Chapter 10 - New Beginnings

Twilight woke up to the sound of rain pattering on the leaves of her home, and a knocking on the door. As per the previous few nights she looked down at the basket by the side of her bed, only to be heartbroken to see it empty of her…well, what was Spike to her? More than just an assistant, was he her brother, son? Of course, there was no need to keep the basket around anymore, at least whilst Spike was so big, but even a compulsive neat freak like Twilight couldn't bear to remove it from sight.

Another knock on the door drew her attention back to the real world There’s probably somepony seeking refuge from the rain Twilight thought to herself as she trotted down the stairs Best not keep them waiting on a night like this!

The unicorn opened the door and stuck her head out to see spike trying to shelter himself under the branches. He had clearly shrunk a bit more during the half of the night that had passed (based on the position of luna’s moon) and was probably now only the size of a two story building.

“Oh Spike, you're getting soaked!” Twilight gasped “Why don’t you find a nice cave to shelter in”

“The rains nothing really and I don’t even feel the cold” the dragon boasted, as steam came off his scales

“Then what's the problem?” Twilight asked

“Well, I may not feel the cold, or the rain, or the wind but I do feel something…” Spike trailed off at the end.

Twilight looked up at her baby dragon and knew how to finish off the sentence, a tear forming in her eye as she did so “…Loneliness?”

Spike smiled back at his unicorn friend and gave her a stroke of her mane with his claw. “I know I’m still a little big, but I should be able to fit inside, laying down at least. The ground floor wide enough and I know the ceilings are high enough having fallen from the top shelf enough times!” he half laughed

“Of course Spike, this is your home as much as mine! Twilight replied, walking into the home

“Yeah – don’t suppose you could teleport me inside. The doors way too small for me” Spike laughed. Twilight giggled as the dragon just stuck  his head through the door.

“Of course” and with that Spike lay down and curled himself into the size of the Library. Twilight readied herself for the teleport and with a large effort managed to teleport Spike into the ground floor. It was a squeeze with his body curled up round the edge of the room, but given this is how he slept he didn't mind the cramp condition.

Twilight jumped over the tail in front of her and entered the gap in the middle of the room. “Hmmm, I want to get in the kitchen, but you’re sort of in the way” she mused “And I’m too tired to teleport again"

“Just clamber over me”

“I couldn’t do that…that’s just rude!”

“Meh…you didn’t think it was rude to teleport onto my back the other day” he replied deadpan

“That was to help you!" Twilight pouted, causing Spike to laugh.

“Go ahead, it won’t exactly hurt”

Seeing there was no alternative, Twilight clambered over the dragon to get a glass of water in the kitchen, and then clambered back. “Wow, I never had to do an obstacle course to get a drink before” Twilight

“So, I’m an obstacle now?”

“Well, given you haven’t done any work round here for a few days, you’re about as useful as a pile of hay!”

Spike looked Twilight with a laugh “Wait, that was quiet a funny joke…for you!”

Twilight bopped her dragon friend on the nose “Okay Mr Sarcastic, you may be bigger than me but I’m still your mot…well…I’m still in charge! And you’re not too big to be sent to bed without dessert.”

The both smiled at each other, and then let out a yawn. “Well, time for me to sleep, it’s going to be a busy day with Rarity tomorrow.”

“Goodnight” Spike replied, and settled himself down. Twilight looked up to her balcony bedroom but it seemed dark and lonely compared to the ground floor. She instead levitated down a blanket and pillow, and climbed onto the dragons shoulder. He turned to see her settling herself in for the night

“Glad to have you back” the lavender mare sleepily cooed as she lay her head.

“Glad to be back” the dark purple dragon replied with a yawn

Golden Oaks Library started to feel like a home again with its reptile resident back under the comfort and warmth of its branches.

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Rarity lay in bed at the hospital, listening to the small storm outside. Sweetie Belle had gone home this night with her parents, and all of her friends had also left for the night at the request of the doctors.

The white mare was having trouble sleeping. Of course being in a strange, hard hospital bed rather than the exquisite silk sheeted, soft divan back at the boutique was one reason. But it was also the first time she had been alone, at least awake, since the incident and everything kept playing around in her head. Of course she was safe now, and her actions had in fact protected a good friend.

And then Spike popped into her mind, and it was a difficult subject to shift. First came the feelings of guilt – she had placed him in the dangerous situation in the first place by taking him to the mountains. And then, he had saved her but seemingly at the expense of his innocence and foalhood or would that be hatchling-hood the mare pondered.

But then came a sense of pride in her, and everypony’s, friend What a dragon he has become. He’s tall, grew his wings and seems to have some basic magic. He also seems to be rather battle ready – of course whilst there’s no need for that most of the time here in Ponyville, Dragons are a bit more of a…feisty bunch, for when he returns to his kind.

And then her thought went elsewhere. She had gotten used to the baby dragon chasing around after her, idolising her and doing anything she asked of him. And when he was a cute little thing there was no harm in a little puppy love, even if she did slightly abuse it for some help – of course she rewarded him and was really teaching the youngster about an honest days work for an honest days pay, something that he wouldn't have learnt in the same way from Twilight’s more unusual lifestyle as the Royal Protégé.

But now he was a physically mature dragon, things could get a little more complicated. Rarity had spoken to Twilight previously about dragon maturity, not being completely oblivious to how her actions may affect Spike. But Twilight explained dragon’s growth and physical maturity was based on greed and the amount they hoarded. Mental maturity was different, especially for Spike who was much more like a young colt than a young drake. There would be no real harm in his little infatuation.

