Boast Backers

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue

Chapter 1

HEROES OF HARMONY SAVE EQUESTRIA

The headline was attention-getting, if nothing else.

Printed in bold font across the very front page of The Canterlot Sun, the header led into the single most literal "front page" article ever conceived. All told the entirety of it seemed dedicated to exactly the article advertised. The tiny letters crowding for room spoke a story almost too fantastic to be believed.

A story of a long lost princess, returned for revenge. About the horrid curse she laid on the foals of a small village. And, most notably, it spoke of the six brave ponies that had stood against her.

If not for being in an international newspaper, most readers would have thought it a delightful bedtime story for their foals.

Even with the page beginning to yellow after a couple weeks of general existence (such was the fate of newspapers), the ink still remained comfortably legible. The words almost seemed to glisten in the light-pink glow of magic around it. Purple eyes scanned over the headline, narrowing to laser-tight focus.

"Heroes?" grumbled the unicorn as she glared at the newsprint. "Hmmph..."

She didn't need to read the article again. She had, in fact, lost track of just how many times she'd lifted the paper up. Most times had simply ended with her rolling it back up and tossing it into the wagon house that clattered along the road behind her. This time, however, she allowed herself to drift over it. For the last several days it had simply sat amongst her various other knick-knacks.

Now she wanted to let her eyes travel the page, allowing them to naturally gravitate to the full-color photograph that accompanied the words.

In the picture stood six ponies, four stallions and two mares, bunched together for purposes of fitting in the frame. Not surprising considering the earth stallion in the center seemed large enough to count as two ponies by himself. Even the two pegasi hovering overhead had given them just enough room to get them all in the shot. The reader's eyes shot down to the caption beneath the photo, her frown growing as she did.

The bearers of the Elements of Harmony (from top-left)...

She snorted derisively, her gaze washing over the two pegasus ponies and three earth ponies in the picture. Whatever the article claimed of them, they were of no consequence.

Her glare was directed solely at the lone unicorn, standing at the far right of the line-up. A purple stallion with a green, spiky mane covered somewhat by the fedora he wore. He was turned just far enough that she could see his feather-quill cutie mark, causing the mare to grit her teeth.

She read the caption again, continuing along to the names of those in the photograph. Only the last name mattered.

Spike "Purple Prose" Flail (Element of Magic)

The broad grin on his face shone with pride and joy. It matched perfectly with the laughter that she could feel him repressing. Mocking and ringing out of the page, directed solely at her...

The purple stallion was quickly turning red in her vision, heat rushing to her face. In a flash of bright flames, the weeks-old newspaper was gone. Collapsed to a pile of ash at her hooves.

With the paper no longer hovering before her, the unicorn mare looked down the road that she had been travelling. Down the hill that she stood atop, she could make out clusters of houses and buildings spreading below. Highlighted by the rising sun, she could just make out ponies bustling about the village.

Her horn shimmered pink, adjusted the star-patterned wizard hat on her head. Despite the anger that had flared, her scowl was turning to a smile.

"Hero of Equestria, huh Spike?" she asked as her starry cape fluttered in a light breeze. "We'll just see about that."

My Little Pony: Flip-verse

Boast Backers

By Bed Head

Chapter 1

Were the article capable of feeling so, it would have been proud.

Most newspapers found themselves recorded in libraries in one way or another. This particular copy, however, held a place of honor within Ponyville's Golden Oak Library. Rather than yellowing in some box in the basement of the massive tree building, it was set into a glorious frame. A large, elaborate looking one; the sort that most ponies would save for treasured portraits.

Seated within the oversized frame, the picture in the full page article was visible to almost the entire room. One would almost think the six ponies in it were watching over the two-tiered chamber that once served as a private study room.

Not that they had much to watch. The bottom level was quiet, lined with books as one would expect in a library. The top level lacked even that, though it did sport a significant addition other than the framed paper itself.

Namely the bed in which the article's author was peacefully snoring away. His green-maned head snuggled against his pillows, completely blind and deaf to the world around him. A drowsy grin spread across his purple muzzle as he dozed under the gaze of his writing.

Behind his eyelids, everything was dark and quiet. Nothing but the softness of his mattress. The pleasant warmth of his sheets. The slow, easy sound of his own breathing. All around his barely-conscious senses there was nothing but peace and stillness.

A stillness that one patch of sun had decided wouldn't last. For some time it had been streaming through the window next to the article. Slowly it had been growing as the sun ascended, climbing the covers that hung from the bed. Finally it was large enough to reach the unicorn's face. Now it was only seconds away from its destiny.

Suddenly, the darkness was stripped away.

Spike grunted, feeling his green irises contract in shock. The red haze of light filtering through his eyelids filled his vision. Half-remembered dreams and thoughts whirled through his waking mind in a confusing whirlwind. His senses were in agony, a distant tapping noise echoing through his ears as his eyes sought some refuge from the illumination.

Warmth flowed into his horn, and he could feel the green energy spark to life around it. Instinct drove the spell as he reached out for something familiar. Something that would stop the light and end his torment. The telekinetic grip sealed and gave a sharp yank down—

There was a crackling noise and a brief scent of ozone as the spell found only empty air. Spike gasped as his entire body suddenly jerked, the backlash of a failed spell trembling through his mind. His eyes flew open with the sudden shock, a blob of brilliant sunlight dazzling them as he feebly lifted one hoof to try and block its path.

For a few seconds, he panted for breath as the light-induced pain in his eyes subsided. With one final, slow exhalation he shifted his hoof to the side; squinting at the blob of warm light that made up the far wall. The former Canterlot resident's vision slowly cleared, and his green eye traced over the scene before him. Travelling from his own likeness in the framed article on the wall, to the picture window that had let in the cruel sunlight.

A picture window, he now recalled, that lacked any blinds and (consequently) lacked the drawstring he'd reached for.

A disgruntled noise rose from his throat at the faultiness of his half-sleeping memory. He kicked out his legs, his heavy body beginning to turn over to carry his face from the light. Spike yawned as his eyes started to drift shut, sealing out the world to find a few more minutes of peaceful rest.

As he landed on his other side, his eyes suddenly widened in shock. His brain halted as he found himself facing a pair of violet eyes, narrowed in agitation.

"Finally awake, I see," a frustrated voice spoke.

"GAAH!"

With a startled cry, the unicorn tried to push away. His limbs failed wildly as he felt his rear slip over the edge of the bed. With a painful thud he found himself dumped to the floor in a tangle of purple limbs and linen sheets.

A low groan came from the muzzle of Spike "Purple Prose" Flail as he lay very still on the floor. Some manner of purple blob leered down from his bed as his vision swam from the fresh backache. A shake of his head sent the spikes of his mane flopping, his eyes swirling as his sight tried to pull itself back together.

"Twilight?" he grunted, his voice croaking with the remnants of sleep.

The purple blob had come into focus, revealing the decidedly un-amused face of a baby dragoness. Despite the fact that the pain was already fading, Spike still winced at the sight of her. An irritated sigh reached his ears as she jumped down from his bed. The darker violet spines on her head were sent bobbing as she landed next to him.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked, her claws hooking under his side.

Spike grunted as he was rolled back to his hooves. Bleary-eyed, he glanced toward the sunlight-filled window. His awakening brain whirred, trying to find an answer to appease its new reptilian taskmaster.

" Um..." he groaned, barely managing to stifle a yawn. "About seven?"

Another glare directed itself at him. Spike swallowed back another budding yawn as his mind continued its sluggish thoughts.

"Seven-thirty?" he corrected, giving a lopsided grin.

"Try eight o'clock," Twilight admonished as she crossed her arms.

The unicorn's hoof rubbed the back of his head as he bit back another groan. Twilight simply rolled her eyes as she turned toward his bed. Her claws set to work, gathering up the fallen sheets and setting them back into place.

"Eight o'clock isn't late..." Spike found himself muttering.

"But think of all the stuff you could be getting done!" Twilight responded, not even glancing back as she worked on the bed. "All the scoops you might have missed out on, or helping clean this place up..."

Spike winced, his ears flattening as the dragon went on. He could feel half his mind trying to tune Twilight out. An encouraging urge pulled from inside for him to just drift off again. An urge he pointedly ignored as he reminded himself Twilight was still standing within claw-pinch distance.

"... I mean I already reorganized the shelves downstairs," Twilight hadn't missed a beat as she spoke, smoothing out the sheets one final time. "Plus I swept, dusted, made breakfast—"

"Whoa, did you even sleep last night?" Spike asked, his eyes going wide.

Rather unexpectedly, Twilight suddenly froze in place. A few seconds of silence followed, the truth slowly dawning on Spike's waking brain. He could feel a grin crawl across his muzzle at the dragon's silence. His body began gently shake, trying to hold back as Twilight wavered a bit on her claws.

"Well..." she stammered, knitting her claws as she turned around. "I... maybe I..."

"You were up all night with some homecare book," Spike guessed, covering his mouth before anything more could slip loose.

Even under the scales, he could just make out small bags under Twilight's eyes. Her gaze was turned to the floor, slowly lifting to finally meet his.

"It was just a cookbook," she admitted, letting out a nervous chuckle. "By the time I was done it was almost sunrise and... well, those recipes would be a waste if I didn't try them, right?"

Her tone sounded almost as proud as it did embarrassed. Silence hung between Spike and Twilight for a brief moment before he finally couldn't hold it in any longer. The laughter finally found his voice, almost sending him rolling to the floor again. Twilight's own giggle quickly joined, her scaly body leaning against him as the two shook with laughter.

"So, I heard breakfast in all that?" Spike finally said as his chuckles slowed.

Twilight's claw patted his side as she flashed him a fanged grin.

"Cranberry-orange muffins," Twilight said as she plodded toward the steps down. "They're waiting downstairs when you're ready."

Spike smiled as he started after her, down to the lower tier of the bed room. His magic reignited as Twilight quickly disappeared into the stairwell down to the library's main floor. He turned his focus back to the room around him, willing his green light onto several objects nearby.

With a quick jerk of his head, a pair of saddlebags swirled through the air onto his back, covering his quill-shaped cutie mark. A handful of spare quills darted after them, along with several notepads and ink vials that loaded themselves into the pouches. Following the parade of writing utensils came a brown fedora, a white quill stuck into its black band, which settled between his ears with practiced flourish.

The young stallion turned to a nearby mirror, flashing his reflection a grin. His horn gave one final spark, tilting his hat to a jaunty angle before he gave a nod of approval. Humming a bit, Spike started toward the stairwell. He could already smell the warm scent of fresh muffins wafting from the floor below.

"SPECIAL DELIV—"

CRASH

The burst of noise from below sent him stumbling to a halt before he'd even made it three steps down. A few last, lonely thuds echoed up the stairwell as Spike stood stock still. He knew the voice hadn't been Twilight's, but was still one that rang with familiarity. His hoof met his face as the recognition quickly worked its way past the shock.

"Oh boy..." he muttered as he began racing down the stairs once more.

The purple pony couldn't recall the last time he'd reached the ground floor so quickly. Walls lined with books and a few small reading tables were the first things to greet him as he skidded to a halt. His gaze passed right over them, seeking the source of the voice he'd heard.

He didn't get far before his wandering eyes stopped. An entire wall of the room seemed to have ejected every book it housed to the floor. Cowering near the pile with a muffin tray over her head was Twilight. The dragon didn't seem to care in the slightest about the bits of food stuck in her spines as she trembled next to the large pile of fallen books. Spike trotted to her side, his magic levitating pieces of pastry from her.

"You alright, Twi?" Spike asked, carefully levitating his assistant back to her feet.

"I-I think so..." Twilight stammered as she wavered in place.

Spike let out a quick sigh of relief, his eyes returning to the room. A frown began to crease his features as he failed to find anypony else present though.

"So where's—" he started to ask.

The sound of tumbling books cut him off. The unicorn and dragon both stumbled back from the pile of tomes nearby, barely avoiding the ones that cascaded from the top. Spike's heart leapt to his throat as the entire heap began to tremble, his horn frantically lighting as he realized what was coming.

Just in the nick of time, a translucent dome of green light appeared around the purple duo and the books. The entire stack suddenly burst outward, multiple tomes bouncing off Spike's shield. The commotion died out quickly as the last of the books fell, leaving the far side of the barrier a scattered mess.

And standing in the middle of it all was a gray pegasus, a blue mailbag slung over her side. Despite the multitude of books that had covered her, she still had a huge grin on her muzzle. In fact, only one of her yellow eyes even seemed to be looking at the mess she had shrugged off. The other was focused directly on the young stallion across the shield from her.

"Morning Spike!" she said in a remarkably cheerful voice. "Hi Twilight!"

The shield rippled and fell away. Spike had one hoof over his mouth, jaw clamped firmly on his tongue. He couldn't help the grin crawling over his face but the heavy sigh Twilight had let out made laughing seem like a dangerous prospect this time.

"Oh Ditzy Doo, not again..." the purple reptile lamented as she rubbed at her temples.

Despite his assistance's stress, Spike couldn't help one thought that ran through his mind.

Just another morning in Ponyville...

Some way to start the day.

"Ow," the blue unicorn spoke in agreement with her own thought.

Seated in the back of her wagon, she winced as a cool, damp cloth pressed against her head. Her pointed hat sat to the side of the vanity mirror while she parted her white mane, searching for any further damage. She breathed a thankful sigh as the light of her horn revealed none.

"Talk about a fitting name..." she grumbled, her magic pressing a bit harder on her compress.

A sharp intake of breath whistled through her teeth. Jumbled pictures of gray wings and yellow eyes rolled over her. Just thinking about the moment caused her head to throb afresh, in spite of how lucky she had felt at the time.

Ditzy Doo (Element of Laughter)

That had been how the article's caption had labeled the gray mare. The unicorn remembered thinking that clearly when she saw her flying overhead. Somehow the coincidence had seemed so fortunate.

All up to the point of Ditzy's "landing."

"Ugh," grumbled the unicorn as she gingerly removed the cloth. "Why anypony would let her fly unsupervised—"

The blue mare cut herself off with a final gasp of pain as her hat settled on her head. She looked her reflection over again, nodding in satisfaction. The hat did a fine job covering the small bump, and already she could hear something outside her little wagon that was easing the rest of the pain.

Walking to the far wall, she clambered onto the bunk mounted there. One eye pressed against the nearly imperceptible hole, peering to the outside world. A smile grew on her muzzle as she saw the beginnings of a crowd of ponies. Not very many, but each of them holding a colorful poster via hoof, wing, or magic aura.

"Well, she got the job done," the mare told herself as she flopped down onto her bed. "That's the important thing."

Still smiling to herself, the mare's horn flared to life once more. From the nightstand nearby, a small picture frame floated toward her. She grasped it between blue hooves, her manic grin reducing to a nostalgic smirk as she gazed upon the photograph within.

A blue filly smiled back at her, a pointed wizard hat almost covering her eyes. A tiny, purple dragoness sat along her back; chewing away on the end of the filly's starry cape and exposing the star-shaped magic wand that made up her new cutie mark. A few other foals were visible, spread in the background, but what truly drew the eye was the colorful banner overhead.

CONGRATULATIONS TRIXIE!!!

Trixie's eyes gleamed as she put the picture back into place. She could still almost hear the music and chatter coming from it. Echoing back from within her memories. The chatter slowly mixed with jeering and laughter, and images of a certain purple stallion humiliated before the crowd.

She closed her eyes as the picture on her dresser watched on. A lone image of the happiest moment of her life.

Soon to be the second happiest.

Chapter 2

The sun continued its rolling path through the morning sky.

Just looking at it or the quiet cottages that lined the streets of Ponyville, one wouldn't guess how close disaster had come. How the quaint dirt roads and straw-roofed homes had nearly being shrouded by eternal night. All was peaceful and silent near the town's edge. Somehow, even the sun itself gave off the feeling as though its temporary imprisonment had been nothing more than a bad dream. It simply made its way above Ponyville, travelling its familiar path.

Though even the sun seemed to halt for a brief moment as it cleared the rooftops, shedding its light into the streets below.

All across the normally brown road were patches of garishly bright color. Blues, purples, pinks and even some white all blended into a chaotic mix; dotting the streets and buildings like strange flowers. If not for the occasional ripple of one in the summer breeze, an observer could be forgiven for thinking some crazy pony had gotten their hooves on Equestria's strangest business stamp.

One such observer was staring down the littered street, an eyebrow raise so far it was dangerously close to tangling with her brown hood.

Her gaze slowly shifted back and forth along the road. Not a single living soul was in sight. The only indication that anypony had come through was the brightly hued posters fluttering in the occasional wind. Cautiously, the cloaked traveler trotted to one of the pages. A striped hoof darted out, pinning the flier in place as her eyes narrowed on it. She could just make out black writing on the paper, straining to stand out against its own background.

The most amazing show of your life!

A guaranteed, unforgettable experience!

Come see the magic of

THE AMAZING SPARKLER!!!

LIVE!

9:30 in front of Town Hall

The hoof lifted, releasing the poster to the breeze. Looking up, the cloak-wearer could make out the wooden spire of Ponyville's central building jutting over its fellows.

With the soft clop of hooves on the path, she started toward the structure.

Chapter 2

Hat? Check.

Trixie was wishing she'd set her show time for earlier.

The view out of the peepholes on either side of her wagon had only done so much to stave off her anxiousness. Much like the newspaper she'd torched, she'd been looking outside so much she could already picture the plaza beyond in her head.

Cape? Check.

The (somewhat) impressively tall tower that the locals called Town Hall took up the entire view out of one side. From this close she couldn't even see the top with her limited view outside.

The other peephole would undoubtedly show half of what she wanted. The large town square, dotted with flag poles flying colorful banners. Small stalls selling fruits, vegetables, and flowers were scattered along the edges in a makeshift market place. Given that they'd only sprung up in the last half-hour, Trixie had a safe guess about the cause.

Stage make-up? Check.

Looking through the peephole to the plaza once more revealed the suspected source. A sizeable crowd of ponies milled about, most simply shopping at the vendors. A few seemed content to sit or stand near her cart, simply chatting amongst themselves. Almost all of them holding one of her posters, adding their bright blues and pinks to the rainbow crowd filling Town Square.

"So where is he?" Trixie muttered, her eyes narrowing in frustration.

Anticipation set her hooves pacing once more and drew her eyes to the small clock at the back of the wagon. Trixie's teeth clenched as her mind started through its pre-show checklist for the umpteenth time.

"Ooooh... Ten minutes until show time," she spoke in a low growl. "What, did he get lost or something?"

Her pacing stopped as she mulled the words over. A small smirk lit the mare's features followed by a giggle.

"Okay, that could be funny," she admitted to herself as she walked back to the peephole.

The same crowd waited outside. Now with even more ponies migrating to join it with the approach of nine-thirty. Trixie shifted, straining to find some angle to look out to see more of the plaza beyond her audience.

There!

She stopped, a small dot of purple across Town Square catching her attention. Purple eyes widened along with her smile as she just managed to make out a sprig of green mane attached to the dot. She barely even acknowledge the speck of gray above him or the smaller purple mite on his back.

"Perfect," she said.

"Hurry up, Spike!" Ditzy's voice called from above. "We're gonna miss the show!"

Two weeks ago, the unicorn might have been worried about a pegasus trying to fly so soon after crashing. Two weeks ago, he knew, he'd definitely get worried about them flying backwards.

Two weeks ago, the reporter recalled, he hadn't known Ditzy Doo.

The Element of Laughter didn't seem worried in the slightest about her bubble-marked flank leading her flight. As much as Spike wanted to return her infectious grin, his green eyes instead darted to a powder-blue envelope hovering nearby. Supported by his magic, it had contained nothing but another copy of the garish posters that had been seeded around Ponyville.

One with six simple words written across the back of it.

Can't wait to see you, Spike.

Even after nearly an hour re-shelving books, those words felt like they were burned to the inside of his eyelids. Something about the loopy cursive tickled at the back of his mind even as it had drawn his eyes to it again and again.

"Still looking at your mail?" Ditzy asked, her voice suddenly much closer to ground level.

Spike lifted the letter aside, his hooves halting just in time to avoid bumping into Ditzy Doo's upside-down face. He tapped at his chest with one hoof, taking a breath as his heart regained its rhythm. Ditzy hadn't seemed to notice, simply giggling as she twisted in midair and landed on all fours.

"Spike, honestly! You need to watch where you're going," Twilight scolded from his back. "I know fan mail is great, but you haven't put that thing away since we left the library!"

A purple claw darted out and snatched the letter from his telekinetic grip. Spike's head whipped so fast his hat almost flew off as the envelope was pulled back. Twilight sat in her favored spot on his back, the letter clenched in her claws and a frustrated frown on her face.

"Come on, Twi," Spike said, emerald light sparking around his horn. "Let me enjoy the fame for once?"

With a quick, magical tug, Spike's mail was pulled from Twilight's claws. An action, he noticed, that did little to lighten her expression. The sudden brush of gray feathers over her side, however, caused her to jump. Spike bit down on his tongue to avoid laughing as Twilight struggled to keep her balance.

"Ditzy-hee hee!" Twilight admonished, trying to suppress her giggles as she pushed the mailmare's wing away. "Cut it out!"

"Aww, why so grumpy Twilight," Ditzy asked, fluttering her feathers. "Aren't you excited about the magic show?"

Spike could feel the dragon's balance shift as she just managed to grab hold of his mane. The tug on his hair quickly wiped away his own smirk as Twilight swallowed back her laughter.

"Look, it's not... I do want to see the show," Twilight said, crossing her arms. "But we also have a job to do."

"I know, I know," Spike said as he started walking again. "But we handled the Summer Sun Celebration and Nightmare Moon! Covering this should be easy."

His horn sparked once more, pulling a quill and notepad from his saddlebag. As they floated dutifully to the side, his gaze followed only to stop. The invitation was still hovering innocuously in his magic grip, and Spike could feel curiosity begin to bubble into his mind.

"Spike, this is the biggest thing to hit town since then," he could hear Twilight say with a heavy sigh. "And we only got enough interviews for the Celebration thanks to Pinkie Pie."

"Well, there's a whole bunch of ponies around," Ditzy's pointed out. "Why not talk to some of them now?"

Spike could almost see the colors bleeding out through the envelope. More importantly, though, was the message on the back. The loopy penmanship prodded at the back of his head...

"Usually that comes after the show. But we should plan who to speak with now," Twilight explained, her claws rattling as she drummed them on her camera. "That way we're not just running around like last time, remember Spike?"

... something felt familiar about it...

"Spike?"

... he could swear he'd seen it before...

"Spike! Watch o—"

"GANGWAY!"

Twilight's shout had started to pull Spike out of his thoughts. The newer, shriller voice finished the job. He looked up with a start, searching for where it had come from.

Just in time to see a blue and orange blur heading straight for him.

He could feel Twilight leap from his back in the split second before it reached them. He had just enough time to realize the blur was a pair of unicorn colts before the taller of the two tried to leap over him. The purple stallion gasped as the lanky, orange pony sprang off his back. Spike's legs splayed under the unexpected weight, sending him sprawling to the ground. Just in time for the chubbier, blue colt to gallop after his friend, leaving a trail of hoof-shaped aches across the reporter's back.

Knockdown number two.

Spike groaned, willing his brain to keep its tally to itself. As the hooves of his attackers trampled into the distance, Ditzy's concerned face filled his vision.

"You okay Spike?" she asked, hooking a hoof under him.

The young stallion could only let out another grunt. The ache in his sides and back discouraging any attempts to talk as the mailmare started to pull him back to his hooves. Looking up he could see Twilight, seated on Ditzy's back now with a nervous little smile on her face.

"Wow... heh heh heh," Twilight said with an awkward chuckle. "Um... I hate to say 'I tried to warn you' but..."

Spike simply let out another groan in response.

"Oh dear," another new voice spoke up. "Is everypony alright?"

A soft clop of approaching hooves accompanied the voice, and Spike turned to see something purple coming closer. That was all he had time to see as the support of Ditzy's hooves suddenly vanished. With a startled cry, the unicorn sprawled back to the ground once more.

"Hi Cheerilee!" Ditzy cheered, oblivious to her blunder as she waved enthusiastically.

Spike did his best to ignore Twilight's stifled giggles. Seeing the deep-purple mare that approached made that easier. The kindly look in her green eyes and sympathetic smile on her face both brought to mind the article that hung over his bed. Perhaps that was why he couldn't help but see the caption appear under her for a brief moment.

Cheerilee (Element of Kindness)

"I guess I'm not the only one to run into Snips and Snails today," she said, offering a hoof to the stallion. "You're not hurt are you?"

"Ugh... I don't think so," Spike managed to say, his voice finally coming back.

The teacher's hoof gently pulled him back up as soon as he took it. Something tickled over his side, the ache from his trampling throbbing as he tried to suppress a laugh from the sensation. Ditzy's wing continued to brush over him, sending small clouds of road dust puffing off of his coat.

"I'm sorry about my students, Spike," Cheerilee was still speaking, her tone worried. "I just don't know what's gotten into them."

"Maybe Sparkler made their manners disappear," Twilight suggested, one claw covering her smirking mouth. "Those posters seem to have that effect."

Spike didn't need to look at the dragon to know she was jerking her head toward him. Cheerilee simply looked confused as the unicorn rolled his eyes. He started to turn toward Twilight, mouth opening for his own retort—

CRACK-BOOM

An ear-splitting explosion almost sent Spike to the ground again. He spun to find the source, barely able to hear the oooh's of the distant crowd over the ringing in his ears. In the sky near Town Hall, a blossom of colorful lights was slowly drifting to the ground. It was swiftly replaced by several smaller, much quieter bursts as more fireworks popped into the air.

"Oh boy!" Ditzy cheered, her wings flaring. "The show's starting!"

"I noticed..." Spike said, his ears flattening in pain.

"Well, it seems Miss 'Sparkler' knows how to get attention," Cheerilee commented, glancing away from the fireworks. "Twilight? Is something wrong?"

Spike tore his own eyes away from the pyrotechnic spectacle and back to the dragoness. Twilight was scrambling to adjust her camera, her face suddenly flushed with panic.

"We haven't prepared yet!" Twilight fretted. "We still need to get good seats for the pictures and taking notes and WHOA!"

She was cut off as Ditzy suddenly took off in a blur of gray feathers. Spike's hoof flew itself, pinning down his hat before the resulting slipstream could yank it away. Twilight's shout was carried away with the wind, leaving a trail of very startled ponies in its wake. Before Spike could even blink, there was a clear path through the crowd ahead, leaving a rather large wagon visible under the cloud of crackling fireworks.

"So..." Spike said, carefully lowering his hoof and looking to Cheerilee. "Want to join us?"

"How can I refuse with an invitation like that?" Cheerilee answered, one hoof covering her mouth.

Whether it was shock or trying to suppress a laugh, Spike wasn't sure. Whichever it may have been, the two darted off. They quickly vanished into the ever-growing herd attracted by the dancing colors above. The attention of everypony in the plaza was magnetically drawn to the firework spewing cart.

If anypony had bothered to turn around, they might have noticed the cloaked figure sidle into the plaza from a narrow side street. She stopped just at the edge of the Town Square, watching the swelling ranks of the mob.

Her rear settled to the ground as she took a seat, her eyes focused on the show ahead.

Trixie groaned as she picked herself up from the floor of her wagon.

"Is she doing that on purpose?" she grumbled, stomping over the peephole.

The blue mare didn't have to look far for the source of the shockwave that had knocked her flat. Especially since most of the ponies outside were suddenly going out of their way to give her space. If Ditzy Doo even noticed that nopony was coming within five strides after her explosive entrance, she certainly didn't care. Trixie could see she still wore the same vapid smile as she stared up at the pyrotechnics launching above the wagon.

Something purple slowly slid from the gray mare's back, causing Trixie to bite back her grumblings lest she be heard. Twilight had one claw to her head, gasping for breath and wearing the expression of one that had just taken an unbelievably fast trip.

"Ditzy Doo! Twilight!"

Somepony shouting pulled the pegasus and dragon duo's attention, and Trixie's eyes followed them. The path that Ditzy had inadvertently plowed through the crowd was closing fast as more ponies joined. Not fast enough to keep a pair of purple ponies from joining them, however.

Trixie didn't even spare a glance for the mare who walked up to Ditzy, shaking her head all the while. The showmare's eyes immediately went to Spike. The stallion seemed barely able to control his chuckling as he walked over Twilight. Though Trixie couldn't make out what was he was saying between the explosions of her own magical fireworks overhead, and the slowly returning chatter of the crowd.

The grin on his face all she could perceive, and that was enough. The same smirk he wore in the article that was scattered somewhere on the winds around Ponyville. A mocking smile that he continued to wear even as he waved off a giggling apology from Ditzy. One that didn't falter even with Twilight delivering a quick jab to his side with a roll of her eyes.

Behind her, the clock she had set began to ring furiously.

"Show time," Trixie growled, her horn flaring with pink energy.

The wagon rattled around her, the foot locker and vanity shoving themselves aside. A purple curtain snaked around, placing itself between her and the wall. Trixie took a deep breath, her magic flashing once more to fold her cot back into the wall with sharp BANG!

She could hear ponies shout in surprise as the wall shook with the impact before falling out. In her mind's eye she could see the stage unfold and force the audience back. The unicorn could feel the hidden caches around the wagon spring open, releasing scores of trumpets that began blaring music. The sky appeared above her as the roof flipped open, several firework spewing devices rising out of the top to lend their ammo to the vibrant show her magic had already created above.

She took one final, deep breath, feeling the flow of magic steady. Pink energy tingled around the clasp of her cape and a smile came back to her muzzle.

"Fillies and gentlecolts! Foals of all ages!" she called out, feeling the gem-clasp vibrate. "Come one, come all!"

Beyond the curtain she could hear the audience fall silent. Not that she imagined anypony could hear anything other than her magically amplified voice. She cautiously peeked through a gap in the curtain, smiling as she made sure the eyes of everypony were on the stage.

"Come and witness the most amazing show of your lives!" she intoned, her horn sparkling again with one last spell. "Come and see the magic of—"

Another deafening BANG was slightly muffled by the curtains. A thick cloud of blue smoke filled the stage, and Trixie's legs kicked off the ground as hard as she could. An easy leap through the curtain, right into center stage as the smokescreen began to fade.

"THE AMAZING SPARKLER!"

She almost regretted the extra decibels. The sound of her stage name echoing from the buildings caused her ears to flatten on instinct. The pain was nothing, however, compared to the swell of pride as cheers followed the sound of her spectacle. A few hooves stomping on the ground in polite applause as the smoke began to clear.

And even those faded to silence as she was revealed to her audience and looked down at the ponies in the front row.

She smiled right into the shocked, green eyes of a purple stallion.

Chapter 3

A thick, gray veil covered all around him.

Hoofsteps echoed as Spike slowly pushed his stubby legs forward. The unicorn colt's breath came in short, frightened gulps as he struggled to keep running. His head snapped back and forth, his eyes searching frantically for... anything. Any landmark, any other ponies, anything other than the impenetrable mist.

Nothing. Only the shimmering green of his horn reflecting off the fog.

Spike's hooves slowed as he struggled to catch his breath. He couldn't even think of how long he'd been running without getting anywhere. A quiet whimper escaped his muzzle as he turned in place.

Laughter answered him.

Spike gasped, spinning faster, trying to find the source of the sound. The laughter seemed to carry from all around, though. Echoing from every direction in the fog around him. The stinging, mocking laugh of a filly that seemed to only grow louder and louder...

With a startled cry, the colt felt his legs tangle. His constant spinning finally took its toll on his sense of balance, pitching him to the ground. He grunted in pain as he struck, the air rushing from his lungs at the impact.

Almost as though waiting for that sort of signal, the fog vanished in a swirl of unfelt wind.

The sun was bright again, suddenly. Spike could see swings and other playground equipment. It was all sitting just beyond the group of fillies and colts, all of whom were laughing as he tried to push himself back to his hooves. He groaned as his legs tangled, unable to lift him as the world continued to tilt beneath him. His green eyes darted, trying to find something to focus on other than the rolling sea of color before him.

A point of pale-blue stood out, if only for the dazzling cape with glittery stars that she wore. It was clear the filly wearing the cape had a high opinion of herself, given the extra sparkle in her carefully groomed coat. A twisted smirk adorned her muzzle as the last traces of smoke faded from around her horn.

Spike blinked rapidly, trying to push away the memories. A task made more difficult as his eyes kept gravitating back toward the stage and its occupant. Despite his best efforts, the stallion couldn't help the comparison running through his head.

The same blue coat and white mane. The same star-patterned cape and matching wizard hat. The same smug smirk on her face as she drank in the attention of the crowd. Suddenly the familiarity of the letter he'd received made sense. And all of it sent one question screaming through his mind.

What is she doing here?

Chapter 3

"Spike?"

Something flickered past the stallion's face, jumping between him and the blue mare. Spike shook his head, his eyes struggling to focus on the gray blur as it continued to bob up and down before him.

With a gasp, he quickly took a step back. Just in time to avoid Ditzy's hoof smacking him over the nose. A pair of yellow eyes quickly moved into his vision, followed by the rest of the mailmare's face as a relieved smile filled it.

"Oh good, you're okay!" Ditzy exclaimed, her voice raised to be heard over the crowd still around them. "You kinda looked like you had a tummy-ache for a second."

Spike couldn't answer. A breath forced itself down his throat as he leaned to the side to look past the pegasus pony. The blue performer still seemed more interested in enjoying the welcoming cheers from her audience, even as they died down. The reporter's body tensed as he saw her eyes dart down. Her smile grew slightly as their gaze lighted on him for the briefest of moments.

"Dizty—" Spike started to ask.

"Thank you, Ponyville!" A sudden burst of the mare's voice suddenly caused Spike's ears to flatten in pain. "The Amazing Sparkler is so glad to see so many of you could make it today!"

A bit more perfunctory applause rose up as Spike quickly turned away from the stage. His quill and notepad lay somewhere near his hooves, his spell on them forgotten. A fact that paled in priority to the gray pony stamping her hooves on the ground next to him.

"Ditzy!" Spike snapped, almost startling himself with how loud his voice sounded.

The mare jumped in shock, her wings holding her aloft for an instant as she twisted to look at Spike. The reporter's breath was coming much faster, a buzz of questions in his head drowning out the sound of the world around him.

"That's Sparkler?" he managed to sputter out. "The pony you handed the fliers out for?"

"Um... yeah?" Ditzy answered, her voice worried as she slowly lowered to the ground.

"Spike?" Cheerilee's voice cut in. "Is everything alright?"

The purple stallion spun to face the teacher. For a brief second, the tumult of words spinning through his mind quieted. Cheerilee's mouth was drawn in a tight line, her eyes shining with concern and her brow furrowed.

"That's—" he started to answer, his voice quieter.

KRACK-BOOM!

Another firework exploded overhead. Spike's jaw snapped shut so hard at the noise it was a marvel he didn't bite his tongue.

"So then!" 'Sparkler' called out, the remains of the colorful burst falling around her. "Who's ready to witness the power of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?"

A low growl rumbled in the stallion's throat as he glared toward the stage. Underneath the sound of the crowd's resuming cheers, Spike could just barely hear laughter. The same sort that still echoed in the swirls of gray mist he was struggling not to think of. Heat rushed through his face as his teeth ground in time with the speeding beat of his heart. His green eyes narrowing into laser-tight focus on the mare at the center of everypony's attention.

"Spike?" Cheerilee's voice somehow broke in over the other sounds. "Do you... do you know that pony?"

"Glad to hear it!" The mare called out before Spike could even consider answering. "And for her first amazing feat of magic, Sparkler shall require a volunteer from the audience!"

Spike's head pounded at the volume of the voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a few eager hooves rising into the air. His own began to stomp forward, his migraine and sore ears begging for the blue mare to be quiet. To speak up and silence her before the laughter in his mind could catch up with the present.

"Spike?"

The voice was so soft Spike paused to wonder how he'd heard it in the first place. His growl and his legs stopped as he realized just how close to his ear it had sounded. Almost as though the one speaking were sitting right on his back.

"Um... maybe..." the voice of his nearly-forgotten passenger continued. "Maybe we should just go home?"

Spike's head snapped around, his jaw flying open to protest.

His voice, and the tormenting laughter he'd been replaying, faded as he laid eyes on Twilight.

Spike could swear the little dragon's scales were a shade paler than normal. Not that she seemed to notice that, nor the clawmarks she was leaving on her camera. Her gaze was flickering, jumping between the stage and Spike.

Somewhere up on the stage, the showmare was hemming and hawing loudly as a few excited voice joined the hooves in the crowd. From either side he could see Ditzy Doo and Cheerilee emerge, stepping alongside him. Both of them giving the trembling bundle of scales he carried a concerned look, Ditzy even running a wing gently over her back.

He could feel the boiling anger quiet even as the background sound of the magic show continued. Fading as Twilight slipped lower on his back, almost as though she were trying to shrink into him. The whirlwind of thoughts whipping through his brain slowly becoming more organized—

"How about, you sir!"

