princess Luna had decided to admire Spike’s personal library. Rainbow Dash had showed up at Spike’s about an hour later, having checked the Golden Oaks Library and finding no one was there.

After Spike had woken up from his coma, Rainbow Dash had gotten a great idea. She had originally planned on flying straight to Twilight’s place, but about halfway there realized she was still exhausted, so detoured and went home to rest for the evening. She woke up extra early this morning though, hoping to catch Princess Luna before she either went to sleep for the day or left to return to Canterlot.

“Well, I’m not much for poetry myself, but Spike’s a huge fan of your work, Princess,” Rainbow Dash said, setting a familiar, ancient tome gently on a table before Luna. “He was always saying how he believed it was you who actually wrote these poems under some pen name. It looks like he was right, huh?”

“So it would seem.” Luna smiled. “I would hardly consider myself anything more than an amateur at poetry, so I was a bit shocked to find out some of my work has endured for more than one thousand years.” She ran a hoof gently over the cover of the tome. “While I do not mind chatting about my hobby with poems, I’m guessing there’s more to this visit, am I right?” Luna gave Rainbow a knowing smile.

Rainbow Dash scuffed the floor a little, and smiled. “Y-yeah. I was… kinda hoping that you’d maybe write a little something for Spike in there? A personal poem, or just a letter? Maybe even just an autograph?”

Luna chuckled softly, “You do know I chose the name Waxing Crescent to keep my anonymity, right?”

“I know, but…” Rainbow frowned. “It’s been a long time since you published these, so… I don’t think it’d be that big a deal, do you? Besides, I think Spike would really appreciate it.”

“I think so, too,” agreed Twilight, who had taken a break from dusting Spike’s books. “You could just use your alias, Princess. Spike would figure it out, and I know he won’t go and blab to everyone about you being the real poet if you want to keep it secret.”

Luna nodded, and she gently picked up the tome in her magic, giving it a thoughtful look. “Give me some time. I shall think of something to write for our dear drake.”

It was about one in the afternoon when Spike had finally recalled all twenty-eight of Starswirl’s Laws of Arcane Manipulation, word for word, including the three theories he had never come to proving to be law. Those had been added after his death by other scholars. Apparently, Twilight’s lectures from his hatchling years finally managed to serve some purpose in staving off his boredom, if only for a little while.

A gentle knock at the door drew him from his thoughts. He looked towards the doorway, and felt his spirits lift as he took in the sight of his visitor.

“Hey,” greeted Rainbow Dash. “Mind if I come in?” Spike gestured for her to enter with a wave of his claw. Rainbow gave a small grin before walking in and taking a seat on the chair next to his bed. “So, how are you doing?”

Spike grinned. “Okay, I guess. I’m recovering, slowly but surely.”

Rainbow grinned as well. “Good, you’d better be.” She dug into a saddlebag she had strapped over her back.

When she pulled out the tome that held the works of Waxing Crescent in it, Spike couldn’t help but laugh. “Thanks, Rainbow. I thought I was going to go stir-crazy in here.” He gently took the tome from her and placed it on his lap. He paused upon seeing something sticking out between the front cover and the first page of the large book. Opening it, he found a dark blue primary feather resting on the first page, the quill—or calumus, if he recalled right—stained with ink at the tip.

“Is… did she…?” Spike asked, looking up to Rainbow Dash. The mare simply nodded to the book, and Spike returned his attention to it. He noticed a familiar calligraphy on the inside of the front cover that he was certain had not been there before.

Young flame, may you bring warmth to hearts of those beloved,
May despair never cast shadow upon you,
May you forever burn, long after your time.

‘Twas you who carried a frozen heart and helped give new light,
‘Twas you, so young and small, who stood to shadow,
‘Twas you who gave hope to a land once lost.

Never sell thyself short, child of flame.
Never doubt thy resolve and strength.
Never crumble, for stronger than stone, you are.

Fear not the dance of the heart
Chance love, nurture it, do not shun it,
For know this, my dearest friend:

Time may take away our flesh and bone,
But our memories do not so easily fade.

Spike smiled, then gazed down to find a final bit of writing at the bottom of the inside cover.

To my dearest friend, Spike,

Thank you for appreciating my work, and for your kindness. You give this old mare joy in knowing her works are still loved after all these years. If you ever need a shoulder to lean on or a friend to talk to, do not hesitate to call upon me. I shall always be there, should you need me.

-Waxing Crescent

A stylized crescent moon had been drawn in next to the signature, and Spike couldn’t help but laugh.

“So… I was right, huh?”

Rainbow gave a nod. “She seemed pretty happy when I told her you’re a fan of hers.” Rainbow pointed to the deep blue feather, still nestled between the cover and front page. “She also gave you a primary feather of hers.” A light blush spread across her cheeks. “I… I thought that meant she was into you or something at first, but I guess the ink she smeared on it mean something else.”

Spike’s smile widened a fraction. “Pegasus writers and poets used to offer ink-stained primaries to those that they trusted. A token of their gratitude and usually a way of saying they felt indebted to them, maybe because they received help from whoever it was that they gave the feather to. Typically they gave them to long-time patrons of theirs, or whoever was responsible for putting their works into print.” He waved his free claw. “The practice sort of died out about five hundred years ago. Still, if Princess Luna gave me this feather… then that means a lot. I can’t say too many ponies had the privilege of knowing her personally and receiving such a gift from her.”

“Huh, that’s actually kinda cool,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I figured you probably needed something to keep you busy while you were cooped up in this place.” She glanced at his wings, still wrapped up and unmoving. “So… how are they?”

Spike sighed, “We’ll find out in a few weeks, I guess. I haven’t been given much word on them from the staff, yet.” His neck drooped a bit. “I’m not going to lie, Rainbow… I’m kind of worried I won’t be able to use them again.”

Rainbow could understand that. The last time she had a wing-related injury, it had been a strain in the muscles of her right wing. She had been in the hospital for less than three days, yet she could recall the frustration she felt with being grounded. Not to mention the boredom. Thank goodness Twilight had decided to introduce her to Daring Do at that time.

She silently made a promise to herself to visit Spike as often as she could allow. No way would she let a friend… or in Spike’s case, someone who was a bit more than just a friend, endure that peaceful torment alone.

“So, I was thinking, if you want, I could sneak you in some food from Haybale’s if you want. I know this hospital food isn’t the greatest. That or maybe a few gems…” She paused a moment, then added. “I won’t tell Twilight, either. I know she said you’re on that diet now…”

The drake just laughed. “Don’t worry about it, Rainbow. Believe it or not, I don’t mind the food here. I’m getting enough minerals from the IV drip here.” He gestured towards the IV bag next to his bed. “I’ll be okay.”

“You sure? I know how bad it can get being stuck here in the hospital. They could probably let me bring in some stuff for you to do. Maybe some playing cards?”

“Maybe later. For now, I’m just happy to have the company.” He gave Rainbow a wink.

She returned it with a sigh and a reluctant grin. “Alright.”

For a long while after that, the two just sat there in comfortable silence. At some point Rainbow had scooted her chair closer to Spike’s bed and had placed a hoof over his hand. Spike gave her hoof a gentle squeeze.

Rainbow’s wings twitched slightly, and she looked down to their enclosed hoof and claws. “You’ll fly again. I know you will.”

Spike gave her a grin, though, upon looking back up at him, she could see the flicker of doubt in his eyes. “Y-yeah…”

“It’ll… just take time, th-that’s all.” Rainbow said quietly. “If we gotta start from square one with conditioning you, then we will, okay?”

“What about—?” Spike cut himself off as Rainbow gave him a determined look, almost daring him to contradict her words. “Right…”

The mare slumped. “I know it’s scary, Spike. Heck, I got into some real nasty accidents when I was still a filly. I bounced back, though. You will, too. You’re a young and in good shape. You’ll heal up fine.”

Spike just grinned, choosing to remain silent.

