Dance of the Fae

Chapters

Presentation of the Pixie
Neediness of the Nymph
Geniality of the Genie
Bustle of the Brownie
Fantasia of the Fairy
Song of the Sprite

Presentation of the Pixie

“… Spike.”

Hearing no response, the voice said again to the dragon gently but firmly.

“… Spike!”

The dragon gasped, wide eyes staring straight up from his wooden crib.

The voice sounded vaguely like a raspy and high-pitched version of somepony he knew. It did not exactly sound like Twilight, but there was nopony else nearby anyway. Shrugging his shoulder, Spike extended his arms, yawned, and jumped up of his bed grumpily. When he saw that the sky was still dark, he promptly complained.

“Twi, why are you waking me up before the sun even goes up? We should've packed everything up already!”

Spike then turned and blinked. The purple mare was nowhere to be seen. A soft snore came from Twilight’s bed at the other side of the room.

“Wha-”

“Shh, Master Spike.”

A blue sphere of light manifested itself from thin air, startling the half-awoken dragon.

“Master Spike. I’m sorry to come to you at this hour, but I have waited until the… purple pony finally fell deeply asleep to come to you.”

For some reason, the voice sounded as if... she was gritting her teeth when Twilight was mentioned.

“W- What are you?”

“I am a fairy. I am a spirit of this fair land of Equestria.”

“So, uh… may I know your name?”

“Oh my, Master Spike really is polite. Others might go straight in and ask what I’m here for, but not my splendid dragon champion!”

The voice chuckled like a ringing silver bell. “My name is Polytima, but Master Spike can just call me... Polly.”

Spike gulped. “So Polly…”

“Yes, Master Spike?”

“What do you want to ask from me? And why do you keep calling me your ‘master’?”

“Oh, my splendid master. I’m here not for anything else, but because I want to pledge... my everlasting loyalty to you!”

Spike’s eyes widened, his voice getting more bewildered as he went on. “Pledging? Loyalty? But why? I- I am just a small dragon!”

“Master, you’re not just a small dragon! As a fae, um… Yeah, I’m in tune with the strands of fate, yep. And I know that you can achieve great things in the future, and I’m here to offer my help and complete dedication!”

Spike perked up visibly with Polytima’s optimistic prediction, overlooking the dodgy mumbling at the beginning.

The dragon often fantasized himself as a valiant knight saving damsels in distress and saving kingdoms from ruins. Knowing that his future could be successful and glorious made him squeal with delight inside.

However, Spike then tilted his head and asked. “But still… why? So what is it good for to help me for you?”

The fae mumbled again. After a while, she spoke quietly. “I am born from the Tree of Harmony, and I am beholden to my duty to spread joy, happiness, abundance and peace on this land. Master Spike, you’re my best and most ideal champion.”

Polytima felt incredibly uneasy. That was only a version of the truth. Even then, her spoken words were still basically demanding Spike to shoulder the responsibility to protect and nurture the land. She feared deeply for his rejection.

“But Polly…”

The fae felt dread welling up in her heart.

“… I can give little to you in return for your loyalty.”

Polytima almost let out a yelp of surprise. She squeezed out in between barely contained sniffles. “M- Master Spike… If you’re willing to be my champion, then everything I do for you will be worth it. Your mere presence is like sweet honeydew to me.”

“Oh dear! O- Of course I’m going to accept your generous offer.” Spike began to panic as soon as he heard sniffling.

“Yes, Master Spike!” Polytima immediately stopped her sniffles and broke into an giggle.

“So… What do we do now?”

“A second, Master Spike. Expergiscere.”

The blue sphere momentarily glowed brightly. A breeze swept through Spike’s face as light particles danced around him.

Spike blinked and said. “That’s amazing… I feel not the least bit sleepy anymore!”

“This is just a little fae magic that restores your stamina. Since Master Spike often complain about being sleepy, and the purple pony hoards all the tea and coffee, I would be glad to help Master Spike to stay wakeful for your endeavors.”

“That’s right…! But wait, how do you know?”

The voice gasped. And then she said with a volume smaller than mosquito buzz. “I- I… have observed Master Spike for some time now… Please don’t feel weirded out by this, I’m… uh, merely affirming Master Spike’s suitability as my champion.”

Despite her pleading, Spike still felt somewhat awkward about being stalked. However, his kind heart prevented him from calling her out.

Polytima collected herself and continued. “A- Anyway, I can portend the will-”

“Por-what now?”

“Oh, I mean ‘foretell’ the will of the Harmony. This gives me a limited foresight into the future.”

“Whoa! You can tell the future?!” Spike exclaimed.

“Shh-!” Polytima hurriedly shushed. “Master Spike, there is something that I must tell you.”

“O- Okay…”

“If anyone other than you know of my existence, then I will fade away.”

“What?!” Spike gasped.

“I don’t fear for myself, Master Spike... I’m merely fearful that other forces might conspire to prevent you from bringing goodness to the land. And it would pain me deeply.”

“I- I see… So I’m not to tell anyone about you? Not even Twilight? Or Princess Celestia?”

“Absolutely no one. The bond of a fae to her master is a strictly one-to-one. In fact, only you can see me. If there is anyone else who call upon my existence by mentioning me, uttering my name and the like, then I will disappear like a ‘poof’.”

“R- Really? I’d try my best to not let that happen…”

“Thank you, Master Spike!” Polytima flew around on top of Spike’s head. “If you don’t mind, I can cast a soundproof barrier around us.”

“That would be great. Twilight might be woken up by this ruckus.”

"Sile."

A blue-white wave emanated from the fae, forming a faint sphere enclosing the two.

Polytima then said. “In order to affirm our bond, you need to do one simple thing.”

“What is it?”

The white sphere flickered and shifted. “P- P…”

“What? I can’t hear you!”

“P- P- Put your lip on me to make the contract!”

“… Just that?”

Spike swiftly planted a kiss on the flickering light, which made it glow momentarily like a bright star in his eyes.

Polytima yelped, but she then swiftly coughed and proclaimed.

“By Harmony, before whom this sanctuary is dedicated, I, Polytima, will to Master Spike to be true and faithful, and love all which he loves and shun all which he shuns, according to the amity of the land and the order of the world. Nor will I ever with will or action, through word or deed, do anything which is unpleasing to him. I submitted myself to him and chose his will over mine.”

Spike blinked. “Do I, uh, need to say something back?”

Polytima giggled. “You just need to say yes!”

Spike coughed and put on his best impression of a formal speech. “Yes, um, indeed, I, Spike the Dragon, does take on the fae Polytima as my faithful companion.”

“Wonderful!” Polytima cheered.

Spike again blinked. “That’s it? No special light show?”

“Heh. Although it’s invisible to naked eyes, but our bond has been already sealed. Now my magic is shared with you, and you can even cast some fae magic on your own!”

“Really?! I can cast magic? This is awesome!”

“Well, Master Spike, you would need some practice to fully access my magic. And I beg of you not to cast spells too blatantly, or else the ponies around you might feel... um, suspicious.”

“I see…”

“Anyway, our bond also has another use.”

Spike gasped lightly. The voice of Polytima this time directly came from inside his head.

“This is telepathy. To communicate with me this way, just focus your mind on me. You will feel a curious sense of buzzing in your head when your words are being received by me.”

“L- Like this?”

“Exactly! Master Spike really is a fast learner!” Polytima praised. “We can talk by telepathy in public, so that others would not get suspicious by Master Spike seemingly talking to thin air.”

“Whoa, you’ve thought of everything.”

Polytima paused for a bit. “Everything I thought, I thought for Master Spike.”

Spike bashfully shifted. He was still unused to being fawned over by this little fae.

Polytima then cheerfully said. “Now, comes the sunrise, you and the purple po-”

“You should call her by her name, Polly.”

Polytima let out a small screech. “Y- Yes, Master Spike. You and Twilight Sparkle will go to the town of Ponyville. There she will meet her five news friends. They together will bear the Elements of Harmony and defeat the returning Nightmare Moon.”

“Wait, really?”

With pride in her voice, she proclaimed. “I’m a spirit born of the magic of Harmony myself, it’s natural that I know about the jealous sister who was banished using its power, who the bearers are going to be, and what they’re going to achieve.”

“No, I mean Twilight would make five new friends in a day?”

Polytima froze for a moment. And then she ungracefully chortled. “Haha! Oh Master Spike. Oh dear, yes, it does sound preposterous that the pitifully friendless bookworm shall be the one who defeat the evil using the power of friendship. But it’s not unreasonable. If she already knows how to make friends, she wouldn’t need to learn to let friendship into her heart.”

“But what am I supposed to do? You said they are the Element-bearers, not me.”

Seeing a flicker of sulking on Spike’s face, Polytima cooed. “Master Spike, may I offer some of my observations and humble suggestions?”

“Hmm? Do tell, Polly.”

Spike heard Polytima chortled, but it had a curious quality of intrigue. “The Element-bearers should be yours to command, not the other way round. I will see to it to make sure that they give you the necessary respect.”

“Huh? Me, commanding Twilight?” Spike blinked with a stunned expression. It was a thought that was almost unthinkable for him.

“Pardon me for saying this, but the Element-bearers are but the foot soldiers who carry the will of Harmony. Over the history, there are many candidates who embodies the ideal of the Harmonic Virtues, just like there can be many enlists to an army. While Twilight Sparkle and her soon-to-be friends are very fitting candidates, what is an army without a general, or a king, even?”

“A king…?”

Spike paused for a long while. “… Why me? What is it so special about me? I… As I said, I’m just a small dragon. Twilight’s the unicorn with the strongest magical potential ever in history.”

“… What I can tell you for now, is that I have dedicated myself fully to help you reach your potential, which in my eyes is unbounded and unlimited. Don’t ever doubt yourself, Master Spike.”

Noticing the uneasy silence, Polytima shifted the topic. “We still have an hour or so left until sunrise. For now, would you care for a rough rundown for the events tomorrow? We can then even practice some of the most basic fae magic in the remaining time.”

“Alright… So it’s true that you can tell what’s going to happen exactly?”

Polytima again shifted. “Not exactly. But the five mares she’s going to meet are all very colorful and interesting characters. I can tell you something about them to make you better prepare when you meet them. Besides, you need to know that the sun will not rise tomorrow.”

“Okay, I se- wait what?!”

“Nightmare Moon envies her sun-raising sister, and she’s not going to let anyone see the sun again once she banishes the sun pony to the moon like she did with herself.”

