Llama, Breezie, and Kirin could feel that the wish was nearing its end, They had thus far managed to stall out the team well past their expected timetable, entirely due to them all hanging back at the harbor seemingly just to enjoy some time with the different versions of him. The Storm had lost most of its energy, the flooding had stopped and receded, and now it was just a drizzle keeping flying and teleportation at bay, Cozy had made a wish with another version of Spike so that the storm would dry up and lose all it's power after a month just in case their plans failed and she needed some good points to keep from being turned back into stone.

Breezie Spike was enjoying the day with Thorax and the Breezies. Kirin seemed more than happy to just be with Rainshine and so far all they had done was enjoy each other's company. Fluttershy had spent the week telling Llama stories that he had forgotten.

Breezie Spike howled in delight as Sea Breeze finished telling the story of how he had met his wife, "-and she proposed to me on the spot," Sea Breeze cheered as he took a swig of Breezie ale, "Never again will I ever have that much luck of that I am sure, oh what a woman," Sea Breeze smiled at the thought of his wife "I haven't seen her in a few months but last I saw her she was expecting, I imagine I'll have another little one running around when my term is over," Breezie Spike didn't question what he meant by that, Sea Breeze had already informed him that his wife let him be a part of this team for only four months out of the year, his allotted time left were only three remaining weeks.

"Can't believe Starswirl found a way to open the grotto," Spike chuckled as he drank the sweet milk the Breezie called ale, "Suppose he would know best how to thwart my magic, but only being able to open it for an hour once a month is still pretty good protection," Breezie finished off his ale and one of Sea Breeze's companions filled him up, unlike Sea Breeze his companions worked for only one month out of the year, but one group of six went out on patrol every month allowing the Breezies to remain active in the search for his lamp year round.

"You sure you don't want any?" Spike asked, the other Breezies turned him down and kept their distance, as far as Spike could tell from Sea Breezes' stories, the tale of Spike and his lamp had been passed down from Generation to Generation. He had become something of a mythical hero in Breezie society. Hence, he understood that as far as they were concerned he was the Starswirl to their Twilight, and the idea of actually talking to him casually probably wasn't going to happen until he was free to just exist in their society. Sea Breeze only seemed calm around him because the tales told of his ancestor failing Spike and he was currently living out the hero redemption arc of fixing the mistakes of those in the days gone by.

"Well I certainly won't force you," Spike noted as he drank some and looked up at Thorax, who was using his front legs to keep the Breezie shielded from natural winds and any nare-do-wells who might think it funny to blow the small creatures into the wind. "So how have things been with you bud? Feel like telling me why you're a moose yet?" Thorax had visible hurt in his eyes and Breezie sighed "No it's fine," he decided "I'll make sure whichever version of me has those memories spends some time with you if I ever get free of that lamp," Thorax smiled, Breezie knew the hurt look hadn't been made on purpose but still felt somewhat bad that he didn't fully remember the changling.

"I hate Celestia," Thorax decided.

"Oh don't go blaming her for everything," Breezie noted, "You sound like the Dragon and the Dog," Breezie took a sip before adding "Kirin and Me are both fully aware that if she didn't do what she did the Paradox would have re-written history so badly none of us would probably exist," Thorax muttered something and Breezie motioned to him casually with his drink "Ok wise guy, how would you have avoided the reality melting Paraox of not throwing that crazy bastard version of me into the past? Because if they hadn't I'd probably still be evil crazy to this day," Breezie took a swig before adding "If you wanna hate someone hate Discord, his dumbass did this to me. He doesn't have the excuse of preventing a paradox to cover his ass either because he didn't know about it until after he did it!"

"Still," Thorax muttered "She was the one who threw you back in time,"

"Dah," Sea Breeze cried out in frustration at Thoraxes bitter tone, "Live and let live, the past is said and done, the Future is a mystery to unravel, but the present is a gift, so peel off that wrapping paper and enjoy what little time we have left, Our dear hero will be pulled back to his prison by night's fall, so enjoy these daylight hours while they last," The other Breezies cheered and Breezie Spike cheered with them.

"Who wasn't to hear the story of the pirate who wasted all three of his wishes in under a minute?" Breezie asked excitedly "It's a real knee slapper,"

Kirin Spike lay snuggly over Rainshine as the Kirin leader went over reports of the Kirin grove, being the leader of a nation left little time for Rainshine to waste on trivial matters, but she was having proxies hold the fort down as she searched for Spike, Kirin Spike had already acted as her advisor and had her fire several of them due to suspicions of trying and failing to rise themselves to power and convince other Kirins that Rainshine was a relik of the past.

With only loyal proxies still at work it was now harder to cover all the work that went into keeping a nation running.

