Of Dragons and Mortals

Chapter 11: Silent Night

The streets of Ponyville were mostly empty, so when Spike and his dates walked down the street to Sugarcube Corner, they passed through town almost unnoticed.

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were both practically glued to his sides, enjoying the warmth emanating from his chest and the feeling of just being close to him. They really looked like they were together, like he was theirs.

Which was kind of the point, really.

As the library disappeared when they rounded a corner, Pinkie grinned and spoke up.

“So… You and Twilight, huh?”

“Well…” Spike muttered. “Yeah, me and Twilight.” He wasn’t about to hide that. If anything, he felt proud that she had chosen to be with him.

“So have you… you know…”

“Pinkie!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “That is not appropriate!”

“What? We’re all friends here,” Pinkie said. “Besides, aren’t you curious?”

Blushing, Fluttershy fell silent and clung to Spike a little tighter.

“I’m not going to kiss and tell,” Spike cut in. “It’s between me and Twilight.”

Pinkie made a sound of approval in the back of her throat and snuggled in even closer.

“That’s good,” she said. “It’s good to know you respect a mare’s privacy.”

Spike slowed to a stop in the street and fixed Pinkie with a questioning gaze.

“You were testing me, weren’t you?”

“Yepperoni!”

Spike merely chuckled, hugged the girls a little tighter, and started walking again. The rest of the walk passed in comfortable silence.

Soon enough, they arrived at Sugarcube Corner. It looked the same as always on the outside, but as they walked into the seating area, it became clear to Spike that Pinkie and Fluttershy had gone all out for the date.

One half of the sitting area was the same as always, but the other half had been separated by midnight blue sheets hung from the ceiling. The girls led him through the velvet divider, and he saw dark blue sheets covering the walls, ceiling, and floor. A single table in the middle of the enclosure was set for three, and firefly lanterns hung from the ceiling, casting the whole darkened area in a beautiful flickering glow.

“Wow, girls…” Spike said. He slowly slipped out of their grasp and took a few steps forward, smiling as he scanned the room. “This is beautiful.”

He didn’t notice Pinkie quietly high-fiving Fluttershy behind him, nor the pleased smiles on both of their faces.

Pinkie headed off to fetch the food, leaving Fluttershy alone with the dragon.

Fluttershy took a deep breath to steady her nerves, then walked up to Spike. She cleared her throat, and he turned around to face her.

“Do you like it?” she asked. “We worked real hard on this.”

“It’s gorg--”

Feeling brave, Fluttershy cut Spike off by pressing her lips softly against his. After a moment of stunned silence, Spike began to return the kiss, and his arms circled around her waist, making her sigh in contentment. Her arms snaked around his neck, and she pushed into him slowly but firmly. Eventually, she parted her lips to allow the kiss to deepen.

This. This was exactly the sort of kiss Fluttershy wished she had had the courage to give him earlier. She dimly heard Pinkie Pie approaching, undoubtedly bringing dinner, but that didn’t bother her, especially when Spike’s tongue came into play.

Fluttershy kept the kiss going even as she heard Pinkie snicker and walk around them to set the table. Soon after that, however, she found herself running out of air and reluctantly parted her lips from Spike’s. He met her gaze and smiled. The happy warmth in her chest made her smile right back.

“The food’s ready,” Pinkie said from the table. “Come and get it!”

Spike turned around and took a few seconds to admire how beautiful Pinkie and Fluttershy truly were, then walked up behind them both in turn and pulled out their chairs for them. He then sat in the center chair, with the girls flanking him.

“This place is gorgeous,” Spike said. “It’s like we’re floating in the night sky… You girls really pulled out all the stops.”

His honesty made Fluttershy blush brightly and look away from him, hiding behind her mane. Pinkie, however, met his eyes with a bright smile on her face.

“Thanks,” she said. “We worked hard on this.”

Pinkie pulled on a string hanging from the ceiling (which disappeared the moment after), and a smooth saxophone tune began quietly playing in the background. There were no vocals, nothing to distract from conversation, but it would keep any silences from being awkward.

A pleasant silence fell over the room as the music worked its magic, and the trio began to eat their appetizer.

Halfway through eating, Pinkie spoke up.

“Spike, I just realized something,” she said.

“Hmm?” Spike responded, still chewing.

“I’ve never asked you about Canterlot!”

“Canterlot? What do you mean?”

Pinkie fixed him with a disbelieving stare.

“You know… your backstory! Your pre-Ponyville history! I mean, I’ve known you for years and I still don’t know much about it.”

“Oh… Oh! Okay.” Spike nodded. “ Uh… what do you wanna know?”

“Everything.”

Spike glanced at Fluttershy, remembering that he had told her his life story once before. However, she seemed just as happy to listen as Pinkie, so he smiled and started talking.

Spike talked about his hatching (or what he had been told of it, since he couldn’t remember.) He told them about being raised by Princess Celestia and the castle staff, and what it was like to grow up in the castle. He told his tale all the way through the appetizer and partway through the main course.

“... I bring up Twilight a lot,” Spike said as he approached the end of his story, “and that’s because she was always around, what with her being Celestia’s special student and all. We spent a lot of time together at the palace. We played, we hung out.” Spike smiled wistfully. “We grew up together. Once I was old enough to start my apprenticeship, I was assigned to Twilight as her personal assistant. That was… about a year or so before the Summer Sun Celebration when we met you girls, and you know the rest.”

“Apprenticeship?” Pinkie asked. “What were you apprenticeshipping-ing? Apprenticing?”

“Princess Celestia wanted me to learn administration, organizational skills, responsibility, and so on,” Spike answered. “Before she met you girls, Twilight needed someone to look after her. You know, make sure she ate and slept and such. I was practically the only one in the castle she considered a friend, and I had helped her out before, so we eased into our new ‘relationship’ quickly. And she seriously needed help. If you think she’s bad now, you can’t imagine how bad her research binges could get in the castle.”

“I think we can guess--” Pinkie started.

“No,” Spike cut her off. “You can’t. Trust me.”

“But--” Fluttershy began.

“You don’t wanna know,” Spike said firmly.

He managed to maintain his serious expression for almost five whole seconds before breaking out into a goofy grin.

“I remember one time I dug her out of an ocean of books, and I finally found her asleep, drooling over an open copy of Myths and Mysteries.”

A few seconds passed as the girls processed the mental image. Then the whole table dissolved into giggles.

