A new sun rises over Ponyville, and with it another day of chores a young drake happily partakes in. It had been quite the night three days prior, having to face the unyielding determination of his friends to try and squeeze out of him the names of his exes. He braved through them, maintaining his silence, both through his friends and his mother. Though, that didn’t stop a fair few from still trying. Regardless, the moments where he had a measure of peace and quiet, mixed in with a few greetings from familiar faces, were the highlights of his day.

“SPIKE!”

Well, not every day had to be peaceful, and he did enjoy the few that were often pushy, surprisingly. Especially if he was being ‘confronted’ by a particular pony, one who’s presence was more akin to speaking with a snarky older sibling, whom he still cared for regardless of the jabs she threw his way.

One the lone road towards his next destination, the drake turned his head towards the shouting mare. To no one’s surprise, it was the Pegasus who, unlike the others, was playful in her attempts to pry him for information, and somepony whose presence he enjoyed being around currently.

“Hey Dash.” He greeted, the mare landed with as much grace as one would expect from a Wonderbolt. Of the six mares, Dash was perhaps the one whose height remained a constant. When she was in the sky, she appeared just as big as her ego. Though, when she was grounded, she was at least at chest height when standing next to the drake…it only took one little jab from Pinkie that kept Rainbow Dash from ever standing next to Big Mac. “How’ve you been?”

The mare bore an expression akin to innocence and mischief. “Oh, you know, keeping the weather normal, being the fastest pony alive, and being all-around awesome.”

Spike felt a faint chuckle grace his lips as he made his tread towards Sweet Apple Acres. “So a normal day for you?”

The Pegasus huffed, her chest puffed with a tone of pride and playfulness. “Pretty much.” She answered. “Where’re you off too?”

“I’m gonna see if Applejack has any work for me. I was planning on resting, but I wanted to get out of the house for a bit.”

“Twilight still hounding you for answers?”

The drake let out a dry chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. “Every chance she gets. She’s even played the ‘don’t you trust me?’ card.”

“I honestly thought that was her best play.” Rainbow Dash mused.

“And it almost got me too.” Spike responded. “I honestly don’t get why this is such a big deal.”

The athletic mare adopted a thinking pose, though, she knew for a fact the reason why her friends reacted the way she did, she preferred teasing the drake to the best of her abilities, Turning her attention back to him, she was quick to notice a few subtle changes in him. For one, his snout appeared as though it had shrunk, albeit faintly. His spikes appeared as though they too were receding, making way for smaller fibers growing from his scales. His body still retained its current size, and she was not one to avert her eyes when noticing the impressive build of his wings. They weren’t majestic or graceful like those of a Pegasus, but those draconic wings were something else. Just the appearance of ‘em made the mare envious. Though, she couldn’t help but wonder why his wings grew talons at the tips. Must’ve been quite a growth spurt she missed.

Brushing that thought aside, the mare was quick to jump back to a subject she couldn’t allow pass, even if the drake wouldn’t spill the whole beans.

“Gotta say, hooking up with an older mare is a pretty big deal, but when it becomes plural; yoi become a bit of a legend. Props to you by the way.” Rainbow commented. “You ever gonna tell us who they were?”

The drake stopped in place, slightly startling the mare. The more he thought on it, the less he felt inclined to say anything at all. And in all honesty; the older mares were only slightly above his age, the eldest being…actually, that mare was a bit of a stretch to defend. But the other two were reasonable…somewhat. What made it all the more aggravating was the fact that Pinkie was actively trying to seek out Vinyl in regards to whether or not she had any sort of explicit relationship with him. Despite him constantly telling the pink mare there was nothing between him and the mare.

“I’d prefer the teasing route.” He responded, grinning at the Pegasus, and remembering one of the perks of keeping it to himself; he could tease this particular mare all he wanted.

Her response was exactly what he expected; she glared at him, pinching his arm before huffing and facing forward. It was a funny thing, she was quick to dish out her own brand of teasing and jokes, but when she was the aim of said teasing; Rainbow was quick to temper. Which made her all the more fun to tease in return.

“Whatever twerp.” She mumbled, though there was a faint moment the mare smirked at him. “Still, I’m proud of you.”

Spike’s brow raised, a playful smirk caught hold at the edge of his lips. “For getting a marefriend?”

“No…well, yea, but that’s not why.” She corrected herself rather quickly. While she was indeed proud of the drake for taking her advice and moving on with his life instead of moping around, pinning for a love that would probably never workout…now that she thought on it, that way of thinking could’ve been worded better. Especially since Rarity had been giving her the stink eye for quite a while. She placed an arm on the drake’s shoulder, however amusing that was considering he was still much taller than her. Though, the need for jokes was lost when he noticed her expression soften. “I’m proud of who you’re growing up to be. You could’ve just up and left without saying a word, stayed in the Crystal Empire, or even actually sent that letter in and enlist…but you didn’t. The first thing that came to your mind was; how will my family feel. I know it’s not easy living with Twilight, or in Ponyville for that matter.” She wasn’t wrong, being the only dragon in the populace was unnerving him as years went by.

A few Changelings gave a try at living in Ponyville, a Kirin had moved to the rural district not too long ago, and only a handful of Griffons were nested near the cliffsides. But dragons; they kept primarily to themselves, preferring to remain amongst their own. Some believed coexistence was a joke, and others saw nothing to gain in living with other species.