"Seems we have another insurance claim on fire damage," Rainshine muttered, "Really need to buckle down on finding a good court mage who can enchant things with flame resistance, at the rate things are burning we'll have burned through the royal treasure within six years," After his help with the problem proxies Rainshine had sternly denied Spike's help, stating that it was his right as her dearest friend to simply exist and enjoy not being bound to a lamp for the few days he could.

That request hadn't fully stopped Spike from helping, but it had stopped him from spending all his time trying to solve all her problems, as he was a Genie under another employee his attempts at help had already gotten himself and his alternate halves punished by the lamp for than a few times, and yet none of the Spikes seemed to mind it all too much after being informed by Kirin why they had just been magically slammed into the ground fact first several times.

All had denied being hurt, and all had failed to tell that lie in a convincing matter. After three days Rainshine and Spike had finally gotten to a happy medium to stop Spike from hurting himself in his determination to help, Rainshine felt the timer spell she had set go off and she set her paperwork down, rolled over in the bed, and pulled Spike close, Spike accepted her embrace and the two enjoyed a peaceful snuggle.

"Your mane's gotten wild," Spike muttered sleepily.

"You haven't physically changed in the slightest," Rainshine noted sadly, "But I can sense the torment that haunts your mind,"

"I have spent a lot of time beating the shit out of my metaphysical clones," Spike replied, his face matching his tone in exhaustion, Rainshine did so desperately want to soothe him, tell him he could sleep in her arms forever, but he had already informed her that he couldn't sleep, only feel exhausted and pretend to sleep to try and make himself feel better. In the end, the best she could do was let him cuddle up to her for a little while before he was whisked back to the lamp.

"Did it work?" Cozy asked, having just made a wish recommended to her by Changling Spike, who confirmed the wish had been granted.

"Congratulations, you've joined Starswirl and Rainshine in the ranks of my immortal masters, How's it feel, ageless and with the ability to switch from adult to child, you'll make a mighty fine trickster goddess when I'm done with you,"

"Oh? Maybe that can be my title," Cozy said excitedly, "Cozy Glow the Trickster Princess!"

"Maybe one day," Changling chuckled, "You got any other wishes or are you still content to hang out down here and just keep staring at her?"

Changling and Cozy looked over to the cage Crysalis was in, Dragon Spike was cooking her up a heaping helping of love, Cozy had been informed she probably didn't want to know where the love was coming from and she decided to remain ignorant for her good.

"The Plan is still in motion," Cozy said confidently, Spike slid in close and whispered in her ear.

"This plan isn't by chance that you react to a situation and just hope Flurry thinks you're hot is it?"

"On to more important matters," Cozy replied sharply, "if I use all my wishes you'll fly straight to Luna Correct?"

"Yep, Spike confirmed as Diamond Dog began going over Cozy's next planned appearance, having retired Cozy in favor of the Duchess for a week in, what Spike assumed was, a ploy to buy time and try to think up an actual plan.

"Alright, nice to have a backup if I need to use all the wishes to fly under the radar, Luna won't listen to Shinnings crazy demands right?"

"How the hell should I know?" Changling demanded only for all the Spikes to yelp out in pain as the Lamp decided it didn't like Spikes' tone and made his cuffs burn hot, "I have no Idea master, how can I assist you in learning more master, it would humble me greatly to be of worthwhile service to you master," Changing began blowing on her hooves as both Diamond Dog and Dragon where rolling on the ground as though trying to put out a fire.

"It's fine," Cozy said at once as she blew on Changlings hooves, her command of it being ok allowing the punishment to stop, "I wish that would stop happening,"

"I'm sorry that wish can't be granted," All Three Spikes replied in tandem. "We're sorry Master,"

"Please don't call me master," Cozy begged of them.

"Sorry, Lamp forces that on me sometimes," Dragon shrugged before thinking on it for a moment, "That...or it's just become a verbal tick after thousands of years, hard to say honestly, maybe try wishing it away?"

"I wish you would stop calling me master, Pweety Pweese," After checking in with the others the present forms of Spike all gave her a thumbs up to signify it had worked.

"Alright back to business, Flurry and I, or that is to say Flurry and the Dutchess have lunch tonight to talk about the barrier being strengthened along with the weakening storm she should be able to fully connect with the empire, and I think we might be nearing potentially interested in trying a date," Cozy giggled madly as she grabbed the Lamp, "But first I need to make sure the lamp isn't on the opposite side of the ocean when the other you's time run out,"

"Oh yeah, we better hurry," Dragon realized upon looking at the time, "If the wish runs out and they don't teleport back at just the right millisecond we could punished, if they jump too soon we'll be punished for ditching a wish, and if they stay too long the Lamp will tan out hide for part of us being so far from it,"

"Oh yeah," Diamond Dog chuckled before glaring at the lamp, "That thing has zero chill, I wanna break it the moment we're wished free but Breezie called dibs on keeping it," Cozy rubbed the lamp and made her next wish.