Something tingled at the top of his head, drawing those thoughts toward it. Spike's eyes turned up just in time to see a pink aura shimmer around his hat. He gasped as it suddenly leapt from his skull, soaring away on an unfelt breeze.

"Hey!" Spike protested, twisting forward again to follow the fleeing headgear.

His jaw tightened again as his searching eyes quickly found the stolen fedora. It hovered in place, still gripped in pink magic. Right next to it was the smirking, blue face of the unicorn on stage.

"So what do you say?" she asked, her voice finally dropping to a normal volume. "Come join Sparkler up on stage!"

Or do you need a written invitation?!

Behind her smile, Trixie bit down on her tongue to keep the thought from slipping out. Both to preserve the enthusiastic facade and what was left of her throat. She could still feel her vocal chords straining to hold together after so much magically amplified work.

A feeling that was worth it as Spike's glare returned, narrowing right on her. She could almost see the steam puff from his nostrils as she set the hat floating in a lazy orbit around her.

Come on, come on...

Her heart jumped in excitement as the stallion started forward.

"Spike, wait!" the purple mare (Cheerilee, Trixie now remembered from the article) protested. "What about Twilight?"

Inwardly, the blue mare cursed as the teacher put a hoof in his path. Spike came to a halt, some chatter rising from the audience behind him. Trixie could barely resist biting her lip as her target looked to his passenger once again. Her mind raced, her eyes searching for something to get his attention. Something other than the little dragon that cringed as Trixie laid eyes on her...

"What's wrong? Your friends seem a little worried," Trixie said, watching as Twilight's tail twisted in her claws. "It's not like you're going to embarrass yourself!"

The corners of Trixie's mouth curled up a bit higher as Spike's ears twitched at those words. The chatter from the audience was starting to grow louder, noise that she simply pushed aside as she focused on the stallion.

"I mean, you're only going to be onstage with the most amazingly powerful magician in all of Equestria..." she finished, casually batting at the fedora as it started another lap around her.

"Spike... Spike... Spike..."

Trixie's hoof missed its target as her gaze and the (apparently very recognizable) hat both jerked back toward the audience, the fedora almost slipping from her grip. The chatter was fading, all of it joining into one word that the crowd was chanting in unison. She bit down on her tongue, her eye twitching slightly as she contemplated the benefits of another barrage of fireworks...

She pushed the thought back, forcing her attention back to Spike. The reporter was taking deep breaths, his head lowered. Trixie could see Twilight tugging at his mane, pointing back toward the streets of Ponyville and trying to say something over the noise of the crowd.

The showmare's head rang with a victory cry as Spike's horn lit, surrounding Twilight in a green aura. The little dragon gasped, reaching for the stallion as she was levitated from his back and onto Cheerilee's. The crowd's chanting ceased, replaced by thunderous applause as Spike clambered up onto the stage.

Trixie tried her best not to grit her teeth. Despite the adoration being louder than anything her show had received.

They'll be changing their tune soon...

"Well, sounds like we have quite a celebrity," Trixie announced, barely avoiding biting off the last word. "Now where have I heard that name before..."

She could see green magic flare from Spike as he drew level with her. Her own horn tingled as the aura began to mix with her spell around the hat. With a mischievous smirk, she paced stage left, one hoof to her chin in mock-contemplation.

"Spike, Spike..." she mused, hearing a frustrated snort as the fedora followed her away from its owner's grasp. "Nooo... it couldn't be!"

The green had just started to appear around the hat again as she spun back toward Spike. Fortunately a bright, fake smile already lit up her features, blending nicely into a real one as she saw the confusion on the stallion's face.

"Spike Flail? The pony that defeated Nightmare Moon?" she said, making sure her voice had a higher lilt for her 'amazement'. "The Element of Magic?"

Her teeth clamped on the inside of her cheek as she felt laughter build up inside. Spike was staring at her, his mouth half open at her words, his magic already cut off again. Trixie could almost see smoke pouring from his ears. She could hear his brain boiling, trying to figure out how serious her words were as she began to circle around him.

"Yeah," he finally answered, head swiveling to follow the mare. "Yeah, that's me."

"Hmm, funny. Sparkler expected somepony more... impressive," Trixie commented, barely keeping a chuckle from slipping out. "You don't look like much of a magician."

Trixie could hear a few gasps and mutters from the crowd. Murmurs that she happily ignored as she admired how quickly Spike shifted back to his baleful glare.

"What's th—" the stallion bit his words back, clenching his jaw as he shook his head. "Look, I just want my hat back."

"This ratty old thing?" Trixie asked, floating the headgear in question a bit higher. "Ha! I bet you couldn't even pull a rabbit out of it."

With a casual flick of her head, the fedora spun away. She smiled as a new spell wrapped around it just as it came to a halt over Spike's head. A small, invisible hole beginning to open in the air within the hat, reaching to connect to another in her chest of props backstage.

"A pity with all the bait you keep inside," she said, willing the spell to completion.

A spark of pink lit inside just as Spike's magic grabbed hold. Immediately, a barrage of carrots tumbled from the hat. Trixie savored the shock painted on the stallion's face the split-second before the vegetables struck.

"Ow! OW!" Spike shouted as the barrage bounced off his head. "Ow, ow, ow!"

A bit of laughter carried through the plaza as a small pile of carrots gathered at Spike's hooves. Trixie could feel her ribs crack as she barely restrained her own laugh to a fit of giggles hidden behind her hoof. Spike rubbed at his head, his magic jamming the hat back into place as he glared at the mare.

"Why you—" he snarled, starting toward the mare.

Trixie just maintained her smirk, her horn sparking to life again. The green, leafy tops of the carrots squirmed, swiftly tangling around Spike's hooves. He gasped as his hoof failed to lift, his body pitching forward onto the hard wood stage. Trixie's cheeks bulged with barely restrained laughter as he smacked face-first to the ground.

"Wow, quite the hero," she choked out between snickers.

Spike growled, his own magic working to disentangle the plants. Her body shook as the last bits of self-control faded. Laughter began to pour out, far overshadowing any of the polite chuckles coming from the audience.

"Wha-what's wrong? Can't take a joke?" she asked, pacing closer as spoke around her merriment. "Al-although, Sparkler didn't think the E-Element of Magic would fall for that one..."

"Would you—" Spike grunted, scrambling to get back to his hooves.

"I-I mean..." Trixie's voice broke for another barrage of giggles. "It's such a simple—"

That was the furthest she got before a nimbus of green swirled around Spike. The hostile carrots were quickly flung away as he sprang back to his hooves. Trixie stumbled back, her laughter ending immediately as barely ducked a few of the root vegetables.

"Would you cut it out, Trixie!?"

Trixie blinked in shock at the volume of Spike's voice. The reporter stood before her, panting from the brief outburst, his heavy breathing filling the silence. Breathing, accompanied by slowly rising mutters of confusion spreading through the rest of the ponies gathered.

Okay... this works too.

It was sooner than she'd planned, but she could hear her name whispering among the crowd. Spreading like a cloud of embers, waiting for a spark. Trixie could almost hear the chanting rising. She smiled as she stepped forward, barely constraining her anticipation for the moment.

"Well, well, Spike," Trixie said, patting the stallion on the cheek. "Here I was afraid you didn't remember me!"

She could feel the stallion grimace just before he pulled back. Not that Trixie particularly cared as she spun away in turn. Befuddled whispers still coursed through the audience, ponies shuffling to get a better view of what was transpiring.

"Then again, I guess it's hard to forget an old classmate," Trixie continued, making sure to glance back to Spike as she projected her voice toward the crowd. "Especially when she's Princess Celestia's personal student!"

The collective gasp carried through the audience like a strong breeze. The tide of murmuring voices was rising again, but staying at the edge of quiet. Ready to hush just as soon as Trixie spoke again. Even the unexpected addition in the front row pushed Trixie's smile wider and wider. The sight of Twilight slowly nodding to Spike's other companions. Ditzy Doo's eyes widening in slowly dawning comprehension as Cheerilee's hoof moved to her mouth in shock.

The sound of Spike's hooves stomping up behind her—

"That's right, citizens of Ponyville!" Trixie shouted, her horn flaring.

A gust of wind accompanied the dramatic sweep of her hooves as she reared onto her hind legs. A startled cry sounded as she heard the satisfying smack of her cape striking Spike in the face.

"'The Amazing Sparkler' is, in fact, Trixie Lullamoon!" she went on, willing her magic up toward the firework launchers. "Prodigy of magic, hoof picked by Princess Celestia—"

"And a big, cheating bully!"

Spike's mouth snapped shut as he rubbed at his sore eye, burning anger suddenly freezing in his chest. Despite his eye still watering and stinging, his hoof dropped away so it could widen in surprise. That hadn't been his voice that interrupted Trixie. If anypony were more surprised by that than him it would...

Well, it would have to be the cape-wearing mare before him. The one whose wide eyes were probing out into the plaza as trailing, pink sparks fizzled from around her horn.

"Wha-ho-wh-" Trixie stammered, her hooves slamming back to the stage. "What was that?!"

"Booo!" the voice called out again. "Booooo!"

Curiosity fully piqued, Spike cautiously stepped around Trixie (making sure to stay well clear of the cape this time.) He almost wanted to cringe upon seeing the owner of the voice. Only the shock of who it was kept him staring at her with the rest of the audience.

"Rainbow Dash?" he muttered, eyebrow raising at the sight of a blue pegasus.

For a brief second, Spike feared the rainbow-maned mare was glaring daggers at him. He could almost hear accusations of treason, of working for Nightmare Moon, and the intense glare of those pink eyes drilling through him. A glance away from them found the true target, however: The unresponsive Trixie to his side.

He almost wanted to give the mare credit. Her gaping-mouth stare at least looking closer to talking than anything he'd managed in the same position.

"Yeah, you heard me!" Rainbow Dash carried on, her hooves waving in the air for attention. "Not such a show-off now, are-Hey!"

"Pot callin' the kettle much, Rainbow?" scolded the accented voice of an orange mare beneath the pegasus.

The crowd parted a bit, giving the two mares more space as the earth pony tugged again on Rainbow Dash's tail. The weather manager struggled for a second, almost knocking her attacker's Stetson off before being yanked to the ground with a grumpy look on her face.

"Now just what's gotten into ya?" the farmmare asked, straightening her hat.

"Uh, hello? You heard the same stories I did, right AJ?" Ranbow Dash asked, gesturing toward the stage for emphasis. "The ones about a former student of the princess? One that knew Spike?"

The stallion in question could see Trixie recoil slightly at the pegasus pony's question. The silence that had fallen over the crowd only lasted a second longer before a sharp gasp broke through it.

"Oh, of course! Trixie!" spoke a white unicorn near the other two mares. "Wait, you mean... that's the dreadful little filly that used to pick on poor Spike?"

Spike blinked and rubbed at his eyes before looking into the crowd again. Somewhere inside, a part of him screamed upon realizing his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. That the mare that had just spoken had an unmistakably rich, purple mane done in an exquisite curl. That Rarity, of all ponies, had seen him made an utter fool of in front of the entire town.

"Huh, lookin' to me like she ain't changed much since then," Applejack spoke up, her eyes narrowing.

"Well, she certainly has some nerve," Rarity said with a curt nod. "Coming here just to bully Spike again!"

Spike's internal scream slowly quieted, his ears twitching as more chattering began to sweep through the crowd. Murmurs of agreement joining with the three mares that had spoken up. More than a few glares joining Applejack's, directing themselves to the showmare beside him.

"Wha... wait..." Trixie stammered under her breath, taking a nervous step back. "They... they already know about me?"

Spike glanced from Trixie to the audience, one eyebrow raising at the question. Something about it nagged at the back of his mind, pushing something toward the surface. An image of him breaking down in front of five other ponies, tearfully recalling his school days...

"Hey, wait," Spike realized, shaking his head in disbelief and looking to the crowd. "I... I only told my friends about Trixie. How did—"

"Well..." a voice answered from above with a girlish giggle. "Uh... you never said it was a secret..."

Spike looked up just in time to falter a few steps back. Ditzy landed on the stage where he'd been, a sheepish grin on her muzzle. One of her eyes drifted to the side, almost looking apologetic as it stuck on Trixie.

"I'm sorry, Spike! So many ponies wanted to know what happened in the Everfree Forest," Ditzy spoke quickly, her cheeks flushing. "I didn't think you'd mind..."

Glancing past the mailmare, Spike could see the crowd. Most of whom were still glaring at Trixie. None of whom, seemed to find her earlier show funny anymore.

"I... heh, I guess I don't," Spike admitted, his mouth curling into a smile. "Thanks, Ditzy."

The pain from the barrage of carrots and his stinging eye felt like they were draining out of him. Both were slowly replaced with a warm glow as he watched the crowd begin to break up. Ponies shaking their heads and wandering off, back toward the stalls and businesses. Only Cheerilee bothered to move closer, Twilight still clinging to her back as she climbed onto the stage and to Spike's side.

"Wait! I-Alright, Trixie isn't Celestia's student anymore!" Trixie shouted to the departing ponies. "But she was still... Nightmare Moon was..."

The mare's hoof was raised, trying to draw some attention as more and more ponies left. The warm feeling was swelling in Spike's chest as she did. A satisfying sensation of victory as the crowd continued to ignore her, scattering among the plaza.

"Spike wasn't... He... and I..." the boastful mare fell silent, eyes as wide as her flapping jaw.

"Sooo... was that your whole plan?" Spike asked.

Trixie's head snapped back to him, her mouth shutting immediately. He could almost see the desperation in her eyes, mostly clouded by the frustrated glare she was giving him.

"No!" she shouted immediately, biting her lip as her eyes darted away.

"Spike, maybe we should leave her alone," Cheerilee encouraged, her hoof tapping the reporter's shoulder.

He smirked at the suggestion, turning away as a few chuckles slipped out. Cheerilee and Ditzy were already starting toward the edge of the stage as his legs began to follow.

"Sorry, yeah," he said as more laughter leaked from his muzzle. "I just... I just can't believe she thought that'd work!"

He couldn't contain the bark of laughter that burst out. His hooves felt light as he trotted along, almost as though the sensation of victory were lifting him to the sky. His mind tried to focus on walking as one hoof moved to cover his mouth, more laughter leaking out.

In the next instant it was forced back to the ground. Something tugged sharply upwards on his saddlebags, twin auras of pink glowing around them. Spike gasped, barely managing to keep his balance as the bags burst open, sending clouds of quills, ink vials, and notepads floating into the air overhead. He spun around, eyes growing wide as he stared into Trixie's purple-eyed gaze.

"Why you... you!" She hissed, her horn flaring. "Spiiike!"

He swallowed hard, a sudden lump of fear rising to his throat. Right before a storm of his own writing implements descended upon him.

Chapter 4

Ignoring fireworks was easy.

That fact was still surprising to the tan stallion.

It had just been a few minutes ago that it felt that world outside his office were conspiring to interrupt his work. Every few seconds brought either the incredibly loud voice of a mare, or a burst of color and noise practically right outside his window. And each one did a fine job of either shaking the room or causing the earth pony to jump in shock. It was impossible to keep track of how many times he'd nearly ruined the paperwork he'd spent two hours completing with sudden quill jerks.

Shockingly enough, it was drawing the blinds over his window that had worked best in settling the matter. While doing so had the unfortunate drawback of blocking his view of the lovely day outside, it also did the same to the sight of the multi-hued explosions. And he could swear the fabric was absorbing the sound somehow. The unnecessarily loud voices outside seemed to drop in volume dramatically. He'd even been able to realign the few pictures framed on his wall.

So the time had flown by. The tan pony humming happily to himself to drown out the few noises that still carried from the plaza outside. The occasional gasp or pop could do nothing to pierce the simple joy of his quill scratching away.

The same could not be said for the ink vial that had smashed through his window after a few minutes.

He stood still, panting for breath as his blue eyes looked over the crazed bottle's trail of destruction. Huge splotches of black splattered across the floor, walls, and even ceiling marked where the vial had ricocheted. All of them connected by streaks of ink that it had sprayed as it went. Only a single, pony-shaped patch on the desk was clean, the freshly completed paperwork sitting quietly in the center of it.

The stallion twitched as he felt something squirm under his ink-stained hoof. He quickly stomped harder on the glass fragments under it. Cautiously, he lifted his leg, just in time to see the last sparks of pink and green sputter from the former ink container. Heaving a sigh of relief, the ink-covered pony glanced toward the window.

His ears swiveled as he did. Without the racket of the rogue vial he could hear shouts coming from below. As well as several high-pitched whistles and more than one unnerving CRASH. His hooves quickly set off at a brisk trot, making sure to carefully close the door as he exited from his Town Hall office. Not even sparing a glance back to his name on the door like he usually did...

Office of Time Turner
Mayor's Aide
Element of Generosity

"Now what in the world is going on out there?" Time Turner wondered as he trotted down the hall, leaving a trail of inky hoofprints.

Chapter 4

Spike's lungs burned as he tried to catch his breath.

The aura around his horn fizzled out, sending the last of his rogue writing supplies falling to the ground. One hoof wiped across his brow, picking up a streak of black from the ink spilled over his head as it went. His skin still tingled under his stained coat, remnants of his own quills scratching unflattering words onto it.

"Spike!" Cheerilee's shocked voice rose from behind him.

All his pain paled to the satisfied smile on his muzzle. Somewhere behind him he could almost hear Cheerilee trying to voice her disapproval. Noise that he was happy to ignore as he watched red liquid drip down Trixie's stunned face.

"Hey!" a new, unfamiliar voice broke in. "You have to pay for those!"

Spike's head turned to find a cream-colored mare glaring at him. One whose cutie mark sported three bright red tomatoes. His brief happiness faded as he realized she must have been the owner of the fruits he'd just thrown. The ones whose seeds Trixie was spitting out as she wiped the juice from her muzzle. Spike rolled his eyes as his horn sparked, a single golden bit flipping from his still-open saddlebags to the mare.

"Had enou—" Spike said, turning his attention back to the other unicorn.

"It's two bits for three tomatoes!" the vendor's voice suddenly cut him off.

The stallion's eye twitched, his head snapping back to the mare. From the corner of his vision he could see even Cheerilee had stopped trying to speak, instead staring at the tomato seller. Although the rest of the crowd seemed to have run to a much safer distance, the cream mare in question simply tapped one hoof impatiently. Her eyes continuing to glare up at Spike.

"They were only one bit yesterday!" Spike protested.

"Demand skyrocketed," the salespony argued back.

With a loud jingle of clashing coins, a brown sack fell to the ground in front of the mare. Before Spike could even raise an eyebrow in confusion, something dripped onto the end of his nose. His eyes crossed, focusing on a single drop of crimson sitting at the tip of his muzzle.

"Keep the change!" Trixie shouted as Spike spun back toward her.

Her horn was shimmering pink, along with something over Spike's head. He had just enough time to look up and feel his eyes shrink to pinpricks. His horn sparked with green light just a second too late. The remainder of the cart's inventory tumbled upon him.

Spike could hear triumphant laughter as his whole world turned red. He could only manage a growl in response as he spat out a mouthful of splattered tomato. His horn lit again, his magic wiping the larger chunks of fruity flesh from his eyes.

"Spike!" another voice suddenly called out. "Are you okay?"

The stallion managed to tear his eyes away from Trixie as the words cut through her laughter. Twilight stood by his side, already working on removing tomato from his coat. His growl stifled as he felt the trembling of her claws picking their way over him. One hoof reached down, words of reassurance trying to form in his throat.

"Ah, ah, ah," Trixie's voice cut in. "No help this time!"

Pink light flared around Twilight. The little dragon froze, her eyes widening in horror right before she was yanked to the side.

"Twilight!" Spike gasped, his head snapping upward to follow her flight.

His hoof rose, still reaching for her, before his body locked in place. Twilight was just across the stage, hovering in midair before Trixie. Though he couldn't understand just how the other unicorn could hold someone that was trembling so much.

"Especially not from you again," he could hear Trixie growl.

Twilight cringed.

That was all Spike's mind recognized before all other thoughts were thrown out.

"Leave her alone!"

He hadn't heard his voice so angry before, but it certainly didn't bother him. Spike could feel heat surge through him, deadening any other sensation. Green light flared to life around Trixie's hat and cape, causing both to immediately shove themselves over the mare's head. The pink aura around Twilight flickered out, the dragon hitting the ground running to a mare Spike vaguely recognized as Ditzy Doo.

Before Spike could even begin to recognize the sense of relief filling him, the starry cloth around Trixie was swelling. With a furious burst of pink light, both cape and wizard hat exploded from their owner, flying off to the side. The mare's pink eyes were glaring solely at him, her horn blazing like a torch.

"That does it!" Trixie shouted, scraping the ground with one hoof. "It. Is. On!"

He barely stepped back in time to avoid the blast of magic she fired. An oddly-shaped blotch of vibrant orange colored the stage where his leg had been a second ago. Spike took a deep breath, trying to focus on his target through the red haze filling his vision. He could feel spells of his own flying out, splashing against the ground and the curtains, and exploding into clouds of sparkling light as they collided with Trixie's.

"N... hol..."

Somewhere it sounded like somepony was trying to get his attention. Spike could almost see a hoof waving out of the corner of his vision. A sight that did little to distract him from his latest green blast missing Trixie by mere inches.

"Spi...! M...s Sp...kl...!"

The voice was insistent even as Spike ducked another shot from Trixie. He pulled himself back to his full height, smiling as his horn lined up perfectly. The blue mare seemed to notice as well, hurriedly charging a blast of her own. Everything was moving slowly as the magical energy reached the tip of his horn, Trixie's just managing to catch up.

The same determination was in her eyes as both of them willed their spells forward. In the split-second between thought and action though, something brown suddenly leapt between them. Something brown and familiar.

Time Turner!?

Somepony a split-second too late to keep the magic from firing.

"Alright, enough!" Time Turner shouted, his forehooves slamming the ground for emphasis.

Spike's jaw dropped as his blast struck the earth pony at the same moment as Trixie's. A startled cry echoed through the plaza as the stallion vanished into a crackling cloud of pink and green sparks. The red was suddenly stripped from Spike's vision, a chill sweeping through his body at the scream.

"Time Turner!" Spike shouted, his mind racing to recall just what spell he'd thrown.

His hooves were already racing toward the cloud as it faded. His ears flattened, trying to block out the sudden silence that had befallen the other ponies. He barely even noticed that Trixie's spells had stopped. All that he could see was the fading cloud, details slowly filling out Time Turner's silhouette as the magical cover faded away.

Spike stopped dead in his tracks as the last of the cloud vanished. The reporter could barely keep his eyes in his head, suddenly realizing just what magic he'd used. One hoof shot to his mouth as he winced away from the sight before him.

"Oh... um..." Trixie muttered, her voice clear over the lack of other sounds. "Oops."

"Aaah... huh," Time Turner's scream trailed off, Spike's ears twitching toward his voice. "That actually wasn't so bad."

The young stallion kept his eyes firmly on the wooden floor. He could hear the sound of hooves on the stage as the other stallion moved to look from him to Trixie and back. Accompanying it in the background, he could just make out a few soft chuckles in the distance.

"Now then," Time Turner went on in a remarkably calm tone. "What seems to be the problem out here?"

Spike had to wonder how the bureaucrat could sound so casual during the brief silence that followed the question. It was almost as though he hadn't wandered into the middle of a freak magical duel. A chain of thought that the reporter quickly shook from his head. He took a deep breath as he began to raise his head to answer.

"It was all his fault, sir!" Trixie's voice broke in.

"What?!" Spike shouted, eyes flying wide.

The purple stallion snapped his head up, ignoring his hat as it tumbled to the ground. Trixie had one hoof leveled accusingly at him, a smirk lighting her features. Worse though, was the quizzical look Time Turner was giving him. The one causing Spike's heart to leap up to his throat.

"That mad-stallion just jumped on stage in the middle of my show!" Trixie continued, stamping her hoof on the ground. "He started atta—"

"She's lying!" Spike interrupted, his own voice fighting with the mare's as he tried to shout over her. "Time Turner, she's—"

Something pressed over Spike's muzzle, bringing an end to his shouting as well as Trixie's. Somehow, Time Turner had a forehoof over each of their muzzles. The earth stallion stood, precariously balancing on just his hindlegs.

Spike's eyes couldn't help but widen at the impressive feat of agility.

"Right... er..." Time Turner said, his eyes moving between the two unicorns. "Perhaps one at a time... hang on..."

Were it not for the blockage over his mouth, Spike would have gasped. Inside, he delivered himself a mental facehoof as he recalled just why he'd looked away from Time Turner before. His eyes crossed, coming to rest on the hoof over his muzzle.

The bright yellow hoof, speckled with blue and pink dots.

Suddenly the chuckles in the audience were audible again. And much louder.

"What happened... to..." Time Turner stammered, his eyes going wide as his forelegs lowered to the ground. "AH!"

The shock was understandable. Spike couldn't even think of the last time he'd tried a color-change spell. Though he was reasonably certain it hadn't dyed anypony's coat the same speckled yellow that Time Turner now sported. Or turned their mane and tail lime-green. Only the other stallion's hourglass cutie mark seemed to have been spared from the misfired magic.

"Oh gosh... Time Turner, I'm so sorry!" Spike said quickly as his horn began to glow. "I-I can fix it, I promise!"

The purple stallion's ear twitched, picking up a derisive snort.

"Yeah, right," Trixie muttered, just a little too loudly to avoid notice.

Spike clenched his teeth, a retort already halfway to his muzzle as he glared at the blue mare. Both the words and his magic halted as a yellow hoof was raised in front of his face again. He took a step back, watching as Time Turner drew in a deep breath, lowering his limb slowly as he did.

"Now, now. Let's not start that again," Time Turner said, his voice somehow measured and calm once more. "Miss... er, Sparkler, was it?"

"Yes?" Trixie asked, an eager smile crossing her face.

Spike started to open his mouth again as the yellow earth pony turned away from him. His jaw shut itself, however, at the next words that came from Time Turner.

"As much as Ponyville appreciates your... enthusiastic show," he said, running a hoof through his dyed mane. "Perhaps it would be best if you moved it to a different venue?"

"What?!" Trixie protested.

Spike felt an odd tugging in his chest. Almost as though the frustration of his offer to help being ignored were wrestling with his amusement at the look on Trixie's face. The showmare's jaw was hanging open, anger burning in her eyes. All the while, Time Turner remained between her and Spike with a patient smile on his face.

"Tri-er, Sparkler has as much right as anypony to perform here!" Trixie stammered out, stomping one hoof.

"Ah, yes," Time Turner agreed as he gestured out to the plaza. "That was before your show became disruptive to local businesses."

The emotional tug-of-war stopped as Spike followed the wave. His fledgling smile fell as he looked out over the plaza for the first time since reaching the stage.

For a moment he wondered when a tornado had torn through Town Square. One sighting of blue-stained cobblestones, however, quickly told the story. The realization of just where most of his and Trixie's spells had wound up struck so hard it almost left him dizzy. Though not nearly as bad off as the ponies trying to scour color-changing spells from nearby buildings, picking up various flung fruits and vegetables, or in the worst cases fixing damaged carts.

That still left more than a few simply glaring up at the stage, however. More specifically at both Trixie and him. All of them seeming to have put their chuckling at Time Turner aside. Spike swallowed hard, taking the smallest solace in hearing the same sound from the other unicorn.

"Um, right..." Trixie said with a nervous little chuckle.

"Excellent. I dare say Ponyville Park might be a better spot?" Time Turner's voice suggested. "Somepony will come by to collect a statement after you're settled."

Spike managed a sheepish grin to the ponies still looking up at him. Most of them, thankfully, merely turned away and joined the clean-up efforts. A hoof fell over his shoulders, turning him away from the few spectators that remained.

"Spike? Maybe we can discuss what happened?" Time Turner went on, gently pushing the unicorn toward the far end of the stage. "Inside, perhaps?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Spike agreed, his horn sparking.

His hat floated back from the ground, Spike doing his best to ignore the squelch of a stray bit of tomato sliding off. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Trixie's own hat and cape floating back to their master. Up ahead he could see the entrance to Town Hall, Ditzy Doo and Cheerilee waiting just inside the door, with Twilight still clinging to the school teacher's mane.

His body tensed as he left the stage though. He could hear four simple words floating after him.

"This isn't over, Spike..."

"Awww, the show's over?" a voice drawled out.

Snips grumbled as he stuck his orange-maned head from his shared hiding spot.

"Darn," the pudgy, blue colt said. "Just when it was getting good!"

Kicking his stubby legs, the shorter colt struggled his way out from under the empty tomato cart. His scissor-marked flank jerked free with an audible pop just in time to join his lankier companion.

"Maybe Sparkler..." the other unicorn trailed off, his half-lidded eyes turning upward in thought. "Oh wait... uh, Trixie? Maybe she'll do another show in the park?"

"Nah, the grown-ups probably won't let her now," Snips complained as he started walking.

Looking around he could see the truth of his own words. The face of practically every other pony in the plaza was creased with a deep frown as they worked. Most armed with buckets and brooms as they cleaned up splattered vegetables and patches of brightly colored road and cottage. Only the taller, orange colt striding along next to him was smiling. More than the usual, dopey grin that Snips was used to seeing on his snail-marked friend.

"But her spells were so coool!" Snails said, his long limbs nearly tangling in a short hop as he walked.

"I know!" Snips agreed, his buck-toothed grin spinning up to his friend. "Did you see what that one did to Mr. Davenport's front door?"

The two burst into a fit of chuckling as they dodged around another pony dragging a cart away. Snips pointed toward a nearby building as they did, one with a display window full of sofas and a front door covered in golden polka-dots. A rather unhappy looking stallion was glaring at the dots as he applied another coat of fresh paint over them.

"Oh, oh!" Snails spoke up as they trotted along. "What about Miss Russet's stand?"

Snips chuckled, his laughter joined by his friend's. He could easily remember the pink blast that struck one of the stands. The sight of dozens of potatoes suddenly rolling of their own accord and performing some strange dance on their farmer's back.

The two hardly noticed as they walked their way out of the plaza, away from the various adults and their work. Snips grinned, picking up his pace to get in front of Snails as they entered a short alley between two shops. Not an easy feat considering one of the taller colt's steps was equal to three of his. Still, he managed to get in front of the orange unicorn, spinning to walk backwards as he kept talking.

"No, no, no. You know which was best?" Snips gushed, only half-focused on his hooves. "That spell that hit the fountain! With all the sparks and stuff?"

"Yeah, uh..." Snails responded, slowly lifting his eyes from Snips to the path ahead.

Snips raised an eyebrow as the other colt's eyes suddenly widened.

"Uh... uh..." Snails stammered, his hooves locking in place.

"Snails?" Snips asked, his pace still moving backwards. "What's wro-nggh!"

The stocky colt's voice cut out as he nearly bit his tongue. His rear had collided with something, sending Snips bouncing forward. He grunted from his new position on the ground, his legs scrambling to pick himself back up.

"Ze... ze..." Snails was continuing to attempt to speak.

Whatever he had to say though, was lost on Snips as he got to his hooves and spun around.

"Hey!" Snips chastised as he glared at the source of new scrapes. "Why don't you watch... where..."

Snips felt his voice die in his throat.

Suddenly the short colt felt much, much smaller as he stared up at a full-grown mare. One wearing a brown cloak, the hood of which had fallen back off her head. No doubt from the contact with him. What had suddenly caused the schoolboy's heart to stop was the face that had been revealed.

White with black stripes, her mane standing up in a Mohawk. Her dark-blue eyes glared down at Snips, his brain freezing under their watch. His legs moved automatically, struggling to back-up while somehow remaining glued in place. An effort that only resulted in him falling on his rear.

"Ze... ze..." he joined in stammering alongside Snails. "Zecora!"

Chapter 5

"Boys, I already told you I'm busy. So please, take your little game somewhere else!"

"B-but Mr. Davenport—"

Snips jumped back as the freshly painted door to "Sofas and Quills" slammed shut. His eyes were wide, pleading, praying that the yellow stallion would open it again. Unfortunately five seconds of waiting produced no such luck.

"Oh no, oh no..." he could hear Snails wheezing behind him.

Turning around, Snips found his lanky friend stamping his hooves in place. Snails' chest was heaving in and out as he hyperventilated, his entire body trembling as he started to pace back and forth.

"What're we gonna do?" he asked frantically. "What're we gonna do?!"

"S-s-snails—" Snips stammered out, feeling a tremble run up his short legs.

He was straining, trying to find something to say. The words kept dying in his head though, replaced by images of a striped face. Piercing teal eyes, glaring down at him, boring into his young soul.

"She's gonna get us, Snips!" Snails' voice jumped in.

Snips gasped as a pair of hooves suddenly grabbed him, and Snails' face filled his vision. The blue colt's stomach jolted as his friend began frantically shaking him.

"Snails!" Snips tried to shout, queasiness quickly overwhelming his panic.

"Zecora'll grab us out of our beds!" Snails didn't seem to hear his friend as he continued shaking.

"Snaaaails!" Snips shouted, waving his forehooves as he tried to squirm free.

"Or she might turn us into toads or—"

WHAM

Snails let out a muffled whimper, both hooves now covering his nose where Snips had bopped him. The shorter colt gulped for breath as he sat on the ground, trying to keep his breakfast down.

"Pull yourself together, Snails!" he managed to pant out, pulling himself to his hooves. "T-there's gotta be somepony that can help!"

"But none of the grown-ups will listen," Snails muttered through his covered muzzle.

Snips could feel his own legs shaking with that reminder. His eyes spun about, searching across Town Square. Everywhere he looked there were ponies working, scrubbing at buildings and roads. All of whom had sent him and Snails off with complaints of having "no time." Claiming they were too busy fixing the mess caused by Spike and...

The colt's eyes widened.

"That's it!" Snips cheered, springing as high as he could.

"What's it?" Snails asked, sniffling as he prodded at his sore nose.

Snips didn't answer, his gaze snapping toward Town Hall. His breathing quickened as he saw nothing there other than the massive wooden steeple.

"She's not-Oh right, she went to—" Snips cut himself off as he darted behind Snails, head butting the other colt to his hooves. "Come on, Snails, we gotta find her!"

As he darted off, he could hear Snails' questioning voice right behind him.

"Uh... find who?"

Chapter 5

"Trixie?!" Time Turner gasped out. "As in the Trixie Lulamoon?"

"Yes..." Spike answered, trying very hard not to punctuate it a frustrated sigh.

The sponge he was using dipped back into a bucket of soapy water as he forced himself to focus on the task. There was still about half a wall splattered with ink in front of him. Part of him was thankful it wasn't the wall with the clock on it. Time seemed to be crawling so slowly in Time Turner's office that Spike wasn't sure he wanted to know how long he'd actually been up there.

"The same Trixie from your magic school?" Time Turner asked from somewhere behind him. "The one that was, er... expelled?"

"... Yes..." Spike grumbled, rubbing his sponge more furiously against the walls.

The sluggishness of his task actually hadn't been helped by his friend. Talking about what had just happened outside felt like it was only making the clean-up take longer. Not helping was the fact that Time Turner had latched onto the one part Spike had hoped he wouldn't. One question seemed to run into another, all underscored by Trixie's last words ringing in the unicorn's ears.

This isn't over, Spike. This isn't over, Spike. This isn't—

"So... safe to say there's no love lost between you two?" Time Turner asked, forcing out a feeble chuckle to follow.

Spike's eye twitched. Even with the worst of the tomato gone, everything was suddenly tinged red again.

"Gee, you think!" Spike shouted sarcastically, spinning around as his horn sputtered.

He regretted the outburst almost immediately. Silence fell over the room, broken only by a soft splash as his sponge fell back in its bucket. Time Turner, Cheerilee, and Ditzy Doo's eyes were all on him as he pressed one hoof to the side of his head.

"Umm... what Spike means is he's really sorry about all the trouble," Twilight's voice suddenly broke over his thoughts. "Right Spike?"

Spike glanced to his side to the little dragon standing there. Twilight's face seemed to be straining to hold her sheepish smile. For an uncomfortable second, Spike could only stare blankly as her eyes darted up to him. The dragon's scaly elbow suddenly jabbed against his leg, forcing Spike to stifle a gasp as his brain finally caught on.

"Y-yeah, sorry" he said, quickly bowing his head. "Trixie... Trixie just..."

Something was burning in the back of Spike's throat as he tried to speak. He bit down on his lip, trying to swallow the feeling before more angry words could burst forth. Glancing up he could see the half-smiles worn by the others. A few, nervous nods of acceptance tossed his way. The unicorn winced as he turned back around, his magic reaching for his sponge again.

At the very least Trixie's words had stopped looping in his head. Not that his new thought was much of a comfort.

Good one, Spike.

Good one, Trixie.

Trixie groaned, her ears flattening. She pulled her pillow harder, praying that somehow it would muffle the voice.

The whole town is on his side. Why shouldn't they be?

"Shut up," Trixie growled at her own thoughts.

She didn't want to think about Ponyville. She didn't want to picture all those townsfolk glaring at her as she repacked and ran for the park. The ones that rallied around Spike, chanted his name, were probably already forgiving him—

He saved Ponyville. He saved Princess Celestia. He saved all of Equestria—

"WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!"

