Chapter Fifty Four

Across the Way

Though the rains had battered the lands for days, and many a river still lay swollen past its banks, the land itself was calm, with a warm breeze blowing the smell of high autumn. Spike couldn’t believe he’d been gone so long that the seasons were already changing, nearly the same as they did back in Equestria.

All around him, trees were beginning to change color, and in many cases, already lose some of their leaves, the light breeze scattering them as they drifted to the ground along the road. The fields further away from Bathory’s wrath were filled with ponies tending to and harvesting the early crops. Some of the fields seemed to be already harvested, waiting for next spring to be filled with a new crop, but Spike knew better. They’d most likely been planted with winter wheat; a most wonderful crop that would be ready for harvest come spring. It was the same for some of the places in Equestria that he visited during his tutelage under Princess Luna.

Speaking of which, he hadn’t received a letter from her in a long time, and surely by now she’d read the one he sent, right? Of course, she could’ve been too engrossed in the book he sent back, as well, but still, it would be nice to hear from his teacher and see how things are going back home. He’d already been gone for months, now; so long, in fact, that he was sure winter would be starting up in another month or two. By then, he at least hoped to be somewhere with a more agreeable climate for his family, or else they’d have to hunker down somewhere, to wait out the cold, potentially for months. A delay like that could cause them problems to no end, most importantly, by messing up the schedule they were set to maintain.

Spike wanted his foals, his very first, to be born in Equestria. Easy access to citizenship aside, they’d be the safer there than anywhere else, and he’d be home; his journey would be done, and he could focus on other matters in his life, like…

“Well, what would I do?” he thought as the carriage continued on, past houses, farms, and fields. Luna hadn’t told him of what would happen when he returned, and neither had Celestia. Come to think of it, just what would his position entail as an Equestrian semi co-ruler? Would he have a say in laws and passing them? Commerce and trade? Diplomatic negotiations? Or what about politics? He knew more than a few minor nobles and their houses were likely readying themselves to try and curry his favor, along with many other rich and powerful ponies. He had heard Luna and Celestia talk about those things for years, even before he began his apprenticeship, and even now, it was starting to make sense why they seemed so happy to get away from politics and courtly life.

Why would they bother, anyway? The lords and rich ponies, that is. It wasn’t like he’d accept a bribe, even if it was a particularly nice collection of gemstones or literary works or a large sum of gold. Sure, everypony and their grandmother knew about a dragon’s predilection to hoard, but why would he even want gold or jewels? He already had more than he needed from all the places he’d already visited, and from his time with Twilight, he had learned to like books. Not as much as she did, mind you, but enough to enjoy reading something new that piqued his interest, especially if it had something to do with dragons. With all those tomes and books and scrolls he had sent back from Baghdad, there was bound to be countless pieces he’d prefer to read in his spare time.

Then again, with the aspect of being a father looming on the not-quite-so-distant horizon, he doubted he’d have much free time to much of anything, what with both being involved in running the country and potentially being intricately involved in the politics. The only thing he knew was that, unlike what he had heard about some nobility, like Asalah’s father, he’d want to be there for his foals not only when they were born, but for when they were growing up. Most nobles only “cared” for their offspring up until a certain age, and even then they were most likely in the care of nannies or similar servants while their parents went about doing “important” stuff. After a certain age, most or all would be sent off or be placed under a tutor, often a soldier or scholar for colts and ladies of the court or their mother for fillies.

Spike wanted to be there for them from day one, and on and on up until they were old enough to set out on their own. He only somewhat hoped he wouldn’t turn into one of those “oh, don’t move too far away, I’d like you close to home” kind of parents. With his wings, he’d likely be able to fly anywhere they lived, so long as it was in Equestria, and if not, then he’d likely write to them once every other week or so.

Wow, he was already thinking of their later years, and they weren’t even technically “here” yet for him to see! Maybe he really was ready to be a dad.

“Even so, how many will I have?” He wondered, knowing full well that it was more up to his wives than to him. He could easily see himself having at least one foal apiece with his wives, and he’d be just as happy as if he had dozens. Of course, if that were the case, he’d definitely have to forget about having a hobby, seeing that raising that many offsprings would take up nearly every free second of each day.

But if that were the case, what would his wives have to say about his upcoming duties? What would they be involved in, whether they wanted to or not? Chrysalis’ been a queen for years now, and before that, she’s grown up, for a short while at least, under her mother’s care in some semblance of a normal palace. Maybe he should ask her...

“Hey, Chryssie?” He asked, turning to his second wife.

“Yes?” She replied, having just finished re-combing Asalah’s mane from the intangible mess it had been from that morning into something a bit nicer.

“Have you been giving any thought to, you know, when we get back?”

“You mean how you’ll have to explain to all of Equestria that the changeling queen they fear is no longer a threat to them, and that you managed to make her fall madly in love with you?” Chrysalis replied, her smile too sincere to be sarcastic.

