Role Reversal

Chapters

New Days, Old Routines.
Rounding up the Gang
Alone
A New Responsibility
Building Bonds
Dreams and Memories
Magic
Growing Fears
Sometimes, all you need is a Friend
Apologies
Judgement
The Joy of Books
The War of the Confectioneries
Galloping in the Gorge
The Last Party
Home at Last
A Final Glimpse
The Truth Hurts

New Days, Old Routines.

The dawn of a new day. The start of an old routine.

Such was the life of Spike, Twilight Sparkle’s helper and friend. But now he was beginning to feel more like the former than the latter.

Everyday was usually the same. Get up early (too early for Spike’s taste), make and eat breakfast, begin chores, have some breaks and eat some more, finish chores, sleep (again, way too early, but this was because Spike got so tired from his chores). Almost every waking day of Spike’s life was like this. Sure, perhaps he’d get longer breaks one day or go to a party another. Maybe sometimes the chores were slightly different, but it all felt the same to him.

In Canterlot, it wasn’t so bad. Sure, he got out a lot less, but Twilight was always around to talk to. Ever since the two arrived in Ponyville, however, Twilight had become a lot more distant from studying and reading. The magic of friendship had simply overwhelmed her.

Spike knew this was a good thing though for Twilight but it meant that he was often left alone to finish his daily tasks. Okay, not exactly alone, but Owlowiscious wasn’t the best conversationalist and neither was Peewee, although he did love that phoenix a lot.

Regardless, two birds for company were nothing compared to the friends Twilight had. Occasionally Spike was part of their group for events and social outings, but he never felt like a permanent part of their friendship circle. He just felt like an add on; he contributed, but wasn’t really needed to complete the package that was the six ponies. In short, he felt replaceable.

It wasn’t like they didn’t care, for they definitely all did, but if he was really a part of their group, why wasn’t he invited to all of the things they did together?

It had gotten to the point where Spike needed to stick a picture of him on top of another picture of the six, just to feel like he belonged. Was this his life? Forced to be called a friend...yet serve one unquestionably at the same time? It didn’t make sense anymore. It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel fair. But Spike soldiered on. He didn’t know what the consequences would be if he rebelled against the system and he didn’t want to find out. So he kept on trucking.

He rose from his bed and rubbed his eyes. He always felt tired in the morning. And hungry. Breakfast would serve to make him fully awake. As he hopped out of his bed, he looked at Twilight. She was still asleep, curled up in her bed sheets, but she’d awake soon and would expect breakfast.

Spike groggily headed downstairs, yawning a couple times. He soon entered the ‘food room’, as the two called it because it was basically a kitchen but it lacked the all important oven, a staple of all kitchens. Still, it did have many cupboards, a sink and a fridge. The lack of an oven was down to the fact that breakfast was the only meal which was guaranteed to be made in the library, at least on a daily basis. For lunch and dinner, the pair could just eat out.

Opening a cupboard, Spike was greeted to the sight of shining gems. A fitting breakfast for today, he thought. The sight of them alone was enough to make the dragon more alert. He grabbed a few and carelessly scoffed them down, licking his lips in delight afterwards and patting his belly.

Sated, he began to prepare Twilight’s breakfast, which didn’t take too long; she never had a big breakfast. A bowl of oats and milk was enough for her.

Spike closed the gem cupboard by kicking it and walked over to another, which contained bowls and plates. Grabbing an average sized bowl, he closed the cupboard door and wandered over to the table. It was a small, low table just big enough for two, with simple, brown cushions for seats.

Heading back over to the cupboards, he opened yet another. This one contained more conventional pony foods. He picked up a box of oats, which on the front read: ‘Daring Do’s adventure oats’. A pretty unoriginal and uncreative name, Spike thought.

Leaving the food cupboard open, he returned to the table and opened the oat box. He gently poured the oats into the bowl, filling it up just right. To his surprise, a packet dropped from the box. Raising an eyebrow, he plucked the packet from the bowl, shaking it to get rid of spare oats. Inside the transparent packet was a little figure of Daring Do.

“What the...?”

Confused, Spike checked the front of the box. In a brightly coloured banner in the corner, with bold text inside, said:

“Free Daring Do toy inside! Collect them all!”

Spike looked back to the toy, examining it from different angles.

“Huh...Twilight will want that then.” He propped the figurine on the table, next to the bowl and closed the oat box and picked it up.

"She'll probably use the toy as an excuse to see Rainbow Dash..." Spike thought to himself, as he put the oat box back into its rightful place.

He had begun to come to the conclusion that Twilight only did things for herself when it involved her friends. Anything else was Spike's problem. Need a new quill? Spike will get it. Fluttershy's in trouble? Twilight will sort that out. Not Spike, he'll be too busy dusting the rooms of the library.

Spike sighed heavily and headed for the fridge. It was a pretty small one, covered completely in white. The two didn’t really store much in here. He opened it and was greeted by the cold, escaping from the inside. He quickly grabbed a milk carton and shut the fridge door. Then, he went back to the bowl and poured the milk inside, submerging most of the oats. Finally, he returned the milk carton to the fridge.

One more item needed to be collected: the spoon. Spike opened a small drawer, which held various cutleries inside. He grabbed a spoon and closed the drawer, then put the said spoon in the bowl. His first task of the day was now complete.

The dragon then idly tapped his claws on the table, waiting for Twilight to arrive. Suffice to say, he didn’t wait long.

“Morning Spike.” Twilight groaned, sluggishly entering the room with her eyes blinking rapidly. She was clearly still in a sleepy haze.

“Hey Twilight,” Spike replied, watching Twilight take her usual seat at the table. “You got some Daring Do toy or something.” he shrugged.

“Eh?” Twilight responded, spotting the aforementioned item on the table. Her horn started to glow purple as did the packet, as she levitated it closer to her face effortlessly to inspect it closer.

“Huh...so I do.” She put the packet back on the table and levitated her spoon, now covered in oats and milk, closer to her mouth. “Rainbow Dash will want that then, unless she already has one.” She said, before putting the spoon in her mouth and chewing.

“Er, sure, I guess.” Spike said, rolling his eyes. He never really cared for this Daring Do character; he found her stories predictable and surprisingly uninteresting. Maybe he had an acquired taste for fiction.

The two made small talk as Twilight ate her breakfast, purely because of the fact that there wasn’t much to talk about in the morning – nothing had happened yet.

Eventually Twilight had finished, she stood up and began to head out of the room as Spike asked:

“So, what’s your plan for today?”

The purple mare levitated the packet without even looking at it as she left the room, “Well, I better find Rainbow Dash first of all.”

She stopped at the doorway, turning her head to look at Spike, “I’ll be back at...” she looked up, thinking of a specific time, “...some point. Until then...well, I think you know what to do.” She giggled, leaving the room and then the library.

Spike sighed, beginning his first task: washing up. He reluctantly grabbed Twilight’s bowl and spoon and headed to the sink.

The more he thought about it, the more the ‘food room’ seemed really like a proper kitchen. Just without an oven.

But when you have a dragon, who needs an oven?

_____________________________________________________________

Spike didn’t think that ‘some point’ meant nightfall. But sure enough, Twilight only returned when the stars where high in the dark sky. This had happened consecutively for the past couple days. Twilight would get distracted by her friends and run off into shenanigans whilst Spike did his work. For Spike, it was becoming hard not to envy Twilight at this point.

The door, controlled by magic, swung open as Twilight entered the library, and it shut as she was clear from the door way.

Spike was currently rearranging books on their shelves; he was perched on the top of the ladder. Upon hearing the door creak open and slam shut, he finished slotting the final book into place and looked at Twilight entering the room proper.

“So what happened this time?” Spike grumbled, climbing down the ladder.

“Oh! Well, I looked around Ponyville to find Rainbow Dash, but she didn’t seem to be anywhere. So I recruited the others and we searched around the town. Eventually we found her of course, that was an inevitability, and it turned out she was in Cloudsdale most of the day on some pegasi business or something like that.” Twilight babbled on, enjoying being a storyteller to Spike.

Spike tuned off to the sound of Twilight ranting about her day and simply made his way to his bed. By the time he got there, she seemed to be done.

“...and you know how crazy Pinkie Pie can be!” Twilight blinked as she finished her story, realising Spike had gone from his previous position. She peered around the room, trying to locate the dragon. It took her a little while before she realised he was at his bed. She trotted up the stairs so she could get a better view of him.

“So yeah...I kinda got distracted I guess.” She grinned embarrassingly, tracing her right fore hoof across the ground awkwardly in a circle.

“Uh-huh.” Spike mumbled, getting into his bed and wrapping the covers around him.

Twilight raised an eyebrow and her curiosity kicked in. She approached the dragon’s bed and went around to its side, looking at her friend.

“Are you alright Spike?” she asked, a concerning tone evident in her voice.

“Fine.” Spike replied, almost bitterly. Upon realising the harsh nature of his reply, he changed tact before Twilight could say anything. “Just tired, is all...” he feigned a yawn to add extra weight to his lie.

Indeed, Spike wasn’t fine at all. He was starting to become bitter of the fact that Twilight had all the free time in the world and he was stuck here, working. He started to wonder if everypony was forgetting about his existence.

And deep down, he was afraid of these feelings. Most dragons were creatures full of hatred and negative emotions. Spike never wanted to be like that, he wanted to be different, to show the world that dragons could be just as kind and good-hearted as any other pony could be. But the negativity was overpowering and he was struggling to fight it.

“Oh...alright then. I’ll leave you be then to get some rest. Good night Spike.” Twilight smiled fondly at him, and trotted down the stairs and exited the room, dimming the lights with her magic as she went.

A faint glow was being emitted from the bottom of Spike’s bed. Spike raised himself to check out this glow, which he knew very well. At the end of the bed was Peewee, sleeping peacefully in a handmade nest Spike had built for him. Spike smiled at his pet. No, he was more than that. He was a friend and a companion.

“Good night Peewee.” Spike whispered, smiling, and returned to lying on his bed.

He stared at the open window, looking at the night-time sky. The stars were as impressive as ever, twinkling in the darkness. The stars always impressed Spike. Sure, dragons could fly, but not even they could ascend the heights of the heavens where the stars made their home.

However, not even the beautiful sight and Peewee’s presence could hold back the oncoming hatred and darkness in Spike’s heart. He frowned, snorting defiantly, recounting the events of today and previous days. He thought he was well-deserved in thinking that Twilight was acting selfish. He did all the work whilst she played with her friends. He did all the hard tasks here, him and him alone.

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light streaked across the dark sky. Spike caught sight of it and instinctively knew that it was a shooting star.

Upon seeing this spectacle, Spike’s mind began brewing even more negative thoughts, until only a single sentence spouted from his lips:

“I wish I was in charge of Twilight, for once.”

Spike grinned to himself as he said the words. It felt good to say something like that out loud.

But then the realisation dawned on him: he had made a wish on a shooting star and a terrible, greedy wish at that. And now it’d come true. No, no. Wishes from shooting stars coming true? Hah, merely a laughable old mare’s tale...right? Spike tried to assure himself on these thoughts, worry now eliminating the once hateful emotions that were inside him.

He quickly turned away from the window and buried himself in his covers, tightly closing his eyes. If he just slept, he’d forget all about this negativity and this stupid wish.

The worry wracked inside him made it difficult to sleep, but eventually he made it and began to snore lightly, now at peace.

_____________________________________________________________

Another day, another repetitive routine.

Spike slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. He ran through his mind the event’s of the night before, particularly what had just happened before sleeping. How could have thought those ridiculous, selfish thoughts? It didn’t matter now though, he had the same old job to do.

He slowly arose from the bed, which he soon discovered that it wasn’t his own. Somehow, he had ended up in Twilight’s bed. He twisted his head left to right, confirming that it was Twilight’s bed he was in.

Whilst this was odd, it wasn’t impossibility. Maybe Twilight had decided to put him in there for extra comfort when he was deep asleep?

Spike shrugged and clambered out of the bed. He then examined his own bed...it seemed different. It was a little bit bigger than normal and on closer inspection, Twilight’s doll Smarty Pants, could be found tucked away in the bed covers.

“Since when did Twilight get her doll back...?” Spike scratched his head, deeply confused.

He resolved to find Twilight and demand an explanation for what the hay was going on here. He descended down the stairs and walked into the food room/kitchen. A shiny group of objects soon caught his eye. A bowl of gems sat on the table, ready for Spike to eat. Despite his questions, Spike couldn’t pass this opportunity up. He rushed excitedly towards the bowl and greedily guzzled the gems.

“Morning Spike!”

Spike was interrupted by the new voice. He froze solid and raised his head from the bowl. He knew that voice, it was all too familiar...yet it sounded different. It was higher-pitched than normal. He swallowed his mouthful and fearfully turned around to put a face to the voice. Things were getting really creepy at this point.

What Spike saw definitely took him off guard. His legs quivered, quaked and eventually gave in, forcing Spike to sit on his rear. His mouth was agape and his eyes wide open, his whole face the very definition of shock.

In front of him was none other than Twilight Sparkle.

As a filly.

It took him a few moments, but Spike began to regain his composure. Filly Twilight, meanwhile, tilted her head, looking as confused as Spike felt.

Spike could only utter one word, “What. What?!”

Rounding up the Gang

Spike was in immense disbelief. Staring at him was Twilight Sparkle, who was far younger than she should’ve have been. She tilted her head in confusion, eyebrows furrowed.

“What? It’s just me.” She stated bluntly, completely bewildered by the dragon’s strange reaction.

Spike was many things, but he wasn’t an idiot. He knew that if he told the truth about his predicament, Twilight would think he’d gone completely mad. He needed an excuse.

He tried to regain his composure, closing his mouth shut and narrowing his eyelids slightly in an attempt to look normal. He slowly rose from the floor, standing firm on his two legs. Unfortunately, thinking of an excuse was not so easy.

“Uh...I was being random,” he bluffed. “To see your reaction. Um...keep you on your hooves, you know?”

That was a terrible excuse and Spike knew it. His attempt to cover up his reaction was further hindered by the fact that even as a filly, Twilight was amazingly intelligent. She probably wouldn’t buy this.

“...okay then.” Twilight responded, after a long pause. Her attention was then brought to the now empty bowl. “Well that was quick!” she chimed, trotting over to the table.

Spike then realised something. At first, he thought that Twilight was an incredibly small filly but upon looking around his surroundings he found that everything was smaller than it should be. Either his wish had made everything shrink or he had a huge growth spurt. He needed a mirror just to make sure.

Thankfully, his situation made escaping to be alone much easier. Twilight was now at his command and would unquestionably follow his orders.

“I’m going to find a mirror, just to make sure I look good for the day. Go clean up would ya?” Spike commanded, trying to hide a grin. This was different.

And he liked it. A lot.

Twilight nodded rapidly and set to work cleaning the bowl. Interestingly, she used her mouth to move the item from the table to the sink. Spike thought nothing of this however and proceeded to Twilight’s study room.

Formerly Twilight’s; it was his now.

Spike entered the room and peered around, searching for the mirror. He soon found it resting against the bottom of the bookshelves.

He cautiously approached it, fearing that his body may have changed in horrible and weird ways. Thankfully, his reflection proved that there was nothing to fear.

He had grown to the point that his eye-level was now equal to that of most of the adult ponies in Ponyville. His crest of spines on his head had also been enlarged, looking very impressive now.

His limbs had also compensated for the change. His arms were more than double their original size and it was apparent that they were longer than his legs. That said, his legs had also grown, no longer being the stubby, pathetic limbs that had been before.

The best part of all this was the fact that he didn’t feel compelled to hoard things. The initial shock of his new state had been washed over by joy and curiosity. Spike had connected the dots; he had clearly swapped lives with Twilight. Therefore, it would only make sense for him to have her friends too. He wondered what else he had gained from this transaction of roles.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked, standing in the entryway. She had interrupted Spike’s train of thought so once again, he was caught off guard. He was quicker to recover this time though.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He replied, thinking of what to do with the filly. The sudden rush of thoughts inside Spike’s mind was starting to become too much to bear. He needed a walk; fresh air would clear his head.

“I’m going for a walk.” He said casually, walking to the entryway, forcefully (but not brutally) budging Twilight out of the way. “I’ll be back at...some point. Until then...well, I think you know what to do.” He continued, heading down the stairs and leaving the library, grinning wildly. He just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to mimic what Twilight had said to him the previous day. He finally felt superior to her.

He energetically swung open the door and slammed it behind him as he left the building. He almost jogged into Ponyville, leaving Twilight behind to do her work.

Twilight sighed as she heard the door slam. She was never a fan of loud, sudden noises. She wasn’t a fan of many things that were sporadic or unexpected. Living in a library almost your whole life (and before that, a castle) had made the outside world seem like a daunting and scary place. The library was her sanctuary. She knew what would happen in here everyday.

Before she started her work, however, there was one thing that she felt compelled to do. She gazed at the mirror, reluctantly heading towards it. She knew that what she saw wouldn’t be anything different from what she saw yesterday but she needed to check again. She had to.

Just in case.

She watched her reflection creep in from the mirror’s edge and stared at the same place she always looked at when she was in the mirror. She sighed deeply, taking in the truth once more.

She was a blank flank.

_____________________________________________________________

Spike had made his way to the Ponyville Park in order to calm himself. He had practically skipped there with a ridiculous smile on his face, which of course caught the attention of many mystified ponies.

The Park was a quiet place, with only a few ponies dotted about. Some quietly conversed with their friends whilst others were alone in their thoughts. Spike ignored them and plonked himself on a bench.

It was a bright, sunny day with no clouds above to block the beautiful blue sky. Spike lay down on his back and basked in the Sun’s glow.

He felt so free, more than he ever had been before in his entire life. It felt like he could do almost anything! Of course, he couldn’t though. Rules applied to everyone.

He also felt powerful. Yesterday, he was the servant. Now, he was the master. He had the authority to command a filly to do whatever he wanted.

All in all, he was extremely glad of these new changes. Everything so far had seemed to work out for the best. Spike closed his eyes and smiled lightly, continuing to take in the Sun’s radiance whilst he thought of all the things he could do now.

“Hi Spike!”

Spike rapidly opened his eyes as soon as he heard the new voice. What he saw terrified him.

Pinkie Pie was looking down at him from the back of the bench with a huge grin on her face, as usual. Her sudden appearance was enough to shock Spike off the bench. He flinched violently as he heard and saw Pinkie, to the extent that he had rolled off the bench and fell face down onto the ground.

Spike groaned from the pain of slamming onto the path. He stood up slowly and wiped his face free from any traces of dirt.

“Pinkie...don’t do that. Please.” he grumbled, turning to face the pink mare, who was still poking out from behind the bench.

“Oh, sorry sleepy Spike!” Pinkie chanted, still grinning happily.

Spike shook his head, “I wasn’t asleep. I was just quietly enjoying the Sun.” Spike protested.

He then sat himself back on the bench and reclined against the back of it. He patted the spot next to him, inviting Pinkie to join him. She gladly accepted by coming around from behind the bench and jumping onto it, placing all four hooves on it and lowering herself.

The simple action of patting the bench made Spike feel happy because Pinkie had accepted the invitation and joined him. It showed that she was clearly interested in him (in a platonic fashion) and wanted to spend her time with him. Spike felt important and loved. He couldn’t help but smile lightly at this simple action.

“So what are ya doing today?” Pinkie asked.

Spike tapped his chin, thinking of an answer. That was a good question and despite having thought of what he could do, he never really settled on what to do first. There were too many possibilities.

“Erm, I really don’t know.” He shrugged. He had nothing. He decided he’d just follow Pinkie around instead. With Pinkie, you can always be guaranteed that something crazy and random would happen.

“Hmmm...” Pinkie copied Spike’s action by tapping her chin with her hoof. She also moved her eyes and lips from left to right repeatedly, creating an exaggerated thinking expression.

“I know!” Pinkie cheered, leaping up into the air. She landed back on the bench, now standing. “We’ll go see Rarity!”

Spike paused for a moment, blinking. In all of this, he had forgotten Rarity. Her beautiful face, her glorious mane and her fantastic personality; things that just made Rarity...Rarity! Spike couldn’t think of a word that would do justice to describe Rarity as a pony, so just her name would suffice.

“Yeah, let’s go!” Spike said excitedly, hopping off the bench. Pinkie soon followed and led the way to Rarity’s boutique, bouncing instead of trotting as she normally did.

It didn’t take too long to reach the boutique. Pinkie barged enthusiastically through the front door, forcing the bell to vibrate violently. This caused an immense ring to resound through the room and the outside world. Spike soon followed Pinkie in, rubbing his head; the ringing was quite ear piercing.

Rarity came galloping into the room from upstairs to see what all the ruckus was about. But upon seeing Pinkie, she rolled her eyes.

“Hello Pinkie, Spike,” she said, nodding politely at the two as she said their names.

Spike stood still, examining Rarity closely. Yep, she was still as glamorous as she ever was. Thankfully, by now, Spike was used to covering up his feelings for Rarity.

“Hey Rarity,” Spike replied, waving slightly at the purple maned mare.

“Hi!” Pinkie greeted, her enthusiasm hardly drained. “We didn’t know what to do today so we decided to see you!” she continued.

“Aw, well I always enjoy your company.” Rarity smiled. “I was looking for one of you, actually. I need you to find the others for me.”

“What for?” Spike bemused.

“Well since it’s such a lovely day, I decided we should have a picnic in the sun! I’m making the food, hence why I need your help.”

“Ooo a picnic!” Pinkie exclaimed, jumping repeatedly. She soon stopped though, “There better be cupcakes.” She said sternly but not menacingly.

“Of course there will be, Pinkie.” Rarity stated, smirking.

“Sounds like fun,” Spike added, “We’ll find the rest. C’mon Pinkie.” Spike then waved goodbye to Rarity and exited the boutique.

Rarity waved back to the pair, “I’ll meet you at the field where we normally have picnics!” she shouted, then headed back upstairs to finish preparations.

“Bye Rarity!” Pinkie bellowed, making sure Rarity could hear. She then bounced out of the boutique in order to follow Spike.

Of course Spike would help Rarity. Perhaps he was a little predictable in that regard but he didn’t care. If he made Rarity happy, that’s all that mattered.

He was also greatly anticipating the picnic with glee. This was the exact thing that Twilight abandoned Spike to do. There were countless occasions like this that Twilight went to, but Spike could not. Well this time, things were different. For the better.

But before that, he needed to round up the gang.

Pinkie asked the all important question first: “Who should we find first?”

“Rainbow Dash.” Spike nodded, instantly having the answer. On a day like this, Spike mused that Rainbow Dash would be sitting on a lone cloud soaking up the sun’s rays. Luckily enough, his guess was right. A tiny white spec could be seen in the distance, right near the Ponyville town hall.

“There she is.” Spike pointed out.

Pinkie peered at the cloud, upon which sat Rainbow Dash. “Yep, that’s definitely Dashie. That didn’t take long!” After saying this, Pinkie immediately sped towards the cloud. Spike was taken aback by this sudden burst of speed and ran after her, struggling to keep up.

However, in his new height he was a lot faster. Before, he needed to take a lot of steps just to cover a couple of metres because his legs were so small. Now, almost half the steps were needed to cover the same distance. In almost every aspect, Spike was superior than he was before.

Spike eventually reached the Town Hall, but the pink party pony was no where to be seen. Looking up, he could see that Rainbow Dash remained undisturbed.

She wouldn’t be for long though.

From behind the Town Hall came Pinkie Pie. In her candy cane flying machine. For Spike, this was the first time ever he had seen Pinkie in this contraption and it sent him into bursts of laughter. It was the most random and ridiculous thing he had ever seen.

Pinkie pedalled at a steady pace and gradually gained altitude. She flew closer towards Rainbow Dash and surprisingly, the noise generated from the propellers of the machine didn’t wake her up.

The two were at such a height that Spike couldn’t hear them very well, but he did pick out a few things. Pinkie started, by yelling a greeting. This caused Rainbow Dash to suddenly wake up, almost falling off her cloud in suprise. Rainbow then shouted something in return, clearly annoyed. That was all Spike could make out, but it did look funny. The rest of the conversation was normal after that and it didn’t take long for the two to fly down and join Spike.

“Hey.” Rainbow grumbled, still adjusting to being awake. She had her sunglasses on, no doubt to cover her tired eyes.

“Morning Rainbow Dash.” Spike snickered. Rainbow was always bad at mornings.

Spike soon changed the subject though, “Right...we should find Fluttershy next, then AppleJack. Applejack will probably be at the farm and that’s the furthest away and...Yeah, I’m too lazy to walk a long distance.” Spike shrugged, setting the pace for the other two. Rainbow flew at a relaxed rate and Pinkie steered her machine behind the Town Hall, abandoning it. She quickly reunited with the others afterwards.

Spike walked casually towards Fluttershy’s cottage, where the yellow pegasus would probably be, tending to her animal friends. Perhaps in this world, Fluttershy saw Spike for more than just a ‘cutie’ as she did when they first met.

The three stopped just outside her door and Spike rapped his knuckles softly on it three times. Shortly after this, Fluttershy opened the door just slightly and poked her head out.

She smiled softly as she saw her three friends and opened the door fully. “Hello you three, it’s lovely to see you all.” She spoke quietly.

The three outside all returned the greeting in different levels of enthusiasm. Pinkie was the most enthusiastic of course, with Spike in the middle and Rainbow Dash merely emitted a sound that barely sounded like ‘hey’. Rainbow added to this by yawning, not bothering to cover her mouth.

“We were just wondering if you’d want to come to a picnic.” Spike asked.

“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Fluttershy exclaimed, but even that wasn’t loud. “Do I need to bring anything?”

“Nah. Rarity’s got it covered.” Spike answered, waving his hand dismissively.

“Oh, ok then.” Fluttershy then proceeded to exit the house but was interrupting by the sound of rapid thumping on the floorboards of her house. She turned around, seeing the source of the sound was coming from Angel rapidly beating his foot on the floor. His arms were folded and he wore an expression of annoyance.

Fluttershy walked back in, kneeling down so she was at eye level with the rabbit. “Do you want to come too Angel?” Angel silently replied by nodding firmly.

“Ok then, hop on my back.” Angel did so, perching himself on the yellow mare’s back, postioning himself near the mare’s neck.

“Moving on.” Rainbow stated, flying lazily in the air towards Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack would probably be found here.

Even if she was there, it’d take a while to find her in that big apple orchard.

The journey to the farm consisted of mainly small talk. At this point, Rainbow began to feel more awake. Therefore, she partook in the conversations more and didn’t mumble. She did keep her shades on though.

With each member of the gang that joined the entourage, Spike felt happier. He had a permanent smile fixed upon his face, which even he found unusual. Still, he welcomed this.

Today was perfect and the start of a new life.

Spike saw no reason to go back to the old ways. Everypony seemed happy and so was he. There wasn’t a single problem at all.

At least, as far from he could see anyway.

Upon reaching Sweet Apple Acres, the five were stuck on where to begin searching. Fortunately, a bright idea popped into Pinkie’s mind.

“I know!” Pinkie raised her hoof in the air and waved it in the air a bit.

Spike and Rainbow just glanced at each other, “Uh oh.” They both said. They both knew the ways of Pinkie Pie all too well.

Pinkie was surprisingly silent however. It seemed she wanted approval from somepony else.

Spike reluctantly gave it, “Go ahead Pinkie...” he sighed.

Pinkie cleared her throat, getting ready. She then yelled at the top of her lungs, “APPLEJACK!” She shouted this at such a volume, everyone else flinched in response.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and hid her face behind her pink mane as if it was instinct. Angel frowned and pulled down his ears so they covered the sides of his head, blocking his inner ears from the sound. He was definitely not a happy bunny. Spike gritted his teeth and covered his ear holes with his hands. Rainbow mimicked Angel’s actions, pulling down her ears. She still hovered in the air though.

“She’ll come running.” Pinkie remarked, grinning proudly and standing triumphantly.

“If I wasn’t fully awake back then...I am now.” Rainbow muttered sarcastically.

A much quieter yell than Pinkie’s could be heard: “What in tarnation?!” It unquestionably belonged to Applejack.

Applejack came galloping from the barn at a breakneck speed to investigate the cause of the disturbance. At first, she looked worried. As soon as she saw Pinkie however, her demeanour changed from concern to anger.

“Pinkie, why the heck are ya shouting mah name?!” Applejack interrogated.

“Wanna go on a picnic?” Pinkie asked in the friendliest manner possible. This succeeded in pacifying the farmyard mare, who quickly calmed down.

“’course ah will! But Pinkie...don’t call me so loudly next time.” Applejack patted Pinkie’s shoulder softly and nodded politely at the others to acknowledge their presence.

They all nodded in return, except Fluttershy. A quiet “Hi Applejack.” escaped from her lips instead.

With everyone rounded up, the final course of action was to head to the field where the picnic would take place. Spike didn’t actually remember the way to it but luckily, everypony else did. So he was content to let them lead.

When they got to the field, they all patiently waited for Rarity to arrive. Whilst they waited, they did what best friends do. Talk, play and have fun. Spike was finally at the centre of these events. He relished every second of it.

He just hoped that when he went to sleep, he didn’t wake up in the same old life he once had.

_____________________________________________________________

Rarity eventually came along with baskets full of food and cutlery, as well as a picnic blanket. The set up was done quickly and efficiently thanks to the use of magic.

The food was delicious and freshly made by Rarity. It mainly consisted of sandwiches, pies, cupcakes and apples. Rarity had also added gems into the mix just for Spike to enjoy. Suffice to say, Spike could certainly now add cooking to the list of talents that Rarity possessed which made her all the more special.

It was night now and all of the attendees (including Angel) were lying on their backs, gazing up at the night-time sky. It was even more amazing than it was last night. The stars shone brightly as ever and the moon was in full view, lightly illuminating the land below.

Most of the food was eaten by now – only a few scraps remained. An initial struggle developed when all of them began eating; Angel viciously devoured the food much to the others’ chagrin. But the dispute was settled when Fluttershy threatened to use her infamous ‘stare’ on Angel.

Pinkie had eaten most of the cupcakes but nopony else dared to protest against this lest they face her wrath. Apart from the cupcakes, she barely ate anything else.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash did grow restless and therefore decided to race each other in a friendly competition. It was a simple lap around the edge of the field and Rainbow couldn’t fly but nevertheless, she still won. Despite this, both mares were welcomed with an encore of applause when they returned from their race.

Now, as the dark sky was covered in splotches of bright white, Spike rested his head on his hands and broke the peaceful silence that had occurred. “This day was perfect...” he said blissfully.

“Pfft, nah.” Rainbow Dash said, “The perfect day for me was when we defeated Nightmare Moon. That was awesome.”

This statement brought reminded Spike that he had no idea of what happened in this world prior to this day. He needed to find out because he knew he’d be expected to know all about it. He hoped the others would reminisce about it.

“Yeah! It was! We were all glowy with the Elements of Harmony and Spike breathed loads of green fire right onto Nightmare Moon!” Pinkie added.

That explained a lot. So Spike was the Element of Magic then. It made sense since Spike’s fire was magic, considering he could transport letters to Princess Celestia and receive them. From this fact, Spike assumed that everything Twilight did in the old world, Spike did in this one. He could easily bluff his way through those facts if he was asked about them, if that was the case anyway.

“I’m surprised Rainbow.” Rarity stated, “I thought you would’ve picked the day you first performed the sonic rainboom.”

“Well yeah...that comes in a close second. If not equal.” Rainbow retorted, not wanting to get all soppy in front of her friends.

Spike soon fell quiet, just listening to his friends talking about their perfect days. With all his best friends around him, he felt safe and secure and his levels of joy had skyrocketed to unprecedented levels.

He knew that he was cared about and that the others actively wanted to be around him. A great weight was lifted off his shoulders today and as far as he was concerned, he had no problems to deal with.

Spike spent the rest of the night soaking in the magic of friendship until they all made their separate ways.

But throughout the whole day from the moment he left the library, one thought had never entered his mind.

One pony that was perhaps the most important pony in his life.

The filly that had been left alone to do her chores in the library.

Twilight Sparkle.

Alone

Everyday Twilight did this ritual: check the mirror and see if she got her cutie mark. Everyday the result was the same: a blank flank.

Twilight was steadily growing up and she still didn’t have her cutie mark. With each day that passed, the fear of never finding out her special talent grew and grew. She didn’t just want her cutie mark - she needed it.

She felt empty without it and that unsettled her most of all. After all, surely you could only feel empty if you once had something? None of the books in library could inform her on why she felt this way. It was one of the few things that she didn’t know.

And that scared her a little.

Perhaps she was born with some condition that prevents ponies from getting cutie marks. An absurd notion but given her life before coming to Ponyville, it’d make sense.

First of all, she was born without parents. Okay, that wasn’t true but...she never knew them. In fact, she didn’t have any relatives as far as she knew. What she did know was that Princess Celestia had raised her ever since she was a baby. She lived within the castle for many years, not stepping a hoof outside.

Although she did have the privilege of reading many of the castle’s books. She had learnt to read at a very young age. So young in fact, it even surprised Celestia. During this time she met Spike, who also dwelled at the castle. This was unprecedented; none of the books Twilight had read mentioned a dragon staying within the walls of Canterlot and especially the castle.

She only had one friend here: Spike. Two if you counted Celestia, but she acted as a surrogate mother for Twilight. Occasionally Twilight made small talk with the guards but it was often short lived and always ended up with her retreating back to the books.

Twilight loved books, both fiction and non-fiction. Stories allowed her to unshackle the restraints of her life and imagine multiple worlds with countless adventures and possibilities. Non-fiction taught her the ways of the outside world. She was so interested in it all yet she could never leave the safety of the castle; the world was just too big. Whilst she had read many joyous things, she had also read many sad books too. This resulted in her fearing the lands beyond the castle and people she didn’t know; anypony could be mean at any given moment.

In addition to this fear, she lacked proper social skills. Even if a pony was nice to her, there was no way she could respond confidently enough.

So inside she stayed. It was like this for years until Celestia decided to send Spike to Ponyville to learn about the magic of friendship (apparently he also suffered from a lack of social skills though he was much more willing to learn about them). In an effort to find Twilight more friends, she sent her with Spike as his assistant.

Nevertheless, Celestia’s tactic had failed on the most part. Sure, Twilight did go out more often but she was always daunted by it all. Furthermore, she had made no new friends at all. The fact that she had a host of new books to read didn’t help things along either.

Twilight turned around from the mirror, deciding not to dwell in self-pity any longer. She had chores to do. Chores that she did very diligently but at times found them hard to do. She wasn’t exactly a do-it-yourself pony. Indeed, she was clumsy and weak.

Regardless, she tried her best to overcome her limitations. At first she was a complete disaster at her tasks but over time she had gotten adjusted to them. However, she still found some things awkward.

She scanned around Spike’s study room, looking for the broom. She found it leaning against the bookshelf opposite where the mirror was. Trotting over to it, she bit the wooden rod and lifted the broom up.

The broom easily dwarfed her in size, being just a little shorter than Spike’s height. It was uncomfortable to lift but Twilight had found that if she held the part of the handle that was closer to the hairs, it became easier to lift and control.Unfortunately she had to shake her head repeatedly in order to brush, which became nauseating after a while. Still, she carried on.

She would brush every room of the library down then reorganise some of the books. Thankfully, Twilight’s diligence at her job made it so that the library needed little maintenance. Therefore, she didn’t need to do much each day.

She started to shake her head at a steady pace, brushing the hairs of the broom against the floor. She walked slowly as she did so, covering more ground with each step that she took. The job was dull and took a while but Twilight knew that she would have her free time if she got it done. Time that she could use to read in peace.

She knew this would be a whole lot easier with the use of magic. However, there was one problem with that.

Twilight was useless at magic.

Despite all her years of studying the art and practicing she couldn’t even levitate a book. Even with Princess Celestia’s guidance, she had failed. This perplexed even the great alicorn, who couldn’t figure out any reason why Twilight failed to grasp the use of magic. She was a perfectly healthy filly after all.

Even after that, Twilight still practiced. Everyday she would try to harness the art of magic and everyday she would fail. Her hope of ever mastering magic was beginning to die because of this repeated failure. On the other hand, attempting it had become such a part of her life by now, it felt odd if she didn’t do it.

Perhaps one day she’d be good enough to even have a shred of the talent that Celestia possessed.

_____________________________________________________________

A few hours had passed and Twilight had finally brushed all the rooms in the library. Now, she would attend to her other tasks.

Except the rumbling of her stomach prevented this from happening.

Sitting in the library’s main room, she gazed at the clock on the wall. It was thirty four minutes past twelve. She should have had lunch already by this time.

Her belly rumbled violently again, “Where are you Spike?” she wondered out loud. She didn’t bother to check the library for food; she and Spike normally ate out. This wasn’t something Twilight enjoyed but it was a lot better than starving to death.

She decided to wait a while before planning a course of action. Perhaps this was merely a case of Spike running late? She certainly hoped that was the case.

She could only wait approximately five minutes before the hunger pains got too much to bear. She gulped, looking at the door that led to the outside world.

She would have to venture out there and get food herself. Sugarcube Corner was the best choice; you could bring food home from there.

She stuttered a sigh; she was beginning to get nervous. She headed to the kitchen and collected the money pouch from the table. It was full of bits that would be needed to purchase some lunch. She then retrieved her saddlebag, which was next to her bed. She equipped it and put the money pouch inside.

She was about to leave, but Smarty Pants caught her eye. He was lying in her bed all snug and neatly, like he usually was when Twilight was awake. Twilight decided to take her doll with her, propping him into the saddlebag so his head poked out.

Trotting lightly down the stairs, Twilight headed towards the door but froze just before it. Fear began to well up inside of her. This would be the first time she ventured outside without Spike. She’d be all alone.

Luckily, her determination to get something to eat began to fight her doubts. “Come on Twilight...you can do this.” She told herself in an attempt to calm herself. She looked back to Smarty Pants. Despite doing nothing, his mere presence was enough to give Twilight a little boost in confidence.

Princess Celestia had said that she found Smarty Pants with Twilight so the toy had been with Twilight her whole life. She had a strong sentimental attachment to him, as fillies usually do with their toys.

She took a deep breath and nudged open the door just a jar. She slipped through the doorway and closed the door behind her using her rear. Biting her lip, she looked around. Nopony was in sight, for now. This gave Twilight some relief and she began to head towards Sugarcube corner.

Her legs wanted to bring her back inside, but her stubbornness kept them going forward. Whilst she was afraid, she wouldn’t give up. Not now. Her head was locked in a position that meant she only looked at was in front of her. She didn’t dare to look to her sides, in case she saw another pony glaring right back at her.

She knew that it was an inevitably that she saw somepony though. As she got closer to Sugarcube corner, she began to see ponies she couldn’t put names too. She started to hurry along, going past them before they had a chance to look at her.

Sweat began to pour down her face and she could feel it. The nervousness was overpowering her the closer she got to her destination. What if somepony picked on her?

She began to gallop now. Her fight or flight instincts were kicking in and her body had decided to choose the flight option. Unfortunately, a galloping filly was bound to attract the attention of passers by. This thought only made Twilight go faster and stare at the ground to avoid everypony’s gaze.

Granted, she couldn’t see them. But she could feel them watching her, like she was an outsider. Like she didn’t belong. What should’ve been a simple trip to get food had turned into a horrific nightmare.

“Keep going...almost there...” Twilight kept this single thought running in her mind as she galloped.

The sun beamed its rays furiously onto Twilight, only serving to make her sweat more. She glanced up at the empty, blue sky. This was a bad decision, as it only made the world feel so much bigger.

Finally she reached Sugarcube Corner. Slowing down, she stopped just before the door in order to wipe her brow free from sweat and regulate her breathing. Once she was ready, she opened the door and cautiously entered the building.

To make her journey even longer, there was a queue that consisted of three ponies. She shuffled behind the last pony, who was a light aquamarine mare with a lyre for a cutie mark. She stared at the floorboards, only just seeing the green pony’s hooves so she could tell when to move ahead.

