How Things Change; Or, How Things Remain the Same
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How Things Change; Or, How Things Remain the Same
How Things Change
B_25
Life passes by and then we die.
It's a fact hard to ignore and a fate we cannot escape. Our lives should be lost to an endless depression, to be locked away in our dark rooms or our damp caves, alone and confused, trying to comprehend the incomprehensible as our souls fade into the great nothingness.
This world is barren of promises.
That is why we make our own.
The throne room was dark with only moonlight spilling from the stained windows high above. I stood next to the golden throne, tall and straight, my claw held forward, my blade pointed at the distant but approaching griffon.
“A blade drawn is an act of war, lizard,” the griffon said, slowly and smug, carrying himself along the red carpet with his every step produced. He was followed by two of his subjects on both of his sides, each garbed in golden armor with their talons on the hilts of their swords.
“I don't care,” I replied. “Keep away from the princess.”
He came to a slow stop, coming before the steps to the throne. “Lower your sword and leave my sight at once. Do so, and I'll consider this a deceleration from a beast instead of a kingdom.”
I didn't falter, though my eyes did glance over my shoulder. Twilight sat on the throne, still and silent, eyes watching the scene impassively.
“Offer me your hoof, Lady Sparkle!” The griffon continued despite nothing having changed, stepping up towards us. “Do this, and our kingdoms shall merge, and our kinds will become truly harmonious. The threat of your pet dragon will also be forgotten.”
“How about I give you a scar to help you remember me?” My footsteps down the throne's steps were slow, feeling my long-coat brush against the ground. I still held my blade straight. “Stay away from the princess and leave the throne room at once. You have no further business here.”
“But my father does, isn't that right, boys?” The white griffon snapped his talons. A second later, his subjects flanked around the throne steps, their blades all drawn and glinting in the faint light, each tip pointed at my scales. “To deny a prince is to bring about a future ill-will. To anger a king is to spark destruction from now and onward to that same future.”
My eyes gazed at the troops, four in total, two on each side of me.
I took another peek over my shoulder, shivering as Twilight hadn't moved, hadn't even blinked. I inhaled deeply and exhaled gently, looking back at the four guards. “Princess Twilight is not offering her hoof in marriage presently. This is your last chance to leave this throne room and have this event go unreported to your father.”
“Don't tell me you think so highly of yourself as to possess the ability to oppose my will.” The prince stepped back from the throne's steps, and in his place, his guards came together. “I grow tired of your kind, dragon. Leave me with the princess at once!”
I tilted my blade. “You won't kneel before her throne.”
“So be it.” The prince snapped his talons once more. He pointed at me. “Guards, depose of this dragon at once!”
I should have run forward, to deliver the first strike to the first, kick the second behind me, throw my fist into the third and slam my tail into the fourth. But I stayed in place, waiting and holding, breathing steadily as I awaited the first attack.
It came as the middle guards screamed and charged up the steps, their blade held high before being struck down upon me, held back only by my sideways blade above my head as I pushed and threw them over the steps. At once, the next two guards charged underneath the flying bodies of their brothers, their blades straight and pointed at my chest.
“Halt!” I recognize the voice the voice behind my back, and at once, slid my blade into my sheath and lowered my head. I heard the footsteps grow louder as I remained still; whatever happened, happened. “Return your guards at once!”
The prince hesitated; the princess's horn glowed, its lavender color painting the floor between my feet. A second later, I could feel it, the wave of warmth her magic exuded as it consumed the two guards, bringing them into the center of her aura. They were raised into the air, and at a quick speed, thrown across the throne room—colliding with distant, large set of doors and bursting them open.
I never saw those two again.
“What is the meaning of this?!” The prince spat as he slammed a balled talon against the carpet. “I bring about a proposition of harmony, something a princess of yourself should know something off, and you respond by—“
“Close your beak and listen well!” I turned around to see Twilight rising from her throne, horn still alight with her eyes especially bright. She began across the carpet, causing for me to step out of the way. “I have tolerated your presence in honor of your father, but I can clearly see you have no honor yourself!” She reached the edge of the platform. “You are not as clever as you think yourself to be. I don't doubt your father won't be willing to see this for myself.”
“What knowledge could you possibly possess about my father that his son wouldn't already know better on?” The prince shook his head. “What has happened here now will reach him tomorrow, and when it does, not even your magic will hold back our arms.”