“It gets worse: even in sleep, she wouldn’t let go of the darn book until I put in a bookmark.”

“Oh, I can just see that!” Pinkie managed between laughs.

“I mean, it’s not like I tried the bookmark immediately. I tried everything to pry it away from her, even a crowbar!” Spike exclaimed, leading to more laughter. “Also, while we’re talking about Princesses…”

Twilight Sparkle was an alicorn, a Princess, and the holder of the Element of Magic. She had faced down villains, monsters, and demigods. A major spirit was a threat, to be sure, but it was a threat she was confident that she could handle if things turned ugly.

The thought of getting in a fight in the middle of Ponyville was an unpleasant one, but Twilight instinctively fell into a more defensive position and gathered magic in her horn, readying herself to cast a protective spell over herself and the immediate area, just in case.

Many long seconds passed as she stared at the fox. The major spirit was clearly in control, and she could tell something was happening between it and the minor one. Probably some sort of communication, but she couldn’t be sure. Finally, the spirits made a move.

“Ah, Princess,” the red spirit said in a smooth alto voice. It extended one of its forelegs and fell into a four-legged bow. “It is an honor to meet you in person.”

This, she did not expect.

“... So there I was sitting outside the throne room when one of the guards went by. I was too busy being sick to warn him, but the the expression on his face when he came back out and literally sprinted away was priceless…”

“No way…” Fluttershy gasped.

“No, seriously. That cooking experiment did not go well.”

Fluttershy was shocked.

Pinkie, however, was in stitches.

“I can’t believe Celestia put--” she descended into giggles. “And then to try to fix it by--”

That was the last thing Pinkie said as her giggle fit became a laughing fit.

“Did I mention that she, at one point, tried to stop it by eating it?”

Fluttershy could no longer keep a straight face, imagining the always elegant ruler panickedly trying to eat a horribly misfiring cooking experiment, and she descended into giggles as well.

“Who are you?” Twilight asked.

“My name is Felicia,” the spirit answered politely. The big spirit, that is, since it was in control. “I am an information broker.”

It-they-she-Felicia straightened up and met Twilight’s gaze steadily. Its poker face was perfect on the “surface” but Twilight could see intense activity inside the fox’s presence. It was analyzing the situation, and Twilight analysed it.

“Felicia” was most definitely an alias, as all spirits guarded their true names carefully, but it was apparently what the fox wanted to be called. A female name to go with a female voice, even though, as far as Twilight knew, spirits were genderless. Why would this spirit identify itself--herself--in that manner?

Spirits in their natural state communicate by melding together and sharing their memories, and Twilight now realized that she was in the unique position of seeing this exchange of memories take place right in front of her. The memories themselves were buried too “deep” for her to see, even with her overcharged senses, but she could feel the communicated emotions quite clearly.

On the side of the minor spirit, there was some panic, a lot of worry, and a bit of fear.

On Felicia’s side, there was authority and reassurance mixed with great patience.

As Twilight watched, Felicia managed to calm the minor spirit down.

Spike flinched.

“Oh my, are you alright?” Fluttershy asked.

“Fine, just-fiAine.” Spike glanced at Pinkie, who looked as innocent as a whole basket full of kittens while her hoof slowly trailed up his leg under the table.

Spike forced himself to meet Fluttershy’s gaze again.

“You were saying?”

“An information broker?” Twilight repeated.

Felicia nodded softly.

“What are you doing in Ponyville?”

“I am observing.”

“Observing what?”

Felicia fell silent, and her eyes closed. The ghostly fox wavered, and images and emotions flashed through her mighty presence.

Twilight heard laughter.

She looked off to the side and saw the Cake family out for an evening stroll. The twins were running around their parents, laughing and playing some child’s game that she could not identify at a glance. Their little sister peered out from the baby carriage, visibly fighting the siren call of sleep, her wide foal eyes trying to take in as much of the world as possible.

There was something…

“Peace.”

Twilight turned back to Felicia. The fox's eyes were still closed, and the feel of her presence in the spirit realm had changed. She felt more powerful than ever, but something about her also looked older and more battered than before. To Twilight, she seemed very tired.

“I am observing peace,” she clarified.

“Hey, can I make a toast?” Spike asked, drawing the attention of his dates.

The girls nodded and picked up their glasses. They were done with the main course, and the conversation had lulled as the drinks were poured.

“I’d like to thank you both for inviting me on this date,” Spike said, his glass held high. “It means a lot to me, and it--” Spike choked for a moment and swallowed. “You’re both so very lovely. I am so lucky to be here.”

Fluttershy turned red again, and her gaze fell down to her lap. Pinkie, however, made a happy noise in her throat and smiled brilliantly at him.

Their glasses clinked together.

“No, there’s more to it,” Twilight said.

“Pardon, Princess?”

Spirits communicate by melding together and sharing memories. They may keep secrets and hold information back but, since they cannot share fake memories, the concept of actively lying or bluffing is alien to them. The mere fact that Felicia had tried to sneak a half-truth past Twilight spoke volumes of how much time the fox had spent amongst physical beings. She even maintained a straight face on the surface.

She had almost fooled Twilight. But apparently, Felicia hadn’t counted on her quite literally seeing into the fox’s soul, where the discomfort Felicia felt at not telling the truth was clear to see.

“I believe that you are telling part of the truth,” Twilight said. “You are old and battle-scarred. You are a warrior, and I believe that being in a peaceful place like this is therapeutic to you. But I think there is more to it than that.”

Felicia was quiet. For a long moment, Twilight was worried that she had provoked her, but then the fox chuckled softly to herself. She sensed something from her…

Approval? Respect?

The blue streak in Felicia’s coat faded away, and the minor spirit separated from the red fox and left Twilight’s sight.

“Then why am I here, Princess?” Felicia asked, sounding amused.

Twilight wracked her brain. She really wasn’t an expert in spirits, but she knew that they generally appreciated clever ponies. Felicia was testing her, and Twilight Sparkle always aced her tests.

The jingle of the doorbell rang through Sugarcube Corner, alerting the dating trio that the Cake family had returned. The dark sheets hung in the way of the door, but the party fell silent, awaiting the inevitable.

The inevitable came in the shape of Mrs. Cake’s head poking in through the slit in the sheets. She had a wide, warm smile on her face as her eyes locked on to the little group.

“Are you kids having fun?” she asked good-naturedly.

