After The Secret

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 4

Chapter 1

It’s been about 3 weeks since the Grogar incident where Twilight and her friends found out who Spike really was. As we join Twilight and Spike in the Castle of Friendship, we come to the throne room, where Twilight is sitting on her throne with a smile whilst looking at Spike's new throne as she asks, “Spike, are you sure about this? I thought you wanted to keep it all a secret?”

As Spike walks into the room and places some tea and coffees around the table, he smiled at his sister and says, “I know what I said Twi, but I want them to know. They are family after all, and I don’t want to keep this from them. Besides, Starlight seemed to take it ok, right?”

“If you can call running around the room freaking out and screaming ok, then yeah,” Twilight said with a slight giggle before saying, “Though I guess we had to tell her since she lives with us and we couldn’t come up with a reason why your throne had changed. I’m just glad that no pony freaked out when you came back bigger and you and Rarity had time to explain that you had grown, telling everypony that it was because you wanted to be in a relationship with Rarity was a great idea by the way.”

Spike starts to get a red tint on his cheeks as he says, “Yeah that was super embarrassing. Thanks for reminding me.” As he smiles at her before saying, “We had to tell them something. I didn’t want them to think I was having a greed growth spurt again. I’m just glad that everypony has taken it so well. Truth is I was a little worried that it could hurt Rarity’s business, but from what Rarity has told me, her business is booming like never before.”

As Spike sits down on his throne next to his sister and takes a sip of coffee before he says, “Rarity’s even thinking of maybe opening a new shop in Fillydelphia or the Crystal Empire. She said it all depends on if she can find the right shop and a pony good enough to run it.” As he lets out a little giggle, Spike says, “But as Rarity says, ‘No matter how busy I get I will always make time for my Spikey-wikey. After all a lady needs her knight,’” as Spike giggles a bit louder after his attempted of impersonating his love.

Twilight puts a hoof to her mouth to try to stop the giggles coming out before saying, “Not bad, Spike, I didn’t know you could do impressions.” As she sits there with a smile on her face, Twilight says, “You’ll have to show me your impression of me sometime,” followed by another giggle.

As Spike slowly stops giggling, he smiles back at his sister and says, “Yeah, I just might.” Before getting a worried look on his face and saying, “How do you think they will take it? You know finding out about my past and all. I need this to go well Twi and the truth is, even though I’ve done so much I’ve never been so terrified in my life.”

Hearing her little brother say that, Twilight couldn’t help but smile warmly at him before saying, “Oh, Spike you have nothing to worry about. I mean sure they may be shocked at finding out that you where the creator of the Elements and are responsible for basically keeping all the creatures safe for so long. Not to mention being the father of the six first rulers of Equestria and grandfather of Princess Celestia and Luna,” as Twilight puts her hoof under her chin, “Hmmm and what else? Oh yeah, that you defeated Grogar and are the one true king of Equestria,” she said with a giggle.

Looking at his sister Spike couldn’t help but giggle and smile, before he says, “Don’t forget my most import role, number one assistant to the best big sis a dragon could ask for.”

Twilight smiles at him and pulls him into a hug before saying, “Trust me, little brother, that is something I could never forget.”

As they break their embrace Spike looks at Twilight and says, “Thanks, Twi, I needed that,” as he smiles at her.

Giving him a warm smile back, Twilight says, “Anytime, Spike. You know I’m always here for you. Besides, from what Rarity has already said, her parents know that you are in a relationship, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, they know we’re in a relationship, but I still haven’t seen or spoke to them since I changed, not to mention we are married. I know it’s only by dragon custom and me and Rarity aren’t rushing things, but I’m a dragon, so I see us as married. Now I have to sit here and tell her parents that not only have I done all that you said, but I married their daughter. Can you blame me for being worried?”

“Well, when you put it like that, but I’m sure it will be fine. You’ll see. Besides, it’s you and Rarity. You’ll think of something.” Twilight says with a smile before she hears a knock at the door.

Spike gulps and says, “Guess we’re about to find out. I’ll go get the door.”

“No, Spike, you stay here and I’ll get it. You take the time to compose yourself. And don’t worry, you got this little brother,” Twilight says with a smile as she gets up and walks towards the throne room door.

“Thanks, Twi.” Was all she heard as she walks through the door and makes her way towards the main castle door.

“I wonder why Rarity doesn’t just come in? It’s not like she needs to knock. She knows we’re waiting for her. Hmmm, she’s probably just trying to give Spike a few moments to get ready, knowing her,” Twilight thought to herself. Just before opening the door Twilight can’t help but giggle as she thought, “Those two are made for each other.”

As Twilight opens the door, all she heard was “SURPRISE!!!” Making her jump back in shock before seeing Shining Armor and Cadance standing on the doorstep with the biggest smiles on their faces.

“Oh my Celestia, what are you two doing here? You scared me for a moment there,” Twilight says with a smile on her face.

Shining Armor giggles before saying, “Well, we heard about Spike getting all big and that he and Rarity are dating now, so we wanted to surprise you with a visit.” Now smiling at his sister Shining Armor says, “Besides, I’m his big brother, I have a right to congratulate him in person.”

“Unless now’s not a good time? I told you we should of wrote to them first Shining,” Cadance says with a bit of a sad smile on her face.

“What? No. Don’t be silly. You are family. You’ll always be welcome here. I’m so happy to see you both and I’m sure Spike will love seeing you as well.” Twilight says as she pulls them both into a hug. As she breaks the hug she asks with a smile, “Where’s little Flurry Heart? Aunty Twilight has more presents she wants to give her.”

“We left her at the Crystal Empire, with Sunburst. He said that Starlight and Trixie were coming over and that Trixie wanted to show off her new routine for them before showing anypony else. Sorry. Maybe we should have brought her after all.” Cadance says, looking a bit sad at Twilight.

“It’s ok. Starlight did say that she and Trixie were going to the Crystal Empire, but she didn’t say anything about performing a magic show. I’m sure little Flurry Heart will love it,” Twilight says with a smile before saying, “Besides, it gives me more time to get some more presents.”

“Oh, Twilight. You don’t have to do that. Flurry Heart just loves playing with her best aunt. But thank you,” Cadance says with a smile.

Just then, they hear somepony clearing their throat and as they turn around to see, Rarity and her parents were standing there. “I do hope we’re not interrupting anything, darling,” Rarity says with a smile.

“Not at all, Rarity. We’ve been waiting for you,” Twilight says as she smiles at her friend.

“Oh dear, you really do have plans. Maybe we should come back another time,” Cadance says with a smile as Shining Armor nods in agreement.

“Oh pish-posh, you are Twilight and Spike’s family and I know how hard it is for you to get some free time to come visit. I would be honored if you joined us for our little gathering. That is if it’s ok with Twilight and Spike of course?” Rarity says.

“No problem on my end. So I guess that settles it then,” Twilight says as she smiles back before looking at Rarity’s parents and saying, “Hello and welcome, Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles. Thank you for coming today.”

“Not at all, princess. Thank you for having us, and please just Cookie and Hondo will be just fine,” Cookie Crumbles says as she and Hondo Flanks bow to Twilight.

Twilight smiles warmly before saying, “Please, just Twilight and there is no need to bow. In fact, I prefer it if you didn’t bow, to be honest.”

“The same goes for us as well. Just Cadance and Shining Armor will do,” Cadance says with a smile before saying, “Although, it’s tradition to bow and call us princesses when we get together like this, it’s nice just to be like everypony else and just spend time with family. It would make it rather hard to do that if you keep calling us princess and bowing all the time.” she says as she giggles “Besides, I’m sure you don’t want to have to worry about saying the wrong thing or walking on eggshells as well. So how about we just enjoy ourselves as friends and get to know one another better.”

At hearing Cadance say that Cookie and Hondo breathed a sigh of relief, before Hondo said, “I couldn’t agree more prin- I mean cadence.”

As everyone stood there and smiled at Hondo correcting himself, Twilight said, “Shall we go inside then? Spike's prepared some tea and coffee for us in the throne room.”

As they all make their way inside, Rarity trots up beside Twilight and whispers, “How’s Spike doing? I hope the poor dear isn’t still worried?”

Twilight smiled at her friend, “It’s Spike. So yeah, he is, but he’ll be fine,” she says as she opens the door to the throne room and walked in followed by everyone else.

As everyone walks in Spike shot up and out of his throne and asks, “Shining, Cadance, what are you doing here?" As they hugged him.

Shining Armor just giggles and says, “What? Can’t a big brother come say hi to his siblings from time to time?”

As they broke the hug, Cadance giggles and says, “Besides, it's my duty as the princess of the Crystal Empire to come and congratulate Spike the brave and the bold, hero of the Crystal Empire on his growth, and to tell him that all the Crystal ponies await your return so they may throw you a celebration in honor of your growth."

Spike giggles and says, “That’s great, but I don’t think I need another party just yet. I’m still finding confetti from the last party Pinkie threw and that was with just us lot. She said she’s still making plans for a Ponyville party.”

Everyone laughs while Spike shudders.

“Oh right before I forget this is for you,” Cadance says as her horn lit up. Just then, sacks and sacks of mail appear in one corner of the throne room. There is so much that it nearly touches the ceiling.

Looking shocked, Spike asks, “Cadance what is all this?”

Cadance giggles as she bows to Spike and says, "These are letters from the Crystal ponies for their hero, Spike the brave and the bold. It’s one of the reasons why we couldn’t come sooner. When the Crystal ponies found out we were making plans to come visit you, they all wanted to come. The only way we could stop them was to have them write you letters instead, so we had to wait for them all to finish,” she said with another giggle.

Shining Armor smiled and said, “There’s a rumor going around that some of the Crystal ponies are making a petition to have the day you grew turned into a national holiday.”

“What! Really?” Spike asked shocked.

Cadance put a hoof to her mouth to try and stop herself from laughing before saying, “It’s just a rumor, Spike. Though, if one does happen to come before me, I will gladly consent to it,” as she puts a hoof to her chest, she continues. “The love the Crystal ponies have for you is genuine, Spike. I can feel it in my chest. The day that they found out you had grown and were not just ok but happy, the love I felt from them was just as powerful if not more so as the day of Flurry Heart's Crystalling.”

Hearing this, Spike can't help but smile before he said, “Well, I guess I’m going to have to pay them a visit at some point then. But I think I should get through all that first before I do,” he said with a giggle.

“Indeed. It’s only good manners to respond to your fans, my Spikey-wikey,” Rarity says as she trots up to him and puts her hooves around his neck before giving him a kiss.

Spike smiles at his mare and enjoys the kiss until he remembers her parents are here and pushes her away and says, “Rar…Rarity. How lovely to see you,” before looking over at Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles and saying, “And look your parents are here.” As Spike nervously starts to laugh, he walks over to greet them as he says, “Mr. Cookie Flanks, Mrs. Hondo Crumbles. No wait, I mean Mr. Hondo Flanks and Mrs. Cookie Crumbles,” while stretching out his claw to shake their hoofs before tripping over his own tail and hitting the floor hard.

As everyone looks at Spike, he gets back up laughing, saying, “Sorry. Forgot about my bigger tail. Hehehe,” as he scratches his head now with a red blush on his face.

Before anyone has a chance to say anything Rarity trots up next to him and grabs his face with both hooves so he’s looking only at her and says, “Spike, calm down, my love. Remember, I already took the risk. There’s nothing to worry about. I’m yours and you are mine,” she says before she kisses him passionately.

Spike closes his eyes and enjoys the kiss as he wraps his arms around her and pulls her closer to him. As the kiss comes to an end, he puts his forehead on hers and smiles as he says, “You always know how to calm me down, my love. I’m sorry.”

This makes Rarity giggle as she shakes her head and says, “It works both ways, my dragon,” before coming apart and looking at her parents who at this point are now in front of them both and saying, “Mother, Father, you both remember Spike, my drakefriend?”

This makes Cookie giggle before she says, “We most certainly do. And I’ve got to say, Spike, though you were a little cutie as a baby dragon, you've grown into one hot dragon. I always said my little diamond got her good taste from me,” as she winks at Spike, making him blush.

Hondo Flanks chuckles as he wraps his hoof around Cookie and kisses her before he says, “No complaints from me.”

This makes Rarity facehoof with a red face as she says, "Mother, Father, I really can’t take you anywhere can I?”

As everyone laughs, Spike takes a breath and says, “I’m glad you could come today. The reason I asked you to come is because there is something I wish to share with you. It’s something Twilight and the others, myself included, only found out a few weeks ago and has something to do with why I grew as well.”

“Wait I thought you grew so that you could be with Rarity, Spike,” Shining says confused.

Hearing Shining Armor ask that makes Rarity, Twilight and Spike giggle before Spike says, “I’ll explain everything, I was going to tell you and Cadance when I saw you next anyways. Having you here today just makes things a bit easier. Lucky for us, the others aren’t here at the moment, so there are enough thrones for us all,” he says. “Please have a seat. I have a very old and long story to share with you all.”

As Rarity, Twilight, and Spike sit on their thrones, Spike says with a smile, “Please help yourselves to some tea and coffee.”

At this point, Cadance notices that Spike's throne is bigger and has a cutie mark of a heart with a crowd on it. “Does this have something to do with why there’s a Cutie Mark on your new throne?” She asks.

Spike smiles at her and nods before saying, “It will all make sense once I tell you everything. The only thing I will say before I start is this, everything I’m about to tell you is 100% true and I ask that you repeat this to no other creature. It’s not that I don’t trust any of you, it’s just going to be a lot to take in. With that said, I do not wish to keep this from my family, so before I start, will you all Pinkie promise?”

Seeing how serious Spike is being, Hondo, Cookie, Cadance, and Shining Armor all nodded and gave him the Pinkie promise. Spike smiles, happy with their promises and starts off saying, "It all started a long, long time ago with six little creatures."

For the next fifteen minutes, Spike tells them the story of his children and Grogar. As he does, he watches their reactions. Sometimes they are confused, sometimes they have smiles, other times they are sad or silently crying, which saddens Spike until his story is finished.

“So that’s everything, up till now,” Spike says looking around the table.

For a few seconds, everyone apart from Twilight, Rarity, and Spike process everything that's been explained to them. Cookie Crumbles finishes her coffee, takes a breath, then looks at Spike and said with a sad smile, “I can understand why you didn’t want anypony to know Spike. It’s a lot to take in.”

She gets off her borrowed throne, walks around to him and pulls him into a hug. Before Spike has a chance to say anything, she starts to cry as she said, “You’ve been through so much for all of us. I know it may not seem like much, but on behalf of all the creatures of this world that will never know, I thank you and your children for all that you have given us. I’m just sorry there’s nothing more I can say or do.”

Hearing this, Spike returns the hug and says, “Thank you. Though there really is no need to do or say anything. Just seeing all the creatures living happily is all the thanks I need. Besides, Cookie Crumbles, you and Hondo Flanks have personally given me something I never thought I would find; the creature of my dreams. What more could I ask for,” Spike says with a chuckle as he break the hug.

Hearing Spike say this, Cookie laughs and says, “Does my baby girl know how to pick ‘em or what? Hehehe.”

“MOTHER!!!”

At hearing Rarity's outburst, everyone laughs as Cookie returns to her seat, before Hondo asks, “There’s just one thing I don’t understand, Spike. Just how was it that my little girl was able to break the Dragon Barrier?”

Hearing Hondo ask this makes Spike cough and turns red in the face as he tries to explain, “Errr, you see, Mr. Hondo, sir, that is, errr.”

As Hondo, Cookie, Shining Armor and Cadance all wait for Spike to answer, Twilight giggles and says, “Yeah, Mr. The Dragon. How was that again?” Getting death glares from Spike as she continues to laugh.

“Oh, for Celestia’s sake!” Rarity shouts making everyone look at her. Spike looks at her with fear in his eyes, but Rarity turns to him and smirks and winks before blowing a kiss and saying, “Spikey-poo left out a bit of the story, mainly because he wasn’t there, but he knows how I did it. He just didn’t want to say in front of you two. So let me fill in the gaps.” So she tells them how she took down the barrier and why. As she does, Spike gets lower and lower in his chair, trying not to look at Hondo Flanks or Cookie Crumbles.

Once Rarity finishes, everyone shouts, “WHATTTT?!?!?!” Making Spike want to find a hole to hide in.

"Ma...married?!" Cookie Crumbles shouts.

Spike turns to Rarity who sits there with a red face while she nods with a smile and says, “Yes, married. Only by dragon custom, keep in mind, but no less important. Now, Spikey and I have decided to take our time and not rush things, but now that you know, it’s one less thing for poor Spikey to worry about.” As she lookes at Spike.

“Well, it’s out there now at least. Guess I should get this over with,” Spike thinks. He gulps before he turns to Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles who are glaring at him with their hoofs folded. He smiles sheepishly, trying to think of something to say. Then suddenly, Hondo and Cookie burst out laughing, confusing Spike.

"Wha... what's so funny?" He asks, confused and a little hurt that they're laughing at the idea of him and Rarity being married.

“Oh, sorry,” Cookie says wiping a tear from her eye as she says, “It’s just the look on your face is priceless. We never could pull off the angry look, though.”

Hondo Flanks finishes laughing and says, “Look, Spike, our baby girl is a grown mare. It’s hard to admit it sometimes, but she is. I mean, she and the others have saved Equestria so many times, it’s kind of a running joke. The only thing we care about is that she’s happy, and Spike, my boy, I’ve never seen my little diamond shine so much as when she’s with you.” As Hondo puts his arm around Cookie, he continues to say with a smile, “We couldn’t be happier for her or you.”

As Cookie nodded in agreement with Hondo, she said, “It’s true. What more could a parent ask for than to see their babies happy? I’m sure you of all creatures understand that feeling, no?” She smiles as she sees Spike nodding with a smile in understanding before saying with a serious look on her face, “With that said, I'm sure you understand that if you hurt my baby, nothing will stop me from hunting you down and making you pay.”

Just then Rarity shoots up and says, “Mother, ho-“

Spike cuts her off by calmly saying with a warm smile, “I completely understand, Mrs. Crumbles. And just so we're clear, I would never hurt her and there's nothing I won't do to keep her safe and happy, even if it means taking on the whole world."

Hondo and Cookie smile back. Spike lets out a sigh of relief and says, "Well then, now that that's out of the way," his eyes glow green. Before anyone can say anything, Rarity and Rainbow Dash's Cutie Mark's trade places on the thrones, making the throne next to Spike's the new Element of Generosity.

“What?! Spike what have you done?” Twilight asks.

Spike and Rarity smile at each other before Spike turns to his sister and says, “What’s wrong with a dragon wanting to sit between the two most important mares in his life? I don’t think Rainbow will mind. Do you?”

Rarity giggles and says, “Not at all, my Spikey-wikey,” as she gets out of the Element of Loyalty throne makes her way to her new throne that Shining Armor is sitting in and says, “Excuse me, Shining Armor, but it appears you are in my seat. If you wouldn’t mind, could you be a dear and trade places with me?”

Shining Armor giggles as he gets off her throne and says, “Not at all Rarity. Be my guest,” before making his way over to the empty throne on the other side of the table.

“Errr, just wondering, but that’s everything right? No more secrets you’re keeping from us?” Hondo asks.

“Father! Really. That’s everything, no more secrets. I promise,” Rarity says angrily.

Spike clears his throat and said, “well, since you've asked, there is one tiny little secret I haven’t told anyone yet.”

“What!?!” Rarity asks, glaring at Spike.

This makes Spike lean back in his throne before saying, “It’s nothing big, it’s just that I didn’t know it till I got my memories back. Honest.”

“What is it, Spike?” Twilight asks curiously.

“Well, it would probably make more sense to get him to explain it himself,” Spike says nervously chuckling as he scratched his head before calling out, "I know you're there. I think it's time for you to come out now."

Everyone looks at Spike confused. Before Twilight can ask who he's talking to, there is a flash of light. Within an instant, the other bearers find themselves in their thrones with the guests on chairs next to them.

“What the hey, how’d we get here?” Rainbow asks with the other Elements looking just as confused as her.

“I’m not sure what’s going on girls, but I’d say you were all teleported here,” Twilight said as she looked at Spike suspiciously.

Spike held up he’s claws and says, “Hey, don’t look at me. I didn’t do anything, but if I had to guess I’d say he just wants to tell everypony all at the same time. Makes sense if you think about it, though if that’s the case wouldn’t having Celes-“

Just then Spike was cut off as another flash of light went off and Celestia and Luna appears on some chairs around the Cutie Mark table.

“What is the meaning of this,” Celestia said as she looked around to see everypony sitting there. She turns to Twilight for an explanation of what was going on.

Before Twilight had the chance to say anything, Spike says, “I can explain. There’s nothing wrong, it’s just that I was explaining everything to Rarity’s parents, Shining and Cadance as I didn’t want to keep my secret from them. However, there is one little bit of the story that no pony knows about yet that I failed to mention and that is why he brought you all here. He does like to put on a show after all.”

“What? There is more that you must tell us, Grandpa Spike, and who is it that you are talking about?” Luna asks with a smile.

“Huh? Did the Princess of the Night just call you Grandpa?” Hondo asked shocked.

Just as Spike was about to say something Cookie says with a smile, “Yes, dear. You listened to Spike’s story, so you know that they are his grandchildren. Though I must admit it’s still quite shocking to hear.”

“Yeah, well I did agree to let them call me that when we were alone,” Spike says with a smile, before saying, “But since everypony here now knows my secret, it’s not a problem. As for whom I’m talking about, Luna,” Spike stops for a second, and says, “Just come on out already, little Dizzy.”

Just then, another flash of light goes off and Discord appeared on a chair floating just off the ground and said, “Really, you’re no fun at all Spike.”

“DISCORD!?!” Everypony said in unison as they looked at the draconequus, as he smiled.

“Yes, yes. The one and only,” he said as he floated over to Fluttershy and says, “I know you and the girls were having a picnic and I’m sorry to interrupt it. You know how much I love your little tea parties, sorry I couldn’t make it.”

Fluttershy pulled him into a hug and says, “That’s ok, Discord. There’s always next time, but what is this all about?”

As Discord broke the hug and smiled warmly at her, he said, “Well, it’s about him.” He said as he pointed at Spike who just smiled back at the draconequus. Before Discord said, “Or more importantly it’s about me and my past.”

This makes everypony look at Discord, who normally would love the attention, but not this time. He had a bit of a sad smile on his face as he just floated there, before Fluttershy had the chance to ask if he was ok. Spike said, “You want me to tell them Dizzy?”

This made Discord smile warmly before he says, “How long has it been since I’ve heard you call me that?”

Rainbow giggles and asks, “What kind of nickname is Dizzy?”

This made Discord angry and as he got right into Rainbow Dash’s face, his eyes started glowing red as he said, “No creature calls me that but him. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?”

This made Rainbow Dash lean back in her throne, nodding her head repeatedly in understanding as she gulped, before Discord moved away and says, “Good.” As he looked at Spike and said, “No. I should be the one to tell them.”

“Tell us what, Discord?” Fluttershy asks with a concerned look on her face.

Discord sighs and says, “Everypony here knows about Spike’s past now-“

Just then Twilight shouts, “What! You knew about Spike’s past?!” Spike and Discord give Twilight a glare, making her smile sheepishly and say, “Sorry, you were saying.”

“Yes, to answer your question. I know who Spike really is. What you and everypony here doesn’t know, is who I really am,” Discord says before sighing again. “I am Discord, Lord of Chaos and Disharmony, and the son of Grogar.”

“WHATTT!!!!” Is all Discord hears, before he says, “Yes, it’s true. You’ve all heard how Spike and his children defeated Grogar at his castle, but the bit they left out was, when Spike came out that castle, he wasn’t alone. He had a very young draconequus with him: me.”

Discord gives everyone in the room a sad smile while Spike says, “After I beat Grogar and as the castle started to break apart around me, I was making my way back outside. That’s when I saw him, beaten and chained to the wall like some kind of wild animal, barely alive. I couldn’t leave him there. It wasn’t right.”

Discord smiled at Spike and said, “You saved me that day, but you did more than that. You and your children nursed me back to health and even after finding out who I was, you still accepted me.”

Spike smiles and says with a chuckle, “Hey it’s what I do, I have a habit of taking in and caring for small children.”

This made Discord chuckle before he said, “Yes, I suppose you do. Anyway to cut a long story short, I stayed with Spike and his family for a little bit in his cave. But I messed up. I let slip who I was one day and after the other creatures found out, let’s just say they weren’t pleased to find out who my father was.”

“Oh, Discord,” Fluttershy says with tears in her eyes.

Discord smiled at her and said, “It’s ok, Flutterbuddy. It’s in the past. Now, where was I? Oh yes. After the other creatures found out, they wanted payback for all the things Grogar had done to them. Spike refused to hand me over and said, ‘This child is as innocent as any of your children. The sins of the father should not be passed down to the child. To do this would make us no better than Grogar himself. If any of you feel differently about this, then you’ll have to go through me.’"

Spike sat there with a blush on his face as he scratched his cheek to try and hide his embarrassment, before saying, “Is that what I said? I don’t remember. It was such a long time ago.” Everyone else laughs at him while Rarity leans over and kisses him, saying, "My hero," which makes everyone laugh even louder.

After everyone finished laughing, Discord said, “Oh yes, Spike. That’s exactly what you said. Needless to say, no creature wanted to mess with the dragon that just beat Grogar so they left me alone, but I didn’t want to cause him any more trouble after everything he’d already done for me. And even though I wasn’t as strong as I am now, I left to travel the world for a bit, but I always kept an ear out, just in case.”

Spike smiled and says, “No creature had seen or heard of Discord after that. The day I came up with my plan though, he suddenly appeared in front of me asking what I was thinking, so I told him everything. I knew he would never say anything and he even wanted to help.”

“Well it was the least I could do after what you did for me,” Discord said with a smile, before he continued, “So after Spike vanished I laid in wait for the right time. Once the Tree of Harmony had grown, I came up with a plan to get Princess sunbutt and moonbutt here, to find the tree and to keep the Elements of Harmony safe till those that were chosen appeared.”

“What!?!” Everyone said in unison before Celestia said, “Are you trying to say that, the only reason you took over Equestria and made ponies suffer was to get us to find the Elements?”

Spike sighed and said, “I told him, all he had to do was to leave a clue in a book for my grandchild, nothing more.”

Discord giggled and said, “Oh, Spikey, after everything you did for me, I couldn’t just leave a clue. Besides I never really hurt any pony, I mean after all if I wanted to rule Equestria I could have done so easily. There was no creature around that knew about the tree then and I left a clue in a book like you asked, which is how they found the tree and used the Elements to stop me.”

Just then before anyone had a chance to say anything, Discord snaps his talons together and everyone was see-through and floating above the ground, looking into the past. Where Discord sat on a throne, throwing seeds into the ground laughing as Celestia and Luna turned up to stop him.

“Wait, I’ve seen this before.” Twilight said as everyone looked at her.

That’s when Celestia said, “Yes, it is the day me and my sister used the Elements to imprison Discord in stone.”

Discord giggled and said, “You know I let you do that right? After all, all I had to do was move out of the way, but I had a plan to stick to.”

As everyone looked at him, he pointed to where his old self was sitting as the old Celestia says, ‘Playtime is over for you, Discord.’ The old Discord laughs and says, 'Oh, I very much doubt that.' The present Discord chuckles and says, "See? I even gave you a clue," as he watches his old self turn to stone before snapping everyone back into the throne room.

Everyone was silent and didn’t know what to say before Fluttershy said, “You mean you weren’t evil?”

Discord laughed and said, “No, Fluttershy. But I play the part well, don’t you think?"

“But why Discord? You were turned to stone and everyone thought you were bad, when you didn’t have to be.” Fluttershy said of the verge of tears.

Discord smiled at her and said, “True, but by that same logic Spike didn’t have to do everything he did, but he still did it.”

Twilight just had to know one thing, so she asked, “But if everything you just said was true, then why did you take the Elements of Harmony when the spell broke and try to take back Equestria?”

“Well, with Spike not having his memories, someone had to teach you how to better understand the power you possessed, so every now and then I would teach you a lesson in my own chaotic way, that would help you better understand the true power you had within yourselves.” Discord said with a smile before saying with a giggle, “I am the Lord of Chaos after all. I couldn’t make it too easy for you. But do you have any idea how hard it was not to burst out laughing when you turned up wearing Rainbow Dash's Element of Loyalty, Spike?”

Spike looked at Discord with a sad smile and said, “Thank you for helping them Discord. You made yourself the bad guy just to help me with my plan.”

Discord smiled and said, “It was all worth it, after all I made myself a true friend,” Discord turned to look at Fluttershy and said, “Somepony who was willing to look past the monster and see the real me.”

Fluttershy blushes and hides her face with her hair before she asks, "But what about Tirek?"

Discord sighed and says, “Yes, Tirek. I knew that when the tree revealed the box to you all that you had gotten stronger and better understood your Elements. When Tirek turned up, I saw an opportunity to help you progress to the next level as it were. Betraying you like that was the hardest and scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life. The thought of losing your friendship terrified me, but it was the only way to make sure you were ready to face what was to come.”

Fluttershy flies over to hug Discord, crying as she says, “I won’t lie Discord, it hurt me when you betrayed our friendship. But now I understand that you did it for us. Thank you for telling me the truth.”

As Discord wrapped his arms around Fluttershy, he said, “The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I truly am sorry.”

After a few moments Spike cleared his throat getting Fluttershy and Discord's attention before he says, “Well, I believe that’s everything, no more secrets.”

Rarity leaned over and kissed Spike on the cheek before saying, “Good to know my love.”

As an embarrassed Fluttershy sat back on her throne, Discord made a throne for himself and sat beside her with a smile.

Just then Hondo Flanks says, “Wow, do you guys know how to make things interesting.”

Cookie Crumbles giggled and said, “I’ll say. That’s one heck of a story you two have.” As she looked at both Spike and Discord.

Spike giggled and said, “I don’t know about anyone else but I could do with something to eat.”

Shining Armor and Cadance smiled at each other, before Cadance said, “We’d love to stay, but we should probably get back to Flurry Heart.”

Just then Discord snapped his talons and food appeared on the Cutie Map as he said, “Don’t worry about it and stay for some food. I can always snap you home after, it’s faster than any train.”

Both Cadance and Shining Armor giggled as Shining says, “In that case, we’ll take you up on that offer,” before he said, “Let’s dig in.”

As talking and laughter filled the room, Spike looked around and thought, “This is what it’s all about, good friends and family. Really, what more could a Dragon ask for?”

Rarity looked over at Spike and asked, “Is everything ok, my love?”

Spike smiled back at his mare, leaned over and kissed her as he said, “No. Everything’s not ok. It’s perfect."

This made Rarity giggle as she leaned over and kissed him on the lips as she said, “Silly dragon.”

Just then Rainbow shouted out, “Hey, who moved my throne?!” making everyone burst into laughter.

Chapter 2

It has been about a week since Spike had told Rarity's parents, Shining Armor and Cadance who he really was and Discord telling everypony his little part in all of it. It was a quite normal day in Ponyville, the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in sight.

"I'm finally done," Spike said with a sigh as he placed the last letter he received from his fans in the Crystal Empire down on the table before taking a sip of coffee. “I didn’t think I was ever going to finish reading all those letters.”

“Good job, Spike.” Twilight said as she walked into the study room and took a seat next to him and smiled before saying with a little giggle, “I guess all those years being my number one assistant paid off. You managed to get through the whole lot and not only that but you put them in alphabetical order.”

“What can I say? Spend enough time around books or mares obsessed with books and it just becomes a habit,” he said with a giggle of his own, before asking, “You know Twi, I don’t understand why you’re going to this Starswirl the Bearded convention? I mean you know Starswirl personally, if there’s anything you want to know about him, wouldn’t it make more sense to just ask him?”

“Oh, come on, Spike. You of all creatures should know it’s more about the ponies that share their love for the history and achievements that Starswirl accomplished. So rather than talking to Starswirl, I get to meet others that share the same enthusiasm and love for history as me,” Twilight said with the biggest smile on her face before asking, “Isn’t that why you love collecting comics and playing O&O?” She said with a knowing smirk as she looked at her not so little brother.

Spike smiled back and said, “Fair enough, Twi. You got me there. I made some food and put it in the fridge for you to take with you when you go tomorrow, so make sure to put it in your saddle bag before you leave in the morning. Ok?”

Twilight shakes her head and with a slight laugh said, “Yes, dad,” before letting out a bigger giggle as she sees Spike grinning at her. Twilight then asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

Spike shook his head and said, “Nah. Not my thing. Besides, with you going to the Starswirl the Bearded convention and Starlight on her little tour with Trixie, it would be nice to just have some chill out time to myself.”

Twilight grinned back and said, “You mean some make out time, with your special somepony, right?” Chuckling as Spike became red in the face.

“It’s not like that, Twi. It’s just after the whole Grogar thing and in-between explaining my growth to all the ponies and telling her parents everything, we haven’t had a chance to sort of just stop and relax, you know. Truth is with you out all day tomorrow and Starlight not due back for a few more days, I was going to take this chance to have a date night,” Spike said as he scratched his cheek with his claw in embarrassment.

"Hmmm, what did you have planned Romeo?" Twilight asked curiously.

Clearing his throat and seeing the now warm, loving smile on his sister’s face, Spike said, “Nothing fancy. I was thinking of maybe just a simple home cooked meal and just enjoying a nice quiet night in.”

“That sounds lovely, Spike. I hope you have an enjoyable time,” Twilight said with a smile as she looked at her brother.

“You know, Twi, I think you should maybe think about trying to find a special somepony of your own,” Spike said, seeing Twilight's cheeks turn a little red.

“Thanks for worrying about me Spike, but I think I have plenty of time left to worry about finding a special somepony and besides it’s not exactly easy to meet somepony when you’re a Princess,” Twilight said with a light giggle.

“Look Twi, I’m not saying you have to go out there right now and find somepony. All I’m saying is, if you find someone that you think you have a connection with don’t just blow it off.” As Spike gave his sister a sad smile, he said, “No matter how much time you think you have with the ones you love, it’s never enough trust me on that and besides I have first hoof, or I guess first claw experience with princesses finding Mr. Right. So if you ever do find that special somepony, he better know how to run, cuz only the best will do for my sister,” he finishes with a toothy grin.

Twilight giggled and said, “Just how is it that princess Celestia’s dad ever managed to survive?”

Spike smiled and said, “That’s easy, when I looked into his eyes I saw nothing but Lilith. The eyes are the windows to the soul after all. That’s when I knew, there was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep her safe, that he would love her like no other. That’s when I knew I could entrust him with one of my treasured children. It’s a good job to because if I had saw differently, let’s just say Celestia and Luna may not be here today. I’m a dragon Twi and although creatures think we care for nothing but gems and gold, they’re wrong. The one thing we care for more than anything is our mates and offspring, for them there is nothing we won’t do. Even during a baby dragon’s molt. Although the parents kick them out, what the baby dragon doesn’t know is that one of the parents follows them to ensure their safety, it’s more like training the baby dragon to be able to survive by themselves.” As Spike pulls Twilight into a hug, with a giggle, he said, “So in short, if Mr. Right does come knocking for ya, I’ll know.”

Twilight broke the hug to give Spike a smile and said with a giggle, “You really are a knight in shining armor, or how does Rarity put it, shining scales, hehehe.”

Spike chuckled along with Twilight as he said, “What can I say, I aim to please.”

Just as the laughter died down Spike burped up a scroll with the royal crest on it and passed it to Twilight and she began to read it out.

“Dear Grandpa Spike,

Although it is very short notice I and Luna were wondering if you didn’t have any plans for tomorrow, that maybe you would like to join us for lunch at the castle. Of course Twilight, Rarity and the others are more than welcome to join us if they wish, we await your response with eagerness.

Your Loving grandchildren

Celestia and Luna

Twilight looked at Spike and said, “Oh, wow, Spike. What are you going to do? I mean you said you wanted to spend a quiet day in with Rarity tomorrow.”

“Hmmm, that’s true but I know how hard it is for them to find time to do things like this with how busy they always are,” Spike said with a worried look on his face before saying, “I guess I could always see what Rarity wants to do and who knows I could turn it into a bit of a day out with her. I know you're busy and all tomorrow, but do you think the others would mind if I didn’t invite them?”

“Not at all Spike, I’m sure they’d understand,” Twilight said with a smile.

Spike looked at his sister and smiled back before he said, “Yeah your right, Twi.” As he got up and started walking towards the door, he looked back at Twilight and said, “I’m just going to pop over to Rarity’s and see what she wants to do, I shouldn’t be too long, ok.”

“No need to rush back I’ve got nothing going on at the moment, take your time, ok. I’ll see you when you get back,” Twilight said as she smiled back and waved at Spike before he walked out the door to the study room.

As Spike walked out the main castle door, he took in a deep breath and slowly breathed out, enjoying smells that came with a fresh sunny day and started making his way towards the Boutique. As he made his way through the market and saw all the ponies of Ponyville going about their daily business, some stopped to say hello or wave at him as they passed by, he smiled and thought, “You know, I think I’ll pay my favorite florist a quick visit before I see Rarity.”

As Spike made his way to Rose's shop and he opened the door, the little bell rang out to let Rose know someone had come in. Spike was greeted with the same warm smile he always saw when coming to buy flowers.

“Well hello there Spike,” Rose said with a smile before letting out a little giggle and saying, “I know I’ve seen the new you after you came back all grown up but it’s still hard to believe little Spikey has all grown up and all for the sake of his love. It’s like something out of fairy tales.”

Spike gave a little playful shake of his head and smiled as he walked up to the counter and said, “Hey, I’ll have you know little Spike is still here, just bigger and better.”

“Oh, no, Spike,” Rose said with a smile as Spike looked at her, before she said, “You may be bigger, even stronger than before, but better? I don’t think so."

As Spike looked at Rose a bit confused at what she meant, Rose placed her arm on the counter and rested her head in her hoof before giving him a warm smile and said, “What I mean is, you may be bigger and stronger, but you are still the same old hard working, kind hearted, loved up little dragon that comes in here to buy flowers for the mare he loves, nothing is better than that. Rarity is one lucky mare.” She finished with a little giggle as she saw Spike starting to blush.

Clearing his throat to try and calm down, Spike said, “Thanks, Rose. So how has business been today?”

As Rose sat up with a slight laugh at how Spike tried to change the conversation, she said, “Same as always, busy, but fun, thanks for asking. Now then, what can I do for Ponyville’s number one dragon today? You want some dragon lilies? I just got in a fresh batch this morning”

“Na, not today thanks, I’m looking for some Roses, Eleven to be precise,” Spike said as he smiled at Rose.

Rose giggled and said, “Well, some dragon knows the meaning behind the numbers.”

Spike giggled back and said, “What can I say, I’ve done a lot of reading in my time.”

“Let me just get that sorted for you Spike,” Rose said with a smile as she began to wrap them up and as she passed them to him, she was about to say that they were on the house before Spike put some bits on the counter. As Rose looked at the bits, she saw there were too many.

As Spike turned around and started to walk towards the door Rose said, “Wait, Spike, this is too much, you need to take some back," as he opened the door.

Without looking back and waving a claw as he walked through the door Spike said, “Consider it a tip for good customer service; enjoy the rest of your day Rose, I’ll be sure to say hi to Rarity for you,” as the door closed behind him.

As Rose giggled and placed the bits in her till, she thought, “Yep, still the same old Spike. I’ll have to make sure that dragon gets his next lot of flowers free whether he likes it or not,” as she went back to her business.

Spike found himself standing outside Rarity’s Boutique, with his flowers in claw and was about to knock when the door opened and Sweetie Belle came running out and past him, as she did she shout back, “Sorry, Spike. Can’t stop running late for a CMC meeting with the girls. Go right in.”

As Spike watched her, he couldn’t help but chuckle as he made his way inside. As he looked around the shop he saw his love working away on a new design and in the zone. From all the time he spent with her, he knew better than to bother her when she was like this, so he walked into the kitchen and made him and her some coffee and placed the flowers in a vase with some fresh water. He came back out and placed the vase on a table and a cup of coffee next to her and sat down on a chair as he watched his lady work with a smile.

After a few moments, Rarity shouted, “And I’m done, I have no more work to do for the next few days.” As she used her magic to place it on a manikin and got the faint smell of coffee coming from her cup, she picked it up and smiled at her new design and said, “One of my best designs to date, it’s absolutely beautiful.”

Just then she heard a chuckle and turned around to see Spike sitting there with a smile as he placed his cup down and said, “Almost as beautiful as the mare that made it, almost.”

“Spikey, when did you get here?” Rarity said now trotting over to Spike with a smile.

“Not too long ago. You were in the zone, so I didn’t want to bother you,” Spike said with a smile as Rarity kissed him on the cheek.

“Oh, Spikey, you could never bother me. You know that.” Rarity said with a smile as she looked at her dragon.

“I brought some flowers for you and placed them in a vase on the table, I hope that was ok?” Spike said as he looked at Rarity.

“Oh, Spikey. You didn’t have to do that,” Rarity said as she turned to see the roses on the table and said, “They are beautiful though, thank you.” Giving him another peck on the cheek.

Spike smiled at her and said, “Tell me Rarity, do you know the meaning of eleven roses?”

