Chapter OneView OnlineBetween a Maud and a Hard PlaceChapter OneMaud sat alone in the passenger car on a train on the Ponyville railway which was approaching the town station at full speed. Celestia's sun shone so brightly on the carriage windows that anypony could assume it to be warm outside; and it was impossible for Maud not to be excited about arriving to Ponyville in such good, clear, weather. Some of the passengers by this train were arriving on business; but the economy carriages were the best filled, chiefly with tourist and visitors of various occupations and interest, all eager to behold Ponyville without burdening their strictly handled purses. All of them seemed weary, and most of them had sleepy eyed expressions, which caused them some discomfort when made awake by the bright shining sun. Maud had spent the greatest amount of time aboard the train, with nothing but a small bundle and a pebble she fiddled with occasionally before depositing it into her dress pocket. She wore a blue-gray frock, which she seemed to wear all throughout her trip. It was the sort of dress common on ponies from the Petra Valley, and was by no means in touch with the colorful and occasionally outlandish garments worn by the other passengers; although it was uncommon for ponies to wear clothes at all. The mare was young, slightly above the average height, with a gray coat, and dull purple mane; her eyes were large and light green, and had a bored, detached look about them, which most ponies affirm to be a sign of extreme apathy. Her face was, consequently, an unpleasant one; not ugly, beautiful in fact, but lacking any distinct features that detracted from her otherwise stoic appearance. She watched intently at the shifting landscape, eyeing the glistening ivory spires of Canterlot as it came into view. A special feature of this architectural marvel were its residents, which included the Princesses' Celestia, and Luna, rulers of Equestria, and by far the most powerful ponies known throughout the world. To Maud, it meant that the train was near Ponyville, and that, while it would be nice to continue looking at the spires, she should gather her things and be ready to disembark the train. [][][][][] Ponyville was an oddity by its own right. Aside from neighboring Canterlot, it had earned a reputation for bizarre happenings and had attracted a number of peculiar ponies. The most famous of these was the newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle, who, owing to a recent squabble, had suffered the loss of her library, and now resided in a tree-shaped, crystalline palace, which dwarfed the surrounding community, in both size and absurdity. Besides this large residence, five-sixths of which had been converted into a new library, Ponyville was also the sight of a modest bakery, which shared the likeness of a gingerbread house, as imagined in the innocent minds of young colts and fillies. Maud, as everypony else, was more than familiar with the various sweets and cakes made and sold by the bakeries owners. She had made certain to eat as little as possible, hoping to gorge herself on a number of treats she had listed in her mind. She was in no hurry to eat however. She liked cake, just as much as anypony else; but she also like meeting with her sister, who she could see hopping cheerfully towards her. It was a matter of general knowledge that Pinkie Pie was in possession of some unnatural vitality, and had performed a number of feats both in and out of Ponyville; it was even said that she could play ten instruments simultaneously, and could drill a hole into the floor with her mane. In society she was exuberant, but also kind and amiable when it was needed. Certainly nopony could imagine suffering a mare so eccentric, and yet everypony in Ponyville was proud to have her and quite understood the value of her quirky disposition. Pinkie Pie was a incredibly capable party planner, a mare beloved by foals, who would not permit anypony a life without some small bit of joy and laughter. Pinkie Pie held her sister tightly, hugging her with enough force to break a grown stallions ribs, and snuggling her face against Maud's frock. They were in no hurry to leave the station. Maud had missed Pinkie greatly, and news of the incident between Twilight Sparkle and Tirek, had been a source of constant anxiety for her. Letters had been sent to her by Pinkie, affirming her safety and those of her friends; but holding her in her hooves was a greater source of ease than a sheet of paper. It was about eleven o'clock in the afternoon when Maud and Pinkie made their way into the bakery section of Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie lived in a flat in the second floor of the bakery, courtesy of the owners Mr, and Mrs. Cake, who enjoyed good business with her in their employ. The bakery was crowded with customers, and Maud thought, with some dread, that she might not be able to get her hooves on any of the sweets she had been eager to buy upon leaving the train. Pinkie seated her sister, leaving her to tend to the mass of customers crowding the register. A purple pony opened the door to the bakery, and Maud was obliged to wave dramatically to the familiar face, trying to attract her attention admit the sea of ponies. At last, however, before Maud