“But remember, twerp, whatever happens, you’ve got us. Don’t forget that.” She finished with lightly punching his chest, earning a chuckle from the drake.

“When did you get so sentimental?” Odd, Dash was never this mushy, even in private. She had an image to uphold, and he pride rarely allowed any vulnerability to seep through.

Rainbow Dash shrugged, turning her head and waking towards the farm. “Doesn’t matter. Just don’t forget what I said.”

“…yea…hey Dash?” Before she had a chance to respond, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, holding her gently against a warm, yet toned, frame. The mare didn’t struggle, on the contrary, her mind played back to the moments where the roles were reversed, and she’d be the one with her chin resting on his head. Now though, he was a tower, and hopefully he stayed at his current height, last thing she needed was another giant lumbering around Ponyville. “Thanks.” He whispered, to which the mare was quick to elbow him lightly in the stomach, though, he didn’t seem too affected by her attack.

“Hey, don’t get too comfortable.” She shot back jovially. These were the few moments, the ones were friends would forgo their normal demeanor for the sake of someone close to them; either family or friend. Dash had her moments, and when she showed it, she was quick to return to her usual self. Still, to those who knew her well enough, it didn’t negate her kindness.

The two shared a moment of tender embrace akin to a bond shared by siblings before both treading closer to the farm, all the while being observed from the aforementioned farm from a set of eyes. They weren’t too far, by any means, but a giant scaly dragon and a Rainbow-mane mare walking down a lone road was quite noticeable. When she caught sight of the two coming her way, Applejack was set on preparing some refreshments for her guests. That is, until she noticed the little moment the two shared.

Now, unlike Rarity she was by no means a gossip pony. Though, that didn’t stop her mind from conjuring images of Dash and Spike…and just like that, she felt her heart beat at a quickened pace. The more scandalous prospect of it wasn’t the possible reaction of their friends or society, it was the farmer’s imagination, in particular the size difference.

…

Well, let it be known, if such a thing were to ever occur, Dash would be perhaps one of the first in recent history to have dominated a drake outside of combat. Knowing her, submission was out of the question, in any scenario.

And yet, pushing her perverted thoughts aside, Applejack quickly returned to preparing refreshments for her guests, cursing herself all the while for allowing her mind to conjure up what she’d usually read in texts she borrowed from the library.

It didn’t take long for the front of her door to be flung open, much to her annoyance. And yet, she kept her lips shut, mostly due to the fact that this something that wouldn’t change, no matter the many sit-downs she had with the Rainbow mare.

“Yo, Applejack, you here?” Came the sound of the half-pint, a nickname she had just come up with, and intended to use to the fullest.

“In here.” She shouted from the kitchen, fixing the last of the pastries and cider. When she entered the living room, she found Dash already strewn on the couch, with Spike still sitting on a chair beside the sofa. “You two are getting pretty comfy, ain’t cha’?” She placed the tray on the coffee table, standing at the side of the couch were Dash’s legs were and swatting the mare to move. Which she did, if only to place them on Applejack’s lap, trapping the farmer in place.

“Much better.” The Pegasus mumbled, earning an irked expression from the farmer, and yet she did nothing in return…yet.

“So, what brings ya’ll to Sweet Apple Acres?” Her question was mostly for Spike, Dash had other places to be, primarily with the Wonderbolts, but Applejack could guess the mare probably caught the drake and decided to tag along.

Much to her guess, Spike was quick to speak up. “I was hoping you’d have a job for me. Anything really, I just need an excuse to stay out of my home for a bit.” He rubbed the back of his head nervously, knowing full well how stubborn the Apple farmer was when it came to accepting help of any kind. Though, he had a bit of hope she’d throw him a bone.

“Twi’s been trying to get him to ‘fess up the names of his marefriends. So far, she’s already pulled her best card.” Dash inquired, half-asleep, yet just enough awake to toss in her bits.

“The trust card?” Applejack asked, to which the mare snapped her fingers and grinned, a confirmation that her guess was right on the bits. “Dang, thought fer sure that was gonna get her at least one name.” She teased, getting a dry chuckle from Dash, and a nervous sigh from the drake. “Well, sorry to disappoint ya, Sugarcube, but I ain’t got much work today. Big Mac n me finished most of the heavy lifting, and Applebloom is finishin off the lighter work.”

Spike, though a bit disappointed, realized this was a possibility. He nodded, accepting her answer and nibbling on a slice of apple pie while his eyes peered towards the window. It was a bit hard to tell, but the roads going into Ponyville were bustling as of late, folks were coming in from all over, and very few would be choosing to stay permanently. The small city-state was growing, given enough time it might even mirror the Crystal Empire capital.

“Oh, did ya hear; Rarity’s little pupil is comin back, all the way from Manehatten.” Applejack commented, her words were aimed at the drake, seeing as the Pegasus wasn’t exactly batting an eye at her words. Though, the farmer was quick to catch the sudden flinch from the drake at the mention of the fashionista’s former student.

“Yea? What for?” Dash asked, half-hearted and still drowsy.

“For the festival, and she said the mare was thinkin’ of movin’ to Ponyville permanently.” Applejack answered, keeping an eye on Spike as he nervously wiped away at a sliver of apple syrup dripping down his chin. ”Never got a chance to talk to her. I hear she’s as shy as Flutters.”