“I intend on telling your father about this as soon as we're done here.” Twilight stood straight as the glow of her horn intensified. “I've seen your lurking on the sides while your father and I do business. You may think it a clever idea to find me after dark, alone and away from others, trying to court me under the manipulation—only you didn't intend on my witness to still be guarding me.”
“He will be guarding no one by tomorrow's end,” the prince replied. “He attacked our kind, and as such, must die while blind.”
“The closest one to that fate is you.” Twilight's voice deepened and echoed under the amplification of her magic. “You dare accuse my assistant when it is you that struck first? That is the true declaration of war, and that is what will annul the trade deal your father lost so much to acquire.”
“My father will never believe your word against mine.”
“A child pretending to be a grown-up.” Twilight began down the steps—each clop of her hooves was like lightning striking against the ground. “Your father is aware of your childishness more than you're aware. If I highlight your behavior and motives, do you truly believe him to be so ignorant as to dub them lies? That the cord of truth won't be plucked and an eyebrow won't be arched?”
The prince went to speak, but the imposing figure of the princess made tremble.
“Recall your guards.” Twilight finished down the last step, standing before the prince. His beak quivered and his eyes couldn't stop blinking. “Leave this kingdom and never return. Supply excuses to your father when asked about your behavior. Do this, and I'll forget your words about my assistant and the cowardice behind your courting.”
The prince gulped, nodded, and stepped back. His guards quickly rose from the floor, and without needing a command at all, turned around and rushed along the carpet, fading into the darkness past the large set of doors. Their prince was quickly behind them.
Twilight stood just as tall as the distant footsteps still echoed. When they no longer could be heard, she sighed and dropped her shoulder. She turned around and looked up at me, the embodiment of an angry goddess staring me down, and despite all the battles I've endured, my claws still trembled at the sight of her.
We stared at each other in a long silence.
“...too scary?”
I nodded. “Only if you don't have a urinal nearby.”
It didn't take long for us to finish in the throne room, compose a few letters in the postal room, give a few orders in the guard room and then leave through the entrance room, otherwise known as just the entrance.
“Their faces! I still can't believe you did that!” It was hard for me to restrain my laughter at the memory, making us giggle and chuckle at just the thought of it. “Then you turned to me when I thought the show was over. Tell me, was my face just as bad as there's?”
Twilight, much to her credit, blushed and lowered her head. “Come on. I wasn't that scary!”
“Yeah, 'cause you didn't have to see yourself,” I snickered. “We get a mirror set up in that throne room, and I guarantee it, you'll try running away from yourself.” The very thought of that happening made me burst into an explosion of laughter. “Tell me Twilight, what are your secrets?”
“Will you shut up!” Twilight pushed against my side with a raised hoof, looking away as she did so. After a moment, my laughter died down, and we were once again walking side by side through the paved Canterlot street. The moon was faint but the street lamps were bright. “Besides, you were pretty scary yourself. I was worried you were going to stick that sword right into his chest!”
“Thought about it once or twice,” I said with a sigh, tilting my head. “Hey, were you actually worried?”
“Of course I was.” Twilight looked up at me. Even with the height boost, she got along with her wings, she only came up to my waist. “You couldn't...tell that?”
“Not at all.” Something about the tone of her voice changed, so I cut it with my laughter. “You were just sitting there like a statute—which is totally alright since I know what my duty is and all that.” I chuckled nervously, fighting back to urge to raise my claws in surrender. “It's easy for you to become distant when in princess mode, just like how I go all hero mode when I'm an assistant mode!”
Somehow, someway, the stupidity that plagued me in adolescence followed me to adulthood. Some said it was part of my charm; others because of my lack of IQ.
Both were right.
“I see.” Twilight squinted her eyes as she looked afar, and I squinted to look as well, spotting distant metallic gates. When I finished squinting, I found Twilight a few steps ahead of me, having broken into a canter as she glanced back at me. “C'mon, Spike. If we hurry, we may be able to catch the last train home.”
There was nothing for me to say to that.
I shrugged and caught up.
We didn't talk much more after that. The feeling that I said or did something wrong lingered in the back of my mind, though I tried to not pay it any attention as we reached the ticket booth. It was dark and the station was empty, the only sound was crickets chirping in the distance.
