To be Human: An Equestria Girls reimagining

by SilmaDrillion

Chapters

Interlude part II: Beast
Chapter 1: Mirror
Chapter 2: Creatures
Chapter 3: Power
Chapter 4: Company
Interlude: Complications
Chapter 5: Regard
Interlude: Dream
Chapter 6: Friend
Interlude part I: Boutique

Interlude part II: Beast

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Chapter 1: Mirror

[Spike's point of view]

“Spike...”

A familiar voice called my name as my body was assaulted by gentle nudges. “Hey, Spike...”

Instinctively, my body shifted away from my rouser. My consciousness still in half-slumber, wishing that whoever it was trying to wake me would give up their attempts. Sad to say, the decision only provoked a more agitated response. At once my body was shook much harder than before, their empowered nudges more violent and decisive.

“Spike, wake up! You can't just sleep here! Wake up!”

I turned groggily to look at my rouser, light filtering into my still sleepy, irritated eyes. Everything was blurry, nothing but a piercing light behind a silhouette. I rubbed my eyes and my vision slowly began to clear with the silhouette becoming more defined until finally all the light was balanced and an image of a worried Twilight was left.

But this Twilight was different. With no horn, no wings, and hardly any fur, you could barely call her a pony, let alone an alicorn.

“Spike? Earth to Spike, are you okay?” she asked, waving what appeared to be a scaleless, talon-less, fleshy claw -- if you could even call it a claw -- a few inches from my face.

“Huh, what? Oh yeah, yeah. I'm okay. Sorry,” I mumbled back.

Still curious and doubtful, I looked at her with more aware eyes. Her face still directed to me, her expression still plain with unfounded worry. Strange yet familiar dark purple eyes gazed at my visage with both concern and care, while two streaks of pink and purple adorned her dark black hair.

As I looked into this alien my instincts called Twilight, memories of days past came back to me with an odd sense of welcome and warmth. And although physicalities told differently, there was no doubt in my mind that this being was and is Twilight Sparkle.

Heartwarming it was to know she concerned for me, regardless if her worries were unfounded or not, I couldn’t let her worry any more than she already had. I did not speak, however, instead just gave her a warm, simple smile. And even without words she understood, replying with her own.

A few moments passed and she returned to her book. I was still rather groggy from my impromptu nap, but I knew I had my part to perform. I sifted through her research materials already on the table, making sure she had everything she needed. By random chance or by volition, my gaze came to turn towards Twilight.

She sat at her side of the table, her face serious and concentrated, but at the same time content and happy. Twilight was a person that enjoyed reading as a hobby and would most times lose herself to the arcana held by the pieces of literature. But these sessions was something more than a simple time-sink, this was something of utmost importance.

“Hey, Twi… sorry for falling asleep."

She looked at me with puzzled eyes initially, but then smiled softly soon after. “It's okay, Spike, you don't have to apologize. Besides, I know you didn't really sleep so well last night. So I understand if you're not really up to it today. In fact–” She paused as the smile on her visage dropped and became a look of solemnity “–I think I should be the one apologizing for waking you. Sorry. I… I just felt... lonely,” she finished, her last sentence almost too weak to hear.

Even after I heard her statement, I still couldn't help but feel useless. It was true that I wasn't getting much sleep ever since this whole mission started, but even so. “But still, I should be helping you whenever I ca...”

But before I could continue, Twilight interrupted me with a voice that carried with it comfort and forgiveness. “Spike, it's okay. You've helped a bunch since we've got here. You have nothing to be sorry for. So please, don't beat yourself up over this. Please?”

I stared at her for a moment but then snickered at that. If I wasn't already convinced of this person's identity, I would have been convinced now. “Thanks, Twilight.”

After our conversation, I decided to take a look around the empty library. Giving her proper warning, I left Twilight to her reading while I tried and look for other things that could prove useful.

The library building was a large structure made of brick and concrete. Its high ceilings and its story tall stained glass windows added to its rather overbearing aura. And yet, once a person enters its huge double doors, the feeling of smallness would instantly be replaced by a feeling of a warm welcome and the offer of open knowledge.

The library's interior spaces were mostly colored with the hues of wood. The walls were lined with large oak shelves that housed multiple things of intellectual significance. The main room's center space was filled with bookcases, arranged in neat aisles. To one side were the chairs and tables provided for the building's patrons; to the other corner was the library's counter, where not long ago a 'Help Wanted' sign dangled on a thumb tack.

This library definitely wasn't the Golden Oaks Library of Ponyville; we weren't even in Equestria anymore.

It's already been a five days since we went through a magic mirror to a place called Earth. We were tasked to get Twilight's crown back – The Element of Magic. Actually, that wasn't quite true; Twilight was supposed to do it all alone. I just happened to be too stubborn to listen, so I ran after her. Even with the warnings, I still ran after Twilight. And the funny part... I regret nothing.

[Five days earlier]

My gaze was to my window, images of trees and mountains passed by at considerable speeds while a seemingly unmoving sun hid behind the horizon, waiting for the will of its matriarch to raise it to its proper position in the sky.

I was by the very definition of the word… bored. It had been two hours since I and the six element bearers left Ponyville for the Crystal Empire. I had nothing to keep myself occupied, and I was getting more bored by the minute. I've tried everything with what I had, but I have to say... nothing seemed to be working.

A hoof tapped at my shoulder and I turned my gaze from the beautiful sight to Twilight who sat beside me. She pulled her hoof back and smiled softly. "Thanks again for helping me with the packing, Spike."

"Don't mention it, Twi. It's my job, remember?" I answered as I slammed my fist to my uninspiringly small chest.

"Still, Spike, thank you." She then hung her head, ears drooped in depression. "It's just, with all those visitors and delegates coming to Ponyville just to meet me, I almost forgot about the invitation to the Crystal Empire! Even the girls were more prepared for the trip than me!" I could hear her grit her teeth as she finished her sentence.

I turn my head towards the left side of the passenger car. There sat the rest of our friends; Applejack and Rainbow Dash were having a rather heated competitive... chat. While Pinkie Pie was sat in front of them, stuffing her face with cupcakes, enjoying her front-row seat to the friendly debate. Behind the two athletes were Fluttershy and Rarity. Fluttershy sat there as she enjoyed the scenery through her window seat. Beside her was the lovely Rarity. With a sleeping mask, fluffy ear muffs, and a rather cute snore.

I smiled. "And yet here you are, Twilight, on your way to the Crystal Empire. All that trouble you had to go through is just part of becoming a princess. You'll be fine."

"... But... I never asked to be a princess," Twilight whispered to herself.

Her answer didn't surprise me. Though this was the first time she ever admitted it, it was easy to tell that she hadn't yet come to terms with her ascension. Although she's not someone who takes responsibility lightly, the responsibilities a princess receives isn't anything ordinary by any stretch of the word. And with the fact that she was a pony who preferred the peace of a library; the added attention only helped to make her transition worse.

I didn't give her an answer. I didn't know what to answer her with. And it hurt that I couldn't offer her any solace.

A few minutes later, we finally arrived at the Crystal Empire. Two Crystal guards greeted us the moment we stepped out of the cart. They bowed to Twilight and informed us that the other princesses were still holding royal court inside the citadel. That left us with some free time to burn. And with an agreement set, we decided to walk around the city to try and get something to eat while we waited.

The guards offered to take our luggage to the castle, to which the girls thankfully accepted. I on the other claw choose to decline, not wanting to bother the guards with my rather light luggage. Also, with the bag carrying Twilight's Element of Harmony, we’d rather not take any chances.

As we walk along the streets of the Crystal Empire, the girls chatted like they normally did. The walk itself was fairly bland, though it wasn't without its shenanigans. Pinkie curled herself into the smallest ball she could crunch her body into. While Twilight crashed, face first into the crystal pavement, with hardly any grace whatsoever.

The day went on fairly uneventfully. We met with the other princesses once their royal court was over, we had dinner with them, played a few games, and even got to watch Princess Luna raise the moon.

Yeah, I guess I can't really call meeting royalty uneventful, let alone the other things we did with them. But in my defense, I'm a baby dragon -- baby by pony standards anyway -- who was hatched from my egg by a pony, was raised by no less than the princess of the sun herself, is friends with six heroines who saved the world on multiple occasions, is the only dragon known in existence to live in harmony within pony society, and is heralded as the savior of a lost city state that was terrorized by a dark emperor bent on the subjugation of all of ponykind..... 'Yep, my life is awesome.'

Twilight and I were about to getting ready for bed, our room being one of the largest guest suites in the citadel. She was unpacking her things into a drawer cabinet, while I was busy fixing my basket. The basket didn't carry anything special in it. Only some bed sheets and pillows... The basket was my bed.

'Though you'd think saving this city-state would qualify me to have my own full-sized bed. Sigh, it’s not like I'm asking for a giant monument made of solid diamond or something!'

This is one of the negatives of my 'awesome' life. Being a baby dragon in a society of ponies, leaves you being treated as a, well… a baby. Most species know the fact that dragons are an ancient race with an age range bordering on immortality. But what they don't understand is that though we live very long lives, we mature as fast as possible. We do this for two things, survival and our need to hoard.

Compared to every other dragon out there, I'm one hell of an anomaly. Not only was I raised within pony society, but I also intentionally inhibit my dragon instincts. I know doing so will leave me in my baby dragon body for a few millennia or two, but I think I can live with that. Especially if I can spend that time with friends I consider family.

From the other side of the room, Twilight finished emptying her bag into the drawer cabinet. She was about to put the bag away till she saw what was left inside, the literal crown of all her achievements, The Element of Magic.

She took the tiara out of the bag with her telekinesis and placed it on her head. Most other ponies would be ripping their lips apart, trying to perform a smile that can do the title and the crown justice if it was them in Twilight's shoes. But all I could see from Twilight was a questioning frown, and a look of defeat.

"What's wrong, Twilight?" I asked.

"I don't know, Spike. I'm just... worried I guess." Twilight paused, the emotion evident on her face. "Princess Cadence was given the Crystal Empire to rule over. What if now that I'm a princess Celestia expect me to rule over a kingdom of my own?!"

Though I have no true claim to the throne, having lived half my life with the highest ranking royal of Equestria gives me a decent idea on the stresses of ruling one's own kingdom. But even with this knowledge, there is nothing I could do to help her. All I could do was keep her out of such negative mindsets. Twilight is one the smartest ponies in Ponyville, no one would contests that fact. But once her neurotic side starts manifesting, her mindset snowballs for the worst. And that's something I need to prevent. Usually I just have to make her laugh. And the only thing I could work with was her question.

I walked towards her and propped myself up with my tail. "That would be... AWESOME!"

"No. It. Would. NOT!" she answered quite emphatically. "Just because I have this crown and these wings, it doesn't mean I would be a good leader!" She said as she levitated her tiara and spread her large wings.

I've lived together with Twilight long enough to know every small chink in her personality. Though most ponies could be faulted to think they know a lot about her uncontrolled side with the whole 'Smarty-pants incident', they have no idea how much of a true pain her neurotic self could be to deal with. But at the same time, my life with her gives me the confidence to say that she has what it takes to master her flaws and succeed. She just needs to see it for herself.

She walked toward the crystal-framed bed, levitated the crown off her head and placed it on top of the bed-side cabinet, her face still emanating out her insecurities. I followed her soon after, and tucked her in. "Oh, sure you will, Twi. You're the Element of magic! Leader to the Elements of Harmony, of course you're a great leader. Now come on, you should get some shut eye. You have a big day tomorrow!" My statement brimming with honesty that could rival that of Applejack's.

Twilight’s face slowly softened and I could tell the tensions in her mind loosened; not enough for them to vanish, but enough to give her peace for tonight.

With a pull of a string, I turned off the bed-side lamp and readied my own body for my basket. I tucked myself in, close my eyes, and wait for sleep's sweet embrace. Sad to say, it didn't come as fast as I would've wanted. Rustling and grunting sounds from Twilight's bed forced my eyes to open and look for the origin of the noise. There, I saw her twists and turns on her bed, Irritation plain on her face. The reason, the appendages that just a few days ago, sprouted from her side as one of the signs of her ascension to princess. Not only would they not fold to her sides, but they were also spread in a way that prevented her from lying in bed in any conceivable way, let alone comfortable.

As I look at the struggling Twilight, a random question hit me. 'Now that I think about it, did Celestia ever have problems with her wings? Weird,'

On top of a cliff standing tall along the sea, I stood overlooking a starlit sky. A mare was sat near the edge. A unicorn with a crescent cutimark. Her coat was indiscernible from the darkness that blanketed everything. Her mane was of a royal blue hue that reached shoulder length, styled straight and parted to the left. Curiosity took over and I found myself walking towards the mare.

I sat next to the unicorn and turned to eye the same scenery she's had been looking at. The night sky was awe-inspiring, the stars and planets twinkled in absolute magnificence, creating images and icons of amazing detail while the moon stood as the distraction of the sky with its brightness and looming presence.

I knew who this pony was and where we were, the night sky giving me every clue I needed to make my guess. What I wanted to know was why.

"That is one beautiful sky," I stated with a blank tone.

"Quite... The princesses always did work with a very intrinsic artistic flare," she answered, not even turning to face me.

I couldn't help but roll on the ground laughing when I heard her reply.

"What was so funny?" She asked as she turned to glare.

I wiped a tear off my eye as I tried to recompose myself. "Though the princesses’ work with 'artistic flare'; you princesses aren't much known for being subtle." Her pupils shrinking as her anger-induced glare was turned into the look of disbelief. I raised a claw and waved it at her, a sly smile on my lips.

"Hi Luna."

Her muzzle stuttered as she tried to get her words out.

Having seen my handy work and the possibility to make it better, I pointed a clawed finger to the heavens. "Since when was the big dipper made of more than seven stars?"

One of her eyebrows raised itself and she immediately turned to the sky. Her jaw dropped when she spotted the constellation in question. I could've sworn her eyes were as small as pinheads.

The celestial formation wasn't its usual seven points. Instead it was a cluster stars numbering maybe by the thousands, forming a very well defined, image of an intricate water dipper: cup, handle, embedded gems, and all.

I kept silent as I watched her stare at the night sky.

Her lips curled upwards slightly into a small smile before turning towards me. “Well played.”

She was then enveloped by a bright white glow that overpowered the darkness of night. When the light finally waned, the unicorn was no more. In her place, the princess of the moon sat with her galactic mane flowing in the dreamscape air.

Luna turned my way and eyed me with an air of superiority. "Do you consider yourself my equal enough to not call me ‘Princess’ Luna?" she stated seriously, though her eyes had a different glimmer than what her tone portrayed.

I smirked at her comment, the very tinge in her tonality giving away much of what she wanted to start. I stood up and bowed my head low with my right claw to my chest and the other to my back. "Forgive my insolence princess, for I am but a mere dragon hatchling to ponies. To your peers and subjects, I do not know any better. Would you like retribution against me?"

"I think I'd rather pass. Detestable as you might be, I'd rather not risk my sister sending me back to the moon," Luna said before her cheeks puffed up and she bursted out laughing. A few second later and I couldn't help but join in. We laughed for a few minutes, just enjoying the lightness of the moment.

We both enjoyed these lighthearted banters. Whenever we found time to talk to each other, we would engage in these rebuttal battles until either one of us couldn't hold their laughter in any longer, or -- in rare cases -- until one of us becomes visibly offended. At first Luna couldn't keep up, but as time passed, I had to admit that she was getting better at it.

Luna was the first to recover. "Now, this is my next question: How do you know you are in a dream and not in some island somewhere?"

Already knowing she'd ask that, I raised my claw towards the big dipper and rotated my wrist. The constellation began to morph from the water dipper into a dinner bell then into the princess's crescent cutiemark. She kept her eyes on my manipulations, smiling at every change.

"So, what are you doing here Luna? Didn't we just meet today? Or was that a dream too?"

"No, my dear Spike. Everything about this morning was all real. You and the others did meet us at the Crystal Citadel," She answered with a slight grin.

"Then why invade my dreams?" I asked her again.

She looked at me with an obviously faked expression of offense. "Isn't the word 'invade' is a bit harsh? I think 'visit' would be more appropriate. And as to why I am 'visiting' your dreams, I just wanted to spend some time with a friend. And though you might think we've already talked, I could remember a certain dragon that did not take to talking too much if not at all," She paused, and then looked at me with concern as she continued. "I want to know what's in your mind, Spike. Is something bothering you??"

I snorted despite myself. It always amazed me how the princesses still found time for their subjects even with their celestial duties. This was far from being the first time I've been on the receiving end of a royal's graces. And knowing Luna, she's not gonna let me off easy.

"I don't really know. The closest thing I could think of is the stress from the past week. I guess I'm just that tired," I answered, trying to keep my words as honest as possible.

"Were the visitors really that problematic?" She answered back, her eyes scanning my expression.

I snickered. “Numerous and Incessant would be the best adjectives.”

“Yikes.”

“Tell me about it.”

I rested my chin on my crossed arms while my eyes remained fixated towards the luminous moon.

Time seemed to slow down. Luna was right there sat next to me, her face devoid of emotion while she looked at the same imaginary sky. As seconds ticked by, lines manifested on my scaled face as I allowed myself some time to think; time I very much wanted, needed.

“Hey Luna, do you think it was a good idea to turn Twilight into a princess?”

She didn't turn her head towards me. But I could tell she was looking at my direction, if not directly at me. She then spoke with a soft but stern tone, “If you want me to answer your question, you have to answer mine first. Do you?” she finished.

I couldn't help but let out a snicker. Though I expected Luna's rebuttal, I didn't really have an answer ready. I could only let my mind roam through the recent events of the last month.

"I'm not entirely sure. Yes, Twilight has done a lot for Equestria and its ponies. But does she also deserve the crap that comes with the crown? Personally, I don't think so." I paused to look at the night sky. "I've known Twilight literally all my life. And I know for a fact she's the type of pony that prefers to keep to herself; always preferring quiet solitude over unabashed attention. She's the type of pony that never wants to be defined by something like a title. And with her new position as a princess, the whole thing is just puts more strain on her than she deserves. Heroine or not."

Silence dominated my dream-scape for what seemed like hours. Luna didn't answer me instantly; instead just kept her eyes on me. She then smiled and placed a hoof on my shoulder. "Though I may not have the experience you have with Twilight, I do agree that she has earned the title of princess completely. With the adventures Twilight, you and your friends have gone through, you freed me from my nightmare shell, converted the chaos that is Discord, saved the Crystal Empire, and stopped the changeling invasion. There is in no doubt in my mind that Twilight deserves her new role in Equestria. And as for the grievances to her crown, I believe she's handled worse. I should know,” she said, finishing with a smile.

We continued to talk about what the past week has been in Ponyville, bursts of laughter here and there. Luna kept listening with true interest, as if the emotion of the last topic never happened. Though I didn't expect her to invade -- I mean visit -- my dreams, I'm kinda glad she did.

We kept talking for what seemed like hours; though I couldn't really say since it was hard to tell time in dreams. But out of nowhere, Luna silenced me. I was offended at first, but as I looked at her face. I could definitely tell that whatever her reasons were, they were very much valid.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my face wearing its own serious expression.

“I cannot say, Spike. I just ask that you be vigilant and ready. If you wake up, gather your wits and be ready for anything. Do you understand me, Spike?” she said, with a tone that sounded like a general at war.

I stood from the edge of the cliff and straightened my stance. “You can count on me Lun-”

But before I could finish my sentence, I was ripped from my slumber by a body stepping on my real tail.

I bolted up from my pillow, screaming from the unexpected pain. I pulled my tail closer to me hoping to relieve a little of the pain when I heard a hard thump of a body hitting the floor. If there's one thing stepping on my tail did, it was wake me completely.

I looked towards the direction of the thump, my claws still clutching my throbbing tail. There I saw a cloaked mare. I wasn't able to tell much else about the intruder since the room was unlit. But the now awakened Twilight saw something much more important than the cloak. “MY CROWN! MY CROWN! SHE'S GOT MY CROWN!”

The intruder dashed out of the room and into the castle hallway, Twilight's crown still in tow. Twilight and I gave chase and followed the would-be thief around the castle.

Some castle art pieces became casualties to the chase, frames, vases, even decorative pony armor. To some, the pieces would have meant millions worth of bits. To us, they were mere annoyances if anything else. With the racket we were making and the fact that the route we were running along passed every bedroom in the castle, it wasn't too surprising everyone was awakened prematurely. Those that recovered from the rude awakening followed suit soon after, with the other members of the bearers being the first to join the chase.

Twilight chanted a teleportation spell in an attempt to cut the thief off. But she was caught off-guard when the intruder proved to also be capable of the same high caliber spell, teleporting behind Twilight, leaving her cloak behind deliberately, snagging Twilight’s face with it. But even if one had high level magic, there was only so much running one can do along the halls of a crystal castle. And Twilight -- though being a very bad example of athleticism -- was able to close the gap and forcibly tackle the thief to the ground after the pony entered one of the castle's many storage rooms.

The others and I formed a circle around the two, making sure no other escape route was available. Twilight took rapid small gulps of air as she pinned the thief down, her legs visibly shaking from the untimely marathon.

I never saw Twilight exert this much physical effort in dealing with a problem. She would mostly try to outwit, outclass, or out plan most opponents. And sometimes, if mental skills weren't enough, she was just lucky and would succeed regardless. Then again, with the Element of Magic being the thing she stood to lose, I could understand giving it all she’s got.

“Who are you! And why were you stealing my crown?!” Twilight shouted loudly once she had gotten her breathing straight.

The prisoner only looked away at her captors, her mouth shut hard .

Though the situation was tense, it wasn't as tense or as physically demanding as the chase. And with the respite I was able to get my wits about me. I turned my gaze on the thief, cataloging her appearance and trying to remember if she was in any way familiar to me. She was a unicorn who was possibly older than Twilight. Her cutiemark was an intricate sun. Her coat was of a yellowish hue similar to applejacks, while her long mane and tail were styled with curves and swirls and held the colors of fire. I looked into the eyes of the pinned unicorn. A myriad of emotions lined her surprisingly gentle pony face. Anger, betrayal, guilt, hesitation, but then I saw something that caught my attention, fear.

Fear in itself wasn't too surprising an emotion to have, especially if you're a caught-red-hoofed criminal. But the fear I saw in her wasn't born of being captured, no. It was born of something else. A pang of pity and curiosity began to manifest itself in me as I continued to look at the incapacitated pony.

'What was this unicorn so afraid of when here she was about to be put in jail and be charged with theft and possibly high treason?' I asked myself as I looked into the unicorn's teal eyes. Until suddenly I saw something else emerge from her visage. Something I knew very well: determination.

At that very instant, the unicorn shifted her gaze towards one of the many pony armors that lined the corners of the room. Sparkling lights and a shimmering sound emanated from the unicorn’s horn as she levitated the armor's helmet towards Twilight at considerable speeds, knocking the alicorn clean off her body. The others and I quickly tried to close the gap. But before we could even take our first step, the unicorn was able to cast a teleportation spell instantly, hardly speaking any incantations. She then materialized besides an odd looking mirror in the center of the room. All seven of us were stunned, eyes wide at the magical feat the pony was able to perform especially Twilight.

Though unicorns were magical in nature, most of them only know basic telekinesis. Very few unicorns knew high level spells, but for this would-be... no, 'skilled' thief to be capable of teleportation, let alone incantationless teleportation was surprising to say the least. The only other ponies I knew that were capable of such feats were the four princesses.

The pony then turned to look at our still stunned faces. Her face contorted, not into that of a gloating grin, but that of a sorrowful grimace. “I'm sorry it had to be this way, princess.”

The pony passed through the mirror. And just like that, she was gone...

Everyone in the room was speechless. To think that a lone thief was able to overpower and escape the Elements of Harmony was nothing short of unthinkable.

Several moments passed and the other alicorns made their appearance; their manes and tails amiss. We all bowed down to their presence. Then Twilight began filling the other princesses on the situation, coaxing a gasp from them now and then. But when Princess Luna asked for a description of the pony, Twilight turned awkwardly silent. I couldn't blame her. With her heart pumping adrenaline and her body being pushed out of its physical comfort zone, she couldn't have had the time or the thinking power to remember the thief's appearance. Luckily for her, I did.

I took a few steps forward and asked if I could be allowed to speak. All four alicorns nodded their heads slightly as their approval; from there I gave an account on the unnamed pony's appearance. And as gave my description on the thief, I couldn't help but notice Princess Celestia's expression. She was a mess with emotions, contorting her face outside the usual radiance that most ponies know her to have. Twilight took a step toward her former mentor and asked, “Princess Celestia, what's wrong? Did you know who that unicorn was?”

Celestia didn't answer. Instead, the princess who gave Twilight a response was the alicorn of love, Princess Cadence. “She's fine, Twilight. And yes, we know who that pony was. Her name was-”

But before she could finish, she was interrupted by Celestia who it seemed had recovered her composure albeit not completely. “Sorry, Cadence. I'm okay now; I can tell them from here.” Hearing Celestia's statement, Cadence nodded to her hesitantly then stepped back.

Finally, having the stage for herself, Celestia took a deep breath and expelled the air along with every inhibition she had in her system. “Her name was Sunset Shimmer. She was a former student of mine.”

All of us gasped at the revelation. When Celestia saw that we were beginning to settle down, she continued her tale. “She became my student not long after the lunar rebellion. She-”

Rainbow Dash being impatient as always, stood up. “That's impossible! That pony we chased looked so young, so in her prime. I can't really see that happening unless this Sunset character was actually an alicorn.”

As rude as Rainbow was, her question was a legitimate one. So I leaned in and waited for Celestia's answer.

Celestia only smiled at Rainbow before she continued. “You will know as I tell you her story. For now I ask that all of you to hold any further questions until I finish.”

Everyone only nodded in unison.

“Like I've said, Sunset Shimmer became my student not long after I was forced to banish Luna to the moon. She was highly adept at magic. She was quite powerful, and like Twilight, she had a large pool of magical energy to pull from. But, unlike Twilight, Sunset had full access to it, regardless of emotional stability. She was a fine student when we began. But as the years went on, she started to change for the worst. And I'm probably the reason for it.”

Celestia paused, her visage dropping the warm smile and adopting a slightly sorrowed expression. “One more difference between Twilight and Sunset was their teacher. I was... a different Celestia then.” The curves of her muzzle dropping further as she continued. “Unlike the princess you know now, I was more... unstable during that specific era. Having to banish Luna corrupted me more than I was ready to admit. Though most ponies of Equestria weren't able to tell, those that lived in the castle saw every change that I had to go through. And regrettably, Sunset Shimmer was the one affected the most. All she only wanted to be recognized for the things she achieved, to be loved because she deserved to be loved. And yet I wasn't able to see that before it was too late. I ignored her, used her as a scapegoat for my own faults and fears... And to think most of Equestria think me invulnerable.” To this at least, the princess let out a small chuckle. A chuckle that died out as soon as it was came.

“One day, the young Sunset and I got into a heated argument about the current state of the monarchy. We were both on edge until finally we both said things that shouldn't have been said. She lost control of her magic soon after, accidentally infused everything within the Everfree forest with magic, making most of the area uninhabitable for centuries. We had to leave everything behind. I lost almost everything that reminded me of my sister. Out of rage, I placed the poor foal on trial. And without anyone to save her, she was at my mercy; something that I regret not giving her-" She paused, her eyes finally starting to moisten.

"... I convicted her of high treason and sentenced her... with petrification.”

Celestia went silent, finally overwhelmed by the emotions of the memories. Luna stepped forward putting a hoof on her sister's shoulder. “It's OK Tia; I'll take it from here.” She then regarded us and sat on her haunches.

"Though my experience on the matter is not my own, my understanding on of Sunset Shimmer is... shall I say, sufficient. Now to continue on where Celestia left off; Sunset Shimmer was – I regret to say unjustly – petrified with the help of the Elements of Harmony. Though by that time, the elements were no longer as powerful as they were when Tia and I wielded them against Discord. Through the years, the spell weakened until finally it was brittle enough to break and set Sunset free. It just so happened that her cage broke when all of you were still foals, hence why she seemed like she was in her prime. After she was liberated, she wanted to escape further prosecution and she found it in – or rather – through that mirror,” she said, pointing to the reflective article that stood at the very center room. “That mirror, as you saw for yourselves, is no ordinary mirror. It is a gateway that connects our dimension to another; a gateway that only opens once every three months. And when the passage opens, it stays open for three days, and today is the third.”

Luna paused. She turned to Twilight who was lost in thought on the implications of the revelation, then asked. “Twilight, does Sunset Shimmer still possess your Element of Harmony?”

Twilight hung her head, ears drooping as the thought of something so important slipped everyone's minds. She raised her head slightly, her visage still weary and tired. “I'm afraid so Princess Luna. She escaped through the mirror with my crown.”

Luna only let out a small but noticeable chuckle before she spoke. “I see. She planned this well. I guess it stands to reason that she was already in Equestria two days earlier, gathering information.”

Twilight's face then shot up back towards Luna, urgency clear on her face as thoughts crossed her mind. "But then, why would she steal my crown?? Sure it's an Element of Harmony, but without the other Elements it's nothing more than a crown right?" She asked, eyes set on the Luna.

“Yes and no, Twilight Sparkle. Usually, the Elements of Harmony are useless when separated. But that is not the case with the Element of Magic. Alone, the elements are conduits of what they represent. And among the elements, the Elements of Magic, your crown, has the greatest capacity to affect the waking world. The Element of Magic has the ability to give its wearer access to their latent magical abilities so long as they are in-tune with the crown. Though to Equestrian, such an ability is most of the time inconsequential. To a world born without magic, chaos could become a real possibility. Especially if somepony of her caliber was to use it for her own ends.” She finished, looking away from us, imagining the possible destruction the exiled prodigy could wreck.

Cadence, the princess of love, took a step forward and spoke, “Twilight, you need to retrieve your crown from Sunset Shimmer; if not for yourself, then for the inhabitants of that world and ours. And if you were to lose your Element of Harmony, Equestria would also stand to lose its greatest means of defense!”

Celestia then stood up from where she broke down in tears and asked, “Do you understand the importance of your task, princess?”

To this, Twilight seemed unsure of herself. Being told what to do was easier said than done after all. She took a look at Cadence, then Luna, then Celestia, who appeared to have recovered from her emotional breakdown. They all looked at her back, confidence in their eyes as they knew that the person they were giving this important job to had never once failed them, never once gave up on saving the land she called home. Confidence welled up inside the purple alicorn as she nodded brimming with determination as she accepted the responsibility.

“Of course.”

“Then you must go at once!” said the white alicorn, her tone absolute.

But before the purple alicorn mare could take a step towards the mystic mirror, a raspy female voice shot woah stopping Twilight in her tracks. I turn my head to the direction of the whoas to see Rainbow Dash, wings unfurled and eyes fiery with determination. And she wasn't alone. All the others bearers, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie had their own versions of game faces on. Pinkie Pie in particular, who just seemed to have a manic smile on her face as she said the word “nervous-cited”.

'... I'm never going to understand Pinkie logic.'

Rainbow stepped forward, determination still in her yes. “If egghead here is going, then were going with her! Right girls?!”

As Twilight let those words hit her – sans the derogatory nickname – she couldn't help but give a thankful smile. These five mares were willing to go with her to someplace she herself has no idea what it's like. They were willing to get into the fray for her, disregarding the dangers that could come to them.

'Twilight, you're lucky to have friends them, unlike someone like me who can't even do anything useful… I'm sorry.' I thought to myself as I saw this show of comradery. But even friendship couldn't be the most important thing to consider with a situation like ours.

“I'm afraid I cannot let you go,” said the princess of the sun with the same absolute tone as before. An audible gasp from everyone in the room was heard as the words of the white alicorn sank in. Rainbow Dash was the only exception, taking a defensive stance, eyes locking with the princess.

“WHAT?! WHY NOT?!” she said with a stomp, vaporous fumes expelling out of her flared nostrils.

“Sending a pony from Equestria to another realm is already a risky proposition as it is. To send all of you would just risk upsetting the balance of the two world’s even more, causing untold damage than what even Sunset Shimmer can do with the Element of Magic. Also, if word were to spread that all six bearers of the Elements vanished, Equestria would undoubtedly be targeted by enemies of the kingdom. And without the Elements, even with three alicorns to protect Equestria, many innocent lives will be put in danger. And that's a proposition I cannot risk."

Everyone was silent. It was evident that none of the bearers wanted to accept the alicorn's logic, but none of them had a rebuttal or the will to answer back.

“It's OK girls, I'll get my crown back and we’ll all be back in Ponyville, chatting before you know it,” said Twilight with a smile, though her eyes betrayed her.

After the girls have said their reassurance, Princess Luna stepped towards Twilight. “You can go and prepare if you want to, Twilight Sparkle. Celestia, Cadence and I can try to keep the gate open for as long as we can.”

Twilight only shook her head. “No need, Princess Luna, I'll go immediately. Besides, I'm not completely sure bringing supplies would be of any help, considering what you and Princess Celestia have said already,” She answered, not losing any politeness in her tone.

The dark furred alicorn only nodded at this. But Luna wasn't completely satisfied; she put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder and briefed her one final time. “Alright then, but remember Twilight. You will be forced to remain in that dimension until the next time it reopens, even if you manage to retrieve your crown much earlier. Remember that you can't risk letting the inhabitants of that realm know of our dimension's existence. Blend in as much as you can.” Luna paused, breathing in large gulps of air as she thinks of how to word her last sentence properly. “There is very little room for error. Twilight Sparkle. Be careful.”

Twilight nodded. She stepped in front of the mirror and placed her hoof on its reflective surface, only to have it phased through without any resistance. Unsurprisingly, she pulled her hoof back in hesitation and fear. But then she stole herself from the fear... and took that fateful step.

As I let Luna's words sink in, a rather heavy thought hit my subconscious. Twilight was about to enter a dimension with no concrete idea what's waiting on the other side, without the option of pulling back if things get too unruly, with the high possibility to have her without magic... and she has to go to it alone....

'She's not gonna survive.'

All those scenarios – regardless of how unlikely – spell disaster if the one to face them is a pony like Twilight, especially Twilight. I don't think this to play up my role in the history of Equestria, nor do I do it to downplay hers. I think this because I know her all too well. Even with all the lessons she’s learned in the past years, she still remains vulnerable to such possibilities; most especially the last one. I've been with her all my life and I've had my share of glory and failure with her. And all I have to say from all of my experiences with her adventures is: “I can't let her do this alone.”