Rarity thought for a moment and said, “I know the meaning behind some of them, but I’m afraid I don’t know the significance behind this particular number, why, what does it mean?”

Spike’s smile got bigger as he wrapped his arms around Rarity and said, “Eleven roses assure the recipient they are truly and deeply loved,” as Spike said this he saw a blush come on Rarity’s face before he leaned in and passionately kissed her.

As Rarity wrapped her hooves around Spikes neck enjoying the kiss, she thought, “Just how lucky a mare am I to have found such a devoted and loving creature to call my own.”

As the kiss broke, Rarity smiled at Spike and with them both still holding each other she whispered, “Truly, just how lucky can I be,” before leaning her head forward to kiss Spike again.

After a few moments the kiss ended and they just sat there holding one another as Rarity thought to herself, “There will never be a more comfortable place for me to be than right her.” Before she smiled at Spike and asked, “Though I do love when you come to visit me like this, my Spikey-wikey. What brings you here today? I can’t imagine it was just to woo me with your sweet words or your sweeter kisses.

Spike chuckled and said, “What if it was, would that be a problem?”

Rarity giggled back and said, “Oh no dear, not at all. Well it would be a problem for my customers, but that’s their problem not ours.” As she kissed him lovingly on the cheek.

Spike smiled and said, “Well, there was something I wanted to ask you. I was going to see if you were free tomorrow, with Twilight going to the Starswirl the Bearded convention and Starlight not around, I thought I could cook you a nice homemade meal.”

As Rarity smiled back at Spike, she said, “Oh, that sounds like an absolutely divine idea Spikey. With everything that’s happened lately we haven’t really had time to just relax. And it’s come just at the right time too since I don’t have any more work to do for the next few days. I mean we did have a nice meal after the whole Grogar thing, but we never really got time to just unwind as it were. Top that off with telling my parents everything and the whole Discord thing, I think this is just what we need."

Spike scratched his cheek and said, “Yeah. That was my thinking to, but I got a letter from Celestia this morning asking if I wanted to join her and Luna for lunch at Canterlot Castle.”

Rarity tried to smile as best she could and said, “I see, I know how hard it is for them to find time to do this sort of thing, so it can’t be helped. There’s always next time, right?”

“Oh, no, you misunderstood. They invited all of us, it’s just with Twilight having plans, I thought that maybe you would like to join me. I thought we could make a day of it. You know maybe turn it into a date day or something. What do you think?”

Hearing that, Rarity jumped out of Spikes arms with a squeal and said, “Yes! That sounds fabulous darling.” As she started trotting around the room, she said, “Oh but what am I to wear? I’ve only got a little time to prepare, so much to do, so much to pack.”

Spike stood up and chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and said, “Rarity I know you like to look your best, but I think this time all you need to do is bring your beautiful self. Nothing more. Just you.” As Spike kissed her on the lips.

As he broke the kiss, Spike couldn’t help but think how beautiful she looked standing there with red cheeks, looking at him.

“Hmmm, yes maybe this time I won’t bring anything. Just having my dragon at my side is all I need,” Rarity said with a warm smile as she stared back at Spike, before saying, “Though I have one little request, do you think I could at least bring the Fire Ruby with me?”

Spike giggled and said, “I don’t see why not, a lady has to accessorize, right?”

“Indeed, my Spikey-wikey. Indeed. It seems all this time spent with me is starting to pay off for you.” Rarity said with a giggle of her own.

“Which reminds me, do you mind if I borrow a bit of parchment, a quill and some ink? I need to let Celestia and Luna know that we’ll be coming tomorrow,” Spike asked as he smiled at Rarity.

As Rarity took a step back from Spike and smiled as said, “Not at all, Spike,” as her horn lit up and some parchment, ink and a quill floated over from Rarity’s work desk.

“Thanks, Rarity,” Spike said as he took the parchment and quill while Rarity held the ink in the air for him to use as he started writing his letter.

“Dear Princess Celestia and Luna,

Thank you for inviting me to the castle for lunch tomorrow, as Twilight is busy with the Starswirl the Bearded convention tomorrow; she will not be able to attend, but thanks you for your gracious offer and looks forward to seeing you both again.

However Rarity and I cannot wait to see you for lunch tomorrow, I’m really looking forward to being able to walk around the castle, I may just have to take a walk down to the kitchens for old time’s sake. And who knows? I may just make that chocolate cake a certain princess used to love back when me and Twi used to live there. I Hope that won’t be a problem. Hehehe

Till tomorrow

Grandpa Spike and Rarity.

Spike smiled warmly as he rolled up the parchment but looked kind of sad at the same time. Rarity noticed this as she took the quill and ink and placed it back on her work desk before she asks, “Is everything ok, Spikey?”

“Hmmm? Yeah, of course. It’s just still a bit weird you know, I mean I have all my memories of my time with Lilith and the others, but at the same time I have all these memories as baby dragon Spike. Spending my days around Cantalot Castle, helping Twi as best I could as Celestia watched over us and guided us. Now here I am writing to her as her Granddad.” Spike said before he lit the parchment on fire and watched it turn to ash and disappear.

“Yes, well, I could imagine it would seem a bit strange. Though I can’t pretend to completely understand how you feel.” As Rarity wrapped her arms around Spike, she said, “I will say this, baby or adult, you are you, and we all love you just as you are. If you ask me, I’d say your connection to the princesses only grew stronger since the whole Grogar incident because now you don’t have to feel like they are family since they are your family. You share a connection, maybe not by blood, but by time.” Rarity leans in and pecks Spike on the cheek before saying, “They knew their mother and Father, now it’s time for them to know their grandfather.”

As Spike wrapped his arms around Rarity, he said, “What did I do right, to end up with such an amazing mare?” As he leans in to kiss her.

Rarity for her part giggled slightly as she said, “Many wonderful things my Spikey-wikey,” and just as their lips were about to touch, she said in a whisper, “But more than anything, you loved me like no other.”

After a few minutes their passionate kiss came to an end and as they both gasped for air, Spike couldn’t help but lose himself in Rarity’s eye. Just then Spike burped making Rarity jump back a bit as a scroll appeared in front of them. Spike opened it and read it out.

Dear Grandpa Spike,

This is Luna writing this time as for some reason my sister Tia seems to be in some kind of trance. All she keeps saying is ‘Spike’s chocolate cake’. It’s most unbecoming of a princess to be dribbling, especially given her age.

It saddens us that the others could not join us; though I must admit I’m really looking forward to spending time with you and it would be nice seeing Rarity again. We will send a royal carriage to pick you up from your castle at 11am, so don’t worry about having to get the train or flying.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow

Your Grandchildren Luna and Celestia

P.S.

I would like to try this chocolate cake, please don’t tell Tia I said that.

Spike couldn’t help but burst out laughing as he read the end of the letter and then he looked at Rarity with a smile and said, “Well I guess that’s sorted then, guess we’re going to Canterlot tomorrow.”

“I’m looking forward to it Spikey,” Rarity said as she smiled back.

************

The sun was shining, the birds were singing and Spike was sitting at the table drinking some coffee after seeing Twilight off this morning as he heard a knock at the door and he shouted, “Come on in, Rarity!”

Rarity walked into the room, wearing her Fire Ruby around her neck and with the biggest of smiles on her face and said, “Good morning Spikey, I do hope I’m not late,” as she walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek.

Spike smiled back as he looked at her wearing her Fire Ruby and said, “Good morning to you as well, my love and you’re right on time. But I told you before that you didn’t need to knock it's only me here.”

Rarity gasped and said, “Even if you are the only creature here, Spikey-wikey. It’s only good manners to knock before entering a room.” As she looks at him, a smirk comes on to her face as she said, “Besides, I know a certain dragon that to this day, still knocks on my door even though I’ve said many times before that it is a business and there is no need."

Spike chuckled and said, “Ok, fair enough, you got me there.” Before his ears twitched and he said, “Sounds like the carriage has just pulled up. We should get going.”

Rarity smiled as Spike got up and made his way to the door, to open it for her; as he did, Rarity said, “That dragon hearing of yours it quite something, my dear.”

Just as she was about to pass him, Spike bowed and said with a smile, “Ladies first.”

This made Rarity giggle as she said, “Why thank you Spikey, ever the gallant knight as always."

As they made their way outside of the castle, two royal guards stood there attached to the carriage as one of them said, “Master Spike and Lady Rarity, we have come to take you to Canterlot.”

As Spike ran over to open the door for Rarity, she gave a little nod of her head and said, “Thank you for the transportation, my good sirs,” as she took Spike’s claw and he helped her in.

“Yeah, thanks for the lift guys.” Spike said with a smile as he climbed into the carriage and closed the door.

*******************

Spike and Rarity soon found themselves landing inside the royal gates and outside the main castle doors of Canterlot Castle, as the carriage door opened Spike got out and held out his claw for Rarity, who gladly accepted his offer as she stepped out of the carriage with a smile as she said, “Thank you, Spikey.”

Spike smiled back and said, “Anytime, my love.” Before they both thanked the guards once again for the ride and made their way into the castle.

As they stood just inside of the main doors, a servant pony approached them and said, “Master Spike, Lady Rarity,” as he bowed to them. He then said, “I’m sorry to inform you that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are still attending to some matters and they have asked me to take you to the dining area where they will join you shortly. If you both, please follow me.”

“Actually, if it’s all the same with you, I’d rather pop down to the kitchen and make a start on the cake I promised to make for the princesses.” Spike said with a smile as he looked at the servant pony.

“Very well, I’ll tak-“

“That’s ok,” Spike said cutting him off and turning to Rarity with a smile. “I remember the way. You want to come with me Rarity? Who knows you may see some of my other old friends still working down there.”

“While kitchens aren’t really my thing, it would be nice to see where you learned to cook and the idea of meeting some of your old friends does sound nice. Yes, I believe I would like to accompany you,” Rarity said with a smile.

“Very well, I shall inform the princesses and shall come to get you when they are ready.” The servant pony said as he bowed and took his leave.

Spike smiled and said, “Well in that case, please follow me, my lady.” As he giggled and bowed to Rarity.

Rarity said, “Oh, please lead the way, Mr. Knight.” As she bowed back with a smile and giggled.

As they were making their way down a corridor, Rarity couldn’t help but be amazed at how beautiful and stunning everything looked. Even if all the corridors started to look the same after a bit, she couldn’t help but wonder just how much hard work must have been put in to keeping a place this big clean.

As she was lost in thought, she heard a voice coming down the corridor say, “Well, well. I heard the rumors but it appears the baby dragon has finally grown up.”

As Rarity looked to see who it was, she wasn’t impressed. If anything, she was hoping never to have to see him again.

Just then Spike said, “Yep, the rumors are true. Hello Prince Blueblood. It’s been awhile."

As Blueblood approached them, he smirked and said, “Yes it has been awhile.” Before glaring at Rarity and saying, “Hello Miss Rarity; you’re looking as lovely as ever.”

Rarity put on her best fake smile, as she glared back, before bowing slightly and saying, “Yes, hello Prince Blueblood and thank you very much.” As she did, she heard Spike and Blueblood, start to snicker and looked up.

As she did, both Spike and Blueblood burst out laughing before Spike said, “Ok, I can’t take anymore,” Getting a confused look from Rarity, Spike said, “I think something’s need to be cleared up here."

“Yes, I suppose so,” Blueblood said before looking at Rarity and saying, “But first, I must apologize for my behavior at our first meeting Miss Rarity.” He then bowed to her before he said, “The truth is, I find it really hard to make new friends and even more so, to meet ponies that aren’t just looking to use me for my standing in life or my connections to the throne. So I try to stay away from parties and gatherings like the Grand Galloping Gala, but Princess Celestia ordered me to go, so I had no choice. I acted like a jerk towards you at the Gala because I thought you were just interested in me because I was a prince.” Blueblood said with a giggle.

At this point, Rarity nervously giggled before sighing and said, “The truth is Prince Blueblood, back then; I came looking for my fairy tale prince, the stallion of my dreams, who was going to whisk me away so that I may live the life I always dreamt.” Rarity placed her hoof on Spike’s shoulder and smiled at him before saying, “It took me a long time to realize that my prince was already by my side, protecting me, helping me, loving me.” Rarity leaned in and kissed Spike on the cheek before saying, “So if anyone should apologize it is I, I’m sorry.”

Seeing Spike blush, Blueblood said, “Tell you what, how about we forget about what happened and start anew.” As he stretched out his hoof, he said, “I’m Blueblood, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Rarity smiled and shook his hoof as she said, “Deal, my names Rarity, I hope we can be friends from now on.”

Spike giggled and said, “See, was it really that hard, Bluey? I told you to come to Ponyville and do this sooner.”

Blueblood looked at Spike and said with a smile, “You know, I really wish you’d stop calling me that, but you’re right, I should of. It’s just as time went on, it got harder and harder to do it. I’m sorry.”

Rarity looked at them both and said, “You told him to come to Ponyville and apologize?”

Hearing this, Blueblood giggled and said, “Yes. Shortly after the Grand Galloping Gala. And I wouldn't say told so much as demanded. Spike may have sharp claws and even sharper teeth, but trust me when I say they are nothing compared to how sharp his words can be.” Before laughing a little louder.

“Well what you expect, you upset Rarity. What, did you think I was just going to sit back and do nothing?” Spike said as he looked at Blueblood.

Rarity couldn’t help but smile warmly at the thought of baby dragon Spike, running off to defend her honor and righting the wrong that had befallen her, before she asked, “So, how did you two become such good friends?”

Spike smiled and said, “That’s easy, Bluey here used to be in a room just down the corridor from me and Twi back in the day and since neither of us never really had many friends back then, we started hanging out with each other. In fact it was Bluey here that got me into the Power Ponies and comics in general. Though, some of the best nights we had were when Shining would come over and we’d play O&O, they were some crazy nights. He may not look it, but he’s just as much of a book worm and into magic as Twi. Just thinking about all the debates they used to have still gives me nightmares,” Spike said with a giggle.

“Oh, come on. You were just as bad, and I really wish you would stop calling me that. I am a prince you know,” Blueblood said as he smirked at Spike, before asking, “Talking of Twilight, where is she? I thought for sure she would have come with you today.”

Spike smirked as an idea came into his head, “Oh yeah, Twilight is- Speak of the mare,” Spike stopped and started waving and shouted out, "We’re over here Twi.”

Hearing this Blueblood spun around as fast as he could to see her, only to see nothing and hearing Spike giggle; he turned back around with a slight blush on his face as Spike said with an even bigger grin now on his face, “Sorry, Bluey. Your goddess couldn’t make it today as she’s at the Starswirl the Bearded convention.”

Rarity stood there gobsmacked at what she was hearing and seeing Blueblood go redder in the face all at the same time.

“Wha- I don’t know what you mean Spike, it’s just that I haven’t spoken to her in awhile and thought it would have been nice to catch up,” Blueblood said as he nervously giggled trying to hide his embarrassment.

Spike smiled at his friend before saying, “Hey, you got a bit of parchment I can quickly borrow?”

As Rarity and Blueblood looked at Spike a bit confused, he said, “Yeah sure,” As he used his magic to materialize a bit of parchment, some ink and a quill. As he watched Spike start to scribble something down, he asked, “What you doing, Spike?”

As Spike lit the scroll on fire and watched it turn to ash and disappear, he said, “Oh, you can think of this as my way of saying sorry for letting slip that you have just as big a crush on Twi, than I do for Rarity.” Spike said as he laughed.

“Wha- no, I-“ Blueblood tried to protest but struggled to get any words out as he started to go even redder in the face, as Rarity smiled at him.

As Spike smiled at him, he said, “Knowing you, you decided not to go to the convention, thinking that Twilight was going to come here with me instead.”

Giving up trying to say anything Blueblood just looked at the floor embarrassed. Just then a scroll appeared in front of Spike and as he opened it he had a grin on his face, as he started to read it.

Hi Blueblood

I had no idea, you wanted to come to the convention, you should have said something sooner, but that’s ok. You said Spike is going to Teleport you to the convention.

When you get here, I’ll meet you by the historical facts about Starswirl, section. I think going for some food after sounds like a great idea, it will give us some time to catch up with each other; it’s been way too long. Nowhere too fancy though please, you know I don’t really like all that fancy stuff, well that and I’m in my Starswirl the Bearded cosplay. Hehehe.

See ya soon

Twilight

“WHAT!!!” is all Blueblood could say.

Spike and Rarity both giggled, before Spike said, “You got your bits on you right?” He saw Blueblood nod his head to the question. “Good. Now, I’ve opened the door for you, where you and Twi go from here is up to you, but as your friend, I’m telling you. Don’t do anything stupid. And as her brother, I’m telling you that if you ever make her cry, there will be nowhere you can hide from me, do you understand?”

As Blueblood saw a flash of green go over Spikes eyes, he gulped and nervously said, “Yes, I understand.”

Rarity giggled and said, “A piece of friendly advice, if I may. Just be yourself, that’s all a mare really wants, don’t try showing off. It sounds like you both have a lot in common, so if you get stuck on what to say, just take a breath and talk about something you find interesting. Also don’t give up, it took me awhile to realize what I had, it may just take some time for Twilight as well, to see if you both have that spark with each other.”

“Right, will do. Thanks Rarity,” Blueblood said as he smiled at her, before looking at Spike and saying, “You too, Spike. Thanks for always being my friend.”

“Anytime pal. You ready?” Spike asked before he said, “Oh yeah, one last tip, you’re better off going somewhere like Hay Burger, that’s more Twi’s thing. Now go get her Romeo.”

“Thanks for the tip, Spike.” Blueblood said with a smile before he disappeared from in front of them, as Spike’s eyes glowed green.

After a moment of silence, Rarity said with a giggle, “I guess it was a good idea teaching Twilight how to send and receive letter from you Spike, but who would have thought, Prince Blueblood having a crush on our Twilight? I wonder if she knows?”

Spike smiled and said, “Yeah I thought it was about time she learnt how to do it, she is a princess after all. You know I could teach you how to do it as well, if you want." A smile came onto Rarity's face at the idea of being able to send and receive letters from Spike. Before he continued, "As for Blueblood, he’s been crushing on her since they were kids. Twi’s one of the smartest mares I know, she’s always had her head in the books but I’m sure somewhere in that head of hers she’s figured it out by now.” Spike stopped smiling and said, “You know, Blueblood was right about one thing, it’s hard for a prince or a princess to find somepony to love them for them and not the crown. Truth is I don’t know if Twi likes Blueblood the same way he likes her, but I know she likes him and cares for him. So whatever happens from this point on will be for them to work out.”

Rarity puts her hoof on Spike’s shoulder, smiled and said, “That’s how it started for us, isn’t it. Liking and caring for one another,” before she kissed Spike on the cheek and said, “A wise dragon once said, ‘No one can know what the future will bring, all we can do is try our best to be prepared to face it when the time comes.’”

Spike smiles at Rarity and pulls her into a hug and asked with a toothy grin, “Why Miss Rarity, just who is this dragon you are talking about?”

Rarity giggles lightly and wraps her arms around him and said, “Why my husband of course and that’s Mrs. Rarity to you, Mr.” As she leans in and passionately kisses Spike on the lips.

After a few moments, they break their kiss and Spike said, “As much as I would love to stay like this with you, we really should make our way to the kitchen, otherwise I won’t have enough time to make the cake for Celestia and Luna.”

Rarity giggled and said, “Yes, I suppose you have a point,” as she gives him a quick peck on the cheek before saying, “Let’s go then.”

After a few more minutes of walking down corridors, the sound of pots and pans could be heard and as Spike opened the door, all he could see was ponies from all over Equestria, working at their cooking stations.

Just then the crashing of pots and pans hitting the floor could be heard as a young stallion sat on the floor scared and shouted out, “A Dragon!!!” Making everyone stop and look over at the door to see Spike and Rarity standing there.

Before Spike or Rarity had chance to say anything, an old gray stallion, wearing a chef’s hat, came over to the younger stallion and popped him over the head with a ladle before saying, “This is Canterlot Castle youngen. If you can’t handle seeing a dragon or two, then you’re working in the wrong kitchen, now get back to work.”

As the young stallion picked up his pots and pans, he ran over to the sink to start cleaning, as the older gray stallion came towards Spike. Before Spike had a chance to say anything, the stallion popped him over the head with the ladle and said, “You should know better than to scare the new guy and if you’ve come to try and sneak sweets to Princess Celestia again, Spike. I swear I’ll wear your claws as a necklace. It’s my job to make sure the Princesses eat healthily, just because you’ve gotten bigger doesn’t change that fact and don’t pretend that being hit with the ladle hurt, we both know it didn’t.”

Spike giggled and said, “It’s good to see you to chef.” As other ponies in the kitchen started shouting out, ‘Hi Spike, welcome back’ or ‘wow, look how big you’ve gotten.’ Before the gray stallion shouted out, “What do you think you’re all doing, it isn’t break time yet, we stop when we finish. Now get back to work!”

In unison they all shouted, “YES, CHEF!” before continuing what they were doing as Spike stood there with a smile on his face watching them.

“So if you haven’t come to sneak sweets, what are you here for?” the gray stallion asked as he looked at Spike.

“Well, actually, I was kind of hoping to make Celestia and Luna a cake for lunch. Sort of promised them and was hoping you’d let me use the kitchen,” Spike said with a smile.

The gray stallion stared at Spike and said, “What did I say about sweets, Spike.”

“But I promised and Celestia hasn’t had it in forever, it’s just this one time. Come on chef, please.” As Spike stared back at the chef, he said, “Besides, if you weren’t so strict with her diet she wouldn’t need to sneak sweets in the first place.” This earned Spike another smack over the head with the ladle.

As Spike heard Rarity giggling, he said, “Oh, where are my manners. I’m sorry, Rarity this is Hazel Walnut, but every pony here just calls him, the iron che-“ Spike was cut off by another hit to the head with the ladle.

As some of the other ponies started to snicker, Hazel turned around and glared, stopping them in their tracks before turning back around and saying, “I may be old Spike, but she needs no introduction, she is one of the Elements of Harmony, hero to all of Equestria. It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Rarity.”

“Please, just Rarity will be fine and it’s a pleasure to meet you to Mr. Hazel Walnut.” Rarity said with a smile.

Hazel Walnut smiled and said, “just Hazel, will do.” As Rarity nodded, he looked at Spike and said, “So how did you manage to get a mare like her Spike? Bet it was thanks to all those cooking lessons I gave ya.”

Spike laughed and said, “Na, it was just me being my amazing self.” Hearing Rarity giggle, Spike puffed out his chest. But after seeing Hazel glare at him, Spike lowered his head and said, “but, I guess knowing how to cook a good meal helped.” As he said that, he saw Hazel let out a little smile.

Hazel sighed and said, “Fine. You can use that station over there, but just this once, you hear me. I can’t let the princess think this is going to happen every time you come to visit, because if she did, she’d have you come every day.” Hazel said with a little giggle before pulling Spike into a hug and saying, “Welcome home, kid. The place hasn’t been the same without you.”

As Spike hugged back he said, “It’s good to see you to, ya old coot,” As Spike broke the hug he looked at Rarity with a smile and said, “Ready to work, my number one assistant?”

Rarity looked a bit confused and said, “Excuse me?”

Spike giggled and said, “Well I figured, I’ve spent all these years being your assistant in the Boutique, helping you with your dress making. I thought that it would be a nice change to have you help me make this cake. But don’t worry I know you don’t want to get dirty before meeting the princesses, so all you have to do is watch me and pass me the ingredients when I call for them ok.” Spike said with a smile.

“Well in that case,” Rarity saluted and said “Your number one assistant reporting for duty, Spikey.”

As they both giggled Spike said, “Well, let’s get to it, my faithful assistant.” As they both walked over to the cooking station. Spike popped into the big fridge to get the ingredients.

As they worked or more like as Spike worked, some of the other ponies came over every now and then to say hi and catch up with him while Hazel Walnut wasn’t looking. As Rarity watched Spike work, she couldn’t help but think, “Is this what it’s like when I’m in my zone. The level of concentration he’s putting into this, even though it’s just making a cake. The way he mixes the ingredients together is like when I’m weaving thread into my fabrics, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so serious while cooking before.”

Just then Rarity was snapped out of her thoughts by Spike saying, “All done,” As he popped the cake tin in the oven to cook before saying, “just got to wash up now.”

“Good job, Spikey,” Rarity said with a smile.

Spike smiled back and said, “You to Rarity, thanks for being my assistant.”

“But I didn’t do anything Spike,” Rarity said as she looked at him.

Spike chuckled and said, “Sure you did, you passed me the ingredients, without them I could never have made the cake in the first place,” he said with that goofy look she loved so much, making her chuckle.

Just then the young stallion that dropped all the pots and pans earlier, came over and looked at the cake in the oven before saying, “Wow, that looks good,” Then looked at Spike and said, “I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier Mr. The Dragon, sir. It’s just you’re the first real dragon I’ve ever seen before.”

Spike smiled and said, “It’s Spike and don’t worry about it, I take it you’re not from around here then?”

The stallion shook his head and said, “No, I’ve only been here for about 2 weeks, I come from the Cajun Swamp, lived there all my life. But I’ve always dreamt of being a chef here in Canterlot Castle, so I was really happy when chef took me in and said I could work here. Since I’ve been here though, all I’ve done is clean pots and pans,” he said with a sad look on his face.

Spike giggled and said, “Would you like a tip?” To which the stallion nodded his head, as Spike smiled, he said, “If Hazel didn’t think you had some sort of potential, you wouldn’t be here, and that’s a fact. Every pony here started out washing pots and pans, myself included. Hazel does this with everyone that comes through that door, for a few reasons, 1. Is to see if you have what it takes to stick it out, 2. Is to teach you that no matter where you come from, whether it is from Canterlot or the Cajun Swamp, or even if you’ve been head chef at a restaurant before, everyone starts from the beginning here."

As Spike smiles at the stallion he continues to say, “The best cooks in Equestria come from here because they all start from scratch, with baby steps. Working their way up, one step at a time learning as they go. Understanding that each step is just as important as the next. That is the secret to how you become a great cook, not just a good one."

As Spike giggled he said, “You know, I learnt a lot from cleaning pots and pans in this kitchen, you’ll be surprised what you can pick up by watching the other cooks as you clean. Understand?” With a wink.

The stallions face lit up as he now understood the reason why he was just cleaning pots and pans and said, “Yes, I think I do. Thank you Mr. Spike.”

Spike laughed and said, “I told you, it’s just Spike.”

“Right. Sorry, Spike. My name's Rocky Road, but my friends just call me Rocky.” He said with a smile.

“It’s nice to meet you Rocky,” Spike said with a smile before saying “And this is Rarity.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Rocky,” Rarity said with a smile.

“Likewise, Miss Rarity.” Rocky Road, said happily.

“Well, I need to go wash this stuff, so if you’ll excuse me,” Spike said as he started to pick up the bowls he was using to make the cake.

Rocky Road, started to take the bowls off Spike and said, “Allow me, please. It’s the least I could do for all the advice you’ve given me, and it is my job. Baby steps, right?” He said as he smiled at Spike.

Spike chuckled and said, “Right. Thanks, Rocky.” No sooner had Spike said that, when he noticed the servant pony from before standing at the door. Spike looked at Rarity and said, “Looks like Celestia and Luna are ready for us now.”

“We should go then. We wouldn’t want to keep them waiting” Rarity said with a smile.

Before they started to walk over to the door, Spike asked Hazel to take his cake out of the oven when it was done, and said goodbye. Just before Spike and Rarity walked through the door, they heard all the ponies in the kitchen shout in unison, “Thank you for cooking with us today, chef.”

This made Spike turn around and see all the ponies standing there looking at him with smiles on their faces. As Spike saw Hazel give him a wink, Spike shouted, “What do you think you’re all doing, it isn’t break time yet, we stop when we finish. Now get back to work!”

In unison, they all happily shouted back, “YES CHEF!”

As Spike smiled at them, Rarity couldn’t help but let out a little giggle before they walked through the door and Spike said to the servant pony, “Sorry to keep you waiting, please lead the way.”

As Spike and Rarity follow the servant pony, making their way down the corridors, Rarity looks at Spike and says, “I think it was really sweet what you did for Rocky Road, giving him that tip about learning while he cleans. It was really nice to meet Hazel as well; he seems like a nice stallion,” Rarity said with a smile.

Spike smiled at Rarity and said, “Hazel has got to be one of the first ponies here in the castle that didn’t look at me like I was an outsider, like I didn’t belong. When I was little a lot of the other ponies would stay away from me or smile and pretend to be nice to me to my face while they talked or whispered behind my back, but the worse was when they used to make believe I wasn’t even there. At least when they talked behind my back they acknowledged my existence,” Spike said now with a bit of a sad look on his face.

Before Rarity had a chance to say anything, Spike smiled and said, “But not Hazel, He didn’t care what others thought, he didn’t care that I was a dragon. All he cared about was cooking and teaching any creature that was willing to learn, he didn’t just teach me to cook. He taught me to hold my head up high and that if I was going to do something, that I better put 100% into it. That way even if I failed or others talked about me, I could hold my head up with pride knowing I gave it all I had. That’s when I decided I was not only going to be Twi’s assistant, but her number one assistant because she deserved the best.”

Spike let out a giggle and said, “If I saw a pony working, I worked harder. I gave all those ponies that didn’t think I belonged no choice but to acknowledge me, soon enough, I found that they started to look at me differently, even offering to help me when I messed up or didn’t understand what to do and not because I knew the princess but because they wanted to truly help me.”

Rarity smiled and said, “You used your determination and willingness to never give up, to change how they all saw you. That’s what’s amazing about you Spike. You never give up.”

Spike smiled and said, “It was the same for Platinum Night, Hazel was one of the few ponies that never laughed at Platinum, instead he made platinum work even harder to make sure Platinum made his dream come true. That’s why I gave Rocky that tip. I wanted to try and help him towards his dream, if only a little. Just like Hazel did for me.”

Rarity smiled and said, “I see. I think that was very kind of you, Spike.”

Spike giggled and said, “I told you before, I may have not had the best start here in Canterlot but in the end I made some great friends and learnt a lot.”

As Rarity giggled and smiled, she said, “It seems you most certainly did.”

As they stopped walking and stood before a door. The servant pony said, “We are here,” and bowed before saying, “Please go on in. The Princesses are waiting for you inside.”

As Spike and Rarity walk into the room they see Princess Luna and Celestia sitting at a table. “Hi, Celestia. Hi, Luna. Thanks for having us over.” Spike said casually as he started to walk over to them with a smile.

Rarity on the other hoof bowed to her princesses and said, “Thank you for inviting me today, princesses.”

Celestia and Luna giggled and smiled, before Luna said, “Please, Rarity. There is no need to bow and just calling us Luna and Celestia is fine.” Before she pointed to the two empty chairs next to each other around the table and said, “Please have a seat and join us.”

As Rarity watched Spike take a seat, she smiled and nodded her head as she took her seat next to Spike. Just then another servant pony opened the door and as Celestia looked over at the door, she said, “You may bring the food now.”

As the servant pony bowed and was about to close the door, Spike said, “Oh yeah. That cake I was making should be done in a few minutes with how great the ovens are around here, so can you make sure to bring that as well.” The servant pony nodded their head before closing the door.

Spike looked over and saw a smile on Celestias face that made him giggle before he said, “So how’s thing going?”

“Oh you know same old, same old. Just ruling over Equestria, sorry we couldn’t greet you when you arrived, Spike.” Celestia said.

“Yes, we had planned to greet you ourselves, but the meeting we had ran over a little, as they so often do,” Luna said with a smile.

“That’s quite alright Luna, it’s understandable, I mean you have a country to run after all,” Rarity said with a smile.

The doors to the room opened and a handful of ponies came in carrying food and placed it on the table, making sure to place the cake Spike made in the center of the table. Rarity watched as she saw Spike and the princesses telling them what foods they wanted as the servant ponies placed the food on their plates before she realized that a pony was standing next to her waiting to be told what she would like. Following Spikes lead she told the pony what food she wanted and as the plates were placed down in front of them with drinks, princess Celestia said, “Thank you for your hard work, you may leave us now and please tell everypony that we are not to be disturbed under any circumstance from this point on.”

As all the servant ponies bowed and left the room, Luna asked, “So how’s things been for you and the others Spike?”

Spike smiled and said, “Well, it’s been ok. It’s been pretty quiet in fact, no threats to Equestria or anything like that, but at the same time, quite hectic with everything that’s happened in the last few weeks. We haven’t really just had time to relax, you know.”

Luna and Celestia both nodded in understanding and Celestia asked, “How was it being in the kitchen again and seeing chef Walnut, I do hope he didn’t hit you too much with the ladle this time,” she said as she chuckled.

Spike laughed and said, “That old coot hasn’t changed a bit, if I didn’t know any better I’d say he was the immortal one.” As everyone laughed and started to eat their food, Spike said, “But it was great seeing him again, I always meant to come back more but I guess with how busy things got over time it just never seemed like a good time.”

“Hmmm, that’s quite understandable with all the work you, Twilight and the others have been doing since your move to Ponyville, Spike.” Celestia said with a smile as she looked at him before saying, “I do wish chef Walnut would lighten up and not be so strict about our diet though and allow me to cook a bit more too.”

Rarity looked at Celestia and asked, “I would have thought that being princesses would allow you to do anything you wanted.”

Both Celestia and Luna giggled before Luna said, “While as princesses there are many things we can do, Tia here is not allowed in the kitchen as she has a habit of making nothing but sweets. As a compromise though, chef Walnut agreed to allow her to make breakfast if she feels like it, under his watch of course,” Luna finished with a chuckle.

Celestia got a serious look on her face and said, “That pony takes his job as head chef to serious if you ask me,” before smiling and saying, “Oh how I miss the days of having my little dragon steal me some treasure to enjoy throughout the day.” she chuckled.

“I don’t, I was hit so many times over the head with that ladle, that to this day it’s a wonder how I never got any brain damage,” Spike said as he rubbed his head, making everyone laugh.

As they all continued chatting away, Rarity couldn’t help but feel like something was off. Everything seemed to be going well, they all seemed happy enough, but it just felt weird. Like something wasn’t sitting right. Taking a sip of her drink, she had a glance around the room to try not to think about it. The room was beautiful just like the rest of the castle. She even spotted a piano in the corner of the room, but the nagging feeling she had just wouldn’t go away.

Just then, she heard princess Celestia say, “It’s a shame Twilight wasn’t able to come, though. I do know how much she loves her Starswirl history. Maybe I should have told Blueblood that she wasn’t coming. Poor dear was looking forward to seeing her again.”

Spike laughed and said, “Yeah, don’t worry about that. I took care of it. I’d say by now those two are walking around the convention, happily lost in their own world."

As Celestia smiled, she looked at Spike and said, “I see. Well, thank you for that, Spike.”

As Rarity sat there listening, it finally hit her. She had figured out why everything felt so weird. After placing her fork down on the plate and clearing her throat to gain the attention of everyone, she said, “If I may be so bold and ask, how has everything been for you and Luna since the Grogar incident?”

Getting a funny look from both Celestia and Luna, Celestia said, “Just fine, my dear.”

“In fact, I’d say better than fine, myself,” Luna said with a smile.

As Spike looks at Rarity confused, Rarity sighed and said, “Forgive my rudeness and bluntness for saying this, but I can't help but feel something is wrong here. It's just that as Spike's wife and somepony that cares about you both greatly, I can't help but feel that you are holding back and I don't understand why. You said before that when you were alone with Spike you would happily call him grandpa and yet now we are alone, not one of you has done so. So I guess what I'm really asking is, why?"

After a few moments of silence Spike nervously giggled and said, “Come on, Rarity. I think you’re thinking too much about it. Besides they can call me whatever they want. I told them as much myself. It’s no big deal.”

Rarity looked at Spike with sad eyes and was about to say something before Luna said, “You’re right, Rarity. While we have indeed written to you and called you grandpa, Spike. The truth is it’s a lot to take in for us, especially Tia. When I was first freed from my curse as Nightmare Moon, I had trouble adjusting back into pony society. I had been gone so long and ponies only saw me as the nightmare I once was. I would spend all my time with Tia trying to catch up on all that I had missed. She would tell me about her number one pupil and all that she had done. When she spoke of Twilight I could see such happiness in her eyes. But the happiest I ever saw her was when she would talk about you, Spike.”

After taking a breath Luna continued, “She would spend hours going on about all the things you had done. Of how hard you had it when you were first hatched and how hard you worked to make ponies see you as something other than a monster and that you belong here." As Luna looked at Spike with a warm smile, she said, “Over time, I found myself growing closer to you just as you had with Tia.”

As Rarity sat there, still confused at why, if Luna felt this close to Spike. she would be having trouble calling him grandpa now, she said, "Forgive me, but if you felt this close to Spike before, then why is it so hard to call him grandpa?"

As Celestia sighed and put a hoof on Luna’s shoulder, she said, “Me and you, Spike, we have always had a confusing relationship. Haven’t we? While the ponies saw me as their princess and somepony to look up to, you just saw me. I was only ever a pony to you; you treated me like every other pony. I clung to that. The only other one to treat me like that was Luna after all. As I watched over you and Twilight, I couldn’t help but start to see you like a son and Twilight became more than a pupil to me. Ever since the Grogar incident and the truth was revealed that you were our granddad...” Celestia sighed and said, “The truth is I was happy at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it hurt.”

Rarity put a hoof to her mouth and sadly said, "I see. Now I understand. The reason you are having problems calling him grandpa is because you see Spike as your son and nephew. I always knew you were close to one another and acted like you were family. I just never thought that you looked at each other that way. Forgive me for being so blind and pushing so hard on the matter."

"There is nothing to forgive, Rarity. You were just trying to look out for Spike," Celestia said with a warm yet sad smile before she turned to Spike and said, “I still remember the day you hatched and I remember carrying you in my arms, and how you clung to me that day. I swore to keep you safe from that day on, and even now as you sit there all grown up, all I can see is the baby dragon I raised."

Spike sighed and said, “Nobody said you had to call me grandpa. It’s hard for me too, you know. I still have all my memories of the time spent with you as baby dragon Spike as well as all my memories with Lilith and the others. While half of me wants nothing more than to jump into your arms and hear you tell me everything’s ok as you hold me, the other half wants to wrap my wings around you and keep you safe."

As Spike smiled at Celestia, he said, “As I grew up here, with you. I always felt like we were a family, even more so when Luna returned. But since the whole Grogar thing, though...” Spike sighed and said, “The truth is I was scared. Scared of losing what we have.” As Spike gave Rarity a warm smile, he said, “But a smart mare told me that I don’t have to feel like you are family anymore because you are my family.”

As Spike looks at both Celestia and Luna, he said, “Our connection to each other is now a fact. Not pretend. Seeing you both here means everything I did, everything I gave up was worth it in the end because you are here. So what if you don’t want to call me grandpa?” as a tear comes down Spikes face he said, “All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, both as your grandfather and as your son and nephew.”

Celestia got out of her chair and walked over to Spike. She pulled him into a hug as she started to cry and said, “Forgive me. How could I have been so selfish to think this wasn’t hurting you as well? I’m sorry.”

As Spike hugged back he said, “What do we do now? Can’t I be selfish just this once and have it both ways? Can’t I be both grandpa and son?” As he cried into Celestia’s chest.

As Celestia tightened her grip on Spike, she said, “Yes, yes you can. It may take some time to adjust, but we’ll find a way to make this work.” As Celestia said that, Spike’s wings wrapped around Celestia. She giggled and said, “Now really is this any way for a grown dragon to be acting? Especially in front of his wife?”

Spike just looked at her with a red face and said, “It’s my experience that no matter how old you get, it’s ok to act like a child when getting a hug from your mother.”

Celestia’s face went red at hearing Spike call her mother for the first time as she hugged back and said, “I heard it’s the same when you are getting hugged by your grandpa too.”

Spike giggled and said, “So I’m told.”

After a few minutes of just holding one another, they broke their hug and smiled at each other before Spike said, “Thanks. I needed that, mom.” Making Celestia go red in the face again.

After hearing a little chuckle, both Spike and Celestia looked over to see Rarity smiling while Luna sat there giggling before she asked, “Feel better now? I know I do after getting it all out in the open.”

Celestia smiled and made her way back to her seat before saying, “Yes, little sister. I feel much better now.” Then she looked at Rarity with a smile and said, “And thank you, Rarity. I guess we were all holding back because we were too afraid of hurting each other’s feelings. But it seems by holding back we were doing just that. You would think we of all creatures would have known better by now,” finishing with a giggle.

“Oh no. Please you don’t need to thank me. I didn’t do anything,” Rarity said as she started to wave her hooves about in a panic before calming down after seeing Spike smile at her.

As Spike got out his chair and giggled, he said, “But you did, Rarity. You gave us the push we needed to get this all out in the open.” As Spike walked around the table and made his way to Luna, he looked at Rarity and said, “Thank you, my love.” He then smirked at Luna before saying, “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about my one and only aunt,” before pulling her into a hug, which made Luna giggle as she hugged back.

As they broke their hug, Spike asked, “Who’s ready for some cake?”