There was the sound of tearing fabric, and the pillow was gone. A cloud of feathers exploded into the air along with sparks of magic. The pillow remnants began to whip around Trixie, quickly joined by a flurry of spare posters. The mare could feel her magic building around her, spurring on the storm.

She simply found herself unable to care about it.

"He wasn't... shouldn't have even been there..." Trixie could feel her whole body burning as her indignation sputtered from her sore throat. "And he has the nerve to call himself the hero?!"

The cart was rattling around her as her magic strengthened. Incrementally heavier objects were joining the storm. Make-up brushes, a coffee mug, her saddlebags, spare coins, all whipping by almost faster than she could follow.

"It's not fair! I was supposed to..." Trixie coughed, but still her magic carried on. "It was my destiny! It-it..."

Something flitted by her face. A filly with a purple dragon perched on her back.

All at once, the magic cut out. There were a few final clunks as the heavier objects dropped to the ground. Trixie didn't even spare them a glance, though, as she focused on the old photograph. The one she'd been looking at before the show.

Her younger self still smiled out from the picture, not caring about the young Twilight chewing on her cape. All the filly seemingly noticed was the banner hanging overhead. The one whose message was making the real Trixie's vision blur.

CONGRATULATIONS TRIXIE!!!

The mare sniffled as she sat down, wondering briefly when she'd walked back to her vanity. The photo shakily levitated itself into the mirror's frame as Trixie tore her eyes from it to her own reflection. Her chest was heaving as she lowered her head, not wanting to stare at her tear-stained face.

"It's not fair," she insisted to nopony, her hooves covering her face. "It... it's just..."

The taunting thoughts remained quiet as she quietly sobbed against her legs. And yet, somewhere in the distance, she could hear a filly's laughter...

Spike was trying very hard to ignore the filly's laughter as he stared up into the tree.

His horn sparked, a green glow tugging at his saddlebags again. His head gave another pound, the latest in the last ten minutes. Even so, he struggled to hold the spell. This time he could see the straps working themselves loose. Slowly they were untangling from the highest branch of the tree. His tongue stuck out in concentration as he forced more magic over the packs.

There was a rustle and a cracking of wood. Spike's eyes widened and a proud grin split his muzzle as the saddlebags tumbled to the ground before him. With a delighted cheer, he scooped the bags onto his back. A satisfied glow filled him as he noticed the filly's laughter had stopped as he started back toward the school building.

His hooves slowed, though, as he glanced back to his bags. There was an unmistakable sound of something rustling within one of them. Almost like a bird were beating its wings against the flap.

Spike gasped as something white suddenly slithered free from the pack. It straightened out, revealing a feather quill, its tip dripping with fresh ink. The colt had just enough time to notice the sparks of pink falling from it before it lunged.

With a scream, Spike tried to run. The enchanted quill was far faster though. Already it covered his vision, writing the word "LOSER" across his muzzle before flying back to do the same to the rest of him—

"Spike?" Twilight's voice suddenly chimed in. "Maybe... maybe there's a bright side to all this?"

Spike blinked rapidly, shaking his head to try and dislodge the childhood memory. Twilight was looking expectantly up to him. Spike resisted the urge to grimace in response, especially as she visibly strained to smile.

"There's a bright side to wrecking half of Town Square?" he asked, doing his best to squash the sarcasm.

Twilight didn't have a chance to respond. A bubbly giggle as the only warning either of them got before something feathery fell across Spike's back. The unicorn let out a startled yelp as he suddenly found Ditzy Doo at his side. Her wing was wrapped tight over him, yanking him into an embrace.

"Aww, don't worry about that, Spike! I make worse messes all the time!" Ditzy Doo cheered, oblivious to the unicorn choking in her clutches. "Like last week when Time Turner—"

A hoof was over her mouth before she could get any further. Spike raised an eyebrow from the mailmare's hug, marveling at Time Turner's reaction speed. Given how quiet Twilight was, he could only guess she was doing the same.

Though Spike could swear the other stallion was breathing the smallest of relieved sighs at Ditzy's silence.

"Right, so you were saying Twilight?" Time Turner asked, slowly lowering his hoof. "Something about a bright side?"

"Oh! Well... I mean, after everything that happened outside..." Twilight was wringing her cleaning rag, not seeming to notice the ink and soap soaking into the carpet at her feet. "Maybe she won't stay in town very long?"

The room was silent as Twilight smiled again. This time, Spike couldn't see anything forced about it. His own mouth tried to curl upward, to return the gesture—

Something dripped onto the end of his muzzle. The colt looked up just in time for a pair of juice boxes to pour themselves over his face.

The smile immediately fled, seemingly unnoticed as Time Turner began speaking again.

"You know, she has a point," he said, one hoof nudging Spike. "I dare say Trixie's probably not the most welcome face in Ponyville."

"I..." Spike's voice trailed off, before he let out a heavy sigh. "I don't think so. Trixie wouldn't just... give up that easy."

His throat tightened as Twilight's eyes darted down, her smile gone. A few soft tongue-clicks, however, drew Spike's attention to the last of their number. Cheerilee stood by her own bucket, though already she was slowly making her way toward the others.

"Now Spike," she said softly. "There's no need to be so negative, is there?"

"You don't know Trixie like I do!" Spike snapped back before he could stop himself.

His muzzle scrunched as he mentally smacked himself again. Cheerilee, amazingly, did nothing however. She simply stood there, smiling gently, the look in her eyes causing Spike to wonder if one of her students had somehow snuck up behind him.

"Well, you told us how mean she used to be to you," Ditzy Doo spoke up, one wing brushing over his back again (much more gently this time). "Back at magic school—"

"Exactly, and I haven't seen her since then," Spike jumped in, magic tugging at his fedora as he spoke. "Now she shows up and starts picking on me again... and I don't even know why."

Why? Why me, why now, why at all...

Despite his best efforts, Spike could feel the frustration building. All of it gathering with that one word, pounding against the inside of his skull. As though somehow that would bring about an answer. A sensation that faded slightly as a purple hoof pushed his fedora back into place.

"Does it really matter?" Cheerilee asked, smiling at him still. "All Trixie can do is play those mean pranks, right?"

"Y-yeah." Twilight's voice answered before Spike could.

Spike winced, but nodded. He could feel a few scratches from the "mean pranks" from earlier being to tingle.

"Then why not just ignore them?" Cheerilee asked.

The tingling and the pounding question both stopped.

"Ignore the-You mean, ignore Trixie?" Spike asked, straining not to shout again. "Seriously?"

"It might just work," Cheerilee said with a knowing grin. "If she's trying to pick an old fight, maybe she'll stop if you're not interested!"

Spike wasn't sure he'd seen a more enthusiastic expression than what the school teacher wore. His mouth opened trying to respond, only to snap shut again. He glanced around, seeing the same sort of smiles on Time Turner and Ditzy Doo as they looked back at him. His mouth opened and shut once more before his voice finally crackled back.

"Maybe..." he grumbled as he moved his head in something close to a nod.

The word was sour in his mouth. Memories of pranks both recent and distant continued to flash before his eyes. Even as Time Turner clapped his forehooves together.

"Right, that's that settled!" the bureaucrat cheered. "Just, er, one last thing before we get back to cleaning?"

Spike caught his frustrated sigh before it could escape. He glanced to Time Turner again. The earth stallion wore an embarrassed smile as he gestured to his own bright-yellow coat.

"Not to be a bother, but..." Time Turner said. "You did say you know how to fix this, right?"

Spike bit down on his lip as he heard a few giggles rise from the girls. Quickly squelching the memory of Trixie's mocking laugh, his horn began to shimmer. At the very least, he found some relief in the reversal spell working. Watching as stars of color peeled from Time Turner's coat, bursting in midair like tiny fireworks.

Fireworks filled the air even as Trixie struggled to stop them.

Her hooves were pressed against her head, holding her pointed hat in place. Unfortunately the cap could do nothing to stop the energy pouring from her horn. The same power that was filling the room with almost blinding bursts of light and color. The same power she could feel pinning every other pony in the room to the walls.

Stop-stop-stop-stop!

No matter how hard she tried, the magic kept coming, pushing her small body further off the ground. And as desperately as she wanted to close her eyes and try to concentrate they remained open. Dazzled by her own display, and by the prismatic, ring-shaped burst still spreading across the sky outside.

Unfortunately the beauty did nothing to cover a worrying CRACK that filled the room. The filly gasped as she tried to twist in place, seeing a fresh barrage of sparkles fly into the air. Her eyes strained through the myriad of confusing colors, trying to find the source of the sound—

WHAM!

The doors were open. She was sure that was what the latest noise had meant. Somepony was approaching, Trixie could hear the footsteps. They were walking right towards her; seemingly unfazed by the fireworks, the randomly changing colors of the air and walls, or even the telekinetic magic trying to lift them to the ceiling. A single spark of yellow light appeared, highlighting the face of a white pony...

"Trixie!"

Somepony was nuzzling her. Trixie's eyes snapped open before she even realized they had been shut.

"M-mommy?" she asked, turning her head.

The pale-blue mare next to her broke into a smile even through the tears that had filled her eyes. The filly yelped as she found herself pulled into a tight hug, her cape crumpling against her back.

"Oh, Trixie!" her mother choked out. "I was so... y-you scared me so... I mean..."

"Guiding, honey, I think you're squishing her..." a stallion's voice cautioned.

The hug relaxed, finally giving Trixie a chance to look around. Fragments of pictures were slowly pulling together in her mind. She could almost remember...

The large, empty classroom, herself standing at the head of it. Trixie's eyes widened as she looked up into the rows of seats that filled the lecture hall. She could just make out four other unicorns. Two of them picking up clipboards, one of them trying to help the fourth down from the wall where she was still stuck.

The proctors for her magic exam.

"Uh oh..." she whispered, cringing to her mother's side.

The pieces were coming together faster and faster. Somepony saying this would be the last part of her entrance test. Her mother and father standing across the room, giving her encouraging smiles. Trixie's heart had raced as the doors opened, and a hay cart rolled in with the largest, purplest (she wondered if that was a word) egg she'd ever seen.

Hatch the dragon egg. That's what they'd told her. Then just as she'd been charging her magic to try, something had exploded outside...

"Miss Guiding Light?" The voice of an unfamiliar mare was speaking now. "Mr. North Star?"

Too late, Trixie tried to keep herself from trembling. Her hat slipped over her eyes as she remembered everything in the room suddenly twisting into a chaotic mess. She couldn't hold back as the walls, the desks, even the other ponies began to change colors. Everypony being flung helplessly about, the sounds blocking out whatever the mare was trying to say to her parents.

"Trixie?"

She didn't doubt she was in trouble. At the very least she'd certainly failed the test.

"Trixie?" her mother's voice tried again. "I-I think... somepony needs to speak with you?"

Trixie's ears twitched. The tremble in her mother's voice was nervous, but also almost... excited? The filly swallowed, her horn sparking to lift her hat from her eyes.

Eyes that went wide as they stared up at the glorious, alabaster-white form of Princess Celestia.

"Ohmygosh," Trixie breathed out, unable to stop herself.

The princess was smiling as she looked down at her. That was the part that Trixie's brain couldn't wrap around.

"Trixie Lulamoon?" The princess asked, bringing her head lower, closer to the filly. "Was that you casting all those spells just now?"

Trixie's breathing quickened. Her ears flattened as she took a nervous step backward.

"It-it wasn't my fault! Honest!" she insisted, shaking her head. "I was just taking my magic test—"

"Ahh, that would explain quite a bit," Celestia said, her smile never leaving as she stepped aside.

Trixie never thought her eyes could grow any wider. Somehow they did as she stared at the hay cart. The egg... wasn't gone, but pieces of it were scattered amongst the hay. Something scaly and purple now sat in its place, sucking on one of its paws as it looked back at her with curious, purple eyes.

"Is... is that..." Trixie stammered, one hoof pointing at the creature.

"A baby dragon. The one that your very impressive display hatched," Princess Celestia confirmed, one of her wings tickling at the reptile's side. "It seems you have quite a bit of magical talent, Trixie."

Trixie blinked once, then again as her eyes tried to rehydrate. She couldn't speak for a moment. It was like a balloon were swelling inside her chest as she looked at the princess, and at the proud smiles her parents wore.

"So... I pass?" she asked, her smile growing. "I get to go to magic school?"

Much to her surprise, Celestia laughed. A slow, amused chuckle as she simply shook her head.

"More than just that, my little pony. You have more magical potential than I've seen in a very, very long time," Celestia said. "I'd like to have you as my personal student. If you'll accept the position, of course."

Trixie must have said yes. She wasn't sure because suddenly it was like she was floating. Everything was warmth and laughter and the proud smiles of her parents as they embraced her, chanting her name...

"Trixie!"

"Miss Sparkler!"

One of Trixie's eyes flew open.

She was in her cart once more, still seated in front of the vanity. A snort escaped her nostrils as her magic set to work detangling her mane. Her mouth was dry, her back aching from her odd sleeping position, her head pounding—

"MISS SPARK—"

"Her name's Trixie, remember!"

"Oh yeah..."

Trixie blinked a few times, the source of the pounding suddenly apparent. Her door was shaking as somepony beat their hooves against it. Two ponies, from the voices she could hear.

Wonderful. Some of Spike's little lackeys.

Trixie growled as she got back up, her hat and cape levitating onto her. The pounding and chanting of her name continued, only adding to the pain trying to drive its way out of her skull. With a final snort she stomped to the door, slamming her hoof against the top half and sending it flying open.

"WHAT?!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Something crumpled to the ground beneath her door. Looking down, she raised one eyebrow in confusion. Two unicorn colts, one chubby and blue, the other scrawny and orange, stared up at her with pleading eyes.

"Please help us..." they begged simultaneously.

Trixie heaved out a sigh as she stared down at the duo.

This better be good.

"Well, this day has been just great," Spike growled sarcastically as he pushed open the doors to the Golden Oak's Library.

Twilight didn't respond as she lowered herself from the unicorn's back. Most other days, she knew, she would have said something. Even with Spike at his grouchiest, she could usually get a word in edgewise. Today, however, she simply felt tired, her arms still aching from the scrubbing of Time Turner's office.

At least we're home

Spike's grumbling and complaining was already fading to the background of her mind. The young dragon simply rubbed at her arms as she plodded to the bookshelf. Her claws grabbed the first tome they could reach, pulling it along to a cushion nearby.

"... and they think I should just ignore her?" Spike carried on as he paced around the room. "Like that's even possible..."

Twilight's fangs dug into her lip as she struggled to focus on her book. Tried not to listen to Spike's first words since his grumbled "goodbyes" at Town Hall. The page in front of her, however, seemed to do nothing to ground her mind.

"... you think Twi?"

Even with her eyes closed she could see the pink glow around her. Feel it tingling as she was swept off her feet.

"Twi?"

Staring right into Trixie's angry glare—

"Twi? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Twi gasped out, her eyes flying open.

She was panting for breath as she looked up from her cushion. The book was closed, her claws nearly piercing its cover. The young dragon didn't need to look up to know Spike's eyes were on her. Doing so only confirmed the concern growing on his face.

"I'm fine, Spike," Twilight said, her claws tensing as she tried to keep her voice steady. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well... with Trixie..." Spike's voice was quieter now, his brow furrowing as he looked over her. "Especially after what happened on stage, you looked—"

He fell silent as Twilight hopped back to her feet. She re-shelved the book, throwing him what she hoped was a calm smile.

"I said it before, right? She won't... can't stay for long," Twilight reminded the stallion as she turned back to the shelves.

I hope

Twi winced as she inadvertently bit her lip again.

"Cheerilee and the others have the right idea," she said quickly, one claw running along the book spines before her. "If we just ignore Trixie, maybe she'll just give up."

A second of silence followed. Twilight drew in a slow, silent breath. As Spike let out a sigh, she released a quiet one of her own.

"Maybe," he admitted again. "But if I did I'd miss out on the best part of today."

Twilight's claw paused. She spun on one heel, her brow raising at Spike. The purple pony wore a roguish grin as his horn began to glow.

"The best part?" Twilight asked, almost afraid for the answer.

"Yeah," Spike said as a quill and notepad floated from his saddlebags. "When I get to put Trixie's 'big show' all over the front page of the Canterlot Sun."

Twilight's sigh was audible this time as Spike started toward the stairs. His quill was already scratching away as he walked. One claw lifted toward him...

Twilight stopped, and lowered her arm as she saw his face. His first real smile since Trixie's show as he indulged in his special talent.

Not to mention it is news...

Her scaly hand was already on another book as Spike turned to look at her.

"You're sure you're gonna be okay?" he asked.

"I'll be fine, Spike, really," Twilight said with a nod. "You'd better get going on that article."

Spike smiled again and nodded before heading up the stairs. Twilight's own face fell as she pulled another random book from the shelves.

"It'll be fine," she muttered to herself as she moved back to the cushion. "It's going to be fine..."

I'm going to be just fine.

"So, why didn't you go to Spike with this?" Trixie asked her 'guests.'

Snips and Snails were both seated in her carriage home now. The two colts had calmed considerably, though the shorter one was still trembling so much he could barely speak. Not that it prevented him from trying, Trixie had noticed.

"Uh... w-well Mr. Spike is gr-great and all," Snips spoke, one hoof scraping against the floor. "But I-er, we figured he was b-busy—"

"Plus he wouldn't have a chance against Zecora!" Snails jumped in, his overly long foreleg nearly catching Snips in his buckteeth. "Sh-she's... nopony even knows what she can—"

Snip's leg saved Trixie from having to silence the frantic colt herself. She smiled, gently waving one hoof for Snips to continue.

"You said.... you said you were Princess Celestia's personal student in town," Snips explained, his eyes widening. "Snails and I thought maybe you'd know someway to stop Zecora? Please?"

Trixie's smile grew.

Chapter 6

"Just a little walk in the woods," Trixie said to herself as she plodded along. "Nothing to be scared of, right?"

For once, Trixie wasn't sure even she believed herself. Even her own magic seemed doubtful. The pale pink shining from her horn hardly pierced the darkness of the forest around her.

She drew another deep breath, feeling a tremble start in her hooves. Gritting her teeth, the showmare pushed herself forward before her limbs could freeze completely. Her eyes remained locked ahead, trying to pick out the moonlit path beyond her own magical glow.

"She would live all the way out here, wouldn't she?" Trixie grumbled, pushing more power into the light spell. "They like Spike more than me, live out in the forest... is everypony in this town crazy?"

The night air and full moon overhead did nothing to answer her. Still, Trixie felt her pulse ease. For once, griping actually felt as though it was easing her tension. A small smirk even started to form as she pushed onward.

"They'll get the message soon," Trixie told herself. "Them, and that sorry sack of scales, and that loser Sp—"

"Your complaining is awfully loud, my dear."

Trixie froze midstep.

"That's not very wise around here."

The blue mare's eyes darted around, searching for the source of the new voice. Her spell glowed brighter as something rustled in the bushes just ahead. One of her rear hooves began to step back...

Trixie grit her teeth once more, forcing the leg back into place. Even so, her heart pounded in her throat as a figure emerged from the shadows ahead. A pair of teal eyes seemed to shine from under her brown cloak as she stepped into the edge of Trixie's glow.

For a moment, the forest was silent around the two mares. Finally, Trixie swallowed hard and managed to force a smile back onto her face.

"Zecora, right?" Trixie asked, taking a step closer. "I was hoping we could talk."

Chapter 6

"Burn it, Twilight!"

The pink eyes were focused on her. Twilight could feel them. The same impatient, unwavering stare that always came with one of Trixie's orders. Familiar as it was, the infant dragon could feel her body tremble under that stare.

"Well?" Trixie's voice carried a frustrated edge somewhere behind her.

Twilight's claws tightened, almost piercing into the rolled-up parchment she carried. This time it was easy, at least. No smoke rings, no somersaults, just a little puff of flame. Even if the scroll was large enough that she needed both claws just to hold it, it was only paper.

"Don't do it!"

The only problem was the audience.

One of Twilight's still-sprouting fangs bit into her lip as she looked up. For a second, her gaze met that of the purple colt's. His green eyes were pleading, a feeling Twilight could sympathize with. Especially as the blue hoof on his withers pushed down harder. For a moment, the filly's glare moved to the colt.

"Twilight, please," Spike grunted, trying to squirm loose. "You don't hafta listen to her!"

"Oh yes she does!" the young Trixie growled.

Twilight cringed as a shower of sparks fell from Trixie's horn and a pink glow surrounded Spike's muzzle. The young colt let out a muffled whimper his eyes going wide. No words could escape, though, as the filly's magic held his mouth shut.

"And she will, too," Trixie added in a mocking tone. "Because Twilight is my dragon, remember?"

My dragon

My dragon...

Twilight's body stiffened as those words echoed around her. Her fang relinquished its hold on her mouth, just in time for Trixie to turn back toward her.

"Well? What're you waiting for?" Trixie ordered, stomping one hoof (thankfully not the one on Spike). "Burn that scroll like I told you to!"

The heat was already building in the back of her throat. Purple sparks danced inside Twilight's mouth as she took a deep breath. For a second she could see the flames reflecting in Spike's pleading eyes.

In the next they burst out in a small plume, consuming the scroll.

Trixie's satisfied laugh was matched only by the moan coming from Spike's still-sealed muzzle. Neither of them seemed to notice the slightly musical chime as the last of the paper burnt. Twilight smiled to herself as she watched the smoke and ashes curl upward, darting out the open window nearby. Her gaze followed them out...

A hard, wooden ceiling greeted her. Twilight slowly blinked in response, one claw rubbing at her eyes.

"Huh?" Twilight muttered as she sat up, trying to recall just when she'd lain down.

A low, rumbling noise was the only answer she received. Turning to its source, she could just make out the shape of a bed. One with a large lump under the covers, highlighted by the moonlight coming through the window behind it.

Slowly, a mish-mash of images filtered through Twilight's tired mind. A book slipping from her claws as her eyelids drooped shut. Soft, green light shining around her, accompanied by a soft chuckle. The gentle feeling of floating upstairs to—

"Bedroom, right," Twilight sighed, rubbing at her temples. "Spike musta..."

She trailed off as the stallion let out another gentle snore and turned in his sleep. Twilight leaned back a bit in her own bed as one of his hooves dangled dangerously close to her head. A small smile crossed her mouth, though, as she gave the limb a gentle pat. A yawn began to force its way out as she slowly lowered herself back into her mattress.

"Trouble sleeping?" a voice hissed.

Twilight grunted as she slipped the last few inches, flat onto her back. She didn't have time to acknowledge the discomfort, however. She was too busy staring into a pair of familiar, pink eyes.

"No," Twilight squeaked out.

As a pink glow lit above the eyes, Twilight could feel her heart stop.

Not that Trixie seemed to care, given her twisted smirk.

"SPI—"

Twilight's voice was cut off as her blankets shimmered pink. The fabric suddenly sprang to life, binding around the dragon, folding over her mouth.

"Ah, ah, ah, Twily," Trixie taunted. "You and I have unfinished business."

Twilight struggled to breathe around her bindings. Spike's hoof still dangled only inches away...

"Sending that article to principal?" Trixie's voice suddenly held a more threatening growl as the glow around Twilight brightened. "Ooooh, you'd better believe you're in trouble for that!"

The dragoness didn't try to speak. She couldn't. She could feel there was just enough slack for one arm to wiggle loose. Her claw lunged forward—

"AAAAHHHHH!"

Even with the pain in his back, Spike couldn't help but think how peaceful Twilight looked as she slept.

Despite her apparent maturity when awake, the little dragon still slept with one thumb-claw in her mouth. A slight twitch of her ear-fin as the only response Spike's half-hearted chuckle got as he carefully levitated a blanket over her. Twilight's free claws were quick to grab at the fabric, bunching it tight in their grip.

Spike winced as he watched the little dragon stir. He could still feel the scratches on his back reminding him where that grip had been last night. The wince turned into a sharp gasp as something pressed down on one of them, his back arching as pain ran down it.

"Hold still, Spike!" the stallion behind him scolded. "This is hard enough without you squirming."

"I can handle it myself, Thunderlane." Spike snapped, his head whipping around.

His own glare met the impatient, amber eyes of the pegasus behind him. Their gazes locked for a second before the dark-gray stallion simply rolled his own eyes and shook his head. Before Spike could say another word, Thunderlane's hoof had another bandage pressed against his back.

"Hey, I'm trying to help here," Thunderlane retorted over the hiss of pain. "You could try being a little thankful."

Spike let out a snort as he jumped back to his hooves. His muzzle was already half-open, ready to tell off the pegasus—

"No need fer all that, now," a deep, accented voice chimed in.

Heavy hoof-falls preceded its owner before he even reached the loft. Though for a second Spike was surprised he hadn't heard him coming up from the kitchen. The red earth pony, probably twice the size of either Thunderlane or Spike, walked calmly over to the nearby nightstand. He didn't seem to care about the budding argument he'd interrupted as he set down a trio of water glasses.

"We just wanted to check on ya, Spike," the much larger stallion finished, taking a seat by the nightstand. "'Specially after wut the others told us."

Thunderlane let out a soft hmph, but nodded as Spike glanced back to him. With yet another sigh (he'd lost track how often he'd done that), Spike levitated one of the glasses over. Little-by-little, he could feel his heartbeat easing as he gulped down its contents. The first time he'd managed to relax since his early awakening at Twilight's claws, the unexpected arrival of his two guests, the fussing over his back...

Spike coughed a bit as he set his empty glass back down.

"Thanks Big Mac," Spike said with a grateful nod to the earth pony.

Thunderlane was up, grabbing a glass of his own. Big Macintosh shifted slightly to make way, but gave Spike a smile as he returned the nod.

"Feelin' better?" Big Mac asked.

"Yeah. Sorry about all that," Spike said, his eyes lowering. "This whole thing with Trixie just—"

"Has you kinda bent outta shape?" Thunderlane cut in. "I think we not-oof!"

Lifting his gaze, Spike couldn't avoid smirking. Thunderlane was rubbing his shoulder where Mac had apparently nudged him. A little harder than he'd intended, judging by the bigger stallion's worried grimace and the half-emptied glass soaking Thunderlane's chest and muzzle.

"Er... so..." Big Mac said, trying not to look at Thunderlane's glare. "Twi gonna be alright?"

Spike's little smile vanished.

"I... I don't know," he admitted, before letting out a defeated sigh. "She hasn't had that nightmare in years."

The unicorn shook his head as he looked to the nearby basket. Despite the near-argument, Twilight was still sound asleep. Even with the slight relief that brought, Spike's stomach was still twisting. He could still feel the dragon's claws digging into his back, her eyes wide with fear as she tried to stammer out something.

"Twi used to be so scared of Trixie trying to get even with us." Spike was straining to hear his own voice as he spoke. "But I never thought it'd actually happen, you know?"

The room was nearly silent for a moment. The only sound was Twilight's gentle snoring as Spike carefully reached out one hoof to tuck down her blanket.

The forced, awkward cough that interrupted the quiet was almost enough to make him look up again.

"Well, at least you managed to stand up to her." The voice identified the cougher as Thunderlane. "Can't fault you for that."

"Yeah, at least—" Spike started to answer.

Spike caught himself mid-sentence. His voice faded as he just raised his head and stared at Thunderlane. The dark-coated stallion merely arched an eyebrow in response, looking from Spike to the equally stunned Big Mac worriedly.

"What?" Thunderlane asked, shrugging his wings.

"Really?" Spike said, finally finding his voice again. "You're not gonna say I should have just ignored her or something?"

For some reason, Thunderlane's derisive snort brought a flicker of a smile to Spike's face. Even if Big Mac was giving the pegasus a slightly disapproving stare. Thunderlane didn't seem to notice as he got back to his hooves.

"Hey, Trixie's the problem from what I see," Thunderlane said, taking a seat next to Spike. "Not like you invited her to come around and cause trouble."

"Uh... yeah," Spike agreed, his smile growing.

The unicorn could feel a weight lifting even as Thunderlane's hoof fell across his shoulders. Thunderlane wore a reassuring smile of his own as he gave Spike a pat on the back.

"So you don't think I went overboard?" Spike asked eagerly as he jumped back to his hooves. "In Town Square, I mean?"

"Uh, Spike—" Big Macintosh's voice could be heard.

"Well..." Thunderlane grimaced, removing his leg. "I'd like to say I wouldn't have gone that far..."

The pegasus pony's wings flicked out as he let out an embarrassed chuckle. Spike tilted his head in confusion as Thunderlane let out an uneasy sigh.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" Thunderlane asked. "We both still remember the hospital."

Spike winced, drawing in a sharp breath. He nodded as one hoof unconsciously rose to his chest. Still, his smile quickly returned, met with a look of relief from the other stallion. Even though Thunderlane's wings were twitching in time to the sound of somepony tapping their hoof against the floor—

"Spike?"

Spike blinked once, looking toward Big Mac's voice. The red giant was standing by the window, a worried frown on his face. Thunderlane turned also, slowly shaking his head.

"Sorry. Bad example to bring up, I know." Thunderlane started to apologize only for the earth pony to shake his head.

"Not that," he said, pointing out the window. "Thar's—"

Mac could say no more before his voice was drowned out by a horrendous screeching noise. Spike's ears immediately flattened, his forehooves tugging down his hat in a futile effort to seal out the racket. His heart skipped a beat as a blur of purple jolted upright in the basket next to him.

"Huh? Wha—" Twilight nearly fell over again, her claws going over her ear fins as she started trying to shout over the cacophony. "Spike, what is that?!"

Spike's mouth drew into a thin line. Despite the painful dissonance he could just recognize the sound as a trumpet.

"I think I can guess..." he grumbled, heading for the stairs.

For a second, Spike was glad he'd been wrong.

Trixie's cart was not outside the library as he opened the front door. Instead, a familiar pair of colts were, sitting on his front lawn under the summer sun. Spike froze for a second, taking in the sight of Snips and Snails, each of whom carried an oversized trumpet in their forehooves.

Unfortunately, neither of them had stopped playing their instruments. The unicorn recoiled as another blast of noise assaulted his ear drums. A dark-gray blur reached his side, Thunderlane pulling to a stop and covering his ears in apparent agony.

"Aren't those two of Cheerilee's students?" Thunderlane shouted.

Spike didn't answer, his head pounding as he tried to focus. His horn sparked, two clods of dirt ripping themselves free from the ground in response. With a gesture of his horn, the turf forced its way into each of the trumpets, bringing the din to an end with a strangled wheeze. Spike took several deep breaths as he watched the two colts look at their instruments in confusion before they finally turned their eyes to him.

"Hi Mister Spike!" Snails said with an enthusiastic wave.

"Snips, Snails..." Spike breathed in slowly, straining to not make his voice sound like a growl. "What are you two doing?"

"We're heralds now," Snails explained, a dopey grin stretching from ear to ear.

Thunderlane was already returning Spike's blank stare before he even turned to look. His head snapped back, however, at a rustle from some bushes near the colts. And what sounded unmistakably like a small cough, one that caused both colts to drop their trumpets.

"Right! Sorry, sorry." Snips quickly scooped up a scrap of paper from by his hooves and cleared his throat. "Er... aha! 'Fillies and Gentlecolts!'"

Spike could almost feel something crack as he grit his teeth. Snails was pounding his hooves against the ground in a simulation of a drum roll, which only compounded Spike's slowly growing migraine.

"'Presenting..." Snips continued to read, gesturing without looking up. "The Great and Powerful Trixie!"

A flash of light and plume of pink smoke burst up between the two colts. Spike simply let out a groan, one hoof pressing against his face. As much as he didn't want to, he could still see the cloud clear. He could still see the blue mare now standing in its place, her star-coated cape trailing behind her.

Though Spike put his hoof down as he noticed the newspaper she was levitating.

"Hmmm... 'Former Magical Prodigy Pesters Ponyville.'" Trixie read off, one hoof running along her copy of The Canterlot Sun. "Let's see... 'arrived amidst disruptive fireworks'... blah, blah, blah, 'unwarranted attack dealt damages to local businesses...'"

Trixie lowered the newspaper, raising one eyebrow at Spike. With a gentle spark of pink, the paper began to crumple itself up. Spike could feel his blood surge as he noticed the flicker of a smile pass over Trixie's muzzle.

"Honestly? I'm surprised your editor even ran this," she said, magically flicking the paper ball aside. "I thought journalists were supposed to be impartial."

"What. Do you. Want?" Spike bit off each word as he spoke, his head lowering as he scraped at the ground.

Thunderlane's wings flared just out of the corner of Spike's eye. The pegasus was crouched low as he prepared a charge of his own. Just as Spike started to stomp forward, though, something darted in front of them.

"Wait, Mister Spike, it's okay!" Snips shouted, waving his forehooves frantically. "Miss Trixie's nice, really! She saved us!"

Spike's forehoof slipped, nearly pitching the unicorn onto his face. He caught himself just in time, though his jaw stayed on the ground even as he righted himself. He could barely register the dark pony stepping to get along side him.

"Wait, 'saved you?' Thunderlane asked as his wing gently closed Spike's muzzle. "What do you mean? Saved you from what?"

Spike let out a grunt, inwardly thankfully somepony had asked what he had wanted to. Though his gaze still gravitated to Trixie, one of his eyes twitching as he noticed the smile she wore. Not that Snips or Snails seemed to notice his agitation. The two colts were both bouncing on their hooves in front of her as they spoke their answer in tandem.

"From Zecora's curse!"

What—

THWACK

Spike didn't even have time to think his new question before something dark and feathery smacked into his face. With a startled cry he fell onto his rear as he spat out one of Thunderlane's feathers.

"Hey, watch... it..." Spike's irritation vanished, his angered glare easing as he looked at Thunderlane.

Spike had seen Thunderlane's wings spread before, usually in anger. This wasn't one of those times. The dark-coated pony seemed to be trembling slightly as he just stared at Trixie, his mouth gaping wider than Spike's had only seconds ago.

"Thunderlane, what's—" Spike began.

"WHAT?!" Thunderlane sputtered out, his head jerking down to Snips and Snails. "Zecora?! When did you two-how did you..."

"Uh, who's—" Spike tried to ask.

"We, uh... bumped into her after Trixie's show yesterday," Snips said, nervously scuffing at the ground as he cut off Spike. "Sh-she left right after and nopony else would listen to us and—"

"Hey, hold on a second!" Spike shouted.

All eyes were on him as he got back to his hooves. One question burned at the front of his mind as his eyes drifted over the other four ponies around him.

Reasonably sure they were all quiet, Spike's muzzle opened.

"Who the hay is Zecora?" he asked.

Much to Spike's surprise, Thunderlane's gaze darted to the side to avoid his. Snips and Snails were both eagerly opening their mouths to answer, only for the sound of laughter to cut them off. Somehow, Spike knew the source of the laugh before he even finished turning his head.

His pulse pounded in his ears as he saw Trixie trying to stifle her chuckles with one hoof. The muffled laughter faded as she lowered her leg, a wicked grin curling her lips.

"Heh, and here I thought Equestria's new 'hero' would have heard of her by now," Trixie said, pink light shimmering around her horn as she took a step closer. "But I guess if somepony has to teach you..."

Lines of light raced from Trixie's horn, bending and twisting around her as her cape flew from her back. Despite the anger burning in his chest, Spike felt a small chill run down his spine as the cape's shadow fell over his front walk. The shade they now stood under only felt darker as Trixie's lights swirled together between her and Spike.

"You can ask anypony in town," Trixie spoke, her voice low and quiet. "After all Zecora has been around for... how long was it?"

"Oooh, oooh!" Snails spoke up, raising one hoof high and waving it in the air.

"Longer than I have, that's for sure," Thunderlane grumbled out.

Snails dropped his hoof with a look of supreme disappointment. Spike, however, glanced to the pegasus beside him. He had just enough time to notice the grim look Thunderlane wore before a flash of light drew his eyes forward again.

Spike gasped, stumbling back as a pair of yellow eyes bore into his own. For a second his heart leapt to his throat before he noticed the magical glow accompanying them. Trixie's strings of light had pulled together into the deep-purple outline of a pony, a tattered cloak trailing behind her.

"Zecora... is an evil enchantress. Plain and simple," Trixie explained from somewhere behind her illusion. "They say she's got mysterious powers, and she'll curse you if you so much as look at her wrong!"

The light construct grinned, revealing a muzzle full of sharp teeth. Despite knowing it wasn't solid, Spike still stepped back, his eyes wide. The outline turned to the side, however, and Spike followed its gaze. Threads of orange and blue light were gathering, forming into rough outlines of Snips and Snails trembling under "Zecora's" glare.

"Of course, that meant these poor colts were done for," Trixie's voice carried on. "At least until they came to me!"

In a flash, a Trixie outline appeared behind Zecora. Spike let out a sigh as the fake Trixie began to charge, bursts of colorful sparks filling the shadows around them.

Alright, enough.

Drawing a deep breath, Spike closed his eyes. He could feel warmth flowing into his horn as he tried to concentrate around Trixie's continued commentary.

