Two Weeks

Chapters

Stories of Old
Miracles Can Happen
Warning Signs
Long, Sad Farewells, Full of Heavy Sighs and Short Waves
The Forest Again
A Town of Dragons
There She Is
Card Games
Absolutely Bucking Crazy
Let's Talk
Help Yourself...
...Or Buck Yourself
The Great Tragedy of Spike de Draco
On the Subject of Relationships
The Hardest Part
Midnight Dancers
The Amnesia Game
Putting the Pieces Together
Bliss and Ignorance
Night (with Guest Narrator Luna!)
All Out
Two Little Words
Syncing the Stories
Waiting For...

Stories of Old

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I'm still on my bed but I know I fell asleep, so I sit up and suddenly everything crystallizes. It's still my room, but everything seems... fragile. Like I could push my way through the walls. I look over to the window near my bed and look out. The town is awake, and everypony's out and about, enjoying the spring sunshine. It looks so perfect out there that I feel like joining them.

Wait a second. There isn't a window in my bedroom.

"Do you recognize the memory?"

I jump and spin around. Luna is there, sitting on the other end of the bed (which has lengthened considerably, I notice) and smiling at me.

"Sorry?"

"I asked if you knew what memory you were looking at."

I glance back out the window and get a nice look at a certain pair of purple figures walking through the town. One of them is holding a list in his hands and has his face buried in it. The other is trotting beside him, staring straight ahead with an impatient look on her face. Dirt covers her mane and coat, and her companion glances at her every few seconds and snickers at her. Nostalgia washes over me as I watch the duo approach a pavilion being decorated by a certain purple-maned unicorn. Just as Spike looks up and sees her for the first time, I turn to smirk at Luna.

"Am I really that sappy, or are you doing something that's making me dream about every memory of Rarity I have?"

Luna rolls her eyes innocently. "I fail to see how these are any different from the dreams you normally have."

I hiss, grinning, and say, "I see your sister is starting to rub off on you."

Luna gives me a scrutinizing look. "How do you mean?"

I chuckle, and sit over on the edge of the bed.

"Never mind. It's not important." I stretch and stand up.

"I see you're feeling better about this whole situation."

"Mm. Like you said, I'm prone to extreme emotional outbursts while I'm in the same universe as the other Spike. Guess I'm feeling a little positive outburst." I clap my hands together and face the Princess. "Anyways, I'm not just here because I'm tired. I wanted to ask you something."

"Of course. Now, if it's about how much control I have over your dreams, then I'm afraid—"

"It's not that," I interrupt. "It's two things, actually."

"Yes?"

I take another look at the window before speaking again: there we are in Rarity's shop, Twilight and I. I'm drooling over her for the first time. Again.

"Why are you so invested in my relationship with Rarity?"

I look back at Luna in time to see her smile flicker.

"And your second question?" she asks, shifting in her seat.

"Will you answer the first?"

"O-Of course," she stammers.

"Alright then." I sit back down on the bed. "Why did you stop time for me?"

There. Now her smile's gone.

"Is there a problem?"

"...No..." Luna looks down at her hooves, frowning now. There's a blush on her face. "I'm just... a bit embarrassed..."

"By what?"

"Your question," she mumbles, "or its answer, at least."

"Why?"

Luna chuckles nervously and shifts on the bed again.

"Luna?"

"Please, Spike. A moment." So I give her one. Then, once she looks ready to speak again, she says, " You must understand, Spike: there isn't a way to say it that does not sound childish at best."

"Hey, I'm used to sounding childish despite everything I'm saying. Shoot." When she gives me a confused look, I tell her, "It means 'go on.'"

"Ah." She nods. "Well, I'm afraid I have to pin the blame for my time spell on my own nervousness. I... I panicked, I suppose, when Celestia went flying after you at the Expo. Left with your friends, I tried to think things through on my own: what was going to happen; how the world would respond to this incident; how it would affect you, your friends, my sister and I; whether or not you were going to be alright in the end."

"I can tell you how that one turned out," I interject.

"Mm. Unfortunately, the chaos around me was too distracting, and I realized that events were occurring too fast for me to do anything to assist. After I heard you crash through the roof of the castle and felt Celestia being knocked unconscious, I—"

I interrupt, "You felt Celestia getting knocked out?"

She simply states, "The sun and the moon are connected, Spike." Her eyes are shut in concentration now. "I realized something terrible had happened, and by the time your sister had located you, I knew I did not want her to see what had happened to you. That, coupled with the fact that I did not know what I was going to do when the dust settled and an official, most likely myself, was asked to take action on the situation, prompted me to freeze time." She looks at me sheepishly. "I suppose you are not the only one who has overreacted during these past few days."

I shrug. "Hey, if I had the option of freezing time to get my thoughts together, I'd do it too."

Luna smiles. "I'm glad that you understand. Now, as to your first question—"

"Wait," I say, holding up a hand. "There are a few things that don't add up."

"Hm?"

"If you cast a spell that stops time, how did I get sent to this world? Wouldn't time have frozen before my wish could take effect?"

"The magic of a shooting star is old," she replies. "Older than both my sister and I, in fact. Even though I am the Alicorn of the Stars, I am not controller of their power. I merely represent it. Interfering with the energies of the stars would be similar to, say, trying to swim up a river. It is easier for me to simply move with the current. In your case, you had already made your wish before I could cast my spell, so instead of trying to stop it, I merely made sure that you were sent somewhere where you would be safe. In the process, I created a link between us, which is what we are using to communicate right now."

"I think I get it," I say, rubbing the spines on the back of my head. "You couldn't override the magic of the wish, so you just pushed it in the direction you wanted it to go."

Luna nods. "Exactly."

"Seems like the stars have a lot more magic than you do."

"Collectively, yes. However..." She hesitates. "I should have been able to cancel out your wish with the power of my time spell. One shooting star's power is not enough to stop me."

"So what happened?"

"There was more magic present than that. Something else granted your wish." She looks up at me with dark eyes. "Perhaps even somepony else."

The accusation is crazy. "What, you think somepony wanted my wish granted?"

"It is a possibility. There are still many things I do not know about this situation we are in. Hopefully, we can uncover everything there is to know once time resumes its regular flow."

"'We?'"

"Naturally. I presume you would want to help me, once you return."

Actually, I'd like to put this whole mess behind me forever, I want to say. What actually comes out of my mouth is, "Sure. Sounds like a plan."

"It is indeed a plan, Spike."

"Alright. Next question: Isn't it a little convenient that your spell happened to take effect right as I slipped into a coma?"

At this, Luna smiles. "It would seem that way. I assure you, though—it is purely a coincidence that my spell coincided with your departure."

"Really," I deadpan.

"Really. Magic is the science of coincidence, Spike. Or, the science of coincidence is a part of magic, anyway."

I give her my best flat look. "That's one way of putting it."

She retorts with a smile. "Indeed. Now, is there anything else?"

I hold up a finger. "One little detail."

"Go on."

"How are you still casting your spell? You froze along with everypony else when you showed me the castle yesterday."

"That is where you are wrong, Spike. I am not frozen."

"You were standing in exactly the same spot, though. In the same exact pose, with your horn glowing."

"I am maintaining the spell that keeps time frozen. I am still temporally thawed, but the focus it takes to keep the spell going requires me to devote all of my attention to it. You are very lucky to be able to communicate with me at all right now. It took me the first few days to maintain both a steady level of concentration on the spell and a connection to your subconscious."

The first few days of this mess come back to me. I think of the blue world I'd fall into whenever I fell asleep.

"That's why you were everywhere those first few dreams."

"I'm afraid I don't understand—I was everywhere?"

I look up at Luna; it occurs to me that I mumbled to myself instead of talking to her.

"Uh, never mind." I glance absently at the window—through it, I see myself falling through the air and grabbing at a heart-shaped gem just out of reach. "So, you're not frozen, but you can't move and keep time from starting up again at the same time?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of freezing all of time except yourself?"

Despite the fact that she smiles at me when I say this, Luna looks sad as she says, "The spell wasn't ever fine-tuned by its creator."

"What stopped him?"

Now even her smile disappears. "A bad heart. He died before he could finish his work."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize." She sniffles. "May we move on?"

"Yeah. My—Well, I guess this isn't really my second question. More like my"—I count on my fingers—"fifth. Or something."

"Mm." She seems relieved to move to another topic. "You said I was 'invested' in your relationship with Ms. Rarity."

"I did. You certainly seemed that way yesterday."

"How so?"

"You spent most of our time together trying to convince me that Rarity actually loved me. That she still loves me."

"Does it surprise you that I care?"

"To that degree? A little bit, yeah."

She glances out the window, saying nothing. I follow her lead; the picture has returned to that first day in Ponyville. I watch the little purple dragon in the center of the frame follow the two mares ahead of him, his tail working like a propeller and allowing him to hover above the ground. I still don't know how I did that.

"Tell me," Luna says, "Do you think that you are the first dragon to ever fall in love with a pony?"

"I—It never occurred to me that I might not be. Are you saying I'm not?"

"Indeed." Another sad smile graces her face. "I've known a few dragons in the past who have found themselves attracted to ponies, and vice versa. One dragon in particular stands out in my mind..." She trails off, and suddenly I get it.

"Luna... did you fall in love with a dragon?"

The princess lets out a small chuckle. "No, no. The dragon was a dear friend of mine, but she was quite set on a certain stallion, not me."

"Oh." Now I feel stupid. Wonderful. "So, um, how did that go? With the stallion, I mean."

She sighs and scoots herself back on the bed until she's resting against the wall. It's odd, seeing a princess in such a casual position; her wings sort of limply splayed out behind her, her front hooves in her lap, her hind legs sticking straight out while she sits on her flank. I feel the discomfort from earlier beginning to descend on us again.

"There was not quite the... waiting period with them as there was with yourself and Rarity. In fact, there was hardly any waiting at all; the stallion was just as attracted to the dragoness as she was to him. They didn't begin courting immediately, of course; there is always that nervous first step to take. For them, it was the fact that the dragoness was a few centuries older than the stallion and that she would still have a few more to live after he was gone."

"I figured," I mumble. "That always crosses my mind."

"Yes, the dragon's lifespan is always a major factor to consider in this sort of situation. In a way, the stallion was lucky: not only was his partner a species of dragon with a shorter lifespan, but she was also the type of species that never grew larger than a couch. She was never too large for... well..." She coughs and blushes. "Anyway, it wasn't very long before they both decided that, lifespans be damned, they wanted to be together. Soon enough, she was asking me for advice on how to impress him, and he would come to me asking that I use my magic to cut a ruby into a certain shape for a necklace centerpiece. They were the two closest to me in the world besides my sister, and it warmed my heart to see them in love.

"And oh, how in love they were! Impossibly, madly, completely in love! Everywhere they went, they went together; if it was not absolutely necessary, they would not be separated. They gave off a glow when they walked together that seemed to brighten the world around them. It seemed as though they were invincible, so long as they had each other. They shared their days, their nights, their sunsets and sunrises. Every moment they spent apart was a moment they spent longing for each other. There were no secrets, no harsh words, no betrayals or fights between them. I almost became sick of them, the way they clung to each other so happily. They didn't care what others thought, or that they might be named outcasts for their love. They were together; that was all that mattered.

"This went on for several long, happy years. They married in their fifth winter together, and by the next they were preparing to welcome a child to the world. The dragoness gave birth to a beautiful, perfectly healthy baby filly, and they lived together that way for more than a decade. I wasn't as in touch with them as I had been in past years, but I will always remember meeting their little filly for the first time. She was still smaller than her father, but I could tell that once she was fully grown she would be closer to the size of her mother..."

Her voice had been getting quieter and quieter since she'd brought up the baby, and at this point she becomes completely silent. She has that same sad smile on again, and at first I wonder if snapping her out of her trance is such a good idea.

Eventually, though, I whisper, "Luna?"

She jumps and turns her head to look at me, a faint blush developing on her midnight blue cheeks.

"What happened to them?" I ask.

For a moment, she looks as though she has no idea who I'm talking about. Then she settles back into her oddly casual position and goes on:

"They had both told me they didn't care that their lifespans were so radically different. Of course, when the stallion said it, I'm sure he realized that he would not be as tormented by this sad fact as much as his lover would be. He knew what she would have to face, and I'm certain that if he knew any way to stop the inevitable, he would have done it in a heartbeat. Sometimes I think back on the day he came storming in demanding—and eventually begging—to be made into an alicorn, and I wonder if I should have done as he'd asked.

"She told me that she was ready, or would be ready, for the moment when she would have to let go of him. She often told me of how she would take care of him when he grew old and fragile, so that he could live as long as possible. I tell myself that I knew that she was lying and that I stood by and did nothing because I didn't care enough to help them. The truth is that I knew what would happen, but not what to do about it. I was as afraid of the end as she was, and I had hardly any time to think of a possible way to help her before he was taken from us."

I've been staring into the sheets of the bed this whole time, but now I look up at her. There's no nostalgic, sad smile this time; she just looks tired. And regretful.

"He was a Royal Guard, I should have mentioned. The dragoness was his greatest love; his second greatest was his country and princesses. Before they met, he would go off on month-long scouting missions, just to see if there was anypony threatening the safety of Equestria. He was particularly proud of one mission that had taken him a year to complete. Coincidentally, it was the day after completing this mission that he and his wife first met.

"Even after having their child, he did not stop being a part of the guard. He took on much less work, and when he did have to leave he always stayed closer to home, certainly, but the thought of conspirators plotting coups and sieges haunted his nightmares. He wanted to protect the world his daughter was going to grow up in—this he would tell me whenever we discussed his work. Before he had a daughter to protect, he said he did it for his lover; before her, he said it was for me. He was always coming up with different reasons for staying in the guard, but for some reason he never simply told the truth—he did it because he liked it. I never understood why, and I never had the chance to confront him on the subject."

She's tearing up. She coughs and wipes at her eyes. Then she takes a long, deep breath, and continues:

"He was sent to settle a dispute between two businesses in a new settlement just to the south of Canterlot. It was a silly little trade dispute that escalated into an all-out war between the two families behind the businesses. He was under the impression that the two clans would be easy to calm down once the Royal Guard came in to settle things; this was not the case. It took two days and an extra platoon of guards to control the warring families. They began negotiations on the third day, and he had only just taken his helmet off when he was struck in the back of the head with a stone. One of the families' children had thrown it, angry that they were not settling their dispute with violence." She grits her teeth in rage. "If he'd known... if he'd had any idea what he caused with that stone..."

Her hoof grips the bed sheets so tightly it looks as though they might tear. She says nothing for a while, only stares and grips and grits her teeth. Eventually, her snarl dissipates, and her hoof goes limp. Her head lowers. She mutters, in a toneless drone:

"It severed something in his head. He fell into a coma for several hours. In the middle of the night, he passed away, in his sleep. The next day, Tartarus came to the southern settlement."

She sighs, and looks up at me. Her eyes and cheeks are damp.

"We were told together, his wife and I. I was visiting when they knocked on her door. There were two of them. They told us they were sorry, that there was nothing anypony could do, that those responsible would be punished appropriately—an endless stream of meaningless words, to us. They had no idea how much it hurt us to hear them talk. They had no idea how much she loved him." A pause. "How much I'd loved him."

Here, she chokes off, leaving me with a moment to take in everything I've just heard. I already know where the story is going, have known since she mentioned how long they lived as a family. And still, I don't stop her when she starts up again:

"Do you know what they called it, Spike? His death?"

I shake my head slowly.

"They said it was 'a remarkable accident.' Then one of them chuckled." Luna sniffles again. "That was the last time I saw my friend. When she stepped forward and reached out her claw, I looked in her eyes and saw that she was gone."

I could see it, too: the slit pupils, the animalistic rage, the fire. I could see her reaction to the poor messenger's small chuckle, which couldn't have actually been out of malice. I could see him on the ground, and the other running as fast as his tiny pony legs could handle, and Luna in shock, not yet understanding what was happening and what was still in store for the unfortunate little ponies of Equestria.

"I was knocked unconscious before even a minute had passed," Luna says, "but that was enough time to tell the child to run. I was afraid that she might not, but she nodded to me and went sprinting out of the house. That was the last time I saw her, as well. I meant to go with her, but I the dragoness stopped me—she had already doubled in size, in that brief minute, and her tail slammed me into a wall. By the time I was revived, everything had run its course." Another pause. "Tell me, Spike: how many do you believe you killed, that night at the Fashion Expo?"

"Well, you said I didn't actually kill anypony, but if you mean how many died, then... I dunno, five, maybe six?"

"She annihilated the settlement her husband died in in two minutes. For centuries, the land it had been on was uninhabitable, until long after I was imprisoned. Even then, Celestia felt that it was haunted, or so she told me, and she prevented ponies from settling there until a little less than two hundred years ago, when a family of apple farmers received permission to start an orchard there."

Puzzle pieces fall into place. "You mean... she destroyed Ponyville?"

"No. The settlement that she burned was known as Haystone. The title Ponyville was coined, I believe, by a member of the Apple family. And Haystone was not the only thing destroyed that day: she burned down her own house, a number of farms along the way, and a sizable piece of the Everfree Forest. She killed even more ponies: her husband's entire platoon, his commanding officers, both of the families that had begun this whole mess. And, of course, everypony in Haystone." She seems finished, but before I can say anything she adds, "Their daughter was never found."

"Holy shit." I cover my mouth, but Luna doesn't reprimand me for cursing this time. In fact, she smiles.

"Yes, Spike. Holy shit." She wipes her eyes again. "I saw her one last time, at the edge of the Everfree. I was looking for her daughter, thinking that she'd gone after her mother to try and talk some sense into her. As I said, though, I never saw the daughter again. Her mother told me, when I met with her, that she blamed a vast number of ponies for his death, including me; she didn't kill me, she claimed, because she knew how much I loved him. She renounced her way of life as a 'pony-lover' and fled, flying into the mountains to the west of the destroyed settlement. When the guards questioned me about her whereabouts, I claimed that I hadn't seen her since the day of the incident."

She looks me dead in the eye. "You must understand the dangers of being in love with a pony, Spike. Especially in your case, being so young, you must understand and accept the fact that you will live for centuries, perhaps even millennia, after Rarity dies. I have seen the alternative, and I refuse to let history repeat itself. Now..."

She leans in, and I notice that the bed, once extended to dreamlike proportions, is once more the twin bed that can barely fit me as it is—her muzzle is inches from my face.

"Have I answered your question thoroughly enough?"

Nod. "Yes, ma'am. I understand."

"Good." She leans back, lying down on the bed and sighing. She looks absolutely exhausted, and for a second I wonder if she might fall asleep right then and there. I wonder if you can actually do that, fall asleep in dreams. With her eyes closed, she says, "I think I'll be leaving you, now. You must want to get some actual rest."

I'm not the one who needs it, but I agree anyway. She gets up and makes her way to the stairs (I've forgotten that we've had this whole conversation in my bedroom), but before she can start up them I think of something and call after her:

"Wait! One more thing!"

She turns, and I'm expecting a despairing, even angry expression. I'm treated to one of quiet patience instead.

"Yes?"

"What were their names? The dragoness and the stallion?"

Luna's sad smile reappears, and I'm treated to the worst feeling of déjà vu. She opens her mouth to answer me, but her shivering stops her. And I don't mean shivering like you're cold; she shivers in the air the way a projected image does whenever somepony walks in front of the projector. She frowns and turns, looking around her. After a moment of awkward silence, she turns back to me and squints at something.

She says, "The dragon's name was Rose

and that's all I hear because in the next moment something smashes my nose and there's not even time to say goodbye because everything shivers like a projector except it all vanishes afterwards and I'm back under the covers of my bed with a sore nose. I've just been woken up.

I yank the covers off me and sit up, ready to yell at whoever hit me. I don't even get the first word out, because I'm not expecting to see who I see. It's not Spike, or Twilight, or Luna (yes, I admit it—I was expecting her to be there, for just a tiny moment). It's not even Pinkie Pie.

It's Rarity.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

First, let me say what I forgot to last time I posted: I hit 100K words on this story! W00T!

Okay, now that that's done, I can get to the business-y portion of the notes. I'd like to say that I've really thought about where this is all going to end, and I feel that what's coming up is gonna cheer you all up a bit after these past few chapters of heartbreak and castle-break and etcetera. Of course, that's my thought on it, and seeing as I'm the one who actually wrote it, I don't know how much integrity you'll find in that statement, but I'm happy, so that means it's going up whether you like it or not (but seriously, judging by how you've liked this story so far, I don't think it'll make you too upset). Now, as to when you'll see the next few parts...

Under normal circumstances, I'd tell you guys this'll be over by the end of February. Real Life, as I'm sure you've all realized at some point during your time on the Internet, likes to take those circumstances and brutalize them like the Seahawks did the Broncos (hahaI'mnotsorry). So it might be a while before the end actually comes, which brings a question to the discussion table for you all: what are your thoughts on getting the end of the story in one big bundle of chapters all at once? I'm not saying its a done deal, but it'd be nice to know your opinions. Discuss and comment, por favor!

Remember, I love it when you tell me I bucked up somewhere! Show me my mistakes in the comments, and I'll get 'em fixed as soon as possible!

—NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. This might not mean anything to anyone, but I'd just like to say Rest in Peace, Philip Seymour Hoffman. I know we've had a lot of deaths this past year that probably have a bigger impact, but this one hits me hard personally. He was (still is) a huge inspiration of mine, and I consider him one of the greatest actors of this century. It pains me to see him go right in the middle of his career. I'm really gonna miss you, PSH.

Okay. That's all.

Miracles Can Happen

____________________________________________________________________

"You forgot your 'Moonstone,' jackass," she says, with a male voice.

I yell, shut my eyes, and shake my head to clear it. When I look at Rarity again, it's not Rarity, but Spike. I'm hallucinating her now, apparently.

"What's the matter with you?" he says, having winced at my yell.

I wipe my forehead and, shaking, reply, "I thought you were Rarity."

He scrunches his face at me. "I don't know if I should feel insulted or flattered by that comment."

"It'd probably be better if you did neither of those things." My nose throbs, and I lift a claw to it to check the damage. "Maybe you should explain why you hit me instead."

"I told you," he says, pointing a hoof at the floor near my bed, "you forgot your 'Moonstone.'"

I look down at the spot he's pointing to, and lo and behold, there it is: my only ticket home.

"What's a Moonstone, by the way?"

I snatch it up without answering and inspect it. The gem looks undamaged, though I wouldn't be able to tell if there were any new flaws in it, anyway. The dot of light in its center has grown since I last saw it—time is running out, slowly but surely.

"What day is it?"

"What?"

I twist my head to look at him. "When did we talk last?"

"Uh, yesterday."

Yesterday. Okay, don't worry: you were exhausted, you'd spent all night slamming your head against a dome. Just because it seems like you've only been asleep for twenty minutes, doesn't make it true! What was it Luna said about time not flowing properly in dreams? You only dream for a minute, but in reality an hour has—

"Spike? You okay, buddy?"

A hoof appears in my face and waves, stunning me out of my stupor. I yell again and bat his hoof away with the Moonstone.

"Don't touch me!" I snap. "It's dangerous!"

"What?" He tilts his head at me. "What's dangerous?"

"We are! We can't make contact anymore, at all, ever!"

He just stares. I feel my panic starting to subside, and rational thoughts pour back into my head. I realize how insane I must be sounding to him right now and do my best not to blush.

"Look," I say, breathing deep, "there's a lot of info that I got on what's been happening to me and what's gonna happen next."

"That makes two of us," Spike says, shifting, "but I've got a feeling we've got two completely different stories."

"I think I can assure you that we do. So"—I gesture to the desk beyond the bookcase—"why don't you pull up a chair, and we'll trade stories?"

"Sounds like a plan."

____________________________________________________________________

Okay, so, let's start with yesterday morning. After I left you wallowing in self-pity (not a good look for you, by the way), I went straight to the boutique, where I found that yes indeed, you'd screwed up big time. The dome was there, pink glow and all. I got ready to go in and be the knight in shining armor that you so failed to be to her when I noticed that orb of yours sitting in the grass. I figured it was one of Rarity's gemstones, the ones she uses for her dresses, so I picked it up and brought it into the dome with me. Of course, we both know it wasn't, or at least now we both know, so the moment she laid eyes on it, she burst into a fresh batch of tears, which meant another half-hour waiting for her to calm down so I could talk to her again.

But I'm jumping ahead. Allow me to fill you in on what happened those first few minutes I was there.

When did you say you were kicked out? Around sundown? Okay, so that was about twelve hours before I reached the Boutique. Any idea what she can do in twelve hours? Of course not—you've never gone inside the boutique during one of these before. See, you think she spent all that week just cooped up and moping. Nope. The first day was for moping. Just the first. And by moping, I mean she was destroying everything in her house. The other six days are for cleaning up her mess. It helps her stop thinking about whoever she was crushing on at the time. But those first twenty four hours of the dome? That's what I stepped right into the middle of. And my friend, it was as though Tartarus were brought to Dragonsville.

I'm gonna save us about twenty minutes and get to the part where I stopped gawking at her handiwork and actually started looking for her. It took about an hour—yes, really, an hour—to find Rarity in all that mess. She'd finished with the first floor early, apparently, so she'd decided to take a power nap underneath a couch that had been sliced in half and flipped upside-down, using some shreds of curtains for a blanket. Why would that take me an hour, you might ask? Because it was a maze: there were heaps of things that collapsed the moment I got close; there were shards of things that I had to try and walk through without getting them stuck in me; and of course I couldn't really see much because it was dark and she'd broken all the lights. By the light of my horn, the place looked, for all intents and purposes, like the den of a feral dragon living alone with its hoard, out in the wilderness.

I'm sure your Rarity didn't do as much damage as mine did back when Blueblood happened. Dragons are better at that kind of thing. I'm sure you've noticed.

Anyway, the Boutique was a mess, and it terrified me when I realized how quiet it was in there. I mean, we both know Rarity's not that melodramatic, she'd never do something as serious as offing herself, but when I was in there I thought, just for a second... Of course, I shrugged that off the moment it came to me, and I went looking for her. She was sleeping, like I said, and it took a while to work up the guts to wake her—don't laugh at me! You try waking up an emotionally traumatized dragoness when she's in the middle of a breakdown, tell me how that goes. When I finally worked up the balls to tap her on the shoulder, she did exactly what I was afraid she'd do—she pounced. We landed on the wreckage of her coffee table; I'm pretty sure I've still got some splinters from it. It was like she didn't know who I was for a second; she looked primed and ready to slice my head off, but I shoved your little Moon-gem—Moonstone, whatever—in her face, and when she recognized it she burst into tears. Then she fell on top of me and started hugging me like I was a teddy bear, which was pretty nice except for the part where I had wood shards in my back that she was now pressing deeper and deeper into my flesh.

Like I said earlier, it took half an hour for Rarity to calm down again, and even then when I tried to talk to her she was resistant. She told me to give her a few minutes, that she wanted to clean herself up first. Me being me, I naturally let her do whatever she wants, and she went upstairs and promptly started destroying everything again. I went rushing up after her, and into the fray I went, dodging picture frames and plants and an ottoman and things like that. I almost got to her, but she slammed the door to her bedroom and locked it with a spell. I spent about ten minutes trying to talk to her through the door, but once I realized that I wasn't going to get any answer besides those intimidating screeches she can make when she's all feral, I started trying to break the lock. I'm not really sure how much time passed, just that it was long enough for her room to be almost completely obliterated by the time I cracked the code and got in. She'd trashed everything except the bed, and I stepped in just in time to bear witness to the decapitation of the canopy above it. I tried talking to her then, standing just across the bed from her, but it was like she couldn't hear me. That's when I noticed the box in the center of the bed.

Your Rarity's still got the Fire Ruby, right? She ever wear it? No, didn't think so. See, I thought, what with the little disaster I caused with it, she must have thrown it out or buried it or something. Nope. It was still in that necklace she made out of it, sitting in a little jewelry box on top of her bed. That box had fallen with the canopy, and I saw exactly what Rarity had in mind for it once she laid eyes on it. She smashed it with a claw and plucked the necklace out of its remains, and she was getting ready to eat the Ruby when I stopped her. How, you say? Well, I did something I've never done before—I yelled at her.

I've never yelled at Rarity. Sure, I've yelled to her, when we're far away and I'm trying to get her attention or find her or something, but I've never been angry at her, not enough to yell. It shocked the both of us, but I was fortunate enough to snap out of it and keep going. I told her to stop, to think about what she was doing, to look down at the jewel in her claw and tell me what destroying it would do to help her feel better. I reminded her of the promise I made, that I would help her and be there for her if she ever hid herself in a dome again. I told her that I was going to do just that, but only if she stopped destroying everything in her house. Then I... I called her a name. I called her a psycho. Well, actually, I said she was acting like a psycho, but that's pretty much the same thing, right?

Stop laughing. I'm serious, this isn't funny. Stop—stop—STOP!

Yes, I hit you. You wouldn't shut up. Now let me finish my story.

She snapped out of her destruction-trance and realized that she had almost turned me into shredded horse meat, and just like that she was all over me, apologizing and hugging and sort-of crying. She insisted that it hadn't been her that wanted to slice me up, but that part of her that had destroyed her house. Now, knowing she doesn't eat meat helps, but it's still a little nerve-wracking to hear that your crush wanted to literally tear your heart out, so I was a little panicked right then. I mean, why would she even say something like that to me? Who just mentions, "Oh, hey, glad you caught me then, 'cause I was about to kill you and possibly eat you for lunch," and expects nodragon to freak out?

Oh. I'm getting off topic. Right.

Well, she settled down, sort of. She was still all weepy and stuff, but it was a lot more like the Rarity I know and love. She fixed her bed up with her magic, and we sat down on it together. Then she explained her mourning process, and actually, when you think about it, having magic can really help when you feel like breaking something. She just trashes her house, with the dome outside to protect anydragon from her, and then she spends a few days repairing things, cleaning up, maybe reorganizing. She told me it's a very effective method for relieving stress, reorganizing your house. She did agree when I told her she might have been a little too far gone when I came into the boutique, though, especially when I showed her my wood-filled back. It took her a while to find some disinfectant and bandages in her wrecked bathroom, and she agreed that maybe she should skip right to the reorganizing part the next time this happened. Once all the wood chips were out, I asked her if she could talk about it now. She could.

She didn't believe you, obviously. It was just like I thought: you wanted to get in bed with her, and once you had what you wanted, you'd come up with some excuse and bail town. What pissed her off was the devotion you put into your lie. The story you gave her sounded absolutely ridiculous to her, but apparently you're a very good actor. Yes, I know you weren't actually acting. These are her words, not mine. She told me that for a second, she almost believed what you'd told her. Once you mentioned that you had to leave in a week, well...

What made her even angrier was how much time you spent trying to get to her. All of that drama at the Summer Sun Celebration, all the confusion before that, even the moment you two met—all of it seemed so honest to her. She truly believed at one point that you absolutely loved her. And she loved you. Boy, did she love you. That's what she said, over and over again, as she was crying into my shoulder. She loved you, she loved your looks, she loved your way with words (which I don't get, honestly—you suck at talking), she loved your personality and every little flaw you had. You stole her heart with your shenanigans, and when you told her about your little "time limit," you smashed it to pieces.

Hearing all this, I figured I could just as easily sweep her off her feet—we're the same guy, remember? I had your personality, though maybe I'm not as messed up as you are now; I had your knowledge, and more when it came to this world; I was you with hooves, basically, and now that I knew for sure that it was just those hooves that had been keeping us apart, I was ready to jump that hurdle and swoop in to be that prince we'd both dreamed of being for her once. I was ready to tell her how I felt, how I could and would always be there for her, how I could do what you couldn't—stay for her. I was ready to share my heart with her to help fill in what you tore out.

She didn't have a clue as to who you really were, by the way. I want to keep it that way. Why? Well, let me finish, and I tell you why...

We had lunch. I told her it would help if she had something in her stomach, and it turned out she hadn't destroyed all of the first floor. The kitchen was basically okay, so I slapped together some sandwiches for the both of us. That's when I started to notice the way she was looking at me. It was like... do you remember when that little drake, or whatever you call a kid male pony, got lost in the Everfree, and you and the Crusaders went looking for him? She was looking at me the way that kid did when we found him; once lost, now found. We sat next to each other and ate, and it felt... awkward. I couldn't look at her, and I don't know if she was still looking at me, but anything we said sounded wrong somehow. Once we were done, I tried talking to her about this whole mess again, and at first she seemed like she was on the right track. Then she started talking about you, and how much you reminded her of me once she thought about it, and I started getting worried that she might have figured out who you were. I tried to change the subject as best as I could, but she just kept coming back to me. Just me. I didn't even realize what she was talking about until she brushed my cheek with her claw. She shut me up before I could get a single word in.

For a moment, I was in heaven. Angels were singing, fireworks were blasting off, the planets had aligned in perfect harmony. Everything was right with the world. She pulled me in close and hummed into my mouth. I hummed back and found out how it felt to have a dragon tongue poke at your teeth. Everything was warm, too. Me, her, the chairs we were in, the air around us. It was absolute perfection. For that first moment. Then she tried to push me onto the kitchen table.

A week ago, I would have pulled her on top of me without another thought, but with everything that had just happened, it didn't take much for me to realize what was really going on. So, I did the dumbest thing I've ever done, and told Rarity to stop.

She didn't hear me at first, so I had to actually push her off me to get her to notice what I was doing. She was properly confused: she knew I liked her, she liked me, so what was the matter? It was as if the past few hours hadn't happened, like there wasn't a completely destroyed living room just beyond the kitchen entrance. She was trying to drown her sorrows in me, I guess. That's what I told her, and she insisted that she was really, truly declaring her love for me. She told me she knew that I was her knight in shining armor, and she was done with anydragon else. She told me she didn't care that I had hooves instead of claws. She wanted me anyway. It was the speech I'd been waiting for since the day I'd met her, and I hated it. When she'd finished I told her she wasn't thinking straight. I said that she was just looking for another you, and that she was making false connections in her head to try and justify what she was doing. I told her she was still in love with you, and that she should go to you and try to make things right with you.

Why what? Why am I still helping you? I don't know, because you're me, or something. Maybe I just wanted to sick a crazy dragoness on your tail, or maybe I thought I didn't want to have sex with her right away. Honestly, I think I did it for her. I think she needs to see you, at least one more time, just to have some closure.

I told her you told me the same story. I told her that you said it while you were drunk at that Welcome Party Pinkie Pie threw, and that that was why I believed you, which is true—you can't just come up with stories like that when you're as drunk as you were that night. I gave it my all, defending you: I explained that it wouldn't make sense for you to work so hard, just to get in bed with her; I told her how you came to me asking for my blessing because you knew how much I cared (at this point she tried to kiss me again, but I managed to hold her steady); I said I really believed that what you said was true, especially after she told me the part about the Moon-rock—okay, yes, I get it!—Moonstone appearing in your hands while you slept. It was a long, rough process, and it took every ounce of my self-control not to throw you under the bus and go with Rarity's original plan of drowning in me, but I finally got her to consider seeing you again. I spent the night at the boutique and helped fix things up a bit while she thought about it.

She finally gave me a message for you: wait. If she's going to give you another chance, let her do it on her own. If you try going after her again, she wants me to stop you. And as you might imagine, I was happy to offer her my services.

When I finally left with that orb of yours, about thirty minutes ago, the dome was still in place. It came down as I stepped off her porch.

____________________________________________________________________

Spike leans back in his seat and stretches, his story finished.

"So, what's your story?" he yawns.

I tell Spike about Luna, and the dreams, and everything about how I got here. I don't tell him the story about Rose the Dragoness and her Unnamed Stallion—it just doesn't seem relevant. When I finish, he sits silently for a moment. Then he whistles.

"Sounds like you've got one heck of a crapstorm waiting for you back home."

"Yep." I flash a grin. "Still want to try and swap places?"

He laughs, and for a moment I feel like everything is alright—we're just two friends having a chat about this and that. No drama, no alternate universes, no potential universe-destroying chaos energy. Just some normal, friendly banter between a drake and a stallion.

"No thanks," Spike chuckles. "I think I'll let you have that. I don't think I want to go there anymore."

"Really?" I raise an eyebrow. "You don't want to see what Rarity looks like as a pony?"

"Oh, definitely. I'd love to see her with hooves and a horn and a cutie mark on her flank—"

"Want to see her flank, huh?"

"Oh, shut up and let me finish. It all sounds nice, really: Ponyville, Equestria, all of it." He sighs and glances up the stairs. "But Dragonsville is home for me. If I went in your place to Ponyville, I'd have to get used to everydragon being, well, everypony. Even if I managed that, it just wouldn't feel right. Besides, I realized I love Rarity the Dragon, not Rarity the Pony, when I was comforting her over at the boutique. She's perfect the way she is."

"I couldn't agree more." I glance down at the Moonstone. "I feel like an idiot, after everything I've done here. I spent all my time sleeping or trying to make Rarity fall for me, even after I found out I wasn't going to be able to stay here. I wasted a perfect opportunity to learn more about my kind, and on top of all that, I feel like I cheated on my Rarity with the one here."

"Not to mention the fact that you almost brought about the end of, what, both our universes? Or was that not what you said just now?"

"Nope, you heard right. One more hoof-bump, and we might've torn a hole in reality or something." I chuckle.

He chuckles back. "Yeah, ya think?" A frown appears as he looks down at his hooves and says, "Seems a bit exaggerated, though, doesn't it? The end of a universe, just because we touch each other?"

"Well now, we're friends and all, but I don't think we're that close..."

I get an eye roll from him. "Ha-ha. He said 'touch each other.' Very funny."

"I'm quite the comedian."

"I know." That makes us both laugh. Then he says, "Friends, huh?"

"What?"

"You said we're friends."

"Aren't we?"

"I remember us agreeing to be that way, yeah." He's frowning at me now. "It just seems that we spent most of our time yelling at each other or fighting."

"Well, that wasn't completely our fault. I told you, Luna said we would both be a bit unstable whenever we were around each other."

"It seemed like it, too. Whenever you came into a room, even before I saw you, I felt this sort of—"

"—wave of repulsion?" I finish.

"Yeah. You too?"

"Yep. I probably got it worse, since I'm the one who doesn't belong here." Thinking back on it, something occurs to me. "We could have been friends from the start, couldn't we have?"

"I don't know. Maybe we're not supposed to. Maybe it's like how magnets work."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, opposites attract, right? It's the polarity of the metal that causes it, or whatever. We're the same guy in two different bodies. Same soul, same polarity..."

"...and we repel each other. You think it works on an emotional level, too?"

"That would explain the 'wave of repulsion,' as you called it."

"Huh. Never thought about it that way."

"Well, you clearly had other things on your mind."

"Mm." I consider something. "If we're supposed to repel each other, why did you help me, even after what I did to your Rarity?"

He shrugs. "Like I said, I think she needs it. If everything ended the way it did yesterday—"

"Two days ago, now."

"—two days ago, then. If it all ended like that, I don't know if she'd make it out okay. She's strong, but I don't think she's that strong. And anyways, she definitely wouldn't be up for another relationship anytime soon."

"Ah." I smirk. "Don't want to wait, huh?"

"Oh, shut it. You know what I mean." We laugh, and once the laughter dies out he continues, looking suddenly quite sad: "You do know the real reason for it, though. Right?"

"Of course I do. Who would I be if I didn't do everything I could to make Rarity happy?"

"Well, I know who you wouldn't be," he says, gesturing to himself.

"What, a pony?" I can't hide my cheeky grin.

"Yes, Spike, a pony," he deadpans, clip-clopping his hooves together.

I laugh and say, "Hey, I'm joking. I get it; I'm the one who'll come swooping in to save her just for the sake of doing so."

"Something wrong with that?"

"At one point I thought so. Then I realized how selfish I was being. I mean, doing everything for a mare just so she could notice you? That's shallow."

"It worked, though."

"Yeah, for the first year I knew her. Then came the second, and the third, and the fourth, and on and on and on..." I sigh, leaning back in bed. "I'm just glad I realized what I was doing."

"And then kept on doing it."

"For a different reason. A better reason, I think. I didn't do it because I had the hots for her. I did it because I love making her happy. Her smile makes me smile."

"Ah, love." Spike holds a theatrical hoof out and looks off into the distance. "Why must you make such a fool out of me?"

"You did the same things, though!"

"Yeah. Yeah, I did. And you know what?" He leans forward in his seat. "I loved it just as much as you did."

"Mm-hmm. That's what I thought." I look down at my claws, and another question comes bubbling up: "Do you still wish you were a dragon?"

"Do you still wish you were a pony?"

I glare back up at him. "Don't dodge the question."

He rolls his eyes at me. "No. I don't wish I was a dragon. Not since the Fire Ruby."

"I wish I could say the same, but it took me a little bit longer to realize I didn't want to be a pony."

"That emphasized 'little' makes me think you're understating things."