“I’d be surprised if she was.” Spike muttered, washing down his pie with cider. “Last I saw her was when she finished her tutelage under Rarity. She’s shy alright, but a lot less than Fluttershy.”

“Mmm…how would you know?” Dash asked, her eyes still shut but her attention was focused on the direction of where Spike’s voice originated.

“I was still helping Rarity around that time, got to talk to her almost all the time, especially when Rarity had huge orders to fill for Canterlot’s nobility.” Spike reached for another slice, a nostalgic grin crossed his snout. “She’s a sweet mare, quiet for the most part, and she’s got a talent for what she does. But a shy mare? No, she hasn’t been a shy filly since the end of the first Unity festival.” Spike paused in the midst of sipping on his cider. “Although…” He mumbled, taking a small swig before placing the cider aside. “It’s been two years since I’ve seen her. A lot can change in that time.”

“True that.” Dash agreed, her head turning away, nuzzling into the cushion. Meanwhile, a certain farmer was a bit curious over the drake’s choice of words. “And hey, guess who else is moving back to Ponyville?” She held up a finger, smiling half-heartedly. “Flutters told me her friend Tree Huggers’ moving in with her for a bit. Can’t tell you how much I missed her stuf-“ Dash was quickly cut off by a swift, yet subtle, jab from Applejack, reminding the pony of the presence of a particular drake who was still quite under the age for such subjects.

Spike let out a mirthful chuckle. “I always liked her laid back attitude. She knew when to just hang back and take it easy. Also, I really miss when she could get you a decent bag of…” Spike’s words died in his throat, his eyes glanced over to where his friends were. Applejack looked almost stunned, while Rainbow Dash had a single eye popped wide open, waiting and hoping what he was going to say was what she was expecting. “…caramels…” It didn’t sound convincing in the slightest, but the implication was set regardless. And in no way were the two mares going to simply let this fly over them, especially Applejack. “Anyone else moving back?” There seemed to be a running theme going around, ponies seemed to be drawn the Ponyville as of late. And it wasn’t just for the festival either.

To which, Dash shrugged her shoulders; both her eyes were now half-lidded as she kept her focus on the drake. “Not that I know of.”

Applejack’s arms crossed, fixing a mild glare at the teen as she was not exactly willing to let him forget his little slip in wording. “Bag of caramels, huh?” Though she had no proof, she wasn’t exactly going to let it go easily…or at all. Not until she had her answers.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

“I’ll get that.” Spike stood up much too fast for somepony of his mass. Of course, given whose house he was in, the drake was caught just as he was passing the farmer. Her vice grip was of no surprise, though, it was the nonchalant way she waved off the legs of the Pegasus, and her still unpleased expression, that worried him.

“As the host; I’ll get it. And Sugarcube…” Just as she turned to greet their guest, the farmer spared Spike a cold glance. “…we ain’t done talking about this.” Although less frightening than Pinkie’s emotionless glares, and not as intimidating as Twilight in general; Applejack’s words still had quite an effect on the drake.

As she walked away Spike felt his spine tingle once more with impending retribution. Of all the people he had to nearly spill the beans to, it had to be the Element of Honesty. Though stubborn, she was perhaps the most rational of his friends, and by that he really meant the more logical and calm when it came to unearthed secrets. Still, the drake made a mental note to keep his mouth in check for the foreseeable future.

“Hehehe….” Of course, he could do without the taunting chuckling from the sleepy mare. “Nice save, twerp.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t laugh too much, ‘sides; you introduced me to her.” He threw back, a bit peeved she didn’t react the way he wanted, but in no way was he going to throw her under…yet.

Dash’s chuckles ceased, though she retained a coy smile. “Oh yea, you gonna tell someone?” She dared him.

What she didn’t expect was for the drake to shake his head and sit back down. “Nah, no one would believe me without proof…but then….” He rubbed the tip of his chin, leaning forward slightly. “Pinkie doesn’t really need proof, does she?”

“Proof for what?”

Never had Dash or Spike jumped from their seats before, albeit a mere inch, it showed just how unprepared they were to have the object of their conversation just suddenly appear. But then, it was one of the mare’s quirks to be expected of her. Although Spike was clearly taken aback by the sudden appearance of the pink mare, Dash had sprung to her feet, her eyes locked on to Spike as the party pony was one of the few ponies who could instill such fear into the blue mare’s being. She was never one to show weakness or back down from a challenge, but her eyes, when locked on to Spike’s, found themselves lightly trembling.

It wasn’t as if Pinkie was going to cause her any physical pain…the real issue was what would be left of her mental state.

Once Pinkie’s eyes landed on the young drake, her smile brightened considerably.

“Hey there, Spikey.” Her greeting was just as bright as she was cheerful, though, if given a chance to peer closer, one could take hint at the gleam in her eye as she locked on to the drake. She was plotting something, what it was one could never accurately tell. “How’re you today?”

While the Pegasus allowed her heart to relax itself, Spike rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“I’m fine, just spending time with some friends.”

“Weren’t you looking for work?” Dash threw in, only to clamps her palms against her mouth as she just realized what she had sentenced the drake to. Within a millisecond of her words being uttered, Pinkie’s smile grew wider.

Spike glanced towards the Pegasus with a betrayed expression, the mare in response could only stare blankly at him as the pink earth pony approached the young drake and snaked her arm around his; attaching a vice grip on the young dragon. Just as she did, Applejack entered the room with a sack in hand.