“What should we do?!”

“I wouldn’t worry about it that much.” Polytima lightly chuckled. “My protective charm will shield you from harm even if the moon pony directly tackles you. Even if she brought darkness to the world, you, my splendid master, will still shine like a thousand suns.”

“No! I mean, the whole Equestria is going to be robbed of its sun and eternal night will come!”

“The pur- Twilight Sparkle and her fellow Element-bearers will take care of it. What I’m trying to ensure is that you assert your dominance comes the reactivation of the Elements when they solve this little sunless issue.”

“D- D- Dominance?” Spike almost bit on his tongue.

“Certainly, dominance. Like a rightful king to his loyal vassals, or an alpha wolf to his pack. As my splendid champion of Harmony, it will be grating if your subordinates do not treat you with deference and respect, won’t it?”

“But…” Spike’s jaw dropped slightly. “Twilight has always been my big sister… and even my adopted mother. How can I…?”

“You’ll get used to it, Master Spike. I say, you might even enjoy it some moments later.”

Spike suspected if he could see the face of the fae, it would be one big smug grin.

Seeing Spike’s doubtful expression, Polytima coughed. “Now, Master Spike, you said you’re interested in fae magic, so how about we lightly chat about it before the morn comes?”

“Sure thing, Polly!” Spike gleefully said, putting aside his nagging doubt for the moment.

Author's Note

~~Hey, lis~~ This story is not a cross-over with Zelda (Sorry to disappoint!)

It is also not related to the other stories of mine (Finally.)

Neediness of the Nymph

“The harmonic resonance of the extra-limbic core woul… Master Spike?”

Only a soft snore came from the dozing dragon. Polytima gently nudged the dragon by flying next to and slightly touching his face.

Spike’s head shot up. “Uhh… pardon me? I can’t quite catch that.”

“I’m sorry, Master Spike. All this talk must be incredibly boring to you. But there must be full understanding of the mechanism of magic before practical application. Or otherwise-”

“I heard that from Twilight once.”

“H- Huh?”

Spike grinned. “I mean, you sound almost like Twilight for a moment there.”

“What?! I never!” Polytima almost shouted, for a brief moment sounded incredibly annoyed, which surprised the purple dragon.

The fae quickly noticed her outburst and said with a fearful tremble. “O- Oh by Harmony, I don’t mean to shout at you, Master Spike! I’m so, so sorry! I deserve being pierced by the spears of Tartarus a thousand ti-”

“No no no no!” Spike quickly interrupted the proclamation to self-harm by the panicking fae. “I’m all good! Don’t harm yourself!”

“… As Master Spike commands.” Polytima sounded as if she took a long, long breath.

“What’s your beef with Twilight anyway? You sound a bit… well, not seeing her from eye to eye.”

“I- I- I-”

The fae spluttered for a good minute, before blurting out with a somewhat uncertain voice.

“I have an issue with her because she treats you like a tag-along lab assistant, without even pay. This kind of blatant exploitation aside, it severely limits your development.”

“But Twi loves me and gives me food and a place to call home!”

“She’s a control freak who knows no better!”

“Polly! I won’t allow it if you badmouth Twilight anymore! I love her as my family and no one can change it!”

Polytima wheezed aloud. After a protracted uneasy silence between the two, she began to sob quietly.

“… I said I shan’t shout and disobey Master Spike anymore, but I immediately do it again. I’m an unworthy fae.”

“… Don’t say that, you just have a strong opinion about this issue, I understand.”

Polytima perked up audibly. “Master Spike understand?”

“But I am still Twilight’s assistant. I have my duty and responsibility in return for her love and care.”

Polytima slumped. “… If Master Spike insist…”

“I have another thing to ask of you, Polly.”

“My master’s wish is my command.”

“Yeah… I just want you to not call me ‘Master Spike’ anymore.”

Polytima froze mid-air, and then she began to shake. “D- Don’t abandon me, my master! I’m so sorry I shouted at you just now! I- I can change! I’ll do an-”

“Hang on!” Spike interrupted again. “I just think that it’s awkward for you to call me your master every other sentence! You can just call me Spike, like how I call you Polly.”

“T- T- That... I- ” Polytima’s mind went into overdrive.

“Huh?”

“That’s the highest honor that you can bestow upon the unworthy me, Mas-”

“Polly.”

“S- S- Spike.” Polytima audibly gulped. “B- But I, you… argh, that would be disrespectful…”

Spike cleared his throat. “I myself can decide the form of address I think is respectful.”

Polytima went quiet with awe. After a while, she cheerfully praised. “Oh my splendid Spike, such a determined aura of leadership!”

Spike blinked and internally smiled wryly. It seemed to him that the fae was germane to direct commands with a stern tone.

He continued with a dignified voice. “Polly, tell me about the ponies Twi and I will meet today, and what will happen afterwards. While fae magic is awesome, I want to learn them properly once we settle down in Ponyville.”

“As you command, S- Spike.” Polytima dipped herself reverently towards the dragon.

The fae groaned next to Spike. She was flying forward with a trail of sparks in the air. She however deliberately flying in front of Twilight Sparkle and occasionally stayed on top of her nose, making a ridiculous face out of the purple pony.

In addition, she somehow made weird grumbling noises to make it seem like the purple pony was gargling pebbles.

Being the only one who could see the fae, Spike tried his best not to laugh out loud. However, it was a tall order for him not to let out some accidental giggles.

Twilight Sparkle frowned. “What’s wrong, Spike? You have been giggling and snorting the whole morning. Is there something on my face but you didn’t tell me?”

“No, nope, nothing whatsoever.” Spike used a paw to cover his smirk and used another to take a mirror out from their belongings. She elevated her with her magic and looked closely.

“Yeah, I look just as groomed as a royal overseer should be. Then what’s wrong with you?”

“I- uh, just think it’s exciting to meet new friends?”

“Spike!” Twilight said with frustration. “Nightmare Moon is going to return very soon! We have no time to play around like this!”

“O- Okay, Twi. Calm down. Sheesh.”

“I can’t! Relaxing doesn’t save Equestria from eternal night!”

Polytima whispered through telepathy. “Spike, I can tickle her nose to make her sneeze more and complain less.”

“No!”

Spike then widened his eyes and covered his mouth again.

“What?” Twilight knitted her brows.

“I just-” He coughed. “… am worried about eternal night. Yep, that’s what I’m worrying about.”

“As we should be.” Twilight nodded severely.

“By Mother Harmony, she’s one stuck up bookworm.” Polytima again commented through the mental link.

Spike sighed. “Polly, can you not pick on Twilight? She’s just worried about the fate of the world. She doesn’t have the benefit of foresight like you.”

“… I shudder to hand over the responsibility of saving the world to someone who’s such an unstable worrywart. You, my splendid Spike, are much more level-headed.”

“Polly, I’ve been thinking…”

“Yes?”

“You’ve told me all about the Element-bearers, and the need to let them recognize me as someone who is dependable.”

“Not just dependable, but also the guiding light of all Elements!”

“Al-right.” Spike rolled his eyes. “I think as a leader, I must first get them to like me.”

“That’s… reasonable, I suppose.”

“Not just ‘I suppose he’s okay’ like, but ‘oh wow, this guy is super awesome’ kind of like!”

“Oh… you want to impress them, am I correct?”

“I guess you can say that.”

“Well, that’s not difficult. The purple egghead there would be impressed if you can help her with some of her research projects.”

“I have been doing this for quite a while.”

“I mean not on a lab assistant level, but a collaborator or even mentor level, heh. You can help point out some of her theoretical flaws and offer some breakthrough ideas for her studies. If that happens, she would totally idolize you!”

“But how? She’s the scholar, I’ve always been just her assistant, bringing stuffs along and so on. I know little about magical theories that she’s studying.”

“If you don’t mind, I can provide some. You can tell her after we discuss them.” Polytima tried to hide her sneer with a deadpan voice, but she failed utterly. “She might be studious, but she’s not bright enough in my eyes. For most of the obstacles she encounters, there are multiple simple solutions that even a layperson can understand.”

“But she’s the most talented unicorn out there!”

“She has the most magical potential out of all living unicorns. But that doesn’t mean she must excel at magical theory. An obscure initiate, adequate but not brilliant.”

“You’re too harsh on Twi as usual. She always get full marks in magical theory.”

Polytima was still poised to play down Twilight Sparkle’s ability, but she dared not appear as if she was disobeying Spike again. She sighed and said. “Let’s say I can guarantee that once you share those ideas with her, she would definitely look at you with a wholly different light altogether.”

A grin crept up on Spike’s face. However, it soon turned into a frown. “Polly…”

“Hmm? Isn’t that a great idea to make the purple pony impressed?”

“I just think that it might make her suspicious, cos I suddenly get so smart.”

Polytima gasped and hurriedly said. “You’re always smart, my splendid Spike. I simply facilitate the expression of your brilliance, by supplying you with ideas that you’d most certainly think up yourself shall you devote your time to it.”

“Polly, your groveling talk is getting a bit ridiculous, there is no chance in Tartarus I alone can lecture on Twilight about magical theory…”

Polytima sharply inhaled, and glumly said. “I am sorry. I must have made Master Spike displeased again…”

“Argh…” Spike sighed. Polytima was such a ludicrously clingy and emotionally dependent fae, he wondered what special reason was there for her to dote on him this much.

He let out a breath and said. “I’m simply more worried that you might be exposed if Twilight decided to ask me where I get those ideas from. I’d never let that happen, remember?”

“S- Spike…!” Polytima choke up on her words. “Don’t worry… That’s why I said we should discuss them to make sure you yourself master the ideas, so as to make them sound convincing... But for now, you’re simply the best master ever!”

She shot from the purple pony’s nose to his chest. Despite being a spirit of energy, it still sent a physical shock and knock the dragon backward somewhat.

“Hmm?” Twilight looked back to the unsteady dragon. “What happened? You can’t sit straight, and you’ve been quiet for a while.”

Spike snapped back into reality and quickly recited his prepared excuse. “Twilight, I’m just thinking up ways to deal with Nightmare Moon once she showed up. Can’t let her snatch Equestria away from our beloved Princess Celestia and leave us with eternal night, can we?”

“Spike…” Twilight muttered, and then for once in the morning smiled. “I thought you are acting weird, but you’re simply too worried… Don’t worry, Spike, maybe… hopefully I’m wrong for once.”