I sprinted towards the other side of the room where the mirror stood, my stubby short legs moving as fast as they could without any hesitation, shoving anyone in the way. As I ran, I heard the shouts and calls of my friends who saw what I was gonna do but not understanding why. In a matter of seconds, the mirror was just inches from me. But then things began to... change.

The colors of the wall and decorations that adorn them began to swirl, while the floor I was sprinting on began to vanish. The mirror was still there, except now it was devoid of color. Everything was strange. It was as if I was in a different place, or rather... a different plane of consciousness. I knew what this place was. And I definitely know who brought me here. I slowly turn my head to face the pony capable of such a feat, knowing full well who would be there standing behind me. In the midst all the swirling colors, stood the white alicorn of the sun. “Hello mom...”

This was far from the first time I've been put into this 'daydream' as some would call it. Just as Luna can invade a person's dreams, so can Celestia. But there are two differences when compared to Luna's dream-walking. One was that Celestia could forcefully drag a person into one. And two, inside one, time is of no consequence.

“What do you think you're doing, Spike? Did you not listen to what was said?” She confronted, her eyes stoic, almost too stoic for my – or anyone's – liking.

I turned my body to face her completely. If not to confront her, then to show the prerequisite respect required in gaining an audience with a monarch. “Every single word; why do you think I'm running after her?”

“Do you not trust her?” she said, emotionlessness in every word.

My cheek twitched when I heard those words. “You of all ponies should know my answer. I trust Twilight enough to bet my life on her a thousand times over!”

“Then why?” Celestia asked, her face still bearing no readable emotion.

“Why?! It's because I know her like I do that I can't let her do this alone. What you're asking of her is downright suicide!” My childish tone ringing venom and fire. “Not only do we know very little about this world you're sending her to. But you also expect her to stay there for three months without any way to pull back to Equestria? There's even the possibility of her not having magic there. I know Twilight has one hell of a lucky streak, but this is just pushing it!” I paused, drawing a heavy gulp of air so that I could finish my rather fiery statement with a calmer tone. “But most of all, most of all... Is that she has to do it alone.”

I peered into the eyes of the alicorn I call mother and I saw that they were as stoic as before. And yet, something was different. A lone tear was slid down her cheek, oblivious to the rage-filled words aimed at the one that bore it. The tear was soon followed by a second, then a third on the other side of her muzzle.

My words hit home more than I intended.

Her muzzle, marked with fresh tears, began to move. “What would you have me do then, Spike? What could I do that doesn't put the ponies of Equestria in danger? That doesn't have me lose more of the ponies I care about...”

She took a pause, closing her eyes and continued, “I don't make these decisions out of spite or malice. I make them because it is my responsibility as one of Equestria's diarchs. I make them because someone has to.”

She sighed. “I've had many students in my centuries of existence, almost all of them I've lost. I'd prefer to keep my most successful one. But sometimes, the life of one can never equal the life of the many, no matter how much we don't agree with it.”

I don't want to hurt anyone. By claw, sword, or word; whether dictated by my dragon instinct or not, I do not want to hurt anyone. And yet here, reality demands that I hurt someone in order to save another. Oh how I hate the sadistic natures of the world. But sometimes, it just has to be done.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself from hesitation and look back at Celestia. “Let me go after her, mother. Let me help her. You might think that by doing so you'd stand to lose me too, but by letting me go you stand to lose no one,” I said with a calmer, softer tone.

“How will I know I won't lose both of you?” Celestia asked, her face still dishevel by the heat of the moment.

I had to grit my teeth at that. “...You don't.”

She only slumped her head at this, ears downward as she heard those two words. 'Who can blame her?'

If I was to leave Equestria, to disobey an order from her, at the very least I could leave in good terms. “Please, mother, let me go and help her. If I don't go, Equestria… No... BOTH realms stand to lose everything. But If I do, at least we up our chances,” I explained, my expression pleading and yet brimming with determination. “Two equestrians crossing over shouldn't be that much of a problem. And as far as Equestria's defense is concerned, I'm inconsequential. Very few ponies know that I'm your adopted son. To almost everyone I'm nothing more than a librarian's assistant. We both know Twilight's chances of getting her crown back alone is near zero. I can't be sure nothing bad is gonna happen if I go. But I can promise you that I'll do everything in my power to bring her back to Equestria, along with her crown; that you could be certain of,”

She was silent for a few seconds, her eyes closed. On her gentle white muzzle, a small smile manifested itself on her regal lips. Her eyes slowly opened and regarded me with a face I recognize very well, a face she dons whenever she knights ponies of honor.

“I may have been the one to raise you after your hatching, but it seems my replacement has done a much better job than I.”

I was happy that she at least now shown understanding for what I feel I must do. But having been given an opportunity to wisecrack, I wouldn't wanna waste it. “Don't thank her too much. We're lucky I haven't been turned into nerd.”

Celestia only looked at me with rather playful eyes as I said this. I squinted at her expression, and then caught her mouthing one word... “Yet.”

'Well, at least I know where I get that from.'

Celestia then began righting her posture, regality returning to her person. “As one of your monarchs, I have the power to make you stand down...” she paused as she regarded the disappointment that slowly became evident on my visage. “But as you mother... I know with a heavy heart that stopping you would only serve to do more harm than good. I only ask that you be careful, and know that I am proud to have someone like you call me 'mother'.”

As soon as she finished, things began to right themselves. The swirl of colors began to separate until only solid hues were left. The daydream was breaking.

I turn my whole body to face the mirror once more, its colors returning. I ready my stubby short frame to sprint, determined, empowered. “Thank you. Wish me luck, mom,” I whispered as time began to restart itself from the daydream, unsure if my words met my mother’s ears.

And just like that, I was through.

Chapter 2: Creatures

[Twilight's point of view]

All I could see was darkness. There was no light, no sound, no stimuli for my body to sense. I couldn't remember how I got here, or even where was 'here'. I simply floated in nothingness, aimless without knowledge or care for whatever was happening beyond, or even if there was a beyond.

I didn't know how long I stayed like that; there was simply nothing there to help me tell time. But as I continued my aimless floating, something began to change. Weak light began to seep into the darkness and I began to feel my body again. A muffled voice began to echo through my mind as the feeling of being rocked assaulted my reviving body. The voice's clarity increased as the rocking continued and after a while I was finally able to hear, with considerable effort, the word 'Twilight'.

Instantly, images of my crown being stolen, of Celestia's revelation, and of the magic mirror resurfaced from my psyche in a single swift.

"Twilight...? Twilight! Twilight, wake up!" the voice called louder as the rocking I felt intensified.

My eyelids began to finally twitch and open in response and I slowly sat up from where I laid, my head throbbing very painfully.

"Oh thank Celestia, you’re alright," the voice said with a sigh.

For some reason or another, I must’ve lost consciousness after going through the mirror. And if the crossover was indeed successfully, it would’ve been a problem, a potentially deadly one if I stayed unconscious wherever I was. Thankfully, someone was there to wake me. And I would’ve shown my gratitude to the pony immediately had I known their name.

The voice, if I could guess… was a male’s. It had a low baritone and a silvery intonation that sounded quite juvenile in a pleasant kind of a way. But even through the youthful tone, the voice held a certain touch of intelligence to its speech that was quite noticeable, even under such a stressed state. The voice was unfamiliar.

I rubbed my eyes as I finally answered him with a tone that I hoped, sounded respectful. "Ye-yes, I think I'm fine. I'm sorry, but who are you?"

He didn't answer me at once, instead kept silent for a few seconds. I wasn't able to tell if he did so out of surprise or hesitation. But when I heard him let out a long sigh, I was inclined to believe the latter.

"Twilight, it's me! Spike."

My mind halted at his statement. And from the way he sounded, I could say this person was quite serious. But the thing he implied was – I was sure – impossible. For one thing, I was the only one allowed to go to this realm. Second, the voice didn't sound anything like Spike.

I chuckled awkwardly as my vision began to clear. "Well sir, you don't sound like Spike. So if this is a joke, then at least you got me to laugh. Besides, Spike isn't even supposed to..."

I wasn't able to finish my sentence; for my mind was made to race by what my now cleared vision showed to be in front of me. It was a creature. A living, breathing being that had no bearing on equestrian biology or lore.

The thing suffered – or at least I thought it suffered – from a severe lack of body fur with its body being mostly dominated by light pink skin. It could have been at the mercy of the elements if not for the purple hoodie and denim jeans it wore. On the top of its head was green hair that could've answered for a mane. The hair was shaved along the sides of its head with horizontal strips being shaved in deeper, while short hair rested on the very top, with the bangs being relatively longer compared to the rest. The creature also had other visible spots of hair, although compared to the cluster on top of its head, everything else was relatively minor.

In terms of facial features, the creature didn't have anything resembling a muzzle. Instead, its nose and mouth were on separate planes of its face. Its lips were relatively smaller compared to that of a pony's, but given it didn't have to go around a muzzle it seemed only natural. But what were really bizarre were the creature's nostrils. Instead of being just two holes laid on the creature's face atop the snout. Both nostrils were housed at the base of a – for the lack of a better description – bumpy half pyramid that was plastered on the creature's face. The eyes of the thing were smaller as well when compared to pony eyes, with the pupils being lime green in color.

Fear and disbelief took hold of my psyche as I instinctively pointed a shaky hoof at the creature. "Wha-what are you?"

But as I said this, I saw from the corner of my eye that it wasn't a hoof I was pointing at him. The appendage that answered for my forehooves resembled nothing like those I was born with, replaced by what looked like dragon claws, claws without scales or talons. And just like that of the creature, I was devoid of fur with naked skin mostly dominating my surface.

I was in a panic as I scrambled to see what else was different about my body. I no longer had my wings and tail. And just like the creature, I was almost naked if not for the articles of clothes that I now apparently wore, the articles being a turtleneck and a pair of jeans. Using my strange new appendages, I groped every nook and cranny of my face and felt no fur nor muzzle nor horn.

'What happened to me?!' kept repeating itself again and again in my mind. Panic and dread filled my psyche as the thought of my situation began to sink in. I could've sworn I was hyperventilating with the creature shaking me out of my delirium. Sad to say I was someone who was hard to snap out of a panic. Until finally the pressures of it all became too unbearable and my body just wanted release. I took a large gulp of air and readied to scream. But before I could, I was stopped.

The creature held his claw like appendage to my mouth, firm enough to stop me from screaming, but gentle enough as to not hurt me. As I sat there silenced, he held up a finger to his lips, making shhhing sounds in quick succession. When he knew that my scream was no longer an issue, he swept his head side to side. He then turned back to face me, his own visage more troubled than before. "Listen, believe it or not, I am Spike," he said, gesturing to himself with a claw. "I followed you here because I just couldn't let you do it alone. If you want to yell at me, do it later. But right now, we need to leave this place. It's not safe," he finished, his breathing slowly calming down.

I was very afraid at first. But the more I looked into this creature's eyes, the more the idea that this… thing was my best friend was starting to sound plausible. Just like Spike, the creature had the air of control and comfort whenever the situation called for it, and considering my own metamorphosis and subsequent panic attack, even more so. But even with the mounting evidence, I couldn't really help but still doubt his statement.

His visage changed into that of utter seriousness as he looked at me. “Twilight, listen to me. I'm gonna let go, okay. But please... please don't scream.”

Without any other viable option, I nodded hesitantly at the proposition. Being true to his words, he slowly pulled back his claw from my mouth. And being true to mine, I did not make a scene.

With the respite I was given, I allowed myself to calm down and observed my surroundings. It took little to no consideration to understand that I was no longer in the Crystal Citadel. But to think that I've crossed over and left Equestria entirely was something my mind had a hard time believing.

It was night time here. The moon was already past its zenith while very few stars were visible on the night sky. The surrounding area would have been very dark if not for the lampposts that lined the walkway. Right in front of me was this large, two story building made of bricks and concrete. Its tall glassed windows arranged uniformly along its walls while huge well-crafted wooden double-doors adorned its front. At its top, rows of neatly arranged tiles formed its roof. And just two feet below the roofline were metal-worked letters spelling out the words 'City Library'.

I just stood awestruck at how the building’s design was identical to pony architecture. Except for size and scale, the building would’ve fooled any pony to think it mundane and their own. And if those two words on it meant what I think they represented, then even the language is exactly the same as those of Equestria.

‘But that was impossible. Or at least I think it should be. I… we left Equestria, our alien bodies should be proof of that!’ I thought to myself, absolutely baffled. And as I contemplated this anomaly, a bright glimmer caught the corner my right eye. Turning around, I found a marble statue just a few meters behind me. The statue was of a rearing stallion on top a pedestal with a creature of my current species riding it like a jockey. There was nothing special about the statue itself, save maybe for the attention to detail given to the craft. But what really caught my eye was what it was standing on. One of the pedestal's sides – the one facing my direction and by extension the library – was… shimmering.

The statue wasn't new; it looked quite battered in fact. But even in the state it was the in, the pedestal had a reflective quality that just wasn't supposed to be there. I had a good guess on what the pedestal could have been, but I had to make sure. I contemplated touching the thing. And when I did, my clawed appendages didn't go through the reflection. But what I did get was a shock. The very same shock I felt as I went through the mirror.

“So this place isn't Equestria, is it?” I asked, completely baffled by the resemblance of this place to Equestria.

“No. Hard to believe, right?” he answered, his eyes set on the library.

And as I heard the creature's calmed voice again, different thoughts and questions surfaced from my mind, questions that simply needed answers. “I'm sorry if I sound blunt, but how do I know you really are Spike? That everything you're telling me is true?” I wasn’t completely concerned if I sounded disrespectful. I just wanted to know if this... person… really was Spike.

He looked at me with an eyebrow raised, yet his face didn't look the slightly bit offended, as if he expected me to ask that specific question. “How exactly do you want me to prove it then?” he asked, his voice not giving urgency to the situation.

Though I initially felt offended by his attitude towards my question, the more I thought about it, the more the idea of him being Spike became more undeniable. Not really knowing what to ask, I just went and bounced the question back at him. “I don't know, tell me something only Spike would.”

He held a claw to what was possibly his chin – I really need to learn the anatomy of this species – thinking hard on what answer he would give me. And as if finding the most effective of rebuttals, he smugly smirked at me, his teeth flashing, before speaking his answer. “How about we discuss the first time you used the 'want it need it' spell. You know, when you were twelve?”

My face began to flush red as I heard his proposed rebuttal. “NO! No, it's fine. I believe you! I believe you,” I blurted out as I waved my front appendages like a mad pony.

Back when I when I was twelve years old, I found a book under one of the bookshelves in the royal library. The book was filled with an assortment of spells that I never heard before. Being the giddy little foal that I was, I picked a spell at random and cast the on an insignificant bottle cap. At first nothing had happened after a good few minutes, I chalked it up as spell being a dud and I planned to just throw away the bottle cap. But before I could, my brother stopped me and asked if he could have the cap instead. Thinking that there was no harm in doing so, I did. Just few hours later however, the whole population of the city began vying for possession of that measly bottle cap. It was chaos. It took three hours for the whole thing to settle down. Luckily there were no casualties. But even with that bright side, everything went so horribly wrong that once the spell was neutralized, Celestia had to clear everyone's memories of the incident, leaving Me, Spike and Celestia the only ones to remember that horrid day.

He laughed so hard when he saw my face as I was forced to reminisce. I could only glare at him as he continued on laughing. But even I wasn't able to help but laugh at my own blunder. As we laughed our hearts out, I managed to loosen up and forget about the seriousness of our situation. And once we had our fill of laughter, I began to notice how silent our surroundings really were.

The area was deserted and quiet, even the nightly songs of insects and frogs were nowhere to be heard. It was a good guess to think that maybe the dominant species of this world weren't too active at night. But even then, it was just too quiet. Something that I had to admit, felt quite unnerving.

At a corner of my eye, I saw Spike stand-up and run towards one corner of the street. I was caught off guard by his sudden actions, but once he signaled me to follow him, I kind of guessed that he might have just scouted on ahead.

Standing up on all fours, I complied with his call. As I trotted toward him, I couldn’t help but hate my inexperience of this new body. Simply put, everything about it just feels uncomfortable and awkward. But even with my grievances, I was still able reach Spike. Though not surprisingly, the time it took had a lot to be desired with my breathing being ragged from it all.

I stood behind Spike who was crouched behind a building corner, still scouting for any unwanted attention. And when he turned his head to look at me, he saw my obviously heavy respiration. But before he could start worrying, I tried to fix my breathing as fast as I could and flashed him a smile. My attempt to quell his worries worked it seemed. But as his worries faded, his face contorted into a look of questioning as he continued to look at my new form and posture. “Uh, what are you doing?”

“What do you mean?” I asked him back, not completely understanding his inquiry. Spike turned around to face me completely then gestured at my quadruped form. I didn't exactly understand what he was gesturing at me for. But as he continued, I was able to get a decent guess. “You mean like... standing?”

"Almost, I was talking about your stance. Did you follow me on all fours?!” he exclaimed, his voice rather louder than what we would’ve preferred.

I looked down at my legs, not completely comprehending his statement. And as I looked, I saw just how disproportionate my rear legs really were compared to my forelimbs. Not only that, but I also understood how ill designed the claws on the front appendages were for trotting. If at first I thought the evolution of this species was wrong and problematic, now I think I just shamed myself by thinking this body was anything like a pony's. Out of sheer embarrassment, I fell to my haunches. My face was facing downwards, most assuredly burning red. I sat like that for a fair amount of time, expecting Spike to burst out laughing or something like that, but that never happened. Instead, he did something that I never really considered.

He crouched down in front of me and placed a claw on top of my head. "You're new to the body. You simply made an honest mistake, that's all. No harm done."

I lifted my face toward him as I heard his words. This was far from first time that Spike would show such levels of consideration towards me. But the way he held his words felt different, rather comforting. With our faces turned to each other, I could now see a small smile on his face, a smile not of insult, but of genuine care and comfort.

A few moments later, he took his claw off of my head and stood up on his hind legs. “Now, I think you've already noticed how dis-proportioned your front legs are from your rear legs,” he said, gesturing to the appendages in question. “The reason for that is because your front legs aren't exactly legs, they're actually arms.” He paused, a slight grin manifesting on his face. “Meaning this species' natural gait isn't a quadruped’s, but is that of a biped.” He extended a claw towards me. I grabbed the claw hesitantly. And with a force I didn't think he had, pulled me up to my own hind legs – or if his explanation were to be believed, just legs.

Standing like that reminded me of dragons and their natural anatomy. With their two legs that kept them standing upright and their feet instead of hooves that touched the ground. Although dragons did have tails that helped them keep balance. I wonder what helped kept these creatures balanced on two feet.

At the same exact time I thought out the question I almost fell, face first into the pavement. Luckily, Spike was able to catch me just before I could gain momentum. “Whoa! Are you alright there Twilight?” he asked, his soft non-sharp claws supporting my body.

“Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just lost my balance,” I said weakly, embarrassed for the second time in a row.

As he held me and kept my body balanced, he chuckled and placed a claw on top of my head again. “Wow, will you look at that. So I am taller than you now.”

Instinctively, I quickly raised my face towards his own and blurted out, “What?!”

And when I looked up at him, I saw that he was in fact taller by two or three inches. Surprised at what I saw, I examined his new body with more scrutiny. And when I did, it took almost no time for me to turn speechless. Even with his hoodie on, it wasn't hard to see that his new form was a sight to behold. With chiseled forearms, broad shoulders, and bulging pectorals, he was practically an adult of the species… a very powerful one.

Spike laughed as he saw my dumbstruck expression. “Why do you look so surprised Twi?” he said with an obvious snicker.

“Wha-Why am I surprised? Why aren't you?! You shouldn't be taking this lightly! You... You suddenly just became an adult! Well, I think you're an adult. I mean, look at your arms! Even if you tell me males of this species are naturally tall, this muscle definition couldn't belong to a kid! How did his even happen! You're a baby dragon! You shouldn't have this kind of body,” I reasoned as I grabbed on of his arms and tried to squeeze it with futile effort.

Spike only snickered again. But only this time, it wasn't out of amusement. “So you expected me to be small, squishy and utterly defenseless?”

“N-no, I didn't mean it like that! It's just that... It's just that I can't really understand why you have a mature body here! I'm given a body comparable to the one I had in Equestria. But why didn't you?! This whole thing just doesn't make sense!” I told Spike with a voice louder than what I would've wanted.

Spike looked at me with an air of superiority. As if he very much expected my every word. “Never question a gift too much, Twilight. I know it's strange. But I think it's for the better. Now think about it, instead of having to tote me around like a kid while we look for Sunset. With a body like this, I can do my own searching, letting us cover more ground.” He sighed. “Listen Twi, I have no idea why I have his body. But right now, I'm just thankful that I do. And so should you.”

"Bu-but... It's just..." I babbled before hanging my head in defeat. "You're right. I'm sorry, Spike,"

“No sweat, Twi.” He smiled a warm smile, like always ready to forgive and forget. “Now, on to more 'pressing' matters; we know how important it is that we retrieve your crown, right? So we can't have you losing balance like that, now can we,” he said as he made a bit of distance between us. "Lucky for us, the area seems to be clear enough for about a block or two... So if you wouldn’t mind, may I be allowed the honor of guiding you, my lady?" He offered, extending his right claw to me.

'Seriously?' I thought to myself. But thinking it was probably better to just play along and have fun with it, I took his claw and answered his invitation with the most regal voice I could make. “It would be my pleasure, Sir Knight. Please lead on.”

Clumsy would be the word to describe how the whole thing started, most of it being from my end. Spike kept his pace slow while I would almost always have to slam myself into a wall just to keep myself from falling. But even then, I still managed to trip one or two times with my butt always hitting the pavement. Despite the hardship – and the physical pain that came with it – I was still thankfully able to adapt to my new body's bipedal gait; so much so that I was able to keep proper posture even without Spike's assistance.

We kept walking around the streets; this time trying to find a place we could sleep or at the very least, rest in for the night. We were a good few blocks away from the library, and from the look of the buildings and signs that surrounded us, it wasn't too hard to think that we just entered the shopping district of the town.

The streets were lined with an assortment of shops and stands. Most of them were no longer open given the relative lateness of the hour, while the few that were had very few customers to speak of. There were other people walking around the streets, possibly on their way towards their respective homes.

As my eyes wandered the area, I couldn't help but remember home. It surprised me how an alien world could have so many things that were comparable to things seen in Equestria. From coffee shops to boutiques to libraries to lampposts, everything felt familiar. Even the people here were comparable to ponies. They work hard for a living. And when the day is done, they would go home for the rest, comfort and company they yearned for.

Finally ready to surrender to our own tiredness, Spike and I both sat down on a bench we found just in front of the town pharmacy. We really needed to find some place decent to sleep in. Not only didn't we get some sleep back in the crystal citadel, but the crossing of dimensions took a lot out of us. Couple that with the stresses of a new body, and we were basically begging for rest. And right there, the bench looked very comfortable even with its splintering planks of wood.

“You alright, Twi?” asked Spike, his face reflecting his own exhaustion.

“Yeah, just... tired.”

Resting my head on Spike's shoulder, I reflected on our whole situation. We were in a world that was not our own and turned into creatures like no Equestrian had ever seen. We had hardly anything to work with and we didn't know where to look for Sunset Shimmer, nor did we know what she even looked like as this species. And right now, it seemed both of us were assuredly relegated to sleep on this very bench.

“This whole thing's just impossible, isn't it, Spike?” I thought out loud.

“Don't say that, Twi. We just need to be resilient and do what we can,” he answered. And although he didn't face me when he replied, I could still tell that he was annoyed with my comment.

“I'm sorry for the negativity, Spike. But right now, I have no clue on how we could get my crown back. Not only don't we know where Sunset is, we don't even know what she looks like! For all we know Sunset could be miles from here,” I said half-heartedly.

“I won't argue against your point, Twilight. Not because it's hopeless, but because they have at least some merit.” He then paused, then turned to me with a face that had confidence. “Yes, we have no idea what Sunset Shimmer looks like in this world. But you also need to remember that the same could be said for us. And if she does know, then at least that means she couldn't be far. Thing is Twilight, we have time. We know Sunset can't use the Element of Magic until she can resonate with it. Till then, all we need to do is to assimilate, learn, and adapt; to get ourselves accustomed to our new bodies and the rules and laws that govern this world. And when she does make her move, we know what to do. We follow the magic.”

In all the time I've spent with Spike, I've had my fair share of encounters with this version of him. And every time I did, I would end up impressed and empowered, this very instance being no different. Despite his young age, Spike always did display a certain level of maturity whenever situations called for it, a maturity that I've come to be thankful for.

My lips curled into a smile as I continued to gazed into his confident and determined visage. “Why is it that whenever I go down the deep end, you always know how to fish me out?”

“Well, that's because someone has to,” He said with resolve. He then leaned forward as he sat down, his claws clasp together in front of his face, his elbows resting on his legs. “To be quite blunt, this is the very reason why I jumped in after you. I was afraid. Afraid that you'd lose perspective with all this… craziness, that you'd end up trapped here or worse. I just couldn't let that happen. I hope you're not upset.” Though his expression stayed flat and distant, the genuine fear in his words were still there.

I saw the fear in his expression. Before my ascension, there have been very few ponies besides family that legitimately cared for my existence. Even fewer that cared to risk life and limb to do so. And yet here I am, assigned a dangerous mission that has every chance to turn fatal with a friend that would do just that – if he hadn't done so already.

I lay a comforting claw on Spike's own. “How could I ever be upset at you for something like that? If anything, I should be thanking you. So thank you,” I said, trying to return the favor and pulling him out of his slump.

He returned my smile and answered, “Don't mention it, Twi. It’s my pleasure.”

With our thoughts expressed and our bodies exhausted, both Spike and I sat in silence, trying to recover even the slightest energy we could. And though the bench wasn't as comfortable as we'd like, at least it was something. I almost dozed off out of sheer fatigue. But I couldn't allow myself to do so until I felt that we were safe and secure. I thought of maybe teleporting both of us, however before I could try, I was easily reminded of the appendages I lost during the transfer, leaving me with a rather sour expression.

Not wanting to doze off again, I went and broke the silence with a random question. “Do you think this whole thing could've been worse?”

“Twilight, anything can go worse. Just thinking negatively will make it worse,” he answered with a tired sigh.

“I know. But what I mean is, how could it be worse?” I clarified.

Spike took his time, thinking of a scenario for my question. “Hmm… I don’t know, maybe me as a dog and you as a teenager?”

“How is that worse?” I asked, not completely seeing the negatives. But before Spike was able to reply, a muffled scream and crashing sounds echoed from behind us. Both of us instinctively stood up from our seats, our eyes moving at speed as we tried to looked for the source of the noises. And from what we could gather, the noise came from the alleyway just besides the pharmacy.

Despite our exhaustion, curiosity got the better of us and we found ourselves stepping forward hoping to get a better grasp on the situation. Inside the alleyway were two people, a male and a female. The girl had long blond hair and wore a light green sleeved sweater on top of a long yellow blouse, while the male wore a gray shirt with a black coat and dark brown slacks. From what I could tell, the girl was being harassed by the lone male; thrashing around, twisting and turning evasively, all the while trying to convince him to leave her alone. While the male only kept on pursuing and troubling her, not exactly getting her not so subtle hints. I wanted rush over to the girl; help her out of her predicament. But before I could, I was stopped mid-step.

Grasping my left arm with a claw, Spike asked, “Do you really think that's a good idea, Twi?”

I stopped my stride completely when his statement hit me. Hesitation took over and I found myself unable to answer. His words were on point. If we went and helped the girl, we risked blowing our cover, risked throwing away one of our only advantage – If we even had that advantage first place. But even so, something in me wasn't ready to let someone in need suffer, especially if I have the power to help.

I looked at him with eyes filled with resolve. “Well we can't just let her get mugged!” I exclaimed with determination, fully expecting Spike to object to my decision. But instead of pulling me away, he smiled at me before approaching the alleyway's entrance.

Inside the alleyway, the struggle of the girl continued. “I-I'm sorry but I really need to get home. P-please just let me go. Please!” She pleaded while hopelessly trying to pry off the claw that grasped her arm.

“Cooooome on babe.... I j’st wanna shpend shome time wid ya,” The male slurred, wobbling as if unable keep his balance.

I didn't know if alcohol existed in this world, but from how the male acted, looked, and smelled, he was very much intoxicated.

Approaching them carefully, Spike cleared his throat loudly, trying to get the drunkards attention. “Hello good Sir. Sorry for the intrusion. But could I ask that you let my sister go?” Spike asked, acting nonchalantly in a rather tense situation.

Instantly I turned to Spike with a look of questioning. 'Sister?!'

The drunkard grunted, trying to process Spike's statement. “Huh? Ya're her brader den?” he said, his expression very obviously plastered. “Well ked, shorry but yar shister promised to join me for shome fun tanite!”

“Bu-but I never said that.” The girl in question objected.

“Ya did shay dat, yar jusht too... drunk to remember, now com'on, da nayt ish til young!” The drunkard exclaimed while pulling on her arm. But before he could take her anywhere, he was stopped by a claw on his own arm.

“I’m sorry if I might have been unclear, so I’ll repeat myself… please let my friend go,” said Spike with face contorted just waiting for the aggression to start.

As drunk as the guy was, he knew when he was being challenged. So he too stared daggers at his challenger, throwing his own less-subtle fighting words at spike as he did so. “Ya better git yer hand off me kid, if ya don’t wanta lose it.”

Spike didn’t back down, instead tightened his grip even further. “So they're called hand, huh. OK, release her ‘hand’ first, and then maybe I’ll let yours go.”

The drunkard didn’t comply, only intensified his glare at him. I didn’t like where things were going. Yes, I did want Spike and I to help the girl. But to have him get into a fight was something I’d rather avoid. Spike might look strong and mature now with his new body; he’s still a baby dragon.

Spike and the drunkard just stood there, glaring at each other, waiting for who would make the first move. I was a good few feet from the two. But even at my distance, I could hear teeth gritting from the both of them while they stared at each other with contempt. I was sure that at any moment one of them would finally begin the fight. But before any of them could make that move, the drunkard suddenly vomited and fell down, face first into the pavement.

All three of us stood there for a few moments, flabbergasted at how anticlimactic the whole thing ended up being. Even the female who just moments ago tried quite hard to free herself from the drunkard, now stood there with her arm still extended as if she was still held by the drunk.

Spike was the first to move among us, walking towards the unmoving drunk. “He’s… unconscious... that’s a thing,” he said with a tone that sounded more disappointed than glad.

In my case, I’m just glad that things ended up with hardly any violence. I snapped out of my own thoughts and immediately went towards the girl. “Umm, excuse me, miss? Are you alright?”

She jumped then turned to face me, obviously still unsure of what happened. ”Y-Y-Yes. Yes. I’m fine… I’m fine.”

“He didn’t hurt you or anything, did he?” I asked again, still concerned that maybe she was jumpy for other reasons.

“No, thankfully he didn’t. I guess he was just really… drunk,” she said as she looked at her downed oppressor in pity.

I wasn’t quite sure why she would have pity over him. But knowing we couldn’t just linger any longer, I walked towards the alley’s entrance. “Well in any case, we should get out of here before he wakes up.”

Spike stood up from where he was examining the drunkard and walked towards us. “I don’t think the guy’s gonna wake up any time soon. From the way he went down to how bad his breath reeks of alcohol,” Spike explained, fanning his hand just about where his nostrils were. “I’d wager he’d be asleep till tomorrow afternoon.”

“Oh dear,” exclaimed the girl. “We can’t just leave him here, even if he did awful things. The man was just drunk after all,”

Spike and I looked at each other in confusion for the unknown word the girl spoke of. “Man?” We both asked in unison, absolutely oblivious to the words meaning.

She looked at us with a face of equal confusion before speaking. “Uhh… yes… Man… as in human. Us.”

‘Damn it!’ I thought to myself in a panic, thinking that our cover might have been compromised. ‘We should have been more careful when it came to words we didn’t know! Now think Twilight, THINK! How do you get yourself out of this situation?’ But even as I tried my hardest to think of a way, no idea came to mind. And even if I had one, my mouth was too frozen to speak. Luckily, I wasn’t alone in the situation.

“Oh Sorry, thought you said something else,” Spike explained with a convincingly nonchalant tone, as if he just genuinely misheard the girl’s words. “Anyway, back to this guy. What do you propose we do with him then?” he finished, convincing the girl of his excuse. And to a degree, even me.

‘Since when did Spike learn how to act?!’

“Well… we should at least get to his own home… I-If you think that’s ok, that is,” she answered.

“Well, we don’t really mind. But question is… where does this guy live? I don’t suppose you know?” I said, asking the obvious question.

Both the girl and I faced each other trying to think of how to find out the answer to our question.

Spike didn’t join us, instead walked towards the ‘man’ again before crouching down and pulling something out of the sleeping man’s pocket.

“I think I know how,” he said walking towards us while showing the wallet he took from the man.

"SPIKE! WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THE MAN'S WALLET? GIVE IT BACK!" I shouted at him, thinking that he was going to steal it.

“What? NO! No, I’m not gonna steal it. I was just looking for any identification. And lucky for us, the guy has one on him,” he explained, pulling out a card from the wallet. “Let’s see… our mystery drunken man is a Mr. Joey Allen of 23rd Obed Marsh Street. I don’t suppose you know where this is?” Spike asked the girl as he returned the card and wallet.

“Y-yes, I do actually. It’s just at the other edge of town, a bit by the docks.” She answered as she pointed toward the direction of the drunk’s supposed home.

Spike only smiled. “Then lead the way… Miss…”

“It’s May," She said, smiling a bit, a little prideful at baring her name. “Shymay Winchester.”

“Well then Miss May, please lead the way.” he exclaimed with a bow.

And just like that, Spike, May and I started our walk towards our set destination, drunken Mr. Allen in tow.

If before there where barely any other humans around - as Miss May called these species, now the streets were now completely empty with hardly a soul in sight.

We were now a good few blocks away from there we started. And with only the four of us walking around, the only things to be heard from miles were our own footsteps, our breaths and the occasional whistling of the wind.

I would’ve been lying if I said the silence wasn’t get to me. In fact, with my body practically screaming for some rest, the silence only served to make me even sleeper, while at the same time inducing some odd fear of the darkness. I wasn’t quite sure if Spike was in the same boat as me. Though from what I could see, he was fairing much better, possibly because he had the task of carrying the still unconscious Mr. Allen to keep him occupied.

