A fabled Reunion

"Arrival from the Everfree Gardens, gather your belongings and begin boarding shortly...repeat...Arrival from the Everfree Gardens." called the angelic announcer to those waiting for the train. Those looking to travel knew this was the only way to get around, else they would be forced to brave the beautiful yet treacherous world. "Please stay clear of the doors and have a nice day. Welcome to Ponyville Central."

The doors finally opened and people began piling in and out of the trains. Our focus falls to a young purple dragon wearing a traditional black kung fu jacket and pants.

Shoes? Hahahaha! No one in this society wears shoes, ponies mostly and maybe a select few.

Slowly, he steps out in shock and awe, a small but majestic red phoenix sitting upon his shoulder. He kept his bag to his side and walked a few feet before looking back at the train. "I can't believe how much this place had changed." And changed it has, once upon a time, the world knew nothing of technology. They used conventional ways to get around in the form of walking and wagons. Technology was discovered soon after the War of Noelle which took place 100 years ago.

Strange, wouldn't it be called the War of Noella? If that's what you're thinking then you must be curious to know what took place. In due time, the war will come into play, more ways than one. Technology, however, in this world isn't so much technology. Let's let this young one find out more.

He awed at the train and it's slick but simple appearance. The pure white car was basically a stretched oval with straight sides. The only thing to paint the sides were pictures of the famed Dusk sisters, Celestia the white angel and Luna the shadow princess. Inside was a silver walled interior with blue seats, nothing special to anyone, except for our young dragon. He observed a inch of the train he could, including the way it ran. No engine, no coal to burn, instead there lay a conductor on board who would give the train a slight magical shock to get moving. It was basically the same for all technology, a slight magical shock and it would spring to life unlike anything anyone's ever seen. "Excuse me, would you happen to be know where....Oh my, it is you mister Spike."

Spike turned to face the conversation and was greeted with a familiar face. "Fluttershy?"

"It's nice to see you too. I have to say, I did not recognize for a moment. It's been quite some time since we've seen each other."

"No kidding, I missed the nicest pony in all of Noella."

"Oh....um." Quickly she cowered behind her sleeves as a blush ravaged her cheeks. "T-thank you."

"So what are you doing here? I thought you'd be in Rose Village with all the animals."

"Yes, I was there just recently but Twilight apparently needed a little bit of help around the clinic. Actually, she asked me escort you there."

"Isn't it in the same place?"

"You've been gone since you were five years old Spike. In these last ten years, things have changed dramatically. Especially you, look at how you've grown."

"I haven't gotten that much bigger have I?"

"I can't call you my little dragon any more it would seem. Shall we?"

"Right."

Fluttershy and Spike exited the train station via the long set of stairs leading down into the city. Two giant doors lay in their path and as they pushed them open, Spike's eyes grew wide with both a mix of excitement and curiosity. The homes looked as if they had been pulled from Chinese culture itself, exotic looking roofs with lanterns hanging from the corners, circle openings to enter the front yard where luscious green gardens and rocks sat upon small ponds and streams of water. One even had a variety of colorful violets and roses while another had a dash of lime green roses and tulips. The concrete was decorated with with stone bricks, each outlined into it's own square. From where they sat, the station was behind them straight down the middle of a cul-de-sac like street. In the middle of the circle sat a fountain with a crystal blue pillar spouting water from it's center. The water would then trickle down to the large body of water below and follow the current down the street out of cul-de-sac creating a small canal that split the street in two. "Wow, this is beautiful. This is what happened after I left?"

"Oh yes. It's quite the site, isn't it?"

"Last time I was here, things weren't so vibrant. I remember people looking sad and barely being able to get by. I think that's also when Twilight had the most business."

"Those were dark times Spike. The city just wasn't sure on how things would be handled. We did, however, find our ray of hope."

'What do you mean?"

"Someone new stepped into the shoes of princess, she was quite influential in her speech."

"Speech?"