“Well, that's just great!” Twilight shouted as she paced back and forth, her golden plated hooves pronounced against the wooden platform. “Offer to watch over Canterlot for the weekend? Sure, why not! Listening to courts and writing letters, who better than me?” She paced across the platform. “Oh, what's this? A meeting with the griffons that will determine whether we have trade or war of them?” She turned around and stomped her way to the other side. “Wish I knew about that before I agreed to do this! What was Princess Celestia thinking? Was this some kind of test?”
She stopped in place. “That's it! All of this must be some grand test that Celestia put together to...well, test me!” Her wings flared open in excitement—her notion of excitement being drastically different than most pegasi. “But what would Princess Celestia want to know about me now? I'm already a good princess—“ she turned to glance at me, lips quivering “—right?”
I opened my mouth to speak.
“But of course I'm a good princess!” Twilight looked forward and resume pacing. I closed my mouth and crossed my arms, tapping my foot with my eyebrows raised. “I've saved Equestria plenty of times, taught friendship to countless ponies, and gone through more paperwork than library's have books!”
Twilight stopped in place and gasped, and at that, I cringed. Even if the pitch of the gasp caught me off-guard, the tremble along her back was what sealed the deal. When the princess herself finally turned around, I saw her pupils had shrunk and known myself to be doomed.
“What if I've been a terrible princess after all?!” Twilight began to shiver, and it wasn't because it was cold. “What if I haven't been treating my subjects correctly? Have I not been changing or enforcing rules better? Do I not make myself out to be a proper princess?”
I would like to say Twilight resumed pacing again, but at this point, the word doesn't do the act justice. She was practically sprinting from one side of the platform to the other—probably the same speed her mind was working at.
“This was her test to see if I could be a proper princess and I probably blew it!” Twilight shook her head and waved her mane about. “A princess must always strive to keep in the good presence of royalty, so maybe, just maybe, that prince was actually an actor meant test out whether I could deal with such behavior in a princess way!”
She came to a sudden stop.
I groaned as part three was beginning.
“Now that actor is going to report everything and it's all going to be my fault.” Twilight fell to her rump, tucking her forelegs closer to her fluffy lavender chest. “Celestia will see that I'm not meant to be a princess like her and Luna and Cadence. I'll be the impostor, forced to take care of things that don't matter, showing up in court for only the sake of appearance.” Twilight laid down on the platform, her stomach to the wood. “I'm useless after all.”
As much as I wanted to roll my eyes at the familiar act, something pricked at my heart instead. Every once in a while, it always came to a situation like this—never outside near midnight, but it always hurt the same watching Twilight break apart before my eyes.
She was always a pony that had to build herself together. It wasn't always easy for her to put the pieces together, but she always found a way in the end. No matter how much she built herself up, there would always come a time where everything came tumbling down. The ironic part is that no villain could ever break her down—it was always Twilight herself that broke away the pieces and had to put them back together again.
Only, she needed someone to collect them first.
I walked over to her slowly at first, watching the sounds of my footsteps as I approached from behind her. Twilight laid on the ground, her golden gabbed hooves tuck into her chest, her posture made awkward because of it. I stopped by her tail, gazing down at this little pony, who just an hour ago, terrified me.
I was gazing down at her longer than I would like. There was just something inherently cute about how her lavender body laid on the ground, hooves tucked in and head down, demanding that someone, anyone, come to comfort her.
My cheeks became warm as I shook my head. I lowered to a knee, hovered over her back, and wrapped my claws around her neck. I felt a shiver course through her body at my touch, but she didn't fight away my embrace.
The seconds of the embrace stretched on, and with every second passed, I was filled with more confidence to deepen the hug. Slowly, I moved my claws from around her neck to along her barrel, feeling her soft fur rub against my scales as I reach her fluffy chest. Then with a pull, I lifted the princess into the air and laid her back against my chest, crossing my legs as I was sitting down, giving her a place to sit on my thighs.
“It's been a while since we've had one of these, hey?” I felt the back of her head rub against my chest, her mane tickling at my scales. I let a few seconds pass before continuing. “Are you...feeling a bit more calmed down?”
I didn't feel her nod that time.
“Would it helped if I stroked your mane?”
One nod later, I brought my claw from her chest to her mane, working my digits through her strands to work out any knots. I was careful in stroking around her crown. Once more, seconds passed by as we sat along—for once, I was glad a freak-out of hers had happened at night.