When the doctors had first noticed that the fracture along Spike’s left leg had healed up, they had been in disbelief. It had been less than six weeks, but sure enough, the fracture running across Spike’s tibia had healed up to the point that it was almost impossible to tell where the break had been. Twilight had commented on the matter, stating that dragons, especially young dragons, healed at exceptionally fast rates, a major factor that contributed to them being able to survive so well in the more isolated regions of the world. Besides the fracture in his leg having healed, the swelling on his left ankle had gone down noticeably. After examining his ankle, they had asked if he could move it. Full mobility had been regained, much to Spike’s joy.

Along with the healed leg, the injuries to his throat and lungs were healing up nicely, and the bruising in his body had begun to recede. The fracture in his right wing had yet to fully heal, but the swelling from where it dislocated was gone. The tears in his wing membrane had begun to heal, but the doctors stated that his membrane would have permanent scarring and holes from where it had had been torn. It wasn’t uncommon, from what Twilight understood, for dragons to have permanent tears along the edges of their wings, though.

Aside from that, the bruising along his spine was better, and he no longer showed any signs of suffering from a concussion. His ribs were looking better too, if not fully healed.

All in all, Spike’s road to recovery was looking bright.

“Careful now, Spike. Slow steps.”

Spike, determined to gain back some of his strength that he had lost from being bedridden, asked if he could borrow some crutches and walk through the halls of the hospital during his free time. After checking him over to ensure he was fit to do so, the staff responsible for his care offered him a large pair of crutches that had been made for minotaur patients.

Currently, Nurse Redheart was walking alongside his right while Twilight stuck close to his left.

“Do you feel any pain?” Twilight asked.

Spike shook his head. “Nope, I’m just sore. Muscles are stiff, nothing else.”

“You’re sure?” she continued to ask. “Nothing in the leg?”

“Twilight, I’m alright. I’m not going to take any stupid risks, I promise. If I felt any pain at all, I would tell you and Nurse Redheart,” Spike replied with exasperation.

“We’re just making sure, Spike,” Redheart said in a placating tone.

Spike exhaled through his nose, and gave the two mares what he hoped was an apologetic look. “I know. Sorry, it’s just… I hate being vulnerable like this.” He frowned, glaring at a nondescript spot on the tiled floor. “It was bad enough when I couldn’t even get out of bed to use the bathroom…”

Spike felt a hoof gently touch his side, just enough for him to look and see Twilight giving him a sympathetic smile. He smiled back, his cheeks reddening a bit.

“Sorry…” he mumbled, just loud enough for the two mares to hear.

“Don’t be,” Twilight replied. “It’s why we have hospitals in the first place. To recover and treat others.”

Spike willed a small smile to his lips while turning his attention to Redheart. “Thanks for letting me do this, Nurse Redheart.”

Redheart chuckled, “Chordae said you looked restless, so I suppose there’s no harm in letting you stretch your legs a bit.”

The trio turned a corner, and Spike was the first to stop when he saw a familiar flash of color in his peripherals. His sore muscles and troubled thoughts were forgotten instantly.

Rainbow Dash was standing at the end of the hall, and she had a saddlebag strapped over her back that was packed with he could only assume to be their lunch. She had made it a routine to visit him a few times a week during her lunch break once the doctors had cleared him for more solid foods. Of course, she always cleared what she brought with the staff, just to be safe.

“Well, look who’s up and at ‘em!” Rainbow said in a cheerful tone. “Hi, Spike!”

“Hey, Rainbow,” Spike said, hobbling over to her. “Lunch time already?”

“Eh, I got an early break today. I figured I’d come by and check up on you.” She looked to Twilight and Nurse Redheart as she continued. “Hey, Twilight, Nurse Redheart,” Rainbow greeted, then flashed them a knowing smirk. “Was he starting to go stir crazy?”

“I’m pretty sure he would have ripped the bed apart if he stayed there any longer,” Twilight joked while Redheart tried to suppress a giggle. Spike just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Well, if you’re hungry, I brought us some egg salad sandwiches. I made them myself!”

Spike looked to Redheart, who looked to the clock. “I suppose I can let Chordae know you’ll be having lunch now so he won’t have to bring you lunch from the cafeteria.”

“Actually, you could still bring him a tray of food from the cafeteria,” Twilight said. “The average drake around Spike’s age needs about twice, if not three times the amount of food of an adult pony every day. Especially if that drake is in the middle of recovering from some serious injuries.”

Spike shrugged when Redheart turned back to him. “Sure,” he added. “I’m not against extra food as long as it’s not any trouble for any of you.”

Redheart gave a nod. “Alright, then. Let’s get you back to your room so you can eat.”

In a few minutes’ time, Spike was once more sitting upright in his bed while eating off of the tray attached to his bed while Rainbow had borrowed a small table and pushed it over to Spike’s bedside. Twilight, perhaps to give the two some personal space, had excused herself, remembering she had some books she was expecting to be delivered to the library this afternoon from Canterlot.

“So, anything new? Still healing up alright?”

Spike flashed Rainbow a winning smile. “At this rate I should be out of here within a month or so. The entire hospital is just baffled by my recovery.” He chuckled as she quirked an eyebrow. “Until now, Ponyville Hospital’s never had a dragon patient. Dragon’s shrug off injuries faster than the average pony, so I’m sort of setting some records around here for recovery rates, I guess.”

“Lucky you.” Rainbow said as she set down her sandwich. “How about the wing? Is it doing any better?”

Spike gave the injured wing in question a quick glance. “I guess? Honestly, I’m not sure how fast a wing injury takes to heal for dragons. It’s been a slow process compared to everything else, but the doctors are hopeful.”

“Good, I’d hate to lose my best wingpony… er… drake.” She cleared her throat, and continued. For several long moments she was silent. When she spoke, her voice was softer, a bit more subdued than before. “So, Spike… I got a letter from Spitfire today.”

Spike put down the untouched half of his sandwich, having immediately picked up the hesitant tone in Rainbow’s voice. “Yeah?”

The mare nodded. “It was a personal letter, nothing official from the Wonderbolts, but the news was definitely Wonderbolts-related. I guess Soarin’ just announced his retirement at the end of this year.”

Spike blinked. “Wait, seriously? Soarin’?”

Rainbow Dash laughed, though it didn’t sound entirely happy. “I know, right? Though, I guess when you’ve been with the Wonderbolts for over twenty years, serving as the second-in-command, it kinda wears down on you. Spitfire’s got a few more years before she starts looking for a replacement.” She looked up to Spike at this point, apparently unsure how to continue.

“Spitfire asked if you want to take over his position, huh?”

Rainbow nodded, her gaze falling to her hooves. “Yeah.”

“And…?” Spike asked gently, yet expectantly.

“I… I still don’t know. I mean, there’s a good chance that I’ll never have another chance like this. I’ve gone through the basics back in the academy, but… I can only think of two or three Wonderbolts in history that got to jump right into a high-ranking position like that right from the get-go.” Her eyes dropped back to her hooves.

“Well, you’re definitely one of those rare ponies that deserves it,” Spike said encouragingly. “Are you worried about the responsibility?”

“Kind of. I’m more worried about…” She paused, and swallowed hard. “I’m more worried about us.”

“Us?” Spike repeated. “Why?”

“Spike,” Rainbow said, deliberately taking her time to piece together her words. “We had a rough patch just a while ago, and we weren’t even really a couple. We just started being anything close to serious about this…” She exhaled a shaky breath. “What if… what if being away breaks us apart?”

“It won’t,” Spike replied, not a hint of uncertainty in his words.

“You don’t know that,” Rainbow continued, shaking her head while she fidgeted. “Long-distance relationships aren’t easy to keep together.”

Spike smiled. “Many of the best things in life are hard to maintain, Rainbow. It doesn’t mean they aren’t worth it, though.”

Rainbow laughed, sniffling a bit. “You’re such a dork. That was so cheesy.”

“I like to think that it’s my inner-hopeless romantic speaking aloud.”

Rainbow nodded, smiling brightly now. She wiped her eyes and breathed deeply before exhaling. “So, you think I should go for it?”

The drake nodded. “Absolutely! The world needs to see how awesome you are, and I can’t think of a better way than by joining the Wonderbolts.”

