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Chapters

– 1: Rarity Intervenes! –
– 2: Gabby's Breakup –
– 3: You Are A Valid Little Dragon –
– 4: The Rough With The Smooth –
– 5: Matters of Perspective –
– 6: Racing Hearts –
– 7: Into the Woods –
– 8: Flowering Feelings Faltering –
– 9: Sadness Won't Prevail –
– 10: The Tea Party, and The Afterparty, and After That –
– 11: She Saw Claws –
– 12: Here Be Dragons –
– 12.5: An Interlude :: What Happened? –
– 13: Spike’s Lair –
– 14: The Rock Show –
– 15: Join the Swarm –
– 16: Turning Pearshaped –
– 17: Hearts Go Out –
– 19: Another Distorted Reflection –
– 19.5: An Interlude :: Small Scale Concerns –
– 20: Talking With Princesses –
– 21: A Dragon and Pony Reunion –
– 22: Rainbows & Chill –
– Prelude: Chance Meeting on the Road to Ponyville Between a Sewing Pony and a Griffon –
– 18: “Moondust and Diamond Dancers” –

– 1: Rarity Intervenes! –

‘Spikey?’

Rarity trod around the short hedges near the edge of the courtyard as she approached the fountain statue of Princess Cadance at its centre, levitating a covered basket as she did so. She didn’t see Spike, but Twilight had told her he was likely to be here. ‘Spikey-Wikey?’ she repeated, looking around, ‘Twilight told me you’d be here?’

No answer. ‘Perhaps Twilight was mistaken. Maybe he is in his room after all…’

‘I’m up here, Rarity,’ said the statue in Spike’s voice. Rarity looked up and could just about see the tip of Spike’s tail and one of his wings atop Cadance’s back.

‘Oh! Oh, of course, it stands to reason you’d be up high, whyever wouldn’t you be…’

‘Iunno.’ Spike’s voice was flat. ‘I flew up here.’

There was another pause. Spike didn’t move nor speak further. ‘I, um, I heard about you and Gabby… Gallus had words with me earlier today, and once I’d finished what I was doing I caught the first balloon to Canterlot I could. I thought you might need a little cheering up.’

A heaving sigh resonated throughout the courtyard. ‘Would you like to talk about it, precious?’ she ventured in response. When met with silence, she tried again. ‘I’ve been mining… I brought you some of those agates you like! The blue ones with the swirly insides?’

Still nothing more. Rarity tried one more time. ‘Spikey… Spike, please!’ she stamped a hoof in annoyance, ‘I know we haven’t made much contact the past few moons, but I am your friend and I care about you. Please, don’t shut me out... come down here and tell me what’s the matter. I insist.’

That did it. A few seconds later Spike glided down from the top of the statue to the side of the fountain Rarity was stood beside. Rarity looked him up and down – he looked as morose as he’d sounded and his eyes were a little pink. ‘Only because you have those gems.’ he sighed.

Good enough. Rarity plopped the basket on the side of the fountain and removed the cloth she’d been covering it with, showing Spike the goods. ‘It’s perfectly fine if you don’t want to talk about it,’ she said, ‘I understand, although I’m not sure why you haven’t spoken a peep to Twilight about your problems. She seemed a mite confused why I showed up here unannounced, you know?’

‘Twilight wouldn’t understand,’ said Spike, sitting beside the basket and plucking out a gemstone, ‘I’m not sure you would either, no offense.’

‘Try me, darling. Whatever it is, it’s plainly affected you both – you and Gabby, I mean.’

Spike munched down on his chosen gem for a minute. Rarity nestled on the grass alongside the petunias growing by the fountainside and watched – as she’d said, he didn’t have to speak if he didn’t wish to. Besides, despite circumstances it was nice to see him again after the last little while. She smiled.

Spike looked down at her after he’d finished eating, but he didn’t smile back. ‘We’ve split up. Well, I broke it off,’ he said, simply. ‘I couldn’t– I mean, I didn’t want to lead her on.’

Rarity’s smile faded into a concerned look, and she stood to attention. ‘Why, whatever do you mean? You both seemed to be on the same page whenever I saw you together. Whatever changed?’

‘Well… her cousin Gilda hatched a chick a few moons ago. A little girl called Gretel. Gabby’s visited them a few times and she’s gone nuts for her. I mean, I’ve seen her and she is very cute, but…’

Spike trailed off and glumly finished the gem he was holding. ‘But?’ asked Rarity.

Spike hesitated. ‘I’m a coward, Rarity. Gabby’s not subtle – she wants one of her own, more than one, and she won’t stop talking about it! “Oh, Spike, can’t you just see this room painted pink or blue? Maybe both?” “Spike, have you seen all the mommies with their adorable colts and fillies in Ponyville lately? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a few of our own?” “Don’t you think it’d be great to just settle down in Ponyville and have kids, Spike?” “Does Princess Twilight have any books or spells for interspecies breeding?” And I thought I could wait it out, but I just, I couldn’t. I don’t think she’s going to let it go.’

‘Oh, Spike…’

‘I’m not ready to commit like that. It’s the truth. I mean, look at me,’ Spike gesticulated at himself from chest to toe, ‘I deny it, but I’m still… short. I basically haven’t changed since before I landed in Ponyville with Twilight all those years ago, wings aside. Being with Gabby was meant to be fun, and we’ve had lots of fun together the last couple of years, you know? But now… she wants to take things to another level, and just contemplating doing that is… I can’t…’

He trailed off again. ‘I see,’ said Rarity matter-of-factly, ‘Maybe Gallus was wrong about the twigs, then. He told me Gabby was building something with twigs near her home, and he was sure it wasn’t a nest when I asked, but some sort of art project…?’

‘Nah, he’s probably right… you know Gabby’s into wicker weaving, right?’

‘Not specifically, but I was aware she had an artistic streak.’ Upon reflection, Rarity realised what Gallus had described – a messy art project utilising sticks was not dissimilar to outfits she’d designed and worn during times of emotional duress herself.

‘Yeah, she’s good at turning twigs into stuff… she’s good at lots of things, really. The basket I’ve been sleeping in the last year or so was one she made me, though I’ve not even been able to face sleeping in it lately.’

‘That’s sad,’ said Rarity. Spike looked down, and there was a moment’s pause between them. ‘So... have you said any of this to her?’ she probed.

‘Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno?’ Spike managed to draw that out for the better part of ten seconds, ending it with a pained croak.

‘So you haven’t split up at all, have you.’

‘Nnnnnnot officially. I bolted over a week ago now and I’ve been hiding out here since, waiting to stop burping up scrolls asking where I was, to tell you the truth,’ sighed Spike, a wobble in his voice, ‘I thought I’d feel relieved once the scrolls stopped, but I just… don’t. Feel. Much at all.’

Rarity side-eyed him sternly before speaking again, ‘Well, that’s a silly thing to say.’ She sat down close to him and looked intently, simultaneously levitating a gem out of her hamper, revealing his sad and slightly puffy visage to him in its reflection. ‘If you truly felt nothing about all this, well, I can tell when somecreature’s been crying and you, Spikey, have it written all over you. Don’t even think of denying it: a pony just knows.’

Spike didn’t answer. He bowed his head and looked like he was going to start doing just that all over again. Rarity inhaled sharply and felt a flush of scorn in her cheeks for a moment, which separated into frustration and pity as she furrowed her brow and scrunched her snout involuntarily.

She tilted her head back and spoke again, because he wasn’t going to and he had to be told. ‘Well, I hate to agree with you over this of all things, Spike, I really do, but you’re right – you are being a terrible coward. I don’t even mean not wanting hatchlings with Gabby – that’s a big decision only you can make, darling, and there’s no wrong one to make one way or the other if you’re sure about it – but if you’re leaving her you at least owe her an explanation! And you owe it to yourself, too, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life! And yes, I know how long dragons live for before you even ask, do you really want that?’

Spike buried his face in his claws and muttered something. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that?’ said Rarity.

She could just about make out ‘I’m a disgusting little worm! I’m a pathetic little wi-hii-hiii-imp!’ in Spike’s blubbering as he repeated whatever he’d said the first time. Tears started to run through his claws onto the flowers as he pulled his knees into a fetal position.

‘Aww… oh, oh, come here, Spikey-Wikey.’ Rarity couldn’t bear to see Spike this sad, so she leant in to give him a hug. He wailed his self-pity right into her chest fur for a moment. His tears felt contagious, and Rarity had to steel herself before speaking again. ‘You are not pathetic, nor are you disgusting. And I don’t believe you are a worm, or a wimp, or a coward, even if you are doing a more than passable impersonation of one or more of those things by just hiding from Gabby like this.’

She continued, feeling the need to soften the blow somewhat. ‘Surely I mustn’t need to remind you of the Gauntlet of Fire? With Princess Ember? Or,’ she glanced overhead at the statue of Cadance, ‘The time you and Twilight saved the Crystal Empire from Sombra? That took guts, darling! And unless I’m mistaken, the crystal ponies hero-worship you even now for that! You’re a dragon of great courage when you need to be. I’m sure you can find it inside yourself to do the right thing.’

It took awhile for Spike to dry up, and he hadn’t really when he spoke again. ‘I, I, I d-d-don’t feel very, courageous, r-right now,’ he sniffled, ‘I just, I just don’t know what to say to her! “Sorry, Gabby, you thought we were gonna get married and have kids? Guess again, I’m a free dragon, babe! Ain’t nobody tying this reptile down! Sayonara, sucker!” She’d kill me, screaming for vengeance the whole time. I’d die by her claw.’

Rarity pulled back and put a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. ‘You can’t truly believe that. I mean, it’s possible you won’t be friends afterwards, that’s always a risk, but I know Gabby well enough to doubt these so-called murderous inclinations. She is a very nice girl. Although,’ she chuckled despite herself, ‘Maybe don’t use those exact words. Goodness knows a lady appreciates a smidge more tact than that!’

Spike’s next sigh sounded agonising. ‘I mean, you’re talking sense, Rarity. I could at least send her a letter,’ he deliberated. Rarity pursed her lips in response, and he took the hint, ‘No, no, you’re right, I need to actually talk to her. After two years together that wouldn’t be good enough, huh?’

‘You need to stop hiding, and she deserves that much, Spike,’ Rarity hopped off the fountain side back onto the ground and motioned at the agate she’d taken out of the basket earlier, ‘You both need the closure. You know, you’ve barely touched these! I thought they were your favourite!’

Spike wiped the tears from his cheeks and smiled, for the first time since they’d begun their conversation. ‘They are, I love these! Dunno if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been kinda off my food lately.’ He grabbed the stray gem and gave it a hearty munch. ‘Thanks for bringing them, though. I’m gonna have this one, then put them away and savour the rest later.’

‘You’re very welcome, Spikey. And if you don’t mind my asking, how do you feel now?’

Spike polished off the agate then replaced the cloth onto the hamper. ‘Better. Sorry I tried to ignore you then cried all over you. You were right, I’ve been bursting into tears off and on for a while but you got the worst of it. That’s, ah, about as bad as I get.’

Her front was somewhat damp from the dragon tears and snot, she realised for the first time, so she levitated a lacey hoofkerchief to wipe off as she spoke again.. ‘Quite alright. We all need a good cry sometimes,’ she replied, ‘I’d know.’

There was another pause. ‘Well, I guess I’m doing it,’ said Spike seriously, ‘Ending it with Gabby. Properly. Face to face. Celestia knows I’m not gonna enjoy it… but I need to do it. For me and for her.’

‘Just take care not to blame her for anything, Spike,’ said Rarity, ‘All that’s happened in this situation is, the two of you want different things from one another. It’s not wrong to want hatchlings, or to not want hatchlings, but attaining both of those things simultaneously simply isn’t possible, you know?’

‘When you put it like that… when did you get so good at this advice thing, anyway?’

Rarity rolled her eyes and tilted her head towards Spike. ‘I read too much mush besides my noir novels in my downtime, if you really must know,’ she said, ‘Romances and such. They have heart-to-hearts like this a lot in those books. It must be exhausting!’

‘You’re telling me,’ said Spike, picking up the hamper and flying towards one of the courtyard’s exits, ‘I’m all dried out after that. Guess I’ll be going to the back study to plan exactly what I’m going to do, or say. You wanna, uh, trot me over there or do you need to go now? I know you’re a busy mare.’

Rarity did need to finish stitching the dress for which she’d been gathering minerals before the end of the day, but it was still early afternoon and in the moment Spike’s wellbeing felt more important. ‘The next balloon back’s not for a short while yet,’ she answered, ‘I can spare a few minutes more for my favourite little dragon.’

‘So you’re leaving? Geez, for a second there I thought you were talking about me,’ Spike joked as they left for the study.

– 2: Gabby's Breakup –

It was a few days before Rarity heard from Spike again, just at the week’s end and just after she’d fulfilled a shipment of ballgowns, tuxedos and their various accoutrements to Trottingham for the upcoming post-Summer Wrap-Up festival there. As a matter of fact, she heard the knock at the Carousel Boutique’s door so soon after signing for the pick-up that she thought the deliverypony had forgotten something.

She swung the top half of the door open. ‘Is there anything else–’ she started, then realised she was talking to thin air and looked down. Spike was standing there, and he looked up at her.

‘Spikey-Wikey, what a surprise! ...How are you? Come in, come in, come in!’ she said, opening the bottom half, ‘How have you been since we talked, darling?’

Spike walked in and Rarity shut the door behind him. ‘Sorry, can I just… are you busy?’ Spike said. He seemed deflated, but not nearly as badly as their last talk. ‘I was wondering if I could help out while you worked.’

Rarity had hoped for news, but there was no point in pressuring the poor boy. ‘Well I mean, I do have an appointment for a fitting in an hour, but didn’t you see the cart full of dresses leave here just a moment ago? I just finished my big order for the week and I was about to relax with some tea and cake in the meantime. Would you like to join us?’ She walked Spike from the boutique’s shopfront to the parlour.

‘Us? Oh, yeah, are Yona or Sweetie Belle around? I guess that’s fine, but, uh…’

‘No, silly, Yona doesn’t work Fridays through Sundays and you know Sweetie Belle tutors at the School of Friendship today. I meant Opalescence and I!’

‘Oh, uh, right. That’s cool.’ Not that he didn’t enjoy either Sweetie nor Yona’s company, but Spike had hoped to get Rarity alone, and her cat’s presence was as good as that. ‘Tea sounds great. Um, mind if I help?’

Rarity chuckled. ‘Always the helpful one, aren’t you? Dear me… it won’t take me two ticks, you just sit and relax while I put the kettle on. I hope chai’s alright with you, it’s all I’ve got… I just haven’t had the time to pop into the tea shop this week!’

Spike wasn’t that fond of chai, but he didn’t decline. As Rarity left the room he sat on the ornate chaise-longue next to where Opalescence was snoozing – it was the seat he’d preferred in the past, though it’d been a few moons since he’d visited. He approached hesitantly in case temperamental Opal tried to scare him off, and after scooting his rump onto the seat he hazarded petting her while Rarity tinkered around in the kitchen. She didn’t seem to mind this time.

‘All ready!’ Rarity cooed after a few minutes. Filled porcelain teacups and lemon cream cake floated into the room and came to a rest on the oval table a moment before she trotted back in and reclined on the chaise-longue that mirrored the other upon which Spike sat, and Opal unceremoniously dumped Spike for her mistress’ lap. He felt faintly betrayed.

Spike looked at the tea he’d been served – it wasn’t chai, it was black, as he liked it, and it had a rainbow streak swirling around its centre. ‘I found a tad of zap apple jam and some black teabags at the back of the cupboard,’ Rarity explained, ‘So I stirred a spoonful into a cup of black tea. I know you like that more than boring old chai.’

He removed the teabag from his cup onto its saucer and lifted it to his lips for a sip, pinky claw extended. It was refreshing, the electric zing packing a kick he hadn’t enjoyed in a while – Gabby only ever bought instant coffee. ‘Mmm! Thanks, Rarity. This is really nice.’

Rarity giggled and blushed, just a little. ‘Oh, it’s really nothing. I was lucky to find that at all, as I said…’

As she took a dainty slurp of her own tea and a bite of cake, Spike made small talk. ‘So, uh, nice weather we’re having?’

‘It’s been bright all week, but it’s gotten chilly early for the time of year, I’ve noticed… I could see my breath when I stepped outside earlier. That’s probably why that order to Trottingham I just sent out was noticeably premature compared to last year’s – they might be doing their Summer Wrap-Up slightly early.’

‘Oh… I don’t really notice small changes in temperature, or mist breath, being a dragon and all. Did they pay you well for the dresses?’

‘Well, I get paid a little more for the express service, but you know, it’s less time to get everything done… at least I have my process streamlined and Yona on hoof to help and everything else I had booked this week was local and anyway what happened with Gabby how is she how are you feeling tell me everything! I simply must know!’ Rarity lurched forward with widening eyes as she finished the sentence, her voice compacting from her usual warble into a breathy growl. Opal leapt off her in alarm, glared at her then washed herself on the floor.

Spike flashed her a sardonic look, and Rarity slapped her hooves over her mouth in embarrassment. ‘Oh, dash it! That just slipped out, I swear… I’m so sorry, but I must admit I have been wondering.’

‘It’s alright, Rarity; it is why I came over. Yeah, we’re officially through, but it was weird,’ said Spike, ‘Theatrical. Stuff happened I didn’t expect. Thanks for the heads-up about the wicker statues, I dunno if I could’ve handled what happened if I hadn’t been prepared.’

Rarity relaxed back into her seat and looked serious. ‘“Weird” how? Elucidate me if you will, dear.’

Spike took a considered, bulging mouthful of his entire slice of cake before continuing. ‘I’m still processing it. Like, this just happened an hour ago or less? I’ll just tell you everything – offloading a bit might help get my head straight.’ Opalescence chose that moment to hop back onto Spike’s couch, and he leant slightly to his left to make room.

He clinked his half-emptied teacup onto the table and inhaled in preparation for regaling Rarity with his story. ‘Twilight sent me over to Ponyville this morning to secure an antique chair Sunburst told her about, for one of the libraries in the castle,’ he said, ‘And I figured, “It’s now or never, Spike.” About Gabby, I mean – you know I’ve been having trouble plucking up the gumption to see her and who knew when I’d be back in Ponyville next? So I took care of my stated business then flew over to her place.’

Spike continued as Rarity nodded and queried along. ‘As I approached the birdhouse I saw some of the wicker… should I say statues? Figures,’ Spike deliberated, contemplating petting Rarity’s cat again, ‘Littering the grass nearby. I wasn't sure what Gabby was going for with those, but I didn’t like it – they were a mishmash of various creature shapes all knitted together however, near as I could tell. Sorta like Discord but not really. Kinda freaky. I wasn’t sure knocking on the front shutter was a good idea, but I did it anyway. There was this rustling noise inside for a while before she answered, and when she opened the shutter a mess of twigs poured out.’

‘She’d been busy, plainly,’ said Rarity, resting her elbows on the table in concentration.

‘Well, keep listening, it gets stranger,’ said Spike, idly scritching behind Opalescence’s ear. She’d yawned while Rarity was speaking, which seemed like as good a go-ahead as any. ‘When Gabby swung the shutter open and saw it was me, she was real perky – like she normally is? She greeted me with a hug and said it was delightful to see me! I was prepared for her to be depressed or mad at me, so that was disarming, but she didn’t invite me in, she left the house and closed the shutter behind her. She spent a little while talking at me about what she’s been up to the past few weeks, during her rounds, creatures she’d met and what I’d missed out on, I wasn’t listening real hard to be honest with you. Eventually I had to interrupt her and tell her we needed to talk. Properly.’

‘So what did she say?’

Opalescence melted from sitting to lying down, popping her head on Spike’s lap and purring into his thigh. Spike wasn’t the world’s biggest cat dragon, but it was fine – stroking her fur gave him something relaxing to do with his claws while he relayed things to Rarity. ‘She agreed with me very enthusiastically, then turned towards the clearing behind her house and told me to follow her because she had something to show me. I asked if it was more of the wicker figures, and she said “My chimeras? Sure do, I want you to meet the whole family!” That was… forboding, but I wanted to see things through so we both flew over to the clearing. It was a lot bigger than it used to be – there used to be hedges and such back there that I guess was fuel for the figures – and it must’ve been, because there were dozens of the things!’

‘She landed on this round stage in the middle with some stuff on it, that wasn’t there before, but I stayed airborne to take a look at them. They were arranged all in a semi-circle around the stage and they were all different shapes and sizes and species – griffons crossed with dragons crossed with ponies crossed with hippogriffs crossed with zebras crossed with kirin crossed with griffons – some species I’ve never set eyes on, even. I’d’ve been impressed by the, uh, range and originality of the designs if I wasn’t getting disturbed by her monomania.’

Rarity’s eyes widened a bit. ‘Goodness, Spikey… you weren't in any danger, were you? That sounds like the set-up for a scene from one of those ghastly horror stories Rainbow Dash likes, right before the gore goes flying!’

‘You’re telling me. I was getting worried, but we were in broad daylight and I wasn't scared of Gabby. Anyway, after drinking that in, I lowered a bit; she was saying something but I was too high up to hear. She introduced me to some of the figures closest to the stage, and then more of them, then more of them, and she kept going… each of them had a name, a personality, preferences like food, hobbies, favourite colour… after the seventh or eighth I’d had enough and I told her to stop, this was insane! I was about to tell her that it was incredibly over, especially after this, but she interrupted me and said, since she’d been able to make all these without my help and I obviously didn't appreciate them, that it was over between us. And she was so cheerful about it, too!’

‘Oh. Was that it, then?’ asked Rarity.

‘I thought so, but it wasn't. She’d planned out this entire… performance. She told me to sit down, so I sat nearby the stage for some reason instead of getting the heck out of there… morbid curiosity about where this was all going, maybe? There was a gramophone attached to a big pair of speakers on the stage she was on, and after taking a moment to gain composure and clear her throat, she put the needle onto the record.’

‘So, she’d prepared a break-up song?’

Spike withdrew from petting Opal in favour of downing the dregs of his teacup before continuing. ‘Uh-huh. She grabs a microphone from atop one of the speakers and begins singing this, uh, gothic power ballad, I guess? About what our relationship meant to her and how we were soulmates, and how upset she was that it was over. And she was pretty sad. The more I watched the worse I felt.’

‘Well, I’m hardly surprised. Somecreature as habitually upbeat as Gabby must take solace from art as catharsis during trying times,’ reflected Rarity.

‘Cathy-whatnow?’ asked Spike.

‘Art as an outlet for emotions, Spikey. Excuse me, do continue.’

‘Sorry, sure. So the song went on like that for a few minutes until she started to reach a crescendo, and when she hit it, oh man…’ breathed Spike, ‘The tone of the song exploded.’ He jumped in his seat and made an expanding motion with both arms for dramatic effect, suddenly enough to frighten Opalescence into a “mreowl!” from her resting spot onto the floor for a second time.

‘Spike! Please be careful!’ admonished Rarity. She coaxed the visibly annoyed Opal back onto her seat with her favourite toy mouse, and held her close as an apology. ‘Oh, Opalescence, darling… mommy’s sorry, baby,’ she whispered, and gently smooched behind her cat’s ears. ‘And Spike’s sorry too for giving you such a fright! Aren’t you, Spike.’

Spike blushed. ‘Uh, yeah, I didn’t mean to do that. Sorry, Opal.’ said Spike.

Opal looked bored as she laid back down on Rarity’s lap. ‘She forgives you, dear, not to worry. Do continue?’

‘Sure, where was I? Oh yeah, after she’d been singing for a while the song’s tone exploded, and so did Gabby’s singing voice – she can really belt it out! And so did the wicker figures. I have no idea how she rigged up the pyrotechnics for it but somehow, she’d set it up so gouts of flame shot out of the ground and razed the lot of them! The bigger ones had fireworks inside them that shot into the air, not that you could see them in the sky because, well, it’s been sunny all day.’

Rarity stroked her cat and glanced at the window behind Spike’s head – she’d been too busy to be outside for the lion’s share of the day despite an awareness of how bright it’d been, and while she’d been working she’d lost track of the time. It was a little surprising to her that the sun had come around to the west. ‘My goodness, I suppose that is the time,’ she said, looking back at Spike, ‘And my goodness! It was all safe, wasn’t it? Nothing burned that wasn’t supposed to, I hope?’

‘She’d thinned things out enough that there was enough distance from the figures to the forest’s edge that it was probably fine, but besides that, she used magic fire. Mine, actually. It doesn’t really spread the way normal fire does. Y’see, a while ago I gave Gabby a candle for her birthday,’ Spike explained, changing the subject for a moment, ‘She likes candles. When I gave it to her I lit it with my own breath. I thought it was romantic at the time, and,’ he chuckled, ‘It is kind of a nice thought. And when those flames went up, Rarity, they were green, and I knew immediately. She hadn’t just torched all the weird figures she’d spent weeks crafting, she’d done it with my dragon fire! She must’ve kept that flame burning all that time…’

Rarity smiled incredulously – she’d kept a straight face throughout Spike’s story so far but this was too much. ‘Dear, dear me, a literal torch song. Symbolic, you suppose?’

‘It wasn’t lost on me, trust me. She kept going with the song for a while longer, describing her feelings and her plans for a future without me – I caught something about finding somecreature new, preferably another dragon, and living on a canal boat with them, if you can believe that – and the song wound down and that was it. There was a long pause until I applauded – she was obviously waiting for that – and she bowed, and leant forward to shake my claw with both of hers, and said, “Well, hope you enjoyed that, Spike! We had a good time, don’t you think? It’s too bad you came over while the sun’s still up, it would’ve been better at night but I think that went pretty well, don’t you? Well, it’s getting late and I’m tired after all that singing! Toodles!” And then she hopped off the stage, and flew inside, and locked the shutter. I took the hint and saw myself back to Ponyville. I got myself two scoops from Sugarcube Corner, then came over to see you.’

Rarity finished off her tea, which was starting to get cold. ‘Well! That sounds rather final indeed. Good for her for dealing with it in a… strange, but nominally healthy manner. From what Gallus told me I thought she was in deep denial of the possibility.’

‘Yeah… I feel like a, a real idiot for running away and crying about it, now,’ said Spike a little bitterly, ‘I just didn’t know how to deal with it until you talked me into seeing her. Turned out all I really needed to do was show up, and she took care of the rest. Which…’ he sighed and trailed off.

‘Come again, darling?’ Rarity prompted.

‘Oh, nothing really. I just heard myself say that, and, I dunno, these past moons I’d been feeling that a lot with Gabby. She’d lead everything and I’d follow, I guess? And that was fine when it was something I wanted to do, but when she said she wanted kids all those times, I couldn’t go along with it and I bailed.’

‘Hmm.’ Instead of answering further, Rarity magically gathered the spent cups and saucers into stacks.

‘Anyways, enough of that – I just have some regrets, is all. It’s not really anything to do with you. Can I help you clean up? I’d really like to,’ asked Spike.

Rarity seemed distracted for a moment before she responded. ‘It wouldn’t take long for me to clear this myself, Spikey. It’s fine, really…’

Spike smiled and hopped off his couch, ‘It’s the least I could do, Rarity. You’ve been there for me for some real personal stuff this past week. You didn’t have to be, but you were, and I appreciate that…’ He stepped around the table and looked into Rarity’s eyes, and was surprised that they looked watery around the edges. ‘Rarity, are you okay?’

She clutched Opal close and looked guilty, shrinking away as Spike looked at her. ‘No, no… I mean, yes! Yes, completely, I’m absolutely fine.’

‘Rarity. You’ve listened to me talk about my relationship problems for goodness-knows how long and suddenly you’ve clammed up on me, and I can tell when something’s bugging you. It must be something I said, right?’

Rarity relaxed a little, but not much, and Spike’s brow furrowed. ‘Well, I’m taking these cups and saucers into the kitchen,’ he said, ‘If you’ve nothing else to say to me once I’m done, I’ll get on my way – you said you had an appointment soon, right? And I guess I’ll need to check in with Twilight soon, anyway. I told her about Gabby so she won’t be expecting me home right away, but if I hang around too much longer I’ll be flying back to Canterlot in the dark.’

She sighed in response, and Spike did as he’d said. Rarity moped on the couch as Opalescence squirmed out of her grasp and made for her water bowl, somewhat displeased by Rarity’s clinginess a minute before. She listened to the porcelain clink and sploosh around in the sink as Spike cleaned up. He was right, he had said something that had troubled her, but she was having problems with the why, and the how of expressing it. After a minute’s light sulking she jumped off the couch and headed for the kitchen where Spike was. It just wouldn’t do to leave things like this. She needed to be straight with him about her concerns.

‘Spikey?’ said Rarity as she trotted in where Spike was just draining the sink, task complete.

Spike took off his rubber gloves, turned around and hopped off the stool he’d been using to reach the countertop. ‘Hey, Rarity. A bit for your thoughts?’

‘I just wanted to say, I’m sorry,’ she said, ‘For how I acted just now, but also, I… I realised something. You know how you said, and I paraphrase, “Gabby led, and I followed”?’

‘Yeah…?’

‘I feel like I shoulder some blame for that, that’s all, darling. All those years we were friends before you hit it off with Gabby, I… did you ever think of the times I did things that you wanted to do when you asked?’

‘Uh…’ Spike thought hard for a moment, ‘Did we ever do that?’

‘No… noooooo. No, we never did. Everything, everything we did together was at my behest! Don’t you think that’s wrong, that you were at my beck and call for years like that?’

‘I never really thought about it like that, but I guess you’re right. I mean, I didn’t mind, Rarity. I’m used to doing assistant stuff for Twilight, so when I… when we made friends and you wanted to go mining, or shopping, or whatever, it was my pleasure to help you out. We got work done, we did fun stuff and we had a good time together, don’t you think?’ Spike stopped himself for a moment, again pondering his own words. ‘Wait, is there an echo in here?’ It was meant to be, but it didn’t sound much like a joke.

He followed Rarity back into the parlour as she spoke again. ‘It makes me wonder somewhat, that’s all. Have I… have we, I mean generally, all of us ponies, always treated you fairly? You say you don’t mind assisting me, or Twilight, or anypony who needs it for that matter, but are you sure it’s really okay?’

He didn’t reply to that, and Rarity looked closely for his reaction – he looked perturbed and more than a little unhappy. ‘I’m so sorry, Spikey. I’m making your break-up with Gabby about me, aren’t I?’ she said, ‘Oh, dear, I am selfish…’

Spike eventually answered. ‘Maybe I should go.’

Rarity felt teary again. ‘Oh, I’m so so sorry, truly! I didn’t mean to–’

‘It’s not that. I think I need some time to think about what you just said. About me.’ He flapped his wings and hovered. ‘I’ll come back, honest. Really, I promise, Rarity. I just, bye.’

‘Spikey-Wikey, come back!’ Rarity called after him, ‘At least take some cake back to Twilight!’ But he was gone. After waiting a moment in case he returned, she sat down and clutched a pillow. ‘Oh, drat,’ she whispered to herself.

She stayed like that for a few minutes, during which time Opalescence rubbed up against her back hooves, before looking at the time – her dress-fitting appointment with Flitter was just fifteen minutes away, her final job of the day. She sighed one last time before she fed Opalescence, put on her gown-face and left the parlour to prepare the shop floor for her customer’s impending arrival.

– 3: You Are A Valid Little Dragon –

“Hey Rarity!

Further to our discussion about Gabby, etc. the other day, I’ve had some time to think about things and I’ve had some words with Twilight, and we’ve agreed we need to have a friendship meeting between the three of us. Please meet us at Canterlot Castle before sunset tomorrow if you can.

Well, see you soon! ~Spike 🔥”

Rarity looked at the letter for the dozenth time since it had materialised in front of her yesterday morning, as she approached Canterlot Castle’s front edifice. She’d hardly forgotten her exchange with Spike. On the contrary, she’d agonised over it for much of the weekend, but had felt it better to leave well alone until he’d gotten in touch like he’d promised, and now he was ready. “Friendship meetings” were less formal than they sounded, at that – her tea party with Spike and Opal had been an impromptu version of one, so while her initial response to Spike’s message had some minor trepidation simply accounting for circumstances, she was sure things were fine. Still, the name carried some weight as occasions where capital-d Decisions were made regarding interpersonal relationships.

Twilight and Spike both stood halfway up the stairs to the door as she approached, and she waved to them. ‘Rarity, you made it!’ said Twilight.

‘A lady never misses a date, you know that, dear,’ said Rarity, giving Twilight a peck on each cheek before revealing the same hamper she’d brought with her when she’d visited Spike the previous week, ‘I brought cake!’

Twilight smiled and transferred Rarity’s magic hold to her own before peeking inside. ‘Lemon cream cake… excellent choice. Thanks, Rarity,’ she said.

Cake transfer complete, Rarity turned to Spike, who was holding a stack of paper with both claws. ‘So, Spikey, are you well? I may have some idea why you’ve called me here, but you seemed… less than fine when you departed the boutique the other day?’

Spike looked serious, but not unfriendly, and he plopped the paper stack onto the step before moving in for a hug, which she reciprocated. ‘Hi, Rarity. I’m fine, really, but we all need to talk about a few things.’

‘We have been talking rather a lot lately, don’t you think? Not that that’s a bad thing,’ said Rarity as the three entered the castle and Spike led the two ponies to their destination, ‘It’s good to, ah, chat, communicate, parlay.’ She felt nerves squeeze on her stomach just a little as she said that.

‘Yeah… about some heavy stuff, too,’ said Spike, ‘And I hope you don’t mind that I want to continue with that. Before we get on with this, I just wanna say, I know I’ve said this already, but, I really appreciate what you’ve done for me, recently. You’ve been a rock. I mean, a gem. Uh, I mean–’

Twilight interjected. ‘Both of you relax. Rarity, Spike told me all about Gabby, and what you said to him when he met you afterwards.’

‘And… what did I say?’ Rarity was sure Spike had relayed to Twilight accurately, but she wanted to be more sure.

‘It’s complicated, to hear him tell it, wouldn’t you say, Spike?’

Spike made an ‘Ehh…’ noise before elaborating, ‘I mean, part of it’s dragon stuff, and part of it’s pony stuff, and… Rarity, I didn’t write this on the letter because I hadn’t made the call yet, but I’ve also asked Smolder to come along. As an intermediary, and I think her perspective will be helpful. I hope that’s alright.’

‘Smolder? Of course, it’s perfectly alright you invited her. This is your meeting to call, Spike – no permission needed. And, the more the merrier I suppose?’ Rarity’s composure broke slightly.

Twilight obviously noticed. ‘Don’t be nervous, Rarity,’ she assured her, ‘Whatever comes of this meeting, I know we both have his best interests at heart. And Smolder should be in a good mood – we’re paying her in rhinestone sandwiches and fireberry juice. As many and as much as she likes.’

‘Hey, you know? That’s something I’d like to touch upon with you. Anyway, this is the place,’ said Spike. Two burly royal guards opened the way to the party and they entered a smallish library side-room with a round table in its centre. Cutlery and glasses and plates with stacked triangle-cut sandwiches had been freshly prepared, which Rarity presumed were Spike’s doing. They looked scrumptious!

As he’d mentioned, Smolder was already sitting down, her legs crossed on a large cushioned reading chair, halfway through one of them. She straightened out of the slouch she’d been positioned in as they entered and said, ‘Sup?’

‘So good to see you, Smolder,’ said Rarity, circling Smolder’s chair en route to whichever seemed comfiest to her, ‘I didn’t know you’d be here but I’m glad you are. Have you been keeping well since graduation?’

‘I spent the night in a ditch,’ Smolder drawled, then laughed when Rarity’s lip curled, ‘Hah, I knew you’d make that face, Ms. Rarity. It’s true though. You know I sleep rough half the time.’

‘To actually answer your question,’ said Spike as Smolder stretched and cracked her neck, ‘Smolder’s been in the Dragonlands these past moons but returned to the School of Friendship. Headmare Starlight’s expanding into higher education, I don’t think you’ve heard.’

‘Yeah… we did good work at the school and all, but I figure I need a bit more tuition before I can really follow my dream of being Dragonlord Ember’s domestic friendship ambassador. I’m actually not just here for the sandwiches – watching you three negotiate whatever it is you’ve got going here might be good for me.’

‘Oh, you should’ve said sooner! I could have set things up for some real learning!’ said Twilight. She approached the table and set the hamper down, then unfolded its contents onto a spare plate. ‘A bit late for that now, though, we should get on with this before my next, more boring meeting. Whinnyapolis delegates, something to do with the forest over there. Everycreature take a seat when you’re ready. Smolder, Rarity brought cake.’

‘Lemon cream, to be specific,’ said Rarity, ‘I know Spike and Twilight like it, but I’m not so sure about yourself? I’m sorry I couldn’t be more accommodating.’

‘Nah, lemon cream’s fine,’ said Smolder, ‘It’s the sandwiches we gotta segregate. I’m not eating daisy and cucumber and last I checked, gem sandwiches were dragons only.’

As Rarity unwrapped and divided the cake into eighths, everycreature sat down around the table and took their fair portion of food and drink, with Spike taking the seat nearest the window. He once again placed his stack onto his chair and skimmed the top for the notes relevant to the subject at hand, wing-boosted himself atop the rest of it, then cleared his throat before speaking.

‘Alright, thanks everypony, everycreature, for coming,’ he said, ‘I know this has been short notice for some of you. What I’ve called us here to discuss, is,’ he shuffled his notes, ‘Rarity, Twilight, we’ve known each other for a long time, and I don’t want to make out for one second that we’re not friends – we are, I love you both, I love all you guys! – but following events in my life over the last couple of weeks I’d like to clear the air regarding pony culture,’ he strained the last couple of words there, ‘And how it pertains to dragons.’

Smolder jerked to attention in her seat as Spike turned to her first. ‘Smolder, quick question. How old are you?’

‘Uhh, I forget? Dragons don’t really do birthdays, but…’ she cogitated for a moment, ‘I know I was hatched during the sixth moon of the 741st year of Dragonlord Torch, but I don’t remember how many years it’s been since he abdicated to Ember. I remember being there for the gauntlet, but I didn’t get far after the water.’

Spike wiggled a quill around as he jotted down a note. ‘Thanks. Twilight, can you change that into a Ponish date?’

‘Torch retired after Ember returned the bloodstone sceptre to him during the 756th year of his reign,’ said Twilight, ‘And that was nearly four years ago now, which means she’s… huh, would you look at that. Nineteen, and you just graduated, Smolder. Squares up nicely.’

Smolder awkwardly recrossed her arms and legs in response to Twilight’s observation. ‘And in pony years, Twilight? I need an exact number here,’ Spike pressed.

‘Sure. She was hatched on the nine hundred and ninety-fourth year of Celestia’s rule, or 994AC if you prefer.’

‘And of course you know my birthday, right? You never forget to buy me a book for it.’

Of course, it was the day I was accepted into Celestia’s School of Magic, back in 995. I’ll never forget hatching you in the final exam. That was an important day for a number of reasons.’

Twilight smiled and glanced at Rarity, who nodded, giggled and said, ‘Yes, at least five others! That special day our entire little group got our cutie marks, before we even knew one another!’

‘So by your own math, Twilight, you’d agree I’m eighteen years old at this moment in time?’

‘That would be quite correct, Spike. Approaching nineteen, as a matter of fact.’

‘Thanks. With that in mind, Princess Twilight, Rarity, don’t you think it’s kinda weird that I’m still…’ Spike gesticulated a claw in circles for a moment, obviously uncomfortable with what he was about to say, ‘A baby dragon?’

‘You know, I always wondered about that,’ said Smolder, ‘You definitely look more than a year younger than me.’

‘Darling,’ said Rarity, ‘You know that’s not how any of us have seen you in quite the while! We all know, all of Equestria knows how you’ve grown up over the years, surely?’

‘I’ve not stagnated, you reminded me of that when we talked by the fountain a few days back. But it doesn’t show on me, physically,’ said Spike, ‘Why is that, do you think?’

‘Well, dragons don’t age quite the same as ponies,’ said Twilight, ‘It’s long been known that elder dragons can reach 1200 years of age or more, but…’ she glanced between the two dragons seated around the opposite end of the circular table. She’d never really thought about it before, but even with Spike atop his paper stack it was plain that Smolder was a head taller than his size. ‘Well, the ageing of juvenile dragons isn’t documented, at all. As a civilisation I suppose ponies only had any understanding of dragon culture at all very recently. Heck, my correspondence with Ember has probably garnered me as much knowledge the past few years as ponies had of you for goodness knows how long.’

‘Uh-huh. I’ve lived with you my entire life, Twilight,’ said Spike, ‘In lieu of any hard data about dragon ages, what would you observe anecdotally about my growth over the years? Literal growth, I mean.’

‘After you hatched I looked after you for a while with some assistance from my folks and you were, well, a baby,’ said Twilight, ‘An actual baby. And over time you grew up, started walking, talking, at the rate you’d expect. You were always eager to help me even back in the day and I welcomed that, with my accelerated learning schedule. I suppose you stopped growing up after… about ten? Eleven? Ish? Years? Before Celestia sent me to Ponyville, at any rate.’

‘Smolder, can you add anything to that observation?’

Smolder slouched. ‘Can’t say I’ve ever heard of that happening, out in the Dragonlands at least. Although you know, I have heard of younglings from the Fillydelphia dragontown having their growth stunted for a while due to exposure to chemicals in the urban environment. Sounds crazy but some dragons are more sensitive to certain toxins ponies just aren't.’

‘That could be part of it, but…’ Spike sighed, ‘Well, I have a theory. Something I’ve been wondering for a long time, but it was Rarity who really brought it to my mind as something that’s impacted my life.’

‘Why, however do you mean?’ asked Rarity.

Spike paused. ‘When you said you weren’t sure if I’d been treated fairly by everypony, it really got me thinking hard. This is tough for me to put out there, but I, uh…’

Smolder got a little annoyed. ‘Spike, spit that fire out if you’ve got it. Stop keeping us waiting!’

‘I’m sorry, Smolder, everypony. I thought on it, and I’ve come to the conclusion that, and please, don’t for a moment think this is either of your faults or any other individual’s, that living amongst ponies my entire life… that the good intentions of my pony friends, and adopted pony family, have halted my physical development.’

Twilight seemed slighted. ‘Spike, I hope you don’t mean to say we’ve coddled you unnecessarily over the years.’

Spike shuffled his notes. ‘That isn’t what I mean, actually, but I don’t blame you for taking it that way. Let me lay it out.’

‘Like you say, ponies didn’t know much about dragons for a very long time before you were able to reach out to Ember. However, I figure everypony knew the things about dragons most important to ponies,’ Spike counted his points on his claws, ‘One, they burn down your houses; two, they steal all your stuff; three, stay the heck away from them. Would you say that’s accurate?’

‘Heck, I would,’ nodded Smolder.

‘Self-preservation in the face of a giant fire-breathing lizard, if you don’t mind my saying so, probably was tantamount for anypony encountering one back in the day. Even now,’ agreed Rarity.

‘No arguments there, honestly,’ said Twilight, ‘We knew enough to concoct a few dragon-related spells, but those were also crafted in self-defense now that I think about it…’

‘Exactly. It’s reasonable, which is why I say nopony is to blame for it,’ said Spike, ‘Then I come along in the aftermath of Twilight’s entrance exam. A dragon living among ponies… not giant, potentially fire-breathing, but small and cute, wouldn’t you say?’

Twilight smiled again, because he wasn’t wrong. ‘Of course, Spikey-Wikey,’ said Rarity, batting her lashes, ‘You are a very sweet young dragon.’

‘And I do not mind you saying that,’ said Spike, almost losing his cultivated seriousness over the matter for a second before regaining his professional face. ‘But, I know that’s why I’ve always been considered “one of the good ones”. I’m non-threatening, I almost only ever use my fire breath to send messages, and I’m helpful. I have to be helpful. It’s how I have a place in a society that is, well, is slightly less so nowadays, but still kinda is, anti-dragon.’

Rarity put one hoof over her mouth with an expression of deep concern. ‘Oh, Spike…’ Twilight started.

Spike raised a claw. ‘Let me finish, Twilight. Being so… servile over the years isn’t even a habit. It’s a deep, an ingrained part of my identity. I didn’t see it the whole time I was with Gabby but we mostly did what she wanted, until I couldn’t go along with that anymore. And I’ve realised, when I’m with you, Twilight, or you, Rarity, I do what you want. When I’m not doing things for other ponies, I mean, I have hobbies, but they’re the hobbies I’ve had for years! Comics and board games and such. Sure, I have my diplomatic accomplishments, like singing songs that end prejudice, but personally speaking, I dunno. I just don’t know what I’m doing with myself sometimes.’

Spike was getting a little emotional now, and he stopped talking for a moment. ‘I don't feel in control of my life,’ he sighed, ‘I live to serve and it’s the source of a lot of problems for me. Some nights I lie in my basket and stare at the ceiling and feel rotten about myself for hours, about my size, why I do stuff and why it means I'm actually horrible, thinking about all the mistakes I’ve made in my life and how they mean I'm even worse than that. It’s not a new thing, though it comes and goes… I don’t know if I’m even making sense right now.’

As he looked down at his feet Smolder slipped off her chair and approached him, and the two ponies followed her lead. ‘Aw, c’mon Spike, cheer up,’ she said, punching him softly on the shoulder, ‘You have a good life with these ponies. So what if you’re a shrimp? Let me tell you, elder dragons don’t really have great lives a lot of the time, there’s only so long you can roast villages and hoard gold before it gets old. That’s why they’re always in a bad mood!’

Spike smiled a bit in response and looked to Rarity and Twilight, who both looked sad and a little guilty. ‘Gosh, Spike, I had no idea you felt that way…’ said Twilight, ‘I’ve never thought of you as a servant, for whatever that’s worth… you’ve been more like a little brother to me.’

‘Nor I, although I have had occasion to ponder the nature of your helping me once or twice over the years,’ said Rarity, welling up somewhat, ‘But I always thought you just liked being around me and my gems. Oh, Spikey… maybe I’ve not always been as good of a friend to you as I could’ve been, darling…’

‘I keep saying, it’s neither of your faults – I’ve done it to myself, mostly. Pony society’s unwittingly encouraged me to think in terms of relationships as transactional things, and even though logically I know that’s bunk nowadays I still go along with it because, like I said, I want to be useful. Not that I dislike or regret being useful, but…’

He paused for a moment more. ‘I think… I want to grow up. Hardly elder dragon big, but bigger than I am. I guess that’s why I wanted to hold this friendship meeting – I think it’s possible, but I don’t think it’s possible with things staying the way they are. Really, I need help, this time. From you.’

Spike stopped speaking with gravity, having laid out his dilemma for the others to ponder.

‘Thought about hitting the gym?’ Smolder asked after a few seconds, ‘Gallus told me he and Silverstream have been going a few times a week together since he started training up for guard duties, as well as her looking to join the Wonderbolts’ reserves. A bit of muscle definition might help ya!’

Spike side-eyed Smolder, smiling wryly. ‘Noted, and yes, as a matter of fact, I’ve been doing some core exercises and jogging around the castle first thing for a while now – Gabby’s suggestion, actually. Doesn’t it show?’

Smolder tilted her head and, with a slack expression, looked Spike up and down. ‘Okay, okay, don’t answer that,’ he said.

‘It’s true. Cardio kills gains,’ Smolder concluded with deadly seriousness. She raised her claws in the air and said ‘What?!’ when Spike shot her a withering look, ‘Gar-Gar always said that!’

‘I wish I could say I was surprised, Smolder,’ said Spike. She sat back down, a little huffily, as he turned to the ponies in the room with faux-officiousness. ‘I’ll take that into consideration. So, Smolder’s suggestion is to skip leg day. Anything to add to that, girls?’

Having dwelt on some guilty feelings the past couple of minutes Rarity blurted out, ‘Oh, Spikey, Spikey-Wikey, I’m ever so sorry if I ever, ever made you feel like you somehow weren’t welcome in Ponyville, or among ponies, or, oh, I’m not supposed to apologise again am I, oh, oh dear…’ she thumped her chest twice and coughed, composing herself somewhat before continuing, ‘Excuse me. I’m sure any of us would say the same, were she present in addition to Twilight and I. Considering your stature in pony society… if we consider your past, as Twilight said before, raised by her and her parents, growing into a role as her assistant, learning about the world around you from her, would I be correct in assuming that was the entirety of your education? Did you ever go to school?’

Spike hesitated, then gestured to Twilight, and she took his lead. ‘No, he didn’t. We actually did try to enrol him at West Canterlot Fillies & Colts once, but it didn’t work out well. Turned out a kindergarten classroom and a little dragon with limited control over his fire breath don’t mix at all, and we didn’t try again after that – I mean, nopony was hurt! But it was the incident that led to Celestia enchanting his breath to make it safer. I took him under my wing instead – I mean, I didn’t have wings at the time! You know what I mean…’

‘Well then… I must say, darling, you did an exemplary job educating your charge,’ Rarity said to Twilight, ‘He truly is something.’

Twilight giggled, ‘Thank you, Rarity! But I should remind you to get to the point of asking after that?’

‘Right, yes, so sorry. I’m thinking about what Spike said about society’s, ah, anti-draconic qualities, and I fear that proves his point rather neatly.’

Spike had been looking down glumly since Twilight had started describing that chapter of his life. ‘You’re right, Rarity. I’ll never forget that day. I was so ashamed,’ he said.

‘Truth be told, it was at the back of my mind when I opened the School of Friendship to all creatures,’ said Twilight, ‘It wasn’t really your fault, Spike. You couldn’t help it.’

He wiped a tear from his eye and grimaced. ‘Sorry, I’m reliving it… dammit! Rarity, you really know how to hurt a guy, bringing up stuff like that!’

Twilight leaned towards Spike for a hug, and he embraced her for comfort as his lower lip trembled. ‘It’s okay, Spike,’ she murmured, ‘I forgot it was a sore spot for you. I shouldn’t have been so lighthearted about it.’

Rarity’s heart went out to Spike. ‘I didn’t know, Spikey! Neither you nor Twilight ever mentioned it before…’ she said, before looking to Twilight and mouthing “Can I apologise now?” to which Twilight nodded once, ‘I’m ever so sorry… if they wouldn’t make the effort at that school to accommodate you properly, it was their loss not to have such a clever little dragon.’

‘I’m with Rarity,’ said Smolder, idly munching on another gem sandwich, ‘They were probably jerks. It can’t be that hard to fireproof one room. Twilight managed it at the school all the time, I checked.’ Twilight’s expression darkened slightly in Smolder’s direction as she revealed that.

Spike’s eyes dried up after a minute, and Twilight let him sit back straight on his pile. ‘No, no, it’s important to the conversation, even if I wasn’t expecting something this raw to come up,’ he said, ‘I guess I should’ve. I appreciate your concern, Rarity, Smolder, and you’re correct. Getting kicked out of school like that definitely sent a message to me, and not a nice one. I know now it wasn’t my fault, but it sure felt like I was the one to blame. Everypony was mad at me afterwards, even if they didn’t yell at me.’

‘My original point was that it may have deprived you of some social contact early on,’ Rarity chose her words carefully, not wanting to upset her favourite dragon again, ‘I never meant to reopen old wounds. I’m truly sorry for that.’

‘I see what you meant a bit better now, Spike,’ said Twilight after some consideration, ‘About the good intentions of your friends stifling you. I never wanted anything other than the best for you, but, well, you know better than anycreature that I wasn’t exactly a social butterfly back in those days. You didn’t have the opportunity to seek them on your own, and I never pushed you to make friends so you never did, aside from me. And maybe Moondancer?’

‘True, that,’ said Spike, ‘We’ve both come far since then. I have a bunch of friends I couldn’t feel closer to nowadays, and that wasn’t always the case.’

Smolder smiled. ‘You’re an easy guy to like, Spike, of course you do. You take a little getting used to, especially for other dragons, but I realised you were alright once I was over the initial, “This guy is a wuss” hump, no offense. Heck, realising that about you made me realise a few things about myself, pony-wise. You’ve brushed off on me a bit, made me see the value of being…’ she searched for a moment for a better word before giving up, ‘Nice.’

‘Really? That means a lot coming from you, Smolder. Thanks,’ said Spike, blushing just slightly.

‘I mean, it’s not just you,’ Smolder turned to the ponies, ‘The last few years’ve been time well spent. When Dragonlord Ember first sent me here I was, uh, less than thrilled? I was convinced it’d be some namby-pamby, prissy pony frou-frou waste of time to endure. But all six of you proved me wrong big-time that first year, not to mention my friends, that I made, at the friendship school.’

As Smolder spoke Spike put down his slice of cake, raised a finger and inhaled to say something, then let it go. ‘All seven of you founding professors,’ Smolder corrected herself, ‘S’cuse me, Spike.’

‘Yes, all seven of us, how do you say these days, “POG” friendship professors,’ said Rarity, remembering the turn of phrase Gallus had used a week back, ‘And Starlight, of course, made eight! Is she doing well back at school, now little Luster Dawn’s a bit older?’

‘Better than ever, Ms. Rarity, and her kid seems well – it was her first birthday just last week, she told me. Twilight made the right call making her headmare, why’d you think I went back? She and Sunburst are both really good teachers. Good nose for professors, too.’

‘I can confirm that,’ said Twilight, polishing off a sandwich, ‘Spike and I check in with her a couple of times a moon. She’s really grown into headmareship.’

‘And Luster is a super-cute little filly, honestly,’ said Spike, ‘Very energetic! Gabby loved her when we visited. Bought her a small pile of dollies afterwards. Heh, I suppose that didn’t help how things went between us in the end.’

Rarity gained a regretful look in her eyes for just a second, just long enough for Spike to notice, and they made eye contact for that second until Rarity blinked it off. She’d not been keeping up with creatures outside her core group lately thanks to work and she felt a tiny bit out of the loop, though she supposed she only had herself to blame for that. ‘That’s marvellous, I simply must see her myself again sometime. Doubtless she’s grown,’ she said, with a little feigned cheer.

She paused. Something else was on her mind that needed to be brought to the table. ‘Speaking of which, we’re moving away from the topic at hoof. You know, Twilight, if Spikey says he wants to grow up, where would financials come into play, in pursuit of such a goal?’

Twilight raised an eyebrow. ‘What do you mean, Rarity?’

Spike’s ear frills perked up. ‘Yeah… what do you mean?’ he asked.

‘Well, when I make a dress or a suit for a pony, I make certain I’m paid in bits for my efforts, that’s all! And unless I’m mistaken, Spike, you’re not simply a general assistant to Twilight, why, you’re a fully-fledged diplomat, are you not? Keeping the peace between dragons and yaks, among other events like that? Perhaps this is my materialist streak shining through, but that seems like something you should be paid well for?’ She turned to Twilight with her eyes wide and asked, ‘Is Spikey financially independent?’

Twilight didn’t answer the question. ‘Twilight?’ Rarity pressed.

The other three in the room all looked at Twilight intently, and she cringed and flop-sweated visibly. Eventually she dragged something out. ‘...No. I’ve been in full control of his pursestrings since forever ago.’

Spike raised an eyebrow – while this was a topic of urgent interest to him, he didn’t share Rarity’s perturbation on the topic. ‘Twilight, relax. Rarity got there first but I, I’d been meaning to bring this up before we adjourned anyway.’

Twilight looked profoundly uncomfortable. ‘Why didn’t you tell me that before we started this, Spike? You’re putting me on the spot a little, don’t you think?’

‘I mean, it is a pertinent question, and plainly Spike and I are in agreement,’ said Rarity, pausing as Twilight gave her a partly-fearful, partly-angry look, ‘Twilight. There’s no need to be defensive, darling, you said it yourself earlier. We’re all friends here.’

‘Yeah, I’m not mad,’ said Spike, ‘I want for nothing in my day-to-day life, you make sure of that – I’ve never felt like I’ve had to go without.’

‘You treat him very well,’ said Rarity, ‘But it is a topic we need to broach. If nothing else, even with the most pristine intentions don’t you think a prescriptive approach ultimately controls him in ways you might not see? Spike, don’t you think you could make your own use of those bits?’

‘Quite right, Rarity, and I do. I mean, if you don’t mind me being blunt, Twi, I’d very much like you to relinquish control of that to which I am entitled, given my age, which may I remind you, you helped me establish earlier,’ he spoke deliberately, as he’d rehearsed that, then grinned as Twilight shot him a wounded look, ‘If there’s a problem with that?’

The dragon and pony pair mithering her was getting to Twilight. ‘Oh, donuts!’ she exclaimed, slapping a hoof against her horn, pausing before continuing, a little more coolly and with a lot more regret. ‘Spike, I’m sorry. We should have discussed this a year ago. You’re both right, I’ve been intentionally withholding Spike’s accounts from him. I’m not proud of myself but…’

‘But?’ prompted Spike.

‘But are you sure you’re ready? I’ve been reluctant to do anything after,’ Twilight looked at Rarity, ‘You remember Spike’s first birthday in Ponyville, right? When he hoarded a bunch of stuff then became insane and massive?’

‘One of the most harrowing experiences of my entire life? Can’t say it rings any bells, dear,’ Rarity joked, ‘I still have the fi– ah, I mean, Spike was very large that day. All of Ponyville suffered for it until he regained his senses!’

Smolder had been quiet for the past while – financial matters weren’t something she was well-versed in, but dragon stuff sure was. She looked Spike up and down, then said, ‘Wait, you had a greed-growth episode? And changed back afterwards like nothing happened? No way!’

Spike winced. ‘That I did, Smolder. A long time ago now – we don’t really talk about it.’

‘I mean, that’s not supposed to happen, is all. Greed-growth’s not a one-way street, but it doesn’t reverse entirely. If it happens to a dragon and they change back, they’re left with a couple of parts that don’t change back all the way, and you don’t have anything like that.’

‘Is that so?’ said Twilight with great interest, ‘You’ll have to tell me more once the meeting’s over, Smolder.’

‘Sure, Princess Twilight,’ said Smolder, ‘Happy to help your research.’

Spike inhaled, then pressed the issue at hoof. ‘Twilight, I can’t undo what happened that day, and back then I definitely wasn’t mature enough to handle,’ saying something so inane made him baulk, ‘Receiving birthday gifts, of all things, but I’ve learned a lot about responsibility, and how selfish and stupid I was, since then. There’s no way that would happen now.’

Twilight looked at the regret on Spike’s face and sighed. ‘After everything we’ve discussed up to this point, I guess I really should at least give you a fair chance. Think this falls under the “good intentions” umbrella?’

‘I dare say,’ said Rarity, ‘I for one am definitely seeing Spike’s point about that rather acutely right now, between this and the pre-school… problem. I suppose some things just lurk under the surface, so to speak, until coaxed out.’

‘So, Spike, you really think you’re ready to handle the responsibility? Finance can be awful tricky.’

Spike sighed. ‘Yes, Twilight, I promise not to bury myself under my heaving gold and gem horde and slowly expand until I’m a tremendous mad beast that levels Canterlot. I swear I will not do that.’

‘That’s not quite what I meant. Promise me you won’t just fritter it away.’

He sighed again. ‘Yes, Twilight, I promise not to spend all my bits on chocolate ice cream and then gorge myself on the chocolate ice cream and then drown myself in the chocolate ice cream.’

‘Spike, I can see your crossed claws behind your back.’ said Twilight.

‘Kidding!’ said Spike, uncrossing his fingers and showing both his claws to Twilight, ‘Anyway, You know I’m more of a mint choc chip guy,’ Twilight’s eyes burned into him, and he grinned. ‘Kidding again?’

‘No, I believe you,’ smiled Twilight, ‘And I trust you, you little joker. Alright, I officially relinquish your accounts from my control to your personal ownership, Spike. I’ll give you a permit later to go down to the vaults. Ask the ponies there to guide you to your coffers by order of the princess.’

‘I appreciate that, Twilight. Thank you.’ Spike fluttered off his stack and moved in for a hug, and Twilight embraced him with one foreleg and a wing for a moment.

Rarity beamed. ‘Glad we’ve got one concrete thing taken care of this meeting, then,’ she said.

‘Yeah,’ said Smolder, ‘And, I mean, I’m seriously no expert on this touchy-feely stuff, but I’d say acknowledging your self-esteem issues – is that the phrase? Spike’s got more issues than I thought, but you’re all so supportive of each other, it’s sort of sickening. I think you can work things out, you little nerd,’ she smiled at Spike, who reciprocated broadly.

‘If you ever need an ear or a shoulder to lean on, Spikey-Wikey,’ said Rarity, ‘Well, you already know this, but my door is always open to you.’

‘And please, don’t ever feel like you have to hide things from me,’ said Twilight, ‘Honestly, I was a little hurt that you didn’t discuss your relationship problems with Gabby with me right away. I know I’m not great with, you know, love stuff, but I’ll always support you no matter what.’

‘You know I can help you out with dragon stuff,’ Smolder chipped in, ‘Just drop me a scroll whenever, I can make the time.’

‘Thanks, everycreature. If Rarity hadn’t intervened I’d probably still be lying, hideously depressed, on that statue of Cadance,’ Spike admitted, ‘Not much of a life, you know?’

‘I would’ve come looking for you myself eventually! I do notice things!’ protested Twilight. Everycreature laughed.

Things wound down after that, and serious discussion gave way to a short while’s general chitter-chatter and finishing off of sandwiches. Tired of her own mineral water Rarity tried a mouthful of Smolder’s fireberry juice, which contained a pungent spice that shot right up into her nasal cavity, and for a minute she involuntarily treated the party to her best impersonation of a strangulated dragon until it subsided. Spike told jokes and stories he’d heard off of Discord, including the one about the biggest pet shop in Manehattan which they’d all heard a dozen times before but all still got a kick out of. For her part Rarity imparted the latest business gossip about her boutique over there, and Twilight fussed a little about fact-checking a detail in a book about eastern Equestrian fauna that she was sure was incorrect.

Once the clock struck the hour, Twilight stood to attention. ‘Oh, that’s the time. I suppose this concludes our meeting, Spike? I’ll have to go to that next meeting soon, but I’d like to confer with you, Smolder, about greed-growth before it so I don’t keep you waiting – is that okay with you?’

‘I said so earlier, Princess Twilight. Just don’t keep me too long, I got sheep to herd before sundown. S’what I do to support my college-girl self these days.’

‘Yeah, show’s over for the most part,’ said Spike, hopping off his stack one last time, ‘There’s a couple of things that might be better discussed individually, but by necessity they can wait for later. I do know that I feel much better after talking things through, excuse me if that’s egotistical of me to say. I’m sorry if I took too much time to get to the point.’

Rarity horse-sputtered, dismissing Spike’s concern. ‘Pfffft, nonsense, Spikey-Wikey! This has been the most delightful get-together, despite my fears early on,’ she said, rising from her seat, ‘And very productive to get to the bottom of a few things that have plainly been eating at you – I understand it’s an ongoing process, though, and I truly hope we can continue to help you, don’t hesitate to ask. Um, if the party’s over, I suppose I’ll see you both at the next Friendship Council?’

‘Are you leaving so soon?’ asked Spike. He seemed slightly crestfallen.

‘Well, Twilight’s busy and I suppose you must accompany her to those Whinnyapolis delegates, am I correct?’

He kept a straight face, but Rarity noticed his cheeks turn just a little bit pink. ‘I was hoping to have words with you, actually… are you really needed at the boutique?’

‘Well, after I received your letter I was able to rearrange most of my fittings for this morning, then I completed Flitter’s newest early this afternoon before coming over, and I’m free for the rest of the day. Yona’s holding down the fort, I mean, shop, so to speak. She knows I’m over here, and I’m positively certain I can leave things in her capable hooves for another couple of hours. If you need me, I’m yours.’

Twilight and Smolder began to leave, but Twilight looked back to Spike and Rarity as she knocked on the door to alert the guards. ‘An attendant can manage that stack for me if you’re otherwise occupied, Spike. You spend time with Rarity if you want.’

‘Well, I’m out. Smell ya both later,’ waved Smolder as she and Twilight slipped out of the door. Then Spike and Rarity were alone, the guards outside the room notwithstanding.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 4: The Rough With The Smooth –

‘So then, Spikey,’ said Rarity as they stepped outside the castle grounds, ‘What was it you wanted to talk about?’

Spike put his claws behind his neck, stretched and came to a stop, looking ahead before saying anything. ‘Ahh. It’s a beautiful afternoon, don’t you think, Rarity?’

Rarity surveyed the plaza before them as they stood at the top of the side-stairs leading from the western wing’s outer courtyard, downward towards Canterlot’s inner city. The sun was just starting to dip in the deep blue sky, casting longer shadows across the centre’s gleaming towers and spires, the hustle and bustle of ponies and a few other creatures in the streets meeting, travelling, shopping, patrolling, working, winding down a little as sunset approached. The plaza itself, overlooking the drop off the mountainside upon which Canterlot resided, still had its market running, a bi-weekly event that attracted traders from far and wide across Equestria, questing to make bits from high-society ponies searching for that little piece of authenticity missing from their lives.

Looking past the plaza from their vantage point one could see little Ponyville and its rolling hillocks, the river and roads winding towards, through and away from it, and the vastness of the Everfree Forest into which the river disappeared, all sprawl across the low land in the distance. The day was clear enough that you could definitely see Ponyville’s city hall in its middle and Twilight’s old castle near its edge if you peered a bit, Rarity found.

Her attention jerked back to the city closer to her as she heard the tinkle of music from a street performance troupe on the breeze from the plaza, creating a carnival atmosphere that gave her a tingle down her neck to her back. Normally when she came to Canterlot she made straight for wherever she needed to be unless something or somepony severely caught her eye, and this scenic vista of the city and its beyonds revealed much she hadn’t seen nor thought of for some time.

She shivered – not just from the frisson the scene instilled inside her, the breeze was a bit brisk despite the satin headscarf and silk neckerchief she was wearing. ‘It is breathtaking, isn’t it,’ she agreed plaintively, sitting down on the top step as she drank in the view, ‘I can see why you didn’t want to wait around in a stuffy old library longer than necessary.’

Spike sat next to her, seeing the very same things she saw. ‘Yep… sure is,’ he said, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, ‘The view’s amazing from here. Sometimes if it’s clear I grab my binoculars, fly up a bit and see what I can see of Ponyville, if Canterlot’s too boring. I mean, it’s not always this busy.’

Rarity raised an eyebrow, smiling at Spike. ‘Really, now? How good are these binoculars of yours? Ever see anything interesting over there, hmm?’

‘I can see all kinds of–’ Spike stopped himself, ‘I mean, uh, nothing like, I don’t spy– Rarity!’ he glowered, ‘C’mon, don’t turn things around on me– I, I, maybe I shouldn’t have admitted that… I wouldn’t have told you that if I did anything like, like that!? Uh, I mean–’

‘I said nothing of the sort, Spike,’ Rarity said blithely. Spike cringed, and Rarity felt a little bad – she’d only meant to tease him slightly, in jest, and he’d gotten himself all flustered. ‘It’s alright, I didn’t mean anything by it. Besides, surely you’d need a telescope to see more than little specks of distant ponies?’

Spike took a moment to compose himself. ‘Yeah… I can’t see all that much, I mostly just guess at what anypony’s doing at a given time, really. You’re all like ants all the way over there.’

‘Nevertheless, if we come out this way again sometime you’ll have to bring them!’ said Rarity, ‘To think I could check up on the boutique over from here… how marvellous!’

They sat quietly for a minute more before Spike stood up. ‘Well, wanna head down to the market? There’s a smoothie stand in the middle of the plaza you’ll love, and I still have some pocket bits… my final pocket bits off Twilight before I hit the vaults later and check out my stuff. My treat, whaddaya say?’

‘My muzzle still stings a bit from that awful juice Smolder was drinking…’ Rarity scrunched for a second, ‘I should say, that was an acquired taste for sure. Smoothies sound splendid, but no more dragon specialties for me today, I don't think. I gladly accept your invitation, precious.’ The breeze was pushing her headscarf back up her head a little, and she adjusted it downward as she spoke.

‘No more surprises, gotcha,’ said Spike, before hovering overhead, ‘Well, hold on tight!’

‘Hold on to what– waaah!!’ Rarity cried as Spike put his claws around her hooves, gripped them and took off, carrying her haltingly over the flights of stairs she otherwise would have spent valuable seconds traversing on hoof. ‘Spike! Spike, what are you doing?!’

‘Saving us some time!’ answered Spike through slightly laboured breathing from the effort of carrying his friend, ‘Those stairs are steep, y’know?’

Rarity kept her eyes forward in an effort to keep calm, and for the first leg of their flight she got another eyeful of the view, and it swept through her vision as they descended. As they passed the halfway landing point of the staircase, however, she couldn’t help looking down, and saw that they were dipping downwards rather closely – probably no more than a few feet above the railings by her own estimation – and she foisted her legs upwards as much as she could and held tighter onto Spike to avoid scraping against anything. ‘Spike, I think you should lower me down right now, darling! Gently!’

Spike flapped his wings harder to gain some distance between Rarity’s rump and the stone staircase. ‘N… no can do, Rarity, it’s the bottom or b-bust! Nowhere to l-land on these now!’ he strained.

Rarity couldn’t suppress a scream as he took her to the final stretch of the descent, and she felt him wobble as his stamina started to give out. The pavement at the bottom of the stairs was approaching fast and she was sure he wasn’t going to stick the landing. ‘Spike! For goodness’ sake!’

‘Oh, this was a bad idea!’ cried Spike, ‘Look out below!!’

Rarity screwed her eyes shut, cried out and, in desperation, cast a spell to take some of the weight off Spike’s wings. They glowed blue as he was able to slow up somewhat, and for a second it seemed they would land without incident, but it was still that bit too fast – with an “oof!” from both of them they collided with the flagstones, bounced once and rolled to a stop in a heap, Spike landing on Rarity’s back as she sprawled on the ground just in front of a well-to-do pony couple she was sure she recognised.

‘Goodness gracious, are you OK?’ asked the tan female of the pair, extending a hoof to her, ‘That looked a rather close call!’

As the jet black-maned pegasus pulled Rarity to her hooves, her moustachioed unicorn partner did likewise for Spike. ‘Experimental traversal via dragonflight, mademoiselle Rarity?’ he said, ‘I have seen far worse misadventures in the name of science in my time, but perhaps you two should be, aha, un petit peu more careful in the future?’

Rarity thanked the two profusely for a moment before they trotted on their way. ‘You know those guys? They seem nice,’ said Spike once they were out of earshot, somewhat sheepishly.

‘I’ve probably met them before at one function or another, but I can’t name their names…’ Rarity pontificated out loud, adjusting her headscarf again and dusting herself off before turning to Spike to give him a good telling-off. ‘Spike the dragon, I really don’t think that was necessary!’ she snapped, ‘You gave me such a fright doing that without any warning! We both narrowly avoided disaster, and we could have crashed right into somepony and hurt them! It could very easily have been those “nice” ponies, even!’

Spike averted his eyes from Rarity’s fierce gaze. ‘Man, I’m sorry. It’s way easier to do that when I’m not carrying anypony, I didn’t think…’ he trailed off.

‘Hmm… no, you didn’t,’ Rarity said with finality, before lightening up a little – she couldn’t stay angry at her favourite little dragon for long. ‘Oh, well, we worked it out, didn’t we? No real harm done… just warn me next time and maybe don’t bite off more than you can chew, as they say.’

Spike exhaled. ‘Ah, Smolder was right. I wanted to show you I was stronger than I used to be, but I messed up.’

‘There’s strength and bravery, and then there’s plain recklessness,’ said Rarity pointedly, before looking back to the hundred or so stairs looming behind them, ‘And I fear you erred on the wrong side of the line between those. I do appreciate the thought, though – I see why those stairs are seldom used.’

Spike sighed. ‘Welp, so much for that,’ he gestured in the general direction of their destination, ‘Smoothies await us, I guess.’

Rarity grinned. ‘Why, yes! I hope they’re as good as you say, I simply couldn’t say no to a strawberry mixture right now, especially after that excitement!’

Spike smiled at Rarity as they made their way through the thick of the crowds towards the plaza, side-by-side. ‘They do a really nice oat salad bowl, too, if you’re hungry at all.’

‘Thank you so much for offering, but no – I'm quite full after all those sandwiches at the meeting,’ said Rarity, ‘Delicious and filling, the lot of them. You outdid yourself there, Spikey,’ she sidled up close to him, elbowed his side and said quietly into his ear frills, ‘And truthfully, that sort of thing is much more impressive to any lady than a near-injury experience, you know?’

Spike blushed awkwardly. ‘Heh, yeah, I hear you… I’ll keep that in mind.’

After a few minutes’ walk and a little bit of gossip about Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara’s new manestyles – it turned out Sweetie Belle had told Rarity, then Spike, independently, that they were both going through a punk phase which may or may not have been inspired by Rarity’s makeshift Vanity Mane photoshoot a while back – Spike stopped at a modest little covered cart stand. There was a fancily-illustrated chalkboard advertising the selection of drinks nearby, a number of occupied metal garden tables, chairs and parasols, some of which were occupied by resting tourists and nattering schoolpony unicorns from Twilight’s school of magic surrounding its front, which was attended by one pale orange, teenaged earth pony filly with her mane tied back, wearing an apron and hat. ‘Well, here we are. Hey there, Peach Melba!’

‘Hi, Spike,’ said the pony, nonchalantly shaking up a carton of something before putting it in a refrigerator. She was obviously dazzled by his accompaniment when she looked up from her work properly and involuntarily flashed a bracey smile. ‘And, ohmigosh, is that– Ms. Rarity, it’s an honour! Spike told me you were friends, but I wasn’t a hundred-percent certain he wasn’t making it up? So good to meet you at last!’

Rarity laughed mildly, as one did when flattered upon first meeting somepony, and half-raised a hoof towards her. ‘Delightful to make your acquaintance, Ms. Melba. Dear Spikey brought me here, and he tells me your stall makes the most magnificent smoothies. Would you care to accommodate moi with an, ah, a tall,’ she focussed upon the chalkboard behind the attendant for a moment, ‘Strawberry and… hmm, what would your recommendation be to go with strawberry here?’

Peach Melba bit her lip nervously. ‘Kiwi, blueberry or lemongrass are the favourites along with yogurt, but… my dad’s not here, he left me alone while he checked something out on the other side of the market… he’s the real reason to visit. I’m still learning the trade.’

Rarity pondered her choice with great care. ‘I’ll have my usual,’ said Spike, ‘Uh, apple and amethyst, that is. You know, if your dad left you serving customers like this you must be picking things up alright.’

Peach Melba took the compliment with a broad smile. ‘Thanks. Dad says that plays havoc with our grinder and blender blades, you know, but I’ve got the goods and a shiny new set of ’em. How about you, Rarity?’

Rarity blithered in deep contemplation for a moment before deciding. ‘Eehblehehbleh… oh, I’ll be a devil and have all three of your recommendations together, darling. Toss a banana in if you’ve got one?’

‘Got it. Take a table and I’ll bring ’em to you in a flash! Well, maybe two flashes,’ said Peach Melba, ducking down to fetch her ingredients from beneath her counter. A second later she popped back up and said, ‘Wait, almost forgot – Spike, your box is round the back. One moment.’

She disappeared entirely from the stall and came around with a small bottle crate held by one edge in her mouth, which Spike took with both claws. ‘Thanks, I’ll need that,’ he said.

Rarity selected an unoccupied table in the corner a little way right of the counter next to another occupied by a gaggle of schoolfillies cutting loose after hours – more importantly to her, it was the table closest to a hippogriff flautist busking with a tune she found awfully nostalgic across the way – and plopped herself onto a chair as Spike bunged the crate onto another, before wing-boosting himself onto its top. She liberated her coiffed mane from her headscarf for the time being; they were less exposed to the elements here than elsewhere and it was honestly making her ears a bit itchy when she moved. ‘What a lovely girl you’ve befriended there, Spike. I simply must leave her a nice big tip when we’re finished here.’

Spike smiled. ‘Ah, I’m just over here a lot in my downtime is all, so they know me by name,’ he said, ‘They’re one of the only places around here that do gem recipes well. She is very nice, though, and she’s underselling herself; she mixes the gem stuff up better than her dad, in my opinion. Between you and me, he’s a bit stingy with it.’

‘Amethyst’s not the cheapest gemstone around these parts, that’s probably why,’ said Rarity, ‘Doubtless he’s somewhat concerned about his bottom line.’

‘Guess I hadn't thought of it that way. I mean, they could raise the price if they needed to! I’d still buy it, although, thinking about what Twilight said before about wasting my cash…’

‘Hmm… I’d say it would hardly break the bank if they did, Spike, although I suppose I'm thinking of that as a seamstress reselling raw materials as accessories, rather than simply a consumer…’

Spike forced a smile, ‘Yep, that’s me alright… the dread Spikey-Wikey, consumer of gems.’

‘Now, now, it is not wrong to enjoy a teeny luxury once in a while, don't give me that guilty look. Besides, this is purely a hypothetical concern, is it not?’

‘You just got me thinking of the value of a bit, is all. It’s weird to me since I'm so used to Twilight, heck, you, just giving me stuff in exchange for assistance if you were around and I wanted it, and my monthly pocket bits if you weren't.’

‘Yes, well, once you know exactly what’s in your coffers it may be you’ll need a budget worked out somewhere down the line, then,’ Rarity said matter-of-factly, ‘I do have experience with that if you need a gentle shove in the right direction later – unexciting for sure, but I know doing one at each moon’s commencement keeps the boutique turning a reliable profit. Also, forgive my asking, but… do you have pockets?’

Spike nodded as she spoke, faintly uncomprehending of Rarity’s first point, then answering her query. ‘Heh, good point. Figure of speech, I guess – Twilight always called it that.’

‘Fascinating,’ said Rarity, terminating that line of discussion – now wasn't really the time and she could always return to budgetary concerns later. After a few seconds she exclaimed, ‘Ooh, I’m looking forward to this! Your recommendation carries a great weight with me, you know!’ She beamed and clapped her hooves.

‘Well, I hope it lives up to expectations,’ said Spike, before looking around and spotting Peach Melba approaching with a silver tray, ‘Oh, I think she’s coming with the good stuff now,’ he said, slapping his side of the table with both claws.

Two seconds later Peach Melba clinked the tray, adorned with glasses containing their orders which were in turn each adorned with a wacky drinking straw with a three-dimensional star halfway up, onto their table. ‘Smoothies up, nerds,’ she said, ‘Well, one nerd and an, um…’

Rarity smiled knowingly. ‘I believe two delightful smoothies have arrived for a lady and a young gentledragon,’ she said, ‘Thanks so much.’

Peach Melba’s face turned red as she looked at Rarity. ‘You’re the last creature in Equestria I’d call a nerd! S’cuse me, I, I'm just used to Spike being accompanied by, uh, where’s Gabby been, anyway?’

Now it was Spike’s turn to look awkward. ‘We broke up a few weeks ago…’ he intoned with some hesitation, ‘Long story, but we’re still on good terms, I think?’

‘Oh, I'm so sorry,’ Peach Melba gasped, ‘Say no more. N… not my business, but you were cute together. Well, enjoy!’ She ducked out after that.

Once Peach Melba had set off back to prepare her next order, definitely trying not to look embarrassed, Rarity giggled. ‘Oh, that poor filly… I do think she thinks she’s really put her hoof in it!’

Spike winced. ‘Eh… I'm not really willing to explain that to anyone besides you and Twi, honestly, at least not yet. I'm kinda glad she backed off.’

‘I’ll leave her a note along with the tip later, anyway,’ said Rarity, ‘Besides, she’s right – the two of you were adorable around one another.’

Spike had taken to slurping on his straw, and Rarity did likewise for a moment – she was anxious to finally try the wares. It was as delicious as Spike had promised – the sheer sensation of the fruit blend flooded her mouth as she sipped her first mouthful, a little acidic on her tongue before mellowing as it reached her throat, going down nice and smooth. ‘Oh, fabulous,’ she said after a second gulp, looking right at Spike and smiling, ‘Rather invigorating, as a matter of fact! How’s yours?’

The flautist nearby paused for a swig from his flask as he came to the end of his song. ‘Same as always, not that that’s a bad thing,’ said Spike, slightly flatly, ‘I'm glad you like it too.’

Once they’d both about hit the halfway point of their respective drinks, he spoke again, in a hushed tone and with a serious look in his eyes. ‘Rarity, can I ask you something?’

‘Anything, Spikey,’ she replied.

‘...Were you really okay with me and Gabby… being a thing?’ Rarity’s smile shrank, and he continued before she could formulate a reply, ‘I mean, I know we worked things out between the three of us early on, but these last moons we barely saw you… neither of us knew why. Was it just work keeping you, or something more than that? You were around, and we were friendly, you seemed to be getting on fine with Gabby, and then all of the sudden…’

It seemed appropriate to Rarity that the new tune the hippogriff had commenced upon was slow and melancholic, and she threw Spike’s serious look back to him intensely, not responding immediately. ‘It’s fine if you don't want to answer that,’ said Spike, ‘Maybe this isn't the right time–’

Rarity looked left and right, silently gauging whether anycreature could hear them before pursuing such a personal topic, but between the lowkey din generated by the smoothie stall’s other customers and the music, she was sure they were sonically isolated enough for her to answer Spike’s question truthfully. ‘No, no, I do owe you an explanation somewhat on that front,’ she said, magically swirling her drink around with her straw a bit nervously, ‘I should come clean about something, although I must warn you, it is a little… ah, perhaps I was being a bit silly…’

‘Did one of us offend you, somehow?’ asked Spike.

‘Not exactly, darling… do you, do you remember that last time the three of us played Ogres & Oubliettes in the old castle library? Back in the spring?’

‘Cerulean Mage Garbuncle and Warrior Princess Shmarity battle Vampire Queen Bloodstone’s batpony hordes,’ Spike recalled, ‘Sure, I remember that. Gabby OM’ed that one.’

‘Ah, always with the bat ponies, that griffon,’ said Rarity, ‘Countess Bloodstone was her chaotic-neutral main character, a being of motive changeable as the plot required, was my understanding? I remember the stack of bookmarked character lore notes she brought to games most vividly.’

‘Yeah, she really took to O&O after I introduced her to it. She’d written up this whole dark urban fruitsucker universe lore, with illustrated manuscripts and everything. It was fun in a spooky way, huh?’

‘I don't think Fluttershy would approve of some of it for a few reasons, but between you and I, absolutely! Gabby was an excellent OM, her games were always creative and jolly good fun, if verbose even by my own standards,’ agreed Rarity, before getting back on topic, ‘Anyway Spike, do you remember near the end of the game, when I got up to fetch some tea and cookies for us all?’

Spike racked his brain for a moment before coming up empty-clawed. ‘Not especially?’

‘Well, it would have been a simple hoofnote to the get-together, if not for one thing…’ Rarity’s face fell and she sighed as she recalled what she remembered, and she slouched forward, spreading out over her side of the table.

‘Oh, oh boy. I remember now, I think,’ said Spike, putting a claw to his forehead, ‘Right before you came back in, me and Gabby…’

Once Rarity got started, she just kept going. ‘I saw the two of you kissing as I walked back into the room, teapot and cups in tow,’ she shrunk back so as to be less dramatically sprawled across the tabletop, ‘And you were really… you were really up in each others’ faces. It looked downright passionate. It may be that my memory elaborates somewhat, but I distinctly recall Gabby’s claws caressing your cheek and frills, and one of yours on her haunch as your tongues entwined, mouth and beak! You were both enjoying yourselves so much you didn't notice me, and I felt, I couldn't bear it! I simply didn't want to have seen what I’d just seen!’

She elevated herself from off the table, and supported her forehead on the backs of both her hooves as she continued. ‘I mean, of course you were in a relationship, you’d been drakefriend and griffriend for quite some time by that point! I hadn't the right to be shocked or affronted; of course creatures in a relationship are going to do things like that in their private moments! But, in that instant, I just, I didn't know what I felt, but it was a sensation most dire… I’d believed myself prepared for that sight some time prior, but apparently I was emphatically not. Given circumstances it just seemed simpler to deny it, so I quietly scooted backwards a couple dozen hoofsteps back outside the room, paused, then clinked two of the cups together, which alerted the two of you to my return. Then I sat back down at the table and served up some earl grey and vanilla creams as if I hadn't seen anything. After that we wrapped up the final showdown with Bloodstone and her fanatics, and then we called it an evening, and I went home, all smiles all the way to my doorstep, and then I spent an hour or more face-down in misery on the fainting couch until Sweetie Belle dropped by.’

Spike had been quiet, slowly sipping his drink for the duration of Rarity’s surprise outpouring. ‘So that’s why you didn't reply to my next invitation,’ he breathed, ‘I figured you were preoccupied with costume orders for the Two Sisters’ Festival, but I wondered if something was up.’

‘I needed some time,’ said Rarity, fiddling with a strand of her mane and trying not to cry, sniffing once, ‘I felt… confused for a while after that. Not jealous or resentful, I wasn’t angry at either of you, and even if I had been, you know I vowed never to interfere between you again anyway after that nasty possessive jag I suffered after you first started seeing one another. I just felt… oh, I don't know, a peculiar sense of loss, of sadness, seeing conclusively with own true, blue eyes that you were with Gabby, romantically, and I was just the gooseberry of our trio, and my favourite little dragon was growing up and moving on without me. I didn't want to admit it, but it hurt so much.’

‘Aw, Rarity… Just because I did things like that with Gabby didn't mean I didn't have any time for you. You should have spoken to me. I was just left to assume!’

Rarity’s eye judged Spike just for a second before mellowing. ‘Well, perhaps you could have come to see me if you were concerned, you know. Oh, I don't know, you’re not a mind-reader… like I said, I was being a bit irrational, but I just couldn’t help it…’

Spike leaned forward and put both his claws on one of Rarity’s hooves, and when she looked up properly she saw a little dragon’s face that was full of regret. ‘No excuses. I didn't even bother to visit, Rarity, even though I suspected. I made excuses to myself not to, I told myself you’d get in touch with me sometime, plus, like you may have noticed, things were heating up a bit with Gabby which made it easier to kinda ignore you, and I now I say that, geez, I’m a real jerk…’

‘And just like that, we independently made a mutual decision to let our friendship wither, didn't we,’ said Rarity wistfully, ‘I threw myself into work, as well as training up Yona once she’d started her apprenticeship with me around that time. I suppose I’d just about come to terms with it when I heard the news from Gallus that afternoon. If I hadn't bumped into him, I'm certain we wouldn't be having this conversation now. Well, maybe I’d’ve heard the news from Sweetie Belle before too long, and certainly at the next Friendship Council, but who can truly say?’

‘You coming up to Canterlot just to see me made me realise what a mistake I was making, ditching you like that,’ said Spike, ‘You really didn’t have to give me the time of day, but you did, and you were so kind and, and understanding… I guess I appreciated it enough to offload grossly all over you at the time. Sorry about that again, by the way… but also, thanks so much for meeting me all these times lately. I really mean it.’ He paused, then snorted a giggle and, grinning, retracted one claw from Rarity’s hoof to his mouth.

‘Well, what’s funny?’ Rarity scrunched her muzzle with mild indignation; she was still feeling a mite raw from confessing to Spike, and she wasn’t certain she appreciated his mirth.

Spike smiled broadly, giving Rarity an eyeful of his fangs’ full complement. ‘Sorry, I was just thinking about how we tag-team nagged Twilight into giving me the keys to my vault, that’s all. Teamwork makes the dream work!’

Rarity sat up properly in her chair again for the first time in a short while and wiped her eyes, cheering up a bit. ‘Oh, quite! I don’t think she appreciated it, you know, at least not at first, but you’re quite correct, we talked her into it with a bit of persistence. I do think it’s a rather important step for you to take.’

‘Yeah, that went better than I think it would’ve if I’d just brought it up to her by myself. That and you bringing up ancient history… I mean, the kindergarten thing. It’s weird thinking about that positively at all, but it’s something that happened that, as much as it sucked out loud, doesn’t need to define me forever, I guess. Same as the greed-growth thing, or that first time I went out to the Dragonlands and got bullied by Garble and his gang… that left me with kind of an identity crisis for a while ’til I met other dragons who weren’t like that. I gotta stop letting things like that drag me down.’

Rarity sucked the dregs of her drink through her straw and licked her lips before speaking again, her eyes sparkling as the sky above began to take on a pinkish-orange hue. ‘I know it feels such sometimes, keenly, Spikey, but you’re hardly the only creature ever to, ah, “screw up”, as you’d say,’ she said, ‘Did I never tell you about the first time Celestia invited me to the castle back in the day? I became so preoccupied with impressing snooty upper-crusts I came this close,’ she held one hoof aloft, ‘To jeopardising all my friendships with the girls at once, and even with my poor Opal! I’d never do anything so foolish and selfish nowadays. Nocreature is flawless, darling. What’s important is that we learn from our mistakes, and you said it yourself during the meeting, there’s no way you’d ever transform into that dreadful, ah, “Spikezilla” beast now.’

‘If I can help it, and I’m sure I can,’ Spike said before smiling slyly, ‘I’ve been present for some of your worst too, that’s for sure… you always bounce back, though. I really admire that about you, no lie.’

‘Well, there you go, then,’ said Rarity, emptying her glass, ‘I can be your role-model if you so wish, Spikey-Wikey.’

Spike had a strange, tranquil look on his face for a moment, and he rested his head on one claw as he looked right into Rarity’s eyes, then shook it off. ‘Mmmmm… hey, you know? I’m pretty sure we weren’t actually prenching like you said, Gabby and me I mean? Like, we weren’t kissing with tongues, Gabby didn’t like doing that ’cuz mine’s so long…’

Rarity grinned awkwardly, blushed and averted her eyes from Spike’s. ‘Eheh… as I said, dear, my memory may have embellished just a little… but you’re telling me, bold as brass, the two of you at least experimented with it, are you?’

‘Yeah, once or twice… is there a problem with that?’ Spike sounded at once defiant and apologetic in his effort not to get so flustered a second time.

‘I won't lie and say it doesn't make me feel uneasy to contemplate, Spike, but that’s your business and not mine,’ said Rarity, ‘For tact’s sake, we probably should put this topic of conversation to rest for the time being. If we’re both done with our drinks, should we pay and get on our way?’

‘Agreed with that, and I’m all done,’ said Spike before getting Peach Melba’s attention for the bill, ‘Hey, where’d you like to go next?’

Rarity readied her own bits as well as a pen, as Peach Melba returned to their table with an itemised bill atop a saucer; she hadn't forgotten what she’d said before. ‘Hmm… normally left to my own devices I’d hit the shops for a tad, but I think I’ve accumulated plenty of fabric and gemstones lately as it is. That view of Ponyville you showed me before atop that staircase was most enticing, though! We’re close to the city rim from here, aren't we? Let’s trot over to the river cascade before it gets dark, or, um, fly, on your part?’

‘That sounds like a great idea!’ Spike said, descending his box as Rarity scribbled a quick note, pen in mouth, and left two bits alongside his payment. ‘I’ve not been over there in a hot minute myself; it gets dull on my own, but if we’re going together, well… that’s a different matter entirely.’

Rarity stayed put at the table as Spike paid his bits and bid farewell to Peach Melba, adjusting her neckerchief and replacing her headscarf over her mane. She observed Peach Melba’s reaction with amusement as she and Spike both chuckled at the message and the silly little smiley face drawing of herself she’d left (“😋 Simply divine smoothie, darling! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+1 for yourself, you star! ~R”), and she waved when Peach Melba flashed her braces in her direction. Before Spike returned she made sure she had something more for the busker still hard at work behind her, now playing a familiar, mellifluous melody she couldn’t quite place.

Rarity stood as Spike flew back to their table. ‘All done,’ he said, ‘She really liked the note you put on the bill! She said she’d get it framed, even.’

‘Yes, so I saw,’ smiled Rarity, ‘I’ll be sure to pop by here again sometime in the future, it’s quite urbane in a manner that I find most pleasing and the staff are so friendly. Well, hop on!’

Rarity lowered her back end a bit, and Spike realised what she meant. ‘Uh, I can fly, Rarity. It’s fine.’

‘Well, I’m hardly questioning your abilities, Spikey, I just thought it was a nice idea? You purchased a wonderful smoothie just for me and you were awfully kind about, erm, that discussion about, well, things that had been eating at me for some time. Let me do something nice for you in return. I’ll carry you to the rim, what do you say?’

Spike considered her offer for a moment. ‘Promise not to hurl yourself down any stairs while I’m riding?’ he asked.

Rarity gave Spike a sly glance and smiled. ‘Why, I haven’t the faintest idea of that to which you refer, dear. Everything will be perfectly fine, although I must insist, do not muss my mane if you can possibly help it.’

‘Well then, I graciously accept, and I promise I won’t touch your hair,’ he said, hopping onto Rarity’s back as she’d instructed.

‘I’m sure I can count on you,’ Rarity said as she stood up properly, slowly at first to gauge Spike’s weight, and began to walk through the thinning plaza crowd in the general direction of the rim. She levitated a gleaming blue crystal into the hippogriff busker’s hat as they got on their way and smiled, and he nodded back in appreciation, mid-tune as he was.

Spike silently noted that Rarity’s back was a little firmer beneath him than Twilight’s, its curvature was more pronounced towards her posterior and her hoofsteps were slightly lighter. He didn’t dare disrespect Rarity’s specific instructions regarding her mane but it was plain to him the curls escaping the back of her headscarf were very bouncy indeed, and it was especially noticeable from behind how they flounced as she perambulated onward. He tried not to think too hard about how soft it surely was, nor how nice she smelled this close up, definitely flowery perfume doing the heavy lifting; he guessed it was rose petals.

She turned her head left to talk to him. ‘You are alright back there, aren’t you darling? I’ve not had much practice carrying anycreature like this since Sweetie Belle was little, but I know Twilight used to do it for you all the time before you got wings! She’s probably far more practised at this than I am…’

‘It’s fine, you’re not uncomfortable or anything. Maybe a bit bumpy, but I’m not gonna fall off,’ replied Spike, ‘If you start galloping I might, though!’

‘I may need to hurry,’ said Rarity, ‘We won’t be able to see much besides lantern-light after sundown! How far would you say it is?’

‘It’s about six minutes from here as the dragon flies?’ Spike guessed, ‘The crowds aren’t too bad now so it shouldn’t be much longer on hoof.’

‘Nevertheless, we must make wise use of the small time we have. Hold on now, Spikey-Wikey!’ said Rarity, picking up the pace from a casual trot to a light jog. Spike obeyed, putting his claws around her shoulders; mainly through necessity, partly because holding onto Rarity felt good.

Author's Note

Quick glossary of terms:

"OM" - Oubliette Mistress
"Prenching" - The Equestrian equivalent of France is Prance, right? Therefore, kissing with tongues is prenching!

– 5: Matters of Perspective –

Rarity needn't have fussed about the time so much, it turned out; it was no darker by their arrival at the stands near the cascade than from their departure from the smoothie stand. Nonetheless, she surmised that the less time spent on the move the better; keeping a steady pace and having a small dragon with the local knowledge riding upon her back directly parlaying directions into her ear had surely provided the two of them with ample time to enjoy the vista that lay ahead.

Parts of the plaza market were packing up for the day as the sun began to set in earnest, but some were still open, and the crowds were shrinking in kind, so getting from centre to rim hadn’t been too difficult. There were some sightseers who’d had the same idea as Rarity in visiting the area for the view, mostly clustered in friend- and family-groups who were looking over the edge; some taking photographs and others eating ice cream cones, a few flying kites in the breeze a little further along from where the pair had arrived.

After they’d passed a group of pegasi mugging for the camera and reaching a relatively quiet spot Spike let go of Rarity, hopped upwards off her back as she slowed to a stop, and kept going for a moment, looping-the-loop once before flying in front of her. ‘Ah, open space!’ he exclaimed, taking a deep breath, ‘Feels great to get here at last after all those ponies packed together at the market. Y’know, it’s such a beautiful evening I might just fly around over the edge for a while, soon.’

‘Well, don’t zip off right away, Spike!’ Rarity said, ‘I didn’t come over this way just to get left in the dust by an overenthusiastic wing-haver. I’d have spent my afternoon with Rainbow Dash if that was the plan!’

‘Right you are, Rarity,’ said Spike, plopping himself with a light thud onto the paving slabs. ‘Besides, I need to warm up before I do anything crazy off of terra firma. C’mon, they’ve got those pay binoculars if you still wanna see Ponyville closer up.’

‘Ooh, yes! Just for a minute, then we simply must take a tiny peek at the cascade. It is still there, correct? Still full of water?’ Rarity joked as they passed a coffee stall and approached the railings.

‘Yeah, they bottle some of it as it runs off of the mountain snows before it hits the moat but there’s more than enough to go around! Heck, that’s what you were drinking at the meeting.’

Rarity popped a bit out from her purse and stepped in front of a binocular stand. ‘Well, one thing at a time. Like to share a view, Spikey?’

The sky was turning increasingly golden to the west and purple with a galactic spill of twinkling stars in the east. The amber sun was dipping downwards toward the mountainous horizon to their south, to which the hazy Everfree Forest stretched from relatively nearby into the distance, thinning out somewhat to the right of her vision towards what she supposed was Appleoosa’s general direction. As she clunked a bit into her chosen binoculars’ money slot, Rarity found the view nostalgic of the Cutie Map table at Twilight’s old castle, the one that hadn’t worked since King Sombra had destroyed the Tree of Harmony some time back.

‘Sure I would,’ said Spike, politely queueing a step behind her right as she scoped the view closer up. He waited patiently for a moment while she quietly pointed the binoculars left, right, upwards, “ooh!”ing and “ah!”ing vaguely at the things she saw. ‘Uh, Rarity… you were saying?’ he eventually piped up.

Rarity retracted her eyes from her perch’s eyeholes and turned to Spike. ‘Oh, excuse me so much Spikey, there’s just so much to see and not much time to see it before the bit runs out! Go on, take your turn – ah,’ she turned back for a moment to point it at something specific, ‘There we go. Easy access to Ponyville just for you.’

He flew up to the binoculars and trained his eyes upon the distant but unmistakable double-cylindrical shape of the Carousel Boutique, seeing a green speck and a larger brown speck just outside. ‘Hey, I think that’s Yona and Sandbar down there,’ he said, ‘Outside the boutique.’

‘Yes, quite possibly… darling Yona’s under instruction to close at sundown,’ said Rarity, ‘Most likely she’s spending some time with her beau and chatting while it’s quieter ahead of locking the shop. Not unlike ourselves, I suppose. What else do you see? I had a perfectly lovely panoramic view but, I want to hear it from you!’

‘Well, I see ponies rowing boats on the Saddle Lake, some kids nearby coming outta the School of Friendship… a couple of pegasi I think, green ones, among ’em flying around… hey, they’ve got a good routine going on between them. And I think they’re heading over to Rainbow Dash’s place. Is she mentoring flyers now?’

‘That’ll be the Barrel twins, I think,’ Rarity explained, ‘Barley and Pickle, two young pegasi of not inconsiderable flying talent the girls and I met that time we visited Hope Hollow, who’ve started at Starlight’s school this year, Rainbow tells me. Unless something’s changed Dashie doesn't do private tew away from the Academy, but from what she tells me I believe they rather wish she would!’

‘That’s cool, good luck to ’em,’ said Spike absentmindedly. As Rarity spoke he pivoted his view away from Ponyville and followed the river into the Everfree Forest, looking over there for anything interesting. After a short while he exclaimed, ‘Whoa, neat.’

Rarity stood closer to him and asked, ‘Well? What’s got you so bedazzled, Spikey?’

He flew one step to the right to make room for two, putting his left eye onto the right eyehole. ‘Check out the castle ruins in the Everfree Forest.’ Rarity hopped back on the perch and pressed her cheek against his, putting her right eye onto the left eyehole as Spike trained the binoculars back to where he’d seen. Before long she saw what he meant as she beheld the reflections cast by the myriad facets of the blossom-pink leaves of the crystal treehouse, the structure arisen from the wreckage of the Tree of Harmony that resided in the old castle’s front courtyard. Besides how it glittered as its boughs swayed, it refracted the sunset through the forest’s evening mist, casting a small double rainbow from one side of the courtyard to the other. A light was on close to the tree canopy, so somecreature was home for sure.

‘My goodness… that is positively iridescent, isn’t it?’ she breathed.

‘I don’t usually mess around with my binocs this late in the day, so that’s new to me. It’s really spectacular, huh?’

Just as Spike finished that sentence, a “chonk” sound accompanied the expiration of Rarity’s bit and the view suddenly blacked out, so the two of them backed away from their deactivated viewpoints. She chuckled and said, ‘It truly is an inspiring sight. Would you judge me particularly if I said the crystal treehouse had something of a “sparkle” in the “twilight” there, Spikey?’

Rarity peered over where she’d just been looking, unsurprised to find it now out of her sight, as Spike jokingly winced then sighed. ‘If I told you I saw more than a “dash” of “rainbow” over there, I’d be “draggin’” myself down to your level,’ he paused, then went one further; ‘Sights like that are truly a “rarity”, wouldn’t you say?’

Rarity laughed again as Spike’s expression changed to a sly grin and he made a clawguns gesture at her. ‘Terrible,’ she said, patting his head, ‘You’re lucky you’re cute enough to get away with it, darling. What a difference a small change in perspective makes, though; whoever’s inside over there is probably blissfully unaware of the glory surrounding them!’

‘There’s this weird… energy around the Castle of the Two Sisters anyway, but, wow… the view brings out its best, you’re not wrong,’ said Spike as he looked to their right, west towards the sun which was barely kissing the distant mountains’ peaks, ‘And we picked just the right time to see it like that. Sun’s already moving around.’

‘Oh, yes, we must get a move on to the cascade before it’s properly dark, mustn’t we?’ said Rarity with no small amount of alarm, ‘Come on!’

Spike flew alongside Rarity this time as she galloped to the cascade to the west, weaving between the few pedestrians and tourists that were moseying along one way or another. The ornate guardrail that protected creatures from a nasty fall bent around and divided the pavement from the water as they approached, and there was an arched walkway bridge that connected their side to the other that it also continued along. It turned out the kite flyers they’d noticed earlier were bunched up right nearby, as there was a stall offering a range of kites for hire set up on one end of the bridge.

The cascades were where the mountainside water in the rivers that ran through Canterlot fell upon the lowlands. The one where Spike and Rarity were was just one of several, but its overlook facing south towards Ponyville made it the most attractive of them all and the most popular among visitors to the capital. As well as the water forever tumbling down from the edge beneath them, this far from the city centre one’s eyes could clearly follow the river upstream to another churning waterfall some distance away, endlessly sloshing down a steep grassy cliffside into the citadel proper on its journey to their current location and far beyond.

Rarity slowed up as she approached then trotted onto the crest of the bridge, panting for a moment after all that running and readjusting the headscarf that had ridden back on her head in her haste. ‘Oof, well… here we are,’ she said as Spike flew up and grabbed the top of the hoofrail next to her, keeping himself aloft by pushing his feet against its floral steel supports.

‘Might not be the best idea to look straight down,’ said Spike, ‘It’s nice up here but even I, your accompanying wing-haver, get freaked out by the drop. It’s actually a bit less troubling when I’m flying, I find.’

Rarity couldn’t help herself – she leaned over towards the waterfall, then pulled back a little too far in reaction to seeing it disappear downwards to a vanishing point, nearly toppling backwards. ‘My goodness, you’re not joking! While I do have faith in these rails, it is somewhat nerve-wracking on an instinctual level!’

‘Like I said, keep your eyes level. The average earth-bound creature’s not wired to look at a sheer couple-thousand-foot drop without some fear of falling,’ said Spike. Rarity did as Spike said, and for a moment they both leaned against the bridge rail quietly and listened to the white noise of the falling water as the sun reddened further, illuminating the distant clouds in pink and yellow and dipping further beyond the mountains.

After a moment Rarity turned to Spike and spoke again. ‘You know, I’d very much like to see you fly,’ she said, ‘Out in the great blue yonder… or red, pink, gold, whichever colour yonder. You said you were going to. Did you come down here often, you know, before?’

‘You mean with Gabby?’ Spike asked, mutedly. Rarity nodded. ‘Yeah, a bunch of times. We had a lot of fun flying around up here, although she was better at it than me. When she came up to Canterlot to visit, if the weather was good we’d play tag and attempt stunts around here. With, uh, mixed results.’

‘I thought as much. It really is too bad I couldn’t accompany you if you were to take to the skies, but I can still watch. Or,’ she looked to the stall on her right and tisked, ‘Oh, I’ve not flown a kite since I was a little schoolfilly, but maybe I could hire one for a little bit and try to keep up with you like that? What do you say?’

‘That sounds great, actually! I’ve accompanied Starlight with her kite-flying a few times, so I can give you a tip or two before I set out if you like,’ said Spike, ‘Starting with, ah, start simple. Hire a diamond kite, nothing fancy.’

‘Why, yes! That sounds marvellous! A kite with diamonds…’ Rarity said, a fantasising twinkle in her eye.

Spike shook his head and raised a claw. ‘Just refers to the shape, not the material. Anyway, I’m gonna limber up a bit if you’re heading over to that stall.’

‘Oh! Right you are, Spikey. I shan't be more than two ticks!’ said Rarity, nodding before trotting away. Spike landed onto the bridge and used the intervening time to rhythmically stretch and bend his arms and wings, along with a few leg squats while he awaited her return, which didn’t take too long. As she returned with a white diamond kite with a glittering approximation of her own cutie mark diamonds painted onto it in tow, she cooed, ‘I’m back, darling! The kite stall stallion was about to call it a night, but I convinced him to let me have one for the next short while. Now, how about you lay out the basics for me?’

‘Hey, they had one in your style,’ he said, hovering to her eye level and taking the kite’s reel from Rarity’s magic hold into his claw, ‘Guy must be another admirer of yours, huh. Well, let’s not waste time; hopefully giving you a “crash course” won’t turn literal!’

Rarity giggled. ‘I’m all eyes and ears, Spikey; I promise to hang onto your every word. Now, show me what you can, so we can get started in earnest.’

It didn’t take all that long for Spike to teach Rarity how to keep a kite aloft in the breeze, how to steer it nor reel it out and in – she actually remembered a few things from her fillyhood experiences with them. ‘Hey, do me a favour though?’ he asked after she’d gotten the general gist, ‘Don’t fly too high if you can help it. I can’t promise I won’t get tangled up in the string otherwise.’

‘I’ll try, but you know, they put the ribbons on the line for a good reason, not just for looks, although they are, well, fabulously me-themed! Don’t you think they look just like my mane when the breeze catches them? Isn’t that clever?’

‘It definitely flatters you, that’s for certain,’ laughed Spike, ‘Maybe you’re right, but just be careful anyway? I haven’t done this for a while.’ Hopping onto the hoofrail, he spread his wings to their full span and stretched his shoulders. ‘I’m ready to go if you are, Rarity.’

‘Don’t wait for me overlong; do it, get out there! I’ll try to follow your lead, darling.’

Spike flapped twice before jumping off the rail, taking off with an audible “whoomp” sound. He sped away for a moment before curling left and upward, a joyous laugh alongside another loop-the-loop and a full-body spin signifying to Rarity how liberating it felt to get back out there for fun, rather than simple travel. ‘Oh, man! It feels so good to hit that breeze!’ He hovered to a stop, waved to Rarity with both arms and said, cheerfully, ‘Hey down there! Who’s little now, huh?’

Rarity gave him a stern look, then smiled, reeling her kite up and out a little further. ‘Simply another matter of perspective, Spike. Now, would you care to accompany me, just for a moment? This is, for all intents and purposes, my first time taking flight like this, after all!’

‘Right, right, sure… I’ll come closer and support you for a bit. Can you tack to your right for a second? Call it a two o’clock adjust?’

Rarity didn’t understand the aerial parlance at first. ‘But it must be nearing five already…? Oh, right, you mean, yes, of course, darling,’ she said, before doing as instructed. Spike flew to the kite and hewed closely to it for a minute, his hands hovering nearby to catch it in case it caught a sudden gust. For her part Rarity kept a stiff hold on the reel, trying her utmost to be sure that didn't happen.

‘Alright, you’re stable enough provided the wind stays constant,’ he called, ‘Now, back to twelve and in a little?’ Rarity obeyed, repositioning the kite straight ahead as Spike shadowed it further, ‘Now to ten? Alright,’ he said as he followed her tack to her left, ‘I think you’ve got it. How do you feel?’

‘Reasonably confident, for a rank amateur,’ said Rarity, ‘You needn’t stay so close anymore, I don’t think. Best you give me a tiny bit more space or you really will risk sustaining an entanglement! Overcautiousness can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies, you know?’

‘Hah, I was thinking that. Care to see me cut loose for a bit?’

‘Oh, I shouldn’t encourage you to overdo it, but I would very much like to encourage you to do it – yes, soar for me, Spikey!’ Rarity pranced in excitement, ‘I’ve seen what you can do in the past, but refresh my memory if you will! Just don’t go too far, okay?’

It was Spike’s pleasure to spend a few minutes higher up showing off to her, soaring, zig-zagging, spiralling through the clear sky, encircling Rarity’s spot on the bridge with determination. He had a specific workout planned in between casual flight, though, and before long called for Rarity’s attention before going for a series of aerial loops and twirls that, coupled with the encroaching twilight, had Rarity enraptured, regardless of whether they were perfectly executed.

Towards the end of his performance Spike flew in a complex pattern, leaving a smoke trail behind him as he drew the word “Spike” punctuated with a somewhat wobbly drawing of his own visage with his movements, that left gleaming green embers that glittered for a minute in the dusk before fading. Rarity found that in particular delightful.

For the duration Rarity pootled along with her kite, pulling it in and out and turning it as she felt necessary, trotting left and right in a vague imitation of Spike’s general position. Her ability to join in remained limited, but that was fine, really – before long she was enchanted by Spike’s air moves to the point that paying close attention would have been a distraction she could’ve done without. His euphoria was infectious to her, and the two of them pealed with laughter of joy and excitement.

They continued to fly like that for a while until the sun had halfway dipped below the horizon and the shadows became long, and once they realised the surrounding streetlamps had flamed on for the night Spike scooted back onto the bridge, that bit too quickly – what was intended to be a quick halt onto the bridge’s hoofrail became a stumble at the last second, and Rarity had to rear and catch him with both hooves.

‘Oof!’ she cried as the impact knocked her back a step, then placed him firmly back onto the pavement. ‘Spike, that’s two botched landings today! You really should be more careful!’

‘Three, actually, but you weren’t around for the first one first thing,’ said Spike, ‘Sorry…’

‘Don’t apologise to me, apologise to future Spike when you really hurt yourself. I worry about you sometimes, darling,’ said Rarity, ‘I excused the stairs incident before as a one-off, but if you’re making a habit of risky manoeuvres, my goodness…’

‘Hey, I didn’t mean to, this time! I just haven’t done that in a while is all, Rarity. Usually I choose a touch-down point that’s a bit clearer than a bridge with a rail, but I didn’t want to go too far away from you.’

‘Well, perhaps you’re just having one of those days. I’m sorry if I’m lecturing you, dear, but it’s as I said… I’d be ever so upset if I’d heard you’d injured yourself because you overdid it, you know!’

‘Ahem,’ came a cough to Rarity’s right. ‘’Scuse me, ma’am, but have you finished with the kite now it’s dark, if you don’t mind…?’

She turned to the earth pony who Spike presumed was the proprietor of the kite rental stall, and smiled coyly. ‘Oh, of course. Yes, no more flying for either of us today. Thank you ever so much for putting up with our late-coming, sweetheart…’ she magiced the kite towards the stallion alongside a small peridot, ‘Here’s a little more for your trouble. Get something nice for Loopdeloop!’

‘Why, thank you! As for you, young dragon, that was quite a show you put on back there, very impressive! Now have a nice evening, both of you,’ he said, before taking the kite into his mouth and returning to his stall to pack up for the night.

‘Who-de-who?’ asked Spike as he left.

‘His wife. He told me she was a fan of my work, that’s all,’ said Rarity, ‘She designed that kite herself, as a matter of fact. Anyway, thank you ever so much for the kite tutorial, as it were, it’s been so long! I’d honestly forgotten how much fun it can be once you’ve got your sea legs. Air legs. Wings. And also legs. And you know, horns are involved a little, too…’

Spike cringed a bit while Rarity pontificated. ‘Man, maybe I got carried away… I feel kind of awkward knowing he was watching.’

Rarity chuckled before sitting on the ground, and put a hoof on Spike’s chest. ‘Oh, take a compliment gracefully, you’ve done that in public before by your own admission. And besides, he was right – you were rather impressive up there, I thought… landings aside you’ve become a bit of a dab-hoof at the entire, “being airborne” thing. I really loved watching you go, and you put so much effort into it just so I could watch, and even helped me put a crude approximation of my own presence up there… it was really lovely, all of it. We simply must do it again sometime. Maybe repeat practice would improve my kite skills, who can say!’

‘Aw, shucks,’ Spike said, blushing, ‘I just did my best. Like I said before, Gabby’s better at stunts than me…’

Rarity gave Spike another stern look and reached down, putting her hooves on his shoulders. ‘Spike, Spike… hush. You don't need to compare yourself to Gabby around me, darling. I'm very thorough in my mind which of you I’d rather watch, no disrespect meant to her.’

Spike sighed. ‘I’ve been comparing myself to her a bunch since we broke up, that’s all. I’ve been trying not to, but it’s tough… like just now, I never felt self-conscious when I flew with her because she got most of the attention from passers-by and I suppose I was comfortable playing support… she was so good at everything she tried, you know? She wasn't just my griffriend, she was kind of, not a role model, but…’

Rarity surprised Spike – he emitted a brief “hurk” as she scooped him up in her arms and gave him a gentle squeeze, closing her eyes and putting her cheek against his. ‘She can't be good at everything, Spikey. She wasn't good at keeping a sweet little dragon around, after all, was she? That’s a black mark in my book!’

Spike murmured something as he returned Rarity’s embrace. ‘What’s that, precious?’ she asked, pulling away a little.

‘I said I think I have a new role model now! You offered to be that back at the smoothie stall, right? Besides, Gabby wasn't it, not really. I looked up to her, but not as an aspirational figure? I guess she was more of a… friendly competitor in a way, really. I was her sidekick. But you, Rarity… I really admire your confidence, and competence, with the whole fashion emporium thing, and your generosity, and how outgoing and true to yourself you are, and… you know, sometimes I really wish I was you and I'm aware how weird that sounds.’

She reeled Spike back in and spun around so her back pressed against the bridge’s guardrail. ‘Aww, Spikey-Wikey… it is a slightly odd thing to confess, but I understand.’ Rarity said nothing more for a few seconds, before continuing, ‘You know, there are many things I admire about you, too.’

‘You’re just saying that to be nice… well, I guess I have done some stuff to earn my keep over the years,’ said Spike.

‘I don’t really mean the Gauntlet of Fire or any of that, darling. I just mean, you,’ said Rarity, ‘You work so hard at everything you do, and you’re ever so clever, resourceful, and you’re unfailingly a perfect gentledragon, and you’re wonderful to simply spend time with, and you never say die when the chips are down. I truly, deeply mean it from the very bottom of my heart when I say you’re my favourite little dragon, even nowadays when I am acquainted with several.’

‘But, I’m not–’

Rarity pulled away again and looked Spike straight in the face, put a hoof to his lips for a second, and her voice became increasingly frantic as she spoke further. ‘Not another word, not another doubt. I’ve hardly forgotten what you said at the meeting about questioning your own motives, but those are all good things, and they come from you, because You. Are. Good. Whatever’s inside you is good, and not bad. It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing that you are who you are, and nothing, nothing can ever change that. Am I making myself quite clear?’

Spike nuzzled into Rarity and held her a little harder before looking up and speaking again. ‘I mean, if you want to inflate my ego further, you can keep going,’ he said, ‘I wouldn’t mind.’

‘Perhaps you need a little time before I do,’ said Rarity sadly, ‘Egos have a nasty habit of popping when overfed. I just so wish you could see how special you are, like I do on the outside looking in.’

Spike sighed. ‘I’m working on it, Rarity. That’s what this afternoon’s been all about, you know that.’

‘Oh you must love yourself more, Spikey. If you don't, you’ll never… ooh, I couldn't imagine anything sadder,’ said Rarity, giving Spike another tender squeeze and tearing up enough that he felt one or two drop onto his ear frills. He realised he was trying and failing to fight his own tears welling up, too, and the two of them stayed silent in their comfy little cuddle for a short while until their mutual emotional rush subsided.

Eventually Rarity leaned back against the rail and craned her neck straight upwards towards the night sky as she cradled Spike’s head in her arms. ‘How long have we been like this, Spike?’ she sniffed.

‘Mmph… no idea?’ said Spike, detaching from Rarity and likewise looking around before wing-boosting so his eye-level was over the hoofrail, ‘Not that long. I can still see the sun.’

Rarity stood on her hind legs and turned around, looking sunwards as well – Spike was right, while the sky was at best dark purple now there was still a bit of red glow beyond the mountains. ‘How entirely, slightly awkward,’ she said sheepishly, blushing and wiping a bit of streaked mascara from her cheek, ‘I’m unsure what overcame me just then, getting all intimately, huggy and such, with you like that in full view of every dratted creature in Canterlot – I suppose I just don’t care for when you do yourself down, darling.’

Spike held onto the hoofrail and gave Rarity the strange look he’d given her back at the smoothie stand, before once again snapping to attention. ‘Well, I'm sorry if I upset you with my whining, but I didn’t dislike you hugging me or anything.’

‘You are not whining, you are explaining,’ said Rarity, ‘And I'm listening, and as far as I'm concerned your feelings are quite valid, Spikey, it’s perfectly alright. You know I meant it when I said the door to the boutique is always open. No matter what, I’ll always be there for you.’

‘Well, if you say so, I just worry that I'm offloading too much. Though to be totally honest, it is really nice that we can just talk about stuff.’

‘I could say the same for you, truly,’ said Rarity, ‘All that rot about how I turned tail from you and Gabby earlier… I’d held the, the pain of that inside me for so long, but when I told you… I knew I could trust you to understand how I felt, dear. It all tumbled out at once, and normally I’m a modicum more… guarded than that, perhaps? But, sat there with you, when you asked me why we hadn’t met for a while, I just knew we were of the same heart, and I had nothing to fear.’

‘Good way of putting it. I don’t think I’d ever open up about this stuff with anypony else… well, maybe Twilight, but there’s no maybe around you.’

‘Yes, darling Twilight, who I’m sure would appreciate you bending her ear about these things, too… she does care about you very much, even if she overthinks issues somewhat. Speaking of whom,’ said Rarity, looking into the distance, ‘Now she’s lowered the sun entirely, it may be time to depart soon. Unless I’m mistaken the next balloon back to Ponyville is in half an hour, and I’ve monopolised your time quite enough besides…’

‘Eh… yeah, you’re right, I should get back to the castle. Can we just… wait two minutes first? Let’s watch the last bit of sun go down.’

‘Gladly,’ said Rarity, smiling sweetly at Spike, ‘There’s no rush.’

It had been quiet by the bridge since the kite stall had packed up and the streetlights stretching away from them in both directions had lit up, and the pair responded in kind with a quiet observation of the sun’s final rays. The two of them leaned on the railings and watched as the final ebb of light drained from Ponyville and the surrounding lowlands, noticing that much of the town had lit up in an array of white and yellow pinpricks, and that suddenly the most visible thing over there were magenta and green disco lights emanating from near the Ponyville schoolhouse. ‘Oh, that must be Pinkie over there, doing that which she does so well…’ Rarity said a bit absently, ‘See those lights? She told me her big event for the week was the Fall Schoolfoal Social, and I suppose that’s tonight.’

Spike paid attention, but remained quiet. ‘Let’s meet up again, over in Ponyville sometime soon. What do you say?’ he eventually asked.

‘Of course, come see me sometime, Spike. Any time is fine, you needn’t send a letter in advance,’ said Rarity, ‘Although I do appreciate receiving one once in a while, and not just on business matters! Maybe you can hover-model for me like you used to, I’ve got several designs I need a fresh perspective on and, well, I love her to bits but Yona’s just not cut out for the, well, cut, and as for Sweetie Belle, she’s not terribly interested in such things…’

Spike knew Rarity didn’t need him to do that, but it was an old way of spending time together, and he couldn’t lie, he did enjoy being included in her creative process. ‘Sure, next time I come by and you’re not too busy we can,’ he replied, ‘Though I just remembered when you brought up that school disco – the Running of the Leaves is pretty soon. Wanna meet up then?’

‘I was all ready to attend the audience with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy to cheer on the usual suspects, i.e. those ponies casually, collectively known as Appledash, but of course you can join us,’ said Rarity, ‘Fluttershy’s been asking after you, you know, since a little bird told her about your break-up. “Oh, that poor little guy! He must be so sad!”’ Rarity put her hooves to her face and looked at Spike with big eyes as she goodnaturedly imitated Fluttershy’s soft, meek voice, ‘You know how she can be, the sweet filly. She’ll be so happy to see you well.’

‘Or she could’ve just asked Discord, I played “real” O&O with that guy over the weekend,’ said Spike, ‘You should join us sometime, it’s a blast with him as OM. But sure, I’d love to spend time with all of you. Twilight’s coming over that day anyway to give out trophies to the winners so I’ll have to attend the ceremony with her, but otherwise I’ll be up for grabs.’

‘Hmm,’ said Rarity, ‘Did you speak with Discord about Gabby, then?’

‘He already knew, and… well, let’s just say I know from experience that Discord thinks actions speak louder than words where romantic issues are concerned?’ said Spike, ‘I respectfully told him to mind his own business and that my mind was made up. I don’t want to step foot in Ponyville and slip on a strategically-placed banana peel that somehow skids me all the way to the florist, and then to the winery, and then to Sugarcube Corner for a box of chocolates, and then dumps me on Gabby’s doorstep to make up with her, and several angelic flying pigs in diapers with bows and arrows are also there for some reason.’

Rarity snickered. ‘Well, maybe that’s why he said nothing to her, then. That’d count!’

Spike chortled in kind. ‘Yeah, true enough… so yeah, we’ll all meet up at the race. Sounds great!’ He looked down at Ponyville one more time, then said, ‘Well, you don’t want to miss your balloon and the dock’s a way from here. Wanna get going?’

‘Yes, let’s go, I couldn’t bear to leave Opal unfed for much longer. Now hop on, I have need of your navigational skills once again!’ said Rarity, lowering for Spike to ride her again, ‘We are out of my usual purview coming all this way out, after all!’

‘No problem! Happy to help.’ Spike didn’t hesitate this time and fluttered onto her rump-first, a perfect landing for once. They made their way through the streets of Canterlot to their destination in good time, chattering and laughing the whole way, and Rarity cooed and waved a hoofkerchief to Spike from the balloon as it set forth back to her home. It truly had been a magnificent afternoon with her favourite little dragon, she reflected later – she couldn’t wait for their next official rendez-vous, and who knew? Maybe he’d visit the boutique in the meantime, she dearly hoped. After all, those dresses wouldn't model themselves.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 6: Racing Hearts –

The Running of the Leaves finally commenced a week and a half after Spike and Rarity’s outing in Canterlot, during the weekend when the roads were clearer and most were readier to attend. For the audience on the ground it was by and large an excuse to relax and maybe have a picnic, punctuated by the main event, racing ponies furiously pounding the dust in their fervour to win. Each time the racers passed was followed by creatures relocating to one’s next chosen set of stands from which to shout and cheer their participating friends, family, or just whichever pony they’d taken a flutter upon. The circuit was long but compact, intentionally winding around the paths surrounding Ponyville and the fringes of the Everfree Forest, to make sure the race fulfilled the function of its namesake, as well as to better accommodate the audience.

Spike had travelled down to Ponyville alongside Twilight in her pony-drawn chariot that morning, so he hadn’t needed to exert himself much on the ride down as he did when he flew down from the mountain solo, which was nice. After helping Twilight set up a few things she saw him off with a royal wave, insisting to drop in with him and the rest of their friends when she had a few free moments. He was uncertain where to find them but he figured he could locate them if he flew above the town for a little while, so he boosted himself upwards and peered around, one claw above his eyes to block out the low autumnal sun.

