Phoenix

“So, here we are, welcome to the “Palace”, as you can figure out this is our HQ, where we meet to discuss the situation surrounding the city and plan specific courses of action… the palace counts with all the necessary accommodations to make fighting crime easier… we have 10 bedrooms, 1 for each of us, and 3 extra beds for allies that need to rest or recover, we also have an infirmary, gym, library, kitchen, forensic lab, pool, sauna, game room for some R&R and…” said masked Matter-horn

“A five star hotel, next,” said Spike not wanting Masked Matter-horn to over do it with her description of HQ

Masked Matter-horn stared at Spike and was about to complain about his attitude until she got the message.

“Right, well, this is the room where all of the magic happens…” she continued as she placed her hand on a scanner and opened the door.

“Don’t worry, we’ll add your prints to the system today so you’ll have access to the facilities, anyway, this is, what the girls and I call the “Throne room” as you can tell by the 6 “Thrones” positioned around this map of Canterlot which we use to control crime and pinpoint crimes in progress to either police or heroes in the area,” she said

“Talk about a superiority complex,” Spike muttered

“That is the motherboard, the computer that we use to find information regarding criminals, villains, or to discover hidden details about past crimes and try to solve them,” Masked Matter-horn said

“Cool, just like an Oracle,” said Spike

“Yeah, but legally we can’t call it that since “Oracle” is a hero name,” said Masked Matter-horn

“And finally, these lovely ladies are the rest of the team… This is Mistress Mare-velous, she is my second in command and one of the most trust-worthy heroines you will ever meet,” she said as she pointed at the Earthling wearing a red spandex suit with black gloves, boots and ski mask.

Despite the fact that she was sitting down, Spike could tell that this girl was tall, probably around 5’7”, and she had a muscular build too, apart from that, the little physical details that her outfit showed was that she had green eyes and long blond hair… and that, despite being around 12 years old, she had already developed her curves quite a bit.

“Next to her is our Daredevil/Speedster/cook/party planner, Fili-Second, she is the fastest mare in the world,” she said as she pointed to the earthling with a white spandex that covered her whole body, except for her face, which was completely exposed to the world, minus for the area around her eyes, that was covered by a small piece of fabric that hid her the area around her eyes.

It was easy to deduce 2 things about her thanks to Masked Matter-horn’s description about her, 1- she was fast and 2- she mas hyper, which also meant, she was overeager, and oh she was, she wasn’t even able to sit still on her “throne” for not even a minute, and as soon as she noticed Masked and Humdrum walking towards her she started to jump and wave wildly.

However, Spike could tell that she had an athletic build, fit for an olympic sprinter or marathonist, her curves were yet to develop further, she stood somewhere around the 4’11” mark, had pink curly, bouncy hair, and blue eyes.

“Next we have Saddle Ragger, she is our strongest member and also our medic… oh, a little piece of advice, please don’t make her angry,” she continued as she pointed at one of the most stunning pegasus he had ever seen, she was wearing a green spandex with purple details and mask.

To say she was pretty was an understatement, Ragger was had long, soft, pink hair, blueish-green eyes, and stood at about 4’7”, but what was most surprising about her, was her chest, it was easy to tell she had started to develop early, she was probably a D-cup now.

“Noted,” said Humdrum as he and Ragger’s eyes met and she quickly meeped and hid behind her hair.

“This is Radiance, she is our more… creative member, she is the one that helps us coordinate our uniforms and decorates the “Palace”... it might not sound like much, but Radiance can use creation magic and light magic, and I have to admit, she is one of our most powerful members,” said Masked as she introduced the only other unicorn in the room.

As soon as Spike’s eyes landed on her, he felt his jaw losen ready to hit the floor, but he quickly composed himself.

He thought that Ragger was pretty, but Radiance was stunning. She had long, stylish purple hair, deep blue eyes, and a perfect body, with her curves beginning to accentuate themselves perfectly, and stood at around 4’10” which was more than evident from her tight purple spandex with purplish and light blueish diamonds.

For whatever reason, Spike couldn’t help but notice that Radiance was staring at him with some sort of disgust, but he decided to ignore it

“And lastly we have Zapp, she is our most… wild member, she is as good a flyer as she is a fighter, she is a prodigy with weather magic, being able to control any type of weather, she is also an good martial artist, and the only known living being to have successfully created a Sonic Rainboom,” said Masked as she introduced the last member of the team.

Zapp was an interesting heroine, you could tell she was fit, her dark-blue spandex did a great job at showing her six pack, she had rainbow colored hair and reddish eyes, and stood at around 5’2”, but, you could tell her personality left much to be desired, out of all of the girls, she was the only one that had her feet on the map, and seemed to be unhappy of being there.