“Yes, ma’am!” Pinkie answered enthusiastically, raising her glass in the air.

“That’s good, dear. We’ll just put the children to bed, and then we’ll stay out of your way. You all keep having fun now!”

With that set of motherly duties thus accomplished, Mrs. Cake pulled her head back out and went about seeing to her children.

Spike pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time.

“Wow, it’s this late?” he asked. “Time sure flies when you’re having fun.”

“And the fun isn’t over yet!” Pinkie exclaimed. “There’s still dessert!”

She turned to Fluttershy, who was nursing her glass of juice.

“Fluttershy, wanna help me get the dessert ready?”

Fluttershy knew what the dessert was going to be, since she had helped prepare it. She also knew that the pudding was sitting in the fridge, ready to go. Pinkie certainly didn’t need any help to fetch it.

But then she looked her friend in the eye and connected the dots. Pinkie wanted to talk away from Spike for a moment.

“Of course, Pinkie,” she answered. “Spike, will you be alright for just a little while?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“Don’t go anywhere,” Pinkie said. She poked her finger lightly against Spike’s chest to mark her words. “We’ll be back soon!”

The two girls walked out into the kitchen. Once they were alone, Pinkie turned to her friend.

“Fluttershy…”

"Yes?"

“Do you remember what we talked about earlier?”

“Umm… Yes…” Fluttershy answered, her voice quivering.

“Fluttershy, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Pinkie enveloped her friend in a much-needed hug. “It’s okay… just… this is a good chance. What do you want to do?”

Twilight spent a long time thinking. Felicia waited patiently.

There were a few ponies out and about at this time. Junebug herself returned home from her errands to find the local Princess standing on her roof and staring into space.

However, some eccentricities were to be expected from Twilight, and the townsponies at large had come to trust that, whatever she was doing, it was important. Deciding not to disturb the Princess, Junebug went into her home and put Twilight’s antics out of her mind.

“I think I’ve figured it out,” Twilight finally stated.

Felicia’s ear twitched, and she acknowledged Twilight with a nod.

“When I first approached your friend, it became scared, but I don’t think it was scared of me. I think it was scared to fail you.”

“I see…” Felicia mused out loud. “You’re using some sort of spirit sense. That explains things.”

Twilight fell silent for a moment, wondering if this revelation would sour Felicia’s mood, but the fox didn’t really seem to care that much. Twilight continued.

“I’m thinking that your friend had been given instructions on what to do if something happened. Me finding your friend was not part of the plan, so it didn’t know what to do. It called on you in a panic.”

“Accurate. Go on.”

“More than that… The fact that it could call on you…” Twilight paused. She needed to put words to the nebulous concepts she had felt in the interaction between the two spirits. It was not easy. “I say it’s your ‘friend,’ but the way you interacted reminded me more of an officer and a subordinate. I know my way around guard deployments, and assuming that you use similar tactics, I recognize this particular one: one soldier--or a small group of soldiers--stationed at a place of interest and equipped with the ability to quickly contact their superiors in case something happens. And for just a split second when you first appeared, before you realized the situation, you were ready to fight. This was a guard post, a lookout.”

Felicia made an approving sound.

“You placed your friend here and asked it to call on you if something happened. The only question is, what are you on the lookout for? Is Ponyville in danger?”

Felicia met Twilight’s eyes for a few seconds, then turned away and chuckled softly. After a while, she looked back at Twilight and smiled sheepishly.

“I’m sorry Princess. I shouldn’t be laughing at your honest concern.” She turned and looked to the side, and Twilight followed her gaze. Felicia was looking at Twilight’s castle, silhouetted against the now-setting sun. “Between your presence, the powers of harmony, and--let’s not forget--the newly recruited high dragon you consort with, I’d say Ponyville is just about the safest place in the world.”

“Newly recruited high dragon? What do you mean?” Twilight asked, refocusing on Felicia.

“High dragon, true dragon. What you call them is a matter of personal taste, really. Personally I find the term ‘true dragon’ to be a bit… pompous.”

“But you’re referring to Spike?”

“Yes.”

Twilight silently stared at Felicia, but the fox simply sat there calmly, not elaborating.

And not answering her other questions. Still, one thing at a time.

“Could you elaborate? What is a high dragon? And what do you mean by newly recruited?”

“Twilight…”

She was startled. This was the first time Felicia had used her name instead of her title.

“... Have you, at any point in our conversation, wondered why I haven’t simply left? I could just fade into the spirit realm right now, and you wouldn't be able to stop me. You would probably never even see me again.”

Twilight had not thought about that, actually. Before she could say anything however, Felicia continued.

“You and your friends are known to me,” she said. “Known to the whole spirit realm, really. You wield the powers of harmony, you have all done amazing things, and you have made the world a little safer and better. I respect that. I respect you.”

Twilight found herself blushing a bit at the praise.

“Um… thank you.”

“Also, you have proven that you are as intelligent as I thought you were by figuring out my purpose here.” Felicia nodded, looking serious. “I am an information broker. That means I trade information. I don’t give it away, or I’d be out of a job… or, well… out of a hobby. But you… you can get some for free. As a sign of respect.”

Twilight opened her mouth, but she honestly didn’t know what to say, so she closed it again.

“So, enough beating around the bush… high dragons. Fair warning, I can’t tell you much...” Felicia cleared her throat. “The first thing you need to know about them is that they are very secretive, and I might get in a spot of trouble for talking about them at all. The details about them, their purpose, and their abilities are all very, very classified. What I can tell you is that you have nothing to fear from them. Especially not from Spike. You probably won’t be surprised to hear that your dragon would happily protect you to the death if something threatened you.” Felicia frowned. “I don’t agree with the high dragons’ insane policy of complete secrecy, but I have a lot of respect for their representative, so I’m not going to betray their secrets. At least not outright.”

Twilight realized that she had been standing up this whole time, and sat down to listen.

“There are very few high dragons in this world right now. And I can tell you, Princess… That is bad news. Very bad.”

“What? Why?”

“How do I say this without saying too much… Ah.” She cleared her throat. “The high dragons fulfill an important function in the world. Think of them as maintenance workers: if they do their job right, the place is clean and safe and you don’t even know they’re there, but if they disappear completely… things get ugly, and eventually the building collapses. Not a perfect metaphor, but it’ll do.”

“Are we in danger? Is something bad happening?”

