Spike crept into the loft, feeling as though his practiced footsteps were muffled gunshots in the wake of the new morning's silence.

He winced. Twilight had never been a light sleeper, but neither was she a late one; an early-born fascination with their nation's monarch had contributed to her nasty habit of rising with the sun.

His eyes raced across the dimly lit room, searching for the familiar pale figure with the tangled hair that always greeted him.

Of course, he thought to himself, he found her resting on her—sometimes their—bed, not under the covers as he usually found her, but rather lying on her stomach, bare ankles crossed at the crook.

He swallowed. She would have heard him enter, probably, but Twilight had a bad aura rolling off of her in waves.

Spike hesitated to make his way up the loft stairs; she obviously had something on her mind, and knowing her, it would mean a long and nasty lecture for his troubles.

Still, he thought to himself. Twilight wasn't the sort to go to bed in a state of undress, but here she was, ashen legs on display and not a thing to be seen above the waist.

He squirmed in place. It had been a couple of days since their last—

He couldn't finish the thought. To finish it would be as bad as saying it out loud, and their vices be damned, he wouldn't be able to keep putting up with it if he had to think about what he—what they—had been doing nearly every night now.

Their...time together felt good. Great, some nights.

But then, some nights, he wondered if it would have been so bad if Luna hadn't woken him up.

Garble, he could handle. The unholy hordes of the Estrogen Brigade? With a few cuts and bruises, who was to say? Even the Balrog, a looming, brooding obstacle on the path to his future could be dealt with, he was sure.

No, the problem was with his roommate.

Ever since he'd left the hospital, Twilight had been different. She'd insist on sharing a bed at night, as well as waking up as the sun rose just so they could spend a couple of lazy hours together. Spooning.

Spike had to suppress a shudder. It was easy enough to pretend it was just a game when they were alone under the cover of night, but he was running out of ways to pretend they were having a running fling. One day she'd be off running secret errands for the Princess, the next she'd spend walking through town with him, fussing over his appearance and trying to work up the courage to hold his hand. Some days, like today, she'd be in a foul mood that would linger like a bad odor. Some days, like the day before last, and she'd be trying to suck his brains out through his dick for no apparent reason.

A sour memory ran through his mind of the last time Twilight tried too hard to be sexy—the last time he'd woken up with morning wood.

"Aww, looks like someone brought me breakfast in bed!"

Spike shuddered.

Where was Fancy Pants when you needed him? He was fairly sure that the two of them were due for a night of heavy drinking by now.

Spike knew he wasn't the brightest guy; his current situation was proof enough of that already. But he seemed to be tiring of his current situation much faster than Twilight was, and he didn't need to see the girl on the bed to know-

Spike halted, sniffing the air. Odd. Twilight usually smelled like paper and ozone, not...whatever that was.

Slowly, he made his way up the loft steps, freezing when he reached the top.

Twilight had apparently grown four inches. And lost most of her skin color. And had for some undetermined reason dyed her hair blue and bathed herself in sequins.

...

Shit, that's not Twilight, Spike realized, smacking himself on the forehead.

"Are you going to dawdle there all day?" Luna called, not moving from her place on Twilight's bed. "It isn't polite to keep your patron waiting."

Spike trudged up the steps, shedding his jacket and kneeling at the bed, next to Luna's face. She opened one piercing cyan eye. "How did it go?"

Spike plucked the fire ruby from his pocket, brandishing the flawless scarlet gem for his mentor to observe.

Luna's eye sparkled. "Excellent. I'll be sure to start with the enchantments later. Did you encounter any problems?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," he answered. "Why are you naked?"

"I see," she said, frowning slightly as she turned onto her stomach, feet still in the air. "I suppose we never did touch on diplomacy."

"Yeah, I'm a menace," Spike said, frowning. "Why are you naked?"

"Half naked," she corrected. "I'm still wearing part of my undergarments. And I guess you just tend to have that effect on me," she said with a hint of dryness.

He glanced down. "I didn't know they sold floss in that color."

"Ha ha," she said dryly. "Back in my day, nudity was welcomed, not regarded as some ridiculous taboo. As to why, I've had a rough night." She tapped him under his chin with a pale finger. "Be a dear and rub my back? I could do with a bit of relaxation while you catch me up on current events."

Spike obliged, grumbling all the while as he climbed onto the bed and let his hands work on auto-pilot as he recounted the night's events to the Princess.

"So what's the story with you?" he asked, kneading her back with practiced hands. "I could feel your pissiness from downstairs."

Luna's face wrinkled. "My sister is being...difficult." She said difficult as if there were a dozen other words that she would have rather used.