"Yes, the rules no longer apply to just the royal family. Anyone can become a prince or princess if they meet the requirements. They must have good intentions for the city and know exactly how they plan to accomplish it. The current princess won and before we knew it, turned the entire city around in just a few months. Of course, we were unsure of her but she came through none the less."

"Wonder how she did it?"

"No one knows really. We should get going, Twilight is going to get a bit impatient. Oh by the way, who's the little guy?"

"Her name is Philomena."

"Oh it's a she, I'm sorry. Seems she's taken a liking to just casually sitting on your shoulder there."

"Oh yea, we've been together for some time now. Two years ago in Everfree Gardens, I found her in the forest injured, at least that's what I thought, I hadn't actually seen a phoenix ever before so I thought she need help. After I took her in and started taking her in, I began to realize that she was very young like a baby, she didn't know how to reignite just yet. Must have been a week before I decided to try something different."

"Different."

"I....I um....sung to her....a song from before I left. Next thing I know, she up to full health and we've been together ever since.

"That is quite the a tale Spike, music to my ears actually. It's been too long since I've heard such a connection between Nature and ourselves. Last things I remember were attacks on a poor family in the west."

"The Wilds you mean."

"Indeed. So vibrant and beautiful yet so dangerous and uninhabited. Anyway, come along now, her clinic is a quite a ways from here to the right."

The walk there had Spike on the verge of blowing his top with excitement, things changed for the better so drastically. One block had homes 4 times the size of the any regular home where gardens looked like literal forest, another had shops selling the most expensive and exotic food Noellan kind could find, one even was packed with kids looking at the newest toys for their amusement. "This place got a serious upgrade, I should have come back earlier."

"I...um.."

Spike looked at her with concern as she turned away to stare off into space. "What's up Fluttershy?"

"N-nothing Spike, nothing at all. We're almost there by the way."

"Are't we heading to the edge of the city?"

"Yes, Twilight choose a rather secluded spot for her Clinic this time." After a few minutes, Fluttershy pointed to the 3 story building partially camouflaged by a group of trees. There was a concrete path leading up to a large circle where a benches sat next to a large circle hole with a pond in it. Both Spike and Fluttershy circled the pond and proceeded up the straight path to the building. Fluttershy politely knocked and waited for the door to open. "Twilight, you in there? I brought a special guest."

The door opened with no one at the handle and the two strolled inside. Inside was comforting sight. A desk sat in front of them right of a set of stairs. Adjacent to the desk was large room with a table and and large bookshelf's. "Is it a patient?!" she yelled from upstairs.

"No not exactly."

"Be there in a sec." And a second it was before she suddenly appeared in a flash of purple light. "Now how may I help you......Spike?" she said in shock.

"Hey Twilight, long time no seauagh!"

Before he knew it, Twilight was wrapping him in his embrace. Her tears wetting the shoulder of his shirt. "It's so good to see you Spike!"

"I missed you too Twilight."

After a uncomfortable amount of hugging time, Twilight finally released her grip and wiped a tear from her eye. "You guys really changed alot didn't you? I mean look at you Twi."

"Oh don't be flatterer Spike. It may cause some unexpected side effects."

"I'm only 15 Twilight. I don't think society would be ok with whatever is going on inside your head."

"I was just saying Spike, you have grown to be very handsome. Before we continue though, quick what size are you?"

"Size um....medium, maybe large."

"Perfect. Give me a sec." Within a blink, Twilight was gone but within another she was back. "Quick put this on."

"Wait a minute, don't you want to catch up?"

"This reunion can't be perfect unless you're wearing exactly what I envisioned. Here I'll help!"

"Twilight wait!"

Twilight took off in a burst of speed, so fast in sent papers sitting on a desk next to her into a frenzy. Impossibly, she stripped spike of his clothes and outfitted him with her envisioned ones. In the craziness, Philomena hovered above until she was done then simply landed upon his arm. "There it's perfect."