“ME!” Celestia shouted like a little filly that had been waiting all day for this, making the others giggle. As she cut the cake up and placed some on plates for everyone.

“I must say this does look delicious, Spike,” Rarity said with a smile as she looked at Spike.

“Indeed it does,” Luna said, eager to try it.

As Spike started to walk back to his seat, he saw the piano and made his way over to it. As he pressed some of the keys, he said with a smile, “I see you’ve kept it tuned.”

“Yes, I’ve made sure to keep it tuned just in case you ever felt like playing it,” Celestia said with a smile before saying, “I have missed listening to you play.”

“I must admit, I’ve never heard you play the piano, Spikey,” Rarity said.

Spike took a seat at the piano and smiled at Rarity before saying, “Well, today’s your lucky day,” as he started to play some soft melodies while the others sat there eating their cake and listened.

After playing a few notes, Spike started to play a melody and smiled as he started to sing:

Sleep tight little darlings
Now it's time for slumber
And dream of what tomorrow will be

“Si- sister, is this? Did you?” Luna said as her eyes began to water.

Celestia getting just as teary shook her head and said, “I never taught him this song.”

Someday your child might cry
And if you sing this lullaby
Then you know deep in your heart
I will always be with you

Spike looked over at them and gave them a warm smile as he played and said, “I made up this song to sing to Lilith and the others when they were children to help them sleep,” before continuing the song.

Someday I will be gone
But my lullaby will live on and on...

Just then Celestia and Luna started to sing with Spike.

It will never die
That's how you and I
Will live on forevermore.

After Spike finished playing the last few notes and stood up, Celestia and Luna ran over to him and hugged him as they cried. Spike smiled and started stroking their manes as he said, “It seems my little Lilith passed it on.”

As Luna nodded, Celestia said, “No matter how long a day she had, mother would always tuck us in at night and sing us that song as fillies. We haven’t heard it since. Thank you.”

As Rarity wiped a tear from her eye she said, “That was simply beautiful, Spike.”

After Spike broke his hug with Celestia and Luna, he giggled and said, “Thanks. It’s been awhile since I sang it,” as he, Celestia and Luna all sat back down.

Spike started to eat his cake and asked, “How was it? As good as you remember?”

To which Celestia giggled and said, “Yes, maybe even better.”

“Indeed. I can see why Tia was looking forward to eating such a cake,” Luna said as she smiled at Spike.

“I must say, Spike, it really was delicious. I dare say you could give Mr. and Mrs. Cake a run for their bits with such a cake. How come you’ve never made this before?” Rarity asked curiously.

Spike giggled and said, “It’s special. Well, maybe not special, but I only make it every now and then on certain occasions. Like say a certain princess’s birthday.” As Celestia smiled at Spike, he grinned back and said, “This was the first thing I ever truly made by myself.” As Spike finished his cake, he said, “I had started to learn to cook, so I could help Twilight more. But as it was coming up to Celestia’s birthday, the whole castle was busy sorting stuff out for her big day. As I saw ponies from all over come and leave gifts for her, I wanted to get her a present too, but what could a baby dragon with no real bits to his name give to the princess that she didn’t already have? I mean she was a princess after all.”

Spike giggled and said, “She had done so much for me. I wanted to give her something to say thank you. Something no other creature could, but what?” Spike looked at Rarity and smiled as he said, “Then it hit me; she likes sweets but I hardly ever see her eating them, so I came up with a plan to make her a birthday cake. I would wait till everyone was asleep and sneak into the kitchen to practice. Night after night, failure after failure, her birthday drew closer until the night before her birthday, I had finally done it. I had made her a cake I was sure she would love and remember.”

Spike took a drink from his cup and continued, “The next day, before joining Twilight and the others at the party, I went to get my cake from the place I had hid it in the kitchen, only to find it had gone. All that hard work, all that time, wasted. I was heartbroken, after searching everywhere and finally giving up, I made my way to the party. It was packed, you could hardly move. Thankfully, I was able to find Twi in the corner, reading a book.”

This made everyone chuckle a bit before Spike said, “I guess Twi could see I was upset and was about to ask me what was wrong when all of a sudden Celestia ordered the music to stop and called Walnut up to her as everypony looked on. That’s when she said ‘Chef Walnut, although your food is excellent as always. I must congratulate you on this wonderful cake. I’ve never had such a delicious cake in all my time.’”

As Spike smiled, he said, “That’s when I noticed she was eating my cake, and before I had a chance to say or do anything, Walnut bowed to her and said, ‘Thank you your majesty, however I cannot take credit for that cake as it was not I that made it but Spike The Dragon. He has spent the last few nights in the kitchen to make you this cake on his own.’”

As Spike giggled he said, “I wasn’t too great with crowds back then, so to have everypony there looking at me was really scary. As I stood there, Celestia made her way over to me and asked if it was true what Walnut had said, so as I stood there nervously twiddling my claws together, I told her that I wanted to get her something for her birthday that she would like as a thank you for all she had done for me. The next thing I knew, she’s hugging me. The princess of all ponies hugging a dragon in front of everypony. The room was dead silent as she smiled and said, ‘This is the best present I’ve ever had because it was made by my favorite little dragon. Thank you Spike.”

Celestia giggled and said, “And I meant every word,” as she smiled at Spike, before saying, “Although, Chef Walnut making you clean pots and pans for 3 months straight was a bit hash a punishment for using the kitchen without asking if you ask me.”

Spike laughed and said, “Yeah, that old coot chewed me out for weeks about using the kitchen at night. But I’d do it all over again to see you smile.” As Celestia smiled warmly back at Spike, he said, “Besides, I learnt a lot from cleaning those pots and pans,” with a chuckle.

Rarity giggled and said, “Such a lovely story. I see why you don’t make this cake more often now, Spikey.”

Spike just smiled warmly at Rarity before they all carried on chatting and enjoying themselves. After a while Celestia said, “As much fun as this has been, unfortunately, we will have to leave it there for today as we still have things we must do.”

“Yes. Although I must admit I would rather carry on enjoying myself we have work that must be done. We’re sorry,” Luna said with a sad smile.

“Not at all, we understand. To be able to spend time like this and hear stories of Spike’s life before he came to Ponyville has been such a treat,” Rarity said with a smile before saying, “Thank you for allowing me to come today.”

“You are most welcome, Rarity. Come back anytime. That goes double for you, Grandpa,” Celestia said as she looked at Spike.

Spike smiled and said, “Count on it, mother,” making Celestia blush before Spike looked at Luna and said, “I expect good dreams tonight, aunty,” as he giggled.

Luna laughed back and said, “I’m sure you will, Grandpa,” before she smiled and said, “Allow us to get a carriage sorted to send you back home.”

“Why, Thank you. That is most kind of you,” Rarity said with a smile.

“Actually, if you don’t mind, can we pass on that offer?” Spike asked as everyone looked at him. “Since we both have some time and we are in Canterlot, I thought it might be nice to go for a walk and see where the day takes us,” Spike said with a smile before looking at Rarity and saying, “What do you say, Rarity?”

Rarity smiled back and said, “That sounds like a marvelous idea, Spikey-wikey.”

Getting a giggle from Celestia and Luna as everyone stands up from the table, they walk over to Spike and hug him, as Luna says, “Thank you for coming.”

Spike hugged them both back and said, “Thank you for having me.”

As Celestia is hugging him, she said, “Your home may be in Ponyville now, but you will always have a place here. Never forget that, my son.”

As they break their hug, Spike smiles at them both and says, “Like I could ever forget where I came from.”

After saying their goodbyes and making their way outside the castle gates as Celestia and Luna wave goodbye, Rarity looks at Spike and says, “Where to now, Spikey?”

Spike smiled back and said, “Anywhere we want,” getting a giggle from Rarity as she pecks him on the cheek.

Chapter 3

As we join Spike and Rarity, they are happily walking down the streets of Canterlot, chatting away amongst the other ponies. Most ponies don’t even bat an eye at a dragon walking down the streets. Some do have a glance from time to time, but don’t really mind as they have better things to do.

“So, Spikey, what shall we do?” Rarity asked with a smile as she looked at Spike.

Spike giggled and said, “Truthfully, I don’t know. I didn’t really plan anything out besides making a cake for Celestia and Luna for our lunch meet up,” Spike scratched his head and said, “How does a bit of window shopping and maybe a walk in the park sound?”

Rarity’s face went from a smile to a big grin as her eyes sparkled and she said, “Oh, that sounds like a fabulous idea, Spikey. Lead the way.”

Spike let out a little laugh before whispering under his breath, “Gee, what a surprise. A mare that loves to shop.”

Rarity glared at Spike and said, “What was that, my love?”

Spike realizing she heard him nervously laughed and said, “Nothing dear. Let’s go this way,” and started to walk off down the street as Rarity giggled.

As the day passed, they went from shop to shop, looking at all sorts of nick-knacks and bits and bobs. Spike even brought a hat for Rarity to keep her head in the shade as the sun shone down, saying that it was the perfect ensemble to the Fire Ruby she was wearing as the red ribbon matched the color perfectly, which Rarity agreed.

Now coming out of a fabric shop with some new materials floating in her magic aura and a smile on her face, Rarity turned to look at Spike behind her and realized she may have overdone it with the amount of shopping bags that he was carrying. “Oh, Spikey, I think I got a bit carried away. I’m sorry.”

Spike raised an eyebrow and said, “You think?” Before he let out a giggle and said, “Don’t worry about it. It’s not heavy. Though I’d much rather not have to carry all this stuff around for the rest of the day.” That’s when Spike had a thought. “Then again, I don’t have to.” As Spike placed the bags down, he looked at Rarity and said, “Put the fabric with the other stuff, Rarity.”

As Rarity placed the fabric down with the bags, she was curious what Spike was thinking. Before she had a chance to ask, a green flame left his mouth and all her things were turned to ash and blew away in the wind. “Spike, what have you done!” Rarity asked, shocked that all her new shopping had been set on fire right in front of her.

Spike laughed at the look on her face before saying, “Relax. It’s the same magic I use to send letters to the princesses, only this time instead of sending it to them I sent it to your boutique in Ponyville,” with a smile.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Rarity smiled and said, “Please tell me the next time you do something like that, Spikey.” Just then, a grin came on her face before she said, “I didn’t know you could do that now. I must say going shopping with you from now on is going to be much easier. Oh, just think of how easy it will be and how much more we can buy.”

At hearing Rarity say that, Spike slapped a claw over his face before saying, “What have I done?” Before looking at her smiling face and thinking, “Oh, who am I kidding? How could I say no to that face?” As he looked at her and smiled.

As Rarity smiled back, she caught a little corner café in the corner of her eye and said, “How does a little break sound, I could do with some refreshments. My treat, of course.”

“Sounds like a great idea,” Spike happily said and they made their way over to the café. Spike took a seat outside as Rarity went inside to order some drinks. As she made her way to the counter and ordered some ice cold cider and paid, she told the cashier that they would be sitting outside and started to make her way back towards the door when she heard someone call her name.

As Rarity turned to see who called her, a smile came onto her face when she realized it was none other than Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis. “Fancy Pants, Fleur de Lis. What a pleasant surprise bumping into you two her of all places,” Rarity said happily smiling at them.

“A pleasant surprise indeed,” Fancy Pants said smiling back, before asking, “What brings you to Canterlot? Here to check how Canterlot Carousel is doing?”

“Oh no. Not today. I was invited to lunch with the princesses and was just doing some shopping afterwards and decided to take a break here at this café,” Rarity said with a smile.

As Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis smiled at her, Fleur de Lis cleared her throat and said, “Rarity, dear. I do hope you don’t think this is too forward of me, but as your friend I wanted to ask, are you aware there is a rumor going around that you are dating a dragon?”

Rarity’s smile disappeared from her face and it felt like all the color from her face was gone, as she thought, “This is it. For the last few weeks business and everything else has been perfect, but I knew this day would come. I always feared what the upper crust would say or how they would react. Would it be like my grandparents and parents?” Rarity gulped. “No, I took the risk and I’ve made my choice and I’ve never been happier. Who cares what anyone else thinks?”

Realizing that she hadn’t said anything, Rarity snapped out of her thoughts and took a breath before smiling again and saying, “Yes, Fleur de Lis, dear. I’m well aware of the rumor and to tell you the truth, it’s true. I’m dating a dragon and I’ve never been happier in all my life.”

For a moment nothing was said and the silence felt like an eternity for Rarity, till both Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis started to laugh. Rarity was dumbfounded by their reaction and was about to say something before Fancy Pants said, “That’s great news, Rarity. We couldn’t be happier for you,” as Fleur de Lis nodded happily in agreement.

“What? You mean you don’t care that I’m dating a dragon?” Rarity asked.

Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “Oh? Come now dear. Like we care if you are dating a dragon. All we care about is that our friend is happy and if this dragon makes you happy, then we’re happy for you,” as she smiled at Rarity.

As Rarity stood there a little bit teary eyed she understood in just those few words that Fleur de Lis and Fancy Pants, although they were part of the upper crust, they were also true friends.

As Fancy Pants laughed, he said, “Although, I would like to meet this dragon of yours one day. After all, it’s not every day a pony and a dragon become a couple.”

Rarity smiled and said, “Well, how about right now? He’s sitting outside. I just came in to place our order.”

Fleur de Lis smiled and said, “What a wonderful idea. I can get a good look at this dragon and make sure he’s right for you. I’ve always been a good judge of character after all.”

As Fancy Pants uses his magic to grab his and Fleur de Lis’s drinks from the nearby table they were previously sitting at, he smiled and said, “I believe we have some time. Lead the way, Rarity.”

As Rarity and her two friends made their way outside, Rarity smiled at Spike as he stood up and said, “Fancy, Fleur. What are you doing here?”

Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis, stood there for a moment before Fancy pants said, “Spi- Spike? Is that you?”

Spike smiled back and was about to answer before Fleur de Lis charged at him and pulled him into a hug, almost knocking them over as she said, “Spike! I’ve missed you!”

As Rarity stood there looking a bit shocked at seeing Fleur de Lis hugging Spike, as it was well know that she never hugged anypony except Fancy Pants, Spike hugged back and said with a giggle, “It’s been awhile hasn’t it, Fleur?” Before breaking the hug and looking over at Fancy Pants and saying, “Hey Fancy. How've you been?”

Fancy pants placed his drinks on the table and walked up to Spike and said, “Good, but even better now I get to see you again, old friend,” as he hugged Spike. As everyone took a seat at the table Fancy Pants said, “How did we not put two and two together? I mean we heard the rumors of you dating a dragon, Rarity, and, of course, we heard the rumors about you growing, Spike. I just didn’t know the two were connected.” As Fancy Pants smiled at Spike he said, “I must say growing up suits you old chum,” as Spike smiles back at him.

As Fleur de Lis giggled she said with a smile, “It really does Spike,” before looking at Rarity and saying, “I told you I was a good judge of character, Rarity. You won’t find better than this one, right here. I most definitely approve. Two hooves up.”

Rarity giggled and said, “You don’t have to tell me. I know. Trust me,” as she smiled. Just then, a waiter came out and placed Rarity and Spike’s drinks on the table. As she thanked him, she looked at her friends and asked, “Spike mentioned you and he were friends, Fancy Pants, and that you met at some gatherings, but I must admit I didn’t know you were this close.”

Fancy Pants laughed and said, “Are you kidding? This dragon changed my life for the better. I mean, he introduced me to Fleur after all.”

“What? Really? I had no idea,” Rarity said, getting a twinkle in her eye.

Spike smiled at Rarity, as he thought, “You may be a lady, Rarity, but when it comes to gossip, you’re just like any other mare,” As Spike giggled he said, “Hey, come on now, Fancy, you and I both know I didn’t really do anything.”

“Oh really?” Fleur de Lis said with a raised eyebrow before looking at Rarity and saying, “Would you like to hear how me and Fancy met, Rarity?”

Rarity’s smile went from ear to ear as she said, “Oh yes, I would love to hear how you both met.”

Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “Well, I think before I tell you how we met, Fancy should tell you how he and Spike met and became friends. After all, if it wasn’t for them meeting, I may have never met Fancy Pants.”

As Rarity looked at both Fancy Pants and Spike, Spike smiled and said, “Not much to say really. We met at a party.”

Fancy Pants smiled and said, “Well, there’s a bit more to it than that. Wouldn’t you say?” As Fancy Pants smiled at Rarity he said, “While it’s true that’s how we met, that’s not how we became friends. You see, back then I had grown tired of going to those sorts of parties and I only went because as a business pony, it was expected of me to keep up appearances and show my face. I mean, there were ponies there that my family had been doing business with since before I was even born.”

After sighing, Fancy said, “But after awhile, one party seemed like the rest. There was never anything different. The same old ponies gathering around the princess like locus just trying to show off or stand above the rest. It really does get tiresome after awhile.” Fancy giggled and said, “Then one day, I was at yet another party. I remember making my way over to the catering table to get away from everpony and saying to myself, ‘Sweet Celestia, how boring these things get? I wish they would liven up these things from time to time.’ That’s when I heard a voice say, ‘Tell me about it. Are all these parties this boring?”

Fancy Pants giggled again before he said, “I thought I was going mad. I was sure no pony was around when I said that, but I guess I was half right; no pony was. As I looked around, I saw no one until this little creature I had never seen before came from underneath the table cloth and looked at me and said, ‘Well, are all the parties like this?’ I was taken aback by what I was seeing. There was a little baby dragon standing in front of me and talking no less.”

As Fancy smiled at Spike he said, “I didn’t know what to think at first, but he just kept looking up at me, like he was waiting for something. That's when I realize I didn't answer his question. I’d just been staring at him. So I cleared my throat and said. ‘Oh, yes. Yes. Unfortunately, most of these parties are quite slow and a bit boring at times Mr...’ As I saw him reach out his claw, he said, ‘The names Spike, nice to meet you.’ I shook his claw and was about to introduce myself, when he said, ‘Mr Fancy Pants.’ I was unsure how this little creature who I had never met before knew my name so I asked him, ‘How do you know who I am?”

After taking a sip of his drink, Fancy Pants said, “I was surprised yet again when he said, ‘Oh well, I know all the ponies names here today. Not just that, but I know that your family for instance are known for running and owning some of the biggest and fanciest hotels in all of Equestria. Cele- I mean Princess Celestia gave me the list of ponies that would be coming today, a few days ago, and since Twi couldn’t come cuz of her studies, she made me research who everypony was and what they did. She said it would help me mingle with the ponies if I knew a bit more about them and it might make it easier to make some new friends.’ I was quite impressed for someone so small to do his research into who would be attending the party. I mean, it’s just good business to know whose who after all.”

As Fancy Pants giggled he said, “But that still didn’t explain what a baby dragon was doing at this party or indeed who this Twi he mentioned was, so curiously I asked, ‘So you know the princess, is that why you were invited today?’ As I watched Spike nod his head in answer to my question, I said, ‘But I’m sorry, who is this Twi you mentioned? I’m afraid I don’t know any pony by that name,’ As I looked at him just standing there for a few seconds, until he said, ‘Oh, right. Sorry. I mean Twilight Sparkle. She’s Princess Celestia’s number one student. I just call her Twi since she’s like a big sister to me.’ Of course, I heard Celestia talk about a filly named Twilight before, so as soon as he said her name I knew who he was talking about and said, ‘So you’re like Twilight’s little brother? Well in that case it’s a real pleasure to meet you, Spike.”

As Fancy Pants giggled he continued, “As I watched Spike smile back and puff out his chest, he said, ‘Oh no. I’m much more than that, I’m her best friend and number one assistant, I do all sorts of work for her and sometimes Princess Celestia too.’ Again, he surprised me for one so small, he sounded like he was working very hard. ‘Wow, that must be a lot of work for such a small dragon. I must say I’m very impressed, Spike.’ As I looked at him standing proud, Spike said, ‘It sure is a lot of work, but I couldn’t be happier cuz I get to help my big sis and best friend in the whole world.’”

As Fancy Pants smiled, he said, “I couldn’t help but chuckle. The little guy looked so proud, but that’s when I had a thought. If he had worked so hard to find out about the ponies at this party and was invited by Princess Celestia herself, why was he under a table? So I asked him and I just remember him standing there twiddling his claws together and looking sad when he said, ‘Cuz I’m a scary dragon. I have sharp teeth and claws and I see the way ponies look at me. I didn’t even want to come to this party, but Princess Celestia said I should come and I didn’t want to disappoint her, so I thought if I stayed under this table I couldn’t upset anypony or do anything to embarrass Princess Celestia,’”

Fancy Pants sat there with a sad face as he looked at his drink on the table and said, “It broke my heart to hear such a small child say such things, so I said to him, ‘But you’re talking to me and I don’t find you scary. In fact, I find you quite charming.’ That’s when he looked up at me and said, ‘But I could hurt you. I’m a monster after all.’ I remember patting him on the head and asking, ‘Will you hurt me, Spike?’ to which he looked back at me in horror as he said, ‘NO! I could never hurt ponies.’ As I chuckled at his answer, I said, ‘That’s why I’m not scared of you. I can’t quite put it into words but I can tell you this, you are no monster, my little friend. After all, do you think Princess Celestia would allow a monster to be here in her castle or to work side by side with her number one student.’ For a few moments, Spike didn’t say anything. Then he looked at me and said, ‘You called me your friend. Are we friends?’ I couldn’t help but smile at that and said, ‘I would very much like to be your friend, Spike.’ After seeing the smile on his face as he nodded back saying he would like that, we both shared a giggle and spent the rest of the party chatting away.”

As Fancy Pants heard Spike giggling, he looked over at Spike and said, “After that, I found myself eagerly waiting for the next party so I could talk with my new friend again. The parties were never boring after meeting him.”

Spike said, “Funny thing is after that party was over, Celestia came to me and asked if I had fun and if I made any friends. I told her I made a friend and had fun and she smiled. It’s like she knew we would hit it off. Now that I think about it, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was watching us the whole time.” As Spike giggled he said, “I couldn’t wait for the next party to see Fancy again. One party turned into two and so on. Eventually, I met ponies like Hoity Toity, Photo Finish and Sapphire Shores, and we all became good friends. It got to the point where it felt like we were our own little party group inside of the parties we attended.”

“Oh my,” Rarity said with a smile, “So is that how Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis met then, at one of these parties?”

Fleur de Lis chuckled and said, “Hmmm. We did meet at a party, but at the time, I was there as Spike’s date.”

Rarity spat her drink out and coughed as she said, “WHAT!?!”

As Spike looked at Rarity he said, “It’s not what you think, Rarity,” before glaring at Fleur de Lis and saying, “Why’d you have to go and say it like that, Fleur?”

Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “Well, it’s true. You did take me as your plus one after all,” before she looked at Rarity and said, “Sorry, darling, I was only having a bit of fun. While I do care dearly for Spike, I can assure you it is as a very good friend, nothing more.”

As Rarity wiped her mouth with a napkin she said, “Yes. Well, it is none of my business what Spike got up to in the past or who he may have dated.”

Spike chuckled as he looked at Rarity and said, “Rarity, I’ve never dated anyone else. You are the only pony for me. No one else comes close to you.”

As Rarity felt herself start to blush, Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “Awww. They’re so cute together. Wouldn’t you agree, dear?”

As Fancy Pants started to laugh along with Fleur de Lis, he said, “Indeed, I would, Fleur, my love.” Just then, a beeping could be heard and as Fancy Pants took out his pocket watch and opened it, the beeping stopped as he looked at the time and said, “Oh my. It seems we spent more time talking than I realized. Fleur my dear we’re going to have to go. Otherwise, we’re going to be late for our meeting.”

“Oh my. Please don’t let us keep you,” Rarity said as she smiled at Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis.

Fleur de Lis, on the other hoof, sat there and pouted as she looked at Fancy Pants and said, “But it’s not fair. We were just about to get to the good part of the story. Why did you have to drag your part out so much?” Just then she smiled and clapped her hooves together and said, “I know, Rarity. If you and Spike don’t have any plans for the rest of the day, why don’t you come with us?”

“Wha-? oh no. We couldn’t possibly impose on whatever you have planned,” Rarity said trying to be polite.

“Oh, don’t be silly. You wouldn’t be intruding. This way we can continue with our story. Besides, it’s just a meeting of The Society of the Emerald Mist,” Fleur de Lis said happily.

“Wha- what!?! The Society of the Emerald Mist is real? I mean I heard the rumors, of course,” Rarity then looked at Spike and said, “The Society of the Emerald Mist is meant to be like a secret society of the elite. But I thought it was just a rumor.”

As Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis start to laugh, Fleur de Lis said, “Oh, it’s nothing so grand, I assure you. So you want to come then?”

Rarity started to gasp and was at a loss for words. It was always part of her dream to be able to mingle and socialize with such elite ponies. That’s when Fancy Pants said something that blew her mind, “See? I told you calling it The Society of the Emerald Mist would make it sound mysterious and cool,” as he giggled and said, “You should come. After all, it’s been awhile since the founder of our little group has come to one of the meetings.”

Rarity looked as Spike face palmed and said, “Why did I let you convince me that was a good name?” As he shook his head.

“What!?!” Is all Rarity could say as they all looked at her before Fleur de Lis said, “Oh dear, I think we broke her,” with a giggle.

Spike sighed before saying, “Look, Rarity, it’s not what you think it is. In fact, you already know the rest of the group. Apart from us three here, there’s Hoity Toity, Photo Finish and Sapphire Shores. I told you before that I was never really good with big groups of ponies back in the day, but I got to know them and felt relaxed around them. Kind of like when I hang out with you and the girls. I made a passing remark at one of those parties about how it felt like we were our own little group, and next thing I know everyone’s coming up with names.” As Spike points at Fancy Pants, he said, “That’s when this one said ‘We should call ourselves The Society of the Emerald Mist.’ When I asked him how he came up with such a name, he said, ‘It matches your eyes, Spike. Besides, it sounds mysterious and cool.’ Next thing I know, everypony is agreeing to it and that’s how we formed the group. We don’t really do much. It’s more of an excuse for us all to catch up and hang out.” As Spike shrugs his shoulders, he said, “No idea how it became this rumor of a secret society for the elite though."

“I see,” Rarity said now back to her normal self. “No matter. If the invitation is still open, I think it would be a wonderful idea for us to go. It would give you a chance to see everypony again. By the sounds of it, it’s been awhile since you were all together.” As Rarity giggled she said, “Plus, I’m still dying to know how Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis met after all.”

“Excellent,” Fleur de Lis said with a smile as she stood up from the table and said, “Shall we go then? It’s at Fancy's hotel just down the street.”

As they all started to walk down the street, Rarity looked at Spike and said, “Oh my, Spikey. And here I thought you said there were no more secrets you were keeping from me,” as she giggled.

As Spike blushed slightly and as he scratched his head, said, “Well, truth is I didn’t know that our little group had become some big secret. Honest. It just seemed like fun to have our own little group at the time. It really is nothing special. Just some friends spending time together.”

As Rarity smiled she said, “Well, I’m looking forward to it, my dear.” Just as she said that, they came to Fancy Pants’ hotel and Rarity couldn’t get over how big and luxurious it was as they walked inside.

As a member of staff walked up to Fancy Pants to greet him, he told Fancy that the other guest were already here and where waiting in his private room. As Fancy Pants nodded and thanked him, he walked over and behind the reception desk and took out a camera. He then took a quick photo of Spike, and then of Rarity, and handed it over to the staff member, saying “See that every hotel and resort gets a copy of these photos and updates the list, if you please.”

Spike stood there and said, “Oh come on, Fancy. I told ya before you don’t have to do that.”

Fancy Pants giggled and said, “Sorry. Too late. Already done. Besides, I needed an updated photo of you now you’ve grown bigger.”

As Rarity stood there a bit confused as to why Fancy Pants took her picture without asking, Fleur de Lis leaned over to her and whispered, “Every member of The Society of the Emerald Mist, gets to stay at any of Fancy's hotels or resorts free of charge and gets the best rooms whenever they want.” As she giggles, Fleur de Lis whispers, “Welcome to The Society of the Emerald Mist, Rarity.”

As Rarity looked a bit shocked at what Fleur de Lis just said. Fancy Pants walked back over smiling as he said, “What kind of friend would I be if I charged my friends for staying at one of my places?”

As Spike just stood there shaking his head and said, “What are you like? You know it’s not very good business to give rooms away so freely.”

Fancy Pants just smiled at Spike and said, “There’s more to life than making bits, my friends. You taught me that.” As he sees Spike just smiling back at him before saying, “Well we’ve kept the others waiting long enough. Shall we go?” As everyone starts walking down a corridor, Fancy Pants said, “I can’t wait to see the looks on everyone’s faces when you come walking in Spike,” as he giggled.

“Yeah, it seems like forever, since we were all last together. I can’t wait.” Spike said as he giggled along with Fancy Pants before they all came to a stop in front of a door.

As Fancy Pants pushes the door open and walks inside, he said, “Hey, guys. You’ll never guess who we brought with us,” as they all walk in.

The ponies in the room all looked to where Fancy Pants and the others are. As Sapphire Shores gets out of her chair with a smile and says, “My, my, Rarity. This is a surprise, hun,” before looking to the side of her and seeing a dragon standing next to her with a smile on his face.

As Sapphire Shores stands there staring at Spike, Spike said with a chuckle, “What’s the matter, Sappy? You always said I was cool looking. This too much for ya.”

Just then Sapphire Shores face lit up and as she looked at Spike, said, “Spike! Oh my Celestia, look at you!” She ran up to him and pulled him into a hug and said, “We all heard the rumor of you growing up, but I didn’t think you got this big.”

Spike chuckled as he hugged back and said, “Well, you know me, Sappy. If I’m gonna do something, might as well do it big. Right?”

Sapphire Shores breaks the hug as she chuckled and said, “You got that right.”

Just then, a bright flash went off as Photo Finish said, “Spike, you look amazing and so big and bold now. You must let me put you in my magazine.” As she went and gave him a hug, Photo Finish said, “I want the world to see the new you.”

After hugging back and giving Photo Finish a smile, Spike said, “Na, sorry, Photo. I’m not interested in seeing my ugly mug in print. But thanks, anyways.”

“I must say, Spike, my boy. You look magnificent,” Hoity Toity, said with a smile as he hugged Spike. “I’d say you’re about the same size as the princesses now from the looks of it.”

As Spike hugged back and said, “Yeah I am.” As he broke his hug with Hoity Toity, Spike grinned and said, “Only when I’m on all fours like a pony. If I stood up on my hind legs, I’d be much bigger.”

As Hoity Toity giggled, Fleur de Lis cleared her throat, gaining everyone’s attention as she smiled and said, “I trust everypony here knows Rarity. I would like you all to make her feel welcome as she is now the newest member of The Society of the Emerald Mist.” As everyone looks over to Rarity, a grin came onto Fleur de Lis’s face as she said, “And Spike’s marefriend.”

“WHAT!?!” Is all they could say as they all looked at Spike and Rarity. Seeing them both start to go red in the face, Photo Finish snapped another photo before saying, “A pony and a dragon in a relationship. I’ve never heard of such a thing.” As Photo Finish got right in Rarity’s face, she smiled and said, “You must allow me to put this in a magazine. Just think of how many ponies would love to hear this story. The Element of Generosity, hero to the masses and Spike the dragon, hero of the Crystal Empire, ambassador of Friendship to dragons and Changelings and number one assistant to the Princess of Friendship, in a relationship. The public will go wild for such a story.”

As Rarity took a step back a bit unsure of what to say, Sapphire Shores said, “Ok, Photo. That’s enough. You’re making the poor dear feel uncomfortable,” as she pushed Photo Finish away from Rarity a bit.

“Indeed, dear. Besides, you know the rules of our little club. No talking work allowed when we are together like this,” Hoity Toity said, giving Photo Finish a serious look.

As Photo stood there for a moment to compose herself, she looked at Hoity Toity and said, “I know the rules,” before sighing and looking at Rarity and Spike with a sad smile and saying, “Sorry. I guess I got caught up in the moment.”

Spike had a little giggle and said, “It’s ok, Photo. It’s understandable. It’s big news to find out that a pony and a dragon are dating. But if it’s all the same, I’d rather not have it plastered in every magazine and paper in Equestria.”

As Rarity put a hoof on Spike’s shoulder, she smiled at Photo Finish and said, “It’s not that we mind anyone knowing, it’s just we would rather not get mobbed in the streets by everypony that wants to see us and ask questions. But I can assure you, if and when we decide to go public to the world, you my dear, will be the first one we come to. I can think of nopony else who I would want to write our story.”

Photo Finish smiled and said, “It’s a deal.”

As Fancy Pants smiled and started to walk over to a fridge, he said, “Now that’s all sorted, how about we all take a seat. I’ve got some nice wine in the fridge, I think now’s the perfect time to crack it open.”

As everyone smiles and nods their head in agreement, they all take a seat around a table. As Rarity takes a seat next to Spike, she asks, “So, what do you all do in The Society of the Emerald Mist? I mean, if the rumors are to be believed, then The Society of the Emerald Mist is run by the elite of the elite and are helping Equestria thrive from the shadows.”

Hearing Rarity say that makes everyone burst out into laughter before Fancy Pants places a glass of wine in front of her and the others before taking a seat, “Though some rumors turn out to be true,” he said as he smiled at Rarity. “The truth is The Society of the Emerald Mist is just this. We all lead very busy lives and have to keep up appearances, and because of that, we never really get time to just relax and be ourselves. But when Spike pointed out how much fun we all had together at a party. It occurred to us that when we were together we didn’t have to pretend or worry about what any pony thought about us. So after coming up with the name, we made this little club where we could just relax and have fun with our friends. That is what The Society of the Emerald Mist is. It’s nothing grand like you may have thought. Just some friends catching up and spending time together.”

“Indeed. Don’t get me wrong. I love my work, but when everypony is always watching you or waiting to see what you’re going do next, it’s a lot of pressure. So, getting together like this and just hanging out helps us unwind. That’s why we have the rule about not talking about work when we get together like this.” Hoity Toity said as he smiled at Rarity.

“Talking of, it’s been a long time since we were all together like this, thanks to some dragon running off to Ponyville and getting caught up in his work,” Sapphire Shores said as she smirked at Spike.

“Yeah, sorry, guys. I guess I got caught up in my work. I always planned to come back more and visit. Honest. Even when you sent me the invites to come and join you, I wanted too, but I was busy. I’m sorry it’s taken so long to come visit,” Spike said as he rubbed the back of his head with a bit of a sad chuckle.

“Oh, pay no mind to what she said, Spike,” Fleur de Lis said with a smile, before saying, “We all understood how important your work was as Twilight Sparkle's assistant and how serious you took your responsibilities. It’s nothing you have to apologize for.” As Fleur de Lis puts her arm on the table and rest her head in her hoof, she smirked at Spike and Rarity and said, “Besides, it looks like work wasn’t all you were doing. You always did have an eye for beauty. Considering how you worried about finding someone, I’d say you did more than ok for yourself. After all, you managed to snag quite the beauty indeed.”

As Rarity and Spike both sat there going bright red after hearing Fleur de Lis say that. Photo Finish said, “Awww, how cute. You made them blush,” before everyone else started to giggle at the cute couple.

As Fancy Pants finished giggling he said, “Well, considering it has been awhile since all of us have been together, I think a toast is in order, and I think it only fair that Spike gives it.”

As the blush comes off Spike’s face, he said, “Really? Come on. Why does it have to be me?”

As Fancy Pants smiles back at Spike, he said, “Because you’re the one that made this little club. And besides it’s only fair since you’ve been gone for so long.”

Spike sighed and gave in as he saw all the others nodding happily in agreement with what Fancy Pants was saying. “Fine,” Spike said as he picked up his glass and said, “May you live as long as you like and have all you like as long as you live. My heart is as full as my glass when I drink to you, my old friends. Cheers.”

“Cheers!” everyone said in unison before taking a sip of wine. As Rarity placed her glass back down she looked at Spike and said, “That was beautiful, Spikey,” making him go a bit red in the cheeks.

“Yep. That dragon has always had a way with words,” Sapphire Shores said with a smile, gaining Rarity’s attention as she continued, “Spike here has written some of my songs for me in the past. I know everypony thinks I write my own stuff, and I do, but I hit a bit of a wall back in the day and Spike here gave me a hoof, or I guess in his case a claw.” As Sapphire Shores giggled, she said, “He was a true friend, but he refused to take credit and said that I should just tell ponies that I wrote the songs.”

Spike giggled and said, “What can I say? I was just helping a friend. Besides, I may have written one or two of those songs but you brought them to life. It helped me in my music studies anyways, so the way I see it, it’s a win-win for both of us.”

“Same old Spike,” Sapphire Shores said as she shook her head with a smile as she took another sip from her glass.

Rarity turned to look at Spike and said, “You said before that you wrote some songs, but you never said they were for Sapphire Shores, Spike.”

Spike giggled and said, “Well yeah. How else did you expect them to play my songs on the radio if it wasn’t for a well known singer.”

Rarity sat there a bit shocked for a moment, as everyone started to chatter away before Photo Finish snapped her out of it by saying, “I guess this makes Rarity the newbie of the group now. Congratulations, Fleur de Lis,” as she chuckled.

Fleur de Lis giggled a long with Photo Finish as she said, “It’s about time too.”

“Wait, you were the newest member before today?” Rarity asked as she looked at Fleur de Lis.

“Oh that’s right. I almost forgot. I was telling you before we came here how I and Fancy met. Well, to be more precise, I was about to tell you.” Fleur de Lis said with a giggle.

“Oh, you were telling Rarity how you guys met? I always love this story,” Photo Finish said with a smile as everyone stopped talking to listen to Fleur de Lis.

Fleur de Lis smiled and said, “Where did we get too? Oh, yes. Fancy Pants had just told you how he and Spike met, and how this bunch of clowns soon became friends with one another and made The Society of the Emerald Mist.”

As Fleur de Lis sits there trying to work out what to say. She smiled at Rarity and said, “You know I’m a model, right?” As Fleur de Lis sees Rarity nodding in answer to her question, she giggled and said, “Would it surprise you to learn that I started out as a cleaner at Canterlot Castle before I became a model?”

“WHAT!?!” Rarity said in surprise, as everyone giggled a bit, before Rarity cleared her throat to regain herself and said, “Sorry. It just took me by surprise a little. I had no idea that you were a cleaner before you modeled.”

As Fleur de Lis giggled she said, “That’s fine. I guess its old news nowadays, but yeah, before I modeled I helped clean the castle. I wasn’t born into bits. I’m as common as they come.”

“Please, there’s nothing common about you,” Fancy Pants said as he smiled at Fleur de Lis, making her blush as she smiled back at him and said, “Why thank you, my love.”

As they both just sat there smiling at each other, Hoity Toity cleared his throat and said, “When you both stop staring into each other’s eyes, I’m sure Rarity would like to hear the rest of the story sometime this year.” Making the others giggle as Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis snap out of their own little world.

Laughing in embarrassment Fleur de Lis said, “Right. Sorry. Where was I? Any way like I was saying, my dad passed away when I was young, so it was just me and my mom. She was a hard worker, but as I got older I wanted to help more, so I started doing odd jobs wherever I could to help pay the bills. She was against it at first, but I won her over in the end. As time went on, I managed to get a job as a cleaner at Canterlot Castle. That’s where I met Spike.”

As Fleur de Lis giggled, she said, “In fact, it was on my first day on the job. I thought I was going to get fired for sure till he saved me.”

Spike laughed and said, “Please I didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, that’s not how I remember it,” Fleur de Lis said with a smile as she looked at Spike before saying, “It was my first day and the head cleaning maid told me I had to clean a whole corridor by myself and that she would be back later to inspect my work. Worked out fine for me as that mare had a stick up her backside. Anyway, I started cleaning and I guess I got lost in my own thought because before I knew it, I had ripped one of the tapestries hanging on the wall and as I heard hoof steps coming closer I started to panic, I thought this was it. Not only would I get fired but I’d have to pay to get it fixed and it looked really, really expensive. I collapsed to the floor and started to cry, when from out of nowhere I heard, ‘What’s the matter, did you hurt yourself?' and 'Are you ok?’ When I opened my eyes, I saw a little baby dragon standing in front of me, worried that I had hurt myself.”

Fleur de Lis takes a sip from her glass and just stares at it on the table for a moment before saying, “Of course, the head maid had told me there was a baby dragon living at the castle, but she said that I wasn’t to talk to it or pay it any attention at all. She said it wouldn’t be a smart idea to go against that rule.” As Fleur de Lis looked up from her glass she looked at Spike and gave him a warm, yet sad smile, before saying, “I thought at the time, this is it, I’m definitely going to get fired now. As I sat there with this baby dragon looking at me, I couldn’t work out why the head maid had said to stay away from him. His eyes looked so kind and scared for me.” As Fleur de Lis sees Spike giving her a warm smile, she said, “The next thing I know, I’m crying my eyes out to this dragon who I didn’t even know about what happened. Then just like in a nightmare I heard more hoof steps coming and began to panic all over again. That’s when the little dragon giggled and said, ‘Don’t worry about it. I got ya covered.’”

Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “The next thing I know, he’s setting the tapestry on fire and in a quick panic I threw the bucket of water on it to put it out and just as I was about to ask him what he was thinking, the head maid showed up demanding to know what was going on.” Fleur de Lis sighed and said, “I thought I was through this time when the little dragon stepped forward and said, ‘It was my fault, I was practicing my fire breathing and the tapestry caught on fire. This pony acted really quickly and was able to put it out with the water.’ I was in shock at what he just said, as the head main looked at me and said, ‘I see. We made the right choice picking you as a new cleaner here. You can go take a break, but if you wouldn’t mind cleaning this up before you go though, I would appreciate it.’ Before glaring at Spike with such hatred in her eyes and saying, ‘I thought you were told about using that fire breath of yours in the castle dragon,’ she then lowered her head to his eye level and said, ‘If this happens again, I will personally go to the princess and have her chain you up and throw you in a cage. After all, it’s where all good monsters belong.’” At this point, Fleur de Lis had a disgusted look on her face as she said, “To this day, just thinking about what she said makes me sick.”

Just then Spike started to giggle, which surprised everyone and as they all looked at him, he said, “Hey, don’t let it bother you. I don’t. Besides if that never happened then we may never have become friends, right?”

As Fleur de Lis looked at Spike and smiled, she said, “I suppose you’re right,” before taking a breath and saying, “So there I was, the head maid had said what she needed and left. It was just me and this little dragon, which was just standing there smiling at me. I couldn’t get over the fact that he was smiling at me after hearing such things said to him, so I asked him, “Why did you do that? It's clear to anypony that she doesn’t like you. I don’t even know you and yet you lied to help me keep my job.’” Fleur de Lis giggled as she looked at Spike and said, “After I said that, he looked offended and said, ‘Twi said that I should always try to help a pony in need. It’s just the right thing to do and you looked like you needed help.’ As I watched him fold his little arms and puff out his chest, he said, ‘Besides, I didn’t lie. I did set that tapestry on fire and you did put it out. It’s not my fault that that stick in the mud head maid didn’t bother to ask any more questions.’”

Fleur de Lis chuckled as she said, “I couldn't help but laugh at how cute he looked standing there all proud of himself for being able to pull off his little plan. As I got up off the floor, I thanked him and we introduced ourselves. I told him that he had to let me repay him somehow, but he refused. That’s when he got this smirk on his face and said, ‘Well, there is something you could do to help me. There’s this new recipe that Chef Walnut has just taught me and I’d like to try it. So, if you aren’t doing anything tomorrow on your break, would you like to try it for me? It’s ok if you don’t want to. You don’t have to.’ How could I say no to that, the little guy had just saved my job and all he wanted was somepony to try his food?”

“The next thing I know, a look of fear came over his face as he started to run off down the corridor, saying something about if he’s late for hoof to hoof combat training again. Princess Celestia said she would make him work twice as hard. As he took off waving and shouting back that I should be more careful from now on and that he’ll see me tomorrow.” Fleur de Lis said as she giggled.

“And so I met up with him the following day and we had lunch in the Royal Garden where he told me that he was Twilight’s number one assistant and just what sort of work he did. I was a little confused why he asked me to try the food and not her, but he just said that he needed somepony to try it first before he let her eat it. He said it had to be perfect for her.” Fleur de Lis said before taking another sip from her glass. “After that, we started spending more time together. I even taught him some cleaning tricks I had picked up over time. Some of the staff still told me to stay away from him and the head maid would chew me out from time to time, but I didn’t care. It was fun spending time with him. As time went on, he would sometimes help me clean a room as he worked on his studies, even going so far as to help other members of staff. Some were reluctant at first, but he won them over in the end. I think the overall atmosphere of the castle changed for the better after that.”

As Fleur de Lis looked around the room, before looking at Spike and smiling, she said, “To this day, I still don’t know how you managed to spend time with me and do all your work for Twilight, on top of your studies. The work you did would take at least five ponies to do, and yet you did it all by yourself. In fact, I remember every time I asked why you did so much you would always give the same answer. You do it for her because she deserves the best and how could you call yourself her number one assistant if you couldn’t help her when she needed it, even if it was something as simple as keeping a room clean.”

As Fleur de Lis watched Spike start to go a bit red in the face, she smiled and said, “You really are the most magical creature I have ever met, Spike and there’s not a day goes by that I don’t thank Celestia that I ripped that tapestry and met you that day. Any way, like I was saying, we started to have lunch together quite a bit and I guess it became part of our normal routine.”

Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “One day though, Spike was running a bit late so, why I waited in the garden for him. I started to read a magazine with such beautiful mares dressed in such fabulous gowns and started to read an article about some grand party that the elites would attend. I guess I got lost in it because I didn’t even notice Spike standing behind me. He scared me half to death, but when I noticed him staring at the page I had open he said, ‘Hmmm, hey Fleur, you said you were working here to help your mom pay the bills so she didn’t have to work so hard, right?’ Now of course over time I had told Spike why I was working there, so I was a bit confused why he would ask such a question.”

As Fleur de Lis looked at Spike and grinned, she said, “He kept looking back and forth between me and the magazine before he said, ‘Now don’t get me wrong, the mares in this magazine are pretty, but I think you’re more beautiful than any of them.’ Of course, this made me go a bit red in the face. I mean Spike was saying I was better looking than the models. Me, a simple commoner.” As Fleur de Lis giggled she said, “Poor little Spike started to panic and felt my forehead, the little dear had no idea I was blushing. He thought I was coming down with the flu.”

As everyone started to snicker and giggle. Spike face palmed and shook his head as Fleur de Lis stopped giggling she said, “I had to explain to him that I wasn’t sick and that I was just embarrassed by the compliment he gave me. For all the amazing things he could do, it was easy to forget sometimes that he was still young and still had things to learn. That’s when he told me his friend was the one who wrote the magazine and started to tell me about this lot and their secret little club.”

Fleur de Lis leaned back in her chair and said, “Because of how laid back he is and how easy it was to talk to him, it was easy to forget just who he was and how connected to the world of the elite ponies he truly was. I didn’t think any more on the matter because honestly it didn’t matter to me. We were friends. That’s all I cared about, so we had our lunch and he told me more about his other friends as we enjoyed our time together just like we always did.”

Spike sighed and said, “I guess this part of the story would make more sense coming from me.” As Fleur de Lis smiled at him, Rarity and the others looked at him, as Spike continued, “I was at yet another party. By the way, just saying, but I think we have too many parties at the castle,” making some of the others giggle before he said, “Though I guess I shouldn’t complain. It gave me more time to hang out with you guys. Anyway, I was at another party with this lot and we were enjoying ourselves just like we always did when we were together. When a pony proposed to another, of course, she said yes and everypony started to congratulate them. I guess I was still too young then. I just didn’t see the point in all this marriage and romance stuff.”

Spike gave a sad smile before he said, “Of course, Fancy Pants and the others went on about when I grew up, I’d understand. Saying things like, ‘When you meet that special somepony, it changes you for the better and you want nothing more than to be able to spend the rest of your lives together.’ You know, that sort of stuff. I think that was really the first time since I was hatched that I truly realized how different from ponies I was.” As Rarity placed her hoof in Spike's claw, she looked at him and gave him a warm smile. He smiled and took a breath before he said, “I remember looking at all my friends happy smiling faces as they were telling me all this and saying, ‘I think I get it now. When you find that special somepony, you want to spend your life with them and be happy. But what pony would want me as a special somepony? I’m not even a pony. I’m a dragon. A monster.’ The next thing I knew, I’m being smacked around the face and Photo Finish is staring at me with such anger in her eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look like that before or since,” he finished with a weak chuckle.

Photo Finish lifted up her glasses to look at Spike and said, “You deserved it for what you said.”

Spike smiled back and said, “So there I was holding my cheek as Photo Finish was glaring at me and everyone else was just shocked into silence at what just happened, I remember her pulling me into a hug and holding me as she said, ‘You are one of the most hard working, kindest, and gentlest creatures I have ever met. If anyone deserves to find happiness and love, it’s you. I don’t want to ever hear you call yourself a monster again because that is something you could never be.’ As I hugged her back and cried, I remember this lot trying to cheer me up by saying, ‘Hey the worlds a bigger place than Canterlot. Who knows? The right pony, dragon, or whatever could be out there, waiting just for you.’” As Spike chuckled he looked at Rarity and smiled as he said, “Turns out these guys were right. Who knew?”

As Rarity started to go red in the face, she said, “Oh, Spikey-wikey,” before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek as the others started to laugh, before Spike said, “The thing is after that party, Celestia got me to do one of her midnight sweet runs to the kitchen and, of course, Hazel Walnut found me and hit me over the head with his ladle.” As everyone started to snicker, Spike smiled and said, “But this dragon always completes his mission and I managed to get her some sweets.”

As Spike takes a sip from his glass, Fancy Pants goes around the table topping everyone’s glasses up, as Spike smiles and says, “After delivering her the goods, I thought that was it, but she asked me if I was ok. You see, it turns out that she noticed that something had happened at the party and wanted to know what was going on. So, I told her what happened and, of course she was pretty much saying the same sorts of things as this lot, only more princessy. When I told her that I’d upset Photo Finish and explained what I said to do such a thing, I remember just looking up at her. I remember how sad she looked. Even though I could tell she was trying to smile, it was like she was about to burst into tears after hearing what I had said and she just hugged me like Photo Finish did. But even though it was the same, it felt different. It was warmer. Safe, even.”

As Spike looked around the room seeing all his friends smiling at him, he gave them a warm smile and said, “After a while, we broke our hug and just stood there in silence, until Celestia said, ‘Spike, as you know, we have a big event coming up next week and I want you to bring somepony with you.’ Now, of course, I was about to say I’ll bring Twi. Celestia knows she could do with getting her head out of the books for a change or maybe even Blueblood. It would make a change to have him come to one of these parties.” As his friends giggled, Spike said, “But she stopped me before I had a chance to say anything and said there were some rules. It had to be a mare. It couldn’t be Twilight or Cadance and it couldn’t be any of my friends that I hung out with at these parties.”

As Spike giggled he said, “Obviously, I was confused as to why she would set such rules and even asked who I was meant to bring then, she just giggled and said I’d have to figure it out myself. She said she would even sweeten the deal by giving me some of her personal gems that she kept in her room as a reward for finding somepony to come with me. So I spent most of the next day thinking of somepony I could bring and as I was making my way over to Fleur de Lis in the garden for our usual meet up, I saw her lost in thought reading another one of Photo Finish's magazines.”

As Spike smiled he said, “How did I not think of it before? I knew a mare that wasn’t on the list of ponies I couldn’t bring already, so I asked Fleur de Lis if she wanted to go with me.”

Fleur de Lis started to laugh and said, “I had no idea what took place at that party at the time or of the rules Celestia had placed on Spike for bringing somepony with him.” As Fleur de Lis stopped laughing and smiled, she said, “I was just sitting there reading a magazine waiting for him, when Spike showed up. He had this happy little smile on his face as we started to eat our lunch and chatted away. He asked me if I liked reading those magazines and I told him that I loved the dresses the mares wore and the whole idea of being dressed up and going to such fancy parties seemed like something out of fairy tales. That’s when he said, ‘There’s this big party going on next week. You want to come with me?’” Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “He asked me so casually that it took me by surprise. I even had to ask him again just to make sure I heard him right."

Fleur de Lis smiled at Spike, then at Rarity and said, “I didn’t know what to think I mean, sure, I cared for Spike, a lot, but not in the romantic way. So I told him that and even tried to give him a smile to break it to him as best I could.” Just then, Spike started to snicker, as Fleur de Lis scowled at him before having a little giggle and said, “That’s when I noticed him looking at me funny and so I asked, ‘Aren’t you asking me to be your date for the party?’ To which he looked at me and said, ‘Date: a social meeting planned before it happens, especially one between two creatures who have or might have a romantic relationship.’”

Spike laughed and said, “After that party, I started to read up more about romance and I may have just finished reading the dictionary definition of the word date before I met up with Fleur de Lis.”

As everyone started to giggle, Rarity said, “I guess that’s what happens when you live with Twilight,” making everyone laugh even more.

Fleur de Lis stopped laughing as she said, “So there I was looking confused at what Spike had just said, when he said, ‘No, I mean yes. I’m asking you to come with me to this party but not as a date. I mean, I think you look beautiful and all, but I was asking you to come as my friend, I thought it may be nice if you would come with me and meet some of my other friends. I’d ask Twi, but Celestia said it had to be some mare other than Twi and Cadance, so you were the only other one I could think of.’”

Fleur de Lis takes a drink from her glass as she said, “Needless to say, I felt a bit embarrassed jumping to the conclusion that Spike was asking me out on a date, but after we had a good giggle about it, he was still waiting for my answer. Truth is, I was flattered that he would ask somepony like me and as much as I would have loved to have gone, I didn’t think I would fit in there. I’d feel like an outcast amongst the elite. I told him as much and he just laughed and said, ‘It’s ok. I don’t think I fit in there much myself. Apart from the few friends I have at these sorts of things, I don’t really like going to them. I’m not a fan of big crowds after all, so you should come. We can be outcast together,’ he said with a happy face. How could I say no?" Fleur de Lis said.

“So after agreeing to go with him, we planned to meet up in the garden and he would take me from there, to the party,” Fleur de Lis said before she started to giggle and said, “But like any good mare, it hit me that I had nothing good to wear. I mean, I couldn’t just go in any old dress. This was a party for the elite and I’d stick out like a nail on a piece of wood. That’s when Spike said not to worry about it. He said he’ll take care of getting me a dress to wear just as long as I gave him my measurements. Of course, I didn’t like the idea of him going to all that trouble for me, but he insisted, saying that this was his idea and I should just enjoy myself. So, I reluctantly gave up my measurements and went on with our day.”

As Fleur de Lis sat there smiling, she said, “The week just flew by and the next thing I knew, I was standing in the garden waiting for Spike. When he turned up, he ushered me into a changing room where I put on the most beautiful white dress I’d ever seen in my life. I couldn’t believe it. It fit perfectly and it was like it was made for me. I even remember asking him how he could of afforded such a dress, but the little devil just smiled and said he knew some ponies. After that, we made our way to the party. We walked in and it felt like everypony was staring at us. I started to get uncomfortable and wished I never said yes. As I looked at Spike, though, he had such a happy smile on his face. It was like he couldn’t see all the ponies staring and started to wave at a little group of ponies at a table. So, he escorted me over to them all.”

As Spike smiled he said, “I didn’t care about the other ponies in the room. I had gotten used to them staring at me all the time after all. All I wanted to do was introduce Fleur to my friends. So, of course, they all introduced themselves to her and vice versa. I think they were more shocked at me bringing someone, as it’s not something I’d done in the past. So, I told everypony what Celestia wanted me to do and that I couldn’t be happier that Fleur had agreed to come with me.”

Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “I was a bit shell shocked at first. I mean, Spike had told me about his friends, but there I was standing and talking to some of the most well-known and biggest names in Equestria. I almost fainted when I saw Sapphire Shores and I was a big fan of Photo Finish’s magazine. That’s when Fancy asked me what I did for a living and how I met Spike.” As Fleur de Lis smiled she said, “I knew this was going to happen and I was worried that once they found out I was just a cleaner they would look at me differently. Maybe even start to mock me for not being from the elite world and all. Before I had a chance to say anything, Spike jumped in and told them all I was a cleaner, how we met and became friends.”

Fleur de Lis looked around at her friends and smiled as she said, “Not one of them laughed or made fun of me. In fact, they treated me just like I belonged there. I felt terrible for thinking the worst of them, even going so far as to apologize, which of course they all got a good laugh out of. We all seemed to hit it off and as I was talking to Photo Finish, I told her how much I loved her magazine and she even offered to send me the next one in advance and sign it for me. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to talk to them all. It was just like I’d known them for years. That’s when Photo Finish told me she was having some problems at work. Something about a model not being able to make it to her next shoot on the weekend and Hoity Toity had a new line of dresses for the magazine he wanted to show off.” As Fleur de Lis and the others started to smile, she looked at Rarity and said, “Can you guess what happened next?”

“They asked you to model the dresses for the magazine shoot and that’s how you became a model,” Rarity said with a smile, confident that her answer was right.

Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “Close, but not quite.” As she looked over at Spike and smiled she said, “A certain little dragon jumped forward, saying that I could model for the shoot. He said that I would be perfect for the job since I already looked like a model. Of course, I tried to object to it as I started to get embarrassed. As I stood there with them all looking at me, Fancy said, ‘Yes. Well, she most certainly looks radiant enough to be a model.’” Fleur de Lis giggled and said as she looked at Fancy Pants, “You looked so cute then, with that red face of yours,” making Fancy Pants blush as she said, “Yes. That’s the look,” making the others giggle.

“Of course, Photo Finish jumped at the chance and begged me to help her out. I even tried to get out of it by saying I didn’t know the first thing about modeling. But I don’t know if you’ve noticed, she can be a hard mare to say no to.” Fleur de Lis said as she giggled. “So in the end, I agreed to help them out. Hoity Toity even said it wouldn’t be a problem changing the dresses to fit since he already had my measurements. At this point it hit me; when Spike said he knew ponies that could help me out with a dress, he meant Hoity Toity. I felt like such a fool. Here I was standing with the pony that had made such a beautiful dress for me and I hadn’t even thanked him for it. So I did just that, at which point he looked at me confused before saying that he didn’t make the dress. He just changed it so it would fit the pony Spike gave him the measurements for.”

As Spike sat there giggling, Fleur couldn’t help but smile as she said, “There we stood, both confused as to where Spike had gotten this dress. That’s when he said with a smile on his face, ‘Oh yeah. That dress? Well, I don’t really make any bits, but I knew you needed a nice dress for tonight, so I took one of Celestia’s and had Hoity Toity change it to fit you. It suits you by the way.’ I couldn’t believe what he had just said. I was wearing one of the princess’s dresses. The next thing I heard was a voice from behind us say, ‘I couldn’t agree more, Spike.’ The color drained from my face at that moment. I knew that voice. We all did. As we all turned around there stood Princess Celestia. As we all bowed to her, I started to panic and tried to apologize. I tried to explain that I had no idea it was her dress. At which point she just smiled and said, ‘It’s ok my little pony. Spike explained that he was bringing a friend with him tonight and that she didn’t have anything to wear, so I told him to help himself. I must say you wear it well. I do hope you don’t mind wearing my hoof me downs, dear.”

As Fleur de Lis laughed, she said, “Of course, I started to panic and told her I didn’t mind and thanked her for the dress. Celestia, being the pony she is, just stood there and smiled, whilst Spike just giggled at how I was overreacting. It really was like being in some kind of fairy tale. The poor working class pony suddenly mixing with the elite. I felt like I was dreaming. I even had the princess dress to prove it.” As Fleur de Lis had a drink from her glass she looked at Spike with a smile and said, “I remember Princess Celestia telling Spike that he seemed to have an eye for picking out the right clothes for the right pony. How did she say it again? ‘You seem to have an eye for finding beauty, Spike.’” As Fleur de Lis placed her arm on the table and rested her head in her hoof, she looked at Rarity and grinned before saying, “I couldn’t agree more with that statement.”

This made Rarity blush as Spike sat there rubbing the back of his head with a red face, as he said, “Dragons have always had a keen eye for finding beautiful things.” As Spike looks at Rarity, he said, “But our greatest treasures we always keep closest to us.”

As Rarity’s face got even redder. She quickly gulped some of her drink down as the others watched on and giggled. Fleur de Lis sat back up and after she finished laughing said, “I remember that night was so magical. Sapphire had to go mingle with some other ponies at the party, which is why Princess Celestia came over in the first place. So Hoity Toity and Photo Finish hit the dance floor, making it just Spike, Fancy, and me who were left. So I asked Spike if he wanted to dance and he said he couldn’t dance, which I thought was strange at first as I knew he was taking dance lessons along with so many others. That’s when he told me that even though his dance instructor said he was a good dancer, he wasn’t big enough to support a full grown mare’s weight and he could only dance with fillies around his own height. So, during dance class he had to dance with the teacher's daughter.”

As Fleur de Lis smiled, she said, “The next thing I knew, Fancy here was offering to dance with me. I felt bad at the idea of leaving Spike alone, but he insisted that I go enjoy myself with Fancy. He said something about being hungry and going to hit the food table before he left us alone. So, I ended up dancing with Fancy for what felt like hours that night. In the end, we all spent that night chatting away and enjoying ourselves, and I made some of the best friends I’ve ever had that night. After the party was over, Spike and I were walking back to the changing room and I was telling Spike that I was still unsure about being a model for Photo Finish on the weekend, but he said I had nothing to worry about. He assured me that Photo Finish and Hoity Toity would take care of me and even Fancy Pants was going to be there just to make sure I was ok. He even went as far as to say that it worked out great as I would be getting paid a lot more for modeling than I do for cleaning the castle. I mean don’t get me wrong, the pay was good at the castle, but I couldn’t argue with the fact I’d be getting more bits for the modeling job and the fact I got to see Fancy again sealed the deal for me.”

After saying that, Fleur de Lis’s smile left her face as she said, “That’s when we ran into her." As Rarity looked at Fleur de Lis, she could feel the change in the atmosphere, as Fleur de Lis continued with venom in her voice, “The head maid. I don’t even remember where she came from, she just showed up in front of us. As she stood there glaring at me she said, ‘Miss Fleur de Lis, I don’t know what you are thinking, but let me set you straight on a few things right now. You do not belong with them. You are a cleaner, a servant. It is your job to serve ponies like that, not mingle and act above your station. Just because you put on a pretty dress doesn’t take away the fact you are a commoner, ponies like you should know your place. I’m not trying to say this to be mean; rather I’m saying this to help you. Those ponies aren’t your friends; you were simply entertainment for them tonight.’” As Fleur de Lis took a sip from her glass, she said, “I was about to say something when Spike got in-between us and said, ‘That’s not true. They are her friends and she does belong. I invited her to that party,’ that’s when the head maid turned her eyes to Spike."

As Fleur de Lis looked down at the table with anger in her eyes, she said, “The head maid started to giggle at Spike and said, ‘I should have known you had something to do with this, dragon. What, do you think they are your friends? Don’t tell me you actually think you belong with them? Do you think you're one of us?! Don’t make me laugh.’’ As she lowered her head to be in eye sight with Spike, she started to poke him and said, ‘You will never belong here! You are not a pony. You are nothing. No, I take that back. You are less than nothing. You’re a mons-‘ I’d heard enough out of her mouth and the only way I could shut her up was a good old-fashioned slap.”

Spike laughed and said, “You could hear the echo of that slap all the way down the corridor.” As Fleur de Lis looked up and smiled at Spike, she said, “Oh, please you’re exaggerating. But I won’t lie, it felt good to shut her up,” Fleur de Lis said with a giggle. Spike laughed and said, “It was even better to see.”

As Fleur de Lis looked at Rarity, she could see she had a bit of a sad smile on her face and wanted to say something. So Fleur de Lis said, “After I slapped her, I got in her face and told her what I do in my own time and who I associated with is my business, making sure she understood that if she ever laid a hoof on my friend or even so much as looked at him in a way I didn’t like, that the next time she wouldn’t be getting off with a slap.” As she saw Rarity smile at hearing that, Fleur de Lis laughed and said, “After I said that she just backed up and ran off, but I think she got the message.” This made everyone else burst into laughter.

Fleur de Lis took another drink from her glass and said, “After she left, I turned to look at Spike to make sure he was ok, and he was just stood there as still as a statue, looking down at his claws. I remember calling out to him and asking if he was ok, but he didn’t say anything. I laid down on the floor next to him and told him not to listen to anything the head maid just said and after a few more minutes of silence I asked him, ‘Why didn’t you stop her from poking at you? I’ve heard some of the royal guards talking about how impressed they were at how well you handle yourself in hoof to hoof combat, in passing. You could of stopped her at anytime right, so why didn’t you?’”

Fleur de Lis looked at Spike and gave him a warm smile as she said, “That question seemed to get a response, because as he looked at me, he said, ‘Yes. I could have stopped her. It would have been so easy, but if I did that then everything she said and thought about me would have been true.’ As I laid there looking at him with tears forming in the corner of his eyes, he smiled at me and said, ‘I may not be a pony, but I belong here. Thank you for being my friend.’ It was breaking my heart to see him like that, so I pulled him into a hug and we just laid there as he cried and I said that he didn’t need to thank me. I told him I couldn’t have asked for a greater friend. I don’t know how long we stayed like that, but after awhile we made our way to the changing rooms. He even tried to apologize for ruining my night and I quickly assured him that he did no such thing before we went on our merry way.”

As Fleur de Lis leaned back in her chair, she said, “Life after that was great. I did the photo shoot on that weekend and Fancy even took me out to dinner to celebrate. Photo Finish kept her word and sent me a signed copy of the new magazine, with me on its cover of all things. My mom flipped out,” Fleur de Lis said as she giggled. “I still have it to this day. It’s in a frame mounted on my wall.” Fleur de Lis smiled as she looked up at the ceiling and said, “I never had so much fun before. I loved working as a model for that weekend and went on and on about it to Spike when we had our lunch meet-ups. It turns out that Photo Finish wanted me to do more modeling for her and Hoity Toity said he had some great ideas for some new dresses he wanted me to try. Spike would sit there listening to me and he told me I should go for it. I told him that I couldn’t because I still had my work to do as a cleaner at the castle. He came up with an idea of just doing it on the weekend and after talking it over with Photo Finish, she agreed. So, I started to model on the weekend and clean in the week, looking forward to being able to tell Spike all about it at our lunches. Fancy would come to every shoot and we would always spend time together in between shoots or after I was finished.” Fleur de Lis looked around the room at her friends and gave them a sad smile, before she said, “That’s when it happened. The weekend was over and I was making my way to the main doors of the castle excited to tell Spike about my latest shoot, when the guards at the door wouldn’t let me in. They knew I worked there. They’d seen me every weekday. That's when a pony came out of the castle and told me I was fired for slapping the head maid, and that violence of any kind would not be tolerated at the castle. I tried to explain what had happened and even begged him to at least let me say goodbye to Spike, but he wouldn’t have any of it. I was heartbroken. I didn’t know what to do. I ended up at Fancy’s place and breaking down in his arms as I told him what had happened.”

Fleur de Lis smiled at Spike and said, “I hated the idea of never being able to see my friend anymore. I spent days trying to get into the castle and even asking why they had waited so long to fire me, but it was no good. I was moping about my house one day when Fancy showed up at my door with a smile. He said that there was a way for me to see Spike again and held out two tickets for a party at the castle and asked if I would go as his date.” Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “I was so happy, not only because me and Fancy had started to become closer but I would be able to see Spike again. So, of course, I said yes.”

As Fleur de Lis laughed she said, “It felt so weird walking through the castle again. It hadn’t been that long, yet it felt strange. I made my way into the party with Fancy at my side and as we spotted our friends. We made our way over to them, but I couldn’t see Spike anywhere. Just as I was about to ask them where Spike was, I heard a voice from behind me say, ‘Looking for someone?’ As I turned around there he stood smiling at me as he said, ‘Hi, Fleur. Been awhile. How ya been?’ I remember I pulled him into a hug and started to blubber like a filly as I tried to explain that I was fired and they wouldn’t let me back in the castle to see him. He hugged me back and giggled. Then he said, ‘Yeah, I know. I saw you every time from the window.’”

As Fleur de Lis looked at Spike she said, “I was confused at what he said and asked that if he saw me, then why didn't he call out to me or come see me. That’s when he gave me a sad smile and said, ‘Because I’m the one that told Princess Celestia to fire you.’ I couldn’t believe what he said. He got me fired. I was so angry at him, I remember I slapped him around the face and screamed at him, ‘How could you do that? I thought we were friends!’ before running out of the party. When I came to my senses, I realized I had ran straight into the garden and was sitting at our spot where we would have lunch and just started to cry. That’s when I heard a voice from behind me say, ‘I am your friend. Please let me explain.’ I turned to look and saw Spike standing there. I told him that he's not my friend because friends don’t do things like that to each other and to leave me alone. We were done. I never want to see him again.’”

As Fancy Pants went around the table topping up everyone’s drinks. He came to Fleur de Lis side, topped up her drink and placed a hoof on her shoulder as he smiled at her. Fleur de Lis smiled back at him and placed a hoof on his and said, “Such a silly mare I was back then. As I sat there, I watched Spike turn around and say, ‘Ok, Fleur if that’s what you want.’ As he started to walk away dragging his tail on the floor, he said, ‘It’s just I thought friends wanted nothing more than to help each other be happy. That’s why I did it. To make you happy.’ I screamed back at him, ‘How was getting me fired going to make me happy!? I liked working here and seeing you every day.’ That’s when he turned around and looked at me and said, ‘Yes, so did I.’ As I looked at his sad face, I asked again, ‘So why, why did you get me fired?’”

As Fancy Pants sat back down, Fleur de Lis looked at Spike and said, “That’s when he told me. ‘You like working at the castle and spending time with me, just as much as I do with you, but when I saw how you looked at Photo finish’s magazines and saw the smile on your face as you would tell me about how your photo shoots where going, you looked truly happy. You always got this twinkle in your eye when you would talk about it. I knew you would keep trying to work here at the castle to see me, but if I was truly your friend, then how could I keep you from something you clearly loved doing? I thought this way you could be happy.’”

“As I sat there and listened to him. I felt my anger disappear, realizing he did it for me. He wasn’t wrong. I loved working as a model and wanted to do more. I just wasn’t willing to admit it to myself because I knew what I’d have to give up, so he made the choice for me,” Fleur de Lis said, smiling. “So, there I sat looking at him. I knew even though he was getting on better with the staff at the castle now that he still didn’t have a lot of friends, and yet he was willing to give up spending time with me just so I could do something I loved. How could I have stayed mad at him for that. He was looking out for me just like he had been doing since the first time we met.”

As Fleur de Lis giggled, she said, “I ran over to him and gave him a hug. As I cried and begged for his forgiveness, he told me not to worry about it and that friends fight sometimes and there was nothing to forgive. I remember as I hugged him, I said, ‘You really are a great friend, Spike,’ and as I kissed him on the cheek, he went bright red.” As Fleur laughed, she said, “As he started to get embarrassed, I noticed he dropped something and as I bent down to pick it up and found it was one of Photo finish’s magazines in one of those plastic covers. But not just any one. It was the very first one I had done and was on the cover of. As I looked at him, he pulled out a quill and said, ‘I was hoping you’d sign it for me. That things going to be worth some bits when you become a supermodel,’ as he laughed at me with that same happy smile on his face.”

As Fleur de Lis had a drink from her glass, she said, “No one had ever asked for my autograph before. Of course, I signed it,” as she smirked at Spike she said, “I signed it and wrote, ‘To Spike, one of my closest friends. Thank you for everything and giving me the push I needed. Your number one fan, Fleur de Lis.’” As Fleur de Lis giggled, she said, “I told him that was the first autograph I’d ever given as I watched him carefully put it back into its cover. You should have seen the grin on his face. He just looked at me and told me that, that just makes it even more of a rare collectable. After we both laughed, we sat there in silence looking up at the stars before I said, ‘You know this means we won’t be able to see each other every day, right?’ He just nodded and said, ‘I’m ok with that as long as you're happy. Besides, it’s not like I’m not going to see you again. I mean, I see the others quite a bit and they don’t work here. You just better remember to send me a copy of every magazine you’re in.’ As he looked at me and smiled he said, ‘It’s my job to help Twilight and walk down the same path as her. It’s your job to let others see you shine. That’s where we belong. Besides, it doesn’t matter where you go, or what you do. I will always be your friend.’”

“It’s as true today as it was back then,” Spike said as he smiled at Fleur de Lis, before saying, “And to this day, I always get a copy of every magazine she’s been in,” he said as he laughed.

As Fleur de Lis giggled, she said, “At that moment, I couldn’t help but think he was destined to do great things. Turns out I was right.” As Fleur de Lis looked at Spike and smiled, she said, “After that, we went back in and joined the others at the party. I apologized for running out and my behavior before I left. I asked Photo Finish if I could start working more as a model and she jumped at the chance, saying I was getting quite the following already. So we all enjoyed the rest of the night together. Fancy even got the courage up to ask me to be his marefriend. I accepted, of course.”

As Fleur de Lis got up out of her chair, she walked over to a glass cabinet and removed a photo. As she started to walk back over, she said, “Fancy has a room like this in every one of his businesses. It is for the members of The Society of the Emerald Mist, only.” As she passed Rarity the photo for her to look at, she said, “That is a copy of mine and Fancy’s wedding day photo. The dress I’m wearing is the very same one Spike got for me for our first party together. It’s my princess dress.” Fleur de Lis said as she giggled. Before she said, “That night I became the newest member of The Society of the Emerald Mist and found my love, Fancy Pants, all because I ripped a tapestry and met a magical little dragon. That is the story of how I met my Fancy Pants and how I made some of the greatest friends a mare could ever ask for.”

As Rarity looked at the photo, she could see the same ponies in the room on the photo, only younger. In the middle of them all, stood a little baby dragon with the happiest of smiles. As Rarity passed Fleur de Lis the photo back, she couldn’t help but smile as she said, “That’s a wonderful story of how you met, not just Fancy Pants but all your friends here. I only wish that that head maid would have been nicer to my Spikey-wikey. Such a nasty mare, to say such horrid things.”

As Spike smiled softly at Rarity, he said, “It's ok. I learnt early on that not all ponies were going to like me. It’s just a fact. But I don’t need them to. I have my friends and ponies that care for me. Funny thing is that head maid still works at the castle to this day.” Rarity looked shocked at what Spike said and couldn’t believe that a mare like that still worked at the castle. Just as she was about to say something, Spike said in a sympathetic voice, “After that night, I decided to do some digging and find out why she hated me so much. I thought if I could figure out why she hated me then maybe I could work on becoming her friend. I didn’t like what I found out.”

Spike sighed and said, “Stop me if you’ve heard this story before. It turns out years before I hatched the head maid was a low level cleaner at the castle. She had met a well-to-do pony, a member of the elite class, and they hit it off. They even fell in love and got married. When his parents found out, they disowned him and the ponies that he thought were his friends turned their backs on him, even mocking him. In the end, he lost everything. His business went bust. His friends didn’t want to know him. All he had in the end was her. By all accounts they seemed happy enough until tragedy struck. It seems he wanted to be able to give her the life he thought she deserved and was out somewhere hunting for gems to make some bits. But then he wondered into the wrong cave and met his end because of a dragon.” As Spike clenched his claw and closed his eyes, he said, “The one rule every creature knows, you don’t steal from a dragon's hoard.”

As Spike took a slow breath and opened his eyes. He looked at Fleur de Lis and Fancy Pants with a soft smile and said, “Looking back on your story nowadays, I truly believe she thought she was trying to help you, Fleur. She didn’t want you to go through the same pain she had. As for the way she was with me, would any of you be able to work around one of the creatures that took the only thing you ever loved away from you, every day?” As Spike looked around the room, no one said anything. “Looking back on it now, I don’t know how she did it. If I was in her hooves, I don’t think I would even be able to be in the same room with one of the creatures that took away my one and only love, let alone have to work side by side with them day in and day out.”

As Spike took a drink from his glass, he said, “After you left the castle, Fleur, I started working as a cleaner in whatever little spare time I had. I wanted to show her that I wasn’t what she thought. On one occasion, I ended up cleaning a room next door to her. We never made eye contact or spoke, of course; we just got on with it. That’s when I heard a loud crash and a scream, I ran next door to see what had happened and it seems as she was cleaning she’d knocked over a vase and cut her arm in the process. I ran over to see if she was ok, and I could tell it was a pretty bad cut just by looking at it. I think my survival training kicked in or something, because I ripped one of the curtains and went to wrap it around her wound, as she was screaming for me to stay away. For the first time since she knew me, I grabbed her arm and shouted at her to keep still. I told her to stop acting like a foal and that she needed medical attention. That seemed to do the trick as she stopped fighting me and allowed me to treat her wound. I told her she needed to go to the hospital and offered to help her, but she just slowly walked off saying, ‘I don’t need you to take me and don’t expect me to thank you, dragon.’ Without thinking I shot back, ‘I know you don’t and I wasn’t expecting you to thank me. I may be a dragon, but that’s not who I am. I am Spike, the number one assistant to Twilight Sparkle and don’t you forget it. Now hurry along to the hospital before you start bleeding through that cloth. It’s only going to give me more work to do if that happens.’”

As Spike let out a slight giggle, he said, “To this day, I actually believe I saw her smile for a second before she left. As time went on, things seemed to get better between us. I mean, I don’t think we will ever be best friends or anything, but at some point in my time at the castle, she stopped calling me dragon and started calling me Spike. She would even maybe say hello in passing from time to time. But it was a slow process. One I was glad I put the time into. I like to think at some point she stopped seeing the monster and just saw me and who knows? Maybe. she was able to let go of some of that pain.”

Fleur de Lis finished off her drink and said, “I genuinely had no idea the head maid went through something like that.” As Fancy Pants went to top up her glass and realized that the bottle was empty.

Fancy stood up and said, “Not to worry. I have more in the fridge,” as he made his way over to the fridge to retrieve another bottle.

Just then Rarity said, “Oh my. It seems it's gotten pretty late,” as she looked out the window to see the night sky. She said, “We should probably think about making our way home soon, Spikey.”

Just then, the others started moaning and saying things like, “You can’t go yet. We’ve only just started to relax and enjoy ourselves.” That’s when Fancy Pants laughed and said, “Why don’t you just spend the night here? You know I own this place and this is a hotel after all. It saves you having to leave so soon.”

“Oh, no. We couldn’t possibly take advantage of your kindness like that, Fancy Pants.” Rarity said as she waved her hooves around.

Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “Oh, go on Rarity. Spend the night. Have some fun with us all. Besides, we could class this as your welcome to The Society of the Emerald Mist party.”

As Rarity looked at Spike, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “It’s up to you. We could stay. You did say you have no work tomorrow.” As Rarity looked around the room at the others faces, waiting for her to answer, she said, “Oh, why not?” Everypony cheered at her answer and Hoity Toity shouted, “It’s party time.”

As Rarity started to laugh, she froze and said, “Oh, no. I forgot about poor little Opalescence.”

Just then Spike said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll send Fluttershy a letter and ask her to watch Opal for the night. Which reminds me. I better send Twi a letter as well.” Just then Spike looked over at Fancy Pants and said, “You mind if I borrow some parchment and ink, Fancy?” As quickly as Spike had asked for it, Fancy had floated over some parchment, ink and a quill with a smile.

As Spike wrote the letters, Rarity was quick to remind Spike to tell Fluttershy where the spare key was and to make sure he said that Rarity would treat her to a day at the spa for the inconvenience. As he finished writing the letters and watched them turn to ash, he looked at Rarity with a smile and said, “Done. Now let’s enjoy the rest of the night.”

And with that said, the party went on, as they all chatted away, drank and ate, happily enjoying each other’s company. They even got a response from Fluttershy, thanks to Discord, sending them a letter, saying that she didn’t mind watching Opal and that Twilight said she’ll see them tomorrow. They partied into the late night until they all decided to retire for the night. After finding out the only room left was the Royal Sweet, Rarity and Spike were reluctant to accept such a room, but with sleep starting to take a hold of them they gave in and were escorted to their room by a member of staff. When they walked into the room, Rarity couldn’t believe how big it was. It was just like staying in a room at Canterlot Castle. “Probably why it was called the Royal Sweet.” Rarity thought to herself as she smiled whilst looking around the room. That’s when she realized there was only one bed and started to get nervous.

Spike for his part was looking around the room after closing the door, with a smile before he said, “Wow. Fancy really out did himself with this room. Wouldn’t you say, Rarity?” When he didn’t get a response he looked over at her and asked, “Rarity? Everything ok?”

Snapping back to her senses, she looked at Spike and said nervously, “Why yes, darling. Everything’s fine. It’s just, errrm.” Not knowing how to say it, she pointed to the bed, as her face started to go red.

Spike looked at where she was pointing and went bright red and said, “Oh, right. Yeah. The sleeping arrangements. It’s ok. You can have the bed, Rarity. This couch over here is pretty big and looks super comfy to, so that’s more than enough for me.”

Rarity relaxed a bit after hearing that and said, “Thank you for understanding, Spikey. That’s most kind of you,” before kissing him on the cheek and saying, “I must admit, I’m a little light headed after drinking so much wine. It’s no wonder why you said you were used to drinking before.” As Rarity let out a little giggle she said, “If it’s ok with you, I’m going to call it a night and go to bed.”

As Spike laughed he said, “Not at all,” and after giving her a kiss. He said, “Good night, my love.

As Rarity walked over to the bed and placed her Fire Ruby necklace down on the bedside cabinet, she turned to watch Spike climb onto the couch and said, “Good night, my Spikey-wikey,” before climbing into bed and turning off the lights.

Try as she might, however, Rarity just couldn’t get comfortable. Even though the bed was really comfy and much bigger than her own bed at home. She tossed and turned trying to sleep. As she did, she could make out Spike’s silhouette in the dark doing the same thing. “Hmmm. It seems that couch isn’t as comfy as you led me to believe, Spikey," Rarity thought. "What are we doing? I know we agreed to take things slow, but we’re married for Celesia’s sake. We should be able to share a bed.” With that thought in mind, Rarity sat up and turned on the lights gaining Spikes attention.