could get onto the table to call out to her, the surprised mare seated herself at Maud's table, placing her saddlebag to her side. This mare was in possession of a unicorn's horn, and robust purple wings; she was the newly crowned Princess of Friendship, and friend to Maud Pie. "Maud," said Twilight, "I didn't know you were coming. Pinkie Pie mentioned you were in the Hollow Shades, but she didn't tell us you were coming to Ponyville." "She thought it would be a good surprise," said Maud flatly. "Well I'm certainly surprised to see you. Glad too. After everything thats happened its great that your here." "Pinkie Pie mentioned somepony named Tirek." "Oh," said Twilight glumly, "yeah, he was trying to take over Equestria. I made sure he didn't hurt Pinkie or anypony else. Thankfully we were all able to get our magic back." "I know you wouldn't let anything happen to Pinkie Pie. I just wanted to see for myself if she was safe." "Safe as can be," said Twilight happily. "Or at least as safe as it gets in this town." "Yeah," said Maud, looking about the bakery. "This bakery turning into an arena." "The Cake's had to close the place for a bit after Tirek's rampage. Sorry to say, you got here just in time for them to reopen." "It's fine. I'll be staying for a couple of weeks with Pinkie." "Guess you'll be first in line everyday now. I'm a bit envious." "Are you okay Twilight?" asked Maud. "What do you mean?" replied Twilight. "Pinkie told me about what happened to your library. I know it meant a lot to you." "Oh," said Twilight sadly. "I was a pretty sad for a while, and I do miss it sometimes. But I'm just happy it was the library and not somepony caught in the crossfire." Maud's conversation was flat and cold to a degree, and Twilight could not help feeling that given the subject, this state of things was highly inappropriate. Her conclusion was that, given her personality, Maud was being perfectly candid, and was genuinely concerned for both her and Pinkie Pie; but Maud's cold countenance, if it did not denote indifference, spoke so subtly that only a sparse few could guess her feelings. Unfortunately Twilight was not one of them. Maud rose from her seat and pulled from her bundle a small translucent stone - a little rough, but beautiful. She hoofed it to Twilight, who exchanged glances between the stone and Maud. "What is this?" she asked. "Its a mineral stone I found in the Hollow Shades," answered Maud. "There very hard to find, and pretty valuable. I thought it would make a nice housewarming gift." "Maud, that's -" "Twilight," interrupted Pinkie Pie. "Great to see you here. I guess the big secrets out." "Are you finished at work Pinkie?" asked Maud. "Eeyup," she answered. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake gave me the rest of the day off. Now we can plan for Twilight's super duper housewarming party." "My what?!" asked Twilight. "Your housewarming party," answered Pinkie blankly. "I know it must have been really tough losing the library, so I didn't think it would be a good idea to have one. But now that you've settled in we can have a party to celebrate your new home and official title. So I guess it would be more of a housewarming- congrats on becoming a full fledged princess party." "Did you plan for Maud to be here?" asked Twilight. "Nope. Talk about good bit of luck." "Pinkie," said Maud dully, "I don't know if Twilight's comfortable with all this." "No," asserted Twilight. "It's perfectly fine." "Are you sure?" asked Maud. "Yeah," she answered, looking back at the small stone in her hoof. "I think a party with all my friends would be really nice." "Great," gleamed Pinkie. "You'll love Twilight's castle Maud. Its all crystally and royal. Oh, and you'll also get to meet Spike. He's a dragon and Twilight's assistant." "A dragon?" asked Maud. "That's right," said Twilight, "Spike was away at Canterlot so you two never got to meet. I'm sure you'll love him. He's really nice and a good friend of ours." "I've never seen a dragon before." "Don't worry even a teeny bit," said Pinkie confidently. "Spike's a great friend. I bet after you meet him, you two will really hit it off."
Chapter TwoView OnlineBetween a Maud and a Hard PlaceChapter TwoThe light of Celestia's sun shined against the crystalline facade of Twilight's Castle. Long vines dangled graciously from its branches, allowing the occasional gust of wind to carry them about, causing the tiny gems to shift and clang. They sounded like wind chimes. Twilight paused to look at the imposing structure, her eyes gazing at the pointed star perched at the very top. It seemed to look back to her, welcoming her into her home with blank innocence, its doors open and inviting. Twilight looked back down the road, and could see the distant patch of land past a few small cottages. There was a a large oak, its trunk painfully split open, revealing the hollowed charred remains of her old home. She stood still by the castle for a long time, looking at the dead oak. Then she turned back to the castle, giving the star piece another quick glance before flinging the open, as if accusing it of some horrible crime. She closed the door, and looked back again, still thinking about the dead oak; and she felt herself trembling. She sat down quickly, and felt anger at herself for the