Spike blinked with a poker face as he knew that she was not wrong. Polytima, on the other hand, cheerfully chuckled. “Excellent smooth talk, Spike. I can sense that the purple pony already thinks better of you.”

“Heh. Anyway, what kind of mind-blowing ideas are you talk-”

Spike’s words were interrupted by their chariot finally landing on the soil of Ponyville. The two plus the fae quickly got off the chariot. After bidding the Royal Guards farewell, they got on the way towards the town center.

Polytima suddenly yelped through the mental link. “Spike!”

Spike almost jumped. “W- What’s the matter, Polly?”

“The pink pony- I mean, Pinkie Pie is coming this way. She’s a hundred meters away from us.”

“The party pony with fluffy mane, you say?”

“I’m glad you remember, Spike. She’d be the Element-bearer of Laughter.”

“… I still can’t get past the idea that laughter is a virtue on par with the others.”

Polytima almost ran into Twilight Sparkle’s mane at his proclamation. After calming herself down, she timidly said. “The exact composition of the Elements is the will of Mother Harmony, it’s not of my choosing and I can’t comment or vouch for it. Though I would say laughter is a clear sign of contentment and well-being, a desirable quality to be observed in all sentient beings.”

“You may be right. So what do you recommend me to do?”

Polytima fluttered in front of Spike. “Hmm, from the voice of master, you seem to have some ideas of your own on how to interact with that pink pony.”

“Well, it’s you who told me that she was a hyperactive pony who loves party and sweets. I guess I can tell her I cook sweet dishes and love parties as well?”

“Aha, it is indeed a prudent and good strategy to appeal to common interests, I give praise to your immense wisdom, my splendid Spike.”

“I won’t say this count as wisdom…” Spike blinked in slight embarrassment.

“Since master asked for my humble recommendations, I would say you go show an outpouring of passion and excitement towards her, and she would definitely return hers to you.”

“Passion and excitement? But how exactly?”

“Heh, just to put up a big smile and say you’re very excited to meet her. That’ll do for now, I think.”

“I see. Thanks, Polly!” Spike smiled.

Polytima perked up. “I’m always at your service, my splendid Spike!”

“Aw… Twilight can also use some good social advice. If only you can advise her like you do with me.”

“She? Um hmm…”

Spike silently sighed. “Polly, if you can get along with Twilight, I would be very thankful.”

Her voice turned somewhat bland, and she said after a long pause. “… I can’t and shouldn’t interact with her anyway.”

“But can you at least, you know, be nice?”

The fae let out an obvious groan of reluctance. “If master commands me to do so, I’ll try my best… not to badmouth her audibly at least.”

“No, you also have to stop badmouthing her at heart. That’s what’ get along’ means.”

Polytima wailed and dipped, but she squeezed out sadly. “As Master Spike commands…”

“Seriously, Twilight might be a hermit, but I never see anyone-”

“Sorry master, but look! Pinkie Pie this way comes!”

Spike turned to the front, a pink pony cheerfully galloped down the road, and greeted everyone who came across her by name.

Spike took a long breath and said. “Twilight, we should be hailing some local residents so as to fulfill the princess’s order to make some friends. That pink pony there seems friendly enough.”

“Spike… She said to check on preparations. I am her student, and I'll do my royal duty, but the fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends.”

Spike blinked and asked Polytima. “Hey Polly, is it okay for me to tell her about making friends and the Elements?”

“… If she knows that the fate of Equestria does rest on making friends, she might come off as way too forceful to be genuine. But I trust that master has the appropriate judgment on what to say and what not to.”

“… Got it.”

Spike turned to Twilight and said reservedly. “That may well be true, but creating good will locally could help us recruit help once Nightmare Moon appears.”

Polytima hummed a voice of approval. Twilight Sparkle widened her eyes and reluctantly nodded. “You might be right. Okay, let us greet the pink pony there.”

Spike walked up towards the pink pony, who turned to look at them with eyes so wide that it was almost physically impossible.

Spike drew in a breath, put on his best possible grin and greeted enthusiastically. “Hi there! My name’s Spike, and she’s Twilight Sparkle! We’re new around here, so I figure that we should say hello to you!”

The pink pony blinked but not spoke a word.

“Am I being too forceful?” Spike asked Polytima.

Twilight also looked at Spike with a strange gaze. But Polytima quipped. “Having observed the pink pony, I don’t think it’s possible to be too forceful on her. If anything, try being even more forceful.”

Spike briefly made an unsure face, but he decided to put currency in the fae’s words, since it was she who accurately predicted the coming of the pink pony.

Spike drew in another breath, a sweet sugary scent came from the pink pony’s mane. He almost shouted. “You look like you are a fun pony! Do you like parties and sweets?! I make sweet dishes too!”

“Sp-” The incredulous Twilight was interrupted by the rapturous cheering from Pinkie Pie, who looked at Spike with a pair of eyes shining like the brightest headlight.

“Oooh! A party-loving baby dra-”

Spike sighed. “Just ‘dragon’ would be fine.”

“Okay! A party-loving dragon with a sweet tooth! This is my ideal dream super duper awesome friend that comes true! We should totally plan parties together! With my baking and party cannon and your cooking skills, we can make the most mind-blowingly delicious blastful of parties Ponyville has ever seen!!”

“It works!”

“My pleasure, Spike.”

“So, uh!” The dragon turned to the pink pony.

Pinkie Pie suddenly widened her eyes even more, and gasped sharply. She then backtrotted the way she came at a speed that was never seen by Twilight Sparkle and Spike, and left their sight completely.

“She’s gone…”

“What the hay was that…?” Twilight Sparkle muttered. “Ah well… Spike, you tried your best to greet her. We still have a lot to inspect today, we should really be going.”

“Alright…”

Polytima floated next to the purple mare’s ear, and mockingly said even though the pony couldn’t hear it. “Pfft. She goes to plan the surprise welcome party for you, you clod.”

“Polly…” Spike raised a brow and frowned. “But really?”

Polytima pretended not to hear the tone of disapproval in Spike’s mental mutterings. “The party pony throws party for every newcomer. Before I could finally break through the confines of Everfree and its vicinity, my eyes went numb seeing her throw parties for every passing ponies, donkeys, alligators, et cetera.”

“Oh. But confines? What confines?”

“The terrible confines that limited my area of action and prevented me from reaching my one and true master…” Polytima said with wistful irritation. “It’s only when the stars aligned just right, that I could harness the surge in Harmony Magic and escape. Before that, I was kinda like a plant rooted inside Everfree, unable to reach places further than the forest and the town of Ponyville.”

“… No offense, but won’t Nightmare Moon escape from the moon by the same way?”

Polytima paused and then chuckled. “… My master truly is perceptive. The conditions that boosted the Harmony Magic and those that will soon create an expressway from the moon to Equestria are indeed the same. The difference, of course, is that I’m not evil.”

Spike blinked and kept quiet.

“Master…?!” Polytima was stunned at Spike’s reaction. Or rather, lack of reaction. “You can’t be thinking that I’m actually…?!”

Spike’s attention snapped back to her, and he hurriedly spluttered. “N- No, of course not! I’m just, uh, thinking that I still don’t know you as well as I’d like to, and yet you seem so very fond of me. I feel a bit uncomfortable because I don’t think I do much to merit your affection. I mean, Twi I understand, I live with her and work for her for so long-”

Polytima angrily snapped. “That accursed purple pony!”

“W- What?”

“Don’t believe in her twisted ways, my splendid Spike! Dedication, like mine, is completely without expectation of favor in return!”

“Uh… I won’t, uh…” Spike was tongue-tied. “She loves me regardless, I think…”

“She won’t! Not that you would ever err, my magnificent master, but if she decides spontaneously, out of her demented way of thinking, to pick flaws in your perfection, I doubt she would be able to maintain her hypocritical façade for long. She clearly knew not how splendid is my good master, for when I came yesterday, I saw her maliciously harm you with her dastardly door swinging and then carelessly crumble your painstakingly hand-crafted gift!”

“Actually it was just an accident, and I picked up the gift set from the corner sh-”

“Grr… Nightmare Moon be darned, I’m going to punish her right here and now!”

“Polly! You’re not allowed to harm Twilight in any way or form! I- I’ll abandon you if you do that!”

Spike mentally yelled, and then immediately realized that this statement was going to set the fae into a panicked craze.

He drew in a breath and prepared himself for a trembling emotional burst, but instead, the light sphere dimmed and fell onto the ground listlessly.

He gasped, and scooped up the fae with his claws.

Twilight Sparkle raised a brow and turned. “What are you doing, Spike?”

The dragon flashed a rather unconvincing grin, as he pocketed the fae surreptitiously “Eh, ehehe, I’m just stretching.”

“Spike…” Twilight Sparkle felt a welling of regret in her heart. “I’m sorry to have brought up the issue of Nightmare Moon with you. This should have been something that I have to deal with myself, as Princess Celestia’s trusted student and a unicorn with some magic. You’re way too young to be worrying over a national threat this much.”

Spike exhaled with gritted teeth. If Twilight thought that he’s acting strange because of his supposedly overwhelming worry, then he could roll with it.

“I- Indeed…! Woe to the peaceful land of Equestria! What can we, a mere pair of unicorn and dragon, possibly do to save her?” He coughed and sighed dramatically, but his mind was actually filled with concern for the fae.

The purple mare felt a bit wetness in her eyes. “Oh, Spike… It’s so great to have someone who care about this as much as me, but it pains me to see you like this. Can you promise me not to worry about this too much, hmm? I- I will find out a way to defeat any ancient evil that might come to us tomorrow.”

Spike mentally sighed. If Polytima was awake for this particular moment, perhaps she could be convinced that Twilight wasn’t an awful slave-driver that physically dripped evil.

However, he decided to calm Twilight Sparkle first, knowing that their victory was prophesized. “Twi, I’m sorry I acted weird this whole morning. But you shouldn’t worry about me. Two heads are always better than one. You’re not in this alone, remember! Whatever obstacles we may meet today will not get the better of us, the perfect pair of partners… and family.”

Twilight Sparkle held back a sniffle. She ignored the prying gazes from the onlookers, and tightly embraced the purple dragon.

Geniality of the Genie

Beat.

Spike finally could not bear it and turn to the striding fae. “Polly, why are you tutting? Is anything wrong?”

The fae let out a nervous ‘shh’, and the tutting resumed.