Twilight hoped that she wouldn’t encounter that crazy party pony known as Pinkie Pie. Since Pinkie was one of Spike’s best friends, Twilight often met her a lot. Her randomness was too much to bear for Twilight and every time they saw each other, she felt unsettled.

To pass the time, Twilight recited facts that she learnt from her books. She did this in her head of course, as to not gather unwanted attention.

Eventually, the aquamarine pony got served and walked away with her baked goods. Twilight slowly walked up to the encounter and peered up. Clearly, Mrs. Cake had not seen her because Twilight had to cough in order to get her presence acknowledged.

“Oh?” Mrs. Cake glanced over the counter, smiling as she saw Twilight. “Hello Twilight. Lovely to see you, what can I get for you?” she asked sweetly. She knew that Twilight didn’t get out much, so she didn’t want to scare her off. Especially when she was alone.

“Um...um...just three cupcakes and...a muffin. Please.” Twilight mumbled, avoiding looking at Mrs. Cake. Instead, she aimlessly looked around the counter and the floor. Maybe it was an unhealthy lunch but she deserved something nice for coming all the way out here by herself.

“Okay then, coming right up!” Mrs. Cake replied, heading into the kitchen to get the goods. Twilight’s order was vague but because she and Spike had ordered here before, the baker mare knew that Twilight was a fan of cupcakes with strawberry icing. As for her muffin, Mrs. Cake just guessed that she’d like chocolate chips. After all, who didn’t?

Back at the counter, Twilight impatiently waited for her order. She just wanted to be back at the library in peace, where no one could judge her.

Her stomach rumbled intolerably once more. In the rush of getting here, she had almost forgotten that she was hungry.

After a surprisingly short wait, Mrs. Cake returned with a brown paper bag which contained Twilight’s lunch. “That’ll be five bits.” She stated.

Twilight dug into her saddlebag, collecting the necessary change whilst making sure not to push out Smarty Pants. She jumped, dropping the bits on the counter. She then jumped again in order to collect the bag with her mouth. Lastly, she put the money pouch back in her saddlebag.

“Thank you.” Twilight squeaked, picking up her order and starting to head out of the door. The queue had gotten a lot bigger than it was when she entered, so she was glad she had gotten here when she did.

“No, thank you! Have a nice day Twilight!” Mrs. Cake called out. She then turned her attention to her next customer, smiling at them in an inviting manner.

Twilight hurried out of the door as quick as her legs could take her; partially due to hunger, partially due to wanting to get back home. By now, she didn’t care if anypony thought she was weird because she wouldn’t need to face them when she was back at the library.

She got back quickly thanks to her speed. She rushed inside and slammed the door behind her. After checking if Smarty Pants was still there (he was, his head still poking out of the bag) she sighed deeply with relief.

She had done. She succeeded.

Now she just had to reap the rewards she had sown. Not bothering to take off her saddlebag, she entered the kitchen and put her food neatly on the table. The hunger was simply too much now, so she just devoured her food in silence. This created a spread of crumbs on the table, which she’d have to clean up later.

For now, she sated herself. She was now safe, secure and alone.

And best of all, the food was delicious.

_____________________________________________________________

Twilight had reorganised books and fed Peewee yet Spike had still not returned. The unicorn began to worry for Spike’s safety but for now, she had personal duties to attend to.

Practicing magic.

It was her biggest dream to master the art. She had seen the wonders magic could do: levitate things, teleportation, transformation and too many other things to list. Even the most simple levitation spell looked amazing and incredibly useful.

As such, levitation was the spell she practiced the most.

Spike’s study room had many items that could be used for levitation, namely books. Sliding a book titled ‘Star gazing: A beginner’s guide’, she dropped it on the floor in the middle of the room and stared at it.

Inhaling deeply, she began to concentrate all her efforts into trying to levitate the book. She closed her eyes since that meant she wouldn’t be distracted by anything else. She imagined the book in her mind and her magic coalescing around it.

Slowly but surely, she began to feel her horn tinkle with weak magic. It was merely a flicker but it was still magic nonetheless. This wasn’t enough though; she had done this countless of times before.

She had to try harder. She began to grit her teeth and clench up every muscle in her body. She began sweating again due to the amount of effort she was putting into this.

“Just a little more...you can do it Twilight.”

Her horn began to tinkle even more, due to the fact that she was generating more magic. The same purple magic had begun to surround the book. It began to tremble, slowly but surely raising from the floor.

Twilight opened her eyes slightly to check on her progress. She gasped as she saw the book floating from the floor. It was only a little bit but this was a huge achievement for Twilight. She stared at the book, deciding to press on.

Her heart started to beat rapidly now as the excitement of her success bottled up inside of her. The book floated up slowly, getting to a few inches off the floor now.

She couldn’t believe she was doing this! Everything was going so well!

That is, until the magic in her horn started to die out. The energy sparked out from her horn, vanishing into thin air. The book returned to normal and dropped with a thud onto the floor.

She had succeeded...yet she had failed. She had only held the spell for around ten seconds, at best. Whilst it was a monumental victory, it didn’t feel worthy enough for Twilight. She wanted to do better. She knew she could do better.

So why was she so useless?

She screamed in frustration and swatted the book hard so it skidded across the floor, banging into the wall.

She was a failure.

The distressed filly lowered herself to the floor and covered her face. She remained like that for some time, thinking of why she had failed and beating herself up about it.

Not even Celestia could teach her magic so why did she bother trying herself? She clearly was incapable. A shame to unicorns everywhere. And most of all, a shame to herself. Her parents must have abandoned her because they could see how much of a failure she was. They just didn’t want her.

It was already night when she had begun practicing but she hadn’t realised this until she raised herself from the floor and looked out the window. Her eyes were watery so everything looked a little blurred but it was apparent enough that it was time for bed. She wanted some rest anyway; it had been a long day.

Wiping her eyes, she slunk from the study room and directed herself to her bed. She had put Smarty Pants back under the covers so he was cosy. She blew out the candles that lit the bed area, although she left the ones in the main area lit so Spike could find his way around when he returned.

She crawled into her bed and wrapped herself with her bed sheets. She cuddled Smarty Pants to make her feel better but to no avail.

Spike was always back by the time Twilight was in bed, without fail. Except today, it seemed. Now she felt vulnerable and she had no one to make lighten her up. She liked being alone but now she was too alone.

She wasn’t scared. She was upset. Spike knew that she had tried, and failed, to perform magic but he was always there to comfort her when she did.

Not this time.

She pulled the covers over her head, wanting to hide from the world. It was a little hot under the bed sheets but she ignored the discomfort.

She closed her eyes and attempted to get to sleep. But sleeping is hard when you’re crying.

Her body stuttered from the sobbing and not even Smarty Pants could reassure her. She tightened her hold of the doll to squeeze some joy out of it but this gambit failed.

She curled up in her bed, tears rolling down her cheeks. She wanted Spike or Celestia to come home so she could just hug and cry into them. She wanted to hear them say that everything would be alright, that one day she’d get her cutie mark, she’d master magic and she’d have friends of her own.

By the time she was deep asleep, tears still streamed from her eyes.

A New Responsibility

All good things come to an end.

In this case, it was the picnic. The gang didn’t bring anything to sleep in so it was only sensible that they all parted and went back home to get some rest.

Of course, Spike was eager to help Rarity pack up her things. His skills that he had gained from being Twilight’s former assistant still had some use it seemed. Once this was done, farewells were said and everyone went their separate ways.

The exception was Rarity and Spike, as Spike wanted to escort her home. Naturally, she welcomed this.

Rarity held her things aloft in the air by using her magic, walking gracefully. Spike walked alongside her casually, giving her a glance now and then so he could gaze upon her features that he adored so much.

As they re-entered Ponyville, they could see that the street lamps and pony’s rooms had been lightened up, giving the whole town a nice glow. To Spike, it seemed a bit romantic as the odd firefly could be seen darting about.

“Thanks again for the good time Rarity.” Spike said, looking at his companion.

“I keep telling you Spike, it’s no problem at all. Let me tell you, making food is far less stressful than meeting a deadline for dresses.” Rarity replied, her concentration on her magic still strong.

“So, what are you doing tomorrow then?” Spike asked, in order to prevent any silence from occurring.

“I’m rather busy actually. Work you see. So I won’t be out much.” The unicorn stated.

“Well er, do you need any help?” Spike fiddled with his claws absent-mindedly.

“I’d rather remain undisturbed, if that’s alright.” Rarity said firmly.

“You sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure Spike. Honestly, you’re acting like Sweetie Belle.” Rarity smirked, using her answer to change the topic of conversation, “I couldn’t imagine you as a sibling. If I could be related to a dragon anyway. No, you’re my best friend. Always and forever.” Rarity smiled sweetly at Spike, then looked on ahead.

Her last two sentences stung Spike. Friend-zoned once more. Seems some things never changed. Still, he was used to this so he kept his cool.

“Heh, agreed.” He said simply.

Soon after this, Rarity stopped in her tracks; her Boutique was just in sight. The lights were off (Sweetie Belle was at her parents’ house), covering it in darkness but Rarity knew its surroundings well.

She turned to Spike, “I can walk myself the rest of the way now. Thank you for walking with me Spike and thanks for coming to the picnic. Have a good night.”

“Was my pleasure Rarity. Sleep well and good luck with your work!” Once Spike said this, Rarity smiled, nodded at Spike and took her leave. Spike stood there, watching her go until she vanished into the darkness.

Spike sighed to himself and headed to the library. Even in this world, it was apparent that he couldn’t gain Rarity’s love in a way that wasn’t platonic.

He had gained a thick skin though from the repeated friend-zoning, so he didn’t drown in self-pity for long. Besides, things could still change.

As he walked, Twilight finally entered his mind. He began to feel a little bad for abandoning her; it was dark now and she was just a filly. On the other hand, she was Twilight and probably wouldn’t mind too much.

A couple of other ponies were still awake and about enjoying the calm that the night had created. It was odd. Ever since Princess Luna returned, the night seemed more inviting and warm. Perhaps this way maybe because since she came back, the moon shone brighter than usual. It did seem to illuminate Equestria lightly, these days.

Spike could see two mares sitting together on a bench, situated right under a lit lamp post. He knew the two, Lyra and Bon Bon, but didn’t talk to them much. It seemed that the two were both enjoying sugary delights. To this day, Spike couldn’t tell if the two were romantically involved or just good friends. He wouldn’t poke in their business just to find out though.

Continuing on, Spike thought that now was the perfect time to test his fire breathing capabilities. When he was smaller, he barely could control his fire. The only time he was able to was when sending letters. If he wanted to burn things, the flame usually was weak. The exception was when he burped or sneezed.

He prepared himself, breathing through his nostrils. He felt his gut starting to warm up, which was a good sign that fire was about to erupt from his mouth. He then inhaled through his mouth and exhaled powerfully, forcing flames to spew forth from his maw. The flame was a bright green and was powerful and controlled.

He stopped fire breathing and grinned to himself, his gut now returning to a normal temperature. He now had full control over a dangerous element: fire. Not just fire really. Magical fire. Dragon’s fire. Things just kept getting better and better.

It was assuring to know that if a vicious monster attacked Ponyville, Spike could help fight it off with his flames. On the other hand, he was still grounded and this limited his manoeuvrability somewhat.

Upon reaching the library, Spike could see the light in the main room was still on. Perhaps Twilight was still reading. It wouldn’t surprise him if she was. She seemed to be the same in this world, apart from being a filly of course.

Just in case she wasn’t though, he slowly opened the door and shut it quietly behind him. He peered about the room, which was absent of the filly. His eyes soon turned their attention to the darkened bedroom though and Spike figured that Twilight had gone to bed.

He crept up the stairs in an attempt to not wake Twilight up. He snuck around the beds, using his improved talents to light the bedroom candle. He grinned again once he did this; it was cool to able to do that at complete will now.

He headed back downstairs in order to snuff out those lights, which he did easily by pinching the flame. He would’ve then brushed his teeth but he was too lazy for that. He’d just brush them extra well in the morning to avoid a terrible dragon’s breath.

He was just about to get into bed when he heard rustling near to him. He turned around sharply, seeing Twilight turn around to face him and open her eyes. He hadn’t noticed until now but he cheeks looked wet and her eyes were watery.

Had she been crying? He certainly hoped not. Twilight was a strong, independent pony. Seeing her cry was a rare occurrence and each time she did, it unsettled Spike deeply.

“Spike?” she groaned, clearly still tired.

“Twilight, have-“he paused, finding it hard to say the words, “have you been crying?”

She only replied flatly with another question, “Where were you?”

“Uh, I was having a picnic with my friends.” He replied, a little confused, “Why do you ask?”

“You’re always back to put me to bed.” She replied bluntly, hiding her face under the covers so only her eyes were visible.

“I am?” Spike pondered. He then gulped, realising what he had said. This world was different and he was expected to do different things. “Yes! I am. Sorry...just tired.” He mumbled, trying to cover up his mistake.

He knelt down next to Twilight’s bed, “I’m so sorry to make you this upset Twilight. Really, I am.”

He could hear Twilight sigh and see her fidget under the bed sheets. “It’s more than that.” She admitted.

Spike blinked. What else could’ve happened to her today? He felt bad when he saw the evidence of her tears but now he felt awful.

“Tell me, please.” He pleaded, trying his best to give her a reassuring smile.

“I’m...I’m...” she tried her best to prevent another wave of tears, “I’m useless. A failure!” she shouted her last sentence, before breaking down into sobs.

“No no no no no! You’re not!” Spike said quickly, desperately trying to think of ways to cheer his best friend up.

“I am! I’m a unicorn and can’t do magic...not even my parents wanted me.” The last sentence hit Spike like a ton of bricks. She was an orphan and she couldn’t perform magic? How could this have happened?

Then the truth struck him even harder. It was he that did it. He and his wish had caused all this. If only he had known back then...

No, he couldn’t drown himself in self-pity. He needed to be strong for Twilight. She needed him now more than ever.

“Furthermore...” Twilight continued in between sobs, “Nopony wants to be my friend...they all think I’m...weird.”

So on top of all this, she had no friends but himself? This wish was quickly becoming a train wreck.

“That’s not true.” He lied. Truth be told, he had no idea what everypony thought of Twilight in this world. “And you’re not useless. Not to me.”

“I’m...not?” Twilight looked into Spike’s eyes. Spike looked back, trying his best not to break down either.

“No, do you know why?” Twilight shook her head softly in response. “Because you’re my friend.” The words that Rarity had said to him earlier seemed perfect for this occasion, “Always and forever.”

Without any words, Twilight leapt out of bed and hugged Spike. She buried her face in his chest and continued to cry. Spike readily returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around Twilight’s small body. In this form, she felt so small. So fragile. It was apparent that Spike had gained something else from his wish.

Greater responsibility. He now had to look after someone smaller than himself.

“Tomorrow, I’ll find you some new friends. Okay?” Spike could feel Twilight nod in response. “I’ll invite Fluttershy over.”

“Okay...” Twilight replied quietly, her sobs beginning to die down now.

Fluttershy was the kindest, most gentle, pony Spike knew and therefore she was the perfect start to strengthen and expand Twilight’s social circle.

“Can we just stay inside tomorrow?” Twilight asked, looking up at Spike. “I had to buy lunch myself...it...it wasn’t a good experience...”

“Sure, we can do that.” Spike avoided looking at Twilight but he kept hugging her protectively.

To further pile on the list of things that affected Twilight, she seemed to be afraid of the outside world? If it wasn’t staring him in the face before, it sure was now.

He had broken her.

What else had he ruined? If Twilight was an orphan, where was Shining Armor? Did he even exist? If that was the case, was there a royal wedding? Had he ruined Cadence’s love life forever?

All these questions floating about in Spike’s head made him tired; he had to sleep it over. However, one thing was very clear.

As long as he was in this world that he created, he’d have to fix Twilight first. It was the very least he could do for messing everything up. This would become his new goal in life. And with Celestia as his witness, he'd do his best to succeed. He had to. It was his responsibility now and he accepted it.

For the first time since waking up in this new world, he began to have inklings of doubt. He began to feel homesick. After all, he didn’t belong here did he? Everything looked the same but everything was also vastly different. The only remnant from the old world was himself and his thoughts. He had realised this now. This world wasn’t meant to be. It shouldn’t even exist!

The two enjoyed each other’s embrace for a while longer, and then Twilight broke it up and returned to her bed.

She seemed to have calmed down by now, looking about tiredly for Smarty Pants. Spike looked at the floor, seeing that the doll had fallen out of Twilight’s bed. He picked him up and handed him over to Twilight, who immediately cuddled the doll and let out a big yawn.

“I’m sorry Twilight.” Spike said, ready to look her in the eyes without fear of losing his composure.

“It’s fine Spike.” Twilight sniffed, pausing before continuing. “I just worried that...you forgot about me.”

“Twilight, I’d never forget about you. For as long as I live.” Spike saw an opportunity to lighten up the mood and seized it, “And we dragons live for ages.” He smirked at his joke. It wasn’t exceptionally funny but in this circumstance, it served it purpose; Twilight giggled softly and curled up in bed.

“Good night Spike.” Twilight said, closing her eyes with a light smile on her face.

“Night Twi’” Spike replied, climbing into his bed and getting himself comfortable under the covers.

He stared up at the ceiling in silence. So many thoughts now burdened his head – tonight would be a rough night indeed. He felt terrible for causing so much pain to Twilight, although he could never tell her that; she’d never believed him. Nopony would think that this world was created by a single dragon’s wish.

He thought of all his new responsibilities he had now. Twilight needed looking after and more importantly: love. This wasn’t something he could charge into recklessly either. This needed a soft, delicate touch. He’d also need a lot of help.

It was lucky that he had five best friends then. He’d introduce them to Twilight one at a time. He assumed that they had all met before but judging by Twilight’s state tonight, it was apparent they never talked much. It felt odd knowing that Twilight barely knew the five mares.

Upon thinking about it, it also felt odd that Twilight was a filly. She looked so vulnerable now. In the old world, Spike had a young body but his mind was very mature. This was probably due to dragon aging. Or so he thought anyway, he didn’t know much about dragons despite being one. Clearly the wish had tried to compensate for this and had made Twilight’s physical age the same as Spike’s was, without taking into account mental ages.

Well, that’s what he guessed anyway.

He turned over, looking at Twilight. It seemed that she had fallen asleep already. She was more worn out than Spike had thought. She deserved a break.

He rolled back to look up the ceiling again. He lay there, awake for a while but he couldn’t tell how long for. Tiredness gradually swept over him though and he eventually closed his eyes and began to sleep.

He hoped that he would have sweet dreams tonight; they would be a temporary respite for the nightmare he had created.

Building Bonds

Normally Spike would’ve awoken lazily. During this morning, however, the events of last night were still fresh in the young dragon’s mind. His eyes shot open quickly and he felt awake immediately. He sat up, looking around his bed just to confirm he was still in his wish world.

He sighed a little, remembering this was really Twilight’s bed he was sleeping in. It felt wrong now to even be in it. He got out of the bed and stood up, performing the guaranteed ‘morning stretch’ everypony did. Whilst he stretched his limbs, he looked at Twilight in her bed.

She was still fast asleep, snoozing lightly. Any evidence of her previous angst had been erased by now and replaced with a gentle smile. Clearly she had been gifted with good dreams during the night. Spike was content with this; at least she’d wake up in a good mood.

Spike didn’t dream as he slept, which was just as well because he didn’t want it to turn into a nightmare. Furthermore, dreams could tell you things. He didn’t want another spanner thrown into the works.

He decided to make breakfast, walking down the stairs silently. For him, this was a normal affair but he was aware that this wasn’t the old world. For Twilight, this would probably be unprecedented.

He entered the kitchen and searched the cupboard where he thought cereal would be. Much to his relief, a box of ‘Daring Do’s adventure oats’ was inside. At least Twilight’s eating habits appeared to be the same so he couldn’t get her food wrong.

He set to work preparing the meal, grabbing a bowl and pouring milk and oats into it. Finally, he dunked a spoon into the mixture and placed it on the table. He’d managed to do this quite quickly, more so than the morning two days ago.

As he waited for Twilight to awaken, he had realised the irony of what he was doing. The wish was meant to give him more freedom but he was performing tasks for Twilight once more.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realised the truth: this was entirely different. In the old realm, he was obliged to do this. Now, he wanted to. He was filled with an burning desire to help Twilight in order to atone for his mistake. This flame was one that wouldn't be snuffed out easily.

Had his ideals changed so much in such a short space of time? Already, he felt a lot more mature. He didn’t expect to grow up so soon, especially in a wish world. Still, he knew that he was far from thinking like a fully-fledged adult. That thought comforted him somewhat; he didn’t want to rush childhood.

His self-reflection was interrupted by the sound of Twilight screaming from the bedroom. Spike instinctively rushed out of the kitchen, only to collide with Twilight in the doorway. Her horn rammed itself into his belly. Whilst it’s true that scales are tough, they couldn’t prevent the dragon from becoming winded.

He fell onto his knees and clutched his gut, wheezing. Twilight rubbed her horn and groaned but quickly changed her tone when she saw Spike.

“Spike! Are you okay? I’m so sorry!” she said, becoming flustered. Spike raised his hand to signal to Twilight that she should wait for him to gather himself.

He slowly stood up again and began to regain his breath. “Oo...that smarts.” He muttered, rubbing his bruised stomach, “I’m fine Twilight. Don’t worry.”

“Oh, good.” She replied, calming down but then piped up again, “I’m sorry for over-sleeping!” she exclaimed, driving herself into a frenzy again.

“Twilight.” Spike said more sternly. Twilight froze in place, looking up at him. “It’s okay. I made you breakfast this morning.”

Twilight tilted her head in confusion and trotted past Spike, curiosity driving her. Upon seeing her breakfast, she kept looking between it and Spike like an engrossed pony watching a heated tennis match.

Spike couldn’t help but smirk. Confusing Twilight was a rare occurrence for him, so it was pretty funny to look at once it happened.

Still, he needed to quell her doubts, “No, it’s not a joke.” He smiled lightly at Twilight, “And it’s not poisoned either...”

After hearing this, Twilight slowly approached the bowl. She peered at its contents and sat down, becoming content and starting to eat. Watching her eat reminded Spike of his own breakfast.

“Gem time!” he exclaimed, starting to drool over the tantalising thought of eating delicious gems. He rushed to the gem cupboard and grabbed three shiny gems of various sizes. He hurriedly gobbled them up at a rate that rivalled the speed at which Pinkie ate cupcakes.

Once he had his fill, he started to leave the kitchen. “Just gonna do my teeth.” He said, leaving Twilight to finish her breakfast in solitude.

The food was nice, as was the gesture but Twilight couldn’t help but feel perplexed over Spike’s actions. It was her job to make her own breakfast, not his. In addition, she had expected him to mess up in some way but upon expecting the room there was no sign of any spillages.

She figured that this was his way of further apologising after last night. She finished her breakfast and chose to wash up her things. She held her bowl by her mouth and took it to the sink. The tap erupted with water in a downward stream once she turned it on and she began to wash up the bowl diligently like she always did in the mornings.

Spike returned a couple of minutes later, just as Twilight had finished washing up. “Oh, I could’ve done that y’know.” He remarked.

“Oh...okay. Thanks I suppose.” Twilight replied, still not completely sure what to make of Spike’s actions. Was he going to do every job for her today?

“Anyway,” Spike continued, “I’m going to bring Fluttershy over. Alright?” Twilight nodded in response.

“Good,” Spike took Twilight’s sudden silence as nervousness, “Don’t worry. She’s really nice. Trust me.”

“Okay...” Twilight muttered, looking down at the ground.

Spike then went towards the front door and stepped outside, “I’ll be back soon!” he shouted, closing the door behind him.

The Sun was making its slow ascent up into the sky, warming up Equestria with its rays. A cool gentle breeze wafted throughout Ponyville, which the few small clouds that were in the sky gave way too. They were gently pushed by the wind but from Spike’s perspective, they didn’t seem to move at all.

Whilst he walked, he pondered about flying. He knew that it’d be a while until his wings developed and even then, they’d probably be too weak to allow him to properly fly. He didn’t really have a lust for flying but he did wonder what it was like. Of course, he’d been in a hot air balloon several times in his life but he assumed that it wasn’t the same as flying yourself.

There was an inherent danger in flying. It was just you in the sky. No protection but your own ability to evade danger. Your own survival was based purely on your own skill. Perhaps that’s why Rainbow Dash loved flying; the thrill of it. This reasoning also provided an explanation on why Fluttershy was such a timid flyer.

Speaking of the shy Pegasus, Spike had just reached her cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville. The area was certainly very loud for such a soft-spoken mare. All Spike could hear was the constant chatter of Fluttershy’s animal friends. Bird calls were the predominant noise, various songs clashing together in what Spike thought was a horrible din. He wondered how Fluttershy could tolerate all this sound.

He continued to think about Fluttershy as he walked up to her front door. How could she possibly take care of so many animals at once? Twilight was a good multitasker but Fluttershy must have been the unsung champion of it.

She definitely had a lot of responsibility. Spike could learn a lot from her.

He rapped his knuckles on the wooden door three times and waited for the door to open.

“Just a minute please!” cried Fluttershy from inside. Since it was morning, she was probably feeding her friends.

Spike began to sway on his feet, whistling a random tune. It took more than a few minutes for Fluttershy to answer the door, but he didn’t mind waiting too much. He stopped swaying and whistling as he saw the door creak open.

“Morning Fluttershy.”

“Morning Spike. Sorry to keep you waiting.” She apologised. Despite her hectic morning, she looked as a calm as ever. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” Spike replied, nodding. “I need you to do a favour for me.”

“Oh? What do you need?” she questioned.

“Well...” Spike rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He really didn’t want to go into the details of what happened last night. “It’s a long story but...basically, Twilight needs a friend and you seemed perfect for the role.”

“Of course I will! She’s so adorable! I’ve never really talked to her much though.” She smiled sweetly and turned back inside. “Bye everyone, I’ll see you all later!” she waved at her many animal friends, who all waved back with paws, wings and whatever else certain animals used to wave. She then stepped outside and closed the door carefully behind her.

“Thanks Fluttershy.” Spike smiled at her and the two began making their way to the library.

“So how do you deal with looking after all those animals?” Spike looked at Fluttershy, who trotted beside him instead of flying.

Fluttershy looked up, thinking of an answer. She had done this for so long that it never once occurred to her that it would be an extremely tough task for any other pony. For her, it was merely the norm. “I suppose I just deal with it.”

“Yeah but, how does it feel to have responsibility over so many critters?”

“I suppose at first it was a little daunting...” she said, remembering memories of when she first started looking after animals, “But I kept at it. Awful things can happen if you don’t attend to your responsibilities.”

“Mhm.” Spike replied, looking down at the ground. He had responsibilities in the old Equestria but he abandoned them now. And what had happened? He completely and single-handedly messed up Twilight’s life. He wasn’t going to fail her again.

“Are you alright Spike?” Fluttershy had picked up on Spike’s sudden somber attitude and her caring overdrive had kicked in.

“Yeah.” Spike looked up ahead of him, “Just thinking about last night. I suppose you want to know what happened huh?”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to Spike. I’ll understand.”

“I will. You deserve to know.” He began to tell Fluttershy of all of the events that had transpired last night in the library. She kept silent as he spoke, save for the occasional gasp. “So yeah, that’s what happened.” he finished and went silent, allowing Fluttershy to respond.

“Oh that’s just terrible; I hope she’s okay...”

“She’s fine now, don’t worry.” Spike explained in order to lighten up the mood somewhat.

“I always just assumed that she didn’t want many friends. Seems I don’t know her as well as I thought.” Fluttershy reflected.

“I can tell you that she’s the most kindest, intelligent and wonderful pony in all of Equestria.” Spike slammed his mouth shut after saying this; he thought he had showboated Twilight’s qualities.

“You care for her a lot, don’t you?” Fluttershy inquired.

“Yep.” He could see the library now, “Yep...” He repeated.

“I know how you feel: I’ve known Rainbow Dash since I was a filly. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if anything bad happened to her.” A small grin formed on her face as she delved into the nostalgic memories of her and Rainbow Dash as fillies.

When they reached the entrance, Spike opened the door and made their presence known to Twilight: “We’re back Twilight!” he yelled. He stood to the side to allow Fluttershy in and closed the door behind her.

Twilight slunk in from the kitchen, head down low. Fluttershy stood still, not making any movements towards Twilight which may scare her off. Twilight eventually stopped, putting a good distance between her and Fluttershy. Doubts began to make their way into the filly’s mind, muddying up her view of Fluttershy as a kind, good-natured pony.

“Hi...” Twilight uttered, staring at Fluttershy’s hooves instead of her face.

Spike headed up to the bedroom and sat on the ledge, watching from afar. He didn’t want to take part in this but if Twilight needed him, he’d be there.

“Hello Twilight, Spike tells me you want a new friend.” She spoke informally to try and ease Twilight into this affair.

“Yeah...” Twilight nodded her head stiffly, “That’s right.” She managed to add.

“Can I be your friend then?” Twilight looked up into Fluttershy’s eyes. Her mouth began to form an ‘o’ shape and she began to edge closer to the Pegasus. Somepony wanted to be her friend? She wasn’t sure what to make of this, so she said only one word:

“Sure.” She spoke with more confidence than before.

“Yay!” Fluttershy cheered. As expected of her, it was a very quiet cheer.

Twilight knew that Spike wanted her to make new friends but she didn’t expect Fluttershy to be this warm and accepting. Fluttershy hadn’t even judged her badly yet she wanted to be her friend. Twilight could only reach one logical conclusion: Fluttershy liked her. The fears in Twilight’s mind began to be replaced with happier thoughts. Slowly but surely, Twilight began to look delighted.

Admittedly, Spike hadn’t expected Twilight to take to Fluttershy so quickly. Neither had he imagined Fluttershy being this glad to be Twilight’s friend; her cheer was certainly genuine. Had their friendship crossed between the old world and this one, even just barely? Spike shrugged, deciding not to dwell on it further and just continued to watch the pair interact with each other.

An uncomfortable silence soon began to develop as Twilight became more awkward. Despite racking her brain for answers, she couldn’t think of anything to say. Luckily, Fluttershy saved the day by breaking the silence:

“What things do you like?”

“Books.” Twilight was still quiet but she was more willing to speak now.

“What kind of books?”

“Almost any really.” Gradually her sentences were becoming longer. Fluttershy’s questions were succeeding in breaking the coat of awkwardness that covered Twilight.

“Have you read the Daring Do series?” Fluttershy knew very well that questions were great ways to start a conversation.

“Yes! I own all of them!” Twilight’s face suddenly lit up and she hopped about on her hooves slightly. Her passion for books had fully revealed itself.

“There we go.” Fluttershy thought to herself, concealing a proud smirk by using her mane. “My friend Rainbow Dash has them all as well! I’ve borrowed them off her sometimes to read.”

Twilight squealed in delight and went even closer to Fluttershy. They were less than a metre apart by now. Twilight had finally found somepony else to relate to! They could talk all day about the Daring Do series and maybe even write their own story just for fun!

Spike rolled his eyes as Daring Do was mentioned. If they were going to babble about that character, he was having no part in it. Peewee chirped from behind him, reminding Spike that if he went somewhere else he needn’t be alone.

“C’mon Peewee, let’s read something that isn't Daring Do.” He stood up and headed to the study room, Peewee flying behind him.

With Spike now absent, the other two continued to discuss all things Daring Do. Fluttershy was particularly impressed at Twilight’s knowledge of the series and had learnt some new bits of trivia from the filly. She thought it’d be interesting to see Twilight and Rainbow Dash together...

But one step at a time. She thought Rainbow Dash was too reckless and loud-mouthed for Twilight’s taste. She wouldn’t be ready to meet her for a while yet.

By the time the two had drained the topic dry, it was almost one o’clock in the afternoon. Fluttershy was the first to notice the time: “Oh, we better eat something.”

Twilight turned to view the clock and her stomach began to rumble just as she read the time. Fluttershy didn’t seem to hear this, or she just simply ignored it because she made no reaction at all.

“We better tell Spike.” Twilight said, starting to locate the dragon. Fluttershy had already beaten her to the punch however and gracefully flew into the study room. She landed inside as quiet as a mouse.

Spike and Peewee were both peering at the contents of a big book with a red cover that wrote in gold letters: The Complete Guide to Dragons.

“Spike, it’s nearly one o’clock. Will you be eating lunch?” Fluttershy let out.

Spike didn’t look at Fluttershy, “Yeah I’ll eat some gems or something later.” He murmured, far too interested in his book to pay much attention to anything or anypony else.

“Okay then.” Fluttershy said and flew out the way she came, landing in front of Twilight. “Do you want to eat lunch?” she asked nicely.

“Yeah, I’m getting pretty hungry...” Twilight stated, her stomach grumbling again loudly. She blinked, realising that Fluttershy would’ve heard this. Her face started to flush red in embarrassment.

Fluttershy let out a little giggle, “Let’s go eat then.”

Twilight laughed lightly as well and nodded. She quickly grabbed her money pouch from the kitchen and her saddlebag from next to her bed. She returned to Fluttershy with her saddlebag equipped and the money pouch tucked inside.

The two headed to the front door in unison and Fluttershy opened the door for her new friend. “We’re going to eat out Spike, see you later!” Twilight yelled.

The only response they got from Spike was something that sounded vaguely like ‘okay’. They took this as a sign that he had heard what they were saying and set off outside, closing the door behind them.

Twilight stuck close to Fluttershy, using her as a cover from other ponies. She was still a little uneasy about venturing outside but she felt safer with Fluttershy next to her.

Fluttershy set the pace at a nice, gentle trot. Their destination was the local Ponyville restaurant where anypony could enjoy a delicious and more importantly, healthy snack. Twilight followed suit, sticking as close as she physically could without tripping up Fluttershy. The Pegasus was fully aware of Twilight’s movements but decided not to say anything for now.

“I forgot to ask you what you liked.” Twilight said in an attempt to distract herself from thinking of everypony else in the town.

“Oh, well I love animals.” Fluttershy answered, occasionally glancing at birds that flew freely in the open air. “All of them, big and small.” She paused momentarily, adding “Except dragons.”

“Apart from Spike.” Twilight said, disguising her question so she didn’t seem dim.

“Yes, apart from Spike. He’s the sweetest, nicest dragon I know.” Fluttershy started to re-imagine memories that Spike never actually physically took part in. They were fake images conjured up by the magic of Spike’s wish. Her mind began to tingle as she thought of the memories but she just figured that this was dehydration. She pushed her memories aside and began to focus on getting to the restaurant.

“Yeah, he definitely is.” Twilight agreed.

Soon enough, they reached the restaurant. It had a relatively small turnout today, so the pair were able to find a table themselves without waiting. They picked a table as far away as possible from other ponies.

Twilight relaxed a bit as she got into her seat. She was used to this type of outing. The only difference today was that instead of Spike accompanying her, it was Fluttershy. She preferred this actually because it made for a nice change.

Deciding to eat cheaply, the two just ordered salad dishes with glasses of milk. It didn’t take too long for them to get their meal and they discussed their interests more, with the focus being on Fluttershy this time. Considering it was a light meal, they ate quickly and a waitress (coloured white with a yellow mane and tail) came to receive the payment.

“That’ll be sixteen bits ladies.” The waitress said with a fake smile. Good thing her shift was over soon.

Fluttershy darted her eyes about, looking for her bits. Then she realised that she had forgot to take them with her. She started to panic, shrinking from the frown of the waitress. “I’m so sorry...I’ll pay you back.” She squeaked.

Twilight saw Fluttershy’s timid actions and a sudden desire to defend her friend overwhelmed her. She unexpectedly slammed her hoof on the table and whipped out her money pouch from her saddlebag. “Wait!” she cried out, “I’ll pay.”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight, amazed at her sudden gusto. She remained silent to allow Twilight to have her moment. Twilight meanwhile, pushed over the required change to the waitress. “There, I think that’ll suffice.” she said somewhat arrogantly.

“Thanks.” The waitress shrugged, heading off to store the cash. Somepony else would clean up after the customers later.

Twilight and Fluttershy quickly made their exit, not wanting to cause another scene. “Thank you Twilight.” Fluttershy beamed at her companion.

“For what?”

“For paying for the two of us.” Fluttershy explained.

“Oh, it was nothing really. Besides, that’s what friends do right?” Twilight looked up at Fluttershy, who she could fully trust by now.

“Yep!” Fluttershy chirped, “Thanks again.” She hastily added, just to reinforce the fact that she was very thankful.

Then it dawned upon Twilight. She just had an outing with a new friend and had saved them from embarrassment. Reflecting upon her brash actions, she couldn’t really explain exactly why she did it so suddenly. Perhaps the fire of friendship burned brighter inside her than she thought.

Twilight practically skipped her way home, not clinging close to Fluttershy now. Absolutely nothing could spoil her day – it was perfect. She was in her own little world of joy. A far cry from her state last night.

Fluttershy acted more solemnly but Twilight didn’t notice this. As soon as they got to the library, Fluttershy needed to go back to her cottage to tend to her animal friends. Spike had unintentionally disrupted her usual routine and she needed to complete it. However, she didn’t mind this as his actions had gained her a new friend. A young friend yes, but a special one all the same. She mentally slapped herself for not befriending her sooner.

“We’re back!” Twilight shouted enthusiastically as she leapt into the library. Fluttershy stood in the open doorway.

Spike entered the main room through the kitchen, his mouth full of gems to the point that he looked like a hamster storing seeds. He chewed a tad and swallowed harshly, the outline of the gems could be seen making their way down his throat. “Welcome back.” He said at last.

“We’re going to have to buy more gems aren’t we?” Twilight deadpanned.

“Maybe...” Spike admitted sheepishly.

“Anyway, what now Fluttershy?” Twilight jumped and spun around in the air to face Fluttershy, eager to do more things with her.

“Um...now I need to go...” Fluttershy stammered, not wanting to say this but she knew it was an inevitably.

“...why?” Twilight began to break down a little, becoming sadder, “Don’t you like me?”

“Of course I do!” Fluttershy blurted out to prevent upset, “But I need to look after my animal friends. Sorry...”

Twilight sighed with relief and recovered herself. “That’s fine Fluttershy. I had a lovely day with you.”

“Me too Twilight! I’ll see you tomorrow...if you’d like of course.”

“YES!” Twilight spilled out then stopped, realising her outburst. “I mean, yes.” She giggled lightly at her mistake.

“Alright then.” Fluttershy smiled sweetly and began to step outside again, “Bye Twilight! Bye Spike!” she waved at them and began to make her way back to her cottage.

“Bye Fluttershy!” Spike and Twilight said in unison.

Twilight waved frantically after her new found friend, then shut the door when she could no longer see her. A satisfied smile had found its way onto her face. She then sporadically leapt at Spike, hugging him tightly. “Thanks so much Spike.”

Spike was taken aback in surprise but readily returned the hug. “No problem.” He responded, smiling smugly. He had succeeded.

It was a small step but a step nonetheless. There were still the four others for Twilight to properly befriend but at least he could say proudly that he had done some good. That he had repaired some of the damage. Twilight and Fluttershy were now friends. More than just friends: good friends. Perhaps even best friends. After all, he had barely interacted with them today so he wouldn’t be able to know for sure.

But when he had watched them, he noticed the spark between them that was present in the old world. This proved that he had done well.

On the other hand, he still had a lot of work to do. Twilight still needed more friends and probably ones of her own age too. He mused that Twilight could relate to the Cutie Mark Crusaders somewhat as they were all blank flanks. Maybe they were too energetic though...

Then there was the issue of Twilight’s magic. Rarity could use magic easily but she wasn’t exactly Starswirl the Bearded. It would be a tough hurdle to cross but that wouldn’t stop him from trying.

Finally, there was the thought that always lingered in the recesses of his mind. One single thought that occasionally popped up to him in times of doubt in this universe. Perhaps it was the most important thought of all.

His real home.

Dreams and Memories

Spike stood in the middle of green field devoid of any plant life except grass. It seemed to stretch off into the horizon endlessly and he could see nothing else around. In all his life, he had never seen an area so bland. He actually didn’t know where he even was or how he got here.