weakness of allowing that moment to mean so much to her, for the sudden knowledge of what the months and years she had spent at the Golden Oaks Library had really meant to her. Her eyes were shut, as if the thought would evaporate at any time, as a dream one couldn't remember upon waking. She took a deep breath. Then she proceeded further inside. The castle was nearly as large as the one in Canterlot. Its interior was cavernous, colorful, and seemed out of place with the world outside. When Twilight first peered inside, she understood why it seemed so out of place. She recognized the vines, the gems, the soft glow and delicate music they produced; she saw the colonnades that were neither the style of Cantelot nor Cloudsdale, but appeared as a sort of vegetation grown in the light of a newly formed cave. The castle seemed to radiate magic, and Twilight could not help a sense of calm as though the castle understood the pain she had felt and sought some means to comfort her. Twilight knew what to expect from then on. She would never see the Golden Oaks Library again, only pieces of it, which she preferred not to see; but she would be free to pay her respects and would have the experience of being a princess in her new home. It was not what she had expected, and it would take some time adjusting. She accepted it at that. She walked to the library, putting down her saddlebag, and looking at the small dragon perched atop a ladder. She giggle impishly to herself, gliding towards the dragon, and scooping him up between her forelegs, giggling as the dragon squirmed under the pressure of her hug. "Wha' the, Twilight?" said the young dragon in surprise. "Nice to see you too Spike," said Twilight cheerfully. "C'mon thats not funny, this is really high up," said Spike anxiously. "Don't worry Spike, I've got you." Twilight landed herself gently before letting go of Spike. The young dragon paused to take a breath before looking annoyingly back at Twilight. "I think all those flying lessons with Rainbow Dash is giving you some bad habits," said Spike. "Oh c'mon Spike I was just having some fun," replied Twilight, "besides my flyings a lot better." "Right," said Spike incredulously, "so how did the shopping go?" "Pretty good actually. Most of the shops have reopened, so I was able to finish most of the list. Although," added Twilight irritably, "Quills and Sofas hasn't gotten their next order of quills. It shouldn't be that hard to find good quills." "Well you and Tirek did do a number on Ponyville." "Hey!" snapped Twilight. "Not that it's your fault in any way," added Spike hastily. "Heck it was pretty awesome to watch. Like watching something out of a comic book." "Hah hah," said Twilight sarcastically, accepting Spike's apology with a hard petting with her hoof. "Lets go put this food away, before it spoils," she said. Spike wondered whether Twilight was offended by his thoughtless comment. He could not be sure. She didn't once look at him as they made their way to the kitchen; her eyes seemed just a bit too candid. He decided not to say anything. As they began putting the food away, Twilight turned to Spike with a glance so gentle he could discern nothing from it. "You can relax Spike," she said. "I'm not mad or anything." "I'm really sorry," said Spike, not looking back at her. "I didn't mean anything bad about it, and it was great seeing you guys beat the snot out of Tirek." "Apology accepted, now stop sulking." He wanted to walk up to Twilight and hug her; and knew, in furious helplessness, that he wouldn't. He said: "How about I make use some dinner? I'm kinda hungry after putting all those books away." "Dinner sound nice, but Pinkie Pie and everypony else is coming over. We're going to have a housewarming party." Spike looked incredulously at Twilight. "A housewarming, why... " "Pinkie Pie wanted to do something special for us, but thought I wouldn't approve. I told her it was okay. Her sister Maud came over also, so you'll get to see her." "I don't know... " "Oh cheer up Spike, I know you'll do fine with Maud. She's pretty excited to get too see you." Twilight didn't really know what Maud felt. It just seemed perfectly correct. "I'm not going," said Spike suddenly. "What?" "I don't want to have a party. I'm not going." Spike looked away from Twilight. There were moments when he could be stern, cold, and even sometimes hurtful when he needed to be; when he felt he or somepony else was doing something incredibly wrong. Something rose within him when Twilight mentioned the party, not a thought nor a feeling, but a wave of some physical violence, and then he wanted to stop, to shut his eyes, to make that selfish urge in him fade away. The urge didn't go away. He walked up to Twilight, trying to stay calm. But his claws betrayed what he wanted to hide. His claws reached out, and he wrapped his arms as best he could around Twilight. The alicorn had noticed it. She extended a wing, and wrapped it around the small dragon. She said: "I know it hurts Spike, that's why I want Pinkie to do this. I want us all together; I want to see them smiling and laughing, because in that moment I was afraid I would lose all of you." "I saw you fly over there," he said. "I thought, for a minute, that you were a goner. I was so scared, and then I saw you, and I