"You think so."

"She seems to thinks so." Twilight said pointing to the bird now rubbing her beak against Spike. "Take a look in the mirror why don't you?"

Conveniently, there sat a full body mirror behind the desk, probably so Twilight could sure her clothes were even every minute of every day. Spike took his place in front of it and smiled. "Wow, where did you get these?"

"I made them."

"Wait what? You didn't even know I was coming."

"Oh no no no, not recently, ten years ago."

"H-how?! That doesn't even sound possible."

"I measured you as a child and predicted what size you would be." At this point even Fluttershy was dumbfounded. "Why, does it feel a little off?"

Um....you know what, it's perfect. I'm just going to forget that you had this made ten years ago and it fits."

"Neat I guess. Enough about the clothes, come sit down, I'm dying to catching up." Twilight motioned them to a table within a side room as they shut door. They took a seat on the small padded area beneath the small table as Twilight disappeared into the kitchen. "You guys thirsty?"

"You have no idea."

"Great, I have a new kind of tea to offer."

"Really? Wait....it's not going to be like when you found those random plants outside and decided to make tea but turns out they were poisonous plants right?"

"Oh no no, I was just a kid back then, now I know the difference between poisonous and safe."

"I hope so. I don't want to end up like those people back then." he said as he shivered. "So many tongue colors."

"Oh don't be like that Spike, I promise this will be refreshing." Within seconds she returned to the table with three cups of tea. "Introducing Winterberry tea."

"Winterberry? As in the berries from the north that never thaw?"

"Exactly. Turns out that if you brew up a specific concoction and do it just right, you can thaw them."

"You really are a know it all." Spike said as he took a small sip. "Wow. Taste good."

"Thank you." She grabbed her cup as she sat down and began to sip as well. "So what all has been happening in the Everfree?"

"Oh the stories I can tell."

"I'm all ears. Well actually could you explain this majestic creature to me?"

Spike put his claw up to his shoulder to which Philomena walked on. "Well two years ago....."

As spike continued telling that story, outside the clinic was a unfamiliar face. The figure crept around the pond and up to the home with such a cliche sneaking tactic, although she could have been more quiet. "Sneak." It would say as it took a step towards an open window. "So that's where the dragon went." It smiled and jumped off into the distance.

"And that's why she follows me around wherever I go."

"Even to the bathroom?"

"Twilight!" he said with a nervous blush.

"I was just kidding haha.....Um...the west..I mean the Everfree gardens..is it doing ok?"

Spike sighed and took another sip of his tea. "It could be better. It's nice and beautiful there but behind all that beauty, the people are still being....difficult. Tensions are still brewing with the east."

"Is it still over the same stupid thing."

"Yep. The east is more green pastures than lush forest and jungles. They both have agricultural advantages yet they continue to fight over it."

Fluttershy, as quiet as she was, finally chimed in. "Really? I must have been blind to not notice what was going on. What is happening with region of the west and the region of the east exactly."

"The east have plentiful apple orchards and grazing fields while the west have a wide variety of plants and fruits. The east want access to the exotic nature that grows over in the west as a way to finally differentiate their own plants and fruit. Not just that, but every year, there's a time where the rains come and in the east and west, they're the worst. The west has got tree cover which allows nature to rightfully supply water to the crops that time of year while the east, things could go better."

"They end up getting too much water?"

"Yep."

I'm sure you picked it up by now, the layout of the world in question. As you been experiencing, the south is home to the more nature oriented city of Ponyville. Here the people used to live in poverty but it soon changed. Now the city is more beautiful than it ever was and only has a small amount of technology. To the west lay the the forest and jungles of the Everfree Gardens and to the east, the grassy plains of the Rose Apple Acres. What's to the north you might ask, well that'll come in due time. For right now, the conversation is still going on.

Twilight finished her tea and sat the cup down. "I assume the people of the Everfree are more than oblivious to the situation?"

