Twilight frowned “So why did you become a mercenary?”

Crystal sighed “It was actually an unfortunate circumstance, I had a husband we we on holidays in Abyssinia when the Storm King took over. My husband stayed behind to allow me to escape with our egg, I left it in a cave under Canterlot Castle.”

Twilight’s eyes widened “Was it a purple egg with green spots?”

Crystal shouted“What happened to it?!”

Twilight rubbed the back of her head “I hatched during my entrance exam to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, I raised him as best I could.”

Crystal hugged her as she cried “Thank you for caring for my son, thank you so much.”

Twilight smiled as she hugged the dragon “You’re welcome.”

Crystal let go as she dried her tears “Thanks for that, now I really have to make your date with that lug go well.”

Twilight frowned “Where did you get that scar?”

Crystal grinned “It was on a mission and well Stature gave me it” before Twilight could say anything Crystal shrugged “it was just business, if they don’t kill you they are your friend that’s how it works in the mercenary business.”

Twilight frowned “That’s harsh.”

Crystal nodded “Yes but that’s how it needs to be as a soft mercenary doesn’t live very long.”

Twilight nodded as she rubbed her bandages “I understand that, I must admit I never thought I would live to see the day I would let someone stab me.”

Crystal laughed “I never thought anyone would have the guts even dunderhead in there, now come on this is the place.” The two had been moving as they talked and now stood in front of a large building that was in better condition than many of the buildings around it, it was a bright blue with a neon sign, the sign read “Styling and Shining.”

Twilight and Crystal entered the building to see fancy technology that would not been seen out of place in high end Canterlot hairdressing Salon, Crystal grinned “This is where the Storm King goes to get himself ready for a major address.”

Twilight internally scowled as the thought of the Storm King and what he was doing to the land. She followed her dragon friend to to one of the machines and sat down, Crystal then called over a worker who was a pretty female Abyssinian who Twilight noticed was the race that made up the most of the Storm King’s guard. She smiled “A pony, we haven’t seen one in town other than the commander of the Storm King’s armies and she prefers bars to places like this, I have always wanted to style a pony’s mane.”

Twilight frowned as the hairdresser began brushing her mane and then decorating in several different styles, Twilight groaned “Keep it simple please?” The Hairdresser nodded with a smile as she straightened out her mane before tying it back in a neat bun, Twilight smiled “Perfect.”

Crystal passed the Hairdresser some gold as payment before taking Twilight back to the base, Twilight looked around at the walls, they were painted a plain white, several desks and tables were set up as well as a working fridge. Stature was stunned as he saw her “Wow.”

Crystal grinned at him “Now I believe you should give her a night she will never forget.” She him slapped on his back as she passed.

Stature growled at her before turning to Twilight with a smile “Shall we get going?”

Twilight nodded “Of course, where is a good place that a pony can get a decent meal around here.”

Stature grinned “I know the perfect place, follow me.”

The two moved through the dark night of Klugetown, they arrived at a small quaint looking diner. Twilight smiled “Moonlight Swallow huh?”

Stature grinned “It’s a place for those who wish to avoid the snobby types in Klugetown while enjoying a high level of luxury.”

They entered the building to see several, it had bright yellow walls and small blue square tables with red stools on either side, a Griffon waiter flew over to them “Here are the menus.”

Twilight smiled “Thanks” The waiter then returned to serving others.
Twilight then opened the menu “Oh the Parmesan Salad looks good to me.”.

Stature smiled “I like this Fish Soup myself, it tastes really good.”

Twilight giggled “I might try that next time, I must admit I have developed a taste for fish.”

Stature chuckled “Yeah, Pantherans love their fish.”

A Griffon walked up to their table “May I take you orders?”

Stature grinned “The Fish Soup for me and the Parmesan from the lovely mare across from me” Twilight blushed profusely at his words.

The Griffon bowed as he took their order “Of course, wish you two luck.”

Twilight turned to him “I want to know more about you, do you mind telling me?”

Stature smiled “I was raised in the Capital of Minos and well Minotaurs are quite brutal I trained in combat all my life” he then sighed “in truth I got sick of my life in Minos as I grew older I was always demanded to do this or that and thus one day I packed my bags and left. I became a mercenary because I was always a good fighter, I have not ever returned home since then.”

Twilight frowned “Are you okay?”

Stature sighed “No, I miss my parents a lot.”

Twilight smiled “Maybe one day I can meet them.”

Stature gave her a weak smile “Maybe what about you?”

Twilight smiled “Well I was born in Canterlot, I was five when I had my entrance exam to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. The test was for us to hatch a dragon egg.”

Stature blinked in confusion “Only a dragon or a really powerful unicorn can hatch a dragon egg, it would be impossible for an foal to do so.”

Twilight nodded “Normally yes, I was foal and under the pressure I couldn’t even get my horn to light up but just I was about to turn around and leave a huge rainbow explosion went off in the sky, my horn lit up as I had a massive magic burst which turned everyone in the room into pot plants and not just hatched the egg but also increased his size immensely. Princess Celestia calmed my magic burst and took me on as her personal student, the baby dragon was reduced to normal size, I named him Spike and took care of him as if he was my own son.”

Stature frowned “If you were the student of Princess Celestia, why did you leave?”

Twilight sighed “Well on the most recent Summer Sun celebration Nightmare Moon returned and me and my friends were able to cleanse her using the Elements of Harmony, restoring the Princess of the Night to her glory.”

Stature eyes widened in shock “You did that, I remember that day the world panicked when that happened.”

Twilight nodded “Yes then a few months later we faced of against Discord the Lord of Chaos and we managed to seal him away in a statue again with the elements power.”

Stature frowned “Right go on.”

Twilight noted that he didn’t react, she figured that Discord had really been a closely guarded Equestrian secret “Well I was a guest for my brother’s wedding, I noticed the bride Cadence she was my foal-sitter when I was younger was acting strange, she didn’t know me at all and worse she was using some strange green magic, when I confronted everyone about it I was turned on by all my friends and family as well as my mentor so I ran away.”

Stature grimaced “I doubt that was really you foal-sitter, it was likely a changeling pretending to be her. They have green magic and impersonate the loved ones of another in order to steal the love they need to survive.”

Twilight scowled “So there was something wrong I knew it.”

Stature smiled as he put a hand on her wither “Let’s not worry about that, our food is here.” The two received their food and begun exchanging friendly banter before finishing the dinner with a simple kiss and then returning to the new base.

Author's Notes:

I did say Spike would be mentioned Spike 2000 and I meant it.