Then, with a heavy sigh, I spoke once more: “You're not...u-usless, Twilight.” I held her closer upon uttering my stutter. “I know there are times when you have nothing to say, moments when there's nothing you can do, and all around you, your friends are having fun and the princesses are working hard before you. And none of them have a clue on what's going through your mind.”
Another shiver coursed through her body, causing one to elicit up my spine as well.
“You may feel like a failure whenever you're helping others, but please, please don't forget that you've never failed to answer the call.” My claws reached a rhythm in running down her mane, her strands smooth between my digits. “You may have fallen a pathetic amount of times, and that in of itself makes you feel weak, but never before have I seen a mare always stand back up.”
With my other claw, I rose it to her chin, lifting her muzzle so her eyes looked into mine. They were so big and vibrant, filled with so much emotion and life—even the reflection of my face in them was nothing compared to their inherent beauty. I never had too many opportunities, or heck, excuses to gaze longly into them—I intended to do so now.
“You've been an i-inspiration to everyone,” I said, feeling my throat become tight and dry under her direct gaze. Her face was blank and yet so focused on me. “From your subjects to your friends, none have forgotten the lessons you have left them. Even Princess Celestia has learned from both your endure and curiosity.”
Twilight's mane covered her left eye, and not being to hold myself back, I brought a claw to her face to brush it away. “So even if this was some crazy test, you've got nothing to sweat! You would find what you did wrong, correct it, then apply a solution that is unique to yourself.”
Twilight continued watching me, even when my words faded into the silence of the night. Then, without any words, her eyes began to close and a smile tugged at her lips, softly and gently, as she began to lower her head. “I've been acting like a silly pony again, haven't I?”
“Only slightly,” I said, chuckling softly. “But everypony is supposed to be silly once and a while. We need to hear ponies say they love us every once and a while.”
Twilight giggled. “Is that so?”
“I like to think so,” I said, and without meaning to, my claw cupped her cheek. “You're a beautiful and inspiring mare, Twi, and I rather you get everything out in one burst.” I chuckled. “Ponies should love you, and you should get to hear it.”
I felt the claw on her cheek become warm. “T...Thanks for this, Spike.”
I couldn't help but smile in return—she was contagious! “Anytime, Twilight.”
We sat like that for a little while. She returned to sitting with her back against mine, both of us looking up at the stars, my claws still working down her mane. It was one of those rare nights where we had nowhere to be, and were finally allowed to catch our breaths, keep still for once, and gaze to our leisure for however long we pleased.
“Hey...Spike?” Twilight tilted her head back to look up at me; the very sight of her below me too cute for description. “Mind if I ask you about something...pertaining to earlier?”
Something about her tone had me worried, but I answered without hesitation. “Of course. What's on your mind?”
“You said that I was a, uh, well, b-beautiful and inspiring mare...” I nodded to confirm her statement. “...and you said that all ponies should love me.” Another nod, but a bit more slowly this time around. “It's just that, uh, you didn't say what, um, well, dragons think of me.” She was shaking on my lap. “That if d-d-dragons l-love me.”
My heart skipped a beat as I gazed down at her. I wasn't exactly sure what I supposed to say. Love? Of course of Twilight. No other pony matches our experiences together—or her beauty. Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, I did my best to purge my own nervous energy.
“Of course dragons love you.” My eyes opened slowly as the sight of her face faded in. “You and your lessons are not held back by species or gender.” I smiled. “You should know that.”
She let the words fade in. Then: “How about you?”
I blinked. “What about me?”
“Do you love me?” Twilight asked. “Ponies and dragons may love me because of the things I've shown them, but you're the only one that's seen everything I've kept hidden from everyone.” Her head dipped. “Even with what just happened, could you still love a mare like me?”
Out of all the things I should have done, laughter was not one of them.
“Hey, come on!” Twilight shifted on my lap. “This isn't the kind of you should be laughing at.” She even went as far as to cross her forelegs and look away.
“I'm sorry! I truly am.” I fought back the urge to wipe the tears from my eyes. My laughter settled after a moment. “Just wasn't expecting a question like that is all.” I threw up my claws. “Now then, would you still like to hear my answer?”
I almost expected her not to nod, but she did so anyway.
“Of course I love you, Twilight,” I said. “I've always loved you. We're too close for us to be anything else.” My eyes blinked rapidly and my heart caught with a faster beat. “Well I mean, I've brought you back from breakdowns, and you brought me back from a dragon's cave when I ran away out of jealousy—honestly, you shouldn't really need my approval in his.” I shrugged. “I think we're both the perfect level of mental instability.”