Before Spike could ask another question, Polytima suddenly flew forth in a perfect parabola, and then rapidly chanted a string of words that the dragon could not quite understand.

“Ave Concordia sancta, Terra Mater, sub tuum praesidium confugimus… Tueor!”

Immediately, glistening purplish blue shone from the fae, and extended into a translucent yet immense-looking barrier in front of the mystified dragon.

“Wha-”

Spike’s half-uttered sentence was interrupted by a blur in his peripheral vision. That blur, after getting closer, seemed to have changed course, and aimed right at the purple pony next to him.

By sheer instinct, he sprinted aside and pushed the purple pony out of the way.

“Spike, wait!” Polytima let out a yelp, clearly stunned.

As Spike moved, the protective shield followed. The blur then made solid contact with the shield, and at the blink of an eye, the mysterious object was bounced right back the way it came at an even higher speed.

The dazed purple mare, now half-kneeling on the road, only gazed towards the sky with her jaw agape. “Who- What the hay was that?”

The fae, on the other hand, observed the upward trajectory of the object and lamented in frustration. “Oh by the Immaculate Mother Harmony, I screwed up!”

“-at?”

Spike finished his half-utterance, and then interrogated through the mind-link. “Polly! What in Equestria was that about?”

Polytima audibly gulped. “T- That was, uh, Rainbow Dash.”

“Wait, you mean the weather pony?”

The fae sounded evasive. “Y- Yes.”

Spike frowned deeply after hearing nothing more from the fae. “… Go on?”

“Eeek! I- I was just trying to, um, m- m- make sure that the purple egghead and the rainbow tomboy become friends?”

A bit dismayed at the crude addresses, Spike however found more faults with Polytima’s words. “How in the world does- Wait, wait…”

He drew in a breath, and then asked. “Okay, first, you know full well that Rainbow Dash would Rainbow-crash into us beforehand.”

“… Yes. I’m indeed using my divination as well as my detection magic.”

“And you then casted a magic shield in front of me.”

“Yes, Spike. You need ample protection against such a high-speed object.”

Briefly baffled by her referring to a pony as an ‘object’, Spike shrugged. “Well, thanks for that-”

Polytima hummed. “You’re welcome, Spike!”

Spike’s appreciation was then tampered by his doubt. “- but did you also make it so that Rainbow Dash crash directly into Twilight?”

The fae made a nervous breathy noise. “I… am just facilitating their bond, that’s all. After all, physical closeness breeds intimacy.”

“There are a lot of ways that promote close friendship without risking grievous bodily harm.”

“Ohhh, Spike, how do you know that word-”

The fae shook herself to refocus. “S- Sorry, I mean, yes! But since she’s come crashing down anyway, might as well use it as a bonding exercise between the to-be Element-bearers!”

Spike knitted his brows. He was not entirely sure, but Polytima was probably picking on Twilight again, just using even more covert means. By now though, he figured that there must be some strange secret reason for her to be borderline spiteful whenever the purple mare was brought up. He had decided to peel her reluctance away bit by bit.

For now, though, he did not want to set the fae off, so he merely cautioned. “Polytima.”

The fae sounded worried that Spike addressed her with her full name. “Yes, Spike?”

“Can you promise me not to cause Twilight any physical injury, both directly and indirectly? Even if you think it’s for a good cause?”

To Spike’s surprise, the fae sighed and complied. “I understand. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“Good.”

The dragon’s cautious smile soon turned into a headache-induced scowl. “Oh crap. Now that we’ve bounced Rainbow Dash away, how-”

Spike’s mental dialogue was interrupted by a clearly concerned Twilight. She asked tentatively. “Spike, are you okay? You’ve been standing there and making faces without a word again.”

The dragon sharply inhaled. “Ah, nothing, Twilight.”

The purple mare looked on worriedly. “Are you sure you aren’t hurt? I’m pretty certain the… thing smacked right into you.”

“Absolutely positively. And I’m afraid that ‘thing’ is actually Rainbow Dash. You know, the weather pony we’re supposed to check on?”

“What? That pegasus pony? How come she’s coming down on us like a bomb and then bounced back like a ball?”

Spike gulped, his mind scrambled to drive Twilight’s attention away from the strange turn of events. “H- Hey, you know what? I actually read in an action comic that there’s actually a kind of bomb that can bounce across-”

“Spike, this is no time to joke! I’m glad that you’re not hurt, especially since you’ve been so brave to push me out of the way of harm. But if that… ‘Rainbow Dash’ is no longer here, nopony would clear the sky! My carefully arranged schedule will be thrown into disarray! And I will have to spend extra time tracking her down, leaving us with little time to study how to stop Nightmare Moon!”

Spike lowered his head with knitted brows. Surprisingly, Polytima also joined in with worry. “I don’t want to admit it, but she’s kind of right. We must have Rainbow Dash by our side when we go out to fight Nightmare Moon. The Elements must be whole to work.”

The dragon suddenly asked the fae. “You sure about that?”

“Huh?”

“Can’t I just go and stand in for that Rainbow Dash, maybe just for this time? I mean, I am pretty loyal.”

“Eh…?” The fae was only beginning to comprehend his outlandish suggestion.

“I’ve stayed beside Twilight for years as an obedient assistant. Also, I’m on pretty good terms with Twi, and equal terms with the other to-be bearers… At least they know Twi for as long and as much as me. I am not trying to take the supposed loyalty away from that Rainbow Dash or anything, but if she can’t make it, then I might as well stand in just this once.”

Even though Polytima was clearly hesitant, she sounded stumped when she was to argue against his logic. “Um… But the thing about that is…”

“Now, are you saying that only pony friendships count for the Spirits of Harmony?”

“N- No no no, of course not!”

Spike suspected that if he could see Polytima’s face, it would be covered with nervous sweat. “O- Of course I trust that my splendid Spike can do anything you want to do, but-”

“Spike, look, is that the pony that crashed into you just now?”

Twilight tugged the dragon, who turned his attention to his front. At the same time, Polytima let out a long breath of relief.

A cyan pegasus rushed towards them from a distance. It seemed that the rebound, though over-the-top, did not shoot her out of Equestria after all. This time, though, she nimbly landed in front of them at a safe distance. She then put both her hooves on Spike’s shoulders.

“Whoa, thank you, whoever you are! Good thing you cushioned my fall. I really don’t want to preen my wings and dust my coat all over again!”

The pegasus looked surprised when she noticed the stature of the dragon. She rubbed her eyes. “Wow, you’re just a baby dragon! I can’t believe a baby dragon can withstand such a collision at such a high speed and even bounce me back safely! A baby dragon as small as you!”

Spike's eyes twitched. “You don’t have to stress ‘baby dragon’ every time, Miss Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash merely smirked and waved him down. “Ha ha, whatever, baby dragon. But you do know me, how?”

Against Spike’s expectation, the previously overly protective fae did not immediately get defensive in place of him. She merely sighed and muttered something under her breath.

Before Spike could get pensive with Polytima’s reaction, Twilight spoke up.

“So you really are Rainbow Dash.”

The purple pony looked nonplussed. “Ugh, can you just clear the sky?”

Rainbow Dash narrowed an eye. “Now, who exactly are you to order me around?”

“To answer two of your questions at once: I’m Twilight Sparkle, the overseer of the Summer Sun Celebration. Spike and I are here to check if the weather is done in time. ”

Twilight pouted. “I’m not happy to see that not only the clouds are not cleared, you almost cause Spike serious injuries by crashing into us.”

“Come now, Twilight Sparkle. I can’t help it, being the fastest pegasus pony in Equestria and all-”

“Being fast does not exempt you from safety! How can you be so irresponsible about both your job and safety of others?”

Rainbow Dash looked irritated. “Being the royal overseer also does not give you the right to be so bossy!”

“Yes it does! It literally is my job to-”

“No it doesn’t!”

Spike intervened. “Excuse me…”

The mares did not seem to hear his pleading, as they were busy glaring at and arguing with each other.

The dragon sighed again, and called out to the fae. “Polly, please boost my volume.”

Polytima dipped, and immediately chanted. “Altior.”

"Can you two please listen to me?"

The two ponies gasped and sharply turned. Spike raised an arm and said. "Thank you! Now, there is no need to get worked up. Twi, I'm not hurt, and I'm sure that Rainbow Dash did not mean to hurt anypony or anyone."

Twilight bit her lips, and her ears drooped. "... You're not wrong. I might've got a bit unnecessarily riled up."

"And Rainbow Dash, can you also please do something about the clouds? We really need it done before the celebration begins."

The cyan pegasus, somewhat glad that the dragon spoke on her behalf, simply nodded with a grin. "Sure, dude, just look at me clearing the sky in ten seconds flat-"

As Spike accompanied Twilight towards the town hall, he worriedly muttered to himself. "I hope that the two of them are cool now."

"My splendid Spike, you have defused their tension pretty expertly, I must say."

"But they did argue, and didn't you say that their encounter was supposed to go much smoother than that?"

Polytima did not immediately answer. After they walked inside the town hall, she said with resoluteness in her voice. "... Visions and premonitions are just guidance. What use are they if they are supposed to happen as they were shown? There will be changes and there must be changes. We must deal with them."

"But would it make-"

Spike's stream of thought was terminated by a white pony that entered his sight. The purple-maned unicorn mare waved gracefully around curtains and small piles of gems, using her magic to skillfully transform them into elegant decors.

His heart beat rapidly in his small chest, as he was drawn towards the exquisite mare almost involuntarily. He straightened his spines and immediately fawned. However, his incoming advance was interrupted by Twilight, who stepped ahead of him and spoke to the unicorn, Rarity, with business-like tone. After making sure that everything's fine, she turned and exited the town hall briskly after a few measly minutes.

Torn between having to follow Twilight and wanting to give Rarity another longing gaze, he almost stepped on his own feet and tripped. Without much thinking, he whined to the fae. "Awww... Why must Twi leave so quickly? I want to get to know more about Rarity. Do you think that she would be into, ahem, dragons?"

The fae, however, did not reply. It was only then Spike shook off his enthralled feeling and paid attention to Polytima. Her blue glow still shone radiantly, yet she had been completely quiet since he approached Rarity.

Spike gulped after the realization. Was the fae silently brooding? Although she clearly let up in the face of Rainbow Dash's near-hit, that's probably just because she too had a hand in it. He wanted to be more charitable about Polytima's character, but he could not discount the possibility that his unbridled infatuation towards somepony else would drive her to extremes with sheer jealousy.