“Is that so? Well, I have a few chores for you Spikey, and at the end, if you’re a good colt, I’ll give you some gems as a reward.” Her tone was infectiously sweet and motherly, but her grip and tilted head said otherwise. Now, he was never one to turn down the prospect of well-earned gems, though, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to be under the thumb of the pink mare after the revelation he slipped out three days prior.

“Well, that’s mighty generous of you Pinkie, but I already got a list of chores for Spike rearing to get done.” The farmer was quick to pace over to the party pony, handing her the sack and handing a folded paper and a few spare bits to the drake. “Remember, sugarcube, I need you back here with those seeds by sundown, and don’t wander off, got it.” She finished with a subtle wink, with only the young assistant having caught her little gesture. Wasting no time, he managed to pry himself from Pinkie’s grasp before taking the slip.

“I’m on it.” Just as he leaned in to hug the farmer, he whispered a grateful thanks. Giving both mares a kiss on the cheek and hugging a still blank Dash, not one to sprint off without a proper goodye, he leaned over and brought the party mare into a rather tight embrace. Spike quickly made his way towards Ponyville soon after, never once turning his head back. Applejack noticed Pinkie seemingly trembling in place, her hand shot forward to catch the drake as he was nearing the door. Years of working on her family’s farm gave her the strength she needed to keep the party pony restrained; by snaking an arm around her neck and keeping the pink mare locked in place.

She didn’t struggle much, which was unnerving in its own right, but her hand was still reaching outward, clenching only when she watched Spike stray further away from the house. At that point, Applejack let the earth pony go, feeling an eerie slithering cold snake its way up her spine.

Pinkie’s head turned slowly to her, her brows furrowed, and her fists still clenched.

“Ah know what yer gonna say.” Applejack started, releasing a sigh and walking over to the door, shutting it. “But we talked about this Pinkie; ya can’t force Spike to just give out the names of-“

“I don’t care about that.” She interrupted, her voice was low, and yet her tone demanded authority which is why Applejack was hesitant to continue her train of thought. “I just wanted to spend some time with him. He’s my baby.” Her voice grew soft, tenderly. It was amazing how easily Pinkie’s tone could shift so smoothly. But for her to sound so somber…it was damn near unnatural.

“A big baby, for sure.” Dash threw in, slumping back on the couch and placed a cushion over her eyes.

“Sweet as that is, Pinkie…” Applejack spared a small glare at the Pegasus. “…and as helpful as ya usually are, Dash.” Her sarcastic tone earned her a half-assed bird. “Spike ain’t a baby no more, he’s growin, and soon enough he’ll be bringing by a marefriend for us to meet, or maybe a coltfriend…hell, he might just sign up with the Crystal Military like he had planned.” Pinkie shot the farmer a mixed glare and fear induced expression. “Mah point is; ya gotta stop smothrin him, a colt needs his mama to get him on his hooves, but the mama can’t keep pickin him up when he falls down. The colts’ gotta learn how to stand on his own.” She placed a firm hand on Pinkie’s shoulder, fully expecting the mare to either tell her she was wrong, or mutter a sarcastic comment of sorts.

“He used to love baking with me.” She mumbled quietly, catching the farmer and raindbow mare off guard. “Whenever Twilight had to leave him for some errand for Celestia; I’d watch over Spikey…we’d bake, and sing, and read his little comic books…” She sniffed lightly. A small buildup of tears threatened to break out from her eyes. This sudden turn was not what the two mares were expecting, far from it. Without warning, Pinky sat on the long couch beside Rainbow Dash, startling the blue mare. “Ever since we finally had a chance to breathe, to not get caught up in some world-ending adventure, I wanted us to spend a lot more time together. But all of you just started drifting away, doing your own thing. Spike always came by to cheer me up, bake with me, and lose ourselves in silly pranks and party planning. At first I thought I…there was a time I wanted…from him…” Her hands clenched tightly against her chest, there was no need for speculation, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had an idea of where she was going with that little gesture. The words that followed would only cement their assumptions. “I mean, it made sense at the time; whenever he left home I felt as though a piece of me was being yanked away. And whenever I saw some floosy flirting with him…” Her brows furrowed, though there was little malice in her glare. “…then I realized, while Twilight and Princess Celestia were running the kingdom, he’d spend most of, if not all his time with me.” Pinkie’s voice threatened to break, she used her palm to hold back a sob as lips trembled. “When my dad passed away, he stayed with me in the rock farm for over a year.” Another buildup of tears threatened to break out. The reminder of the loss of her father was a heartache she rarely ever allowed herself to dwell upon. “Whenever I needed him, he was there. And I swore if he ever needed me I would always be there…but now…”

Applejack opened her mouth to refute her friend’s claim…that is, until she took a moment to think it through. The farmer could only count on with a single hand the few times Spike stayed with her during Twilight’s absence, with only Rarity being a close second, Spike spent a majority of his time around the party mare. All things considered, her attitude in regards to the drake was beginning to shape a bit of sense in, nothing to justify Pinkie’s little moments of silent fury, but enough to explain why she referred to Spike as her ‘baby’. Take away Celestia from the picture; Pinkie might as well be his mother.

The pink mare sniffled, her palms pressed against her mouth, attempting to hold back any sobs from escaping. Small droplets of tears ran down her cheeks, ushering forth a tinge of guilt from the two mares, as they were the ones who just helped the drake escape.