"Well, we have different lives, same soul or not. You spent your life as the cute little guy with a fuzzy coat and swishy tail, I spent mine as the fire-breathing lizard who'd destroy things more often than not." My fists clench. "I spent a lot of time wishing I could be like everypony else, so that I wouldn't be made fun of or be feared. Especially after I found out what I did at the Fashion Expo..."

"Yeah, that might lose you some points with the aristocrats."

"That's when I would have done anything to become a pony. Spells, potions, giving up my lifespan, anything to make me like them. I wanted out of Sergeant Spike's Lonely Dragon Hearts Club completely, and it took a few shouting matches with Princess Luna to stop me from doing something insanely stupid."

"What?" He sees grim look I have on. "Oh. That."

"Yeah. Not my proudest moment." I hold up the Moonstone. "If it weren't for her, I might still make you go off into the Everfree with this. I'd still hate myself for what I am, too.

"Now, though, I'm happy that I'm me. If I wasn't a dragon, I wouldn't have ever known Twilight or Celestia, or anypony in Ponyville. I'd probably be some average colt doing average things in an average town. I'd have a perfectly normal house that I'd have to pay for by working an ordinary job, and the closest I'd get to the life I've lived is by reading about it in a newspaper."

"And we are far too awesome to live that kind of life," Spike chimes in.

"Absolutely. Of course I'm still mad about what I did, and of course I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to the ponies I hurt. Of course I know that I'm different, that I can't stand eating flowers like everypony else does. Of course I know that... that I'll go on long after everypony else. I'm okay with all that now.

"My friends wouldn't be my friends if I were a pony, even if I somehow ended up living the life I've lived as a dragon, being Twilight's assistant and moving to Ponyville and all that. They'd just be other ponies to me, because I'd just be another pony to them. I might not get along with them the way I do as a drake, or maybe I'd get along better, but it wouldn't be the way it is, and I'd never give up the friendships I've had, not in a million years. Especially not my friendship with Rarity.

"I don't want to be a pony," I finish, "because even if I was, I'd always be a dragon at heart."

Silence fills the room. I realize I've been staring into the light of the Moonstone this whole time. Suddenly, Spike lifts his front hooves up and starts applauding.

"Best friendship report I've ever heard," he says, smiling.

____________________________________________________________________

Twilight and Pinkie aren't around, and Spike explains that they've been spending their nights at the Sugarcube Corner, which doesn't make sense to me because the Cakes live there with their children already, and even if they're both teenagers now, it's still probably very disturbing to see (and hear, no doubt) a new couple's antics all the time, especially if half that couple is Pinkie Pie. When I express this concern, Spike just shrugs and says "It's their funeral if they don't get out and go somewhere else."

With that issue aside, we have lunch, and after the meal Spike tells me that if I really wanted to learn more about dragons, I could help myself to any book on the subject in the library. At first I'm skeptic to go, but once he reminds me that my alternative is going back to bed, it's down the hall and into the impossibly large library I go.

"And remember to take everything with a grain of salt!" he yells after me. "There might still be some differences between our worlds that you don't know about!"

With that in mind—as well as a ball of string in my hand, to be used to make sure I can find my way back—I dive in, searching and searching for anything I can about general dragon information. Naturally, I lose myself in the extended labyrinth of shelves, and because there are no directories around, I have to search book by book for whatever I can. It takes an hour to find the nonfiction section, and even then I'm stuck around books like The Draconic-Hippogriff Wars of the Late 700's and The Fall of the House of Firebrand, circa 467. After nearly vomiting over the amount of history I don't care about, I start looking for biology texts, maybe some reports Twilight might have written during her school days, anything. Unfortunately, it seems that in this world Twilight organizes the books a different way than she does in Ponyville, which renders my knowledge of the library's layout useless (though the labyrinth of book shelves that don't exist in the Ponyville library probably already did that). I don't know how long I search, but it's enough to make me quit after finding only one book on what I'm looking for: On the Species of Dragons: Essays from Halberd.

I find a desk to sit at (there are a bunch of them spotted amongst the shelves) and open the tome to the table of contents, wondering when to begin. Then I realize that both of my claws are empty.

"No..."

I spin around and look back the way I came. There's nothing there but shelves and floorboards.

"No..."

I leap out of the chair and find the shelf where I found On the Species of Dragons. Scanning the area and the shelves around it, I find absolutely no trace of the ball of string that I'd gone running in with.

"Oh Celestia, no!"

And that's how I spent the rest of that day with a heavy tome (it's the size of a cereal box) under my arm searching for a piece of string. It's not until I reach the back wall—yes, there is a back wall to this library—that I really start to panic and scream.

"Told you it wasn't enough string," Spike says once he's found me. He picks me up from my comfy spot on the floor (I either fell asleep or fainted) and starts carrying me with his magic. I'm curled up in a ball and holding the book like it's my old teddy.

The library is a scary, scary place. Always stay within eyeshot of the door, that's the lesson I learned.

____________________________________________________________________

That night, after reading through the entire first chapter of On the Species ("In which the egg is explained," the subtitle reads, "as well as its classifications"), I take a nap. I call it a nap because when I slip under the covers it's nearly three in the morning (Twilight would be proud), and when I wake up it's only seven. In those short four hours, I dream. There's no Luna, no memories, no windows or anything flying about me. There is blue, however.

A beautiful, familiar blue.

‡

The first thing I notice is that I'm bigger. Not by that much, but it's enough that I can't stand on two legs anymore. Looking behind me, I can see that I stretch back at least twice as much as I did yesterday. I also apparently have wings now. They look beautiful; large, lean, and strong. Exactly how I always dreamed they'd look.

Something brushes my underbelly. I look down in time to see a mare pop up from underneath me. Her purple mane tickles my chest as she turns her head up to smile at me. She's wearing a golden necklace with a glamorous, heart-shaped ruby in its center. Her eyes are big and blue and beautiful.

"Hello," Rarity chirps. Her tail is swishing back and forth against my underbelly. She brings a hoof up and wraps it around my neck as much as possible. Pulling my head down, she brings her other front hoof up to my cheek, guiding me to her.

We kiss with our lips upside-down. It's absolutely perfect.

"Ewww!!"

Rarity breaks away and looks in the direction of the voice. Her mane brushes my nose as she takes a step forward. The smile on her face grows wider. I don't look up until I hear the voice say:

"They're kissing!"

My head snaps up. From far away, I see another pony giggling. Except, it isn't quite a pony. It's tail is lizard-like, and I can see claws at the end of it's hoof-like appendages. It has two horns, not one, with each residing behind an ear. The short, curly purple mane—which, combined with the voice I heard, tells me it's a girl—morphs into spines trailing down the back of the strange creature. Her coat is a bright violet, but I'm certain that if I shaved a bit of it off (but why would I? It's so beautiful) I would find scales that were almost the same color as my own.

"You two are gross!" the child yells, and falls over giggling. Beneath me, Rarity giggles too, and starts after the pony-dragon hybrid. Her tail slides along my underbelly and up my chest and neck.

"Come along, Spikey," she says, flicking the end of my nose with the tip of her tail. Then she's off, chasing the child, whose gotten up and is running away, shrieking with delight.

I'm about to follow when it all fades away, including me. Then I'm awake.

•

I don't open my eyes right away. All I do is roll over and bury my face into my pillow.

"Don't worry, Rarity," I whisper into the fabric. "I'm coming."

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

There's an explanation for why I've been so lazy with this story, I swear. It's a lot of real-life business, as well as work on other stories (featured twice, what!) and some projects that are totally separate from this site. I was lucky enough to get this one edited and put up when I did. Hopefully you all like it, and please, point out any mistakes there may be: the readers are always better at pointing out a story's flaws than its author.

Having said that, I do have one other reason as to why I haven't finished this story, and this one is much more...embarrassing. I've been denying it for the past few months, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense that it would be keeping me from seeing this through to the end. I didn't want to bring it up with all you, Celestia knows you all have better things to worry about, but I just want to ask you a simple question: Do you think this story is overly-dramatic?

Really, I'd like to know.

Everything I've put down in this tale seems somewhat silly, to me at least. I know, I know, it can't get much sillier when it's already based on a show about talking technicolor ponies and the magic of friendship and all that, but still! I feel like this story is just strange, and that's making it harder to write its end (which I assure you I will still do). I think my trouble is that since I started this story (16 month, dude), I've become a much more serious person, a much more realistic person (don't laugh), and a much better writer. It might just be that I have a problem with how schmaltzy this story is to me (for example of schmaltziness, see the ending of this chapter).

Even with all that being said, I'm not going to just abandon this project. Not completing this would be a personal failure, and even if the ending ends up being stupid or cheesy, I'm going to end it. And I'm very happy to say that that ending is almost completed. I plan on sticking to those goals that I set for myself in my previous blog post, so expect more next month. And remember, everything I've been able to accomplish is because of you guys. Always remember how awesome you are.

—NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. #savetree #saveboneless #Istilldontgetwhatrainbowpoweris

Warning Signs

____________________________________________________________________

On the Species of Dragons: Essays from Halberd is a misnomer. It is not simply essays by Halberd, as it so plainly states on the cover. No, On the Species is a freaking textbook by Halberd, an enormous one, full of entries describing each and every kind of dragon that has ever existed, from ice wyrms to sea serpents, as well as the details on everything from egg types to migration patterns to mating seasons (what fun that chapter was to read). It is exactly 1859 pages long (not counting the Table of Context, Index, or any of the six Appendices at the end), is written in a form of Equestrian (or Serpentian, I suppose) that likes to use big, complicated words, and has barely any illustrations in it, which is normally a big deciding factor whenever I consider whether or not I can make it through a textbook. With the subject at hoof(claw), though, pictures are one of the last things on my mind, resting way back in that dark, damp corner where food and sleep are at.

I bet this Halberd guy got a hoard of awards for writing this, because I've never read anything so massive and so all-encompassing about dragons. It must have taken years to assemble all of the details that make up the contents of this book. He wrote down anything and everything about dragons I could ever think of asking, from the identifiable differences in crown patterns to the multiple possible interpretations of the spots on a dragon's egg (according to him, you can tell what a dragon's personality is going to be like based entirely on those spots). Every single fact on dragons in existence (probably) is jammed packed inside, which is exactly what makes finding my own species in the damn brick a two-day-long task, which is fine, since I have nothing better to do. Finally, though, I find, between the Southern Sundisk (which survives primarily off of pumice and charcoal) and the Stovetail Razorbeak(recognizable by its larger, stiffer, silver scales and red-hot, shovel-shaped tail), a sketch of me in my greed-grown form.

But that's impossible, I tell myself to try and get rid of the cold feeling in my gut. That can't be you. You don't exist in this world.

It's uncanny, though: the shape of the fins, the build of the body, the pattern of the scales, all exactly as I remember them from what Luna showed me in my dreams. The only difference is that I only grew as large as a castle ballroom—the drake in the sketch is slashing away the better part of a mountainside with one claw. Its mouth is open in a roar, and flames gush past its jaw in a violent geyser. I'm tempted to color the sketch purple and green, just to make the resemblance complete.

Calm down, Spike. You know that's not you. You're just frightened because it's a coincidence.

Still not thoroughly convinced that that's true, I start to read the entry:

The Stonesoul Spikeback (Lapillus Hauriuntus)

Family: Firedrake (Ignis)

Dietary Category: Stone-eater

Of the few "wild" species left in Serpentia, the Stonesoul Spikeback is perhaps the most rare, and certainly the most paradoxical. Nearly driven to extinction in the late 600s by the Southern Serpentian Gem Crisis, the Spikeback can be found in the burnt lands of the Stardrop Desert, where precious stones are aplenty and other dragons are few. However, while there is plenty food and little competition for it, the Spikeback will usually be found dead of starvation, thanks in no small part to its insatiable desire to increase the size of its hoard. This desire develops in early childhood, and grows with every gem the Spikeback adds to its hoard. Eventually, the dragon's mind is consumed, leaving it completely feral. Its only purpose in life is to see its hoard grow, and because of this, it will starve itself to ensure that that very hoard does not shrink. Its only source of nourishment is the only thing it cannot bear to consume.

The effects of a large hoard on a Spikeback are more than simply mental, though; the physical effects are just as powerful. As its hoard grows, so does the Spikeback itself. This also provides the dragon with a reason to justify its greed in the first few years of collecting, and increases its desire to hoard in general throughout its life. This may sound very similar to the risks of standard greed-growth patterns, but there are several key elements to the Spikebacks' patterns that make them unique among all other dragons:

• The ratio between growth rate and hoard size for the Spikeback is nearly five times as much as any other species of dragon.

• The Spikeback has no Content Line; its desire for precious stones will only increase with the size of its hoard.

• The use of the hoard to inspire growth in the Spikeback is its only steady form of growth pattern; besides a small growth spurt at the beginning of its life to indicate the transition to adulthood, and the natural growth spurts that are the effect of a Primal Takeover (which, for the Spikeback, is usually guaranteed), the Spikeback will only grow based on the size of its hoard.

The skeletons of Spikebacks larger than Celestia herself have been discovered in the centuries since the Gem Crisis, and eyewitness reports from traumatized explorers tell us that there are others even larger than that living out in the Stardrop Desert. With no other dragons able to make contact with the Spikebacks in order to help them, this species has never made any recorded form of a civilized society, and remains a relative unknown to the rest of the draconic world. Known defining features include jagged spines that trail from head to tail (presumably to be used as a sort of self defense mechanism), an emerald-coloured flame, and primarily purple scales.

Emerald flames and primarily purple scales, and it's even got my name in it. Coincidence, my flank.

I leap out of my bed and go sprinting up the stairs. The main room of the library is empty when I burst into it, so it's up another flight and down the second floor hallway I go, searching for my literary genius of a hostess. I find her in her bedroom, of course—that's where she's spent most of the past few days, as I've been painfully aware of. Unfortunately, discovering my species has made me a lot less painfully aware of Twilight's bedroom seclusion, which makes what happens next entirely my fault:

I fling the door open, On the Species still in one hand. Without any thought of what might be going on inside the room, I shout:

"TWILIGHT!"

The answer I get confounds me, but only for the next fraction of a second, when I still can't see what's happening in the bedroom.

"AIIIIIGH!!"

"WEEEE!!!!"

There's a thump of something against the floor, and then a bang as the door hits the wall. Now I have full visibility to the inner sanctum of the bedroom, and I can see exactly what it is I've just barged in on: Twilight in the bed, her body twisted away from the door while her neck swivels around so she can glare at me; Pinkie Pie on the floor, her face flushed and her mouth covered with a claw as she tries (in vain) to hold back a fit of giggles; a tangle of bed sheets, covering up just enough of their bodies to protect my virgin eyes.

I sniffle.

"Oh, Celesti—"

WHAM!

With a burst of her lavender aura, Twilight smashes the door back into my face. A volcano of pain erupts from my nose, so sudden and so powerful that I can't even scream in pain. I stumble backwards and collide with the wall, adding an aching, probably bent head-spine to my list of injuries. I let out a sort of gurgle-groan and bring a claw up to my snout. There's no blood, but to be honest, I would have rather been spurting it than to have seen what I've just seen.

Sliding down the wall until I'm sitting against it, I try to massage the aches from my nose, wincing as each rub sends out another pulse of pain through my whole body. I can faintly hear Twilight ranting from the other side of the door. It takes me a moment to realize she's actually talking to me through the door:

"...what could be so important that you just had to come barging into my room when I had Pinkie over?"

I try to apologize, but even opening my jaw makes my snout throb, so all I let out is another groan.

"I think you hit him too hard, Twilight," I hear Pinkie say.

"Well, good! He deserves it for barging in on us!"

"But he must have something super duper important to say, though, since he did."

"He should have knocked!"

At this, I try to croak, "You should have taken a moment to stop getting freaky with your freakin' draginfriend!" What come out is something, "Shuga taka moma shkop gefreeky-freeky dragfren!"

Silence from behind the door. Then I hear Pinkie giggling, and Twilight telling her to stop, this isn't funny. Then I hear the sounds of footsteps. Loud, angry footsteps. Pinkie is saying something now, but not loud enough for me to hear. The footsteps stop, and I have time to register the shadow under the door before Twilight flings it open. She glares down at me.

"Is your snout bleeding?" she asks, voice devoid of any betraying emotion whatsoever.

I consider my answer before saying, "Uh... Yes."

She nods in satisfaction. "Good. That's your punishment for interrupting us." She turns to shut the door again, but Pinkie's head pokes out from one side of it and whispers in Twilight's ear. She listens, and mumbles:

"Mm-hmm... Yes... No... No! Why would I... You'd do what?"

Her face changes dramatically in the next second. The angry, stern look in her eyes swaps out with a shocked, embarrassed one. Her cheeks turn blood red, and she covers her mouth with a claw. Pinkie, meanwhile, flicks the underside of Twilight's ear-fin with her tongue. She vanishes behind the door once more, and Twilight turns back to me as it closes shut.

"Okay then," she quips, clapping her hands together and putting on her best smile. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"

____________________________________________________________________

Five minutes later, Twilight and I sit down at the kitchen table, nursing two cups of breakfast tea (which is a little weird, since it's nearly four in the afternoon). Not a shred of evidence as to what went on upstairs remains on her face. Instead, she's gracing me with a confused head tilt, one eyebrow quite a bit higher than the other.

She asks, "You didn't know what species of dragon you were?"

I nod. "Nope. Thought I was just a regular old fire drake."

"Was this part of your amnesia?"

I blink. "What amnesia?"

My hand flies towards my mouth a moment too late. In mid-motion, I swivel my wrist and bring it up higher, so that it looks as though I just wanted to scratch my head. Which also isn't really the best move.

"Uh, the amnesia you said you had when we first met?" Twilight replies.

I do my best to try and wiggle out of a very bad situation: "Oh, that amnesia! Haha, seems I'd forgotten it for a moment. Ironic, huh?"

Twilight's frown doesn't disappear, but her eyebrow of suspicion lowers. I can only pray that she'll buy it...

"Yes. It is a bit ironic."

I only barely manage to hold back my sigh of relief, hiding it by taking a swig of tea. Hoping that I can change the conversation topic back to something other than my admittedly-weak alibis, I say, "No, this has nothing to do with that. I just always thought I was like the rest of my family."

"Emerald," Twilight says, "According to this book"—and here she taps a claw against the cover of On the Species, which I brought into the kitchen with me—"the rest of your family should be a bunch of enormous, feral beasts."

"Hmm?"

"It says that your species is one of the few wild species left in Serpentia. If you were really a..."—she flips to the bookmarked page in the text—"'Stonesoul Spikeback,' you would have to have been found as an egg by a completely different family of dragons and raised as one of their own." She leans forward, drilling into my very soul with her pupils. "Tell me, do your parents look anything like you?"

My eye twitches involuntarily, as does the corner of my mouth. Feeling my face redden, I blurt, "I guess I'm adopted, then!" and try to laugh. It comes out sounding more like a wheeze. A sick, guilty, fake-as-all-Tartarus wheeze.

Her eyes bore into me like dental equipment, and I pray to any Celestia from any universe to stop her. Finally, after a silence too long and too tense for any mortal soul to survive without casualty, she speaks again:

"That seems to be the only logical explanation."

"You said it!" I wonder if I'm gripping my teacup too hard?

"I guess this has been quite the discovery for you."

"Oh, you know it!" I can't stop sounding like I'm on a sugar high. "I didn't even know that kind of dragon existed!"

Twilight's eyebrow raises in a perfect imitation of Applejack. "Is that so," she deadpans, sipping her tea.

"It is! Who knew there was such a thing as a 'proportionately greedy' dragon? Besides you, of course, since you're... so... smart..."

Her look finally manages to shut me up. I look down at the table and sip my tea, wishing I could teleport.

"Emerald?" I don't acknowledge her, but she continues anyway: "Is there something else you want to say?" She sounds like a mother trying to worm a confession out of her child.

"...Yes." There. Now I sound like I'm telling the truth. "It's... It's about Spike."

She raises an eyebrow. "Spike?"

"Yeah, Spike." Cogs start turning in my brain as I try to figure out what to say next. Before I can get another word out, though, Twilight speaks up:

"He's still angry about Rarity, isn't he?"

"No," I say, before thinking of where this conversation could go if I keep the focus on me. Then I say, "Well, not exactly."

Her frown returns. "What do you mean, 'not exactly?'"

I massage the bridge of my snout, thinking hard, and mutter, "I don't really know how to phrase this right..."

"Then phrase it wrongly. Just tell me."

Think, Spike. Think hard. "It's just that..." C'mon, he's you, for Celestia's sake! Think of something!

"Yes?" Twilight goads.

"...he's angry at you." You idiot.

She blinks, surprised by my answer. "He is? What about?"

"Uh... He's, um, upset that you... never believed in him." You bucking idiot.

"What does that mean?"

"I guess... you never... helped him, or something?" Oh, you're so dead!

"Never helped him? What, with Rarity?"

Wait, this might actually work out. "Uh, yep! He's upset that you never believed he had a chance with Rarity! That's it!" If I can just manage not to sound like I did a minute ago...

Twilight's jaw drops open. "That's not true!"

I think back to the moment Spike lied to her about being done with Rarity, and more stupid crud starts pouring from my mouth: "Of course it is! You were practically crying with joy after he told you he was over her!"

She starts to say something, but after "I never—" she breaks off and stares into her teacup. She takes a large swig from it, sets it down, and, still staring into it, mumbles, "I never thought he didn't have a chance."

Hang on. This wasn't supposed to be a real problem. "So, what, you were happy you were wrong? I mean, you've always made fun of him about his crush—"

"And you know this how?" she snaps.

"Uh... h-he told me."

She fold her arms and harrumphs. "Well, he shouldn't have. It's rude to start rumors about others."

"Well, was he right? Did you ever support him?" I ask, even though I already know the answers to those questions.

She stares into the grain of the table. "...Not really."

"Well, why not?"

No answer. She circles a claw around the edge of her teacup. I've made her feel bad about herself, I realize. Great.

"...I was worried about Rarity," she finally mumbles.

"What?"

More firmly: "I was worried about her." She stops circling and looks up at me. "I never thought it was impossible. I just didn't want it to happen, for her sake."

Well, that's new. "...Her?"

To my surprise, Twilight sniffles and pinches the bridge of her snout.

"I was probably being stupid," she grumbles. "Stupid and paranoid. I'd heard stories about relationships like it... ones that didn't end so well."

"So you tried to keep them apart!?" I snap. "And you did that for, what, a decade?"

She leans back in her seat, shocked by my outburst. There's the faintest of tearful glimmers in her eyes.

"I-I never tried anything..." she stammers. "I just—"

"—thought it was wrong?" I interrupt. "Thought it was 'dangerous,' or maybe 'twisted?' Something that should never, ever happen, regardless of how it affects your little brother?" It's at this point that I realize I'm digging my claws into the table like I did when I spoke to Twilight at my "Welcome to Dragonsville" party. I'm also leaning very far forward in my seat—I'm hardly a hoof away from her face. A face that is now contorted in what I assume is anger. Or maybe that's pain. I've had trouble telling the two apart lately.

"Why are you acting like this?" she whispers.

"I don't—"

"Why are you accusing me of all this?" she shouts. I lean away from her, and as though we're on a seesaw, she leans forward so she's right up in my face, never letting the gap between our snouts widen. "Are you angry at me about something? Is this because of what happened between you and Rarity?"

"How could you possibly know—"

"Oh please!" Now it's her turn to be sassy. "You've spent the past two days down in your room, reading that book! You haven't been outside since the day after the Summer Sun Celebration, and I haven't heard a word from Rarity either! I'm not an idiot, Emerald, as much as you'd like to believe!"

There's a curdling sensation in my stomach when she says this. "I never said you were an idiot, Twilight."

"Well, you're doing a wonderful job of making me feel like one!" She settles back in her seat and covers her face with her hands. Silence blankets the room.

"I just didn't want Rarity to get hurt," she mumbles through her claws, "when Spike passed away."

Bam. Déjà vu again. Except this time, it isn't just an itch in the back of my head—I know I've heard this before.

They had both told me they didn't care that their lifespans were so radically different...

I tell myself that I knew that she was lying...

You must understand the dangers of being in love with a pony, Spike...

The dragon's name was Rose...

My lips move on their own, forming words I can barely stand to think. "...Twilight? Did... Did the princesses ever say anything about it?"

She looks at me with amazement. Her mouth opens like she wants to say something, but she remains silent for a long time. What finally comes stuttering out is, "H-How could you possibly—"

"Twilight?" I lean forward, eyes deadlocked on the frightened dragoness in front of me. "Did Princess Celestia or Princess Luna tell you that it was dangerous for a dragon and a pony to be in a romantic relationship?" I can't see straight, and I'm shaking now. "Did they ever tell you that if Spike and Rarity got together, it would literally end in flames?" I'm so close to her now, I can feel her breath on my face. Another thought occurs to me, one that I voice with great, fearful hesitation: "Did... Did you ever get an order from them... telling you to keep them from ever having a relationship?"

Wide, terrified purple irises fill my vision. Twilight's shaking too, I see. Not for the same reason as I am, though—she's afraid. I can smell the fear on her.

"Th-This isn't possible. You can't be—"

"Did they tell you to stand between them, Twilight?"

She leans back, shaking her head. "You don't have amnesia, do you? You've been lying to me this whole time."

"DID THEY!?"

I might have shaken the table with that roar. I definitely shook Twilight—she looks petrified, like a cockatrice had come in and frozen her when I wasn't looking. But she can move, alright. I watch her do just that, inching her head up, then down, then up again.

"Y-Yes..." she whispers. The curdling feeling returns, and I feel like vomiting for terrifying her like that, but any guilt I may have is swiftly drowned out by the growing buzz of rage and confusion in my head. I can feel my body falling back in its seat, but in my mind I'm already far, far away from the library's kitchen.

Celestia. Celestia said to keep it from happening. So she ordered Twilight to keep me from getting too close to Rarity.

She remembered what happened with that guard and his dragoness. She didn't want it to happen again.

She thinks I'm an animal. She thinks I'll go on a rampage if I lose Rarity. She thinks I'll hurt her subjects—

And somewhere, I realize, in a world very near and very far away at the same time, there is a dragon lying in a ruined hallway staring up at the sky, and there is a massive crowd of frightened ponies standing outside the gates of a grand castle, and there are guards lying on the debris-covered floor of a once-magnificent ballroom who will not be standing up again any time soon. And there is an alicorn keeping events from further transpiring with her immense power. An alicorn that has seen a situation such as this one before.

She knew.

From what sounds like the other end of a very wide open field, I hear somepony call:

"Emerald?"

I feel a floating sensation that buzzes down to a general numbness as I realize Twilight is talking to me, and that I'm still in my seat in the kitchen. I wonder how long I've been sitting at this table since she told me. It can't have been too long, I don't think so. So why is she staring at me like that?

"Who are you really?" The fear is still in her eyes. "You can't have not known what species of dragon you were. Who are you?"

I can't talk. I don't want to talk, not to her or to anydragon or anypony or anything, not ever again. I can't be here anymore. I can't speak. I can't think. I can't move, I can't breathe, I can't I can't I can't—

I'm up and headed to the door. There's a yell behind me, calling my name. I don't care. I leave the kitchen.

The library looks so much larger than when I'd stepped into the kitchen minutes (hours?) ago. The front door looks miles away, yet somehow I make it there in just seconds. I fling it open, and bright sunlight shines down and blinds me. Her sunlight. The sunlight she casts every day, while she sits in her court or in her private chambers plotting to tear apart the lives of her subjects on a stupid whim—

"Hey!"

It's a shout right in my ear, which is probably the only reason I notice it. My neck swivels, and Twilight's taking up my vision again, her eyes full of that same fear I smelled earlier. Only now, she reeks of it.

"Who are you?" As she says this, she pulls me back into the library with her magic and slams the door. Then she pins me against the wall, the aura surrounding my neck tightening. Her claws extend and jab into my throat. I can feel their tips through the warmth of the magic. They're almost piercing my skin.

"You've been lying this whole time, haven't you? You know exactly where you are, and who I am, and how you got here. This whole amnesia thing has been a lie, right from the start. Why?"

I was wrong. It wasn't fear I saw in her eyes—it was anger. Guess I'm getting those two mixed up as well. I choke out, "Twilight... You're acting like a madmare..."

She shouts in my face, "What are you doing here in Dragonsville, trying to sweep Rarity off her feet? Are you some sort of spy? Are you trying to tear her away from the rest of us? Do you want to steal her for her special gem-location spell?" She tightens her grip on my neck. "Tell me. Now."

The aura around my neck makes it hard to speak without rasping, but it doesn't stop me from rasping out my answer to her:

"You... didn't even... recognize... my colors..."

She loosens the aura a little and barks, "What?"

"I have... his eyes..."

She stares at me for a good, long minute, and I stare back. Her eyes glitter with understanding at last, and the aura wavers and sputters out. I drop to the floor, landing hard on my right knee. Twilight, staring now at something distant and in her head, takes a few slow, shaky steps back.

"You..." she mutters, "...you can't..."

"Emerald Spires," I spit, rubbing the no-doubt bruised kneecap. "You bought it faster than it takes you to buy a set of quills for your friendship reports."

"Your name isn't—"

"You know my name, Twilight Sparkle." I get up, taking care not to put too much pressure on my right leg, and give her a grin that probably looks much crazier than I'd hoped. "You've known it since the day Celestia first showed you my crib."

She's shaking again. "Y-You're... You're S—" She can't seem to get the words out, so I help her.

"Yeah," I say. "I'm Spike." I lean back against the wall. "Bet it makes a whole lot more sense why I was so interested in Rarity now, huh?"

Twilight's claws find their way up the sides of her head. She looks down at the ground, shaking violently now. Her pupils are pinpricks in a sea of violet. Her horn lights up, and for a second I think I can see her scales flashing white and her spines flashing orange. Something in the air sparks, and suddenly a violet bubble pops into existence around Twilight. From inside it, I can see her shaking harder and harder, her scales and spines now definitely turned white and orange. Smoke is pouring out of her nostrils. Without warning, Twilight sends a burst of lavender fire gushing from her mouth, filling up the bubble in a split second. Her silhouette is all I can see now, and there is no sound to be heard—a soundproof force-field, probably for the sake of not having Pinkie Pie hear whatever it is she's yelling. Fire bursts from within her, gushing not just from her wide-open jaw, but from her claws, her tail, and each and every one of her spines. I'm not sure how.

The bubble bursts, eventually. Purple smoke dissipates, and there's Twilight, breathing a little heavily but otherwise alright. The ground beneath her feet is scorched, and she's covered in ash and soot. Her claw slides down her forehead, revealing a swipe of bright lavender on her otherwise grimy gray body. Her eyes flutter open. She fixes me with a cold, hard stare.

"You transformed yourself."

"You've seen us both in the same room."

"Duplication spell with transformation."

"Nope. No horn. Pretty sure that would've transferred over."

"Then you... you..." She looks dizzy. "You're from the future."

"Closer, but no."

"The past?"

"Getting colder..."

She stares at my chest, distant and traumatized.

"...Different dimension?"

I hit an imaginary bell. "Ding!"

She frowns at me. "How is that closer to being from the future than being a transformed clone?"

"I—"

But she goes on, rubbing the sides of her head. Ashes flutter to the floor like snow.

"Another dimension. You're from another dimension, one where you're a dragon, too."

"Actually—"

Again, I can't get a word in—she's on a roll.

"No, no, that can't be it. It surprised you to see Rarity as a dragon, which either means you haven't seen her in a long, long time, or you've never seen her that particular way before. You also don't seem to understand some of the basic customs here, so you must not live around dragons. Which means you live..."

Her eyes flash to me. "You said 'madmare.'"

"What?"

"When I had you up against the wall with my magic, you said I was 'acting like a madmare.'" She steps closer to me, and I begin to wish there wasn't a wall right behind me—I've never wanted to turn tail and run away this badly in my life. "Not a maddragon. A madmare."

"Yeah, I—"

"Ponies, then." She turns away again and continues rambling. "You live with ponies, ponies that are like us—No, no! Ponies that are us! Alternate dimension means alternate Twilight, and alternate Pinkie, and..." She turns and points a claw at me. "...alternate Spike. They're our pony counterparts, just like you're Spike's dragon counterpart."

"Yes, and I can explain everything else much faster than—"

"It's a special-inverse dimension, then. Ponies are dragons, dragons are ponies. But that doesn't make sense—what would griffons be, or changelings, or jackalopes?" She gifts me with her attention again, asking, "What was Gilda?"

"What?"

"Gilda. Rainbow Dash's friend. You must've met her, you and Spike have had the same experiences."

"Uh... she was a griffon. Listen, we can talk—"

"Interesting! So then, the species are different, but the timelines must be the same. You must have come to Dragonsville like we did..."

"Actually, it's called Ponyville where I—"

"...and you must have faced down Discord and Night Fury and Chrysalis and the rest of that craziness as well. But it couldn't have all been identical! The species difference had to have caused some differentiation, some fraying in the timeline. Maybe... the wedding was different? Different rituals, different preparations that gave away the changeling invasion easier. Was Discord harder to beat, maybe? You wouldn't have had such a hard time fighting with Rainbow Dash if she were a pony. And then there's the Crystal Empire. That had to have been different for you, we had to tie up Pinkie Pie to keep her from eating any more lamp posts. And you wouldn't have teleported out of Sombra's palace with the Crystal Heart, you're not a magic-user..."

By some act of Celestia, Twilight stops and stares at me, a sudden twinge of fear in her eyes.

"But you're Spike. You really are, aren't you?"

I wait for her to turn away again, but she doesn't, so I say, "Yeah. I really am."

It's beginning to sink in. "From another dimension."

"Yes."

"That means..." She rushes to the window and looks out, like somepony might be listening in on our conversation (which, let's face it, is really just her ranting with me standing as a one-dragon audience). She looks over at me again, and says, "You can't stay here."

"Twilight, please don't kick me out—"

"Not that!" She comes over to me and pulls me towards the guest room. "I mean you can't stay here." She waves her hand in the air. "In this universe."

"Oh. I knew that."

"You need to leave. If you come in contact with your other self, then you'll—"

She gasps. Knowing what she's thinking, I say, "A little late to stop that, don't you think?"

"Oh no..." Twilight looks like she might faint. Or start screaming again. "That explosion in the back of the library... You two made contact..."

"Don't worry, Twi." It feels nice, saying her nickname. "It's not gonna get bad unless we keep touching. We've both agreed—"

"Both?" she growls. "You both agreed?"

"Twilight, please, I'll explain it all to you—"

"Spike knew you were him." She starts rubbing the sides of her head again. "He knew, and he never told me..."

"Well, he didn't really expect you to believe him. Neither did I, really. I mean, it sounds crazy."

"Do you think I don't know what crazy is by now? Because trust me, this is nothing compared to what I've dealt with in the past."

She has a point. Thinking back to all those "Fate of the World Hanging in the Balance" situations we had back when I was a kid, I realize this must feel like coming home to her.

"So," I say, "you believe me?"

She sighs and mumbles, "Yes. I suppose I do." Her claws massage the bridge of her snout. "And I suppose Rarity didn't. Is this why you two had that falling out?"

I shake my head and try to tell her I don't want to talk about Rarity at the moment, but she keeps at it:

"Then what did it? Did you badmouth Spike? Um, I mean, the pony-Spike, of course. You wouldn't—"

I hold up a hand, resign myself to telling her what happened, and mutter, "I get it. And no, I didn't badmouth Spike. I told her... that I had to leave in a few days."

"You have to leave?"

"Well, yeah. I can't stay here, like you said. There can't be two Spikes in the same universe."

"Hm," she rubs her lip with a thoughtful finger. "And when are you leaving?"

"At this point? I've got two days after this one."

"Ah." She nods. "She thinks you've been lying to her this whole time."

"I have been. Just... not about what she thinks I'm lying about."

"So, let me get this straight:"—she folds her arms again—"you knew that you could only stay here a couple of weeks, and you still tried to get Rarity to fall for you?"

"I know, I know," I groan. "I've been through this whole part, okay? I've learned my lesson. I'll write a friendship report as soon as I'm home." That's a lie—pretty sure I'm going to a hospital the moment I get home. Or possibly a jail cell.

To my surprise, Twilight giggles and says, "Friendship report, huh? You really are Spike."

"What, the obsession with Rarity wasn't enough of a clue?" I reply, and all of a sudden we're laughing together. For the first time since I got here, I feel like I'm at home, even in this strange, enlarged version of the library I know and love. It makes me miss my Twilight.

The laughter dies down, and we stand in silence for a moment. Twilight looks over at a random book shelf, and I look at the floor. I can feel my frown reappear as our earlier conversation comes to mind:

"Celestia's been telling you to keep Rarity and I apart, then."

I look up at her. She does not look back at me. Her frown is larger than mine.

"Not really, no. She just told me about something that happened a long time ago, and it was this exact same situation, only—"

"—it was a dragoness and a stallion, not a drake and a mare?"

"Um, no." She looks at me. "It was a drake and a mare."

"Oh, right. Forgot about the species swap thing with this world."

"How did you—"

"I've heard the story before." A sigh punctuates my sentence. "I should have realized there was a connection..."

"I don't think you'd be like that."

My brow furrows. "What?"

A smile slips onto her face. "You've grown into a very mature young stallion, Spike. Or, in your case,"—she gestures to my scaly body— "a very mature young drake. You aren't a little kid who has a tantrum every time he doesn't get what he wants. You never were, really. It was probably obvious to see that before, but then, I wasn't exactly the best at reading emotions of other living creatures back when we were younger. I think you and Rarity can have a wonderful life together."

"Yeah, maybe." I'm glad I haven't had to tell her about how the Rarity from my universe and I had a falling out and I destroyed a big part of the Canterlot Castle. "I just... I don't want it to be over too soon."

"I think I can relate." She looks at a textbook sitting on the center table in the room and frowns again. For a long moment, she just stares, silent and pondering. When she finally speaks again, her voice is barely above a whisper:

"How long does a pony live, Spike?"

"Huh?"

"You live in a world of equines, don't you?" She looks at me, and I'm shocked to see her eyes watering again. "You must know the average lifespan of one. We don't have as much info here in the middle of Serpentia."

I open my mouth, but I don't answer right away. I don't want to. I give in, though, and mutter, "If they're lucky? A hundred years, maybe a little more."

Twilight nods, then turns her head away. Her claw rushes up to cover her eyes, but the static shaking of her chest and the twisting of her lips betrays her emotions.

"I suspected it was something short like that, when he hit eighteen..." she sobs. "Even though he was at an adult age, his body just kept aging. It didn't slow down at all..." After that, her voice cracks, and she grits her teeth. I watch a drizzle slide down her cheek. A droplet falls to the floor.

"Oh crap..." I move over to the crying dragin and pull her into a hug. "Twilight, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"I don't want him to go," she blurts, hugging me back with a grip like a vise. My shoulder becomes her pillow. I can feel more droplets wiping off onto it. "It's gonna be too soon, just like you said."

"It's okay," I tell her. "It's okay."

"It's a blink of an eye for me. A blink." Her claws dig into my back. "It's not enough. He doesn't get enough."

I just hug her tighter and say, "He gets a lifetime, Twi. Just as much as anypony else."

After that, we're both quiet. Then, to my surprise, I hear a giggle come from the sulking mess of lavender scales on my shoulder.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

Twilight lifts her head up to look me in the eye. She's got a small smile on, and she sniffles before murmuring, "You said 'everypony.' It sounds weird."

"To you, maybe." I grin. "You think saying 'everydragon' came naturally to me?"

We're both laughing again. And that's good. It's nice to laugh with Twilight. She's got such a great laugh. She really does.

Once we're finished and sobered up again, Twilight says, "I suppose I shouldn't complain. I mean, your situation must be a thousand times worse." Her smile vanishes. Blushing, she mumbles, "Sorry."

"Hey, it's alright. I've thought about it for a while, now, and I think I'm coming to terms with it."

Twilight's smile returns, if only a little smaller than before.

"Now," I say, patting her shoulders, "if you don't mind, I'm going to go get that book back, and see if I can't commit a few more pages of it to memory before I have to go."

I turn towards the kitchen door, but something vivid and pink catches my eye. Looking to the foot of the staircase, who do I see standing there with the goofiest, sappiest, most-teary-eyed smile I've ever seen plastered on their face but Pinkie I-Knew-You-Were-Spike-The-Whole-Time Pie. I stop and stare at her. Then, when the silence has gone on long enough, I ask:

"You were standing there the whole time?"

Nod.

"You heard everything we said, and you're happy that I'm finally being honest with Twilight?"

Nod-nod.

"You're gonna give us both a bone-crushing hug right this second, whether we want it or not?"

Nod-nod-nod-nod-nod-nod-nod.

I sigh, and hold out my arms at my sides.

"Well, let's get it over with."

Fun Fact: when it's coming from a dragon version of her, Pinkie Pie Affection hurts. A lot.