Thinking that maybe I needed my own distraction, I tapped May on the shoulder, trying to get her attention. “Excuse me, May. But I have to ask… are we close?”

“Well, we’re not that far. But still have a bit more to go,” She paused, and then turned her head to look at me as she continued to walk on, but then stopped as she did so. “Bu-but we could rest if you want to,”

My face probably looked so exhausted. “No, no, I’m ok. Let’s just keep walking. I think I’d prefer to get the job done than to prolong it. Thanks for the concern though.” I answered with a smile as I tried to regain some color back into my face.

“Don’t mention it. I’m just sorry that we couldn’t just take some transport. It’s too bad they just don’t run this late,” She said as looking at the empty road in front of us. She then turned to us with curious eyes. “If you guys don’t mind me asking, but... do you guys have a place to spend the night in? Coz if you don’t, you guys are welcome to spend the night at my house,”

Spike and I were simply caught off-guard by her offer. Though it was true that our exhaustion was very evident from our expressions, the last thing we expected was someone to point out our predicament and even offer us shelter.

“How did you know we didn’t have a place to go?” I thought out loud, unable to keep my question in.

She hung her head as she answered; afraid that maybe she said something wrong. “We-well, I’ve never really seen any of you before so I thought that maybe you guys are from out of town. And when you guys kinda hinted that that you didn't know the area… Well, I-I kinda put two and two together. I-I hope I didn’t offend you!” She finished, almost shouting out the last part.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. We were just surprised that you guessed right,” explained Spike, finally pitching in. “It’s true that we don’t have anywhere to go. But are you really okay with letting us sleep at you’re place? I mean we’re practically strangers to you. And now that I think about it, we haven’t given you our names yet.”

“Oh no, it’s no trouble at all. In fact I’d be very happy if you guys stayed at my place for the night to rest. I wouldn’t want to let good people sleep outside in a night like this. After all, you did save me back there,” She said with a warm smile. “As for space, that isn’t a problem. I have an extra room with a bed and everything.”

Spike and I then turned to each other, trying to decide on May’s offer. And technically there was hardly any reason to decline. May didn’t seem like a person with bad intentions. And from how she interacted with us thus far, I could say for certain that she is a person that would never hurt a fly... even if needed. And as for her offer; a bed would’ve be infinitely better than a park bench in terms of sleeping surfaces.

Getting to our decision, I nodded at Spike, giving him my answer. He then turned to face May “If it’s really no trouble, then we accept,” Spike said with a smile. “As for our names… well… it’s…” But before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by loud groaning noises courtesy of the still downed Mr. Allen.

“Maybe we should get this guy home first before anything thing else.” I suggested. To which everyone simply agreed.

With the promise of a bed to sleep in, Spike and I found strength to continue on and get the job done. And before we knew it we were there.

The area was simply though uninspiring. The houses along the street were of modest sizes, most of them being made of wood. The one we were looking for in particular – Mr. Allen’s house – looked to be in a state of disrepair. And when we saw that the house had illumination, we could only guess that someone was inside.

“Um…Hello… Hello…” I called as I knocked on the door. “Excuse the late intrusion, but is anyone there? Hello?”

It took me a couple of tries before any response was returned. And when the door was opened, a young girl was what greeted us.

“Yes, what is it?” she said while she rubbed the sleep out of her half lidded eyes.

“Um, yes… well, sorry to waking you so late. But is this where Mr. Joey Allen lives?”

The girl yawned before she spoke. “Yes, but my dad’s not here yet.”

“Yes well, that’s because we have him right here,” I said as I stepped aside to show the man in question. I was a bit surprised when the girl didn’t seem all too happy to see her father in that state, then again I guess neither would I.

“He’s drunk again, isn’t he,” she said with a tone of indifference.

“Yeah… Can we go in please? He’s getting kinda heavy.” Spike answered as his face winced from the weight.

We were invited inside and led into the living room where Spike was allowed to rest Mr. Allen on the sofa.

As the three of us were headed out, the girl tugged on my sleeve. “Thank you for bringing him home. And if he did anything wrong while he was out, I’m really sorry and I hope you could forgive him.”

As I heard the girl’s sentiment, I turned to look at the sleeping form of Mr. Allen. “Don’t worry, we already did.”

The girl smiled at my statement then thanked us a second time. But before we could leave, she informed us of a taxi station that was more than like still open just a few blocks from the house. Thanking the girl, we then went on to look for the station. And thankfully for us, the station was indeed open, with a handful of drivers and ‘cars’ – as they called their metallic carriages – still ready for work. Hiring one of them, we rode towards May’s house. And with the speed of the thing, it didn’t take us long till we arrived.

Her place was of simple design. It was a single story building with two bed rooms, a living room that connects directly to the kitchen, and a single bathroom. In terms of furnishings, the living room had a dark glass coffee table, a linen sofa, a four person dining table and medium-sized bookshelf. And though the textiles and patterns of the house were new to me, I could still imagine such a house in Equestria.

The only thing I found that felt out of place was an odd looking mirror mounted on the wall. In itself, you can hardly call it a mirror due to its dark surface. But what was odder for me was that the furniture was set to face the thing, as if it was meant to do something. I would have experimented on the thing, but given my status as a guess in this house, – to this world more specifically – I’d rather not do anything stupid.

Keeping my curiosity to myself, I followed May and Spike toward the spare bedroom. She stopped right in front of the doorway and reached for something on top of the door-frame. Spike and I weren't sure what she was reaching for, but after she unlocked the door and led us in, we could probably conclude it was the key.

Inside, the room was almost empty. The room was large, probably five square meters in area, with a single window on one corner. The only things inside were a bed and mattress and a wooden wardrobe with very few clothes in it. And although the room was locked and unoccupied, it looked quite clean and well maintain.

"I hope this room is OK. It's been week since I last cleaned it, so it might be a little dusty. But if you want, I could clean it up right now. Well, if you don't mind that is." May offered, her voice a bit weak at the end of her sentence. At this, Spike and I awkwardly waved our hands at her.

"No, no, no. Its fine May. I'll clean the room. The last thing we want to be is a bother to you," Spike said with haste. "Besides, the room looks clean. The only thing it needs is a good sweeping and it'll be good to sleep in."

"Oh no, you're not bother. I'm quite happy to help," She paused, her expression softening into a gentle smile. "Like I said before, I can't just let the two people who helped me sleep outside." She finished with gratitude genuine in her eyes.

I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a smile of my own. "Don't mention it May. We did what we thought was right."

"Still, thank you," She said with a renewed smile plain on her face. "Now, let me just get the broom."

Though May is the first human we ever actually interacted with – non-aggressively anyway, I couldn't help but feel a certain type of... comfort with her. From the way she talks, to the way she behaves, almost everything about her makes me think I'm interacting with a pony. Even the level of kindness she displays is something that very few being, even ponies tend to have. Yes, Spike and I did save her from those drunkards. But to think that she would offer us – complete strangers – room and board in her own home, is something that I just can't be thankful enough for.

"Does she remind you of someone, Twilight?" Spike asked, ripping me from my thoughts.

I turned to face him, curious as to what he meant. "No... Well… I don't think so. Why?"

“I have to say, she reminds me a lot of Fluttershy.” he replied as he still looked towards the doorway.

Now that he mentioned it, I could see why she would. The kindness May has shown us does seem comparable to Fluttershy’s. Add her apparent meekness and his sentiment would be almost unquestionable. And though I’m not entirely sure what humans call cute, May certainly does have that kind of appeal to her.

“Oh and before I forget, pick one; Tara, Janice, Clara.” Spike asked, almost out of nowhere.

I didn’t really understand what he was getting at. “What? Why?”

“Just pick one.” he imposed with a cheeky grin.

Having understood that he wouldn’t take no for an answer, I just decided to play his game. “Uhh… What was the first one…? Tara.”

He smiled at me, as if fully expecting my choice. “Tara. Okay, now choose again; Wands, Rivers, Sparks.”

“Sparks. Wait, what was that all about?” I asked again, unable to keep my curiosity to myself.

“You’ll just know it when you hear it,” he said. His playful smile still plastered on his face.

May arrived with the broom shortly afterwards. Spike then proceeded to clean the room while May and I took out clean bed sheets and extra pillows from her own room.

As we cleaned the house, I reflected on what I’ve learned so far about this realm. Though some things are different, the two worlds, this world and Equestria had a lot in common than what I first expected. From architecture to language to the interaction of beings, the things I’ve seen thus far have been things I’ve already experienced in Equestria. ‘Maybe this whole thing isn’t hopeless after all.’

With all three of us working together of the room, I didn’t notice how fast we managed to finished and ended up losing myself to my thoughts. “Wow. We’re done! That was fast,” I said honestly surprised.

“Well, there was hardly anything to clean to begin with. It was more like prepping if anything else,” said spike after putting away the broom. “Anyway, is it OK if I sleep on the sofa May?”

Surprised at Spike’s statement, I asked “Wait, I thought you we're…”

“Going to sleep on the same bed as you? Come on, you know I respect you more than that.” Spike interjected before I could finish. He then turned to face May “Is that OK May?”

She looked quite flustered as she replied. “We-well, yes… I guess. But don’t you want to sleep on a bed too? A-and besides, aren’t you two a couple?”

‘COUPLE!?’ I instantly thought to myself as I heard May words with my face more than likely blushing red at the same time.

“Couple?” Spike chuckled as he turned to look at me for a moment then back to May “Nah, we’re just good friends... very, very good friends. Anyway, I don’t know about you girls. But I’m pooped! Good night,”

“Oh… well… Good night then you two. See you in the morning,” May said as she walked towards her room.

But before she could enter her room, Spike called to her again from the sofa. “Oh and May… The name’s Daniel Shields. Her name on the other hand, is Tara Sparks.” He proclaimed, smiling. “Of course if you like, you could also call me Spike like she does,”

I could only chuckle at Spike’s shenanigans. ‘you cheeky little dragon, you.’

Chapter 3: Power

[Spike’s point of view]

Sweat dripped from my exhausted body as I lay flat on my chest. I lifted my body off the mat I laid on, my arms almost completely extended. I let a few seconds pass and then allowed gravity to take control to pull my body back to earth, but not without resistance. Slow and steady, my body finally touched down and I allowed myself to breathe easy for a moment.

At my fifth set and fortieth repetitions, my muscles were at the point of convulsions. I rolled around and lay on my back, my eyes towards the ceiling of May’s back porch. With my arms spread apart, my lungs in a struggle to pump air fast enough into my bloodstream and lactic acid coursing through my body; I was pretty much pooped.

It’s been a week and a half since we entered the dimension of earth. Twilight and I have been fitting in quite well. At first the transition wasn't easy; without much knowledge on how this world worked, we would almost always find ourselves in sticky situations. But when all was said and done, I have to say it wasn't as bad as I first imagined it to be. We had one person to thank for that.

May has been a very invaluable ally and friend to us. From the very night that we met her, she was willing to provide us with shelter, clothing, and sustenance without as much as a show of hesitation or an aim for compensation. This kept on up until the second day of our stay.

This kind of relation would have stayed if it wasn’t for our conscience.

The very next day, we called her to discuss conditions to make our accommodations in her home fair to everyone, if not for her. Twilight and I proposed that we would pay for our expenses and ‘rent’ the space we took up as soon as we could find jobs, including the days prior. And though May hesitated at first, she very much understood the underlying reason for our persistence on the matter and accepted our terms whole heartedly.

Twilight and I started job hunting soon after. But as soon as we did, we found that it wasn’t that easy to get jobs on earth, especially if one lacked the proper paperwork for it.

After a day of unsuccessful job hunting, we just simply decided to prioritize Twilight first while I waited for more preferable and less demanding job openings. Thankfully, with a whole night spent on making a reasonable resume for Twilight and some help from May’s personal connections, we successfully managed to get Twilight a part-time job at the city library as an assistant librarian. Something the both of us found advantageous to have access to.

As for our mission; Sunset Shimmer had yet to make her move.

I’m actually quite surprised at this, given her supposed mastery of the arcane – as per my mother’s words. I would’ve imagined that she’d have complete control of the Element of Magic by now. Then again, I shouldn’t be complaining. The more she waits, the more we have time to prepare.

For the whole week and half that we’ve been here, Twilight and I have been learning as much as we could about this playing field called Earth. We’ve learned about its history, its civilizations, and its people. We’ve expanded our vocabulary to accommodate social interactions, learned more about our human bodies, and we even created reasonably tight cover stories for ourselves. And although we’ve hardly been interacting with other humans beside May, I personally think we’ve got all our bases covered.

It was amazing what these humans have accomplished as the dominant species of this world; from their industries to their technologies, they have proven themselves masters at their craft. Though with the good, also comes the bad. These humans – from what their history tells – have certain tendencies for violence and deceit. From corrupt governments that would leave their people to rot; to atrocious wars that leave millions dead in its wake. As much as I admire their ingenuity, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of disgust. Then again, who am I to judge when I’m a being born of the most selfish and war-like of all the species in Equestria?

Twilight always looked forward to our study sessions. And every time, she would always lose herself to her research. With every text she finds in this world, she would always read something new and intriguing, always be unable to help but be engrossed with their contents. She would even at times shove books and pamphlets into my face whenever she would find something of interest. It was just like bringing a child to a candy store. Though it can be annoying at times, I can never hate her for it. In fact I’m quite happy that she’s found something to help her cope with the craziness of our situation.

As for myself… my interest lies with this human shell that I now call my own.

A few years back, I had a habit of daydreaming about a version of me as an aged dragon; a dragon that was tall and strong and that would go into battle and save damsels in distress and such childish fantasies. And though I've long stopped doing such imaginings, I never would've imagined myself in a body that was comparable to my daydreams. After crossing over, I was in disbelief as to why I was given a mature body; and when I saw it in front of a mirror, even more so. Whenever we’d have our study session, I would secretly try to research for possible reasons. But after a while, I simply stopped questioning it. Now I just decided to try to find out how far I can push this new form of mine. And every time I would, I would prove to myself that this body was the thing I always wanted but could never have... a body that could finally define the real me completely without the consequences bound by my biology.

With the lactic acid in my muscles dispersed and my breathing no longer ragged, I stood up from where I laid and reached for my shirt and towel that hanged on the porch railings.

I entered the house silently, hoping to not make too much noise. It was already late in the evening when I went out to do my exercises, so I expected the girls to be sound asleep. However, instead of an empty kitchen, what I found was a half-awake May that sat by the table with a cup of hot tea in her hands.

“Hey, you alright May?” I asked when I saw her despondent expression.

She turned to face me a few seconds after hearing my voice. “What? Oh… y-yes, I’m fine Daniel,” she said as she turned to look back at her steamy cup.

From the way she answered, I instantly understood that there was something wrong, or at least something bothering her. So I took a seat in front of her and tried to get her to open up. “Are you sure? Because if you want to talk, I can listen.”

She sighed. “I guess I’m just stressed. Med school... has been a hassle for these last few weeks; things just keep piling up. It’s good that my job isn’t as stressful. But still…”

“Then why don't you just take a break?”

“If only I could. Right now, I’m already behind as it is in class. I really need the extra credit,” she replied, her eyes to her tea that got colder by the minute.

I should’ve just thought about my words before I said them. I never really did understand the concept these humans called college, simply because we don’t have such a thing back in Equestria. Though I understand what college courses and credits are, everything else about it is just too complicated for me to completely understand.

“Sorry, I’m not really good with college stuff, so I don’t really think I can help you there,” I said with a sigh. “What did you take up anyway?”

Cup still in hand, she finally took a sip. “Well, I’m currently taking veterinary medicine.”

“Oh, a vet!” I exclaimed. “Well, I don’t know how hard it is to be one. But if you don’t mind me asking, did you have any specific reason for taking it up?”

She pointed her eyes towards the ceiling, trying to think of an acceptable answer to my inquiry. Out of nowhere, her lips curled up into a small innocent smile. “I like animals,” she said as she turned to face me. “I want to help them and keep them healthy… I want to see them strong and happy… I want to help pet keepers take care of their pets and have them enjoy their lives together. I…” She blushed when she saw me watching her speak with a smile upon my face. “I really like animals.”

I couldn’t help but smile really. The innocence and joy she showed as she told me her dream. It was simply unbelievable just how much May was comparable to Fluttershy.

“And you will, May. You will do all of that and more,” I said as I gave her a comforting smile. “And listen, if you find yourself too stressed and you need help; don’t forget that Tara and I are your friends. Besides, we owe you more than that.”

The colors of May’s face brightened. “Thank you Daniel. I feel much better now,”

“You’re welcome,” I replied. “Oh and if you want to feel even better, I think you better start drinking. You’re not tea’s turning lukewarm tea.”

She just sat there for a few seconds, before she jolted up from her seat and scrambled to drink her beverage. I only gave a short but satisfying chuckle at that. I may be a good guy, but I still enjoy being a jackass every once in a while.

As she finished her drink, May stopped and called to me. “Oh, before I forget. Daniel, I haven’t found a job opening you can apply for yet, but if you want to, I have a friend that needs some help with a moving job tomorrow. You can do that if you like… Bu-but I’m still gonna look around for a job for you!” she said in her usual shy tone.

“I’d love to. You can tell me the details on it first thing in the morning. Right now, if I’m gonna help with moving stuff; I’m gonna need to rest this body!” I answered as I started to lie on the sofa. “And you should too! Besides, don’t you have classes tomorrow?”

“… Good night, Daniel,” she said.

And before I allowed sleep to take me, I returned her sentiment as I smiled to myself. “Night May…”

*********

The next morning, all three of us woke up bright and early. I went and cooked breakfast, while the two girls prepared for work or school. While I cooked, I remembered my conversation with May last night. And when I saw her vibrant attitude as she prepared herself for class, I was sure that at least our talk helped her get some perspective back for herself.

After we finished our individual preparations, we ate our breakfast together in peace. The food wasn't anything special; it was just chocolate pancakes with raspberry syrup and a cold pitcher of orange juice. Though from the way the girls ate, I could only guess that they found it very delicious; something that always makes me happy.

With breakfast done, I followed up on May's job offer and she immediately took some writing materials from her purse and jotted down the information I would need; locations, names and such. She also made a short letter of introduction that I would give to the owner as to let the talks go smoother. And with everyone ready and well fed, we locked the house and waved each other goodbye as we went our separate ways; May towards her college, Twilight towards the city library, and myself towards a place called ‘The Lynge Gym’.

The map May drew for me was rather crude but was otherwise readable. My starting point was town square. From there, I was supposed to head south towards Diamond Street, just before Gambit Avenue. And once there, I would just try to look for the place in question on the left side of the street.

I didn’t bother to take a cab because I wanted to see and navigate the area for myself. I also wasn’t afraid of getting lost since the instructions on the map were just so straight forward that even I couldn’t screw it up. Though I know enough about the town and its roads, I haven’t really gone and explored it thoroughly. Something that I have to admit, felt quite pathetic on my part, given I had more than one week of free time to do so. Not to mention that having that kind of knowledge would help us in our mission to track down Sunset Shimmer.

It was still before nine in the morning so traffic wasn’t a problem. And although I took my sweet time walking, taking in the lay of the land, it didn’t take me long to reach Diamond Street.

I walked along the left side, trying to find the shop I was looking for. Sadly, I didn’t find any shops with the name that May wrote down. But what I did find was a shop that had no signs. Or more precisely... has yet to be given one.

It was a large single story building with an interior painted in pastel cyan. The place was empty with nothing inside but a single white mono block chair that stood just next to the entrance. At first I was curious as to what kind of establishment it was, but when I considered its size and scale, I had my guesses.

As I continued to look into the establishment’s functions, a voice from behind me spoke. “Uh… can I help you?”

I jumped instinctively and turned around and saw a tall man with brown hair and of middle aged appearance. A bit surprised by the unintentional scare, I tried to recompose myself in front of the man. “Oh... Ugh sorry. Um, yes actually. By any chance is this place the Lynge gym?”

The man looked at me with a questioning, analytic stare. “Yes, but we won’t open until two days’ time. Why?”

“Well… here sir.” I took out May’s letter and offered it to the man.

“What’s this?” He muttered as he reached for the letter and then proceeded to read. His visage relaxed as he continued reading the letter, all the while looking at me from time to time in a discerning manner.

“So, you’re one of May’s friends huh. What’s your name kid?” He asked, his raspy voice making me tenser than I would’ve wanted.

“It’s Daniel, sir. Daniel Shields.”

“Nice to meet you Daniel, the name’s Brian Lynge.” He handed me back the letter then extended his right hand for a handshake, something I clumsily returned. “Welcome to the team. You’re a tad early so the stuff isn’t here yet. But don't worry, it'll be here soon. We’re just gonna have to wait a little while.”

“OK sir… by any chance are you the owner, sir?”

“Nah, it’s my cousin that's the one that owns the gym. I’m just a manager and instructor here,” He said as he took the chair by the entrance and placed it in front of him, his arms and chin resting on top of the backrest.

I leaned on the wall and stared blankly at the street, seeing people walk around all seemingly at random. “So uh… What are we gonna move around? Are we moving in weights, stuff like that?”

“Yeah, a few. Though mostly we’ll be setting up rings and other equipment. This gym isn’t a body building gym, it’s a training gym. We train people who want to learn different fighting styles… Boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, those kinds of stuff.”

“A training gym, huh…” I thought out loud as I contemplated on the possible importance this place might play in our stay here. Learning combat techniques would prove very useful. Considering earth has no capacity for magic, having other means of self-defense – and offense if things come to worst – might just be essential.

A few minutes later, a truck arrived with the first batch of equipment. “Here's all the small gear, Brian; boxing gloves, MMA gloves, punching bag and scaffolding,” The driver said as he opened the container. “Now get off your butt and help me empty the truck. I still need to make two more trips to get everything else. Di and the others should be done dismantling the first boxing ring by now,”

“Alright, alright, hold your horses,” acknowledged Mr. Lynge as he signaled for me to follow. “Come on kid, that’s our cue. Let’s get the boxes inside,”

I followed his lead as we proceeded to take the equipment into the gym. Most of the items were lighter than I expected, making them easy to unload. Though from what the driver and Mr. Lynge discussed as we work, I could only guess that it’ll only get heavier from here. In no time we were finished unloading the first batch of equipment and the truck left to fetch everything else. It didn’t take long for it to return, and when it did we knew that the true work was about to begin and we had to work fast. Thankfully, other members of the gym arrived to help. The work was hard, but it wasn’t impossible. Just as advertised, the first batch of items was a breeze. The second and third however… now those were the things that were the real pain to deal with.

As we worked, I couldn’t help but be astounded at the strength my body was capable of. It helped a lot that I was able to do the work that be more or less impossible for just one person. I still couldn’t believe how surreal it felt to notice it in action.

It was already late in the afternoon when we finished the transfer and assembly of the equipment. And as I rested my body, I couldn't help but be amazed at the number of people that helped with the move. What was - from my perspective - originally three people, became five, then eight, to what is now fourteen people.

As far as what I've heard, the management couldn't hire a moving firm to do the job for them since the new site itself already cost them a large sum of money. They would’ve had to do the move by themselves in a span of a few days. But it seemed that members of the gym had other plans. Everyone here devoted their time and effort into something they felt connected to. And with me as the only exception, they did so without the expectation of pay. And as I contemplated on this, I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

‘Humans really aren’t that different from ponies… If only I could say the same for my kind,’

When everything was fully assembled and operational, some people who came chose to go home while others to choose to stay for a bit longer and have a go at the equipment. I got paid a fair amount for my work and I had to option to go home. But since I had nothing better to do back at the house – and I didn’t have the keys in the first place, I chose to stay and waste a bit more of my time.

I sat on one of the benches we’ve set up inside the gym as I watched the others test out the equipment. I sat down not because I was still exhausted, but rather because I was mesmerized by the power these people exhibited as they did what their volition to train told them to. From every step they took, to every punches they threw, I watched them furtively.

Whenever I would hear a punch land, my muscles would instinctively clench instantly. Every movement they made was graceful, yet devastatingly powerful. I thought the reason was because I felt as though I was on the receiving end of those hits. And yet I knew there was something else, something more… primal.

As I continued to lose myself to the display, I did not notice one of the members sit beside me. “Dude, you OK?” He asked, snapping me out of my trance.

“Uh yeah, yeah, I’m good,” I said as I turned to face the person.

The man had black hair and a cheery expression. He was of good height and fair build and was possibly in his mid thirties. He wore a navy blue cotton t-shirt and jogging pants that both had the gym’s logo printed on them.

“You sure man? 'Coz you looked like you were just about to have a seizure or something,” He asked again, a bit unconvinced.

Not wanting to pull down alarms, I recomposed myself as fast as I could before facing him again. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just… just a bit shaken I guess. I’m new to this gym thing,” Though I wasn’t technically lying; I knew for myself that my words were vaguer than what was really true.

“Alright, if you say so,” The man replied, seemingly convinced. “Say, you’re Daniel, right? The name’s Alex,” he said as he extended a hand for a handshake. Something I obliged to return. “I’m an instructor here. Thanks for helping out man,”

Though I was happy that someone was thankful of my help, I didn’t feel quite deserving of it. “No problem man, but don't thank me. I kinda got paid to help. So... yeah,”

“Aren’t we the humble type,” He said smiling. “I heard the story from the boss. So, no need to apologize. We get it,”

And as he finished talking, another man moved in and stood next to him. The newcomer was tall and of skinny build; he had short blue hair with his bangs styled with a cowlick. And from what I could tell, he was a young man of apparent wealth. He wore an obviously expensive coat on top of what was just an ordinary blue t-shirt with dark jeans.

“Yeah. Besides, we needed all the help we could get,” the newcomer said with a smile some people would consider a smug smirk.

Alex instantly turned to look at the man, his eyebrows furled and pupils glaring. “Says you!” he shouted with considerable volume. “You didn’t even help! You literally just arrived a few minutes ago!”

The man only waved his hands slowly up and down in a defensive gesture. “Dude, calm down. I was late because I was with my dad. Besides, don't you call fixing paperwork for the building helping?” replied the man with a rather playful smile.

Alex on the other hand, was quite unconvinced by the man's reasoning. He massaged the bridge of his nose as he tried to relieve some of his annoyance. “Sigh… Dude, if you're just here to pull bullshit, just go home,”

The young man didn’t look as offended as I would’ve imagined from Alex’s words. Instead, he simply raised both hands towards the level of his head as if in surrender and then turned around and walked away towards the gym’s door.t Before he could walk out of earshot, he raised one hand in a goodbye and said “Whatever dude,” all while he faced the door.

The guy didn’t look like he was a member of the gym. I concluded because his build didn’t quite leaded itself for me to think so. From the way Alex’s cheery mood was soured by the man and his expectation for him to help with the gym, I could only guess as to what kind of relationship – or lack thereof – the two shared.

Wondering who that person truly was, I tapped on Alex’s shoulder and asked. “Who was that?”

“That guy?!” He exclaimed as he pointed at the direction the man vanished to. “That was just Flash. And if you understood anything about our 'talk', I’d guess you caught that the guy's the son of the owner.”

I looked towards the direction he pointed to and saw no trace of the man. “Well... can you tell me why you were hostile to him? I mean, as far as what I've seen, he seems like a chill guy.”

“The guy just has a talent for ticking people off. And trust me when I say you don't want to get into anything that concerns him,” He said, his mug still showing his obvious annoyed. “Anyway, you look like you’re not jittering anymore. How about you join us and do some training. You know, have a go at it. Besides, you look like someone who’d enjoy the rush,”

I was caught off guard by the offer. Though I would really like to say yes, I wasn’t sure if I should. “I’d like to. But I don’t think I can pay for it. I need the money as it is,”

He then looked at me, right eyebrow raised while the other dropped as if I said something wrong. “Pay? What? No, no man, it’s fine,” He exclaimed. “You help us get this place ready for reopening, so you don’t have to worry. And the gym isn’t technically in business yet, so there's that. And if you're still not convinced, we also have a 'first day is free' policy. So… yeah, what do you say man? You in?”

I really did want to try it out. The exercises I’ve been doing these last four nights were a watered down version of what the gym could offer me; a way to measure what this human body of mine can really do. I was mesmerized by this human body from the first time I understood it was mine. Though it’s far from the first time I’ve ever had this kind of strength, it was the first time I’ve had full control over it.

Having no real reason to say no, I gave him the answer he wanted. “If it's really OK then… yeah, I’ll bite,”

He smiled at me when he heard my answer. “Cool...” He said as he walked towards the boxing ring. “Anyway, before I let you hit anything I think we should start with some warm-ups and basics since you’re new to all of this,” He pulled out a box from under the ring then tossed me a gray athletic shirt with a small logo of the gym printed in front of it. “You better change into that. Believe me, you’re gonna sweat a lot!”

I wasn’t quite sure at first about what he was getting at. When I looked at the shirt I was wearing and the other people that were busy training, I understood what he meant and I proceeded to change. As I was changing, Alex let out a loud ‘whoa’ out of nowhere and in surprise I jolted myself out of the shirt.

“DUDE! I thought you said you didn’t do gym before?!” he said with an unbelieving tone.

“WHAT? NO! This is the first gym I’ve ever been to,” I said with volume, my heart a bit pumped by the unexpected scare.

Alex just stood there, mouth agape at my statement. Once he snapped out of it he pointed a finger towards me… more specifically, my body. “With a body like that… You’re telling me you didn’t do gym…? Whatever secret training you did man, I wanna know,”

Thinking on my feet, I tried to think of a believable excuse for my build – that didn’t have anything to do with magic - while I put on the athletic shirt. Luckily, as he pointed out my current physical build, an image of a certain orange mare resurfaced from my memory. “If you really want to know, I grew up on a farm. Life is hard in one, but like hell, do you get fit fast,”

“Dang… Well, I guess we could skip much of the warm-ups then,” he said with his still unbelieving tone.

I followed Alex towards the more open space of the gym where he had me do some squats and a few minutes of stationary jogging. At first I questioned the exercise, but when I started to feel my blood pump faster and my body heat rise; I stopped thinking of my grievances and just went with the program I was put in, thinking that at least I could skip my nightly workouts tonight. After the warm-ups, he had me rest for a few minutes to get rid of the lactic acid still flowing through my muscles. And as I rested, he took my hands and wrapped bandages around each one of them tightly. When he was done, I took my hand back and I examined his work, squeezing, bending, stretching. “It feels kind of tight,”

“Well, it needs to be. You’ll be punching something comparable to solid earth. Unless of course you just want to break every bone in your hands and rip the very skin off, then go ahead and loosen the binding,” He said as he stood up with a sarcastic tone and smile. He then threw me a set of gloves that looked like a pair of fingerless mittens. “Now come on, I think you’re pretty much rested enough. I saw you lift things that would usually need two people. Now let’s see if you can translate all that muscle power into some real damage,”

He then led me towards the punching bag area. There, four bags hanged from their scaffolds, two of which were already ‘in-use’. Alex then pointed towards one of the free bags and asked, “You know how to use a punching bag, don’t you?”

I’ve never really thrown a punch before, well not a decent one. Now that I was stood there, I don’t think I’ll be backing down soon. “This’ll be the first time I’ll be using one… But I’ve watched you people beat this thing more than enough. So I think I’ll be fine,”

I faced the bag with my fists primed and ready to fire. Even as I stood there just needing to throw a punch, I still found myself hesitant for some odd reason. Even when I tried to convince myself that I was gonna hit something inanimate, I still found hesitation in myself. I guess I’ve been restricting myself for so long that I’ve become too benign even for the most insignificant kinds of violence… but then again, that wasn’t quite true.

I know for a fact that I’m capable of aggressive behavior. I remembered the first time we met May, that time at the alley. Back then, I was so confident enough in my new body that I challenged that drunk into a fight, without a second thought to the relative combat experience between myself and my opponent. I didn’t even bother to think if the guy was just pretending to be drunk. What would’ve happened then…? ‘That was just stupid and cocky,’ . And in that very instant, I unwittingly imagined a human face on the bag… my own.

In a fit of anger at my reflected mistake, I bombarded the bag with mindless punches in an attempt to get rid of rage that I might have kept inside. The bag barely moved to my punches, hardly sent flying beyond a few centimeters from its resting state. Even without looking at the surrounding people, I could tell that their eyes were on me, trying to guess the reason for my nonsensical barrage. I didn’t really care though, for my mind was crowded by other more important questions.

I understood that if I was to do my duty, if I was to fulfill my promise, I would need to master this new body. I would need to know its strengths and its limits. And once those limits have been found, another question would arise... Could I go further? For if I couldn’t find respect for boundaries of this form, I might as well have never had it.

Having exhausted my anger, I switched my stance to something more reasonable; something more akin to a stance that would bring results. One foot forward, one foot back with heels not completely to the ground; knees slightly bent; head low with one shoulder pointed towards the target; arms closed in tight with fists at eye level. It was the first time I’ve ever taken such a pose before but I could definitely tell there was power to it. Specific muscles in my body tightened, compressing energy like a spring just waiting to return to its relaxed state.

As I stood there, I tried to recall the images of how those people before me moved, how they efficiently converted their strength into raw force. I remembered them using their legs; stepping forward, pushing their weight into their fists, even going as far as to rotate to gain more momentum. I understood the physics behind them but it still amazed me how simple it all seemed. And with the process burnt into my mind, I threw hesitation out the window and allowed my punch to fly.

I felt force make its way from my foot to my torso like lightning as every muscle in my body tugged on each other, trying to keep themselves from tearing. At the same time, my right arm extended in a straight line at high speed while my upper body twisted in the same direction as I forced all my weight into my fist. And when it finally landed on my target, a loud bang echoed within the gym.

Unlike before, the bag was sent flying from the single punch, about two feet from its resting position. Chains rattled as energy forced itself to flow into them. And as the bag began to reverse its momentum, I twisted my body again in the opposite direction and threw a left punch with almost the same power as before. The punch landed and the same loud bang echoed again as all momentum gathered by the falling thing was cancelled out and was forced back into the air again.

My blood started to race as I began a second barrage of blows against the hanging sandbag. Unlike the first, these punches were stronger… sharper… more destructive.

Hit after hit came without relent; the bag hardly given quarter. Each successive blow enhanced the physics of its predecessor, while at the same time increased the heat of my already burning blood. Evolution fueled not by rage, but by determination and a razor-like will.