As he scanned over the town square Spike saw two facing, three-tiered audience stands, lightly populated with what he supposed were the earlier witnesses to the event, as well as the participating ponies limbering up and swarming around as they got ready to go near the fountain. He could definitely see a blue blob with a smaller orange blob buzzing around nearby, who he figured were Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, ever her adoring fan and dedicated pit-stop pony in the event of misfortune, or simple thirst.

Not seeing what he was looking for he looked right, before long seeing more pony-shapes in the crowd; one butter-yellow, two pearlescent-white and one hot-pink were close together amongst the hubbub a short distance away, congregated on the far end of the square around a checkered mat. He waved and was about to call when an excited voice instead squealed, ‘Ooh, there he is now! C’mon down and join us, Spike!’

He did as Pinkie Pie (for it was she) commanded, speedily at first before remembering that he really needed to take more caution on landing, so he slowed up a bit and hovered a foot above the picnic mat before letting himself down slowly with two final, deliberate flaps. ‘Well, I made it! How is everypony?’

Fluttershy was sat on the rug, wearing a striped teal scarf and boots with her mane in a ponytail, surrounded by Angel Bunny and a few bluebirds. ‘Oh, there’s our boy,’ she said mildly, ‘We were just talking about when you’d arrive! That’s a really nice jacket, if you don’t mind my saying.’

Spike looked at each of his padded shoulders at the sequined, magenta faux-leather jacket he was wearing, and gave a twirl to show “SPiKE” in metallic studs across the back of the shoulders and the flame graphic drawn with green sequins on the torso. ‘Thanks! Rarity put it together for me when I visited her last week.’

‘Wow, I can’t believe Rarity of all ponies would set you on fire,’ said Pinkie Pie, sitting down to Fluttershy’s right, ‘But I guess a fashion statement’s a fashion statement!’

‘The fire was her idea, the name was mine – just thinking practically in case someone sees me from behind, and wonders who that cool dragon was. Where’d she go, anyway? I saw her from above just now with Sweetie Belle, I think.’

‘Over there,’ said Pinkie, pointing a hoof to not far away, in the general direction of the fountain where Rarity was with her sister, ‘She’ll be back lickety-split, don’t worry.’

Spike looked where Rarity was, seeing her wearing a saddle bag, a sparkly mint-green angora sweater and warmers on her hind legs. She was fussing over Sweetie Belle, apparently insisting on the growing filly taking a soup flask and orange juice and wearing a woolly hat, while Sweetie looked singularly grumpy and Apple Bloom stood nearby and tried not to giggle. He considered running up to greet her for a second, then decided to give her a bit of space – she was his favourite pony, no doubt about that, but he worried about monopolising her time and he knew she’d return once she’d made sure Sweetie was sufficiently fed and hydrated. Besides, there’d be plenty of time to catch up across the event.

Instead he said, ‘Yeah, I see her now, bugging her sister. So, Twilight said she’d be joining us a bit later. She’s got a decent amount of prep before the race sets off, being its figurehead and all, but she keeps insisting to everypony, “I have to meet my friends! What’s the point of a princess of friendship without her friends?” She’ll probably join us after we move to the second viewpoint.’

He sat down on the mat by the picnic hamper between Pinkie and Fluttershy, giving the latter a little space in case Angel was feeling ornery. Fluttershy noticed, scooping up the white rabbit in both hooves and, petting his ears, said, ‘I’m so glad to hear that, Spike. Besides you visiting my cottage last weekend I’ve not heard much from Canterlot since the last Friendship Council… I mean, not that I thought you’d forget me so soon, but, well…’

‘Well, Rarity told me you were worried about me, so I thought I’d show my face over there, that’s all. Thanks again for tea, by the way.’

‘Discord portalled out right before you showed up, you barely missed him… or was that intentional on his part, I do wonder… anyway, I’d just boiled the kettle. It was no problem at all, and besides, the pie you brought over from, oh! Pinkie, was that one of yours?’

‘If you mean, did Spike come to the bakery last weekend and buy a pie I made, from me, and took the pie somewhere else, and it was the pie by me and somewhere else was your house, so he brought it to you, of course! Unless he ate it, and… betrayed me by buying counterfeit Pinkie pies from a counterfeit Pinkie Pie…’ Pinkie clasped her hooves together, looking right at Spike with one eye bulging with suspicion, and as he recoiled nervously she flipped back to an innocent smile. ‘But if you enjoyed it it probably was! One of mine, I mean, the true Pinkie Pie. You did like the pie, didn’t you?’

‘Just to be certain, it was pecan and hazelnut, right?’ Fluttershy asked, to which Pinkie nodded, ‘Then I can confirm it was the one he brought me, and I can also confirm it was lovely with a cup of black tea. To tell the truth, Spike’s got a keen nose for what I like.’

‘I try… I just guessed you had a fondness for nuts,’ said Spike, almost spelling outright that he meant Discord before thinking better of it, ‘You know what’s really crazy, though? I paid for it. First time I’ve ever actually bought a pie with my own bits, would you believe. I don’t know if you’re all aware, but I’m a dragon of means nowadays. Paid Rarity for the jacket when I flew back over here a few days afterwards to visit her, too, though it took a bit to convince her to let me.’

‘What’s that, darling?’ Spike looked away from Fluttershy to see Rarity had returned, and she lit up, pranced for a second, then trotted over to Spike as she realised he’d joined them. ‘Oh, Spikey-Wikey! Oh, you’re here, how wonderful! Oh, and you wore the jacket, oh, I wasn’t certain you were a hundred-percent enthused by it…’

‘S’up, Rarity?’ said Spike, raising a claw in greeting. ‘Of course I like the jacket, I wouldn’t have insisted otherwise! The hat you gave me’s really nice too, but I didn’t bring it along… separately they’re fantastic, but… not together? The ensemble’s a bit too “village drakelings” for my liking, y’know?’

‘Ah, I understand if it’s not altogether your style, I admit I was a tiny bit concerned. I just wanted to repay you for modelling for me, Spikey,’ said Rarity, blushing slightly and giving Spike a little welcoming hug, ‘But you sweet-talked me into taking your money somehow, your silver-tongued little dragon.’

Spike looked up at Rarity and smiled, returning her blush with an equal and opposite reaction. ‘Aw, you didn’t need to repay me, it wasn’t a chore or anything… it was really nice to see you again, and the dresses, heh… and you still gave me a fifty-percent reduction on your usual charge, didn’t you?’ he turned to the others and explained, one claw raised to his face, ‘We haggled on it for a while and that seemed like the best compromise…’

‘It really “suits” him,’ Pinkie Pie just about enunciated through the mouthful of chocolate pretzels she’d pilfered from Fluttershy’s hamper while nocreature was looking, ‘Makes him look more… well, Spike-y!’

‘Pinkie, could you not?’ said Fluttershy, side-eyeing Pinkie’s thievery sternly before turning back to Rarity, ‘But yes, he cuts a striking figure in it, I mean, if you want my opinion. And there’s no missing him in that shade of pink!’ Sardonic without speaking, Angel took that as a cue to put on a pair of laboratory goggles as if to block the glare of the jacket.

Rarity’s smile broadened with pride. ‘I know, isn’t it just fabulous? I hope you don’t mind me tooting on my own horn a tad, but inspiration just swept me off my hooves after that evening in Canterlot – after I returned to the boutique I started thinking about how Spike should have pockets and worked outwards from there. I’d devised templates from Spike’s measurements some time ago, but I’d never actually stitched one together. I’m so pleased to see I was right that magenta complements his scales in the daylight like I’d envisioned.’

‘Yes, magenta, not pink, Fluttershy… but thanks,’ Spike said slightly defensively, before turning to Rarity. ‘Anyway, Rarity, how’s Sweetie Belle doing over there?’

Rarity sighed, ‘She doesn’t seem to understand the importance of being prepared, I’m afraid… you know, I think she’s reaching that age where she doesn’t appreciate my sisterly advice. But she’s well, and, I don’t know, she’ll probably be perfectly fine regardless of a silly old flask…’

‘She’s definitely getting taller… all three of them are,’ Fluttershy assured her as she hugged Angel a little closer to her, ‘And fillies want to assert their independence as they grow up, it’s perfectly normal. Don’t take her complaining to heart, I’m sure she knows you care.’

Angel’s goggles popped off his face and he frowned as Fluttershy squeezed on him, and he wriggled out of her grasp before hopping a little way away. She wasn’t perturbed, instead chuckling as he proved her next point. ‘Although you do need to know when to give her space. Nocreature really likes being smothered.’

Rarity plopped herself down on the mat opposite the others, looking slightly regretful. ‘I suppose bothering her in front of Apple Bloom might have given my concerns an interfering aspect… I’ll have a word with her in private later and promise not to do that again. But for now,’ she perked up and put her hooves together, ‘The race starts imminently, does it not? Should we take to the stands sooner rather than later now we’re all here, sans Twilight?’

‘I saw the racing ponies getting ready before I landed,’ said Spike, ‘They weren’t lined up yet, but I guess heading over won’t hurt. By the way, Pinkie, you’re not announcing this year, are you? Why not? You were good at it!’

‘Same reason you’re not, silly; I didn’t apply for the job!’ said Pinkie, ‘Bulk Biceps and DJ Pon-3 are in the observation balloon this year – Octavia Melody’s on the planning committee and nopony else had a better idea!’

‘Now that’s interesting news,’ said Spike, ‘If nothing else, it won’t be quiet.’

‘Oh, dear,’ said Rarity, ‘It may be the cotton wool I popped into my saddlebag this morning will find an application sooner rather than later…’

Rarity leapt several feet into the air as, with impeccably awful timing in her opinion, speakers on a bunting post nearby squealed feedback before partly giving way to Bulk Biceps’ ’roided-out bellow, loud enough to feel as though it took up physical space around them. ‘AAAAAALLRIGHT, FILLIES AND GENTLECOLTS! THIS IS “BIG” BULK BICEPS AND THE INCOMPARABLE, DANCEABLE DEE-JAY PONE-THREE,’ he paused while a long electronic “BWARP-TU-TU-TU-TU-TUUUEEP” escaped the speaker, ‘BROADCASTING LIVE FROM THE BAD BALLOON ABOVE PONYVILLE FOR THIS YEAR’S RUNNING OF THE LEAVES!! IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN PONYVILLE AND THE BIRDS ARE SINGING, UNAWARE OF THE MAYHEM SOON TO TEAR OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY THROUGH THESE TWISTED ROADS!! AUTUMN’S LARGE AND IN CHARGE, BABY! CAN I GET A YEAH??!’

There was a pause with a few isolated “Yeah!” responses, though a good deal of the ponies nearby were balking with their hooves over their ears, looking in mild pain from the feedback and excessive volume. ‘You’re all supposed to say, “YEAH!!!!” when I say that. NEXT TIME I SAY YEAH, YOU SAY YEAH! I WANNA HEAR EVERYPONY SCREAM!!’

As dubstep blasted through the speakers Rarity silently fished a wad of cotton wool out of her bag and packed a bit into each of her ears before offering some to Fluttershy, who declined politely, although Angel didn’t. ‘Goodness me! If somepony doesn’t have a word with those ruffians, I’m not sure my nerves can take this for long…’ she pontificated aloud.

Nobody besides Spike seemed to hear her above the din. ‘It is pretty intense,’ he agreed, ‘I kept a scroll on me in case of an emergency, I could drop Twilight a line and ask her to get them to tone it down a bit, maybe?’

As he finished that thought the volume of the music suddenly dropped a few decibels and lost the feedback screech, as though somepony in a position of responsibility had had the exact same thought. ‘Ooooor… maybe it’s one of those problems that takes care of itself?’

As the music, still very audible but at a more tolerable level, came to a halt, Bulk Biceps imparted important information for everycreature. ‘GIVE THAT GAL A HOOF, THERE’S PLENTY MORE WHERE THAT’S FROM! THE RACE STARTS IN A QUARTER-HOUR, FOLKS, BE THERE OR BE A TWO-DIMENSIONAL SHAPE, any two-dimensional shape, I’m not judging. GET HYPE!! YEAH!!!!’ This time his call got a louder response from the crowd.

‘Well, I guess that’s our cue to head over! C’mon, Fluttershy, everycreature!’ said Pinkie Pie, bouncing towards the stands. Fluttershy picked up Angel and her bird friends folded up the mat before following, and Rarity looked at Spike with no small relief.

‘It seems we shall not be deafened too thoroughly this day, darling,’ she said, removing the wool and walking alongside Spike as he hovered towards the stands, ‘Although his style of commentary may just be something to bear through for the day. And I can't help but wonder how they got all of Miss Scratch’s audio equipment in that balloon, what with Bulk’s, ah, all-encompassing bigness…’

‘You’d be surprised what they can do with machines nowadays,’ said Spike, ‘Hey, don't tell anypony I told you this, but there might be another surprise or two you’ll like more. Keep an eye out.’

Rarity smiled. ‘The race is always good for a surprise or two anyway, darling. Speaking of, did you know dear Silverstream entered this year?’

‘No kidding? I thought the event was strictly ponies only?’ said Spike.

‘Well, after a fashion. The Running of the Leaves began as an earth pony-only tradition and they let anypony who wishes to race now. But she’d set her heart on competing and, after she and her friends pointed that out and, ah, agitated a little on the issue, the committee judged she wasn't at a particular physiological advantage so long as she keeps her wings pinned throughout since it’s all land-only, so she’s allowed! I’ll certainly keep an eye out to gauge her prowess!’

‘Nice,’ said Spike, ‘The more to cheer on, really. I'm not bothered who wins, I'm just in it for the encouragement – as long as you try your best, y’know?’

By now they’d reached the stalls, and Rarity looked up to where Pinkie Pie was already sat and Fluttershy was about to, and Rarity ascended to their level as Spike flew behind her. ‘Oh, agreed. Heavens knows I’d personally never think worse of anypony for losing a race. Well, I might, if I were a betting mare, but putting bits on one’s friends feels unseemly…’

‘I dropped twenty on Applejack coming in top three, just for funsies,’ said Pinkie, overhearing as Rarity wriggled into her seat and made herself comfortable next to her, ‘And a teeny bit more investment in things. Don’t tell her or she might get a big head!’

‘I mean, you could… Applejack’s not that proud,’ said Fluttershy, her birds nesting in her mane. ‘Hmm… tell you what, I don't really like gambling with bits, but… how about, if Rainbow Dash loses to Applejack, I buy everycreature here a milkshake of their choice?’

‘Ooh, yes! I’ll be ready for one of those afterwards! Winning’s thirsty work!' said Pinkie.

Spike laughed. ‘Daring… I like the sound of that, Fluttershy.’

‘You don't have to feel obligated, darling,’ said Rarity, ‘But if you really want to, I shan't refuse.’ she paused for a moment before committing, ‘Tell you what, if AJ ends ahead of Dashie, I’ll buy you a sundae too. A bit of a reward for sticking your neck out, on me.’

Fluttershy giggled. ‘Why, thank you, Rarity. That’s very thoughtful.’

Spike peered around as the girls wittered about buying one other dairy products, checking out both the gathering audience and the racers, who were currently receiving their numbers and getting herded onto the starting line by event organisers. Lower on the stands he and his friends were sitting upon he could see the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Scootaloo having now joined the other two, and the rest of the Apple family, Sugar Belle included, sat on Apple Bloom’s other side. On the stall opposite, keeping in mind what Rarity had told him he noticed among the spectating ponies several non-ponies in a group, Silverstream’s friends and family.

Her birdfriend Gallus and brother Terramar he knew, but it took him a moment to recognise the visiting Princess Skystar out of her underwater Seaquestrian form, although the small hippogriff entourage either side of her should have made her more conspicuous. Next to Gallus, with a faint sinking-heart sensation he noticed Gabby, and… hey, who was that brown-furred young stallion in the hat whose hoof she was holding? He seemed familiar. Was she already…?

‘Spikey?’ Rarity’s voice rang clear in Spike’s ears, ‘You’ve turned rather quiet, is something the matter?’

Spike snapped out of it and thought better of bringing up Gabby to Rarity yet again, and besides, it wasn't his business if she was seeing somepony new, right? ‘Uh, just checking out the racers,’ he said, scoping out the racers properly for the first time, ‘Hey, I see Silverstream! She’s actually pretty near where Applejack and Rainbow are sizing each other up.’

Rarity craned her neck as she looked at the same place and waved, although the volume around the area was growing loud enough now that Silverstream didn't notice, nevermind that her mind was on more immediate matters. ‘Ah, I see her, and them… and, oh my goodness! Girls, I don't suppose you knew Celestia and Luna were to race today?!’

The others leaned as they looked with urgency, Spike with a knowing look. ‘Told you there’d be a surprise you’d like, Rarity. It was kept on the down-low they’d be here today to keep the race from overcrowding with princess-chasers, but Twilight and I both knew.’

‘Are they… tied together?’ Fluttershy observed. The two ex-rulers of Equestria were stood a short way behind the starting line, Celestia on their left and Luna on their right, each with their now dull, normal manes tied back and one front and one back leg tied to the other’s corresponding, opposite leg with rope. They seemed in good spirits, laughing and joking between themselves and both wearing a yellow “BEST SISTER” t-shirt with an arrow pointing at the other, and the same racer number on both their backs.

‘Huh, that’s new… but from what Rarity was telling me it makes sense. They might not be demigods anymore, but they’re still pretty tall, Celestia’s twice as tall as the average pony and Luna’s only a little shorter than that.’

Ah, I see,’ said Rarity, ‘Silverstream may not have been deemed at a significant advantage for the race, but with legs so long I suppose the sisters must have been… so they’re in as a six-legged racer, looks like. I do hope they’ve practised!’

‘They seem prepared enough. Being real, there’s no way they’ll win like that, but… I don't think that’s the point. Those two are still making their way through their list of things to do now they’re normal ponies again, y’know?’

‘Oh, they look funny…’ chuckled Pinkie, before putting her hooves together and intoning seriously as if in prayer, ‘May all their trips and collisions be greatly amusing.’

‘Do you suppose Twilight will become so tall, someday?’ Fluttershy pondered, ‘That’s something I’ve wondered for a while…’

Before anyone could add to that, the speakers burst back into life with a blast of square wave from DJ Pon-3’s deck and a new shout-out from Bulk Biceps. ‘THE RACE BEGINS IN A FEW MINUTES, FOLKS, I HOPE YOU’RE ALL SITTING COMFORTABLY BECAUSE THINGS ARE GONNA! GET!! CRAZY!!!’ a record scratch preceded a quick and dirty squall that blared for a second, ‘WE’VE GOT A COUPLE DOZEN ENTERED THIS YEAR… SOME OLD CONTENDERS AND SOME NEWBIES… WILL THEY PROVE THEMSELVES WORTHY OF THE CHANGE OF SEASONS ITSELF? WIN OR LOSE, GIVE ’EM YOUR SUPPORT, EVERYCREATURE! YEAH!!!’ The audience responded at large this time with a mass air-punch and a ‘Yeah!’ right back.

‘THE PRINCESS OF DUSK AND DAWN, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE HERSELF, WILL ARRIVE TO START THE RACE IN A FLASH, SO HOLD YOUR HORSES ’TIL THEN, RACE FANS! BICEPS OUT!!’ Then there was a series of distorted, melodic bleeps before the audio cut out.

Spike turned to Rarity to check her reaction, since she obviously hadn't much enjoyed Bulk’s previous transmission. ‘You holding up alright, Rarity?’

‘I’m perfectly fine, but I should’ve brought a tipple as a facilitator, perhaps… you know, I know I wasn't best impressed by that juice Smolder was drinking a while ago but did you know they blend fireberries into Austailian wine? I looked it up at the old castle library, and that sounds strangely intriguing…’

‘Considering acquiring the taste? I kinda like it, but Smolder likes it spicier than I'm used to a lot of the time. Dragons by and large think diluting the purestrain stuff’s for wimps.’

‘Yes, I suspected as such, but ponies would have the good sense to water it down a bit. Ah! That’s a thought for another time,’ she interrupted herself and looked overhead, ‘I see Twilight!’

The crowd calmed as a fanfare sounded from trumpeters a short distance away from the starting line, and after a pause Bulk Biceps, uncharacteristically muted, announced over the speakers, ‘Here she is, folks – our reigning monarch, Princess Twilight. RESPECT! YEAH!! I mean, yeah.’

Twilight descended majestically from above and, after the fanfare reached an apex, approached the contestants and greeted each of them in turn, which took a minute – Rarity noticed she whispered something specifically to Celestia and Luna which made them giggle. Then she stood a little way in front of them, in the midst of the track with her wings outstretched and acknowledged the audience.

She cleared her throat before speaking, and when she did, it was an airing of the royal voice she’d been cultivating, though still somewhat in her usual, casual mode of speech. ‘My loyal subjects, thanks so much for attending The Running of the Leaves today, and I’m sure this race will be excellent as always! As you may have noticed, as well as the racers you all know and love, some seasoned contestants and some new faces, we are truly honoured today to have my predecessors, Celestia and Luna, participating as a single contender! It was actually their idea and not the committee’s, before anyone gets any ideas about that… give ’em a hoof, everypony!’

Celestia and Luna grinned and waved to the crowd as hooves thundered against wood for a minute. Celestia called back once the applause subsided, ‘Our most sincere greetings! I presume everypony’s behaving well for Twilight?’

Luna giggled and added, ‘There does not seem to be any rioting here, sister. It is all as we left it! Greetings, everycreature! But not royal greetings from us, this day!’

‘Anyway, we should get things started. Everypo– I mean, everycreature ready?’ asked Twilight, correcting herself for Silverstream’s benefit, a question which didn’t seem to receive any indication otherwise, ‘Alright then, let the game begin! On your marks… get set… get up and go!’ Twilight lowered her wings and head and let the contestants soar past her as the crowd cheered, and the race was on! Bulk Biceps ranted excitedly over the speakers, but it had suddenly become difficult to hear him over all the excited ponies and other species.

As the slower contestants, Celestia and Luna surprisingly not included in the stragglers, trotted on their way, the cheering subsided so Bulk’s commentary could be heard more clearly. Twilight addressed the crowd one last time, ‘Now that’s over, I’m going to join my good friends for a while. Have a wonderful race, everycreature! I’ll see you all again for the awards! In the meantime, Bulk and DJ Pon-3 will keep you all updated.’

She flapped her wings and hovered for a moment before flying up towards Spike, Rarity and the others and softly plopped herself down in the space Pinkie Pie had saved for her. ‘Great intro, Twilight! And a nice bit of dramatic flair!’ said Pinkie.

‘Agreed… understated, but firm. That’s our princess!’ Rarity tipped her head and smiled.

Twilight noticed Spike wasn’t paying attention – he seemed to be looking intently below them. ‘Spike? Is everything alright?’

‘Yes, Spike, Twilight’s here now. Won’t you say hello at least?’ prompted Rarity.

‘Sorry. Hey, Twilight. Rarity, look at Sweetie Belle,’ said Spike distractedly, ‘Something’s wrong down there.’

Rarity widened her eyes and looked over to where her little sister and her friends were seated, and saw that Scootaloo was restraining Sweetie Belle from flying out of her seat. Sweetie Belle had a face like thunder, obviously agitated and staring daggers at something or somecreature, but Rarity had no idea what could have caused such a thing. ‘Oh, dear, she does seem upset by something. Perhaps I should check in with her… would that count as interfering again, though? I feel a little bad about earlier…’

‘Oh my,’ said Fluttershy, ‘Technically yes, but I don’t think Scootaloo would mind if you did, from the looks of it!’

‘I’ll be back in a jiff,’ Rarity said to her friends before climbing to her hooves and trotting down to the ground floor of the stand. ‘Sweetie, darling, I couldn’t help but notice you seem to be a little hot and bothered? Forgive me if it’s not my place but… whatever’s the matter?’

‘I can’t believe her!’ fumed Sweetie, her voice cracking as she turned away from the other Crusaders, ‘She told us she couldn’t attend the race with us CMC’s today, and then she pulls this!’

‘I’m sorry sweetheart, I know you’re upset but… who pulls what where? Why and how??’ asked Rarity, stumbling on her own confusion for a second.

Sweetie Belle inhaled and fanned herself once to regain her composure. ‘Don’t you see Gabby on the other stand?’ she said, waving a hoof vaguely, ‘That’s Button Mash whose hoof she’s holding!’

Rarity scanned the audience for Gabby, who she saw smiling brightly and doting on her new squeeze as if nothing was wrong. ‘Oh,’ she said, simply, ‘Yes. I see now.’ It dawned on her that Spike must have seen the same thing earlier but hadn’t alerted her to it; understandable on his part, all things considered.

She scrunched her muzzle and felt her cheeks burn bright red in furious indignation, too, on Spike’s behalf – how could she flip from wanting his babies so much she’d crafted a monument to it, to dating casually again, with such ease? And with such a young colt, too… she supposed Button Mash was around the same age Spike had been when he’d first started his relationship with Gabby.

‘Oooh, I’ve half a mind to tell her off myself now!’ Rarity said, ‘Spikey’s had such a crisis of confidence lately over splitting up and she just, swans off into a shiny new romance as if it were nothing… it tears me up inside!’

She felt a pressure on the bench next to her and saw Spike had flown down to join them. ‘So, you’ve seen Gabby and her new special somepony, huh. Is he somepony you know, Sweetie Belle?’

‘Button Mash,’ sighed Sweetie Belle, ‘He’s a colt I know from school… we hung out at the arcade in the square sometimes if he needed a player two. He’s nice… cool, considerate, fun… funny… loves his mom…’ she trailed off, sniffed sadly then turned to Rarity with watery eyes, ‘Hey, Rarity? I’m sorry I was difficult before. Apple Bloom said she gets it twice as bad from Applejack a lot of the time. I know you just want to help.’

Rarity’s ears perked. ‘That’s slightly out of nowhere, Sweetie, but thank you. I was going to say similar to you, that is to say, I’m sorry too? I don’t mean to be overbearing but old habits die so hard sometimes! If you want me to back off once in a while, just say.’

‘No, it’s alright. I’m glad you’re here,’ said Sweetie Belle, a maudlin note in her voice, ‘Both of you, really. I know you know how I’m feeling right now. I don’t think the girls do, not really. They said I’m being dramatic over nothing.’

Spike smiled at Rarity, and although it took her a moment to make eye contact with him, when she did she smiled back peacefully. He crossed his claws before saying, ‘Dramatic, huh. Well, Gabby’s my ex… I feel like I should be more upset about it than I am, actually. But… geez, I dunno,’ he exhaled contemplatively, ‘Gabby’s business is her business, nothing to do with me anymore. I’m really sorry about Button Mash though, Sweetie Belle, I know how tough it is when you like somepony but you don’t know how to show it properly.’

‘I wish I’d told him how I’ve been… how much our time together meant to me,’ Sweetie Belle said bitterly, looking down, ‘I don’t think he ever cottoned onto why I kept coming back. I’m not that into video games.’

Rarity reeled Sweetie Belle in for a hug, which she readily accepted. ‘He’s hardly gone from you forever, sweetheart. My sisterly advice is that you should talk to him, and tell him how you appreciate his company. And to Gabby too, it’d truly be a terrible shame if this drove a wedge between the two of you. I wouldn’t interfere between them, though – neither of them has done anything wrong, perhaps aside from display a distinct lack of tact!’

Sweetie Belle sniffled into Rarity’s chest fur. ‘Maybe you’re right, but I just feel horrible right now,’ she said, ‘I’m mad, and sad, and my hoof in Gabby’s face keeps flashing before my eyes…’

‘It’ll pass,’ Rarity assured her, ‘But it’s not wrong to be sad when you’re confronted with a situation like this, so long as you don’t stew. It may be best to avoid her until you’ve cooled down, but don’t wait too long.’

Sweetie Belle took a moment more in Rarity’s embrace, and Rarity patted her gently on the back as she levitated a lacey hoofkerchief out of her saddlebag for dabbing away Sweetie Belle’s tears. Spike watched them quietly while focussing on the commentary coming from the surrounding speakers – Rainbow Dash was in the lead, while Celestia and Luna had fallen head-over-hooves into a hay bale on the second bend, but were catching up again.

Eventually Sweetie Belle pulled away and noticed that her friends were also watching with concern. ‘Hey! Take a picture, would ya!?’ she harrumphed before softening, ‘It’s alright, girls. I’m not so angry now but… be gentle with me, okay? I’m feeling a bit…’

‘Fragile?’ inquired Apple Bloom.

‘Emotionally unstable?’ added Scootaloo, a giant yellow foam “number one” hoof conspicuously adorning her own hoof.

‘As a matter of fact, yes to both, and I’m owning up to it,’ said Sweetie Belle before turning back to Rarity, ‘Like Rarity would. Thanks, sis.’

Rarity pecked Sweetie Belle’s head, just below her horn. ‘You’re welcome, my dear little sister.’ She looked up and noticed that creatures were on the move and turned to Spike. ‘Spikey, I think it’s time to make the trip to the next stands. Off towards the Whitetail Woods, if I read my schedule correctly this morning?’

‘You read ahead, I’m impressed,’ said Spike. ‘It sure is, not too far away. We should rejoin the others before we leave. I feel a little bad about ignoring Twilight before and I wanna make it up to her.’

‘Right you are, Spikey-Wikey. Sweetie, girls, we must be off now, but I’m sure we’ll meet again soon enough!’ Rarity got up and made her way off the stand towards where Twilight and the others were waiting.

‘Catch you later!’ said Spike, before toddling off behind her.

He accidentally bumped into Rarity’s tail while looking behind and waving at the Crusaders. ‘Oof! Spike, do be careful, darling!’ she squeaked.

‘Sorry,’ said Spike, hovering upward before slowly flying next to Rarity, ‘Well, that was weird, but at least feathers won’t go flying. I thought Sweetie Belle was going to throttle Gabby, the way she was at first. You’re really good at helping others with stuff like that, you know?’

‘Well Spike, I’ve worked with enough, ah, displeased customers that I’ve become rather well acquainted with a few de-escalation techniques in my time. And would you believe Applejack, of all ponies, knows a thing or two about them? I learned a lot from her, especially when, as you might know, we don’t see eye-to-eye on certain issues.’

‘Oh, I know about that stuff. I gotta when there’s troubles abroad,’ Spike pondered, ‘Friendship ambassadorship can be rough once in a while and you need to know how to ride it out, or you’ll get eaten alive by livid yaks.’

‘Everything’s been peaceful on that front lately, hasn’t it? I don’t remember the last time you went on an international foray, although that’s on me for not paying attention.’

‘The griffons had a minor territory dispute with the kirin about three moons ago, but no, nothing severe lately,’ said Spike, ‘I’ll be visiting King Thorax in a few weeks, but it’s more of a meet-up between bros to hang out than anything. I don’t doubt he’ll want advice on a few peacekeeping things, but he’s been keeping things ticking over at the Changeling Hive without major issues for a while now. I think he gets more support from Princess Ember regarding leadership stuff than me nowadays.’

‘They still get on well, then? Ember’s very “alpha” in her personal dealings and Thorax’s very… not, so one does wonder.’

By now they’d reached their friends, who had stopped a little way ahead to let them catch up. ‘You two sure are engaging on a leisurely country walk,’ interrupted Pinkie Pie, ‘But we probably should pick up the pace a bit! We can relax after the second run; they pass through twice before moving up onto the hills. I wanna see AJ overtake Rainbow with my own eyes!’

‘We’ll catch up more soon, I gotta go talk to Twilight,’ said Spike, ‘See you in a bit, Rare!’ Then he flew off and Rarity got a big eyeful of the “SPiKE” studs on the back of his jacket. She involuntarily got a big smile on her face, blushed and inhaled – when was the last time anycreature had called her “Rare”? It wasn’t a name she was extremely fond of, it was a little more off-the-cuff than she would normally tolerate… but from her favourite little dragon, she didn’t mind it one bit.

–––✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:💎:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧–––

– 7: Into the Woods –

‘IT’S NECK-AND-NECK IN THIS NECK OF THE WOODS BETWEEN RAINBOW DASH AND APPLEJACK!’ Bulk Biceps bawled out of the speakers surrounding the audience as a series of low-volume, high-intensity “bwarp-bweep” noises accompanied him, ‘SHOESHINE IS LEADING THE HERD BUT THESE TWO MAD MARES JUST CAN’T SEEM TO PASS ONE ANOTHER AND ALL EYES ARE ON ’EM… RIGHT NOW IT’S APPLEJACK… NO, RAINBOW DASH!... APPLEJACK, RAINBOW DASH, ACKLEJASP, RAINJOW BASH, APPLEDASH, RAINBOW JACK, OH, I GIVE UP! WE’LL CHECK IN ON ’EM LATER, OR JUST SEE FOR YOURSELVES AS THEY PASS THE STANDS AT BLISTERING SPEEDS! YEAH!!!!’

As the audience responded to Bulk’s latest call the thundering of hooves could be heard approaching quickly. Twilight stood in her seat for a better view and everycreature else followed, and before long the racers zoomed by leaving a miasma of dust and burnished golden leaves in their wake. Everycreature cheered as the participants galloped by, although it was difficult to make much out from all the dirt they were kicking up once the first few had passed – Rainbow Dash definitely seemed to be ahead at that precise second with Applejack hot on her tail, and the two of them deftly hopped the water bottles and straws Scootaloo and Apple Bloom held out to them into their mouths as they passed by.

For their parts, Silverstream was in the lower end of the top ten, earning her piercing yells of encouragement from the griffons, hippogriffs and other non-ponies clustered together in the audience, while Celestia and Luna were toward the rear. They were definitely doing their combined best given their self-imposed handicap, lagging behind but unconcerned about that. They waved royally as the cheering from everycreature redoubled as they made their reappearance to the audience.

‘Well, there they go, folks,’ said Bulk, ‘I hope you’re all enjoying the show, because THEY’LL BE BACK BEFORE YA KNOW IT! HOO YEAH!!! KEEP AN EAR OUT FOR MORE UPDATES, YOU KNOW THESE HOOVES’LL BE ON FIRE BEFORE THIS RACE ENDS!!’ with one final burst of dubstep the speakers fell silent… for the time being.

Spike hopped up and down in his seat with excitement while the ponies and hippogriff passed, while Rarity politely smiled and cheered with a royal wave, silently wondering if it was worth all this setup just to see her friends flash by so briefly. Once they’d gone Spike turned to her and said, ‘Isn’t this just a blast? RD and AJ are really giving it everything they’ve got today, and I’m pretty certain they’re not even cheating this time!’

Rarity turned to Spike in kind and smiled faintly insincerely before giving up on the façade. ‘It’s very, ah… you know, Spikey, I have to be completely honest with you here… I’m not really “into” races…’ as Spike’s jaw dropped with disbelief she laughed nervously and added, ‘No, really! I confess, I’m mainly along for the picnicking.’

‘But… but… races are an exciting display of sportsmareship and athleticism! Some ponies spend moons training for this moment!’ he protested.

Rarity pulled Spike a little closer by one shoulder and answered, ‘Of course, darling. This is a truly momentous occasion, regardless of my wanting attention span. The Running of the Leaves does only come once a year, after all, and it does fulfil rather an important function, what with shaking all the trees off before the pegasi in Cloudsdale make the winter snows. I’m content just to watch our friends make their appearance and spend the day with all of you.’

Spike calmed down. ‘Didn’t you have an early shipment to Trottingham a short while ago? Twilight’s told me things about their Running of the Leaves. Mainly something about very elaborate hats?’

‘Oh, yes…’ said Rarity, suddenly starry-eyed at the thought. ‘I do know about that. The ladies in the audience over there more or less compete over who has the most fanciful headwear! It’s almost as much a part of the event as the racing itself!’

‘I was pretty surprised to see you turn up without a hat today actually, Rarity,’ interjected Pinkie Pie, giggling through a mouthful of popcorn, ‘And a bit disappointed! Some of your fancier ones are really funny when you almost tip over from the weight!’

Spike snorted for a second at the thought, then covered his mouth with one claw in mild embarrassment. ‘Hah! Yeah, they can get kind of unwieldy… well, maybe it’d be worth your time to go over there and see it for yourself someday, Rarity?’

After the slightly sour expression Spike’s involuntary guffaw had earned him, Rarity’s composure softened and she nodded. ‘Yes, yes, that may be worth considering, truthfully… it’s certainly pertinent to my interests, and perhaps I could even take one of my own designs to show off! At any rate, um… how long until they swing by again, anyway, darling?’

‘Uh, however long it takes,’ said Spike, ‘The record for finishing first is slightly under three hours, so by my math, maybe twenty minutes or thereabouts?’

Rarity levitated a gemstone sub sandwich out of her saddlebag and grinned before giving it to Spike. ‘That gives us a moment for a little bite to eat, then!’ she said, turning to the rest of her friends, ‘I am rather famished! Oh, and I made one for everypony, if you girls are interested!’

‘Ooh, noms! But… should I accept a sandwich from an unrepentant race-ist…’ Pinkie Pie intoned for a second before accepting a jammy, crustless triangle-cut whitebread that scattered sprinkles everywhere as she touched it, ‘Just kidding! Thanks so much, Rarity!’

Fluttershy and Twilight also accepted theirs gratefully, Fluttershy sharing some of the bread of hers with her bird friends and some of the lettuce and vegan coleslaw filling with Angel. ‘Oh, you’re so thoughtful, Rarity,’ said Twilight as she took hers, a vegetable and daisy patty, before nodding towards a large, transparent flask of clear soda by her side. ‘I just brought this big bottle of… I don’t remember exactly what it is, I should’ve labelled it but I was busy and forgot, but I’m sure it’s some sort of -ade…’

‘We are all over the moon simply to be graced with your presence, precious,’ replied Rarity as she leaned towards Twilight, pointing her horn right at her affectionately with a little smile and wide cerulean eyes, ‘Aren’t we, girls?’ Twilight blushed as the other ponies grinned and nodded in agreement.

‘Don’t you worry, I brought plenty of food for everypony, Twilight,’ said Fluttershy, gently patting her hamper, ‘And Rarity’s right, it is so nice to see you again before the next Friendship Council. I’ve not gotten out so much lately since the sanctuary keeps me so busy, though Discord keeps me updated and tells me everything is going quite well for you over in Canterlot. I’m so glad.’

‘I’d tell anypony else to knock it off with the flattery, but I know you all mean it,’ said Twilight, relaxing, ‘Hey, Spike, where are we off to again next, anyway? I’m a bit ashamed to admit I forgot, but…’

‘After they come around the second time the racers head over the lower cascade rapids and towards the highlands approaching Canterlot, then back down, around the Saddle Lake and past the Museum of Friendship before returning to the town square,’ Spike rattled off, looking upwards while counting on his claws, having memorised the itinerary, ‘So we’ll have some time in the flower fields for an hour or so while they go up then come down after this. The committee doesn’t expect us all to climb partway up a mountain.’

‘Well, let’s all relax before they come back round and we need to move on, shall we?’ said Rarity before giving her own sandwich a delicate nibble. Spike paused from munching on his own, and drank in the sight of his friend eating; she attacked her morsel with elegance and poise unusual to most other ponies, but completely natural to her. It was rather removed from eating breakfast with Twilight that morning, who despite (or perhaps because of, given how she had definitely been gaining more of a princessly stature lately in his eyes) her royal status could really wolf down her food when she was hungry and pressed for time. He felt a little bad at having that thought about his guardian and looked down, privately grinning and blushing a little.

Rarity daintily swallowed her mouthful and noticed Spike had stopped eating. ‘Aren’t you hungry, Spikey?’ she asked, dabbing the crumbs away with her monogrammed hoofkerchief and looking slightly disappointed, ‘I thought you liked that ruby mayonnaise…’

‘Uh, I’m holding onto it,’ he half-truthed, looking up at her, ‘I don’t want to rush something this delicious. It’s really good, actually!’ That was entirely true, at least.

‘They are all alright, aren’t they?’ she asked, leaning towards the other ponies, fairly obviously seeking validation. They all nodded, indicating that all was well.

Spike’s attention drifted again to the surrounding stands, noticing that Scootaloo had attracted the attention of the Barrel twins, who were sitting behind her and to whom she was chatting, probably about their shared admiration of Rainbow Dash. Sweetie Belle sat next to her, looking none the worse for her earlier discussion with Rarity and himself, to his relief. While she was perhaps not in the greatest mood ever she seemed to be enjoying a bag of horseshoe fries with Apple Bloom well enough, and wrapped up warm in the hat Rarity had lent her.

He observed too that Starlight Glimmer and her family were on the top tier of the opposing stands, little Luster Dawn squealing with excitement holding a flag and bouncing up and down on her father’s knee. Trixie was also there discussing something with Starlight, although whether it was school-related or not was unknown to him. Starlight had a relatively sober, though not unhappy, look on her face, at any rate.

Finally and somewhat reluctantly, yet with idle curiosity, he looked around a little towards the hippogriffs and griffons and other non-ponies in the audience, who had all coalesced in one area as students, ex-students and relatives of the students of the School of Friendship. He saw everycreature else, even Smolder and Yona along with Sandbar down there, but not Gabby… although Button Mash was still there, sipping on a green crushed ice drink while looking uncomfortable as Terramar good-naturedly had one arm around him in an attempt to fraternise. Where could she be, he wondered?

Suddenly Rarity’s cheek was pressed against his. ‘Mwhat do you fhee, dear?’ she asked with her mouth still lightly stuffed with the last of her sandwich as she followed his line of sight. Then she swallowed again and said, ‘So sorry, Spikey… I was so curious I forgot my manners momentarily…’

‘It’s cool,’ said Spike, before stating noncommittally, ‘Everycreature’s enjoying the sun…’ he paused then stifled a laugh, ‘Oh, man, check it out, maybe not everycreature… you know what Sweetie told us both about her old classmates’ new looks? See for yourself!’ He gestured to the upper right of the opposite stalls.

Rarity looked in the general direction he was pointing. ‘You mean Diamond Tiara and her little friend, correct?’ she asked, and after Spike nodded she squinted afar until she saw two vaguely recognisable ponies, one pink and one silver, huddled like ravens and adorned with sunglasses, black makeup, blacker mesh blouses, pleather skirts and jewellery somehow even blacker besides perched on the upper rafters. They were situated a little way away from where Diamond Tiara’s father Filthy Rich was sitting and chatting with his fianceé; a blue, silver-maned Canterlot Castle finance administrator unicorn Rarity was passingly familiar with named Noblesse Oblige.

She inhaled through her teeth a little disapprovingly. ‘Ooh, how drearily drab… I mean, they’ve definitely got a coherent ensemble going between the two of them but it’s not at all what I was going for in that Vanity Mane spread…’

‘I’m afraid you’re dead to them now, Rare – though not as dead as they are inside. Last I heard they’re passionately in pain,’ he mock-whispered as he emphasised the words, ‘With Inky Rose’s school of design. Cobwebs and bats are “in” this time of year, you know? Nightmare Night’s not all that far off.’

Rarity scrunched and blushed hard enough to feel a faint vibration in her muzzle. There was that name again, and so casually! For a second she really felt like she should protest at what she felt should be uncouth overfamiliarity, but she needed a little time to really consider how she felt about it. She didn’t feel negatively of it, that blush and the small but rising lump that had suddenly manifested at the base of her throat was proof enough of that.

For the time being, she shook it off. ‘Hmm, I wonder if it’s truly straightforward trend-chasing as you say…’ she said contemplatively of the subject at hand, her eyes flicking between Diamond Tiara’s gothic countenance, and Noblesse Oblige as she brightly flirted and laughed with Filthy Rich. ‘Well, even if my work was just a stepping stone to them finding their true expression, that’s still a job well done.’

She watched the pair tuck into tubs filled with something beetroot-y for a moment before Spike piped up again. ‘Didn’t you judge a showcase contest Inky Rose entered one time, or did I imagine that?’

‘Ugh… yes,’ Rarity sighed and rolled her eyes when remembering that, although not because of the pony at hoof. ‘Yes, yes I did, and it was almost a disaster, darling… well, not because of her or any of the other entrants, they all brought their A-games! Quite frankly, I should’ve brought you along like you’d wanted instead of selecting Applejack to judge that. Not one of my greatest ideas, but a lesson was learned, I suppose.’

‘I did? I mean, yeah, sure I did. I see your styles all the time being worn around Ponyville and Canterlot, and as great as they are, I would’ve liked to see the process. How other ponies put their stuff together, I mean.’

Rarity giggled and patted Spike on the head, and he couldn’t help getting a big goofy smile on his face as she gently ruffled his frills. ‘I’m unsure why I didn’t take you along, now. I suppose I thought better of having a dragon along at the time, you know… you don’t wear clothes most of the time so I simply didn’t consider it…’

‘Only because ponies don’t make clothes for dragons much, and as a species we generally concern ourselves with them less than ponies… my wardrobe’s pretty bare outside of hats and formal wear, y’know? But I have a sweet jacket to put in there now thanks to you. By the way, this thing’s really nice, I’ve been getting compliments from it and it’s very comfy inside… I’d really like you to make me more like it sometime, though maybe not so bright? I’ll pay!’

Rarity laughed again, looking at Spike with affection and gratitude – he cut such a wonderful figure in it, it made her feel fit to burst with pride for her hoofwork. ‘It’d be my pleasure, Spikey-Wikey. But you really needn’t pay me next time!’

‘Needn’t, but wanna. How about we just make going halfsies the standard going forward?’

Princess Twilight stuck her neck between the two suddenly and interjected. ‘Oh, you’re going to get more of those jackets made, Spike? Great idea, it’s handy to know who you are! Sometimes I forget when you’re not wearing it,’ she joked.

‘Thanks, Twilight,’ Spike responded sardonically, ‘I didn’t realise that crown gave you memory loss as well as a growth spurt.’

Twilight grinned. ‘I wouldn’t really call it a “spurt”, Spike. I’m only a little taller than I was before the coronation, like I became a little taller after I turned alicorn in the first place! Chances are good it’ll keep going for a while, but for now I’m still on the same level as everypony else…’

‘Our dear princess does raise a fine point however, Spikey,’ said Rarity, ‘It’s as well to know in advance if you’d prefer the same personalisation as on that one, or something different? Or none at all?’

Spike put his claw to his chin in faux-contemplation and looked into space. ‘Hmm… I was thinking “BAD DUDE”, or “COOL DRAGON”, or something like that?’

Rarity looked slightly mystified. ‘But you’re neither of those adjectives, darling… you’re a good dragon, and rather fiery, I thought!’

Spike chuckled and leaned closer to her with a smile. ‘I’m just workshopping the possibilities, Rarity. Whatever you made me would be fantastic.’

‘Oh, you do know how to butter a lady right up, you sweetheart!’ she said, rubbing her cheek against Spike’s before realising Twilight was still between them, and still smiling expectantly, the smile on her face seemingly rising higher and higher on her face just like the sun when she raised that in the morning. They all exchanged a glance for one second, Twilight’s eyes with a definite twinkle within them, and Spike’s pupils and stance both shrunk back a little as Rarity cleared her throat. ‘Ahem, I mean, yes, yes, I’m happy you’re as in love with my work as I often am. It truly makes me happy to hear that.’ Then she scrunched her muzzle again, looking away in mild embarrassment.

Then she averted her gaze towards the facing stands. Spike’s blood ran a little cold when she observed, ‘Darling, I don’t see Gabby with Buttered Mash or any of her other friends. That seems odd.’ He’d hoped she wouldn’t bring it up.

‘It was Button Mash, wasn’t it?’ he corrected, ‘But yeah, I noticed that a few minutes ago. I figured she’d, uh, gone to the little griffon’s room for a spell.’

Rarity pursed her lips, then brightened up. ‘I’m sure she’ll be back soon.’

Fluttershy interrupted them, meekly but loud enough to be heard over Bulk Biceps’ radio rantings. ‘Would anyone like some iced tea? I made some chamomile…’

‘Abso-posi-lutely-tively, Fluttershy!’ said Pinkie Pie, ‘Bulk just said Applejack overtook Rainbow for a second so I’m definitely winning and like I said, that’s thirsty work!’ However, as Fluttershy passed the flask to her she was disappointed when she popped it open. ‘Um, I think you took “iced” a little literally? This is frozen solid!’

‘Oh, is that so? I’m sorry, I just thought I’d try something different and I figured iced meant iced…’ said Fluttershy sadly.

‘No worries, we can just have some stimulating popsicles instead!’ said Pinkie, producing some sticks out of nowhere before slamming the flask onto the wood below them, shattering it to liberate the cylinder of frozen brown-pink liquid before stabbing it lengthways with the sticks and proudly showing it to the others. ‘Ta-dah!’

Fluttershy wasn’t immediately thrilled by the property damage. ‘Oh no, Pinkie! I’ll have to buy a new flask now!’ she huffed for a second before regaining her composure, ‘But they’re not expensive. A bit’s not much to pay for a silly mistake like that. I’ll know for next time.’

Pinkie blushed and put the newly-formed popsicle on Fluttershy’s picnic mat before cuddling her head and stroking her mane for a moment. ‘I’m sorry… I just really wanted what you offered! I can buy you a new one later, and besides, it’s more fun frozen than as a drink, don’tcha think?’

Fluttershy giggled, then pulled away from Pinkie’s embrace. ‘I suppose you’re right. Everypony still want one of these?’

As the others all smiled and nodded, Pinkie chiselled it apart into slim, round chunks with a few neat karate chops and took one for herself, one for Fluttershy and one for Twilight. A slight lack of care meant that the ones intended for Rarity and Spike were only cracked apart a little and otherwise still stuck together, but she didn’t hesitate to toss it their way anyway, and Spike caught it in one claw. ‘Hey, ours weren’t separated right!’ he called to Pinkie.

‘So? Just break it yourselves, silly!’ replied Pinkie Pie.

‘Oh, how adorable, twin sticks! How about we break it apart together, Spikey?’ asked Rarity, ‘I’ll use magic to hold one stick and you grab the other…’

‘Sure, Rarity!’ said Spike, and grabbed the stick closest to him as Rarity levitated the popsicle in his direction. He broke his portion off with a twist of the wrist and it became two slightly uneven pieces, Rarity’s noticeably bigger.

She compared them with a furrowed brow and said, ‘Hmm… we can swap if you like, Spikey-Wikey…’

‘Nah… not a great idea. You’re bigger than me and it probably packs as much caffeine as I need as is… what I’ve got’s enough, you enjoy yours,’ said Spike. Rarity graciously accepted.

As she nibbled on her popsicle from the side, Rarity felt a pleasant surge of both energy and relaxation run through her from horn to hooves. She shivered, smiled and inhaled before asking, ‘Mmm… Fluttershy, this tea seems to me rather a heady concoction! How many teabags did you use?’

Fluttershy’s eyes darted around before she admitted, ‘Um… five? One for each of us…’

Rarity almost said something specific about packing that quantity into one medium-sized flask, but decided it was best not to. ‘It’s a mite strong, but it’s very nice. Thank you.’

She popped the remaining top half of the lollipop into her mouth and gave it an idle suck as she looked back at Gabby’s vacant seat. She’d not been paying attention to the announcements and she pricked her ears upwards as she listened carefully to Bulk’s ongoing description of the race’s progress – Applejack was in the lead now after steadily gaining on Rainbow Dash, Silverstream was now fifth place and the princesses had slipped again, this time on a banana peel and colliding with two other ponies, conclusively fulfilling Pinkie’s earlier prayer. Chances were good they’d all be back around any minute.

Spike quit licking his ice and noticed Rarity had become subdued. ‘You’re quiet. Are you worried about Gabby?’ he asked her.

‘She’s been gone so long, I believe I am becoming increasingly concerned,’ she said, looking at Gabby’s spot and seeing Button Mash looking alone and slightly out of his depth, ‘And poor Button Mash looks a bit forlorn, does he not? Oh, I’m worried about interfering, but…’

Spike shook his head. ‘Are you thinking about looking for her? I dunno… maybe I should check in with Mash for a minute first and find out what’s happening.’

He stood up in his seat, shrugged off his jacket, then flapped his wings and said, ‘I won't be long,’ before ascending and propelling himself over towards the other side of the racetrack.

Twilight leaned over to Rarity as she awaited his return, and Rarity looked over at her. ‘Well, you two are awful chatty today! It doesn’t seem all that long ago since you were hardly talking outside of a couple of sentences a moon at the Council.’

Rarity turned to Twilight with a slightly pained, slightly pleased expression on her face. ‘Ah, Twilight… you know as well as I do that Spikey’s been through a nasty rough patch. I just want to be there for him, as a, ah, a friend. It doesn’t hurt that he’s been such a joyous accompaniment lately despite his problems… he listens to me as much as I to him, sometimes we do things he suggests together and we never used to do that, you know, and…’

Twilight took the opportunity to sit where Spike had been until a moment ago as Rarity trailed off, and put a wing around her shoulders. ‘And he’s a helpful little guy, isn’t he?’ she asked, faintly sadly.

‘He is… but not in the way he was,’ sighed Rarity, ‘You might know that better than I. He seems somewhat less… compulsive in his ways than he once was, now. All those things he said about himself at that meeting the other week, all those sad, obviously very painful things… I’m glad he’s able to move on just a tad from behaving in a manner that was making him quietly miserable, thanks to our shared support.’

‘Honestly, he really perked up after he got access to his own bits,’ said Twilight, ‘The vault staff told me afterwards his reaction to seeing the stack of gold in there was all his was really something, so that’s probably helped. I don’t think he had any idea he was that valuable to Equestria at large.’

Rarity smiled. ‘Well, jolly good for him! Ah, dragons… perhaps I shouldn’t generalise, but there’s just something about having a nice big horde that makes them feel good about themselves, isn’t there? Just hard evidence that you’ve gained from making a difference, it doesn’t need to be gems and gold. I know how that feels myself rather intensely, I don’t mean to judge,’ she paused for a second before second-guessing herself and asking, ‘Was that a slightly, ah, anti-draconic thing to say?’

‘No, I get what you’re saying… material or not results matter to anycreature, and somehow I doubt any dragons would disagree with you. By the way, thanks for talking me into relinquishing his finances to him; it’s a load off my mind and, well, sure it’s early days but he’s yet to do anything silly with them… although, while I’m glad he’s finding his own style you might want to discourage him from paying you for too many clothes! For his own good!’

‘I have told him several times he doesn’t need to pay me, darling! Just modelling my untested wares for me was payment enough, but he tells me it’s not labour if he enjoys it… ooh, you know, that was very fun last week. I felt like a giddy little filly putting dress after dress upon him, and he didn’t protest once! He even tried on a few things I would never have dreamed of foisting onto him myself! Although maybe don’t tell anycreature else that… if Smolder found out via scuttlebutt she could have a heart attack!’

Twilight laughed, realising that Rarity didn’t know something that she did. ‘I’m not so sure about that, but I won’t tell. I’m just really happy to see the two of you getting along again.’

‘As am I,’ said Rarity dreamily, before straightening her face and looking back over where she supposed Spike was speaking with Button Mash, just in time to see him take his leave of the young colt and return to where she, and the rest of the group, were sitting.

Twilight shuffled back to where she’d been sitting before so as not to permanently usurp his space. ‘Well, I’ll butt out for now. Hey, I don’t suppose either of you are feeling lucky? Wanna drink some “ade”?’

Spike flapped once before landing on his rump back on his chosen seat and wrapped his jacket around his shoulders for the moment. ‘Pass it over,’ he said with a sigh, ‘You know, Rarity, she keeps using me as a royal taster. Why, if I didn’t know better…’

Spike took the levitating bottle into his hands and popped the lid off before sipping a capful. ‘Surely not, Twilight!’ Rarity asked as she realised the implications, ‘Surely it’s a little questionable to risk Spikey’s wellbeing in such a way?!’

Twilight laughed and shook her head. ‘You make me sound awful, Spike! Nopony makes you do it. You just volunteered yourself now, didn’t you?’

Spike smacked his lips before handing it back to Twilight. ‘I was just kidding around, Rarity. Dragons have far stronger stomachs than ponies in the worst case scenario and free food’s free food, y’know? Anyway, I’m pretty sure this is fine… I think it’s elderflower and… I want to say mint? It’s not bad!’

‘Thanks, Spike, I just wanted to know the flavour before I poured it out. Nocreature’s poisoning anycreature today, Rarity!’ said Twilight, before taking the flask over to Fluttershy, Angel and Pinkie Pie, who were playing some kind of counting game with Fluttershy’s birds.

Rarity peered at Spike. ‘Spike, you two joke around a tiny bit more than I’m comfortable with sometimes! Anyway,’ she perked up, ‘Any words regarding Gabby’s whereabouts?’

Spike tried to reply to Rarity but the words didn’t come out, instead producing a fiery burp from which a scroll, with Twilight’s cutie mark imprinted onto its beribboned seal, materialised into his claw. ‘Oop! Poor timing, whoever sent that… sorry Rarity, just a second. Hey Twilight, message for ya!’ he said, hopping to where Twilight was talking to the rest of the group and waving the scroll in her general direction.

Once the message was firmly received he returned to Rarity’s side. ‘’Scuse me. I’m mostly not on task today, but I’m still taking messages for Twi.’

‘Not to worry, I understand,’ Rarity reassured him, ‘So… what did he say?’

Spike inhaled to reply but just as he said “He’s not–”, the loudspeakers suddenly burst back into life for the first time in a couple of minutes, definitely louder than usual for the forthcoming alert, another series of audio squelches preceding Bulk Biceps’ commentary as the balloon loomed overhead. ‘TIME TO SLAM THOSE HINEYS BACK ON THOSE BOARDS, FOLKS, THOSE CRAZY HORSES’RE COMING BACK AROUND! E.T.A., ONE MINUTE OR LESS! YOU KNOW YOU WANNA KNOW WHO'S IN THE LEAD, NO SPOILERS! YEAH!!’

Before either of them knew it the stands filled back up with ponies who had wandered off in the interim, and Rarity took the occasion to glance back over there again and saw that Gabby had indeed flown back into her seat during the announcement, grabbing Button Mash and aiming him head-first at the approaching racers, whose galloping could be heard but not yet seen.

‘Oh, Gabby’s right there now,’ she said, ‘Were we fretting over nothing, do you suppose?’

‘I was gonna say before Bulk announced, I spoke to–’ Spike started, but a spasm of annoyance shot across his face as he was drowned out again, this time by several dozen hooves pounding the dirt hard enough to make the entire surrounding shudder around them accompanied by the volume and distortion knobs on DJ Pon-3’s deck slowly turning up, up, up.

The music’s volume was dampened somewhat as Bulk roared over the speakers again, although Rarity couldn’t help wincing a little as the sound crept upwards. ‘HERE THEY COME… BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS ’EM, YOU MIGHT EVEN MISS ’EM WITH YOUR EYES ON ’EM, THEY’RE SLINGING UP SO MANY FREAKIN’ LEAVES! APPLEJACK’S STILL IN THE LEAD WITH RAINBOW DASH A FULL SECOND BEHIND BUT IT’S STILL ANYPONY’S RACE, I mean, anycreature’s, excuse me, not speciesist… speaking of which, SHOESHINE’S LAGGING IN FIFTH PLACE NOW WITH SILVERSTREAM, THE HIP, HIP HIPPOGRIFF HERSELF PULLING FORWARD TO FOURTH, JUST BEHIND LEMON DROPS! COULD THE FIRST EVER NON-PONY RUNNER WIN HER FIRST RUNNING OF THE LEAVES, FOLKS? ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE! YEAH!!’

As Bulk Biceps spoke the racers tore between the stands once again, leaving at least as many leaves in their wake but slightly less dust this time as everycreature roared their support. A casual observer could see Applejack making being in the lead look effortless while Rainbow Dash seemed to be struggling to keep up somewhat, a determined grimace written all over her face as she frantically cantered in her effort to catch up to her friendly rival. Celestia and Luna brought up the rear, both of them with messy manes and looking somewhat hassled after their earlier banana peel mishap but still in the game, not far behind the second-to-last place.

Meanwhile, Bulk’s last comment garnered grumbles and frowns from a few ponies in the audience. ‘WHAT? SHE COULD! PROVE ME WRONG, IT’S JUST A HYPOTHETICAL STATEMENT SO YOU CAN’T! GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU GOT, DOUBLE-ESS! EVERYPONY ELSE, TOO!’

The racers sped off as quickly as they had hoved into view, this time aiming towards taking a right at the maple tree taps instead of the left that had taken them on the first circuit around the woods, Bulk signed off again as he and DJ Pon-3 floated off in the balloon to continue his observation. ‘OFF THEY GO, RUN-LOVERS… WE’LL BE KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR ALL Y’ALL AS THEY RUN OVER THE HILLTOPS. KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN AS YOU ALL HEAD FOR THE INCLINE, AND MAKE SURE YOU BRING SOMETHING TASTY! YEAH!! I’ve also been instructed to tell you all that there will be inexpensive refreshments provided for anypony who needs ’em. Have a nice picnic.’ A disco pulsation faded out as they drifted off after the racing ponies and hippogriff and everycreature heard Bulk exclaim, mic switched off, ‘HOO DOGGY, I LOVE FLYIN’ IN THIS SPARKLIN’ BALLOON!!’

Once it was relatively quiet again Rarity looked at Spike, who was sitting with his arms and legs crossed this time, plainly sulking a bit from being so brutally interrupted. ‘So… you were saying, precious-pants?’ she prompted, leaning towards him with the immense curiosity and earnest concern she’d displayed at the little tea party they’d had at the Carousel Boutique a few weeks ago.

Spike took a second to react. ‘Gosh, I’m sorry, Rarity, I wasn’t sure if I could speak without something else coming up.’

Rarity giggled. ‘Three in a row is rather rotten luck, isn't it! But, I'm certain the coast is clear now. So… what did he say? Tell me!’

‘Well, he wasn't real communicative, really. Genial enough at first, but he got kind of defensive when I asked where Gabby was and insisted that everything was fine, and she’d gone to visit somecreature elsewhere on the stand, and she’d be back soon. And now she’s back anyway like he said, so… I dunno…’

‘Hmm… you know, that would make sense, what with Gabby being such a social creature. Perhaps we’re both projecting a tiny bit and seeing problems where none exist…’

Spike pondered the possibility. ‘Yeah… yeah, you’re right. I mean, I said myself earlier that whatever Gabby’s doing isn’t my problem anymore, so why don't we just enjoy ourselves? The real issue was with Sweetie Belle earlier and we took care of that, didn't we? Not that it’s bad to help, but maybe we shouldn’t interfere unless there’s an obvious problem.’

Rarity chuckled and pulled Spike closer to her. ‘You may be right… let us do that. Twilight, I don't suppose you’ve any more of that elderflower pop, do you? I could use a refreshment to wash that sandwich down from earlier! I'm a little parched!’

Spike remembered that he’d never finished the ruby mayo Rarity had supplied him with before and felt a twinge in his belly. ‘I’d like a bit more too, if it’s going around,’ he said as he groped around on his bench for a moment, before locating it and snaffling about half of what remained.

‘Of course, there’s plenty for both of you,’ Twilight trilled before magically pouring out two beakers of the stuff, which they both accepted graciously. ‘By the way, once we’re done drinking, I’ll need to take my leave of you all for a little while… princessly duties require my assistance a way up the hills.’

‘Let me guess, something needs taking care of on the racetrack?’ said Spike as he polished off his sub sandwich.

Twilight responded with a nod before addressing the whole group. ‘That scroll Spike delivered was from Raven Inkwell about puckwudgies rolling around on the trail. Nothing serious, but we can't let the local wildlife interfere with the runners, can we?’

‘Oh my, and they can get so ferocious when they feel threatened,’ said Fluttershy, ‘You wouldn't happen to need my help with that at all, would you?’

‘You’re off-duty, silly!’ interjected Pinkie Pie, ‘Let the great and competent ruler of Equestria take care of things! You got this, Twi!’ Twilight smiled and nodded at that as Pinkie faux-whispered to Fluttershy, ‘She has ponies for that nowadays. She pays them. It’s messed up but it’s true!’

‘Besides, we need to relocate once we’re done filling our faces… ponies’re already departing for the next viewpoint,’ said Spike, looking around, ‘It’s a small hike through the wood’s trail but we’ll make it at a leisurely trot if we head over after we’re all hydrated.’

He looked at Rarity, who had been taking a long, measured sip from her glass for the last little while, and as his gaze caught hers she quit her quaffing and smiled, dabbing her mouth with her hoofkerchief as she looked at him. ‘Ooh, yes! I can see why you’re so gung-ho about drinks like these, now, Spikey-Wikey… This does go down with my crevette and mare-rose sauce bagel very smoothly indeed! My compliments to the castle brewery, Twilight!’ Then she burped, slightly and briefly before covering her mouth with her hoof and blushing. ‘My apologies, I may have drunk that a little too enthusiastically…’

‘Not from where I’m sitting, Rarity! And don’t worry about it… better out than in, right?’ Spike reassured her, before knocking on his chest twice and letting out a fiery burp of his own, with no scroll forthcoming this time. As Rarity raised an eyebrow he rethought that approach to the topic. ‘Although maybe it is kind of, uh, uncouth.’

She looked down her muzzle at him a little, but she didn’t frown. ‘The sentiment’s quite appreciated, but neither a lady nor a gentledragon should belch so unless it’s absolutely necessary,’ she said with a wry smirk.

‘Noted, Rarity,’ said Spike, slurping down the last of his soda before slapping his knees, ‘So! Everypony let me know when you’re ready and we can move onto the next area! There’s no stands this time, but there’s poles with balloons and loudspeakers dotted down the path so nopony can… escape… Bulk’s commentary… I mean so nopony gets lost.’ By now just about everycreature present had learned to drown it out one way or another unless there was a volume increase due to something important happening, but it had been a constant throughout since before Twilight had seen the race off.

‘Well, I think he has a very nice announcing voice,’ said Fluttershy, ‘I admire his confidence and clarity, and he’s so enthusiastic! It feels like I can see everything he’s describing in my mind… Applejack in front… wait, no! Rainbow Dash! Ooh, who’s going to win, just seeing it in my mind’s eye is making me anxious…! I’ll have to buy milkshakes for everypony! Oh noooo! What have I done to myself?!’ She chewed on her nails for a moment until Angel snuggled up to her a little. Once she’d calmed down she responded to Spike, ‘Anyway, we’re all done with my sandwich over here and ready to go. Thank you, Angel.’

Inside of a minute the entire group were ready to leave, Twilight disembarking by air for the highlands first. The rest of the group trouped off the stand and, alongside other ponies and creatures of the audience, went into the forest trail to the fields at the other side of the woods. Spike flew a few feet off the ground as he led the others, Rarity right behind and Pinkie helping Fluttershy carry the picnic hamper a few paces behind her. While the area around the racetrack was relatively sparsely wooded, the stands’ location intentionally picked for the audience to have a better view of the runners as they came and went, the Whitetail Woods proper became quite thick the further in one trekked, and with the race well underway at this point the red-and-gold leaves were tumbling down thick and fast, obscuring the trail somewhat.

Rarity caught up with Spike after a short while and trotted alongside him. ‘Ooh, soon we’ll be at the best part of the event, darling!’ she beamed, ‘While it’s true we all filled up a little in advance there’s still lots of time to make merry and chat, and maybe play a little game or two! And you know, the heather and sage are out in the fields! I heard it looks simply divine when there’s a bit of wind… I haven’t seen it with my own eyes yet, but my dear customers will tell me these things!’

Spike smiled and looked at Rarity. ‘Yeah, I know that from Twilight. She puts heather in the hanging baskets in the Canterlot Castle hallways and it’s this time of year she stocks up on it. You’ve seen ’em…’

‘I most certainly have! Her castle attendants make the most wonderful display of the things… Princess Luna’s personal touch was a tad neater, but they do their utmost to continue the tradition! I respect that.’

‘As for sage, my appreciation for that’s limited to a Sunday roast,’ laughed Spike, ‘Stuffing, I mean. But I’m sure it looks just as good.’

Rarity sighed and walked closer to Spike’s side. ‘Well, they both flower purple, you know… and you know, that’s my favourite colour, and not just because it’s the colour of my mane!’

Spike smiled knowingly, before stating his curiosity outright. ‘Well, I mean, I’m purple too… are you flirting with me, Rare?’

Rarity stopped in her tracks for a moment and blushed, a rush of conflicting emotions racing through her mind on being called out so blatantly before running ahead to catch up again. ‘Oh, if you don't stop calling me that, Spikey-Wikey… well, I’ve hardly made a secret of being quite fond of you, darling. “Flirting” may be overstating things, I thought it was more of a pleasant, if coy observation myself, but, I, ah, you are very sweet, and I so enjoy your company…’

He bared his fangs with embarrassment and blushed even more than Rarity had a moment before. ‘That’s cool,’ he half-lied, his face burning up and his complexion only hiding it a little.

Her public display of affection in Canterlot that evening a few weeks ago had said it more loudly than this by a fair way, but this time there was no hiding behind the excuse of playing therapist for his issues. Then he felt a pang of sweet sadness as it hit him – she’d just said the words, well, maybe not the words but a variation upon them, that he’d dearly longed to hear from her for some time, since long before Gabby had shown up in his life.

His emerald reptilian eyes looked into her big ocean-blue ones as he unintentionally showed that it wasn’t as cool as he’d initially claimed. ‘I mean, th-that’s great! I’m really, uh, I really like you too! Your company. I mean, not your shop, I mean being around you. Doing things, stuff. Dresses, flying, budgeting, stuff. I’m. Um. Uh, you know, you’re really pretty wearing that sweater…’ Then he privately cursed himself for sounding so lame.

Rarity giggled. ‘Little fillies are pretty, Spike. I’m a full-grown mare. And it’s an old ensemble between it and the legwarmers – dated darn things, really, but nice and warm – I just wore it for the warmth and to protect against the, ah, rougher aspects of the event… if I’d worn some fancy-schmancy dress it’d surely get torn or worse on those wooden stands!’

‘It’s all furry and sparkly, though, and it catches the sunlight coming through the trees at just the right moments… I like that. It looks really snug and nice…’ He wanted to say more, but it didn’t seem the right time nor place to spit out the “B” word that was on the tip of his forked tongue. It seemed too personal at this moment in time, no matter how much it felt made for her. It crossed his mind that she’d just dared him to say it, like he’d failed a test.

She didn’t betray any hint of intending such a challenge as she smiled and continued chatting. ‘Well, your jacket’s a touch more modern, at any rate. Just looking at you flying in that… oh, I’m so glad you wore it today! Seeing my work fulfil its intended function and not just, hanging lifeless on a, a dull old hanger in a dark wardrobe, makes me rather happy, I suppose. Thank you, sweetheart.’

Then she gave him a smooch on the cheek, and Spike almost cartwheeled onto the ground in shock.

He stayed aloft, but he couldn’t help the wide-eyed, slack-jawed look on his face. She’d just kissed him! Rarity had kissed Spike on occasion before, always a peck on the cheek as an affectionate gesture when he’d done something nice for her, but he couldn’t help feeling as if this one was different. Once the realisation that Rarity’s action needed a response sunk in, he dared, his heart beating faster, his expression a little pale and with huge uncertainty at first, to put an arm around the back of her neck and shoulders as she trotted along. She leaned into his slightly awkward embrace and they both slowed their pace a little, allowing Pinkie and Fluttershy, who had lagged behind somewhat while encumbered with the hamper containing everycreature’s lunches, to catch up.

For her part Rarity silently relished Spike’s response, and couldn’t help biting her lip with glee as he snuggled closely to her. She hadn’t really meant to kiss him, it had just felt like the most natural thing in the world to do in her happiness, and for one second afterward she’d feared an adverse reaction one way or another – either cold, or hotter than she’d feel comfortable with around a baby dragon. But this was just right… she’d been right about the support Spike needed, she’d been right about their mutual feelings, and she’d been right about the jacket, which was the most important thing to be right about as far as she was concerned in this moment.

‘Rarity...’ Spike murmured.

She shushed him, and made the choice. ‘Call me Rare, Spikey darling…’ she whispered, her eyes almost closed as she spoke.

‘Rare…’ Spike said with a thrill. He’d been testing the waters off and on for much of the morning to see what kind of response a pet name for her would get – after all, he’d been “Spikey-Wikey” to her for so long, it seemed like fair play. It was nice that she’d responded well to it and not been offended, or had a quiet word with him to drop it as he’d half-expected. ‘It’s not just the jacket making you like this, is it?’

Rarity sighed quiet and long, but didn’t answer further. That was fine, Spike thought… nothing else needed to be said right now.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 8: Flowering Feelings Faltering –

After a few more minutes of saying nothing much else, the four of them emerged to a wide, breezy field of wild grasses and the autumnal blooms Rarity had mentioned as far as the eye could see off to the west. The other two cardinal directions away from the trail gave an overview of Ponyville and a rolling eyeful of the slopes bending towards the highlands, decorated with more and more trees and bushes the farther away you looked from the fields that awaited the approaching racers’ combined efforts. Some of the ponies that had gone on ahead of the rush had already set their mats and lunchtime spreads out for lunch, and more were approaching from the same way the group had come. As Bulk had advertised there were hayburger and drinks stalls with chairs and tables set up, alongside a chugging generator on a side lane by the main road for anycreature who hadn’t brought their own lunch. He noted with surprise that Peach Melba and her father, Melon Tang, had come down from the capital city to attend the latter shop.

Spike and Rarity broke off their prolonged side-hug as Fluttershy and Pinkie laid down their hamper. Pinkie bounced along ahead, pointed a hoof at the road and said, ‘This is it, right, Spike? I’d hate to think everypony took a wrong turn somewhere! We’d all miss the rest of the race! Just think of the poor racers who’d think we’d abandoned them!’

‘Oh, dear, that would be so sad!’ Fluttershy said, laughing a little.

Spike landed on the grass and laughed, a little more than he’d meant to as Rarity smiled warmly at him. ‘No, this is the place,’ he said, earwigging for Bulk Bicep’s commentary for a moment and hearing that the runners were nearing the forest exit, ‘We’ve got ten minutes or thereabouts to get all set up and they’ll come roaring along for sure!’

‘Would you like me to lend a hoof laying the picnic mat again, Fluttershy?’ asked Rarity, to which Fluttershy replied in the affirmative. ‘Well, a horn actually. It’s easier that way.’ Then she levitated the checkered rug out from the hamper and, with a neat unfold and a swift flap, laid it onto a flat part of the field close to the road opposite the stalls.

While everycreature waited for the race to pass by, Spike poured out some cactus juice for the hamper-bearers before checking what Fluttershy had brought along, seeing orange and pomegranate juices, mineral water and a kind of herbal drink that smelled like grass. ‘Eh… nothing here that I really wanna drink, I’m sorry…’ he apologised, ‘Is it okay if I go drop a few bits on a smoothie at the stalls?’

‘Not at all… that’s why they’re there, isn't it?’ Fluttershy said.

‘You surprise me, not wanting cactus juice, Spike. Name/juice combo!’ said Pinkie. The three ponies waved Spike off as he flew over to where the Canterlot plaza ponies were mixing and serving drinks.

He greeted Peach Melba cheerfully, commenting on Rarity’s message and doodle that she’d had put into a cheap wooden frame and displayed on the shelf behind her, before ordering a large fireberry, blackberry and watermelon smoothie with a squirt of cream and a shiny white pearl on top. He took two straws as he recalled what Rarity had said before about acquiring the taste for the first of those ingredients – this was a possible opportunity to wean her onto them, rather than the concentrated stuff Smolder had been guzzling down that day in the library. It was an open offer he wanted to make, anyway – if she said no, he got to enjoy a smoothie as big as his head for the next while, after all, but given the gentle warmth she’d just shown him on the trail he doubted she would.

He was about to return to his fellow picnickers with the red concoction when a voice in his ear cried out, “Spike!!!! How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you since you visited my digs the other week!”

Two years in a relationship with her meant that Spike had been effectively inoculated to Gabby’s sudden and violent overenthusiasm fed into his ear with no warning. He turned around, holding his smoothie in both hands just a little more tightly than before, and saw Gabby grinning at him, looking rather claws-on with Button Mash, who was plainly immensely enjoying her attention. ‘I almost didn’t recognise you wearing that jacket!! Who made it?’ she continued, ‘Me and Mashy here, he’s my new special somepony by the way, we were just going to grab a drink and they sell them here and they’re the smoothie guys from the stall in Canterlot you liked and you’re also here! Isn't that just nutso??’

‘Hey, Gabby, Button Mash again,’ said Spike, holding his drink with one claw and casually flicking a clawgun gesture with the other. ‘Yeah, I didn't know Peach and her dad were gonna be here, but I'm glad they are… they’re yet to disappoint me, drinks-wise. And the jacket’s one of Rarity’s – she made it for me last week!’ Spike was slightly disappointed by Gabby’s assertion that she’d not recognised him – it said his name right there on the back!

‘Rarity, really?? That’s so cool, she’s one of the best!! You know, Mashy, we need to get you dressed up sometime too! Ever thought of getting a new hat, baby?’ she asked, playfully spinning his propeller.

‘I kinda like–’ Button Mash started, before Gabby interrupted him.

‘Oh, your current little hat’s fine, it’s cute, I really really like it, but oranges aren’t the only fruit in the world, you know? I could probably make you some new ones myself, how hard can it be??’ She turned back to Spike and said, ‘Speaking of which, you’re so good at choosing flavours here, what would you rec for Mashy?’

Spike looked at Button Mash as Gabby put her claws around his waist, and considered a generic suggestion for a second – this was a slightly silly question she’d posited, to get him to basically guess the tastes of a pony he barely knew. ‘Uhh… well, do you like bananas, Button Mash? They cost a little more but you can't go wrong with ’em with just about anything here!’

‘Banana…’ Button Mash repeated, rolling the word around in his mouth as he peered at the sandwich board by the stall that listed the available mixes. ‘Nah, I gotta work myself up to getting the banana. Cherry, strawberry, though, those go down easy. I don't much like orange… do they sell pretzels here?’

Spike jabbed a thumb behind him at the jar filled to the brim with pretzels on a shelf behind the counter. ‘Sure do. Go nuts, my colt… uh.’ Halfway through that second sentence Gabby embraced Button Mash and swung him around a hundred-eighty degrees to their left as she kissed him on the lips, and Spike looked on with disquiet as they continued to kiss deeply just a few feet away from him – it had taken him a few moons to work his way up to that when he’d been with her. ‘Uhh… should I… leave you two to it…?’ he asked after a few more seconds had passed.

Gabby giggled as she broke off their mouth-to-beak and acknowledged Spike for a moment before rushing to the counter, claw-in-hoof with Button Mash. ‘Sorry, we’re just so in love we can’t help ourselves sometimes… let’s go get something, Mashy! Don’t order cherry though, I’ll get one on top of mine and you can have it! Otherwise I’ll be getting something random!! Peach Melba can surprise me! See you later Spike, say hi to Rarity for me! Toodles!!’

Button Mash looked back at Spike with a smug smile, which Spike returned with an eye-roll before turning away. ‘Have fun with her while the fun lasts, kid…’ he muttered to himself before crossing the road and returning to where his friends were running around near their mat and hamper, playing a permutation of tag with Fluttershy’s birds. His mind stayed on that chance meeting with Gabby, though – he couldn't be sure whether or not she’d intended to provoke him with her new coltfriend or if she was simply oblivious to how he could be offended by her waving her new, quite young very special somepony at him.

Spike hadn't lied to Sweetie Belle and Rarity earlier when he’d insinuated that he was over Gabby; he was, thanks in no small part to Twilight and Rarity’s love and support. Sisterly love and practical assistance on Twilight’s part, and… well, her sincerest emotional support besides, something good was happening between him and Rarity, he was sure of it – her acceptance of “Rare” as a term of endearment on the trail on the way here just now went some way of confirming it to him – but he didn't appreciate the mild paranoia she and Button Mash had left him with. Gabby acted like it but she wasn't a hundred-and-ten-percent perky sweetness, he’d been with her long enough to know that. Although she denied it there were certain emotional survival mechanisms even a griffon like her engaged with within their own society by necessity lest their peers ate them alive, figuratively speaking.

He’d heard the stories, from her and Gallus, although he’d never experienced the worst of it – griffons tended to be on their best behaviour when they wanted something, which they often did at a diplomatic engagement unless they were intentionally playing hardball, which they also often did. Dragons like, say, Garble and his gang were fairly up-front with the pummelings if they didn't like you, whereas griffons were altogether more into passive-aggression when displeased by a perceived interpersonal slight. Had Gabby, Gabby of all griffons just passively aggressed against him, he couldn't help wondering? Her sunny demeanour was so different from most others of her species he’d known that he’d thought her above that sort of behaviour before, and he was still fairly sure that she just wasn’t capable of being truly spiteful, but he nonetheless felt a seed of suspicion germinate in his mind, and not just about that, either…

The more he thought about it the more annoyed he became, but the more he doubted himself, too – what if it had been an entirely innocent exchange on Gabby’s part, and he was imagining anything more than that due to his own insecurity? It was possible, maybe he wasn’t as over her as he thought, maybe it’d been easier to cope with seeing them together from afar than it was having them make out right in front of him, maybe he was just a little jealous that it was Button Mash who got to feel those claws raking over his fur and that beak against his lips, now, maybe maybe maybe…

His ruminations regarding Gabby were interrupted by a collision that almost sent him flying, and not in the manner to which he’d become accustomed, when a squealing and laughing Pinkie Pie, chased by one yellow and one blue finch with Rarity not far behind, bumped into him. ‘Oof!’ she shouted as she caught his smoothie in midair, ‘Oh, I’m sorry Spike! We were playing Birdie with Io and Callisto here!’

Spike dusted his jacket off as Pinkie firmly deposited his drink back into both his claws and gave him a pat on the head. Rarity trotted up to him and gave him a concerned look. ‘Oh, Spikey-Wikey, are you alright, darling? I got swept up in the moment and I suppose none of us here were paying attention to anything besides this game! It is very fun, though…’

‘I’m good. It takes more than that to keep a good dragon down, you know that, Rarity,’ he said.

Rarity noticed the hint of fragility in his voice, but decided to let Spike bring it up himself later rather than to accost him about his feelings for now. ‘I suppose so, dear… ooh! You’re not going to drink all of that yourself, are you? It’s enormous!’

‘Well, you know how we were talking about fireberry wine before? They had some at the stall – the berries, not the wine, I mean – and I thought, uh, maybe you’d like to try some that didn’t try to kill you? It’s a melon and blackberry mix, I held off on the gems this time. If you want some, you’re very welcome to share.’

Rarity smiled and looked into Spike’s eyes so deeply that when he looked back he could swear he could see the fibres of her irises through his own reflection in her corneas for a second. ‘Oh, that’s so thoughtful, Spikey!’ she said, almost bouncing with happiness, ‘I’d love to give it a little non-royal taste test, and I’ll be sure to give you my honest feedback! That is, provided I don’t die from it… which I won’t, like I said ponies are a little, ah, more delicate with the stuff.’

Spike plopped the smoothie into the hamper to keep it cool. ‘Sweet! I didn’t really want to drink all of it myself. Mind if I join you girls with your game ’til the racers come by?’

‘You don’t have to ask, silly, anycreature can play the flight role if they’ve got wings!’ said Pinkie Pie, ‘But we need an even number. In fact, we need another flier so Fluttershy can play!’ She gestured towards the pony in question who was making a little daisy crown for Angel, not minding her current exclusion by necessity, but she turned to Spike and smiled as Pinkie filled him in.

‘You’ll have to explain the rules to me,’ Spike laughed as he flapped his wings to gain a few feet of altitude, ‘Is it just chasing each other or is there more to it?’

Now that he was back with his friends, Spike’s gloom about Gabby simply didn’t concern him as much, although his mind was now filled with thoughts about Rarity… she’d kissed him earlier and it had felt different to the other times. Maybe he’d just imagined that little lick she’d given his cheek in the almost-second her lips had made contact, but he didn’t think so… now he was dwelling on that and feeling a whole different set of feelings, fuzzy nice ones rather than lowkey resentful ones, and he could feel his heartbeat rise just as it had then.

The rules to the game weren’t very complicated but he had trouble paying attention as Pinkie explained in her default peculiar, roundabout manner. His focus was instead inevitably upon the radiant pearl-white mare standing by his side in this field, surrounded by the red and yellow leaves blowing by the grasses and flowers, the heather and sage she’d promised but other autumnal blooms besides swaying in the warm breeze, happily smiling as her mane wafted likewise and her clothing twinkled in the sun… she truly was beautiful, and he regretted not telling her that when the moment was right earlier.

Once Pinkie had given a general outline of the rulebook with a couple of interjections from Rarity they all played together with the birds for a little while, and although Spike broke a rule at one point (his own fault for not giving Pinkie his undivided attention, he admitted) nopony was concerned. He chanced a look around the field a couple of times during the second game, seeing amidst the crowds of Ponyville’s denizens among the grasses and flowers several kites flying nearby, in particular three clustered together – a sparkling blue box kite, a grey-green diamond kite and a glittering metallic dragonfly – that he recognised as Trixie, Pinkie’s older sister Maud Pie, and Starlight’s kites from the times he’d accompanied them in the past.

Elsewhere he saw Princess Skystar and Smolder racing one another in airbourne circles not all that far away in the field opposite from the stalls, Skystar in particular conspicuous from the assigned hippogriff bodyguard dressed in black struggling to keep up with her, and to the left of his view from that he saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders having their own picnic with Yona and Sandbar, who’d dropped in for a visit. He noted too that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had parked themselves at one of the tables by the hayburger stall, slouching against their chairs, reading sad poetry from a black book and looking like they were having fun looking miserable. They were a stark contrast to the Ponyville florists, Daisy, Rose and Lily Valley, happily frolicking in the pansies and begonias nearby with manes bedecked with petals.

Before the second game was over, a series of distorted “wub”s preceded Bulk Bicep’s next major announcement as the balloon hoved into view once more. ‘WATCH THE ROAD, EVERYCREATURE, THEY’RE APPROACHING FAST! KEEP THE TRACK CLEAR WHILE THEY BLAST ON BY! RAINBOW DASH IS IN THE LEAD AGAIN AFTER APPLEJACK SKIDDED WILDLY OFF THE PATH A SHORT WHILE AGO, SILVERSTREAM’S BACK IN FIFTH PLACE WITH SHOESHINE IN FOURTH AND LEMON DROPS THIRD, AND THE SISTERS ARE… WELL, SEE FOR YOURSELVES! YEAH!!’

All the plants surrounding the audience swished loudly enough to drown out their voices as the breeze picked up noticeably, and the ground began to shake as all present congregated around the sides of the road for a glimpse of the race. The only voices that could be heard clearly above the overall din were definitely Gallus and Gabby, hollering their support for Silverstream in chorus in between alternating synchronised eagle screeches.

All was as Bulk had reported, near as anyone could tell from the miasma still following in the racers’ wake, Rainbow Dash going full pedal-to-the-metal as if she meant to perform the world’s first ground-based Sonic Rainboom while Applejack ran head-first just a few paces behind, looking incredibly determined to beat her soundly to the finish line. As everypony cheered, they just about raised their volume enough to surpass the windy ambience flowing over and around them all.

Further back, Celestia and Luna had somehow caught up from earlier and were in what looked to be ninth place, but they had somehow found themselves inside a gigantic perforated hamster ball and were rolling frantically left and right, both trying their hardest not to skid off the trail again. ‘LOOK AT THOSE PONY PRINCESSES GO! IS THERE A RULE AGAINST THAT?? THERE’S GOTTA BE! DOES A HAMSTER BALL COUNT AS A VEHICLE??! WHETHER THERE IS OR NOT NOPONY’S SURE HOW THEY GOT IN THERE, FOLKS, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING FOR ’EM, THEY’RE IN NINTH UP FROM LAST AND NOPONY CAN STOP ’EM! BELIEVE ME, A FEW HAVE TRIED ALREADY!’ cried Bulk, accompanied by an electronic blarp or two, ‘AND PERSONALLY, I’M ALL FOR UNORTHODOX METHODS OF PROWESS! SCREW THE RULES!! YEAH!!!!’

They didn’t look happy about their method of prowess, though; Celestia cast a wild-eyed look at Fluttershy as they spun past at high speed and cried, muffled through the plastic, ‘Fluttershy – Discord!! This isn’t–!!’ Then they were gone, leaving anypony who had happened to hear her plea wondering if they had heard anything at all.

As the racing ponies left and Bulk continued his spiel, Rarity turned to Fluttershy and said, ‘Darling, did she just–?’

Fluttershy nodded. ‘She did… oh, darn it! We had words about this before last year’s race! Discord!’

She looked up at the sky expectantly for a few seconds, but there was no reply. ‘Discord, sweetie, why don’t you join us for a nice salad bowl and pomegranate juice?’ she tried again.

A claw appeared in the air and drew a circle that made a “pop” sound as it tore a swirling blue portal behind the girls, and a moment later Discord stepped through, wielding a bear trap in both paws before sealing the tear shut again. ‘Yes, yes! I suppose I could do with a break from my, ahem, my daily duties! It can be tough, working in mysterious ways!’ he exclaimed, obviously proud of himself.

Everycreature present looked on as he leaned over to Fluttershy who, despite sorely needing a word with him, greeted him with a little kiss on the snout. ‘So, how’re my little angels today?’ he asked, as Angel himself stuck out his tongue and pushed him back a little.

‘Having a wonderful time at the races so far, honeybunch…’ replied Fluttershy as she smiled and looked up at her chaos god fancyman, ‘Although I’m not sure about some of the participants! Are you, um, I don’t mean to accuse or anything but, are you pranking a certain pair of six-legged racers?’

Her smile faded into a scrunch as Discord guffawed. ‘Haha, yesss! I was called upon to prank the princesses-as-was by somepony earlier! The part I was born to play, I mean, insofar as chaos gods such as myself are born, if you know what I’m saying. Yes, I’m having quite the day just being me, nocreature else I’d rather be!’

Fluttershy’s gaze didn’t break from Discord, but it became sterner with the rest of her expression. ‘Discord… I don’t think Celestia and Luna are enjoying it as much as you are. You should let them actually, um, survive the race.’

A ball-and-chain suddenly attached itself to Discord’s horse leg. ‘Fluttershy, I am quite surprised at you, telling me to suppress the primal essence of my being! I can hardly help it if I’m a sometime beneficiary from others’ misfortune! I need chaos to exist, you know? There come times when I must go my own way!’

‘I understand that, sweetheart,’ said Fluttershy, ‘But we talked about this. Pranking one or two ponies, or anycreature for that matter, repeatedly, well, it can really hurt them, in mind or body. Like you said, neither Celestia nor Luna are princesses anymore, and they can’t, um, take what you dish out like they used to, and they came to Ponyville today for a nice time. Let them have it… please?’

Discord couldn’t resist when Fluttershy asked him nicely; it made his heart melt like the butter after which she was coloured. ‘Oh, Fluttershy… I suppose you’re right, I mustn’t victimise the less talented,’ he said with utmost sincerity, hesitating a second before snapping his fingers, disappearing his bear trap, presumably sending Celestia and Luna falling to the ground a way away as their rodential chariot vanished, and suddenly bringing two very happy, panting border collies to his heels. ‘I’ll call off the dogs. But it’s as I say, somepony very nearby invoked me specifically to prank them most amusingly! I was just doing her bidding!’ He pointed at Pinkie Pie with the thumb of his griffon claw and whispered, ‘She did it. It was the pink one.’

Pinkie didn’t seem bothered by his betrayal, instead giggling in mild embarrassment. ‘Yeah, it was me, Pinkie Pie! Well, I did want them to have a funny accident or three, but nothing serious! Gotta say, though, you’ve lived up to your end of the deal already. I don’t suppose that was a safe bear trap, was it? Probably best to quit while you’re ahead, Discord my draconequus.’

‘In my defense, they’re further ahead in the race than they otherwise would be without my interference, and they’d be safe from a bear trap inside a hamster ball, but the point has been made. They’ll have an entirely unchaotic, ball-less rest of the race, I swear it,’ said Discord, hand-on-heart.

‘Thank you, Discord,’ said Fluttershy sweetly, ‘Although they may have risked disqualification with that stunt. Anyway… now you’re here the offer’s still open… can I offer you a salad bowl? It’s got croutons! And onions, your favourite!’

‘That sounds as delightful as you, my little butterbug,’ said Discord affectionately, extending his lion’s paw and giving Fluttershy a caress beneath the jaw. She responded with a bowed head and a blushing smile before leading him and his dogs to her hamper for a light lunch.

Spike and Rarity looked on at a distance as the pair shared their salad lovingly, and one of the collies licked Fluttershy’s face as she rubbed its belly while the other barked and jumped around excitedly. ‘Cute,’ said Spike, ‘Discord’s lucky she’s so patient…’

‘He can be, ah, awkward, but a little kindness always goes a long way with him and Fluttershy has spent some time as its element, after all,’ said Rarity. ‘Ah, I almost forgot… who won that last game? Was anypony keeping track?’

‘Fluttershy and Spike just overtook you and Io at the last moment, Rarity my mareity!’ said Pinkie, ‘Four captures to three. Me and Callisto only got two, so congratulations to both of you! The students outperform the mistress!’ Then she high-hoofed both of them and said quite quickly, ‘So… you two gonna drink that drink Spike the Dragon did done dragged from the drugstore to the “darling” mare?’

‘Uh, drugstore…? Oh yeah, the smoothie! C’mon, Rare, let’s give it a try, shall we?’ said Spike, motioning towards the picnic rug where Fluttershy and Discord were basking in the warm sun, surrounded by small animals and ironically enough an island of tranquillity surrounded by the hustle and bustle of all the other picnicking creatures, ‘After you.’

Rarity giggled, ‘Such a little gentledragon… why yes, I’m rather eager to try that! Those ponies at the stall are that filly Peach Melba you introduced me to and, I presume, her father? I haven’t easily forgotten the simply scrumptious one she made me that day in Canterlot! They must be highly regarded… did you arrange for them to come today?’

‘No, actually, I was surprised! I guess somepony else at the castle took notice and invited them down here for the event, which, no complaints from me,’ said Spike as Rarity led him back to where Pinkie had just taken her place. Once they’d taken their places, Spike gave Discord a nudge. ‘Hey, Discord. Hot enough for ya today?’

Fluttershy smiled demurely with her eyes closed as Discord carefully placed the leafy crown of pink, yellow and purple begonias he’d just crafted onto her head, around her ears and mane; not ones he’d picked, rather ones he’d willed into existence, inspired by the daisy chain she’d made for Angel. ‘Yes, greetings, my humble dragon compadre. That warm breeze is keeping things so tediously regulated, don’t you think? But it’s just right for my dear little pony friends, so, I suppose it’s fine…’ he grinned at Spike, who returned that with a friendly look that nonetheless dared him to try changing the weather and see what happened next. ‘What? I wouldn’t dream of whatever you think I’m dreaming of, Spike!’

‘Oh, Discord, this is lovely… I'm so happy to be with you like this…’ Fluttershy sighed as she stroked one of Discord’s dogs’ silky fur idly, and he fed her a grape. Spike wasn't perturbed by the display of affection this time – maybe it was the “boiling frog” effect at work as the pair of them had slowly but surely become more and more comfortable being lovey-dovey around one another over the last year or so, he pondered. It certainly had jarred him less than Gabby and Button Mash had before.

‘I wouldn’t object to a little chaos-induced chocolate rain here and now, but I accept that I am in the minority on that topic,’ said Pinkie, ‘It’s a perfect day for a picnic, really!’

‘That it is, the weather patrol did an exemplary job ahead of the race,’ said Rarity, watching as Spike rummaged through the hamper to locate the valued smoothie, ‘But it’s just warm enough with this sweater and these legwarmers in tow that I for one am ready for this! Lay it on me, Spikey!’

She smiled and clapped her hooves as Spike handed her a straw for drinking, but as they each popped theirs into the concoction Spike raised a finger and said, ‘Hold up, royal taste tester time. I’ll just make sure this is fine for you.’ He took a slurp and swished the mouthful around his mouth for a moment before swallowing, then smiled and gave Rarity an “okay” claw gesture. She put her lips to the tip of her straw and Spike watched as the red liquid rose through it into her mouth, and as she then paused for a moment to contemplate her feelings about the taste. Her eyes widened a little and her cheeks flushed for a moment before she drank the mouthful entirely, then detached from her straw, snorting before speaking again.

‘Ooooh! That’s spicy but it’s not bad!’ she exclaimed, breathing through her mouth and fanning herself with one hoof, ‘I suppose it was somewhat silly of me to think this would cool me down, wasn’t it?’

‘If it’s too much for you, you can stop,’ said Spike, but Rarity took another couple of sips.

He watched a bead of sweat trickle down the side of her face as she spoke again, her face too becoming pinker. ‘No, no, it’s perfectly fine! It’s delicious, really, it, ah, intermingles nicely with the blackberries, and it’s nice to actually be able to taste the fireberries this time. My, ah, delicate pony palate was somewhat overloaded by Smolder’s drink at the time, you know? Anyway, how is it for you, darling?’

‘Peach did good, I reckon,’ he smiled, ‘I wasn’t so sure about the watermelon at first but I figured water, fire, one might cancel the other out a bit and give you an easier ride? Anyway, it’s a perfect beverage for a day like today, for me anyway! Like I said, if it’s too much…’

Rarity giggled. ‘I don’t think that’s really how it works, but I’ll be fine, Spikey-Wikey. And thank you for your concern, but a lady such as myself knows her limits.’

The two smiled at one another, and Spike noted that Rarity’s mane was getting a little matted by her perspiration for the first time today; not messy as such, her curls remained intact, but between that and the breeze catching it out in the open she had gained a strangely wild, windswept aspect in his eyes. He didn’t say anything in case she became self-conscious and attempted to correct it, right now that wasn’t what he wanted, he wanted to behold her like this, in a way she barely ever showed anycreature else. It certainly didn’t make her any less beautiful than when her mane was immaculately coiffed as far as he was concerned, and it hadn’t lost its usual volume at all.

Rarity looked back at Spike with eyes half-lidded, noticing that a strand or two of her mane had definitely fallen over her muzzle from the sweats she was experiencing – fortunately she was fairly sure they were diminishing the more she tried the juice. It was good stuff, she hadn’t lied, but she was going to need to take a break shortly… she took one final, long sip before as she tipped her head downward Spike’s adorable, adoring toothy smile, and felt oddly at peace. Like Discord and Fluttershy nearby they had found their calm in the eye of the whirlwind that was this event, attended by a few hundred ponies as it was. He was such a sweet dragon, truly… she felt her heart beating faster inside of her chest and her cheeks flush further, but not from the smoothie this time.

She exhaled, involuntarily sighing. ‘Spikey, precious… why don’t we finish this together, sweetheart?’ she asked with a smile that made her flushed cheeks bunch.

‘Of course, Rare…’ Spike replied, returning Rarity’s half-lidded expression. The two of them rubbed snouts briefly as they both inserted their straws through the cup’s dome into the remaining two-thirds or so of their shared drink, and Rarity placed her horn neatly beside the frills on top of Spike’s head. Her concerns regarding the heat from the drink didn’t matter right now, it was bothering her less and less the more she drank, while she became more and more preoccupied with the intense warmth she was feeling from this closeness to her favourite little dragon. They both slowly supped from the clear cup, savouring their togetherness as the pearl bobbing atop the cream float slid downwards to its base.

Suddenly Spike had a strangulated look on his face for a second and gripped Rarity’s hoof as his nostrils smoked and he gagged, before a scroll just as suddenly shunted itself out of his mouth into his straw. He removed it from his mouth with an irate look on his face, and Rarity couldn’t stifle a laugh as he exclaimed, ‘Oh, for pony’s sake! Twilight, you really know how to ruin the moment!’

Pinkie had whipped on some shades and taken to sunning herself while partaking of some of the chocolate pretzels Fluttershy had denied her back at the town square, looking completely unconcerned while her friends had gotten all mushy on both sides around her. She sat up with a bounce, leaned towards Spike and asked as she propped her shades on her forehead, ‘Is our mighty ruler on her way back, Spike?’

‘In ten,’ sighed Spike as he read the scroll, ‘The way’s officially been cleared and the puckwudgies have been moved back into the forest. Nocreature’s gonna get brutally spined or spin-dashed now. Well, I guess that’s good.’

‘Oh, it is,’ said Fluttershy, looking up from where she’d been nestling on Discord’s serpentine body, ‘It’s good to know Twilight helped them find their way home!’

Spike forced a smile; Fluttershy wasn’t wrong, but he’d kind of been in the middle of something. He was about to turn back to Rarity but she addressed him first, saying, ‘Aw, Spike, you’re not having much luck with messages today, are you darling?’

‘Ten minutes… that’s enough time for me to go see Maud and Mud Briar, and Starlight, Starlight’s filly, Starlight’s husband, Starlight’s other friend who is not my sister, et cetera!’ said Pinkie Pie, ‘No offense but you’re all a bit involved with each other right now and Maud’s a bit more fun?’

‘We’ll be ready for more games soon, Pinkie,’ said Rarity, ‘I’m sure Maud will be simply ecstatic that you went to see her, and have you checked in with little Luster Dawn lately? She’s getting bigger!’

‘Big enough to stomp Ponyville! She must be stopped before she becomes too powerful,’ intoned Pinkie Pie before bounding away, ‘Well, seeya soon, gals! And Spike!! And Discord!!!’

As Pinkie departed Rarity looked at Spike and, figuring he was still slightly sore at the interruption, levitated the pearl out of what was left of the smoothie. It hovered in the air, cream slowly dripping off it as it was surrounded by a sparkling blue aura. ‘Maybe this’ll make you feel a bit better. I think this is yours, dearest… heavens knows I can’t eat a pearl!’

His irritation evaporated immediately. His smile broadened into a sincere one and his eyes followed the pearl as Rarity levitated it in front of his face. ‘Yeah… just a little of what I fancy, Rare,’ he sighed, then opened the hatch as Rarity, slightly unco-ordinated and getting a drop or two of cream onto his jacket collar, popped it into his mouth with a wide-eyed grin on her face. He was sure it wasn’t intentional on her behalf, but was reminiscent, to him, of all those times Gabby had fed him the cherries from her sundaes when they were out on dates… a tradition she was likely continuing with Button Mash, if what she’d said earlier at the smoothie stall had registered correctly.

This really wasn’t the time to think about Gabby, though, not while Rarity was right here with him. She ruffled his frills with one hoof as his cheek bulged and he sucked on the pearl she’d fed him, like the jawbreaker it essentially was to his draconic palate. Then she gave him a peck on the forehead as she pulled away before giving him a satisfied smile. ‘So… how does it taste?’ she said as he cracked the pearl into two with his fangs, ‘I’ve always had a certain curiosity how your gems, my gems included, taste to you, you know!’

‘It tastes like a pearl,’ Spike said unhelpfully, before realising he probably should elaborate for her benefit, ‘It’s kinda like somepony milked a clam then added something earthy. It’s pretty good – kind of sweet, kind of fishy.’

‘That’s fascinating… ever since I met you I’ve always strongly suspected you were privy to an entire world of flavours and sensations that ponies simply aren’t around gems… we’re doomed only to think they’re gorgeous little geegaws.’

‘They’re so much more than that, Rarity. We pop ’em like candies but there’s more to ’em besides… I mean, they’re important nutrition to dragons, after all! One of our major food groups! Without ’em we’d be starved of some of our innate magic and that wouldn't end well – I suppose we can get by on plain igneous rocks but, what self-respecting dragon would wanna live life like that?’

‘Truly? I must confess I wasn’t aware,’ Rarity said, looking into Spike’s gleaming, honest eyes with fascination before looking at the tipped-over cup containing what was left of their drink, ‘You simply must tell me more later. Shall we finish up for now?’

‘Gladly,’ smiled Spike, crunching down the last of his gem before setting the drink upright. ‘I think this was your straw?’

Rarity felt as if she should be more concerned about oral hygiene regarding who’d been drinking from which straw, and ordinarily she very much would have been but after a moment’s thought decided that just this once, it wasn’t a great concern. ‘You brushed your fangs this morning, didn’t you?’ she asked, to which Spike nodded twice, ‘Quite good… so long as it’s you, that’s more than good enough for me, sweetheart. Now hand over a straw, either one.’

Spike did so and, once Rarity had wiped hers clean of any potential dragon spittle, they resumed drinking the dregs of the juice, making it to the bottom before long. Neither wanted to admit it to the other but there was a faint dirty thrill in the possibility that they had switched straws – in Spike’s mind, it was almost as good as a kiss, a real one rather than just one on the cheek or forehead, and for Rarity, well, she normally would never risk catching somepony’s diseases like that! But, she rationalised, Spike wasn’t just somepony, literally and figuratively speaking, he was a little dragon, one who was very dear indeed to her, one she was increasingly unable to resist… while she was managing her portion of the smoothie just fine those fireberries were making her belly as well as her mouth and gullet hum with warmth and she couldn’t lie to herself, faintly aroused besides, and losing herself in Spike’s eyes the way she was wasn’t helping.

One or both of them made a protracted slurping sound as the last of the drink was drunk, and that was that. Once she was sure she was all done, Rarity exhaled and, blushing brightly, stuck her burning tongue out. ‘Well, that was lovely, although I might need a towel to dry myself off just a tad!’ she said before removing her sweater, checking the saddlebag she’d dumped on the picnic mat earlier for anything more sizable than her hoofkerchief, and finding a pink flannel for her sweaty neck and brow.

Spike watched Rarity intently as she sopped the thin veneer of sweat off of her shoulders and flicked her mane with an upwards jerk of the head, her curls bouncing as she did so. She closed her eyes and sighed as she tossed her mane, droplets of sweat glistening in the autumn sun, then gave it a few strokes with her hooves, a couple of sweeps at the front and a few more on the sides and behind, in an effort to renew its usual perfection. Something about it felt very intimate – he felt as if he was catching a fleeting glimpse of a new side of her that was somehow more beautiful than he’d ever dared imagine.

Then she looked at him again with wide eyes, as if expecting something more. He almost didn’t dare speak, but then reminded himself that it was ruder to stare than to speak one’s mind. ‘Rarity?’

‘Yes, Spikey?’

Spike inhaled before letting it out. ‘’Scuse me if this is forward, but… you know when I said you looked really pretty wearing the sweater…?’

‘My memory’s not that shot, Spikey, I most certainly do… why?’ She was smiling again, those big blue eyes probing him as he sat down close by her.

‘Well… it’s you. You look so beautiful in anything. You look just as beautiful now when you’re just wearing nothing at all.’ Spike had had a serious look on his face until this point, but as he said that a smile crept across his face.

Rarity laughed and looked down at her back legs as she sat back down. ‘Well I do try my best to look my best, and I’m flattered that you’re so forthright about your appreciation of my continuing dedication to fabulousness, truly I am… but you know, I am still wearing my legwarmers! I’m not entirely nude!’

Spike chuckled in turn, his smile spreading further. ‘That you’re not… maybe I’m crazy, but sometimes I think the more you wear, the hotter you are!’

‘Well of course, that’s why I removed my sweater just now, I was feeling slightly peaky with it still on after all that spicy smoothie! I’ll put it back on once I’ve cooled off a bit… it shan’t take long with this wind about.’

Spike leaned closer to Rarity, intoxicated by the heating emotions he was feeling for the shining diamond he beheld, enough that he didn’t pay attention to how she shrunk back ever-so-slightly as he did so. ‘That isn’t what I meant, Rare… I mean you’re hot… you know what I'm getting at…’

Rarity’s smile shrank back as she did. ‘Spike, I, I’m not sure I… what are you doing?’

She felt butterflies batting around in her tummy as Spike leaned in further and put a claw on her shoulder. ‘Rarity… I mean you’re the most beautiful mare in the world, you’re so gorgeous it drives me crazy… and I'm gonna do something I should’ve done a long time ago!’

Her eyes widened and darted left and right with a sudden fear. ‘Spikey darling, don't!’ she just managed to blurt out before he went for the attack, grabbing her with one claw around her lower shoulders and the other caressing her neck, then squishing his lips against hers, a gentle but forceful smooch at first opening up into a full-on kiss. Her knees weakened and she felt herself start to melt against him, but she didn't reciprocate initially – Spike’s tongue at first found itself tickling her mostly-clenched front teeth.

A smorgasbord of emotions blistered through Rarity’s head as Spike’s kiss intensified and she found herself mellowing farther into it by the second, her eyes closing, her chest pressing against him, one of her ears twitching and her lips beginning to pucker and part to meet him on his terms. She wanted to, truly she wanted this, she really liked this, being like this with Spike was unlike anything else, there were some real fireworks happening between them in this instant and it felt wonderful, so wonderful, his kiss was so fiery and his claws felt so good against her neck it sent shivers down her spine! And yet, and yet she shouldn't, she mustn't, not now she couldn't, no, no, no, no, absolutely not, not yet…!

Before things could progress any further Rarity used as much of her diminishing will as she could muster to detach Spike from her face. A blue glow manifested around both her horn and her favourite dragon as she suddenly forced him away from her, as gently as possible while still firmly depositing him back on the picnic mat a short distance away.

Once he realised what had just happened Spike looked up at Rarity and saw her face had turned slack and pink, her mouth open and her tongue lolling from her jaw as she panted for a moment before looking directly at him. Then it began to contort with shock, horror, excitement, intense overjoyment, burning indignation and dire regret simultaneously, and likewise turn every colour of the rainbow – red, then purple, then yellow, green, blue, orange for good measure besides. After a moment of that her countenance turned even brighter pink, and she closed her eyes and scrunched her muzzle like he’d never seen before, before finally calming herself and returning to her normal pearly white. Then she swallowed, let out a slow breath and gazed at Spike with pursed lips.

‘Uhhhhhhh…’ said Spike. He was fairly certain he’d just messed up big time.

‘No,’ Rarity said simply and with a blank expression, before wiping her mouth, smiling and standing up to briefly scan the middle distance to make certain nopony in the crowd had been paying attention to what Spike had just done. It looked like the coast was almost clear, although Discord was sitting and resting his chin on his paw and claw, watching the two of them with a twinkle in his yellow eyes as Fluttershy obliviously petted one of his dogs and sipped on a glass of fizzy orange juice containing a small pink parasol.

‘Rarity… Rare, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t’ve…’

‘Shouldn’t’ve what, darling?’ said Rarity, feigning cheer, ‘There’s no need to apologise, that smoothie was very nice despite the hot spice, dear. Now that we’re all done,’ she magiced her sweater back over her head, ‘I should check in on the girls! Sweetie and Yona, and their good friends over there, I mean, of course. As for you, Twilight will be back any minute… she’ll be rather happy to see you again, for certain! Here, I mean, with the, ah, lovebirds and their menagerie over there. Not with me.’ That last sentence was so pointed Spike felt it like a needle to the heart.

He didn’t have the gumption to protest or respond further, his shoulders slumping inside his jacket as Rarity turned tail and trotted off towards Sweetie Belle’s party. It suddenly felt a little too big for his frame.

Discord leaned over to Spike as he watched her leave. ‘I do say, I believe dear, sweet Spikey-Wikey just struck out!’ he said with a chuckle.

‘It’s not funny, Discord. Oh, oh man…’ tears formed in Spike’s eyes, ‘I just… ugh. I thought I was, I thought she was ready…! Ah, shoot… why did I have to pressure her like that? I just wanted…’

Spike sat down and leaned against the hamper. ‘I’m sorry, Spike,’ Discord said with rare sympathy, putting his lion’s paw on Spike’s shoulder, ‘For whatever it’s worth, I’m sure she’ll come around if you just speak with her later… your fashionista belle has seemed rather doting on you lately, I do notice such things! Although it does seem a mite unfair how she reacted to that, after kissing you a few times today herself…’

‘But not on the lips,’ said Spike morosely, ‘That made all the difference. Heck, I knew that. That’s why I did it. …I’m an idiot.’

‘Speaking of which, furthermore, you surprise me… moving on from Gabby…’ he emphasised the name to signify his irritation with the griffon in question as a shadow approached overhead, ‘...so quickly, I always took you for the slow and steady type… oh, here comes our dear monarch!’

Spike looked up and wiped the tears from his eyes as Twilight descended majestically once more, down onto the picnic mat. He pondered whether he should tell her what had happened between him and Rarity for a minute, before deciding to wait until after the event at least. She could tell something was wrong from the look in his eyes, not to mention Rarity’s absence.

Fluttershy looked up from her doggies and her juice, at Twilight, then at Spike, then at Discord. ‘Oh dear, did something happen?’ she asked, realising that they all had rather stern expressions to varying degrees.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

The rest of the Running of the Leaves passed by at a fair clip, but as far as Spike and Rarity were concerned the fun was over. Rarity definitely kept him at hoof’s length for the remaining duration, friendly enough to keep up appearances but rebuffing his immediate attempts at reconciliation with distant, sweet smiling denial, nowhere near the closeness they’d enjoyed for its first half.

The race ended in a two-dozen-place tie as – and Discord swore up and down it was not his doing – everycreature somehow became tangled up in a ball during the final stretch back downhill to Ponyville that also managed to ensnare a couple of small trees, a length of wooden fence and several sheep, as well as Bulk Biceps and DJ Pon-3 in their balloon. After a little deliberation Twilight declared that everycreature had won and awarded them all medals, which largely seemed to satisfy all attendees, except for some consternation between Applejack and Rainbow Dash about which of them had rolled over the finish line first, and Pinkie Pie who had had her heart set on getting that milkshake off of Fluttershy. Even then, that point became moot when Fluttershy offered to take her for a big strawberry one regardless of the outcome anyway.

As the sun started to set and everypony started to head home, Rarity took her leave of her friends with Sweetie Belle and, after dropping her sister off at their parents’ house, returned to the Carousel Boutique. She’d barely unpacked her saddlebag with an increasingly heavy heart when a scroll materialised in front of her. It read:

“Rarity, I’m real sorry about today. Can we talk later? Pretty please? ~Spike 🔥”

Her face crumpled with sorrow as she read that. With a choking sob she laid face-down on the nearest chaise-longue, cuddled a squat red throw pillow to her chest and face and closed her eyes, her lower lip trembling and a mascara tear trickling down her cheek, which was shortly followed by more. After sniffling into it for a few minutes she wiped her eyes and resolved to get back to him in the morning: it would never do to leave things like this, and after all, her door was always open to Spike no matter what.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 9: Sadness Won't Prevail –

The very next day, once he’d received Rarity’s response Spike flew back to Ponyville as soon as was feasible that afternoon. He landed in the Ponyville town centre, which was still being cleaned up after yesterday’s event and finishing debacle, and dropped in at Sugarcube Corner to get some candy to share before heading over to the Carousel Boutique.

He flew up and opened the top half of the shop door, intentionally as to ring the security bell to announce his arrival, looking around at the ponequins, mirrors and red drapes surrounding the wide, open expanse of the pink shop floor that contained a couple of clothing racks and a fitting platform. While the shop was open, neither Rarity nor any customers were to be seen, with just faint, piped parlour music filling in for ambience and her apprentice Yona sitting at the far end of the sewing desk, seeing to the sequins on a freshly stitched dress. While she was sticking her tongue out in concentration at attaching the tiny things at first, once she’d threaded her current backstitch through she looked up at Spike and smiled politely.

Since before she’d graduated from the School of Friendship and taken this apprenticeship Yona had been quietly but steadily gravitating towards a more sophisticated look than her earlier schooldays, and Spike took notice of how replacing the pink ribbons in her hair with golden bands, along with another pair of the same around her horns, complemented her shaggy brown fur. She’d also gained earrings since the last time he’d seen her around, one small gold bell hanging from each lobe. The shawl on her back was one he hadn’t seen before besides, now a xanadu-green tasselled piece that matched her eyes with an elaborate design, likely a traditional Yak pattern sewn with gold thread. Golden anklets atop each of her hooves and one final gold chain double-wrapped around her neck adorned with a translucent blue diamond completed the look. As well as all that, he caught a whiff of what he was sure was a slightly overapplied aniseed scent from her tawny locks as he approached.

‘Ah, purple dragon arrive!’ she trilled in the urbane but still-gruff voice she’d been cultivating, loud but hardly unfriendly as she tousled her looped plaits, her bells jingling gently as she did so. ‘Ms. Rarity say to keep an eye out for you sometime today! Can Yona help or are you here only to see her? Yona not suppose you interested in more jackets? Spike look fine in the one Ms. Rarity made yesterday, in Yona’s opinion! Many creatures noticed!’

‘Hey, Yona. You’re looking… shiny, I like the ear bells!’ Spike said, raising a claw to the yak in greeting as she smiled at his compliment. ‘Yeah, actually, she’s why I’m back in Ponyville so soon… although now you mention it, I might patronise the boutique while I’m around. Uh, she is around, right?’

‘Ms. Rarity busy as bumble bee in workshop,’ Yona replied nonchalantly, waving a cloven hoof in the direction of the beaded curtain behind the counter where the faint clacking of a sewing machine could be heard, ‘You know, Ms. Rarity not come out of there much today. Working hard, yes, but took tea back there today too. Usually we have some together for lunch and talk. Strange.’

Spike sighed. ‘I upset her applecart yesterday during the picnic, that’s why. I did something stupid and I think it’s put her, uh, out of balance a bit… I wanna set things straight. Hey, do you like chocolate limes? I just bought a bag off of Mrs. Cake! They’re for Rare but you’re right here, so what do you say?’

Yona grinned and pushed the dress aside, placing both hooves on the desk. ‘Candies good! Limes better! Nothing alike in Yakyakistan!’ Spike flicked one into the air and Yona jumped to catch it in her mouth, nearly cleaving the desk in two upon landing. Then she laughed with it residing in her cheek, ‘Ah, tres bien, Spike. Anyway, Rarity in back. Yona go let her know you here. Go nowhere!’

Then she scuttled behind the counter and shoved the hanging beads aside before banging three times on the doorframe. ‘MS. RARITY! SPIKEY-WIKEY HERE! SAYS HE WANT TALK!!’ she roared.

She hopped aside as Rarity appeared at the door within just a few seconds, wearing her orange-rimmed detail spectacles and a tape measure around her neck. ‘Thank you, Yona, but what did we agree about bellowing so, darling?’

Yona looked slightly sheepish. ‘Yona use indoor voice only inside boutique. Sorry. Yona get overexcited.’

‘It’s quite alright, just try to remember,’ said Rarity, before peering over the counter at Spike, who was still clutching the rest of his bag.

She turned paler than usual for a second. ‘Spikey? Oh, yes, yes, of course,’ she said before becoming singularly tongue-tied with a voice shifting multiple octaves seemingly at random, ‘I’m, ah, ableh, um, Yona, could you possibly take any orders that come in for a short while, darling? We, ah, I need, we need some, eeh, um, we may require some privacy for a tad? Or we will, after I finish the, ah, the dress, the dress I’m sewing! Cloudchaser’s order, yes, the dress I’m making must be finished before the end of the day! If the door here is closed entirely, I’m, ah, we’re otherwise occupied. Is that quite okay, dear?’

Yona nodded. ‘Mmhmm, Yona get it. Quiet afternoon anyway. Yona get on with sequinning… if Yona need anything Yona let Ms. Rarity know.’

Yona returned to her threading as Rarity looked at Spike. He wasn’t certain what to make of her expression… it wasn’t happy, he could tell by her eyes, but she was smiling. ‘So… can I come in?’ he asked.

‘You may,’ she said as her voice settled into a tone that, while not completely devoid of warmth, was definitely imperative. He responded by slowly flying into the organised chaos of the workshop after her, lengths of fabric, costume jewellery and various dressmaking implements strewn around on the floor, coagulating in its corners and more besides in the overhead shelves around its edges. As she trotted back around to where she’d been using her sewing machine to resume her current project, Spike took a seat to the right of the sewing table next to a basket of gems and waited for her to finish.

He waited for a while, clasping his claws together and pressing his thumbs against one another, eyeing the gems but not daring to touch them, crossing his legs nervously as the clacking continued. Rarity didn’t acknowledge him further, as absorbed in her work as she was. After sitting and waiting for a few minutes, he inhaled and asked ‘Rarity, can I help–’

She waved a hoof at him dismissively. ‘I’m almost done, Spikey. I simply need to get the posterior of the skirt fanned outwards a tiny bit and these puffy sleeves curtailed.’

‘Well, alright.’ He resumed waiting. As Rarity continued working he looked closely at her face – she was prim, every hair in place and as perfectly well turned out as she’d ever been, but her deep concentration was an affectation for delaying talking to him, he could tell. At the absolute least he knew Rarity had a habit of narrating her own actions without realising it while she worked, and her continuing silence made the room seem icier than normal. Compared to how much she’d wittered with happiness when he’d visited a week prior it felt tense and unnatural to be sitting and waiting for her to finish like this, like he’d been called into a headmare’s office for an impending detention.

After another couple of minutes Spike piped up, ‘So, how’s the adjustment coming along?’

He shouldn’t have. Whatever Rarity had been doing went awry the moment he spoke as the sewing machine shuddered and the fabric bunched up. Rarity growled and shut it off with a flash of her horn, still not looking at him. ‘Oh, dash it… what a nuisance!’ she sighed before turning to him accusingly with a furrowed brow, ‘You surprised me and my hoof slipped! I’ve no choice but to start with a new length!’

There was an impasse as Rarity seemed to expect Spike to do something. Part of him wanted to apologise for making her slip but he was becoming increasingly annoyed by the mixed signals she was sending out. ‘Well?’ she asked, ‘I’ll need another half-metre of this azure blue fabric, Spike.’

He almost got up to do her bidding, but stopped himself mid-stand. ‘Actually, I won’t, Rarity. If you really need it, just levitate it off the shelf or out of one of these piles yourself. You’re avoiding talking to me and I’m not playing along. It’s still early afternoon, and I won’t take up too much of your time, promise.’

She turned her muzzle up at him and sniffed. ‘Well, I never! If you’re not going to help me out here, Spike, perhaps you should just be on your way.’

She looked down at him with a frown, one hoof raised. He returned her gaze right back up at her and crossed his arms. Then he shrugged and turned away. ‘Alright, you're in charge here, Rarity…’

He flew towards the door, then swung it shut, just loudly enough to send the signal to Yona, and turned the key in the lock before turning back to look at her. ‘Listen, I know you didn't just invite me here to treat me like this. We need to talk. I know you’re upset with me, but please hear me out…’

Rarity bristled. ‘No, not before you hear me out, Spike! I don’t quite know what you were thinking yesterday but I’ll tell you this right here and now, I refuse to be, to be a little toyboy’s rebound fling! I’m far too self-respecting of a mare to allow myself to, to… to just let you take me, then cast me aside as you see fit!’

‘Say what?!’ Spike said, his voice cracking under the disappointment he felt at Rarity’s apparent read on the situation, and his lower lip curled involuntarily. ‘Oh, Rarity, you can’t be serious, that was the last thing I intended. Won’t you at least listen to me? I’m really sorry…’

Her stance became slightly less hostile, although she didn’t relax much. ‘Hmph. I suppose you owe me an explanation, and I plan to cash such in, so to speak… do go on,’ she said.

He approached her, though she didn't move aside from her eyes tracking him, sitting stubbornly on the floor as he paced around. He looked down and closed his eyes as he spoke, half-reciting what he’d rehearsed on the way over and wringing his claws together as he did so. ‘Well, I owe you a full apology first. I guess I want to tell you how sorry I am about the whole thing, properly, I mean. I thought it was a good idea in the heat of the moment to… y’know… you on the… y’know… and it wasn’t, definitely not around so many other ponies, but it was completely sincere…’ he looked up at her with soulful eyes before continuing, ‘But regardless, I understand if you’re angry or upset at me for making you uncomfortable, or, or anxious. I mean it when I say I’ll do anything you want to make it up.’

Rarity’s frown softened a little as he continued, and she bowed her head. ‘I… I confess, yes, I am angry, and upset, Spike. But… not really at you, darling, not just at you…’

She sighed and stood there, looking both of those things. Spike stood a few metres away from Rarity, unsure what action to take next – despite her opening up ever-so-slightly in response to his apology she still wasn’t giving much away. ‘Uh… you know, I brought candies, as a peace offering! You like chocolate limes, don’t you?’