After some time with Polytima, Spike grew to understand more about her. There was a persistent worry in his mind about her stability. It was not only about her physical existence - the disquieting fact that she might disappear merely because other ponies call her name - but also her mental stability. He thought Twilight was neurotic enough, but Polytima was on another level entirely. Moreover, he himself was her object of obsession. Her possessiveness was simply legendary.

As his thought flew to unsettling places, Polytima spoke up. "Spike, you like the white unicorn, right?"

This time he was the one replying in nervous sweat. "Ye- I mean, no... um... maybe...?"

Again to Spike's surprise, the fae said without a hint of grudge, and she was wholly forthright in her tone. "My splendid Spike, you need not worry about my feelings. I am but a fae so supplicant. I am here to help you, not to bring you trouble or worry. If your goal is to pursue that mare, I will use every mean and lend you all my power to make that happen."

Spike spluttered in embarrassment and perplexity. "Y- You don't have to-"

"Listen to your heart, Spike, not the vapid musings of a fae."

Spike went silent with thought, as Polytima let out a small chuckle. He was unable to discern whether it's mirthful or bitter. "That mare and you will cross path for many a time; there are plenty of chances to get together in the future. But now, perhaps we should let go and simply let the purple pony get acquainted with the rest of her to-be partners. We shall negate unwelcome changes with interventions of our own."

"O... kay?"

Spike scratched his head. "Polly, I don't understand everything you say, but I trust you. From what we've been through, you seem so much cleverer and more farsighted than me."

Polytima sounded flustered. "S- Spike, I'm not-"

Spike shook his head and simply said. "I trust you, Polly, that you'll lead us away from danger, prevent Nightmare Moon from taking over Equestria. You seem to be our perfect guide to a better future."

The fae paused. After a beat, she proclaimed with renewed enthusiasm.

"Of course! I'll shine my brightest to light up your way, my splendid Spike!"

Bustle of the Brownie

"A baby dragon!"

Fluttershy suddenly burst in delight, her coy all but disappeared. Pushing aside her face-shielding mane, she looked to Twilight and said. "Oh, I've never seen a baby dragon before. He's so cute!"

The gentle cooing voice of the pegasus would have cheered Spike up. However, after a whole day of being pointedly addressed as a 'baby dragon', he had grown a bit sore.

Since he could not, for the life of him, get worked up with the soft-spoken mare, he elected to simply stay quiet and gaze forward with a bored expression.

However, his silence was probably taken the wrong way, because he was suddenly swept up into Fluttershy's embrace. Squeezed out of his breath by her unexpectedly strong hug, he could only let out a pitiful squeak, which was again mistakenly treated as a cute yap.

"Aww, such an adorable little dragon! Look at him, giving me that perky look with those pretty, big green eyes!"

Fluttershy rubbed her face on Spike, who was growing purpler and purpler as time went by. Twilight, on the other hand, simply stared at the side helplessly. She was not quite sure what to do to extract Spike and get it over with, without yanking Spike forcefully from Fluttershy's hooves and giving the shy mare a scare again.

Spike turned and gave his caretaker a pleading look. When he realized that prompt help was not coming through from Twilight, his gaze and attention swam towards Polytima.

However, the fae did not exactly look right. As Fluttershy continued her full-frontal assault, Polytima's blue light pulsated irregularly. And when Spike focused whatever left of his conscious mind on her, a series of mantra could be heard. It sounded like some sort of self-assurance, but Spike was not sure what she was reassuring herself about.

As the oxygen level in his brain dropped, his survival instinct kicked in and shut down his wandering thought. With renewed vigor, he desperately cried out to Polytima in his mind. "Help, Polly!"

Polytima suddenly snapped back to reality, and gasped in near-panic. "O- Oh dear! Spike! I- I-"

With a short sound of breath, she dashed towards Fluttershy. After a moment of random wriggling, she finally broke through her apparent hesitation and chanted with a shrill voice. "M- Mitesce!"

Fluttershy suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of soothing calmness wash over her. As if her hooves had turned into marshmallows, she let go of the dragon, and buckled down onto the road with a blissful, relaxed look.

Spike briefly went cross-eyed, and gasped for air for a moment. He then gave Twilight a hurt look, silently questioning her indecision.

The purple mare looked apologetic, but she was also confused about the turn of events. She looked at the dazed pegasus on the ground, and softly asked with some uncertainty. "Fluttershy...?"

"Aou-" Fluttershy simply blinked her half-closed eyes, and let out an indecipherable noise.

Spike, on the other hand, massaged his forehead and said to the fae. "Phew, you saved me, Polly."

"G- Glad to be of service, Spike."

"You look a bit nervous, what's wrong?"

Polytima sounded as if she took in a sharp breath and fidgeted. "Um... uh... I- It's nothing."

She added glumly with a minuscule voice. "I can't even keep to it, it seems..."

Spike could scarcely believe that it was really nothing, especially after her cryptic mumbling. But before he could ask further, he noticed that the snuggly pegasus was groggily trying to climb up from the ground without much success. He sighed and instead asked. "Polly, what was that spell? Why's she looking like a cider-addled klutz?"

"It's just a simple calming spell to suppress her intensity of arousal. I had made absolutely sure that it's harmless."

Polytima sighed, and then paused with thought. "Hm... Since her emotional valence was abruptly decoupled, it's naturally that she felt only paralyzing bliss and became somewhat disoriented. Its effect should be transient, however... I hope."

"P- Pard-"

Before he could ask Polytima to clarify her jargon, he noticed that Fluttershy finally managed to shake off her stupor and stand up. What's more, the pegasus was again approaching him.

Spike gulped and hurriedly pre-empted. "Um Fluttershy, I know this is the first time you've seen a dragon as young as me, but there's no need to-"

The yellow mare blinked several times. She stopped in her track and said with some shock. "O- Oh my, you can talk. I don't know..."

Twilight interjected. "Are you okay, Fluttershy? I mean, you kind of collapsed onto the ground all of a sudden..."

Fluttershy let out a small 'eep', and hid her face behind her mane again in embarrassment. She muttered something under her breath, but neither Twilight nor Spike could hear it.

However, an audible gulp could instead be heard through the mental link from Polytima. Spike immediately asked. "Polly, did you hear what she said?"

"Umm..."

"You did, didn't you?"

"Ummmm..."

Spike huffed somewhat impatiently. "Say it, Polly. We can't hear her."

Polytima quivered. After a good while, she said hesitantly. "She just said she felt really, um, good holding you, and she's lamenting why it lasted so short."

"Oh. Well, I know I'm very huggable. It's nothing out of ordinary."

The fae sounded a bit flustered. "I- I'm just afraid that she's mistaken the effect of my spell as the effect of hugging you. She looks a bit... too fond of that, being the calm-loving mare that she is."

Spike blinked, and then coughed awkwardly. "Um... That would be weird, but surely we can figure out a way-"

Their conversation was interrupted by the yellow pegasus herself, who looked at him with a mixed expression. "Um, mister dragon, may I... know your name?"

"My name's Spike. I'm Twi's as-"

Spike gulped hard at the intense attention from the fae, and changed course mid-word. "-ssociate. Yep."

Twilight looked on and interjected again with concern. "Fluttershy, so are you-"

"I, um, I'm fine. Thank you, Twilight Sparkle."

Fluttershy replied, but her gaze never left the small dragon. "So, um, Spike, c- can I again hu-"

She suddenly shook her head and blushed deeply, and then quickly blurted out. "I- I mean, can I know more about you? I've always wanted to know more about dragons."

"Uh, sure, of course."

Spike gave a look to Twilight, who did not seem to be too happy to be ignored by the yellow pegasus. He said diplomatically. "But I think we've gotta make sure that the bird choir's properly prepared first. Right, Twi?"

Twilight nodded blandly. "Of course."

Fluttershy hurriedly said. "They're all properly trained, Twilight, Spike."

The purple mare crossed her hooves and lightly sighed. "Well then. I suppose we can wrap things up and go back to the library, now that all the formal duties are done. See you at the Celebration, Fluttershy."

Twilight then almost dragged the dragon away from the scene, until Fluttershy caught up to them from a distance.

"W- Wait, Spike... Um, you haven't told me about yourself yet!"

Fluttershy then caught a glimpse of the unamused Twilight, and gasped slightly. "I- I mean, if that's okay with you two..."

Twilight merely pouted. She shrugged, almost turned heel and left by herself, until Spike tugged at her with a small frown and whispered into her ears. "Twi, I know she acted a bit strangely back then, but a hoof is a hoof when it comes to fighting Nightmare Moon, especially if we can't convince Princess Celestia in time. She seems to be a nice pony as well, don't you think so?"

Polytima merely quipped with derision. "Such pettiness over a few seconds of inattention."

Spike almost facepalmed, until Twilight sighed and huffed. "Fine, Fluttershy, follow us and ask him on the way. He's always eager to tell his life story to any passers-by."

"Thank you, Twilight." Fluttershy beamed.

Polytima, on the other hand, sounded irritated. "Ungrateful ingrate, what's that purple know-it-all implying? Doesn't she realize how fortunate it is for her to hear the glorious steps of growth for our magnificent Spike? I would push a boulder from the foot of Everhoof to its peak back and forth a thousand times just to have a chance at it!"

Spike sweat-dropped. "Okay, okay, Polly. To be fair, I used to always use my story as a castle dragon as a conversation opener. Twilight heard the same story for goodness know how many times, and it's natural that she would feel bored."

Polytima huffed with obvious annoyance. But then she nervously added. "A- Ah, Spike, I'm not huffing at you!"

"I know, I know, don't fret."

Spike cooed despite his developing headache, until Fluttershy chimed in. "So, um, Spike."

"Uh, yes, Fluttershy, right away. So you see, I'm born from a purple egg..."

Night had descended on the so-far peaceful town of Ponyville.

Spike gave a careless gaze to the yellow lights emanated from the windows of town homes. He then looked at the two mares trotting in front of him, and suppressed his incoming sigh. "Polly, I don't think that Twi and some of her to-be friends are getting along as well as I want. Is my action causing more harm than good?"

"O- Of course not! Spike, you're my flawless champion! If there's anyone who's screwing things up, it's..."

The fae's voice turned low. "... It's probably the unworthy me."

"Don't be silly. The moment we bonded in the Ivory Tower, Polly, we're in this together."