“Well, yes, that too, but I meant after that,” Spike said. “I meant, you know, after the foals are born, and how we’ll take care of them.”

“Oh, you’re thinking of that.” She fell silent, obviously engrossing herself in thought.

“And?” Spike asked after a few minutes.

“Well... Spike, I’m not sure how to be a mother, seeing as my own didn’t deem it a good use of her time to tell me how to be one when she was still alive,” Chrysalis said simply. “I mean, I can follow what she did, but I know for a fact that she had a long time with her own mother before her untimely demise, and learned much in the ways of parenting. I won’t know the intrinsic value of the little things that go into parenting. Is there anypony we can have help us?”

“My mother would be more than happy to help,” Maria said simply from across the carriage. “She’s had five foals as it is, so I think she’d be more than qualified to assist us. Only...”

“Only what?” The pair asked.

“Well, she knows how to help raise us, even though for much of our young lives were we looked after by our nannies,” the noblemare said. “Plus the foals will have some, if not many, dragon characteristics. That is something I doubt she is knowledgeable of.”

“And I doubt there’s much literature on raising dragon younglings or hybrids out there,” Spike said with a shrug. “It’s not really a common enough thing, judging from how some cultures treat dragons.”

“Also, I might add, mother has so much already on her plate, that her frequently visiting Equestria to help us out would be nigh impossible,” Maria added. “She still needs to be there for my younger brother and sisters, and to help my father run, well, everything. She could still send us letters, though, I imagine.”

“Then we should write to her when we make our first stop,” Trixie said, glancing out the window at the passing countryside. “I’ve been meaning to write to Twilight and the others for a few days now, but with everything that has happened in the last week alone, I was just... I wasn’t sure if it was a good time to do so. I mean, do we tell them all that we’ve been through?”

“I don’t think we should tell them about Istanbul, or at least, not until we meet them eye to eye,” Asalah said suddenly.

“Why not?” Trixie asked. “Here I thought they should know right away; keep them abreast of the situation and all that.”

“Don’t you think that our experience may alter the whole scenario just a bit?” The zebra asked. “I mean, yes, it was terrible what was done to us, almost unforgivable, but if we were to tell just our side of the story so soon, don’t you think some of them might take it worse than we would?”

At first, Spike thought that wouldn’t have been possible, but then, in his mind’s eye, he could see Twilight descending upon the city in a magical ball of fire, ready to raze it to the ground. Or Celestia sending out a beam of sunlight so strong it vaporizes the entire city. Or Luna casting the city into a darkness so deep it sends the area into an irreversible ice age. “Yeah, that could be bad,” he said. “We’ll wait to tell them face to face, after we’ve had some time to learn some facts.”

“So, other than that, what else is there to tell them?” Chrysalis asked. “Maybe we should ask how things are going in Equestria?” She felt that, as a future citizen of the country, she’d at least need to know how things functioned to a degree.

“Hey, you’re right,” the dragon said. It’d been so long since he’d even seen home, even through the two-way magical flame mirror, that he had no idea if anything of note had happened. It wasn’t like they wrote to him constantly anymore. Just what was going on back home? “Besides, maybe it’s time some of you know a bit more about Equestria than just what I can tell you; a second opinion or something.”

Far across the realm of Europe and across the Barnlantic, in the distant lands of Equestria, much of Ponyville was just waking from its sleep. Birds soared into the sky from their nighttime perches, intent on making good time during their southern migrations. The cool breeze of the north filtered through the land as the trees continued to change color, many of them waiting for the Running of the Leaves to cause them to shed their colors.

One such resident groaned as she stretched, the sun’s rays softly flowing through the curtains into her room. The covers from the night before were somewhat tussled around her form, the unicorn sat up slowly, yawning as she scratched the back of her neck. The warm body in bed beside her moved a bit, turning over as they continued to sleep.

Twilight Sparkle did not like waking up in the morning; she loved it. Ever since she was a little filly and seen Celestia raise the sun in person, she’s always been fascinated by the small time between waking and sleeping; the time when some of the most fantastical things went on in her brain. It was as if dreams, daydreams, wishes, hopes, and reality itself all seemed to collide in an amazing amalgam of shapes and thoughts. Though however cherished these moments were to her, they were only a minute portion of her day, and as her analytical mind began to fully awaken from its slumber, several pieces of a very blurry puzzle began to fall into place.

Firstly, the Running of the Leaves would begin soon; that meant she would have to sign up for her place in the event, as she did every year. She’s never come in first yet, and really, she didn’t wish too; that would mean she’d miss out on all the wonderful sights to see as she made her way through the forest.

Secondly, Princess Luna told her that plans were being made for her and her friends to visit several parts of Equestria in the near future, in an effort to continue to spread harmony through some of the more troubled lands. So, like she always did, she’d have to start making plans for the travel arrangements; the unicorn could already tell a good seventy five percent of their luggage would be Rarity’s.