"Luckily for them, Trixie's own magic was—" Trixie's voice suddenly cut out just as Spike felt his own power weave through the air around him. "Hey, what are you—"

Spike opened his eyes as a pulse of green light burst forth. The neon ponies before him looked frightened for a half-second before unraveling into trails of sparks. The shadows faded away, leaving Trixie's cape to flutter back down onto the visibly irritated mare's back. A sight which brought a smile to Spike's face.

Always liked that Illusion Ender.

"Cool story, Trixie, but seriously?" Spike asked, returning the other unicorn's glare. "You're thinking of trying to win the town over with evil enchantresses and curses? That's the most ridiculous—"

"So you don't believe me," Trixie said, her coy smile reforming. "Well, why not just ask your friend about Zecora? He's the Element of Honesty, isn't he?"

Spike snorted as he turned to the side, looking to Thunderlane. His expression softened as he found the weather stallion. Thunderlane was slowly tracing one hoof along the ground, a worried frown on his face.

"She is making it all up, right?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not... the bit about Zecora existing," Thunderlane admitted with a heavy sigh.

Trixie let out a smug hmmph. Spike's eyes flew wide even as Thunderlane shook his head, sending his bluish-gray mane flopping.

"Look, all that enchantress stuff is just rumors," Thunderlane explained before pointing a hoof at Trixie. "Even if it's all true, are you really gonna believe the rest of that nonsense?"

An evil enchantress? What would Ink Blot think of—

Spike shook his head, forcing his inner-journalist into silence.

"Yeah, right," he said to Thunderlane before glaring at Trixie. "There's no way you'd—"

"But she did!" Snips cut in.

The unicorn colts had charged ahead again. The both of them spread their forelimbs defensively as they stood between Spike and Trixie.

"We saw her go after Zecora ourselves!" Snips insisted, nodding to his companion. "Right, Snails?"

"Yeah!" Snails said, nodding so quickly his eyes seemed to spin. "We waited outside the forest for her and everything!"

"Well, well. There you have it," Trixie said, taking a seat as she casually rubbed one hoof against her chest. "Straight from the mouths of foals."

Spike just stared at the two colts in disbelief. Looking to Thunderlane, he could see the same confusion and shock mirrored on his face. He could almost hear the same thought passing between the two of them.

Why would they make this up?

"Unfortunately, handling a pony like Zecora is a bit much. Even for one as great and powerful as me," Trixie said, her voice full of faux-worry. "I only managed to keep her from cursing poor Snips and Snails."

Spike looked back to Trixie. The mare lowered the polished hoof she'd been admiring, her pink eyes turning up to meet his. His stomach twisted, a familiar heat beginning to build as he saw the mocking smile on her face.

"Fortunately Ponyville already has a hero that might be able to stop her," Trixie said, leaning closer to Spike. "If the Element of Magic is up to it, that is."

Spike's mouth started to fly open.

A dark-gray hoof suddenly clamped it shut again.

"Excuse us," Thunderlane said.

What?!

Spike's head spun as a rush of wind pulled him backwards. He had just enough presence of mind to magically grab his fedora before it spun completely away from him. The loud slam of a door punctuated the trip, followed by him being dumped onto library's wooden floor.

Spike gasped for breath as the hoof was removed from his mouth. He coughed, running his tongue along his teeth to check for cracks. Assuring himself there was no damage, he turned a glare to the pegasus that had just grabbed him.

"What was that for?!" Spike shouted, jumping to his hooves.

"What was-You were about to take Trixie's 'challenge' there, weren't you?" Thunderlane countered, shoving Spike with one hoof.

"I... maybe! So what?" Spike shot back, rubbing at his now-sore shoulder. "You were just saying standing up to Trixie was a good thing!"

"Right, then I remembered you don't have any common sense!" Thunderlane argued back.

"Ahem."

The light cough caused both stallion's mouths to snap shut. Spike swallowed, turning to the stairs in order to confirm his worries. The disapproving green eyes of Big Macintosh waited there, the red pony standing at the base of the steps with Twilight on his back.

"Spike?" Twilight asked, clambering down from the giant. "Are you okay?"

Spike flinched in reply as Twilight dashed to his side. He quickly pulled the dragon into a hug, brushing his hoof along her back.

"I'm fine, Twi," he assured her. "Everything's—"

"I already know Trixie's out there," Twilight said, her voice barely breaking a whisper.

Spike winced, looking up to Big Macintosh. The larger stallion simply shrugged, shifting his heavy plow yoke.

"Ya'll were pretty loud," he explained. "Wut's all the ruckus 'bout?"

"Apparently, Trixie went and broke some 'curse' Zecora put on Snips and Snails," Thunderlane explained before Spike could even open his mouth.

For the second time that day, Spike was shocked to see one of his friends simply freeze. Big Mac's eyes went wide, a tremble running along the huge stallion's body. Twilight wiggled in Spike's embrace, looking at the other two stallions in confusion.

"Curse?" she asked, glancing up to Spike.

"Uh... Zecora?" Big Mac asked, wiping at his brow.

"Yup," Thunderlane confirmed with a curt nod. "And, get this, Trixie's trying to bait Spike into going after her himself."

Big Mac just stared at Thunderlane, the shock apparent in his eyes. Slowly his head turned to Spike, his mouth dropping open. Spike just raised an eyebrow in response, though he pulled Twilight a little closer as he did.

"What's the big deal?" Spike asked, staring at the other two in confusion. "Thunderlane, you said all that evil enchantress stuff was just rumors!"

Both the other stallions looked to one another. Big Mac let out a soft cough, jerking his head to the unicorn. Spike could feel his heart starting to race as Thunderlane's wings nervously flicked out from his sides.

"Well yeah. I mean, nopony knows for sure she's got any weird powers," Thunderlane explained, rubbing the back of his head. "But... well, that's 'cause nopony really sees her much."

"She lives in the Everfree Forest," Big Mac blurted out.

Spike's own eyes went wide, his embrace around Twilight tightening. Small pricks of pain in his fetlock indicated her responding in kind. He could barely feel them, however, around the sudden hush that had filled the room.

The dark line of trees was almost at the edge of his vision. The snarls of strange beasts coming from somewhere beyond it. All of it suddenly covered by the sound of crumbling stone, the scream of the baby dragon gripped tight between his forelegs—

"Well that shouldn't be a problem, should it?"

Spike shook his head, his chest heaving as he remembered to breathe again. His head snapped around, looking for who had spoken.

He didn't have far to look. Though he was distracted by a sudden gasp from Twilight. The dragoness squirmed free from his hug, quickly ducking behind him. He grit his teeth, trying to ignore the feeling of her claws digging into his back.

"Trixie!" Spike shouted, a bit louder than even he'd meant to as Twilight's grip tightened. "Who let you in here?!"

Spike glared at the blue mare who had somehow appeared next to Thunderlane. The pegasus pony joined in, earning him a share of the confused look Trixie responded with.

"Uh, it's a public library," Trixie said, pointing back toward the open door of the Golden Oaks. "You live here, shouldn't you know that?"

Spike simply glowered in return, his horn blazing green. Before his spell could grab hold of her cape, however, something tingled above his head. With a startled cry, Spike found his hat suddenly shoving itself over his eyes.

"Besides, you didn't introduce me to your other friend here," Trixie went on from outside his fedora-filled vision. "I don't get a lot of chances to meet real heroes, after all."

Spike growled, both his hooves tugging at the brim of his rebellious head gear. With a massive push, the fedora popped loose. He quickly tossed the hat to the ground, keeping a wary eye as the last of the pink magic faded from it.

"Well now, you must be Big Macintosh?" Trixie asked, her hooves clopping against the floor. "The Element of Loyalty?"

Looking up revealed the blue unicorn smiling as she paced between Spike and his two friends. Big Macintosh almost seemed to be blushing under Trixie's gaze, his cheeks seeming a shade redder than usual.

"Er... eeyup," he finally answered with a nod.

"I remember reading about you in that little article Spike wrote," Trixie gushed, her voice dripping with fake enthusiasm. "I was really impressed by the part about the Ursa Minor."

She cast a smug smirk over her shoulder to Spike.

"It must have been hard having to protect Spike's flank," Trixie went on, turning back to Mac. "Especially when all he did was run away."

Spike would have jumped back to his feet if not for Twilight. He could only guess that her toeclaws were leaving marks in the floor. That was the only reason that his protest began with another yelp and his rear planting itself back where the dragon had anchored it.

"Now it weren't—" Big Macintosh started to say.

"And Thunderlane, you kept Spike's spirits up didn't you?" Trixie went on, pointedly cutting off the farmer. "He's always been a bit of a crybaby—"

CRACK

"Whoa!" Twilight shouted.

Spike couldn't even care about the split floor board or the sensation of Twilight landing across his back. Everything was tinged red, and he could smell faint wisps of smoke coming from his horn. His magical glow lashed out, reaching for Trixie's shocked face.

He barely pulled it back as something shoved its way between him and her. Big Macintosh had one heavy hoof on Spike's shoulder, effectively pinning the smaller stallion in place. Spike strained, tilting just far enough to see around the earth pony and spy Thunderlane herding Trixie toward the door.

"Alright, that's enough," Thunderlane was growling as he drove her back. "I think it's time for you to go!"

Trixie's face twisted into a sour scowl as she turned in place. With a series of loud stomps she marched toward the door, pausing just as she crossed the threshold. The mare stopped, looking back over her shoulder with a malevolent gleam in her eye.

"I'll be north of that little animal cottage tonight, Spike!" she called back. "If you decide to stop hiding behind your friends—"

The door slammed shut, Thunderlane quickly attaching the deadbolt lock with a sigh of relief. Spike panted for breath, the magic slowly fading from around his horn. His shoulder throbbed as Big Macintosh slowly lifted his hoof.

In less than a second, Spike was at the window. Glaring out into the summer sunlight, however, only showed the front walk of the library. No sign of Trixie, Snips, or Snails. Spike's horn flared with a furious snort, pulling the shades over the window as he turned back around.

"You're... you're not gonna go, are you?" Twilight's quiet voice asked from his back.

Spike determinately kept his gaze forward as he stomped away from the window.

"Didn't you hear all that... that..." Spike swallowed back the string of curse words that wanted to poor out of his mouth. "She was practically calling me a coward!"

"So what?" Thunderlane asked.

Twilight let out another yelp as Spike turned just a bit too quickly. A soft thump indicated her landing on Big Mac's back rather than the floor. Not that Spike turned to check as his red-tinged vision focused on Thunderlane. Rather than backing down, however, the pegasus pony stomped toward him.

"Alright, we believe you about Trixie being unbearable. But who cares what she says?" Thunderlane challenged. "What do you have to prove to her?"

"I... it's..." Spike sputtered in response, his vision blurring.

The laughter of a dozen foals surrounded him, Trixie's rising highest as he stumbled lost in the fog. His own quill scratched scathing words along his muzzle and sides. Buckets tumbling from nowhere, ink spilled across his freshly completed schoolwork, hooves sticking from around corners to trip him...

And always, the blue filly was there.

Pain flooded Spike's mouth. The unicorn drew in several deep, ragged breaths as he carefully unclenched his teeth from around his tongue. Thunderlane hadn't seemed to notice, his gaze still narrowed on Spike as he looked back up.

Taking one last breath, Spike let out a sigh.

"Thanks for coming over, guys," he said, turning on the spot and starting towards the stairs.

"Spike—" Thunderlane spoke up.

The journalist hesitated. The other stallion's tone wasn't harsh or angry. If anything it was almost pleading. Looking over his shoulder, Spike could see Thunderlane's wings slumped by his sides.

"I'm on your side here," Thunderlane said, shaking his head. "But you've gotta see she's just baiting you, right?"

Somewhere inside, Thunderlane's words rang true. A feeling quickly buried under another chorus of Trixie's laughter. With a soft groan, Spike turned back around and started walking again. A sudden exhaustion had filled him, his legs dragging along as he moved.

"I'll be fine, alright?" he said, as he passed Big Mac. "You two should... get back to your jobs. Or something."

Inwardly, he stifled another tired groan. Even as a red hoof reached out and barred his path.

"Wut about you?" Big Mac asked, a deep frown covering his face.

"I've..." Spike winced as his short tail brushed over his tender back. "I've gotta reapply some bandages."

"Spike..."

Twilight was speaking. Spike didn't give her a chance to finish. Before the dragon could say another word, he ducked under Mac's leg. He was at the stairs faster than he thought, clambering up them two at a time. A scramble of claws on wood told him Twilight was right behind him.

Big Mac and Thunderlane both watched as the unicorn and dragon ascended back to their loft, before casting a worried look at one another.

"Are you sure he's gonna show up?" Snips asked, idly rolling a rock between his hooves.

Trixie let out a frustrated sigh, glaring at the moon hanging above.

"Oh he'll show up," Trixie said, adjusting her hat for what felt like the thousandth time.

He had better.

The showmare resumed her pacing, her hooves shivering slightly with each step across the dewy grass. How it was already so damp so early, she wasn't sure.

Though the dark, twisted trees seated a good distance from her cart gave her a fair idea.

Trixie scowled as she tore her eyes away from the Everfree Forest. Nothing had moved in that direction since sundown hours ago. The only other activity around had been Snips and Snails' arrivals from the other way. Now the two colts were seated near her campfire, trying to use a few round pebbles and stones like marbles.

Come on, Spike. That should have worked...

The mare sighed, closing her eyes.

Buckets of water falling over the purple colt's stunned face. Ink wells "randomly" tilting over his work papers. Her hoof sending him spilling to the ground just as he rounded a corner...

Always he'd get up, red in the face. Then came the yelling, his feeble attempt at getting even. Usually just in time for a teacher to come by and witness him shouting at Celestia's personal student.

"If all that didn't get a rise from him, nothing will," Trixie muttered under her breath as he looked toward the houses of Ponyville.

Almost the whole town was dark, with only a few candles flickering in some select windows. The only stable source of light was the clear face of the moon as it moved across the night sky. And still, no sign of motion stirred anywhere in town. She squinted, raising one hoof over her eyes, straining to make out any sign of life and seal out the clattering of Snips and Snail's game—

"Ow!" Trixie yelped as something rapped hard against her hoof.

Looking down revealed a single, round stone caught in the light of her horn. Along with a scuff mark on the end of her otherwise pristine hoof.

"Ooops," Snails drawled. "Uh, sorry..."

Trixie snorted, kicking the stone to the side. Instinctively, her gaze followed the rock as it arched toward the Everfree Forest.

Her eyes widened.

Her heart leapt to her throat as she saw something among the trees. A blur of faded brown, flickering upward just enough to reveal black and white stripes. Trixie swallowed hard as she tottered backward a few steps.

"Hey, Trixie!"

Trixie spun around, her heart hammering at the voice.

Spike raised one hoof, wincing as her horn's light shone right into his eyes. Trixie blinked once before quickly straightening her posture. Her smile lit right back up as she softened her magical glow. The purple stallion didn't seem to appreciate the gesture, his glare refocusing on her.

"Let's get this over with," Spike said, tapping his hoof impatiently.

Chapter 7

It was almost impressive just how long Trixie had been waiting.

With all the stories about the dangers of the Everfree Forest, most ponies made a point of avoiding being anywhere near it. Even the townsfolk of Ponyville, famed for being so close, kept the majority of their homes and businesses as far from its dark borders as possible. Anypony that had to get within sight of it usually hurried by as quickly as possible.

Only three exceptions stood out in recent memory. The first being the odd, yellow pegasus in her cottage. Even then, she was content with the animals that flocked around her home. She never seemed interested in crossing the Everfree's borders.

The second (and most notable) was the group of six that had trampled through just two short weeks ago. The ones that the townsfolk had praised as heroes for their defeat of Nightmare Moon. Even they seemed to think that one trip was enough for a lifetime, as none of them had stepped close to the woods since.

Trixie, however had been in the forest once already. Normal expectations would have had the mare simply run back to town. Yet there she was, along with her cart and the two colts that had been waiting for her. All easily within sight of from the Everfree's border.

Somehow, Zecora had a feeling it wasn't courage that had brought Trixie back. Based on the way she was pacing, it wasn't her conscience either. The zebra's face felt stuck on a disapproving frown as she glared at the frustrating, blue mare.

"Ow!"

Trixie's voice carried as her hoof jerked up. Zecora twisted to the side just in time to avoid the pebble that had been kicked toward her hiding place. As she did, the zebra could see Trixie's eyes grow wide. The unicorn actually stumbled backwards a bit as her eyes tracked Zecora's movements.

The striped mare went still again, staring back at Trixie. For a second she wanted to step out of hiding. Confront the unicorn and maybe talk to her one more time, to warn her—

"Hey, Trixie!"

Zecora merely shook her head as Trixie spun back around. The purple stallion from yesterday morning was there. Trixie was already smiling again and standing more confidently.

And Spike's voice carried just far enough for Zecora to hear, "Let's get this over with."

With a solemn sigh, the zebra found a darker shadow from which to watch.

Chapter 7

Act tough, act tough, act tough

Despite his brave words and the mantra running through his head, Spike could feel his legs starting to shake. Tightening his jaw, he began tapping one hoof in what he hoped looked like an annoyed manner.

He wanted to believe it was the anger making him twitchy. Trixie was continuing to smile even with his glare fixed on her. The same, infuriating grin she'd worn on-stage just the day before.

Of course, anything beat looking behind the mare

Act tough...

For some reason his inner voice was getting harder to hear. Spike's leg paused mid-tap as he tried to figure out why. It wasn't as though his gaze had wandered to the dark, foreboding forest just over Trixie's shoulder. Suddenly, though, his pulse was hammering in his ears.

It was almost as bad as the first time he'd laid eyes on the Everfree in person. He could see the tangled trees swaying in the chilling night breeze. Their branches hanging low like so many clawed hands, waiting to drag him into the shadows within their borders—

"Well, you certainly kept us waiting long enough," Trixie's voice broke in.

Spike tore his gaze away back to the blue mare with a sharp gasp.

Time had (thankfully) slowed somehow while he'd been staring at towards the Everfree Forest. Trixie hadn't seemed to noticed anything judging by how casually she buffed the clasp of her cape. Spike could feel heat building in his chest, warding away the cool summer night as he watched the reason for his midnight excursion fix him with her mocking smile again.

"I'm here now," he said, finally finding his voice again as he pawed at the ground. "Are we doing this or not?"

A short bark of laughter was Trixie's answer. The heat surged through Spike as he grit his teeth in response. He couldn't remember why he'd nearly been trembling just a moment ago. All he could focus on was Trixie as she circled around him.

"Well aren't you eager all of a sudden?" she taunted. "But we can't have the show without a decent crowd!"

Spike's breath caught in this throat at the words that followed.

"So, 'fess up." She held the same, venomous smile the whole time. "Where are your friends?"

He was picturing Twilight before he could stop himself. The little dragon, curled up in her bed and clutching her blankets tightly. Muttering two simple words in her sleep as he slid toward the exit of their shared loft.

Spike... don't...

"They're not coming." Spike let out a little snort as he growled out the words. "This is between you and me."

For a second, he savored the surprise in Trixie's eyes as she looked over him. The shock faded quickly, however, as her hoof rose over her mouth. Spike's ears twitched as he heard the start of a suppressed giggle.

"Well, I guess there's always Snips and Snails—" she started to comment.

"Soooo... you're really gonna do it Mr. Spike?" a slow, drawling voice broke in. "You're gonna get rid of Zecora?"

The unicorn's frustration froze as his head turned to the pair of colts standing nearby. Snips and Snails both had their eyes locked on him, and Spike could swear they were shining with adoration. Before he could respond, both of them jumped forward. The journalist barely managed to keep his balance as the two younger unicorns crowded around him.

"Oooh! Are you gonna use the rainbow like Princess Celestia told us about?" Snips was speaking so quickly Spike could barely understand him. "Or did using the Elements give you some kinda—"

"Ahem!"

A pulse of pink light reached out and grabbed the two colts. Something Spike was silently thankful for as it dragged Snips and Snails back. Even knowing the source of the spell, he couldn't help his smirk as he noticed the frustrated glare Trixie was shooting the two colts.

"Rein it in, you two," Trixie scolded as she released the two colts. "Don't forget that Spike's just here to finish what the Great and Powerful Trixie started."

The annoyance had already vanished from her face as she looked back to Spike. His own smirk quickly twisted to a sneer in response.

"If he can, that is," she finished, a bolt of pink light flicking at his hat.

Spike's own horn flared, catching the fedora before it could fly off.

"Anything you can—" he shot back.

"Spike! Don't!"

Spike's mouth snapped shut, one hoof going to his head as Twilight's voice echoed between his ears.

Pull it together! Don't think about... wait.

Spike's expression softened, his ears twitching at the sound of incoming footsteps. Very fast incoming footsteps, coupled with the bemused look Trixie was casting over his shoulder.

His chest tightened as he realized the voice hadn't just been in his head.

Oh please no...

He knew the silent prayer would go unanswered before he even turned around.

There was no mistaking the purple dragoness sprinting toward him. Twilight was nearly tripping over herself as Spike broke into a canter of his own toward her. He stumbled as, with a sudden burst of speed, Twilight lunged forward. The air drove from his lungs as she clasped her claws around his chest.

"Well, isn't that sweet?" Trixie commented with a chuckle.

Spike let out a frustrated snort, his horn lighting with a harsh glow. A crackling sound filled the air as a dome of emerald light popped into being around him and Twilight. With the sound of Trixie's obnoxious snickering shut out, his attention turned to the dragon burying her face against his chest.

"Twi, what are you doing here?" Spike asked as he gently pushed her down from the embrace. "How'd you even know—"

"It's you we're talking about." Twilight answered as she wiped at her nose, turning a hard glare up to Spike.

The unicorn's tongue tangled, unwilling to admit the truth to her statement.

Even with the harsh look his assistant was giving him, however, he could still see tears at the corners of her eyes. The little dragon's chest was heaving in and out as she tried to pant as quietly as possible, struggling to catch her breath. Or possibly from trying to keep herself from crying. Either way he was quite surprised as a scaly fist lashed out, bouncing off his chest.

"Hey!" Spike protested, rubbing at the spot.

"Didn't you listen to Thunderlane and the others?!" Twilight scolded, ignoring his complaint.

Spike suppressed the urge to groan as Twilight's body trembled, this time with anger. Even as her claws bunched up for another feeble punch, however, his thoughts turned to Trixie. He could picture the showmare just watching and starting to laugh all the harder.

Twilight's weight suddenly collapsing against his front forced his focus back to her. Another exhausted fist pounded on his shoulder as her whole body shook with suppressed tears.

"Y-you know she's just trying to make t-trouble!"

Spike could feel his body burning again, and not from Twilight's natural warmth. There was no doubt Trixie was rolling on the ground with laughter as the little dragon's tirade continued.

"You—"

Another punch. Trixie was was probably encouraging Snips and Snails to join in.

"Know—"

Another fist, more laughter, and a growl finally tore its way from his throat.

"Yeah, I know what Trixie's like!" Spike shouted, pushing Twilight away.

Blood was pounding in his ears as he jumped to his hooves. He was vaguely aware that Twilight had stumbled and fallen onto her rear. He could feel her wide-eyed stare as he began restlessly pacing.

"You know what Trixie's like too, Twi! She's not just gonna stop and leave us alone!" Spike strained to focus on the shield, even as his voice continued to raise. "Not unless somepony shuts her up like last time!"

Twilight wasn't the only one staring at him. Cracks were starting to appear in the dome. Through them he could just make out five phantom ponies, each fixing him with a disapproving look. A sight that only made his pulse hammer harder against the inside of his head.

Why doesn't anypony think I can handle this?!

He winced as his vision rippled, the ghostly images of his friends vanishing from sight. The shield was trembling, starting to split at the cracks as something incessantly rapped against it. Twilight was already picking herself up as Spike turned around, unsurprised to see Trixie tapping at his spell with one hoof.

"I'm waaaaaiting," she taunted, her voice muffled only slightly by the magic.

With a low snarl, Spike dismissed the bubble of light between him and the showmare. Trixie simply returned his glare with a nonchalant shrug.

"Hey, you're the one that was so eager to get started a second ago," she pointed out. "Getting cold hooves, Spikey?"

"You wish," he answered, green light shimmering around his horn.

"Fine. Then let's get going," Trixie declared, spinning toward the forest. "We've got a lot of ground to cover!"

Spike barely avoided catching her cape across the face. He blinked once as Trixie's last sentence slowly sank through his skull.

"Wait," he said, breaking into a trot after her. "What do you mean 'we?'"

Trixie paused for a moment to look over her shoulder at him. For just a second, Spike could see something more than the usual malice in her smile. Something almost wickedly mischievous.

"Oh Spike, somepony has to make sure you get the job done," Trixie said as she turned back around. "And it's not like I'm going to just take your word for it."

Spike grit his teeth, his eye twitching as the mare trotted into the trees with a bounce in her step. His hooves pushed forward, eager to keep Trixie in sight as her pink light pushed the shadows aside. His canter swiftly slowed to a walk, followed by a crawl, then a full stop just one step from the borderline.

He swallowed hard, unfortunately failing to stop the lump forming in his throat.

"Awww, don't worry!" Snails' slowly drawled from behind him.

Spike's head snapped back, and his breath hitched in his throat for a second. Snails wasn't speaking to him. The colt had one lanky leg draped over Twilight's shoulders, the little dragon having not moved from where she'd fallen.

"Mr. Spike will be fine," Snails was saying as he gave her a gentle shake. "Trixie's going with him!"

"Yeah! She'll protect him from that mean old Zecora!" Snips added, bouncing eagerly to Twilight's other side. "Uh... you know. If he needs the help, I mean..."

Somehow, Spike doubted that his safety was the reason Twilight had her arms around her knees. She looked up once, teary purple eyes meeting green for just a second.

Then her gaze turned sharply downward, away from his.

Like you can blame her?

Spike grimaced at the thought, struggling to swallow back the bitter taste as he turned away. With one final, raspy breath, he followed Trixie into the borders of the Everfree.

The major wonder of the Everfree was how easily it made a pony forget their troubles the second they were inside.

The idea of a forest full of dangerous creatures, unstable cliffs, and raging rapids was certainly giving Spike plenty of other things to worry about. He could only marvel at the bravado he'd shown mere moments ago. Now his legs felt like they were trying to anchor themselves to the ground.

"Something wrong back there, Spike?" Trixie's asked.

Spike tore his attention from his own hooves and his attempts at willing them to move faster.

"I'm fine!" he answered, wincing as his voice came out a half-octave higher than normal.

Clearing his throat, he forced himself to focus upwards. A soft green glow shone from his horn, mingling with the pink light of Trixie's. He tried to ignore how easily the showmare's light spell overpowered his as she slowed to keep pace with him.

"Well good," she said as she nudged him with one hoof. "Trixie was starting to think you were scared or something."

Spike did his best to ignore her laughter, trying to walk a bit taller as he pushed his hooves forward. Trixie began to pull ahead again, but her head turned to keep him in sight..

"Of course if you were scared you wouldn't have to stay," she pointed out. "There's still plenty of time to go back after all."

"You'd l-love that, wouldn't you?" Spike grumbled under his breath.

He clenched his teeth. Even unheard he couldn't keep the stammer out of his voice. His eyes were wandering, darting to each shadow as it shifted under his and Trixie's light spells. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise he could swear there was something darting amongst them, following the two unicorns.

"So how far is Zecora's anyway?" he asked, as carefully as he could, straining to keep the words steady. "Ten minutes? Fifteen mayb-oof!"

A yelp of surprise made Spike jump back, his horn instinctively flaring brighter. Trixie had stopped and was now glaring at him, her horn sparking as she smoothed down her cape and fixed her hat. Before he could even be sure what his response was, her hoof was holding his muzzle shut

"Quiet," she ordered, lowering her hoof while the light around her grew brighter. "Did you hear that?"

The hairs along Spike's back bristled as even his heartbeat followed the mare's orders. Still, a fire was lighting in his chest as he fixed Trixie with as suspicious a glare as he could manage.

"N-nice try..." he drew in as deep and quiet a breath as he could. "You're not scarin—"

He was interrupted again. This time by a sudden, deafening WHAM off to the side. Somepony let out a startled yell was he jumped, spinning toward the direction of the noise. It took a second for Spike to realize it had been his own voice, his cheeks flushing as his eyes darted to Trixie. Unsurprisingly, she was giving him a highly amused look.

"Nice one, hero," she taunted. "Bet that scared them off."

The stallion's efforts to make a witty comeback were for naught. His tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth as Trixie stalked toward the bushes lining the trail.

"Alright, who's there?" Trixie shouted into the darkness.

Spike grunted, prying his tongue loose. As much as part of him wanted to see something answer the blue unicorn's challenge, memories of just what might follow were running through his head. The mildest of which included a sparkling bear the size of a house.

"Trixie? Maybe we should worry about why we're here?" he suggested, pointing in the direction they'd been going. "Zecora, remember? Protecting Ponyville?"

Trixie didn't seem to be listening, her tail twitching to-and-fro like cat cornering prey. A gleam shone in her eyes as she crouched low. He cleared his throat again, trying not to let his eyes follow the shapes darting about in the shadows.

"If you're scared, all you have to do is say so," Trixie taunted, flashing a smirk up at him.

"I'm not—" Spike coughed, the lie dying in his throat. "Trixie, I've been in here before. We don't know what—"

Another WHAM cut him off, sending him springing into the air once more. Only the fact that his heart had stopped all together kept him in one place.

Trixie, however, spun right toward the sound, her horn flaring even brighter.

"There!" she shouted, lunging forward.

Spike's eyes flew wide as the mare charged forward, recklessly trampling through the brush. He could hear leaves and branches crumbling beneath her hooves as her light grew more and more distant.

"Trixie?" Spike called out, trying to turn up his own spell.

No voice answered him. Spike swallowed hard, watching as the pink glow darted between two trees. A second later, it blinked out. He could feel his blood freeze in his veins.

"T-Trixie?" Spike shouted again, his voice quieter this time.

AAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!

The unmistakable sound of the mare's scream flattened Spike's ears.

In an instant he was bolting into the undergrowth. His lungs burned as bushes and branches scratched at his coat. A tight magical grip was the only thing that kept his hat from flying off his head as he galloped, his eyes locked on the last place he'd seen Trixie's magic.

I didn't want this, I didn't want this!

Somehow, repeating it over and over in his head made him realize how true the statement was. Just which part of the night he was thinking of was lost in the jumble as he slowed to a halt. Spike's chest heaved in and out as he looked around, the green light of his horn slowly shining brighter.

"Trixie?" he called out, moving past the trees he'd seen her light vanish between. "Trixie!"

Something rustled behind him. Spike gasped, his spell extinguishing with a soft pop as his focus on it wavered.

"Trixie!" he gasped out in a harsh whisper, trying desperately to reignite his horn. "I-I swear, if this is a joke—"

The green light returned, and Spike's eyes went wide.

A figure in a brown cloak stood before him. Harsh, yellow eyes glared at him from beneath the hood. Their glow seemed to pierce into his very soul. One word hissed from the figure's unseen muzzle.

"Run."

Spike might have screamed first. He didn't really pay attention as he shot off down the first trail he could find.

Twilight looked up from the small stones she'd idly been rolling between her claws.

"Did you hear something?" Snails asked, staring off toward the Everfree.

Twilight's fangs dug into her lower lip as she let the makeshift marble slip from her gasp. She'd been deeply hoping she'd imagined the noise that reached her ear fins. Even now it barely sounded like more than howl of wind, albeit one that cut out rather suddenly.

"It was probably nothing," Snips said, nosing at a saddlebag laying next to him.

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked, her claws knitting together. "It... it kinda sounded like..."

Screaming?

The little dragon shook her head. She hadn't wanted to think of that. Her claws nearly pierced the scales on her tail as she twisted it worriedly. Slowly she drew a deep breath, turning to the two colts nearby, her jaw opening to try and voice her concern.

The effort stopped as she spotted Snips lift a camera from the bag he'd been poking at.

"What's that for?" she asked as the colt began fiddling with it.

"Huh?" Snips asked, his hooves scrambling to try and push the camera behind his back. "Oh, uh... what's what for?"

Twilight raised one brow, fixing her sternest gaze on the chubby colt. With a defeated sigh, Snips brought the camera back around.

"M-miss Trixie said I wasn't supposed to take it out till she gave the signal," Snips admitted, clutching the device close to his chest. "But I've never really used one before and I wanted to make sure it worked..."

Twilight's eyes moved from the camera, to Snips, and then to the Everfree Forest. The distant (possible) scream played in her head again as comprehension slowly dawned on her.

"What's Trixie supposed to signal for?" she asked, almost dreading the answer.

"That she and Mister Spike were coming back," Snails answered from behind her. "She wanted us to take pictures of him."

Twilight winced as she spun toward the taller colt. She did her best to ignore the scale she'd just yanked from her tail as well as the rather desperate shushes that Snips was hissing to his friend.

"Pictures of when he came back," she confirmed, her voice flat.

"Yeah, of when he comes outta the forest," Snails said with a slow nod. "So the whole town'll know about what happened tonight!"

"And that part was supposed to be a surprise!" Snips lamented as his hoof clunked against his face.

Twilight snorted herself, twin puffs of smoke blowing from her nostrils. It was suddenly becoming very clear just how annoying being right about everything could be...

"Oh, is that a fact?"

Twilight could feel her rapidly mounting frustration vanish. The dragon glanced between Snips and Snails, their widening eyes confirming neither of them had spoken. In fact, their stares were focused behind her. Probably on the source of the shadow that was falling over her as she spun around.

"Sounds like Trixie's quite the class act."

Twilight swallowed hard.

This is gonna be a bad night.

Chapter 8

This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening-

Spike thoughts stumbled along with his legs. His chest burned as he with the effort of righting himself. The dark forest had already pitched wildly around him, though. With a pained cry, the stallion found his face planted in the dirt.

Move! Get up! Come on!

Spike's horn sparked fitfully as his body tried to obey. Shadows danced every which way as his limbs tangled. His breath was coming in shallow gulps as he struggled to focus.

He had to get back up. Had to keep running. No matter how much he insisted on the fact, his legs refused to accept it.

Clack

The unicorn's struggles froze. His ears twitched as he silently prayed he hadn't heard—

Clack. Clack.

"No..." he moaned out, eyes growing wide.

Trixie was gone. Vanished. The hooded pony responsible was still coming. Somehow, despite his desperate sprint, her hoofbeats were still approaching.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Closer and closer with each passing second.

Clack.

Probably the last sound Trixie had heard before she screamed.

That realization tore through Spike. With a triumphant shout, he twisted himself back to his hooves. The green light shining from his horn shone bright as he prepared to resume his run.

"Hello, little pony."

Spike's eyes widened in terror.

The hooded mare was before him again, just within the circle of his light spell. Her wicked, yellow eyes gleamed as they bored into his. Suddenly his legs were frozen to the ground as she smiled beneath her hood.

One hoof rose as she took a single, slow step forward.

Clack.

Chapter 8

Spike ran.

Under her hood, Trixie's cheeks bulged. Even with her jaw clenched tight, a few snorts were slipping between her lips. She could feel her whole body tremble, the restrained laughter threatening to explode out at any moment.

It was unbearable to swallow it back down. Somehow, she managed.

"Steady... steady..." she whispered to herself.

The purple stallion was getting further and further as she watched. Trixie's composure nearly shattered as he nearly crashed into a tree in his blind panic. Still he ran, and still she reminded herself: She couldn't laugh.

Yet.

Not when the show's just started.

A maniacal grin came to Trixie's face as she started after Spike. Her legs tingled with each step, the spell wrapped around them sending out a slow and steady clack as she ran. The yellow glow in her eyes felt brighter as the stallion almost stumbled again at the noise. The showmare could feel laughter building as she opened her mouth, her throat tingling with magic.

"Weren't you looking for me?"

Her distorted voice's effect was immediate. Spike practically doubled his speed without even trying to look back.

It's almost too easy.

The glee was getting harder to hold back. Trixie swallowed again, focusing her efforts into running. Her eyes narrowed as Spike continued to pull ahead. Somehow he was faster than expected. The showmare struggled to concentrate, her horn growing warm beneath her hood. Her eyes darted to the brush to Spike's left, a barely perceptible spark flickering there for the briefest moment.

WHAM

Spike let out another scream as the noise-making spell triggered. Trixie skidded to a halt as the journalist pulled a hard right, crashing through brush and fallen branches. Even over the racket of his escape she could make out two words being repeated over and over.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Trixie's chest heaved in and out. She jammed one hoof over her mouth before so much as a chuckle could escape. The blue unicorn merely sat in place for a moment, taking in the sounds of her quarry. Especially the thuds and cracks as he spilled to the forest floor again.

It was going to feel good when she could finally laugh about it all.

"Oh... oh this is just too perfect," Trixie gasped out, dismissing her vocal spell.

Her cheeks puffed out as an especially loud thwack and a shout of pain sounded from off the trail. She could feel her self-control crack anew as barely stifled sniggers rattled in her muzzle.

Focus, Trixie!