Rarity exhaled. ‘Yona enjoys them more than I do as an exotic delicacy, but they are a most delightful confection,’ she said before moving, encircling Spike for a moment before walking towards the fainting couch near the window. ‘Why don't we sit here together and discuss this properly at last? I, I’m… I can’t stay angry at you, truthfully…’ she trailed off with a guilty look in her eyes.

Spike followed and sat down, putting the bag of limes between them. Before long Rarity magiced one out of the bag and tipped back her head as she popped it into her mouth, scooping it in with her tongue before giving it a few contemplative sucks. Spike took two, crunching the hard candies down rather than taking his time. ‘Mmm, not bad at all,’ she said eventually, licking her lips briefly, ‘Piquant, yet mellow. Thank you, Spikey.’

Then she looked at him, inspecting him closely as she adjusted her spectacles, and smiled mildly. Unlike the ones she'd displayed thus far, this one seemed genuine. ‘So… you kissed me. On the mouth, in front of everypony. Fortunately nocreature was looking our way except for Discord, for whom I suppose it was more amusing than anything… nonetheless, whatever possessed you to be so forward?’

Spike blushed. ‘Yeah… it wasn’t my best idea, in retrospect. I could have at least asked, I guess.’

Her serious face remained as she probed him. ‘We have established that, and I accept your heartfelt apology as well as your lovely sweets, Spikey-Wikey. But… I need to understand why you’d act so… well, unlike yourself. Why? Was it because of Fluttershy and Discord?’

After everything that had happened Spike had almost forgotten the impetus behind what he’d done, but when Rarity inquired it became obvious. ‘No, I’m used to them getting all cute with each other, that doesn’t bother me, and before you say it, no, it didn’t give me any funny ideas either. But… ugh, you’re actually kinda right about the “rebound” thing you just said, after a fashion, and that stinks. I should’ve told you after it happened but I didn’t… at the smoothie stall…’

‘Yes? Peach Melba was working that stall, wasn’t she?’ Rarity prompted as Spike trailed off.

‘Sure was. I don’t think I told you at the time but she had that note you wrote on the receipt for her back at the plaza market, all mounted and framed behind the counter!’

Rarity’s smile became twenty-percent wider. ‘Really? She didn't have to do that, but I'm honoured… if that silly little ten-second doodle brightens up somepony’s day, so much the better.’ Then she giggled, her mood obviously improving from how accusatory she’d been before. ‘You know, that was a truly magical evening we spent together…’

‘Yeah, it sure was,’ Spike sighed before realising they were getting off track already, ‘Anyway, while I was buying that smoothie we shared I bumped into Gabby and Button Mash and uh, let’s just say they were enjoying each other’s company a lot?’

‘Ah,’ said Rarity, immediately understanding, ‘You mean they were kissing.’ Spike nodded before she continued, ‘So… how did that make you feel?’

‘How do you think? Like Button Mash had moved in and instantly picked up on where I’d left… actually, you know,’ he second-guessed himself mid-sentence, ‘This is weird and possessive of me, isn’t it? Now we’re talking about this I’m back to wondering why I should care. It’s none of my business.’

Rarity inspected Spike closely to the point it made him slightly nervous before speaking again. ‘So you felt some anxiety until you returned to our group… and after we shared our drink you took some of those possessive feelings out on me, didn’t you?’

Spike looked down, ashamed. While Rarity plainly sought to understand rather than scold now, this was the admonishment he’d feared, honestly worse than her vituperative accusations earlier. ‘Yeeeeeeeeeahhhhhhh…’ he just about managed to croak out.

Rarity pursed her lips and frowned. ‘So you see how we could have avoided the ensuing situation if we’d talked about it, don’t you. I suppose I shoulder some of the blame… I noticed you were a little off when you returned to us afterwards, but I let it lie. We were all having such a lovely day, after all! Speaking personally, I very much wanted to play Fluttershy’s birds’ game with you!’

‘Yeah, plus we’d agreed not to fuss about Gabby in the meantime. Maybe that was a mistake?’

‘I’d say it was the correct call, insofar as her business remained her own, but…’ Rarity paused, ‘You say they were enjoying each other's company. How, exactly?’

Spike looked back up. ‘How do you mean? I already, uh, you already guessed they were kissing at the stall.’

‘I mean, were they “just kissing” kissing, or, ah, were they putting on some kind of grand display of it?’ Rarity asked matter-of-factly.

‘Uh, on a sliding scale? More of the latter than the former. They were pretty up in my face with it, anyway…’

‘Hmm…’ Rarity had a very serious look on her face now. ‘Now, I don’t wish to sound overly suspicious, but, ah…’

Spike raised an eyebrow as Rarity failed to close that sentence. ‘Well, maybe I will if you won’t, because it was on my mind. You think she was trying to make me jealous of her new guy?’

‘Perhaps so… and, ah, oh, it doesn’t matter what else I’m contemplating accusing her of right now, but if it becomes relevant I might. I mean, we could both be way off! But, call it pony’s intuition…’

Spike had some idea what Rarity was thinking about, but silently agreed to let it lie, for now at least. ‘No, I think she played me, although not in the way she intended, like, maybe she hoped I’d fight for her honour or something crazy like that? From what she said she doesn’t seem to think of you as, uh, uhh… uhhhhh…’ he felt quite flustered as he stopped himself from saying it aloud.

Rarity blushed and looked away. ‘As a romantic rival?’ she asked, in a very small voice.

Spike blushed just as much and giggled nervously before inhaling through his teeth. ‘I guess…’

Still seated close together, the two of them cast their gazes down onto the workshop floor. It couldn’t have lasted more than twenty seconds, but for both of them the awkward silence felt eternal until they both simultaneously glanced back at one another. Spike saw Rarity had turned so red in the face that for a second he felt faintly concerned she might burst a vessel, but she looked otherwise calm and collected, with a demure smile on her face.

She spoke again in that soft little voice. ‘You know, darling… I didn’t dislike that kiss you gave me…’

Spike’s own cheeks felt aflame as she shared that fact with him, but this time he looked into the facets of her sparkling eyes. They looked like a tropical ocean on a glorious sunny day. ‘Well, it was pretty obvious you felt something from it, but it didn’t seem like a good thing…’

That little voice flattened out into a plaintive sigh. ‘I felt everything from it, Spikey,’ she said, removing her glasses and putting them on the side-table with a click. ‘That’s the problem…’

‘The problem?’ asked Spike. There was another long, long pause that lasted a million years. ‘...It’s because I’m a baby dragon, isn’t it?’ he almost-choked. It was phrased as a question, but he knew the answer.

Which was as well, because Rarity didn’t reply. He slowly looked up at her and realised she was quietly crying, covering her face with her hooves and softly shaking as black tears rolled down her cheeks. He extended a claw to her forearm and said, ‘Rarity? Aw, Rare, don’t cry… c’mere…’

Yet she persisted in her sorrow. Spike gave her a tight hug around her waist and one shoulder as she embraced him desperately, giving him a doleful, tender squeeze as she sniffled and wept, a small wail in the back of her throat gaining momentum until she was sobbing into his neck and shoulder. She blubbered something in between hiccuping breaths, but it was so jagged and inchoate he couldn’t understand her as he got splashed upon, positioned as he was beneath her lachrymose ocular organs. If they’d looked like the ocean to him before, they were stormclouds consuming that bright sunny day now, pouring dark, bitter droplets onto his head. As he continued holding her he whispered, ‘Rare, oh, Rarity, it’s alright… c’mon, let it all out. I’m here.’

‘I was horrible to you…’ she eventually managed to enunciate once she’d dried up slightly, ‘I, I, I was just horrid to you, just now, and y-yesterday and, and s-so m-m-many times in, in the past… oh, Spikey-Wikey, I’m a terrible pony…!’

‘No you’re not! Well, I mean, when I arrived just now and you tried to push me around did kinda feel like the bad old days…’ Spike said with a smile despite the situation, which faded from a surge of pity as he looked up at Rarity, catching an eyeful of the depths of her wobbly-faced misery, ‘Uh, worse, actually. You never needed to put up with me back then, I was a dumb kid with a crush and you were nice to me and let me do stuff for you… I was lucky you tolerated me, really…’

Rarity snorted and swallowed the slime that had made its residence inside her face while she’d been crying. ‘It’s not just that, Spike… I mean I, I’m scared and I was horrible to you because of it… if I hadn’t pushed you away when you kissed me, if, if I’d let you kiss me, l-like that and I’d, I’d kissed back, I don’t know where it would’ve ended… and you’re a baby dragon…! Oh, I don’t feel… I mustn’t…’

Then she wailed again, and Spike gave her another reassuring cuddle as best he could, letting her shake with little sobs until they subsided. Eventually she spoke again. ‘I feel terrible… I could never reject you, my precious little sweetheart, but I simply can’t be… like that with you, even though I love being with you, and life just feels better when you’re with me… and I’m falling for you, darling… oh, drat it! I simply can’t deny it any longer, baby dragon or no…!’

Spike wished he felt happy at her confession. ‘I can’t help my species, Rarity. I’m working on shedding the puppy fat, although I kind of feel like I’m tossing stuff at the wall to see what sticks, so to speak.’

Rarity pulled away from Spike. Her eyes were still somewhat red and her face still puffy, but she had a serious look on her face. ‘If I could make myself clear, Spike, your draconic nature is absolutely not the issue here. Just maybe I like you slightly more for it, as a matter of fact… no, what scares me is… what if I’m a, a, what if, oh, I can’t even say it…! I know we established that you are, ah, of age these days back at that friendship meeting but you still look so young, and you are young, still, and I’m, I’m, I am so ooooold…!’

Spike looked Rarity dead in the face and stroked under the left side of her jaw as she whimpered. ‘I don’t care about that… well, alright, I am curious now that you bring it up… how old are you, Rarity? I’m aware you’re a few years older than Twilight.’

‘Twentysomething…’ Rarity answered under her breath.

‘Twilight’s closing in on thirty, Rarity. Be honest with me.’

‘Alright, alright! Thirty-one! I think, I don’t keep count nowadays! Are you happy now you know I’m positively ancient?! There’s over a decade of lived experience between us and you’re so little and I’m so, so preoccupied with what a grown up, mature, fabulous ladylike mare I am! We just, I shouldn’t feel this way about a little dragon no matter how sweet he is…’

‘That’s not old,’ said Spike, ‘Ponies can live to be a hundred, princesses notwithstanding, and you’re barely a third there. And I’m not one-hundred-percent sure I understand what you’re afraid of. If it’s the judgement of other ponies, may I remind you that we both have the backing of the Princess of Friendship herself? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but she is very supportive of, um, us?’

Rarity chuckled bitterly before inhaling. ‘Oh, it’s just not that simple… this is selfish of me but my career is my calling in life, and ponies talk, and being branded, a, a scarlet pony for being publically with you, the way you are, would be nothing short of career suicide! Being Equestria’s premiere seamstress is what I was born to do, Spike… I could never simply swan off into Princess Twilight’s ivory tower, never to be seen again, metaphorically speaking… I know I’d be miserable, bereft of purpose, even with you by my side!’

Spike felt deflated by Rarity’s words, but they weren’t altogether surprising to him and this was a practical matter more than a personal one. ‘Not that I would dream of it, but I can’t make you choose… but I get it, Twilight couldn’t make ponies buy your stuff. And maybe that is a bit selfish, but it’d be just as selfish of me to ask you to abandon your career for me, Rarity.’ He teared up and hugged her as he sniffled, ‘Oh, I’m really sorry I forced the issue onto you now. Heck, onto both of us. We were having a great time at the race, I had no idea…’ He couldn’t suppress a sob of his own as he spoke.

‘You don’t need to apologise anymore, Spikey-Wikey. Don’t think for one minute that it means I don’t like you, darling, I absolutely, absolutely do. It is bittersweet, but I’m strangely happy like this despite such sadness,’ said Rarity.

They hugged for a minute more and Spike felt the moisture on her cheeks mingle with his own tears. She rocked him gently and squished him against her chest fur, nuzzling the crest of his head frills against her lips and muzzle.

Spike exhaled with a protracted sigh and a wisp of smoke escaped, as if exorcising the sadness inside his chest. ‘So,’ he whispered into her ear slyly, ‘All that “scarlet pony” stuff aside, you mean it when you say you’re falling for me? Even though I’m a little baby dragon?’

Rarity emitted a small, protracted sigh in confirmation. ‘A minor confession… you called me “the most beautiful mare in the world”, Spikey. Would you believe nopony’s ever said that to me outright? You’re actually the first and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way…’

Spike felt her warm breath against his neck as she spoke, her ear pressed against the area just behind his frills a little farther upwards, and exhaled likewise. ‘I have a secret for you, too, Rarity… you know how I had a crush on you when I was younger?’

‘Ah, I was always aware, darling, but that was a sleeping dragon it seemed best to let lie… you were still a child, after all,’ she whispered.

‘Yeah… well, it never really went away, but you don’t keep a crush for years on somepony close to you without it becoming something more,’ Spike explained, ‘In the early going I just thought you were pretty like a geode, like the gems you’re always working with, but I really came to admire you as the years wore on; you’re so talented and creative and dedicated to what you do, how could I not?’

‘You did seem to drop it somewhat after a little while, though you never stopped coming around here, so for some time I presumed that was an end to it… but you were silently pining for me, weren’t you? It took me quite some time before I noticed at all… I suppose I can thank Gabby for putting our relationship into perspective for me. I just woke up one day two years or so ago and you weren’t on call for me all the time, and, well, you know I acted less than nobly, to you and to her, because it hurt, inside. I’d never examined it before then, you know… I suppose I just thought, “Well, he helps Twilight out with her work, and I don’t mind it,” for years and years. It wasn’t really fair on you.’

‘I mean, I hung around because being around you and doing things with you was good enough, and I hardly ever acted on it because it never seemed like the right time. And then time just seemed about up when Gabby flew into my life and asked me out on a date pretty much the second time we met at the post office! So I went for it, ’cuz I figured we were just never gonna happen, mainly ’cuz of stuff you’ve just said to me, the age gap and all and maybe you just preferred other ponies anyway, and it was time to let it go. And, heh, looks I was kinda wrong about that, huh? But I’ve always had… feelings for you, you know?’

‘Well, I’d suspected such the last year or so before Gabby, like when you wrote me that, ah, “I’m Not Gifted At Gifting” song a few Hearth’s Warmings ago…’ Rarity giggled, pulling away from Spike before sitting upright, ‘But that ended up being a gift for everypony in its own way, us and the girls and Discord, and Twilight’s brother and his family, since we were all rather down in the dumps after what had happened with the magic pudding and the rampaging monster.’

‘Yeah, I’ll be the first to admit that song wasn’t very good on its own, but it was, um, appropriate given the terrible gifts we’d all brought along, or hadn’t in your case, and we all sang it together. It definitely felt special for all of us.’

Rarity gave Spike another affectionate nuzzle on the head, this time rubbing her cheek against his brow. ‘It was a lovely song, Spikey-Wikey, and I recall I kissed you for it, it was so nice. I don’t care how proficient your singing voice may or may not be, it made everything better for everypony. That’s the gift you have… making things better like that, in your own way…’

‘Aw, I try,’ said Spike, ‘Isn’t that what assistants are for?’ As they relaxed Rarity gave Spike a loving, but worried look as she wiped her face with her hoofkerchief, which he returned with a smile. He sat back on the couch for a moment, getting comfortable with a cushion before deciding to attempt to put her mind at ease. ‘Rarity, could you answer a personal question for me?’

Rarity sighed. ‘I suppose so, but I’m feeling a bit all “personalled” out at this precise moment, darling.’

‘Well, you’re so afraid of even saying it I won’t say the word outright, but… well, you’ve had eyes for other ponies in the past… were any of them, uh, colts?’

Rarity’s eyes widened with muted horror. ‘Heaven forfend, Spikey! No, no, absolutely not, not since I myself was a filly, and even then, most colts were ah, not my type at all! I need somepony, ah, somecreature mature, of a romantic nature, in my life! To that end, most stallions I’ve liked turned out not to be so likable up close, I mean you remember the rather silly fairytale fixation I had on marrying Prince Blueblood around the time we met, don’t you? Five minutes in his company at the Gala made it clear he was spoiled and dreadfully conceited all the way into stallionhood! I could barely stand to be around him!’

‘Sure do. And Trenderhoof, the big phony baloney pony who made you cry when he went chasing after Applejack… heck, Capper Dapperpaws, who I’ll admit, he was actually a stand-up guy in the end, albeit after he’d failed to sell both of us into slavery alongside everypony else that time in Klugetown…’

Rarity frowned. ‘Ugh… for one minute that rogue had me eating out of his paw, you know. That betrayal is still somewhat hard for me to swallow even now, even if he made it up to us tenfold afterwards! I mean, you know I’ve been a pack pony before and it was awful, being kept in a cave, prodded with sticks and yelled at by vagrant Diamond Dogs! Oh, I was so taken in by his suavity and his trenchcoat, and I shan’t lie, he was attractive in a pleasantly feline manner… and he seemed kind initially, and any port in a wretched hive of scum and villainy, as they say… I suppose I have a bad habit of falling in love with the ideal somepony projects, and then I find there’s zero substance behind their posturing. It’s so disappointing when you assume the best of somecreature and they just throw it back in your face.’

Spike chortled. ‘And you’re so much the opposite of that for me… some ponies think you’re all surface with nothing beneath, I’ve heard ’em talk, but you’re anything but…’ he caressed her chin again, ‘While I wouldn’t call you a “still water” especially, you run so deep.’

Rarity tipped her head towards Spike and blushed. ‘Oh, I know what some elements of pony society think of me, Spikey-Wikey, but at my level of fabulousness some envy is sadly inevitable. I’ve never seen the point of dwelling upon that overmuch all on its own, but tossing you into the mix besides, I just don’t know.’

‘The point I’m trying to make is, regardless of their personalities, Blueblood and the rest were all mature creatures in age terms. And I am, too, y’know! I don’t think you should worry that an attraction to me is some kind of, uh, sublimated fondness for foals. I’m mostly through my growing pains mentally, my current, well-documented neuroses aside, and geez, we’ve been over and over those lately…’

‘You know? You’re right, I’m hardly a serial cradlesnatcher… perhaps I’m turning my social fears about us inwards, Spike, given your appearance. You’re the only little, well, anything, I’ve ever felt this way about and I, oh, this sounds awful, but it’s in spite of your, ah, stature, not because of it…’

Spike sighed. ‘I know you don’t mean it in a mean way, Rarity, but all you’re doing right now is confirming for me that my smallness is because I’m inadequate. That’s basically my worst fear…’

She gave him another tender squeeze in an attempt at reassurance. ‘Aw, Spikey-Wikey, I’m trying to soften the blow the best I can, my darling… again, I’m very sorry about this but I’m positively certain your being little won’t last forever… and your personal issues aren’t shortcomings, you know,’ said Rarity, ‘If I’m a deep water like you say, then you’re a little flame that burns brightly, and you’re thoughtful, and sweet, and quite romantic, and you’re lovely to have around. Remember what Smolder said at the meeting? She’s quite right, you are easy to like, as sweet and charming as you are. I couldn’t imagine any reasonable creature disliking you!’

‘Well, folks keep saying that to me, so it must be true. I guess for now I’m doing what I can and keeping my claws crossed that the rest of me catches up soon, maturity-wise. You’re right it’s not gonna be forever, but the wait is brutal… honestly, for some time I was despairing that I’d be small forever, but getting wings a while back gave me a bit of hope.’

‘Not to mention a modicum of uplift that same day you moulted, good thing too given the sudden presence of that giant bird that looked to devour Zecora and I! I suppose we wouldn’t be having this conversation if you had already, ah, grown up, though… oh, wouldn’t that be divine? A big, strong, kind, tender hunk of a dragon by my side… simply you, but bigger!’ Rarity gained a faraway look in her eyes as she contemplated that.

Spike looked at the ceiling as he envisioned the future self Rarity had just sown in his mind, then grinned. ‘Think I’d be your type? Honestly, in my worse moments I worry that I’ll wake up one morning and find myself bizarre and misshapen somehow. You’ve seen some of the dragons out there…’

Rarity smiled wistfully, and her eyes watered as she prodded Spike’s snout with the soft underside of her hoof. ‘I feel rather confident that you will be… but however it turns out, I for one can’t wait, Spikey-Wikey.’

‘Could we… kiss after that, then? From what you’re saying to me, the distance between us kinda closes up once I’m taller.’

She averted her gaze and scrunched her muzzle. ‘Again, I am so sorry, Spike… but the answer’s most likely yes, we shall both have to wait. My societal concerns aside I just feel confused, in a bad way, kissing a youngling in appearance of any sort the way you kissed me, even if it was quite nice…’

Spike sucked at the insides of his cheeks as he tried not to look sadder than he already did. ‘Message received, although it kinda stinks that Gabby didn’t have a problem with it, but you’ve, uh, got some issues on the matter.’

‘It’s the way it has to be, mon petit, and again, I am very sorry. I’m not putting this obstacle between us for no good reason, truly, it’s simply a boundary we mustn’t breach for now… as I say, Gabby’s, what, three years older than you? Multiply that a hoofful of times for us.’

‘Yeah, true enough… well, it’s not the end of the world. Maybe someday we can go for it.’ Then he perked up a bit. ‘And when we do, we can make up for lost time, heh.’

Rarity smiled and batted her eyelashes at her favourite little dragon. ‘I think I’d like that, Spikey. You gave me a little preview yesterday, after all.’

‘For better or worse, I sure did,’ Spike exhaled, ‘In the meantime though… we’re still good to hang out and do fun Rarity stuff now though, aren’t we?’

‘Of course, whyever wouldn’t we be able to do all kinds of fun Spikey things together anytime we wanted, professional obligations notwithstanding?’ said Rarity, before smiling and putting one hoof on Spike’s claw, ‘Just no kissy-kissy on this lady’s mouth without her say-so. There are other, subtler ways to show you care…’ Then she guided his claw onto her shoulder and smiled, ‘And in the spirit of that, before we get back to work, which I simply must do soon, the dress I darned-well near weaponised against you earlier is almost due, could you… ah, would you mind if I asked you to, um, stroke my neck and ears? It was a lovely sensation when you did it at the picnic right before you kissed me, and it’s not, um, that…’’

Spike smiled mischievously. ‘No trouble at all, Rare,’ he grinned before putting his other claw on her other shoulder and raking one down towards her side and the other upwards, caressing her silky-soft mane and paying extra attention to scratching behind her ear. He felt a thrill as she gasped and closed her eyes, biting her lower lip and looking down as she leaned into the claw petting her ear, her sides noticeably contracting and shivering as he drew a line down her neck and beneath the shoulder with the other.

He hadn’t really paid attention to it at the picnic, as preoccupied with making out with her as he had been, but the pleasure Rarity seemed to be getting from just a little petting looked intense and writ large on her blushing face. He didn’t dare tell her after everything, making the comparison didn’t seem appropriate, but Gabby had never responded to his touch like this, the most he’d gotten out of her was ticklish glee from ruffled feathers, which was nice in its own right, but this was something else entirely…

She tossed her mane back and made a low whining sound as he continued. ‘Mmm, yes… oh Spike, oh Spike, that’s wonderful…’ Then she shifted onto her back, held Spike to her chest and wriggled as he massaged her some more and breathed, ‘Oooh, I’m so… oh, ah! I’ve been so tense today, oh, mmm, Spikey-Wikey, they should employ you at the spa…!’

That continued for a moment longer until Spike chuckled, then stopped and gave Rarity a soft, brief smooch on the neck. ‘Aw, we’ll never stop unless I put the kibosh on this. I think I understand better what you meant before about why you pushed me away, now.’

Rarity’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, you’re right… and you kissed me again! Oh, I suppose that’s perfectly alright if it’s you…’

‘Not on the mouth is fine, right?’ Spike asked, just in case. She nodded with a serious look in her eyes.

Then she stretched and smiled, rolling over onto her side. ‘I’ve done it to you on the cheek on a few occasions, it’s quite alright… oh, I suppose there’s a peculiar advantage to having a close, close friend with claws, though, the scratching… your average stallion simply couldn’t, ooh… that is such a fascinating sensation!’ she gasped before getting up and gazing at Spike with eyes half-lidded, ‘I like it.’

Spike hopped off Rarity as she rolled over and grabbed the bag of chocolate limes he’d left on the floor. ‘Well, it’s my pleasure to do that for you, anytime,’ he smiled before popping two candies into his claw, then one into his mouth, ‘Want another?’ She nodded and levitated the lime out of his open palm before delivering it into her own mouth.

‘Mmm, yes, quite good. Ah, I’m truly sorry for clamming up, then being horrible to you earlier, sweetheart…’ she said, rubbing a watery eye up against Spike’s jaw as the lime candy bulged in one cheek, ‘I was so sad after the race, and I dearly wished to see you so I responded to your apology note, but then I actually saw you and the strange confusion I felt yesterday came over me all over again, and I suppose I didn’t handle it with the elegance I’d usually expect from myself…’

‘I figured as much while you were weeping tragically all over me, Rare,’ said Spike, his voice muffled while his mouth was full, ‘It’s alright… we’re friends again now, aren’t we? Things became a lot easier once we started to actually talk about it, it just took a while to get there. No harm, no foul.’

‘You say that, and I believe you, but I’m rather cross with myself now for being so cold and calling you a, some kind of user, when you’re anything but! I’m feeling right now that things break down between us when we don’t communicate, doubly so during crises. Oh, I must resolve never to be so foolish again, I won’t allow myself!’

‘I mean, if I mess up you probably shouldn’t hold back, Rare,’ said Spike, ‘Just do me a favour and be a bit more direct, you know?’

She nodded, then magiced her glasses back onto her face and stepped back towards her work desk. ‘If I can trust you to be open with me, it’s the least I can do, Spikey-Wikey. Now, how about we finish off Cloudchaser’s dress together, properly this time? A handy pair of claws will make swift work of what remains!’

‘I’d be happy to,’ beamed Spike, ‘How much of that blue silky stuff did you need again?’

‘A half-metre of azure silk, Spike,’ Rarity instructed as Spike scanned the piles of fabric, ‘As opposed to cornflower, cobalt, royal, lapis or sapphire blue. Mark the difference, my dear!’

Then she looked to her side. ‘Oh, and I ought to let Yona know we’re back to business,’ she continued, before unlocking the door, pushing the beaded curtain aside and popping her head through before calling out, ‘Yona~! We’re all done with the chit-chat back here. Is everything going well in the shop?’

Yona was measuring a light yellow, clover-maned earth pony filly up on the fitting stand, roughly in the centre of the shop floor. ‘All well here, Ms. Rarity. Yona just measuring customer for new top. Dress all OK? Spikey all OK? Waterworks over?’

‘We’re both very well, my eyes are perfectly dry, thank you very much, and the dress will be all finished up soon. Give us, ah, ten minutes, maximum! I have a new addition in mind that I’m certain our client will love! We shan’t be long now!’

Now that they’d made up with one another it took next to no time to fulfil the adjustments needed to complete Cloudchaser’s dress, which, as Rarity explained to Spike as they worked, was destined for birthday wear. Rarity stitched and snipped and added the removable charcoal-grey fleece collar and cuffs she’d imagined while Spike hovered nearby, keeping an armful of haberdashing implements and fetching accoutrements as required. Once they were finished Spike tagged it by name before Rarity levitated it onto the nearest clothing rack, and once Spike had rolled that through the curtain into Yona’s care it was all ready for pickup.

Rarity emerged from the workshop shortly thereafter and smiled at the two of them, just as the customer had left an order for the week’s end. ‘Well, that’s our big jobs for the day all done, I believe, unless somepony rushes in seeking a dress at the eleventh hour!’ Then she scanned the dress Yona had been sequinning, along with the others she’d decorated throughout the day on the rack, and complimented her prowess. ‘Exquisite work decorating that dress by the way, Yona, the others too. I’m sorry we didn’t have tea with our lunch today like we normally do…’

‘Spike explain when he arrive, Ms. Rarity. Yona, uh, understand your panier de pommes upset?’ Yona had taken to imitating some of Rarity’s affectations in speech once in a while, and reciting certain words and phrases in Prench was one expression of that.

‘Quite…’ Rarity breathed, ‘Well, I feel much better, so why don’t we take a little break now? No more appointments now, we’re just waiting on today’s pickups so we should have some time to ourselves. What do you say, Spikey?’

‘I’d love to take tea with both of you. Do you still have some of that black tea you gave me last time I was around, Rarity? I enjoyed that!’

‘With the spoonful of zap apple jam, as I recall… I most certainly do, I saw a jarful of it the last time I went shopping and snapped it up, as a matter of fact!’ Rarity smiled.

Spike closed his eyes and beamed. ‘Thanks, I mean it. Other teas are nice too, but that’s what Spikey likes best.’

Yona licked her lips and eyed the contents of Spike’s bag, trying and failing not to make her craving too obvious. ‘Yona just take spicy chai and milk as usual. More limes too if not all eaten! …so, Spike not buying jacket today, then?’

‘Oh, yes, I was so preoccupied with, er… well, that discussion that I completely forgot!’ said Rarity, adjusting her spectacles further down her snout and peering over the rim, ‘Spikey-Wikey, while you’re visiting… would you be interested in another jacket? Half price, same style as before barring embellishments, if you’re interested!’

‘Tea first, friends, then we’ll see where a fabric and accessory safari takes us,’ said Spike, rustling and peering into his bag of candies, then flicking a few into Yona’s waiting mouth as he hovered between the two, ‘I actually have an idea for a new one in mind! Can you make one in green? But not just any green, something with pizzazz… anyway, you’ve both been working hard all day, I’ll fix the brew, alright?’

‘That would be lovely, my darling,’ said Rarity, as the three of them retired into the back, leaving the door ajar should anypony else enter before the business day closed.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 10: The Tea Party, and The Afterparty, and After That –

After a few minutes spent boiling the kettle, stirring drinks and tipping cookies out of the cookie jar for Yona and Rarity as well as himself, Spike returned to the parlour wearing his apron. His gait was faintly unstable as he hefted a silver tray with several cups and a couple of jugs on it around, along with a delicately-piled plate of chocolate-chip oatmeal cookies. ‘Alright, all ready!’ he chirped, eager to share in a job well done.

A blue glow manifested around it as Rarity took hold of the cups and levitated them gently onto the table, next to the gem basket she’d fetched from the workshop for his benefit within which rested the paper bag, still half-full of lime candies which Yona was again eyeing intently. ‘Careful, sweetheart… You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew, you know!’

‘Hey, I’m used to it,’ Spike said with a faintly sarcastic smile, flying upwards and clunking the tray onto the table beneath the floating cups before taking his seat atop a cushion next to her, ‘Thanks though. And thanks for bringing your gem basket through, too – I could really go for a diamond or two with tea!’

‘No problem at all, Spikey-Wikey,’ Rarity answered. Spike started to reach for one, but Rarity levitated one over to him with a smile. As he sat down and took a hearty munch of it Rarity scooted closer to him, sitting down with all four hooves tucked beneath her and pressing against his side gently, soft and fluffy like a shining silver cloud with a dark purple lining. He looked up at her, smiled and licked his chops, and she glanced down at him with a sparkling sweetness in her eyes as he made himself comfortable, leaning against her side. ‘Do sate my curiosity, Spikey… how do they taste?’ she inquired as he popped it into his mouth.

‘Uh, it’s like real strong, sugary lemonade, I guess?’ Spike said, shrugging, ‘You gotta suck ’em a while before you bite down because they’re so hard… the texture’s real crunchy compared to a ruby or an emerald but that’s just part of the mouthfeel. They’re not my favourite usually but they go best with something bitter, so like I said, they’re good with black tea.’

‘That is so fascinating,’ Rarity said with a tilt of the head that made her curls fall over her ear that she fiddled with by both hooves for a moment before tucking them back in beneath her again, ‘You’ve given me an entirely new perspective on the things lately, I feel… although please, do me a favour and don’t take that as a go-ahead to eat my finest accessories!’

‘Don’t worry, I know those’re important to you,’ chuckled Spike, ‘Appearance doesn’t matter much to taste, anyway. I’m cool with the off-cuts.’

Yona was gently reclined upon the other chaise-longue with Opalescence nearby, a pink furry wand in one hoof as she played with the cat who was having a ball, pouncing and darting around, scrabbling at its end with her ears back and a psychotic glint in her eye. Once tea was served she brushed Opal’s face with its wiggly tip for a second, one final tease for the time being, before giving it to her to roll around with and turning her attention to the other creatures in the room.

‘Ah! Tea time… merci, Spike. Yona take chai with small splash of milk,’ she said, turning over onto her belly and pouring some from the jug, taking as dainty a sip of the brew as she could muster, ‘So… Ms. Rarity say you visiting Changeling Hive soon? How things there? News from Ocellus?’

‘That’s true, I’ll be heading over there in a few weeks, and, uh, not lately, actually, not since you guys all graduated,’ said Spike, holding his steaming cup of black tea in both claws, ‘Now that you mention it, she did go back over there afterwards, huh? What’s she doing nowadays?’

‘Uh, sparklebug friend tell Yona she start acting troupe at hive. Ever seen her act? Very talented when firing all cylinders!’

‘Oh, yes, I have!’ Rarity piped up, ‘Several times over the past few years, each performance building upon the last! I suppose the ability to transform into most types of creatures being commonplace over there means the obvious edge she had during stage plays at the School of Friendship is somewhat diminished, but that young girl had presence you wouldn’t consider of her the rest of the time, as unassuming as she normally is…’

‘Yeah, I attended her last school performance with Starlight and Twilight back in the spring, some kind of Shakesponian production where she had a bugbear’s head for half the thing and was a breezie for the other half. Twilight loved it, at any rate, said it was true to its “source”, and Starlight was obviously proud of her… I guess I forgot about Ocellus, even though, yeah, she was in plain sight all those times after she realised she had the knack for playing a really convincing bear, or a troll, or a tree.’

‘Or pony celebrity! Ocellus do pitch-perfect Sapphire Shores! Big surprise first time in dorm! Only way Yona can tell was Ocellus can’t sing half as good!’ exclaimed Yona as Opal hopped onto her back, purring as she bedded down on her neck and shoulders like a stole just behind her mane. Yona didn’t mind, shrugging a little to make herself more accommodating.

‘Well, I’ll make a point to check in with her while I’m visiting Thorax. Who knows, maybe she’ll be doing a public performance then?’ said Spike.

‘I hope it’s going swimmingly for her, if so… she’s the potential makings of a true thespian, in this mare’s opinion! Her giving the other changelings the acting bug besides would be just fabulous! Just imagine the kind of dazzling transformations they could collaborate on together, up on stage before our very eyes!’ Rarity said, before taking a bite of a cookie, licking her lips and washing it down with her earl gray.

Spike took a polite slurp of tea before speaking again. ‘So… you like Sapphire Shores, Yona? Rarity’s worked on performance costumes for her before a few times, I dunno if she’s ever told you.’

Yona crunched down a chocolate lime she’d taken alongside her mouthful of tea before answering. ‘Well… yak music best, obviously, no pony music make good use of melancholic yet majestic sound of yovidaphone, but Sapphire Shores tres magnifique, Yona enjoy when Sandbar play her some! Lyrics about inner strength and independence very relatable to yak females. Ms. Rarity tell Yona about her work, yes, big part of why Yona take apprenticeship here! Hope to work with her one day! Other stars too!’

Rarity giggled at Yona’s overenthusiasm as she hopped up and down in her seat and jingled raucously enough to jostle Opal, who dug her claws into Yona’s hide in alarm and clung to her more tightly. ‘Oh, Yona… perhaps one day you can accompany me to her base in Manehattan to help with her costumes, but stars such as Sapphire Shores demand the utmost perfection! You have to build yourself up to the top through perseverance and expertise, you know!’

‘Yeah, yeah, Yona know… Yona work hard, learn and look forward to it!’ She punched the air once as she spoke before composing herself.

‘Goals,’ said Spike, ‘You gotta have something to work towards, and you’re shooting high as you can. Which is pretty cool, honestly! Anyway, you mentioned Sandbar… how’s he doing over at Quills & Sofas?’

‘Sandbar fine–’ Yona started, but before she got far into that topic of conversation the shop door’s bell rang. ‘Customer here!’ she interrupted herself before looking to Rarity, ‘May be Cloudchaser? You go, or Yona go?’

Rarity resisted the temptation to have a minute alone with Spike, having imposed upon Yona’s good nature enough this afternoon as it was. ‘You were mid-sentence, Yona dear… I’ll see to it. If it’s her or another pickup, I shan’t be two ticks fetching the dress.’ Then she magiced her teacup onto the table, rose from her seat and hopped onto the floor before trotting into the boutique, closing the door behind her.

As Rarity left Spike made an open-palmed “over to you” gesture towards Yona, and she continued as Opalescence yawned and stretched. ‘Sandbar doing good, works well with creatures needing quills and sofas but… well, not ambitious? Boss Davenport say he could become next manager but Sandbar say he content as is… likes job though. Yona happy for him, but tiny bit, uh, not disappointed, but Yona know he capable of more…’

‘Well, there’s nothing wrong with contentment in a role at all, but I’ve been learning the hard way lately that it can turn sour… if you’re worried about him, make sure it doesn’t become stagnation but don’t push him into anything he’s not ready for, y’know? It wouldn’t end well for either of you.’

‘Balance important, Yona agree,’ nodded the yak before sighing, ‘Yona just used to yak males being, uh, big go-getters, you know? Sandbar say “go with the flow” and that part of why Yona like him so much, but, well, Yona worry Sandbar fade into background…’ she trailed off as the door swung open and Rarity trotted back in, with Sweetie Belle in tow.

‘False alarm, not a customer after all but an addition to our little number!’ trilled Rarity, putting a hoof around her sister before aiming her at the table, ‘Take a seat by Yona and Opal, darling, and if you’d like anything to eat or drink, help yourself to a cookie and, ah, Spike?’

‘I’m up for catering some more,’ said Spike, still wearing his apron and showing, then wiggling, his claws, ‘Do you take tea, Sweetie Belle?’

Sweetie Belle had a laconic but cheerful look on her face, as if she’d had a gruelling but satisfying day. ‘But I thought caffeine “stunted one’s growth”, Rarity?’

‘I, eh, I may have said words to that effect in the past, yes… but if you’d like any in the present you’d be quite welcome… I mean, you do look positively pooped! How’s your day been?’

Spike extended a pinkie claw as he took a long draught of his jam-infused tea and Sweetie Belle took her seat, Yona sitting upright and shifting to the left slightly to make room. ‘Not gonna lie, it’s been pretty intense. Mainly the usual Crusading duties, though I have seen Gabby around today and had a word with her about… the situation.’

‘Situation?’ Yona asked, before cogitating for a moment, ‘Wait, Yona know. Happy griffon with arcade game colt Sweetie Belle like all yesterday, yes?’

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened as she turned tense for a moment before shooting Yona a knowing look and nodding. ‘You know, you're disarmingly perceptive,’ she drawled with a grin, which Yona returned despite not fully understanding what that meant, ‘That is true, she was, although Button Mash, uh, we’re firm friends… and I wanna keep things that way. Anyway, Gabby chased us up in the town square and apologised for standing us Crusaders up at the race, saying that she wanted to support Gallus and his griffriend personally and it was short notice after he told her Silverstream was participating the day before. That was part of why I was upset, so that was nice… and she says she’s no intention of monopolising Button Mash’s time. Said something about “sharing” him with me, which was better than I expected, but a bit strange… I figure it must be a griffon thing?'

Rarity cringed and chuckled nervously, casting an awkward glance at Spike who couldn’t suppress a smirk and a raised eyebrow. ‘Why, I haven’t the faintest idea where she got that from…’

‘So that’s where I’m at with her, no hard feelings after the initial rage-out you two caught onto… thanks again for defusing that, by the way. I wouldn’t mind bugging Mash later buuuuut… it’s time to call it a day after coaching three blank-flanks in one afternoon – one even got her mark even, in air hockey! We were actually at the arcade partly because I was keeping an eye out for the guy, but it worked out anyway.’

Rarity leaned over the table towards her sister and lightly patted her on the shoulder, and Sweetie Belle looked back up at her happily. ‘My talented little sister and her good friends, such productive fillies… at this rate everypony in Ponyville besides newborn foals will have attained their cutie marks from you three’s help before long!’

Sweetie Belle made herself comfortable next to Yona and coaxed Opalescence over with a kissing sound, who gingerly alighted Yona with a hop into her hooves. ‘Hah, I’ve been thinking that myself, but Equestria’s a big place with a whole lotta ponies. Anyway, after all that I wanna relax, not refuel, but thanks for offering, sis. You got any cocoa?’

Spike fluttered his wings before hopping off his cushion and hovering. ‘There’s a jar in the kitchen cupboard, I just boiled the kettle and there’s milk, so this won’t take long. Cookies?’

‘All of ’em, Spike, thanks,’ Sweetie Belle answered immediately before catching a smile and a mild glare from Rarity, ‘I mean, uh, some choc chips if you’ve got those. I like chocolate…’

‘So do I, but I’m not gonna hoard it,’ Spike laughed as he flew back into the kitchen, ‘Besides, you’re in luck since that’s all we’ve got. Be right back!’

‘Well, I gotta say I wasn’t expecting Spike to be visiting here again this soon,’ said Sweetie Belle after he’d made his exit, ‘Not that I mind, the guy makes it easier to relax after a long day.’

‘Purple dragon and Ms. Rarity have disagreement at Running of Leaves yesterday. Spend while together crying while sewing in workshop earlier,’ Yona said blithely, ‘All good now though. Friends again!’

Sweetie Belle almost-squeaked, ‘Is that so? Uh, Rarity, now Yona mentions it, you two have been hanging out a bunch lately, haven’t you? There was a period not all that long ago when I never saw him here without Princess Twilight, and I know he was with Gabby for some time before she got with Mash…’

Rarity half-smiled, half-cringed again before taking a deep breath and deflecting, without denying, the situation between Spike and herself. ‘I’m unsure what you’re insinuating, my dear sister, but it is true that Spike has been sorely in need of my emotional support in the wake of his, ah, difficult break-up with Gabriella this past moon or so… and it has indeed strengthened the, ah, previously decayed bond between us somewhat. Occasional misunderstandings aside, the two of us have very much been enjoying one another’s friendship lately, that is just as true.’

‘Yeah, not gonna lie, he is good company,’ said Sweetie Belle, taking the hint from her sister’s tone not to press the issue farther before lightly hitting the table with her free hoof, ‘And here he comes now, with the cookies Sweetie wants!’

Spike flew carefully back into the room with Sweetie Belle’s steaming hot request, some little white, pink and lilac marshmallows bobbing around on its surface that matched her fur and mane. ‘What Sweetie wants, Spikey provides,’ he quipped as he plunked the beverage and its accoutrements in front of her. She gave it a test with a ginger lick before scrunching and shrinking away from its heat and leaving it on the tray for the time being as Spike sat back onto his cushion and continued, ‘Hey, my ear frills are burning… you gals talking about me in here?’

‘Unicorn sisters just parlé about how great Spikey is,’ Yona said, beating Rarity to it, ‘Nothing bad, right, sisters?’ Then she tilted her head as Opalescence stretched and started idly batting at one of her earrings.

‘Rarity says she enjoys your company very much, Spike. That’s all,’ Sweetie Belle nodded in confirmation, pulling Opal away so as not to be drowned out by the jingling.

Rarity chuckled, then scooted back next to Spike and, with a big smile on her face, gave him a stroke of his frills from his head to his neck, which caused him an undeniable frisson all the way down them to the tip of his tail. ‘Well, where’s the lie, Spikey-Wikey?’ she said affectionately.

Spike responded with a hug and an upwards nuzzle into her neck and jaw, before taking his teacup back into one claw and poking the dimple of his cheek with the other as he beamed, ‘None whatsoever, Rare, and I didn’t mean it like that! I trust the three of you to be kind to little ol’ me. The old me might’ve gotten uh, weird and paranoid, but you may have noticed that I’m, uh, moving away from that and having more faith in others… with my firm friend Rarity’s support, of course.’

Sweetie Belle stuck out her tongue with mock disgust, dunking a cookie into her cocoa as they rubbed cheeks. ‘Blech, cute… no kidding you’re getting along, huh?’ she said, her expression becoming a mixture of amusement and wistfulness, ‘I’m slightly jealous.’

‘I wouldn’t worry about Buttered Mash, if that’s what’s on your mind, my dear little sister… I have a good feeling it’ll all work out perfectly well for you one way or the other,’ said Rarity, sitting upright. Then her ears perked as the shop doorbell chimed again. ‘Just give it time… oh, that must be a pickup this time!’ she said, taking a quick but careful swig of her remaining tea and putting on her gown face, ‘I’ll tend to this, though I may need a hoof getting her all fitted if there’s any last-moment foofaraw!’

‘Hoof, or claw?’ Spike asked, ‘I mean, if Yona wants to catch up with Sweetie Belle I’m pretty, uh, I can help out…’

‘I pay Yona, not you, darling, although I wouldn’t object at all to your assistance this one time… ah, are you finished with your refreshments, Yona dear?’

Yona had loaded up on a number of chocolate limes in the very near past to the point that her cheeks were bulging, but as she looked at Spike and Rarity she just about managed to enunciate ‘Rmmmgh,’ over her half-empty cup with a shake of her locks.

‘Well, if you’re still taking your, ah, allotted time off, and Spikey's all done, there’s no true reason to impose further upon you, I suppose…’ said Rarity, ‘Would you care to accompany me onto the shop floor, Spikey-Wikey? I wouldn’t object to the presence of your nimble digits!’

Spike giggled dopily as he flew upwards to Rarity's eye level and put his claws on his cheeks. ‘Aw, like you have to ask, Rare! Right behind you…’ he said as she trotted off and he followed just behind her, ostensibly flying but looking every bit as if he was floating on a cloud.

As they left, Sweetie Belle gave Yona an elbow-nudge, which the yak returned with a wink and a nod before offering her a lime. The two of them snickered before Sweetie accepted, neatly cracking its hard shell in two with her front teeth before savouring its sweet brown insides as she petted Opal’s white fur some more. The cat snoozed limply on her lap as they commenced upon a new line of discussion, mostly unrelated to the creatures in the next room.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Sandbar approached the front door of the Carousel Boutique as sunset’s tendrils began their slow approach upon Ponyville, finding the oak tree opposite nine’o’clock of its premises, normally occupied by her presence at around five’o’clock in an afternoon, quite empty. As he quested for his yakfriend’s location he craned his neck upwards at the building and its outer décor, contemplating the light moss and weathering on the bronze ponequins on the outside of the little round palace’s first storey, and feeling his ears prick at the muted but persistent low-freq thud of a catwalk beat coming from the ground floor.

He came closer and tried the front door, finding both its upper and lower portions locked despite vibrating against the music inside, so he tapped a hoof against it a few times in the hope that whosoever was resident inside would hear. After a pause with no response he tried again, applying a bit more force which proved successful before long; the music turned down a notch and he could see a horned shadow moving in the yellow light within before the bolt holding the door clunked open.

Yona looked at Sandbar with a huge grin as she swung the doors inward, then looked apologetic. ‘Sandbar! Yona happy to see again, come in!’ she barked cheerfully, a bottle of root beer with a straw sticking out of the neck in her free hoof. Sandbar couldn’t help noticing some shiny pink ribbons in her braids and some polished jade jewels hanging off her horns as well as the accoutrements he’d seen her off with that morning as she peered past him and continued, ‘Wow, dark outside fast this time of year. Thought Sandbar early out of work but uh, Yona late out. Hm.’

‘I, uh, hey Yona… nice accessories, you look like you’re having some after-hours fun. You weren’t waiting by the tree when I came looking but I won’t ask why, I mean, it’s pretty obvious…’ Sandbar said, casually inspecting the shop’s interior as Yona ushered him in, ‘Unless Rarity’s hosting a modelling rehearsal or something like that? You usually tell me if that’s happening, though.’

‘Both, actually! Come see – Ms. Rarity and other friends having amusement impromptu in workshop! Yona’s special somepony spare few minutes for fashion, yes?’ Yona leaned backwards and batted her eyelashes at Sandbar seductively as she said that.

She relocked the door as Sandbar responded mostly in the affirmative. ‘Well, sure, there’s no need to go straight home and, uh, I don’t suppose you’ve got bread for a hoagie? I spent a couple hours shifting a bunch of quills and a couple of sofas for a little old grand-mare this afternoon and it’s kinda left me with the munchies.’

Yona chuckled. ‘Yona ask… Sandbar not wither away if not. C’mon, Sandbar follow!’ She lolloped excitedly towards the door to the workshop, beckoning towards then leading Sandbar through the beaded curtain to the party.

As he entered the room and turned his head he stopped dead in his tracks, feeling mild disbelief at the scene that swiftly unfolded before him. The gramophone playing the thick “oontz” of what he now recognised as the early-period Countess Coloratura track “Mane Mare” was still running at a muted volume, guarded by Rarity’s sister Sweetie Belle. She was slumped in one of several seats lining the catwalk, holding a bottle of the same brand of root beer as Yona, wearing a pink feather boa and a pair of maroon leopard-rimmed shades, a lollipop stick protruding from her mouth and looking very hip. Opalescence was seated next to her wearing the same garb scaled down to cat-size, casually licking her underside in a rather unbecoming manner.

Coloured overhead spotlights whirled around illuminating the makeshift catwalk and plush red curtain at the far end of the room, upon the former of which stood Rarity, one hoof raised. She looked exceptionally glamorous even for her as she wore an ornate, black pleather saddle with a frilly golden lining and a gold-embossed floral pattern on her back that peaked outwards towards the posterior. That was merely an accessory compared to the meat of the ensemble, which was carried by an unbuttoned, cobalt-blue jacket and ruffled skirt with a teal underdress beneath and tall black boots on her hind legs that matched the saddle, both of which were infused with sparkles that gleamed as they caught the light. Rarity’s mane had likewise been recently sprayed with something sparkly and tied back with several ribbons and clips, giving a voluminous yet classical aspect to her profile.

He was so bedazzled by Rarity’s magnificent get-up that Sandbar didn’t notice the little dragon jostle on her back until she reared up to greet him, then hopped off the catwalk. ‘Ooh, Sandbar, how lovely of you to pop in! We were having a little shindig before we closed up outright for the night, just us girls and Spikey!’ she cooed in greeting, ‘Spike and I were just demonstrating to Yona and Sweetie Belle some of my newest designs – next year’s range, of course. As well as my Spring range I’ve been tinkering with classy clothing for baby dra– I mean, dragons of juvenile stature, besides and, well, I’m rather pleased with the results! You simply have to see!’

‘Sandbar hungry,’ Yona stated before Sandbar could answer, ‘Another hard day’s work in world of quills and sofas. Yona make Sandbar snack, uh, if you got sandwich stuff? Not take long.’

‘There’s some sauces, luncheon hays, flowers and other veggies in the fridge leftover from the ones I made for the girls at the races yesterday, and a few slices of rye besides. Help yourselves; it would never do for dear Sandbar to go without.’

Spike raised an eyebrow. ‘You okay with doing it yourself, Yona? I can make it if you like…’

‘Nah, Spike do great tea and cookies before, but Yona take care of this. Spike strut stuff for Sandbar while Yona fix snack!’ Then she made her way back out towards the kitchen, leaving Spike feeling faintly awkward as Sandbar took a seat opposite Sweetie Belle, next to two chairs that had been placed close together.

He jerked around unsteadily on Rarity’s back a bit and chose to hover off of her as she pranced over to explain the situation to Sandbar. ‘Why yes, do let us entertain you, dear! After the last customer came by for pickup an hour or so ago, well, you saw Spike wearing the jacket I made for him at the races yesterday, didn’t you?’ she warbled with glee, continuing after Sandbar responded in the affirmative, ‘Well, he’s been around much of the afternoon helping out and once we were all done Yona and I spent some time fitting him up for another outfit and, well, just look at how handsome he is!’

Sandbar’s eyes darted around with trepidation before looking at Spike, trying his best but failing to look unflapped. ‘Uh…’ he uttered.

As Rarity gestured proudly in his general direction, after a second’s pause, Spike took the hint to fly back onto the catwalk for the best view. ‘Alright then, I guess I didn’t let you doll me up like this not to flaunt it!’

‘Alrighty, show that stallion what you’re made of, Spike!’ drawled Sweetie Belle, grinning and lazily cranking the music back up to its original volume. Opal yawned and stretched as Spike posed and showed off his brand new costume, bathed in normal room light this time as well as the spinning coloured spotlights. The green he’d had in mind earlier had been available, an iridescent-yet-muted reptile-scale green that shimmered half a rainbow in the light like a splash of oil in a rain puddle, and a silken pink-to-magenta patterned bandana around his neck that glittered in the rotating spotlights much like Rarity’s boots. Upon his shoulders were three rows of silver pyramid spikes that spread from near the neckline to the approximate edge of his delts, obviously an homage to his namesake.

As he whipped around in a series of several overexaggerated poses – arm flex to the left, leg flex to the right, a spin with an over-the-shoulder grin before expanding both the wings protruding from his jacket and pointing both thumbs at the “MAGNIFIQUE” roughly daubed on his back in glitter and gold fabric paint – in time to the accompanying beats, Spike started to feel a bit bolder. He looked over to Rarity, who was standing next to the slightly quizzically-expressioned Sandbar with her own expression of deep concentration and admiration, happy but intense, and dramatically leaned over to her. ‘Hey, Rarity, why don’t we show Sandbar that routine we did before right before he got here?’

She snapped out of her reverie and looked at Spike with excitement, then looked around at the others in the room. ‘Why, of course! How’d you like Spike’s look so far, Sandbar?’

Sandbar was still feeling some sensory overload from suddenly being left alone in this room with the terminally fabulous company present without Yona, and it took him a moment to find his words. ‘Uh, nice jacket, bro,’ he eventually said, leaning forward in his seat, ‘But um… what’s going on with the skirt and heels?’

Spike grinned and blushed as Rarity leapt back onto the stage, before shaking off his inhibitions. He looked down at himself and pinched the hem of the skirt he was indeed wearing with both claws, beholding the sequin-encrusted cerulean skirt and matching strappy support heels he’d been wearing for the past short while, the former cutting off just above his swirly knees. ‘Oh, those… hah, yeah, you caught me out. Rarity had the pattern ready and Sweetie Belle was real interested in seeing how it looked in action… I mean, they’re not something I’d wear in public!’ He spun around and posed from behind again, putting his weight on one heel, one hand on his hip and flicking his tail as Rarity made a much more feminine pose behind him, raising her hoof to her face and puckering her lips. ‘But who cares, in the present company? Sure they’re for girls, but they’re my size and I can model ’em, and I kinda doubt Smolder would be thrilled if Rarity asked her to wear ’em…’

Rarity giggled. ‘Quite true… perhaps it’s simply a pipe dream, but I confess I’m thinking towards the future of Equestrian fashion, and seeing Spikey-Wikey all dressed up does make me believe that dragons as a whole could be more, ah, amenable to stylings such as my own one day! Heaven knows I think you look absolutely fabulous, darling! And if, say, Smolder could open up to such a thing one day, well… wouldn’t that be just lovely…’

‘Well, if you asked her outright she might surprise you, Rarity,’ Sandbar said matter-of-factly, ‘But right now, uh, yeah, go on. I was just a bit taken aback at first, I mean, I wasn’t expecting any of, uh, this! I won’t lie, this isn’t in my ballpark, but you all know what you’re doing. And Spike, uh, you look alright wearing that, honestly.’ He almost winced at complimenting Spike over something like that, before deciding he was right – this was as safe a space as any for such things. Besides, with his yakfriend fixing his snack in the next room, in a weird way he felt more comfortable saying something like that to Spike rather than to a pony of the opposite sex.

‘Thanks, but, well, this ain’t the first time I’ve worn mares’ clothing in this building, let me tell you that right away, my good colt,’ Spike smirked before turning to Rarity, who bowed her head towards him warmly, ‘But enough with the chit-chat, let’s get some glam going!’

‘Sweetie, care to flip the record back to “Rein it In” before we start over?’ Rarity requested, and the beat changed as Sweetie Belle obliged her sister’s request. ‘Now behold, the fashion, the passion, the allure! The twin majesties of Spikey and Rarity!’ Sweetie Belle’s shades concealed her eye-roll, but not her smirk as her older sister revelled in the moment before Spike hovered back beside her.

As they bowed their heads mildly at one another Sandbar relaxed in his seat, though he stayed upright as the pair performed. For an impromptu performance their dance was fairly well choreographed, although it helped that after Spike’s initial spin around Rarity before plopping himself onto her saddle the first portion of the movements were on her to elegantly strut, turn and twirl, holding onto it with one claw or another and only needing to move his lower body for balance as she reared up once in a while, the fourth time incorporating a particularly powerful twirl that was Spike’s cue to fly upwards as if inverse-diving before swooping back down in front of her. Nonetheless, as Spike separated from her he hit the ground with both feet and one claw most dramatically before he and Rarity encircled one another for a moment, staring at one another as they zipped around, showing their outfits off from all angles.

After that they slowed down a bit, but the song was approaching a crescendo and, facing away from one another and upon their audience suddenly – Spike looking down on Sweetie and Opal, Rarity towards Sandbar – they seemed to be resting, Spike with his arms folded and legs apart in a power pose and Rarity with her mane swept back and her head held high, both gearing up to redouble their efforts as the bridge reached its peak…

Just then, Sandbar’s left ear pricked as he heard the tinkle of fine porcelain on metal just a little behind him. ‘Sandbar snack here! Yona rustle up honey and hay surprise on wholemeal! Sandbar okay with kale, yes?’

‘Thanks, Yona, you’re good to me,’ said Sandbar, smiling at Yona for a moment before taking the four-tiered Sandbar Snack in hoof and taking a bite, ‘Mmm. Hey, I gotta admit I wasn’t sure about this at all at first but look at ’em go!’

‘Hah, Sandbar transfixed, barely heard Yona re-enter room… dance very good, Yona agree,’ she replied as she plonked herself back down on her seats, ‘Yona help with outfits… spikes and gold word on back of jacket Yona’s doing! Ms. Rarity shocked at first but impressed! Called it “punk style”! Yona think that good… anyway, Yona watch with Sandbar.’

They turned their attention back to the catwalk just as Spike rose upwards, then did an aerial flip as Rarity bowed to facilitate the landing, before Spike deposited himself lightly onto her back again. He held on tight as Rarity kicked her beautiful boots left and right gracefully with obvious delight as Spike bucked around exaggeratedly in his seat, one last upward kick tossing him back into the air where he stayed aloft for a moment, then carefully let himself back down onto the catwalk with his arms outstretched. The song’s finale echoed away as he fell backwards into Rarity's hooves, and they both slumped slowly to the floor, pleased with themselves but noticeably exerted from the effort of their combined display.

Everycreature in the room applauded as they stood back up, Rarity taking a bow while Spike waved jazz-claws. Even Opalescence had become entranced by her mistress’ moves during the routine, and sat wide-eyed to attention at the pair. As Rarity dramatically blew kisses at Sweetie Belle and Yona in a series of audible “mwah”s, Spike hopped off the stage and shook Sandbar’s hooves with both claws. ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you! And thanks for sticking around, Sandbar. Hey, that went even better than the first time, don’t you reckon, Rarity?’ he asked, turning to her.

Rarity laughed at nothing in particular, a rush of euphoria sizzling between her ears as she blushed and squealed. ‘Yes, yes, my darlings, thank you so, so much! Ooh, I’ve posed and modelled my own wares several times over the years but that was especially wonderful… oh, come over here, Spikey-Wikey!’ Then she spun around, scooped Spike up with watery eyes and gave him a big bear hug, rubbing her cheek against his ear frills before looking back at Sweetie Belle, who tipped her shades forward and peered over the rims with a cool expression as she sipped the dregs of her root beer as quietly as possible. ‘Surely this wouldn’t have been half as marvellous without your continuing presence, sweetheart!’ Rarity continued, plucking him off his feet and swaying him around from side-to-side joyously.

He chortled and kicked his legs as she did that, one of the heels’ straps coming undone and clattering onto the floor. ‘Hahaha! Rarity, put me down, I’ll barf!’

That was enough to make her stop after a few seconds more. ‘Not on my brand spanking new handiwork, Spikey,’ she sighed happily, rubbing her cheek against his affectionately before she gently plopped him back down on his rump onto the floor, ‘So, Sandbar, did you like our outfits?’

Sandbar’s enthusiasm for the performance had soundly defeated his nerves at this point, and he grinned as he clapped his hooves a few more times before swallowing his mouthful of sandwich. ‘Yeah, and the rest… you must’ve been practising, right? It’s hard to believe you just came up with those moves in an hour.’

‘It was kind of a callback to when we went flying a few weeks ago,’ said Spike, elaborating as he noticed Sandbar’s eyebrow slowly rise, ‘I mean, kite flying. And real flying. By Rarity, and myself, respectively…’ he trailed off awkwardly again before resuming, ‘Once or twice since besides, actually. Anyway, the improv just came naturally, I guess?’

‘And it seems to me your air control has greatly improved since that day, darling,’ said Rarity, ‘Though truth be told I was keeping an eye on you… if I’d needed to, I’d’ve course-corrected any potential whoopsiedoodles! But that wasn’t necessary, thank goodness…’

As Spike giggled at Rarity’s turn of phrase Sandbar opined, ‘The two of you just seemed so, so in sync, dancing like that, that’s all. I’m pretty impressed.’

‘Eh, I’m a novice at best. Rarity did a lot of the heavy lifting, literally in terms of me getting into the saddle, but thanks, Sandbar. It was a blast.’

Yona interjected, ‘Yona love it! Ms. Rarity and Spikey-Wikey make Yona want turn! Can Yona? If Sandbar join in, even better!’

Rarity peered at the clock nearby. ‘We can just about spare the time, but I must be off in an hour… I promised to meet Applejack and Pinkie Pie at AJ’s farm for dinner and I’d like to lock up before then,’ she uttered.

‘The ’rents’ll expect me back by then, too,’ said Sweetie Belle, nonetheless sitting upright for the first time since Sandbar had entered the boutique, ‘But, well… Rarity, Yona’s been working here for a few moons now, hasn’t she? I don’t suppose you’ve made any progress on yak clothing in the meantime for her like you have for Spike?’

‘Hmm… now that you mention it, I have been workshopping a few things that I’m yet to manufacture… you know, that’s a wonderful idea, and if Sandbar would oblige so much the better! Just… please be careful not to, ah, please tread carefully upon the stage! I’ll need that again before long!’

Sandbar nodded with an enthusiasm that surprised even himself. ‘I mean, there’s no way I can pull off anything close to those moves, but… sure! Dress me up. Do it,’ his expression paled a little and he cringed as he contemplated the implications of what he was agreeing to before he added, ‘Uh, just stallion clothes though? I don’t think I can fill out a miniskirt quite like Spike did.’

Spike grinned, having removed his remaining heel and his skirt while the others had been talking. ‘She’s got stuff for guys, Sandbar, you’re not expected to do that unless you wanna. I’m kind of a special case – an, uh, seasoned professional on the matter, you could say.’

That was enough to convince Sandbar, and Rarity clapped her hooves to signal a change-around. ‘Alright then, everycreature trade places! Yona, Sandbar, follow me while I fetch the goods from backstage! Fair warning, it won’t be a full outfit for you, Yona, but I have just the thing that’ll dovetail perfectly with your golden attire!’ she wittered before skipping behind the curtain. That was Spike’s cue to take his seat next to Opal while Sandbar and Yona followed her lead.

He looked up at the catwalk eagerly, clasping his claws together, shifting in his new jacket and wondering what his favourite pony had in store for them all next, before turning to Sweetie Belle. ‘I probably should get to the gone soon myself,’ he said as she leaned towards the box containing Rarity’s records and rummaged around with one hoof for a new single or extended-player, ‘I don’t love flying back to Canterlot after dark and I don’t wanna impose on Rarity more than necessary…’

Sweetie Belle looked up at Spike and removed her shades, revealing an intense but not unkind gaze that nonetheless made Spike a little uncomfortable. ‘Well, geez, I dunno, Spike. You two seem to be getting along so well, you probably could stay the night here and get a makeover off of her. I’ve done it!’

Attracted to his heightened warmth following the dance, Opal looked up at Spike, and he moved his claws from his lap to let her hop onto it and bed down on him for a while. ‘Heh, that’s a nice thought but no… oh, I should come clean a bit about me and Rarity. I can trust you not to tell anycreature something important to me, right?’

‘If your secrets are Rarity's secrets, by all means,’ Sweetie Belle said, a bit absently.

‘Well, we’ve, uh, got a thing going on… and it’s not something we can rush, you know? Staying over like you said, I don’t think it’d be appropriate right now.’

She used her magic to flick through the box with more finesse than hooves alone allowed, pausing on something she thought looked interesting before acknowledging Spike further with one eyebrow raised. ‘No kidding, Spike? I kinda figured… it’s pretty obvious. Heck, it was plain years ago that you liked my sister. Has she finally lowered her standards enough that you’ve gotten in there at last?’ Sweetie Belle balked as Spike looked singularly affronted, ‘Kidding, sorry. But you know what I mean.’

Spike frowned before answering in earnest. ‘Don’t be a jerk, Sweetie Belle… but yeah, I do… it’s only felt possible at all pretty recently, and it seems to be happening. At any rate, our friendship’s definitely become something more lately, and she confessed just this afternoon that she really, really likes me… and I won’t lie, it feels great that, uh, you’ll have to excuse me calling your sister this, it’s probably weird, but it’s almost unbelievable that such an amazing mare is into me! But, well, I’m small, and that’s a problem… a temporary one, we’re sure! Just, in the meantime I mustn’t come on too strong. There’s a bunch of reasons…’ His demeanour increasingly lightened as he spoke and became more and more excited, then darkened again at the last couple of sentences.

Sweetie Belle exhaled. ‘My sister, the amazing mare, huh… I don’t doubt she told you “claws off” despite her feelings, she’d be wise to keep up appearances given her stock-in-trade. I mean, it’d be weird to me if I didn’t know you both so well… even though she’s my sister she’s a lot older than me, and I know you’re just a couple of years older than me, even though I’ve gotten taller lately and you’re still, ah, like you said, small.’

‘That’s what we agreed on before, pretty much. But there’s nothing wrong with hanging out and having fun like this evening, is there?’

‘Absolutely not,’ Sweetie Belle agreed with a pointed nod, ‘Although I could be biased after the both of you helped me out yesterday. Plus you indulged me with the skirt before, though Sandbar might’ve dug you wearing that more than me, in the end!’ Spike blushed as she turned her attention back to the box before asking, ‘Hey, I’m at a loss here. Think Yona would go for the Cloud Factory Colts or should I choose something more traditional?’

‘She’ll go nuts for Sapphire Shores, she told us she really liked her not long before you got here. There’s some of hers in there, right?’

Vinyl clacked against vinyl for a moment before Sweetie Belle located one. ‘Ah! “Hot to Trot”, I know this one. Thanks for that, Spike.’ He watched her slide it onto the turntable and carefully pop the gramophone’s needle onto its edge before she turned to him. ‘You know, Sandbar seems uh, aggressively normal and all but he’s actually a bit more open-minded than you’d think? I guess being the first pony to date outside of his own species since anypony can recall is a dead giveaway. And if things work out between you two, the plan’s for Rarity to be the second?’

‘I’d really like that,’ Spike sighed, before snapping back to reality, ‘So you’re, uh, okay with that?’

‘It’s my parents you’d really need to check in with,’ said Sweetie Belle, ‘And if I know my dad, there’d be words to the effect of “If you break my little girl’s heart, this horn ain’t just for show, firebreather! This baby’s a lethal weapon!” He’s just like that…’ Then she looked Spike dead in the face and said, ‘As for myself, I haven’t a problem with you being with Rarity, you already know each other pretty well and Celestia knows she could do far worse… but if you ever did anything to hurt her, emotionally or otherwise, you’d have me to deal with besides my dad. I love my pain-in-the-flank, high-falutin, head-in-the-clouds, self-absorbed, prissy sister. You do not want to deal with Sweetie Belle on the warpath, I don’t care how big you get.’

‘I’d never do anything like that, you know me,’ Spike said, raising both claws and bravely smiling, trying not to flop-sweat as Sweetie Belle stared blankly and moved her face, uncommonly menacingly for a squeaky marshmallow pony, very closely towards his before backing off. ‘I couldn’t.’ He shook his head, a solemn feeling overcoming him at the possibility that he could and with faint echoes of “Spikezilla” tugging at his memory. ‘Could I?’

Sweetie Belle’s face lost its glare, but she only smiled a little. ‘Just something to keep in mind, Spike. Rarity might be waiting for you to catch up, but if and/or when you do, mind your strength as much as anything, mister. I don’t wanna get all anti-dragon on you, but I know how burly dragons can get long before any end-stage growth, that’s all.’

‘I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I really should, huh. Well, all I can really do is promise never, ever to do that… to myself as much as to anycreature else. I couldn’t live with myself.’

Her expression softened in response to Spike's worry and she sat back in her seat, raising a hoof towards Opalescence who stood on all fours and nuzzled into it. ‘No, I know you’re a “perfect gentledragon” to the core, Spike. I’m sure we won’t have to discuss this further, but I love my sis. Be good to her.’

‘Aye-aye to that, Sweetie Belle,’ Spike said with a mock salute and an anxious wobble in his voice. Then the pair jolted in their seats as they heard a yelp and a series of bumps from behind the curtain for a moment, then laughter.

Then Rarity popped her head out from the curtains to address them, and Spike couldn’t help his heart fluttering as she smiled brightly, if slightly nervously. ‘Not long now, dearhearts! I’m just applying the finishing touches to Yona’s outfit! Aha, ha, um, hold on!’ Then she zipped back in, an action followed by a squeak and more giggling.

‘I guess “perfection simply can’t be rushed!”,’ snickered Sweetie Belle, turning to Spike and finding him with a faraway, faintly wistful look in his eyes. ‘Spike, I’m kinda sorry if I shook you a bit just now, I didn’t mean to make it weird. If it makes you feel any better, I know Sandbar’s mom had similar words with Yona when they first became a thing? You know how rough-and-tumble she can get, but she’s yet to put him in traction, and they’ve been together over a year.’

Spike shifted in his jacket uncomfortably. ‘Yeah, I believe that… but the physical power imbalance between a yak and an earth pony is probably smaller than between a grown dragon and a unicorn,’ he ruminated, ‘I gotta think a while about all this. Something to discuss with her later, I think, but I need time first…’

As he trailed off Rarity’s head popped back out between the curtains. ‘They’re both quite ready now, so I’ll alight to join your little audience presently and we can all behold them together, if that’s alright with you? Sweetie, darling, could you dip the lights and put on some, ah, Sapphire Shores? Yona’s request.’

Sweetie Belle donned her shades once again and gave Rarity another of her hip over-the-rim mid-distance peers. ‘Way ahead of you, sis. We’ve been discussing her musical preferences while you’ve all been getting dressed up back there and Spike said she’s into that.’

‘Ah, fabulous! I see Spikey-Wikey’s on the ball as usual!’ Rarity said, looking at him and just about containing her excitement regarding the upcoming performance, ‘Well, just pop the record on in the next minute or so, and we’ll begin.’

She trotted a way along the catwalk before hopping off onto the chair Opal had been inhabiting prior to lying on Spike’s lap, and Sweetie Belle dimmed the room lights, revealing the full, spinning glory of the overhead disco ball’s blue-green lights. It was too dark for her to handle wearing the shades, and after a few seconds’ fumbling around she put them on her forehead over her horn, then sheepishly returned to her seat before plugging the gramophone back in, which cued the music as requested.

Rarity reclined in her chair, her legs crossed, and looked at Spike, one hoof flicking a curly strand of her mane that had gone astray during certain difficulties with Yona’s outfit, back behind her ear. He looked up at her with shimmering eyes and smiled, but she could tell it was a slightly more troubled smile than before. ‘Aren’t you excited to see what we’ve got in store, Spike? For a fixer-upper I feel it’s rather good, but I need second and third opinions! Improvisation is once again the name of the game!’

He surprised her as he suddenly grabbed her on one side, leaning into her and burying his face into her shoulder, but after a moment she reciprocated. ‘Ooh! I, ah, oh… oh Spike, you are warm…’ she sighed.

Spike closed his eyes and mumbled something that Rarity couldn’t hear over the music. ‘Oh, Rarity… I really wanna make this work…’ he muttered, silently resolving not to fly from his problems this time. While aware of his inaudibility, he felt Rarity reassuringly relax onto him a little more besides as he said that and he looked up at her, his worries fading into the background now that she was with him again.

‘Aww… did you miss me, precious?’ she whispered, putting her hoof around him.

Before he could answer the curtain laid across the room withdrew and they all looked up as the song began in earnest, revealing Yona looking every bit like a Somnambulan goddess in a tall, faux-ivory and gold headdress with a gleaming red ball in its centre, and Sandbar in a dark-tan, vermilion-tinged suede bomber jacket, checkered white scarf and a streak of fluorescent cyan face paint over one eye along with laceless boots on all four hooves that matched the jacket. The spotlights flashed over them at high speed as they struck a dual pose together, and the next performance was on!

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

‘…So I’d advise they spend some time patrolling the Hyboreal Forest trail together. They’ll come to an understanding one way or another if they’ve got a shared goal,’ Twilight said into the mirror. Princess Cadance, reflecting back at her, smiled and nodded.

‘Agreed, dear sister. I was considering something along those lines, it worked partway to rehabilitate Berrytwist too… oh, look behind you,’ said Cadance, suddenly rearing slightly to look behind her sister-in-law, ‘It’s your boy, Spike the Brave and Glorious!’

‘Oh, Spike’s back?’ said Twilight, turning her head, seeing an open door and Spike land on the floor right there, ‘Hey, you are back! A bit later than your scroll said you’d be… should we talk about this more later tomorrow, C? I’d like to talk to Spike in private for a bit.’

Cadance pouted for a second before smiling again. ‘Aw… oh, I understand. Besides, we’ve been on the line long enough I probably should check up on Shiny and the Princess of Explosions before bedtime,’ Cadance smiled slyly, referring to her daughter, ‘I’ll get back to you like you said. Keep me posted on you-know-who and you-know-what, and I’ll see you both soon!’ she said in a hushed tone.

‘Hi and bye, Princess… see ya later!’ Spike stretched upwards and waved at Cadance, who winked and waved back before twinkling out of existence, replaced with his and Twilight’s own reflections in the throne room.

He looked down and put his arms behind his back, feeling faintly awkward after Twilight’s tone during the last bit of her mirror call with Cadance. ‘I’m not in trouble for being tardy, am I?’ he asked.

Twilight turned around fully to look down at Spike, who smiled nervously in response as she casually magiced off the regalia she’d been wearing during her call, absent-mindedly giving the six-pronged amethyst on her crown a quick polish as she peered at him a little. ‘Maybe be a bit more careful about flying home in the dark, I won’t pretend I don’t worry about you getting mown down by a stray helicopter… but you’re here. So, how’d it go with Rarity?’ she asked, ‘I’m guessing pretty well after all that panic this morning?’

While Twilight was somewhat aware of the borderline-romantic nature of the disagreement between Spike and Rarity at the picnic after she’d asked him what had happened, he hadn’t told her about its true impetus – that kiss was solely between the two of them, Rarity had made it quite clear over the last twenty-four hours. Nonetheless, the Princess of Friendship had been concerned about their friendship, so he was open about it apart from that detail.

‘We talked about what happened at the picnic, which was… well, it went pretty well, all things considered. There were tears, from both of us, I’m dragon enough to admit it! But we’re friends again, anyway. Then we spent after-hours at the shop having tea and a fashion party with Yona and Sweetie Belle,’ he replied, ‘Sandbar too when he showed up halfway through. I’ve got a new jacket waiting for me next time I go over there, but I didn’t take my bits with me so it’s awaiting pick-up. Looks great and fits nicely though, you’ll love it!’

Twilight grinned, especially pleased to hear that everycreature had gotten along all afternoon. ‘Still with the discount, then?’ she asked, to which Spike nodded in response, ‘Good… great, actually! Oh, I’m so pleased to hear you worked it out. So, I guess you’ll be visiting over there again before long?’

‘I’d like to, we need to talk about something else besides the jacket, but this evening wasn’t the time – I might need your advice about it before we do. Anyway, she’s on the express a bunch for the rest of the week – there’s a fashion show in Manehattan she’ll be taking Yona to, and she says she’ll be meeting somepony in Baltimare about something fashiony over there, too, which is fine, I’m meeting a Saddle Arabian emissary about those magical pyramids appearing in the desert over there tomorrow, anyway. They seem to think it’s something to do with Somnambula, the town I mean. They’re neighbours and it might be a territorial matter as much as anything?’

He inhaled before rattling off his expected itinerary for the week even further. ‘Provided that goes well I’ll be back in Ponyville on Wednesday after lunch for the jacket and maybe a mining expedition, and besides that Rare’ll be coming by while she’s checking in with Sassy Saddles at the Canterlot Boutique on Friday,’ he stopped for a second as he remembered a convergence, ‘Wait, that’s actually the same day as this moon’s Friendship Council, of course she’ll be visiting then along with the rest of the girls… anyway, she asked me to show her the castle heights for some sightseeing, which’ll happen after we’re done with that. And then Nightmare Night’s not far away… I probably oughta ask, what’s in store for that this year? We should plan ahead a bit.’

‘Spike, I can’t believe I, of all ponies, am saying this, but one thing at a time!’ laughed Twilight, ‘Yes, this moon’s Friendship Council’s soon and I need to prepare something fun for that. Regarding Nightmare Night, Pinkie’s throwing a ghost house at the Sweet Apple Acres barn, with Applejack’s blessing; an eerie music, no lights, batty and spidery herbal cookies-kinda shebang, and we’re going. If nothing else, Fluttershy said she might attend, I suspect after a nudge from Discord? Anyway, I’d like us to show our support. You know she’s had problems with, uh, spooky scary stuff before… I don’t suppose you’ve got any ideas for trick-or-treat costumes in the meantime?’

Spike laughed too as Twilight approached both him and the door exiting the room. ‘I got nothing yet, but our options are open! Maybe one of the castle ponies can tailor something, or we can grab something off of the market, or even Rarity…’ his voice turned dreamy for a second and he paused as Twilight rolled her eyes as kindly as possible, ‘…Could make something for us?’

‘The Nightmare Night sky’s the limit, Spike,’ Twilight smiled, moving to leave the room as he flew upwards, then beside her as he followed, ‘And whatever we settle on’s gonna be just right for the occasion. Now, let’s get something to eat before it gets too late! You didn’t fill up too much at the boutique, right?’

‘I had some diamonds and tea, but that was hours ago! I’ll tell you all about my afternoon while we do dinner if you like. You wouldn’t believe the catwalk performance Yona and Sandbar put on for us!’ Spike said cheerfully as Twilight swung the door shut, leaving the mirror in the darkness. The pair’s chatter faded as they wandered down the hallway towards the throne room, leaving it behind for now.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 11: She Saw Claws –

Atop the keep containing Princess Twilight’s inner sanctum and throne, high up enough that on a windy day like this one could outstretch a hoof or a claw above one’s head and graze a puffy little cloud, Spike and Rarity stood by the tower’s south edge near its gleaming lavender spire as they spoke alone for the first time since their goodbyes following the catwalk performances. While they’d done the bulk of their catching up along with the rest of their friends at the Friendship Council everypony had been attending for much of the day, this was the first chance Spike had had to give Rarity something he’d been keeping safe in his bedroom for the past day and poorly concealed behind his back for the past five minutes.

As he proffered it to her her face lit up with delight. ‘Aw, Spikey-Wikey, you little gentledragon! Oh, these are just lovely, healthy little things, and roses,’ Rarity gasped, ‘I do love a good rose, and there’s at least a dozen here! You even got the colours right…’ she plucked the bouquet, tied up with a big pink bow, from his outstretched claw into both hooves, then barely brushed her muzzle against them as she took a whiff of their petals. She embraced them by the wrapper and squeaked, ‘Blues and purples are indeed my preference! Thank you ever so much!’

Wearing the now-fully paid-for green jacket Rarity had brought along to the meet-up, Spike had been blushing since they’d left the other ponies behind for a little quiet alone time, and now he was relieved of the bunch he put his claws on his burning cheeks. His eyes were closed in faint embarrassment before he opened them slightly to look at the wide-eyed, joyful mare prancing in front of him. ‘Hee, heheh, oh… I just figured you’d like something nice after I had to bail on the mining expedition. Like I said, my meeting with the Saddle Arabian ambassador turned out to be a two day magic carpet ride out east after the migrating copyworms that were leaving those pyramids lying around. I’m sorry for making a promise I couldn’t keep.’

‘Well, I won’t pretend I didn’t miss you somewhat, but Applejack picked up the slack as we procured a fabulous jumble of emeralds and smoky quartzes, and goodness knows we’ve both been quite the busy bees this week since the party. Yona and I had rather an adventure with Miss Pommel at the show in Manehattan, nothing serious but things turned stressful for a time, schedule-wise… and my meeting in Baltimare was, ah, what I expected to be private business with Fedora Felt turned out to be a board meeting with higher-ups at Onthebridle & Bits. I don’t suppose you knew that disrespectful Suri Polomare, of all ponies, is on its board of directors?’

‘No way? There’s a name I haven’t heard in a while… didn’t she fade into obscurity after winning a bunch of fashion contests, then getting caught stealing her designs from other ponies like she did to you that time?’

‘Yes, well, she goes by a different name now, likely to avoid the consequences of her backstabbing behaviour, and appears to have changed tack towards corporate matters, but she certainly hasn’t changed… so you may be able to imagine how that went.’

‘Hmph. I think I get the general idea. Knowing what I know about her, she probably hasn’t climbed that far up the corporate pole so quickly by honest means.’

‘Yes, quite,’ Rarity replied pointedly, ‘They offered me a tidy sum for a commission on range, but I’ll stay wholly independent rather than have to deal with her in a significant capacity, thank you very much. I kept it civil, but I made myself darned clear and refused… at any rate, there’s no real need to apologise for not showing up, my darling.’ She moved closer to Spike, sitting by him and beaming, ‘I know you’d’ve been in like a shot if it were even a little possible. Besides, from what you told us all earlier there really hadn’t been precedent for that adventure of yours! I didn’t even know such things existed… ooh, I don’t know if I like the idea of giant burrowing worms leaving, ah, geometrical droppings like that all willy-nilly!’

Spike hovered upwards to meet her eye level as he explained what had happened, gesturing with alternating claws as he did so. ‘It was something to do with the pH of the sands out in the Accipitrid Desert. Long story short they migrate more closely to the surface the more alkaline things get out there, turns out… and the pyramid clones they were, uh, depositing normally go unnoticed. It took a hot minute to get all straightened out, but it’s not magical misadventure like the Saddle Arabians thought…’

Rarity’s expression softened. ‘As dear Fluttershy would say, “nature is fascinating”, if bizarre at times. So what’s to be done about the pyramids they’ve scattered all over the place?’

‘They’ve not much in the way of structural integrity, according to Amira Al-Hayshed – that’s the Saddle Arabian ambassador – and nothing was dumped in any of the cities themselves, so they’ll dissolve back into the desert sands before too long like nothing happened. They look kind of neat, in the meantime. Could make for decent tourist photoshoots, who knows?’

Rarity giggled. ‘Oh, that’s a jolly good idea… who knows, the roaming of wild animals might just work out for local souvenir t-shirt sales! “I Survived The Worm Poo Pyramid Crisis”, or whatnot!’

As Spike laughed at her sloganeering she grinned and took another sniff of the roses, before looking around with vague unease as her mane and her pink pashmina scarf blew out of position before correcting them both, ‘The scent of these flowers is simply divine… although, while I very much appreciate the romantic gesture, a gusty castle rampart might not be the greatest place in the world for them! We’ll have to take them back inside and find an appropriate vase sooner rather than later. It simply wouldn’t do to allow the petals to blow away!’

‘Ugh, yeah, sorry about the weather… shoulda taken that into account when considering romantic gestures, it’s sunny but warm it ain’t, I guess. I’d like to talk about something, but let’s get inside first, and besides, we shouldn’t leave the girls alone too long,’ Spike chuckled, ‘Who knows what kind of trouble they’ll get into without either of us to lend a guiding claw?’

‘Before we descend back into the royal warmth of the castle, though…’ said Rarity, suddenly wrapping both her arms around the flying little dragon and reeling him in for a cuddle and a nuzzle, clasping the bouquet of roses against his back and sighing, ‘Oh, it’s lovely to be with you again after the busy, busy week I’ve had… that we’ve both had! Aww, Spikey…’

Spike couldn’t help guffawing with glee as Rarity pressed him against her downy chest fluff, and he wrapped his arms around her sides. ‘Oh, you’re not kidding… this is nice. You’re nice… mmm, Rarity, whatever’s been stressing me out lately just isn’t important when we’re together like this, you know?’

She pressed her jaw against his head frills and swayed him gently as they both held one another a little tighter. Then she closed her eyes and breathed, ‘I relate most keenly, as a matter of fact. I could stay like this with you for hours… true, the wind up here’s just a tad chilly but you’re warm as ever, and you’re such an adorable little snugglebug, sweetheart. My worries just melt away when I’m with you… aw, thank you for the roses, darling, I know I thanked you already but they’ll be perfect near the boutique’s front windows…’

Spike giggled again as Rarity planted a smooch on his forehead, then looked up at her. ‘You put a lot more thought and effort into my jacket, Rare. I’m glad you like ’em, though! For what it’s worth, I’ll definitely be down for a mine trip next week, if you’ll have me…’

‘Well, I may have need of you, although it depends how many jewels I use up in the coming days! If not, well, you’re always welcome at the boutique anytime regardless, and, well, maybe we could do something you’d like to do instead…’ she drank deep of his emerald eyes inquisitively and smiled as she tipped her head, ‘Anyway, what was it you wished to speak with me about?’

Spike pulled away from Rarity and flapped his wings a few times as he turned towards the door leading to the stairs back into the keep. ‘Didn’t you just say you wanted to put those roses in a vase? You're not wrong that it’s chilly up here. Let’s discuss this thing while we look for one, then get back to the others before they come looking for us. It’s just something that’s been at the back of my mind all week.’

Rarity levitated the bunch of flowers a short way in front of herself as she followed Spike through the door. ‘If the weather were a tad more amenable I wouldn’t mind staying up here, the view of the citadel from here is glorious… but yes, let us descend back into sanctuary for the time being, dear.’

They descended the spiral staircase back below carefully, Spike holding onto the handrail out of habit despite being airborne. He turned to Rarity as they approached the carpeted hallway and started to explain. ‘Well, I’m kinda concerned about the future, I guess. About myself, and, uh, dragon growth…’

Rarity tisked as they left the staircase and began to wander in the general direction of the meeting room the others were likely chattering away within. ‘Oh, is that all? I thought we discussed this the other day, Spikey… I’m more than happy to spend my time with you regardless, and I don’t think we should be too concerned about your, ah, potentially impending bigness. You’ll still be you no matter what shape you assume! Isn’t that what counts?’

Spike shook his head. ‘That’s not what I mean, Rare. Actually, I’m concerned about it in ways besides my appearance. Honestly,’ he stopped, descended to the floor and looked at her, ‘I’m kind of scared I might hurt you, accidentally, I mean. What if I get ripped all of a sudden and don’t know my own strength, then yank your arm out of its socket, or land you in hospital in some kind of fumbled attempt at intimacy?’

Rarity stopped in front of him and looked perturbed. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t like that one bit,’ she gasped before pursing her lips and thinking about it for a moment, ‘And it seems so unbelievable to me that such a terrible thing could happen that I honestly hadn’t considered it!’

Spike shrugged. ‘I hate thinking about it, but it’s been keeping me awake at night all week. Mmmmmaybe we should make provisions for the worst? You know, just in case.’

‘Why, whatever do you mean?’ asked Rarity.

‘I dunno… I mean, you make clothes,’ Spike said, aware he was stating the obvious, ‘I know a lot of them are fabric and lace but uh, ever made armour? You’d probably be better off prepared as a guard than a damsel in distress around future me, most likely.’

‘Why, Spike, that sounds… well, maybe it is something to take under advisement, even if it seems slightly silly for you to compare yourself to one of those horrid anti-dragon pony tales,’ breathed Rarity, ‘Though I must confess my fineries are normally not designed with such materials in mind…’

‘Better yet, if I turned monstrous… maybe you should move on. I’d rather you were safe than around me if I was like that,’ Spike continued morosely.

Rarity looked down her muzzle at him with a mixture of sympathy and palpable indignance. ‘Why, I’d do no such thing, Spike! The worst thing you could do in a situation like that is treat me like an, ah, like a delicate porcelain doll, only to be beheld and never touched, and just push me away, darling. I wouldn’t allow it, anyway! I am a grown mare with my own mind and desires, and I’d rather be treated as such, regardless of any untoward growth, as you say… and I wouldn’t give up feeling you close to me willingly, even if you had a growing-pain period where it became potentially harsher and required minor distancing. Truthfully, a big part of the, ah, enjoyment of being close to you is feeling your touch, I shan’t lie. You do it just right, like nocreature’s ever touched me before, and you’re like a little fire next to my heart…’

‘And don’t you suppose “little” is an operative word, there?’ Spike asked, taking to the air again, ‘A bigger fire could consume you whole without even meaning to.’

‘Well, if you wish to take the metaphor to its logical conclusion, as it were…’ Rarity trailed off as they walked past the lush purple hanging baskets punctuating the splendiferous arrays cast by the stained glass windows of the sanctum’s western wing. She fiddled with her mane as little pink circles appeared on her white cheeks, glancing away before looking into his eyes again, ‘Well, on an emotional level I suppose your fire is catching inside me, ah, but that’s as far as it goes! Ooh, I really do like you, Spikey-Wikey, very much indeed, and I won’t let that go without a fight now that we’re, ah, both a tad more comfortable with our relationship than before…’

She sighed, feeling mild butterflies in her tummy as she contemplated that which troubled him further. ‘Part of me wants to assure you there’s nothing to worry about, but you raise concerns about my own wellbeing like this and I’m, well, I appreciate it very much, even if it makes me worry too. Although not too much… I suppose I trust you enough that, well, I shan’t lie and pretend it’s a non-issue, but I think that, just by virtue of you fretting about the possibility it may be that you’ll keep it in mind when the time comes, as it may.’

Spike didn’t seem to react, although Rarity could only see the back of his head bobbing up and down as he flew in front of her. ‘Darling?’ she inquired, ‘Are you quite alright?’

He spun around in mid-air and looked at her, bathed in red and gold from the faintly dusty rays filtering through the Rockhoof portion of the leadlight septych of the Pillars of Equestria stretching the entire length of the corridor. Rarity understood immediately that he was trying not to cry, his mouth a pursed wobble and his eyes shimmering. ‘Oh, dammit! You say stuff like that and it just makes me worry more… like you’re, ugh, this is messed up but I’m just afraid that you’re handing yourself to me with a bow on, and everything will be fine until suddenly it isn’t anymore, and then it’d be too late.’

Herself now cast under Mage Meadowbrook’s twinkling white and teal lights, she put the bundle of roses she was carrying aside and pulled Spike close. There was a grave look on her face as she sat down on the lush red carpet, pressed him lovingly against her chest and stomach and said ‘That. Won’t. Happen, Spike. I know you too well to believe even for a second that you’d be irresponsible with power, physical or otherwise, at this point! I know it hasn’t always come easily, but as far as I’m concerned you’ve proven yourself to be as reliable as it gets, and I believe I can rely on your sweet-natured temperament to quell any, ah, savagery of form that may emerge. And if something we don’t expect happens when the time comes, well, we’ll cross that bridge together, won’t we? I’m positive we can handle whatever fate sees fit to throw our way… we’d just need to support one another!’

‘In the meantime, it may be prudent to consider some, ah, protective gear, just in case, as you say. Fore-attired is forearmed, after all, I truly believe that… some thick clothing could help, and I know I can borrow royal armour from Twilight… I’ll ask her later,’ Rarity couldn’t suppress a giggle, ‘It’s padded inside and remarkably comfortable despite how stark it looks, you know! Remember when I wore some as a disguise that one time? I looked quite fetching, at least I thought so when I caught myself in the mirror back then!’ Her expression darkened slightly as she recalled the infiltration of the very castle they were currently inhabiting that she’d performed alongside Spike and their friends in more detail, ‘And then you betrayed all of us alongside Princess Luna for that foil crown Twilight and Shining Armor were competing over. Hmm.’

Spike laughed and pulled away as he took to the air again, that memory lifting his spirits slightly even as he realised it might not help his case, trust-wise. ‘Hah, yeah, I sure did! I admit it was underhanded as get-out, but you know I did that out of love. Twilight’s a lot better about boundaries nowadays but she’s not always been, uh, there’ve been occasions when she’s been, uhhh… I’m not sure how to put it? I had to have that crown, just as an identity thing. A respect thing too, I guess.’

Rarity sighed, then smiled. ‘Yes, I know that, and Luna sympathised with your plight vis-à-vis herself and Celestia, surely, hence her assistance… my goodness, Sweetie Belle has endured much worse jags to that effect in the past. While I’ve never intended to make her feel inferior, there have been occasions that I’ve… and she’s… ah, sibling relationships can be most complicated.’

‘Y’know, she told me some time ago about the time Luna visited her dreams a few years back, after she sabotaged the headdress you’d made for Sapphire Shores. Tell me, Rare, would you really have been extremely traumatised, to the extent of becoming a deranged shut-in, if that had really happened?’

Rarity breathed, half in alarm and half in amusement. ‘I… no, I think not. I certainly wouldn’t have been very happy about it, but I know Sapphire Shores is enough of a professional that she would have quietly fired me for such a mess, rather than publicly humiliating me, for sweet starters! As for the rest, well, I’ve bounced back from much worse, you know that. Sweetie Belle had a nightmare, possibly corrective at Luna’s behest, of a true worst-case scenario where everything went horrifically wrong and she utterly destroyed my life with her actions, the poor filly confessed it to me after she tried to make amends at the time… but it wasn’t real, and there was instruction to be had in there. One’s worst instincts can always be avoided, or at the absolute least one can and should make an effort to mend ills, is what I learned from that occasion.’

‘And I guess that’s what I’d be up against in the worst-case scenario I’m imagining, my own worst instincts… well, I swear I’ll be your protector when need be, Rarity, never your destroyer. That’s all I can really do for now besides warn you about the possibilities, I guess. Hey,’ Spike’s tone suddenly lifted from stoney solemnity as he boosted ahead briefly, before stopping at the bedroom he’d retrieved the roses from earlier, ‘We’re back here. Just a sec, I’ll fetch the vase off my desk and you can have it for a while.’

Rarity relinquished her magic hold on the roses to Spike’s claws as he withdrew backwards into his room for a moment. She stood at the door and watched as he turned away from her then did a swift lap around its walls, plopping them back into the fancily-painted pink vase, filling it with tap water from his en-suite sink before flying back to her, then thrusting it back to her with both hands. ‘Well, that was efficient; you can’t have been more than fifteen seconds all round just then! Anyway, thank you once again,’ she said, hefting the now-considerably heavier roses properly upright with her horn magic and taking another delicate but prolonged sniff, ‘These marvellous things should last a few weeks provided I care for them well, and I swear, every bit as much as you just swore to me, that I will.’

Spike exhaled and swung the door shut. ‘I don’t doubt it. You know, this is kind of a bummer topic for me, but I’m glad we’ve talked about it. Pretending everything was fine when I’m scared it’s not would be worse, and who knows – maybe I’ll just become slightly taller one day and all this worry was for nothing. I just want you to be well.’

Rarity moved in for another hug, which Spike backed off from for a fraction of a second before leaning into her embrace. ‘A problem shared is a problem halved, they say… and I already feel on top of the world, sweetheart,’ she whispered into his ear frills, ‘Come what may, as I said, I think we can handle anything.’

Spike responded by looking into her eyes and chuckling, then putting his head over her shoulder and raking a claw through her mane, then down her neck and back. She squeaked in happy surprise before sighing, melting into him as the sensation relaxed her totally. She held him just below his wings and they stayed like that, Rarity leaning against the hallway wall as she placed the vase on a nearby table and allowed herself to slump towards the floor slightly as they snuggled for a moment. ‘Mmm… oh, ooh, Spike…’ she murmured, closing her eyes and holding her favourite little dragon closer to her, ‘Oh, Spikey-Wikey, you really know how to treat a lady well… I sincerely doubt you’ll suddenly forget learned finesse like this after a growth spurt…’

She squirmed and inhaled as Spike petted her some more. ‘Aw, I can’t resist you, even after all that dumb stuff I just spouted about how we might have to break up, Rare,’ he said, stroking her shoulder, ‘Maybe I just need to get a grip and enjoy this. This is real, right here, and I feel great too… you smell nice and you’re comfy and, and uh, cool, and it’s unbelievable! I’m one lucky dragon…’

‘“Cool”, you say?’ said Rarity, pulling back a bit and looking into Spike’s dilated eyes with slight confusion, ‘I’m unsure I follow. Dashie’s the one preoccupied with “coolness” as standard, what with all the swift moves and athletic prowess. I’m more, ah, more splendid than cool, I’d say…’

‘Well, you’re smart and confident, and you make being so perfect look so effortless, is all. You must spend hours fussing over your appearance every morning, then keeping it looking so great all day. It’s seriously impressive – I mean, you know it’s not the only thing I find attractive about you! But you’ve always been that way…’

‘Well, I’ve become so practised at it it’s second nature at this point, but it does take some time, I shan’t lie…’ said Rarity, snuggling Spike a little more, ‘Spikey, do you know why I spend so much time on my looks, darling?’

Spike sighed as Rarity’s firm hold on him tightened. ‘Go on, tell me.’

She pressed her forehead against his, her horn gently brushing against his head frills as she explained. ‘Fundamentally, I’m an optimist, that’s why. I like to believe that something fabulous is going to happen, every single day… and I want to be as well-dressed as possible to greet it, you know? Some days it doesn’t, indeed some days are just disastrous, but another day always follows without fail, with an entire world of new possibilities, and one misses a hundred-percent of the shots she doesn’t take, as Dashie would say… and while this week has been slightly taxing, I’ve had a higher frequency of lovely days lately, too, with you, my dearest friend…’

Spike felt a swell of emotion and pride as Rarity said that, and she pulled back as they smiled at each other. ‘Hey, show me the roses for a sec?’ he requested, and as she obliged with a quick glow of her horn he plucked a big blue one from the vase, then raked a claw down its stalk to check it for thorns before gesturing with the other to her to lower her head a little.

He slid the flower along her right ear with one claw, stroking her swan-like neck with the other as she bowed towards him. She bit her lip, closed her eyes and made a half-chuckling, half-whining sound as he did that, then looked up at him with affectionate, radiant, slightly watery blue eyes and a wobbly little smile. ‘There we go… just my attempt at improving upon perfection. Now you’re even more beautiful than before,’ he exhaled as he looked at her with the rose perched on her temple, moving his claw up from her neck to her cheek.

‘You romantic little thing, Spikey-Wikey,’ Rarity murmured, blushing madly before giving him a loving smooch on the cheekbone along with a flick of her tongue, ‘It’s not a stretch of my imagination that a sweet flower like one of yours has improved upon my looks somewhat, but I’d like to see it for myself! Is there a mirror nearby, perchance?’

Spike rubbed his cheek and grinned toothily. ‘Sorry, I just felt inspired, I guess, by what you just said… I guess that’s a part of why you’re so special, Rare,’ he blushed furiously as he dispensed that compliment, then looked up into her loving gaze. ‘Anyway, uh, there’s a big mirror a few doors down in the, uh, epistemology library,’ he only stumbled on that word slightly, ‘We can dip in there and you can see for yourself. I think it suits you, anyway.’

Rarity put both hooves on Spike’s shoulders as she spoke. ‘Of course I’m sure it does, but a lady simply must be certain about her appearance, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t bear witness to your addition for myself! Lead the way, darling!’ Then she let him go, adjusting the rose in her mane so it docked against her ear a little more comfortably before standing up on all four hooves.

‘Sure, but after that we’ve gotta get back to the others. It’s been a quarter-hour already and I don’t want anypony to worry… or, heh, get the right idea about what we’re up to! C’mon, follow me.’ Rarity trotted along merrily, following Spike as he flew past the rest of the stained glass images for a moment before reaching a closed door, then swung it open to reveal the library he’d spoken of, lighting a candelabra on a desk with his green fire before inviting Rarity inside with a flourish of both arms. ‘Here it is. Uh, the mirror’s somewhere at the back.’

Rarity’s eyes needed a minute to adjust to the room’s relative darkness that Spike’s didn’t, so she stood close to the threshold as he bumped around in there for a moment, carefully placing the vase by the candelabra before she wandered further into the fairly cramped room, stuffed to the ceiling as it was with crowded bookshelves. As she peered upwards she commented, ‘Books, books and more bally books… Spikey, how many books and libraries does this palace contain, anyway? I feel as if it has more than Twilight’s old castle!’

She heard a series of clunks before Spike responded from behind a shelf. ‘Seventeen thousand, three hundred and forty-nine library books are accounted for within the castle confines as of the start of the moon, and fifteen separate library rooms, respectively,’ he recited, ‘Not counting my comic book– I mean, my personal graphic novel library. And it’s only a bit more, actually… Princess Celestia read a lot herself and Twilight inherited a bunch of that, not that she minded at all, and she brought all her irreplaceable favourites here when she became ruler…’ He emerged and looked under a sheet at the bottom of the central aisle of the room dead opposite the door, ‘Oh, here it is! I didn’t realise it was still kept covered.’

He flew upwards and flapped the sheet off of it, revealing the tall mirror to Rarity. The room was still somewhat dim to her, so she lit a shimmering blue point of luminescence at the tip of her horn before proceeding through the bookshelves and stepping onto the platform at the base of the mirror, looking squarely into it. The rose, turquoise now in the coloured light illuminating her person, was indeed very becoming on her, although she noticed there were a few leaves hanging off just beyond its petals that had barely tucked behind her ear, and with a flick she revealed them. She felt that further enhanced Spike’s intention as she admired herself, bobbing one shoulder closer to the mirror, then the other and batting her lashes.

‘See? You look great!’ Spike said cheerfully, looking brightly at their reflections as he hovered next to her.

‘It really is lovely, Spike,’ she answered. Having attended to the most immediate matter, Rarity looked up at the oval mirror’s ornate horseshoe frame and felt a cold frisson shoot down her spine. ‘Ooh,’ she inhaled through her teeth, ‘But this mirror… this is the crystal mirror to that human world with the high school and “interconnected network” you and Twilight have visited a few times now, isn’t it? I mean, amongst others, but that’s the place that sticks in my memory most of all. Is it proper to use this for such a mundane purpose, Spikey?’

While he felt confident that all was well, Spike inspected the mirror in case it was shimmering, putting a claw on it and tapping on it to make certain that it was just hard glass, nothing more ethereal. ‘Uh, yeah it is, but it’s not doing anything right now, besides being a mirror. Twilight cast a deactivation spell on it after Pinkie Pie hopped into it to chase an extradimensional fudge sundae a little while ago, just so it’s not constantly functioning as a portal to who-knows-where. Getting her back was a huge pain in the tail, for me especially since I was the one hopping through a bunch of other worlds looking for her, though it had perks!’ he couldn’t suppress a snort as he looked at Rarity, then flew around her head and explained, ‘I fell into a dimension where all the ponies were you at one point, even! Isn’t that just crazy!?’

Rarity backed away from the mirror, nonetheless fixing her gaze upon her visage in case something suddenly changed, and she scrunched her muzzle and fiddled with her scarf nervously. ‘Ordinarily I’d find that most amusing, but I don’t feel comfortable at all casually toying with an object of such power as a relative novice, Spike. Cover it back up and let’s go, if you don’t mind.’

‘Alright, alright, I’m sorry, but it’s definitely safe. Twilight uses it to talk to Cadance more than anything nowadays,’ said Spike, nonetheless locating the cloth he’d discarded onto the library’s mauve windermare carpet, ‘She’s got one in the Crystal Palace that communicates with it somehow, but near as I’m aware it hasn’t got the bells and whistles this one has…’

Rarity’s eyes darted between Spike and her own reflection for a split-second, and as he talked and started to drape the cloth back over the mirror her face turned paler as she saw things on the other side had become very different, just as she’d feared they might.

She saw herself, that was unchanged, but in the mirror she was surrounded by a million things, all Spike-esque in their general gist but many not at all what she would consider form. Tiny Spikes no bigger than tadpoles, gigantic elder dragon Spikes, some handsome, some hideous; perfect, immaculate Spikey-Wikeys that were eye-watering to look at directly; and slavering, horribly mutated monsters with vicious gimlet eyes all appeared in the churn simultaneously. Whatever impromptu illusion the mirror was casting to her was a sensory overload, to say the least, and to say Rarity felt overwhelming bewilderment in that moment would likewise have been a vast understatement.

The vision couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds, but pinned to the spot as she was whole the scene unfolded before her it felt like an eternity to Rarity. It wasn’t just the grotesquery of what she was seeing, the teeming mash-up of more realities than she could process moving, thrashing, teeming around on the other side of that mirror. None of the Spikes seemed to be looking directly at her, though, all had their attention on her reflection that they surrounded, that looked as helpless as anything to resist their whims, good or ill. Some beheld her with loving gazes, others sorrowful or hateful, others filled with lust, or bloodlust, slavering at the chops with unbearable need, some of them even about to – oh, it was unthinkable but with teeth and claws bared like that it looked as if they meant to rend her, devour her–! She reflexively looked around herself but saw nothing, thank goodness, but all that meant was it was time to take her leave immediately!

Rarity screamed just as Spike covered the looking glass with a “plumpf” sound, and as he looked up he saw her rear in panic, trip and stumble to the floor as she turned, then flee the room. ‘Rarity? What’s wrong?’

He flew after her and, having snuffed the candelabra and grabbed the vase of roses, slammed the door and looked around, seeing Rarity trembling and slumped against the opposite wall, gasping for air with her hooves over her eyes, just beneath an autumnal-coloured stained glass depiction of The Stygian wielding a tome that gazed sternly down upon them both, flanked on both sides by more potted cascades of heather. ‘What’s wrong, Rare?’ he repeated, ‘Did something happen?’

Spike tried to approach Rarity to comfort her, but she swatted him away with a feeble “weh!” sound in her fearful state. Hyperventilating, it took her a moment to regain her composure enough to blurt out, ‘That, that mirror is evil! Whatever sorcery Twilight cast upon it can’t be all that effective, at the absolute least! It just showed me the most ghastly apparitions in the blink of an eye… of you, of the future, of myriad realities that could await us… me! Oh, by Celestia, I could very much have done without that…’

She put her hooves back over her eyes, and Spike stood by with a lump in his throat as she started to sniffle and cry. ‘Rarity? Oh, this was a terrible idea, I don’t know what happened exactly but I’m sorry, I watched her cast that spell a while ago and I was sure it was fine…’

He reattempted approaching her, half-expecting another rebuff, but this time she didn’t resist as he sat by her and held her shivering form by its side, where he remained for a little while until he felt her thumping heart settle. ‘It’s alright. It’s alright. I’m here and I’m not a ghastly apparition, no more than usual, heh. I’m just the normal Spike the Dragon…’ he murmured, stroking her neck and mane.

She squeaked sadly as he did that, her tearful eyes screwed shut. After a short while she opened them and sat up, then put both her hooves on Spike’s shoulders as he got an eyeful of her deeply concerned, mascara-streaked face. She whimpered, ‘It was horrible, darling, it scared the curls out of my tail! A million versions of you appeared around my reflection… that thing can’t show visions of the future, can it? Oh, that’s what they seemed to be…!’

‘We’d have to ask Twilight to be sure, but I’m pretty certain… it’s not evil, it’s an, uh, automaton. It’s powered with transdimensional magic, primarily, unless it’s communicating with the Crystal Empire like I said. Man, I guess it wasn’t quite the same thing as Rarity World, huh? I certainly wouldn’t’ve run screaming from that!’ Spike smiled, but Rarity didn’t smile back.

She shook her head, having calmed somewhat. ‘No, no, they were all different sorts… some looked kind and loving, some were rather handsome things, some looked downright angelic, but… oh, some were bestial, awful things! I just don’t, oh, I feel rather nauseous from seeing them! They looked to swallow my reflection whole, or worse! I ran away before I could allow it!’ Spike looked up at her with concern as she pontificated, ‘I must have somehow seen into any number of worlds through that thing all at once… perhaps it malfunctioned given half a chance after Twilight “deactivated” it. That spell may not be as firm as she thinks.’

Then she gave Spike a hug, a slightly desperate one that made it difficult for him to breathe. ‘Oh, sweetheart… what really frightened me more than anything was seeing you twisted up like that… inside and out, when I saw the worst possible forms you could have taken. Even some of the “good” yous were alarming to behold in their, ah, alien cherubic-ness… but you’re still you, here, now, and that’s no apparition.’ She snuggled him harder for a moment, just to make sure he was the true Spike.

Spike pushed himself out of Rarity's embrace, popping his head up before speaking. ‘Possible you got an eyeful of what’s been worrying me, huh, except my imagination’s been running overtime about the future… but I’m pretty sure you witnessed a million presents, none of which are ours. They can’t hurt either of us… but I’m so sorry I took you in there, now. Scaring you like that was the last thing I wanted to do!’

Rarity readjusted her rose, which had become crumpled and tipped back behind her ear in her panic. ‘Oh… I believe that, knowing what I know about that mirror myself. My understanding is that time magic is essentially forbidden, impractical and particularly difficult to cast as it is, and causes far more issues than it’s worth, what with the paradoxes and such it causes! We should inform Twilight in the meantime, that there’s something wrong with it I mean. I don’t wish for anypony else to run afoul of it – imagine if Fluttershy caught an eyeful of a million Discords all vying for her like that? She’d faint dead away in terror!’

‘I wonder…’ Spike smiled, ‘Discord may have conjured up weirder stuff while she’s visited him in his chaos dimension, but that’s between them for the most part. Who knows.’ Then he paused, before conniving a new direction for their conversation that could soothe Rarity's nerves and massage his own ego into the bargain. ‘So… you said some of them were handsome? My dear Rarity, do tell me more,’ he said with a mischievous smirk on his face.

Rarity took his request at face value, not smiling back at first. ‘Well, you know I saw the whole thing flash by in just a few seconds, and my attention was fixed on the stranger things, and what looked like imminent danger – but, yes, I did register some versions of you that were quite comely, in my estimation,’ she exhaled, though not especially joyfully, ‘Bigger yous, but not to excess… taller, broad-shouldered, strong and kindly, loving yous, some a little lanky or stocky perhaps, but they seemed sweet in their own ways… much more of a logical progression from your current form and likely from realities closer to our own than some of the grimmer visions back there!’

Spike noticed the tension in her muscles lift as she smiled and gave him a half-lidded look. ‘You said yourself you’d never become that “Spikezilla” creature again, didn’t you, darling? I still believe you, even after seeing a thousand of them all ravening together at once. They weren’t you, and they never will be…’

She gave him another snuggle, less tightly this time as Spike put his arms around her neck. ‘Always your protector, never your destroyer, Rare. Although almost giving you a heart attack isn’t a very smart way to protect you, is it?’

‘I don’t need protecting, Spike, you know as well as anycreature I can handle myself in battle if I absolutely must… but I do appreciate the sentiment very much, especially in context of the, ah, off-chance that you could indeed become… incompatibly “ripped”, like you said. Anyway, even if it was rather disturbing in the moment I feel that it was probably best that the mirror went haywire whilst being used for nothing of much import… and your comfort and support has helped supplant the worst of the trauma I was experiencing… and I suppose that was your protection, in its own way. Thank you, Spikey-Wikey,’ she cooed, stroking his frills.

‘Any time, Rarity,’ Spike said, happily craning his neck upwards to behold Rarity's bunched cheeks and lightly tousled mane, bathed in the amber and orange sun rays filtering through the window above them. The two of them were just about to rub snouts when Spike bolted upright, wide-eyed as he heard a deep voice, the trudge of hoofsteps and the clinking and clunking of armoured ponies echoing past the corner at the far end of the hallway. ‘Oop, afternoon patrol’s coming around,’ he said, ‘Time to behave.’

Rarity stood up on all fours, and she gave him a serious look before taking the vase off the side table back into her magical grip. ‘Yes, quite right… and on that note, we must return to the others right away and warn them, Spike. Come, let’s not dally any further,’ she said as a group of five royal guards hoved into view, led by Flash Magnus, with the rest following in a two-by-two formation. Flash was giving new recruits a guided tour of the inside of the castle walls, proudly explaining the history of the windows Spike and Rarity had been chattering and cuddling beneath for the last little while.

As they made their way down the corridor back to where the party was no doubt ensuing, the pair couldn’t help noticing that one of the recruits was no pony, but Gallus in guard training, looking proud in a shiny new suit of silver plate armour and a plumed helmet adorned with feathers that matched his electric blue. Rarity flicked her mane and waved, and Spike puffed up his jacket’s shoulder pads before saluting at the group, both taking care not to interrupt Flash’s ongoing spiel about the lives and deeds of his brothers- and sisters-in-arms whose portraits adorned the hall windows, though he saluted them right back. For his part the griffon tipped his helmet and smiled in their direction, making sure not to break form while on duty. The remaining three ponies of the cohort plainly recognised the pair, and for their parts followed their drill sergeant's lead with salutes of their own.

Trotting with intent alongside Spike, Rarity located the door to the meeting room after a couple more minutes’ movement, and the two guards flanking it relaxed and let the pair through. Twilight had to be told, Rarity reasoned, as soon as was feasible at that! As the vase of roses, followed by herself, followed by Spike, entered the room, however, quite the amusing scene unfolded before them…

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 12: Here Be Dragons –

‘That tears it, sugarcube! I’m gettin’ mighty tired of you smuggin’ on down at me like that when we play games like these, and I daresay y’all ain’t gonna do it from any lower any time soon!’ Applejack harrumphed as she pushed Twilight away from her seat towards a nearby column accommodating a bust of Princess Celestia, ‘We did this for Apple Bloom when she was a young’un and now it’s your turn, I reckon! We are keepin’ track of this from now on. Darn near two years on from the coronation and it is undeniable that you’re shootin’ right up! No arguin’!’

Rainbow Dash laughed briefly before leaving her seat at the game board and zipping over to watch as Applejack harangued Twilight some more, before imitating the farmpony’s accent. ‘Oh man, I knew this day was gonna come sooner or later. You know Twilight, she’s been plotting this for a while! “That there lil’ sapling’s slowly but surely growin’ into a doggone oak as time goes by,” she said to me just last week! Good to see ya taking action finally, AJ!’

‘Sure, sure… fancy givin’ me a hoof with her, RD? I ain’t certain I can quite reach up to the tip of our princess’ horn,’ Applejack smiled as she leaned Twilight against the pillar, ‘Take this pencil and sketch out a notch up there if ya don’t mind, sugar.’

‘Can do!’ Rainbow Dash laughed again before complying, clenching the pencil lead-outwards between her teeth. ‘Get your tail up by the pillar, Twi, this’ll be over in a flash!’

‘Applejack, Rainbow, I really don’t think this is necessary!’ Twilight protested, ‘I’ve kept records on my height every moon since long before I was even a princess at all!’

‘So much the better, then, Twi,’ Applejack persisted nonchalantly, ‘We can backdate them readin’s onto this if need be.’

At that exact moment the doors swung open, and everypony glanced to where Rarity and Spike entered the room, the former wielding a vase of roses she hadn’t had on her person earlier. ‘Twilight, girls, we may have a–’ Rarity started, before Twilight interrupted her.

‘Rarity, Spike, there you are!’ Twilight cried out, drawing both their attention to her, ‘You know where the height logger is, right Spike? Tell Applejack and Rainbow to quit trying to measure me! My existing method’s perfectly sound! This is scientifically unnecessary!’

The recreation room the Friendship Council had returned to following its foray into Canterlot’s inner city for pizzas, ice cream and catch-ups was every bit as messy and lively as it had been when Rarity and Spike had departed the better part of a half-hour ago. Under Twilight’s predecessors it had been a serious room where serious meetings took place, conveniently located close to the throne room for when matters that required Princess Celestia’s immediate attention had to be mediated upon. Under Celestia and Luna’s successor, however, it had eventually been surmised that, with another three rooms just like this one dotted around the building’s wings, one could be sacrificed in the name of intensive hanging-out by order of the Princess of Friendship. After all, she considered these meetings to be of the utmost importance in and of themselves, and nopony dared persuade her otherwise.

As such, while the room was cluttered and crowded with fun and games and a sprinkling of authentic party cannon confetti at the ground level, it shared the same loftiness borne of the high ceilings of the castle sanctum’s hallway and aforementioned throne room, sharing the same painted stone vaults arching the entire width of the place despite being substantially smaller. It was curved at the far end with a round, partially-stained glass window of Princess Luna holding the moon in her hooves near the ceiling allowing light in from the courtyard beyond, and lined with five-tiered bookshelves that, while not towering over the full extent of the room, still had a roller-ladder attached to a rail which was able to ride the curve from one side of the room to the other. It was painted and carpeted mauve and furnished with a round, white marble table, not dissimilar to the Cutie Map table at Twilight’s old place but without all the mountains and cities, over a dozen antique chairs situated wherever they were needed and several marble ornamental pillars crafted in the Pegasusian tradition, each with a bust of important pony public figures, encircling the room’s inhabitants halfway between the table and the shelves.

Right now several of said inhabitants, the rest of Spike and Rarity’s closest friends, were seated in the chairs around the table where the deluxe, up-to-ten-players edition of Dragon Pit that Starlight Glimmer had brought along to proceedings was sprawled out, but they were mostly taking a break, chatting and watching the commotion with some amusement. While Starlight had taken to wearing a red blazer as the current headmare of the School of Friendship today she had, being off duty, arrived au naturelle, wearing just a magenta neckerchief adorned with an astral pattern of star-shaped sequins that, fittingly, glimmered under the window’s light.

Spike’s attention fixed upon Twilight after a momentary glance around. ‘Nice to see you again too, Twilight,’ he drawled, assessing the situation. Rainbow Dash looked towards him and, frantically crossing her hooves in midair, mischievously mouthed “No” in his general direction. He flew up to the trio and looked up. ‘Hey, AJ, Rainbow… careful with that pillar. I can see our ex-ruler’s likeness up there, and one hard bump could bring it down onto the current one’s head! That’d end badly, y’know!’

Rarity stood next to Spike and peered upwards at the recreation room’s high ceiling and décor, noting that the bust above them did seem to be wobbling around slightly with so many ponies trampling around at its base. ‘Goodness, yes! If you really must accost our dear princess regarding her princessly stature, you two, do it by the wall or a door, I’d say!’

Applejack paused, slowly exhaling before relenting. ‘Ugh, you’re right… I just wanna get a proper gander at it once in a while rather’n just seein’ figures in a book. Plus I gotta admit I’m a little saddlesore about losin’ to her, gettin’ dunked in the pit three squares from the finish in that last game… I’m sorry, Twi. RD, maybe we’ll do this later instead?’

Spike turned to Twilight as Applejack’s accomplice in basic mathematics sighed, then reluctantly withdrew her pencil from just above the princess’ horn. ‘Fine… I’ll butt out for now, AJ,’ she breathed with palpable disappointment.

‘As for the file, Twilight, sure I know where it is, it’s somewhere in the vaults under lock and key with the rest of your personal data. Although, I think AJ’s got a point – maybe we should be keeping a proper visual on your growth for everycreature? I don’t see any harm in it.’

Twilight stepped away from the column with some relief, then pondered out loud. ‘I mean, it was just for my own records in case of any anomalies, you know how these things happen sometimes… but I have been hitting my horn on stuff a little more than usual lately… hmm. Maybe a public record could account for future collisions like that.’

As Twilight pondered the possibility, Rarity tried an alert again now that Spike had defused the situation they’d walked in on. ‘For whatever my opinion is worth I think it’s worth considering on a semi-official basis, Twilight, goodness knows you won’t grow down… but anyway, we simply must impart some shocking information! You probably should know something rather alarming Spikey and I discovered in the little library down the west wing that may require a smidge of your attention, darling! Your magic mirror portal may be slightly… oh, how should I put this…? Twisted and unusual in its function?’

Twilight’s amethyst eyes widened, and her mane sparkled lightly as she turned to Rarity. ‘Nopony fell in, did they? That’s not supposed to happen anymore...’

The two unicorns and the dragon stepped to one side away from the others as Spike and Rarity explained. ‘No, it’s solid, but Rarity says she saw a million different me’s in the mirror from a million different realities,’ Spike confirmed, ‘It seriously freaked her out for a minute. The spell you cast on it a while back may be glitching it out, we think?’

‘“Freaked out,” Spike? It was downright terrifying, actually!’ Rarity clarified, ‘Nothing corporeal stepped through, thank goodness, but it was quite the assault on my senses seeing all those interdimensional Spikes simultaneously! Your portal is most certainly on the fritz!’

Twilight inhaled through her teeth, plainly perturbed by the report. ‘Wow, well I’m very sorry… I put a ward on it some time ago now but sometimes these things decay and I guess I forgot to renew it, now you mention it. You know, I have had concerns about that mirror recently but I figured it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. A few weeks ago I was in that library seeking some critical thinking literature for a magic responsibility class plan and I looked into it? And I saw… books…’ She looked around at the books on this room’s shelves nervously as she spoke.

Rarity felt the need to prompt her as she trailed off. ‘And? I don’t wish to patronise you of all ponies, Twilight, but of course you saw books in the mirror while in a library!’

Twilight’s uneasy look persisted. ‘Of course, but they weren’t the same books as the books in the room. I just caught a glimpse but the shelves looked like they were writhing with strange tomes. I felt like there was all sorts of arcane, otherworldly, even just banal… stuff inside them! I don’t know, I just knew they were not my books, I know my books, intimately, and it seriously gave me the creeps,’ she hissed, ‘But when I looked again everything was back to normal and the feeling passed, though I didn’t stick around long afterwards… I put it down to tiredness, it had been a long day. I’d honestly forgotten all about it until just now.’

‘That’s a lot less dramatic than the ravenous elder dragon versions of me Rarity said she saw, but, uh…’

‘Yes, the principle seems rather similar,’ Rarity concluded Spike’s thought, ‘Right down to…’ she giggled and blushed as she looked down at the floor, then back at Twilight, ‘Well, you do like books rather a lot, don’t you?’

Twilight chuckled and, for a moment, murmured close to Rarity's ear before sobering up. ‘You know, fondness could be part of it. At any rate, I believe you… and I’ll need to look into it ASAP. Keeping it covered’s all well and good but I don’t need it randomly frightening the staff or the guards!’

Then she turned to the rest of the party. ‘Girls, I’m going to need to take care of some business. Just a matter of renewing a spell I put on the magic mirror, but it might take some time while I step out…’

‘Aw, phooey. Can we at least measure you once you’re back?’ Rainbow Dash half-asked, half-complained, still hovering close to the column.

‘You know? Yes, you have my royal permission to take a physical record. You and Applejack find somewhere safer in the room to take a record and we’ll do it when I return. How’s that sound?’ Twilight smiled. Once the pair made their agreement clear she approached the door and said to everycreature in the room, ‘It’s just down the hallway… if I’m not back in ten minutes, come looking for me!’

‘Sure you don’t need a helping hoof? I mean, I can back you up as a number two,’ said Starlight Glimmer, rising from her seat at the gaming table she was nursing a tall glass of cider beside, ‘You never know!’

Twilight shook her head. ‘It’sa little job,and I’m pretty sure I know what I’m doing, I’ve done it before a couple of times. Blame laxity… I get distracted from this stuff by royal duties sometimes! Like I said, ten minutes tops, then come looking in case something went wrong.’

‘Aye-aye, captain Twilight… I mean, arr! I be the pinkest dragon ye know, matey!’ said Pinkie Pie, still wearing the pink dragon suit she’d insisted upon as a “tactical ploy” for the duration of the last game and apparently also into this one. She whipped an oversized stopwatch which, clockwise from the top, featured a series of increasingly worried Pinkie Pie faces, starting with a smile and culminating in total panic, out onto the table and hit the large button atop it.