The lack of clouds in the blue sky or wind made the land feel very devoid of life despite the grass that carpeted the land. There was no sound at all, which created an eerie silence. It felt ominous and slightly ethereal.

Spike examined his limbs, finding out that they had returned to their original stumpy size. This revelation did not help to reveal where he was exactly. If anything it made it more confusing. He wasn’t in his wish world but this definitely wasn’t home either. So where in Equestria was he?

“Spike.” Called a voice from behind Spike. He turned around quickly, startled. There she was, in all her adult glory.

Twilight Sparkle.

Her appearance did nothing to quell Spike’s doubts. It only raised more questions.

She was standing solid, a neutral expression painted on her face. Her cutie mark had also returned to its rightful place on her flank.

“Why?” she queried but with her blank tone it sounded much more like a statement.

“Why what?” Spike shook his head, “Stop it Twilight, you’re scaring me.”

“Why did you wish my life away?”

Spike gulped harshly at this question, starting to become agitated. “I...I...” he stammered.

“You don’t know?” Tears began to stream from the mare’s eyes but she remained still.

“I...I’m sorry!” Spike cried out, starting to grovel to Twilight for forgiveness.

Twilight paused and slowly turned her head downwards to peer at Spike. Her glare seemed to pierce right through the dragon’s scales and into his heart. He slowly became paralysed with fear.

“You’re sorry.” She said simply enough but then she began to furrow her brow and grind her teeth harshly. “You’re sorry?!” she screamed, the sound deafening Spike.

He tried to run but his legs wouldn’t allow it. Whenever he tried to move them, they didn’t respond. He knew that he had to face the truth, no matter how terrifying it was.

Before he could speak, Twilight yelled again, “Sorry isn’t good enough!” Her body began to tremble with unbound rage and her mane and tail suddenly transformed to flame. Her body had turned a very pale white as well. Perhaps the most horrifying change of all was the fact that she was now taking slow steps towards Spike. He could feel the burning heat radiating off Twilight and it intensified with every step she took.

The grassy field began to wither and die. The sky became covered with a ceiling of dark clouds. A strong gust of wind now relentlessly attacked Spike.

“Why didn’t you tell me about your issues Spike?!” she interrogated, her yells echoed throughout the land.

“I don’t know! Please Twilight, stop!” Spike pleaded helplessly, managing to find the strength to cover his eyes with his hands.

She was right next to him now. He could feel her flames frying his scales without even touching them. He could feel her fury and also her sorrow, rolled into one.

“Why Spike?! WHY?!”

_____________________________________________________________

Spike shot his eyes open. He breathed heavily and rapidly, his body in shock. He darted his head around, once again confirming where he was. He was still in the wish world but at least he was safe here. The whole library was dark save for the tiny glow that Peewee emitted. The only sound came from Twilight’s breathing as she slept peacefully.

Since a good night’s rest was an impossibility, Spike decided he’d take a walk to clear his head. Once he had successfully crept outside and closed the door behind him, he sighed deeply.

As strange as the nightmare where, he couldn’t deny that it had some truth in it. Why didn’t he tell Twilight about how he felt? She would’ve understood after all.

He slapped himself on the head several times, “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!” he thought. He had no one to blame for this but himself. He started to become bottled up with anger which he had no one to take it out on other than himself. The frustration didn’t blind his judgement though. If he started beating himself up, ponies would ask questions. Questions that he couldn’t answer.

He knew the answers all too well. He knew what they would do to the others. They would hurt them deeply. All of this wasn’t meant to happen; all of their lives were forfeit.

Yet he wanted to tell somepony so badly. He wanted to let it out. These secrets were slowly killing him on the inside. He had nopony to confide in. Twilight was always there to make him feel better. Now? Now she depended on him more than ever. Even with having six best friends, he felt more alone than ever.

Spike didn’t mind the night-time cold. It felt refreshing after the heat in the nightmare, which seemed to follow him when he woke up. He gazed up at the stars that shone brilliantly just as they always did. Alas, none of them had decided to rain down upon Equestria so making another wish was out of the question. For the time being at least.

He ventured to the bench that he had sat on when he met Pinkie Pie in this realm. To his relief, everypony seemed to be in bed so he’d remain undisturbed. The street lamps had been switched on a while ago and continued to light up Ponyville. He could hear the chatter of a few insects in the undergrowth. Crickets, no doubt. The sweet aroma from the nearby flowers made their way into Spike’s nostrils. All these senses combined made for a natural atmosphere, which he had sorely needed after that terrible nightmare.

He reclined on the bench and began to think of his experiences with Twilight in the old world.

_____________________________________________________________

Twilight stood on the library balcony, watching over Ponyville. It was night and ponies around the town were getting ready to go to sleep. Twilight had been here for a week now, yet she still continued to be amazed by the friendship and love this town possessed.

So many things had happened to her in a short space time, it all felt like it had been a dream rather than an experience. Things were starting to slow down now however and she finally felt like she was fitting in.

She felt happy here. Granted she was content at Canterlot but she was ignorant of the joys of friendship. Now that she had been enlightened, she preferred Ponyville. She had six best friends here, why would she leave? Although if she did leave, one of them would always follow her: Spike.

Speaking of the dragon, he came out from the library to see Twilight. He should’ve been asleep by now as he kept yawning but he wanted to see if Twilight was okay.

“Twilight?” he called out, trying to overcome tiredness in order to seem invested.

Twilight blinked and looked back at her companion. She had expected him to be asleep though she didn’t mind if he was awake a little longer. “Yes Spike?”

“You okay? Normally you’re reading around this time.” Spike stated, covering his maw to hide an impressive yawn.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She answered, turning back around to look down at the town again, “Just thinking.”

“About what?” Spike joined Twilight in looking at Ponyville, standing right next to her.

“About the past week. So much has happened. Almost too much. I’ve never really had the time to think it through before.”

“Uh-huh.” Spike said tiredly, rubbing his eyes.

“I’ve done so many things recently. Met new ponies, made new friends. I even saved the whole of Equestria for Starswirl’s sake!” Even now she was still in disbelief over her actions against Nightmare Moon. However, she knew she couldn’t have done it without the help of her new friends, “With help, of course.”

“Twilight?” Spike asked again, poking Twilight’s leg.

“Yes?” she turned to face Spike so he’d stop the prodding.

“I’m happy that you’ve made new friends but...” he was interrupted by yet another yawn. Twilight couldn’t help smirking at this. She kept quiet though. “But you won’t forget about me, right?” His anxiety about being forgotten could easily be read by Twilight, who knelt down so that they were at eye level.

“I’ll never forget about you Spike. I’ve known you since you hatched. We have so many memories together that the others will never experience.” She smiled comfortingly at the dragon, who returned the gesture.

“Come here and give me a hug!” Twilight said, spreading her forelimbs out wide so Spike could attack her with a cuddle. As soon as he did, Twilight warmly returned the embrace.

“Thanks Twi.” Spike struggled to keep his eyes open, losing the battle to stay awake. Twilight soon felt Spike’s steady breaths brushing against her body. She looked down at him and smiled fondly. Now he definitely needed some rest. Twilight gently used her magic to place Spike on her back and headed to their beds, a small smile remaining on Spike’s face.

_____________________________________________________________

Waves of nostalgia swept over the dragon as he remembered all the good times they had. Although he couldn’t ignore how stupid he had acted. Twilight had always loved and he just...he just had a slip up. The memories had helped him deal with his own mistakes and improved his mood considerably.

There was no doubt about it though; he desperately wanted to go home. Sure, he’d be abandoning yet more responsibilities here but in the grand scheme of things, this world only existed because he had wanted it to. If anything he was trading responsibilities which seemed justifiable enough.

There was a problem with this though. The only logical way to get back was to make another wish. Shooting stars were rare occasions and weren’t easy to track. He certainly couldn’t do this himself so he’d need help. Perhaps Twilight knew how to? Yes, she definitely would be able to.

His train of thought was interrupted by a new arrival in his midst. He hadn’t expected anypony else to be out at this time yet there were always exceptions. It was especially odd that this certain pony was in a place so blissful. The mare was none other than Vinyl Scratch.

“Hey.” Spike casually greeted, waving slightly. Vinyl stopped in her tracks and eyed Spike. She had her classic shades on, which explained why she didn’t spot Spike before.

“Hey.” She replied, in an equally nonchalant way.

“Didn’t expect you to be up at this time. You’re not even partying.”

Vinyl chuckled lightly, walking closer to Spike. “I don’t always party dude.”

The two didn’t interact much; they just simply went to the same parties from time to time. Still, why pass up the opportunity to have a relaxed conversation?

“You’re DJ-PON3, right?” Spike mused, mistakenly pronouncing the three.

“Well yeah but that’s just my stage name. You’re meant to pronounce it ‘Deejay Pony’, by the way.” She corrected Spike. “My real name’s Vinyl Scratch.”

“Oh, right. Well I’m Spike if you didn’t know already.” Spike gave Vinyl a polite nod.

“Heh, how could I not know your name? You’re the Saviour of Equestria after all!” She snickered.

Spike had almost forgotten that in this world, he had saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon. He needed to be more on the ball with this memory game...

“That I am!” Spike poked a claw into his chest proudly. “What are you doing out here anyway?”

“Could ask you the same question.” Vinyl retorted.

“I asked you first.” Spike smirked, enjoying the little battle of wits they were having.

“Fine, fine. I’m just walking.” She answered smugly.

“What?! That’s way too vague!” Spike protested, flailing his arms in the air.

“You have to say what you’re doing now.” Vinyl grinned victoriously.

Spike sighed in defeat, “Okay okay. I had-“he paused, quickly retracting the word ‘nightmare’ from his sentence in his mind. He didn’t want to seem like a baby. “I had sleeping issues. So I needed time alone really.” He finished.

“Fair dues man.” She replied respectfully, “I don’t normally sleep until around this time anyway.”

“Seriously?” Spike asked, taken aback by the mare’s statement.

“Yeah. All the partying bucked up my ‘body clock’ as Octavia calls it.” Spike was a little taken aback by her language though he didn’t show any signs of it. Twilight had always told him that the word ‘buck’ should be only used in reference to apple trees. Anywhere else and it started to become a little foul.

He also wondered who this ‘Octavia’ was but he didn’t want to get off track here.

“Is that why you wear the glasses?” Spike grinned, pointing at the aforementioned item.

“Nah, that’s just for style. Gotta keep up my image y’know?” Her horn started to glow blue as she lifted her glasses up so that rested above it. She blinked a couple times, not expecting the area to be as bright as she imagined. Regardless, her eyes were not bloodshot as Spike wrongly assumed.

“Do you do this every night then?”

“Pretty much.” She replied bluntly.

“Don’t you get a little lonely?”

“You ask too many questions dude.” Vinyl scoffed, “Sometimes I do. At the end of the day though...or should that be night...” she started to trail off but quickly recovered, “Basically! I know that I always have friends to go back to.”

Vinyl’s words rung true with Spike. In this world he still had friends, which was a huge positive. On the contrary, they didn’t feel the same as his old ones. Especially Twilight.

Then another thought knocked him on the noggin. If he ever returned to the old world, Vinyl would never remember this conversation. It felt bizarre knowing that any actions he did here would be all for naught in his true home. So why did he keep helping Twilight? He figured it was guilt and furthermore, he couldn’t sit and do nothing whilst he waited for another shooting star.

“Vinyl, have you ever made a mistake so bad that you couldn’t tell nopony else?” Spike may as well acquire advice from Vinyl while she was here.

“What is it with you and questions?” Vinyl was started to get aggravated by the dragon’s constant interrogating, “Anyway, of course I have. Nopony’s perfect.”

Spike opened his mouth to ask another question but Vinyl raised a hoof, already knowing that he’d ask for more information on the subject. “I lied about it. Eventually it all revealed itself. Bad times man.”

It was a simple explanation yet Spike was able to gather the answers he needed from it. Essentially, lies were very likely to reveal themselves and it’s always better to tell the truth. This was simple moral code for Spike.

How then, could he explain to Twilight that all of her life was his doing? Vinyl was probably talking about something so small compared to a wish changing the entire world. They weren’t relatable at all!

“What, have you made a mistake or something?” Vinyl inquired.

“Like you said, nopony’s perfect.” Spike answered flatly.

“Well, it’s been fun but I better get some sleep.” Vinyl wrapped up the conversation and began to walk off back home, “Nice talking to you Spike.”

“You too Vinyl.” Spike waved at her carelessly. He took Vinyl’s exit as sign that he should head back. He was getting tired and he was afraid that Twilight would wake up and worry about where he was. He slipped off the bench onto his feet and returned back to the library.

_____________________________________________________________

The sound of Spike shuffling back into bed woke Twilight. She slowly rolled her eyelids apart, spying on Spike’s movements. He hadn’t noticed her awakening and instead climbed into his bed, covering himself under the bed sheets. She heard him snore only minutes later.

She didn’t dwell on where he had gone for long though because she had awoken from the strangest dream.

She had seen herself in Ponyville and everything there had seemed perfectly normal. Except she was an adult. It felt weird to admit but she thought she looked quite pretty as a fully grown mare. True, Twilight never fussed with appearances but it was nice to see herself looking fine.

She knew she had a cutie mark but the dream never allowed her to fully distinguish what it was. It was always blurred.

Stranger still was the fact that she was best friends with Spike’s friends. It was if she was now at the centre of attention and Spike had been pushed out of the limelight. It didn’t explain if she still did her daily tasks though; the dream didn’t encompass their lives day by day.

Twilight knew the difference between dreams and reality. She found it hard to believe that she could ever be like how she was portrayed in the dream. It was merely a series of events that pushed beyond the realms of possibility.

She kept tight-lipped about it though; she had troubled Spike far too much recently. She’d let him have his rest, which she thought was well-deserved. Besides, the sooner she slept the sooner she would see Fluttershy again.

She closed her eyes once more and began to conjure up ideas of what she, Spike and Fluttershy could all do tomorrow. Maybe they could have their own picnic? That would be a serene occasion, if they found a private place anyway. Twilight still wasn’t ready to fully interact with random ponies just yet. Despite this, she was amazed at her social progress that she had achieved so far.

The ideas in her head soon gave way to more thoughts about her dream. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about it? She did admit that for a dream, it felt very real. It was as if the dream wanted to push past the boundary of reality and fiction. She’d have to consult with Fluttershy about it later.

She cuddled Smarty Pants tighter, hoping that he’d provide a ward to protect her from more unusual dreams. All she wanted was a gentle one. Or at the very least, a one so outlandish that she knew for sure it had no meaning at all.

Before long, all the sounds in the library were the peaceful breaths of Spike and Twilight, snoring in almost perfect unison.

Magic

“Take care now!” Fluttershy called out to her animal friends as she gently closed the front door to her cottage. With all her critters content for most of the day, it was time to see Twilight like she had promised her yesterday.

Yet again, it was a nice sunny day in Ponyville. This chain of good weather could only mean that rainfall would arrive at some point soon. Fluttershy didn’t mind the rain much but she was terrified of storms. Way too loud and dangerous for her tastes.

She set off into Ponyville at an easy-going trot. She had taken her money with her this time, just in case she had to purchase anything.

Before long she was in the middle of Ponyville. Ponies all around were walking, conversing with others or simply having fun. The general atmosphere today seemed to be one of a carefree nature. Fluttershy happily greeted anypony who said hi but only if they made the first move. She didn’t want to unwittingly disturb another pony.

“Hey Fluttershy!” called out somepony. The unique accent only belonged to one friend of Fluttershy’s: Applejack.

She turned around to greet her buddy, “Hi Applejack, how are you?”

“Just fine. Yourself?” she asked in a relaxed manner. The hard working mare had managed to secure a day off from labouring at the farm today.

“I’m good, I was just going to see Twilight.” Fluttershy stated.

“Twilight?” Applejack raised an eyebrow.

Fluttershy nodded in response and elaborated, “She really wants some new friends, so I spent some time with her yesterday. She’s really sweet once you know her.”

“Huh...ya don’t suppose there’s room for one more?” Applejack inquired. If Twilight was as sweet as Fluttershy had said, then she wanted to be her friend too. In her view, the more friends you had, the better.

“Sure!” Fluttershy said excitedly but then became more serious as she thought about what Twilight’s reaction might be to this, “Um...she’s quite timid though.” She decided to accept Applejack because like her, she was very kind hearted. She was also very trusting which was a very admirable quality, especially for somepony as insecure as Twilight. Furthermore, she was rougher than Fluttershy was so it’d be a good step up to knowing ponies like Rainbow Dash.

“Aah, right.”

“You’re welcome to come along of course, just let me do the introductions please? If that’s okay with you of course...” Fluttershy added.

“Sure thing!” Applejack replied, following Fluttershy as she resumed heading to the library.

“So er...what is she like?” Applejack questioned, wanting to know what, or rather who, she was getting into.

“She really really likes reading.” Fluttershy put extra emphasis on the second ‘really’ to stress her point.

“A bit of a bookworm then?”

“Yes. She’s also extremely clever for a filly.” Fluttershy didn’t look at Applejack as they walked, keeping her focus on getting to their destination.

“So she says a lot of fancy words?” Applejack frowned a tad, fearing she’d be a bit out of her depth here.

“Only sometimes.”

“I see...kinda silly how we haven’t really known her before.” The farmyard mare began to feel a little guilty for almost completely ignoring a filly for so long.

“It’s no one’s fault Applejack.” Fluttershy said, detecting the nearly somber tone of Applejack’s voice.

“Maybe.” Applejack shrugged. “Well, if she doesn’t like me then I can always talk to Spike.”

“Mhm.” Fluttershy began to switch the conversation over to a new topic, “Do you have any ideas of what we could do today?”

“Lemme think...” Applejack furrowed her brows as she began to generate ideas, “Could just go for a walk I suppose.”

“Yeah, it is a nice day.” Fluttershy agreed, “We’ll see what Spike and Twilight think.” Applejack nodded in accordance.

~~~

“She’s not gonna come any quicker if you keep staring out of that window you know...” Spike sighed, looking at Twilight with slight disdain.

The excited filly had been staring out of the window next to the front door for ages now. To compensate for her shortness, she was stood on top a pile of books. She’d been looking ever since she got up actually, though Spike had to forcefully drag her to breakfast. He had tried explaining reasonably that Fluttershy would arrive eventually but now he was beginning to give up. Still, seeing Twilight act this energetic about a simple visit did bring Spike happiness to his heart.

Twilight ignored him and kept on peering out. “Never mind...” Spike said in defeat.

“Wait! She’s here!” Twilight blurted out, leaning forward so her muzzle touched the cold glass, “Eh?”

“What?” Spike asked, walking closer to Twilight.

“Applejack’s there too...” she said with uncertainty.

“Oh no, you’re not running from this!” Spike stated, shaking his head.

“I know...I trust Fluttershy though. It’ll be fine.” She said in a calm tone that Spike hadn’t expected.

“Oh...good then.” Spike said, bemused. He had prepared for a more skittish reaction from Twilight. Seems she had really improved her social skills.

“You’re saying ‘hi’ first.” Twilight added. Okay, so some work was still needed.

Making the first move, Spike swung open the door and greeted his friends, “Morning you two!” he called.

Both the mares made their response when they got closer, “Morning.” The two chimed at the same time.

“How are you two?” Spike asked, inviting them in by standing aside.

“I’m good.” Said Fluttershy, entering in first.

“Just dandy!” Applejack in, trotting in briskly.

“Where’s Twilight?” Fluttershy pondered, inspecting the room.

“Here I am!” Twilight yelled, though it sounded a little bit lacking in vigour. She pounced in front of a surprised Fluttershy.

“Oh, there you are.” Fluttershy smiled, “Hello! You remember Applejack don’t you?” she made way for her hat wearing friend. Twilight nodded in response.

“Howdy Twilight. Ya lookin’ for more friends?” she asked in a friendly manner.

“Uh...yes. Yes I am.” Twilight replied, shaking off her uneasiness slowly but surely.

“Well okay then! Consider us pals!” Applejack smiled warmly at Twilight, who returned the expression, “Anyway, Fluttershy says you like books.”

“Oh yes, I do!” Twilight replied passionately.

“No! No! Don’t get started on books! All she and Fluttershy talked about yesterday was books. Especially Daring Do...” Spike exclaimed, much to everypony’s shock. He soon grinned in embarrassment, realising what he had done.

“Spike, ya live in a library.” Applejack said bluntly.

“Yeah but...talking about other things is refreshing, right?” he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

“I suppose.” Applejack turned back to Twilight, “Well, me and Fluttershy got to thinkin’ and we decided that we should do something nice to enjoy the weather.”

Spike sighed quietly with relief as the attention was lifted off him again.

“What do you think Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well...I’ve been doing my own thinking.”

All three listeners raised their eyebrows in curiosity.

“And I’d like you all to...” she took a deep breath, revealing her plans, “to help me practice magic.”

“Twilight, c’mon, you know what happened last time.” Spike reminded Twilight.

“I know Spike but that was different!” she stamped her forehoof on the ground, showing her determination, “I didn’t have all you guys.” She smiled in admiration at everypony else and continued, “My friends here.”

Spike rubbed his head, thinking. Perhaps Twilight had a point. After all, in the old realm, she couldn’t have defeated Nightmare Moon without her friends at all. This was definitely a long shot but he decided to go for it. “Fine.”

“Good. I want to try levitating a book.” Twilight headed towards the ladder that leant against the bookshelves.

“Try a light one first.” Spike said, unsure of what the results of this would be.

Twilight carefully climbed the ladder. Luckily it was situated near the book she wanted to use. The first Daring Do novel: Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone. Grabbing it by her mouth, she returned down the ladder and onto the floor, approaching the others once more. She placed the book gently on the ground and began to prepare herself.

“Be careful now.” Applejack said, Spike and Fluttershy nodding in agreement.

Twilight closed her eyes, picturing only the book in her head. Spike watched her closely, fidgeting nervously. Fluttershy shared a similar reaction. Applejack meanwhile, stood firm.

Twilight conjured up the image of the book being levitated in her mind. She concentrated her energy into her horn, which gradually started to hum with magic. A few sparkles came from the book yet they were barely noticeable.

She remained like this for a while so Applejack took a course of action, deciding she’d need encouragement. “Ya can do it Twilight!” she cheered.

Spike quickly joined in, “Yeah! Levitate that book!”

“Go Twilight, woohoo!” Fluttershy chimed softly.

Becoming uplifted by her friends, the magic surrounding her horn and the book began to get stronger. The stronger the magic, the louder the cheers became, which in turn gave Twilight more confidence. It was system that worked perfectly. Unfortunately, the energy needed to come from somewhere...

“Open your eyes Twilight, you’re doing it!” Spike shouted.

Twilight squinted her eyes open but then fully opened them once she saw the sight she’d always dreamed off. There was the book, enveloped by her magic and floating in the air. She beamed, immense relief and satisfaction filling her entire body.

Her body began to tremble but in all the euphoria, nopony had noticed this. Twilight began to take small steps to check if the book would follow her. Sure enough, it did. She basked in the cheers of her audience. She had finally done it.

Then her legs began to buckle, unable to stand strong anymore. She collapsed to the floor, her magic fading. Her vision began to blur and fatigue filled her entire being. The book collapsed on the floor with a hard thud, just as she passed out.

Fluttershy let out a quiet gasp while Spike widened his eyes, standing there in complete shock. Why did he agree to this?!

Applejack was the only one who had kept her composure, leaping into action. “Spike, get her onto my back.” She commanded. Spike readily obliged, glad that somepony else was taking charge of the situation. He gently carried Twilight and placed her onto Applejack’s back. The filly was still breathing but it was noticeably weaker than the norm.

“I’ll take her to the Ponyville hospital. Catch up when ya can.” And with that, Applejack rushed out of the library as fast as her hooves could take her. Spike and Fluttershy walked out after her, still recovering from the shock. They watched Applejack's figure quickly become smaller in the distance.

“Oh I hope she’s okay...” Fluttershy said worriedly.

“Me too.” Spike concurred.

“Maybe it’s just exhaustion.”

“Probably.” Spike desperately hoped it was. He tried to connect the dots from the recent events: exhaustion seemed likely. Perhaps he was worrying over nothing. Besides, Applejack was a fast runner; she’d be at the hospital in no time.

Spike sighed and decided to take the conversation somewhere different. He figured he may as well acquire some advice from Fluttershy too. “Fluttershy, you’ve made mistakes before right?”

“Lots of them.” Fluttershy admitted.

“Well, did you ever hide one before?”

“Never for long. It’s always best to admit your mistakes before lying to everypony. Lies hurt.”

So Fluttershy was in agreement with Vinyl Scratch. Yet again, the advice did not relate to his situation. At least it felt like that anyway.

He decided to once more move the conversation to a different topic, “Yeah. So, got any plans for the next couple of days?”

“Not really. I’ll just see what comes up.” Fluttershy answered. “You?”

“The same.” Well that question was a dead end.

“Did you enjoy the picnic?” Fluttershy queried.

“I did! A lot!” Spike nodded eagerly.

“Oh good. Sorry about Angel’s...eating habits.”

“It’s fine. He can’t eat gems can he?” Spike snickered.

“Oh believe me, he’s tried.” Fluttershy gave Spike a light grin.

The two relished in the time they spent together. This was nice; just simple chatter. In all honesty, Spike hadn’t seen much of this since he had arrived in the wish world so he was glad to experience it again.

After a while, they reached the hospital. The entered through the double doors and found Applejack reclining on one of the cushions in the lobby. She seemed relaxed, much to the relief of the other two.

“Hey you two. Don’t you worry, she’s fine. Just exhaustion from the magic.” Applejack stated, gesturing for the pair to sit down. They sighed in relief and sat next to Applejack, sharing her relaxed demeanour.

“When can we see her?” Fluttershy asked.

“When she wakes up. Dunno how long that will be though.”

“At least there are magazines here.” Spike pointed at several magazines stacked neatly near the cushions.

“I had a look at some of them. I don’t think I’m going to read ‘Delightful Dresses for Perfect Ponies’ any time.” Applejack rolled her eyes.

“Might be a farming magazine.” Spike shrugged.

“Hey, I don’t need any advice from any farming magazine!” Applejack frowned, her arrogance showing.

“Okay, okay don’t get your tail in a twist.” Spike said defensively.

Fluttershy had decided to wander over the magazines and take a look herself. “Ooo, ‘Wildlife Weekly’.” She said, picking up said magazine and heading back to the cushions. Once comfortable, she opened up the pages and began to read their contents.

“’Wildlife Weekly’?” Spike asked, sounding unimpressed.

Fluttershy ignored Spike’s question, focused instead on a picture of a flying squirrel. “Aaaaw, isn’t that squirrel so cute?” she showed the squirrel to her companions.

“Mighty impressive how it can fly without wings.” Applejack said.

“I guess it’s kind of cute.” Spike said bluntly, not really getting where Fluttershy found the cuteness from.

Eventually, one of the Doctors came in and told the trio that Twilight was awake. He led them to the room she was in and left them to it.

Twilight was lying in a simple bed, the bed sheet covering most of her body. She seemed a little dazed but on the whole, she looked alright. Although everypony still asked her if she was alright.

“Yeah I’m fine...just tired.” Twilight muttered, rubbing her eyes. “What happened?”

“Ya don’t remember?” Applejack asked, slightly surprised.

“Let me think...” Twilight scrunched up her forehead, thinking, “I tried magic again didn’t I?”

“Not ‘tried’. ‘Did’.” Spike replied.

“Huh?” Twilight asked hazily.

“You levitated the book Twilight!” Fluttershy said, smiling brightly.

Twilight’s mouth suddenly went agape as the truth was revealed. She trusted the three (although she was still a bit wary of Applejack) enough not to lie about this. Then the memories of her performing the feat came back to her. She had definitely done it.

Revelation soon turned to complete joy. She had finally achieved her dream! She wasn’t a complete failure as a unicorn! She could do magic! Only one spell yes, but it was something! She could build up from this and maybe one day, she could be able to perform all kinds of spells at will.

“YES!” she yelled and performed a little celebration dance, flailing her limbs around in an sloppy pattern. Then a thought popped up in her head and she stopped her dancing, “Who brought me here?”

“I did.” Applejack stated.

“You did?” Applejack nodded in reply. Twilight was once again in disbelief. They had only properly met today yet she rushed her to hospital the moment she was down? This was a mare to put your trust in; a stalwart reliable ally and friend.

“In that case, thank you.” Twilight said politely.

“It’s no problem Twilight. Only lookin’ out for ya.” Applejack smiled affectionately at Twilight. Another pony had been added to Twilight’s roster of friends. She may have passed out but it certainly wasn’t without its rewards.

~~~

Twilight was let out of the hospital that same evening. Her excitement at her success had probably contributed to her speedy recovery. The Sun was just about to set, colouring the whole sky in a glorious orange. Dark silhouettes of birds could be seen as they flew back to their nests.

Ponies on the other hand were still active and would probably remain so until nightfall. Despite their presence, Twilight felt no insecurities this time thanks to being surrounded by her three friends.

“Pretty hectic day for ya Twilight, eh?” Applejack questioned.

“Yes but it was worth it!” Twilight chirped.

Spike took a moment to detach himself from the scene. He stared at Twilight and her two friends as they talked. It strongly reminded him of his own successes here. He had managed to two out of the five of Twilight’s best friends to reunite with her. He felt satisfied at his actions here and knew that his task would only get easier.

The sight also reminded him of home. The parallels between the old world and this one were easily apparent to him. Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy interacted with each other in the exact way that they did back home. His real home that is.

Homesickness suddenly took a hold of him yet he remained silent to allow the others to enjoy their time together. Tonight he’d use his authority over Twilight to assign her a new task: predict the next shooting star.

By the time they all reached the library, the conversation had been finished and farewells were being said.

“Bye Fluttershy, bye Applejack!” Twilight said to the mares, smiling fondly.

“See y’all later!” Applejack replied.

“Take care!” Fluttershy added.

“You too, bye!” Spike shouted, waving at the pair. He then closely shut the library door, looking at Twilight.

“Very well done on the magic thing.” He smiled proudly at Twilight, “But now I need you to do something for me.”

“Oh, what?” Twilight replied, seemingly eager to do some work.

“I need you to predict when the next shooting star will be.”

“What for?” Twilight interrogated.

“Well, it would be nice to watch it with you and the others.” He lied. Another one to the pile he had created since being here. But they were all a necessity and with luck, he’d be back in the old world soon.

~~~

“Applejack, can I ask you something?” Fluttershy turned her head to look at her friend, as the pair headed back to their homes.

“Go ahead sugarcube.”

“Recently...whenever you thought of memories of Spike, did they hurt you?”

Last night, Fluttershy began to relish in more happy memories with Spike. However, they revealed that yesterday’s mind tingle with Twilight was not dehydration. Something bigger was at play here.

“What do you mean?” Applejack asked, confounded at her friend’s question.

“Um...” Fluttershy thought of a better way to explain her dilemma, “Do you mind thinking of when we defeated Nightmare Moon?”

“Uh...sure.” Applejack did what she was told. She made no visible reaction at first but slowly she began to flinch in pain. She stopped thinking of the memory, rubbing her head.

“You felt it too didn’t you?”

“Just felt like a headache to me...”

“But it only happens to me when I think of memories with Spike!” Fluttershy exclaimed, starting to get worried.

“Hm, not me. I’m thinking of the picnic we had a couple days ago and I feel fine.”

“Oh...that’s weird...” Fluttershy said, calming down. Maybe she was wrong.

“Look, we’re just tired. That’s all there is to it.” Applejack stated, smiling reassuringly at Fluttershy.

“Yeah...I hope so...” Fluttershy replied, her concern over the dilemma still present in the recesses of her mind.

Growing Fears

Rainbow Dash relaxed atop her cloud above Ponyville. She basked in the Sun’s midday glow, enjoying it while she could; rain would be needed soon and then she’d have work to do. Her eyes were closed and she was thinking of incredible daredevil feats to perform in the future.

She hadn’t seen many of her friends yesterday except Pinkie Pie. So the two decided to do some pranking together. Just harmless fun, nothing more. Nopony got hurt so it was all good.

Today though, she just wanted to chill out. Have some downtime to herself. Sadly, it seems she wouldn’t get much of that today.

“Um, Rainbow Dash?” came the soft voice of Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash slowly opened her eyes to see Fluttershy hovering in the air to her left. “Hey Fluttershy.”

She may have been disturbed but it was only Fluttershy, she could deal with her quietness. In addition, she was her best friend so she rarely declined her company.

“Um, can I ask you something? Please?” Fluttershy queried. After yesterday’s talk with Applejack, it became increasingly apparent to the Pegasus that something was terribly wrong with her memories. She slept well last night and woken up peacefully. However, when she thought of her times with Spike her mind still hurt.

“Go ahead.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Please can you think of memories with Spike?” Fluttershy asked sweetly.

Rainbow Dash merely nodded and began to think of the picnic they all had together. It was a nice occasion but that pesky rabbit nearly ate everything...

“Okay I’m remembering.” She said casually.

“Do you feel any discomfort?” Fluttershy peered carefully at her friend.

“Nope.” Rainbow replied bluntly.

“Oh um...think before the picnic, please.” Fluttershy was conflicted. On one hand, if Rainbow Dash didn’t feel any pain then she was fine, which was always great. On the other hand, if that was the case then something was clearly wrong with herself. It looked like a lose-lose situation.

“Uh...sure.” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow but did as she was asked. Suddenly, sharp pain attacked her mind and she rubbed her head in an attempt to comfort it. She quickly banished her memories from the forefront of her mind. As she did, peace returned to her brain. “That was weird...”

“So you felt it now?” Fluttershy flew a little closer to Rainbow.

“Yeah...I don’t get it though. I’m perfectly healthy.” She shrugged.

“I don’t understand either...” Fluttershy sighed. This was a serious problem. Were Pinkie Pie and Rarity affected too? What about Spike and Twilight? Did they have some part to play in all this?

“Listen Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash yawned and stretched her limbs, “You better ask Spike about this. He might know what’s going on.”

“I suppose I should but I’ll have to tell the others first.”

“Then you do that. I’ll be sitting here until clouds need moving.” Rainbow wiggled deeper into the softness of her own cloud.

“Oh, okay Rainbow. See you later.” Fluttershy then gracefully flew towards the ground.

“See ya later.” Rainbow said, waving in Fluttershy’s general direction.

~~~

Something’s different.

Princess Celestia lay in her private chambers, alone in her thoughts. Ever since several days ago she felt...different. Different was the only way to describe it.

Past memories now felt like nothing more than mere images. And when she thought of them, sparks of pain crossed her mind. It was as if the mind shocks were repeated warnings to stop remembering.

Recent memories on the other hand, felt far more real. They seemed like experiences and remembering them was no trouble at all. In fact, it was delightful. She could remember colours, sounds and even smells very vibrantly. More so than ever before.

So why the change?

The first day it occurred, she paid no mind to it. It didn’t seem like something to loose sleep over. The second day, it occupied more of her thoughts. Now it troubled her.

She had kept silent about it all; if anypony were to hear that their ruler was having mind issues then...there would be total chaos. The only pony she could confess to was her own sister.

Sighing, she decided to read. She levitated some of Spike’s old letters towards her and spread them out so she could read one at a time with comfort. Reading about Spike’s lessons on friendship would surely give her mind an ease. It was amazing to think that in such a short space of time, her best student had learnt so much. All without her no less. All he needed was her push.

She cast her eyes over Spike’s first letter on friendship. She smiled nostalgically as she remembered that that was the day her sister was cleansed of her dark corruption. Yet her smile began to fade as she read more of the words.

The words were cold and lacked feeling. When she had first read them, she could feel the emotion radiating off them. That’s the sign that tells you when somepony is writing from their heart and soul. But now...Spike’s words were only that: words. Lines formed to make specific patterns.

She glanced at his other letters. The same result. All the sentences seemed dead.

Using her magic once more, she stacked the letters up and shoved them to the side of the room.