"I wish for the ability to control water, Pweety Pweese," Her wish was granted and she tested it out by making a water cyclone beneath her hooves and practiced for a moment to get her balance before chuckling. "Nice, Now I wish to be teleported just outside the town you said your other halves are holding up, Pweety Pweese,"

"No," Breezie said angrily as he threw a single plastic pink fork at the Llama, dematerializing and rematerializing it in his tiny hooves after it either hit or missed its target. No more chess!" With the time of their departure closing in, the team had gathered back up to say a proper goodbye. Kirin and Rainshine were late, and the Llama had offered a game of chess to Breezie, who seemed beyond enraged at the offer.

"Calm down," Fluttershy begged, as she got between the Llama and the Breezie and stopped the attacks. "How about we talk this own, like rational adults?"

"Llama doesn't have that capability," Breezie shot back, "The More bodies we have the less mind there is to go around, talking to that dope is just him repeating the same brain-dead joke a million times over,"

"That's not true," Llama huffed back, "I just do that to annoy you all,"

"Why would you do that?" Fluttershy asked, trying to resolve the conflict peacefully, "You're all the same person,"

"We well, I just don't much like them,"

"Oh shocker," Breezie rolled his eyes, "I hate you, and you hate me, what a happy little family,"

"More like shoddy clones," Llama noted with a shrug.

"I was here before you," Breezie snarled back, "If every subsequent version of us is worse than the last it certainly shines through in you're Braindead eyes," Llama took a deep breath, and for a moment it seemed he was going to be the bigger Spike, then he raised his hoof as though to say something dramatically, only to smash Breezie against the table.

"Least I'm not the size of a gnat!" He barked back angrily. Llama only raised his hoof when Fluttershy pushed him away from Breezie "Oh Relaz, he can't die, It'll just hurt like he died,"

"Spike you can't do that to other creatures," Fluttershy scalded as the Breezies tried to help Breezie Spike only found him absent.

"Well then it's a good thing I did it to myself," Llama said smugly before being enveloped in a shadow, he looked up and saw a massive hoof hovering over him, Breezie Spike having teleported behind him and grown to his massive size.

"Hm?" Llama chuckled nervously before looking over to Fluttershy, who was forced out of the way by the magical rains that prevented any from being harmed by Spike, directly or indirectly, "I forgot he could-" Llama words were cut short as Breezie Crushed him under hoof.

"Who's a gnat now jack-ass?" Breezie demanded in a booming voice as he repeatedly stomped Llama into the ground with every raise of the hoof Llama popped back up in the air for a second before being slammed back into the ground and back up again. After the fifth rapid slam, Breezie was forced to stop when Kirin Spike arrived on the scene and blasted him across the face with fire, it left no visible mark on his face but judging by Breezies immediate flinch and rubbing on his face it had indeed burned.

"He started it," Breezie called back angrily.

"You threw a fork at me," Llama shot back in defence, no worse for ware outside of his neck being full of kinks.

"Oh don't be a baby," Breezie glared at Llama, "You only hit me cause I called you brain dead,"

"You're brain dead," Fluttershy looked over to Rainshine and Kirin and found the latter watching the two bicker with an unimpressed look.

Upon noticing she was looking at him with concern Kirin smiled at Fluttershy, "Don't worry he assured her, We can't kill each other," His smile faded as he muttered just slightly too loud, "Heaven knows we've tried,"

"You just need some time apart," Rainshine told Kirin confidently, "How about, after we get you out of that lamp, all the versions of you select a spot to visit old friends, and then you all rotate every week or month, or however you want, that way you only have to be around yourself for a few brief moments, if at all when you switch places?"

"Sounds like heaven," Kirin replied with a sigh, "Can't wait for something to go wrong and wistfully dream of freedom for another couple thousand years,"

"Don't talk like that," Rainshine begged of her friend, "We'll free you, we'll catch Cozy, or she'll run out of wishes and you'll go into Luna's possession,"

"Happy Dreams," Kirin Replied, before more could be said all the Spike turned their heads to the South as Cozy Telepoted in on her water tornado, feeling both her presence and the draw of the lamp. "Aw, she came to pick us up," Kirin laughed, before adding in a serious tone, "Thank the heavens that lamp would have beat us within an inch of our eternal life if we had been off even slightly,"

"That's exactly what I said," Dragon called out before shrugging, "more or less anyway,"

"Hello," Cozy said sweetly as she inspected the backup units of the group that was going to show up at her home eventually, "I just came to pick up a few friends of mine, Did you have fun boys,"

"I would have loved it more if I was alone," Kirin called back before grabbing Rainshines hoove, "This was nice, let's not wait so long next-" Rainshine grabbed Spike and pulled him into a kiss, cutting off his predictable joke.

"I will free you," She promised him.