“Well, introduce yourself,” said Masked Matter-horn

“Uhm, hi, I’m Icarus, although I’ve been informed that I will be called humdrum, I take it you learnt more from me during the entrance ceremony, I am good with computers and hand to hand combat, and…” Spike said

“Hmph, I can’t believe you actually went and did it, Masked, I mean, what were you thinking?’ Radiance interrupted angrily

“Yeah, this guy ain’t gonna last, and I’m not going to be babysitting him while we’re out in the open,” said Zapp

“Well, Zapp, YOU babysitting anyone would be absurd, you can’t even take care of yourself,” said Masked

“Ah fail to see what’s got ya so riled up Radiance, but ah have to say, it’s pretty darn dumb for ya to continue havin’ this attitud, ever since Masked proposed it you’ve been against it like a lil’ girl who don’t wanna go to the doctor,” said Mare-velous

“I am not against the idea of a sidekick, but I am against HIM being in our group, there are so many more qualified and… attractive sidekicks on the list, so why him?” said Radiance

“Cause, none of them have extra talent, there is something in Humdrum that is bewitching, and last time I checked, you lost the vote 4 to 2, so zip it, permanently… and if you can’t, the door is right there,” Masked said

“Argh, Fine, but if he get in the way, don’t blame me,” Radiance said

“Well, it would be the first time it isn’t YOU who’s screwing everything up,” said Mare-velous as a full on discussion started

“You’ve got to be kidding me, all this because of me?” thought Spike

“GIRLS!” Fili screamed

“WHAT!” they said

“If you want him to be up to speed, then, why doesn’t he work as my partner until he gets used to it?” she suggested

“That works,” said Masked Matter-horn

“You better get him in shape fast, the pipsqueak seems to be even to scared to say something,” said Zapp

“No, I just don’t think talking to you would be either fruitful or beneficial so I just ignored your presence,” said Spike

This made Zapp glare at him

“You wanna fight?” she said

“My mom told me not to kill, I MEAN, hit girls,” said Spike

“That won’t be happening,” said Zapp as she got up and walked over to Spike, only to be stopped by Mare-velous

“Sit yo ass down, Zapp, don’t make me use the lasso on you again,” she said as she stared into her eyes

“Fine, but next time, you won’t have Mare here protecting you,” said Zapp

“Anyway, Fili, take Humdrum with you and patrol the south side of the city,” said Masked Matter-horn

“On it, come on Hum, let’s roll!” she said as she grabbed Spike by the shoulder and rushed off.

“Ah hope you know what you’re doing,” said Mare-velous

“I always do,” said Masked Matter-horn

“Yup, just like that my life had been turned around 180 degrees… To be honest, it wasn’t that bad of a thing, I mean, “The Power Ponies” were ranked 1 when it came to leagues inside the academy and the list of sidekicks and heroes that wanted to join it was longer than… than… well doesn’t matter… point is, being such a popular league it was amazing that they actually requested me,”

“My renown in the academy grew with it, I went from being seen as… as… Well, to be honest, not many people gave me the light of day so, after the news rang out, everyone wanted to talk to me, mostly to be in some sort of good light with the rest of the members of the league… “

“Of course, this boost of popularity, short as it was, also created new enemies for me, apart of Flash and his 2 lackeys, I had to fight an even damming and dangerous enemy… myself… or my demons to be more precise,”

“The sudden change caused heavy doubt and anxiety on me, and I didn’t know how to deal with it, I wanted to live out to their expectations, but, I knew from the very start that I wasn’t exactly welcome in the league,”

“Granted, Matter-horn, Fili, and Mare-velous welcomed me with open arms, Ragger was somewhat weary of me at first, but opened up to me after a few days, and Zapp and Radiance disliked me completely. To this day, I don’t know why… Well, Radiance comes from a Powerful Superhero family and was very stuck-up and snobbish, and I think Zapp just wanted to appear intimidating… something she didn’t do very well,”

“You might think that I was immediately thrown into the deep end but, to be honest, since we were still in our first year of Junior High, all we ever did was patrol, see if anything suspicious was happening and report it to a hero or normie officer,”

“And it was like this for the rest of the year, and it continued until about half way into our 2nd year,”

“By that point, STIGMA had grown, not much, but, we were now in the double digits of attendees, 15 to be exact, not counting me and the boys, however, things with the ponies weren’t that great, I had become their assistante/butler/slave/punching bag,”

“For the most part, it was ok, but, Zapp and Radiance continued to degrade me and blame me for their mistakes,”

“Thankfully, the other girls had my back, and forced them to apologize to me whenever they did… Radiance eventually stopped, but Zapp persisted… and it usually ended with Mare-velous punching her until she apologized,”

“I always wanted to have a better relationship with the 2, maybe not an overly friendly one but, at least one of respect, but it seemed that was never going to happen… until one day, almost at the end of our second year, I was given a very… odd task…”

STIGMA HQ (After class)

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Various light orbs exploded as they made contact with mechanical dummies, obliterating them.