____________________________________________________________________

Rarity shows up at the library the next morning, in the middle of breakfast. Which is a really unfortunate time to show up, because there's nothing that makes you feel stupider than answering the door with a mouthful of toast and finding the love of your life standing on the doorstep.

She greets me with a short "Hello." There's the faintest trace of a smile on her face. I try to speak, but when my mouth opens, the toast falls out of my mouth and lands on my foot (jelly side down, of course). So I just stand in the doorway with my jaw gaping open and my breakfast smearing on my toes, waiting for the moment when Luna comes in and laughs at my embarrassing but adorable dreams. But that moment doesn't come. Rarity just stares back at me with that small smile, somehow nonplussed by my carelessness with the toast.

"Surprised to see me, I suppose," she finally says.

I nod and shut my mouth, stifling the urge to kick away the food on my foot. I try and speak, but nothing comes to mind besides "You're here."

"Yes," she replies, "yes I am. May I come in? We should talk."

I let her in, of course, and start toward the table in the center of the room. Rarity walks past it, though, and heads for the hall leading into the depths of the library.

"In private, please," she insists as she passes me. After taking a moment to choke down the enormous, all-consuming fear of what lies beyond that first row of shelves (lost a whole day in there, remember?), I follow her down the aisle. Somehow, she's able to navigate this insane labyrinth on her own, and in less than a minute we've found a desk to sit at. She does just that, but I stay standing: I have this horrible feeling that if I stop using them, my legs will completely shut down on me, and I won't be able to get back up.

"Okay," I begin once we're both comfortable (or at least, once she's comfortable). "I'm—I'm gonna say 'I'm sorry' a lot in the next few minutes, so please don't get angry at me for that."

She smiles again and says, "I don't think that would be fair, after all we've been through."

"No... I guess not." I stare at my toes (there's still a little jelly on one) and think of what to start with. "I... I don't really know what to say to you right now. I don't know if I should start explaining myself or start begging to be forgiven. I know I want to do both, but no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to think of how to say it all in a way that won't hurt you more. I just—I really don't want to do that again. Hurt you, I mean."

"I believe you."

"Thank you." My heart is pounding so hard, it makes my head ache. "I'm sorry for putting you through all this. I didn't mean to make you jump through hoops and waste your time on me. I shouldn't have tried to win you over at all, but I just couldn't think straight. I can never think straight, when I'm around you or when you're on my mind." I glance over at her. "That's always a bit of a trouble."

A red tinge taints her cheeks, and she looks at the floor. "I understand."

"It's just that—" I can't get the words out, so I convince myself to do so by hitting my head against a shelf, which makes Rarity jump. Gripping my forehead, I finally whimper, "I love you, you know? I love you a lot, and I feel like the luckiest drake in the world when I'm with you."

"Emerald..."

"I know you think I'm full of it, and I would too, if I were in your scales, but I'm sorry, I just can't lie to you anymore. I love you, Rarity, more than anything in the world."

Silence from her end. I don't look at her. I think I'm gonna cry.

"It amazes me just imagining what you've had to go through because of me. Anydragon else would have sent me packing after the first date—heck, they probably wouldn't have even given me a first date—but you hung around long enough for me to get some kind of sense back in my head. You stayed with me, and in return I did the... the crappiest thing I could possibly have done to you. For that, I am more sorry than I've ever been in my life, and I pray to Celestia that you can forgive me somehow."

Still nothing from her. I'm blinking away some shimmer in my eyes. The bookshelf is hurting my claws.

"And that's the worst part. Even if you forgive me, even if you believe me when I say I love you more than the sun, even if all that happens, I still have to leave you. Whether or not you believe what I told you, I'm leaving soon, and part of me is hoping you're here to tell me you hate my rotten guts, just so you can be alright when I go, because I don't want you to be unhappy because of me anymore. I don't want you to be unhappy at all, ever. All I want is to see you smile, and if hating me will do that, then that's what needs to happen.

"I'm so sorry, Rarity. I'm sorry that the lies hurt you, I'm sorry that the truth hurt you, and I'm sorry that I—"

"Emerald."

A claw rests on my shoulder. She turns me so that I'm staring straight into her vivid blue eyes.

"I came here because I wanted to see you." Her other claw rests on my other shoulder. "Because I believe you."

"Oh." That's all I can say.

"Spike told me that you weren't lying. That you told him the same exact story. And that... you really do love me."

"Yeah," I answer. "Yeah, I do."

A long pause follows. Then I ask, "So, he convinced you to come and see me?"

"I suppose, yes." Another small smile appears on her lips, joined this time by a reddish tint on her cheeks. "Truth be told, I... wanted to see you again anyway."

"Why?"

Her arms have slid further along my shoulders, and are now wrapped around my neck. The tip of her snout is just touching mine, and through the sliver of my vision not taken up by her face I can see her thin, curvy tail waving back and forth in a slow, deliberate motion.

She whispers, "Because I love you too," and her eyes drift shut.

Keeping as still as I can, I uncurl my fists and rest them on Rarity's hips. They're warm.

I whisper back, "E-Even after..." I try and move in after that, but she pulls her head away just as our lips brush. Her hands ball up against my back, and her eyes open the slightest bit.

"How long do you have before you go?" she asks.

"...Two days."

Rarity grimaces and turns away, biting her lip. I can see her eyes shimmer like mine did, and she drags a claw up to wipe at them. By the time it moves out of the way, her expression has changed; the small smile has returned once more.

"Fine, then..." She sniffles and turns back to me. The claw that wiped away the shimmer rests on my cheek, and I bring my own claw up to hold it. Her chest presses against mine as she steps in closer, her heart beating gently against me. Her claws slip back around to my spines, her arms sliding smoothly along the sides of my neck.

"We'll just have to make the most of it, won't we?" she asks. Her breath is heavy and hot on my face.

"Rarity..."

I don't finish my sentence. I just lean in again. And this time, she does, too.

I taste vanilla and lilac, with the slightest hint of ruby.

My favorite.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

Two posts ago, I asked you all if you'd like to have the last chapters of this story published in one big bundle, a "super-update," if you will. Many of you told me that, yes, you'd love to see this happen, please do that. I replied by completely ignoring these requests and posting a single chapter update anyway. So this is your compensation for having to deal with that. You get TWO chapters! Ta-Daaaaah!...Less of a "bundle" than it is a "pair," really, but I was already finishing this thing up, and I ran out of good chapter titles. Deal with it!

What I notice about what I've written down in these 20K+ words(!) is that, and correct me if I'm wrong, I like to focus on the side characters a lot. That sort of makes sense in this case, what with Spike's lesson sort of having been learned already (though, as this chapter probably pointed out, there are still a few loose ends for him to tie up back in Equestria), but I still sometimes (read: always) worry about what I'm focusing on in my stories. Maybe it's because I feel like I'm saying goodbye to these characters, or at least these versions of them, and I want to send them of in a way I see fit. Maybe I just have poo-brain. I don't know. I don't know...

Onward, then, fair readers, as I lay this tale to rest, for better or for worse! I've worked long and hard (heh) on this baby, and while I'm sure that there'll probably be some of you who are upset with how it ends, I'm happy with what I've put down. Sometimes you have to just go with what your gut tells you, and mine is giving me a thumbs up on this story. And that, my friends, is what I call "high praise."

—NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. Corrections. Don't forget to point out corrections I should make. I love it when you talk editor to me.

Long, Sad Farewells, Full of Heavy Sighs and Short Waves

____________________________________________________________________

"Will you tell me your name? Your real one?"

"...Yes. But not now. When I leave."

"..."

"I know you're sick of the lies. So am I. But please, please, please let me be Emerald for a little while longer. He makes you so much happier than I ever could."

"..."

"...Please?"

"...Alright... Emerald..."

"Thank you, Rarity. And I promise I'll tell you-mmph."

"Mmm..."

"..."

"...I heard you the first time, darling."

"...That's very nice lipstick you're wearing."

____________________________________________________________________

One of the first phrases I learned when I was a hatchling was "time flies when you're having fun." I heard this from Twilight plenty of times, most often at the times when she would look up from a new book and notice that several hours had passed without her knowledge. I didn't really understand it at first, mostly because I didn't get what was so "fun" about reading without moving an inch for half a day. When I finally had the phrase explained to me by (guess who) the very mare who had made it confusing for me in the first place, I ended up even more perplexed, since it didn't occur to me that Twilight truly loved reading and learning. It just seemed to me that she spent all her time doing it because she needed to make sure that Princess Celestia was pleased with her work. I've since learned that "time flies when you're having fun" isn't really the best way to put it; it's more like, "time flies when you want it to last."

I bring this up because once Rarity comes around, the day slips away. I feel déjà vu and don't care, because a miracle has happened and I'm with her again. I'm hardly aware of where we go or what we do; it doesn't matter, so long as she can be by my side and not hate me for what I've done. I keep expecting the walls of reality to fall apart and reveal the blue-and-gray landscape of the dream world, but they never do. There's no Luna, no bad memories, none of it. This day is simply for her and me, and only when the sun has set and she gives me a gentle kiss good night does the euphoria that has blanketed me starts to fade. I hadn't even noticed that the day ended; but then, time flies when you want it to last.

Walking back from Rarity's boutique ("I'm afraid I still have some picking up to do in here, darling," she explained politely when I asked to come in), the numbing giddiness pumping through my veins lightens up enough for me to think properly. Slowly but surely, the past twenty-four hours plays back through my head, and I think over what a difference that twenty-four hours has made. I think over how awful I'd been feeling just this morning, sitting at the breakfast table and munching somberly on toast. I think of how Spike has helped me, even after everything I've done to him. I think of Twilight and Pinkie Pie, who've both been such great supports in the past two weeks. Well, it was mostly Pinkie; Twilight had her own fish to—

I stop just a block away from my destination. I can see the library's glowing windows through the dark, but I'm not really looking at them.

Twilight told me—

I'm moving again, at almost a run now. The joy and dreamy happiness that was overwhelming me not even a minute ago has all but vanished, leaving in it's place a few choice bad memories that part of me would feel fine not remembering. The rest of me, however, is all too grateful to have remembered them, and now all I can see ahead of me is my bed, and all I can hear are the same words, echoing in my head like an anthem:

I refuse to let history repeat itself...

From the back of my mind, something big and angry roars back at it:

Liar!

____________________________________________________________________

The more dreams I have, the more they all look real to me. What started out as a mind-bending drift through an eternally blue ocean has turned into something that looks like one of those awesome daydreams I used to have as a kid.

It starts in the middle of a hallway, one very much like the path to the Throne Room in the Canterlot Castle. Only this hall is far more enormous than the one back in Equestria. Its ceiling is hardly visible from hundreds (thousands?) of feet above me, and the ends of it appear to be nonexistent. The crimson carpet under my feet doesn't feel like fabric, but like my own skin—scaly, smooth, and just a little slippery. On either side of me are huge windows of stained glass, similar in many ways to the ones that depict all of the adventures the girls and I have been on back home. These windows, however, show me something a little different. It's the same image, over and over again, and it's far less cheerful than the window that tells the story of my daring rescue of the Crystal Heart. Each time I look at one of these dream windows, the echo of a voice I've been hearing a lot from lately whispers in my head:

She told me she was ready...

The glass shows me burning houses, burning pastures, burning trees. The red glow of the all-consuming flames is cast upon the ground, radiating like a small sun. The pieces of the hall caught in this light look as though they themselves are burning, right along with those poor, wooden shacks depicted in the glass.

Haystone was not the only thing destroyed that day...

The sides of the window are embroidered with patterns of smog and ash. The burning red floor of the hall is surrounded by an ugly and dull gray ring. The remains of a forest lie in the corner of the glass, charred black and lifeless. This bit of the window does not, in fact, cast a colored swatch down upon the hallway's carpeting.

The dragon's name was Rose...

Above the smoke and flame, an enormous winged beast twists and roars in midair. She's burning like the fire, with yellow eyes that glint with madness and rage. I feel small, staring up at her stained glass image. From her jaws comes a ruby-shaded fire that no doubt has brought about the scene she hovers above. Her massive form fills the sky, turning it blood red with her scales. The sun is all but hidden behind her massive head, its golden rays just barely poking out to cast a faint, six-pointed glow on the hallway floor.

I refuse to let history repeat itself...

In the foreground of the dead forest, standing out like a sore thumb amongst the reds and oranges and greys, is a midnight blue smudge in the shape of a pony. She looks so tiny, in comparison to the great dragon above her. So weak.

I feel a rumble and tear my eyes away from the glass. Something in the hallway is moving.

From far beyond my line of sight, the ends of the hall twitch and move inward. I watch them rush right at me, and perhaps I should feel panic, but I don't. Instead, all I can think of is that little blue pony, standing small against the godly beast she once called her friend.

You must understand the dangers of being in love with a pony, Spike...

Without thinking twice, I raise my arms up, pointing one at each of the walls headed for me. Immediately, they stop.

Enough of this. I have business to attend to.

Through the exit that has been so kind as to move close enough for me to reach I find a room that's quite different than the hall. It's gray and made of stone, and looks something like the catacombs of the Crystal Palace without all that dark Sombra magic floating around. To my left is a stone staircase that rises into the seemingly infinite blackness hanging above my head. It looks a bit intimidating (and endless), so I take the door to my right, stepping out into the same exact hallway I had just left. I stride over to the other end of it (doing my best to avoid looking at the windows) and exit through a door identical to the first one, only to find myself back in the stone room. Stepping over to the door on the right once again, I find myself looking into the same hallway with the same carpet and the same stained glass windows. Again. So it looks like the endless staircase is my only way out of this place. Better than endless stained glass windows, I guess.

The first minute of climbing is uneventful and slow, even though I'm running up the stairs. The further up I go, however, the less and less I can see. This becomes very troublesome after a while, since there are no railings for these stairs and I really really really don't want to fall to my death anytime soon. So I try and hug the wall as I ascend through the darkness, but even that becomes difficult to do, as it seems the wall is beginning to cease to exist. My claws slip against gaps in the stone, and from what I gather sticking my arm all the way in one of these odd holes, there's nothing on the other side of the wall. So I just keeping going, staring down at my feet in an effort to see them, which becomes difficult in itself after another minute because my sense of direction suddenly evaporates and leaves me wondering if I'm looking down at all. The stairs go from feeling rough and cold to silky and warm, now carpeted with my-mother-knows-what. More than once, I slip up and almost fall over, which turns my quick ascension into a slow, steady effort to keep going and not fall and plummet and die. The air grows warm and sticky, making it an unpleasant experience just to breathe. I find myself wishing I had just kept going around that loop, trying to find another way out. Perhaps I'd just gone through those infinite doors the wrong way; surely reversing my direction of travel would solve everything. If I could just turn around without slipping, then maybe I can head back down and try—

My foot passes through empty air where another stair should be. In a split second, I'm plummeting downwards.

The overwhelming fear that I get whenever I start to fall threatens to drown me. I manage something like a gurgle of terror before the falling truly begins and supersaturates that fear with exhilaration. My arms reach out and flail, wishing for something to grab onto and never ever let go. There's nothing there; there's nothing anywhere anymore. It's all just darkness and that sour air, still warm even when it's rushing up past me. My eyes are wide open, trying to find some speck of light to register, anything at all, but they begin to burn thanks to the stinging wind in them. I have to shut them, and I go back to flailing my arms for a minute while I wait for the burning to pass. When it does and I open my eyes again, I'm greeted by something more than complete darkness.

In the distance, a golden spark winks at me.

I'm not falling anymore. I'm just floating now, hovering in the inky blackness. Or maybe I am still falling and there's just no more wind to tell me which way my body's moving. I'm not sure. I stare at the spark, thinking it's the bottom of the staircase and that I can just drift on down to it so I can get back to that hall with the stained glass. Then I remember that there was never any staircase, and that the hallway and the windows were all just a dream, and that this is what I'd always been doing, just floating here and waiting for the spark to arrive so that I might get the chance to see it. And here it is, right in front of me. I just need to drift a little bit closer, and—

"You cannot go that way."

The blue alicorn is just above me, barely visible in the glow of the golden spark. She smiles at me and holds out her hoof. Her mane and tail seem to blend into the blackness, filling it with the twinkling glow of whatever it is her mane and tail are made of.

"Why not?" I ask. I can't remember her name.

"Because," she says, reaching out and grasping my arm, "if you do, then you shall not be able to come back."

She tugs at me, and I float up to her. Putting my arms around her neck, she spreads two magnificent, midnight wings and launches us upward. Beneath me, the spark twinkles, calling for something, or somedragon, or somepony, to come to it. As it slips away into the dark, so too does my vision. The alicorn's coat dims to nothing, and I become blind again. The air is still warm, still sour. The wind is still gone.

The flapping of her wings and the softness of her fur are the only things that tell me I am still here.

____________________________________________________________________

I'm not certain how long it takes, but eventually I'm pulled through two large, wooden doors, out of that nightmarish darkness and into, strangely enough, a bedroom. Landing on the floor without making a sound, I slide slowly off my ride, giving my mind the time it needs to catch up with reality. Or whatever this is.

"Are you alright?" Luna asks.

"Mm-hmm," I moan, pressing my face hard into the floor and gripping the carpet with my claws. Once he spinning stops and my mind dispels the rest of the fog sitting around it, I sit up and take a look around. We're in Luna's bedroom again; those wooden doors she brought me through are those of her closet. From beyond the still-opened doors, the blackness sits. Just looking at it, makes me shiver; I can still feel it creeping over and around me.

"Ah," Luna says, noticing my look. "You'll want this closed, then."

The closet doors glow blue and shut. I keep staring at them, trying to figure out what exactly it was I just experienced. From beside me, Luna begins to walk away, and I turn to her.

"What was that?" I rasp.

"That," she replies, "is where the deepest of sleepers go. I advise you to clear it from your mind. It will only bring you unnecessary troubles, and Sister knows you do not need any more of that."

I get that that's supposed to be her attempt at humor, but having just come out of some sort of in-sleep trance that almost got me... deep-sleeped, or whatever it's supposed to be called, I'm not exactly in a laughing mood. I just continue to stare at the closet.

It seems Luna can tell I'm still troubled by it, because she changes the subject: "Incidentally, it impressed me to see those stained glass windows you dreamt up. You have an excellent memory, and quite a creative imagination."

The stained glass windows.

The dragon's name was Rose

I leap to my feet and spin to face Luna, almost falling over in the process. I step to her, and she backs away as I raise an accusing finger at her.

"Your sister," I growl. "This is all her fault."

"I'm sorry?"

"She's the reason it never worked. She's why Twilight's always just laughed at my feelings, because Twilight has to listen to her, doesn't she?"

"Spike, you must be clearer. I cannot—"

"Your sister has been manipulating Twilight to keep Rarity and me apart!"

Luna is silent, eyes gone wide and jaw slightly ajar.

"Why," she begins, "would she ever—"

"Oh, like you don't know!" I approach her again, and she continues to back away. "Like you don't know what happened the last time a pony and a dragon got together, and how that ended!"

"Spike, you cannot honestly think—"

"But it makes sense, Luna! Why wouldn't she try and stop it from happening again, if last time ended with an annihilated village? Regardless of whether or not I've spent my entire life being raised by and living with ponies, I'm a danger to them all!"

"Spike, please—"

"Forget that my family is all ponies, or that every single friend I've ever had is a pony, or that I've spent most of my life hating myself for being a dragon and not a pony like all of them. Forget all that, because if I get too close to one of them, and she kicks the bucket, it all goes out the window and I turn into a blood-thirsty rampaging monster that sees ponies only as a nice little snack, right? No wonder she wants me kept apart from everypony!"

"You need to stay calm, Spike. You're—"

"And hey, why stop at just Twilight? She's an all-powerful deity, isn't she? She can just manipulate her little subjects into doing whatever she wants, willingly or otherwise. So why not make me the outcast, huh? It explains everything: she made me the butt end of every joke, the cutesy little dragon who's just so funny to watch while he stumbles around and acts all goofy; she made me have to stay and sit around the library all day while all my friends went off and had amazing adventures that I'd always hear about when they made me write their friendship reports later; heck, she's probably the reason I was so bucking stupid back then. She easily could have been dumbing me down so nopony would ever take me seriously, planting idiot ideas in my head so I could get into trouble and look like a toddler trying to be all grown up and fix everything. She put that stupid Dragon Code in my head, made me act like I didn't know what a bucking kitchen was when I tried to help Applejack out, made me think Twilight would replace me with a bucking owl, made me—"

"SPIKE!"

The force of the Royal Canterlot Voice shuts me up and pushes me back. I'm forced to keep myself from falling over by leaning against a nearby wall—a nearby wall that didn't exist a few seconds ago.

"What the..."

We've traded Luna's bedroom for a narrow stone hallway, one that looks like a part of the Canterlot Castle's dungeon that hasn't been touched in years. Damp, mossy stones make up two cracked and ugly walls that stretch endlessly upwards into the darkness that is the ceiling. My tail can't swing back and forth without smacking into said cracked and ugly walls; each time it does, a little part of me fears that I might bring them crashing down on us, they look so unstable. Looking past Luna, I see what made her so determined to keep me from pushing her further back—the floor simply stops, and falls away into a pit as black and endless as the ceiling. Had she taken another step back, Luna would have plummeted.

Looking around, I begin, "How did this—"

"Listen to yourself."

The gust isn't as strong this time, but the Voice still does a fine job of silencing up.

"You sound like a foal. Accusing the leader of Equestria, your own mother, of manipulating your entire life for no other reason than to make you suffer? You are better than that."

She takes a step away from the pit and gives a little cough. When she speaks again, it's in a voice that's at a normal volume:

"What in my Mother's name would make you think this?"

"Funny you should ask that," I growl. "I got the idea from this little story you told me, once upon a dream."

She blanches. I have her caught.

"See," I continue, "I'm not the only one who's heard that story from a princess. Your sister gave Twilight a short history lesson back when dear Twily first told her about my silly little crush. When she heard I was going after a pony's heart, Celestia told Twilight all about that dragoness and her stallion, which got Twilight worrying. So, Twilight started keeping me from getting too close to Rarity, all because she was afraid that I might go off the deep end if anything bad ever happened between Rarity and me. Thanks to your sister, mine has been trying for years to keep me away from the one I love!"

"Spike, you must understand—"

"I understand perfectly, Luna! You two don't trust me enough to act like a civilized creature, so you're both conspiring to keep me separated from the rest of ponykind by reminding them all that I'm different and dangerous!"

"We are not—"

"Don't try and lie to me anymore! I know you're afraid of me, of what I am—"

"And why should we not be!?"

This one catches me by surprise, and sends me tumbling to the grimy floor of the hallway. Luna's eyes shine with white fury, and she steps towards me with her teeth grit.

"After what happened before, why should my sister and I not take the precautions to ensure that our subjects are safe from another attack of that kind?"

Her wings snap open, crackling with white energy, and the walls of the hallway blast outward into the growing darkness. A wind begins to pound my eardrums and burn my eyes. Struggling against it, I can only watch as Luna comes closer. Within her mane, the stars are alight with the fury and power of their mistress. Their light is blinding, and ir forces me to shut and cover my eyes as Luna continues:

"What makes you believe you are above such mortal emotions as sorrow and rage? Do you think you are better than all other dragons, simply because you've been raised differently?"

The wind is defeaning. Above it, I yell, "I know I'm not—"

"If anything, you have proven yourself more dangerous than the dragoness from all those centuries ago, destroying our castle because somepony was rude to you!"

My eyes snap open, despite the raging wind and burning light from Luna's mane. She's standing above me, eyes still aglow, face still twisted with violent resentment. Her limbs are shaking. She stares down at me, teeth grinding together, and all of a sudden her expression changes. It's only slight, the shift in her brow, the curve of her lip, but its enough to warp her look into something completely different. As she does this, I become aware that I'm shaking, too. I think I'm sobbing, but the wind is making it hard to determine what's shaking me and whether or not tears are coming out of my eyes. Then the wind does die down, and I discover that I am indeed starting to sob, because what Luna has just said to me is too true not to hurt. Breathing deep and choking up, I cover my eyes with a claw, trying to control myself. But I can't.

I just can't.

So I lie there and sob, hating Luna and myself and Celestia and that stupid stallion who spat in my face and everypony else in all of Equestria for being right about me. Because I have been the monster: I'm the big bad dragon that destroyed a good chunk of the Canterlot Castle and the lives of a great many ponies in one fell swoop, all because I wanted to be something I wasn't. I'm the one who trashed half of Ponyville one day because I'd gotten too many birthday presents. I'm the monster; Celestia was right to warn Twilight about me.

Something warm drips onto my cheek that isn't from me. I pull away my claw and look up at Luna, who is still gazing down at me and glowing. Her limbs are still shaking, and her teeth are still grit, but the crackling energy in her wings has gone, and the stars in her mane are no longer blinding me. Her chest heaves, and from the white glow in her eyes comes a tear, one that glows just as bright and slides halfway down her cheek before dripping off and falling onto my own. I can feel the warmth radiating from the tear as its glow fades. The glow in Luna's eyes fades, too. Her wings fall to her sides, and she gazes down at me with wide, horrified eyes. She covers her mouth with a hoof, chest heaving again. More tears spill from her eyes, and she shuts them and sits back, biting her hoof in a sad attempt to stop them.

"Luna—" I choke. Swallowing a few times, I say, "Luna, you're right. What I've done is exactly what that dragoness did all those years ago. I should be thanking you and Celestia for trying to stop me. If I'd gone further than the castle—"

And then she's on me, crying. Her forelegs wrap around my chest, and her muzzle buries into my shoulder. Her wings spread out and cover us, mixing the glow of her starry mane with her feathers to tint the world around us midnight blue. I feel a wet spot form where her muzzle presses into my scales.

"I'm sorry!" she shouts into my neck. "What I said was disgraceful and untrue! I was angry, and I wanted to... I wanted to..." She pulls her muzzle out of my neck and looks at me. "I don't want to hurt you."

She's sorry. Even though she's right, she's sorry.

"It's okay, Luna. What you said—"

"—was wrong!" Her hooves grab the sides of my face and pull it close to hers, so close that our noses touch. "You are nothing like the dragoness from before, Spike. You are so much stronger than she ever was. I know you are, and so does my sister. Please understand that everything I said was untrue and only spoken out of anger. I mean none of it, and I am sorry."

"But Luna—"

"Please! You must believe me!"

I stare into her eyes for a long time. They stare back, sparkling and big and blue. Her hooves are still holding my face close to hers.

"Okay," I finally whisper. "I get it. I believe you."

"Thank you," she whispers back. She hugs me again, burying her muzzle back into my shoulder, and this time I return the gesture. Her fur is soft and smooth, and she's very warm. Resting my head against her neck, I feel a sereneness settle over me. Maybe its the scent of her that's doing that: the scent of forest air and forming dew, a scent that reminds me of the nights I spent stargazing with Twilight and the girls up on the hill by the Ponyville River. With my eyes open, I watch her mane flutter in the nonexistent breeze, stars glittering with light. The blue light that envelops us darkens and ripens, blending into a deep violet color that hides the details of her beautiful feathers in shadow. Another smell invades my nostrils: roses. I can feel something new and warm swirling in my gut, pouring outwards until it radiates from my skin. It radiates from Luna, too, floating off her like a warm, rosy mist. It's surrounding us, the source of the tint that turns the world violet, and it's the most wonderful feeling in the world. If only I could always feel this way, with the scent of roses in the air and Luna's wings surrounding me and her breath on my neck...

A voice somewhere in the back of my head tells me something's wrong.

"Luna," I mutter, trying to pull her out of the hug, "what's with this glow? I think I remember it..."

Luna brings herself in front of me, sliding her hooves around my neck. Her eyes are half-open, and I can feel a heaviness on her breath as it brushes my lips.

"Spike..." she breathes, leaning in close. Her hooves guide me forward, and I can feel my head tilt and my eyes shut.

Just as they do, I see Rarity, whispering sweetly to me.

My arms snap forward with a sort of automatic jerk. Gasping, Luna stumbles backwards and lands on her back. Her wings flail open, revealing the rest of the dream world and destroying the violet pocket in which we'd been trapped. The rosy mist surrounding me vanishes, as does the feeling in my gut that came with it. It lingers on Luna for a while, fading at a much slower pace than it did for me. She's covering her face with a wing. I stare at her, and it takes me a moment to realize exactly what it was we almost did just now.

"What in your sister's name was that?!?"

The princess groans, rubbing her face with her hooves, and sits up. When she removes them, her face is flush with embarrassment. She mumbles something about dreams and emotions, tilting her head to the ground.

"What?"

"Our emotions..." she says, louder now. "We let them... grow too much."

"Let them—" I shake my head to clear it. "Let them grow too much?"

Luna nods.

"That's crazy! What emotions?"

"Our..." She winces. "...feelings towards one another."

It takes a moment for that to register. Then I say, "Feelings? I don't have any—"

"We were overcome by our feelings towards—Er, perhaps I should phrase that better—"

"I'd like it if you would."

Oh dear Celestia, what is she saying?

"Luna..." I think I'm gesturing my claws at her. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing, Spike." But she says this looking away, down at the floor.

A floor that is now composed of familiar blue carpet. I look around, and sure enough, we're back in Luna's bedroom. Only this time it's dark. The only source of light in here comes from... candles. Lots and lots of candles.

I can hear my neck creak as I turn my head back to her and say, "Luna... are you telling me..."

She notices her bed (looking oh so comfy and appealing in the light of all those candles), frowns, and looks back at the floor. Her head lowers further, and she murmurs, "Spike, please..."

"...that you, the Princess of the Night herself..."

Her head is so low to the ground now that she almost looks as though she's laying down. She raises a hoof to her cheeks, apparently to try and wipe away her heavy, scarlet blush, and pleads, "Please don't..."

And for a full second, I don't. I just stare at her, feeling puzzle pieces in my head click together in a nice, even fashion. I also realize my hands (which have been extended outwards since I shoved her) and my left eye are twitching violently. Then, despite how outrageous it is to even consider, despite how impossible it is for it to be true, despite how utterly ridiculous it is that she would ever say yes in a billion years, I ask:

"...Luna, are you in love with me?"

My answer is a moan and a sweeping downward motion from her. Her head hits the floor of the room without making a sound, and she covers her face with her front hooves. From what I can see of them, her cheeks are now a shade of maroon I've only ever seen on one of Rarity's magically enhanced dresses. The stars in her mane and tail are rushing around erratically. A moment of pure, frightening silence occurs. Then she sniffles, and raises herself back up onto her haunches. She keeps her eyes shut and her muzzle pointed at the ground. Her blush fades away. The look on her face is one of immense resignation.

"Luna?" My throat begins to feel like it's burning.

A deep, pensive sigh escapes her nostrils, and she says, "Spike, I've come to care very deeply for you, these past few days—"

"Luna, that's ridiculous—"

"And how is it so?" It's not quite the Royal Canterlot Voice, but there's still a small gust of wind I can feel when she bursts out. "How is it ridiculous that I come to care for a creature so loving, so selfless, so... so utterly astonishing?" She swipes at a twinkle in the corner of her eye and, in a much quieter voice, whimpers, "How could I not do so?"

I start to say something, but then I realize where we are: Luna's bedroom. Which is really just a dream of her bedroom. A dream. I say, "Luna, you said that dreams can bring emotions out of whoever's dreaming and make them way more intense than they really are. You might just be—"

"I am the Mistress of the Night, Spike!" she shouts, swiping at her eyes again. "The dreams do not control me! I control them!" Again, in that much quieter voice: "I know what I feel."

I'm silent for a while, and during that silence I discover that it is possible to be tired in a dream; Luna's bed seems to be mocking me from the corner of my eye, enticing me with its dozens of giant, fluffy pillows and its layers of soft, fuzzy blankets. My arms are lowering to my sides. My jaw is doing a poor job of re-hinging itself.

"...How long?" I mutter, once I think of something to say.

"...For nearly a week now."

It takes me a moment to figure it out. "That first time I saw that weird misty stuff... after you calmed me down..."

"Yes." She pulls in a deep breath, and lets it out gently. "Since then."

"Luna, how could you fall in love with me in only a week, especially after seeing what I did to the palace? It was your home, Luna..."

She makes a face like I've just told her a sick joke. "It was not your violence that made me feel this way, Spike."

"Well, what was it, then?"

She looks at me, her eyes large and wet, and says, "When I look at you, I see someone who loves his life deeply and sincerely. I see someone with a family and a town he loves more than anything else in this world, and friends for whom he would give his life. I see someone who finds joy in living without the praise or attention he so obviously deserves. I see a talented, remarkable creature, an anomaly among his own kind who is more generous and more kindhearted than half of the ponies I have known in all my years of life... including myself."

As she says this, she moves towards me, tearing up but not swiping at her eyes anymore. When she reaches me, she sits again, and stares up at me with a small, loving smile on her face.

"Most of all, I see someone whose problems I can understand. A creature who knows how it feels to be me. "

"It is a permanent reminder of my moment of weakness, when I allowed myself to lose control to the darker forces that were within me."

And suddenly I get it. I gaze down at her, jaw still loosened. She smiles back up at me, tears now freely flowing down her cheeks. The Mare in the Moon. Crying over the big bad dragon that destroyed her castle.

She says, "I love you very much, Spike. It has hurt me to see you in such pain, these past two weeks, and it makes me happy to see you return to the way you were before, even if that means..."—and here she sniffles—"...you cannot be with me."

Then she hugs me. I see the rosy color materializing around her again, but this time, it looks different: there's a solidity to it that wasn't there before. Before, it was like a fog; now it's almost like armor.

"Uh, Luna..."

She smiles into my shoulder. "Do not worry, Spike. I am in control now."

We hold each other for a moment longer, just long enough for the rosy coat to cover up her midnight blue body, and then we separate. The rosy coat fades the moment she moves away from me. So does the bedroom we've been in. Taking its place is the hallway I began this dream in, looking exactly the same as it did when I first got here. I look at the stained glass windows and wince as the memory of why I wanted to talk to Luna in the first place comes flooding back into my mind. Turning to her, I say, "I'm sorry for accusing you and your sister of all that manipulation crud earlier. I guess I keep letting the whole 'strong emotions in dreams' thing get to me."

"There is no need to apologize. You are just as vulnerable as any other dreaming creature." She hesitates, then admits, "I'm afraid we've both been overwhelmed by the power of the dream realm, these past few weeks. I can only hope you will be in a sound state of mind when you return to Equestria."

"Well, you've done a good job of keeping me sane so far." I chuckle. "Honestly, I feel like I should be paying you for therapy lessons."

"What use would a princess have with money, when I have the Royal Treasury to rely upon?"

Our laughter echoes through the endless hallway. When it dies down, Luna turns her gaze down to the carpet lining the floor. Her cheeks darken again, and to my surprise, she paws at the ground like a nervous schoolfilly.

"Spike..." she mumbles, "...I am aware that dragons live for... a very long time..."

A sigh escapes me. "Usually, yeah."

"Longer than a mortal pony ever could..."

I see where this is going. "As far as I know."

She looks at the window again, studying the image of the dragoness wrapped around a stallion.

"...I know that you love Rarity more than anything, and that your heart will always belong to her... but if, one day, you feel as though you might... be ready to move on..."

I chuckle, which makes her turn and look at me. Stepping up to her, I cup her cheek with a claw, and give her my best grin.

"Princess Luna of Equestria, I am honored and flattered that you would even consider me worthy of being your very special somedragon. And I promise, if it ever comes to that, I'll remember this moment, and then... well, we'll talk."

Her smile reappears, and once again she pulls me into a hug. Her wings flutter against my arms.

"Thank you," she mumbles.

"Of course," I reply.

Then we separate and head down the hall, walking side by side. I wait for her blush to wash away completely before engaging her in conversation again:

"Y'know," I say as we pass more of the same stained glass windows, "I wasn't joking when I said you kept me sane, these past two weeks. Without you, I'm not sure if I'd even want to go back to Ponyville ever again."

"I am glad you were able to see beyond your mistakes and forgive yourself for them. You have been through more than most creatures, mortal or otherwise."

I glance over at the window we're passing. Within its glass is the depiction of a familiar alabaster alicorn, standing at the balcony of a castle's terrace, pointing her hoof towards a scorched and blackened part of the world—formerly Haystone, nowadays Ponyville.

"I guess she has a good reason to keep me and other ponies from getting too close," I say, nodding to the Celestia in the window. "Especially after what happened back then."

"Spike..."

"And let's not forget the mess I made. That's probably a very helpful bit of evidence to use against me—"

"Spike!"

I turn to Luna. She looks at me with an ugly frown, annoyed.

"If my sister wanted you kept at a distance from ponykind, would she have made you Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sent you off to Ponyville? Would it not have been easier to not keep you in Canterlot at all, and instead have you sent off to a dragon coven when you were still just a hatchling?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"Then why did she not do that, instead of keeping you around and plotting out your life step by step, from start to finish, to ensure you remain separate from the world of equines you inhabit?"

"That's a good point, but she probably wasn't expecting me to—"

"Spike!" I fall silent immediately, much to her satisfaction, and she goes on: "My sister is not manipulating your life. She is far too busy to bother with those kinds of things. If she truly believed you were a threat to our subjects, she would use a much simpler method of eradicating you, like throwing you into the sun."

I have no proper response for that. I can't even imagine it.

"If you are still doubtful, though," she continues, "you can speak to her once you return to Equestria. I'm sure we can have a meeting arranged for the two of you."

"Th-Thanks," I mutter, still thinking about that "throw you into the sun" thing, "I think..."

"'Tis no trouble," she replies, and nudges me. "Now, let us continue our walk."

That's when I realize that I've been standing still for a while now. Shaking my head clear of anything sun-related, I start walking beside Luna again. As we move further and further down the hall, our conversation shifts from subject to subject. With each new topic, the stained glass in the windows changes, reflecting our thoughts in the images it makes. Our thoughts shine down on us in fantastic, prismatic light beams, illuminated by the endless sunlight of the dreamland we walk. Some of the images are big and bright; some are small and sad; all of them are beautiful. The windows change, from a drake at a desk reading, to a pair of dragons sitting on a park bench together, to a circle of six mares, all huddled around a dragon that seems to be slumbering. At some point I realize I'm not ever looking at the windows—I already know what they're showing me.

We reach the end of the hall. There are no doors to go through, no corners to turn, no stairs to climb. There's not even a closet leading into an eternal dark void with a mysterious golden spark this time. It's just one last, giant window. The image in it is simple and elegant: a great white circle, radiating equally white, wavy beams of light, held up by a giant purple claw.

"It's actually not that bright yet," I mention to Luna, after staring up at the image for a second.

"No," Luna replies. "This is how it appears when it is ready to return you to your world."

"Mm." I look around, hoping that a door or something might have appeared by now. Nothing new has shown up, so I ask, "Where do we go next?"

Luna frowns and says, "I am staying here, in the dreamworld. You, however, shall be awake soon."

"Oh." For some reason, my next sentence comes out as a question: "So... I'll see you tomorrow night, then?"

"I'm afraid not," she answers, looking up at the Moonstone. "I have been using too much of my energy to maintain this link with you. I am almost completely drained of my power, and I must use what little I have left to keep the time spell from failing. This is the last time we will speak to each other here."

"Oh," I repeat. I think of how used to these odd dreams I've become, and for a second I feel a sudden barrage of emotion as I realize how much I'll miss them. The sunlight outside chills into an icy blue color, tinting the stained glass and everything else in the world we've been walking through.

"I guess this is goodbye, then," I say.

Luna, still gazing up at the image of the Moonstone, takes a while to respond. Her chest expands as she pulls in a lungful of dream-air, and recedes as she lets it out in one long, heavy sigh. She breaks eye contact with the great white circle in the window and gazes at me with sad, blue eyes.

"Farewell, Spike. I hope to see you again soon."

A sudden shudder shakes the both of us, and I almost fall over. Luna remains firmly planted on the ground, but she looks up at the black void of a ceiling this place has and mutters, "Something is trying to wake you."

Another shudder hits, this one much less violent. The hallway is beginning to vanish around us. I can feel something silky and smooth rubbing against my scales—my blankets, I realize. When the next shudder hits, it feels more like a shove against my arm, and I watch as Luna suddenly splits into two of herself, as does everything else. I think of the last time I something woke me up while speaking to Luna, and something occurs to me.

"Luna?" I call, hoping she can still hear me.

"Yes, Spike?"

Another shove, this one lighter than the last. "What were their names? The dragoness and the stallion? I couldn't get them both the first time."

I'm suddenly made aware that I'm lying down and not standing up, and my sheets are more tangible than the floor of the hallway. Despite all this, I can still see Luna, and the small, sad smile that I've seen her wearing quite a few times during these past two weeks.

Her whisper barely carries through the void: "The dragoness was called Rose Quartz.

"The stallion's name was Artemis."

____________________________________________________________________

It's Rarity that's shaken me awake. She whispers my name (the false one, anyway) as I come back to the world, and when my eyes open she calls it out a little louder.

"Emerald?"

"Whosat?"

"It's me, Emerald. It's Rarity."

