You pay the price.

“Spike!?” Twilight yelled out in confusion while Spike held his head. The other girls rushed forward, “Spike what happened to you? I thought you were hurt or worse!”

“More importantly where did that alien go off to?” Rainbow said. “That thing has got some questions of mine to answer.”

“Girls, that wasn’t an alien. It was me.” Spike said then he showed the wristwatch. “This thing turned me into that.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know.” Spike then explained what happened up until now.

“Can you take it off?” Rarity asked.

“I tried but nothing I do will work!” Spike exclaimed.

“Let me try.” Twilight approached her baby dragon and try she did but nothing worked. The other girls stepped up to the plate, sans Fluttershy and still nothing worked. Applejack tied a lasso around the base of it and almost dislocated Spike’s shoulder. Rarity used some knitting needles that Twilight conjured for her to try to use leverage to get it off but they just bent into a weird shape. After almost everypony tried to get it off they gave up.

“Okay, I know when to give up and I usually never do.” Rainbow said. “I’m tapping out.”

Twilight’s head then popped up when she realized something. “Oh Spike I’m so sorry!” She hugged the baby drake.

“For what?”

“I called you a thing, then Rainbow and I attacked you!” She hugged me tighter.

“It’s alright Twilight, I don’t blame you. Although your words hurt, I understand that you were confused and didn’t know.” I said to her.

“Alright, now that that’s settled I want to say a few things. First I’m proud of you for responding as you did, and I won’t scorn you for going off because you did try to wake me up first. But I’m also a little mad because you scared the daylights out of me, you didn’t think to leave a note?”

“I’m sorry Twilight.” I said to her.

“I’m just glad everything is alright.” Fluttershy said.

“Well now what do we do?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“We need to inform the princesses about what happened.” Twilight said. “Spike, take a letter.”

“Twilight, I know it’s one of my jobs as your assistant, but could you do it yourself please? I’m pooped.” I said to her while flopping down and blinking my tired eyes.

“Alright, but you have to send it okay?” Twilight told me as she used her magic to write the letter.”

“No problem.” I said as she finished drafting the letter, rolling up into a scroll, and I used my magic fire breath to send it to the princess.

“She should get it in the morning.” Twilight lifted me onto her back and used her magic to levitate the other items I had brought in her magic. I fell asleep on her back, but not before I noticed that the watch turned from red back to green. I didn’t care at the moment though.

Twilight walked back to the library and set Spike down in her bed and tucked both him and herself in. “I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling about this.” Twilight said as she eyed the watch that was attached to Spike’s wrist.

The dawn came quickly and I shifted awake, I sat up and stretched out my limbs feeling a weight on my right arm. I looked to see the watch. “Oh, so it wasn’t a dream.” I looked around and heard a conversation coming from downstairs. I got up and straightened the bed before I walked downstairs and saw Twilight talking with the Princesses.

“There he is, Spike did you sleep well?” Twilight asked.

“I did, may I ask why the princesses are here?” I asked.

“We’re here to investigate the meteorite.” Luna said.

“I’m here to make sure that none of the ponies panic over this.” Celestia said.

“We are here to run security and make sure that nothing is tampered with. We would inquire you to come along since part of the investigation involves what is on thine wrist.” Luna said.

“You’re doing much better with catching up with the modern language.” Twilight complimented.

“Thank you Twilight.” Luna smiled.

“I don’t mind coming along.” I said. “It would really benefit us if we found out what this thing is.”

“Yes it would.” Twilight agreed and Celestia nodded.

The group of four filed out of the library and split up, Twilight went with her mentor and I went with Luna. “Hey Luna?” I asked while we were walking.

“Yes Spike?” Luna looked at me.

“I was wondering, how come you didn’t know that this meteorite was coming if you’re the princess of the night? Don’t you control the stars?”

“Well it’s difficult to explain, I do and I don’t. If I could physically control the stars Nightmare Moon would have been much more powerful.” Luna shivered a bit at the thought. “The thing is the stars are actually like the sun, and they are very massive, yet their light takes millions of years to reach our vision. So what I do is that I bend the light to make different images in the sky each night, but I can’t physically move them.”

“Then why say you do?” I asked.

“Because the reason I just explained is very complicated and it’s easier to say I do. I don’t like to lie to them, but it’s easier.” Luna said.

“I understand.” I said.