“Something is always happening somewhere, Princess,” Felicia answered cryptically. “But I do not yet know if it’ll concern you physicals at all. Or if it will concern us spirits. Or if it’ll concern us both.” She frowned. “It’s all rather frustrating, really.”

“Felicia!” Twilight shouted, frustration evident in her tone. She stood back up to give emphasis to her words. “What are you talking about?”

The spirit fox and alicorn princess locked eyes for a moment. Eventually, Felicia chuckled a bit and turned away.

“Alright... something has already happened, Twilight. It’s nothing dangerous, but it could mean that something else is about to happen, something bad. And it’s a situation that is only made worse by the lack of high dragons in this world. That is why I’m vigilant.” Her eyes refocused on Twilight’s. “I stationed one of my people here because Ponyville is a place where things happen. Even though--or perhaps because--it is, as I said, one of the most secure locations in the world.”

Twilight could tell that, while Felicia was telling the truth, she was still not being completely honest about her motives, and there was something she was holding back. However, she also sensed that she would not be able to coax the information out of the fox, and so Twilight decided to drop it. Felicia was giving out free information, after all. Best to just keep her talking.

“One of your people?” she asked.

“I have ‘lookouts’ like this in places of interest all over the world, and as you have no doubt already figured out, I can move to them instantly. If something happens, I will hopefully be there.”

The air around Felicia changed again, and the fox looked not at Twilight, but through her. The weight of several millennia now emanated from the spirit. She seemed almost impossibly ancient.

“And we will stop it. We will not let any innocents get hurt. Not on our watch.” The thousand-yard stare faded from Felicia’s eyes, and she refocused on Twilight. “Ideally, you and yours won’t have to get involved at all. We know you can handle yourselves, but hopefully, us and the high dragons will deal with whatever is happening before you have to risk your lives.”

Once again, Twilight was struck dumb. A long moment of silence passed, and it was clear that Felicia was not going to elaborate. The princess fumbled for something to say.

“What event? What’s happened? And what do you mean ‘us’? You and your lookouts?” The questions just came tumbling out of her.

Felicia looked to the side. She seemed uncomfortable for a moment, but it washed away. Suddenly, Twilight had a much harder time reading her emotions.

“I am afraid this is where my charity runs out, Princess.”

“You’re kidding!”

“No.”

“You sell information, right? I’ll trade! What do you want in return?”

“Uh, well…” Even in her guarded state, Twilight felt Felicia’s discomfort. “I’m always on the lookout for good information… but at the moment? I’m good. There’s nothing I want.”

Twilight stared indignantly at Felicia, but the spirit said nothing more. Twilight tried to think of information that could be interesting to the strange “information broker” and wouldn’t compromise national security or break anyone’s trust, but she kept drawing blanks. Something also told her that Felicia was about to leave, so she blurted something out to buy herself time.

“Okay…” she said. ”You said Spike is a ‘newly recruited high dragon,’ right? What does that mean? Does he know about his kind? Could I maybe get information from him?”

Felicia frowned, and Twilight sensed something bleeding out from her core, despite her guarded state.

Concern?

“Twilight…” she said, snapping the mare out of her thoughts. “I told you before that the high dragons are very secretive. If Spike reveals classified information, the others will punish him severely. Consider that before you interrogate him.” Pausing, Felicia smiled slightly. “Huh… guess I still had some charity left.”

Suddenly, Twilight’s eyes were assaulted by sharpness.

Enveloped as she was in the smoky haze of Felicia’s presence, the appearance of a physical being on the roof in front of Twilight hit her enhanced senses like a flash of light in a dark room. She cringed and closed her eyes against the onslaught of sharp definition.

Felicia’s presence vanished.

Twilight opened her eyes. There was no spirit within range of her senses. In front of her, standing out in crisp colors and sharp contrasts against the melty world, was a crystal pegasus guard, who was kneeling before her. She vaguely recognized him from her visits to the Crystal Empire, but she had never learned his name.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” the stallion said. “I bring a message from her highness the Crystal Princess. It is urgent.”

Twilight didn’t answer him immediately. She looked around Ponyville for a few seconds, trying to catch a glimpse of red, or blue, or… anything.

Nothing. The area was clear. No spirits were nearby.

Twilight heaved a sigh and dispelled her spirit vision, since it was just wasting energy anyway. The world around her snapped back into focus. There was a brief sense of vertigo, but it soon passed, and she focused on the crystal guard. He was still kneeling in silence and patiently awaiting her response, holding a scroll marked with Cadance’s seal.

“Alright, hand it over,” she said, more harshly than she intended. The poor guard had no idea he had interrupted anything, after all.

Darn fox.

Spike was nervous, especially now that he was alone. It was funny, really... in the last few days he had realized something. When he was flirting with the girls, when he was on the “offensive,” he felt confident and sure. They laughed at his jokes, they blushed at his praise, and they leaned into his touch. It was encouraging and… intoxicating.

But when he was left alone, or when he was put on the “defensive,” doubts came crawling into his mind. When they returned his affections and flirted with him, it felt so real, and he felt scared. Unworthy.

He knew it was stupid to think like that, but he just couldn’t shake it. He kept feeling that the girls were out of his league, they deserved better, any number of things... but there they were, treating him as a stallion. As a lover.

It was amazing, but also terrifying.

It didn’t help his nerves that his dates had been away for a surprisingly long time, which had given these thoughts time to fester. Nevertheless, he waited.

Spike suddenly heard a series of soft thumps, remarkably like that of something bouncing down a flight of stairs. As he snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes traveled to the slit in the dark sheets and, after a short moment, he saw a rubber ball with a string tied to it bounce into the enclosure.

The ball bounced up to the foot of his chair, and he picked it up. The hot pink thread led out and--Spike got up and peeked out past the sheet--across the room and up the stairs.

Up to where Pinkie’s apartment was.

Was she… inviting him upstairs?

Spike’s nerves made their presence known as pearls of sweat formed on his brow. Nevertheless, he picked up the ball and followed the string, rolling the string up around the ball as he walked.

The stairs seemed so very long and intimidating, and he climbed slowly. The hallway was clear, and if the Cakes were still up and about, he didn’t hear them.

Finally, he reached the door to Pinkie’s loft. Unsurprisingly, the pink thread continued under the doorframe, out of his sight. He swallowed, and knocked on the door.