"Who's Em?" I slur. My brain doesn't seem to be working properly, which is weird, seeing how just a second ago I'd been talking to Princess Luna just fine.

"You are, darling."

I stare at her. Then my brain catches up with the rest of my body, and I yelp and bolt up in bed. Rarity backs away from her spot just beside me, towards the desk with On the Species sitting on it.

"What're—What're you doing in my room?" I yell, holding my sheets around me like I don't normally walk around without any clothes on.

"Twilight let me in!" she retorts, leaning against the desk. "I was worried you were gone already!"

"'Gone?' What d'you mean, 'gone?'"

"We made plans to have breakfast together, and you never came over to the boutique!"

We had made plans, I remembered. Of course, with the dreams I've been having lately, I've grown a tendency to oversleep.

Crap. "What time is it?" I ask.

"It's nearly noon." Rarity looks down at her feet. "I kept myself busy by cleaning the rest of the boutique, but you were so late I thought..." Her expression darkens. "I thought you'd already left me."

I realize how worried I've made her, and even though I had no control over how long I slept (or maybe I did, who knows), I feel awful. Briefly, my eyes flicker to the Moonstone, sitting beside On the Species on the desk. It looks like a snowball inside of a snow globe now, with only an inch or so of a ring around the edge. One day more. Maybe less.

"I'm sorry. I overslept."

"I know," she mumbles, trying to hide her face with her curly, purple spines. "I just thought..."

"Hey..." I stumble out of my bed and over to Rarity. I take her hand in mine and squeeze it, trying to comfort her. When that fails to affect her, I look over at the Moonstone and think for a second. Then I snatch it up. "Look," I say, holding the orb in front of my face. Rarity obliges, and she watches me breathe a steady stream of emerald flames over the gem until it's entirely consumed. I feel the weight of it vanish in my hand and reappear in my storage center.

There, I think, picturing the little crumpled parchment sitting next to it. Now you're both in a safe place.

I show Rarity my emptied hand, adding a "Ta-da!" to try and get her to cheer up. Her frown dissolves, which is a start, and I smile. Pulling her into a hug, I rub my cheek against her neck and say, "I'm not leaving you now. Especially not that way."

"You should have set an alarm," she says.

I smile against her shoulder. "Yeah, I probably should have." I kiss the scales on her neck and pull away, bringing our faces close together. "Can we still have breakfast together?"

So she brings me back to the Carousel Boutique, where breakfast is waiting for us. Waiting for a few hours, actually.

"I made it before I realized you weren't coming." Rarity explains, still holding my hand. "It's probably freezing cold by now."

I stare at the probably-freezing cold meal in front of us and think about how I'm not hungry at all. I look over at Rarity, who is looking somberly at the breakfast table, and think about how lovely she looks in the glow of the almost-noon sunlight streaming in from the nearby window.

"Are you sure it's cold yet?" I ask, rubbing my thumb along her wrist. "We could let it sit a little longer, just to be safe."

Her eyes flicker to our connected hands, then up to me. A faint blush taints her cheeks. Soon, though, it's replaced with a tiny, knowing smile.

"Oh?" she says, playing along. "No smoky kisses by the refrigerator this time?"

"I can do that, if you'd like."

She giggles. "I think I'd prefer it if we start in the bedroom. You nearly ruined the carpeting on the stairs last time."

I'm pulled by the arm out of the kitchen, towards the stairs. Her tail swishes against my nose, bathing my nostrils in her scent.

By the time we come back into the kitchen, breakfast is indeed freezing cold. And it's delicious anyway.

____________________________________________________________________

It wasn't all sex and breakfast, that last day. There was more after that. She showed me what she was making for her latest client, and told me how he needed it for some big, fancy party in a city called Onyx, and how it might catch the eye of any of the many fashion moguls that could potentially show up that night, and that was why it was so important she get it perfect for him, even though he was such a bore and had absolutely no fashion sense whatsoever (besides choosing Rarity as his tailor, of course). Her talk turned into a demonstration, which ended with me helping her put a few extra touches on the ensemble. By that time, it was almost sundown (breakfast was really that late), and I offered to take her out for dinner, which is exactly what I did. We walked through town and talked and laughed, and searched for a restaurant to eat at, and when it turned out the places we knew were all full we just ended up stepping into the Sugarcube Corner and ordering some milkshakes. We sat outside and drank them while we watched the sun go down. We walked back to the Boutique after that, savoring the coolness of the summer night air. We watched fireflies wink at us from in trees and behind bushes, and stopped at the river for a moment to watch the moon. We talked more, and kissed more, and at one point I fell into the water and pulled Rarity in with me. It was freezing when we stepped out, thanks to the breeze that had decided to start up while we had our milkshakes, and we warmed ourselves with each others' bodies. It didn't matter what we did in that time, really. We were just happy to spend it together.

Time flies when you want it to last, though, and soon we're back at the Boutique, and I'm standing in the doorway again, ready to wish her good night and goodbye.

She laughs when I tell her this. Stepping up to me, she wraps her arms around my neck and her tail around my waist. Her snout rubs up against mine, and her tongue flicks out and tickles my lips.

"I'm not letting you get away that easily, darling," she whispers. "Besides, I still have one more outfit to show you before you go."

Pulling me with her tail, she leads me back inside and up to her room. The outfit she wants to show me is already laid out on the bed. Letting me lie down, she slips it on.

"Well?" she asks when she's finished. "Anything I should change?" She lies down on her stomach next to me and folds her arms under her head. Her tongue flickers out again, playful. I look her up and down, and realize that my claws are digging into her sheets again.

"No," I say, rolling over so I can hold her. "It's absolutely flawless."

It isn't all sex and breakfast, that last day. It is all perfect.

Which makes what happens next suck even more.

____________________________________________________________________

I don't dream that night. My sleep, which comes in short, sudden bursts, is filled with darkness. No blue, no grey, no hallways or parks or balconies. Just deep, restful darkness.

My stomach gets me out of this cycle of slipping in and out of consciousness by giving me what feels like an intense stomachache. Sitting up in bed, I grab at the spot where the pain is coming from, as if that might stop it. When it doesn't, I pull back the sheets covering me and look down at myself.

My stomach is glowing. Shimmering white light is leaking from in between my scales and lighting the area under the sheets like it's a little colt reading comic books past curfew. It's not blinding, but it's definitely enough to wake somedragon if it shines right in their eyes.

From beside me on the bed, Rarity stirs. Covering myself again, I look over at her and pray for her to stay asleep. She turns over, away from me, and swivels her neck until her head is facing the end of the bed. She sighs, settles back down, and then all I hear from her are soft snores.

I watch her for a while, wanting to lie back down and wrap my arms around her again, but the pain in my stomach intensifies, informing me that that's not an option. I look down at the glowing spot again. I know exactly what it is, of course, and I'm tempted to get rid of it, to use my sending fire or something to send it somewhere else. Anywhere else.

But that wouldn't be fair, so I don't.

Making sure not to wake her, I slide out of Rarity's bed, keeping the glowing spot covered as long as I can. Slipping out the bedroom door and down the stairs, I spit out the Moonstone and search for something to cover it with. I find a purple swatch of fabric on the floor of Rarity's studio, but it does nothing to cover up the glow. I try putting more over it, but no matter how much of anything I use, the glow doesn't become any dimmer. I guess the gem really didn't want me to miss the chance to go back.

I give up my search for a cover and head for the front door, wishing I could stay and knowing that I can't. My hand is on the handle when I notice there's a quill and some parchment sitting on one of her desks nearby. I glance at the stairs, nervous and hearing noises from things that aren't really there. Slinking over to the desk as quietly as I can, I pick up the quill and spread out a piece of parchment. I scribble for a minute, set the quill down, and sneak back upstairs, leaving the Moonstone shining on the desk.

Much to my relief, Rarity is still asleep, her head still pointed at the foot of the bed. I inch over to her, parchment in hand, and set it next to her claw. I stare at the parchment, and for a second I consider tearing it to pieces, letting the noise of it wake her up so I can tell her I've decided not to leave, or slipping back under the covers of her bed and falling asleep again, letting the Moonstone glow and blink and, eventually, burn out.

But that wouldn't be fair, so I don't.

Instead, I kiss her forehead and stroke her beautiful purple crest, wishing I could do more. Then I slip out of the room for the last time. I snatch up the Moonstone, finding that it's grown strangely warmer since I last touched it, and head out the door of the Carousel Boutique and into the night.

It's warm outside, too, and the wind that had been blowing a few hours earlier has died down. Everything is still and silent except me, trudging through the streets and searching for the arch I walked under two weeks ago, when this whole mess was just beginning. Fortunately, that's one of the few paths I've managed to remember in my time here, so it only takes a few minutes to find the twisted metal poles making up Dragonsville's welcome mat. I stop when I reach them, and stare out into the darkness beyond the town. It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust, but I can see the path I took to get here, and the hill I walked down, and the forest I thought was the Everfree back when I'd first gotten here (which is technically still called the Everfree Forest here, it's just not my Everfree Forest). And beyond that, in a clearing next to a cow ranch...

The Moonstone feels hot now. I wonder if it might burn me.

I look up at the arch and run my claws along its sides. The metal is cool and smooth. The arch is much taller than I remember—though I guess I wasn't paying very close attention to it that first time, since I'd been focused more on the ponies that weren't ponies, but dragons—but that makes sense, what with all the different sizes of dragons that live here. I think of that moment, when I first realized that I wasn't in Ponyville anymore, and it feels nearly impossible to believe that that happened just two weeks ago. With everything that's happened since, I feel like I've been here a year and a half, not two short weeks. At the same time, I wish I could stay longer. Turning around, I look out at the town I've called home for the past fortnight and imagine what it would be like to live here. I imagine dragons rushing from place to place on Market Day, when the streets are lined with booths and carts, and everydragon has something to sell. I imagine being a part of that rushing crowd, trying to get all the ingredients I need to make dinner for myself and Twilight. I imagine the adventures I've lived through with the Bearers of Harmony, played out in this dragon-led world. I imagine living in the Carousel Boutique with Rarity, visiting Twilight and Pinkie Pie at the library or the Sugarcube Corner, helping Applejack with the harvest down at the Acres, having tea with Fluttershy in her—

From down the street, I spot a dragon coming towards me. I realize who it is before the moonlight even hits her, and I freeze up as she charges towards me, smoke billowing from her nostrils.

Rarity stops directly in front of me, balled fists against her hips. I can only hope the expression on my face is pathetic enough to keep her from yelling at me. She looks me dead in the eye, fury incarnate, and says nothing. She pays no attention to the glowing ball of light in my hand.

Finally, I say, "Uh, hi, Rarit—"

And then she smacks me upside the face.

"What is the matter with you?" she yells, ignoring the fact that I'm stumbling against the arch trying not to scream in pain. "After everything that we've been through, after I've forgiven you countless times for your lies, after you tore my heart to pieces and put it back to together again in under a week, this is what you give me?"

Through the tears that are uncontrollably welling up in my eyes, I see her hold up a piece of parchment. My note to her.

"Thank you so much for everything," she reads, "I hate that I have to leave this way, but it's happening too fast. I wish I didn't have to hurt you. I wish I didn't have to leave you at all, but I can't stay here. Please try to forget me. I love you."

She lowers the parchment, crumpling it into a ball in her fist. I stare at her, resisting the urge to try and claw away the pain in my face.

"You couldn't even wake me?" she asks, angry tears forming in her eyes.

"I didn't want you to see me—"

"You promised, though!" she shouts. "You promised me you wouldn't leave without telling me goodbye! And now you've lied to me, again!"

"I didn't lie. I left the note..."

"And when was I supposed to read it, hmm? In the morning, hours after you'd left?"

"Maybe, I don't—"

"And how was this"—she holds up her balled fist to indicate the note—"supposed to be a goodbye? Was I supposed to accept it as some sort of romantic parting gift like some idiot schoolfilly in a terrible romance novel?"

"I didn't want to hurt you more—"

"I can handle being hurt, Emerald!" Her spit flecks on my face. "This isn't the first time I've had my heart broken!"

"That's what I wanted to avoid—"

"Well, too bad! You're going to break my heart, Emerald, and you're going to do it to my face! Not with some—some trite little note!"

Her horn flashes with violent light, and her hand opens to reveal the crumpled parchment bursting into icy blue flames. In a second, the note is consumed, and the fire dissipates, leaving only a clump of ashes in her hand. She dumps these onto the ground, steps closer to me, and puts her claws back on her hips.

"So do it now," she growls, "and we can part on acceptable terms."

The burning in my face has dulled to an ache now. I breathe in, clenching and unclenching my claws while thinking of something to say. I breathe out, and put my claws on Raritys' shoulders. She doesn't push them off, which I'm thankful for.

"I'm sorry," I begin. "I've been... very self-destructive, these past few weeks, and I've hurt a lot of the ones I love because of that. A lot has happened that I still can't explain, and I don't think I'll ever be able to explain it. Not completely, anyway.

"I wish I could stay with you. I want to stay with you, and live with you, and be happy with you."

"Then why don't you just do that?" she asks. "Why not just take that thing"—she points to the Moonstone, which is lying against the welcome/goodbye arch—"toss it somewhere nodragon will ever find it, and stay here?"

"Because that wouldn't be fair. So I won't."

"Wouldn't be fair how?"

I hesitate to answer. "...I left a lot of my friends... my family... when I came here. I can't just let them think I'm gone forever."

"But you can come back, can't you? There's got to be some way you can—"

"No, there's not. When I leave, I can't ever come back."

Rarity's crying now. I cup her cheek and lift her head up so I can look her in the eye.

"I want you to be happy, okay? When I'm gone, I don't want you to trash your house, or do that thing with the dome, or any of that. Please?"

"It's not fair!" she yells, and throws herself on me, bawling into my shoulder.

"No, it's not," is all I can say.

We stand there for a minute, holding each other. I stare the Moonstone and wonder how long it'll be before it starts blinking at me.

"Is there any way I can come with you?" she mumbles against my shoulder.

"I don't think so," I say. "You probably wouldn't like it, where I come from."

"Why not?"

A sigh that could have been a chuckle escapes me. "Do you remember when I first tried to tell you the truth?"

"Vaguely."

"Do you remember where I said I was from?"

A pause. Then: "Equestria. You said it was called Equestria."

"That's right. Equestria is a lot like Serpentia, only, instead of dragons, it's mostly populated by—"

"—ponies," Rarity finishes. She pulls herself out of my shoulder and looks me in the eye again. I can tell by her look that she remembers our talk. "A-And you said, instead of Night Fury, you had..."

"Nightmare Moon, right. Glad you remember."

She continues to remember: "You said you had a Princess Luna of your own there, and that she was a pony and not a dragon, and—" She takes a step back, keeping her claws on my shoulders. She stares off into space for a moment, then focuses back on me. "...Emerald? I-Is there a Princess Celestia in your world?"

"There is."

Her grip on my shoulders tightens. "Is there... Is there a Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yep. And an Applejack, and a Fluttershy, and a Rainbow Dash, and—"

"And a Rarity?" Her claws are biting into my scales now.

I nod.

"Oh." Rarity looks as though she might faint. She wobbles, and I hold her steady. She rests her head on my collar. Her spines tickle my neck.

"Emerald?"

"Yes?"

"You promised me you'd tell me your real name, in the library. You promised."

I did promise. I squeeze her gently and say, "I guess I should keep at least one, huh?" I lean down, craning my neck to reach the side of her face. Kissing the spot just beneath her chin, not knowing what the outcome of telling her will be, I whisper my name.

Nothing happens. She doesn't gasp, she doesn't laugh, she doesn't even flinch. She just stays where she is, holding on to me very tight. She stays this way for a minute, before she finally moves, pushing herself out to look at me. She brings a claw to my face and turns it, getting a good look at my scales, then my spines, and then my collar. She stares at the blank spot where my cutie mark should be (had I ever been a part of this world), and scratches it with a claw. Finally, she looks into my eyes again, her own expression not amazed, or awed, or even dumbstruck; she just looks... surprised. Like she just bumped into somedragon on the street. That kind of surprised. It makes me grin, and I have to suppress a laugh.

"Hi," I say.

"Hi," she mumbles back, still staring. Then she says, "You know, I feel rather embarrassed now, for not having seen it earlier."

I laugh, unable to hold it in any longer, and to my amazement this doesn't make her angry again. She just smiles, and then I lean in and kiss her because I can't think of anything else to do and I'm a hopeless romantic. She pulls me into her, and I feel a familiar fluttering sensation tickle the inside of my stomach. Her claws stroke the back of my neck, and her spines are thin and smooth, and her lips are warm and loving. She squeezes me, digging her claws into my scales, and her tail wraps around mine. Her lips part, and I feel fire stream from behind them into my mouth. The fluttering sensation turns to heat, and my own fire comes gushing up from my throat. It mixes with hers, and our lips smolder together for one more wonderful, burning second before she pulls away and lets the fire escape. I watch with her as the green and icy blue fireball rises up into the air for a second before going out, leaving a cloud of smoke to hover over us. I look back at her and grin again.

"That was nice."

She nods, and takes her claws off of me. She looks down at the Moonstone, picks it up, and offers it to me.

"I suppose she'll be waiting for you, then," she says with a sad smile.

"Yeah. I guess." I take the orb. "You understand, right?"

"I do." She folds her arms. "I think it was rather shallow of you to immediately choose the dragon counterpart over her, though."

I shrug. "Hey. You're still you, whatever the species. I'm just glad I have the guts to ask you out now."

"I'm sure you do." She steps up to me again, and grabs my empty hand with both of hers. Looking into my eyes, she says, "Don't lie anymore. It's not like you."

"I know." I squeeze her hands. "I haven't really been myself lately."

That makes her smile. She lets go of my hands and gives me another kiss on the lips—a small, sweet sendoff.

"Goodbye, Mr. Spires," she whispers.

"Farewell, my lady."

I turn towards the arch, start walking, and stop. I turn around and watch her as she walks back towards her boutique, back into her life with her friends Applejack and Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle the dragons and Spike the unicorn. I imagine, in a brief, fleeting second, throwing away the Moonstone and running back into her arms, telling her I don't care about anything else but her and that I want to be her knight in shining armor and live happily ever after with her. I imagine our wedding, how perfect she'd look in her dress, and how I'd carry her down the aisle after the ceremony, and how we'd ride of into the sunset on our way to our honeymoon. I imagine sitting beside her and our eggs, watching them first shudder and then crack and finally burst apart, bringing our beautiful children into the world. I imagine watching them grow up, teaching them fire lessons while Rarity shows them the proper way to find gemstones. I imagine lying with her in our home, centuries into the future, atop a hoard of treasure that I would give away in a second to spend another lifetime with her. I imagine all the kisses goodnight, and all the breakfasts going cold in the morning, and all the dances and laughter and walks and picnics, and everything that starts the moment I choose to drop the Moonstone and run back to her. I imagine all of this, all in one second, and in that second my grip on the orb in my claw grows very very loose.

But that wouldn't be fair, so I don't.

Instead, I call to her: "Hey!"

She turns, not yet far enough away to not hear me.

"Y'know that library assistant, the one that works with Twilight Sparkle? I think he likes you!"

I hear her laugh, and it makes me smile. She raises her arm and gives me a short wave. I give a short wave back. Then she turns, keeps walking, and disappears around a corner.

Still smiling, I turn away from the town and pass under the arch that welcomed me all that time ago, stepping out of Dragonsville, and out of her life, forever.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

Oh boy. This was the big one. The one that was responsible for all that waiting around, the one that put me on a sort-of-official-but-not-really-official-hiatus back in February, the one that does its very best to tie all things Serpentian up in a nice little bow and leave Spike with a nice little chapter of his life behind him and a daunting (and busy) new one to look forward to ahead (yes I know I used "nice little" twice, give me a break, this is the Author's Notes section). It might not be what some of you wanted, heck, it wasn't what I wanted, when I first outlined this story, but I've thought it out for a long while, and I've decided that this is how it ends. Not with a bang, not with a whimper, but with a slow, drawn-out, maybe-accepting-maybe-regretful sigh. So it goes.

Now, looking back on it, I realize how amazingly crazy I've been, to have spent a year and a half on this silly little story. I actually sort of don't want to know how many hours I've put into this thing; I sense triple-digits are inevitable, and Celestia knows that'll start me thinking about all the other things I could have done besides this. Does that mean I regret doing this? Hell-to-the-No! If I could go back to January 16, 2013 (yes, really, go look at the damn story page) and have the chance to do it all again, you bet your blank flanks I'd hit Publish again! Why? Because of all of you. You guys, and really everyone I've ever known because of this wonderful, insane fandom, have helped shape me into who I am, and I could not be more grateful. This show, these writings, and you readers all got me out of a really bad place I was in, and if you hadn't been there, commenting and liking and doing all the wonderful things you do, I wouldn't have gotten any better. So if you ever feel like you haven't really done anything that matters or has made a difference, know that you saved me. You're all amazing, and I love you guys a ton. God, that's cheesy, but it's true!

Everything ends. I've heard that a lot in my life, usually when I'm upset about a show I like being over (How I Met Your Mother, anyone?). It's never really hit me as hard as it does right now, writing up this last Author's Notes (yes, it really is the last thing I've written for this story, and no, I did not write it mere moments before publishing). From dreaming up the idea for this story after watching a Doctor Who episode (Tenth Doctor, some enemy called The Family, they were in like 1910, figure it out) to typing out the last chapter from a hotel room on the third floor of a Marriott Resort in the middle of the Palm Desert, this has been one of the strangest accomplishments of my (admittedly-short-at-the-moment) life. It's also one of the biggest, seeing as I've technically written a freaking novel in eighteen months. That's not bad for a fifteen-to-seventeen-year-old. No matter what's happened to me, I've always managed to come back to this story and add to it, and now it's finally reached the end. I feel... really really empty now, and oh, my God, it sucks! I'll have to do something about that (*hintcoughhint*). Until we see each other once more (or in this case, read each other once more)!

—NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. Starting from Chapter Twenty, read the first letter from each of the paragraphs in the Author's Notes section, disregarding the "Dear Readers," my signature, and any P.S.'s I may have given. Then, take a good guess as to what that means. It drops tomorrow. If you already noticed it, give yourself a pat on the back and go buy yourself an ice cream, champ. You've earned it.

God, I love this site!

The Forest Again

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

I wrote this chapter first, eighteen months ago, alongside the opening chapter to this story, "Two Little Words." It's been revised as the story's developed, and it amazes me to look at both chapters side by side, and see the difference all that time has made.

I'm so happy you could go on this journey with me, and I'm even happier to see you make it to the end. Lots of love, and happy readings.

—NARP

The Forest Again

____________________________________________________________________

It's dark in the forest. Nearly pitch black, in fact, thanks to the heavy canopy of branches above my head. The light that guides me along my path comes only from the stone in my hand, which feels like it weighs a ton. I reach the spot where the road splits, and I find that the trees have parted far enough apart to allow some moonlight to shine down on the sign that sits at the fork in the road. It's pointing in the direction from which I came, back towards Dragonsville. I ignore it and take a left, glancing up at the sky before it vanishes behind the canopy again. There's a full moon out tonight. It's very pretty.

I stop after another few minutes of trudging; I'm at the edge of the forest again. To my right is the fence behind which cows graze. It being nighttime, there aren't that many out there now, but I still see a few chewing grass near the far edge of the fence.

"Midnight snack, huh?" I yell to them, in a tone bitter like the taste in my mouth. The cows see who it is that's spoken, go into a frenzy, and stampede away, leaving me alone in the clearing. Just like before.

I look right. There's the area I woke up in. I can see the exact spot where I was; there's a little indentation where my body materialized, two weeks ago. The ground is black and dead around it, from some after-effect of the spell that I must not have noticed when I first got here. I trudge over to the spot, sit down in it, and wait for the Moonstone to glow.

Staring up at the moon, I try to think of something to cheer me up, but all that comes to mind at first is a bubbling brew of negative emotions. I guess that's better than nothing, though, so I take a closer look at them to pass the time. The first emotion to rear its ugly head at me is desire. Of course that's there. Why wouldn't I feel desire right now, when half a mile away there's a dragoness that loves me wishing that I would come running back into her arms? And I want to do that, too—I want her touch, her voice, her love. I want time, all the time in the world, to live happily with her and never be away from her. I desire all of this, and only from her.

The next feeling I get is self-hatred. I hurt her so much. I must have left too big of a scar on her. I hate to think of it this way, but I can't stop myself from considering that she might not want to trust anydragon ever again, thanks to me. Maybe I'm exaggerating, maybe I'm thinking too highly of myself, but I know there's no way she'll just forget about all of this. Especially not now, now that she knows who I am. If only I had chosen to go into the mountains, maybe I could have gotten lost, lived off the land for two weeks, and gone back to my world believing that I'd had a long, vivid dream about becoming a hermit! I wish I had done that, instead of finding Dragonsville, making friends with dragon-Twilight and dragon-Pinkie, meeting and falling in love with dragon-Rarity and tearing her heart to pieces. I wish I'd never met her.

...No. No, I don't wish that.

I think about the life I'm returning to, and anger swirls in my stomach, making it ache. I spent years and years trying to fit in with ponies, trying to act older than I really was, trying to go along with my sister and her friends on their adventures, only to be left alone in the library more times than I can remember. All those years I spent, trying to break down the wall that separated me from the ponies that were all around me, and when I finally manage to punch my fist through to the other side, it's forced away by the same ponies I'd broken through to get to. The breaking point was the fashion show, where Rarity had put my name on display and given me credit for my assistance, only for me to be passed off as her servant, her pet, even! How exotic, a dragon! Can it sew for you? Does it really accept food as payment? Is it housebroken? And I could have taken it all, grinned and bore it, if I'd been able to believe that she loved me back. But I wasn't; I let one small slip-up eat away at me, and because of it I ruined everything for her and myself.

And then comes sorrow. Of course there's sorrow. Sorrow for hurting, and sorrow for being hurt.

All of these feelings, all of my anger and sorrow and self-hatred and desire, are bring me back to her. I did not have her, so here is my desire and anger to mock me. I yelled at her and hurt her; here is self-hatred and sorrow, to always remind me of that moment. All for her.

Then, through this fog of negative energy, I feel something better, a surge of welcome feelings that have been long overdue since I came to this other world. The first of them is reassurance. Through all of the difficulties in life I've had to deal with, I've always had my friends standing behind me; I think I always will, even if I don't always believe it. They accept me for me, and that's enough. It's more than enough, in fact. I couldn't ask for a better family.

Then there is acceptance. There are five words that I've been dodging and hiding from for a long time, and now I think I can say them without regret: I am not a pony. Since I was sentient enough to notice that I had scales instead of fur and claws instead of hooves, I've been trying to convince myself that I was just like everypony else. When I came to Ponyville with Twilight and met the others, I tried twice as hard, and when everypony in town had stopped giving me those odd little glances I associated with judgment I convinced myself I'd finally done it. After the Fire Ruby happened, I wanted to be a pony more than anything in the world, and I believed, for longer than I want to admit, that I could find some spell or potion that would do it for me. Not anymore. I am a dragon, and I will never be a pony. I will never enjoy the taste of flowers. I will never know the joy of having a cute-ceañera. And I don't care. I am what I am, and I'm certain that I wouldn't have had the life I've had if I wasn't. I love my life in Ponyville, and I know that I'm loved regardless of what species I am, by Twilight and Pinkie and Applejack and everypony else, so forget making myself a pony. I'm a dragon, and a Celestia-damned handsome one, at that. No more looking for spells. No more forcing down daisy quesadillas. No more.

And with that, I come to hope. Yes, really, hope, and for a number of things. Mostly for the future, my future especially. I hope to make amends somehow for the things I've done, for the pain I've caused, for the damage I've brought upon the castle that's probably going to take a nice bite out of the royal treasury to repair. I hope that I never lose control again, especially not for a reason as silly as some rude party guests. I hope that Rarity can forgive me for what I did to her that evening, and that there's still a chance, just a shred of a chance left that I can be with her. I hope that she really does loves me, still loves me even after all that I've done, and that I can hold her in my arms someday the way I held the Rarity in Dragonsville. I hope that that Rarity moves on and lives a long and happy life. I hope that Spike comes to comfort her, and that he sweeps her off her feet just as well as I did—and let's not forget that I am him, and they both know it, so may or may not help things along. I also hope that it doesn't hurt to have your soul transported out of one body and into another one. That would probably make me a lot more hesitant to go through with this.

The Moonstone starts blinking, snapping me back to reality. Time is moving again in Equestria, and it's ready for me to come back. I can already picture aftermath of the disastrous fashion show in my head: there's Applejack, kicking at pieces of the castle I tore up; there's Pinkie Pie, staring into the ground and worrying about Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy; there's Twilight, frantically trying to get to me. I hope it'll be easier for her to do that, now that my fires have all gone out. But this is all just my imagination; the speculations of a hopeless romantic. I stare down at the Moonstone in my hand, and again the idea of throwing it into the woods and running back to Dragonsville itches in the back of my head. Then I imagine Twilight's face when she sees the little body curled up just outside the main banquet room. And Pinkie Pie's. And Applejack's.

And Rarity's.

I take a minute to dream all of these sad, little dreams. Then I look down at the Moonstone glowing in my hand. My choice is made: I can't leave them to suffer, just because of one dragoness. Or maybe I could, but won't. I don't know; I'm young and reckless. But I do know that I have a sister and friends waiting for me, and probably a lot more besides. So I sit up on my knees, dig a small hole like Luna instructed, and bury the Moonstone in the ground. Then I wait.

A silent moment passes, then two, then three. Then the pile where I buried the stone shakes, as does the earth around it and me. I wonder if this is all in my head or if they're feeling it in Dragonsville. I wonder if Rarity can feel it and knows what it means.

From under the earth comes a silvery fluid like liquid mirror. It fills the indent in the ground until it creates a pool wide and deep, in the shape of a curled-up dragon. The liquid lies still, waiting for something to tell it where to go. So I give it just that.

The paper with the warning that I ignored so stupidly a fortnight ago appears in a swirl of green fire. Rolling it into a miniature scroll, I toss it into the pool. It begins to sizzle the moment it touches the liquid. I give the words "Two Weeks" a farewell glance, and then the mirror liquid consumes them forever. Through the ripples that spread across the puddle's surface, I see images form. They make me smile, even though they're terribly sad.

It's the girls. All six of them. Judging from how the image is angled, I'm looking through the eyes of the me that was left in that world two weeks ago. For them, it's only been a few minutes, and quite an eventful few minutes, too. They've found me (so I did take too long reminiscing) and are standing over me, trying to wake me up. Applejack and Rainbow Dash are looking in every direction except mine. Pinkie Pie is comforting Fluttershy, who is bawling into her pink friend's shoulder and hugging her tightly. Twilight looks as though she's been slapped in the face, staring down at me with misty, panicked eyes. She starts shaking me, mouthing words I can't hear (sound, it seems, does not carry across universes as easily), but her efforts are thwarted by Rarity, who shoves her out of the way and starts beating my chest with her hoof.

She's in a panic, much like Twilight is, but unlike Twilight, Rarity looks far less capable of keeping it together. Tears and sweat have matted her fur and ruined her makeup. Ash, bits of debris, and what looks to be some kind of wine decorate her dress, which is torn in several spots. Her mane is a mess of chaotic knots, and is even singed in some parts (no doubt thanks to me). She looks me dead in the eye, searching for a sign of life. When she finds none, she yells at me and starts beating my chest harder. Each strike makes a ripple in the pool. I watch her for a minute, and I can't help but smile because... because she still cares that much. After the mess I put her through, after the shouts and the accusations and the insults, she still cares that much.

A lavender hoof draws her away from me, and Twilight appears in the image, saying something to Rarity that she doesn't seem to like hearing. She looks down at me and leans in, so close that her mane fills the pool, turning it vibrant purple. The puddle swishes from side-to-side, and I swear for a second that I hear her voice, a whisper in a wind that isn't really there. She draws her head back, sets her forehead against mine, and I can see she's saying something again. And as I watch her murmur silently to me, with her singed mane and makeup-stained face, I can't help but speak to her, even though I know she can't hear me:

"Don't you worry, Rarity. I'm on my way."

Something shimmers in my eyes and drips into the silver liquid, disrupting the pool's surface with the ripples in creates. From the world on the other side, Rarity is suddenly yanked away, replaced by the awestruck face of my sister. She's speaking, very rapidly, and after a few rushed sentences Rarity shoves her out of the way and holds what I guess is my head in her hooves. She sees whatever it is that got Twilight so riled up, and hope flashes in her eyes. She mouths my name, and suddenly five more faces are crowded around her, each of them with a questioning look in their eyes that I hope to answer in a moment.

I take one last look at the forest around me. Then I focus once more on the spot right in front of me, scooting closer to get a better look. Back in the silver pool, Rarity is shaking my head again. Her mascara has started running again, too, and she repeats my name before Twilight shoves her out of the way. Actually, all five of the others shove her out of the way to get a look at me, all of them wearing the same look of hopeful anticipation. I imagine what could happen in the next few seconds: there's cheers of joy, tears of joy, hugs and nervous, relieved laughter. That's all in my head, though—in reality, anything could happen. I can only hope things will go my way. Looking up at the moon one last time, I bid farewell to Dragonsville and the land of Serpentia, take a deep breath, and hold it, not knowing if it'll take a while to cross universes or not. I dig my claws into the earth around the puddle and lean forward. Shutting my eyes and giving a silent prayer that I'll be okay, I dunk my head into the silver liquid.

And then I wake up.

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THANK YOU, AND GOOD NIGHT

January 2, 2013–July 2, 2014

A Town of Dragons

Chapter 2: A Town of Dragons

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Blue again. All of it.

This is real. Everything before now was an illusion, a dream. I've just woken up, and now I'm...somewhere. Somewhere blue.

I drift one way (I think it's up) and the smile comes back. This time it's more talkative.

"So, you've woken up."

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

I think (therefore I am) for a second and decide that the smile has a point. I'm not sure. Of anything, in fact. Actually, there is one thing I know for sure...

"You said I'm 'in-between.'"

"Yes."

"So am I neither dreaming nor awake?"

The smile's never been this big before.

"You're a clever young drake. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

I'm about to ask how the smile can tell I am a drake when it doesn't have eyes when I notice one staring at me, right where an eye would be if the smile was part of a face. It's big, and round, and just as blue as the rest of the world. A sapphire sitting on a pure white plate. In the middle of the ocean.

An endless, blue ocean.

____________________________________________________________________

"...fell..."

"...long...?"

"Not...two min...breathing fine."

"Wait...around...his pulse."

My eyes open, slowly, and the world comes lurching back into focus. I'm on the ground again, facing a sky that's big and blue and empty. Again, my memory falters. How did I get here? Where is here?

What is lying on my chest?

I look down at myself and stare into a pair of golden irises. The pupils in said irises shrink in surprise, and the creature on top of me gasps and shrinks back.

"You're awake!" she shouts, and I can tell who she is in that moment. Or, who she's supposed to be.

I'm staring at Lyra Heartstrings, and she's staring back. But it isn't Lyra Heartstrings in front of me, because this isn't a unicorn. This is a dragon, sitting here with me, a dragon with scales and spines and fangs. Yet those scales are the same mint green as her coat, and her spines are the same pale gray as her mane and tail. Sticking out of her forehead is a horn, almost identical to the unicorn horn that adorns the unicorn-Lyra's head, but larger, sharper, and more...dragon-like (I just can't find another way to describe it). She covers her muzzle with her hands (hands! Like she always talked about having!) and continues to fret over me while I gape at her like a zoo animal.

"Are you alright? Why did you just collapse like that?"

Because you're not a dragon in real life, you're a unicorn, I say in my mind. Aloud, I explain, "Heat stroke, or something like that," which is probably the dumbest excuse a fire-proof cold-blooded lizard like myself can ever give. Fortunately, dragin-Lyra is too worried about me to actually think about my fib, and she puts a hand to my forehead.

"We should get you to a hospital, Mr..." She looks at me. Crap. She wants a name. I blurt one out without thinking.

"Emerald. Emerald Spires."

"Well, Mr. Spires," dragin-Lyra says, and she stands up on her two slender, 100% draconic legs as she talks, "we should get you to a hospital as soon as we can, in case you're hurt more than it seems."

I can't go to a hospital. If I go to a hospital, they'll know I'm lying about the heat stroke and then questions will really start piling up. Can't have that. I have to get out of here, and the exit is there, only ten feet away.

"No no, I'm fine, really." I'm not lying when I tell her this, and to prove it to her I stand up and turn to show her my perfectly handsome build. "See?"

As I turn, I notice the small group of dragons crowding around me and dragin-Lyra. I'm a bit surprised that I didn't notice them before now, though I had been occupied trying to accept that somepony I normally know as a pony is now a dragon (something I had not yet accomplished), and as I stare at them I notice familiar colors that tell me that Lyra isn't the only pony-turned-dragon. I see dragin-Bon-Bon (of course, she's always with Lyra), dragin-Berry Punch (the wine bottle gives it away) and even a winged gray dragon who can only be Derpy Hooves (one eye is trained on me, the other on the sky). Every single spectator is the dragon counterparts of the ponies I know back in Ponyville. I let that sink in a while, then turn back to dragin-Lyra, who is now eyeing me suspiciously.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asks me. "You look pale."

"I'm fine, really. I don't need a hospital." Not that kind, anyway. I try to walk away, but dragin-Lyra follows me, along with the dragin-Bon-Bon. The rest of the crowd, devoid now of their fainted entertainment, loses interest and drifts apart.

"Wait!" dragin-Lyra says. She grabs my shoulder to hold me back. I sigh and turn to her again. I don't have time for this.

"What?" I wish immediately I hadn't said it so rudely. I take a better look at her, and notice for the first time the lyre tattooed at the base of her neck. Glancing at dragin-Bon-Bon, I notice three pieces of candy tattooed in the same area. Apparently, in this crazy place, dragons get cutie marks just like ponies, only on their collars instead of their flanks. Great, another impossible thing to put on the mental list that is, at the moment, growing exponentially with each passing moment here.

"Do you need a guide?" dragin-Lyra asks.

"What?"

"A guide. You're clearly new to Dragonsville, and-"

"New to where?" Oh Celestia. Did I just hear what I think I heard?

"Dragonsville, happiest town in all of Serpentia!"

Equestria, Serpentia. Ponyville, Dragonsville. Sweet Luna, where am I?

"Hey, you look pale again. You sure you don't need to go anywhere?"

I open my mouth to answer her, but dragin-Bon-Bon speaks up first.

"For Celestia's sake, Lyra, leave him alone! He doesn't want your help!"

She's hit the nail on the head, but that doesn't stop me from feeling guilty when dragin-Lyra looks down at the ground sheepishly.

"Oh. Sorry. I guess I was being kind of nosy."

I tell her it's alright, but my mind is already focused on getting out of here. Dragin-Lyra smiles kindly, and holds her claw out. In it is a crumpled piece of parchment.

"You left this back where you fell."

I take the parchment and uncrumple it. It's my note from Whoever (I don't think it's Twilight anymore). I thank dragin-Lyra, and watch her and dragin-Bon-Bon as they turn the corner and disappear from view. With them out of sight, I turn my attention back to the arch I'd walked under minutes ago. Storing the parchment away in my storage center (much more convenient to keep things in your stomach than always carrying a backpack around), I head towards the arch, ready to brave the forest once more. Then I see another familiar now-draconic face and stop dead in my tracks. This one was unmistakable; there's nopony(dragon) else she could be.

Pink everywhere. Spines that curled into a signature cotton candy motif. A triad of balloons on her neck. An oversized, cartoonish smile that says either "I'm on happy pills!" or "I'm crazy!" The dragoness reaches me, and I realize when she stops that I am staring straight at her and have been since she'd begun walking towards me.

"Hi!" she yells, and holds out a claw for me to take. "I'm Pinkie Pie, and it's very nice to meet you!"

She's larger than me, so I feel extra intimidated by her forwardness. At this point, my brain is starting to comprehend that I am in fact in a town filled with dragon counterparts of all the citizens of Ponyville, at least in my imagination, so I don't feel as faint this time. Still, it's hard to believe that I'm actually seeing what Pinkie looks like as a dragon.

"So," she says when she's done wringing my hand, "what's your name? Ooh, ooh, let me guess! I love guessing games! Especially 'Guess the Cupcake Flavor,' because nodragon ever loses at that! You always get a cupcake, whether you got the right gem or not, and I always looooove eating gemstone cupcakes! I bet you'd love them too! What's your favorite gem, topaz or sapphire? Ooh, or ruby? I looooove ruby! And diamond and shamrock and amethyst and-"

"Emerald," I answer, before she can go any further, "and I like rubies the best."