Spike blinked. "About what?"

She rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder. "About you, of course. She thinks I'm getting 'too invested' in you, and how I don't listen to her enough." Luna snorted. "As if she has any room to talk."

Spike rubbed a temple with his spare hand, swearing he could feel a headache coming on. "What exactly did she say?"

The Moon Princess sighed, propping herself up on one elbow and staring at nothing. "Something about 'the consequences of being selfish' and 'he could actually die', and other such things. I don't know, I sort of nodded off towards the end."

Spike smiled wryly. "She thinks you're being selfish with me?"

Luna groaned, waving her hands in exasperation. "Yes. She acts like I keep you around just because you're a pretty face." She glanced over her shoulder, returning his half-smile. "Appearances notwithstanding, I was always planning on offering you a promotion. Our, ah, current situation just forced my hand."

"And Celestia doesn't approve?"

"Celestia doesn't want anyone to share in our extended lifespans if she can help it." Luna rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that morning. "She's of the opinion that immortality is a curse, and she thinks I'm being shortsighted and not thinking about what's best for you."

Spike frowned, moving his hands down to her waistline. "Then she suggested an alternative, I take it."

Luna tensed, and for a moment, she said nothing. Then, "My sister is not the only one with a bias." She absently tugged on her hair, not saying anything else.

Finally, Spike prodded her for more. "What exactly does that mean?"

The Princess rolled onto her back, so that Spike was straddling her legs. Her breasts were no doubt exposed, but neither person paid her state of undress any mind.

"It means," she started, almost cautious with her words, "that she would rather you forget about my offer, and let Twilight and the girls take care of our demon problem."

Spike stared at her, then deflated. "Oh."

Another mess I made for someone else to clean up, he thought bitterly to himself.

Luna coughed. "She...also think it would be best for you to remain here, rather than return to Canterlot."

At this suggestion, Spike sat bolt upright. "What?! Why?" His head was on fire, and it was impossible to breathe. If Celestia, Princess Celestia wanted him to stay here of all places, he was as good as stranded.

Luna winced, meshing her fingers in an awkward gesture. "I told her it was a bad idea, and that she was letting her emotions getting the better of her—"

"Why?" Spike insisted, wide-eyed and bewildered. He could feel it, he was on this side of freaking out, and he didn't know how to stop it. "Why does she want me gone? Why doesn't anyone want me?"

Luna's eyes widened in shock. She leaned up to touch his face. "No, dearest, that's not—" He jerked way, and she had to reach up to snare him by the shoulder. "Spike, listen to me." She rubbed his back until he stopped shivering, circling her arms around him until they were hugging. "Celestia just sees how much you've changed, that's all." But his lack of a response made clear what he thought of her coaxing. "It's true. She thinks that it would be best if you stayed here and returned to your old life, with Twilight."

Spike shuddered. "I don't want to go back."

Luna sighed, rubbing his sides. "I know, it can be hard going back to the way things were. It's just..." She hesitated, and Spike pulled away from her enough for her to know he was waiting on an answer.

"It's just—well, of course I would support you either way, but—the thing is—" She felt his eyes on her, and she had no choice but to cease her babbling as soon she met them.

It's not fair, she moaned to herself. He's still so young.

"What?" He asked quietly, and his gaze was equal parts curiosity and fear.

Luna breathed deeply, steeling herself mentally before she took the plunge. "My sister has noticed your growth," she repeated, to Spike's disdain, but she continued. "She...approves of what she's seen of you so far. She knows you've become strong and reliable, but she thinks you need...stability. That's why she wants you to settle here, with Twilight." She hugged her chest, stealing glances around the room, though her gaze always returned to him. "Now do you understand when I said she was biased?"

He stared at her, even as she stared at him. Finally, Spike stated, "I don't get it."

"My sister," she repeated slowly, as if explaining a difficult math problem to a delinquent, "would like you to forget your studies. And settle here. With Twilight."

Slowly, Spike's mouth opened in surprise as he caught on. "I...I don't—" His entire face turned into a frown, and Luna knew she wouldn't have to visit his dreams to know what he made of the suggestion.

"For what it's worth," she spoke up, albeit warily, gaining his attention, "we both managed to agree that you two would someday make spectacular parents."

Twilight sneezed.

She wiped the corner of her mouth with her wrist as she left the bakery section of the small store, patting down her black woven skirt with one hand while she carried her basket with the other.

She checked her grocery list for the umpteenth time in as many minutes, but the letters stubbornly remained the same.