For Rainbow Dash, seeing her friends sad in any way weighed heavy in her heart, more so when she was a partial cause for their pain. Though, like Applejack, she felt that Pinkie’s persistence to spend time with the drake, often by force was what probably repelled the colt. Still, it wouldn’t kill the lizard to spend some time with the party mare, especially since, if memory played true; she did partly raise him.

“Pinkie…” Applejack started, though, Rainbow Dash threw in her two cents.

“It ain’t easy.” She mumbled from the couch, her arm strewn over her face. “When kids grow up and start doin things on their own; living their lives. It hurts when you realize they don’t need you as much as they did when they were small. But…” The mare sat up slowly, her head turned towards the window frame, eyeing the town from her spot on the couch. “That just means you did right by ‘em. The fact that Spike is going around looking to help others, taking odd jobs here and there, it should make you proud that he’s on his feet and not struggling for direction.” The mare added in, her eyes slowly drifted upwards towards the clouds, watching a blimp with the Manehatten crest embedded on its side beginning its descent into the town’s port.

“She’s right.” Applejack hesitated to admit but did so with a small ting of respect for the Thunderbolt’s choice of words. “And ya know just ‘cause Spike is off and running around doing his own things, it doesn’t mean he’s gonna forget about us.”

Pinkie allowed a somber sigh to escape her lips, albeit with mild hesitance as she allowed her shoulders to slump. The pink mare sat beside the rainbow themed mare, her head shifted towards the town wondering if she should’ve been less…direct about her sentiments. Her attention was soon drawn to her friends as Applejack placed a soft hand on her shoulder.

“Hey now, it ain’t like he’s going anywhere.”

Finally allowing himself to breathe an air of relief, the young drake wandered around the busy town, watching folks from near and far prepare for the approaching festival. The sights and sounds were just as intoxicating as the overabundance of food from the street vendors. Ponyville had indeed been growing far grander and faster than initially expected, but that was a boasted topic amongst many of the ponies who enjoyed seeing their home grow in such a way.

Seeing the many other races gave the young drake hope as well. There was a time, not so long ago actually, when Ponies were rather partial to the idea of non-pony species amongst there populace. But, Ponyville was slowly becoming a haven for objective views. Change was slow, Spike wouldn’t deny that, but it showed, with each passing year.

He couldn’t say the same for Canterlot, but, with all things, time would eventually mark the Equestrian capital for change as well. Or, one could only hope for it.

As Spike neared the corner to the town’s center, a particular pony caught the young drake’s eye. It took a while for him to realize it, if only for the platinum blond mane beneath a crimson helmet for the dragon to recognize the colt. That, and the mark on his skin, one of a lion’s paw, gave him away almost instantly. With a faint smile, Spike called out to the colt.

“General Dance.” The colt’s head shifted upwards, turning to the surrounding area before landing on the purple drake approaching him. When turning his body to face the lad, his armor revealed the insignia for which territory he held allegiance to; the Crystal Empire.

To many this colt was a relic of a bygone age, a pony out of time, or so they’d say. Though an acting General for the Crystal Empire, Dance’s particular division had little oversight.

With a blank expression, the old colt approached, albeit slowly. Once he was well within earshot, Dance gave the young drake a quick glance before commenting. “Why you dragons refuse to wear clothing, I will never understand. Your ancestors were quite adamant with layered garments.”

Spike rolled his eyes, catching the playful tone in the General’s slightly dry manner of speaking. He didn’t understand how tunic pants and a sleeveless vest could count as underdressed, of course, given the time period the old colt originated from; Spike could only imagine what the culture for dragons was way back then. “What can I tell ya, just not used to being all prim and proper like my ancestors.”

Dance huffed a sarcastic chuckled as his tail swatted the boy’s head. “Of course, who wouldn’t enjoy a frolic in none but their birth skin in a crowded venue?”

“…well, when you put it like that, it almost paints us as perverts.”

A single brow rose. “Is there another word for it?”

To which the young drake greeted the old colt’s vaguely amused stare with as close to a match as he could muster. “Yea, it’s called culture. It changes, sometimes vaguely, sometimes radically. ‘Sides, I do wear ‘proper’ clothes…once in a while.”

A faint tug at the General’s lips curved towards an amused grin. “Indeed.” The old General’s head glanced to the two crystal guards behind them, their bodies stood rigid and their heads raised high; a common occurrence for any crystal pony in the presence of their supposed hero. It was quite a thing for the colt, to see the soldiers and people of the northern empire venerate the drake, whereas in the lad’s home city, Canterlot, he’d be lucky not to earn hostile stares from a random passerby. “Are you busy, per chance?”

The question caught the drake off guard, his initial reaction being to dangle the folded parchment in his hands. “Well, actually I have to pick up a few-“

“Wonderful.” Dance dismissed any further details after catching eye of one of the items on the list. Having a vague idea where to go, the colt gestured the drake to follow. “Come, there are matters we must discuss.”

The colt began making tread towards where Spike assumed was the direction towards where he needed to go to for Aj’s seeds. How the old colt knew, Spike chose not to ponder on it too much, it wasn’t his place to assume what one does in their own time.

Along their walk, the old General’s eyes were constantly aimed forward, ignoring the small stares and hushed whispers aimed at the Crystal Empire Military accompanying the dragon friend of their resident viceroy. The presence of military of any kind that wasn’t the Canterlot or Local Guard made any pony uneasy, regardless if it was a fellow pony nation.