The unicorn clamped down on her tongue, killing the laughter. Slowly she managed to draw in a deep breath.

"Keep it together. Keep it together..." she coached herself as she slowly released the breath. "After all..."

Her head turned, looking back the way she'd come. Somehow her smile grew even crueler as she did.

"... The best is yet to come," she promised herself.

Squinting, she could just make out the edge of the forest. Specifically a spot just a few yards to the side of where she'd lead Spike in.

The same spot he's gonna be heading for in just a few minutes.

Trixie nodded eagerly.

Spike would be running. Panting, near exhaustion... and just when it looked like it was over—

Clack.

Her thoughts paused as she looked at her own hooves in confusion.

"Huh?" she muttered, her horn glowing.

The spell still hung around her legs. She could just make out the faint sparkles hovering around her limbs. But she hadn't felt the familiar, tingling sensation of the magic activating.

Clack.

Trixie's gaze jerked up as another hoofstep echoed around her.

"Who's there?" she shouted, turning quickly in place.

Silence answered. The showmare frowned, carefully pulling back her hood. A thin beam of pink light shone out, her eyes narrowing as it strained to pierce the darkness.

Trixie's breath hitched, her eyes going wide.

For just a second she could swear something flickered away from the glow. A briefest glimpse of a striped hoof. Something rustled in the bushes that her light fell over as her head twisted to follow the movement.

Trixie swallowed hard, managing a shallow breath as she leaned toward the distant bushes, eyes straining to see if anypony was looking back at her from them—

"What-WHOOOOOOOOOA!"

Trixie nearly smacked her head against a tree branch as she jumped. Spike's distant howl of fright was quickly followed by a rattle of hoof on stone. Punctuated by the heavy thud of the stallion hitting the forest floor.

"Oh right! Spike!" Trixie gasped, quickly pushing her hood back into place. "Can't let that loser get too far ahead."

The mare paused only for an instant, tossing a brief glance to the bush before taking off at a gallop. The spell around her hooves went back to work, a slow clack, clack, clack echoing among the trees.

As such, Trixie never heard the bush rustle again.

Nor did she bother to look back as a stripe-coated mare emerged from it, glaring after her.

Spike groaned as he lay in place after his second fall of the night.

And the fourth in—

"Shut up," he groaned at the nagging thought.

His head throbbed as though in retaliation. Spike drew in a sharp breath as the ache extended to all the other fresh bruises across his body. The cool, damp earth that now covered him did unfortunately little to dull the pain.

A rather significant portion of the stallion simply wanted to lay there, panting for breath. Unfortunately, something off in the distance had already set his ears twitching.

A far-off but distinct clack, clack, clack of hooves.

"K-keep going..." he muttered, struggling to open his eyes. "Don't stop. Don't—"

His voice cut out as a red and green face filled his vision.

The pain from his tumble washed away in a surge of adrenaline. In a heartbeat, Spike had leapt back to his hooves. His horn was already beginning to glow, half-formed spells sparking from its tip.

In the next beat, his legs slid on the moist ground.

With a startled yelp, Spike landed on his rear, a single flash of light emanating from his horn. Suddenly everything was lost behind a cloud of dancing spots. His breath came in quick, frightened gasps as he blinked to clear his vision. He could hear nothing for his heart pounding in his ears. He could just barely perceive was the face before him. The quiet, motionless, oddly serene...

"Huh?" Spike grunted, rubbing at his stinging eyes one more time.

The last of the spots faded as Spike stared at the strange visage.

Somehow, despite all the light and noise, its eyes were closed. It hadn't even twitched in response to the purple pony's shout. Drawing in a deep breath, Spike cautiously raised one hoof. Slowly, he reached forward, tapping it lightly against the strange thing before him.

A soft clunk sounded as he made contact.

"Wood?" he muttered, his horn relighting.

As the light spell strengthened, the journalist could see the wood-grain texture of the flat face before him. He released his breath in a small chuckle, slowly getting back up once more.

"A mask," Spike realized, shaking his head. "Just a dumb old... mask?"

One eyebrow raised as he stared at the red and green mask. Even with the relief of it not being some new, pony-devouring monster, one thought as nagging at him.

What's a mask doing out here?

Tearing his gaze away from the strange object, Spike's eyes widened.

"Oh." He swallowed hard as the answer sat before him.

For a moment he wondered if he'd wound up back home. Except the tree before him was much smaller, and more twisted than the Golden Oaks Library. The mask hanging above the door only added to the contrast, along with the many colorful bottles that hung from its branches. They clinked gently against one another as they swayed in a breeze that seemed to have started just to send a shiver down Spike's spine.

"S-so..." he muttered, taking a step back. "I g-guess this is... Z-Zecora's house?"

Clack.

Spike froze.

His heart was hammering so hard he could barely breathe. Silently, desperately, he wished that he hadn't really heard anything. The unicorn was almost praying that the forest was actually silent as he squeezed his eyes shut.

CLACK.

The second footstep shattered those hopes. He could practically feel the brush of a cloak against his hind leg. With a sharp gasp, his eyes flew open, and everything was a blur as he spun around to face his pursuer.

"Wh-what the..." Spike's voice trailed off helplessly as he saw what waited behind him.

Or rather, what didn't wait. The trees, in fact the entire forest was gone. Everything had simply been swallowed into a cloud of thick, white fog. His horn sparked fitfully, its dim light struggling to illuminate the mist.

CLACK. CLACK.

Spike's eyes shot to the side. His breath came in shallow gulps. The hoofsteps were echoing from every direction. As much as he wanted to just close his eyes again, he forced them open. Slowly he turned in place, searching for the sound's source.

"Poor little pony. Lost your way?"

His body trembled. The voice was both right next to his ear and far-off at once, somehow. Spike turned faster, his gaze darting in every direction and finding nothing but fog. Even the twisted tree had vanished as he spun, searching for anything, that wasn't white.

And then he found it.

Shining, yellow eyes coupled with a cruel smile. All looking at him from under a dark hood.

"Boo."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

Spike was not ashamed to scream. He was certain that he was already too far away for the mare to have heard anyway.

His legs pushed hard as he raced through the fog. The mist around him almost seemed to be shaking, carrying the noise of mocking laughter and hoofsteps as he ran.

And yet, in spite of the terror, something else was coursing through his mind. Some nagging sensation, wondering just how and why the whole scenario felt so familiar.

Those thoughts quickly fell silent as Spike forced his gaze forward. Just in time to see a thick bush leap from the fog. He had just enough time to close his eyes and lower his head. Right before he crashed through with a horrendous crunch of breaking foliage.

"Wait, wha-AAAAAH!"

The laughter cut out as Spike impacted with something warm and soft on the other side.

With a cry of his own, the unicorn and his crash-mat tumbled over each other. Everything was a blur of white, green, and pink as Spike flipped twice. By some miracle he ended the roll right-side up.

His insides, however, still felt like they were doing flip-flops. The fear, the dizziness, the stress, Spike groaned as he felt all of them finally take their toll. His stomach clenched in pain as he swallowed hard, struggling to force the bile down.

"Gah! Don't you dare!" a voice, much less distorted than before, grunted from beneath him. "Get off of me!"

Somehow, the words pierced through his dizziness. Slowly, Spike released the breath he'd been holding as his nausea faded.

Then the familiarity of the voice hit him.

His eyes went wide as he looked down at the pony pinned beneath his hooves.

"Trixie?!" he shouted.

The exclamation was followed by a pained grunt as the mare shoved hard against his chest. Spike barely offered any resistance as he was shoved off, though. He could do little more than stare wide-eyed at Trixie as she got back to her own hooves. All while the words of a certain baby dragon rolled through his mind.

"Y-you know she's just trying to make t-trouble!"

"Oh thank goodness. That was too close," Trixie breathed out, her magic lifting a tattered cloak from her back. "And you weigh a ton, you know that?"

She didn't even seem to care as Spike stared at the cloak.

The same one that had been hunting him all night.

The stallion's jaw was slack as he looked to either side. The fog was already vanishing as Trixie focused her attention on her outfit. The distressingly familiar fog that he could finally put a name to.

The Wandering Mist spell.

The realization brought strength back to his jaw as he began to grind his teeth.

Trixie's favorite illusion.

His shocked stare quickly turned into a baleful glare.

"Trixie..." he growled, scraping one hoof against the ground. "Was that you chasing me the whole time?"

Trixie looked up from her cloak. Suddenly her eyes went wide as she stared at Spike. As though she'd only just realized who was standing right in front of her.

"Oh... uh..." Trixie chuckled, the cloak swiftly stuffing itself into her saddlebags. "Well you see—"

The loud CRACK of Spike stomping the ground cut her off. It was getting hard to see the look on Trixie's face, and this time it wasn't due to any spell of hers. Everything in Spike's vision was collapsing into a red haze. He simply had to hope the largest blob of color in sight was Trixie as he fixed the fiercest look he could manage on it.

"The whole time. You were... and I..." Spike sputtered out, his body trembling. "I can't believe I almost fell for that!"

"What do you mean, 'almost?'" Trixie sarcastically shot back.

The sudden, sharp whistling would have worried Spike normally. Thankfully he already knew the source was the steam blowing out of his ears. Though he was reasonably certain his cheeks were about to light on fire if he blushed any harder.

"I-I-I figured it out! Eventually!" Spike countered, wishing his face would stop burning. "So was that it? A bunch of spook house illusions and costumes?"

Spike's breath rattled in his chest as he waited for Trixie's answer.

Silence answered.

"Well?" he spat out.

Again he waited.

Still, nothing but silence.

Slowly, his vision began to clear. Trixie was still there, at least. Much to Spike's surprise, however, she wasn't fixing him with the mocking grin he'd expected. She barely even seemed to be looking at him. More like her gaze was boring right through him.

"Uh, Trixie?" he asked.

Her jaw merely gaped open a little wider. Raising one eyebrow, Spike glanced back over his shoulder.

Nothing was there. Nothing new at least. The mask-adorned tree was still present (and closer than Spike had thought) but nopony stood between him and it. Looking back to Trixie, though, Spike could swear there was a tremor running up her legs.

"Hey, Trixie?" Spike asked, waving one hoof in front of her face. "Hello? Anypony ho—"

"Spook house!" Trixie exclaimed suddenly.

Spike stumbled back as the mare sprang back to life. Her face suddenly pulled into a huge, vaguely frightening smile. Before the purple stallion could think of how to respond, she had jumped to his side.

"Yeah, a big spook house! You got it figured out, Spikey!" Trixie energetically gushed out. "Ohno, myplan'sruinedtimetogo!"

"Huh?" Spike grunted as Trixie disappeared from his side.

He'd only just figured out what the mare's word salad had meant when something began shoving against his flank. A startled cry escaped his throat as he dug his hooves into the ground.

"Come on, I lose this one!" Trixie grunted as she pushed Spike from behind. "Let's-just-go!"

"I-bu-you-Whoa!" Spike struggled to speak as he was forced into a brisk trot.

His head was spinning. Partially from the rush of his anger dying out, but mostly from trying to follow the actions of the blue unicorn at his backside. Glancing over his shoulder he was already losing sight of the twisted little tree-hut. Something Trixie seemed almost eager for as she continued shoving him along.

"Trix—" Spike faltered as he almost tripped mid-question. "Trixie, what are you doing?"

That got a semi-reasonable response as his impromptu walking aid raised her eyes to meet his. Spike almost wished he hadn't at the sight of the frenzied gleam in them.

"Doing? I'm getting us back to Ponyville!" Trixie answered, still pushing against Spike's rear. "The Everfree Forest is dangerous after all!"

"You're... you're seriously just giving up?" Spike asked, finally getting into the rhythm of his forced march. "Just like that?"

"Plan's no good if you figured it out," Trixie answered, her eyes flicking to the path ahead. "I can embarrass you just as easily tomor... tomoroooo..."

Spike caught himself just in time as Trixie froze in her tracks.

"Oh no..." she squeaked out.

"Oh no?" he parroted, looking back ahead.

Somepony stood in the road ahead of them. With Trixie's light spell vanishing with a sharp fizzle, Spike was forced to turn up his own. As the green glow spread he could make out more details.

The figure wore a brown cloak, the hood of which was pulled over her head. However, in his strengthening light, Spike could make out the odd stripes on her face. Her teal eyes staring unblinkingly into his own.

"Oh..." Spike breathed out, trying very hard not to shiver.

The journalist looked slowly from the newcomer to the mare behind him. Trixie still quivered in place, silent but for her chattering teeth. Staring at the fearful mare, one sound slowly worked its way to the top of his mind. The thought of which brought a crease to his brow.

"Oh." he grunted before letting out a frustrated sigh.

One more glance from the trembling Trixie to the hooded mare only cemented the frustration. The sound of the showmare's terrified scream from earlier that evening rang in his ears. The same noise that had already driven him into one trap. With a scowl on his face, Spike began stomping toward the striped pony.

"Spike!" Trixie squeaked out. "What are you doing?"

His green eyes rolled in response as he drew level with the other pony. The stallion spun around, fixing a sardonic glare on the blue unicorn.

"So, this was some kinda back-up?" he guessed, gesturing a hoof to the 'pony' behind him. "Set up a Zecora dummy if I figured you out?"

"Spi—"

Spike didn't bother to listen as he turned back to the hooded mannequin. Chuckling a bit, he stuck his tongue out at the model.

"Please. This thing doesn't even look real!" he taunted, rapping one hoof against its head.

"OUCH!"

Spike jumped back, eyes wide, as the 'dummy' shouted in pain. Even worse, she was rubbing her head, wincing in pain, her hood falling back to reveal a striped mane...

As well as the angry glare she was fixing on him.

Spike swallowed hard, barely forcing back the lump in his throat.

"Uh... n-not a d-dummy then..." he choked out.

The mare in question just continued to glare at him.

"S-so... Zecora?" he guessed, taking a trembling step away.

The striped pony gave a curt nod in answer.

Spike was somewhat surprised he was still standing as the truth slammed into him. He almost didn't notice the rush of motion to his right. More than likely he would have missed it if Trixie hadn't screamed one word as she raced by.

"RUN!"

Seeing the glare the striped mare was still giving him, Spike decided not to argue for once.

Trixie could feel her lungs trying to claw their way to freedom. Not that she could blame them seeing as her chest was on fire. It was taking all her will not to follow their lead and simply collapse.

The sound of hooves pounding behind her served as an excellent motivator, however.

She didn't look back. She didn't dare. The showmare forced herself to focus on pushing her own legs harder. An effort that did regrettably little to stop her from picturing the reason for her flight.

The striped mare was behind her. Those teal eyes were boring into her back.

Somehow Trixie managed to gallop even faster.

"No no no no no—" she panted out with each impact of her hooves.

She wasn't supposed to be here! She wasn't even supposed to notice!

Trixie grit her teeth as the thought ran through her head.

"Spike..." she growled between panting breaths.

For a moment, the fire in her chest gave way to anger. Spike had been the one to fall down the slope. Spike had landed right in front of Zecora's hut.

He's why everything is going downhill again! That stupid, plan-wrecking—

Her inner-tirade cut out as something crashed through the brush behind her. In an instant her rage was blown out. Likely by the scream that cut through the air, driving her to keep running. Desperately, her gaze flicked upward, away from her hooves.

Her heartbeat surged when she saw a glimmer of light in the distance.

Forcing another breath into her protesting lungs, Trixie barreled toward it at top speed. A smile broke across her muzzle as she saw the trees thin up ahead. She could spot her wagon, the lights of Ponyville in the distance behind it.

Almost there!

The showmare's head felt light, a runner's high setting in. The pain in her chest was nothing. Neither were the fading hoofsteps racing behind her, nor the rope strung across her path—

Wait, what?

Trixie's eyes shrunk to pinpricks as a rush of memory flooded her. Far too late to stop, though. The rope had already caught against her leg, and suddenly the ground was racing up to meet her.

"WhyyyAAIEEEEE!" Trixie howled, the ground giving way beneath her as she struck it.

WHAM

Pain shot through Trixie as she slammed into the plant-strewn bottom of the pit. Pain that she knew she didn't have time for. Despite her body's protests, she kicked out her legs.

"Getupgetupgetup!" she frantically urged herself.

Laying on her back, at the bottom of the short pit, Trixie's vision was swimming. That didn't keep the memories from coming back to her. Memories of digging the hole. Of tying the rope in place. And, most importantly, the ones of running that same rope up to the branches above.

The rope that was tied to a wooden bucket precariously perched in those branches. The container was wobbling, having shifted thanks to the sudden sharp tug on its line. It was already tilting, the very edge of its contents peeking over its lip. Trixie's eyes went wide as a few drops fell and splattered to either side of her head.

"No!" she shouted, her horn flaring to life.

Adrenaline thundered through her as her magic shot upward. The bucket trembled threateningly, almost flipping as her magic forcefully wrapped around it. Trixie's breath caught in her throat as she struggled to focus. Straining, she could feel the magic lessen, softly pushing against the pail.

The trembling of the bucket eased. Ever so carefully, it righted itself. Slowly it eased to the side, nestling back into place. As the levitation spell faded from around it, Trixie finally allowed herself a relieved sigh.

"That was too close," she muttered, wiping her brow. "Why did I even make this trap?"

"GANGWA-AAAAHHH!"

Trixie's eyes grew to saucers.

Oh. Right.

Something purple barreled over the edge of the pit. Even without the familiar scream, Trixie could tell it was Spike.

Spike with a length of rope tangled around his leg.

Another scream almost burst Spike's eardrums as something sticky fell across his back.

"Get off of me you-you—!"

Spike's head spun as a pair of hooves shoved against his chest. Coughing for breath, the stallion was shoved away from Trixie for the second time that night. He could almost feel the mud splattered over his back dry as a fresh rush of anger heated his body.

A small sense of triumph grew as he shot a harsh look to the mare, though. He smirked as he saw the same sticky, black muck covering her. Trixie didn't seem to care, or even notice his happiness however. Probably due to the odd dance she was performing, shaking each of her legs in turn as an aura of pink shone over her.

"Get off, get off!" she ordered, a glob of mud flying from her leg.

Spike lifted his hoof as the substance landed before it with a splat. He scowled as he noticed the leaves and other plant debris sticking out of it. The same stuff layered neatly across his back, he realized. Unfortunately, before he could even start scraping it away, a furious stomp of hooves pulled his gaze back up.

Right into the angered eyes of Trixie.

"You IDIOT!" she hollered, mud still dripping from her face and neck. "Do you have any idea what you did?!"

Spike winced as his ears rang with Trixie's volume. Even with the fresh migraine forming, he managed to put his smirk back on.

"Wrecked another of your stupid plans?" he guessed.

Trixie's suddenly-scrunched muzzle was the only proof he needed that he'd guessed right. He quickly braced himself as her mouth flew open again, a fresh verbal assault no doubt on the way.

CRACK-BOOOOM!

A cacophonous clap of thunder cut Trixie off before she could even start. Spike knew that she was looking up along with him, staring at the lone storm cloud that had interrupted them.

There was no chance to wonder where it came from, however. An instant after the thunder, the bottom of the cloud burst open. Spike spluttered as a flood of rainwater filled his mouth and nose.

Thankfully the storm was over as quickly as it started. Spike spat out a mouthful of water as he shot a disdainful look up to the cloud responsible. His angry gaze turned to shock, however, as dark-coated stallion looked back down at him.

"Well," the pegasus said as he kicked the spent storm cloud aside. "That got your attention."

"Thunderlane!?" Spike gasped out.

Trixie was muttering something he couldn't catch as the pegasus stallion landed by the edge of the pit. Thunderlane simply sat there, his forehooves crossed. A whirlwind of excuses, pleas, and more importantly questions tore through Spike's mind. All of which were forced back down by the hard gaze Thunderlane had focused on him.

"What are you doing here?" Spike managed to ask, barely able to avoid stammering.

"He... he showed up on his own," a softer voice answered.

Glancing toward it, Spike bit down on his lip. Twilight plodded up next to Thunderlane, wringing her tail in her claws.

"It was just after you guys went in the forest," she went on. "I don't know who told him—"

"Nopony had to," Thunderlane cut in, finally lowering his forehooves. "I could tell Spike wasn't gonna listen to me."

Pain filled Spike's mouth as he bit down harder. A blur of blue to his side saved him from needing to say anything. He would have been thankful if that blur hadn't been Trixie. The mare shoved her way in front of him, magic jamming her hat back onto her head.

"Wait, where are Snips and Snails?" she snapped.

"Back home, where they should be," Thunderlane answered, kicking something over pit's edge. "Oh, but they asked me to give this back to you."

Spike raised an eyebrow as a camera splashed down into one of the puddles littering the hole. Trixie cleared her throat, quickly levitating the camera back into her saddlebags. Spike's jaw had already dropped though, his mind already abuzz with guesses of what the device's intended use had been. He didn't have a chance to utter a single word before Trixie hopped out of the pit, slipping a bit on the muddy ground.

"Right... well Spike, I guess your friends bailed you out," Trixie said, glancing back at him. "Again."

"Why you—" Spike started to answer.

A dark hoof shoved itself between them before he could get another word out. Thunderlane was glaring at the blue mare as she slowly took a step back.

"Looks like we'll settle this later," she huffed, throwing a scowl to the pegasus.

Spike scowled in return. For an instant, though, something bothered him. As Trixie spun away he could swear her neck turned to keep him in sight. Almost as though she were double-checking something.

The feeling vanished as Trixie stomped off in a one-mare chorus of angry grumbling. Shaking his head, Spike heaved himself onto the ledge above, his legs scrambling to get him out of the trap.

"Well, Spike?" Thunderlane asked. "What did I tell you?"

Spike rolled his eyes as he kicked hard, finally pulling himself onto solid ground.

"I could have handled things," he grunted, his magic floating his hat aside to shake the water from it.

"Yeah, looked that way," Thunderlane sarcastically commented with a roll of his eyes.

Spike grit his teeth as he turned to the weather pony. Thunderlane was already answering his glare with one of his own. Before either stallion could speak up, though, something purple forced its way between them.

"Guys, come on," Twilight said, spreading her claws to separate the two. "Can't we just go home and forget about this? T-Trixie's gone now, right?"

Spike wasn't sure whether the sound he let out was more of a growl or a sigh. Either way, it caused Twilight to lower her arms and look at him with a pleading smile.

"Yeah, Trixie's gone," he grumbled. "But she's gonna—"

"Be back, yeah. We get it," Thunderlane interrupted, jumping to his hooves. "Spike, would you just wake up!"

The dark pony's wings were flared as he scowled at Spike. For a moment, the unicorn found himself struck silent. An opening that Thunderlane seemed to have been waiting for as he began pacing back and forth.

"You just went into the Everfree Forest. The Everfree Forest, Spike! By yourself!" Thunderlane was shaking his head as he spoke, almost as though in disbelief. "That was insane! I mean, nopony—"

"Hey, we did it before!" Spike butted in, his voice crackling back to life.

"Exactly! All of us, together!" Thunderlane countered. "What were you thinking going on your own?!"

"Spike, Thunderlane, don't—"

The purple stallion could barely hear Twilight trying to break into the argument. He ignored her waving claw as he fixed a glare on Thunderlane.

"Hey! Trixie's my problem!" he shouted, his magic planting his hat back atop his head. "I can deal with her myself! Got it?!"

His eyes locked with Thunderlane's as a few ragged pants forced their way down his throat. For a second, Spike could swear there was a hint of worry in the other stallion's amber eyes.

In the next, the pegasus just shook his head.

"Fine," he muttered.

Spike's ears perked at that word.

"Fine?" he repeated.

That was all he got out before he met Thunderlane's withering glare.

"Yeah. You wanna be a brat about this? That's fine Spike!" Thunderlane snapped, his wings flaring out. "You just go ahead and 'handle' Trixie yourself then!"

A sharp wind nearly bowled Spike over as Thunderlane shot into the sky. As the breeze whipped around the journalist, he could hear one last sentence carry down from the departing pegasus.

"And when everything goes south, don't come crying to me!"

Nothing but silence was left, broken only by the fading beats of Thunderlane's wings. Spike stood stock still, simply staring after the Element of Honesty as he vanished into the distance.

Part of him wanted to shout a retort of his own back. Part of him had gone numb at the sheer anger in Thunderlane's words. And still another part trembled with a sense of foreboding.

Because as much as he hated to think it, something in the dark pony's last sentence almost felt prophetic.

Slowly, though, all parts were coming to agreement. Spike let out a tired sigh as he looked to the side.

Twilight stood there, looking from him to the sky Thunderlane had just vanished into. One claw was lifted, as though to reassure Spike. He clambered to his hooves, a heavy feeling settling into his limbs and stomach as he plodded past the dragon.

"Come on, Twi," he muttered, head hanging low. "Let's just go home."

"Do you even realize what you did?!"

Hooves pounded. Legs pumped.

Nothing seemed able to outrun the voices echoing from every direction.

Even if it were possible, there was nowhere to run. Twisting masses of black and white fog encroached from every side. They lashed out, tangling themselves around anything within reach.

Running was the only, useless, option.

"You just go ahead and 'handle' Trixie yourself then!"

Ears flattened, both to shut out the voices and protect from the sudden wind. The fogs were separating ahead. Something waited in the path ahead.

"And when everything goes south—"

A furious teal-eyed glare locked on his own.

"Don't come crying to me!"

Light burst through Spike's eyelids.

The purple pony's heart thundered in his chest even as he lay still. Dazzled as he was by sunlight, he could at least guess the fog was gone. His breathing slowed as he felt the mattress under him, his gaze slowly travelling away from the window across from his bed.

Just a dream.

Spike breathed out a sigh of relief as he flipped himself over. His body almost felt lighter as he felt the morning sun settle on his back. The only thing that ruined his attempt to slip back into slumber was the feeling of something crinkling under his muzzle.

Letting out an annoyed huff, Spike sent a spark from his horn. The paper he'd rolled onto immediately slid loose, floating itself in front of him. His brow raised as he looked over the short message printed on it.

Spike,

Went to get groceries.

Will be back soon.

Twilight

The unicorn frowned as his eyes fell to the bottom of the note.

P.S. Please try to stay out of trouble?

Spike grumbled as he glared at the last, hastily scrawled sentence. His magic swiftly crumpled the note, tossing it aside. With another, more frustrated sigh, he yanked his covers over his head.

"Thanks, Twi," he muttered to his absent assistant. "Like I'm not getting enough of that."

Green eyes squeezed shut as the unicorn tried to will himself back to sleep. A bitter feeling was filling his mouth, though. With a reluctant groan, he slid himself toward the edge of his covers. His limbs ached in protest, apparently unwilling to let him forget last night's run.

Water...

That one thought forced his legs to move. One last grunt escaped as he slipped loose of his blanket.

His eyes widened as he stepped out into empty air.

"Whoa!" Spike shouted as gravity grabbed hold before he could react.

With a painful thud he found himself dumped to the hardwood floor of his loft. Spike winced as he rubbed at his rump, glaring up at his traitorous bed.

And up.

And further up.

Spike's glare slowly turned to a confused stare.

"Did... did my bed... get bigger?" he wondered aloud, scrambling to his hooves.

Standing next to it, Spike was somewhat relieved to be eye-level with the mattress. It didn't change the fact that his bed was twice as tall as he recalled from last night. Turning slowly in place, his gaze wandered across the rest of his bedroom.

The nightstand seemed taller too, he noticed. So did the hat rack, his fedora and saddlebags now perched well above his hoof reach. Spike's breathing was quickening again as he stumbled away from the bed.

I've gotta be imagining this.

As much as he wanted to believe the idea, the proof was still piling up. The stairs down to the lower level of the loft seemed further than before. His framed article was hung higher on the wall than ever before. All the while the strange lightness of his body did little to calm him.

It did, however, succeed in making his trip to the mirror much faster. His heart thoroughly in his throat, Spike stepped in front of it.

"I... wha... my..." Spike stammered.

His eyes grew wider.

So did the eyes of the purple unicorn colt reflected in the mirror.

Spike's jaw dropped in disbelief as he took in the pony. A short, slightly pudgy unicorn colt. One with a green mane, the spikes of which were slightly tangled from his tumble out of bed. A child whose mouth was also gaping wide, and who'd started trembling just like Spike had as he stared at what shouldn't have been staring back.

A pony that couldn't have been any older than Snips or Snails.

"No way..." Spike whispered, reaching one leg forward.

The colt in the mirror did the same. Spike stared in disbelief as he pressed against his reflected hoof. His eyes flicked from the hoof, to his own shocked face, then back to the hoof.

Over and over again. His breath getting faster each time.

Until finally, something snapped.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Author's Note

Well, there we go then, now a little announcement.

I made this chapter a bit longer and pushed the plot forward for a reason. I'm using this A/N feature for the same reason and I want to make sure it's where everyone will see it. This July I'm taking part in Camp NaNo, meaning I'm taking a break from working on Boast Backers for a month.

Not that I'd bet most of you would noticed, heh.

But anywho, just wanted to let everyone know that if the next chapter takes (even) longer than normal it's because I'm writing out another project for the next month. One that I'm hoping I'll be able to post here when it's done! Hope you'll all look forward to both it and the next chapter of Boast Backers!

Chapter 9

On the windowsill outside the Golden Oaks Library, a lone robin chirped happily. Mostly because there was no reason not to. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining bright through the leaves of the old tree. The weather had been perfect for a late-morning fly. Best of all, the windowsill had been covered with its favorite snack: a big pile of fresh seeds. All with no other birds around to lay claim to it.

The lack of other birds wasn't much of a surprise. Most of them were still a bit wary of the dragon that had taken residence in the library. After all, it wasn't often a creature with fangs and claws ever meant well for a small bird. The robin, however, had a difficult time imagining the new, scaly resident was dangerous.

Especially as he pecked at some of the best birdseed available in all of Ponyville.

The robin let out another gleeful chirp as it swallowed its latest beakful of seeds. Granted, the shy pegasus at the town's edge had better. The new dragon, however, always seemed to leave out so much more. Especially when the robin and his feathered friends woke her unicorn roommate with their morning singing.

"A-alright, Spike! K-k-keep it t-together!"

From the sound of things, however, there wouldn't be any extra seed this time. Glancing in the window, the robin could confirm the purple unicorn was already awake. He was standing in front of his mirror, staring at his reflection. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

What was unusual, however, was how hard he was trembling. The robin tilted its head as it looked down at the pony. Something else seemed off about him. He almost seemed... shorter, than normal.

An observation that began to matter slightly less as green light began pouring from the unicorn's horn.

"It... it's just a trick, right? I-I've gotta be seeing things!" The purple pony let out a nervous chuckle as he gathered more magic. "J-just one quick Illusion Ender and..."

Blinding green light suddenly filled the loft. The robin let out a terrified chirp and fluttered away from the window as the harsh scent of ozone filled the air. A ferocious crackle of discharging energy accompanied the stray bolts of green magic that suddenly blasted the window open, scattering birdseed in every direction.

For a moment, the robin remained on its new perch, staring at where its breakfast had once been. A low groan from the now-open window shook the bird from its daze.

"Or... ugh... maybe not..." the unicorn's voice groaned from within the tree.

The robin gave a frustrated click of its beak. His wings ruffled and he leapt from the branch, taking wing to Fluttershy's house.

Whatever strange game the library colt was up to this morning, he could play it by himself.

Chapter 9

Spike had dealt with spells backfiring before.

It was really something to be expected when it came to magic. Nopony was perfect after all. Occasionally every unicorn had to miss the mark, put too much power into a spell, or otherwise just mess up with using their magic. The morning jolts he'd been getting from forgetting about his loft's lack of window shades were among the most recent examples.

Now, with his coat prickling and stray sparks of green falling from his frazzled mane, there wasn't much mystery over what had happened. Just another spell backfiring, only on a much larger scale.

So the backfire, surprisingly, didn't worry Spike. Even if it had left the loft a bit of a mess by flinging papers, quills, and ink all over. And nearly cracked the window when it flung it open. Not even the crumpled remains of Twilight's basket (indicating where he'd crash landed) concerned him.

"Just stay calm, Spike! St-stay calm!"

No, what had Spike bolting down stairs as fast as his legs could carry him was what the backfire implied.

"Illusion Ender failed..." Spike was panting for breath as he ran, his hat bouncing wildly on his head. "That means... that means there's no illusions, which means... which means..."

This is real!

Spike nearly stumbled, almost pitching face-first onto the next stair. He just barely caught his balance and resumed his descent, leaving the ravaged loft above him. His ears lay flat under his fedora, almost as though they could shut out the words echoing with each pound of his hooves.

It's real, it's real, it's real—

The colt flinched as he bit the inside of his cheek. Between trying to silence the voice in his head and ignoring how much longer the staircase suddenly felt, it was a marvel he could keep moving forward. Somehow he managed it, however, forcing his gaze straight down the stairs to his goal.

"It's real. Oh sweet Celestia this is real..." Spike muttered between breaths. "B-but... I live... in a library!"

That lone thought drove him to push his shorter legs faster. A smile broke over his face as the bottom step finally revealed itself. There was nothing between him and the main floor of the Golden Oak's Library. Just him and a room full of books, one of which simply had to contain information on his...

Spike was trying very hard not to think of the word "curse" as he took the stairs two at a time.

"Find the right book, and fix this. Find the right book and fix this." The coaching was becoming a mantra, drowning out the fearful "It's real" still playing in his head. "Find the right—Hey!"

With a clatter of hooves, Spike tried to stumble to a halt as something fell over his eyes. He had a split-second to realize it was his own hat, finally sliding out of position on a head much too small to wear it.

Right before he noticed that this front hooves had only skimmed the edge of the next step.

"Oh noooOOOAAAAARGH!"

BAM

CRACK

WHAM

"... ow..."

At the very least, Spike could tell the hardwood floor under him was flat. That could only mean he had reached his goal. Albeit with a few more lumps than he'd originally intended. A feeble spark of green flickered from his horn, knocking his fedora away from his spinning eyes.

"Urgh..." Spike groaned as his vision slowly swam back into focus. "Well... I made... ow... made it..."

Hooves scrambled against the ground as it lurched unsteadily beneath him. Spike shook his head, sending his hat falling to the ground next to him.

"Pull it together, Spike." The age-regressed unicorn's legs trembled as he lifted his head, eyes sweeping the room. "Gotta find... uh... find..."

This time it wasn't the aches across his body making Spike's voice trail out. His eyes grew wide as he simply stared at the scene before him.

"Books..."

"Books" were guaranteed to be the last thing Spike would have trouble finding. Just not for the reasons he'd originally hoped.

To say the library's main room looked like a tornado had hit it was too kind. Spike couldn't even compare the damage before him to Ditzy Doo's last visit. The contents of the normally well-stocked shelves now lay scattered across the entire library. There were books on the floors, the tables, reading stands, seat cushions... almost every flat surface able to hold them. Most were half-open, as though abandoned in the middle of being read.

Spike's jaw fell slack as he simply stared at the clutter before him.

The confusion immediately fled as a soft whisper reached his ears.

"Oh gosh-snkrt—"

She regretted the snort almost as soon as it left her muzzle. Not that there was a chance to do anything about it.

"Wha—" Spike's head had snapped toward the sound almost as soon as she'd spoken."Who's there?!"

One hoof covered her mouth, her breath freezing in her lungs. Spike's ears were twitching frantically as his eyes narrowed on one of the larger piles of books in the room. The visitor kept silent, pressing her muzzle firmly shut. Spike couldn't see her where she hid. All she had to do was keep quiet and he would never be the wiser.

A more difficult task, she couldn't imagine as she watched him take a step toward her.

"T-Twi?" The colt's voice was even higher than before, and practically a whisper. "Twilight, is th-that you?"

Of course! Twilight totally would have left a mess like this.

She bit harder on her hoof to keep the sarcastic quote to herself. Even that did little to quell the swelling feeling in her gut. Watching Spike, the great hero of Ponyville- no, of all Equestria- reduced to a trembling colt. Practically half his usual size, his lower lip quivering even as he bit down to try and still it, his breathing growing faster as he tried to figure out just what (if anything) he'd heard...

It was official. She was going to explode from keeping the laughter inside.

"It's g-gotta be Twi, right?"

Spike's voice brought her senses back. The visitor swallowed a yelp of pain as she bit the inside of her cheek. Anything to keep the giggles at bay, especially as the unicorn colt leaned in closer.

"I mean..." She nearly breathed a sigh of relief. It sounded like Spike was just thinking out loud. "It's not like this pl-place is haun... haunt—"

Creeeeeeeak...

Spike's own, startled cry covered the sound of her hoof as it fell back to the ground. Silently the visitor thanked her luck as Spike spun away from her. His eyes were wide, staring towards...

The front door? Why—

Creeeeeak...

It was the visitor's turn to stare as a summer wind blew through the library. The front door of the Golden Oaks swayed in the breezed, opening a little more. It almost looked like it was waving, inviting anypony passing by to enter.

Stupid! You forgot to latch it!

"Crud!" Spike had jumped away from the stairs before the word even left his muzzle.

The visitor could already tell where he was going. To the front door, likely to seal it before anypony else saw him. Which would leave her locked up in the building. Alone. With Spike.