It became all too apparent that this was a problem she couldn’t keep to herself anymore.

~~~

“I really don’t know why you’re asking me to do this...” Rarity eyed Fluttershy with suspicion.

“Please, just think.” Fluttershy pleaded.

“Very well.” Rarity looked up at the sky. It reminded her of the time that she had those gorgeous wings. She recalled the feeling of flight. It was simply wonderful...apart from the fact she had nearly died that day. Still, that didn’t deter from the experience too much.

“Nnrgh.” Rarity groaned as her mind began to suffer from the memory pain. She shook her head and ridded herself of the memory. The pain was lifted from her.

“So you felt it too...” Fluttershy concluded.

“Yes, I did...how worrying.” Rarity looked at Fluttershy. She was going to eat at Sugarcube Corner but this revelation had sapped the hunger from her. Concern – even a bit of fear – had replaced it. “What about Pinkie?”

“She’ll feel it too...it’s affecting all of us.” Fluttershy looked down.

“Feel what? Gummy? Nah, he has no teeth remember! Silly billy!” Pinkie had, from out of nowhere, joined in on the conversation. The famous (or infamous for some) alligator was busy chewing on Pinkie’s mane. Apart from that, he didn’t do much other than blink.

Rarity was taken aback by the party pony’s entrance, “I wish you didn’t do that Pinkie...” she muttered.

Fluttershy let out a little squeak, recoiling in shock. She recovered upon seeing her friend. “Um, Pinkie? Remember the time we went to Appleloosa?” Fluttershy asked.

“Duh! Of course I do! They have the best pie fights and-“she stopped mid sentence, putting on a face of discomfort, “Ow! Brain freeze!” she held her head and closed her eyes tightly.

“Stop thinking about that, darling.” Rarity said.

“Ok!” Pinkie jumped into the air, erasing all evidence of hurt. “Well that was weird. Definitely not Pinkie sense...but I haven’t had any ice cream! Maybe it’s something new!”

“It’s new indeed.” Rarity looked at Pinkie. “Listen Pinkie. All of us have these...” she paused, thinking of the words, “...mind spikes. Yes, mind spikes. We feel these when we remember our memories with Spike.”

“Maybe Spike spiked our memories!” Pinkie giggled. Gummy blinked.

“I’m afraid it’s probably more than that...” Fluttershy mumbled.

“It’s about time we confront him about this.” Rarity stated.

“Mhm...”

“Oki loki doki! I’ll take any excuse to see Spikey Wikey!” Pinkie cheered.

“How about tomorrow then, girls? We’ll all see him and ask.” Rarity looked between her friends.

“Sounds goody!”

“Um sure...”

“Then consider it sett-“Rarity frowned, pausing. “Pinkie. Get Gummy out of my mane.” She said with a deadly seriousness.

Sometimes, all you need is a Friend

Her mind was in more of a blur than herself when she raced back to her cloud home. Rainbow Dash paced back and forth repeatedly atop her fluffy home’s flooring in an attempt to vent out all her frustration and confusion.

She didn’t know how to react at Spike’s revelation. It was all too much. As such, the only way she could react was with rage. A side effect of her anger was that it clouded her mind. Currently, it told her that the wish had made her past life forfeit. Truth was, she didn’t really know what it meant.

The perhaps more troublesome fact was that she didn’t know whether she’d apologise to Spike or not. First of all, he had lied to them; he should’ve put more faith in his friends. Secondly, wishing to swap your lives with somepony else seemed...cowardly.

Rainbow shook her head rapidly. The rage was screwing with her thought process. She needed to let it out.

Trotting over to her bed, she dived upon it and buried her face within the cushion. She took a deep breath and let out a loud but muffled scream. She kept going until all the air left her lungs and she had to breathe in again.

Yeah...that felt a bit better.

She shouted again, using all the energy her throat could muster. Once she had finished this, she turned over onto her back and stared at the ceiling for a while.

She didn’t think much. Relaxation was needed, not thinking. She almost fell asleep but slapped herself lightly whenever she dozed off. After a couple of minutes, she sat up, coughing. Evidently the shouting had tired out her throat. Slipping out of bed, she headed to her kitchen.

The good thing about cloud homes was that the home itself was a supply of water. Everything from the tap came from the house structure itself. However, restraints were put in place that stopped the tap if it drained too much from the cloud.

Rainbow’s home was a marvel of pegasus, unicorn and earth pony ingenuity. The pegasi shaped the clouds, the earth ponies built the tiles and other domestic appliances and the unicorns held them together by magic that never waned. These types of houses were around since the three pony tribes were united but back then, they were very simple.

Heading to the sink, Rainbow grabbed a glass cup from a cupboard and filled it up with cold, fresh water from the tap. Without any hesitation, she drank the glass’ contents in one hearty swig. Once the glass was empty, she put it next to the sink. It didn’t need to be washed right now anyway.

Sporadically, she flew out of the front door and into the open air. She needed something to do. Something fun. Something that made her feel unique.

May as well see the squirt.

She flew downward until she was at a height where she could indentify the ponies below in Ponyville with ease. It didn’t take her long to find her target.

In all of the serenity, a single dust trail made its way through the town. Its creator was a certain, spunky filly riding her trusty scooter.

Rainbow decided to fly above and make her entrance when the orange pegasus decided to stop, if she did. Admittedly, she was rather surprised at the filly’s speed and found herself increasing her own to keep up.

By now, they were on the outskirts of Ponyville and the rider showed no signs of stopping. Rainbow had waited enough. Sighing, she flew by the filly’s side.

“Hey, Scootaloo!” she yelled.

In response, Scootaloo instinctively stopped flapping her wings and turned sharply, putting a hoof on the ground. The scooter slowly skidded to a stop, kicking up dust and gravel from the path. After she had stopped, Rainbow landed in front of her.

“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo exclaimed, like she always did when she saw her hero.

“Who else?” Rainbow replied smugly.

“Good to see you.” Scootaloo smiled, “...but what are you doing here?”

“Bored.” Rainbow mumbled. “Wanna hang out?”

Scootaloo’s jaw went agape slightly and her eyes widened. “Sure! Yeah! Let’s do that!” She said ecstatically.

Rainbow examined Scootaloo’s vehicle, before saying: “You get a nice speed on that, y’know.”

“Really?!” Scootaloo then coughed. “Well yeah, ‘course I do.”

“Ever done many tricks on it?” Rainbow asked.

“Sure I have!” Scootaloo answered, as if it was a no brainer.

“Show me then.” Rainbow smirked.

“Later...was just racing on this thing so I’m not at my full strength now.” Scootaloo said, avoiding Rainbow’s gaze for a moment.

The blue pegasus snickered at the filly’s response. “Sure kid, sure.” She looked about with an uninterested look on her face, “Wanna just hang on a cloud and...talk?”

“And talk?” Scootaloo tilted her head slightly, “Don’t you want to do something more exciting?”

“Not in the mood.” Rainbow blurted in out. She then blinked and continued. “For now anyway.”

“Um...sure then.” Scootaloo said, a little unsure of Rainbow’s actions.

With Scootaloo’s acceptance of the idea, Rainbow immediately sped towards the closest, lone cloud and reclined on it. After a few moments though, the filly hadn’t arrived.

“Come on then slowpoke!” Rainbow shouted from the cloud, looking down at Scootaloo.

Scootaloo racked her brain for a decent excuse. “My wings are tired! From using my scooter!” she replied.

Rainbow frowned slightly. “Can’t be that tired!”

Scootaloo bit her lip. The truth was that despite the fact she was Rainbow’s number one fan, her hero didn’t know that she couldn’t fly yet. It was her biggest weakness and the source of constant humiliation. It was like revering Starswirl the Bearded and not even being able to cast a simple levitation spell.

“Well I am! You wouldn’t know since you don’t ride a scooter!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

Sighing, Rainbow returned the ground next to Scootaloo. “Climb aboard then.” She said dryly. Scootaloo eagerly complied.

Once again, Rainbow took off into the sky. Scootaloo clung onto her tightly, feeling the wind batter her form and mess her mane. And she loved every moment of it. She couldn’t enjoy the sensation for long though, as mere seconds later, Rainbow had landed back on the cloud.

Scootaloo carefully got off Rainbow and stood on the cloud. She poked at it curiously a couple of times. Rainbow lay down on the cloud and watched Scootaloo’s movements.

“You gonna poke the cloud all day?” Rainbow asked.

Scootaloo froze for a second and then quickly sat down next to her hero.

“You’re acting kind of weird.” Rainbow commented.

“Weird? How?” Scootaloo pondered.

Rainbow stared at the filly for a short while, before answering. “Never mind.”

There was a moment of awkward silent that the pair both felt. Scootaloo looked down at the cloud, fiddling with it slightly. “Must be pretty awesome.” She said.

“Need to be more specific, kid.” Rainbow replied.

“Well...being you.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Of course it is! I’ve performed the Sonic Rainboom something like...three times now.” She smiled proudly.

“One day, I want to be just like you!” Scootaloo chirped. “But...you probably already know that.” She continued, smiling sheepishly.

“How couldn’t I? You’re my number one fan after all.” Rainbow stated.

“You’re just...” Scootaloo took a moment to think of an apt word. “Amazing.”

“Heh, thanks kid.” Rainbow smiled softly. At the end of the day, she’d still have her fans and her friends. What else mattered? “You’re not bad yourself.”

Scootaloo’s wings buzzed rapidly as she heard those words. This was something that didn’t escape Rainbow’s attention.

“I thought you were tired?” She inquired, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Uh...well I was.” The filly looked down again, her ears drooping and her wings becoming still again.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“No!” Scootaloo exclaimed hastily. “No. Nothing.”

“You’re a terrible liar.” Rainbow smirked. “Go on, tell me. I’m great at giving advice!” She nodded firmly.

Scootaloo looked off into the distance. She could see a few pegasi fly above Ponyville. They weren’t doing anything fancy but nonetheless, it still looked wonderful.

“I’ve um...never been on a cloud before.” She admitted.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah...”

Rainbow could see the upset beginning to form in the filly’s eyes, so she changed her attitude. “Well, that doesn’t really matter. Clouds are just that: clouds.”

“It’s a bit more than that.”

Rainbow went silent, allowing the filly to continue if she wanted to.

“I can’t really fly yet.”

Rainbow made her best attempt to feign her shock at the revelation. It left her speechless. She was always under the impression that the feisty filly could fly. It was a bit shameful really; she should have really learnt more about her fan. Still, this presented an opportunity to make up for that.

“Well...” she said, thinking carefully of what to say. “Let me tell you a story.”

“A story?” Scootaloo asked, sounding unamused.

“Yeah.” Rainbow cleared her throat and began to tell her tale. “You know Fluttershy, right?” Scootaloo nodded. “Well, as a filly, she was a very bad flier. I’m being honest here. She was terrible.”

Scootaloo listened intently, but looked at the horizon rather than her idol.

“Well, one day she was being bullied by a group-“

“I’ve heard this story before. You told me it when I asked how you got your cutie mark.” Scootaloo interrupted.

Rainbow paused. She rubbed her head, thinking. Despite what Spike had admitted, clearly her past actions had some effect on the present. Whether she actually did them or not didn’t wasn’t a concern anymore. The fact of the matter was that she had impacted some ponies’ lives. She was living in the here and now and that meant no time for moaning about what was. She smiled to herself.

“Well, at the time, Fluttershy was older than you.” Rainbow said. “Fact is: you’ll get there one day. I could even help you along the way if you want.”

“Really? You’d do that?!” A small grin made its way across the filly’s face.

“Yep, I will.” Rainbow couldn’t help but smirk at Scootaloo’s reaction. The filly had given a lot of respect and admiration, so it was only fair that Rainbow would pay her back. And it felt good, too.

~~~

Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had just left Sugarcube corner and were making their way through Ponyville. Cupcakes had filled their stomachs and happiness had returned to their hearts so now the time to share that joy with the others was at hand.

“Oh I hope we find Twilight soon...” Fluttershy sighed.

“Don’t ya worry Fluttershy. We’ll find her.” Applejack responded, leading the way for the other two. Fluttershy nodded at the farmyard mare, drawing strength from her. Pinkie meanwhile, hummed a merry tune, seemingly entranced in her own world.

Luckily, they soon found Twilight. She was wandering through the town in no particular direction, as if all motivation had left her. Her head was lowered, close to the ground and her mane partially hid her features.

Instinctively, Fluttershy was the first to approach her and gently wrapped a wing around the filly’s form. Twilight suddenly stopped but didn’t show signs of panic. Instead, she returned the embrace.

“Hi Fluttershy.” Twilight said quietly.

“Hi Twilight. What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked. Her voice sounded soft and motherly.

“You don’t hate Spike for what he did, right?” Twilight looked up into Fluttershy’s eyes.

Fluttershy smiled lightly, shaking her head. “I couldn’t ever hate Spike.”

“Me neither!” Pinkie chirped. Twilight blinked, looking at Pinkie in surprise.

“Count me in too.” Applejack added. Twilight gave her and Pinkie a small wave.

“Now go on, give us a smile!” Pinkie said, a massive grin appearing on her face. It was impossible for Twilight to resist this; a gentle smile made its way on her features.

“There we go.” Fluttershy said. “Now, what happened?”

“Well...I talked to Rainbow about...y’know.”

Applejack sighed quietly. She knew where this was going. “Listen sugarcube. Rainbow Dash will just need time to cool down by herself. She’ll be better later.” Applejack nodded. Sometimes the best way to help somepony was in fact, not to help – even if you really wanted to, which Applejack did – at least, only for a little time. She’d have to talk with Rainbow later.

“You could say that sometimes, Rainbow Dash acts rash!” Pinkie giggled at her rhyme.

“That’s one way of puttin’ it.” Applejack commented.

“Can we find Spike, please? I want to know if he’s alright.” Twilight asked, looking at the three.

“Sure we can.” Fluttershy answered. Applejack nodded and began to lead the way, deciding to go the way they came.

Twilight walked alongside Fluttershy, whilst Pinkie Pie was to the other side of the filly. In this formation, she felt secure. She could barely see anypony else.

The unicorn stared at Pinkie. The party pony was smiling merrily, humming once more.

Is she always this happy?

She barely knew the pink mare, yet she confused her so much. She had seen her a couple of times with Spike, popping out of objects she couldn’t possibly fit in to begin with. Did she live just to defy the laws of physics? No, it was more than that. Twilight looked carefully at Pinkie’s joyous face, then at her cutie mark.

She just wants to make ponies happy.

Twilight smiled. Her random nature may deter some ponies but all Pinkie wanted was to make ponies smile and feel good. No wonder Spike was friends with her. Therefore, it only made sense that she should too.

“So...you all okay?” Twilight asked, trying to start a conversation.

“I’m fine.” Fluttershy answered.

“I’m just dandy!” Applejack said.

“I’m Pinkie!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Uh...I know you’re Pinkie.” Twilight said.

Applejack chuckled. “No no Twilight. Pinkie just says that instead of perky.”

“Yeah! Because I’m usually always perky and I’m always Pinkie so I thought: “Why not make it simpler?” So I just use Pinkie!” Pinkie replied, speaking rapidly.

“Um...okay.” Twilight said, a little bemused.

As the group travelled, they made general chit-chat. Twilight continued to be confused by Pinkie but she was already learning to adapt to the craziness. She was worried that she’d be overwhelmed by it all but instead, she was baffled. Perhaps after talking to Pinkie, she could interact with almost any other pony...

Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that they were no closer to finding Spike. Applejack decided to trot ahead and ask somepony. She approached the first pony she could find, which in this case was Berry Punch. She was simply walking along, minding her own business.

There were rumours that Berry was a drunk but so far, those rumours had gone unfounded. She seemed sensible enough though and all her friends campaigned against the so called lies. Applejack didn’t care if she was a drunk or not; as long as she didn't hurt anypony, Applejack had nothing against her.

“Hey Berry, have you seen Spike around?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, hi Applejack.” She smiled. “I think I saw him run past here, towards the outskirts of Ponyville. That was a while ago though I think...”

“Right. Thanks Berry. See ya around!” Applejack said, giving Berry a wave before galloping back to the others.

“Bye Applejack!” Berry called out, waving in return.

“Follow me.” Applejack stated upon returning to the others. After saying this, she began to trot at a fairly brisk pace.

Before going ahead, Fluttershy knelt in front of Twilight. The filly didn’t need prompting for this, immediately climbing onto Fluttershy’s back. Fluttershy then glided gracefully just above the ground and caught up with the other two.

“Why are we going so fast? Is Spike okay?” Twilight questioned.

“He should be. But he might be gone so it’s better that we get to him fast.” Applejack answered.

Not long after they broke into the faster pace, they found themselves at a path leading out of Ponyville. Following it, they soon saw Spike sitting on a wooden bench. Next to him was a mare that they didn’t know too well: Lyra.

“Spike!” Twilight yelled just as she saw him. Both Spike and Lyra jumped in shock, and then peered at the incoming group.

Spike was speechless at their sudden entrance, staying silent as they slowed down and stopped in front of him.

Twilight hopped off Fluttershy. “I’m glad you’re okay!”

Spike looked at each of the four, examining their facial expressions. “I’m glad that you’re all okay too...I thought you would’ve hated me or something.”

“Silly Spikey! You ran off before we could say anything!” Pinkie chirped.

“She’s right you know. We would’ve worked it over. ...Ah still don’t know what to make of this whole ‘wish thing’.” Applejack flailed her hooves in the air, “But that doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, we’re all your friends Spike; we could never hate you.” Fluttershy added.

Lyra smiled at the warmth generated by the friends and slipped off the bench. “Looks like you guys need a moment. Nice talking to you Spike, see ya!” Using her magic, she levitated her lyre and walked off.

“Bye Lyra!” Spike said. Before he could say anything else, he was engulfed by a hug from Twilight. He eagerly returned the gesture.

It was starting to become odd. The more time Spike stayed here, the less that filly Twilight seemed like adult Twilight. They had the same characteristics and yet they were beginning to seem completely different. Was it the age gap? Or was his role the key factor in this? Maybe the wave of happiness that just washed over him was confusing his mind.

Either way, he was content to just take in the moment. He hugged Twilight a bit tighter; he enjoyed her presence the most of all here.

Spike looked at the other three. He felt that they all looked a little distant from the moment.

“Come on you guys, enough of me to go round for everyone.” He snickered but soon screamed in surprise at three mares leapt upon him.

They all relished in the embrace for a couple of moments before letting go of each other, each one of them beaming.

~~~

Rarity was silent, lying down on her back on her bed and staring up at the space above her. The previous sequence of events had been a lot to take in so she needed time to relax by herself and think.

She had come to the conclusion that it wasn’t the wish that upset her. No, it was more the fact that Spike had lied to her about something so big. He was her friend and she trusted him deeply. She thought that he could tell her about anything without fear. Was it something that she had done?

Don’t be silly Rarity. Stop jumping to conclusions.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking coming from the door of her room.

A muffled voice came from behind the door: “Rarity! I’m bored!”

“I’m not in the mood to play Sweetie Belle. Please, go find something to do.” Rarity grumbled.

“Oh...okay.” Sweetie Belle said. The disappointment in her voice was very apparent.

Silence once again fell over the room. Rarity needed something to do. Preferably not work; that was something to perform once she was in a good mood. If she worked on her dresses in this state, the negativity from her was sure to blight them.

She just needed to do something. Anything.

“Sweetie Belle, come back!” She yelled.

Silence.

Getting off the bed, she walked up to the door and swung it open using magic. She looked down in front of her. Her sister was standing there with a big grin on her face.

“What do you want to do then?” Rarity asked.

“Um...can we draw?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Yay!” Sweetie Belle cheered, rushing down the stairs and heading to the table where her stationery was located. Rarity followed but at a slower, more dignified pace.

By the time she caught up to Sweetie Belle, the filly was already set up. Plain sheets of paper were scattered over the table, as were an assortment of colored crayons.

“Hmmm...I’m going to draw the train that goes through Ponyville. And all of our friends will be on it!” Sweetie Belle stated, as her sister sat down beside her. The filly grabbed a brown crayon with her mouth and began to draw.

Rarity decided she’d draw her most recent happy memory: the picnic. She levitated a green crayon with her magic and started to draw the grass. She recalled that Spike had once said that drawing was a good way to express your feelings. But...did he really say that?

The green crayon began to press onto the paper a little harder.

“Are you okay Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked, watching her sister whose eyebrows were now furrowed.

Pausing, Rarity let the pencil drop to the table. “A lot of...complications have happened recently. That is all. You wouldn’t understand darling.” She sighed.

“Maybe I wouldn’t but the least I can do is make you feel better.” Sweetie Belle replied, smiling cheerily at Rarity.

“Thank you, Sweetie Belle. The gesture is much appreciated.” Rarity levitated the crayon again and began to resume drawing. She began to feel something grab her body. Looking down, she could see her sister clinging to her.

She smiled, and nuzzled Sweetie Belle affectionately before going back to drawing. No words really needed to be said for the actions spoke for themselves.

Since the Sisterhoof Social, their relationship had gotten a lot better. One wish couldn’t change that. Rarity could feel the love that emanated from her sister. That wasn’t the type of thing a wish could generate.

Life was a series of ups and downs. Spike lying to her was a down and this moment was an up. Now Rarity realised that the wish was an irrelevant factor in her life. It didn’t stop her from living her life.

“Thank you, again, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity said.

“Huh? What did I do?” Sweetie Belle had resumed drawing by now.

“You made me realise something. Something very important.”

“Um...okay then.” Sweetie Belle shrugged. “Glad to help my sister!” She chirped.

Rarity switched crayons. She levitated a blue one to draw the clear sky that day. “How is life treating you then dear?”

“It’s alright.” Sweetie Belle mumbled, crayon in her mouth. “Still no cutie mark...” she frowned, spitting out her current crayon.

“I keep telling you: be patient and it will come.”

“But when?” Sweetie Belle groaned.

“Wouldn’t you rather be surprised when your cutie mark appears than knowing exactly when it will arrive?”

“I guess...” Sweetie Belle said, picking up another crayon.

“Good things come to those who wait!” Rarity declared.

“Mhm!”

Time passed and the once blank pages became filled with color. Sweetie Belle had finished first. Her picture of the train was crude and clearly child like but it had a certain sweetness about it. All of their friends were there. Spike, the other Crusaders and Rarity’s best friends. Rarity was drawn next to Sweetie Belle, poking their heads out of a heart shaped window of one of the carriages.

“That’s very good Sweetie Belle!” Rarity praised.

“You really think so?” Sweetie Belle looked back and forth between her artwork and her sister.

Rarity nodded. “I think Mom and Dad would love it.”

“I should show them it then!” The filly picked up her drawing and ran to the exit of the Boutique. “Bye Rarity! Thanks for the good time!”

The unicorn laughed at her sister’s sudden departure. “Take care Sweetie Belle.” She returned to her own drawing, hearing the door open and slam shut. “Fillies: so excitable.”

For her own sketch, she still had a lot to go. She had finished the sky, the background and the picnic supplies. Now she needed to finish her friends.

I should really see them later. Perhaps show them this drawing.

Unlike Sweetie Belle’s sketches, Rarity’s were prim and proper. No color went outside and the lines and everything seemed to be in the correct proportion. Perhaps her magic improved her drawing ability.

She floated a yellow crayon in the air, deciding she’d draw Fluttershy first.

Oh that does remind me. Our regular spa outing is tomorrow.

Rarity always enjoyed those occasions. Fluttershy was a great listener; someone to confide in. Rarity often thought that the pegasus would make a great mother but then she remembered the amount of animals she looked after. You couldn’t raise a baby in those conditions.

Although sometimes, Fluttershy asked Rarity for advice. It was mostly on social skills to help deal with her shyness. Fluttershy was an extreme introvert and Rarity knew nothing could change that. However, she was glad to help her shy friend deal with other ponies more easily.

The dressmaker decided that tomorrow would be a good moment to share her views on this whole ‘wish’ scenario and perhaps hear Fluttershy’s views. All while getting pampered like a Princess.

It will be simply perfect.

~~~

“You needed me, Sister?”

“Yes Luna, please, come in.”

The Princess of the Moon stepped inside her sister’s room and shut the door behind her quietly. Celestia was reclining next to her fireplace. The wood inside was burning brightly, warming up the whole room. Luna always thought that her sister’s room was very cosy and even somewhat humble. It wasn’t extravagant at all, far from it. The most regal thing in the room was the fireplace. Everything else could have fitted just fine in any other pony’s house.

“I want you to read these letters for me. Just a few. Pick any one you wish.” Celestia said, as Luna sat down beside her.

Luna levitated a letter, choosing one by random, and brought it close to her face. “Ah, Spike’s letters.” She had read a few before, just after she became sane again. They felt joyous and warm, as well as certainly being informative.

And yet while the information was the same, the feeling was gone.

“You feel it too then.” Celestia uttered, watching her sister’s actions.

“Yes...they feel empty now.” She lowered the first letter and began to read a second. Again, she picked up upon the lack of feeling it had. “What could have caused this, sister?”

“There’s more. Luna, I’d like you to cast your mind back to the most recent Nightmare Night.”

“Very well.” Luna dropped the letters carefully and began to remember the holiday. It was her first public appearance outside of Canterlot and without her sister. She recalled how nervous she felt that day and how, eventually, she managed to win the trust and friendship of the citizens of Ponyville. Indeed, it was a great day.

Suddenly, a sharp pain attacked her mind. She gasped in pain and quickly stopped thinking about that day.

Celestia put a wing over Luna protectively. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, fine now...what was that?” Luna asked, rubbing her head.

“That is the same question that plagues me. But I have a feeling that it is connected to the letters.” Celestia began to stack up the letters neatly, using her magic.

“Perhaps it is related to Spike himself.” Luna wondered.

“Possibly. However, we are alicorns. I doubt that Spike could affect our minds. No, something more powerful is at play here.”

“I do not mean to sound arrogant but what could possibly be more powerful than us?” Luna looked at her sister.

“A better question would be: what could affect our minds?” Celestia sent some flames from the tip of the horn to the fire, reigniting it.

“Couldn’t possibly be Discord. So we can rule him out.”

“Indeed.” Celestia agreed.

“I do have one piece of advice though, Celestia.”

“Speak your mind Luna.” Celestia replied.

“We should keep this a secret. We do not want our subjects to worry, yes?”

“Good thinking sister. I hadn’t considered that until now but it’s a sensible course of action.” Celestia paused for a moment, “Although, I do think we should ask Spike about this. I may send him a letter about the situation.”

“I advise that we research first before letting him know.” Luna suggested.

“It is good to have you by my side again. You make many good points.” Celestia smiled affectionately at Luna, who returned the gesture.

“Thank you for the compliment but do not forget your own talents.”

“I raise the Sun everyday, how could I possibly ever forget?” Celestia snickered lightly.

Luna smirked. “Regardless, we best get started with the research, yes?”

“No. Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“I have spent the past few days worrying about this problem.” Celestia sighed deeply. “Forgive me for not telling you earlier.”

“It is fine. Do not concern yourself about something as petty as that.”

Celestia nodded and carried on. “I would rather that I relax tonight.”

“I respect your wishes. I shall begin the research then.” Luna began to stand up.

Celestia shook her head softly. “I’d rather spend my evening with you, sister.”

Luna cracked a smile at her sister and resumed sitting down. “Truth be told, I would rather do that too.”

Celestia always longed for moments like this. For too long, she had been without a sister and been burdened by a monster. It was said that each day, after raising the moon, Celestia would look at the moon and shed a tear.

As for Luna, she couldn’t remember most of her time as Nightmare Moon. Despite this, it didn’t dampen her love for her sister. She was dreadfully sorry for the pain she had caused whilst in her monstrous state. Celestia (and a few others) always told her that it wasn’t her fault; that she wasn’t completely in control of her actions. Luna dismissed these thoughts. After all, it was her own selfishness that took her to that dark place.

Celestia was also sorry too. She believed that had she acted sooner, she could have saved Luna from her fate. If she had to pick her biggest mistake, that was it. She tried to not grieve over it but she still received nightmares about it from time to time.

The sisters may have been powerful alicorns but deep down, they were just like any other pony. They had hopes and fears. They could feel sad, angry and happy. And they could love. Proof of all this was especially evident when the two were together, relishing in each other’s company.

Still, Celestia knew that she would have to go back and deal with this problem. Even if researching was a good idea, she actually doubted that they would fine anything fruitful. Although Luna was right to bring up the suggestion; they should take a look, just in case. Ultimately though, even if they did find something, she knew that she would have to confront Spike about this problem and see just how much he really knew.

Apologies

Spike, Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie were walking merrily together through Ponyville. They actually had no particular idea where they were heading; they just enjoyed walking with each other.

But two ponies were absent from the group and that didn’t escape from Spike’s mind. There was one in particular that he desperately wanted to see. He started to squirm uncomfortably, which Twilight caught notice of.

“Are you okay Spike?” she asked, looking up at him.

“Erm, yes!” he lied. Twilight could see through it easily and kept staring at him. The other two started to peer at him two, wondering what was wrong. “Ok ok! I er, just want to see how Rarity is doing because of...y’know...” he mumbled at the end.

“I, um, was just about to suggest the same idea.” Fluttershy said.

“Well, consider it settled then!” Applejack led the way to Rarity’s boutique.

“Wait wait wait.” Spike said. The others stopped walking. “What if she hates me?” He began to look nervous at the prospect of talking to her again.

“If yer apologise and are sincere about it, she’ll forgive ya.” Applejack gave the dragon a reassuring smile.

"She can't be all sad and grumpy forever!" Pinkie added.

“I suppose you’re right.” Spike sighed and the group started moving again. “But if I become a nervous wreck, you guys are helping me okay?”

Twilight giggled lightly. “Of course we will Spike.”

“Thanks.” He smiled at Twilight.

As they headed towards Carousel Boutique (it was their best guess as to where Rarity was), each stepped intensified Spike’s nervousness. What if she never wanted to see him again? What if she still upset? He couldn’t bear to see her teary face...

Twilight could spot this building up in Spike. “It’ll be okay Spike.” she said softly.

“I know that. Well...I don’t but I hope it will be. My body just won’t stop piling on the nerves though!” he gritted his teeth.

“Ya just gotta go in there and do what ya gotta do. We’ll be right behind ya every step of the way.” Applejack said.

As they arrived, the once elegant building appeared to be extremely daunting for Spike. Probably because it held his inevitable fate.

His friends looked at him with hopeful gazes. They wouldn’t be the ones to open the door first. That was up to Spike and him only.

He reluctantly walked up to the door and with a trembling claw, rapped on it softly.

Silence.

“Maybe she’s not in?” Fluttershy pondered.

"No worries, I'll get her!" Pinkie chirped, preparing to set off.

“No no.” Spike said with a wavering sigh. “I’ll try again.”

He knocked on the door again with slightly more gusto. There was another silence but eventually the door swung open, revealing Rarity.

Her mouth hung agape slightly as she saw the dragon but she said nothing.

Spike cleared his throat. It was now or never.

“Hi Rarity. I just...I just want to apologise for all the...y’know...” he waved his claw around in the air, hoping she would get what he was hinting at.

“But I really am sorry!” he said more seriously. “It wasn’t right of me to lie to you...” he wanted to look away but his eyes were fixed onto the unicorn.

She walked away, deeper into her abode.

Everyone outside was stunned at her action. Was it an invitation, or a rejection? Yet they all stood there, waiting for confirmation.

Eventually she returned. Thankfully, she had a small smile on her face. She then levitated a piece of paper in front of the group.

Her picture was not yet finished but it was evidently clear what she was drawing. Spike didn’t have time to look at it though, for it floated past him and closer to the others. Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie (who in particular was very vocal about her praise of the drawing) took a gander at it but Twilight remained focused on Spike and Rarity.

Spike looked at the picture as it levitated past him, which meant that he was caught off guard by a sudden hug from Rarity.

Admittedly, he did not expect this reaction although he secretly hoped for it. He eagerly returned the embrace but had to hold back some of his strength; he didn't want to crush her.

He found himself speechless but luckily, Rarity was the one to speak first.

“And I’m sorry for the way I reacted, Spike.. I must admit...sometimes I can be a bit of a drama queen.” she said.

Applejack looked to Fluttershy, who put a hoof to her mouth, subtly telling her to be quiet.

“I’m more sorry.” Spike spoke.

“Yes, I know. But I’m sorry too. Okay?” she smirked slightly as she released her hold over him. He smiled lightly in return.

Rarity then gave Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie her attention. “It’s not finished yet but when I do complete it, I will show you. It shall be fabulous!” she chimed. She then floated the artwork to Spike.

It was a perfect representation of that happy day. However, one pony was missing.

“Rarity?” Spike said to grab the mare’s attention.

“Yes Spike?” she asked sweetly.

“Do you think you could add Twilight in the drawing?”

Rarity peered at the said filly. The small unicorn was positively beaming at the mention of Spike’s request. The sight made Rarity’s heart melt.

“How could I not add her? She’s simply adorable!” she then levitated the drawing back inside, putting it on the table.

“Thanks Rarity. It’ll mean a lot to me. And Twilight, of course.”

“It’s no problem at all Spike.” Rarity fell back into the Boutique, inviting the others inside. “Would you like to come in?”

“I would but...” All of the group’s eyes focused on Spike. “There’s one more mare I have to see first.”

Applejack smiled proudly. “Like ah said Spike: do what ya gotta do.”

“Do you want us to come with you?” Fluttershy queried.

“No...this is something I should do on my own.”

“Just because you ‘should’ doesn’t mean you have to.” Twilight stated.

Spike blinked. Twilight always had a knack for making good points that often made his own redundant. “I know Twilight but...” he wanted to do this on his own yet he knew Twilight wouldn’t give up so easily. “Rarity needs you around so she can draw you well!”

Twilight looked at Spike, then at Rarity. She sighed in defeat. “Fine.” she walked dejectedly into the Boutique.

“I’ll be back soon. So stop your moaning!” he scolded in the manner of an old mare.

Twilight couldn’t help but snicker at his tone of voice. “Hehe, okay.”

“Good. I’ll see you all soon.” he said, giving the group a final wave before setting off.

For his conscience to be clear, he needed to apologise to Rainbow Dash. This would be the hardest of them all but if he could do it alone, then he could prove that he was a stronger dragon for making the wish.

As he walked, he looked up at the sky for a telltale lone cloud. Unfortunately, more clouds were in the sky (rain was needed soon) which made the task more difficult. He didn’t want to shout for her either since that may aggravate her.

His longer legs made getting around a lot faster and easier with less effort, which was something at least. After circling around Ponyville, he found no sign of the daredevil pegasus so he decided to wander the outskirts of the town.

A light breeze had now developed that was quite refreshing as the Sun began making its descent to make way for the night.

Even at the outskirts though, there was no sign of her. He was about to give up, when he heard a grunt nearby.

Turning around, he found Scootaloo lying on her stomach. She didn’t appear to be injured but she did seem quite annoyed. She grumbled something about her wings and slowly stood up.

“Geez, are you alright?” he looked down at her, inspecting the filly for any bruises.

“Yeah I’m fine...” she grumbled. “Rainbow Dash is teaching me to fly.” the disgruntled filly added.

“Rainbow Dash?” Spike looked up, meeting with the gaze of the rainbow maned pegasus, standing on a cloud floating close to the ground.

“Hey.” she uttered.

“Uh...hey?” Spike replied. Rainbow’s nonchalant greeting threw him off guard. However, it did mean that he could afford to be casual with his apology.

“Look, Rainbow, I’m sorry for--”

“It’s cool.” she interrupted. She seemed to be focusing more on Scootaloo than Spike. Rainbow lowered her cloud, allowing Scootaloo to climb up. Once the filly was ready, she raised the cloud and allowed her to try again.

Scootaloo took a deep breath and began to flutter her wings. She then leapt off the cloud, desperately trying to keep aflight. Despite this effort, she fell to the ground again. However, she fell more slowly than an pony who didn’t bother trying to fly would.

“Oof.” the trainee grunted.

Spike ignored her (she didn’t seem to be in pain) and kept conversing with Rainbow. “It doesn’t seem ‘cool’.”

“Well it is, okay?” Rainbow responded.

“...really doesn’t seem like it.” Spike said, a little disgruntled at Rainbow’s attitude. He folded his arm, becoming a little more serious than before.

Rainbow snorted. “I’m kinda busy here, can’t you see that!” She pointed at her student, who had backed down from the conversation.

“Ok! Fine, I’ll leave you alone.” Spike raised his arms up defensively, then began to walk away. “I’ll see you later...I guess.”

“Yeah, see ya.” Rainbow muttered, putting her full focus back on Scootaloo.

“What was that about?” the filly asked.

“It’s nothing.” she looked into Scootaloo’s eyes. The young pegasus practically begged for an answer. Rainbow sighed in defeat. “You’re not going to stop asking unless I spill the beans, right? Well, he lied to me about something big.”

“So that’s why you don’t like him?” Scootaloo clambered back onto the cloud.

“I still like him, he’s my friend after all. It’s just...better that I don’t see him at the moment.”

“So...you’re cooling your jets?”

Rainbow smirked at Scootaloo’s use of language. “Something like that.”

The actual truth was that Rainbow didn’t want to explode in anger again and ruin the situation further. Besides, she couldn’t just abandon her teaching.

“Right, now try again.” she commanded and her student complied.

Spike, meanwhile, was well away from the ongoing lesson. He couldn’t tell if Rainbow still harbored a grudge towards him or if she was in a bad mood generally. Either way, he couldn’t say that he didn’t try to patch things up.

He headed back to the Boutique and began to reflect on his time here. All in all, he thought he had done a pretty good job. Especially with Twilight. Just a couple days ago, she would’ve flinched at the mere mention of going outside. Now, she was in someone else’s house with more friends than ever before! He had set things back on course again.

And that presented a problem.

He was now conflicted more than ever before about whether to go back to his real home or not. In the old world, he had less responsibility upon his shoulders. All things considered, life was pretty good.

In the wish world, he was taller, stronger, could control his fire and was directly involved with the others. This was both a positive and negative thing. Friendships are always rewarding but they can often be difficult; Rainbow was proof of that at times. And now that he was at the direct center of a whole group of friends, it became a whole lot tougher but also a lot more rewarding.

And then there was Twilight. Whilst he may of brought her out of her shell here, he made one big mistake:

He had become deeply attached to her.

She was his best friend but also a daughter like figure to her. Out of all the reasons tying him down to this realm, she was the number one.

But it still stuck in his mind that the old Twilight had a much better life than the filly Twilight did. In this world, she had no friends of her own age. For Spike, this was a major problem. Sure, he’s very young in comparison to the rest of the gang but...he was a dragon, so it didn’t really matter.

He was more conflicted than ever about leaving. And it snuck up on him.

A powerful gust of wind soon broke his thought process. It battered his form, although it was far from sending him to the ground. And then powerful gust disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

Spike peered about searchingly. There was no breeze in the air but nearby ponies were looking at him in complete awe. He raised an eyebrow and looked down at himself. He seemed to be perfectly fine.

Then a big shadow came over him. He realized the other ponies weren’t looking at him at all.

Clenching his teeth, he turned around slowly. The sight that his eyes gazed upon nearly gave him a heart attack. Standing there in front of him was a being of infinite wisdom and power. A being so kind and yet so just as the same time. A being at old as Equestria itself.

Then the being spoke four simple words that rocked Spike to his core:

“Ah, my faithful student.”

Judgement

There she was in all her glory. Princess Celestia stood before Spike, her face completely neutral. Instead of a feeling of serenity that many ponies claimed that had when they saw her, only worries and questions flooded Spike’s mind. One thing was certain though: this wasn’t a casual visit. Spike had received no letters from her beforehoof.

Spike quickly knelt down before the alicorn. He hoped that this show of respect would lighten her mood (if she was in a bad one anyway) but he then realized that she would have got this all the time.

“Meet me in the library.” She stated. She then flapped her wings, creating a powerful gust of air, and flew off.

Spike got up onto quivering legs. This was just like the time where Twilight enchanted her doll, Smarty Pants.

He looked around. Everypony in the vicinity was staring at him, unsure of whether this would be a favorable encounter or one best forgotten.

The young dragon tried to ignore them and set off. His destination was actually Rarity’s boutique. As much as Celestia wanted his presence now, he couldn’t abandon Twilight. He said he would return to her soon and he meant it.

He attempted to look cool and relaxed on the way over but he was actually close to running instead of walking.Thanks to that though, he soon got to the boutique. He rapidly knocked on the door. It didn’t long for it to open.

“Oh hello again Spike! What’s the rush dear?” Rarity greeted him.

Spike blinked. “Rush? What rush?”

“Well you knocked on the door quite hard...”

“Oh. Right.” Spike mentally slapped himself for not controlling his nerves enough. “I just need to take Twilight home.” He peered inside, trying to locate the filly.

“So soon?” Rarity tutted. “I’ve barely finished adding her to the drawing.”

“Please Rarity. It’s important.” Spike pleaded, looking into her eyes. Seeing those pools of beauty was a brief respite from his current worries.

“Very well.” Rarity trotted to the drawing table, where Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Twilight were sitting around and taking part in friendly chit-chat. “Twilight?”

The filly looked to Rarity upon hearing her name.

“Spike’s here.” Rarity stated. Twilight instantly smiled. “He’s here to take your home.” Then the filly’s face turned to one of confusion.

“What? Why?” Twilight queried.

“Aaaaw, so soon?!” Pinkie piped up.

“He wouldn’t say, darling.” Rarity said. The other three mares looked at each other, each wondering the same thing.

Twilight looked at the floor, her face now one of concern. “Okay then.” She turned to her other friends. “Bye everypony.” She would have been more cheery but this sudden exit had chased that away. She waved at them all and headed to the front door.

Spike gave a wave to Twilight, then looked at Rarity who had followed the filly. “Thanks.”

“It’s nothing Spike. But...is something wrong?”

“I’m fine. I’ll see you later.” He replied, before walking away, accompanied by Twilight. Rarity watched them walk away and closed the door only when they left her sight.

“What is this about Spike?” Twilight queried, looking up worriedly at Spike.

“It’s...” He sighed. “You’ll find out soon.”

“Uh...okay then...”

Spike glanced at Twilight. It was amazing to think that in just a couple of days, she had grown from a shy, timid filly to one that had no complaints about going outside. She seemed completely relaxed, although concerned about Spike. She was a far stronger filly than she was before.

Then he remembered that he had asked Twilight to to estimate the date of the next shooting star. “Hey Twilight, do you know when the next shooting star is yet?”

Twilight hesitated for just a fraction of a second. “In about a month or so.”

“Alright then.” Spike nodded.

After a short while, the library loomed before them. Whereas before it looked inviting and comforting, all feelings of comfort that it gave to Spike were dashed. He knew who and what was inside: Celestia and his fate.

Spike gingerly opened the door and crept inside, followed by Twilight. He had expected Celestia to be staring down at him but on quick inspection of the room, she was nowhere to be found. However, Spike spared himself no sigh of relief as he knew that if the Princess wasn’t here, she would be on the balcony.

He took slow, unsure steps towards the stairs. After scaling them, he saw that the balcony doors were open. Celestia stood there, overlooking the fine town.

Chances were that she had already known of his presence somehow, so Spike didn’t delay any further. He walked up to the balcony and the alicorn turned around to meet him.

“Spike.” She said.

That threw him off. The casualness of her greeting made it even harder to tell what her real intentions were.

“Princess.” Spike stammered, trying (and failing) to appear relaxed.

“I am here to notify you about a situation we have. Hopefully, you can provide the answers.” Celestia stated, her voice as neutral as ever.

Well, this certainly was it. She knew. Granted she didn’t know the truth but she knew something was up. It was time to pull the wool over her eyes...

“Celestia!” Cheered Twilight, bounding onto the balcony and affectionately nuzzling the Princess’ leg.

At first Spike was completely shocked at Twilight’s actions but then he remembered why she did them. In all of his anxiety, he had forgotten that Celestia would have acted as Twilight’s surrogate mother in this world just as she did for him in the old realm.

“Hello Twilight.” Celestia said warmly, nuzzling Twilight’s head for a moment. “It’s very good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too!” Twilight exclaimed merrily.