“Everything ok, Rarity?” Spike asked curiously.

Rarity looked at Spike and said, “Spike, come sleep with me on the bed.”

Spike started to go red and nervously said, “Wh- I mean. Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“Spike, we’re married. And besides, I think we’re both adult enough to share a bed,” As Rarity paused for a moment, a slight blush came on her face, as she said, “Without any,” clearing her throat, she finished, “other intentions.”

“Yeah. You’re right,” Spike said still with a red face. As he got up and nervously made his way over to the bed, he looked at Rarity and said, “Are you sure?” Rarity nods and with a gulp, Spike climbed into the other side of the bed and Rarity turned off the lights.

As they lay on opposite sides of the bed, with their backs to one another, Rarity still couldn’t sleep. As she lay there looking into the darkness, she could hear the sound of her heart beating louder and louder. It was driving her nuts. That’s when she had a thought and said, “Spike, are you still awake?”

Spike responded with, “Yeah. Why. You need something?”

As Rarity rolled over to look at Spike, he did the same. Now as they lay there looking at each other, Rarity could feel her face getting hotter as she said, “Spike, I can’t sleep and I know this may sound kind of like a strange request, but do you think it would be possible for you to hold me?” For a moment, Rarity lay there in silence until she felt Spike wrap his arm around her back and pull her close to his chest. As she snuggled into his chest, she thought, “This is it. This is what I needed. Just having him close to me like this always calms me down and relaxes me.”

As Spike holds Rarity in his arms, he said, “I hope this is ok.” Feeling Rarity nod her head and breath a quiet sigh of relief, was all the answer he needed as he gave her a little squeeze. Before he asked, “So, did you have fun today?”

As Rarity looks up from his chest to make eye contact with him, she said, “Oh yes, Spikey. I really enjoyed hearing more about your life in Canterlot before you came to Ponyville. And I know you said Hoity Toity was more laid back when you get to know him, but I didn’t realize just how much till today. He seems like a real party pony when he gets going,” letting off a little laugh before saying, “And the story of how Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis met was beautiful. I had no idea you played such a big part in their lives. Not just their lives, but so many others. You really did leave so much behind when you came to Ponyville. I guess I just didn’t realize how much till today.”

As Spike chuckled he said, “Yeah. That’s true. I left a lot of good friends back here in Canterlot when I followed Twi to Ponyville, but even though we don’t see each other as much as we did, we’re all still good friends. I also gained so much more when I came to Ponyville. Including the one thing I never thought I’d have. I found you.”

Rarity put a hoof on his cheek and kissed him before saying with a sad smile, “Such a sweet, gentle dragon.”

Spike noticed the look on Rarity’s face and asked, “What’s the matter?” When Rarity didn’t respond, he said, “Are you upset because we never got to go to the park?” Trying to make a joke to lighten the mood, with no success.

Rarity took a slow calming breath before she said, “No, Spike. I’m not upset. It’s just if one thing was made crystal clear to me tonight it’s that everything you’ve done with your life up till this point has always been for Twilight. You worked harder and did more than anyone so you could stay by her side, even leaving all your friends behind to move to Ponyville.”

Spike smiled and said, “Well, yeah. Of course. I’m her number one assistant. It’s my job to be there for her in whatever way she needs me.” When Spike didn’t see Rarity smiling back at him like he hoped, he sighed and said, “Being Twi’s assistant gave me a purpose in life. It made me feel like no matter what happened or whatever anyone said, I had somewhere I belonged.”

Rarity nodded and said, “I know, Spike. I understand that better now after hearing more about your past and you know I love Twilight, just as much as any of our other friends. But, surely you must realize that you’re not a baby dragon anymore. There’s going to come a time when you have to stop living in Twilight’s shadow and start living for yourself. I mean we’re married, Spike. Did you think that I was going to move into the castle with you? I have my own life and businesses to run and I know we’ve never really talked about it before, but at some point I was hoping to have a home for just us. Maybe even a family of our own one day. I’m not saying you have to stop being Twilights assistant. I would never even dream of such a thing. All I’m really trying to say is you have somewhere else you belong now to.”

Spike closed his eyes for a moment and lay there in silence before he said, “You know, back when King Sombra first appeared and tried to take over The Crystal Empire, me and Twi were trying to find the Crystal Heart and we fell into one of his traps. It showed you your worst nightmare come to life. You know what mine was?” Rarity didn’t say anything and just listened as Spike continued, “It was Twilight making me leave and not needing me anymore. To this day it terrifies me. I’ve built my life around her. she has been at the center of everything I’ve ever done. The idea of not being there for her when she needs me scares me, Rarity.”

Rarity wraps her arms around Spike and says, “I’m not saying you can’t be there for her. If anything, I expect you to be. I understood, when I first realized I had feelings for you that Twilight is an important part of your life, but I would like you to think about your own happiness and what the future holds. And not only for you, but for us as a couple as well. I love you, my husband,” before she passionately kissed him.

Spike kissed her back and said, “I love you too, my wife. I will give it some thought.” As Rarity smiled at him she said, “That’s all I ask. Now let’s get some sleep.” As she once again snuggles up to Spike and they both fall asleep in each other’s embrace.

The following morning, Rarity awoke to find herself in Spike’s embrace, with her hind leg over his waist and their tails wrapped around one another. A bit embarrassed at being in such a position, she moved her leg and managed to unwrap her tail from his. She tried to move away from Spike slowly, as not to wake him. Just as she was able to get out of his arms, he pulled her back in and said, “Just five more minutes,” whilst still asleep.

As Rarity looked at the smile on his face, she giggled and thought, “He’s lucky he’s so cute,” as she snuggled back in and said, “Just five more minutes then.”

About fifteen minutes later, Spike woke up and looked down to see Rarity snuggled into his chest. As he did that Rarity looked up at him, Spike smiled and said, “Good morning, beautiful. Sleep well?”

This made Rarity blush slightly as she smiled back and kissed him before saying, “Good morning, my love. I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well before in my life,” making Spike giggle.

After just lying there, holding each other for awhile, they decided it was time to get up and freshen up before going to get the train back to Ponyville. Spike had offered to see if Celestia wouldn't mind them borrowing a carriage or even offered to fly them back himself, but Rarity said she just wanted to take a train ride home and enjoy the view in her husband’s arms before returning to their busy lives.

As they happily come down to the lobby, they see Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis standing there. Spike and Rarity make their way over to them and both thank them for allowing them to spend the night in such a lovely room. Fancy Pants smiled at them and said, "It's no problem. You know that and you are welcome to stay anytime, my friends".

Fleur de Lis giggled and said, "The others had to leave due to work, but they said they hoped they can get together again soon." For a few minutes, they stood and chatted away before Spike and Rarity said their goodbyes. Rarity and Spike soon found themselves on the train back to Ponyville. They sat there holding one another in a loving embrace, watching the world pass by as they looked out the window with smiles on their faces. They would sometimes catch a pony or two staring, but they didn’t care. They were just happy holding each other.

Chapter 5

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and it’s yet another beautiful quiet day in Ponyville as we see Rarity walking through town with a bounce in her step and a smile on her face, happily greeting ponies as she passes them by. As she makes her way through town and comes to the castle, she can’t help but be excited. “Today’s the day Spike comes back from the Dragon Lands. Having Spike teach me how to send him letters so we could stay in touch was a great idea.” Rarity thought to herself as she walks into the castle with a smile and calls out, “Twilight, I just popped in for a visit. Where are you?”

“I’m in the dining room. Come on in, Rarity,” Twilight shouts down the corridor. As Rarity makes her way through the castle and comes to a dining room, she walks in to see Twilight sitting there with a smile on her face as she says, “Wow, Rarity, good timing. I just made some tea. Would you like some?”

As Rarity giggled, she made her way over to the table and takes a seat as she said, “Why, tea sounds lovely, Twilight. Thank you.” As Rarity watches Twilight pour her a cup and then takes a sip, Rarity asks, “So, how’ve things been, Twilight?”

Twilight puts her cup down and shrugs her shoulders, “Not too bad. It’s been quiet. Even more so since Spike’s been gone for his trip to the Dragon Lands.” A bit of a sad smile comes on to Twilights face as she said, “Being in this castle for the last 2 weeks mostly by myself has been a bit lonely, to be honest with you.”

“Oh, Twilight,” Rarity said with a sympathetic smile as she looked at her friend.

Twilight smiled and said, “It’s great he’s been writing to me and stuff and it’s not like I haven’t gotten used to not having him around at night with him splitting his nights here at the castle with me and staying at yours. It’s just even when he’s at yours for the night, I know he’s around the corner if I need him and having him still turn up to work in the morning, is great. But 2 weeks without seeing him? I won’t lie. It hasn’t been easy.” As Twilight looks at Rarity, she giggled and said, “But listen to me go on. I’m sure you can relate to how I’m feeling.”

Rarity let out a little giggle and said, “Indeed. Not seeing him for the last couple of weeks hasn’t been easy. I always seem to struggle to get to sleep at night now a days when I haven’t got my Spikey-wikey to cuddle up to at night. Having him split his nights between us so he could get used to sleeping at my place was a great idea. I know it was a way for him and you to adjust to the idea of not being here at night with you, and I’m truly grateful for what you have done. I’ve missed him terribly over the last couple of weeks. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it must be for you. You’ve been together since he hatched, after all.” Rarity let out a small sigh before saying, “Over the years, I’ve known you both and I thought I’d come to understand just how close you were to one another and I knew that when I told him how I truly felt things were going to change. That’s why after everything that happened I wanted to take it slow so we could all adjust. But I guess being thrown in at the deep end and starting out our relationship being married hasn’t helped. The truth is the more I learn about Spike’s past at Canterlot, the more I truly understood just how important his bond with you is to him. To both of you. I’m sorry for being selfish and coming in between you. How must it look for somepony who claims to be your friend to come in and take him away from you?”

Twilight smiled and said, “Stop that. You didn’t take him from me. He chose to be with you because he loves you, Rarity. As your friend and his sister, I couldn’t be happier for you both. I really mean that. Sure, not having him all to myself is a big change for me and him, but change is a fact of life. You can’t stop it and although it’s not like it was, I still see him every day,” as Twilight giggled she said, “Besides, it’s not like I’ve spent the last 2 weeks sitting around doing nothing, waiting for him to come home. I’ve been going back and forth to Canterlot with all my research about dragons that Spike told me about.” A slight blush appeared on Twilight's face as she said, “And Blueblood’s been helping me sort it all. In fact, now that I think about it, he’s been coming over to the castle to help me out a lot since Spike’s been gone. I guess Spike must have asked him to keep an eye on me or something. You know how Spike gets if I miss a meal.”

Rarity burst out laughing at hearing that and after getting a funny look from Twilight, she cleared her throat and with a slight giggle in her voice said, “Yes. I’m sure that’s the reason he’s been helping you.”

After a moment of Twilight thinking what Rarity meant by that, she decided to shrug it off and asked with a giggle, “So how’s the new shop doing? I bet it’s been pretty popular.”

After taking another drink from her cup, Rarity said, “Yes, quite. I think opening a new shop in the Crystal Empire was the right call. The new manger, Scarlett Gem, is such a sweetheart. Though a bit excitable at times. In that regard she reminds me a bit of Pinkie. Having Spikey there to do the grand opening went down a treat, if not a bit too much. I think every pony in the Crystal Empire was there. Though I must admit having my grand opening become the day that the Crystal Empire decided to name it Spike day is something I’ll always remember. Oh, Twilight, you should of seen it. The celebration was on par with the Summer Sun Celebration.” As Rarity giggled she said, “You should have seen Spike. He looked so shy waving at all the ponies from the balcony of the castle. Even more so when they made him sit on a float at the head of the parade. But you know Spike. He didn’t want to disappoint anypony.”

As Rarity smiled, she said, “Though the reenactment of him defeating king Sombra was completely inaccurate, I mean, I don’t remember Spike and King Sombra going head to head in an all out one-on-one fight to save the Crystal Empire, but the children loved it, especially little Flurry Heart. It was kind of Shining Armor and Cadance to let us spend the night at the castle as well. I say that, but the way Cadance put it, we didn’t have much of a choice. She said that if we tried to spend the night anywhere else in the Empire, we would be hounded all night by ponies wanting to see Spike.” Rarity said as she giggled before she sighed and said, “I still wish Spikey would have taken me to the Dragon Lands with him. I mean, I know not every dragon likes ponies, but things are different now since Ember is in charge.”

“Mmm, I know what you mean. I even offered to go with him.” As Twilight giggled, she said, “Well, more like begged, but he said no. He wanted to go alone. Guess that’s why he gave me all that information about dragons to research while he was gone. I mean, ponies still don’t know much about dragon culture after all.”

Hearing Twilight say that, Rarity grinned and said, “You don’t have to tell me. I married a dragon without even knowing it. remember?”

As Twilight and Rarity both burst out laughing, Twilight said, “That’s true.” Twilight got a smirk on her face as she looked at Rarity and said, “I’ve been going over everything I’ve learnt so far about dragons. For instance, did you know that when a dragon takes a mate outside of his or her own species, something in their biology changes so they are able to breed with their chosen mate?” As Twilight said that, she couldn’t help but smile as she saw Rarity go bright red and start to get flustered. Not being able to stop herself, Twilight continued, “In fact, when a dragon has a child outside of his or her own species, that child is known as a Qilin. According to Spike, it was quite common back in the old days, and he said that it wouldn’t surprise him if there weren’t some Qilin still out there somewhere in the world today.” As Twilight leans her arm on the table and rests her head in her hoof, she grinned at Rarity and said, “I wonder how long I’ll have to wait before I get to meet one.”

“Twi- Twilight Sparkle, I’ll have you know that me and Spike are not at that stage in our relationship. So whatever you are thinking, you better stop right now!” Rarity shouts as she glared at her friend, while still having red cheeks. As Rarity takes a sip from her cup and places it back down on the table to give herself time to regain her posture, she looked at Twilight and said, “When Spike spends the night with me, it really is just to be near one another. I don’t know how to explain it, but having him hold me as we sleep somehow calms and relaxes me in a way I’ve never been before. It’s like I know nothing could ever hurt me while I’m in his arms, I feel completely safe and at peace.”

As Twilight gave Rarity a warm smile she said, “That sounds nice. I’m glad you found each other, Rarity.”

As Rarity looks at Twilight, she gets a slight grin on her face and thinks to herself, “It’s payback time for winding me up about children, Twilight Sparkle,” before she says, “Oh, Twilight, don’t you fret. I’m sure you’ll find your prince charming one day,” As Rarity sees a slight red tint come onto Twilights cheeks, she goes in for the kill. “You’re a smart mare. Who knows? Your white knight may be closer than you realize if you take the time to look.”

Just as Twilight was about to say something, they heard a voice shout out through the castle. “Hey, I’m home.” Hearing that, they both shot out their chairs and race out of the room, looking for the creature they both wanted to see. As they raced down the corridor, they saw the throne room door open and ran inside to see Spike taking his bag off and turning around to see them.

Before Spike had time to say anything, Rarity tackled Spike to the ground and started kissing him over and over as she said, “Oh, Spikey. I’ve missed you so much.”

As Spike sat up and held Rarity, he giggled and said, “I guess it’s true. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder,” before passionately kissing her and saying, “I’ve missed you more than you know, my love. Don’t worry. I’m back now.”As he looked over at Twilight standing by the door, he raised an eye and said, “Wow. I mean, I know I’ve only been gone for 2 weeks and all, but I don’t even get a ‘Hi, little brother’ when I get back?” As he and Rarity both stood up, Spike continued to say, “What, haven’t you missed me?”

Hearing him say that, Twilight ran at him and pulled him into a tight hug before saying, “Of course, I’ve missed you, idiot little brother. Welcome home, Spike.”

Spike giggled and hugged back as he said, “Good, cuz I’ve missed you too, Twi.” As he broke the hug and started smiling, he said, “It’s great to be home.” Hearing him say that made the two mares smile and giggle.

They all sat on their thrones and Twilight brought some fresh tea in for them to enjoy and as Spike takes a sip and breathes in the aroma of the tea, he said, “The Dragon Lands were fun to visit, but they don’t have a good cup of tea.”

Rarity and Twilight smile at him before Rarity said with a bit of a sad look, “I really wish you would of let us come with you, Spike. I know you can handle yourself, but I don’t like the idea of you going off by yourself and I would of liked to have seen the Dragon Lands myself.”

“Yeah, Spike. I would have loved the chance to see some dragon culture up close instead of just going over these notes you left me,” Twilight said.

Spike just laughed and said, “Yeah, sorry girls. Maybe next time. I just wanted to go and see it by myself. I promise the next time I go, you are more than welcome to come with me, ok?”

Twilight flops back in her throne and folds her arms and had a look on her face that resembled a child being told that they couldn’t have any sweets until they had all their dinner, as she said, “Fine, but I’m going to hold you to that promise.”

This made Spike and Rarity laugh, before Rarity asked, “So, Spikey, how was it? What sorts of things did you get up to?”

A warm smile came onto Spike's face as he said, “Well, like I said in my letters, I didn’t really do much, but Ember was kind enough to let me sleep at her place while I was there and I actually got to see Garble again. In fact, he surprised me a bit with something he said.”

As the two mares listened curiously, Spike took a sip of tea and said, “Garble invited me out to go gorge-surfing and lava diving with his friends, so, of course, I jumped at the chance. The only problem with that is his friends hadn’t seen me since my change. So when I got there, they were all taken aback at first and that’s when Clump made a joke about never seeing or hearing of a baby dragon growing so fast before. He said that I must have been older than I looked when I first met them and it was probably because I was hatched by pony magic and raised by ponies that it took me this long to grow.”

Spike smiled a bit as he continued, “Luckily for me, Garble's friends aren’t the smartest bunch around, because if they were, they would know it’s impossible to grow so fast over night like that. But then he said, 'Now that you've grown up a bit, you've finally come back where you belong, you can forget about those weak pathetic ponies,’ as he and the others began to laugh.”

Spike smiled and said, “I was about to say something, when Garble stepped forward and said, ‘Don’t do that,’ as Clump and the others stopped laughing, Clump said, ‘What? Don’t tell me after your little visit to the ponies, you actually think they’re cool now. What happened to you, Garble? Did they zap ya with some friendship love? Hahaha.’ I could see Garble clenching his claws and thought he was going to smack Clump, but instead he calmed himself down and said, ‘I was wrong. I’ve always thought that ponies were weak, pathetic, and not worth a dragons time, but think about it for a minute. Those weak ponies we make fun of have fought some of the most dangerous creatures around. Discord, Lord of Chaos, a Changeling army and an invasion from the Storm king. There’s probably more we don’t even know about. Heck, two of their princesses control the sun and the moon.’”

As Spike took another sip from his cup, he said, “As I stood there watching Garble stare down one of his friends, he said, ‘You want to know what I saw when I was there? I saw ponies standing side by side with Dragons, Changelings, Hippogriffs, Yaks and griffons. Against impossible odds, they fought to protect not only what was theirs, but for all, us included.’ As I watched Garble look down at his claws, he said, ‘While we dragons show off and boast about how strong we are, the ponies don’t because they don’t need to. They are far stronger than any of you realize, so you don’t have to like them but they deserve to be shown some respect. Not to mention that Spike here was raised by said ponies and I’m sure he doesn’t want to hear dragons making fun of his family. After all, we all know how dragons get when someone makes fun of their family and Spike is more than strong enough to shut us up if he wants. He was just raised not to show off, so best keep that in mind the next time you call his family weak and pathetic. You got that?’”

As Spike giggled he said, “After that, Clump said he was only joking and not to take it seriously before quickly flying into the air and saying if we were going to go play, we should do it before it gets too dark. As the others flew off, I thanked Garble and made a passing remark about how he seems a bit wiser since we last met. At which point he just flew off after the others, but I could have swore I saw him grin and blush a bit.”

“Oh my. To think that Garble would say such things about us. It seems his time with us did, in fact, mature him a bit,” Rarity said as she let out a little giggle.

Spike smiled and said, “Yeah. Ember even said that he doesn’t do as many mean things anymore and actually tries to help out more. In fact, she wants him to begin training to become one of her guards. She said that with the right training, he could even become her right claw dragon.”

“Oh wow. That’s a big responsibility from what I read in all those notes you left me, Spike.” Twilight said with a smile.

Spike giggled and said, “Yep. It’s kind of like a royal advisor. He’s got a long way to go, but I think he can do it.”

“I’m sure he can,” Twilight said with a warm smile before saying, “So you spent 2 weeks at the Dragon Lands just playing around?”

Spike laughed and said, “Na. I did some other stuff too. Like helping watch over the eggs for hatching season, it seems that it’s a role given to every Dragon Lord. Ember said it's one of the oldest customs they follow. It was a rule set up by my little Scintilla. Ember said it’s so every Dragon Lord understands they are protecting the future dreams and hopes of those yet to come and that for a Dragon Lord there can be no greater treasure than that.”

Rarity smiled warmly at Spike and said, “It seems Dragon Lord Scintilla did indeed learn a many great things from you, Spikey.”

As Spike smiled back at Rarity, he said, “So it would seem. There was one other thing that happened while I was at the Dragon Lands. Ember asked me to go with her to meet the oldest dragon. Apparently, her time on this world was close to an end and Ember had made it a point to go visit her whenever she could.” As a bit of a sad smile came onto his face, he said, “Of course, I went. When I got there she could barely lift her head, let alone stand.”

Spike took a breath and had a sip of his tea before saying, “She seemed like such a nice old dragon.” As he let out a giggle, he said, “She even made a joke about having such a handsome dragon coming to visit her. As we talked, she told me that up until she retired it was her job to watch over the little hatchlings while the other dragons were out looking for food. A bit like a dragon daycare. She said it was her greatest pride and joy in life as she wasn’t lucky enough to be able to have eggs of her own.” Spike took another sip from his cup and said, “Then she chuckled and said, ‘Tell me, have you ever heard of the legend of the enchanted dragon?’ I didn’t know what to say so I just shook my head and she said, ‘My grandfather said that his grandfather saw him once as a hatchling and that the enchanted dragon was the strongest and most powerful dragon to ever live. This may sound strange to a dragon nowadays, but my grandfather said he ruled over all, not with fear or power but with love and kindness and the creatures loved him for it. So very much. You may think this is just some ramblings of a senile old dragon, but to this day, I believe he was real. My grandfather told me that his grandfather said one day the enchanted dragon was just gone, but that when the world needed him, he would return and unite us all again.’”

As Spike cleared his throat, he continued, “The old dragon then looked at Ember and said, ‘Do you know why you are called Dragon Lord and not Queen or King?’ As both Ember and I both just stood there, the old dragon smiled and said, ‘My grandfather said that his grandfather told him long ago, that the First Dragon Lord Scintilla was known as Queen of the Dragons. But when the enchanted dragon disappeared, she refused to ever wear the crown again and said that she would take up the title of Dragon Lord to honor the enchanted dragon as there could only ever be one true king. My Grandfather said that his grandfather told him that Dragon Lord Scintilla was strong, kind and loving just like the enchanted dragon. All qualities I see in you, Dragon Lord Ember. It makes this old dragon happy to know that she got to see a dragon like you become Dragon Lord.’”

As a warm smile came onto Spike's face, he said, “I couldn’t help but shed a tear of joy that some dragon still talked about how kind my little Scintilla was after all this time. Even though they made it a rule to never talk about me after I had gone, some dragon remembered and passed it on. Of course, the old dragon saw me with tears in my eyes and asked what was wrong.” As Spike looked at Rarity and Twilight, he said, “So I told her who I was and who Scintilla was to me.” Just as Twilight looked like she was going to say something, Spike said, “I know I wasn’t going to tell anyone, but she had believed what her grandfather had told her all her life; she had believed in me, she had a right to know who I really was. After I told her and even though Ember told her not to, the old dragon tried to stand and said, ‘I may be old, Dragon Lord Ember, but not even you will stop me from doing this,’ as she stood up, unsteady on her legs and bowed to me. She said, ‘I knew all those stories my grandfather told me were real,’ after she lay back down with a smile on her face and chuckled she said, ‘Now I can go see my family again and tell my grandfather that I got to meet the legendary enchanted dragon. He’s going to be so jealous.’ After that, she said she was tired and asked if I would stay with her till she fell asleep, so I did. I stayed with her until she finally went to sleep and never woke up. The last words she spoke were a simple thank you, and she looked so peaceful with a smile on her face.”

Spike clenched his claw as tight as he could and had tears in his eyes as he said, “Darn enchanted dragon. What’s so legendary about me? All I did was save my children.”

Rarity placed her hoof on Spike’s claw and looked at him with a sad smile as she said, “You are kind and caring, and you didn’t just fight for yourself or your children but for everyone. That kindness was passed down by those you helped and made the world we all live in today. A world where an old dragon was able to pass on, knowing she wasn’t alone and was cared for. That heart of yours. It's what makes you special and why so many love you, me most of all.”

As tears start to pour down Spike's cheeks he pulls Rarity into a hug as he cried and said, “Thank you.” After a few minutes he broke the hug and gave Rarity a kiss on the cheek as he smiled at her, she smiled warmly back as she sat back down and Spike looked at Twilight and said, “Sorry. I guess I got a bit carried away there.”

Twilight shook her head and gave Spike a warm, caring smile as she said, “No, you didn’t. It's fine, Spike.”

Spike scratched his cheek and said, “I’m just going to go freshen up a bit. I’ll be right back, ok?” As the two mares smiled at him, he got up and walked out of the throne room.

As Twilight starts pouring some more tea for everyone, the throne room door opens and Starswirl the Bearded comes in. Surprised by the unannounced visitor, Twilight ran over to greet him as she asked, “Starswirl, what an unexpected surprise. What brings you here?”

As Starswirl smiled at the princess, he said, “Hello, Twilight. Sorry for just dropping by like this. As you know, I’ve been traveling around the realm and was on my way back to Canterlot, but I thought I’d pop in on the way through to see how things are going. I hope that’s ok with you.”

Twilight grinned from ear to ear and said, “Of course. Come right in. We were just having some tea. Won’t you join us? You remember Rarity, right?”

As Starswirl started to walk into the room, he saw Rarity smiling at him and said, “Yes. Rarity the Element of Generosity if I remember right. How ar-“ Just then, Starswirl just stopped in his tracks and stood there with his mouth open, as the girls looked at him confused and worried. Just as Twilight was about to ask if he was ok, Starswirl ran straight to Spike's throne and said, “It can’t be. How is this here?” as he turned around to look at Twilight he asked, “Just what is going on here? Do you have any idea who’s throne this is?”

Just as Twilight was about to say something, Spike walked back in and said, “Yeah, it’s mine. Hope that’s ok with you.”

As Starswirl stood there shocked for a moment at seeing Spike walk into the room. He slowly started to walk over to Spike as he said, “It ca- it’s impos-,” until he stood right in front of Spike with tears starting to form in his eyes and said, “Am I dreaming? Is it really you? Have you come back to us?”

Spike smiled warmly at Starswirl and said, “Hello, little one. It’s good to see you again. While I’m at it, thank you for completing that mission I gave you. It really helped a lot.”

As tears started pouring down Starswirl's face, he smiled and said, “I can’t believe it. It’s really you.” Starswirl bowed down and said, “Your majesty,” as he looked up at Spike.

Spike stood there with an eye raised at Starswirl and said, “I know it’s been awhile and you’re older now, but I’m pretty sure you remember I don’t like it when creatures do that.”

Starswirl shot up and laughed, as he said, “Forgive me. I guess I was caught up in the moment,” before spinning around and looking at Twilight and saying, “Do you know who this is? This is Spike, the greatest hero who ever lived,” excitedly like a little colt who just read a comic for the first time.

Twilight giggled and said, “Of course, I know who that is. He is my little brother after all.”

Starswirl looked at Twilight confused when she said that, as Rarity giggled and started pouring him some tea, she said, “You better come have some tea. It seems there are some things we need to fill you in on, Starswirl.”

After Spike and the girls told Starswirl the whole story, he leaned back in his chair and said, “Wow. I mean, just wow. I didn’t know about Grogar or any of that other stuff as I was born after all that happened. But the kids of that time knew of the kings and queens and, of course, that Spike was the great hero that saved us all. We were never really told who he saved us from. Only that it was a great evil and he was also a king but hated to be treated like one. Naturally, when I returned, I recognized the castle straight away. There wasn’t a creature alive back then that didn’t know of this castle in my younger days. I also noticed your baby dragon had the same color scales and name. I just didn’t think that they were one and the same. To be honest, I was so busy dealing with the Pony of Shadows I never really gave it much thought. I always thought you named him after our king. But now looking back on it, that would have been impossible since after he left, all mention of him was forgotten over time.”

“Hmmm, you make a good point, Starswirl,” Twilight said as she rubbed her chin, before looking at Spike and saying, “Just how is it I gave you the same name when I named you?”

As Spike chuckled, he said, “That’s easy. I planted a subtle suggestion into my power, knowing that when I hatched I would be around one of the creatures who inherited my power. It just seemed easier that way than having a different name and then having to go back to being called Spike after I regained my memory.”

Starswirl looked at Spike and said, “The day you gave me that seed I knew it would be important. It seems you were right,” as Starswirl looked at Twilight and smiled before sighing and saying, “As a colt I wanted nothing more than to be like you; a hero who helped creatures. After you disappeared I knew this world would still need someone to keep it safe, so I worked hard every day to master my spells. After some time, I made some great friends, who also wanted to help keep this world safe and we worked together to fight for all in your place as its protectors. Queen Lilith even appointed me as her daughter’s teacher in magic.”

As Starswirl gave Spike a sad looking smile, he said, “Looking back on it all now, it’s so easy to see I allowed my ego and pride to blind me to my friends suffering. It was my foolish pride that created the Pony of Shadows and almost destroyed this world. Using what little knowledge I was able to remember from the stories I heard about Spike as a colt, I created a spell to send the Pony of Shadows to limbo. I knew the cost would be great, but I planted that seed, remembering the words you spoke to me on that day I met you as a little colt. You said ‘It would one day grow into something magical that would help the creatures of this world be safe and free.’ With those words ringing in my ears, we planted that seed with hope and set out to make our final stand.”

As Starswirl looked around the table at the others with a sad smile and said, “Some hero I turned out to be. I let the fact that everyone saw me as a hero blind me to my friends pain, and when he needed me most I pushed him away.”

“You made a mistake. Nobody’s perfect. Not even me.” Spike said as he looked at Starswirl before saying, “The important thing is you’ve learnt from it and won’t make the same mistake again. You shouldn’t let that take away all the good you’ve done. It is because of all that good work that I’m sitting here today. You say you wanted to be like me when you were younger. Well, I know a pony that when she was younger was so taken in and inspired by all those wonderful spells you came up with and all the good you did. She threw herself into studying to become just like her hero,” As Spike puts his arm on the table and rests his head in his claws, he grinned at Twilight and continued to say, “And to this day still claims to be his number one fan. Isn’t that right, Sis?”

Twilight jumps up and starts shouting, “Can you blame me? Starswirl the Bearded is one of the greatest ponies to ever live. He created some of the greatest spells known and they are still being used today. That’s not even including the fact that he personally taught the prince-“

Twilight was cut off by Spike and Rarity laughing and went red after seeing Starswirl smiling at her and sat back down embarrassed as Spike said, “See what I mean? You are a hero. You inspired those that followed to do great things.”

Rarity leaned over and kissed Spike on the cheek, as she said, “Just like a certain dragon I know.” Before leaning back and smiling at Spike, as he looked at her with a loving smile.

Starswirl chuckled as he looked at Spike and said, “When you put it like that, it makes me feel a little bit better. We cannot change the past, but we can learn from it so we don’t repeat the same mistakes. I guess as time went on, creatures just started to drift apart from one another. Over time, the story of all the creatures coming together and working as one became nothing but a fairy tale until it was forgotten, just like how they forgot about you. That is until six ponies came together and showed us all just how powerful the magic of friendship truly is. Just look at all the wonderful things you’ve done. You’ve not only saved Equestria a number of times, but brought Dragons, Changelings, Yaks, Ponies, Griffons and Hippogriffs closer together. To be able to get to see such a world with my own eyes brings me great joy and pride to know I was able to play a small part in it and to be able to call myself your friend is the greatest of honors. Thank you, princess,” Starswirl said as he lowered his head to Twilight.

As Twilight started going red in the face, she waved her hooves around nervously and said, “Please, don’t bow to me, Starswirl. You are one of the greatest ponies to ever live. Just being able to call you my friend is the greatest honor I could ask for.”

As Spike and Rarity began to laugh at Twilight's antics. Starswirl chuckled and said, “It would seem the princess doesn’t like it when others bow to her also. In that regard, it seems you two are the same. But then you are siblings after all.”

As they all started to laugh, Starswirl said, “With that, I think I should take my leave, I want to go pay my former students a visit and see how they are doing.”

Twilight looked over at Starswirl and asked, “Do you have to leave already?”

As Starswirl got out of his chair, he nodded and said with a smile, “The realm has changed so much since my time, there is still much more of it I wish to see and I still have a lot more to learn about friendship.” After saying his goodbyes and Twilight offering to see him out, they started to walk out of the throne room before Starswirl stopped and turned to look at Spike as he said, “I promise not to tell anyone your secret, Spike. However, if you will allow me to, could I inform the other pillars and Stygian.”

As Spike smiled at Starswirl and nodded his head, he said, “Sure. Just as long as you make sure to tell them not to tell anyone else. I kind of like the life I have now. Last thing I need is for everyone to start bothering me about what happened in the past.”

Starswirl nodded with a smile and waved a final goodbye before he left the room. As Spike sat there with a smile on his face, he looked at Rarity and asked, “Rarity, have you eaten yet?”

“Hmmm, I had a small breakfast this morning before coming over, but apart from that, no.” Rarity said as she finished her tea.

As Spike smiled at her, he said, “Well, if you’re not too busy today, how does a picnic in the park sound?”

Rarity’s face lit up at the idea of a picnic in the park and said, “That sounds like a wonderful idea, darling. Oh, but I’d like to freshen up a bit first.”

As Spike chuckled he said, “Ok. Why don’t you head home now and freshen up and meet me at the park in about an hour? Say by that tree on the hill. I should have everything ready by then.”

Rarity hopped out her chair and kissed Spike on the cheek before quickly starting to dash out the room, saying, “Only an hour. I need to hurry up. I’ll see you then, my Spikey-wikey,” before disappearing out the throne room.

After chuckling to himself a bit, Spike sat there and finished his tea, when Twilight walked back in and sat down before saying, “I just saw Rarity running off like a mad mare. She said something about a picnic in the park.”

As Spike giggled he said, “Yeah, we’re going to have a quiet picnic in the park by that tree on the hill. You wanna join us?”

Twilight giggled and shook her head as she said, “Na. I’ve still got all these notes I want to go over, but thank you for the invitation. You go and enjoy yourself with Rarity. You haven't seen her for 2 weeks after all."

As Spike got up out of his throne, he said, “You sure?." Seeing Twilight give a nod of her head as she smiled, Spike said, "Well, ok then. I need to go get ready."

************

As Spike sat in the park watching the ponies around him play, he couldn’t help smile. “Such a beautiful day. I know I’ve only been gone for 2 weeks, but I really have missed this place,” he thought to himself before spotting Rarity trotting up to him with a smile on her face and the Fire Ruby around her neck.

Rarity kissed Spike on the cheek and giggled a bit as she said, “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long, my Spikey-wikey.”

Spike laughed as he said, “Not at all. You’re fashionably late as always, my love. Please have a seat. I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t really have a lot of time so I just made some sandwiches and brought some cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner.”

As Spike started to lay some sandwiches on some plates, Rarity said, “Not at all. A nice light lunch is just what I need on a lovely day such as this. I didn’t really have much time to get ready myself, but I wanted to wear this,” Rarity said as she held the Fire Ruby in her hoof, before saying, “I hope you don’t mind.”

As Spike sat down besides Rarity, he giggled and said, “Mind? Why would I mind? It’s yours. And besides, I always love it when you wear it.”

Rarity couldn’t help but giggle slightly as she bit into a sandwich and saw the look on Spike’s face. He had the same look he’d always given her. That goofy look she loved so much.

They both sat under the tree in the cool summer breeze enjoying their food and each other’s company as Rarity filled Spike in on what had been going on in the weeks he was away. After some time had passed and the sandwiches were gone, Spike passed Rarity a cupcake. As he did, she asked, “So, Spike, what else did you get up to in the Dragon Lands?” Curious to hear what he’d been up to.”

Spike smiled and said, “Hmmm. I got to have a lava bath. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my bubble baths, but there’s nothing like a good lava bath to really get you relaxed. If the Pony Spa had one of them, I don’t think I’d ever leave.” As he and Rarity laughed, he continued by saying, “Apart from that, I spent most of my time working.”

“Working?” Rarity asked confused, as she looked at Spike.

He nodded and said, “Yeah. It’s actually the reason why I wanted to go to the Dragon Lands alone.” As he reached into the picnic basket, he said, “I needed some time to work on this without anypony finding out.” As he pulled out a little box and said, “I know this may not be the most romantic of places, but I don’t want to wait anymore,” As Spike opened the box in front of Rarity, revealing a ring with a ruby in the shape of a flame that had three little sapphires in the shape of Rarity’s Cuite Mark inside it. He said, “Rarity Belle, would you make me the happiest dragon in the world and marry me.”

Nothing, no screaming or jumping up and down. Not even a yes, just silence. Spike started to panic and said, “I mean, I know we’re already technically married by dragon standards, but I want everyone to know just how much I love you.” Still Rarity said nothing. Spike started to get really nervous and said, “Besides, it occurred to me that I never really got you a ring, right? Can’t get married without one.” He giggled nervously before slowly moving closer to Rarity’s face and saying, "Rar-“

Just then Rarity pounced on Spike knocking him onto his back and as she lay on top of him. With tears in her eyes, she said, “Yes! A million times yes! How could there be any other answer?” before passionately kissing him on the lips.

After awhile, they broke their kiss and sat up. Rarity used her magic to take the ring out the box and marveled at its beauty as she said, “So this was the reason you didn’t want anyone to come with you to the Dragon Lands.”

Spike smiled and said, “Yeah. I wanted it to be a surprise. Took a bit longer than I wanted it to, though. I got the idea of using a Fire Ruby and a Sapphire from our necklaces. I thought what better thing to go with your necklace than a Fire Ruby ring with sapphires shaped in the style of your Cuite Mark? Was it too much?”

Rarity shook her head repeatedly and said “No. It’s perfect. Will you put it on me, please?”

As Spike smiled and took the ring, placing it on Rarity’s horn,” she couldn’t stop smiling as she asked, “How do I look, Mr. The Dragon?” As she giggled.

Spike couldn’t help but stare, lost in Rarity’s beauty as he looked at her standing in front of him with the Fire Ruby necklace and now the Fire Ruby ring on her horn, accompanied by the biggest smile on her face. He cleared his throat before saying, “I’ve never seen a creature so perfect in all my life.”

Rarity giggled and sat down beside Spike, as she kissed him and snuggled up next to him before she said, “We should probably tell our friends, but for now let’s just stay her for a bit and enjoy the quiet, if only for a bit longer.”

Spike wrapped a wing around Rarity, kissed her and smiled as he looked out to the other ponies in the park enjoying their day, unaware of what just happened before he giggled and said, “Yeah. There’s no rush. Let’s just enjoy the moment.”

Chapter 6

The early morning sun shines through the window of Spike's bedroom, causing him to wake to the sound of the birds happily chirping outside. As he rubs his eyes and sits up to make sure he doesn’t fall back to sleep, he thinks to himself, “Just once would it kill anypony to let me sleep in?” As a ray of sunlight hits him in the eye, he huffs, “That goes for you too, mom.” After yawning, he decides to get up and go for a shower. As he passes a few photos on the wall on the way, he comes to a stop at a framed magazine and smiles as he looks at it, “I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since she said yes.”

It was one of Photo Finish's magazines and on the front cover was a picture of him holding Rarity, both with loving smiles on their faces, with the title ‘Friends, Hero’s, Lovers!!!’ With a subtitle saying, ‘Read it here first, how the dragon of Equestria won the heart of his fair lady, full story inside!’

“Well, we did say that she could write our story. I just didn’t know she would use up most of the magazine. Though I guess it really helped us out in the end. Most creatures outside of Ponyville thought we were crazy getting engaged so fast, but after telling our story of how I’ve loved her from the moment we met all the way up to our first date and how I asked her to marry me, everyone could see that even though we’d only been dating for a bit, we’ve loved each other far longer.” Spike thought as he laughed to himself before making his way to the shower with the biggest smile on his face, “And tomorrow, the world is going to see us for the first time as Mr and Mrs.”

After showering and having some breakfast, Spike was cleaning up the dishes. “Wow, I never realised how quiet this place is when no one else is around. It’s kind of creepy,” he thought to himself as he finished cleaning up. Spike let off a little giggle as he thought, “Got to admit, it felt a bit weird sleeping in my old bed again now that I’ve moved into Rarity’s. Has it already been 6 months since I moved out? Where’d the time go?” As Spike smiled he thought, “Then again, I’m still here every day. Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice how long it’s been.”