Twilight had been out of the house for at least two hours now, and she was running out of reasons to stay outdoors. Not that she didn't feel at peace in her home, mind you, or tending the library as she always had. After dealing with devils and crazy people in equal measure, Twilight knew she had long since found her niche.

National threats, she could handle. Her sometimes idiotic town that needed saving every ten minutes? Twilight Sparkle and her girls would handle it. She was even getting better at avoiding the questions from her parents about when she would give them grandchildren: her thirtieth birthday was "only a couple of years off", after all.

No, the problem was with her roommate.

There was no denying that Spike had changed. For the most part, the adorable little apron-wearing doofus was gone, replaced by a sulking sex god of a teenager. Sure, when taken at surface value, it had seemed like a fair trade, but now she wasn't so sure.

Each she saw him, Twilight felt like an old friend was going farther and farther away. Each time she coaxed him into bed with her, it was like less of him was waking up the next morning.

Twilight wrinkled her nose. Geeze, I just made my vagina sound like a black hole.

Besides, she resolved, she had never been one for kids. Children were messy, chaotic, and exhausting. Twilight wrinkled her nose at the thought. As much as she loved her mentor, Twilight had been adamant about keeping things the way they were. Whatever they were. It was all she could do not to think of Spike and the m-word in the same sentence, now. Why did Celestia always have to make her think?

She blinked. Her wandering had led her out onto the street, and she soon found herself outside of a local mattress store.

Twilight pursed her lips. The mattress she had now was more than adequate, but a twin was hardly enough to support two people...

"Heya, Twilight!" called a familiar voice from behind her.

Twilight spun to find Applejack making her way from the market, a friendly, crooked grin on her face.

"Morning, Applejack," Twilight replied, giving an uneasy half-smile. "How are you today?"

"Shoot, girl, you know me," the older girl said, crossing her arms and widening her grin. The apple farmer was in her usual brown flannel shirt and jeans, along with her ever present stetson and cowgirl boots. "Nothing a bit of sweat and stretchin' won't fix, you know?" She jerked her head at the building. "You in the market?"

Twilight nodded. "I've, uh, outgrown my last one." She smiled unconvincingly. Do me a favor, and don't put two and two together.

Applejack laughed good-naturedly. "Sure, gotcha." Her eyes shut, and she sighed, as if she was trying to filter out her next words. "Just...ask him if he's gonna stay in it much longer, y'hear?"

Twilight's eyes widened. "I don't follow."

The apple farmer raised an eyebrow, as if to say Yeah, you do. "Just ask him," she said, turning to go back to her booth. "See you tonight."

Twilight stared at her friend's back, unsure of what to say. Then:

"Hey, AJ."

The farmer topped, peering over her shoulder.

"Do you think he'd be a good dad someday?"

Applejack scrunched up her face, unsure of what to say. After a time and a half, she shrugged. "Hard to be what you never had."

To that, Twilight had no response.

"Honestly," Luna chided, "you lot these days are such puritans." Already dressed in her duke blue court dress, the Princess of the Night donned her stockings, half-smirking at her young protege's face. "This country nowadays has no sense of fun."

"Yeah, well," Spike huffed, hunching over as he reached into a desk drawer, "we don't have big-ass dinosaurs like you used to, either."

"Speaking of which, your grandmother says hello." Luna retorted, reaching over and ruffling his hair.

"Careful with that sharp wit of yours," he warned sarcastically, "you might gut the next person you tell one of your lame jokes to."

Luna chuckled, arranging her tiara on the crown of her head so her ensemble was complete. "Oh, I do enjoy our time together, Spike." She smiled serenely. "Whatever you decide to do, I will wish you only the best."

Spike hesitated, gauging whether or not she was being serious. Eventually, his face broke out into a pleasant but reserved smile. This was Princess Luna, after all. She had been the one in his corner after the long years of his hibernation, the author of his fate. And, provided he didn't bomb his first mission and get his shit tossed to hell and back, she'd be a constant companion in the centuries to come. "Thanks, Princess."

Luna flicked him on the nose. "None of that."

He rolled his eyes humorously, and a light that hadn't been there before sparked in his eyes. "Thanks, Luna."

She smirked. "Better. Now, you. Homework. Now." She pressed him into his chair with a single finger. "Behavioral Analysis of Eldritch Abominations and The Physician's Guide to the Draconic Anatomy." She pressed two thin paperback books into his hands. "Read. Review. Turn it in before your job tonight."

A job. He supposed that was the best limiter she could put on his first mission as an officer without getting all shaky again, but still..

Before she started dwelling on the topic, Spike scrunched his nose. "I thought dragon biology was an unknown. How do we suddenly have a book on their anatomy?"