The scene was quite touching for Spike and yet...it was so wrong at the same time. The two clearly shared a deep love for each other and had an unbreakable bond and it was great to see Twilight so happy. Despite this, it reminded him of all the wrongs he had committed to get here. Twilight had no real parents and therefore, she may have had no brother either. She had no B.B.B.F.F.

Twilight would have had no friends at all for the first part of her life. She was a pea all alone in its pod. No Shining Armor to look out for her.

What had he done?

“I’m afraid you will have to let us discuss something important Twilight.”

“Oh...okay then.” Without any signs of visible protest, Twilight trotted back in the library and went out of sight.

Celestia turned her attention back to the young dragon. “As for this situation, it seems that when I remember any memory involving you I succumb to a mind spike.” She paused, allowing Spike to take what she said in. “Luna is also affected, which leads me to believe that everypony may be too.” She lowered her head slightly so her eyesight was level with that at Spike’s. “Can you perhaps offer an explanation?”

Staring into those ancient eyes, Spike couldn’t help but feel very intimidated. Her tone was still neutral so she wasn’t angry at him at all. He found himself paralysed, unable to look away. This was it.

If she didn’t like what he said now, she could incinerate him on the spot like he was a harmless pest. The same would probably be true even if he was a full grown dragon.

“I...I made a wish...” Spike finally spluttered out.

“Hm.” Celestia raised her head. Spike simply stared at her elegant legs. They was better to look at than her eyes. “I see...and what were the conditions of this wish?”

“To swap lives with Twilight...” Spike mumbled. The guilt was bearing down on him, forcing him to look down at the floor.

Celestia was silent. Time seemed to slow down. Fear took control over the young dragon, forcing his body to lock down and become immobile.

“And now everything is clear to me.” Celestia finally said. What on Equestria did that mean? Was it clear what had happened? Or had she decided on a punishment? Spike just didn’t know at this point.

“I am very disappointed in you Spike.” Celestia continued. Each word felt like a nail being hammered further into Spike’s gut. “This was highly irresponsible of you.” Her voice was stern now. Spike was only a few seconds away from punishment...

“And yet...I forgive you.”

Spike blinked. Where did that come from? He slowly raised his head to look at the alicorn.

“Wh-what?”

“You are extremely out of your depth in this situation.” Celestia stated.

Spike didn’t know exactly why but he suddenly groveled at the Princess’ hooves, pleading for forgiveness. “I know I know! I’m really sorry! I truly am!” He panicked.

“May I finish?” Celestia looked down at the dragon, her eyebrow raised slightly.

Spike rapidly nodded and sat on his rear. He listened carefully to the ancient alicorn’s words.

“As you have learnt, wish magic is very real. It is also extremely powerful. And it is not an easy process either but I shall try to explain in simple terms. Shooting stars are magical themselves and provide the catalyst for the wish. However, they cannot generate the wish alone. This is where the wish-bearer comes in. For you see, shooting stars ‘feed’ off emotions. I use the term lightly, for they are not living of course.” Celestia elaborated. “That is why I chose to forgive you. Am I correct in thinking that you were not happy when you made this wish?”

Spike nodded once more but had many questions that he couldn’t leave unanswered. “Was my wish different then? Is that why it hurts to remember?”

Celestia paused, thinking. It surprised Spike that there was a subject that she got puzzled in. Despite this, he didn’t think any less of her.

“I believe it worked like this. In order for this world to make sense, the wish had to rewrite history. Now I don’t know what that entails but it may have been very damaging.”

Spike felt a lump form in throat.

Shining Armor.

“However, I do not think it sent us all back in time and forced us to replay those events. This is where I think the mind spikes come in. I hypothesise that the wish implanted those events in our thoughts as images so that we would not question the world. I am also assuming that only those closest to you are affected by the mind spikes.” She explained.

“But...why?”

“I believe it may be because we know you personally and deeply. Therefore, we are the closest to the epicentre of the wish, that being you. The mind spikes may just be the wish’s magic falling apart and affecting us. But I am purely speculating at this point so take my words with a pinch of salt.” The Princess contiuned.

Spike sat there, taking everything in and becoming a little dazed by it all. “How do you know all of this?”

“Luna taught me. She is the expert on these things.”

At last, something made sense to Spike. Being the guardian of the night, Luna would have known about shooting stars and the like.

“Speaking of whom, I must commune with her. We require her estimation of the date of the next shooting star. I think we both know you can’t stay here.” Celestia turned around and closed her eyes. Her horn began to glow with golden magic that hummed ever so slightly.

Spike caught his breath, taking the time to relax. He wanted to hug Celestia for being merciful, even if he knew that would be a silly idea.

He knew that he had a sentence though. A simple one that he should have pursued from the beginning: get back home. Although despite Celestia’s word, part of him didn’t want to...

But he knew he had to stick to his priorities. His mind overruled his emotions for the time being and he steeled himself for working towards the goal of reversing the damage he had caused.

It wasn’t long before Celestia brought her attention back to Spike. “My sister has predicted that the next shooting star will fall in three days time.”

3 days?! That wasn’t long at all! Spike thought he had more time...Luna couldn’t have been wrong in her estimates either so why was Twilight incorrect?

“I will return on that day to make sure you wish everything back to normality. For now, I must go back to Canterlot and attend to some royal duties of mine.” She flexed her huge wings, preparing to take off.

“Wait!” Spike called out. “I have one more question.”

“Speak your piece.” Celestia responded.

“When everything goes back to normal...will anypony remember all this?”

“I greatly doubt it.” She answered. “Take care of yourself, my faithful student. I shall see you in three days time.” She peered around, unable to locate her surrogate daughter. “Tell Twilight I said goodbye and that I love her dearly.” And with that, her powerful wings set into motion. Wind generated from them swept into Spike, causing him to flinch slightly. Soon, she was out of sight.

Spike wasn’t entirely off the hook; clearly his actions had annoyed Celestia. Nevertheless, she had proven her status as a just and wise ruler.

He sighed and headed back inside, looking around the room for any signs of Twilight. She was no where to be found. Spike didn’t worry though; she was probably reading in the main room.

Heading down the stairs, Spike managed to spot Twilight curled up in her small bed. He snuck closer, unsure if she was asleep or not. Her shuddering form made it apparent that she was very much awake.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” Spike spoke softly.

“I don’t want things to change.” She sniffed.

“What do you mean--oh.” The dragon sighed deeply, rubbing his head. “But you’ll still be here. You’ll be safe. Happy even. What more can you want?”

“But I won’t remember all this...”

“Your old life was be--” Spike paused himself. How could anyone tell a child that their current life wasn’t up to scratch? “Sorry, slip of the tongue there. Heh. I meant to say your old life was just as good.”

“I like it here though!” Twilight wailed through sobs. She then turned in her bed to look into Spike’s eyes through watery lenses. “You’re...like the brother I never had...”

Spike stepped back, reeling in surprise from the statement. This was way too much now. He had to revert everything back to normal but damn it, Twilight was making it difficult. The subject matter also made the guilt about Shining Armor even worse. Regardless, he had to say something quickly or he would unsettle her further.

“I can still be that! Promise!”

She shook her head. “I don’t think you can. Why did wish for this in the first place?”

That hurt. Twilight had the wrong idea of course yet it didn’t make the question any less painful. It brought up how selfish he was that night. What he had thrown away...

“Because...because I was stupid okay!” Spike cried, his defenses starting to break away. He started to pace around. “I made a mistake, a huge mistake!”

“No!” Twilight called out, becoming uncomfortable with Spike’s distress. “No you’re not stupid.”

Spike froze in place, staring at the filly wrapped up in her bed. He was silent, allowing her to elaborate.

“Fluttershy. Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Five amazing new friends I have, thanks to you. I even have the confidence to go outside by myself now! And don’t forget my novice magic skill.” She stopped crying, her face becoming somewhat determined. This moment felt exactly like the way it used to be; Twilight sorting things out, making things right.

“Yes, you made a mistake Spike. But you’ve more than made up for it. You’re wonderful. You’re family to me. And I love you.” Tears welled up in her eyes again.

Her words reaffirmed Spike and it seemed that once again, their roles had switched. “I love you too Twilight.” He spread his arms, inviting Twilight to an embrace. She gladly took the offer, leaping out of the bed and wrapping her limbs around his scaly chest. She buried her head into him and it wasn’t long before he felt lukewarm tears make their way down his body.

“Why?!” Twilight shrieked in pure childlike frustration. Just seconds ago she was speaking elegant sentences and now she was reduced to repeating one single word through bitter sobs. Spike just hugged her protectively and let her unleash all her anxiety.

It took some time before she was worn out and it was unbearable to sit through but Spike had managed to keep a cool head during it all. Twilight was now completely drained, although still upset. Now she needed sleep and Spike hoped that the world of sweet dreams would be enough to calm her further.

Without saying anything, he gently put her back into her bed and swept the covers over her body. She didn’t protest and held Smarty Pants instinctively.

“Sleep well Twilight.” He whispered. She was close to falling asleep so he doubted she could understand completely what he said. He turned to walk away then immediately turned back around. “Oh er, almost forgot: Celestia says goodbye and she loves you very much.”

The only response he got from the filly were light snores. Now he needed to sort himself out. He was a little shaken after that moment so he decided to exit the library and grab some fresh air.

The Sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with beautiful reds and oranges. Silhouettes of birds could be seen flying through the air as they made their way back to their nests. Ponies were still out and about, their destinations and objectives helping form the calm atmosphere that Ponyville is (usually) known for.

Spike leant against the library tree trunk and slid down onto his rear. Once he was in a comfortable position, he let out a big huff. He could feel the warmth of the air as it escaped his maw.

Yes, Spike was young but he was mature enough most of the time. He knew that himself. But he also knew that he had grown up so quickly in the past few days. He didn’t know how to feel about it.

Would it all be for naught once things returned to status quo? He hoped not, yet at the same time he didn’t want his childhood to be wished away. Fact is, he had definitely matured; childish actions brought him here and tough choices would take him back.

He spotted Lyra in the near distance with another mare. She had a curly blue and pink mane and seemed to be very good friends with Lyra, although he couldn’t put a name to her face as the musician never mentioned her in their chat. Spike didn’t bother to alert them about his presence. He was content to watch them have their moment.

They hugged each other, both smiling fondly. Then the mares separated and gave each other a wave before parting ways. They were the lucky ones; nothing would change for them.

Their friendship did remind the dragon of another pressing matter: how would he spent his last three days in the wish world? He wasn’t sure exactly but somehow, he’d tried to have fun. Failing that, he’d definitely make sure Twilight would be happy.

But on the last night, he knew exactly what he wanted to happen. A party. Just a party, perhaps celebrating nothing more than friendship itself.

He grinned to himself, picturing it. It would be awesome, as he knew the exact party pony to help him make it a reality. A tiny bit of drool escaped from his mouth, prompting him to wake up from the daydream.

It was reassuring to know that maturity didn’t turn him into a complete bore. He snickered at his gluttonous cake fantasies and wiped his lips clean.

Just three days. Then everything would revert to the way it was. No, that was a cynical way of looking at things. Change would happen. For one thing, Spike needed to talk with Twilight about their relationship and hopefully changes would be made from that. Just as long as Twilight understands why Spike did what he did...

Just three days. What would happen in that time? Ponyville was peaceful but a lot of crazy things took place here. Would something bad happen that would complicate the situation further?

Spike shook his head and stood up. He was thinking too much about this. He just had to let the music play.

I need some sleep.

He entered the library once more and was just about to make his way to the bed when the open kitchen door caught his eye.

Diamonds! Diamonds first then sleep.

The Joy of Books

“Another playdate? But Sweetie Belle, the last time was only--”

“More than a week ago! That’s a really long time and we haven’t had a proper meeting since!” Sweetie Belle protested to her sister.

“Well, as I already stated, I’m afraid that they can’t come over today.” Rarity said, magically levitating some of her dressmaking supplies into a neat stack for use later.

“Why?” The filly wailed.

“Spa day.” Rarity chimed. “I never miss these outings with Fluttershy. You know that.”

Sweetie huffed. “Then what am I going to do?!”

“Well I’ll just have to hire a babysitter for you.”

Sweetie’s mouth went agape in horror. “A babysitter?! Not the last one again right? She smelled really funny...” She spat out her tongue in disgust.

“You really didn’t like her, did you?” Rarity sighed as Sweetie shook her head. “In that case...hm.” She looked up at the ceiling of her boutique, thinking. “Well let’s go to Sweet Apple Acres and see if Applejack can look after you, okay?”

Upon receiving a nod from her sister Rarity opened the front door and stepped to the side, letting Sweetie pass. The filly looked at Rarity, then up at the clear sky. Why the hay would Rarity want to spend this day cooped up in a really hot room? Then again, she was Rarity; Sweetie didn’t think she would ever understand her sister. Maybe Rarity was adopted. After all, she was the only one in the family to be so...posh. Not that her being adopted would change anything, it would just explain things.

Sweetie stuck close to the mare, remembering countless of occasions when she got scolded for wandering off. That was another thing she didn’t quite understand about Rarity. Despite not being her mother, she always acted like one. Maybe...

“Rarity?” Sweetie said, looking up at the mare in question.

“Mm?”

“Do you want a filly of your own?” She asked innocently.

Rarity stopped and looked down at Sweetie with a face that just screamed confusion. “Er...no. Why would you ask that?”

“Because you act like my mother all the time.” She answered, no hint of annoyance in her voice. The best way to deal with Rarity was to just do as she said. Unless she ordered Sweetie to jump off a cliff. “I wondered if you were practicing.”

Rarity unsuccessfully stifled a scoff. “Oh no no no, it is not like that at all! I’ll explain later, okay?” Then, she set the pace once more.

“Adults are weird...”

“You will be one eventually.” The dressmaker chimed.

“Well I’ll be the first non-weird one.”

While it may have seemed that Rarity did not understand her sister, it doesn’t take much thinking to prove that the opposite was true. Rarity was a filly once. Every adult was. They all had to learn about life’s lessons, some more quickly than others. Sometimes the lessons were easy and at other times, they were tough. Growing up was a class that everyone had to attend.

The two soon found themselves surrounded by fences and apple trees, a sure sign that they were in Sweet Apple Acres. Ponyville was a rural town so it embraced nature but the Acres were something else. Almost everything looked fresh, especially when the apples were ripe. Even the smell was enticing. Simply put, the Acres were so serene and a reminder of the Earth Pony roots. Rarity herself had to admit that there was a charm about the place, despite all the dirt and muck. In fact, she very much admired the Apple family’s determination at hard work.

The pair strode up to the barnhouse and Rarity knocked softly on the door. For a while there wasn’t an answer, leaving the two standing outside awkwardly. Eventually the door did open. To Rarity, it had seemed like it opened on its own accord. Nopony was in front of her.

“Howdy!”

Rarity looked down, spotting Apple Bloom standing in the doorway with a sweet smile on her face.

“Hey Sweetie Belle, ya ready for another day of crusadin’?”

“You betcha!” Sweetie cheered, hopping repeatedly off the ground.

Rarity then found herself under the watchful eyes of Apple Bloom. It was a little unnerving in all honesty. “Erm...yes Apple Bloom?”

“Aren’t we goin’ to your place?”

“Sadly not. I have an appointment with Fluttershy at the spa. I was hoping you two could stay here, if that’s possible?”

Apple Bloom frowned, shaking her head. “No can do. Applejack and Big Macintosh are workin’ and Granny Smith’s asleep. And you can’t leave two fillies on their lonesome can’t you?” She looked at Rarity with innocent eyes, blinking them rapidly Sweetie soon copied the gesture.

The mare berated herself for thinking so foolishly. Of course Applejack was working in the fields. That was pretty much what encompassed her life. She could have left Granny Smith to look after them but she thought it was cruel to leave an old mare to the mercy of two excitable fillies. Wait, two? There should have been three.

“Oh well...I’ll think of something.” Rarity waved her hoof in the air dismissively. “But where is Scootaloo?”

“She’ll turn up.” Sweetie answered.

“Always does one way or another.” The earth pony filly added.

“Very well then.” Rarity tapped her chin with a hoof, thinking of a solution. Then it hit her. “Idea!” She sang.

The two fillies both tilted their heads and said in unison: “What?”

“We’ll go to the library and Spike can look after you!”

The crusaders glanced at each other, sharing concerned looks. Apple Bloom was the first to speak out. “But there’s nothin’ much to do but read...”

“And is that such a bad thing? I do love a good novel from time to time. They take me to another world and I often get lost in it.”

Apple Bloom was about to object again but was stopped by Sweetie’s hoof covering her mouth. Sweetie just shook her head at her.

“Come along then!” Rarity announced, using her magic to shut the door. This act unintentionally shoved Apple Bloom outside but the mare didn’t seem to notice. The red maned filly grumbled, looking at the new mark on her flank. A bruise.

Before they left the Acres, they all heard the sound of pigs oinking in the distance. Rarity grimaced--this was exactly why she never stayed there for long.

“Sweetie Belle, ya seen Scoots lately?” Apple Bloom asked as the trio travelled.

“No...no I haven’t.” Sweetie Belle answered, thinking of where the pegasus filly could be.

“I have no clue where she goes sometimes. Probably followin’ Rainbow Dash like some lost puppy.” Apple Bloom shrugged.

“That was a rather insulting comment.” Rarity butted in.

The adult mare was about to go on but was intervened by Sweetie Belle. “But puppies are cute!”

“Exactly.” Rarity said with a smirk.

“I guess I did phrase it a lil’ ba--”

Apple Bloom interrupted herself as she could hear the repeated fluttering of tiny wings beating, as well as some small grunts. The three all stopped in their tracks when they saw a small orange pegasus slowly descending towards the ground, her wings working as fast as they could have. The result was that she was slowly going down but had moments where she would gain altitude too.

“Scootaloo dear, you can probably stop getting your wings into a tizzy. You’re very near the ground.” Rarity called out to the filly but she was too ‘in the zone’ to notice.

Finally her wings relaxed and she dropped to the ground from a distance of half a meter. “Hey guys...” She said with heavy breaths.

“Hi Scoots!” The other two crusaders both chimed. “Where did you come from?” Sweetie Belle went on to ask.

The pegasus pointed a hoof upwards at the sky, indicating a lone cloud not that high in the sky. The other three all trailed their eyes to the cloud, upon which was a familiar blue pegasus.

“I called it!” Apple Bloom burst out.

“Called what?” Scootaloo queried, eyebrow raised.

“Er...nothin’.”

“Riiiight.”

Rainbow Dash waved to the others, Rarity waving back. Before the two could exchange vocal greetings, Rainbow Dash zoomed off. Her sudden exit didn’t offend the dressmaker. She wouldn’t have had the proper time for a full length conversation anyway.

“So what were you doin’ with Rainbow Dash anyway?” Apple Bloom asked. Rarity had already set off, knowing too full well that Scootaloo would join their little troupe.

“She was teaching me flying lessons!” Scootaloo said energetically, although she was still a little out of breath.

“Oooooo!” Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sang.

“I know, it’s awesome.” Scootaloo proclaimed triumphantly. “She’s going to fly by herself now though,” she looked around, “what are we doing?”

“Going to the library.” Apple Bloom answered.

“Spike’s going to babysit us.” Sweetie Belle added. Scootaloo hung out her tongue, rolling her eyes. “Oh it can’t be that bad.” Sweetie chided, in a manner similar to that of her sister.

Rarity looked at Scootaloo, noticing how bored she looked already. “Rainbow Dash is quite the reader these days you know.”

“Well of course I know that! But do you really think that just because I’m her number one then that means that I have to like everything she does?” Scootaloo didn’t get a response. Everypony else was just looking at each other in stunned silence. The pegasus sighed. “Never mind...”

The group of four kept heading onwards and without any more interruptions, they reached the library quite quickly. Rarity strode up to the front door and rapped it three times with her hoof. In only a few seconds, the door opened, revealing Twilight.

The filly looked up at Rarity, smiling. “Hi Rarity,” her eyes then trailed to the Crusaders. She blinked, gulping. “And hello you three...”

“Hello Twilight.” Rarity replied.

“Hey there!”

“Hi!”

“Hey!”

Twilight tried not to shy away from the other fillies and instead focused on Rarity, who asked: “Is Spike home?”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Yes but erm...he’s asleep.”

“Asleep?! It simply must have gone midday by now! That lazy...” Rarity snorted, barging into the library. She stomped up the stairs, peering as Spike. He was still in his bed, his arm hanging off the side.

“Spike, get up this instant!” Rarity commanded.

Spike waved a lazy claw at the mare. “Don’t wanna...” He turned around, his back now to the dressmaker.

“Oh stop acting so childish. Get up now.”

“Five more minutes...” Spike groaned.

Spike’s head slipped as a pillow was taken from under him but he remained motionless. Then the pillow was above his head. And then it proceeded to whack him repeatedly.

“Hey! Stop it!” Spike rolled out of bed, trying to escape the pillow’s wrath. He fell onto the floor and slowly raised himself to see Rarity, her horn glowing. “Alright alright...you win. Geeze.”

“Lovely.” Rarity efficiently used her magic to tidy Spike’s bed. “Now Spike, I am afraid I must ask a favor of you.”

After the pillow thrashing, Spike thought better than to object. “Okay then...what?”

“It’s simple in theory but in practice...” She sighed, just getting on with it, “I need you to look after my sister and her friends.”

“You don’t mean...?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, I do mean them.”

Spike gulped, his eyes widening in terror. He had hoped that today would be a relaxing one, considering yesterday’s events. Now this day seemed even more chaotic than the last. He’d rather go through with the Crusaders than suffer the wrath of Rarity, so he reluctantly agreed.

“Fine, fine.”

“Ah, excellent! Thank you so much Spikey Wikey! I’m very grateful for this.” Rarity chimed, trotting down the stairs. Spike grinned sheepishly. The mare’s nickname for him never got old.

“Well then, have fun you three. I’ll see you all later.” Rarity said, passing by the three fillies and heading out of the door. Everyone was a little surprised by sudden exit but then again, she had places she needed to be.

With Rarity gone, there was a long awkward silence between Twilight and the Crusaders. Both parties stared at each other, unsure of what to say. Twilight had seen the Crusaders before but she had never engaged in a full conversation with them. In fact, she hadn’t with any other pony her age.

To everyone’s relief, it was Spike who broke the silence. “Come on in then.”

The Crusaders blinked, realizing that they were still standing in the doorway. They all entered, not one taking a lead, and Spike closed the door behind them.

“Well,” he clapsed his claws together. This was different. “There’s books...lots of books...obviously.” Oh well done Spike, you’ve made yourself look like a complete idiot. Just smile and laugh so it looks like you were making a joke. He acted on his thoughts, laughing. Except it sounded completely forced and awkward.

The blank faces of the fillies, including Twilight, made him want to leave. “Er...I gotta have breakfast and stuff...have fun!” He quickly retreated into another room but not before noticing the anxious look on Twilight’s face. He mouthed the words ‘you’ll be fine’ before disappearing.

Twilight frowned at her scaly friend, then turned back to face the Crusaders, putting on a brave smile. “Soooo...” she began, pacing nervously on the spot, “You like reading?”

Sweetie Belle was the first to answer. “Yeah!”

“Sure,” The other two both mumbled.

“You want to read then?”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo exchanged unimpressed looks and Scootaloo was the first to voice her concerns. “Er, I don’t know if you noticed but reading isn’t really a social thing to do.”

“W-Well I disagree,” Twilight objected, a little afraid of what the result of her words would be, “Reading in a group with friends can be nice.”

“The only time I ever read with other ponies is when Applejack or Big Mac reads me a story before I go to sleep. Come to think of it, I’m not even readin’ then!” Apple Bloom added.

“The principle is the same thou--nevermind.” Twilight peered at all three Crusaders. Did they even know her name? “Anyway, I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,” the purple unicorn cleared her throat, “I’m Twilight Sparkle. I think I know all your names...” she pointed at Applejack’s sister, “Apple Bloom, right?”

“Yep!” the red maned filly nodded.

Twilight then brought her hoof to point at the white unicorn, “Sweetie Belle.”

“Mhm!”

Finally, she pointed at the pegasus Crusader. “And you must be...” then she got stuck. Did she even know any relations of this filly’s?

“Scoops?”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and facehoofed, groaning. The other Crusaders couldn’t help but burst into a fit of giggles.

Twilight bit her lip. “Oh, I’m sorry!”

The pegasus managed to keep calm and soon shrugged off the mishap. “It’s fine...my name’s Scootaloo.”

“I’m gonna call you Scoops from now on though.” Apple Bloom snickered, receiving a glare from Scootaloo.

“What is it with you and nicknames?!” The orange filly cried.

“What is it with ya and not lightenin’ up?!” Apple Bloom retorted, beginning to push her head against Scootaloo’s. The two looked like fighting deer.

“What is it with both of you and arguing?!” Sweetie Belle yelled, her voice cracking. She pulled the two away from each other, “We’ve already been through this girls, we’re not gonna get our cutie marks from arguing.”

Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sighed, defeated, and both said: “Yeah, you’re right.”

Twilight stood there awkwardly at the scenario, both impressed and scared at how easily these girls could blow up and then calm right down. Her awkwardness passed on to the Crusaders and everyone went back to silently staring at each other.

“I’m not hearing any explosions so...good job!” Spike called out from another room.

“Hmm...what to do that doesn’t involve explosions...” Sweetie Belle pondered, absent mindedly tapping the floor with a hoof. The other three all became lost in their thoughts.

It was Scootaloo who broke the silence, grinning excitedly and raising a hoof. “I know!”

“What?” All the others asked.

Scootaloo’s smile went from excited to devilish. “Book forts.”

“Beware General Bloom, the evil Unicorn army is about to attack our glorious fort!” Scootaloo shouted from the safety of her and Apple Bloom’s fort. It was crude in design, and was just four walls of books stacked up against each other and an entrance. Book forts looked easy to do but in reality they took a lot of time and effort...the real skill was finding books equal to each other in size.

Apple Bloom raised herself, looking across the room. On the other side lay Twilight and Sweetie Belle’s fort. “Aha, so the cowards finally decide to attack eh? Corporal Scoops--”

“Scoots.” Scootaloo interrupted her in a deadpan tone.

“Eh heh heh...yes, Scoots, fire the catapults!”

Scootaloo gave Apple Bloom a swift salute. “At once Commander!” She took a book from a pile inside the fort and chucked it across the room. It spun through the air and landed flat on the floor, mere metres away from the unicorn fort.

“I must admit...this game is a little...unnerving.” Twilight admitted, ducking down to avoid any possible collisions with books.

“You get used to the chaos.” Sweetie Belle replied, chucking a book at the enemy. A very near miss would have been a gross overstatement. “Looks like it’ll be really hard to hit them...”

“Can’t you use your magic? They never said you couldn’t.”

“That’s because I can’t use magic. Not yet anyways.” Sweetie chucked another book, carrying on.

Twilight blinked. “Really? I can’t either!” she said, perhaps a bit too excitedly given the subject but it felt so good to her that she knew another filly with the same lack of magical talent that she had. Ok, so she could levitate some things but that took too much effort to be considered real skill. Perhaps Sweetie Belle was the same.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get there one day.” Sweetie gave Twilight a delightful smile, one which the purple unicorn readily returned. Out of all the Crusaders, Twilight had bonded with Sweetie Belle the most.

However happy the filly’s words were, they reminded Twilight of the truth. One day would be soon. Very soon. Sweetie Belle would be completely unaware of it...but would Twilight? She shook her head, getting rid of the question with no answer. She had to get her head in the game!

The battle was a complete stalemate. Books were thrown and always missed their intended targets. They were near misses though and that’s what kept both teams going.

Twilight reached down to pick up a book but found herself grabbing at only air. “Oh no.”

“What?” Sweetie Belle asked yet she didn’t need an answer to see what the problem was. They had no ammo left. “What do we do?!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“There’s only one thing we can do, Sweetie Belle.” Twilight said rather dramatically.

“What’s that?”

“I have to go out there myself and crash into their fort.” It was a risky strategy but not against the rules.

“No! You can’t do that Twilight!” Sweetie Belle pleaded.

“I have to Sweetie Belle!” Twilight grabbed the filly and shook her, “It’s the only way!”

“Wow...those two are really getting into this aren’t they?” Scootaloo questioned, looking curiously over at the unicorn’s fort.

“Eeyep.” Apple Bloom replied, rather stunned by the melodramatics.

“There has to be another option! There just has to be!” Sweetie Belle could only watch as Twilight let go of her and set her sights for the enemy fort.

“It was an honor serving with you Sweetie Belle.”

“Celestia speed, brave brave unicorn.” Sweetie Belle gave Twilight a swift salute as Twilight galloped out of the fort.

Twilight’s heart began pumping faster and faster as she picked up in speed. Books flew and landed to the left and right of her but none of them would hit her. She could not fail in this mission. Something that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo realized all too well.

“Aah horseapples.”

“You said it Apple Bloom.”

Before they knew it, Twilight burst through the wall and books were sent everywhere, the structure quickly collapsing. The battle had been won.

Twilight got up from the rubble and peered around, a sheepish grin on her face. “Um...maybe I took that a little too far.”

“Maybe you did,” Scootaloo got up, books sliding off her body, “but that was awesome!”

“Probably the most heroic thing I’ve seen all day.” Apple Bloom fiddled with her bow, which had gone askew. “Or maybe the most stupid.” she joked, chuckling. Both Twilight and Scootaloo joined in with the laughter.

“That was great!” Sweetie Belle chirped, trotting over to the three. “Twilight was all like ‘pwoooooosh’! And then she was like ‘raaaaaaaaaargh’! And then the fort was all like ‘boom’!”

“Hehe, I guess I was pretty--”

“What the heck happened in here?!”

All three fillies turned their heads to see Spike, dismayed and annoyed over the mess of books scattered across the floor.

“I leave to nap--erm, go read for just a bit and then I come back to this!” he slowly wiped a hand over his face, sighing deeply. This would take a while to clean up but he couldn’t really stay angry at them for long. “Doesn’t matter...I’ll just clean them up myself.”

All four fillies sat there, watching as Spike picked up the books, grumbling to himself all the way. “We’re sorry Spike.” they all said in unison.

“It’s fine. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it...but would it kill you all just to read a book?”

The fillies nodded, silently and swiftly grabbing the nearest book and reading it. Or at least pretending to read. The only one interested in the book’s subject--the biology of birds--was Twilight.

“I’m baaaaack!” Rarity sang, looking as gorgeous as ever. She stood in the open doorway, watching the surprisingly calm scene before her. Spike was on a ladder, lining some books on the shelves and the fillies were all huddled around a book. However, instead of reading they were simply chatting.

Spike slotted the last book into its rightful place and then spotted Rarity. “Hey Rarity.”

“Hello Spike. Thank you so much for looking after them all, I hope they weren’t a bother.”

“Nope. Not a bother at all!” It was really difficult for Spike to prevent himself from covering that sentence with heavy sarcasm.

“Lovely!” Rarity replied, turning her attention to the girls while Spike climbed down the ladder. “Come along now my little ponies, we’re leaving.”

“Aaaaaw!” All the fillies wailed.

“So soon?” Sweetie Belle asked, receiving a firm nod from Rarity.

“Hey Rarity, at least let them say goodbye.” Spike advised, noticing the glum looks on all the fillies’ faces.

“Well of course I was going to let them do that!” Rarity protested, rolling her eyes.

The three Crusaders then looked at Twilight, before huddling in a group circle and whispering to each other. Twilight tilted her head, unable to make out what they were discussing. Soon enough though, they all broke up and stood next to each other.

Sweetie Belle cleared her throat. “Twilight Sparkle, we,”

“The Cutie Mark Crusaders,” Scootaloo added, saying their title with pride.

“Would like ya to join our ranks!” Apple Bloom finished.

Twilight’s mouth went agape. She had no idea how to respond. She didn’t expect this at all. Yes, she was a blank flank but...to be accepted by other fillies her age? This was a breakthrough. No, more than that. A dream come true.

“Y-Yes! Of course I would! Thank you all so much!”

“Very well, then say after me--” Apple Bloom ordered but was cut off by an impatient Rarity.

“We don’t have time for this girls, hurry it up.”

“Fine, fine.” Sweetie Belle sighed. “We’ll do the abbreviated version.”

All three of the Crusaders put their hooves out towards Twilight, just waiting for hers to make contact with theirs. Twilight put her hoof forward and as she as she touched theirs, a loud chorus of: “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS YAAAAAAY!!!” Filled the room.

“You simply couldn’t say goodbye without screaming at the top of your lungs couldn’t you?” Rarity muttered, raising her flattened ears. “Now come along. We must get going now.”

“Fiiiiiiiine.” Sweetie Belle groaned but changed her tone immediately towards Twilight. “Bye Twilight, see ya later!”

“Bye fellow Crusader!” Apple Bloom cried, following her white filly friend.

“See ya...um...uh...okay I can’t think of a silly nickname for you. I guess that really is Apple Bloom’s job...anyway, bye!” Scootaloo waved with a wing, catching up with the leaving Crusaders.

Rarity nodded in satisfaction as the three fillies went outside. “Goodbye you two, have a lovely evening. And Twilight?”

“Yes Rarity?”

“I’m sorry that we didn’t get to talk much but we simply must have a playdate with your newfound fellow Crusaders soon, yes?”

Twilight nodded quickly. “Yes, I would love that!”

“See ya Rarity. Try not to pull your mane out over those three.” Spike snickered.

“Oh I could never do that, no matter how troublesome they got.” Rarity gave Spike a playful smirk. “Take care now!” And with that, she left and closed the door behind her.

Spike then looked at Twilight. “So I guess you had a riot, huh?”

“Mhm...although just between you and me, I wouldn’t mind reading a book in peace after all that.” Twilight winked and went over to the shelves.

“What a surprise.” Spike said sarcastically but it was all in good fun. So Twilight had become a Cutie Mark Crusader. Spike definitely didn’t expect that to happen. That said, he hadn’t expected to look after the Crusaders either...except he really didn’t. He wanted a lazy day and he got it. It was only fair that he’d receive bad karma for it, having to clean up the books. Even so, they were just fillies. If Spike wasn’t so...in charge--for he really wasn’t old--he could have joined in.

Spike sighed, which Twilight didn’t seem to hear, and headed to the library balcony. Now that he had seen the other side of the coin, he found it funny how all children want to do is run their own lives...yet when it does happen, they want to shed their responsibilities and just be carefree again. He wondered what that happens. Does the world just suddenly turn mean when you grow up? No no, it wasn't the world just...perspective. It changes and you see things far differently. That had to be it. Spike shook his head and leant on the railing.

He really wanted to be a kid again.

The War of the Confectioneries

“Cupcakes!”

“Muffins!”

“Sweets!”

“No no no, cupcakes are the best!”

“Nothing can beat a muffin!”

“Sweets are the best because ‘sweet’ is in their name!”

The three mares were butting heads, the normally calm atmosphere in Sugarcube Corner having turned to a tense one. All three ponies were revered by their taste for the three types of food.

Pinkie Pie: Queen of Cupcakes.

Derpy Hooves: The Muffin Mare.

Bon Bon: The Sweet Treat.

Debates like this were in common between the three and often ended up in a messy food fight, followed by a forced clean up session afterwards. So far, it looked like this wouldn’t end up any other way.

The trio kept on arguing, much to the annoyance of everyone else in the room. Usually these would just end with the mares agreeing to disagree and dropping the subject...where they would pick it up again the next day.

But today would be different.

“There’s only one way to settle this!” Pinkie cried, interrupting the other two. They blinked at her in confusion. Pinkie merely grinned, “A bake off!” she announced in a dramatic voice, narrowing her eyes.

“A bake off?” Derpy replied, one of her eyes trailing off to look in a random direction.

“Yeah! We all bake our favorite goodie goods and then we all have a taste test!” Pinkie explained, yet a Bon Bon still had a few questions:

“How much shall we bake? And by when?” The mare asked, seemingly a little bit sceptical.

“As much as you can iiiin...four hours! No wait, five!” Pinkie answered.

Bon Bon frowned a tad. “I’m not sure if this is such a good idea.”

Pinkie grinned mockingly, leaning towards Bon Bon. “Well you can always concede...”

As Bon Bon was voicing her retorts at Pinkie, Spike entered the establishment. He had one objective on his mind and surprisingly, it wasn’t buying cupcakes. Although it probably did involve them.

He paused in the doorway, staring at the scene before him. He scratched his head and surveyed the rest of the room. There was only one other pony who wasn’t involved in the debate and luckily, she was a familiar face.

The mare sat on a cushion, forelimbs leaning on the table, propping up her head. In front of her was a half eaten pink cupcake but Lyra seemed to ignore, blandly staring off into space.

“Hey Lyra.” Spike called out, sitting opposite her. She blinked in surprise, raising herself.

“Wha--oh, hi Spike,” she settled down, leaning on the table again. This time though, a smile was on her face. “Good to see you.”

“Good to see you too.” Spike replied, then looked back to the squabbling trio. “So, mind filling me in on what’s going on?”

“I took Bon Bon here for a nice little treat. We hadn’t eaten cupcakes in a while...but Derpy and Pinkie were here too and three just had to argue over which food was the best. So now it’s just me eating a cupcake,” she pushed it towards Spike, “Want some?”

As much as the gesture was nice, the dragon really didn’t want to eat a cupcake that had been bitten into. “Er, no thanks. You bought it after all.”

“Fair enough. More for me then!” she chucked the cupcake into her mouth and swallowed harshly a few moments later. “Oof...shouldn’t have taken such a big bite.”

Spike smirked slightly. “Wasn’t really a bite...you kinda just swallowed it whole.”

Lyra laughed, “I guess so--”

The musician was cut off by Bon Bon storming past and pulling her away by her hindlegs. “Come on Lyra, we got work to do!”

“Work? But--Bon Bon what are you doing? Let go!” Lyra flailed but it was to no use. Resigned to her fate, she rolled her eyes and gave Spike a wave before being dragged out of the door.

“Have fun...?” Spike said, then shook his head. He then set his sights on Pinkie, which he should have done first really. “Hey Pinkie, where was Bon Bon going in a hurry?”

“Spike!” Pinkie cried, rushing over to the table in a pink blur and putting Spike onto her back. It looked really odd, considering his size. “We’re gonna bake as many delicious cupcakes as we possibly can!”

“Pinkie, I--”

“Come on, let’s go!” Pinkie started trotting over to the kitchen, humming a delightful tune.

“But Pinkie--”

“This is going to be great! And we’re gonna win!”

“Never mind...” Spike sighed.

Then Derpy was the last one in the room. She looked around, still taking in the blur of recent events. The pegasus headed towards the exit, then saw Carrot Top walking inside. Derpy immediately bolted towards her, tackling the mare and sending both of them out of the establishment.

Meanwhile, Spike had found himself in a chef’s hat and apron, standing uselessly as Pinkie hurried about the kitchen, grabbing all the ingredients she needed. Mr and Mrs Cake were watching, giving occasional nervous glances to each other.

“Pinkie, are you sure this is a good idea?” Mr. Cake asked, thought it sounded more like a statement. Spike got the hint but he wasn’t sure if Pinkie did.

“Oh don’t worry Mr. Cake! I got this all under control!” Pinkie chimed, searching through various cupboards, shoving items aside in her hunt.

“Er, Pinkie?” Spike butted in, “Maybe it’ll be better if we don’t hog the Cakes’ kitchen?”

Pinkie darted out from a cabinet, realisation on her face. “I guess you’re right, Spike,” she turned to face the Cakes, “Sorry for getting ahead of myself.”

“You don’t need to apologize Pinkie, no harm’s been done.” Mrs. Cake replied.

Spike saw the pair sigh with relief and he gave them a wink, which Pinkie didn’t see. Perhaps now he could get going with what he really came here for. “Pinkie, I want you to--” He let out a startled yell as Pinkie grabbed him again and rushed out of the building.

“I’m not gonna let such a little hiccup stop me from winning! To the Apple family!” She cheered, disturbing the peace and quiet. Ponies turned their heads to look but weren’t really surprised.

“Pinkie--forget it.” Spike waved a claw dismissively, then folded his arms as he sat upon the mare’s back. Everything went by in a blur and the constant bouncing upon Pinkie was hurting his bottom, but he never fell off. The blurs soon turned to greens and browns, so he knew they were at the Sweet Apple Acres.

