Rebirth

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony, nor am I profiting off this literary venture.

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"Now Spike, I really think your note needs just a touch more class, don't you? I mean, certainly "At Rarity's, love Spike" gets the message across but it just seem to be so... Brusque." The two of them sat before the crystal palace, a notepad between them.

"It's a two inch by two inch square of paper. I can't put too much more on it Rarity." He was tapping the ground with a pencil.

"I know dear, but perhaps something more akin to "Dearest Twilight, I, your faithful assistant Spike, have returned from abroad with a dastardly magical affliction. As you were adventuring with our second, well, third most... Fourth maybe? Most beloved princess Luna, your friend the dazzling, most elegant Rarity graciously allowed me to stay at her home until you return. Kisses, Spike."

He put the pen down. He brought his hooves up to his forehead, just under the horn, and pressed down. Hard.

The headache that had started building up at the base of his skull and traveling over his scalp subsided for a moment before redoubling.

"Rarity?" He was not going to get frustrated, he refused. Just because he was trying to get his crush in claw (Hoof) didn't mean he didn't still like her.

"Yes Spikey- err, yes Spike?"

"Twilight would need to use a microscope if I wrote all of that down on a two by two stickynote." He wondered about the hitch in her speech. It sounded like she was going to...

Nevermind.

"Well, yes, I suppose there is that. But wouldn't it be, well, better darling?" He supposed, if he squinted really hard, then yes. It would be better.

"I think it depends on the context. Yours sounds nicer, mine fits." She blushed hard enough he could see it through her fur. She hastily scribbled out a note on the paper in front of her and stuck it to the door.

"There! All done! Let's not talk about it anymore and go-"

Ponies do not have such a terrible technological marvel as what humans refer to as a 'Depth Charge'. Should a pony ever hear one of these devices go off, however, their first question would be 'Did somepony just try long range teleportation?'.

In regards to this hypothetical depth charge, the answer is no, nopony did.

In regards to what just knocked Spike and Rarity hoof over horn, the answer is 'Yes'.

Smoke rose from a crater almost six inches deep right where the two had been debating just moments ago. Two figures were slowly coming into focus as the dust and steam dissipated.

"This isn't my library!" The smaller figure spoke as it stepped off the larger one, who was left coughing and weezing.

"I'm right in front of my castle though. So that's about... Twenty-three meters southeast of where I intended to be. That doesn't make any sense!"

Rarity recognized the voice easily enough, the purple alicorn was one of her best friends after all.

Unfortunately, she also recognized the state of her friends mane, the gleam in her eyes.

This would require some... Finesse.

"Twilight, darling, is everything alright?" She slowly approached, as one would a wounded animal.

Oh, she truly wished Fluttershy were here. Her gift with such creatures would surely help.

"Rarity!" Twilight didn't quite blink out of existence so much as immediately appear nose to nose with the fashionista. The width of her smile, indeed the very width of her eyes caused a small part of Rarity to quiver and hide within herself. "Have you seen Spike? Well, different Spike? He's supposed to be a pony now, purple coat and green mane. Maybe a little taller and more filled out than Snails? Sweetie Lemon, that's his boss, his old boss now, said he got on a train to come here yesterday morning to see me because he trusted me to help him go back to being normal."

Twilight paused to take a breath. Rarity opened her mouth to say something, but failed as Twilight completely rode over her.

"Not that being a pony isn't normal, because it is, just not for him. Because he's a dragon. Unless he wants to be a pony! That'd be okay, right? Except it wouldn't be because he's not a pony and he was probably turned into one by dark magic so he'd be a dark magic pony like Sombra but not because he'd be Spike and I know he'd never want to do anything like take all of Ponyville and throw it out of time and-"

Rarity could see Spike walking behind Twilight to the other figure in the crater. He pulled her, Princess Luna she now realized, up to her hooves and helped steady her. They were talking, though she couldn't make out what was being said.

"-so I'm worried because I haven't heard anything, from anypony about- Rarity! Are you even listening to me?!" A hoof tapped on Twilight's shoulder a few times and she spun around. "Not now, Spike, I'm..."

Two hooves wrapped around her neck and pulled her into a hug against him. She didn't return it, she couldn't return it, her mouth hung open and her eyes were frozen in a blank stare.

It was the tears that broke her from her shock, the wet warmth bleeding into her fur.

"I missed you, Twilight." Her hooves shook as she wrapped them tightly around the colt. Her vision swam as she felt relief uncoil from a vicious knot against her heart. She pulled him tighter against her, afraid he'd be gone if she let go.

"I missed you, too, Spike."

----

Old enchantments awoke from centuries long slumber. The proximity wards had been set off countless times in the past, though those had been ignored as had been intended.

Chaos would not be expunged.

This was known. This was familiar.

It had bled off enough magic from a nearby shockwave to reactivate.

It would wait. It had always waited.

Good or evil were inconsequential.

All that mattered was its purpose.