Thirdly, and perhaps the most important, was that Celestia had sent her a sizeable stack of papers dealing with the construction of the new wings of the castle, the ones where Spike and his family would live; that, and some papers dealing with what duties he would be in charge of once he returned. To think, he had left in early summer, and it’s already autumn; she felt as though he’d been gone longer than that, and still couldn’t believe how much further he had to go.

“I should probably get started on that before anything else,” Twilight muttered as she slunk out of bed, her pajamas as ruffled as her mane. Her horn glowed as she left her bedroom, a pot of coffee starting to boil as the stove lit underneath it. “There’s still a lot.”

Indeed, there was; even Twilight couldn’t believe the sheer density of the paper stack Celestia had sent her. It was as if the princess had chosen the toughest, yet lightest paper she could get her hands on, just so she could send the most amount of information with the least amount of volume. Sadly, however, that meant that the stack itself was so heavy that only her magic could actually lift it all at once. This, Twilight was not the most happy about. She loved carrying papers, especially important ones, be it with magic or her hands. Maybe it was the smell or the texture of the documents that appealed to her so, but the fact remained that the weight strained her magic more than she would’ve liked, so much so that it felt like even one more piece of paper would make the whole stack all but immovable.

As the coffee pot in the kitchen removed itself from the now-extinguished stovetop, and began to pour itself into a mug, Twilight sat down at her workstation in the middle of the library’s main floor. It’s been a temporary place for the first few things Spike’s sent back, though it had become more permanent ever since he sent back that absolutely enormous collection of nearly every scrap of paper in Baghdad. Even with skills like her own, and help from many others, it had taken literally weeks to sort through everything, even with her staying up late to catalog the tomes and cuneiform plates. Thankfully it was a deductible cost from the palace, or else she would have gone broke paying for the shipping of many of the larger collections to Canterlot University and other institutions.

Still, that near-Herculean task was more than matched by the one she faced now. “Governmental duties, section two, page nineteen,” Twilight muttered as the mug of coffee floated over to her, gently placing itself next to one of the stacks of paper. Reaching for it, she sniffed it before taking a sip; mmm, that hit the spot. Twilight read through several pages, her eyes carefully scanning each and every word as if it were the study guide to an important exam. Well, to her, it was.

“It is necessary for one in such a position of co-ruling to appoint a cabinet of advisors, chosen by way of committee, in the prospect of becoming more aware of issues that arise outside of their usual circle of information. Such a cabinet must meet strict guidelines and can only be chosen from amongst the citizens of Equestria, be they of natural birth or naturalization processes.”

She took another sip, happy the coffee was at least well-ground this time. The last one had had chunks in it somehow. “Cabinet candidates can only be selected by the co-ruler and by written approval of fellow co-rulers. The committee that decides who is chosen is randomly selected from a group of judges throughout the country, similar to jury duty for the common pony. If in times of emergency, be it war or something else, this process may be skipped entirely by way of popular vote, though the final step in election then falls to the remaining cabinet members.”

To anypony else, this may have been one of the dullest things they had ever read. To Twilight, it gave a fascinating insight into how the country was run, and how it would continue to do so when Spike returned. That of course, begged the question if he would even be able to fulfill these duties with, potentially, four foals running around, all born within months of one another? Then there was the fact that he would likely continue having foals with his wives, perhaps several over the course of a decade or so, so that in the end, he could have a dozen or more half-dragons taking up much, if not all of his free time.

“He’d need a good set of advisors to deal with all the aspects of helping run the kingdom if that’s the case,” Twilight muttered. The thought of Spike, of all beings, being a father was still something she found hard to believe. It wasn’t that she didn’t think him capable or anything; if these past few months had led her to believe anything, it was that he’d be a great father. The only thing was that she could still remember the day she hatched him from that egg and brought him into her home, to be raised by her parents and, later, by herself and her older brother.

Even though he was now bigger than her and by now more traveled, in more ways than one, to her, he would always be like her little brother. Maybe that’s why she sent him that week-long erection-suppressing spell when she learned of his marriage to Asalah; she’d just started coming to terms that he was going to be a father, and yet had already surpassed his goal of the number of wives to have in his herd. Maybe it was the part of her that couldn’t accept that he was growing up so fast; maybe that same part didn’t want him to grow up at all. With all these duties he’d have to partake in, both in terms of running the kingdom and in taking care of his inevitably-growing family, he’d likely no longer have any time for her.