"I want a kiss," Breezie complained before looking at the gathered Breezies, "All dudes though, Hmm," Breezie pondered it for a moment before raising a brow, "Any of you fine gents wanna be a lady?" Receiving no positive response he shrugged, "Suit yourselves,"

"Kiss Thorax," Dragon called out, "It'd be hot!"

"I'll do it," Llama called back, "Which one is she?" Dragon laughed in response as Cozy rubbed the lamp and called all the Spikes back to the lamp, the three all flew over and were sucked into the lamps save for the Diamond Dog Spike.

"Don't mind them," Diamond dog called down, "We're all just lonely and willing to settle," Cozy rubbed her temple, visibly trying not to laugh at the Diamond dog.

"I...could you not?" She asked with a slight laugh, "I'm trying to be dramatic,"

"Solid six out of ten," Diamond Dog replied immediately, "The water Tornado's nice but they all know I can't kill,"

"Six?" Cozy demanded indignantly when she was suddenly hit by a blast of magic, the barrier she had used during her first meeting with Flurry and her small team activated and denied the sneak attack it's hit.

"Hey no fair I was talking to Spike," Rainshine's only response was to blast a second attack at the bubble, her smoking ears telling Spike that the short time back together had reignited Rainshine's desire to be back with him to a new level, she had been working on memories older than Equestria, a ghost of a memory, now however she was working for a friend she could remember vividly, his voice, the smell of his fur, the passion of wanting to never be apart again.

"I thank you for letting me see him again," Rainshine told Cozy, "But now that I've had a taste my desires to have him at my side have turned from a forest fire into a volcanic eruption!" Rainshine blasted a solid pillar of flames at Cozy, who just took it head on, Diamond Dog was curious why Rainshine kept going at it, when he felt something, not on his body, no someone was touching his lamp, looking back to it, while it was still firm in Cozy's hooves Sea Breeze had seemingly hitched a ride one of of the Spike's when they had been summoned back and was now trying to get a Wish out of Spike, a fairly impressive stunt, but so long as Cozy was touching it one doomed to failure.

"As though realizing this Sea Breeze did his best to climb toward Cozy's saddle back to try and hitch a ride back to base, Spike did so want to see Cozy's plan blossom forth, but Freedom was Freedom, and the Diamond Dog would at the very least make sure to stay as Cozy's side, thought it was possible being freed would weaken the Spikes powers.

Spike elongated her tail and held it out to Sea Breeze who grabbed it after a moment's pause and was silently taken to the Saddle bag, Spike gave him a wink and Sea Breeze a sault before dropping into the depths of the bag.

"Now then," Cozy looked over to Spike as she pretended to think of a wish, "I'm sure you all so tiered after such hard work playing with Spike if only I could help, OH I know, I wish all these fine folks gathered below us would go home for a nice nap in their beds," Cozy smiled smugly, as Rainshine increased the firepower.

"Your Wish, Is Granted," Diamond Dog notified Cozy as she teleported all those gathered below to help free her back to their beds in their homes, taking care to leave Sea Breeze where he was since he was technically not below them.

"I Wish to go back to the lair, Pweety Pweese," Cozy asked Diamond Dog politely. Who obliged without any fanfare and simply teleported them back, Cozy Turned into the Dutchess and dressed in her required robe, taking care to tuck the lamp inside of it before tossing the saddle bag onto her make-shift throne.

"One of you keep an eye on her," Cozy requested as she looked over at Chrysalis, who avoided eye contact from her cage. "Everyone else go take your place among the staff, Diamond Dog you're with me, I Wish to be in my quarters Pweety Pweese," Cozy teleported away as Changling Spike lounged in the throne, peaking her nose into the bag and looking at Sea Breeze,"

"Hey, how's it going?" Ask asked, she got booped a few times before Sea Breeze realized she was Spike.

"Where's the lamp?" He asked in a low tone.

"With Cozy," Changling replied, "You're stuck in her underground base with no entrances or exits, might wanna take this moment to find a better hiding place, I made a fake mouse hole in the back of the throne when I made the cave so I could play around in it whenever I got bored, I Recommend hiding in there," Changling took care to make sure Changling couldn't see Sea Breeze and gave him a salute, "I can't help any more than this," She warned, "Genie rules and what not, frankly I'm already pushing it, try not to get caught, all it takes is one sentence from Cozy and you're out of the game,"

"Rogger," Sea Breeze fluttered into the Mousehole and began setting up a base of operations within the Enemy base as Changling Spike began staring at Chrysalis as were her orders.

Author's Note

Fun fact: the original version of the first story had several more chapters, but they ended up being cut due to either being too boring or feeling to much like empty filler, one of the deleted chapters included a Pirate waisting all his wishes and basically having nothing to show for it when it was all said and done. (It was cut due to only being 400 words long and frankly kind of dull)