She patted him on the shoulder. "Your royalties are in the mail. As for next week's assignment, coughassumingyousurvivecough, we will be assessing practical uses of magical artifacts, magically transmitted diseases, and the influences of pop culture on modern magic."

"That last one can't be a real topic." Spike protested.

"On the contrary," Luna said, twirling her fingers. "Razzamafoo."

With a pop!, she was gone.

With a heavy sigh, Twilight left the market and turned back onto the street that would take her home. It was official: she had run out of things to do to put off facing her roommate.

She shuffled down the brick-paved sidewalk, thinking just how the hell was she going broach the topic of getting Spike to stay with her. At best, he'd be happy to stay, but nervous about going any farther than whatever it was they were now.

But, assuming the worst...

Her stomach felt like it had just plummeted into her shoes. Despite their reconciliation, repairing their friendship had been a dreadfully slow process. Gone were the days of boss and assistant; it was as if Spike's body had finally caught up with his demeanor, and she didn't see how bossing around a growing dragon was going to work out for anyone.

As immature as she knew she sounded, she'd give anything to avoid having to deal with her—

Twilight paused. That's strange.

Just a moment ago, it had been a clear summer day, complete with blue skies and sunshine.

Now, the entire town was overcast, and the only beam of sunlight...

...was shining down directly onto her face.

"Really?!" she shouted up at the sky, crossing her arms and frowning. "Could you be any less subtle?"

The sunlight flared in response.

"Fine, fine, I'm on my way," she grumbled. She allowed her magic to flow to her fingertips, making a pop as she teleported her groceries into the far-off library.

Still grumbling incoherently, she turned on her heel and walked briskly down a nearby alleyway, allowing the dank and dirty brick walls to cover the bright flash of her magic.

Celestia would want an answer soon, and Twilight was determined to give her one.

Knock knock!

"Door's open, Applejack." a voice rang out.

A slight creak, and a brown stetson peeked around the corner, followed by a straw-colored head of hair.

Applejack quirked an eyebrow. "How'd you know it was me?" A pause. "And any reason you're wearing glasses all of a sudden?"

"I could smell you coming, and I'm nearsighted," he answered, not looking up from his desk. "Can I help you with something?"

Applejack ignored the first comment, instead making her way inside. "Just browsing," she answered. She looked away as she felt his eyes upon her. Instead, she opted to meander about the library, pretending to pay close attention to the content of the shelves.

Finally, she worked her way over to him, and chanced a peek at the table where he worked. "You busy?"

"Yes."

"Good," she said, swinging herself onto the desk in front of him. "Whatcha up to?" She asked conversationally.

"Applejack," he said, his tone and scrunched face betraying his lack of patience.

"Speaking," she said, innocently.

Spike was not amused. "Look, I'm not up for entertaining bumpkins right now. if you're trying to get me back for last night-"

"This ain't about last night," Applejack answered, raising an eyebrow. "I ain't mad at you."

"You should be, considering what your sister and I were up to," he countered.

Applejack's face wrinkled, but she held her tongue. "I don't see a reason to get all bent out of shape about it."

Spike stared at her. "Bullshit. You can not be this chill about it."

The apple farmer shrugged. "What's done is done. 'Sides, Apple Bloom's her own person." Applejack held back a cringe. "Her decisions are her own, even if I don't always agree with 'em."

Spike leaned back in his chair. "Huh." He looked up at Applejack, suspicious. "That's...unusually levelheaded of you."

Applejack frowned. "You're saying I'm not?"

"Well, actually, not really," he answered. "Usually when someone brings your family into the picture, you kind of get...pissy?"

Applejack huffed, holding back a retort. Sure, it would be easy to get defensive and deny his accusations...

...but that wasn't what she came for.

Spike glared at her. "Why are you grinning?"`

She patted the table, ignoring his question. "What are you researching?"

He stared at her for a moment more, before answering. "I'm brushing up on dragon anatomy. Nothing major."

Applejack hesitated, then said, "Tell me somethin' about dragons I don't know already."

Spike paused, absently twirling a pencil about his fingers. Finally, he shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "We're really good at smelling, I guess."

Applejack scoffed. "Figured that much out myself, actually." She crossed her legs, the motion drawing his attention. His eyes darted briefly to her form-fitting jeans, before moving back to her face.

"When I said I could smell you coming? Wasn't an insult." He adjusted his glasses, leaning forward and folding his fingers in a gesture that implied deep thinking. "Dragon senses are different from humans. Sight and sound are naturally more advanced, while while our sense of touch is about the same. Our tongues are built for durability and stripping flesh—on command, that is— so our ability to taste isn't as advanced."