Of course, given Equestria’s history with foreign factions, it was no surprise to see the townsfolk a tad uneasy. Still, the General paid the people no mind, keeping his eyes trained forward while occasionally glancing towards the younglings running around in costumes and decorations in regard to the upcoming celebrations. It made sense to have these small festivities, keeping up the morale of the populace, even in peace time, was a good way to keep the minds of people off the smaller intricacies of keeping the peaceful state intact. That came with many covert operations, some that nearly blew into the eyes of the people had they not been quick to clean up the mess.

And that was partially why the old General was present in Ponyville; the drake next to him.

“Spike?” The young drake tensed, rather obviously as his head turned towards the call of his name, the mare waltzing up to him was an earth pony, perhaps best defined by her mane fashioned into dread locks. Adorned by a yellow bandana tied atop her hair, and sporting an attire that was rather generous to the eye. Jeans that tightly outlined her curvaceous figure, and a black tank top that was a little overly stretched thanks to her bountiful blessings.

The drake managed to recover from his stupor before flashing the mare a faint smile and approaching her. “Yo, Tree Hugger, it’s been a while.” His arms stretched out, ready to receive the mare, to which she smiled at him and nearly dove straight in. There was a moment of the two in their embrace that the General felt an uncomfortable set of eyes fixed on them. He spared a subtle glance to his surroundings and noticed a few eyes locked on to the display of affection. A few of the mares were attempting to be subtle, but their constant whispers and pointing left the topic of their gossip rather obvious.

Funny enough, it was a rather long embrace the two were locked in, a slight cough from the Crystal general was enough to remind of their current surroundings.

“So, how’ve you been?” The young drake asked, receiving a warm smile from the mare.

“Chillen, mostly. Haven’t been in Ponyville for a while, lots of new folks. Flutters said a lot changed, kinda hoped she was wrong, but…” Her eyes directed towards the drake, eyeing him in such a way that piqued curiosity amongst the guards enough that they steadied their hands just in the case something were to break out against their nation’s hero. “Change has been very good to you.”

Her comment was not missed, by neither the stallions, nor those who caught nearby who caught the little quip in her tone.

Spike laughed it off nervously, mostly due to the fact that he didn’t want a certain pink mare popping in out of nowhere should the current conversation rail into some discussions of previous escapades. “Yea, a lot can happen in three years. Flutters will be happy to see you.”

“Speaking of, I’m supposed to be meeting her and Discord in Sugarcube Corner, why don’t you come along?” She allowed her hand to dance along his right shoulder easing slowly down his bicep.

If only for that one moment, Dance felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine, and a feeling of dread emanating from behind them. Having no intent of seeing the extent of this mare’s flirtatious attitude’s effect on the common passersby.

“I’d love to, but I have a few errands to finish up first. If you want, we can hang out whenever you’re free. I’ll be in Ponyville for a little while longer this time around.”

“Alright, I’ll let you know.” The mare gave the dragon one last glomp before the drake waved goodbye and returned to the company of the armored stallions leading him away. The young mare spared a faint worried glance towards the drake before turning and leaving to meet with her friends.

As she strayed further from hearing distance, the old General had somehow appeared at his side, leaning slightly over to him with a stoic expression. “If you wish, we can discuss our business at a later time.”

Spike’s cheeks were adorned with a light blush as he jumped to the side. “No-no-no, it’s alright, I can meet up with her later.”

The General kept his eyes focused on the drake as he huffed and turned to continue walking towards the square. “Good, I had no intention of waiting, regardless.” The Guards and Spike allowed a faint smile to adorn their lips as they had become accustomed to their leader’s manner and have come to find it slightly endearing.

Without missing a beat, Spike jogged to the General’s side, unaware of the slightly unnerved expression strewn across the General’s face as they treaded forward.

Their walk had them go straight past the busier sections of Ponyville, and heading straight for the less known, more secluded sects. Those being the more rural, often shrub-filled parks where few folks ventured during the day, and even fewer at night.

The spot they stopped at was the center of this particular park, adorned with a small pond in the center, a few benches around them, and one particular bench placed just slightly under a tree. No surprise, Dance walked over and stood just beside the bench. He gestured to his guards to patrol the area, allowing him to have a moment alone with the drake and to limit any potential eavesdroppers.

The air was cleaner hear, and given its location, being within a bustling city and all Spike expected it to be crowded or with a few ponies here and there.

It wasn’t until the stallion cleared his throat that the drake noticed him patting the seat beside the bench. Spike hesitated, though he quickly took a seat whilst the general stood beside him. The two were facing opposite directions, Spike was towards the pond, while the General’s attention was focused on the near vacant park and its tamed shrubs.

“I see you’ve been well, gathering the attention of mares is a trait many soldiers tend to enjoy, often before being deployed. Of course, scarcely do I get to see a dragon being fawn over by mares.” Dance took a moment before correcting himself. “Equestrian ponies, I mean.”

“What can I say, sir? I’m a hero.” Spike spoke with a tint of pride, and a huff in his chest.

To which the General chuckled dryly before answering. “Yes. And yet, you revel in notoriety, choosing to continue the fight in the shadows while your friends are allowed the dwell in the illusion of peace. How many conflicts do you think we’ve managed to prevent this year alone?”

