Imago

Imago walked back into Ponyville disguised as Spike and entered his temporary home, the library. He explored it, making sure he knows everything there is to know about this library. Then, he walked up the stairs to his bed. A basket? That was incredibly degrading. Just as he was laying down, an outraged Twilight burst through the door. "Spike! I told you to be at Pinkie's party at seven!" She roared.

      "Yes, you did."

      "It's seven-thirty!" He was dumbfounded.

      "No, it's six-thirty. See?" He responded pointing at the sun, slowly setting over the horizon.

      "Spike! That's ridiculous! Now, lets go!" Something clicked in Imago's head. Time change, he would have to get used to that.

      "Oh man! Sorry Twilight, I'm still on Canterlot time!" He was proud of himself for substituting Hive with Canterlot so fast. Imago and Twilight made their way over to Pinkie Pie's house. When the duo stepped inside everyone glared daggers at 'Spike' and he flinched a bit. The white pony with the purple mane, known as Rarity, was the only one not glaring death at him. "Hello, everypony." Imago said nervously.

      "What took you so long?" The cyan pegasus, A.K.A. Rainbow Dash, asked.

      "Rainbow, darling, don't be so harsh with little Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity squeezed Imago's cheeks at the end of the sentence. He felt sorry for Spike.

      "Sorry girls, I'm still getting used to Ponyville time from being in Canterlot for a few days." Imago replied.

      "Well now that everyone's here, let's PAAAAARRRTTAAYY!" Pinkie Pie shouted to break tension. Imago looked around the party. There was a food table, a pin the tail on the pony, a staircase, an alligator, tons and tons of streamers and balloons, and alot more ponies than he saw at first. "Spike, aren't you going to eat something?" Pinkie asked.

      "No thanks, I don't like sweets." Everyone in the room looked at him and gasped. He was panicking. Spike didn't tell him his eating habits! "Just kidding!" Everyone sighed in relief. That was a close one, Imago thought to himself. He walked over to the food table, where Twilight and Rainbow seemed to be talking about when the new Daring Do book was released.

      "I'm pretty sure it comes out in three days." Twilight was telling her, before she was cut off by Rainbow's squeal.

      "Three days! Squeeeeeeeeeeee!" He couldn't take much more of this. "Wait a minute, that's when I go to do my weekly challenge! I think I'll skip 'em this week."

      "Weekly challenges?" Imago wondered aloud.

      "Yes, at the canyon. Spike, whats going on in that head of yours? You know I go there to fly fast and do tricks and flips. You just made that sound much more appealing." She rubbed her chin with a hoof. "Yup, I can read after." He stopped listening at canyon and started again at yup.

      "Don't go!" He yelled.

      "Why not?" Dash was confused.

      "Because...uhhhh... the author of the Daring Do books wants to interview you!"

      "Really!" Her eyes lit up. Ponies are so gullible, Imago thought.

      "Yeah! In Canterlot tomorrow!"

      "That can't be true." Twilight cut in. "She doesn't interview. She's the author." Rainbow sighed while Imago looked for a way to leave.

       "Oh darn, look at the time! I have to go, have fun everypony bye!" He ran right out the door and to the library, where he lay in his basket. Imago layed there for what seemed to be hours waiting for Twilight to arrive, before she actually did. She walked up the stairs, pulled the covers over him and got into bed. He sat up once her eyes were shut and looked at her. She seemed to be asleep. Imago slowly crept down stairs to the door, footsteps inaudible. He grabbed the doorknob, twisted it and couldn't move his arms or legs. They were encased in a purple glow. He looked up the stairs at Twilight, who was staring straight at him. She would've been hidden if it weren't for his nightvision.

      "Spike, I don't know what has gotten into you, but you're not acting normally. I'm afraid I'll have to keep you in the library until we can sort this out." She looked on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry Spike." She whispered. Then Imago's world went black.