The apple farmer whistled, her interest piqued. "Go on."

"But," Spike continued, "our sense of smell is different. Sure, it's more advanced, but it's not a result of biology." His grinned, like a child who'd brought something fantastically unique to show and tell. "A dragon's olfactory organs are amplified by a passive supply of magic. It gives us an enhanced sense of smell, but," he said, holding up a finger, "an excess of that passive magic amplifies that sense of smell to where it borders on low-level empathy."

Applejack blinked. "Really now? So you could tell what someone's feelin' just by smelling them?"

"Well, no," he admitted. "It's more like a vague impression that I get of a person. Like, with you, AJ, you smell like apples every day of the week. But you also tend to smell like that feeling you get when you just took a hot shower after a long day of work, or laying down in front of a fire after a big dinner."

Applejack sighed. "I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it." She shuddered. "Is that me all the time, or just on a good day?"

"Good days," Spike replied. "Other times, it's sweat and stiff muscles, followed by a crippling loneliness and sexual things. Really dark, angry sexual things."

Applejack coughed. Suddenly, the conversation didn't seem so enlightening. "Well, I reckon it's time I got back home, gettin' awful late and all."

Spike chortled; Applejack was half-mortified, half-satisfied to see her friend laughing for the first time in days.

"Why did you think I kept avoiding you?" he asked, incredulous. "Every time you came by, you smelled like rabid ferrets doused in crotchsweat."

The blonde's face became fixed with disgust. "The hell kind of thing is that to say to a girl?" Still, she had trouble suppressing a chuckle of her own, if the shaking of her stomach was any indicator. "Must be awful for you all the time, huh?"

Spike shook his head. "Not really. I only started piecing it together after I woke up from hibernating. And some people are more prominent than others."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I can usually smell Twilight from anywhere in town. She—" Spike's eyebrows furrowed. "Huh. That's weird."

Applejack cocked her head. "What is?"

"I can usually tell when Twilight's in the area, like there's a big blanket over the city." He frowned. "She must have skipped town this morning."

Applejack was silent, as the cogs started to turn in her head and an idea started to form...

"Are you still mad?"

An angry violet gaze was all Princess Celestia got in response.

"You're still mad, then." She said, frowning.

"You think?" Twilight grumbled.

"It was just a suggestion," Celestia protested.

The two women made their way down the pristine marble floors of Canterlot Castle. Their progress was unimpeded, as they were the sole occupants of the long hallway.

Twilight kept her eyes on the floor, tracing the mottled designs made by the light cast from the stained glass windows she trotted next to.

Finally, she said, "I appreciate the sentiment, Princess, but I think it would be best to keep my relationship with Spike platonic."

The Sun Princess raised an eyebrow. "How would you define your relationship as platonic, exactly?"

"Devoid of romantic tension," Twilight replied, nearly hissing.

Anyone looking at the odd pair might have winced at Twilight's tone; relaxed as their relationship was, Celestia was still Princess-Regent of the kingdom.

There was also the fact that she was built like an Amazon.

Six feet tall and draped in a radiant white silk chiton, Princess Celestia cut a very powerful figure. Her multi-hued hair rippled with latent magic, and her lightly tanned skin seemed to glow with power. Her strong gaze was as kind as it was unknowable. It wouldn't be hyperbole to say she was a sun in miniature.

None of which mattered to Twilight Sparkle.

She knew she was pale and haggardly in comparison: that was a feeling one quickly got used to when spending time regularly with the Princess, along with a curiously strong warmth and something akin to the tightening of skin after being in the sun too long.

Twilight had come to expect these sensations in her long years with the Princess, but all that came to mind was agitation.

"You would be wise to consider your own words, Twilight," the Princess warned. "Emotion does not take its leave simply because you want it to. Sexual intercourse outside the confines of a romantic relationship is a poor match at best."

Twilight's face wrinkled as she consciously kept herself from stumbling. "What makes you think we've—"

"There is an expression you might have heard of," Celestia said, slowing their walk to a halt. "'There is nothing new under the sun.'" Her eyes met Twilight's unflinchingly. "I think you might find the meaning to be fairly literal."

"That's—"

"None of my business?" Celestia gestured to an ornate set of cherry doors, even as a spark of yellow magic prompted them to open. "Perhaps not as your friend. But when I see a student of mine adopting inadvisable habits, I must take it upon myself to intervene."