Spike felt the shift in tone, his head tilting forward slightly as he recalled the missions he volunteered for. “I don’t like to think about it.”

“Regardless, a prince must be aware of the threats his home faces. Those who prevent seek to prevent conflict are the ones who further the outcome along; that I true. However, another truth I want you to keep in mind is this; a kingdom that is prepared, lying in wait, will ensnare and break their enemy’s advance. Stopping a war may be futile, but one can never be unprepared for it.” The General commented, his hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he spared a glance toward’s the drake. “Whether or not you inherit the throne is irrelevant, the crown does not make the ruler; knowledge and experience will be your tools moving forward.”

The young drake’s expression turned somber, the idea of ever inheriting the throne never crossed his mind, seeing as the princesses were damn near immortal; seeing another monarch on the throne would be the day he’d eat his own tail. On that note, the drake was not blind to the sentiments of those in Canterlot over his heritage, true he was the adoptive son of the princess, and with it came benefits here and there, few he took full advantage of. But, to sit here and suggest a dragon would ever rule over a nation of Equines was…quite the progressive view…for a thousand-year-old stallion.

“I agree, but with all due respect, General, I don’t plan to inherit my mother’s throne regardless. Besides, I don’t think a dragon would be all-too welcomed in Canterlot, much less as a ruling monarch.”

The old colt huffed; the faint trace of a smirk tugged at his lips as he stared ever forward. “A proper ruler serves the best interest of his people and his nation, regardless of the populace feels.”

“Why are we talking about this? Is there something you know?” Spike asked, eyeing the with a mild sign of suspicion.

To which Dance chuckled, albeit curtly. “If I knew for certain, I wouldn’t prance around the issue. And if I had anything to hide, I wouldn’t bring suspicion towards myself by bringing it up.” He seemed to have caught the question the drake was about to ask right as it came up. Though, that did leave Spike with a plethora of questions for the old colt in regard to his presence in Ponyville, away from his home and base of operations.

Before he could ask, a book was placed on his lap, catching the immediate attention of the drake. The hard cover was a navy blue, the gold accented title was what caught his attention.

‘The Melancholy of a Crystal Hero’

Spike stared at the cover slightly confused and wondering if this was in any way another crystal pony’s recount of the defeat of Sombra. There were quite a few being written as of late, the subject being rather popular in Equestria as of late thanks to mass publishing.

“It’s an interesting read, although, there are a few moments you could easily chalk up to over exaggeration.”

Spike shared a mild chuckle as he opened the book to its first page. “Wouldn’t see the fun in a book if there wasn’t at least something over the top about it.”

A hand reached out and flipped the pages until it reached the sixth chapter, the title and description of which caught the drake’s eye almost immediately.

‘Confronting your demons’

In the closing act of the fight against Sombra, the great hero of the Crystal Empire’s reveals to only his enemy what is profoundly important to him, and what he is willing to put on the line to assure their safety.

“Perhaps…however, I have to wonder how much of this particular section strews truth.”

My heart was beating so hard against my chest as the explosions shook the castle further. I wondered if I would ever live to see my family again, the walls seemed to fragile it was a wonder nothing had collapsed yet. The rest of the staff had evacuated when the battle had begun, the guards were rushing towards the fighting, to fight with the Equestrians or defend the current monarch; I cannot say for certain. Fear and uncertainty had grappled my, chained my hooves and prevented my initial reaction to run at the start.

And so I ran throughout the halls, hoping to find somewhere to hide until this madness had subsided. Perhaps it would’ve been better if I had escaped earlier. But if I had, I wouldn’t have seen the birth of our greatest hero, to see him stand against one of the Crystal Empire’s greatest threats, and I would not have witnessed a side of Spike the great and glorious I am quite sure neither of us would ever see.

Even as I write this segment, I wonder to myself if I should voice my thoughts so openly. I wonder if this is a chapter of our heroes life that he has overcome or simply wishes to forget. But I cannot, in good faith, keep what I witnessed bottled any longer. Make no mistake, I bear no ill will, nor do I wish to slander the name of our Empire’s savior. However, I believe there is always more to a story than what we are told, and I hope those who read this will understand our hero and his plight.

I don’t recall how I eventually came to the throne room, but in my intent to seek shelter, I sought a place behind the throne itself. I shook in place for a great deal of time, wondering if I would ever be able to survive past all this madness. But then it happened, the fighting had spilled into the very room I was in.

The fighting had been between King Sombra and the princess of Ponyville, Spike the great and glorious arrived mere moments after, when the fighting had been shifting towards the mad king’s favor.

In their last ditched attempt to assure the mad king would not prevail, the princess was able to escape to drain the king’s source of power. However, the young dragon volunteered to stay behind and keep the tyrant distracted long enough for the princess to enact her plan.

What transpired during the revelation is what I remember from all those years prior.

The mad king looked to the young drake, beaten and bruised, bleeding from fresh yet minor cuts on his skin, struggling to stand and face the Equine.

“You’ve withstood a great deal more than I had anticipated; however, this farce ends here, scaley.” The made king placed a hoof on the young Drake’s head, pressing down tightly enough that you could hear his poor whimpers.

It was only after Sombra’s power began fading that I assume the princess’s plan was succeeding. I remember feeling the malicious aura, hearing a loud growl and hearing a loud thud as our hero’s body was slammed against a nearby wall.