"Me too! We're totally going to be bestest friends forever! You've got to come try a ruby tart at the Sugarcube Corner!" She grabs my wrist and starts yanking me, with surprising strength, down a nearby street and away from the town entrance. I give it a parting glance, knowing that dragin-Pinkie will never let me leave, and go along with her plans for me. As we move through the dragon-Ponyville (Dragonsville, right?), I review what I know in my head:

I am lost, either in some parallel universe or some twisted part of my mind I don't know about.
The town I am lost in is called Dragonsville, which is a draconic version of Ponyville, with draconic versions of everypony I know and love.
I have no memory of anything immediately prior to waking up on the side of a road leading to Dragonsville, save for the image of me getting into a carriage with Twilight and our friends.
I have a note with the words "Two Weeks" on it in unfamiliar handwriting as my only clue as to how I've gotten here.
I am hungrier than a parasprite.

That last one comes to me just as dragin-Pinkie stops dragging me and props me up on my feet again. She flings her arm out dramatically and gestures to the familiar gingerbread house in front of us.

"Emerald," she announces, "I give you the Sugarcube Corner."

"Looks delicious." I joke to avoid suspicion. Dragin-Pinkie laughs loudly, turns some heads, then once again latches onto my wrist and pulls me inside the bakery. The moment we step foot inside the shop I am bombarded with different mesmerizing aromas, and this time I do almost faint. I spot the display racks filled with different cupcakes, all of them shimmering with gemstones. Another rack holds pies and tarts, some with gemstones decorating the top, others covered with tinfoil. They're of all different sizes and shapes, and I only realize I'm drooling when dragin-Pinkie wipes some from my chin. I turn to her, still dumbfounded by the beauty of the baked goods, and she gives me her trademark grin, with more teeth than I remember.

"First one's on the house!" she announces, and swoops behind the counter to snag a generous ruby-studded slice of cake for me. She hands it to me, and in no more than ten seconds it's on its way down into my stomach. It is the most delicious slice of cake I've ever eaten.

"Looks like we've got your usual down," dragin-Pinkie giggles, still standing beside me. She hands me another ruby cupcake and adds, "I'll make sure to serve up plenty of it at your Welcome to Dragonsville Party."

Welcome to Dragonsville Party? I remember Pinkie's party addiction and almost choke on my cupcake. I can't have a party, for the same reason that I can't go to a hospital. I shake my head, but dragin-Pinkie is already off, conversing with herself over whether the streamers should match my scales or my fins.

"There'll be Pin the Tail on the Wyvern, and a Gemstone Hunt, and it'll be your housewarming party too, and-" She gasps, and, to my amazement, a trail of bright pink fire shoots out of her mouth. It brushes against me lightly. I ignore it. As much as I want to know how she is capable of shooting fire while breathing in, I can't, as she grabs my shoulders before I can speak and begins to shake me violently.

"We have to get to your house! I have to see it, so I can know where the DJ can plug in her turntables!"

I shake her off. "I don't have a house."

"Apartment?"

"No."

"Hotel room?"

"Uh-uh."

"Traveler's hostel?"

"What?"

She makes to grab me again, but I get a hold of her wrist first.

"Listen, Pinkie, I appreciate the kindness, but I really don't want a party, and I don't plan on staying here very long."

Dragin-Pinkie's happy, party-planning mood disintegrates before I can let go of her wrist, leaving her looking like she is about to cry, which she might. The tragedy of not throwing a party must be harder on her than I usually think.

"B-But why not?" she asks, lip quivering like a toddler that's facing the word "no" for the first time.

I stare at her and think of how good a question that is. Why not? Why not? I am in a town that is a copy of the one I've lived in for the past ten years, talking to a dragoness who should actually be a mare, and I have no idea how to get back to my world, my sane, familiar, safe world. I don't even know how I got here in the first place. Most of me still wants to believe this is just some twisted version of a fever dream. If it isn't that, though, and I actually am stuck in a parallel universe dominated by dragon counterparts of my friends and family, then it's probably for the best if I stay in town, instead of going back into what I now know is a different version of the Everfree forest. So, why not?

"Actually," I say, making my choice, "I think I can stay for one party..."

Dragin-Pinkie Pie's smile reappears in a flash, and all is right with the world (except, of course, for all the dragons). She opens her mouth again to say something, then shuts it. Then she opens it again. Then she shuts it again. Open, shut. Open, shut. I hear her teeth clack together with each shut. She rubs her chin after the tenth shut and hmmmms, then lights up in a way that screams, "Idea!"

"I know! We'll ask Twilight if she has extra room!"

I blanch at the mention of Twilight. Twilight. As in my sister, almost my mother, who has taken care of me for nineteen years since she first hatched me the day she got her cutie mark. Twilight, the librarian who goes berserk if she can't do everything in her power to please her mentor. Twilight, who worries more over things like the condition of her Daring Do collection than whether or not I have signed my soul over to one of her friends (an act which I am more ashamed of than anything I've ever done). That Twilight. As a dragoness.

Dragin-Pinkie did not wait for me to agree with her. She's already heading to the door, and I follow her swiftly, waving my arms wildly.

"Nonononononono! Not Twilight!" I realize too late that I sound absolutely crazy, and dragin-Pinkie gives me a confused stare. I ignore my blush and I back away from her a bit.

"I mean," I correct, "I think it'd be easier to go to an inn than ask somepo-- somedragon to let a stranger sleep in her home." Nice save, Spike. Almost blew it.

Unfortunately, my changing of the word "somepony" to "somedragon" doesn't stop dragin-Pinkie from laughing and shaking her head and saying, "Not at all, silly. Twilight's the best, she'll let you stay for a while. Besides"--she gives me a look that makes me feel like I am being interrogated--"you don't have any money, do you?"

I always keep a pouch of bits in my storage center in case I get lost, but that is for when I am lost in Equestria. This is most certainly not Equestria, and I am not about to risk pulling out some alien money and showing it off to another dragon. So I blush again, and shrug like I don't know what she's talking about, and she giggles again and everything's okay. She takes my hand this time, not my wrist, and says confidently, "Then you're coming with me to talk with Twilight. Trust me. You'll love her."

I already do, like a brother, but I don't say this and instead go along with dragin-Pinkie once more. She pulls me through the town of Dragonsville again, and this time I take a look at some of the buildings that go by. There's Sofas and Quills again, though it's much larger and has the largest feather quill I've ever seen hanging in the window. I can spot the train station from down another street, mostly because the happy little train I'd ridden to Canterlot countless times before is now the height of the Ponyville Town Hall, which, here in Dragonsville, is in the shape of an enormous gem and twice as large as it was back in Ponyville. Everything, it seems, is larger in Dragonland (or whatever dragin-Lyra called it), probably to accommodate the dragons who are no doubt fully grown and maybe even larger than I am whenever I go greed-crazy like that one time on my birthday. Surprisingly, though, the dragons I see as Pinkie and I (no point in calling her dragin-Pinkie when pony-Pinkie isn't around) make our way through familiar and unfamiliar roads aren't that large, certainly not as large as the green dragon I'd stolen a gem from as a kid. In fact, only a handful of them are larger than Garble and his gang were. Perhaps adult ponies are still young as dragons?

The library comes into sight, and a nostalgic smile spreads across my face as we near it. Home is home, parallel universe or not, and I feel as though I can simply walk in, grab a novel off one of the shelves, and make my way up to my room to read. But, this is not the library I know and love, I remind myself: if I listen to this urge, I will be thrown out and probably hurt very badly by a Twilight Sparkle that doesn't know who I am. Which brings my thoughts to another topic, one that was birthed when dragin-Lyra asked my name. I did not give the name "Spike." I was "Emerald Spires." Lyra bought this, which means that she didn't recognize the dragon-me, which means one of two things: (1) She's never seen me before in this universe, or (2) The Spike in Dragonsville is not a dragon.

We've reached the library entrance. Pinkie knocks loudly, three times. An overwhelming fear of what lies beyond the door before us falls over me. Somewhere, puzzle pieces clink and clank into place, and the picture they make is overwhelming. I have to get out of here.

The sound of hooves on wood. The doorknob glows with a green aura. Not Twilight's. She isn't answering the door. She's probably busy with some new spell, so why would she stop to answer a door when she has an assistant to do that for her?

The door opens, and standing on the other side of it is a purple unicorn with a spiky green mane and tail. On his flank is the image of a scroll floating over an emerald flame the same color as his eyes. We hold eye contact for a full second, and in that I scream in my mind and he reads it in my eyes. He frowns at me, and turns to Pinkie. The frown becomes an almost childish grin. He has large canine teeth.

"Pinkie!" says Spike the unicorn, #1 Assistant to Twilight Sparkle the dragoness, "what's up? Who's this guy?"

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

I was overjoyed to receive your 70+ approvals of my story, and I now feel as though I am obligated to continue the story for the sake of the commenters who have requested more. So I shall continue my journey through the eyes of young Spike as he discovers more and more of this dragon-run world. And so shall you, when I remember to post the chapters. I do hope I can get them all up...

Anyway, if all goes well, then the next chapter shall be posted in a week, two at most, and in it the adventures of Spike in Dragonsville shall continue. Baring any un-Celestial mishaps, such thrills as a maze of bookshelves, a heart-stopping encounter with a certain dragin, a familiar celebration, and iced coffee should be featured. I'm sure it'll be a fan favorite.

Finally, I wish to extend my thanks to Mr. Metal Pony Fan and his exceptional work, entitled "My Little Dragon," whose terminology and canon helped to inspire the design of the drakes and dragins of my own tale. You would all be better for it if you looked up his story now and indulged in its wonders (and ask him to update it, as well).

Until then, I wish you happy readings.

-NotARealPonydotcom

There She Is

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I look at myself in the doorway, unblinking, and myself looks back occasionally as he listens to Pinkie's explanation of why we're here. He's trying to keep his attention on her as she introduces him to himself. I don't say hello, or shake hands with myself, or anything. We both feel the tension between ourselves. Pinkie feels it too, and slowly quiets down until there's complete silence. Finally, because one of me doesn't know why this awkward confrontation is happening, myself asks me a question.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Spires?"

Suddenly I remember my false name. I blink a few times, and now he's Spike, not me. I'm Emerald Spires, stranger to Dragonsville. And I need a place to stay. I shake my head to answer Spike, and move my gaze from him for the first time since he answered the door. I look over at Pinkie, who's smiling again. She takes my look as a cue to start up again, and begins where she left off.

"So, like I was saying, he's new and he needs someplace to stay, but he hasn't got any money, so I was hoping Twilight could help with that!"

Spike looks from me to Pinkie a few times and shrugs.

"Come on in. I'll get Twilight; she's studying, as usual."

I enter the library after Pinkie expecting a duplicate of the tree I live in back in Ponyville. What I get in Dragonsville is much larger. The main room of the library is enormous, larger than the tree it's built in. Rows and rows and rows of bookshelves stretch back and back and back into the depths of the room. It looks like it goes on forever. Maybe it does. The ceiling rises at least thirty feet above me. Everything is spaced out, especially the shelves, but everything is the same: Twilight's writing desk, near the staircase that now spirals halfway around the room before it reaches the living area of our home; the door to the kitchen, next to a new door that stretches two-thirds of the way up to the ceiling. Larger dragons need it to enter. I wonder which ponies would be these large ones. Applejack and Dash, probably. In the center of the ceiling is an odd crystal that looks something like a stalactite and dimly glows violet. I take all of this in, then go running out of the library and take a lap around the oak tree. It looks exactly like it does in Ponyville, save for the tall door that opens impossibly into the enormous interior. When I reenter the library, Spike smirks at me.

"Go on," he goads. "Say it. Everydragon does." He sounds like me.

"It's smaller on the outside."

Pinkie giggles. Spike's grin falters. He looks disappointed with my answer.

"Never heard that one. That's a first."

I grin back. "First time for everything, huh?"

He nods, and begins to walk towards the countless shelves. I follow eagerly, eyes on the tall shelves that tower like skyscrapers in Manehatten. Pinkie trails behind us, hopping like she does with that weird boing that she can make. I will never understand how she does that. Spike starts introducing me to the library.

"This used to be an empty old husk of a place, before Twilight and I came to town." That's something different from my story. The library was fine before we came to Ponyville. "We reopened it after the Night Fury incident, and Twilight set up this spell so that more than one dragon at a time could browse. That's what that crystal on the ceiling is. Break that, and the whole library would shrink and crush us all!" So, Nightmare Moon is something called Night Fury. Was Luna still Luna? I think I heard Celestia's name from dragon-Bon-Bon... "But Twilight could probably teleport us all out before we got hurt. Probably." He turns down a hall of novels. Pinkie and I follow. I hope we can find our way back; I'm getting lost in my own home. The shelves are all blending into a maze. Left, left, right, left, right, right, left, right, right, right, left, u-turn (what?), left, sharp left, then, finally, we're standing in front of a pile of books that reveal lavender scales in some spots. Spike sighs and trots up to the unmoving pile, and coughs. He's three times smaller than her.

"Uh, Twilight?" He prods smaller bump on the pile, which I assume is its head. "We have company." A grunt, so masculine I almost worry that Twilight is actually a dude in this crazy parallel mind-world. The pile shifts, and A Tale of Two Drakes by Charles Drakens bonks Spike on the head. Rubbing the spot where the corner made contact with his skull, he repeats, "Twilight, we've got company. Wake up." Another grunt, no shift this time. Spike lowers his hoof and sighs again. He gets up close to the pile's head, turns to face us, and raises his tail. He cracks it down an inch from the pile, and the resulting sound shocks it to life. An eye opens, and the violet iris behind its lid widen when it catches sight of Pinkie and I. The pile rises up at an impressive speed, sending books flying everywhere. The head that the eye belongs to comes into sight as the dragon called Twilight Sparkle yelps awake. She looks frantic when she sees me, but calms down a bit when her gaze rests on Pinkie.

"Pinkie! What are you doing here?" It's as if the pile of books that Spike is now under was not once her. I am not ashamed to say that I feel attracted to her when I look her over for the first time. She looks a little smaller than Pinkie. She looks the way I'd imagined she would when I was being dragged here: scales the same shade of lavender as her pony form's coat; spines the same blue-violet, with a single bright pink spine sitting near the back of her neck. Unlike Pinkie's, Twilight's spines are flat and curve back like fins, which actually looks very attractive on her. Like Lyra, a horn protrudes from her forehead, this one violet like her eyes. On her collar is the tattoo of a magenta starburst. She catches me staring, and smiles at me like I'm a stranger. And I am.

"Who's this?" I stop staring and step over to the book pile where Spike disappeared, hoping to avoid talking with her. Pinkie explains while I shuffle through novels, textbooks, and even a few surly-looking magazines. I'm closer to Twilight now, and I watch her tail swish as I shuffle through the books. A few paperbacks slide away, I toss aside a copy of Draconic Arcana for Dummies, and a patch of purple fur appears under the pile. I take hold of it, and suddenly three things happen at once.

One: I feel a shock run through my body, like I'd touched metal after rubbing my feet on carpet.

Two: Spike and I both yell in pain as the shock hits us both, and we both flinch back. I step back from the books, and Spike retreats further into them.

Three: The pile Spike is under explodes outward. There's a sound like a soda can fizzing, and with a great WHOOOOSH! the books all fly off in different directions. Some go down the hall of shelves and are lost in the darkness of the maze, some fly up to the ceiling and stick to it, but most are pinned against the shelves themselves, as though something is forcing them there. The four of us stare wildly at the books until what sounds like something big and terrifying sighing is heard and they fall to the floor. Then, silence.

"What in the name of Luna was that?!?" Spike shouts, staring at the copy of Enigmas of the Inexplicable sitting in his lap. Twilight, looking a little faint, helps him up and shakes her head.

"I have no idea. What I want to know is, what made it?" Nopony answers. Pinkie is pulling a few loose pages from her spines, but she's still giggling.

"That was super-duper fun! Do it again, Emerald!"

Twilight gives me a venomous glare. I take a step away from her.

"You did this?" she demands. I shake my head, then think about it. Spike and I have the same thought at the same time, and we make glance at each other at the same time. Simultaneously, we utter: "I think we did."

Twilight looks back and forth between us, confused. Again, we both open our mouths to speak, but I stop and gesture for Spike to go first.

"I think," he starts, "that it happened when we touched. I know it sounds weird--"

"--but it's the only thing that makes sense," I finish. We give each other looks again, and I keep talking. "When I touched his fur, I felt this sort of static shock--"

"So did I."

"--and at the same moment, the books did..." I gesture to the dispersed books. "...that."

Now both Twilight and Pinkie are giving us looks.

"Are you finishing each other's sentences?" Twilight asks.

The answer is yes, but I shake my head. "We just had the same idea at the same time."

"Yeah," chimes in Spike. "We're just more clever than you right now."

Twilight gives him the death stare, and he shuts up and starts picking up the books that are now completely and properly inanimate. I get one too, and I hope that I don't end up this Twilight's enemy by mistake. That would suck. Twilight walks up to me and hesitantly puts a claw on my chest. Nothing happens, except for the blush that appears on my cheeks. I force myself to stop being attracted to her, and thankfully Twilight does not notice the red patches on my face. She does, however, notice that I'm missing something.

"You don't have a cutie mark." They're still called cutie marks here. Good. "Why don't you have a cutie mark?" She's suspicious of me. Not good.

My mind blanks for a moment. I can hear seconds ticking by on a clock nearby. Are they slowing down? Maybe they'll stop, and I can get out of here while time's stopped, and then when it starts again Twilight Sparkle the Dragon will be staring at empty air, and I'll be at the gate, and then I'll run into the forest again, and past the spot where I woke up, and I'll just keep running until I find Ponyville, and then it'll all become this great story I can tell to the girls next time we all have lunch together, and-

"Hello?" Oh. Time didn't stop. I've just been standing here, like an idiot. Twilight's super suspicious now. "Why don't you have a cutie mark?" she asks again. This time, my mind kicks into high gear, and I give the most genius answer anypony's ever given:

"Uh, yes I do?" Good one, Spike (er, Emerald). Nailed it.

"No you don't," Twilight insists, jabbing the spot where a dragon's cutie mark is supposed to be. "There's nothing but scales there." My eyes follow her finger to the spot on my neck she's poking, and in a flash of true brilliance, my eyes widen, and I whisper, "What the heck...?" I move her hand away and continue to stare down at myself, formulating the most life-saving plan I've ever thought up as I do. I look back up at Twilight when it's formulated. She's raising an eyebrow and has her claws on her hips. The plan goes into action.

Step One: Act Surprised

"It's not there anymore. What happened to my cutie mark?" I hope I look as shocked as I sound. Twilight's eyebrow lowers, but she doesn't look convinced that I'm clueless. Which means...

Step Two: Panic/Denial

"This can't be real. I must be having a nightmare or something. I'm still dreaming, that's why I was on the side of a road when I 'woke up!'" I should look a little manic now. Twilight's look has shifted from unbelieving to concerned. I step over to Spike and pick up the book next to him. It's A Tale of Two Drakes. I hold it up for them to see.

"This isn't a novel!" I tell them. "It's a cookbook!" I open it, and pretend to have my hopes crushed when I read about the best and worst of times. I let the book fall dramatically from my hands, and slouch against the shelf next to me, looking what I hope is crushed.

"This isn't a dream. I'm really in a town I've never heard of. I really woke up on the side of a road in the middle of a forest this morning." I glance down at my collar. "I really have lost my cutie mark."

Step Three: Gain Pity, Lose Suspicion

Twilight comes over to me, now looking sorry that she'd sounded so suspicious. She puts a hand on my shoulder, and I give her my famous puppy-dog eyes. She smiles kindly at me, and says, "I'm sorry. I didn't know the whole story."

I fake a sniffle and tell her it's alright. She continues: "Let me make it up to you. Pinkie told me you needed a place to stay, and I've got a guest room downstairs..."

The look I give her could break hearts. "What are you saying?"

"You can stay here, if you need it."

I grin and accept, making sure my voice wavers a little sadly when I do.

Step Four: I win Best Actor at the next Hoofney Awards.

The book I dropped glows green and lifts itself up to an empty slot in the bookshelf across from us. It slides in just as Spike comes around the corner. He catches my eye again, and I smile. He looks to Twilight, who also gives him a grin.

"Spike, prepare the guest bedroom. Mr. Spires will be staying with us for a while."

Spike laughs and says, "That was fast, Twi," as he trots past. Twilight blushes, and so do I, when I figure out what he means a moment after her. We don't make eye contact the entire trip back to the front of the library. Spike heads down to the basement to set up the guest bedroom, and Twilight offers to get Pinkie and I drinks. Somepony knocks on the door just as Twilight enters the kitchen.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, darling!" The voice of an angel. I can suddenly feel my heartbeat pounding in my chest. Mother of Celestia. It's her. I spin around and pretend to be interested in Twilight's writing desk as Twilight answers that yes, Rarity, you can come in, the door's unlocked. I hear it open, hear the soft padding of feet, hear it close. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pinkie brighten up and walk out of my line of sight. I stare at the same quill, brushing it's feathers with my claw as I hear Pinkie chat with the new visitor. I had not thought about this, to my surprise. I hadn't imagined her, in all of the time I'd been here (which, granted, was not much), and now that she was here I was feeling the overwhelming impossibility of this whole day blanket me again. What was I going to see when I turned around? I didn't dare look at anything other than the desk. Yet my attempt to remain inconspicuous is in vain, for as soon as I decide not to engage, I hear Pinkie telling her all about Twilight's new house guest, and the party she'll be throwing tonight, and then I hear her voice, directed toward me:

"You're Mr. Spires, I presume?"

Oh no. I have to turn around now, don't I? Maybe not. I cough, straighten up, and say in a voice deeper than my normal one, "Yes, I am." I'm in the clear.

"Oh, come on, Emerald! Don't be shy! That's Fluttershy's thing! Come over here and say hi to Rarity! She won't bite!" Pinkamena Diane Pie, you over-social party-planning sugar-bomb, you've blown my cover. I have to turn around, now, no question about it. I breath deep, pray for a miracle, and turn to face Rarity the Dragon.

...

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...

"Excuse me?"

Time begins to move again. She's looking awkwardly between me and Pinkie. I'm standing perfectly still. Pinkie sees that she's uncomfortable (so am I, really), and she says, "Oh, that! He does that to everydragon! He did it to Twilight and me earlier! He'll be alright in a second!" Pinkamena Diane Pie, my Lord and Savior, you've saved me once again. She looks back to me, and I manage to gain enough feeling in my face to smile politely at her. The rest of my body follows suit, and walk over to her and Pinkie. Pinkie gives her a "See? I told you!" look, and she smiles at me and holds out her hand.

"Rarity," she introduces, "premiere fashion designer here in Dragonsville."

I take her hand and kiss it without thinking. I have not broken eye contact with her yet. She blushes and draws her hand away, a little reluctantly, I notice.

"Emerald," I tell her, "premiere stranger here in Dragonsville."

She laughs and smiles again. Oh thank you, Faust, I can still make her laugh and smile. The initial shock is still wearing off, so I am limited to simply smiling back at her and standing around waiting for the next question. And I'm still staring her in the eye. I probably look like I'm thinking of how good her eyes might look in my collection, or something like that. Her smile is just beginning to fade again when Twilight comes in with five drinks on a platter floating in the air. She sets them down on the table in between the two doors leading outside, and I'm about to ask why there are five when Spike comes back up the stairs with a duster in the grip of his magic. His eyes rest on Rarity, and the duster falls to the ground.

"Rarity," he breathes, looking like a little kid meeting his favorite cartoon character, "I didn't know you'd be here!" His eyes are shining with admiration. He's hopelessly, unforgettably, madly enamored with this dragoness. I will never hate anypony more than I hate the unicorn-me in this moment. Rarity smiles back at him and says hello. I almost hate her too, for a second. The five of us sit down for drinks, and I manage to pull out a chair for Rarity before Spike can. The look he gives me would make Fluttershy cry, but it only gives me pleasure to see his anger. I sit on one side of her, with Pinkie on my left, and he sits on the other side of her, with Twilight to his right. We are directly across from each other. That's another difference in this world: the table's rectangular, not circular. I like it better this way.

"Twilight, dear, this is excellent!" The moment Rarity begins speaking, Spike's head snaps to look at her. I smile, and glance over at her. I have more control over myself around her. That's 1-zip, my favor. Rarity continues speaking, either unaware of Spike's head snap or unaffected by it. "What is it?"

Spike answers instead of Twilight. "It's her famous iced coffee. It's pretty much the only thing she can make in the kitchen, but when she makes it, she makes it good." Damn. He's able to answer her easier. What's worse, he's completely right: this is he most delicious coffee I've ever had. My Twilight doesn't drink coffee. That's 2-1, his favor. I'm already losing. Crap. Time to move attention away from her.

"So, about my rent..." I begin, and Spike reluctantly turns to me from Rarity. I look at Twilight, who has finished her drink already and is laughing quietly.

"Mr. Spires, please-"

"Emerald, please," I insist. I give Rarity a sideways glance. "Call me Emerald."

"Well, Emerald, if what Pinkie tells me is true, you have no money with which to pay rent." She gives a sigh full of false-exasperation. "So I'll simply have to let you stay here without paying."

"I can't let you do that without doing something for you."

"It's fine, really. Don't worry about it."

I nod and drink more of my coffee. We start to chat about how my staying here will work out, and conversation is about to turn towards how I ended up here in the first place when Pinkie says something that makes everypony crack up. Rarity's drink is ruined when she snorts into it and a puff of blueish smoke fills the glass. Spike offers to get her a new one, and when he goes into the kitchen Rarity turns to me and picks up where the discussion left off.

So then, Emerald, I would love to know more about you. How did you come to Dragonsville?"

So I explained the full story: I'd woken up on the side of the road, with no idea where I was or how I got there, and I followed a path through the forest to Dragonsville, where I'd met Pinkie, then Spike and Twilight, and now, her. None of it was a lie.

"My, what a mystery!" Rarity says when I'm finished. I've impressed her: still your move, Spike. "Do you remember what you did just before you lost your memory?"

"I was on my way to C-" I stop, and manage to turn the C in Canterlot into a cough. Rarity doesn't notice a thing. "I was going to a meeting with the princesses." I realize that I've still made a terrible mistake far too late, and watch in horror as all eyes widen at my claim.

Twilight is the most offed by this. "Y-You know the princesses? You're friends with them? Is that why you don't have a cutie mark, because you're from Draco Arabia?"

"Er-" I can't say anything more, because Twilight has started ranting and will not stop.

"Were you at the show I put on for Celestia and her friends from Draco Arabia? Did you really love it? I worked hours on it, and I couldn't have been happier when Celestia told me you did! Did you mean it, or did you just say it to be nice? Does your country have magic users like we do-"

Pinkie puts a claw over Twilight's mouth at my request. I smile kindly, and start lying my way out of this mess:

"No, Twilight, I'm not from Draco Arabia. I don't know why my cutie mark's gone, and I don't know Celestia or Luna. The princesses I'm talking about are the nicknames for my sisters, because they always get what they want without having to earn it like I do. We have a family reunion every year, whether we like it or not, and if I had to guess I would say that I was ambushed on my way there, for whatever reason, and whoever ambushed me did something that took away my cutie mark and gave me amnesia. And yes, I think that Draco Arabia has magic users, though I've never been there myself."

Twilight's face is more red than purple now. Pinkie's giggling, as she always does, and she pats Twilight on the back to tell her it's alright. This doesn't help her, and she chews on the ice cubes in her glass to keep her mouth busy. There's an awkward pause in the conversation until Spike comes back into the room with two more glasses of iced coffee.

"Here ya go, Rarity!" He sets one glass down in front of her, and floats one over to Twilight. "I got one for you too, Twi."

Twilight forgets her embarrassment and downs half of the drink in one gulp. Rarity merely sips hers, and starts up her conversation again.

"So, then, Emerald, did you have an occupation?"

"Nope." I say. This is another lie. Since I turned 18, I've been receiving ample payment from Twilight for my work as her assistant, not to mention the room and board that's been included since I was born. "I was looking for jobs when this whole mess began."

Rarity's eyes brighten in that special way only she can pull off. "Well, if you need money, I could use a full-time assistant at my boutique. It would be wonderful to have you helping me, especially with the-"

She is interrupted by a loud shattering noise that makes her scream. Across from me, Spike is holding a hoof over a broken glass. The hoof is stained brown by the coffee, and red from the blood seeping from a gash in it. Extending from the gash is a piece of glass, about the size of one of the ice cubes. His eyes are widened in shock, but he isn't looking at the gash; his eyes are staring directly into mine, and I immediately know why the glass broke.

"Spike!" Both Rarity and Twilight yell his name at the same time. He ignores both of them, and finally looks down at his bleeding hoof. He blinks a couple times, and when his eye twitches I remember how afraid I am of watching myself bleed.

"My magic glitched," he mumbles, almost to himself. "I didn't mean to break your glass, Twi." He further observes: "That's a lot of blood." Oh. So this is how I look when I get like this. Sweet Celestia, I'm scared of myself. Twilight gets up and rushes over to him, poofing a med kit into existence with her own magic and putting her hands on the young colt's shoulders.

"You'll be alright, Spike. I promise." She's not Twilight, my boss, anymore. She's Twilight, my sister, my caretaker. She wraps up the cut around the glass, then whispers something in Spike's ear that makes him look up at the ceiling and shut his eyes. Then Twilight yanks the glass out, and a quick repairing spell drags every single glass splinter out of the gash and off of the tabletop. The repaired glass is set down, and Twilight disinfects the wound, then covers it up with gauze. All of this takes fifteen seconds. I am speechless.

"Thanks." Spike gets up from the table, makes a sort of crutch out of his magic and makes his way to the stairs leading up to his (my?) living quarters. He mumbles a goodbye to all of us. After a minute of watching him trot up the stairs, Rarity slowly turns to me and tries to continue her job offer.

"I usually have to handle things in my shop on my own. Sometimes I have little Spikey-Wikey"--an ice cube crunches loudly between my teeth--"to help, but I don't think that he'll be available for a few days. So, Emerald, would you like to come in, say, tomorrow, and help me?"

"Yes!" Suck it, horn-boy! I took your job! Whatcha gonna do now? I'm so wrapped up in my victory over myself that I don't notice how happily and loudly I accepted Rarity's offer until I catch her startled look. I change paces, and tell her, in as smooth a voice as I can muster: "I mean, of course I would." Pinkie is quite plainly holding back laughter, covering her mouth with both hands. Twilight has a knowing smile on her face.

"Wonderful." She moves a curl from her face. "It would be perfect if you could some in at ten, alright?"

I'm much cooler when I answer her this time. "I'll be there at 9:45."

She smiles and giggles again. The conversation shifts. Twilight swallows the rest of her drink and asks why Rarity is here at the library.

"Oh, that's right!" She reaches below the table and pulls out a purse (I notice that it's made of leather; my shiver goes unnoticed), and from it a slip of paper. "Here," she says, floating it over to Twilight with her magic. "Everything you needed, on the list." Twilight's eyes run across the paper once, twice, thrice, before she smiles and nods in thanks to Rarity.

"Excellent. That means we're done with preparations, and can begin the actual setup. I'll get AJ on it immediately."

"On what?" I ask without meaning to. I get another confused look from everypony at the table. In response I sip my drink nonchalantly and mumble, "I must've been out longer than I thought."

"You must have," Rarity agrees, "to be so unaware of the Summer Sun Celebration. It's in five days." Her expression turns worried, and she mutters to herself: "Oh dear. I wonder how many dragons will need outfits for the Festival."

"The Summer Sun Celebration, huh?" In Ponyville, it's almost winter. I've traveled through time as well, it would seem. Twilight nods and tells me about how honored she is to be planning the Festival in Dragonsville this year, as well as the actual ceremony, held once more in Ponyville this year, and how much extra work she'll have to handle with Spike incapacitated for the next few days. I almost offer my services, but the possibility of losing time with Rarity shuts me up. Instead, I make a remark about not falling asleep under a pile of books, and Twilight's blush makes Pinkie snort flamingo-colored smoke into her drink and Rarity raise and eyebrow questioningly. She apparently chooses to leave that story for another time, and gets up to leave.

"So, Mr. Spires, 10 o'clock, tomorrow morning. Don't forget."

"Like I said, I'll be there early. Can't wait."

She smiles at me one last time (is that a blush? Sweet Celestia, it is!) and heads towards the door, bidding Pinkie and Twilight good day . When she opens the door to go, Pinkie yells for her to hold it, and gets up from the table as well. As she passes me, she leans in and whispers in my ear: "I'll put in a good word for you, okay?" Before I can respond, she bolts out the door after Rarity, leaving Twilight and I at the table alone. She still has her knowing smile on, and I can't avoid meeting her gaze. She leans forward on her elbows and holds her head in one hand. She taps her cheek with a claw, and plays with her empty glass with her free hand. I do, say, think nothing about it. This silence goes on for a minute or so, until I decide that I'm very very tired (which is the truth) and excuse myself from the table.

"I think I'll check out my arrangements." It's a worthy excuse. "Thanks for those, by the way." I make to go down the staircase behind the table, but when I pass Twilight she grabs my arm roughly. This is frightening, mostly because pony-Twilight doesn't ever act like this. I look down at the seated dragoness, and she looks up at me with that same knowing look.

"I'm going to explain something that hasn't happened yet." She sounds mystic, almost. That's even more frightening. "Is that alright?"

"Uh, okay?" I'm not sure where she's going with this...

"Spike's doing what he's doing because he's crushing on her too. Hard."

Oh. I have no time to respond, as Pinkie's head appears quite impossibly from under the table and hisses at us.

"Foreeeeeever!" Back under the table she goes. I check for any sign of her. Gone, completely.

"Uh..."

Twilight pats me on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, that was for me. I'll deal with it. What you have to deal with is Spike, and, if you think you're capable, Rarity."

I say nothing. I'm too angry at myself for still being that transparent. Ten years of this, damn it!

"If you're going after her, Emerald, you need to make sure Spike doesn't get hurt. Or else." She leaves it at that, and gets up to leave. The ominous tone of her last words make me shiver: What would my Twilight do, if Rarity broke my heart? Dragin-Twilight gives me one last smile, tells me to just ask if I need anything, and disappears back into the labyrinth of bookshelves. I'm alone. Game over. Final score: Spike, 5; "Emerald," ∞. Yet I don't feel like I've won. I'm too tired. How did I get so tired in the first place?

I trudge down to my new lodgings, the basement where Twilight also has a lab set up when guests aren't staying. All of the equipment is gone, but I know where it is: I've had to move it all after Twilight shrinks it down, into a compartment behind the bookcase beside my bed. The bed. I pounce on it like a hungry tiger. I know that it's still day time, and I know that I've been sleeping a lot this past day, yet when my head hits the pillow it's like a knock-out punch. I'm asleep in seconds.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

Once again, as a reminder: "dragin" is to "dragon" as "filly" is to "pony." It's a female dragon.

Spike's behavior when facing the dragin-Rarity for the first time is based on the idea that when you see the love of your life for the first time, and it's destiny, your mind does not go blank, but into overdrive instead. If this is supposed to be your soulmate, then you don't simply look at her and say "Wow. That's beautiful." No. Every ounce of your mind, subconscious or otherwise, should be thinking of her so much that you can no longer properly function. Thus, Spike's inner monologue.

The next installment of the story should be up in another week, or perhaps less. Contained within will be a very unsettling game, an even more unsettling warning, and the beginnings of a rivalry that may very well tear the entire town of Dragonsville apart. And also, pancakes.

Apart from that, though, there is nothing else to note here. So, I bid you all fare readings.

-NotARealPony.com

Card Games

____________________________________________________________________

The blue again. But I know I'm dreaming. Maybe.

The smile is waiting for me, along with its eyes. It looks strange, with its whiteness contrasting the indigo ocean around it and I.

"Having fun?"

"Yeah. Thanks for asking." This can't be the only reason I'm here, to simply float and chat with a color. I look around (I can turn my head now, though the rest of my body, if it exists, is immobile), and ask, "Why is it so blue in here?"

"Do you think we are inside?"

I look around again. "Huh. Guess not." There's no room in the universe that can hold this much blue. I take a closer look, and spot swirls of black in the blue. "Hmm. That's new."

"No." The smile can be very blunt.

"How can you tell?" I retort, rather rudely. "You've only had eyes for, like, a minute."

For the first time, the smile becomes the frown. There's a ripple in the universe, and more black swirls become visible. And is that a drop of white I see?

"You mean you cannot see me?"

I laugh. Funny. "Of course I can. You're the smile. Only, you're frowning now."

Yes, it definitely is. There's more ripples, and I can hear something tapping faintly in the background. I feel the blue hold my face, and I try to slip away. I succeed, but it's because I am about to wake up.

The smile-frown's parting message is, "Oh dear."

____________________________________________________________________

Wake up. Don't open your eyes, Spike. You have to remember the dream this time. It was the same as the last one you tried to remember, you just have to remember what they were both about. It wasn't complex. There was one thing, one thing there that talked to you. It was smiling. Come on, you've got that, now just pull in the rest...

The blue. The smile. The "in-between." Everything floods from subconscious to conscious. I was floating around in this blue soupy stuff, like an ocean. Somepony was there, somepony made of only a smile and two eyes. Except it wasn't a smile in the end. When I left it, the smile was a frown.

My eyes open and stare at a wall my bed is pushed up against. Only, this isn't my bed. My bed is open on both sides. My remembrance game has cost me my knowledge of reality, so I just lay in this bed that isn't mine and wait for the rest of me to wake up after my brain. I turn over in bed and face the rest of the room I'm in. Twilight's basement. Memories breach the floodgates and pour in after the dreams. I'm in Dragonsville, as a guest of Twilight Sparkle, who here is not my sister but the town librarian whom I've only known for a day, maybe less. I am not Spike, either. Spike is her assistant, a unicorn who is head-over-hooves in love with a dragoness called Rarity, whom I also happen to be in love with.

A sick feeling washes over me when I remember how I acted. Why was I like that yesterday? Everything was fine until Spike came upstairs and saw Rarity. Was it jealousy? I don't doubt it: I've been in love with her for the longest time. Still, though, I completely hated the pony-me that day; everything he said or did, whether it involved Rarity or not, was repulsive to me. I remember how much I wanted him away from me, how much better I felt when he went into another room to get more drinks, or when he left after he cut his hoof open. What kind of creature hates themselves for doing something they've done for years? If anything, I should be helping him, since I can't stay here forever. I have to get back to Ponyville. In fact, I should get out of bed right now and get to work on that. The first thing to do is...find a spell book. Yes! On what, though? Travel between dimensions? Yes! Good job, brain. Now you just have to get out of bed, go upstairs, and you can get started on getting back to your world with your Twilight and your room and your Rarity...

Rarity. Oh crap. I have to go to work today.

I leap out of bed and almost knock over a stool near the head of the bed that hadn't been there when I fell asleep the night before (actually, it was daytime). On it is a bowl of gemstones and a note. I snatch it up, along with a ruby (I'm starving) and read:

Emerald,
In case you sleep in and need a quick breakfast. Can't keep R. waiting.
-T.S.

Why is my name the only one not abbreviated? Whatever. I gulp down the ruby, along with a handful of amazingly ripe citrines before taking the bowl with me upstairs. The library is empty (at least, in the main room: the maze of shelves is still a mystery to me), so I trod over to the kitchen to return the rest of the gems. Even before I reach the door, I can hear the pans being washed. Repulsion. I know who it is before I see his face.

Spike's sitting at a table near the cleaning cabinet (if everything is here as it is in Ponyville, then I know this place perfectly), playing with a deck of cards. The dishes are doing themselves, controlled by his magic. The cards are also held in his magical grip, shuffling themselves, while his hooves are busy feeding him a pancake. He gives me only a passing glance. He knew it was me behind the kitchen door, too.

"Oh. It's you." Somepony's not happy to see me. And neither am I (but why?).

"Yeah." I can't stop staring at the cards shuffling. They're moving up and forward and left and down and every which way imaginable, unfolding and refolding, spreading out into a fan shape, then a spiral, then back to a deck. He doesn't say anything until he's done shuffling. The plates are done in the sink. Time for silverware.

"Twilight's not here."

"Okay."

"You should get going. Don't want Rarity to wait."

I check the clock on the wall. "It's only 9:00. I have an hour to kill."

"Oh." Do I really sound this venomous when I'm jealous? "I didn't know when you had to be there. I was busy trying not to use my hoof."

I look at said hoof, and find that it is completely healed. No scab, no scar, nothing. As if he never broke that glass at all. I step over to the table and set down the bowl of gems. In the sink, spoons are being scrubbed vigorously. Spike is not looking at me anymore. He is focused on a group of six card piles in front of him. He's perfectly motionless. The only sign that he's alive is the occasional glow of the horn that brings several cards from a larger deck floating above his head the piles over to him. He glances at them, discards all but one, and places a black queen on a red king.

"Solitaire, huh?"

"Mm-hmm. I'm best at it." Celestia, he sounds so lonely.

"Know any two-player games?" The look I get tells me yes, among other, less than polite answers. "So, uh, wanna play one?"

