Departure

"So...you're leaving."

In the cold of early morning, Twilight's breath showed visibly in the air as mist. Beside her, Spike's nostrils vented smoke. In that moment, perhaps, the two looked more than adopted siblings.

But that wasn't true at all, was it?

In case either might forget, or become confused, the printed directive gripped in Spike's claws served as reminder.

Twilight touched his shoulder with one forehoof. "Be careful out there. You're hardly more than a pup."

He half-grinned. "Aw, I'm big and fierce! I'm sure I'll be fine!"

Twilight forced a giggle. "Yes, Spike." She rubbed the frill on his head. "You'll be fine. Sometimes I just forget, you know? I think of you as my little brother."

"I AM your little brother."

"Yes, but...even back before Tirek exploded the library, you used to run it some days practically on your own. And now? I still depend on you to help me with paperwork and such. I mean...until now."

"Yeah." He nodded. "But I guess there's no help for it. I've got to go."

A passing pegasus spat on the train platform. The pony might have intended to splash Spike's toes, or that might have been a mistake.

In the greater scheme of things, did it really make any difference?

Spike was unharmed. And soon he would be far, far away, Ponyville a distant memory.

He might never see Ponyville again.

Another passing pony stopped. She glared at the pair, but mostly at the young dragonling. "I see he's still here."

"Yes," Twilight agreed. "This is his last day. The schedule gives him until noon to leave."

"I suppose you want me to feel sorry for him."

Twilight said nothing.

"Well, don't blame ME. This is the fault of ponies like you, you know."

"What? How is this MY fault?"

"You convinced him, and other dragons like him, they were like ponies. You told them they could live like us, beside us."

Twilight said in a carefully controlled tone, sounding only a little angry, "You never complained when he used to work at the library. And you didn't complain to me that he helped me with my alicorn paperwork."

"Didn't I? I should have. Creatures like him, thinking they can do work ponies should be doing, and even meddle in government." She blew air between her lips. "Despicable."

Lily added, "Creatures like him, they murder ponies, you know. They eat us for dinner."

Spike finally spoke up. "That's not true!"

Lily slowly looked him up and down. Finally, she snorted. "A little one like you, maybe not. Not yet. But you and I both know, once you grow bigger, there'll be no stopping you. You'll be a homicidal maniac, ponies 'mysteriously disappearing' to feed your appetites. Vicious brute."

"Look," Twilight said. "By noon, Spike will be gone. And then you can be happy, I guess. Until you think of something else to be upset about."

"Good," Lily said. "Although you alicorns, so high and mighty, thinking you know what's good for Equestria while you haven't the common sense of a foal...somepony should put all of you in your place, too."

Twilight grimaced. "Thank you, I'm sure, for helping see Spike off. Now if you'll excuse me, I think he and I need a bit of time to speak alone. Since he's going very far away, and I don't know when he and I might see each other again."

Lily stared with dull dislike. Finally, Twilight let her own horn glow softly. Lily flinched, then walked away.

"Did you have to do that?" Spike asked. "It seemed to me, Lily thought you really might hurt her."

Twilight snorted. "I've got only so much time for bullies. It isn't much different from when you and I were in school. Some bullies, you have to make them afraid of you, or they'll be harassing you forever."

Spike sucked air between his teeth. "She's afraid of ME, or at least she says she is. And that didn't stop ponies like her from voting to kick me and all the other dragons out of Equestria."

Twilight sighed. "Maybe you're right. Why do you have to make so much sense, Spike?"

He shrugged. "Kinda wish I didn't. At least that one thing."

Twilight looked up at the sky. "I wish we could just appeal to Celestia."

"You know that wouldn't do any good. Nopony even knows where she is."

"I guess when the Council demanded she give over her power to raise and lower the sun, she thought that was a bit much. No wonder she disappeared."

"Do you think she's ok?" Spike wondered.

"I hope so. She's probably fine. She has thousands of years of experience in politics. No way she wouldn't have seen this coming."

"But she didn't prevent it."

"She didn't. I don't know what to think. I don't know what happened to her. I wish she would answer our dragon mail, at least."

"She's probably ok. She probably has a brilliant, secret plan to fix everything. To make everything all better. To help everypony and everycreature get along again."

The train whistle blew, three shorts and a long. "All aboard!" called out a conductor. "Last boarding call, for the Nonpony Creatures Removal Special! Last call to board the Special!"

"Guess I gotta go." Spike picked up his suitcase. Tears welled in his eyes. He leaned forward, kissing Twilight's cheek. "See you sometime, I hope."

"No."

"What?"

"Get on." Twilight pushed Spike with her magic, lifting him through the train car's doorway and partway up the steps. Following close behind, Twilight boarded the train too.

So early in the journey, this car had only two other creatures. A dragon pup dozed, curled up on a bench seat. Farther back in the car, a griffon sat stiffly upright, quivering with tension.

The whistle blew one more time. The engine puffed rhythmically as the train started rolling, slowly at first.

"Twilight," Spike said. "The train is leaving. You have to get off. You can do it, if you jump."

"No."

"But, Twilight--"

"This way, I can at least be there to help make sure you're safe."

Spike thought about Lily, and some of the other ponies in Ponyville. He remembered what Lily had said about alicorns. "And I can do the same for you, Twilight."

The alicorn nuzzled her little brother. "Yes. You'll be there to protect me too."