Double crud!

The visitor's eyes darted to the side. Spike was so focused on his own task he didn't seem to pay attention as her hooves beat against the floor. Though the visitor did wince as she felt her flank clip against the table in her rush

That didn't matter, however. There was a window right next to the door. Just a few seconds and she'd be out and away.

Just come back later! After this big baby goes to take a nap or something!

Her hooves scrambled against the wall for a second before finally finding purchase. The visitor smirked as she hooked her forelegs over the windowsill, just as the front door flew shut with a resounding WHAM.

Heh, baby. Nap. Gonna need to remember that one—

"Shoot, the curtains!"

The visitor had just enough time to realize that was Spike's voice.

A split-second later, something the exact size and shape as a colt slammed right into her side.

"OOF!"

That was all Spike had time to grunt out as the wind was knocked out of him. His legs folded, dumping him to a heap on the ground as he stared up at the window he'd been running toward. A window which suddenly had something very solid between him and it.

Something that looked distressingly like empty air.

"OW!"

What few thoughts he had of getting up were quickly laid to rest as the suddenly-solid air shouted. In the voice of a mare no less. Accompanied by a clattering sound, like somepony trying to get back to their hooves.

I was kidding about being haunted! Really!

As much as he wanted to say that, he couldn't. His heart had firmly lodged in his throat and apparently stopped, forming a rather effective block.

"Oooh... you..."

Spike squeezed his eyes shut. Unnecessary seeing as his vision was so hazy he couldn't see anything anyway. And ultimately it did nothing to stop him from picturing the mare as she began yelling.

"You annoying, clumsy little pest!"

Cringing in fear was about all he could do. Whoever the mare was, she was mad. She towered over him, her face a horrifying mask. All but the eyes, burning with fury to rival Nightmare Moon's...

"-Always have to ruin everything—"

Pink eyes, actually. Spike wasn't sure why he hooked onto that detail. Pink eyes with a blue coat. And a white mane.

All topped off with a cape and hat covered in stars.

"-Watch where you're go—"

"Trixie?"

Spike's mouth formed the name before he'd really thought it. The effect, however, was immediate. The voice came to a sudden, awkward halt. Cautiously, Spike opened his eyes.

"Trixie?" he repeated, staring at the talking patch of air.

For a moment, nopony answered. A shuffling of hooves against the ground coupled with the sound of somepony clearing their throat broke the silence.

"Shoo-er, uh... Whoooo's Trixie? I'm a spoooooky spirit from the Everfree—"

In a rush of heat, all of Spike's fear vanished. There was no mistaking that voice. Even through the "scary" rasp and moaning that the speaker was trying to add.

"It is you!" The colt snorted as he rolled himself upright. "I knew it!"

"Oh you did not, you dolt!"

Spike's could feel his cheeks burning at the truth of that.

"Yeah well... shut up!" Spike grimaced at his utter lack of witty retort. He quickly cleared his throat, head turning back up to where Trixie should have been standing. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Uh... well..."

Whatever Trixie was trying to say didn't matter. Spike had already realized just how pointless his question had been. The facts and images were whirling around in his head, slotting themselves into place in the bigger picture. Particularly the funny look she had fixed on him the night before. Just before she had run off.

This isn't over, Spike.

"Oh... of course..." Spike grumbled before Trixie could even start to answer. "This is another of your dumb pranks!"

"What?!"

Trixie didn't say anything past that. Spike didn't give her the chance to before green light began glowing around his horn again. A small twinge of satisfaction came as he heard the clack of hooves on the floor, backing slowly away from him.

"I wake up like this, you're invisible and in my house—" Spike drew in a shuddering breath as his spell drew in more and more energy. He could feel the warmth of the extra magic becoming an uncomfortable heat. "Whatever you did to me, you're gonna fix it right now!"

"Now hold on—"

"But first, no more tricks!" Small puffs of steam issued from Spike's nostrils as the last of the spell shifted into place. "If you're gonna be in here, I'm gonna keep an eye on you!"

Lines of green light raced around the room. Spike grinned as he felt the magic of his "Illusion Ender" start to release.

"Spike! You really don't want to—"

The harsh scent of ozone hit Spike's nostrils.

CRACK-BOOM

"AAAH—"

WHAM

"... Well, Trixie did try to warn you."

The last of the green light was fading from Spike's vision as he lay flat on his back. He could still feel the unpleasant tingle of the discharged magic running off him, though. As well as the spot where his head (thankfully cushioned by his hat) had hit the wall.

All that, combined with the ringing in his ears, meant he barely noticed the sound of hoofsteps slowly approaching. Even once he had, he couldn't do much to answer other than groan in pain.

"Awww, did little Spikey-wikey fall down?"

"Shut... up..." Spike managed to grunt out.

"Oooh, witty. Now get out of my way."

Something wrapped around the prone colt before he could respond. Spike gasped as some strange, invisible magic suddenly lifted him into the air. Attempts to twist free did no good as he drifted to the side. All his struggles did was let him look around the library again, and cause his eyes to grow wide.

There was nopony else in the library, still. Despite that, a book was lifting itself from the pile Spike had landed on. It had already opened up, almost like it were supported by unicorn magic.

Invisible unicorn magic.

Spike looked down, suddenly realizing what was holding him up. Right before landing with an unceremonious whump atop a nearby seat cushion.

"H-oomph-hang on!" Spike sputtered as he slid on the cushion. "M-my spell didn't work! You're still invisible!"

Somepony snorted from near the floating book.

"Wow, and everypony says Twilight is the smart one..."

It didn't take much effort to avoid growling in response. The general unease creeping back into Spike's gut made sure of that. His eyes were jumping from the floating book, back down to his body, then up to where (he assumed) Trixie stood.

"B-but my spell should've worked!" Spike protested, hopping off his seat and picking his way through the mess on the floor. "How come—"

SNAP

Spike cut off in a yelp and jerked his head back. Just in time to avoid having his nose sandwiched between the pages of the book.

"What makes you think I know?"

Something shoved into Spike, sending him stumbling to the side. He gasped, barely managing to keep from spilling to the floor again. As he righted himself, his ears twitched in every direction. They quickly honed in on a quartet of angry hooves, stomping their way towards another pile of books.

Spike's brow furrowed for a second. Oddly enough, the hooves almost sounded... uneasy. Likely due to the multiple other tomes that were being knocked aside in their wake as though somepony were almost tripping on them. A stumble or two later, and one of the books began lifting itself from the pile just as Spike finally found his voice again.

"You don't—" Spike shook his head before he finished parroting the invisible mare. "Why wouldn't you know? It's your spell, isn't it?!"

The new book froze mid-opening. Spike swallowed hard as it did. For some reason he could just picture the look on Trixie's face, and it was not an overly friendly one.

"My spell, huh?" The book dropped to the ground and hooves were stomping back toward him. "Just like 'my spell' that you ripped apart in front of Snips and Snails yesterday?"

"Uh, well—" Spike didn't have much of a chance to talk as Trixie's voice suddenly cut in again, sounding very much like she was pacing around him.

"If this were one of my spells, do you really think I'd have come here looking for a way to fix this? Do you even know how hard invisibility... let alone age-changing magic is?!"

"Well... do you?" Spike retorted, trying to stand as tall as he could.

The brief silence that followed gave the colt more satisfaction than it probably should have. He still smirked.

"Not my point! The fact is, this one isn't my fault! I woke up like-like-WHOA!"

The hooves stumbled as a book suddenly flipped into the air. Spike jumped aside just in time to avoid having it land on his head. At the same time, a heavy THUD sounded, much like the sort made by a pony hitting the floor.

"Uh... Trixie?" Spike asked, cautiously reaching one hoof forward.

Something smacked his leg away. Spike winced in pain as the scrape of hooves on wooden floor reached his ears. Underscored, he noticed, by the sound of somepony sniffling.

"Argh! Can't even see where I'm stepping like this..."

Spike could feel a giggle starting to bubble up in response. Much to his own surprise, he swallowed it back down.

"Trixie just... just woke up like this! Just like you probably did!"

The hooves were stomping away before Spike could answer. The book floated up once again, hovering in front of what he assumed was Trixie's face.

"Not that I expect you to believe me. Oh no, big mean Trixie couldn't possibly be in the same boat... Hmmph..."

The mare's voice faded, quickly becoming nothing but some grumbles under her breath as the book's pages turned. Spike's mouth started to open.

Just as quickly, he snapped it shut again.

... Maybe she's telling the truth?

Spike blinked and crossed his eyes, trying to stare in bewilderment at the thought. If it wouldn't have made him look completely crazy, he would have talked back to himself. Pointed out that it was, in fact, still Trixie they were talking about. He could still clearly picture every moment of her little "performance" that he'd endured last night.

And you couldn't undo her spell because?

Spike's ears twitched as another sniffle reached them. Glancing up, he could see the book shaking a bit. Almost as though the pony holding it were trying and failing to avoid trembling themselves.

One hoof poked at the spot where Trixie had supposedly tripped. Spike winced a bit. Try as he might, he couldn't help but to remember how much his own various tumbles from earlier had hurt.

"Alright... let's pretend I believe you." Spike grit his teeth at the thought. At the very least, Trixie's grumbling stopped. "If you didn't do this to us then... who did?"

Another page of the book turned. Spike wasn't watching it, though. His gaze was off the side as he tried very hard not to think about what he was saying.

"No. Clue."

Not looking didn't help. Spike still winced at each bit off word as Trixie began speaking again.

"Nopony should be able to do stuff like this! And it's not like Trixie steamed off any evil enchantresses lately—"

An evil enchantress. Plain and simple.

Spike blinked once. In spite of himself, he looked back up to Trixie's book.

She'll curse you if you so much as look at her wrong!

"That's it!" Spike cheered, suddenly jumping to his hooves. "That's... that's... oh boy..."

Trixie's book had fallen back to the floor. Spike wasn't paying attention, however, as he suddenly felt a cold sweat break out over his entire body.

"Hello? You maybe want to clue me in what you're so happy about?"

Spike just swallowed hard. An act which ultimately did very little. He was still picturing the dark hood, striped face, teal eyes glaring at him—

"SPIKE!"

The colt jumped again, and he heard Trixie stumble away from him. A few more books slid haphazardly around as the mare apparently backed into them. Her hooves scrambled, sounding as though they barely kept her upright this time.

"Hey! If you've got an idea then spit it out already!"

"I... I think I know who did this to us," Spike answered, looking toward the nearby window. "But you're not gonna like it..."

"I really, really hate to admit it... but you're right. I don't like this."

Spike rolled his eyes as Trixie repeated the statement for the third time. Not that he could really blame her. Somehow, however, her disdain felt oddly relaxing. If only because of how familiar it was.

At that point, really, anything beat thinking about what he was actually doing. Something that was made harder as Trixie continued to stomp her way down the road. Spike shifted his weight, his forelegs tightening around his invisible carrier to avoid being thrown off.

"It's insane, I'm crazy for going along it, and you've gotta be even crazier to think it up!"

Even if it was strangely comforting, though, the invisible mare's rant still caused Spike to glance about. Thankfully, there was no sign of anypony passing by. A fact which gave Spike some relief. Nopony to get freaked out over hearing an empty patch of air complaining. Or wonder why it was apparently complaining to a smaller lump on its back, hidden beneath its invisible cape.

A cape which, Spike was now uncomfortably aware, turned out to be much warmer than he'd thought. Especially with the sun beating down on the both of them.

"—Don't know what I expected. Not like you'd come up with a good plan, anyway!"

Though it wasn't just the summer weather that was making steam pour from Spike's ears.

"Hey! I didn't hear you come up with any ideas!" he snapped back.

"Well I could have come up with anything better than this!"

Gravity gave a sudden, violent lurch. Spike barely had a chance to shout in surprise as he felt Trixie rear back. His forelegs scrambled for a moment as he felt the fabric of the cape slide along his back. All right before he realized there was no longer anything between him and the ground.

WHUMP

"Mmmmph..." Spike growled a bit and spat out the mouthful of dirt and grass he'd picked up. "What are you doing?!"

"Free ride's over! It's not like anypony else is around anyway."

Even as she said that, Spike was spinning around again. It didn't matter that he'd just checked. He could already feel his cheeks flush at just the thought of anypony else spotting him. The colt didn't even twitch an ear as Trixie cleared her throat somewhere behind him.

"Besides... we're... well, we're here."

That, however, got his attention.

A chill ran down Spike's spine as he turned toward Trixie. Being that she was still invisible, that meant he wound up staring right in the direction they'd been moving.

Right at the edge of the Everfree Forest.

How do I keep coming back here?

Even during the day, the path beyond the trees was dark. No reassuring birdsongs or pleasant breezes could be heard from within. Just a cold, lonely whistle of wind and other things Spike didn't want to think about. All of them darting through the foliage just out of sight.

Just waiting for a juicy little colt to come wandering in...

"So... uh, what are you waiting for?"

Spike blinked once, barely shaking himself back to reality. He slowly turned in the direction Trixie's voice had come from.

"Well?"

"Why am I going in first?" Spike hissed back before he could even think about what he was saying.

Four small depressions in the grass drew closer to him. He figured out they were Trixie's hoofprints just before he felt a frustrated snort on his face.

"Because hunting down Zecora was your brilliant idea, remember?"

Spike winced at those words. Suddenly, he deeply regretted his flash of insight. Especially as he glanced towards the dark forest again. Nervously, he bit down on his lower lip. It had seemed so obvious back in the library. Now his mind was a blur, struggling to dredge up any alternative it could.

But the same thoughts and images just kept whirling up.

"...Evil enchantress..."

"...Curse you if you look at her wrong!"

A pair of teal eyes, glaring at him from a stripe-coated face.

The colt shook his head, trying to dislodge the last picture. No matter how hard he tried, though, the idea from back home still stuck. Only one possible explanation for how he and Trixie had ended up the way they were.

Zecora.

"Besides, this whole mess is your fault anyway."

At the very least, Trixie's words brought an end to Spike's shivering. A sudden rush of angered heat filled him as he did his best to glare at her

"My fault?!" he spat out, stomping one hoof. "I hadn't even met her before!"

"And then you went and kicked her in the head! Or do you introduce yourself to everypony like that?"

Spike nearly gagged as he felt a frustrated snort hit him the face. Still, he pushed forward, heart hammering away in his ears.

"Well what about you?" he countered. "Running around dressed up like her? Bet that didn't make her very happy!"

"Obviously, Trixie meant it as a form of flattery!"

"Guess she didn't like it if you're cursed too." Spike managed to grin even as another blast of hot breath hit him square in the face.

"Listen you—"

CLUNK

Spike nearly bit his tongue as he fell onto his rump. It had been difficult to tell exactly how close Trixie was. Apparently the answer was "close enough to knock heads" based on the bump he could feel under his horn. His vision swam slightly as he heard dark muttering coming from Trixie's direction.

"Hmph. Maybe you should just get your friends to bail you out again."

A snappy comeback was right on the tip of Spike's tongue.

Don't come crying to me!

In a flash of pain, the words vanished. Spike winced as he unclenched his teeth from the inside of his cheek. He gave his head a quick shake; a futile effort to try and force Thunderlane's voice out. All that seemed to do was amplify the admonishment. He could almost hear a other, equally familiar voices chime in. All of them agreeing with the pegasus stallion...

CRACK

A surprised cry sounded from where Trixie stood as Spike's hoof slammed against the ground. He ignored it as he drew in a deep breath. One hoof swiped across his eyes, quickly removing the tears that he could feel beginning to form.

"Ugh, what the hay is up with you?!"

"Nothing." Spike winced as he noticed how hoarse his voice sounded. He slowly drew in a deep breath, trying to force the tight feeling from his chest before speaking again. "Look, we both agreed Zecora had something to do with... well, with this, right?"

Spike tapped his chest for emphasis. Possibly a bit harder than he needed to. The chest thump felt good, however. Almost like it was breaking up the pressure building inside.

"Well..."

"Right?" Spike stressed as he raised one eyebrow, trying to focus on his own voice rather than Thunderlane's.

"... Right."

It was hard to miss the hesitance in Trixie's voice. Given that the Everfree Forest still loomed nearby, however, Spike paid it no mind. He simply drew in a raggedy breath as he tried to gather his thoughts.

"Right," he confirmed, jabbing one hoof towards the woods. "Then in that case, she probably has a way to fix it!"

"So we're going into the Everfree for a 'probably.'"

Spike flinched as he spotted four small depressions in the grass moving closer to him. He figured out they were Trixie's hoofprints just in time to feel her breath on his face again.

"And just what are we gonna do if you are right? Try to steal the cure? Fight her? Apologize?"

"I don't know!"

The words were out of Spike's mouth before he could stop them. He grit his teeth, taking another deep breath while he heard Trixie stumble away from his forelegs as they shot above his head.

"I don't know. But anything has to be better than just sitting around, right?" Slowly, his hooves lowered back to the ground. "So maybe we can try to work together long enough to fix this?"

With that, he firmly clamped his muzzle shut.

The memories from last night were still echoing in his head. Combined with the utter silence coming from Trixie, it was almost unbearable. Spike could feel the ire he wanted to spit out trying to bust loose. Only his own words managed to keep his lips pursed together.

Finally, the silence broke with the sound of stomping hooves. A few shallow depressions appeared in the soil just beyond the edge of the forest.

"Fine. As long as Trixie can go back to hating you afterward!"

Spike let out a long whoosh of breath in relief as he simultaneously rolled his eyes at the remark.

"Fine by me," he agreed as he started after her.

The invisible mare's hoofprints waited just ahead. As he reached the trees, though, Spike could feel his bravado and anger slipping away. He could barely manage one last, shuddering breath as he put one hoof forward.

Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it...

The words kept repeating in his head as he tried to force everything else out. Thunderlane's voice, the Everfree Forest, the very concept of working with Trixie...

All of them seemed to fade as he crossed the threshold of the dark woods.

Not like things can get any worse from here.

Almost like it was reading his mind, something howled in the distance once again. He swallowed hard as a tremble ran down his spine.

I hope.

Author's Note

Holy Hayseeds I'm alive!

I'm not giving up on this story yet, folks! One way or another I promise this much: I will see it through to the end. Even if it takes me forever!

That being said, I am pushing towards the ending of this story. Hopefully just one or two more chapters, folks. With that being said, I still appreciate every bit of feedback I get on this from anyone out there still reading!

Chapter 10

Deep in the Everfree Forest, a cloaked figure suddenly jerked her head upward.

For several long moments the zebra was almost completely motionless. Her only movement was that of her eyes and her ears as they twitched every direction. Standing there in the flank-high grass, all her senses on alert as she scanned the trees around her, the hooded mare made for a near-perfect image of a wary prey animal.

If not for the way her eyes narrowed, looking significantly more frustrated than frightened.

Silently, Zecora's ears twitched and strained. It was difficult to hear much of anything over the sound of her own pulse. A fact that only made the zebra's heart race faster as she turned slowly in place.

For just a moment, she could have sworn she'd heard something. Something aside from the usual growls or odd bird cries of the forest. Rather, it had almost sounded like a pair of voices.

Distressingly familiar voices.

But no matter which way she focused her senses, the Everfree was quiet. No sounds of anypony talking, or even walking past. Just the whistling of the wind as it carried between the trees. Slowly, Zecora tilted her head.

Finally, she kneeled down once again.

"Nothing around but shadows and air," she muttered as she began sifting through the curly ferns by her hooves. "I'm just imagining somepony there."

Quietly she took a deep breath, feeling her agitations ease as she did. The zebra gave a small smile as she returned to her work, breathing in deeply once again. Her eyes closed as she took in the smell of the fresh plants, the warm earth...

And the oddly musty scent of moisture.

Zecora's head snapped back up. This time so her eyes could scan the sky above. Even through the tree branches above her, she could just barely make out the sky. Especially the thickening carpet of clouds gathering overhead.

Without another word, she was back on her hooves and strapping on her saddlebags. As she broke into a brisk trot, however, her mind began to wander back a bit. For some reason, it dwelled on the voices she'd thought she'd heard.

"Nopony was there, a search would waste time." Zecora was firm as she told herself that. With a determined stomp of her hooves, she forced herself to focus on the trail ahead. "Even if they were real, I'm sure they'll be fine."

Chapter 10

"We're lost, aren't we?"

"For the last time: We are not lost!"

Spike resisted the urge to groan as he rolled his eyes.

He had lost track of just how long he'd been in the forest. The ceiling of gnarled branches overhead had made sure of that. Even if it were still the middle of the day, the thick leaves and vines blocked the light of the sun, leaving the roughly formed trail he was walking covered in gloomy shadows.

Vaguely, Spike realized most ponies would have been trembling with fear in such a situation. Especially if they had woken up at half their normal age like he had. He could even recall acting like that the night before. Somehow, though, the colt simply wasn't feeling the gnawing fear the Everfree usually instilled in him.

He was a bit too focused on a slowly growing feeling of annoyance. One particularly focused on the hoofprints stomping down the trail in front of him.

"Trixie—" Spike started to speak up.

A dismissive "Hmmph!" answered him as the tracks sped up. With a frustrated grunt of his own, the colt began to trot faster himself. His shorter legs were nearly tripping over each other as he struggled to keep up.

"Hey!" Spike yelled. "Trixie, wait up!"

"Then you quit dragging your hooves! The sooner we reach Zecora's, the sooner I'm out of this mess."

Spike was breathing faster, and not just due to his brisk jog. His back teeth were grinding as he glared daggers at where he assumed Trixie was. A few green sparks gathered around his horn as the colt thought over what spells he knew...

Maybe we can try to work together?

The sparks faded. Inwardly, Spike was already cursing what he'd said outside the forest.

"Do you at least know how much further it is?" Spike asked, letting out a sigh as he bounded forward.

"Well it's... uh..."

"It's-oof!"

Spike's question came to a halt as he bounced off something mid-stride. With a pained grunt, he fell to his haunches, his thoughts scattering along with his breath. He coughed a bit, shaking his head as he tried to recollect himself.

Trixie, however, remained oddly quiet.

That observation caused Spike to raise an eyebrow. Lifting his head, he glanced around for the mare's hoofprints. It took a moment to spot them, turning in a small circle just a few steps away.

Almost like she was trying to get her bearings.

Two words ran through Spike's head again.

We're lost.

"Trixie?" Spike did his best to keep his suspicions out of his tone as he spoke.

"It's... not much further now. Come on!"

The hooves were moving again. Much faster this time, Spike noticed. The colt could barely scramble back to his own feet in time to follow them.

"Trixie, are you sure--" he started to ask.

Something flicked across the tip of his nose, cutting him off mid-sentence. He winced sharply, rubbing one hoof over it as Trixie's voice sounded again.

"Of course I'm sure. Which of us has been to Zecora's before, huh?"

"Uh... both of us?"

Even as he wrinkled his muzzle, Spike put on a small grin. Somehow the doubt and frustration plaguing him became a little easier to ignore. Especially as he heard Trixie stumble in mid-step.

"Wha-wait. Huh?"

Trixie's pace had slowed again. Even with the situation being what it was, Spike still had a spring in his step as he pulled up alongside her. Or at least, where he assumed she was.

"Last night, remember?" he pointed out as he dropped into step alongside the showmare. "That tree with all the masks and bottles and stuff on it? The one that I found?"

Spike's ear twitched as he heard a low grumble from beside him. That sound turned his smirk into a fully satisfied smile.

"At least, I'm pretty sure that was Zecora's house." The colt thrust his chest out as he walked, not caring about the bragging tone he'd developed. "I mean, how many trees around here could be like that?"

"Yeah, that's her place."

Spike stifled a laugh at Trixie's growl. He settled for enjoying the warm, happy glow that was growing inside him.

"Of course, that doesn't count."

And just like that, the good feeling vanished. Spike stumbled as he tried to look at Trixie.

"Wait, wha—?" He snapped his muzzle shut as he regained his balance. "What do you mean 'that doesn't count?'"

"Isn't it obvious? You didn't 'find' that place last night. You nearly ran into it because you were running around like a fraidy-cat!"

Spike's mouth started to open in protest, but his voice refused to come out.

She has a—

"Don't start," he hissed under his breath.

The damage was already done though. Spike could already picture the look Trixie probably had on her face. Likely a mirror to the one he'd had a brief moment ago. Probably straining that much harder to hold back her laughter.

"So, if you're done bragging—"

Look who's talking

"—How about you leave finding Zecora to the pony that actually knows how to get there, hmmm?"

A low growl of his own started. Spike glared at Trixie's tracks, dark mutterings squeezing from between his clenched teeth.

Work. Together.

As much as Spike would have liked to argue, however, those two words silenced him again.

Every bit of sense he had told him Trixie was lying. They were lost and she didn't want to admit it. Any other day, he'd have called her out long ago. Even a casual glance around told him nothing looked remotely familiar from their trip last night.

The problem, however, was just what he remembered of last night. As much as he hated to admit it, the only images that came to mind were trees and bushes passing by in dark blurs. All speckled with glimpses of Trixie in her hooded disguise, culminating in a brightly-colored mask as he tripped his way to Zecora's home. Even with his significant doubts, Spike couldn't deny the simple truth:

That even if they seemed lost, there was a small chance Trixie still knew the way.

"Hmm... hold up a second."

Spike shook himself from his thoughts. Just in time to walk into something that felt much like an extended hoof.

"OW!" Spike quickly bit back hard on a string of curses as he fell to his rump once more. "What is it now?!"

"We're in the Everfree Forest, right?"

Spike's eye twitched. Whether it was due to anger or the fresh lump on his head, he wasn't sure.

"Yes..." he hissed out, rubbing at his new bruise.

"Even if-er, though Trixie knows where we're going, we don't know what might be up ahead, right? All kinds of weird weather and monsters around here after all."

Spike's head throbbed. He simply waved for Trixie to continue, not trusting his ability to avoid cussing if he opened his mouth.

"But Trixie is invisible! It's not like anything up ahead would see me. I could... make sure the path is all clear, then come back and get you!"

The headache came to an immediate halt. Along with Spike's voice, apparently. The colt's jaw dropped in total silence as he just stared at where Trixie's voice was coming from.

"Trixie can see her great idea left you speechless."

"Are you... seriously suggesting we split-up?" Spike asked his voice slowly coming back to him. "Like, in the middle of the Everfree Forest? Are you crazy or—"

"Aww, is little Spikey-wikey scared without his friends around?"

The sudden burning feeling in his cheeks halted spike's protest. His ears gave an irritated twitch as a light chuckle sounded. He could practically taste the smugness rolling from Trixie's invisible body as her hooves began to move again.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it!"

A rustling sound brought Spike's attention back where it belonged. A nearby bush was already parting, as though somepony were pushing their way through.

"Trixie—" he tried to protest, scrambling towards the plant.

He nearly got a noseful of leaves and twigs as the bush closed in front of him. Spike scrambled around it, eyes searching in every direction. Trixie's hoofprints, however, were already fading. The tracks indicating where she currently stood were lost somewhere in the shadows of the trees.

"You can thank me later, Spikey. After we're back to normal, of course!"

Spike's ears fell flat as the voice echoed. Along with the sound of Trixie trotting off, bouncing among the trees from seemingly every direction. He nervously bit down on his lip as he glanced at the bush she'd pushed through.

"That's not even the way we were going before," he muttered, already knowing Trixie couldn't hear him.

Even if Trixie had heard Spike, she was a bit too preoccupied to answer.

Too much of her focus was on running as fast as she could.

The invisible mare had to grit her teeth as she galloped. Every step sent a tingle of magic up her legs as it altered the sound of her hooves. Once again the noise of her fastest gallop was reduced to a casual trot.

"Come on, come on..." Trixie panted to herself as she ran.

Her neck twisted to glance back from where she'd come. There was no sign of anypony else through the trees. No glimpse of purple to indicate Spike trying to follow her. Her run slowed to a halt, the noise spell on her hooves fading as she gasped for breath.

"Alright... alright, he won't buy that for long..." Trixie swallowed hard as she turned to take a longer work back from where she'd come. "I mean... he's not very smart but... Argh! Focus, Trixie, focus!"

Thankfully, nopony said anything in response to the mare's monologue. Only the sound of her own breathing could be heard as Trixie turned in place, taking in the woods around her.

"Okay, we came into this stupid forest from the same place as last night..." Her eyes swiveled back-and-forth as she spoke, heart hammering away in her chest. "Zecora's hut has to be around here somewhere!"

Nervously, she bit down on her lip. Her stomach gave a lurch as she began to turn faster and faster. No matter which way she spun, though, the same sight greeted her: An endless grove of trees stretching into the distance. Each possible path looking just as dark and foreboding as any other.

And as much as she hated it, one though immediately jumped to the front of her mind.

Spike was right.

"Darn it..."

A low growl began to rise from Trixie's throat.

We're lost.

"DARN IT!"

Her hind legs lashed out. She just had to kick something. Anything. The buck, however, found nothing but empty air. In a split-second, Trixie realized how badly she'd misjudged the reach of her invisible limbs. Right before her momentum threw her into a clumsy somersault. With a heavy thud, the showmare found herself flat on her back with a sharp pain running through her spine.

All of which did little to distract her from the purple colt running through her mind.

"Every time—" Trixie gasped through her grit teeth as she rolled back over. "Why does this stuff happen every time he gets involved in my life?!"

Her hooves were under her again. Her heartbeat was thundering in her ears as she looked around. She couldn't even see the forest around her anymore, however.

Not as memory after memory forced its way across her vision.

She glanced left, and found only the angered glare of a hooded zebra..

To the right, a multitude of eyes stared. The citizens of Ponyville, all silently judging her.

Trixie didn't even have to turn around to know who was behind her. A pale-blue unicorn mare and a white stallion. The disappointment in their eyes just kept drilling through her as they lead her away from Celestia's School for the last time—

"AAAARGH!"

The formerly calm patch of forest was suddenly in an uproar as Trixie screamed. Leaves, stones, sticks, and other forest detritus began to fly about on invisible threads as her magic surged. Trixie barely seemed to notice, or even care, even as nearby bushes began to rustle and crack as they strained to remain rooted.

"It all just falls apart when he's around!" she howled, eyes turning skyward. "For once, just once, can't things go my way?!"

CRACK-BOOM

The sudden blast of thunder brought an end to Trixie's tantrum. Loose forest debris tumbled down around the invisible mare.

Followed swiftly by a downpour of water.

For a minute, Trixie did nothing. The sudden rain was rattling through the canopy, the leaves providing barely any cover. She could feel her invisible cape and hat starting to cling to her as they were quickly soaked through. Her coat and mane joined in short order as the icy water drenched her from head to hoof.

Still, she simply stood in silence, letting her eyes and nose fill with rain as she continued to stare up at the sky.

"... Fine."

Finally, her head lowered. She snorted the water clear from her nose as her legs began to move. Slowly she trudged along, each step feeling like it was sinking her deeper into the rapidly softening ground.

"Guess the whole world just hates me then," Trixie continued to grumble as the brim of her hat stuck to her forehead. "Well FINE! Stupid world! Who needs it?!"

With another snarl, her head snapped up. She winced at the feeling of wet fabric and hair slapping against the back of her neck. Some tiny smattering of warmth began to rise in her chilled body, however. Squinting through the torrential downpour, she could just make out something dark and surrounded by what looked like gray stone just ahead.

A few steps more confirmed it to be just what she'd suspected: The entrance of a cave. With a relieved sigh, the mare plodded inside.

"At least Spike is caught in that too..." Trixie muttered, glancing back over her shoulder.

She paused mid-step. Despite the shivers running through her body, a small smirk appeared on her muzzle. A giggle even slipped out as she flicked some excess water from her tail.

"Heh, he'll probably look like a drowned rat once I get back." The thought warmed Trixie slightly more as she began to shake the excess water from her body. "And it's not like he can blame the stupid storm on—"

Clack-clack-clack...

Trixie's froze mid-sentence. Her leg, half-raised in an attempt to dry it, still had the feeling of an impact racing up it.

But that wasn't what had caught her attention.

Her eyes were wide as she stared at just what her hoof had kicked as she lifted it. Slowly, the leg lowered and she trotted deeper into the cave, following the item. Her horn grew warm as she levitated it from the ground.

"What the..."

Lightning flashed outside the cave, briefly lighting the interior.

Trixie hadn't thought her eyes could grow any wider. As the object slipped from her telekinetic grip, she realized just how wrong she was.

A low groan could barely be heard over the pounding of the rain. Not that there was anything around to hear it in the first place. One of the only things Spike was thankful for at that moment.

He could only picture how pathetic the whole scene looked. A lone colt, huddled beneath a bush and trembling against the cold. All while being splattered by rain that his meager cover couldn't protect him from. The spikes of his mane were already drooping over his face, and one question was burning in his mind as he shook them away.

"What am I still doing here?" Spike grumbled to nopony in particular

BOOOM!

Spike didn't even flinch as a roar of thunder answered him. With an increasingly frustrated sigh, his head fell to ground. He barely acknowledged the feeling of cold mud coating his chest and face. The colt simply placed his forehooves over his ears.

"We're never gonna find Zecora at this rate!" he lamented, his grumbling voice holding back the noise of the storm. "I'd have a better chance of her just wandering past for no good reason!"

Another flash of lightning arced somewhere above. Spike snorted as he waited for the thunder, silently ticking off the seconds in his head.

One...

Nothing to watch but more rain splattering against the forest floor.

Two...

He shuddered as a chilly breeze blew across his back.

Three...

With a hurried Clack-clack-clack of racing hooves, a set of striped legs raced by his hiding place.

Fou—

"Wait, wha—"

BOOOOOM!

Though the thunder cut off his voice, it didn't keep Spike from jumping back to his hooves. He cursed briefly as he tore himself free from the bush, before twisting frantically to the right.

A familiar, brown cloak was fluttering down the trail, with a half-open saddlebag bouncing against it. The whole ensemble was being moved along very quickly by the four legs of the mare wearing it. Even as they drew further away though, Spike could clearly make out the black stripes on the figure. Stripes that could only belong to one pony...

"I... wha... but... no. Way." He stammered.

For several long moments, all he could do was stand in place. Watching the retreating, cloaked figure get further and further away before vanishing among the trees.

"She actually... are you kid—" Spike cut himself off with a loud clunk as his leg lashed upward. He winced at the feeling of his hoof meeting his face before quickly shaking his head. "Why am I questioning this?!"

He didn't give himself time to answer. The colt broke into an immediate gallop, not caring about the rain flying into his face nor the mud splashing all over his legs and belly. All he was focused on was the space where the zebra had been. His chest began to ache as he pushed himself harder, slipping and sliding as he weaved between the trees.

"Come on, come on!" He muttered as he ran, eyes frantically darting about. "She was right heEEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAH!"

Spike's coaching cut out in a scream as his legs flew out from under him. Suddenly he was flat on his back, sliding down a steep incline. Mud flew in every direction, splattering him from nose to hoof until—

SPLAT

For a moment, the Everfree was still again. The moment ended with a unpleasant squelch as began to pick himself up once again. His face was pulled into a taut grimace as he spat a mouthful of grime.

"Ugh! Blech!" He spat once again, coughing at the gritty taste in his muzzle. "Well... that figures..."

With a final, exhausted grunt, Spike felt his legs stumble onto firmer ground. His head gave a hard shake, sending clods of mud splattering from his eyes. Blinking, Spike raised his head again as his vision swam back into focus.

And he found himself staring right into a vicious red-and-green face.

"GA—Wait a second..."

Spike's hooves slipped on the muddy ground as he tried to stop mid-leap. He just barely managed to keep his balance. Though his jaw still hit the ground as he rubbed a hoof over his eyes.

The face was still there as he cleared the last of mud and rain water away. All bright colors painted on a barely visible wood grain. Just as fearsome, frightening... and familiar as he'd thought.

"I know this mask..." Spike realized, his head slowly turning to the side. "If this is here... then that must mean—"

Spike's voice immediately cut out with a short gasp. His heart had leapt to his mouth again, but for once it wasn't due to fear.

The rain was lightening around him, improving visibility and finally letting him see more than an inch in front of his muzzle. Not that he needed much more than that to see the twisted tree. His eyes searched all over the strange hovel, taking in every colored bottle, sneering mask, and other strange knick-knack hanging from it.

"Zecora's house..." Spike whispered, eyes nearly bulging out. "I found Zecora's house."

The colt stood there silently. He hardly even realized that the lightning and thunder had stopped. Spike just remained perfectly still, seemingly frozen as he stared at the gnarled old tree and it frightening decorations. The only part that moved was his muzzle as it curled upward into a massive grin.

"I found it... aheh... ha ha..." The words seemed so unbelievable he simply couldn't keep the laughter inside. "Ha ha hahahaha-YES! I found it!"

Suddenly his mud-splattered, sopping-wet coat didn't matter. Spike could feel his cheeks aching but still he smiled and laughed. His legs nearly flew out from under him as he began prancing in a joyful circle.

"I made it! I made it!" he cheered, springing as high as his shorter legs would allow. "Yes, yes, yes, yesyesyesyes!"