That elicited laughter out of Twilight.
I'm always able to smile when Twilight laughs.
“You're one of kind,” Twilight said after her fit of laughter, coming down from it, “you know that?”
“I'm a dragon semi-knight living among pony kind,” I said. “I would be worried if anyone thought differently.”
Another laugh, only this time, she pushed her hooves against me.
Then after a moment, Twilight tilted her head. She had a smirk tugging at her lips. “Hey, Spike. You know how I said I was beautiful?” Twilight's tone allowed her the ability not to stutter over that line. “You thought that too, right? With all of your heart and everything?”
I nodded with a raised eyebrow.
“...could that perhaps explain the thingy poking into my flank?”
I felt my jaw became ever looser as heat exploded across my cheek. In a second, I was holding Twilight by under her forelegs and putting her back on the ground. I then glared down at my crotch, and in a split second, felt a wave of relief wash over me.
I looked up at Twilight with a scowl. “You are a dirty dirty mare.”
“But that's the opposite of beautiful!” Twilight struck out her tongue.
“You knew this whole time that was just my hilt!” I quickly rose from the ground, adjusting the strap I had around my waist, taking my sword off from my hip. I held it in front of her. “Do you know how worried you had me?”
“I can only imagine.” Twilight smirked as her smugness flooded back—for better or for worse. “Now then, should I be worried that you were worried about finding me a little too beautiful?” She had her eyebrows raised and a knowing smirk.
A stab in the back from the mare, who just minutes ago, was breaking apart.
“I didn't know Rainbow loaned her ego to you.” I brought the strap of the sword over my head and under my left arm, securing it to my back. “Teach me for trying to pay a mare a compliment.” I turned to gaze across the dim city, searching for a place we could stay. “Looks like there aren't many hotels in this district.” I turned back to Twilight, who was now standing at my side. “Think we should just retire at the castle? We could just go back home in the morning.”
Something in my chest hurt upon saying that. I wasn't really sure what caused it, but judging from how Twilight was tucking in her bottom lip, I could tell a similar sensation had attacked her as well. Without quite knowing why, we both gazed up at the sky and lost our breaths to the sight.
“To be honest with you,” Twilight began, “I don't really feel like going to bed just yet.” She took another deep breath, her shoulders dropping. “In fact, I feel like just...walking.”
“Walking?” I said as I turned to face her. “Like through to Canterlot?”
“...I was thinking walking back home to Ponyville.”
“That would take us at least an hour!” I said. “You sure about this?”
“I could use a long walk,” she said simply. “Would be nice if you could join me, but I won't hold it against you if you stay back.”
To be honest, I didn't have anything against walking home at all—something just compelled me to put on a bit of a show, to not make it look like my agreeing was a little too eager. There was something different about this night, something otherworldly—the kind of feeling that takes you only when you're alone.
Only, I wasn't alone.
“Alright, you got me.” I fiddled with the buttons of my black coat, undoing them until the coat was opened, and the strap of my blade slipped to against my chest. “It's been a while since we've done something for the heck of it.”
Twilight smiled at me, taking the first step forward. “Come on, Spike. Let's go home.”
Our stroll through the Canterlot streets was carried through mostly in silence. We never felt the need to talk while we enjoyed the night, just enjoying the breeze and the empty streets, no ponies yelling or fighting, no sudden friends wanting to tag along.
It was when we were reaching the city gates that I was struck by a memory.
“Hey, Twilight?” She was walking at my side when her ears perked up at the sound, her eyes looking up at me. “Remember our days back at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns?”
Twilight snickered. “Kinda hard not too.”
“Lay off!” I said with a chuckle. “Anyway. Do you remember what we used to do after classes? When it was late and all the other ponies had gone to bed.”
Suddenly her velvet eyes lit up in excitement. “Of course I do! We would wander about the halls just to see where they went.”
“Exactly!” I excitement. After a second, I snapped my claw. “Remember the one time when you had an overdue book, and afraid that Celestia would take this for a crime, you tried breaking into the library to return it?”
“Not tried.” Twilight brought a forehoof to her chest, rubbing against her lavender fluff. “Did. As far as I'm concerned, I got away with it too.” She then rolled her eyes and nudged my side with a wing. “Of course, I would have gotten away with it had a baby dragon not burned the book.”