In my fervor, I lost track of my punches. Yet even then, it was very evident that they were many, more than anyone would dare to count. And though I was far from completely exhausted, if there was anything my upbringing has taught me, it was when to show restraint. I caught the bag mid swing while I took a moment to breathe; I then turned away from it, my lungs still burnt from fatigue. “Well… that felt… good,” I said panting. There, widened eyes directed themselves at me as I looked back at them, one by one in confusion. “…what?”

“Dude, I’m seriously beginning to doubt your “Never been to a gym” excuse,” said Alex as he walked towards me. “I mean seriously, have you heard your punches?! I know you threw some very stupid looking punches in the beginning – no offense. But damn did your blows get sharp and crisp fast!” he exclaimed, arms extended far apart in an attempt to exaggerate his sentence.

“How about a sparring session then?” said a voice from the other end of the gym. There, a female started to walk towards us. She was a tall woman of a relatively youthful cast – probably in her late twenties – with a lean athletic build that was undoubtedly sculpted by hard training. She had brown hair styled with a braided ponytail with much of her bangs parted to one side and a tattoo of colored bars on her left cheek. She wore a gray sports bra and a pair jogging pants both with the gym logo printed on the articles of clothing.

When she reached us, she extended a hand and introduced herself. “Name’s Diana, nice to meet ya!”

“Daniel. Pleasure’s mine,” I said as I reached for her hand.

Her hand was definitely that of a fighter; with lean but well-defined muscles racing along her arms and a strong grip to boot. I could only imagine the type of regimen she restricts herself to.

As I continued to admire her magnificent build, I was interrupted by a rather loud objection from Alex. “Spar? You can’t be serious, Di!”

“I am actually,” She said with finality as she let go of my hand. “I wanna see if those punches I heard we’re really worth the decibels they made. Besides, you said you wanted to know if this guy really is a newbie, so a spar would be a win-win.”

I kind of understood what Diana was getting at, but from how Alex’s face looked like, it seemed he had a thing or two to say against it. “Yeah, I agree that a spar is the best option. But a spar against you is just killing it. I mean, most people in this gym wouldn't like to spar against you. You're a pro for goodness sake!”

A spark of curiosity wormed its way through me when I heard Alex's last sentence and I found myself asking, “pro?”

“Yeah, I'm a licensed professional MMA fighter,” she answered in a proud tone and a happy smile. Her smile then turned into a small but very noticeably smug one as she brushed her fingernails on her top. “And we'll, not to brag or anything but I'm also the regional MMA champion.”

Alex only looked at her with half lidded eyes of disapproval as he gave his rebuttal. “All the more reason to say no.”

I was happy that someone would offer to spar with me just because they heard me punch, let alone by a regional champion. Although learning about that fact makes me a bit scared. “I’m glad you think my punches are good and all, but with the credentials you just talked about, I don't think I can win.”

Diana only looked at me puzzled by my reasoning. “Well you don't have to win. Sparring isn't about winning, it's about gauging one's abilities. For damage, you’ll be wearing some safety gear, so you shouldn't worry too much. Besides from the look of you, I can guess you're about one or two weight classes above me. That means you should have the advantage in the raw power department,” she explained in an attempt to persuade me. “So what do you say?”

With the negatives all but alleviated by her statement, her offer just became more enticing than when I first heard it. I still had my doubts, but even they were fast lapsing into insignificance. Unable to really decide, I turned to Alex who seemed to still question the idea. “What do you think?”

“If you ask me, I’d rather just spar with someone else. Not because I think it’s a waste of time, but because I’m kind of afraid of her. And now that I think about it, I shouldn’t have said that coz now I just stroked her ego,” he said as he glanced Diana’s smug face to which he shook his head slowly with a sarcastic smile. “But hey, what do I know. This is your decision man. I’m just asking you to be cautious.”

After hearing his opinion, I took a bit of time to think about it and consider the pros and cons of it all. And in that time, there was only one idea that kept me convinced; if I did accept the offer to spar, I would finally have a concrete way of truly assessing this human body.

“How do we do this?”

Diana smiled as she heard my acceptance. “Boxing rules and ring, three rounds with two minute-rounds.”

For a second time I turned to look at Alex and asked for his council. He only nodded at me and then turned to her to give an answer. “Those seem fair,”

“Great!” She answered, “Teach him some basics. I’m just gonna get some gear for him.”

And just as agreed upon, Alex did teach me a bit about the rules and about the intricacies of what I was getting into; from the names and types of punches, to how I should put up my guard and how to lessen damage. And although it was apparent that he still disagreed with my decision, he still respected it by doing his end of a bargain to the best of his abilities. And once Diana returned with the headgear and other items, I immediately put them on and readied myself for the fight.

I was still a bit scared, there was no denying that. I also had to admit that for some reason I was more excited than I should have been. I climbed the step into the ring with my blood racing with both anticipation and fear. And before I could enter the ring, Alex gave me my first tip of the match. “Keep your guard up this whole round. If you really do learn just by watching, then just keep yourself standing and watch how she moves.”

As I stood there, waiting to hear the bell ring, I felt my gut twist and turn with the myriad of emotions that waged war against each other inside of me. I understood that this was nothing more than a spar with almost nothing on the line. Even then I could hardly calm myself. Back in Equestria, I would be most of the time driven out of the fray due to my diminutive form. Ponies would always tell me to run and keep myself safe. Yet now I find myself in a fight out of my own decision without anyone to force me otherwise.

‘This whole thing really is weird.’

Ding! I heard the bell ring and I turned to face at Diana; my face hidden behind my arms as per Alex’s instructions. There on the other side of the corner, she stood her ground – or rather… hopped. She was jumping in small hops back and forth as she advanced the center of the ring; her movements, light and rhythmic.

I couldn't really understand why she had to move like that. To me it looked quite silly. Then again, maybe my thoughts and views were a manifestation of my inexperience; what looked like a waste of energy to me was maybe something efficient to her.

We both made our way towards the center of the ring, our eyes squarely locked to each other as our footsteps guided us to our chosen location. And once were stood at the center and inches from each other, I found myself itching to throw the first blow.

I knew that I should stick to the plan; that I should just defend and keep the potential damage to a minimum while I observe how a true fighter moves.t Even with that knowledge it took me considerable effort to keep myself in check while I waited for the real thing to start. Luckily, it seemed that I didn't have to wait long.

After a few seconds of getting in striking distance, I saw Diana's left began to extend and reach. Almost instantaneously, the muscles in my arms began to tighten and harden in anticipation for the strike. When it made contact, the punch hardly had any power to it to the point where it was literally just a tap.

I relaxed my arms and opened a small gap in between my arms so I could see in front of me. Instead of an image of Diana, all I saw was red. The same red as her gloves.

In an instant, I was forced back a step while my guard was swung open. I tried to stop the momentum and regain my guard. Before I could, I felt another swift punch that made contact with nothing less than my face.

Again I was forced back a few steps. My nose and cheeks stung like hell. Yet from the way those punches were thrown... I could only guess that it's just gonna get more painful from here.

From outside the ring, I heard Alex shout at me. “What are you doing dude?! You can't let yourself get nailed by her jabs! Keep your guard up!”

As his words reached me, I snapped myself out of my momentary lapse and lifted my arms from their rest. As soon as I had my defenses up, Diana charged in and peppered me with lefts and a few rights thrown in between.

Even from behind my guard, I could feel the destructiveness of her punches. Each blow felt like it went through and penetrated even when my defenses held firm, my arms taking much of the damage. They were fast as well; each combination would hit with force and speed with very little delay in between even when two punches came from the same arm.

The first round went on like that; with me in a desperate bid to keep her at bay as I waited for the round to end. And when the bell did ring, I walked towards my corner and was finally allowed to lower my guard and breathe. As I turned to look back at Diana' corner, my jaw dropped at what I saw... or rather, what I didn't see.

There was hardly a bead of sweat on Diana. She didn't even sit down and instead she stood by her corner while she talked with people from outside of the ring. Though I went into this knowing she was a professional fighter, it was just at awe at how seemingly big the gap between the two of us was. Not only were her punches explosive in power, she stamina is high enough to not make her break a sweat even after throwing a considerable number of them.

For a few seconds I wondered how she could've possibly attained such power, such speed and stamina. All the while, asking myself if it was possible for me to reach such a level. And as if it was, how long would it take. 'If only I could take this body back to Equestria.'

“Dude, You alright?” Alex said, snapping his fingers a few times at my face.

“Ye-yeah,”

His eyes squinted as he looked at me, but let the thought go as he turned his sights on Diana for a second then back towards me. “So… what do you think?” He said as he handed me a towel.

I contemplated on my answer as I dried myself with the cloth. “I think you were right, I am in over my head. She may be female but the power she packs is something that should never be underestimated. I still couldn't even believe she baited me into weakening my guard.”

he raised an eyebrow at that. “I don't think she baited you to do anything.” He said without any hint of doubt. “The first 'punch' you thought was gonna hit was just her measuring her range. It was more on you weakening your defenses. That being said, I do think she has every ability to break your guard if she wanted to. So what's the plan now? Do you want me to throw in the towel and end all of this?”

“No.” I answered swiftly, my stare sharp and my tone definitive. I accepted this spar so I could measure what this human body can do. And all I’ve learned currently is just how strong she is.

“Well, it's not like I didn't see that coming. Alright, now here's my second question. What do you plan to do this round? You really can't just keep your guard up until the bell rings,” he asked.

He was right; there was no way I'd survive another round against Diana simply by defending. I know that first hand. “No, I can’t,” I said, turning towards my opponent. “That’s why I’m gonna lower my arms every once and a while to try and return a few whenever can,”

“You can’t be serious?!” Alex exclaimed loudly. His calm and controlled demeanor all but shattered. “She’ll destroy you before you could even land a hit!”

I chuckle at his sudden exclamation. Yet even while I found them funny, I understood just how true his words were. Then again, so were mine. “If that’s the case, then I wanna see how much I can take before I go down,”

The bell rang and I took my mouthpiece from Alex and put it on. Before I could move away from my corner, I felt a tug on my shirt. There, Alex looked at me with an expression of disbelief and said, “Has anyone told you that you’re insane?”

I couldn’t help but laugh and almost spit out my mouthpiece. “Does it help if I say I have the instincts of a dragon?”

With the second round bell already rung, Diana and I once again made our way towards the center of the ring. And unlike before, this time there was a difference. And it seemed like she knew it too. For the very moment I stepped within her range, she wasted no time and started the fight with a right jab directed towards my guard.

One after the other, Diana would release punches that chipped away at my defenses. And just like before, her blows were flawless. Their power, enough to cut even air with just the most basic of techniques. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before my arms would give way and open me up to her strikes. Unlike the first round, this time I wanted to see what I could really do against her.

With a single swift step to the side, I moved out of Diana's attack range and ended her barrage. The move unquestionably caught her off guard. She was caught off guard even more when she saw my stance change. I opened my guard and relaxed my muscles. My arms were spread apart and my fists clenched and ready to return the favor of the first round.

Diana only stood at the center, baffled at whether I was serious at what my stance indicated. As a single second ticked by, a small smile manifested itself on her lips as an acknowledgement to my request. And not to be outdone, she shifted fighting stances as well. She lowered her arms; her primary arm held farther from her center of mass, while the other stayed close to her head, just below her lips. And with her shoulders lowered and her back straight, she signaled me to start.

Her new pose looked less stiff when compared to before, more flexible and willing to flow, something that made me fear her even more. For I know that she had just loosened her shackles - if not removed them completely. And judging from the competitive smile still plastered on her face, I could tell that she had no plans to disappoint.

Seconds ticked on and I felt the pressure mount, making it hard to breathe. Not wanting to let it overwhelm me anymore than it already has, I took the only option I had... move in towards the kill zone. I knew in myself that this wasn't going to be easy, afraid that maybe I made the wrong decision. I already know just how painful and scary her punches are back in the first round. Considering that she now planned to hold nothing back, I have every reason to be afraid. Yet Even with such hesitation and fear, something kept pushing me forward. With each step, I felt my blood rush inside my veins, my body heat rise in anticipation, my muscles tighten at the need to equal her power.

'It seemed like this body was more determined to test itself than I was'

With Diana well within my range and my fists long since primed, I unleashed a single trial jab at her. Unsurprisingly, she dodged the punch with hardly any effort.

Unhindered by the initial failure, I kept throwing jabs at her in the hope of landing at least one. Just as the first, she dodged each one with ease, literally dancing around the ring while I tried to hopelessly catch her.

It slowly became infuriating on my part that I couldn't land even a single blow on her considering the numerous amount of punches I threw her way. She was simply too hard to hit with her hopping around. I could only guess that this was the very reason for all that shenanigans earlier on. And as my frustration mounted, I unwittingly snapped and for a single moment lost control.

I gathered all the momentum I could get in a split second and placed all of my weight into a single right punch. There was no intricate thought put on the blow, only that 'I hit Diana'. And it seemed that I finally had that chance. Because unlike before, she didn't step out of the punch's trajectory. I didn't know whether my move caught her off-guard or if she simply didn't have enough time to react. In that single moment, I thought that I might have finally caught her. Yet before my fist could make contact, my face felt pressure and pain I have never felt.

In an instant all the momentum I had in throwing that heavy right straight was snuffed out and instead I found myself staggering backwards, trying with all my might to not fall down. And the moment I found my balance, I immediately turned to look at Diana due to the surprise of not knowing what happened.

She stood exactly where she was when I was throwing the punch. Her right arm fully extended while her head was ducked to one side. Her changed pose confused me even more than I already was. As the seconds ticked by, I began to place the things together. Yet knowing what happened only served to incapacitate me even more.

Luckily it seemed I wasn't the only who was surprised at how things went, for Diana also stood motionless. Eyes wide for some unknown reason. I didn't know why she was like that, but I knew to be thankful that she was. For if she was to snap out of her thought before I did, I would have been an open target.

I didn't have to wait long however, because the moment my mind regained its attention, I saw a small grin emerge from her visage. And before an additional moment could tick by, she charged at me like a predator, her weapon primed for the kill.

I instinctively swung to one side, barely evading the attack. Without fail, a second punch was thrown. And just like the first, I barely had time to dodge but did so anyways with surprising speed. This was the first time I could really test the reactiveness of this body, I couldn’t give myself time to enjoy such achievements. All my attention was focused on trying to evade each blow she planned to land on my face.

The fear I felt when I saw Diana change stances during the first few seconds of this round was not misjudged. For the power difference of this Diana and the one I fought in the first round is staggering. Because if her punches in the first round was able to make the surrounding air whistle, this time she was making it roar.

Again and again, I would hardly dodge her terrifying blows. Only hoping that I could be able to avoid the inevitable next. Even in my heart pumping situation, I couldn't help but wonder at something. Was this power the same thing that hit me just a moment ago? If so, how was I able to stay standing, let alone have enough consciousness to evade her assault.

in my imaginings however, I unwittingly allowed my attention to waver, and Diana -being the professional fighter that she was – saw it and took advantage.

She landed a blow to my midsection and instantly all the air in my lungs was forced out. The pain was unbearable and I wasn't able to help but pull my arms towards the damaged area.

'Is this what her power is capable of?!'

I must have looked pathetic after that punch, for she must have thought I was primed for the take down. She stepped in and crouched her body low and pulled her right arm back. And before I could even bow my head to look at her, her arm snapped forward for the kill.

Frozen I must have looked as she dragged her fist through the air simply to deliver it to my face. And she wasn't wrong.

I was grasped by fear as I saw that was coming towards me. My thinking was at a halt while my body outright refused to listen and move away. With all my options exhausted, and my knowledge and fear of Diana's power, I closed my eyes and simply gave into the incoming blow. It seemed though, that there was something else in me that thought otherwise.

My blood went alive and my body instantly regained its movement. Every muscle in my right arm tensed and I felt my fist fly towards Diana's direction.

I didn't see exactly what happened because my eyes were still closed during all this. My fist moved through the air, but I didn't feel anything stop it, only graze it. I could only guess that I missed. And with that thought, I could only wait for Diana's blow to land. And yet, nothing came.

I opened my eyes to see Diana a few steps away from me. I couldn't understand why she was a few feet away when just a few moments ago she was just inches from me, ready to finish it. As far as I know, I didn't move. Yet as I looked at her I saw an expression on her face I never thought I'd see.

I stepped forward and threw a trial jab at her and just as expected she dodged it. Unlike before though, she did not step aside. Instead, she stepped back.

In a surprising turn of events, the momentum and control of the fight had turned to my favor as I pushed Diana around with a flurry of jabs. I knew for certain that I was in control and not being baited into something because unlike earlier, there was something different about how Diana avoided my punches. Her movement was forced... afraid.

I wasn’t exactly sure what happened but it seemed that the punch did something. Though I couldn't really understand what since I never felt it connect. All that I knew was that I simply needed to take advantage of it.

With a combination of jabs, I was able to drive her into a corner. And once there, I threw everything I could; from wide swung hooks to heavily weighted straights, each hit earning a grunt from her battered form. And with each grunt, my blood would pump faster and faster, just like with the punching bag. This time however, I had hardly any control. All I could think about was winning… just keep punching and win… win.

And in my combat trance, Diana ducked to the left in an almost instant maneuver, her movements fast and decisive, leaving me with no time to react. At first I thought she was just trying to find a way out of the corner, my body only tensed up when I felt the top of her head touch my chest.

In that split second I felt a blow connect, my internal organs sloshed all over the place, my breathing and my mind spontaneously stopping. I couldn’t understand how she was able to deliver such a powerful blow from the corner of the ring with hardly any room to gain momentum, but it was more than enough that it stopped my barrage entirely and forced my knees to buckle.

A second punch was thrown and all the air in my lungs was forced out, the pain doubling. Luckily, the second punch had the upside of restarting my breathing and breaking me from my trance, but even then, the pain was so excruciating that my mind started to faint.

Instinctively, I took a step back in an attempt to keep myself awake and standing. Yet before I could look at Diana and retaliate, she threw a third that I should have seen coming.

*************************

I didn’t understand how the third blow happened; I didn’t even see what kind of punch it was. All I knew was that I was now face down on the canvas, scrambling to alleviate the throbbing, maddening pain that now assaulted me. My right ear rang in agony as if a dagger had been driven through it, my mind spun as it reeled from a pain unimaginable, while my body didn’t fare any better due to the two blows I received to my midsection. Even in my dizziness and failing consciousness, I was still able to tell that the people that watched the spar turned deathmatch started to come to my aid.

I was rested on my back in an attempt to reduce and treat the pain I felt. Though even before they touched my body again, the pain started to vanish. Not vanish completely but enough for me to at least keep myself conscious.

I heard muffled shouting which at first sounded gibberish to me with my hearing made useless by the pain and all. Thankfully, just like everything else that hurt, my hearing did start to slowly recover until finally I was able to make out what they were saying.

“DAMN IT DI! WHY WOULD YOU GO ALL OUT! THIS WHOLE THING WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A SPARRING MATCH!” shouted Alex, his words filled with fury and volume enough to rattle my already pained eardrum.

“Stop yelling at me, Alex! You saw what happened, I got cornered and the guy got cocky! I just put him in his place. Besides, he's wearing headgear.” Diana rebutted as I felt fleeting footsteps thanks to the canvas.

“PUT HIM IN HIS PLACE?! YOU USED YOUR KILL SHOT ON HIM!” He shouted again as I felt his fingers on my pulse. “I knew he shouldn't have sparred with you!” he added under his breath. “HEY! WHERE'S THAT FIRST AID KIT I ASKED FOR?!”

The loud noises only proved to make my throbbing ear hurt more than it already did. I waved my hand at him as I started to sit up from where I laid. “Could you keep it down? My head is throbbing as it is… ugh...”

“Dude, you alright?” He said as he saw me rise.

Though I still felt sore and hurting, the pain was no longer as debilitating as before; something I’m more surprised with than thankful for. “Yeah… a bit sore here and there, but otherwise I don’t think she broke anything,” I answered as I removed my headgear and mouthpiece and rubbed my right temple.

He looked at me in worry as he saw my attempts to relieve my dizziness. “You shouldn’t be moving too much, man. Headgear or not, you took one hell of a blow to the noggin.”

“Ah man! You can say that again!” I exclaimed. And as I continued to rub my temple, a question reared itself in the back of my mind. “Say, what did she hit me with anyway? All I remember was getting hit in the body twice and then suddenly I was down on the mat… as if I blacked out or something.”

“You blacked out huh?” He said with a snicker. “That doesn’t surprise me. You got hit by Diana’s signature haymaker; The Sonic Rainboom.”

I instantly turned to him as he spoke those last three words, my face contorted into surprise and disbelief. “Sonic… Rainboom…?”

“I know right?” Alex said without turning to face me. “I mean come on, who the hell names a right hook ‘The Sonic Rainboom’?! Then again, with the power of the thing, I won’t be saying that to her face anytime soon.”

Thoughts raced through my mind as I considered the meaning of this revelation. Among all of them, one idea stood out from the rest… ‘I think I just found Rainbow Dash,’

“But do you know why she calls it that?” Alex asked, snapping me out of my thoughts . “You said that you blacked-out when you got hit by it. But did you see colors before you blacked out? If you did, that's one reason. Another is that the Sonic Rainboom has this signature sound when it makes contact. And the more damage it does the more crisp the sound. I wish you could’ve heard it yourself. But then again, you shouldn’t really be able to when you’re the one on the receiving end.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I guess it was pathetic of me to black out.”

“Hey man, you should be proud. Headgear or not, you got off easy! Especially if you consider the one you got hit with was one of the best sounding sonic rainbooms I’ve ever heard!” he exclaimed with eyes wide open. “I’d reckon that if anyone else from the gym was hit by the same one that got you, they’d be out cold for half a day! And that’s with headgear! Without one… let’s just say you’d be riding one hell of a pain train,”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Alex turned to me with a small smirk the moment he heard my question. “Another signature of the sonic rainboom is that if you’re hit without your headgear, you have a huge chance of getting an eardrum ruptured,” He explained. “To be quite frank, I’m not even sure how you’re conscious. I could even bet that if Di saw you were awake; talking like you’re doing now, she might just want to punch you again!”

I simply couldn’t believe what he was implying. He was right to say that among everyone here, I should’ve been the one who know just how powerful that punch of hers was. And yet, I’m not really sure if the sonic rainboom he’s depicting and the sonic rainboom I got hit with was the same thing. I’m not discrediting her power in any way; rather I think the difference had more to do with me than with her.

And as I thought about the punch's power, I noticed something that should have noticed earlier. “Where’s Diana?”

“She walked away when you were still out cold. She’s probably inside Brian's office getting her own injuries taken care off,” said Alex. “And probably getting an earful from her dad while she's at it,” He continued with a small chuckle at the end.

In an instant I turned to look at him with a questioning expression. “Dad?”

“Oh right,” He said as he slapped his palm to his forehead with an audible pop. “Diana isn't just the gym's prized fighter and occasional headache, she's also Brian's daughter. Her full name is Rachelle Diana Lynge.”

Through it was definitely a surprise to hear that Diana was related to Mr. Lynge, the more I thought about it the less strange the idea became given the resemblance. And I would've chuckled at the idea if not for a sudden change atmosphere that I felt from Alex.

“It never really mattered to me whether you were really a newbie at this or not, I was simply curious. But after what I’ve seen and what you've done, I can’t really see you as anything less than a beginner. Now if you’re still gonna stick to your old statement then I wanna know something. How were you able to threaten Di enough to make her use the sonic rainboom?”

I looked at him a tentative expression as I tried to understand what answer he wanted for his question. I never really needed to think about it, for the answer I wanted to give was something that already disturbed my psyche the moment I woke from Diana's haymaker. And when I was ready, I gave him my answer without any hints of joking or sarcasm.

“Something in me didn't want to lose.”

*************

Inside the Gym’s office, a father and his daughter argued as the sound of running water masked their conversation. One of them was in front of a lavatory; her hands and arms in between the flow of the water. The other was sat down on his table.

“WHY DID YOU USE THE SONIC RAINBOOM ON THE KID!? YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO USE IT UNLESS YOU HAVE A FIGHT TO TRAIN FOR!” shouted Brian from across the room, his glaring eyes aimed at nothing but his daughter.

The target of his assault didn't answer, not even flinch; something that only served to infuriate her father even more. “ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME RACHELLE?! YOU CAN'T JUST USE THAT PUNCH JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE PISSES YOU OFF!”

Finally, her daughter showed signs of attention as she turned to look at her father's fuming expression, though her own face was that of indifference and disregard. And after just a few seconds, she simply turned back to the lavatory as if there was nothing to discuss.

Brian reached his boiling point after seeing his daughter's apparent disregard for the topic, and was about to give her a second serving if it wasn't for her finally 'contributing' to the conversation.

“Hire the kid, pops.” She said in a stern, commanding tone. A tone that surprised her father out of his temper.

“Why am I hearing that as anything other than a bailout plan?” Brian asked.

Diana turned her head to look at her father's questioning expression. “Because it's not.” She then turned around and held her still wet arms by her face in full view of her father. They were full of bruises, some looked much worse than others. “You said that I shouldn't use the Sonic Rainboom randomly. In my defense and… and regret admitting, if I didn't use it when I did, the guy would have done more than just break my guard.” She finished.

Brian could only look at his daughter's arms in awe as he wondered how someone was able to that much damage to his daughter.

She then turned towards the lavatory once more, but before she opened the faucet she gave her father a final convincing. “Hire him dad. The kid has raw power, and I wanna see what he can really do with it.”

*************

After a bit of rest and first aid, Mr. Lynge came to me and personally apologized about the damage I sustained from my spar. I offered that it was my fault for accepting the challenge even after being warned about our skill gap. We had a bit of laugh at my quip. He stopped and then gave me news I was more than happy to receive.

I went on my way home with Alex accompanying me. I objected his offer to walk me home at first, saying I was OK and that I didn’t want to be a bother. But he insisted, saying that a concussion was still a real possibility and he was afraid that I might black-out at random somewhere.

It was fairly peaceful around town as we walked home, though that's to be expected since it was already dark when we left the gym. On the way, I asked Alex if we could take a detour to the city library. At first he asked me why I wanted to go there, to which I only answered that I wanted to check on someone. We made our way to the library, and I thanks to Alex's knowledge of the area, we made it record time.

“Well, it’s closed,” He said as we stood there, our eyes towards the library’s closed double doors. “What did you want to check out anyway?”

“I have a friend who works here. I just wanted to check if she got home alright,”

“'She?' Well if that's the case, let's get you home then. We can't leave this girl of yours waiting any longer than she already has,” He said as he snickered.

“It's nothing like that, man. She’s just a friend,” I replied, understanding very well where he was going. “And besides, she's my roommate. So when I do get home, you’re the one who’s gonna need you to explain my bandages to her,” I rebutted with a snicker of my own.

He readied himself for his rebuttal, but instead of speaking, he went silent. For few moments he stood there trying to think of is reply. But in the end, he couldn't find one and instead said, “Well played...”

With our trip to the library done, we continued on our way. And within a few minutes, we reached home.

The house was fully lit. So I could only guess that someone was already home. I knocked on the door and sure enough, Twilight was inside to open it.

“Hey Twi...” I greeted. “Well um... I'm home.”

Twilight stood there speechless, her eyes directed towards me. And I pretty much knew why.

“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU SPIKE?! Why are you all heavily bandaged like that?! Did you get into an accident?!” She instantly asked in an almost hysterical fashion.

She kept on her barrage of worried question to the point that all I could really do was wave my arms in surrender and try to calm her down. “I'm OK Twi, really.” I answered, with a calm voice and a warm smile.

“Are you sure? But why are you all bandaged like that?!” She asked again; her composure thankfully calming down.

“I'll explain everything later. Right now, can't we just go in first? Besides, I have a visitor,” I said, and then moved aside to give her a view of Alex.

He did a small wave and a rather awkward smile. “Uh, good evening…?”

The three of us entered the house and I led Alex to the living room sofa while Twilight prepared some tea. May wasn’t home yet and Twilight said that she’d be late due to some extra work that she needed.

When the tea was ready and all of us seated, I began to explain with absolute sensitivity to Twilight the reasons for my banged up appearance, all the while turning to Alex to vouch for my words. As I explained things to her, I tried to make sure the incident sounded like it was my fault. As for the concussion tidbit of the story, I made sure I omitted that, and thankfully so did Alex.

No matter how hard I tried to make the whole thing sound trivial, I wasn’t able to keep her from getting angry… and by Celestia was she furious. She even threatened to go to the gym tomorrow and talk to Diana about, and I quote, 'ripping her a new one...'

'Yeah... Good luck with that!'

She was so furious about the matter that it took the convincing powers of both Alex and I to even calm her down enough for her to breathe. Eventually, she did calm down and we decided to change the topic to more casual things - as to not ignite Twilight's hair in fiery anger. I didn’t have any topics in mind to redirect the conversation besides the usual ‘How was your day?’ routine. Luckily, Alex had my back and he brought up how May was affiliated with the Lynges and how she knew about the move.

Apparently, May was once a member of the gym a few years back, but had to quit due to college responsibilities. At first I had trouble believing this due to my own experience with May’s ability to defend herself. This didn’t shock Alex however, saying that May was never really into the combat side of the training and instead was more into the fitness side of it. Though he believed that she’s fairly capable of protecting herself if worse came to worse.

As we talked, Alex glimpsed the living room clock and stood up from the sofa. “Think I need to go guys, it’s getting late; the Mrs. could be worried sick. It was a pleasure to meet you both and thanks for the hospitality.”

“You’re married?!” I asked, honestly surprised.

“Yeah, and I have a one-year-old baby girl too!” He answered with a smile of a proud father.

Twilight and I accompanied Alex to the door and I opened it for him. “Thanks again for everything Alex. You take care of yourself,” I thanked as I shook his hand and waved goodbye.

Alex waved back as he walked off the front porch, “No problem man. I should be the one saying take care; you’re the one who’s banged up! Anyway, take care of yourself. Get a checkup or something,” And as he was walking away, he turned around and shouted, “Oh and see you in three days!”

As Twilight and I went inside, she turned to me with furrowed brows of confusion. “What did he mean by three days?”

“Oh right! Sir Brian, the manager of the gym, offered me a job as an assistant bookkeeper. I'm supposed to start in a few days. Isn’t that great?!” I said in a rather giddy fashion. “I wasn’t really sure if they gave me the job because of good will and my work ethic, or if they just didn’t want me to sue. I think it’s the last one. But I don’t really care. I’m just happy I found a job.”

And in my celebration, I did not notice Twilight’s silence and tentative stare that was directed specifically towards me. “Spike… I don’t think you should go back there.”

“WHAT? Why?” I replied in a bit of a surprised shout. “Is it because of my injuries? Because if it is, I’ll promise that it’ll never happen again. I’ll just be a book keeper there. I'm gonna be training, yes. But when I do, I know how to be careful, Twilight. I'm not a baby.”

“But that's the thing Spike! No matter how strong, how mature your human body looks like; you're just a baby dragon! You shouldn't be doing such dangerous things!”

My teeth gritted at her words. I’ve always thought that I've gotten used to hearing such sentiments, but it seems I was wrong. “Is that all you see me as, Twilight? Am I really just a child to you?” I asked; my tone emotionless, but my face saying the opposite.

Twilight stood there silent, her eyes wide from hesitant for one reason or another. “Aren’t you?!”

I let out a sigh as I felt her words and attitude pierced my heart. “You once asked me why I was given this body, why I was an adult and not a child. I told you I did not know… I lied. Yes Twilight, I am a child, but only by the standards of your species, not mine,” I looked her in the eyes “Back in Equestria I was a child, not because I was one, but because it was my choice to stay and be called as one.”

She squinted at me and leaned in. “What… do you mean?”

I really didn’t want to explain the topic of my true maturity to her in such conditions, but it seemed I had no choice. I sat both of us down on the sofa and relaxed myself down.

“Do you remember the time that I hoarded, Twilight?” I asked her, my head slumping. “I do, each and every day. It was the first time I’ve ever personally encountered something that had to do with my heritage… something that reminded me what I truly am.”

I snickered as I recollected on the events in question, I then sighed as I lifted my head to face Twilight. “Dragons aren’t anything like ponies, Twilight. We hatch from our eggs, mature at an accelerated rate, live for millions of years, only to live lives devoted to irrelevant treasures. And when we do try to go against our nature, we are punished for it. Our bodies stay young but vulnerable. To grow, we are given only two options; either we try to survive to see centuries pass, or we surrender to instinct and let our twisted nature take hold.”

I heard a gasp from Twilight as she looked at me with widened eyes, her hands covering her mouth. “S-spike, why didn’t you tell me?”

“If only I could,” I answered as I flashed for her a fake smile. “In the aftermath of my rampage, I went around Ponyville looking for anything I could do to help, anything that could at least help me feel like I’ve regained my keep… But it seemed nobody wanted it. Everywhere I went I was cast out, some more violently than others. I kept it a secret because I was afraid that if my real maturity was to be known that everypony would try to cast me out... exile me away. And if my secret 'was' to be uncovered, I don't think I'm too far off.”

I paused and gave off a short chuckle before I continued. “No matter how benign ponies are, when it's their lives and their loved-ones that are threatened, they would have every reason to stand against the danger. And I could never be angry at them if they did.”

It felt surreal to reminiscence on those days. Sure it was and currently is the worst day of my life. Looking back at it now puts a bit of perspective into the decisions I've made in my life up to now.

“People say that everyone has their demons. But I think only a handful have come across demons inside them that could destroy everything that they stand up for. All while making them watch as they did so. It just makes you feel like you're a prisoner in your own body,”

To tell the truth I've never truly hated my situation. I didn't hate it because I thought that I had no other option; that I could only accept it. So I did. Although now that I've tasted something different, tasted freedom, I guess I've started to grow nothing but contempt for it.

“I am finally free Twilight. In this human body, I can do things I could've only imagine if I was in my infant form. Twilight, I am...” I was stopped mid sentence, my eyes widening when I turned to Twilight.

Her face was drenched with tears while her lips quivered with emotion I did not understand.

“...Twilight?” I thought out loud as I placed a hand on her shoulder.

In-between her sniffling, I heard her answer. “I'm... sorry.”

Confused by her words, I asked. “What are you apologizing for Twilight?”

She didn't answer instantly, simply looked down on the floor and continued to snivel and tear up.