“What about you, though?” She reached for his arm, and he met her halfway, clasping her hoof gently. She gave his hand a squeeze. “Would you really be okay with that? I might not be around that often if I join them, you know. The Wonderbolts are constantly touring, practicing, and doing different stuff for Equestria…”

“Rainbow,” Spike said, gently rubbing her hoof with his thumb. “Go for it. Please. Seeing you fly with the Wonderbolts would make me happier than you can imagine.”

The mare managed to smile, and leaned forward, wrapping her front legs around Spike’s neck in a gentle hug. “Thanks. I think I needed that.”

“Just as long as I get free memorabilia from you every now and then, I think we’ll be okay. Maybe a pair of goggles, or a poster or two?”

“Since when have you been a fan of the Wonderbolts?” Rainbow asked, genuine amusement in her tone.

“Since you were offered a job with them,” Spike replied with a toothy grin.

She laughed, “Definitely earning brownie points with me today.” She let go of him and flashed him one of her winning smiles. “I better get going, then. Lunch break’s about over, and we’re due for some rain tonight. Plus, I need to mail back a reply to Spitfire as soon as I can.”

“Good. I can’t wait to get out of this place,” Spike said with a weary sigh. “I mean, they’re all awesome ponies, but I think I’ll go nuts if I have to spend another month here before I can leave.”

“Hang in there, Spike” Rainbow said, offering him a sympathetic smile and a pat on the arm.

Rainbow’s gaze never left his eyes, but she felt his claw encompass her hoof and squeeze it gently.

His breath hitched ever so slightly. “Rainbow, I know I haven’t really mentioned it before, but… I’m scared. I… what if my wings never fully heal?”

“They will,” Rainbow answered firmly. “I know they will.”

“You don’t know that.”

She smiled a little, amused by the sudden role reversal compared to their conversation just minutes ago. “No, I don’t,” she replied. “But, I do know that you’re a strong dragon.” She now had both hooves holding onto his hand. “I know that you’ll get better because something like a broken wing won’t be enough to keep you on the ground.”

“Technically, it would be enough to—” He bit down on his words as Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. Instead of continuing his thought, he just nodded his head and forced a smile back onto his lips. “Thanks…”

“You can thank me when we’re flying through the air together again,” Rainbow said in a confident tone. “I still have to teach you more aerial stunts, right?”

Spike nodded again. “Y-yeah.”

“That’s the spirit. Those wings will heal and we’ll both be flying in no time. Just you watch.”

Rainbow left shortly after, but promised she would stop by again tomorrow with some homemade pasta salad for lunch. Spike spent the remainder of his day lying in bed reading the seemingly infinite number of poems written by Princess Luna while his thoughts drifted to the mare he had come to see as a dear friend, a flight coach, a confidant, and something more that he couldn’t quite name yet, but felt was real nevertheless.

About a month later…

“So…?”

Spike walked outside the hospital, Twilight, Rarity, and Fancy Pants accompanying him. He looked over his shoulder to see Rarity giving him a curious smile.

“What?” Spike asked.

“How does it feel to finally be free again?” Rarity asked, laughter dancing just beneath the surface of her smile.

The drake let out a snort, shaking his head and chuckling. “Great.” He took in a deep gulp of the summer air and exhaled. He flexed both his wings slowly, his eyes consciously scanning over them as he did so.

“You okay?” Twilight asked. “No pain?”

Spike continued to stretch and flex his wings, giving them a few experimental flaps and lifting slowly off the ground.

“Spike…” Twilight said, her tone growing worried by the second as he flapped his wings a little harder.

After gaining a few feet of altitude, Spike landed with a quiet thud. “Nope. No pain at all!” He flashed the three ponies a toothy grin.

The worry vanished from Twilight’s expression instantly. “Wonderful! The hospital staff really did a great job at helping you recover. That and they compiled lots of information on treating dragons, too!”

Fancy Pants chuckled as Spike rolled his eyes at the librarian's antics. “Well, Spike old boy, I do believe a certain pegasus mare was hoping to see you as soon as you got out of the hospital today.” Spike’s ear frills twitched, and his attention was now on the stallion. “She asked us to tell you that she would like to meet you outside of Ponyville, on the usual hill.”

“So, is that why she didn’t come here instead?” he asked Fancypants.

“Mm, I do believe she mentioned something about knowing you’d be okay in the first place, and didn’t need the doctors to tell her what she already knew was true,” the stallion answered.

“She also seemed a tad jittery when we spoke with her,” Rarity added in with a knowing smile. “Not necessarily a bad kind of nervousness, though, mind you. She was rather excited when she heard you’d be let out today.”

Spike looked to Twilight anxiously. She raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Spike… I don’t think I need to give you permission to go and see a friend, do I? You’re a big dragon, after all.”

Blushing slightly, Spike gave a sheepish grin. “Er, right, heh. Um… I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Go on,” Twilight said with a laugh, urging him on with a wave of a hoof. “Just please be sure to take it easy on the wings.” She lifted up the heavy tome of Waxing Crescent’s works. “I’ll hold onto this in the meantime. You can come pick it up at the library later, okay?”

“Will do, Twilight! Later guys!”

Spike kicked off the ground and was in the air within seconds with a few flaps of his wings. He looked to the horizon and could help but grin. Stiffness aside, his wings felt more or less how they should. It was as though he had never crashed at all. He vaguely recalled some information Twilight had found in her research while he was recovering regarding dragon biology. Something to do with how muscle atrophy was slower with dragons, which would explain the strength he still had in his wings after being bedridden.

It has been too long.

Spike laughed as he passed by a flock of birds that scattered when they spotted the dragon. He lowered himself a little, allowing his claws to graze against the canopy of a few trees. He could understand a little better why Rainbow Dash was so caught up with flight all the time; after being grounded for any amount of time, you learned to appreciate how free you felt when flying.

Speaking of the pegasus mare, he could spot a cyan and rainbow colored blob just within his range of vision, sitting on a rolling hill outside of Ponyville proper. As he drew closer, an idea struck him, and a mischievous smirk crossed his lips.

Tucking his wings in a little, Spike dropped in altitude. He adjusted his path, and sucked in a gulp of air as he drew closer to Rainbow Dash. Just when he was within earshot of her, he belted out a loud roar and flew past her. He was rewarded for his efforts with a yelp of surprise from the pegasus as she hopped a few feet in the air, her wings jutting out in alarm. He cackled loudly as he lifted back up into the air and was barely able to make out the shouting from the pegasus.

He continued flying away from her, smiling as he heard the the telltale sound of Rainbow Dash’s powerful wings cutting through the air to catch up with him. He turned nonchalantly to the side to see her flying beside him, her eyes narrowed and an annoyed look on her face.

“Jerk,” she grumbled halfheartedly.

Spike replied with a wink.

“So, looks like you’re still able to fly,” Rainbow remarked with an appreciative nod to Spike’s wings. “What’d I tell you?”

Spike once more replied nonverbally, flying a little closer to her and sinking beneath her. He raised his neck up and nuzzled her briefly.

Rainbow blushed a little at the affection, but a smile slowly worked its way onto her lips.

“Thanks, Rainbow,” Spike said, just loud enough to be heard over the air rushing past them.

She returned the nuzzle by sidling up beside him and rubbing her cheek against his. “You big dork.”

The two came to a landing shortly after Spike began to complain about about his wings growing tired. They now sat on the top of their favorite hill, the two sitting in comfortable silence.

“So…” Spike eventually began, breaking the silence. “I’m not sure if I’ll be up to snuff in time for the Best Young Flyer competition…” He sagged a bit. “I know that bet we made was within my dream or whatever, but I still plan on holding up my end of the deal.” He frowned. "And, to be honest, that flying took a lot more out of me than it should have."

Rainbow looked up to him and gave him a lopsided grin. “Hey, it’s cool. It takes time to get back into flying shape after all that time of doing almost nothing. Honestly, I’m surprised you flew as long as you did back there. Looks like my training paid off with you after all.” She bumped his shoulder with a hoof, satisfied when she felt the solid mass of muscle beneath his scales. “You haven’t lost too much muscle mass, at least.”