The bright voice of Pinkie Pie answered him.

“Come iiin!”

Spike pulled open the door and met two visions of beauty. The girls had dressed down a bit, and while they were still decent, they were both revealing just a bit more of their soft coats to his dumbstruck gaze.

The ball tumbled from his limp grasp, completely forgotten.

Spike froze on the doorstep. The door proceeded to strike his butt and bump him forwards, forcing him to take a few steps closer. His feet met with a pillow, and he finally took in the decor of the room.

First of all, he noticed that the curtains had been drawn over the windows to ensure privacy. He also noted that the girls were sitting (or seductively half-lying in Pinkie’s case) on pillows set on the floor a mere arm’s-length away from him. Like downstairs, firefly lanterns were strategically placed throughout the room, casting the whole room in a beautiful glow. The girls were holding bowls of what looked like vanilla pudding, and Spike noticed that the vacant pillow at his feet also had a bowl on it, but the pudding it contained glittered with the unmistakable shimmer of gemstone shavings.

“We figured,” Pinkie said, partly snapping Spike out of his trance, “we could have dessert somewhere more private. And get more comfortable while we were at it.”

Pinkie made a sweeping gesture over herself, Fluttershy, and the room. Spike now noticed Pinkie’s large bed, lovingly made with silk sheets and covered in soft-looking pillows.

It was a very wide bed.

“Why…” Fluttershy asked hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper, “why don’t you sit down and… get comfortable, Spike?”

Spike’s gaze fell down to the utterly gorgeous mares before him. His hands felt clammy, and he was sure he was sweating, but he was not going to refuse.

“Sure…” he managed to say.

Spike wasn’t completely sure what Fluttershy meant by “get comfortable,” but both girls were more lightly dressed than they had been downstairs. Spike unbuttoned his shirt and let it hang open.

The surprised and pleased gasps he heard from the girls when he showed off his body restored some of his confidence, and he proceeded to sit on his pillow and help himself to the pudding.

Then Pinkie shimmied her pillow over to Spike’s side, and laid her head on his shoulder. His nerves returned with a vengeance, and her scent flooded his nostrils: sugar, cake, and Pinkie Pie.

Fluttershy, however, stayed on her pillow an arm’s-length away, and tucked into her pudding. Spike followed suit, as did Pinkie, and for a short time, the room was completely silent.

It was not to last, however. Pinkie finished her pudding quickly, and unhesitantly climbed onto Spike’s lap. Spike choked on his mouthful of sweet vanilla-ruby and set the bowl down to be immediately forgotten. Pinkie’s arms wrapped loosely around Spike’s neck, and her legs did the same to his waist. She met his gaze with a brilliant smile.

“Sooo… look at you!” Pinkie all but squealed. “Who knew little Spikey would grow up into such a stud? I mean, I had hopes, but still…”

“You had hopes?” Spike managed to choke out.

“Yeah, I mean…” Pinkie trailed off. Her fingers snaked their way in through his open shirt and trailed up and down Spike’s back slowly.

“Yeah…?” Spike distractedly asked.

“I remember six years ago, when we all came back from that dinner party the Saddle Arabians threw. Remember that day? There was good food, good company, we got to meet all those new ponies…”

“Yeah… We ended up running late--”

“--And I had a biiiiig order I needed to get done by morning. But everypony was so tired, I just couldn’t ask them for help, and I was afraid they would collapse in the kitchen if I did! But you…” Pinkie hugged Spike a little harder, her breasts now pressing firmly against his chest. “You saw that I needed help. And you stayed up all night to help me out, even when I tried to bluff and say I didn’t need it.”

“Uh, well…” Spike’s mouth felt dry. “It didn’t feel right to let you deal with that on your own… Not while I could still help.”

“I know.” Pinkie smiled. It was a small smile, but a heartfelt one. “Before we fell asleep in the morning, I remember thinking ‘this boy is going to be a real heart-stealer when he grows up, if he keeps being this sweet.’ It wasn’t the first time, or the last, that I thought that. And that is just one of the many stories I have where you’re sweet and supportive to me. To us.”

“I, uh… I was... It was…” Spike mumbled dumbly. His brain was starting to feel like mush from the sweet words, soft voice, and wonderful scent of Pinkie. The feel of her warm softness against him was starting to affect his body as well.

“Looking at you now…” Pinkie’s smile widened. “It seems like I was right.”

Silence reigned in the room for several long seconds. Finally, Pinkie leaned forwards and drew Spike into a firm kiss. His arms circled around her waist, and he pulled her in closer, desperate to feel her soft body against his. Far too soon, they had to break apart for air.

Pinkie nuzzled Spike’s neck and took a deep breath. He was nervous and stiff as a board in her arms, but he wasn’t pulling away. She took that as a go-ahead, and she slid her hands under Spike’s shirt, running her fingers over the delightfully firm muscles she found there.

He trembled under her touch, which surprised her a bit. She expected him to be a little more confident, especially if she read the vibes between him and Twilight correctly. Still, she found his hesitation kind of endearing in a way.

That’s right, you hunk of astallion, some perverted little corner of Pinkie’s mind thought. Just relax and let me show you how it’s done.

She suppressed that thought, born out of one too many of her friend’s tacky romance novels.

Come on, Pinkie… don’t rush him. Let it come naturally.

Spike’s arms tightened around her slowly, and he leaned into the kiss, returning her affection.

Yes! He’s up for it! Okay, Pinkie… Take charge and let him know what you want.

Pinkie broke the kiss and stood up. She shifted her hands over to his and coaxed him onto his feet, then led him over towards the bed. He seemed suitably spellbound, so she glanced over in Fluttershy’s direction. The meek girl was practically frozen on the spot, but she was watching intensely.

Pinkie shifted her attention back to Spike and backed up until the back of her legs met the bed. She sat down and looked up at Spike, letting go of his hands to rest hers on the bed behind her.

She leaned back, pushed out her chest, and gazed up at Spike, giving him the second best bedroom eyes she was capable of (she was going to save the best look for another time.)

Spike seemed frozen in place, but Pinkie saw a deep desire in his eyes as they moved over her body. His warm gaze made her feel tingly all over.

“I want you, Spike,” she purred at him.

Spike moved, leaning forwards to kiss her, and Pinkie wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him in closer, laying back on the bed and pulling her dragon down on top of her. Spike’s hands sunk into the mattress on either side of her head as his weight settled on her and the kiss deepened. Spike’s long, serpentine tongue invaded her mouth, and she let out an unrestrained moan as it explored her and she explored him in turn.

