Equestria Copes

The trio walked to the city limits and yet further, out into the open countryside. Thorax held his head low, and Ember followed behind him, very occasionally chiming in.

"I had no idea you could do that," she said when he finally came to a stop. "That was actually pretty cool."

Thorax sighed. "I don't like showing that side of me. It scares everypony around me."

"It didn't scare me."

Thorax turned and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Okay, fine, just a little..."

He turned off the road and sat down. "I would say that I didn't mean to scare you, but... that was my intent. Not to be malicious, but just to show what I used to be."

"You used to look badass."

"I'm sure you don't appreciate the softer, more gentle look that the changelings have now, but if changing the way our system works means changing our appearance, then it's worth it. I even like the new look."

"It certainly helps you blend in with ponies better."

Thorax nodded. "Were it not for Spike, most changelings would still look like that. We'd have managed to conquer Equestria when Chrysalis kidnapped Twilight and her friends, and I'd have starved to death in the icy caverns beneath the Crystal Empire. All of that was made possible by Spike."

Ember took a deep breath and sat down next to him. "Did I ever tell you how I became the Dragon Lord?"

"Spike did," answered Thorax. "He was named Dragon Lord, and he gave that honour to you."

Ember nodded. "In short, yeah. There's more to it than that, but without him, I'd have never been able to take my place as ruler of the dragons."

There was a short pause, then Thorax laughed.

"What's funny about that?!" growled Ember.

"No, not that," chuckled Thorax. "I was just remembering something Twilight told me about the reclamation of the Crystal Empire. In order to ascertain whether or not Twilight was fit to rule, Celestia sent her to reactivate the Crystal Heart, and Spike made that happen, too."

"...So?"

"Spike decides who becomes royalty."

Ember paused for a moment, then shared in Thorax's chuckle. Twilight hadn't even considered that. Spike was directly responsible for instating multiple rulers across multiple species. He was a very important dragon, not just to her, but to the whole world. She already knew that Equestria was worse off without him, but had not stopped to look at how important, exactly.

After a moment of silence, Thorax looked around. "Can I tell you something secret?"

"You can tell me whatever you want," shrugged Ember. "How I'll respond is another story."

"Would you keep something secret if I asked you not to talk about it?"

"That depends. How juicy is the secret?"

Thorax shook his head. "Forget it..."

Ember sighed. "Fine. I swear, on my honour as Dragon Lord, that I will try not to spill this secret of yours. I swear to Spike."

Thorax was shocked at the fact that she would swear it to Spike. "I guess that's good enough..." He took a deep breath, then reached into his purse. "Twilight and I were seeing each other before... well, you know... We were keeping it secret at first, mostly to see if there was a connection, but then we decided to put it on hold. She was dealing with the well-being of Equestria, after all, especially against Chrysalis. During lulls in the action, I'd sleep at her place... in her bed... And you know, I could sense how she felt about me. I felt the same." From his purse, he pulled out a small box covered in black felt. Popping it open, he held it out to Ember.

"You're kidding..."

He shook his head. "I'm not. I was going to ask her to marry me."

Twilight put her hooves to her mouth as her eyes began to well up. She would have said "Yes."

"Of course, first, we'd have to pull ourselves out of crisis mode, and then at least four months of public courtship before I could propose in public, and then several month of pretending to plan the wedding, which we would have already planned out."

"Really? You think you'd have planned it out by then? Four months from now, assuming she had made it back?"

Thorax shrugged. "Twilight is... was... really good at planning and organising things. If I had proposed to her, she would grab a fresh binder and start putting ideas into it that very evening. Within a week, she'd have stuffed it to full and would have six proposed guest lists, twelve different cake designs, fifteen dresses that she can pick and choose pieces from, and over a hundred games between the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Favourites are highlighted in yellow, not sure in blue, needs more data in pink."

Twilight's smile could grow no larger. Thorax had even memorised the criteria for highlighting she used. He really and truly cared about her.

Ember took a deep breath and then released it. "Is that what you wanted to be alone for? You wanted to give her the ring?"

Thorax nodded. "The ring, and a kiss. I know it's just a statue, but... she was special to me."

Ember snorted a puff of smoke out of her nose. "Well... I suppose I should show you this..." Ember pulled from her own bag a gold necklace with inlaid rubies.

"What's that?"

"It was a gift for Spike. Dragons aren't known for mourning the dead, but Spike deserves it. I was waiting for his statue to be put up, and then for privacy so that I could put it around his neck without appearing weak, by dragon standards. I need to at least look powerful..."

Thorax looked up at her. "Those are your conditions?"

Ember paused. "...Yeah..."

Thorax was silent for several minutes, then stood up, offering his hoof to Ember. "Meet me at the mausoleum in a week. I have a few connections, and I'll see to it that Spike's statue is up, and you and I will have opportunities for private grieving."

"I still don't want to do it in front of you," Ember snarled. "I can't look weak in front of another leader."

"I already know what you plan to do," Thorax smiled. "I swear to Spike that I will not breathe a word of what happens in that mausoleum."

Ember took his hoof and stood up, then pulled him into a tight hug. "Tell anypony I did this, and I'll kill you..."

Thorax chuckled and rubbed her shoulder. "Not a word to anyone..."

That was it. Seeing them now as closer friends, Twilight knew her work was done. They could handle the rest without her interference.