“We broke glass!” I said while throwing up my claws. “I was scared! You made me carry the book everywhere, and when you disappeared I thought we were goners! Then you popped from behind the counter and—“
“I'm only teasing you.” Twilight began walking a bit closer to my side. Sometimes, the feathers of her wing would brush against my hip. I wasn't quite sure what to make of that, and before I could voice anything, Twilight had beat me to the punch. “You know, you've changed a lot.”
I was tempted not to take her word for it. “I have?”
“Well duh.” Twilight struck out her tongue again and made a funny face. I forgot how I ever found this mare scary. “You're kinda a lot bigger than you are before, and you get a lot less scared than you used to.”
“You think so?”
“I think those griffons from before can attest to that.” After a second of saying that, Twilight's smirk faded. “You've always been brave, but if we go back a few years, I don't think that Spike would've been able to face to griffons without his legs buckling.”
“Har-har.” I saw the city gate coming up just a mile ahead. “Glad you think highly of my changes.”
“I do!” Twilight quickly raced a few steps ahead of me, stopping in my way. Her lavender body was arched as she put her chest out and held her head eye, her velvet eyes staring into mine. “You've had some serious development over the years! Aren't you proud of that yourself?”
My mouth failed me in that moment. The first urge was to say something to get her off my chest, something witty and acknowledging. But nothing came, and we both stood in silence. Finally, I broke it. “Honesty, I haven't given it much thought.”
Twilight stepped closer to me. “But you know you've changed, right?”
“Of...of course I do.” I sighed and closed my eyes. “If my younger-self were to see my jacket and my sword, I'm pretty sure he'd grow wings and take off!” I gestured my claw into the sky. “It was always his goal to become a hero.” My eyes blinked as my claw fell. “He always wanted to be a hero.”
“Spike?”
I shook my head. “Come on. Let's get a move on.”
Twilight went to say something, but whatever it was, it lingered behind me as I stepped past her. After a few seconds of walking, she quickly caught up to my side, silent and straight, coming to stop only when we reached the city gate.
“I got it,” I said as I went first, finding the gates slightly agape. My claw wrapped around the metal bar belonging to the right one, and with a huff, I began to pull the gate wide enough for both of us to squeeze through.
Feeling funny, I stepped to the side of the gate. There, I bowed both my head and my back, gesturing my claw toward the gate much like a butler would to a rolled out meal. “After you, my princess.”
“Why, thank you!” Twilight giggled, our previous conversation wiped from memory. She flicked my snout with her tail as she walked by. “You are quite the charming gentledrake.”
I followed her, closing the gate behind me. “Now that's a role I don't mind taking.”
How Things Remain the Same
We walked in silence down the slope of the mountain. The sound of water crashing from Canterlot Falls stretched across the night, and wasn't at all unpleasant. More than once, I caught my eyes gazing to the night sky, so dim and yet so bright, the moon casting an otherworldly atmosphere on the ground from which we walked.
I found that the sky wasn't the only thing I was gazing at. Twilight walked next to me, her steps slow but her strides long, a soft smile tugging at her lips as she too was immersed in the night. She stood at my hip, but with the distance between us, the moon became a halo for her beauty.
Everyone thinks a princess is beautiful—it's one of the requirements for becoming one. I'm sure poets could describe their beauty much better than I could and, heck, maybe even get Twilight to believe it. But there was one thing I have over other ponies.
I get to see every aspect of Twilight Sparkle.
Something coursed through me at that, something horrible and vile. It made me look away, far off to the left where distant planes of land lay, stretching onward toward to the horizon. I was tempted to raise my claw to what lay beyond but managed to control myself.
“What are you looking at?”
I shook my head and looked back at Twilight. She had her muzzle scrunched.
“Nothing,” I replied. “Just doing some thinking.”
“Were you...thinking about out there?”
My eyes narrowed and my chest became tight. “Sorta.”
Twilight looked away. “I see.”
I exhaled. Had I said something wrong?
“Are you alright?” I asked, coming closer to her side.
Twilight only stepped away. “I'm fine. Just enjoying the breeze.”
“Come on. You're hiding something.” I still kept close to her as we reached the midpoint of the slope, seeing ground ahead curve into the land below. “What's on your mind?” A few seconds passed, seconds of silence. “Come on, you know you can tell me anything, right?”