Pinkie slid her fingers under Spike’s open shirt and brushed her fingers over the smooth scales of his chest before they kept traveling. Never breaking the kiss, she trailed her hands up Spike’s spine and began pushing his shirt off his shoulders and down his back. Spike seemed to take the hint and helped Pinkie strip him. A moment later, his shirt was thrown away and Pinkie could run her fingers across his chest and back freely. The forked tips of Spike’s tongue tickled Pinkie’s, and she broke off the kiss with a giggle.

It gave her a naughty idea.

“Spike…” she purred. “Could you…?” She pointed down her body. He took the hint.

Pinkie felt Spike’s lips moved down her neck, kissing as he went. He buried his nose in her neck and breathed deeply, groaning in obvious delight at her scent. Pinkie giggled in response, but it turned into a moan as that draconic tongue shot out and tasted her. He trailed down Pinkie’s body until he met the edge of her top.

Spike slid his hands under Pinkie’s top and slowly dragged it upwards to uncover Pinkie’s soft stomach. The clothing article almost tore as he pulled it over her prodigious chest, but Pinkie raised her arms, and soon the top was flying through the air, going to who-cares-where.

Spike took a moment to back up a little and take in Pinkie’s flushed form lying on her bed, her curves prominently displayed, her eyes warm with desire, and her huge breasts only hidden from his view by a lacy black bra. He laid back down and kissed her firmly, snaking his hands underneath her to get to her bra clasp.

He fumbled around for quite a while. He did not know how to undo the damn thing, and it looked a bit too expensive to casually shred.

Pinkie broke the kiss and giggled.

“Well, uh… help?” Spike asked.

“Of course!” Pinkie answered. She pushed Spike back onto his feet and rolled over onto her stomach.

She said something, but Spike was too entranced by her delightfully plump butt to listen until she turned her head and noticed him staring.

“Spike?”

“Yes!” Spike exclaimed, as his eyes sprang back up to hers.

Pinkie shook her hips a bit and giggled at the way Spike turned his full attention on her behind to watch the jiggle.

“Why don’t you go ahead and touch me, Spike?” she purred as she undid her bra on her own. She pushed herself up on her elbows and threw it aside.

Spike hardly noticed; he had all but forgotten about that accursed thing. Instead, he focused on the way Pinkie’s short skirt struggled to contain her butt, the way her thigh-high socks emphasized said posterior, and the glimpses he got of her black silk panties as she moved.

In a trance, he reached out and caressed her soft rump until his hand brushed against the zipper on the side of her skirt. He gulped, undid the zipper, and pulled Pinkie’s skirt down her legs. Spike’s claws caressed the lush coat of her rear, then traveled down and brushed over the soft fabric of her thigh-high socks. He frowned, and proceeded to roll the socks down Pinkie’s legs, freeing the bright fur underneath. He ran his face up and down each leg, reveling in the softness of her coat, Pinkie’s natural plumpness, and the firm muscles of her legs. It felt much better. There really was no comparison.

Pinkie’s breath caught in her throat. Feeling Spike nuzzle her legs felt surprisingly intimate, and it sent shivers up and down her body.

“So beautiful…” she heard Spike mutter to himself. He clearly didn’t mean for her to hear that, but it made her close her eyes and squeal in delight.

“Come on, Spike!” she called over her shoulder. “Don’t keep me waiting!”

She shook her hips in his face, which seemed to motivate him. She felt his claws hook under her panties and slowly pull them down her legs, revealing her soaking slit to his eyes. He stopped moving.

This was… this was actually kinda embarrassing, being exposed like this without a shred of clothing between her and Spike’s gaze. Pinkie was not used to feeling embarrassed.

“Don’t just stare…” she all but whimpered. It seemed to stir him, and she felt his hands grab her by the cutie marks and hold her still.

She felt his hot breath spill over her nethers.

“And don’t make me beg, either!” she playfully demanded. She felt both embarrassed and eager at the same time, and it was driving her nuttier than usual.

Then she felt the forked tips of Spike’s tongue trace the outlines of her honey pot, and she shuddered, letting out a heartfelt moan.

Her involuntary noise seemed to bolster Spike’s confidence, and he dug into her with gusto, exploring her lower lips with that amazingly flexible appendage. That forked tongue… those tips that seemed to move independently…

“Spike…” she called down over her shoulder. “Go lower. Use your touUuu--”

Spike’s tongue had found her clit, and she cried out in delight when the forked tips worked over the sensitive nub. One up, the other down. Up-down, down-up. Every flick sent electric shivers all over her body, and she bit down hard on one of her pillows. His tongue assault never let up, but one of his hands traveled from her cutie mark slowly down to her core as she trembled and yelped under his ministrations. His hard, blunt claws trailed the outside of her opening slowly and deliberately, purposefully spreading her lips before one of those claws penetrated her. His claw rubbed up against her insides, causing her to scream in abject pleasure. He started out slowly and steadily, her arms spasmed in response, and the pillow that had muffled her cries tumbled away, forgotten.

That’s when Spike picked up the pace, licking with increased speed and adding another claw to his ministrations, and Pinkie’s vision blurred into a pleasured haze as spasms wracked her body and she screamed incoherently.

Then her pleasure crested, and her body seized up as her orgasm hit.

Pinkie went completely silent when she climaxed, as though the sensations she experienced were simply too intense for her to voice, and her muscles clenched and pulsed around Spike’s claws, as though trying to draw them deeper inside. Every muscle in her body seemed to tense up as she rode her high, and she curled in on herself almost as though she was in pain.

Spike pulled away, stood up, and watched Pinkie twist and squirm on the bed. Finally, she stilled, took a deep breath, and fixed him with an almost predatory gaze. He placed his claws, dripping with her honey, in his mouth and licked the juices off while looking into her eyes. He could almost see something snap in her eyes.

Spike felt Pinkie’s hooves hook under his arms, her strong legs lift him up in the air, and before he could react, he was lying back-down on the centre of her bed. His pants and underwear had disappeared.