He landed, with a heavy SPLASH in a massive puddle, sending a spray of water in every direction. Even that failed to wipe the smile from his face as he spun around. Triumphantly, he jabbed one hoof outward and upward.

"YES! Take that Trix... eeeeeeeeee..."

With that, Spike's smile finally fell.

His hoof was pointing back up the slope he'd fallen down, right to the empty tree line above. He could practically feel the good feelings rushing out of his body as he slowly lowered his hoof back to the ground. Suddenly, staring back the way he'd came and surrounded by silence, one discouraging thought came to him.

Trixie's been gone a while...

Spike grimaced and turned his head sharply. His gaze immediately snapped to the only other thing worth noting nearby, namely Zecora's tree.

"M-maybe... maybe she's already got here?" he told himself as he stood back up. "I mean... y-yeah! She's probably inside...cuz of the rain."

She went in the completely opposite direction.

Spike flinched at the thought. As much as he didn't want to, he realized just how right it was. Still his legs stayed rooted to the spot as he stared at the goal of his journey.

"She said it herself, she's invisible," Spike said, one hoof dragging through the puddle he still stood in. "What's the worst that could happen?"

A knot was tying up his stomach before the question was even finished. Spike's mind had already conjured up an image. One of the several horrifying things that had been flitting through his mind not too long ago. The formless, unknowable monsters of the Everfree, waiting for a fresh meal. Only rather than a plump little colt, they now has a juicy, loud, easy-to-catch mare—

Even with the rain fully stopped, Spike still felt a chill run through his body. He quickly shook his head as hard he could, struggling to banish the image. Gritting his teeth, he stamped his hooves hard against the ground, sending more water splashing up.

"It... it's not like she'd come help me..." he tried to argue, his eyes drifting back toward the forest. "And I... I..."

He could almost feel his conscience tapping its hoof. With a low groan, Spike turned away from Zecora's house. His legs felt like lead as he trotted out of the puddle, his gaze moving back toward the trees around him.

"I just know I'm gonna regret this..." Spike grumbled to himself.

Taking a deep breath, Spike broke into a brisk canter. Even as it took every scrap of willpower he had, the colt managed to not look back.

As such, he never noticed the ripples formed by the sound of his retreating hooves. Nor how they died out as he drew further and further away.

And he especially didn't notice when a new wave passed through the water. Followed almost immediately by another, larger one.

And another.

Author's Note

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I will never give up on this story, even if it kills me!

Massive apologies as usual one and all. I won't shower you with excuses, but I will say that I don't intend this story to be much longer. Given my writing style I'd say I'm two, maaaaaaybe three chapters from the end.

Once I'm finished... well, I'm not going to stop the Flipverse, but given how long it's taken me to do this one fic I think it might be good to put my focus elsewhere. Like my next chapter for Multiversal Harmony. Once I'm done with my commitments to that...

Well, I've been thinking it might be good to try another project that isn't Flipverse related, then come back to my little fanverse. Rest assured though, I fully intend to finish this story and Multiversal Harmony before I raise my pen for other things. And no matter what, I do intend to keep working on the Flipverse one way or another. I just have too many ideas to let it die off!

All that being said, I want to thank folks for their kind words and support, and especially thank the folks who take time to honestly criticize my work. It's for all of your sakes that I keep pushing forward with this story.

Chapter 11

Alright. Just count to three and open your eyes.

Spike drew in a slow, deep breath and nodded to himself.

One...

Things weren't as bad as they seemed. He'd made it through the forest. He'd found Zecora's house.

Two...

Finding Trixie was still an issue, of course. Still, he'd gone back to where they'd separated. He started walking in the same direction she had gone in.

Two-and-a-half...

Granted, he'd started getting worried upon finding the clearing. The one randomly strewn with rocks, sticks, and logs. He hadn't wanted to think about just what had been responsible for that.

But the muddy hoofprints leading from it were clear as day. There was nopony other than Trixie around to leave them. All Spike had to do was follow them.

And when he finished counting and opened his eyes, Spike was confident that he was just going to find another clearing. He was not going to see the trail of mud continue into something terrifying. Especially not the scariest cave he'd ever seen in his life.

Three!

Spike's eyes snapped open and quickly followed the trail of hoofprints...

And found himself looking straight into the mouth of the scariest cave he'd ever seen in his life.

"... Crud."

Chapter 11

The colt drew in a deep breath as he sat in place, staring into the darkness ahead.

"Is it too much to hope she didn't go in here?" he heard himself ask.

The answer seemed to be a resounding "yes" as he looked back down to the trail of mud he'd followed. A straight line of hoofprints, trekking inexorably forward and past the cave's entrance. He could even see the vague, swept lines as though something like a cape had dragged over them.

Unmistakable Trixie-tracks. Spike suddenly wasn't sure which was worse: The shaking in his legs, or the dull headache he was developing.

"Alright, alright, alright..." Spike muttered to himself as he stood back up. "I just gotta get in, have a quick peek around, and get out again."

With a resigned sigh, the colt began to walk. His brow broke into a cold sweat as he did, however. He couldn't help but notice the row of stalactites hanging just inside the entrance. Nor how they resembled razor sharp teeth. Especially with the way the weak light of the forest played off them. He could almost hear something breathing as a warm breeze rolled out from inside the cavern...

"Uh... H-hello?" He cleared his throat, straining to raise his voice above a hoarse whisper. "T-Trixie? Are you in there?"

No answer. Nothing but more darkness and a steady drip of water from the stalactites. His legs continued to tremble. Even so, Spike pushed himself forward a few more steps.

"Trixie?" he called out again, his voice a bit louder this time.

"Trixie?"

"Trixie?"

Spike's ears strained as his voice echoed into the darkness. Still nothing moved inside. Slowly he let out a breath he hadn't even noticed he'd been holding, a sense of overwhelming relief breaking over him.

"Huh, alright then!" Spike's hooves were already moving as he turned back around. "That was a pretty good look, right?"

He paused mid-step. The Everfree Forest seemed even closer than he'd thought. Swallowing hard, he glanced back over his shoulder.

There sat the entrance of the cave. Just as dark and foreboding as before. And several steps away from where he'd been yelling.

"Uh... a good enough look?" he tried to rationalize to himself. "I-I mean, if she were in there she'd have said something—"

CRASH

Spike leapt nearly double his height as an immense noise suddenly rushed from the cave. The rattling of countless falling objects striking hard stone. Almost as though the storm from earlier had suddenly sprung back to life within. Every muscle in his body instantly tensed, ready to run as far as possible without looking back. One thing, however, stopped him.

A high-pitched, and very familiar, shriek that barely carried over the racket.

"AAAAGH!"

"TRIXIE!" Spike's heart was in his throat as he tore into the darkness.

He barreled forward in a blind run, past the patch of cloud-filtered light the entrance let in. The blackness beyond seemed to stretch on forever, swimming with terrible images. Grasping claws reached for him from the shadows as he charged through. Even over his own heartbeat and fading echoes he could hear something crunch horridly under his hooves. All the while he struggled to focus his mind. Straining to force magic through his horn into—

WHAM

"... Ow..." Spike groaned as he slid to the ground.

Small, green sparks were flying around his head. Slowly, those sparks were coming together into a proper light spell. One that finally pushed away the dark around him and giving him a very clear view of the stalagmite he'd just collided with.

Really need to stop doing stuff like this...

Spike could only let out another groan as he pushed himself back up.

"Just gotta-ow..." Spike rubbed at his head as he turned around. "Gotta find Trix-eeeeeee..."

Spike blinked and froze in midstep. He barely noticed his jaw was hanging slack. One hoof reached up and rubbed at his eyes in disbelief.

"Holy. Guac. A-moley."

The cavern was even larger than he'd thought. Big enough to fit twenty of the Golden Oaks Library inside. Spike barely noticed the size, however.

He was far too busy gawking at the mountains of jewels in front of him. From large, uncut gemstones to tiny splinters of crystal, every inch of the chamber was covered in wealth. Each fragment caught and refracted his light, bathing the walls with every color of the rainbow. Slowly, Spike's legs began to move again, gems clattering and crunching beneath his hooves.

"If Twilight could only see this..." Spike muttered, his eyes starting to hurt from staring so much.

"Grrmmph...."

The purple colt froze.

"Gttfff..."

His ears swiveled as the noise sounded again. Unmistakably a voice, heavily muffled and (more importantly) familiar.

"Trixie?" Spike's gaze snapped from one side of the cave to another as he raised his voice. "Trixie? Was that you?"

Something was rattling, the sound of more gems shifting around. Spike turned in place, searching desperately for the source.

His ears fell flat, however, his four extremely venomous words suddenly rose from under his hooves.

"Get. Off of me."

The ground gave a sudden lurch under him. With a yelp of surprise, Spike found himself tumbling backward off a rising mound of treasure. Only the gems were quickly falling away. For a brief moment they formed the outline of a mare before clattering to the ground.

An instant later, something yanked on Spike's tail. Before he could even yelp in pain, that invisible force was hoisting him into the air.

"And just what are you doing here?"

Spike coughed as a frustrated snort hit him full in the face. Suddenly, the colt found himself torn. He couldn't deny feeling some relief at knowing he'd found the invisible mare. On the other hoof, however, he was already starting to get dizzy from hanging upside-down.

"I was—" Spike winced as his head pounded, closing his eyes to try and fight off the nausea. "I was looking for you!"

"Well Trixie told you to wait!"

"Yeah, but—" Spike started to reply

His statement was interrupted by a short bzzt sound. Suddenly, the magical grip around Spike's tail vanished. He barely managed to twist in time, landing on his hooves for once rather than his head. Small comfort as the gems slid under him causing him to drop to his rear. Made even smaller by Trixie's grumbling, and still very angry, voice.

"What, Spike? What was so important that you had to go around yelling for me?"

Zecora!

That one thought pushed Spike to lift his head again.

"Because I—" Spike cut himself off. The news he'd been so desperate to deliver fading as he thought back over what Trixie had just said. "Wait. You heard me looking for you?"

"Uh, yeah? That whiny voice is kind of hard to ignore."

The purple unicorn was silent. Suddenly, he couldn't remember just what he'd wanted to say or why'd he'd been searching for Trixie. All that mattered was the frustrating heat that was building up inside him.

"You heard me shouting," Spike confirmed as he got back to his hooves. "Why didn't you say anything?!"

Trixie was silent, but he could hear the jewels moving as she shuffled her hooves. The stony expression sat harder on his face as he plodded forward a few steps.

"Well?" he pressed.

"I was a bit... distracted, okay?"

"Distracted?" Spike parroted, as he glared through Trixie. "Distracted by wha—"

He didn't need to finish the question. The realization hit as he stared at the answer. The piles upon piles of gems not just behind Trixie but all around them. More than anypony had likely seen in their entire lives.

Clunk

Spike groaned. Small as it was, his hoof meeting his face still hurt.

"Seriously? We're cursed, I was getting soaked to the bone..." Spike didn't care that he was getting louder. He couldn't even think about the words as they rushed to get out. "And you were more worried about gathering treasure!?!"

"Well excuse me! Not everypony gets a cushy life as some big hero!"

Before he could argue back, something shoved hard against Spike. He stumbled to the side, nearly face-planting in another mound of jewels as Trixie's hoofprints marched past him. He started to open his mouth once again—

"It's just... it's hard to make ends meet as a travelling showmare sometimes."

And immediately, his jaw snapped shut again. Spike's ears fell flat, his gaze casting to the side. He wanted to hold onto the seething anger. However, just like before at the library, the sudden shift in Trixie's tone was ebbing it away.

"Besides, who wouldn't get excited over a find like this?"

The colt managed to raise his head to give the invisible mare an incredulous glare. It was barely a surprise to see several gems were hovering around again. No doubt surrounding where Trixie was standing. He could even picture her spreading her hooves to show off the find.

That was almost an apology.

Spike responded with a low groan. Half from frustration, half from the fresh migraine that was starting to form.

"Oh, just give me a few more minutes! Then we can get back to getting ourselves cured."

The colt just shook his head, turning away as more jewels began to float through the air.

"Can't believe I was actually worried about you..." he grumbled, pressing one hoof against his temple. "Stupid, lousy, greedy... uh... greedy..."

He trailed off as he turned back around, looking at the floating gems. This time, it wasn't anger derailing his train of thought, though. For some reason, staring at the mountains of treasure all around him, his heart had suddenly skipped a beat.

"Sorry, did you say something?"

Trixie's condescending tone did nothing to snap the purple unicorn from his thoughts. He barely realized she'd spoken as he tapped one hoof on the ground.

Something's wrong here

Nothing had changed since he'd entered. All the gems were still scattered around. More wealth than anypony short of the princess had ever seen.

Still, the awe from the sight had faded. As had his anger from picturing Trixie lounging amidst the treasure. In its place, a dreadful, uneasy feeling was rising in the pit of his stomach. And for some reason, his first reaction to the chamber was prodding at the back of his mind.

If only Twi could see this...

"Trixie, were all these gems here when you found this place?" he asked.

He could practically hear the mare rolling her eyes in response.

"No. I was hauling them in my invisible gem-cart. Mind piping down if you're going to ask stupid questions?"

The answer did nothing to assuage his unease. In fact, his heart began to race all the faster. His head was buzzing as he tried to figure out why. Just why was he getting so nervous? And why did his thoughts keep floating back to Twilight? He could practically hear her drooling at the sight of so many gems.

Well of course she would.. She's a—

Spike's eyes suddenly flew wide open.

"Put the gems back!" he shouted.

"Excuse me?"

Several of the floating jewels were right in his path. That didn't matter as Spike charged straight through them, scattering them in all directions. Trixie's hoofprints were right in front of him, and he could hear her shocked yelp as he raced forward.

And promptly crashed into another mountain of crystals.

The colt cursed inwardly as he found himself half-buried in the gemstones. His hooves flailed wildly as he struggled to both free himself and breathe. Fortunately, something gave his tail a sudden yank, popping him free of his predicament.

Unfortunately, that same something swiftly hoisted him into the air, leaving him dangling upside-down again.

"Just what is your problem?"

Spike twisted towards the sound of Trixie's voice. By sheer luck, he felt his forehooves manage to grab hold of what he assumed was her face. At the very least her protests were muffled as he pulled himself closer to the invisible mare.

"You have to put those gems back!" He didn't even bother trying to keep his voice down. It was the only way he could hear it over his hammering heartbeat. "You have to do it right now and we have to get out of here!"

"'Hveyu—Blech!" A sudden wave of force sent Spike back, pulling Trixie's muzzle from between his hooves. "Have you lost it?!"

Spike was panting for breath as his magic flickered. A half-formed spell formed around his tail, straining to pry apart Trixie's invisible magic. Neither it or his repeated tugging did any good, however. He continued to float along helplessly as Trixie's hoofprints moved further into the cavern.

"I mean, have you seen all this? There's enough treasure here to last a lifetime!"

"Yeah, there is!" Spike shouted, glaring at his tail and mentally weighing the possibility of cutting it off. "That's the problem!"

He'd stopped moving before he could even remember any cutting spells. A puff of hot breath on his face told Trixie had put him in front of her face again. Judging from her frustrated snorts, she likely wasn't smiling.

"Just what is that supposed to mean?"

Spike swallowed hard. Not due to Trixie. All his previous shouting and building fear just suddenly seemed to dry his mouth. He could barely collect his thoughts enough to open his mouth again.

"Trixie, something put a whole ton of gems in this cave, out here in the middle of the Everfree Forest, where nopony was probably ever supposed to find it." He was almost surprised that he managed to get all the words out coherently. "What kind of creature does something like that?"

"Well if anything that sounds like a—"

Boom

A distant rumble rolled through the cave, cutting Trixie's response off. Spike held his breath, hoping it was merely thunder.

Boom

Boom

No such luck. The noise was growing louder, and closer. Massive footsteps, echoing off the stone walls and causing the floor and horde around Spike to shake. Yet somehow, over it all, he could hear Trixie's trembling voice.

"A dra... ooohh... that's what you were... uh oh."

"Great, now you're listening." It almost impressed Spike that he could manage sarcasm right then. "Can we just get out of here and—"

Boom!

The magic holding Spike cut out. With a yelp of surprise, he tumbled to the ground again, sending up a spray of gems as he landed. Adrenaline sent him tearing back to his hooves, head turning every direction.

Just in time to see Trixie's hoofprints run out through the cave's mouth.

"Seriously?!" He shouted.

BOOM!

Spike's anger was swiftly replaced with fear. His legs were moving, Trixie's abandonment suddenly far from his mind. The only chance he had was to follow. He had to get out before—

BOOM

Too late.

At first, all Spike could see was green. Not due to his own magic. The creature that had come around the entrance was simply too huge to make out any other details. Slowly, however, the colt was pulling the picture together.

Wickedly sharp claws on the end of muscular limbs.

A tail, thicker around than a tree.

Mouth filled with sword-like teeth, large enough to swallow the colt whole.

But worst of all was the glare in its piercing, yellow eyes as its face twisted into a foul sneer.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

"YOU COULDN'T JUST SAY IT WAS A DRAGON!?!"

It was a wonder Trixie found breath to shout. Her chest felt like it was about to explode as she ran faster than she ever had before. She had to focus on running. She knew that as she barely ducked under another branch.

At the same time, however, she just couldn't hold her voice back.

"Oh no, Trixie! You gotta put the gems back!"

Trixie's hooves slowed a bit. The whiny voice was hurting her throat. Not that she cared.

"No I can't tell you why! I'm too much of a fraidy-cat DOOFUS—"

A sudden coughing fit brought Trixie to a halt.

She stumbled, barely catching herself against a nearby tree. Suddenly she noticed just how badly her chest was burning, along with how dim the edges of her vision had become. Slowly, however, light and color were seeping back in as the pounding in her head faded. The burning was vanishing as she took heavy gulps of air.

"I almost... got stepped on... back there..." Another cough interrupted Trixie as she looked back over her shoulder. "So I hope you're proud of yourself—"

Trixie cut herself off mid-sentence.

"... Spike?"

There was no answer. Likely due to the fact that there was nothing behind the mare. Other than the trees with her lone trail of hoofprints weaving between them. No sign of anypony else, however, and certainly none of the purple colt she'd been expecting.

A soft clunk of hoof on face broke the silence.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Trixie knew which question she should have been asking. She also already knew the answer. She could clearly remember every scale on the massive, green limb that had nearly flattened her. There had barely had enough time to avoid it as she'd raced out of the cave's mouth.

And if I barely made it—

"I get it!"

Trixie's mouth snapped shut, her cheeks burning. Not that she'd particularly wanted an audience, but suddenly she was very glad nopony was around to hear her talking to herself.

"Hmph, stupid little... if he thinks for one second that I'm gonna save him from a dragon..."

I was looking for you!

Clunk!

Trixie winced. She'd rapped the side of her head just a bit harder than she'd meant to. For some reason, though, her stomach was twisting just from the memory of Spike's words.

"Oooooh, no. No! I am not going back there!"

With a snort, she broke into a brisk trot once more. Her head continued to pound even as she did her best to ignore it. Worse than the fresh lump, however, was the purple colt's voice nagging at the back of her mind.

Can't believe I was actually worried about you...

Trixie started marching faster, stomping as hard as she could with each step. The hidden pockets of her cape jingled and clattered with the jewels hidden in them, adding to the noise. Even amidst the racket, however, she still caught herself glancing back over her shoulder.

"It's his own dumb fault anyway—"

Can't believe I was actually worried—

"SHUT IT!"

The branches on the trees trembled slightly. Despite only having moved a few feet, Trixie found herself panting for breath again. Her neck was craning, looking back at her trail once again.

... He was actually worried about me?

Trixie shook her head as hard as she could. A feat which only succeeded in making her dizzy.

"Get serious, Trixie! I mean, he looks like a little colt now, right?"

The forest remained silent. Trixie could barely force out a chuckle to try and break it. Suddenly her treasure-lined cape was feeling much heavier.

"S-seriously... W-what's the worst that could happen?"

He's gonna eat me!

Spike was doing his best to ignore that particular thought.

He's gonna roast me alive then eat me!

Really, Spike was trying to avoid thinking at all. Any worries he'd had about Trixie or curses were a thousand miles away. Somewhere Spike dearly wished he could be at that moment.

"So, let me make sure I have this right."

Those earlier worries had been replaced, quite effectively, by his new ones about the dragon.

Spike swallowed hard as he opened his eyes again. Just as he'd feared, squeezing them shut and hoping had done nothing to remove the scaled behemoth. It still stood indelibly before him, the cavern's exit barely visible behind its massive body.

Not that Spike could really focus on that. He was bit too distracted by the small flames flickering out from its nostrils.

"You were running around in my forest—"

Even as it spoke in a low hiss, the dragon's voice still caused the ground to tremble slightly. Combined with how much his legs were already shaking, Spike was having trouble standing up.

"—Violated the sanctity of my hoard—"

Spike could scarcely breathe. Every instinct he had was telling him to run. What little of his brain that still worked knew there was nowhere to run to.

"—Tell me some fairy story of curses and invisible ponies—"

He wanted to speak. To try telling his story again and convince the dragon it was true. Unfortunately, all Spike managed to get out of his dry mouth was a strangled cough.

"—And then expect me to just let you leave?"

Spike was practically falling backwards as he strained himself to look up at the dragon. Despite its calmer tone the beast's eyes were glowing. Whether with fury or with reflections of the fire licking from its sneering mouth, Spike wasn't sure. Either way, his mind was a blank.

"Uh... uh..." he squeaked out, his mouth straining into a feeble, hopeful smile. "Yes?"

The dragon's eyes narrowed. Spike felt the bottom of his stomach drop away.

I'm toast

The colt's eyes squeezed shut. Every muscle in his body tensed, preparing to be blasted to cinders.

"... Heh..."

One of Spike's ears twitched.

"Aheh... heh heh... heh heh heh!"

Warily, the unicorn cracked one eye open.

Then the other eye opened as well, unable believe what the first was seeing.

Is it... smiling?

Spike waved one hoof, trying to fan away the smoke that was surrounding him. There wasn't any mistake though, even as he struggled to believe it himself. The dragon's mouth was turned up in a smile. Granted one with much sharper teeth and more smoke than Spike was used to.

"Uh..."

That was all Spike could get out. His jaw simply hung open as the ground trembled with the dragon's rumbling laughter.

"Hahahaha... Ha ha-aaaaah... You are bold, little pony. I'll grant you that."

Spike just numbly nodded his head, his thoughts still spinning.

BOOM

The crash of another footfall, however, snapped him from his daze. Spike instinctively began to cringe, only for a growing patch of light to catch his attention. Another massive footstep sounded, the light growing as the dragon shifted its massive bulk aside.

Two more crashes, and Spike found himself staring at a clear path to the exit from the cave.

... Seriously?

"Y-you're letting me go?" he asked, turning his wide-eyed stare to the green giant. "R-really?"

"I've not laughed like that in some time." The dragon had a bemused smirk on its muzzle as it nodded towards the exit. "Besides, dealing with such a young pony would hardly be worth the effort. Or the trouble it would attract."

Spike did his best to dismiss the bitter tone in the last of the dragon's words. As well as the feeling of being vaguely insulted. His hooves felt lighter than air as he began to trot with a broad, and relieved, smile on his face. Even the gloomy clutches of the Everfree Forest seemed warm and inviting as he moved.

"W-wow! Th-thanks, Mister... uh, dragon, sir!" His mouth was just barely moving faster than he was. "G-guess I'll be going then!"

"Indeed you shall—"

BOOM

WHACK

Spike grunted in pain as he fell onto his rear. Something had suddenly crashed to the ground, cutting off his path once more. Far too quickly for him to avoid running right into it. The colt rubbed at his head, staring at the thing that was between him and the exit.

A thick, green, scaly tail.

"As soon as you put back those gems you took."

Even as a puff of warm smoke encircled him from behind, Spike felt a chill run through him. He didn't dare turn around. He couldn't. Not that he had to, since he could feel the dragon's eyes boring into him.

"Uh... g-gems?" Spike could barely talk again. He was too busy trying to remember how to breathe. "W-what ge—"

"Don't try to be cute. The gems that are missing from my hoard."

The dragon's tail twitched, numerous sharp spines extending from under the scales. Spike leaned back as one came dangerously close to him. He could feel the lump in his throat barely brush against its tip as he nervously swallowed.

"Are you s-sure you didn't just... misplace them?" Spike asked, struggling to inch back.

"Yes."

It didn't matter how calm the monster's voice sounded. Spike could feel the malice pouring off every word. Slowly, he turned his head to look over his shoulder.

He almost immediately regretted doing so. The dragon's head was less than a foot away. And it was fixing him with a glare that far surpassed anything Trixie had managed.

Trixie, if I get out of this...

He couldn't finish the thought as another cloud of smoke surrounded him. His brain had frozen, stuck on one word.

If...

"I don't suppose you'd believe that my invisible friend took them," Spike said as he put on what he hoped was an innocent smile. "W-would you?"

For a second, Spike's heart lifted. The dragon's eyes moved up, almost thoughtfully, its sneer dropping for a moment.

"Hmmm... No."

"D-didn't think so," Spike admitted, his eyes darting to the side. "So...."

He didn't finish the sentence.

Before he even knew what he was doing, Spike had jumped back to his hooves. There was a small gap, just past the tip of the dragon's tail. His legs pumped harder than ever as he raced to reach it. He could already picture himself barely squeezing past, making a hard push for the cave's exit, racing for the relative safety of the forest beyond.

Unfortunately, a massive green-clawed hand descended in front of him first. Before he even had time to scream, both he and a countless gems had been swept up by it. Spike's stomach pitched at his rapid ascension, glittering jewels falling away between the claws as he rose higher and higher...

And came to a sudden halt. The unicorn colt stumbled, barely managing to catch himself by wrapping all four legs around the smallest of the dragon's talons. His eyes still followed the flow of the treasure though. His head started to spin as he watched it tumble to the floor far, far below.

"I've been uncharacteristically patient with you, little pony. Do not. Test. Me!"

Spike's head turned before he could stop it. The dragon's face filled his vision once again. Unsurprisingly, "patient" was the last word Spike could think of to describe the look it was giving him.

"Y-you..." Everything was fading, lost in the sound of his racing heartbeat. "Y-you s-said I-I w-wasn't—"

His argument was cut off by a deafening snarl. Small flames crackled from between sharp teeth, splashing against the fireproof scales of the hand. Spike's tail curled up by his flank, barely avoiding being singed by the stray embers.

"I'm hardly about to let some pony get away with stealing from me."

Spike couldn't answer. A few feeble sparks were falling from his horn, trying to form a shield. Not even the flimsiest bubble of light appeared, though. Spike was shaking too hard, his mind spinning to fast to draw up what little magic he had left.

All the while, more flames began to glow in the back of his captor's throat.

"Last chance. Where. Are. My. Gems?!"

"RIGHT HERE, UGLY!"

Spike put one hoof against his throat, wondering why his voice sounded so different.

An instant later, he realized that hadn't been his voice. The dragon's head was snapping around, looking for the speaker.

It came to a halt, however, as a cluster of gems came flying right at its face.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGH!"

That roar was the last thing Spike heard before his ears simply gave out. A dull ringing took the place of his hearing as uncut stones dashed themselves into the dragon's eye. Its claw jerked upward, likely reaching to rub at the offending particles.

Spike couldn't tell for sure. The sudden movement finally caused him to lose his grip. His heart stopped as the cave floor and a fortune's worth of hard, unyielding treasure began to rise very quickly to meet him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH—"

His hearing had returned. Just in time to realize he was screaming.

"AAAAAAAAH-ACK!"

Spike's scream came to a halt with a strangled croak as he jerked to a halt in midair. Something was tingling all around him, some invisible, familiar cloud holding him aloft.

"Trixie?!" he gasped out.

"You were expecting Princess Celestia? Come on!"

The unseen magic moved, carrying Spike with it. He felt himself land on something warm and soft, right before an invisible cloth draped itself over him.

She's here

Spike's forelegs patted against what he'd landed on as it began to move. It did, indeed, feel like a pony. No doubt over who it was.

THUD

"OW!"

Trixie's shout sent an immense amount of satisfaction through Spike. Even if his feeble blow had likely more surprised her than anything else.

"What was that for?!"

"You stole those gems!" Spike answered.

He had to yell to be heard. The dragon was still roaring in pain, its tail thrashing about sending jewels crashing everywhere in a chaotic storm.

"Yeah, and I'm saving your life!"

"Only because you STOLE THOSE GEMS!" Spike yelled back, prepping another swing.

"SAVING YOUR LIFE! JUST SAYING!"

"YOU LITTLE - WHERE ARE YOU!?!"

Magic suddenly pinned Spike to Trixie's back as she ran, barely dodging the dragon's massive tail. Any further complaints were lost as they broke into the outside light, leaving a din of fire and claws behind them.

Trixie had lost count of how many times in the past two days she'd ended up in her current position. Leaning against a tree, gasping for breath, trying to keep what little breakfast she'd managed to eat down. Not even with enough energy to shrug off the load on her back.

Whump

She let out a relieved sigh as said weight slid off on its own. A rather bedraggled Spike now lay on the ground next to her. Flat on his back, panting almost as hard as the mare herself, one hoof draped over his brow.

Wearily, Trixie turned her head back the way she'd come from. She put on a satisfied smile as she found no telltale sign of hoofprints trailing her this time. With a casual flick of her horn, she dismissed the cushioning spell from around her hooves, feeling them sink into the soft ground of the forest again.

"You came back for me."

Spike's voice drew Trixie's attention. She looked down at the colt as he rolled back over, staring in her general direction with a look of disbelief.

For some reason, the confusion was far less enjoyable than it had been before.

"I..." Spike's mouth gaped for a moment before he shook his head. "I never thought you'd do something like that."

Trixie started to open her mouth to reply.

Just as quickly, she closed it again.

She couldn't deny the truth of it. Even now she still couldn't help clenching her teeth at the sight of the purple colt.

But he cared enough to come looking...

Trixie resisted the urge to shudder. The thought made her both happy and slightly ill at the same time.

Do not start that! He still ruined me!

"Don't make a big deal out of it, Spikey."

She tromped past the colt, doing her best not to look at him. On instinct, her tail gave a rueful flick towards his nose. A pang of frustration hit as she felt the gesture hit nothing but empty air.

What surprised her was how relieved she was that it had.

Dragon treasure, remember? Just lost a fortune saving his flank!

"Besides, I wasn't about to let you get off easy."

She glanced back over her shoulder and finally allowed herself a smile. Spike was staring in her direction, eyes wide.

"Easy?!" he parroted.

"Yeah! If you get eaten by a dragon today, then I don't get to humiliate you in front of your stupid friends tomorrow."

Spike's brow furrowed. Trixie just turned her head away, drawing in a deep breath as she did. The feeling of immense satisfaction over the colt's frustration was finally coming back. Marred only slightly by the guilty twist in her stomach.

He still was looking for me...

"So what was so important, anyway?"

"Huh?" Spike answered.

Trixie grit her teeth. The annoyance, at least, was familiar. She latched onto it, trying to focus on the feeling as she turned in place.

"You were looking for me, remember? What was so darn important?"

Slowly, a thoughtful look came over Spike's face. Followed by that obnoxiously smug grin of his.

After hearing what he had to say next, Trixie wasn't sure whether she wanted to kiss the other unicorn or strangle him.

Once again, Zecora's head snapped up.

This time, at the very least, she was certain she wasn't hearing things. The sound of the distant roar was unmistakable, drawing her attention away from the cauldron bubbling before her. A worried frown creased her muzzle as she carefully leaned the oversized spoon she'd been stirring with against the pot. Cautiously, she made her way to the door.

The roar sounded again as soon as she'd opened it. It didn't take long to find the direction of the noise either. Zecora's gaze quickly narrowed on a narrow column of smoke trailing into the air. One that was barely visible over the treetops.

Still, the zebra focused on it, rubbing her chin as she simply observed the smoke rising.

The dragon is distant, no reason to fear.

She nodded, a solemn little grin on her face as she turned back around.

Besides, it's not as though he’d ever come here—

A sudden, crackling noise cut off her confidence. Spinning back around, Zecora frowned once more.

The smoke was still distant, she was certain. It was harder, however, to dismiss the plume of flame rising into the air near it. Accompanied by another, very agitated, roar. One that sounded as though it were drawing further away, deeper into the woods. That didn't change the fact that many of the bottles on her shelves and the masks hung on the walls were rattling slightly.

With a stern glare, she turned around once more.

Though just in case he is spoiling to fight...

"Some Dragon Sneeze pollen should set that beast right," Zecora finished the thought aloud.

"Oh my gosh there she is!"

"Shhhh!"

Zecora froze mid-step, her ears twitching.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

Slowly she put her hoof down and closed her eyes. Silently, she hoped that the whispers she was hearing weren't what they sounded like.

"What do you mean, what?! How're we gonna make her fix us?"

"... I hadn't thought of that yet."

Zecora opened her eyes, only to roll them and let out a long sigh.

Even with her hooves suddenly feeling like lead, she turned back around. Her ears gave another twitch, drawn to the rustle of a nearby bush. One very close to her front door and, unfortunately, the same one the pair of voices seemed to be coming from.

"You hadn't—"

"Hey! I was little distracted by the dragon!"

Zecora pushed the various cusses she wanted to grumble aside as she marched right up to the plant. Despite its thick cover, she could just make out glimpses of purple hiding inside.

"Alright, you distract her and—"

"Why do I need to distract her?!"

"Because—"

"Enough of these games, both of you out." Zecora took a deep breath, straining to say the words rather than shout them. "Unless you'd rather I give that dragon a shout."

The bush fell still. A heavy silence filled the air as Zecora just watched it.

"Oh she's bluffing! There's no way she—"

Zecora didn't even bother with a frustrated snort. Her forelegs plunged into the bush, spreading the foliage apart with a cacophony of rustling leaves and snapping twigs.

Revealing, just as she had expected, a purple pony with a spiky green mane. One who only barely peeked out from beneath his forelegs as the noise halted. Oddly, he hardly seemed to notice the zebra. The young pony instead shot a glare to the empty space beside him.

"Bluffing, huh?" he growled out.

Zecora cleared her throat, and his anger immediately seemed to peter out. She could see him visibly beginning to tremble as he turned back toward her.

"Uhh... heh heh, h-hi Miss Zecora..." His eyes were wide as he stared up at her. "I'm not sure if you remember me—"

"The stallion who kicked me, the one known as 'Spike.'" Zecora answered her tone flat as she glared down at the colt. "Though when last I saw you, you weren't such a small tyke."

"Oh good you do remember..." Spike sounded significantly less than happy about the fact.

Zecora's ear twitched as something rustled beside her. With barely a glance, she stuck one foreleg out toward the sound. An instant later, she felt something bump against her limb, followed immediately by a startled shout.

"EEEK!"

Whump

"Owww!"

The zebra shook off her hoof as she looked down at the noise. Even with the ground beginning to dry, she could still make out the faint outline of a mare sprawled beside her.

"Miss Trixie has also visited before," Zecora said, moving her annoyed glare from colt to invisible pony. "Now what brings you troublemakers back to my door?"

The clearing was silent again. Inwardly, Zecora was wishing that for once she wouldn't be used to it all. The silence, the stares, the whispering, the invisible pony trying to get back up and sneak toward her home—

She let out a frustrated snort, stomping on a finely swept line in the dust. Zecora didn't allow herself to smile though. Not even as she heard her very rude guest jerk to a halt thanks to her cape being pinned in place.

The zebra just kept a watchful eye on the colt before her as he nervously rubbed his forehooves together. Just waiting for what manner of excuse he was about to come up with.

"We're here to ask you to remove the curse you put on us!" Spike finally blurted out.

Zecora blinked. Both her ears flopped down and back up as if trying to double-check what he’d just said. Based on the pleading look that Spike was giving her and the sound of Trixie face-hoofing, however, she had not misheard.

"You think I have cursed you, and that's why you're here?"

Seeing Spike nod in confirmation, Zecora did something she thought she'd never do. The situation, however, warranted it.

Her hoof clunked off her own forehead, just like so many disbelieving and foolhardy ponies she'd seen before. For a brief moment, she even forgot just what rhyme she'd been planning.

"Just what in the world gave you that crazy idea!?!" Zecora didn't even try to rein in her voice this time. Even if she did feel guilty as Spike jumped in surprise.

"I... but you... and Snips and Snails..." Spike was stammering. His hooves were all over the place, almost as though he were trying to put together some massive puzzle. "My spell couldn't fix this and... Who else could have done this to us?!"

If Zecora had been surprised by her own shouting, it didn't compare to Spike's. The zebra's eyes darted worryingly about as the distant roar of the dragon sounded again, almost as if in answer. Another puff of smoke was rising above the forest's canopy. Zecora finally breathed again as she noticed it was still further away than the last one.

"Well?!" Spike was starting to raise his voice again. In fact, the colt was stomping out of the bush he'd been hiding in, marching right up to her. "Look, I'm sorry I kicked you and everything, but this weird spell seems a little—"

Zecora's head throbbed at those words. Spike fell silent as she cast him another glare. This time, even she could feel it. The frustration she'd been trying to keep a lid on threatening to boil over. The fact that she could feel Trixie squirming in her cape, likely fumbling for the clasp, was not helping.