“And you can tell me anything,” Twilight said, the fur on her back standing up from the wind. “Something's clearly been eating at you ever since we left the station.”
My eyebrow raised. “Something has?”
“You've been silent for most of the time and keep looking at me funny.” Twilight turned her head to look at me, lips tucked slightly in. “Then you looked off into the distance and looked sad. Has something been on your mind?”
“I...I don't really have a response to that,” I said. “I was just...thinking about you. I then looked off into the horizon is all.” I dragged a claw down my face. “But you're right. Something has been eating at me. I'm just not sure what.”
Twilight gazed at me for a second before facing forward. “Could it...perhaps...be...me?”
“No!” I said before a wave of guilt could wash over me as I stared at the mare. More and more, her slim barrel and soft fur were making itself apparent to my gaze, and I had to shake my head to get my cheeks to stop from blushing. “I mean, it sorta has something to do with you, I think? Ah, I dunno.”
I sighed and let my head hang low.
It was a while before anything was said again, and when it came from Twilight, she had me both surprised and startled.
“You've been my number-one assistant for a while now, hey?” Twilight said to me, causing me to lift my head. “And you've done a lot for me as well.” She smiled. “You were my very first friend, the dragon that cleaned up after my late-night studies and early morning tax reviews.” We both laughed at that. “You defended the Crystal Empire by falling off a tower and saved a village with your sword alone.”
I smiled warmly at her words. Something pinched at my chest.
“But most of the things you've ever done...you've done for me.” Twilight looked up at me, something wet developing in the corners of her eyes. “You've been the best assistant a filly could ask for.” She swallowed. “And the bestest f-friend a mare could hope for.”
I turned around and stepped in front of her, both of us coming to a stop. “Where's this going, Twilight?”
“Spike.” Twilight held herself straight and tall while her voice broke apart. “You've lived with me and for me for a very long time...don't you ever wonder what it would be like for you to live for yourself?”
“L-Live...for myself?”
She slowly nodded. “You could stop being a knight for the castle. You could stop having to put up with how ponies look at you.” She cantered to the other side of the slope, throwing up her hoof to the great expanse of land. “You could wander and travel and live as you please! Dragons wouldn't attack you because you like ponies, and you could finally live among your own kind.”
I blinked. Her tone was becoming desperate.
“Wouldn't that be nice?” Twilight stepped towards me. “You could go to bed and wake up whenever you wanted. No obligations or responsibilities would chase you. Everything you do out there will be out of your free will, with no nagging mare or ungrateful kingdom demanding to chart your course in life!”
Twilight was crying and smiling at the same time. This was a topic that lingered between us, a problem that soon had to be tackled no matter how uncomfortable it made the both of us. I wasn't expecting it to happen on a night such as this, but here we were.
“I would be...free,” I said as I stepped forward, both of us standing near the edge. “Any direction would be mine to wander, friends made out of good-will instead of favors. Without there being something for me to acquire, I wouldn't feel the hoof of royalty pushing me to get it.”
“It could be done.” I looked over at Twilight, who was rubbing her eyes. She still smiled; it still hurt me to see. “You do a lot for the castle, Spike, and the castle doesn't do a lot for you here. Princess Celestia has already made the comparison to your claw being chained to your sword because we don't have anyone else like you.”
On my back, my sheath sunk an inch.
“One last duty may be required,” Twilight continued as she laid a hoof on my side, and I felt her body shiver at the contact. “You would be honorably discharged with you named as a h-hero. Your travels will easier while you're still in Equestria.”
“And you?” I said as her hoof began to rub in small circles. “What would happen to my duty as your number-one assistant?”
“I would...I would relieve you, of course.” Twilight smiled brightly as she got into the rhythm of rubbing my scales, feeling more and more of me as her hoof began shifting about. She soon reached my abdomen. “You've been serving me for you whole l-life, so it makes sense to s-set you free.”
It seemed like such a natural thing. Best friends are not meant to always live together—there has to come a time where we have to separate, to travel down our own roads in life. I was at that age where I was self-sufficient, where I could travel and have no harm come to me. The mystery of my egg, of my dragon origins could finally be revealed—I could live among the dragons and figure out what I'd been missing all this time.