“Whoa! Slow down!” Pinkie told herself, digging her hooves into the ground and immediately stopping. Spike didn’t though and flew off into the air from the sudden change in momentum. He landed on the front of door of the Apple’s house with a splat. As he trailed down the door like a slug, he heard noises from within.

“What in tarnation...?”

Definitely Applejack. She swung open the door, Spike still on it, and peered about warily. Her face soon lighted up when she saw Pinkie.

“Could ya try not to knock so loudly Pinkie?” She didn’t even question why Pinkie was no where near the door.

“But I didn’t Applejack. Spike did!” Pinkie pointed at the dazed dragon, sluggishly walking from behind the door and rubbing his head.

Applejack raised an eyebrow and looked to where Pinkie was pointing. “Are you okay Spike?” He merely grumbled a response.

Before Applejack could say anything more, Pinkie was grovelling at her hooves. “Can we use your kitchen pleeeease?”

Of course Applejack was sceptical. “What for?”

“Cooking! Duh.”

Applejack lowered her head, looking at Pinkie with narrowed eyes. “You know what ah mean.”

Pinkie groaned, unable to lie directly to the element of honesty. “A bake off...”

Applejack facehoofed. “Well of course the answer is no. I can’t let ya mess up my kitchen sugarcube.”

“But we’ll be really careful, promise!” Pinkie put on her puppy eyes, accompanied by a quiet squeak. Applejack was unaffected.

Even if he didn’t want to do this, Spike would rather bake than having to deal with an upset Pinkie all day. Or risk having his kitchen ruined. “I’ll make sure everything is neat and tidy by the end of it.”

Applejack looked from Pinkie to Spike, then back at Pinkie again. “Fine,” she let out with an annoyed sigh, “But if it’s all messed by the time I get back, your flank will be like the apple trees. Bucked.” Then she went on her way to deal with another day’s hard work.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Pinkie got up with a grin. “Nice work Spike!” She entered the house, not disturbing Granny Smith, who was asleep in a chair in the living room. Spike followed, closing the door behind him. When he reached the kitchen, Pinkie already had the ingredients needed.

Spike raised a claw but Pinkie already knew his question. “I keep emergency cupcakes ingredients in ponies’ kitchens.” she said with rapid nods.

“Should’ve known.” Spike lowered his claw, mouth agape. Did that technically make Pinkie a criminal? Shaking his head, he went over to Pinkie’s side. “Let’s get this done then...”

“Well we’ll need more enthusiasm than that!” Pinkie scolded, “Gimme a smile!” Spike obeyed with a small one. “Bigger.” His smile grew. “Bigger!” He tried to make as big as he could but even that wasn’t enough. Pinkie sorted that problem by grabbing his cheeks and pushing them up. Spike now looked grotesque but Pinkie was pleased with the results.

“Pinkie...please stahp...thish really hurts.”

Pinkie let go, the resulting whiplash of his cheeks hurting Spike. Pinkie was completely fine, of course. Spike just hoped he had health insurance in this world.

“Now we can start!” Pinkie chirped, emptying a bag of flour into a large bowl. Spike covered his nostrils, not wanting the scattered particles to make him sneeze.

Only now had he realized that apart from Granny Smith, no other Apples were in the room. Big Macintosh was probably working with Applejack and Apple Bloom was...doing things a cutie mark crusader does, he guessed. He didn’t think much of it.

“Okay Spike, I’ll get the oven up and running while you add the treats into the mix!” Pinkie ordered. Spike looked at what he had to work with. Lollipops, sweets, fruit...how did any of this come together to make a normal cupcake?

He was about to drop in a lollipop when Pinkie’s voice rang through the room. “Oh! And salt!”

“Yeah, got it Pinkie.” He shook his head to himself and prepared to empty the salt shaker onto the mix. Before he could though, Pinkie batted it out of his claw.

“Just a pinch!” she commanded. Spike rolled his eyes, grabbing the salt shaker again and carefully only adding the smallest amount of the granules to the mix. He doubted they would run out of ingredients so...today was going to be a long one...

After the chaos of yesterday, Twilight was glad to have a little reading time to herself. Her new friends were great but she still valued these quiet moments. Spike had gone off earlier, something about seeing Pinkie Pie. He didn’t tell her exactly why.

Sat in the middle of the main room, the book she was reading was one about castle and forts, inspired by the games she had partaken in yesterday. Of course the castle of Canterlot was in the book but there were other, smaller ones. Most had been turned into mansions for nobles.

A rapid knocking at the door ended the silence. It was very fast knocking indeed. Twilight thought it impossible that one pony could make all that noise at once. Unless it was Pinkie. She stood up and headed to the door, the knocking only ceasing when she opened it. The rest of the crusaders were revealed, all of them flailing their hooves in the air. When they realized that they had been answered, they all grinned sheepishly.

“Hey girls,” Twilight snickered, “what brings you here?”

“A meeting! You still need to see our clubhouse!” Apple Bloom explained, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodding beside her. Behind them all, Twilight could just make out a scooter and a small wagon of sorts.

“Oh, I’d love to but...” Twilight looked down awkwardly. But was such an awkward word in every respect. “Spike’s gone out and I shouldn’t just leave without letting him know.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such a worry-wart. It’s not like we’re going to the Everfree.”

“Well--”

“We’ll be fine Twilight. Trust us!” Sweetie Belle said. She was right really, Twilight could trust these fillies. By now, she wasn’t afraid that anypony would just leave her somewhere dark and scary. An important lesson that she had learnt was that trust was essential in maintaining a friendship.

“Fine, I’ll come along.” Upon hearing those words, the other crusaders burst out into loud cheers. Twilight would have joined in but she still wasn’t used to their almost deafening voices.

“We even got you a helmet!” Scootaloo stated, heading over to their ‘vehicle’ and getting out a rather worn brown helmet. Apple Bloom explained that it was Applejack’s when she was younger as Twilight put it on. It felt secure so she climbed in the wagon with the others, except Scootaloo of course.

When Scootaloo sped off, Twilight instinctively grabbed the sides of the wagon, her stomach full of butterflies. Evidently she was never in any danger of falling off because Apple Bloom and Sweetie were perfectly relaxed. That didn’t stop her from letting go though.

The speed at which Scootaloo’s wings were flapping was something to behold. They were little more than blurs. She was like a hummingbird, only without full flight capabilities. Actually, it was a little odd that she couldn’t fly completely.

When they finally arrived at their destination, Twilight was the first to exit, walking away on shaky legs. Luckily, she didn’t feel sick.

“You okay Twi’?” Apple Bloom asked, taking off her helmet.

Twilight slowly nodded and removed her own headgear, as did the other two. It was then that she set her eyes upon the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse. It was wonderfully quaint and was easy on the eyes too. Not something you’d expect from such three excitable fillies. There was even a watch tower right on top, poking through the branches and leaves of the tree.

“She hasn’t even seen the inside yet and already she’s amazed.” Scootaloo commented with a smirk, watching Twilight’s eyes widen and her mouth grow agape as she stared at the clubhouse.

“This way Twilight.” Sweetie Belle said, leading the way inside. The other unicorn snapped out of her awestruck daze and followed the others. She was lucky; this was one of the days when the clubhouse was actually tidy.

“It’s...amazing!” Twilight finally said, much to the delight of the other Crusaders. Especially Apple Bloom. Half the hoofdiwork was hers.

“Only the best for us Crusaders!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, trotting over to a map with Ponyville, upon which many routes were drawn. “This is the map where we plan how and where we try to get our cutie marks!”

“She can see that, Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo snarked, only to receive a raspberry from the Apple filly.

“So...what are we doing today then? Planning?” Twilight asked, looking at each of the three.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle chirped, pointing at said filly.

The pegasus cleared her throat, “Fellow Crusaders, today we shall explore the Ghastly Gorge!”

Both Sweetie Belle and Twilight gulped, while Apple Bloom grimaced. “We talked about this Scootaloo. Ah think it’s a really bad idea...”

“It’s not like we’ll jump down there! We’ll find a safe way down and get us some explorer’s cutie marks!” Scootaloo retorted.

“What about the q-quarry eels?” Twilight questioned, shivering at their mere mention.

“They only appear in the obvious holes. We’ll avoid them easily.” Scootaloo replied, waving a hoof dismissively.

“I’m with Apple Bloom. It still sounds like a bad idea...” Sweetie Belle added.

Scootaloo let out a frustrated groan, yet she wasn’t giving up without a fight. “Look, I just want to check it out. Rainbow Dash flew there and it sounds really cool! We won’t even go in if you’re that scared.”

“Ah’m not scared Ah’m just being careful!” Apple Bloom cried but it was of little use. The look of determination on Scootaloo’s face was almost frightening. “But if ya really wanna go so badly, then we will.” The pegasus’ face soon brightened up. “But not for long!” the earth filly warned, receiving a sharp nod from the orange pony in return.

Twilight nodded in agreement, a smile on her face. It was a nervous one.

“My arms are dead...” Spike panted, finishing off wiping the final part of the Apple family’s kitchen cabinet. Finally, everything was back to normal and nothing had been set on fire. He threw the wash rag into the sink and took in the sight of what must have been hundreds of cupcakes, sitting neatly together on the wooden dining table. All were different in their own unique way, thank to Pinkie’s adeptness at baking the goods.

The party pony was currently packing them into small cardboard boxes (Spike had given up questioning where Pinkie got anything now). She was rather delicate with the process, especially for a pony like herself.

It was nice to relax for a short moment...then Spike realized that someone had to carry those boxes. If he felt tired before, the mere thought of carrying everything made him exhausted.

“Pinkie...how are we getting all those boxes outta here?” Spike asked. Maybe she had some crazy solution that didn’t involve his arm strength.

“We’ll just use a cart!” Pinkie answered, packaging the final cupcakes. Spike smiled at her response...then it faded as he realized that the boxes still needed to get to the cart.

“Let’s get going then...” Spike frowned, carrying a few boxes at a time. Thankfully, Pinkie helped him and led the way to the cart. It was a simple wooden one and Pinkie would probably have to pull it. Once every box was onboard, Spike climbed on himself and collapsed onto his stomach. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Pinkie getting ready to pull the cart. Pinkie wasn’t that strong, so this would be a nice easy ride.

“Here we goooooo!!!” Pinkie screamed, setting off at full speed.Spike blinked, instinctively digging his claws into the cart in order to avoid falling off. This confirmed it for him: Pinkie’s blood was made of sugar.

Somehow, despite the extra weight of the cart, they were going faster than they had been getting here. Spike wondered what the heck the rush was for, then realized that their time was probably almost up.

As Pinkie sped through Ponyville, Spike could hear the confused cries and startled yells of other ponies. The cart kept moving diagonally to the left and right, which Spike only assumed was Pinkie deftly moving out of the way of some poor townsfolk.

Obviously, they made it to Sugarcube Corner in no time. It was too short of a break for Spike, who had to carry the boxes. Again, Pinkie helped but his tired arms didn’t thank her. It turned out that there was no need for the rush either; none of the other competitors were here yet. Although a few other customers were, looking on with bemused faces.

“We need to get set up Spike!” Pinkie said once the final box was inside. Mr. and Mrs. Cake looked on with confusion but at least their kitchen was safe. Spike was about to ask what he should do but Pinkie already had it covered, quickly pulling three empty tables together so they stood in a line. Then, she put all the boxes on one table and began opening them. Finally, she neatly ordered out the cupcakes.

“We’ll need a judge...lemme go out and grab one.” Pinkie said to herself, darting out of the establishment. Spike scratched his head. Did Pinkie have an emergency supply of judges too?

In any case, she quickly came back, a judge in tow: Fluttershy. Pinkie was dragging her by the tail.

“B-But I’m not very good at judging ponies...” Fluttershy squeaked as Pinkie let go of her tail and her flank hit the floor.

“You’re judging food silly! Not ponies!” Pinkie chirped, helping the pegasus back up.

“Oh...okay then. I guess I can do it, in that case.” Fluttershy replied, smiling as she saw Spike. “Hi Spike, did you help Pinkie make all those cupcakes?” She pointed at the baked goods, the surprise evident in her features.

“I helped but I didn’t volunteer.” Spike gave her a slight smirk. He turned to Pinkie, beckoning her over. Since the competition had not started yet, now was the opportunity for him to tell Pinkie what he wanted.

“Pinkie,” he said as she came over, keeping his voice low, “I need you to plan a surprise party. For...” he froze. Tomorrow! It all happened tomorrow! How did it creep up on him so quickly?! He shouldn’t have let Pinkie distract him today... “Tomorrow...”

“Tomorrow? That doesn’t give me long but I won’t let you down! You definitely came to the right pony!” Pinkie replied with enthusiasm, her voice quiet as well. “What for though?”

Spike wasn’t sure how to continue. He looked down, sighing. “A shooting star will fall tomorrow...Princess Celestia ordered me to make a wish then.”

Pinkie nodded in understanding. “I’ll make it the best party ever then. Pinkie promise.”

Spike looked up, smiling. “Thanks Pink--” The other competitors had arrived. “They’re here.”

Bon Bon and Derpy were busy in bringing their own confectionaries. Neither had made as many as Pinkie and Spike did but he expected that. Still, they each made respectable efforts. Their ‘assistants’ were absent though. Resting, no doubt.

“I hope you two are ready to get beaten!” Pinkie taunted, although it was in a friendly manner. “I already have the most goods here!”

“That doesn’t mean that they’re the best.” Bon Bon retorted, going to the end table and preparing herself.

“Yeah!” Derpy added...then the words became lost from her, “...yeah!” She put her muffins onto the middle table. Suffice to say, everypony looked like they had done a fantastic job. Spike regretted helping Pinkie now. He could’ve been a judge.

“Alright everypony! The contest begins now!” Pinkie announced. The customers and the Cakes couple looked on with interest. “Everyone put their best treat forward!” Pinkie pushed forward her grandest work. A cupcake covered in rainbow icing and sparkles. It looked like you’d get a heart attack if you ate three at once.

Derpy’s muffin of choice was interesting indeed. One half appeared to be dark chocolate and the other white chocolate. Each side was covered chocolate chips but the flavour of them was the opposite of the flavour that they were on. The blend the muffin had was no doubt delicious.

Bon Bon had selected several sweets that weren’t very flashy looking at all. They were small, coloured discs. One was green, the other orange and another red. Appearances aren't everything though and all the flavour was probably packed inside.

“Now, Fluttershy, simply eat the goods and tell us what you think!” Pinkie said, prompting Fluttershy to head over to the tables. She picked Pinkie’s cupcake first and took a small bite. A grin formed on her face, while an envious frown formed on Spike’s. She certainly took her time in eating the thing though. Once she had though, Pinkie was staring at her expectantly.

“It’s nice.” Fluttershy commented, then moved onto the next dish. Pinkie blinked in dismay.

“My muffin will have double the niceness!” Derpy assured Fluttershy, who simply nodded and began to eat. Again, she made the same face of tasty pleasure.

“Mhm, that was good.” Fluttershy said after finishing, heading over to Bon Bon’s table and leaving behind a shocked Derpy.

“Prepare for flavour like you’ve never felt before!” Bon Bon cried estatically.

“Um. Okay...” Fluttershy ate the red sweet first. Her eyes went wide, beginning to get watery as soon as it went in her mouth. Pinkie and Derpy shared a grin as they watched Fluttershy struggle to keep the sweet down.

She swallowed harshly, letting out a sigh of relief. “You’re right...lots of flavour in those...”

“Too much for her apparently.” Spike snickered quietly, folding his arms.

“And the winner of that round?” Pinkie questioned, Fluttershy looking between all three competitors.

“Oh um...I don’t know. They were all good.”

Spike, Pinkie, Derpy and Bon Bon all facehoofed at the same time. The sounds of their smacks all joined together to make a bigger one.

“Try more then!” Pinkie flailed, watching as Fluttershy went back to her table and ate a cupcake covered in pink icing and sprinkles. Once she had swallowed it, she kept her comments to herself and next ate one of Derpy’s blueberry muffins. Except she stopped halfway.

“Ooo...” she groaned when she swallowed a bite, “I think I ate too much...I’m so full.” She swayed a little, rubbing her stomach. Spike wondered how the heck most food critics kept so slim.

Another series of facehoofs went around.

“Well that ended quickly.” Spike grinned, licking his lips as he stared at the food. He reached over to grab a pink cupcake but Pinkie swiped it before he could get his claws on it.

“It’s not over yet.” Pinkie grinned, lightly throwing the cupcake up and down with her hoof.

Fluttershy squeaked and made for the door. As did everypony else in the building except Bon Bon, Derpy and Pinkie. That could only mean...

“FOOD FIIIIIIIGHT!!” Pinkie shrieked, throwing her cupcake at Derpy’s face. Direct hit. Derpy blinked, licking the pink icing off her face.

“Aaaah!” Spike yelled as a candy cane landed right next to him. In a matter of seconds, the air was filled with flying food. He wasn’t staying here for any moment longer, that was for sure. He briskly headed for the door but his foot made contact with slippery icing on the floor. In a matter of seconds, he was sliding across the room and landed on his back.

Shaking his head when he stopped slipping, he looked at the three mares. All of them were messy already. No wonder everypony fled. This was insanity! Cupcakes, muffins and sweets were falling left, right and center. Some even hit the ceiling and in the case of the sticky cupcakes, never came back down.

Derpy then took to the air, dropping muffins on Pinkie and Bon Bon. Both of them focused their fire on the pegasus, who tried to spin out of the way. It was too much though and eventually, the fire forced her to land after getting covered in sticky icing that coated her feathers.

“Hyah!!” Pinkie shouted, flipping a table over with her forehooves, using it as cover against the barrage of confectionaries. Bon Bon opted to hide behind the counter, chucking random sweets into the air, hoping they would hit her targets. Derpy quickly went around the table were Pinkie was but was quickly fended off by another cupcake to the face.

That’s all Spike saw before he swung open the door and slammed it behind him. He wiped his forehead in relief and rubbing his foot on the grass to get rid of any spare icing. From the sounds of it, the fight only got more chaotic from there.

Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen. A smart move, since if she wasn’t there she wouldn’t have needed to clean up. Spike went for the same plan, jogging away from the shop. The sounds of three crazed mares died out soon enough and all was calm once again.

That is, it was for about three minutes.

A brilliant streak of rainbow flashed across the sky, everypony’s eyes in the vicinity being drawn to it. Spike knew who it was. Rainbow Dash, of course.

But something was odd about her flight. It wasn’t especially flashy like it normally was. She was speeding along like a bullet. Normally if she flew through the town, she’d do something a bit more exciting. A couple loop de loops here and there, perhaps.

But there was something that was no nonsense about her flying today and he swore something orange was on her back...a package maybe? She was gone as quickly as she came, which caused Spike to wonder what the rush was about. Well, he couldn’t catch up with her now so he decided to head on home.

He chuckled a little when he reached the door to the library. Soon, he wouldn’t be taller than the door knob anymore. He was both nervous and excited at what soon lay ahead. Everything would go back to normal, with luck.

But did he want everything to go back to normal? No. That was what brought him here in the first place. Words that he had been too foolish to say before needed to be said.

He opened the door and went inside to find a lone open book in the center of the room, which prompted him to raise an eyebrow. Twilight rarely left books open, just in case anything happened to the pages. Maybe she had to dash for a quick toilet break or something?

“Twilight?” Spike called out. No answer. The feeling of dread began to well up inside him and as he explored the rooms of the library, it only got worse. She wasn’t in the kitchen, on the balcony, or even in the basement.

“Twilight?!” He yelled again and yet again, there was silence. He was sure that this wasn’t a prank; Twilight was never really one for those. The only pranks she did were quick, light-hearted ones. Nothing like pretending to be missing. This was real. Horrifying real.

He punched as bookshelf, which sent some of the books tumbling to the ground. He let out a low snarl, frustrated with himself for having gotten so distracted today. It wasn't Pinkie's fault, it was his. He should have spoken up sooner. But no, he just had to go along for the ride.

He looked down at the fallen books, realizing that he had done that. He wasn't even that angry... For the first time, he had found a benefit of being small.

The image of the rainbow streak came to his mind and his mind put the pieces together. He didn’t want it to be that but...there was no other explanation. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions. But could he really risk not to?

He sprinted out of the library, looking up at the sky. He was pretty sure that he remembered the direction Rainbow Dash was flying off too. He didn’t have time for help, so he sped off as fast as he could. Worry and adrenaline kept him going and they only increased when he realized what lay ahead.

Ghastly Gorge.

Galloping in the Gorge

“Well, here we are.” Scootaloo announced, stopping her wings and putting a hoof on the ground, stopping the scooter in its tracks. Each of the other Crusaders stepped out of the cart reluctantly, Twilight being last.

There they were: Ghastly Gorge. The only sound present was the cold wind blowing through the depths of the abyss. No other creatures but the four fillies were around. But they all knew that strange creatures lived deep down in the dark.

Yet despite it’s foreboding presence, the more Twilight looked, the more she was fascinated. There was something awe inspiring about such a natural structure. What secrets lay within? Now she wish she’d brought a field guide or some other similar book.

The other crusaders were silent, taking in what lay before them. Even Scootaloo seemed a bit reluctant to step closer. So Twilight, spurred on by mere curiosity, went to the edge and peered down.

“Wow...” she murmured to herself.

“Can you see a safe way down?” Scootaloo asked.

Twilight turned around, facing the three. “Unfortunately not but--”

The ground below her suddenly gave way, sending soil along with Twilight down towards the bottom of the gorge. She yelped, trying to grab at the side desperately. It didn’t work.

Luckily, the other crusaders leapt into action. Apple Bloom galloped forward, almost throwing herself into the gorge in order to grab Twilight. The earth filly managed to hold Twilight’s forehooves with her own but this resulted in half of her dangling off the edge.

If it wasn’t for Sweetie Belle, she would have fallen. The unicorn had grabbed Apple Bloom’s hindhooves and was trying her hardest to pull both her and Twilight back up. Even with Scootaloo’s help though, it was of no use.

“Scootaloo: get help!” Apple Bloom commanded, her voice strangely strong considering her age and the situation.

“O-On it!” The pegasus replied, not sounding nearly as strong as Apple Bloom. Still, she was ready to obey, heading over to the scooter and leaving Sweetie Belle along to hold the other two. Stepping onto her scooter, she looked back at Sweetie, who was sweating already. It wouldn’t be long before she lost her grip.

Disregarding her helmet, Scootaloo set off as fast as her wings could take her. Without the extra passengers in the cart, she was allowed to go at full speed. Dust trailed behind her as she went into the distance.

All Twilight could do was hold onto Apple Bloom, staring up at her. “Please d-don’t let go...please!” Twilight pleaded, her voice trembling.

“I won’t Twilight. Ah promise.” Apple Bloom did her best to give Twilight a reassuring smile, “Just gotta be strong, okay?”

Twilight nodded slowly. “O-Okay...I’ll try.”

Sweetie meanwhile, was completely silent save the occasional grunt. The effort she was exerting was wearing her down fast. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt herself being dragged closer to the edge. Closing her eyes, she prayed to Celestia that Scootaloo would come back soon.

It wasn’t easy but somehow, Scootaloo was able to maintain her speed without crashing into anything, all while looking up at the sky. That signature cloud had to be here somewhere, she just knew it.

Onlookers frowned at her as she sped along. Scootaloo always thought that they looked down upon her as some sort of delinquent. She cared as much for their opinions as she did girly dresses.

A gasp broke her concentration from the air and she looked straight ahead to see a mare pulling a large cart, screaming at the oncoming filly. Scootaloo gritted her teeth and harshly turned the handlebars, sliding around the cart just barely. Thank goodness she was used to oncoming collisions.

What she wasn’t used to, however, was small objects tripping her up. A small rock was directly in front of her path, something that any other pony would have ignored. Including Scootaloo, for she couldn’t see it until it was too late.

The front wheel collided with the rock, sending Scootaloo catapulting into the air. Her wings were still going, which probably didn't help with her trajectory. The filly closed her eyes, awaiting the inevitable hard landing.

It never came.

Scootaloo slowly opened an eye and soon discovered that she had found herself on none other than the mare that she had been looking for. Rainbow Dash slowed down, landing carefully on the ground to allow Scootaloo to climb off her back.

“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo exclaimed, staying put.

“Yeah, the one and only! Now, kid, what was that all ab--”

“You gotta go to Ghastly Gorge quick!” Before Rainbow could ask why, her question was already answered, “The others are in really bad trouble!”

“What?!” The mare looked back at her passenger, “Then get off me so I can save them!”

“No! I’m coming with you!” Scootaloo replied defiantly.

Rainbow sighed, facehoofing. She didn’t have the time to argue. “Fine. Hold on.” Feeling Scootaloo hold onto her firmly, she flew into the air, facing the direction to the Gorge. Without any delay, she lowered her head and flew off. Her forelegs pointed forward, helping to keep her streamlined and speedy.

Scootaloo looked back in wonder as she saw the famous rainbow trail form behind her. The wind battered her ears, eyes and mane but it felt exhilarating. In all honesty, she found this really cool but she doubted that anyone would share the sentiment at the moment.

They were there in no time. Both hoped that would be enough.

“You gotta jump, Scoots!” Rainbow Dash commanded, the Gorge in sight.

“What?!”

“Just do it!”

Taking a deep breath, Scootaloo jumped off Rainbow Dash and immediately began flapping her wings to slow her descent. She landed safely but was still quite some way from the gorge so she galloped as fast as her hooves could take her.

Thankful for the loss of extra weight, Rainbow flew even faster. Looking down, she could see the fillies struggling to keep a hold of one another. She dived down, grim determination on her face.

It soon turned to shock as she saw Sweetie getting dragged down by the others. All three of them were hurtling towards the bottom. That was no reason to give up though. Harshly rolling to her right, she entered the gorge and saw that the three fillies were still holding onto each other. That meant that she could carry them all fairly easily...with luck.

She bit down on Sweetie’s tail just as she reached them and luckily, that was enough to take the other two with her. Yet the weight of three fillies put a strain on her neck and Rainbow found her head lowering itself, along with the rest of her. In her thoughts, she cursed, realizing there was only one way this was going to end.

Accepting her fate, she let herself fall towards the ground. She bit Sweetie’s tail harder as her wing clipped a rock but she never strayed from the course. She timed her final action before landing, which was lightly throwing the three fillies into the air. It hurt her neck badly but it would mean that they wouldn’t share her rough landing.

Before she knew it, her forehooves made contact with the ground and she was sent tumbling across in a heap. Her whole body became filled to the brim with pain as she rolled along like a useless rag doll, splashing in the shallow water. Eventually she stopped and became still.

Thanks to Rainbow’s efforts, the fillies had a fairly easy landing, all things considered. They all landed hard but it wasn’t enough to bruise or break bones. Twilight, whose eyes were closed during the whole ordeal, opened her eyes and looked to her fellow crusaders.

“Is everypony okay...?”

“Ah’m here.” Apple Bloom responded, standing up. Her legs were shaking, her body in shock from the experience.

“Yeah...” Sweetie sniffled, “Yeah.”

Both Twilight and Apple Bloom went to Sweetie, giving her a hug. The shaking each of them suffered resided and Sweetie’s sniffling soon stopped.

Twilight looked up, peering around searchingly. “So who saved--Rainbow Dash!” She broke away from the others and galloped towards the fallen mare. She gasped in horror as she saw the full extent of the damage.

Rainbow Dash’s body was covered in bruises and cuts and her left wing was in a mess, feathers sticking out everywhere. Some were on the ground around her. Her mane and tail were equally as messy, tattered and covered in dirt, as was the rest of her. Her face was contorted into one of pain, eyes clenched shut. The water around her was stained slightly and Twilight knew all too well what caused that...

“Rainbow Dash, are you alright?!”

The pegasus groaned, opening an eye to see the worried filly before her. She could also see the other two crusaders galloping towards her. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” She gave them a confident grin, attempting to stand up. Sharp jolts went through her system, nearly causing her to fall a couple times.

“But you’re hurt!” Twilight cried.

“Doesn’t mean I’m out of action...” she looked around, frowning distastefully, “What is it about this damned gorge?!”

“Scootaloo said you’d been here before...do you know the way out?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yeah...but...” Rainbow looked around again, biting her lip, “That was somewhere else here...this part isn’t familiar to me.”

“We need to get you somewhere safe!” Sweetie cried, staring in shock at Rainbow’s injuries.

“I know...and we will. Don’t worry.” Rainbow Dash looked up, unable to see Scootaloo. Sighing to herself, she began to lead the way and the fillies followed without question. They went at a slow pace, all thanks to Rainbow’s limping.

What they really needed now was shelter of some kind and hopefully it wouldn’t be a host to any monsters. Rainbow Dash was wounded, yes, but in time she would easily recuperate. Out of all the pony species, pegasi had the fastest natural regenerative abilities because of the importance of their wings. They couldn’t take as much punishment as earth ponies could but they recovered a lot faster.

A monstrous roar resounded through the gorge, paralyzing everypony with fear.

“We need to keep moving...” Rainbow Dash stated, quickening her pace despite the protests of her body. The fillies sped up, looking behind them, seeing only the natural formations of the gorge.

Spike kept on running, despite the fact that Rainbow Dash was long gone by now. He couldn’t falter now though. He had to keep on trucking.

“Spiiike!”

Damn it. He thought to himself, stopping in his tracks as he heard that voice. That one voice he cherished so much.

“Now now, what is all the rush about?” Rarity asked sweetly, as Spike turned around to face her.

“Rarity, I really don’t have time to talk.” Spike said, beginning to briskly walk backwards.

He thought Rarity would be offended but thankfully she read the signs. “Is something the matter?”

“Just follow me and I’ll explain on the way.” Spike turned back around, hearing the galloping hoofsteps of Rarity alongside him. He was glad for the company, considering the circumstances. “I saw Rainbow Dash fly across the sky really fast.” Spike explained as they ran, which he soon regretted. He was getting out of breath quickly.

“I don’t see the issue with that, Spike.” Rarity replied, staring at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Yeah but...she wasn’t showing off. It was like she was desperately going to something...and also, I couldn’t find Twilight anywhere. The two might be connected...”

Rarity blinked, a gasp escaping from her. “Sweetie Belle did mention a crusader meeting at their clubhouse...oh no.”

“What?”

“Well, they’re all going to be in big trouble.” Rarity frowned.

“I hope they’re not--oh, that kind of trouble. Right.” Spike gulped. If he had to choose between being in Tartarus and being locked in a room with an angry Rarity, he’d chose the former.

The buildings of Ponyville gave way to grassy expanse and trees and then to the gorge itself. They slowed themselves down and both of their hearts sank when they saw Scootaloo, all alone, pacing near the edge.

“Scootaloo!” The pair yelled in unison, grabbing the filly’s attention, who went to them at once.

“What happened?!” Spike asked, rather loudly too.

“It’s a long story but...Rainbow Dash saved the others--Sweetie, Apple Bloom and Twilight--but they haven’t come back up yet...”

Both Spike and Rarity sighed deeply and both silently thanked Celestia and Spike was doubly thankful that Twilight wasn’t alone. They had to be alive, they just knew it. Now they just needed to be found...

Spike carefully approached the edge of the gorge and steeled himself for what needed to be done.

“Spike, what are you doing?” Rarity asked worriedly.

Spike looked at his claws, thinking. “I’ll climb down.”

“Well don’t you dare think of doing it alone!” Rarity chided, joining his side.

“But I’m the only one that can climb down!” Spike retorted, then blinked in surprise as Rarity climbed onto his back without warning. She wrapped her forelegs over his shoulders, keeping herself secure.

Spike sighed, narrowing his eyes. “You’re not getting off are you?”

“Not at all. I simply would not be able to live with myself if I didn’t help.” She turned her head to see the remaining filly. “Scootaloo darling, you should stay here.”

“No way!” Scootaloo stamped a hoof in defiance, “I’m coming with you because...of all that stuff you just said.”

“I’m not carrying you too.” Spike deadpanned.

“No need.” Scootaloo smirked and ran off the edge. The pair’s faces went from terrified to amazement as they saw Scootaloo flapping her wings furiously, making a slow descent to the bottom.

“Right...our turn.” Spike gulped, peering down.

“Come on darling, we--you, can’t stand here forever.” Rarity said, giving Spike a light tap with her hind leg.

Spike delicately slid off the edge, digging his claws into the rock wall. Once he was sure that he wouldn’t budge from his position, he made his slow climb down. It took a lot of effort but he was thankful that his size saved the day.

Considering the speed of the climb, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to talk. “Um, Rarity?”

“Yes Spike?”

“You know this whole...wish thing?”

Rarity was silent for just a few seconds. “Yes, yes I do.”

“Well er...the next shooting star is tomorrow and Princess Celestia ordered me to...you know...”

“Make a wish?”

More like the wish. Spike nodded anyway.

“I see...” Rarity trailed off. Then she gave Spike a hard slap in the face. The sound of the smack resounded off the gorge walls.

“Ow!” Spike yelped, resisting the urge to rub his now red cheek. “What was that for?!”

“For telling me something that important when we’re scaling a gorge!” Rarity berated, while Spike grumbled. Yet after a short while of silence, Rarity’s demeanor seemed to have completely changed as she gave Spike a soft kiss on the same cheek that she had slapped.

Spike couldn’t help but blush. “And that...?”

"That was for being so honest. Not just now but those couple days ago. It can’t have been easy.” Spike swore that after Rarity had said that, her grip on him had tightened.

A soft smile appeared on his face and he kept on scaling down. They were both silent the rest of the way, enjoying the moment. Then he realized what tomorrow meant.

And his heart sank.

Rarity would probably never remember this moment. Spike knew that he would, considering he had all his memories intact. He wondered if Rarity suspected the same thing.

But maybe...there was hope? After all, Rarity had said that her was her ‘best friend. Always and forever’. Things can always change.

Eventually they reached the bottom, where they found Scootaloo waiting for them. Rarity got off Spike, patting him on the back as a thanks. He nodded in return then looked both ways down the gorge.

“They went this way!” Scootaloo exclaimed, pointing down one side.

“How do you know--” Spike answered his own question, spotting the trail of blue feathers down the shallow watery path. The three all shared worried glances before heading off.

Spike and Rarity were quite alert, which meant that the conversation was somewhat lacking. However, Scootaloo was the quietest of all, looking down. This was something that had not gone unnoticed by Rarity.

“Scootaloo dear, everything will be alright.” Rarity spoke with a motherly tone, trotting past Spike and going besides the filly.

“It’s not that.” Scootaloo replied, intentionally looking away from the mare.

“Then what’s wrong?”

Scootaloo mumbled a response. Rarity’s ears twitched but she failed to completely hear what she had said.

“A bit louder darling.”

“It’s all my fault, okay?!” Scootaloo shouted in a rather unexpected outburst.

In contrast, Rarity kept calm and collected. “How is it your fault dear?”

“It was my stupid idea to come here...if I had just kept my mouth shut, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Her eyes began to water, yet no tears formed. “I didn’t want this...”

Spike kept silent, seeing as Rarity seemed to have this covered. The mare put a hoof around Scootaloo comfortingly. “We will find them and get back home safely. Soon you can forget about all of this. None of us are mad at you but...” she paused in order to pick her next words carefully, “Next time, try to be more careful, yes?”

Scootaloo nodded, wiping her eyes. “Yeah, I know that now.”

Spike was keeping an eye on the feather trail, which didn’t bode well for Rainbow Dash’s status. Some of the feathers were red in places, not terribly so but it was enough to cause some alarm. The trail took them further ahead for a good distance, before leaving them in front of a cave. The way ahead was blocked by rocks, leaving the cave as the only viable route.

“They must have taken refuge inside.” Rarity said, peering into the darkness.

“Only one way to find out.” The dragon took the lead, taking small unsure steps inside.

Suddenly, something leapt upon Spike from the dark. The creature pinned him to the ground and Spike barely had time to register what had happened before the thing took a swipe for Spike’s face with its paw.

Spike grabbed his opponent’s paw, which he had now recognized as a diamond dog, and the two were now locked in combat, each pushing against each other. They seemed equally matched...until Spike realized he had a trick up his sleeve.

Or rather, in his mouth. His belly warmed up as he opened his maw and green flame escaped from it, burning his attacker’s face. The diamond dog shrieked in pain, jumping off Spike and covering its face. It wasted no time in fleeing, heading out of the cave, whimpering like a pup.

“Foul mongrels.” Rarity grimaced, then her face changed to one of concern, “Are you okay Spike?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Spike answered as he got up, dusting himself off. He was rather impressed with himself for managing to fend off the attacker and so couldn’t help but smile proudly.

“If Diamond Dogs are here...we need to hurry!” Scootaloo exclaimed from behind Rarity, who had been guarding the filly the entire time.

Spike’s smile vanished. “Agreed. Let’s go.” Signalling the others to follow, they all ran into the cave. Rarity’s horn lit up, providing light to combat the darkness before them. They couldn’t have been far away from the others now. Or, at least they hoped so.

The initial blackness of the cave hid the true nature of it, for deeper within was a hidden subterranean wonder. Twilight and the others stared in amazement as they saw brightly glowing mushrooms growing off the walls, lighting up the way for them. Both stalagmites and stalactites were present and Twilight was the only one who knew what the difference between them was. Many of the stalactites dripped with cold water, creating tiny puddles on the ground. Even the smell was different than before, it being something that everypony could only describe as ‘kinda gross’.

Rainbow Dash had hoped that this cave would be a shortcut of sorts but so far, it just seemed to be a pretty cool place to shelter. At least they were safe here.

“I hope we don’t see a bat...” Sweetie Belle shivered. The deeper they went in the colder it got.

“Bats are weird.” Apple Bloom commented.

“I think they’re fascinating...” Twilight added, fascination replacing anxiety at this point.

“Eh, they’re not as cool as tortoises.” All the fillies blinked in confusion at Rainbow Dash. “What?”

“Nothing...” the crusaders all replied.

Rainbow’s ears twitched. “Wait. I hear something.”

All of the ponies went quiet, listening intently to the sounds of the cavern.

“Gah, I could really use some crystals now! I’m starving!”

“Yeah, your stomach made that loud and clear!”

The rough voices could have only belonged to diamond dogs. That much was confirmed when one of them barked at the other. Their voices only got louder, which meant that they were getting closer and closer.

“Hide, here.” Rainbow whispered, leading the fillies to a spot behind a large rock. Hopefully the two dogs wouldn’t notice them if they kept quiet.

The two dogs then came into view, both being roughly the same size, that being slightly bigger than Rainbow Dash. One was covered in black fur and the other in brown.

“I don’t even know why we’re patrolling...” the black one grumbled.

“You can never be too careful!” snarled the brown one, smacking the other’s arm. “Do you want a quarry eel to get us?”

“But--”

“No buts. We can’t mess--wait.” The brown dog sniffed the air. “I smell something.”

“What?” The black one sniffed too, catching onto the same scent. He then cackled. “Long way from Ponyville aren’t we?”

“Come out come out wherever you are, my little ponies...” the brown dog snickered sinisterly, continuing to sniff, “They’re close. So close...you might just fill your stomach after all.”

“Hahaha! Excellent!” The black one licked his lips, dripping saliva everywhere.

The fillies became paralyzed with fear to the extent that they didn’t notice Rainbow Dash get up and appear before the Diamond Dogs.

“Okay, you found me,” she said tauntingly, despite her limping, “but can you catch me?”

“You’re wounded...haha, this will be an easy hunt.” The brown dog smirked, readying his claws.

“You’re miiiiine!!” The black one screamed, leaping towards Rainbow Dash. Such a blunt move was easily dodged however, even if Rainbow was injured. Yet it barely gave her enough time to duck under a swipe by the brown dog, aimed for her head. She could even feel one of the claws move through her mane.

The fight snapped the crusaders out of their fear and they all shared glances with each other. Grimly determined to do what must be done, they all nodded at each other and stepped out from behind the rock. They had to act fast: Rainbow Dash couldn’t hold out forever, each dodge causing her sharp pain.