hated myself for ever thinking about something so awful." Twilight nuzzled her head atop of Spike's. She felt the dragon's warm body pressed against her, his claws holding her tightly; she could hear him sniffling, his face buried against her chest, trying his best not to cry so obviously. From outside Twilight could hear the towns-ponies ; a jumble of voices shrieking without purpose, and hiccoughs of laughter. These ponies were enjoying a day of their existence; they were shrieking to the sky their joy; they had nearly been the victim of a horrid malevolence, but were saved thanks to the magic of friendship- and this was the outcome; a peaceful life with their friends and family. Twilight shut her eyes, as she focused on the sobbing dragon. She thought that there was a difference, between what they had and what she lost. She thought that she had lost something precious. But she didn't. She held Spike closer to her, and in an instance she felt a heart beating.
Chapter ThreeView OnlineBetween a Maud and a Hard PlaceChapter ThreeRarity Belle lived in a house of her own not too far from Twilight's castle, that doubled as a lavish boutique. Besides the Carousel Boutique, she had another house in Toola-Roola Rd, which was leased to a pair of musicians. She owned also a considerable and profitable estate in Trottingham, and owned bonds for a factory of some sort in Fillydelphia. In former days, the young fashionista, as her friends knew, had been hired to work in garment shops, clothing factories, and even, to their surprise, and her discomfort, a pit-mine, applying her gem-finding spell for her employers. Now she had shares in some well-established companies, and could afford herself the luxury of running her own boutique. She handled herself with grace and modesty, never flaunting her earnings; but she possessed enough pride to display her considerable wealth through the garments she designed. The Carousel Boutique boasted some of the finest garments in all of Ponyville, and its reputation stretched well beyond the small town, improved considerably by Rarity's close connections with some of Equestria's most distinguished ponies, which included the Royal Sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. All was not bits and roses, but there was much on which the young mare's hopes and plans had been long and earnestly invested in; and any friend or client of Rarity could see firsthand the unquestionable joy and pride she felt in her designs, even when stressed to the point of theatrics. It was during one of these dramatic fits that Rarity was informed of the upcoming party at Twilight's Castle. She hadn't anything prepared, and it seemed, at least to her, unbecoming that she should attend her friends party without some form of gift. Rarity considered a number of potential gifts she could offer to Twilight and Spike, before at last settling on a taaffeite brooch for Twilight, and an assortment of fine gemstones for Spike. Twilight Sparkle’s party was on the third story, in a very clean, light, spacious room, and was already fitted with various party favors and decorations which Rarity immediately recognized as Pinkie Pie’s personal hoof work. Though the design were a bit juvenile for Rarity’s taste, it seemed somewhat appropriate that the decorations should be so festive, considering everything she and her friends underwent. It had been especially difficult for Twilight and Spike, who not only suffered the loss of their own home, but were the sole residents of such a sizable estate. Twilight frowned, and considered such a large castle to be unnecessary even if she was a princess, and it made her feel ashamed to have such a place when some of Ponyville’s residents were still fixing and rebuilding their own homes. Spike didn’t discuss the matter, and, as Applejack pointed out, seemed strangely immune to everything going on around him. For some time past he had become extremely and quite disproportionally accommodating, and if he did in fact suffer any of the grief which Twilight felt, he in no way discussed it with his friends, including Rarity, who could extract anything she wished from him simply by batting her eyelashes. Rarity was especially interested in seeing Spike during the party, and was disappointed to find no sight of him. Rude as it may be for her to neglect her friend Twilight, she felt it to be important that she speak with him. Rarity greeted Twilight very cordially, not wanting to appear cold in front of her friend, greeted Pinkie, but hadn’t greeted Maud, who was carrying such an absurd amount of party favors she remained perfectly hidden from Rarity. Twilight Sparkle said a few friendly words to Rarity, and appeared perfectly happy, to Rarity’s relief. But when the subject of Spike came up, she immediately became dejected, and said simply that Spike would not be attending. “Spike’s not coming!!!” shouted Pinkie Pie in shock, from the top of a ladder. “I’m sorry Pinkie Pie,” said Twilight sadly; “I know you wanted everypony to be here, but Spike’s feeling a bit under the weather." “I’m surprised,” said Rarity; “It’s very rare for little Spike to get sick." “I wouldn’t say he’s sick,” corrected Twilight; “He’s just feeling a bit… under the weather." “So he’s not sick?” said Maud Pie plainly, underneath the mass of