“I did try to explain, but the ponies just got confused and I just sighed and said I move the stars.” Luna finished as they reached the area where the meteorite landed. “Come with me Spike.”

I followed along beside her. “What are we going to do?”

“First we’re going to examine and see if there is any reaction between the device on your arm and the meteorite.” Luna explained and I nodded and followed.

“What if nothing happens?” I asked.

“Then we will shift our focus onto the device.” Luna said and gestured to to a table. “Please sir Spike.”

I hopped onto the table and held out my wrist to the meteorite. Nothing happened, so I waited patiently for a few seconds as ponies looked. “Nothing’s happening.” I said.

“Hmm, alright so we can conclude that the meteorite was more of a transport vessel for the device.” Luna said. “Can we see what the device can do?”

“Alright.” I pressed the button and the center popped out. The image was different. “Wait a minute.” I didn’t press the center down but I shifted it to the side and the image changed. “Luna, look.”

Luna looked at the display as Spike turned it. “It seems like that you have multiple selections. Try one.”

“Okay.” I was hesitant but switched it to something I liked, it looked like a big guy, so I pressed it down. My skin started to change color and soon turned red while I grew bigger and then I grew two extra arms!? By the time the transformation was finished I was taller than Luna and she stared at me with a mix of excitement and shock. When I transformed Twilight came in the moment before I activated the watch.

“Whoa.” Twilight and Luna said in unison.

“Spike? Is that you?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah it’s me.” I said to her. I looked at my muscles and flexed them. “Get a load of these pythons. I bet I could beat Big Mac in arm wrestling now.” I smiled.

“Yeah I bet.” Twilight giggled. “Though what confuses me is that you weren’t the same as last night.”

“It seems that this device can transform Spike into more than one creature.” Luna explained.

“So then how many creatures can Spike turn into?” Twilight asked.

“That remains to be seen.” Luna said then she turned to Spike. “Spike you must understand that even though that this was an accident it still is a great responsibility. You must be able to control yourself and not let your desires override that.”

I looked at Luna, “I understand princess.”

“Don’t worry princess.” Twilight spoke up, “I’ll keep Spike in line if he doesn’t keep to his word.” Then she looked at Spike again. “Well, I’ll try my best.”

“Now Spike, do you mind if we run a few tests while you’re in that form?”

“Not at all.” I agreed and they took several small samples. Nothing that couldn’t grow back in a week or so. Then they drew some blood. They were lucky they did it on time because the watch timed out soon after.

“Hmm fascinating.” Luna said.

“What is it?” Twilight inquired.

“I had one of my scientists keep track of how long Spike stayed in that form and it’s exactly 10 minutes to the dot.”

I walked up to Twilight. “Hey Twilight, can I talk to you in private?”

“Sure.” Twilight walked out of the area that the guard had closed off and I followed. We walked until we were out of earshot from the others and then I started to talk.

“Twilight, last night. I made a wish.” I told her.

“Yes?”

“And that wish was, that I could help you girls out more. I know you girls appreciate and thank me for everything I do but with all the adventures you go on, I felt. Left out.”

“Spike why didn’t you say anything?” Twilight asked getting choked up.

“Because it wasn’t that I was mad, or angry, in fact I was happy. I know you girls didn’t do it on purpose. But I always felt that I could do more than just be a number one assistant. When I made that wish, the meteorite crashed and I got the watch. I’m telling you this because I want to join you girls more. I want to feel like I’m as much as part of the group as anypony else.”

“Spike.” Twilight wiped her tears and hugged me. “I’m sorry I forgot you, even if it was an accident. Yes you can come along with us.”

“But if I do come along I can’t get my chores done.” I said.

“How about we split the chores, and if I skip out on a day I’ll do all of them the next day. But the only thing I ask is that you keep cooking.”

I chuckle a bit, “Yeah you are pretty bad at cooking, almost as bad as Sweetie Belle.”

“Yeah.” Twilight scratched the back of her head.

The watch beeped and turned green. I looked at it, “I know Luna said I have to be responsible but I want to have a little fun with it.”

“Nothing too dramatic, and don’t go scaring the locals.” Twilight said.

“Would you mind getting the girls? I want to show them what I can do as well.” I asked.

“Alright, we’ll meet at Applejack’s orchard. That has plenty of space and we can get you hidden fast if anypony decides to pay them a visit.”

“I’ll see you there.” I started to walk to Applejack’s farm.