Sneaking up behind the brown dog, Sweetie Belle knelt down, allowing Apple Bloom to jump off her. Once the earth filly did, she gained incredible air and managed to land atop of the diamond dog’s head and cover his eyes with her hooves.

“Aaah! I can’t see!” The brown dog started running around in havoc but Apple Bloom managed to keep her grip.

“It’s on you!” The black one pointed out. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but snicker at the confusion.

“What’s on me?! I can’t see because it’s hugging my face! It’s like...some kind of face hugger!”

“It’s a little pony! Hold on, I’ll get it off for you! Just stay still!” The brown dog obeyed and stood still, snarling. Apple Bloom watched the black one approach and cheekily blew a raspberry at him, her head resting on top of the dog’s. Enraged, he threw a punch directly at her but before he hit her, she moved her hooves away. The result was a black eye for the brown dog.

“Ow! My eye! You idiot!” The brown one growled, rubbing his injured eye. Apple Bloom then leapt off, grinning victoriously.

“It’s gotten off, get it!” The black one yelled, pointing at the earth filly. Before he could charge though, he felt something poking his back. He turned around, looking down at an innocent looking Sweetie Belle. “Ack! Another?! Come here you little...” He mumbled his next words, swiping at the small unicorn. The attack was sluggish, so she was easily able to gallop away unharmed.

The two once fearsome diamond dogs were reduced to stumbling idiots, running after two fillies. Rainbow Dash broke into a laughing fit, enjoying the whole charade. Apple Bloom and Sweetie were easily running rings around the dogs, who put all their focus on getting them both.

In fact, they were so focused they were completely unaware of each other’s presence. The two fillies gave each other a wink and galloped towards each other. Once they met, they waited for a few seconds before dashing off together in another direction. The dogs, thinking that they had their prey, collided together, sending themselves onto their rumps.

While they were down, Twilight copied Apple Bloom and leapt onto the brown dog’s face, much to his annoyance, although unlike the earth filly, Twilight’s whole body was on the dog’s face.

“Again?! Really?!”

“I’ll get it off for you!” The black one stood up, readying a punch.

“Don’t bother! I’ll do it myself.” The brown dog cackled, turning slightly. He was blinded again but he knew what he was facing. “How much do you like wall?!” He charged for the side of the cave but before he made contact with it, Twilight simply dropped off and darted to the side. The dog’s face met the wall of rock extremely hard, creating little cracks in it. He shook his head, his movements now dazey and soon fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

With his friend down, the black dog whimpered and fled deeper within. “Warn the others! Warn the others!” He repeatedly yelled until he was out of earshot.

The trio of crusaders all hoofbumped with each other, cheering at their success. Rainbow Dash wiped a tear from her eyes, the laughing dying down.

“That was amazing! And hilarious!” The fillies beamed proudly at the mare. Instead of smiling with them though, she frowned. “Never do it again. You might not get so lucky next time.”

The trio looked down, nodding. “Okay Rainbow Dash...” they all said in unison.

“Still, nice job. Now...” Rainbow looked down where the diamond dog had ran off to, “We better get out of here.”

“Mhm.” Twilight agreed, staring at where they came from. She blinked, spotting something. “What’s that?”

Twilight pointed to what she was peering at. Soon, all of them could see it. A light blue light shone in the distance. Sweetie was instinctively drawn to it, approaching the light. It looked so familiar...

“Sweetie Belle!” Before she knew it, Sweetie was wrapped up in her sister’s forelegs. Rarity hugged her protectively, then set her down. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” She began to closely inspect the filly. “You are okay, aren’t you?”

“More than that now you’re here!” Sweetie cheered, attacking her sister with another hug, which she eagerly returned.

“Spike!” Twilight cried, galloping towards the dragon and burying her face in him, hugging her dear friend tightly. In her happiness, she failed to see Scootaloo hiding behind Spike.

“Twilight!” Spike laughed as Twilight collided with him, “Thank goodness you’re okay. I was really--”

“I hate to break up the happy moment guys but we gotta move. Now.” Rainbow grunted, limping slowly forward.

“Rainbow Dash darling, you look simply awful!” Rarity said, her voice full of concern.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Thanks. I feel it too.” She kept on limping, only to soon find herself walking on air. Before she could protest, Rarity was carrying the pegasus on her back. Twilight couldn’t help but be a little envious; Rarity made levitation look so simple.

“Perish the thought of you walking all the way back!” Rarity went forward, seemingly not minding the extra weight. Then again, pegasi were the lightest species of pony.

Everyone else followed Rarity, while Rainbow Dash was the only one keeping an eye on behind them. The crusaders all formed up around Scootaloo, having now spotted her, and all leapt upon the pegasus filly playfully. The weight of them was too much for her and she fell down, as did the other three. They all laughed, even Scootaloo, although in her case it was forced. The others could tell too.

“What’s wrong Scootaloo? Aren’t ya glad to see us?” Apple Bloom inquired.

“I am but...” Scootaloo trailed off, looking at the rest of the crusaders, “Aren’t you mad at me?”

The three others each responded in turn:

“Eenope.”

“Nope!”

“Not at all.”

Scootaloo looked away from them all. “Well you should be.”

“Now why in the hay should we be?” Apple Bloom kept looking at her friend’s face, despite her shying away.

“It was a silly idea, yes, but don’t we all make those in our lives?” Twilight said and although Spike wasn’t intentionally listening in on their conversation, that part stuck out in his mind. Truer words were never spoken.

Twilight continued, “Anyway, it was my foolishness that got us down here.” she admitted. There was a tinge of regret in her voice but not to the extent of Scootaloo’s.

“No, it’s all my fault!” Scootaloo flared her wings, looking at Twilight. “If I had never persuaded you to come here, things would be better!”

“How about we settle for a combination of factors then?” Twilight suggested, carrying on when she saw Scootaloo nod, “Point is, don’t beat yourself up about it. We’re all together now. We’re almost out of this.”

“Yeah...yeah you’re right.” A small smile managed to creep up on Scootaloo’s face.

“Don’t think you’re escaping punishment though.” Rainbow Dash stated, “That goes for all of you. It may have been Scootaloo’s idea but you shouldn’t have gone through with it you know. Some things sound awesome in theory but in practice...” She flinched as she recalled some of the crashes she had experienced in her life.

“Don’t be too harsh, Rainbow.” Rarity said, not bothering to turn her head back.

“I’m just saying!” Rainbow huffed, “We all know it’s gonna happen sooner or later. So, Scoots,” she pointed at the filly in question, “no flying lessons for a week.” Scootaloo nodded in understanding.

“Rarity, will I get punished?” Sweetie asked. She just had to know.

“We’ll discuss that when we get home, darling.” Rarity answered, her voice giving no hint to her intentions. Sweetie just grumbled, kicking a pebble along the ground.

When they reached the light at the end (or start) of the cave, all of them squinted their eyes as if they had been living underground for years and were only seeing daylight for the first time. They weren’t safe yet though, as a way out was still needed.

With the way up ahead blocked, the only option was to go back down where they came. Rainbow winced as they went past where she landed and she saw the evidence of the damage that had been done.

She looked at Spike, remembering that their last conversation didn’t exactly go smoothly. She had to say something...but what could she say?

“Uh, yeah Rainbow?”

The pegasus mare blinked a few times, realizing that she had been staring at Spike this whole time. She smiled sheepishly, trying to laugh it off. “Hi...”

Her mind went through five rapid facehooves that day. Words...she was never really good at them. Rainbow was a pony that spoke her mind and when her mind refused to cooperate, she got stuck.

“Do you need something? You’re kinda creeping me out with that stare of yours.”

Damn it! Had she paused again?! Okay, this time, she was going to go for it.

“Spike, I’m sorry.” she said bluntly. It was simple but it would do.

“For what?” Spike replied, his question causing Rainbow to grit her teeth.

“For being a bi--” she stopped herself from going further, aware of the presence of four young minds, “Big...stupid...er...face.” She finished with a sigh. If she could move her wings without pain, they’d definitely be covering her face. Spike tried not to laugh so instead he just nodded.

“I may have jumped to conclusions and let my emotions get the best of me so...yeah, for that, I’m sorry,” Rainbow continued, sincerity slowly replacing awkwardness, “And thanks for saving our flanks. I didn’t think anypony was coming for us.”

“Hey Rainbow?” Spike asked, a small smirk forming on his face. “It’s cool.”

Rainbow laughed lightly, having said her say. With that sorted she felt...better, somehow. Like a weight had been lifted off her that she didn’t even know she had. Smiling contently, she closed her eyes and soon fell asleep on Rarity’s back.

“I’m hardly surprised she’s fallen asleep,” Rarity commented, having heard the pegasus’ snores, “Poor thing must be exhausted.”

“Even heroes need their sleep.” Spike uttered. He had to admit, Rainbow looked a little endearing when she was asleep. He’d never say that out loud though.

Rarity chuckled. “Don’t let her hear you say that.”

“Daring Do...boulder...gallop gallop gallop!” Rainbow mumbled in her sleep, making everyone else burst into a fit of hushed giggles.

“I hope an actual boulder doesn’t come for us.” Twilight joked, “Although the chances of that happening are extremely small.” Spike rolled his eyes. Twilight seemed to have a knack for ruining jokes. “We’re more likely to run into a Quarry Eel!”

“The chances for that are still really small right?” Sweetie asked, then looked at everyone as they just suddenly stopped in their tracks and looked to their right. They were all staring at a huge hole in the gorge’s wall. All of them knew what lurked within. There was only one thing that would.

“Sometimes I hate it when you’re right, Twilight.” Spike muttered.

“Maybe it hasn’t noticed us! Maybe it’s just sleepin’. Maybe it's not even there?” Apple Bloom suggested, finding it hard to look away just in case a quarry eel did gobble her up.

The roar from within the hole confirmed everyone’s worst fears.

“Sometimes I hate it when you’re wrong, Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo snarked, receiving an annoyed glare from the earth filly.

There was another terrifying roar and a pair of yellow eyes slowly opened up, staring menacingly at the group. Everyone took this as a cue to run and without anyone leading the way, they legged it.

Due to Rarity’s galloping, Rainbow got bumped around on her back to the extent that it forced her to wake up. “Huh...wha’s going on...?” she mumbled in a tired haze. She soon got her answer: a quarry eel slithering its way out of its nest. Rainbow gulped. “I’ve had worse wake up calls...”

Spike ran as fast as he could but today’s running had worn him out due to that fact that he had gotten no moment to rest, which was starting to take its toll. His breathing was already heavier than the others and he soon began to fall behind.

The others, too wrapped up in their hysteria, failed to notice this until the dragon stumbled and tripped to the ground. Twilight was the first to stop, wasting no time in going back for him. She desperately tried to nudge him up but he wasn’t having any of it.

“Go! Go...I’ll be fine.” Spike lied, waving a claw dismissively. If this was it then...better him than her.

“No! I won’t leave you here! Not now, we’re so close!” Twilight cried, continuing her futile attempts to get Spike back up.

The marauding quarry eel was certainly enjoying this charade and had slowed down slightly to revel in the moment. Using the most of this opportunity, Rarity used her magic to put Spike back up on two legs. This gambit only served to make the eel pursue them faster, it narrowing its eyes in pure anger.

“Run Spike!!” Twilight screamed, not leaving Spike until he did. Her legs quivered in fear as the shadow of the beast overwhelmed them both. It grinned, bearing its sharp teeth and dripping saliva onto the ground.

Without a moment’s pause, Spike picked up Twilight and threw her ahead. He didn’t care if it was a rash decision. All he cared about was whether it’d save her life or not. Rarity quickly caught Twilight with her magic and gently lowered her to the ground. All of the group stared at Spike, all feeling a combination of worry and terror.

”Just what do you think you’re doing mister?!”

Everyone, including the monster, stopped. Spike looked back at the massive eel, which stared at him back. Both were as confused as the other.

”Up here!”

Everyone looked up and one after another, jaws were dropped. Hovering in the sky was Fluttershy, forelegs folded, her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth shaped into a scowl. Every one of her wingbeats was strong, giving her a powerful presence. Spike thought it was terrifying. Luckily, it was only the quarry eel that was in for the wild ride.

”Now answer my question.”

The eel began shying away, the group’s terror seemingly having been transferred to it. Nopony dared to suggest that perhaps quarry eels couldn’t talk, lest they face Fluttershy’s wrath.

”You were trying to eat my poor lost friends weren’t you? How DARE you even CONSIDER such a thing?!” Fluttershy flew closer to the eel, it now frozen in complete fear. ”Would you like it if you were lost in a scary place and something kept trying to eat you?! Well?!” The eel had no answer, although it was very easy to see it gulp. ”Now go back to your nest and think about what you’ve done or you’ll have my butterfly friends to answer to!”

At those words, the eel suddenly seemed to regain its courage, the sinister grin appearing. It raised its head, looking at Fluttershy directly at eye level. She didn’t back down and neither did it. Perhaps mentioning butterflies was not the best of ideas.

Then Fluttershy let out a sharp whistle that echoed throughout the gorge. The eel’s grin grew even wider and it let out an almost deafening roar at Fluttershy. Her mane and coat were blown about by the sheer force of it but amazingly, Fluttershy still had her angry demeanor.

The quarry eel’s jaw then suddenly dropped and it wasn’t because it was about to devour Fluttershy. Up from above, thousands of butterflies were flying in close formation together, creating a colourful blob that was in constant motion. Spike and the others had no idea what the butterflies could even do but they all didn’t want to find out. Their sheer form was threatening enough.

When the group looked back to the eel, it was gone. It was amazing how such a big creature could make that quick and stealthy of an exit.

“That was...awesome. Even with butterflies.” Rainbow Dash commented as Fluttershy flew down to the others, her butterfly army flying just above her. She looked at everypony in turn, unsure of who to hug first. In the end, she settled on the fillies, grabbing them all in her forelegs and squeezing them tightly.

Twilight was the only one who had managed to escape and was hugging Spike protectively. He returned the gesture, saying nothing. He didn’t need to.

Fluttershy though, wasn’t as quiet (somewhat ironically). “Oh my gosh oh my gosh! I was so worried when I saw that quarry eel! I...I thought you’d get eaten! Oh, I’m so glad you’re alright!” She gave the fillies one last squeeze before dashing over to Rarity and hugging her. The trio of crusaders let out huge sighs of reliefs, thankful that their rib cages were still intact.

“Um, Fluttershy, thanks for the save and all but...can we get out of here now?” Rainbow Dash asked, then rolled her eyes as soon as she saw Fluttershy look at her with dire worry.

“Rainbow Dash are you okay?!” It probably wouldn’t take much to give Fluttershy a panic attack now. “You look really hurt!”

“I kinda am so could you kindly get me somewhere safe, like a cloud?” Rainbow sighed. There was no use in trying to get Fluttershy to calm down.

“Oh, yes! Sorry, sorry!” Fluttershy looked at her butterfly friends and gave them a short nod, after which, a group of them disbanded from the rest and surrounded Rainbow. Before she could protest, the butterflies lifted her into the air and carried her out of the gorge.

“I’ll see you at the hospital!” Fluttershy cried out, everyone watching Rainbow go.

Rainbow had gone out of view but clearly she had heard her friend: “Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!”

Everyone (except Fluttershy) was dumbfounded, especially Scootaloo. It wasn’t exactly normal to see your hero get carried away by a bunch of butterflies. “Are we all going to get carried by them?” The filly asked.

Fluttershy nodded a few times. “Yes. I’m not very good at carrying heavy things and flying...” She widened her eyes and looked at Rarity. “Not that I’m saying you’re fat!”

“Yes...quite.” Rarity replied.

“Let’s just get this over with then...” Scootaloo sighed, letting a group of butterflies take her up into the air.

Soon the butterflies were carrying all the grounded ponies (plus one dragon) and Fluttershy was leading the way. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle giggled as the butterflies inadvertently tickled them. Twilight had her forelegs crossed, a frown on her face as she questioned how this was at all possible. Rarity took it in her stride and Spike just rolled with it. Stranger things had happened.

By the time they reached Ponyville (Fluttershy had insisted they didn't touch the ground until they reached the town) the sky was a brilliant red, with the occasional cloud here and there. The butterflies carefully lowered their passengers onto the ground and Fluttershy gave them a wave as they flew away.

Spike watched them go and turned to Fluttershy when they left his sight. “Thanks for rescuing us Fluttershy. We don’t know what we’d do without you.” Everypony else nodded in agreement with her, all eyes focused on Fluttershy.

The shy mare blushed, looking down. “Oh w-well I was just being a good friend...”

“You were more than that. You were a hero!” Scootaloo cheered. “Just like Rainbow Dash!”

Fluttershy gasped, looking up like a frightened animal. “Oh that reminds me, I better go see her in the hospital!” She gave everyone a small wave and flew off towards the hospital.

“Well, I better take you three back.” Rarity announced and for once, the three fillies in question didn’t protest at the prospect of going home.

Instead, the Crusaders all shared a group hug with Twilight. Even Scootaloo wasn’t reluctant to do so, although she was the first to break away. With goodbye hugs done with, the three fillies went to Rarity’s side. Though she wouldn’t leave without giving Spike a hug.

“I shall see you tomorrow then.” Rarity said, giving Spike a squeeze and speaking her next words in a quieter voice, “You were simply dashing today, darling.” She gave Spike a sly wink before heading off with the three Crusaders. Spike could only wave, words failing him. Getting a compliment--especially one of that prestige--from Rarity was something to cherish.

Spike soon snapped himself out of his lovestruck trance and looked down at Twilight. “Guess it’s our turn to go home then.” Twilight nodded and the two headed to the library together in companionable silence. “Thank Celestia...” Spike sighed quietly.

The library was a welcome sight and as soon as he entered, the first thing Spike headed for was the bed. “Dunno about you but I’m hitting the hay right now.” He went up the stairs, his steps heavy and sluggish. He jumped upon the bed when he saw it, smiling contently as he sunk slightly in the mattress.

Twilight seemed to agree with this idea, as she was following Spike. She was quiet but Spike put that down to tiredness. Until he realized that she wasn’t getting into her bed but was just staring at it.

Spike raised himself, legs dangling off the edge of his bed. “Practicing sleeping with your eyes open while standing up?”

Twilight shook her head solemnly and turned her head to look at her dragon friend. As soon as Spike stared into those sad eyes of hers, the gears churned in his head.

“Aah...tomorrow.” he let out after a period of silence.

“Yeah...” Twilight finally said, facing the floor.

Spike smiled at her reassuringly. “It won’t be so bad.”

“That’s easy for you to say.”

Spike froze, taken aback by that remark. It had a hint of coldness to it, which was disturbing. “What do you mean...?”

“You get your life back.” Twilight answered firmly.

“Yeah and so do you.” Spike said. The confusion was evident in his voice.

“But this is my life!” Twilight suddenly shouted, stomping a hoof on the floor and glaring at Spike.

“It is--” Spike caught himself before he blurted out those words then fumbled trying to say the next ones, “It...it...it’ll be better for you, trust me...please.”

“I won’t remember this though!” Twilight yelled, her eyes beginning to tear up.

“You don’t know that!” Spike retorted, raising his voice.

“I couldn’t remember my life before, could I?!” Twilight stared at Spike, who didn’t answer. “Exactly. So what makes you think I’ll remember this?!”

Clearly all this was doing was getting both of them riled up, so Spike decided to end it before more damage could be done. “Twilight, you’re tired. You should go to sleep.”

“I’d rather enjoy my last hours fully awake!”

Spike couldn’t just sit there and listen to her say things like that. It was wrong. “They’re not your last hours!” His claws gripped the side of the bed.

Why were they going through this again? He had thought--he had hoped--that Twilight would be done with the matter. He couldn’t deal with it now though. He was far too tired and therefore, wanted to avoid a slip of the tongue.

“Just get some sleep!” Spike ordered, a little more fiercely than he would have liked.

Twilight sniffled and silently picked up Smartypants from her bed. The tears were flowing now. “I’ll g-go read instead...”

Spike watched her go, his heart feeling twisted and knotted. He felt like he had to do something but he didn’t know what. The sounds of quiet sobs from the other room didn’t help. Hopefully the party tomorrow would lighten her spirits.

He put his head on the pillow and wrapped the bed sheets over himself. Sleep was probably the best option. It was certainly the easiest. Spike hated that. This whole wish was an easy option. He sighed, closing his eyes and trying to picture happy thoughts.

He went to sleep feeling sorely homesick.

The Last Party

A pit of emotions, unsettled in Spike’s stomach, was what caused him to awaken. His eyelids shot open and it was as if he had never been asleep at all. He didn’t feel tired at all. In fact, he felt more alert than normal.

The darkness of the room told him that it was still a few good hours until morning proper, so it’d be wise to go back to sleep. There was one small issue preventing him from doing so, however. The issue of Twilight Sparkle.

Admittedly he should have tried harder to make her feel better, but that was a difficult task considering the state he was in at the time. He felt slightly better now though, so it couldn’t hurt to check.

He rolled over, staring at the small bed besides his. His heart skipped a beat when he found that she wasn’t there but his mind kept him in check, telling him that she wouldn’t have left the library in the dark.

Getting out of bed, he peered over the library’s main room. Despite the darkness, he could tell that Twilight wasn’t there either. Biting his lip, he briskly but quietly headed into the room where Twilight had gone off to last night.

There she was, face down in a book, fast asleep with Smarty Pants leaning against her side. A light smile crept on Spike’s face as he slowly went over to her, picking her up gently and cradling her in his arms. She was snoring, but only gently.

The doors to the balcony were open, a cold draft blowing into the room. Frowning a bit, Spike approached them to cut off the wind yet as he saw the night sky, he couldn’t help but wander onto the balcony itself for a little star gazing. He laughed as he looked up, thinking that a shooting star appearing right now would be really convenient.

It wouldn’t be right though.

No, something told him that he couldn’t leave in secrecy. That’s why he had Pinkie make arrangements for a party. A celebration that looked towards the future, he supposed. A celebration of everyone’s lives. Or in simple terms: a party with friends.

Twilight shifted in Spike’s arm slightly, getting herself comfortable. He looked down at her, deciding that now would be the best time to be sincere without upsetting her.

“Twilight...I...I’m sorry. I messed up again and it affected everyone. But mostly you and...” He swallowed a lump that formed in his throat. “I hope that you’ll forgive me. I’ve learnt. I really have this time! I--” Spike cut himself off, realizing that he was getting a bit animated.

He walked back inside, closing the doors behind him with his tail. Once he reached the beds, he set Twilight down carefully in her bed and wrapped the covers around her. He then went back for Smarty Pants, putting the doll securely by Twilight’s side. She smiled, hugging the toy and letting out a satisfied sigh.

Spike nodded to himself and slipped back into his own bed. He felt better now...but he knew that there was more to come. He closed his eyes and got himself comfortable, readying himself for sleep.

When Spike woke up again, he had a quick breakfast and was out of the door before Twilight was up. As much as he would have liked to see how Twilight was feeling, he needed to check out on Pinkie’s party progress.

The town was quiet with only a few ponies walking around, no doubt attending to their morning errands. Hopefully Sugarcube corner would be open by this time. Even if it wasn’t, he hoped Pinkie would be up. Then again, Spike didn’t think that Pinkie would be one to have a lie in.

Unfortunately, when he got to the door he found the ‘closed’ sign hanging freely. He tried his luck anyway, lightly rapping on the door with his knuckles. To his surprise, the door opened almost immediately, but only by a tiny bit.

Two blue eyes stared at him from the dark room within. “Go away!”

The door then quickly slammed shut.

Spike rolled his eyes, not in the mood for one of Pinkie’s shenanigans. He knocked on the door again and it opened swiftly once more.

“Didn’t you hear me silly billy? I said--”

Spike put his foot in the door, eyeing Pinkie. “Pinkie, I need to check if everything’s ready for tonight.”

Pinkie didn’t open the door any further. Instead she raised an eyebrow and looked upward, thinking. “Hmmm...nope! Sorry Spike!”

“Wait!” Spike cried, before Pinkie could squish his foot in the doorway. “Why not?”

“Becaaaaause it’s going to be a surprise!” Pinkie giggled, rubbing Spike’s head affectionately before gently pushing him out of the door.

“Fine! I guess...” Spike groaned, letting Pinkie move him. He trusted that Pinkie would have this covered, but he still wanted to check out progress himself. This needed to be the best party ever. Twilight--no--everyone deserved this. “I’ll see you later then.”

“Yep! I’ll let you know when it’s everything ready!” The door shut then opened again in less than a second. Somehow. “Wait wait wait wait!”

“Pinkie, I haven’t even moved,” Spike deadpanned, still standing on the steps to the establishment.

“Can you go and check on Dashie for me? I wanna know if she’s in a well enough to party hard!”

Spike nodded. “Oka--”

“Thanks Spike! See you later!” The door slammed shut for the final time and everything was quiet. Spike shook his head and headed away from the building. He’d originally planned to help Pinkie set up but clearly she was having none of it. So he may as well have used every excuse he could to kill time.

Except he didn’t really know where Rainbow Dash could be. Either she was in her cloud home, in hospital, or was well enough to be flying around Ponyville. What he did know was that out of anyone, it was probably Fluttershy who knew where she was. With that in mind, Spike had his next destination set and briskly walked towards it.

In the morning light, Fluttershy’s cottage looked extremely tranquil. Butterflies flitted about from vibrant flowers, birds let out their beautiful morning songs...Fluttershy didn’t have the biggest, most regal house in Equestria, but by Celestia it was probably the prettiest. Spike found it hard to deny that.

A tiny sparrow saw Spike coming and dived into a small hole in the house. Not aware of this, Spike was surprised to see Fluttershy open the door before he had even reached it.

“Good morning Spike,” Fluttershy said in her usual soft tone.

“Er, hey Fluttershy. How’d you know I was coming?” Spike asked as he approached.

Fluttershy smiled sweetly, raising a hoof and allowing the sparrow from before to land on it. “This little guy told me.”

Spike blinked in confusion, “Oh yeah. I forgot you speak bird.”

“Oh no, I’m just a good listener,” Fluttershy explained, yet to Spike that made even less sense.

“Yeah...anyways, do you know where Rainbow Dash is?”

“Oh, you’re in luck. She’s right here!” Fluttershy stepped aside, allowing Spike to enter her home.

On Fluttershy’s couch was a reclining Rainbow Dash, bandaged up in many places. Mostly her limbs and body, but also a few on her wings too. Despite this, she didn’t seem worse for wear. In fact, she looked really bored, lying down and her head resting on her forehooves.

“Hey Spike,” she greeted blandly.

“Hey Rainbow Dash,” Spike replied as Fluttershy gently closed the door behind him, “Whatcha doing at Fluttershy’s?”

“Well after she got patched up at the hospital, I couldn’t risk her flying to her cloud home and get hurt, so I let her stay at my cottage.” Fluttershy went over to Rainbow Dash, standing next to her as if she were the daredevil’s guard dog.

“Pretty much. Only replace ‘I let her’ with, ‘I begged her’.” Rainbow Dash sighed, then turned her head to look at Spike. “You know how she gets.”

“Mhm,” Spike responded, with a relaxed nod. In all honesty, he’d love to get taken care of by Fluttershy. He could picture it now: himself wrapped up in a nice warm blanket, with a cup of delicious hot chocolate. There was a time when he’d consider faking a cold to get that treatment--he knew now that would be a very bad idea.

“So, you’ll be up and about soon then?”

“As long as Doctor Fluttershy lets me.” Rainbow blew part of her mane away from her eyes.

“You’ll be fine later,” Fluttershy said, then hastily added, “As long as you don’t do any stunts or extreme flying for a while.”

Rainbow prodded her ‘Doctor’ with a wingtip. “Fluttershy, I’ll be fine. Stop being such a worry wart.”

The yellow pegasus backed off somewhat. “Um, yes, maybe I am worrying a bit too much...”

Rainbow withdrew her wing. “I know that it’s because you care, and I appreciate it. But sometimes it’s a bit much, okay?” Fluttershy nodded in quiet understanding.

“Looks like you’ve got this all under control, Fluttershy,” Spike said, heading back to the front door. “I’ll see you two later!”

“Take care Spike,” Fluttershy replied, while Rainbow simply waved a lazy hoof. Spike then closed the door and walked away from the cottage.

Now to kill time.

The library was quiet, save the occasional turning of a page. Twilight and Spike sat with different books, eyes focused on the writing. The dragon was bored to death, but Twilight had only given him short responses since he returned. He desperately hoped that Pinkie would summon them soon.

Spike lied down on his stomach and propped his head up with his hand. Soon, his eyes drifted from the words to the wall in front of him. Just how was tonight going to go down anyway? Would he just have to keep an eye out for the shooting star? Wait, no, Princess Celestia said she’d personally come down.

To the party.

Spike looked back to the book to rid himself of those thoughts. Luckily for him, it wasn’t long before a better distraction came.

“Guys!” came a loud shriek from Pinkie. Spike and Twilight looked around the room, only to find Pinkie’s head jutting out from one of the bookshelves. Somehow. “Sugarcube Corner! Noooow!!” She left just as quick as she came.

Twilight closed her book, rising up and wandered over to the door. Spike was quick to follow her, closing the door behind them as they exited.

“I wonder what she wants us there for...” Spike mused.

“Probably cupcakes,” Twilight answered bluntly, looking ahead.

“Maybe, yeah.” Spike glanced at Twilight, then looked away. They couldn’t be at the party soon enough.

They made their way to Sugarcube Corner, everything seeming normal. When they got to the door, Spike stood aside to let Twilight open it. Except she didn’t, and just looked up at him skeptically.

“Aren’t you going to open it?”

“Mares first,” Spike replied, with a curt nod.

Twilight frowned. “If you’re such a gentlestallion then open the door for me.”

“Er...” Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “No...?”

Twilight let out a sigh. “Fine, I’ll do it if you can’t be bothered.” She stepped forward, pushing open the door with a grunt. The filly blinked, peering only into darkness. “What is thi--”

“SURPRISE!!”

The lights flicked on, revealing Twilight’s five best friends and tons of confetti. Tables were set up with loads of delicious treats, and balloons of all colors were dotted around the room. Twilight’s mouth went agape and she looked back and forth between Spike and the others.

Spike entered the building, snickering lightly. “A farewell party, of sorts, I guess.” He knelt down, looking Twilight in the eyes. “For you, not me.”

Twilight sat down, her eyes tearing up. “You...you did this for me?”

“Well, Pinkie wouldn’t let me help with preparations...but it was my idea.”

Twilight then leapt at Spike, tackling him to the ground and hugging him tightly. “I don’t know what to say...I-I’ve never had a party like this before...” She snuggled her head against Spike’s chest affectionately. “Thank you Spike.”

“No problem,” Spike replied, gently rubbing Twilight’s mane. She giggled sweetly and got off Spike, looking at the festivities.

“Time to get this party started!” Pinkie cried at the top of her lungs, getting a record step up. The speakers dotted around the room blasted into life, and the atmosphere of a great party was quickly established. Pinkie leapt into the middle of the room and proceeded to shake her stuff wildly.

“Let’s get our groove on!”

The party was now in full swing. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were playing a rather heated game of darts, while Pinkie and Twilight busted out their dance moves in the centre of the room. Upbeat, catchy electro music played throughout. Spike leant against a table, a glass of punch in his claw, watching Twilight dance, when Rarity came to his side.

“Awfully adorable, isn’t she?” the dressmaker asked.

“Hm, I’d use something like...adorkable.” Spike took a sip of punch.

Rarity gave him a blank stare. “Pardon?”

Spike looked back, equally as blank. “Nevermind.” He looked back to Twilight, who was doing some sort of...dance. It was probably more appropriate to call it ‘hoof flailing’. “She’s happy though, which means this worked.”

“Mhm,” Rarity agreed. “Personally, I enjoy Pinkie’s parties more than any in Canterlot.”

“Shame your sister and her friends aren’t here though.” Spike paused. “Actually, no, it’s probably better that they’re not.”

“What do you mean, darling?” Rarity levitated her own glass of punch and took a gentle sip.

“Did I tell you that Princess Celestia was coming?” Rarity nearly choked on her drink, then slapped Spike around the face. “Ow!”

“How could you leave out such an important detail?!”

“I just forgot! Okay?!” Spike retorted, rubbing his red cheek. As much as it would’ve been nice for Twilight to have the Crusaders here, they didn’t know about the whole wish situation, so it probably would’ve ended badly.

Rarity huffed. “Fine.” She took a longer sip of her drink, then peered at it carefully. “Hm. Good. I don’t think this one had Gummy in it.”

Spike blinked. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Er, okay.”

The two fell into a companionable silence, watching Twilight and Pinkie strut their stuff. The filly had her limbs wiggling rhythmically in all possible directions, but it didn’t match up to the beat of the music at all. That didn’t really matter though, considering how much she was enjoying herself.

Spike tapped his glass, thinking back to yesterday. Rarity had kissed him...but, did she really mean it? He looked over to her, admiring her beautiful mane. Only one way to find out...

“Rarity.” Spike coughed. “Do you...you know...”

The mare’s ears twitched once. “Go on?”

“Uh...” Damn. He was hoping she’d catch on. He lowered his gaze slightly, avoiding her eyes. “Do you...like ‘like’ me?”

“Oh, um...” She stared into her drink for a short while. “I believe so, yes.”

Well, that was it. The mare of Spike’s dreams was returning the feelings he had for her. And his circumstances had to ruin everything...

There was a brief, somewhat awkward silence, before Spike spoke. “Oh. I’m sorry, then.”

“Whatever for?”

“You know it--we--can’t have happened. All because of my mistake.” Spike sighed and looked into his glass, finding only a tiny puddle of punch left.

“Spike, even if everything didn’t have to go back to normal, there’s no guarantee that it would’ve worked. I accept that. We’re two different species Spike, can’t you think of any issues that might come up with that?”

She had a point there. Spike blocked it out, but Rarity continued.

“Besides, this isn’t about me. It’s about you and Twilight.” She pointed at the filly, giggling at Pinkie’s dance move, the ‘funky chicken’. “She deserves her old life Spike. Just as you do.”

Spike let out another sigh, heavier than the first. Rarity went closer to him, putting her own glass down. “You never told us why you made the wish in the first place.”

“It’s...” Spike trailed off, focusing his thoughts. If he could confess now, he’d have an easier time explaining it to Twilight back in the normal world.

“I was Twilight’s assistant. Her ‘number one assistant’.” He laughed lightly, taking comfort in some of the nostalgia. “And I liked that. I felt...important, you know? I didn’t feel like the odd one out I...I felt like I belonged. For years, it was pretty much just her and me. Then she moved to Ponyville. I thought it was good for her--really, I did--but gradually she got more involved with you guys...I kinda got left behind, I guess.”

Spike felt Rarity’s foreleg go around his shoulders, then he heard her voice, soft and reassuring. “You need to talk to her about this, Spike. Have a sit down, just you two, and talk. It sounds like she’s just gotten a little distracted and needs a simple reminder.”

Spike shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”

“I wasn't guessing.” Her tone was firm, for just a moment, but then it lightened up again. “I know that it’ll work. Trust me, Spike.”

Her words brought a small smile to his face. “Thanks Rarity.” He gave her a hug, which she gladly returned.

“It’s quite alright, Spike. Now try and enjoy the rest of the party, hm?”

“Yeah, I’ll tr--” Even with the speakers blasting out music, the pair could hear the sound of flapping wings and hooves landing outside. Everypony in the room stopped what they were doing and stared outside. It was dark, but they could just make out two, big silhouettes.

Spike bit his lip, breaking away from Rarity. “I guess not.”

The door swung open, and the two Princesses of Equestria strode in. Both of their faces were stern, but they didn’t direct their glances towards anyone in particular. Pinkie stopped the music as the two alicorns looked around the room. The two smiled, but they both had a essence of sadness to them.

The Princesses walked towards the stairs, Applejack lowering her hat in respect as they went past. Celestia gestured for Spike to follow them with a single look, and he immediately obeyed.

“How soon?” he asked, his voice weak and full of worry.

“Very soon,” Luna answered. “I shall instruct you when to make the wish.”

Spike nodded quickly and the trio went down the hallway and up more stairs, going into Pinkie’s room. They scaled one more set of stairs before finally arriving on the top balcony, gazing up at the stars.

Twilight chased after them, nearly tripping up the stairs in her hurry. “It can’t happen! Not now! Please!” she pleaded as she went through the balcony doorway.

The three turned around, seeing the filly tearing up below them. Spike wanted to look away, but he knew he couldn’t. She looked so sad, it was unbearable.

Celestia wrapped a wing around Twilight, kneeling down beside her. “I’m so sorry you have to make this sacrifice, Twilight.” Spike was stunned by the sincerity of Celestia’s words. Throughout all his life, he had never seen her speak so emotionally, so...heartfelt. “But know that you never alone. Not here, and not in the original world.”

Twilight held onto Celestia, tears streaming down her cheeks. “But it’s not fair!”

By now, Luna had to look away. The others downstairs, had just come up and looked on with regret.

Luna gave Spike a quick glance. “I suggest making your goodbyes now, Spike.”

“Y-Yeah...” Spike walked over to the others, his legs shaking. They all gave him a small, but reassuring smile. “So this is i-it...”

“Aw c’mon Spike. This ain’t the end. I’ll still be just as awesome when this is done with.” Rainbow snickered, then held out a hoof. Spike met it with his fist and the pair gave each other a nod of respect. “You did good.”

“Thanks. S-So did you, yesterday.” Spike gave her a thumbs up, and she smiled at the recognition.

“Oh, p-please be careful!” Fluttershy squeaked, rubbing her foreleg nervously.

Luna opened her mouth to say something, but let Spike do it instead. “I’ll be fine, Fluttershy. And thanks for being a good friend to Twilight. I don’t think she could’ve come out of her shell without you.”

Fluttershy went forward and enveloped Spike in a warm embrace. “Please, don’t worry about it.”

“As long as you don’t worry about me, then we have a deal,” Spike retorted, with a sly grin. The others let out a light laugh, which helped relieve some of the tension immensely.

Fluttershy let go of Spike and as soon as she backed off, the dragon was put in a crushing hug by Pinkie. “Bye for now Spike! Remember: the party never ends!!”

Spike coughed out a response, “Ack--I’ll try Pinkie, thanks.” Pinkie relieved him of her hold, then bounced backwards.

“Like Rainbow said, ya done good Spike. We’re all proud of ya,” Applejack said, placing a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Whatever happens, know that ya came back a better pony--er, dragon.”

Spike chuckled at the farmer’s mistake, and gave her a hug. Her embrace wasn’t as strong as Pinkie’s, but Spike elt far more secure. “Thanks for everything, Applejack.”

“Can’t say I did as much as ya, heh, but thanks.” Applejack let go, which left one more mare to go.

Rarity stepped forward slowly. “Farewell Spike, at least for now. When you get back home, please, use my advice.”

Spike nodded once. “I will Rarity. I promise.”

“Good...” Rarity turned to go, but hesitated, and wrapped up Spike in a embrace. Out of all the hugs he had received, this one was by far the most bittersweet. They stayed their for only a short while, before parting ways. Rarity wiped her eyes and stepped back. “Goodbye, Spike.”

“Bye, Rarity.” Spike stood there for a few moments, then took a deep breath and turned around. There was one final thing he needed to do.

The dragon approached Twilight and sat down by her. She was sobbing into Celestia’s side, but looked at Spike as soon as he started to speak.

“Twilight...” And then he lost the words.

The filly moved over to him, hugging him tightly. “I don’t want to go...”

Spike wrapped his arms around Twilight, and gently stroked her mane comfortingly. Celestia looked on, her expression neutral. Yet when Spike glanced up at her, he could see a glimmer of somberness.

“I know...I-I...” Spike could feel tears running down his face. “I’m sorry!” The two wept together, trying to hold onto to each other for as long as they could. Spike lifted Twilight’s face so their eyes locked. “But you’ll always be my b-best friend and my s-sister, okay?” Twilight sniffled, nodding slowly. “And nothing...nothing will change that. I promise.”

Twilight wiped her eyes, but the tears kept coming. “O-Okay Spike...I love you.”

“I love you too, Twilight.”

“Prepare yourself, Spike,” Luna announced, peering up at the night sky.