“Well done Moondancer, those dummies must be terrified to see you enter the room,” Spike said as he praised the young light magician, whose powers had grown incredibly

“Thanks Icarus, it’s all thanks to the training,” she said with a blush

“And your hard work, always give yourself some credit,” Spike said as he walked by

BOOM!

“Flitter, Cloudchaser, remember, you must be aware of your surrounding before attacking,” said Knick Knack as 2 pegasus landed before him

“Sorry, we just got too into it,” said Flitter

“It just that, we never thought we’d be able to be this strong, it’s like a restraint was removed from us,” said Cloudchaser

“Do you want me to get corny again, or should I fetch MicroChips?” he said

“NO! We’ll be more careful next time,” they said as they flew away.

“It’s amazing how far they’ve come right,” said Spike as he sat down in the sofas Knick Knack had created for the room.

“Indeed, even our magic point are through the roof, our teachers are amazed by it, but, they are yet to recognize our powers,” said Micro Chips as he and Knick Knack sat down

“And what about you Shadow, how is hero division?” asked Spike

“Boring as hell, especially since everyone is scared of me for being a dark magician,” said Shadow as he appeared in the sofa, sitting next to Micro Chips

“Well you do have 350 Magic points, Discord has 500, so people should be scared,” said MicroChips

“But That’s the thing, I don’t want them to be scared of me,” said Shadow

“And what about the nightmares?” asked Knack

“They come and go, but, I’m not as afraid as I was before,” said Shadow

“That means you’re finally accepting your powers, soon, you’ll be a necromancer as well,” said Micro Chips

“I just hope it isn’t as they’ve painted it,” said Shadow

“We’ll have to wait and see,” said Spike as his phone beeped

“Something’s up?” asked Knack

“The girls are asking me to go to the palace ASAP,” said Spike

“Well, we’ll take care of the rest, you go,” said Shadow

“Thanks, see you, Monday,” said Spike as he disappeared into thin air

“Hey, where did Icarus go?” asked Moondancer as she walked up to the sofas

“He was summoned to the Palace, why?” said Knack

“No particular reason, I just wanted to talk to him,” said Moondancer with a lightly red face

“Oh really? Is that all?” Shadow said suggestively

“Y-yeah, that’s all!” Moondancer said

“I heard a stutter, did you?” asked Shadow

“Indeed,” said Knack

“Affirmative,” said Micro Chips

“So, what’s the real reason?” asked Shadow

“I think she has a crush on Icarus,” said Knack

“It is the only factual answer,” said Micro Chips

Moondancer’s face lit up like a firecracker

“You were gonna ask him out weren’t you?” said Shadow

“NO I WASN’T, GOD YOUR SO ANNOYING!” she said as she stormed off

“Oh yeah, she likes him,” said Shadow

“Indeed,” said Knack

“Affirmative,” said Micro Chips

MINUTES LATER, AT THE PALACE

“I’m here, what’s the emergency?” said Spike as he rushed into the throne room

“Ah, Humdrum, just in time,” said Masked Matter-Horn with a big toothy smile

Humdrum stop on his tracks and turned to look around the room, after doing a headcount he turned back to face Masked Matter-Horn

“There is no emergency? Right?” he said

“Well, not exactly,” said Masked

“Ok, what’s the sitch?” asked Spike

“I need you yo go with Radiance to a fancy party in the Crystal Empire,” she said

“What?” said Spike

“I thought I was clear enough,” said Masked matter-horn

“You called me here, telling me there was an emergency, only to tell me that you want me to babysit Radiance while she attends one of those “Rich-boyfriend” seeking parties of hers?” said Spike

“To put it plainly, yes,” said Masked matter-horn

“Actually, hon, it’s a tad more complicated than that,” said Mare-velous as she got up from her throne

“I did it last time, can’t someone else go?” asked Spike

“That’s why we called you, you’re the only one that we can trust with this,” said Ragger

“Really?” asked Spike

“Ah’ve got matters to attend to in my civilian life, Zapp would be an awful idea, for obvious reasons, Ragger can’t even stare at her own reflection, Fili… well, Radiance doesn’t want her there, and Masked isn’t the best company for this type of parties,” explained Mare-velous