That was clawing at her heart every time she indulged herself to think about it. She’d seen him grow up; helped him develop many of the skills that made his apprenticeship under Luna all the more rewarding. She had shared in the good times, been for him in the bad times, and had been there for him for every important event in his life… until the day he had left her. Now, with him so far from home, with all these adventures he’d already been in, and the countless others he would likely get himself into…

It was hard for her not to cry, at least a little. What would she be doing when he returned? What would she do after he had settled in Canterlot, and had taken his place in society? Would she be the lonely, career-driven aunt Twilight, the unicorn who never managed to let a relationship last for more than a month or two? That lonely mare who stopped by every now and then to visit with her pseudo-brother and visit her pseudo-nieces and nephews? He’d already outpaced her in the game of life, and for someone as long-lived as he was, he likely still had a very long way to go. Unlike him, she didn’t have thousands or tens of thousands of years to spend on her life; maybe a few hundred if she was extremely lucky, with her magic naturally boosting her lifespan by a handful of decades.

“Twilight, why are you up so early?” A voice called softly from the top of the stairs. “I thought you said the weekend was for sleeping in and relaxing.”

“Oh, I see you’re finally awake, sleepyhead,” the unicorn muttered as she took another sip of her coffee. “I’m just feeling a bit more energy than I usually would; you could stand to try and be more like me.”

“Hey, after what you did last night, it’s hard to be energetic first thing in the morning,” the voice replied as they slowly made their way down the stairs. To think, their relationship had started off as a fluke, a chance meeting that,over the course of several years had eventually evolved into something so much more. Softly wrapping their arms around her, they gave the unicorn a kiss on the cheek. “Still going at Spike’s paperwork, eh? Here I’d have thought a bookworm like you would have finished it by now.”

“No, there’s more than enough to keep me mostly occupied for a while, so yeah, still going at it,” Twilight replied with a smile. “Care to help a mare out for a bit? Don’t try telling me you’re busy, you’re not due back in Canterlot until next week, and I intend to take full advantage of you being here until then.”

The pegasus behind her grinned, his tan coat as ruffled as his mane from last night’s “activities”. “Sure thing,” he said as he pulled up a chair. “You know you’re the only pony who likes paperwork more than I do.”

“Yeah, no other guard I know of likes filling out forms like you do.” While Twilight sat there with the stallion she had let into her life, she mused over what she had been thinking of just moments ago. Life was too short to focus solely on grandiose plans and careers; sometimes, being impulsive and thinking with your heart, not your head, is what everypony needed in life now and again.

And that gave her an idea, the kind of idea she would likely never have thought of if her life hadn’t changed the way it had...

“Hey, Flash. Can I ask you something?”

“Sister, is it not time for you to rest?”

“Go away, Tia. I’m reading.”

“Sister, it’s morning, already; your duties for the night have been fulfilled.”

“Tia, the book young Spike sent me is on the entirety of the batpony race from when many of them left Equestria after my... incident as Nightmare Moon,” Princess Luna said, turning to find her sister already drawing the curtains for her sleep. “Besides, I know many a batpony resident who would enjoy reading such material. I must have it copied and transcribed for the whole of Equestria’s batponies, and maybe later for the rest of society.”

“Luna,” Celestia said with a hint of exasperation as she began to comb her mane. “I’m telling you, as your sister, that you need your sleep during the day. I know how cranky you get when you’re running on only a few hours of sleep.”

“No less cranky than you are,” the younger princess retorted.

“Come now, no need for that this early in the morning,” Celestia said with a sigh, seating herself on the corner of her sister’s bed. “Besides, what would Spike say if he found out his tutor was being an incorrigible brat when somepony tried to tell her to go to bed?”

“He’d likely laugh,” Luna replied. “Although, sister, you do raise a point, I have been... pondering.”

“Oh? On what, may I ask?” Celestia asked. She knew her sister devoted much of her time with politics and looking after the dreams of their citizens, so if she was thinking of something outside of those realms, then it must have been important.

“You and I both know that Spike has, so far, caused many changes in the realms he has visited,” the princess of the night said. “The letter we received from the Saddle Arabian king alone was a great example of that.”

“Yes, yes, I remember,” Celestia said. “How is the king’s son, by the way?” She had been closely following the developments in Saddle Arabia ever since Spike had left the country, including the increase in trade with its southern neighbors ever since those pirates were vanquished.

“The prince and his bride have rarely emerged from their honeymoon palace,” Luna said with a shrug. “Whenever they do, they are constantly at each other’s side, smiling and laughing and always embracing.”

“Good,” the elder sister said.

“Anyways, about Spike,” Luna continued. “The reason we sent him on this journey, you remember, was so that he could find himself and, with a bit of luck, would change the world around him for the better. However, I am beginning to sense a pattern.”

“A pattern? Do tell,” Celestia said.

“Spike does not just go through a place and emerge unscathed, I should think; at least, not physically, I believe. He is changing, but on the inside. I could see it in the way he wrote the letter that went along with this book. He is becoming less of a purist idealist; he is losing his naivete, instead becoming more practical and yet, at the same time, far less reserved. He’s becoming more outgoing, more compassionate, more sincere, more... well, it’s hard to fully explain, but let’s just say that he’s becoming... more.”