Polytima let out a breathy sound, and Spike continued. "And no matter how this turns out at the end, you're not to blame."

"But..."

"I know you don't like Twilight a bit."

Polytima gulped. "Um, I-"

"You don't need to deny that. It's more obvious than the midday sun. I don't know why or what exactly do you not like about her, being the lovable dork she is."

Spike chuckled to the flustered fae. "But I'll still quote her on this though: she said that while I might not be book-smart, I still have some sense about the good or bad within someone's heart; I know very well that you're trying your hardest to help me, and to help with the current situation."

"S- Spike..."

"You said you know all about Ponyville, the magic of harmony, and can see into the future... sort of, anyway. This must be super stressful, knowing that you yourself have the foresight to make the future pretty much perfect based on them. I don't even know if I can do it. That's why I'm always grateful for your help."

The fae let out another breathy, shaky sound. Spike immediately extended his arms and stroked Polytima gently with a grin. "You don't have to be so fidgety, Polly. Everything's gonna turn out alright tomorrow, and if not, we can at least say we give it our all."

"I- I see, Spike. I felt much better already, thank you." Polytima softly replied, visibly calming down with his physical contact.

"You're welcome... Oh, here we are."

The old oak tree that served as the town's library entered their view. Lights were dimmed, and the windows and balcony could barely be seen in the distance.

"A moment, Polly."

Spike ran up to Twilight and whispered to her again. "Hey Twi, should we invite Fluttershy in?"

"What?"

Twilight yelped with a nonplussed tone. When she noticed that Fluttershy could hear her, she suppressed her own voice. "... I don't need another strange pony messing around in the library when I'm researching about Nightmare Moon!"

"I think at least a simple cup of tea should be offered to her, since she's walked so far from her home. That's also part of the manners you used to teach me about, no?"

Twilight raised her brows, and then breathed out. "... Well, that's true. But a cup of tea only, then she's back to home, okay?"

Spike suppressed his desire to ruin Pinkie Pie's party surprise, and nodded briskly. He then turned to Fluttershy and said. "Fluttershy, so... no more questions about me, right?"

"Um... No, I don't think I have more for you... You've been most kind to answer all my questions, thank you." Fluttershy added smilingly.

"You're welcome, so would you care for a cup of tea in the treehouse?"

"Oh my, I... wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

Moving himself strategically in front of the mumbling Twilight, he replied. "Not at all, it would be just a simple cup of tea. You know, wetting your lips after such a long walk."

Fluttershy hesitated, but when she met the gaze of the dragon, she finally nodded. "Thank you... Yes, I'd want something to drink. A- and possibly some more time to chat other things with you too."

"Wait, but Spike, we jus-"

Spike pre-empted the complaining purple mare again, and dashed towards the entrance to the treehouse. He quickly yanked open the door to shut down Twilight's incoming objection.

"Surprise!"

The library lit up in a second, colorful displays and confetti immediately blew out into his face.

Inside the door, Pinkie Pie stood up next to her party cannon, and she waved enthusiastically at the trio. "Hiya, Spike, Twilight, and ohhh, Fluttershy too! This is a party I throw for the two newest po- I mean, pony and dragon in Ponyville! Were you surprised? Were ya? Were ya? Huh huh huh?"

"Wow, I mean, this is, like, very surprising, and stuff." Spike tried his darnedest to appear amazed, but it came out completely stilted.

The pink mare, however, did not seem to suspect a thing. She brightly grinned and said. "I'm glad! What about you, Twilight?"

The purple unicorn frowned. "Very surprised. Library is supposed to be quiet, uh... Pinkie Pie."

"Duh! Parties can't be quiet! 'Cos it would be bo-ring! And a boring party is not a fun party! See, since you two are new in the town, you don't have friends here, and it would be really really really sad! So I've invited absolutely everypony in the town so you can make friends with them! Isn't that superduperliciously fantastic?"

Twilight loudly groaned, but Spike immediately reminded in a small voice. "Making friends and allies, Twi. This is a golden opportunity!"

"But Spike, how can I work on research when there're so many cra- grr, ponies around the library?!"

Thinking back to Polytima's earlier words, he comforted. "Twi, we'll have time later. Everypony, us included, will stay up till morn when Princess Celestia comes to raise the sun, and we should have some time and space before that upstairs. We can use that time to do any research you need. Don't worry, I'll keep awake for as long as you want."

"Thanks to your wonderful spell, Polly." He added mentally to Polytima's bashful chuckle.

Twilight widened her eyes, and then carefully nodded. "Well, it's indeed quite remarkable that you're not rushing into your bed after a whole day's work, or look at all sleepy."

Spike proudly grinned. "Everything for Equestria. And especially for you, Twi."

The purple mare blinked and blushed for some reason. She looked visibly more amenable to the partying ponies inside the library.

Spike observed with a grin, and said with a louder voice just audible by Pinkie and Fluttershy. "So Twi, let's go and greet everypony inside, shall we?"

Twilight touched her forehead with her hoof. After a while, she smiled diffidently in defeat.

"... Alright then, since you insist... Don't you try to get away from work later, huh? I'll really need your help on this."

Spike saluted playfully. "Aye, aye, Twi. Definitely."

"Heya! What're you all waiting for? If you wanna chat, we have a whole night and a whole town of ponies to chat to, right, right?!"

Pinkie finally could not keep her quiet. She jumped up and down with excitement and pushed the three into the door frame.

She brightly grinned. "Let's come in and par-tay!"

Fantasia of the Fairy

The night was young no more. Party noises had long since died down, by the time Twilight Sparkle laid back on her own bed. Scattered notes and books were already neatly re-organized into piles.

As the purple mare took the much-needed respite and drifted into sleep, her assistant, Spike merely gazed with boredom from the other side of the room, tuning out from the slurred chatter downstairs.

After a good while, he turned to the patiently waiting fae, and purposely raised a claw to his mouth. Polytima silently dipped and casted a soundproof barrier around them.

"Thanks, Polly. I still think that it's more comfortable to talk with my actual mouth."

Polytima dipped with a flourish.

"Look at her, finally willing to climb onto bed." Spike stretched his arms lazily. "If I hadn't promised to take care of other things, she would definitely work overnight."

"She is responsible for her own body and health. If she wants so much to work herself to the point of exhaustion, then it's her prerogative."

Spike stuck his tongue out. He might not understand the big word Polytima spewed, but he did understand passive-aggression enough.

Another minute of silence passed, Spike impatiently looked to the night sky, and walked near the stairwell to check up on the remaining guests.

As Spike finished sending away the last half-drunk pony out of the door, he sat back down near Polytima and quipped. "Polly, I really don't know how you can do this for so long."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean not having to sleep. I'm absolutely being bored out of my skull here. You said you don't even need to rest, do you?"

Polytima clearly wavered, but the blue light then blinked in acknowledgement.

"I did, and it's true. I'm always alert, and always prepared to serve." She said with pride.

"Really? I never thought I would have a beef with too much time, since I've always been working for Twi all day long... but isn't this just boring and awkward?"

Polytima was immediately nervous. "Do you not enjoy my company, Spike? I will make this work! Look, I can play tricks, I can-"

"No, no! Take it easy." Spike patted his forehead. "I just meant I'm not quite prepared for all the extra time myself. Maybe I would find things to do... I just have no idea right now. It's not your fault."

"... I see."

"I want to know, though. Before you found me, what did you do with so many hours a day?" Spike snickered. "Don't tell me you just spent all your time sneaking up on everypony."

"Nay, that's not the case. Whenever I'm not collecting information or wandering in the Everfree forest..."

She let out a soft hum, seemingly drifting off to faraway thoughts. "... I mostly stayed in the bustling glow of Harmony, who gave me my life, my power and my form."

"Sounds pretty snug."

"I recuperated under its current incarnation, the Tree of Harmony, and in its gentle glow I find a moment of peace."

"Is that... like a nice sleep? A good dream, even?"

Polytima, however, merely muttered with confusion, and said lowly. "... I don't know."

Spike simply continued, prodded by his own curiosity. "But do you at least sleep if you want to? Nothing's more relaxing than a good sleep at the end of a fulfilling day. Emptying your mind and the like."

"I- I don't know! I really don't know!"

Polytima suddenly exclaimed in distress, causing Spike to gasp in like.

After an awkward lull, Spike scratched his head and apologized. "I don't know it's such a sensitive topic for you. I'm sorry."

It was as if a lump was lodged in Polytima's throat, but she eventually pushed through. "No, it's me who should be sorry... This is not at all your fault. It's just that I-"

After a dejected sigh, she continued. "I simply cannot sleep or dream, even if I want to."

"...?" Spike was a bit astonished.

"You see, I'm not corporeal... which means I do not have a physical body."

Polytima wiggled in apparent frustration. "I can't even remember if I have ever 'slept' before, not to mention entering a 'dream'. My early memory is hazy anyway. But this is something that just makes me feel so different with every creature that I've observed. Every living being sleeps at night, but I can only stare, by myself, when they seem to have drifted off to somewhere else, into a realm that I could never reach... it makes me feel so different, so exposed, and so alone, and I really hate that."

After a pause, Polytima nervously chuckled. "I'm so sorry... I don't mean to vent."

Spike then stroked the light sphere and tried his best to comfort her. "It's okay to be emotional once in a while, even in front of someone you care about. Being alone is nice sometimes, but being alone all the time can make us feel really bad."

Polytima let out a muffled, ambiguous sound. Spike simply continued with a reassuring tone. "Now, since we both have so much time to spare, why don't we chat some more? Like, have you seen anything funny that ponies do in private? Or any exciting adventures in the Everfree?"

The fae finally let out a delighted sound. "Sure! And afterwards, we can even talk more about the inner workings of the wondrous fae magic!"

Spike's grin froze. "Well uh... About that..."

"Just kidding!"

"Eh?"

"I'm a fae, not a stupid troll. I can tell when someone doesn't like something." Polytima chuckled. "Plus work shouldn't get in the way of a nice time with a... a friend, right?"

Spike nodded. "Ain't that the truth."

Gazing out to the night sky, he added with a wry look. "And isn't it so weird anyway?"

"What's weird?"

"We're chatting so casually, when some ancient villain was about to come back and take over Equestria." He then quipped. "Is this what they call 'the calmness before a storm'?"

Polytima chuckled, and then let out a quiet huff. "Nightmare Moon is but a corrupted Alicorn. Her power was weakened with thousands of years of imprisonment, as well as the ancient toil of raising celestial bodies. Even with the power of Nightmare, there are ways to bring her down, even without using the power of the Elements."