Spike took one last look around the kitchen to make sure everything was clean before deciding to go for a stroll through Ponyville since he had nothing to do for the rest of the day. As he passed by ponies in the streets, a lot of them were asking if he was ready for the big day or nervous, to which Spike just laughed and said, “Na. I’ve been ready for this for years,” getting a good laugh out of the ponies until he saw Rose and went over to say hi.

“Hey there, Rose. How’s it going?” Spike asked with a smile.

“Hi, Spike. I'm great as always, but shouldn’t I be asking you that? I mean, it is your big day tomorrow,” Rose said with a little giggle as she smiled back at Spike.

Spike laughed as he said, “Na, I’m good. Tomorrow's going to be the best day of my life,” as Spike looked over Rose’s shoulder he saw a cart full of flowers and gave Rose a curious look.

“These are the last few flowers for your wedding tomorrow," Rose said. "I’m just on my way to Canterlot to help set them up now.”

As Spike looked back at Rose, he said, “I could tak-“

Rose held up her hoof, cutting him off and said, “Stop right there, Mr. The Dragon. You know the rules. You’re not allowed in Canterlot till tomorrow, by order of Princess Celestia herself. But thank you for the offer anyway,” Rose said with a smile.

Spike scratched his cheek and giggled as he said, “Well, can’t blame a dragon for trying,” making Rose giggle.

“I’m sure the girls have got everything under control,” Rose said with a smile before saying, “I still can’t believe you’re having your wedding at Canterlot Castle and Princess Celestia is going to be officiating the ceremony. But, I guess it makes sense. You are from Canterlot after all. It’s just a bit weird though. I thought only royalty could get married in castles.”

Spike laughed and said, “Well, yeah. Normally that’s the case, but Celestia made an exception this time given the fact that I am the Friendship ambassador to Dragons and Changelings, hero of the Crystal Empire and Twilight's little brother.” As Spike giggled some more he said, “I say Celestia made an exception, but truth is she all but demanded that the wedding takes place there and let’s just say you don’t want to get on her bad side. Rarity was more than happy at the idea, though, so I’m good with it.”

Rose giggled as she said, “Can you blame her? She gets to marry her prince in a castle. That’s every girl's dream come true.” As Rose stopped giggling she asked, “You had your stag night a few days ago right? How was it?”

Spike laughed and said, “Yeah, it was great. Let’s just say it was a good idea to have it a few days ago, cuz if we didn’t I don’t think I would have made it to the wedding tomorrow.” As Spike finished laughing, he said, “Pinkie asked Cheese Sandwich to be the party planner, which I’m grateful for. That pony knows how to throw a bash. Having it at the Crystal Empire was a good idea. Though, I could have done without Discord making my statue come to life and doing all sorts of poses. Luckily, none of the Crystal ponies freaked out and the others seemed to get a laugh out of it, so all in all I guess it was a hit.”

Rose giggled and said, “Seeing a statue of your baby self come to life and start to do poses sounds like a riot. I’m glad you had fun. I really should be off though. I still got work to do. I’ll see you at your big day tomorrow,” Rose said with a smile as she started walking off.”

As Spike watched her leave, he said, “Yeah, see you tomorrow. Thanks for the help, Rose, and say hi to everyone for me when you see them, ok?” As Spike watched her wave goodbye with a smile, he waved back before continuing his walk through Ponyville. As he was strolling down the street, he saw Scootaloo going off in the direction of the Everfree Forest by herself. Even more unusual, she wasn’t riding her scooter. With his curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to follow her to see what she was up to. Coming to a stop at the edge of the forest, Spike ducked behind a bush and watched as Scootaloo took one last look around to make sure she wasn’t followed before climbing up to the first branch of a tree and jumping off, flapping her wings as hard as she could before hitting the ground with a thump.

“Oh, Scootaloo,” Spike thought as he watched her dust herself off and climb up to the branch above the one she jumped from before with a determined look in her eyes. “I’ve got to stop her before she hurts herself,” Spike thought, as Scootaloo jumps from the branch and starts falling to the ground, she closes her eyes ready for the impact, but Spike manages to catch her before she hits the ground again.

Unsure why she didn’t feel the pain from the hard ground underneath her, Scootaloo opens her eyes to see Spike on his back holding her in his arms. Taken aback, she looks at him and says, “Sp- Spike!”

“Hey Scoots. What’s up?” Spike said as he grins at her.

She quickly gets off of him and lowered her head to the floor embarrassed and asked, “Did you see?”

As Spike sat up he looked at her and said, “If you mean did I see you take a swan dive from that branch, yeah I did. What were you thinking? You could have gotten hurt.”

Scootaloo opting not to say anything started to climb the tree again with a fierce determination in her eyes as she said, “No pain, no gain. I’ll be fine.”

Spike couldn’t believe she was trying to do it again and quickly grabbed her and pulled her towards him to stop her from climbing the tree again. Scootaloo slapped his claws away and said, “Get off me. I got to fly.”

Taken back by this, Spike looked at her and said, “Scoot, what happened? Why are you doing this? Just talk to me, please. I’m your friend.”

Hearing that Scootaloo stopped in her tracks and sat down and sighed before looking at Spike teary eyed and said, “You wouldn’t understand.”

Spike gave her a soft warm hearted smile and said, “Try me. You’ll be surprised by the things I know.”

“No, you wouldn’t. You can fly,” Scootaloo said as she looked at him with a sad face.

“Yeah, that’s true, but I couldn’t always. Up to a while ago I never even thought I was going to get wings,” Spike said as he smiled at her.

Scootaloo shoots back, “That just makes it worse. It means you weren’t born with wings, but as soon as you got them you could fly. I’m a pegasus. I was born with wings and I still can’t fly. Sweetie Belle can use magic cuz she’s a unicorn, Apple Bloom is the strongest filly around and good at farming and stuff cuz she’s an earth pony. So why...” As she looks at Spike tears start to come down her face as she says, “If I’m a pegasus why can’t I fly.”

As Spike wipes the tears from her eyes, he gave her a sympathetic smile and said, “I’m sure you’ll fly one day. And when you do, there’s not a doubt in my mind that you’ll give Rainbow a run for her money.”

Scootaloo starts shaking her head as she screams, “NO I WON’T!!!” Embarrassed at her outburst, she lowers her head to the ground as she says, “I could never be like her.”

Spike sighed and said, “Ok, Scootaloo. I think it’s time you told me what happened to make you doubt yourself so much, cuz the Scootaloo I know is fearless and never gives up, and when it comes to fighting for her friends, her loyalty is only matched by her big sister, the Element of Loyalty herself, Rainbow Dash.”

As Scootaloo lifts her head back up to see Spike giving her a warm smile, she sniffs a few times before asking, “Yo-you really mean that? You think I’m like Rainbow Dash?”

As Spike giggles, he said, “I wouldn’t of said it if I didn’t mean it. Now what’s going on, Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo gets a little smile on her face at the idea of being like Rainbow Dash and says, “I know it shouldn’t matter. Rainbow Dash already said I was awesome with or without flying, but after seeing Featherweight flying yesterday, it hit me. I’m the last pegasus at school that still can’t fly.” Opening up her wings a little she gets a sad look on her face as she says, “It’s because my wings are too small and weak. I’m a pegasus. I belong in the sky. If I can’t fly, then I’m just a freak!”

SLAP!!!

As Scootaloo sat there holding her cheek in shock at being slapped. She looked at Spike staring at her angrily as he said, “I don’t ever want to hear you call yourself a freak again. Do you understand?” As Scootaloo sits there in shock at what just happened and nodded, Spike pulls her into a hug and says, “You’re not a freak. You’re one of the most amazing fillies I know.” After breaking the hug and seeing Scootaloo smile at him, he grabs one of her wings and pulls it open.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” Scootaloo said as she pulled her wing out of his claw and looked at him.

Spike laughed and said, “Sorry. I just wanted to check something and I was right.”

Scootaloo gives him a weird look before asking, “Right about what?”

“Your wings may be small and not fully grown for a filly your age, but they are strong. Strong enough for you to fly I’d wager,” Spike said with a smile as he looked her in the eye.

“That’s not true. If that was the case, then I’d already be flying by now Spike,” Scootaloo said as she stood up.

“Oh, really? Then let me ask you one simple question and if you can answer it I’ll leave you be,” Spike said. As he watched Scootaloo sit back down ready to answer his question, he smiled and said, “If you think you can’t fly because your wings are too small, then how is it a pony like Bulk Biceps, who is clearly two or three times your size, still able to fly even though his wings are smaller than yours?”

For a few moments, Scootaloo said nothing, every now and then she would open her mouth to say something but stop until she said, “I don’t know. I guess that means it really is just me then,” as she folded her arms in annoyance.

As Spike smiles at her, he said, “The way I see it, it’s like when you got your Cutie Mark. You and the other members of the CMC ran around all over the place trying to get them, but it’s only when you stopped trying and helped some other pony discover the meaning behind their Cutie Mark, did you find that helping others discover their Cutie Marks was your purpose and received your own.”

A bit confused Scootaloo asked, “What’s my Cutie Mark got to do with me not being able to fly?”

Spike laughed and said, “In short, you’re thinking too much about it. Just like how you used to run around trying to get your mark. What do you think about when trying to fly?”

“I don’t really have time to think about anything in truth. I’m too busy concentrating on flapping my wings,” Scootaloo said rubbing her head to try and hide her embarrassment.

“Hmmm, is that right?” As Spike stands on his hind legs towering over Scootaloo, he places his claws down, palm side up and says, “I want you to lie down flat on my claws like you’re stretching.”

Giving Spike a confused look, Scootaloo askes, “Why?”

“I want to try something, that’s why. Come on,” Spike said as he looked at her.

Deciding to go along with him, Scootaloo lies down on his claws and Spike begins to lift her off the floor and hold his arms out straight. Now at his chest level, Scootaloo asks, “What’s the point of this, Spike?”

Spike says in a calm voice, “Ok, now I want you to close your eyes and don’t open them no matter what, and do everything I tell you from this point on without question. I want you to Pinkie promise.”

Still unsure what the point of all this was, Scootaloo said, “Ok, Spike. I Pinkie promise to keep my eyes closed and to do what you tell me.”

After she closed her eyes, Spike said, “Now I want you to take a calm relaxing breath.” As he watched her breath in and out slowly, he started to flap his wings slowly to go into the air. As he did he asked, “Now tell me, what do you feel?”

As Scootaloo continues to breathe slowly, she said, “I feel the warm sun on my back and a relaxing breeze going over me. It’s like I’m sunbathing at the beach. It feels so good and relaxing. I want to feel the sun on my back more.”

Seeing a smile come onto her face, Spike lifts her above his head and says, “That’s right. Feel the warm sun rays on your back. Let the wind wash over you.” As he said that, he saw Scootaloo open her wings instinctively and as he smiled said, “The wind isn’t your enemy. It’s your friend and it wants to help you feel the sun more. Don’t fight it. Let it lift you higher and higher, closer to the warm sun.”

As Scootaloo takes another breath and smiles, her wings begin to flap instinctively. Not fast and hard like all the other times she tried to fly, but relaxed and gentle. She began to slowly lift off of Spike’s claws and once he was sure she was ok, he put his arms at his side and flew in front of Scootaloo so he was eye level with her before he said, “Ok, now I want you to open your eyes.”

Taking another relaxing breath, Scootaloo opened her eyes to see Spike in front of her smiling. Confused why he was smiling, Scootaloo said, “Ok, Spike, so what was the point of all of this?”

Spike giggled, realising that Scootaloo hadn’t noticed that they were flying and said, “Hmmm, good question.” As he folded his arms and then stroked his chin with a claw as he looked at Scootaloo and said, “Why don’t you tell me?” As he grinned at her.

Just then, it dawned on her that she couldn’t feel the ground. Not just that, she couldn’t see the trees. That’s when her eyes opened wide like plates as she looked down only to see she was in the air. Not only that, but she looked at her sides to see her wings flapping. She was flying and doing it by herself. As she looked at Spike the biggest smile came on her face and she shouted, “I’M FLYING!!! I’M REALLY FLYING!!!”

Spike burst out laughing and said, “Yep. That you are,” as he smiled back at her.

Scootaloo goes to give Spike a high five but starts to fall. As Spike goes to grab her he shouts out, “Remember that feeling of the sun on your back!”

As he said that, Scootaloo stops descending and comes back into eye line with Spike and giggles as she said, “I guess I still got a lot to learn.”

As they both descend to the ground slowly, Spike decided not to say anything and just let Scootaloo get used to the feeling until they were both back on the ground safely. Once back on the ground, Scootaloo started hopping around like a bunny as she happily said over and over again, “I can fly! I can fly!”

Spike just giggled and said, “Well, I wouldn’t call it flying just yet. You're really hovering in one spot, but it’s a good start. And luckily for you, you happen to know one of the best flyers in all of Equestria and I’m sure she would be more than happy to teach you the ropes.”

Scootaloo stops jumping around and looks at Spike and says, “I was really flying, right? It’s not a dream?”

Spike laughed again and said, “Yep, you really were. I saw it with my own two eyes.”

As he said that, Scootaloo jumped into his arms and wrapped her hooves around his neck as she began to cry into his chest and said, “I’m not a freak. I really can fly.”

As she broke their hug, Spike smiled at her and said, “That’s right, Scoots. It’s like I said before, you’re amazing.”

As they both began to laugh again, Scootaloo stopped and said, “I don’t get it. How did you get me flying when I’ve been trying for so long?”

Spike smiled at her and said, “I didn’t know it was going to work, to be honest, but I realised that you were always trying too hard to fly. It's like you said before, Sweetie Belle can use magic and Apple Bloom is good at agriculture. That’s the magic in them just like flying is the magic in you. You all have a magic inside of you, but everypony is different. Everypony has to discover how to reach it their own way, I say that, but the truth is it's more instinct than anything. Just like you today when you were flying. You weren’t thinking of flapping your wings or trying to fly. All you were doing was feeling the sun on your back and the wind in your mane."

Scootaloo’s eyes got wider as she said, “It’s just like our Cutie Marks. When we stopped trying to get them and helped Diamond Tiara with her Cutie Mark problem, we got ours."

Spike giggled and said, “Yep. That’s right. But like getting your Cutie Mark and finding out what it means you have to practice. That’s why Sweetie Belle is still learning how to do magic and why Apple Bloom works so hard on the farm, and that’s why you still need to practice flying as well.”

Scootaloo giggled and said, “Wow, Spike. You really do know a lot, don’t ya.”

Spike laughed and said, “Thanks, but what did you expect? When you’re the number one assistant to a mare like Twilight, you pick up a few things.” After sharing another laugh together, Spike smiled at Scootaloo and said, “Well, I’m sure you’re going to want to show all your friends now, so why don’t we head back into Ponyville?”

As Scootaloo nods her head, she said, “Yeah. Hey, Spike, thank you for all your help today, but I have a favour to ask, if that’s ok.”

As they begin to walk back to Ponyville, Spike said, “Sure. What is it?”

Scootaloo looks at Spike and says, “Can you Pinkie promise not to tell anypony that I can fly now? I kind of want Rainbow Dash to be the first one to see and I know she’s in Canterlot helping set up your wedding right now.”

As Spike smiled at her, he said, “If you’re sure that’s what you want, Scootaloo, I Pinkie promise I won’t say a word to anyone. I know it’s not a Pinkie Pie cute-ceanera party, but how does me treating you to an ice-cream sundae at Sugarcube Corner to celebrate sound?”

As Scootaloo smiles happily back at Spike she said, “I’m sure I want Rainbow Dash to be the first to see,” before running off a head of him and shouting, “Now come on, Spike. That ice-cream sundae won’t eat itself,” as she happily ran towards Ponyville.

“Kids,” Spike thought to himself as he shook his head and smiled before running after Scootaloo and shouted, “Wait for me, Scoots.”

After getting to Sugarcube Corner and saying hi to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Spike ordered an ice-cream sundae for Scootaloo and a coffee for himself. As he sat there watching Scootaloo chowing down on her sundae with the biggest smile on her face, Spike couldn’t help but giggle as he picked up a napkin and started to wipe her face. After squirming a bit, Scootaloo took the napkin of him with a giggle and said, “Jeez, cut it out, Spike. I’m not a little filly anymore. I can wipe my own face.”

Spike laughed and said, “Sorry, Scoots,” as he smiled warmly at her and took a sip of coffee as he watched Scootaloo wipe the rest of her face clean.

Scootaloo slowed down as she carried on eating her ice-cream sundae, not wanting to make a mess again and as she did, Spike sat there with a warm smile on his face. That’s when Scootaloo said, “Hey Spike, I wanna say something to ya and it may sound a little weird but I don’t want you to take it in a funny way or anything. Is that ok?”

Curious what she wanted to say Spike said, “Go ahead, Scootaloo. You know you can tell me anything.”

Scootaloo stopped eating and said, “It’s funny, you know. All these years I’ve known you and watched as you ran around working so hard to help everypony, never asking for anything as a baby dragon, now after you’ve grown up. I don’t know. You seem different. I mean you’re still you, but different. It’s like today.”

As Scootaloo leans in and whispers to make sure no pony hears her, she says, “Like how you helped me learn to fly,” and as she sits back in her chair, continues, “Even now while you’re sitting there. You kind of remind me of my dad. He does the same thing. He just sits there smiling at me with this gentle caring look in his eyes, I can’t explain it. You give off this vibe, I guess. Like I know no matter what happens I’m going to be safe with you and I know it’s not just me. You’d do the same for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle too. For everypony. Not just here in Ponyville, but all of Equestria. It’s like you’re protecting us. Like you’ve always been protecting us and keeping us safe. I just never noticed before,” as Scootaloo starts scratching her cheek a bit embarrassed, she said, “Uh, I don’t know where I was going with this, but I just wanted to say thanks, I guess.”

As Spike let off a little giggle, Scootaloo said, “See? I told you it was going to sound weird.”

As Spike gently shook his head, he said, “No Scootaloo. It doesn’t sound weird to me at all. Thank you. That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.”

Seeing a smile come on to Spike’s face and happy with what she said, Scootaloo continued to eat her ice-cream sundae as Spike enjoyed his coffee.

Just then, Apple Bloom comes bursting into Sugarcube Corner followed by Sweetie Belle. “There ya are, Scootaloo. We’ve been looking all over for ya,” Apple Bloom said, as she made her way over to the table before looking at Spike and saying, “Howdy, Spike.”

“Hi, Apple Bloom. Hi, Swee-“

Spike was cut off by Sweetie Belle jumping up and hugging him. As she hugged him, she giggled and said, “Hi, big bro.”

Spike laughed and hugged her back as he said, “Hey, little sis,” getting another laugh out of her as she broke the hug.

Apple Bloom shook her head and smiled as she said, “You know he’s not your big brother till tomorrow, right?”

Scootaloo chimed in, “And that the wedding is for him and Rarity, not so you get a new big brother.”

Sweetie Belle just shrugs her shoulders at them both as she says, “It’s all the same. I get a new big brother. Don’t get me wrong, Rarity’s great and all, but I always wanted a big brother to play with.”

Spike laughed and said, “And I’ve never had a little sister before, so I can’t wait.” As he smiled at Sweetie Belle he asks, “Did you guys want anything while you’re here? My treat?”

“Thank ya kindly, Spike, but we’re gonna have to take a rain check on that. We have plans to go and play with Diamond Tiara today,” Apple Bloom said as she smiled at him.

Just then Scootaloo smacked her forehead and said, “Was that today?”

Sweetie Belle squeaked as she said, “Don’t tell me you forgot? Why do you think we’ve been looking all over Ponyville for you? Just what have you been doing that was so important that you forgot about our plans?”

Scootaloo giggled nervously and she tried to think of something to say before Spike said, “That was my fault, girls. I was doing something and Scootaloo was giving me a hoof. Sorry about that.”

“Well, I guess it couldn’t be helped then, but we really need to go. Otherwise we’re going to be late,” Apple Bloom said as she looked at her friends.

“Right. Let's go then,” Sweetie Belle said as she and Apple Bloom started running towards the door and they both shouted, “See you later, Spike,” as he waved goodbye to them.

Scootaloo stood up and started to run towards the door as she said, “Wait for me,” before stopping and taking one last look at Spike and shouted, “Thanks again for everything, Spike. See ya later.”

Spike just chuckled and waved as he watched the little filly disappear out of Sugarcube Corner before ordering another coffee and watched the ponies living there day to day lives as they pass by the window. As he took a sip of his coffee, he couldn’t help but giggle as he thought, “I hope those little fillies don’t get into too much trouble.”

After finishing his coffee, Spike decided to go for a walk to kill some time. He even went to the tree where he asked Rarity to marry him and after a while he decided to go back home. As he was making his way back to the castle he saw the CMC and Diamond Tiara covered head to hoof in mud, being lectured by Spoiled Rich. Curious about what was going on, Spike walked over to see what the problem was.

As he got closer he heard Spoiled Rich say, “Diamond Tiara, what have I told you about playing with these country bumpkins,” as the CMC gave Spoiled Rich a sour look after being insulted.

Diamond Tiara stepped forward and looked at her mother as she said, “Mother! These are my friends. Please don’t be so mea-“

“And today of all days when you’re father is bringing some important ponies over to discuss some very important business,” Spoiled Rich said, cutting Diamond Tiara off. As Spoiled Rich looked at her daughter she continued, “I’ve allowed you more freedom and I even tolerate the fact that you are friends with them, but you need to understand that you are a member of the upper crust and spending too much time with them will hurt you in the long run. Why can’t you see I’m just doing what’s best for you.”

Just as Diamond Tiara was about to say something, Spike stepped in and said, “Your mother’s right,” shocking everypony there, even Spoiled Rich. Before anypony had a chance to say anything a grin came onto Spike’s face as he continued to say, “But luckily for you, the CMC don’t care about social standing, cuz if they did they wouldn’t associate with lesser ponies, like your mother.”

As Scootaloo let out a few sneakers of laughter, Spoiled Rich turned to look at Spike and said, “Are you suggesting that they are too good for my little Diamond?”

Choosing not to answer Spoiled Rich, Spike looked at Diamond Tiara and said, “Clearly, you get your smarts from your dad and not your mom, cuz if she had any brains she’d realize that Scootaloo is the little sister of one of the best, if not the best flyer in all of Equestria, and a member of the elite wonder bolts, Rainbow Dash. Sweetie Belle is the little sister of my soon-to-be wife, Rarity, one of Equestria’s greatest fashion designers and Apple Bloom. Well, she is the little sister of Applejack, one of the hardest working ponies around, not to mention she will one day inherit the title of the head of the apple family; a family that is spread all over Equestria and has more land and bits than any pony. They just put it all back into their businesses.” As Spike giggled he said, “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Their sisters are some of the greatest heroes Equestria has ever known. That’s who these little fillies are.”

As Spike turns to look at Spoiled Rich, he grins and says, “What is it you’ve done again?” as his grin gets bigger he says, “Oh yeah, that’s right. You pretend to be more than you are while your husband runs a little shop, a shop, if I understand rightly, he only got because of the apple family.”

Spoiled Rich looked at Spike with venom in her eyes as she shot back, “And what would you know? You may be bigger now, but all you are is a pet that the princess allows to help her. If I was the princess, I would have gotten rid of you a long time ago.” She said as she stood there with a grin on her face as the little fillies all looked shocked at what she just said.

Before any of them had a chance to say anything, Spike burst out laughing, surprising everyone. As he wiped a tear from his eye, he said, “That’s a good one. I haven’t heard that one in a long time.” As he got closer to Spoiled Rich’s face, Spike smiled showing off his sharp teeth as he said, “I assure you, little pony, I am much more than a pet.”

Seeing his teeth, Spoiled Rich took a worrying step back as a bead of sweat came down her forehead. Just then, out the corner of her eye, she saw two royal guards and shouted, “Guards, help this creature is attacking me!” As a grin came on her face.

The two guards came running over and one of them asked, “What’s going on here?”

Spoiled Rich turned to look at them and put on her best acting chops as she said, “This dragon was threatening to attack me and these little ones, please help us!”

In unison the four fillies said, “WHAT!?!”

Before any of them had a chance to say anything, the other guard raised an eye and said, “Wait, this dragon right here?” as he pointed at Spike. Seeing her nod, the guards looked at each other before bursting out into laughter.

Shocked by their reaction, Spoiled Rich said, “What’s so funny about this?”

As one of the guards tried to stop laughing, he said, “Look lady, that’s Spike the Dragon. He wouldn’t hurt a fly,” as his laughter stopped he got a serious look on his face as he looked at Spoiled Rich and said, “Well, that is unless that fly tried to hurt somepony he cared about and if that was the case, I wouldn’t like to be that fly, and there’s not a Royal Guard in Equestria that’s stupid enough to try and stop him either. Even when Spike was still a baby, he could beat a squadron of royal guards without breaking a sweat. The only one that could fight him to a standstill was the former Captain of the Guard Prince Shining Armor, and even then you could tell they were both holding back.”

The other guard chimed in by saying, “Heck, now he’s grown up, if he got serious I’d wager that the only ones strong enough to stop him would be the princesses themselves, and even then it would probably take all four of them.” As the two guards looked at Spike, he smiled and gave them a quick wink before they both looked at each other and smiled, realizing that Spike was just teaching the mare a lesson before the one guard said, “Well, we best be off. Congrats on the wedding, Spike. We’re all looking forward to it.”

As they both started to walk off waving, Spike said, “Yeah, thanks guys. See ya tomorrow.”

As Spoiled Rich stood there watching them walk away, she heard the guards say, “See, this is why I like to come to Sweet Apple Acres and get my own apples. It’s never a dull moment around here.”

The other guard said, “Can you believe that crazy mare wanting us to try and stop Spike? What’s up with the ponies around here? It’s like they don’t know who he is.” As they both started laughing, he then said, “Wait till we tell the others about this. They’re going to crack up when they hear this.”

Just then, Scootaloo excitedly said, “Wow, Spike. I had no idea you were so strong,” as she and the other fillies all giggled and agreed with each other.

Spoiled Rich slowly turned around to look at Spike as he let off a light chuckle and said, “I’m not that strong. I think they were just being nice,” as he looked at Spoiled Rich, he grinned and said, “I am Twilight’s number one assistant for a reason after all. I was trained in all sorts growing up. Celestia saw to that.” As Spike saw a nervous Spoiled Rich still looking at him, he continued to say, “I was hatched and raised in the capital. From your point of view, I would be considered an elite upper crust pony. After all, some of my oldest and closest friends are ponies like Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis.” Seeing Spoiled Rich’s mouth drop open at hearing some of Equestria’s most well known high end ponies made Spike grin even more as he said, “Only silly ponies judge a book by its cover. Wouldn’t you agree, Mrs. Rich?”

Snapping out of her shock as she looked at Spike smiling at her, she understood that he was giving her an out. A way to apologize and still save face. So after clearing her throat she said, “Yes, quite right, Spike. Girls, I’m sorry for snapping like that and to you as well, Spike. I tend to get a bit carried away sometimes. I just worry about my little Diamond so much,” as she lowered her head to them all to show she really was sorry.

As Spoiled Rich raised her head to look at Diamond Tiara, she said, “But with that being said, my little Diamond, that still doesn’t excuse you coming back covered in mud knowing full well that it’s an important day for your father.”

As Spoiled Rich looked at her daughter, she was waiting for her to protest her innocence or make up some kind of excuse. So she was shocked when Diamond Tiara lowered her head sadly and said, “Yes mother. You’re right. I’m sorry. I guess I was just having so much fun that I got carried away.”

Surprised by her honesty, Spoiled Rich gave a little smile as she thought, “Hmm. It seems spending time with these filly friends of hers is starting to rub off on her,” before she cleared her throat and said, “I’m glad you understand. I suppose these things happen from time to time. We should get you cleaned up before your father gets back and we can talk of a suitable punishment later.”

Seeing her daughter nod her head in understanding, Spoiled Rich looked over at the CMC girls and said, “Your friends best come with you. I can’t send them back to their parents looking like that.” Seeing the smile on her daughters face, Spoiled Rich couldn’t help but smile as she said, “I’ll have Randolph, prepare some dinner for you all as well while you get cleaned up.”

Watching the girls get excited about getting to go to Diamond Tiara’s house to play for the first time, Spoiled Rich couldn’t help but chuckle a bit as she stood next to Spike and watched them. She said, “I’m sorry, Spike. I didn’t mean to call you a pet.” After a quick sigh and turning to look at Spike, she said, “No, that’s a lie. I did. It’s just I want so bad to give her the best in life that I will do anything to make that happen. I guess I’ve got so used to hurting others and fighting for what I want to give her, I sometimes forget that she is just a child and just to let her have fun. I am sorry though,” she said as she gave him a smile.

Spike smiled back and said, “It’s only natural to want to give your child the best in life, but take a look at that,” as he pointed to the fillies all jumping around happily making plans for when they go over to Diamond Tiara’s house to play, Spoiled Rich watched as Spike continued to say, “You’re not the only one fighting for her. She’s made some true friends that will stand by her side no matter what. Even if she lost everything, she will never be alone. She’ll always have a place at their side.”

Spoiled Rich couldn’t help but give a warm smile as she heard Spike say that and watched the little fillies playing together before she said, “I suppose your right. Thank you, Spike.”

Just then from behind her, Spoiled Rich heard her husband’s voice as he said, “Speak of the mare.”

As she turned around she saw Filthy Rich walking up to her with two very posh looking ponies as she smiled nervously at her husband and said, “Darling, what are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you for a few more hours.”

Filthy Rich laughed as he hugged his wife and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before he said, “Well, we thought we’d get an earlier train.”

Diamond Tiara happily came running over, hearing her father’s voice and went to give him a hug before Filthy Rich stuck out his hoof to stop her and gave her a raised eyebrow as he said, “Diamond Tiara, just what in Celestia have you been doing? Look at the state of you. You knew daddy had some important ponies coming to visit daddy’s business today.”

Diamond Tiara lowered her head and looked sadly at the floor as she said, “Yes, daddy. I’m sorry. I was playing with my friends and things kind of got out of hoof.”

Just then Filthy Rich rubbed Diamond Tiara’s head, making her look up at him as he gave her a loving smile and said, “Seems I’m not the only one who’s had a busy day. It's only mud just as long as you’re not hurt. I’m happy you had fun, but let’s not make this a habit ok?”

Giving him a big smile Diamond Tiara said, “Yes, daddy.”

Seeing the CMC come running over to stand next to Diamond Tiara, Filthy Rich just chuckled looking at the state of them all as he thought, “I wonder what adventure they went on today.” Before he cleared his throat and said, “Please forgive my daughter's appearance, but I’d like to introduce my family,” as he turned to look at the two ponies behind him. He then pointed to Diamond Tiara and Spoiled Rich.

As the two ponies stepped forward the mare giggled slightly and said, “That’s quite alright, Mr. Rich. Children will be children after all.”

As the stallion laughed, he said, “It’s the job of the young to get up to mischief. It’s what keeps us adults on our hooves after all.”

Filthy Rich laughed and said, “So true. Dear, Diamond, this is Mr. and Mrs. Oran-

Just then, Apple Bloom cut him off by screaming, “Aunt and Uncle Orange! What in Celestia are ya doing here? It’s not time for an apple family reunion?”

They both laughed as Aunt Orange said, “No little, Apple Bloom, it’s not. We’re thinking of selling our orange jams here at Mr. Rich’s Barnyard Bargains. And I must say from everything we’ve heard from Granny Smith, it’s looking like a good business opportunity for both parties involved.”

Uncle Orange smiled at the little filly as he said, “We wanted to get a sense of what his business and family were like. As you know, we may not have apples on our flanks, but we’re apples at the core and that means family.” Making Apple Bloom giggle before he said, “We also still need to go over the finer details with Granny Smith. Celestia knows what she’d do to us if we went and did this behind her back after all.”

Apple Bloom laughed a bit louder and said, “Good call. I wouldn’t want to imagine what would happen.”

Spoiled Rich stood there with her mouth slightly open as she thought, “These high class ponies are a part of the apple family? It’s just like Spike said earlier; the apple family are all over the place.”

As Aunt Orange saw the look on Spoiled Rich’s face, she giggled and said, “We may not look the part of farmers, but I can assure you we have no problems getting our hooves dirty for our business. But like all apples at the core, family is first and foremost. So it’s important to us that anypony we do business with understands that value. I’m curious, Mrs. Rich. What part do you play in your family business? We’ve heard from Mr. Rich how much time and care he puts into Barnyard Bargains but what is it that you do?”

Snapping out of her train of thought, Spoiled Rich started to nervously giggle as she rubbed her head, not knowing what to say. After all she understood how important this was to her husband’s business, but she was a housewife. Most of her days were spent bossing Randolph around and trying to teach Diamond Tiara how to be better than everypony else.

Diamond Tiara seeing her mother getting nervous, stepped forward and said, “My mother has an active role in the community of Ponyville and is head of the school board.” Seeing Aunt Orange look at her, Diamond Tiara got a grin on her face much like when she would plan to do something bad back in the old days when she didn’t like the CMC, which made Spoiled Rich very nervous, as Diamond Tiara continued to say, “However, since I am now getting older, my mother has started to look more into how my father runs Barnyard Bargains. In fact, just a few moments before you turned up, she was saying how important it was for me to understand how our business was started and how important it was to understand how it was a family-run business and that family was at the core of how Barnyard Bargains should be run. That's something we have learnt by doing business with the apple family for so long, no doubt.”

As Diamond Tiara watched her father raise an eyebrow at what she was saying, Aunt and Uncle Orange both smiled in understanding. Just then, a grin came onto Apple Bloom’s face, much like the one Diamond Tiara had, as she stood next to her friend.

“That’s right, Aunt and Uncle Orange. Which is why starting next week after school, Diamond Tiara will be working on the farm with me,” Apple Bloom said with a smile. Before she continued to say, “Mrs. Rich said she couldn’t think of a better way for Diamond to understand how Barnyard Bargains was started than to start at the farm where it all began.”

Just then, Uncle Orange spoke up, “Well it’s clear to me that the Rich family understands how important family is in business and that having good relationships with their business partners is key. Well said, children.”

As Spoiled Rich breathed a sigh of relief, Apple Bloom chuckled and grinned at her before saying, “Oh, that’s not all. Mrs. Rich said since Diamond Tiara is getting older now, she wants to get more hooves on and involved in the family business. That is why starting next week she will be working at the farm alongside Diamond Tiara. She said it will be a good way to spend more time with Diamond as well, killing two birds with one stone as the saying goes.”

Filthy Rich’s mouth fell open as Aunt and Uncle Orange beamed with delight. Spoiled Rich, on the other hoof, was completely in shock and her eyes were as big as dinner plates. This is when Spike leaned over and whispered in her ear with a little giggle, “Those little fillies can be quite crafty when they want to be. It seems they didn’t take too kindly to being called country bumpkins. I guess this is going to be your punishment, so let this be a lesson to you. Don’t get on their bad side. Because you’ll never beat the CMC,” as Spike continued to chuckle, he said, “On the plus side, you couldn’t ask for three greater fillies to stand by your daughters side.”

Hearing what Spike said snapped Spoiled Rich back into reality and as she saw the Oranges and Filthy Rich looking at her, she whispered to Spike, “I suppose your right. Those fillies got me good.” As she saw the excited smile on Diamond Tiara’s face as she put an arm around Apple Bloom and giggled, Spoiled Rich couldn’t help but smile warmly as she said, “But as punishments go, I don’t think getting to spend more time with my daughter is much of one. If it makes my little Diamond this happy, then that’s fine by me.”

Spoiled Rich cleared her throat and looked at Filthy Rich as she said, “Like Apple Bloom said, I want our little Diamond to understand how Barnyard Bargains started, and since I also want to get more involved, I thought we could do it together. I hope that’s ok with you, dear.”

Filthy Rich beamed with pride when he heard Spoiled Rich say that and said, “Are you kidding? I couldn’t be happier,” as he passionately kissed her. The kiss didn’t last long as the giggling from the fillies and hearing Scootaloo say it was gross, made them stop.

Spoiled Rich moved her face away from Filthy Rich, a bit flustered and said, “Dear, not in front of company.”

This made Filthy Rich give off a low giggle as he whispered in her ear, “Then I guess we’ll just have to pick this up later.” Making Spoiled Rich go bright red in the face.

Just then, Filthy Rich cleared his throat and said, “Where are my manners? We got so caught up in business talk that I forgot to introduce everyone.” Filthy looked at the Oranges and said, “These little fillies are my daughters other friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Together with Apple Bloom they are known all over Ponyville as the CMC.”

As the girls happily waved at the Oranges, Aunt Orange giggled as she said, “Oh, we are well aware of the CMC, thanks to Apple Bloom.”

Filthy Rich laughed as he said, “Yes, I suppose you would be,” before looking at Spike and saying, “And this here is Ponyville’s resident dragon and number one assistant to the Princess of Friendship, Spi-“

Uncle Orange laughed, cutting Filthy Rich off and said, “Oh, Mr. Rich, we are well aware of who this dragon is,” as he looked at Spike and smiled. Before he continued to say, “Hello, Spike. It’s been awhile has it not? Congratulations by the way on your wedding tomorrow.”

Spike laughed and said, “Yes, it has been some time, and thank you very much, Mr. Orange.”

“Wait a minute here,” Apple Bloom said jumping in and looking at Spike before saying, “How do you know my Aunt and Uncle Orange?”

This made the three of them laugh as Aunt Orange said, “Why, little Apple Bloom, there isn’t a high class pony in all of a Equestria that doesn’t know of Spike the Dragon. After all, he grew up in Canterlot Castle and was always around at parties and such with his friends. In fact, if memory serves, Spike here was there the day your uncle asked me to marry him.”

Seeing the shocked look on Apple Bloom's face, Spike laughed and said, “Yeah, that’s right. I was with Fancy Pants and the others,” as Spike scratched his head, he continued to say, “Though I was a lot smaller back then,” making Aunt and Uncle Orange laugh.

“Hmm, I had no idea,” Filthy Rich said with a smile as he looked at Spike before he said, “We should probably get going to speak to Granny Smith and get this business sorted with before it gets too late.”

Aunt and Uncle Orange both nodded in agreement and then Aunt Orange looked at Apple Bloom as she said, “You should probably come with us, dear. You’re caked in mud and could do with a good bath.”

Before Apple Bloom had a chance to say anything, Spoiled Rich cleared her throat and said, “Actually, I told Diamond she could bring her friends over to ours to get cleaned up and I thought they could play in her room for a bit while we get some dinner started for them. You don’t mind, do you, dear?”

Seeing the hopeful smiles of his daughter and her friends, Filthy Rich laughed as he said, “No, not at all. Just as long as they don’t get too carried away.” Seeing the little fillies jumping around in excitement, Filth Rich couldn’t help but smile as he looked at his wife watching them as she let out a little giggle and smiled at the girls.

As Spoiled Rich looked over at her husband and saw him smiling at her, she blushed a little before moving a bit of her mane out of her face as she cleared her throat and said, “Yes, well since you’ve got to go past their homes, would you mind just letting Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo’s parents know where they are and tell them I’ll escort them home later?”

Filthy Rich couldn’t help but giggle a little at how cute Spoiled Rich was acting before he said, “Yeah, can do.”

“Well I should probably get going myself,” Spike said with a smile as everyone looked at him. “I got a big day tomorrow and I need to get an early night. I got a feeling it’s going to be a long day.” Seeing the other adults snickering, he looked at the Oranges and said, “Mr. and Mrs. Orange, always a pleaser,” before giving a little bow then looked at Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich as he said, “Take care.” Before he started to walk away, as he waved, he shouted back, “Oh yeah, girls. Have fun and try not to give Mrs. Rich too much of a headache.”

To which the four fillies giggled and shouted back in unison, “We will,” as they waved back and Spoiled Rich could be heard saying, “What!?!” As he saw the little fillies run off and Spoiled Rich chasing after them while Filthy Rich and the Oranges started making their way to the apple farm laughing.

Now walking back into the castle, Spike let out a happy sigh as he said to himself, “Well, it’s been an interesting day to say the least.” After making some dinner and deciding to just take it easy with a good book, Spike couldn’t help but wonder what his friends and his beloved were up to as he took a sip of coffee and smiled.

************

Rarity is walking down the corridor with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step as Fleur de Lis happily giggles as she says, “I must say, Rarity, I was half expecting you to be a mess. I mean it is the day before the wedding. Celestia knows I was all over the place the day before my and Fancy’s big day.”

Rarity smiles at her friend and says, “Yes, I imagine I would have been if not for the help of my friends. With Twilight’s organization and planning skills, I haven’t really had to do anything. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Starlight are setting up the room while Pinkie Pie is baking her heart out with Chef Walnut. I tried to help, but Twilight insisted that I not lift a hoof. Applejack has even brought some of her family’s famous apple cider. I tried to tell her she didn’t have to, but she said it’s an apple family tradition. When I pointed out we weren’t apples, she just laughed and said, ‘You and Spike may not be apples on the outside, but the way I see it yer apples at the core and that’s good enough for me.’ Rarity said with a warm smile as a tear came down her cheek.