party favors. Rarity nearly jumped in surprise at the sound of her voice. “Oh, by the way, Maud came over to visit,” said Pinkie Pie, gaily. “Nice to see you again Maud,” said Rarity, awkwardly, before turning her attention back to Twilight. “Did something happen to him?” she asked. “No,” said Twilight earnestly, “he’s just a bit out of it today." Spike being ‘out of it’ was as obvious to Rarity as haute couture. He’d been ‘out of it’ for weeks. Granted she didn’t know Spike nearly as long as Twilight Sparkle, who was, technically, Spike’s mother, though no court in their right mind would ever recognize a filly as the legal parent of a dragon. But Twilight also wasn’t very good at reading other ponies, and Rarity was afraid she might have failed to notice Spike’s behavior. Rarity paused to consider her options, and, deciding that Twilight was either too polite or too ignorant to step in to Spike’s aid, gently pulled Twilight by the hoof out the room and into the empty hallway, far from the busy Pie sister’s, who quickly took note that Rarity wanted to speak with Twilight in private. “Twilight, I know you’ve had a rough couple of weeks,” she said firmly; “ and I don’t mean to suggest that you’ve been inconsiderate; but haven’t you noticed how different Spike’s been acting lately?" “I did,” answered Twilight softly, her tone one of obvious sadness. “He’s always been a good assistant; but lately it seemed like he was at my beck and call. I’d try to talk to him, but he always insisted that he was alright. I guess, after a while, I just assumed that maybe he really was fine, and that he was just trying to help me. But when I mentioned that we were having a party, he just broke down in front of me." “Did he say anything?” asked Rarity. Twilight gave a brief account about what had happened earlier. “I suppose cancelling the party isn’t an option?” asked Rarity. “I would, but I don’t want to ruin Maud’s visit; and Spike insisted I go through with it. If I cancel, it might just make Spike feel guilty." “Well somepony has to have a word with him,” said Rarity. “I appreciate the thought Rarity; but maybe it would be a good idea to let him have his space. He’ll talk to me when he’s ready." “Sweetie, listen to yourself. You sound worse than Fluttershy. If we just leave him alone now, he’ll probably crawl back into his shell." “You really think so?" “Absolutely,” she insisted. “Spike’s a dear, but sometimes he can be almost as stubborn as Applejack.” Twilight took a moment to consider Rarity’s words. Even if she did try and speak with Spike, Twilight wasn’t sure as to what she should say. There were plenty of books in her library regarding such topics, and, of course, Twilight had read through most of them; but she wasn’t a therapist, and she knew better than to try and treat Spike like something she read. But in forgoing the usual route, she was limited to a more basic approach; asking for help. “But what do I say?” asked Twilight. “Oh, ‘you’ say nothing,” answered Rarity. “What?” asked Twilight incredulously. “Sorry if I mislead you darling, but when I said ‘somepony should have a word with him’ I didn’t mean you, specifically,” Rarity explained. “In fact,” she added cautiously, “I thought it might be best if I spoke with Spike.” It wasn’t that Rarity was wrong. If Twilight did try and speak with Spike, it was likely possible he might simply stonewall her. But allowing Rarity, a pony whom, everypony knew or easily determined, Spike secretly admired, to speak with him seemed like cruel manipulation. But Twilight pinkie promised Spike she would never mention his crush on Rarity to anypony, and, feeling a startling chill in her spine, understood that she couldn’t mention that as being her reason to refuse Rarity’s help. “I know what you’re thinking,” said Rarity, “but I actually wanted to speak with Spike for some time. Applejack and I saw how he was behaving, but thought it best to leave the matter between the two of you.” Twilight wasn’t sure what to say. Rarity was being a good friend to Spike, and far be it from Twilight to refuse her help. She felt a knot forming in her stomach, as she weighed her options. She needed to say no, but couldn’t think of any reason why, short of telling the truth. Twilight quickly glanced at the half-closed door, looking as Pinkie Pie, who was busily pulling up a Tirek shaped piñata. She wasn’t sure how, but the brief instant that Pinkie Pie’s eyes met her own, Twilight was certain she knew what she was thinking, and could almost see the cold glaze in her pupils, which reminded Twilight just why nopony ever broke a pinkie promise. Twilight sighed defeatedly. It just couldn’t be helped. “Spike’s room is downstairs, second door from the dining room. If you want I can go with you.” “That won’t be necessary,” said Rarity politely. “I’ve actually been in his room once before,” said added humorously. “Funny story behind that, but for Spike’s sake I won’t go into details.” “Okay,” said Twilight suspiciously. “Just try and be gentle with him. I don’t want to make him feel forced into talking.” “You have nothing to worry about darling,” said Rarity confidently. “I’ll make sure to use the utmost courtesy." Walking towards the stairwell, she added: "I’m sure he’ll feel much better once he’s gotten everything off his chest.”