But Spike had grown and matured, and it wasn't from greed or hoarding items, it was because of her. Of course this had saved everypony from a very tricky situation, but something niggled at the back of her mind. Rainbow had explained how she had to persuade Spike to return Rarity to Ponyville, who was at first hesitant. Have I somehow become part of his hoard? Does Spike now think of me as his to own? Afterall, he has been mostly just waiting outside for me. This could get a little tricky

But then she thought back to the brief moment they touched, and some of the looks that they had shared. The unicorn realised that he didn't see her as an object he owned, and his words certainly reflected that, but that he still really found her the object he may desire, but probably knew he could never have.

Having been awake for half the night, Rarity found herself thirsty and she looked over to the glass of water next to her in a weird way, before giving herself a facehoof “Of course, it won’t just come over to me. Spike may have got his magic, but I’ve lost mine…for now” she gulped at the end.

She got out of bed and awkwardly picked up the glass to drink, spilling a little as it had been a while since she had drunk the earth pony way. She grew a little frustrated, but then thought about Sweetie Belle - her sister was still having to cope without magic and if the foal could, Rarity thought that she could easily ‘rough it out’ until her magic returned.

She got back into bed and settled herself down, tiredness slowly taking over IF my magic returns was the last thought to go through her head as she fell asleep.

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In a small house on the outskirts of town, a young white unicorn with a pink and purple mane was having trouble getting to sleep. Sweetie Belle was worried about the sister that she wanted to emulate, that she loved…that she idolised! The fact her sister was rushed to hospital was scary enough for the foal to think about, but when she first arrived to see Rarity in a drug induced sleep with all the machines around her, she was really frightened.

No-pony as young as her should have to worry like that.

But then she realised she was being foalish. Her sister was alive thanks to the action of her friends, and from what she had overheard about what had happened, it could have easily turned out a lot worse for her, Fluttershy and maybe the others. If it wasn't for Spike, who knows what would have happened.

But what was still of great concern for the foal was Rarity’s lack of magic. The unicorn knew what it was like to not be able to do magic, for she was starting to get a little too old herself not to be able to do basic spells. But for her sister to lose her magic must be awful, especially Rarity’s business relied on her gem finding and magic sewing skills.

Nopony knew how long it would take for Rarity’s magic to return, and despite nopony saying so there was a clear concern that it may never recover again. Sweetie stood up on her bed and looked out of the window at Luna's night “As Celestia and Luna as my witnesses, I will learn magic to help my sister through this!”

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Rarity knew almost instantly that she wasn’t at the Grand Galloping Gala, and that this was clearly a dream. No, it wasn’t because she was using her magic to hold her drink. It wasn't because they were all talking to Canterlot Royalty and Prince Blueblood himself seemed to be singling her out. It wasn’t even because Pinkie Pie was just standing around without causing chaos by acting in the foal-like manner that her friends really loved about her.

No, it was Applejack, wearing a beautiful long flowing dress and having her mane and tail styled in a very feminine way with ribbons and gems. Of course Applejack could be stylish, and didn’t object to dressing nice for occasions, but this was clearly not how Applejack would want to look, or even how Rarity would want her to be. The farmer had her own style, and she made it work!

“Okay, what’s going on?” Rarity suddenly blurted out, causing everypony to look at her “I’m not sure what this is, but it isn’t real!”

Princess Luna then stepped forwards, as the rest of the dream came to a freeze “My apologies dear Ms Belle” the Alicorn spoke gently

Rarity instinctively bowed in front of Equestria’s newest Princesses, who they themselves had helped restore “Pri..Princess Luna. What are you doing here…wherever this is?”

“Raise Rarity, for this is your dreamspace and there is no need to bow”

“My Dreamspace? So I’m imagining you?”

“No dearest Rarity, I am projecting myself into your dreams”

“Why Princess?” Rarity replied in shock

“Well, I wanted to give you a perfect dream tonight. I sensed that you were sad and lonely, so I felt compelled to paint this wonderful dream for you!”

“I’m honoured, but there’s no need for that your Highness. I’m sure you have better things to do than worry about me.”

“Better things? You think I have better things to do than worry about the element of generosity?” Luna laughed. Rarity was surprised to see the Princess laugh how she did, much more relaxed than they had ever seen Celestia.

“I’m fine Princess, really.”

“Okay, I will leave you be, but pray do tell me…what gave away that this was a dream?”

“Pinkie Pie is never this calm!” Rarity half told the truth. She didn’t want to give away the main reason, just in case Luna tried this again.

“Oh, I see. Well, I haven't yet had a chance to properly find out about the heroes that saved me, nor indeed how ponies now act after a thousand years. All the more reason for me to come and visit soon!”

“We would be delighted to see you!” Rarity called out, as everything faded to black, as Rarity slept without dreams for the rest of the night.

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The guards sat on the mountainside, the rain pounding on the canvas tents they were resting in. Of course the guards were more used to being in the comfortable barracks back in Canterlot than out in the battlefield, given peace had reigned for more than a thousand years. They weren't used to having to rough it, but somehow they felt a little more like an army by actually doing something rather than just being on show.

Of course they were notionally in charge of protecting the Princess, now Princesses, and their protégé. However, they could easily handle themselves better than the guards could, as shown by the whole Nightmare Moon incident, where the guards were useless and six fillies had saved the day.

But they were collectively starting to become determined to become a stronger force again, and all this waiting had meant that they were spending more time training. Already in just a day they had felt more battle ready than ever. The captains had met and agreed that they had all be slacking in their training, probably for decades, but the guard were eager to change and show everypony what they were.

When these Diamond Dogs showed themselves, they were determined to be ready!