“Can’t she just go alone?” asked Spike

“Humdrum, you know Radiance, and…” Masked started

“Yes, I have no intention of being her Babysitter/wing-man, last time it was a bad,” he said

“But you stopped her from embarrassing herself,” said Ragger

“Only because Fancy Pants was actually a nice guy,” said Spike

“Case in point… Humdrum, please… you going will be good for all of us,” said Masked Matter-Horn

“I can see your point, but it can also be a very bad thing,” said Spike

“Why?” asked Mare-velous

“Your idea is that if I go, everyone there will say “Oh, look, Radiance invited her sidekick, how nice of her” but at the same time, they might also think “She just wants to rub her kindness on our faces, how dare she,” said Spike

“Yeah, I can see that happening,” said Fili-second

“Then… just go as her bodyguard,” suggested Zapp

Her comment made everyone’s head turn

“What, he should, I mean… he did beat me in fighting, plus, it would just make it seem like he’s trying to be helpful and not take advantage of her and vice versa,” Zapp explained

“Wow, I can’t believe I’m going to say this but, she actually has a good idea,” said Masked

“I’m more surprised that she praised Humdrum,” said Fili-second

“Hey, credit where credit is due, the guy knows his stuff, even if it pains me to admitted,” said Zapp

“Well, there you have it Humdrum, are you in?” asked Masked

“Sure, I’ll babysit her, but you owe me big time,” said Humdrum

“Deal,” said Masked Matter-horn

LATER THAT NIGHT AT THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE

“Agh, I can’t believe YOU were the one that had to come,” said Radiance

“Well, if you weren’t so petty, none of your teammates would be tired of your crap, and would be happy to come with you,” said Spike

“Nonsense, they love me,” Radiance said

“Maybe at a teammate level, but when it comes to this sort of things… not so much,” said Spike

“Why wouldn’t they, it’s a party meant for the rich, famous and powerful, and I’m giving them access to it,” Radiance said snobbishly

“Radiance… look, it doesn’t matter, all you have to know is that I am here as a “bodyguard” that way my presence will not cause you or your father any problems,” said Spike

“You better not… anyway, there’s my dad, let’s go and report,” Radiance said as she walked up to her father.

Radiance’s father was a very tall man, probably 6’5” and full of muscle, he was also one of the richest and most powerful superheroes out there going by the name of Magnum; next to him stood his wife, CC, no one knew what the name actually meant, but she was considered a highly skilled heroine herself, not to mention she had a massive fan following due to her beauty, and beautiful she was, she had a body that even Aphrodite herself would’ve been jealous of, blue eyes and long indigo hair which she styled properly.

“Hi daddy, hi momma, I’m here,” Radiance said as she walked up to her parents

“There’s my baby girl!” CC said as she hugged her daughter

“How’s my little girl doing?... and I see you’re being accompanied… by a familiar mask,” said Magnum, his tone changing with every word

“Good evening Magnum sir, Ma’am,” Spike said in an emotionless voice

“Is this the kid you told me about?” asked CC in wonder

“Yes, indeed, he accompanied Radiance to her last party as well… is there anything going on between the 2 of you that we should know about?” asked Magnum

“OH HEAVENS NO!” Radiance screamed “He’s just here to… to…” Radiance tried to come up with a derogatory term to use but Spike beat her to it

“There is nothing between your daughter and me sir, I am only here a security and extra help sent by the Power Ponies themselves, nothing more,” Spike said with an emotionless tone

“Hmm, Are you telling the truth? You're not after my daughter are you?” said Magnum getting in Spike’s face

“Wouldn’t dream of it sir, she is not my type, I mean that in the most respectful way,” said Spike emotionlessly

“Good…HAHAHAHA!... I'M JUST MESSING WITH YOU! Good to see you again kid… what was your name again son?” asked Magnum

“Officially Icarus, but it was changed as I joined the Power Ponies and it is now Humdrum,” he said again emotionlessly

“Well, nice to officially meet you,” Magnum said as he shook Spike’s hand “You don’t smile or say much do you?” he said after Spike’s lukewarm reaction

“No sir,” said Spike

“Well, I respect your reasons, and I hope you enjoy the party,” said Magnum with a smile

“Thank you for having me,” said Spike as he walked away with Radiance glaring at him

“I like that kid, reminds me of myself when I was younger,” said Magnum

“Argh, he’s so annoying,” said Radiance

“Now dear, I don’t think he’s trying to be rude,” said CC

“Trust me, he can be very subtle about things,” said Radiance as she walked away

“What do you think, Magi?” said CC

“I think… it’ll be an interesting night,” he said as he and his wife entered the party hall.