“And you’re worrying about him.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes, I do worry,” Luna said as she placed a slip of paper between the pages, so as to remember where she left off. “I worry for him because, I suppose, it’s my duty to do so. I mean, you worry for Twilight, don’t you?”

“All the time, to varying extents,” Celestia said. “It’s not that I don’t trust her; I have the fullest faith in her abilities and that she will never stop trying. It’s just, in a world where not everything has a happy ending, I can’t help but worry. Besides, our relationship is so very similar to that of yours and Spike’s; a teacher and an apprentice, close enough to be friends, but formal enough to maintain boundaries.”

“Yes, well, those boundaries are there for a reason,” the younger alicorn said. “Regardless, Spike is doing well with the task we assigned him, be it a very lengthy and life-changing one at that. Yet, he has such a long way to go, both in miles and in years, that I fear the strain may take its toll on him more than we originally anticipated.”

“How so?” Celestia was genuinely curious; many of their future plans depended on Spike returning, hopefully in good health. This was especially true when taken into account that he’d have foals to help raise when he returned.

“The journey, from what we do know, has been fraught with peril from the beginning, something we planned on but at least hoped would pass by without much in the way of damage. Spike will have seen, perhaps even caused, so much destruction and death that I fear he will come to regret his choices, even if they were in defense of himself or his family. Remorse is often something that takes time to manifest, usually growing stronger the longer it stays. I should know; his guilt could eat him up inside until he is just... nothing.”

“That is why he has us and his family to be there for him, as I and others were there for you,” Celestia said softly, placing a gentle hand on her sister’s shoulder. She was truly touched at her sister’s concern. “He will not be alone to remember and decide whether his actions were the best he could’ve made. We all make mistakes, and even if others see them as the right ones, how we feel is not necessarily the same. I am glad to see your concern for him, sister; many a candidate for your tutoring would have likely fallen victim to these feelings if on such a journey, but Spike’s resilience seems to know no bounds; he truly was, as you said, the perfect candidate for this, even with his youth and naivete being a limiting factor in your plans.”

“I do worry for Spike, yes, but not only for him; I worry what will happen when he finally comes home,” Luna said. “It will be no small shock to the nobles, both minor and more substantial, along with many rich, powerful, and influential ponies, that Spike is to be instated as a co-ruler. Even if we were to break the news to them now, I feel would be unwise, as they would likely conspire to have him denounced by way of misinformational campaigns or building up their own powers so that when he does arrive, they could swarm him with gifts, promises, bribes, or perhaps their own daughters, so as to secure power for themselves. You and I both know they are not above this: stooping so low as to even sell family as bargaining chips; I would have thought such barbaric “trading” would have gone the way of ritualistic sacrifice and been purged from the majority of the world.”

“Not every bad thing can be washed away forever, or quickly at that. As for your assertions of their potential intentions, indeed, I believe you to be on to something. Though, I must say, the fact they have kept themselves distant from you and I in these matters is nothing to ponder,” Celestia said. “They are in awe of us, more or less, and would likely prefer to remain where they are than to attempt and fail at courting our favor. However, Prince Blueblood... why do they even bother with him? We both know he wouldn’t give a damn about any of them if he were to assume any sort of power.”

“Perhaps that is why he is so good at accepting their gifts but never truly acting upon what they want,” Luna said. “Spike is not very versed in political intrigue; Blueblood has become a master at it, and yet without succumbing to its more... sinister temptations.”

“Then credit must be given where credit is due, I suppose,” Celestia said with a nod. “Besides, even with the title of prince, he technically holds no office, has little authority outside of the castle, and for all of his supposed “ambition”, he’s never once made it seem as though he wanted anything more than his title. He has even suggested that others in his stead take up more permanent and sometimes more prestigious positions in government, often ponies he is at odds with.”

“Titles and positions are entirely different, and I believe he likes the diffusion of responsibility of the title of “prince” affords him,” Luna replied. “He can do more while taking less risks, and therefore less blame if something goes wrong.”

“Assuming that Spike does not become as versed in the political arena by his return, perhaps it would be best for him to take some lessons from Blueblood as well? Within reason, of course, and strictly with concern to the kingdom itself; no need for more elaborate intrigue until later.” Luna had tried to teach the young dragon of politics, but it had usually gone off into some odd tangent in one way or another. Besides, stallions and mares often had entirely different approaches to politics, and seeing as Spike was technically neither, a point of view from both sides would be better for him in the long run. That being said, however, Luna knew that the true test of her pupil’s abilities would not be in the home arena, but in the international one.

“Then Spike will have to be careful of the world outside of Equestria, or more specifically, its politicians,” Celestia said, her words unknowingly mirroring the thoughts of her younger sister. “His newfound position will be very interesting to other countries, especially our closest neighbors. There is no way of telling if they will react kindly to such news. The Crystal Empire owes him a great debt for his help in rescuing the Crystal Heart and defeating Sombra all those years ago, so they will not see him as a rival, but as an powerful ally. The dragons... well, they would likely care less what position he attains, though a dragon in such a position of power would go a long way to healing the great mistrust between us.”