"And it didn't occur to you that marriage might not be the best choice?" Twilight asked incredulously. She looked into the room; the musty atmosphere and smell of aging wood gave the impression of a rarely used library.

"If you mean to ask if I only considered one possible solution, that would be incorrect." The noble crossed her hands behind her back, resting them over the arch of her hips. "I will ask you not to insult my intelligence."

As her mentor crossed the threshold into the expired room, Twilight resisted a huff, instead taking a deep breath to calm herself. When she was ready, she simply said, "I'm sorry, for the way I've been acting, Princess." She made to follow the older woman into the room.

Celestia nodded, but said nothing to acknowledge the words. Instead, she said, "You must realize where you stand, Twilight. You are known to the world as my pupil, yes, but you have made your name known as a result of your own deeds." She crossed over to a bookshelf, tracing a fingernail idly over the worn covers. "Normally, the world at large couldn't care less about what a student, however well-known, does in her spare time. But," she said, raising up that same finger, "that is not the case with your current...friend."

Celestia pulled a book seemingly at random from the bookshelf, laying it on a nearby table. The dust shook from the cover, taking to the air in a cloud large enough to cause a coughing fit. The title read Monsters and Myths.

"What exactly do you mean, Celestia?" Twilight asked cautiously. For all her intelligence, she only had a shadow of an idea of what the Princess was implying, and she didn't think she would be glad to be right.

"It would be dangerous enough if you were to consort with Spike in the public eye, given your shared history." Celestia pulled out a chair, gesturing at Twilight to sit next to her as she took a seat. "Questions would be raised, but at most, the civilians would frown at the implications and go about their lives."

"But?"

"But," the ruler said, drawing out the word, "that is only an if. What is, is that Spike is no longer just your assistant, just as you are no longer just my pupil. He is becoming a somebody, and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the world catches up."

Twilight felt a gnawing pit in her stomach, but did her best to ignore it. "What do you mean? I mean, yeah, he had surgery a while back, but nothing that would make the front page, right?"

"No, my dear," Celestia said, her countenance darkening. "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

The pit grew, becoming more insistent and distracting. "Did he do anything wrong?"

"Oh, believe me, we will get to what exactly he did wrong," Celestia said. The tone of her voice brought Twilight just on this side of panic. It must have been something big, if it was upsetting her teacher this much.

The Sun Princess spared her pupil a glance. "It is not his action that most concerns me," she said, as if she was capable of reading Twilight's mind. Something which wouldn't surprise her, Twilight reasoned. "It is my sister."

Twilight blinked. "What does Princess Luna have to do with this?" she asked.

Princess Celestia sighed. "A great deal, I'm afraid. A crisis has arisen, the very same one that concerns Spike. As his mentor and co-ruler of this country, Luna has seen fit to make Spike an officer of the state, one that wields considerable power at a costly price."

Twilight paused, saying nothing.

"However, in the context of the issue, it seems that the term 'power' is doubly appropriate." She turned to Twilight. "Are you familiar with the position of the Arch Mage?"

The scholar's mind raced, considering the possibilities. Spike was a dragon capable of magic, a rarity to be sure. But he would have been the last person to be chosen for the position of Arch Mage, considering the limited use of known dragon magic.

"Well, yes," Twilight stammered, remembering that her teacher expected an answer. "They're the highest authority of the government in terms of magical law enforcement. But they're usually master magicians, with heavily extensive knowledge on practical and educational magic."

"Exactly," the Princess said, nodding. "Do not misunderstand me: he was not offered that position in particular, but something equally prestigious. She has offered him the position of a Firedrake."

The word held weight, Twilight could tell, but she couldn't for the life of her recall anything on the office of a Firedrake.

"It is a relatively unknown position," Celestia said, breaking the silence. "Long since vacated. Only a dragon can hold it."

"So," Twilight said, feeling as if she was grasping at straws, "you don't think he's a good fit for the job?"

"Oh, he will be a good fit, believe me," came the answer. "He will have developed discipline in his studies, but discipline is not the problem. The problem is the strings that come attached with it."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, staring at her glowing companion. "Such as?"

"Two major factors," Celestia said, holding up just as many fingers. "For one, his powers will increase a great deal. In raw strength, he will almost be equal to me."

Twilight's eyes widened to golf balls. "Wow. Heavy."

"Indeed," Celestia replied. "However, dragon magic isn't like ours. It is raw, and primal. It demands a heavy price to be wielded consciously, one that the wielder must compensate for." Celestia leaned ever so slightly closer, as if to say Pay Attention! "He will be in no danger of dying at the result of his powers, but the opposite may very well be just as loathsome. Whatever tool he uses as a magical amplifier will increase his lifespan exponentially with each use. If he does not burn off the excess energy, he will...endure for many ages."