LATER THAT NIGHT

The party was going smoothly, people were mingling, the food was delicious, the wine and expensive alcohol was even better, Magnum and CC continued to talk with important, rich and powerful guests, and Radiance and a group of people just danced gracefully to the wonderful music being played.

Spike however, just stood there, watching Radiance as she danced with one guy after another, and sometimes on her own, just having fun.

His eyes fixed on her making sure to notice every and any detail around her

“So, Icarus, was it, enjoying the party?” came a voice from behind him

“It is lively sir,” Spike answered

“Would you like something to eat?” asked Magnum

“Not hungry, but thank you,” said Spike

“Soda, water, tea, coffee?” Magnum continued

“I’m good thank you,” said Spike

“I take it you don’t like this type of parties,” said Magnum

“I don’t possess the best memories from them… forgive me if i’m ruining the mood,” said Spike

“Nonsense, I’m not much for this either, but, I’m a hero, and behind the mask, a billionaire who must keep rich and powerful friends happy… luckily my wife is good at all of these party-like situations… she knows how to keep a man… interested in her abilities,” said Magnum

“Glad to here,” said Spike

“Son… I’d like to ask you a favor,” said Magnum

“Yes sir,” said Spike

“Would you mind telling me… what you think about my daughter?” he said

“Sir?” asked Spike confused

“I’m always busy, be it with this suit on or with my others, and that causes both my wife and I to be far from home for extended periods of time, when we found out that the Academy had a dorm, with thought it was going to be a great help for her not to be moving as much, and we can concentrate on her younger sister… However, I feel like what I’ve taught my daughter has aged in the worst possible way, so… I’d like to know how she actually behaves, with her teammates, with her other peers, teachers… you… tell me the truth, come on, I can take,” said Magnum

“I don’t think I’m the right person to ask this to sir,” said Spike

“No, you are the perfect person to ask this to… I know who you parents are, were, and Radiance has told me a lot about you… unfortunately, they are mostly bad things, which, in my opinion, she creates herself, so, tell me,” said Magnum

“Well… sigh… She can be mean and stuck up 95% of the time, usually caring more about her looks and popularity or the looks of those around her than her job but, all in all, she’s a team player, and cares for us all like if we were a family, I can say, without a shadow of a doubt that, she is a great heroine and will evolve into something amazing in the near future,” said Spike

“Well, I’m happy to hear that, however, I am not happy about the comment of her personality,” said Magnum

“You told me to be honest sir, I just said the truth,” said Spike

“Whose truth? Your truth, or the teams truth?” said Magnum in an angrier tone

“The truth, not mine, just the truth,” said Spike not taking his eyes off Radiance

Magnum stared at Humdrum for a few seconds and sighed “I guess you’re right, and unfortunately I am to blame for her personality,”

Spike remained silent

“I used to be elitist, my view on Sidekicks and normies was no different than the one my daughter has “Sidekicks are only good to get in our way and look good while doing it, that’s why most of them end up working as models in their common life, honestly, they are a waste of space and air” that’s what I used to say, and many elitist still hold that thought, “those who are powerful should be treated as Gods while everyone else should adore them” and, when she was little, she would hear me say this things or hear my other comrades say it,” said Magnum

“My father said the same thing,” said Spike

“Indeed, I met your dad many times, he was a very… outspoken elitist, that’s why he never wanted a sidekick with him… your mother had similar views, it drew them together… and then you came into the picture… I imagine it was an actual shocker that his son had no powers,” said Magnum

“It was, they still cared for me enough that my mom actually cared for me, and my dad taught me Krav Maga,” said Spike

“Krav Maga, oh, that’s dangerous, I used to practice Kickboxing when I was younger, I still use some of those moves today… anyway, I actually wanted to thank you, for saving my daughter during the last party,” said Magnum

“I didn’t save her, Fancy Pants let her down softly,” Spike said

“Yeah, but you corrected every wrong she did during the party, protecting her dignity,” said Magnum

“That’s what friends are for,” said Spike

“Friends? Or would you like to be more?” Magnum asked

“No, friends is fine,” Spike lied

“Well, I’ll respect that, please keep my daughter safe for me, ok son,” said Magnum

“Will do,” said Spike as Magnum walked away

WITH RADIANCE

Radiance continued to dance but stopped when she saw her father walk away from Humdrum after patting him in the back.