‘No argument there, Pinkie. Well, see you soon, princess,’ said Starlight, faint concern in her voice but nonetheless sitting back down. Twilight nodded and trotted off for the library in question and once she was on her way, Rarity approached the gaming table the others were largely seated at.

‘Oh, you two were gone for a while,’ said Fluttershy, grooming her mane before pushing her chair back and standing to circle around Spike, ‘I was starting to worry, although with Spike out of the game I was getting ahead, so it wasn’t all bad… um, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad you’re back or anything!’ Then she gasped and trotted towards Rarity, ‘Oh, those roses are very nice… did Spike give you those, Rarity? I wasn’t sure blue ones existed!’

Starlight, who had come along to the Friendship Council with the game in tow at Spike and Twilight’s behest, an invitation made due to her being increasingly frazzled from juggling childrearing and school-running recently, also stood and stepped towards the centre of the room. ‘What Fluttershy means to say is, she’s been getting the hang of capturing gems a little better since you two took a breather,’ Starlight laughed, turning to Spike, ‘She hasn’t surpassed your hoard from the last game yet, though! ’Course, you’ve had practice playing with me and Sunburst before and Flutters here’s a first-timer…’

‘What can I say, I’m a natural!’ Spike replied brightly as he landed on the box atop his seat, ‘But I maybe oughta ease up a bit and let the newbies learn the ropes, I guess. Sorry I uh, gobbled up all your diamonds that game, Fluttershy.’

‘It’s quite alright, Spike,’ said Fluttershy, returning to her seat, ‘You know, that jacket Rarity made you is even nicer than the pink one, although the, um, spikes on it… are you sure those aren’t dangerous?’

Rarity turned her attention to Fluttershy as she released her magic hold on the flower vase, plunking it near the seat she’d used during the previous round and smiled before sitting down. ‘Regarding the roses, Fluttershy dear, yes they are, yes he did and yes they do, though they are an, ah, a rarity! And the jacket was a collaborative effort between Spike, Yona and I, you know! The spikes were Yona’s idea and I believe Spike, ah, the, eh, definitive Spike and not just a spike on a jacket shoulder, I mean, would have to try very hard indeed to harm himself with them! I’d’ve vetoed the addition if I felt otherwise at all! The green fabric is a treated vinyl-crocodile emboss I’d normally use for a belt or a bag, but Spikey had better plans for it… isn’t it simply fabulous how it gleams a rainbow in the light?’

‘Magenta,’ Spike grumbled at Fluttershy’s recurring misassessment of his other jacket’s colour, before shrugging his shoulders inside his newest one and exclaiming, ‘Eh, whatever. I was worried it’d be stiff at first, but it’s way more flexible than you’d think. And I love it, dunno if I’d made that clear before!’

‘It’s a good choice. Iridescent green on your purple scales really suits you,’ Starlight nodded.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash, having spent the past few minutes chatting privately after Twilight had left, returned to the table. ‘Yeah, it almost makes you look cool for a change, Spike!’ Rainbow Dash teased, changing her tune slightly as both Spike and Rarity shot her a withering look. ‘Uh, I mean, it, uh, accentuates your, uh, butt. Your tush looks good in the clothes.’ she corrected herself as she flapped her wings twice before landing back into her chair.

Applejack snickered. ‘Well, ain’t you just got hineys on the mind this afternoon…’ Rainbow Dash said nothing, but smiled and side-eyed her friend in response. ‘Don’t give me that look, ya featherbrain.’ she chuckled, gently punching Rainbow in the shoulder with her left hoof. Rainbow Dash responded after a second by grabbing Applejack, discarding her hat and giving her an affectionate noogie, and they both giggled as the other ponies looked on.

Rarity removed the rose tucked by her ear, smiled sweetly and sniffed its stamen, shooting an affectionate, mock-disdaining look at them before floating it to the vase with the others to rehydrate. ‘Such uncouth behaviour from the apple gallery…’ she said as she poured herself a glass of mineral water and took a sip, ‘But no matter, Spikey-Wikey and I are back for more, although perhaps we ought to wait for Twilight to return before we commence with another game?’

Starlight took a draught of her cider then cast a glance at the door, looking pensive before looking back to the others. ‘Hmm…yeah, let’s wait on her. Besides, you two were off for a bit longer than we thought you’d be! Where’d you go, besides spooking yourselves with the mirror?’

‘Ah, here and there… I asked Spikey to show me some of the lesser-trodden areas of the castle,’ Rarity half-lied, her voice lilting noticeably more than usual, ‘The roses were a little gift he produced from thin air shortly before we returned, weren’t they, darling?’

‘Yeah, just something extra as extra-special thanks for the cool jacket more than anything,’ Spike elaborated, tugging on its lapels for emphasis as he spoke, again a half-truth from not wishing to give the game away too much. Then his attention was drawn up and to his left towards Pinkie Pie, whose dragon mask dangled gormlessly above his head as she looked at him from inside its gaping mouth with a dangerously cheerful grin. ‘You know, Pinkie, if I’d known you were gonna wear that thing all afternoon I’d’ve dragged that old baby dragon Nightmare Night costume along. It still fits, you know?’

‘Arr, I know,’ Pinkie said with a piratical portentousness that made Spike faintly uneasy before snapping back into her normal speech pattern, ‘But you won that last game anyway, Spike… nopony here could take on double dragons! I’m sure I only came third like I did because I have the power of a dragon’s scales.’

‘Or just because Spike’s practised and you’re lucky,’ Starlight giggled, ‘Or maybe the suit’s a valid tactic after all! The power of suggestion can give somepony the edge sometimes!’

Pinkie pondered that for a minute before removing the head of the costume. ‘Hmm… you might be onto something there, Starlight. Here, Fluttershy,’ she said before plunking the head onto the table, then sliding it past Starlight to the yellow pony.

Fluttershy recoiled, then looked at the thing for a moment as if Pinkie had just given her an actual severed head before gingerly picking it up with both hooves and casting a shrewd smile at her friend. ‘Oh, I get it… I have been entrusted with an artifact of immense power, and I accept this gift,’ she said, before stuffing it over her head backwards.

Starlight and Applejack, sitting either side of her, helped Fluttershy correct her mistake as Pinkie explained, ‘You got it! The full costume might be too powerful for one pony alone to handle, so you can have the head and I’ll keep the body. Hope it helps!’

With a mussed lick of her name protruding from the mask’s toothy mouth alongside her face, Fluttershy chuckled once she’d regained her bearings thanks to Applejack and Starlight’s assistance. ‘That’s very thoughtful, Pinkie. Um, how do I look, everycreature? I don’t need to talk like a pirate like you were for it to work, do I? I’m not sure I have any dragon powers yet… Spike, you know about dragon powers, don’t you?’

‘I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but I can’t give away all my secrets,’ answered Spike, smiling enigmatically.

‘Don’t get too carried away, just remember the power of suggestion, darling,’ Rarity filled in breathlessly, ‘If you believe yourself to be a ferocious wyvern who collects gems and refuses to be set back by a silly old pit, a side of yourself you never knew might just surface and win the day! I’m positive you can do it!’

‘Thanks for the vote of confidence, Rarity. I will try to unleash the dragon a teeny bit more next game,’ smiled Fluttershy. She adjusted the dragon head with her hooves a bit, and one of its eyes rolled around a few times as she pulled it back to see through it fully.

Then she looked at Spike, who she could tell felt some awkwardness from those words. ‘Oh, yes… of course, it is a choice either way,’ she trailed off before lowering her voice slightly to him, ‘Ah, maybe “ferocious” was a questionable choice of words given our mirror mishap before? Excuse me ever so much, Spikey-Wikey…’

‘No, no, it’s cool,’ Spike breathed, looking up at Rarity with big eyes before lightening up again, ‘Dragon Pit’s a game that rewards aggressive play, after all! Fluttershy, you just need to stay the course! Dunk or be dunked! In a safe and supportive environment, of course.’

‘Yep, and that’s a beautiful thing,’ Rainbow Dash interjected, ‘Makes whupping all your flanks more rewarding! Aw nuts, I did it again! AJ, you’re right about me! I’m fixated!’ She put the front of her hoof dramatically against her forehead for a moment before looking left at Applejack, and they both snickered at each other.

‘Fluttershy, it’s just a costume, even if you do look cute in it… any “power” you gain from it comes from inside you,’ laughed Starlight, leaning over before flashing bunched cheeks of happiness at her newly-dragonified friend, ‘Aww… you know, I wonder if Lulu would let me dress her up like that! Goodness knows she has her fire-breathing moments at home, she might as well look the part! She’d probably wriggle out of it the first chance she got though…’

‘Little Luster Dawn… how is that little sweetheart?’ asked Rarity, remembering that she hadn’t checked in on Starlight’s family life in a while, ‘You’ve barely spoken a peep about her or school since you arrived in Canterlot! I suppose you’ve needed some time away, dear?’

‘Absolutely, Rarity… I’ve needed to turn my brain off for a few hours, for real,’ Starlight sighed with a little smile, ‘Life is good, but it’s stressful, especially between the new school year starting and a growing daughter. And when this guy and our currently departed princess,’ she motioned towards the little dragon sitting between Pinkie and Rarity, ‘Asked me over a few days back I wasn’t certain I could make it, but Sunburst and Trixie insisted I come, and they were able to cover between them for today… I’ve totally enjoyed unwinding with all of you today, really! I usually only get to play this with Sunny and the others once a weekend, and sometimes even then there’s no time… anyway, yes, Luster’s doing very well. It’s kind of funny watching Applejack try to measure Twilight since we started doing it for Lulu, now she’s walking…’

Her smile widened, and the ponies watched with interest as Starlight produced a lavender purse with a silver clasp from the saddlebag hanging over her chair and opened it, an avalanche of postcard-sized baby photographs unfurling itself onto the game board. ‘At the risk of mommyjacking the council, since you insisted, Rarity… Sunburst takes snaps of his “rays of sunshine” all the time – uh, that’s his dweeby pet name for the two of us,’ she couldn’t suppress a giggle as she continued, ‘And I rotate a bunch of the ones with her in and out of here. If I didn’t empty it out into a family album once in a while I’d drown in the things… anyway, come take a look!’

The other ponies and Spike stood and clamoured around her as Starlight sifted through the stack, locating some good photographs of her bubblegum-pink foal, two-thirds of them featuring herself besides. ‘Aw, she’s so cuuuute!’ Fluttershy cooed from between the jaws of her mask at a photograph of the foal snoozing in her mother’s arms, ‘Her mane’s like gold, and it’s already so long!’

‘Ah, they grow up so fast,’ Applejack added, a sentimental swell in her voice as she looked at a photo of her looking disgusted by the green dinner slop a floating spoon was attempting to deposit into her mouth, ‘She’s real purdy, Starlight. Won’t be so many moons ’til she’s talkin’, too.’

Starlight half-scrunched her muzzle and blushed before beaming with obvious pride. ‘That’s the next step, yeah, and I won’t pretend Sunburst and I aren’t quietly competing over whether mommy or daddy get her first word… well, these are all recent. Here we are at the market, here I am feeding her, and feeding the apron I was wearing at the time… oh, this one’s of Smolder holding her when I took her to school on her birthday a few weeks back… I probably shouldn’t flash that one around too much.‘ She magically flicked through them like a pack of cards before spreading them across the table likewise, ‘Oh, there’s too many for me to describe all of them! Pick a card, any card you like and I’ll explain it… heck, I’m sure there’s even fifty-something of ’em here!’

Pinkie Pie looked at a picture of Sunburst holding Luster up over his head at the Running of the Leaves that must have been taken the previous weekend, Luster giggling as he beamed with every bit of the pride they’d all just seen Starlight exhibit. ‘Aw, she just gets prettier every time I see her! You know, you should bring her over to Sugarcube Corner sometime! Pound and Pumpkin Cake would love her, I’m sure! I’d love to foalsit!’

Rainbow Dash looked at the photograph Applejack had selected and half-smiled. ‘Eh, better you than me, Pinkie. Sure she’s cute, but… I’m way more down with the kids after they’re past the poop factory phase.’ When Applejack nudged her in the back with an annoyed expression she protested, ‘What? It’s the truth! Oh, wait, I just did it again, didn’t I…’

Spike drank in the photograph of Smolder holding the baby, and he grinned at the obvious star-eyes she was making as Luster Dawn gummed on one of her claws. ‘Man, that’s the flipside of that pic Twilight’s mom still has framed of the two of us in the early going… and Smolder’s sensitive side exposed to boot, heh. Yeah, if I brought this up around her I’d get a sock in the arm. My lips are sealed, Starlight.’

Rarity looked over his shoulder, smiling as the picture reminded her of something Sandbar had said to her earlier that week. She couldn’t help herself as her smile spread and she burst into giggles, wiping her eyes after a few seconds as she rubbed her cheek against the metal pyramids on the shoulder she was peering over. ‘Oh, that sweet, sweet girl… I’ve always sensed that Smolder was a tad kindlier than she likes to let on! Aw, and darling little Luster is just the bee’s knees…’ she straightened up and looked over at Spike and he returned her smile, although she understood the lingering apprehension in his eyes. She put a hoof around his shoulder and gave him a quick hug, remembering how Spike’s last relationship had ended regarding such things. He readily reciprocated, though he measured his response as he felt necessary in mixed company.

The next few minutes were spent as their group clamoured and sifted through the spread, selecting several highlights between them for Starlight to elaborate upon as they beheld her offspring in all manner of situations, from the cutesiest to the most tantrum-ridden. Between all the adoration and general happy chatter nocreature amongst them kept track of the time, so when Pinkie’s oversized stopwatch suddenly screeched in terror Starlight bolted out of her chair, scattering several photographs to the floor.

‘Twilight!’ she yelped, ‘Oh, I was gonna go after her after seven minutes and it’s just passed ten, I got so wrapped up in showing everypony my foal I lost track, ooh…’ She pranced on the spot as the alarm continued to yell about the time and added, ‘Oh, I know she said it was no big deal but I also know mirror magic has a habit of catching somepony unawares! We should go to that library and help her right now!’

Spike likewise flew off his box. ‘Oh, boy, you’re not wrong she’s running late. Uh, should we all head over? Me and Rarity know where it is, it’s just a few doors down the hall to the right.’

‘I’m a-comin’,’ said Applejack, adjusting her hat and flipping a length of rope from her saddlebag, ‘Darn tootin’ a gal with a lasso is what you need when somepony takes a tumble into somethin’ sticky like she might’ve… but maybe we need a backup team? Fluttershy, RD, Pinkie, uh…’

‘If Twilight needs our help, we won’t stay here,’ Fluttershy asserted suddenly before Rainbow Dash could field Applejack’s query, then fell back into meekness, ‘We’ll all come, right girls? I mean, um…’

‘Fluts read your mind same as me, we’re coming too,’ said Rainbow Dash, already flying towards the door as Pinkie also bounced out of her seat, ‘You were gonna tell us to stay put, weren’t you, AJ? We’ll bring up the rear while the rest of you head in there. Sound good?’

‘That I was, but… yep, that’s a better plan,’ said Applejack, tying her rope into a loop and tossing it over her back. ‘Well, let’s go! Spike, lead the way!’

‘Who, me? Oh, yeah, I guess this is my personal stomping ground… sure, follow me!’

As they all approached the door Applejack snorted with mirth. ‘Oh, the rear… I get it now!’ Rainbow Dash blushed as all eyes set onto her for a moment, then laughed it off before they all made for the library room.

The seven of them made their way out of the room into the hallway; Spike led the way, bringing the guards at the door up to speed of the situation just in case they too were needed, with Starlight directly behind him and the two pegasi of the group bringing up the rear. He led them to the library opposite the dark stained-glass window of Stygian, and they found the door ajar and the area quiet, Flash Magnus and his group of trainees having long moved on elsewhere in the castle.

Starlight creaked the door inwards and the rest of them followed with some trepidation. Unlike last time when only Spike’s green flame had illuminated near the door, besides that being lit with unenchanted fire a few other candelabras on the walls were also crackling away. While the epistemology library had a layout similar to the room they had exited a couple of minutes ago, it was mostly dark due to its single, narrow window and substantially smaller, the tall ceiling common to all the rooms on this storey of the sanctum aside, and just two pillars halfway into the room opposite the door that descended from that ceiling’s vaults. Its size versus the volume of bookshelves it contained meant the room was cramped, or cozy depending on your perspective.

The three foremost ponies and the dragon of the group made their way inside and looked around, noticing a faint, cool luminescent cyan mist and a cold frisson in the air that made their nasal cavities tingle. Then Spike looked forward to where the mirror was and spotted Twilight, crumpled in a heap covered by what looked like an entire shelf’s worth of hardcovers.

‘Twilight! Oh, geez, looks like all I did before was delay the inevitable!’ he cried, flying up to her at full speed. The ponies in the room followed him as he checked his sister’s pulse and ran a claw over her brow, looking forlorn for a moment. He brushed her fringe back with his claw and noticed a wide first-degree burn where her crown normally rested and winced sympathetically, inhaling through his teeth.

‘Oh, dear… all those books must’ve fallen off this shelf,‘ Starlight observed, looking up at the bare shelf Twilight was laid beside and levitating some of them out of the way, ‘Is she okay?’

After looking forlorn for a moment Spike relaxed. ‘She’s breathing,’ he said with palpable relief, ‘But she’s hit her head and she’s a bit burned, somehow. Something must’ve gone wrong when she cast the spell and she got knocked out by a falling book. Applejack, Rarity, give me a hoof here?’

‘What’s going on in there? You haven’t all jumped through the mirror without us, have you?’ Pinkie interrupted, sticking her head through the door.

‘The mirror!’ Rarity’s attention jerked from her injured friend to the gleaming oval and looked at it closely, seeing nothing but their surroundings reflected back at them. ‘Ooh, it seems normal as ever, but that’s just what we thought last time until I saw those apparitions! Girls, stay outside for the time being, the coast may not yet be clear as it seems!’

Pinkie began to bounce into the room regardless until Rainbow Dash restrained her, snapping at her tail with her teeth and dragging her back beyond the threshold. ‘Pinkie! We’re the backup, remember? Listen to Rarity and park your keister, sister!’

Twilight stirred in Applejack’s hooves as Rarity spoke, and she groggily looked up at her cowfilly friend. ‘Ughhh… R…rrrrarity? Amplejack, we didn’t set the table for all the, the pomegranatejacks and bananajacks… I’m sorry Primpcess Cecelia, I didn’t mean to eat all of that cake, no, I’m okay, I’mn’t allergic, I’m just a… little hoarse, oh…’ she blithered, before groaning again and losing consciousness once more.

Spike noticed Twilight’s crown on the floor and flew over to inspect it. ‘We need to get Twilight outta here now. Heck, we should all leave and not come back in until she’s coherent enough to tell us what happened and we definitely need to not get any closer to the mirror. Man, I thought this thing was basically harmless, colour me wrong!’

He approached the crown and, mindful of the burn he’d seen on Twilight’s forehead, licked his thumb and foreclaw before touching it with their tips. He hadn’t even made contact before he felt its heat, and it started to glow white, light spreading from the jewel in its centre outwards. It was Rarity who noticed the reaction first, and it wasn’t the crown itself, but the air around them that registered. ‘Applejack and I ought to relocate our princess to her room… ah, Spikey, isn’t it getting brighter in he–’

But her observation came a little too late to be a useful warning. As the mist surrounding the party grew brighter and crackled with energy the crown let loose a burst of magic that sent Spike flying back towards the door, and he would have hit Starlight squarely in the chest if she hadn’t leapt aside. He narrowly avoided hitting the floor hard with an upward spiralling swoop as he took to the air.

‘Augh! Hot!’ he cried, nursing the claw that had handled Twilight’s golden tiara as he zipped to a stop above the others. As he caught his bearings he looked around at the mist and exclaimed, ‘What the heck?! Sweet Celestia, we need to go, now! C’mon!’

Applejack grabbed Twilight and lassoed a length of rope around her, tying her to her back with a few practised movements while the others looked on with increasing horror. ‘I got Twi! Let’s vamoose, pronto!’ While Spike started to back off towards the door with her, Starlight and Rarity were frozen in their tracks looking at the tall looking glass which was becoming increasingly radiant, more of the cold mist radiating from its reflective surface. She called out again, ‘Didn’t y’all hear Spike and I? We gotta get help!’

The room was eye-wateringly bright now, a low howling noise emanating from the mirror along with the blizzard of light, and the two unicorns snapped out of it. ‘Oh, this is bad news,’ Starlight breathed as she gained her bearings, ‘Whatever’s going on here isn’t just garden-variety transdimensional stuff or a major mirror malfunction… something powerful’s coming through! Everycreature get out of here! I’ll hold it back!’

‘What?!’ squeaked Rarity, incredulous, ‘I won’t abandon you like this now! I’ll do anything I can to help, Starlight! If it’s as powerful as you say, you’ll need all the assistance you can get!’

Hot on Applejack’s hooves, Spike hesitated as he heard Rarity say that and hovered in mid-air for a critical second, looking up and out of the doorway at the visage of Stygian in the hallway window above the alarmed ponies just outside the door, his head held high and his stern gaze cast low at the book he held. He looked back at the shadows Rarity and Starlight cast in the thrall of the mirror as he turned around. ‘Well, I’m not leaving without Rare or Starlight, if they need my help! We can weather this, girls! Just get Twilight to safety!’

Suddenly the noise coming from the mirror doubled in volume as the temperature plummeted, and Rainbow Dash took that as her cue to fly in as Applejack lugged Twilight to the door. ‘Both’a you get your hineys outta there right now! This is so urgent I don’t even care that I just did the butt thing again!’ She grabbed the two of them with both hooves and pulled them through the door just before it slammed shut. The roar of the magic mirror became louder and louder, swiftly drowning out the sound of Pinkie and Fluttershy shouting and pounding their hooves against the now magically-sealed door.

By now the swirling miasma was becoming such that more books were getting shaken off their shelves, and as enveloped in blinding light as he was it was mostly luck that Spike narrowly avoided a bonk on the head from a falling book as he returned to Rarity and Starlight. While Applejack had escaped with Twilight, Starlight had cast a ward, a reflex reaction to peril that shielded herself and her friends from the freezing cold and the worst of the sensory overload; Spike suddenly penetrated a teal bubble with a “pop!” to his great relief, removing his claws from his ear frills.

‘Ugh… man, that’s painful, but at least the jacket means I’m not a popsicle now,’ he breathed, noticing that his brief stint among the globules had indeed left frost on his shoulders. ‘…Rarity, Starlight, what’s the plan?’ he cried, the uncertainty in his voice rolling out louder than necessary due to the din still ringing in his ears.

‘I’m going to seal this thing the best I can,’ said Starlight, ‘And Rarity grabbed Twilight’s crown, though it’s probably too hot to hold, physically. It might be useful!’

Rarity shivered from the cold seeping into the bubble around them, feeling slight relief that she hadn’t left her scarf in the meeting room in the rush to come here. Casting her mind to more immediate matters as Starlight raised the subject she turned and levitated the crown, indelicately flipping it over in muted fright. ‘To wit, it seems important, and the fact that it’s suddenly much too hot for contact may be pertinent,’ she blurted out after a few seconds’ panicky inspection, ‘Twilight likely unexpectedly found herself in too-close-for-comfort combat with this device the same as we, and took some energy from it into her regalia!’

‘You’re probably right,’ Spike added to that thought, flexing the affected claw and rubbing it with his other, ‘I only touched it for a second but I can still feel it, and I’m a dragon… usually intense heat only bugs us for a moment unless there’s magic involved.’

Starlight tensed up as her horn began to glow and disperse a magic stream that channelled into the rippling surface of their protective sphere. ‘If I can move this bubble from around us to the mirror and concentrate, I should be able to seal it for as long as we need,’ she said, glancing up at the incandescent globules now swirling around them and filling up the library, ‘And hopefully get rid of all this mess around us! You two, uh, Rarity, you’re probably right that the crown is key to this… you and Spike see if you can’t figure it out!’

Rarity’s eyes widened as Spike articulated her thoughts, crying out, ‘Figure what out? It’s just Twilight’s crown… it doesn’t come with a manual, you know! Believe me, if it did I’d never hear the end of it!’

Starlight didn’t answer, as preoccupied as she was with her plan she’d screwed her eyes shut and had already begun to build up the momentum she needed to fling the bubble. ‘Our dear princess’ crown must have some magical properties, Spikey, think!’ exclaimed Rarity, swinging it around a little carelessly under duress, ‘After all, unless my memory fails me it was crafted as a conglomerate between Celestia and Luna’s crowns at the coronation before they bestowed it upon her?’

‘Uh, maybe? It’s only in use when she’s wearing it, and normally when her head is doing magic stuff she’s using her horn? It’s pretty rote to me, so I don’t look real closely!’

‘Well, it must be able to, ah, absorb somehow, darling! Haven’t you ever seen her do that with it? I’m grasping for something we can use here!’

‘Oh, man…’ Spike groaned, looking around at the screaming miasma encircling him and his unicorn friends, sending books in the library flying everywhere like they were weightless. Whatever it was, it was legion, a hundred thousand entities invading through the mirror that now seemed to writhe and whip its tendrils around the room with some kind of alien malice. Spike looked up and knew he had to take action before the sturdy walls of the library began to fracture or worse, to say nothing of the knowledge in those tomes becoming frozen and destroyed.

‘Oh, geez. Toss me the crown… I’m going back out there, Rarity! It hurts, but I can tough it out if I put it on for a minute. I can take the cold if I’ve got something hot! I’ll just have to fly blind out there thanks to how bright it is…’

‘You are? Oh, Spikey… It’s not safe out there in the, oh, it’s a downright hurricane!’ cried Rarity, looking over at him with grave concern. ‘You’d be swept away! Well, perhaps not far afield, but if that wind tossed you into a wall you could really get hurt…’

Starlight had the wherewithal to add to the discussion, despite the strain of maintaining the bubble. ‘Hnngh… no, no, Rarity, we’re in the eye of it,’ she said, ‘It’s way too bright and noisy, but he’d be fine to stay next to or above this thing.’

‘Well, I don’t wish to send you out into peril,’ She swung the crown over to him and he grabbed it in both claws, using the sleeves of his jacket as padding. Faint smoke came off of them as he gave it a look-over, ‘But we are in a pinch here and now. Oh, dear, that’s not going to do that fabric any good at all…’

Starlight grunted and strained as she mustered up the will to carry out her containment plan. ‘Whatever you’re going to do out there, do it quickly, Spike! I can’t hold this for very long, and I can feel the cold attacking the bubble so hard it must be colder than Mount Everhoof out there! When I toss this thing, we’ll be frozen solid if that blizzard’s still in the room!’

‘I’m on it!’ Spike shouted, and made for the surface of the bubble, ready to emerge in one of the most hostile environments he could consider. Lava was nothing to a dragon, he thought, but this wasn’t that… nonetheless, of the group he was the best-equipped for such a thing, and the crown was definitely a boon granted him in such a situation.

‘Wait!’ cried Rarity, and he turned around, just in time to catch a kiss from her onto his forehead. ‘Just in case, my little sweetheart,’ she said, and gave him a chummy pat on the back, the burning crown he was holding less than conducive to a proper embrace. ‘Oh, good luck…’

Spike giggled and gripped the crown a little harder, not caring that it was still quite hot. ‘Hee… aw, you made me blush, I can feel it! I’ll be back before you know it, Rare.’

Farewells exchanged, she smiled and patted his back once more before turning to Starlight, inquiring as to her status. ‘Ah, Starlight, can I help you, ah, stabilise this forcefield while Spikey does what he needs to do?’

‘If you don’t mind, anything helps!’ said Starlight, ‘Just focus on combining your horn power with mine for a moment, it’ll buy us some time. Good luck, Spike, but don’t be long!’

Spike nodded as Rarity obliged Starlight’s instructions, closed his eyes then flapped his wings, hopping out of the bubble’s roof in earnest with another “pop!”, then immediately wishing he hadn’t. If it had been chilly right before Applejack and Rainbow Dash had fled with Twilight in tow it felt like absolute zero now, and he screamed involuntarily as he winced and shrank back into his clothes. Even with his eyes closed everything was bright through his eyelids and the howling black noise of the wind was tremendous. In an effort to keep any warmth at all he put Twilight’s crown on his head, which helped cancel things out slightly. A few hundred books whirled around in the maelstrom, but close to its epicentre as he was they mercifully kept their distance.

Once he’d got his bearings Spike stayed in position above the magical sphere. Aside from a vague idea of where he’d exited Starlight’s bubble there was no way to tell which way was up, let alone see or hear anything, but as he wore the crown it seemed obvious that he didn’t need to. He spread his arms out and upwards, and with a thought he began to absorb the light and noise, completing what Twilight had attempted. The crown glowed white once again and with a strange, rising slurping noise the chaos began to drain from the room. It seemed to be working, but the intensity of whatever it was he was vacuuming up was making his head throb, not to mention that as the room regained its normal temperature and the more it absorbed, the more the heat of the crown hurt – partly due to that, but the accumulation of heat begotten from the light within the object made it hotter than a horseshoe on an anvil. While Pinkie had been onto something in the council room regarding a dragon’s scales being more resilient than a pony’s fur and flesh, the magical heat was still an ordeal to persist through, and he gritted his fangs as he struggled to tolerate the extremes of temperature.

After a minute of that the library books started to fall to the floor as they lost momentum, and as the noise abated Spike could hear Starlight call out, ‘Yes! It’s working! Spike, take that thing off before it burns you bad and we’ll seal this thing!’ Spike didn’t hesitate, yanking it off with an inchoate yell and tossing it to the floor where it singed the carpet on impact. ‘Rarity! Now! We have to do it now, or more of that stuff’s gonna come out!’ Starlight instructed, ‘On three! One, two…’

The pair heaved the bubble back and forth on countdown, and as Starlight yelled ‘Three!’ they lobbed it at the mirror, another “pop!” sounding as it flew away from where they stood. The white light coming from the mirror still burned brightly, but it was contained for now, and all three of them collapsed to varying degrees. Spike fell to the floor and Starlight’s knees buckled before she planted herself on the carpet, breathing heavily and holding her head in her hooves. Rarity nursed her aching horn before running up to where Spike had landed, looking at where the crown was nearby. It was still glowing white, faintly blue even, and it had seared a hole in the carpet exposing the stone floor beneath.

‘Spikey-Wikey, you did it! Oh, we all did it!’ she exclaimed, picking him up amidst the piles of books around them and giving him a joyous hug, before thinking better of a more intense embrace given his delicate countenance following that adventure. She held him aloft in her hooves and gave him a once-over, looking into his tired eyes, ‘Oh, I’m ever so sorry you had to go through that, precious-scales… Starlight, how are you holding up, darling?’

Starlight steadied herself, slowing her breathing before answering. ‘I’m okay, but that was rough. Thanks for the assist, Rarity. Is Spike alright?’

‘Sore,’ muttered Spike, dusting the frost shards off his jacket again as Rarity plopped him down onto the floor, ‘No kidding that was harsh, but it was the only way.’ He looked over to where the smouldering crown lay and observed, ‘Uh, should we do something about that? I have a feeling we should, in case those, uh, whatever-they-weres come back out and wreck things even more?’

Before Starlight could respond the door swung open without warning, several ponies and a griffon tumbling in. Pinkie Pie had become stuck to the freezing surface of the iron reinforcement across its middle by her tongue, and Fluttershy had run to fetch Flash Magnus and the cadets, including Gallus, that he’d been in the middle of training. One of the others, a purple, silver-maned young mare, had plainly been trying to detach Pinkie from the door by grabbing her scaly dragon costume and pulling, and she fell forward while Pinkie remained attached.

‘We’re in! At last, where’s the emergency?’ cried Flash Magnus, getting back on his feet and fully entering the library before looking at Spike, Starlight, Rarity, and the looking glass surrounded by the magical aura and the books scattered everywhere before instructing his squadron, ‘Stand down, cadets. It looks like the princess’ friends have contained the threat.’

Fluttershy entered the room, flying in over Flash’s head at a frantic but controlled pace, skidding to a stop as she looked extremely concerned through the mouth of the Dragon Pit-themed mask she was still wearing. ‘Girls! Spike! Oh, oh dear, is everything okay?’

Starlight got back onto her hooves and booted a book aside. ‘We’re all in one piece, despite that thing’s best efforts,’ she indicated behind her at the swirling light inside the bubble, ‘But we need to deactivate it entirely if possible! I gave it my all and Rarity’s too, but something powerful is on the other side of that portal and it won’t hold forever…’

Rarity turned to Fluttershy, grooming her mane where it had become slightly bedraggled during the mess before giving her a light hug. ‘Fluttershy, are you ever a sight for sore eyes! Being trapped in here was just awful, though I expect it was only a few minutes… but I see you brought company! Hello, Gallus, Sir Magnus, ah, other ponies with whom I am thus far unacquainted!’

All the cadets stood to attention as the pegasus stallion saluted her with one wing, much as he had earlier. ‘At your service, Rarity. We came as quickly as we could after Fluttershy here summoned us most eagerly.’

‘I couldn’t think of anything else to do after the door slammed so I fetched Mr. Magnus and his, um, soldiers here… Rainbow and Applejack took off with Twilight, just so you know. I’m sure she’s safe,’ she looked at the three of them as Starlight got back onto her hooves, looked behind them and added, ‘Is that what caused all the problems? It looks dangerous!’

‘Near as I can tell, it’s some sort of sentient snowstorm,’ Starlight explained, ‘Probably extradimensional? It was trying to get through the mirror – who knows why? – but we managed to stop it. Spike in particular really put his tail on the line so we could bubble its way in, the mirror I mean, without freezing.’

Having struggled to stay upright after Rarity had deposited on the ground, Spike suddenly staggered and almost fainted, to Rarity’s alarm. ‘Ooh, Spikey… do you need a hoof?’ She sat and fussed over him for a minute, putting her hooves on his shoulders, and he groaned as he looked at her as if he needed a nap, blinking once with his eyes out of sync. She tisked, gave him a hug and asked affectionately, ‘Aw, would you like to lie on my back for a little while, sweetheart? You can lean on me. It’s quite alright…’

‘Ughhh… I just need a couple of minutes, but if you’re offering…’ sighed Spike, haltingly attempting to fly onto her before stumbling back onto the floor. Having predicted something along those lines, Rarity grabbed a hold on him before impact and gently floated him onto her back fully, and he lay on her, his claws gently holding around her sides, the tips barely caressing her upper belly in an effort not to slide back off. He buried his tired head into the back of her mane as he rested it on the curve of her neck, and while she normally would protest at such a thing he’d risked his wellbeing and been so brave in the midst of that strange blizzard that there was no question that she’d allow it on this occasion. Besides, it felt nice to have such a lovely little dragon lying on her, nevermind if he was a little heavy.

While that happened, the temperature had risen enough that the rime keeping Pinkie Pie’s tongue bound to the door had melted enough that she was free, and she trotted into the room next to Fluttershy. ‘Ooh, a neat swirly thing!’ she commented as she beheld the mirror, though her face fell somewhat when she realised, ‘A swirly thing that hurt Twilight and may yet destroy the palace. Curse you, you, uh, less-than-neat swirly thing! Bad swirly! Bad!’ She waved a hoof at it in admonishment as it raged away in its confinement.

Starlight looked intently at the glowing crown on the floor, observing that it seemed to be cooling off slightly. From there her attention was attracted to where Pinkie was pointing for the first time in a couple of minutes and observed that it was becoming less of a swirly thing by the second. ‘Uh-oh… everycreature, eyes forward,’ she ordered, levitating it but still keeping it at hoof’s length, then stepping backwards, ‘Something’s happening in there. Could be more trouble incoming!’

‘Cadets, brace the door,’ Flash Magnus barked, ‘We may all need to evacuate the room ASAP and we don’t need it magically locking itself a second time.’ They obeyed, Gallus and one unicorn stallion swinging it inwards as far as it would go as the others gathered some of the scattered books and piled them against it as ballast, before all leaning against it themselves. While not the dizzyingly tall gold-leafed iron double-doors of the throne- and meeting-rooms, it was solid enough oak.

Everycreature else in the room did as Starlight had said, and they observed that the globules of light inside her forcefield seemed to be calming and congealing, still bright at first but becoming translucent, milk-white orbs that became glued together the more they jiggled and churned around inside, looking like frogspawn inside a sac. They began to lose their lustre, the mirror behind them becoming a de facto backlight upon them as they began to pulsate and hum.

Spike’s head jerked up from Rarity’s shoulder as the hum grew louder, and his eyes widened as he sat up to bear witness to this latest development. ‘Woah… what the heck is that?’ he mumbled close to her ear.

The pair, everycreature for that matter, looked up at the mass of roiling orbs and saw they were swelling up and dividing over and over, making “glub” sounds each time becoming smaller and more granular until they seemed to turn to writhing static inside the bubble, before swirling like drain water into the mirror, leaving only that static inside the mirror from whence it came. Horrified fascination on the behalf of all present meant the only noise in the room vanished into a continuous whisper once it had traversed back inside.

‘Is it… retreating? Is whatever it is going back inside that mirror? By Celestia, I’ve never seen anything like this, even during the old days!’ Flash Magnus wondered aloud, paraphrasing what everycreature was thinking, or hoping.

Starlight peered at the looking glass inside the field, not letting her guard down. ‘Stay alert, sergeant. I don’t think this is over yet…’

The mirror’s surface swelled again then bubbled away for a moment, but it was sudden and violent when something serpentine smashed through the forcefield and made a beeline for the crown Starlight was still holding, although she was quick enough to evade it, herself and Rarity, Spike still gripping her shoulders, both leaping aside as the beast struck the floor. The thing reared its head and filled the room with a screech not unlike the thunder of the blizzard Spike had endured minutes before, and they all got a good look at it… and its head looked just like–

‘Spike?!’ Rarity cried out, ‘Spike, that dreadful thing has your face!’ She wasn’t wrong, its burning white visage plainly the size and shape of a pupil-less, long-fanged baby dragon who had woken up on the wrong side of the bed, its head and frills imitating Spike’s exact shape along with some other glowing blue markings over its mouth and eyes. Otherwise it didn’t resemble Spike at all, or even any sort of dragon anycreature in the room had seen before. Its body, or neck, or whatever the party had observed it as at first was more of a tentacle composed of a woven cable of fibrous muscle, that form just about visible through the white-blue flames radiating off of it, with no limbs attached. Its fire burned cold, dragging the room’s ambient warmth down significantly once again.

Having hovered to one side quietly since entering the room, Fluttershy looked up at the Spike-mimicking light being, feeling a glint of confidence that this was more in her wheelhouse than whatever semi-corporeal form it had taken up to now. She took a deep breath and said, ‘Everypony calm down for a moment. Um, maybe I can handle this?’

‘Give it a shot, but be careful,’ said Starlight, ‘It might listen to reason, but…’

Fluttershy glanced around at everycreature in the room before slowly flying in front of the thing’s incandescent, chubby-cheeked but hostile face and smiling. ‘No, I understand. Um, welcome to Canterlot! You’ve arrived at the capital of the realm of Equestria. My name is Fluttershy, and these are my friends! You know, we’re both wearing dragon faces… and yours looks very much like my little dragon friend, Spike, over there! What brought you through the mirror? Would you like to talk about it?’

The thing opened its mouth to reveal a steaming blue fire in its throat, and before anycreature could react a volley of shots escaped its mouth at Fluttershy, flinging her across the room and pinning her to the wall above the door by her limbs and wings with black ice. As she struggled it turned away from her without further acknowledgement and scanned the room. ‘WEAK, PRETTY PONIES,’ it intoned, in a disembodied voice coming in from all directions that was at once comically low, yet felt like a fell wind blowing through the bones of everycreature present, ‘NO. NEVER “SPIKE”. I/WE AM/ARE ONE TALON OF MEUS. GIVE MEUS BACK ITS/OUR LIGHTLINGS IMMEDIATELY!’

‘A talon of “Meus”, huh?’ asked Starlight as Flash Magnus flew above in an effort to chisel Fluttershy, cold but otherwise well, from her bindings, ‘Whatever body part of Meus. Your light stuff was trying to hurt me and my friends, so we sucked some of it into this crown here. Should’na done that, or injured our princess, for that matter. If you don’t want any more trouble, you’ll take the loss, mosey on back through that mirror and go.’

‘Starlight, darling, I know tensions are high, but perhaps do not antagonise the raging blizzard beast towering above us right now?!’ hissed Rarity.

‘It’s okay, Rarity, I got this. At least, I’m pretty sure I do!’ Starlight smiled and reassured her, levitating the crown in front of herself.

‘THE DIADEM OF THE FIRMAMENT! YOUR WRETCHED RULER STOLE ESSENCE THAT BELONGS TO MEUS! RELINQUISH IT UNTO MEUS OR PERISH ALONGSIDE YOUR ALLIES, WEAKLING!’ Meus roared. Cold breath streamed down onto the party still inhabiting the ground level, the Royal Guard trainees in particular catching the worst of it. It wasn’t enough to freeze anycreature, but the silver armour they wore exacerbated it enough to make their teeth chatter.

‘Augh! By the cracks of Arimaspi!’ complained Gallus, shielding himself with a wing, ‘Can’t we do something about this thing now it has a face? I get not stabbing it while it was weird globules in a forcefield, but c’mon!’

‘Stay your claw, cadet,’ Flash Magnus responded, using the hilt of his sword to break one of Fluttershy’s hooves from the ice encasing it, ‘Bloodshed is a last resort, but if I say to fight, fight. Until then, remember your training and follow your superiors’ orders!’

Before the freezing mist cleared Meus lunged for Starlight and the crown, but she was ready. She leapt aside and cried, ‘Absolutely not. Pinkie, catch!’ as she tossed it in the opposite direction to her leap, towards Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie didn’t hesitate, neatly hooking it onto the front lick of her mane and flinging it up high. ‘Ooh, I know this game! Keep away! Keep the firma-whatsit away from Spikey-face over there, girls! Fluttershy, to you!’ The flaming frost giant snapped near where Pinkie jumped and spun three-hundred-and-sixty degrees, deftly avoiding its jaws, totally unperturbed. ‘Us draggies gotta work together to save the day!’

‘Pinkie, no! I can’t–’ Fluttershy started, but the thing whizzed near where Flash Magnus was chipping away at her wings and embedded itself in the ice for a moment, melting some of it away, and she looked at it in amazement as her other arm was freed by its heat. ‘Oh! Oh, maybe I can.’ She tapped it and winced, before picking it up, juggling it between her hooves like a hot potato and calling, ‘Oh, it’s still very hot! Um, Rarity! Spike! Catch, if you don’t mind!’ Then she threw it over into their general direction as Meus lunged towards her, then averted course after the airborne crown.

‘Incoming!’ Spike shouted, sitting bolt upright on Rarity’s back, and she responded with a jump towards where Fluttershy, her aim not terribly true, had flung the crown. Spike grabbed it in one claw and winced. ‘Ugh, still hotter than I’d like, but it’s nothing like before.’

‘Want to pass it over, sweetheart? Contact-free magic’s borne us this far!’ Rarity asked, ‘You’ve suffered enough, as far as I’m concerned!’

‘I’m good, but next time it comes our way, it’s your turn. Starlight! Quick!’ Spike yelled, lobbing the crown at Starlight who grabbed it with that contact-free magic again in mid-trajectory, making it float errantly as Meus again flew at it and snapped, narrowly missing both her and it with another blast of frost that hit the wall behind them.

‘Thanks, Spike! Hey, if we do this enough we can tie this thing into knots, I’m sure of it! Keep going!’ she called, before tossing Twilight’s crown back towards Pinkie.

This repeated a few times, the ponies, Fluttershy and Flash included once she’d been fully freed, hopping around and, in Starlight’s case, shooting lasers at the creature as it snapped for it with its steaming mandibles several times. ‘MEUS WILL NOT BE DENIED!’ it boomed, ‘ITS/OUR ESSENCE MUST BE MORE, NEVER DIMINISHED!’

‘Flash, to you!’ Starlight called on the third or fourth round pass, once again flinging the crown to the sergeant, ‘But look out! Its aim is lousy on moving targets but it might be powering up for another blast!’

‘Bah, I’ve had worse from real dragons!’ Flash boasted, catching batting the crown away towards Spike, having somewhat recovered from his earlier ordeal and now airborne, with a wing, ‘Cold ’n’ Ugly over there isn’t half the threat a rampant elder dragon poses in battle! Uh, no offense, Miss Fluttershy,’ he said, Fluttershy shaking her head and looking disapproving through her mask’s teeth.

Spike grabbed the crown, which had continued to cool to the point that he barely felt its heat in his claws anymore, and looked around quickly, calculating where to throw it next relative to Meus’ current movements and position in the room. As he looked first to Pinkie and then to Rarity, he saw the latter was ready to receive it again, looking up and waving. ‘Coo-ee, Spikey! Divulge yourself of that royal headwear tout-suite over here, why don’t you?’ she called, hopping up and down with one hoof raised.

She was so fixated on him that she didn’t notice Meus was about to charge at her, unexpectedly changing tack from following the crown, freezing blue vapour radiating from its mouth as it went for her. ‘Rarity, look out behind you!’ Starlight called out, half a second before he likewise shouted, ‘Rare! Watch out! It’s going for you!’

‘What?! Aaahh!’ she squealed as she ducked, just in time for another volley of blue ice balls to narrowly miss her. They barely grazed her mane, her pink scarf catching the worst of it – the trailing half-metre of fabric that wafted in the air after she hit the floor iced up immediately and landed by her, shattering into pieces.

Meus followed the attack with a sideways wallop of its tentacle that sent Rarity flying down the library aisle, crying aloud as she bounced once on a pile of books before connecting with the base of a shelf, the impact shaking a few more books on top of her. While it amounted to just a few flimsy cloth-bound tomes, Spike was horrified to behold the mare of his dreams taking a lash like that. ‘Rarity!’ he cried, reaching towards her as she struggled back onto her hooves.

Meus stopped, reared then looked down at where Rarity had fallen and inspected her for a moment. ‘A LIGHT SO RADIANT… WEAK LITTLE PONIES MAY DELAY AND PERSIST IN ANNOYING MEUS, BUT TO NO AVAIL… MEUS CAN SENSE A MOST PLEASING ESSENCE WITHIN THIS WHITE ONE THAN YOUR OTHERS, EVEN THE PURPLE ONES…’

‘You keep away from her!’ cried Spike, tossing the crown aside and flying between the predator and its potential prey, angry enough that green fire began to flicker from the corners of his mouth, ‘Whatever you are, I’m through with this! I don’t care that you stole my face for whatever weird reason, I’m not scared of you! You’ll have to get through me!’

‘Oof, ooh, oh, I went a bit hooves over hindquarters there…’ Rarity groaned, regaining her balance, ‘Oh, Spikey, don’t! That dreadful beast just turned my favourite scarf into a woollen popsicle!’ she called, inspecting the torn remains around her neck.

‘YOU DALLY TOO LONG, NOT REALISING THE STOLEN ESSENCE WITHIN THE DIADEM OF THE FIRMAMENT DIMINISHES BY EACH PASSING SECOND…’ Meus growled, ‘MEUS DESIRES IT NO LONGER… THE WHITE ONE OUTSHINES IT NOW. YOU SHALL IMPEDE MEUS NO FURTHER! I/WE SHALL TAKE HER! DO NOT INTERVENE!’

Spike responded by punching it square in the face, then wincing as he retracted his claw, which immediately became encased in ice on impact. It howled as he reared up into the air a bit, putting his affected claw in front of his mouth and melting the ice as he sneered, then shot a jet of orange fire directly at Meus – normally Spike’s fire breath was green, but when determined enough he could muster up stronger stuff. Meus hissed and recoiled at the spout of fire coming from the pit of Spike’s stomach for a minute, but as soon as the blaze abated back to its usual green even slightly it pushed back with its own breath, which forced Spike to fly backwards closer to Rarity.

Rarity reached up and grabbed Spike, and just as the ice blast was about to subsume his fire and encase his entirety she projected a crystal shield spell to deflect the blow, and the stream divided in two around it, protecting the two of them. At the moment it struck they both cried out in fear for their lives, and Spike turned around and embraced Rarity. She was glad he did in that moment, despite the shield beating the brunt it was still nithering cold where they were, and a fire-breathing friend helped take the edge off.

It stayed in that position with its mouth wide open, but just as it was about to follow up with another blast Starlight hit it in the side of the face with a magic blast, forcing its ice breath to one side. ‘Yo! Over here, bozo! Not interested in playing catch anymore, huh? Well, maybe this’ll renew your interest! Pinkie, toss it to me! Fluttershy, Flash, can you give me a lift?’

Rarity kept her shield up and backed away with Spike in tow while Meus was distracted, and Pinkie picked up the now mostly-cooled crown with one hoof. ‘Here ya go, headmare!’ she chirped as she tossed it towards Starlight, who grabbed it in a magical hold.

‘Oh dear, I hope we’re not getting up too close to that rather rude creature,’ said Fluttershy, ‘I only just got thawed out, and it nearly got Spike just then! Are you ready, Mr. Magnus?’

‘I was born ready for stuff like this, ma’am!’ replied Flash as the two came to Starlight, who extended both of her front legs for a lift.

‘Just get me to the back of its head while it’s distracted! I can take care of things from there!’ Starlight instructed the pair. Despite her attack before Meus’ attention had only moved from Spike and Rarity for a moment and there really wasn’t time to hesitate, so they whisked her over to where she said. ‘I think I get it! The crown absorbs and neutralises this thing’s power, which makes it hot, but when it drains out it’s ready to take in some more! Take this!’

Two seconds later she was close enough to magic the crown up and around onto Meus’ forehead just as it was forming another ice barrage, and as she had predicted it clasped tightly onto its fake Spike-face. Meus screamed and started to thrash around chaotically as the crown sizzled on its brow, trying to shake the steaming thing off. That gave Rarity the window she needed to take off to the other side of the book aisle, near where Pinkie was, while carrying Spike. Pinkie Pie, not oblivious to her friends’ distress, gave Rarity a welcoming hug for a moment before they watched further events unfold.

After seven seconds of thrashing around hard enough to topple the shelf Rarity had careened into before, Meus flung the crown back to the floor as the remaining books all crashed likewise. As Starlight had predicted, it was glowing white and almost certainly searing hot to touch again as it processed the cold light, close to fully-charged.

Meus reared its head again and shot Starlight a look of pure hate, its mouth agape. ‘YOU DARE?! YOU WOULD SNUFF THIS LIGHT YET FURTHER? IMPUDENT THING! RETURN IT TO MEUS THIS INSTANT OR PERISH!’ it bellowed.

Starlight grinned as she alighted Fluttershy and Flash Magnus’ grasp and landed near the door, having re-collected the burning crown from the hole it had made in the carpet. ‘Like a moth to a flame, aren’t you?’ she said, taunting the thing as it glowered at her and bared its fangs, ‘Feel like part of you’s missing? Y’know, Spike’s right, this is getting old… let’s see how far you can reach for it!’

Then she pitched Twilight’s crown out of the room straight through Stygian’s window, the book in the image smashed as it whizzed through it at high speed. ‘Whee!’ squealed Pinkie Pie, as her head and Rarity’s both whipped over their shoulder at it in synchronicity.

‘My goodness! Nice throwing horn, dear!’ Rarity gasped.

‘Oh, geez, I hope that doesn’t hit anypony outside! You just sucked up a bunch of energy!’ Spike quickly observed, looking at Starlight with irritation.

Starlight cringed, knowing she’d acted rashly in the heat of the moment, but before she could respond Meus barrelled past her, hyperextending its neck and shooting straight after the crown’s trajectory. It emitted another icy-cold roar before throwing itself out of the door, inches away from the terrified cadets still forcing it open. However, as it tried to burst through the window it was suddenly deflected, a black aura becoming visible for a moment as it bounced back, stunned.

Still connected to the mirror in the library, the tentacle seized up as Meus’ Spike-head thudded hard onto the hallway floor. If it weren’t for the plinth the mirror was attached to, chances were good it would have toppled over and shattered beyond repair. It roared and thrashed around on the floor for a moment before falling limp for good. The cadets looked on as its visage began to disintegrate, revealing a skeletal death mask that seemed to be its true face. ‘Yeesh,’ Gallus ventured as cold steam billowed from it and it started to vaporise, ‘Did Headmare Starlight beat that thing? It wasn’t so tough in the end…’

He spoke a little too soon. Suddenly another icy howl rushed out of the mirror and filled the room, and two more of the tentacle creatures shot out, wearing malevolent-looking Starlight and Twilight faces this time and spiralling around one another as they streaked past everypony. The cadets scattered as they shot at their fallen fellow appendage, wrapping around it before reversing course and dragging it back through the mirror with them.

Right before departing entirely the Starlight-faced tentacle reared its head, bared its knife-long teeth and growled in a sing-song inflection of her voice, ‘WEAK LITTLE THINGS AGGRIEVE MEUS… I/WE WILL RETURN THIS INDIGNITY A HUNDREDFOLD! AWAIT MY/OUR RETURN! I/WE HAVE MY/OUR WAYS OF MAKING PATHETIC LITTLE EQUINES SEE HOW SMALL AND HELPLESS THEY TRULY ARE!’

Then it withdrew into the glaring void, and the looking glass made a slurping noise and shimmered for a moment before changing from blinding white light to the more familiar pink swirl it took when in normal use. Then Princess Cadance appeared, looking not a bit frantic, with Flurry Heart holding her defensively by one front leg.

‘Twilight?! What’s happening?’ she inquired, ‘She called me and then there were noises and crashing and I couldn’t see anything… wait, where is she? What happened over there? Is Twilight okay?’

‘Sunshine, sunshine,’ Starlight said, her brow knit and her lips pursed. Rarity looked over at her and noticed she was shivering, and not simply from the cold Meus had left behind, not that she could blame her.

‘Ah… ladybugs awake?’ responded Cadance, ‘Should we do the dance? It’s kind of my thing with just Twilight, no disrespect meant…’

Starlight relaxed, although she was still quaking a bit. ‘No, that’s fine. You’re for real, I needed to check was all. We’ve had, uh, a pretty big problem with the magic mirror. Twilight got hurt but she’s safe. Everything okay over there?’

‘Everything’s the same as usual in the Crystal Empire… oh, dear, poor Twilight! Was there a fight, or a monster in Canterlot?’

‘Forgive me if I don’t feel comfortable discussing this through the current medium, princess, but yes there was, and honestly, I’m pretty shaken after what just happened. Hey, Spike, mind taking a letter for Cadance and Shining a little later?’

Spike and Rarity both approached the mirror, and Spike felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins fade and get replaced with achy stress, the same as Starlight and likely everypony else in the room was. ‘Sure I can. Sorry, Cadance, but I’m with Starlight,’ he said, staying right by Rarity for comfort, ‘Speaking on Twilight’s behalf, this thing’s off-limits until we know what happened for sure, because right now it’s a mystery we definitely don’t wanna risk repeating. Speak soon?’

Rarity put her hooves around Spike’s shoulders and looked down at him with a mild but concentrated frown, and Cadance almost smiled at them before replying in seriousness, ‘…Yes, I understand. I’ll await further word through magic scroll. Bye for now,’ she said, before flickering and fading into a normal reflection. Spike didn’t hesitate to throw the cloth back onto it once she’d disappeared.

‘Applejack and Rainbow took Twilight to her quarters,’ Fluttershy said as Starlight and the others paced away from the mirror, ‘Let’s go see if she’s awake yet. Mr. Magnus, would you mind terribly keeping an eye on this room?’

‘Gallus, Silver Sprite, call for some backup, and make sure there’re some unicorns among ’em. Starboard Stern, go outside and retrieve the crown, bring it directly back to our princess’ quarters but don’t touch it directly, horn only. Poppet, follow us outside, keep the door locked and make certain nocreature enters until they return with help,’ Flash Magnus commanded before turning to Fluttershy and confirming, ‘Yes, Miss Fluttershy, we’ll watch the room in case that thing returns. The area should remain secure so long as the room is vacated. We’ve got a good idea of what we’re up against after that display.’

‘Thank you very much,’ Fluttershy almost-whispered in abject relief, nodding her head then smiling sweetly at Flash. He bowed his head in response.

‘Yeah, thanks… no, really, I mean it, that’s reassuring to hear,’ sighed Starlight, looking very tired. ‘Girls, Spike, let’s check on Twilight and rest up, shall we…?’

‘Rest sounds wonderful, as does a rendez-vous with dear Twilight after everything we’ve all been through,’ Rarity nodded, allowing Spike back on top of her, ‘Let’s not delay a minute further! After the rest of you, Fluttershy, Pinkie.’

As everypony hurriedly left the room, Spike put a palm on Rarity’s neck, beneath the back of her mane. ‘I’m glad you’re okay, Rare,’ he said with a maudlin tinge in his voice, ‘Things got hairy there for a while.’

‘Aw, Spike… I’m very relieved you weren’t hurt by that great beast, throwing its weight around like that… but you endangered yourself unnecessarily, you know – Starlight could, and did, ward it off at range! Now’s not the time to fuss about these things, though… let’s just leave, and see to poor, dear Twilight,’ Rarity breathed, as tired as anycreature else in the group.

Spike didn’t answer, instead putting his head over Rarity’s shoulder and putting his claws around her neck and chest. She responded with closed eyes and a sigh as she trotted along to catch up with the others – it felt at once faintly inappropriate, yet precisely what she needed in that instant.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 12.5: An Interlude :: What Happened? –

‘Mmm… interference, then,’ sighed Princess Twilight, sitting semi-upright in her four-poster bed, her horn protruding through the bandage around her head with another bandage around her left wing, a plate of mashed potatoes, peas and a sparkling rainbow cupcake all on a tray magically floating over her lap. ‘Those’re… that’s what the books and the Spikes were all about, I’m sure of it now you’ve laid it out.’

‘This “Meus”…’ she rolled the name around her mouth and looked up, her head sinking into the pillow for a moment, ‘Must’ve spent some time waiting for a weakness in the fabric of the mirror’s… swirly stuff, its matrix I mean, to get through into Canterlot. But… how, and why now? Like AJ just read from Starswirl the Bearded’s literature on the subject, that kind of thing’s glitches caused by little stuff, like bugs or leaves getting into a portal. There’s no record of such a huge monster ever forcing its way through the mirror before. Most there’s ever been is the “rogue Equestrian Magic” phenomenon Sunset reports to me once in a while, and that’s more of an influence than anything material.’

Applejack held the faux-leather-bound tome on the ins-and-outs of magic mirrors, having haltingly read aloud the fairly involved information Twilight had insisted upon referring to immediately upon awakening. She’d had to intervene in Twilight’s keenest desire to both levitate and scrutinise the heavy book as a precaution following her injury – immortal as the years passed she may have become, but as had very recently been demonstrated she could still be harmed, further brain strain definitely counting – and she focussed on a diagram of how quicksand portals worked for a moment before looking up. ‘Accidental entry through an, uh, entrydimensonial tear’s happened before as you know, sugarcube… but from what y’all’re pointin’ out, nothing about that entrance was an accident. And, sounds like it was material enough to make a pigsty of y’all’s epis-sepsis-otology library on top of clobberin’ ya.’

Twilight’s bedroom chamber was not especially palatial in context of the pomp of the public face of Canterlot Castle, but it was still more spacious than average despite the overhead space taken up by the roots of the Golden Oak Library, something more besides books she’d relocated to the inner sanctum from the old castle. With the arched, green-tinted window kept faintly ajar, the hanging strings of gemstones decorating them glistened and tinkled against one another lightly in the cool breeze. Applejack had reasoned Twilight needed fresh air after the ordeal, as did they all, and despite Spike and Rarity’s chilly sojourn aloft the temperature outside had since become slightly more amenable, especially given the severe minus-temperatures they’d recently experienced while united against their icy foe. Twilight’s appropriately queen-sized mattress was home to a dozen pastel-coloured pillows and cushions that had, for the time being, mostly been pushed to its foot to keep her as unobstructed and level as possible, but she still had three nearby besides the one her head rested upon.

The other Elements of Harmony were closely congregated around the bed looking tired and largely still faintly nervous, but very relieved that Twilight was mostly thinking straight again following the blow she’d sustained in the library. Fluttershy had arranged for one of the castle chefs to fetch Twilight’s vittles, reasoning that she needed the strength, on Pinkie Pie’s encouragement. Meanwhile Rarity sat opposite where Applejack was, wrapped up snug in a warm blanket and nursing her own snack, a bowl of minestrone soup, while fussing a little over the princess’ condition and rubbing pale green ointment into the joint of her wing. For his part Spike was absent, having retired to the room’s neighbouring study for a few minutes to draft out, then mail a letter via dragonfire to the Crystal Empire like he’d promised.

Twilight had explained a short while ago what had happened after they’d all reconvened in her chamber. While in the midst of replenishing the mirror’s deactivation spell she’d received a call from it that she’d assumed was Cadance, then was caught off-guard by the same light and snow that had attacked them a few minutes later pouring out. It had been accompanied by an indistinct, snakelike mass that had attacked her, then had had its physical form sundered and somewhat depowered by her crown when she’d retaliated in fright. That forced its initial retreat, and left her buried under a pile of heavy library books shortly before their arrival.

Since their arrival Starlight Glimmer had been seated backwards on a cushioned chair by Twilight’s bedroom mirror cabinet that Spike had flung his battle-damaged jacket onto the back of, a short distance away from the others, resting her hooves on its freezerburnt fabric. Having wolfed down a bread roll and a bowl of soup the same as Rarity’s, and spent a minute nodding off after all that seat-of-her-flank spellcasting, she eased back into the real world as Twilight spoke. ‘Ngh… you know what’s strange, besides everything else… you said before that Cadance called you, but when we spoke briefly she said she’d received a call from you,’ she pondered as she approached the others, ‘That could be significant, though she said nothing bad had happened at her end when I checked.’

‘That’s because it’s not an interdimensional portal, just a sender and receiver for calls from our end. But if Meus was hiding inside somehow,’ Twilight said, before levitating another spoonful of peasy mash and taking a chomp while collecting her thoughts, ‘Well, there’s next to nothing in my literature about the precise nature of the matrix. It exists as a passage between worlds, yet it’s imperceptible and near as anypony can tell, unobservable.’

‘Moving between dimensions feels, and for our intents and purposes, is near-instantaneous, but without a way to directly observe it, its subtleties are, well, magic, in its most literal form. It works because it works. Everything we know is extrapolated from centuries of observed experience.’

‘Sounds to me as if y’all need to take the time to at least try to observe before runnin’ wild with the thing again, then,’ said Applejack, ‘I ain’t much for this kinda malarky, but casually observing the “spherical cow” explanation Starswirl writ on down in here, there’s somethin’ intelligent workin’ behind the scenes with it.’

‘That much we can observe. Anecdotally, it has decent fashion sense when sending somepony out into the human world,’ Twilight conjectured, pausing with another mouthful before lightening up, continuing with a snort, ‘I don’t think just trotting about without clothes there is, ah, as socially acceptable as it is in our world, so it’s just as well!’

‘Can confirm,’ Starlight nodded, stroking her sparkling neckerchief with a hoof, ‘Something out there gave me a neat hat and pre-ripped jeans when I jumped through to hang with Sunset Shimmer and her squad over there for the day, if you can believe that. I really liked that hat and I guess I’ve fond memories of that day despite how crazy it got courtesy of a different magic mirror, so when I saw this on the Ponyville market a few moons ago I had to have it…’

‘Yeah… clothes, not to mention the whole “transforms you into one of those hands-and-fingers-things” thing if you head out that way, or a dog, in Spike’s case,’ Rainbow Dash said, barely suppressing a laugh at that last point, ‘Sucks to be that guy… but sure, the wardrobe’s the important part of the, uh, process. Wasn’t it weird, meeting us,’ she motioned to the other ponies in the bedroom, ‘For the first time all over again, but as an alien species? And from what you’ve said, slightly, uh, younger?’

‘Yeah, it is strange at first, but you get used to it…’ Twilight answered with a nostalgic drawl, but as Starlight nodded in affirmation she continued with a grave look in her eyes, ‘But we’re getting off track from the immediate issues at hoof. Starlight, I just wanna say, you were right back in the council room about needing support, there really wasn’t any need for me to go off alone like I did… thinking on it, I should’ve at least taken a guard along. I got used to not worrying about this stuff back at the castle in Ponyville – you all know I never hired any guards there – and I guess I still consider them a formality over anything else. Things have been pretty tranquil in Equestria in general since I took over, you know? We’ve all just been getting on with life as usual since the so-called Legion of Doom got statued. It didn’t seem necessary.’

‘I’d say you’re getting soft, but now you mention it, no, I guess you never did, and it wasn’t a big deal,’ Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle, one hoof behind her neck as she hovered, ‘And life has been harmonious since then, I can see why you wouldn’t… not that that’s a bad thing or anything! Can’t lie, it’s been nice to be able to focus on Wonderbolt duties and events without getting called out to who-knows-where to solve a friendship problem or battle some mook a few times a moon…’

‘Well, hindsight is twenty-twenty, Twilight darling, nopony thinks less of you for it,’ Rarity assured her, her eyes brimming with kindness as she put a hoof atop Twilight’s sheets, ‘But perhaps watch out for yourself a little more? We all have your back no matter what, but it helps immeasurably if you say the word. You are our friend, as well as our princess! Isn’t that right, girls?’

Everypony nodded and agreed before Starlight replied to Twilight’s apology outright. ‘Yeah, I could’ve insisted I go with you a bit harder, but I’d be lying if I said I saw that intruder coming. I just worried after what Rarity reported that you’d fall in, or have it spray liquid magic glass on you! I mean, it’s liquid when it’s active, right? Can it do that?’

Applejack briefly licked her hooftip before flipping back to the book’s table of contents to locate something, beetling her brow as she did a modicum of research. ‘Naw, says right here it’s “ether-real”, which, uh, I suppose that means it ain’t in a normal state of matter–’

She was interrupted as the guards outside the bedroom door swung it open, and Spike flew in, followed by the unicorn cadet who had been present alongside Flash Magnus, bearing Twilight’s crown in a magical hold. ‘I’m done with the mail, and I met Starboard here in the hallway,’ he stated as the young aquamarine stallion with the naval compass on his flank stood in the doorway and saluted everypony in the room. ‘Thank you very much, cadet. Uh, it didn’t bean anyone, did it?’

‘Nope, just landed in a flower bed near the School of Magic, nothing serious, sir,’ said Starboard Stern, ‘Just as well, because I had to stamp out the fire it lit. Mrs. Glimmer, Sir Magnus asked me to pass on that he knew times were stressful back there, but maybe try not to endanger others like that in future?’

Starlight cringed. ‘It got rid of that monster, but he’s right. Sorry about that…’

‘Anyway, it’s cooled off enough that you can take it from me by claw if you like,’ Stern continued, passing it to Spike.

Spike plucked it from his grasp, tentatively at first, then flew closer to the bed. ‘Thanks, man. Twilight, anything else for this guy?’

‘Just… just my own thanks besides,’ she replied as she sat up even straighter than before in an effort to look regal while bedbound and still vaguely dazed, before addressing him with her royal voice, ‘Your company supported my friends in the library quite admirably, soldier. I’ll see to it that you’re rewarded later.’

‘Oh, yes, especially Mr. Magnus after that mean bully froze me against the wall,’ Fluttershy added, flying and gently shaking Starboard by both hooves, ‘I appreciated his help very much, please be sure to let him know.’

Rarity turned and trotted away from the bed, following the others’ leads and approaching the trainee with a tender smile. ‘Yes, thank you from the very bottom of all our hearts, you and the others, sweetheart. Here’s a little something for all your troubles!’ She floated five round, polished brown crystals out of the saddlebag she’d dumped at the foot of Twilight’s bed and, as the unicorn guard looked faintly awkward, inserted them into the top of his cuirass.

He frowned nervously and blushed for a moment as they rolled around in the armour padding beneath his belly before pulling his hooves away from Fluttershy’s and blurting out, ‘Uh, uh, um… thank you, your highness, and uh, m’ladies! Well, back to the library – we’ve got that room under lock and key for now! Nothing to report, but Sir Magnus will inform you ASAP the second anything changes!’

Spike crossed his arms in mid-air, and couldn’t help a slightly sardonic smile as he observed Rarity’s generosity toward the cadet. ‘“M’ladies”, pfft…’ he muttered under his breath, feeling faintly jealous at the attention this colt-in-arms had garnered just by showing up.

Rarity returned to her previous place by the bed and gave Spike, making a petulant face despite himself, an open, earnest smile. He took a breath as he realised his irrationality – Rarity’s behaviour just then was no different to how she’d been around Peach Melba a while back, after all. He lightened up and looked at her, then at Stern, and said, ‘Sorry, Stern, this afternoon’s been a pain in the tail. Enjoy those, sure… they’re a delicacy!’

‘No problem, Spike. Well, back to work!’ Regaining his composure Starboard Stern bowed his head and, once everycreature had returned the gesture, took his leave.

Spike ran a claw over the crown to make certain he was satisfied it was back at room temperature, and once Starboard Stern had left turned to their princess and asked, ‘So, Twi… where’d you like this? I was gonna just stick it back on your head, but looking at you with all those bandages, maybe not…?’

‘I’ll be fine, Spike. Slap it on,’ Twilight smiled.

Fluttershy hovered over Applejack’s head, sizing up the situation. ‘If you don’t mind me saying, you’re not fine,’ she said, raising a hoof kindly but firmly, ‘You took terrible abuse from an invader right in the nerve centre of the realm, and I don’t think we should be minimising that at all! You’re very lucky you weren’t hurt a lot worse, Twilight. Applejack was quite right to wrap you up and read the book for you… mild it may be, but a concussion like you had needs plenty of physical and mental rest, your wing will need a few days to heal, and in the spirit of what Rarity was saying before Spike came back, I for one wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving you alone tonight, even if you have your staff nearby and royal guards, um, guarding the mirror.’

‘Yes, nor would I,’ Rarity nodded once, leaning towards Twilight and batting her lashes, ‘I can spare a little time away from the boutique over the weekend for dear Twilight’s sake. Why don’t we all stay over tonight? Wouldn’t you at least like the moral support, darling?’

‘Ooh, sounds like a sleepover!’ laughed Pinkie Pie, ‘Fantastic! I’m so in! Sound good, Appledash?’

‘Yes, essentially,’ Rarity returned Pinkie’s grin as Applejack and Rainbow Dash responded affirmatively, ‘Though we’ll primarily be on alert as secondary defense, there’s no reason we can’t all have fun now, is there?’

Twilight paused for a moment, looking around at her friends who all grinned and nodded in varying stages of agreement. ‘I mean, I’m confident the Royal Guard have everything under control now and I’ll be fine after some sleep, but… oh, you’re right, I’d very much appreciate all of you staying. I mean, anypony who can’t stick around doesn’t need to… Starlight, don’t you need to get back to the school soon at least? And Fluttershy, what about the sanctuary?’

Starlight looked ambivalent and stroked her chin with one hoof as she cogitated for a moment, then cast Spike a serious look. ‘Like Rarity said, it is a Friday afternoon. Hmm… Spike, I don’t suppose you can take another letter to Sunburst, let him know I’ll be in Canterlot overnight? He won’t thank me for last-minute leaving a bunch of grading to him, but this is kind of important and Trixie can foalsit Lulu, I hope. You know, Trixie wasn’t very enthused by the whole baby thing in the early going, but they get on like a house on fire nowadays,’ she cringed at her choice of words for a second, ‘Figuratively, not literally… besides that one time, but that’s ancient history… the little magic shows she gives to Lulu have been toned down just a bit since that!’

‘As for the sanctuary. it’ll be fine in Dr. Fauna’s capable hooves for one evening, and Discord gets on so well with the herbivores these days… oh, I can probably give poor Spike a rest and summon the dear, we need a little word besides,’ said Fluttershy, before walking a few steps into the middle of the bedroom, tossing her mane back as she did a little jig then clapped her hooves together, calling aloud, ‘Discy! Discord, may I have a word if you’re not too busy, please?’

After a moment’s wait Discord appeared through a tear in reality, wearing soapy marigold gloves on his paw and claw and wielding a scrubbing brush, stepping onto the round puce rug in the centre of Twilight’s bedroom as a flying cup and saucer also exited the portal, tootling a little ditty. ‘Yes, Fluttershy? I was a little in the middle of, ah, causing chaos in the kitchen sink. These singing teacups aren’t self-washing, after all!’ Then he teleported next to Twilight and observed her bandaged form as she looked up at him sternly, ‘Ooh, dear me! Have you been getting overly raucous during your meet-up, girls? Protect the princess, indeed!’ He whipped out a stethoscope and prodded her with it on the head and chest a few times as he spoke.

‘Just a book to the head and a bruised wing,’ Twilight harrumphed, not appreciating Discord’s interference, ‘Nothing the girls did. Paws off, if you don’t mind?’

‘Discord, don’t be silly. We’ve had an, um, a sticky situation here in Canterlot this afternoon, and we’re going to stay overnight until we’re confident all is well… I really should ask, are you acquainted with an, um, “Meus”? Big, cold, mean, semi-formless tentacle creature, came out of the magic mirror, tossed all the books in the library around in a storm and tried to freeze everycreature?’

Discord pondered for a second, then shrugged. ‘There are so many gods and monsters floating around these parts I lost track millennia ago, Fluttershy, and that doesn’t ring a bell, that’s the honest truth… I don’t find myself needing to traipse into colder climes so often, or use mirror magic, ah, at all, and the name rings no bells from this, nor any other reality I know. You seem all okay, your fallen princess aside, but… it didn’t hurt you in body or spirit, did it?’

‘No, but I was stuck to the wall for a few minutes after I tried to talk it down from how mean it was being. Twilight and Spike took the worst of it… Spike is fine, but Twilight needs some rest. Anyway, I can trust you to watch over the sanctuary with Dr. Fauna for the night, can’t I?’ She looked up at Discord with the sweet, open expression everycreature in the room knew meant that for Discord, refusal simply wasn’t an option.

Not that he minded terribly. ‘Oh, I swear to myself that I’ll handle the dear creatures to my utmost,’ he answered, one hand on his heart as the other grabbed the stray teacup by its handle, ‘Those adorable little fuzzy lagomorphs, rodents and pachyderms will be all kept safe and happy under their Uncle Discord’s purview, as I also swear to acquiesce to dear Fauna’s superior knowledge as dispensed.’

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she raised both hooves to her mouth. ‘Thank you… but do be careful with the little ones around Muriel! You know she gets scared if they surprise her…’

‘Oh, just joking around a little, I know intimately how she gets skittish. The last thing I want is to get trampled flat again. Anyway, now you bring this ice beastie up I should look into it in my own ways… in the meantime, if anything gives you girls trouble, let me know! I care. Well, ta-ta!’

‘Thank you so much, and see you soon, Discy. Tomorrow for tea over there?’

She closed her eyes and smiled as he leaned over and kissed her on the brow. ‘Up on the ceiling as always, butterbug. Routine’s not really in my nature, but that’s important.’

After reciprocating with a kiss of her own behind his ear, Fluttershy saw Discord off with eyes filled with adoration. Once he’d disappeared back into his own little world to prepare for an evening of animal care, Starlight observed, ‘Well, that made my teeth ache. You know, your relationship with that crazy draconequus is surprisingly uncomplicated. I was sure you’d be ready to, uh, obliterate him from orbit by now, but instead I’m the one with a bunch more hoops to jump through before I know I’m good to stick around.’

Fluttershy was unperturbed by Starlight’s judgement of her significant other, but she nevertheless blushed as she answered. ‘Well, the instantaneous portals help a lot… but Discord is lovely and kind, and very reliable when it counts. We’ve been getting on very well lately in particular… and from the sound of it, so are you with your family.’

As Starlight smiled back faintly slyly Twilight interjected, ‘Dang… I was really hoping Discord would be more sharey on what we’re up against. You sure he’s not holding out?’

‘It was worth my asking, but if he knows less than we do there’s not much else to say on the subject,’ Fluttershy said, giving Twilight a serious look, ‘He knows much more than he lets on, that’s true just on account of how long-lived he’s become, but he never lies to me. I believe him.’

‘Me too,’ said Spike, ‘Guy learned his lesson for the most part after Tirek, didn’t he? He’s still, uh, strange sometimes but he gets boundaries a lot better now, occasional pranks and well-meaning messes like the Legion of Doom thing aside. Associating with somecreature like Meus doesn’t seem like his style…’

‘Alright… he is much more responsible these days, but I need to cover my bases, you know? I didn’t mean to accuse him of anything, Fluttershy. ’Scuse me if it came out that way,’ Twilight apologised before turning to Spike, ‘Looks like you’re taking a few more messages, little guy. Well, definitely one for Applejack to Sweet Apple Acres as well as Starlight… anypony else?’

Pinkie waved her hoof upwards. ‘The Cakes need to know that the cakes won’t flow tomorrow morning. I fill in on Saturdays when I can, but priorities… I could make a hundred of even the deliciousest cake we sell for a bit apiece, but you can’t put a price on Twilight’s brain-filled noggin!’

Twilight giggled as Pinkie put a hoof around her purplest friend, then winced. ‘Haha, ow! Ow, Pinkie, get off! I appreciate that but please, I’m feeling kind of delicate… thinking about it, if you’re all going to stay the night,’ she pushed Pinkie off her before turning to her assistant, ‘Spike, I’m sorry to oblige you for yet another scroll but could you get Raven to organise for all the game stuff we left in the meeting room to come up here?’

‘Ooh, the party cannon too, Spike!’ Pinkie Pie added to that before putting her hooves together and intoning, ‘A party without a party cannon… is barely canon at all.’

‘Okay… letters for Starlight, AJ, Pinkie and one to Raven Inkwell,’ Spike looked at the ceiling as he counted all four fingers of one claw, ‘Followed by something down my neck and some sleep, if you don’t mind. Not everycreature here’s had the luxury of both.’

Twilight stirred her fork in her mashed potatoes with a little guilt, and Rarity, who had continued to fuss over her while the others had been talking, turned to him with a smile. ‘Are you leaving for that study across the hall again, sweetheart? I’ve only had eyes for our darling, hurt princess since we got here and I… ooh, maybe a little TLC for you wouldn’t go amiss after everything we’ve been through…’

‘Writing and sending letters is easy, Rarity, but if you wanna come with, I’d like that,’ Spike drawled, finally plunking Twilight’s crown onto her bedside table, ‘But, yeah, I won’t be back here for a short while, nothing personal to anypony. Back downstairs to my room for a couple of hours. Head hurty, achey, hungry, chamomile tea and naptime for Spikey. ’Scuse me, Starlight.’ He flew over to the chair she rested upon and collected his jacket as she moved her hooves, slinging it over his shoulder.

‘Shouldn’t we send a letter to Starswirl the Bearded, Twi? He’s got the most experience out of anypony in Equestria with mirror worlds and such, y’know? Wrote the book right here, prolly got the t-shirt to boot, from the mirror itself!’ said Applejack.

‘Five letters, then…’ Spike said, before Twilight could respond. ‘They’re not gonna be wordy, I’m going telegram mode. I hope that’s OK.’

‘Yeah, understandable; you’ve put up with a lot,’ Rainbow Dash nodded. ‘But come back soon after you’ve slept it off! We’re gonna be up! All! Night!’

‘It’s party time, but we mustn’t go too hard,’ Pinkie whispered, sitting next to Twilight and attempting to pat her on the head, deflected by a lilac hoof in no short order, ‘Sorry… it’s gonna be a slumber party… Discord had a point before! More sponge cake than hard candy, no jumping on the bed this time!’

‘I agree, and that sounds nice,’ said Fluttershy, ‘Although we never finished up Dragon Pit and I’d like another try, even if I left the mask you lent me somewhere or other…’

‘Yeah, a slumber party, where I stay in bed. You’re not getting me out from under here for another measurement just yet, Dashie. Don’t try,’ Twilight said, not unkindly.

As Rainbow grinned and stuck her tongue out at Twilight, Rarity collected her diamond-encrusted saddlebag and plopped it onto her back. ‘Well, if all of you don’t mind… if you’re heading bedward, Spikey-Wikey, let me give you a little lift as we accompany one another.’

‘Thanks a lot, Rarity. Let’s get these messages sent,’ said Spike, flying over to her before landing on her back, ‘See you later, girls!’ He waved, and Rarity turned to look behind her at their friends, waving a hoof likewise as they all said their goodbyes in chorus. Rarity cooed farewell one last time before leaving, delicately closing the arched door behind her as Spike jostled lightly upon her back, upright this time, his claws gently caressing her shoulders once more.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 13: Spike’s Lair –

After a brief transportation upon Rarity’s back to a desk and a supply of scrolls, Spike burned through his required messages in a matter of minutes, keeping things short and to the point as he’d mentioned. Rarity waited patiently by his side and, once he’d fulfilled his duties, popped him back onto herself and made her way down the lavishly-carpeted spiral staircase to the ground floor hallway in the west wing where his personal chambers were located. Neither of them spoke much en route, both feeling tuckered out as they were, Rarity keenly aware that Spike bore the worse of it between them. Resilient they may well be, but even dragons struggled with extreme cold, she knew, and as they bumpily approached the door she gave him a gentle nudge as she slowed to a stop.

‘Well, we’re back here, again,’ said Spike, scrambling off of Rarity’s back with his jacket arms tied around his waist, nearly falling off before landing on his feet and unlocking the door, ‘Thanks for the ride…’

Rarity craned her neck downwards towards him and smiled, hoping for a kiss or a rub on the cheek, but Spike just turned towards her once he’d pushed the door ajar and looked awkward, one eyebrow raised and slightly slack-jawed as his purple complexion turned amaranthine. ‘Uh…’

His awkwardness was infectious, and Rarity felt her face flush more than a little as she sat on the floor. ‘Um…’ she responded, similarly tongue-tied.

Her heartbeat became faster and that flush crept outwards, and she broke eye contact as she became positive that her snowdrop-white ears had thawed into a bright pink blossom. Eventually she broke the silence with a nervous chuckle and a quick groom of her mane. ‘Well… I suppose I should leave you in peace and return to whatever all-night antics the others are doubtless concocting, shouldn’t I…’ she said, looking back across her shoulder.

‘Don’t!’ Spike almost-whispered with palpable urgency, his flushed face persisting before speaking up somewhat. ‘I mean, if it’s alright with you, I don’t wanna be by myself after what happened…’

Rarity raised her head and looked back at him, her face still very pink and with a broad, loving smile. ‘Nor I without you, truthfully… after that incident I’d be happy to have a further heart-to-heart with you, if that’s acceptable to you, of course! I’d simply hate to intrude upon your bedchamber without your say-so…’

‘Uh, you’ve been inside my bedroom before, here and at the old castle, Rare. But I suppose inviting you in’s the gentledragonly thing to do...’ Spike grinned, not turning less red as he turned and bowed to her, speaking with an affectation that reflected Rarity’s as he looked upwards with an embarrassed grin, ‘My dearest, sweetest Rarity, I very much would appreciate your company during this troubled time. Pray, would such a beautiful, talented and kindly lady such as yourself deign to enter within this humble dragon’s, uh, lair? I would be truly honoured.’ He returned to his usual mode of speech as he added, ‘I haven’t cleaned up at all, though, so it’s kinda messy…’

Rarity giggled and extended a hoof, which Spike took in his claw before kissing it, his other behind his back. ‘Oh, you little flatterer, I’m sure it’s at least habitable… nevertheless, there’s nothing I’d rather do more than accept your humble request, my darling,’ she said, tipping her head to one side as her cheeks bunched. ‘Nothing at all.’

‘Heh, alright then… come on in,’ Spike said, gripping her hoof a little harder as he pushed the door fully open, then led her inside.

Almost. She stopped just before passing the threshold, and Spike jerked, nearly falling backwards from still holding her hoof. He turned to her and she lowered her face level with his, and whispered, ‘Hold on just two ticks, Spikey-Wikey… surely I needn’t say but I ought to be clear… no hanky-panky, I presume?’

‘The thought hadn’t crossed my mind, Rarity,’ Spike confirmed, mostly-truthfully, saluting with his free claw, ‘Just two good friends talking about stuff and keeping each other company. Let’s keep the door open, though, just in case.’

‘Good idea, darling,’ Rarity said with another chuckle, entering the room entirely and giving the door, which was slowly drifting back shut, a swift bump of her rump before levitating a nearby wooden chair by it, obstructing any further closure. ‘There’s nothing untoward about a little mutual support, but signalling the intended level of privacy is best, for certain. You never know what sort of ideas other ponies can possess themselves with, with just one sliver of the wider picture!’

Once they were both inside Spike let go of her hoof and flapped his wings, gaining a little air as he switched on a nearby desk lamp, sliding a drawer beneath it open as yellow light illuminated his room, bathing everything in cosy warmth.

Rarity had gained a quick peek of his bedroom before when he’d fetched the vase for her roses earlier, but hadn’t seen the interior of this room up close for some time, a short way away from Twilight’s as it was. The overall size of the area was roughly equivalent to any of the other rooms along this corridor including the guarded library room several doors down, but it had been partitioned into threes: a bathroom, the bedroom area they’d entered into, and, leading away from a wooden staircase placed against the left wall, a second storey that had seemingly been added to take advantage of the higher ceiling, granting its draconic inhabitant more floor space aloft as well as the ambience it afforded.

Two thick stone pillars similar to the ones in the mirror’s library pierced the ceiling, most likely reaching the room’s true apex, which would have betrayed the room’s refitting if Rarity’s practical eye hadn’t already measured it up as such. The courtyard window from up there allowed some natural light to filter through down the stairs alongside the orange and green of the stained glass window depicting Somnambula in the outside hallway, although it was rather dim without the lamp Spike had lit, now that Twilight’s normally-scheduled sun-lowering, uninterrupted by her injury, was beginning to proceed. Duskiness aside the room’s overall verticality was enough that the ceiling where they stood now wasn’t too low for comfort, although a few things, a few gem strings similar to the ones in Twilight’s room as well as other decorations Spike had acquired over time, draped down from the wooden rafters that Rarity mentally noted she’d rather not ding her horn upon. Not so much for the impact – if they started to jingle, who knew when they’d stop?

The first thing besides the room’s general architecture that grabbed Rarity’s attention was Spike’s bed itself, placed opposite the door and near the aforementioned staircase, close to the back wall. Spike slept in a large wicker basket containing a heap of unmade blue blankets and white cotton pillows atop an actual bed frame, something he’d become accustomed to over the years. One of the blankets spilled over the rim onto the floor, and Rarity noted that a facsimile of the butterfly-ribboned sleeping mask she often slept with had its elastic wrapped around one of the pillows.

Lining the walls next to the bed and beneath the stairs was a wardrobe with a hanger, upon which rested Spike’s nightshirt and cap, and some bookcases, not the grand things sweeping the perimeter of the other rooms this time but modest wooden ones with reams of disorganised tomes filled with notes, as well as three sealed longboxes Rarity suspected contained Spike’s comic book collection. A little look behind her indeed revealed a Power Ponies poster tacked to the wall, the Masked Matterhorn in a spacesuit looking extremely determined as she led her superheroic comrades to presumed victory against some sort of macrocosmic threat that resembled one of Discord’s lesser-mannered relatives. Whoever it was, he wielded a gauntlet studded with what corresponded, by colour at least, very much with the jewellery that Rarity and the other Elements of Harmony used to wear when it was similarly go-time. Other posters decorated the walls and pillars haphazardly, some of other entertainment franchises Rarity was less familiar with, a couple seemingly abstract art pieces of some kind and one or two reproductions of Equestrian paintings she was more familiar with, some she’d even seen in person at their respective galleries.

Besides that, closer to the door there was a sitting area with a gramophone and a table that accommodated a kettle and a mug, a small stack of books and a jar of gems, the floor beneath decorated with a teal shag rug. Much of the rest of the room’s floor was hard slab that was rough and cold beneath the soles of Rarity’s hooves, so she stepped upon the furry rug as she looked around some more. The writing desk covered with scrolls Spike currently hovered nearby was on the left side of the room with another shelf, this one containing a treasure trove of vinyl records as well as a few small statuettes of ponies and dragons on top, by the opposite wall. Above those was the single framed art piece in the room, a wide painted landscape of the burned hills, billowing clouds and smoky volcanoes of the Dragonlands that nonetheless had lush wildflowers she imagined were swaying in a breeze in its foreground. Finally, a basin, a stove with a saucepan, a cobblestone, currently unused fireplace with a metal smokestack and a stack of logs were respectively placed by one another to the shelf’s left, the first closest to the bathroom door.

‘Oh! You’ve remodelled!’ Rarity exclaimed aloud as she drank in her surroundings.

Spike flew onto the desk chair, popped a couple of incense sticks out of its drawer and, after a brief inspection, lit them with a spout of fire breath before fixing them into a shallow, oblong pot next to his ink and quill. ‘This’ll kill any room smells. Oh, wait… and I really oughta clear up this mess. Kind of a fire hazard with these burning,’ he said, gathering the mess of scrolls and bunging them in the drawer. That exposed the desk’s surface, revealing its age; there were some scorched spots on it from previous mishaps of the sort, as well as an ingrained ink splodge.

Rarity didn’t object to the fragrance, having caught a faint stinky-socks whiff alongside everything else as she’d entered, which seemed strange to her since she’d never once seen Spike wear socks. Instead she circled around to Spike’s other side to examine his actions, commenting, ‘I didn’t know you were, ah, into joss sticks, Spikey? The only pony I know personally who is, is Fluttershy’s friend from the Breezy Trail…’

‘You talking about Tree Hugger?’ Spike asked, to which Rarity nodded. ‘Eh, yeah… it’s a habit I picked up off of Gabby, actually. You gotta admit, it makes sense for a firelighter such as myself to dig ’em… they help me relax besides the scent, or, uh, because of it? I’m not real sure how it works, but I like ’em.’

She inhaled, finding the scent likewise pleasing. ‘Mmm… you know, it is quite comfy in here if you don’t mind my saying! Ah, what’s upstairs?’

‘I got the place remodelled a while back now. Begged Twilight to install the second floor better part of a year ago, because looking up at a high ceiling from bed gave me the creeps, plus it keeps the place warmer when the fireplace is burning,’ Spike said, ‘Which is for visitors’ benefit more than my own, actually. I’ve been using that floor to do, uh, stuff? Maybe I’ll show you later. It’s very disorganised up there right now though.’

‘You said that about this room and it’s only slightly cluttered, but in your own time, sweetheart, a lady shan’t pry,’ she said, ever the gracious guest, ‘Besides, I feel your little inner dwelling by itself has lots to offer.’

Spike stretched now that the incense was set up as he liked it. ‘Mmm, yeah, if you want some tea there’s water in the kettle, I was gonna make some for myself but I need a lie down,’ he said, flapping his wings towards his bed and untying the jacket around his waist, dumping it at its foot. Rarity watched with amusement as he hovered over the basket for a second, lining himself up before aggressively slam-dunk-faceplanting himself into it, then rolling around within the blankets like a pill bug and wrapping up warm. Once he was all rolled up he added, ‘I mean, I can make some… soon… but… ohh, ugh, oh boy… oh man, hello bed, hello basket, it’s been too long…’

She giggled as Spike closed his eyes and barely poked his forked tongue out of his smiling mouth, his visage suddenly the only part visible in the ball he’d amassed around himself. ‘Alright, you sweet little thing, you relax for a moment and I’ll set tea,’ she said, depositing her saddlebag by the desk he’d just been attending, ‘Ah, where do you keep your teabags? I’ll make two, that soup Fluttershy ordered was divine but a chaser would likewise hit the spot… chamomile for you, wasn’t it? I’ll take the same, I think!’

‘In the jar on the fireplace shelf, Rare, two bags if you don’t mind… and yes please, I’m gonna fall asleep without a big gulp of that,’ Spike mumbled, half-opening his eyes and watching as Rarity trotted over to that area, igniting the stove with a concentrated horn blast before levitating the kettle onto it, then locating two cups and the jar he’d mentioned.

She turned back to him. ‘Would you like the fireplace on while I’m boiling things up, darling? I couldn't help noticing there’s fresh wood in there! My hooves are somewhat chilly on this stone floor…’

‘Go for it, Rare. Whatever makes you feel comfortable,’ Spike answered, wriggling around in his ball of blankets to maximise his own comfort. She responded positively before she laid one more log on for good measure, then zapped it for several seconds until a “fwoosh” sounded, followed by merry burning.

He idly admired his special somepony as she worked, lying on his side as he was. As Rarity faced away while tending their beverages she presented an unintentional view of her back end, and he would be lying if he’d claimed he didn’t enjoy it. She swished her perfectly coiffed tail and he relished every little flick of her ears and shift of her fine shoulders, particularly liking when she reared on her hind legs, giving a full view of her back and haunches and stretching her triple-diamond cutie marks for a moment as she hummed to herself in her busyness, readying the bags in cups and tinking a precise measurement of sugar into her own.

The graceful way she moved as much as how she looked, each enhancing the other, made such mundane actions as brewing the tea look absolutely magical to Spike. Plus, he thought to himself, she was, uh, what was the word? Voluptuous. Curvaceous in a way dragons such as, say, Smolder or Ember seldom were, he couldn’t help judging her equine form against the serpentine standard of the dracaenae he knew. That back profile started slender but subtly muscular below her shoulders, trimmed off just slightly around the waist then returned with a rounded vengeance by the time a dragon’s discerning eye drew towards her hips. As much as Applejack jibed her from time to time regarding the sedentary nature of her stock-in-trade compared to kicking trees for a living, her strong definition betrayed that Rarity definitely kept fit and he very much appreciated that; while her figure was quite noticeable from the front, from this vantage point it was all the more obvious she was all lithe white curves all over in all the right places from horn to hoof with bouncy purple curls cascading down over her shoulders, and nothing about her would let him forget it.

He ceased his increasingly impure thoughts about her physicality as she turned back around, addressing him again with a sweet smile. ‘There we go, the kettle should whistle once it’s ready. Now then,’ she breathed, sitting in the bed next to his basket and placing a hoof upon his brow, then observing with a giggle, ‘Ooh, Spikey… oh, you look so snuggly in there! It’s cute… anyway, how are you feeling now, precious?’

‘Happy with you here,’ he murmured, mentally snipping out the last minute or so of his train of thought and snug as a bug in a rug, ‘But, uh, kinda troubled? Truth be told, I do not like the implications of what happened in the library. Why did that thing have my face? What did it mean when it said you have a “pleasing essence”? What in Tartarus was it?!’

Rarity shifted uncomfortably. ‘Nocreature knows what that awful Meus is, darling, and we’re all as at a loss as you are. If I may offer some conjecture – educated guesses, nothing more – the way it was initially a snowstorm that, ah, coalesced into one or more creatures like that… well, it didn’t really have your face. Didn’t you notice when more came out briefly that they looked like Twilight and Starlight? It was imitating you, and them, of that I’m sure. Likely it has no real face, nor the ability to make one of its own.’

Spike sat upright, still ensconced in his blankets. ‘Man, that’s weird, but it makes sense. What was the word it used… “aggrieved”? The common thread between me, Twi and Starlight there is that we all angered it one way or another by denying its entrance into the castle. The way it was talking, it holds grudges, and it’s probably got it in for the three of us after we directly interfered with it one way or another. And as for you…’

‘Hmm, yes, that… whatever the “essence” it spoke of was, my darling, it’s getting none of it from me if I can possibly help it, you can count on that!’ Rarity sniffed haughtily, ‘I’d be flattered by that in a strange way, if it hadn’t almost knocked me flat. You know, nopony’s commented on it but I was lucky not to sustain a nasty iceburn from that blow. I actually barely leapt away in time, though I didn’t stick the landing as gracefully as I’d prefer in the heat of the moment.’

‘Is that right?’ said Spike, popping his head out from the blankets, ‘I just saw it strike you, and… well, you weren’t wrong on the way to Twilight’s that I endangered myself unnecessarily, but when I saw it threaten you with my face, I… kinda took it personally. I mean, we’d just been fussing over, uh, “What If I Became A Monster” after I’d been lowkey stewing on that all week, and it was weirdly, uh, what was that word you used a while back, where something’s an outlet for emotions?’

‘Catharsis?’ Rarity stated, as a question.

‘Catharsis, right. It was weirdly cathartic to sock it in the face right then and there, I guess, even if it didn’t have all that much effect. I barely felt it freeze my fist; I was too mad to care.’

Rarity leaned over to Spike and gave him a poke on the snout. ‘You would have felt it rather severely if I hadn’t whipped out that crystal shield, Spikey… you would’ve been frozen into a block! You just about weathered it when Meus was a blizzard and we had no other option, but a concentrated blast of that stuff… oh, I shudder to think!’ Then she sniffed and blinked, and Spike saw worrywort tears well up in her eyes, ‘Oh, I don’t want to think about it… oh, now I’m thinking about it all the more and I simply can’t bear it…!’

She embraced the little bundle of bedclothing containing Spike, a lock of her curly mane falling over one eye as she gave it a squeeze and hiccuped into it, and he tried and failed to hug back. ‘Aw, Rarity, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you, I wasn’t thinking straight… aw, please don’t cry. I’m fine, just, y’know, run down. I won’t do anything stupid like that again, if I can help it.’

Rarity squeaked sorrowfully in response, and Spike racked his brain for a moment for something that would make her feel better. ‘Uh, you know, I’ve only seen you do that once before. The shield, I mean… back when the so-called Legion of Doom attacked and Chrysalis tried to blast me back into the Pone Age. Do you keep that spell in reserve just for me?’ he smiled.

Rarity wiped her tears away and exhaled, reclining on the bed and resting her ear upon Spike, his ball her makeshift head pillow and an actual pillow clasped to her bosom as she calmly mused. ‘Well, since we’re still nominally on the subject of the magic mirror, it’s a trick I learned through Twilight’s correspondence with Sunset Shimmer… she’s kept me abreast through tidbits of what my human-world alter-ego gets up to once in a while, and she apparently devised something similar while harnessing her own powers from playing in their rock band over there. I thought it was a capital idea, so I practised it in my own time. You’re quite correct that the only times I’ve produced it in a crisis was then, and just now, to protect you…’

‘Either way, I feel kinda dumb now… all that “always your protector” stuff from before might just apply to you more than me, huh. Well, thanks for making sure we didn’t get brutally popsicled back there, Rarity,’ Spike said, a trace of dejection in his voice.

‘Aw, Spike… I recall, also, words to the effect of, ah, “so long as we have each other’s backs, anything is possible”, no? We prevailed, then as now, because we looked out for one another. I just got scared because you put yourself directly in harm’s way. You should look out for yourself, not just me. If something terrible happened to you on my behalf, I’d never forgive myself!’

‘Lesson learned, don’t worry. It wasn’t worth it, really, and I’m sorry if it scared you,’ said Spike, and just as he ended that thought the kettle started to whistle at a heightening pitch.

Rarity sat up from resting her head on him. ‘Apologise to future Spike when you really hurt yourself, not just to me… ah, it’s ready to tip out. Will you take your tea from inside those blankets too, or will you be joining me in the world of the living, sweetheart?’

‘Ugh, it’s just so comfortable in here I don’t wanna come back out so soon, Rare… but you know, maybe you can join me, after a fashion. There’s a bunch of linen in the wardrobe, if you’re feeling cold.’

‘Well, I had my scarf to keep me warm, before that horrid beast destroyed it…’ she sighed as she poured the steaming kettle water into the cups and stirred the teabag in each, ‘I might take you up on the offer, although a seat by the fire might fix me up just as well.’

‘Yeah, you liked that scarf… y’know, I can knit you a new one if you like.’

‘Pashmina’s not for beginners, Spikey, but I do appreciate the sentiment,’ Rarity laughed, bringing the cups back to the bed having discarded the bags in the basin, ‘Besides, I have several more back at the boutique! It’s just inconvenient since I didn’t think to bring a spare along. Anyway, here you go, precious-pants. Drink up, every drop!’ she beamed as he took one of the levitating cups into both claws.

She was about to take her first sip when she suddenly remembered something else tasty. ‘Oh! I almost forgot…’ she leaned over the foot of the bed and levitated another of the round smoky quartzes she’d given several of to the cadet in Twilight’s room not long ago out of her saddlebag, ‘Here, darling, something extra. They’re quite the delicacy, as you say!’

‘Aw yeah, there’s the good stuff… I won’t lie, I, uh, coveted those when you gave a bunch to Starboard Stern before. It was pretty obvious, huh? This’ll be perfect with tea.’

Rarity selected a large cushion, a sky blue one with golden tassels that may have originally belonged to her, to bed down upon and gave her chamomile brew a dainty sniff, then inhaled the broader incense scent around her before spreading out on the mattress a bit then taking a long sip. ‘Mmm, aromatherapy,’ she sighed once she’d swallowed, ‘You’re not wrong that this is making me feel rather… nice… mmm, Spikey, I already said you’d be good at the spa, didn’t I? Thinking upon it, they offer something similar to your sticks too.’

Spike also inhaled, through his nostrils and mouth, appreciating Rarity’s rosy perfume scent on top of everything else before biting a chunk from the first of the gemstones, chasing it down with a mouthful of his own cup. Rarity’s head jerked to attention as his lips met his mug, and she smiled at him. ‘So, how do those taste, my darling? Sate my curiosity,’ she inquired, her mane rolling back over her shoulders and her eyes still slightly watery from her outpouring a few minutes ago.

‘Cola and charcoal briquette taste, rough mouthfeel,’ Spike stated ponderously once he’d taken a gulp, and as Rarity raised a hoof to her mouth and chuckled he added, ‘Hey, you make a nice and sweet cup of tea, anycreature ever told you that?’

‘Yona does, all the time,’ Rarity rolled over and looked at Spike upside-down as her mane spilled onto the bedsheets, her cup casually floating nearby, ‘That sweet dear… sometimes I feel like she’s more appreciative than I deserve, the way she goes on. I couldn’t ask for a more attentive apprentice, though, she’s ever so good…’

‘She’s grateful that you gave her a chance doing something she loves even though she’s not a pony, and getting work as a non-pony in Ponyville can be tough. Even besides that, though, you deserve all of it, trust me…’ sighed Spike, putting his cup down after another mouthful before likewise rolling upside down so their eyes met. Now that Rarity had tangentially brought up the boutique he thought to ask, ‘Hey, quick thought. Does Yona or anycreature else feed Opal when you’re unexpectedly away from home for a while like this?’

‘Well, I usually plan ahead before Friendship Councils. It’s not unknown for some, ah, wacky circumstance to whisk all us girls off to some kind of adventure, big or small, I mean, you’d know as well as anycreature… anyway, Opal has a cat flap in the back door with one of those magnetic doodads on her collar, and I filled up her food and water bowls this morning to be on the safe side. Sweetie or Yona usually check in with her anyway, but dear Opal can look after herself for a day or two. Cats are rather independent creatures, after all.’

‘You say that, but I coulda written a scroll to–’ Spike started, then suddenly turned red for a second before bursting out of his blankets and turning his head away as he hacked up a scroll in a puff of green flame. ‘Ack! –one of them… speaking of which, here’s Sunburst’s answer fresh off the school burner. Says everything’s fine over there and Trixie can handle it, but Starlight needs to be back for their Saturday night meal at Kiss Corner with Maud and Mud Briar. Also that Trixie can’t, or, uh, won’t, foalsit that night as well as tonight, so they’ll need to arrange another babysitter. Well, them’s the breaks.’

‘The work-life balance can be tricky, but Starlight can figure something out, I’m sure,’ said Rarity, rolling over onto her stomach and looking up at Spike as he hovered, ‘Ah, do you need to take her that message straight away?’ she asked, tipping her head, making it clear that she’d rather he stuck around for the time being.

He looked at Rarity as she lay there, big eyes gazing at him with her tail jutting into the air and her chin nestling in her hooves, and grinned before sitting back down in his basket. ‘Nah, it’s not been so long… better to wait until I’ve accumulated a few more replies, then lug ’em all upstairs at once. Besides, I feel quite comfortable here right now.’

‘A little less so now you’re not wrapped up warm, though,’ observed Rarity, ‘Would you like me to gather those up for you again, darling?’

Spike clasped his teacup in both hands. ‘Mmm, not really. The tea’s having the desired effect and that quartz was great,’ he said, taking another slurp and downing the last drops, ‘I’ll be fine. Besides, it can’t be that much fun being in here while I just lie there, right?’

‘It’s quite alright, Spikey-Wikey, you plainly needed it. I’m just happy to spend some time alone with you,’ Rarity giggled, and Spike felt his heart flutter at those words as he blushed deeply again. ‘It’s just so lovely to take time to smell the roses, as they say, and relax and talk,’ she added, ‘We don’t need to be constantly “doing” to, ah, distract ourselves from simply “being”. I’m so happy just “being” with you…’

Spike felt tongue-tied for a moment, and he looked down, almost overwhelmed by the simple fact that Rarity, she for whom he had always pined for all these years, even during his years with Gabby, he admitted to himself, was in his bedroom, lying on his bed so casually, telling him how much she liked him. He’d replayed such scenarios in his head many times, and despite seeming like a simple desire it had felt such an insurmountable ask… but now it was happening. He considered pinching himself, after all their encounter with Meus felt like a weird nightmare in itself, and if it were, why wouldn’t this too be the idle fantasy of a dreaming mind?

Realising he was in danger of dissociating he decided to act, reaching out and touching Rarity, raking his clawtips on her extended foreleg, and she nearly spilled her remaining tea with surprise. ‘Spike?’ she gasped, uncertain of his next move.

He smiled, running his claws through the thin fur of her fetlocks. ‘Just making sure you’re real, that’s all. Oh, Rare, it is really nice, just hanging out, with… with my… with my Rarity.’

‘Oh, my favourite little dragon…’ Rarity breathed, smiling and showing off a full complement of facial dimples with a half-lidded expression. They looked at each other lovingly for a moment, then embraced, Spike wrapping his claws around Rarity’s neck and shoulders as she held him up, a hoof under his rump for support and the other caressing his back.

‘Aw, Spikey my darling… sometimes I do wonder what’s happening to me recently…’ she murmured, looking intensely into his eyes after a minute of heartfelt hugs, ‘Part of me feels like I’ve slowly surrendered myself to you, but if that’s the case it’s simply wonderful to be helplessly in your thrall… you know, I never felt like I had the time for pursuits such as, ah, this, these past years, regardless of my, um, romanticising nature it just seemed off the table for the most part, schoolfilly crushes on silly stallions aside… but this feels so different. I feel… it’s as if something had locked my heart away for a very long time without my realising, and now you’ve pried that lock open with one of your little claws and run away with it.’

Spike snuggled into Rarity’s chest, nuzzling into her chest fur as she spoke. ‘I feel something along the same lines, but it’s more like… now we’re together I wanna fly with you, to keep flying, over the horizon, to who-knows-where, forever, and it’s such an exciting feeling… oh, you’re such an amazing mare, Rarity, I want to keep up with you and your incredible… ness…’ He mentally followed that statement up with an internal slap to the forehead. That really wasn’t how that was supposed to come out. So much for keeping up, at least as far as breathless poeticism went.

But Rarity didn’t mind, simply giggling in response before sighing deeply. The pair of them slowly melted back down onto the bed, and Spike scooted off her chest, circling her head and looking down upon her with a big smile, leaning over from above. She sighed and closed her eyes and he held her head, reaching around her chin with one claw and caressing her right ear with the other, placing it between his thumb and forefingers, the former gently grooming the fluff at its base while the latter gave it a sweet little rubby scratch behind. She reached upwards and put her hooves and head around his shoulders as her mane fell back, and they stayed like that for a short while. Neither would argue otherwise that the best place in the world right now was right here, in one another’s arms, and that was worth any tribulation the world had to throw at them, be it monsters or anything more besides.

Spike gave her a gentle kiss on the horn and stroked back the strands of mane misbehaving over her forehead. ‘Feels like anytime something that looks like it’ll set us back it just makes us closer,’ he muttered as Rarity arched her back, opening her eyes and gazing at him with a look of abject happiness, ‘Think that’s a good sign?’

Rarity sighed, a heaving one that made her chest inflate then deflate for a few seconds. ‘I think my heart belongs to you now, for whatever that’s worth,’ she fawned with a bite of her lip and her hooves raised to her chest, ‘And that’s where it wishes to be, and where it belongs, nowhere else. Nothing can take that away from either of us, sweetheart.’

‘Nope,’ Spike agreed, ‘Nothing can. Whatever happens next, we’re in it together.’

Rarity rolled over onto her side and sighed slowly, again and again as Spike gave her shoulder a gentle kneading, and the line from her neck to her lower back some attention besides as she cast a critical eye at the bookshelves beneath the staircase and emptied out her teacup, then dropped it with a “tink” back onto its saucer. The room fell quiet, aside from her occasional sigh or yawn from her, and the crackle of the fireplace warming the room. They were both bathed in amber from the hallway window and the flicker of the burning logs, and it made Rarity feel so warm, inside as well as out. Spike’s lair, such as it was, felt such a far cry from being in Meus’ questionable company it was nothing less than utterly sublime.

She looked again to the shelves as she murmured with pleasure. Besides the dogeared Ogres & Oubliettes manuals and comic book boxes she’d seen upon entry some of the larger volumes stood out to her besides, and she idly browsed the spines with eyes half-open as Spike petted her. A series of high fantasy collections, each entitled “Burnferno and the–”, followed by a subtitle, sat there, at least a dozen individual squat titles set neatly in a row and numbered in ascending order along with an oval illustration of a musclebound, steel-blue warrior dragon with a loincloth and gritted teeth on their creased spines. Next to those, she saw a few hardcovers titled “Power Pony Omnibus” alongside a slimmer “Power Ponies II: Secrets of the Nega-Raptorians: The Musical: The Game: The Graphic Novel” volume that she supposed were compendia of stories from the long-running superhero series.

Rarity suddenly jolted up as something in particular caught her interest, and Spike withdrew his claws in alarm. ‘Ooh, Spike! I didn’t know you were interested in Brink Dessin! She was one of Manehattan’s greatest fashion illustrators once upon a time!’ She looked at him and saw she’d nearly bumped him back in her unwarned enthusiasm and cringed slightly, ‘Oh, sorry darling, I confess I was staring at your shelf over there with some idle curiosity, but, ah… may I peruse it? She was a true trailblazer, and even after all these years her work never fails to inspire me! I actually have this precise volume somewhere at the boutique but I forget where I’ve left it…’

‘Huh? Oh, sure, read anything you like on there, Rarity,’ said Spike, his voice still quiet and dreamy from the intimate moment they’d just shared as she hopped to the floor for a moment, ‘Uh, those unabridged Burnferno books can get a bit, uh, strong meat though? They’re by a dragon, for dragons, if you get me… well, by pony standards, Smolder says they’re schmaltzy baby bedtime stories compared to some of the stories dragons tell. Ponies read ’em and like ’em but Equestrian publishers tend to quietly edit out the, uh, uhh…’

She couldn’t help raising an eyebrow as she magiced “Brink Dessin: The Cutting Edge of the Manehattan Press” off the shelf. ‘Be honest, Spike… does this Burnferno fellow eat ponies?’

Spike inhaled through his teeth. ‘Once, during a banquet in the second book, but in the third book he becomes honour-bound into rescuing them from being eaten? The early stuff’s kind of unrefined but they, uh, find their voice after “Burnferno and the Knucker’s Pool”,’ he explained, ‘Anyway, yeah, your “Brink Dessin” there, that’s a book I randomly found and borrowed from one of the east wing’s arts libraries and haven’t returned yet… it’s probably overdue, actually. It reminded me of you when I browsed it, which is why I still have it, I guess.’

‘Aw, darling…’ Rarity brought the oversized book back to the bed and flipped it open on her lap to a random page, revealing a dazzling full-page spread of two young mares with bob-cuts in flouncy evening dresses and cloche hats, covered head to toe in costume jewellery and gemstone studs and holding drinks with umbrellas, surrounded by the hubbub of a well-to-do cocktail party while having a conversation. After drinking in the fine details of the intricate and vintage yet drop-dead fashionable illustration she cast her eye to the caption at the bottom, and snorted with amusement. ‘Haha! Oh, I’d forgotten how witty Brink could be at her height! “Alicorn tools”, indeed!’

Spike looked faintly confused as his eyes darted between the earth ponies on the page and the supposed punchline. ‘Uh, is that a joke? I’d say it was a kneeslapper but I don’t get it, sorry… that’s gotta be a Manehattan society-fashion thing that I, uh, don’t have the context for. Really nice drawing, though, I dig the hats. Hey, show me another one, could you?’

‘No, no, my apologies, Spikey, it’s somewhat involved in the mores of society and fashion of the time, now you mention it… these were printed in papers the better part of a century ago.’ She flicked through the pages before finding something she deemed less esoteric and said, ‘Ooh, here’s a famous one! Isn’t she fabulous?’

She laid it in front of Spike, who squinted at it for a moment as he soaked in the detail. This cartoon depicted a very cute, doe-eyed and correspondingly nervous-looking gold-yellow young unicorn filly with a butterfly caught in a net on her flank, wearing layer after layer of translucent, figure-hugging blue-green chiffon covered with ribbons at another high-society function attended by faceless socialites, along with a summer hat with white posies along the brim that was slightly too large for her brow. Her flowing pink mane poured from the hat down her shoulders and back, the tips crimped and frizzed as though they were water crashing into the fabric she wore. ‘They say Netty herself posed for this… one of Manehattan’s truest trendsetters in her time before she retired, too soon by all accounts!’

‘She looks like Fluttershy,’ Spike stated, pausing before observing, ‘She’s even got that look in her eye Fluttershy had those times you convinced her to model. It’s a beautiful drawing, but just looking at her I feel bad for her… I don’t suppose it’s really a mystery why she quit as you said. It’s pretty… evocative of feeling lonely in a crowd. Is that the joke?’

‘No, I don’t think humour is the intention this time, truly,’ Rarity sighed with a bittersweet smile, ‘More of a cry for help expressed through her artist friend, perhaps. Netty was utterly radiant in the limelight but they say she was rather highly-strung. She came to loathe the pressure the high life imposed upon her, and was far happier out of it, which, well, good for her. Nonetheless, it is a pity when somepony shines like that, twice as bright but half as long, but I suppose better that than never at all...’

Seeking yet another spread she leafed through the pages as the book floated in front of them before happening upon one of a besuited unicorn and an extremely curly-maned, refined pegasus, dancing cheek-to-cheek to a wax record in the garden behind their home as their pet, a purrsian housecat that embodied the concept of fluffiness, looked on. Despite the change of scenery it was every bit as ornate as the previous illustration, the craftsmareship of the flower bed and pear tree in the garden looking like they could have taken a day each to hone to perfection. ‘Ooh, this one is a little less sad. Could be us one day, don’t you think?’ Rarity chuckled, putting a hoof around Spike, jostling him playfully and giving him a squish of the cheek as she pressed him against hers.

‘Goals,’ drawled Spike, pressing back and tickling her ear with his frills, ‘You gotta have ’em…’

A few more seconds passed before Spike chanced a lingering smooch and a snouty nuzzle on Rarity’s cheek, and she recoiled with a grin as his lips parted with an obviously flirtatious lick of his forked tongue. She cast the book aside near the bed’s head and floated him softly but firmly onto her lap, a glint in her eyes as he looked up at her with an expression simultaneously smug and earnest. ‘All this constant touching and pecking at me as if I were your plaything, Spike… didn’t Twilight ever teach you that you may look at a lady, but you ought never to touch!? It’s high time I taught you a lesson myself! Oohohoho!’ she laughed, a cooing chuckle emanating from the back of her throat.

‘Oh, no! That’s– oh, ahahaha!! Stop! Don’t punish me! Noooo! Help!!’ Spike giggled, his claws raised in mock-refusal as Rarity put her hooves on his chest and belly, giving him a hearty rub as she grinned down at him with girlish mischief written all over her face, cross-legged on the cushion, her luscious locks falling over both their heads and tickling him as Spike squirmed. His serpentine body wriggled as he kicked his legs, and Rarity felt his soft underbelly, almost too warm against her soles, which danced all over as she tickled and stroked him in payback.

Despite herself, it was Rarity’s turn for thoughts of… well, not Spike’s physicality as such, he was sweet and roly-poly as ever, which was lovely in its own way but not in that way; giving him a tickle like this wasn’t unlike playing with Opal on the occasions she was feeling affectionate for her mistress. But she couldn’t shake certain thoughts… those Burnferno books on the shelf facing them, with the oiled, rather attractive dragon in varying states of adventure on the spines, had seeded certain thoughts in her mind. Was it her imagination, or did this idealised, power fantasy-oriented fictional barbarian, colour aside, look rather like Spike, at least where his crest and frills were concerned? As she rubbed Spike’s tummy and he guffawed on her lap her mind cast back to when she’d looked in the mirror, and seen those interdimensional Spikes that Twilight reckoned were visible due to interference from Meus’ attempts to enter the palace. She recalled the ones she’d seen in that glimpse that had seemed closer to what she desired than what she’d feared in that moment. Some of them had had an aspect of this one; the taut, sculpted musculature, the glistening scales, the heroism, perhaps, although she’d not had the pleasure of their acquaintance it wasn’t exactly difficult to imagine one or more of them as bold knights in shining armour.

With those thoughts intensifying and her hooves still on Spike, she quit her tickly massage – best to nip them in the bud somewhat before she became more aroused than the faint quiver she felt in her chest and belly already, given the circumstances. ‘Spikey-Wikey, I think we should ease off on this for the time being, lovely though it may be, I’m feeling a little…’ she breathed, swallowing her amorous feelings the best she could.

Spike obeyed, faintly disappointed. ‘Aw… like you don’t know where this’ll go unless we stop? Alright, I get it,’ he said not begrudgingly, slipping off her with a salute and noticing that she’d turned quite pink around the cheeks and ears again. ‘Say no more.’

‘To the contrary, actually…?’ Rarity uttered under her breath as she put her hooves on her burning cheeks, struggling to regain her composure. Spike climbed back into his basket, nestling on top of his scattered blankets this time.

Which was just as well, as a moment later two scrolls shunted out of his face in rapid succession, landing with a practised grab into his claw before he unfurled them to check the details. ‘Huh, two at once… Mrs. Cake and Starswirl both got back to us, looks like. Former says she understands Pinkie can’t cover Sugarcube Corner tomorrow and that these things happen, and also there's a laff-o-gram from Cheese Sandwich waiting for her; latter says he’ll make the trip here as soon as he’s completed The Trials of Erebrum, whatever that is, and however long that’ll take. He did not specify.’

‘My understanding is that Starswirl’s wanderings are not unlike those of our ex-princesses’, on a grander scale, is that correct? As Celestia and Luna have thrown themselves into experiencing the littler things their status denied them for a very long time, Starswirl wanders across modern Une, not simply Equestria, in the pursuit of learning as much as he can of magic, friendship and the intersection thereof. Whatever that is, I don’t doubt it’s related to that.’

‘That’s basically it, yeah, last I heard he was doing field study somewhere down south near the Kirin Grove, something to do with “psychological principles of acceptance of the dual self”, according to Twilight. Well, three down, three… no, four, Cadance hasn’t gotten back to me yet, to go. But Raven’ll respond in person, so practically it’s three…’

‘Hmm… I suppose Starswirl still has what happened with Stygian and the Pony of Shadows in mind, and the kirin know a thing or two about how negativity can spread like wildfire similar to that,’ Rarity pontificated, ‘Well, so Fluttershy and Applejack told me from their sojourn there, anyway. I’ve never met a kirin before myself.’

‘You may yet. Since they started talking again Twilight’s received some correspondence from their queen, Rain Shine. They still keep to themselves, but they’re thinking about trading with the world outside their forest.’

‘Is that so? Oh, I rather hope they come out of their shells like the yaks did… anyway, regarding your little library, darling,’ she added, levitating a comb and mirror from her saddlebag and seeing to her slightly messy mane as another brown gem also floated out and plopped into his grasp, ‘I know you know all about my own preference in pulp, but, hmm, regarding your own I’m thus far unacquainted with…’

‘Couldn’t help noticing you casting, uh, lingering gazes at “The Hotblooded Chronicles of Burnferno” after I mentioned ’em, Rare. Feeling curious about what a beefy barbarian dragon can do?’ Spike asked as he sat back up, giving his new gem a lick as he held it in one claw.

‘As a matter of fact, yes I am! Perhaps I’m just attracted to those wonderfully vivid cover paintings, but read one to me anyway, Spikey,’ she squealed, putting her accessories down and bouncing in excitement for a second, before bedding down on the cushion again and looking excited by the offer, ‘One of the, ah, less racy ones, perhaps, to ease me into things… but also something stirring!’

‘I know one you’ll like, a short one from the sixth volume… “Burnferno and the Purple Princess”,’ Spike said, reaching for a book and presenting its cover, a lurid painting depicting Burnferno in all his machismo alongside a lithe, viridian female dragon with a long, slender tail and radiant fire-orange eyes, sailing glistening blue high seas together upon what she supposed was an olden-times galleon, to her. ‘One of my favourites, actually. He teams up with this exotic lady dragon thief, Flameflower, and they steal a bunch of gems from Abyssinian pirates. There’s a bit of romance as well as swordfights and firebreathing, although they don’t stick together long after they get their treasure. Burnferno’s just too much of a love-’em-and-leave-’em anti-hero to be tied down by that sort of thing.’

‘Spoilers, Spikey! Ah, no matter… sounds like a swashbuckling adventure, if somewhat criminally transactional,’ Rarity sighed with amusement and a roll of her eyes, reclining on her side back on her cushion. ‘I suppose the protagonists of tales such as these have some arrested development issues as a necessity, such is the nature of pulp fiction. Heaven knows half of my Shadow Spade novels aggressively reset their status quo before the tale concludes…’ She put a hoof around Spike as he sat back against her and licked his fingertip before locating the story in question, prepared to recite a ripping yarn.

Spike munched on his gemstone as he pontificated over the tale. ‘Yeah, frankly it’s one of the less realistic things in this story. Flameflower, She-Vixen of the Occident is, uh, well, you can see she’s pretty from the cover, and she kicks tail besides… her betrayal comes out of nowhere like it was a last-minute change, probably demanded by the original publisher. She shows up more later on and there’s a bunch of spin-off stories starring her, actually. They had good chemistry together, Snap I. Hoard shoulda kept her on full-time, in this dragon’s opinion…’

‘My sweetheart, just read the story before you spoil the entire thing…’ Rarity was actually enjoying listening to Spike’s enthusiastic descriptions of this beguiling world of adventure, the picture he was painting was fascinating, but a second-hand account wasn’t ideal.

‘Right, right, ’scuse me,’ Spike polished off his quartz and wriggled again, making himself comfortable by Rarity’s side with the paperback in his lap as he began, putting on a portentous air as he narrated. ‘Ahem. “It is a matter most pleasing to dragons and thieves alike that many creatures keep their treasures close to claw, or paw, or hook for that matter…”’

Rarity closed her eyes and visualised the tale Spike spun, quietly assuring him when he protested that she was indeed listening, just resting her eyes. She listened quietly as he recited the intrigue of the early pages preceding Flameflower’s character reveal and Burnferno’s recalcitrant, entrance-via-captivity into the harbour town wherein they met and made their deal, before surging forwards into the ongoing struggles against Captain Ragamuffin and his scurvy crew. Spike’s storytelling was assured and bold and kept the attention, she felt, although she did need to interrupt him once to repeat a detail regarding Burnferno’s motivations toward the crystal ball Flameflower sought, the “Purple Princess” of the title.

Truthfully, she was beginning to nod off, not from disinterest but from the comfort washing over her from the soothing smells of Spike’s ungents and the sing-song, soporific sound of his voice, by the time he’d reached the scene where the stowaway dragons were found and a fire-versus-fireblade battle ensued. Spike likewise seemed to be dropping off too, his voice becoming more and more of a whisper, and it was entirely possible the tale would have gone unfinished notwithstanding a sudden intrusion.

Just as she was about to doze off entirely, a rapping nearby interrupted them both, and her ears pricked as Spike perked up. Starlight Glimmer stood at the open door, an orange aura upon her from the sunset haze pouring through the stained-glass window in the hallway.