Twilight gasped, leaning backward up out of her chair. "You mean, he'd be...like you?"

She hadn't meant it harshly, but the implications were troubling. Dragons already had insane feats when it came to survivability. But for an already long-lived creature to live for so long, like a man existing out of time...

"You grasp the consequences," Celestia said. It was a statement, not a question.

"I—I do," Twilight admitted. Her head was hot with worry.

The Princess said nothing for a while, perhaps giving her student time to digest the information. After a while, however, she spoke. "The second matter is the...relationship between my sister and Spike."

Twilight's spine straightened, as if someone had rammed an icy cold rod between her shoulders.

"They are uncommonly close already—for my sister, that is—and with Spike as an officer of such high caliber, they would work together closely."

An absurd notion chewed at the back of Twilight's mind, one that she decided to voice. "Are you jealous of him?"

The question was so unexpected, so unlike Twilight, that it caught the dignitary completely by surprise. For a moment, Celestia's eyes were wide enough to see the wrinkles form in her forehead. Then, she broke out in laughter, a clear peal of sound dispelling part of the serious atmosphere that had gathered over the musty library.

Finally, after a moment or two, and a wry smirk on Twilight's part, Celestia sobered herself. With a fading chuckle, she answered, "No, Twilight. Not especially," If she was lying, the sparkle of mischief in her eyes was telling. "It's more that—how do I say this without being offensive?" Celestia chewed on the inside of her cheek briefly, "Luna can be...territorial, I suppose, when it comes to those she is close with." She sighed. "It is my underlying fear that she may have acted rashly in making her proposal so early."

Twilight could see where the Princess was coming from. A handsome young man with enough power to be seen as a peer, under your command for the foreseeable eternity? The offer seemed too ludicrous to be a coincidence.

"I can't say I blame her," Twilight admitted, "not really, but don't you think this situation seems a bit...contrived?"

Celestia nodded her head in agreement. "I believe that Luna had no hand in the current crisis, but her solution seemed oddly prepared. I am of the persuasion that she was always planning on making the offer, and perhaps not for the most noble of reasons."

Twilight grumbled to herself, crossing her arms as she glanced at the nearly forgotten Myths and Monsters tome laying on the wooden table.

"Guess she just needed a time and a place."

Spike sighed, leaning back on the couch next to Applejack. He smiled lightly. "That was nice. I guess it's really been a while since I've had a chance to unwind."

Applejack returned his smile, wrapping a friendly arm around his shoulders. "Nothing like friendly conversation to make work go by quickly, I always say."

"You never say that," Spike retorted.

"Yes huh," Applejack replied, sticking out her tongue. "You're just never around when I say it."

Spike's smile widened, and he leaned into her shoulder, sighing. "This is nice," he repeated lazily.

Ever so carefully, Applejack brought her hand down, thumbing the small of his back. "Yeah?" Her head fell against his, and she made sure to let a golden lock or two dangle in front of the young man's face. For good measure.

"Yeah," he agreed. A hand reached around Applejack for a hip-hugging embrace. "It feels like its been forever since I just sat down with someone, you know?"

"I know," she replied. That much wasn't a fabrication, at least. Cavorting around with her little sister seemed like such a minuscule offense now. Applejack released a sigh of her own as her young quarry unconsciously brushed up against the skin of her tawny neck.

Spike smiled. "I always wondered what it would be like to just chill with an older brother or sister." He closed his eyes. "It feels nice."

The blonde cowgirl moved in for the kill. She could already taste the bitter salt of his skin on her—

Wait, what?

"Wait, what?" Applejack said, startled. She pulled her lips out of a sensual curl before he looked up at her.

How the hell had she misread that?

Spike frowned, and it was obvious to Applejack that he thought he overstepped his bounds. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked warily.

Applejack shook her head as she waited for the words to come to mind. "No, it's just—"

To her dismay, Spike pulled out of her grip. He looked worried. "Was this about how I was acting earlier?" He started to fidget with his hands, looking every part a shamed pet.

Applejack rolled her eyes, reaching a strong hand out and pulling his warm body back in reach. She sighed internally, before speaking. "No, it's just that...we haven't exactly been model citizens to each other, y'know?"

"I'm sorry," he blurted.

Applejack waved it off. "I know, sugar," Spike went rigid. She never called him that anymore. "But I haven't been all that great about things either," she hurriedly replied. "I guess what you said just came out of left field...?"

