A Dance to Remember

Spike had seen a lot of unusual things in his life. Anything from seeing clouds of cotton candy rain sugary-sweet milk to being brought into a comic book world in order to fend off an evil that otherwise would have posed no threat to anyone. He himself had also been altered into something of an oddity when his greed outgrew his patience one fateful day, transforming him into a gargantuan of power and size.

But this was something he honestly could say ranked pretty high on the "Weird Things I've Seen" list. He leaned against the window of the Golden Oak Library's upper floor, sipping a drink concocted by Pinkie and Zecora. They said it was like coffee, but much stronger. Or in Pinkie's words, "So strong it'll knock you on your scalie butt!" So far he hadn't noticed much of a change, but that was alright. The drink was pretty tasty, all in all. Perhaps he was too surprised by the sight just outside his window for the drink to make much of a difference.

At the foot of Golden Oaks Library, he watched as ponies were caught between a struggle of either bowing out of respect or fleeing out of fear. The former was made by the adults while the latter was mostly composed of children, with their minds still scarred from their last meeting with this incredible foe.

Posted around town were guards that most of Ponyville had never actually seen in person - there were rumors about them, but they were just that: rumors. Batponies of different sizes dotted the alleyways and stood proudly in the shade wherever they could find it. That meant one thing and one thing only: Princess Luna had arrived.

"Am I under arrest?" Spike asked just before taking another, long sip from his drink and then setting it aside in favor of leaning onto both of his elbows resting on the windowsill. It took a bit of awkward shifting to get comfortable, but soon he found himself calmly smiling out as he awaited the response from one of the guards. He had become accustomed to speaking with a few batponies and understood that they preferred to speak for their leader rather than have her show up personally.

"Not that we know of, Sir Spike," a female batpony answered, kneeling in respect as they regarded him like royalty. He thought he'd like the special treatment when it first began but over the years he realized how wrong he actually was. Attention was immediately drawn away from the batponies and turned instead to him.

"Just Spike is fine," he corrected her politely, taking note of all the awed and awkward stares that he was now receiving from various ponies around town. Even a few children had stopped running long enough to watch the scene play out.

"We believe in giving someone such as yourself the respect you deserve, Sir Spike. Would you kindly come down and meet us, if it pleases you?" the batpony called up at him in reply, her eyes determined and dead-set upon his own. Taking note of her calm, carefully-carved expression, Spike realized there was no way to shake his title among the batponies and sighed.

"Yeah. Just gimme a second," he answered before pushing off of the windowsill and making his way downstairs to clean out the mug he was using to drink his special coffee. Not wanting to keep anyone waiting, he opted for just laying it down in the sink instead. With that out of the way, he simply made his way into the -

"WOAH!" he shouted as he stumbled backwards and nearly bashed his head against the counter, mere inches away. There wasn't much risk to his body, what with his scales having hardened to a density nearing steel, but Twilight would have found a way to kill him if she found out his head broke a chunk out of their furniture.

"Hello, Spike!" Luna greeted him cheerfully, her face giddy with the same excitement he saw when she was winning the games during Nightmare Night. "We have come to acquire you for a very special task. Dost thou accept?"

Before he could give a reply, he felt himself being lifted and then placed onto his feet by Luna's magic. "Thanks, but what exactly did you have in mind? And how did you get in here?"

"Twilight Sparkle is not the only one in all the kingdom that may teleport properly. 'Twas a simple trick, getting here! The real trouble was surprising you, and we do believe that went splendidly," she explained, giving Spike a playful wink as she did. "We cannot tell thee all of the details. Know only that it is very important and will surely open the way to greater, more important things!"

"Well how could I refuse that?" Spike said with a small smile, listing more than a few reasons why he could and probably should refuse that. Walking blindly into propositions had only ever turned out well a handful of times and when it concerned a Princess, let alone a Princess known for being interested in all things arcane, he felt as if he would be walking straight into a spell.

"Wonderful! We need you to.." Luna began excitedly, looking up at Spike with a shine in her eyes. But whatever confidence had brought her here on her own accord, it seemed to fade and flood from her in an instant. All she needed to do was ask him to accompany her to the Gala - a simple proposition that he truly could not refuse; it was an Equestrian custom that was upheld like a law.