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Not for another hour." I really don't want to be this guy's enemy,or at least not openly. He sighs and nods to the chair across from him, and starts to shuffle the cards again. The forks are being dried off and placed in neat little rows on the rack next to the sink. I watch him shuffle for a while, and get an idea that might just make Spike hate me a little less. So I ask him if he gambles.

"What do you want to bet?" Just like me. Huh.

"How about our jobs?" I wait for him to ask me to explain, but he just gives me another deadpan look (man, I am really weird when I'm unfriendly!). So I explain anyway: "I'm not an idiot. I know why that glass shattered in your grip yesterday. You want to work with that pretty young dragoness." His eye twitches. "You like her, obviously." Twitchy-twitch. "So, I'll play a game of your choice: you win, I'll let you go in my stead. Deal?" I hold out a claw to shake with. He eyes it suspiciously, then gives me a mischievous grin and puts his healed-up hoof in it. It's a deal.

"Alright," Spike explains, setting the shuffled deck on the table. "Here's how this game works: you flip a card, I flip a card, you flip a card, and so on. Whoever flips over the..." He thinks for a minute. "...Queen of Diamonds, loses. Got it?"

"That's all?"

"That's all."

I agree and flip the first card. It's the Queen of Diamonds. Spike's grin is so wide, Pinkie would be impressed.

"Would ya look at that?"

He meets my gaze, and the split-second falter in his grin tells me what I need to know. I pick up the deck and shuffle it myself. Spike is too busy giggling (and wiping knives) to stop me. So he does feel as angry towards me as I do to him. The shuffling's done. I slam the deck back on the table.

"You first this time. No magic. And the stakes have changed." He stops snickering. Good. "In case you hadn't guessed yet, and I'm sure you have, because you're such a smart little colt, I really want to spend time with this dragin. So now, you have to win five games now. I shuffle. No magic. Each win gets you or me one point and one question. I want to know more about this place, Dragonsville. Maybe find out where a good restaurant is." Celestia, it feels so good being bad (but it shouldn't!). Spike's not backing down, but the remark about dinner makes his eye twitch again. There's a pause. The only sound is the scrubbing of knives.

"Fine." The knives fall into the sink. No magic. Spike takes a card, and the games begin.

Round one. He flips. Three of Spades. I flip. Eight of Hearts. He flips. King of Diamonds. I flip. King of Hearts. Three of Diamonds. Nine of Spades. Two of Clubs. Jack of Hearts. Ace of Diamonds. Queen of Hearts. Two of Hearts. Seven of Clubs. Ace of Clubs. Jack of Spades. Four of Diamonds. Queen of Diamonds. I win.

"How did you heal your hoof so fast?"

He wasn't expecting that as my first question. He looks at his hoof, then back to me.

"I have an entire wall of spell books in my room. About a third of them are on beneficial magic, and half of those are on healing magic."

"I didn't know unicorn magic and draconic magic were the same."

"They aren't. I'm just very clever. You have to be, when you're Twilight Sparkle's Number 1 Assistant."

"Okay." Okay. Return the flipped cards to the deck, shuffle, set it down again, here we go.

Round Two. Spike first. Queen of Hearts. Me. Queen of Diamonds. Spike wins.

"What?" I need to shuffle better. Spike laughs at my disbelief, then thinks about his question.

"How do you know why I broke the glass?"

"I know plenty about love, kid. And you? You're in it."

"So are you, from what yesterday's little drink session showed me."

This is starting to feel like a police interrogation. No, that's wrong. It's more like a detective film. I remember Sherclop Holmes with Robert Hoofney Jr. I still prefer Beneighdict Cumberbatch. I'm getting off track.

"I'm not in love, kid."

"Sure you're not. C'mon, shuffle. And don't call me 'kid.'"

Round Three. Spike's first again. Two of Diamonds. My flip. Ace of Spades. King of Spades. Black Joker. Four of Clubs. Queen of Clubs. Three of Hearts. Eight of Spades. Four of Diamonds. Queen of Clubs. King of Diamonds. Ace of Clubs. Queen of Diamonds. Spike wins again.

"Where are you from?"

"Out of town. Next round." I reach for the deck. Spike's hoof slams down on it before I can touch it.

"Uh-uh. I need a name."

"I can't remember. I've got amnesia."

"That's a load of crap. Where are you from?"

Oh no. I don't know any places for certain here. He's got me. Quick, think, what would Canterlot have been changed to? Drakealot? No. My brain's moving too fast for any other part of me to work. I hardly register Spike's smirk growing wider the longer I hold my pause. Finally, I give up, and give him a name.

"The Badlands! I'm from the Badlands."

Is it real? Is it populated by dragons, like in my world? Come on, come on, come on...

"See? That wasn't so hard. A nice, simple question." Spike's hoof slides off the deck. I resist sighing in relief, and shuffle.

Round Four lasts about half the deck, and ends with me turning the Queen of Diamonds over again. Spike has three points, I have one.

"How come you don't have a cutie mark?"

"I don't know. It's normally there."

"Oh yeah? And what is it?"

I pause too long. Spike smirks again and leans back in his chair.

"So, an adult dragon with no cutie mark. Veeeeery suspicious."

"Whatever. You got your answer." Collect the cards, shuffle, ready set go.

Round Five. After forty cards are tossed aside, Spike finally pulls the Queen of Diamonds. It's my turn to ask a question.

"How did a unicorn end up living in a town, no, a country, populated primarily by dragons?"

Spike's hesitant to answer. Finally, he tells me a story about a unicorn and a princess.

"My mother was a stranger in this land. She was pregnant with me when she was attacked by a hoard of feral drakes. She fended them off, but was mortally wounded. She was found by a group of Royal Guard members who informed Celestia that a unicorn had appeared in Serpentia for the first time in, oh, a century. She took care of my mother long enough for me to be born, and when she passed away I was raised by Celestia until I was old enough to read, write, and speak properly. Then I was assigned a job: assist the dragin Twilight Sparkle in her studies as long as necessary. So here I am."

Of course his story's different from mine: you can't hatch a unicorn. I'm satisfied with that answer, so I take the deck and start the next round.

Round Six. Spike wins. I feel nervousness clenching my stomach tightly. I don't want to lose my date with Rarity. I watch him lean back in his chair again. Cocky horse-brain.

"What was that spark thing that happened back in the book-maze? When the books all went flying?"

"I have no idea."

Again, his face flashes with disappointment. "Damn. I really thought you'd know."

I think I do, but I don't tell him that. Instead, I shuffle. I can't lose this round.

I don't. Round Seven, ninth card in, Spike flips the Queen of Diamonds. 4-3, his favor.

"Where is the shop Rarity works at?" I'm worried he won't answer when his eye twitches again, but he does, albeit hesitantly.

"From here, it's a walk straight through the main market, then a left when you get to the Sugarcube Corner. You'll know it when you see it." He pauses, then adds, "If you see it."

"Mm-hmm." Right. I still need two more points. Cards, shuffle, let's go.

Round Eight makes me almost wet myself. The Queen of Diamonds is literally the last possible card Spike could have drawn. Even he's relieved to see it, though it means that the next round could be for my win.

"Are you going to tell anydragon about this game we've had?"

He considers.

"No, but only if you win. If I win, I'll tell Rarity all about where your from and your little fib about not having a cutie mark."

"You absolute dick."

"Ain't I a stinker?"

Our banter is so perfect it feels scripted. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that we're the same being.

Last Round. Shuffle. Spike first. I keep a perfectly straight face as he takes the first card off the deck.

It's the Queen of Diamonds.

"NO!"

"YES!"

We've shouted at the exact same time. I look up from the deck and meet his poisonous glare. I respond with a smirk.

"Well, this was fun. I'll have to try this again, when there's more players available." I get up and head for the door. It's 9:37. Don't want to be late. I reach the door, but when I push it open, it responds by glowing emerald and slamming shut. I turn around, and Spike is almost standing on the table, his face contorted into an expression of rage and jealousy. His eyes are glowing bright green, and I think of the times when Twilight's used her Element of Harmony. She had eyes like that, too.

Oh boy. I think I'm in trouble.

"If you hurt her, I'll kill you." He says it so seriously that a shiver runs down my spine. His voice sounds amplified. I give him a nod of compliance, and he stops glowing. The door opens behind me.

"Have fun," he says (threatens?), and I'm out of there like a lightning bolt. The further away I get, the better I'll feel. I know it.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

I apologize for the delay on this chapter. When the real world clamps down on you, it does so with an iron vise. Hopefully, the next few weeks should be much less busy.

As the saying goes, the wedge has been driven. We'll see how this rivalry between Spikes plays out, and I'm certain it'll be hilariously violent. But not yet. For now, be content knowing that our next installment, you shall find a drawer full of iron, a familiar story about something different, a young dragin who knows more than she's telling, and fondue.

The card game's called Yakuza, by the way. Based it on a passage I read in a novel once. Simple to play, good for betting. Try it at home, kids!

-NotARealPonydotcom

Absolutely Bucking Crazy

____________________________________________________________________

I enter the dream world again, expecting the blue. And I get it, too. But something's different this time. There's no smile, no frown, no eyes. Just the blue, like the first dream. So I just float there, staring at one spot, then another, then another. Every spot's the same. I'm so bored.

So the blue decides to entertain me with a trap.

Something below me, sucking me down. Waitwaitwait, what? Can't fight it, going down, ground level coming up to meet me. Looking through the blue, I see what's pulling me in: a part in the blue, something gray, with a blinding white pool directly below me. And I can't fight it. There's nothing I can do except squirm and scream except no sound comes out because there's no air anymore because I've hit the pool and I'm going down down down, into the light, it's surrounding me (it's so sticky!) and I take a deep breath and let my head sink in and then I'm gone

‡

"After you, ladies."

Six "Thank you"s and a kiss on the cheek, from who, he didn't know. Spike opened his eyes when the sound of his friends climbing into the carriage stopped, and, with no time to lose, he slammed the door shut. Spinning around, the young drake made his way over to the driver's seat, hopped in, and snapped the reins, ready to head off to Canterlot.

"Hey!"

"What the-"

"Oops." Purple changed to red as Spike blushed. "Sorry, guys. Let's go!"

____________________________________________________________________

Inside the Canterlot Castle, the six mares we're led to their suites, each supplied with a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and, in Rarity's case, a dressing room. Spike did not have a room, but that was fine by him: he could sleep with Twilight, like when he was younger. He waved off Celestia's apologies and told her it was fine and that he was cool with sleeping in a bed meant for Philomena.

But it wasn't, and he wasn't.

During the day before the fashion show, he was free to tour the castle he'd learned to treat as his second home and revisit old memories. He toured the Hall of Stained Glass (and admired a lovely depiction of a certain purple drake restoring the Crystal Empire to its former glory), the garden (which seemed a little emptier without its famous statue of Discord), and his favorite place in the entire castle: the Royal Kitchen. When he entered the familiar room, he was so intoxicated by the smells that he didn't notice the fearful looks of the ponies in the area until after he'd been tackled to the floor by the sous-chef and punched squarely in the chest. Fortunately, there was a janitor there who recognized him as the little whelp who would always sneak in at night asking for emeralds. All of the others working in the kitchen were either new recruits, had never seen him, or had (somehow) forgotten him since he'd last come begging. They offered him a bowl of rubies in apology, and said they thought he was a monster that had broken into the castle looking for a bite to eat. He cracked a joke involving the bowl of rubies, took them out of kindness, and left the kitchen limping (he'd twisted his ankle in the fall), thanking them for the rubies and assuring them he was good to go.

But he wasn't, and the rubies tasted like pebbles.

He went into town with Rarity, to pick up supplies, and they were the most watched pair in the city. Mares whispered gossip to other mares, kids giggled (or screamed and hid), and stallions simply gave them odd glares. Rarity either didn't notice, or didn't care. Spike liked to think the latter was the truth. Throughout the day, they completed their errands, usually with little or no trouble. Then Rarity decided to treat Spike to lunch. The cafe she chose had been her favorite out of the ones Fancy Pants had shown her during her previous stays at Canterlot, and the head waiter recognized her immediately. He offered her her usual seat, but she insisted that she sit outside, so as to have more room for Spike. The waiter was not expecting this: pets weren't allowed to enter the eating establishment, he explained. Spike, having heard this, apologized to Rarity for putting her at a disadvantage and offered to take their purchases back to her suite at the castle while she enjoyed her lunch. He left with the supplies before Rarity could answer, not wanting to take "No" for an answer. As he walked away, he heard the waiter compliment her on her training him to be so obedient. He didn't hear her reply.

Spike could only imagine that it was a slap to the face.

The night came swiftly after that, mostly because Spike spent the rest of the day cooped up in the library, hidden away in the Starswirl the Bearded section. The only measurement of how much time had passed was the chiming of a clock somewhere in the library. Two chimes turned to four to six to nine to eleven, and suddenly it was tomorrow. He realized how tired and hungry he was, and marked his spot in the section where he'd read up to. He'd managed to sort through an entire half of a shelf, one that stretched back into the recesses of the library. In it were books on spells that Twilight would kill to learn (quite literally: one of the books was entitled Black Arcanic Rituals on Griffons, circa 198-267), and some that she had already mastered. Everything, from heating spells to freezing jinxes, from potions of love (he'd bookmarked that one) to poisons for only the worst of enemies, from the written spells of the griffons to the voodoo magic of the zebras.

Everything, except for a permanent transformation spell.

He crept back to his room (he would not risk a visit to the kitchen again) and into bed. He was exhausted, emotionally, physically, mentally. But he couldn't sleep. So he spent five-plus hours lying in bed, thinking about how great it was to be back in his old room in the castle again, with Twilight snoring peacefully next to him. The sapphire on the gold chain twirled in his fingers as he thought about Rarity, and her eyes, and her mane, and her voice and her laughter and her charm. He thought of how much help he would be at the show the day after tomorrow, and he imagined how impressed the audience would be with her work and how much money she would make from the event.

And, of course, he thought about his own plans. The sapphire spun on its chain.

After a while, the sun came up again, and with it Twilight. She mumbled a good morning, nuzzled him, and went off to find some breakfast. Spike didn't follow her, despite the now constant nag of hunger in his stomach. He didn't want to leave his room, or even his bed: he was just too tired. It was only after he'd fallen asleep and been woken up by an angry Twilight at three in the afternoon, and once his head was clear, that he realized why he didn't want to leave the room:

He was afraid of what ponies would do to him out there.

____________________________________________________________________

They were all mocking him now, without reason. He'd done nothing wrong, not on purpose, but still, they were insulting him, calling him an animal, a monster, a failed experiment. He simply stood there, staring at the broken thing on the ground. He wanted to bend over to get it, but he knew better. They'd take advantage of his position, knock him to the ground. But he had to get it back, even if it meant he would get hurt in the process. Besides, Twilight and the others wouldn't let him get hurt, especially not Rarity. Oh, but Rarity wasn't there at the moment. She had important business to attend to, she told him when one pony (who was now one of the mockers) had asked where she'd bought Spike. But that was alright: when she wasn't with him, she wasn't in danger of getting hurt. But the rest of his friends would help him, he was sure. Now, where were they? He couldn't see them in the room.

Somepony asked him when Celestia was going to take him back to his homeland, and he replied that he was born and raised here. A chorus of laughter met his reply. His gaze returned to the broken thing on the floor. He really needed it now, so he could get out of there before things got really bad. He heard somepony say something about him only wanting the gem, and he almost said they were right. But that wouldn't help him, so he remained silent. Where were Twilight and the others? He needed them, too. They were probably all talking with the princesses, who would be reported to about the mess he was in any moment now. He could almost imagine Celestia bursting through the doors to the main room, pushing the crowd aside with her magic, and chastising them with her words while Twilight comforted him. A smile appeared on his face.

Then somepony spat in it. He felt the glob of saliva slide down his face, wetting an eye, then the bridge of his muzzle, then the corner of his mouth, and in the time it took for the spit to reach the tip of his nose, he decided that the ponies here all refused to see a civilized creature for one simple reason: they didn't want to. They didn't want to see a dragon that could play piano for a dancing couple, or cook up breakfast for a sick pony in bed, or help a mare make dresses for a fashion show she'd been invited to join. That would mean that dragons and ponies were equal in everything but shape, size, and diet, and they couldn't have that. They couldn't be the same as those disgusting, over-sized lizards. What they wanted to see was a thing that could only be described as a beast, a demonic creature, a monster. So that's what he showed them.

Spike showed them a monster.

•

until I appear on the other side of the pool. It's flat, just a white, sticky window, and I've only passed right through it. Now I'm not falling anymore, and the pool floats above me, whispering lines from the scenes it's shown me. Who was that, in those scenes? He looks familiar, I know the face from somewhere. Some TV show, I think...

"Spike." It's the blue. She's back. Wait, the blue's a she? How did I not notice that?

"What?"

"Can you see me?"

Of course I can. The blue's everywhere, and actually, now that I know, it makes sense that the blue's a she. I tell her this, but she doesn't answer me. Quite suddenly, the white pool expands and turns pitch black. I'm going to hit it again, and then I'll be watching more scenes from that sad, sad play. I try to remember where I was when I left off: there was a party, our hero was getting mocked, then he did something...

The blue's black now. I'm not going to be seeing anymore scenes, I don't think, so I try to leave. And I go plummeting down into the abyss.

____________________________________________________________________

I was so emotionally exhausted when I returned from Rarity's that I simply trudged down to the basement and fell over into bed. I was not expecting what I get in my dreams. Finally, some light shed upon my amnesiac mind! But there has to be more than what I saw, without a doubt. But that'll have to wait until later: I am awakened by a booming noise above my head just as I am about to dive back into my locked away memories. There's the sound of unfamiliar voices upstairs. Somepony's having a party in the library. I check the time: two hours since I fell asleep. Good, I can get more later. For now, though, the sounds above me have piqued my interest, so I get up and head up the stairs. When I reach the top of the stairs, I am met by an explosion of greetings.

"SURPRISE!!!" Pinkie pops out of the surging crowd of dragons and hugs me (don't look at her tail, you perv!) before presenting me with a ruby-topped cupcake. "Welcome to Dragonsville, Emerald!" Oh yeah, I forgot about the welcoming party. I take the cupcake and look around at the familiar-unfamiliar faces as I chew on it. Some I recognize from my first minutes in town, like Lyra and Bon-Bon. Others are familiar because they're unmistakable, even as dragons. The various sizes of them all astound me: it seems that those who would be pegusi are larger as dragons than those who would be earth ponies or unicorns, though I spot Big Mac towering over Cheerilee as they chat in the corner. Must be an Apple Family gene, or something. The thought occurs to me that it would be in my best interest to socialize, so it doesn't seem as weird when I can name anypony(dragon) in the town. I start to head towards a pair of young drakes (Snips and Snails?) when Pinkie grabs my tail and spins me back around. She's grinning mischievously. Super not good. She guides my body and brings me over to one end of a snack table that stretches all the way across the room, and points to the other end gleefully. I follow her pointed claw, and spot Rarity pouring herself a glass of punch. Next to her is Spike, who looks happier than a clam. Just seeing the two together makes me growl without meaning to.

"What are they doing together?" I ask, as if I didn't already know.

"I can't tell you!" Pinkie covers her mouth with both hands, looks around as though we aren't safe speaking here, and leans in close: "I made a Pinkie Pie Promise."

"Oh." I remember that. So, I "guess."

"Does Spike have a crush on-"

Pinkie's hands fly off of her mouth and onto mine, silencing me before I can finish.

"Don't say anything! Do you want everydragon in Dragonsville to hear you?" She removes her hands after I shake my head, and she makes me Pinkie Pie Promise (draconic version: "Cross my hearts (use both hands), hope to fry (here one puffs smoke from their nostrils), stick a diamond in my eye (claws are much sharper than hooves, I learn)) not to tell anydragon about Spike's crush.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Because, silly frills!" She shakes my arm violently. "I put in a good word for you, and Rarity thinks you're gonna ask her out tonight!"

If I had a drink in my hand right now, I would probably be doing a spit take. I settle for screaming: "YOU DID WHAT?!?" I ignore the dragons that give us startled looks and grab Pinkie by the shoulders. "Why would you tell her that? We've known each other for, like, a day!"

"Yeah, but the Summer Sun Celebration's coming up, and she'd need time to make herself a dress, and I can tell you really really really like her, and she told me she likes you back, and-"

She keeps talking, but after "she likes you back," my hearing shuts down. I stare through her at the unicorn and dragin having a friendly chat over at the other end of the table. Rarity likes me. I've known her for a day, and she has a crush on me. Years of trying to win the unicorn-Rarity over in vain (mostly), and when we're the same species it only takes a day. Holy buck. What was it that made her fall for me? Was it my amazing sense of humor? Was it my impeccable physique? Was it fate? Please be fate!

"...and that's why you should go over there and ask her to the Festival!" Pinkie breathes for the first time in ages, and I nod as if I had been listening. I push her aside and begin walking along the table. My gaze falls onto Spike, and I feel unreasonable anger and disgust well up in me again. I've got to get her away from that smooth-talker, before he ruins everything. Not that that's possible: Rarity's interested in me, not him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Whoever's talking to me has an echoing voice that doesn't sound real. I turn to find its owner, and I almost scream again. It's a drake that looks exactly like me, though the purple scales and green spines are faded, standing on the other side of the table and giving me the dirtiest look I've ever made (I think). He is translucent, I realize, and somedragon reaches through him to grab a cupcake. The shock wears off when I realize I'm hallucinating. I turn away and ignore him. We converse as I walk along the table.

"Did you hear me? What are you doing?"

What's it look like I'm doing? I'm gonna ask Rarity out.

"Are you for real? After you promised you wouldn't intrude on Spike's territory?"

I can't not intrude on my own territory.

"Oh, don't pull that bullcrap. There's no excuse."

Yeah there is. It's called "I love her."

"So does Spike, and he belongs in this world, not you!"

Well, buck that guy, he couldn't grow the balls to ask her out in a million years.

"Then what makes you think you can do it?"

I stop, closer to Rarity's end than mine now (it's a really long table), and think. I have a point: if unicorn-Spike can't manage to work up the nerve to ask Rarity out, then can I? I mean, I feel pretty confident now, but the moment Rarity sees me, there's the chance my nerve will up and leave right then and there. On the other claw, she's expecting it. So sooner or later, I'll be having a talk with her. On the same claw, for the first time in my life, my feelings towards the mare(dragin) of my dreams doesn't appear to be one-sided. If Rarity really has a thing for me, there's no way in Tartarus I'm going to let that opportunity slip away. Spike can have her when I'm done. I start walking again.

"What the buck, man?!? What happens when you have to leave?"

What are you talking about?

"Oh, like you don't know!"

I don't know. What are you talking about?

"Stop it, you're embarrassing yourself. You know you can't stay here forever."

What makes you think I can't?

And instead of a line from the ghost on the other side of the table, I see out of the corner of my eye a gesture. He's got something in his claw: a piece of parchment. He waves it in my face.

"This does."

Once more, I stop. If Rarity turns around, she'll see me. She and Spike are absorbed in their conversation, though, and they clearly love each other's company too much to notice me. I think about the parchment. I think about where it's from. I think about what's written on it.

"Two Weeks" it said.

"Indeed. Any clue as to what that means, or must I lecture you further?"

You don't need to. Gears in my mind are already turning, and the meaning of the only piece of home I have with me begins to form in the clockwork. Before I answer, though, a claw taps my shoulder. I almost don't feel it, but a kind, gentle, familiar voice pulls me out of my own head.

"Um, excuse me? Are you alright, sir?"

The ghost disappears, still grimacing at me. I turn around slowly.

"Uh..."

The dragoness covers her mouth with her hands and blushes. Several lengthy pink spines curl down from the top of her head and cover part of an aquamarine eye. She moves away from me, and bumps her tail against a couple flirting by the punch bowl. After apologizing to them profusely, she turns back to me, her face red against her pale yellow scales. Her wings are folded tightly against her. She stands about nine feet tall, when she walks on all fours like she's doing now.

"Oh, I'm so embarrassed!" Fluttershy whimpers. "I didn't mean to disturb you, I just wanted to get some pears for Angel, and I-" She stops herself, blushing more, covering her mouth again, and a muffled sound comes from between her claws. She looks absolutely adorable. "And now I'm just babbling. I'm sorry!" Positively irresistible.

"Hey, don't worry about it." I reach across the table and snatch a pear from a bowl that used to have my imaginary conversation partner in it. When I hand it to her, she blushes more, but lowers her hands from her face. Some of the pink spines lift away from her face. Something's itching near my leg.

"Oh, thank you. I'm sorry about disturbing you, Mr..."

"Emerald. You must be Fluttershy." Quick, excuse! "Pinkie's told me about you."

Thankfully, she smiles. "Oh, Emerald! Of course, you're the one that Pinkie's thrown this party for! Rarity talked about you on our spa date earlier."

What? "What?"

"Oh!" More blush. She shakes her head, and the pink spines shake back and forth with it. She clearly wasn't supposed to say that. She stumbles over her words: "Erm, I mean..."

"Rarity talked about me? When? What about? Tell me!" Good Luna, I'm scaring the poor dragin! What's the matter with me? I try to brush off my outburst, but before I can get another word out, Fluttershy's spines part to reveal a familiar white ball of fluff that gives me a death stare I've seen plenty of times before. The bunny hops from her spines to mine and starts yanking them, which, much to my surprise, hurts like a-

"Angel! Stop it!" Fluttershy's commanding voice breaks free from its chains, and the rabbit stops. He bends over and stares me down from the top of my head, gives me a finger sign that says "I'm watching you, bub," and then hops back to his owner, who hides him back in her spines.

"I'm so, so sorry about that! Angel can be very protective of me sometimes." She notices that my look isn't quite forgiving enough and takes a step back. "Maybe I should just go..."

No! I have to hear about Rarity! Once more, though, our conversation is interrupted, this time by another dragon.

"Emerald! Wonderful to see you!"

It's Rarity. Apparently, she wasn't too absorbed in her talk with Spike to not see me. Or maybe it's been over for a while. Whatever happened, all I know is that Rarity is now standing next to me with a wonderful smile on her face and a fancy-looking drink in her hand. I glance past her and spot Spike. He's standing at the foot of the stairs, with a suave-looking jacket and small red bow tie adorning his neck, and he's staring me down. I think I interrupted their talk, accidentally. He raises his eyebrows, as if to say, "Well? The lady's talking." I turn my attention back to Rarity.

"And you, milady." Try not to sound like him, idiot! She blushes, and I look away from her to see Fluttershy trying to blend into the rest of the party-goers. I drag her back into the conversation, desperate not to be alone with Rarity.

"I had just met Ms. Shy here, and her... companion, Angel." Fluttershy blushes (again) and nods. The bunny peeks out from behind a spine and sticks his tongue out at me.

"Oh, Fluttershy!" Rarity hugs her friend's neck (the size difference in this town must be frustrating to no end!) and pats Angel gently. She withdraws her hand when the rabbit punches it away, and she gives Angel an odd look before turning back to me.

"So, have you met anydragon else here?"

"Well, if you mean anydragon you talked about in your story earlier, then no. But, I'm sure Rainbow Dash won't be hard to spot if you weren't lying about that bridge thing."

Fluttershy is interested now, and stops trying to get away from us. "What story?"

"Oh," Rarity says, "I told him about the Night Fury incident. Nothing serious."

"Serious? You saved the world! How is that not serious?" I gesture to Fluttershy. "I mean, this dragin right here, she saved you from an Ursa Major! That's pretty serious, if you ask me!"

I don't think that Fluttershy's face has been yellow since I met her. "Oh, no, that? That was-"

"-amazing, from the way Rarity told me." I look back at Rarity, who's smile has faltered only just enough to notice. "All of you," I add hastily, "were amazing, from the way you made it sound." Man, I wish I had a drink!

"Well, I suppose..." Fluttershy mumbles, twirling her fingers around nervously. She notices Rarity's look, gets the hint she's putting across, and backs away a little. "Well, it's been nice meeting you, Mr. Emerald." She shakes my hand (which is half the size of hers) and turns to leave. "See you at the spa next Saturday, Rarity!" Aaaaaaaand, she's gone. It's just me and her, now. And Spike's eyes, watching us from the stairs (why has he not moved from his spot yet?).

"So..." I try to make idle chat to ease out of the awkward silence between the two of us. "Spa dates on Saturday, huh?" My tone's extremely suggestive, as Rarity's reaction points out.

"Whatever makes you think that, hmm?"

"Er, I didn't mean it that way. Really. You don't look like you'd, uh, swing that way."

Something about her next words makes a shiver run down my spines and another itch form near my legs:

"I should hope not, for your sake." Is that a smirk?

"I-I'm sorry?"

She gives a smile that could make a drake's heart soar (oh look!) and replies, "Only a joke, Emerald. Nothing to be worked up about."

"Oh." I'm sweating, I know I am. I spot the punch bowl, only a few feet away, and my throat chooses to dry up in that moment. "Uh, listen..." I cough dryly. "...it's a bit stuffy in here, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes. My spines have been bent more times than I can count in the mere minutes I've been here! Perhaps we could continue our conversation out on the balcony?" She points up the stairs. Spike is no longer there, and suddenly I'm desperate to know exactly where he is and what he's doing.

"Sounds good." Celestia, why am I so nervous right now? I gulp, and gesture behind me at the punch bowl. "Just let me get a drink, and I'll meet you up there."

____________________________________________________________________

I don't spot Spike in the time it takes to get my drink and go upstairs (though I do see a familiar orange dragin and a light gray drake giggling in the corner of Twilight's room by the telescope; better warn her to sanitize later). I do meet with Pinkie Pie at the bowl, though, and I tell her what's happened. She thinks it's fantastic. Her advice is that I should, "just put on some of that classic Emerald charm" for her, a tip that isn't very helpful, as classic Emerald charm is the same as classic Spike charm, and that' sure to get me a few suspicious looks. So, when I step out onto the balcony to find Rarity alone, I'm a nervous wreck. She doesn't seem to notice, though, and she greets me kindly when I step up to the edge next to her.

"So," I begin, "You came up to me. What did you want to talk about?"

She leans forward on the balcony, swirling her drink in one hand. "Oh, I don't know. Anything, really. What you plan on doing these next few days, perhaps? Get acquainted with the townsfolk? Find a full-time job, or a place to live?" She slides closer to me, not discreetly enough for me not to notice. Her next sentence is stressed, clearly for me to pick up on as a hint:

"Do have any idea what to do for the Summer Sun Celebration?"

I've been staring into my drink since I stepped up to the balcony, so when I look her in the eye I'm surprised by the serious expression on her face.

Wow, Pinkie wasn't kidding: she really is expecting me to ask her out.

"Um..." I freeze up. A decade, Spike, a decade of this, and you still can't talk to her about relationships or dating or anything! I gulp down half of my drink, to stall, and pray for a distraction. Nothing comes up, but when I glance at the balcony doors I swear I can see Pinkie Pie looking through the curtains. A shuffle of fabric confirms my suspicion: we're being watched.

"Emerald?" The sound of that name doesn't register in my mind, so I only return my attention to Rarity when she taps my arm. From the look she's giving me, I must look like a mess. A sweaty, nervous mess.

"I asked you if you had any plans for the Festival?"

"I heard you." I hope I said that politely enough.

"Well, do you?"

"...No." This makes her smile. I know why, and for a second I consider lying and saying I'm going out with Twilight Sparkle. But I don't want to destroy their friendship, especially if I want Spike to have a chance with this dragin (do I, though?). So, I stay on path, and ask, "What of it?"

The moment the question leaves my lips, the most incredible thing I've ever seen happens: Rarity begins to stumble over her words. She never does this, ever. Not the Rarity I know and love. She pretends to find something of interest in her glass, then gulps most of it down, then, finally, looks at me, as collected as she can manage.

"I was...hoping...if you would...care to..."

I can't watch this anymore, so I interrupt her, as though I had no idea she was talking: "Do you want to go to the Festival with me?" I say these words by accident, and cover my mouth as soon as they leave my lips. Rarity doesn't notice: she's too excited to.

"YES!" I jump back at her outburst, and she blushes deeply. Collecting herself, she tells me, in a much calmer and more collected voice, that it would be wonderful if we go together. Then she hugs me, unable to contain all of her excitement, and I hold her tightly in my arms as the enormity of what I've done sinks in: for the first time, I've asked her out, and she's said yes. Enthusiastically. A second later, I realize how close we are, hugging. Her scales are practically pulsing with warmth; her spines are smooth and perfect. Of course, I can't resist making the most of this moment: I shut my eyes, and for a moment everything is perfect. I smell lilac and vanilla from her mane-spines, and her face is buried in my shoulder. I can even feel her lips, pressed against my collar bone...

Then we separate, and it's just us two dragons again, standing at the balcony, smiling at each other. I hardly notice that her glass is emptier than before she hugged me, or that something is slowly running down my back. I'm just too excited.

"I've been meaning to ask you that for a while." How dumb I must sound, and yet she doesn't notice!

"Well, consider your question answered, Emerald. I'll gladly accompany you to the Festival." Her smile evaporates suddenly, and her hands fly up to cover her mouth (the glass has been moved to her magical grip). "Oh my goodness! I have to make a dress for myself, along with all of the orders that could come in in the next few days! I have to start now!" She turns to go, stops herself, and turns back to say goodbye. That's when I do something I know I'll regret: before she can get the words out, I give her a peck on the lips. I meant to kiss her cheek, but her head turned, dammit! The drumroll I heard earlier pounds out its beat. As I pull away from her, it fades. She blushes, the drumroll stops, and there's silence on the balcony. There's a pause. Neither of us does anything. Her eyes are wide with...something. Terror? Awe? I don't know, I've got to go...

"Good night, Rarity," I say, and then I leave her at that balcony. I walk, at a pace I didn't even know I could reach while walking, across the room, down the hall, down the stairs, through the crowd, and out the door of the library. I need air, alone. Now.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

Do you know what's fun? What's really really reeeeeeeeally fun? Flashbacks and dream sequences. If I could, I'd live my life in dream sequences. Going to the store would be so much cooler.

From this point forward we'll be diving into the events leading up to Spike's transportation to Dragonsville. Side-by-side with that, we'll see just how hard it is for him to keep a hold on himself as his relationship with Rarity...develops. Wonder what Spike will have to say about it. Oh well, save it for next time. The final member of the mane group, several angry conversations, a disastrous slip-up caused by cider, and a particularly vicious set of stairs all play a part in the next installment of our favorite dragon's tale.

On a different note, Flutter is best pony-turned-dragon.

-NotARealPonydotcom

Let's Talk

____________________________________________________________________

There's noise from the party outside. To my left, I see enormous forms dancing, chatting, eating near the giant doors leading inside. This is where all the dragons too large for the inside are hanging out, though I spot some smaller drakes dotted around the place too. But right now, I could not want to socialize less, so I turn my back to the partiers and start circling the tree, until the lights of the party are dim enough for the moon to be my main source of illumination. Then I turn away from the library and start walking. I don't want to leave, but I can't see Rarity again. Not after that nightmare.

Why's it a nightmare, though? my mind asks me. You kissed her.

Yeah, but I shouldn't have. I'm just leading her on.

What makes you say that?

What if I have to leave?

What if you don't?

I stop, too lost in thought to move anymore. The chance of being in a relationship with Rarity is staring me in the face, and I'm thinking of throwing it away? Buck no!

I turn back to the library.

Oh, but wait! You're stealing her from Spike, the one who's been trying for years to win her heart. Could you even be such a dick to yourself? Is it worth it?

I turn back towards town.

Oh yes it is. That little colt has had years, and he's never done anything to get her to notice him. He's had his chance: now take yours.

Library.

Oh, but wait! What happens when you leave, hmm? Are you going to leave the love of your life heartbroken, or set her up so that she'll be as happy as possible when you go?

Why do I have to go?!?

I'm lost in a galaxy of questions that have no answers. In a rage, I slam my fist into a tree that snaps like a twig. I stare at my unscathed knuckles and wonder how hard I'd have to hit something to cut through my scales. I'm about to try the broken tree trunk when I hear somedragin speak behind me.

"Nice right hook."

Raspy, high pitch. Sounds like her voice hasn't changed just yet. Lots of ego piled into the remnants of a Cloudsdalian accent (though I doubt that's what it's called here). Of course I meet her like this.

"Who are you?" I ask. Let's get the name thing over with.

Unfortunately, I don't get one from her. "I'm a friend of Pinkie's. You're Emerald, right?"

"Mm."

"I'll take that as a 'yes.'" Something large shifts behind me. I recall Rarity's description of her size, and the thought of the giant behind me almost makes me shiver. Out of the corner of my eye, I see multi-colored spines. She's put her head right next to me.

"Y'know, it's kinda weird to run out on your own welcome party."

"Yeah, well, I didn't ask for it."

"Huh. You don't sound like the drake Pinkie described."

"Sorry to disappoint. I've had a rough night."

"Oh really? How does a party turn into a rough night?"

I grit my teeth and consider the consequences of telling her about Rarity. But there's too much in my head already. I need to let some out.

"There's this girl, alright?"

"Ah. Rarity, huh?"

"How-"

"Pinkie told me. Continue." She hasn't moved from her spot next to me.

"Fine. I--I'm in love with her. Rarity. Simple as that."

"Really? After a day and a half? You sound more like Spike to me."

You don't know the half of it. "Yeah, well, he's a problem. But this isn't about him. We talked, just now at the party, and I asked her to the Summer Sun Celebration. She said yes."

"And that ruined the night?"

"Kind of, yes." I grip the tree tightly, ignoring the splinters of wood pressing into my palm. "I...don't think I'm right for her."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, have you seen her? She's the most amazing dragoness I've ever seen. Beautiful, smart, resourceful, generous...and I'm just me."

I hear her shift behind me. There's a sound like the pounding of hooves on dirt. She's tapping her fingers against the ground.

"Listen, bud, I'm no relationship counselor. In fact, you probably have just opened up to the worst dragin in town to talk to about this kind of crap."

"Well, thanks for listening." I use that as an excuse to try and head towards town again. An enormous tail blocks me off three steps into my journey.

"I'm not finished. I'm the worst dragin to go to about these things, but even I know that you can't be sure of something until it's happened. It's one of the laws of trying."

"The laws of what?"

"It's just a name I made up. The simple version says that you can't know how something will happen until it happens. It's one of the rules I go by whenever I practice new tricks."

"Mm."

"You think you can't make Rarity happy. What if you can? What if you're her soulmate, and by leaving this party, you're condemning both her and yourself to a lifetime of unhappiness? If you really like her, then you should give it a go, whether or not you think it'll work out. Otherwise, you're just being a pussy."

I can't help it: when she says "pussy," I burst out laughing. I can almost feel her smirking behind me. She shifts, and I hear huge wings beating. I wonder how she snuck up on me earlier.

"I can see I've helped you out. I'll see you back at the party." Great gusts of wind push me down to the ground, and when I get back up I can spot a huge dark shape moving swiftly towards the library. That dragon just gave me the best advice I've gotten since I came to this crazy town. Suddenly, I don't care anymore if I'll have to leave. I want to be happy now.

"Thanks, Rainbow Dash," I mutter, and start strolling confidently towards the library.

____________________________________________________________________

The moment I step back inside, Twilight appears from somewhere out of sight and pulls me to a corner of the room. Her look tells me all I need to know.

"You were the one spying on us at the balcony."

She nods, and taps her foot like she's expecting an apology.

"What?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Why did Rarity leave looking worried? From what I saw before you looked over, you two seemed to be hitting it off nicely. What did you do?"

"Nothing, I swear! We talked, I asked her to the Summer Sun Celebration, and then..." I trail off. I don't want to tell her what happened next. Unfortunately, she won't drop it.

"And then?"

"...I sort of kissed her. On the lips."

Twilight's eyes widen. She looks around like somedragon might be listening in on us, and leans in close.

"Did you talk to Spike?"

"Uh...yes?" Not a good enough answer. Twilight sighs in frustration and pulls away, staring up at the ceiling blankly.

"That's why he was gone all day today. He was probably following you to Rarity's."

What? "Come again?"

I get an annoyed look from the lavender dragoness. "He's been down ever since that little coffee incident yesterday, and now I know why. He's been obsessing over your crush on Rarity."

"Uh, yeah? And?"

She comes in close again. I smell apple cider on her breath. "Spike's been in love with Rarity since he first laid eyes upon her. And I'm not talking schoolboy crush: he's actually, truly in love with her. Seeing you with her must be tearing him up." She sighs dejectedly. "I've been dreading this moment for a while."

"What do you mean?"

She laughs lightly, a laugh I've come to know as her "Oh Honey" laugh, and gives me the accompanying "Oh Honey" look. "Emerald, I don't mean to be rude, but have you noticed that Spike is...different than us?"

Uh oh. I know where this is going. I've had this talk before, and it didn't end well then. I respond a little snappily: "Yes, actually, I have. What's your point?"

Another sigh. "Spike's a unicorn, Emerald. As in, a different species than dragons. He needs to find another unicorn, not chase around a dragin he can never have. It's not healthy for him."