Spike quirked an eyebrow. “Hm?” He smirked. “Keeping your eye on the prize, huh?”

Rainbow Dash returned the smirk with one of her own. “You caught me.”

Spike grinned as she leaned against him a little. They remained that way for what may have been hours, or perhaps just a few minutes. Neither of them really cared, either way. For now, all that mattered was that they had a second chance, and they weren’t intent on squandering it.

A few weeks had passed since Spike’s release from the hospital. Shortly after his release, Spike and Rainbow Dash had announced to their friend that they were “officially” a couple. They kept it as low key as possible to anyone outside of their trusted group of friends, but as with most things in Ponyville, word still got around. Before either Spike or Rainbow Dash knew it, they had become a staple topic in the gossip of Ponyville’s denizens.

It wasn’t necessarily a secret, though. After all, Rainbow Dash’s cloud house had, for reasons initially unexplained, moved itself right next door to Spike’s giant stone abode. The juxtaposition of the two homes was rather beautiful, according to Rarity. The fashionista claimed the spartan look of Spike’s stone abode and Rainbow’s beautiful cloudhouse was a wonderful harmonization of two opposites, much like the respective homeowners’ own relationship.

Like most gossip within Ponyville, it remained mostly that: gossip. The couple had little in the way of problems, aside from some teasing from their friends from time to time, as well as a few glances from mares and stallions whenever they frequented a public hangout.

All in all, though, they were happy with their current situation.

Today was a lazy Saturday morning for Spike. He had just started returning to work, taking small orders of rocks to be shipped to various places in Equestria. However, it was the weekend, and being his own boss, he had decided to take today off. As such, he decided to make the best of it by doing what any hot-blooded male dragon would do: sleep in.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

“Spike! Spike, wake up!”

A blur of colors zipped in through an open window of Spike’s home, shouting loudly and stirring the drake from his slumber.

“Mmph, just a minute…” Spike murmured, rolling over on his futon and fluffing his pillow.

The wild blur of feathers and fur landed beside him, and gave him a not-so-gentle nudge with a hoof. “C’mon, Spike! Wake up, I gotta show you something!”

Spike slowly, with deliberate sluggishness, rose up from his futon. He yawned and stretched, his shoulders popping as he flexed his arms and wings. When he finally opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of a positively giddy Rainbow Dash holding a newspaper in her teeth. The Cloudsdale Courier, to be exact.

He squinted as he read the headline on the front page.“‘Soarin’ of the Wonderbolts Announces Retirement, Rainbow Dash of Reserve Team To Take Over Position’. Huh, well, that spread fast.” Spike took the paper from Rainbow Dash and perused the contents. “Nothing new from what you’ve already told me before, though. Props to the Wonderbolts for being able to keep this news tight-lipped for so long.” He looked over the paper, meeting Rainbow’s still cheery face. “I’m happy for you, Rainbow, but… I already know about this. I mean, hey, the press coverage is great for getting yourself some reputation, I won’t deny that.”

“I have an interview scheduled with Equestrian Athletics next week!” Rainbow said, her voice brimming with excitement. “Do you know how big this is? This is, like, so awesome, Spike! Equestrian Athletics is the most popular sports magazine in the entire country! And they want to interview me!” She could no longer contain her delight, and began bouncing in place while squealing like a prepubescent fanfilly.

Spike watched his marefriend teeter on the brink of a severe fangasm with genuine adoration. Celestia help him, he could not help but find her adorable when she acted like that. He considered himself lucky to be among the few privileged individuals that were allowed to see her like this.

Oh, and now she’s doing that adorable little giggle-scream of hers. He cleared his throat to get her attention, a task that proved to be rather difficult when the mare whose attention he was currently seeking was flittering around in pure, unadulterated elation.

“Rainbow,” Spike called out. No response other than the rapidfire babbling of the excited pegasus. “Rainbow Dash…” Still nothing. Spike held out an arm, catching the mare by the tail and slowly pulling him down. “Take it down a notch.” He winked at her and gave her a soft smile.

Rainbow, to her credit, gave him a bashful grin in return as she settled back down to the ground. “R-right, sorry, I just…” She let out a quiet squeak, then cleared her throat. “This is just how I imagined it’d be like, Spike!”

“I know,” Spike chuckled, lying down on his stomach so that he could relax and speak at eye level with her. “So, where’s the interview taking place? Cloudsdale?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Um…” Her excitement faded a bit. “I… actually was thinking we could have the interview here. At our place.”

Our place. That word alone meant so much to Spike. Still…

“H-here? Really?”

“That’s not a huge issue, is it? I can contact them and let them know if it is. I haven’t given them a final response yet. I wanted to talk to you, first.” She scuffed the floor with a hoof, then added in a much more subdued tone. “I… wanted them to see a little of who I am, you know? Let the fans know a bit about the mare behind the flight goggles.”

“When you say ‘see a little of who I am’, do you also mean…”

Rainbow gave Spike a firm nod. “You’re a part of my life. We’ve only been together for a little while, I know, but you’re important to me. I…” She rubbed her neck with a hoof, and mumbled while smiling demurely. “I want them to see a little of what inspires me, you know?”

The dragon’s chest swelled with pride, and a warmth spread throughout his body. “Rainbow…”

“I know it’s really cheesy, but that’s just how I feel, you know? If you want to have the interview somewhere else, we can have them talk with me at one of the cafés in town or—”

“No, it’s fine,” Spike cut her off softly. “And yeah, that was really cheesy, but…I appreciate that.”

Rainbow’s wings flapped as she fidgeted in place. “Yeah… just don’t go teasing me about it all the time, okay?”

“Oh, I’m not making any promises there. You have a soft spot, and I plan on taking full advantage of seeing it more often.” He smirked as she flushed a deeper red in the cheeks. “What can I say? You’re cute when you’re romantic.”

“Yeah, I guess I am pretty awesome like… wait, did you just say I’m cute?”

Spike waggled his eyebrows at the mare. Her bottom lip was now drawn out in a fierce pout.

“Take it back,” Rainbow grumbled.

“No,” Spike snickered, trying his best to keep himself from laughing at Rainbow’s antics.

“Do it. Now.” Rainbow’s wings flared out, her eyes flashing with ferocity. Spike could see through her facade, though. She wasn’t angry, not really.

She was just very, very prideful.

“Last chance, or I’ll make you regret it.” She flashed him a confident smirk, her eyes narrowing with a predatory gleam.

“Pfft, fat chance.”

Let it not be said that Spike didn’t enjoy playing with fire every now and then.

Not a second later, Spike was tackled by the mare. He may have intentionally fallen onto his back while feigning surprise. She quickly pinned him to his futon, pressing a hoof to his chest, a smug look on her face.

“You do realize I could easily push you off of me, right?”

Rainbow Dash replied by flexing out one of her wings. She studied her feathers for a moment, brushing a hoof gently through them.

Spike visibly paled. She played this game with him before.

“O-okay, I might have been joking a little bit, but you can’t blame me for being that way when you—pffthahahahaha! Gyaaaahhahaha!” Spike squirmed as Dash’s feathers tickled him under the chin and around his neck.

Needless to say, scales meant nothing against a playful pegasus armed with weather-resistant feathers.

“Say it!” Rainbow cried out with a grin.

“O-okay! Okay! I’ll say it, I’ll say it!”

Rainbow pulled her wing away from him and let the dragon catch his breath. He laughed a little and wiped a few tears from his eyes. He looked up to her as she gave him an expectant look.

“Well…? Let me hear you say it, Spike.” Rainbow looked down to her quarry with a triumphant grin. “Say, ‘I take it back, Rainbow Dash. You’re not cute, you’re awesome.’ Let’s hear it.”

Spike drew in a breath, and said softly. “I…” He licked his lips. “I take it back, Rainbow Dash. You’re not cute… you’re absolutely adorable when you go all fanfilly mode. You’re excited squealing is the envy of every little teenage filly in Equestria who’s ever gone to a colt-band concert, and I wish I owned a recording device so I could listen to it whenever—gaahaha, totally worth it, totally worth it! Hahahaha!”