"Oh really?"

Vigor returned to Polytima's voice, and she declared proudly. "I'm a spirit of Everfree. The forest is my natural abode, my trustful fortress, and the extension of my power. Even the pony princesses, who once built their royal capital within its perimeter, shall be at mercy of its formless yet mighty magic if they dare intrude."

She drew a half-circle in the air with her radiance and continued. "The Nightmare's dark magic is profane in the eyes of Harmony, and I could act as a made conduit of its will, calling down a roaring retribution from the heavens!"

"W- Whoa."

"Of course, this might exhaust a bit of my lifeforce. But it would take a lot more than that to extinguish me, hah. Though, the sun princess might have to mourn her wayward sister."

Spike gasped, and Polytima explained with clear disdain and indifference. "My barrage is not going to be as gentle as glow of the Elements or the Tree. Dark magic is my antithesis, and corruption will burn away before me from within and without."

She huffed again, this time with reluctance. "I do not have much time for anyone other than Master Spike, but I would assume you'll probably be disinclined to make her sad."

"That's for certain! Princess Celestia also cared for me when I was little, and we love each other!"

"Uhmm." Polytima mulled briefly, and then moved on. "There is also the very small possibility that she might yet escape outside the forest, where my power is diminished. Say in here, I might have a fifty-fifty chance against her, and the farther away I go, I can only take on a more supportive role."

"I see, I see." Spike then stuck his tongue out. "Still, spending your lifeforce to defeat an enemy? This sounds too scary. Please just don't get hurt."

"I am so happy to hear that." The fae let out a small chuckle. "But what's needed to be done needs to be done, and I'll just do it for you."

Just then, the two were interrupted by the rude blaring of an alarm clock. The purple pony shot from her bed like a red-eyed rocket, and in her morning mania she yelped. "Spike, Is it time yet?!"

The little drake gasped and turned. The time on the clock said '5', but there was not a sliver of twilight from beyond the horizons. Regardless, he replied dutifully. "Yeah, Twi! I'll pack up right away! Just give me a minute to wash up-"

The purple pony rubbed her eyes roughly, clearly irritated from the barely restful sleep. After forcing herself to focus, she glared at the dragon and said. "No. You stay here. It's more than clear that Nightmare Moon's return is imminent, and she is for grown-ups to deal with. A baby dragon like you have to stay somewhere safe, like in this library."

Spike opened his mouth reflexively. However, he first heard an even more furious blast of tirade right next to his cheek.

"How dare you, you sorry excuse of a know-it-all!" Polytima yelled right next to the astonished dragon's ears.

"Uh, Polly, you know she can hear none of thi-"

Her voice merely grew shriller, turning into an ear-piercing screech. "Fool! Gaze upon a mirror and reflect upon your stupid face and meatless flanks what you've just said!"

"Pfft!" Spike covered his mouth at the out-of-nowhere commentary of unicorn derrière, barely shielding the snort from the naturally suspicious mare.

Spike's mind cleared up somewhat, especially after the full blast in the ears he'd just received. He swallowed his own retort, breathed in deeply, and weighed. Before long though, Twilight Sparkle already turned and descended the stairs, taking Spike's silence as tacit acknowledgement.

Polytima gasped and immediately besought with burning concern. "Ma- Spike, How can you tolerate such im- impunity!"

Spike waited till Twilight was out of his earshot. "Come now, it's not like I am a goody-goody silk stocking who can't take a yell or two. She's just worried about my safety, even though she's a bit blunt. She's never a morning pony anyway."

"But what about dealing with Nightmare Moon? You should go and dazzle them with your newfound-"

"Well, should I really?"

"What?!" Polytima was almost apoplectic, before realizing she was shouting like mad and letting out a quieter whimper.

Spike, however, simply continued. "If what you've said is true, then no matter whether I'm there or not, she should be able to deal with Nightmare Moon with the other girls, right? They say don't fix it if it ain't broken."

"B- But- didn't you say you want to make them respect you? Love you? What's better than doing it right here and now, when you first meet them?!"

"I just don't think it's right to-"

"Nothing has even happened yet! My foresight is not faultless! We can still go and-"

"Yeah, of course we can go. But I want to stay here, with you." His words carried an air of finality.

Polytima froze as Spike continued, this time in a gentler voice. "And of course I'd like everypony to love and adore me... Especially Rarity, heh."

"So why..." Polytima's voice wavered, her bewildered tone was tempered with an obvious streak of joy at Spike's declaration to stay with her.

"I just want to be able to look back and think proud. Of course I love being a hero! But I hate being a fraud even more." Spike muttered. "If I always think of what I've done as feats that should have belonged to Twilight and her friends, then I will always feel as if I have stolen something, and have to fear about being discovered."

"..." The fae let out a sigh clearly tinged with doubt and disappointment.

Spike jokingly added, hoping to lighten the mood. "Besides, if I really wanted that, there are surely easier ways. Like, why bother go into danger at all? Why don't I just use your oh-so-handy fae magic to, I dunno, mess with everypony's head to make them think it's my heroic deeds all along. This way I can just sit back and pop gems in my mouth, while I enjoy all the praises from adoring ponies. Haha."

The fae let out a voice of clear astonishment, and then said with ponderance and awe. "... Oh my! I haven't even- Why haven't I thought of that? Truly, to expose oneself before danger is a fool's errand. And to expose my master before danger is a risk I should have never undertaken in the first place. Fae magic of the mental persuasion, huh. Not exactly my most proficient line of art, but illusions, emotion manipulation and minor memory alteration-"

"Wait, wait, wait, I was just kidding...! I was just trying to say that it would feel just as empty! But, uh, you can do those things, like, for real?"

"I will try, and try my best, if you so command." The fae's voice was unsettlingly eager. "Harmony wills it."

"Uhhh... I'd rather we not talk about this again. It just sounds so wrong." Spike shuddered.

"... As you wish, Spike." Polytima slowly sighed.

"Don't feel bad. Surely there are things that were- that are- would've been my own doing, and could've been done better. We've got time."

Spike stuck his tongue out. "Gah, this whole future-past thing is confusing me. Let's talk about something I've been thinking about."

"Yes?"

"You know." Spike hummed. "We've known each other, like, for barely a couple of days? It surprises even me that I open up to you as quickly. I have never really made friends with somepony- someone other than Twilight... or maybe Princess Celestia, Cadance and Shining Armor, if I squint my eyes hard enough, haha."

Spike stroked the silent light and added.

"I dunno, I just feel comfortable talking with you, even though we are so different. It's as if I've known you much, much longer. It's strange."

The fae rose up into the air, seemingly in rapt attention.

Spike sighed. "I surely hadn't got nearly as close with any of Twilight's old fri- classmates, even though I saw them from time to time ... ... Or maybe I was just feeling lonely, facing a big change I didn't really get to choose, and was glad that I had someone like you so firmly by my side."

"Spike..."

"It's not like Twilight could teach me how to make friends, is it? She's a basket case enough. Nor do I really have other friends to compare to, so I don't really know if this is normal... How's a dragon supposed to make friend in a pony world, anyway?"

Spike paused and looked up wryly. "... It does sound a bit pathetic, doesn't it?"

As if to steady herself and 'take a long breath', Polytima remained silent for a while, then she spoke up, her hesitation giving way to firmness.

"No, it isn't at all. I am honored to hear what you think of these few days. I feel joyful enough that my sudden intrusion upon your life is not unwelcome. It is truly a blessing to know that you have accepted me, even became fond of my presence ... and honoring me as a friend. This is all I can ask for."

Polytima trailed off, then gradually floated up like a dandelion seed, and softly sang with rich and mellow tone.

"I shall be your light in the dark.
I shall be your shelter from the storm.
I shall be your mirror to reflect your glory.
I shall be your water to cleanse your body.
I shall be your shield against their arrows.
I shall be your seal to bind their hearts."

"... Woah." Spike could only mutter, as he felt an inexplicable warmness wash over him. "What was that?"

"It's a hymn of devotion. I always knew the tune, but the words only just came to me." Polytima then said with some bashfulness. "If you felt something funny, it's normal. When I am emotional, even my words can inadvertently carry a magical quality. It's not anything harmful, however."

"It's beautiful." Spike remarked. "You really look like the kind of fairies from storybooks just now."

The fae fell into a curious silence, which prompted Spike to ask. "What's wrong?"

"No- nothing." Polytima gathered her wits and said. "Thank you, Spike. I can always sing to you if you so like. All night long, all day long."

"That'd be fine for now." Spike chuckled, then let out a happy sigh. "Ahh, it feels so good to clear the air. Why don't we spend the rest of the long night relaxing, and finally talk about someone other than ourselves?"

The fae simply bobbed gently.

"Aye, I'd be glad to."

Song of the Sprite

The duo of dragon and pony walked briskly towards their next destination, the Sweet Apple Acres.

Twilight was sporting a nervous grin after the emotional exchange, but Spike was still worried about the fae in his little waist bag.

He was slightly relieved to see a faint blue light emanating from the inside. But then, he heard some faint murmurs. He couldn’t quite distinguish whether it came from the bag or from his head, but he could hear some of the words. Something about a… contract?

Spike tried to put more of his attention towards her mumbling, but whatever she was muttering was quickly overcame with incoherent sobbing.

He again felt a pang of guilt in his heart. Although the fae basically forced him to accept her as a companion, he was still thankful with her advice, and felt some degree of responsibility to her.

She was like a little stray that bawled whenever he slightly mentioned the idea of leaving her alone. Now he couldn’t help but think, in addition to her choice of companion, whether she suffered from some serious abandonment issue.

A sharp gasp came from the bag. “D- Dark? Why is it all dark? Oh Mother Harmony, please, d- don’t take me away from Spike yet!”

Spike put his claws into the bag and took out the startled fae. “Shh, relax, Polly. I’m sorry to have said those hurtful words. You know I’ll never have the heart to leave you behind.”

“Spike…!” Polytima trembled on Spike’s claws. “Are you real? Not a figment of my imagination?”

“Will a figment of your imagination admit that he’s just imagination?” Spike chuckled. “You faint too easy for a spirit of Harmony.”

“Thank goodness! Praise be to Mother Harmony! I- I-”

Spike silenced the panicking fae with a gentle kiss, which stunned her into silence. Her embarrassment was palpable, but Spike could sense that her fear was also immediately assuaged.