‘Knock-knock. Hey, you two… this isn’t a bad time, is it?’ she asked, tipping her head. ‘My, it’s toasty-warm in here… Dragon Pit made it back upstairs with your roses and Pinkie’s cannon. Twilight’s wondering where you got to, Rarity, and, uh, sorry to bug you so soon but any word from Sunburst yet, Spike?’

Rarity likewise turned around and rubbed her eyes – while sure she’d only been dozing for a minute or two, she felt like she’d been sound asleep for hours. ‘Oh! Oh, yes, Starlight, we were just, ah, reading one of Spike’s action-adventure novellas…’

Spike cleared his throat again. ‘Hey, Starlight, come on in if you want… and yeah, we were just chilling out with a Burnferno story. Some vintage fashion cartoons besides… and yeah, actually, Sunburst replied already, said everything’s a-go but Trixie can’t foalsit tomorrow as well as tonight. Uh, the scroll’s on the desk with a few others for your personal perusal. We were gonna bring them back upstairs a bit later.’

Starlight trotted into the bedroom, narrowly avoiding a collision with a low-hanging gem string, and floated the relevant scroll over, unfurling it as she sat on the rug before grunting in slight annoyance. That done, she looked at the pair with faint frustration. ‘That’s unsurprising, but I guess I don’t blame her… honestly, I feel weird about it, sticking around for a slumber party, I mean. You guys are so much fun to hang out with but I feel like I’m staying out of obligation because I’m good with magic, and neglecting my obligations at home at the same time, being real? If everything’s alright by the morning I’m heading back on the first balloon tomorrow.’ She blushed and added, ‘Otherwise the guilt’ll eat at me. I hope that’s not offensive, I just, uh, I daren’t say that around any of the others. Definitely not Twilight, anyway.’

‘No, I get it, and I don’t think you’re being rude,’ said Spike, ‘Well, you might be if you just took off like that–’ he snapped his claws, ‘–first thing tomorrow. It’s not an easy situation, but I seriously doubt Twi would get mad if you stated that to her. With her all laid up like she is, I feel way better about things with you around, though.’

‘As do I, and Twilight would understand if you voiced your concerns if you’re bothered at all, surely… speaking for myself there aren’t words for how much I, ah, we, really, appreciate what you’re doing, Starlight, regardless of any further action. Without you in the library earlier we all could have easily been harmed! Destroyed! Obliterated! Scattered to the four winds!’ Rarity gasped as the thought ran away with her slightly, ‘Hopefully your magical talents won’t be required, but what if they are, darling?!’

‘No, sorry, it’s not that big of a deal, everypony understands, it’s just… I needed to vent a bit, but I’m glad you two’re, uh, thanks for the reassurance, it helps,’ said Starlight, trying to swallow her flusteredness with one hoof raised. She exhaled, before smiling at the paperback Spike was bookmarking with a digit. ‘I’m sweating small stuff a bit more than I need to, I guess. Hey, “Burnferno”… as in “The Hotblooded Chronicles of Burnferno”? I didn’t think those’d be your speed, Rarity. Figured you got your funsies from urbane noir and romance over, uh, primitivist adolescent dragon tales. I bet those are the uncensored versions, besides. Prime confiscation fodder at the school, at any rate… they can get pretty friendship-unfriendly!’

Spike cringed and blushed, feeling judged. ‘Quite so, and I believe they are, at that. I was feeling… inquisitive about Spikey’s own choice of fiction while spending quiet time in this lovely little lair of his, Starlight, that’s all,’ Rarity sniffed, her mane bouncing as she put her hoof on Spike’s shoulder, ‘And he’s a thoroughly absorbing reader, not to toot his horn too loudly, what I’ve heard so far was quite vivid as well as a fascinating change from my usual literature… there’s merit to it, for sure!’

‘Yeah, this isn’t the school, Starlight, and we were having fun with the story,’ Spike bristled, emboldened by Rarity’s backup before cooling off a bit. ‘Uh, I wasn’t done reading. Would you like to listen in on “Burnferno and the Purple Princess”? It’ll take fifteen minutes to finish up, tops. Then we can head back to the others if you like.’

‘Sorry, Spike, Rarity, I didn’t mean to be like that, and I’ve nothing against Burnferno stories… I probably shouldn’t rattle off school policy when I’m not actually at school but I get preoccupied by having the responsibility of, uh, moulding young minds constantly. By all means, sure, I’ll give it a listen if a mare of refined taste gives it two hooves up. What’s the story so far?’

Rarity smiled, then scooted off the bed and took a place on the rug by Starlight. Spike stayed on the bed, cross-legged with spread wings as he cracked the volume back open, leaning forward as he relished his newly-expanded audience and began a recap for Starlight’s benefit. ‘Eh, it’s fine. Well, when we left our heroes, the brave, mighty Burnferno and the cunning, lustrous Flameflower, they had just been discovered aboard the junker-galleon of the marauding Captain Ragamuffin and his crew of mangy, snaggletoothed feral pirate cats, their swords aflame and bloodlust in their eyes…’

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Once the tale was told and its dragon protagonists had parted ways on very mixed terms, Rarity, Starlight and Spike locked the room and returned aloft to Twilight’s quarters, rejoining their friends with messages, including a response from Granny Smith that nearly scorched the book, in tow. Fun and cheer and laughter were had by all for hours after that, but regarding everything that had happened earlier there remained nothing new to report, no return of Meus or any other mirror interloper that entire night, not that anycreature was desperate to see it again any time soon. As time wore on Rainbow Dash’s earlier promise of an all-nighter proved hollow, with everycreature present very ready for sleep well before midnight.

When the morning came Twilight’s condition had improved and her headache was gone, though she hadn’t yet become ready to shed the bandage on her wing. True to her word Starlight left earlier than the others after a slightly tearful farewell and a promise to attend another Friendship Council sometime, and the rest of the Ponyville residents chugged home together on the Friendship Express a few hours later, each promising a return in case mirror-related matters escalated unexpectedly. As things stood there wasn’t much else to be done but wait – in the meantime, life had to proceed as normal.

For her part, once home Rarity took some time to locate her own copy of that Brink Dessin art book, finding it beneath her four-poster bed. She made sure to put it on a prominent shelf in the workshop, intended as both reference and a talisman for artistic inspiration as she arranged Spike’s blue and purple roses with the appropriate drapes around the bronze ponequins and half-lidded front windows of the Carousel Boutique. There was nothing wrong with something eye-catching and magnificent to attract the customers, she reasoned, as well as a nice little thing to remind her of a nice little dragon, until next they met for their mining expedition.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 14: The Rock Show –

Their Wednesday expedition was well underway in the Everfree mine by noon, Rarity relocating and chipping out a veritable plethora of glittering rose-jasper from the seam she’d found the same day she’d met Gallus on the road to Ponyville. For the first time in a while she had Spike by her side keeping the jewel basket safe and upright, and only occasionally dipping a claw inside of it for a snack. The two of them were enjoying themselves immensely, having spent a little while in one another’s company at the boutique, then shopping for supplies in preparation for the outing, chatting and laughing about this and that ever since while getting serious work done. It was certainly much more fun working with Spike than without at any rate, not to reflect poorly upon her other companions nor the glorious underground surroundings Rarity frequented like this.

Despite her repeated underground voyages seeking fine minerals from this particular mine over the years, the place remained far from depleted. The Everfree Forest’s natural magic affected its underearth, meaning the area was high reward for gem hunters, but high risk besides for those left unprepared given the local wildlife, strange and untamed even down here.

While ponies by and large considered the forest neighbouring Ponyville less of a terrifying existential threat as they once had, these days able to travel between there and the Castle of the Two Sisters, or Zecora’s treehouse, without major mishap so long as they stuck to the established throughways, one still needed to guard one’s hoofsteps lest they lead into cockatrice territory, or worse. Likewise, down here the less explored caves could turn up unpredictable results, so for a casual mining trip, the pair were happy enough sticking to their normal artery past the jade deposits and into the caves they knew.

This actually wasn’t their first meeting since the Friendship Council. The Elements of Harmony, along with Starlight Glimmer, had been called back to Canterlot by an excitable, rapidly teleporting (and fortunately, fully recovered and no longer at risk of straining herself with the effort) Twilight the other afternoon after Starswirl the Bearded had returned to Canterlot following Spike’s scroll, and he’d had some very informative insights into the situation.

Among other observations that Applejack had discerned and confirmed by Twilight’s bed right after the event, an especially pertinent point from the wizard was that blind luck had won the day as much as anything; after taking some time to observe Stygian’s stained glass window outside the room through which Starlight had tossed Twilight’s crown, he announced and demonstrated that it was somehow imbued with some sort of darksome ward that repelled the monster, something he was sure could be used as protection from further ill, but also something that needed to be harnessed correctly before that was a reliable possibility.

To that end, Starswirl remained resident at the castle for the time being, testing various glass surfaces in a laboratory in its basement and how they reacted to one another’s proximities. Twilight held high hope for Starswirl to deliver something that would retain the ability to use the mirror without risk of another unwelcome guest in the library where it resided, and he took the princess’ expectations seriously in kind.

Besides Starswirl’s arrival, Discord confirmed via Fluttershy’s summoning at the meeting that he’d come up empty-pawed while researching any extradimensional habitation by the monster over the weekend, but he’d been thorough on her behalf and that confirmed something important – that the risk was local, so to speak, and circumstantial evidence linked it to the Frozen North, the untamed hinterland surrounding the Crystal Empire, where Princess Cadance ruled with her husband, Twilight’s brother Shining Armor. They’d reported that all seemed well in the city-state, although the blizzards that beset its borders had intensified the past few weeks. Normally that would be unremarkable as autumn approached winter, but regarding Meus’ nature as a freezing cold light elemental it made sense to ensure its protective Crystal Heart was kept especially fuelled up and travel precautions put in place for the Empire’s residents, just to be safe in case it was out there.

Twilight planned to travel north before the end of the week to make certain all was well and to meet with her in-laws, and Spike was probably to accompany her barring an unexpected diplomatic engagement elsewhere, meaning he and Rarity had exchanged the scarves they were both now wearing at their meeting before departing for the shops. Spike had spent Sunday afternoon knitting a white woollen one with a pink diamond pattern on it for her to replace the one Meus had ruined, while she’d made him a teal-striped one that he was wearing alongside his mining helmet and his green jacket, now turned waistcoat, sleeveless below the shoulder spikes following another “punk” adjustment from Yona. Rarity had approved that with a raised eyebrow, Yona’s developing fashion sense somewhat different to her own, but certainly not unprecedented after her own dabbling in that mode from similar necessity; besides, extreme a solution it may have been but tearing the sleeves off entirely did eliminate that nasty frost-damage discoloration.

At any rate, Spike and Rarity were getting on with life away from the anxiety cast by Meus’ pall. Whatever fell beasts were down here were unlikely to include his likes, and they were enjoying the cool ambient limelight of the purple crystals protruding from the walls and floor that illuminated the large cavern they currently inhabited, a small underground river and pool adorned with stalagmites and pillars in one corner and several round, jewel-encrusted channels leading off to wherever their accompanying signposts signalled. As midday approached, Rarity gathered the minerals she’d chiselled off the pink jewel seam to which she attended, and Spike extended the basket in his claws as she plopped them in with the others one after another.

She brushed the protruding lick of her mane away and dabbed beneath the rim of her beribboned, bejeweled helmet with her hoofkerchief, looking up at the gleaming edifice which nearly went all the way to the agate deposit in the cavern ceiling. ‘Ah, that should keep me swimming in jasper like a duck at least until Hearth’s Warming… along with everything else we’ve gathered this morning! Spikey, sweetheart, what do you say we take a little breather here before we go on?’

Spike gave the basket a shake, mixing up the pinks, greens and baby-blues to reveal the orange-flecked green topazes that had made his mouth water, that they’d found embedded in a wall not far from the mine’s entrance. ‘A break for lunch? Sounds great, Rarity… you’ve been chipping away pretty much constantly since we came underground,’ he said before brushing one of the gems between his upper lip and snout, inhaling before continuing, ‘Mmm… but uh, you brought food for, like, ponies, didn’t you? I’m surrounded by all kinds of good stuff, but you…’

‘I didn’t say lunch, but I suppose it has been a few hours since we had tea and a cupcake at the boutique first thing… well, I did bring a little nibble, a flask of soup and another of apple soda, darling,’ Rarity said, floating her pickaxe back into her saddlebag and switching it for peanut butter on rye, ‘I rather need the energy after all that. As you say, we have been quite industrious so far today!’

Spike’s stomach rumbled in agreement as Rarity took a few steps away from the wall and looked around, and the pair of them took in the crystal cavern that surrounded them, their helmet lights once again gleaming against the walls. ‘Man, it’s surprisingly fresh in here, like being outside,’ said Spike, shrugging the basket off his back and gesturing at the streak of druzy agate a way above their heads, ‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d think those were stars.’

Rarity giggled and put a hoof around his shoulder, her own helmet illuminating the overhead lode as she inhaled sharply through her teeth and looked up at the very same thing he was seeing. ‘Ooh, don’t let Twilight hear you say that, darling! I’m quite sure there’s not one constellation to be seen there! It does have that effect, though, the twinkling and such is magnificent…’

Feeling a faint wobble in her arms, he wriggled in Rarity’s hooves to loosen her grasp, then took off and approached the dimmer reaches of the upper cave, double-checking the ceiling for bats. He found nothing besides stalactites and a breezy shaft with a few brambly roots that had burrowed deep enough into the underground, so he turned to the lode, shining his helmet upon it up close and highlighting a patch of glittering blue stone. ‘It’s beautiful, anyhow,’ he sighed as Rarity watched, her eyes wide. Then he took a quick lick of an outcropping and continued, ‘And somehow I doubt I could get away with that with actual stars! They’re way hotter!’

Rarity craned her neck upwards, almost tipping backwards as Spike glowed from the apex of the cavern. Suddenly he was a round little sphere of light in front of the vast starfield of a cloudless night. ‘Aw, Spike… you look like the moon up there now, surrounded by the twinkling cosmos! Moreso with your little tail pointing right at me!’

His helmet swerved and shone down upon her, and he shot her a withering look with an eyebrow raised and a wry smile. ‘Please don’t make fun of me, Rarity. You’re spoiling my self-actualisation as a soaring, majestic creature of the night.’

She raised her head as she suppressed a laugh at Spike’s reaction, feeling slightly guilty. ‘Oh, you are quite the majesty at all times, Spikey-Wikey. Alright, alright, I’m sorry for poking fun at your little rump, darling…’ she looked up and floated her pickaxe back out of her bag and offered, ‘Ah, would you like to chip some off? You can take my pick, and I can catch your quarry for a change if that suits you!’

Spike smiled, stroking his chin in serious contemplation of Rarity’s proposal for a moment before shaking his head and returning to the cave floor. ‘Hmm… hmm… nah, we’ve got gems, that basket’s not great for ponies to catch with, and I’m honestly kinda… into the aesthetic? You’re an artist, you know what I mean. I can make do with what we’ve already got for a good meal, if you’ll share some of that apple stuff.’

Rarity gave him an embrace and a little squeeze as he hovered close by, then looked around the cave again as she pulled him back onto his feet, noting there was a natural, crystalline platform near the underground river lined with glowing blue mushrooms on its far side. ‘Oh, of course I will. And that is true, it would be such a shame to erode it. Ah, why don’t we settle by this little brook for lunch, sweetheart? It’s a fascinating geological feature, don’t you think?’ she asked.

Spike dimpled. ‘Sure, Rare. I’m no expert on this stuff, but this whole place must’ve had a lot more water than that coming through here at one point to get this big,’ he observed, ‘Is this the biggest cave on your usual routes?’

Rarity took a hungry munch of her sandwich, leading Spike to the burbling stream, then answering as she magiced a picnic rug from her saddlebag and laid it over the area. ‘Hmm… consider it in the top three, dearest. There’s a chamber further into the forest that opens out into the gorge near the castle, treehouse, et al, but I’ve only been there a few times since it’s a cockatrice nest,’ she said, before changing the subject as she sat down opposite him, ‘Not that I’ve been in this one all that often… the tunnels give us plenty, truthfully. So, anyway… does that topaz taste as good as it looks?’

Spike chuckled, giving one a lick. ‘Fruity,’ he said simply, ‘Kinda like a pineapple, with a hint of volcanic smoke. Want one?’

He extended a claw holding one to her, chewing on another. ‘Don’t be silly, Spike,’ Rarity responded, to which he smiled smugly in response, ‘I can’t… hmm…’

Spike didn’t budge, continuing to offer it to her, proffering it in his flattened palm. She trailed off, then leaned forward to where he held it between his thumb and forefinger and peered at it, smiling into his eyes. She sniffed it, before her tongue protruded and she gave it a long, slow lick from bottom to top, halfway wrapping her lips around it as she reached the point at its top, and smacking her lips before shrinking back. ‘I really can’t taste anything from that, darling,’ she concluded matter-of-factly, ‘Silicon-based foodstuffs just aren’t for ponies.’

Spike’s face was wide-eyed and droop-jawed from watching Rarity do that, and he shook for a second, Rarity feeling a similar slight tremor. Then he snickered, covering his face with a claw. ‘Rarity! I just meant, did you want to keep one, not… oh man, I cannot believe you just did that!’ he gasped.

She blushed furiously, tugging on her mane a little, looking down and biting her lip, suppressing a smile that would betray how pleased she not-so-secretly was with herself for bending her own rules in seclusion like this. ‘Ah, context clues, ah, um, ableh, it really looked as if you expected me to…’ she swallowed as she collected herself, ‘It is rude to turn down an offer of, um, food, you know! I’m just doing what any socialite would do!’

Spike sat up and grinned, looking at his reflection in the drool-covered topaz. ‘And the rest… alright, I admit I was testing you, but I only really expected you to, uh, give it a sniff at most. I, uh, oh man,’ he wriggled in awkwardness, ‘It was pretty hot, watching you do that? I’m sorry.’

‘Sorry for what, sweetheart? It’s faintly chilly in here!’ said Rarity, tugging on her scarf before turning pink again, knowing full well what he meant. She sat upright from her previous reclined position and giggled, ‘Well, if you were testing my perspective on these gemstones, then I ought to confess I have been thinking more and more about their flavours as of late. Of course I’m keenly aware it’s impossible for me to ingest one, but… well, you know what an intrusive thought is, don’t you?’

‘All too well, Rarity… you remember that Friendship Meeting last month, and how I came clean about, uh, feeling bad about myself, which definitely counted as that kind of thing. Kinda funny that you say that though, seeing as how I haven’t been, uh, badly like that since then. In no small part thanks to you.’

Rarity tipped her head. ‘Not quite the same thing, but it’s been on my mind while I’ve made my dresses lately, those tasty, tasty gems… well, I hadn’t dared actually try it until just now! Um, you’re not going to eat it, are you?’

Spike shot Rarity an intense look, biting his lower lip as his grin spread outwards, and he looked at the thin veneer of liquid faintly refracting the light of his hard hat through the jewel’s smooth surface. Rarity’s smile hadn’t faded, but she didn’t speak any further. The two of them almost stood off for a moment with a mutual burning gaze, as Spike clutched the topaz in both claws.

The ball was definitely in his court as to whether to do it, or wash it off in the nearby river. Rarity had turned the tables and was definitely testing him right back, and his heartbeat was definitely getting heavier with each passing second. The only sound was the drone of the cool air circulating from the cave’s heights and the continuous tinkle of the river flowing nearby, and Spike could feel his heart thumping in his throat.

Rarity leaned her chin atop her crossed hooves. ‘It’s alright, Spikey-Wikey, I shan’t be offended if you toss that. It must be simply teeming with my germs now,’ she lilted, leaning forward a little with a glint in her eyes. She was daring him, and he felt daring in turn.

Spike inhaled slowly, then did the deed, shoving the stone into his mouth and sucking on it hard for a moment, the trace of Rarity’s oral fluids mingling with his. It didn’t nauseate him as he’d half-expected, and honestly it didn’t make the topaz taste any different, but it made it feel… well, suddenly his picnic lunch had a very suggestive side dish. ‘Rarity, you are such a flirt when you want to be,’ he sighed after swallowing it, a momentary bulge in his neck plunging down into his belly, ‘I guess we can get away with this without another soul around, huh?’ he continued, wiping his mouth with his wrist and grinning.

Rarity chuckled. ‘You’re very welcome, my darling… about what you said before, I mean. I’m very happy to be your, ah, rock, as it were. And from what you just did…’

‘Yeah, I’m happy too, Rare. You make me happy…’ he said, before leaning forward into her, and she took him into a loving embrace with a girlish giggle.

Then they bumped helmets with a “clonk” that reverberated around the cave, spoiling the mood somewhat. Spike’s helmet fell over his eyes, while Rarity narrowly averted hers flying off her head onto the floor. They fell apart from one another on impact, but after a second’s pause they both broke out in laughter. ‘We’re a pair of romantic butt-heads,’ Spike chortled, lying on his back as Rarity arose.

She poked his snout with her hoof and reclined again he sat back up and corrected his hard hat, her tail sweeping the rug as she laid halfway on her side and her front end facing him. ‘Fate’s punishment for how naughty we just were, I’d wager,’ she smiled, ‘Aw, Spikey-Wikey, let’s just… be like this for a while longer, what do you say?’

‘Spikey hungry, needs gems badly,’ Spike replied, raising a claw, ‘And so do you, uh, I mean, not gems. Let’s eat up, then we can snuggle for a bit. Sound good?’

‘Fine, be utterly unromantic,’ she sniffed, wincing as her tummy grumbled as if to prove Spike’s point, ‘Mmnh… alright, yes, practical as always, sweetheart. Apple crush?’

‘Why, I’d love some,’ Spike grinned in appreciation, and Rarity floated a small tumbler over to him, which he caught in both his claws before a bottle of Sweet Apple Acres’ finest fizz, complete with a cheerful red apple on the label, also floated over, and she filled it close to the rim.

Spike took a place next to Rarity’s reclining form, and they nuzzled snouts for a moment as he sat down using her side as a pillow, relaxing completely. The two of them ate quietly for a moment, each watching the other lap and nibble at their lunches, the only sound the dappling of the underground river and the faraway ambient winds of the tunnels above and adjoining the cave.

Spike watched Rarity delicately consume hers one small bite at a time, while Rarity marvelled at Spike’s careful consumption of the topazes with faint jealousy – she hadn’t been lying about those thoughts before. Had her recent closeness with Spike triggered something in her brain that had given her this strange appetite, she supposed? Perhaps it was something to keep in check: a chipped tooth from an overly enthusiastic imitation of Spike’s appetite would be no laughing matter. Perhaps, even, it was an oral fixation sublimating something else, something she’d like to do, quite dearly, but simply didn’t dare…

She knew full well what it was, of course, and their actions just before tucking into their lunch outright were pushing the boundaries they’d agreed upon in the boutique a couple of weeks ago. It made her feel guilty, and her sapphire gaze broke away from him as she looked down, scrunching her muzzle and blushing. He looked away and peered at his lunch for a moment, taking a hearty swill of the soda she’d poured before speaking again.

‘Man, AJ and Apple Bloom make a darn fine pop. I can barely taste the hooves that crushed the apple this time,’ he grinned, then looked at his face on its bubbling surface. The back of her neck prickled as his tone changed from jocular to inquisitive, and he asked, ‘Hey Rare… forgive me if this is a weird question, but uh… how are you feeling about reflections, after the last few days?’

She chuckled, having been on alert by the first portion of his question; after their kiss-by-proximity she’d expected him to hazard something more personal. Instead she looked around, her helmet shining against the cave walls and causing the geodes and deposits in the wall to glimmer and glint. ‘My little darling, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re completely surrounded by reflective surfaces right now! If I were skittish about any reflection we certainly wouldn’t have ventured into a huge crystalline cave like this one, believe me!’

‘True enough,’ Spike looked around, ‘But what about the mirrors at the boutique? While we were kitting up to come down here I couldn’t help noticing doilies and curtains draped over most of the ones I saw around the shop…’

Rarity winced as she polished off her sandwich, ‘Oh, that… that’s a minor civil war situation, sweetheart. I made the error of filling Yona and Sweetie Belle in on the situation over the weekend and, ah, I suppose Sweetie has my best interests at heart, but I do need mirrors around, for work and for leisure, not permanently covered or in landfill. Yona, bless her, thinks Sweetie Belle is being quite superstitious, and while I’m inclined to agree, I admit I have been keeping my bedroom mirror covered. Call me irrational, but it just doesn’t feel right to have one right where I sleep right now.’

Spike covered his mouth as he belched from chugging his soda, then took a bite of his topaz as she spoke, swallowing before responding. ‘Starswirl was pretty forthright a couple days back about regular reflections not being a concern for sure, but whatever helps you sleep at night. Celestia knows I haven’t wanted one in my room either – I’ve been keeping my desk mirror flipped towards the wall, myself. I’ll probably get over it, but… too soon, y’know? I definitely couldn’t stomach the thought of any of the “interference” Twilight was talking about, or even Meus itself, showing up.’

‘Yes… a mite superstitious, perhaps, but it’ll give me peace of mind until this nasty business is all cleared up, and you too, to hear you tell it. It was good of dear Starswirl to arrive back in Canterlot at such short notice, especially given his activities elsewhere,’ Rarity pondered, tipping her head sideways, ‘And I appreciate his confirmation that normal, boring old mirrors aren’t the hazard I admit I feared.’

‘Helps me sleep easier, knowing he’s on the case. I actually think he welcomes the challenge, anyway,’ Spike laughed, ‘All that friendship questing he does is in the same ballpark. A hard-bitten wizard dude like Starswirl the Bearded needs to strive towards improving himself constantly. He’s not a legendary Pillar of Old Equestria for nothing, y’know?’

‘Hmm, yes,’ said Rarity, her lip curling upward for half a second, ‘Although from Sunburst’s research on the topic, not to mention what we know personally about his history with Stygian, that striving has been known to be somewhat misguided in the past, though you’re right that he’s done well to course-correct since… ah, there’s a thought, actually, has the link between Stygian’s window and the Pony of Shadows he posited been proven at all?’

Spike shook his head. ‘Not to my knowledge, but Starswirl thinks it’s pretty key to the situation. Had me shoot him a scroll after you girls all got teleported back home, but no reply yet. He tells me Stygian gets pretty reclusive when he’s deep into writing his next novel, and I think he’s on his… third now already? So he might be hard to reach.’

‘Oh, he is? I gave his debut doorstop a good read… a true pageturner, but it got somewhat grisly toward the end. I ended up giving my copy to Rainbow Dash rather than finishing it, she wasn’t shy about spoiling it second-hand,’ Rarity said, rolling her eyes, ‘And you know what I can be like about spoilers! I have some trouble stomaching horror, but you know, he sent me a copy gratuit and I gave it an honest go. It’s not even the scary things themselves that I find troubling… let’s just say that Stygian can really reach deep inside himself for some, ah, warped imaginings!’

Spike snorted. ‘“Imaginings” is right. Twilight got a copy of “Me and My Shadow”, too, I’ve read it to the end. I mean, it’s a great book, but maybe it’s because he’s time-displaced after a millennium stuck in limbo… but whatever it is, the guy doesn’t do enough research and he’s got a fixation on those “telephone” things they have in Manehattan, of all things. By the time Twi and I were through, we’d both made a shortlist of stuff that definitely wasn’t technically accurate. Anyway, uh, to answer your question, Starswirl’s working on it, Rare. Trust me, you’ll be the first to know when anything happens. Don’t forget, I’ve got a direct line to you and I’m not afraid to use it.’

‘Of course, I know that from all the little letters you’ve been sending me lately, Spikey-Wikey,’ Rarity sighed, relaxing and removing her helmet before leaning towards him. ‘All done with luncheon, darling?’ she smiled, a half-lidded expression writ upon her face.

Spike nodded, and Rarity curled around him, forming a white crescent around his rounded form. He reached up to her in welcome of her embrace, and she squished him in her hooves as he gently placed his claws on her sides, then slowly slid them upwards over her fur. ‘Mmmph… oh, Rarity, you can hardly wait to give your favourite little dragon a hug, huh?’ he sighed.

She was a little heavy against him, but he hardly minded – even with the faint powdering and the sweat of exertion from mining all morning making her slightly damp, as Rarity enveloped Spike’s senses like that all he could think of was how great it all felt, even if it was a little less prim than the last few occasions. For a moment his face was pressed hard against Rarity’s soft chest fluff, and it was like being in a flower bed on a sunny day, it felt so warm and soft and scented.

He gave her a little massage around the shoulders and neck in an effort to return how good she made him feel, and she squeaked softly. ‘Ah, Spikey, sweetheart… I’ll always want to give you all the hugs, darling,’ she giggled, pulling away then giving his forearms a little stroke before looking at them, bare and protruding through the now-sleeveless jacket Yona had adjusted. ‘You know, Spikey… you know, I daresay that I’m seeing some muscle there. Has anycreature ever told you that?’

Spike blushed furiously, feeling his knees weaken as though the earth was shifting slightly beneath him. ‘Uhhhh… not… really? Telling it to myself in the mirr– yeah, me telling myself what a stud I am definitely doesn’t count. And Gabby didn’t, anyway – her line was always more that I was cute because I was small, and it didn’t matter all that much…’

‘Aw… well, she wasn’t really wrong, Spike, but I know you’re striving for change. I’m not just saying it, though. Look!’ She leaned back a little and put one hoof on his shoulder spikes, and the other on his bicep, peering at his purple arm, ‘Go on, give it a little flex, dear…’

Sheepishly at first, Spike did as Rarity said, clenching a fist and bending the arm she was looking at upwards. Her eyes widened slightly as they both looked at his arm and he realised it was no lie, she wasn’t poking fun or simply pumping his ego, difficult as that was to believe for him – it wasn’t exactly rippling musculature, the puppy fat was there, but his bicep’s definition was stronger and the arm itself just a bit thicker than his self-image had held for a very long time.

‘Huh, maybe you’re onto something, Rare. I mean, you saw me throw a punch the other day, and I didn’t just swing at the air and fall over or anything,’ he smiled, ‘I guess I’ve been developing halfway-decent upper body strength since I failed to fly you down those stairs. That was kind of a wake-up call to take Smolder’s advice after all…’

She snorted, then leaned back in. ‘Well, it’s a good sign you’re getting a little stronger, isn’t it, errant misapplications of it such as that aside? You know, I wasn’t certain of Yona’s adjustment before, but you cut a very gentledragonlike figure without long sleeves getting in the way. She did a fine job!’

‘Eh… I’ve just been working out first thing, but it’s good that my uh, good friend, Rarity, is checking out my gains,’ Spike couldn’t suppress a snicker in his voice as he said that. ‘Gives me motivation to keep it up, whether it makes me shoot up or not!’ He put a claw over his grin, then moved it over to her hoof, ‘Noodle arms definitely won’t help that one way or the other, anyway. You know… you’re not bad at all, yourself.’

‘Why, whatever do you mean, dearest?’ Rarity inquired, her cheeks gently turning pink.

‘Nothing much,’ said Spike, leaning back with a toothy smirk, then looking at the stars on the ceiling. ‘Uh, let’s leave that thought there. Think it’s time to get back to work?’

Rarity nuzzled into Spike’s neck for a moment, then gave him a kiss on the forehead before getting back onto all four hooves. ‘Ah… it is now, darling. And I think we’re finished in this cave for now, don’t you? I’ve no wish to disturb it further, it’s so shiny in here it’s simply divine! Hmm…’ She looked around at the exits from the cavern, stretching into the darkness in three different directions.

‘Should I check the map?’ asked Spike, putting the gem basket back over his shoulders and taking off from the picnic rug.

‘You read my mind, Spikey-Wikey. By all means,’ Rarity said cheerfully, craning her neck backwards and flopping her saddlebag open, and Spike flew over to retrieve the tunnel map, opening it square-by-square with precision. Once she’d put her helmet back on she mirrored his movements, levitating the mat and likewise folding it back into eighths before popping it inside.

He located their relevant sector, then made an uncomfortable face, inhaling through his teeth. ‘Oh boy, I forgot all about that… Rare, maybe we should head back the way we came. I know we just discussed the whole magic mirror thing, but the Mirror Pool’s off a little way to the south.’

She didn’t react with deep concern, although she raised an eyebrow. ‘That it is, darling. That place isn’t extradimensional, but from what Starswirl was saying, that might not be the catch-all I’d like it to be… it probably is best to give it a wide berth given the circumstances, but you know Pinkie’s sister Maud lives down that way, don’t you?’

‘She does? I know she’s way more subterranean than either of us, but I don’t know her exact address. Any time I’ve visited her with Starlight or Twilight we just kind of teleported in from the edge of the forest.’

Rarity trotted into the middle of the cavern, and Spike followed with an overhead flap as she spoke. ‘Well, Pinkie told me the other day that she’d had the presence of mind to pay her a visit over the week’s end and make sure all was well, and I’m sure she’ll keep an eye on it in case of anything untoward. Besides, it can only be activated by a certain rhyme, that I don’t know… I know the two of them learned it from their Nana Pie, but… well, I’m aware Pinkie can be a silly filly, but she’s not that foolish. And Maud’s quite sensible, as you know.’

‘Maybe so, but uh, let’s not take the chance?’ Spike winced. ‘I’m having nightmare visions all of a sudden of us approaching it, and then Meus sticks its tentacles out like a hydra and turns us into ice cubes while evil clones of the two of us fly everywhere.’

‘Well, that’s a lurid thought. I was agreeing with you, Spikey, but I don’t intend to turn back just yet,’ Rarity said nonchalantly, ‘Ah, the tunnel west is the one back the way we came, so we’ll have to go east… no further than its blocked-off exit. Mayor Mare keeps me up to date on which caves are safe thanks to the Ponyville scouts, and that’s not ready for the big time just yet! Is that okay with you? We’ll head topside inside of the hour.’

Spike nodded, then flew downwards to Rarity’s eye-level, shuffling the map around in his claws before presenting it to her, pointing a claw at the direction they were about to head. ‘Hey, just remembered… did you ever get around to mining the emeralds in the wall down this tunnel, Rarity?’ he inquired as they both headed for the tunnel in question, ‘Could be a treat for both of us!’

‘You know, I don’t think I ever did–’ Rarity started, before an echo interrupted them.

‘Hey. Help,’ it reverberated. She turned around with wide-eyes, and Spike followed suit.

Spike looked at her, his blood running cold. ‘You heard that too, right?’

She looked up, her ears standing to attention as she peered around the cave. ‘Was that Maud I just heard?’

They both stood stock still for a tense moment, listening for anything else. No other deadpan cries for help could be heard, but Rarity definitely felt a rumble beneath her hooves, followed by the screeching of a few dozen bats. Sure enough, not long after that a flapping morass of black wings flew out of the tunnel signposted with an illustration of a puddle and two ponies.

They both ducked to avoid a collision, Spike hitting the floor and covering his face with his claws as Rarity did likewise with one hoof, and her eyes widened as they flew around in the open chamber. ‘Oh, dear… we may have tempted fate just now, discussing such things so flippantly! Spike, we have to go investigate!’

‘Oh, great… I have such a bad feeling about this, but we can’t just ignore that and leave Maud to whatever’s happening down there,’ groaned Spike, folding the map back incorrectly in his worry as he spoke. When it became obvious that it needed more time than he could afford to not be a horrible jumble, he haphazardly stuffed it into Rarity’s pack, took back to the air and signalled to her, ‘Pick at the ready, Rare. We don’t know what to expect.’

‘Quite right, Spikey. We may be lurching into another rather chilly combat scenario!’ Rarity cried. ‘Come on! Ooh, I hope our scarves survive this one!’

‘My world’s being rocked right now. I may require assistance,’ Maud’s voice emanated from the tunnel, distant but definite and accompanied by a grinding noise. Wasting not a second longer, Spike and Rarity ran down the dark tunnel, both their helmet lights leading the way. The tunnel wasn’t too long, but it was long enough – a couple of bends in the path making it longer than strictly necessary – and in their haste it was as though all the glistening gemstones in its rounded walls were some sort of warp portal in themselves, leading them headfirst into the unknown.

‘Maud! We’re coming, darling! Please don’t get cloned or frozen in the meantime!’ Rarity called. The tremors they’d faintly detected during their picnic, thinking they were nothing more than their own movements, were intensifying the closer they got to the pool, and it seemed as if anything could happen.

Eventually they emerged into the iridescent white lichen- and flower-lit cavern that hosted the Mirror Pool at the top of a trail that led downwards, which gave them a vantage point over the situation. They stopped dead and observed from behind a rock, not wishing to barge straight into a potentially deadly situation, instead taking stock from afar.

The normally-clear pool was frozen solid, deep and white, and two craggy, staid and simply-formed bipedal stone creatures, each over ten feet tall and hewn from a black-spotted, sparkling white stone rippled with veins of glowing blue quartzes were lumbering around nearby. Despite being crafted from igneous stone they were flexible enough to move, their joints held together by invisible forcefields.

One held a huge, grey chunk of rock above its head, bashing it into the ice with enough force to shake the entire room as they entered, fragments of stone falling from its ceiling which was fortunately free of stalactites. The other trolem, identical in appearance to its fellow, was hunched over, sitting facing away from the duo. It murmured something in a voice like granite scraping against granite. ‘…Silky mane… pretty eyelashes… cuuuute…’ it intoned, paying attention to nothing else.

‘Trolems!’ gasped Spike, ‘Trolems at the Mirror Pool… I’ve only seen them in books.’

‘And here I was, certain they’d all been ushered from the forest borders further inwards by Ponyville scouts,’ Rarity whispered, ‘There used to be some living in that cave we were in just now, you know! Trolems are mostly insensate things but they have a fondness for ponies… I’ve run afoul of one in the past and it really made a mess of my mane!’

‘That so? I read they were just stone automatons given life by a minotaur sorcerer millennia ago, but they must ha–’ Spike started, stopping as the room shook from another impact of rock on ice, ‘Ugh. They must have some sort of intelligence. Machines don’t “like” things, by and large.’

‘They’re mostly oblivious things with rudimentary intelligence, left to their own devices. These ones, though… something is controlling the ice-breaking one, for certain. Oh, I do hope my suspicions are wrong…’

‘Think it’s Meus?’ Spike asked, to which Rarity nodded, ‘Man, speak of the devil… and he’ll try to appear. The Mirror Pool’s a magic mirror alright, but it’s water. We need to save Maud from the other one, but we can’t leave it to break Meus free.’

Rarity slowly made her way to the halfway point of the descending path to the pool, treading carefully as the room shook from the impact. ‘Absolutely not, we can’t stay here all day, sweetheart. Maud needs our help! Maud? Maud, we’re here! Where are you?’ her voice’s echo rolled around the room.

The trolems ignored Rarity’s cry, but she could just about see Maud wave a hoof from around the sitting one’s shoulder. ‘I’m over here, having my silicate-based passions reciprocated at long last. Mr. Trolem, sir, I appreciate the attention but I have a coltfriend.’

The other trolem smashed the rock into the thick ice again, but with it not paying attention to anything else, Spike placed his gem basket against the rock so he could move more easily, then made a bee-line by air down to Maud to make sure she was safe. She was, as much as could be expected, although her mane was slightly messy and she had flushed cheeks as the trolem clasped her to its chest and ran its huge stone fingers over her neck. She cast him a blank gaze and drawled, ‘This isn’t what it looks like, Spike.’

Spike suppressed a smirk – the situation was potentially very serious despite how Maud seemed to be enjoying herself. ‘I won’t judge. So uh, what’s going on here, Maud? Rarity says the trolems are, uh, meant to be settled further into the forest? Any idea what they’re doing here?’

Rarity trotted up beside Spike and observed Maud’s predicament, having taken a little while longer to traverse the frosty footing down from the entrance from which they’d emerged. ‘And the ice,’ she inquired further as the trolem jostled Maud in its grip, ‘Pinkie told me she’d told you of the creature we encountered in Canterlot last week, did she not? Please say it’s unrelated…’ she winced.

‘It’s not. Pinkie told me, so–’ Maud answered, her head getting pushed aside from the trolem’s petting making answering slightly difficult, but she didn’t change facial expression. She grunted, whether in discomfort or pleasure was unknown, before elaborating, ‘Nngh… so I’ve been keeping an eye on it the past few days without trouble, until now. Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it froze and there’s something down there. Probably your ice monster.’

Spike flew over to the pool on the far side away from the rock-wielding trolem, taking a peek under its surface. Light emanated from the depths and he could just about make out the same undulating orbs and the tendrils stretching upwards towards him, same as they’d all seen in the library that day. He shivered with acute trepidation as well as from the freezing vapour steaming off the pool’s surface. ‘Hoo, boy… yep, I can definitely confirm it’s Meus down there. That thing is super bad news.’

‘It’s been down there since this morning, which is probably unusual,’ Maud confirmed, ‘But the trolems only showed up to bother Tom and I just now.’

‘Tom?’ Spike asked, swerving away from above the ice as the trolem bashed its rock against it again, ‘Is that… is that the name of that boulder?’

‘No, that’s Tom. He was the seal blocking this place off for a while after Pinkie cloned herself. Boulder’s right here,’ Maud pointed out, indicating the bulge in her frock’s pocket, ‘Unless Tom’s fissures betray me, I believe you’re previously acquainted, Rarity.’

Spike turned to Rarity with a confused expression, and she inhaled. ‘Ah. I was rather attached to Tom after a fashion once, although I must stress I was under Discord’s influence at the time, back when he was a menace to pony society,’ she blushed, ‘It wasn’t a relationship that lasted long… I spent most of it hallucinating that he, ah, was an enormous diamond that I coveted jealously! The whole episode was a tad shameful, really.’

‘Too bad. He’s a catch just the way he is,’ Maud noted with a wry smile.

Rarity wobbled to keep her balance as Tom once again violently collided against the solid ice, ‘Maud, please, we can discuss that later! Right now we definitely need to get these stone creatures away from your home and the pool! What can we do to help?’

‘Like grey pony… rock to sleep…’ the trolem holding Maud groaned to nocreature in particular, its voice booming around the cave. ‘Like smash,’ the other groaned with a pleased crack in its intonation, ‘Break good!’

‘Ooh, priorities,’ Rarity pranced on the spot for a second, ‘We need to make this swift! That ice won’t hold forever, but… Maud first? If we free you from this one’s grip you can aid us with the other one, correct?’

Maud was as unflappable as ever, but she squirmed between its fingers as she attempted and failed to slip out. ‘Well, this one’s advances are more metamorphic than I’m comfortable with, and I’d rather Mud Briar not see me like this, roused to passion as he can be… and if what Pinkie said to me was accurate, we need to make sure the pool’s ice stays in one piece until it thaws normally. I can help if I’m free. Not to pump myself up too much but I’m good with rocks, and these slabs are all rock.’

‘I’ve dealt with trolems before once or twice, Maud, though I’m no expert,’ Rarity said, looking upwards at Maud, then at the edifice of her captor, ‘One thing I do know that if we don’t get it off you soon you could get crushed, or worse, mussed-maned! Now, let’s see… we need to loosen this one’s hold on her, Spike. Any ideas?’

Spike looked at the palms of his claws as he hovered in place, his eyes moving between the two mares as he flexed his fingers. ‘Well, neither of them are paying us any attention right now… maybe I can pry these fingers apart? Rarity, pass me a pick, could’ya?’ he asked.

‘I’d lend you a hoof, but I can’t get out myself,’ Maud nodded almost imperceptibly, ‘Both of these trolems are made of compact diorite, tough stuff, but their joints are held together by old, brittle magic. Between the two of you, you can probably break them apart by force.’

‘Ooh, I’m not desperate to harm them especially,’ Rarity inhaled, ‘Truthfully, I just want them to leave without disturbing the pool further… but we simply must free Maud.’

‘Yes, free me. Trolems don’t have nerves and their brains are just bundles of quartz, Rarity, they won’t feel anything. Besides, Everfree magic provides for their forms. Beats me how, but it is known… just don’t go overboard.’

Spike hovered in place. ‘She’s right, Rare, I remember that from Twilight’s books. Please pass me a pick? I can’t do this with my bare claws, and I can only see spitting fire around making things worse.’

Rarity nodded seriously, responding by floating her less-good pickaxe from her saddlebag. Spike took it from her and held it with both his claws. ‘Thanks,’ he nodded back, ‘Back me up while I do this! On three!’

‘Understood, Spikey. Hold tight, Maud!’ Rarity cried, before charging up her horn. Still airborne, Spike lined himself up with the trolem’s middle finger as he counted to three with the pickaxe still in his claws, before sliding one to its end and hooking it over the creature’s middle finger’s knuckle. He planted both feet on the finger’s sheer surface and tugged with all his might, using his own weight in an effort to loosen its grip on Maud. For her part, Rarity visualised a tether that manifested as an ethereal blue loop around Spike’s waist, and she stretched backwards as she pulled on him.

‘Nngh! Nngh! Oh, I think it’s working!’ he grunted after a few seconds of pulling back and forth and sweating, ‘I can feel it giving a bit…’

The two of them tugged and tugged as hard as they could muster, and Rarity could feel something crack. ‘It’s working,’ Maud said flatly, breathing more easily than she had been, ‘My ribs are spared for now. Keep going, you two.’

‘My goodness, this is tough going,’ Rarity groaned, ‘Be ready, Spike! I fear this is going to snap all at once!’

Then the room shook once again as the other trolem smashed Tom into the ice once again, and that tremor was enough to make Rarity’s prediction true. The two of them fell backwards as a huge diorite finger fell to the ground, and Maud took the opportunity to duck downwards from the rocky hand that had swept her mane back to expose her entire forehead, shaking her back end twice to wriggle out of its massive hands and landing next to the finger on all fours. ‘Thanks. Now, I’m gonna save Tom from that other guy.’

Spike and Rarity got up, Spike taking to the air, replacing the helmet that had fallen off his head with both claws before grabbing his pick. Rarity shook her head as she stood and asked, ‘You’re free! Now, what do you propose we– Maud!’

Maud leapt away before Rarity could finish that thought, her hooves ready for action. She’d seen Maud act like this before, her visage blank as usual but her body poised to bust some, well, rocks, but it was still a surprise when she did it without warning – Maud’s dispassionate countenance belied her strength and speed when something geological needed breaking apart or putting together. Without a word she jumped towards the pool, and Rarity gasped as she took a flying leap upwards and kicked Tom out of the trolem’s grip quite a way into the air, with a trajectory that kept him aloft longer than one would ordinarily expect.

Rarity estimated that Tom must have weighed at least a tonne, and she’d know after the time she’d lugged him around while under Discord’s spell that one time Maud had reminded her of before, but the way Maud moved again belied that weight. In a series of zig-zag movements she deflected the huge stone airborne a second time with a spinning kick, then barrelled into the trolem’s chest, a series of kicks hitting it in just the right places to knock it off-balance.

Spike hovered over her, and she looked up at the little dragon, whose jaw dropped in amazement. ‘Woah. Twilight’s told me about this, but I’ve never seen Maud go like this with my own eyes,’ he gasped, ‘She really does know everything there is to know about rocks.’

The cold light emanating from the frozen pool beneath Maud intensified and there was definitely a howl coming from below the cave, as Meus realised its plan for freedom had been foiled by the stoic little pony. ‘Maud, my dear, I believe you’re beating these terrible creatures single-hooved!’ Rarity cheered, hopping up and down.

The trolem that had held Maud took a few seconds to realise that she’d suddenly departed, and once it had, lifted its head to look at Rarity. ‘More pony… Prettier than pretty pony. Like pony,’ it rumbled, standing.

Rarity inhaled and flapped her scarf back over her shoulder as she recoiled, and Spike hovered above her head protectively. ‘Absolutely not, you oaf! Keep those dratted fingers away from my mane! I spent half an hour on it this morning!’

‘Grab my claws, Rare! It won’t be able to grab you if you’re airborne with me!’ cried Spike. She did so, and Spike pulled her upwards and away from the trolem just as it reached to grab her. She looked up at him with a smile, and he smiled back with bared fangs, looking much more assured now than the last time he’d taken her for a ride.

Which was as well, because a second later their smiles became panicked wide-eyed expressions as thundering footsteps lurched towards them. ‘Want pony! Give!’ the trolem roared, its flat voice approaching something resembling anger. Spike sped away into the open air as it followed, snatching at the pair of them.

Meanwhile, the trolem Maud had kicked had spent several seconds teetering on one foot at this point, but it couldn’t stay like that forever – eventually it landed on its back with a crash that sent a wave of stone dust flying as Maud landed, then grabbed Tom over her head in both hooves, straining for a second before holding him up like he weighed nothing at all. She casually tossed him aside, far away from her adversary as she looked up and observed that her allies had taken to the air. ‘They’re not terrible, Rarity. Just misguided… oh, you’re both flying. That’s cool. Like my hooves, on this ice.’

She took a moment to hop, slip and jump back onto the shore of the pool as she watched the other trolem lumber after Spike and Rarity. The latter couldn’t suppress a shriek as an igneous hand swiped at her while the former buzzed up and down in an effort to evade it, for her sake as Rarity grabbed on tight with all four hooves.

‘Still causing trouble, I see. Boulder, let’s finish this,’ Maud spoke into her pocket as she reached for the pebble inside of it, ‘Spike, fly over to Tom. We’ll, uh, neutralise this one. I’d like my backyard back, please.’

Spike did as she said, and once it was in the location she envisioned Maud lobbed Boulder directly at the trolem chasing him. Boulder whizzed through the air all the way from the other side of the cavern before connecting right between the trolem’s eyes, leaving an impact crater and most likely disrupting the electrified quartz in its head, leaving it dazed. ‘My ponies? Why… just wanted to pet…’ it moaned after Boulder had bounced back onto the ground, staggering before falling square on top of the other trolem. The glow around the quartz in its seams faded as it crashed down, pinning its companion down as it wriggled on its back like a stranded tortoise.

After a moment it stopped and sighed, ‘Smash… self… no fun.’ before its quartz’s glow likewise faded, and it joined its friend in glorious inertness.

‘Now who’s been rocked to sleep,’ Maud quipped, watching as the two giants did just that, with a thin smile of muted satisfaction.

Now he was no longer being pursued, Spike circled around the room and deposited Rarity back onto her hooves next to Maud as they all looked at the scene they’d left. Both trolems were down, and the light in the pool seemed to be diminishing. Spike looked into it and saw only his reflection in the ice, which, while still mildly unsettling given its magical potential, was a great improvement on seeing Meus writhing around.

‘It’s over,’ he sighed. ‘I think Meus is retreating. It knows it can’t get through here… and the pool will probably melt again before long once he’s gone.’

‘Tom! Tom, are you alright?’ Maud suddenly turned with uncommon urgency, trotting over to the huge rock before putting her front hooves and an ear against it for a moment. ‘Tom’s got some hairline fractures after all that, poor guy,’ she muttered, before moving around him with her hooves still rubbing against him, ‘I estimate about 2.75% dispersion of mass from repeated impact, that’ll need cementing… but he’ll be fine, he just needs a little repairment and time to settle.’

Rarity trotted up by Tom and looked up to where Maud was clambering around, her face an expression of impassive concern for the huge hunk of granite. ‘Dear me, what an unfortunate situation! Ah, thank you so much for, ah, rescuing Tom from those trolems, Maud, and Boulder too… oh, Boulder must still be over there…’ She looked over to where the trolems lay, and saw Spike had jetted over to locate the rock in question, ‘Good thinking, Spike. Maud’s rather busy.’

Spike grabbed a rock then flew back to the others, landed on top of Tom, then placed Maud’s pet rock into her awaiting hoof. ‘I appreciate the gesture, Spike, but that’s just a regular, unnamed rock…’ she said after a brief inspection, then tossing it aside, ‘I’ll find Boulder later, he won’t be far away. Anyhow, thanks for breaking me free again, both of you. I’ll see that the trolems return to their caves once I’ve got Tom all taken care of.’

Maud continued to tend to Tom, and Rarity stood at his base, feeling slightly awkward as she didn’t acknowledge either of them further in her busyness. Rarity envisioned the rock in bandages and with a thermometer sticking out of a fissure, and she almost giggled. She stopped herself, however – this was obviously a severe matter as far as Maud was concerned, and she didn’t wish to be disrespectful to either of them.

‘Ah, well, you’re very welcome, and thank you for stopping Meus from doing whatever it was trying to do, to boot… whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t anything good! Um,’ she stopped, realising she was by and large speaking to a wall.

‘So you know, I didn’t say the words,’ Maud eventually responded, looking at Rarity with her blank stare, ‘The rhyme that activates the pool, I mean. Those are a Pie specialty. I learned my lesson when I ended up with way too many Boulders one time, and Pinkie told me all about her own encounter with it. Things escalated quickly, from what she said.’

‘Ah, thank you for setting my mind at ease, then,’ Rarity said, relieved that there was no possibility of multiple Meuses, ‘Well, should we be on our way, Spikey? Maybe it is time to call our underground sojourn a day after all that excitement, even if it is safe here now.’

‘Just one thing first, Rare… Hey Maud, you got any parchment around in your cave? I’d like to alert Twilight to what happened here ASAP,’ said Spike, hovering near the threshold between the pool’s cavern and the entrance to Maud’s subterranean abode.

‘I do. Check the chest near the waterfall in there, beneath the rock samples,’ Maud answered, waving vaguely at the entrance as she pulled the exact same bandages Rarity had just envisioned out of her saddlebag, rubbing some sort of polish into a crack as she dressed the wound.

‘Get well soon, Tom. I’ll send you a card,’ Rarity smiled and did a little bow, before following after Spike as they took their leave.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

‘So,’ said Spike, removing his helmet and basket as the tunneling pair emerged at last back at the roadside embankment where the countryside began to thicken into the benighted forest, where long-grassed fields and rolling hillocks gave way to twisted root and bough. Since sending his message and leaving Maud to clear up, he’d had a seriously concerned look on his face.

‘So?’ Rarity echoed, putting a hoof on his basket to stop him walking off. She’d felt frazzled herself, and Spike’s continued silence wasn’t helping matters. ‘Spike, you’ve barely said a word since, ah, the trolem incident. What’s on your mind, precious? Come on, we both saw it. You can talk to me.’

He looked up at Rarity with eyes filled with worry, and she extended a comforting hoof. ‘So, that happened. Thank Celestia Meus’ plan to come through the Mirror Pool was flawed from the start. And thank Luna you’re okay,’ he sighed, embracing his special somepony and rubbing his face into her chest fur, holding back a tear as he admitted, ‘I… I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.’

Rarity responded by rubbing her chin against Spike’s crest. ‘Aw, nor I to you… well, we’re both safe and well now, my darling. The worst casualty of that situation was poor old Tom, and he’ll get the aid he needs from Maud. We need to be sure any other potential portals like that are stymied, though! That one didn’t work because it’s water, but we might not be so lucky next time. Perhaps I should exchange words with Mayor Mare… she has the Everfree rangers’ and scouts’ ears, and I’m certain it’s a matter of Ponyville security!’

The two of them started to head back to Ponyville as they continued their discussion, and Spike looked up at Rarity with an affectionate gaze. ‘That’s a pretty good idea, Rare. They already took care of that quicksand patch the Canterlot City girls fell through that one time but the Mirror Pool got put on the backburner since it’s near private property… and who knows, there could be others we aren’t aware of. Let’s get back to town and see if we can get an audience with her… and after that?’

‘Yes?’ Rarity prompted when Spike trailed off. She looked him up and down, his jewel basket nearly as big as he was on his back and the lizard-green jacket over his shoulders, sad eyes looking up at her and his muscular purple arms shifting as he wrung his claws together nervously.

He blushed as he stated his proposition outright. ‘Well, I was thinking, even before this. I’ll be visiting the Crystal Empire later this week alongside Twi, and next week’s Nightmare Night… but after that, what’s your business schedule looking like for the rest of the year, Rarity? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Meus showed up while we were nearby Maud’s place, and… we could get away from all this, you know? Take a break together before Hearth’s Warming, whaddaya say?’

Rarity seemed slightly taken aback by Spike’s suggestion, out of surprise rather than displeasure. Then she smiled with bunched cheeks and said, ‘Well, I was thinking about asking you, actually… I am putting the Boutique on hiatus for a fortnight after Nightmare Night, as a matter of fact. I haven’t taken a break since before the Festival of the Two Sisters, and by its nature that was at the very height of summer!’

‘Really? That’s a pretty long time without a vacation… well, if you’re saying yes to me, I am a dragon of means nowadays,’ Spike’s countenance switched from nervousness to an aspect altogether bolder as he stuck out his chest and smiled toothily, ‘The world’s our oyster, so to speak. We can go anywhere!’

‘Ah, didn’t you tell me you were visiting King Thorax at the Changeling Hive in a few weeks? I know somecreature who’d love an excuse to travel over there and meet her old bug buddy before she travels back to the north for winter, if you know what I’m saying!’ she giggled, patting her curls and her smile spreading before she added, ‘I mean dear Yona, of course, although I’m eager to see what they’ve done with the place since… well, you remember.’

‘I’d rather not, but it’s nothing like what it was back then… yeah, that’s a great idea, Rare. Yona can hang out with Ocellus, I can hang out with Thorax, and you, uh, can hang out with Pharynx?’ he grinned as Rarity looked faintly confused, ‘Kidding. With me, I mean. Although nothing’s stopping you, if you wanna do that. The changelings are all super friendly, and they especially love ponies after Starlight freed them all! It’s a great place nowadays, all positive vibes and mindfulness stuff!’

‘You do make it sound like a marvellous little retreat… moreover, my understanding is that we’re guaranteed a net total of zero magical portals around there, which is why I suggested it,’ Rarity pointed out, ‘The anti-magic field Queen Chrysalis’ throne emanated back when they were all her minions was there for quite some time!’

‘Huh, I guess so,’ said Spike, ‘I never really thought about it like that, but I’m glad you did. Yes, a bit of respite and relaxation will go down really well! I’ll let Thorax know I’ll be bringing company once I’m home. Oh, hey Gabby.’

Suddenly Gabby was there, and Rarity couldn’t help gasping in surprise as she nearly leapt out of her skin. ‘Spike! Rarity! How have you been?!’ she chirped, ‘Gallus told me all about the monster in the castle over the weekend! Did you get it yet?’

‘Wahh! Oh, um, hello, Gabby,’ Rarity breathed, her voice oscillating between several octaves as she recomposed herself. ‘Fancy bumping into you here! Ah, we were–’

The charcoal-feathered griffon hovered in front of the two of them with a huge, bright-eyed grin. ‘I live near here, silly, remember? On the forest border a little way away from here with all the, uh, ex-bushes now since I burned them all when I broke up with Spike? Anyway, me and Mashy caught up with Gallus while he was in Ponyville a couple days ago and he told me there was a giant snake monster in the library and you fought it with the headmare and it was really cool! Spike, is it true that you punched it in the face?! That was bold!’

Spike cringed, paused, then inhaled, answering more in ambassador mode than as his normal self – Rarity supposed it was an effort to keep his cool regarding both his ex-griffriend and the adversary they’d just indirectly faced, which he’d made clear was no laughing matter as far as he was concerned.

‘Yeah, I sure did, but it’s not really a snake… it’s a matter for the, uh, correct authorities, since you ask, the princess and mayor and such… nothing you should be worried about, anyway. We were actually just about to see the mayor about further insecurities around the area as soon as we can. Had a bit of an encounter underground near Maud’s place.’

‘Really? Uh, with the mirror monster or just Everfree monsters?’ Gabby looked perturbed, ‘Or just bats? I don’t go into the underground much, I only like bat-ponies in O&O… actual real bats flapping around kinda creeps me out…’

‘That is understandable,’ Rarity interjected, ‘One must watch one’s step, not to mention one’s…’ she paused, then corrected herself from inadvertently calling out Gabby’s general volume, ‘...Yes, one’s step.’

‘It was all three, kinda? Like I said, it’s a matter for the mayor, Gabby, but I’ll keep you updated if you like.’ Interacting with Gabby seemed to be causing Spike mild discomfort, and Rarity was certain he was as keen to change the subject as she was.

‘Yes, darling, Princess Twilight knows, and she has ponies nowadays for such matters, besides Mayor Mare’s authority around the valley. Anyway, how has Buttered Mash been lately? The two of you seemed to be in good spirits together at the race two weeks back! Ah, getting along very well, I should say!’

‘His name is Button Mash, Rarity, but whatever – yeah, we’re always together having fun! He came around with me on my rounds today – hey Spike, remember when we did the rounds together? That was fun! – anyway, we’re meeting up a little later for a few rounds of that “Hooves of Harmony” game they just got in at the arcade! His mom says it’s too violent but it’s not like it’s got blood or anything and the fights are mainly about scoring style points, and they all end with hugs and hoofbumps… uh, maybe don’t tell her we’re playing it? I’d just hate to lose my player-two!’

‘Ah, Sweetie Belle has informed me in the past that his dear mother can be, ah, a mite overprotective. Our lips are sealed, aren’t they, Spikey?’

‘Sure Gabby, I promise not to spoil the fun,’ Spike answered, ‘So everything’s going well between you… that’s… good. Great. Uh.’

An incredibly long second passed before Gabby followed up. ‘Well, I’m off to the market… you know, I showed Mashy my Queen Bloodstone O&O lorebook and he was super into it? He’s a video game guy but we’re going to do a spooky Nightmare Night tabletop sesh, me OMing, with Gallus and Silly, and Gilda, and some of Mashy’s school buddies, and the two of us are gonna get all dressed up for it! Cloaks and fangs and everything vampiric! I better jet before they all pack up for the day, actually. Toodles! Good luck with Meus and the Mirror Pool and all!’

‘Alright then. Be seeing you soon, Gabriella,’ said Rarity, but Gabby had set off before she’d finished. ‘Oh, I’d rather she didn’t do that. Most impolite,’ she sighed, scrunching her muzzle.

Spike grunted, still hovering on the spot. ‘Ah, you know what she’s like. Y’know, we did the exact thing last year, except Gilda didn’t need to find a sitter last time.’ He paused, then cast Rarity a probing glance, ‘Wait, we didn’t mention the Mirror Pool. How’d she know about that?’

‘We did mention Maud’s abode to her, darling, and Gabby is sharper than she lets on sometimes. She knows Maud lives next door to it, and she can figure things out for herself.’

‘Maybe,’ Spike mused, ‘Hmm. Oh, whatever, let’s get these gems back to the Boutique, then hit up Mayor Mare with the details. Maybe I’ll barf up a reply from Twi in the meantime, but that’s up to her.’

‘A splendid course of action, darling. We’ll relieve you of all those gems first. It shan’t take two ticks! I can carry you back if you prefer!’

‘Hmm… thanks for offering, but I’m good,’ said Spike, wearing the basket again as he jogged along beside her, ‘The exercise won’t hurt me, anyway. Let’s go!’ Then the two of them made their way back into Ponyville, a little worse for wear, but still so happy to be together in the face of adversity.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 15: Join the Swarm –

‘…And as we depart the upper nurture and wellness suite, that brings us back to the throne room. Hey again, bro– I mean, my liege.’ As he and the threesome he guided – alongside some other giggling changelings who were mainly just flittering in the same general direction for the fun of it – left the aforementioned area and emerged back out into the open, Pharynx gruffly saluted King Thorax, who was sitting with his antlers held high atop the mossy oaken throne at the peak of the Changeling Hive, ‘And with that the tour’s over, so uh, I guess I’ll leave the ladies and gentlecolt here with you.’

Most of the insectoid hangers-on took their leave, laughter in the air as they flew off in whichever direction suited them now the show was over, although a few stuck around either as court functionaries or just because they felt like it, and Rarity removed her summer hat in the presence of royalty. ‘Oh, thanks for that, Pharynx,’ Thorax brightly-but-seriously nodded back, ‘And calling me brother is fine in front of visitors. Uh, welcome back, Yona, Sandbar, Rarity. Everything all alright on the way around?’

Thorax had been chatting with Spike, who was seated, cross-legged with his official friendship ambassador medallion, on one of the throne’s leafy lower boughs. He’d agreed to temporarily part ways with his travel companions as Thorax’s first-in-command took them under his wing, giving them an orientation around an organic fortress that was fairly alien for neophytes such as themselves, while Spike and the sparkling green-orange changeling-in-charge had a lighthearted catch-up.

Now they were back he hopped down onto the floor, flapping his wings twice for a sure landing upon both feet before running up to his friends with a big smile on his face and sucking the juice of one of the tree-throne’s striped fruits, that he’d eaten during their absence, off his digits. ‘Hey guys! Did Pharynx show you what they’ve done with the old sac chambers? Thorax just told me about it!’

Sandbar raised a hoof as Spike wolfed down the rest of his snack. ‘Hey again, Spike. Uh, I think so? We went through a wide area at some point where a bunch of these guys,’ he stopped as a passing changeling gave him an unsolicited high-five, which he returned eagerly with a laugh, ‘Hey, thanks dude! Uh, where a bunch of these guys were doing… something…? With these pools of swirling colours and sequenced glowworms on the ceiling blinking off and on… it looked cool, anyway. Seemed important.’

‘Yes, that was them, working the love mixer. And not to be disturbed when they’re in session,’ Pharynx noted, ‘Hopefully no changelings lost their orb to the drink after somecreature nearly broke through the viewing port.’

Yona blushed, ashamed. ‘Yona understand. Looked fun, wanted closer look at Hive activity,’ She looked down as Sandbar smiled and gave her a side-hug, and she shrugged.

‘I’ll let it slide once for a newbie… just curb your enthusiasm, friend. Changelings aren’t one-on-one as hardy as yaks,’ Pharynx nodded. Yona looked back up and nodded back with a grunt.

Yona, her significant other and her boss stood before the changeling king, looking up at him like the tourists they were. Rarity’s mane was tied up into an elaborate crimped bun, with conspicuous, sapphire-studded ornate golden clasps around her right foreleg and its opposing ear, and a translucent, tropical-blue sarong around her waist and back legs. Meanwhile, Yona wore a light red shawl decorated with a white leaf pattern, golden tasselled earrings and a garland of bright magenta-and-lilac flowers over the fur she’d recently had trimmed prior to travelling. For his part, Sandbar wore mirrorshades, a floral Kawaiian shirt and a gold chain with a turtle charm hanging off that Yona had insisted completed his “look”. He certainly didn’t look bad, although the shirt was an eye-watering hot pink that Spike suspected could be seen from orbit.

Yes, they were each dressed for the weather of a fine vacation. Of course they hadn’t needed to wear anything, but given the stock-in-trade of the ladies present, getting dressed up for the occasion had been contemplated at long length before departure. Compared to central Equestria in late autumn the Changeling Hive’s climate was positively balmy, moreso than within living memory.

Until a few years ago the Hive’s environs had long been a blasted, ashen hellscape where nothing could ever grow. The burgeoning greenery and wildflowers growing ever thicker over and obscuring the sharp edges of the damaged landscape made clear this was a place of renewal now; alive and wild, yet tranquil and idly fascinating. Nature had moved back in with the changeling populace, much to their collective joy.

The Hive itself reflected that change. Where once everything had been hostile spikes, toxic green goop and sheer black crags bathed in brown from meagre half-light struggling to penetrate acid clouds, everything had become much sleeker and grassier to the point of overgrowth that its residents needed to keep in check inside of a few short years. That was especially apparent where they stood, the towering obsidian seat from which Queen Chrysalis had once reigned upon the changeling populace now replaced with a less imposing but no less strong wooden throne that was nonetheless slowly climbing upwards, definitely encouraged by the improved climate. The purple and red-streaked fruits of which Spike had partaken grew from its branches, and there were flower and mushroom patches of various sorts sprouting from the roots that wound all the way across the open-air room.

Feeling the humidity prickling her neck, Rarity fanned herself with the hat she was holding to her bosom for a second. ‘Well, Yona’s little whoopsie aside, everything is perfectly lovely here, Thorax darling,’ she grinned, nodding her head at the king, ‘I must say you’ve all made coming off the beaten track so worth it already,’ she looked around at the colourful welcoming committee swarming around them, ‘Ahh, thank you all for such a warm greeting!’ she waved before looking down at the brown tinge on her attire, ‘It was rather a hike from the station to here, with nary a trail no less, and heaven knows I wasn’t dressed for it, but it is certainly worthwhile! I’m really looking forward to learning more about the new Hive! We all are, aren’t we?’

Yona and Sandbar nodded vigorously as Thorax looked sheepish at Rarity’s observation. ‘Yeah, we usually fly to and from the Hive… well, when we travel. Now you mention it, we’re still pretty secluded all the way out west away from Ponyville and the rest… I guess we’re still used to the old days when this place was very, very off limits to outsiders entirely.’

‘Walking fine. Hiking through woods good, and Spikey brought direction-pointy thing so nocreature lost!,’ Rarity’s assistant laughed, ‘And Yona like bug welcome! Thanks for flowers, too!’

The garland she wore suddenly grew eyes after she said that, before sprouting insect wings, flying back over her horns and transforming with a green flash back into a male changeling, his colours corresponding to the flowers it had been just a moment ago. She gasped with wonder, ‘Ooh, flowers just changeling too. Yona accept this.’

Sandbar frowned and looked over the rim of his shades, making an attempt at looking threatening at the changeling. ‘Uh, boundaries, bro? Me and Yona are kind of a thing together.’

Yona rubbed a cheek against Sandbar’s gently as the changeling fluttered opposite them both. ‘Ah, sparklebug not do anything bad, Sandbar. Yona yell if so. Relax.’

‘Sorry… we’ve just never had a yak visit before!’ the changeling chirruped as he extended a purple hoof to Sandbar, whose grimace relented once he was deep into a vigorous hoofshake, ‘It’s a big first and I am here for it! Name’s Boscis, short for “Proboscis”. Say, didn’t you come to visit Ocellus? I’m actually in her acting troupe.’

Thorax looked around, then grunted. ‘They did, yeah. Uh, isn’t she around here? I know she knew you were all coming by but she didn’t answer when I checked in on her, uh, cell yesterday…’

Boscis winced as he looked up at the changeling king. ‘Dearlove told me she was fussing about making a big entrance when she visited her this morning, your majesty. You know how she gets before a big event, everything has to be just so.’

‘Yona confirm,’ said the yak, ‘Ocellus need space to perform. Wish bug friend meet us now though.’

‘Well, if she intends to do as you say, she ought to do it now before the moment passes!’ said Rarity, looking around, ‘We must have been here over an hour already, and no sign. Ah, nocreature is wearing her like dear Yona was wearing young Boscis, I presume?’

As every clad creature in the throne room inspected themselves closely in case Rarity was right, Spike’s ear frills pricked at a harsh whisper nearby, though he just couldn’t quite locate where. ‘Now! Do it now! We’ve been sitting here for ages!’

Then another, one he recognised. ‘They’re still talking… oh, why did Boscis have to interrupt like that, ooh…’

A third, a slight baritone. ‘Of course they’re talking, they just met! They’re waiting for you, Ocellus, make a move already! Just fall so we can follow your lead, for goodness’ sake!’

‘Uh, uhh...’ Ocellus’ voice responded, with a heightening nervous pitch Spike felt in his heart.

His eyes darted around, but he could only figure the voices as coming from somewhere vaguely overhead. ‘I can hear you up there,’ Spike said, raising a claw as the others watched, ‘Come on down, Ocellus and, whoever else. It’s true, we’re waiting for you, but we can’t wait forever, y’know.’

‘Ah, breezie toots! Rumbled!’ the first voice responded. ‘Now! Now!’

Then a deep breath could be heard. Everycreature looked up as a cloud hanging low over the throne room hesitantly turned light blue, dipping down as it started to swirl, sparkle and change shape. Two songbirds flew from within the tree’s leafy upper boughs and encircled it as it rippled, flying around and around it, singing what was initially shrill birdsong that soon deepened into a harmonious duet as they too changed shape. They morphed into a yellow female changeling and a goat respectively, while the cloud turned into a spinning sphere that likewise emitted a sustained, controlled soprano before hitting the ground and slowing.

Ocellus finally revealed herself as the sphere slowed to the shape everycreature knew her by, looking slightly flush from the effort and no small embarrassment. ‘Um, heeeey, everycreature,’ she said, off-balance from all that spinning, ‘Sorry I’m late.’ The yellow changeling steadied her with both hooves as she continued, her eyes rotating comically for a second more before she shook it off, ‘I kind of got stage fright when I saw you all. Um, this is Dearlove, and the goat’s Elytron. Ely, take things seriously for once, the king’s right there!’

Ocellus gave the goat a gentle shove, and it bleated before transforming into a grey changeling with red eyes. He was a little taller than his fellows, although shorter than his king, and he cracked his neck from side to side before addressing those present. ‘Eh, you love me for it. Hey, Boscis, everycreature else… especially Yona and Sandbar! Geez, Ocellus goes on about you two, and the other three guys she hung out with at the School of Friendship, so much I could swear I know everything about you already!’

Sandbar balked slightly, but Yona was unperturbed. ‘Everything? Grey bug know Yona’s favourite colour?’ she pressed, raising an eyebrow as she trotted over to the changelings.

‘Brown, duh. Your fur’s brown, so it’s your favourite,’ he answered without hesitation.

‘Correct! Most things in Yakyakistan brown too, when not covered in snow! Brown a fine colour, often many colours all at once! And Ocellus!’ she turned to her old schoolfriend, whose unease dissipated in the aura of the lively yak, ‘Yona impressed by puffy cloud entrance! This your acting troupe, yes? Just four, or more?’

‘Well, membership is mostly fluid based on who wants in, but for us main players… there’s actually five, but Trochanter’s got a sore cibarium and can’t sing so well right now. Which is too bad… she’s the real, um, vocal talent among us. Not that we’re not at least pretty good by ourselves!’ she flop-sweated for a second and looked around, ‘You all just heard us, we were fine, right?’

Dearlove rolled her eyes, then smiled. ‘Ocellus, we’re the best singers in the Hive. Everybug knows it. Don’t talk us down because you froze, eh?’

‘Yeah, chill,’ said Sandbar, as he and Yona moved in for a hug that the blushing Ocellus got sandwiched between, ‘You all did great, keeping us hanging aside. We’re all just happy to finally see you!’

‘Spinning pretty good! Sing better too! Ocellus practice?’ asked Yona, hopping away and likewise twirling on one back leg for a moment, getting steadied by Sandbar after making herself dizzy after a rotation or two. ‘Oof… Yona hurl if keep that up long. Spinning definitely took practice.’

Rarity suppressed a giggle, finding Yona’s excitement infectious, and Spike flew just beside her. ‘Well, it’s wonderful to meet you all at last, anyway, darlings! As I said before, this has been quite the wondrous reception from everybug here, hasn’t it, Spikey-Wikey?’

Spike looked adoringly at Rarity’s sarong and clasps from his vantage point above and behind her, and the distraction meant he didn’t respond immediately. Just as he was about to reply, he was interrupted by Pharynx. ‘Yes, well, you can’t all stay in the throne room all day, it’s a security issue where non-changelings are concerned. Bro, should I take the outsiders– ’scuse me, guests, down to the amphitheatre? That’s where Ocellus and her company do what they do, right? I’m not much for the arts so I don’t, uh, pay close attention.’

King Thorax tipped his head and pointed right, taking into account something Spike had bent his ear with earlier. ‘Sure, brother. Take Yona and Sandbar that way with our esteemed actors, they can show you the way. This pair,’ he put a hoof on Spike and Rarity’s shoulders and grinned, ‘Need to stick around here a little longer. I wanna talk longer with ’em. I mean, if that’s alright with Rarity.’

Rarity jumped a bit at the unexpected contact, then looked up at Thorax. ‘Ooh! Ah, yes, now that you mention it, I could use further guidance here and now, not that the tour wasn’t a sufficient overview of the place! Yes, we can catch up with our younger compatriots later, I mean, if that is okay?’

‘Sounds good, Ms. Rarity,’ Yona answered, putting her forelegs around Ocellus and Sandbar for another group hug that they both definitely found a bit too tight, ‘Let grown ups and Spike talk in peace. Schoolcreatures got catching up to do! Acting troupe new friends, too!’

‘Oof, Yona!’ Ocellus breathed, fluttering her wings in agitation, ‘Let me go! Have you forgotten what Pharynx said before?’ As Yona loosened her grip on her and Sandbar, somewhat more used to his yakfriend’s affections, laughed, Ocellus smiled and gave her a gentler hug, adding, ‘It is wonderful to see you both, though. I’m sure we’ll all get along great!’

Elytron grabbed Boscis in imitation of Yona and, with a grin on his face, transformed into an orange polka-dot bandana before wrapping himself around the purple changeling’s neck. ‘Hey, what’s the idea?’ Boscis cried indignantly, ‘Even if you could actually keep me warm like that, it’s not cold today!’

The bandana laughed, then said with relative seriousness, ‘I figure I should restrain you from bugging Yona again, man. Something tells me Sandbar wasn’t super OK with it, and if you’re wearing me, you physically can’t. Anyway, I’m down with heading out from the Hive for a while to get to know our new friends better, if everycreature else is.’ Sandbar responded to Elytron’s observation with a nod of approval.

‘Of course! Let’s go. Um, it’s really nice to see my old professors again too, Spike, Rarity! Please come down our way a little later while it’s still light!’ said Ocellus, as Pharynx stepped towards the throne room’s exit. The throng of changeling actors and assorted creatures filed out, saying their goodbyes and chattering among themselves as they left.

‘We will! See you later, kids!’ Spike said as Rarity cooed her own goodbyes. Then they left, leaving the room feeling empty all of the sudden, despite the other changelings still flying and chattering nearby.

Rarity gave Spike an elbow nudge and a disapproving glare once they’d gone. ‘Spikey, you’re barely older than any of them. Don’t be silly, darling.’

He snorted and looked at her with a grin, which turned sheepish as he realised she wasn’t joking. ‘What’s your point?’ he balked as her disapproval intensified, ‘I was just kidding– wait, that’s not a great choice of– uh, it was a joke.’

Her expression mellowed as she realised she mostly had him to herself for the first time all day, and she reached over and gave him a pat on the forehead that ruffled his frills. Thorax let go of the pair as she did that and sat back onto his oaken throne, leaning forward in an effort to put them at ease as they took a seat on a protruding root each and faced him. ‘So, Rarity, Spike told me a little about what’s been happening back around Canterlot? Sounds pretty stressful, even if Princess Twilight and the rest of you guys have a decent handle on it.’

‘Well, it may not be the sole reason I accompanied Spike here, but it certainly won’t hurt to, ah, get away from it all for the week, and besides, Yona was champing at the bit to bring her beau along to visit Ocellus for the first time in quite the while,’ Rarity addressed the antlered king, ‘And it is really, really lovely here so far. Spike tells me that the changelings have become quite the experimental species in the past few years, and the tour Pharynx just took us on illustrated that nicely. There’s just so much… diversity of activity here now! A true hive of such, you could say!’

Thorax laughed, ‘We do our best. We don’t wanna dwell on what we were, and what we can be instead is, well, changelings can almost literally be anything! Which is… mostly good…’ he said, visibly losing confidence in his words as he mulled them over for a second, ‘As long as what we want to be is good, which of course is what I’m encouraging, and… oh, Yona might not have minded but young Boscis there displayed a little problem we’ve been having, some of the younger changelings who’ve never left the Hive can be kind of… like that.’

‘Hmm… no real harm done there, but…’ Rarity hemmed before looking at the little dragon next to her, ‘Being friendly is not a bad thing, but overstepping one’s bounds can be problematic. Isn’t that right, Spike?’

Spike raised an eyebrow, then laughed as he understood Rarity’s implication, borne of their recent history together, and she smiled slyly. ‘Heh, true. I’m still getting used to, uh, this mutuality thing myself. That’s what Twilight called it when we talked about it a couple weeks ago, anyway… healthy boundaries, respect and all that stuff. Like I was saying to Thorax, I’ve definitely been having a crash course on it myself lately, for uh,’ he blushed, ‘Various reasons.’ Of course Rarity understood what he meant, but those very same boundaries meant he wouldn’t say it outright in mixed company.

Rarity tipped her head at Spike before adding, ‘Indeed, and you know, you’re progressing with that quite well, in this mare’s opinion, my sweetheart. Anyway, Thorax, is that a severe concern? Has anything especially untoward happened as a result of overfamiliar youngsters around these parts?’

‘Not really, the worst we’ve seen is impersonation with intent, and it’s easier to solve cases like that among ourselves than you’d think,’ Thorax elaborated, ‘And Ocellus has been a good influence on them, thanks to yourselves and the other ponies at the school. It’s just another one of those things we’re figuring out as a collective, like, uh, everything, even now, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry at least a little.’

‘You’re worried that somebug’ll turn out badly?’ asked Spike, ‘I mean, all seems well here, but… well, maybe you could use some, uh, contingency plans just in case.’

‘Well, I’ve had words with some others about it. Counsellor Freelove maintains that short-term, low-stakes misunderstandings are unavoidable preparation for the longer-term and it would be stifling to force my subjects to deny an elemental part of their nature, and for the most part I agree with her.’

‘Let them have their mistakes now to avoid them later on, huh,’ Spike said seriously, ‘Fine for little mistakes, but how big is too big?’

Thorax continued. ‘I can’t wrap my Hive up in cotton wool, Spike. If intervention meant preventing the self-actualisation I want for my changelings, I’d rather leave well enough alone so long as it’s not disrupting things significantly, and if it does… well, I’ve talked to Princess Ember about it besides and she says she’d leave them to get on with it unless it did, then she’d, uh, “crack some skulls”, to quote her. I see her point, but I’d rather not resort to violence…’ he cringed at the thought.

‘…And from what yours truly has seen of all these dear creatures,’ Rarity swept a hoof around her, ‘I severely doubt you’d need to… from what Starlight told us back in Ponyville a while back Pharynx was the toughest nut to crack, and I can see for certain he’s thriving as well as anybug here now. From how things are looking in my view, you have my vote of confidence.’

Then she squared up Thorax’s slender neck, looking for all the world like a sapling shoot adorned with three crystalline sacs where it joined his body, her eyes drawing upwards from its orange base up its green-ness until she once again looked into his red eyes. ‘You know, dear, it’s a little warmer here than back home, but would you like a sweater? I have something in mind that’d make you look very regal indeed. I brought some knitting resources, and winter is approaching, you know!’

Thorax balked slightly, and Spike couldn’t suppress a laugh before he could respond. ‘What?’ Rarity sniffed with her lips pursed, but as their eyes met she saw the laughter borne of affection, not ridicule.

She leaned against her favourite little dragon as he beamed, leaning back and putting one arm around her. ‘Oh, I’m sorry Rare, it’s just… you really know your priorities, huh? I’m actually pretty surprised that you didn’t insist I wear another jacket before we came over here.’

‘I brought several with me, Spikey-Wikey, just in case,’ she chuckled into his ear, gliding a hoof over his medallion and pressing her cheek against his, ‘But it’s up to you whether you want an accompaniment to your official ornamentation!’

‘Maybe I would, Rarity. Maybe I would,’ Spike breathed. He felt her heat against his face and a frisson down his spine as she said that, and Thorax breathed in, sensing something in the air. He bit his lip before smiling with his eyes closed, then exhaled. Spike and Rarity noticed the rest of his court followed suit, pausing as something flowed over them, but the whole thing was over in under five seconds.

‘Uh, did we just…?’ Spike started, as Rarity sat bolt upright, scrunching as she held her hat against her chest fluff.

Thorax seemed intoxicated as he spoke again at first, then shook it off, looking perturbed. ‘Abluh. I, uh, excuse us. That was a bit heady. Uh, maybe you two should, uh, how should I put this…?’

Spike got to his feet. ‘Hoo, boy. It’s that obvious, is it? I was, uh, we were trying to be discrete about it, but…’

‘But what, Spikey? What’s going on?’ asked Rarity, blinking before realising. ‘Oh. Oh. Ah. I suppose I did feel, ah, somewhat sweet on you just then, darling. I forgot changelings can sense affection and, ah, feed off the energy.’ Her face became painted with concern, ‘That isn’t a potential problem, is it Thorax?’

‘Absolutely not, Rarity. Nobug here’s interested in, uh,’ Thorax blushed deeply and looked guilty, ‘Harvesting it nowadays, at least they shouldn’t be. We can live just fine off of neighbourly love, and self-love these days… we didn’t know any better back in the day when Chrysalis was abusing us, you know?’ He stamped a foreleg on the floor and his voice deepened, ‘And that is the correct word to use, by the way. She used us badly, and harmfully. Counsellor Freelove helped us see that.’

The changeling king exhaled for a moment, standing and addressing the room with a noticeable wobble in his voice as he paced in a circle around the pair, obviously upset by a painful remembrance of Chrysalis’ reign. ‘Actually, Spike, cotton wool or not you make a good point; I should make this official, while you’re all under my purview.’

His gossamer wings protruded from his back and he puffed out his chest as he exclaimed, his usually meek tone turning loud and as stern as he could muster as he turned to a bespectacled changeling hovering near the throne wielding a quill and parchment, ‘Scribophilia, jot down a proclamation, effective immediately, if you don’t mind. Not that I seriously expect any of my changelings to be so, uh, selfish, but I proclaim by royal decree, anybug caught, or conspiring towards, sucking the love out of our guests will be rehabilitated with extreme prejudice! Spike, Rarity, I swear that you two can, uh, be sweet on one another without disturbance here. So can Yona and Sandbar, on that matter. Anybug found taking advantage of any of you will be held accountable.’

‘No interference. Just interact with our visitors like anycreature else. No snooping, no shapeshifting on them in private, absolutely no wrapping them up in cocoons. We’ve all been over this before where visitors are concerned, but I want to be extra clear about it. Mind your manners. Zero exceptions. That’s all. Let all levels of the Hive know,’ he finished, nodding to his attendant.

‘Thank you, Thorax. I’m glad you’re looking out for us,’ said Rarity, ‘Just in case.’

‘Huh. Looks like you’re learning from Ember well enough,’ said Spike as Scribophilia rolled up her scroll and buzzed off, ‘Without compromising your own leadership methods. Respect… although I’m sorry if we’re inconveniencing the Hive with our presence. Truth be told, I just don’t think of you guys as lovesuckers anymore. You’ve changed. I didn’t take this into consideration, I guess.’

Thorax had a serious, angry glint in his eye. ‘We’re never going back to the old days, Spike. Not if I can help it. Besides,’ he lightened up as his wings retracted, ‘When I told you we love having visitors here? It’s not for that reason! We really do enjoy seeing new faces here, and you guys are great! We all want you to have a good stay! I’m just taking a precaution that I should’ve before you arrived. I didn’t take into consideration either, that you two… or Ocellus’ friends, for that matter, from what Sandbar said before, were, uh, paired up, and we don’t have much experience with that in our visitors. I want to trust my insects, I’m sure I can, even, but you never know.’

‘Well, better late than never, sweetheart, and we’re just over the moon to be here,’ Rarity smiled, standing up, ‘Though regarding the whole “staying” aspect… could we perhaps request a guide to our lodgings? We didn’t happen upon them while Pharynx took us around the scenic route, and one so needs to rest one’s hooves after our journey.’

‘Now that I did plan ahead,’ Thorax said, hovering over his throne and plopping himself back on its seat, ‘Uh, I made sure you all have a special cell in the underground each, all down the same corridor. I’ll have an attendant guide you down there right now, if you like.’

‘Cells? Surely you don’t mean to accommodate us in the Hive’s dungeon?’ Rarity exclaimed.

Spike raised a claw before correcting her. ‘We’re standing in what used to be the Hive’s dungeon, after a fashion. It’s just what they call a living space here, Rarity, don’t worry. I’ve stayed in one before. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how comfortable they are,’ he added, giving her a toothy grin.

She brightened up at that. ‘Oh, well, that’s just fabulous! I confess I’m unused to the terminology used around these parts, my apologies. Very well, King Thorax,’ Rarity smiled and bowed her head a little, ‘I presume the belongings we conferred to your reception party are already there?’

‘Sure!’ Thorax confirmed, motioning to a nearby purple changeling as he spoke, ‘All cases and saddlebags should be right by your beds, as per my own instruction. Ah, Chitin? Could you show our guests to their quarters now?’

The changeling in question fluttered up to Spike and Rarity, and addressed the king with a slight buzz in her voice. ‘My pleasure, o king. Ah, would it be inappropriate to request that I, ah, formulate something for these two to enjoy together later?’ She wrung her hooves together, looking excited but nervous.

‘I don’t see why not, so long as you obey my proclamation… just nothing weird. And don’t keep them all to yourself,’ Thorax said with a raised eyebrow before turning back to his guests, ‘Uh, anyway, once everycreature’s settled all four of you are cordially invited to our weekly pot-luck lunch in a few hours, guests of honour! I’ll make sure you’re not served grubs. I know ponies are vegetarians… I guess yaks are, too? And we have gems for Spike.’

‘Pescetarian, to be accurate, and Yona has something of a sweet tooth, if your changeling chefs are taking culinary recommendations,’ said Rarity, ‘She’d appreciate a decent dessert, as would I, as a matter of fact. Something citrusy for us both, ideally.’

‘I’m feeling adventurous, Thorax. Serve me as many grubs as you like,’ Spike smiled, a smile that widened as he caught a horrified expression as Rarity made eye contact, ‘Hey, tasting the local cuisine is an important part of travel, not to mention in diplomatic relations, Rare!’

Rarity turned pale green, grimaced and stuck out her tongue for a second, suppressing a dry-heave. ‘Blech. With all due respect, none of that for me, Thorax darling. Let Spike ingest what he wants if he’s the stomach for it, but you’ll have to be prepared for me to give you a wide berth if you’re intent on popping squirming maggots like jellybeans, Spikey-Wikey!’

Spike shot an expression of mock disappointment back at her, failing to suppress a laugh. ‘Oh, it won’t be like that, Rarity,’ Thorax laughed in turn, ‘We just have one big one, roasted – that’s the centrepiece of the pot-luck! And it probably won’t be moving around on the plate, unless the chef really screws up. Anycreature who wants a slice gets one, there’s always plenty. And if not, like I said, we have other options.’

Rarity relented, her mind put at ease. ‘I suppose I can keep a better eye on one big, roasted one over hundreds of wriggly little alive ones, although the thought of carving up a giant grub is not to my tastes… but if it’s as you say, I don’t see the harm, and I’m not terribly keen on leaving this little dragon,’ she grabbed Spike and gave him a light cuddle around his shoulders and chest as he melted into her, ‘To his own devices overmuch… we did come here to have a lovely old time here together, after all, even if we’ve my protégé and her sweet beau along for the ride. Isn’t that right, precious scales?’

‘That we did, Rare. Spending some quality time with my special somepony is gonna help us both de-stress after all the trouble back home,’ Spike sighed.

Thorax and Chitin both had that drunk look on their faces again when Spike and Rarity looked up at them again, before standing to attention. The rest of the changelings present also seemed to move in slightly as Thorax blurted out, ‘Right! Yes! Well, the two of you might want to continue that line of discussion elsewhere for now,’ he inhaled through his mandibles, ‘But you’re both welcome to stop by here anytime when it’s less awkward… don’t worry about what Pharynx said before. I know you’re cool. Besides, I’d like to think on that sweater offer Rarity made. Ask me about that again later!’

Rarity chuckled demurely, one hoof to her mouth. ‘Of course, Thorax. I can bring some samples here later when you’ve time, darling. We’ve got all week.’

Thorax inhaled again. ‘I know it’s what you love to do, Rarity… anyway, Chitin, if you wouldn’t mind showing our guests to their cells… I mean, rooms.’

‘As you wish, o king,’ Chitin nodded, ‘Follow me, then, Ms. Rarity and Mr. The Dragon. Walk this way!’ Then she flashed green as she transformed into a goony white bird with brown wings and blue webbed feet before perambulating towards an exit with a peculiar flapping, kicking gait.

‘Well, when in Cloudsdale…’ Spike muttered, imitating her as he followed her out of the room. Rarity tugged the brim of her summer hat back over her purple locks as she scrunched with mirth, then laughed as she watched, an affectionate chuckle that almost made her tear up as he waddled away.

Then she caught up to him, giving him a nudge from behind with her muzzle before floating him onto her back with a sparkle of her horn. ‘You’d wear yourself out in no time flapping about like that, darling,’ she giggled, affecting a bumpy dressage as she moved. Chitin’s silly walk was more infectious than she’d admit out loud, it turned out.

‘Oop!’ Spike squawked as he was forcibly laid upon the part of Rarity’s back that was bare, before sitting upright with his claws pressed lightly against the base of her neck to stay stable as he pressed his rump against the line of her back. ‘Hah, you’re not wrong. Uh, if it’s alright with you, we can take a little alone time, maybe find the others with Ocellus’ troupe once we’ve rested, then we all go to dinner? It’ll be a proper party, you know!’

Rarity turned back and nodded. ‘Sounds marvellous, Spikey-Wikey. Hiking is a necessary evil as far as I’m concerned, and I wasn’t expecting to traipse through the woods for a while, while wearing this rather classical looking outfit… ah, do they have a laundry here in the Hive? I’m a tad muddier than I’d like…’

‘We have your soap and water this time,’ Chitin answered, ‘After Mr. The Dragon visited us last time and was rather displeased by our traditional cleaning methods, we made the provision before you all arrived. We haven’t had much practice using it, though, so please do bear with us. Ah, Ocellus and a few others know what to do.’

‘I mean, clean is clean, but I was seriously weirded out by the hardening changeling spit all over my bobble hat that time,’ Spike said sincerely, ‘Good to hear you took my feedback seriously, though, I appreciate it!’

‘Well, what’s good for the goose,’ Chitin flashed green as she morphed from a blue-footed booby into the waterfowl she’d just mentioned, ‘Isn’t always good for the gander, now is it? We’re still learning, after all. It’s a process.’

They all laughed as they followed Chitin down, down, deep down from the Hive’s apex to their allotted chambers deep within, perchance to unpack their luggage.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 16: Turning Pearshaped –

Author's Note

This chapter is a little risqué in one part about 3/4 through. Nothing too sexy for a T rating but somepony out there might appreciate a content warning. I'll put this writer's note at the start so you know in advance 😅

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 16: Turning Pearshaped –

Rarity couldn’t suppress a chuckle as she finally encountered Spike for the first time all morning. After knocking upon his dwelling’s door first thing and finding his room vacant, she’d spent the morning keeping an eye out to no avail, even after visiting King Thorax with the inquiry and using his scroll burner as a makeshift locating device. Despite no reply, The king in the yellow pine tree jersey and cobalt neckerchief she’d bestowed upon him two days prior had assured her that he’d seen Spike shortly after firstlight, taking a trip to one of the Changeling Hive’s lower echelons alongside Chitin, their designated guide.

Thus assured and also faintly famished, she’d been sidetracked by breakfast with Yona and Sandbar as they all checked in with Ocellus and her family, who had been more than happy to cater for their friends that morning. Rarity herself had provided a caramelised pear tart she’d procured from a bakery halfway up the Hive during her search, which had been quite the pleasant, familiar thing in this somewhat strange place. Changelings had quite the sweet tooth, it turned out, although they had a habit of shaping their wares’ crusts around the confection in question’s featured fruits. She found that rather charming, if a mite impractical for slicing into even portions.

Lively conversation had, among other things, touched upon the Hive’s evolving Hearth’s Warming traditions, the current professional activities of Gallus and Silver Stream in Canterlot and Cloudsdale respectively, and of course, the short performance Ocellus and her troupe were planning for the evening. Once they’d dined and the youngsters had taken their leave, after she’d thanked Ocellus’ folks for their hospitality Rarity had redoubled her effort to find her dear Spikey-Wikey, and now she had.

He was lying on an ornate lounger in an unguarded milk-white walled alcove with a low, black ceiling constructed from hardened twigs and bug spittle ensconced deep within the Hive’s ground floor, bathed in amber light from orbs peeking out from the mesh. The chair was crafted from a jade frame with an adornment of plush blankets and cushions, and Spike wore his ambassador medallion, a pink towel over his belly and an opaque pair of shades; scarlet-rimmed, star-shaped lenses rather than the continuous opacity of the ones Sandbar had worn en route here at the start of the week. For her part Rarity wore nothing, having mostly divulged herself of her attire due to the damp warmth trapped by the atmosphere surrounding the Hive, although she kept the golden clasps on her ankle and ear, and had adorned herself with satin pink ribbons tied in bows at the base of her mane and her tail.

‘Darling, there you are!’ she laughed, trotting up to him, as well as the changelings fanning him with giant leaves and the stork attending him with drink refills, ‘Somecreature’s getting the pampering he’s plainly been craving the past couple of days! I had similar myself yesterday, and it was most invigorating!’

The attendants all watched the pair as Spike sat up from the splayed, lazy position he’d been indulging himself in for who knew how long, giving the dragon and unicorn a little space as they talked. ‘S’up, Rarity. One of these yours?’ he grinned, tightening the towel around his middle and gripping two neatly-furled scrolls in the claw that wasn’t caressing the neck of a cocktail glass with a little umbrella and the iridescent purple-green liquid he’d halfway imbibed, ‘Chitin invited me down here yesterday, and I wanted a bit of, uh, unrestrained pampering, so I skipped breakfast with you guys…”

Rarity raised an eyebrow, not unkindly as she beheld the half-dozen changelings inhabiting this alcove, as well as the stork holding a bunch of grapes in its beak above his head, who she supposed was Chitin.

As it transformed back into that very changeling with a green flash, she chuckled in their general direction, ‘You are all quite the picture, doting over Spikey like that. Spike, I brought a slice of the tart I took over to Ocellus’, ah, cell for everycreature!’ she said, extracting its crumby remains from the folded foil tin she was carrying in her saddlebag and encircling Spike, ‘We all found it quite enjoyable, and I couldn’t leave you out entirely. Have you eaten yet this morning, sweetheart?’

Spike hopped off the recliner, slung the towel over his shoulder and took to the air, flying towards Rarity as she levitated the tart in front of herself. He peered at it. ‘Oh, nice. You get this from the bakery up the way? I’ve seen these on display,’ he asked, licking his chops for a second before looking up at her, ‘These guys gave me a marbleberry and banana smoothie with a side of gems for breakfast, but I’ve still got room.’

‘Okay, guys and gals,’ he addressed the changelings present after a short pause, ‘This has been incredible, really, but I’d like a bit of space to catch up with Rarity, if there’s no objections… we need to talk about something. Equestrian business. Feel free to invite me for another, uh, massage anytime, though!’

The changelings present murmured among themselves for a few seconds before saying their goodbyes and dispersing, Chitin alone still hovering nearby. ‘Do you require my services as a facilitator further, ambassador?’ she asked with wide eyes and a bowed head.

Spike chortled, then shook his head with a claw raised. ‘Nah, you’ve already done plenty… I appreciate your guidance, Chitin, especially since you invited me down here, but… no, this is private business between Rarity and me. I know our way back to our chambers, so you’re free to do whatever else.’

‘Oh, is that so?’ asked Rarity, her ears pointing back in disappointment, ‘Couldn’t we dally for just a moment? Maybe there’s somecreature else who’d appreciate another massage? The one I received from the stags over near the mud pool yesterday was very luxurious, I still feel most, ah, effervescent!’

Chitin inhaled with a nervousness that Rarity couldn’t ignore. ‘Ah, no, I do have other duties for the king that must be taken care of, Mr. The Dragon. You know where to find me in the interim. Good day to you too, Ms. Rarity. See you at the acting troupe’s show later,’ she said, before buzzing after a couple of the other changelings.

As Chitin left, Rarity hopped onto the recliner, resting her rump on its lower end as Spike sat back down beside her, popping his shades onto his forehead. She observed that his scales were looking quite shiny under the amber light of the alcove, certainly an after-effect of whatever oils they’d used. ‘So. A massage, you say? Involving all those changelings? Nothing strange involved, was there?’ she asked with an amused snort.

He snickered. ‘Nah, the most I can tell you is a couple of them transformed into some kinda spiky ball things and rolled around on my upper back and shoulders for a bit. Otherwise they just spoiled me rotten… you know how they’ve been since we got here, all waiting on us wing and hoof, luxuriating in the lurve it generates…’ Spike grinned, inhaling of the pie can, ‘Which is fine, I ain’t doing much with it if it’s just gonna seep out my scales or whatever, they can have it. Ooh, boy, I can tell this’ll be great. Sure you wouldn’t like a drink and a small slice of this, Rare?’ he inquired, ‘There’s still half a jug.’

She raised a hoof to her mouth and giggled. ‘No, I’ve had my fill of tarte tatin aux poires for one morning, but I wouldn’t mind slaking my thirst, my darling,’ she said, magically taking a cocktail glass as Spike slowly poured her a portion, ‘And I suppose they held the fireberries this time… so, I can’t help noticing you’ve got another scroll besides the one I sent inquiring as to your whereabouts from Thorax’s burner there. Word from Equestria, I presume?’

Spike sighed, though not in discomfort. ‘Yeah, something from Twilight I got first thing. Nothing to worry about… news about the whole Meus thing, actually,’ Spike elaborated, unfurling it in both claws. He cleared his throat before continuing, ‘Mostly good with some, uh, minor concerns. I’ll read it to you. “Hey Spike, Twi here. Hope everything’s going well at the Changeling Hive and you’re not drinking too much weird fruit juice with who-knows-what added to it!” …Cram it, Twilight, you’re not my mom… “Anyways, great news! Starswirl’s had a breakthrough regarding the magic mirror and the shadow ward on the stained-glass window since Stygian finally answered his scrolls. Our betentacled worries might be over sooner than expected! He’s successfully crafted neutralised shadow-infused crystal necklaces that we’re testing at the castle now to make sure they’re safe. Wearable protection until things are straightened out should come in handy!”’

‘Oh, that is good to hear,’ Rarity interrupted with palpable relief, ‘The most galling aspect of that dreadful creature’s presence was the paranoia; knowing it was out there and worrying that it could emerge from some heretofore unbeknownst magical portal to get you was a most unpleasant prospect…’ she stopped herself, then sipped her glass before tipping her head and continuing, ‘Forgive me, precious. Do continue.’

‘No, no, that’s fine. I was pretty glad to read that myself, but yeah, there’s more, slightly less good news. Quote, “So that’s the good news. The less good news is that while things have been holding up at the Crystal Empire, there have been reports of sightings of strange lights and sounds around the trail up to Yakyakistan. We’re sure now that Meus dwells somewhere between the two places when it’s not inside the matrix, and the blizzards have only gotten worse since we visited last month. Shiny and Cadance say everything is fine within their borders for now but they’re keeping security “Canterlot Wedding” tight. Anyway, enjoy your vacation with Rarity! Speak soon! –Your faithful Princess, Twilight Sparkle.” Unquote.’

He rolled the scroll back up as he looked up at Rarity, who had been daintily slurping at her glass, and she returned his serious glance. ‘Well. Less a downturn of fortune as much as confirming our collective fears, then. From everything that’s gone on it’s no great surprise that it inhabits around, ah, what I suppose are the foothills of the Yaket Range around the Frozen North, but I still wonder how it made that first transmission between Cadance’s looking glass and the magic mirror in Canterlot without anypony there noticing? It’s not exactly a subtle beast, and the Crystal Heart operates primarily to keep the worst of the cold out of the citadel, you know?’

‘Who knows?’ shrugged Spike, ‘Subtle it’s not, but it’s patient… Twilight reckons it got through their defenses some time ago and just kind of chilled out inside the mirrors for a while, and that it might have access to other portals besides. If we’re lucky, we’ll be rid of it without needing to know the details. Anyway,’ he licked his lips, ‘I think I’m done here for now. Where are the ki– uh, I mean, your assistant, and the rest? You had breakfast with Ocellus’ folks at their cell, you said?’

‘Darling Yona was positively gleeful about the short musical they’re performing in front of the entire Hive tonight, so we chit-chatted about that and other things while we ate honeysuckle pancakes and the tart you have in your claws, mostly. She’s ever such a deft hoof with Ocellus’ siblings, you know. The first time we saw them I privately questioned if they’d survive the encounter, but I think she took Pharynx's warning to heart, and she does like to tell me of her own younger brothers back in Yakyakistan,’ Rarity said, faintly distracted, ‘Ah, aren’t you going to eat that tart, Spikey? It’s lovely outside and I was rather hoping to spend a little time with you out on the crags once you’d eaten…’

‘Sure, I’m not that bothered about dwelling on affairs back home while we came here to enjoy ourselves, but I wanted to be alone with you. Kinda feels like we’ve been apart a lot in the daytime for the past couple days for one reason or another,’ said Spike, dipping a claw into the tart and delicately removing a pear slice before putting it to his forked tongue. He shivered from the sweet frisson it caused him before sucking it in entirely, before adding, ‘Yow! That’s very good. I’m surprised you went with pear over apple, though. Has your absence from Ponyville really made you forget our local produce so soon?’

She laughed. ‘To the contrary, Spikey,’ said Rarity, answering him straight, ‘I was thinking specifically about Applejack when I made my selection, actually, on account of her dear mother, not to mention it was one bit cheaper. The only true downside is that it’s, well, less round, since they shape their confections the way that they do. Proportionately I took care to be certain I sliced it evenly, but that’s why your piece is rather, ah, slender.’

Spike inspected it, holding it in both claws as he realised it was indeed in danger of flopping stickily into his lap. ‘I can live with an, uh, a linear slice. Might be better with a spot of cream though, if you brought any?’

Rarity giggled again, before clarifying with a doting smile and a stroke of his frills, ‘I did not. Now, eat it all up! My dear little Spikey-Wikey needs his strength, does he not?’

‘You’re darn right he does,’ Spike said, before diving face-first into the slice, Rarity watching him demolish it with one hoof over her mouth with no small amusement. Spike snaffled the long, triangular wedge from its thin end, rapidly hoovering up the fruity topping with a big grin all over his face. Gleaming droplets of fruit syrup flew through the air as he had his wicked way with it, showing it zero mercy.

He paused halfway through his devourment and looked up at her, licking the golden goop off his face as his expression fell from greed to mild shame. ‘Uh, sorry, Rare. My appreciation of these baked goods must look, uh, very uncouth to a lady of standards.’

‘Keep going, precious. I’m here to deliver you a breakfast dessert, not judge table manners,’ Rarity said with a broad smile, producing her monogrammed hoofkerchief and giving her raised foreleg, which had received a light smattering of the tart’s juices, a wipe. ‘Besides, I’m willing to let it slide this once since you plainly appreciate it. They have all kinds of cakes and tarts in that shop, you know! Pinkie and the Cakes would be very interested in taking a look for themselves if they were ever to visit! They're a little more delicate than the cupcakes and such they trade in, but that’s not a bad thing!’

Spike resumed eating, more self-conscious this time despite Rarity’s assurance. ‘No, I should take my time. I just forgot myself, is all, and if we’re taking a little time out together I kind of wanna down it and go. With all the activities and such the changelings have going on, not to mention my ongoing business with Thorax, we’ve become kind of separated the last couple days, y’know? Yesterday I only saw you before dinner for a little while when we bumped into each other at the vase throwing and flower arrangement craft time.’

Rarity snorted in contemplation as Spike encroached upon the crust of his slice with very sticky fingers. ‘Quite true, unfortunately. Yes, I was with Ocellus and the other youngsters, working out the right costumes for their musical, ahead of that. A lovely creative exercise it was, too, though it was mainly costumery for Yona and Sandbar since changelings can just change their outfits in a flash if need be…’

She looked at the ceiling before changing the subject. ‘And that seminar. Pottery is a funny business, isn’t it? At first I feared it was about literally throwing vases and breaking them like one of those dreadful performance artists in Manehattan, but, well, I suppose that exposes my ignorance somewhat. You wiggle a pile of clay on a spinning plate while shaping it with your hooves, and so long as you take care, voilà! A flower pot! A slightly wonky one, true, but for a first try mine wasn’t the worst, with your guidance…’

‘I mean, you can have the one I made if you want it. That pink vase with the blue roses I gave you back in Canterlot was actually one I brought back from my last visit here, I don’t think I mentioned that,’ said Spike, a drop of syrup dribbling down his chops, ‘I picked up a tip or two from Gabby the times she threw a few pots when she dabbled with that, so I’d already had some practice. She said claws make keeping the form easier for dragons and griffons than it is for changelings or ponies, not to mention she showed me how to lacquer evenly once you’re done.’

Rarity’s eyebrows raised, but she couldn’t suppress her slight amusement.. ‘Is that so, sweetheart? I don’t doubt she was very good at it. I confess I assumed the last one you gave me was, well, store-bought from somewhere or other in Canterlot.’

Spike’s smile faltered. ‘Nope, made by yours truly, and yep… yeah, she sure was. You know Gabby taught me a lot of things, what with being, uh, naturally gifted and all. So,’ he brightened up, ‘You want it? Whaddaya say?’

‘I already have the pink one, and I am rather fond of it, but… well, if you insist, Spike, I don’t doubt I could make use of another. I suppose your nimble little claws are rather useful for detail work…’ said Rarity. She gave him a half-lidded smile as she observed that.

Spike took the hint, having now finished his slice of tart, and he blushed as he considered touching Rarity with them before pausing. ‘Heh, I… uh, Rarity, could I borrow your hoofkerchief for a moment? I kind of got syrup all over my “nimble claws”, speaking of which.’

Her smile widened, and then she moved in. Instead of levitating it to him as he’d expected she held him in a magical hold without warning, simultaneously holding the black, silken rectangle in question as she held it up to him and gave him a series of wipes of his cheeks and jaw as she laid him back onto the recliner.

He waved his claws in urgent resistance as she mother-henned her favourite little dragon. ‘Not just your claws, Spikey-Wikey. You’re not going to sully your special somepony’s fur with that, precious!’ she chirped blithely as he struggled, ‘We should find a pool to wash you off in after that, really. Then you can give me your own little massage further along, no?’

‘Oh, yes,’ Spike responded once he’d stopped resisting her sudden hold, as she removed the mess from his face. The surprise aside it wasn’t actually that bad to suddenly get forcibly cleaned up, but Rarity’s standards were unimpeachable given her day-to-day cleanliness. He knew full well that it was much too early in the day to risk matting her fur with tacky fingers; as far as he knew, a minute before midnight was likely too early. At any rate, it was best to keep his distance until he was properly washed again.

Nonetheless, she seemed to be quite enjoying giving him an impromptu wiping down, he noticed, and he giggled as he looked at the bit lip and raised eyebrow upon her lightly pink face as she held him somewhat near her, but far away enough not to risk actual physical contact. ‘I mean, sure. I know where we can get the worst of this off,’ he continued, ‘They’ve got that tank of soapy water they’ve been piping through to our rooms not far from here. Let me go and I’ll show you. There’s a faucet on it.’

‘Alright, dearheart,’ Rarity giggled demurely before releasing him and putting her soiled hoofkerchief back in her saddlebag, then giving him a kiss on the forehead. He took to the air just in front of her, holding his claws in front of him carefully, and she added, ‘Yes, yes, lead the way, darling! This thing could use cleaning itself now, anyway!’

The two of them left the amber-lit alcove behind as they rejoined the busier artery running through this part of the Hive’s basement, rubbing shoulders with, or having near misses overhead with, a moderate bustle of changelings going about their business. ‘It’s not far,’ Spike said, ‘Chitin showed me yesterday, it’s just down here.’

‘Yes, about her… didn’t Chitin seem rather, ah…’ Rarity wanted to mention what she’d noticed earlier, but just this once the word didn’t come to her, ‘Ah, a little strange just now? I’ve only seen her with you since she first showed us to our chambers.’

‘Yeah, I had noticed. Her liking of transforming into funny birds aside Chitin’s pretty by-the-book, and I think she’s avoiding being in the same room as the two of us together, given Thorax’s proclamation after we arrived,’ Spike explained, turning around an increasingly blue-mottled, curved wall, the spots seeming to emerge from beneath the white of the corridor they’d just been in, ‘Oh, here we are already. It seemed further yesterday.’

‘Hmm, I see… but she also asked if you needed her services further instead of simply leaving. I do wonder…’ Rarity pontificated out loud, ‘Oh, let me lend you a hoof with that.’

Spike landed, then outstretched his grubby claws under the tap affixed to the humming cylindrical tank they’d found. Rarity gave it a turn with her horn magic and he spent a moment lathering them up before standing aside. ‘Alright, all clean. Uh, wonder what?’

Rarity lined herself up with the pouring water and likewise gave her hoofkerchief a proper clean before lightly wringing it out, before responding. ‘That she may be, ah, denying it of herself for some unbeknownst reason, perhaps. Heaven knows there are a few changelings around who’ve felt rather delicate in the event of us, ah, “being sweet together”, as Thorax put it. A great deal don’t have that reservation, but…’

‘No, no, I think I agree,’ said Spike, turning the faucet off and facing Rarity as he took to the air again, ‘I’ve noticed it. There’s gotta be some mixed feelings going on throughout the Hive about love stuff. Thorax made that pretty clear during the proclamation besides. Not that anybug here dislikes it, just…’

Spike trailed off. ‘Well, that was a good part of the reason I wanted to take a walk with you outside the Hive, darling,’ Rarity giggled, ‘My understanding is that you’ve got the morning and much of the afternoon free, have you not? There’s the play tonight to attend and, ah, I believe Counsellor Freelove’s weekly feelings forum is at some point this post-meridian? But otherwise…’

‘I mean, that’s optional, but we should definitely go if we’re not occupied,’ Spike chuckled, ‘Thorax will be there, anyway, so I’d like to check in with him then. The feelings forum is one of the changelings’ big social things like the pot-luck, and I think a bit of, uh, cultural and emotional exchange through it would be great! Maybe getting a thing or two about ourselves out in the open would be to the, uh, more nervous changelings’ benefits?’

‘Now that you mention it, we have grown used to being somewhat clandestine in our relationship through necessity, Spike. And you’re quite right, there’s no easy hiding our feelings for one another from the changelings… and perhaps that repression is agitating a few of them, like poor Chitin. Yes, we definitely should attend!’ Rarity nodded before sighing, ‘But first, why don’t we get outside as soon as possible. I only caught a whiff of cloud when I came calling at Thorax’s throne before, and it is nice out, if slightly muggy…’

‘Sure, Rare. Let’s head upstairs,’ said Spike, running a now-pristine claw under Rarity’s jawline. She bowed her head towards Spike in response, looking at her favourite little dragon as she blushed quite involuntarily, nuzzling against his claw before batting her eyelashes at him as she pulled away just a bit.

While the coast had been clear the past two minutes there was a family of three changelings fluttering nearby as they did that, and to a bug they immediately sensed the sudden spike in affection emitted between the visitors. The youngest of the trio spun around in midair and cycled through several colours in rapid succession, starting at cobalt blue and ending up glowing neon orange after her father held her steady. ‘Hey you two, get a room! She’s a sensitive grub!’ he harrumphed.

Rarity straightened up at the admonishment. ‘Oh dear, a fine illustration of the issue at hoof,’ she sighed before waving, ‘Our apologies! We’ll be out of your, ah, frills momentarily!’

The family flew off, unamused, and Spike put his claws over his face and his shades back over his eyes as he cringed. ‘Let’s go for that walk right now, Rare. I don’t really wanna cause problems in the neighbourhood.’

Rarity flop-sweated for a second before turning back to him with a sheepish grin, and they both nodded. ‘Of course, Spikey. I can’t wait to be properly alone with you. So… a short hike, then a check-in with the youngsters at the amphitheatre, then this feelings forum, then the play… it’s still early, so as long as we keep time on the important appointments, if we get swept up into something we’ll be perfectly fine, methinks. Now, lead the way!’

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Spike flew to the top of the cliff, only a little way overhead and still wearing his star-shaped shades and medallion as Rarity trotted a few paces behind. While they’d followed a pass north and down, then uphill, the Changeling Hive still dominated the landscape; there were still a few changelings about, but nothing on the level of activity as back there. It stood to reason that if they wanted legitimate quiet time together, a hike was the way to go.

‘Are we there yet, darling?’ Rarity asked, and Spike slowed up as they reached the crag’s apex. A common feature of the swaying, grassy open hills of the area surrounding the Hive was these shallow but alarmingly ragged, dark artificial extrusions that once violated the landscape, carved by the changelings back when they were but black bugs that knew no other way but Chrysalis’ régime of domination and fear. Like everything else in the Hive’s vicinity, an air of a fresh start now reigned upon them, and nowadays they felt much less like hostile ebon edifices and more like gently rolling rocky cliffs.

The one they’d just wandered up opened into a vista of glorious autumnal shades and colours. The basin surrounding the Hive having rapidly reforested itself the past few years since Chrysalis’ defeat meant that the once-ashen plains were increasingly interspersed with growing foliage, bushes and saplings encroaching from the neighbouring woodland. Early interlopers that had bothered the changelings after their change in leadership, such as maulwürfe and other burrowers, had churned up the cracked landscape enough that the soil had become more amenable to plantlife than it had been for some time, although they had largely stuck to the lower levels of the area. The crag was squarely before the plain with a light smattering of young trees decorated in gold and red around its edges. While there were a few changelings visible in the middle distance, flying a way overhead, for the most part it was silent aside from the rustle of the grasses swaying in the wind.

Rarity gasped as she saw it all rise into view. It wasn’t unlike Ponyville just before the Running of the Leaves they’d both attended with their friends a moon or more back, although these trees had just started to shed of their own accord, unregimented. ‘Ah! We are here!’ she chirped, picking up the pace to get a better look.

Spike landed with a hop and a skip upon a rock that was just right for sitting upon right near the edge of the crag, leaning out a little as he stretched his legs and rested on his arms. Rarity trotted up to him, stopping for a moment as she beheld him and the outlook beyond; with his wings still outstretched against the shining late morning sun, his silhouette struck quite the pose as he peered out to where her gaze too was drawn. For a second she saw in his profile a, well, perhaps not bigger, but certainly a more serpentine version of himself, and she admired him even after the illusion faded from her eyes.

‘So much here has changed,’ he breathed after shaking each leg a few times, and she walked to his side as he sat on his rump properly. ‘I mean, I’ve seen it all before the last time I came around here, but this is new for you, right?’

Rarity plopped herself down upon a soft tuft of grass on the crag’s otherwise bare crest, slightly beneath where Spike was but effectively level with him. ‘Changed for the better without a doubt, darling. The changelings have truly made a good shot of reinventing themselves after… all the old unpleasantness. It’s wonderful to see, and this view, well… we should have brought a picnic or somesuch!’

‘I’m still working off that tart you gave me, but something light would have been nice. Eh, missed opportunities. We can head back whenever you want, Rare,’ Spike said, rubbing a claw on her neck.

She looked up at him with wide eyes and a scrunched muzzle as he did that. ‘Spike, we just arrived at this very scenic spot! I won’t starve for a few hours yet, precious! Ocellus’ parents were quite generous with the pancakes and grilled oats. I’ll be fine… besides, we’re not so far from the amphitheatre from here. There’s an all-day concessions stand, of all things, down there for the troupe and audience, and they do smoothies like the one you were having, besides.’

‘Yeah, we just got here, alright,’ Spike grinned, and he leaned over his rock above her. She shifted herself downwards a little, lying on the ground upon her back as he crouched, and her beribboned ponytail flowed back on the stark rock surrounding her chosen grass tuft as she shot him a little smile. ‘Oh, you’re… you are a very pretty pony, Rarity,’ he said, his grin spreading ever wider.

She giggled. ‘So you keep saying, Spikey-Wikey, and you know I do my utmost to keep up that appearance. It’s truly lovely to be out here with you.’

He hesitated for a moment, then laid onto his belly as he dipped a hand down to her brow, his claws feeling the hard outline of the golden clasp around the back of her ear. She inhaled as her eyes narrowed, and she leaned into his tickly fingertips with a catlike purr. He felt a little sad as he interleaved strands of her hair between his digits, though in a good way – a piquant sensation of desire weighed upon his heart just enough to be noticeable, a wishful feeling of unfulfillment as his love squirmed happily in his light grasp.

While he understood full well the reasoning behind their current arrangement, the past few weeks since the encounter with Meus near Maud Pie’s dwelling had only made the fire of his affection for her rise, to the point that sometimes, it felt like she was something he could never have even when they were together like this – indeed, their closeness right now belied that he only felt it all the more strongly. Logically he recognised the irrationality, the improperness, the downright greed of such, but an increasing part of Spike wanted more than this. As Rarity reacted to his touch he wished he could take things further, but he didn’t dare break his word to her.

With that thought on his mind he looked into her eyes with narrowed pupils and a knotted brow, an intense look on his face as his grooming travelled south from her ear to her chest via her neck. She blushed as she looked up at him again, stretching and drawing all four hooves upwards, and sighed, ‘Aw, Spikey… you’re a very handsome, sweet, terribly darling little dragon yourself, dear. Ah, it’s soft and dry in the grass down here, precious-pants. Won’t you join me for a little snuggle?’

‘Of course. Let’s snuggle real good,’ Spike stated, losing none of his intensity as he spoke. She laughed, then raised her front hooves towards him. He let her pick him up, then draw him down to where she lay. He couldn’t help himself; he held her tightly around her shoulders as she nuzzled into his ear frills and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. ‘Oh man, Rare… no kidding, this feels wonderful. When’s the last time we just relaxed like this?’ he asked, raking his claws down between her shoulders.

Rarity scrunched again and looked at the sky in contemplation, then answered his rhetorical question. ‘Before Nightmare Night, I think,’ she pontificated, ‘The last while’s necessitated being on somewhat high alert thanks to that dreadful Meus creature… we’ve had plenty of occasion to be together, albeit with ponies or other creatures in the vicinity rather than by ourselves. It’s truly marvellous to have some quiet time together for the first time in quite the while…’ she trailed off as he nuzzled into her neck, then sat up with her back against the rock as she concluded, ‘And if what Twilight wrote holds up, we should be able to relax somewhat once we’re back home.’

He looked up at her, his gaze relaxing. ‘It is really nice, Rarity. Though I hope nobug all the way out here senses, uh, us too much.’

She placed her hooves onto his shoulders and pushed him off of her a little, fixing her gaze onto his with a serious look. ‘Oh, so do I. You know, sweetheart, I do worry if our little arrangement isn’t an imposition upon the changelings at large, much as it was on that poor grub we just disrupted, or as you suspect it is upon Chitin. They welcomed us expecting the usual, platonic, friendship, as well one would, given our histories as champions of Equestrian friendship and harmony. But what we’ve brought with us verges upon, ah… well, you know what I mean, don’t you?’

‘I don’t fully understand how it works. The changelings themselves are still working it out,’ said Spike, ‘But they do have a laboratory of sorts where they give volunteers a test once in a while, somewhere underground. Back before it was just, suck love out of anything wherever you could take it, survival of the fittest kinda thing, you know? Things are more nuanced for them now they’re, uh, good.’

Rarity gave Spike a perturbed sideways glance. ‘Yes, changeling society is still somewhat in flux, but they’ll work it out with Thorax’s guidance. I still can’t believe Chrysalis kept them in the dark about their reproductive abilities, you know. That’s a whole other level of controlling!’

‘Yeah, nocreature saw changelings forming family units coming, but they’re completely capable of it. Always were.’

Rarity paused. ‘And in its suppression, I suppose they’re all, oh dear, I shouldn’t say it aloud, I don’t wish to make a great big thing about it, but… well,’ her voice dropped to a whisper for a moment as she blushed a little, ‘Related. Not that it seems to be an issue for them overall, the younglings I’ve seen around have been perfectly well turned out… possibly things are different for insectoids.’

Spike inhaled through his teeth. ‘Yeah, yeah they are, and I couldn’t say. But it’s not as if they’ve got much choice either way, y’know? Once it came out that they wouldn’t die out without Chrysalis after all, Thorax got some kind of nutritional régime he borrowed off of Twilight organised in an effort to mitigate any, uh, complications going forward. I don’t know the details, but it seems to be working alright. The grubs around the Hive seem healthy so far.’