This made her feel uncomfortable and decided to ask him what happened

“Hey! What were you telling my dad?” she asked

“He asked me to tell him what I think about you,” Spike said

“Oh, and what did you tell him?” she asked

“The truth,” said Spike

“And what is the truth?” asked Radiance

“That you are a team player, and care for everyone around you like if it was a big happy family,” said Spike

“Really?” Radiance asked

“Yes, it is the truth, you might not like me, but you still look out for me while we are on patrol, so…” said Spike

“Well… thank you for your honesty Humdrum… are you- are you enjoying the party?” she asked

“It’s lively,” said Spike

“Yeah, have you eaten anything yet?” she asked

Her sudden friendliness making Humdrum rather uncomfortable

“Yeah, I had a half an orange,” Spike said

“Only half?” asked Radiance

“I’m not really hungry,” said Spike

“If you say so,” said Radiance

They both fell into an awkward silence

“Do you wanna crash the dance floor?” asked Radiance

“I must humbly decline your invite Radiance,” Spike said

This shocked her

“Why?” she asked

“Dancing is not my thing, and I don’t want to embarrass you, your family or the girls,” said Spike

“Well, I’ll respect that… Say, Humdrum… can… can you tell me why you actually came?” asked Radiance

“I already told you,” he said

“No, you were, but then you stopped and changed the subject,” said Radiance

“You want the truth?” asked Spike

“Yes,” Radiance said

“The truth is… we’re all fed up,” said Spike

“What?” asked Radiance

“Radiance, we know you don’t mean any harm when you invite us to these parties, but you tend to boast too much and you make the atmosphere a bit awkward and uncomfortable, and then we have the “love” situation… in every party we go to or you invite us to you are always trying to impress or seduce someone new, first it was the Marquees’ son, then it was Atomic, then Raggamuffin, then Fancy Pants, then Raggamuffin again, then Fancy Pants again, the Flash Sentry, which is something none of us has yet comprehended, and then Fancy Pants a third time… and honestly, we’re just tired of you getting heart broken, that’s why they didn’t want to come and they sent me… the only one heartless enough of the group because… because, well, I’m a dragon,” said Spike

Radiance stared at him disbelief

“To make things short… we all care for you Radiance, but, we know you won’t listen to us,” said Spike

“Well, thank you for telling me all this, now, could you be so kind as to…” Radiance started saying in an angry tone when she was cut off by the loudspeakers

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME TO THE PARTY, PRINCE ALISTAR BLUEBLOOD THE FIRST, OR AS KNOWN BY HIS SUPERHERO NAME, VLADIMIR THE GREAT!!!!” said the message

Radiance and Spike turned to look at the top of the staircase, and there standing was a young, elegant looking kid; he was about the same age as Spike and Radiance, maybe a year or 2 older, he stood at 6’2”, had a muscular yet, lean, build, had long golden, perfectly stylish, hair and eyes, blue as 2 frozen lakes.

“Talk about a dramatic entrance,” Spike thought as he turned to face Radiance, who was completely smitten by him.

She was so smitten, her eyes had literally turned into hearts

“Oh, brother, her we go again,” Spike thought as Radiance rushed ahead to meet up with Blueblood

After searching frantically for him all over the party, Radiance finally caught up with him as he entered one of the gardens in her father’s mansion

“Ok, Rare, this is your chance to impress him… oh he is all that I imagined…” Radiance said as she continued to walk towards him fantasizing about him “Even more than I imagined,”

Radiance then began to act like if she was just enjoying the view of the flowers when suddenly

“Well, hello, I am Prince Alistar Blueblood,” he said with a big shiny smile

“I am Radiance, oh my, what a lovely rose,” Radiance said bashfully

“You mean, this rose?” Blueblood said as he cut the rose and held it before Radiance

Radiance smiled widely as he held the rose out to her, but before she could grab it, Blueblood quickly took it, cut the stem and tucked the rose into his chest pocket

“Thank you, it goes with my eyes,” he said

Radiance’s mouth hung open as she followed Blueblood with her eyes

“Strike one,” Spike thought to himself as he watched from afar “Let’s see how many will there be tonight,”

Radiance followed Blueblood everywhere, the party hall, the art gallery, the gardens, until he decided to take a break.

Blueblood quickly walked over to an empty bench with only one pillow, grabbed and placed it in the middle of the bench

Radiance thought it was meant for her but, before she could sit down, Blueblood beat her to it, leaving her no space to sit.

“This isn’t at all what I had imagined,” she whispered to herself

“Strike 2” Spike said as he continued to watch from afar

Just like that, Radiance continued to tolerate Blueblood’s attitude throughout the party.

Spike however, couldn’t bear to watch anymore so he decided to walk away and leave her to her own resources.