He closed his eyes, and decided at heart that he must watch his tongue closely for the rest of his day, for he had two incredibly touchy companions with him.

As the pony and dragon walked side by side towards the apple orchard, Spike momentarily looked at the deeply pondering mare.

He wondered what she was thinking. Twilight Sparkle was not usually a sentimental pony. Reading and studying were of paramount importance to her, as was impressing the benign mentor who uplifted her from obscurity to being the top royal pupil.

Spike then thought about where he was in this equation. After he had been hatched by Twilight’s magic, he had been placed in Celestia’s care before he was finally transferred to the purple mare.

Who was he to her? He seldom consciously thought about their relationship before, during his routine work of assistance for the royal student. Polytima’s strangely pointed objection to the purple mare brought it into sharp relief, however.

They were not exactly siblings, for Twilight usually had all the say with regards to their action. She was not like his parent either, as though she hatched him, they weren’t that apart in terms of age.

Suddenly, a bashful voice rang in his mind.

“I’m so sorry I’m a useless fae… I promise I will not faint so easily next time. Master, just don’t say you’ll… you’ll…”

Spike winced. “Okay, Polly, I won’t. I only have two requests for now.”

“Y- Your wish is my command!”

“First, calm down for a bit.”

A long inhalation could be heard. “I- I have calmed down, my mas-”

Spike gently coughed. Polytima gasped and switched the form of address. “Spike… Th- Thank you for keeping me on with you.”

Through the mental link, he cooed. “Polly, don’t think about that anymore. Now tell me about, uh, other things. Let’s talk more about this… Applejack, can we?”

“Gladly!” Polytima beamed. “Applejack, as we discussed, is a farm mare. She lives with her family in Sweet Apple Acres. The Apples are a big family of traditional and down-to-earth folks.”

“You should know her pretty well, huh? Her farm should be close to the edge of town and near the forest.”

“Indeed, she and the would-be bearer of Kindness were the ones I’ve got the most frequent look from my forest abode. As long as you remain honest and fair in your interactions with her, she should be all good.”

“Is there anything that she likes, you know, so that I can…”

“It might be a bit tricky to impress her. She dislikes flowery pretense, and she's incredibly stubborn to the point of rejecting help even when she absolutely needs it. I’m afraid it might take a while before she can see the light and accept how splendid you are.”

“Uh… okay.” Spike scratched his cheek.

“She's not as simple as we see, my splendid Spike. She’d lived in the East and knew the complexities of the cities, she just moved back because she preferred a simpler life. Besides, her parents were no more shortly after the birth of her younger sister.”

“What…?”

“An unfortunate accident, let’s just say.”

After a protracted silence. “… You do know her well, Polly. How long have you been observing her and the others in Ponyville?”

“Heh, it was so long ago since Mother Harmony gave sight to me, but I can reliably tell you that I knew her since she was born.”

Polytima said to an astonished Spike. “Not that there were nothing to see in the forest, but… well… Anyway, I suppose she would still appreciate honest attempts to help from the others regardless, even if they fumble a bit. I knew this because she cherished her little sister even more because of it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind-” Spike blinked and saw the entrance to the Acres in front of him.

He hurriedly took out the list Twilight Sparkle gave him before they departed, and blurted out the rehearsed sentence.

“Summer Sun Celebration official overseer's checklist. Number one, banquet preparations: Sweet Apple Acres.”

An orange pony was seen bucking the apple trees. Apples came raining down with each skillful strike.

“Let’s get this over with…”

But before Twilight Sparkle could open her mouth, they were noticed by the apple farmer herself.

“Hey howdy! A unicorn and dragon combo, how interestin’ eh?” The blonde-maned mare brightly chuckled. “Name’s Applejack, what’s yers?”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle, royal overseer of the Summer Sun Celebration.”

“I’m Spike the Dragon.” Spike neglected to mention his status as Twilight Sparkle’s assistant, lest the doting fae somehow went unhinged again.

As Twilight Sparkle tried futilely to resist the attempts from the extended Apple family to feed her all kinds of apple dishes, Spike sat on a piece of log at a distance, observing the rumble quietly.

“The old gray mare, she kicked on the apple tree,
Kicked on the apple tree, kicked on the apple tree,
The old gray mare, she kicked on the apple tree,
Many long years ago...”

Spike turned and looked at the fae, fluttering in the wind and singing an old-timey tune.

“What’s that, Polly?”

“It’s just a song I heard the older Apples sung in the past. It’s quite easy and repetitive, so I quickly learnt it by rote.”

“That song sounds… hmm, how should I put it?”

“Wistful? Dreamy? Sad?” Polytima supplied.

“Well, I won’t say it’s sad, but it sounds like somepony who wished to do more but could do no more.”

What Spike said was like a shock of an electric bolt, causing the fae to be stunned silent. Before Spike noticed her reaction, though, she collected herself and said shyly.

“… The song was about a distant matriarch of the Apple family. She was a legend within her clan, dragging a big wagon across what was then an uncultivated waste and helping her family spread all over the land. But as age caught up to her, she could no longer run as fast as before, nor could she drag the heavy wagon around. And so, she rued this as she settled down and kicked trees in her small orchard.”

“At least she could still kick trees at a ripe old age, couldn’t she?”

Polytima mulled. “She thought she could do more to help her family, though.”

Spike looked up and scanned the assorted Apples in the Acres. There were ponies of every age. Giving a side glance to the fae, he shook his head and said. “Everyone has a time under the blue sky. It’s no use mourning about the past. Rather, it’s important to live at the moment and enjoy ourselves.”

The fae murmured something under her breath, but at the end, she offered a placid praise. “Wise words, my splendid Spike.”

Spike continued to stare forward, but he asked. “You like singing?”

The fae sounded somewhat surprised, and then quietly muttered. “Alas, I have naught to do otherwise in the forest, alone and expectant. Knowing that no one else could hear me should I choose to, I can sing however I want. It’s a great escape valve for my anxiety.”

“I see.” Spike thinly smiled. “I’m happy that you found something that you enjoy doing.”

The fae’s tone raised ever so slightly, and she hummed. “… Nevertheless, hearing others sing is a bigger pleasure of mine.”

“Oh?”

“It’s rare that ponies wander near the ‘dangerous’ Everfree. Sapient beings in the forest with the ability to speak and sing are few and far between. And when they do, it’s usually when they thought there was no one nearby. So they sang out of their hearts. I enjoy listening to these rawest, most genuine expressions of emotions.”

“That’s… relaxing, I suppose.”

The fae hummed cheerily, until she noticed that no further response came from the dragon. She gently approached Spike, who was sporting an inscrutable face.

“Spike?”

The dragon could not hold it anymore and burst into laughter. “Mwahahaha! So you’re not just a stalking fairy, but an eavesdropping one as well!”

“Mas-! I, I mean, Spike!” Polytima yelped with an off-key squawk. “I- I’m not a creepy unhinged stalker!”

“Really? Alright, how many ponies did you listen in on when you’re staying in Everfree and this town?”

“No more than a dozen times per pony… on average anyway!”

“What?” Spike did a mini-spittake. It was much more than he thought. “Like, when they’re in the privacy of their homes as well? Cos it’s impossible for everypony to wander inside the Everfree so many times for you to… you know…”

“Um… Uh…”

After a period of mumbling, Polytima then added with the volume of a mosquito buzz. “P- Perhaps?”

Spike did not know to laugh or to feel queasy about the mass surveillance. “So tell me, who in this town of Ponyville does you not have a full binder of info of?”

Polytima slowly sighed. “… I’m afraid not. I need information on every inhabitant I can get ahold of. Whatever they said, it was precious information, not only about themselves, but also the wider world. Especially since I couldn’t go far previously, I need to hear every bit from every one of them.”

The fae then said with the tone of a scolded filly. “I- I’m not a stalker… Please don’t hate me…”

“Aww… Silly Polly, I’m not scolding you. I’m just teasing you for a bit.”

Spike shrugged with a grin. “Ah, I was a bit unfair. I still don’t think it’s right to spy on unknowing ponies like that, but it’s not like you have any other, uh, normal way to talk to the others or gather information.”

Polytima seemed to be brightened. “I’m glad you understand, Spike. Everything I did, however embarrassing, toiling or incriminating, I was preparing for the time that we met. Knowing things around the town would surely help our endeavors in the future.”

Spike nodded, and then struck up a smile. “Hey, can you teach me the song you were singing just now?”

“Eh?”

Polytima fluttered to the side as if she was tilted her ‘head’. “I- I mean, sure, of course! But may I be so brazen and ask… why?”

“It just sounded so… melodic. I wonder if I can sing it well as well. Twi said I might have a talent for singing when I was younger.”

“Of course you can. No doubt about it! Her use of ‘might’ is foolish, I say!”

“Ha…”

Spike cupped his paws together, as he pondered aloud. “Um… Also, what do you think if I sing this for the Apples? Would they be happy, or would they be weirded out by an outsider randomly singing their family song?”

“Eh…? I- I… am not sure.”

“Huh? Something that our all-knowing fae doesn’t know?”

The fae sounded genuinely apologetic, not catching the jokey tone of the dragon. “My most sincere apologies, my splendid Spike, for I honestly don’t know. It’s been quite some time since I learnt that tune, and it’s been so long since I last heard the old granny sing it. I am not even sure if the younger Apples would recognize the tune.”

“Oh.”

The fae let out a sigh. “I understand that you might want to please these farmer ponies with your singing voice, but I really can’t say if it would have the desired effect… I’m terribly sorry, Spike, I must sound pretty useless.”

“Don’t say that, Polly. If not for you, I wouldn’t even know so much about the Apples and the very song.”

He looked at the streaming mass of Apple family members, and leaned back at the log. Eventually he let out a long breath. “Maybe… Maybe it’s indeed better not to go all the way out to win over their love and respect. As you said, this Applejack is a down-to-earth type. She might see through it, and everything might go belly up.”

“… I see, Spike.”

“But still, I want to learn this song. Can you sing it once again for me, before Twilight gets stuffed with too many apple fritters and has to bail?”

Polytima dipped and said. “S- Sure thing, my splendid dragon.”

As the aroma of apples filled the morning air, Spike swung on the log with a carefree mood, listening to the delicate singing voice of the fae.

“… Many long years ago
Many long years ago, many long years ago
The old gray mare
She ain’t what she used to be
Many long years ago…”