‘Barring Thorax’s voiced concerns about their societal impulses, at any rate,’ said Rarity, ‘But the old will always worry about the differing ways of the young in any society, I suppose. There is the love sensitivity issue, but that appears to be unrelated to generations…’

‘Mmm,’ Spike pondered, ‘Speaking of which… dunno about you, but I’ve been feeling kind of repressed on account of keeping things on the down-low lately. There’s no hiding our feelings about each other around the changelings, but if, uh, we’re sending out mixed signals, it might even things out a bit to come clean at the feelings forum like you suggested, y’know?’

Rarity cleared her throat, sitting upright and depositing Spike onto the grass with a light rustle. ‘Agreed, Spikey. Moreover, I’d wager they’re a little more open-minded around these parts than back home. I’d feel much more comfortable getting things out in the open around their Counsellor Freelove and that Elytron fellow, than laying myself bare before the judgement of, say, Spoiled Milk’s sewing circle, even if her social purchase around Ponyville has diminished somewhat of late.’

‘You mean since Filthy Rich divorced her,’ Spike deadpanned, closing his eyes and bedding down on Rarity’s chest again, ‘No, I hear you. While we haven’t hidden it very hard – I mean, it took Yona about five seconds to figure us out the day after the race – it probably would benefit us, and everybug here, to express it aloud. Changelings don’t really judge so long as you’re pure-hearted about your sentiments.’

‘Good to hear… plus, I needn’t worry about selling clothes to them, on the off-chance they do,’ Rarity said blithely, before raising her hooves to her mouth in alarm at what she’d expressed, ‘Oh, drat it… I must come off as rather selfish, saying that aloud!’

Spike shook his head a little sadly, but his smile didn’t diminish. ‘Rare, you’ve made it plenty clear the past couple of moons that you’re just protecting yourself. Heck, you’re protecting me. I understand, even if I get a bit frustrated once in a while. No need to apologise. I couldn’t reasonably ask for more.’

Rarity’s countenance became noticeably withdrawn as she patted Spike on his side, an indication that it was time to climb off. He obeyed, rolling into the grass as she leaned against the rock. She put a hoof on the ground right beside him, and he put his claw on top of it.

There was a pause before she said, a faint wobble in her voice, ‘I’m waiting for you, Spikey. A lady understands the virtue of patience. But sometimes, I… it can be difficult, even if I try not to show it much.’

‘Tell me about it. I just hope I’m worth the wait,’ said Spike, looking at the cerulean sky overhead and holding Rarity’s hoof tighter. After another pause he looked at her and added, ‘I guess it’s a little easier for me than it is for you, in that aspect. I already know you’re perfect.’

She chuckled, wiping a tear away before slumping south slightly, turning to her favourite little dragon with bunched cheeks and a sparkle in her blue eyes. ‘A little confession for you, darling. Promise not to tell?’ she asked in a plaintive tone.

‘Of course not, Rare. What is it?’

‘You know that Burnferno fellow you read a story about to Starlight and myself after we first tangled with Meus? Since then I’ve been having the strangest dreams about him taking me away in the middle of the night, ah, in a good way. It’s all a bit silly, but… how do I put this delicately? He is my type. I may be rather attracted to a fictitious dragon…’

Spike raised an eyebrow, and he couldn’t help baring his fangs in a grin as he returned Rarity’s gaze. ‘Uh, I won’t pretend that’s not kinda a weird thing to tell me, Rare, those paintings on the covers are, uh, just illustrations. Surely you’ve got pics of hunky stallions on the covers of your bodice-ripper romance novellas?’

‘Quite so, yes, but they’re not you-adjacent,’ she said, now turning fuschia-pink around her cheeks and ears, ‘As I say, it is rather silly, I know it’s simply a fantasy, as are they. I don’t expect you to bulk up overnight into a flexing dragon warrior… I just can’t help romancing about it somewhat, related to yourself, I suppose. My idle mind runs away with itself in the small hours once in a while, that’s all. Not very perfect of me, is it?’

Spike chortled, blushing in turn as he looked at his swirly knees, kicking his feet together. ‘I shouldn’t really be surprised. You’re an idealist, Rarity, and Burnferno just feeds into that. Anyway, that guy earned his big muscles the hard way, you’d know if you read his origin stories. You don’t just transform into that one day, so temper your expectations of me a bit…’

The fire in Rarity’s cheeks ebbed away a little as she inhaled. ‘Well, it helps me to think more about a nice thing like that, and less about some of those terrifying Spikealikes I saw in the magic mirror. But you’re quite correct, and don’t fret, darling. I’d accept you even if you became the size of a Manehattan skyscraper all in one go. As I said that day, you’d still be you, and I already like you very much. I know how I can get about appearances, but it’s truly what’s inside you that makes you special, sweetheart.’

He leaned against her, and she wrapped her arms around him in a sideways cuddle, pressing her ear against his forehead. ‘That’s fair,’ he sighed, ‘And I really do appreciate your confidence in me. Thanks, Rarity. For everything,’ he closed his eyes and let her soothing embrace swell over his worries, ‘For being the pony you are.’

‘And you have my eternal gratitude besides, Spikey-Wikey,’ she breathed, ‘For being my favourite little dragon. That won’t change.’

She gave him a smooch on the cheek, a lingering one that separated with an audible smacking sound, and Spike responded with a raked claw down her shoulder that made her shiver. They stayed like that, listening to the birdsong from the trees below as they lost track of time.

‘Well, I suppose that was a rehearsal for speaking at the feelings forum later,’ Rarity eventually chuckled, ‘A forthright proclamation of what we mean to one another. I do feel less pent-up, emotionally, now we’ve taken time to, ah, smell the roses together.’

‘You smell of roses, no surprise there,’ Spike replied pointedly, prodding Rarity on the foreleg affectionately, ‘And yeah, I’m glad we talked things out a bit. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of distance while we do stuff apart, but we’re not mind-readers just yet.’

She squirmed and purred as he put his claw back on the sole of her hoof, then yawned. ‘That’s too bad, dear… I’m thinking of something in particular I’d like for you to do right now,’ she said. The sun caught her eyes as she looked up at him, and he got a good look into her seemingly bottomless pupils before she squinted away, bowing her head but still keeping eye contact as his grin broadened.

He had a pretty good idea what she meant. ‘You never got that massage before, huh… I mean, if it’s not too late, just say the word,’ he snickered, wiggling his fingers, ‘I’m always down for a bit of scritching on my special somepony.’

‘Go on, then,’ Rarity’s voice cracked as she stood, lifting herself up onto Spike’s platform, and he helped her up as she kept her hold on his claw. ‘I was nice and limbered up by those big stag masseurs yesterday so I’m not all that tense, but changeling hooves just aren’t the same thing as your deft little claws.’

Spike let go of her hoof, taking to the air before likewise sitting back on the rock. He removed his shades to get a better look at Rarity, admiring as she looked as sensuous and pure as the deep blue ocean. ‘Anything for you, Rarity,’ he crooned with glee, before brushing her mane aside and giving her a gentle kiss behind her undecorated ear that made her recoil slightly, squeaking with delight.

She sat on the rock with her forelegs stretched in front, looking back at him with her head over her shoulder. ‘Oh, sweetheart… work your magic on me, on this lovely warm day…’ she said, with her eyes closed and an inviting purr in her voice.

The next few minutes were positively blissful as Spike gave Rarity an eager go-over around her shoulders, neck and back, down to from where her tail sprouted. Much as she’d grown accustomed to his trimmed, yet still pointed, nails raking against her fur and the skin beneath it as his palms gently but thoroughly pressed her flesh, she’d hardly tired of it – something about his touch stimulated her with an undeniable frisson up and down her spine that spread throughout her body as he gave her muscles a gentle kneading.

She kept her breathing measured, but it soon became undeniable that Spike’s claws were giving Rarity an incredibly pleasant reaction. He sat cross-legged behind her with his wings outspread as he rubbed and scratched, working himself into a quiet zen state as he concentrated, absorbed by his own motions. Up and down, around in circles he went with an intermittent squeeze with his thumbs, paying close attention to her every contour to the exclusion of anything else around them.

While she hadn’t been exactly tense before, despite not being the deepest tissue massage Rarity nonetheless could feel sweat beading on her brow. She bit her lip as Spike proceeded to rake his fingers up and down the line of her back, trying not to show it, but still wanting more. There was no way she was about to tell him to stop while she felt this good, although she silently felt she should.

They both fell silent, as they tended to whenever they did this, with Rarity emitting a little “ooh!” or an “mmm…” once in a while as any tension she had in her body melted away beneath his claws and the warmth of the sun that laid a golden glow upon them both. A gentle breeze brushed over them, and the only sounds besides were the swoosh of the grass and the chirping of birds in the trees. Rarity felt her cheeks burn, as well as the rising fire in her belly, and she was surely on the verge of feeling, well, even more blissful than she already felt.

When Spike’s digits glided along where her sides joined her hips, she reached her limit, despite her best efforts. An electrifying tingle sizzled up from the base of her spine not far from where he was rubbing her flesh, feeling for all the world as if some sort of seismic reaction had been triggered by his deft touch. It was involuntary; her ears slanted and she bucked backwards as she tipped her head back, yelping a strained little ‘Ohhh, darling…!’ open-mouthed and with her ponytail spilled back, her abdomen quivering as she tensed up. She pressed her hooves hard against the crag as she continued to groan and breathe, not quite in control of her actions as her mouth changed to a huge grin that spread across her entire face.

Spike backed off with alarm as her back right leg reacted to her heightening reaction, thumping the rock repeatedly like a rabbit as her eyes rolled and she growled with pleasure. After a few seconds more he resumed his efforts more vigorously before the window of opportunity passed, giving her a good scritching up and down her toned back and flanks. Her growls gave way to a series of little hiccuping gasps, but Spike soon had to abandon his massage altogether in an effort to keep her upright by her waist as she started to fall forward, although the vibrations from her pounding motions made it hard.

The sudden tension spike she’d experienced soon subsided, and with it went the wherewithal to stay upright. Spike tried to keep his claws on her as she collapsed onto her belly with a delighted groan, and he let her go as gently as possible with an ambivalent grin on his face. ‘Wow. Well then,’ he said as she lay inert, faintly perturbed but with no small glee in his voice, ‘Are you okay, Rare?’

Rarity raised her head from the hooves upon which her chin had come to rest, shooting Spike an abashed, red-faced expression as she covered her mouth with her hooves. ‘Goodness me, Spikey… that came upon me all at once! That’s certainly never happened before! Oh, you must think me rather, ah…’

Spike chuckled; he would have been lying if he’d claimed not to have enjoyed watching that. ‘Don’t apologise, Rarity. I won’t tell, and I don’t think that was something to be ashamed of. Uh, do you need a minute? Maybe we should, uh, stop that for now.’

‘I rather agree,’ Rarity exhaled, ‘About stopping, I mean. Erm. Thank you for making me feel very good with that, Spikey-Wikey, but I, I, ah, ableh,’ she sputtered.

Spike backed off, planting his tail onto the brink of the crag as he looked her square in the face. ‘Take your time, Rare. As long as you need.’

She looked back at him, her embarrassed expression changing to that of languid amusement as her cheeks returned to their usual pristine white. After her breathing returned to normal, she tipped her head. ‘I’m unsure if I have the energy to move now, Spike,’ she said, smiling yet slightly teary-eyed, ‘You’ll need to peel me off this rock, I dare say!’

‘Sounds like a challenge. Alright then!’ said Spike. Rarity tittered as he got on his knees and put both claws on her far side, one around her chest and another upon her flank in an effort to roll her over. When she realised he was serious she put in the effort to roll herself and make it easier for him as her laughter intensified, although Spike’s own strength was enough for the most part. With a squeal she shifted onto her rump and back, and Spike’s claws lingered where he’d pulled her over. She looked up at him, those big eyes again gleaming in the sunlight as he moved one from her torso to her brow, just above her horn.

He gave her a wide-eyed, earnest and happy look as he gave her horn a rub for good luck, finding it quite warm to the touch despite his resilience to heat. She exhaled sweetly as he did it, feeling relieved as he dispersed her feverish sensation between his index claw and thumb, ‘Oh, Spikey-Wikey… this isn’t entirely unlike those dreams I just told you about,’ she breathed.

He buried his other claw into the thicker fur of her chest with a toothy grin. ‘Heh… I try, Rare,’ he whispered, before giving her a kiss on the cheek, not unlike the one she’d given him earlier, ‘But I’m not Burnferno just yet. Give it time.’

Rarity raised a hoof to Spike, and he gave its underside a tender caress with the thumb that had been stroking her horn. She raised her head towards him, and they exchanged a gaze that was equal parts adoration and awkwardness.

Suddenly, Rarity’s ears pricked, and she jerked her head towards their view overlooking the plain below. ‘Thank goodness, something to properly change the subject! Can you hear that, Spike?’ she asked, an enforced perky trill in the voice that had remained a relatively low purr just a few seconds ago, ‘Somecreature’s nearby. I think I know who, too!’

‘Huh?’ Spike uttered, his eyes widening as he listened for anything over the twittering of birds. Sure enough, he soon detected a lower, more tuneful sing-song sound, a louder melody that seemed to be practising scales from low to high, echoing from the trees below. ‘Oh, yeah, I hear it now. I haven’t heard anyone singing here besides Ocellus and her gang… is it one of them?’

Rarity stood up, twirling twice on all fours as she tightened the bow on her mane and made herself slightly more proper. ‘It is, but you haven’t met her yet. It’s definitely coming from the plain… why don’t we fly off this crag and I’ll introduce you?’

‘Sure, we should call this a day for now,’ Spike said, feeling the heat himself despite doing his best to contain it, ‘It’s probably for the best.’

‘Well, perhaps we can continue after the feelings forum once we’ve both cooled off, darling. We still have plenty of time, and we’ve just had plenty together here,’ Rarity said, wiping her brow, ‘You do understand, don’t you?’

‘Of course I do, Rare. Alright, then… you’re alright holding onto my claws as I make a descent, right?’

She looked down, scanning for where the song emanated. ‘We’re only a tad above the highest of the trees from here, we’ve a clear line downwards and I trust you not to let go, if that’s what you mean, Spike. And if you need a little boost, well, my horn is at the ready to give us an uplift. Take my hooves, sweetheart?’

‘Gladly,’ said Spike, as he flew overhead, and did just that as she held them aloft. Rarity pealed with laughter as she ran to the precipice on her hind legs and took off, and Spike flapped his wings rapidly as he took her full weight, nonetheless swooping down towards the basin as her legs kicked in front of her, the Changeling Hive towering in the mid-distance in front of them as its spires glinted in the daylight clarity.

He held her steady, and it was a far cry from that day on the stairs in Canterlot, no near-miss crash landing this time; their descent lasted the better part of a minute, with no threat of colliding with a stray rock nor bough. Around the midway point Spike looked down at Rarity, whose laughter had quietened. ‘All good down there, Rare? How’s the view?’ he chortled, maintaining his grip.

She kept her eyes forward, laughing again. ‘Exquisite! The best darn seat in the house, Spike! You seem to be doing well up there, besides!’

He redoubled his flaps. ‘Yeah, I got this. I might need your assistance to land, though – I still have trouble sticking the landing sometimes!’

As he said that, the singing started again, closer this time. ‘Well, I’m prepared for that. Ah, steer us to the left somewhat, precious! I’m certain that song is coming from thataway!’ she instructed.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

In time they touched down on the grassy plain near a path, not far from a grove of half-shed trees to the west. Surely enough, his approach was a little faster than normally comfortable for a soft landing, but Rarity was able to compensate with a sparkle of her horn that slowed them enough that she was able to land on her hooves without much impact. Once she was down, Spike let go, and she stood back on all four legs.

As Spike landed on the ground, Rarity immediately pranced towards the grove, looking up at the trees. ‘Trochanter?’ she called, ‘Trochanter, darling? Ah, what species of tree are you this time?’

The singing stopped as Rarity trotted in circles for a moment, her body following her neck as she looked around.

‘I’m an aspen today,’ came a quiet voice.

Spike too looked around, before long noticing a pair of silver eyes appear on the pitted bark of a tree that was significantly smaller and leafier than most of its half-skeletal fellows. He toddled up to it, extending a claw as he showed off his ambassador medallion. ‘I see you over there. Uh, Rarity tells me your name’s Trochanter? I’m Spike, the dragon. Sounds like your, uh, cibarium’s better? We could hear you all the way up on that cliff!’

A branch waved to him. ‘Hi, Spike, I know who you are. Ocellus talks about you a lot! And Ms. Rarity, too. Hey again, Ms. Rarity.’

‘It is good to see you again, although, ah… can’t you transform so Spike can see your, ah, true form?’ Rarity asked politely.

‘Nope… I like to be a tree,’ Trochanter mumbled coquettishly, ‘I feel more comfortable practising like this. Animals like me to be a tree, too, even if I can’t grow fruit or nuts.’ As if to make the point, a red squirrel appeared from nowhere and hopped up into her lower boughs.

‘You know, we know a certain somepony back in Ponyville who’d like to be a tree,’ Spike laughed, raising a claw, ‘Well, it’s fine, I’m not fussy.’

‘You’ll need to change into something else soon enough, Trochanter… aren’t you getting prepared for the musical tonight? I presume that’s why you were practising all the way over here, no?’ Rarity pressed, faintly annoyed that Trochanter refused to introduce herself to Spike properly.

The changeling tree swayed in the breeze in response. ‘I was, and I was keeping it quiet in case I overdid it again, but… well, I felt you two up there a little while ago, and it made me want to sing louder! You know, you really do give off strong love vibes when you’re together! Boscis told me but I didn’t really believe it until now.’

‘We’d not been together alone for a while! It was an accident,’ Spike protested before elaborating, ‘We’re aware some changelings are sensitive to it, so we were trying to be private.’

Rarity relaxed, circling twice then planting her rump near a tree stump with some wildflowers growing from its bark as she spoke. ‘Yes, ah… we were intending to attend the feelings forum a little later with the intention of clearing the air; so we were, shall we say, practising the same as yourself? Which was fine while we were talking about our feelings towards one another, but Spikey here simply insisted upon a light massage, which, well… we may have not known when to quit, as they say. A reaction like that at point blank around a large group of changelings would definitely be trouble for some!’

Trochanter giggled as Spike crossed his arms, pouting at Rarity in response to her gentle blame. ‘I have heard a few rumblings around the Hive about you two since you all got here. I thought Yona and Sandbar had a good thing going when they’re getting all lovey together, but you… woof, you can cut yours with a knife. Well, no matter. Now you’re here, want to stick around and listen? I’d appreciate some feedback.’

Rarity blushed, then swallowed her embarrassment. ‘Ah, gladly, darling. We were heading over to the amphitheatre after this for a check-in with your troupe and grab a bite to eat, anyway.’

The aspen’s gut growled for a second. ‘Nice idea, I haven’t eaten since breakfast myself,’ said Trochanter, ‘I could really go for a nut bar or two. Spike, I heard you like the giant grub they served at the pot-luck the other night? They have corndogs made of the same stuff, if you’re interested at all?’

Spike glanced at Rarity to gauge her reaction, though she remained sanguine, without the sickened look he’d expected. ‘Sounds great with ketchup and another one of those smoothies. Anyway, show us your stuff, Trochanter. I’m told you can really belt it out, uh, no pressure or anything.’

‘No, it’s fine. Practising with a small audience now helps me deal with a bigger one later,’ she answered, ‘Make yourselves comfortable while I give “Cycles of the Moon” a go. It’s the song I sing after the part with the bicycles, before Yona takes the stage to end the play… there’s a few high notes I’m still getting the hang of.’

‘That’s an interesting choice,’ said Spike, raising an eyebrow as he took a seat on the stump where Rarity had nestled, ‘Cute wordplay, too. Uh, I never asked what the play’s gonna be about? Tell me more.’

The squirrel that had been hopping around in Trochanter’s boughs stopped chittering, and gave Spike a pointed look before speaking. He realised it had emerald green eyes he recognised as it said, ‘Our artistic pursuits tend to be less narratives and more mood pieces where we stretch our transformation abilities a bit, but this one’s loosely based around moon phases and visiting the moon in search of bunnies…’ it paused and looked as awkward as a squirrel reasonably could before exclaiming, ‘Oh, breezie toots! I gave myself away too early! I was meaning to scare this little sapling here when she least expected it.’

‘I knew it was you anyway, Dearlove,’ Trochanter said nonchalantly, ‘Are you going to change back and join the others or do you want to stay up there? Maybe you can join in. You know the words.’

Dearlove snorted. ‘Sure, I need the practice too anyway.’ She inhaled before bursting forth with a melodious, ‘Mi-mi-mi-mi-mi…’ straining slightly, then hacking. ‘Egh! Blech. Yeah, I definitely need to brush up on singing while changed into something else. A duet, then, Tro-chan? “Cycles” works pretty well like that! Singing each line alternately takes the pressure off a bit, besides!’

Rarity laughed, leaning against Spike’s stump. ‘Ah, to be serenaded by a tree and its resident squirrel while paying a visit to a distant land, eh Spikey? Quite the new experience!’

‘Yeah, and not the first today,’ he said, mostly to himself, but loud enough for her to hear. Rarity reached up and pressed his forehead with her hoof for a moment, and he blushed as she scrunched at him, not altogether angrily but enough to make the hint clear beyond a doubt. ‘’Scuse me… let’s move on from that for now! By all means, we’re both all ears.’

‘Thanks, Spike. Alright, Dearlove, let’s get started,’ said the tree, to which the squirrel responded with a nod. ‘One, two, three, four… “We once were told the moon must fall, yet here we are, from dark to light~…”’ she began, in a boisterous soprano that came as a surprise following her demure tone.

Dearlove continued in a higher tone, but not so high as to clash. ‘“We’ve been so bold to travel here, and everybug’s filled with delight!”’

The pair continued. As one dedicated patron of the arts, and one slightly less so non-respectively, Spike and Rarity took in the rehearsal as the two changelings alternated, mostly paying attention and sitting up straight this time rather than distracting one another, despite the temptation. After this it was nearing lunchtime as they caught up with the rest of the troupe alongside Yona and Sandbar, and over the afternoon… well, they were prepared for their proclamation to the Hive before the play commenced. And after that, who knew?

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 17: Hearts Go Out –

After a not especially nutritious but nevertheless filling luncheon revolving around lobby snacks in buckets and on sticks, and a good run-through of some key scenes of the performance planned by Ocellus and her troupe as the evening’s entertainment, everycreature flew or hiked back to the Changeling Hive together for their planned afternoon pursuits. Changeling or not, imminently that involved attending the feelings forum shortly upon their return, which may not have been mandatory, but they’d all agreed to go together – some wanted to accompany Yona and Sandbar in what was certain to be a fresh experience for them, while Elytron in particular was curious what Rarity had meant by “clearing the air” while she and Spike had spent time around the rehearsal.

Elytron and Boscis led the way on hoof, chattering and teasing each other about drone stuff and intermittently transforming into things, largely megafauna as big as they could get away with within the Hive’s confines, to playfully bother each other. The three females of the troupe, a modicum more composed amongst themselves and in no great rush, fluttered behind. Dearlove in particular laconically flew a backstroke with her forelegs crossed behind her head, while Ocellus and Trochanter accompanied Yona and Sandbar, their fledgling thespian yak and pony couple, as they talked among themselves about the excitement Ocellus had scripted and Elytron had choreographed for the evening. Trochanter, the wannabe spirit of the forest, had eventually revealed herself as a willowy, midnight-purple changeling with flowing frills, milky-grey eyes and a galaxy of freckles to match, although she had blithely assured everycreature that she was liable to resume her vegetative state once they’d reached their destination.

Spike and Rarity followed to the youngsters’ right, Spike riding upon Rarity’s back as she kept pace alongside Yona, the pair of them as jolly as they’d been when descending from their crag earlier despite the lingering awkwardness of what had happened upon it, which they both privately and independently suspected needed some further talking out. Nonetheless, spirits remained high between them, and as Rarity trotted along, Spike’s claws found her shoulder blades firmly beneath her fur and mane. She certainly didn’t mind as he held on, not too tight but firmly enough.

The open, semi-exterior area they were navigating through was, being fairly close to the Hive’s top, quite verdant, carpeted with moss and with grasses and vivid pink phlox and irises sprouting from cracks in the rocky, viney walls. The roof this high up in the Hive was semi-extant; the changelings at large had decided after the cataclysm that had ousted Chrysalis and knocked them, like skittles, into their new lifestyle, that it was desirable to let blooms and weeds alike take root in the public places of their home, the same as the throne room at its very top.

There were a few other changelings travelling around this part of the Hive, a few headed to the feelings forum like themselves, although while changelings enjoyed doing activities of an emotional bent at least as much as their creative pursuits, many had other things to do instead. At one point the group passed a changeling gardener in a straw hat giving the surroundings a gentle shearing, since keeping the overgrowth in check was a continuing concern.

The forum was set, as it was every week, in an open room up here, not far from the patisserie Rarity had procured the pear tart from that morning. One could smell a dozen intermingling fruit and dough scents from across the way, something that wasn’t lost on the other visitors in their entourage.

Sandbar commented first, his nostrils flaring before he exclaimed, ‘Oh, wow. Something smells pretty darn good right now!’ Then he paused, before turning to his yakfriend with a grin and a sniff near her ear. ‘Kinda like cough drops. I can smell, uh, pies and stuff too, but I just ate so whatever.’

Yona giggled with a blush, looking back at him affectionately as the changeling troupe looked on, perhaps a little too attentively. ‘Um… yeah! Yona reapply eucalyptus scent backstage before we head back to Hive, got kinda warm under sun during rehearsal. Yona’s special somepony notice, as always!’

Ocellus trilled with laughter, blushing madly as Yona rewarded his observation with a playful smooch behind the ear, and Sandbar beamed, flicking an ear as her muzzle brushed his mane. She shook off that loving feeling before explaining, ‘Um, there’s a communal bakery just a couple minutes’ flutter away, the one where Ms. Rarity picked up that tart we ate for breakfast before we headed into the valley for the morning, I think? They fan the baking smell out to attract more changelings. It’s better for business that way.’

‘Yep,’ said Spike, looking up from the back of Rarity’s neck as her attention was too drawn leftwards, ‘She brought a slice to me afterwards, and it was pretty good, in this dragon’s estimation. Oh, there’s Thorax! Hey, my stag! Hey, Counsellor Freelove!’ he waved, suddenly vaulting off Rarity and flapping ahead to the changeling king who was indeed standing at the entrance of their destination, speaking with the group therapist in question and with several changeling grubs of every colour of the rainbow clambering and buzzing around him. He had a bag with several pouches draped around his neck, which Spike figured probably contained various baby goods fit for the task.

Everycreature rushed ahead to likewise greet the pair as Spike gave Thorax, who was still wearing the somewhat garish sweater-and-bandana ensemble Rarity had gifted him yesterday, a high-five. ‘H-hey, Spike, everycreature else. How’s life outside the Hive going?’ he asked, returning the gesture with a raised hoof, ‘I just came up here from nurture and wellness. Brought some friends to the forum since their, uh, nurse needed a break. They really like the sweater.’

Rarity giggled, not unkindly, upon bearing witness to Thorax’s more fatherly side for the first time. ‘Changeling grubs liking yellow… why, I should’ve seen that coming in retrospect,’ she said, before tipping her head at the indigo grub hanging off his neck, who looked her square in the face with a quizzical expression. ‘Hello there little one… enjoying a trip with your uncle Thorax, are we?’

The grub’s only answer was a continued blank stare before climbing onto Thorax’s back and shifting to a metallic purple, with its corresponding companion, who was hanging off of Thorax’s back leg, switching to indigo in turn. ‘They don’t understand you, Rarity,’ Elytron guffawed, ‘Little grubs like these dudes mostly understand nectar for dinner and nap time.’

‘I am aware of that, I was simply exchanging pleasantries, as one does, with the younglings. Younger than yourself, anyway!’ Rarity mock-sniffed with a smile that made Elytron blush, before turning back to Thorax with a bounce of her mane, answering the question he’d asked Spike as the grubs started to gently fluctuate in colour more generally. ‘It’s simply divine out there, sweetheart, although you can see that for yourself,’ she said as she waved a hoof at the sun rays streaming through the open roof, ‘And we had a very nice time, ah, spending time getting things ready for later. I don’t doubt the troupe here will surprise you, even after all the performances they’ve done already!’

Thorax laughed before giving the now-purple grub a gentle stabilisation with a flick of his carapace, just to sit them properly upright. ‘Oh, I expect to be surprised. Ocellus brought a lot of wild ideas back from Equestria and I’d be more surprised if she’d run out so soon! And with the rest of you, well… it’ll be great, I’m sure of it!’

Ocellus bowed her head at her king and blushed, her ladybird shell fluttering closed as her hooves hit the soil. ‘Please, I get so flustered when anycreature flatters me… don’t lay it on so thick!’

Sandbar snorted, then gave her a nudge on the shoulder. ‘You deserve it, Ocellus, everybug’s gonna go nuts for the play. I’d say more, but I suspect that spoiling the evening’s light entertainment in front of royalty is kind of a faux pas.’

Dearlove pursed her mandibles, and Ocellus cringed. ‘You’re doing it again, Celly. We all worked on this, you know! Take a compliment gracefully, for bugs’ sake. Let us have the adulation of our monarch without getting all… blushy about it.’

Counsellor Freelove swished faintly as she moved from the tassels hanging off the tie-dyed dress hanging off her carapace. She bowed her head at the performance troupe, looking over her spectacle frames as she addressed them with her measured, slightly quavering voice. ‘Dearlove could be gentler, but she is quite correct, Ocellus; you should calm yourself and free yourself of your worries.’

She cocked her head and, with a wiggle of her ears, took a step towards Sandbar who was caught off-guard with a slack expression before he stood to attention. ‘Like this green pony here, so calm and collected, yet not simply passive in his nature… “Sandbar”, isn’t it? Ocellus has told us much about you, and firebrand Yona likewise,’ she said.

‘Uh, good things, I’m sure?’ Sandbar half-joked with a grin, suddenly not feeling quite as like the laid-back pony Freelove considered him.

‘Of course good things! Best things! Sparklebug friend know yaks best, and Sandbar honorary yak as far as Yona concerned!’ Yona interjected.

Sandbar blushed in response. ‘Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am pretty darn cool!’ he said, and the two of them exchanged a loving glance.

Freelove inhaled for a second before continuing. ‘Of course, of course. Well, mostly good,’ she chuckled again, ‘But nocreature is perfect, after all. Ah, welcome to today’s feelings forum, all of you, especially our visitors from afar, but especially my dear Trochanter. Have you been well? We’ve missed you around here these past weeks!’

‘The swarm led me ’round these parts for now, Mom,’ Trochanter responded with a demure smile, ‘You know I’ve been finding myself in the glades when I’ve not been acting… thanks for the bindle you left out that way last week, by the way. Pot-luck leftovers are still pot-luck, and pot-luck is always delicious.’

The counsellor chuckled, grabbing the yellow grub that was blending into Thorax’s clothing and tucking them under one arm. ‘You’re quite welcome, my dear daughter,’ she said as she gave them a pat on the head, ‘I always said you could be anything you put your mind towards, and if that is a tree, or several different trees, so be it. I’ve kept your plant pot fresh in your absence if you’re joining in this week. Feel free to take root however you like.’

‘Huh, I didn’t know you two– I mean, Trochanter, you didn’t tell us the counsellor’s your mother,’ Spike said, his eyes widening as he looked between the two changelings, ‘I figured you were old enough to be one of Chrysalis’– I mean, of course. Everycreature comes from a mom– um.’

The changelings present, from Thorax to Boscis, had averted gazes and scrunched mandibles all of a sudden, and Dearlove had covered her face with her wings in second-hoof embarrassment. He stopped himself just before Rarity gave him a nudge from behind. ‘Really, Spike?’ she hissed, ‘I suspect this is an inappropriate line of discussion here and now!’

He glanced at her, seeing an ambivalence of concern mixed with slight annoyance in her blue-eyed glare, then took a breath before attempting to dig upwards from the decidedly undiplomatic hole he was sure he was digging. ‘Oh boy. ’Scuse me, everybug. Of course changelings could reproduce before Chrysalis was sent packing. I knew that. Of course I knew that!’

Freelove’s momentarily-raised hackles thawed at Spike’s apology. ‘That we could, although we had no choice but to keep these things a secret at the time. Haven’t you ever told him, Thorax? It’s a sensitive matter for many of us here to dwell upon, not just myself.’

Thorax laughed nervously as a red grub climbed onto his head, appearing between his antlers and looking down at the others before he plucked them off and put them onto the ground for a moment. ‘No, no… the suppression field around the Hive isn’t something that’s come up in casual conversation between Spike and me… and I suppose that’s not something Princess Twilight would necessarily have the knowledge to advise about. I guess I could’ve brought it up sometime… for future reference, Spike, changelings like Trochanter were, um, incubated away from the anti-magic field Chrysalis had around the hive. It was a thing that happened sometimes, and it was kept secret for the sake of the grubs’ lives.’

‘Geez, seriously?’ Spike gasped, ‘That actually fills in a few gaps. I knew you were always capable of, uh, that, but…’ he composed himself before sighing, ‘Yeah, I plead ignorance to that,’ he continued, raising a claw while gripping his royal advisor medallion in the other. ‘It must have been tough for all of you… and I’m sorry. I’ll keep that in mind in future.’

Freelove chuckled. ‘Apology accepted, little dragon. I understand your question came from a place of curiosity, not judgement, and I for one shan’t think less of you for it, such is your willingness to learn. We all make our small mistakes now to learn and grow, to become more capable when dealing with the bigger ones further down the path, after all.’

The acting troupe approached the door en masse. ‘Speaking of faux pas… pases? Passes? Whatever it is… awkward!’ Boscis snickered, putting a hoof on Spike’s head in assurance for a second, ‘But yeah, we’re cool. It’s tough for outsiders to really get the, uh, extent of what Chrysalis did to us all those years. We’re still processing it ourselves, T.B.Q.H.’

Spike didn’t question what he supposed was changeling slang, and nodded as he looked up at him, though he couldn’t shake his embarrassment. ‘Uh, thanks, Boscis. Anyway, now that it’s high time we changed the subject, can we come into the forum? Is it, uh, open yet?’

‘My door is open to anybug… well, insofar as there is a door, and insofar as this room is mine rather than a public forum,’ Freelove laughed before gesturing at the round opening beyond, ‘Many are already in attendance, though we are due to begin in five minutes or so. I just stepped outside to see what the kerfuffle was with our king and his, ah, entourage here. If you’re all ready to enter, be my guest.’

‘Yes! Yona’s body ready for feels!’ Yona proclaimed, passing through the forum’s doorframe, ‘Yona have many feelings right now! Ready to share with sparklebug friends and everycreature else!’ Sandbar trotted a few paces behind, grinning while trying not to laugh at her outburst, and the pair found a few cross-stitched cushions atop some rump-sized rocks to make themselves comfortable upon.

The forum was decorated generally much like the open-air hallway the group had traversed, although there were a number of woven drapes and throw cushions in a rough circle around the wider middle of the room. Like anywhere else in the Changeling Hive the room was a hollowed-out cell for habitation rather than anything strictly architecturally devised, meaning the craggy, rough-hewn walls had many little nooks and crannies from which many more plants and vines could grow, giving the place plenty of colour beside the purples and greens predominant in the corridor outside. Said crannies were also the resting place of a number of scented candles and small piles of more, currently unused cushions, in particular one set that looked to have been cultivated into an actual set of shelves near the head of the room.

There was just one hole in this room’s ceiling, at its far end, shafts of light filtering through into its slightly pollinated air and casting form onto shimmering, airborne particles floating within their stream. They also illuminated a shallow bas-relief of a lotus flower that loomed large above the congregation of changelings that were already in the room ahead of the adjoining acting- and visitor-group, a dozen or more of them, all different colours, who were plainly ready to share their feelings about anything on their minds. Right now they were chatting about whatever, a few of them drinking steaming cups of nectar that appeared to have been filled from a pneumatic machine attached to a relatively straight section of the wall.

Trochanter made a humming sound as she looked around, shrinking slightly as a few of the changelings looked their way. ‘Oh, plants like myself aren’t really supposed to have feelings, so much as just exist… I might just sit quietly and photosynthesise.’

‘Ah, my sweet daughter, ever the wallflower,’ Freelove shook her head affectionately, ‘Changelings do many things trees don’t, whether they wish to or not… such as enjoying pot-luck. Well, nobug’s forcing anybug to do anything they don’t want. The feelings forum is a safe space, after all.’

‘As is the Hive in general, truthfully,’ Rarity observed cheerfully as she and Spike too passed into the room, ‘Now I’ve been here for a few days I can truly say that you do very well by your subjects, Thorax!’

Thorax followed immediately behind, having lined up all the grubs onto his back. ‘The Hive mostly runs itself, but yeah, I do my best to keep charge and fill in the details,’ he laughed. ‘Take these little guys. Don’t you think they’re well-behaved? It helps that they were fed a half-hour ago.’

Rarity watched as, while Thorax spoke, the green grub closest to his shoulders woke up, sicked up something orange on Thorax’s sweater shoulder, then resumed snoozing. ‘What is it…?’ Thorax started as he saw her face fall, before realising what she’d focussed upon, ‘Oh, barf. That’ll happen… that’s getting some cleaning spit after this.’

Rarity’s expression mellowed in understanding; while less than thrilled by a sudden eruption of grub vomit, Thorax was right that these things happened. ‘Spit? Oh, ah, Chitin told us about that the other day… by and large we ponies are used to soap and water, which you have most graciously provided during our visit. Not that yours truly is judging, after I cleaned Spikey-Wikey up with my own spittle and hoofkerchief after he covered himself in tart earlier… one’s saliva can be useful in a pinch!’

Thorax nodded. ‘The king gladly provides, Rarity. You know, I’ve lost track of Chitin since this morning. You haven’t seen her around, have you?’

Rarity racked her brain for a moment before coming up empty-hooved. ‘Nnnnnnnot since this morning when I found her with Spikey and their attendant masseuses, now you mention it, Thorax darling. Our group mostly knows its way around this side of the Hive by now, so we’ve not been in dire need of her guidance since. Why, is that a cause for concern?’

‘No, she’s her own bug, it’s just unusual… she’s worked with the court long enough that I know her patterns. Heck, maybe she’s here at the forum, I haven’t checked…’ he peered around, his long neck giving him a decent vantage point before declaring, ‘I don’t see her, or sense any birds that might be her… hmm.’

‘It might be on us, actually,’ Spike observed, flapping upwards until level with Thorax’s view and setting his shades onto his forehead, ‘You know how you passed that proclamation when we arrived? She seemed a bit nervous when Rarity dropped by during the massage she mentioned. Maybe she’s avoiding being in the same room as the two of us together.’

‘Yes, which is why we came here together, for that matter!’ said Rarity, ‘The feelings forum seems the ideal place to clear things up a bit about, ah, Spikey and I, so long as we keep things under control. We wish to be forthright, but not so much so that it causes a second love explosion…’

Thorax smiled, but lowered both his head and his voice towards the pair. ‘Matters of the heart that go unspoken, huh… I doubt that would happen, even if it did that day Starlight liberated us from Chrysalis,’ he said, ‘There’s just the two of you and you’re not that repressed, in comparison to ourselves on that day. There may be a couple more sensitive changelings in here, though, so do try to go easy for the, uh, benefit of the unprepared. By all means, go ahead though – that’s what the feelings forum is for! Just be patient for your turn.’

‘Sure, Thorax. We weren’t going to, uh, steal the show or anything,’ said Spike, ‘That comes later. I mean, with the troupe and the play and all! Rarity made some really nice outfits that’ll knock you out!’

Rarity giggled at Spike’s vote of confidence, and Thorax stood upright, narrowly averting a changeling grub falling onto the floor with another deft flick of his carapace as he craned his neck. ‘I don’t doubt it, guys. Our troupe does good work, but we always benefit from outside input,’ he said, before carefully taking his place upon his normal sitting spot near a large, bruise-purple fern sprouting from a crack where the curved wall became the floor.

While the pair had chatted with Thorax, Trochanter had wasted little time taking root in the plant pot, placed on a ledge on the left side of the room that offered a ray of sunlight from the hole overhead, transforming into a miniature sunflower with a long stalk and leaves. ‘Hey, take these,’ said Spike, taking the red-rimmed star-shades off his forehead and putting them carefully on Trochanter’s inflorescence.

Rarity laughed, planting herself upon an embroidered cushion as Trochanter started gently grooving from side to side in the pot, and Spike landed on the mossy pile next to her. ‘Why, thank you, Spike. They make me feel like dancing… oh, flowers aren’t supposed to have feelings either! Mom is right…’ she sighed, nevertheless continuing to sway like that. Rarity joined in, clapping her hooves rhythmically just for fun.

Most everybug else scanned the room for a place, making themselves comfortable in a spot of their choice. ‘Nice glasses. They suit you, Tro-chan,’ Elytron laughed, pausing to inspect her newest guise.

‘I wanna pair,’ Boscis stated, clamouring next to Elytron with his eyes wide.

‘I can transform into one if you’re desperate,’ his friend retorted, ‘I could spend the entire forum sitting on your face, you like that?’

‘Oh, forget you!’ Boscis snorted, finding a seat next to a bright pink changeling, ‘Where’d you get those, anyway, Spike?’

Spike, too, was grooving side-to-side between Trochanter and Rarity, and he didn’t pause as he answered. ‘They cost, like, a bit from a gift shop in Canterlot. Trochanter can keep ’em if she likes. Consider them a gift to make up for putting my foot in it before.’

‘I do like,’ the sunflower responded mildly, ‘Thanks again, and there’s no hard feelings at the feelings forum, as Mom always says.’

Counsellor Freelove was the last to enter the room, taking her seat on a mossy patch near the gong crafted from what appeared to be a perfectly circular insect carapace at its far end once she’d spent a moment admiring Trochanter’s dance. As seemed routine, she took the hammer hanging near the gong and hit it, and all chatter fell quiet as its size belied the booming crash that reverberated around the room for a moment.

Once all antennae were on her she addressed the changelings present, along with their guests, with quiet gravity. ‘Welcome to today’s feelings forum, everybug and everycreature. Anybug else is welcome to arrive after our scheduled start, but with our new additions here I believe we can begin,’ she said, ‘As you can all see, we’ve been honoured by our visitors’ attendance this week. I believe many of you have met and mingled with Spike, Sandbar, Yona and Rarity at one point or another these past few days. Please, make them feel as welcome as they already have since they arrived… they’re here to take part with everybug else.’

The forum group turned in the general direction of the four non-changelings in the room with expressions as friendly as they’d been the past few days, the quietness Freelove had commandeered returning to a light murmur. ‘Hey, Spike! Hi Yona, Sandbar! Rarity, you made it! Welcome to the forum!’ came a jumble of cheerful voices.

Spike put a claw behind his neck, waving the other as his face turned cerise, Yona’s face was plastered with a broad, fake rictus grin as her eyes darted around, and Sandbar smiled without giving too much away as he waved to the group. Rarity, of course, took the attention in stride, posing demurely in her seated position, one hoof casually upon her cushion as she bounced a curl with the other as she spoke. ‘Hello once again, darlings! Ah, I remember the names of some of these faces I’ve seen from the past few days – thank you for lending me that curling broom yesterday during that activity, Stinger, and I see you’re wearing that bow tie I gave to you, Manyhearts!’

Spike inhaled his embarrassment into his gut, puffing his chest out a bit. Feeling like he should act slightly bolder to compensate for his earlier gaffe given his role as a friendship ambassador, he looked over to the cyan-hued changeling Rarity had addressed secondly, then chuckled. ‘Hey, yeah… one of her gem-encrusted ones. Emerald goes nicely with your complexion! It’s good eatin’, too! You look great!’

The changelings largely took that comment in good humour as Spike flicked gunclaws at Manyhearts, but there was one, a fairly small honeysuckle-yellow female with a short horn, who hadn’t cracked a smile since their guests had been acknowledged in the room, who needed to let her feelings be known. ‘Um, counsellor? I didn’t know the visitors were attending the forum today… I’ve heard around the Hive they give off strong love vibes when they’re together? I’m not sure I feel comfortable being in the same room as them in case something happens while they, um, participate…’

The counsellor nodded reassuringly. ‘Thank you for speaking up, Orbweb, and you raise quite a valid point. The king and I had words with both Spike and Rarity just before they came into the room, and they’ve made clear that they’re aware of the, ah, social issue… but they also wish to make an announcement of sorts, that I’m certain may put you, and anybug else that’s found themselves sensitive to the matter, more at ease.’

Spike casually flicked a salute at the room at large. ‘Dragon’s honour, we’re on our best behaviour right now. Aren’t we, Rare?’

Rarity almost giggled affectionately, then straightened up with a brief scrunch of her muzzle, tugging on her mane slightly as she looked around. ‘Why, yes. We’re not about to start, ah, doing anything too awkward in front of all of you, please don’t be concerned. I assure you that you’ll all get a moderate dose at most. We’re both most apologetic for any inconvenience we’ve caused anybug the past couple of days. Nobug’s said anything to us about it directly, but we’ve suspected this past short while… you’re the first to say it outright unprompted, as a matter of fact. In a way, I for one appreciate you voicing your concern.’

Orbweb tipped her head, still not smiling but with a softened expression. ‘Alright, Rarity. I don’t feel like you should have to leave if the counsellor and Thorax have both okayed it. Just… both of you please be careful? I have a condition, and I don’t want to transform into a bugbear in mixed company at the best of times. Definitely not in a confined space.’

‘Don’t worry, Orbweb,’ Trochanter said blithely from her pot, ‘They may have worn themselves out a little while away from the Hive this morning… I felt it nearby while they were on the crag above the glade I was in. Not bad before lunch.’

Dearlove inhaled, blushing red-ochre. ‘Uh, I don’t think that’s something everybug here needed to know, Tro-chan. Sounds like personal stuff.’

‘Well, she’s not wrong–’ Spike said with a raised claw, before getting cut short by a jab from Rarity’s elbow, ‘–Ow! Okay, yes, it is personal even if it wasn’t… um.’ Rarity shot him a raised eyebrow as he looked up at her and rubbed his arms, but her disapproval changed to a thin smile. ‘Can we not talk about that?’ he added.

Orbweb nodded. ‘I understand, no prying. But… knowing that actually does put my mind at ease, thanks. Um, usually our king speaks first, but I needed to make myself heard…’

‘It’s not a law or anything, Orbweb, but thanks,’ said Thorax, who had been distracted slightly by one of the grubs mewling for their bottle of nectar, and he fed them as he spoke, ‘I wasn’t sure whether even coming in with these little guys was the best idea at first, but Freelove said it was fine so long as I had the right supplies, which the nurse I borrowed them from made sure I did, thank goodness… anyway, uh, to address everybug in the room? I feel pretty good right now! About the Hive, that is. Everything’s great.’

‘Care to share further with your subjects, king?’ Freelove prompted, as Thorax bounced a violet changeling – nocreature was keeping track which grub was which since they kept shifting between colours, and they didn’t seem to have names – on his knee.

He stood upright with bright eyes as he placed the grub onto his back once more, and everycreature caught an eyeful of another orange stain that had appeared on his sweater. ‘Alright, if you insist… well, you know we’ve had moments when things haven’t been completely calm, and I haven’t lied to you during those occasions, so please, believe me when I say these past moons I’ve felt more and more confident that everything is turning up really well! More than well. You’re all great changelings, and it’s great to see everybug’s been treating our friends here so well. I’m proud of all of you. Keep it up,’ he finished with a smile, deflating back into his seat.

‘Thank you so much, Thorax. We all appreciate your vote of confidence in us,’ said Freelove, adjusting the flower in her headband, ‘Anybu– I mean, anycreature else who wishes to add to that is very welcome to be heard by us all.’

‘Yona really really like all bugs, Counsellor Freelove! Bugs nearly as good as yaks, very kind, very understanding! And Yona not acted since school, but Ocellus give Yona and special somepony important roles in play! Yona look forward to seeing all sparklebug friends in audience later!’ Yona barked enthusiastically, her braids swinging and her jewellery jangling as she hopped up and down on her cushions. Then she stopped herself unprompted, apologising in a more sober voice, ‘Yona sorry, forget indoor voice…’

As well she might, as several changelings had been caught unaware of that outpouring, one of whom had even fallen backwards off his moss pile. His neighbour in the circle helped him up, and as he sat down again he grinned, ‘Ow… no problem, but you startled me!’

Ocellus laughed, ‘Oh, dear… Yona, you don’t need to worry about being heard onstage tonight, if nothing else! I feel that you’ll knock them out… um, maybe that’s not the best turn of phrase to use after Philophilia just fell down… anyway, I don’t think I need to tell you all I’m feeling pretty nervous about the performance. I do hope everycreature has a good time. Um, and that it’s not too boring.’

‘Ugh. I feel like you need more confidence in your darn script,’ Dearlove pouted, ‘But I’ve said my piece to you outside the forum many times, and it falls on deaf ears…’

‘I tried my best, Dearlove,’ Ocellus said mildly, ‘I’m just, what’s the word Ms. Rarity uses? I’m striving for better, that’s all. I worry a lot, and I am sorry for fussing.’

‘Well, stop apologising for bringing the good stuff, then. If you don’t mind my saying while we’re here, sometimes it feels like you’re telling everybug that none of us in the troupe are any good when you say stuff like that. It feels slightly insulting, to me at least… what about the rest of you guys?’ Dearlove turned to the other actors.

‘Hmm…’ Elytron tipped his head to one side and looked down at Ocellus, who cringed, ‘You do have a bad tendency to get all sweaty when somebug says, well, anything to you about your chosen profession, may I remind you, good or bad. Dearlove has a point. Sometimes I feel like it reflects badly on the rest of us.’

Boscis looked up. ‘Uh, I still get a turn to say feelings stuff later if I say something now, right?’ When Freelove nodded he continued, ‘Alright, well, you worry too much, Ocellus, and it can be contagious, if that scans? You’re awful at hiding when you’re scared that something isn’t perfect, just terrible. I’m an upbeat guy, but you get me down once in a while. Like while we were practicing in the amphitheatre just now… Nobug will notice if the rabbits on the moon are off-white. I didn’t need to shift colours for every line in rehearsal! You should know how tiring a dozen changes in one minute can be!’

Trochanter said nothing, instead putting her leaves over her flower face as she blushed. Eventually she squeaked out, ‘Um… I like singing the songs Celly writes… she’s expressive and funny, but she always apologises before giving me the manuscript… I hope that’s not too negative…’

Ocellus looked wounded. ‘You all really feel this way about my attitude? I mean, I had some idea, but having it all laid out like this…’

Dearlove smiled, tearing up a bit as she put a hoof on Ocellus’ carapace. ‘I’m pretty sure none of us means to pick on you, Ocellus, but this is the feelings forum, and, uh, we all seem to agree on how we feel. You are good at what you do. It’d be nice if you believed it yourself instead of getting weird about it.’

‘Purely as an outside opinion from a guy who’s only been onboard for a few days now, I’m pretty pumped to play the pilot you wrote,’ said Sandbar, before affecting a deeper voice, ‘I think it’s a riot, Ocellus. “Captain Space Thrusters, to the moon and back in my beautiful balloon before breakfast! No bunny too big, no changeling too small!”’ he recited with an amused snort at his own words, puffing out his chest.

‘Yona like Sandbar when he gets all astronutty,’ Yona snickered as an addition to that, putting a cloven hoof around his side, ‘Make fine brave adventurer! And Ms. Rarity make great space suit! All see later!’

Elytron snorted, then turned to Ocellus with a furrowed brow. ‘See? That’s funny! I’m always honoured to collaborate with you, Ocellus, please don’t take what I said the wrong way or anything,’ he said, likewise putting a hoof around his blue friend, ‘I just worry that you don’t have enough pride in your work, the way you go on sometimes. I worry about you, you know? Like one day you’ll give up all hope and never act again.’

Ocellus inhaled and scrunched her mandibles, turning teal in the cheeks. ‘I never thought of it that way… I’d never do that! I love acting and writing and directing and all that stuff… I don’t know what I’d even do with myself otherwise!’

‘Then, uh, act like it a bit more?’ Boscis said bluntly, raising a hoof and bobbing his head forward, ‘We’re not silently judging you behind your back or anything. We mean it when we tell you you’re good at what you do.’

‘What he said,’ said Trochanter, plainly feeling bolder as she returned to her changeling form, still wearing Spike’s shades and with one back hoof still inside her plant pot, ‘I can sing but I’m no good at writing, and you’ve got it… it’s harder than most changelings think! You’ve got a lot of talent, Celly. It’d be a waste if you had a crisis of confidence and gave up.’

Ocellus still looked glum, and she took a moment to respond to her friends. ‘I worry constantly that one day I’ll lose, um, “it” without realising,’ she admitted after a deep sigh, ‘Like you say that now and mean it, but what if… what if you’re all too nice to tell me when– um, if, I write something that’s just awful? I guess I’m afraid of that and it’s been getting me down. And all of you, looks like.’

‘Trust me, I will tell you,’ Dearlove said, firmly but not unkindly and planting a hoof on Ocellus’ shoulder, ‘I’m not working on a production that ain’t up to snuff. That’s right, isn’t it, everybug?’ she half-asked, looking at her fellows.

‘Right. And I’m pretty sure it won’t any time soon,’ Elytron nodded, ‘Even if it did, you have me to set you straight. You know I’m, uh, eager to offer suggestions for what works best.’

Ocellus looked up at him, a small but beaming smile on her face and slightly watery eyes. ‘I guess I can count on the two of you to be difficult… and upon your support, not just with plays and such.’

‘Ah, if I may?’ Rarity asked, raising her hoof as she spoke before pausing.

‘As one of her former professors, if you have something to contribute feel free to go right ahead,’ Freelove nodded.

Rarity continued, crossing her hooves and looking at her nervous ex-student, ‘Thank you, darling. Ah, Ocellus… we, I mean myself and the other six founders, all thought quite highly of your acting skills back at the School of Friendship. Headmare Starlight likewise thought very highly of you, and I for one am truly impressed by what I’ve seen of your activities here the past few days – you’ve really gone from strength to strength, moving on to scriptwriting the way you have. Like dear Sandbar and Yona already have, I must express my utmost confidence in you in general, sweetheart. You have nothing to fear, either from yourself nor your fellows here.’

Then Spike followed her lead and piped up, looking very serious. ‘I know it isn’t easy sometimes, Ocellus. I’ve been fending off some serious self-confidence problems lately, uh, less so now than I was a few moons ago. Without getting too personal about it… listen to your friends. They care about you. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be telling you this stuff to your face. You’re doing great here, as well as anybug in this crazy post-Chrysalis world, like Thorax was saying. Keep it up, in my opinion,’ he paused, before adding, ‘Uh, I feel kinda like one of Princess Twilight’s self-help books saying that, but it’s the truth! You’ve really brought back what you learned from our school and applied it, it looks to me.’

Ocellus looked at Spike and Rarity, wiping a tear from her eye. ‘I’ve probably been driving these guys nuts particularly since you all got here, actually. I really want to prove that I’ve been applying myself since graduation. You… do you both really mean that?’

Rarity and Spike both started, ‘Of course we d–!’ simultaneously, then likewise interrupted themselves before Rarity continued, ‘Well, I for one am flattered that you seek our approval, but I can’t say I relish the prospect of our presence here giving you such anxiety, darling. We haven’t come to visit just to criticise you.’

‘Yeah, I mean, originally I was coming here alone on official business with Thorax, but then I somehow got strongarmed into three others coming along with me,’ Spike laughed, ‘And everything’s been great. It’s like a slightly weird dream out here, but a really good one.’

Yona sighed, leaning against Sandbar. ‘Ocellus relax. Yona think everything fine, and if not? Try again later! Sparklebug friend work it out!’

Ocellus pulled the friends closest to her against her, and the ones a little further away took her lead, forming a group hug as they fluttered their carapaces with happiness. ‘Oh, that means so much… thank you, all of you… I love you all, too. Self-love can be difficult when you’re afraid of failure, but… ack! Boscis, not so tight!’

‘Sorry. Getting a bit peckish for love after lunch, and a group hug’s the cure,’ he said, blushing before loosening his grip around her. She laughed demurely, reeling him in a bit closer.

Then Yona joined in, wrapping herself around all five actors until their eyes started to boggle out slightly, and Sandbar followed suit around her back. ‘Keep some for us,’ he laughed, ‘It might help to absorb them directly, but we don’t need to do that to enjoy good vibrations!’

Counsellor Freelove, having simply observed alongside the other changelings during the troupe’s discussion, chuckled as she too buzzed her wings for a moment. ‘Well, I’ll be darned. It would appear your troupe has needed to attend the forum for a while after all. I haven’t seen you all here at once for some time, after all, even discounting my dear Trochanter’s, ah, prolonged finding of herself.’

‘True, I haven’t been feeling it lately myself,’ said Boscis, rearing his head from the chirping, woolly bugpile he’d become ensconced within, ‘Getting all weepy and sappy around my swarm isn’t my vibe most of the time– uh, no offense, Tro-chan.’ When Trochanter cast him an uncomprehending glance he added, ‘Uh… trees… sap… weeping willow, that sorta thing? But I’m glad we’ve done this now.’

While unoffended and not breaking her composure, her look changed to one that implied strongly that he should have kept that clarification to himself as she said ‘Oh, you talk too much. Let’s just enjoy the moment… I suppose I can be a feeling flower once in a while.’

Spike and Rarity exchanged a glance and a smile as the troupe hugged it out, followed by a little mutual chuckle as they pointedly kept their claws and hooves respectively on their laps. The other changelings in the room inhaled, some of them fluttering in their seats as they felt the love, until the actors, changelings or not, all let go of one another. Before long Trochanter was back in her pot, a sunflower once more as all the others sat back on their seats.

After a pause Counsellor Freelove hit her gong somewhat more quietly than the first time. ‘Very good, all of you, and I’m glad you’re reaching an understanding – I dare say a stronger bond will bring great results for you, although the details are up to you to resolve. Now, does anybug else seek counsel? I don’t doubt there’s many of you here waiting to speak your piece. After all, that is what the forum is for. I implore you all, don’t be shy,’ she addressed the room at large.

‘I’m going to be a bunny in the play tonight,’ a teal changeling chuckled from the other side of the room. She blushed as she continued and looked around the room, ‘Um, it’s not a rehearsed part so I’ve not been down to the theatre today. Oh, I do love those cute little things… their long ears are so soft and they hear really well…’

‘Oh… yes, Tibia, I was thinking about you while I was developing the script,’ Ocellus addressed her directly, noticeably perkier after hugging it out, ‘But, um, shouldn’t we move on? I don’t want to spoil things for anybug more than we already have. There must be other things happening around the Hive we can discuss in the meantime. I… well, what about you? How is the love mixer doing lately?’

‘Oh, marvellously. You can do all sorts of things with changeling nectar, once it’s been refined, you know…’ she started, plainly knowledgeable about the particulars of what went on down there.

Time passed as the dialogue continued in a more diffuse manner than it had begun for a while as it moved away from the evening’s entertainment, everybug relaxing and, while taking turns and listening as was considered polite during the forum, talking about topics as light as the clement weather, to heavier topics like one changeling’s developing concerns about how his insomnia was affecting his ability to change into anything other than a grey hummingbird with red eyes.

It was actually Orbweb, the changeling who had been so concerned about their presence, who brought up the dragon and unicorn’s announcement, having become noticeably more relaxed as everycreature present had bonded over their shared joys and worries. ‘How long have we been doing this?’ she asked, ‘I think I might need to leave soon, but I want to know exactly what our guests have to say. I’m looking forward to it now, actually… just, uh, give me a little space in case the worst happens?’

‘Who, us?’ asked Spike, looking up at Rarity as he pointed a thumb at himself, ‘Man, I guess we were mainly soaking up the atmosphere and nearly forgot.’

Rarity looked down at him with a spreading smile, and he recoiled just a little as she put a hoof on the crest of his head frills. ‘Why, yes, I suppose so. Truthfully and speaking personally, I’ve been holding my tongue somewhat while everybug goes through their own feelings… it just doesn’t seem right to impose on you all more than necessary, given that we’re mainly guests.’

Orbweb inhaled, frowning. ‘Well, I didn’t mean to silence anycreature earlier, I was just worried, but everything’s gone well so far. Please, share with us!’

‘Yes, I admit I’m curious myself,’ said Freelove, ever the mediator, ‘If you’re comfortable speaking, please, don’t hesitate to speak your minds. Talking about these things always takes the edge off the feelings somewhat.’

Rarity looked at Spike, who dimpled at her with a bright grin. ‘Of course, of course. Ah, we rehearsed this while we were out above the valley, but more in spirit than in word,’ she said faintly sheepishly, pink spreading from her cheeks, ‘Spikey-Wikey, why don’t you take the lead?’

He was taken aback for half a second. ‘Man, you surprise me, Rare,’ Spike chuckled, putting a claw on her hoof in support, ‘Feeling nervous?’

She shrank as her blushing intensified, looking for all the world like Fluttershy during an anxious episode as a curl covered one eye. She cast him a small smile as she said, ‘Tongue-tied for the time being, darling, nothing more. Please? Tell them a thing or two. About us.’

Spike looked around, seeing the changelings were already getting some love from Rarity’s uncharacteristic bashfulness. He stood up straight as he puffed out his chest, still firmly holding her hoof. ‘Well, where should I start?’ he said, formulating his next words before turning to her, ‘Rarity, I first laid eyes on you the day Princess Celestia sent me and Twilight to Ponyville for the first time. Of course we all know now the real reason why, but it was ostensibly to check up on preparations for the one-thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. We’d just met Rainbow Dash, who’d taken the opportunity to show off and really messed up Twi’s mane with some kind of rainbow whirlwind… remember that?’

Rarity placed her other hoof on Spike’s other claw, snickering as she remembered that day, but no less red in the face. ‘How could I forget such a travesty of hair placement, sweetheart? I simply had to drop everything I was doing to cure her coiffure!’

‘I kinda liked it, actually, but it definitely needed fixing up. Anyway, as we made our way inside the town hall, we saw your work everywhere. You were deep into decorating it with banners and curtains and all kinds of sparkly stuff, and it looked great, everything was hoofmade and super-fancy, and… and then I saw you. I was just a kid at the time, but even then I knew you were something special.’

She rolled her eyes back as she racked her memory for a second. ‘Why, I don’t remember that as well, but I can guess. Was I talking to myself while sorting something or other out, perchance?’

‘Of course,’ Spike chortled, ‘You were turning around in circles on the spot as you compared colours on something or other. I immediately got an eyeful of you from all angles, that’s what I really remember. I knew then and there that you were one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. Probably the second-most, after, like, a big bowl of gems at the end of a long day of library sorting.’

‘I mainly recall hauling dear Twilight away to the boutique to fix Dashie’s mess, truthfully,’ Rarity blushed, ‘I still remember every detail of that fabulous beribboned saddle I gave her, it was one I’d been saving for somepony who really needed it! Oh, Spike… what was I thinking putting an emerald on the front of that?’ Then she paused, adding, ‘Oh, dear… I suppose I really don’t remember the day we met in the same context you do, do I…’

Undeterred, Spike pressed on, grinning despite her neglect of mind. ‘You were fixated on, ah, what I have personally come to call “Twilight’s Calamity”, I get that. But you’re right, I was just sort of there, quietly mooning over you in the corner while you dressed Twi up in… uh, you certain that was a saddle and not some sort of full-body doily? Even so, it was one of the highlights of that whole day for me. Everypony else mainly remembers the whole battle with Nightmare Moon that same night, but for me, that was the most important of all.’

She chuckled. ‘Well, like you say, you were still young back then, and I suppose I registered you as our future princess’ little draconic attendant first and foremost. Ah, it wasn’t until somewhat later I noticed you outside of that role at all.’

‘It took a while,’ Spike nodded, ‘And honestly? A lot of that was, well, we’ve been over that and I don’t wanna dwell on, uh, the whole pincushion thing too much… but yeah, for a while that first meeting set the precedent. You’d be, well, you, and if we spent time together at all I was more than happy to bask in the reflective glow of your radiance. It was the only way I knew how to express affection for a while.’

‘Hold up,’ Dearlove interjected with a frown, ‘“Pincushion thing”? Elaborate.’

Rarity cringed at that. ‘Oh drat, found out by a slip of the forked tongue… Dearlove, I truly hate to say it, but our relationship wasn’t the healthiest in the early days and that was the worst of it. Using a baby dragon’s hide as storage for sewing equipment while one works because he won’t leave you alone, as I did on a few occasions, was quite possibly one of the most passive-aggressive things I’ve ever done in my life! I would never, never do something so callous to Spikey-Wikey now…’

She clasped her hooves, and Spike saw the sadness in her eyes. ‘I know that, and it’s not like it hurt or anything, thick hide and all. Well, it hurts my dragon pride a bit nowadays, but more that I, uh, debased myself like that rather than anything you did,’ he answered, his own voice taking a downturn.

‘Geez. That sounds pretty bad,’ Dearlove said simply, before suddenly gasping as she was jostled aside by Yona.

‘Bad? Ms. Rarity used Spikey-Wikey as pincushion!’ she harrumphed with palpable indignation on Spike’s behalf, ‘Yak hide also tough, but stick needles in Yona, see what happens! Spike did no thing wrong!’

Rarity was taken aback, unused to Yona’s confrontational side. She returned her indignant gaze with her own, sorrowful glance before exhaling and looking away. ‘Normally I’d protest at a threat like that from my own apprentice, but I deserve your ire. I would never do that to anycreature these days, but I still did it, didn’t I, and one cannot change the past…’ she sighed with a little frown before looking back to Spike, ‘We can chalk it up to social mores at the time, much has changed and I know you forgive me for it, Spikey, but I feel terrible about it too these days. One day I’ll make it up to you properly, sweetheart. I’m truly sorry about it.’

The yak’s countenance shrank back, though she still didn’t smile, her eyes slanted at Rarity for a moment before lightening up into a more generalised disappointment. ‘Yona suppose she know Ms. Rarity long enough to believe that…’ she rolled the words around in her mouth, ‘And know both Rarity and Spike to know they get along at least as well now as Yona and Sandbar. But if Yona ever see anything like that, Yona quit on the spot! Disapprove completely!’

‘The girls aren’t wrong. Pretty problematic,’ Boscis observed pointedly with a raised brow, as Sandbar whispered something to Yona, ‘Sticking pins into a minor definitely wouldn’t fly in the Hive, would it, Thorax?’

The king looked up from the grub he was quietly playing with, while the majority of the rest continued to snooze upon his person. ‘Whu– oh, excuse me!’ he exclaimed, one grub almost falling off as he sat to attention, causing him to juggle them for a moment before resetting them onto his neck, ‘No, nope, if I caught wind of anything like that around these parts it’d be hard rehab time for absolute certain!’

‘And if the king says it’s unacceptable, I’m pretty surprised it was apparently acceptable in Equestria proper,’ Boscis continued, his chest swelled by Thorax’s input, ‘So you two really are cool despite all that?’

‘It wasn’t acceptable, really, but nopony batted an eyelid in the moment. It wasn’t just Rarity, and she wasn’t even the worst of it. Ponies in general had… uh, there wasn’t much precedent on how to treat a dragon living in our society even just a few years ago, not until Princess Ember became the dragonlord, really, and there was some distrust. Like I said, it’s mostly just kind of embarrassing to recall now, after everything else that’s happened between us since,’ Spike said with a claw raised.

Rarity sniffed back her tears. ‘You’ve nothing to be ashamed of,’ she said in a controlled voice, ‘My utter thoughtlessness hurt you, and while that hurt may not have been physical it still happened, and that was my doing alone. It feels trite to say I’ve changed, but I… well, all I can do is promise from the bottom of my heart that it will never happen again.’

‘I guess things change,’ Dearlove said, ‘I mean, us changelings would know! Bug knows I did some stuff as a minion of Chrysalis I’m not proud of, but I wouldn’t dream of doing now. Uh, not that I’m equating the swampy, acidic old Hive with the fancy-schmancy gleaming realm of Equestria as such…’

Spike nodded. ‘No, it’s not the same thing, but I get the comparison. Either way, I’m not a big grudge-holder, and I’ve let it go, but it wasn’t until we started talking about this stuff more openly that we really were one hundred percent cool now you mention it, stating our feelings like we’re doing right here and now. I, uh, felt that I needed to make some changes in my life a few moons ago so I had a meeting with some friends, Rare included, laying it out and asking for their support, and she’s returned that request very generously ever since. It’s not always been easy, but so far? I feel pretty good about where things are headed.’

Rarity squirmed in her seat as Spike elaborated, her other hoof on her burning cheek from guilt as much as the romantic feelings she was trying so hard to quell. She did manage to compose herself as he reached his conclusion, and once he’d finished she looked at him with watery eyes. ‘As do I, precious-scales, and you can always count on your old Rarity,’ she chuckled, her lip still wobbling slightly, ‘You know, all that aside, it would be a lie if I said you didn’t grow on me over time despite our earlier, ah, issues, long before the Gauntlet of Fire or any of that. You became a very good friend to me over the years and even if I’d never developed deeper feelings as I have, I’d always count you among the very best, alongside any one of the other Elements of Harmony.’

Spike chuckled, taking her hoof from her cheek and holding it in his claw. ‘I know that, Rare. You’ve been nothing but… well, I want to say kind and honest before I say generous, but… oh, the heck with it. Being the embodiment of an Element of Harmony doesn’t mean you can’t be the others, but I’m sure I could work loyalty, laughter and magic somewhere in there if I thought about it for a bit. So you were less than thoughtful a few times in the past… so what? We’ve talked this stuff over before. It just doesn’t matter.’

Rarity exhaled, glancing at the surrounding changelings, who were by and large leaning in and paying close attention, wiping her eyes before turning back to Spike and continuing with a heaving sigh, ‘I’m more than happy to leave it in the past if you are, precious… and I couldn’t be happier that we’re moving along the path we’ve chosen, all that being said. You make me feel like a young filly all over again when we’re together, and you’re lovely company. We could spend all day, every day, just you and I, chatting and doing things together, whether pulse-racing or mundane, and it would be as much as I could reasonably want in life. There’s nocreature else I’ve met that I’d rather give my heart to, and I really do mean that.’

Spike felt a rush of blood to his head before continuing, ‘You make me feel like a better dragon, Rare, and you’re saying what I’ve been thinking a lot these past moons. I’m a lot less worried, or upset or whatever, about our past than I am excited about where we’re going. I… I love you.’

‘And I love you, my favourite little dragon,’ said Rarity, lost in Spike’s thin, reptilian pupils, and he gazed back into hers; those deep, oceanic pools he desired to fall into so much it hurt. ‘Anything that’s in our love’s way is only temporary. I can’t think of anycreature else I’d love to spend my life with.’

Two long seconds passed, and they both felt surging heartbeats and hot faces as they exchanged an adoring gaze with one another’s faces just a few inches apart. Then Rarity’s mane bobbed as she jerked her head left, and Spike followed suit, most likely, he presumed, for the same reason – while they’d kept things as well-behaved as they could, was it enough? ‘Ah, if anybug needs us to, we can leave the room for a tad,’ Rarity said, her voice wavering.

The changelings shrank back as her face returned to its normal porcelain complexion, that intoxicated look Spike and Rarity had seen in Thorax’s throne room the day they’d arrived on most of their faces. Then Orbweb grimaced, suddenly flashed green with a “pop!”, and Rarity gasped as she was suddenly a rainbow trout, flopping around on the floor. ‘Oh, darn it!’ the fish cried, wide-eyed for a moment with her fishy mouth open in a perfect circle.

Changeling murmurs sounded around the room, and Rarity bolted onto her hooves, feeling something must be done at once. ‘Oh, I’m– we’re ever so sorry!’ she exclaimed, prancing for a moment and looking around, ‘Quickly, does anybug here have a bowl of water? Stat!’

‘Ah, there she goes… there’s one on the ledge behind you,’ said the Counsellor, standing hurriedly but still keeping calm as a few of the other changelings glanced around the mossy room worriedly, ‘We always keep a few around just in case this happens, for the transformed’s comfort.’

‘Don’t worry, I got it,’ Spike said, hopping upwards with a flap of his wings, and Rarity turned as he grabbed the goldfish bowl that was indeed snug inside a crevice just a few feet from Rarity’s head. It was a little too full, so Rarity assisted, standing on her hind legs to stabilise with her forelegs as he held it aloft, then to lower it onto the floor without sloshing much. With one last flop, the trout jumped into it with a splash, then swam in circles for a moment as everycreature looked on.

‘Oh, maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all,’ Rarity sighed, as the room calmed and Spike picked up the bowl in both arms, ‘If that hurt you at all, Orbweb…’

‘I’ll be fine… I’d be fine without the water, actually. I’ll change back in a couple of minutes, and I went in knowing the risks when I asked you in the first place,’ Orbweb said with a raised fin once she’d filled her gills, ‘Darn my curiosity. I can still breathe air like this, though, it’s just that being a fish out of water is… let’s just say they’re not designed for it. Also, this water’s not been changed for a week.’

Spike sat back down with the water bowl in his lap, and everycreature that had risen to their hooves took their seat now the excitement was over. Counsellor Freelove half-sighed as she too returned to her place in the room’s centre, ‘Excuse me, Orbweb, I suppose I forgot to freshen it up recently. And thank you both for sharing that… with each other, as much as with all of us here,’ she said.

‘It really is totally okay?’ Spike asked, gripping the bowl as he sat cross-legged, ‘I felt like we, uh, heh… came on a bit strong there? It felt nice to get it out in the open, though, won’t lie…’

She smiled. ‘I condoned it for a good reason. You non-changelings may not be able to tell it yourselves, but that love you exude… how can I put it to creatures without the right receptors? I suppose its scent… is not as sharp as it was. It’s grown mellower with the mutual honesty you’ve just shown one another. Still stronger than the simple philia of friendship, but unlikely to disrupt anybug without a known condition, now you’ve truly confessed to one another with lessened inhibition… and no worse than Orbweb’s transformation just now. It’s mildly unfortunate that she became a fish in a dry place, but nothing was destroyed this time. I was confident that it wouldn’t.’

Orbweb emitted a few bubbles as she laughed. ‘Yeah, this is nothing like the time I changed into a mammoth without warning and took out my friend Weavestress’ entire cell during afternoon tea a few moons ago! She still has nightmares about that…’

‘Well, if you insist it’s alright…’ Rarity started, but the fish interrupted her after swimming in a circle. Adding to that, Spike’s ear frills twitched for a second as he heard a high frequency nearby, but he ignored it in favour of more pressing matters of the heart.

‘Nothing to worry about,’ said Orbweb, ‘You two should, ah, do whatever you were going to do. Hug or kiss or what have you. I’ll be fine now you’ve, ah, said the L-word.’

Spike chuckled, putting the bowl onto the floor. ‘You’d all like that, wouldn’t you?’ he said with a grin as the other changelings, and the yak and green pony present for that matter, looked at them intently as Freelove nodded sagely in confirmation, ‘C’mere, Rare. I wanna give my special somepony a big hug, with these guys as our witnesses.’

‘Oh, you sweet little thing… I do love you so, precious,’ Rarity breathed, and a second later she scooped him up in both hooves, falling onto her back as she held him against her chest, ‘And I’ll never stop! Oh, my little darling gentledragon, mmm…’ she continued as he wrapped his claws around her sides, then kissed him on the top of his head a few times.

‘My… I really hadn’t picked up on this the whole time they’ve been here,’ Ocellus murmured as they embraced, ‘You’d think I’d notice these things! Maybe there’s something up with my receptors!’

‘Probably due to the worry,’ Dearlove jabbed her friend in her side, ‘Fear of failure, like you said. Some say fear is the opposite of love. Might have stopped you noticing the obvious.’

‘Yona not stay mad at Ms. Rarity on Spikey’s behalf when she see them like this,’ Yona said with a sigh and a wobbly smile as she looked on alongside everycreature else, ‘Feels… nice. Mushy. Not mean like pincushion story sounded.’

Sandbar sniffed. ‘Watching my old professors snuggle is a bit much for me, Yona. Mainly makes me wonder why we’re not doing that ourselves. I don’t suppose you wanna– oop!’

He didn’t even need to ask once as Yona embraced him in another one of her huge, shaggy bear hugs, rubbing her cheek against his as he narrowly avoided getting bonked by her left horn as she giggled as sweetly as she could muster, ‘Yes! Yona love special little pony Sandbar, too! Love, love, love!’

After the initial shock he laughed, ‘Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!’ before returning her hug. ‘Uh, we’ve never kissed on the lips in public before though… privately, sure, but it’s, uh…’

‘Do whatever feels right to you, and don’t do whatever doesn’t,’ Freelove said, ‘The two of you haven’t been inhibited the way Rarity and Spike were, so it won’t cause problems.’

‘Yona tempted, but not ready for that yet,’ Yona rolled the words around her mouth in contemplation, glancing over at the other couple in the room, ‘Hugging fine. Maybe kiss elsewhere like Ms. Rarity.’ She gave Sandbar a lasting smooch on the cheek, and his face turned bright pink from his cheeks to his ears as he held onto her a little tighter besides, ‘Sandbar like?’

‘Of course, Yona,’ he sighed as he pressed his snout against hers, and the room fell quiet as the snuggling proceeded in earnest. Nubby hooves stroked scale and frill and cloven hooves ruffled mane and ear, along with light smooching of cheek and brow as the changelings absorbed the “mellowed” love emanating off the two couples.

As Freelove said, the real issue here had been the repression; the lingering public awkwardness between Spike and Rarity lifted with the renewal of their stated feelings for one another and they posed little further worry, now radiating a constant level of affection rather than the sudden, unexpected flares of it they’d been emitting up to that point. As it stood now, the worst of it was the grubs around King Thorax, who was sitting like a loaf now, looking very much like Hearth’s Warming lights on the tree as they twinkled and strobed colours lazily. While the discussion had proceeded he’d sustained at least two more orange patches on his sweater, but at this point in the forum it hardly mattered.

After a little while that high-pitched sound returned, and Spike broke away from squishing against Rarity as it became louder, looking upwards. ‘Man, I’m sorry to break this up so soon, but can anycreature else hear that?’ he asked the room at large, ‘I think there’s somebug flying around outside.’

Everycreature in the room craned their necks, looking towards the large hole in the ceiling as the sound became noticeably louder. ‘Hey, I hear it too,’ commented a changeling, followed by another who said, ‘That’s angry buzzing. Whoever that is, isn’t best pleased.’ ‘Maybe everybug should step away from there until they come in or go away?’ added a third.

Thorax stood and walked over to the sunny patch in the middle of the room as his subjects parted. ‘I wonder… Chitin? Is that you up there, or somebug else? Whoever it is, you’re disturbing the forum. You can come on down and talk about it if you like.’

The buzzing decreased in pitch, and after a few seconds, a purple face with red eyes peeked through, looking agitated as it eclipsed the sun. ‘Yes, my king, it is I… and I, I won’t come down! I can’t believe you’ve… ugh!’ she exclaimed in a frantic, buzzing voice, waving a hoof in the snuggling non-changelings’ direction, ‘In front of the grubs, as well! Is this what our Hive has become?! I expect better than this… permissiveness from our colony!’

‘Uh, we were expressing our feelings, as we do here every time we have a feelings forum, Chitin. I’m not sure I understand,’ Thorax said patiently at the scowling face, ‘Why spy on us? We can talk about, uh, whatever it is like this if you like.’

‘I couldn’t help eavesdropping on what the outsiders were saying, that’s all! Oh, I can’t believe you of all bugs, or you, Freelove, for that matter, would condone such a flagrant display of… well, from where I’m hovering, you’re all just pretending a, a toxic interspecies relationship like this is good and not deleterious, for your own benefits! Plainly those two should be separated for their own good, never mind the good of the grubs! And I saw what happened on the crag, purely by coincidence – you, Ms. Rarity, are taking advantage of that young dragon for your physical wants!’

Spike grimaced at their moment above the valley being called out, and Rarity sniffed indignantly. ‘Spying, indeed! I’ll have you know that was both consensual, and what happened was an accident! Besides, we all agreed at the beginning of this that it was a private matter. I dare say I don’t much appreciate your prying, Chitin!’

‘Excuse me, Rarity, but let me handle this,’ Thorax frowned, then nearly took off towards the hole before realising that the weight and delicate disposition of the grubs in question precluded that, so he continued from the floor instead. ‘Chitin, coincidence or not, that’s pushing my proclamation from the other day pretty hard. Anyway, even besides Spike and Rarity’s discussion, which I thought was quite heartfelt, personally, everycreature down here’s had a very productive forum today. I’ll let it slide if you’d just take the time to understand–’

She turned red in the face as he spoke, interrupting. ‘No! I won’t! I won’t! I refuse to participate in this wanton love-in, and I’m leaving. Good day to you all!’

Then she flashed green, transforming into what everycreature glimpsed as a pigeon before flying away, and the sun poured back into the room. ‘Oh, dear… highly strung, that one,’ Counsellor Freelove tutted, ‘Not to mention she hasn’t come to the forum for some time. My king, I can care for the younglings if you wish to fly after her. Plainly she needs a little calming down.’

‘Geez. I should… I don’t really want to ground one of my best attendants, and a little word might nip whatever’s going on in the bud. I’m not sure the grubs would like to be separated from me much, is the thing…’ Thorax inhaled through his mandibles, and the pair started to discuss the situation.

‘Ooh, this is what I was afraid of,’ Rarity fretted, shivering a little, noticeably withdrawn now as the changelings fussed, ‘Not everycreature is going to approve of our love. But I swear I meant everything I said! Oh, I’d never…’

Spike put a claw on her shoulder, and she leaned against him morosely. ‘I believe you, Rarity, you don’t need to tell me. Do I need to say it again– heck, I will anyway. I’m serious about what I said, too. I really do love you. I don’t care if one changeling out of a hundred judges us for it. Maybe she’ll come around once Thorax has had words with her. She’ll listen to him – Chitin respects her king.’

‘Perhaps so,’ Rarity uttered, ‘And I love you too, darling. That outburst changes nothing, although I know you know that,’ she continued, giving her favourite little dragon a squeeze, which he reciprocated.

While they did that the troupe had been chattering amongst themselves, and Elytron suddenly got off his seat. ‘Hey, my king, Freelove, I figure you might need another pair of hooves with these guys? I spend enough time herding Boscis around that I’m pretty sure I can help out with the little, uh, angels.’

‘Ah! Yes, I appreciate your volunteering, Ely,’ Thorax grinned, immediately dumping his ring of pouches around Elytron’s neck, ‘Here. From left to right in these I’ve got some pollen powder, a honeycomb in case any of them get hungry, a bottle of nectar each in the next two, a maulwurf toy, and a couple of rattles. They really need to return to nurture and wellness in the next twenty minutes or so… they can’t be away from there for too long or they’ll start to get grumpy.’

‘Uhh, my left to right or yours?’ Elytron asked, immediately overwhelmed.

‘Yours. I mean, mine, from when I was wearing them, I mean– oh, I’ve got to dash before she goes too far! Sorry about this!’ Unencumbered, he left Freelove holding several of the babies, and Elytron with the rest and their supplies, as he flew after Chitin.

‘Dang, that put a dampener on our buzz,’ Dearlove sighed once Thorax was gone, ‘Just as I was getting comfortable with the whole thing, too. Our visitors all OK?’

‘Slightly shaken, thank you for asking,’ said Rarity, ‘We didn’t really expect such a harsh rejection of our relationship like that so soon after everycreature else seemed accepting of it. Otherwise we’re right as rain, aren’t we, Spikey-Wikey?’

‘Yona fine, but purple bug total buzzkill. Just makes Yona approve more of Ms. Rarity and Spike in face of adversity! Purple dragon and marshmallow boss overcome! Love conquers all, just like yaks of olde! Old yak saying!’ said Yona, before giving Sandbar another all-encompassing embrace.

He struggled not to be washed away with the furry tide, before pushing back and returning it with feeling. ‘Oof! Yeah, don’t let one neigh-sayer put you off. Not everypony in Ponyville is comfortable with our relationship, but so what? I wouldn’t trade this wonderful yak for anything!’ he added with a laugh.

‘Thanks for the vote of confidence, both of you,’ Spike said, smiling for the first time since Chitin had cast her aspersions, ‘I hope you’re right. I feel like you are!’

Then he jumped back, startled as Orbweb spilled herself out of the bowl near his feet back into her changeling guise. ‘I feel it, too. I think everything’s going to be just fine now you two are out in the open.’

‘I do hope you’re all correct,’ Rarity sighed, still feeling a mite despondent, but glad that she’d done what she’d done. If nothing else, it had defused a potential situation for bugs like Orbweb… though another may yet have been brewing, she feared.

The feelings forum proceeded for a little longer, but was cut short earlier than Freelove had intended, seeing as how it had become even more of a makeshift nursery than it had been while Thorax, who didn’t return for its remaining duration, had been present. With no other latecomers besides Chitin and everybug soon satisfied with saying their piece, those attending dispersed soon enough, the troupe, minus Elytron who accompanied Counsellor Freelove to return the grubs to their daycare, returning to the amphitheatre while Spike and Rarity retreated to their rooms to prepare themselves ahead of the evening’s activities. All seemed well and their declaration of love had mostly gone down fine, but there was just that one little loose end that hadn’t been tied off yet.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 19: Another Distorted Reflection –

Author's Note

CONTENT WARNING: While this chapter has no sexual content, there is a scene 2/3 through that hews very closely, tonally, to a rape scene. That's actually why this took a few weeks longer to write than I anticipated, because if I'm going to write a scene like that, I need to at least try to do it right. Let it be known that I didn't write it to titillate anyone, and I in no way intend to minimise the gravity of something like that. Nonetheless, if there's anyone who doesn't want to read about that sort of thing, you have been warned.

– 19: Another Distorted Reflection –

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Spike basked atop a recliner on the edge of the natural spring, a red robe draped over his shoulders and a pair of flip-flops on his feet, one barely hanging onto his toes as he looked down into the wobbling reflection he cast into the gently bubbling, milky water. Upon one arm rested his head while the other reached down, and he skimmed the steaming surface with his clawtips.

The heat was perfect in his estimation, bracing in comparison to a dip in lava perhaps, but that was every bit a relative judgement; it was warm and cosy here compared to the sharp evening dew outside, making him a little drowsy. Yes, perfect after such a long, eventful, but mostly pleasant day.

The hot springs below the main chambers of the Changeling Hive were upstream from the wider public baths its denizens enjoyed after a long day, just a corridor away from the cells they’d been inhabiting all week as guests alongside Yona and Sandbar, as a matter of fact. That pair had taken their leave with the changeling troupe to celebrate the raucously-received debut of Ocellus’ play shortly after they’d all met backstage, and likely were this very minute feasting on creatively arranged spiced vegetables and pastries at Boscis and Elytron’s place.

These springs had always existed below the Hive but, much like the amphitheatre they’d just arrived from, had been more of a toxic lake in its basement until Thorax had had them cleaned. Post-purification the only trace of their old life was the bleached brown-streaked white rocks that stretched up to the vents in the high ceiling, and even those had mosses and lichens sprouting from their outcroppings now that joined the general reforestation around the structure’s upper echelons. It was more of a sequestered cavern whose inlet fed into the public chamber, illuminated by glowworm lamps towards its top and some luminescent white flowers sprouting from the mossy stones closer to its floor.

The steam from the three pools in the room, one large one with two smaller, shallower ones, diffused as it reached the palm branches planted near its apex, but down at water level it was mistier here than in the moonlit fog outside. The greater share of the steam flowed from the steady waterfall pouring from the spring that gave the room its purpose, approximately halfway up the sheer face of the south-eastern wall. It looked hotter than it truly was as its vapours hit the room’s cool air, more the temperature of a nice warm shower than heat intolerable to changeling or pony. As well as this main chamber there were a few alcoves burrowed into its lower walls made by changelings wanting privacy. At least two were behind modesty screens that made their function beyond doubt.

Spike swished his claw into the water, submerging it for a moment to fully whet it before giving his face a quick wash. True to his earlier word to himself he’d kept Rarity’s glossy smooch mark from just before the play intact, but it wasn’t long for this world either way in the current environs; the makeup she’d worn had for sure been erased in these steaming waters by this point, and once he’d taken his turn under the falls the trace she’d left upon him too would vanish. He’d miss it, but its impermanence was a big part of why he’d relished it as much as he had.

With that done his attention rose from the water’s surface to the spring’s only other inhabitant, and he sat up as he looked over to her. Rarity had requested a bit of space while she took the time to cleanse herself from the long day they’d spent together around the Hive, and Spike had granted that without question. It was unspoken between them but bathing together seemed that little too intimate at this point in their relationship, and they’d accidentally overstepped the line once already today. Chitin’s admonishment at the feelings forum about it had stung somewhat, some truth in there despite the untrue assumptions they were rooted in; while Spike certainly didn’t feel taken advantage of by Rarity, he figured they needed to cool their heels, so to speak, and Rarity’s slightly more distant behaviour since reinforced that feeling. While Thorax’s granted access to this room felt like a tacit endorsement of further closeness, neither of them wanted to make such intimacy a habit lest it became an issue back in Equestria proper. Not yet, anyway.

Besides all that, she’d been, while not morose since their conversation during the play, significantly muted, and Spike knew that whatever it was she’d signalled she wished to discuss, it would be in her own time. He was prepared to coax it kindly from her if needed but he was fairly certain what troubled her, and he was likewise confident she would confide in him when ready.

In the meantime, he idly enjoyed the view from the poolside. A prancing silhouette, submersed halfway up her flanks and obscured by the foam and steam of the waterfall, trilled semi-tunefully what Spike’s ear frills interpreted as one of the songs from Ocellus’ play as she lathered up with a specialised herbal shampoo she’d bought from the potion brewery on the Hive’s ground level. Changelings tended to use the hot springs for leisure rather than sanitation, and one had to be specific with one’s unguents when the water flowed into such a public space lest it be considered a type of pollution. No chance of that with this stuff, Spike thought as he inhaled deeply; whatever citrus scent wafted from the pouring warm waters was fresh enough to send a tingle all the way down his spine to the tip of his pointed tail.

A bristle-brush also hovered around Rarity’s form, delicately scrubbing her in particular places, mostly her body and legs, the latter of which rose from the water one by one so she could give her haunches and hooves the attention they richly deserved. The vapour veil surrounding her, Spike noted, left a lot to the imagination as it obfuscated the particulars of her personal hygiene routine. Perhaps it wasn’t the most gentledragonly thing in the world to peer into the mist to catch a glimpse of a wet, nude Rarity, but he was growing bored of waiting for her.

After a moment more he sat up, rolling his shoulders and spreading his wings as he more obviously paid attention, deciding to break through the sloshing, splooshing sound of bathing. ‘Hey Rare, you gonna be much longer?’ he called half-seriously, loud enough for her to hear over the tumbling waters, ‘I want a turn under there eventually and you don’t want pruney hooves, right?’

Momentarily the scrubbing stopped, and Rarity turned her neck to look at him, peeking from the side of the waterfall as if it were a curtain. Having been thoroughly submerged for a while beneath the hot springs’ point of origin, Rarity’s mane cascaded over her bare back as though it too were liquid, a silken sheen enveloping her front half with just her face and chest visible. Her white horsey ears, tinted pink from the heat, as well as her horn, poked out from its top as she acknowledged Spike’s comment with a slight but genuine smile. As Spike had conjectured her usual blush and eyeshadow had all run off now, but she was no less beautiful for it.

‘My apologies, Spikey-Wikey. It’s wonderfully warm in there, quite refreshing after the relative coarseness of the nectar tub in my cell at any rate, and I confess I’m dining out on it,’ she said, ‘But you’re quite right, I oughtn’t to hog it. By all means, if you wish to take your turn go right ahead, my darling. I can finish up in the calmer waters now I’m quite rinsed through.’

‘Well, we’ve got all evening,’ said Spike, standing before hopping off his seat, kneeling by the pool to get closer to Rarity’s level, ‘If you wanna finish up in there it’s fine, but… well, why don’t we just talk for a bit? I know something’s on your mind.’

Rarity looked up at the little dragon sitting on the edge of the natural pool, looking quite like a merpony as he returned her gaze with a concerned smile. ‘Ah… of course, sweetheart,’ she sighed, ‘I fear I’m unfairly keeping you in suspense, but, ah, while today has been overall quite lovely, events have given me some, shall we say, pause for thought? I’ve accumulated various feelings and I’m somewhat processing them…’

‘We can process them together, then,’ Spike said, shuffling closer to the edge and dangling his legs into the spring, ‘What first? I know I’m thinking about the crag, and the forum, the immediate stuff… but you’ve been thinking about, geez, it’s so long ago since it happened and it feels like a dream itself these days, but… at the play…’

Rarity inhaled, and Spike was faintly disappointed that she didn’t finish his thought for him.

‘Nightmare Rarity,’ he stated simply after a few seconds. She closed her eyes and frowned as he said it outright, ‘All that travelling to the moon and songs about changing on the moon reminded you of the time you were… transformed the same as Luna was when she was Nightmare Moon, didn’t it?’

She swallowed. ‘You’re quite a mind-reader, Spikey. Yes, I don’t recall much of what happened those nights,’ she eventually said, ‘But I do remember you and the girls suffered greatly at the hand of moon shadows at my behest. You in particular…’

‘You weren’t yourself, Rarity. The nightmare force that possessed Princess Luna for a millennium and change was on the lookout for a new host, and you were the pony unfortunate enough to have it burrow into your ear. You weren’t to blame… you were a victim of an outside force, and you know, me and the girls would have done anything to rescue you. Heck, we went farther than we’d planned at the time, but we were prepared to get you back no matter the cost.’

Rarity’s response surprised Spike. She’d been composed, if subdued, until now, that when her face crumpled with sorrow, it was all he could do not to jump into the spring to comfort her. ‘Oh, Spike, perhaps I wasn’t, but it, it spoke to me, you know! It convinced me to, to let it in as I dreamed…’ she hiccuped as she bared her teeth.

Soaking wet as she was, it had become difficult to tell, but Spike was sure she was crying as she continued, ‘It told me that, that one day some dreadful chunky sweater pony would just waltz into Ponyville and take over my life, and my business, even… and then nopony would need me! I had to relive that over and over the entire time I was, I was… ohh…’

She trailed off, plainly weeping as Spike leaned forward and held her by the head. ‘Shh, shh, it’s alright, Rarity, I know full well what happened to you,’ he assured her as she whimpered into his chest, ‘It used you as its, uh, vessel as it trapped your mind inside itself. It made you imprison the girls, and one of its minions tossed me all the way to the moon’s dark side. Heh, I really bit the moondust there for a moment, but ya can’t keep a good dragon down. Once I was back on my feet I knew I needed to get back over there as soon as possible.’

He stroked her wet mane and gave her a scratch behind her ear, to which she responded with a quick nuzzle before pulling back. ‘Oh, you poor thing, taking such a nasty fall. And chalk that up to another time I was less than generous in our interpersonal dealings once you finally found me, sweetheart,’ she exhaled, ‘Even if it was the nightmare force’s doing, I suppose it invaded my memories of… well, I suppose there’s no point denying it now… even back then I was a little doting on you… draconic pincushions were already just a memory by then, and it wasn’t all that long after the “Spikezilla” incident.’

It was Spike’s turn to look solemn now. ‘Yeah, those were the old old days, back before Twilight was even a princess,’ he breathed, feeling nostalgic, ‘You know, I almost told you I loved you for the first time that night. Pretty tragic that you were, uh, possessed, and I was definitely not capable of following through. I couldn’t quite spit out the word, and “you”,’ he twiddled his claws twice each time he emphasized the pronoun, ‘And I am completely putting that word in quotation marks because it wasn’t really you, mocked me for it. At least I didn’t fall for “your”, quotation marks again, illusion where we were the married king and queen of Equestria. The implications of falling into that mind trap could have been really bad.’

Rarity pulled back from Spike’s embrace at that, splashing backwards. ‘Oh, dear me… at the time it simply wasn’t possible for me to reciprocate feelings like that, and in truth, I did spend some time back in those days quietly pondering how best to reject you if you ever tried…’

Spike winced. ‘I guess that’s why I didn’t dare say it, then. I knew on some level even back then it would’ve been unfair on you even at the best of times, and my baby dragon ego was not tough enough to handle that gracefully. Even so, it stunk hearing it from “you” like that. Uh, quotations again.’

Her expression softened. ‘Well, I’m sorry the nightmare force made me such a vain and cruel mare in the heat of the moment, precious. You’re entirely correct that I wasn’t myself. It doesn’t stop me feeling at least a little responsible for being so insecure in the first place.’

‘Don’t worry about it, Rare; I think both our insecurities clashed together in a bad way that could’ve gotten way worse. Like I said, it doesn’t feel real these days, way less than, uh, “Spikezilla”, anyway,’ Spike smiled before shrugging, ‘Although I should ask, since we were talking about the Tantabus during the play… have you ever talked to Luna about this? It’s something the two of you have in common.’

‘She who I laid so low in the throes of my madness as the nightmare forces tried to conquer our home and take me for good, Spike? Now that’d be an awkward conversation, especially between a monarch and her subject, Element of Harmony or no!’ Rarity rebuffed as she tipped her head, nearly looking at him upside-down before conceding, ‘Although if it had been Twilight I’d have little issue broaching the matter, since we are an order of magnitude closer… at any rate, I’d never really thought of it like that, that Luna and I both experienced such a dreadful thing.’

‘I just wonder if she’d appreciate you reaching out. Just saying, you could do worse than get in touch with her… I’m sure she could make the time now she’s no longer a princess. I know for a fact that she’s spent the last few years working it out for herself, even discounting the Tantabus incident.’

Rarity turned around in the pool and sat with her hooves in her lap, still half-submerged in its shallows as she relaxed against its stoney curvature and swished her tail in the bubbling water, watching its hair diffuse as she thought upon that idea. In time she looked up at the little dragon dangling his feet up and to her left as she pontificated, ‘Ah, perhaps I have a little Tantabus all of my own, lurking within the canyons of my mind and denying such things of myself. You’re the first I’ve ever had a serious conversation with about this, you know… I’ve generally just told myself to move on and never think of it again over the years. And yet, something inside me holds myself responsible for it.’

‘Well, I’d call it simple misplaced guilt rather than any sort of supernatural manifestation,’ said Spike, reaching down and giving her a rub behind one ear, ‘But she’d understand better than anypony what it was like, I’m no expert – as far as I’m concerned, “Spikezilla” was kind of, but not really, the same thing? Ultimately, nothing made me end up like that besides my own immaturity, but Luna was true-blue nightmare possessed, the same as you.’

Rarity lips crept upwards, and Spike smiled in turn as he saw her eyes brighten. ‘You’re quite right, precious-pants. Ah, I rather feel as if we’re going around in circles about the past together, although that’s no bad thing, chatting, communicating, parlaying. I know you’re getting your previous anxieties ironed out, but as for myself…’ she trailed off.

‘…It’s okay, Rarity, I know nopony’s perfect. I know what I said back on the crag about how you were, but I was kinda kidding? Meanwhile, I was serious back at the feelings forum when I said I don’t hold any missteps from the past against you. And that goes double for Nightmare Rarity.’ He stopped for a moment, before his smile broadened and he continued, ‘Man, right now you might not appreciate the compliment but you looked pretty glamorous when I confronted you. Very… regal. Distinguished. You filled out pretty well as a megalomaniac!’

‘True-blue nightmare possession… ah, navy blue never suited me, darling,’ Rarity sniffed after a second’s thought, ‘And frankly, I’d want nothing to do with a look that made me act so cruelly. I’m more than happy to leave the “Evil Queen” look to this place’s petrified former ruler, and specifically as a statue at that.’

‘I liked the white streak, that’s all I’m saying!’ Spike said, momentarily flustered, ‘And it just lends to the idea that you look great wearing anything, in this dragon’s opinion… But you’re right, it’s kinda inappropriate.’

Rarity chuckled. ‘As I said before the play, I’m not offended by a sincere compliment, darling. I suppose something halfway decent came of my possession.’

Spike swallowed his awkwardness before continuing. ‘Anyhow, we all had faith in you, me and the girls, and everyone back in Ponyville besides, and we saved you from turning to the dark side. That’s always how we get through crises, all of us; together, y’know? It keeps us strong. At least, I’ve never seen convincing evidence to the contrary; we stick together, we win. Every time.’

Rarity’s voice became noticeably smaller than before as she leaned back, all of herself besides her face now in the water, her mane spreading outwards beneath her like watercolour from an artist’s brush. ‘Do you know what truly saved me, sweetheart? That last little thing that tipped my heart back into being me, and not some awful perversion of myself?’ she asked.

Spike grinned despite himself. ‘Was it me? It was me, wasn’t it,’ he half-asked, not bothering to conceal the confident swell in his voice.

‘Well, everypony wanted me back to my normal self so much, and everypony in Ponyville sent their deepest love and support in that moment the girls sought to extricate me from the grip of the darkness permeating my soul… but it was you, Spikey-Wikey, it was you that sealed it,’ Rarity said, her eyes wide as she looked upwards, ‘Your love shone the brightest, between that and the memory of our little chat after the “Spikezilla” incident invoked by the shards of the fire ruby you still held was what truly broke through to me. The nightmares hadn’t a chance after that.’

‘The fire ruby,’ Spike breathed in turn, looking into the waterfall, blinking as he plumbed the depths of his recollection for a moment. He almost failed not to salivate as he remembered its cut, then turned back to his wallowing special somepony in seriousness, ‘Geez, I almost forgot all about its shattering, but yeah, I took it along for the ride. It reformed in that moment of your final re-emergence, if I recall right, such was the power of that memory. I had a gut feeling the ruby could bring you back to your senses, the same way it did for me that day. I didn’t see its destruction coming though, to be fair.’

Rarity sank into the milky liquid warmth, visibly uncomfortable with her next confession as her mane spread ever further. ‘In that moment I felt love, true love, love upon love, and your love atop the pile, sweetheart… and recalling that just makes the guilt worse. I was so needy in my need to be needed, it’s rather embarrassing! I suppose I’m so used to playing the independent mare that it’s another reason I’ve been repressing it. The ruby too, as a matter of fact. I do still have it tucked away in a jewellery box somewhere deep at the Carousel Boutique, and I haven’t as much as glanced at it in quite the while…’

‘I figured it was still somewhere in your collection, even if it hasn’t had an outing in years,’ Spike said matter-of-factly before grinning, ‘You never seemed the type to pawn off items of personal importance like that. Anyway, if you’ve just been “playing” at being an, uh, independent mare all this time, you do a fine job at it. Fooled me!’

‘Well, it’s a very beautiful and rare gem, you know, disregarding any personal importance… and you know that’s not what I mean, Spike,’ Rarity said haughtily, rearing from the depths in defiance, ‘My mannerisms and poise are quite my own. But, you know, the Element of Generosity needs other ponies and creatures in general to function! One can’t really be generous to a stone wall, wouldn’t you agree?’

‘Maud managed it with Tom after he got beaten up by that trolem a while back,’ Spike quipped again, sobering up before Rarity’s scrunched muzzle and furrowed brow, ‘No, no, kidding, sorry, I see your point. So,’ he hopped back with a wing flap and kneeled towards her, looking hesitant, ‘Uh, I mean, if it’s not too much trouble… when we’re back in Ponyville, I’d really like to see it again. Don’t you think it’s an important historical artifact between us?’

Rarity looked up to Spike, up to her flanks in the steamy water as she considered his request for a moment. After a moment’s thought she said, ‘I rather think I should locate it, for both our sakes, darling. Now that we’re more out in the open about us, I suppose it is misguided to keep such a beautiful gemstone under wraps the way I have, and, well, hiding it and denying its significance to either of us the way I have been… I suppose I fixated on that abiding shame I described, and the poor thing being ensconced in some dark box in a forgotten corner has rather become an expression of that.’

‘Well, That’s why I wanna see it again, Rare. Like you, I never brought it up because it represented my own shame at almost levelling Ponyville as a horrible greedy monster. But now we’ve brought up Nightmare Rarity…’ his pupils dilated as he searched for his words, ‘I’m not sure either of us has anything to be ashamed of. We’ve both learned our lessons from the past, we were both brought back to our normal selves with one another’s help, and neither of those things would happen now, right?’

Rarity put her arms forward, leaning her full weight against the pool’s edge as she rested her head on her arms as she looked at him, her lips pursed at first, but with a tender smile that broadened as she spoke. ‘Since we’ve touched upon the issue I’m quite inclined to agree that I should uncover it, and I shall once I return to the Carousel Boutique. Just for the closure if nothing else,’ she said, before inspecting her hooftips with mild surprise, ‘Ah, with all this talking I lost track, I fear I really am going to prune right up if I don’t withdraw from this warm water quite soon. Trade places, sweetheart?’

‘Thought you’d never ask, Rarity,’ Spike snickered, and she obliged, dripping as she emerged from the water by pulling herself up by her front hooves. Spike tried not to stare as she flicked her mane back once she was fully out, but a spray of glistening droplets flew behind her as she reared entirely in front of him before standing on all fours, looking quite doused, but now as ever, no less beautiful for it.

He retracted his wings for a moment before standing upright and shrugging off his robe, tossing it back onto the recliner by the poolside. Still quite wet and with her mane clinging to her fur, Rarity moved in and craned her neck downwards, giving him a half-lidded gaze that he returned with a toothy smile. In expectation he raised his cheek towards her, the opposite one to where she’d left a lipstick deposit just before the play.

‘No problem at all, darling, I’ve had my fill of paddling about for now,’ she said before indeed landing a lingering smooch right there, after an adoring pause continuing, ‘And I shan’t be long. I just need to dry off to the standard to which I’m accustomed and I’d rather do that in private… you do understand, don’t you?’

Spike giggled despite himself, then sobered up while blushing furiously. ‘Haha, oh, oh man… of course, Rare, I’ll survive for a few minutes on my own while you take care of yourself. Hey, I’m glad we’ve had this talk, but once you’re back, are you up for more heart-to-hearting?’

She stood upright and nodded. ‘Of course, darling, much happened today… and both despite and because of it, we do need to discuss things between us going forward once our little vacation reaches its end, just so there’s zero confusion once we’re back in Ponyville. In the meantime, I promise I’ll find that gem… it’s been so long that I’m certain it’ll be like gazing upon its beauty for the first time once I do, and as soon as I can I’ll show you lickety-split!’

‘I don’t doubt it, Rare. Thanks,’ Spike smiled, ‘It’ll mean a lot. To me. To both of us.’

Rarity half-turned away, a hoof raised as she looked over her shoulder at him. ‘Well, I’ll be back in two ticks and we can, ah, converse further. Enjoy your bath, sweetheart!’

Then she turned her tail fully and pranced away, waving as she departed towards a towel-stocked alcove on the far side of the room, concealed by an iridescent pink folding screen with a mottled pattern on it. Spike waved likewise then turned away, leaving her to her own devices as he finally had free reign of the bubbling, milky pool she’d been wading around for some time now. He definitely intended to do as he was told, and although she’d just left it he was still in for a fresh dip rather than a glamour mare’s bathwater due to its steady flow. Part of him was faintly disappointed by that thought, truthfully.

He shook it off, inhaled deep of the last, lingering lemony shampoo scent as she left, then looked at the water. Then he hopped backwards out of his flip-flops with a flap of his wings, almost taking a running cannonball before thinking better of it. A year ago he would have done that without a second thought around Gabby, but with Rarity, things felt more serious, more mature. That was no bad thing, he reflected – part of why things had broken down with Gabby, he had reflected these past moons, was something of a failure to communicate the way he and Rarity were proving quite adept.

Time and experience had proven to him that just taking the time to speak, listen and understand one another only strengthened their bond, and they both were willing, happy even, to do that, regardless of whether the point of the matter was opening old wounds – up to now frank discussions about their feelings had, to a one, been healing experiences, even if they had unearthed a hurt at first. He’d definitely had his moments of stepping on eggshells when Gabby had been denying a bad mood, but with Rarity, talking it out felt as natural as breathing, breathing air rather than fire, he mentally noted. The worst of it had been the afternoon after the race, and the pair of them had turned that around, hadn’t they?

As he hopped into the pool tail-first with a light “plop”, he thought about all those times they’d just enjoyed being around one another, providing one another emotional support as well as very happy company. What had started as an old friend’s concern about his wellbeing after his break-up one afternoon had blossomed into so much more since, he thought as he laid back and floated in the spring.

He was sure, he thought as he looked at the hazy overhead lighting, after today of all days, that they had so much more to offer one another besides, much deeper and more soulful things, that even this was merely scratching the surface. That, on the other claw, wasn’t altogether a good thing, he pondered as he idly swam on his back towards the waterfall, gazing upwards at the drooping foliage decorating the cavern’s ceiling.

Spike was becoming quietly concerned that things between them were running up that little too quickly, like a cart on a rail going down a slope; Rarity’s reaction to his massage on the outskirts of the Hive, nevermind what they’d discussed prior to that, had illustrated keenly how the two of them were plainly approaching the brink of something, something they’d been subtly ameliorating since, be it an unspoken precaution like taking turns in this spring, or like earlier when Rarity had gently admonished him for getting that little too clawsy with her right before Ocellus’ play.

Those were the right calls to make, he wasn’t questioning that for a moment. For now they were behaving themselves, even within the relative laxity of the Hive now the fluctuations that had disrupted a few of its denizens were taken care of. The real question on his mind, and he was sure Rarity wondered similarly given her behaviour these past afternoon hours, was if they could really keep it up in the weeks and moons to come?

As good as it felt to be with Rarity, their relationship, their love was only growing, and he feared it was getting ever closer to straining against the straitjacket of what polite pony society would tolerate between a mare and – he mentally edited himself from that awful, blatantly inaccurate “b”-word to her own euphemism – a dragon of juvenile stature.

The last thing he wanted to do was separate from his special somepony, they had a really good thing going here, he was surer following the feelings forum than ever before. Nonetheless he was close to making a decision, just in case he or Rarity broke the agreement they’d reached that day back at the Carousel Boutique.

If he had to, he would slam the brakes on the cart before it careened into a wall and hurt them both irreversibly, he told himself, no matter how much it might sting to do so. Even if he broke a toe on the brake, he thought, better that than to break half the bones in both their bodies.

He decided to leave that metaphor behind as it was turning kind of violent, and he didn’t much like to think about Rarity in traction. Besides, it was a last resort that he wasn’t keen to dwell on, especially right now he was approaching the waterfall’s tumult. He flipped over and doggy-paddled towards it – lava it wasn’t, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t relish its warm spray.

Once he was fully beneath its flow, he realised that his aforementioned juvenile stature meant that he was getting pushed underwater more than he liked, so he picked up the pace a little and swam outright to the shallow undercut just behind it, where there was a flat stone for bathers’ comfort. He hopped out of the water, noticing Rarity had left her shampoo bottle and body brush right next to where he planted his tail, and took stock of the most efficient path to total chill in hot water.

He looked more closely at the bottle as he stretched his arms, wings and legs, giving the green changeling with the flowing, sparkling frills on its label a sensible chuckle. Magical they may have been, but dragons were still reptiles, without much in the way of body odour, and nothing in the way of fur or a mane. Resultingly, Spike generally eschewed the need for the shampoos and fruity, floral herbal soaps like this that Rarity required when taking a bath. Unless he was really dirty, he normally elected for a few simple squirts of a masculine fragrance to eliminate any burning scents once dry.

At least, that was how he normally rolled… but since today had proven itself something of a special occasion, he grabbed it and soaped up anyway. Necessary or not, some bubbles wouldn’t hurt, he reasoned, giving the bottle a squeeze and getting a generous glob of it out. Then he lathered up his claws before sitting close to the gushing fall, rubbing it into his scalp and frills. He winced as he got some in his eyes and wiped it off, then tipped his head forwards as he let the milky water slosh onto his head and shoulders, grunting involuntarily as he doused himself. As he felt it run all the way off him it wasn’t hard to see why Rarity had spent that bit too long under here; it really was extremely relaxing, far moreso than the poolside.

Spike spent the next few minutes using the herbal concoction, along with Rarity’s brush to get himself as soft and clean as he’d felt after the massage he’d had first thing this morning at Chitin’s behest. The bristles were just right, more flexible than he’d imagined but rigid enough to give even a dragon’s thick scales a satisfying scrub. He cupped his claws under the water, sitting as close as possible, and made sure he was sparkling clean from the tips of his wings to the point of his tail. The brush handle was long enough that he was able to give the soles of his feet particular attention, which he appreciated after a long day spent shlooping around the Hive, although he did pause for a second as he considered why Rarity would need a handle on it at all given how she floated it around when cleaning herself.

Absorbed as he was in his ablutions he almost didn’t hear her voice calling him. ‘Spikey, darling?’ he heard.

He looked up from washing his leg and saw Rarity’s form through the obscurity of water, definitely seeing her just as she’d seen him when he’d called to her in his earlier impatience. He could just about tell she was wrapped in pink towels, but the particulars escaped him. ‘Welcome back, Rare,’ he called, ‘Hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed your shampoo. Man, you sure weren’t kidding about how nice it is under here, and that stuff just makes it even better!’

‘Quite, darling, the springs here are most invigorating,’ Rarity said in a voice Spike registered as more staid than before. He washed the shampoo out of his frills as she continued, ‘Now, I believe we have much to discuss, have we not?’

‘Heck, I suppose now’s as good a time as any, Rare,’ he answered, ‘Just one moment while I scrub the last of this soap off my scales. Uh, I also borrowed your brush I guess?’

She chuckled, trotting a little closer and becoming easier to hear over the tinkling water. ‘Ah, take as long as you need. Sharing is caring, sweetheart, and if you need more time beneath the falls, we shall talk like this. Now, what was it you were saying about our, ah, togetherness before?’

Spike wasn’t desperate to come out just yet; he’d just found his comfort spot, and since Rarity had come closer, they could communicate just fine. He sopped off the last of the lather as he started, ‘Well, you know as well as I do what happened on the crag, right? Probably better?’

‘That I do,’ she said simply, in a pointed manner, sitting down.

Spike paused for a moment, expecting her to speak further. When she didn’t, he continued, ‘Uh, well… we’ve spent the afternoon dancing around it, but… well, we need to be more careful about that kinda thing. Sure, we worked things out with mostly everybug here, but, well, you know what I mean, right? Ponyville is different.’

Rarity paused for a second. ‘I do indeed,’ she said blithely, ‘“Spoiled Milk’s sewing circle” and all that rot. Ponies may not have the love receptors of a changeling, but they make up for that with flapping gums that make the most disagreeable mouth sounds about one another!’

Spike raised an eyebrow, peeking out from behind the waterfall. ‘Uh, sure…?’ he started, getting an eyeful of Rarity. One purple curl sprouted from the towel adorning her scalp, the rest tidily drying beneath, while the other covered most of her body besides her lower legs and upper chest. He scanned her from hoof to horn, before noticing the finer details. ‘Hey, you put all your makeup back on! I'm impressed, but, uh, it’s almost the end of the day…?’

She paused, then tipped her head sideways towards him. ‘Good of you to notice, darling. The pursuit of fabulousness knows no rest, after all. Ah, I’ll likely take it off again and slap on a face mask overnight besides… anyway, back to the topic at hoof. Causing a scandal back in Equestria would make us both prime targets for others’ ire, no doubt.’

Spike drifted further towards her, swishing his arms in the water. ‘I mean, yeah. Talk like that’s bad for business, and whether it’s fair or not to either of us the last thing I want to do is give you a bad reputation… but the way we’ve been going, well, it’s just as unfair not to tell you what I’ve been thinking. You ready? You can stop me if I’m talking crazy.’

Rarity reclined forward, looking at the dragon, waist-deep in the spring as he was, with half-lidded eyes. ‘I daresay I’m ready for any proposal you care to give me,’ she said, ‘If it’s coming from my favourite little dragon, you have my undivided anttention. Do go on.’

Spike waded out of the fall, a little reluctantly – it was way too cosy under the splashing waters he was leaving behind, but again, he told himself, this matter needed taking seriously. He looked up at her as he started, ‘Well,’

Then he suddenly felt much less bold as he looked her in the eye, his mind turning blank. Or was it? Nothing was coming out of his mouth, at any rate. He knew what he wanted to say, but all he could do right now was mentally kick himself in the tail for freezing on the precipice of communicating with her, an anxiety spiral very rapidly developing that he could feel swirling at the base of his brain. All that stuff he’d been pumping himself up with, about how easy Rarity was to talk with about matters of the heart, had evaporated, leaving him alone in the room with her.

‘Well what, dearie?’ Rarity prompted, that stray curl bouncing as she tipped her head further, ‘I’m aware that whatever’s on your mind, it’s about our love, or the lack of it, or the too much of it, or what have you. I promise I won’t be offended by whatever you have to say on the topic, darling.’

The ice block sank from Spike’s throat into his stomach, and he took a breath before trying again. It was all in his head, he told himself, this was the exact same Rarity he’d had no trouble at all speaking with just a quarter-hour or so ago about quite personal past matters, but his own concerns about naming the elephant in the room were obviously a more fearsome barrier than he’d anticipated.

Nervous energy propelled him forward. ‘Uhh, uhh, well… neither of us wants to get into trouble? I guess?? Like, we discussed this back at the Boutique that day, but if things get, uh, more intense than they already have between us… you feel it too, right?’

‘I do indeed,’ Rarity said with a frown, inhaling while nodding her head, ‘Why, I’ve never sensed such love between, I mean, anycreatures other than you and I, it’s positively thrilling! Though I must admit I’m rather torn on the matter, too. I do fear, ah, that the two of us could easily immolate upon the burning wave of passion we’re riding, if we ride it too much longer. Perhaps it may be best to break up by choice before we’re inevitably forced apart by circumstance.’

She fluttered her lashes at Spike and smiled sweetly as he was lost for words again. He’d been gearing himself up through his sudden shakes to break the plan to her gently, and she’d pre-empted him with the sonic rainboom option like it was nothing. ‘I’m sorry, what?’ was all he could muster at first, ‘I, I mean, I… what?!’

She didn’t blink. ‘Oh, come now, Spikey-Winky. We established this afternoon that short-term gains from our mutual affections are all well and good, but in the longer term… well, it would be foolish to deny that we’ve been walking a tightrope with regards to self-control, one without much in the way of a safety web. Besides, you agree with me, do you not? You were just about to say it to me first! I could see it in your eyes.’

Spike was still in knots of incredulity. ‘I, uh, well, sure, actually, Rarity, but, uh, hold up. No, no I wasn’t! I was gonna say once we were back home, I mean, once you’re back in Ponyville and I’m back in Canterlot, we oughtta take a quick break. Cool off a bit ’til the next Friendship Council, y’know? But breaking up? No, no, no…!’ he composed himself before appealing, ‘We’ve got a really good thing going on. Didn’t you say before that you were waiting for me? Heck, I’m waiting for me, that’s what this whole… it’s at the core of everything I’ve been thinking about our future. And I do want a future with you. I don’t wanna… it’d really stink if we just dropped everything out of fear of judgement. Wouldn’t you at least miss me, Rare?’

Rarity’s upper lip puckered for a second, as if he’d offended her. It straightened up as she reared over him and spoke again, ‘Well, perhaps a watched kettle never boils, Spike. I have been thinking that consorting like we have while we play this waiting game, so-called, is rather dangerous, what with you being a baby dragon and all.’

She paused, before continuing with a deep sigh, ‘Ah, whatever have I been thinking, leading a little thing like you around by the snout like a foolish, selfish filly as I have, fecklessly with nary a thought of the consequences of her actions? No, if our existing friendship is to stand any further chance, better to wrap up both our passions within separate depositories and bury them deep, at least until you are much older. It would simply be safest, given our circumstances.’

Spike was getting upset now, but he’d found his footing after his earlier panic. ‘Rarity, you wound me,’ he said with gravity, ‘I thought we were in this together, not, uh, one of us talking down and telling the other what they think is best! After everything that’s happened between us, both in the past and with the whole Meus thing going on back home, I figured we had a pretty good understanding about mutuality, emotional insight, all that stuff Twilight’s been on about. I don’t understand why you’d want to toss that away all of a sudden. What about what we were just talking about with the fire ruby?’

Rarity cogitated for a moment before responding. ‘Hmm… while I appreciate the symbolism, it is simply an object, albeit a beautiful one… better not to dwell overmuch upon emotional attachment to such a gem. Upon further reflection it’d be better served in a museum, somewhere in Manehattan perhaps, where ponies can see it. I’ll consider that when I take a gander for it later on.’

‘Rarity… after everything we’ve talked about and done… you’d really throw it away like that?!’ Spike gasped.

‘As the element of generosity it seems churlish not to share it with creatures far and wide, and far away from us,’ Rarity’s voice deepened, ‘As a grim reminder of our shameful pasts, I believe it would need to go. Of course I wouldn’t simply toss it away. It’s much too expensive for that!’

‘You know what I meant!’ Spike exploded. The block in his gut suddenly turned hot, and he realised that his visceral reaction to Rarity’s reappearance had been a reflex as that stone observation dropped into his ears.

He’d been so wrapped up in mentally rehearsing the most diplomatic way to phrase it that he’d mistaken his bad feeling as something he needed to pluck up the courage to power through, not as the instinctive rejection of an impostor that it was. Without a doubt in his mind now that he was being duped, he recoiled with an angry frown, ‘And Rarity is all about value, she doesn’t care about expense. You… you’re not Rarity! What have you done with her?!’

Suddenly a black face was an inch in front of his, angry scarlet eyes and gleaming white fangs creased like a snarling wolf’s, hovering over him and hissing. He recoiled in horror at the leg holes and buzzing green wings of this aggressor that was Rarity just a second ago as she growled, ‘Oh, discovered at last! She’s a little wrapped up… but you’re just too young for that silly, vain old maid, “darling”! If I can’t break your oblivious little dragonheart into pieces like I’d planned, I’ll have to sssuck some of that misguided, but oh so ssstrong, love out of you! It’s for both your own goods!’

Spike leapt up and backwards, water splashing everywhere. He clenched his fists as he flapped his wings and cried, ‘Chitin?! Thorax told us you were grounded! I don’t know what your game is, but you’re not getting a piece of this dragon!’

Chitin, for it was she, took to the air fully a second after Spike, lunging for him and knocking him against the flat rocks by the waterfall. He hit it hard, just about avoiding hitting his head, but not his upper back. ‘Ugh!’ he cried, feeling the impact rack his bones, but too het up to dwell upon the pain; he knew he needed to save his special somepony from wherever she’d been wrapped up by this rogue changeling.

The buzz of Chitin’s wings just about overwhelmed the blood roaring through his ears as she hovered in front of him. ‘King Thorax and his court are fools for letting the two of you run rampant around the Hive the way you have been! It’s very dangeroussss! It’s been driving me bugnutssss, even now after that indulgent little confession of yours!’ she yelled, obstructing Spike’s way as he failed to swoop past her, ‘You’re fooling yourselves if you think that fixed all the problems! If the king won’t and nobug else will listen, it’s up to me to address the imbalance! Sssss!’

‘Rarity!’ Spike cried as he and his once-guide, now adversary deflected one another’s blows in midair, ‘You sucked her love out while I was in the waterfall, didn’t you?! How could you do that? She didn’t do a thing to you!’

‘I wasn’t – ah! – I have not harmed her! I just needed to – ugh!’ Chitin hissed as Spike barrelled through her defenses and almost dunked her into the spring, ‘When the two of you are together, I, I need, I have to – agh! Hold sssstill, you little twerp!’

She narrowly skimmed the surface of the pool before resuming flight and grabbing his ankle, then yanking it hard enough that for one critical second it felt like it had dislocated. With a flash she changed into a very large bird, the likes of which Spike had never seen, and the sight of which filled him with terror.

A huge beak that took up most of a head atop a long neck and a body with iridescent spiked plumage and little wings hurled itself at him, and he was too startled by the change to react quickly enough to evade. The only thought he could muster before she floored him was that it looked like an especially savage griffon’s front half with no leonine back end.

She pinned Spike down by both forearms with her thorny feet and squeezed as he yelped, ‘What the heck–! Auggh! Chitin, stop! You’re hurting me! Stop!’

‘I’ll stop if you just let this happen! Just let me syphon that sweet love from you! I’ll leave most of it! I just need to skim the excess!’ Chitin cawed, ‘Just enough to stop you! It’s for the good of the Hive!’