Rainbow Dash renewed her tickling upon the—admittedly willing—drake.

After about a minute, the tickling had devolved into the two rolling on the futon laughing while they’re limbs were intertwined.

“So… when did you plan on having the interview?” Spike breathed out after Rainbow’s tickling ceased.

“I was thinking maybe two weeks from now? Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon?” Rainbow replied, her tone clearly asking for his thoughts on the matter.

“How about Saturday, then? I can make some nachos and we’ll make a day out of it.” He stroked a finger through her rainbow colored bangs. “Unless you want me to make something else besides nachos?”

“Nah, your nachos are always great. Homemade salsa with some guacamole and I’m in heaven…” She wormed her head into the crook of his neck. “I’m so glad you’re okay with this.”

“I’m glad you’re okay with all of this, too. I mean, I know there’s probably more than a few ponies who’d try and make a huge deal of us dating,” Spike replied.

“Hey, we’re in this together, right? I’m not going to try and hide our relationship from everyone. Besides,” Rainbow Dash purred. “If I can get a few of my future teammates jealous when they see how awesome you are, all the better.”

“Of course,” Spike laughed. “I should have known it would be for a less-than-noble reason.”

In reply, Rainbow Dash nipped at one of his ears frills, earning a hiss from the dragon that wasn’t entirely from pain.

We had the chance to speak with the soon-to-be member of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash. While also being a national hero, Rainbow Dash is perhaps one of the most gifted fliers of her generation, and stands to bring a refreshing flair to the Wonderbolts scene for fans both old and new.

Rainbow Dash and her drakefriend, Spike, allowed us into their home to conduct a personal interview so that we could get to know the mare behind the uniform. While she has yet to be officially inducted into the Wonderbolts, official announcements from the Wonderbolts' own Captain Spitfire have made it crystal clear that Rainbow Dash will be taking up the reins of Lieutenant upon Soarin’s his retirement.

EqA: So, Miss Dash, I’m sure many of your fans and soon-to-be fans are wondering what drove you to be a Wonderbolt?

RD: Well, that’s simple! I’ve loved flying since the day I was able to. The thrill of cutting through the sky is one of the greatest feelings you can ever experience, and I live for that. I’ve always dreamed of showing everyone just how great of a flier I am. I know it sounds egotistical, but that’s how I’ve always felt. Joining the Wonderbolts allows me to share that with the rest of the world, and maybe inspire a few young colts and fillies to show their own talents as well.

EqA: So, this isn’t just for yourself, but also for the fans?

RD: I guess so, yeah. I have a few fans in my hometown, one of them is a mare who I consider to be a little sister. Without my friends’ support, I’d probably never have gotten as far as I have. I owe them a lot. Joining the Wonderbolts is a way for me to follow that dream of mine while also thanking my friends for all their support, you know?

EqA: If you don’t mind me asking, was Spike among those that has supported you joining the Wonderbolts?

RD: (laughs) Definitely. We’ve known each other for years, and he’s always been happy to cheer me on. When he grew out his own wings, I was there to teach him how to fly. We’re each other’s support system, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

EqA: So, a few years back during The Best Young Flyer competition, you managed to pull of the legendary Sonic Rainboom, and have done it several times more since then. Can we expect to see that maneuver in your future performances?

RD: You bet, but I’m not some one trick pony. I’ve got a lot of stunts and tricks I plan to show everyone, and I know Spitfire and the other vets will have a few things they’ll want to teach me. Let’s just say that you can safely bet that our future performances will be top-notch and amazing.

EqA: No doubt. Forgive me for getting off topic here, but you mentioned that you helped teach Spike how to fly? How was that? I imagine teaching a dragon to fly is a bit different than teaching a pegasus colt or filly.

RD: It was different, but I did some research. Once you figure out how dragons work as far as flying goes, it’s not that hard to adapt. We’re built a little differently, but the mechanics are still the same when it comes to staying in the air. He’s just got a lot more bulk to keep in the sky, but he’s also got larger wings, too.

EqA: I imagine he probably won’t be able to ever achieve speeds needed to perform a Sonic Rainboom, correct?

RD: Well, that’s not for me to decide, but I don’t think Spike’s interested in speed stunts and stuff like that. To be honest, the idea of seeing him do that is a little scary: he weighs more than I do, so it’d be a lot harder to control his movements once he gets going at speeds like that.

Spike: For the record, I have no interest in breaking the flight speed record anytime soon. I’d likely be breaking more than just records if I tried.

RD: There you go.

EqA: Would it be possible for non-pegasi to join the Wonderbolts some day? Perhaps griffons, or even dragons like Spike?

RD: That’s actually a good question. I might have to run that by Spitfire and the others that are in charge of such decisions. Equestria’s not just home to ponies, after all. Personally, I’m all for anyone who has the dedication and the drive to improve themselves to join the Wonderbolt Academy.

EqA: One more question for the readers, Miss Dash: Is there any advice you can give to others out there who wish to become great fliers like you?

RD: Definitely. First, you have to believe in yourself. You will always be your biggest critic, but you should also be your biggest fan. Know your limits, but never restrain yourself from going a little further. Improvement comes to those who want it. Oh, it also helps to have friends and family who will be there to pick you up when you’ve had a rough landing or are in a rut.Sometimes you need words from someone that isn’t a speed demon like me to make you realize just how talented you really are.

EqA: Thank you, Miss Dash. I know I speak for many when I say we all look forward to what you’ll have to offer us in the coming months when you join the Wonderbolts.

Rainbow Dash will be joining the Wonderbolts before the end of this year as the new Lieutenant of the organization. While details are still unclear, we have been informed that Soarin’, while retired, will be working with Rainbow Dash as an advisor for a duration of time to help her settle into her role as the second-in-command.

While we have asked Rainbow Dash about the possibility, it has been hinted by Captain Spitfire and a few other higher-ranked members of the Wonderbolts like Fleetfoot and Misty Fly that there is a growing interest in opening up the Wonderbolts recruitment to non-pegasi fliers. If this were to be the case, it would mark a brand new chapter in Wonderbolts history. Hopefully we will see this come to fruition before too long.

Keep an eye on future issues of Equestrian Athletics where we will be talking with other members of the Wonderbolts, and ask them for their thoughts on Rainbow Dash joining up as the new Lieutenant right from the get-go.

Spike smirked as he glanced over the magazine. There were a few photos of Rainbow Dash posing and flying through the skies of Ponyville scattered throughout the article. He was thankful to the staff of Equestrian Athletics magazine for keeping their residency private. While he was certain it wouldn’t be too hard to find out that one of Equestria’s heroes lived in Ponyville, it would at least deter swarms of fans that would no doubt be cropping up with Rainbow’s steadily growing fame.

Flipping to the last page of the article made him pause, and his smirk melted into a fond smile as he flushed with a hint of embarrassment. There was Rainbow Dash, both forelegs wrapped around Spike’s neck as she nuzzled him lovingly. She had a wide grin and her eyes closed as Spike tried his best to not look too flustered in front of the camera. He remembered this picture being one that Striding Stratus, the mare who had interviewed them, managed to capture right before she left. Of course, she had asked for Rainbow and Spike’s permission to use any photos before the article had been published, but it didn’t lessen the fact that Spike was blushing like a beet in the picture.

Though… it helped that Rainbow had told him flat out that she didn’t want to hide the fact that they were dating. Sure, the Wonderbolts were susceptible to the occasional tabloid or gossip rag, but for the most part the media outlets that covered them were legitimate sources. She had confidence that they wouldn’t receive too much publicity.

With thoughts of the chromatic mare coming to mind, Spike slumped a bit and rested on his futon. Looking outside, he saw that the rainstorm that had been scheduled didn’t appear to be letting up any time soon. Thus, his options for entertainment were restricted to what he could find in his house. Glancing to the corner, his smile returned when he spotted a vibrant orange bird snoozing beside a large green tortoise shell. The faint sounds of snoring could be heard from within the shell.