".. to walk with us," she settled upon quietly. Her smile did not fade, but internally she was scolding herself for appearing weak to a friend. This would not ruin her chances, however; if anything it might even bolster her chances at appearing confident to Spike. "Yes, this is definitely what thine must do. 'Tis important!"

There was no way this wasn't a trick. "You want me to.. Walk with you?" Spike asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow in confusion. He leaned over and past Luna, checking the room for hidden buckets of water or chalk dust, perhaps even a boot to kick him on his way out the door. "Like.. Just walk? To where?"

"Wherever our legs might take us," Luna affirmed, already turning to lead Spike out the door. "Though we may have to deal with a bit of an extra presence along the way - my guards never take well to being ordered against guarding me."

"That's fine. All the more reason not to be worried," the young dragon said with a nod before opening the main door to the library and showing both Luna and himself out.

"Thou art worried, my friend? Whatever for?" the cobalt mare beside him asked curiously. She wore an expression of sincere amusement, which only added to the aura that this was one big, elaborate prank that either Pinkie or Rainbow somehow conned Luna into.

"I've had a bit of trouble with pranks in the past. Figured you might be joining in on that bandwagon or something," he answered truthfully, hoping that the charade would be brought down if exposed so easily. What came was nothing more than a small giggle from Luna, however, and Spike found himself worried all the same.

"Thou art a clever one, Spike. But no - we did not intend to prank you aside from our surprise visit to thine residence. Admittedly, we do have a destination in mind. Away from the peering eyes of thine fellow residents," she spoke openly, nodding kindly to a few ponies that had stopped what they were doing to stare at the odd pair strolling through the streets.

"I'm guessing you're not going to tell me where that is, right?" Spike guessed, seeing a pattern in the way that Princess Luna seemed to prefer secrecy and mystery. It was a stark contrast to Twilight's blunt and straightforward nature, which meant he was wading through uncharted waters.

"Thou art correct in thine assumption, Spike. Thou shalt know it when we see it," she answered with finality, a quick and decisive nod punctuating the end of their conversation neatly and properly. He had learned the gesture quite some time ago when he noticed Celestia did the same thing when speaking to creatures in her courtroom. When the nod came around, it was time to leave.

Except now there was nowhere to go. He had chosen to accompany Luna and really there was nowhere else he'd like to be at the moment. What would he say, anyway? 'Sorry, Luna, but this is just too secret to me. Catch you later!' He didn't doubt her guards would have him run down within the minute for insulting their leader.

So instead of pure silence, he decided to compliment her in an attempt to start up a new conversation."You're looking very nice today, if you don't mind me saying," he offered with a smile.

Not missing a beat, Luna asked, "Am I not beautiful every day?" She put on a pouting face in order to drive home that she was simply joking rather than actually offended. There were, after all, several over-zealous creatures at her call and command just behind her.

"You got me. What I meant is that you're somehow even prettier than usual, but my tongue was tied," Spike shot back, the grin on his face growing. That joke was an old classic that many had tried to use on him, and it was just another way to continue the conversation.

"I'm sure we can find a doctor for your condition, my friend," Luna finished the joke, opting for the lesser of the two flirtatious routes. The other route consisted of offering to untie it for him, and such an option was only taken by someone looking to express courting behaviors. She was trying to express courting behaviors, but only at the bare minimum level, rather than an extensive -

"Is this what you were talking about?" Spike asked, inadvertently interrupting her thoughts. They had stopped just before the entrance to a woodlands trail that led parallel to Sweet Apple Acres. He and Twilight had walked along the trail many a time in their pursuit of a quiet reading place. "I love this place."

"Truly? Wonderful! Thou shalt find this escapade most pleasant, then," Luna replied with renewed excitement. She talked a big game, but all the while that they walked along the trail her mind was racing in an attempt to try and figure out just how she could properly invite him to escort her.

He made a few absent comments about how he and Twilight would spend their days reading in peace or even arranging playdates with the pets under the gazebo that was built here sometime last year. Luna paid close attention to his stories, but ultimately she was sidetracked by an idea formulating in her mind. She knew that it would only work if she was unburdened by the watchful eyes of her protectors, however, so she resolved to temporarily rid herself of their company.