The dragon looked at Celestia, who nodded firmly at him. He looked back at the others, all of their eyes watering. Finally, he looked down at Twilight. “Goodbye, Twilight.”

He stood up, having to force Twilight away from him gently, even if it hurt him deeply. She watched him go, outstretching a hoof for him. Celestia embraced her with her wing once more, and nuzzled the filly comfortingly.

Spike leant against the balcony and stared up, his breaths shuddered and deep. Then, there was only silence. Spike put his hands together and waited. The night sky was brighter than ever before and it was beautiful. The moon hung in the sky, dimly illuminating the land below.

Suddenly, a flash of brilliant white streaked across the sky. Spike closed his eyes and furrowed his brows. “I wish everything was back to the way it should be!”

He opened his eyes and peered at the stars, holding his breath. The shooting star had gone, and nothing was happening.

A hopeful smile appeared on Twilight’s face, and she laughed slightly. “D-Didn’t it work?”

Luna closed her eyes, and her horn emanated her magical aura. The glowing quickly stopped and the alicorn opened her eyes, looking at Twilight with sad eyes.

“No...” Twilight looked down, beginning to sob once more.

Spike stared at everyone on the balcony. This was it. His mouth hung agape slightly as he looked down at Twilight. She managed to catch his gaze and looked back. For just a brief moment, through all the tears, they managed to give each other a smile.

Suddenly Spike rubbed his head, groaning in pain. He gritted his teeth, enduring the migraine that had just come over him. Everyone else looked at him in concern, but Spike still managed to crack another smile.

“I’ll see you all soon.”

Before he knew it, the world flashed white . He shielded his eyes from the intensity of it all, but caught a brief look of what lay before him: nothing but an empty, white void. His migraine then overpowered him, numbing his senses and sending him to his knees.

It wasn’t long before he was unconscious.

Home at Last

“Bwah!”

Spike shot up, breathing heavily. He took a quick look at his surroundings. Back in the library. Morning, by the looks of it.

He hastily ripped his bedsheets off himself and grinned instantly--it had worked. He flexed his claws and toes just to make sure they were real. Then, he leapt out of his small bed and quietly cheered to himself, raising a fist into the air. It never felt so good to be so small.

At the end of his bed was Peewee in his nest, sleeping soundly. Spike beamed at the sight of his pet and leant over him.

“Hey Peewee,” he whispered, as the phoenix hatchling let out a big yawn, eyes still closed.

Twilight’s bed was empty, but the bedsheets had been neatly made. Spike sniffed the air, detecting a delectable scent in the air: pancakes. He licked his lips with glee and began to drool at the mere thought of getting some of them into his stomach.

The whelp rushed down the stairs but stopped just before entering the kitchen. He slowly turned the corner and there she was, flipping pancakes.

Twilight stood at the kitchen counters, her horn glowing and various kitchen utensils floating besides her. She flicked the frying pan, sending a pancake flipping into the air before landing exactly where it took off from. She smirked in light of her skill, humming a little tune.

She was back to normal. Everything was.

It almost felt weird, seeing her like this again. She looked secure, assured and even a little bit arrogant. Yet she was still the same old Twilight that Spike had come to cherish.

He couldn’t stand around any longer, and rushed to the mare’s side, giving her a big hug. “Twilight! You’re back to normal! You’re okay!”

The unicorn yelped in surprise, but managed to maintain her magic. She looked down at the dragon, raising a curious eyebrow. “Of course I am, Spike. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Spike blinked. He probably could’ve said all that a bit better. “Uh...just messing with you,” he lied, grinning sheepishly.

“Er, okay then...” Twilight gave him a suspicious look, then gestured to the table. “Breakfast is almost done!”

Spike sat himself down, awaiting his meal. “Why didn't you wake me up?”

Twilight paused, her utensils frozen in the air. “I...don’t really know.” She shook her head, smiling. “It doesn’t really matter. You’re awake now.”

Spike bit his lip, staring at the librarian. For a moment, he was worried that he’d done something else to her, like wipe her memory. But she wasn’t having any of those migraines, so she seemed fine.

Soon enough, Twilight put down plates, cutlery and the food down on the table. Each of them had two cupcakes each, with a blob of butter on them. Twilight sat herself down, getting a newspaper and reading it in front of her as she ate.

“Hey Twilight, can I have chocolate sauce on these?” Spike asked.

“No you can’t. We’ve run out and even if we did have some left, I wouldn’t want you covering them in the sauce like last time,” Twilight answered sternly, but she wasn’t outright scolding him. Spike couldn't help but hid a smile from her. Strangely, the fact that she was in charge of him again felt good. He felt safe and without any weights dragging him down.

Also, she’d remembered the time when Spike got the table covered in chocolate sauce and had to like it all up. Good times. Good, messy times.

“Okay then,” Spike said simply, tucking into his meal. He savoured the taste, making a noise of satisfaction. “Mmmmmm! These are great!”

“Thanks Spike.” Twilight lowered her newspaper, grinning at the dragon. “Even if you say that every time I make them.”

“Only because it’s true!” Spike defended, then took another bite.

Twilight went back to reading. “I had the weirdest dream last night. Really weird.”

Spike gestured for her to carry on with a wave of his claw. “Go on.”

“I dreamt that I was a filly again. Already that’s a little strange, but anyways: you were in my dream too. And you must have been taller than I am now!” She pointed at Spike. “You took care of me, kind of like I do now, I suppose. There was also this party with all our friends but...” Her mood suddenly went melancholy. “I can’t remember much else after that...”

Spike almost dropped his cutlery in shock, but recovered when he saw Twilight’s sad face. “What’s wrong?”

The librarian furrowed her brows. “I don’t know. Just thinking of that dream makes me feel sad, but also happy too.” She flicked the newspaper, putting her attention back to it. “Odd.”

“Yeah, you said it...” Spike stared at his pancake, going quiet.

“Oh, before I forget--I’m going to see Rainbow Dash today,” Twilight stated. “She asked me a couple of days ago to time her in some new stunt she’s been practicing.”

Spike stopped himself from taking another mouthful and put his fork down. “About that...”

The mare looked at him suspiciously. “Hm?”

This was it. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

“Listen Twilight. We need to talk.”

Twilight put down her newspaper, looking at Spike with concern. “Okay then...what about?”

Spike exhaled deeply. “That dream...was real.”

The mare stared at him bluntly. “Spike, if you’re going to talk nonsense, then I’m not interested

,” she berated, going back to her newspaper.

“No! This is serious, Twilight! You need to listen!” Spike slammed a fist on the table, stealing the librarian’s attention. She looked at him with wide, surprised eyes and awaited his explanation.

“Lately, I’ve been feeling...” Spike mused over his choice of words--he’d have to pick them carefully. “Annoyed at you. You’ve been hanging out with the others almost all the time and leaving hardly any for me. You just stick me here to my thing by myself, ignoring all that we’ve been through together!”

Twilight’s ears lowered. “I’m sorry about that Spike, but, I don’t see what this has anything to do with--”

Spike held out a claw. “Let me finish. So one night I saw a shooting star and made a wish and...we kinda swapped lives. I was like you and you were like me. You were a filly, who could barely do any magic at all and didn’t have many friends. At first I thought it was great! But then I started to feel really bad for you and I tried my hardest to set things right. You learnt some magic and I got you some friends. Heck, you were even a Cutie Mark Crusader! Then another shooting star came and I made another wish and...here we are.”

Spike bit his lip fiddled with his claws anxiously, watching Twilight. Her face was a blank slate, completely unreadable.

“But I’m really really sorry Twilight for doing so stupid!” he cried desperately, his voice cracking up occasionally. “I’ve learnt my lesson and I’ll never ever do something so stupid again, I promise!”

There was a brief pause before Twilight spoke. “Spike.”

That single word made the dragon feel like his guts had just been twisted with a knife. Waves of guilt washed over him, as he looked down, awaiting his punishment. He deserved it.

“Why are you apologizing?”

Spike looked up to see Twilight looking just as apologetic as he was. “What...? You believe me?”

“It’s a crazy story, but you sound sincere enough to make it believable.” The mare shuffled over, wiping a tear away from Spike’s cheek. “I’m really sorry for acting the way I have been, Spike. I just thought--” She froze for a moment and Spike could just see a glimmer if that insecurity he saw when she was a filly. “I thought you liked being my number one assistant. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I do, honestly! But...” By this point, Spike wasn’t thinking about what he was saying. He felt it. “I thought that the easiest solution was the best, but it just made everything worse. I should’ve told you about it earlier and for that, I am sorry. I know that was my fault. But...there is some silver lining to all this.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side slightly. “Hm?”

“I’ve learnt so much. I know what I’m good at now--being your assistant.” Spike put his hands on his chest. “That’s me. That’s who I am and nothing can change that. I won’t ever be you, and you won’t ever be me. But that doesn’t mean I have to be stuck to my role all the time. I should have the time to go out and...just have fun, really.”

Twilight then pulled Spike into an embrace, nuzzling his head lovingly. “I’m sorry for forgetting what we have together, Spike. Our lives have completely changed. I still remember wandering Canterlot Castle’s halls with only you by my side. And now we live here, a town where everypony seems to know each other! I guess we’re still adjusting to it all...” Spike could see her eyes watering. “But we can do that together. Promise.”

Spike responded by hugging Twilight even tighter. The two then sat there together for a few moments, letting their embrace do the talking.

Spike was the first to speak up again. “So, can you remember it all now?”

Twilight rubbed her head. “Well no...it still feels like a dream to me, rather than an experience. It doesn’t feel like it actually happened.” She shook her head, dispelling those thoughts. “Come on, let’s finish breakfast and go see Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said, breaking away from Spike and going back to her meal, although she was somewhat reluctant about it.

“You got it!” Spike cheered, then let his tongue fly out of his mouth and wrap around the rest of his pancake. It was gone in only a few seconds, followed by a large gulping sound.

Twilight rolled her eyes, snickering. “That always disgusts me and fascinates me at the same time.”

Spike grinned confidently, puffing out his chest. “What can I say? I’m a pretty cool dragon.”

“Five point seven seconds! A new record!” Twilight announced, showing Rainbow Dash the timer as the athlete landed.

“Bah! That isn’t nearly fast enough!” Rainbow Dash protested, flexing her wings.

“I dunno, Rainbow. Looks impressive enough to me,” Spike added. Performing five corkscrews in that time certainly looked brilliant enough. Then again, Rainbow didn’t let anyone beat her. Not even herself...strange as that sounded.

“Spike’s right. You shouldn’t exert yourself too much,” Twilight advised, prompting a groan from Rainbow.

“Fine. I’ll take a break. But I’ll get back to it later, you’ll see.” The pegasus then reclined on the grass next to her companions.

“So, how’s Scootaloo doing?” the whelp asked.

“How the hay should I know?” Rainbow put on leg over the other, gazing up at the sky, forelegs propping up the back of her head.

Her retort confused Spike for a little while. Spike thought that Rainbow was already training the little filly. So...how much did he actually change? He shivered at the thought of it, but the others didn’t notice.

“Maybe you should give her some lessons in flying,” Spike offered casually. “You could show off your awesomeness that way.”

Rainbow rubbed her chin with a hoof. “That’s not a bad idea, actually. Yeah, I’ll go do that sometime.”

“Yoohoo!”

The trio raised themselves to see Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie coming towards them. Twilight gave the newcomers and wave and trotted over to them.

“Hey girls!” Twilight greeted, and they all responded in turn. Rainbow and Spike joined them shortly and the gang was all together.

“What y’all doin’ here?” Applejack queried.

Rainbow brushed her chest. “Just been practicing an awesome trick. Five corkscrews in five point five seconds,” she announced, trying not to sound impressed with herself.

“Five point seven,” Twilight corrected.

Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively towards the librarian. “Whatever.”

“That sounds mighty impressive, Rainbow.” The farmer gave the flyer a cocky grin. “But I betcha can’t ever beat ma applebuckin’ record.”

Rainbow didn’t take the bait. Or at least, she acted like she didn’t. “Well that’s just unfair; I don’t buck apples every day like you do.”

“Yes, well, us four were heading to Sugarcube Corner, if you’d like to come with,” Rarity said, going on to continue, if it weren’t for Pinkie.

“Yeah! The Cakes made this new type of cupcake and it’s really really good so we should go over there right now and have some!” The energetic pony bounced up and down repeatedly on the spot.

“Um, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Fluttershy mentioned, her voice soft and polite as always.

Rainbow shrugged half-heartedly. “Well, I was gonna get back to flying but...I guess cupcakes sounds good too.”

“I’d love to come!” Twilight looked down to Spike, smiling gently. “How about you, Spike?”

“Obviously!” Spike cried, leaping onto Twilight’s back.

Rarity came over to the dragon, rubbing the top of his head affectionately.“Aaaaw Spike, you’re such an adorable thing aren’t you?”

Spike couldn’t help but blush. “Heh, I guess I am.” Though as nice as Rarity’s compliment was, it confirmed one thing: she still saw him as a friend. Her slightly patronising tone towards him told him that much. A part of him regretted leaving behind a world where he may have gotten together with her, but another told him that maybe, just maybe, he still had a chance.

At the very least, he still had her as a friend.

“Come on guys! Let’s go! Otherwise all the new cupcakes might be gone!!” Pinkie yelled, pushing Rainbow Dash along.

“Yeah, okay Pinkie, we get it.” The athlete sighed and flew up into the air, making Pinkie almost trip over.

“Onward!” Spike shouted, pointing a finger out into the distance. “To glory! And cupcakes!”

His hammy ‘war cry’ resulted in everyone else giggling at him. But that was just fine--things finally felt right. As the group headed over to Sugarcube Corner, Spike looked at each of his friends, smiling contently. He was a part of their group. No, he was their friend. And he wasn't the center of attention either. No one was.

"Hey Spike?" came the quiet voice of Fluttershy. "How are you today?"

Spike smile grew as he answered assuredly: "Pretty fantastic! How about you?"

"Oh that's good to hear. And I'm feeling pretty fantastic too, but I always feel like that around my wonderful friends," Fluttershy answered sweetly.

"Yeah, they are pretty wonderful." Spike looked at the others, chatting merrily to each other. He raised his voice in order to get their attention. "Hey guys?"

Everypony stopped in their tracks and turned their heads, waiting for Spike to go on. "I just wanted to say: I'm so glad we're friends." Okay, so it was a bit sappy, but he wanted to say it. It was the truth, anyway.

A chorus of 'aaaws' came from the others (except Rainbow Dash). Pinkie then suddenly pounced at Spike, knocking him off Twilight and onto the ground.

"We're super duper glad we're friends with you too, Spike!!" Pinkie exclaimed, holding Spike in a powerful cuddle.

"Heh, okay Pinkie you can--wait guys! Noooo!!" Spike couldn't do anything to stop the rest of the gang from piling onto him, gathering around in a massive group hug. It hurt quite a bit, getting crushed by six full grown mares, but it also felt good too. He belonged here, with them. Nothing could change that.

Unless he kept getting squashed by everypony. "Guys...get off before my bones break..." Spike weakly called out from the bottom of the pile.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie chirped, bouncing off Spike, the others following suit in less dramatic ways.

"Hey everypony!" Rainbow Dash shouted, pointing in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. "Last one there is a stinky ol' mule!"

"Oh, you're on," Applejack replied, her eyes narrowed. She set down her hat and started galloping off into the distance besides Rainbow, the two pretty even with each other.

Rarity picked up her pace a little. "Well I suppose a little gallop will do me some good." The dressmaker then broke off into a full gallop, leaving the others behind.

"Oh wait! Don't leave me behind!" Fluttershy squeaked, going as fast as her legs would take her.

That just left two behind. Twilight and Spike looked at each other, nodding in understanding. The mare lifted the dragon onto her back with her magic. "You ready, Spike?"

"Chaaaaaaaarge!!" Spike extended an arm, giving the order. He then held on for dear life as Twilight bolted ahead, the wind rushing through her mane. Spike cheered her on, laughing with childish glee as they overtook Fluttershy and Rarity.

It felt great to be back.

“Shush Peewee! Just lemme do this.” Spike put a finger to his lips as the phoenix chick hopped after him, glowing in the darkness of the library.

Twilight was asleep, after getting a belly full of sugary treats. She nearly threw up, much to Rainbow and Spike’s amusement. Spike didn’t suffer from such a problem, even after engaging in an eating contest with Pinkie. Surprisingly, Applejack joined in for a bit, revealing just how big of an appetite she had. Spike snickered quietly as he remembered the faces Fluttershy and Rarity had when he walked up to them, face covered in icing and crumbs. None of them seemed to have the same 'dreams' Twilight had but maybe that was for the best.

With the help of Peewee’s natural light, Spike found some parchment and a writing quill with ink. He was having a good sleep, but he suddenly woke up with a drive to do this.

In the library’s main room, he lay down and put his things in front of him. Peewee sat next to him, looking at his owner with anticipation.

“I figured that this would probably be a good thing,” Spike whispered. He then flexed his fingers and started scribbling on the parchment.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learnt...well, I learnt a lot of things! I learnt that if you’re good at a job, you should try your best to embrace it because no one else might be able to do that job as good as you can. But that shouldn’t be an excuse to let it drag you down. You should be able to balance work and fun whenever you can.

That leads me onto what I learnt next: responsibility is a pretty tough thing to be able to manage, but it’s really important. Everyone has their responsibilities and they should try their best to stick to them. More ponies should be like you, Princess, because I’m sure you have the most responsibilities of all!

Finally, I learnt that if you have a problem with your friends, you shouldn’t try to avoid it. If you do, you’ll probably end up making things worse for yourself. Instead, you should talk to them about it and make sure they know why you have a problem with them. If they’re truly your friend, they’ll understand.

Your Faithful Student,

Spike the Dragon

Spike looked over his writing and nodded in satisfaction. He then rolled up the parchment into a scroll and put it to his lips. He puffed out green fire, enveloping the scroll and sending it off to Canterlot Castle. Hopefully Celestia wouldn’t mind him sending it at night, but he had before and she had never taken him up about it.

The whelp yawned, making his pet yawn too. “Come on Peewee, let’s get some sleep.” He tiptoed up the stairs, smirking as he heard snores coming from Twilight. He slipped into his bed and Peewee hopped into his nest.

Spike curled up in his bed and closed his eyes. “Goodnight Peewee. We definitely don’t wanna be tired for the picnic tomorrow.” It wouldn’t be long before he was deep asleep, dreaming of the fun he’d have the next day.

A Final Glimpse

Twilight’s eyes rapidly flickered open. “Hello?! Where am I?!”

She was in a seemingly endless white void, her voice echoing off into the distance. She couldn’t see anypony around. There wasn’t even gravity to keep her company.

She turned around in the air, spotting something else that was white. But this was one of the most powerful creatures she had ever known.

“Mom!” Twilight swam through the air, making her way to Celestia. The Princess’ horn glowed furiously, her eyes closed. She opened them slowly and it was easily apparent how tired she was.

Twilight stopped, floating before her surrogate mother. “What’s wrong?! What’s happened?!”

“Everything will be fine, Twilight.” Celestia smiled weakly, pulling the filly over to her with her huge wing. “I just wanted to show you something. Something very special.”

Twilight’s eyes darted around. “What? There’s nothing here!”

The sound of magic being cast could be heard, as a beam of yellow magic went from Celestia’s horn to the space in front of the two. The beam split into two and followed a set path, meeting each other in the middle and forming a flat square. Inside the square, an image materialised. Twilight gawked at the image, rubbing her eyes to make sure it was real.

“Is...is that...?”

“Yes, Twilight. That is you.”

The square presented Twilight as an adult, standing next to her best friends. Her face was the true definition of joy and contentment.

“I look so...happy.” The unicorn looked to Celestia, so many questions in her head. Luckily, the alicorn seemed to have mind reading abilities.

“We are in the void. I have managed to separate ourselves from reality, for just a moment. I wanted to see how you had changed.” Twilight listened to her, but went to staring at her adult self. “And I think you needed to.”

“Do we stay here forever, then?”

“No, for the magic of the wish is too powerful. It is currently setting things straight once again. I have managed to split ourselves off from the real world, but soon the wish’s magic will overpower and we will disappear from this realm and forget that any of this ever happened.” Despite her weary state, her tone was still as patient as ever.

Twilight slowly nodded, becoming more enamoured with herself as an adult. “That’s me...and I look so confident. So satisfied with life...” She blinked, noticing a smaller figure in the image. “And that’s Spike? He looks...” The filly looked down at her hooves, then back at Spike. “A bit like me...how can you do this?”

“Being here allows me to peer into the world and view it from an outsider’s perspective...” Celestia said, sounding fatigued.

The image sparked with magic and it suddenly vanished into thin air. Twilight looked to Celestia, who was visibly strained with the effort of maintaining such a spell.

Twilight snuggled up against the alicorn. “Is it almost time...?”

Celestia looked down, wrapping both wings around the filly, locking the two in an embrace. “Yes, Twilight, it is. Are you scared?”

“Not anymore, no.” Twilight rubbed her head lovingly against her mother, who nuzzled the filly’s head in return. Twilight smiled brightly, but there were tears in her eyes.

“I’m...I’m happy.”

The two stayed there, never breaking apart from one another. They endured their fates and faded from the void.

The Truth Hurts

Twilight lay in the middle of the library’s main room, surrounded by various books and scrolls. She tried to be engrossed in her work but was continually distracted by Spike, who was dusting the room with the broomstick.

“We’re doing this the wrong way round, you know.” Twilight said, looking at Spike.

Spike glanced at Twilight, still brushing, “Huh?”

“Well I’m the one that’s meant to be cleaning. You’re the one that reads.” Twilight looked back at her tome and turned a page.

Spike paused, “Well, why not mix it up? Besides, it’s good practice for you to learn how to track shooting stars.”

Twilight shrugged, “Okay then.”

Spike quietly sighed with relief. He was getting better at these excuses for his slip ups, thank Celestia. He peered at Twilight, pretending to brush by lazily dragging it on the floor.

She had that same look in her eyes. That fierce look of determination and concentration. It looked more intimidating than all the times he had seen her in life or death situations. He could see her eyes moving from left to right as she read through the many words. She looked so much like her older counterpart. The sight was incredibly striking for him.

Twilight then got up and headed to the kitchen. Spike followed her with his eyes as she walked away.

"Didn’t think reading made you so thirsty."

He smirked, glad that he wasn’t the one having to do the research. He slyly spied on Twilight as she got her glass of water.

Her use of magic now was a testament to the strength of her confidence. She was levitating a glass to the sink without much difficult, although Spike heard the occasional grunt now and then. She had to manually turn the tap on and lower the glass until it filled up with water to a suitable height. Taking a swig of the liquid, the bookworm turned off the tap and headed back to her work.

The two continued their duties in silence, Spike keeping a watchful eye on Twilight. She got up a few more times but it was only to put her glass away and retrieve more books.

Knock knock knock.

Twilight raised her head, staring at the door the moment it made noise.

“I’ll get it Twi.” Spike said, casually walking to the library entrance. He guessed that one of his friends wanted to see him but who would it be today? He couldn’t help feeling a little excited.

Swinging open the door, he was met by Rarity. And Fluttershy. And the whole gang apparently.

“Oh, hello guys.” Spike was a little taken aback by their presence.

“We have...” Rarity looked about, “...a problem.” She finished.

“Oh, right. Come in.” Spike stood aside, letting the mares in. Twilight raised her current book so it covered her face.

Rarity opened her mouth but was interrupted by Applejack prodding her side. The strong mare pointed at Twilight then nodded at everyone else. They all seemed to understand, except Spike.

“You’re right.” Rarity stated, trotting the study room with the others. Spike looked at Twilight in confusion, then shook his head and followed.

“So, what’s the problem?” Spike desperately hoped he wouldn’t have to research some obscure pony disease or something equally as mind-boggling.

“Um...well, if we remember memories of you we kinda...” Fluttershy mumbled, looking down.

“It hurts.” Rainbow Dash said bluntly.

“It’s like brain freeze!” Pinkie chattered her teeth and rubbed her head.

Spike gritted his teeth, “Sounds bad...” he racked through his mind in an attempt to come up with a decent excuse, “Um...could be poison joke?”

“Poison joke doesn’t affect the mind.” Rarity narrowed her eyes slightly, “You know that.”

“Yes! Of course I do! It was a joke...” Spike coughed awkwardly. He was beginning to sweat now.

“That wasn’t funny.” Rainbow said somewhat coldly, hovering in the air and folding her forelimbs.

“Well, I’ve never been a great comedian.” Spike put his arms behind his back, fidgeting with his claws. His act was gradually falling to pieces...

“Point taken.” Rainbow replied.

“We’re getting off track here...” Applejack interjected.

“Look. Everypony. I really don’t know what’s wrong here.” Spike stated, holding his arms in front of him.

The gang peered at him carefully. Their glares pierced directly into Spike’s heart, even if (especially in Fluttershy’s case) they weren’t exactly glaring, it felt like it. Sweat trickled down his head and he began to breathe at a slightly faster pace.

“Please, Spike, don’t lie to us.” Rarity said calmly.

“I’m not!” Spike retaliated.

The mares exchanged looks then faced Spike again. “Maybe...it’s a curse?” Spike suggested.

“Now who in Ponyville would curse us?” Rainbow asked.

“Um...I don’t know.” Spike stepped forward, “But that’s why we find out!”

The five once more exchanged looks.

“Please Spike...we’ll understand.” Fluttershy spoke softly.

“That’s what friends do!” Pinkie chirped.

An awkward silence then fell on the group. It was a stalemate. No party was prepared to say anything else. Spike slumped down, looking at them all.

Pinkie Pie. Maybe she wouldn’t mind the truth too much?

Applejack. She could admire Spike for his honesty...

Rainbow Dash. He expected a volatile reaction from her.

Fluttershy. She was too kind to be lied to...

And Rarity. How could he lie to her? If you love someone you need to be honest with them...no matter how much it hurts.

Spike took a deep breath, “I-I made a wish.”

“You wished for this to happen?!” Rainbow zoomed towards Spike, grinding her teeth.

“Rainbow! Let him finish.” Applejack said sternly. Rainbow rolled her eyes and flew back.

Spike rubbed his face, exhaling deeply. He needed to end this. “B-Basically...my wish made me and T-Twilight swap lives.”

He looked down at the floor, avoiding his friends’ gazes. They were silent. No one made any movement. It was as if Spike’s revelation literally killed the moment. He curled up and hid his face in his knees.

“Well...” Pinkie broke the silence, “...that’s so crazy, it has to be true.” She sounded a little unsure of her own statement.

“Does that mean...” Rarity paused, “...that we’re not real...?”

Spike leapt up onto his feet, “No! No! You’re all very real!” he exclaimed.

“But those memories...all the good times we had...” Rarity found herself unable to continue, her eyes began to tear up.

“They’re not real, are they?” Applejack finished, surprisingly calm about the whole thing.

“I don’t think so...” Spike lowered his head, “No.”

“You’re a jerk! Do you know that?!” Rainbow pointed at Spike, looking very enraged, “Oh wait, you do! Because what else can you expect from a selfish, greedy dragon!” her voice broke halfway through her sentence.

She breathed through her nose like an angry Minotaur but sense took hold of her; she flew out of the study room and left the library. In her hurry, she failed to notice Twilight’s research which was now abandoned.

Rainbow’s insult caused Spike to just stand there. He said nothing, he did nothing.

Again, there was an uncomfortable silence.

Spike managed to raise his head to look at his remaining friends. Pinkie Pie looked genuinely confused and lost for words. Applejack looked up, lost in her thoughts. Her brows were furrowed slightly and her lips were straight. Fluttershy looked completely shocked and just stood there, her mouth hanging agape slightly. As for Rarity...

“I-I need to go...” she stuttered, hiding her teary face behind her mane. Without another word, she trotted out in as much as a dignified manner as she could maintain.

Spike watched her go. He had torn down her defences in a matter of seconds. He wasn’t her friend, he was a monster. At the moment, he didn’t deserve any sympathy.

“Me too...” Spike murmured, rushing out of the library. He didn’t know where he was going; he just wanted to be away from those sad faces.

“Spike, wait!” Applejack called out. The dragon didn’t return. Sighing, she looked at the two remaining mares. “You two okay?”

“I...I...I don’t know...” Fluttershy stammered, “But...at least he was honest...” she forced herself to smile gently.

“I feel the same way.” Applejack looked to Pinkie, “How you doing sugarcube?

“I think we all need cupcakes.” The pink mare replied. Applejack couldn’t help but smirk at Pinkie’s statement, true as it was.

“Agreed. C’mon girls.” Applejack put on a brave face, smiling warmly. She led the two out of the library.

“Wait.” Fluttershy stopped in her tracks just as the three reached the door. “Where’s Twilight?” she glanced about the room. The filly was no where to be seen.

“Oh, I hope she didn’t hear...I hope she’s alright.” Fluttershy sighed.

“We’ll worry about her later. But for now, we gotta take care of ourselves.” Applejack said, her companions nodded in agreement and they all left for Sugarcube corner.

~~~

Spike wiped his eyes. The tears had stopped flowing yet his eyes remained watery. At least he was in much needed solitude.

The truth may have hurt his friends but at least he had told them it. They deserved to know. It was the right thing to do. He may end up alone. He may be hated. But he did himself justice.

He needed something else to dwell on. His surroundings would be a good start.

He had sat himself on a park bench, though not the same one where he met Vinyl. A simple dirt path ran alongside him, trailing off into the distance. Beside him was a mature tree, its leaves were a healthy green and the tree bark was a bold brown. Opposite him, from across the path was a grassy field decorated with daisies. A light breeze made them bend downwards yet their petals still faced the Sun, high in the sky. Judging from its position, Spike guessed it was about midday.

It was mostly quiet, apart from birdsongs from time to time. A few birds flew gracefully into the air, travelling from one branch to another. Spike could’ve sworn he saw a squirrel sprinting across the field, its destination another tree to climb.

Looking to his left, Spike could see the picturesque buildings of Ponyville. Only now did he realise that he had run quite a distance from the town. It didn’t matter though, nopony would bother him here.

He lay down on the bench and stared up at the sky. Clouds were beginning to join together, no doubt the work of Pegasi. He knew that it had to rain soon so he was lucky he was enjoying the last moments of sunshine.

He continued to lie there, just thinking. He thought of clouds, animals...anything that popped into his head. It provided a nice distraction from his fears.

He didn’t know how long he was there for. Time seemed to stop in its tracks as if it were irrelevant. Everything began to feel dreamy.

The sound of hoofsteps eventually alerted him from his daze. Raising his head, he saw a green unicorn trotting in a carefree manner towards him. Her horn was glowing, the magic spewing forth from it to levitate a lyre. She soon noticed him looking at her and began to slow her pace.

“Do you need something?” she inquired, stopping at the bench.

“Oh! Um...no. Sorry.” The green mare nodded and continued trotting towards Ponyville.

“Wait!” Spike called out.

The pony halted and turned her head to look at Spike, eyebrow raised. “What?”

“I just want a chat with somepony.” Spike said, sitting up.

The newcomer looked back to the Ponyville, then at Spike. “Why not?” she said cheerfully, trotting back to the bench and reclining on it next to Spike. She carefully lowered her lyre onto the ground, right next to her hind legs. She sat with her spine pressed against the back of the bench, allowing her hind hooves to dangle freely.

Spike began the introductions: “I’m Spike.”

“Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings.” Lyra smiled at Spike, who returned the gesture. “What are you doing out here then, Spike?”

“...relaxing. That’s all.” He stared at the field in front of him. “You?” he asked.

“I was just practicing my lyre. But I wanted to do it somewhere peaceful so...here I am!” she answered.

“Lyre huh...” Spike peered at the instrument, “No doubt you can play it well then.”

“Of course I can! It is my cutie mark after all.” Lyra smirked, pointing at her flank which bore the symbol of a lyre very similar to her own.

“Never heard one before. Mind playing it?”

“Hmm, sure I suppose. Always good to get feedback.” Lyra said, levitating her lyre on her lap and grabbing hold of it with her hooves. Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself and began to pluck the strings in sequence using magic. The order in which she plucked in the strings created a simple yet upbeat tune.

Spike smiled as he heard the notes. He was a fool for not thinking of music sooner; it was the perfect remedy to raise someone’s spirits.

The tune didn’t overstay its welcome though and Lyra eventually stopped, patting her lyre affectionately. “How was that?”

“That was great!” Spike made a rapid applause that sounded a bit feeble on its own although Lyra could sense the sentiment generated by it.

Lyra giggled quietly, “Thanks. I got a long way to go if I want to be in a Canterlot orchestra though.” She smirked.

“I’m sure you’ll get there one day.”

“Maybe. But I know my limitations and my faults. I’ve got a long while to go before I’m famous.” She looked at her lyre, rubbing its sides gently, “Besides, I play it because it’s my passion.”

“Mhm.” Spike replied. He knew his limitations and faults all too well. They got him here in the first place.

The dragon decided to move the conversation somewhere else, “So I take it you live in Ponyville then?”

“Yep, got my own cottage there. Home sweet home.” She chirped. “You live in a library, right?” She questioned, looking at Spike.

“Yeah, I do. Fire breathing dragon in a place full of wood. I know it makes sense.” He said sarcastically.

Lyra snickered at Spike’s comment, “Must never run out of things to read though.”

Spike wanted to lie and conform to the identity that this wish had forced him to be. However, after the recent events, it didn’t feel right. “I just look after the place.” Spike smiled and relaxed his body, which had become tense.

“So, do you read much?” Spike asked Lyra, fuelling the conversation.

“From time to time. I mostly play my lyre or talk with my friends.” Lyra answered. She looked up at the sky, noticing that there were more clouds up there than yesterday. “Damn, it’ll probably rain tomorrow.”

“Well I suppose we need it.” Spike said, lazily kicking a stray pebble from the dirt path.

“Yeah, you’re right. Don’t want dead flowers everywhere.” Lyra made a face of disgust as she imagined the thought.

“Hey Lyra, do you mind playing another piece?” Spike pointed at the green mare’s lyre as he asked the question.

“For such a friendly dragon, I’d only be glad to.” Lyra grinned, using her magic to begin another musical piece that would serve to help soothe Spike.

~~~

Twilight was a filly on a mission. She had eavesdropped on the group’s conversation in the library and suffice to say, she was a very angry pony.

How could Rainbow Dash say those spiteful things to Spike? She didn’t know the entirety of the situation at hoof. It was completely unjustified. Retribution needed to be acted out. Hearing those insults made Twilight’s blood boil and she instinctively was set into a crusading mode.

Sure, the revelation was very shocking but it was abundantly clear to Twilight that Spike had made a mistake and meant no harm to anypony. His actions in recent days made that abundantly clear. He was trying to right the wrongs he had haphazardly committed.

So that’s why Twilight stormed out of the library the instant Rainbow Dash charged out. Rage had overtaken her social anxieties. Who gave a damn what the other ponies thought of her actions? Her actions were just.

Unfortunately, Rainbow had sped out of the building at a frightening pace and it was mere seconds before Twilight lost sight of her. Despite this, Twilight deduced that Rainbow would probably be in the air, moping.

She scanned the sky, looking for lone clouds in particular. It didn’t take her too long to find one but the way it was sculpted made it difficult to determine if it hid the rainbow maned mare.

“Rainbow Dash, can I talk to you quickly?” Twilight yelled, standing under the cloud. She had deceptively masked her rage. For now.

No response came from the cloud but Twilight kept waiting.

Still nothing. Twilight sighed, finding Rainbow would be harder than previously calculated.

Just as she was about to give up and walk away, she felt whiplash from the air batter her form. She turned around to see the esteemed flyer, her hooves planted firmly on the ground.

“What do you want?” She asked, making no attempt to hide her moody state.

Twilight trotted up to Rainbow, closing the distance between the two. “You’re the real jerk here.” She stated bluntly.

Rainbow blinked in response, “What?”

“Yeah, you heard me. What you said to Spike was really horrible!” She exclaimed, her calm act completely vanishing.

“Oh, it’s about him is it?” Rainbow sighed, “You don’t understand what this all means do you?”

“No! You don’t understand what this means!” Twilight pointed a hoof objectively at the Pegasus, “Okay, he made a mistake! We all do! But what you don’t know is that he’s worked really hard to make up for it!” The pair gave no attention to passersby who stopped in their tracks, mystified at the scene as it unfolded.

Rainbow simply scoffed in response, “And that makes up for it?” before Twilight could object, she continued, “You see Twilight, all my past achievements didn’t happen. They were nothing. Nothing. No longer can I look back at my life and be proud of myself. I can never say that I performed the Sonic Rainboom. Because those memories never happened!” She said sternly, stamping her hoof on the ground furiously.

Twilight began to back down, “But...”

“Don’t even bother saying anything. I’m done here.” Rainbow said coldly, flying away into the sky and disappearing from sight.

Twilight collapsed onto her rear. She stared at the grass in contemplation. What Rainbow had stated was true. Nearly all of her life was just images. Yet despite this, she still had no feelings of contempt for Spike.

“But...he still loved me like a sister...”

~~~

“Cupcake time!” Pinkie cheered, setting down a plate of six cupcakes onto one of the tables in Sugarcube Corner. A few other ponies sat at different tables, no doubt feeling lighter hearted than Applejack and Fluttershy were. Pinkie had seemed to return to her usual, random mood.

Applejack licked her lips as she saw the delectable treats, “I sure am hungry.”

“Thank you Pinkie.” Fluttershy said politely.

“A cupcake can easily drowny a frowny!” Pinkie took one of the baked treats and eagerly devoured it.

“It does help.” Applejack agreed, taking one for herself.

“I guess...” Fluttershy grabbed a cupcake, nibbling on it quietly.

The three sat in silence, enjoying the delicious tastes that entered their mouths. The smooth, sweet icing quickly stole away their negative moods. The foamy bread easily settled into their stomachs, fighting off hunger for a while.

Once all that remained of the cupcakes were crumbs, the conversation continued.

“You two alright?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m more than alright! I’m fan dabby dozy!” Pinkie chirped, rubbing her belly in delight.

“I’m more worried about Spike than myself.” Applejack admitted.

“Yeah...you could really see his distress...” Fluttershy replied. She took a napkin from the table and used it to wipe her face free from any mess.

“Rainbow’s reaction hardly helped...” The farmyard mare rolled her eyes and licked her mouth to clean it. Pinkie didn’t bother cleaning herself up all. Instead, she was happy to lie on her back and rub her tummy as she hummed a random tune.

“She just needs time to calm down, that’s all.” Fluttershy said, quickly going over to a trash can in order to dispose of the napkin. Upon returning, she smiled sweetly at Pinkie Pie. At least she was joyous. Though about what would probably remain a mystery.

“And then there’s Rarity...” Applejack trailed off.

“Everypony reacts differently to different things.” Pinkie commented, “Like when Cranky didn’t like my song.”

The earth pony turned her head to look at Pinkie. “But Pinkie...” She stammered, not wanting to burst her happy bubble, “That didn’t happen.”

“Of course it didn’t! Doesn’t mean I didn’t learn from it though! Duh!” Pinkie flailed her limbs about to stress her point.

The yellow Pegasus smiled in admiration of Pinkie’s words. “She’s right. That may not be real but those memories made an impact on our lives now. I wouldn’t live with my animal friends if things had turned out for me differently.” Fluttershy said.

“Hm, true. Besides: we’re here now. That’s what matters.” Applejack declared.

“Exactly!” Pinkie blurted out. Fluttershy only nodded in response.

“Who wants more cupcakes?!” Pinkie asked, raising herself up and grinning at her friends.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly-“ Pinkie’s merry grin was enough to change Fluttershy’s mind, “Yes please.”

“Okay, one more.” Applejack chuckled.

Pinkie screamed, cheering and rushed into the kitchen like a bullet. The other two laughed at the party pony’s enthusiasm and began to talk to one another whilst Pinkie made another batch of the tasty treats. All previous worries about the truth were suddenly erased and replaced by an atmosphere of calm and fun. An atmosphere generated by friendship. It didn’t matter that Spike had made that wish. What truly mattered was that they were best friends forever.