The same could be said for Twilight as well. She was a princess, a pony able to accomplish what many of us can't, and she would always be rising while I kept at what I was good at. Everypony praises me for my strength and my skill, but those are due to only me being a dragon and being taught by the very best—in truth, I am a very shallow dragon.
But Twilight? She was a pony that became more than just her talents.
After all these thoughts and feelings, it made sense that we should break apart. To stop holding the other back and be free in our own right. Logic deemed it right and fate would be most pleased with the result.
“I would be free,” I said once more as I dropped to my knees, startling Twilight as I was able to properly stare into her velvet eyes. “But I would also be free of you.” My voice was weak, but I didn't care. I took her raised hoof and placed it on my chest. “There's so much that this world has to offer, but none of that compares to being with you.”
Twilight was still.
“If I truly hated my duty to you, I would have left,” I said. “If I truly wanted to explore the world, I would have left,” I said. “If I truly wanted to find out what it was to be a dragon, I would have left,” I said. “But you are everything that keeps me here because I truly love you.”
I bowed my head.
“We're so different from when we were kids,” I said. “Yet not much about who we are has changed. We may not be as close as we once were, but even this is so much better than leaving you.” I raised my head. “No matter what I must become to serve you, I will always be your assistant, Twilight. It's the only excuse I have to keep close to you.”
Apparently, there was another reason to glue us together that I hadn't thought of—no, dare dream of actually becoming a reality.
Twilight pushed her muzzle into mine, and in a flash, I felt her lips against mine. They were soft with a layer of fur, each and every one tickling at the scales on my lips. Her eyes were closed and she had yet to flinch, keeping against me despite my lack of a response.
A response I could hold back no longer.
I began to kiss her back, to mesh my lips against hers as my eyes came to a close. My claw raised on its own, coming to the back of her head and holding her gently, keeping her in place as we both kissed the other with all the passion, with all the withheld love he felt for the other—for this whole night, our feelings could never be described in words, but now, our emotions had found their truest outlet.
Twilight broke the kiss after a few moments had passed, leaning into the palm of my claw. “I love you, Spike.”
I blinked, almost tempted to think her kidding even after the joke. “But...why?”
“You silly goose,” Twilight giggled, tapping a hoof against my snout. “I've always loved you as a friend. You're the one that's always been there, only you started being there for me...in different ways.” Twilight averted her gaze. “We can't be close friends like that forever, and as I thought about ways to keep you close to me, the more I began to think about just what you mean to me.”
“I'm...I'm glad you felt the same way.” I was tempted to cry as the I brought the mare in for a hug, feeling both the warmth of her fur and the coldness of her regalia. “I wasn't sure what could keep us together...and I became worried about why separation scared me so much.” I shook my head with a chuckle. “I didn't even know you were looking for love.”
“Because I always had you by my side.” Twilight smiled as she pulled away from me, standing on all hooves. “I never had to worry about getting dates because I could always return to you. Besides, you were always good at scaring off suitors.”
I laughed. “What can I say? I'm protective of my mare.”
We both smiled at each other, the strange sense of the night making our love seem almost unreal. I considered this all being a dream, a foolish and scary thought, but one that made me want to act before our time together was up.
“Hey, Twilight?” I returned to my full height. “Do you remember that princess and hero story we used to read when we were kids?”
She rolled her eyes. “There were a quite a few of those, Spike.”
“I mean the one where they dance at the end.” I gestured my claw to the scenery around us. “With the story over and everyone gone, the hero and the princess stand outside, and with a moon just as bright as the one we have now, begin to dance in the moonlight.”
Twilight looked at her hooves with a blush, unable to fight back the smile growing on her muzzle. She glanced with her eyes up at me, wearing a knowing expression. “You remembered about my dream all this time?”
“Hard not too,” I said as I held my claws out, “it was my dream as well.” She placed her forehooves in my claws, rising onto her hind legs as I held her up. Slowly, we began to move left and right, swaying softly to the movement. “Just wasn't expecting every part of it to become true.”
“Oh hush.” Twilight placed her body against mine, laying her head on my chest. We kept with our slow rhythm, enjoying both the night and each other, alone yet together, no longer needing words to convey how we felt.
For the rest of the night, we danced in the moonlight.
Everything in life is optional. There is no right or wrong way to live because the only goals in life are the ones we set for ourselves. Friends made in circumstance are kept out of choice, and a single love can render the opportunities of the world useless.
This world may be barren of promises.
That is why we make our own.