“Sigh… that was pathetic, as usual, I mean, why does she let herself get tossed around so much, doesn’t she have any dignity?” Spike thought to himself as he stared down into the Crystal Empire from the balcony

“There you are, sport!” came a familiar male voice

“Sir… madam,” Spike said as he turned around to see Radiance’s parents

“I thought you were keeping an eye on my daughter,” said Magnum

“I was… but I just couldn’t bear to watch her anymore,” said Spike

“Because your jealous,” said CC

“Of what?” asked Spike

“Of Blueblood,” CC said

“Why should I be?” asked Spike

“Because you actually are in love with my daughter and wished it was you walking with her than him,” she said

“Uhm, no, no i just couldn’t bear to watch her degrade herself to try and impress him,” said Spike

This sentence made Magnum glare

“Degrade?” asked Magnum

“Radiance tried to make herself look cute and lovable for him, flirting, or trying to, at a very proper level, but, the guy only cares about himself, plus, it’s a recurrent situation,” said Spike

“Define, Recurrent,” said CC

Spike proceeded to explain Radiance’s past love ventures as best he could

“Oh dear,” said Magnum

“Oh dear indeed, I’m afraid she took after me,” said CC

“This is one of the reasons I am the only one her from her team, although, she was about to give me the boot right before he came,” said Spike

“Why?” asked Magnum

“I told her what the other girls think, and just like Fili-second last time, she was about to expel me from the party,” said Spike

“Well, nothing you can do there Icarus, just let her be hit by reality,” said Magnum

“I think she was already hit by reality sir, she just refuses to realize that…” Spike went silent suddenly

“You felt that too, didn't you?” said Magnum

“Yes, something is wrong,” said Spike

“The party hall!” said CC as they all dashed inside

AT THE PARTY HALL

“Everything seems ok,” said Magnum

“I don’t get it, I’m sure we all felt the presences near here,” said CC

Just then, various hooded figures jumped through the windows, catching everyone’s attention

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, we’re the Shadow Warriors… long story short, we’re here to kill you all,” said the leader as he and his men showed everyone their weapons “Now, make this easy and it will be fast, just stay still and…” was all the leader said before Spike kicked him into the wall.

“Who's next?” asked Spike as he ignited his fighting gloves

“YOU HEARD HIM, DEFEND YOURSELVES!!!!” Magnum said as he and CC jumped down and started fighting side by side with Spike

At that exact moment all of the attendants that were secretly supers changed into their gear and joined the fight, while those that couldn’t fight exited to the gardens to avoid the battle.

MEANWHILE

Radiance continued to follow Blueblood everywhere, acting mostly as his servant than anything else, completely oblivious to the mayhem happening in the nearby party hall

“Just give him a chance Rares, his princely side is sure to come out if your just patient,” she told herself

“Miss Radiance, Stop!” Blueblood said as he used his arm to stop her.

“Oh, Prince Blueblood, how chivalrous,” she said as she noticed the puddle of liquid on the floor.

“One would hate to slip,” he said looking at her suggestively

“Yes, ONE, seriously would,” she said back

“Ones cloak should take care of the problem,” he said still looking at her

“Of course it will,” Radiance said as she looked back at him as a staring contest begun

After a few seconds, Radiance conceded defeat and used her cloak to cover the spill while Blueblood walked over it.

This infuriated Radiance, who angrily glared at him as she picked her damped cloak up

She continued to walk behind him as they reached the door to the party hall and both stopped, Blueblood motioning her to open the door for him, while she did the same to him.

Blueblood motioned even harder, and so did Radiance.

Blueblood refused to do it, making Radiance extremely angry, as she opened the door for him, following him in, being pushed to the ground by the closing door in the meantime.

That was when they both noticed the current brawl inside the party hall

“Urgh, such a lack of character, this stupid drunkards,” Blueblood said

“OH, HI BABY GIRL!” Magnum said as he punched another assailant out cold

“Daddy, what the devil is going on here?” Radiance asked

“Less talking more punching sweetie!” CC said as she kicked another assailant through the window

“Is this some sort of entertainment?” asked Radiance

“For the love of God Radiance, WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!” Spike screamed as he continued to fend off 2 assailants on the stage.

“Well, this seems like a job for… VLADIMIR THE GREAT!” Blueblood said

At that exact second, Spike kicked one of the assailants off the stage, making him land on the display table, which caused one of the cakes to fly off directly towards Radiance and Blueblood.

Just before the cake hit, Blueblood grabbed Radiance and used her as a shield, causing her dress to get covered in cake.

This caused everyone to stop and look at the scene

Radiance shocked expression made another assailant start laughing, only for Spike to punch him through the wall.