Holding up a hoof to Spike in order to signify she wished to stop, her guards immediately picked up on the hidden gesture. The rustling sound of leaves, branches, and dirt shifting immediately ceased and was replaced by the gentle beating of wings coming from one of Luna's batponies. The same one that spoke to Spike earlier now took her place by Luna's side.

"Yes, my Princess?" she asked with a bow, her eyes filled with both admiration and determination. Her expression looked rather different from when she spoke with Spike before; it looked as if she had aged in reverse, reverting to a young filly meeting her hero for the first time. It was now that the young dragon understood just how tightly bound these ponies were to Luna herself.

Which made it all the more confusing that after a whispered phrase from Luna, it took only a moment to register with the young batpony before she and all of her peers leapt upwards through the trees and took a formation to fly back towards Ponyville. Spike turned towards Luna with a confused expression before raising both eyebrows and giving a quick laugh.

"Talk about training, 'eh? I don't think even the Wonderbolts could pull off that maneuver so quickly," he commented as he and Luna continued their walk, the gazebo now in sight.

"They do their best. Not only that, but they and Celestia's guards have a bit of a competitive spirit when it comes to the stunts they pull. You'd be surprised how unruly the guards can be in their downtime," Luna commented, a smile growing upon her face. It made her proud to know just how opposite the guards' personalities could be. When they were on-duty, they were comparable to golems in their stoic actions - whereas when they were on their own they were as carefree as children.

"You ever worry about their rivalries getting out of control?" Spike asked curiously, stepping up into the small gazebo and taking a seat upon one of the benches lining the low walls.

Following suit, Luna continued with a confident, "Not at all. My guards have the control to match Celestia after her morning coffee. And I don't know if you have ever seen my sister when she has been caffeinated, but it is like watching a stone fly."

The expression made absolutely no sense to Spike, but he made no effort to try and figure it out. Instead, he opted to continue the conversation with another compliment. "I suppose they learned from the best, huh?"

"Oh, please, Spike. You do me too much honor," she waved a hoof at him, brushing off his compliment earnestly. "My guards were disciplined all their lives by military instructors, not by my personal guidance."

"If that's true, then they wouldn't be nearly as nice to me," Spike said in reference to his draconic heritage. Guardsmen were notoriously harassed by those among his kind - which was no surprise, considering how abrasive dragons were by nature. If they were kind to him it was due to Luna's teachings, not the teachings of an angry general.

Luna sighed and gave a meek shrug. "It is true that we taught our guardsmen to behave in a manner most becoming, but other than that, their techniques are inspired by those other than I. But your kindness surely has had an effect on their opinion of you. You are not, after all, like those they have met before." After slightly shifting in her seat, her mind burst forth with an idea that could lead her to complete her original goal.

"Not unlike how I feel about you," she mumbled quietly, as if the trees around her might mock her for the statement.

"What was that?" Spike asked in the same manner he might confront Fluttershy about her volume level. He was impressed with how quickly Princess Luna's mood shifted from an excited, adventurous tone to a timid and quiet one.

"Pardon me, Spike," Luna began as she rose her voice to match his. "But might I ask of you a request?" She steeled her nerves as best she could, though she could feel her knees beginning to wobble and her body beginning to get jittery with anticipation. So much could go right, so much could go wrong. She didn't even have an exit strategy.

"Of course," he answered as he slowly fell down from excited, curious state and into a concerned, on-the-verge-of-worried one. "Is this the adventure you had planned?"

At this, Luna let out an audible laugh - not a giggle, but a laugh. Her nervousness prevented any regal composure that allowed for a calm shrug and nod combination that most royals seemed to favor when faced with this sort of thing. "No, but yes. But also no," she admitted half-heartedly, not quite sure of how she might go about answering his question honestly.

"Good answer," he replied with a laugh of his own, obviously amused by her dancing around the issue. "Well, lay it on me. What'cha got?"

"We do not quite know how to go about this properly, and in our research with Twilight Sparkle we found that the best approach would be to await your personal answer but I believe my intentions might not be so clear," she began in a sudden burst, letting loose all that she could possibly think to ease her way into asking the question itself. When she realized she was simply vomiting up words and stalling for time, however, she gave a pause and took a deep breath.

"Wouldst thou accompany us to the Gala?" she settled upon, the heat already rising to her face so quickly that she feared that fire might burst forth through her mouth at any given moment.

