The faithful Assistant’s Lie
Spike stood before Twilight Sparkle, nervous, unsure how to broach the subject that had been eating at him for years now. Frowning, the violet Alicorn, who could tell something was bothering her faithful and number one assistant and had confronted him on it only moments ago when it had become apparent he wasn’t paying attention to the task at hand, finally stated, “Spike. You know that if you ever have any problem, you certainly can tell me,” as she idly levitated a couple books from the stack she was sorting onto a nearby bookcase, wishing, as she did so, that the baby dragon would tell her what the issue was.
Looking at Twilight, then away, Spike began twitching his tail. Wanting to be anywhere but where he currently was, he considered making a joke and excusing himself. Clearing his throat as the silence grew to an uncomfortable level, Spike, rather than posing the question that was on his mind, instead asked, “You read any good books lately?”
Twilight, giving the dragon a curious look, considered telling him about a fascinating book she had just discovered in the pile of books Cadence had sent her, but seeing the look on his face, like he suddenly wanted to be anywhere but in front of her, she told him in a stern voice, “Spike. I’m here for you and whatever you have to say, I’m sure can’t be that bad. Especially with all that we’ve been through” and wanting to give him excuse to leave if he wanted, the violet Alicorn said, “But if this isn’t something you can freely talk with me at the moment, than I have some very important work that needs to be taken care of.”
Relieved that Twilight had freely given him permission to leave, Spike almost did so. Instead, he thought, “No. This is something that needs to be said,” and clearing his throat, he said, “You remember how five years ago, when you were studying about the elements of harmony and learned about Nightmare Moon’s return? And you wrote to Celestia for advice?”
Nodding, wondering where all this was going, Twilight levitated a couple more books onto the appropriate shelves as she recalled her earlier days, before she’d come to Ponyville, and how much she’d grown since then.
In front of her, noticing the far off look the violet Alicorn had gotten, Spike wondered how to continue. Feeling conflicted, he glanced about the room and not really wanting to look at Twilight, shame washing over him because of what he’d done and that he needed to tell Twilight the truth about what he’d done, he watched Owlowiscious fly into the room and alight on a table. Twiddling his claws, the baby dragon started to speak, but instead let his mouth close with an audible click.
The noise breaking Twilight out of her reverie, the violet Alicorn stepped closer, reached out and placed a hoof on her number one assistant’s shoulder. Her expression softening, she tried to get Spike to look her in the eyes by telling him, “Whatever is the matter, you can tell me. I’ll understand. But if you feel like you cannot tell me, it can wait until you feel certain that you can tell me whatever it is that is bothering you.”
Still feeling conflicted and ashamed over what he had to say, the baby dragon cleared his throat again and wondered if maybe this was something that should wait for a later day. Looking at the violet Alicorn who had hatched him and raised him since, he twitched his tail and twiddled his claws and after a moment’s deliberation, decided that what he had to say couldn’t wait any longer. Taking a deep breath, feeling as if a weight had settled over him and their continuing friendship depended on what he was about to say, he tried to sort his thought in an orderly fashion, but finding everything just getting jumbled up, he blurted out, “And in response, the Princess wrote back, saying you should stop reading all those books, that there was more to life than just studying and that she was sending you to Ponyville to supervise Summer Sun Celebration and while there you should make some friends?” without giving a second thought to what he was saying
Another nod from Twilight and smiling as she continued to think back on that day and the ways that she’d changed since then, she barely heard when Spike said, “I may have altered a few words on that scroll when I was reading it,” and seeing the look on Twilight’s face as she realised what he’d just said, he hastily added, “And then, well, while you were upstairs in the library while everypony was downstairs at the party Pinkie threw, I might have told Celestia what I did and she just went along with it.”
A mixture of emotions flickered across the purple Alicorn’s face and for a moment Spike wasn’t sure what she would do before she belted out, “WHAT?!” as everything around them suddenly took on a white and purple hue, several object began levitating upward and Owlowiscious hooted in alarmed manner and took flight out of the room.
Elsewhere, Princess Celestia, enjoying herself with Luna and a couple guests from a distant land, whom neither had seen since some time before her Luna’s banishment, sipped delicately at the tea that had just been poured for her.
Next to her, one of the guests made a witty joke about something or other and Luna uttered a retort in response. Another of the guests, about to add something, their party was suddenly interrupted when everything on the table began shaking. Dishes vibrating on table, several spoons and a couple cups fell to the stone floor, while several of the guards tensed and began looking about. Feeling a build-up of magical energy, Princess Celestia glanced in the direction of Ponyville just as a violent explosion erupted upward and outward. Watching as a magick cloud that was shaded in her most faithful students magick aura, she dropped her teacup and thought, “Oh, spit.”
Author's Note
This is a one-shot, flash-fiction story, meant to take a gentle poke at the letter Spike read to Twilight Sparkle in the first episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Setting out
“Oh, spit,” Princess Celestia thought as she stared in the direction, her teacup dropping to a floor with a tinkling noise as she watched the cloud rise up and dissipate.