It pained me to see her like this. Yet it pained me more to be unable to help her. I gently shook her shoulder and asked her again. “Come on Twilight, tell me what's wrong.”

She finally looked me in the eyes, her scleras bloodshot from her crying. “I'm so sorry Spike. I didn't know how much pain you've been through.”

I smiled at her sentiment. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Twilight. It's nobody's fault.” I placed my hand on top of her head. But to my surprise, she grabbed it from her head and squeezed it with surprising strength.

“Don't you see Spike?! I'm the reason why you've been suffering! I'm the reason why you have to go through such pains!” She argued with volume enough to shake me. “All this time, I've been treating you like a pony, not considering the harm it would do to you. Please forgive me Spike. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...”

I should have seen this coming. 'Blast it.'

Once again, I placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder. “You have nothing to be sorry about. If there's anyone to blame, It's me for not being able to keep my instincts in check.”

“But Spike, I stopped you from becoming what you are. I kept you from being what you needed to be. All so that I could raise you and please the princess,” she reasoned, heaving in between her statement due to her crying.

I moved my hand to her cheek and wiped away a tear from her face. I then gave her an honest smiled as I looked her in the eyes. “Twilight, my life with you have been the best days of my life. And that should say something. With you and our friends, I learned things that hardly any dragon knows. I've felt enjoyment and fulfillment that no amount of treasures could ever make me feel. You shouldn't be sorry,” I said, honesty in my words. “What I need to be, Twilight, is exactly what I turned out to be. Because you raised me the way you thought right, I gained something no other dragon can claim to have... Freedom. Freedom to oppose my instincts and choose for myself what is right from wrong.”

She simply sat there, immobile to the point that even her sniffling vanished. I knew that telling her this might just overwhelm her. Then again, she simply needed to know.

“It's true that I am a prisoner of my dragon body because of that freedom you've given me. But know that without it, I would just be another dragon driven by instinct, ignorant to the beauty of the world. And because of that freedom, I'm able to decide and tell you that when we are finished with this business with earth... I will come back home to Equestria wholeheartedly. With or without this body,” I stated with finality and a smile on my face. “I would very much like to bring this body back to Equestria if I could, don't get me wrong. But even if I couldn't, I would still go back. Because you made me a promise to not send me away. And what kind of best friend would I be if I was the one to make you break that promise?”

She looked at me, her eyes wide and her mouth agape, he beautiful pupils reflecting back the image of my soft smile. Bit by bit she understood that the person she was talking to was the real me. Her eyes began to water once more and her lips moved without words and she then charged at me for an embrace. And as she buried her face into my chest, I heard her say three words that still pierced my heart and made me release a tear of my own. “I'm so sorry...”

“... Silly girl...”

We sat there for a few minutes as I tried to console her out of her crying. It felt kind of strange that it wasn’t I who was in tears. Yet somehow, it made sense. I've long since made peace with my situation and choices that I'm no longer bothered by them. As for Twilight, this is the first time she's truly heard about this and it's understandable that she feels guilt, even when Celestia knows she's the last person I'd ever blame. All I could really do now was to show her that I had no regrets.

After she finally calmed down, I went and prepared dinner. And with the both us unable to wait for May for much longer, we ate in silence with very little in way of conversation. Usually, I would try to find a way get her out of her slump. This time I understood that it wasn’t an option. Only time would help her get over it all. I didn’t bother to tell her about the link between Diana and Rainbow Dash, or at least not yet. Doing so would only overload her more than she already was.

May arrived soon after Twilight and I finished dinner. I asked if she wanted to eat, but she declined saying she was too tired and would just rather sleep.

And with that call made, all of us made our way to our respective beds as we readied ourselves for sleep. As my mind started to drift into unconsciousness, I was ripped from it all by three fast knocks that echoed from the front door.

I could only look at the door with furrowed brows after rising from the sofa. I turned to look at the living room clock and saw the short hand pointing past 11.

I waited for a second batch of knocks to come but after a minute or two, I was convinced they wouldn’t come.

Curiosity caught the best of me and I found myself walking silently towards the door. Once there, I peeked through the door’s peep-hole but saw no one there. I looked through the front windows next and indeed there was no one there.

I could’ve easily let the occurrence be and went back to the sofa, but something in the back of my mind was pushing me, telling this wasn’t an accident.

Carefully, I undid the door’s locks and bolts and slowly opened it with the intent of making little sound as possible. A creak or two was made as I slipped through and saw that there was indeed no one there. I stepped out of the front porch and surveyed the surroundings but again found nothing. Whoever they were, they were gone.

I began to walk towards the house and hoped that I could finally get some sleep. As I was walking towards the door, I noticed there was something on the door mat. It was a long brown envelope with a thickness that implied anything but emptiness.

It bothered me a bit that I didn’t notice it when I went out. What bothered me more was why there was an envelope left outside. I hastened my pace and leaned down to grab it.

The envelope wasn’t in any way heavy. And from the way it flatly bulged, it was readily apparent that its contents were paper.

My right hand hovered over the unsealed flap of the envelope as I questioned the idea of opening it. Eventually I got over that and found myself opening the envelope and pulling out its contents; my body immediately froze after that.

Birth Certificates, Passports, Social Security cards… all of them with the names Daniel Shields and Tara Sparks. And inside there was a conspicuous note written in black bold marker. “KEEP HIDDEN!”

And in my frozen state, one thought was able to make itself real in the form of my words without my control.

“W-who… sent these…?”

Chapter 4: Company

[Twilight's Perspective]

The sun was nowhere to be seen, blocked by clouds that suffocated the colors of this usually vibrant town. On the ground, the roads were empty as rain battered the roofs and pavements of the town without any signs of relent. The sounds of it all echoed everywhere, even inside the boutique as I sat by a window, watching the scene that served to only worsen my already lethargic mood.

It has been raining for the last two days now and today seems to be the heaviest it’s fallen. It's been making my job harder every night I go out to do my reconnaissance. No matter what though, I know I need to find the unicorn named Sunset Shimmer.

The night my crown was stolen was the first time I've ever seen her. And sadly, it's also the last. It's not like we haven't been trying. Every night, we go on excursions to look for anything that can point us to her. Sadly and quite annoyingly, we hardly have anything to go by. We don't know what she looked like as a human much less any other information that she uses. The only thing we can really do is to wait for her to make the first move. Add that a few weeks a go, a new, lead-less vector in the form of identifying documents literally showed up at our front doors... I’ll be honest; it infuriates me to no end.

A soft hand landed on my shoulder and I was instantly drawn back into reality.

“Are you alright, dear?” said the woman with eyes of concern, specifically aimed at my hands.

I looked down and saw them turned white from being clenched too tightly. “Yes… yes. I was just… doing some thinking.”

The woman's expression softened and she handed me a hot cup of tea from a tray I hadn't noticed she brought in with her.

“Thank you Miss Phoebe.”

She simply nodded before taking her tray and leaving without a word.

I let out a sigh as I looked down on the tea cup, its heat radiating into my palms. “What is wrong with me? Sigh… I need to be more attentive.”

Life in the human world has been relatively okay. It surprised me just how comparable it was to Equestria, with a few gives and takes one would hardly know the difference. It's been more than a month since we entered earth. I’ve been working as one of the librarian for the town for a few weeks now and only recently was I officially hired into the position. I’m here in Miss Phoebe’s boutique for the uniform. We finished all the work necessary and I was technically free to go. But with the rain as heavy as it was, leaving was not an option.

It wasn’t all bad, though. I wasn’t outside for one. As a matter of fact, I’m glad to be inside the Miss Phoebe's boutique. The place was a sight to behold. With its colors, furnishings and knickknacks, the building gave off the feel of nobility, something that I’ve rarely seen in the human world. That being said, the place also had an air of neglect to it, with dust and a few cobwebs scattered in different niches. There was also a bookshelf with a small collection of books consisting mostly of romance novels, tailoring manuals, science books and oddly enough, a few books about theories of the arcane. If I was in more decent mood, I would've spent some considerable time with those. The hospitality of my hostess has also help in making me feel comfortable.

Her name is Phoebe Anaheim - Wilson. From what I can tell from our multiple meetings, she's not a very talkative person. She’s a caring and kind person from what her actions show, very meticulous too. But for some reason, she hardly ever smiles. And whenever she does, almost all of them would feel… hollow... meaningless. A shame considering her beauty would benefit if she smiled more, not that she needed it.

She’s the first human to make me feel envious of their looks. When I first met her, I thought that maybe I found Rarity’s counterpart. She a lady of grace. Her physique and posture undoubtedly proved the part. And what her figure says, her face further accentuates; her long black hair that naturally curled and gracefully covered the right half of her face. Her blue eyes had the shine of sapphires whenever they would grace the world with their presence. Her nose was so neat on her face that most people would have thought it was fashioned by deities. Her lips were perfect, plump and red, like a ripe fruit that suitors would fight to pick.

But as much as she is beautiful, I don't believe that I've ever really seen her happy. For as long as I've known her, I’ve never seen her lips form a genuine heartfelt smile. To say that I’ve never seen her flash one would be a fallacy, of course. But of all of those that I've been lucky enough to set eyes upon, all have been hollow; an empty solace if nothing else. While her eyes (or eye, given I've only ever seen one side of her face) were almost always half-lidded, windows that showed indifference, and disconnection from the world that wished for it all to end.

Whatever reason or event that drove her into this state I could only guess at. I wouldn't want to dig up her past and accidentally open closed wounds. I could only hope for her to get out of such a state, for no matter how naturally beautiful she may be, it is all for nothing if the bearer is broken.

Finally the rain started to waver and I thought this was the best time to travel. But before I could even stand up, I interrupted by music that emanated from my purse. Immediately, I opened the satchel and pulled out the device these humans called a cell phone.

It was a wondrous invention of theirs that allowed for instant communication regardless of distance. And even if we have yet to find Sunset; it has more than proven to be very useful to us. So useful in fact that Spike felt threatened by it. Ironic, given it was him that convinced me to get one. He even went as far as to make me promise – or rather, begged me and had me commit a pinkie swear – not to make anything like it when we return to Equestria. I said yes, but not before I got a few high pitched 'noes' from him.

I unlocked the phone's interface and found a text from Spike. It read as follows:

Twilight, I'm back in Pinnsmith. Just arrived an hour ago And I’m still in the bus station. You can very much guess why I haven't gone home yet, so... could you come here and bring an umbrella, pretty please? Sorry for the bother. Thanks!

P.S. STUPID RAIN!

“Oh Spike,” I said to no one in particular. And though I find his misfortune funny, I’m very glad that he’s home.

A week ago, Spike was invited by Diana and her father for an out-of-town trip that would take a few days to a week. He was to help them – or more accurately, observe them – discuss an official match with another gym and their champion. At first he was very excited about the whole trip; to be able to see more of what earth and humans had to offer, understand the inner workings of Diana's profession. But to my shock, he declined the offer, saying outright that he had a 'more important job to do'.

I was really happy to hear him say those words, but I also didn't want to see him glum. After all, he's proven himself mature enough to make his own decisions. So I told him that I would take care of things. Unsurprisingly, he questioned my ability to do so on multiple occasions. And every time he did, I'd try my best to reason with him and convince him to go. Thankfully in the end I got him to agree. But as a condition, he had me use a bicycle and electric self-defense weapon – called a Taser I believe – that he borrowed from Alex, just in case things go south. Thankfully, not once did I find myself in any situation to use it since the town was quiet, not that it was overly active to begin with.

Just as I promised, I went on my nightly rounds around town looking for anything that could point us to Sunset Shimmer even without Spike. Suffice to say, I hardly found out anything of value. Something that continues to irks the more the failures pile on.

I went to inform my hostess about the situation and I asked if I could borrow and extra umbrella. She obliged and handed me one of intricately design. But as she handed it to me, she gave me a warning to avoid any routes going through new church green as much as I could, reasoning that the drainage system there was broken and would probably be flooded.

The weather remained ‘relatively’ kind all throughout my walk towards the station. I found Spike among the other patrons of the station sat within the waiting area. It wasn't hard to find him among the others since he stuck out like a sore thumb with his green hair – the minuscule number of people in the station didn't hurt either. But even then I approached him slowly just to be sure. And when all doubts had been culled, I eased my step and tapped on the young man's shoulder.

“Spike,” I called with a soft voice, a smile readily plastered on my face as my welcome.

When he turned, he immediately smiled back and lunged at me, his arms tightly wrapping around my form. “Twilight!”

My pupils shrunk and my cheeks burned vibrantly while my mind froze as I felt the stare of an unknown number of eyes that turned to look at both of us.

“Well... I'm home.” He said with a wide grin when he released me. His face started to contort in worry when I didn’t respond, much less welcome her back. “Are you OK Twi?”

“Huh? What? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine.” I muttered, furiously shaking my head.

He still looked at me with squinting, calculating eyes that made me stiffen. He then placed his hand on my forehead without warning. “Well, you don't seem like you have a fever. Are you sure you're alright, Twi?” asked Spike as he retreated his palm from my head.

“Y-yes.”

Again he looked at me with the same suspicious look but then shrugged.

“Well... if you say so. Anyway, thanks for coming Twi. Sorry for the bother. I would’ve brought an umbrella had I knew it was raining in Pinnsmith,” he said, scratching the back of his head during his last sentence.

I smiled clumsily as I offered him the extra umbrella – not the frilly one. “It’s no problem Spike. I’m actually surprised. I thought your trip would take more than a week.”

“Yeah. We finished most of the work earlier than expected. I really didn’t have much to do there so I went on ahead. Alex and the Lynges stayed behind; said they still had business there.”

“I see. Well in that case, welcome back Spike,” I said with a cheerful smile.

“It’s good to be home.”

The rain had subsided and we decided to take our chances. Spike took his baggage – a bag pack and a small training bag, and opened his umbrella. I offered to take some of his luggage, but he respectfully declined saying he's already enough of a bother.

It's only been five days since I've last seen Spike. Even with that short of a time, he seemed changed for some reason. Physically, he looked the same except for relatively longer hair, but I could still sense there was definitely something different.

The pattering of rain was the only thing to be heard as Spike and I walked home. Silence stretched between us as we continued on. I in particular didn't feel like starting a conversation. Sadly, Spike was also not in a chatty mood – something that was odd given his usual talkativeness. I felt the awkwardness continue to mount and it began to feel unbearable. Though thankfully, it seemed that I wasn’t the only one feeling the heavy atmosphere.

“So... How was the town while I was gone?”

“It was…Ok, I guess. Nothing really happened. Nothing was the only thing I could find.” I answered without much enthusiasm in my voice, my tone more dead at the last sentence.

“Don't worry too much about it Twi, she can’t hide forever.”

I didn’t answer.

“Hey! What's with the gloomy face? Isn't that a good thing? That means Sunset hasn't used the crown yet!”

“It also means we still couldn't track her.” I finally answered, with a low tone of annoyance and irritability coloring my statement.

Spike's smile visibly lost some of its vibrance when I finished. “Just because we haven't found her yet, doesn't mean we won't find her eventually, right?”

“Eventually? Eventually isn't good enough!” I snapped, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. “We've been here for more than a month, Spike. Yet we still don't have a single clue where Sunset is! Day after day we try to find her. Night after night we search every nook and cranny for anything that could point us to her. Yet here we are; nothing to show for our work! We're not even sure if she's still in Pinnsmith!”

My breath ragged with leaked emotions while my eyes looked at him with burning annoyance, until slowly I began to understand my actions. My eyes closed and I looked away, wholly expecting him to lash-out, to shout back. But in the darkness that I hid in, nothing I was prepared for happened. And instead was drawn out not by a shout but by a comforting hand gently landing itself on the top of my head.

“You miss them, don't you Twilight?”

I instantly opened my eyes and turned to look at him in the face, waiting for him to continue.

“I miss them too. I miss them a lot.” He frowned slightly as he looked away. “I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated too,” he paused then turned to face me and moved his hand from my head to my shoulder. His expression was stern and serious, yet at the same time managed to stay welcoming. “I need you to stay focused Twilight. I don't know if you'll believe me, but I know how you feel. I might not show it, but I do. I know how disheartening it feels whenever a day passes without any progress, to imagine going back home to equestrian empty handed. I know because I'm here with you."

"When I was on my trip, I continued looked for Sunset in the city whenever I can. It’s painful to tell you now that that didn't go anywhere. I’m not asking you to stop looking for her. But I also know that I can't make the promise that we'd find her if we looked harder. What I want you to understand is that this has always been a waiting game. This is the card we've been dealt, and the only thing we can do is play it. We’re only two people. We can’t comb the country much less the whole of earth just by ourselves. But know this Twilight, with the kind of power she has now, it's impossible for her not make a mistake. And when she does, you can bet that I’m gonna do everything to get back what's rightfully yours.”

Despite the heavy rain, his words came to me as clearly as if it was the only thing to be heard. He was right on every account; One month here on earth also meant one month away from Equestria, one month away from friends and family. With the gate closed for another two months, I have no capacity to get in contact with any of them. No way to know what they're doing, if they're in good health or not, if they're safe or in trouble. The only thing I could really do is hope that nothing terrible happens while we're away. I really want to see them, but I also didn’t want to fail them.

“Y-you’re right. Sorry Spike. I guess… I… I allowed myself to be too caught up with trying to find her and I –”

Before I could finish my sentence, Spike placed a finger on my lips. “Don’t be sorry Twi. Like I’ve said, I know how you feel. I know how annoying our whole situation is. All I can say is that we need to always keep our cool. Being driven is good, but being too driven can be a problem. Quite frankly, you really have a problem when it comes to that.” He then flashed a wide, goofy grin. “Besides, people can't see the fun in things if they’re too serious. Now come on, let’s get home before this rain gets any heavier.”

My body relaxed and my lips curled upwards into a smile. “Ok.”

Once again I find myself thankful for his company, always keeping me grounded. And whatever this whole ends up becoming, one thing would always be true. Spike was the best person to help me in all of this, stowaway or not.

We continued on our way home with the heavy atmosphere completely gone. The rain also seemed to have subsided, helping the process. I looked around trying to find non-stressful topics to further aid that process. I looked at Spike and smiled when I saw something I didn’t notice before.

“Nice coat. How much did it cost?” I said with a sly tone.

He visibly tensed up as he turned to look at me. “You finally noticed huh?”

“Mm Hmm. So is this why you couldn’t just take a cab home?”

He sighed and held his hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright, you caught me. I kinda spent more than I should have on this thing. Luckily, I still had enough for the bus ride home. But you have to admit,” He paused and then posed with his lips in a small pout. “I make this look good.”

“Yes. I guess you do.” I said with a chuckle and a hint of sarcasm.

It has been too long since I've last seen this side of him. Ever since we've entered earth, he's been nothing but serious and calm, enough that I thought he was a different person. Seeing this playful side of him again makes me happy. But aside from his antics, I couldn't help but acknowledge the truth in his quip. He did look quite handsome in his black coat.

“Hey Twi, do you hear that?” He said, snapping me back into attention.

I listened closely and heard that there was indeed another sound in the background other than the pattering of rain; a sort of wailing sound that grew strong and strong at a rate quite terrifying. In a matter of seconds, the source of the siren came into view, three ambulances roaring down the road. Sirens blaring hard and loud, they passed us, whipping around wind and rain in their wake. The both of us could only stare at the red light streaks that continued to fade into the blur of rain.

“You'd think they'd be more careful under a downpour like this,” Spike managed. “I wonder what kind of emergency would force them to drive like that.”

“Y-yeah. Let's just hope it’s nothing too serious.”

The rain poured harder without warning, it's winds hitting hard to the point that staying outside was no longer an option. Thankfully, we weren't all that far from home. We both ran all the way, caution disregarded, our clothes soaked and freezing

“Well, so much for looking good. This thing was dry clean only too,” Spike said with a sigh. “I guess there's no point in going out to do reconnaissance tonight. What do you think?”

I looked out of the still open door and saw the downpour get stronger. "Even if I wanted to, it's not like we could,"

He only snorted at that. "Don't think about it too much Twi. Besides, I think this would do you some good." He then made his way into the bathroom - which also served as the laundry room, his luggage still in tow.

Since my own coat was the only thing that suffered from the downpour, I took it off and started searching for May. After hearing no reply and finding each room empty, I could only wonder where she would've gone. I took a seat on the living room sofa after a fruitless second try and spotted a note set on the coffee table.

Had to go out because of an emergency

I'll be home before 8pm

-May

I turned toward the living room clock and found the time to be 5:21pm. Even though May's note gave me a bit of reassurance, it wasn't enough to stop me from worrying given what I saw and experienced outside. But before making any moves, I still it best to get for Spike's opinion. Walking back towards the bathroom I heard the whirl of water and machine echo from the inside while millions of droplets tap in the background.

Knocking on the bathroom door, I called on him. “Spike, May's not here but she left a note. She said she'd be home before eight. Do you think she'll be OK?”

“Hold on Twi. I can't quite hear you clearly. Give me a few seconds, I’m almost finished.” Then I heard the shower tap twist close and after a few seconds, he came out of the bathroom wearing only a long bath towel on his hips and a short one on his shoulders. My jaw dropped despite myself.

It’s already been more than a month since I’ve learned of Spike's true maturity and I can safely say that I’ve loosened up to the idea. Yet somehow I still find myself at awe whenever these kinds of situations arise. The only explanation I've been able to worm out of him for his body was that it might have something to do with his dragon heritage.

“What were you saying Twi?” He said as furiously rubbing a towel on his head.

“Huh... W-well, May isn’t here. She left us a note but it didn’t say where she went. She also said it was an emergency. Spike, I’m kind of worried.”

His face received a bit of a grimace after turning to look at the living room window. “In this kind of weather, I can’t blame you.” He then turned back to me, his face back to normal though not completely losing its seriousness. “Did she say what time she left?”

“No, only that she’d probably be back by 8.”

Spike took off the towel on his head and proceeded in opening the bedroom door. “I see. Well at least she gave us a time. We’ll just call her later after you finish taking a shower.”

“Shower?” I asked, doing a double take.

“Well you got rained on, didn’t you? Don’t tell me you’re not going to take a shower,” He answered as he entered the room. But before he closed the door he looked at me for a second time but this time with a scrutinizing eye. “A second thought, take a bath instead. You look tense.”

Having nothing more to rebut or anyone to rebut to, I found myself in the bathroom, readying the tub. I wanted to object at first but after a while, I didn't even know why I wanted to do so. His points were valid and he was right when he said I was stressed. Bubbles multiplied as the tub's contents continued to gain volume. And when the desired water level was reached, I stripped down and readied myself for the dip.

A sigh escaped me as I slowly submerged myself in the warm water. My mind cleared itself, taken by the relaxing ambiance of the ironically dull tiled room. “Seriously, why did I want to argue against this again?”

I didn't know how long I've been in that state; time lost itself to me as I enjoyed the quiet isolation. It gave me space to meditate. Spike was right; I've been too driven when it came to Sunset Shimmer. I didn't control myself, fervently searching for any evidence when there obviously was none.

I drained the tub and finished off. Feeling refreshed, clean and in fresh clothes, I found all my previous moods gone, replaced by something new yet at the same time familiar. “I guess I'm officially starting.”

*************

Comfortably sitting in the living room comforter with a Greek mythology book in hand, I finally found myself caught up on something else besides Sunset. The book itself was engaging, especially for the chapters that talked about the titan called Prometheus, but I think it’s my mentality that more responsible for the reprieve I have right now.

Back in Equestria, I would spend most of my hours with my eyes glued to books, enjoying every minute of it. Although recently, due to the search for Sunset, I hardly find any time to do these things anymore. And considering the amount of human knowledge literature that I’ve yet to get my hands on, I’m feeling a bit of regret not getting to read more.

The sound of clinking porcelain stole my attention and I was drawn to see Spike set down some tea with a smile.

My own lips curled upwards as I took the hot beverage. “It’s been awhile since we’ve done this, hasn’t it Spike?”

“You can say that again. And if we’re talking about reading for leisure, even more so.” A corner of his lips bent up exposing a few teeth including a single out of place fang. “I take it you’re taking my advice then?”

I chuckled at his cheeriness and turned towards the steaming cup in my hands. “I’m thinking about it.”

"Think all you want. There should be no harm so long as we keep our guards up,” he said before sipping on his own cup. He then turned to look at the clock. “It’s already 7:09 huh. I guess it’s about time I start the burner. I’ll be in the kitchen for a while, so hows about we call May now.”

Agreeing, I took the telephone and called her cell. But after a number of tries, we both started to worry to the point of considering going out in the rain again. However as soon as we stood up from our seats, my own cell rang with May's number flashing on its display. I answered and sighed in relief as I heard her voice, meek but cheery as every though a bit ragged. May filled me in a little and told me she was helping out in the local hospital and that she’d return home later than when she initially intended due to the situation in the hospital. She had to cut the call short due to her being needed immediately. Before hanging up, she promised to fill both Spike and I in more once she got home.

As I placed my phone down, an eager, worried-faced Spike waited on me from across the living room. “She’s fine. She’s volunteering at the hospital. She said she’d probably be late but she’ll come home tonight.”

He breathed easy as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. He then pumped out his chest and crossed his arms with a grin showing on his face. “See, I told you she’d be fine!”

"Yes, yes you did," I replied with a smirk.

Time ticked on as we waited for the estimated hour of May’s return. Spike was in the kitchen cooking while I stayed on the living room recliner reading my books. I would’ve been inside there helping him, but Spike kept insisting that he’d like to cook on his own, going as far as to carrying me out when I tried to force myself in.

I turned to look at the time and saw the hour to be 8:12 in the evening. ‘She’s probably on her way home.’

I turned back to my book, thinking it best to simply keep myself distracted. Sadly my eyes would always slip out of the text and into the kitchen entrance for the living room began to be covered by different stomach-rumble-inducing aromas while sound of knife and chopping board echoed from inside the kitchen walls.

"Spike, are you absolutely sure don't need me there to speed things up?"

“You can’t rush perfection Twilight.”

“Spike!” I exclaimed as I tried to

He peeked out of the kitchen threshold, frilly apron, ladle and all. “Are you really that hungry?”

I slam closed the small book in my hand and bring my forehead down onto my lap. “Maybe... Yes! But can you blame me? It’s already past eight and your cooking's the only thing I can smell in here!” I replied, this time less aggravated yet still retaining my shrill annoyance.

The chopping stopped and was replaced by the more subtle sound of stirring metal. “Good, at least I know you missed my cooking.”

My stomach growled loudly in reply. I know very well just how good a cook he is, and having that knowledge only adds insult to the deprivation. “I give up.” I exclaimed, smashing my head in the comforter’s armrests.

“You forfeit dinner then,” Spike said in a sly playful tone. I then heard his footsteps, ended by a gentle pop of wood on porcelain. “Pity. And here I thought we could enjoy having dinner now. All three of us, May included.”

I raise my head from my lap in curiosity to his words. When the realization hit me, I turned my gaze toward the house's front door and saw a smiling, blushing May. "He-hello."

“Oh this is so embarrassing! I'm sorry May; I should've noticed you come in. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry,” I muttered with haste making my words almost incoherent.

“Oh please don't be sorry, you shouldn't be. It's my fault for being too quiet,” Was her reply.

But before I could reply to her misplaced apology, Spike spoke first. “Yeah. And it’s also my fault for asking her to keep quiet and sneak in. To be quite frank, I didn’t expect her to be so good at sneaking. By the way, good job May.”

I could only lay my head low in defeat and embarrassment. It was one thing for me to be too distracted to notice someone come in through the front door, it’s another to have Spike orchestrate it all while goading me with his cooking.

I heard Spike chuckle and I instantly glowered at him with my lips in a pout.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that. This is a good thing. It means you’re beginning to relax! Arguably too relaxed, but I’m sure you’ll balance out. Now, if you still want dinner, help me prepare the table. May, you can go get dressed. We’ll wait for you to finish,” he said. Then he slightly opened the porcelain bowl, not enough to reveal the meal but just enough to let out the mouthwatering scent that I’ve been tortured with for so long.

“It’s been more than a week since I cooked for you guys and I’m not gonna have any of you miss this one.”

Unable to hold back our stomachs any longer, we sat down and ate to our hearts or in this case stomach’s content. We had vegan burger steaks smothered in gravy with rice on the side. I have to admit I was infuriated for being made to wait so long, but after the first bite, the torture worth it. From just smelling it to seeing it and tasting it, divine was the only word I could describe it. All of our plates were clean, though I really couldn’t quite say the same for the table.

After cleaning up, Spike continued on his laundry while May and I chatted, mostly about why she’d volunteered. She said that there had been a freak accident at the new church green; seven people were electrocuted after lightning struck the area. As far as what she was told, they were found unconscious at the far end of the park with six of them forming a circle while the last was found in the center. The whole thing was baffling in that there was no umbrella or raincoat to be found on or anywhere near them despite it was well known that the rain wasn’t anytime soon. All of them have at least second degree burns; the six that formed the circle are now stable, though are still unconscious. The one in the center on the other hand… he’s still very critical.

The rest of the night went on uneventfully; the rain continued its downpour, albeit relatively weaker. The three of us lay on our respective beds. I didn’t really feel all that sleepy. Unlike the past few days, my mind was now free and light. I have multiple theories, one rising above all of them. Whatever the reason, I’m glad. Because for some reason, I knew thing would be alright.

**************

I slowly woke to the sounds of shuffling that came from the living room. I turned to my clock and saw it to be a quarter to five. The shuffling continued on and my curiosity got the better of my sleepiness and I found myself cautiously opening my bedroom door, showing an image of Spike putting on his running shoes, already wearing a hoodie and jogging pants.

“Twilight...” He shot up. “I didn't think you'd be up. I must have been too noisy. Sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I usually wake up at this time anyway.”

I hugged the doorframe with my cheek leaning on the smooth wood as I watched him check the fastening of his shoes.

“Are you going somewhere?” I blurted weakly.

“I'm going for a jog. I never really had time to do any exercise during the last week. And I'd rather not let myself go.”

For some reason I felt a pang of sadness I watched him walk away. For some reason, I felt like stopping him. I brushed it off and turned away. Before I could close my bedroom door, I heard Spike call out my name.

“Hey Twi. Since you’re up, would you like to come with me? You still have Alex’s bicycle right? Maybe we could have breakfast picnic in the park?”

My body instantly became animated and I nodded excitedly despite myself, causing Spike to chuckle and myself to feel a tad embarrassed.

We arrived on the park a few minutes later. The trip itself was pleasant. The road was decently dry despite the heavy rain from last night. We didn’t talk too much one the way, only kept up with each other in terms of pace, sometimes even racing against each other. Personally, it felt good since I haven’t had too many chances to enjoy a simple bicycle ride just for leisure. Spike himself seemed to have enjoyed his run; panting with a clear smile on his face even after losing.

I handed him a bottle of water after parking my bike and laying down the picnic blanket.

“I’m impressed,” he said grinning as he handed me back the bottle. “Six days ago, you could barely keep your balance on that thing but now you’re confident enough to race.”

I tucked some loose strands of hair behind my ear absentmindedly as I felt a bit of heat rise in my checks. “Yes well, I had some practice. How about you? You seem winded.”

“Yeah, I kinda expected to be out of shape by this much. I’m gonna have to get a routine going again if I want to get back in shape.”

We both took a seat on both ends of the blanket. Spike still panted though not as heavily as before. He then handed me some hot bread that we bought on the way here. And as I took it from him I caught a glance at the features of his well-defined arm.

“You’re really enjoying your human body aren’t you?” I asked softly.

His eyes widened and his body tensed when he heard my question. After a moment he sighed and his expression relaxed with only a subtle smile left on his lips.

“To say no would be one hell of a lie.” He paused and then brought his hands to his face as he looked at them with discerning eyes. “This body’s been good. What am I saying, this body’s been GREAT! It’s old enough that I don’t get treated like a kid. It’s strong that I can get thing done. And most of all… most of all, there’s no risk of me losing my free will.” He then balled his right hand into a fist and examining its features. “Sure there are cons to it too; for one, it’ll never compare in strength to that of a full-grown dragon. Two, I’m never going to breath fire or be protected by scales again. There are also these human cravings, sure. But compared to the ones I had as a dragon, suppressing them is child’s play.”

I listened intently to his admissions, my eyes never leaving him. I’ve never thought to think of it through that angle but now that he pointed it out, it all made sense. I can’t imagine the kind of suffering he had to endure all these years. And I can’t believe how stupid I was to not see it.

“To be honest I already had a love-hate relationship with my dragon body even before all of this. After Celestia heard about the dragon migration incident, she had me enter a secret wing of the royal library devoted only to dragons.”

“Wait, the royal library has a dragon wing?” I asked, surprised by that tidbit of information.

“ Disembodied dragon wing, no; Section devoted to dragons, yes.” He joked with a straight face.

I could only look at him with an unamused glare.

He shrugged then took a bite off his bread. “Anyway, that place really did deserve to be called The Canterlot Library’s Dragon wing. It literally had everything. I wasn’t quite sure why she kept the place private, only that she did it with my interests in mind. I learned more about the dragon condition in there, about our heritage, our biology, whatever you can think to ask about dragons, the answer was here. That being said, there were things there that I would have been better off being ignorant about.”

“Like what?” I asked instinctively, not thinking before talking. “Oh how rude of me! Sorry. If you don’t want to answer you don’t have to, really!”

“No, no. It’s fine. Kinda baited you into asking, so I guess it’s my fault.” He chuckled. He then took out the thermos and poured coffee for the both of us. “Do you remember Garble and his gang?” He said before taking another bite.

“Isn’t Garble that red dragon you met during the dragon migration? Yeah. Why?”

He handed me the cup and looked at me with a playful smirk on his face. “If I tell you that I'm actually older than him… what word should I use… birth-age or in our case hatching-age wise, would you believe me?”

The question caught me off guard. Ever since that incident, I’ve never really thought about them. “I guess I would. But how would that be possible?”

“Good question. But before I answer that, here’s another one; what do you think The Dragon Migration is for?”

My mind went to work, trying to remember what it was about. And though I’ve only found very few things in my research, they were well sourced and proven. “It’s a breeding and egg laying migration, right?”

“Bingo, you will get your prize when I get my next paycheck.” He joked as he held his left hand to his mouth as if he had a mic. “Anyway here’s the real question. What were garble and his thugs doing in that sort of migration when they’re still not large enough to get mates?”