‘You don’t know what you’re talking abo– ahhh!’ Spike said, his voice turning weak as he struggled under the changling’s weight. Her maw revealed a purple, slimy tongue that tapered to a point, lolling out as she began to drain Spike of his love. Her eyes rolled back in their sockets as he felt it start to leave him in a stream of pink smoke, the life force ebbing from his extremities with a harsh tingle travelling towards his throat, then flowing out of his mouth. He fought against it, gritting his teeth and holding his breath in an effort to stop it leaving, but it was no good; it just seeped out from between his fangs.

‘Guards! Help…’ He groaned, unable to muster a shout. He defocused away from Chitin’s face, gazing at the vines hanging from the ceiling for a moment as he felt the deflating sensation of love leaving him bit by bit.

In an effort to slow the process he screwed his eyes shut and thought of Rarity, all the good things about their relationship, all the things they’d done together, in an effort to resist Chitin’s lovesucking. It came to him easily enough, he had so many amazing feelings about all the times they’d spent together, be it in the city, at the races, at the castle, the boutique, even right here in the Hive… how loving and caring she’d been ever since that fateful day she’d visited him at his lowest with nothing but kindness and support in her saddlebag, the absolute sweetness of every precious second they’d spent together since, the perfumed soft hugs and the lilting, posh but never insincere voice she had during those heartfelt discussions they’d become accustomed to having, those deep blue eyes he could gaze into for eternity, not to mention that wonderful fashion sense, that purestrain expression of her indomitable creative spirit…

…And in his mind’s eye he could see Rarity in all that loving beauty, cruelly suspended in green ooze and weeping bitterly in whichever dark corner of these caverns Chitin had trapped her within while her guard was down. It had been years, but Spike hadn’t forgotten what it was like inside one of those sacs just before Starlight caused the love explosion that had changed the changelings, when Chrysalis and her minions had abducted and replaced the entirety of central Equestria, and the thought of Rarity going through that all over again made his scales crawl far worse than his current situation. He was certain she was suffering greatly. By any means necessary, he couldn’t give in to this love-addled changeling. Rarity needed him right now…!

‘NO!’ Spike roared, trying to shake free from Chitin’s grasp with all his might. When it proved futile, he remembered something important, then acted upon it; he shot a spout of orange fire right into her face, forcing her back with an even louder screech. She recoiled and stumbled, failing to right herself with just two legs and stepping backwards one time too many, flailing violently as she fell into the hot spring.

Spike’s reflex was to flee once he realised Chitin’s disorientation, and as she splashed around in the waterfall he turned tail and once again swooped away, aiming for the screen behind which Rarity had vanished. To say he was gravely concerned about her was a vast understatement; adrenaline coursed through his veins and his heart felt like it was about to pound right out of his ribcage as all the horrible things a malevolent changeling might do to a pony brimming with love like hers. ‘Rarity! Hold tight, I’m coming to free you–’ he started, before suddenly feeling something elastic lash around his waist.

A giant orange squid was behind him now, its triangular fin almost at the top of the waterfall as it glared with two red eyes and a morass of squirming suckers and tentacles just below those. It had shot out a feeding tentacle which had quite handily ensnared him, and he almost fell to the ground as it reeled him in. ‘You’re going nowhere, Spikey-Winky!’ it yelled in a bubblesome voice, ‘This won’t take a minute! Just taking a little off the top! You’ll thank me later, I just… you need a course correction, and I’m going to give it to you!’

Spike snarled as he beat his wings hard, resisting Chitin’s latest grab dramatically. He strained and strained, his ankle and shoulders ached badly from Chitin’s abuse, and resilient as he was he’d had enough. If she wouldn’t stop doing this, he’d just have to make her. ‘No, what you’re doing is wrong, Chitin! This is messed up! Just let… me… go!’ he tried desperately one final time.

She paid as much attention as he’d expected, to his chagrin, but at least he’d tried before going in swinging. He surprised her by suddenly turning, but as he tried to land a fist between her eyes she deflected the blow with the shorter tentacles around her maw, almost but not quite entangling him within them. He didn’t speak further, nor did she; there didn’t seem much point if Chitin refused to listen to reason.

What followed was furious, abrupt and violent as Spike took Chitin head-on, while she shapeshifted right back at him, cycling through at least a dozen forms. After Spike landed a few shoves, punches and more shots of dragonfire, still spouting from a belly full of rage but somewhat less potent in the billowing waters, Chitin transmogrified into a snapping hammerhead, a squirming eel, a spiny blowfish, many more besides, slowly shrinking as their battle continued until she was just a frantic, splotchy koi splashing around. He had no idea how long their entanglement went on for, be it minutes or hours, just that Chitin was in his way from rescuing Rarity, and that this had to end as quickly as possible.

Once she’d shrunk down to that point, while refusing to back down Chitin articulated for the first time in a while as Spike hovered over her, trying to grab the angry little fish. ‘You can’t… you won’t… get away with this…!’ she gasped, ‘Sweet Luna, it’s radiating off you now, I can see it… that fool Orbweb would go critical if she was exposed to this…’

‘Orbweb, the sensitive changeling at the forum? She… she was fine, Freelove was fine, Thorax was fine, everybug at the forum was fine before you turned up and ruined everything!’ Spike cried, fatigued from their battle, ‘I’m not the problem here, nor is Rarity! And this ain’t love, Chitin! I’m really mad!’

She leapt, surprising him with a slap of her black back fin to his face. ‘Anger is an energy closely related to desire, the same as love!’ she spat, ‘And I’m, I, it makes me feel… I don’t know how to explain it but it’s, I want it! I hate it! I have to have it!’

‘I don’t give a… I don’t care! I’m sick of you trying to take what isn’t yours! It’ll never be yours!’ came Spike’s riposte, before he breathed orange fire once again.

A rapidfire stream of fireballs hit her fishy form in midair. With that she flashed green one last time, back into her usual purple self rather than the hole-ridden war-face she’d initially shocked him with when she’d revealed herself. She looked dazed, and definitely in pain. ‘Augh! Oh, that did it. I give, I give… I can’t transform anymore, I can’t…’ she gasped.

Her surrender fell upon deaf ear frills as Spike stared daggers down at her. It was no accident; maybe it was residual anger from Chitin’s chosen resemblance to the changeling minions of yore as she’d attacked, perhaps sheer fury at any potential harm she’d visited upon Rarity as well as the pain she’d just caused him. It could have been any number of things. Whatever it was, Spike’s peaking anger flared further from her unrelenting attempt at coercion, and simply laying her low was no longer enough for him.

As he overpowered Chitin, he was murderously incensed by what she’d just tried to do to him, not to mention whatever unspeakable thing he imagined she’d done to Rarity. That was when he did the deed he’d soon regret; he slammed her against the side of the pool and roared at the top of his lungs, spitting one last mouthful of fire aloft as water splashed everywhere. His muscles tensed, his claws clenched and he tore at her carapace with a primal scream, ripping part of it off at the back and taking the root of her wing with it.

That done, he stumbled back, agog. Immediately Spike knew what he’d done, the last of his dragon’s rage gone at last, that ice block from before freezing once more in his stomach. What he’d just inflicted upon Chitin looked like an irreversible injury. Seemingly in slow-motion a plume of green liquid ribbon blossomed in the water as the entire cave rumbled with an agonised shriek as she thrashed around, then fell near-silent. He jumped off her with a disturbed look on his face, near-hyperventilating, bent over and panting with fangs bared in horror as he looked at the spray that’d gotten all over his claws. Changeling blood.

She tried to get away from him, crawling up the pool’s curvature. She whimpered and gasped for breath as she bled into the water, and its soothing warmth seemed irreversibly polluted by what had just happened, regardless of its downstream flow. She looked a crumpled mess, all broken wings and jutting limbs like a swatted insect.

Drinking in the reality of it all Spike backed off, colour draining from his face. As he looked at Chitin he felt very small and frightened, shaken by what she’d just done and very aware of the potential consequences of Equestria’s premier diplomat injuring a member of the royal court like this, nevermind who had started their conflict. He hovered there stunned for a few seconds, barely seeing through his open eyes and dimly aware through the trauma that he still didn’t know where Rarity was.

‘I’m so sorry, Chitin,’ he almost-whispered, tears forming in his eyes as he found himself unable to stop shaking. She didn’t answer aside from one last, drawn-out hiss.

Then his head whipped around as there was a hammering at the cavern’s barred door and a gruff voice. ‘Spike? Rarity? Open up!’ Pharynx’s voice came through, and for a moment Spike considered absconding through the waterfall’s inlet.

It also was no accident when he decided not to be so cowardly – after all, as a friend to King Thorax and a diplomat representing Canterlot it was his duty to face the music, he told himself. He turned from Chitin and croaked through the lump in his throat, ‘Pharynx?! I’m opening the door. If you can fetch any sort of medical aid we need it here now, and please don’t freak too badly when you see what’s happened… please…’

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Mistakes had been made, it was surmised once Chitin had been stretchered away to the emergency wing for triage, and Rarity’s whereabouts discovered inside a cocoon in a deep burrow inside the private spring’s wall. She’d been plastered from horn to hooves in preservative green gunk but essentially unharmed and un-lovesucked, to Spike’s heaving relief. The rogue changeling had, it turned out, given one of Pharynx’s guards the slip while he’d chatted to a friend, and had stalked Spike and Rarity once they’d returned from the play, disguising herself for the duration of their baths and poolside chat.

Spike told his side of the story, keeping it together the best he could as he recounted how Chitin had forced herself upon him. Thinking about it nearly gave him a panic attack, but he was among friendly faces who gave him the time he needed – his main fear was that the brutality he’d visited upon her in retaliation was decidedly not a good look, and certainly undeniable.

Rarity was able to back him up to some extent, having half-heard the altercation while powerless to intervene – having seemingly no apparent knowledge of the wayward discussion he’d had with her false self, to Spike’s relief – but while Chitin was in hospital it was up to Thorax, Freelove and the royal court to decide privately what happened next.

While Spike made clear that he was ready for whatever punishment Thorax saw fit the king’s kindness was evergreen, instead regretting aloud not taking more action sooner about what seemed clear to him was some sort of denial-induced craving insanity on Chitin’s part. Whatever it was, he deemed it something the changelings hadn’t seen manifest on such scale before and something entirely more complex than the fluctuations. Given her near-incoherent snarling about redressing balance and administering correction during her altercation with Spike, it wasn’t difficult to believe.

The way he told it, the sensitivity displayed by the likes of Orbweb was a physical affliction, while Chitin was displaying an exacerbation of underlying mental illness that could only partly be explained by that same thing. To Spike’s surprise Thorax barely mentioned Chitin’s physical injury, seeing as how irreversible ripping off a changeling’s carapace had to have been. He seemed keenly disappointed by the situation, but not judgemental of any involved party. Of course, Spike discovered why later on.

The remainder of Spike and Rarity’s visit to the Changeling Hive was inevitably cut short by the incident, which included Twilight herself flying out west via chariot with attendants in tow to support her little brother in his time of need. The first flush of her engagement had been that of mild annoyance, but once Thorax had filled her in on the situation completely, she was shocked, sympathetic to his plight.

Of course, Rarity was there too. Once they’d been reunited following Pharynx’s guards slicing her back out of Chitin’s cocoon she hadn’t left his side, doting and fussing and making it amply clear that nothing, nothing else bad would happen to him now. He appreciated her caring hugs and tears now more than ever, but it was difficult to reciprocate; partly from the love Chitin had sucked out of his body, but mainly through the sheer horror of the incident, he had been left feeling listless, more helpless than he’d ever felt before in his life even as surrounded as he was by his good, good friends.

To that end, Yona and Sandbar were bowled over by the turn of events that had happened while they had been celebrating a job well done over the evening’s entertainment. Yona refused to grasp the subtleties of the situation at first, feeling as protective of Spike as anycreature present and demanding to know where Chitin was being kept, only stopping from storming the hospital when restrained by a half-dozen guards. Sandbar attempted to level with Spike equine-to-dragon, but plainly failed to grasp the severity of what had happened – Rarity had turned red and almost sputtered something very rude in response when she’d overheard Sandbar’s well-meaning inquiry as to why Spike hadn’t picked up on the impostor by the pool sooner.

Ocellus and the acting troupe were mortified, Dearlove in particular a hair away from joining Yona in her effort to attack the hospital, but when Thorax explained what was to happen and told them to stand down, they obeyed. Changelings generally respected what their king ordered, Chitin more than most, which was why her behaviour throughout the afternoon was considered so out of character.

In the meantime, Spike never left Rarity’s sight. From her perspective, the last time she’d left his she’d been knocked out and cocooned, and while she hardly held it against any of the kindly changelings around her she was adamant about sticking by him no matter what.

Spike would normally have basked in the attention, not to mention the clingy hugs and faintly tearful kisses on his cheeks and brow, to an embarrassing degree, but given his general unease following his ordeal it just felt increasingly embarrassing. In his heart of hearts he didn’t believe her insistence on his blamelessness, not after he’d mutilated Chitin in a very focussed rage the way he had. He didn’t feel like he deserved any of it. He knew saying that would hurt Rarity, she was trying her best to comfort him, but he could feel her earnest attempts at validation simply roll off his scales. Between Rarity’s behaviour and Twilight dropping in to check in with him in full psychologist mode every hour on the hour, he felt suffocated by their good intentions.

But there was some good news after a day or so, sort of. Once more to Spike’s immense relief, Chitin's injury, once she’d received a transfusion and some resuscitating nectar, was healed as if nothing had happened, physically at least, with a simple transformative green flash. The beating and bloody wing detachment she’d received from Spike had still been very real, though, and the moment she was back on her hooves she’d spat out her intent to exact her revenge.

That detail was somewhat less reassuring to the little dragon, though he also was informed that exactly five seconds after that she was restrained into a cocoon by guards as a preventative measure, to remain there until all visitors had departed the Hive, a day earlier than originally scheduled. His regrets and fears aside, he hoped that she’d get the help she needed. He also strongly felt that should happen a long way away from him, for now at least.

Once Hive justice was meted out and he knew he was in the clear he was gone, he decided. He needed to be alone for a bit, and he needed to rip off the band-aid, so to speak. It was for the best.

– 19.5: An Interlude :: Small Scale Concerns –

“Hey Rarity,

By the time you read this, I’ll have left the Hive. I’m really sorry that I gotta go without telling you to your face, but I have to get away from everything, not just this place. I appreciate what you’ve been trying to do for me these past few days and everything, but it’s no good – I need to be alone to clear my head, and that means alone alone. Right now I don’t feel like I can talk with you about things, and if I try I’m going to say or do something that’ll hurt you worse than if I just left.

It isn’t your fault, Rarity. It’s a rotten feeling after everything we’ve talked out until now. ~~I feel like my heart’s snapped shut after Chitin attacked me, like it’s turned me cold against my will. I feel like I’m in mourning somehow, beyond how violent things got. Twilight keeps asking me~~ I just feel bad, about what happened and what I did, and the last thing I want to do right now is rehash the gory details. Not for now, anyway.

So I’m off, heading north, then east, then south, taking a tour round the North Luna Bay, checking in some places I’ve always wanted to see, never got around to but they’re close to the Hive and I have the opportunity to visit ’em – Seaddle, Vanhoover, past the Crystal Mountains – then back south via Neighagra Falls to Fillydelphia to check in with a friend in the Dragontown there I haven’t seen for a long time. I’ll be gone a while; beats me how long it’ll take altogether, but I’ll definitely be back in Canterlot before Hearth's Warming.

Please don’t come after me, Rarity, at least not for now. I’m giving you this itinerary because I want you to know that I’m OK, and because I trust you to respect that. I’ve left a copy with Twilight besides, in person ~~rather than just leaving some crybaby scrip on your bedside table, what is my freaking problem???~~ so she knows. She wasn’t real happy with it, but she eventually agreed to it so long as I keep in touch.

I’ll keep in touch with you, too, not like it’s hard for me so long as I’ve got some parchment lying around, but sorry in advance if I don’t get back to any messages you shoot my way immediately.

By the way, after I told Twi she lent me one of Starswirl’s Safeshadow Amulets the same as yours, so there’s no need to worry about any potential entanglements with you-know-what while I’m en route. She’s probably already told you, but they work; using the Crystal Empire as a test Cadance had the Crystal Heart augmented with a few drops of a potion solution based on the same formula, and they’ve reported a twenty-percent magic use decrease in its aura after two days. Since that twenty-percent was unaccounted for by natural phenomena at the Crystal Weather Station, chances are pretty good it’s effective against Meus’ intrusions.

Anyway, have a safe journey back on the train home with Sandbar and Yona, and tell them not to worry about me; I’m fine, physically. Sorry if I’m repeating myself here, but I just need a change of scene. This definitely isn’t goodbye forever.

Sorry again. Please don’t blame yourself for this.

Love you,

~Spike 🔥”

Rarity sighed as she sat at her bedroom desk, bathed in lamplight from outside and by the flickering green of her dragonfire burner several hours after closing the boutique, scanning Spike’s note from top to bottom for the umpteenth time. She’d kept it neatly folded into quarters, soberly and intently reflecting upon it when nocreature was looking. It had been near a week already, and Spike had had yet to communicate meaningfully since.

She hadn’t sat down to brood over it, but its presence dragged at the corner of her eye whenever she approached it, be that first thing in the morning to apply her make-up, or vice versa the last thing before bed, as was the case now. This time she’d gotten as far as to wipe off her eyeshadow, mascara and lip gloss, but no further before experiencing those dreadful mixed feelings she got every time she checked it over, as if to locate any changes since her last read.

An irrational bit of her brain was irritatingly persistent in the idea that Spike might have left her some sort of clue or secret message somewhere, something that would explain fully why he’d stolen away in the dead of night like he had, or why he apparently no longer desired her company. She rather wished it would hush up and return to regulating whichever of her vital functions that normally kept it occupied, be it blinking or breathing or colour co-ordination, as she nevertheless found herself compelled to obey its whims. Rationally she knew that Spike had laid everything out to the best of his ability, the straight-shooter that she trusted him to be, and his appeal to that rationality had indeed prevented her from pinpointing his precise whereabouts out of respect to his wishes.

The letter had actually afforded her more communication than Spike had permitted in person following the incident at the Hive, just in time for him to slip from her hooves, she pondered. He’d clammed up entirely besides the cold facts of the situation, and she’d perhaps overcompensated in the face of that. The simple truth was that she was aghast, just horrified at what Chitin had tried, partially succeeded, to do to him. Part of her wanted to fling herself at her long-suffering chaise-longue the moment she’d returned like in moments of emotional duress in the past, but instead of moping, she’d taken action, regardless of the futility of it. She just couldn’t help herself from trying to solve a plainly unsolvable problem.

To that end, she’d sent him a series of letters once she’d access to her dragonfire burner. She full well remembered what he’d told her about his flight from Gabby before she’d visited him that day back in the late summer, and perhaps there was a modicum of vengeful connivement in shooting a number of protestations his way, given the inconvenience random scrolls’ reception gave him on occasion. The content had been sincere enough, though; she’d written at some length how dearly she already missed him, how she understood if he needed space but how she didn’t appreciate him not telling her to her face, that she nevertheless hoped his circumnavigation of Northern Equestria went well, that it would be terribly disappointing if he missed his birthday, shortly before Hearth’s Warming, or the second anniversary of Twilight’s coronation shortly before that.

On those last points he had actually replied, with a simple “I’m aware, Rarity. ~Spike 🔥”. She’d spent a while looking at that particular scroll with incredulity, before folding it away with a spurned sniff. She tried not to take his terseness personally, but it threw his studious ignoring of her notes into stark relief. She hadn’t sent another since, as a matter of fact – partly because she could feel the one-sided correspondence breeding resentment on her part, and partly because badgering him seemed unconstructive without his co-operation. If it hadn’t worked in person, she ultimately rationalised, trying to force the issue through the medium of magical scroll was a surefire way to worsen it further.

She sighed again, then yawned, rubbing her eyes with one hoof before magicing her hairbrush and administering it upon herself, long gentle sweeps on her unfurled mane that tickled her ears and gave her a pleasant frisson on her scalp. No, he would write back when the time was right to write back, he’d been clear, but Rarity wasn’t used to having something she wanted tantalisingly out of reach in the way Spike had become.

Despite the assurances in his goodbye note she felt to blame, just a little. Not enough to believe that she alone was the reason he’d taken off, heavens no, but the situation had switched the mothering instinct Spike’s companionship sometimes instilled within her into high gear, definitely prefixing an “s” to that compulsion without truly taking in the troubles he was going through. She recalled what Fluttershy had said a while ago at the Running of the Leaves; nocreature really enjoyed being smothered. She’d forgotten that in the moment.

She had to admit to herself that she didn’t fully understand Spike’s problems at this juncture, and she wasn’t certain she wanted to. What he’d described had happened between Chitin and himself had affected him a good deal worse than the changeling snot bath she’d been subjected to herself. That had been foul, true, but she’d not been knocked around and it hadn’t been anything a further dip in the hot springs couldn’t cure. She’d been trapped, most likely to prevent her from protecting Spike from Chitin’s wrath, and in the aftermath of that she’d clung to him too much.

Spike’s altercation had been altogether more violent, and plainly a traumatic experience for him. It was as if… she shuddered to think, then felt, with teary eyes, that she wanted nothing more than to coddle her sweet little dragon all over again, regardless of the ferocity of his retaliation in the moment. Poor, poor Spike! Such pain and anguish had been laid at his little feet, and thinking about it much at all gave her sympathetic pangs all over.

But it wasn’t possible to shower him with concern and affection in his absence, and without knowing she had his presence to at least look forward to, Rarity had felt glum throughout the second half of her fortnight-long break.

Yona had offered to stay on at the boutique and keep Rarity company in the aftermath of their return, rather than stick to her next scheduled journey not long after to Yakyakistan as she did every winter, but Rarity had insisted she keep to her plans to retreat homewards until the spring.

She regretted that somewhat now; on top of Spike’s absence, her apprentice’s leave had been keenly felt, and the truth of it was that Rarity was feeling lonely. Thank goodness for Sweetie Belle’s regular drop-ins for a spot of distraction, and of course, her closest friends were abreast of the situation, offering their support.

This very day, even, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had strongarmed her into tea and cake after their buckball match against Trottingham (which the Ponyville team had narrowly won), accompanied with a spirited discussion of the details regarding how the Changeling Hive was forging its own destiny. Both ponies had been extremely curious on the matter, neither having been in its ancient neck of the woods since its bad old days, but reticent to ask questions after hearing about what had happened to Spike until Rarity had opened up somewhat. Pinkie Pie had been fascinated by her descriptions of changeling pastries, while Fluttershy was delighted to hear about the controlled chaos and myriad transformations in the play Ocellus had written.

It was nice to be reminded of all the good things about the Hive, even as one bad event had tainted the memories so soon. Upon reflection Rarity had no regrets about her visit overall – it was a wondrous place for the most part and she’d been overjoyed to see how well Thorax’s reign there was progressing – it had just ended on a terribly sour note. Now the day, indeed the week was approaching its end, she was looking forward to getting stuck back into planning next summer’s range, as a distraction from worry and guilt over Spike’s plight more than anything. Nothing was stopping her from starting on it right then and there, but Rarity had long been fastidious about her breaks – once she’d made the decision on a start and end date she stuck to them, reasoning that rest was every bit as important as work. So she’d said to Yona, so she intended to follow her own rules.

She yawned again, then looked in her desk mirror as she brushed her mane, then winced before another yawn. Her locks fell soft as she finished, and the brush fell with a “clink” as she looked in the mirror, affording herself a smile in spite of her reverie as she admired herself. Then she looked down at the crested silver amulet around her neck, a synthetic, smooth, teardrop-shaped black jewel in its centre.

It was one of the two gemstones that had been of keen interest to her lately; Twilight had lent her the Safeshadow Amulet early on account of arriving at the Hive. The manufactured ward crafted by Starswirl the Bearded that Spike had mentioned in his letter was, if nothing else, reassurance to Rarity that both she and her favourite little dragon may be separated for the time being, but were united in safety from icy harm via a certain raging light elemental thanks to the realm’s premier magician. Wearing this, she no longer felt the mild unease that had recently pervaded her use of mirrors, which she had to admit was unnatural behaviour for her.

The other gemstone of significance caught her eye as she stood on all fours, away from the desk and turned towards her four-poster bed. It remained placed neatly by its bedside lamp, gleaming under its yellow light. Rarity pulled the fluffy pink nightgown down from its hanger on the bed’s curtain rail, then laid it atop the red sheets before magically draping it over her body, tugging and tying its sash around her waist for warmth before giving the heart-shaped gemstone a closer inspection.

She’d made a bee-line for where she thought the fire ruby may have been stored several times in one day after her return, not finding it until well into a second day of rummaging. It was cliché to say it was in the last place she’d looked – logically, literally anything was in the last place one looked, as once one had found it, one ceased looking, she thought to herself with a grin – but she really had turned the boutique upside-down looking for the thing, exhausting the possibilities until its radiant, deep red facets had revealed themselves to her somewhere at the bottom of the faux-Cloudsdalian urn in the first floor hallway, under a dusty pile of smaller rubies.

It really was a gorgeous hunk of rock. Its facets so perfectly smooth, its translucence so like a deep pool when one peered into it, one would think it was the work of an accomplished artisan, not that of natural magical phenomena. Fire rubies were rare occurrences as it was, usually formed far enough east that their meagre number were thinned further by hungry dragons for whom they were a delicacy, and this one indeed had nearly met such a fate as Spike’s birthday treat, once upon a time before Rarity’s intervention.

Nonetheless, it was such a fine specimen it took her breath away far before its more recent history came to mind; not an iota of evidence of its past exploits could be seen on it, either, which gave her no small relief. Of course, its concealment these past years had aided in its preservation, not to mention its magical reformation during its last major outing. Once Spike was no longer incommunicado she intended fully to show it to him, albeit in private, such was the personal nature of how it had touched both their lives.

‘Ah, you beautiful little object,’ she sighed to it as she stepped beneath her comfy sheets, her mane cascading onto her velvet pillows as she tucked herself in, ‘At least I found you. Spikey-Wikey and I have much to consider… about… things… and other stuff…’

She paused, then yawned yet again, a low rumble in her belly that quickly became a protracted breathy squeak as it left her open mouth. Rarity was tuckered out after what had been a longish day; vicariously from watching all that buckball, although she’d also spent time trotting around Ponyville on her own terms besides, spending bits for both leisure and work and carting the goods back to the boutique, not to mention how dark it had become lately. While it wasn’t terribly late it felt near midnight as the nights drew in on Hearth’s Warming’s approach.

Now that she pondered it, Spikey’s birthday was very soon… did he intend to spend it alone in a city or on a train, or was he due to meet that friend he’d mentioned in his letter to mark the occasion, she wondered? She didn’t know who that was, but she pondered sending him the first parchment in a few days to congratulate him on his nineteenth full sun.

Goodness, she could draw something nice for him – it was just a matter of consideration as to what. Nothing too maudlin, something cute, perhaps; Opalescence in ribbons? Plans for that range she was mentally planning? Making its debut to him via the medium of magical scroll would mark a few firsts!

Rarity wriggled about for comfort beneath her covers, feeling warmer just from that thought as she looked up at the bed’s canopy. She put her hooves over the sheets, then emitted a piquant sigh as she envisioned Spike’s journey up the western coast of Equestria and around the Crystal Empire. She hoped he was feeling at least a little better from his travels, and she wondered if he was looking up from whatever resting place he was curled up within right now, thinking about her like she was thinking about him.

After a minute, she rolled over onto her side, hugging her head pillow with one hoof and closing her eyes, surely not far from slumber now. Yes, Rarity thought, first thing tomorrow morning she would draft out and send a letter to her darling Spikey, response be darned, just to let him know he was still on her mind. She let out one final yawn, and that was when it happened.

“fwomp!”

The serendipity of the moment was perfect; a green aura manifested right in front of Rarity’s open mouth as a scroll materialised before her eyes, as if she’d spat it out herself, before plopping itself onto her cushion. She stared at it for a moment, with surprise at first, then with glee; she sat upright, forgetting her tiredness now that this newest message from Spike was here!

‘Oh! Oh! Sleep can wait, I simply must read this!’ Rarity breathed to herself, grabbing the rolled-up parchment with a glow of her horn and removing the triple-diamond wax seal that addressed it to her. As it unfurled it dropped down to her knees, being a fairly long message.

She read it aloud to herself with a slight drawl, imitating Spike’s voice as she went. Call it force of habit, but sounding out the words while nocreature besides possibly Opalescence in the next room could hear felt so good to her.

“Hey Rarity,

How’re you doing? I’m doin’ alright. I hit the cities like I said, played tourist for a few days (the weather was great, I got some really nice snaps of the Star Spire in Seaddle and these weird laughing dragon statues in Vanhoover, remind me to show you later) before taking an airship to the station overlooking the Galloping Gorge and taking the train to drop in at the Crystal Empire.

I got mobbed as soon as I arrived – I only shot a message to Shining Armor the day before and it was too short-notice for a distraction – but it was actually kinda nice? Nice to see things are normal here. The weather up here is kinda blizzardy but not like it was when I arrived with Twilight a month back. Like I said in my goodbye last letter, the Safeshadow treatment the Crystal Heart got is ticking over nicely, with a renewal from Princess Cadance herself once a day to keep it trucking.

This is actually my first sleep not on the move since leaving the Hive, staying at my visiting quarters over here, so I thought I’d shoot a message over before sinking into my guest basket (sorry if I woke you up with this, by the way). Shining and Cadance have been super nice since I arrived; Twilight hadn’t told Cadance about what happened at the Hive and I haven’t either, but she definitely suspects something went down. One look at little ol’ me and she was, well, accommodating, and she didn’t ask questions outside of how Thorax has been.

Shining, well, he’s his usual self, cool and responsible on the outside but a real bro when it counts. Flurry Heart was real happy to see me, too, since we’ve only seen one another once since the magic mirror was put out of commission, and there wasn’t really time to play then, what with Meus and the weakening forcefield and all. I spent a while in her playroom getting climbed all over by her and a couple of her friends while we played with toy trains and dolls, and I read them all some breezie tales, with a little embellishments of my own devising that they really enjoyed – Red Dobbin Hood didn’t actually have ninja skills in the Grimm & Gramm original, but don’t tell her that!

Cadance spent a while with us before a royal meeting she had to attend, then Shining came in shortly after with a tray of OJ and cookies once he was done soldiering for the day, and then her friends’ parents came by to pick her up. It was great, actually, not just because Flurry Heart is ~~housebroken~~ better behaved these days (well, there was one explosion on the tracks… but I digress). Great to feel normal for the first time all week, at any rate. For a royal family that’s ⅔ alicorn the Mi Amore Cadenza household is pretty down-to-earth, which I never really noticed until now.

Maybe I just noticed now ’cuz that’s what I’m looking for. Normal. To be a normal dragon in a normal domicile, and not a ~~violent sadist~~ ~~a screw-up who stinks at his job~~ a weird mutant. It really is like a sanctuary away from the rest of Equestria here, once you’re safe from the screaming fanfillies, anyway.

I’m welcome to stick around for a few days before I head back south by the Neighagra Falls. Tomorrow I’ll see if either Cadance or Shining will put up with me while they do their duties to the Empire, and if not, Flurry Heart will definitely have me as a playmate again. She still misses Sunburst, y’know, and I definitely remind her of him. I should have a word with Cadance, an invitation to Ponyville to visit him sometime would do her good.

By the way, I sent a couple postcards out your way while I was in Seaddle and Vanhoover; they’ll definitely take a while to reach you so keep an eye out! I’d send them via dragonfire if it’d work, but it won’t and I’d just incinerate them, so regular old snail mail it is…

Anyway, feel free to shoot me a message when you’ve got the time, tell me what I’m missing over there!

See ya,

~Spike 🔥”

Rarity kept up the Spike-voice for the duration, but her face slowly fell and her voice more muted as she read through the letter, and as she reached its bottom she raised an eyebrow before pursing her lips, then flipping the parchment over to see if there was any text on its flip-side. There was nothing more. She couldn’t stop herself emitting a disappointed ‘Hmph.’

Silently she laid back onto the bed with it in both hooves. That was it? How… perfunctory. Not that she wasn’t happy to hear from her dear Spikey-Wikey, of course, it had been a most thoughtful note, it was nice to know he’d had a good time lately, and he had requested she write back, but…

She laid in her bed, looking towards her mirror before again focussing upon the fire ruby, holding onto that ambivalence. Not a word about how he missed her. Nothing about how much he wished she were there by his side. Not even a little “I love you” at the end, which he had at least afforded in his farewell note. Just the facts, a brief update on his mental state, and a little pontification on family life in the Crystal Empire.

She looked at the fire ruby, catching her reflections in its facets once more, then clutched her pillow. ‘Is it selfish of me to want more than just a greeting and a summary?’ she murmured to it, rolling the thought around in her mouth. She stopped, then continued, ‘I fear it is. I suppose I should be happy that he’s at least communicating now, and that he's feeling more comfortable in his own scales.’

She laid there a little longer, rereading the message again, finding it better upon review; perhaps it truly was ego that had dampened her enthusiasm. Spike was doing well, she told herself; he was definitely in a better place than when he’d left the Hive, and he certainly wanted to hear back from her. So his message hadn’t been a passionate outpouring about his feelings for her, so what? It was a little silly, somewhat counterproductive even, to expect that of him so soon. It had barely been a week after the incident that had hurt him so badly, after all. All the wanting in the world couldn’t force him to be magically fine again.

No, Spike was recuperating on his voyage, and when the time came, they’d be together once more. Rarity was simply feeling impatient for that time. In her own words to him, a lady understood the virtue of patience, but it was harder to wait for him when he just wasn’t available in person.

She felt bereft, she admitted it, in such a way she hadn’t felt since that first time he’d flown off with Gabby out of the blue that morning – no, not during that two years or so they’d been together, although that had had its unpleasant gooseberry moments – but its initial flush, that awful, she hesitated to call it love at that point but it had certainly been an intense like-triangle that had formed until they’d all three reconciled and learned to work it out like grown-up creatures.

That had been hard, not to mention rather emotionally grueling in the moment, but this time there weren’t any participants to quietly blame. There was just the ongoing situation, one in which she was, well, functional enough? She hadn’t had a bad week this second week of her break, it had hardly been a week of weeping while shovelling ice cream down her maw, but it would have simply felt better with Spike’s presence. An entire week without him around to help out, have fun, make delightful silly jokes and give her his two bits on whatever he wished to comment upon. But he was out there, in the great, wide realm of Equestria, and here she was in little Ponyville, making little plans for her next little business endeavour.

Rarity pouted. Her mind was starting to run away with her now, inasmuch as she caught herself and tried to halt the churn, lest it keep her awake until morning. She started to wish Spike hadn’t written, now, the growing anxiety it had instilled in her. She’d meant to wait until morning to return it, but maybe…

“fwomp!”

There was another green puff in front of her as another scroll appeared, then fell directly onto her pillow with a trace of smoke. Once she realised its presence her ears pricked and she turned over before sitting up beneath her covers, staring at it for a second before once again holding it with her horn and removing the seal.

It unfurled, and this time she read silently:

“Hey again, Rare.

Still can’t sleep since I sent you that last letter. Hopefully you’re reading both these messages in the morning and not as soon as I’ve sent them (if you are, this is the second one), but if you’re reading them as soon as I’m sending them, well, sorry about that last one. I meant to say I love you, then I spent the whole thing waffling about the in-laws. I mean, it is real nice here and I’m happy to have such a supportive family out here, but it’d be even better if you were here with me.

I know I apologised when I ~~ditched~~ left you at the Hive, and I meant it when I said it wasn’t your fault. Now my head’s a bit clearer, I just need to tell you how much you mean to me… I love you, and I’ve not been able to stop thinking about you since I hit Seaddle. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit some of what‘s been on my mind and maybe it’s a bad idea to confess some of it in a letter, so I won’t. For now, I’m just gonna say you mean the world to me, and if I upset you by slouching off up north at all, I’ll do anything to make it up to you.

To that end, why don’t we meet up near Neighagra Falls, or in Fillydelphia, if you’re not too busy in the next few weeks? I can rustle up the bits for travel costs, it’s the least I could do. I’d love to see you again before Hearth’s Warming, and we can catch up.

And speaking of, did you find the fire ruby? Not that I’d expect you to bring it all the way out here if we did meet up, but maybe take a photo if you have. I’d love to see it again.

Anyway, please write back when you can! I miss you!

With love and lots of it,

~Spike 🔥”

Rarity welled up slightly as she laid on her back and let the newest message wash over her. A smile spread across her face as she read this time, and as she finished, she wiped away a tear and exhaled happily. She should have known that would happen – Spike was sensitive when it counted, after all, and it didn’t seem like his style to leave things as impersonally as that last message, not without a follow-up.

A little thrill sent a shiver up her spine. Of course she’d meet him. She wanted to give him something for his birthday, anyway, which he hadn’t mentioned, but it was soon; she had been keeping one eye on a calendar with that in mind. Chances were good they’d meet then.

As for the rest, well, she couldn’t suppress a snort amidst her excitement at the thought of “embarrassing admissions”. Whatever he meant by that, she didn’t expect it to be anything too strange. Spike had enough tact to keep his dirtier thoughts to himself, like those times he thought she hadn’t noticed him checking out her posterior. She wondered what it could be, but chose not to dwell on it for now.

Instead she stood, returning to her beauty desk, taking a piece of parchment and readying the peacock feather quill she kept in an inkwell, currently parked beside his folded initial message. It was sorely tempting to draft and send an entire dissertation here and now, but she wasn’t growing less tired as the evening drew ever later. She vowed to keep her acknowledgement short, but genuine.

“Dearest Spikey-Wikey,

Thank you so much for writing at long last, sweetheart, I had been waiting for word from the north! Suffice to say I read both your messages the moment they arrived, and of course I accept your offer to meet; I was thinking around the time of your birthday 🎂, perhaps? Do let me know if that would be alright, mon petit. If not, we can come to some other arrangement.

Don’t forget, darling, you can talk with me about anything at all, or even nothing at all. I promise to listen properly, anyway – I am truly sorry if my concerns about your well-being were expressed in a manner most dominating back before you left. Call it a neurotic habit if you will; Sweetie Belle does when she thinks I’m not listening, so you’d be in marvellous company. 😋

I’m so pleased to hear you’ve found a little piece of sanctuary with your extended family. Not that it’s a surprise to hear, of course – there is love, platonic perhaps but love nonetheless, to be found at many hearths and homes, and as the reigning monarch of such Cadance is bound to have one of the most loving. Give my regards to her, Shining and Flurry Heart when you can. I’m so glad to know little Flurry’s doing well and has made some friends lately, from what you’ve written.

To answer your question, yes, I have located the fire ruby, tucked away in a difficult corner of the boutique as we’d both guessed. It looks as lovely as ever, and I’ll bring photos to whatever future meeting we agree upon. Right now resides upon my bedside table, but I will keep it safe for Hearth’s Warming. It would be most irresponsible not to. 💖

As you have quite rightly noted, it is rather late, and a lady requires her beauty sleep eventually. 😴 I shall send a longer letter tomorrow and we can have something of a back-and-forth about future plans, can we not? Also, I have new dress schematics I’m increasingly desperate to share! I know you’ll just adore what I’ve devised! That’s a promise, precious-scales! 👗

Thank you once more for writing to me, my favourite little dragon. I love you very much. 💋

~Rarity 💠”

Vow immediately broken, she smirked before drawing the purple curls and alabaster horn onto her last micro-drawing of herself, then marking the letter with a kiss. It didn’t leave a mark without her usual gloss, but it didn’t feel right not to. Then she yawned again, and wryly glanced it over; Rarity’s natural verbosity was harder to rein in when she was growing tired, too tired for a rewrite now. Deeming it good enough she rolled it up, stamped a seal onto it, then levitated it over to the green flame that crackled away in the corner of the room.

She ignited it with the dragonfire burner and it disintegrated with what was likely the final “fwomp!” of the evening, transmitting its smoke instantly into Spike’s throat, she had every confidence. Then she twirled and plopped herself upon the bedsheets, bouncing once on the mattress before floating the burgundy sheets back over herself.

As she laid flat with her sparkling soft curls spread across her pillow, she exhaled happily. Knowing Spike was at last ready to write again really was a weight lifted, she thought to herself; Celestia and Luna willing, they’d see one another again sooner rather than later. True, they’d spent quality time together at the Hive, but… well, she wouldn’t say no to more, and that fact made her feel awkward, especially back here in Ponyville. While the Hive had had hidden pratfalls, her familiarities with the potential for a relationship with a little dragon in Ponyville to be perceived poorly, regardless of his age and social standing, still necessitated their promise to one another.

But she was too tired to worry about that right now. Sleep washed over Rarity as she watched the lamp’s dragonfire flickering in the facets of the fire ruby, her eyelids growing heavier as she gently cogitated. Well, despite her enthusiasm in this precise moment, she was aware of… well, while Chitin’s attack had been the trigger for Spike’s departure, she was aware that some of their activities during the visit may very well have facilitated his decision. Most unfortunate that he hadn’t deigned to discuss that with her properly, and although she wasn’t interested in casting aspersions it was something she eventually wished to bring up to him once cooler heads prevailed.

She exhaled again, this time a yawn that escaped between her teeth. Her vision became unfocussed through her lashes as she looked at the ruby, and her languid thoughts turned to something they had discussed that night just before things went awry; Spike’s suggestion that she make contact with Luna about the nightmare force that had taken them both, one shortly after the other, way back when.

Since she hadn’t had Spike around as an intermediary, she’d used a sheet of monogrammed letter paper normally reserved for professional dealings to write to Luna midweek via “snail mail”, as Spike had just put it in his newest correspondence, and was yet to receive a reply; circumstances the way they were, Rarity hadn’t dared ask him to send a message her way. It had just seemed inconsiderate to the poor darling to use him as a utility in his darkest hour.

Therefore chances were good that her letter was still rattling around in Equestria’s postal service, eventually to land at Silver Shoals, and even upon arrival there was every chance that Celestia and Luna would both be away having some new sisterly experience together. She supposed there was no rush, but it was something she wouldn’t have minded having some response to by now.

Which was her final, final thought before Rarity drifted off to dreamland, perchance to dream of dresses, or dragons, some phantasmagoria she generally barely remembered upon awakening, a normal occurrence given the deep well her life and times afforded. Perhaps dear Luna herself would walk into her dream for a word or two… wouldn’t that… yes, that would be perfectly acceptable…

Five minutes after Rarity had fallen asleep one more scroll materialised and landed softly on her pillow, but it would need to wait until morning now. She was already fast asleep, with her muzzle buried beneath her sheets, muffling her gentle but persistent snores.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

– 20: Talking With Princesses –

After snickering to himself about the last letter he’d just sent to Rarity, Spike’s amusement faded as he found himself tossing and turning in the dark, at one point rotating himself a full hundred-and-eighty degrees and tying a knot in his nightshirt around his waist without even realising it. He’d spent an hour or more wrapped up warm in this guest bedroom in Cadance and Shining’s personal quarters, an ivory tower some distance above the castle’s throne room, but he just couldn’t get comfortable. Too many things remained on his mind, good and ill, and they’d all vied for his attention simultaneously once the world around him had quietened.

He’d been lying still, eyes closed as his snout pointed upwards at the high vaults of the crystalline room’s ceiling for what he was sure had been a while now. Taking the last few nights on the road had kept his mind off of things while he slept; the whirr of an airship or the chug of a train, along with the rocking movement inherent to transit had been a comfort to the little dragon. Travel had helped ward off the worst in the nights following his ordeal, but now he’d stopped here for the next short while, the silence dripping with his own thoughts.

Black thoughts of himself, mostly. Thoughts that he was a fire breathing, flesh-rending cuckoo in the nest that was Equestria had long been something that had given him little rest off and on, and since he’d beaten Chitin up it had been on with a malicious vengeance. She may have been out of her mind when she’d attacked him, it certainly hadn’t been intentional, but the whole event had deftly placed the cherry on the sundae that was Spike’s self-loathing, with sprinkles to boot.

He couldn’t truly intellectualise it outside of his abiding horror at himself. If he tried his mind ran backwards at light-speed, back to the Spikealikes the day Meus had attacked in the heart of Canterlot Castle, back to what Sweetie Belle had said to him that evening during the fashion show in the boutique – and no, he did not want Sweetie Belle on the warpath any more now than he had back then – back to “Spikezilla”, and all the way back to Rarity, her sweet love, her kindness and generosity, all the things that made her so wonderful.

The thought that he could ultimately only repay it with a malign dragon’s cruelty and wrath… well, the weight was too much to bear. He’d been telling himself that it wasn’t so these past moons he’d been with her, he’d even started to believe it. He’d wanted to believe it so badly… but the moment he’d torn Chitin’s carapace he’d shattered his own illusion. That was what had shaken him the most, and right now the thought was a metaphorical dragon by itself that was doing its worst to push everything else out.

Spike turned on his side, realising his heart was pounding with nervous energy, and put his pillow over his head with a grunt in an effort to block it out. The next thing he knew, he’d essentially done a backflip in his basket, darn near tipping it off the bed while his nightshirt rode all the way up over his face.

Being on the road and playing tourist had taken the edge off, but he was going to need to confront it in due time. Emotionally, but also professionally; he never wanted to find himself in a situation like that again, but most importantly he never wanted to react like that again. In his experience, violence was for villains, and he’d never seen the Elements of Harmony resolve a threat to the realm with brutality. Plainly, he told himself, he hadn’t been paying close enough attention to them all those years.

Which took him back to Rarity, what with her being the Element of Generosity. She must have thought he’d been wilfully ignoring her this past week, which actually wasn’t true. The single, one-line statement of acknowledgement he’d sent all week in an effort to get her to stop making him belch up scrolls in public had worked, but he'd definitely spent too much time since devising, then tossing out a follow-up since.

He supposed that was the good side of stopping off at the palace, that it had forced him to collect his thoughts, although it had taken two tries to truly communicate with her the way he felt he should. It just entailed all that negativity swirling around in his mind settling like poison tar, too. He needed to–

Three knocks on the bedroom door gave him a start.

‘Hello?’ he asked once he’d caught his breath.

‘Spike?’ Cadance’s voice came, ‘Are you all okay in there?’

He sat up in his basket, his claws grasping the top of his sheets. ‘Uh, I’m fine,’ he answered, ‘Never better.’

Then he paused for a few seconds, ‘You can tell I’m lying, can’t you?’

She exhaled. ‘May I come in, Spike?’

‘Uh, if you like, Cadance,’ he answered.

The door opened, a sliver at first before cracking further, thin blue horn light reflecting off the room’s crystalline surfaces as Cadance’s regal silhouette stepped in. He switched on the bedside lamp, and saw that her crown was off and her mane was tied up. She wore a red nightgown that covered her hind legs, and her golden horseshoes were off in favour of matching red slippers, each set on the front with a facsimile of the Empire’s crystal heart.

‘Truth be told, I can hear your doom cloud thundering all the way down the hall,’ she said, taking another step before creaking the door gently ajar, ‘I just put Flurry to bed, but… well, I don’t want to impose, and I know Twilight kind of met with mixed results when she tried. If you’d rather not talk about it, I won’t make you, but–’

‘Impose? No, no, Cadance, I’m the one imposing. I just kind of rolled up on your doorstep with a day’s warning and now I’m definitely setting off your, uh, love powers or whatever, so sorry about that. If you wanna talk about it, so do I. I’m getting no rest just stewing in it here, and I’ve had a week to chill since Twi grilled me.’

She approached Spike, and his grip on the bedsheets relaxed as she nestled upon the rug next to him, her alicorn stature making her eye level about equal to his. He couldn’t resist a toothy smile; getting up close with the princess of love like this was always a tranquil experience. Although her relative newness to the role in comparison to Celestia and Luna in their time meant that her mane was far from ethereal like theirs, the harmonious pinks, yellows and purples of her locks was like catching a glimpse of gorgeous firstlight unfurling over the mountains.

Rarity had just conjectured upon the platonic love Cadance emanated in her response to his letter a little earlier, and being the sole beneficiary of her majestic presence, even while she was off-duty, brought it home to him. Already the tempest was soothed, and he felt all the more willing to open up properly. Then his smile shrank as he realised the poison tar swirling in his guts was aching for release. This could get ugly.

She smiled in assurance for a moment, looking him right in the eyes as her expression became sterner. ‘Well, that’s true, you’re setting them off big-time, but I wished to speak with you anyway. I received a changeling emissary earlier while you were playing with Flurry Heart, Spike. She filled me in on why you’re here again all by yourself. I’m very sorry about what happened over there… for starters, getting lovesucked like that is a terrible thing, just awful! But,’ she paused, tilting her head as her gaze turned mildly piteous, ‘They also told me about the retribution you brought upon your attacker. It sounds like you’ve got a lot to unpack.’

‘You have no idea– ’scuse me, Cadance, you have a pretty good idea, actually, more than most,’ Spike said, waggling a finger as he corrected himself, ‘It’s been tough. Even Rarity had trouble understanding, although we just exchanged a few letters a bit ago, and she’s, uh, doing her best…’ he paused, then then sighed, ‘I suppose the cat’s kinda outta the bag about me and her, huh? If we hadn’t been so lovey at the lovebug nest, what happened wouldn’t have happened.’

‘You know Twilight keeps me abreast of certain things,’ Cadance chuckled, ‘I’ve been aware for a while about your burgeoning romance with Rarity. Twi trusts me to keep a secret, but given the circumstances I may as well admit it to you. Spike, you must know that nobug at the Hive blames you for what happened. It was a very unfortunate event that nobug saw coming. By and large changelings like love; Thorax said as such to you, didn’t he?’

Spike couldn’t help it; his face turned pink and he bowed his head as Cadance laid out her knowledge of his romantic affairs, though he didn’t avert his eyes. ‘Yeah, yeah… we made, uh, love confessions to one another at their feelings forum and the changelings were all for it, my attacker aside. I guess for her, Chitin, I mean, it meant time to take action,’ he said, looking down before casting her a guilty glance, ‘Did the emissary give any word how she’s doing now?’

‘She only said Chitin was receiving the utmost care and attention from their wellness suite,’ Cadance explained, and Spike saw her brow knit slightly as she observed, ‘And that her malady is in hoof. No physical harm done, at least…’

‘Yeah, thank Celestia, a changeling can shrug that kind of damage off. I was just so furious I, I, I didn’t even see red or anything like that, y’know? I guess it didn’t seem so real in my mind as it was in real life to, to…’ Spike’s voice cracked despite his best efforts.

‘It’s not a bad thing, to be empathetic even after something so severe,’ said Cadance, ‘But nopony would have blamed you if you weren’t, given the circumstances.’

Spike was nonplussed, then felt the need to defend himself. ‘Of course I care about what happens to Chitin! I’m responsible for what happened, aren’t I? Like I said, I brought my special somepony to the Hive without thinking through what could–’

Cadance stood, interrupting him. ‘Spike, stop. You’re right to be worried about her, but–’

‘But what? Lovesucking doesn’t end with a serious injury like I inflicted upon her!’ Spike continued, becoming increasingly flustered, ‘Turns out it doesn’t matter how much of a “gentledragon” I pretend to be if I’m just gonna hurt other creatures I don’t like! I–’

Cadance kept her cool; she had expected an outpouring like this, though not so soon after broaching the topic. ‘Spike, you’re both victims of circumstance, but you need the time to heal just the same as–’

‘Yeah, I know that, why do you think I’m here, Cadance?!’ Spike snapped despite himself, visibly trembling now, ‘I needed time to process what I did and what was done to me so I took a freakin’ vacation, by order of the princess,’ he intoned with bitter sarcasm, ‘Princess Spike that is, because I’m privileged enough to be able to do that instead of having to suck it up! And I deserve none of it. I’m only where I am in life through a bizarre fluke of hatching and everything in my life is unearned!’

He took a breath after that tirade, and Cadance took the moment to lean closer, her forelegs crossed on the mattress. ‘Spike, Spike, you more than earn your status, every bit as much as me, or Twilight, or Shining. Just ask anypony right here in the Empire about the good you’ve done for us.’

Spike wiped away a tear. ‘I, I’m not even sure I really believe that, but it’s how I feel. I just… it feels like I was making progress, personally I mean, and it’s all just evaporated because of something I did,’ Spike said, not deflecting as Cadance tentatively wrapped her hooves around him as he came close to hiccups, ‘Something unforgivable. I wouldn’t blame Chitin for hating me forever after that. I kinda do…’

The physicality and scent of Cadance’s embrace was different to Rarity’s, but it was almost identical in the ways that counted – the warm sensation of a body full of love using itself to communicate, non-verbally, that he was loved and wanted.

‘Spike,’ she murmured after he’d reciprocated by putting his claws around her back, ‘You failed in conflict resolution during an unprecedented attack upon you, and somepony you love. It’s okay. Celestia knows I’ve gotten furious with those who’ve tried to hurt me, my family and my realm, and I’m the love princess! Or, closer to home for you, remember the time Tirek tossed Celestia, Luna and I into Tartarus and Twilight had to duke it out with him with our combined powers? Just imagine what he would’ve done to the entire world if she hadn’t gone supernova on him the way she did!’

Spike pulled back as Cadance made that observation, feeling warmer inside despite the tears he‘d shed. ‘Yeah, but bad guys like Sombra, Chrysalis, Tirek, they’re the exceptions. The changelings are our friends now, and I came this close to screwing that up. That’s part of what’s eating me. What felt justified in the heat of the moment just wasn’t. Chitin isn’t a villain… just a mixed-up lovebug who lost her mind around our–’

She put a slippered hoof to his lips and knitted her brow again. ‘Spike, let me stop you right there. What Chitin did was not okay, neither to Rarity nor to you, and the fact that you brought more love to the Hive than expected doesn’t change that. As for her madness, well… nocreature can truly be held responsible for that. It’s mostly just… sad that things worked out that way. It’s not wrong to remain concerned about her future and whether she gets the help she needs, but it is also not your fault,’ she took a breath, ‘And you don’t deserve to be hated for fighting back against such hostility. And you shouldn’t hate yourself, either.’

‘I know nobug at the Hive holds tearing Chitin’s carapace off against me, and there was no permanent harm done, all of that,’ Spike sighed, ‘I just stared right into the abyss after I did it, and getting lovesucked was already horrible. A real nasty reminder of the bad bug days even before we get into any of the other stuff.’

‘Hmm…’ Cadance said, casting Spike a critical eye up and down, ‘Do you want to?’

Spike felt his scales crawl. ‘No, no, you were right that I’ve got a lot to unpack, and right now I’m trying really hard to believe that I’m, uh, that I shouldn’t hate myself. Going over the trauma of a horrible bird screeching in my face while… yeah, I’m not going there. One thing at a time, if it’s okay with you.’

‘I don’t want to make you discuss anything that’s uncomfortable for you, Spike. That’s completely fine.’

He nodded sternly. ‘Appreciated, Cadance. Yeah, I know I’m responding to the attack sort of weirdly, but… well, it fed into what I’ve been worrying about a lot lately. I know Twilight’s told you about my current ambition to, uh, get bigger, and that’s been a complicated desire all on its own. I scare myself with something I want, something that’s an inevitability, but it seems so, so far out of reach at the same time, and…’

He let out a controlled breath, ‘I just don’t know what’s on the other side. I wanna grow up but I’m afraid of becoming a rampant, destroying serpent. That all hit me at once when I laid Chitin out like I did, but it was something I’d been discussing with Rare a lot before then.’

Her expression remained serious. ‘From what Twilight’s told me, Rarity has been most supportive of you recently. Is that right, Spike?’

Spike laughed, then almost sobbed, surprising himself as he looked at his swirly knees. ‘It helps a lot when somepony is right beside you, essentially wanting the same thing as you, and it’s even better when it’s Rarity. She’s been amazing up ’til now… she’s wonderful. She’s so kind, and supportive, and hot, and stunning, and, uh,’ he caught himself, wiping away another tear before looking up at Cadance and continuing, ‘Part of me is kicking myself for running away from her like I did, but there was such a distance between us all of a sudden and it was awful, even though she was trying her best to support me after the attack… like I said, I’m being weird.’

Cadance almost laughed at Spike’s description of Rarity, then shook her head. ‘You’re not being “weird” in the slightest, Spike. Many creatures would struggle badly faced with your ordeal, not to diminish what you’re going through, and a victim’s loved ones’ struggle to understand can complicate things further.’

‘She actually apologised to me in her letter, y’know. Said she was sorry for being “domineering”… she didn’t need to do that, and it wasn’t really on her. We were both shaken in a way that didn’t help us talk the way we normally do. It was just too soon.’

‘Twilight tells me the two of you talk things through a lot. Take it from me, that’s a good sign of a rock-solid relationship,’ Cadance smiled slyly and winked as she observed that.

‘It is?’ said Spike, half-feigning surprise, ‘I mean, it does feel good when we can hash things out a bit – it definitely makes me feel closer to her when we’re honest with each other. I didn’t really do that much with my last, uh, griffriend, but it comes naturally with Rarity.’

‘It is!’ Cadance insisted, ‘Shows you’re on the same wavelength. Shining and I talk things over a lot ourselves, usually just day-to-day stuff like when we’re meeting during the day, what dignitaries I’m meeting or what patrols he’s overseeing, and what challenges we’ll expect to see, just to get input from one another. Once in a while it’s fine not to, but more often than not… well, it’s helpful to have mutual support from somepony who “gets” you, don’t you agree?’

‘Yeah, we definitely have a connection most of the time…’ Spike sighed, ‘Maybe I forgot to value it when I fled in the dead of night like that.’

‘Well… you did what you needed to do, but you perhaps should make it up to her next time you meet,’ Cadance advised, before changing the subject, ‘But, ah, quick question, Spike, going back to your worries about transforming into a monster. You are well acquainted with other dragons, aren’t you? I’ve met Smolder a few times, and she’s a diamond beneath her rough exterior. Furthermore, while I haven’t engaged Princess Ember diplomatically directly myself, Thorax always speaks warmly of her skills as ruler of the Dragonlands. Would you say the same about either of them as you fear of yourself, that one day they’ll transform into tyrants that must be, ah, cast out of polite society, lest they burn it all to the ground?’

Spike stopped, and blinked stupidly for a moment as he let Cadance’s thought sink in. ‘I… no, no, that would be pretty speciesist, just because they’re…’ he stopped, and Cadance observed as his thoughts loudly, silently realigned, ‘Well, Smolder and Ember are both dracaenae. Girls. And so’s my friend I’m gonna visit in Fillydelphia later, come to think of it. I guess I don’t think about girl dragons that way. Never occurred to me, even though all three of ’em can be kinda, uh, like you said, rough on the outside.’

She blinked slowly. ‘And what about other drakes, I mean, male dragons, you’ve known, Spike?’

‘Never met one I liked, frankly!’ Cadance was taken aback slightly as Spike exclaimed, ‘Pure dragons, anyway. Discord’s a bro, but he’s kind of his own thing. Garble and his gang can pound sand, and you know about the time that faker, Sludge, took me for a free ride by pretending to be my Dad. If I’d only ever met guy dragons in my life, I’m sure I’d be way more screwed up than I am. Celestia forbid I internalise anything they’d try to teach me the same way my gal-pals have. The closest I’ve gotten is the Burnferno stories I like, and those are generally something best taken with a few pinches of salt – I’m not looking to him for serious moral guidance either, y’know?’

She responded with a mere ‘Mmhmm,’ and a penetrating, but kind, gaze as Spike completed that thought. He turned to look at her right back, and she said with a start, ‘Oh! Sorry, Spike. Just something you said got me thinking, that’s all, but I’m not clear if I should…’

Spike thought back over what he’d said, locating whatever it was Cadance was most likely to have picked up on. Then his eyes widened; suddenly it seemed obvious. ‘…Dang. I think I just said out loud what my real problem is, huh? It’s not actually about being a dragon in general. It’s about being a boy dragon specifically, and what I’ve learned from the male dragons who’ve shown up in my life. Which is mostly stuff I reject as no good, but… I guess in the process, I…’

He trailed off, looking pale in the face before continuing. ‘Uh. This is what Rarity was talking about all those times she said I need to love myself more, isn’t it? I’m a male dragon, but I don’t much like male dragons. Heck, I’m kinda scared of them. I don’t wanna be like those guys, but I don’t wanna be a baby dragon forever either. I’m internalising that into a belief that my essential, uh, nature is violent or untrustworthy, and that nothing can ever change that. Sure, it doesn’t help that I literally transformed that one time years ago, but that’s not actually the issue.’

‘And when Chitin attacked you and you fought back… from what you’re telling me, Spike, you made the choice in that moment to send the message never to mess with you again, didn’t you? You weren’t running on instinct. Like I said, I can actually relate, even if it was the wrong call to make. Chrysalis is lucky I never truly took her on back in the day! If I’d had one clear shot with a horn blast, she’d have remembered it. Instead, Starlight Glimmer had the pleasure. I’m a bit jealous of her, actually.’ Despite her calmness there was a definite barb in the tail of Cadance’s words, Spike noticed, and he baulked for a moment in response.

But then he relaxed, realising that everything she’d said to him was her opening up to him in kind, and he smiled. ‘Geez, when you put it like that, Cadance… it’s easy as a non-pony for me to put you princesses on a pedestal as creatures who would never do anything wrong. But it isn’t immutable. You have to make the choice, huh?’

She had a very serious look on her face as she nodded. ‘Constantly, whether you’re a princess or not. All intelligent creatures of sound mind have the choice to do good or bad things, Spike – that’s the difference between Chrysalis and Chitin. Chrysalis made her choice stone-cold sober a thousandfold. Chitin felt like she had no choice at all.’

She exhaled before continuing. ‘Just because you made the wrong one once in retaliation doesn’t make you an irredeemable monster… at worst, you’d been pushed over the edge by something that would fill even the most purehearted with indignation.’ Then she paused, as if inspecting him for something, ‘You know, you’re radiating regret for your actions; everything has an aura, and yours is like a fog filling this room right now. A monster wouldn’t have such regrets, nor the resolve never to repeat them like you plainly do.’

‘No argument there, Cadance… right now the last thing I wanna do is hurt anycreature else. Geez, I know this stuff already, but thanks for reminding me,’ Spike said, pinching the bridge of his snout, ‘And for being weirdly assuring about how I feel… I mean, I still feel awful about what happened, but… no, I appreciate you laying it out like you have. That I’m not alone, I guess. I swear, the littlest things make me forget that.’

Cadance lightened up. ‘You’re welcome, Spike. I know when somecreature is hurting, you know? My “love powers”, as you put it. Even before I was visited by the emissary it was written all over you as soon as you arrived, and I would’ve come in here anyway, just for a one-to-one checkup. If you like, you can stay here in the palace as long as you need.’

Spike put a claw on the Safeshadow Amulet that rested on his chest, giving it a rub. ‘I wouldn’t mind sticking around until the middle of next week, but I still wanna stay the course around the country I’ve got planned,’ he answered after a moment’s contemplation, ‘Being on the road has its own benefits… travelling across the Luna Coast took my mind off the worst of what happened.’

Then an idea formed, and he clutched the amulet between his thumb and foreclaw before proposing, ‘Uh, is Shining going on patrol tomorrow? I haven’t really had “guy time” since Ogres & Oubliettes with Discord and Big Mac a moon back, and I think I really need some after everything that’s happened.’

‘He’ll be around the city perimeter all morning, then up north in the Hyboreal Forest with his platoon to make sure things are clear and Meus-free up that way. I think it’d be a good start, Spike,’ Cadence said, ‘And that’s a great idea! Fraternising with my husband and his guardstallions and mares would be a healthy change of pace for you. Provided you don’t mind grafting a bit, they’ll be more than happy to have their hero Spike the Brave and Glorious along.’

Spike laughed as he sat up straight, rolling his shoulders as he spread his wings. ‘Your husband, my brother, kinda… and heck, can’t you tell I’ve been working out? I can handle some lifting if I gotta! Also, when I finally meet up with Mina – uh, that’s my Fillydelphia friend I mentioned – well, she lives in an entire community of dragons, and I know she has guy friends. I could get her to introduce me to a few guys at the comic shop she works at… I don’t really believe that guy dragons are a complete write-off.’

‘You should tell me more about her,’ Cadance smiled as she rose onto her hooves, then opened the door, ‘Luna’s mentioned her to me in passing and I confess, I’m not familiar with the Dragontowns of the Celestial coast. Hey, why don’t I take you to my quarters now and you can ask Shining what you just asked me, face-to-face? If you’re sticking around for a few more days, there’s enough time before bed to get an O&O character sheet devised for a few games with him later on. He’d love that.’

‘Sounds great!’ Spike replied, getting to his feet before taking to the air with a flap of his wings, ‘Then it’s bedtime for real. Rarity’s definitely gonna write me first thing and I wanna be properly awake for it!’

Spike followed behind Cadance as she left the room. ‘I believe Shiny takes the troops out to the border around ten, so you’d have time to write to her before then. Now, if you don’t mind, I will need to check in on you again kinda like this sometime tomorrow…’

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Dresses, skirts, gowns and costumes were simply flying onto the ponequins as Rarity spun around, half-dancing and light as a feather. She’d lost track of the time, indeed how long she’d been doing this, but it was no exaggeration to say that she’d been lost to the zone – the fashion zone! – since awakening at the crack of dawn. A dozen ponequins, each floating around in procession by unicorn magic, marched around the room in a circle, starting and stopping as she reached each for yet another embellishment.

Each of them received the utmost attention as she lavished sapphires here, a silken band there, sequins and hoops for the flouncy red gown with the electric blue spiral woven into its side, and striped ribbons for straps on the frilly green two-piece swimsuit with the iridescent finish. Just a jiff of care turned each of them into something truly marvellous, something else to put a smile on somepony’s face, as well as the never-diminishing happiness writ on their creator’s face as she poured every bit of her love and affection into her work.

It went on for some time, but any true artist knew when to stop. Once she was satisfied Rarity let go of the fully-dressed stands, gently depositing them onto the floor, exhaling as she at last stopped and relaxed. Being in the zone was wonderful, but extended periods could be tiring.

As she trotted around the boutique to inspect each of them as if she were their drill sergeant, the doors flung open. Her head snapped left as she saw him there; the steel-blue, steel-scaled dragon in a loincloth who had visited her just like this a hundred times before.

‘Burnie, darling,’ she gasped, near-tiphoofing towards him as he cast her a lusty gaze, ‘Is it really so late already? I confess, it feels as though I’ve had so much time to do my doings today, yet not nearly enough…’

‘Flameflower, my adored,’ Burnferno answered in a voice like smooth stones grinding, and suddenly Rarity was indeed the lithe, orange-eyed dracaena with the flowing jet-black frills she was acquainted with from the Burnferno extended universe, now adorned in extravagant beads and gems all down her front and back. She barely questioned her transformation as he continued, ‘Your work is so, so beautiful, it brings even this barbarian joy to behold. Come to me, and show me just how beautiful you too are.’

Rarity squealed as Burnferno’s rippling muscles belied their gentleness, his arms sweeping her to his chest, one claw squeezing her hip as she slung her arms around his huge shoulders. She raked her own claws down his back as she spread her horned wings before pausing, looking around the room to see that as she had, so too had the ponequins transformed into ornate bronze statues of laughing dragons, all in different poses, each set with eyes of fierce red rubies that twinkled in gigantic mirth.

‘My most beloved,’ Rarity’s voice lowered to a whisper as she looked up into his steel gaze, ‘The beauty of my creation is for all, but certain facets are for you alone. How goes the hunt?’

‘I shall show you,’ Burnferno answered, his own wings spreading now, ‘Fly with me, Flameflower.’

He let her go as his wings made an audible “whoosh”, and he flew aloft, no ceiling now to obstruct his ascent. Rarity – no, Flameflower, she was Flameflower now, an indisputable part of Burnferno’s world – followed suit.

Her own wings “swish”ed as she followed him, one wingbeat behind, into an orange sky. As they reached the apex of their flight, Flameflower looked down, but that flickering orange was from no sunset. It took a moment for the horror of the razed cottages, smashed towers and flaming orchids of a destroyed Ponyville to process for her, but once it had she drew breath with a gasp… of excitement. ‘All of this for me, Burnie sweetheart? You’re too generous!’ she found herself saying. She was quite certain that wasn’t what she’d intended to say.

The flames, and the dismayed cries of suffering ponies grew taller and louder around them. ‘All of this for you. The lamentations of these ponies and the spoils of their labours please you, do they not?’ He flew forward slightly, placing a hitherto-concealed diamond tiara set with a plethora of gemstones upon her brow.

Flameflower’s long tongue played upon her lips for a moment before she moved in, again placing her claws upon Burnferno’s biceps. ‘It does, my love. We take what we want, but more than anything, I want you…’

Burnferno reciprocated, pressing her to him as roaring fires enveloped them both. ‘Upon this we agree, by Torch. Nothing is finer than your embrace. Let us kiss at last.’

Flameflower moved in, her lips about to touch his when she felt a bolt of lightning strike from the tip of her slender tail to the base of her eyes, and confusion was writ large upon Burnferno’s face as her eyes flashed from orange to pale sapphire blue. With a cry she recoiled, pushing him away as she was once again Rarity. ‘I… no! What have you done to my home and my friends, you awful, awful ruffian?!’ she yelled.

Burnferno snarled, his fangs gritted as Rarity, now a wingless unicorn once more, suddenly found herself helpless in his grasp. ‘I have conquered this puny pony paradise for you, Flameflower! Is that not enough?!’ he roared, seemingly growing larger as she squirmed frantically in his talons, ‘Or perhaps you are as prey as they?’

Burnferno definitely had doubled in size as his baleful gaze cast upon Rarity, who rapidly found herself struggling in the clutches of one scaly fist. In an instant he filled the whole world, and she screamed in terror as he looked at her. He fell silent, as if inspecting the little white unicorn for something. His gaze grew more and more intense, a white mist that burned freezing cold escaping his eye sockets. ‘All your works are tatters now,’ he eventually intoned, as if in mourning.

And he discarded her. Into the fiery maelstrom she went, another scream escaping her lips as she plummeted, the dragon statues from before now encircling her, spinning as if they were a zoetrope animation, laughing and laughing in mockery. Her avarice would surely be punished now, for why else would she ally with such a vicious brute as the barbarian who had cast her down but for her own evil gain?

Her free-fall was such that she appeared suspended within the walls of searing flames as the statues flashed around her at dizzying speed, and she couldn’t bear the shame and guilt she felt inside her. She screwed her eyes shut in a futile effort to stop this horrible, twisted nightmare where all was lost, all her fault.

In what she was sure would be her final actions, Rarity sought atonement as she tore the ill-gotten gewgaws and trinkets bestowed upon her by Burnferno from her body, scattering them upwards as she scrabbled her hooves against her fur. Before long, just one was left.

She grit her teeth as she ripped herself open, two sharp halves of a bloody ruby spilling out into her hooves, and thus unencumbered by the final jewel a wave of dark energy blasted from her. Her fur turned midnight black and her open eyes incandescent blue as the statues turned to ash, a shock of white in her flowing mane as she roared, ‘My work has barely begun, you fiend! Feel my pain, my malice!’

And she grew. Before long she stood head-to-head with the dismal, icy Burnferno, both of them towering above the Tartarus-on-Equestria he'd made of Ponyville in his conquest. She collided with him horn-first, his huge arms no longer so gentle as she grappled with the blue dragon.

He started to melt before her as they fought, and the freezing fog streaming from his face was soon radiating from his entire body. Rarity leapt backwards as she realised this was Burnferno no longer, but a writhing, amorphous mass she recognised all too well. As it lashed three pupiless heads one after another at her – Twilight’s, then Starlight’s, finally and most aggressively Spike’s, which hissed and snapped at her – she couldn’t hide her revulsion. ‘Whatever was I thinking?! I should never have allowed you to take me as you have! Away, you beast!’

And with that, she sent a volley of horn zaps Meus’ way, striking the Twilight head with one, causing it to hiss before the Starlight head lashed at her, nearly knocking her to the ground. Everything that couldn’t melt burned to ashes around them as she engaged in mortal combat with the transforming, monstrous apparition before her, vicious blows traded and horn blasts deflected as she fought and fought for dear life…

‘Cease!’ an unmistakable, stern royal voice came from Burnferno’s throat that gave Nightmare Rarity pause, even in her current state. She opened her eyes to see herself no longer engaged in combat with Meus, nor Burnferno, but the ex-princess, the dream walker herself, Luna.

‘Luna?! Get out of my–!’ Rarity started. The momentum of her intended shot to fell Meus didn’t end with her realisation, and she narrowly averted her last thrust forward and horn blasts with surprised wide eyes. Luna in turn evaded the navy-furred mare’s blow, flying backwards and upwards.

Meus was gone, already a receding memory. Rarity circled the princess of the night, still on high alert. ‘Nearly a taste of déjà vu, by my measure. Rarity, I hope this isn’t a bad time. I received your message, but… well, I see matters you wished to speak of continue to weigh heavily upon your mind,’ Luna intoned, silver moonlight playing over her silhouette as Rarity gazed upwards. The fires around them both dissipated into wisps of smoke, and that thin light became all she could see.

‘Luna, you are truly a sight for sorry eyes,’ she exhaled, looking down onto her nightmare form and feeling quite short of breath, ‘And if you’re here like this I suppose I must be dreaming. Ah, if you don’t mind my asking… that was simply a dream, wasn’t it? Not the real thing?’

‘Believe me, it was not; simply a conjuration of your sleeping mind, Rarity,’ Luna assured her as she slowly lowered closer to Rarity, ‘I’m keenly aware of how that great Meus beast has transported itself around Equestria most insidiously, but it has no presence in this realm.’

‘Thank goodness,’ Rarity breathed, ‘It appears I became quite agitated by an apparition of the mind gone awry, and now I… well, I must apologise for bringing this dreadful look to you so upfront! I didn’t mean to–’

Luna returned to the ground – wait, was it ground now? It felt as if they stood in the middle of an unending void – and approached Rarity, a small smile on her otherwise stern face as heavenly bodies twinkled in her mane. ‘It is okay, Rarity, we both appear to one another different to the norm. I still wear my starlit mane in the dream realm, after all; and the trappings of the guise that once threatened all of Equestria whilst possessing us both seem not to affect your judgement, do they?’

The moonlight dimmed to nothing, the only light now coming gently from the mane in question. Rarity stood rigid, her eyes probing the night-walking alicorn as she in turn circled her closely. ‘I… I suppose not, Luna, I confess I was concerned that my current appearance could cause you some offense, but you seem intrigued, if anything. Ah, it is well with you, to talk now?’ she asked haltingly.

‘It would be an honour, but we should go elsewhere more pleasant than this cold, burned place,’ said Luna, continuing to give Rarity’s nightmare form an almost affectionate evaluation before snapping to attention and shrinking back as the midnight-dark unicorn cringed, ‘Oh, and my sincerest apologies if I’m making you uncomfortable, Rarity. It’s just, well… you remind me of my sister standing before me like this, just a little! I’ll explain. Do follow.’

Celestia? That was the last pony Rarity would associate with this tyrannical form. Her eyes widened in confusion but before she could inquire just what that meant, Luna trotted away and suddenly popped through a swirling portal, deep blue and blindingly bright against the pitch-black void. Rarity hesitated, then heard the faintest, shrillest hiss behind her that made her mane stand on end. Scrunching her muzzle, she glanced around but saw absolutely nothing else.

Thusly spooked she followed close behind, feeling the strangest frisson as she fell a few metres onto long turquoise grass on its other side, beneath an undulating, dark green sky. She and Luna stood on a pebbled pathway in a valley between immense peaks, all bedecked with the lavender and heather Rarity knew from the hanging baskets in Canterlot Castle.

It occurred to her to check whether she was still in that despicable nightmare form, so she looked down, finding she indeed was. Then she looked up, and her eyes widened; above them another, much larger moon loomed. Faint howling emanated as it radiated a corona of grey light that billowed like smoke, and was absorbed by the streaks of black in the emerald firmament.

As this was a dream, Rarity glared at herself in concentration for a moment in an effort to shed her current, undesirable appearance. She started to shake and her muzzle scrunched up once more with determination, her face turning red as she singularly failed to change at all; the only white fur on her person remained that lamentable streak in her mane.

Luna sat on the path, looking oddly serene as a small possum climbed up her back and rested on her long neck. ‘Luna dear, I can’t seem to turn back to normal. How come?’ Rarity asked as she trotted up behind her.

She didn’t answer immediately, drawing breath as she turned to Rarity. ‘Fear manifests in many ways, my friend,’ she said, her shoulders visibly relaxing to accommodate her grey little friend as she kept a straight face, ‘But in whatever way it does, there are those who would use anypony’s for their own ends. As well you know, you and I both have fallen afoul of such malevolent forces, and there is always the chance it may happen to anypony in their worse moments, at any time. Sit here with Tiberius and I and watch the skies, Rarity. Everything will make sense, I promise.’

Rarity obeyed, her enormous locks flowing like the Milky Way behind her, faintly uncomfortable around the jagged visage of the silver-furred creature that nestled on Luna’s person as he opened his maw to yawn, but nevertheless finding a spot to loaf. ‘I didn’t know you had a pet, Luna,’ she said, feeling compelled to make small talk as she circled once before plopping herself down, tucking her hooves in beneath her body, ‘This little one is Tiberius, presumably? A most unusual choice.’

A solitary chuckle came from the back of Luna’s throat. ‘Hm, he is. Truth be told, he chose me, not so long after I’d made my return from the moon. Just a little companionship appreciated as one walks through the dreams of one’s former subjects… but I digress.’ She turned to Nightmare Rarity and asked, her good-humoured countenance turning serious, ‘Know you of Daybreaker? I don’t suppose our current princess nor Starlight Glimmer ever spoke of a certain royal problem Celestia and I had in the twilight years of our own reign?’

Rarity gazed at the smoky moon in contemplation before coming up empty-hooved. ‘Doesn’t ring a bell, Luna dear,’ she shrugged, ‘Mind elaborating?’

Luna closed her eyes in recollection, and Rarity watched the little possum climb higher on her shoulder, wiggling his whiskers as she spoke further. ‘Well, as much as our current monarch preferred to believe otherwise, my relationship with my dear sister has been known to have its fraught periods. The biggest of all, of course, being when I, ah, quite infamously transformed into Nightmare Moon in a failed bid to oust her from the throne and seize it for myself.’

‘Yes, turning evil and terrifying the pants off of everypony in the process,’ Rarity sniffed before smiling, ‘Everycreature knows the outcome. I suppose it wasn’t the most rational moment of your life, was it?’

Luna sighed. ‘Far from it. In my worst moment I gave into the darkness, and it consumed me totally. As well you know, possession like that within which you and I found ourselves is a condition that comes when internal and external factors combine; the vulnerability of strong emotional negativity targeted by what we know casually as nightmare forces. What you might not know, Rarity, is where they came from originally; contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t from the moon.’

‘No, I know that, though many ponies don’t,’ Rarity answered matter-of-factly, ‘King Sombra and the Pony of Shadows being phenomena quite separate from our own, ah, former – or not so former in my case, at this precise moment, in this dream – conditions, not much to do with the moon. Anyway, who or what is this Daybreaker you mentioned, darling?’

‘Come over here, Rarity. It may be as well to be under my direct protection before she comes,’ said Luna. She raised a wing, and as Rarity obeyed Luna wrapped it around her “nightmare” guise.

As she did the sky brightened, and as everycreature present looked above Rarity caught something that surely could only be possible in dreams. The sun rose quite rapidly over the mountains to their right, immediately as bright as it would be at its normal apex, casting rays that seared through the grey smoke coming from the moon. The rumbling howl of the lunar winds overhead were duly drowned out by a high-frequency hiss that only intensified as the white-hot sun rose, almost too high-pitched to hear but nevertheless consuming it.

‘Perhaps you ought not to look directly into it,’ Luna advised as Tiberius donned a pair of shades. After a few seconds the dream sun paused, then it lunged for the moon, eclipsing it within a few seconds and, with a long “bwoof!” sound, replaced all that intermingling green and grey with a spotless blue sky. Almost immediately the cold, damp grasses lining the path dried up, and the still atmosphere felt like beach weather.

Altogether the scene was less eerie than before, but something still wasn’t right. ‘Luna, I don’t suppose you have another pair of glasses?’ Rarity said, realising her skin was starting to prickle under her fur, and it wasn’t from the embrace of Luna’s cool plumage.

Luna obliged, creating a pair on Rarity’s muzzle with a “poff!”. ‘Of course, although stay safe with me. These fireworks aren’t over yet,’ she intoned.

The unicorn squinted as she looked through the sunglasses, as the sun still sought to overload the senses despite their solar filters. She felt as though she should be looking for something, and she probed the heavenly body through her lashes. Then she gasped. ‘Ah! Luna… I’m not imagining that giraffe in the sun, am I?’

Luna cast Rarity an incredulous glance, averting her affront after a second before suppressing a chortle. ‘Rarity! That’s no giraffe,’ she said, the only one of the three looking directly into the eye-watering sunlight, ‘That is Daybreaker.’

Rarity’s jaw dropped as she peered again, realising as the painful solar luminescence dimmed from white to yellow that she was looking at a fiery alicorn wearing quite the golden-armoured fashion disaster, her streaming mane ablaze with cosmic fire and fangs bared. Her wild black eyes somehow penetrated the blinding light glaring at the moon, which diminished by the second as she took up every bit of the sky in her rage. The noise frequency lowered into bitter, hateful laughter, and she slung her head back as it boomed across the mountains. As she glimpsed the sun on her breastplate Rarity realised this was, if not Princess Celestia herself, certainly some kind of malevolent perversion of her warmth and light.

Rarity felt the heat acutely now, as though her current guise was beginning to wither in the thrall of Daybreaker’s blistering heat. As she looked around the valley she indeed saw its once-verdant purple foliage shrivelling up dramatically. She looked down at herself and saw she was bleaching in the unremitting rays, and she started to fear that she was close to bursting into flames herself despite Luna’s presence.

‘Luna, that’s Celestia! What is she doing?!’ she gasped, turning to Luna, who continued to quietly observe.

‘She is, and she isn’t. As I said, that is Daybreaker. Rest assured that she will never exist in our reality, but in others Celestia too gave in to… well, perhaps not literal darkness, but certainly the same malign influence. Excess of light can itself cause great calamity. In your own dream–’

Luna was drowned out by a cry like thunder as fire spouted across the horizon, silently breaking the moon into smithereens that hurtled across the burning sky in dramatic slow-motion. Dispersing dust in the atmosphere combined with the mist, and everything turned blood-red and black.

Once she was satisfied with her progress on the one-mare cataclysm she’d created, Daybreaker turned to look to the ponies in the valley below. ‘I see you down there, my sad-sack little sister! Why don’t you lighten up once in a while, you pathetic little foal?!’ The sheer spite in her voice barely resembled the calm, dulcet tones one associated with Celestia, but the cadence was unmistakable.

Rarity was beside herself, shivering with her hooves over her eyes as Luna sighed in annoyance. ‘Oh, you saw us watching sooner than I expected. Well, fly away now, Daybreaker; you don’t actually exist. This was merely a demonstration for my friend here!’

‘What? I’ve just destroyed your entire purpose with a single thought. Next, time to des– AAAHHHH!!’ Daybreaker’s threats were interrupted as Luna craned her neck, and without even standing, sucked the smoky apparition that a moment ago was on the brink of smashing the whole world in this dream into her horn. It glowed red for a second, before cooling.

‘And with a single thought, I can put you right back into your place,’ Luna said, her quip betraying little emotion.

All was dead in the valley now, besides the two ponies and the possum, who folded his shades away. Luna took them and casually put them on her muzzle as she stood, and Rarity parted from the canopy of her feathers. ‘My goodness, what an appalling vision, Luna! You say she was what Celestia became in another reality? I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised given the unending possibilities out there, but I’d never imagined…’

Luna’s stoic serenity fell away, and she looked at Rarity with a frown. ‘Starlight Glimmer imagined it, and I have indeed in the past observed, indeed participated in, a world in which she was… transformed into that. I don’t disagree that it is quite terrible to see my sister turned to such a state.’

When Luna didn’t speak further, Rarity ventured in a low voice, ‘Indeed. So… if you don’t mind my asking, why did you show me this Daybreaker?’

Luna lowered her shades, surveying the damage of what was now a post-apocalyptic waste. She looked left, then right at the dusty crags that surrounded them, and the dark red sky that was filled with pulverised fragments of the moon that still gave off dim smoke, then blinked slowly. ‘One moment, Rarity. Another change of scenery would benefit us greatly,’ she said.

This time there wasn’t even a portal; Rarity felt the ground disappear from beneath her hooves momentarily before the blasted scene was replaced by another scene of vegetation, this time an island populated by giant, glowing pink and violet flowers that appeared to be floating in an ocean of stars. This was plainly a sanctuary, or at least, Rarity hoped nothing would catch fire a consecutive third time. A cool breeze wafted through the grasses around them, feeling like a gentle caress of assurance following their previous, inflammatory dreamscapes, and a much brighter full moon, whole once more, shone overhead.

‘Ah… so good to be back,’ Luna breathed, tossing her translucent mane and relaxing once their transportation was complete, ‘I’m sorry, Rarity. To answer your question, while it is true that I could have simply told you, I feared you’d not believe me if I tried. My point was that anypony can fall prey to such evil, even the sunniest of us. Besides, by the look of you before, some exposure therapy was required, was it not?’

‘The sunniest…’ Rarity was confused, then yelped as she looked down upon her white fur. ‘Oh! Oh, I, I’m back to my usual fabulous self. Did that happen just now, or…?’

Tiberius hopped off his mistress’ shoulders onto a leaf that protruded from one of the towering flowers’ pink-streaked stems, and he laid there as she continued. ‘I didn’t think you’d noticed. Daybreaker relieved you of that guise,’ Luna chuckled as she circled the blue, velvet reclining couch at the island’s centre, ‘It melted right off you when she turned up the heat.’ She sat on the ground and gestured at it, ‘Please, take a seat. You are a guest, but I only keep one couch here as I tend not to receive many.’

Rarity obliged, looking around in wonder. ‘Thank you very much, Luna darling. Ah, this place… is this your home, in, um, the dream world? I rather like it!’ she said, surprised.

‘My home is in Silver Shoals now, Rarity, you know that!’ Luna grinned, ‘Dreams are… well, by definition they are inconstant, and it is difficult to call any one “home”. This is, however, a construct of memory and imagination I like to visit, solitary but calm. Call it my happy place, if you like. Nothing bad can happen here unless I will it.’

Rarity wriggled around on the couch, lying on her back for a moment before turning onto her side. ‘You could make a second couch, you know. You just created those shades for me, after all.’ As she made mention of them, she realised that she no longer wore them, nor the ill-gotten trinkets bestowed upon her by Burnferno.

‘Unnecessary,’ Luna said simply, before adding, ‘I’m comfortable like this, and I do not wish to meddle with the carefully balanced aesthetic I’ve got here. Now, I believe I’ve dominated our discourse this far in… you made clear in your letter to me that you’d wished to speak further on matters related to…?’

The night walker stopped, and Rarity looked down at her from the couch, flipping entirely onto her belly much as Tiberius was lounging on his leaf, crossing her front hooves beneath her chin. ‘To…? Oh, I believe in turn you’ve received quite the eyeful of my own anxieties already tonight, Luna darling, but yes, yes I did. Primarily about Nightmare Rarity, truth be told. Shortly before his recent… calamity, which you may or may not be aware of, dear Spikey suggested I speak with you regarding such unacknowledged matters, after we watched a changeling play while visiting their Hive recently. It gave me a little pause for thought upon related matters.’

Luna inhaled. ‘Ah, that play about flying to the moon the young changeling you used to teach was writing… Ocellus, yes. I’d been aware of that, since they have a mild fixation on me over there in their creative endeavours. She was quite anxious before that performance, you realise. Did it go well after all that buzzing around?’

‘I was quite aware, but the play itself went swimmingly, Luna dear,’ Rarity smiled before frowning again, ‘Lovely songs, wonderful acting, and they adored the outfits I crafted. Her old classmates, my dear apprentice Yona and her special somepony Sandbar, gave an exemplary performance! If only that had been the entirety of the evening…’

Rarity inhaled through her teeth, and Luna ended that thought. ‘Say no more, Rarity, I am aware of Spike’s altercation afterwards. Twilight Sparkle informed Celestia and I some days back, as well as of his subsequent travels. Have the two of you communicated since then…?’

‘We have, immediately before I slept tonight as a matter of fact,’ Rarity confirmed, ‘He’s stopped by at the Crystal Empire for the time being. I have an inkling that our Princess Mi Amore Cadenza will know what to do with him better than Twilight or myself in the aftermath of what happened.’

‘A most dreadful happenstance, given what he was already concerned about,’ Luna tisked, ‘Although I do have faith in Cadance’s ability to help our little dragon friend get back upon his feet. As for yourself, Rarity… do you wish to probe further into the particulars of your worries while we’re speaking?’

Rarity put a hoof to her cheek, her sapphire gaze casting upwards at the stalks looming above for a moment before deciding, ‘I do, Luna, although… well, my own reasons for failing to resist the nightmare forces that, ah, night… well, they feel a little silly, compared to yours, I’ve always felt. Am I correct?’

‘A relative statement,’ Luna said, raising an eyebrow after a pause, ‘And one I must take issue with, Rarity. If you expect me to say yes to that, well, I refuse – to say any one mare’s inner turmoil trumps another’s, as if one’s troubles were a contest of some description, would be rather churlish. Heaven knows I see enough tossing and turning over seemingly minor things on a nightly basis to know such judgements are extremely unhelpful.’

‘Perhaps so, but until Spikey-Wikey and I broached the topic I’d, well, found the whole thing a rather embarrassing memory, that’s all, not something to overcome as much as simply leave forgotten, lest it reopen old wounds. My own fear of being forgotten and replaced, consigned to the dustbin of history, as it were… just seems so trite, even if it left me open in much the same way as yourself.’

‘Everycreature has their insecurities, Rarity. Yours were, and remain, quite valid, as valid as mine. For another example, our princess didn’t judge Starlight Glimmer for the impetus of her cutie mark removal cult, did she?’ Luna said, straightening her back and spreading her wings, ‘In the grander scheme being parted from Sunburst as a filly was such a small thing, but it was intensely upsetting to her. Uplifting and rehabilitating her was Twilight’s main priority in the aftermath, not belittlement.’

‘That she didn’t, admirably on her part. Starlight was reunited with Sunburst, and she’s doing quite well as a mother and headmare at the School of Friendship these days rather than, ah, destroying reality! Quite the turnaround, truth be told.’

‘Yes, just like either of us, and for my part, Celestia and her attendants spent some time rehabilitating me after my return. I’m honestly the happiest I’ve been in a thousand years since banishing the Tantabus, low bar that may be according to some, and as for you… well, your clothing empire appears to be coming along quite well, unless I am somehow mistaken?’

Rarity’s curls bounced as she nodded enthusiastically. ‘Why, yes! Of course I’m busy with it much of the time, though I’m on hiatus until next week, but you know, one must observe one’s vacation time. It isn’t just the clothes, you know, although they are tantamount; I do have quite the professional network spread across Equestria to keep things ticking over. Sassy Saddles in Canterlot, Ms. Pommel over in Manehattan, Chiffon Ruffles in Baltimare; to say nothing of up-and-comers like Pistachio out west…’

‘Yes… between that and your fellow Elements of Harmony you’ve not let past mistakes get in the way. I admire that,’ Luna observed with a thin smile, ‘Far from myself. I was never much of a social butterfly.’

‘Spike says similar, that I always “bounce back” from my errors, and I suppose he’s right. Although regarding Nightmare Rarity in proximity to that statement… that was just for a few nights, not so much time for it to stick, fortunately. The girls and Spikey did everything they reasonably could to drag me back out of that mess, though not before I, ah…’ Rarity stopped in her tracks.

‘Not before I fainted dead away after just one attack from you?’ Luna finished Rarity’s sentence with another lone chuckle, looking into her eyes.

‘Well, yes!’ Rarity replied, ‘I am most apologetic over that entire episode, by the way, regardless of how long ago it was. Conduct most unbecoming of a lady, truly.’

‘All water under the bridge, Rarity. You say it was your fear of being forgotten that left you open… for me it was anger and insecurity at Celestia being the “favoured” alicorn out of the both of us. Starswirl, our tutor and mentor in the early years of our responsibilities, wasn’t shy to judge one of us as more worthy than the other.’ Luna paused, pained by the recollection, ‘Upon reflection I suppose he was inclined to put Celestia on a pedestal after those years he’d spent painfully raising the sun with a half-dozen other wizards until we came along, but at the time… well, as the princess of the night, it felt as if I were a despised afterthought on several occasions.’

‘I see,’ Rarity nodded, ‘And then he up and vanished one day without warning the way he did with the rest of the Pillars, and neither of you had any idea why. That must have been horrible, Luna. I’m so sorry.’

‘It gave me… a complex. It gave both of us complexes, really; inferiority for myself and superiority for her, I suppose. It only became worse after she was lavished with all the credit for stopping Discord back when he was at his worst. I was a distant second fiddle to the throne as far as ponies in general were concerned after that.’ She ended that observation with a snort of bitter amusement.

‘You poor thing,’ Rarity said, leaning closer, ‘Sisterly relationships can turn sour, even without tacit endorsement from one’s guardian, as well as one’s subjects! Our own parents never gave either Sweetie Belle nor myself much in the way of special treatment, but even so the two of us have been known to lock horns over certain things. I can only imagine the strain you must have been under at the time.’

‘Consider yourself fortunate, Rarity. I held so much against Celestia for so long… granted, I was trapped inside my own nightmare, much like yourself, for the duration of being Nightmare Moon, and not in control of my own actions until you and your friends freed me, but still… I would have been susceptible to it all over again afterwards if I hadn’t realised something important. So important it changed my entire world irreversibly.’

Rarity’s curiosity piqued as Luna drew a long breath. ‘In a thousand years I never questioned whether Celestia would be long deceased before my return, but… she waited for me. For a thousand years! No offence, Rarity, but you don’t know how long that truly is unless you’ve lived it. When Starswirl crafted our crowns, he told us they gifted immortality to their wearers. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for her to have decided Nightmare Moon could be some future monarch’s problem. If she were the shallow, duplicitous pony I’d thought her to be all that time, she would have been long gone. But she waited for me.’ Luna shed a tear as she laid that out to Rarity, then another, ‘And there aren’t words…’

Rarity leant forward as Luna’s bottom lip wobbled, and she reached out to the dream walker. ‘Oh, Luna, sweetheart… oh, come here, darling. There’s no need to cry.’

‘Excuse me so much Rarity, I didn’t mean to vent like this. It’s just… I don’t talk openly about this much,’ Luna sighed, a few seconds after taking Rarity up on the offer of a hug. She sniffled into her arms as she spoke further, ‘We still bicker over little things sometimes, but I am grateful for her; I’m so, so glad Celestia is my sister. At the end of the day, should all become night, I’d do anything for her. Twilight may carry the crown nowadays, but the bond between us remains stronger than ever. I love my sister.’

‘So do I, sweetheart,’ Rarity said, patting Luna on her back before straightening up slightly and clarifying as she blushed, ‘Ah, I mean, my own sister, Sweetie Belle that is, although I have quite a strong groundswell of goodwill towards Celestia as well! Ah, ableh, um…’

‘No, I understand,’ Luna said, withdrawing from Rarity's embrace, ‘As I said earlier, you remind me of Celestia, just a little, and your relationship with Sweetie Belle mirrors that between my sister and myself. Fragile at times perhaps, but worth persevering with.’

The two of them fell silent as Luna wiped her tears away with a flick of her mane, and Rarity marvelled as the droplets looked to join the twinkling stars of her mane. She wore a thin smile as Luna looked back to her, her own eyes feeling watery, the rest of her awkward but glad to have shared a moment like this with her.

Then she cast her gaze at Tiberius and gasped, then burst out laughing as he looked back at her with beady eyes, hanging upside-down now by his tail from his leaf’s stalk. ‘Hmm? What’s so funny, Rarity?’ Luna asked, unsure whether to be offended as Rarity rolled onto her side, nearly onto the ground as she laughed and laughed.

Rarity’s sudden roar subsided into a giggle before she composed herself. ‘Hee… I just recalled where I’ve seen your possum before, Luna – alongside Celestia’s phoenix Philomena at the Sisterhooves Social a few years ago! Oh, you and Celestia were having quite the quarrel that day until somehow both your pets were the size of a Manehattan skyscraper each. Then the two of you had to zip around taking care of the situation while Sweetie Belle was strapped to Celestia during the six-legged race, and I was tied to you. I didn’t recall his face nor name until now, but I remember his size! And I remember the nausea from being airborne the entire time. I suppose that’s a case in point about our relationships, isn’t it?’

It was Luna’s turn to burst out laughing, and Rarity joined her. ‘Oh dear, so it is! I had forgotten about that entire episode, truth be told,’ Luna said after she’d spent a moment rolling around in the grass giggling herself silly. ‘My apologies once again for that mess, my friend – we were not really ourselves that entire week and you both got caught up in it. Blame it on an overly spicy diet as much as any antagonism between siblings. Ah, to me, Tibbles.’

One hoof outstretched, she beckoned to the little possum, who obeyed his mistress by letting go, swinging by his tail with a leap back onto her shoulder. Rarity laid back onto her stomach once he’d resumed his place and, gingerly at first, stretched out her own hoof, feeling bold enough now to touch him. Tiberius didn’t mind, gently poking its underside with his whiskery pink nose before hopping atop where Luna had once rested her crown. ‘Ah, I admit it, I was nervous at first, but he is a sweet little creature,’ Rarity said dreamily, ‘I can see why you’d keep his company when he’s not about to flatten Sweet Apple Acres.’

Luna simply chuckled in response, rolling her shoulders and plainly enjoying the sensation of little paws upon her scalp. ‘I’m happy that you’re warming to him, then.’

‘Ah, you know me, trotting carefully around the new and unproven initially, but I shan’t reject it without good reason. Fashion has to keep an open mind if it’s to evolve, after all. The alternative is… ugh. Those stuck-up louts at Onthebridle & Bits, say, are quite representative of what happens when it’s buttoned down too tightly in the name of pure profit.’

Luna nodded. ‘It isn’t just your mind you keep open, Rarity. Your heart, too, is open to anycreature, so long as they seek no harm. With that, I think you’ll go far down the path you’ve chosen.’

‘What can I say… Fluttershy rubbed off on me over the years…’ Rarity answered, feeling a yawn accumulate in the back of her throat. She stretched a back leg as she let it out in a breathy squeal, then observed, ‘This is a truly lovely couch you have here, Luna darling. Are you certain you don’t want it back?’

Luna cast her a look as serene as the galaxy surrounding the island. ‘I’m fine on the grass, Rarity – rest if you wish after all that fire and fury before. Ah,’ she paused, before levitating two objects with a sparkle of her horn, ‘Before you do, I believe I have something of yours.’

‘Hm?’ Rarity grunted quizzically as she rested her chin on her hooves, then opened her eyes as the two halves of the fire ruby she’d torn out of herself before Luna had entered her dreams landed in front of her, one after the other. ‘The fire ruby! In that rather heated battle earlier I suppose I had relinquished it! Oh, and it’s broken in two…!’ she cried in dismay.

‘That apparition you fought with broke your heart, in a manner of speaking, I don’t doubt,’ said Luna, ‘But do not forget this is a dream. If you want it fixed, well, that’s up to you.’

‘Of course I do,’ Rarity said, a protracted sleepy croon in her voice, ‘I unearthed it very recently, after the same discussion with Spike that prompted the letter I sent you. It’s incredibly important to both of us, regarding Nightmare Rarity and his own past, um, awkwardnesses.’

Luna didn’t answer. It was definitely the encroaching drowsiness that prevented Rarity from understanding what she’d meant, but then it hit her. ‘Oh, I see. Yes, I want to fix this precious gem, but will it work?’ she asked, staring at it and concentrating in much the same way she’d tried and failed to shed the nightmare guise she’d embodied previously.

Luna looked serious as she watched Rarity work her magic on the fire ruby. ‘Believe,’ she said, ‘Truly believe.’

Rarity’s horn glowed, and she felt strange pressure and heat spread from it to behind her eyes, as if she were experiencing a fever as she took Luna’s advice; she had to believe she could heal the fractured jewel. She rubbed the two pieces together and they shimmered in the grip of her magic, taking a little more effort besides, but she soon saw it was working; Rarity’s ardour was soon rewarded by the two halves merging with a quiet “pching!”.

The pressure subsided. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down from her brow to her jaw as she let it go, then inspected it to be positive it had worked. Luna likewise leaned forward for a moment, before facing her again. ‘Good work,’ she smiled, and Rarity saw the fire ruby was flawless once more.

‘Ooh, difficult,’ Rarity said, taking the ruby in both hooves, finding it warm to touch, ‘But I wouldn’t much like to leave things like that. Ah, it wasn’t broken in the real world, was it?’ She punctuated that question with a yawn she didn’t attempt to stifle.

‘No, only in dreams,’ said Luna, ‘Nevertheless, it is an important object to you. One can do worse than cherish those regardless of the realm within which they exist. Trust me,’ she winked, to which Rarity responded with mild confusion.

‘Ahem, of course, I suppose tying up loose ends never hurts,’ she answered, before rubbing her eye with a hoof, ‘I must say though, I was already faltering somewhat but doing that… well, I’m rather tired, Luna sweetheart. You really don’t mind me commandeering this couch?’

‘Rarity, stop apologising! You are a guest here,’ Luna betrayed faint irritation as she sat back down, then snorted with amusement, ‘And this is the single greatest place to rest in all of the dreamscape, by my own decree. I like to think I know what I’m talking about!’

‘I shall, I shall, I shall,’ Rarity said, closing her eyes almost involuntarily, yawning before continuing, ‘My apolog– I mean, I graciously accept. You know, if I weren’t already dreaming I’d say this was the perfect… place to sleep…’

And with that, she relaxed totally; and with that, Luna watched as she slowly shimmered and dematerialised, awakening back into the real world of Equestria. ‘Have a nice day, Rarity,’ she said to herself, ‘I’m glad we’ve had this talk… may we speak again sometime.’

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Rarity stirred with a groan and a wriggle, turning from her back onto her side, feeling something hard pressed against her chest. ‘Mwugh… Luna, darling…?’ she murmured, already feeling like something important was fading from her memory, before feeling herself collide with something papery. She tried to remove her night mask only to find it blocked, and she squirmed in her disorientation for a moment before realising there was a rolled-up parchment nestling around her horn.

‘Oh!’ she breathed, before tossing the red blankets off herself and sitting upright, her mane matted and loose around her shoulders, her Safeshadow Amulet hanging over her muzzle and her shaggy pink nightgown loose around the rest of her, ‘Ah, I believe I’ve become entangled. One… thingy at a time, Rarity,’ she mumbled, not quite awake.

She shot the scroll off her horn a little too forcefully. It popped off like a firework with a “shunk”, and its trajectory sent it airbourne for several seconds as she removed her mask properly, just in time to see it land. Then she looked down at whatever hard object she’d had clutched to her furred bosom overnight, realising she was holding the fire ruby.

‘Did I cuddle that darned gemstone all night…?’ Rarity questioned, placing it back onto the bedside table and letting her amulet fall over her chest fur, before looking at the scroll that had landed on the bedroom rug. ‘I definitely didn’t take it to bed with me– oh, another message from Spikey!’ she exclaimed, almost hopping out of bed to retrieve it before pondering, ‘And Luna… oh, I don’t really remember now. I think Luna visited my dream… and I remember… Daybreaker.’

She paused, blinking stupidly in a failure to recollect, birds singing and the sun streaming through the window before concluding, ‘Daybreaker? It was the name of… somepony… and it’s daybreak now… oh, the intangibilities will return to me. What did Spikey-Wikey write?’

Horn magic levitated and unfurled the scroll in front of Rarity, and she trotted out of the room with her nose deep into it. Her bed laid unmade in its owner’s neglect for an entire five seconds before she popped her head back around the door. With a telekinetic smoothing over of the undersheet and a flap and replacement of the blankets, she apologised to her own bed aloud. ‘Oh, my mistake! It’d never do to return to that after a busy day. There you go, darling,’ she mumbled again before looking at Spike’s third letter.

It read:

“Hey Rarity,

One more thing! Indulge me while I experiment a bit with fire breath scrolls. Shining Armor gave me an ice cream coupon he’d pocketed and forgotten about last time he took Flurry and Cadance to Canterlot, and he said I could have it. But… I want you to have it! I’m gonna pin it onto this scroll and see what happens if I send it your way. Check below my signature; if there’s nothing there, well, experiment failed. But if it does work, enjoy a free scoop!”

That’s all! Looking forward to hearing from you in the morning,

~Spike 🔥 x”

Below Spike’s signature, Rarity found there was indeed a coupon; a little drawing of a pink unicorn colt and a blue pegasus filly wearing bibs and licking their lips as they beheld a huge bowl containing every colour of ice cream imaginable, next to text exclaiming, “Limited time only! Save your bits at The Castle of Lots ’n’ Lots’a Slop! Take a free scoop of any ice cream of your choice along with another scoop of equal or greater value. Coupon expires on Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

Rarity scanned the short but sweet letter twice, a smile spreading across her face. ‘Oh, Spike…’ she muttered under her breath as she blinked the sleep away, ‘I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m unsure if it would work after being sent via dragonfire! Ah, perhaps I’ll give it a go when I’m in the city next week.’

Contemplating strawberry and cinnamon ice cream she inhaled, suddenly gagging as that delicious flavour memory was rudely overridden by the waft of burnt toast. She immediately knew what it meant; Sweetie Belle was at large downstairs, making breakfast.

Rarity straightened her face and rolled Spike’s message back up, inserting it into her pocket. She tightened her nightgown around herself before trotting to the top of the stairs, an overly-cheerful affectation trilling, ‘Oh, Sweetie Belle~! Are you making breakfast down there, dearheart?’

A short, sharp shriek was the response, along with something hitting the kitchen floor with simultaneous “splat!” and “clang!” sounds. ‘Rarity!! You weren’t supposed to be up so soon! Go back to bed so I can surprise you!’

‘Absolutely not! I’m coming down, darling. I can’t offer my guidance on culinary matters if I’m still asleep now, can I?’ Rarity answered back, descending the stairs and quite prepared for the mess that was bound to ensue. It was time to seize a new day, and how better than by making breakfast with her beloved sister, regardless of how singed it may turn out? She grinned, something in the back of her mind insistent that nothing was better than that.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Author's Note

The lion's share of this was written in November and February. December and January joined forces to become total black holes of time ☠

I suspected after I finished the last chapter I should've put myself on hiatus over the winter but I didn't... well, here's the new chapter anyway. As you can see, besides Spike and Rarity having issues for the first two-thirds, the last third mainly focusses on my own headcanon for what happened between Celestia and Luna, and some prattle about the final issue of the Friends Forever comics :derpyderp1:

I hope you enjoyed my usual ponderous pony doodling, and as ever, I am bad and slow. Such is life in the zone (not the fashion zone)

– 21: A Dragon and Pony Reunion –

‘Look over there! Isn’t that Rarity?!’ came an excited voice a way away from the café table where the pony in question was sitting. Her ear twitched involuntarily under her furry winter hat as she registered the comment while she sipped a cinnamon latté from a glass mug. Fifth time today, by her estimate; she wouldn’t even have minded if the observation had followed with an approach and a greeting, but as it was, she increasingly felt as if she were being treated like an exhibit as she waited.

She placed her mug on its saucer and dipped her rosy winter shades, peering over them in an effort to locate where it had come from, not that her previous ganders had been fruitful. ‘Yes, darling? Did somepony or somecreature say my name?’ she enquired aloud, sounding as cheerful as she could muster amidst the madding crowd.

A few seconds’ attentive anticipation gave way to her baseline irritation. ‘Of course not… I suppose tourist attractions make us all gawkers,’ she muttered as nopony became apparent.

Rarity had been waiting by the airship platform opposite Horseshoe Falls for a while now. Between the damp cold, the white chunder of rushing water and the chuntering of tourists, she was growing tired of waiting for a certain zeppelin that a scroll from a certain little dragon had assured her upon which he was due to arrive. Neighagra Falls was, as she’d just commented, a tourism hotspot, this time of year more than ever; ponies who would usually be attracted to Canterlot or Cloudsdale during the lighter seasons tended to polarise to warmer or cooler climes as winter settled in.

The Falls were accordingly just north enough for those seeking the best of the Crystal Mountains’ winter sports scene to do some sightseeing in-between ski and skate trips, not quite northern enough to encroach upon the Crystal Empire proper. From where she was sitting with her coffee and complimentary macaroons she had a fine view of the partially-frozen waterfalls off to the east, liberally powdered and crystalline around the edges, typical before Hearth’s Warming, before giving way to powerful rushing waters that never ceased.

Chilly as it was here, the sun shone merrily upon the rapids, and rainbows danced upon the waters as they roared away in the near distance. That was partially influenced by the literal rainbow waters upstream from the Rainbow Falls further east, and while those became diluted as they merged with other rivers, their sheen persisted.

The airship station where Rarity was resting her hooves for now was situated partway up the valley containing the falls, a bustling conurbation of wood cabin tourist entertainments, eateries and a few hotels around a wide parking area with exactly three towering passenger dirigibles of varying size – from smallest to largest pink, mint, lavender, the pink one with a balloon fashioned like an agitated swordfish, strangely enough – carved into a dark granite edifice. Its vista over the falls was its secondary purpose, but its primary attraction more than the vantage point it offered for safer landing away from the rapids. There was a trail down towards more buildings closer to Horseshoe Falls, of course, but the impact of that initial “wow” was priceless for local business.

Indeed, Rarity had breathed extensive words to that effect to herself as she’d landed via hot air balloon, a little over an hour ago. From there, once it became apparent through the mists, it was as if a flowing, marbled jewel had had a massive hole punched into it from orbit, but it was no less beautiful for that metaphor. Deep blue waters roared and foamed despite their frosty edges, almost vertiginous in the sudden verticality of the Falls themselves as they cascaded into the Shoulder Lake below.

Rarity was just musing on how the excitement was wearing off so soon for her now she was closer up with the falls before she heard a squabble of yelps, the unmistakable squeals of more than one filly approaching rapidly.

‘I told you it was her, Opal Fruits! You never believe me about this stuff!’ cried one.

‘Seeing’s believing, Toasty Socks. That’s her for sure! Tangled Weave, c’mon! Toasty’s not full of it after all!’

‘Rarity? Omigosh, she’s even prettier than in pictures! Rarity, I love you!!’ breathed a quieter third.

She’d barely stood before a whirlwind of prancing, swooping pegasus fillies surrounded her, plainly extremely happy to see her. She welcomed it; admirers who actually dared approach instead of gasping at her from the edge of her perception would doubtless stave off her burgeoning impatience for Spike’s arrival.

Completely unflapped by the girls whizzing around she took another magic sip of her latté and held onto her scarf before saying with a raised hoof, ‘Why, good afternoon to all of you, my little darlings! Do you have business with your old Rarity, now?’

The fillies collided with one another and stopped moving as she addressed them, a fluffy pile-up of feathers, winter jackets and hair on the gritted wooden deck – Rarity noted with amusement that these foals’ manes were in turn pink, mint and lavender, same as the airships nearby, though no swordfish this time – that soon peered up at her with three pairs of big eyes, mouths agape.

They didn’t speak further; Rarity was familiar with ponies becoming starstruck in her presence, and she recognized they were lost for words at this precise moment. In an effort to put them at ease, she patted the curl protruding from her hat and continued with a giggle, ‘My word, you’ve all gone quiet so soon! Do feel free to take a seat, little ones… whenever the three of you’re ready, we can talk about anything you wish.’

Then she noticed that none of the three had her cutie mark, which gave her pause. Rarity’s smile shrank a bit as she scanned the nearby stalls and cafés; fillies of their age at an attraction like this must surely be accompanied by an adult.

Sure enough, in the crowd she noticed a large, purple, bearded earth pony stallion wearing a white baseball cap and a t-shirt under a black, open winter fleece, both light garments daubed with a rainbow logo stating “🌈 DEEP DIVE AT THE FABLED FALLS OF EASTERN EQUESTRIA. I 💓 Neighagra Falls!”. He certainly looked concerned. ‘Girls? Girls?’ Rarity heard him call over the hubbub of the tourist traffic, ‘Not this again… where’d they dash off to this time?’

She glanced down at the young fillies, the pink-maned one of whom had risen to her hooves in the interim with a flutter of wings. A little closer up Rarity saw she had a face full of freckles that matched her plaited hair, although her fur and feathers were largely a lush gold. She looked into her eyes with a serious expression. ‘Forgive my asking, darlings, but is that stallion over there your–?’

The foal wore longstockings as well as a red padded jacket, Rarity saw as two flailed in front of her; one stripey, woolly one, none matching, on each leg that exposed the hoof but otherwise covered up past the knee. ‘Hi my name’s Toasty Socks and this is my big sister Opal Fruits and my little sister Tangled Weave and DADDY!!! We’re over here!!’ she blurted out before hovering upwards and waving frantically at the stallion.

With a sigh of relief the stallion snapped to attention, before trotting up to the table with patriarchal purpose. ‘Girls!’ he scolded with a furrowed brow as the lavender-maned one helped her little sister up, all three of them stepping in line and looking preemptively annoyed by his forthcoming lecture, ‘What have me and your mother said about flying off like that? Just because she’s stuck in the hotel today–’ he stopped himself and tipped his cap at Rarity, ‘Good day to you there, Rarity – as a matter of fact, all the more today since she can’t leave the hotel I need all three of you to stay close to me! I can’t get to places like she can to–’

He stopped again, wide-eyed this time as he registered Rarity’s presence properly, blushing and looking very awkward all of a sudden. ‘Oh. Madame Rarity. Um, hello.’

‘In the flesh,’ Rarity drawled, sitting back down, leaning forward in her seat and addressing the family as she batted her eyelashes, ‘Though just Rarity, Ms. Rarity if you must. Now, to whom do I owe this pleasure? Young Ms. Socks introduced herself and her sisters so quickly I’m unsure who’s who. Please, please, all of you be seated and we can have a civil conversation. I’m at a loose end right now whilst I wait upon a dear friend’s arrival, so it’s quite alright.’

‘A friend?!’ gasped Toasty Socks, ‘You’re not meeting Pinkie Pie, are you? She’s my favourite, after you of course!!’

‘Sweet Celestia, contain yourself for one darned second, Socks. I’m Opal Fruits,’ nodded the plum, lavender-haired pegasus in a husky voice slightly deeper than her father’s as she put a hoof on the table, ‘And these are my little sisters, Toasty Socks,’ she put her other hoof on the golden-furred pony’s head as she nodded to the messy-maned, cornflower-blue youngest, just about visible beneath a bobble hat and several layers of loose clothing, ‘And Tangled Weave. And this is our dad, Slip Slider. It’s a pleasure to meet you, uh, Mizz Rarity. Big fan. We all are, actually.’

Rarity took that compliment in stride, tossing her mane with a smile. ‘Well, I’m always open to my public… though I suspect I’m not the only fashionista you’ve encountered on your family sojourn, by the looks of it,’ she said, grinning at both Toasty Socks and Tangled Weave, whose ski jacket covered an incredibly shaggy mohair sweater that fit her like a tent, ‘By my guess you’ve passed by Hope Hollow recently, haven’t you?’

Tangled Weave retracted gently into her sweater, looking at Rarity with surprise. ‘Um, yes… how’d you tell?’

‘Duh, we’re wearing the stuff we bought there, T.W. Everypony knows Rarity’s got a sixth sense for this stuff!’ Toasty Socks chirruped, ‘There’s this knitwear pony up that way with a peg leg, not a pirate though or at least she didn’t talk like one, and a shop fulla clothes that are so warm, you wouldn’t believe it! It gets pretty cold in the Crystal Mountains and Mommy really liked ’em so we got some!’

Rarity and Opal Fruits both pursed their lips and looked at one another in silent agreement at Toasty Socks’ primary identifier of the pony she spoke of. ‘Oh, I know her. Kerfuffle and I have met a few times now. Lovely girl, nice hair, so talented,’ Rarity responded, ‘Woollens aren’t entirely my realm of expertise but as you say and display, Miss Socks, she makes the most exemplary longstockings! I suppose you were spoiled for choice, weren’t you darling?’

‘Understatement of the millennium,’ Slip Slider had taken the nearest chair from a vacant table while Rarity had conversed with his daughters, and he laughed before sighing, ‘Ah, coincidence is a funny thing. My gal, I mean these kids’ mom, name’a Spangles, well, like Toasty said, she really liked the socks. She’s wearing some of the rest of those mismatched darn things back in the hotel. Rotten luck she can’t be here right now, she’d fanfilly out as much as these ones seeing you.’

‘Oh? She’s unable to be out and about on a nice,’ Rarity caught a shiver in her muzzle as she rethought that sentiment, ‘Ah, a quite bracing day like today?’

‘Mom hurt herself,’ Tangled Weave said. Opal Fruits nodded with gravity.

‘True that, T.W.,’ said Slip Slider, ‘She bumped her wing kinda bad going down the falls in one’a them barrels yesterday. I did try to talk her out of it, but she’d been champing at the bit to do it and she insisted it was safe even after they made her sign some liability stuff… anyway, she’s huge on ya too. We wuz just out ourselves to buy some souvenirs and snacks for her. This was gonna be our last day before heading back north, but we might be setting off back to Baltimare instead if she doesn’t perk up soon.’

Rarity sat up straight as he explained that, taking another sip of coffee before frowning as she noticed a parallel to her own recent experiences away from Ponyville. ‘You don’t say? It sounds as though your trip may be due to end on quite the sour note, then. There could be something I can do about that, but, ooh…’

Rarity eyeballed the large clock on the station’s control tower to make sure she’d calculated the time this would take, making the call as she saw it hadn’t struck one yet. ‘Ah, immediate matters for one to attend trump those that one awaits. If the four of you don’t mind, I’ll just let the barista of this cafeteria know my whereabouts,’ she said, standing back up and looking at her unfinished latté, ‘The last thing I want right now is to let my temporary absence let my friend down after we’ve been separated for some time, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t give you all some of my time.’

‘Not sure I understand, Ms. Rarity. Where’ll you be going?’ Slip Slider asked, as his daughters all clamoured with a series of gasps; Toasty Socks the highest, Opal Fruits the lowest and Tangled Weave in the mid-register, but quietest as ever. They had a fairly good idea of what Rarity was about to suggest.

She turned to him and grinned, bowing just enough to point her horn right at his face. ‘Why, with you and your lovely fillies to see your darling wife, my dear sir, unless you have any objections? It sounds to me that she’s in dire need of a lifting of spirits for all your sakes, and… well, it seems somewhat of a no-brainer to me that an admirer of mine would appreciate a little visitation! What do you say? Not too much of an intrusion, I hope?’

Once the squeals of delight had subsided, Slip Slider exhaled as he got to grips with this reversal of fortune that had fallen into his lap. ‘I, uh, well, if that is alright with you, Rarity. I-I’m very aware you’re a busy mare. We, uh, won’t take too much of your time.’

‘Normally I’d say that’s nonsense, but I truly appreciate the sentiment, sweetheart,’ Rarity tipped her horn towards Slip Slider as she noticed him blush a little, ‘My rendez-vous with my little friend is very important to me, I shan’t pretend it isn’t. Now, do be patient, all of you! I’ll be back in two shakes of a foal’s tail!’

She stacked her drained glass mug and its saucer, then magiced the chair upon which she’d sat back under the table before trotting towards the café’s glass door. ‘R-right you are, Ms. Rarity,’ Opal Fruits said, pulling her sisters close to her again as her father hesitated in the same starstruck awkwardness that had hit his daughters not so long ago, ‘We can’t wait! Mom’s gonna go nuts!’

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Spike swooped and soared with a huge grin all over his face, relishing the feeling of the wind rushing through his frills as he flapped his outstretched wings, just once as he left the zeppelin he’d been riding far behind. There was a cold wind at his back as he flew, but wearing his jacket and the ground his destination it was just a matter of keeping course by steering himself, veering left or right with less flapping than one would expect. Below him a layer of pristine white clouds lay, the weather fine enough that their cover over Equestria lay broken enough for him to see the flowing opal of Neighagra Falls and its snowy surroundings, its glistening frosts and foam quite visible even from this high up.

Of course, its environs contained another, smaller but much more significant jewel, one he hadn’t seen for some time, and for whom the wrapped bouquet he clutched between his claws were destined. It had been slightly less than a moon since Spike had left Rarity and the Changeling Hive behind, but a necessary moon given what had happened there.

The intervening period he’d spent on the move along with his stay at the Crystal Empire had, while not solving all the problems, nevertheless given him some distance from things, and some much-needed kindness and understanding from his in-laws, the princess of love and her small but tight-knit family.

Over the past weeks Spike had come to regret vanishing from Rarity in the dead of night in the wake of the disastrous end of their Hive visit. They’d both struggled to cope with the situation, and even at the time of his departure he’d known it wasn’t her fault; he’d said as much to her in his parting letter, after all.

With a more rational head on his shoulders now he reasoned he could have just returned to Canterlot with Twilight, found a professional therapist there and spared Rarity the heartache she’d subtly but definitely communicated to him in their correspondence once or twice these past weeks, but he’d felt no other recourse at the time. On a purely selfish level he reasoned he could have, but then he never would have seen Seaddle’s Star Spire or the Galloping Gorge under his own steam, and truth be told, it had been great to visit his family up north without the usual accompanying imminent national crisis.

At any rate, he felt he was ready to return to his special somepony in a way he hadn’t been in the aftermath of Chitin’s attack on him, and so he made his descent.

They’d been in touch in the meantime, at least one letter sent each way, each day. Since that first proper exchange of messages after he’d touched down on Cadance’s doorstep, the more metaphorical door between them had remained open. Certain things still weighed upon him, but his decision to leap off the deck of the airship he’d been travelling south upon, entering the crystal-clear blue yonder with free abandon like this, full intent to land before her with a grand flourish to sweep her off her hooves at the forefront of his mind… well, the symbolism wasn’t lost on him.

Taking the plunge had been a thought he’d been brooding upon for a while, since before departing from the Crystal Palace a day ago. Cadance had suggested he make up his sudden leave of Rarity and this was how he intended to accomplish that, so he’d left the hand luggage he’d dragged via train up the Luna Coast at the palace, aside from his green scarf and the red, Carousel Boutique-exclusive pleather jacket from which his wings protruded – one of her boutique’s finest, of course – but he’d wrestled with the notion of actually taking that first step off.

It had taken a couple of stomach-churning minutes before he’d remembered his own observation to Rarity that day in Canterlot not all that long ago, that even as a winged creature it was worst when you looked straight down while standing on two legs; indeed, he’d gazed into the stratosphere as he’d leapt off, and he’d struggled with the massive vehicle’s slipstream in those critical first few seconds. Keeping pace, then allowing himself to fall while leaning away had helped detach from its orbit rather than take a slapping from its propulsive fins, thank Celestia, and once the wind had caught under his outstretched wings the fear had dissipated completely as he looked down upon Equestria, stretching from horizon to horizon.

He’d taken the last few minutes at a heightened level of knots as he’d mostly let gravity do its thing with minor adjustments to keep those pesky eddies rolling over the nearby mountains sending him off somewhere closer towards Cloudsdale. The opening in the roiling, fluffy clouds below him showed that he was closing in fast on the station where he knew Rarity awaited. Spike pointed himself upwards and flapped his wings to slow up somewhat. Less flying and more falling with grace, he snickered to himself as he held the bouquet closer to his chest.

He felt free, airborne like this, though he was glad he’d kept the scarf and jacket, chilly as it was this high up. He’d had worse, he mused, and accompanying that thought the little dragon took a second to make sure he hadn’t somehow lost possession of the black teardrop on the chain around his neck. The Safeshadow Amulet was indeed still there, resting upon his scarf’s knot. Although he hadn’t knowingly needed it so far, it was crystallised peace of mind.