Next to her, Luna also stared in the same direction. Their guests beginning to grow restless, while the guards started looking toward the white Alicorn for some sort of guidance, the Princess of Dreams and the Night asked, “What is it, sister?”
Glancing at her sister, then their guests, her mind going to the scroll Spike had sent her some time ago, explaining that he was going to tell Twilight what had transpired what now seemed ages ago when they had first departed for Ponyville, she thought on how she had had other matters to deal with at the time and how she had put the matter aside, figuring she’s deal with it as soon as the other pressing details she had to deal with were seen to. But then she’d forgotten and, seeing that now it looked like she would have to deal with it, she stood, glanced at her guests and Luna and simply stated, “I have to go.”
Luna, sensing something was the matter, also stood and looking at the other Alicorn, asked, “Sister, what is it?”
Looking at the guards, wondering if she should send a couple to Ponyville ahead of her to make sure everything was fine, Celestia shook her head. Knowing what Spike had been talking about in his scroll, and how she should have responded as soon as she’d read his message, she stated, “A matter has come up that I must attend to,” and strolling away from the table, she added, “Luna. Could you please keep out guests occupied. I shall be back as quickly as I can.”
A frown crossed Luna’s brow and for a second, it looked like she was about to argue the point. Instead, she slowly nodded and turned back to the guests as Celestia started to mentally go over all she may or may not need, what she should say to her former student and figuring, if they weren’t already there, Twilight’s friends would be a great boon to the situation. Taking a couple steps away from the table, she stopped when a guard rushed into the garden and up to her. Before he could say anything, she cut him off by saying, “I understand. I am on my way to Ponyville to take care of it personally.”
Shaking his head, the guard told her, “Nay, your highness. That isn’t what brings me here. I come with news from the city Hayward. It would seem the residents have risen up in a lynch mob against their mayor turned governor.”
“Send my sister to deal with them,” Celestia commanded, upset that she would have to delegate the task to Luna, but figuring it would have to do as she was needed elsewhere.
A troubled look crossed the guard’s face and pointing a hoof at him, Celestia demanded that he tell her what the issue was. The guard, still looking troubled, cleared his throat and stated, “I have more news. But the other message I deliver is intended only for Luna.”
Wanting to command the guard to tell her, the sun Alicorn was forestalled when the voice of her sister commanded, “Tell me what message you bring.”
A quick glance at Celestia, who nodded, figuring there was nothing she could do, nor should she do anything, both Alicorns listened as the guard explained, “The creature you described and told us to keep an eye out for? The one you fear may have escaped from somepony’s dream. It appears that you were correct and that it is making a move to learn to be daylight resilient. We fear that it is also responsible for the rash outbreak of ponies with strange bite marks. Ponies who seem fatigued, even after supposedly getting a good night’s sleep.”
Luna, looking troubled, nodded at this. Looking at her sister, she stated, “I must deal with this, before it becomes any worse than it already has,” and turning to the guests, she said, “Please excuse me,” before turning and galloping off.
Wanting to demand the Princess of Dreams and Night come back and explain, Celestia sighed. Turning toward the guests, she explained, “I’m afraid that we are going to have to postpone the rest of our tea party. Please forgive me,” and turning her attention back to the guard, she asked, “Is Discord available?”
The guard, visibly shaken by the very mention of the Lord of Chaos, quickly shook his head and replied, “Nay, your highness. He said something about needing to visit another realm, as his sister, Harmony, flat out refused to set foot in Equestria.”
Frustrated that she couldn’t send Discord to attempt to deal with Twilight, figuring it would definitely not work out for the best if she sent the imp to Hayward, the Sun Alicorn figured she would just have to deal with both. Turning her attention back to the guard, she commanded him to search for Twilight’s five friends and if he should find them before she did, he was to send them to Ponyville, if they weren’t there already.
The guard nodding, Celestia decided she would also keep an eye out for the two Pegasus, the Unicorn and the Earth pony herself, just in case she spotted them before the guard did. Indicating that he should walk with her, at least as far as the castle entrance, Celestia asked that he tell her all of what the mayor turned governor of Hayward was doing that had caused the citizens to rise up in a lynch mob, reminding herself that his name was Wayfarer, or something like that.
Falling into step next to the Princess, the guard began explaining how governor had effectively stripped the town’s teachers of any power, required all citizens to have an identification to vote, then made it nigh impossible to get said ID, set up restrictions for those in need of various forms of assistance, was demanding the name of the town be changed to New Stallion, raised taxes, which only seemed to benefit the town’s rich inhabitants, and how there were rumours of him engaging in bit fraud to get elected mayor. Listening to all of this, Celestia took in all that she was being told. Knowing what she needed to do, when they reached the front gates, she didn’t say anything. Instead, she spread her wings and took off for Hayward, figuring the faster she got there, the quicker she could deal with the problem, all the while hoping she wasn’t too late and that the town folk hadn’t already lynched Wayfarer.