Peewee and Tank had become fast friends in the short time since Rainbow and Spike had started dating. While the young phoenix preferred roaming the wilds these days and never stuck around the tamer area around Ponyville for too long, he would come by from time to time. Tank had proven to be rather patient friend for the rambunctious bird, going so far as letting the young avian perch on his shell whenever he rested and sharing his vegetables during meal time.

Peewee would likely leave tomorrow, weather permitting, and before long it would be fall. Then, he would migrate to warmer regions for the winter with his family. Of course, Spike would make sure there was some extra suet, ash cakes, and spiced bird seed outside over the next few weeks so that the few phoenixes passing through could make a quick stop before they continued onward.

Rainbow would love to see this. Spike thought as he watched the peaceful scene for a bit longer. He got up and stretched out wings and limbs, stirring Peewee from his slumber.

The young phoenix let out a garbled noise as he flapped his wings a few times while shaking off his drowsiness.

“Sorry, buddy, didn’t mean to wake you.”

Peewee replied in kind by fluttering into the air and perching on Spike’s back. The drake chuckled and scratched Peewee’s neck gently, eliciting a pleased coo from the bird.

“Oh, hey, I forgot to give this to you earlier. Rainbow said you might like it. It’s from Cloudsdale; apparently it’s popular with magic birds like phoenixes.”

Spike lumbered into the kitchen area of his stone abode, digging through the pantry before pulling out a small paper bag. Peewee cocked his head to the side as Spike opened the bag and poured the contents into a bowl. The phoenix let out a pleasant warble as a mixture of seeds and charcoal fell into the bowl. It had a strange, albeit pleasant, smell that intrigued Peewee, if the cooing he made was any indication to go off of.

“It’s a mixture of bird seed and charcoal with some liquid rainbow mixed in. Rainbow got it from a speciality shop when she was in Cloudsdale during her last meeting with the Wonderbolts. She was told that phoenixes are big fans of it,” Spike explained to his avian friend.

Peewee took another sniff and fluttered down from his perch on Spike’s back. Phoenixes possessed a rather strong sense of smell compared to most birds. Most ornithologists believed it was due to their strange diet. Since burnt plant matter is a major part of any phoenix diet, the ability to sniff out smoke and ash was necessary for the exotic species.

After a final, tentative sniff, Peewee plucked a rather large sunflower seed from the bowl and cracked it with his beak before eating it. His eyes widened a bit, and he let out a hoot of approval before digging in.

“Heh, I thought you’d like it. Enjoy, Peewee. I’m going to—hm?” Spike felt a gentle nudge at his back left leg, and was greeted with the sight of Tank, looking up at him with his usual peaceful expression. “Oh, hey, Tank. You hungry, too?”

Tank gave a slow nod, and Spike chuckled. “Alright, I’ll get you some veggies in a moment. I think Rainbow left me some food in the root cellar for you.”

Several minutes later found the trio eating their respective meals, Spike settling for a triple-decker peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich with garnets mixed in while Tank feasted upon some leafy greens and diced vegetables with some bits of melon. All pre-approved by Fluttershy, of course.

“She said she’d be back later today, but this weather might slow her down.”

Tank looked up from his food to meet Spike’s gaze.

Spike gave the tortoise a small grin. “I’m… not saying I can’t make it through a day without seeing her, but you know how awesome it is to have her around.”

Tank gave Spike a small smile before returning to his food. Whether the tortoise understood Spike was irrelevant; Spike appreciated the tortoise regardless. Tank was a good listener, even if Spike wasn’t entirely sure that the tortoise understood what was being said half the time.

“Eh, a little rain never slowed her down too much…it’s not raining too hard for her, right?” Spike thought aloud, earning a warble from Peewee.

As if on cue, the front door opened, revealing none other than the mare in question. She was dripping wet, and had a huge smile on her face.

“I’m back!” she said in greeting when she met the gaze of the three.

“Rainbow!” Spike got up from his chair and embraced the pegasus mare before she could even make it two steps into the house. “How was Cloudsdale?”

Rainbow waved a hoof after she was set back down. “Eh, alright. Spitfire and Soarin’ just needed me to fill out some paperwork and get my official ID stuff taken care of. I would’ve gotten back sooner, but they wanted to take me out for lunch.” She looked between the three males and grinned. “Looks like you guys had the same idea, huh?”

Spike just grinned while Peewee returned to his food.

Rainbow’s smile softened as she saw Tank slowly make his way to her. “Aw, there’s my favorite guy! C’mere, you!” Rainbow met Tank halfway and lifted him up with her hooves and nuzzled the reptile lovingly. “Were you good for Spike while I was gone?”

“He and Peewee kept each other company,” Spike replied. His smile dropped a bit as he added. “Wait, Tank’s your favorite guy?”

Rainbow smirked a little as she nuzzled Tank some more. “Yeah, but you’re my absolute favorite guy.”

“That sounds like Pinkie logic right there to me,” Spike said with an amused smile. “Still, I’m glad you’re back.”

“Must’ve been a pretty boring day, huh?” Rainbow asked. “I didn’t check the weather before I left...wish I had known it was going to rain.”

Spike hummed softly and nuzzled Rainbow. He could smell the fresh scent of rainfall in her mane, though she always seemed to have that scent to her. He’d gotten rather used to it, to be honest.

“Yeah, yeah, I missed you too, Spike,” she giggled as she returned the nuzzle after setting Tank down. “So, you got any plans for tomorrow? I was thinking of stopping by Sugarcube Corner and seeing Pinkie, if you wanna come with. Maud’s in town this weekend.”

Spike looked up at the mentioning of the eldest of the Pie siblings. “Oh yeah! Pinkie stopped by earlier this week and told me she’d be visiting. I… almost forgot, actually, heh.” He scratched his neck as Rainbow Dash gave him an amused smirk. “It’s her birthday tomorrow, isn’t it? I think that’s what Pinkie told me, if I remember right.”

“Well, technically, it’s the day after tomorrow, but the girls are throwing her a small party to celebrate early, even though she’s not big on birthday parties, I guess. Sounds like she’s okay if it’s just a small group, though.” She grinned as Spike’s eyebrows rose. “I know how much you and Maud like talking about rocks, so I thought you’d like to see her.”

Well, dang, now I’m going to have to get Maud a present, huh?” Spike tapped his chin in thought. “You think she’d like some pieces of granite with citrine in them?”

She chuckled. “Heck if I know! You know more about her taste in rocks than I ever will. I was just going to give her some ankle weights that I never used. She said she wants to try weight training the last time she was in town.”

“Maud… doing weight training?” Spike shuddered. “That mare doesn’t need to get any stronger.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Rainbow chuckled in agreement. “Though, imagine how cool it’d be to see her chucking around mountains after she’s finished. I’m definitely getting her the weights.” Rainbow beamed. “If anything she’ll like them for being made of iron, I bet.”

Spike could only sigh in response.

The next day found Spike and Rainbow Dash making their way to the Sugarcube Corner. They could already hear the sounds of music and celebration from within. As soon as they made their way through the doors, they were greeted by a pink bundle of joy, who immediately placed a party hat on the two.

“Rainbow Dash! Spike! Thank you so much for coming! Maud was hoping you’d show!”

“Hey, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash greeted her friend with a tight hug. “Of course we’d show up. Spike needs to talk to his geology buddy, after all.”

The two mares giggled as Spike rolled his eyes and gave an amused sigh.

“Right, right. So, where is the birthday girl right now?” Spike asked.

Pinkie Pie pointed towards the table that was covered in trays full of sweet and not-so-sweet things, all of them had a piece of rock or two in them. While she might not have much of a sweet tooth, Spike swore the entire Pie family had some distant dragon ancestry in their blood. How the heck were they able to eat rocks, otherwise?

“Is… that a giant bowl of coleslaw?” Rainbow asked after a moment of studying the table. “With… rocks in it?”

“Yeah, Maud likes the stuff. C’mon, let’s go say hi to her!”

Spike and Rainbow Dash followed the party mare. Spike and Rainbow waved to their friends, noting that pretty much all their friends had already made it.

“Maud! Guess who’s finally here?!”