Soaring further yet downwards, Spike took the occasion to do a vertical roll, followed by two beats of his wings as he did a loop-de-loop before another roll. Exhilarating, if a little nauseating, but it just seemed the right time for stunts, in his current situation, and in this current good mood! He just wished Rarity herself were around to see their perfect, ten out of ten execution.

As he passed below the clouds at last he beat his wings a few more times, a series of “whoomp”s slowing his descent as the rocky precipice of the airdock, its attendant landing areas, flourishing snowy pines and just as snowy pinewood buildings became more distinct above the enormous waterfalls they faced. Any ponies or other creatures down there were still too distant to see beyond multicoloured dots, but he could definitely see that there were three airships standing unused on the airfield; one lilac, one mint, one lavender. He recognized the one shaped like a fish as a military vehicle, inevitable given the guard presence one would expect of a place like this.

As Spike noticed the blinking beacon atop the wooden control tower and port building that separated the dock from the hotels and eateries it occurred to him to look upwards for a moment, to see if the zeppelin he himself was supposed to be arriving upon was visible, and he could, a blue and gold ovoid partly hidden by a cloud in the distance above as it slowly lowered. It was still distant enough that he would easily beat it to its destination by at least several minutes. Good, he thought. That was the whole point of this little winged diversion he’d embarked upon, to beat the traffic and tap Rarity on the shoulder, giving her a hug, these crystalline flowers and a big surprise he was sure she’d love.

He was closing in enough now that he could see individual ponies and other creatures – he was sure that was a hippogriff couple down there in skiwear excitedly snapping ponaroids of everything around them, and a family of yaks that nervous waiter was serving outside that Cloudsdalian pizzeria – taking their stays at the hotels and restaurants, trotting through the paved lanes and wood chipping paths between them.

A herd of woollen hats and fleece jackets congregated around the metal barrier separating the dirigible dock from the rest of the station. Tourists awaiting friends and loved ones, or just enjoying the scenery, gazed upwards in wonder at the airship, a few already cheering and waving in its general direction. Chances were good Rarity was among their number, Spike reasoned as he strained his wings to slow more from his descent, beating his wings as he hovered to a standstill. It wasn’t impossible that one or two denizens had spotted an unidentified purple object aloft, but Spike was unconcerned.

What did concern him was planting his feet back on terra firma safely, with the dock platform in imminent use and the pathways as crowded as they were. He took a moment to ponder that before spotting an appropriate roof where he could get his bearings. None of these buildings had flat roofs given the snows, the stuff’s nasty habit of accumulating meaning that there needed to be at least a little slant to avoid property damage. He sighted a wide, gently sloping one on what, upon his approach, Spike immediately identified by scent as a donut shop. Heck, he had some bits on him and flying had piqued his hunger, so that suited him.

At last he landed, accidentally plopping himself neatly into a little dragon-shaped hole in snow deeper than he’d anticipated and shaking a few icicles off the gables from which they hung. After a pause he burst back out, a snowball tumbling into its side-alley where he landed on tiptoes. Nocreature was nearby besides any smaller critters possibly lurking in the dumpster there, so Spike took a moment to shake it off both himself and his bouquet thoroughly while he was still undetected.

‘Brrrr,’ he shivered, whipping off his jacket and giving it an extra shake, admiring its golden shooting star as he brushed it clean before wriggling back into it, ‘Well, on the bright side, Spike, you stuck the landing after descending from a mile up. Not so many can say that. Well, besides a few pegasi,’ he chuckled.

He considered buying a donut box then and there, but with the airship impending he decided to prioritise Rarity first. Once he was good to go, Spike snuck out of the alley on foot before once more taking to the air as he searched for her in the crowd. A little upward thrust would make her easy to find, and he knew she’d be easily identifiable in that tall winter hat she’d informed him she’d be wearing when they’d last communicated, before she’d left Ponyville. Nothing since, unfortunately, as she’d been out of range of any dragonfire burners once she’d left central Equestria, but he had the utmost faith in her punctuality.

The hat, the hat… he was drawing a blank as he looked for any of her defining characteristics, though. At first he reasoned his difficulty was because the crowd felt much bigger to a little dragon up close, and he found himself squeezed higher closer to the gate as he was softly but firmly jostled between winter jackets. Minutes passed, and once or twice he was sure he’d found her, a snatch of lilting laughter, a glimpse of fine clothing or a flash of ivory fur and purple curls that, at second glance or prickling of his frills, most certainly wasn’t his Rarity.

His faith began to waver as he looked and looked. He clutched his bouquet as the airship loomed ever closer, the insistent back-and-forth hum of its flippers and its ornate immensity mirroring Spike’s mounting anxiety as he scanned overhead for a pony he should have no trouble finding; the crowd surely wasn’t that big? Where in Equestria was she? His searching became more frantic as he zipped this way and that. Fortunately remaining overhead meant that he wasn’t pushing anycreature in turn, but he was wearing himself out quickly. Lest he land on somepony’s head in exhaustion he eventually withdrew and landed where the crowd thinned.

Maybe she’d been distracted by something or somepony nearby, Spike rationalised, once he’d flexed his tired shoulders and retracted his aching wings. It wasn’t out of the question; a combination of being the element of generosity and having fans all around Equestria guaranteed its likelihood, and that went double when she was far away from her usual haunts and in territory where she was, true to her name, lesser-spotted.

He took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead with his free claw, about to mentally dumpster the grand entrance plan when he heard a baritone voice directed his way, just loud enough over the hubbub.

‘Hey, hey! You Spike the Dragon?’ it asked. He immediately looked to where it had come from and saw a young, brown unicorn stallion with a curly, fiery mane and a goatee to match who’d been clearing the dirty outside tables, wearing a coffee-stained white shirt and red-striped pinafore, gesturing towards him from the café across the street.

‘Uh, yeah?’ Spike replied in an effort to play it cool, zig-zagging through the hoof traffic to where the stallion was standing just by the outside tables, ‘Can I… help you?’

The stallion looked down the lane towards the airship, which was definitely closing in for its landing. ‘Yeah, she said you were a little purple guy. Your buddy Rarity was in here twenty minutes ago or so, said she was waiting for you to arrive on the Queen Parabola IV’s 13:21 but she needed to dash. Something about visiting a sick lady in one of the hotels, something else about how important it was that she come back before you landed. Funny thing though, it’s barely ten past one now, the four’s just approaching and you’re here now… uh, did you fly here?’ he finished with a smirking raise of one eyebrow.

‘Sure did. I just wanted to surprise her,’ Spike said, holding his bouquet awkwardly and spreading his wings, ‘It’s been a while since we’ve met up. Man, thanks for keeping an eye out for me, I was freaking out a little there.’

‘Could be trouble,’ the stallion said simply, before adding, ‘Jumping off an airship like that’s a daredevil move the guards around the station might not appreciate, but I won’t tell; AGAJ and all. Nopony ever looks up unless they’re gawking at the airships, anyway. And don’t worry about it, it’s the least I can do after she tipped me a diamond. Heck, even if she hadn’t a bit on her, she’s a nice lady. It really was no biggie.’

Spike wasn’t sure how he felt about the barista’s stated attitude towards guards, especially after spending so much time with Shining Armor the past few weeks, and he paused for a moment before letting it go. ‘…Yep, she sure is, no argument from this dragon,’ he said, ‘Hey, you guys sell donuts with that coffee? I burned a bunch of calories, what with being such a daredevil and all. And I probably should stay put ’til she’s back.’

The young barista was just about to answer when a very familiar voice trilled above the lower murmur of tourists. ‘Spikey? Spikey-Wikey, how are you, I– oh, Spikey-poo!’ it cracked.

Spike whipped his head around to where Rarity’s voice came, and there she stood, with her furry hat, tinted spectacles and furrier scarf she said she’d be wearing, and Spike’s heart soared at least as high as he had on his way back down to earth. He exhaled with a grin so wide it hurt before saying to the stallion, ‘Oh boy, there she is now! Hold that thought, I’ll be back. Rarity!!’

He gripped his bouquet in one fist as he flew, the soreness in his wings suddenly gone in his enthusiasm to be reunited with his special somepony at last. He did another midair spin in his joy, and Rarity likewise stirred from the standstill she’d reached in her surprise with a skip to a slow trot. Before long she hit a half-prance, half-canter slowed only from becoming a full-on gallop from fear of colliding with an unsuspecting pedestrian. ‘Spike!’ she cried, ‘Oh, you are a sight for sorry, sorry eyes, my darling!’

Spike flung himself in Rarity’s awaiting forelegs, and she happily reared to catch him, skidding backwards on the frosty ground on impact and spinning around twice on one back leg as if they were fully-fledged ice skaters. Once she’d stabilised from the initial collision she laughed, music to Spike’s ears as she caught him along with the bouquet he wielded.

By Celestia, she was so soft and sweet-smelling, was the first thing Spike thought as she embraced him, and he responded by putting his free arm around her shoulders as he stopped. Not unusually so, just the usual chest fur and flowery scent she always had, but it had been long enough that the impact had faded somewhat from his memory.

Once their momentum had slowed to a stop Rarity sat on the icy paving stones, not caring about the temperature as she gave her favourite little dragon a squeeze and a kiss on the crest of his head. ‘Sorry I’m late, sweetheart,’ she said, ‘My adoring public called and I simply had to answer.’

Spike pulled away. ‘Aw, Rare, it’s so good to see you… uh, you’re just in time, actually. The airship’s just landing,’ he gestured towards the near distance to where the undulating drone was becoming ever louder over the bustle, ‘I hopped off early trying to surprise you with these. Mistmane’s finest,’ he rustled the bouquet wrapper and presented its contents, all colours of the rainbow just like the light refracting from the waterfalls not so far away, to her, and her eyes widened as the facets of the iridescent carnations and orchids within gleamed in her irises.

He blushed and looked away as she stared at them, feeling faintly self-conscious at the all-encompassing, pillowy mare still softly squeezing him. ‘I really hope you like ’em. I know they’re not the usual stuff.’

Rarity stood and let go, then deposited Spike back on his feet, mainly due to her rapidly increasingly cold behind. ‘Mistmane does grow such magnificent flowers. They are very beautiful,’ she said, ‘Though I’ll need to be careful not to get poked when taking a sniff. Ah, I’m getting chilly already… we really should get away from the crowd and somewhere warmer while we catch up, don’t you think? And I rather hope you didn’t strain yourself doing anything reckless! We’ve talked about this!’

As she tutted and henpecked him verbally, Spike looked up at her with wide eyes and a cringe as if he were a puppy getting a telling-off. She responded with a big, blushing smile and a nudge of his snout with one hoof. Whatever disapproval she’d just expressed was surely superseded by pure and simple joy.

He couldn’t help grinning toothily at that. ‘Hardest part was taking off from high up, for a few reasons,’ he laughed, dusting himself off before taking her hoof in one claw, ‘But the skies were clear, my heart was pure and I had a pretty good idea of what I was doing. Hey, tell me about what kept you once we’re back at the café, why dontcha? Guy over there told me what was up after I spent a hot minute panicking about where you were at, and I’m hungry. My treat!’

‘That sounds divine, all the more so now you’ve arrived,’ Rarity beamed, taking the flowers and delicately levitating them into the right side of her saddlebag where they could still be seen, ‘But can we take a moment to appreciate the zeppelin’s arrival first? I was actually looking forward to seeing it land, even if it’s no longer strictly necessary. The view’s not so good from here, after all.’

‘Sure, but after spending getting pushed around for a while looking for you in the crowd, I don’t really wanna head back over there,’ said Spike, lightening up as he looked up and around for a moment, ‘But there’s still time and I’ve got a fun idea that’ll let us have our donuts and eat ’em, so to speak…’

Rarity held onto his claw as he took her back the way he’d come, a smile on her face and quietly curious what Spike meant. He pulled some bits out of a pocket with his free claw and called back to the barista, who had just taken an order from the hippogriff couple he’d seen upon his descent earlier, ‘Hey, café guy! About those donuts before, can we get a half-dozen with sprinkles and two hot cocoas to go?’

‘I assume you mean me,’ the barista said flatly, ‘Sure. Three bits’ll cover that.’

Without hesitation Spike crossed the barista’s hoof with five bits, and he added, ‘Sweet! Wait here a second.’

As the stallion turned tail and disappeared into the café, Spike turned back to Rarity, who shot him a half-lidded grin. ‘Happy early birthday, by the way, Spikey,’ she said, wrapping her hoof around his claw more tightly, ‘I haven’t forgotten! You’re not the only one who’s brought a lovely gift today.’

‘Oh yeah,’ Spike said after a pause, pressing claw against chin, ‘I… well, you’ve reminded me once or twice via scroll this past moon but I hadn’t… been thinking about it all that much, I guess. Jog my memory, how old will I be again?’

He guffawed after Rarity recoiled with an affronted pursing of her lips. ‘Kidding, kidding! I know I’ll be nineteen. I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately. As well you know,’ his voice turned more serious.

She mellowed. ‘You silly thing,’ she said with a snort, guiding Spike to a seat. He stood on his with his claws on the table as she sat down on hers. ‘We may as well be seated while waiting, even if you’re… ah, what was it you were suggesting before, darling? Get the donuts, and then…?’

‘Ah, that’d be telling,’ Spike, said, stretching back as he looked upwards again for a moment, ‘I’ll show you soon enough. Let’s talk about you, Rare… how was the journey up here? Your own ride wasn’t late, was it? And that guy told me you’d been to see a sick lady, what was that all about exactly?’

Ostensibly this was small talk, but Spike almost tripped over himself, surprised by his own zeal to hear Rarity’s voice. It thrilled him to finally hear her after such a long absence, faintly weird as that was. Exchanging scrolls wasn’t an ideal substitute for Rarity in the flesh and fur, it turned out.

‘Ableh, um… well, I met a very nice father of three whose daughters and their mother think the world of me, to answer your last question, Spikey,’ Rarity answered, ‘Sock aficionados who’d come over from the mountains via Hope Hollow, as a matter of fact.’

Spike took a moment to register the place name’s significance, then his frills perked up. ‘Oh, you mean where that one knitting pegasus you talk about sometimes lives. “Conniption”, wasn't it?’

Rarity’s face turned pink as she just about stopped herself from squealing with laughter, which most certainly would have warranted attention she didn’t wish to welcome right now. ‘Her name is Kerfuffle, Spike! To hear them tell it, business is booming in her emerald neck of the woods, at any rate, and not just on account of her top-notch stockings. One of the girls wore three or four layers of her woollens, and they–’

‘Hey!’ Rarity’s hat nearly fell off as suddenly, the young stallion barista was back with two disposable cups and a bag containing Spike’s order, slightly breathless with a worried look, and Spike likewise almost fell off of his chair from the interruption behind him.

‘Heads up, you two. Somepony took notice of a certain purple unidentified flying object incoming to the Falls and alerted the authorities. There’s a guard just come knocking from the other entrance asking about it. I’d suggest you make yourself scarce before she comes looking out front, Spike. Here’s your stuff, by the way. Enjoy, guys.’

‘Understood, my good stallion, and thanks,’ Spike answered once he’d regained his composition, then hopped onto the table with both feet. ‘Rarity, grab those?’ he said, before taking her hooves in his claws once again and spreading his wings, ‘We’re going up in the world for a sec!’

Rarity did as Spike requested, surprised and faintly confused as a blue aura manifested around the goods. ‘We’re not going to fly away, are we, darling? Oh goodness, we are indeed– ahh!’

Spike made a concerted effort, beating his wings as hard as he could, grimacing as he lifted Rarity into the air, the donuts and drinks trailing by her side. Once the initial takeoff was underway he relaxed, but the exertion of this meant he needed to find higher ground quickly, not to mention Rarity was squirming and making squeaking sounds that suggested also that it would be inconsiderate to keep her hanging for long.

‘Precious-scales, where are we going?!’ she called once they’d cleared the roofs of the dock’s attractions, ‘Are you sure you can manage this, darling? I know you were– oh, my,’ she stopped herself as Spike looked for a good rooftop to land upon.

‘What is it, Rare?’ he prompted once he realized she'd quietened mid-sentence.

‘It’s coming in close now,’ Rarity said in a dreamy, controlled voice, looking towards the shadow overhead, ‘The Queen Parabola IV truly is as majestic as they say. Spikey, darling, set us down somewhere we can truly drink it in before it finally lands, could you?’

Spike was too focussed on the flight at claw to look up at where the sun was blotting out, but he didn’t doubt her observation; he’d seen the airship shortly before boarding it back at the Empire. ‘That’s the plan. One sec, I see a good spot where we won’t be noticed…’ Spike grunted before starting his descent to a wooden rooftop without so much snow on top, ‘Yep, we’ll be safe there. Get ready, Rare!’

Rarity let out a startled ‘Spike, wahh-hahh!! Be gentle, sweetheart!’ as Spike dropped with less air control than he’d intended at first. He held her hooves harder and with three rapid flaps he stabilised as he closed in on the roof in question, placing Rarity onto her back hooves on the gently sloping roof of a building just as the glint of silver guard armour caught the corner of his eye from the street they’d left behind.

He landed next to her, up to his waist in snow once more as Rarity staggered for a moment, one hoof on the smokestack protruding from the rooftop as she looked aloft and ensured their order arrived as safely as she had. It floated down slowly and, as Spike took the donuts and one cocoa into each claw as she took the other. ‘Oof, thanks Rarity. Sorry to be so abrupt, but that put that surprise plan I was hinting towards forward a bit,’ he said, peering back to the café, ‘Uh, maybe I should fess up to the guards here later, but I don’t wanna be separated from you after we just met back up?’

Rarity didn’t look back at him as she let go of the chimney, instead taking a seat, popping the lid off her cocoa cup, inhaling its chocolatey vapours and holding it in both hooves as her gaze stayed on the airship. ‘Think nothing of it, sweetheart. Ah, breathtaking…’ she uttered, pausing for a moment before shaking her mane and adding, ‘Yes, it would be such a shame to be parted so soon for a minor indiscretion, wouldn’t it. Look.’

She turned to him and smiled before taking a sip, and Spike at last saw the zeppelin over her shoulder and her saddlebag filled with flowers, vast and ornate against a blue, shimmering winter sky. He’d only seen its grandeur briefly at the station exiting the Crystal Empire where he’d been preoccupied with saying his farewells to his extended family, and had otherwise either been on it or flying away from it.

The Queen Parabola IV’s balloon had thick, ornate floral steel-blue streaks and thinner concentric golden bands all over contrasting with its fabric’s ice blue that shone in the sunlight. The main body of the ship that carried its passengers, colourful dozens of whom were waving back at the witnesses back on the ground, was painted gold, white and lime green, with a grey-irised eye on each side towards the ship’s fore. The utmost of the fore was adorned with a brilliant golden sun which certainly dazzled its beholders every bit as much as its designer had intended. Beneath all those were a series of undulating orange propulsive flippers, although they were slowing to a stop now it was landing.

He hopped over and parked his rump on the same roof log upon which Rarity sat. ‘It is beautiful, huh,’ he breathed, resisting the urge to shove a claw into the box he held, ‘I guess I didn’t appreciate it until you pointed it out.’

‘Simply a matter of keeping one’s eyes wide open to the beauty that surrounds us,’ Rarity said, ‘I’m very happy we can see it come in together like this.’

She fell quiet, and Spike didn’t much feel like speaking further, instead reflecting on those words. He inched closer to Rarity, leaning against her, and she leaned back. He partook of a donut as she continued to sip her cocoa, and it tasted just as good as he’d hoped.

The ship finally, serenely floated onto the granite airdock with a loud series of “whooooom!”s, a perfect landing. Spike and Rarity stayed there for a while after as its passengers disembarked, both still faintly chilly, but warmed by hot chocolate and one another’s company after so long. Chatter could commence later, but right now, simple presence was all either of them wanted.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Author's Note

Please enjoy my new chapter! It's not QUITE six months since the last one!!! 😬 It's good to be back though. I suspect the follow-up won't take a fraction as long

– 22: Rainbows & Chill –

Once everycreature aboard the Queen Parabola IV had alighted and it had moved on, Rarity took a delicate slurp of her cocoa’s dregs, licking her lips surreptitiously before sitting upright and addressing her darling Spikey. ‘You surprised me doing that, in case you couldn’t tell,’ she grinned, putting her free foreleg around his side, ‘I mean, not in a bad way, simply that I didn’t know you had the upward thrust to heft me onto a roof like this!’

Spike finished his own long sup of the steaming hot chocolate before replying. ‘Eh, I’ve been on patrol with Shining Armor and his guards these past weeks a fair few times, Rare,’ he shrugged, ‘Kept me busy, my mind occupied, and my body fit, I dare say. And yeah, it is new… I don’t think I told you about the bog incident around this time last week? Had to save a big guy, Tundra Aurora, who fell in one. Quickly too, since it was freezing out in the forest.’

‘Freezing, you say? So unusual, that far north,’ Rarity said, raising her eyebrows, ‘But no, I don’t recall reading about that. Ah, I suppose his rescue went without too much drama, then? This was one of the guards, I assume?’

‘Yeah. Short version is, he somehow made it halfway into one while checking for polar bears in the thick before he started to sink, but once he did, well… me and True Arrow – that pegasus gal I mentioned in my letters a few times, if you remember? – hadda fly over with a rope and get him out. He was AOK after he’d popped out of his armour and we’d got him back onto firmer soil. Of course we lost that, but so what? We pulled off the rescue big-time!’

‘Truly?’ Rarity gasped, ‘Well, well done to the both of you for saving a stallion’s life like that! You and the guardsmare, I mean. I’m quite surprised you’re so, ah, blasé about such a thing.’

Spike shrugged again. ‘Eh… Shiny was pretty pleased with us both and all, but it didn’t seem that huge of a deal then and there; the team needed flyers and we were the closest available. Mainly translated into extra ice cream with cake at the dinner table once we were done for the day, y’know? I’m hardly complaining. It was just all in a day’s work, but… it proved to me that I can do stuff like that. I mean, you’re half that guy’s weight if that, so mathematically it stood to reason I could lift you solo.’

Rarity snorted with amusement, tipping the last few drops of her drink onto the roof’s snows before crumpling the cup and placing it into the saddlebag opposite the crystal flowers’. ‘Flatterer. Well, mostly you did, though, ah, fleeing the guards definitely gave you the kick in the pants you needed to get us over the top. It wasn’t an unpleasant ride though, darling… um, weren’t you saying you were going to turn yourself in later, though? I rather hope we won’t be having the rest of this date of ours from opposing sides of jail cell bars!’

Spike shot Rarity a wince. ‘Eheh, I don’t expect a minor indiscretion like that would get me locked up, but I gotta level with ’em, and take my lumps if I must. Like I said, I’ve been with Shining’s guys lately and it’s only polite, y’know? I don’t wanna act like a tearaway the second I’m out of his watchful eye or anything like that. Of course, it helps that I have the privilege to get away with it, at least a bit. Not everycreature’s that lucky…’ he shuffled uncomfortably.

‘Well, it’s not as if the dock is especially busy today, Spikey, and the skies were clear as, um, day when you flew in. I imagine the rules here are primarily in place to prevent accidents; simply imagine if a flock of pegasus tourists were to fly around willy-nilly, then suffer collisions with an airship during the rush hour!’ Rarity said before grimacing, ‘Oh, that would end with casualty at best. We’ll see, though. Whatever happens, you have my moral support, sweetheart, unless that counts as a privilege? If it puts you on the spot, as it were…’

Spike exhaled. ‘If you’re worried about getting overprotective again, don’t be, Rare. Honestly, I’m not sure if there was a right move to be made after the Hive incident. You know I don’t blame you for anything, I was just super shaken by it… though now you bring it up…’ He put a claw to his lip as he trailed off.

Rarity tipped her head, a loose curl spilling onto his crest. ‘Yes, darling?’

‘Ehh… maybe later. We just got back together and I don’t really want to get into my personal stuff so soon. Let’s scarf these down, clear things up with the guards, go see the Falls before nightfall, then check into the Mareiott. You know it gets dark early this time of year, this far north. I heard the hotels here are really nice and comfy to make up for it.’

‘A fine plan, provided you don’t get jailed,’ Rarity near-chuckled, before sobering up at the possibility he could, ‘One could say we’ve done little else but process our feelings in our little love letters to one another these past weeks, aside from perhaps describe our days’ highlights, so actually doing things alongside my favourite little dragon is very welcome. Ah, may I have a donut?’

‘I wasn’t planning on eating the whole box! Help yourself,’ Spike grinned, flipping the box’s lid.

Rarity floated one out, gave it two psychic taps to remove any loose sprinkles, then gave it a delicate “nom”. After a few chews her eyes lit up. ‘Ooh, delicious,’ she said once she’d swallowed her bite, before inspecting the remainder, ‘Strawberry. Ooh, and the dough’s all rainbow-coloured marbling beneath the icing! How fancy!’

‘Well, thank the café guy later, they were probably whatever came to hoof first since I didn’t specify. They’re real good though,’ Spike agreed.

Rarity’s cheeks bulged as she munched away at her treat, sprinkles lightly matting her lips and the fur around her mouth. As Spike silently watched with palpable appreciation, a loudspeaker nearby burst into life with an ascending chime followed by a breathy female voice, which mainly announced the approximate arrival of the next airship. He listened out in case the announcer mentioned any search for information regarding his recent indiscretion, relieved when no such thing came about.

Rarity too listened along, eyes wide with attention as she enjoyed her snack, and she polished the donut off shortly after the announcement had ended. ‘Well, it doesn’t seem as though you’re public enemy number one for whatever that’s worth, Spikey,’ she smiled before dabbing her mouth with her hoofkerchief, ‘Oh, I’m tempted to swipe another donut right out of that box, but I had macaroons with my latté earlier and it’s best not to pile on the calories more than I already have.’

‘Well, glad you like ’em,’ Spike said a bit absently before balancing the box on the roof’s gables, ‘You got space in your saddlebag for the rest? I’d like to get the guard thing done and dusted, then we can go to the Falls and catch up properly. Uh, I hope!’

‘Of course, sweetheart. Return us both back down to ground level and I’ll be right beside you,’ Rarity said, adjusting her winter shades and standing, before popping the bag opposite the one containing the crystal flowers and floating the remaining donuts inside, ‘Who knows, there may even be a Crystal Guard stationed here? That could facilitate things since they all love you so much over there.’

‘It could,’ Spike winced again, taking flight before gently taking Rarity’s hooves into his claws, ‘I’m not counting on special treatment, though!’

‘Humble as ever, darling. Well, let us be off!’ Rarity laughed.

–––✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

In the end, Spike was hit with a one-hundred bit fine in penalty by a surly pen-pushing pegasus for his unchecked dragonflight. He didn’t argue or complain, taking it on the chin like he’d said. He could afford it, but it reduced his plans to spoil Rarity somewhat.

‘It hardly matters, sweetheart. I’m not feeling much affinity with the souvenir clothing or what-have-you I’ve seen around here anyway,’ Rarity said when he disclosed that, ‘I came here to see you, Spikey-Wikey, first and foremost, and to that end you most generously paid for my travels up front. The Falls and its trappings are a pleasant bonus… but, ah, if you require some bits in return for the rest of your journey, I do have some with me.’

‘I’ll be fine, Rare. Just feel like I should make it up to you after leaving, that’s all. I won’t lie though, it felt great to have the wind under my wings like that,’ Spike grinned, ‘No regrets, or barely any, anyway. It, uh, probably costs the same as the fine for a pony to go parachuting, right?’

Rarity chuckled as she trotted, not dignifying that with a response beyond a pause and, ‘Well, if you do need the bits, simply ask, darling.’

The two of them had left the airdock shortly after visiting the guard station, Spike flying alongside Rarity as they took the upper cliffside trail from its edifice towards the winding paved path overlooking the mighty Falls themselves, close to where its everflowing waters crashed from the upper Horseshoe Lake into white noise and foams in the Shoulder Lake below.

Many tourists were sidling their way around the same way and Spike was sure he recognised a couple of ponies he’d seen on the airship before he’d leapt off, not wasting time since alighting the mass transit vehicle and making a beeline for the main event of their visit.

Rarity looked the little dragon by her side up and down, admiring his burnished scarlet attire, along with the golden comet on its back and the split seam that gave way to reveal the base of his tail. ‘I rather like the jacket, by the way,’ she said, feeling the need for small talk as Spike had fallen quiet, ‘I don’t remember styling that one for you. Is it one of Yona’s original designs or is my memory really that shot?’

‘Uh, you packed it with a half-dozen others before we arrived at the Hive, Rare, I took it when I left. Yeah, Yona had a big idea a while back and insisted, saying red and gold are good for dragons to wear. I wasn’t convinced at first, but… well, I wore this around Seaddle and Vanhoover while I was up that way, and I guess I am now, too.’

‘It’s warm, if nothing else,’ he elaborated, grabbing the collar in one claw and showing off the padded inside, the same gold as its rear emblazon, ‘She lined it with this stuff.’

Rarity raised an eyebrow. ‘Tsk, that girl… so that’s where all my golden satin went a couple of moons ago. She charged you, I presume?’

‘Of course, at our usual rate…’ Spike said, before pondering, ‘Uh, she’s not in trouble for that, is she?’

‘A little, Spike,’ Rarity couldn’t hide a steely edge to her tone, ‘We may need to have a small word once Hearth’s Warming is over about passing things like this by me if she’s going to use expensive materials, and that goes double if she’s selling to you at our agreed cut rate.’

She paused again, admiration plain in her eyes. ‘I… I’m inclined to forgive her, though, she did a bang-up job! You look rather dashing!’ she laughed, lightening up.

‘Thanks, Rare. I try to fill this stuff out the best I can,’ Spike flashed her a toothy grin as he rolled his shoulders, relishing its smooth sensation against his scales, ‘And I like to think I do the boutique’s output justice. So,’ he said after a short pause, ‘Speaking of my post-trauma tour of the Luna Coast, I believe we have some photographs to trade later, right?’

Rarity curled her lip, shooting Spike a momentary indignant glance. ‘Spike, that is a terrible way to refer to the first leg of your trip!’ she scolded.

Spike shrugged. ‘Eh, I’m just calling a spade a spade, Rare, and joking about what happened a bit takes the edge off… but you know what? You’re not really wrong. Cadance said I should rein in the gallows humour a bit a couple of times. Sorry.’

Rarity sighed before relenting, ‘Well, I would hope so, Spike. I understand, but… I just find it a little upsetting in and of myself. Not to diminish your ordeal, but your altercation with Chitin wasn’t exactly a fun time for me either, you do realise. Perhaps one day enough water will have run under the bridge, so to speak, but… well, we should concentrate on happier affairs for both our sakes.’

She stopped, scrunched her muzzle and shifted awkwardly on her hooves. ‘And I suppose, too, I’m not helping by harping on about this. So to actually answer your question… yes, we most certainly do have pictures to trade, as per both our requests. I took some ponaroids of our little gem, quite a few neatly arranged in a pouch somewhere in my bags. I can dig them out from under the flowers now, if you’d like?’

Spike peered ahead and frowned. ‘I’d love to show you my snaps and vice versa, Rare, but maybe not while we’re up close and personal with millions of tons of falling water and a sheer drop?’ he pondered.

Rarity’s eyes, heretofore mostly focussed upon fussing and fretting over Spike, snapped front. ‘Ah! Truer words seldom spoken, precious-scales. It wouldn’t do if they all flew overboard, after all? It can wait.’

The white noise of those waters was an increasing disruption to conversation the closer they got, but they weren’t so close just yet. In the middle-distance they could see a polished granite staircase carved into the rock that took sightseers up to the Horseshoe Lake’s level, but they appeared to have reached their destination for now as Rarity slowed to a stop, her eyes widening as she put her hooves on the railing.

Spike didn’t realise she’d stopped again at first; once he had, he somehow reversed a few wing flaps in fast-motion. ‘Uh, something caught your eye there, Rare?’ he asked once she was back in his vision.

‘It’s funny,’ she mused, raising her voice over the water, ‘I was enchanted by the Falls from a distance, but less so at the docks. Now we’re up close and personal, I’m feeling the magic all over again. It’s so… powerful.’

Spike flew on top of the railing, grabbing it in his claws as he dangled his feet over the edge. ‘I can feel it, too,’ he half-shouted back, ‘Helps that the sun’s already setting… it’s like that day in Canterlot after you’d come to my meeting with Smolder and Twi. Y’know, when we went to the cascades at the edge?’

‘Insofar as there was falling water in a waterfall, perhaps,’ Rarity said, ‘But that was a dappling brook compared to this! Goodness me, approaching it further is an intimidating prospect! There’s just so much in one place.’

Spike gave things a panoramic view and whistled. Rarity was right; the view from the dock and its surroundings was a pleasant enough backdrop, but from here the Falls, by turns concave and convex, curved almost as far as the eye could see towards a snowy, thick pine forest covering the mountainside at their far end, the noise and spray bolstered yet further by the occasional bump from rocks on the descent. It didn’t need much help with that as the waters gushed down towards the frothing, rippling white blooming outwards into the next great lake’s cerulean blue.

That furthermore didn’t take into account the rainbows that danced across them, emphasised by the yellowing sky. There was one enormous one that arched all the way from the icicles at the rim and a foamy, mossy plateau near the Falls’ centre. It was the green centre that caught Spike’s eye the most, luminous and definitely the broadest of its spectrum flanked by scarlet red and fiery sunset orange on the far side, and a rich, dark indigo blue with the thinnest violet border on the near. Its rays cast over the nearby environs just a little, bathing everything on the pathway with a kaleidoscope of subtle shifting colours.

Several more rainbow arches with a more even colour distribution shone between the clear spray, the ice and the blue-purple rocks that made their backdrop, once again granite that had weathered like this under the intense pressure of all this water over what must have been a hundred million years. While the path didn’t bring them so close as to get drenched by these heavy waters, they were certainly close enough to feel the constant impact in both their guts.

Spike glanced at Rarity, seeing as he’d suspected that her eyes were reflecting the rainbows she gazed upon. ‘No joke,’ he said, more quietly. ‘This thing is immense, huh?’

‘Excuse me? Speak up a little, darling, the roar of this place is rather loud!’ Rarity exclaimed, lifting one side of her furry hat and cupping a hoof to her ear towards Spike.

‘I said yeah, the waterfall is humongous!’ Spike yelled, causing Rarity’s hat to almost topple right into the churn. He swooped off the rail in an effort to stop her toppling backwards with equal force as she grabbed it, but she corrected herself just before bumping into a passing unicorn.

‘Spikey, too loud!’ she admonished as she reared before returning to her hooves, ‘Goodness, good thing that wasn’t the pictures. As you said before, um, it’s been quite some time since we’ve graced one another’s presence… let’s keep the chit-chat to your hotel room a little later. The noise is quite loud, true, but its vastness is so beautiful. Let’s take a few moments to smell the rainbows before we continue, shall we?’

‘Sure. I’ve always wanted to just see the sights here,’ Spike smiled as he sat back atop the rail, ‘I’ve never had the, uh, occasion.’ He gazed at the momentous gravitas of this, one of Equestria’s greatest natural features, taking in its beautiful fury.

As did Rarity, her wide eyes a little watery from the sheer size of it. After a few seconds, however, seeking a little comfort from the cold she approached behind him before wrapping her hooves around his waist, pulling her into her chest and resting her chin on his head. ‘Can you hear me well enough like this, darling?’ she asked.

Spike felt uncommonly rigid in Rarity’s forelegs, something he was immediately aware of but hoped she wouldn’t notice. At any rate, the way she spoke with him clasped to her chest meant he could feel every enunciation reverberate against his back, which was helping him relax regardless. ‘Uh, yeah? Loud and clear, Rarity. How about you?’

‘Yes, sweetheart, this is perfect. Ah, such a lovely sight this is, too… and so much the better to share it with my favourite little dragon,’ she fussed into his ear frills, ‘But didn’t you come here with Twilight and her family a few years ago? I thought you’d gone with them on that zeppelin trip they took that turned out to be some sort of princess chasers’ tourist trap arranged by that dreadful Iron Will, where Cadance and Twilight herself were the unwitting main attractions?’

‘Hm? No, I held down the fort while Twilight took that break,’ Spike said, surprisingly unresponsive to Rarity giving him a gentle squeeze, she thought, ‘I think they came over this way… oh, that’s right. Mom, uh, I mean, Twilight’s mom, uh, took one of those barrels over the Falls. I remember her telling me all about that the next time I was in Canterlot afterwards. Sounded like a good time.’

Rarity pursed her lips again. ‘I’m sure it’s exhilarating, presuming one doesn’t hit a snag on the way down. That’s the misfortune that befell that family I ran off to visit while you were looking for me earlier, you know. The matriarch of the bunch was a pegasus who’d sprained her wing inside the barrel she took off inside, and came out rather the worse for wear!’

‘You don’t say,’ Spike said flatly, looking up to the lip of Neighagra Falls and baulking at the thought of plummeting from way up there with no air control, ‘For a few dozen ponies to let themselves get tossed off there in the name of thrill-seeking, I’d’ve thought the guys and gals running that show would have safety on lockdown.’

‘Normally, yes,’ Rarity elaborated, ‘She said herself that she got unlucky. According to the guards who took the accident report afterwards it seems whichever attendant neglected to bind her wings to her body before shoving her off could be in big trouble for it, as a matter of fact; for issues of repute as much as getting a tourist hurt. I went with the rest of them to cheer her up, and I certainly turned all their frowns upside-down, at any rate. Her fillies were overjoyed simply to be in my presence, and their father wasn’t displeased by it either. She was every bit as excited to see me come into their hotel room with tea and gems and a spot of fashion blather.’

‘Heck, who wouldn’t be a hundred-percent stoked at that?!’ Spike joked, ‘So you were dashing around nobly, doing good deeds and healing the injured while I was recklessly breaking the law, huh? Figures!’

Rarity gave Spike’s head another nuzzle as she giggled in turn. ‘While you were soaring and swooping in the clear blue yonder like the magnificent, sweet serpent you are, Spikey-Wikey,’ she said, ‘If time had afforded I would have loved to have seen you show that side of yourself off for myself! I think it’s wonderful when you’re bold, the guards be darned.’

Spike slumped back into Rarity. ‘Yeah, I pulled off a sweet stunt or two, if I may say so myself. Being bold just cost me a hundred bits, though, don’t forget. I shouldn’t ignore the consequences of my actions just because I could get away with it without much trouble.’

‘Of course, of course, your commitment to being a law-abiding citizen hasn’t gone unnoticed by yours truly,’ Rarity sympathised, before holding him a little tighter and chuckling into his crest, ‘But I just want what’s best for you, and if you’re going out on a limb like that, well, I think it bodes well on a personal level!’

Then she wrapped herself around him more tightly, emitting a light squeal as she squirmed around him joyously. ‘Oh, you’re so warm and cuddly, my sweet little Spikey… I do apologise if I’m being clingy all over again but I’ve just missed you that much… mwah!’

Spike inhaled as she kissed his cheek, then relaxed. Being held like this was nice, but its unexpectedness had made him tense at first, not to mention it felt not a little like how she’d been straight after what had happened with Chitin – doubtless that was what she meant in her apology – but Rarity stating that her love for him wasn’t contingent on money or social standing felt…

Well, good wasn’t quite the right word. That suggested that he thought she was giving him the OK to push against such constraints, which he was fairly certain she wasn’t, nor did he have much desire to for a dozen reasons… but it was warm, fuzzy relief to know that her number one priority was his wellbeing. Moreover, he felt the same way right back, every bit as much.

He squirmed in Rarity’s grasp, loosening it before turning around and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, putting his head over her shoulder, his forked tongue barely poking through his grinning fangs. She squeaked with surprise as he brushed her mane and sequined scarf aside with a rake of his claws and took a daring smooch on her neck.

He didn’t hold back. It was nearly a bite, a suckle of her flesh which grazed the tips of his fangs against her skin before his lips parted with a gentle “smack”, his tongue tickling beneath her jaw for a half-second longer besides. ‘I’m ready to be clung to, Rare, don’t worry about it,’ he murmured.

Rarity inhaled loudly, her knees weakening a little at the sensation, but she continued to hold him steady. Her hooves stayed secure beneath his outstretched wings as his pointed tail dangled over the railing above the churning waters. ‘Aahhhn… ooh, that’s another bit of boldness I’ve missed, Spike… the kind where you make me feel this good,’ she crooned, licking her lips and closing her eyes for a moment as she snuggled him closely.

Then she opened them in alarm as she heard a snatch of indignation amidst the surrounding hubbub. ‘Ew, did that dragon just bite that pony over there?’ came a colt’s voice.

It was followed by another, older mare’s. ‘What dragon, Diz? I don’t see any dragons, and the Falls are the last place I’d expect one. Now, hurry up, my boy! We must reach the top before it starts to get dark! You’ll love the view!’

‘B-but, Mom! I think that was Rari–’ was the last thing Rarity heard before they faded into the background noise. Suddenly she stood upright once more, her sapphire eyes darting left and right as she bit her lip.

Just as Spike had finally started to chill out in Rarity’s hooves, she was the one who’d turned rigid now. He pulled away from her and shot her a regretful glance. ‘Oh, geez, I got carried away. Should we…?’

‘Me too, and I rather think we should,’ she replied, short of breath suddenly, ‘I… I’ve been so very pleased to see you that I forgot that we are in quite a public location… one where some eyes have been on me since I arrived, at that. Perhaps we should shuffle along before we attract more attention.’

Spike nodded seriously, then took to the air as Rarity let him go. ‘An apt reminder, however,’ she continued as she brushed off her outfit then stood on all fours, ‘Of when our petting got that little too heavy that morning on the crag near the Hive, shortly before things went a bit pearshaped. Now we’re back in Equestria proper, we really do need to consider the best way forward, practically speaking.’

‘We really do,’ Spike echoed, ‘Never had the chance after everything else that happened, but maybe not in public?’

Rarity blushed and adjusted her spectacles coquettishly. ‘Agreed, once we’re somewhere quieter we can mull over these things. I won’t lie, your absence made my heart grow fonder, but I suppose that’s still no reason to throw myself at your feet and demand, ah, belly-rubs!’

They side-glanced at one another, then shared a chortle at that thought. ‘Hah! That’s one way to put it, Rare,’ said Spike, ‘Y’know, on that note you’re not the only one I’ve been shooting scrolls with this past moon. Thorax has been very keen to put me at ease regarding Chitin, and he’s kept Cadance updated daily besides. Says she’s doing alright mentally, says she’s no longer swearing revenge at us or anything and understands that what she did was wrong, but he also says she’s never out of anybug’s sight.’

‘Goodness, that’s good to hear,’ said Rarity, leaning in on Spike slightly, ‘I knew the Hive was treating that dreadful occurrence with utmost seriousness, but I’d heard nothing about Chitin specifically since returning to Ponyville. The spectre of Chrysalis still hangs heavy over all of them, that much was clear during our visit, and they’ll do anything it takes to keep everybug moving forwards away from her, not back.’

Spike inhaled. ‘Yeah, none of the changelings want the risk of… what happened… happening again, and there’s been a concerted effort by everybug to support her recovery. Even the troupe’s getting in on it; Thorax wrote recently that Ocellus and Elytron are putting the finishing touches on a new production promoting awareness of changeling love sensitivity disorders. I’m glad.’

Rarity sniffed as she glanced overhead at the clear sky as they made their way towards a fork in the cliffside path, seeing another V-formation of white birds soaring overhead the same as Spike had seen on his way down. ‘Hmm. You know, I was wondering whether you’d be a mite paranoid about birds after your dreadful experience at Chitin’s hooves,’ she said slightly absently before pausing, ‘I suppose we’ve not broached the topic outright in those letters. I simply didn’t wish to force anything upon you. Um, unfortunate phrasing,’ she winced.

Spike winced back before offering a thin smile. ‘No, I appreciate that, Rare. Cadance and I spent some time processing it in the evenings between daytime patrols and afternoon childminding, it’s why I took an extra week’s stayover at her insistence. You already know, but she’s actually pretty well-versed in psychological healing – she says her empathetic talents just kind of led her there naturally, so she’s been a huge help too with the various mental, uh, “cognitive behavioural therapy” she calls them, exercises she tailored to my needs. She pinpointed the best approach straight away.’

‘You don’t say,’ Rarity smiled back, ‘No, Twilight and Luna both said as such to me independently of one another, the latter in that dream I told you all about, even, that they had faith in her ability to give you the right support. From the sounds of it, so did Shining and Flurry Heart!’

‘You got that right. Like I said, those patrols Shining took me on taught me a few things about myself, though I was more afraid I couldn’t handle the superpowered toddler, honestly. Turns out I can hold my own, uh, with occasional interventions early on…’

Rarity noticed Spike had a distressed, faraway look in his eyes as he said that, just for a second before snapping back to reality, shaking his head, and hovering on the spot as they met the road’s fork. ‘Hey, where should we go from here? Towards or away from the waterfall?’ he asked.

Rarity involuntarily crossed her hind legs as she considered her answer, looking at the signpost’s various arrows and symbols, among them a pictogram of an outhouse.

‘If it’s all the same to you, darling, I’d rather continue our line of conversation away from the Falls’ racket, and, ah,’ she said, slightly sheepishly, close to his ear, ‘I’ve drunk rather a few hot beverages over the past couple of hours in an effort to stay warm, if you understand me. Nature calls.’

Spike didn’t react beyond flatly stating, ‘Say no more, Rarity. I wasn’t wild about potentially getting hurled off the top of Neighagra Falls anyway, especially after what you told me about that pegasus lady.’

‘Most understandable. We can always return here a little later if we like. Somehow I doubt the water will go anywhere in the meantime!’ said Rarity, before turning and trotting up the slope, Spike accompanying.

As the pair retreated from the waterfall trail, Spike felt the strangest sensation of the world around them desaturating, and he stopped to blink halfway up. ‘Darling?’ Rarity inquired as she turned her neck behind her, ‘Are you quite alright?’

He screwed his eyes shut, rubbing them for a second before opening them again and looking into her sapphire eyes. ‘Hrnn… no, Rare, I’m fine. I think it’s just that the rainbow glow’s gone, so everything looked grey for a moment. Did you feel it?’

‘Slightly, I suppose. My winter spectacles are literally rose-tinted so that could conceivably have taken the edge off,’ she answered, before shifting on her hind legs and adding with a slightly halting voice, ‘Would… you like a little lift to the top of the slope… until your vision adjusts, Spikey-Wikey? I can oblige!’

Spike felt his pupils narrow back to normality, before running back to her. ‘Nah, I can see fine, Rare. Let’s keep going.’

And so they did, and once they’d reached Rarity’s needed destination she gave Spike a smooch on the cheek, one he noticed was definitely propelled by her sweet, hot breath. ‘Be back in two shakes of a tail, precious. Look after my bags in the meantime?’ she said, floating him her saddlebags.

‘Sure, Rare,’ Spike outstretched his claws to receive for temporary safekeeping, before noticing her forelegs and hooves were shivering, despite the warmth of her scarf and boots. ‘You know, you look cold. Maybe we should set off to the Mareiott a little sooner than I was gonna. You’ve been outside since you got off the balloon besides your bedside visit, right?’ he asked.

‘I, um, ah, no, I’m not cold at all!’ Rarity’s outburst surprised Spike a little, and he looked up at her to see her mane was indeed more than a little matted with sweat under her hat.

She flopped the bags open for a second and took out a smaller bag, adding, ‘Ah, I rather need to freshen up a little, however; chances are good there’s a mirror where I’ll be going and I may as well take advantage of that. Um, I shan’t be long!’

‘Gotcha. I won’t go far,’ Spike said with a quick salute.

Once she’d made off for an agreeable outhouse, Spike took the bags over both shoulders and wing-boosted himself on top of a nearby picnic table styled like an enormous flat, sepia mushroom. He sighed as he rested his palms on her bags and spread his wings, feeling a frisson in his shoulders as he looked around the frosty, grassy area. He kicked his heels against the table’s underside, observing a forested, half-wild area cleaved through by a wide pathway lined by a few nearby pony-drawn concession stalls where one could quench their thirst and quell their hunger. He could hear, though not see, at least one generator keeping a few of the stalls powered up, and some flues between them giving out thin billows of steam and smoke from all the beverages and bakeries they offered.

He considered the afternoon so far. So far, so good, he told himself, aside from that near-miss with Rarity’s hat almost plummeting into the Horseshoe Lake. And that other near-miss when he’d kissed her bare neck as amorously as he had – he really hadn’t meant to go in hard like that. While plainly she hadn’t disliked it, as she’d pointed out they needed to be as careful as ever in public. And then there was that other other near-miss that had just cost him a hundred bits, in the name of impressing her…

‘Geez, Spike. You’re just lucky Rarity’s so forgiving,’ he muttered to himself, before inhaling and closing his eyes for a second, realising what he was doing to himself by dwelling on all those near-misses. The cognitive therapy sessions he’d mentioned earlier had frequently touched upon such negative thought patterns, Cadance had been most persistent about shame spirals and how to turn them around.

So he shooed those gathering clouds away. ‘Eh, she loves my scales and tail… no point in worrying about the little stuff. Well, maybe if Twilight gets on my case about the fine later,’ he chuckled, ‘But that’s a bridge to cross if it comes up once I’m finally back home for Hearth’s Warming.’

Then he paused, pursing his lips for a moment. ‘Also, I’m talking to myself. First sign of insanity. Quit it, Spike.’

On that note he resolved to hush his tush, instead sitting quietly as he watched the world go by. It was less busy up here than by the Falls, but there was still a decent amount of hoof traffic, ponies in jackets and warm clothing with the occasional creature from outside Equestria. His thoughts soon drifted, however, to how he wouldn’t have minded one of those near-misses becoming, to borrow an O&O term, a critical miss.

He couldn’t help a smile from spreading across his face as he blushed, resting his elbows on the bags and gazing into space, considering all the naughty things he would not mind visiting upon Rarity with his claws and fangs. He’d put such things out of his mind during his time away from her, but since last night they’d been increasingly pervasive, and spending time in her company and physicality was once again a bittersweet pain. Yes, yes, they needed to keep up appearances, he was extremely aware of that, but a dragon could dream, and this dream was inching closer to reality.

She’d done her best to hide it after his kiss. Nevertheless Spike was becoming familiar with the little tells of Rarity’s arousal, even after being apart from her over the past moon, and it was plain that he’d switched it on with that. His grin shrank, but his blushing didn’t as he contemplated that further.

Knowing he had… the power, was that the right word, he thought? The forbidden capabilities to affect her in such a way, well, he’d known how great it had felt, but to paraphrase her, its return following his self-imposed absence had made it stronger. His mind wandered as he contemplated it further, all those little nips and scritches zoning in straight on her pleasure centres, potential intimacies he and Rarity were sure to share following an indeterminate future embiggenment on his part – of his entire person! he mentally added, as if somecreature were snooping into his brainwaves – and it felt good to let it.

Before long, though, a young filly’s high-pitched yelp from the crowds of tourists forced him back into the present. He swallowed, leaving those lascivious thoughts behind with slight guilt; Rarity wasn’t the only one who needed to keep herself safe right now despite intensifying feelings for her significant other, that was the whole crux of the complications between them to begin with.

Instead he pondered, far more innocently, whatever the early birthday present she’d said she’d brought along for their meeting could be, as well as the photographs she said she’d taken of their Fire Ruby. Chances were excellent that both of those things were in the bags he held at this very second, and he was eager to see both, but he wasn’t about to peek at the belongings she’d entrusted to him. Patience was a virtue, after all.

There was an exception to that which proved the rule, though; the donut box she’d been keeping safe on his behalf. After a moment’s further consideration he put a claw into the left saddlebag, making a concerted effort not to look inside as he dug out another of the strawberry donuts they’d enjoyed on that roof not so long ago. He slid it under his snout and, in an effort to distract himself from thinking further about taking Rarity’s stuff one way or another, gave it a sniff before sinking his fangs into its sprinkles and frosting. It had lost its freshness slightly, but it still smelled delicious.

Immediately he relished how the hard candied veneer gave way to yielding dough that flooded his mouth with strawberry scent and melted on his tongue after a few munches. She was right, he thought, these were top-notch pastries, although this time he hadn’t a cocoa to accompany it and that detracted from the experience a little.

‘Ungh! By Celestia, that’s so good!’ he couldn’t help exclaiming as his cheeks bulged, aware he was channelling his thoughts from a minute ago into the sensation before shutting the box and returning it to its designated satchel. ‘Better put the rest away, though. Man, is there anywhere I can grab something with actual nutritional value for lunch nearby, I wonder? I filled up on gems while I was riding the Q.P.4., but that was hours ago…’

Then he noticed a familiar, fancily-illustrated chalkboard advertising hot and cold drinks among the food carts, ornate lettering with a list of beverages against a delicate chalk depiction of a steaming coffee cup with a thin line of creamer being poured into it, making rippling patterns on its surface.

He hopped onto his feet and took a sniff of air, his tongue briefly playing across his lips as he caught an unmistakable whiff of berries and gemstones. Surely his favourite smoothie cart in Canterlot wasn’t all this way up north…?

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

The lampposts were illuminating one after another as Rarity returned with very palpable relief to where she’d left Spike at the picnic table, finding that it had been occupied in his absence by a stallion-and-mare couple wrapped up in winter woollens and trapper hats who were sharing coffees and a romance of their own. While her inquiry to them about his whereabouts were met with a shrug and a shake of the head, it took an entire ten seconds to see him across the way by the food carts, saddlebags slung over his shoulders as he hovered nearby, chatting with whoever was currently preparing a set of three fruit teas and a platter of oatmeal cookies for three mares planted on the counter stools.

She wove herself through the cart’s patrons, approaching from its side, creeping past the chalkboard displaying the day’s specialties as she smirked to herself. Rarity cast Spike’s flapping wings and tail a half-lidded gaze, feeling quite spritely now she’d refreshed herself. Since Spike’s attention had gone elsewhere in her absence she was going to give him a quick surprise.

‘…So yeah, I’m hanging here for a couple days before heading further south. Gonna spend a few days in Fillydelphia to catch up with an old friend in the Dragontown there,’ Spike was explaining to a balding, moustachioed green earth pony wearing a pinstripe shirt and a vivid orange apron, ‘I should arrive on my birthday, as a matter of fact. It’ll be weird to spend it away from Twilight and Canterlot for the first time in forever but yannow, sometimes a dragon needs a change of scenery…’

The green pony looked directly at Rarity as she snuck up on her favourite little dragon, and she smiled mischievously and raised a hoof to her lips; a signal to keep quiet. Spike paused as he noticed the stallion’s attention fix upon the mare lurking behind him. ‘Uh, what’re you looking at, Melon Tang?’

‘I’m back, darling!’ she trilled before pouncing, now as before clutching Spike from behind, both hooves over his shoulders as she reeled him in.

‘Erk!’ he squeaked for a moment before Rarity, same as before, rested her chin on the crest of his head. He wriggled and looked up at her, his brow beetled and he glared at first, and for a second she wondered if she’d overstepped a boundary in her glee.

But then he grinned as he inhaled, a telltale purple curl caressing his cheek. ‘Oh, it’s just you. Melon Tang, I don’t believe you’ve met Rarity, the Rarity, but you probably know all about her from Peach Melba, right?’

She chuckled, then looked over her spectacles at the cart stall with wide eyes, realising it was one she recognised. ‘Oh, yes! I remember visiting this stall in Canterlot with Spikey here, and I most certainly remember that name as the young lady who served us smoothies!’ she exclaimed, before acknowledging Melon Tang directly, ‘Such a sunny young girl, that Peach Melba. Indeed she told us back then, well, somewhere among all the fanfilly gushing in my presence, that this was her father’s stall. I presume you are he, darling?’

‘Aye, that I am, and it’s grand to meet you in the flesh at last, Ms. Rarity. Spike’s correct that my wee lassie makes certain I never go long without hearing about your latest fashions especially after you signed that receipt,’ Melon Tang pointed over his shoulder at the framed scrip behind on the shelf holding various jars of fruits and beans.

He continued, ‘I’d be casually acquainted with all’a youse, you and those other Ponyville gels that is, shenanigans anyway, what with being close associates of the princess,’ he gestured forwards this time, down the trail they’d ascended in their search for toilets and towards the tumbling frosty heights of the Falls, still visible from up here, now floodlit in the half-light. ‘Yeh just missed Peach, actually. She’s just trotted off to see the sights and take a breather from brewin’ before it gets proper dark.’

‘Really? Bad timing, I guess. Could’ve been cool to bump into her, either down there or up here,’ Spike chortled, ‘Uh, how’s she doing with the hot stuff? Last time I checked in she was getting to be a real dab hoof with the gemstone smoothies. Cocoa and coffee’s new for you guys, right?’

‘Places and seasons change, lad, not many looking to drink a refreshing smoothie in this climate, y’know?,’ Melon Tang said as he tipped the final, mango fruit tea, ‘Oh, one moment, I need to serve. Here ye go, ladies, all ready. Ah, which is the raspberry? Memory serves me right, the blueberry was for the pink lass with the very curly mane…’

The mares giggled as Melon Tang appropriately distributed tea and cookies, Spike and Rarity observing, Rarity gently squishing Spike as Melon Tang shifted the charm into high gear for a moment before turning back to them and continued. ‘’Scuse me, botha youse. Anyway, I do know my Robustas from my Saddle Arabicas, and the smoothie fruits can be used in fruit tea. Adaptation is the name of the game!’

Rarity inhaled deeply, immediately finding the mixture of a few dozen coffees, fruits, spices and a sharp whiff of wheatgrass emanating from the stall’s interior rather heady, not unpleasant but nothing from which she could discern a single flavour. ‘Well, it smells as though you and Peach have been brewing plenty between you, at any rate,’ she said, glancing at the chattering ponies warming their hooves on their drinks, ‘Has business been good for you, on that matter? Ponies appear to be enjoying your wares.’

A yellow stallion approached the stand, and Melon Tang wiped the glass he’d been holding clean before placing it on the draining board behind him. ‘Aye, nearing the end of day and we’ve made a pretty penny, no doubt… ah, excuse me, I’d love to chat more but I have been left to serve alone, and customers will want the good stuff… can I help ye, sir?’

‘That’s alright, Melon Tang, we should let you get on with business,’ Spike said as Melon Tang jotted down an order, before looking up at Rarity, ‘Hey Rare, if you’re feeling up for it, why don’t we head back down and see if Peach Melba’s at the Falls?’

She returned his grin with an affectionate smile and a wink. ‘I feel like a million bits now, my darling, but no less cold. Why don’t we go find her, then make our way to the hotel for a little warmth and a proper dinner? I’ve not had a proper square meal all day; nothing but hot drinks and snacks since before taking the balloon over.’

She loosened the full-bodied hug she’d ensnared him within the past few minutes’ conversation, and he shrugged off the saddlebags. ‘Sounds like a plan to me. Hey, you can have these back now,’ he said, lowering himself into a stool as she took them.

Melon Tang was done taking the order, selecting the beans required as Spike turned to him and said, ‘We’ll be back, M.T.. Uh, I should ask, are you still serving the gem smoothies this far from home? I wouldn’t mind one…’

Spike expected the reply from the pony he knew found the gem smoothies to be a nuisance in preparation. ‘Ah, sorry. We left the gem grinder back yonder in Canterlot, laddie; didn’t foresee much call for it around a waterfall since, well, dragons don’t come round here often. I have a few agates in a jar I'll sell youse for two bits apiece, though?’

‘I will consider them as an add-in for something citrusy later,’ Spike answered, ‘Well, we’ll leave you to it, my good stallion. Let’s go see the waterfall before it gets really dark, Rarity!’

‘I can still see them in spite of the night, sweetheart, I think they’ve been lit up for the evening!’ Rarity said excitedly as they turned from the cart and weaved back through the thinning crowds, ‘Unlikely we’ll get more rainbows today, but no matter. Ah, would you prefer if I took you back down myself, Spikey-Wikey?’

Spike pondered her invitation for one entire second as he stepped back onto the main pathway. ‘You sure? You’re already carrying plenty, but I wouldn’t mind…’

She dipped her head close to his ear frills and whispered, blushing slightly, ‘I most certainly am sure, darling, that I want you to ride me. Understand?’

‘If you insist, Rare. I’ll probably keep you warm, anyway!’ said Spike, vaulting with a wing boost onto her back. He took care not to scratch his knee against the crystal flowers still protruding from one saddlebag.

She gasped as he landed and put his claws on her shoulders before straightening up. ‘An additional benefit. But besides that, you do feel good on top of me,’ she purred, looking back at him.

‘Calm down there, Rare. We are still surrounded by tourists,’ said Spike, realising that Rarity’s arousal from earlier was more controlled now than it had been in the aftermath of smooching her neck, but it hadn’t abated. Now as ever riding her was a safe way to be intimate, he figured, but he resolved not to get too clawsy, moving them firmly onto the back of her scarf. Just because he had the touch didn’t mean he should use it irresponsibly, after all.

She sighed, a plosive heave of self-admonishment with which Spike sympathised. ‘Hahh… right as always, precious-pants. Let us be on our way to rejoin their number and see the sights once more, find your young friend, and once we reach the hotel we can finally exchange pictures and suchlike.’

‘Sure. Let’s go,’ Spike replied. And with that she set off, her bumpy trot jostling Spike up and down as they returned to the icy Falls. It wasn’t just her; in this moment he felt it too, a piquant need to be closer to her like this that he’d been denying himself, and she had been just as much. He’d honestly missed riding Rarity this past moon or more… in the completely normal and socially acceptable way to which he was accustomed, he mentally added, as if somecreature were snooping into his brainwaves!

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Author's Note

Well, at least it wasn't six months' wait this time! Thanks for putting up with me, I don't get so much writing time these days but I have not abandoned my favourite ship

Yes, I know things get a little hot halfway through the chapter, don't worry (or alternately, don't get too excited), they're not going to break their promise to each other so soon!

Also with this chapter I have officially broken through 200k words! Give me a damn medal, even if most of this and the last chapter was teasing fluff :raritywink:

– Prelude: Chance Meeting on the Road to Ponyville Between a Sewing Pony and a Griffon –

It was approaching two years since Princess Twilight Sparkle’s coronation. Life in Ponyville had continued peacefully, and without many great upheavals since, barring the occasional amusing mishap. Business as usual, really.

Rarity had been industriously inhabiting the gem mines near the Everfree Forest since the early hours after locating a geode seam in an unexplored branch a few days prior, and was hauling some of the payload back to her boutique when she spotted Gallus on the outskirts of Ponyville, walking away from the road junction towards Gabby’s birdhouse. She cooed and waved to get his attention before trotting up to him, still wearing her beribboned helmet and with her gem cart in tow.

‘Gallus!’ she called to the blue griffon, ‘How have you been? I haven’t seen you so much since Starlight became your new headmare. How’s school been? Have you been well?’

Gallus appeared slightly awkward about running into his ex-teacher away from school, but it was fine, he told himself – he wasn’t as much of a kid anymore. ‘Oh hey, Ms. Rarity. School’s over for me, remember? All us OG schoolcreatures graduated a few moons back.’ She looked at Gallus with wide eyes followed by a furrowed brow, so he elaborated. ‘You took Yona on as an apprentice at your boutique, didn’t you? We were in the same grade! You taught us classes! Classes about sequins and dresses!’

‘My goodness, time flies,’ breathed Rarity, ‘I’m ever so sorry, Gallus, I suppose I forgot. I’ve been distracted by work, I completely admit it – the boutique’s been in demand more than ever lately, to say nothing of the branches in Canterlot and Manehattan. And you’re right, Yona’s been lending a helping hoof this past while, she’s been ever so good…’

‘Heh, it’s alright, Ms. Rarity, I get it. You don’t see me around town much anymore anyway, I guess – I spend a lot of time in Canterlot nowadays. I decided I really didn’t want to go back to Griffonstone after school finished, and Rainbow Dash got a good word for me to Flash Magnus, and he’s taken an interest in training me. So, I’m gonna be a cop, I guess. I mean, a Royal Guard. I hope, anyway.’ He raised a claw and scratched behind his neck, feeling all the more awkward at laying it out like that.

Rarity giggled. ‘Oh, that’s wonderful! You’ll have a bright future ahead of you there, I’m certain of it.’ She glanced behind Gallus, to the trail leading to Gabby’s birdhouse, and inquired, ‘By the way, dear, am I correct in believing you were just visiting Gabby? How has she been?’

Gallus’ sheepishness intensified even further. ‘Yeah, your sister told me she’d not been doing great, so I was just checking in on her. You know about her and Spike, right?’

Rarity hadn’t seen Spike around Ponyville for the better part of a week, now that she thought about it. ‘Ah, Sweetie hasn’t said anything to me about them… last I knew everything was fine?’

‘They’ve hit the rocks these past couple of weeks. She won’t talk to anycreature about it, and you know Gabby, that’s gotta be serious.’

Rarity nodded. ‘I see. I admit I mainly know her through Spike, but I know she’s a lively one. A nice girl. Goodness, have they split up?’

‘Near as I can tell, really. Like I said, she won’t talk to me about it, she just fiddles around with twigs at the back of her house and avoids the subject.’

Rarity inhaled, then inhaled again as her thoughts escalated. ‘Twigs, you say? Is she building a nest?! They didn’t…surely not!?’

Gallus raised both claws and laughed, Rarity’s discomfort on the topic defusing his own embarrassment, which he’d honestly felt had been in danger of getting a bit out of claw over the past couple of minutes. ‘Oh, I’m pretty sure it’s nothing like that… I mean, if she is, it’s like no nest I’ve ever seen. I’m not really sure what I’d call it. Free sculpture, maybe? Or just a mess…’

She relaxed a little, although the implications of the thought that had entered her mind just then had alarmed her much more than she’d care to admit. ‘I suppose you’d know better than me, Gallus. Well, that really is too bad… maybe I should go find Spike. If she won’t talk to you, doubtless Gabby wouldn’t appreciate moi sticking my oar in, but I simply should check in on Spikey.’

‘Huh. I’ve not seen him around much, here or in Canterlot. You know where to find him?’

Rarity nodded again, this time with determination. ‘I have a fair idea, and the moment it’s feasible, I’ll make the trip. I’d best be on my way… good luck with the Royal Guard, Gallus… and I hope Gabby feels better soon, no matter the problem.’

‘Sure, and thanks. See you round, ma’am,’ Gallus smiled, giving Rarity an off-the-cuff salute as she passed along her way. First to offload her cart at the boutique, then to Twilight’s castle. The one she ruled Equestria from now, in Canterlot, not her old one, now turned library-museum, by the school.

– 18: “Moondust and Diamond Dancers” –

Twilight’s ripening orange sun was just halfway to setting behind the misty forest bordering the crater-as-was surrounding the Changeling Hive, as most everycreature in the area gathered for the grand debut of Ocellus’ newest stage play in the amphitheatre a little way away from their home. Long shadows cast across its concave ovoid, drained and properly sculpted following its former life as an acid pit during Chrysalis’ reign, as the air grew thick with a colourful crowd of Hive denizens, arriving unevenly upon the steps and seats around the white sand at the base where the main event was due to proceed. The sunset’s glow belied the definite drop in temperature from the daylight warmth, but the merriment to be had was expected to compensate for that.

Spike and Rarity arrived by wing and hoof, respectively. Solo, Spike could have joined the swarm above, but as reluctant to leave his special somepony in the dust as he was he’d remained mostly earthbound for her benefit; gliding downwards with her in tow as he had during their hike in the late morning was one thing, but taking her high into the air was a bigger ask his arms would soon tire of.

Therefore he flew beside Rarity as changelings, mostly in their default “sparklebug” forms, soared aloft by a few dozen feet, obscured slightly by the evenfall brume before descending upon their destination. Nightfall brought a corresponding drop in temperature, so Rarity had changed outfit, and her manestyle out of the ponytail she’d touted across the height of the daylight hours once they’d both retired to their chambers into something closer to her usual look. While she’d kept the ear and hind leg clasps she’d adorned herself with during the early hours, now she wore besides a black sequinned dress that exposed her shoulders and back and accentuated her rear end where it did cover her, Spike couldn’t help noticing, along with a pair of blue, glittering heels upon her front hooves and a small, matching, buckled satchel slung over her neck and right side, looking very ready for a night at the opera.

Spike, meanwhile, wore a sapphire-blue velvet bow tie just above the ambassador’s medallion that hung down his chest, an accoutrement Rarity had accosted him with the second he’d opened his cell door. He’d put up minimal resistance as she’d tied it around his neck while informing him at length how handsome it made him look, and honestly, she wasn’t wrong in his estimation. He looked down and gave it a quick tug with a smirk, quietly admiring it as she craned her neck, looking upwards with big eyes at the magnificent display in the fall air, and she gasped as she trotted along.

‘My, my… they look so beautiful against the sunset like this,’ she observed, ‘This isn’t unlike watching the Great Dragon Migration, don’t you think?’

Spike looked up from his clothing, such as it was, and exhaled. ‘They sure do, although maybe without the firebreathing and fighting.’

She raised an eyebrow at his tone of voice, before raising both as she felt she’d made a minor but specific error. ‘Oh, ah, I didn’t mean it like that, precious! You know I think dragonflight is quite the sight to behold… just, ah, maybe not too up-close sometimes. Anyway, Ember largely keeps the more unruly ones in line nowadays, and that’s all rather irrelevant to you personally, you sweet thing. I love you as you are, and as whatever you will be, sweetheart.’

He smiled, a thin smile that she returned with an understanding gaze. ‘Aw, I know all that, Rare, but it’s still nice to hear. I love you too, but I’m… I just feel weird about earlier, just a bit. Thorax sent me a scroll after we returned to our cells saying he’d had words with Chitin, but he didn’t elaborate much. We’ll meet him at the play, though – man, as guests of honour we get to sit right next to the bug himself for the whole show! Looking forward to it?’

Her curls bounced as she pranced for a moment. ‘Of course I am, darling! Ah, partly from the anticipation of seeing my own hoofwork in action, but I want to see Ocellus’ script in full motion! The extras weren’t present during the rehearsal, after all, and I'm assured their coordinated efforts lend a great deal of dazzle to the endeavour. My understanding is that half the Hive is technically involved one way or another, unless I’m mistaken?’

‘Something like that. Changelings volunteer to act as props and extras as needed ahead of time, so yeah, participation’s the name of the game for the front rows,’ said Spike, landing on the ground with a slight stumble that stabilised into a walk beside Rarity, ‘Although it’s the troupe who are the real focus, and just a few of them can play multiple parts. For everybug else it’s just fun to transform into stuff they otherwise wouldn’t. Kind of an outlet, y’know? Anyway, Thorax typically doesn’t participate unless it’s an exceptional occasion, so we’ll be in his usual spot halfway up the theatre steps. Not too far away but not too near.’

The pair approached the congregating crowd as they spoke, what must have been a few hundred chattering changelings in the process of finding their seats, largely on one side of the round theatre aside from the front rows, which were quite populated with excited extras, all ready to hit the stage.

‘Almost there, Spikey,’ said Rarity, ‘Ah, do take my hoof as we locate the king? I’d rather not get lost amidst all this activity!’

‘Gladly, Rare,’ Spike chortled as she extended her hoof towards him, taking it in his claw with a gentle but firm grip as he hovered once more in an effort to see where he was going amongst the amassing throng. He led her through the swarm and downwards from the upper rim of the amphitheatre that they’d familiarised themselves with when visiting earlier, stopping at a hot dog cart whose presence could be keenly smelt, loaded with herbs and sauces and onions equal to its processed meat contents. Spike took a corndog in his free claw while Rarity plumped for the salad and dandelion sub, the former on a stick and the latter neatly wrapped in a paper napkin, each one bit apiece. Spike tucked into his straight away, while Rarity sheathed hers inside her bag for later.

As they proceeded from there Rarity graciously received a free programme from a bright green usher, who happily allowed her to levitate it alongside her sandwich into her purview as they kept moving. She glanced at its cover as she slowed up a bit on a slightly less crowded part of the descending granite slope, and Spike slowed likewise before turning to face her, his claw twisting in her hoof before letting go as he did so.

‘“Moondust and Diamond Dancers”,’ he read with a mouth half-full of fried maggot meat from the back of the leaflet she was inspecting, scanning the elaborate cover image of changelings, ponies and rabbits waltzing in a musical spiral from the moon down to Equestria as a dirigible hovered in the background. He swallowed and wiped his face with his wrist before continuing, ‘’Scuse me. That’s a really nice painting on the cover. Somebug’s got talent!’

‘Why, yes, I was just thinking that very think,’ said Rarity, peering over the top at him after a moment’s read of its interior, ‘Apparently Boscis has quite the artistic streak in more than just acting; it’s one of his. Ocellus told us over breakfast this morning that he painted it a few moons back and she was inspired enough to write some songs for it, and everything else followed from that. The programme actually contains the lyrics for the audience to follow. Ah, the central cast is printed here too, but the collective songs and dances by the Hive at large are the real centrepiece.’

‘She told you that about Boscis? I don’t remember…’ Spike enquired, racking his mind before recalling with a grin, ‘Oh, right, I wasn’t there ’cuz I slouched off to get pampered first thing, heh. Well, I’ve heard the songs once through from when we came over here for lunch,’ he continued, giving his corndog another nibble, ‘And I definitely enjoyed ’em just in rehearsal. The full performance is gonna be sweet!’

She flapped the programme shut with a glow of her horn, then popped it into the small sparkling bag hanging off her neck. ‘It certainly will be that, darling. Now, let’s get to Thorax already. He must be getting impatient waiting for us!’

Spike took Rarity’s hoof with a flap of his wings once more, and they moved through the crowd to where a more flattened section of steps was indeed around halfway down for the accommodation of the king and some of his attendants, most of whom were sitting or mooching around, generally resting their hooves on the polished granite and lollygagging in piles of three or four after a long day. Spike recognised the bespectacled, lilac one currently closest to Thorax with a quill and a long parchment she was adding more to by the second.

The throng perked up and, several of them chirping their carapaces in welcome, moved out of the way as Spike and Rarity approached, better to allow them into the inner circle. ‘Hey Thorax, hey Scribophilia, everybug else,’ Spike said, letting go of Rarity’s hoof again as he waved his half-eaten corndog around, ‘We’re not late, are we? We stopped to grab some junk on the way.’

‘H-hey, both of you,’ Thorax said, his wings chirping also, but not altogether as perkily as he had while covered in changeling grubs back outside the feelings forum earlier in the day. He patted the step he was sitting upright upon as he continued, ‘Take a seat. No, you’re both well in time, actually. Once the sun’s completely set they’ll begin.’

‘Ah, so good to see you again, oh King, and during such a beautiful eveningtide. Quite, ah, autumnal,’ Rarity breathed, looking Thorax up and down with a wry smile as she popped a round, patterned sheet out of her bag before placing it where she intended to take her place next to Spike, ‘I see you’ve shed your sweater. In the wash after the forum, I presume?’

He tugged on the bandana she’d also gifted him, which still hung around his long neck, then smiled as he leaned downwards to address the little dragon and pony, who were both now well within range for that necessity. ‘Well, you saw it. Grubs might love their uncle Thorax, but they’re also Tartarus-bent on ruining his clothes one way or another. I probably shoulda taken it off before heading to nurture and wellness but I wanted to wear it where you could see it, Rarity! I know how much you like to see your work in action!’

Scribophilia looked up from her notes with a straight face as Rarity raised a hoof to her mouth and chuckled demurely in response to that. ‘King Thorax left it in the licker lockers beneath the Hive, Rarity. By my deduction it’s probably pristine by now, cleansed ahead of the evening’s entertainment. All “baby barf”, so-called, will have been washed back into the love mix. All very efficient, and sterile once processed,’ she said in a smooth, measured voice.

Spike interjected somewhat vaguely, ‘The love mixer, yeah… I missed the tour the other day to hang out with you, Thorax. Uh, my understanding is that it’s kinda like a sewer, but technicolour and actually pretty clean instead of super-poopy? If nothing else, changelings working there seem not to mind being around the stuff for long periods.’

‘It’s more of a refinery or a recycling plant if anything, Spikey,’ Rarity explained from memory, ‘Various waste goes in, has the impurities extracted in these bubbling pools Pharynx told us contain a diluted version of the acids that used to be everywhere around these parts before harnessed for their current purpose, and then converted into fertiliser and nectar. It’s all quite fascinating, and as you said, a tad psychedelic to be around for long.’

‘Well remembered. Almost exactly like my notes on the matter, technical vocabulary aside. Impressive!’ Scribophilia nodded, having listened to that intently.

‘Yeah, and unlike one of your Equestrian sewers, the guys down there love to get stuck in,’ said Thorax, ‘It’s an important part of our ecosystem these days, really! It’s only taken form as a thing the past year or so, but it turns out us changelings have a natural talent for reusing every part of the worm, so to speak.’

‘Ah, that’s the power of love, Thorax darling,’ Rarity smiled, before looking down to her side at her favourite little dragon, who had taken to gently leaning against her, trying not to make rubbing his face against her fur too obvious. Her smile broke into a giggle as she said, ‘Spikey, sweetheart, are you certain you can see the stage from down there? By the time everybug’s present you might need a little boost!’

‘I’m actually weighing my options since you mention it, Rare. Your back or Thorax‘s antlers, hmm…’ Spike pondered as he sat upright, exaggerating with his chin pressed against his thumb and foreclaw, glancing between the two for a moment before making the call, ‘Thorax, don’t get me wrong, you’re the best seat in the house, but I hope you won’t be offended if I stick to my special somepony this evening… I mean, if she doesn’t mind.’

Rarity wrapped a foreleg around Spike, pulling him closer with a gently flush, half-lidded smile. ‘Of course I wouldn’t, you charmer,’ she sighed, ‘Just, well, you know how to behave when you’re riding my back by now; just mind my curls with that snack you’re holding.’

‘After the feelings forum this afternoon, I’m hardly surprised by that choice, and I’m not gonna argue,’ Thorax laughed. then suddenly sobered up much to the effect of when Spike and Rarity had approached him a few moments ago. ‘Uh, Scribophilia, I’d like a word with Spike and Rarity about Chitin. Maybe now’s a good time to go down to the stage and take minutes around there as usual?’

Scribophilia took the hint. ‘No problem, my king. I’ll be back before we begin, but it is in everybug’s interests to take a record of events,’ she said, taking a moment to roll up her long list before flying down to where Elytron and Ocellus were discussing something under a dim firefly-fuelled spotlight near the centre of the theatre. As darkness descended, the lights were just starting to be set by ushers ahead of the performance, now rather than later to allow the fireflies time to warm up ahead of ceremonies.

Spike watched her long tail of paper follow with her as she left with amusement. ‘Scribophilia, I love you but you will log everything I say and I’d rather you didn’t right this second…’ Thorax breathed as he too watched her go, ‘Uh, I sent you that message about Chitin, didn’t I, Spike?’ he asked as he turned to him and Rarity, broaching the topic once he was confident she was out of earshot.

‘You sure did, but you weren’t – oooop!! – specific,’ said Spike, interrupted for a second as Rarity separated him from his corndog, placed it onto the napkin he’d been supplied at the food cart, then lifted him onto her bare upper back and shoulders with a sparkle of her horn, ‘I noticed she’s conspicuous by her absence. What happened, exactly?’

Thorax winced, looking over towards the stage as he formulated his response. ‘Yeah, Chitin is grounded for the remainder of you guys’ visit,’ he answered after a long pause, ‘Not a decision I’ve taken lightly, believe me. And not so much for her outburst at the forum, although that wasn’t great… but I thought I was pretty clear about not intruding on visitors, secretly or not. As it stands she gave me the runaround until I got Pharynx involved, and he found her swinging off the ceiling of the halls near your rooms pretending to be a chandelier.’

Spike looked to where Thorax appeared to be quietly gazing, noticing the longer shadows cast in the orange-purple light by the audience, a colourful throng of wings and carapaces now mostly gathered on the steps below, their mass thickening around the oval stage where ceremonies were soon to occur. ‘Really? That can’t be good. Didn’t she say she saw me and Rarity… y’know… out above the valley?’

‘She let that slip pretty loudly at the forum, yeah… but what clinched it was, what she didn’t tell everybug was that it wasn’t a chance encounter. Pharynx and I did the, uh, good-bug bad-bug routine? Just to get to the bottom of her behaviour… turns out she spent the morning when nocreature knew where she was, trailing the both of you. You probably didn’t notice a stone with eyes near the crag the two of you were, uh, “massaging” on?’

Spike inhaled through his fangs as he steadied himself by holding onto Rarity’s lower neck and shoulders, with his knees pressed against her sides; Rarity wasn’t so easy to ride when she was sitting to attention like she currently was, but even like this he didn’t dare make contact with her mane. ‘Geez, so she was outright spying on us after we left the Hive? I thought she was above stuff like that.’

‘So did I, Spike, so did I, but she’s not been dealing great with the nuances of the situation we’re in… I fear she’s dedicated herself to gaining half a story, then filling the blanks with assumptions,’ said Thorax in a low voice, ‘She’s more sensitive than she let on to love stuff and it’s probably a reaction to the difficulties she’s experienced around the two of you in the past couple of days. Sure, you two cleared the air at the forum this afternoon and everybug present was cool with it, but Chitin arrived in the aperture after you two and, uh, the burgeoning actors, Sandbar and Yona I mean, started to get all lovey-dovey? When Pharynx pressed her she said she expected that to escalate to another “massage” without an intervention. Needless to say, she wasn’t happy about what she saw while observing you both.’

While her face had been stoney-straight as Thorax had been explaining, the corners of her mouth curled upwards as Spike’s claws gripped her neck gently. ‘You say that as if it’s a euphemism, Thorax sweetheart. It really was just that and nothing more, but with an, ah, with an unexpected twist at the end, one might say,’ she said before reclining forwards for Spike’s benefit, ‘A mite unfortunate that she saw that happen, we were trying to exercise a modicum of discretion… that was the whole reason we left the Hive, for all of your goods while we spent time together!’

Thorax raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s really not what Chitin said… Spike, not that I don’t believe Rarity, but can you back that up?’

Spike nodded. ‘Sure can. We just… well, one thing led to another, yeah, but nothing like that.’

‘Quite. We mutually elected to cease such activities after I, ah, eheh,’ said Rarity, failing not to blush at the recollection, ‘After Spike’s massage sent me into overdrive, shall we say. I swear, nothing more happened.’

‘Hmm…’ Thorax looked at them both closely, first into Rarity’s penetrating sapphire eyes and then to Spike’s earnest, furrowed brow. He inhaled before deciding, ‘Alright, I believe you. Either way, neither of you need worry, I’ve sentenced her to mandatory attendance at the feelings forum along with cell arrest until you’ve all left,’ he explained, ‘Scribophilia has been picking up the slack so far, Counsellor Freelove will visit her tomorrow for a wellbeing check, and Pharynx is keeping guard in the meantime; he doesn’t mind missing the show. That guy can take or leave stuff like this, although I do like when he can make the time and we can just chill out, watch the show and eat garbage.’

Rarity chuckled, remembering her own similar attitude towards attending The Running of the Leaves a couple of moons ago, but Spike piped up before she could make the reference herself. ‘Yeah, sometimes showing up is enough, just for the company. Rarity and I got to know each other a little better when she showed up to the races around Ponyville a while back, and she had the temerity,’ he snorted as he said that word, ‘To say she was only along for the picnicking!’

‘As I recall, the whole endeavour ended in tears, precious-scales, and I do not mean the entanglement of all the racers at its end. But we did have a lovely time with the girls and Discord, and I certainly enjoyed your presence,’ she said, craning her neck behind her as Spike, now comfortable upon her back, gave her a caress under her jaw, ‘And we were able to salvage the occasion afterwards… ah, yes,’ she murmured, reared and tossed her mane as he did that, then inhaled as she sobered slightly, ‘Ooh…! Spikey-Wikey, not that I don’t enjoy that, but perhaps this isn’t the occasion, sweetheart? We may have defused the tension earlier, but we still must remain appropriate in mixed company.’

‘Right, right, boundaries, ceasing the untoward, sorry, force of habit…’ Spike snickered, sliding his claw back over her ear before planting it upon her shoulder, ‘True, I was a bit too bold that day, but it got your attention, Rare. Means to an end!’

She sniffed, then smiled. ‘I suppose it accelerated certain inevitabilities a little the day following, but no matter. Ultimately I don’t regret what happened, even if it wasn’t the clearest path either of us could have taken… our love found its way regardless, didn’t it?’ Then she looked away from Spike, at the changelings surrounding them at large, then at Thorax. She didn’t see anything untoward besides a few who were fairly obviously inhaling a hearty dose of their output, but nonetheless she asked, ‘Ah, we are still well to be like this whilst around your changelings, Thorax darling? Just making certain.’

‘Love is good for the Hive, Rarity, that was never the issue,’ Thorax answered, having lightened up considerably, blushing at the pair’s exchange, ‘But repression causes, ah, toxic fluctuations we can do without, some bugs more than others. Um, you realise that you are super-cute together, right?’ he continued, his voice cracking, ‘Seeing two creatures in love like you makes my hearts sing… and you cast those fluctuations aside like pros once you realised there was a problem, before even I’d really gotten it straight. As the king of all changelings in my domain, I dare proclaim you’ve got chemistry together, and that’s fantastic.’ He couldn’t suppress a giggle as he caught himself making such a grand declaration about such a small thing, regardless of how ironic his intended tone had been.

Spike cast him a sardonic grin right back as he dug his claws into Rarity’s fur a little more tightly, herself sitting upright. ‘Heh, ponies and griffons alike said I was super-cute with my old griffriend, but I don’t think you ever met Gabby, Thorax? I never brought her out this way, anyway; I asked her to come when I visited last summer, but she couldn’t get the time off work ahead of the Festival of the Two Sisters.’

The king scrunched his mandibles. ‘Uh, I have, just the one time in Ponyville, I think,’ he said, ‘She seemed, uh… like a nice girl…!’ After trailing off, he eagerly cast that topic aside as the lanterns lining the slopes between the amphitheatre steps started to light up, sequentially from the now-illuminated stage itself upwards to the rim, ‘Oh, would you look at that! Everycreature pay attention, the sun’s gonna set pretty soon and that’s when it’s go time!’

Then a crashing noise, a “meep!” and no small amount of chirping came from one of the heaps of attendants nearby, and Thorax sat bolt upright and looked around hesitantly. ‘Uh, mind if I just go check on my changelings for a bit? Once the show starts I’ll be rooted to the spot here, so I’d like to take care of… stuff. I’ll trot back when Scribophilia returns.’

‘By all means, Thorax. Don’t let us distract you from your Hive,’ Rarity smiled.

Spike nodded, adding, ‘No problem, my good bug, I know you have duties. See you soon.’

Once he was away, Rarity gave her curls a quick sweep with a hoof before briefly licking her lips. ‘Looks like now’s a good time to tuck in, then, while it’s just the two of us,’ she said, producing her wrapped-up submarine sandwich from her satchel, then looking behind to Spike, ‘I am rather ready for a bite. Shall I pass you your snackette, Spikey, or would you rather wait?’

Spike surprised her by vaulting off of her shoulders suddenly with a single flap of his wings, then landing back by her side. ‘I thought you’d never ask, Rare! Uh, I’ll eat it here and not on your back. You probably don’t want ketchup on you,’ he said, picking it off the napkin she’d laid it upon by its stick before sitting down and giving it a sniff, ‘Though I need to watch myself in case I get some on my bow tie, or the medallion. Ah, fried bug meat, an exotic delicacy indeed. You just don’t get stuff like this back in Equestria. I don’t suppose you’d like any, would you?’ he asked, anticipating her refusal, ‘Ponies eat seafood sometimes. The bugs they ground up for this are basically that, just not from outta the sea!’

‘I have my hooves full with my own culinary choice, darling,’ said Rarity, her sandwich raised to her lips, ‘Though when you put it that way, it sounds slightly less revolting to me now than it did at the start of the week. Nevertheless, I must decline… I feel like I’m a mite overdressed for fast food like that.’

Spike nodded, not minding that he had the whole thing to himself. She took a munch out of her sandwich, and Spike necked much of his corndog in a single bite in turn before wiping his mouth with his wrist. ‘Eh, pigging out on two corndogs in one day means I’m eating like a pony tomorrow for sure, but these are so good I’m not sleeping on ’em while they’re available. Your dress looks awesome, by the way,’ he said in a lower voice once he’d swallowed, ‘And if you don’t mind my say-so, it fits very nicely. Uh, I mean the silky black against your white fur, and, uh… uh, I shouldn’t go on…’ he bit his lip and blushed in embarrassment, grinding a heel against the granite floor and feeling that was an inappropriate line of discussion so soon after her earlier admonishment.

Rarity didn’t mind, although she blushed likewise as she continued for him, one hoof raised. ‘Well, you frequently say I look wonderful wearing anything, my darling. Am I to understand that what you truly mean by that is that my, ah, physical profile is to your liking in general, or have I gained the wrong idea?’ she chuckled, feigning ignorance while maintaining her usual aura of superiority.

Spike looked her up and down, just to confirm in the moment what he’d been aware of since she’d met him in the Hive’s basement. Rarity looked at him with wide eyes and that particular smile she casually wore, one that didn’t meet her eyes but which nonetheless lent her a pacific, joyous aura of positive anticipation. She sat beside him and he drank in the rest of her – her downy chest fluff was visible above her sleek black dress’ low neckline, with a cascading diamond necklace the only other cover over the thin fur of her bare neck.

Going further, the back he’d just alighted was as soft and firm as ever, with her curls streaming down just enough to sweep her upper back, and from here he could see the fabric of where the negative v-shape tapered off at its small, and her perfectly-coiffed tail sprouting outward from further behind. The sheer fabric of her silken dress clung to her, slightly loose on her underside but taut against her hips, flanks and belly, making a real meal out of the curvature of her lower body before revealing her hind legs just above her knees. The navy-blue triple-diamond sequins in its fabric along with the facets of her necklace sparkled beneath the lanternlight as she shifted slightly in her blue heels, making his love resemble the precious gem she was to him all the more. The clasps she’d been wearing for most of their visit completed the look, silver as the moon that was just about peeping through an overhead cloud, itself pink in the dimming daylight.

He glanced away from her body, back to her expectant gaze. ‘Nope, you have completely the right idea, Rarity,’ he stated simply with a straight face, popping what was left of his corndog into his mouth before continuing, ‘You’re a knockout no matter what… and looking at you takes my breath away. Not that it’s the only thing I like about you, of course…!’ he inhaled through his teeth.

Her smile broadened across her entire face, and she leaned close to him. ‘Spikey-Wikey, you’ve never known me to be offended by a sincere compliment, and I shan’t start now. I do endeavour to look fabulous, after all, and it’s nice to have confirmation of it from my lovely little dragon companion,’ she said, before kissing him on the cheek with an audible smack.

He laughed again, touching his cheek, for certain now adorned with a glossy lipstick imprint. ‘Well, in that case, I’ll just call you “simply divine”, to borrow your own phrase, then leave it for now. We’re gonna have plenty of time for compliments later, but the show’s about to start for real,’ said Spike, before inspecting his claws, ‘You brought your hoofkerchief with you in that bag, right? I’m not real saucy after that, but better safe than sorry.’

‘Perhaps not physically saucy, sweetheart, but…’ Rarity almost chuckled, then bit her lip affectionately as she left that thought behind. She leaned forth and whipped out a pack of moist wipes she’d had stowed inside her bag, ‘Well, I remembered while getting dressed for the play that I’d brought these, but I've barely used them all week. Take one rather than sullying my good hoofkerchief twice today, darling!’ she said blithely as she extracted two attached to one another, separating them before floating one into Spike’s outstretched claws. ‘Once you’re done, feel free to hop back onto me.’

‘Good thinking. I guess twice in one day is kinda taking advantage,’ Spike admitted, taking the antiseptic white sheet and rubbing it between his palms, then between his digits. He contemplated washing his face before deciding against it; that kiss was staying put for the proceedings, he determined. As he finished and disposed of the tissue in a trashcan close to the amphitheatre slope, he looked towards the centre stage and saw a certain purple bug make her return over the murmuring front rows, ‘Sorry about that. Oh, Scribophilia’s on her way back. Dare say the show’s definitely about to start.’

She indeed descended a few seconds later with an audible “flap” of parchment as she landed, deliberately on her front tiphooves before planting all fours onto Thorax’s deserted space, just as Rarity had bitten off a mouthful of her sandwich. ‘King Thorax! I’m back with a fully logged documentation of the number of registered extras, an estimate on the changelings present overall and the precise number of transformations necessary by the main cast for the choreography to function! Besides that, Dearlove instructed me to– ah, where’d he go? Rarity?’

Rarity shook her head, reluctant to speak with a faceful of food and saliva, so Spike took the lead. He jabbed a thumb where several giggling changelings had subsumed their king, though he didn’t mind – Thorax was laughing too as they, adults to a bug, clambered around on him. ‘Looks like he got himself mixed up in a bugpile again… you know, I’m sure he lets his guard down on purpose, even if he won’t admit it. Need a claw extricating him from that?’

Scribophilia turned to look as Spike explained, then sighed. ‘Chitin usually takes care of such situations, but I believe I’ve got this,’ she said before shoving her long stream of notes towards Spike, then buzzing towards the less-than-dignified royal scene, ‘Be two ticks. King Thorax, the show’s about to begin! All of you, stop sitting on our monarch, for bug’s sake!’

Rarity swallowed her mouthful, faintly embarrassed at being caught off-guard like that, then giggled as Spike spun around in a circle, trying and failing critically not to become mummified in the ream of chickenscratch that had just been thrust upon him. ‘Oh, sweetheart, you’re just making it worse… hold still,’ she said, and as Spike tried not to fall over she located the end and unravelled him with a sparkle of her horn. He spun a few times in the opposite direction before falling onto his rump with an “oof!”, then dusted himself off before giving the end of the scrawl a quick but close squint.

He snorted, unperturbed by his fall. ‘Hah, somehow I don’t think Thorax needs to know what Dearlove’s instruction was. It’s kinda rude!’ he laughed.

Rarity stood properly, lending a hoof to Spike as he pulled himself to his feet with her support. ‘My apologies, precious, I should be a mite more delicate than that,’ she said, nonetheless unable to suppress a chuckle as she magically waved her half-eaten meal around like a baton, ‘Are you all OK?’

Spike took the opportunity to roll the long tract up as best he could with a roll of his bright eyes, before looking up at her. ‘I’m good, but man, wish she hadn’t done that. I’ve been logging a few things while we’ve been visiting, it’s part of the job, but by and large having a huge mess of notes piled onto me is the kind of thing I leave Canterlot to get away from,’ he said, not entirely seriously, ‘I mean, Twilight’s gotten her listmania in check a lot since getting all princessy, but once in a while I still get it in the neck…’

‘Speaking of necks, Thorax should be back momentarily,’ Rarity observed. They both looked over to where Scribophilia had just about unearthed Thorax from beneath an avalanche of his own subjects. He stood, and with a huge grin and a shake and one bend of his long neck each side his carapace fluttered open as he followed Scribophilia back to his place.

‘Well, that was invigorating,’ Thorax chirruped, smoothing his crumpled bandana, taking his place next to the pair as Spike handed the rolled-up paper back to Scribophilia, ‘Uh, you probably know the details about recreational bugpiles and transfer of affection between changelings. I just got an impromptu love infusion from Honeyoak and his boys; said they could tell Chitin’s absence was bugging me a bit, and, well, they weren’t wrong. I believe you acquainted yourself with them yesterday, Rarity?’

‘Welcome back, Thorax darling. Ah, the stag drone? Yes, I received rather a pleasant limbering up of my joints at the mud pools from him and a couple others yesterday evening,’ Rarity recalled, ‘Large fellows to a bug, but deft of hoof for sure. I commend their work.’

Spike chuckled as Thorax took the compliment on their behalves, ‘Yeah, you told me. I know I’m your preferred masseur, though,’ his smile widened as Rarity raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips, in disapproval though not in denial, ‘Uh, not that I didn’t get the message to keep my claws to myself right now… can I climb back on you now, Rare? I’m as pristine as you are now, promise.’

‘Why, of course,’ Rarity nodded, her expression pleasant but still straight, ‘Feel free to hold onto me, just none of that if you don’t mind… just pay attention and keep the petting to a minimum, Spikey-Wikey. After all, that is why I made the offer in the first place; so you could watch alongside me, not for tickle time!’

She snickered as she finished that thought, and Spike gently put a digit to her lips for a second. ‘Don’t tempt me with a refusal, Rare,’ he said with a devious look in his eyes, before taking to the air, swooping upwards for a moment as Rarity and the changelings present looked aloft, watching him flip backwards in flight, performing a swift full-body turn before slowing himself just above her. He wasn’t so fast that she was unprepared; she flattened her back and shoulders in anticipation of his landing, and with one last flap he planted himself just right, his pointy tail flush with the exposed line of her back, claws on the back of her neck and his head roughly level with hers.

‘Oop! Ah, a very good landing there, darling,’ Rarity uttered, turning her neck a little to address him, ‘Not too heavy, either. You know, perhaps I should have packed a saddle that matches this dress for your benefit, but, well, hindsight and all…’

Thorax raised a hoof to his mouth and grinned. ‘I don’t think Spike minds, somehow,’ he said, inhaling, ‘Nor yourself, from what I’m detecting. Anyway,’ he lowered his voice as the hubbub started to quieten, ‘Look up… the sun’s almost completely down.’

Spike raised his claw to his own lips this time. ‘Shh! Any second now!’ he said, to himself more than to anycreature else.

The long shadows from a short while ago had almost dimmed into nonexistence by now, and the sky was rapidly fading from streaked orange-purple to starry black as the final rays of the sun disappeared behind the twisted, ancient forest that concealed the Changeling Hive from wider Equestria. The changelings who had been relaxing largely sat to attention, languidly separating into a more traditional audience as it became clear things were about to begin.

Once the night had finally fallen, the glowworm lanterns that had illuminated the amphitheatre dimmed, and the chatter generated by and surrounding everycreature fell to an anticipatory quiet, accompanied by some more “hush!”ing much the same as Spike’s as all was plunged into near-darkness. ‘Ah! It’s starting, Spikey!’ Rarity whispered, unwrapping another inch or two of her sandwich before falling silent.

Everything was illuminated solely by thin moonlight for a spell, and all remained silent besides a solitary cough from somewhere in the rows below. Then a low string drone sounded from concealed loudspeakers, and a few seconds hence a spotlight suddenly made a loud “clack” from somewhere above the centre stage, bathing it in a cool white light much like the moon overhead but an order of magnitude brighter. Nothing appeared to be present onstage but the usual bleached sand for several seconds, causing a viewer to wonder just what would sprout forth when least expected.

Just then, five burrowing presences encroached into the sand, synchronised as they met in the middle. There was a blue explosion as the strings heightened in pitch and a tree suddenly grew, starting as a sapling from where the presences had convened, rapidly spreading upwards and outwards into a smallish oak, its bark rising and its branches unfurling as if it were one of those fast-motion growth reels Spike had seen on a few occasions while Twilight was doing research.

Atop its highest bough, revealed from a particularly large collection of leaves, stood a changeling Spike recognised as Boscis, although changed from his usual magenta to a royal blue, to facilitate playing a role in much the same way as pony actors concealing their cutie marks while onstage. He stretched an arm upward towards the moon, which had made its appearance shortly before sunset, though nocreature’s attention had been drawn towards it until this moment.

His delivery was spirited, but betrayed slight inexperience. ‘The moon, this flimsy moon,’ he said with a nasal gravity that descended to a dramatic whisper, ‘So much she has changed, continues to change, from the prison of Nightmare Moon to… to what? Princess Luna returned to her sister within their rightful realm, and now nobug knows for sure. But I, I believe… in the rabbits in the moon.’

Another of the troupe was revealed, Dearlove turned turquoise this time, and she trotted along the bough upon which Boscis pontificated, approaching him from behind as he continued to point skyward. ‘Little brother, my dear fool of a brother,’ she recited haughtily, ‘Rabbits can’t survive in space! Nor can they survive on naught but cheese! I myself believe in the moon cheese. You’ll see I’m right one day.’

Boscis turned to her with determination in his eye. ‘My dear sister, on this note you are most incorrect! I have had a vision, from Luna herself! Once so wicked and now so wise, she showed me vast plains of rabbits, hares, bunnies! Lagomorphs!!’ he asserted, ‘She has shown me the moon, and I shall heed her call! Perhaps you seek to disagree, but, my sister, will you not help me reach my destination?’

As the actors continued, Spike put his head over Rarity’s shoulder. She nuzzled her cheek against his for a moment before he asked, ‘Hey, Rare. Do changelings get visits from Princess Luna in their dreams, or is that a pony-only thing? I know they hold her in high regard as a kind of patron princess of reformed villains, but I’ve never heard about that specifically.’

She pressed her cheek against his ear frills, still watching the action unfold as Dearlove’s part informed Boscis’ that a voyage to the moon was surely impossible. ‘Why, you’d know better than I,’ she whispered back, ‘Have you never had a visit from her yourself, darling? At least, not one you remember?’

‘Hmm,’ said Spike, putting a claw to his face in contemplation, feeling like he might have, but unable to put his claw on it.

He fell quiet while he tried, and without an answer Rarity turned back to the action, taking another nibble of her sandwich. A mauve Ocellus had waltzed onto the scene now, climbing up the tree’s trunk onto a lower bough and looking up at the other two. ‘Why do you argue, the both of you? Don’t you realise this is a dream right here, from Luna herself? We can all do anything in a dream! I know a pony who can take everybug we know to the moon tout suite! He can take us all anywhere!’

Elytron was the last changeling to appear onstage – Trochanter was plainly playing the part of the sprawling oak tree the others clambered upon – and unlike the others’ reveals he appeared as an unassuming, small brown bird flying onto a lower bough before transforming into a green version of his usual appearance. ‘A pony? Surely you cannot mean… Space Thrusters, prime pilot of Equestria’s Twilight Age?! If anycreature can achieve the impossible, he is the best equipped!’

‘Did someone say Equestria’s prime pilot? Over!’ came Sandbar’s voice, followed by a bleep, plainly affecting a plummier accent than usual through radio distortion. That was Trochanter’s cue to warp with an alarming wobble from a tree to a white building that looked very much like one of Canterlot’s castle spires, and as she morphed everybug upon her boughs fluttered in place for a moment until her transformation had ended. For effect, some extras who had changed into tiny dirigibles and regular-sized birds took to the air above the stage, and the pale light shining upon the stage brightened in an imitation of daylight.

They landed back upon the tower’s roofs and balconies as Sandbar spoke from above again, slowly floating in from the obscurity of the overhead mists and darkness via balloons tied around his waist, wearing an orange, pneumatic-looking spacesuit and a golden bubble around his head, his mane pinned back by a comms cap with a mic attachment. ‘I tire of circumnavigating the globe!’ he continued as he landed upon the tippy-top of the tower, ‘I’ve done it so many times now I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it! I’ve been wearing this suit of my own devisement for a year and a day, just waiting for somecreature to dream of more! You changelings are my ticket, all our tickets to the great beyond!’

Boscis gasped, flying up to Sandbar with his hooves over his mandibles with excitement as his fellow changelings approached likewise in varying states of enthusiasm, none more excited than his. ‘Why, we’re in Canterlot, and Mr. Thrusters stands before us! Dear Pony sir, it would be the utmost honour to be your passengers! Please, sir, take us to see the rabbits in the moon!’

‘It would be my joyous duty, young bug! Captain Space Thrusters, to the moon and back in my beautiful balloon before breakfast! No bunny too big, no changeling too small!’ It was plain Sandbar came within an inch of corpsing at his lines as he proclaimed that heroically, but he managed to keep his cool.

Then Spike suddenly whispered urgently, ‘The Tantabus!’ snapping his fingers and distracting Rarity from the onstage proceedings, ‘Of course, I was there in that dream version of Ponyville that night, kinda.’

‘The huh–?’ Rarity’s cheeks were bulging slightly from having just eaten the last of her sandwich, and her eyes widened as she looked sideways at him, ‘Oh, yes, the Tantabus! Luna’s little monster,’ she pontificated for a moment more, dabbing her crumbs away with her hoofkerchief before continuing that thought, ‘Nasty business, the way that poor mare was quietly tormenting herself with, well, whatever it was, some sort of guilt-harnessing nightmare creature… thank goodness she was able to forgive herself for a thousand years of moonmad malfeasance before something truly awful happened. With all our help, of course.’

‘Eh, I was there on the ground alright, but I was kind of late to the party and I’m… it’s kinda fuzzy?’ he paused before he snorted, ‘Wait, it’s coming back to me better now. Maybe I was late and all, but I turned into a swole dragon dude and sallied forth into battle upon our local mailmare, along with a bunch of other pony folks following suit and using their dream powers too. It was pretty sweet!’

Rarity giggled in turn, ‘That you did, sweetheart, and it was no small thing for any of you… though what really stuck firm in my memory was Big McIntosh’s fascinating alicorn transformation–’ she stopped as a cry from the stage piqued her attention once again, ‘Ooh! Spikey, I believe they’re about to break into song! Hush now, I want to hear this in full!’

Spike likewise turned his attention back onto the stage, and they both saw that Canterlot was now filled with dancing, singing changelings and bunnies, some of which had gossamer changeling wings, the line between the bottom rows of the amphitheatre and its performance space disappearing underhoof in the swarm of whirling activity. Trochanter the rubbertube spire was swaying to and fro as everybug danced around her, leading the song in that soprano that belied her usual quiet nature.

The background music was a controlled chaos of strings and horns that one would assume came from a small orchestra if the stage setup had allowed for it, but the sharp-eyed could see the heavy lifting there being done by a large system of speakers built into the rim of the stage relaying the contents of a modest disc-jockey set placed just out of the spotlight, illuminated only by an array of blinking LEDs and with an adolescent changeling in headphones babysitting it, changing the track and adjusting the volume as needed.

And so, they all sang:

We're on top of the world!
We're on top of our game!
Blasting off moonwards, we must be completely insane!
We're all on our way!
With those bunnies we'll play!
Our friendship won't break and our pilot will take us–
Up, up and away!

The song was Ocellus’, Elytron largely being responsible for its accompanying choreography, though that was fairly unstructured where the show extras were concerned. His fellows in the troupe stuck to established dance and transformation patterns, to which they took with aplomb; Ocellus in particular had already made a triple-morph with a skip and a spin from changeling to giraffe, then through an interstitial change to a shooting star before becoming a very large and buff rabbit as she sang during the first verse.

It resembled a dancehall more than a stage as the song proceeded, with several dozen changelings becoming dancing flowers, insects, animals – majorly rabbits as the script’s subject matter specified, but for many that was more guideline than rule in this joyous stage invasion – some just fly-dancing around as themselves but having no less fun for that. The bunnies were all different colour-shades of glowing white, and no small number were endowed with bifurcated horns and gossamer wings from some of the changelings who weren’t a hundred-percent committed to playing the part, but to Spike and Rarity it simply enhanced the exoticism of the whole scene.

To the mooOOOoon! Way up there!
We admit it, we're nervous, but we must not ever be scared!
We're going so high!
To where dreams never die!
Where the nightmare lay dormant, now back here as Luna, from! La! Luuuune!

The overhead spotlight changed to a cooler hue as the song slowed, which was the cue for the whirlwind of transformation to cool its jets, the majority of the extras now in their default forms again while the main cast, barring their actress-turned-scenery, had all transformed into rodents and lagomorphs of various kinds; a hare, a hedgehog, a pika and a chinchilla, all waving jazzhands in the main audience’s general direction.

The changelings onstage linked hooves as they danced back and forth to what came next:

We don't know what's up there, aside from those rascally rabbits,
But we're certain we'll understand everything all in good cheer,
We're all so excited, we'll show them our world as we know it,
And with love and respect we just know they'll accept us as peers!

We're on top of the world!
We're on top of our game!
To travel so far, we're feeling completely untamed!
We're all on our way!
With our worries at bay,
Resolute in our purpose, we're moving on upwards
Up, up and awaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!

The remaining audience of non-participants stared with bated breath as the song finally slowed to a stop, a few clapped hooves sounding before falling silent again as the action continued.

Still peering over Rarity’s shoulder, she looked to her right as the song reached its crescendo, seeing Spike’s jaw had dropped in amazement for the duration. She raised a hoof and snapped it closed, ‘Spikey, I know that was simply incredible but please, you’re at risk of drooling on my attire,’ she deadpanned with a smirk.

‘I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am,’ he exhaled, ‘This is way cooler than the rehearsal, and that wasn’t half bad. The extras add so much more to this.’

‘I couldn’t agree more, sweetheart. So, ah, be honest, Spikey-Wikey,’ said Rarity, figuring fishing for compliments was no sin, ‘It was based upon Ocellus’ napkin design, but do you think I did a good job on dear Sandbar’s space suit?’

He nodded. ‘You realised it perfectly, Rare. It definitely looks like something a pony would wear in space, which, to my recollection, hasn’t got much in the way of air. Hence the bubble, right?’

‘Yes, for which the cast can transform into their own in the second and third acts. I only needed to craft one, which is just as well; I couldn’t have done it without the assistance of the glassblowing shop the changelings have, fortunately on the same day I really needed it!’

As the play continued Trochanter once again transmogrified into something new; after another ripple she became an ornate green blimp decorated with tree branches, not as large as dirigibles Spike and Rarity had seen before but large enough for the main cast to ride in. “Space Thrusters” took the wheel while the changeling extras stayed in position; in the blink of an eye most of them transformed with a series of green flashes into grasses and ferns, with one latecomer looking around in confusion for two seconds before registering what was happening and changing likewise.

The action onstage unfolded further, before long breaking into another song as Trochanter pointed herself at the heavens and shook with everycreature aboard, with changelings turning into twinkling stars and creating the illusion of interstellar flight as the moon voyage at last disembarked. Once more, they all sang:

Flying into space, we know it's not a race!
But we must, we must, we must, we have to get there!
Running in one place, it feels as if we're taking an eternity!
But we must, we must, we have to get there to the–

SEA! We seek tranquility!
To prove we have the guts to reach a place to rest!
To show everycreature that we can make the change!
To shake the stigma of a failure to thrive!
We must, we must, we have to show ourselves that we’ve got the drive!

Spike and Rarity fell quiet for the duration, although as the song proceeded Spike couldn’t help noticing Rarity’s face had fallen into a staid but forlorn expression, as though she were staving off tears. ‘Rare?’ he breathed, gripping her shoulders just a little more tightly, ‘Are you okay?’

She sniffed, and she gazed intently at the action as she answered. ‘I– I’m fine, Spike. I’m just finding myself affected by… seeing all this in full production is unearthing rather an old memory, that’s all. Not an especially nice one, either.’

Spike looked at the singing and dancing with an analytical eye, struggling to see what she’d seen; Ocellus’ song took a desperate tone, it was true, but like everything else transpiring onstage it was a celebration of freedom first and foremost. There was definitely something about the changelings’ voyage to the moon that troubled him, too, but he couldn’t quite put his claw on it.

The song continued:

We don’t have time to breathe! We don’t have time to think!
And we can’t turn back, full throttle ahead!
The darkness Luna knew, drawing us through,
But it’s worth it, to reach the brightest moonlight!

‘Hmm… wanna talk about it later?’ he whispered, to which she didn’t respond, so he tried again with a change of subject and a therapeutic rake of the palm behind her ear. ‘Hey, Yona’s part is coming up pretty soon, right? Now, that we saw in full costume earlier.’

Rarity sniffed again, blinking away a tear and nuzzling into Spike’s touch before turning to acknowledge him. ‘Well, yes… we needed to be positively certain to have a full dress rehearsal for her in particular, and I know you know why,’ she said, a smile returning to her face, ‘I haven’t personally dressed her up in full attire since, well, the yakcident, but I haven’t forgotten my errors prior to the girl’s first Amity Ball. Notice that I held off on sticking a wig on her this time!’

‘Oh boy, now there’s an old memory,’ Spike laughed, ‘Less said about that mess the better, I think.’

‘And yet, there’s a direct line from that incident to our current arrangement, mine and Yona’s I mean, is there not?’ Rarity contemplated, ‘Mistakes may have been made on my and the girls’ parts, but it certainly made us both more amenable to her current apprenticeship. And suffice to say, that “Space Thrusters” would likely be played by Elytron as per the original script if events had fallen elsewise. Don’t you think, darling?’

‘Feels like we went over something like that not all that long ago, Rarity,’ Spike drawled, before realising the stage had fallen silent again. He hushed up as they both paid attention to what was now awash with lagomorphic activity, winged, antlered and horned bunnies romping around the stage as Trochanter presided in the background, still a blimp, over a cratered lunar landscape; Spike supposed the look had been moulded in the amphitheatre sands by a stage hand while nobody was paying attention to anything other than their flight. Many of the dancing extras from the previous song had now shapeshifted into carrots half-buried in the sand besides, and the main players, along with their pilot, stood centre stage as they beheld the shining, glowing moon bunnies dancing around them in amazement.

Dearlove’s character had a piece of cheese in her hoof, and she gingerly pretended to take a bite before shuddering, dropping it and allowing it to run back to its fellow changelings. ‘I confess, my dear brother, that in my zeal to be proven right I had forgotten I am lactose intolerant,’ she recited.

Boscis likewise contemplated a carrot, peering closely at it as he turned it in his hoof. ‘And in mine, my sister, I forgot that carrots are to my distaste… “greens” that are not green, indeed, what nonsense! But the bunnies are nevertheless here!’

‘You were both right! Isn’t that in itself cause for a great celebration?!’ Ocellus’ character, now cobalt blue with luminescent purple specks, flying above them with arms full of wriggling unicorn rabbits, asked, ‘As I told you, all dreams can come true! There’s no need for winners and losers here!’

Then a yakkish “argh!” sounded from somewhere, and Elytron’s character suddenly turned yellow in alarm. ‘Hark! I believe with no small amount of worry that we are not alone here, with these frolicking rabbits!’ he intoned, pointing upwards, ‘Who, or what, is that?! Is it a Nightmare?’

Spike snorted from the audience, despite trying to keep quiet, and Rarity nudged him with a hoof, her lips pursed as it had been very close to her left ear. ‘Sorry. Oh, here she is!’ he whispered.

It was Yona’s turn to unveil herself from the mists upon the stage now, aboard a gold-leafed chariot flown in by a half-dozen winged rabbits who were definitely exerting themselves in their effort to keep it steady. She had white flowers with prominent golden stamens adorning her braids, and a flowing translucent white hood over her horns as she glared down upon the intruders upon her territory. Amusingly enough it was “Space Thrusters”, Sandbar himself, who appeared to baulk the most at the disdainful glance she cast upon them all with her arms raised, a gilded spear in one and a cornucopia in the other.

‘Yes! Yes, knock ’em dead, both of you!’ Rarity almost squealed aloud, hopping on her seat as she beamed at her design and her apprentice. Spike, a little jostled by the movement, raised an eyebrow at her apparently considering Yona’s costume an independent entity, and she covered her mouth with her hooves and blushed as she noticed his expression, explaining, ‘Excuse me, darling, I’m just so proud of the look I devised, it’s almost as if it’s a character all of its own. You must admit she wears it extremely well!’

‘I, Great Moon Mother, come to see what cause all this disruption on the moon!’ Yona roared from her chariot, ‘Alien beings from place of green and blue and sometimes yellow in the sky encroach upon this domain of bunnies and cheese! Come you in peace, or are you exiles with darkness in hearts? Speak!’

‘Roger that! We come before you as dreamers, seeking only to make contact with you and your kind,’ Sandbar responded with confidence, ‘I am Space Thrusters, and my companions are changeling explorers who wish only to make friends! Nocreature aboard my blimp harbours harmful intent, I assure you! Over!’

‘She who last arrived upon pale satellite say same, before claiming dominion here for a thousand years!’ Yona thundered, the white spotlight behind her casting a stark shadow upon the changelings and their pilot, ‘Moon Mother protect bunnies if need… not making same mistake twice! Prove intentions at once!’

Ocellus blithely floated up to Yona, setting most of her armfuls of bunnies onto the ground, keeping one without a horn to pet as she spoke. ‘Great Moon Mother, we assure you we are pure of heart, and we only wish for our dreams not to remain dreams! We will all prove our righteousness… hear us sing!’

Once again the music blared, ascending fiddles and horns playing like an entire orchestra after imbibing entirely too much zap apple-infused black tea, Spike observed to himself:

Dire “Nightmare Moon”, she once was named,
We bear great news, she changed disposition!
We know she brought this place great sorrow
But your orbit now is safe in her intentions!

The greatest change of all, delivered by rainbow blast!
Princess Luna took it on the chin
And when it was all over she was healed, not harmed!
Once more Luna, once more on Une,
The night princess of Equestria reformed!

Spike glanced over to where Thorax was seated, seeing the king rapt with joyous attention – chances were good that this whole production was keenly validating to him and his chosen course of leadership, without sucking up to him. Then he turned back to Rarity, and put one claw to his face as he snorted, then leaned so his head was again next to hers. ‘Geez, after the intro this whole thing is just one history class showtune after another, huh? I mean, it’s entertaining to watch and listen, but I was kinda hoping for an actual narrative,’ he whispered.

‘Well, it’s as Dearlove said at the glade earlier, darling – the narrative is mostly an excuse for song and dance and transformations, and we’re getting those in spades, are we not?’ Rarity said as she watched intently. Then she exhaled with that same melancholy Spike had sensed earlier before continuing, ‘Ah, the moon… Spike, you were correct during that last song, something is troubling me just a tad. Now that I dwell on it somewhat, it tangentially pertains to something that troubles you besides, but… well, as the story in this play is a dream, so too the memory of it feels to myself. Rather a troublesome one nonetheless.’

The bridge ensued as she finished that thought:

Our changeling selves, we’ve overcome
The oppression that used to grip our hearts,
Like Luna we were told by insidious force
It was all we were or could be,
But a rainbow blast changed us past our wildest dreams!
And now we’re freeeeee!

She didn’t elaborate further as the song and dance exploded, and Spike once more racked his brains about what she was talking about, keeping his attention likewise onstage as he thought hard. Moon travel, Princess Luna’s past self, something that troubled himself besides, all things that surely hadn’t affected her directly, but her reaction suggested otherwise… Spike hadn’t felt very troubled for the duration of their trip to the Changeling Hive, his concerns about Chitin aside, but the one thing that loomed over his head, that he couldn’t get away from, remained his past and future transformations.

On that thought, he had an inkling of that which caused her consternation. ‘Would… you like to talk about it later then, Rare?’ he asked as the song came to its close.

‘I would, Spikey-Wikey… Of course, right this second seems not to be the time nor place. Besides everything else, I need some quiet to properly gather my thoughts. I don’t know. Hush and let’s watch the show for now, sweetheart.’

‘Alright,’ Spike responded, along with another slight tickle of a claw over her neck and down her right side, and she tossed her mane involuntarily, covering his face in silken purple locks until he brushed them aside. ‘Pleh! Rarity, I am trying hard not to mess up your mane but it’s found its way all over me!’ he laughed.

She turned to him and smiled, leaning her horn against his brow. ‘It’s fine, darling. It’s you.’ she intoned softly.

‘Yeah, it’s me,’ Spike agreed nonchalantly, then paused. ‘Um, I don’t get it… but I love you, Rarity. Whatever it is that’s bugging you, I’ll do anything I can to make it better.’

Once again Rarity didn’t respond verbally, but she did lean forward from her sitting position to rest on her hooves, not unlike how she had fallen forward on the crag earlier that day, less sensuous than that occurrence had been. Spike sat upright on her upper back with his calves gently squeezing her sides, paying attention to the action onstage – the changelings and their pony pilot appeared to have convinced the Great Moon Mother of their good intentions, and she had correspondingly stuck her spear in the sand, holding her cornucopia aloft at the top of a pyramid of fifteen straining bunnies.

The second half of the play was spent quietly between Spike and Rarity. The latter seemed to have lost her words within her melancholic countenance, although her hooves thundered as loudly as anycreature else’s in the audience when the main cast all joined hooves and bowed. The former bounced up and down on her back, his wings spread, whistling and clapping his claws above his head as bouquets tossed themselves upon the stage, lingering for a few moments before sprouting wings and returning to their default changeling selves back in their mid-row seats.

All in all the production had been a great success, Ocellus’ worries that had been talked through during the afternoon’s feelings forum plainly allayed, Ocellus herself looking massively relieved while Dearlove cast her a smug glance that screamed “I told you so!”. Boscis revelled in the attention while Trochanter, having finally revealed herself from her hard work as scenery for the duration, looked sheepish but happy in the thrall of the Hive’s applause. Elytron picked up armfuls of the bouquets with a grin, squeezing them in full knowledge that they were his fellow changelings until they transformed back to return the hug.

‘Oh, marvellous! Simply divine! Brava, brava! I’m so proud of all of you, darlings!’ Rarity espoused, standing and calling. She was definitely mostly drowned out by the cheers and applause of the rest of the audience, though Yona turned to her as she cried out, casting her a broad grin. She reared onto her hind legs and punched the air as she continued, ‘You truly knocked them down, Yona darling! Ah, figuratively speaking!’

As Yona looked at the two of them, Spike waved to her as Rarity reared. She calmed a bit after shouting her piece, still standing in place as Spike jostled around in her congratulation. ‘Oop! Rarity, settle down, wouldja? I nearly fell off!’ he breathed, just as she did.

She giggled, then gave him a pat on the head. ‘So sorry, precious. I needed to blow off a little steam, I suppose,’ she laughed. Spike looked into her eyes and saw a slightly steelier aspect than he normally would expect in the current circumstances, and returned it with a look of understanding. She blinked once, very deliberately before continuing, ‘Why, we should pop backstage and give them our sincerest plaudits, don’t you agree?’

Thorax leaned over to both of them before Spike could answer. ‘Wow, your guys are really fun actors to watch!’ he said with a chortle, ‘Kind of a shame they’re only on board for tonight… other changelings can look the part no problem, but I’ll miss ’em anyway.’

‘Well, they’ve had practice back at the School of Friendship, same as Ocellus, Thorax darling,’ Rarity said, as the lights around the arena became brighter while the amphitheatre lamps dimmed and the actors left the stage. An altogether more ambient piece filled the air from the system as an accompaniment to the audience’s departure, an insistent but harmonious mix of beeps and humming insect wings alongside a harp and strings, ‘Ah, I suppose that’s everycreature’s cue to move, then. Let’s go backstage, Spike. We can talk more about… things, afterwards, if that’s quite alright with you.’

‘Suits me,’ Spike said, outward nonchalance masking the concern he’d fostered from Rarity’s withdrawn earlier behaviour. ‘Carry me over, Rare? And Thorax, you coming with any of your changelings?’

Rarity grinned and batted her lashes in response to Spike’s request. Thorax shook his head, a grin still all over his face. ‘Sorry, but no… we all need to head back to the Hive, though, uh, Scribophilia?’ he turned to the attendant in question, ‘Go down with them and send our troupe my regards. Tell them the play was as great as promised, and I’m completely down to see it again over the weekend. By the way, you two? The hot springs in the Hive’s basement have some private cells you’re welcome to, as our esteemed guests.’

He produced a wooden-handled key from somewhere and tossed it to Spike, who caught it in both claws before Rarity relieved it from him with a sparkle of her horn, unbuckling her satchel before depositing it within. Her eyebrows raised as she said, ‘Ooh, this is actually ideal for a spot of relaxation. It has been rather a long day… thank you so much, King Thorax. So… Ms. Scribophilia, shall we go?’

The changeling in question hovered nearby, her seemingly-eternal scrip wrapped around her carapace a couple of times, the rest flowing in hoof. ‘No question, Rarity. Both of you follow me, if you please.’

‘Of course. Lead the way, darling,’ said Rarity. And with that, Thorax and his remaining attendants began to leave the amphitheatre while Spike and Rarity followed the note-obsessed changeling further within it, for a doubtless joyous reunion with their actor friends following their wonderful performance. After that, Rarity reasoned, it was certainly time to rest one’s hooves, and discuss matters related to the less-remembered side of a certain heart-shaped jewel with her dear Spikey.

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