I took a bite out of my own bread bun and analyzed the ideas that Spike has been leading with, trying to find where he was getting at. After a while, confusion was the only thing readable on my face.

He chuckled a bit before finishing his bread and lying down on the blanket with his hands behind his head, his face lacking any sort of emotion. “To most species, body age is by nature, constantly tied to a person’s birth-age. As you’re well aware, this is not the case for dragons. Besides our birth age, our wealth is also a factor. Thing is, there’s a third variable that mostly gets thrown to the wayside, a dragon’s mental age. Garble and his crew aren’t teenagers; they were hatchlings, aged by being given a small portion of their parent’s hordes. They were jerks not necessarily because they were dragons; they were jerks because they didn't exactly age well."

“Right now, wherever those guys are, I can say for sure that they’re group is all but dissolved. They may be friends but there's nothing behind their friendship to hold them together. The moment one of their hordes reaches it’s critical mass, they’ll rip each other apart. It's sad really.” He trailed off.

I hugged my knees to my chest as I mulled over his words. I felt ashamed that never once did it occur to me just how nuanced his situation was. It’s especially more shameful since I've known him all my life. I was supposed to be Equestria’s most well learned scholar, yet here was something that affected me directly that I knew nothing about. I cried for hours that night he told me about his secret. I felt like I didn't deserve to be called his friend. It was shameful... unforgivable.

"I'm sorry Spi-" I started but never managed to finish.

"Stop it, Twilight,” he said with finality. “There's nothing to be sorry for when you did nothing wrong. If there's anyone to blame for my situation it's me. I kept this all a secret. It’s as simple as that. So could you please stop blaming yourself? Celestia knows you go overboard when you blame yourself.”

My mouth hung open at that. I really wanted to give a rebuttal, but my mind and lips simply couldn't form anything due to his frankness and just-the-way-it-is attitude. I looked down at my own hands as I tried to judge his words. Instantly I turned to look at him again, for out of the corner of my eye, I saw his stoic expression falter.

“It wasn't easy keeping it all quiet you know. I have regrets. It's funny really; my greatest regret is that I had to lie to all of you for so long. I could've just saved myself all the trouble if I just said something. I guess pathetic is the best word for it.” He said as he sat up and turned to me with a soft smile. “Listen Twi; don’t think about it too much. You have no fault in this. If there was, I’ve long forgiven you. I’m just sorry I had to lie for so long.”

“I forgive you.”

“Thanks.” He nodded and smiled back. “You know what, this topic’s becoming depressing. We went here for a picnic; we should be enjoying this nice weather!” He then shot up in one swift motion and walked towards one of the trees near us.

“My stamina's kinda shot. So that's a thing. Let's see if the same can be said about my reflexes.”

He then adopted a stance that I’ve seen too often with a few modifications. He took a deep breath then instantly released a barrage of blows towards an invisible, apparently taller opponent. Punches, elbows and knee strikes, even a few kicks were thrown in graceful succession; all of them whipping with a crisp whoosh.

“Alright... Still got... the speed and power… Awesome,” he said in between breaths, throwing a final punch at the end of his sentence.

He then walked back to picnic blanket, still panting a little as he drank some water and wiped the sweat beads on his forehead with his towel. He then grinned and pointed at me or more specifically, what I held in my hands. “You should really finish your food, Twi.”

I scoffed after looking down and seeing my bread and drink that have all but lost their heat. “Yes well, I guess I was just too distracted that I forgot about eating.” I joked as I returned my gaze towards him with a smile.

I then bit down and drank my food, sighing disappointedly at their heat or lack thereof.

"Anyway, what was all that Spike. I thought you were only allowed to punch in boxing?" I asked with a puzzled look.

"That? That wasn't boxing, that was Muai Thai with a bit of Kick Boxing." He said as he sat down again. "I had Alex teach it to me a while back.”

"It's impressive. But I thought you liked boxing? Why learn a different fighting style?"

He shrugged before answering. "Boxing is ok, but there are too many restrictions. Think about it like this, if things were to get dicey, you can't expect every enemy you face to stick to the same rules you do. Besides, isn't it better to have multiple options than just one?"

“I guess...”

“Now, hand me your cup and let's see if we can get you some hotter coffee.” He offered while wiggling his eyebrows with a goofy grin plastered on his face. He then laid back down on the blanket with a sigh. “We still have a good thirty minutes before we need to go back home. I say we just kick back, relax and enjoy. What do you say?”

I shook my head then sigh. “...Why not?”

Interlude: Complications

The sound of hooves and clanking armor echoed throughout the dark marble halls. A lone guard galloped as hard as he could towards the castle's royal throne room without any intentions of delaying, either to inform his night guard compatriots or to even recover his breath. Guided by nothing but his memory, he made his way through the labyrinth that was the Canterlot Castle until he was merely a few meters away from his aim with only the golden doors of the chamber as his final blockade.

"Your Highness!" He shouted with a forceful alarm that almost collapsed his already exhausted lungs after opening the throne room's double doors.

"What is it Captain?" Princess Luna hailed as she stood from her throne, her brows furrowing to the peculiar situation before her.

Sweat dripped from the captain’s muzzle he in tried to regain his composure, taking in as much breath as he could. He bowed when he was done. “Princess Luna, I bring disturbing news. Something from the Royal Vault has been stolen.”

“That’s impossible Captain!" She shouted with surprise. "We have increased our security ever since my dear sister and I returned from the Crystal Empire. You yourself should know how just how defended the whole castle is. The magic barrier to the vault was doubled and so were the guards around it! We have even shifted around the schedules of ponies who work in the castle! Tell me how can anyone steal from the vault if the vault itself and the perimeter around it are nay impenetrable?” She stomped with a force that caused the whole court to shake, small cracks forming around the impact.

The guard captain couldn't help but swallow hard and shiver as he kept his bow. He could feel the gaze of one of his diarchs on him, a gaze that was nothing like the gentle looks that he and his co-workers would always receive a few months ago.

"I... I do not know your Highness. N-no guard has ever reported on anything strange during their shift. And the barrier did not show any signs of being tampered with. I regret to say that I really do not know."

Luna could only stare at the visibly shaking guardspony in front of her. She knew she was edgy, but she didn’t think it was this bad.

For weeks now, the princesses and the elements of harmony have been keeping a tight lid on the fact that the element of magic has been stolen. With Equestria’s newest princess missing to retrieve it, it only makes the job much more complicated. Rumors have been circulating; some good, some bad, some just downright embarrassing. Thankfully, they have found an ally in the most unlikeliest of beings.

She closed her eyes and sighed. “At ease captain.”

She sat back on her throne, a hoof to her chin.

"You say there has been no report of anything odd since we heightened security. And if the barrier hasn’t been disturbed, then it must be true, ” she thought out loud. “Captain, do you think it’s possible that the robbery took place before we got back from the Crystal Empire?”

“I think it’s very likely, yes.” The captain answered; his tone more relaxed and proper for his designation.

Again, Luna placed her hoof on her chin, tapping it continuously as she began to place the pieces together. “You haven’t told me what was stolen, haven’t you? What was it?"

The captain visibly swallowed, a lone sweat bead running down his furred cheek. “It was the Alicorn Amulet, Highness.”

“Oh my, this is dire.” Luna exclaimed. Then her face adapted a troubled look. “But… wait. If it was stolen months ago, then wouldn’t that mean we should’ve heard news about it by now? Surely such a powerful artifact can’t stay missing for so long.”

For a few moments Luna gathered all the variables and played all the scenarios that she could think of in her head. At the end of it, all she learned was that she needed more.

“Tell me captain, when do you think a robbery like this would be the most easiest to execute?” She asked, an analytic tone taking her voice.

His face scrunching up as he tried his hardest to think. "I would imagine the day you and Princess Celestia left for the Crystal Empire, just a day before the both of you ordered the increase in security."

She played with the variables again. This time however, it didn’t take long for her to hear a click in her head as all of it lined up perfectly. Instead of a smile of accomplishment, a look of stark terror took her as the implications of what she had theorized completely dawned upon her. A word escaped her Luna’s lips as she stayed frozen. A word that made the rest of the ponies in the court – counting the captain – raise an eyebrow or two due to the utter alienage of the word.

“... Cazzo.”

Chapter 5: Regard

[Spike’s Perspective]

I wipe the beads on my forehead as I looked down on the spotless gym floor, its shine glaring my eyes but my pride preventing me to look away, a beaming smile unabashedly plastered on my face.

“THE FUCK DIANA!” a voice shouted, ripping me from my basking.

“Why do we have to do all the cleaning? Just give us our damn paychecks!” protested Alex from the other corner of the gym, his grinding teeth out in the open.

Diana glared back at him. “Not until this place is spotless. Now if you want it faster, then get the job done faster,” she answered, waving a white envelope in front of her as she looked away.

Alex's face grew more lines as he deepened his glare, one of his eyebrows dropping. “Are you seriously taking our paychecks hostage for this?”

“Will you just stop nagging and get the job done?!” She turned, baring her teeth.

My muscles tensed as I felt the atmosphere in the room double. I was about ready to run and get Sir Brian, but to my surprise, no punches were thrown, only a sigh from Diana.

“Look, just please humor me. You know just how important this meeting is for my title fight and I’d rather not mess this part up. I know Natasha’s not the type to be bothered by a little dirt, but even so, I’ve already cleaned the whole meeting room alone yesterday. Plus you owe me! Don’t think I’ve already forgotten the bullshit you pulled five days ago.”

“Correction, it’s not bullshit to keep myself seated all throughout a meeting. However, what is bullshit is going berserk and trying to tear a champion’s face off during said meeting,” he said nonchalantly, a long, sharp canine showing itself inside his smirking lips.

“Sure, I could’ve helped Dan and the boss restrain you, but I was too busy enjoying myself with the free show and popcorn. Now having said that, I’m gonna have to agree that the champ and her team were a group of pretentious bitches. I still can't believe they tried to pull a 5 - 95 split on us.”

He then looked down on the floor he was standing on, his eyebrows and lips going flat before sighing. “Alright, fine. I’ll do it. Just get into that cinderblock of a head of yours that I’m doing this for Nati, not for you.”

A beating vein showed itself on her forehead but after a second she only sighed and adopted a smirk of her own. “As long as I can see my face on the tiles, why should I care?”

I had to stifle a laugh. Though I’ve seen this interaction of theirs many times before, it never stops being amusing.

‘I wonder what would happen if I found Equestria’s Alex?’

“What are you laughing at? And why do you look all happy holding that mop? Shouldn't you be on my side of this argument?” Alex said with an annoyed tone.

“I was bored. This at least gives me something to do. I get paid after, and get to have the rest of the day off today and tomorrow. Sounds like a win-win-win if you ask me.” I leaned on the mop in my hands. “Plus I don’t really mind cleaning. I quite enjoy it actually.”

“Just suck it up, Alex.” Flash joined in as he carried his mop and pail from the other end of the room. “Look at me, I’m mopping the hell out of my quadrant and Diana doesn’t even have anything on me.”

One of Alex’s eyebrows rose at that. “Thanks for the tip. The fuck are you doing here anyway?”

“Natasha’s coming over, why do you need to ask?” Interrupted Diana, a playful smile on her mug.

Despite Alex's reservations, his quadrant did end up being cleaned, surprisingly even outshining my own. Alex and I left the gym minutes later, our paychecks in tow. With noon still a few hours away and not having anywhere really to go, I thought of following Alex to his house since I had business with him anyway. Thankfully, he didn’t find any reason to stop me.

This would be the first time I would be to his house. Normally, whenever I would borrow something from him, he would simply bring it with him to the gym or even deliver it to May's house personally.

Following Alex, we made our way northeastward, passing through the town park. This surprised me since the only things in that direction were the town’s municipal complex and the elite part of town. Soon enough I got my answer for tall structures with wide lots and gilded gates surrounded me from each side, their designs ranging from old classical architectures, to completely mirrored exteriors, to intentionally crooked angular dimensions, all of them in perfect repair.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen this place in broad daylight. The last two times I’ve been in this area was with Twilight during our reconnaissance walks during our first week on earth. We stopped going here though since we thought the chances of Sunset being in this area was very slim given the level of security in the area; it was high enough that Twilight and I were mistaken for thieves. Walking around during midnight with a flashlight and a baseball bat sure didn’t help any.

A few blocks in, we finally stopped in front of a large two story estate with two smaller wooden buildings behind it. Marble armored its surface while antique looking red roof tiles dominated its top, rows of finely detailed pillars holding it all in place; all of it designed in an ancient Greek architecture unique to the neighborhood. On the gate, a bronze plate with the words ‘Milopoulos Residence’ hung in announcement.

“YOU LIVE HERE?!” I cried out, my eyes still set on the plot of land.

I heard him snicker. “Regrettably, yes.”

“REGRETTABLY?! YOU MEAN THIS HOUSE IS NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR YOU?!”

“Actually, it’s too big. I mean have you seen my electricity bill?”

We entered the lot and I couldn’t help my mouth from dropping. His grass looked so healthy and well cut, his bird bath was massive and masterfully crafted, and his granite walkway looked very well set.

“I hope you’re paying your gardener right. This lawn is flawless!”

“Well, my wife pays with hugs and kisses, sometimes a bit of action if she’s in the mood. But in terms of cha-ching, no, my wife doesn’t pay me.”

I exhaled when I heard his last sentence then looked at him with flat eyelids. “So I take it you don’t have a gardener then?”

He shrugged. “No gardener, no cook, no cleaner; basically no helpers, just me, my wife and my daughter. Well, until they come back from the in-laws anyway. Till then, I have the house to myself.”

“But then how do you keep this whole place as clean and tidy as it is? I mean this place is huge!”

He grinned widely. “I’m a boss, that’s how.”

We entered his house and my eyes couldn’t help but bulge at the design and architecture of the interior as Alex led me towards the living room. Much like the outside of the property, the inside made use of a lot of marble and pillars with a few statues and dangling velvet to break the monotony.

“So if this place is that big, why not find a smaller house?”

“As much as I would love to, this is the only place in this town that makes me feel at home, workload included,” he answered, extending a hand toward a decently sized room with a linen sofa and recliner, a glass coffee table with a mini-fridge under it and a eighty inch screen in parallel. “Now stay here, I’m just gonna get a change of clothes.”

I sat down on the sofa and felt the soft cushiness of the material.

‘Who could’ve imagined Alex was this loaded?!’

After a moment, I heard fast footsteps from the hallway and soon enough Alex was back with a brown shirt, still technically topless though both arms were already through the shirt’s sleeves.

This was the first time I’ve ever seen his upper body. (Today is ripe with first times, damn.) Just as expected from him, his torso was a ripple of muscles and sinew, each contour telling a tale of force and balance. His shoulders, neck muscles and pectorals were massive and well defined, indicating his capacity to lift while his abdominal area was much smaller and leaner, with mostly outlines instead of overly bulging abs. As my eyes continued to examine his form, I found myself reeling back when Alex turned the other way, exposing something that made my stomach turn.

It was a large grotesque scar, composed of multiple stab marks that exposed muscle tissue and sinew even after healing and almost took over the upper right side of his abdomen, just below his pectoral line. What was more disturbing was that the stab marks were more akin to a bullet riddled windshield than flesh.

He looked at me with surprise, and after following my eyes did he relax his expression. He lowered his shirt and casually sat down on the right side of the sofa. “Ugly little bugger, wasn’t it?” he said plainly as he rubbed the place where the scar was.

Opening the small fridge, he took out four bottles of different colors. “I have apple, pineapple, and non-alcoholic versions of the two. Pick your poison.”

“Umm, I’ll take the apple, non-alcoholic.”

I leaned back on the sofa, my eyes towards Alex. “So… uh, how’d that happened?”

At that he instantly turned towards me, his eyes sharp and piercing, his nose flaring and his face full of lines I’ve never seen on him before.

I immediately looked away. “S-sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

However, as I did I heard a few muffled chuckling that instantly became full-fledged bouts of laughter the moment I turned back towards him.

“You should have seen your face!” He said, laughing louder and louder. I could only look at him with a flat expression as he tried desperately to control the volume of his laughs, failing miserably every time. Though it seemed he managed to get me to release a few of my own.

Finally able to stop though still gasping for air, he wiped a tear off his eye and handed me my drink. “Sorry about that. You just looked so tense that I couldn’t help myself,” he said, waving his bottle as he did. “About your question, are you one to enjoy a good prank?”

“Do I really need to answer that?”

“No. I guess not.” He leaned back on the sofa and held his bottle to his face, watching a single bead of water flow down towards the bottom of the bottle.

“I pulled a lot of pranks when I was young." He started, his voice completely unlike before. "I pulled a lot of good ones, let me tell you. I was so good that I people thought of me as a hero, because of them. Shouting my name, singing songs. One day I went too far and did the biggest prank I’ve ever pulled. Let’s just say I did it to the wrong person and divine retribution wasn’t too keen on being merciful.”

A weak ‘Oh’ was the only thing I could manage.

Silence began to take over the living room but even then I didn’t feel too keen on talking without a change of topic. Luckily, I felt my backpack and remembered my original business with him.

I took out my salary, counted it and handed it to Alex. “Here. Sorry I still couldn’t pay in full.”

He smiled and placed the money on the coffee table along with his own. “It’s fine. In fact, just pay me half for now. I know you need your salary for other things. And don’t worry, I’m not charging interest. The telescope is in my study, would you like to see it now?”

“Maybe later. How about the astronomy book?” I said, opening my bottle.

“It’s in my study too, gift wrapped and everything.” Opening his own bottle, he took a chug and sighed. “Now be honest with me here. I know I asked you this before, but are you sure you and Tara really just friends?”

“Of course we are!” I hurriedly answered despite myself, my voice having a bit of a squeak at the end.

He then turned to me slowly, his eyes squinting. “Why are you being defensive all of a sudden?”

“Well... you ask like you’re implying something.”

“Well, can you blame me? I’ve hardly ever come across someone who would buy an expensive telescope just for a friend out of the blue like that. Sure, I understand you don’t go to the city that often, but of all the things to borrow money for, the last I expected was a freakin telescope.”

“Well, that’s because you don’t know her like I do,” I said with a huff. I took a chug on the bottle and allowed myself a breath. “Besides, it’s not out of the blue, it’s her birthday present. Well, belated birthday present anyway. Her birthday was four days ago, we were still on our trip then.” I chuckled. “I kinda expected her to not celebrate, but I didn’t think she’d outright try to block it out. She didn’t even inform May.”

“I still say you care too much,” he replied, resting a cheek on his fist. “But let's be real here for a second, Tara doesn't seem too bad, right? I mean she's a very sweet girl, smart too. A real book worm if I ever saw one. And you have to admit, she's pretty easy on the eyes. Don't take this the wrong way, but if I was much younger and had a vacant ring finger, I'd probably ask her out.”

I felt a lump in my throat when I heard his last sentence and I found myself staring daggers at Alex. Thankfully, it seemed he wasn’t looking. I took a breath and tried to reclaim myself.

“As if she’d give you that chance anyway,” I said, leaning my cheek on my fist and my elbow on the sofa’s armrest. “If I know Tara, she’d probably brush you off and get back to her book.”

“Do you really think that low of me?” he replied, one of his eyebrows rising. I looked away at that.

I could see from the corner of my eye a smirk emerge from his face.

“Before you go there, yeah, no. Like I’ve already said before, there’s nothing between us. We’re just good friends. Besides, I don’t think she’d be into someone like me, she thinks of me more like a brother than anything.”

He looked at me without turning his head. “You think or you know? Coz from where I’m standing, it seems like you’re friend zoning yourself for some reason when there’s clearly no reason to, especially with a girl like Tara.”

“Whatever. I still think you’re reading too much into this,” I answered, not looking directly at him. “You know what, can we just change the subject?”

He shook his head and shrugged. “Have it your way.”

"Back in the gym, you guys kept talking about a girl named Natasha, who is she?”

He gave me a confused look but then relaxed himself after a moment. “Oh that’s right, you haven’t met her yet since you went back to Pinnsmith early,” he said, slamming a fist to his palm. “Anyway, her full name is Natasha Wilson. She’s one of Diana’s first sponsors, though personally I’m more inclined to consider her a patron than a sponsor given what she’s done for her. Actually now that I think about it, you could consider her the patron of the whole town really.”

“Is she really that rich?” I interrupted.

“Oh you have no idea,” he replied with a grin. “You might not know this, but the town was once on the verge of collapse not long ago. It was her father that helped keep this town a float. Hell, we’re more of a city than just a town because of them. You know the municipal complex? They donated that!”

My eyes couldn’t help but widen at his story. If a town as big as Pinnsmith was indeed once on the verge of collapse, it would have been such a feat to not only revive it but to also make it prosper.

“I would have loved to meet old man Wilson, that guy knew his shit. Then again, being good friends with his successor is the next best thing I guess.”

“Wait, if you’re that close to Natasha, doesn’t that mean you should have already met him at least once?”

“A few years ago maybe, but now, even if I pester her as hard as I do Diana, I don’t think she’ll be able to grant that wish. Old man Wilson died five years ago while his wife died a year earlier. As far as I remember she’s the last remaining member of the Wilson family here in Pinnsmith. She did have a cousin. But as far as I’ve heard, he apparently also died three years ago after getting ran over. Personally, I can’t help but feel very sorry for her. I heard she was a wreck for two years when the old man died. Though thankfully, she got back on her feet, managing her family’s businesses like a boss.”

“She seems like a very amazing person.” I commented after taking another gulp of my drink.

“And she’s very good looking too, amazing figure, cute face, kissable lips. She should be about your age, twenty four, twenty five something like that.”

I simply squinted at him at that. “For someone who’s supposed to be very faithful to their partner, you seem to be very vigilant of girls.”

“I consider myself a connoisseur. Also, is it really that bad to admire people’s looks?” He said then chuckled. “So yeah, overruled!”

“Ok then, what do those connoisseur eyes of yours say about Diana?”

“No comment.”

“Why, is it because you’re afraid of her?” I sneered.

“Not really. I’m more afraid of her family to be honest,” he replied with a chuckle. “You might not know this, but the Lynges are actually a military family. Sir Brian’s father fought in the war, while he and his brother were once part of the air force. Diana and Flash also plan to enlist as far as I know. Diana would probably demand to be in the air force.”

“Wait a minute – she plans to join the army? Then why is she a fighter? Doesn’t that screw her chances should she, I’m not hoping for anything bad or anything, you know, get hurt badly?”

He snickered as he turned to look at me. “Trust me, no amount of brain damage is gonna stop her from getting her wings.”

A mental image of a wheel chaired Diana shouting down a quivering recruitment officer emerged from my imagination and my mouth couldn’t help but release the laugher that it caused, Alex joining in not long after. As asinine as that comment was, it definitely sounded accurate.

“So anyway, is tomorrow a go?” Alex asked after recovering his breath.

“Yeah, it should be. Already informed May about it. Anyway, are you sure there’s gonna be a meteor shower tomorrow night?”

“Of course I am! I can just feel it in my bones!” he said, gripping his fist as if in meditation. “That and the news confirmed it just this morning.”

“Good. I’ll just do the groceries tomorrow morning so I can cook fresh. How about you, you think you can handle transporting the scope and book by yourself?”

“Hell yeah! And I know just the place so we’re not that far from town yet still far enough to avoid light pollution,” he bragged, showing a thumbs up.

I stood up from the sofa and extended my hand for a shake. “Alright then, I guess I’ll be off. See you tomorrow?”

“What? You’re going already? The day’s still young! Wanna see my dojo at least? It’s full of ancient weapons and shit. I know! How about we spar first?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down during his last few sentence.

The handshake forgotten, I reject the idea with a quick wave of my hand. “No thanks. The last time we sparred, I ended up getting tackled to the mat five times, and always face first. Seriously, I could still feel that elbow crush you hit me with a week ago,” I declined as I rolled my right shoulder, a faint but audible creaking emanating from it. “You might not have Diana’s power, but you’re just as vicious.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Anyway, I guess I can’t keep ya. I’ll see tomorrow then,” he stood up and extended his hand first.

“Oh wait, before I forget!” He called before going towards one of the drawers in the living room and taking out a small purple envelope about five inches long.

“Here man, this came in the mail this morning. I still don’t get why you had me address this to my house but whatever. Personally, I still can’t believe you passed with only one try.” He said as he handed me the envelope. It was a flat envelope with hardly any heft to it, though it had a stiffness that didn’t completely derive from the envelope itself.

“Yes well, I’m just that good,” I said as I took the envelope and shook his hand. “Alright then, see ya.”

*****

The sun was still on its way to its zenith and thankfully the heat wasn’t as bad as I dreaded. Though I didn’t plan to do the groceries today, I walked around the market, thinking it would be good to know the available produce so I could plan accordingly. The market was loud and crowded as much as could be expect; with vendors shouting gimmicks to gain attention and patrons running past each other to gain access to their ideal stalls. I looked around and was not disappointed by the diversity and quality of choices in both vegetables and fruits; from shiny tomatoes to crispy green cabbages, they had it all. I felt tempted to just buy some now, though thankfully I was able to keep myself in control.

A few minutes passed and my roaming was disturbed by my rumbling stomach. However, before I could even think of leaving market grounds, I found myself lured by a smell that was sweet and succulent, and for some reason, familiar.

With my stomach not affording me any control, I walked towards the source and found a spread of freshly baked, mouthwatering fritters. The only sad part being they were without their baker.

“Umm, hello?” I called into the stall, trying to aim for the back room.

Inside, a bit of rustling was heard before a voice finally answered.

“Hold your horses now, I'll be right there.”

A few moments later, someone finally came out, walking backwards towards the counter, a stack of crates full of apples in her hands.

She wore an orange plaid shirt over a tank top undershirt and jeans. She was of rather impressive height and build that was akin to Diana, but differentiated by the little bit of grace that her movements managed to carry.

Putting down the crates, she began to wipe the sweat off her forehead. “Pardon for the wait. So, what could I…” she trailed off, her brows furrowing and eyes shrinking a little. “David?”

"Come again?" I reeled back a little, my eyes squinting.

“Oh... I-I’m sorry. I thought ya were… someone else,” she trailed off, her sentence disrupted by a weak but still audible sigh.

"It’s fine. Come on, don't worry about it. I was just caught off guard is all.” I fanned my hand in front of my face. “Anyway, I was just wondering if I buy some of you fritters.”

“I’m sorry. Yes, of course Sir.” She raised her chin up and gave me a soft smile. “It’s a dollar twenty-five per fritter.”

I handed her cash enough for two pieces and she went ahead and began to pack the hot fritters into a brown paper bag, albeit slowly. This however gave me enough time to shake off the initial encounter and ponder on my hostess’ appearance.

Despite her attire, it was clear enough that her build was an athletic one, with slender, well-toned arms and shoulder and an even slender waistline. Her hair was long and blond, reaching well beyond her waist. She had green eyes and fair light pink skin with some freckles around her nose, cheeks and collar bone.

A smile slipped itself onto my lips as an image of a certain pony emerged in my head.

She stood up and handed me the noticeably hot bag. “Thank you kindly for your business. And I’m mighty sorry for confusion earlier. I added an extra fritter for your troubles.”

“You sure?” I asked, indeed seeing the extra fritter in the bag. “Gee, thanks!” My smile turned into a grin. I extended my free hand to her and her face took a confused expression. “Just so there’s no more confusion; the name’s Daniel. David is close, but… ehhh… you know.”

She relaxed, smiled back and grabbed my hand. “Adrienne Jeanne.”

“AJ?!” I shouted in surprise. “I should’ve seen THAT coming.”

She squinted. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ehhh… no-nothing! I just thought that you looked like… a… AJ,” I shakily answered, smiling sheepishly at her.

She held her gaze, leaning in close and gripping my hand hard that I found myself sweating. Though after a while, a small smirk found its way to her lips and she retreated and took back her hand. “Whatever it was, I guess I could let it slide and just take it as a compliment.”

She then placed the cash into the register. “Are you new in town?”

“Not really. I’ve been here for more than a month now. About forty three days now to be a bit more specific.”

“You keep count?” She snickered as she fixed up her stall.

Before I could answer her, my stomach growled loudly and I found my cheeks heating up as I saw her eyes redirect themselves toward me.

“Looks like you got your lunch just in time. There’s a bench here if you’d like to eat it now.” She chuckled, pointing to the bench to the right of her stall.

I could only scratch the back of my head at that before sitting down on the aforementioned bench.

Surrendering to my stomach, I took out one of the still warm fritters and took a bite. The taste was heavenly in its mixture of sweetness and fruity tang, while its consistency was enough to make it melt in my mouth but not be mushy. Under such bliss, I found myself biting on another, then another, then another, until there was nothing but crumbs left in the bag.

“Well, that's disappointing,” I thought out loud, crumpling the paper bag and shooting it into the nearest trash bin, failing by just half an inch.

"Hoowee! You went through those three fritters in record time!" Adrienne exclaimed as she sat down on her on chair inside the stall.

I shrugged. "What can I say but complements to the chef?"

She snickered and then smiled. "Well, the chef appreciates it."

I simply smiled back at her. 'She truly is Applejack's counterpart.' Then a second thought hit me as I remembered the very first words she said when she saw my face.

I stood up and picked up the crumpled up brown bag and disposed of it properly. “Do you mind if I ask you something Miss Adrienne?”

“Sure. And what's with this Miss Adrienne nonsense? Just call me AJ. It’s not like you haven't already.” She crossing her arms on the counter and resting her chin on them.

“Alright then, AJ it is. Anyway, this David guy you confused me with earlier, do I really look like him?”

She looked down, her lips and eyelids drooping a little.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I’m sorry for asking,” I said, sitting back down on the bench.

She raised her head and waved at that. “No, no, it’s ok. And yes, you do look an awful lot alike. In fact, it’s kind of scary just how similar you both are. Well… not the awful shaggy green hair anyway. No offense,” she finished returning to her resting position. “But now that I actually get to compare, I have to say you look more like a younger version of him.”

“None taken.” I snorted as I combed my hair with my fingers. “I probably should get it dyed black anyway.”

Though I already understood that most, if not all, ponies in Equestria had to have a human counterpart; it never occurred to me that the concept extended even to me. Just the thought of it was enough to make me grin ear-to-ear as I tried to imagine how the scene would play out should I meet the guy.

“You seem happy,” commented Adrienne, bringing me back to reality.

“Do I?” I scratched the back of my head. “I guess I’m kind of excited by the thought of having a look-a-like that I kind of wanna meet the guy. Do you think we can arrange something?”

Her smile dropped that very instant as she turned away for a moment before turning back to me. “I don’t think that’s really possible sugar cube.”

“How so?” I asked, my eyebrows furrowing. “I would’ve imagined you were in good terms with him. Are you in a fight or something? Or did he move away?”

She looked away again, the same lethargic expression from before showing on her face. She then let out a loud sigh and said something I did not expect. “I’m afraid Mr. David Wilson will never come back.”

At that moment, images of the conversation I just had with Alex rewound themselves in my head. My body began to stiffen and I felt an uneasiness creeping over me, something my new acquaintance definitely noticed.

“Is he by any chance related to a Natasha Wilson?” I asked finding enough self-control to do so.

“Ya know the Wilsons?”

“N-no… I just heard about the Wilsons today…” I answered shakily, still reeling from that tidbit of information.

“Then I’m guessin ya also heard David’s been dead for three years now.”

I felt my forehead crumple and grow lines, a lone sweat bead running down the side of my face. I had to admit, dead counterparts was a contingency I did not at all expect. Lest of all, to have that dead counterpart be mine. I bent down and looked at open hands, my mind began to buzz with ideas, concepts and possibilities of what it could foretell; ‘The Spike of this world is… dead. But he’s older than me, right? What if I’m supposed to end up like him anyway? What if I…’

‘No!’ I told myself, my teeth gritting. ‘I will not let my life be dictated by something I have no control over. Not again! He’s gone, I’m still here. That very fact means what happened in his life has no bearing to mine. And if I’m wrong and… and I’m really meant to die… then so be it.’

I felt a soft but firm hand on my shoulder; ripping me from my thoughts and making me look towards its source. “Are you alright, sugarcube?” said Adrienne with a worried face, now sitting on the bench just foot away from me.

“Y-yeah, I just… I just need a moment.”

“Why do ya seem more affected by this than I thought ya should be? I just said ya two just looked alike.”

I give a nervous chuckle at that. I very much expected her to try and dig into something should I do anything stupid given she’s earth’s Applejack. Luckily, I was not without rebuttal that though wasn't entirely true, wasn't lying either.

I straightened my posture and looked at her directly. “Yes well, I’m kind of a superstitious guy. If David really did look just like me as you make it seem, then a dead doppelganger is no laughing matter to me.”

“I guess… I never thought of it that way,” she replied, scratching the back of her head. “I’m mighty sorry you had to hear it from me.”

“I appreciate the apology, but I appreciate your honesty more. So don’t beat yourself up over it. You just happened to have the misfortune of holding the information when I asked. Lucky for you, I’m not the type that shoots the messenger.”

I stood up from the bench and pulled out my phone from my pocket. The time read twelve fifteen pm. “I think I need to go. I still have to get to the City Library.”

“What business do you have there?”

“A friend.” I smiled at her. “I think you two would get along very well.”

“Is that so? Well, you should bring her here some time then.” She smiled back, playfully hitting my shoulder.

“I’ll see what I can do. Anyway, I guess I’ll be going,” I said, turning around to leave. However, before I could take a step… “A second thought, could I buy another four fritters before I leave?”

“Why of course you can. Though I have to ask, I know it’s none of my business, but don’t you think you’ve had enough fritters? These go right to your thighs you know. Or maybe that’s what you’re gunning for.”

“Very funny,” I answered back with a sardonic smile on my face. “No, I’ll only be having one of those, the rest are for my friend.”

“Ah well that makes more sense,” she said, handing me a new bag full of hot fritters. “Well then, thank ya for your patronage, Daniel. Don’t be a stranger now, ya hear?”

“If your treats stay the way they are, I don’t think I can stay away.”

I waved good bye and began to walk east, although before I was out of earshot, I heard one last quip from Adrienne that earned her a full blown laugh, relaxing me a bit more from my neurosis.

“I’m serious about those going right to your thighs!”

The noon sun bore down on anything and everything its rays touch, slowly draining whatever liquids it could get from its targets. I was not spared from this for I felt my throat tighten and my shirt moisten as I walked. I quickened my pace and soon enough, the tall looming silhouette of the town library came into view. Yet, as I got closer and closer, I saw something else stood in between me and the library, a familiar something that gave a small smile on my face.