He only had a short moment to try to get his bearings before his view was filled with pink, and the next second everything went dark as his face was suddenly buried in Pinkie’s ample breasts. The mare gave a husky laugh as she playfully smothered him, and Spike felt her soft body settle completely on top of him. He pawed at the boobs on his face, and was rewarded with a gasp when he brushed one of her perky nipples. He quickly found the other one and rolled both of the sensitive nubs in his claws, relishing in Pinkie’s delighted cries as they reached his ears.

Finally, Pinkie lifted her breasts from Spike’s face and moved down a bit, bringing her eye-to-eye with him. He felt her wet pussy rub against his painfully hard shaft, leaving a trail of her juices behind, and he shivered at the intimate contact.

“That tongue of yours…” Pinkie said, a teasing note in her voice. “It’s not fair. Not fair at all.”

She seemed to have recovered quickly from her orgasm.

Spike poked his tongue out at her, only for Pinkie to lean down and take advantage of the opening, instantly drawing him into a deep kiss. Her hand trailed down Spike’s body, further and further down his chest and stomach until she finally reached down to his shaft and grasped it softly. It felt...

Pinkie broke the kiss and shifted a bit so that she could get a proper look at what her hand was feeling. Her eyes widened. It was different from a stallion’s: pointed instead of flared and ridged from head to base.

“Oooh…” she purred, then turned back to Spike with a wide smile. “Looks like fun! And it’s my turn to do you now.”

With that, Pinkie pointed Spike’s shaft at her opening and moved her hips down, starting to take him in.

Every ridge that passed between her lower lips rubbed against her sensitive spots and sent electric shivers up and down her body. Soon their hips met, and Spike was sheathed completely inside her. Too soon. She needed to feel that again.

With that, she moved her hips up slowly and dropped back down.

“Ooohhh…” she moaned. “That’s goooood…”

With that, and a sultry smile, she started moving, bouncing up and down, up and down.

Spike dug his fingers into the sheets under him as Pinkie’s inner muscles worked him over. He soon thought better of it, and grabbed onto her hips, his claws sinking into her delightfully soft rump.

He allowed his hands to wander all over Pinkie’s gyrating body. Everywhere he grabbed, Pinkie was soft, warm and inviting. Every time his claws sunk into her ample body, especially her rump or her breasts, she squealed in pleasure and rode him a little faster.

Eventually, Pinkie’s cries of passion became more muted, and a look of intense concentration spread across her beautiful face. She clamped down on Spike’s shaft firmly and repeatedly, as though trying to milk him.

“Come on…” he heard her mutter. She leaned down, nuzzled into Spike’s neck and whimpered into his ear. “I’m close, I’m gonna cum. I want you to cum with me, please. Cum in me. Please!”

Her dirty talk caught Spike off guard, and made him lose control. When Pinkie began to shiver and fall silent again, Spike grabbed onto her rump, thrust up to meet her, and used his grip to speed up their rutting, slamming their hips together in a series of wet slaps.

Finally, Pinkie seized up again and shook in orgasm, though this time, Spike could hear her make needy little whimpers as the sensations coursed through her. Her inner muscles clamped down firmly on his shaft and pulsed along it, trying to draw him in deeper. He couldn’t hold back anymore.

Pinkie leaned down and kissed him sloppily and almost desperately. Spike’s groan of pleasure was muffled by her lips as his vision exploded and his hips jerked as he came, burying him as deep as he could within her welcoming pussy and filling her with rope after rope of his cum. She made eager, almost desperate little whimpers against his mouth as she shook in pleasure, and her little noises only made Spike drive into her harder.

They stayed intimately joined and kissed fiercely until they finally came down from their highs. Pinkie broke off, looking into Spike’s eyes with a passionate gleam in her own.

“Wow…” she said. “Just… wow…”

“That… was amazing…” Spike gasped, still catching his breath.

They didn’t move for a long while, content to lie there and bask in the afterglow. However, Spike finally remembered that they weren’t alone in the room. He looked over towards the pillows.

Fluttershy was still sitting there, watching them quite wide-eyed. He had half-expected her to have fled, and had all but forgotten she was there, he had been so absorbed in his tryst with Pinkie.

Spike tried to read her, drawing on his familiarity with the beautiful mare, as well as what he knew about pegasus body language.

She was blushing, and looked away when she realized that Spike was looking at her. However, as far as he could tell, she did not seem disgusted or put off by what she had witnessed, just embarrassed. Possibly even, dare he say, aroused? That said, her wings were practically glued to her back, and that was not a very good sign, since it indicated distress, nerves, or fear.

Pinkie looked over her shoulder at her friend and gave a relaxed, almost silly smile.

“See, Fluttershy?” Pinkie said, her voice calm and happy. “It’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Spike was not quite following this turn of events, but he decided to simply go along with whatever happened next.

So far, Fluttershy thought, things had gone better than she’d expected. Being told that sex could be “totally amazing” if you had it with the right partner was one thing, but seeing it in action, not in a staged production or a piece of literature, was another. There was no disguising that both Pinkie Pie and Spike were very happy and satisfied, and Spike had remained quite submissive through the whole thing, leaving Pinkie to take the lead.

It was so different from what Fluttershy had experienced, and although it was embarrassing to watch… that… it actually made her feel good. She had thought Pinkie was crazier than usual when she suggested this, but she actually felt more at ease now.

Maybe she could do this after all. Goodness knew she wanted to.

Fluttershy saw Pinkie lean down and whisper something to Spike. She knew that Pinkie was whispering something encouraging to him, and sure enough, Pinkie rolled off Spike and the dragon fixed Fluttershy with a lustful gaze.

Fluttershy stood from the pillow. She had been rooted on the spot as she watched earlier, and she was actually surprised when she became aware of just how hot she felt. How aroused the show had made her. Her eyes raked over Spike’s gorgeous body as he stood up from the bed and approached her, and she noticed that his stalli--dragonhood had not faltered at all.

He was already ready to go again, and the look in his eyes made it clear that he wanted her.

Still, he stopped an arm’s-length away from her and waited for her to make the first move.

Should she invite him? Or reject him? The mood was just right, and she was feeling so hot…

No words were spoken. Fluttershy held her arms out, happily inviting Spike in. He stepped forward. One of his arms encircled her waist and pulled her in close, and his other hand gently cupped her chin. Fluttershy wrapped her arms around his neck in turn. She didn’t realize that she was looking away from him until his hand gently brought her around to face him.

Their eyes met. Again, Spike was waiting for her to make a move. Despite the lust in his eyes, he seemed to sense her hesitation, and he was apparently trying to give her the time she needed.