“They are still sore from the Great Dragon-Pony War of ages past? That war was ancient! Fought and resolved even before we were born,” Luna said.

“Dragons have very long memories, and life spans to match,” Celestia reminded her as she gently took the book from her sister’s hands. “Plus, we must be careful of our other neighbors; the recent unrest in the Minotaur lands and the silence of the Changeling Kingdom may not remain in the same state of flux after he comes back. For all we know, Spike in such a position of power would be the ideal time for Queen Chrysalis to try and make a bid for our lands, or even worse, the Griffin King’s brother.”

“High Duke Lightcaster? Why would he be such a threat?” Luna had heard of the griffin king’s brother as being quite bothersome in diplomatic negotiations, but never a threat of any kind.

“It is not him, but his daughter that I worry about. She is young, naïve, and easily manipulated by her father. It would be no small stretch of imagination to say that when Spike returns with his four wives, that the High Duke would not be above, say, asking for Spike to marry his daughter? I would even imagine he would not be opposed to one of Spike’s family suffering an “accident” if he thought he could get away with it. Any offspring of Spike and the High Duke’s daughter would then have a claim on Equestria as equally as the Griffin Kingdom, and if the High Duke were ever to rise up and dethrone his brother, he could then invade our kingdom with a valid casus belli.”

“You mean, claiming his grandchildren’s right to rule as a valid excuse to invade?”

“Exactly, and it would be even more troublesome because many of our allies would honor such a claim and refuse us aid, if only because of honor. Then, if successful, his conquest would practically unite Equestria entirely under his rule, and eventually his daughter and her offspring.”

“So... perhaps we should advise Spike in not being tempted to marry any more royalty in the future?” Luna asked as she left her chair for her bed. “Come to think of it, it seems that we have lucked out, in that he has taken only two royals as wives, and from two very different cultures at that.”

“Asalah’s father, the sultan, is not one for such underhandedness, and from what Spike has told me, Maria’s family is far too noble to try anything like that. We can trust them, and with Trixie and Meia being of normal birth, we should have little if anything to worry about from them.”

Luna paused for a moment. “Wait... you said that Queen Chrysalis might attempt it, but High Duke Lightcaster’s would be worse?”

“Lightcaster has a known bias against ponies, and that is putting it lightly,” Celestia said. “While Chrysalis may, indeed, not have many good interests at heart, other than her own power, she would at least not reduce us to poverty and ruin. That would make for a poor kingdom, and while she would still prefer us to be shamed, I suspect that because they are still ponies, there is still some deep connection to us. So yes, Queen Chrysalis marrying or ensnaring Spike and then all-out invading us would be terrible, but it’s the lesser of two evils, I think.”

“What of the Diamond Dogs?” Luna asked.

“Our treaties with them are... tenuous at best, seeing as many of their more outlier communities are nigh independent from the central monarchs,” the elder alicorn said simply. “Though they may in turn not care, they may also take note of Spike’s longevity.”

“Why would they take note of that?”

“Luna, eventually, Spike’s wives will pass away, likely many decades from now. The king and queen of the Diamond Dog Kingdom know this, and would likely plan for it. Eventually, say perhaps several generations down the line, they would seek to wed a descendant of theirs to Spike, once he is all alone. Only, they would likely do it for different reasons than, say, the griffins.”

“How so?”

“Diamond Dogs are, by nature, not terribly bright, or at least, most of their lower classes are not. You don’t need to be smart if you dig all your life, so when their upper class emerged, so too did the ideas of diplomacy and equality with other races. However, the problem is that many Diamond Dogs do not live on equal terms with other races, often being of a lower class than them. Many have called this almost blatant speciesism, and thus are requesting for their kind to be more prevalent in matters outside of their own lands.”

“So, if one of these descendants were to marry Spike in his later life, what would that accomplish?”

“Well, it would give them an ear to listen to their plights, and a very powerful and influential one at that,” the elder alicorn said. “Plus, it would give them a voice in the court of Equestria, and seeing as we have been in contact with the kingdom for almost as long as Equestria has existed, it would be seen as progress by many towards a brighter future.”

“And your thoughts on the matter?” Luna could practically see the gears turning in her sister’s head at the prospect of all these plans, possible solutions to potential problems, and just a pathway through which everything could, should not, and would be connected. It was easy to see how she had kept the kingdom running smoothly nearly on her own for a thousand years.

“I am not opposed to it, in time, but with things as they are now, it would be best to wait for such things, if even for a little while longer.” The white alicorn looked out to see the sun continuing to rise into the sky. “Come now sister, let us talk no more of these things. It is time for you to rest.”