Fleur de Lis giggled slightly as she wiped a tear from her friends face and said, “It must be hard for one so generous to be on the receiving end of all that generosity and kindness.”

Rarity giggled a bit and said, “Yes, it’s a lot to take in. To be blessed with such wonderful friends and a dragon that loves me so, I wonder sometimes how I got so lucky.”

Fleur de Lis just smiled as they came to a stop outside of a guest room and as Rarity pushed the door open, they made their way inside. When they went into the room, Opalescence greeted her owner with a quick rub around her legs as she purred and then found a nice cool place on the floor to sleep. Fleur de Lis just stood there for a few moments before she let out a gasp and said, “Oh Rarity. It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you. It was quite hard to make without Spikey seeing it,” She said with a giggle as they both stood looking at Rarity’s wedding dress before Rarity continued to say, “And thank you for suggesting we hold the reception in the garden. It will give the guest more room to move around instead of trying to cram them all into one room.”

Fleur de Lis giggled slightly before smiling and saying, “Well, in truth, that garden holds some great memories for me.” As she saw Rarity smiling warmly at her Fleur de Lis askes, “But still, I wonder why Princess Celestia told Spike he wasn’t allowed in Canterlot till tomorrow.”

Rarity thought for a moment before she said, “Maybe it’s the same reason why Twilight and the girls don’t want me to help; they want to give us the perfect day and don’t want us to worry about anything. And you know Spike. If he were here, he would be running around trying to help everypony set everything up. That’s just what he does. He can’t stop himself,” making her and Fleur de Lis bust into a fit of giggles.

As the laughter died down, there was a knock on the open door. Rarity looked over and saw Rose standing there with a smile and said, “Rose, dear. What a pleasant surprise. Please come in.”

As Rose starts to walk into the room, she says, “Hi, Rarity. I just thought I’d let you know that all the flowers were delivered and have all been sorted now.”

As she comes further into the room, Rarity smiles and says, “Thank you, darling. I’m sure it looks wonderful.” Before looking at Fleur de Lis and saying, “Forgive my rudeness, Fleur de Lis, this is Rose. She owns the best flower shop in Ponyville. I dare say in all of Equestria.”

Rose goes to shake Fleur de Lis’s hoof with a smile. But just then, everything was happening in slow motion. Rose stood on Opalescence’s tail making the cat hiss as she shot across the room and scratched and clawed her way up Rarity’s wedding dress, before using it as a stepping stone to reach a high book shelf for safety, knocking it to the floor in the process as some books fall from the shelf onto the desk below, which in turn knocked some ink onto the floor and all over the white dress, now on the floor.

For a few moments nopony said anything. They just stood in utter shock at what just happened as Opalescence lay perched on the shelf, now cleaning her tail. Rose was the first to speak as she said, “Ra…Rarity, I…I’m so sor-

She was soon cut off by Rarity running over and clinging to her dress as she burst out into tears and screamed, “THIS IS THE WORST POSSIBLE THING!!!!!”

************

After stretching and finishing his book, Spike looked outside to realize it was now night time. He stood up and started making his way up to his old room to sleep, knowing full well that tomorrow was going to be one of the best days of his life. He wanted to make sure he was well rested and ready for what was going to be a long day. As he got into bed with a smile, he thought, “Tomorrow, my love. Sleep well.”

************

As the sleeping dragon laid peacefully asleep in his bed, he was awakened by a sudden loud noise. As he shot up in surprise and ended up falling to the hard floor below, “AAAHHH!!! What’s going on? What’s happening?” Spike said as he looked around in a haze.

“Why it’s your wedding day Spike. That’s what’s happening.” The draconequus said with a little giggle as he floated in front of Spike before clicking his talons together to get rid of the oddly shaped Fluttershy alarm clock floating in mid air.

As Spike stood up rubbing his head and looked at Discord. He sighed and said, “Not that I don’t appreciate the wakeup call, Dizzy, but most creatures tend to do it without giving someone a heart attack.”

Discord giggled and smiled at hearing Spike call him Dizzy, before saying, “But I had to wake you up for your big day and where’s the fun in waking someone up like everypony else? I am the lord of chaos after all. You can’t expect me to be like every other creature. Could you imagine how boring that would be if I was?” The draconequus said with a disgruntled look on his face, making Spike chuckle a bit.

“Anyway, hurry up and go take a shower. Otherwise, your breakfast will get cold,” Discord said as he clicked his talons once again, making Spike’s bed for him as he started to walk out of the room.

Spike raised an eye as he asked, “You made me breakfast? Is it safe to eat?”

Discord turned to look at Spike with a shocked look on his face as he said, “I am capable of doing things normally you know. I just choose not to. Now hurry up or you’re going to be late for your own wedding,” as he walked out the room closing the door behind him.

After having a shower and making his way to the dining room to eat, Spike was pleasantly surprised to see Discord had made some haycakes and coffee for him. As he sat down and started to eat, he looked at Discord and said, “Thanks, Discord. These are pretty good.” As he sipped some coffee, he saw a small smile on Discord’s face, before saying, “After I’ve eaten, I’ve got to go grab Big Mac and the girls. Then, we can go to Canterlot.”

Discord chuckled a bit as he said, “No need. I’ve already dropped them off at Canterlot.”

Getting a bad feeling in his gut and seeing the grin come onto Discord’s face, Spike asked, “Discord, tell me you didn’t wake them up the same way you did me?”

Discord laughed and said, “You should have seen their faces.” As Discord clicked his talons, he grinned as photos of Big Mac and the CMC girls appeared in front of Spike as he said, “Oh wait, you can.”

Spike looked at the photos of the terrified faces of said ponies and said with a sigh, “I told you waking somepony up like that wasn’t a good idea,” as the photos disappeared. Spike took a sip of his coffee before saying, “I wonder what ponies will say when they hear Discord, Lord of Chaos and Disharmony, is being so helpful and punctual, I mean, that doesn’t sound very chaotic after all,” Spike said with a grin.

Discord laughed and said, “And this is why I am the Lord of Chaos. After all, everyone expects me to be late and do some crazy stuff. So what better way to throw them all off than by doing everything on time and right for a change? They’ll never see it coming. That’s what makes chaos so much fun: the not knowing,” as he continued to chuckle.

Spike just rolled his eyes as he grinned before finishing his haycakes and coffee. After breakfast was done, he cleaned up a bit before looking at Discord and saying, “Well, I think we’re good to go. You mind popping us to Canterlot?”

Discord gave Spike a funny look as he said, “What am I? Your taxi? You can do it yourself.”

Spike just ginned and said, “Nope. You’re my best draconequus. It's your job to help me today.” As Spike’s grin got bigger, he laughed as he said, “And can’t you just imagine the smile on Fluttershy’s face when she finds out just how much help you’ve been?”

Discord’s face went red as he started to mumble something before he brought his talons together and said, “That’s a dirty trick, Spike. Well played.” As Discord clicked his talons together, he couldn’t help but smile as a flash of light came over them both.

Now standing in a corridor of Canterlot Castle, Spike chuckled as he looked at Discord and said, “Thanks. Now I guess all I need to do is find my room and get dressed.”

And just as Spike finished saying that, Shining Armor came walking down the hall and said, “Hey, Spike. Right on time. Come on, little bro. Can’t have your big day without the right clothes.”

Spike smiled and said, “Hey, Shining,” as he gave his brother a quick hug before laughing and saying, “Could you imagine what Rarity would do to me? I don’t think even Celestia would be able to stop her if I turned up without my suit. Especially today,” making Discord and Shining Armor laugh.

As Shining Armor and Spike started walking off, they turned to look at Discord as Spike said, “Aren’t you coming? I mean you need to get dressed as well, right?”

Discord just grinned as he clicked his talons and was now standing there in an orange suite as he said, “Done. Now I’m going to go see what fun I can have before all this boring wedding stuff starts.”

As he starts to float off down the hall, Spike and Shining Armor look at one another before Spike said, “Say hi to Fluttershy for us,” with a grin.

Discord stopped in his tracks and looked back over his shoulder and glared at Spike who was now giggling. Before huffing and saying, “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” and continued on his way down the hall.

As Spike stopped laughing, Shining Armor looked at him and said, “You sure it’s such a good idea to wind him up on your wedding day, Spike? I mean he is still the Lord of Chaos.”

Spike just smiled and said, “Don’t worry about it. Discord knows I’m only playing. Besides, he and I both know that’s exactly where he’s going. You heard him yourself. He’s going to go have fun. He may be chaotic, but his idea of a fun time is getting to be around Fluttershy.”

Shining Armor grinned as he looked at Spike and said, “Oh, just like a certain little dragon and his lady?”

Spike smiled as he nodded and said, “Exactly. Just lik-“ Spike stopped hearing Shining Armor giggling and said, “Hey! I see what you did there.”

As they both started to laugh, they made their way down the corridor and into a room. Once inside, Spike walked over to a hanging rack to take his suit out of its black protective cover, so he could get dressed. As he unzipped it, he looked at the suit inside with a confused face and pulled it out and turned to look at Shining Armor while holding it in claw as he said, “Hey, what gives? This isn’t the suit I was meant to wear, this is-“

Shining Armor smiled and said, “No, it’s the suit Celestia wants you to wear. Don’t worry. Rarity approved it as well.” Cutting Spike off.

“Bu…but Shining, this is Royal Guard formal wear. I was never in the guard. Plus, it's captain class. It’s just like your one,” Spike said as he looked at his brother.

Shining Armor giggled as he made his way over to Spike and placed a hoof on his shoulder, before saying, “Spike, you may not have been a member of the Royal Guard, but you trained with us. Heck, there isn’t a guard in Equestria that doesn’t know about you. The way I see it, you’ve been guarding our sister and keeping her and the others safe for a long time now. As far as any of us are concerned, you may not hold the title, but you are most definitely a knight of Equestria, little brother."

Spike just stood there speechless as he thought, “Sure it’s no secret amongst the Royal Guard that I can hold my own and I’m pretty good with a sword, but this...”

As Spike looked at the suit and back at his brother’s smiling face, he said, “Shining, it’s not that I’m not grateful, cuz I am, but I can’t wear this. It's captain class. You know better than any there is only one Captain of the Royal Guard at any given time. That’s the reason you had to forfeit the role when you moved to the Crystal Empire.”

Shining Armor just happily smiled as he listened to Spike finish and then said, “Yep, that’s right. There is only one captain of the Royal Guard at a time. That’s the way it’s always been.” As he laughed he said, “But I think you are forgetting something, Spike.” As Spike looked at Shining Armor, he continued, “Celestia makes the rules. She can change them as well.” Just as Spike was about to say something, Shining Armor stopped him by saying, “Besides, both the current captain and the princesses agreed that it was ok since you’re not an official Royal Guard. Just think of this as your wedding gift from the guards.” As Shining Armor smiled lovingly at Spike, he said, “This is their way of saying that any Royal Guard would proudly follow you into battle and so would I.”

As a tear rolled down Spike’s face, Shining Armor wiped it away and said, “Now hurry up and get dressed. You wouldn’t want to disappoint anypony would you.”

Spike just smiled before shaking his head and decided to get dressed. After putting on the suit he turned to look at Shining Armor and said, “Well, what do you think?”

Shining Armor smiled as he chuckled and said, “It looks good on you, Spike. I mean, not as good as it does on me, but it’s a close second.”

Spike grinned and said, “Oh really? Then maybe I should have been a royal guard instead of Twi’s number one assistant. I mean you never could beat me in a fight.”

Shining Armor let out a big fake laugh as he patted Spike’s head a big harder than needed before he said, “Oh, Spike, we both know I was going easy on you back in the training days. Don’t let all this attention go to your head, little brother.”

As Spike pushed Shining Armor’s hoof away from his head, he said, “Oh really? Cuz if memory serves, it was me that was taking it easy on you!” As he fake giggled.

Shining Armor smirked and said, “Oh, how cute. Well, you were a baby dragon. You probably just couldn’t tell. Not to brag little brother, but I could of beat you blind folded.”

“Oh, yeah? Well I could have beaten you with both claws tied behind my back.” Spike said as he smirked back.

Shining Armor pushed his nose against Spike’s and pushed Spike’s head back a little as he said, “Oh, really? I’d like to see you try!”

Spike not missing a beat, pushed back and said, “Fine by me. Just don’t come crying back to Cadance when I beat you!”

As they both stood there pushing their noses together and glaring at each other, both smirking, they were soon brought out of it with a smack to the head with some rolled up parchment. They looked over at the door to see Twilight with a not-so-happy face.

As they both went to say something, Twilight just stood there with her rolled up parchment in her magic and said, “I came to check up on you and make sure things were running on time and what do I find when I get here? Both my brother’s acting like foals.”

Spike whispered to Shining Armor, “Oh great. Another Twilight lecture.” Getting a laugh out of him, before they both got another smack to the head with the rolled up parchment.

“I’ll never understand why guys feel the need to see who has the bigger ego.” Twilight said as she sighed.

“Aww, come on, Twily. We were just playing around. Right, Spike?” Shining Armor said as he smiled at Spike.

“Yeah, it was just a bit of harmless fun between brothers. No need to get so worked up, Twi,” Spike replied as he smiled.

Looking at both her brother’s smiling faces, Twilight just shook her head before rolling her eyes and made her way over to them. After giving Shining Armor a quick hug, she went to give Spike one before stopping and using her magic to sort out his collar as she said, “There, perfect.”

Spike laughed and pulled her into a hug as he said, “Thanks, sis.”

After breaking the hug, Twilight sat there with a warm smile on her face and said, “My little dragon’s all grown up,” making Spike chuckle slightly.

“Aww, come on, Twily. Don’t start getting all mushy on him,” Shining Armor said as he looked at his sister.

“I’m his big sister. It’s my right to get mushy about him on his wedding day,” she said it so straight faced that it sounded like it was a fact out of one of her books.

Spike couldn’t help but laugh, before he said, “That just means it’s your turn to get married next, Twi.” Before he gave her a chance to object or say anything, Spike grinned and continued, “I’m sure your prince charming is out there somewhere.”

Seeing the slight blush come onto Twilight’s face, Shining Armor held his head up with pride and said, “Hmmm. well, anyone that wants to get to my little sis is gonna have to go through me first.”

“Oh, please Shin-“ Twilight started to say as Spike laughed out loud cutting her off.

Spike finished laughing and said, “Don’t worry about that, bro. After all, I’m a dragon and we don’t give our treasure away to just anyone,” as Spike looked at Twilight and smiled, he continued, “And she is one of the rarest treasures of all, my one and only big sister. Only the best will do for her. Anything else will simply not do, and if they try they’ll be sorry.”

Twilight’s face got redder as she smiled at Spike and Shining Armor burst out laughing as he wrapped an arm around both his siblings and pulled them in close as he said, “You hear that world? Only the best for our sister. Anything else and you’ll answer to us.”

As Twilight went even redder in the face, Spike shouted out, “You got that right,” as him and Shining Armor started laughing.

After a few minutes of just enjoying the closeness of her brothers, Twilight broke the hug and said, “Ok, you two, whatever you say. Now I need to go get dressed. The guest will start arriving soon if they haven’t already.” As Twilight started making her way towards the door, she looked over her shoulder at Spike and said, “You look great, Spike. Rarity’s one lucky mare.”

Spike smiled at her and said, “Thanks, Twi.” Just then a look of horror came on to Spike’s face as he said, “Oh no. How could I have forgotten it?”

Twilight turned back around and asked, “What? What’s the matter, Spike?”

“I got distracted talking to Discord this morning and completely forgot to bring my sapphire necklace. It’s still on the bedside cabinet. I’ll have to quickly pop back and get it.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, before saying, “Don’t worry and hold still.” Just then her horn lit up and a flash of purple light appeared around Spike's neck. When the light died down, Spike’s sapphire necklace was around his neck.

As Spike held the sapphire in his claw and looked at it sparkle, he looked at Twilight with the biggest of smiles and said, “Thanks, Twi. You really saved me. Rarity would have killed me if I forgot to wear this.”

Twilight just giggled as she started making her way back out the door and said, “What are sisters for? I’ll see you in a bit.”

As Spike looked at his sapphire necklace with a smile on his face, Shining Armor asked, “So you nervous?”

Spike giggled and said, “Na. I’ve been waiting for this day since the first moment I saw her.”

Shining Armor raised an eye and said, “What? You knew she would be the mare you married?”

Spike held his necklace in his claw and smiled as he said, “No, but I knew I loved her from the moment I saw her and I held out hope that she would love me back.” As Spike let go of the necklace, he looked at his big brother and said, “Besides, what mare could resist my charms?” As he giggled.

Shining Armor laughed as he wrapped his arm around Spike’s neck and started to give him a nuggy as he said, “I don’t know about that, little bro. Maybe you’re not as charming as you think. I mean, Rarity held out for quite awhile.”

Spike laughed as he pushed Shining Armor off him and said, “Hey, dragons are nothing if not patient, I’d wait an eternity for her.”

Shining Armor just laughed as he started to walk towards the door and as he looked back over his shoulder with a grin, he said, “Ok, Romeo, waitings over. Let’s go and get you married.”

Spike started to walk towards the door and said as he giggled, “You know, technically we’re already married, but it would be nice to see her in a wedding dress.” To which Shining Armor just rolled his eyes and laughed along as they made their way out of the room and down a few corridors before coming to a hall.

As Spike and Shining Armor made their way inside and started to walk down the aisle towards the altar, Spike was surprised to see it was already full of guests from all over Equestria. Dragons, Yaks, Changelings, Hippogriffs, Griffons, even some Crystal Ponies. Spike wondered how they managed to fit them all in. There were a lot of ponies from Ponyville as well. They were all smiling happily at him, some even giving him a wave. Spike started to smile nervously as he continued up the aisle as he could hear some ponies whispering about what he was wearing.

Shining Armor leaned over as they walked and said, “I thought you weren’t nervous,” as he grinned at his little brother.

Spike responded, “I’m not nervous about marrying Rarity, but you know how I get around big crowds,” as he waved back at a few of his friends in the crowd before letting off a quiet sigh and saying, “You sure this was a good idea, me wearing this?”

Shining Armor grinned as he placed a hoof on Spike’s shoulder and whispered, “They seem to be ok with it,” using his eyes to gesture to the Royal Guards around the outer edge of the room. As Spike looked where Shining Armor was looking, he could see the guards all standing proud with smiles on their faces as they watched them walking down the aisle.

Spike couldn’t help but smile at the sight and as they got closer to the altar. He spotted some of his friends from Canterlot in the crowd with some of the biggest smiles on their faces. He even saw Platinum Night and Hazel Walnut. As he got to the altar, he saw Ember, Garble, Novo, Rutherford, Thorax, Gilda and even grampa Gruff all sitting together. As Spike smiled at them all and gave them a quick wave, they all gave a quick slight bow of their heads to him, except Gruff, who was too busy complaining how uncomfortable the chairs were, which made Spike laugh.

Shining Armor pulled Spike into a hug and said, “Well, I got to go find my princess. It’s almost time.” As they broke their hug Spike watched Shining Armor walk off back out the hall.

A few moments after he left, Princess Celestia and Luna came walking out of a side room and walked onto the altar as they both smiled at Spike. Celestia stood there and held her hoof up and as she did the crowd of creatures went quiet and she said, “Mare’s and gentlecolts,” getting some funny looks from some of the creatures, Celestia blushed slightly and cleared her throat before saying, “Welcome everycreature. Please stand as the bride makes her way to the altar.” As soon as she said that, everyone stood as music began to play and the doors opened.

As everyone stood looking, the CMC happily made their way down the aisle spreading flowers as they went, with baby Fluffy Heart on Sweetie Belle’s back holding the rings. Shortly followed by Shining Armor and Cadance, as well as Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were next, then Discord and Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich. As each one made their way to the altar, they smiled at Spike. The guys stood by Spike’s side as the girls all stood to the right and waited for the bride, the last to come was Twilight and Blueblood. As they made their way up the aisle, Twilight couldn’t help but smile as tears began to flow down her cheeks.

As Spike stood there with a warm smile watching, Shining Armor leaned over and whispered, “Liquid pride,” as he laughed.

Spike not taking his eyes off his sister, simply said, “Yeah, I heard it runs in the family," as a tear came down his face.

As they got to the altar, Blueblood stepped to the side and stood by the others, Twilight didn’t move for a few moments and just stood there looking at Spike. As he looked back at her, Twilight smiled as Spike wiped the tears from her cheek and she said, “It’s time, Spike.”

Spike pulled her into a hug as a few tears rolled down his face and he said, “No matter what, I will always be your baby dragon and number one assistant. No power on this earth could ever change what you mean to me, Twi.”

As everyone watched, Twilight broke their hug and wiped the tears from Spike’s face as she said, “And I will always need my best friend and little brother by my side, now and always,” before gently kissing his forehead and standing by the other girls.

As Spike smiled at his sister and his friends, the wedding music started and as he looked over at the entrance, he saw Hondo Flanks all suited up and Rarity looking more beautiful than he ever thought possible. His jaw just stayed open as he watched his mare make her way towards him. As they stood in front of Spike, Hondo Flanks laughed as he said, “You know, son, you’re going to have to take her hoof. Otherwise, this isn’t going to be much of a wedding.”

Spike shook his head, bringing himself out of his trance as he took Rarity’s hoof and smiled as Hondo Flanks kissed his daughter before taking a seat. As Spike looked at her, he asked, “Tha…that dress?”

As Rarity giggled, she responded, “Yes, it goes well with the Fire Ruby, wouldn’t you say, my Spikey-wikey?”

Spike shook his head and said, “No, I mean yes, but I mean-“

Rarity placed a hoof over his mouth stopping him and smiled as she said, “I know what you mean, dear. There was a slight accident and the dress I had planned to wear got ruined. Luckily for us, we happen to know a mare that had a wedding dress I could use.” As Spike quickly looked over to Fleur de Lis as she giggled.

Spike looked back at Rarity as she continued, “Although I was against it at first, she quickly reminded me that it was given to her by a dear friend when she was in need of a dress. She said that it only seemed right that she now passed it on to another friend in need. That, and if I was going to marry my prince I needed a princess dress,” Rarity giggled as she finished.

Spike held her cheek and as he moved in to kiss her, he whispered, “You’re no princess. You’re my queen,” before he passionately kissed her on the lips. As they continued their kiss, they were brought to a stop as Luna cleared her throat and said, “Correct me if I’m wrong dear sister, but I believe that comes at the end of the ceremony, not at the start.”

Hearing everyone snickering and laughing, Rarity and Spike broke their kiss now both with red faces. They turned to look at Celestia as Spike rubbed his head whilst giggling and Rarity was trying not to go any redder.

Celestia smiled warmly at them both before nodding her head and everyone sat back down. As Celestia took one last look around the room at all the creatures gathered for today, she turned back and looked at Spike and Rarity before she started, “Dear creatures of the world, we are gathered here today to bear witness to the union of Rarity and Spike. It is no secret to anyone here that they have done, along with their friends, some amazing things for all the creatures of this world.”

As Celestia said that, some of the crowd started shouting out random facts, “Nightmare Moon, Hero of the Crystal Empire, the Storm King, Chrysalis...” That’s when a loud bang went off and a spotlight went on to Discord as party streamers and confetti came down as he shouted out, “ME!!!” Making everyone burst out into laughter.

As the laughter died down, Celestia shook her head and finished giggling, before she said, “Like I was saying, it is no secret to anyone that they have been a big help and played some very important roles in making Equestria what it is today. The strength of their commitment is clear. The love they have, not only for each other, but their families and friends is undeniable,” as Celestia looks to the side, Cadance uses her magic to float Flurry Heart over with the rings.

Floating in front of Spike and Rarity with a cushion that had two rings on, Flurry Heart starts to giggle and gurgle as she says, “Ike, Ike.” After Rarity and Spike both take a ring, Spike gave baby Flurry Heart a nuzzle and a quick kiss on the head, making her giggle some more before she was floated back over to Cadance.

As Spike placed a ring on Rarity’s horn and she placed a ring on his claw, they stood there and smiled at each other lovingly, as Celestia said, “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Now, you may kiss your bride,” making a few of their friends chuckle.

As Rarity leaned in to kiss Spike, he grabbed her and spun her around and into a dip, which caught her by surprise as she looked up at him. He gave her that same goofy look she loved so much and as she placed a hoof on his cheek, she said, “You are such a dork sometimes, you know that Mr. The Dragon?” As he moved his face closer to hers.

Spike chuckled slightly and said, “Yeah, but now I’m your dork, Mrs. The Dragon.”

Rarity giggled and whispered, “You most certainly are mine,” before their lips connected. They stayed like that for a few seconds as the crowd roared and cheered and after breaking their kiss and holding each other for a moment. They soon found themselves being pulled in to hugs as their friends congratulated them both.

After a few moments, Celestia raised her hoof once again and the room went quiet. As Spike turned to look, expecting to see a smile on Celestia’s face, he was shocked to see her sad looking face. Before he had a chance to say anything, Celestia spoke, “My dear guest, although this is a joyous day, there is something I must tell you all.”

As everyone looked on worried, Spike was about to ask what was wrong, before Celestia said, “I’ve been keeping a secret from you all that I can no longer keep.” Hearing her say that Spike’s heart started to pound in his chest and as he went to say something, Celestia placed her hoof on his lips and gave him a loving smile, before continuing to say, “Spike the dragon, is not who he says he is.”

As the crowd starts chattering and whispering, Spike begins to get even more worried as she carries on speaking, “It is true he is a hero, a friend and number one assistant to Twilight Sparkle,” after she takes a breath she holds her head up and says, “But he is also, my son.”

Spike looks at her almost in tears himself as he says, “Cele-“

“NO!!!” Celestia shouts, cutting him off as she starts to cry and the crowd goes silent, she places her hoof on Spike’s cheek and says, “Not today. Not on your wedding day. Just one day where we don’t have to pretend. Just let me hold you without having to worry what anyone else thinks. Just let me be your mom.” As she says that, she and Luna both place their crowns on the floor, at his feet, to the gasp of every creature in the room.

Spike pulls her into a hug and starts to cry as he says, “You are my mom, you silly old mare.” After that he pulls Luna into the hug as well and they hold each other.

Celestia whispers, “Forgive me, Grandpa, but the only wish I ever had was to be able to hold my child like a mother on his wedding day. I just wanted to join in on your happiness without having to hold myself back because of some stupid crown.”

Spike just chuckled as he said, “There is nothing to forgive. You really are your mother’s daughters. I never could say no to my little filly Lilly either.” Making Celestia and Luna both giggle.

After parting from one another, the three looked at the crowd of silent creatures. Just as Celestia cleared her throat to go and say something, the crowd roared with cheers, making the three blush. Some of the ponies even shouted out, “What’s wrong with a mother wanting to show her son some affection? It’s only natural.” As the three of them smiled, Spike wrapped an arm around both Celestia and Luna and said, “Your citizens have spoken. You have a duty to fulfill,” as he kissed Luna on the cheek and then just before kissing Celestia, he said, “You wouldn’t want to disappoint anypony, right mom?” Before kissing her on the cheek making her blush as the crowd continued to cheer.

As the cheers died down, Spike laughed and bent over and picked up the two crowns off the floor and as he placed them back on their heads, he said, “Silly aunty and mother, you seemed to have dropped these. What would you do without me?” making a few of the creatures in the crowd snicker and giggle.

After one more quick hug from both of them, Luna laughed and said, “Who knows, my nephew? Maybe we should ask your wife,” before using her magic to turn him around and push him towards a waiting Rarity.

Spike giggled as he looked at his beloved and was about to say something before Rarity jumped into his arms and said, “Mine,” as she kissed him. As everyone started to clap and cheer once again, one of the guards shouted out, “Jeez, Spike. What’s yer secret with the mares?” making everyone laugh.

Spike broke his kiss with Rarity and as he smiled at her, he shouted out, “Patience and natural charm,” making Rarity giggle as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Just then, the CMC started getting excited as Apple Bloom said, “Wait a minute. If Spike’s Celestia’s son, does that make him a prince?” Then Sweetie Belle said, “If Spike’s a prince does that make my sister a princess?” Then Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Belle and said, “Wait, if Rarity’s a princess does that make you a princess now too?”

Rarity laughed getting the girls attention as she said, “Oh, girls. Why would Spike want to be a prince?” Getting a funny look from the CMC, Rarity continued to say with a smile on her face, “Why would he settle for the title of prince when the title of number one assistant is so much more?” As Spike pulled her into a hug she kissed him and said, “Besides, he’s always been my knight in shining scales. What more could a girl ask for?”

Celestia smiled and said, “Well, with that, I think it’s time to move on to the reception in the garden, if the bride and groom would be so kind to lead the way.”

Just then, a few Royal Guards walked down the aisle and stood on either side and drew their swords, making an arch. A bit confused, Spike raised an eye as the captain stood there and said, “What? It's tradition to have a knight and his lady leave like this.”

Rarity giggled slightly as she bowed and held out her hoof, before saying, “Well, my knight, would you be so kind as to escort me to this soiree?”

Spike chuckled as he bowed and kissed her hoof before he said, “It would be an honor, my lady.” As they started walking down the aisle, creatures were throwing flower petals at the happy couple. As they come to the doors, one maid opened her side with a smile, whilst the other older one on Spike's side opened it and lowered her head to bow to him. Spike stopped and said, “No, you don’t have to do that, I’m-“

The mare raised her head and smiled at him and said, “I remember you’re just Spike, the number one assistant to Twilight Sparkle. I haven’t forgotten,” cutting him off.

As Spike smiled back and nodded he and Rarity carried on and as they went through the door, Rarity caught a glimpse of a scare on the mare’s arm. As they walked down the corridor Rarity asked, “Spike, was tha-“

Spike smiled as they made their way towards the garden and said, “Yeah, that was the head maid. I told you she still worked here,” cutting her off.

Once Spike and Rarity, along with the other guest made it to the garden, the music started to play and everyone watched as Spike took Rarity’s hoof and escorted her to the middle of the dance floor for their first dance as a married couple. They stood on their hind legs and waltzed around the dance floor like they were gliding on ice as everyone watched. Spike never took his eyes off Rarity even for a second. As the song came to an end, Spike dipped Rarity and passionately kissed her to the cheers of the crowd.

After their dance was over and more music began to play, Spike told everyone to come join in and dance. For a few seconds, however, no other creature moved. That was until surprisingly Fluttershy, known for being shy, came onto the dance floor dragging Discord along with her, making a few creatures giggle and whisper. As Spike and Rarity watched the shy mare take charge, Rarity couldn’t help but giggle as she said, “Well, I never thought Fluttershy would be so bold.”

Spike laughed as he winked at a now red faced Discord and said, “When it’s for the ones we love, even the shy can become brave. I think this is just Fluttershy’s way of trying to tell a shy draconequus that she’s ok with being seen with him like this, that she wants more. The fact that the Lord of Chaos, who can come and go as he pleases, didn’t do so is his way of showing her how much he cares for her.”

Rarity giggled as they continued to slow dance and said, “Hmm. It sounds somewhat familiar wouldn’t you agree, my husband?”

Hearing Rarity say that made Spike laugh as he nodded his head. Shortly after Fluttershy and Discord started to dance, more creatures came on to the dance floor. One pair that surprised Spike was Ember, dragging a red faced Garble on the floor, as he shouted, “I don’t wanna!” To which Ember just firmly said, “Tuff. If this is something ponies do at wedding, we’re going to do it too,” a bit red faced as she stood him up to dance.

Spike chuckled and shouted over to Garble, “Just give up and submit. You aren’t going to win against her, Garble.”

Ember turned around to look at Spike and shouted back, “You want a piece of me, Spike!?” All red faced.

Spike laughed back and said, “Na. I’ll leave it to Garble. Who knows? With enough training he may just be what the Dragon Lord needs.”

Seeing Ember glare at him, Spike nervously giggled, before he watched Garble turn her around to face him before he bowed slightly and held out his claw and said, “Wou…would you do me the honor of dancing with me, my Dra…Dragon Lord?”

Ember went completely quiet and even redder in the face as she saw Garble looking up at her with a nervous look.

Ember cleared her throat and took his claw as she said, “It’s about time. Now it’s time to show these ponies a thing or two.”

Rarity giggled at the sight as she said, “Oh my. It seems Garble has learnt how to be a bit more of a gentledrake from watching you, Spikey-wikey.”

Spike just laughed at hearing that and said, “Well, who better to learn from than the master. Right, my lady?”

Rarity giggled and wrapped her arms around Spike as she said, “Who indeed,” before kissing him.

As they broke their kiss, Spike and Rarity heard Applejack and Rainbow Dash arguing as they made their way to the dance floor, “I’m the better dancer, RD.” Applejack said, as Rainbow scoffed back, “You wish, AJ. I could out dance you any day.”

As Spike watched them starting to dance together, he said, “I’d wish they would stop pretending that they are just competing with each other and just be honest about how they feel. It’s kind of funny how the Elements of Honesty and Loyalty can’t be honest and loyal to their own feelings.”

Rarity watched as the two got closer together when they thought no one was watching and smiled as she said, “Hmmm. But I’m sure they’ll get there on their own some day. The important thing is when that time comes, we’re there for them, ready to support them like the friends we are.”

After saying that, they see Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich off in a quiet part of the dance floor, surprisingly being very normal and quiet. This was a surprise in and of itself. They both just smiled and put it down to the fact that even party ponies like to have some quiet time together from time to time.

Just then, Spike stops dancing and sees Twilight standing on the edge of the dance floor by herself. Just as his body starts to move towards his sister, Rarity stops him and points at Blueblood, who is making his way over to Twilight. Rarity placed her hoof on Spike’s shoulder and smiled warmly at him.

Spike smiles back at her before looking over at Twilight and watching as Blueblood comes up next to her and says, "Hi." Thanks to his dragon hearing he could hear everything, even over the music and as he watches on, Blueblood nervously asked Twilight if she wanted to dance with him. She blushes slightly and says she doesn’t know how to dance. At which point Blueblood said, “I could teach you if you want.” As she looks at him, he starts to go red in the face and says, “I mean, I know how much you like to learn new things and I already know how, so it makes sense if you think about it.”

“Using logic. Nice thinking, Bluey,” Spike thought to himself as he chuckled slightly as he watches on. Twilight went a bit red in the face and looked down at the floor as she said, “I…I wouldn’t want to embarrass you,” at which point Blueblood lifted her chin up and said with a serious face, “Nothing you could do, would ever embarrass me, Twilight Sparkle.”

At this point Spike laughed and said, “Smooth one, Blueblood.”

Rarity jabbed Spike in the side getting his attention and said, “No fair. I can only see them. I can’t make out what they’re saying, Spikey.”

Spike looked at his mare and giggled as he said, “Sorry, sweetheart. Long story short, I think Blueblood's efforts are going to pay off very shortly,” as he looked back over to Twilight and Blueblood, he heard Twilight say, “Tha…that’s sweet of you Blue, but you’re a prince and I wouldn’t want to make you look like a fool in front of everyone.” Hearing that Blueblood laughed and said, “And you’re a princess. I say we go out there and just have fun. Who cares if we look like fools? There’s nopony I’d rather have by my side, foolish or otherwise, than you.” Blueblood grabs Twilight's hoof and drags her onto the dance floor as he says, “Let’s show these creatures how we royals have fun.” For the first time in her life, Twilight was lost for words and completely red in the face as they stood there on the dance floor.

Spike chuckled and watched as Blueblood held her up and started to teach her how to dance. Of course, she stepped on his hooves a lot and they even bumped into a few other guests, but they looked happy.

After a few more dances, Spike and Rarity, along with their friends, decided to take a break and sit at a table and just relax. As they all sat there chatting happily away and drinking, the CMC girls came running over to hang out with them for a bit.

It’s at this point Scootaloo started to get a bit nervous and kept looking at Rainbow Dash. Of course, Rainbow noticed and said, “Hey, squirt. You either want to ask me something or you need to pee. Which is it?”

Scootaloo started to dig at the floor and said, “I want to ask you something, I just don’t know how.”

Rainbow raised an eye at that and said, “Well, just come out and say it. I’m listening.”

At this point, Scootaloo quickly glanced over at Spike and as he smiled at her, he breathed in and out slowly. Closing her eyes and remembering what she learned, she breathed in slowly and said, “I’d rather show you.” Just then she spread her wings and slowly started to fly up into the air as everyone looked on in amazement and silence. When she was high enough up in the air, she looked back down and smiled at Rainbow Dash as she said, with a tear in her eye, “I was hoping you could teach me the ropes on how to fly.”

Rainbow sat there with her mouth open for a few minutes before bolting up into the air and grabbing Scootaloo and spinning her around in a hug before saying at the top of her voice, “You can fly, squirt! Of course, I’ll show you the ropes! when I’m done with you, you’ll be the fastest pony in the skies!"

As they landed back on the ground, Scootlaoo couldn’t stop smiling as everypony congratulated her. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle jumped on top of her and they all fell to the floor laughing. As they all got back up, Apple Bloom asked, “How did you learn to fly, Scoots?” Before Scootaloo had a chance to answer, Sweetie Belle asked, “When did you learn to fly?”

Scootaloo laughed and said, “Yesterday is the when and as for the how,” as she quickly glanced over at Spike and back to her friends, she said, “I learned that just cuz you flap your wings hard doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to fly. I learned that it’s the magic in me that lets me fly just like how you can use magic as a unicorn, Sweetie, or how you’re so good at all that farming stuff, and really strong, Apple Bloom. It all comes from the magic inside of us. I just had to find it.” As she rubs the back of her head, she says, “I guess it just took me awhile is all.”

As Rainbow pulled her into a hug and rubbed her head she said, “Who cares how long it took you, you can fly?” As she happily squeezed her.

Scootaloo broke the hug and laughed as she said, “Well, I wouldn’t call it flying just yet. More like hovering in one spot. But it’s a good start.”

Rainbow Dash laughed and said, “Yeah, it is.”

Apple Bloom jumped up and said, “Come on, girls. We gotta go show the others. Just wait till they see you flying, Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom grabs Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo and they go running off to find their friends.

After the girls are out of sight, Rainbow Dash took a drink from her cup and smiled as she looked at the table and said, “Thanks, Spike. I don’t know how you did it, but you really helped her. I owe ya one.”

Spike looked away and nervously laughed as he said, “I don’t know what you mean, Rainbow. I didn’t do anything,” as he picked up his cup and started to drink from it, whilst still laughing.

Rainbow Dash didn’t shout or make a fuss. She just looked at him and smiled calmly as she said, “Give it up, Spike. You're a worse liar than AJ, and that’s saying something. Did you forget who you’re talking to? I saw her glance at you when she was talking to the girls. I just wanted to say thanks, is all.”

Spike put his cup down and smiled at her as he said, “You don’t have to thank me, Rainbow. Scoots means a lot to me too. She’s my friend after all.”

Rainbow Dash leaned over the table and said, “Ya just made yourself 20% cooler in my books, dragon boy,” before taking Spike and everypony there by surprise and kissing him.

Spike leaned back in his chair as Rainbow Dash started to laugh and Rarity shot up and screamed as her horn started to spark and shouted, “Rainbow Dash, just what do you think you are playing at?!”

Rainbow Dash gulped at seeing the anger in Rarity’s eyes as she stopped laughing and said, “Wait, wait. Look sure I like Spike and all just fine, but not like that.” As she looked up at Rarity with a sad face she continued, “I’m… I’m not very girly. Being all fru-fru, is your thing. It’s just dragon boy there did something super amazing and it was the only way I could think of showing how grateful I am. It was a thank you is all. I thought you fru-fru types, do that sort of thing all the time.”

As Spike smiles warmly at Rarity, she starts to calm down as she looks at Rainbow Dash and says, “Firstly, I am not fru-fru, and secondly we don’t kiss others on the lips, Rainbow Dash!” As Rarity glares at her, she says, “But most importantly, friend or no, if you ever kiss my dragon on the lips again, no pony will ever find your body.”

She said it in such a calming manner that a chill ran down Spike’s back as he said, “Rarity!” Surprised and shocked at what she just said.

Rainbow Dash just laughed and smiled as she said, “I hear ya, Rarity,” before looking at Spike and saying, “It’s cool. I respect that. A mare’s got a right to fight for what’s hers,” before she smirked at him and said, “It seems dragons aren’t the only ones that are protective of their treasure,” as she let out a laugh before saying, “But consider that a preview of what married life’s gonna be like, if you ever get on her bad side, dragon boy.”

As Rarity turns to look at Spike and bats her eyelashes at him all innocently, Spike gulped and said, “Thanks for the warning,” as Rarity kisses him on the cheek and the other girls begin to laugh.

Just then, Pinkie Pie pops up in front of Rarity with a grin and says, “Oh, Rarity, you silly filly, it’s just a kiss.” As she says that, she grabs hold of Rarity’s face and plants a big wet kiss right on Rarity’s lips, before wiping her mouth and laughing.

As the girls sat there laughing at the shocked look on Rarity’s face, Spike chuckled and said, “Who else but Pinkie?” Making everyone laugh some more at the pink ponies antics.

Twilight stopped laughing and put her glass down and looked at Spike and asked, “While it’s great that Scootaloo can fly now, I am curious just how you managed to help her Spike.”