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      When Imago awoke he was full, it was a pleasant surprise though. He looked around the room to see he was just in the library in the basket. Imago walked over to the door and tried to open it. No such luck, it was magically locked. He tried the window. Locked. Maybe the upstairs window, he asked himself. He heard the satisfying click of the unlocked window. He crawled out onto the balconey, doing his best not to be seen by other ponies. He dug his claws into the bark as he descended the length of the tree. As soon as he hit the ground, he started to go find Twilight. Imago needed to explain his behavior. He wasn't abandoning the mission this early. Last night he needed to go to the restroom and theirs was locked from the inside, that seemed good to him. For everything else he was still stressed from the changeling incedent in Canterlot so he was being overdramatic, he thought. Imago saw Twilight talking to Applejack as they walked to Sweet Apple Acres. He ran over to Twilight. "Twilight!"

      "Spike? How did you get out?"

      "It wasn't very hard, the door was unlocked."

      "I could've sworn I magically locked it from the inside."

      "It was unlocked."

      "Well now I have to take you back t-"

      "Wait!" Imago cut her off. "I can explain all of this." Twilight looked very skeptical, but decided to listen anyways. "I have been a little flustered lately because the changeling invasion shook me up and I always feel I'm being watched, I was just reluctant to admit it because I found it ridiculous myself."

      "That doesn't explain what you were doing last nig-"

      "I was getting to that."

      "Stop cutting me off!" Imago recoiled a bit. Twilight hated when she got cut off.

      "Alright! Geez, okay now where was I? Oh yeah, I tried to sneak out last night because the restroom was locked from the inside and I really had to go." Twilight looked at him with a little skepticism, but looked otherwise convinced. Imago was so proud of himself.

      "Okay Spike, but get your act together soon. I'm going with Applejack to get rid of some pests that have been eating the apples. Why don't you go over to Fluttershy's, she was asking for help the other day. Maybe you can help her?"

      "Sure Twilight, I'll see what I can do. Goodbye."

      "Bye Spike." She walked away with Applejack, while Imago did a fast-paced walk to Fluttershy's Cottage. He wanted to get something to report to his queen the next day. Upon arriving at Fluttershy's, Imago saw an impressive amount of animals. They all gave him funny looks as he walked to the door. Imago was worried that they might be able to smell him and separate it from Spike's. He tried to put that fear behind him and knocked on the door. Fluttershy answered it.

       "Oh, hello Spike. Do you need something?"

       "Hi Fluttershy, Twilight said you needed help?"

       "Oh yes, a few of the animals have been refusing to come out of their homes and eat and I can't figure out what is the matter. Could you help? That is, if you don't mind." She said, retreating behind her mane.

      "Not a problem at all." She seemed to care alot for these animals, he thought. "Fluttershy?"

      "Yes Spike?"

      "How much do you love your animals?"

      "Oh, I love them more than anything in all of Equestria!" She responded with a soft tone.

      "More than your friends?" Imago liked where this was heading.

      "Um...I suppose so. May I ask why are you asking? That is, if it's alright with you." That was what he wanted to hear.

      "Just out of curiosity." He walked up to one of the burrows where some animals weren't coming out.

      "Be sure to be gentle, please." He lost his disguise near his mouth when Fluttershy left and showed his fangs to some of them, but they cowered in the back. Not his brightest moment. He tried luring them out, scaring them out and even asking politely. He snapped and started digging them out and plopping them onto the ground, where they would then run to a corner. When they were all out and Fluttershy came back, the animals crowded around her and surrounded her. "Oh my." She looked at the dug up homes of her animals. "Spike!" Imago was startled. She didn't seem like the kind of pony to raise her voice.

      "Yes?"

      "That was not gentle! You destroyed their homes!"

      "I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me! Can you ever forgive me?" Imago felt disgusting just saying that.

      "I guess so." The animals were unamused. "Oh, and the animals want you to leave. I'm sorry, you could go visit Pinkie to see if she needs company." Fluttershy tried to sound enthusiastic.

      "Ok, thanks for having me over Fluttershy!"

      "You're welcome." One down, five to go, he told himself. Imago left for Sugarcube Corner.