She felt her heart pitter-patter in her chest. She closed her eyes, leaned forwards, and puckered her lips. A split second later, she felt Spike meet her halfway and draw her into a gentle kiss. This… this felt right. She felt warm and safe in his arms. Protected.

Fluttershy pressed up against Spike’s firm body and felt his dragonhood squeeze between their stomachs. His scent flooded her nostrils, along with the comforting scent of Pinkie Pie and the faint smell of sweat. She leaned into the kiss eagerly, deepening it as Spike’s hand left her chin and traveled between her wings.

She felt Spike’s hard claws gently dig into her tense flight muscles, and waves of relief flooded Fluttershy’s body as he began a one-handed massage. Tension she didn’t even know she had disappeared under his touch, and Fluttershy felt her wings slowly starting to unfurl. She melted into his arms.

It was time to be bold. Fluttershy turned them both around until the bed was behind her, and began to slowly back up towards it, pulling Spike with her and never breaking the kiss.

Her legs met the bed behind her.

Suddenly, she felt the pressure. She had to do this, she needed to do it or she would be out of the herd, but she wasn’t ready for it, but she didn’t want to lose her place, but it was expected of her and she was scared and--

“No!” Fluttershy yelled. “I don’t want this!”

The next thing Fluttershy knew, she was being held by something soft and warm.

Fluttershy opened her eyes. She was in Pinkie’s room, sitting on Pinkie’s bed and in Pinkie’s arms.

Spike was halfway across the room, still backing off.

“I’m sorry!” Fluttershy cried. Her voice failed, and she could feel tears start to run down her cheeks. “I can’t… I can’t do this…”

“Shh, it’s okay…” Pinkie whispered in Fluttershy’s ear. “It’s okay.”

Pinkie was rocking Fluttershy in her arms, and Fluttershy absently noticed that Pinkie had used a bedsheet to cover her modesty. Fluttershy leaned into the hug and tried to fight off the tears. She had ruined everything. The mood had been just right, and she really wanted to be with Spike, but… she couldn’t. She kept remembering…

Fluttershy didn’t know how long she had been sitting in Pinkie’s arms when she felt the bed shift a bit and Spike sat down next to her, but realistically it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes. She noticed that he had found and put on his underwear. His arms encircled her and Pinkie at the same time, and she half-expected to panic again, but there was nothing sexual about this hug.

He was trying to comfort her, like he had so many times in the past when her fears got the best of her. Like that time she was afraid Harry the Bear was dying, and Spike had stayed by her side all night. (Harry was fine, by the way, but he did end up needing surgery.) Spike was bigger now, and the hug was bigger as well. But it felt much the same, and she calmed down a bit in spite of herself.

“Fluttershy…” Spike whispered to her. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

That… that wasn’t true, Fluttershy’s mind insisted. She had ruined the mood, she had destroyed this night, and now Spike was going to hate her for leading him on, and she’d blown her chance with him and--

Spike and Pinkie both tightened their holds and nuzzled her cheeks, throwing Fluttershy’s mind out of the self-destructive tangent.

“I need to tell you something, Fluttershy… look at me,” Spike said, his voice soft.

Fluttershy turned and met his gaze. All the passion and lust had disappeared from him, but there was something else there, something warm and caring.

“Fluttershy, I love you. And that is never going to change.”

Fluttershy gasped, and she heard Pinkie do the same. There was that utterly honest tone again, like he was just stating facts. The same tone he had used before when he had made her feel so beautiful. She felt her heart swell in happiness, and tears were forming in her eyes again.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Spike continued. “If you’ll still have me, I’ll wait until you’re ready. No matter how much time you need.”

Fluttershy made a happy sound in her throat and buried her face against Spike’s neck. Her tears were flowing now, but she didn’t care. These were happy tears.

“Yes,” she whispered against his scales. “I want to be with you.”

Her face was buried in Spike’s chest, and she was being held by two of the most important people in her life, who she loved dearly. All was right with the world.

She didn’t see the unsure and apologetic look Spike shot Pinkie Pie, nor did she see Pinkie casually wave off the apology and smile encouragingly at him.

“Fluttershy…” Spike whispered, loud enough for Pinkie to hear as well.

“Yes?”

“Do you want me to leave? Let you girls talk about things without me hanging around?”

“No.”

“Okay…” There were a few more moments of silence until Spike spoke up again. “Do you want to go home? Sleep in your own bed, maybe hug Angel?”

That actually did sound nice, but…

“No.”

“Okay.”

Pinkie, who had remained mostly silent so far, surprised the other two by speaking up.

“Do you wanna spend the night here in my bed, cuddling with me and Spike?”

That…

“Yes,” Fluttershy said firmly. “I’d like that.”

Pinkie and Spike smiled at each other. Preparations were fast. Teeth were brushed, nightclothes were changed into, and soon all three of them were bundled up together in the bed.

They fell asleep quickly.

Princess Twilight Sparkle read the letter from her peer and sister-in-law, and her frown deepened the further down the scroll she got.

Finally, she finished the letter and turned back to the guard, who was still standing at attention.

“Tell Princess Mi Amoré Cadenza that I will travel to the Crystal Empire tomorrow morning on the first train,” she said authoritatively. “And the Element Bearers will be traveling with me.”

“Right away, ma’am!” the guard exclaimed. He took off from the roof and flew north as fast as he could.

Twilight looked over Ponyville calmly. The moon was rising now.

“Everyone’s asleep,” she muttered to herself. “I’ll talk to them in the morning.”

Twilight yawned.

And I should get some sleep, too.

She finally flew down from Junebug’s roof and headed back to the library.

Tomorrow’s going to be busy.

Author's Note

Edited by:
Feo Takahari
TheDaringExplorer
shawkthorian
Pearly (not on this site)

Well, this took a while. On the other hand, it's a really long chapter!

So, I have a bit of news: I ended up telling some of my friends about this story and, long story short, I have a new editor: Pearly. However, Pearly isn't on this site, so... no link.

Now, Pearly is thorough, so we will be doing some smaller edits throughout the story, chapter by chapter. Nothing major should change, but I will probably make an announcement once the editing is done, which will happen... At some point.

Oh, and I should probably tell you that there are a lot of renovations going on in my house right now, so I don't know how writing is going to go. I'm a mite distracted by the construction and the noise and such.

Until next time!
Rakni