Spike picked up his glass and giggled as he said, “Well, I did spend all that time studying with you, Twi. I was bound to learn some things.” As the others giggled at hearing that, Spike grinned a little before saying, “Besides, who do you think taught Lilith to fly when she got her wings?”

The girls all just looked at Spike as he took a sip from his cup and smiled at them. Just then, the music finished playing and Sapphire Shores made her way onto the stage. As she looked around at everyone she said, “Now, I don’t normally do weddings. Not my thing. But I’ll make an exception for a dear friend,” as she looks over at Spike sitting there and smiles at him. Before saying, “Now if the groom would be so kind as to come onto the dance floor for a moment.”

As all the guests look at Spike, he shrugs his shoulders and stands up and walks onto the dance floor and looks at Sapphire Shores curiously. She lets out a little laugh as she looks at him before saying, “Now many of you here probably don’t know this, but a certain dragon we all know just so happens to be very talented in a number of things and it got me thinking. What could I give him as a wedding gift?” As Spike raised an eye at her, she continued to say, “Then it hit me. He studied music for a long time back in his Canterlot days, and luckily for me, I just so happen to know the daughter of his former teacher,” as she said that, she turned and gave a now giggling Octavia, who was making her way off stage with her friends behind her, a quick wink before looking back out at the crowd and saying, “So we spent some time going through some of his old work and wouldn’t you know, I just so happened to come across an old song he wrote.”

As the color drained from Spike’s face at where this was going, Sapphire Shores smiled and said, “So I thought since it was his wedding day and it was well written and composed, I thought I may sing it for you all.” As she looked at Spike starting to shake his head, embarrassed, the crowd started to cheer. She just smiled at him and said, “Tell me if you remember this, Spike," before she began to sing.

Think of every fellow creature,
Lend them a helping claw,
Put a little love in their hearts.

Just then, a piano started playing as the curtain opened from behind her and Fancy Pants was sat playing at the Piano as he began to sing.

The day is getting late,
Please do not hesitate,
Tomorrow could be one day too late,
Put a little love in their hearts.

Spike stood there shocked at what he was seeing. Just then, a number of cleaning, cooks and other staff from Canterlot castle came on to stage and started doing a choreographed dance number. From the side of the curtain, Fleur de Lis came walking out in an old cleaning uniform with a smile. As some of the guest gasped at her, she began to sing.

If you want the whole world to show,
You won't let hatred grow,
Put a little love in their hearts.

As she made her way over to Fancy Pants’ side, she sang,

For you,

And they both sang,

And me,

As Fleur de Lis sang,

You just wait and see,

Just then, Hoity Toity came walking out and sang,

If you want the whole world to show
You won't let hatred grow,
Put a little love in their hearts.

Followed by Photo Finish coming out and singing,

And the world,

As she sang, the staff followed

(And the world)

Will be a better place,
All the world (And the world) will be a better place,
For you (For you) and me (And me),
You just wait (Just wait) and see,

As Photo Finish was singing, Sapphire Shores made her way onto the dance floor and smiled at Spike as she took the shocked dragon by the claw and led him up onto the stage. As the staff danced, his friends all gathered around him by the piano and smiled at him, Sapphire Shores giggled and said, “Take it home, sugar.”

Spike snapped out of his trance and looking at all his friends. He smiled as a single tear rolled down his cheek as he belted out,

Look closely all around you,
And you will understand,
Put a little love in their hearts.

As the crowd cheered, Sapphire Shores smiled and sang,

And the world (And the world)

Followed by Fancy Pants,

Will be a better place,

Then Fleur de Lis,

And the world (And the world),

Hoity Toity was next,

Will be a better place,

Followed by Photo Finish,

For you (For you) and me (And me),

And then they all sang together,

You just wait (Just wait) and see,
Put a little love in their hearts.
Put a little love in their hearts.

As things were wrapping up, they all looked at Spike. As Fancy Pants played the last few notes, Spike sang.

Look closely all around you,
And you will understand,
There's no greater art,
Than putting love in their hearts.

As his friends all hugged him, the crowd roared with excitement and cheers of joy as Spike looked out at the crowd to the table where Rarity was sitting. He could see his friends all cheering while Pinkie Pie was bouncing up and down, excited. As he looked over at his wife, she was just sitting there with a smile on her face looking at him and no one else.

Sapphire Shores shooed Spike and her other friends off stage, as the crowd still cheered before she began to sing a few songs. Spike and his friends made their way over to Rarity and the others. They all greeted each other before pulling up a few extra chairs and sat down at the table.

Fleur de Lis giggled as she asked, “So how did you all like our little show?” As everyone told her how much they enjoyed it, she smiled and said, “I’m glad you all liked it. You wouldn’t believe how much we all practiced to make sure we got it right.”

Fancy Pants laughed and said, “Yes, it turned out well, I think. It’s a good thing Spike here still remembered the words, otherwise that could have been embarrassing.”

As everyone laughed, Spike said, “Like I would forget the words to one of my own songs,” before taking a sip from his glass and asking, “How did you manage to get the staff involved? Also, what’s with the uniform anyway Fleur?”

Fleur de Lis laughed and said, “Well, getting the staff involved was easy. We just told them what we were planning and asked if they wanted to take part.” As she looked down at her uniform, a soft warm smile came onto her face before she said, “As for this, I don’t know. Being back in the royal garden with you, I guess I just got a little nostalgic for the good old days. It kind of felt right to wear it for one last time, ya know.”

Spike couldn’t help but smile at that. Just then, a flash went off and Photo Finish said, “I think this group photo will do very nicely for the collection,” as she smiled at Spike.

Hoity Toity laughed and said, “This may be your wedding day, Spike, but you know it’s not a Canterlot party unless we’re all together.” As he nods his head, some waiter ponies came over holding a few bottles of wine and as he popped one of them, he grinned and said, “I know you Ponyville mares like a good party, but right now we’re not in Ponyville and this little group of friends has their own way of doing things.”

Applejack laughed and said, “I like the way you think, Hoity,” before grinning and pulling out a barrel from underneath the table, with an apple sticker on and placing it on the table as she said, “But how about you put down that water and join us in a real drink?”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up as she said, “Oh yeah, now the fun's really getting started,” as she licked her lips.

Hoity Toity laughed as he held out his glass and said, “By all means, my dear. I’m not one to turn down a ladies invitation for a drink.”

As Applejack started pouring drinks, Blueblood, Discord, and Cheese Sandwich all came over and Discord magic upped some chairs for them all. As drinks were handed out, Fancy Pants said, “Before we drink, it’s kind of one of our things to have a little toast,” as Fancy smirked at Spike, he said, “If you wouldn’t mind, Spike.”

Spike sighed as he said, “Why is it always me?”

Sapphire Shores walked over to him from behind and said with a smile, “Because, we like it when you make the toast.” As Fancy Pants hands her a glass, Discord makes a chair for her to sit down.

Spike grins and says fine, “As I look at you all sitting here, I realize just how lucky I am. The Magic of Friendship truly is a wondrous thing,” as Spike’s grin gets bigger, he says, “My friends are the best of friends, loyal, willing and able. Now let’s get to drinking! All glasses off the table!” Everyone starts to laugh as Spike says, “Cheers.”

They all sat around the table as they watched Trixie performing her magic show with the help of Starlight as laughter and chatting filled the air. As the magic show came to an end with a round of applause, Octavia and her friends made their way back on stage and started to play some music. A grin came onto Fleur de Lis’s face as she looked at Rarity and asked, “Rarity, I know it’s your wedding and all, but would you mind terribly if I stole a dance with a certain dragon,” still looking at Rarity, Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “It just occurred to me that I never got the chance to dance with him before.”

As Rarity giggled, she said, “Not at all, Fleur, my dear.”

Fleur de Lis looked at Spike and grinned as she said, “Well, Spike, it’s been a few years but would you like to dance?”

As Spike laughed, he stood up and bowed his head as he stretched out his claw and said, “Fleur de Lis, would you care to join me for a dance?”

As Fleur de Lis laughed she stood up and bowed, now with a smile on her face she took his claw and said, “It would be my honor, kind sir.”

Just then, Fancy Pants stood up and said, “Well, in that case, Mrs. Rarity, would you do me the honor of a dance?” as he bowed to her.

Rarity giggled and said, “I would be delighted, Mr. Fancy Pants.” As she took his hoof and they all made their way to the dance floor and began dancing. Shortly after, the others all came to the dance floor with their respective partners to join in on the fun.

As Spike looked around, he couldn’t help but smile at his friends and even let out a little giggle as he watched Twilight dancing with Blueblood and doing much better this time. As he looked over at his wife, he said to Fleur, “Thank you, Fleur.”

She looked at Spike a bit confused and said, “For what, Spike?”

“For giving Rarity your princess dress. I know how important that was to you.” Spike answered with a smile.

Fleur de Lis giggled and said, “Yes, well, I already got my prince, it only seemed right I helped her get hers. Besides, it suits her, don’t you think?”

Spike laughed and said, “Yeah, it really does.”

As their dance came to an end, Spike made a point to dance with each of his friends and Rarity did the same. She made sure to have a dance with her father as Spike shared a dance with her mother.

As Spike and Rarity began to leave the dance floor together, he saw the dragons laughing and having fun with some other creatures. He looked at Rarity and said, “You got one more dance in you, Rarity?”

As Rarity followed where Spike was looking, she grinned and said, “I believe I do, my Spikey-wikey.” Before she kissed him and they made their way over to the table the dragons were sitting at.

As they got to the table, Ember smiled and said, “Hey, Spike. Hey, Rarity. Congratulations again,” As she picked a gem from a bowl and munched on it, she said, “It was nice of the ponies to have some gems here for us dragons. Don’t get me wrong, the food's good, but you can’t beat a good gem.”

As Spike picked a gem out of the bowl and quickly munched it, he laughed and said, “I know what you mean.” As he smiled at Ember he said, “I was hoping the Dragon Lord would do me the honor of sharing a dance with me?”

Ember coughed a bit and said, “I don’t know, Spike, I’m not that great a dancer.”

Spike gave her the doggy eye look and said with pouty lips, “But, it’s my wedding day and I want to dance with my friend.”

Ember smirked and said, “Fine. As Dragon Lord, I guess I could manage a dance with you. But you’ve been warned, dragon.” As she took Spike’s claw, he laughed and they made their way to the dance floor.

Rarity stood there and watched as Garble was looking at Spike and Ember. A smile came onto her face as she cleared her throat to get his attention. Garble looked at her with a raised eye, wondering why she was standing there with her hoof raised, looking at him.

Rarity giggled and shifted her eyes to the dance floor, then back to him. Garble finally got the hint and said, “Look, I’m not really into this whole dancing thing, ok?” But as he looked over at Ember and Spike one more time, he sighed and said, “But I guess one dance with a pony won’t kill me. Come on.”

As Garble started to walk, he turned back to see that Rarity hadn’t moved and said, “Well, you coming?”

Rarity raised her eye at him and said, “Well if this is how you treat a lady, how do you hope to find a nice dragoness to be your mate with manners like that?”

Garble sighed heavily and said, “Fine.” As he held out his claw he asked, “Would you like to dance?”

Rarity giggled as she placed her hoof in his claw and said, “You still need work, but that’s better. I would love to dance. Thank you,” and they made their way onto the dance floor.

As Spike watched them come onto the dance floor, he laughed as he looked at Ember, who kept looking down at her feet. She looked up and glared at him as she said, “Are you laughing at me!?” I told you dragons don’t do dancing, we’re not like you, you know.”

Spike giggled and said, “Well, I was trained from a very early age, but if you would like a tip, the trick is not to look down at your feet and just go with the flow as it were.”

As Ember looked at Spike, he could see she was still thinking where to step and put her feet, so he smiled and asked, “How’s Garble doing? Is his training going well?” In hope it would take her mind off of the dancing.

Ember smiled and said, “Yeah, his coming along really well. In fact, he’s doing better than I thought he would. He really is working hard.”

It seemed to have worked as Ember was talking she stopped thinking about her feet placement and just went with the flow of the dance. A smirk came onto Spike’s face as he thought, “I wonder,” before saying, “Maybe it’s not the training. Maybe he feels like he has something to prove, or just maybe he’s trying to get the attention of a certain dragoness.”

Ember’s face went red as she said, “What!?! Don’t be silly, Spike.”

Spike laughed and said, “I don’t know, Ember. He hasn’t stopped looking at us since I asked you to dance.” As Spike said that, Ember quickly looked over and saw Garble looking at them and after they made eye contact, Garble quickly looked away as Ember turned back around to look at a now giggling Spike, with an even redder face.

After they finished dancing, they made their way back to the table and Spike bowed slightly as he said, “Thank you for the dance, Ember.”

As Rarity wrapped her arm around Spike’s, she giggled and said, “Yes, thank you, Garble. Although, you still have much to learn in the ways of how to treat a lady,” she looked at Ember and smirked as she continued, “I’m sure with the right inspiration, you could become a true gentledrake.” Letting off another giggle seeing Ember starting to go a bit red in the face.

As Spike and Rarity started to walk away, Spike said, “Well, we’ll leave you kids alone to enjoy yourselves,” as he waved a claw and Rarity giggled along as she said, “Have fun. Tata.” As they continued to laugh as they walked away, Ember’s face got redder, as Garble just shoved a bunch of gems in his mouth.

As Spike and Rarity sat at the table cuddled up next to each other, watching all their friends enjoying themselves, Spike passes Rarity her drink as he takes a sip from his cup and asks, “So, my love, is this the wedding you always dreamed of having?”

Rarity lets out a sigh of happiness as she smiles at Spike and says, “No, it’s even better than I dreamed and that’s because I got to marry the dragon of my dreams,” as she giggled and kissed him on the cheek.

Spike smiled warmly at her and said, “Glad to have been of service, my lady,” before kissing her, which made Rarity giggle slightly.

Just then, Luna and Celestia showed up behind them carrying some cake and asked if they could join them. Rarity smiled and said, “But, of course.”

As Luna sat down with a few slices of cake, she said, “This has turned out rather well, I think.”

As Rarity happily nodded and smiled in agreement, Celestia was still standing and said, “If it’s not too much trouble, do you think I could pinch Spike for a dance?”

Rarity laughed and said, “Why, of course, not,” as Spike stood up with a smile and led Celestia to the dance floor. The guest moved to the outer edge of the dance floor and watched as Spike and Celestia stood in the middle.

Celestia smiled as she raised her hoof, getting Octavia’s attention and said, “If it's not too much trouble my little pony, could you play something with a bit more of a beat and a faster pace.”

As Octavia happily nodded, Spike smirked and took off Celestia’s crown and shouted, “Luna, heads up,” as he threw the crown towards Luna and she caught it in her magic as she carried on eating her cake, with a smile.

As the music began, Spike and Celestia got ready to start their dance as Spike said, “Wouldn’t want that falling off as we danced now would we, mom?”

Celestia giggled and said, “Try to keep up, my little dragon,” as she smiled at him.

They started to do the quick step as the onlookers watched in awe as they danced around the floor, neither one missing a step. After a few minutes, as the music was coming to an end, Spike spun Celestia and they both bowed as the music finished. The crowd cheered as they both stood up with smiles on their faces.

Both gasping for air, Celestia smiled and said, “Seems those lessons paid off in the end.”

As they made their way off the dance floor to cheers and applause, Spike laughed and said, “You’re not bad yourself. Didn’t think you could dance like that.”

As they made their way back over to the table, Celestia smirked and said, “Please, I’m a princess,” making them both laugh.

As Celestia took her crown back from Luna and was given a piece of cake as she sat down, Spike sat down next to Rarity and smiled seeing all his friends and family at the table laughing and happily smiling.

The party continued as day turned to night, filled with laughter and joy. Rarity was happily chatting away with her friends when she asked, “Has anyone seen that husband of mine?”

Celestia giggled as Twilight said, “You know Spike. It may be his wedding, but he never stops working.”

Before Rarity had a chance to say anything, Celestia said, “He felt bad that the ponies that were on shift weren’t able to join in on the festivities, so he took some of the food and drink inside the castle and set up a table for them all to have something to eat and drink.”

Just then Rarity looked over at the entrance to the castle and saw Spike walking out laughing with Fleur de Lis, who was now out of her old uniform, Fancy Pants, Photo Finish, Sapphire Shores, Hoity Toity, Hazel Walnut and Platinum Night. As she watched him laughing with his friends, a warm smile came onto her face as she thought, “Always thinking of others.”

As Spike and his friends made their way over to join the others, Rarity happily pulled Spike into her embrace and passionately kissed him. After breaking their kiss, Rarity smiled and thought, “To have such a kind hearted dragon to call my own, I have been truly blessed,” as she smiled at that goofy look on Spike’s face she said in a whisper, “Such a gentledrake,” before kissing him once again to the laughter and giggles of their friends.

As the night went on, more and more guests started to leave until in the end, it was just Spike, Rarity, and a few of their friends remaining. Spike was sitting there in a fake huff as they all laughed, because he was trying to help tidy up and was scolded by the cleaning staff. After a bit more fun and laughter, they all decided to call it a night and one by one left.

As Spike and Rarity made their way towards the guest room, they came to a stop at the door as Spike smiled and picked Rarity up and opened the door with his tail, getting a little giggle out of Rarity as he carried her into the room and closed the door. As Rarity kissed him, he made his way over to the bed and gently placed her down as they carried on their kiss.

As they broke their kiss, Rarity looked away. Spike got concerned by this and asked, “What’s the matter, Rarity?”

For a few moments, Rarity said nothing until she sighed and said, “I’ve always dreamed of meeting my prince, the stallion that would love me like no other. Now here I am with a creature that not only loves me, but is so much more than I ever dreamed possible. And the truth is I’m scared. What if I can’t make him as happy as he makes me? What if I’m not good enough?”

Spike giggled slightly and moved her head back to look at him as he smiled and said, “Rarity, you are the only one for me. No one else could ever be better than you. You make me happier than you could ever know. I love you, and that will never change.” As Spike finished saying that, he kissed her.

As they broke their kiss and Spike looked into her loving eyes, Rarity blushed and looked away again. Spike, confused by her action, was about to say something when she said, “Spike, I’ve never...” clearing her throat she continued nervously, “I…I’ve…never...you know, and I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Seeing her go even redder, Spike caught on to what she meant and started to go red in the face and said, “Oh, neither have I, Rarity.” As Rarity turned to look at him with a bright red face, Spike gulped and said, “But I know one thing, you could never disappoint me.”

Rarity placed her hoof on Spike’s cheek and looked at him lovingly and said, “Kiss me, my dragon.”

As Spike leaned in to kiss her, Rarity used her magic to turn the lights off and the last thing she said was, “Mine.”

************

Rarity was in the kitchen placing some toast onto a plate as she shouted, “If you don’t hurry, you’re going to be late for school, sweetie.”

Just then, hooves could be heard running down the stairs. As Rarity turned around to start washing up, a voice said, “I can’t be late today. Thanks for the breakfast.”

As Rarity turned back around, hearing the door open, she said, “It’s very un-lady like to run with food in your mouth, dear.”

After hearing a few quick munching sounds, the voice shouted back, “Done. See you later. Love you mom and dad,” before the door slammed shut.

Rarity shook her head and giggled as she went back to washing up and said, “Where does that girl get her manners?”

As Spike walks up behind Rarity, he laughed and said, “Don’t ask me. I’m the perfect gentleman,” as he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her.

Rarity giggled and kissed him back and said, “You most certainly are, my knight in shining scales,” before passionately kissing him again.

Just then they hear someone say, "Gross," behind them. As they turn around, they saw their daughter standing there, making a funny face as she continued to say, “I came back to get my bag cuz I forgot it and what do I walk in on? You two making kissy faces,” sticking her tongue out to show her displeasure at what she was seeing.

Rarity laughed and said, “Oh, you’ll understand one day, my little diamond.”

Spike scowled at that and said, “But not for a very long time if I have anything to say on the matter,” making Rarity giggle before he said, “Now didn’t you say you were going to be late, my little one?”

Hearing Spike say that she grabbed her bag and ran out the house slamming the door behind her again as Spike shook his head and grinned.

Just then, Rarity looked at him and smiled before she said, “Now, where were we before we were rudely interrupted?” And with a giggle passionately kissed her dragon.

The End.

Author's Note

Well thats it, I hope you all enjoyed this story. I know it may not of been what people were expecting but honestly this is the only thing I could come up with :pinkiehappy:

Please leave comments and feedback and once again, Thanks HAKDurbin for all the help :twilightsmile:

Hope you all enjoyed reading this story :twilightsmile:

Chapter 4

As Rarity wakes with the sun shining through her curtains and the birds chirping, she stretches and gets out of bed. After freshening up and opening her curtains, she makes her way downstairs and has some breakfast and coffee before starting her work on a dress she still had to finish. “Hmmm. And I think with that. This dress is done,” She said admiring her latest creation as she takes a sip of coffee.

Just then, she hears the mail pony at the door and after greeting him, thanks him for his work, and goes back inside. Taking a seat and going through her mail whilst drinking her coffee, she comes across a letter from Fleur de Lis.

Dear Rarity,

I hope this letter finds you well. I know it’s been a few weeks, but I finally got around to having those photos we took of your welcome party to The Society of the Emerald Mist developed. Enclosed is a copy of the group photo we took. I made sure to have a copy sent to the others and had it added to the collection we keep in the club rooms.

I hope we get a chance to see each other again soon.

Your friend, Fleur de Lis.

As Rarity takes a photo out of the envelope, she looks at it and sees all her friends gathered together with her and Spike in the middle, all smiling. She couldn’t help but smile as she looked at it and remembered how much fun she had. “Hmmm. Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen Spikey at all today. He normally comes around in the morning just to see me and asks if there’s anything I’m doing today. Poor dear must be busier than usual this morning.” She thought to herself, just then a smile came onto Rarity’s face, “I know. Since I don’t have anything more that must be done today and it’s such a beautiful day, why don’t I go see if he wants to have a picnic at the park? I’m sure he’ll love that idea and it will make up for not being able to go the park with him before.”

So with that idea in her head and a smile on her face, Rarity locks up her house and makes her way to the castle with a bounce in her step, saying hello to other ponies as she passes them until she comes to the castle. She walks in and says hello, as she’s standing there waiting for a few minutes. “That’s odd. Normally Spike would come flying down the corridor to meet me when I come,” She thought to herself before continuing on further into the castle. She came to the throne room door and pushed it open, making sure to say hello to be polite, only to see no one there. So she makes her way down the corridor, calling out in hopes that someone hears her.

Just then, she heard Twilight say, “I’m in the library. Come on in, Rarity.” As Rarity makes her way to the library and walks in, she sees Twilight with all the books on the floor and Twilight placing books on the shelves.

“Good morning, Twilight. Please forgive me for just coming into the castle uninvited. I just thought I’d pop by and see if Spike would like to go for a picnic this afternoon if he isn’t too busy. You’re more than welcome to join us, of course.” As Rarity giggled, she said, “Though it looks like you’re having a re-shelving day today.” Just then Rarity starts looking around and asks, “Speaking of, where is Spikey? He normally helps you with this sort of work. It’s unlike him not to be here helping.”

Just then Twilight stops placing books on the shelves and says, “He’s gone, Rarity.”

As Rarity happily smiles, she said, “I see. He’s gon-“ Just then it hit her what Twilight had said and she shouts out, “GONE!?! Gone where? What do you mean, Twilight?”

Twilight turns around to look at her friend with puffy red eyes and tears still in the corner of her eyes from where she had been crying before she said, “We had a fight and he ran away,” before breaking down into tears again.

Rarity runs over to Twilight and holds her in her arms before saying, “What do you mean you had a fight and he ran away?” As she starts stroking Twilights mane to comfort her.

Just as Twilight was about to say something, Cadance comes walking in, holding Flurry Heart and softly smiles as she says, “I’d like to hear what happened as well, Twily.”

Just then Twilight gives Cadance a sad smile before she said, “I figured you’d be showing up sooner or later,” as she breaks her hug with Rarity and hugs Cadance and Flurry heart.”

Cadance giggles as she passes Flurry Heart to Twilight to hold, before saying, “Well, what you’d expect? Every time you and Spike had your little fights in the past, Spike would always go to Shining for help. He is the big brother after all.”

As Twilight starts rubbing Flurry Hearts belly making her laugh. Twilight smiles at her niece, before looking up and with a sigh says, “Spike is so predictable. I knew he’d go straight to Shining. So, how much do you know?”

“Nothing, I came straight here when Spike showed up at the Crystal Empire. I wanted to make sure you were ok,” Cadance said with a warm smile as she looked at Twilight.

Just then Rarity shouts out, “Will somepony please tell me what’s going on!?”

Twilight looks at her friend and says, “Sorry, Rarity. Me and Spike had a fight. I guess about you. I mean, it wasn’t about you, but it was.”

Rarity looked at Twilight confused and asked, “What do you mean? You had a fight about me that wasn’t about me?”

Twilight sighed and said, “It all started this morning…”

************

Meanwhile at the Crystal Empire, Spike was in the throne room with Shining Armor, just sitting there looking down at the floor until Shining Armor said, “You know, Spike, you’re going to have to speak at some point. What happened to make you come all the way here just to see me? Not that I mind, of course.”

Spike lifted his head up and saw Shining Armor just sitting there smiling at him. Spike sighed and said, “Me and Twi had a fight and I didn’t know where else to go.”

Shining Armor started to laugh, which made Spike look at him angrily before Shining Armor said, “Sorry. It’s just that much I already figured out. Look Spike, everytime you guys had your little fights, you always came to me for help. So, little brother, what happened?”

Spike sat there and mumbled under his breath, “Not every time.” Shining Armor just raised his eyebrow at Spike, knowing that wasn’t true as Spike sighed and said, “I don’t even know how it started, to be honest. I got up and went downstairs to make us breakfast only to see Twi already sitting at the table reading a paper and eating. So I went over and sat down, had some coffee, and something to eat. As we were talking, I made a joke of how over the last few weeks she’d been getting up and making us breakfast, and doing more work around the castle.”

Spike sighed again and said, “Why did I have to say anything at all?” Before continuing, “I joked that if she carried on like this, she was going to put me out of a job. I didn’t like the way she looked at me with a sad smile, so I just changed the subject. As we finished up breakfast, I asked her what we had planned for the day. She put her paper down, smiled at me and said, “Well, I don’t have anything going on today. I was just going to take the chance to re-shelve the library while it’s quiet. So why don’t you go see what Rarity’s up to and I’ll call if I need anything?’ I got up and started to walk over to the door and said, ‘We got work to do. I’ll go see Rarity after. After all, if you’re going to be doing a re-shelving, then you need your number one assistant.’ I think she called out to me but I just made my way to the library. I just got this really bad feeling in my stomach and knew I couldn’t look at her at that moment.”

Spike tried to smile at Shining, but it came off more like a wounded animal in pain as he continued. “I went into the library with Twi right behind me and used my power to put all the books on the floor. As I walked over to an empty shelve, I said, ‘You know, I was thinking. If we put the books with the most powerful spells at the top, then we could see if any go missing easier and it’s a better way to keep them safe.’ Just then, I heard Twi call my name and again I didn’t want to look at her. So I carried on, ‘Ok, fine we can put them somewhere else. It’s your library after all,’ I started laughing a bit nervously and placed some books on a shelf.”

As Shining Armor just sat there listening, Spike said, “The next thing I know, she’s knocking the books I put on the shelf back down to the floor and calling my name again. I just couldn’t look at her and started to pick the books back up and said, ‘Jeez, Twi, you should be more careful. The idea is to put them on the shelves, not take them back down again. Hehehe.’ That’s when she called out to me and told me to look at her, but I just couldn’t. So I started placing books back on the shelves and each time I did she took them down and told me to look at her, till she finally snapped and used her magic to take the books out my claws and turned me around to look at her.”

Spike looked at Shining Armor and said, “She was sitting there with that same sad smile I saw at breakfast, and I didn’t like seeing her like that. I tried to make a joke to hide my nervousness, ‘Wow, ok I get it. You don’t want the books there. What’s up with you this morning, your acting weird.’ Again, I wished I didn’t say anything, I knew what she wanted to talk about, and I was just playing stupid.” Spike sighed and said, “She sat there for a few moments. I guess she was trying to figure out what to say before she said, ‘Look, spike, I don’t need you to help me. I can do it myself. Why don’t you go see Rarity?’”

Spike got up and walked over to a window and looked out at the Crystal Empire and with a sad face continued, “I knew what she was trying to say. What she meant by trying to get me to leave. But hearing her say she didn’t need me made something in me snap, ‘Oh? you don’t need my help? Little Twily-wily, is all grown up now, huh?’ She shot back, ‘That’s not what I’m saying, Spike.’ But I didn't want to listen because I was hurt and angry. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain how I was feeling even now. I just burst. ‘Oh, what? Have you now just come to realize how much I do for you? Has it taken you all this time to realize that I’m nothing more than your slave?’”

Spike glanced over his shoulder at Shining Armor, before looking back out the window and saying, “Why did I say that?” Spike said to himself more than to Shining Armor before continuing, “She looked so hurt after I said that. The next thing I know we’re shouting back and forth at each other. She said, ‘You aren’t my slave. You’re my assistant and little brother,’ I said, ‘Oh really? Cuz from the moment I hatched all I’ve ever done is run around after you, cleaning up your messes, letting you use me to try new magic spells. Making sure you’re eating, cleaning and a lot more. Heck, while you were off having fun with our friends I was stuck at home working. Sure sounds like a slave to me.’"

Spike let out a slight giggle before he said, “You and I both know Twi wasn’t going to let that one go. She shouted back in anger, ‘Oh really? You think you’re a slave do you, Mr. Grown-up dragon? Well, what are you still doing here, huh? You and I both know if you really wanted to leave, you could go any time you wanted and I wouldn’t be able to stop you. So if it’s so bad here, then why don’t you just leave?

Spike sighed before he said, “I shouted back, ‘Maybe I should!’ She shouted back, ‘Well, go on then!’ I being the stupid dragon I am shout back, ‘Fine!’ As she shouted back ‘Fine!’ and with one last shout of ‘FINE!!!’ I teleported here to you. I’ve really messed up haven’t I, Shining?” Spike said as he rested his head in his arms, still looking out the window.

For a few moments, Shining Armor just sat there, not saying anything before sighing and saying, “You know, Spike, if I’m being honest with you, I was always kind of jealous of you.” As Spike looked at him and was about to say something, Shining Armor said, “I was always Twily’s B.B.B.F.F. Then as time went on, I had to watch this little dragon grow closer and closer to her. They became so close at one point, I didn’t think she was ever going to need me anymore.”

“WHAT!?! That’s ridiculous. She’s always going to need you. You’re her one and only big brother.” Spike said turning around to face Shining Armor.

Shining Armor laughed and said, “Yeah, I know that now. It took me some time to workout, though.” As Shining Armor looked at Spike, he said, “Isn’t it the same for you? You are our one and only little brother. She and I will always need you in our lives, Spike.”

Spike sighed and said, “It’s not the same, Shining. You’re her big brother. You went on and did some amazing things, former captain of the Royal Guard. You knew where you belonged. Me? I worked so hard to show everypony I belonged with her. It’s all I’ve ever known. I needed that. It’s who I am and without her what am I?” As he looked back out the window.

Shining Armor shook his head and walked over to stand by Spike and looked out the window. He pointed to a statue of Spike and said, “You are Spike, the brave and the bold, hero to the Crystal Empire.” He turned to look at Spike and said, “Friendship ambassador to dragons and changelings, and friend to all, our little brother. That is who you are.”

“But you just don’t get it. I did it all for her. To help her. To show everyone I belonged with her and now she’s saying I’m not needed,” Spike said getting worked up again.

Shining Armor looked out the window and said, “You know, I never told anypony this, not even Cadance. Being the Captain of the Royal Guard, was my goal in life. It was my dream. It was all I ever wanted. It’s where I belonged. After I married Cadance and the Crystal Empire was freed, I was told that she was going to rule here. I was told that I could no longer be Captain of the Royal Guard and thanked for my dedication and let go. I was heartbroken. After all my years of service, that was it. Thanks. See ya. Don’t get me wrong, I love Cadance with all my heart, but I didn’t even get a say. It was my life’s goal, my dream, and they just took it away.”

As Spike looked at Shining Armor, he continued, “When I first came here, I didn’t know what I was doing. The only thing I ever knew was how to be a Royal Guard, it’s who I was. I didn’t know anything about ruling. It was all so new. Truth is, I was scared. Scared of what it meant if I messed up. But after some time, I got used to it. I found where I truly belonged. I have an army of my own now and a new dream,” Shining Armor smiled at Spike as he said, “My dream now is to live happily with my wife and keep this place safe so our child can grow up happy, Tell me, Spike, how’s married life treating you?”

Spike just stood there. He didn’t know what to say and, of course, he knew that all this was about him and Rarity, that Twilight only wanted him to think about himself for a change instead of her. Heck, Rarity herself had already asked him as much herself, he was just too set in his ways and too stubborn a dragon to admit it.

************

At the same time in the Castle of Friendship, Twilight sighed and said, “So that’s what happened,” as she looks at Rarity and Cadance, whilst baby Fluffery Heart slept in her mother’s arms.

“Why does he have to be so stubborn? Can’t he see what I’m trying to do for him? I just want him to be happy,” As Twilight looked at Rarity, she said, “And you make him happy, Rarity, so much. After you came back from your overnight trip from Canterlot, I realized how selfish I was being by keeping him here all to myself and started to do more around the castle to show him I was ok, that he could take more time to be with you and do the things he wanted instead of running around after me all the time.”

Twilight sighed and said, “I’m not stupid. I know how hard it was for Spike back in the Canterlot days, how ponies treated him in the beginning. Even back then as a filly, I saw how they looked at him. He clung to being my number one assistant, always ready to help and he did. He clung to me and in return, he became my crutch. I knew that I would always have him by my side. Even if the whole world turned on me, I would always have him. He grounded me and pushed me in ways I could never even imagine.”

As Twilight started to tear up again she said, “Everything I am is because of him. I owe him everything. Now he has a chance of being happy with a mare that truly loves him in a way that no other could. How could I claim to be his best friend and his sister if I didn’t let him go?”

“Spike may be an adult dragon and responsible for doing so many amazing things in the past that led up to this point, but there’s still that baby dragon inside of him clinging to me. I can’t be selfish anymore. If I truly love him as much as I say, I have to let my little brother go. It’s time for him to grow up and let him live his life for himself.” As Twilight started to cry, she said, “Even if every part of my body is screaming to hold on and not let go.” Just then Twilight drops to the floor and starts sobbing her eyes out as she screams, “I DON’T WANNA LOOSE MY BABY DRAGON!!!”

Rarity runs over and pulls Twilight into a hug as she starts to stroke Twilight's mane to comfort her. As tears start to come out her own eyes, Twilight looked up at Rarity and said, “I know I’m a selfish mare, but I don’t want to let him go,” as she continued to cry. After a few minutes, Twilight settled down and said, “I’m sorry for acting like such a foal.”

Cadance gave her a warm smile and said, “It’s understandable, Twily. You and Spike have been together for so long. You share a bond that could never be broken.”

As Cadance smiles warmly at Twilight, Rarity says, “It’s like what Spike said to me once. He said that Celestia used to say that you were two sides of the same bit, Twilight. I could never ask Spike to stop being your assistant. I told him as much myself. You belong together and need each other.”

Twilight looked at her friend and said, “But, Spike's your husband now, Rarity. He belongs with you.”

Rarity giggled and said, “Yes, he is my husband, Twilight, but does that mean he can’t be your assistant anymore? What kind of Element of Generosity, would I be if I split you two up? Besides, you’ve walked the same path for so long, why stop now, just because he’s married?” As she laughed some more.

Twilight broke their hug and just sat there for a few minutes like a deer caught in headlights before she said, “Wait, that means that the fight we had this morn-“

Just then Cadance giggled, cutting Twilight off and said, “Yep, was absolutely pointless and stupid. Just like all the other fights you used to have back in the day growing up.” As her laughter got louder she said, “You know, for two of the most powerful, smartest creatures in this world, you guys are pretty stupid.”

Twilight sat there with red cheeks as she said, “Oh my Celestia, why did I let it get so out of hoof? It was obvious and I knew it, but it just blew up. What am I meant to say to Spike now after all this?”

Just then, Cadance floated over some parchment, ink and a quill. As she smiled at Twilight she said, “Do what you do best, Twily; make a plan.”

Twilight smiled and said, “I’ve got an idea,” as she looked at Cadance and Rarity smiling back at her.

After about thirty minutes, Spike and Shining Armor teleported into the main hallway of the Castle of Friendship with Shining Armor laughing his head off, as he said, “I mean really, Spike, Rarity even told you as much and you still got into a fight over thinking you had to stop being Twily’s assistant? I thought you were meant to be this old wise dragon.”

Spike stood there with a red face and said, “I am, it’s just everything’s going to change now and I…”

Shining Armor stopped laughing and smiled at Spike before he said, “That’s right, little brother. It’s changed now. I know how scary it is, but you don’t have anything to worry about. You’ve got your friends and your big sister. You’ll do just fine. Besides, you got a big brother that went through a similar change. Any problems you have, just come to me just like you always have. That’s what big brothers are for after all."

Spike could hear voices coming from the library and as he walked up to the library door, he turned to look at Shining Armor and said, “Thanks, bro.” Shining Armor just winked at him as they made their way inside.

As Spike looked around the room to see most of the books still on the floor, he could see Cadance, Twilight, baby Flurry Heart, who was still asleep, and Rarity. “Rar…Rarity, what are you doing here?” Spike asked shocked to see her standing there smiling at him.

As Shining Armor went over and kissed his wife and held his baby, saying hello to Twilight in the process. Rarity trotted over and kissed Spike on the cheek before she said, “Oh, why I’m here isn’t important at the moment, my dear,” as she looked over at Twilight.

Twilight walked over and sat in front of Spike. Neither one says anything and just sit there in silence for a bit, before Spike said, “I’m sorry. I didn't mean anything I said. I just thought you didn’t need me anymore and I-“

Just then, Twilight put a hoof to his mouth to stop him as she shook her head and said, “No, Spike. I’m the one that’s sorry. I know what being my assistant means to you and just how much you do for me. I wasn’t trying to push you away. I just didn’t want to hold you back. I need you, Spike, and I will always need you in my life. You are my number one assistant after all.”

Just then, Spike pulled Twilight in to a hug and started to cry as Twilight hugged back and cried, before she said, “I will always need you, my little brother.” After a few minutes they broke their hug and Twilight said, “This is for you,” and passed Spike a piece of rolled up parchment.

Spike looked at the rolled up parchment and asked, “What is it?”

Twilight smiled and said, “It’s a contract. It occurred to me today that even though you’ve been my assistant for all these years we never had one. It states that from this day forth, that you are to have time off to do as you please, that you are to be given a fair and just wage for the time that you work. But most importantly, when you and Rarity are ready to live together, it means you still have a place at my side as my number one assistant.”

Rarity giggled as she wrapped her hooves around Spike's arm and said, “Just as long as you make sure my Spikey-wikey gets home at a decent hour, of course.”

Twilight laughed and said, “But, of course I will, bar any emergency that is.”

Spike held the rolled up scroll in his claw for a few minutes before setting it on fire, to the shock of every pony there, before he said, “I don’t need a contract. I never did. Just knowing I’m still going to be needed by you is all the contract I need.” Spike said as he smiled at Twilight.

Just then, baby Flurry Heart woke up with a smile as she looked at her parents and Twilight went into aunt mode and started playing with her as Cadance asked, “So, Shining, my love, if you’re here, who did you leave in charge of the Crystal Empire?”

Shining Armor started to laugh as he scratched his head and said, “Oops. I knew I forgot something.”

“What!?! How could you forget something so important, Shining?” Cadance said, looking at him a bit angry, before saying, “I’m sorry, Twily, but it looks like we’re going to have to go right away.” Cadance said as she gave her sister-in-law a sad smile.

Twilight passed Fluffy Heart back to Cadance and gave them a quick hug as she said, “Yeah, sounds like you really need to leave. Hey, number one assistant, you think you can take them home whilst I finish cleaning up these books?”

Spike laughed and said, “Whatever you need, Twi. Happy to help.” As he walked over and took Flurry Heart into his arms and started tickling her, he said, “Silly daddy forgot something important, but that’s ok. This family of yours has a habit of making silly mistakes. Let's just hope you didn’t inherit that from daddy,” as he laughed.

Shining Armor, took his daughter out of Spike's arms and said, “Don’t listen to him, my little one,” as he looked at Spike and grinned before saying. “After all, its his fault daddy left in the first place. Auntie Twi and Uncle Spike had a silly fight and they needed their big brother to fix things.”

Shining Armor and Cadance got closer to Spike. As Spike and Cadance just laughed, Twilight shouted, “HEY!” before they waved goodbye and were gone in a flash of green light.

Twilight stood there for a few minutes before she started to put the books back on the shelves. Rarity watched for a moment before she said, “Let me help,” and started to pass Twilight the books. As she did, she said, “So, after this is done, would you and Spike like to come on a picnic?” Just then, Twilight’s stomach grumbled and Rarity giggled as she said, “I’ll take that as a yes then shall I?”