“Perhaps... you are right,” Luna said as she tried, and failed, to stifle a yawn. “We are not done with this discussion, though. While I will be leaving in a few months, with Twilight and her friends shortly after, you still need to make arrangements for the expansions to the castle designated for Spike and his family. How many rooms have you added now?” She added as she slowly crawled under her covers.

“There are currently seven rooms, with one main bedroom, a large nursery for his foals, and several smaller rooms if his wives are incline to sleep by themselves from time to time.”

As Celestia left her sister to her rest, Luna smirked. “Unlikely,” she whispered.

“It’s your turn.”

Those were the first words Shining Armor heard that morning. Well, the first coherent ones, at any rate; all the ones before had been a mixture of grunts and grumbling, along with some crying from the next room. “Good morning to you too, dear,” he said.

“So sorry I’m not my chipper self, Shiney,” Princess Cadance said as she rolled over, trying not to yawn as she did so. “The maids were having such a hard time last night with the kids, and you were busy with setting up drills for the new recruits...”

“Shh, shh. It’s okay, I got this,” her husband said softly, leaving her side and heading off to the adjacent room where their foals should be sleeping.

Cadance smiled as she watched him go, closing her eyes once more and trying to go back to sleep.

“Hush now, it’s okay, I’m here,” Shining said as he came upon his foals, smiling as they instantly opened their arms, demanding he pick them up. Gently doing so, he carried them over to a rocking chair and began to gently cradle them.

Though, thankfully, they were no longer mere infants, the little heirs to his wife’s throne were more than a handful for the two parents and their often-exhausted servants. It wasn’t that Princess Cadance overworked them, or gave them harsh duties, far from it, actually. It was merely the fact that their rambunctious foals were driven by an energy that seemed to defy their size and age.

Parenthood had not been on their minds after their marriage years before. Back then, they were more focused on protecting the Crystal Empire from outside threats and re-establishing diplomatic ties with other countries than they were with starting a family. That’s why it was such a shock to the two of them when, at a routine check-up, the doctor had told them that they would be parents in only a few months. To the two of them, the fact that she shown none of the early symptoms of a pregnancy had been a worrying feature, at least until she developed some healthy weight gain and a craving for peaches. Not pickles, not ice cream, not even chocolate, but peaches; for a solid month she ate peaches at least once a day, be they fresh or canned. For a while, Shining had joked that she’d give birth to a pony colored like a one, a joke that had earned him many a playful cuff upside the head from Cadance.

Near the end of her pregnancy, Cadance had taken a nasty spill on some ice during a visit to Canterlot, and had been hospitalized almost immediately. Shining Armor had dropped everything and immediately rushed to her side the very next day, arriving minutes before she suddenly went into labor. Everypony was scared; she was almost three weeks early for her due date, and the foal had made it clear that, for one reason or another, it wanted out.

With his parents barely restraining him in the waiting room, Shining had heard what sounded like an explosion come from the delivery room. Bursting through the doors, he found her lying in bed, exhausted, with medical instruments scattered everywhere, and a small foal, magically suspended in the air by a disheveled doctor.

“Little bugger thought fit to come into this world firing his magic everywhere... sir,” a nurse said as she swaddled the infant, who went from silent to a screaming ball of wet pelt in a matter of seconds. It had taken Shining nearly five minutes to sooth the newborn and for him to finally register her saying “he” and realize that he had a son. Immediately, and surprisingly, he managed to hand the bundle off to a surprised Cadance before fainting away onto a nearby chair.

When he awoke, Shining found the colt completely asleep in his wife’s arms, his little white pelt seeming almost bright in hospital room.

“What should we call him?” Cadance asked.

“Well, we never did discuss names before,” he remembered saying as he gently stroked the sleeping infant’s cheek.

“Well we know his last name will be my own,” his wife said. “But I was hoping... that you could pick his name.”

“Me? You... you really want me to pick a name?” He hadn’t prepared for that, but his colt looked so peaceful, so at odds at how he came into the world...

“Halcyon Arco,” he said, looking down at the young colt cuddling against him in his rocking chair. “A fitting name for such a rambunctious little colt.”

His son smiled up at him as his sister bounced herself slightly on his knee, intent on trying to reach up and grab her father’s fingers.

“Oh, don’t think I forgot about you, Lucent La Follia,” the stallion muttered, gently tussling his daughter’s mane, earning a delighted squeal from her. Shining knew for a fact that the two of them would grow to hate their full names, for a while at least, so he had already come up with the nicknames of “Hal” and “Lucy” for when that time came.

After a few minutes of gently keeping the two foals preoccupied, the stallion heard a noise and glanced over to see Cadance joining them, her mane still slightly disheveled. “You’re up.”

“I only needed a few more minutes,” the princess replied with a smile, gently taking little Lucent into her arms. “You know, I’ve been thinking.”

“A dangerous pastime.”