"What do you mean? Like a chaffeur or..?" he asked, shocked by the sudden request. Two days ago he had taught the Princess how to dance and now he was being asked to escort her to a dance. It was so sudden, in fact, that the thought of being pranked crossed his mind for just a moment before he took in her honest, shakingly nervous expression and dismissed his doubts.

"As an escort, if you please. Or you might call it a.. A date? I believe so," she questioned, feeling smaller by the second when put beside what she saw as a massive issue. She was a princess. The Royal Princess Luna, Guardian and Protector of the Night, sworn by oath and by blood to watch over the moon, the stars, and the dreams of all beneath them. And she was shaking like a mere child beneath this problem.

"Oh. Uh.. Forgive me, but," he began, instantly recognizing the change in Luna;s expression as crushing defeat. He had only ever seen it three times - this time made it four - in his life, and each time it hit him like a brick.

"I apologize. I did not mean to offend," she with a voice that began to shake with each added word. Taking a stand, she prepared herself to teleport out and away from the gazebo before Spike's voice interrupted her concentration.

"Hey. I wasn't going to say 'no', you know," he assured her with a smile, turning her attention to him by gently nudging her back to sit beside him. "I'm just a little surprised that you'd be so sudden with all of this. You seem like more of the care, plan-everything-out type."

"Well I did have a plan," she admitted, her voice returning to its normal level of nervousness to which she was accustomed. "But I grew wary of putting it into play. I am not exactly the best when it comes to confronting social situations."

"So you're just as nervous as I am, then? That's a relief," Spike commented with a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and his knee with the other. That gesture was a sure-fire signal to let others know he was cornered and by now it had become a habit.

"We truly did not mean to offend. Truly. We simply do not know any other as we know you, and though we do not speak to one another very often, I am confident that we have learned of one another substantially, yes?" she offered up in hopes that Spike might understand where she was coming from.

"Now that I think about it, yeah. I suppose you and I are already good friends from how much we probably hear about one another. Pretty odd, but I think I can deal with a bit of oddity. How about you?" he asked while rubbing his chin in contemplation. The thought actually hadn't come to him before now, though he was glad it did. Maybe this whole meeting wasn't as peculiar as he was led to believe.

"Hearing thou say that puts our heart at ease, Spike. To know we are not alone in our thoughts is a blessing of its own," Luna answered with a small smile of her own.

"I didn't answer your question, did I? Well.. Now that you put it this way, I think I'd be willing to give it a shot. If nothing else, I'll get to teach you some more dance moves," he suggested hopefully, leaning back into his seat and taking in the quiet beauty around them.

"Dost this mean thou wilt go with us?" Luna asked, her face lighting up in anticipation. Spike noted that it almost copied the look that her royal guard had given her earlier whilst speaking with her privately, and found himself grinning like an idiot at it.

"It'd be an honor," he said formally, bowing to her in an effort to retain some of her royal dignity.

This notion was shattered, however, when Luna suddenly bit her lip and let out a small giggle, much like Pinkie might have done if she were told some especially good news. Maybe Ponyville was already growing on the Princess and she just didn't know it. "We must go and make preparations!" she said quickly as she got up and nearly rushed out of the gazebo

He was about to call out in goodbye but found himself stopped short when Luna rushed back and wrapped her arms around him tightly for only a moment then vanishing in a dark blue light before he could react. Sitting there stunned for a few moments, Spike tried to comprehend what had happened within the last few minutes. When that failed, he settled upon crossing his legs and tilting his head backwards to look up into the trees while he cleared his thoughts.

"A date with the princess. I can think of worse fates," he told himself. While looking around at the forest surrounding him, he thought he caught the sight of a pair of yellow eyes staring back, but they were gone before he could get a good look. "Though maybe I might be speaking too soon," he added on, once again to himself.

"I wonder what kind of preparations she meant," he asked out loud as he stood up and walked away from the gazebo. If nothing else, this certainly was an adventure of sorts. One that he was not likely going to forget soon. With an ever-growing array of questions in his head to provide him with all the confusion he could (and could not) handle, he decided upon heading back home and trying to sort it all out. And possibly drink another one of those coffees that Pinkie and Zecora had conjured up for him.

Perhaps it was time to ask Twilight for a bit of assistance.