"Pay attention, for it's no curse you suffer beneath." Remembering the dragon still rampaging out there was the one thing that kept Zecora from raising her voice again. "Only the consequences of this two-faced thief!"

Oh crud

"Trixie..." Spike grumbled out, his voice flat. "What is she talking about?"

The invisible mare stopped herself mid-sputter. Her hooves ceased their shuffling, along with her squirming as she tried to free her cape. Her heart, however, continued to hammer away in her chest. Not that that kept her from casting a dark glare at Zecora.

"I-I have no idea!"

Her breath was hitching as she looked back and forth from the colt to the enchantress. Zecora still kept one hoof firmly on her cape. Trixie still wasn't sure just how the mare had noticed it so easily. While Spike...

Spike was staring again. This time his eyes full of disbelief rather than fear. And his slack-jawed gaze had moved from Zecora, aiming directly at the invisible mare instead. Trixie could feel her blood boiling under those eyes, even as her hooves were going cold.

"Really! I don't know—"

"Trixie asked me to help with her scheme. To see you humiliated was her only dream."

Zecora's interruption silenced Trixie. Her horn grew warm, her magic starting to reignite to the quiet the zebra, only for another tug on her cape to ruin her concentration. She started to cough, but quickly silenced the reaction as she noticed the glare Zecora was now giving her. The situation was suddenly very clear.

She was not going to able to keep Zecora from revealing the truth.

"I said I would not join her revenge, but—" The zebra was still talking, not even missing a beat with her rhyme. "— When I turned my back, she stole from my hut!"

Trixie grit her teeth as everything went very quiet.

"You did what?!" Spike's voice sounded all the louder, causing Trixie to flatten her ears in pain.

"She's lying!" Trixie's mind was spinning, struggling to come up with something convincing. A story Spike would just have to believe over the zebra's. "O-okay, I did meet with her but—OOF!"

Her grunt of pain was accompanied by a final whump as she toppled forward again, Zecora having finally released her cape. Trixie's eyes raised just enough to see Spike shooting her his most vicious glare yet.

“What did you take?” Spike growled out.

Trixie knew he couldn’t see her. Her eyes still darted to the side, refusing to meet his.

“Trixie, what did you—” he started to yell.

“It was some weird blue plants!”

Trixie was panting, having jumped back to her hooves as she yelled. Her throat burned and her eyes were watering. The only thing she wanted was to shut her mouth and run, as far and as fast as possible.

“Zecora wouldn’t help, so I grabbed them because they looked like they’d do something!”

She couldn’t stop her mouth any longer, however. The truth just kept pouring out as she cast a hateful glare at the zebra that was to blame for that.

“They were in the mud trap, weren’t they?!” Spike was shouting, his face a mixture of realization and anger. “That’s why you panicked so much when you got hit with it too!”

Trixie bit down on her lip. She could still remember struggling to fling off the thick mud and plant detritus she’d set up. Barely able to catch fleeting glimpses of blue through the muck.

And it would be all my—

“NO!”

Trixie stomped one hoof, shaking her head as hard as she could. Spike had jumped back from her, but she barely paid the colt any attention.

“Th-this - I didn’t—”

She could barely speak. Barely even finish thinking. Her head was spinning, trying to find some other rationale. Anything other than the two words her mind kept repeating.

My fault, my fault, my fault

“YOU were supposed to be the only one caught in that!”

Trixie’s chest burned with every breath she took. Spike just snorted in response, scraping one hoof against the ground. His head lowered, ready to charge, and Trixie could feel the warmth of her own magic starting to rise.

“If you hadn’t gone and kicked Zecora—”

“You’re the one that stole from her in the first place!”

“Well who’s the coward that went and set off the trap!”

“Which of us fell in the pit first, huh?”

Both of their voices were rising in volume. Trixie couldn’t even keep track of who was shouting what. All she could focus on was the spell, one that would shut Spike’s mouth.

“ENOUGH!”

The spell vanished with a harsh fizzling sound. Trixie’s head snapped to the side, drawn to the one who had shouted.

Zecora was standing there. Back in the entrance to her home. Simply glaring at the both of them.

“Look at you two, so eager to blame!” Zecora yelled, pointing one hoof accusingly in their direction. “But the both of you chose to continue this game!”

If you’d just helped me I wouldn’t be in this mess!

Those were the words Trixie wanted to say, but couldn’t. Under Zecora’s stern glare, her mouth simply wouldn’t open. Judging by the look on Spike’s face, he was in the same boat. The two of them both just stared silently at the zebra.

“Either one of you could have stopped this, but you did not even try!”

Zecora’s hoof lashed out to the side, and Trixie’s heart leapt to her throat.

The zebra had reached for her front door.

“So we’re done—”

“Hey, wait a second!” Spike finally started to protest.

“—You can fix this yourselves—”

"Zecora, wait!" Trixie's started to run towards the house.

"—Goodbye!"

With a final, loud SLAM, the door shut in Trixie’s face.

Author's Note

Alright, should only be one chapter to go on this! Might put up a blog post later also.

Chapter 12 Author's Note

That's right folks! Double chapter release!

Or rather, one chapter that I realized worked better in two parts. Enjoy it for now, I'll have more to say after the epilogue!

Chapter 12

Somewhere in the distance, the roar of a dragon rang out.

Surprisingly, Spike found himself unworried. He was still well aware just who the fire-breathing creature was looking for. However, he was more concerned with the tree-hut before him. Judging from the sounds coming from it, Zecora was definitely still inside.

The rather hostile masks that now glared from her windows, though, suggested she wasn't willing to talk. Not that they kept what she had said from echoing through Spike's mind.

"Either one of you could have stopped this, but you did not even try!"

"I did try..." Spike heard himself grumble.

His own voice sounded muffled. His head was filled with fog as Zecora's words played through it again and again. One face in particular, however, kept floating up through the haze.

Trixie's.

Spike's jaw tightened each time. He could see her taunting him from her stage in front of town hall. The look of rage she wore as she commanded his own writing implements to attack. Her smug grin as she mocked him in his own house...

And I stood up to her!

Spike's head jerked in an encouraging nod as he leapt back to his hooves.

I tried to stop her every time!

He drew in a deep breath, feeling his pulse pounding through his body.

How the hay is any of this my fault?!

His body shuddered as the rush of anger hit. Everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but the blue mare. The one who had bullied him. Ruined his essays. Used every opportunity to embarrass and laugh at him.

The same old Trixie that had gotten him into this mess.

"Trixie..." he growled, eyes scanning the small clearing.

Nopony answered. Spike snorted, steam puffing from his nostrils and his head snapped back and forth. Off in the distance, the dragon was letting out one last, exhausted roar.

The only other creature to have made a sound since Zecora shut her door.

Spike arched one eyebrow as the realization hit.

"Uh... Trixie?" he asked, visually sweeping the clearing again.

Once more, there was nothing but silence. No signs of laughter from the invisible mare. No shouting, or attempts to plead with Zecora, or any sort of other response to Spike's voice. Warily, Spike found his eyes drifting to the ground. A small cone of light shone from his horn, casting itself on the forest floor.

A single hoofprint sat in the center of the light. The start of a trail of them leading away from the imprint where he'd heard Trixie fall over. Heading past Zecora's hut and deeper into the forest.

The breath Spike had taken was finally released. Though this time it was as a weary sigh. Even that failed to cover the vestiges of worry that he was starting to feel again.

"Great," he grumbled as he began following the tracks. "Here we go again..."

The spires of Canterlot were fading into the distance behind her.

Trixie didn't even bother to look back. Or forward. Not even as the distant roar of a tired dragon carried over the trees. Her eyes were locked straight down, staring at her hooves.

The article stared back up at her. The one that she had seen Twilight burn. Only now, far too late, did she realize what had actually happened. Her body was frozen, her insides feeling like they were made of ice as three little words ran over and over through her head.

"It's not fair..."

Trixie's whispered protest did little to sway the trees around her. Her own body was equally numb. Even simple acts like breathing were becoming a struggle. Something was clogging her throat, forcing her to take ragged gasps. With great effort, the invisible mare managed to lift her head.

A host of familiar, disdainful glares greeted her.

She could tell Princess Celestia hadn't believe her. The wise alicorn's eyes held no sympathy when Trixie turned her tear-stained face up to her. With a motion of her hoof two other ponies had approached, ready to escort her away.

"Trixie!"

The citizens of Ponyville had given her similar looks. All staring coldly at her and her little "performance". Even as they melted into a multi-colored blur, Trixie could see them turning their backs on her.

That was still marginally better than her classmates. Countless fillies and colts had crowded the doors and windows to watch her. She could even hear some of them cheering as she was led away.

A small whimper tried to escape Trixie's mouth. She barely managed to stifle it.

"Trixie!"

Something wet was falling onto the hoof she'd covered her mouth with. Her vision was too foggy and blurred to tell what it was.

What she could see was the landscape rushing past her window. The train wasn't slowing down one bit for the crying filly. It simply continued to race down the tracks, carrying her off.

Away from Canterlot and everything she'd ever dreamed of.

Trixie choked back another sob. Even from so far away, she could feel every accusing pair of eyes on her.

Celestia's.

Her former classmates'.

The citizens of Ponyville.

"... Trixie?"

But worst of all had been a single pair of green eyes.

The ones that belonged to the purple tattletale.

The same one who had just run into Trixie's small clearing.

In an instant the blurriness that had filled Trixie's vision was stripped away. A red haze quickly took its place.

"What do you want?"

Trixie's voice came out as more of a growl than anything. One that caused Spike to suddenly freeze in place. A fact that did nothing to quench the fire that suddenly filled her. She didn't even wait for the colt to open his mouth. Her hooves immediately started stomping towards him.

"Come to rub it in, huh? Have a good laugh at my expense again?!"

Trixie could swear she felt sparks in her mouth. Judging from the way Spike was staring, he must have noticed them too. He had actually jumped back as she shouted. Seeing that only made Trixie's hooves ache with the desire to pin him down.

"I... uh, I..." Spike was stammering, his ears falling flat against the sound of Trixie's hooves. "I..."

"You-you-you what?! You were the one that came looking!"

Her magic burned so hot it was a wonder her hat didn't catch fire. Trixie didn't think she'd care even if it had. The sight of Spike being magically hauled into the air again was worth the risk.

"Well guess what, Spikey? You found me!"

She could tell he was only half-listening. Spike seemed much more occupied with trying to squirm free of her spell. Trixie just snarled and jerked her head sharply to the side.

The colt immediately let out a frightened cry as he was hurled through the air. Trixie didn't allow herself to enjoy the sight, nor the satisfying WHUMP that sounded as she pinned him against a tree. The only thing she could feel was the oddly numbing heat that flared through her as she planted her forehooves to either side of Spike's head.

"Just take a gooood look, you little twerp! Look and see what you did to me!"

"W-what I did?!" Spike's stuttering voice was loud. Louder than the terrified squeak Trixie had been hoping for.. "Y-you're the one that stole from Zecora—"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"

Trixie's throat was painfully dry. The feeling masked any sting Spike's point might have held. Not that she could hear much else of what he'd wanted to say. Not over the sound of her thundering heartbeat.

Not as she stared down at the source of all her woes.

"That article."

Spike's eyes were going wide. At least, Trixie assumed that they were. It was hard to say when her own vision was starting to swim again.

"That stupid article you wrote that took EVERYTHING from me!"

CONGRATULATIONS TRIXIE!!!

It felt like it was just yesterday. Those words on the banner overhead. Her new baby dragon was chewing on her cape.

"I was Princess Celestia's personal student!"

The party guests were laughing and cheering all around her. Cameras flashed from every direction, capturing the moment forever.

"I was supposed to be the one to stop Nightmare Moon! But you..."

HEROES OF HARMONY SAVE EQUESTRIA!

Even after so long, Trixie could recognize the stallion. Smiling up from the newspaper, almost as though he were taunting her with the headline above. And as much as she wanted to scream, or cry, or say anything she couldn't. Her voice simply refused to work.

"You stole my destiny! And I... I..."

Trixie's voice was choking out. Her legs suddenly felt weak. On trembling hooves, she stumbled back from the tree, barely registering the fact that Spike had slipped loose from her magic. She struggled to draw in a breath, the air burning as it went down. All so she could wheeze out two words.

"My parents..."

The blue filly finally managed to tear her gaze from the newspaper.

Almost immediately, she wished she hadn't.

They were still there. The pale-blue unicorn mare and a white coated stallion. Both of them still giving her judgmental glares that far surpassed even the princess's.

"They'd been so proud of me... and then you..."

Trixie's throat ached worse than she thought possible. Whether it was from her shouting or the lump that was suddenly stuck in it, she couldn't tell. All she could do was try to focus through the tears rolling out of her eyes. Glaring with all her might at the blob of purple still slumped against the tree before her.

"Do you have any idea what that's like? To be... to be such a disappointment to your family?! And it's all thanks to you!"

She couldn't keep her head up any longer. Unseen tears rolled freely down her cheeks, forming an invisible puddle at her hooves. Trixie didn't even try to hold them back as she slumped forward, once again thankful that Spike still couldn't see her.

Until four words pierced through the sound of her panting breath.

"It wasn't my fault."

Trixie's head snapped back up.

She didn't know what she had expected. Thoughts of Spike shaking and crying over her story, mumbling out apologies for her to shoot down, or simply staring at her in stunned silence flickered through her mind.

They were certainly nothing like what she did see. Spike wasn't trembling. His voice lacked any trace of whining or whimpering. And even though she knew the colt couldn't see her, Trixie couldn't help noticing his eyes were locked straight on hers.

"Maybe... maybe things did go a lot farther than I thought they would when I wrote that article." Spike moved forward a step, and Trixie felt herself move back in response. "But do you have any idea what going to school with you was like?!"

Trixie wanted to snap back. Her mouth sprang open to retort against the colt. Her voice, however, wouldn't come. Almost like he sensed the opening, Spike began to advance again. This time stomping heavily with each step. Trixie swallowed hard, her hooves shaking as she backed away from him.

"You spent almost everyday trying to make me miserable! And not just me, either!" Smoke puffed from Spike's nostrils as he let out an angry snort. "Remember Moon Dancer and Sunburst? The ponies you forced to do your homework and reports for you?"

I... But...

Trixie couldn't even complete her thoughts as the memory broke through. A yellow filly and orange colt. Both of whom she clearly recalled joining the cheering as she was led away.

Trixie's magic grabbed the brim of her hat, frantically pulling it over her ears.

"Or worse, how about the way you treated Twilight like a circus animal?!"

Spike's voice pierced through her feeble cover. He was still advancing on her. Even with her vision fading, Trixie couldn't tear her eyes from him. Despite his small size, the other unicorn seemed to tower over her.

"I had to do something to stop you!"

It wasn't like that...

Everypony expected so much!

One little filly couldn't handle all that by herself!

None of it was your business!

Those and a thousand more excuses swirled through Trixie's mind. All of them crowding behind the lump in her throat. All of them pushing to get out. All of them immediately vanishing as Trixie felt her flank bump against a tree. She halted, her eyes finally falling to her hooves and away from the other unicorn's stern glare.

"It's like my friends said: I was just trying to do the right thing!" Trixie squeezed her eyes shut, hooves futilely trying to block out Spike's voice. "And if I'd listened to them this time—"

Silence.

Trixie cautiously opened one eye. Spike was still there. His mouth gaped open, but no sound came out. The anger that had flooded his eyes was suddenly gone as they stared, unseeing, at the invisible mare.

"If... if I'd listened to them..." he repeated, his head lowering as his voice faded.

Quietly, Trixie took a deep breath and waved one leg under the colt's nose.

Spike didn't so much as bat an eye.

WHAM!

If he reacted to being shoved to the ground, Trixie didn't stick around long enough to notice. Her hooves were moving, trampling a path away from Spike as quickly as they could manage. All while her breath hitched in her throat and one thought bubbled from the back of her mind.

... Maybe he had a—

"Shut it."

Spike didn't groan as he picked himself up from the forest floor. He didn't make a sound at all as he looked in the vague direction of galloping hoofsteps. No doubt Trixie's as she ran off.

As they faded into the distance, the purple colt just let out a weary sigh.

Part of him wanted to be mad. He could feel the aches and bruises from Trixie tossing him around. His ears still burned with the blame she'd tried to pile onto him. Then there was the untold frustration that would probably come with searching for her again...

But the anger didn't come. Not even a twinge of annoyance.

The only thing he felt was tired.

He sluggishly raised his head, looking out to the forest around him. He could still see the faint trail he'd left from Zecora's house. From there, he knew the general direction to Ponyville. Even if the route he'd followed last time had flown by in a panicked rush.

With a final, weary sigh, Spike forced his heavy legs to move.

Maybe I should have listened to them...

The thought hung heavily over him as he trudged along.

Bam bam bam

Spike's ears barely twitched at the distant noise. One that rather sounded like hooves striking wood. Even as his ears fell flat to shut the sound out, he could almost hear something else accompanying it.

Bam bam bam

"Zecora!"

Spike froze mid-step, his ears standing back up.

He was sure he hadn't imagined it. The sound of something being struck, and more importantly the shouting voice. Neither of them very far away, and both of them coming from the same direction.

Straight ahead.

Suddenly, Spike found himself moving again. Confusion and curiosity both pulling him forward.

BAM BAM BAM

"Come on, we know you're in there!"

Another impact sounded just as the gnarled tree began to come into view again. The masks still glared out from the windows carved into it, and the colored bottles hanging from the branches were swaying wildly. Staring out through a gap in the bushes, however, Spike wasn't paying attention to Zecora's home.

Instead, his jaw dropped as he saw the group gathered in front of it.

"Thunderlane—" Cheerilee started to speak.

BAM BAM BAM

Whatever the school teacher wanted to say, Thunderlane didn't hear. He was far too focused on the door in front of him. The one which, despite its rickety appearance, still stood strong even after all his pounding on it.

BAM BAM BAM

"Are you even listening to me in there?!" he shouted, panting heavily after his latest trio of kicks.

"You're the one not listening to what I say!" a muffled voice yelled back from within the tree. "Your friends are not here, now go away!"

Thunderlane knew that some part of him had expected that answer. A fact which did nothing to keep him from grinding his teeth in frustration.

Alright. She asked for it.

His legs were moving, quickly backing away from the door. He stopped after several steps, and crouched low. His wings flared out, legs tensed and ready to spring. With one final snort, the pegasus stallion sprang forward—

"Thunderlane, wait!"

Only for something fast and gray to suddenly tackle him from behind.

"ARGH!"

WHAM

The weather pony's shout of surprise was cut off as he slammed into the ground. His chest burned as the breath was knocked out of him, but still he struggled and twisted. Even while trying to re-inflate his flattened lungs, he managed to lift his head enough to shoot an angry glare at the pony responsible for his crash.

Not surprisingly, only of one of her yellow eyes met his own.

"What are you doing?" Ditzy Doo asked as she tightened her embrace around his barrel.

"What's it—" Thunderlane coughed a few times as he continued squirming, finally drawing enough breath to speak again. "What's it (unnng!) look like? I'm trying to (oof!) get some answers (ow!) out of Miss Rhymes-a-lot!"

"B-but what if you make her mad?" Ditzy stammered out, not seeming to notice the escape attempt. "She might c-curse you or cook you up or—"

A final, hard shove caused Ditzy to cut herself off with a surprised yelp. Thunderlane gave a triumphant cry as he popped free of her grip. A couple quick flaps of his wings brought him back to his hooves, legs already preparing for another charge.

Then somepony cleared their throat behind him. Thunderlane froze mid-crouch, a chill shooting down his spine. Hesitantly, he looked over his shoulder to the sound.

A somewhat bedraggled Ditzy Doo was getting back up. That mattered slightly less than the four other pairs of eyes that were staring at him. The ones that stood out, however, were Cheerilee's, which were drawn into a rather stern glare.

"Thunderlane, you're starting to act a bit rashly again," she said, her voice shockingly calm. "I'm sure you don't want to do something you'll regret later."

"I-I don't!" Thunderlane flinched as he finally managed to peel his tongue from the roof of his mouth. "But what about Spike?"

The school teacher's glare softened and vanished. Inwardly, Thunderlane would have been cheering if his heart hadn't still been hammering at a mile a minute. The nerves that had fueled it before were rapidly fading, however.

"I know Zecora's rhyming speak is... well, a bit odd," Cheerilee admitted, taking a step forward. "But I think she just said that Spike isn't here."

"Oh right, and we can totally believe the weird pony that lives in the spooky, monster-infested forest." Thunderlane couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Nor could he resist rolling his eyes. "Doesn't she seem just a little too eager to get rid of us?"

"Well, you trying to break down her door might have something to do with that."

This time a low growl slipped from Thunderlane's muzzle. His eyes immediately narrowed on Time Turner, the tan stallion wincing a bit and taking a step back.

"It's just a thought," Time Turner said, his eyes darting to the others. "I mean, you've hardly been a gracious houseguest."

This time, Thunderlane winced. Unfortunately, he couldn't deny the bureaucrat's point. He was even tempted to join a few of the others as they nodded in agreement. Especially with the way his nose still smarted. A harsh reminder of both Zecora's remarkably quick reactions to a charging pegasus and the solidity of her front door.

Thunderlane quickly shook his head, pushing the memory and the pain back down.

"Guys, can we focus on the big issue here?!" he shouted, jabbing a hoof back towards the gnarled tree house. "Namely, the fact that Zecora might be brewing up a batch of Spike Stew right now?!"

Everypony else stayed silent. A fact that did nothing to calm Thunderlane. The lack of any arguments to rebut caused his eyes to immediately turn back to the twisted tree-hut. As hard as he tried to stop himself, he could only imagine what was going on inside. Something that probably involved a purple unicorn, bound and gagged and dangling helplessly over a boiling cauldron...

This had to be the one time he'd listen to me.

Pain lanced through Thunderlane's mouth. It took a second to realize that he'd bit the inside of his cheek.

"Maybe... maybe he has a point."

The voice was so soft, it was a marvel Thunderlane had even heard it. The words, however, shook him from his thoughts. His eyes snapped to the speaker, noticing that everypony else was already staring at her. He especially couldn't miss the shocked expression on Time Turner's face.

"Twilight?" Time Turner muttered, eyes going wide.

The little dragon was cringing slightly under all the attention, nervously wringing her tail in her claws. Before Thunderlane could even consider looking away, though, her gaze shifted up. He took a step back as Twilight's worried eyes locked right onto him, almost able to feel the stare going through him to the gnarled tree.

"I-I don't want to just... you know, break in but..." Twilight sniffled, squeezing her tail even harder as she tried to speak. "If Spike's in there... if he's in trouble..."

Cheerilee was at Twilight's side in an instant. As she draped a hoof over the sniffling dragon's shoulder, Thunderlane could feel his insides twist with worry.

"I-I just want him to be okay..." Twilight said in a half-whisper, burying her face in the teacher's chest.

And when it all goes south, don't come crying to me!

Thunderlane did his best not to flinch again. Taking a quick breath, he turned back to Zecora's house, his eyes set in a hard glare.

"That's what I'm aiming for, Twi," he said, one hoof scraping at the ground as he prepared to charge.

"Hold on thar," a deep, drolling voice suddenly spoke up.

The pegasus was about to groan, to roll his eyes in frustration. He stopped himself as a massive, red hoof placed itself in front of him. Whatever retort or argument Thunderlane would have spit out was immediately forgotten as he followed the limb up to look at Big Macintosh.

The larger stallion wasn't even looking at him. His mouth was pulled into a tight line, his eyes focused solely on the front door of Zecora's house.

"Ah'll git that," he said, plodding towards the wooden barrier.

Thunderlane said nothing, simply watching the red giant. Even with his calm gait, every step Mac took shook the ground. The surprisingly formidable door seemed to notice also, rattling on its hinges as the farmer drew close. It almost sounded like it was shivering in terror as Big Mac turned his back to it, one leg lifting to kick as he nodded to Thunderlane. The pegasus pony nodded back, spreading his wings and crouching as he waited for the signal to charge.

And waited.

And waited a few more seconds.

Thunderlane straightened his legs again and raised one eyebrow. Mac hardly seemed to notice. The earth pony almost seemed frozen if not for the way his eyes were going wider and wider.

"Mac?" Thunderlane took a few steps forward, waving one leg in front of the other stallion's face. "You alright, big guy?"

"Spike?" Mac muttered, his jaw hanging slack.

"Uh... yeah, Spike." Thunderlane gave a slow nod as confusion and frustration both tried to fight their way into his voice. "We're trying to help him, remem-urk!"

He didn't get to finish the sentence. Big Mac's foreleg shot out again, forcing Thunderlane to turn back around. His brow furrowed, struggling to understand the gesture as he noticed how strangely silent everypony else had gone. The weather pony's eyes followed theirs, mouth opening to ask what the others were looking at.

The question didn't have a chance to start, however, before he saw the answer. One word immediately rang out in his mind.

... What.

A young colt, probably no older than Thunderlane's own brother, was slowly approaching them. That sight in the Everfree Forest by itself would have been enough to give Thunderlane pause. What truly struck him silent was how uncannily familiar the little unicorn was. From his purple coat, to his green, spiky mane, and even the nervous little smile he was giving the group.

"Uh... heh heh..." The young, colt-version of Spike let out a feeble chuckle. "H-hi guys."

Thunderlane's mouth was suddenly very dry. Probably thanks to how wide it was hanging open.

"Oh my gosh..." Ditzy Doo gasped out.

Spike grimaced, his eyes locked on the ground. Inwardly, he was already bracing himself. Ready for whatever storm of questions, lectures, and "I told you so's" he was about to receive.

"You are so cute!"

"Huh?" Spike gasped out, lifting his head.

That was all he had time to do before a gray blur descended on him. Suddenly, the unicorn couldn't breathe. Not due to fear, shock, or any other overwhelming emotions for once. Rather, it was thanks to the impossibly tight hug Ditzy Doo had suddenly pulled him into.

"Oooooooh, I could just squeeze you forever!" Ditzy gushed as the pressure on Spike's ribs increased.

The colt tried to speak, but all that came out was a breathless cough. Small spots danced before his eyes as the embrace simply grew tighter and tighter. As his senses began to fade, he could hear the distant thud of heavy hoofsteps.

"Uh, Ditzy?" Big Mac's voice echoed from far off.

"Huh?" Ditzy responded.

Something red moved to the vice-like limbs that were hugging him. A split-second later, the pressure on his chest lessened. There was a dull pain as Spike slid free from the death embrace, landing flat on his back on the ground. He hardly noticed it as he took greedy lungfuls of air, his vision slowly sharpening back to normal.

Big Macintosh was standing over him, looking just as calm as ever. Ditzy Doo was there as well, a sheepish smile on her face as she looked down at him.

"Oh! Heh heh..." she covered her muzzle as she giggled a bit. "Sorry."

" 'S alright," Spike managed to slur out as he flipped himself over.

He'd no sooner gotten back to his hooves, though, when another blur suddenly charged him. Spike could only let out a grunt as he found himself in another embrace. Though, much to his relief, this one was far less powerful than before.

"Twi..." he muttered.

"You're okay!" The dragon's voice and breathing were both ragged. Spike could feel a few tears rolling from her cheeks into his coat. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?! What are you even doing out here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Spike grunted out, starting to get worried as Twilight's embrace began to tighten. "How'd you guys know where I was?"

"You can thank Snips and Snails for that." Time Turner's voice was accompanied by the clack of his hooves. "They raised quite the ruckus back in town."

Spike lifted his gaze from his assistant as she let go, looking instead to the others. Time Turner had joined the rest of the group, along with Thunderlane and Cheerilee. The confusion on their faces was all too obvious, though Spike was certain he saw hints of a relieved smile on most of them.

"Apparently, they went to visit both you and Trixie this morning," Cheerilee explained. "When they couldn't find either of you, they thought that... well, that Zecora must have gobbled you up."

"I thought they were exaggerating until they took me back to the library," Twilight sniffled again, finally wiping her eyes dry. "When I saw the mess that was there..."

Oh. Right.

Spike rubbed the back of his head and flinched. Suddenly he recalled just how many books had been left scattered across the floor. As well as the condition of the loft, with bed sheets, pillows, and Twilight's crumpled basket likely still strewn about.

"I got scared, so I got the others and—" Twilight's breathing was getting fast again, and Spike founds himself in another scaly hug. "Just what in Equestria happened to you?!"

"I think we all want to hear about that," Thunderlane added, his forelegs crossed over his chest.

Spike looked from one friend to another. Even amidst Thunderlane's frustrated voice, the confusion and curiosity were still there. All of it unquestionably focused on the unicorn as he gently slipped out of Twilight's embrace.

Really, there was only one way he could think to start.

"It's kind of a weird story."

To an outsider, the sight looked strange.

Five ponies and a baby dragon, sitting in the middle of one of the most dangerous places in Equestria. All of them listening with rapt attention to the colt as he spun the most fantastic story. A story of old enemies, evil witches, curses, dragons, and other things out of a child's fairy tale.

To his credit, he didn't seem to leave anything out. From his nightmares the night before, to waking up, even his embarrassing spills throughout the day, Spike told them everything. As the story came to an end, with Trixie running off for the last time, everypony present simply sat there, taking it all in.

Time Turner clearing his throat was what finally broke the silence.

"Well," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "It sounds like you've had quite the day."

A few awkward chuckles sprang up from that. Spike was rolling his eyes, but even he smiled a bit. The laughter quickly faded though, as Thunderlane took a step towards the colt.

"What I don't get is why your best plan was to go running after Zecora again," Thunderlane said, making a sweeping gesture to the other ponies around him. "If you needed help, why not just come find us?"

"Because..." Spike's fledgling smile was gone. He let out a heavy sigh as he lowered his head. "Because after what happened last night, I didn't think you guys would want to help me."

That made Thunderlane's eyes go wide. His wings twitched nervously as he looked at the others, most of whom were giving him rather stern looks. Especially Cheerilee as she moved to Spike's side.

"I - okay, yeah, I was kinda frustrated when I said, you know, what I said—" Thunderlane had broken out in a slight sweat as he stammered. "I mean, it's not like I wanted anything bad to happen!"

Cheerilee didn't say anything. She put one hoof over Spike's shoulders before waving at Thunderlane to continue. The pegasus sighed, his wings slumping in defeat.

"But okay, yeah, maybe I was a bit harsh," he admitted.

"It's fine," Spike said as he shrugged off the school teacher's hoof. "I had it coming after all."

The unicorn scuffed at the ground, not even bothering to lift his head. His ears were drooping, and even the spikes in his mane seemed to sag somewhat as the tip of his tail brushed along the ground.

"You guys were trying to help, and I just kept pushing you all away and acting like a jerk. Especially to you, Twi." Spike seemed to sink lower, likely thanks to how heavy his voice suddenly was. "Maybe if I'd listened to you guys... if I hadn't let myself get so wrapped up in fighting with Trixie... I wouldn't be in this mess."

"Awwwwww!"

Ditzy's coo was the only warning Spike had before he was swept into her forelegs again. At the very least, this hug was significantly more gentle. Though it did cause him to blush as she rubbed her cheek against his.

"It's alright, Spike!" Ditzy said, apparently blind to Spike's embarrassment. "We're not mad, are we guys?"

"Nope," Big Mac confirmed, cutting off Thunderlane just as he opened his mouth.

"Besides, you aren't the only one that needs to apologize," Cheerilee added.

A chorus of nods passed among the other ponies. Even Thunderlane joined, though a bit reluctantly. Spike's head was lifting, his eyes going wide as they travelled from one friend to the next.

"We didn't take your concerns about Trixie as seriously as we should have. Even after it became clear how upset you and Twilight were," Time Turner said with an apologetic smile. "Perhaps if we had, we could have kept things from escalating like they did."

"And my flying off the handle didn't help," Thunderlane admitted once more as he winced slightly. "Sorry again about that."

Spike finally blinked as he was placed back on the ground. His mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came out. He closed it, once again looking at the others. He jumped a bit as Twilight claw touched his shoulder, only to immediately relax as she gave him a small smile.

"Wow... I, uh... I never expected... well, that," he finally said, returning Twilight's grin. "Thanks, guys."

"We're all just glad you're okay," Twilight said. "Especially me."

This time it was the dragon's turn to gasp in surprise as Spike's forelegs wrapped around her in a hug. She quickly fell back into a smile though as she returned the gesture. There was a collective "awww" from the others, a few of them (specifically Ditzy Doo) jumping in to join the embrace.

But through the small tangle of ponies, the viewer could still see Spike. Even with his friends smiling around him, even with a big grin of his own, his eyes were elsewhere. Focused past those gathered around him.

Locked right on Zecora's.

The zebra took a step back, finally letting the mask fall back to cover the window again. Even with all the laughing and happiness outside, she wore a deep frown. It was hard to keep the memories back, so she didn't even try. The scene she'd just witnessed floated through her mind, interrupted by other images.

The purple stallion, not seeming to care what Cheerilee had to say, stomping his way onto Trixie's stage.

Even Twilight's tearful pleading had no effect. Spike raised his voice and sent her stumbling away before turning follow the showmare.

Thunderlane was yelling, throwing all his mistakes into his face, and still Spike fought. Arguing back until the pegasus took off with a final, furious warning.

And all of these events cast a sharp contrast to the colt muttering apologies to those same friends. Zecora was still pondering the change as she turned away from her window, eyes locking on something across the room.

Perhaps he is not such a bad little foal.

A thick, green book with a curly fern embossed on the front seemed to be staring back at her from the shelf.

Trixie's actions are not something he could control...

Clack, clack, clack

Zecora shook her head and glanced to her door. She was very familiar with the sound of somepony knocking on it by this point. She couldn't help but notice how much smaller, and less frustrated, it sounded than before.

Clack, clack, clack

"Uh... Miss Zecora?" the muffled voice of a unicorn colt called from outside.

The zebra plodded the few steps to her door. One hoof flicked up, undoing the latch with a practiced motion. That same leg hesitated, just for a moment, as she reached out once more.

Taking a deep breath, Zecora pushed the door open a bit. Just as she'd expected, she could see Spike through the crack, standing on her doorstep. A bit further back stood his friends, fear and apprehension apparent among them as they watched the colt.

"So, um... hi." Spike's voice drew Zecora's eyes back to him, as he shuffled his hooves a bit. "I guess you've probably been bothered enough but... well..."

What happened next was easily the most surprising thing to happen all day.

Spike reached out one foreleg, an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Zecora couldn't keep a quizzical eyebrow from raising. Curious, she pushed the door open the rest of the way. Spike didn't try to back away, or even so much as flinch. He simply took a deep breath as he looked up at her.

"I kept saying I didn't want to get anypony else involved in my fight with Trixie. But I didn't even think twice when she dragged you into it... or when all that stuff got damaged back at the market," Spike said, his leg still extended for a hoofshake. "It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair, and I'm sorry that you caught in the middle of it."

Zecora looked at the small hoof before her. The same one that, just the night before, had rapped her rather hard on the head. She could even feel the lump throb a bit as if to remind her.

"I must say, Spike, you've brought more trouble than expected," Zecora pointed out as she rubbed at the bump.

She could only imagine how the Forest Dragon probably felt. It had long since fallen silent, probably exhausted from whatever Spike and Trixie had put it through. To say nothing of the various states of tired the other gathered ponies seemed to be in.

Nevertheless, Spike's friends were watching with bated breath. None of them seemed to care in the least how long or how deep they were in the Everfree Forest. Thunderlane in particular seemed more concerned for the colt, his wings ready to dash in and pull him aside at a moment's notice.

He nearly did just that as Zecora extended her own hoof. Fortunately, Big Macintosh was quick to block his path.

"I think your heart was in the right place, though, so apology accepted," Zecora said as she and Spike shared a firm hoofshake.

Spike had a relieved smile on his face, and the zebra couldn't help returning it with one of her own. Around them, a few of the bottles hanging from the tree swayed in the breeze from everypony else's collective sigh. Twilight and Thunderlane in particular seemed much more relaxed as they walked up to Spike.

"I must admit, you impressed me child, when you chose to stay and make amends," Zecora said.

She almost hated to break up the moment. Especially since she could still see some hints of nervousness in the eyes of the ponies turning to look at her. The zebra did her best to ignore the stares. Instead she stepped aside, leaving a clear path into her home.

"If you'll stay a while longer, then to your Poison Joke curse I'll attend," she offered, gesturing to the inside of her home.

Zecora did her best not to let her smile falter. Even if Spike remained hesitant at the threshold of her door. The hints of worry weren't just hints anymore. Especially as his eyes travelled over the large cauldron in the center of the room. Twilight was lifting one claw, almost as though reaching out to stop him—

clack

Without a word or a glance to the others, Spike stepped inside.

"So," he said as he trotted up to the zebra. "What did you mean by 'Poison Joke curse?'"

Zecora just smiled, and walked over to fetch the green book.

Epilogue

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