Maud Pie, who was currently in a conversation with Twilight, looked to the newcomers. It was subtle, but Spike noticed her eyes widen a little. “Rainbow Dash. Spike. Thank you for coming.”

Spike and Rainbow smiled, walking forward and each giving the gray mare a hug. “Wouldn’t miss it, Maud,” Rainbow replied. She gave Spike a nod, and the drake in turn set down a present with a dull thud before the birthday pony. “I know you’re not huge on presents, but I thought you’d like these.”

Maud took the wrapped box from Rainbow and opened it to reveal two sets of ankle weights. “Wow. I can’t believe you remembered me talking about those, Rainbow Dash.” She looked up from her weights and met Rainbow’s gaze. “Thank you. I’ll put them on right away.”

“The black ones are each about thirty pounds. I figured you’d like to start a little light. Considering how strong you are, you’ll probably get used to them in no time, so I also gave you my old thirty-five pound weights as well so you can move up when you get used to the thirties.”

Maud nodded as she tightened the straps of the metal weights around all four ankles. “They feel heavy. Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it!” Rainbow said with a grin. “Spike got you something too!”

Spike set down his gift, which was a bit smaller, but still heavy. “I found this a few months ago while I was out at my third digging site. I thought it looked nice, and I don’t get many requests for this kind of rock, so I figured you’d like to add it to your collection.”

Maud paused for a long moment as she set a hoof on the present. She looked from Spike to the box, and slowly opened it. When she finally took in the sight of the rock within, Spike swore he saw her mouth open a little in surprise. She brought the large stone to eye level, then sniffed it for a moment. After several long seconds passed, she bit down on one of the crystals, not too hard, but enough to cause Twilight and Rainbow Dash to wince at the display.

Maud finally set the rock down and looked up at the drake. “Spike… is this citrine?”

“Yep! It’s got quite a bit of ferric impurities in it. I haven’t seen another sample of it around this particular area, so I figured you’d have more appreciation for it than me. I’m not much for collecting rocks; mostly gems.”

Maud was quiet for a few long moments, her hoof gently gliding over the rough surface of the granite covered in yellow-brown quartz.

“Thank you.”

“Aww, Spike, you’re getting Maud all choked up!” Pinkie nuzzled her sister as she went on. “You don’t have any good citrine samples back at your place, do you, Maud?”

“No. It’s pretty rare in Equestria,” Maud answered after several moments passed. “Spike, you’ll need to show me where you found it some time.”

“Gladly,” Spike said with a nod.

Eventually, Spike and Rainbow Dash went off to mingle with the rest of the partygoers. Between embarrassing stories about his whelp days being told by Twilight, requests from almost-school age Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake to show off his green flames, and some amusing tales about the social elite of Canterlot told by Fancypants and Rarity, Spike found time had passed him by relatively quickly. Before he knew it was going into the evening, and Cup Cake and Pinkie had made dinner for the party guests that consisted of an eggplant lasagna and a type of carrot soup that Maud was particularly fond of. Rocks were available to be placed in the soup upon a pony’s request.

As everyone ate and conversed, Spike found himself dwelling on thoughts that he had been trying not to fret over for the past few weeks. Not so much because they were bad thoughts, but because he didn’t really know if he should enact upon them yet or not.

He let out a sigh as he slurped his carrot soup, chewing up pieces of carrot and sandstone as he did so. Rainbow was currently engaged in what would likely devolve into an argument between her and Applejack while the rest of the party was either listening in on their conversation or occupied with Pinkie’s joke that apparently was about two princesses, a yak, and a goat walking into a salt bar.

“Bit for your thoughts, Spike?”

Spike blinked, looking up from his soup and turning to the sound of his name being called. He was surprised to see not one of the girls, but Carrot Cake standing beside him.

“Oh, hey, Mr. Cake.”

The older male chuckled. “Spike, you’ve known me for how long now? I think Carrot Cake is fine. Besides, I’m already a father. No need to make me sound any older.”

Spike smiled a bit. “Right, heh.”

“Cup Cake noticed you sitting all the way over here. She thought you might have something on your mind.” He looked to the rest of the guests as he smirked. “I know it’s not easy being one of the only guys in a group of mares. Not the worst kind of problem for a drake your age, though, I can imagine.”

Spike let out a snort of laughter. “No, it’s not. I just… actually…” Spike let out a hum of thought. “Maybe you could help me. I’ve… had something on my mind for a while.”

“Alright,” Carrot Cake took a seat beside Spike and nodded. “Not sure how much I can do to help, being a stallion and not a dragon, but I’ll listen.”

Spike gave him a grateful smile. “It’s… about Rainbow Dash and I…”

Carrot Cake nodded. “Well, I think I might be able to help there. Go on.”

Spike looked to the mares, relieved to see they were all still occupied with their own conversations. “Mind if I ask you a question? A… sort of personal one?”

Carrot Cake blinked. “Uh, maybe? What did you want to ask?”

“You and Mrs. Cake have been married for a while now, right?” A nod from Carrot Cake. “So… did you pop the question to her, or did she?”

“Ah…” Carrot Cake raised an eyebrow. “I was the one who asked, but only after we’d been dating each other for almost four years.”

“Four years, huh?” Spike frowned a bit.

“Spike… are you thinking of…?”

“No. No, not… not really. Not yet,” Spike answered with a weak laugh. “I mean, I really got lucky. I said some stupid things to her, but Rainbow still forgave me for saying them. I don’t want to rush anything, but sometimes I wonder I ponder it. I really care about her, and it’s not hard to imagine spending the rest of my days with her… but…” His gaze dropped down to his cooling soup as he continued. “...dragons live for a long time. Like… there are dragons out there that remember before Princess Luna was banished… and even a few are still alive that remember back when the Windigoes were running amok. Rainbow said it herself that she doesn’t care if she’ll grow old while I barely age over the next century. I’m just worried about what it would be like when… when she’s not…”

Carrot Cake took off his hat and scratched his mane with a hoof. “That’s… a big thing to consider, Spike. I don’t know what it’s entirely like, but if you want my opinion… I’d say that if you really care about her, and she cares about you, then you should let her know however you can.” His gaze wandered to his wife as he continued. “When I met Cup Cake, at first, I felt like I was out of her league. She was class president at our school, beautiful, and the sweetest mare you’d ever laid eyes on. She hasn’t changed a bit since that day, yet here I am, going on to my fifteenth year of being married to her. She gave me two wonderful foals who I love with all my heart, and she still looks at me like I’m the young colt I was back in our younger days.”

Spike couldn’t help but smile at that. “That’s awesome, Carrot Cake. I’d say I’m kind of jealous of you for having that kind of relationship with somepony.”

“Well,” Carrot Cake chuckled, his cheeks reddening a tad. “I don’t claim to know Rainbow Dash as well as you or Pinkie’s friends do. Still, from what I’ve noticed when I see you and Rainbow Dash walking through town, or just stopping by here to grab something to eat or visit Pinkie…? I’d say she probably feels that way about you.” He smirked. “From what I can say, she’s always struck me as a free-spirited gal. For her to be so close to you… even going as far as moving her house next to yours… I think that’s saying something right there.”

“You think so?” Spike asked.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t think this through, but I’d maybe start thinking less about all those what ifs and instead focus on the here and now while trying to see where you might be with her a year from now. Maybe three years, or five, even.”

“Huh…” Spike nodded. “That makes sense, really.”

“I won’t lie, Spike; there’s a big difference between dating and marriage. When you’re married, you’re giving your life to that special somepony and they’re doing the same for you. You start making decisions while thinking about both you and someone else.” He smiled. “It can be stressful, and it’s going to have its ups and downs, but it’s worth it when it works. Cup Cake understands me better than I do half the time, and…well…”

“And vice versa?”

Carrot Cake laughed softly. “Precisely."

Spike nodded in understanding, the smile playing at his lips growing. “Thanks, Carrot Cake. I appreciate it. Really, I do.”

“Just remember that you can't read the future. Things change. No sense in worrying about every uncertainty. You might be scared of it now, but for all you know, something wonderful could be waiting for you down the road that you might miss if you don’t take a chance.”