‘To think this thing is a magical gateway that connects two very different worlds. Though I guess right now it won’t be leading anywhere till a few more weeks, so until then, it’s nothing more than a big hunk of marble. I just hope we at least get some leads before then.’

Going passed the marble monument and up the stairs, I entered the library only to find a seat at the front desk that was missing a ‘Twilight’.

I looked around and I couldn’t help but still feel the awe of the building. Though this was no hollowed out tree or grand castle library, I have to admit, it made me feel nostalgic.

I knew I was missing my old life but I didn’t think the libraries would be the thing I’d miss the most. From the quiet that surrounded me to the smell of books and parchment, all of them brought back memories that made me smile and forget about my ill discovery.

Walking further down the main aisle, I found her busy restacking books by one of the many rows of bookshelves.

I would have approached her then and there had I not found myself frozen, my mouth agape as I took in the image of her.

The soft radiance of filtered sunlight bouncing off her slender feminine frame. Her purple eyes full of intelligence we busy at her task, yet still carried peace and happiness. The simple clothing, practical and modest, but still capable of accentuating her figure. Her hair was not let down like usual and was instead kept in a bun, revealing her soft innocent face that was completed by a beautiful content smile.

Her eyes moved towards my direction and finally noticed my presence.

“Spike? When did you get here?” she called. To my misfortune, I was still lost in the image.

“Spike?” she repeated, her eyes furrowing and her smile subsiding when no answer was returned.

“SPIKE!”

“Huh? What? Huh?” I shook my head, then redirecting my eyes back to Twilight’s worried own.

“Are you ok, Spike? And what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Her eyes still furrowed as she returned the penultimate book on her book cart.

“Ye-yeah… I just… I… I...” I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck, mind still ajar. “You look amazing in a bun!” I blurted out.

Immediately I felt my face warm up and my heart race faster when my conscious mind hit on the ill-conceived sentence I absent-mindedly uttered. I would’ve slapped myself then and there had I had any mental processing power to spare. I braced myself, fully expecting her to laugh out loud and rub it in my face. Yet as seconds passed, she uttered nothing, only looked at me in surprise.

I thought I saw a hint of red spread on her face before lowering her head. She then brushed the loose strands of her hair off her face and tucked them behind her ear, indeed revealing red and a small smile on her lips.

“… Y-you think so? T-thank you.”

I didn’t know what was worse: my inborn stupidity that caused all this, or that I felt my heart race even faster than before.

I shook my head and gave myself a few weak slaps.

“I-I have the rest of the day off,” I managed as I walked towards her and took the last book from her cart. “I didn’t really like going home early so I thought maybe I could visit you at work and maybe help out. You know, just like old times.”

She chuckled for a bit before taking the small but thick book right out of my hands. “Thank you for the offer Spike,” she started, then placed the book into the bookshelf behind us. “But I think I’ve already got everything under control here.”

I did a double take before letting out a dry chuckle. “You wouldn’t even let me put away the last book?”

“Well, technically speaking, you’re not my library assistant, so I don’t think you’re allowed to do that. Also, it’s your day off right? Shouldn’t you be resting?” She smiled softly. “Then again, it’s not like you knew where to put it.” She shrugged as she began to pull the book cart back to its station.

At that, I found my face become dominated by a confident almost exacting grin as I trailed behind her. “Wait, wait… did that sound like a challenge?”

She didn’t answer immediately, only kept pushing on the cart. She turned her head a little to see my expression, it was however enough for me to see hers. “I don’t know, maybe?”

“Whoa wait, now that DEFINITELY sounded like a challenge.” Instantly, I ran in front of her and grabbed the other end of the cart, placing all my weight on it. I stared at her, her eyes wide at my actions. “You think I’m no longer capable of being your assistant, don’t you.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “What? No! I never said that! Now come on Spike, let me put this cart away so we can sit down.”

My stare only got more intense at that. “Name a book.”

“What?” She blurted after blinking.

“Name a book, any book that the library has. You don’t even have to give me specifics. Just name a book and I’ll find it in less than a minute. My only caveat is it shouldn’t be in any other room besides the main library.”

She only stared at me, dumbfounded at my spontaneous proposition. She looked away for a few seconds, her eyebrows furrowing and placing a few fingers on her lips and stealing glances from time to time. I couldn’t exactly guess what was going on in her head, but I could tell that she knew she had no other option but to play.

She turned back to me, her expression blank. “Are you should we couldn’t just sit down and read?”

“No,” I answered, my stare not wavering.

She sighed at that. “… Prometheus Unbound. Author, Percy Bysshe Shelley.”

With that I ran towards the center of the library, at the same time my mind was busy trying to list the attributes of the book by its title and author alone. I was already familiar with the layout of the library, so I went to the corresponding area where I could begin my search. I knew for a fact that with a title like that, it had to be under the categories of ‘mythology, fiction, and drama.’ Using those facts and my knowledge about Twilight, I tried to calculate where specifically she could have placed it. Sure enough, I managed to find it in the drama section of the library. I looked at my watch and couldn’t help but feel a smile creep up on my face. Hurrying towards the usual spot Twilight and I would read during the earlier days of our time here on earth, I immediately showed her the book with a wide grin on my face as I pulled out my phone with its clock app maximized.

“Thirty…eight seconds!” I said, before catching my breath. “Aisle 12, bookshelf 15D, 20th books from the left,” I continued, then took a seat in front of her after.

She smiled softly as she reached out for the book, eyeing the piece of literature before returning her eyes to me. “Good work, Spike.”

“Hey, my pride as an assistant was on the line here. You know I can’t just take that lying down.” I smirked at her, then grinned.

“Well then, I’m sorry if I ever made you feel you needed to prove yourself.”

“It’s fine. Personally, I think I did it more for myself more than anything. It’s been awhile since I’ve done anything like this, and I think I’m getting rusty.” I answered her as I placed both my elbows onto the table and rested my chin on the back of my clasp fingers.

I then looked down on the book in her hands, finally being able to see it with a clear head. “So uh, why did you have me find that book specifically? I would’ve imagined you’d have me find something more… factual.”

Her eyes were no longer set on me and were instead on the book that was now open in her hands. “No specific reason. It was just the first thing that came to mind, maybe because I’ve been so intrigued by Greek mythology.”

“What got your interest anyway?” I cocked my eyebrows. “Personally, I think most of the gods in there are narcissist jerks with superhuman powers who think they have moral superiority over the humans that lived under them. Hypocritical since they’re no better than the humans.”

“I see you’ve been reading about them as well. And well…” she started, her face scrunching up as she tried to think of her answer, but failing miserably. “Yeah, I guess that’s one way to put it.”

“One way to put it? Their leader is a sexual predator and all around jerk! They’d probably put Discord to shame.”

She lifted her eyes from her book and looked at me with crooked eyebrows. “I think you’re over generalizing too much. They aren’t all that bad. What about Athena and Demeter? What about Prometheus?”

I only snorted at that. “I guess. Though that last one was a titan, so I guess he doesn’t count.”

“Now you’re just trying to argue specifics.”

We just sat there talking, just enjoying the relative silence and each other’s company. We would get interrupted here and there, mostly by people from the municipality asking for forms and other such paperwork.

Given I didn’t have any idea about this part of her work; all I could do was sit down and observe. And I have to say, I did not like what I saw.

Twilight looked out of it. Her movements were clumsy, sluggish and weak. From the looks of the people she talked to, it seemed her mind didn’t fare any better. She would lose track of what she was doing, usually having to shake her head to regain some semblance. Thankfully, she managed to finish her work with only delay as the only negative outcome of her actions.

I kept my eyes on her as she returned to her seat, my mind formulating possibilities for her apparent weakened state. I didn’t know if she was like this when I entered the library, but now that I had reason to observe her with a more scrutinizing eye, she indeed showed signs of confusion while her skin looked paler than its usual bronze.

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you Twilight?”

She did not answer immediately and only looked at me with a look not completely of shame but more of confusion. “…No, not yet. I haven’t really had time. I’ve been kinda busy since the town chairwoman is doing some personal inspections. We just kinda got lucky she hasn’t come back yet.”

“It’s already passed two in the afternoon Twilight. You should have already eaten,” I stated with an expression and tone that commanded authority. I knew it worked since she wouldn’t look me in the eye.

“Don’t worry, Spike; I’m fine. I’ll just eat more during dinner.”

I scratched the back of my head and exhale in disappointed. “You have to eat, Twilight. Just eating a single heavy meal in one day just won’t cut it. If only you can see how pale you look. And it’s not like you had good blood sugar levels to begin with. Wait here; I’ll go get your lunchbox. It should be in the front desk, right?”

I rose from my seat and turned towards the front desk. However, before I could leave, I felt a tug on my right sleeve. I turned around and saw Twilight, head down and twiddling with her fingers.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, turning back to her.

“… You’re not gonna find my lunch there.” She replied with a hesitant voice as she continued to twiddle her fingers.

“What? Why.”

Again she took a moment before answering back, stealing glances as she did. “… I kinda left it at home.” She finally answered before smiling sheepishly.

I did a double take, chuckling before shaking my head and sitting back down. “You’re helpless.”

She only looked down at that, but not before I saw the blush on her cheeks.

“…Shut up.”

I couldn’t help but let out more chuckles, though the action only seemed to irritate her more. I shook my head once more and opened my backpack and pulled out the fritters which amazingly still felt warm and uncrushed.

Regaining her attention, I extended the paper bag towards her. “Lucky for you I brought food. Here.”

She eyed the brown stained bag for a few seconds before actually reaching out for it. She took out one of the fritters and tentatively took a bite. At the very instant, her eyes widened. “These are delicious, Spike!” She exclaimed, taking more bites out of the pastry without any regard to how she looked doing so or the mess she was making. “I don’t remember you making batter. When did you get the time to bake these?”

“I didn’t; I bought them before I came here.” I said, a smirk growing on my face as I waited for her to ask her next question.

“Really? Where?”

“From AJ.” I answered nonchalantly, watching from the corner of my eye for her response. My smirk grew into a grin as I saw her eyebrows furrow and her eyes widen.

“AJ? As in human Applejack?” She asked.

“Yup.” I replied using the same tonality as those of Big Mac. “Her real name is Adrienne Jeanne. She was at the market square selling those fritters and a few of her apples as well.”

She took another fritter and bit down, though still keeping her attention to me. “Really? So this Adrienne is much more comparable to her counterpart then?”

“A perfect match. She looks like her, she dresses just like you’d expect a human AJ would, she even has her accent!” I answered, shouting out the last sentence more than I should have.

“So, that makes…” I trailed off, looking at the ceiling and counting with my fingers. “Three bearers; Rainbow, Fluttershy, and AJ. Rarity and Pinkie are the only ones left. I wonder who we meet first.” I said with enthusiasm. I expected the same expression on Twilight when I looked. However, when I did, I did not see anything of the sort. Instead I found her troubled and indecisive.

“What’s wrong?”

She looked at me for a moment then moved her irises away, hesitation clear within them. Finally she looked back, though her still contained a troubled expression. “… I think… I’ve might have found Rarity.”

I squinted at her for a few more seconds. “But you think you might be wrong.”

She nodded at that. Which in turn made me squint at her and tap my chin.

“Hmm. This is a first,” I said, looking away. “The last three were slam dunks from the get go.”

I repeatedly tapped my chin then turned back to her. “Tell me, who is she?”

She hesitated for a moment, a fear of some sort in her eyes. “Her name is Phoebe. She’s the lady that owns the tailoring boutique by Howard Phillips Street. I met her because one of the people in the municipal hall recommended I talk to her about getting a uniform.” She paused and looked at me with a scrutinizing eye. A look that I returned in kind before gesturing for her to continue.

“As far as her comparisons to Rarity; they’re both very beautiful, though I’ve never seen Phoebe without her makeup. She also has the same skills and flair as her when it comes to sewing and aesthetic taste. As for their mannerism go, they’re pretty much the same, right down to the way they speak.”

She turned back to me again, this time finally getting an expression from me. “Oh… kay. So what’s there to doubt? If she looks like Rarity, talks like Rarity, then shouldn’t that mean she’s her counterpart?”

“That’s what I initially thought too.” She answered, slumping for a moment before addressing me again. “When I was first told about her, they said that she was the tailor to go to. They sang praises about her work and skill. Though when they did, they also warned about her lethargic, distant demeanor. I tried to ignore it, thinking it was just town gossip but after a working with her I had to admit the atmosphere around her was a heavy one. She’s not really the talking type and as far as I’ve heard the most active interaction she’s had is with me. She hardly ever smiles, even when complimented. I did some digging on her and apparently she wasn’t always like this. They say she was once cheerful, was once more… alive.”

Her frown grew larger as she went on. At first I was bothered by the level of concern Twilight had for this person. Yet as I thought about it more, I had to smile for I remembered the kind of friendship Twilight and Rarity shared.

She turned to me, her eyes soft and brimming with sadness. Yet in that sadness, I saw something else, something utterly… Twilight. “I don’t know what happened to her to make the way she is now. But all I know is that she needs to get through it. She’s a good person; she just needs some help…”

I smiled at her and placed a hand on top of hers. “And she will get that help. You know why? Because I believe you’re just the person to give it to her.”

She smiled at me and I found myself in awe of her and couldn’t help but return it. Out of nowhere she lunged at me, wrapping her hand around torso and resting her head on my chest, making me feel her warmth. “Thank you, Spike.”

My mind froze for a second before I found myself smiling at that.

“Don’t mention it,” I said as I returned the hug.

She pulled back, her beautiful smile widening into a grin, her skin returning to its usual vibrant bronze.

“It looks like you got your energy back.”

“Well, it’s all thanks to my number one assistant,” she replied, her face glowing with happiness and mirth.

My eyes widening as a warm feeling and a tug from within began to overwhelm me when I heard her words.

Her lips slowly went flat as my silence stretched on for seconds. “What’s wrong?”

“No-nothing…” I started after shaking my head. “It’s just that, I haven’t heard you call me that in a long while. I guess I missed it.”

It was her turn to do a double take as she just sat there staring at me. “Well… you deserve it,” she said in a meek yet still audible way.

“Thanks.”

Time wore on as Twilight and I continued to talk and reminisce, just enjoying each other’s company. I had to admit that I missed times like these, just the two of us having fun, not caring about anything and just taking what the wind blows at us. The only thing I regret about it was that we might have been too loud.

We mostly talked about random stuff: from Alex’s annoying laugh, to the chairwoman's broach. I also talked more about Adrienne and my conversation with her, minus a few odds and ends. Twilight was eager to meet her for herself, just like I was eager to see her face when she does.

*****

“Thanks for coming by Spike. I’m really sorry about the lunch box, I know how hard you work on those.”

“Don’t mention it, it felt good to work in a library again, even if it was just under the deputy assistant position. Are you sure I can’t just wait for you to time out?”

“Yeah, I’m sure, Spike. I’m probably gonna have to stay for a few extra minutes because of the chairwoman’s visit. Besides, I don’t think it’ll leave a good impression on her if you were here distracting me. Go on and just rest for the rest of the day, and if the lunch you packed isn’t spoiled yet, save it for me please.”

“I guess I am too good looking to not get distracted by, aren’t I,” I said, making a face. Predictable, all it got me a playful jab from Twilight.

“I’ll see you at home, Spike.”

I snickered and I began walking down the stair. Five flights down however, I stopped and remembered the real reason for my visit.

“By the way, Twilight, do you have any plans tomorrow night?”

“Well…” she started. “Aren’t we supposed to do some patrolling tomorrow night?”

“Oh yeah, we are. Do you think we could just skip tomorrow? Or better yet, if you think you up for it, we could do it tonight.”

She took a few seconds for herself before answering. “I guess we can do it tonight. But why do you wanna reschedule?” she asked, giving me a mischievously curious look.

“There’s something I wanna watch with you tomorrow night and I don’t think a recording would be as good as watching it live.”

“Well, what is it you want you watch?”

I turned my back to her and began walking down the stairs. “It’s a surprise.”

Interlude: Dream

The smell of vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and many others composed the air while mounds of multicolored frozen dairy covered, or more correctly, was the land. Two figures climbed one of the pink colored hills. One was covered in purple scales and green spines, while the other was of white fur and purple mane.

“Come on Rarity, you can do it,” the dragon said as he assisted the unicorn up the creamy landscape.

“Thank you, Spike,” said the unicorn. She began to brush herself off, only to smudge the ice cream all over her pristine white coat. “Though really, you should have told me where we were going so I could have prepared appropriately. Now look at me, I’m all sticky.”

“Sorry,” the dragon replied.

“No matter, a lady should never go unprepared. Thankfully, there’s a mirror there I can use.”

The dragon cocked his eyebrows at that. “Mirror?”

He turned around and instantly his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened, almost forcing out his eyeballs out of the sockets. In front of him loomed a tall oval mirror, multiple gemstones lining its purple frame.

He approached it cautiously, a form slowly showing itself to him on its reflective surface. It wasn’t him, or at least, it wasn’t his dragon form. The person in the mirror wasn’t anything he would remotely call equestrian. The reflection was tall, lean but muscular, devoid of scales with clothing taking its place and a patch of green hair on top of his head.

Spike slowly reached out with his claw only to stop midway at what he saw. Devoid of talons and scales, his arm now matched that of the reflection. He reached out with his other arm and saw the same to it. Groping his face, an odd sense of normalcy to the feeling of flesh began to engulf him, his initial fear being drowned by it.

“Are you alright, Spike?” said his companion behind his back. However, had to furrow his brow for he could have sworn that the voice that spoke was different.

He turned around and instead of the mare of his dream, he saw the woman he swore to protect, standing on two feet and embracing a book by her chest. A smile found its way to his lips as the last remaining fear in him was expelled and he approached her with a relaxed familiarity.

She tilted her head, a playful smirk appearing on visage. “Aren’t you too old for ice cream?”

“Twilight... no one’s too old for ice cream.”

Chapter 6: Friend

[Twilight Perspective]

Spike stared down the black pony shaped game piece in my hand, a single bead of sweat running agonizingly down the side of his face, his lips in a ridiculously deep frown and his cheeks twitching at random intervals.

“Knight to E3. Checkmate.”

Straightaway, he scratched his head violently and gritting his teeth with enough force to make it audible. Then after exactly five seconds, he slammed his head into his lap, a sigh of surrender coming from his limp body. “That’s fifteen games in a row we’ve played and I haven’t got close to winning a single one. And to add insult to injury, all of them were less than eighteen minutes long.”

“I’m sorry, Spike, but if you want a win, you’re going to have to earn it.”

He raised his head from his lap, his pupils large and his lips in a drooping pout.

At that, my eyebrows and lips went flat. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to see if I can make you reconsider,” he answered, increasing the moisture in his eyes without actually letting it run.

“That’s cute, Spike, but I don’t think that’s not gonna work,” I said in a playful tone. “For one, when it comes to chess, I’m just too competitive to give away wins. Two, you weren’t able to save the packed lunch.”

“How is that my fault?!”

“Let me finish,” I answered back. “And three… you forgot about your casserole.”

Immediately his eyes widen and like lightning he took off towards the kitchen. I had to stifle my laugh as he hassled to put on his apron and mittens. Although I had to admit, he really did look adorable.

I heard the door’s locks moving and I turned to see May passing through the threshold.

“Welcome home, May. How was school?”

“Oh. Hi, Tara. Same as always, hectic,” she answered as she took off her socks and shoes. “Is Daniel here?”

“Present and accounted for,” Spike said as he came out of the kitchen, drying his hands with a towel. “Oh, and good news, the casserole made it! Although as its chef, I must advise that under no circumstance that it not see any visitors until dinner time.”

“Hello Daniel!” May said in a rushed tone. She then looked away for a moment and then sneaked a glance at me before looking back at Spike. “Umm. Do you mind if I talk with you for a moment, Daniel?”

“Uh, sure. Fire away.”

I turned towards May, waiting for what she wanted to say. However, I had to cock an eyebrow after she still stayed silent for more than a second. Even more so after she stole a second glance at me.

“Is… anything wrong?” Spike asked.

“Uh… I was hoping to talk to you in private.”

“Oh. OHHH…” he replied with curiosity invoking emphasis.

He immediately rose from his seat and took her by the hand and led her to the kitchen, not noticing that she was still barefoot. Before they passed the threshold, Spike turned to me with an awkward smile and his index finger extended to the ceiling. “Excuse us.”

I felt my lips and eyebrows droop as they entered the kitchen. I heard their murmurs from behind the kitchen walls. Sadly, they were only just that, murmurs. I reached out for one of the books under the coffee table, hoping that I could take my concentration away from the duo. However, the printed words were not enough to stop my eyes from looking back at the kitchen. Not a moment sooner did I hear footsteps and see a shadow approach the threshold and immediately turned my eyes back to the book. Slowly I looked back at saw May rushing for her indoor sandals and going into her room. Soon after, Spike also slowly walked back into the living room, one hand to his hip, the other to the nape of his neck, and a disappointed frown on his lips.

“What’s the matter, Spike?”

“Nothing, just… plans not panning out.” He looked at me then turned his frown into a reassuring smile. “Forget about it. Come on and help me set the table, the casserole should have cooled enough by now, we still have a patrol to do. Oh and where do you think we should go tonight?”

I bit my lower lip, tapping my chin before regarding him again. “How about Market Square?”

“Sounds good,” he said as he walked back into the kitchen.

The road was silent and barren. Spike lead by a few steps while I followed close behind. The dimly lit streets and chilly winds serving as omens for another fruitless attempt. We’ve been walking for already twenty eight minutes and sadly, every step served to only eat away at my hopes of progress.

“Spike?”

“Huh?” he said, turning my way.

“I know you’ve told me many times before to not let this whole situation get to me, but… have you ever thought that maybe these reconnaissance walks aren’t really helping?” I asked, eagerly watching his possible reaction.

He didn’t stop walking, only slightly turned his head to glimpse at me before turning back to where he was walking.

My head lowered itself, thinking I might have gone a bit too far with my inquiry. However, after a few seconds of silence Spike let out a sigh.

“I have, and… no, I don't think it’s getting us anywhere,” he started before stopping and turning towards me, his expression not frowning, but not smiling either. “But it’s the only thing we can actively do in our situation. It’s the only card we have.”

“But isn’t there something else we can do?”

He shrugged. “Not unless you don’t mind interviewing people.”

“Well… can’t we?”

He cocked an eyebrow at that. “… You’re not seriously suggesting we actually interview people.”

“Why not?”

He eyed me for a few seconds before shaking his head, chuckling sardonically.

However, before I could ask what was funny he flattened out his smirk and cleared his throat. “Excuse me miss, but might you grant me the honor of your time? I just wish to ask some questions,” he started, speaking in a light posh aristocratic accent.

I had to cock my eyebrow at him again. It was obvious he was up to something though I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. However, thinking it was better to simply let him do whatever it was he wanted, I held my tongue and nod at him to continue.

“Thank you. You see, though I may look like a dashingly handsome young man, believe it or not, I’m actually a formidable dragon from another dimension. I am in your world because one of my worlds’ most prized possessions – a mystical magic crown called the ‘Element of Magic’ – was stolen by a unicorn and has escaped here, to Earth. I am here to retrieve said artifact and bring the thief to justice. If you have any information that can point to this unicorn, it would be such a tremendous help if you can share them with me. Oh and there’s the fact that like me, she turned human and I have no clue what she might look like.”

I stood, my mouth ajar at what he just pulled… I did not see that coming.

I had to admit; even when I knew that what he said was the absolute truth, absurd was still the primary adjective that came to mind. I tried to take a moment to grasp any possible rebuttals, but each one only exploded like overfilled water balloons in my head.

I sighed then shook my head with an upward curl on one of the corners of my lips. “Alright, alright, you’ve made your point.”

“Good. ‘Coz if I hadn't yet, I’d have to act out the part where they call in a mental institute on me.”

I simply had to roll my eyes at that. “That’s a pity, I would’ve liked to have seen that,” I replied, flashing him a pouting expression, to which he let out a few chuckles. “That was a nice accent by the way, wasn’t that the accent you used during Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

“Thanks. I’ve been practicing.”

“It sounds good. But did you really have to blow your own horn?”

He turned to me for a moment, then turned away before shrugging. “Why? Do you think it’s a contestable fact?”

“Actually, I…” I trailed off when my mind processed what I saw from the corner of my eye. I turned my head and indeed to my side was a familiar two story building with a half faded sign that read the words ‘Diamonds and Pearls Boutique’.

“Twilight, is anything wrong?” He said from a few steps ahead of me, snapping me out me out of it. I took a second glance of the shop and then turned to Spike.

“… It’s nothing. Come on, it’s getting late. We still have a few more blocks to cover,” I replied, restarting my walk with a brisk pace, not looking directly at Spike even after I passed him.

After an hour of predictably unfruitful searching, we decided to cut our losses and head home for some rest.

Feeling a bit sticky from the sweat of the walk, I decided to talk a short bath. Spike on the other hand was much more tired than I was, and just changed his clothes before falling onto the sofa, snoring on impact.

The warm water felt soothing and comfortable on my body, removing all the stress and tension. Though even then, I was far from relaxed.

Images of Spike and May’s hands clasp together kept occupying my mind, a heavy frown taking my lips every time it reappears. I submerged entirely for a second, hoping to clear myself of my thoughts, even if just for a while. Reemerging, I hugged my knees to my chest, just letting the silent atmosphere of the tiled walls and the warm water clear my mind.

"Why does it even bothering me that they held hands!" I shouted out loud before slamming my face into the water. Something I regretted instantly.

Bathing for longer than I would’ve wanted, I rose from the tub and dried myself. Putting on my pre-prepared bathrobe, I walked through the living room to reach my bedroom when I heard Spike mumble in his sleep. I had to stifle a chuckle at that. Though I wasn’t able to make out most of what he spoke, I was able to hear the words; Ice cream, mountains, vanilla and strawberry. Suffice to say those words were enough to give me a clue about what he was dreaming off.

“Aren’t you too old for ice cream?” I unintentionally said out loud.

Immediately, Spike’s body moved, rolling to lie on his back. I thought that I had waked him, but due to his closed eyelids and soft snores that emanated from his open mouth, it seemed he was still very much asleep.

I tipped-toed the rest of the way to my room and made sure to not make any noise opening the door. However, once inside, I heard Spike mumble once more.

“Twilight… no one’s… too old for ice… cream.”

****

It was quiet inside the city library, empty with only myself as the only breathing thing in the building. It was still the relatively early hours of nine and I didn’t have any job in queue since I managed to finish most of them yesterday, and I guess I have Spike’s fritters to thank for that.

If it wasn’t for him, I would’ve probably fainted yesterday, much less never finished my work. He would always look out for me, always looking to make things easier and more comfortable. He’s done so much but received so little. I’m just glad they gave him two days off.

‘I really need to start showing my appreciation for Spike more. Maybe I could at least let him win a game of chess against me.’

My musing was interrupted when I felt a heavy feeling that fell upon me and heard someone going up the entrance stairs. I stood up at attention, for experience told me that the sensation meant to expect Miss Azenath, the chairwoman, to enter. To my surprise however, a different woman – or girl in this case – entered the threshold, one of the very first I saw when I entered earth.

“I… remember you,” said the girl, her eyes equally as wide as mine.

I had to smile at that. “Yes, and me, you. You’re the daughter of Joey Allen, correct? It’s been awhile hasn’t it, more than a month I believe.”

“Yeah,” She answered as she approached the front desk. “I didn’t know you worked here miss… Ugh…”

“It’s Tara.” I chuckled. “And don’t worry, we never really got each other’s names the first time, so there’s no need to be embarrassed.”

“Oh sorry,” she answered, scratching the back of her head with a goofy yet adorable grin on her face. “I’m Janice, but my friends just call me Jane.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Janice, would it be ok if I call you Jane too?”

“Of course!” She beamed. “How about you Miss Tara? Do you have a nickname that people call you?”

“Well, my best friend does call me Twilight, if that’s what you’re asking,” I answered.

To my surprise however, her face took a turn for the skeptical. “I think you’re making that up.”

This intrigued me. I’ve always noticed people giving Spike and I looks whenever he call me my real name. And even after I’ve tried to educate myself with human cultures and ticks, I’ve yet to find an answer.

“Why do you say that?”

“Twilight just sounds too good of a nickname.”

“Really?” I asked, actually intrigued.

“Yeah.”

“Well then, I guess I’m awfully lucky to have a best friend who would call me that,” I said with a smile. I found myself doing a double take however when I finished my sentence.

‘… lucky… to… have Spike.’

“Miss Tara, are you alright?” said Jane loudly, pulling me back. Luckily, we were the only ones in the building so I didn’t have to shush her.

“Ye-yeah. Anyway, what are you doing here? Do you have a school project you need done?”

“Yeah. Though, I’m kind of having trouble finding what I need. I tried to do it by myself, but all I got was a bin full of crumpled paper. I tried the internet, but I suck at that too,” she said, looking down on the ground, a small frown taking her face.

I walked out of my station and bent down to eye level of her. “Well don’t worry one bit, alright? Because Miss Tara is free and she’d be glad to help you with what you need.” I assured her as I gave her a cheery smile, one that infected her the moment she look up.

“Thanks, Miss Tara.”

We immediately went to work and in just a few minute we managed to get something proper going. Sure our stack of book and the number of browser tabs open was getting… hefty, but that just meant we were getting the best of the best, and in an hour, we finished the whole thing.

“Are you sure I’m not gonna get in trouble for this, Miss Tara? I kinda think we over did it,” she said with a worried smile as she gazed on the fruits of our work.

“Well Jane, that depends, did you learn anything while we studied?”

At that her hesitation vanished, replaced by an offended yet cute scowl. “Of course I did!”

“Then, you have nothing to worry about. You know why?”

“… Why?”

“Because I saw you enjoy yourself while you were learning. And when you enjoy something, you don’t easily forget it. So when you pass your paper, just be confident. Ok?”

“… Ok.” she answered meekly, a small smile showing on her face. Then a blush showed itself on her cheeks. “Umm… Miss Tara, do you mind if I just stay here a bit longer? You know, just hang around? I don’t really have anything to do and I didn’t think we’d finish so soon.”

“I don’t see why not. I’m by myself anyway so company is always nice. Though if we get some visitors, you’re going to have to be quiet, alright?”

She held out her right hand straight in a pledging pose. “I promise.”

I chuckled at that. “So, how’s your father?” I asked. I immediately covered my mouth however when I thought about the appropriateness of my words.

“Pretty good actually.” she answered nonchalantly to my surprise. “Ever since that night you guys brought him home, I’ve hardly ever seen him drunk. He still drinks as far as I know, but he’s doing it less and less now, so I guess it’s tapering off. It’s kinda amazing really.” She grinned.

I had to smile myself. “How old are you, Jane? I want to know because, for someone as young as you are, you sound like you know a lot about alcoholism.”

“I’m fourteen, and I kinda have to know about it with the kind of routine I live with.”

“I see, but where’s your mother in all of this?”

She went silent at that, her expression lost most of its luster the moment I completed my sentence. At that, I instantly understood that I might have overstepped my bounds. “Oh! Sorry! Sorry, I didn't know. It's fine if you don't want to talk about it. Really!”

She shook her head. “It’s fine, Miss Tara. Like you said, you didn't know. Really it's my fault; all this time I would've thought I've been over it.”

I placed a hand on the girl's shoulders as I looked at her moistening eyes. “We don't have to talk about it if you don't have to.”

“It's okay. Really. Besides, I think talking about it would do me some good."

"Would you find it weird if I told you my dad’s a fisherman?” She asked, to which I only shook my head. “What about if I told you my mom was an on-stage magician for a traveling circus?”

With that, she got my attention. “A magician?”

“Yeah, and she was very good one too. At least that’s what I’m told,” she said with a melancholic tone. “She was definitely not one of those kiddy parlor tricks types. She used tricks like making things float in between her hands, swapping things meters apart within a blink of an eye, those kinds of stuff.”

“She sounds amazing.”

She sighed, her eyes towards nothing in particular. “… She was.”

“My dad told me things were hard back then, that the town wasn't what it is now. He said that it was hardest thirteen years ago and it stayed that way for around half a decade. I didn’t exactly know the details since I was only a baby back in those days, but they said that things we so bad that even fishing wasn’t enough to feed a person two times a day,” she said as I remained sat down on my seat, my attention completely on her words and expression.

I remembered reading something about this before in some of the town archives, so I wasn’t as surprised. Still, it was something to hear it from experience.

“My mom retired from the circus after she married my father and got pregnant with me, leaving my dad to be our only breadwinner. You could guess what that meant. I don’t blame her, I understand why, I just thought they would’ve thought out a plan,” she said before giving off an indifferent snicker.

“My dad said that when I was three, my mom left home to try and fix our fortunes, and that she failed… That’s all that he’d say about it. He wouldn’t tell me any specifics no matter how much I pushed.” She snorted then wiped the wetness from her eyes. “I learned from my extended family that she went and joined some kind of local group or religion to do what she told my dad. Things apparently did turn good for a while, but then there was a fire in one of their meeting places. Apparently my mother was in there when it collapsed.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. It must be hard for you.”

“Yeah, but sometimes you just have to muscle through, you know? Sorry you had to see me like that,” she said as she wiped the remaining wetness from her eyes. She then snorted as she look down to the table. “There’s also the fact that I kinda feel you at least needed to know after what my dad did to your friend.”

“Wait, he told you?!” I shouted, despite myself. Immediately I looked around, and thankfully the two of us were still the only ones in the building.

“Yeah. He only remembers snippets, but it was enough for him to put two and two together. He was very embarrassed and sorry about it,” she said matter-of-factly.

“He was embarrassed, huh?”

“Oh big time,” she answered with a grin, her lethargy from moments ago almost undetectable. “My dad is an alcoholic, that's a fact, or at least now it's thankfully a maybe. And though I still think it's a very stupid way to go about forgetting, I can't entirely blame him.”

“And he’s very lucky to have someone like you for a daughter,” I said as I gave her a shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Anyway, I think that’s enough about that topic for today, don’t you think?”

“I guess.” She snickered. “I can only show so much emotion in a day. What about you, Miss Tara? Where are your parents?” she asked.

“They’re far away, not because we have problems, but more because now I have responsibilities of my own, more specifically some business I need to attend to here in Pinnsmith,” I said.