Oh, that bitch! She's using the same exact words that she did last time, hold the sugarcoating and everything! "What makes you think he can never have her?"

Now I get an odd look. "You sound as though you want him to."

I do! "I don't. But I think that, if I weren't in the picture, he would have as good a shot as anydragon at getting her. In fact, judging by how friendly they seem to act around each other, it's almost as if they're a couple already."

She smiles an "Oh Honey" smile. "It's sweet that you think that, but really; consider the facts: there's barely any knowledge on unicorns, or any type of pony, for that matter, in the entire kingdom. We don't know how long he'll live, but I don't think it'll be as long as a dragon. That would complicate things."

I lean against a table: she's listing facts, so I'm in for a long one.

"Secondly, Rarity isn't the type of dragin who would be open to just any kind of relationship: despite being the wonderful friend she is, she's still got an enormous list of standards that she wants to uphold. It's more important to her than anything else to be seen as the 'type of dragon everydragon should know.' Now, let's hypothesize for a second: what would happen if this dragin of dragins were to be seen cavorting with some weird horse creature?"

My eye is twitching involuntarily. Something about what she's just said rings in my head like a bell. I grasp for it, but there's no time to remember it before Twilight starts talking again.

"Stumped? The answer isn't too hard to guess: it would destroy her credibility. As much as I hate to admit it, most of the dragons in the crowd Rarity wants to impress aren't as loving and accepting as the ones here in Dragonsville. She would be embarrassed around him, if she even wants to give a relationship a go at all."

She means to go on, but the sound of splintering wood stops her. I look down at my hand to see that my claws have pierced through the table I was leaning on. Twilight stares in amazement at it. Slowly, I drag my hand away, leaving behind four splintery holes in the table that I'm sure Twilight can fix with her magic. I look her in the eye, and her violet irises widen; no doubt she can see how angry I am right now.

"E-Emerald? Are you okay?"

I move the hand that now has shards of wood in its scales up to my face and rub my eyes.

"No. No, I'm not." I move my hand away and give her a tired look. "Look, I don't want to deal with this right now. I'm at a party held in my honor: I've never really gotten that before. Instead of all of this drama, maybe we can just enjoy ourselves? There'll be plenty of time to be mopey and depressed later."

Thankfully, she sees the wisdom in my words and nods, smiling a little.

"That sounds nice, Emerald." She takes my hand and pulls me back towards the madness of the main party. "Come on, you have to try Applejack's Apple Family Cider. It's great with the ruby tarts."

____________________________________________________________________

The Apple Family Cider is better than Twilight says, and time melts as the party goes on. I dance with Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy (I think), and countless dragons whose names I couldn't remember from Ponyville (or can't remember now). The DJ (P0N-3 becomes DR4G-N, geddit?) has the best music I've ever heard, and she proves one of the many theories I've made during my years in Ponyville: claws make DJ-ing soooooo much better.

"Well, duh!" the DJ (who's real name is Vinyl) says when I ask her about it (glass 3 of Apple Family Cider in my hand) while she's on her break. "What else would a dragon use to scratch with, man?" We get acquainted, and I find out we have a lot in common. Two glasses later, on her next break, she pulls me over to the nearest corner and attacks my lips hungrily. All of my guilt is washed away by the combination of my sixth glass of cider and the tingle I get every time she digs her claws into my back. Stupidly, I ask her what just happened. She just laughs and kisses me again. I love the taste of blue raspberries. I try to tell her I already have a mate, and again she laughs.

"Dude, have you ever had a one night stand?" I shake my head, and she laughs more. I must be a comedian or something. We make out for another minute before she needs to go back onstage. I go for another drink. At the cider barrel (that should be a bar name!) I meet the orange dragin from the telescope room, pouring two mugs of cider nonchalantly. I assume the other one's for the gray drake she was with in there. Maybe he's still in there, waiting for the cider to give them a recharge before they go at each other's throats again.

"Are you old enough to drink hard cider?" This question may be very stupid, as I have never known the drinking age for dragons (why make one, when there's only one dragon in Ponyville? Let him have booze, they say!) or whether or not there is one. The orange dragin faces me, tosses a few limp magenta spines out of her eyes with a flick of her head, and gives me a distasteful look.

"Do I know you?"

"Now you do." I hold out a hand for her to shake while the other takes another glass of cider (that's 9), and the dragin shakes it hesitantly as I introduce myself. "Emerald Spires. Nice to meet you."

"Oh, so you're the one this party's for." The way she says that sounds almost insulting, and she's looking at me like I've just told a bad joke that took her a while to get. "Well, thanks, 'Emerald.' I'm glad I got to go to this party: more time with my drakefriend." She winks when she says my name. I'm confused (and getting kind of drunk).

"What's with the air quotes?"

"What?"

"When you said my name, it sounded like you thought it was a joke or something."

She smiles at me. "Oh, come on, Spike, I know it's you! I mean, nobody in town has eyes like that!" Was that a compliment?

"Er, that's because I'm from out of town: this is my Welcome to Dragonsville party."

She giggles cutely and rolls her eyes. "Riiiight. Well, I'm Scootaloo, in case I forgot to mention." She turns to leave, fluttering a pair of slightly undersized wings in my face. I sneeze, and when I'm done wiping my nose she's heading towards the stairs. "I'll see ya around, 'Emerald,'" she calls back to me, before she goes trotting up the stairs to meet her awaiting drakefriend. I chug the glass of cider in my hand, the world spins a while, and I fetch another fill-up (#10, and still going strong).

In a blur of hours and countless glasses, the night slips away, and suddenly the library's only half-packed with dragons. I'm having a partially-understandable conversation with the cider barrel when Scootaloo and her drakefriend (who came down earlier, around glass 14, and is called Rumble) come stumbling down the stairs, partially drunk, partially giddy with what I don't have to guess is something close to nymphomania (in Scootaloo's case, anyway). They tumble out the door, sloppily making out the way only intoxicated creatures can. More dragons leave, and suddenly the library's only a quarter-packed. Big Mac and AJ leave, though the giggly Cheerilee and Fluttershy trailing behind them as they exit via the Giant's Door (as I've so brilliantly named it) suggests that the party is far from over for them. Soon it's only me, DJ DR4G-N, Pinkie, and Twilight. Then, sadly, the DJ must leave as well; final drink tally: bleventeen.

"Aaaaaand, that's all, folks!" The dragin at the turntables still acts like the library's full, and gives what seems to be a scripted goodbye. Then, with a shimmer of blue magic, the tables fold themselves up into a suitcase (somehow), and DJ DR4G-N steps off of her stage and trots over to Pinkie, who is still dancing to a song that ended half a minute ago.

"So, my payment's gonna be-"

Pinkie burps noisily in the DJ's face, and a spout of gems somehow fly from her maw. The dragin scrunches her muzzle cutely, grossed out, but accepts the payment regardless and leaves with the gems floating behind her. She gives me a wink as she passes, and her claw slides down the length of my tail, which stiffens against my will. I hear her giggle as the door opens and shuts. I don't understand why she would do something like that. Pinkie continues to dance like there's still music playing, and I, woozy from the cider and still a bit tail-stiff, stumble over to the stairs. I really need to go to bed, before I do anything else stupid. Unfortunately, somedragon decided to mess with the stairs so that they're not all evenly spaced, so I go tumbling down head over heel. It doesn't hurt that much: it's more of a dull ache. I get back up and try to face my bed, but I keep spinning, along with the rest of the room. It's really funny, for some reason, so I start laughing to myself, then to the room, and then I try to laugh all the way up to Twilight and Pinkie, but there's no answer, so I just keep laughing. Finally, I manage to stop spinning, and I try to stand as still as possible while I wait for the room to stop, too. I shut my eyes because I'm getting dizzy, and that's when I hear somedragon crying. I stumble towards the sound, off in the corner furthest from the messed up staircase, and when I push aside a plant that's in the way, I'm staring at Spike. He's holding his face in his hooves, and when he looks up and sees that I've found him moping, he gets angry.

"Oh shit," he sobs, and wipes away as much of his tears as he can. More take their places in a few seconds. "What the buck are you doing here?" Except he didn't say buck.

"I have to sleep here, man. You know that, you made the room up for me-" I'm silenced by a hoof in my gut. The cider still has me in its grip, so I trip and fall on my back. A shadow looms over me, and I hear a very dangerous jumble of words through the haze that's growing in my head.

"...could kill you...years and years....stupid drake to...loved her so much."

I shake my head, and it clears enough to hear all words again. I sit up, and my head bonks Spike's (thankfully not on the horn). We back away from each other, and he looks like he might just kill me here and now. But why, I ask him, is he so mad at me?

He yells, and my head throbs. "Why do you think?!? What did we have a conversation about this morning, huh?!?" I don't know, so I guess pancakes, because I remember there being pancakes at breakfast this morning. He looks madder now, somehow. "Celestia, you are drunk off your ass right now, aren't you?" Where did he learn such language? "How is it that ten years of chasing after Rarity gets me nowhere, and yet a drunken douche like you can come along and sweep her off her feet in a day?"

"It's cuz I'm a dragon, and yer not!" Did I yell that? Spike glares at me, and I think he's about to actually kill me. So I make my last words as memorable as possible: "An' I wasn't drunk when I took her from ya!" Sparks fly from his horn (isn't that a sign of arousal, though?), and I give him my biggest smile, despite the feeling that I might wet myself out of fear of death (I think I already have, maybe). Then, for some reason, he gets all sad, and he slumps to the floor like he's just killed himself (ha, geddit?).

"You're right. It never could have worked." He sighs really big. "Who ever heard of a pony and a dragon together?"

I have! "Hey! Don't talk like that! I know plenty of dragon-pony couples!" Wait, no I don't.

"You do?" Oh no, why did I say that?

"Um, no, not really. But I know one, for sure!" Kinda.

"Really." He doesn't sound like he believes me.

"Yuh-huh. Let Uncle Spike tell you a story."

"I'm Spike."

"I know, I know." What was my name again? I sit up and lean against a bookshelf. "Now, this is a story about a drake and a mare. They live in this place called Ponyville, where everypony's a pony, and there's only one dragon."

Spike laughs. "You're drunker than I thought."

No, he has to listen! This is important! "No, iz true! I'm from there!"

"You said there was only one dragon."

"Yeah, thas me!"

"So, you're from a town called Ponyville, where you're the only one of your species."

"Yuh-huh. And there's this mare, right? And she's totally awesome, like, eleven out of ten. She's beautiful, smart, funny, beautiful, fashionable, and a unicorn. Guess what her name is."

"Uh, Perfection?"

"Nuh-uh. S'Rarity."

Now he's not smiling. He looks angry. Better tell the rest of the story. "So, Spike, thas me, remember, he's trying to get Rarity to like him, cuz he looooooooves her. But iz like she doesn't even know he's in love with her. But he still tries to win her heart, cuz there's nopony else for him. An' this one time, he turns into a monster, and she saves him with this Fire Ruby that he gave her for a present, and they're falling through the air and he almost tells her but she stops him with her hoof and I think she was crying or maybe it was just the wind blowing in her face. Anyways, they get rescued by the Wonderbolts and she gives him a kiss on the cheek at a bridge and thas it for a while. She goes back to pretending not to notice how much he loves her and iz like nothing even happened! I mean, she doesn't even wear the Fire Ruby anymore! Thas weird, right?"

He's not angry anymore, which is good, but he looks scared. Like I told him his future, or something. He nods, and I go on: "Yeah, iz weird. So, anyway, they stay friends, or something like that, and years and years and years pass, until he's known her for, like a decade, and she still doesn't do anything about his moves on her! Iz like, get a clue, or something? But he's alright with that, cuz he can wait longer than forever, like, five-ever, and he loves her so much he'll do anything for her. Know how that feels, man?"

Another nod. He's kinda pale-looking now, but I think he's alright. "Well, one day, he wakes up in this forest, and he walks into this town that he thinks is Ponyville, but iz not, cuz everypony's a dragon there, only they're the dragon versions of the ponies he knows. So he gets all freaked out at first, and then he gets cool with it, like, 'Yeah, I get it, man. Just go with the flow," and nopony recognizes him because apparently the drake with purple scales and green spines and emerald eyes doesn't look anything like that unicorn with purple fur and a green mane and emerald eyes working at the library with Twilight Sparkle, so he fakes his name and meets all his friends as dragons, and he meets himself as a unicorn, and its sooooo cool! Oh, but then the best part happens! Guess what it is?"

He's looking into space now, but he stills answers me: "Rarity."

"Thas right! He meets the mare he's loved all his life as a dragon, and all he can think about's getting some of that tail, f'you know wha'mean. And it turns out that this Rarity likes him back, so everything's totally awesome, except that the unicorn threatens to kill him, but thas okay cuz I know he's bluffing maybe, and besides he's gonna go to the Summer Sun Celebration with her and they're gonna be together five-ever, like he said he would, and maybe he could find a way to get the pony-Rarity and the pony-him all hooked up, so everypony's happy!" My tale's finished, and Spike's in awe: he is literally rendered speechless by the sheer amazingness of my speech.

"So you see, man," I finish proudly. "Thas where hatchlings come from."

He stares at me, mouth gaping open. I think he might kiss me, but he looks too amazed to do that. He gets up really slowly, and goes over to the stairs, leaving me by myself at the bookshelf. I say goodbye, then remember that something's gone terribly wrong.

"Hey, watch out fer the stairs! Somepony messed with them, and now they're all crooked and uneven and stuff!" I don't think he heard me. He's gone. I hope he doesn't fall and hurt himself. I like that guy; he reminds me of myself.

"Welp, Spike," I tell myself, "Time for bed." I get up, fall, get up again, and trudge over to the bed. On the way, I feel a belch coming on, and when I let it rip, a piece of paper comes out. I don't wanna lose my stuff, so I pick it up and check it for tears.

Two Weeks

What's that mean? Do I have to do something in two weeks? Did I forget about another doctor's appointment? Whatever; everything'll make sense in the morning. I've gotta tell Twilight about the broken stairs, too. Don't forget.

I fall onto my bed and hold the paper against my chest as sleep claims me. It's like my first blanket, kinda: just a lot smaller, and browner, and papery, and not really a blanket. Oh well. Can't have everything.

Author's Note

Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeext!!!!!!!!!!!

Flashbacks! Eavesdropping! The letter "D!" Ice Water! Hangovers! LOUD NOISE! Dealing in Interdimensional Trades! Fresh Fruit! Clues! All this except probably one or two things, waiting in the next chapter, which won't take a month to show up, because, one more time,

-NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. No, that thing with DJ DR4G-N doesn't mean anything. I was bored.

P.P.S. Pst! Check this out! I made this while I was gone!

P.P.P.S LINKS. ARE. FUN!

Help Yourself...

____________________________________________________________________

I'm not drunk when I come to the blue again. I don't think you can be drunk when you're dreaming. Definitely not in this kind of dream. I find solid footing almost immediately, and start strolling around without a destination. Where's the smile? I need to talk with her, more than anypony, anydragon, or any-whatever-the-heck-she-is.

"Spike."

"That's me!" I spin around, looking for the smile. But she's hiding from me. There's only blue here.

"Can you see me?"

"Yep. Everywhere. All around me."

The world wavers, and suddenly the blue shifts and shrinks in on itself. Black sludge slides underneath my feet like I'm standing on a screen. Behind me, where all of the blue is rushing away from, something gray and starry is appearing. I turn back to the blue to watch it implode upon itself, and just before I start running to catch it the gray catches me and I slip and fall into another sticky white pool

‡

Spike wasn't an eavesdropper by choice. His ears were sensitive, and his mischievous nature made them prime spying equipment. So, when the colts driving them began taking them to their destination, leaving him with nothing to do but sit in the driver's seat (something that still confused him, since it would be easier if he was just in the carriage with the girls) and busy himself with whatever, he turned his hearing on the conversations of his friends inside the carriage. Each of them talked about how to spend their spare time in Canterlot. He couldn't help but chuckle at each of their descriptions. No matter how much their friendship had changed them, each of the girls still had their defining traits and, in this case, desires.

"Please, Twilight, can we pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease see the Royal Bakery? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-"

"Yes, Pinkie! I've said it was alright before; that decision hasn't changed. Princess Celestia will be happy to show you the Bakery. I, for one, would love to roam the Library again. I've wanted to see the newest extension to it since I first heard about it."

"Gee, what a surprise. Twilight wants to go to the library."

"Well, what do you plan on doing, Rainbow Dash?"

"Uh, are you for real right now? Are you not aware of the Wonderbolts' tour in Canterlot right now? Already pre-ordered a ticket, just gotta pick it up tomorrow."

"Well, it'll be nice to see the gardens again."

"Yep, an' Ah bet there're plenty'a chances ta get some Canterlot grade seeds from the market!"

"Applejack, Canterlot isn't really well-known for it's, uh, produce..."

"Oh...Well, Ah'm sure I'll distract myself somehow! Maybe see that Wonderbolts show with Rainbow Dash! What d'ya say, Dashie?"

"Uh...So, Rarity what are you gonna do with your spare time?"

There's no answer for a long moment.

"Uh, Rarity?"

"Hmm? Oh, Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Rarity, we've been talking in a cramped carriage for the past five minutes."

"Yes, I suppose we have. You wanted to ask me something?"

"Yeah. What are you gonna do with your free time when we get to Canterlot? Check out some fancy landmarks, probably."

"Free time? For moi? Ha! I admire your optimism, Rainbow Dash, but considering I have to create an entire line of dresses in the two days we have before the Expo, I doubt there will be any time for relaxation at all."

"Uh, shouldn't you have made the dresses before we left for Canterlot?"

"I spent the days designing them, Rainbow. Every dress is perfect in every way possible. All I need now is to render them into the physical world. Getting supplies is no problem, but I must dedicate every single minute I have before the Fashion Expo to bringing them off the blueprints and into the world, as they were meant to be!"

"But Rarity, I've seen your drawings, and none of them are on blue paper!"

"...Pinkie, now is hardly the time for joking. I'll be up all night with this workload, and even then I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish them!"

"Rarity, you know Spike will help you anyway he can, and so will we, if you need it."

"Spike? Oh goodness, no! Not this kind of work! And I swore to myself that I would never use my friends as laborers."

"Aw, come on, Rarity, you know you want Spike to help you. 'Help' being the operative word here..."

"What exactly are you insinuating, Pinkie?"

Pinkie told her what she was insinuating, and Spike, still eavesdropping, smiled wildly as he stared off into space, imagining the implications of Pinkie's innuendo.

"Pinkie, I assure you, I would never need use of a riding crop in that situation, and I most certainly would not be in that situation with Spike!"

"Ooh, what's that? Is that a blush I see?"

"Pinkie, I'll ask politely: stop. Now."

Spike heard Pinkie giggling with another one of the mares, most likely Rainbow Dash. Pinkie's suggestion echoed in his head. He felt a kind of itch appear on the inside of his thigh.

"I don't think that Spike would ever consider doing that with me, even if the opportunity would present itself, which I doubt it ever will."

"'Doubt,' huh? So you do want the 'D.'"

"The what?"

"Y'know..." In a whisper, Spike heard: "The Drake."

More laughter. Spike was scratching his thigh absently, red-faced.

"Rainbow Dash, please. Spike is my friend: if we ever did anything like...that, our friendship would never recover, especially for him. He'd be devastated!"

"Then why did you give him a kiss on the cheek when the rest of us just thanked him?"

Silence. Spike leaned in, waiting for her answer. He knew it had been her, he knew it! Every muscle in his body was tense, his head was swimming, and his heart was pounding so loudly in his chest that he must have been heard by the girls and that was why they'd stopped talking. Then, after an eternity of silence, he heard from Rarity:

"So, I really must get on these dresses as soon as we reach Canterlot. There'll be no time for any recreational activities."

Complaints were made, mares yelled, and Spike bit his lip to keep from groaning with disappointment. He turned back to look at the stars, and hoped that they would reach Canterlot all the sooner. His claw moved from his leg to his chest, where a small lump was barely visible underneath his dress shirt. He gripped it tightly, shutting his eyes in a prayer-like stance. Then he went back to staring up at Luna's starry night, half-lost in his own thoughts, half-tuned in to the rest of his friends' conversations.

____________________________________________________________________

"Spike, do you want to talk about it?"

He turned away from the starry night to look at Twilight standing across the balcony.

"Talk about what?"

"Celestia heard about what happened to you today, from that janitor. Are you alright?"

Why should she worry about him? It wasn't her job to, not anymore. He had to be responsible for his own problems. So he put on a smile and shrugged off her concern:

"Yeah, of course I am, Twi! You know me."

Twilight didn't look convinced, so he upped the ante. "Actually, Twi, I do feel bad about something..."

Twilight smiled, glad that he was finally opening up to her. She trotted over to him and sat down beside him, raising her head up to rest it on his shoulder. He had grown so much taller since they'd last stayed in this room.

"Well, I'm hear to listen."

"I feel really bad for the kitchen workers."

She looked up at him, confused. He was grinning widely.

"They never got to know the coolest dragon in Equestria."

His smile was so genuine. It couldn't be fake. He was alright. Twilight shook her head, smiling, and laughed.

"You sound just like Rainbow Dash."

____________________________________________________________________

"-and then the waiter spent the next few minutes apologizing, at which point I had to point out, as politely as I could, that I still needed a table, and by the time I was finally seated it was almost past 2!"

Spike smiled dreamily as Rarity ranted on about how terrible her lunch had been (besides the food, which she said was superb). After he'd left, she'd protected him, yelling at the waiter who'd called him her pet for a good ten minutes before receiving a complimentary meal at the risk off "using her connections to the princess at the restaurant's disadvantage." It was a better gift than any gem she'd ever given him, to know that she had his back like he had hers. Which reminded him...

"Uh, Rarity?"

She turned away from the dress she was making, pausing in the midst of an anecdote about her meeting with a mare in the restaurant's restroom who had been watching when Spike had not been allowed in. Spike leaned back in his seat at the fabric table, where he had been cutting fabrics for Rarity's line of dresses, and scratched the back of his head.

"I wanted to know if, uh..." He felt his lungs shrinking, refusing to allow anymore air into them. He felt the gold chain attached to the sapphire rattle as his hands shook. He felt his vocal cords evaporate into nothing as his mind went blank. He'd practiced so long, so damn long, and now he couldn't even get the one bucking line he had to say right!

"Spike?" Rarity smiled softly at him. "What did you say?" He stared into the azure eyes that had captivated him for so long, and suddenly he realized that he could do this. He forced the panic to leave him, and it worked. His lungs let air back into his system, his hands stopped shaking under the table, and he found he had a voice again. It had been ten years since he'd met her. He couldn't afford to be afraid of her anymore, so he wasn't.

"I asked if you wanted to..." The panic stirred, and he took a deep breath. "I wanted to know if, after the dresses are done and you aren't under a huge pile of stress..."

He dug his claws into his leg. The panic pushed, and the dam was leaking. He shuddered slightly.

"...we could go find a restaurant that does accept dragons."

There was quiet in the room. He realized that his eyes were shut tight. So I wasn't that calm and collected. He cracked open an eye and looked up from his lap (he'd braced himself for an immediate "no," it seemed) to see Rarity smiling uneasily at him. She was red in the face.

"Oh, Spike, I--I'm not sure what to say. This wasn't exactly a good time to ask that kind of question-"

"It's really easy to answer, though. Just 'Yes, Spike' or 'No, Spike.'" He had let the panic out again, and now felt sweat beading on his forehead.

"I know, but this past day has been so exhausting, I don't know if-"

"I love you." WHAT.

"What?!?"

WHAT?!?!? "Um, I meant that, uh..." He trailed off. Rarity didn't look angry, only astonished. He stared at her with hopeful eyes, praying that he didn't look like a complete buffoon. He wished this was a dream, something he could wake up from before it turned into the nightmare he knew was coming...

•

and just like last time I fall right through it, after scenes flash by from a TV show I saw once. I keep falling, further and further from the blue I wish to speak with. I can only scream up at her, which is now shaping itself into something familiar, hoping she hears my question before it's too late.

"What's 'Two Weeks?'"

The blue's answer fries some synapses:

"Your time limit."

____________________________________________________________________

For anypony who ever thinks they can handle more than three mugs of the Apple Family's Home Brand Hard Cider, here's a thorough description of what waking up the next morning feels like:

Ow.

Ow!

OW!!!

OwowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMYHEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a heads up.

Out of bed, to find something cold. Something crinkles, in my hand. Note, put it back in my storage center. My head is on fire, or something much, much worse. Do you know what it feels like to be a dragon, and feel burning pain? Dragon's aren't supposed to feel like they're on fire. It sucks major hayseed.

I can open my eyes just enough to see that the stairs have repaired themselves since last night. It takes me much longer than I'm proud of to realize that the stairs were never messed up: I was. I trudge up them, and head to what I hope is the kitchen (I was so loaded with alcohol last night, I'm sure I've permanently lost some of my brain's more important functions).

I'm right, but there's a catch: just like yesterday, Spike's the only one there. This time, though, he doesn't seem angry at all when he sees me. In fact, he seems almost as happy to see me as he did when he saw Rarity that first day. I feel the regular wave of hatred pass over me, but right now my only concern is getting my claws on an ice pack. I mumble something that sounds nothing like words.

"COME AGAIN, BUDDY?" Sweet Celestia, why is he screaming at me?!?

"OH, SORRY." That's better, kinda. He leads me over to the kitchen table (CLIP CLOP, CLIP CLOP go his hooves, so loud that my head might split open before I can cool it down) and gets me an ice pack. It's the best feeling in the world. He sits opposite me, and as the initial pain of the hangover begins to dull (thanks in no small part to the ice pack), I become faintly aware of the world around me. I become completely aware of the world in the next second, almost more painfully than waking up was, when Spike calls me by my name.

"SO, SPIKE, HOW'D YOU SLEEP? DREAM ABOUT ANY MARES?"

Not the name I've used since I got here. Not "Emerald." My real name. The name I share with this pony, who's also my counterpart in this world.

"Huh?" It's all I can say. My hangover's almost gone, but he still sounds like he's yelling at me. I hoped I don't look too amazed.

"I ASKED HOW YOU SLEPT, SPIKE. JUDGING BY HOW BAD YOU LOOK THIS MORNING, I'D SAY IT WASN'T VERY RESTFUL. BUT THAT MIGHT JUST BE THE HANGOVER."

"Not Spike. Emerald."

"YES, YES, I KNOW. EMERALD, LIKE YOUR SPINES, OR YOUR EYES." He sips a glass of juice. "I'M SURPRISED IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME SOONER. I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING ODD ABOUT YOU. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. 'DIDN'T' BEING THE OPERATIVE WORD."

The phrase he ends with triggers something in my head, and I remember my dream, and what happened to me before I got to this world. It was a fashion show we were going to, in Canterlot, the biggest since "the invention of the mare's suit," as Rarity had put it (I remember that, too). I grope for a glass of water, juice, anything to help me clear my my mind more, and Spike levitates a glass into my hand. I have to deal with too many things at once, so I can't focus on the dreams just yet. I chug my drink down, and the pain abates briefly enough for me to form a complete sentence.

"What do you mean, 'didn't?'"

He smiles at me innocently.

"WELL, THAT MEANS THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF YOUR TRUE IDENTITY UNTIL I WAS TOLD LAST NIGHT, DURING THE PARTY...BY YOU."

Oh. I told him. That explains it. Kinda.

"What're you talking about?"

He keeps smiling innocently. "YOU DON'T REMEMBER? WOW, YOU MUST'VE HAD MORE CIDER THAN I THOUGHT." He clears his throat (so bucking loudly) and begins: "YOU WERE VERY DRUNK, WHICH MEANS YOU COULDN'T KEEP SECRETS VERY WELL. YOU FOUND ME IN YOUR ROOM, WHERE I WAS..." He pauses, thinking about what to say next. I butt in, desperate to quiet any suspicions he might have.

"You're Spike. Not me."

"OH, WAKE UP." And I do, when he splashes me in the face with a frigid glass of water. I'm shocked back to life, and I'm especially happy to hear that the volume on things have turned back down to normal.

"Listen, bub, you told me yourself, you're Spike. You're me, in some sort of dragon body."

"I told you that when I was drunk, and you believed me?"

"Oh no, not at all. Not at first. In fact, when you first started mumbling and giggling about the dragon named Spike who lives in a village of ponies, I had full intention of getting Twilight and telling her that we'd let a crazy drake into our house. Then you told me all about this mare called Rarity. And how you fell in love with her the moment you saw her. And how you'd met her because you and your caretaker and boss, Twilight Sparkle, were sent by Princess Celestia to Ponyville to watch over the Summer Sun Celebration. And how you and this Rarity became great friends, and how you even gave her a Fire Ruby that you'd been saving for years when she simply stated that it would look good on a necklace. And how you and her fell through the air after you turned into a horrible monster, and just before you could tell her you loved her, she stopped you, smiling kindly as you plummeted toward death. And how you-"

"You were crying." During his monologue, all of the memories from the night before came bubbling up from deep inside the murky soup of my hungover mind. "I found you crying, in my room, behind a potted plant."

Spike stops mid-sentence, and I know I've hit the nail on the head because the head on which I've hit a nail is turning beet red. He grits his teeth and shouts at me: "That's not important! I know who you really are! Don't you get it? Your cover's blown!"

"You were crying because I stole her from you."

"STOP TALKING!" He's up on the table again, horn glowing green. Emerald flames flare up in his emerald eyes, and he gnashes his teeth at me. In another second, though, he's collected himself, and is sipping his juice again. "I'm not upset about that anymore."

"Why not?"

"Oh, because now I know for certain that I can get Rarity. You've proven that." He gulps down the rest of his juice and slams the glass down dramatically. "The only thing that's keeping us apart is the species barrier. Not only am I capable of getting her to say 'Yes' to a date as a dragon, hell, I'm downright attractive to her! Which brings me to our next order of business."

"Which is?"

"How you got here. I want to know." He leans forward in his seat, and I'm reminded of a Con Mane-style villain revealing his plans. "When you tell me, I'll make you a deal."

"Tell me the deal first." I don't know how I got here. I should tell him that.

He sighs. "Fine." His eyelashes flutter innocently at me. "I want to switch with you."

"What?"

"I'll let you have Rarity, my room, my job, my life, everything. In exchange, I want yours. I want you to send me to Ponyville."

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

My goodness, does it feel nice to be back on track with this story. It feels like I've come home. Which, technically, I do, everyday after I'm finished with school and can get to my laptop again. But, you get what I mean. Oh look, down below, a preview of the next chapter!

Gasp! A cliffhanger! See it resolved, along with more bargaining, shipping, faulty memories, several murder plots, shipping, disobedience regarding the laws of physics, secret ticklish spots, and did I mention shipping? Well, there's that in there, too. Oh, and we've got some more hangover gags, too.

You are fantastic mother-buckers (I had root beer tonight)!

-NotARealPonydotcom

...Or Buck Yourself

____________________________________________________________________

"Absolutely not."

Spike laughs, surprisingly, and leans back in his seat. A toothpick appears in midair and floats over to his mouth. He chews on it for a second, thinking.

"I think you should," he finally says.

"I should what?"

"Take me up on my offer." He leans forward again. "You want Rarity as much as I do, for one simple reason: you're me. And if you're a dragon from a town of ponies, there's a pony-Rarity where you're from. I want her. So here's our solution: we switch places. Neither of us belong in our own worlds, so why not have each others? I can be happy with pony-Twilight, and pony-Rarity, and pony-everyone else, and you can be happy here. How's that sound?"

Come on, Spike, you can give it one last try! "Getting you out of my life would be wonderful, but I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

Spike loses his temper for the second time this morning, and in a bout of rage flings his empty juice glass at me. It passes by my face, missing by not even an inch. I try my best not to flinch when it shatters against the wall behind me. His eyes glow green again, shining way too bright for somedragon who's still suffering from a hangover.

"Can you turn your eyes down, please?"

"You're not listening!" His voice is so amplified, Princess Luna would have been impressed had she heard it. I just shut my eyes and massage my aching skull. Despite all of the shocks that have been happening these past few minutes, my desire to go back to bed is almost overwhelming. So, to quicken this little confrontation, I attempt to question his logic.

"What makes you think I'm you?"

Spike's eyes dim, though the look of rage on his face remains unchanged.

"I already explained. You told me yourself, last night. You were drunk off your ass, you came down the stairs, and when you found me-"

"Crying."

"Shut up. When you found me in the corner of your room you started blubbering about how there was this dragon from a town called Ponyville who fell in love with a unicorn called Rarity. I'm sure you're remembering now, if your face is any clue."

If this were a game of prodder, I would be screwed right now. He's right, though: I do remember. I told him practically everything about my life in Ponyville. Still, I must play the ignorant one; the questioning continues:

"And because I used your name and Rarity's name, you think I'm you from some sort of other dimension?"

"Oh, I don't think so; I know so. And you didn't just use our names when you talked about this place. See, if you'd just said that Spike and Rarity lived happily ever after in Ponyville, I would have shrugged it off like it was just some drunken rant. But then you started talking about something that you could never have heard about: the Fire Ruby incident. Nodragon in town knows what 'the monster' that tore up their town was, besides the Elements and the princesses. And since we all swore to keep it a secret, for my sake, there's only one way that you could know about it: whatever you told me was the truth."

Not to self: never ever ever ever drink hard cider again, ever. "Uh..." Say that Rarity told you, because you saw the necklace or something. "...oops?"

Well, that's a game over; and I've got no coins to continue with.

"Yeah, oops." He grins evilly. "You're caught, and by your own doppelganger. Makes sense, once you think about it: can't beat your own intelligence." He chuckles. "You wanna know what makes it even sadder?"

"What?"

"I wouldn't have guessed it, even with that story in my head, if you'd have just left Rarity alone. Even with the physical similarities between us, and the suspicious back story, and even the weird electricity thing back in the book maze, I wouldn't have guessed it. If only you hadn't gone after Rarity."

The thought of hiding who I am from him leaves my mind. There's no point anymore. "If I said I didn't want to, would you believe me?"

"Not for one second."

"Well, I didn't. In fact, I wanted to help you. I just..." I shrug. "...couldn't resist."

"Of course you couldn't." He looks frustrated. "Why would you even consider helping me? I mean, I'm the guy who's gone after her for ten years, and it's only been this hard because of a Celestia-damn species barrier, but buck me, right? You just had to get some'a dat tail!"

I have a feeling that last line was something I said when I was drunk last night. "I did want to help you, really. I mean, I obviously can't stay here."

"Oh yes you can." He puts his hooves on the table and leans into my face. "I already told you: you can stay here, in exchange for your life back in this 'Ponyville' place."

"No." Simple as that.

"Oh? Why not?"

"First, nopony or dragon would believe either of us if we started talking about parallel universes and switching places forever, not even Twilight. Second, I'm almost certain that if we tell Rarity, neither of us will ever have a chance of being with her. Third, I don't want to switch places with you. Fourth, I have no idea how I got here, or how to get back, or if I can get back at all." OK, maybe it's not that simple.

Spike's eye twitches, and I wonder how much he hates me right now (no doubt he too has felt these overwhelming swells of anger every time he sees me). "What do you mean, you don't know how you got here?"

I shrug. "I wasn't lying when I said I have amnesia. I don't know how I got here, and my memory's taking it's time to piece the story back together in my brain. The only time I ever have flashes of memory is when I go to sleep, and I usually forget them as dreams when I wake u-"

Two Weeks.

I feel the world flutter around me, like I'm not completely there. And I'm not: part of me is still falling through that glowing white window, reaching out towards the blue creature haunting my dreams and asking what my message meant. Before she answers, though, I'm forced back out by a tapping on my shoulder. Spike calls me out of that gray place, and the memories of the night before slip back into the shadows of my conscience.

"Dude, snap out of it. You were saying something about your dreams."

It's pointless to try and remember, so I let it go. "Yeah...I don't know how to get back. Not yet, anyways."

Spike smiles. "Well, now you don't have to. I'll find a way to your world for you, and then I'll go in your place."

"Once again: not happening."

He sighs in frustration. "But why do want to go back? Aren't you an outcast there, like me? Treated like a freak? Don't you want to be normal?"

"I am normal, in this world and mine the same."

"Oh really? Then what did the doctor do to treat you when you started changing during the Fire Ruby incident?"

It's an odd question, but I have the answer stored in my fragmented memory. "A dog. He started talking to me like I was a dog."

Spike nods solemnly. "That's right. And I bet you still get weird looks from any new townspeople who come in."

"Yes, but-"

"And have you been kicked out of restaurants because of the 'No Pets' rule?"

"What did you just say?"

"No pets, Madam. I'm afraid the lizard will have to stay outside."

"Spike is not a lizard, and he is most certainly not a pet!"

"..."

"Yeah." I pinch the bridge of my nose to try and still the headache that's just rebounded on me. "Yeah, that's happened, once or twice."

"Well, trust me, pal, I know what that's like. So, why not trade that awkward, abuse-filled life for one where you're treated like a regular Joe, where you can actually get the girl of your dreams, where you can talk about how great rubies taste and not get any weird looks in return?" That last one's a bit odd, but the thought of being "normal" amongst my friends, family, and loved ones is so tantalizing I almost lick my lips while Spike waits for an answer.

"I'd love that, really. But I can't leave Twilight and the others back in Equestria."

"Well, that's where-" He pauses, and thinks for a moment. "Huh. Equestria, Serpentia. Clever." He shakes his head clear and continues his original monologue: "Anyway, that's where I come in. All we have to do is convince Twilight and the others here that you're me and that you can replace me here in Dragonsville, and when I go over to your world, they'll just think I've been turned into a pony. Simple."

"You really don't see any problems with that." I can name about fifty.

"Not at all: we have the same memories."

There's no way I'm going to let him take my life, but I don't want him to tell anydragon else about this. So, using that amazingly resourceful and handsome brain of mine, I lead him on.

"Alright, let's haggle: I'll take your deal, if and only if you let me modify one little bit."

"Which is?"

Now it's my turn to lean back in my seat. "Instead of the explaining part here, I've got an easier way to get you out of here: you die."

Spike blanches for a moment. "H-How exactly do we accomplish that?"

"Easy:" I mimic writing a note and dictate, "'Dear Twilight: By the time you read this, I'll be far away enough that you won't be able to find me. I've decided that I want to learn more about who I am, or, more specifically what I am. So, I've taken some supplies, some books, and a pillow, and set out for the territories my mother was found near. If I ever find more ponies, then I'll be sure to send you a note. For now, though, I won't return any letters you may send, and you shouldn't expect any writings from me. Know that this isn't your fault, though, and that I love you like the mother whose origins I am now trying to discover. Sincerely, Spike.'" For good measure, I add an addendum: "'P.S. Rarity: I've always loved you, and I hope Emerald is the diamond-studded prince you so deserve.'" I finish my dictation and look at Spike. He still looks skeptical.

"Twilight isn't going to listen to that. The moment she reads 'you won't be able to find me,' she'll already be magicking over some camping trip books and a tent."

"Which is why, when Twilight and friends follow your magical residue into the Everfree, the only thing they'll find is a torn and bloody knapsack and a patch of horrifically familiar purple fur." I grin. Something about describing my counterpart's death is very entertaining.

Spike is speechless for a moment, lost in thought. Then, he too grins, and reaches out a hoof to shake. "It's brilliant. Deal."

We shake. I imagine what he'll shout, when I double-cross him and leave this town and this Twilight and this Rarity behind.

"Oh crap." Again, didn't say crap.

"Oh no," Spike moans, rubbing his forehead with a hoof, "what is it now?"

"What about Rarity?"

"What about Rarity?"

I don't want to seem suspicious, so: "Okay, let's say, hypothetically, you can't go back instead of me. What if I have to leave Rarity? I've already got a date with her to the Summer Sun Celebration!"

Spike rubs his chin, lost in thought again. I wait for him to finish thinking, which takes longer than I'd hoped (how long have we been chatting here?). When he looks back up at me again, he has a smile that says, "I've got the most foolproof plan ever created." So, quite obviously, we're doomed.

"Then you'll just be the next Blueblood."

"What?"

"Here's what you do: set up a date on whatever day you leave. Then, if you disappear, you can't meet up with her. Instead, I will. I'll explain that you've disappeared, and taken some of Twilight's jewelry as well, and I'll make her believe you were a thief, a liar, etcetera. She'll be devastated, I'll be there for her, and eventually, when her regular mourning period is over, and she simply turns her nose up at the name 'Emerald Spires,' I'll swoop in, take her out on a few dates, and from there, everything'll be perfect."

"Um, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but we've tried that before. Actually, it was when her dreams of Blueblood went up in flames and cake, remember? We wanted to ask her out when we all got together at the donut shop, but we couldn't work up the guts to ask her out when she was done crying about him." My stomach churns each time I call myself "we."

"Yeah, but that isn't a problem now. I know that I can ask her out now. You proved that."

I think for a moment. "Yeah. I guess I did."

"So, it's a deal?"

"We already shook on it, dude."