Spike eyed her for a moment more, before relaxing. "Look, AJ, it's..." He seemed to fumble for a second. "Well, we've known each other a long time, right? We were due for a fight or two anyway, and now it's better."

Applejack frowned. "That ain't exactly how it works."

Spike snorted. "Says who?" He shrugged, his shoulder bumping up pleasantly against her chest. He sighed. "I guess I was overreacting and all. I thought you just wanted one thing, you know?"

Applejack felt sick at the accuracy of his statement.

Then Spike sighed, laying his head on her shoulder. "It's cool now. I know I can trust you."

Applejack felt strangely honored, if not royally pissed off at nothing. Their friendship was back where it started, she reasoned, but their friendship was back where it started.

Still, she sulkily resolved to make the best of it. She would be the dependable one here. If her friend needed solidarity rather than a warm body, then dammit, she would give it to him.

Spike squirmed against her. His hand roamed over her stomach. "Have I mentioned how totally awesome it is how jacked you are?" he said, beaming.

Yes, she would give it to him. But holy hell, would it be trying.

The hours passed, and eventually Spike knew that his moment of truth was at hand. He said goodbye to a confused Applejack, promising to see her again before the night was out.

Dusk was fast approaching, and he was hoping his job would be a quick one.

As the drake ran through the town, and eventually the surrounding flatlands, he allowed his mind to fade to a blank. Nervousness and thinking about what might be could very well be his undoing, as Luna had taught him.

Even as he sprinted past the yellowing hills and onto the rich red dirt of a nearby crater, he turned up his nose and smelled the air.

He was close. And far from alone.

Spike frowned. He had failed to account for extras, and while they would hardly pose a threat, he couldn't afford to waste time.

The air popped next to him, and like a burst of moonlight, Princess Luna was next to him, keeping pace.

The two of them said nothing, instead making their way to the peak of a nearby dusty plateau.

Their steps slowed, eventually to a complete stop. For the first time that evening, Spike turned to face his mentor and friend.

Gone was the subtle sensuality that was present that morning. In its stead was a hard determination, turning an otherwise elegant and pretty face into that of a hardened diarch. Her outfit was that of a midnight blue military officer, complete with elegant shoulder pads and a sinister cape. She wore black heeled boots and matching gloves.

"We must stay here a while longer," she said, breaking the silence. "The fire ruby is ready, but I will require an additional magician to safely make the transfer."

"It's a necklace," he said, dryly.

"A magic necklace," she corrected. "We would be wise to take such a precaution. We do not want your life to spill into the aether as a result of my lack of practice."

"That," Spike said, "is also true."

"As for your mission," she continued, "I will try to aid you when possible, but my own powers are limited against a living shadow."

Spike quirked an eyebrow. "Moonlight?"

"Is a byproduct of the sun," Luna stated, a hint of a grudge in her voice. "Celestia's powers would be of little use in such a confrontation. The case is even more apparent with me."

Spike frowned, nodding in reply.

"Now, remember," Luna said, her forehead contorting as she frowned, "Balrogs are spirits. They are susceptible to physical trauma, but your best chance will be to destroy it with concussive force. Shadow creatures and combustion are an ill match, so you will have to improvise an explosion."

"Fire isn't exactly advisable here, though," he argued.

"Heat isn't advisable," she amended. "Burn harder, not hotter."

Suddenly, a snap sounded in the distance. The Princess looked grimly pleased, calling with her amplified voice: "We are here, my friend."

A second pop sounded, this one much closer. The flash was immediate yet mild, and as Spike lowered his hand from his eyes, he gasped.

"Fancy Pants?!"

The aforementioned gentleman grinned mildly, dusting off a shoulder. "Present and accounted for." He bowed to the Princess first, receiving a brisk nod, before turning to Spike. He grasped the younger man by the shoulder, greeting him with a smile. "Well met, Spike. Have you been keeping well?"

"I, uh, yeah, I have." Spike stammered. "You're the magician?"

The socialite grinned, a familiar light in his eyes. "I am a man of many talents, as you should know by now."

"Come now," Princess Luna said, her thin lips set in a smirk. "I think you are understating the truth to your words."

Spike blinked. "Am I missing something?"

Fancy Pants shrugged, nonchalant. "I, ah, suppose I never did tell you what I did for a living, did I, Spike?"

"I never actually asked," Spike admitted, crossing his arms.

Luna's smirk widened, cocking her hip as she gestured to the older gentleman. "Then please, allow me to formally introduce the two of you. as is proper for such a historic meeting." Her eyes shone. "Firedrake, behold your peer and future confidante, The Arch Mage of Equestria."