“Are you in good terms?”

“We are. And if things go well, I’m more than probably going to visit them after two months.”

“Well that’s good,” she answered plainly. “Will your boyfriend go with you?”

Instantly, I felt heat on my face as my heart pumped like a turbine in a hurricane. “B-boyfriend?”

She cocked her brows at that. “Isn’t that guy with green hair your boyfriend?”

All I could do was look at her with wide eyes. I didn’t quite understand how she could make that assumption, and I was most assuredly caught off guard by it. Though I knew it wasn’t the case, something in me was stopping me from deny it entirely, leaving me to awkwardly stare at the girl besides me.

“N-n-no, he’s… not my boyfriend,” I said, my voice cracking at one point and weakening towards the end.

“Really?” She gasped. “Sorry. I thought you guys were a couple. It’s just that when I saw you guys, you were so close and looking at each other.”

I looked down, not helping the frown that started to grow on my lips. “I guess that doesn’t surprise me, we’re childhood friends after all... We’ve literally known each other all our lives. Whenever we needed help, whenever we needed guidance, whenever we needed each other’s company, we had each other… He’s my best friend.”

Though I wasn’t looking at her, I could feel her eyes on me. I couldn’t bring myself to look back.

“… Do you like him?”

I simply didn’t know how to answer that. Or rather, I didn’t know if I wanted to answer. Yet I knew that I couldn’t leave her without a response. However, before I could, a loud thud from in front of us stole our attention, the source being the town’s chairwoman.

“M-Madam Azenath,” I stuttered. “I-I-I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I am sure you did not,” she said flatly. “And please remember to NOT call me by my first name, Miss Sparks. We are not friends.”

“Forgive me, Madam Lane.” I bowed.

Ms. Lane was a fair skinned woman of decent height. She had long black hair, green eyes, and lips that seemed to be defaulted as a straight line.

She turned her face to look at Jane. I did not know why, but I saw something in the politician’s eyes as she stared at Jane; it was something aggressive… maligned… predatory.

I felt uncomfortable seeing such a look from the older woman, but if that wasn’t uncomfortable enough, I saw Jane giving Madam Azenath an attacking stare with equal intensity.

The heavy atmosphere grew exponentially every second to the point palpability, and it hurt my case even more that I no clue to what was happening or why.

“Uh… forgive me for asking, Madam. But I thought we were done with Library inspections? Is this a surprise one?”

She returned her eyes towards me, accompanied by a deep frown. “As much as I would like to make such thoughts a reality, Miss Sparks; I would have to say no.”

Miss Azenath snapped her fingers and instantly a pair of tall pale men entered the library, their faces obscured by either a worn hoodie or a baseball cap. The both of them walked in an eerie lumbering shamble, making their way to the public records corner. Once there, they immediately took down the papers and clippings from their shelves, stacking – if you can use such a word – all of them on the floor, leaving me gawking at the sight.

“I was informed that the town’s most… recognized elite… was having some important state visitors over. And knowing Miss Wilson, they are most probably investors. I am here to prepare for their arrival.”

At that, my eyes could only widened even more than they already have. “But-but-but… WHAT ARE THEY DOING?!”

“Tone, Miss Sparks. Tone,” she replied flatly, her expression showing the same as she held an index finger towards me. “They are here to collect public record files and bring it in for sorting.”

“But the records were already sorted. And shouldn’t that be my job?”

One of the men picked up one of the stacks of papers and slowly lumbered out of the library, the other following shortly after.

“Yes, under normal circumstances, it would be your job. But this case is special,” she started. “If you can well imagine, every town has parts of their history that is… less than desirable, questionable. Pinnsmith is no exception. Having such information open in public display could prove detrimental to our town future. And if Miss Wilson’s visitors are indeed international investors, well, it was her blunder to not inform me earlier. I will personally be the one to conduct this project, which is why I am having them moved to my office.”

“I… see…” was the only thing I could answer as I saw the last stack of papers from the now emptied shelf get carried out of the library. “But, shouldn’t there be paperwork to do this kind of thing?” I asked.

At that, she just smirked before producing a folder with the very papers I spoke of. “Don't worry yourself, Miss Sparks, you do not have to lift a finger. We’ll be the ones to do the work, your bookshelf will be filled before you come in tomorrow morning.”

She started to walk away. However, as she turned away, I noticed for the first time the silver broach on her coat lapel.

‘I think I’ve seen that before,’ I thought to myself. However, before I could call to her, she was already outside the library, leaving me to stare at an empty threshold.

“I don’t like her,” Jane said, her aggressive expression still full on her face.

“Yeah, what was that just now? Do you two know each other?”

She turned to me and immediately her expression softened. “Not really. I’ve seen her once or twice, but this is my first time meeting her up close.”

“Then why were you staring at her like that? She’s older than you, not to mention town chairwoman!”

“Well she did it first!” Jane rebutted. “I’m not the type to bow down Miss Tara, even against a politicians. Now that I think about it, I can’t remember her campaigning during Election Day.”

“But still,” I insisted, thinking that maybe the chairwoman was giving her that look because of the situation she caught us in. But at that, I had to wonder. Why was Jane the only one she gave such a look to?

“Anyway, don’t do it next time, ok?”

At that she only crossed her arms and pouted.

“Oh please, don’t be mad. It’s not that I’m siding with Miss Azenath, it’s just that it wasn’t a very nice thing to do, even if she was in the wrong.”

She looked at me without turning her head and smirked. “Really? I thought you were gonna say that it might’ve gotten you in trouble.”

“Well, that too. But my point still stands.”

To my surprise, she covered her mouth and started laughing, something I found rude.

“I’m sorry for laughing, Miss Tara,” she started, her sentence interrupted by fits of laughter. “But I need to ask, has anyone told you you’re too kind?”

“… Yes. Why? Is there anything wrong with being kind?”

She recovered from her laughter, though moisture was still visible in the pockets of her eyes. “Kind is ok, but too kind can lead to trouble. That’s a lesson every person should know.”

“I disagree to a point,” I answered back with a soft voice that contained a surprisingly disproportionate amount of conviction. “I understand that there are people who would take advantage of other people. But that shouldn’t stop you from doing kindness to others. After all, if we were afraid to do kindness, your father would have slept in the alley-way that night.”

Jane could only look at me dumbfounded at that before letting out a single chuckle. “I guess I can concede that point.”

Besides Miss Azenath’s surprise visit, there was no other visitors to the library. Jane stayed with me in the library for another hour before she left, but not before asking for my contact info.

I spent the remaining hour of work cleaning up the mess left behind by the chairwoman’s men. As large as they were, their bodies didn’t carry a single ounce of grace or cleanliness. Thankfully, the mess in itself wasn’t really all that severe. And before I knew it, work hours were done. And all that’s left was to close down the library.

Following protocol, I gave each aisle a final sweep for anything off, though I was fairly certain there was nothing there. After that, I grabbed my purse from my table and made my way towards the gates.

However, as I walked, I felt movement inside the outer pocket of my purse and immediately took out my phone. On the screen read Spike’s name and number.

“Hello?” I answered.

I heard a few crackles on the other line before I heard his voice. “Yo, Twilight! Are you finishing up with work?”

“Yeah, I’m closing up as we speak. Why did you call?”

“Eh, I got bored,” He answered plainly.

“Why? I thought you had a show you wanted to watch? Was it bad?”

“It hasn’t started yet, and didn’t I tell you that both of us are supposed to watch it?”

“Oh yeah. You did, didn’t you? Well, you better make sure it’s good. Because if it isn’t, you owe me.” I answered him as I locked the library’s giant double doors.

“… Alright, I’m confident enough to take that wager. But what if I win? What then?”

“Hmmm. Same thing, I would owe you.” I answered.

“… Deal,” he said with a tone full of confidence. Something I wasn’t sure if I liked. “We have a good hour and a half before it starts, but I’d rather we don’t miss it. Hurry up and meet me in front of the library. I can only wait for you for so long.”

I did a double take at that. “You’re here?! You should have told me!”

“Yeah. I guess I should’ve told you. But then again where’s the fun in that?”

“You’ve been doing this a lot lately, you know,” I said, standing at the top of the library stairs, feeling the cooling breeze that keeps blowing by. 'Now, I kind of regret not bringing my thicker jacket.'

“Yeah… I kinda think it’s becoming a habit,” he answered before snickering. “Then again, that’s really a bad thing, right?”

“… No,” I chuckled. “I guess not.”

I immediately swept my surroundings, taking full advantage of the high ground. Sure enough, I saw a green fluff atop a black coated figure approaching the library amongst the browns, yellows, and the black.

I hurried down the steps, not running but also not taking my time. I slowed down once I was on the ground, my eyes constantly on my friend who was just standing there smiling at me, a childlike excitement to his grin.

“You’re planning something, aren’t you, Spike?” I said with a playful tone, shaking my head as I walked.

His grin only got wider at that. “Is it that obvious?”

“Yes. Although I’m not completely sure I what to feel about it.”

“Would you go along with it more easily if I say yes?”

“Hmm… maybe,” I answered, smiling slyly back at him.

He shrugged.

“Fair enough,” he said plainly. He then took a straight, posh stance, like those of a butler. “Yes, my dear lady, I have something planned. And I can answer with complete confidence that you’ll enjoy it very much.” he finish before taking a small bow.

I couldn’t help but chuckle loudly, thought he didn’t seem to mind. It just like him to act do something like this. Yes, it is kind of immature and over the top. However at the same, I would never call it useless.

“Very well then, Sir Knight. You may lead the way,” I said, taking the corners of my skirt and performing a curtsy. He only chuckled before turning his back towards me.

I was ready to follow him, but when he didn’t move soon after, I had to wonder. I turned to look at him with a questioning look and found the same expression on his. He didn’t say anything but kept on gesturing with his eyes downward to the right side of him – the side I was standing on. At first I couldn’t understand what he was pointing at, but when I looked at his torso and saw that he had his arm bent like a hook. I understood he was offering me his arm. At that, I instantly stiffened and a certain heat began to take my face.

“Anything the matter, Twilight?” Spike asked, his face changing into a worried look.

“N... nothing,” I answered with a shake before locking my arm to his with – despite great effort – a very visible shakiness.

Unsurprisingly, his worry did not completely subside. I thought to smile and nod at him, and thankfully, he understood and left it at that.

I had to admit, having him close like this felt nice. His arm proved to be a very comfortable to cling to. I would have imagined it would have suffered a bit with the physique that he has, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Now that I think about it, he seems leaner up close than I first thought. I guess having him close like this also helps keep the cold at bay.

I was confused when we stopped by the open parking lot close to the park. I turned to him with furrowed questioning eyebrows. However when he turned to me, he had the same childlike excited grin on him like before. He then gently removed himself from me and walked inside the parking lot.

“Uh… What are we doing here, Spike? I thought we were heading home,” I asked.

“I never said we were heading home, I never even said were watching it on the TV.” He then stood by one of the parked scooters with the black Pegasus logo of the Lynge Gym stickered to the front of it. “We’re going to one of the hills outside of the town.”

“What are we going to do there? Also, wouldn’t that be too far? Aren’t the hills ten kilometers away?”

“Twelve kilometers to be specific. And yes, it’s going to take forever to walk that distance.” He pulled out a set of keys from his left trouser pocket and starting the engine. “Good thing we’re not doing that,” he said before twisting the rev.

I could only stand there with my jaw wide open. “Y… y… you know how to drive?!”

“Yeah! Or at least that’s what this envelops contents say,” he said, producing a small purple envelope and handing it over to me.

The envelope was already opened, the adhesive already worn and forced, and inside was a card colored the same as the envelope, a picture and details of Spike’s cover name printed onto it, and the words Driver’s License printed on the top left corner of the front of the card.

I felt myself stiffen slowly as the cogs in my head began to turn. “Thi… this is a driver’s license. Then that means… you…”

“Used the documents, yes,” he interrupted.

At that moment something dawned on me. Spike seemed to have noticed since his frown vanished the moment my expression started to change. “Wait… if you managed to get a license with those documents… then…”

“They were authentic.” He gave me a smirk as he gently reached out for the card and took it from my dumbfounded form. “Which also means, we have an ally, or allies, powerful ones.”

“What does that mean for us?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know who they are, but they definitely know who we are. All I can say for sure is that things just got more complicated.”

I had to look down at that. Our current situation was hard enough; the thought that it could be more complicated was just unfathomable. I then felt a hand land on my shoulder and immediately I looked up and saw Spike giving me a comforting look.

“This is also one of the reasons why I didn’t inform you about my move. I was afraid of how you’d take that information. But after what I’ve seen during the last few days, those worries kinda… vanished. I just hope you don’t prove me wrong.” He said with a snigger as he retracted his hand.

I felt a bit of weight lift from me and I had to smile back.

He then pulled out a yellow motorcycle helmet from his back and presented it to me, his lips no longer a soft smile, but now an unabashedly wide grin. “But for the rest of today, all of that is neither here nor there. Because, right now, we are going for a ride.”

I felt a sweat bead slide down the side of my face when I hesitantly took the helmet from his hands. I stole multiple glances at spike, each time I did, the beads on my forehead continued to gather.

Spike’s grin dropped for a moment when he noticed before sighing then turning back to that same kind smile of before. “Twilight, I understand if you’re afraid. Gonna be honest, I was pretty terrified when I first trying to learn this damn thing. But once you get the hang of it, it’s really quite fun!” he said, giving the scooter’s seat a few taps. “As far as safety goes, I have gear for both of us and a lot practice driving with a passenger, so I’m fairly confident.”

He leaned on the scooter, smiling softly as he played with its rev. “We don’t really have much option but to take the scooter to get there. If we walked all the way, we would arrive too late and we’d miss the reason why we’re going there anyway. Of course, there’s also the option of not going. I would really like it if we went…” he paused before looking away, his expression dropping for just a second before turning back, smiling. “But whatever your decision is, I’ll respect it.”

I felt a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach seeing his reaction. It was very easy to tell that he’s put a lot of effort into this, probably days of work’s worth. And although he said ‘not going’ was an option, I did not feel like disappointing him. Yet even, I still couldn’t get myself to disregard my hesitation completely.

“I know you want to keep this a secret until we get there, but I feel like I can’t really go without knowing more. At least enough to be calm me down.”

He mulled over it for a second before sighing and turning back to his usual lax self. “… Alright, I guess that’s better than cancelling this whole thing.”

“We’re going to the hills outside of town because there’s going to be a meteor shower tonight at eight forty two.”

I could practically feel my phantom pony ears perk, when I heard those two words.

Spike only smirked at that. “When I was still in the city, Alex told me that there was going to be a meteor shower this week. I was kinda skeptical and I just laughed. Didn’t really expect the news to back him up three days later.”

“So there really is a meteor shower happening tonight? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” I exclaimed.

“I just did! This was supposed to be a surprise, remember?”

“Still though…” I mumbled before returning my gaze towards vehicle, a little apprehension still visible as I bit my lip nervously.

I pulled out my phone and saw the time to be a quarter past six. “Aren’t we going to be a bit early if we go now?”

He shrugged. “Normally, yeah. But we’re also supposed to have dinner there.”

“Dinner?” I asked.

“Yeah. I’ve already transported and prepped everything. Again, surprise.”

I couldn’t help but feel heat rise again to my face as his words began to turn the cogs in my head. “… ye…yeah. But… just the two of us?”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t originally. May and Alex were supposed to join us, but the both of them had to bail. So, there’s that.”

“I… see.” I looked down on the helmet in my hands, trying to calm myself, all the while turning back towards the scooter.

I saw Spike from my peripheral vision tapping the ground with his foot before sitting down on the seat of the scooter, looking down on the ground. I had to sigh at that.

“Alright Spike, you win. We can go. Just…” I paused, my eyes still warily set on the scooter as I fastened the helmet. “Please promise me you’ll be gentle.”

He smiled. “Twilight, I shouldn’t have to tell you I would never want to have anything bad happen to you… But if it makes you feel any better, I promise.”

Spike and I mounted the scooter and even before Spike could the engine, I found myself already shaking heavily, clinging to Spike as if I was about to fall ten stories high. Spike was shaking too, though he was doing so for an opposite reason entirely. At that, I could only feel my embarrassment return.

I slapped Spike on his right arm, though it only ended up being very feeble, probably hurting me more than him.

“Don’t laugh Spike! I’m already embarrassed as it is.”

“I’m not laughing because it’s funny! Well, ok, maybe a little. But I’m laughing mostly because you remind me of me during my first time riding this thing,” he said still giggling. “Just hold on, alright? We’ll take this nice and slow.”

Following his words, we left the parking lot as gently as possible, stopping our acceleration at a modest speed, or at least that’s how I felt it since I kept my eyes closed the moment the wheels started spinning. I could feel the wind flow around my body, my hair flailing by its own whim and its roar filling my ears. Despite being annoying at first, I had to admit, it felt nice. The ride didn’t take much longer and after a few minutes of minor off-roading, we arrived at the foot of one of the many small hills outside of town. The sun was already gone, replaced by a crescent moon and the collection of millions of stars, forming a wide strip that stretched from horizon to horizon behind beautiful black velvet. My eyes couldn’t help but water.

I started to shiver faintly as I stood there. I didn’t think my uniform’s coat wouldn’t be able to contend. Then again, I never imagined I’d be riding an open vehicle. Then, I felt a soft but heavy cloth slowly wrap and descend on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Spike gently smiling at me as he gave me his coat.

“You’re shivering.”

“Uh, thank you, Spike. But what about you? ”

“I’m good. Trust me I can handle the cold more easily than most people. I’m just sorry I never thought of getting you a jacket,” he said as he removed his helmet. “Now, give me your helmet so we can start climbing.”

“Oh, sure,” I said back, finally notice I still had my helmet on. “By the way, are you sure the scooter’s going to be fine down here?”

“It should be, or at least that what Alex tells me.”

“Alex?” I asked, handing him the helmet.

He hanged the helmet on the scooter. “Yeah, he’s the one that lead me to this location. This is his own personal resting spot away from town apparently. He helped me transport the stuff and everything. The reason why he had to bail was because his family needed him to fetch them or something like that. Anyway, I trust him saying this place is secure because he gave me a guarantee, if any of the two expensive things here gets stolen, he’ll pay for it.”

I had raise an eyebrow at that. “Two?”

He only let out a snort. “You’ll see.”

I felt the wind get colder as we went up the hill. It wasn’t incredibly high or steep. I guess it was just winter starting to set in. – It kind of makes me envious that earth has its seasons automated. – Finally, the horizon started to give way and large oak tree visually grew from behind it. Once at the peak, a red picnic blanket with different fruits and pastries on top of it was laid out neatly in front of me, all perfectly set under a jaw dropping view of the night sky.

I could only shake my head, smiling. “You really out did yourself, Spike. This must have taken you a lot to get done. Thank you.”

“Meh, I had help. Alex bailed out at the last minute, but still managed to help with transport.” He then walked past me, then facing me with a mischievous grin. “And don’t thank me just yet, there’s still a bit more that I wanna show you. But before I can, I’m gonna have to ask you to close your eyes.”

“Close my eyes?” I replied with a bit of slyness in my tone, and a single raised eyebrow.

He laughed at that. “Humor me. I already told you about the meteor shower, at least let me have this.”

“Alright, alright. But really we don’t need to do this, you’ve surprised me enough.”

“Again, humor me.”

I chuckled before closing my eyes.

I could hear the rustling of grass and something else as my eyes remained closed. It sounded like multiple parts composed of plastic and metal clicking at each other while being moved. I was tempted to open eyes at that. Yet as I was contemplating the thought, I felt Spike gently take my hand and lead me to the direction of where the sound stopped. When we stopped moving, he let go of my hand and placed his own on my shoulder. “You can open your eyes now.”

An image of a blue, expensive-looking optical telescope met me, prepped and ready for use. Towards the eyepiece, a tag was tied, it read; “Sorry for not being here during your birthday. Here’s your present. –Spike”

I turned to him and he was smiling at me as he handed me two books. One of them was a violet notebook while the other was a manual titled ‘Astronomy for Dummies’.

“Belated happy birthday, Twi,” he said solemnly.

“Sorry about the book, I really wanted to get you something more professional but that’s the only title I could get with the budget I had left.” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, my eyes still set on him. “Boy, some Number One Assistant I am. At least, I didn't burn it this time.”

A certain warmed began to engulf me from the inside. I should have expected Spike to do something. I personally disregarded my birthday, thinking there was really no time for it. This was the reason why he was hesitant to go to the city initially; why he went home earlier when he didn’t have to. I could not get myself to smile. Not because I was overwhelmed with happiness, but because… I felt… ashamed.

My mind was buzzing with memories; memories of an empty bed basket, of a library with only Owlowiscious with in it, and a giant green dragon rampaging within the everfree forest. These were memories I knew all too well. Yet, something was wrong. For in all of my memories of that day, the purple baby dragon in all of them is now blurred out.

“Twilight? Are you ok?” he asked when he saw my eyes start to water.

At that, I buried my face into his chest as I started to ball.

“Wha… why are you crying, Twilight?” He asked, placing his hands on my shoulders as I continued to sob, my face still very much buried on his chest.

I could only continue to sniffle harder and harder as the memory of that night replayed in my mind in every agonizing detail.

“Come on, Twi. Speak to me, you’re starting to scare me,” he said again, this time giving me a little shake.

“I’m… so… s…so...erry…” I managed to mumble weakly in between my sobs.

“Sorry? For what?” He asked, chuckling to hide his confusion.

Despite my hard sniffling, I tried to speak. “I’m s… sorre…ey. I… I… made you… run awa…ey.”

“Runaway? Twilight, what are you talking about? I never… ran… oh crap.”

“I ma…ade you thi… ink that I… was replacing… you, and you ran… a… away.”

“Yeah, apparently I was unconsciously blocking that part of the memory out,” he said wincing and shivering before sighing, but only after slapping his forehead. “Listen, Twi. Yes, I did do a lot of stupid mistakes throughout the years, but you should never think that you’re responsible for any of them. In fact, you’re the one who always steps up to help me see my mistakes, even if it means having to hurt me to do so.”

He paused and gently guided us both to sit down, my face still very much buried onto his chest, still sobbing and sniffling.

He then started brushing my hair with his fingers. “My mistakes mine and mine alone. The last thing I want is for people besides myself to feel responsible for them. And that goes especially double for you. It was really stupid for me to feel threatened by Owlowiscious, it was very stupid to try and frame him with a stuffed toy rat! Personally, now that I think about it now, I can’t even imagine what the bIoody hell was thinking. Point is, people do stupid things when it’s their purpose that they think they might lose. And for me, that purpose is being your number one assistant. I know that sounds cyclical, and really it is, but that’s just how it goes. Then again, clashing personalities and child hormones sure don’t help.”

My sobbing was now calmed, though my eyes still watered. My head was still resting on his chest, yet now my face wasn’t buried into it, facing to the side, looking at nothing in particular as my arms remained around him, listening to his heartbeat as he continued to comb my hair with his fingers. His words sank in deep, his touch driving them even deeper. I know of this comfort well, yet this instance seems to leave all other past instances behind. It made me wonder if I could stay like that. Something inside me told me that should I need it, he would happily obliged.

“Feeling better?” he asked after missing the top of my head.

I nodded then raised my head to look at him, letting out a sniffle. “Yeah. I’m sorry for being such a hassle. I must look like a mess right now, don’t I?”

He only chuckled then wiped the remaining wetness from my left eye with his thumb. “Nonsense. In fact, you look quite dashing in my coat. Sad for you though, I’m gonna want to have that back,” he joked, getting a chuckle out of me. “Now enough of this mushy stuff, we’re here for a cosmic show, we can ridicule our past actions another day.”

I had to chuckle again at that. “Ok, remind me to make a checklist.”

“No promises,” he replied slyly. Then he pulled out his phone and began dialing, putting it on speakers the moment the phone started ringing. “Anyway, though this jerk had to bail, I think he’d still want to greet you, even if it’s just through voice.”

“Yo!” Greeted the phone with Alex’s voice.

Spike simply pointed the mic of his phone at me then waved at me to speak.

“Hello? Alex?”

“Yo! Belated happy birthday, Princess! Sorry I couldn’t be there in person. Hope you understand, when The One Ring calls, the other must follow.”

“The one ring?” I asked, looking at Spike.

To which he answered smiling. “He means his wife.”

“Oh, ok. Thank you, Alex. Yeah, it’s a bit of a shame. But don’t worry, I understand.”

“So, how do you like your gifts?” he answered back with an upbeat tone.

“I love them, thank you."

"Good to hear. But really, you should be thanking that bastard next to you. He was the one who did most of the work, I only helped with location and transportation. Then again, he did borrow most of the cash he used from me. Then again, again, I do plan to bleed him dry.” he said jokingly, giving out a comedic cackle afterwards.

I had to chuckle a little, though Spike only rolled his eyes. "I guess that's only fair. But, if it's ok with you, do you mind if I ask you to go a bit easy on him, please? Just for me?"

"For you, Tara, I'll try. But I'll have to disclaim this now... No promises."

"Why?"

"Because... apparently you can make charcoal out of cupcake batter."

“Hey! I already told you I was under pressure! Besides, I already said sorry, didn’t I?!” Spike rebutted, “Also, if you’d just told me you’d be bailing, I’d probably wouldn’t have made that many.”

"Yes well, if you hadn't screwed up, it still wouldn't matter, now would it?" Alex rebutted back. "You're just lucky I knew someone who can hand-bake a few dozen fresh pastries in a minute."

At that, I had to raise an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound too possible."

He merely chuckled. "Trust me, Tara, I know people. Speaking of knowing people; Daniel, get a suit, we're going to meet some elites. And I mean a proper one, not a half-assed, standalone coat. Diana and Nati thought that … well, mostly Nati, having a high profile party to boost Diana’s sponsor and advertiser numbers was something worth doing.”

“Something like a gala?” Spike asked.

“... I guess that’s one way to put it, Yeah, let's go with that. Tara, you’re welcome to come of course.”

I felt myself smile at the thought, I then looked at Spike and saw skeptical look on him, to glanced at me me for a moment, not turning his head before turning back to his phone.“When will it happen?”

“That, you won’t have a problem with. They told me that they’d probably gonna have it two, two and a half months from now? They’re still clearing out the kink, but it should be along those lines”

At that, my smile faded while Spike’s visage dropped even more, not directly because of the news, but because of how I reacted. “Ye..yeah, sorry but there’s a large chance me and Tara might not be able to go.”

“Wait, what?! Why not?!” He responded loudly.

Spike and I could only look at each other, each of us looking for answers from the other. “I...t's complicated.”

“... Well that's bullshit," he deadpanned. "Ah whatever, at least keep me posted if you can go so I know what to tell to Nati and Di. Alright, I need to go. You guys enjoy the show. And again, happy birthday, Princess Twilight.”

"Will do. Take care man," he said before ending the call and pocketing his phone. “Well, that’ gala thing caught me off-guard. How about you, Twi?”

I couldn’t answer him however, as my mind was still stuck on the last two words of Alex’s farewell. “Did Alex... just call me Princess Twilight?”

“Y-yeah, I guess he did. Why do you seem so surprised?” He said plainly.

My eyes only widened at that. “Why aren’t you?!”

“Occam’s Razor, Twilight. For one, Alex is the kind of guy to call girls a certain age younger than him princess. Two, he’s heard me call you ‘Twilight’ multiple times. And three... he’s probably doing it to spite me.”

“Why would he want to spite you?” I asked.

“He’s a jackass that way,” he answered, a competitive smile across his lips.

We ate and talked after that, just going back at our lives, pulling out happy, sad, and embarrassing memories alike. In each one of them, a familiar child-like expression would always find itself on him, of awe, of happiness, of content. And of that, I had to wonder; how long have I been ignorant?

We took pictures as well, though most of them were what humans called 'Wacky.' I tried the telescope and I was at awe at the sheer detail it was capable of. When the time for the shower arrived, we just laid on the large oak tree and allowed our eyes to widen at the dance of lights. Needless to say, the sight was something to behold. Though it was exactly the same as the ones in Equestria, that didn’t steal from their beauty. Yet as the shower continued, I felt a weight drop onto my shoulder. I turned and found Spike fast asleep on my shoulder.

Instantly I looked away, careful to not move my shoulder and cause him to fall. I felt my heart race and my face heat up as I felt his body heat on me, is breathing sounding like gentle snores at this distance. Slowly, I turned my head back to him, still careful to not let his head slip from my shoulder.

‘Poor thing. He must have worked himself to the bone,’ I thought to myself.

I brushed his bangs off his face and saw clearly a peaceful, content expression, breathing rhythmically without a care about the waking world. I had to admit, even though I'm not a fan of his long hair, I couldn't deny the youthful air it gave him.

I twiddled his hair with my fingers, the softness fascinating me. He began to move and immediately I pulled my hand away. He did not wake however and instead he snuggled himself deeper into my shoulder, returning to his quiet snoring once he was comfortable.

I felt my heart race once more, and I found myself softly caressing Spike's cheek with the back of my hands. Again I was made to pull back my hand a short distance. Not because Spike was moving, but because something clicked in my mind, a hesitation and at the same time, a hope.

Interlude part I: Boutique

Interlude: Boutique

The sky was grey with clouds as Twilight stood in front of a familiar two story building in Pinnsmith’s Market Square, looking at the sign that hung at the top of its front door, ‘Diamonds and Pearls Boutique’. The door was closed, the blinders were down and the building itself seems terribly unlit. To some other person, this might have told them that no one was home, yet for Twilight, she knew that the tailor she was looking for was definitely inside the building. She knew for she felt an atmosphere push down on her, a gravity unexplained by physics.

Twilight could not tell why she had these sensations, even more why it seemed to be a constant whenever she was within the vicinity of a growing list of people that included Miss Phoebe, the newest inductee being a girl named Janice Allen. It didn’t cause her discomfort, only that it felt odd, yet natural. At first she thought that maybe it was something emotional. Yet after considering the people that prompts this sensation on her; that theory’s only destination was to be thrown out the proverbial window.

With an exhalation, she knocked on the door. Sure enough, Phoebe opened the door, her eyes widening at view of Twilight at her door.

“M-miss Sparks, I was not expecting you. What brings you to the boutique?”

“Yeah, sorry for coming unannounced. I probably should have called first,” Twilight answered, rubbing her nape. “I’m just here to pick up the rest of the uniforms. The days have been kind of hectic so I wasn’t able to pick them up earlier.”

“Oh, yes, of course. Please come inside and close the door, just give me a few minutes to prepare them,” Phoebe said, opening the door wider before turning towards the stairs.

Entering, Twilight closed the door behind her and walked towards the second door of the first floor, the usual place where she would wait as Phoebe worked. Yet as she reached for the knob, a hand grabbed her wrist with surprising force that it made her bend and wince.

She turned towards the owner of the hand and saw Phoebe looking at her hand, a panicked expression on her face.

At the moment of eye contact, Phoebe instantly withdrew. “I... I… I’m so sorry!” She immediately apologized, bowing her head at Twilight profusely. “I-it’s just that… I just did some pest control in that room. The fumes are still fresh and highly concentrated, that’s why I had to stop you.”

“I-it’s… alright. You just caught me off-guard is all,” Twilight hesitantly answered as she gave off a shaky smile, massaging her wrist, seeing the redness left behind by Phoebe's grip.

Phoebe looked at the bruise, her face that of worry instead of its usual lethargy. “Oh dear. Please follow me upstairs, Miss Sparks. We need to take care of that.”

“It's ok, Miss Phoebe, I'm fine,” Twilight answered, stopping the massage, only to wince again after swinging her arm down.

Phoebe stepped forward, closing the gap between her and Twilight, staring at her with conviction, enough to make her shrink. “You are hurt, Miss Sparks. And I am the reason why. So I insist you let me do something.” She then slowly reached out for Twilight's hand and gently moving it up to her face. “I believe I have some ointment in my bedroom. We'll apply some there, and you can wait there while I get your uniforms ready as well.”

Twilight could only look with amazement at her and not a minute later found herself sitting at one of the sides of Phoebe’s bed, her wrist feeling cool due to the ointment.

Her eyes were roaming the four walls of the room, gawking at the design of every nook and crany. She then turned to the bed she was sitting on, a beautifully crafted canopy bed with a king-sized mattress and silk curtains and blankets. There was no denying the luxuriousness of Phoebe’s personal quarters. Yet just as everything else in the building, they showed signs of neglect.

Twilight continued to rub more ointment on her bruise when something to her side caught her eye, a face-down ivory picture frame set on top of bed stand.

Normally, this wouldn’t have been an item of interest. However, in all of the hours Twilight has spent in the building, she has never once seen picture in display aside from a few artsy paintings.

With curiosity winning over, she slowly reached for the frame, and when the image was in full view for her, her eyes widened and almost dropped the frame in surprise.

The picture was taken in front of the town library with a banner reading, ‘Grand Opening’. A younger looking Phoebe was smiling with content and happiness as she embraced a man who was also embracing her from behind, a man who looked like an older, chestnut haired human Spike.

The door opened and Phoebe stepped in with a bowl of ice in one hand and Twilight’s uniform in the other, surprise at the image of Twilight looking at her with the ivory frame in hand.

Phoebe looked down on the floor, her expression faltering into sadness. After a second however, she smiled, her eyes still to the floor.

“His name is David Wilson. He is my fiancée.”

At that, Twilight had to swallow. She has conceded the probable fact of Spike and her having earth counterparts. Yet, never did she consider the idea of meeting them. However, Phoebe’s relationship with Earth’s Spike, or rather specifically, what it can mean for Equestria’s Spike, made Twilight’s heart tighten.

She shook her head and saw just how flimsy her grip was on the frame. Putting the frame back on the nightstand, she tried her best to recompose herself before regarding Phoebe.

“What's he like?”

Finally, Phoebe turned back to Twilight, a twinkle of reminiscence in her eye. “He is the most persistent man to ever live. And yet, he’s also the most gallant, generous and kind-hearted knight I’m glad to give my heart to.”

“He sounds amazing,” Twilight answered, her own Spike popping into her mind. “Why haven’t I seen him? Where is he now?”

“... He is… away... on business,” she started, her expression faltering very slightly, yet just enough for Twilight to notice. “Don't worry, Miss Sparks, when he comes back, I'll make sure to personally introduce you.”

Twilight faked her smile once more. “I look forward to it.”