“Right,” Spike agreed. “I’ll remember that, thanks.”

Spike took in a deep breath, catching the faint scent of fallen leaves. Fall was about a week away for Ponyville, but the Everfree Forest, as usual, decided to go ahead and follow its own schedule. Already he could see the telltale signs of autumn highlighting the deciduous tree population of the immense forest bordering Ponyville.

“I’ll need to get my projects finished before much longer,” Spike thought aloud as he dropped the last slab of stone onto his wagon.

It had been over almost a month since Rainbow Dash’s article was published in Equestrian Athletics. Ever since then, she had slowly been handing over the reins of her position as the lead pony of the Ponyville weather team to Thunderlane, Dizzy Twister, and some of the other more experienced members of the Ponyville weather patrol. She also had been taking trips to Cloudsdale every few days to talk with the Wonderbolts as well as get settled into her role as the future Lieutenant of the flight team.

Today was one of those days, and Spike, as much as he tried to hide it, was finding her more frequent absences to be harder and harder to deal with.

Luckily—or unluckily, depending on how who you asked—he had company today.

“So, Spike, when are you and Rainbow Dash going to merge your houses together and share the same address?”

Spike looked over his shoulder to give Scootaloo a weary look. He turned to face the young pegasus fully as he let out a sigh. “We’re taking this slow, Scoot. Seriously, stop asking.”

Scootaloo had been a welcome, and at times frustrating, friend since Spike and Rainbow had started dating. She offered Spike advice when he needed it, and her insight into Rainbow Dash’s at times hard headed behavior was a blessing for him.

She was also very good at pestering him with questions that bordered from the tame, such as asking Spike how his date with Rainbow Dash in Fillydelphia last week was, to the personal, like how it felt to kiss a dragon that had a tongue like Spike's, as she had so eloquently put it.

Rainbow had found her to be infinitely amusing, but Spike…

“Are you nervous that she’ll think you’re coming on too strong? Because I know she probably won’t think that, Spike. If you want, I can ask her what she would think about it.”

“Scoot, I love you, but—”

“You mean like a big brother? Like family?” Scootaloo asked excitedly, hopping down from the boulder she had been lounging on.

“I… as a friend, Scoot.” He sighed. “Seriously, it’s like you’re trying to get Rainbow Dash and I to…” He stopped himself as he saw Scootaloo’s wings spread out a bit, her grin growing sheepish.

“Well, I did always want an older brother. Even if it’s only a sort-of brother-in-law, but not really an in-law.”

Spike let out another sigh and shook his head. He set down his chisel and hammer and gazed up at the sky. “To be honest, Scoot… I’ve… thought about it.”

The young mare’s wings unfurled as she let a smile cross her lips. “Y-you have?”

“I’ve considered it, nothing more. I haven’t asked her, and I don’t think I should until I’ve got it sorted out in my head, first.” He cast her a glance and smirked. “By the way, aren’t I already sort of like an older brother to you, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom? I am a few years older than you…”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I… don’t know, I guess I just liked the idea of you two being together.”

“You’ve been trying to play matchmaker, haven’t you?”

She snorted. “I barely had to try. You and Dash did most of the work for me. I’m just offering her suggestions, er… I mean…”

Spike gave the mare a suspicious look. “Define suggestions, would you?”

“Um…” Scootaloo let out a nervous chuckle. “O-oh, you know… places to eat, romantic spots around Ponyville, dating spots… honeymoon locations…”

“Honeymoon loca—Scootaloo, really? We’ve been dating for only, like, two months! You’re already talking to Rainbow about that kind of stuff?”

“Hey, you can’t blame me for wanting you two to work, can you? You’re like, the hottest couple in town right now! She’s the Rainbow Dash, and you’re Spike, the coolest dragon in all of Equestria. Who doesn’t want to see you two get hitched?”

“Ugh, Scoot, you’re horrible sometimes, you know that?”

Scootaloo, for her part, just remained smiling, albeit with a hint of shame in her eyes. “Yeah, well, when you two have the wedding, just remember who to have be the mare of honor, okay?” She flared out her wings and lifted off. “I gotta jet, though. Apple Bloom needed help repairing the roof of the farmhouse today so she wouldn’t have to worry about it once winter comes.” She paused, her back still turned towards Spike, and added. “For what it’s worth… Rainbow Dash never objected to my suggestions…”

Spike waved to her as she turned towards Sweet Apple Acres. “Later… and don’t talk to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell about what we talked about!”

A loud groan of annoyance could be heard from the orange blur as she shot off towards the Apples’ farmhouse.

Spike shook his head, unable to stop the smirk from crossing his lips. He set back to work with a particularly stubborn bit of shale that he had found, only to pause as the last words of Scootaloo finally processed in his brain.

“Wait… ‘Rainbow Dash never objected to’…? H- hey, Scoot, hold up a sec—” He turned around, only to find his young pegasus friend was too far away to bother chasing down.

“I… could fly after her, but…” Spike frowned. “Nah.” He returned to his work once more, though he now found himself too occupied with thoughts that weren’t related to proper rock extraction to continue. He set down his tools and sat down on his haunches. “Damn it…”

“I… hm, I must say, this is the first time I’ve received a request like this.”

Mayor Mare was perusing over probably the oddest building permit request she had received in all the years that she had lived in Ponyville. She looked up from the sheet of paper before her to meet the gaze of the young couple before her.

Normally, one of her assistants or a building inspector would have been taking care of this, but since she was free of any demanding business today, Mayor Mare happily took care of things for the two.

She could not deny that she found Spike the dragon and Rainbow Dash to be dating rather endearing. Being an Equestrian small-town bureaucrat, she rarely found anything truly exciting in her day-to-day activities while at work. Though, the fact that she was the mayor of Ponyville of all places probably helped spice up her life a bit. Nothing about the town was really normal, after all.

“I don’t see why this can’t be allowed, Mr. Dragon, Ms. Dash. Just be sure to follow proper enchantment and cloud merging procedures when you have it down and everything should be fine.” She took a quill that was dipped into an inkpot and began filling out the necessary sections to allow the admittedly odd request to make an addition to two very different houses. One was a dome-shaped abode made of special rock that helped insulate the interior… and the other was made of enchanted water vapor.

Again, Ponyville was far from normal. This may as well have been a regular Tuesday afternoon for her.

“Thanks, Mayor,” Rainbow Dash said as the older mare made a copy and passed it over to her. “So, anything else we need?”

“Just be sure to inform the post office of your address change, Rainbow Dash. I’d also recommend finishing the project before mid-November. Sounds like Cloudsdale is eager to get winter rolling early this year.”

“Figures,” Spike said with a grunt. “Good thing I managed to get those work orders done before the ground started freezing.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it, Spike. We can live off my income for winter, and it’s not like you’re going to be too strapped for bits with how much you made.”

“Speaking of which, Spike, we’re always looking for help with bringing in firewood throughout the winter for families in town. Not everypony has time to go out and collect their own firewood, after all. We’d happily pay you for any help you can give.”

“I might have to take you up on that, but I don’t think the payment will be necessary. Maybe a bit during Hearth’s Warming, but I should be fine, like Rainbow said.”

After a few more papers were filled out, Rainbow Dash and Spike left Mayor Mare’s office. She watched them leave, a smile playing at her lips. “Hm. I give them another year… two tops…” She chuckled to herself, making a mental note to locate the filing cabinet with the proper documents needed to issue out marriage licenses.

Author's Notes:

Good gravy, this is way past overdue.

Hope you're all doing well, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's been a little slow-going with updates for this story, but I finally hammered it out. Between my job, having a personal life, and working on my other stories, it took some doing to get this finished.

I'd like to give thanks to Vexy, who despite their own busy schedule, managed to offer some help with polishing this chapter up. Thanks, Vexy!

Anyway, this story has probably another two chapters left to it, possibly three. I have a rough outline of what I have planned, and I may have a little side-story following it (possibly a more mature rating to it, but we'll see).

Well, that's all for now. Take care everyone, and keep on keeping on! Until next time!