“Figured it out didn’t ‘cha?” I could hear his voice, strained yet filled with purpose and hope.

“This will not stand.” The mad king growled in frustration, attempting to harness his magic, yet seemingly failing with each second that passed. “I am the king; I rule this empire. I will not allow myself to be beaten by mere southern ponies.”

I heard a faint yelp, peaking over the edge of the throne I saw the king’s hoof pressed once more atop our hero’s head.

“And I will most certainly not be played a fool by a hatchling.” He pressed down, the young one’s whimpers became more apparent as Sombra pressed further down. “Perhaps I could start with assuring a possible threat like a dragon does not become one should we cross paths again.” He pressed down harder, at this point I could only close my eyes in the hopes of not seeing the gruesome aftermath.

And then I heard it.

“Then do it.” Came the tired yet defiant voice of the young drake.

If only for a moment, the mad king appeared astonished at this willingness to face death, none more so than from a young dragon being held at the hoof of a pony. Spike’s eyes managed to open, his pupils narrowed at the mad king as he attempted to raise his head.

“My friends…will defeat you…Twilight will find a way…all of them are so important, not just to Equestria, but to me as well.” With what little strength he had, our hero shoved the king’s hoof away, glaring at him as he managed to sit up, supported by his one unbroken arm, the other dangling tightly against his chest. “So, go ahead; kill me. My death won’t make a difference. You will lose. And if I can buy them just enough time…I will gladly do so…because….in the end…”

They’re the only ones that matter

Spike had to stop reading, lest he damage the pages with the small droplet of tears running down his cheeks. He remembered this part of his life; feeling so small and insignificant that he truly believed dying at the moment, if it bought his friends enough time to defeat the mad king, would’ve given his life meaning. Looking back at that moment, he knew why he thought that way; living with famous and heroic ponies was one thing, but for them to be the closest thing to family you’ve ever known, seeing them go on countless adventures and always feeling powerless to do anything to help ease their burdens; eventually, that tends to weigh heavy on a person’s view of their place in the world. So much so, he valued his life so little he was willing to give it if it meant the others would survive. And in all honesty, he still felt that way; he’d gladly place his life on the line for any of the six mares.

However, to have that train of thought, as a hatchling no less…

“So…” His eyes darted upwards, seeing the eyes of the General now fixed on him. “Are these exaggerations?”

“…” Spike’s hesitance was enough of an answer, the old colt turned his head away, giving the drake the indication that he no longer needed to answer the question; Dance has his answer.

It was only after a few seconds that the drake realized the implications of the item in his hand; a book. An item his closest friend held dear to her, and one of which if she or any of their friends ever got their hands on, would end in another ‘meeting’ only this time; he wondered if they’d ever let him live it down.

But taking a moment to think on it; he wouldn’t. If any of them ever felt or uttered the very words he did, no doubt he’d always be at their side to assure they were fine. He love them, how could he not? It was that very love that made him realize exactly what the weight of his death could’ve done to his friends. He couldn’t do that to them.

A conversation was imminent, he knew for certain.

“When was this published?” He needed an estimate over how long he had before he was hunted down again.

“It hasn’t.” Wait, what? The Generald kept his eyes forward again, only this time he chose to lean against the nearby tree. “See, the author of that book was still a staff memeber in the castle, and she came to me and another for peer review. She noted that she’d seen you with me multiple times and asked me to gloss over her book to assure there were no segments regarding infringement of your privacy and/or defamation. What you have in your hands is one of only two copies.”

Spike had never felt such relief wash across him as he allowed his shoulders to slump. The book was only in the hands of two individuals, one was in his arms and, as far as he knew, the other was far up north.

“However, I was hoping you could assist me in a little search.” At this point, knowing the others wouldn’t have to know of this moment in his life, the drake was willing to help in anything the old colt needed. “See, the second book has gone missing.”

And just like that, Spike’s heart skipped a few beats once more.

“See, the peer who had the second copy had attempted to keep it hidden by using the cover of another book he had in his possession. A rather famous smut novel.” Hold on. “He mentioned it being a sort of favor to a mare.” Hold on. “But that isn’t the point.” I disagree. “The point is, the mare who has the book mentioned Ponyville as her current residence, and so as a favor to my colleague, I am here to retrieve and swap the books.” The General’s head turned towards the drake. “Also, she mentioned you a number of times, so I assumed you might know of whom I’m speaking of. Best description I can give you is that she’s an illusionist...or a traveling showmare, quite haughty….”

He could’ve gone on for much longer, but he didn’t need to, Spike knew exactly who he was talking about, and given what Starlight had been reading these last few days, it was only a matter of time before it all came to him.

“Spike.”

His heart skipped a other few beats as his head darted upwards. A single pony hovered over him, with a face so defeated and drenched in tears it threatened to shatter his heart. Though, there was one saving grace to this situation; Starlight was never one to just go around and spread gossip with just anyone. However, regarding this little revelation he had one of two options; tell her what she wanted to know, which was everything…or, she’d take this to Twilight.

Author's Note

Ok, so quick author's note; reason I've been gone a while is due to having little to no time to write since this whole outbreak started. According to my company, i'm an essential worker, and yet, my pay says otherwise. That and i just got a new computer after my old one died on me. So, while i finally have a new format to write on, I will try to keep up and write as much as i can.
That being said, i hope you all enjoyed this little installment. Stay tuned for the next.