"They act like that at least. We all know about it, just never saw it as a serious issue. Anyway, what about you Twilight? What's been happening around here?"

"Nothing much as of late. I moved the clinic and that was really about it. I miss the good times before you left."

"Like the time you tried to heal that panda and ended up turning him into a bunny?"

"Hey I was young and experienced. How about that time you decided to take the clinic over while I was gone?"

"I...um thought I could handle it."

"There were more people with injuries than when I left, I don't think that was handled."

"Hey I was expecting Fluttershy to help me on that one."

Fluttershy quickly blushed and hid behind her cup. "M-me...I don't...I d-didn't know anything about healing at the time. Don't p-pull me into this."

Twilight giggled at her response. "Yea I think she knew more about animal healing than people healing."

Spike nervously sipped his tea as he responded. "Well I thought, technically, we are all animals."

"Well on matter of speaking, yes we are, but we're still different from the feral versions of ourselves."

"Would have been nice to know." All three of them laughed and continued their conversation. Spike talked about his countless adventures in the Everfree, how the people there taught him about the history of the world and the war. How they taught him how to traverse the vines and canopies of the trees and even how to smooth talk the ladies, a few unhelpful tips from the village elder none the less. "So wait, Rose village was right next to ours?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Right next to each other actually."

Twilight giggled at how oblivious Spike was. "I'm surprised you two didn't see each other the entire ten years. You were practically neighbors."

Spike finally finished his tea and sat the cup next Twilight's. "That sucks. I would have loved to have you there."

Fluttershy's blush peaked at that point. "Oh....um.."

"Calm down Fluttershy, I didn't mean like that."

"Oh my, that's not what I thought...no, not at all."

"You're a terrible liar."

"I know, don't judge me."

Twilight picked up the three empty cups and placed them in the kitchen. "I'm sure you're curious Spike."

"About?"

"Seems that a certain someone has been waiting to see you for quite some time."

"Um...who exactly?"

"Head down to the school and see for yourself."

"Right...where is that now?"

"Head back towards the station and turn left instead of right."

"I'll go I guess. Come on Philomena." The bird made it's way to his shoulder and out Spike went. "Nice to know that no one has really changed. Now let's see, back down the street she said."

Spike made his way towards the train station and turned left as instructed. Within a few minutes, the school was in sight. A giant set of stairs led up to the gigantic palace like building making Spike really take in the scenery. Next to the left side of the school was gigantic lake which sat next to line of trees running down to the end. Closer to his side of the lake though was a small grove of bushes in which he ignored and continued up the stairs until the sound of someone grunting got his attention. Spike contemplated whether he should check it out or not and before he knew it, his curiosity got the best of him. He jumped off the stairs and proceeded to crawl through the small entrance. After doing so, it was easier to stand up inside. He slowly made his way inside which left his senses overclocked. Flowers of a wide variety of red, blue, and yellow filled the interior of this bush along with the smell of sweetness on the air, like getting lost in a wonderland of nature. The grunting continued to get louder as he proceeded farther in until finally someone came into view sitting next to a small opening in the bushes.. "Geez, just can't seem to get that one tree down."

"Um...hello? Anyone in here?"

Spike heard a small squeak then a soft voice responded back. "Um....yes..who's there?"

"My name's Spike. I heard you grunting and thought you were hurt."

"Oh no no, I was just drawing a little something and was having a bit of trouble. I'm not talking to a ghost am I?"

"Uh...no."

"Ok good. Thought I was going to have to go and get myself cleansed. Uh...any chance I could see you to confirm that?"

"Oh right."

Spike stepped into the light of the opening and finally the two locked eye contact. "Oh, I know you."

"You do?"

"You're that dragon that arrived here on the train right?"

"How did you know that?"

"That's....not important. I'm not a stalker, you're the stalker!"

"Hey I didn't say that calm down. Anyway, I'm Spike as I said before. And you are?"

"The name's Kiki the squirrel, pleased to meet you.