Seconds later, Radiance turned to face Blueblood, her face redder than a tomato

“YOU SIR, ARE THE MOST UNCHARMING PRINCE I HAVE EVER MET! IN FACT THE ONLY THING ROYAL ABOUT YOU IS THAT YOU’RE A ROYAL PAIN!” she screamed as she forced Blueblood back

“Eww, stay back, I just got my hair and face groomed!” Blueblood said

“AFRAID TO GET DIRTY!” Radiance said as she began to smear cake all over Blueblood’s face, hair and expensive suit.

“ARGH! EWW! HOW THERE YOU GET ME DIRTY! MOREOVER IT’S THAT LIZZARD’S FAULT YOU GOT DIRTY!” Blueblood said

“Oh no he didn’t!” said CC as she and Magnum started to walk over to Blueblood

“It’s ok Mr. and Mrs… whatever your last name is… I’ve heard worst,” said Spike as he found a piece of paper on the leader's body and began reading it

“But…” said CC

“HOW DARE YOU CALL MY DEAR FRIEND A LIZARD! HE JUST SAVED ALL OF US!” Radiance said

“You’re defending him! This is ridiculous!” he said

“It’s worse to know your father is behind this attack,” said Spike

This caught everyone's attention

“What do you mean, Icarus?” asked Magnum

“This letter has instructions on how to go about the attack on the party… apparently, you’re not so popular with good Duke Blueblood,” Spike said as he handed over the letter to Magnum who read it.

“GUARDS! TAKE HIM AWAY, AND LET HER ROYAL HIGHNESS KNOW OF THIS IMMEDIATELY,” screamed Magnum as the guards quickly walked over to Blueblood and escorted him out.

“I can’t believe this,” said Magnum

“Now what?” asked Spike

“We’ll clean this up… you, go and take a breather… and Icarus… Thank you for helping us,” said CC

“Don’t mention it,” said Spike as he walked out into the now empty garden.

He walked over to a nearby bench and was about to sit down when he noticed Radiance sitting at a bench further away.

“Sigh… I better make sure she’s ok,” Spike thought as he grabbed a wet cloth from a nearby table and walked over to Radiance.

Radiance heard someone walking over to her, but was too ashamed to look up, she then felt something wet rubbing her dress.

Radiance looked down and noticed Spike kneeling there trying to get the stains out of her dress

“Oh, I appreciate the gesture darling, but I’m afraid the dress is totaled,” said Radiance in a sad tone

“I’m… sorry, that your party was ruined,” said Spike

“You have nothing to apologize for, if anything I should be thanking you… and apologizing,” said Radiance

“Apologize to the girls back at the base, not me,” said Spike

“But, you were the one that saved us,” said Radiance

“Yes, but, you were really mean to them various times,” said Spike

“I was also mean to you… more than them,” said Radiance

“I’m not going to hold it against you… your father told me about the elitism he used to follow, and he believes it was something you picked up by accident,” said Spike

“Still, I truly apologize for the way I treated you,” Radiance said

“Well, thank you, I forgive you… what about you? How are you feeling?” asked Spike

“Terrible, I… I truly thought he was the one this time,” said Radiance

“Your prince?” asked Spike as he sat down next to her

“Yeah, I mean, he ticked all the the boxes, he was a noble, rich, handsome, and famous,” she said

“Just because someone is handsome, rich and/or famous, doesn’t mean they’re the same inside… I know it’s none of my business, or my life, but, I think you should start to value someone for who the are, not for how they look,” said Spike

Radiance looked at him and said

“Look at you, I never knew you were such a good romance coach… your right though… thank you Hum- I mean, Icarus, thanks for being a great friend,” said Radiance as she gave him a hug.

Spike blushed and froze up, not knowing how to react

Seconds later, Radiance realized what she was doing and let go of him, her face a new shade of red.

“Sorry, It wasn’t my intention to invade your personal space,” she said

“It’s ok, you needed to vent,” said Spike

“I have to admit, it was still a very fun party, don’t you think?” said Radiance

“If all your parties are like this, I’ll be sure to attend,” said Spike as he and Radiance laughed

“Icarus… do you think… I’ll ever find my prince?” she asked

“My mother once said “there is always someone out there for everyone, even the likes of you”... come to think of it, it may not have been a motivational quote, anyway, you get the picture,” said Spike

“Indeed… I can’t wait to tell the girls about this little carfuffle,” said Radiance

“I want to see Fili’s and Zapp’s face when you tell them, THAT will be hilarious,” said Spike

“Agreed, darling, agreed,” Radiance said as she and Spike looked out towards the sunrise.