“Yes, I know. You still won’t let me forget about the “Crystal Liquor” gift baskets I sent to all my guards for Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

“That’s because you had them brew a particularly strong batch at the brewery; all the guards ended up getting too drunk to go back to work for the next two days,” Shining said. “We’re lucky nothing bad happened during that time.”

“Anyway,” Cadance continued. “Celestia sent me a letter the other day, a copy of the one sent by Spike. He’s already through Transylmania now, and he’s headed up into the land of the Tsars.”

“Marescow? Wow, seems like only last month he was leaving Spreign,” her husband replied. “Any word on how he is doing?”

“Well, he and his family would be sending my aunts some letters in the near future, though Celestia wasn’t clear on what they would be about. Regardless, I feel as though we should send them something, three of his wives are pregnant, and by now they are beginning to experience some of the... less enjoyable aspects of motherhood.”

“Maybe. Well, as parents ourselves, what could we send them? They aren’t due to give birth anytime soon, so... advice, perhaps?”

“That’s what I was thinking. The coming months will be important for development, not only of the foals, but of their bodies. Spike may have already experienced the mood swings and cravings his wives had surely have, but for them the worst is yet to come.”

“Worst? Come on, you weren’t that different in the later months,” Shining said with a frown.

“No, but I moved a lot slower than I used to, and needed far more frequent breaks,” the princess replied as she snuggled Lucent against her. “That means Spike’s journey could take longer than expected. I know he’s probably given it a lot of thought, but if his foals are to be born in Equestria, he’ll have to make good time everywhere he goes. I can only imagine the kind of stress that would put on his family, as well.”

“Then he’ll be there for them. After all, if even half of what we’ve heard is true, he’ll be ready for pretty much anything life throws at him.”

“So... you and Bakhtak, huh?” Eutropia asked, leaning out of the carriage window as it wound its way along a lonely mountain road.

“Yes,” Ebony replied simply.

“Never would have guessed you for the romantic type.”

“I most certainly was in my younger years. I just... was out of practice for so long, it felt odd to try it once more.”

“So, you just need to get back into the swing of things. Well, good luck to you,” the griffin said.

“What do you mean by that?” the batpony asked.

“Well, she’s got a good two feet on you, and I saw her carrying you like a foal, effortlessly at that. I don’t know if I’d be comfortable in a relationship like that.”

Ebony chuckled. “Physical appearances can be deceiving, Eutropia. For all her bluster, appearance and carnivorous nature, Bakhtak is really a sweetheart. I’ve known her long enough to realize that me entering into a relationship with her was rather normal. Only... am I taking this too fast?”

“What do you mean? The marriage? I mean, yeah, to me it seems like you two are kind of rushing things,” Eutropia said. “Don’t you want to get to know her... better?”

“Well, we’ve known each other for almost a decade now, I think we know each other... oh. Oh, you mean that. Wait, aren’t you a little young to be thinking of stuff like that?”

“No, seeing as I’m pretty much the same age as Spike back there,” the griffin said, jerking one talon back towards following carriage. “I’m just not sure on the whole thing, you know? So, maybe my naivete is why I can ask you these questions. So, do you know her?”

“Well, no, not in that sense, but... should I? Before we get married, that is?” Why was he feeling so confused all of a sudden? Marrying and living with Bakhtak felt so right, so natural, and yet the fact that they were going to do so, so soon, felt so at odds with how he normally approached a subject. He had trained himself to not rush into things, to make plans, to pace himself, lest he overextend and everything fall apart. By Tartarus, it had taken him several months to even ask his now-deceased wife to go on a date with him, even though they had seen one another nearly every day in New Wingdah. This... this seemed so different, that for the life of him, he knew it wasn’t logical, but yet it felt so right.

“Mother always said that sex was something to explore after you’ve become mature enough to do so, both in body and in mind. ‘Uneducated sex leads to problems of all kinds’, she’d say, especially for those who weren’t ready, in case things... changed. Since you’re older and, from what I can tell, much wiser, I’ll leave all of that decision-making up to you.” The griffin retreated into the carriage, closing the window behind her, leaving the batpony to his own thoughts.

“She’s wiser than I gave her credit for, that one,” Ebony mused. “Hmm, maybe I’ll talk it over with Bakhtak when I get back. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind pushing the wedding back a few months, if only to for us to get to know each other better.”

Whether she would be understanding or upset, he wasn’t quite sure. All he did know was that, when he left Spike and company to their own devices and returned home, he and her would have to have a good sit down and fully discuss their plans for the future

He only hoped that nothing went wrong between now and then.

Author's Notes:

Yes, yes, I know, I have Twilight with Flash Sentry. Bear in mind, this story completely negates any and all earlier references to him in Equestria Girls 1&2, and does the same for any episodes he was featured in. I mean, I started writing this before season 3 began, and the story is tagged "alternate universe" for a reasons. Just think of him as the Flash Sentry I would have written instead of who was shown.

Other than that, what do you think?