Spike leaps from the table, opens the fridge, pulls out some eggs, fruit, and milk, gets a frying pan from the drying rack, turns the oven on, and yells "Alright!" loudly, all in one swift motion. In seconds, four eggs are frying in the pan, knives are chopping up pears, and I'm being served large glass of milk. Spike sits back down with his own glass and some apple slices, keeping his magic on the eggs in the pan, and he raises his glass with both hooves.

"To us, then! Us, and the awesome futures that await us in our new worlds!" We clink glasses, some milk spills, and Spike gulps down half of his drink in a flash. Our conversation turns to how different our lives are compared to one another: one of the most significant differences is that, instead of a beast, the unicorn-Spike is treated more like a rabbit or a squirrel. He's constantly talked down to, and some dragons in town have accidentally swooped him up during their hunting trips.

"Yeah, I learned to stay clear of the Everfree after that," he chuckles, finishing his milk and shoveling more egg into his mouth. "Since then, every time I pass the guy on the street, I pretend to not notice his claws and walk into them, just to mess with him."

"Well, I guess that's better than having kids run at you playing 'Knight in Shining Armor.' I don't think any of them even knew that Shining's my brother." We share laughs, most of the time, and though it feels great to not be in deep water with the guy anymore (for now), I still feel as though one small misquote could make this conversation end in a fight. I wonder if that has anything to do with us being the same guy (other than us both loving the same girl, I mean). It's not until I'm washing down the last of my eggs with milk that Twilight makes an entrance, with a very happy-looking Pinkie Pie trailing behind her.

Now, when I say that Pinkie looks very happy, that's saying something. Pinkie is always bouncing around, with an enormous smile on her face. The Pinkie that comes through the kitchen door this morning, though, is something I've never seen before: the smile on her face is the same one I get whenever Rarity tells me how much she needs me (in her shop, to help with dresses), and she's not bouncing; she's floating. As in, off the floor. Somehow, using that strange, physics-bending magic she has, Pinkie is 100% off the ground, levitating directly behind Twilight, who doesn't seem to mind her defying the laws of physics. Or the fact that Pinkie's wrapped her arms around her neck in a sort of half-hug. In fact, she seems pretty happy because of it; I wonder if-

Oh. They're kissing. I guess that explains it. A little bit.

"Woah!" Spike shouts. Twilight's eyes snap open, and she pushes Pinkie away from her, noticing our presence for the first time that morning. Pinkie doesn't seem to care, and keeps her lips pursed as she dives in again and again for more kisses, eventually ending up restrained by Twilight's magical aura (though Pinkie's tongue can still slide out enough to tickle Twilight's ear). The lavender dragin turns to us and smiles sheepishly.

"Spike, Emerald! Good morning!" She glances at Pinkie, who is now making kissing noises and pretending she's holding somedragon in her arms. "Erm, as you can see, Pinkie had to stay the night, thanks to all that cider we, I mean, she, drank."

"Yeah she stayed the night," Spike says bluntly. I have to stifle a laugh. Twilight blushes, and Pinkie finally stops making kissing sounds to address Spike.

"Yeah, I did, Spike!" She seems blissfully ignorant of Spike's innuendo. "It was soooooooooo good! Ooh, did you know that Twilight's really ticklish right between these two spines?" She points to some part of Twilight's tail, and the red-faced dragoness tries to shush Pinkie while Spike and I let our held-back laughter out in torrents.

"No, Pinkie, I didn't know that!" Spike says when we can speak properly again. "What else did you learn last night?"

"Ooh, there's this spot that you just have to brush, and she'll do anything for you! It's like, mind control! It's just above her-"

Pinkie's mouth has been removed from her face. Twilight slams the lid on the trash can, and it vanishes in a poof of illogical pixels. She gives Spike a reprimanding look.

"Spike, really, that's not just rude, but very creepy, especially from you. What make you think you can just ask things like that about your own sister?"

Spike doesn't give her an answer. Instead, he raises an eyebrow and says, "Anything, huh?" Twilight's face flushes again. Behind her, Pinkie nods madly, and tries to play charades with us. We get to the second word (out of three, first word, "finger") before Twilight realizes what Pinkie's doing and shoves her out of the room. She holds the door shut, and explains to us while Pinkie pounds on it from the other side.

"Yes, Pinkie and I...spent the night together. She had had a lot of cider, and I..." She blushes more before she tells us the next part. "...well, I won't say I didn't either. You understand, don't you?"

Spike does. I don't. Is this something different here, or is Twilight in the closet about something back in Ponyville? Another question to be stored for later. For now, though, I listen to Spike's congratulations, as Twilight's apparently had some dormant feelings about Pinkie that broke free last night amid the chaos of the welcoming party. For some reason, I almost feel queasy, hearing about this. I tune out, and after a minute of thinking about my previous conversation with Spike the sound of my "name" brings me back to the kitchen table.

"So, Emerald, are you and Rarity alright?" Twilight glances between Spike and I. "She left the party early last night." She's clearly worried about how Spike will react to my asking her out. She's in for quite the surprise.

"Oh man, this guy!" Spike bursts into laughter that shocks Twilight and I, though Twilight's clearly more shocked. Spike doesn't notice, or doesn't care, and goes on: "The dude won't shut up about her! We've been sitting here for, like, an hour, and I've barely said anything! Talk about an obsession!" He laughs to himself, and I chuckle too, when Twilight looks over at me with a "what-the-hay-just-happened" look.

"S-So, you aren't jealous?"

Spike gives me a "can-you-believe-this-girl?" look. "As if! I spent way too long chasing after Rarity. It just took me a while to realize that. Actually, it's all thanks to Emerald here." He leans across the table and pats me on the shoulder, then whispers, "Play along or we're both screwed." He gives Twilight a pretty convincing smile and says, "I mean, he was right when he told me there was no way I'd get past the species barrier."

Twilight gives me a confused look. "You told him what?" She's losing concentration on the kitchen door, and I can see several thin pink spines sticking through the crack that inches open.

"Uh, well, you asked me to...so I did." Lying's been pretty easy up until now, so I'm sure I can keep it up. "I had my talk with him, and he's given me his blessing. That's it, really." Smooth.

"That's it? Really?" Twilight looks over to Spike, a hopeful look in her eyes. "Is that true, Spike?"

He nods. "Yep. I'm done with Rarity. It's time for me to move on." He folds his hooves behind his head. "Actually, the moment I let her go, I felt a lot better. I think things are gonna look up for me from now on."

Twilight looks like she's about to cry. She leaves the door (which has stopped trying to open itself) and goes over to Spike, who is forcibly pulled into a hug. He struggles in her grip as Twilight congratulates him on giving up his dream.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you! I knew you'd get over it eventually."

I breathe in a bit too sharply not to seem conspicuous: Twilight's never believed that I could ever be with Rarity. It was subtle at first, when I was a kid who didn't really know what he was doing, talking about love and things like that. She didn't stay subtle, which didn't exactly boost my confidence whenever I talked to her about my plans to ask Rarity out this evening or that evening. But, I never actually grew the balls to ask her out. The breaking point was almost two years ago, on my eighteen birthday. I was excited about being old enough to be treated like an adult (and all of the "adult" benefits that came with the big 1-8, wink wink nudge nudge). The first thing I wanted to do, obviously, was ask Rarity on a dinner date, and Twilight chose that moment to give me a lecture on how I could never ever ever have Rarity. Not a small talk, where she simply said that I was a dragon, she was a mare, it could never work out. Oh no, it was brutal: an hour and a half of charts explaining how I would live for centuries and centuries after she was gone, and how our children (which she assured we could have, as dragons are apparently very good "fertilizers," as Twilight called them) would be freakish and frowned upon by nature and society alike, and how she would be mistreated for being the mare that "fell in love" with a dragon. The lecture turned into a fight not long after she used air quotes with the words "fell in love," and I can safely say that it is the only birthday I've had that was worse than the Fire Ruby Incident. I'm still not quite sure how we made up after that one.

Spike disentangles himself from Twilight in time for the door to bang open. Pinkie strolls back into the room, gives Twilight a nuzzle, and goes to the refrigerator to find something to eat. From there, the conversations vary: Twilight has to prepare for the Summer Sun Celebration, Pinkie's got to plan a party to celebrate her and Twilight's "consummation," Spike has some reading to do, to "find a cure for my amnesia." I can only pray the wink he gives me as he says this has gone unnoticed by the two dragins, though I think Twilight was too busy keeping Pinkie from feeding her sapphires to see it. Pinkie definitely didn't notice it: she's too busy feeding Twilight sapphires. After another hour of small talk and small snacks, I give some excuse about wanting to sleep off my hangover and head back down to the basement to sleep. But getting rid of my cider-induced headache is only a side-benefit to what I truly intend to do: I need to dream more. For some reason, my dreams are the only things that give me any clue as to how I got here and what I was doing before this, and I need to know what I'm doing here.

I slip under the blankets and my head sinks into the soft pillow. Sweet dreams.

Author's Note

Prodder: the equine's version of poker, which follows all of the rules of our poker, and only has the name changed because of reasons, mainly because I read it somewhere once.

To anyone who hasn't seen this post of mine, it's my birthday, so I felt like posting a chapter as a reward for getting through the better part of two decades without any majors accidents or death. So, happy birthday to me (I've said this too many time today)!

Next: sleeping, sleeping, dreaming, woah! Spike is really reeling, no! Backstory, exposition, ho! Things to learn that we didn't know! Sword fights, blood stains, romance and ankle pain! Tons of spells that Spike needs not, and a scene that's pretty hot! Drama, laughs, and kisses, too! All this and more, in store for you!

Got bored of the regular list, so I'll be doing them in new, exciting ways from now on. Tschüs!

-NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. I hate to sound like an attention whore, but please leave a comment. I love getting feedback, and it really helps me out to know what people think of my writing. Thanks!

P.P.S. Anypony know a good artist who could maybe do a cover image for this story? I've been thinking about getting a new one, and maybe having someone make an original one for me. Any suggestions?

The Great Tragedy of Spike de Draco

____________________________________________________________________

For the first time, there's no blue in my dream. But I'm not looking for her this time. I want a pool. And I get it, after a minute of spinning around in this gray world, which, now that I've looked at it properly, looks like the night sky, but brighter, like a big flashlight is shining underneath me. The window passes by. I chase after it, but it moves faster and faster whenever I move faster and faster. It always stays a few inches out of my reach, and it's only after an endless chase that I get a hand close enough to dip a claw in it's bright, sticky surface

‡

"Again, I apologize, Spike. The guards didn't seem to understand-"

"It's fine, Princess, really."

Celestia cast a worried look over at the drake. He looked tired. She wished he had a bedroom to sleep in. But none of the other guest rooms were ready. The Royal Guard had only prepared six, one for each of the Elements of Harmony. For the Element of Magic's pet dragon? One heavenly cushion, used normally for Philomena when she wished to sleep directly next to her owner. It was big, but it was big for a bird. For Spike, it was something to sit on, not a sleeping pad.

"Spike, it is far from fine. Apparently, I need to explain to the Royal Guard that when I say 'Spike,' I don't mean a dog." She sighed heavily. "It shocks me that these guards don't know who you are."

"Are they new?"

"Oh, I can't tell. All of them wear enchanted armor that makes them appear identical, save for the change in divisions." She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead. "This is actually quite embarrassing for me. I really should know the names of my personal guards..."

She felt a scaly hand on her shoulder. Looking over, she found that Spike was giving her a reassuring smile.

"Mom," he said kindly, "don't worry about me. I can handle this."

Celestia returned his smile warmly, and pulled him into a tight hug. He hadn't called her "Mom" in a long while. It made her want to cry, hearing that most unused of titles placed upon her head again.

"Uh, Mom?" Spike squirmed in her grip. "You're crushing me a bit."

____________________________________________________________________

Spike winced as his ankle throbbed again. That damned sous-chef had one hell of a tackle, that was for sure. He ignored the pain and continued leafing through the volume he was searching.

Come on, come on, you have to be in here somewhere...

Nothing in this one. Groaning in frustration, he set the book on the steadily growing pile to his left, and reached to his right to grab the next book on the shelf. He examined its title with hope:

Transformations for Your Enemies, Vol. 1

Spike imagined what kind of spells would be in there: change into a rock, or an orange, or even another creature entirely...

He sped through the table of context. Nothing. The index. Nothing. He read through the book, stopping every time the word "pony" caught his eye. He finished the book in ten minutes. Nothing.

"Dammit..." He set the book on the pile, and moved on to the next one.

____________________________________________________________________

"Spike..."

Rarity held his hand in her hooves. He didn't say anything. He hadn't said anything, since "I love you.". She'd merely smiled, and strolled over to him.

"Do you really mean that?"

He still couldn't say anything, so he nodded. Rarity's smile grew wider. Were those tears in her eyes? Not possible, he thought. She couldn't really...

"Spike, I don't know what to say. Really, I don't." She sighed in frustration and brought his hand to her forehead. "All of this work, and the Expo, they're taking a toll on me. I don't want to say this, I truly don't, but, can you wait, just a little longer, before I give you an answer?" She gave him a pleading look, eyes shining sapphires. "Just after the Expo, I promise. Then, we can talk about this. Please, Spike?"

How could he say no to her? Again, he nodded. Rarity's smile grew even wider, and she pulled him into an embrace. She whispered in his ear, "Thank you, Spikey Wikey." They hugged for a long, long minute. When they finally separated, she couldn't resist: she gave him a peck on the lips. He blushed violently, bringing a sly smile to her face.

"Consider that a present for being so patient with me." She stepped away from Spike, and shook her mane, gathering herself.

"Well then, shall we get back to the dresses? The sooner, the better."

____________________________________________________________________

Something cold and sharp stabbed into his back. Something warm and wet poured out from where the stab was. He didn't care. In fact, he wished for it to keep pouring, until there was nothing left in him. Then maybe he'd stop feeling so bad about those ponies that had taunted him, humiliated him, hated him for being different. But he couldn't move a single muscle in his body, so he could only lie there and hope that one cut would let enough blood flow out to kill him.

It occurred to him that he didn't remember how he got to that point. Why was there shattered glass everywhere? What happened to the Equestrian Fashion Expo? Did he smell smoke? Why was there a hole in the ceiling? He remembered those snobs, mocking him for being different, treating him like some kind of monster...

Oh. Now I remember.

Shockingly, he found this funny. They deserved what they got, and more. All of them. Damned ponies, acting like they're the only civilized being in the universe. Why, if they wanted, he bet that dragonkind could just come swooping in and kill every single one of them. Then where would those snobs be? In the pit of his stomach, digesting.

The moment these thoughts passed through his head, he thought of Rarity, and felt like he was going to vomit. He hoped he wouldn't: if he did, he couldn't move his head to let it leave his mouth. He would choke to death.

Maybe I should, he thought, as the warmth grew underneath him. He was beginning to feel lightheaded. He wondered how easy it was to die. If this was it, it wasn't half as bad as all the book had made it out to be. Looking up at the stars, wrapped up in a warm blanket (though he was pretty sure blankets aren't supposed to be wet), it was almost like a night picnic. He watched the stars twinkle in the night. After a minute or two, a bright trail of space dust passed over his vision. Delirious from blood loss, Spike smiled dreamily.

"Make a wish..." And then he did.

•

before it zooms away, leaving me to think about the scenes I've been given to study. What a tragedy this boy's life is! I hope he died in peace. Then it occurs to me that I was watching myself, lying there in the beaten-up castle bleeding. A second after realizing that, something even worse pops into my head:

Am I dead?

The gray flashes, and I hear hoofsteps, in the distance. But I can't find the source. I turn around and look, and turn more, and look more, but I can't find whoever's making those noises. They're getting nearer and nearer. I want to know who that is. Maybe I can talk to him, or her. They'll know what's going on, or if I'm dead. The sounds of the hoofsteps grow closer,and, seeing nopony to talk to, I shout my question out:

"Did I die that night?"

The hoofsteps stop. In my ear, a voice whispers:

"No. Not yet."

What? I spin around. Nopony there. I spin around again; still, nopony. I start running, in the direction the voice came from, and I run straight off an invisible cliff. Once again, I'm falling, and I know that I'm not dead because the fear of falling is still there, and I can't be afraid after dying, so I'm alive, only not for much longer if the ground is getting close (I can't tell; invisible roads, you know). Again, I scream. And again, I wake up mere seconds before I flatten myself on the pavement(?)

____________________________________________________________________

I sleep until my hangover's gone, and when I wake up the lights from up the stairs are all out. Next to my bed is another stool with another bowl of gems and another note. Without getting out of bed, I snatch up the bowl and note and feast upon topaz while I read:

Dear Emerald,
You were asleep when Rarity stopped by today. She wants you to come over to the Boutique tomorrow at 10. She wants to get you a suit for the Summer Sun Celebration that matches her dress! How romantic! If you aren't awake by the time 9 rolls around, expect me to come in and throw you out of bed. I don't want you to mess this up. Also, enjoy the gems: you probably haven't eaten anything since breakfast.

-Twilight

P.S. I just re-read my note, and I realize it doesn't make sense. If you don't wake up until 9 tomorrow, then you won't know I'm coming to wake you, because you'll never have woken up to read the note. I apologize for my lack of logic writing this.

P.P.S. Why am I apologizing? If you don't wake up before I wake you, then you can't read the apology either! What's the matter with me?

P.P.P.S. I think I'll stop writing now. All this self-destructive self-criticism isn't good for my mental well being. Bye.

Ah, Twilight. No matter how social you become, no matter how many times you save Equestria, you'll always be that over-thinking mare(dragin) I grew up assisting. I stretch, quietly trod up the stairs to check if it's night time (and it is), and slip back down to sleep more. I finish off the gems and get back into my bed with a full stomach. I wonder if this is how a bear lives when he's hibernating.

____________________________________________________________________

Windows everywhere, all I have to do is turn and

‡

"Careful, soldiers! The beast approaches!"

"Aye, Captain! We see him! But I don't think he can see us!"

"Excellent! We have the upper hoof, then! Ready...wait for it...all right, CHARGE!"

The army of soldiers burst from the underbrush and charged the dragon, who turned to face them far too late to avoid their onslaught. They fell upon the creature with all the fury of Celestia's highest-ranking Royal Guards. Unfortunately for the dragon, they were much, much worse than that: they were an army of children, hitting him with sticks.

"Ah! Kids, stop! That actually hurts!"

"It's weakening, soldiers! Continue the assault!" The leader of the cavalry, a bright red pegasus named Sundown, had a voice much more mature than his outward appearance made him look. He had all the makings of a true soldier (and a cutie mark to match them), and Spike would not be surprised if the foal beating him with a branch right now one day grew up to fight alongside Shining Armor. He struggled away from the colt, but foals behind him shoved him forward, and he fell on his face in front of Sundown. The child pointed his wing-held sword at a spot directly between Spike's eyes.

"Foul beast, we have defeated you. Give us your treasure, and we shall let you live!"

Spike smirked, playing along, and bellowed, "Insolent foals! Do you not know the ways of the dragon? I would sooner give my life than let your filthy hooves touch my treasure!" He laughed again, letting smoke billow from his mouth for added effect.

"My hooves aren't filthy!" one of the "soldiers" cried. "I wash them after every time I go outside!" Another foal smacked the back of his head, and the two quickly began arguing over whether or not a soldier would tell a captured enemy about how many times he washes his hooves. Sundown turned to yell at them, and Spike saw his opportunity. He grinned wildly, and pounced up from the ground, knocking a few fillies and colts to the ground. Sundown turned around to see a wall of light purple scales coming at him at lightning-fast speeds. He was brought to the ground with a shriek, and in another moment the drake was tickling him furiously.

"Ha!" Spike yelled, smirking down at the struggling foal beneath him. "All you ponies are the same! Ticklish, every last one of you!"

"Stop, please!" The little pegasus could hardly breathe under Spike's torturous tickling. "It isn't funny, Mr. Spike! Stop, seriouslyyyyyy!" His last word turned into a squeal that made his voice sound much less mature than it had a moment ago. Spike could see his victory approaching fast, and he made to demand the foal's surrender. Then, out of nowhere, something hard, flat, and most certainly more painful than a stick made contact with the side of his head. He went sprawling into the dirt. He heard a few of the foals shout "Hey!" at his attacker, but when he heard the voice of said pony, he groaned mentally.

"Sundown, my baby! Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Spike looked up from the ground at a mare the same shade of red as Sundown, who was fawning over him the way only mothers do. Sundown ignored her, though, and was looking over at Spike in shock.

"Mom, what the heck! Why did you just do that?"

The mare seemed stunned that he'd ask such a question. She glanced between Sundown and Spike, ignoring Spike's angered gaze completely, and bent over her foal.

"Sunny, he was hurting you. I could hear you-"

"Mom, it was a game! My friends and I were playing with Mr. Spike, you knew that! Why'd you hit him?"

"I was only protecting you-"

"But I wasn't in any danger! You just came over and hit him away!"

The mare was beginning to blush, though it was hardly noticeable against her already red cheeks. She gave Spike another glance, and tried to say something out of earshot. But Spike's ears picked it up anyway:

"Honey, you know dragons aren't exactly proper playmates..."

Sundown didn't seem to care whether or not his mother used a whisper; he was still appalled by what she'd done to Spike.

"Spike's not even like that! You've heard of him, he's that dragon that saved the Crystal Empire!" He pushed himself out of her grip and rushed over to Spike, who had sat up in the grass and was rubbing the side of his head that had been struck. He tapped Spike on the arm, and asked, "You alright, Mr. Spike?"

Spike nodded and said, "Don't call me 'Mr.' It's just Spike. If I was that old, I'd definitely be too big to play with you kids. And it's fine. My head, I mean." He gestured to Sundown's mother. "I get that kind of treatment a lot, actually. I'm used to it."

Sundown frowned. "Really? That sucks."

Spike chuckled wearily. "Yeah. It really does." The smile he'd been wearing since Sundown had trotted over to him faded, and he got to his feet suddenly. Sundown looked up at him, flashing a small smile. Spike smiled back, and said, "I've gotta go now. Gonna check and see if-" He was interrupted by his name, called from behind him by an unmistakable, beautiful voice.

"Yoo-hoo, Spikey! I've got the fabrics I need!" Rarity waved from a park bench a few yards away. She clearly had not seen the mother hit him, or else she would be by his side in the grass, chewing the mare's ear off for what she'd done. Spike grinned and waved back, then looked down at Sundown.

"Sorry, kiddo. Looks like I've gotta go. See ya." He held a fist out, which the colt bumped, and without giving the mare that had hit him a second look, he turned and walked away.

"I see you made a few friends," she said when he reached her. She looked past him at Sundown, and noticed the dirty look the mare next to him was giving them. "Though, it does seem that the parents are a bit less excited by your presence." She looked up at him, and watched him rub a spot on his head that looked a little bruised. She giggled cutely, and asked, "It also seems that you played a bit rough."

Spike laughed back, not really meaning it. "Yeah. A little too rough, apparently." He gestured towards the main city streets. "Shall we?"

____________________________________________________________________

Basic telekinesis, complex telekinesis, transmogrification, teleportation, spatial displacement, disabling of any of the five senses, power augmentation, power deprivation, physical healing, psychological healing, bone manipulation, echolocation, invisibility, projection of force fields, merging, poison generation, trans-dimensional transportation, plant manipulation, pyrokinesis, cryokinesis, waterbreathing, telepathy, memory manipulation, proper calligraphy, protection from the sun's harmful rays, basic cooking skills, animation, gravity manipulation, infatuation, magnetic manipulation, energy blasts, summoning, portal generation, flower gardening, levitation, illusion, reality warping, basic surgical procedure, emergency surgical procedure, elemental transmutation, insect mimicking, time travel, time telling, color changing, pheromone manipulation, illumination, washing clothes, drying clothes, curing insomnia, disc jockeying, cross-dimensional awareness, mind control, dusting, digging, securing structures, alarm systems, strength, self-detonation, external detonation, reformation, body part substitution, burn treatment, water repulsion, opening canned food.

All of these kinds of spells he found in the library. Some were shocking, some were expected, and some he bookmarked for later. But he could not find any spell on permanent transformation. Anything on it was either torn out, or not a spell. Spike was well aware of Celestia's fear of permanent spells, as they presented a major problem should a unicorn decide that everypony in the country would look better if they were dogs, but he could not help but feel more than annoyed at the lack of information on the one topic he needed to learn about. Hours spent searching, all for something that was not allowed to be found.

At one point during his quest, Spike came across a book entitled Enlarged Lizards: A Guide to Dragons. The title alone made him groan, and he could not resist taking a break from spellbooks and looking through it. He read through it, cover to cover, in an hour. The information was so unreliable that Spike laughed at the author at points. Then he came across a section of the book describing a dragon's capability in a society:

The dragon, while a remarkable beast indeed, is one that should never be approached without extreme caution. Even if its flame sac were to be taken out, its claws to be removed, and its teeth to be filed down to almost nothing, its sheer size, strength, and stupidity makes it capable of killing any number of ponies in one fell swoop. Attempts have been made to educate dragons by various brave stallions and mares, and their sacrifices are commemorated in the memorial tomb in Baltimare. From the notes these scientists had taken, it has been long since determined that the dragon, while well developed in body, is in the mental category no more than a violent, drooling beast. It is incapable of speaking proper Equestrian, or any language for that matter. In fact, it seems to be unable to communicate with other kinds at all, and merely attempt to kill anypony or anything that comes near it and/or its horde. A dragon is also incapable of learning, and has been shown to show hardly any signs of sentience, save for those that allow it to better protect its horde. This provides gratuitous evidence supporting Dr. Brain Wave's "Me Like Shiny" Theory (see page 34), and...

That passage, he read again. And again. And again. Eventually, he shut the book with one hand, using the other to pinch the bridge of his nose. Then, he quietly stepped over to the window overlooking the Canterlot Gardens below. He cracked it open, and held the book out. He gave its dull green cover one last, odd look, and he tilted his head at it, almost childishly.

"No one will miss you," he said. Then he took a deep breath, and let loose a bout of flames that consumed the volume. His hand was unharmed: as if a dragon could burn himself in his own fire. That was another thing the idiotic book had gotten wrong. He watched the text go up in flames and let it burn in his hands until there were only ashes left. Then, he took another deep breath, and this time blew out air. The ashes flew from his hand out into the world, and he watched them drift away with a guilt-free happy smile on his face. Then, when he could no longer see any ashes floating out to the Gardens, he turned and went back to his research.

____________________________________________________________________

The cork on the champagne bottle went flying across the dressing room with a loud, satisfying POP! Rarity watched it fly with a gleeful smile on her face, and happily held out her glass when Spike offered her first grab at the champagne. She waited for him to pour himself a glass and set down the bottle before she raised hers in the air and called a toast.

"To the Fashion Expo, and my newest line of dresses!" Spike raised his glass in response, and added: "Here's hoping that the past twenty-four hours weren't for nothing!" They laughed, clinked glasses, and drank. The drink was bubbly, light, and tasted only slightly like oats. The pear flavor washed over it just as soon as he'd thought he'd grasped it. He finished his glass in another two gulps, while Rarity left her glass only half empty. She smiled up at him, and looked over at the balcony doors that her room had come equipped with (for stress management, Celestia had said). Her eyes widened when she saw it was sunset, and she trotted over to the doors, sliding them open with her telekinetic grip.

"Oh my! I had no idea we'd spent that much time on the dresses!" She stepped out onto the balcony to watch the sunset, and Spike eagerly followed her, bottle in one hand, glass in the other. All he could think about, as he had for the past day, was her promise to him. When there was nothing to stress over, she'd said...

"You heard me say 'twenty-four hours,' right?" He chuckled at his own joke, as did Rarity, and he met her on the balcony. He leaned against it, and set the bottle on the railing after refilling his glass. He sipped at this one, savoring the flood of pear taste in his mouth. He looked over at Rarity, who was watching the sunset with gleaming, gorgeously blue eyes. He watched the sunset with her (or, watched her watching the sunset) for a minute before working up the nerve to ask her the question:

"So, all of the dresses are done?"

"They are, Spike." She gave him another of her wonderful smiles. He sighed dreamily, against his own will. She continued: "I feel so relieved, to have them done. Now, we only have to wait until tonight, when the Expo begins, and I'll be able to show them off, sell them all, and leave Canterlot with enough orders and money to be set for life!" She giggled. "Not that I'm anywhere near ready to retire."

Spike chuckled again, and swirled his drink in its glass. "All that stress, gone, huh? Just like that?"

Rarity didn't seem to understand what he was getting at. "Oh, yes! I feel as though an unimaginable weight has been lifted off my shoulders!" She stretched, spilling some of her drink. She started when it splashed her hooves, and went into a fit of giggles. "Oops! See? I'm just so giddy with excitement! I can't imagine how this day could get better!"

I can. Spike swallowed his drink again. "Well, with your talent, I'm sure it will. Somepony famous has got to want your work!" He inched closer, almost subconsciously.

"Oh, Spike, don't forget, I had the best assistant a lady could ask for!" She moved over to him and wrapped a foreleg around him. She nuzzled his neck, and he silently thanked Celestia she was unable to see his blush. She pulled away and looked him in the eye. "I would never have gotten them all done in time without you. You truly are my hero today, Spike." The glass (now empty) flew from her hoof as her magic took it in its grip, and she brought her other foreleg over to draw him into a tight hug. He embraced her happily, savoring the moment as he had the champagne. Even though she'd spent the last few hours shouting orders and sweating over the fabrics they'd purchased the other day, he could still smell the lilac perfume she put on each day. He'd only had a glass and a half of champagne, but he felt intoxicated. He held her tightly, and almost didn't let go when she began to pull away. Rarity leaned back and gave him another beautiful smile. He stared into her eyes, and in the next second, Spike knew what he had to do.

Slowly, he moved a hand up to her cheek, and he brushed some of her mane (which was heavily disheveled from the events of the day) out of her face. Her eyes widened at his touch, and he felt her breathe in sharply as her smile flickered, but she made no move to stop him. He cupped her cheek in his hand, and gradually, brought her closer to him. Time slowed for the two as they drifted closer, and when their lips touched it stopped altogether, freezing in the most perfect of all moments. Both pairs of eyes fluttered shut, and Rarity sighed as he drew her in close. His hand moved from her cheek to the small of her back, and he pulled her in by the hips as their embrace deepened. It was only a matter of seconds before his tongue moved on its own accord, sliding past his lips and across hers. She opened her mouth, and when their tongues touched, the glass Rarity had been holding in her magical grip fell to the floor, where it shattered. Neither of them cared, or even noticed. They were too absorbed in each other's tastes. Vanilla poured into his mouth, and combined with the scent of lilac from her perfume, he was overwhelmed with hunger for more of her. Spike's hands slid lower on Rarity's body, and when he reached her flank she gasped against his mouth. Still, she made no move to stop him, and he explored her with his hands gratefully. Her hooves played with his spines, and she moaned quietly against his mouth as his claws dug into her flank. They were so sharp, so dangerous, they could cut into her like the fabric he'd cut for her. Her tongue ran along his fangs, and she imagined them biting down on gemstones, with such power that the stone would shatter. Instinctively, she squirmed in his grip, and pulled away from him. He opened his eyes in time to see the flash of fear across her face, and he understood the problem immediately. Ecstasy faded quickly, and something close to horror came to take its place.

"R-Rarity?" he spluttered. It was as if he hadn't used his voice in years. He had a pleading look in his eyes, and the unicorn tried to avoid it by looking down at his chest. But it was impossible, she found, when he asked her the question:

"Are--Are you afraid of me?"

She looked at him, and he got his answer. "No," she said, and he believed her. But he still saw something terrifying in her eyes, something that was perhaps even worse than fear. So he asked her what was wrong.

"Nothing," she said quickly, then shut her eyes and shook her head. She was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "No. That's a lie. I don't want to lie to you, Spike." She looked back up at him, her eyes bright and sad, shimmering like freshly polished sapphires. "Please, Spike, like I asked...can we wait until after the Expo?"

"You said once the dresses were done..." He didn't want to know where this was going.

"You know what I meant, Spike, I-"

"You let me kiss you. You liked it. You loved it." He'd loved it, too.

"Yes, yes I did." She stroked his cheek with a hoof and gave him a sweet smile. "And no matter how hard I may try to forget, which I never shall, that moment will stay in my memory for the rest of my life. And, I'm sure, once the Expo is over, there will be many more moments like it, but-"

"Why after the Expo? What does it matter?"

"Spike, please try to understand. I'm under so much stress right now, and-"

"You just said your stress was gone!" He felt anger flare underneath the horror.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I don't want to worry about this right now-"

"Worry about what?"

"I don't want to worry about what ponies might say!"

It was even worse then he'd thought it would sound. Spike's arms fell to his sides. Rarity covered her mouth with a hoof as he took a step back, giving her a sad, broken look. He looked... disappointed. She began to speak, trying to fix her mistake:

"Spike, I meant-" But he stopped her, before she could explain.

"No no no!" Now he looked a tad bit manic. The drake held his hands up in front of him like he was warding her off. "I know what you meant. You don't want anypony thinking you're in a relationship with some sort of monster." He gritted his teeth and growled the last word, hating how true his words were. He shut his eyes when Rarity let a sob escape her lips.

"No, Spike, I wasn't talking about me!"

He took another step back and gave a distorted sort of chuckle. "Of course not. It would be terrible if ponies knew. They'd never buy dresses from you, and that would put you out of a home. I can't imagine what kind of Tartarus you'd put your friends and family through if that happened." He grabbed the railing to ensure that he didn't fall over backwards as he went on: "You're doing this for them, Rarity. You're the Element of Generosity, after all: the happiness of others comes before your own."

"I meant you, Spike! What would ponies say about you?"

"DO YOU THINK I CARE?!?" He'd finally lost his temper and raised his voice to a shout. Taking control of himself once more, he lowered his voice, looked to the ground and said, "I got used to the insults years ago, Rarity. I had to. You know I don't give a flying buck what anypony thinks of me." He gritted his teeth, and looked back up at her. "You, though, are still very much influenced by the opinions of others. One word about your mane, and you'd change it in a second."

"Spike, I know you're angry, but if you just listen to me-"

"You feel the need to be adored by everypony in Canterlot! You have to be the most fashionable, the most chic, the, what was it you said? "The pony that everypony should know," right?" He tilted his head questioningly at her, and stepped back again. He was about halfway to the balcony doors now. "Right?"

She was trying to sound as collected as possible, even with tears running down her face without permission. "I don't want anypony hurting you-"

"Well, congratulations!" He let go of the banister, and finally turned away from the ivory mare. "You've done a wonderful job! I only feel like one pony's truly hurt me here. And it wasn't the sous-chef, by the way."

"Spike, please, we can talk about this-"

"No. No we can't." He stepped off the balcony, and made his way to the door. "I'll see you at the Expo. Don't worry, I'll try not to lick my own ass whenever you're nearby." And with that, he was gone. Rarity stared at the door he slammed shut, and for a few seconds she was completely silent. Then, with no care for running mascara, she cried, shutting her eyes and collapsing into a pile on the balcony floor.

Outside her room, Spike stood at the door, leaning against it heavily. He gripped his chest tightly, and breathed hard. He felt as though something was trying to burst from his chest, and tears of both pain and sorrow ran down his face. From the other side of the door, he could hear his love sobbing loudly. He bit into his lip (he could still taste vanilla) until it bled, and waited for the painful pressure in his chest to stop. He knew what this was; it had happened before. Like the other times, he suppressed it, but this time it had been harder to hold back than any other instance he'd felt like going feral. He jokingly wondered to himself if this is what heartbreak felt like for dragons, or any creature, for that matter. He slid down the door until he was sitting, his legs sticking out at awkward angles. Patiently, he waited for the pain to pass. When it did enough to prevent him from changing, he got up, slowly made his way through the castle back to his and Twilight's room, and lay down on his bed. He looked at the coffee table near Twilight's bed, where his sapphire necklace lay alone. He stared at it for a long, long time, and wished he hadn't said "ass" in front of her.

____________________________________________________________________

"...can't imagine the teasing when you were young. Was it as bad as I'm imagining?"

"..."

"Mr. Sparkle?"

Spike opened his eyes and looked back over at Fancypants. The mustached stallion was smiling up at him, a martini held in his magical grip. The drake fiddled with his own glass, and coughed.

"Uh, sorry?"

"Goodness, that champagne must be stronger to you than I thought! I'd asked if you were teased, as a child."

Spike sipped his drink again. It wasn't strong, his mind had just been somewhere else. Specifically, on the other side of the room, next to Rarity, who was having a chat with a pony he recognized as the leading expert on color mixture in fabrics (Rarity had shown him plenty of magazine articles while they'd worked). He was unsure if she knew he was here, and was even less sure if she wanted him to be here, but he'd intended to talk with her when she was done laughing at one of the Colormare's haughty jokes. Fancypants, however, had chosen the moment to approach him and strike up a conversation. He was one of a very small number of ponies at the Fashion Expo (which was run by Fancypants' company this year, explaining his presence at the event) that did not give him any strange looks when he passed by.

Spike shut his eyes, remembering his years in Canterlot. "It wasn't bad," he finally said, "once I got to Ponyville. Ponies there didn't seem as fazed by me as they were in Canterlot. And don't call me 'Mr. Sparkle.' That's Twilight's dad." Another sip, and he went back to watching Rarity from afar. He was trying to think of what to say, or if he should say anything. Didn't want to embarrass her, after all.

But Fancypants still wanted to talk. "Then I assume it was not as easy living here as it has been in Ponyville?"

Spike didn't move his eyes from Rarity. "No. No it wasn't."

"Hmm." Fancypants followed the gaze of the purple drake, and when his eyes rested on Rarity he said, "Ah. Of course." He chuckled, and sipped his martini. "How is Rarity, then? I spoke with her earlier, but she didn't seem very chatty."

He still didn't look away. "She's doing fine. Her business is going to boom, after this. It'll be great for her, she'll be so happy."

"And how are you and her?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your relationship, old sport! What else?"

He frowned. "There is no relationship. We're--I'm her assistant from time to time. That's all."

Fancypants laughed again. "My dear lad, that most certainly is not all. I've seen you two together before, on other trips to Canterlot. I can see that look in your eyes: it's the same one I got when I first met my wife."

Spike tore his eyes from the ivory unicorn and her conversation partner, and looked down at Fancypants. "What look?"

"The look of somepony, or dragon, in this case, who is quite obviously in love."

"Yeah, well, maybe I thought I was. But...I'm done with that now."

Fancypants gave Spike a look that told him the stallion didn't believe his story. "Really? Then why have you been staring at her the entire time we've had this conversation?"

"I'm not staring at her, I'm looking at you."

"Spike, lad, answer the question."

Spike sighed. "I've been waiting for her to be alone, so I can talk to her."

"Talk about what?"

"Something happened earlier today, and I have to talk with her about it."

Fancypants finished his drink, and set it on the tray of a passing waiter. "And what exactly happened earlier today?"

Spike's eye twitched. "Fancypants, you have no idea how glad I am to know that there's somepony in this place that won't start shaking in their hooves when I walk up to them and try to have a conversation, but please, let this mess remain between Rarity and I."

The monocled unicorn sighed, and stroked his mustache. "Well, far be it from me to meddle with your personal affairs, old sport. Allow me to give a bit of advice, though."

"Shoot."

"If you still love this mare, and I think you do, I don't think it would be wise to make a fool of yourself, especially with the bias already set up around you." He patted Spike on the back with a hoof. "Don't do anything rash." He began to walk away, but stopped and turned back to the drake.

"Oh, and, one last thing: don't be worried about embarrassing her. She isn't that kind of pony anymore." Then he disappeared into the crowd of high-class mare and stallions attending the Expo. Spike was left to contemplate his last words, and just how in Luna's mane he knew what Spike was angry about.

"I spoke with her earlier, but she didn't seem very chatty."

He looked back over to where Rarity was. She was alone now, staring at a group of outrageously large hats. Spike sighed, knowing that he'd end up forgiving her like always, and began to move through the mildly large crowd of ponies, ready to sort things out with her for good.

•

I'm in one and out one, and I get a full dose of memory jogging from it. All the windows rush past, fleeing from something unseen in the distant gray. I don't move, wanting to dive into another window, but they all rush past after that first one. A wall of pure white is assembling itself in front of me, and once again, I hear hoofsteps from behind me. I try to turn, but I've once again been rendered motionless by the power of this dreamworld. So I watch the bright glow of the window-wall grow, and grow, and grow. My eyes are burning from the light, and I can't close them to stop it. I wish I could move, to get away from this wall, which is growing larger and larger. The hoofsteps are getting louder, louder, louder, louder...

They stop. Absolute silence, and only the glow of the window-wall.

Wake up... Something whispers in my ear, and if I could I would nod. The world begins to fill in, I can start to feel the sheets I'm wrapped in, and I hear, from far off, the words of my good friend Blue.

You have to go back...

____________________________________________________________________

Waking up sucks this morning, for two major reasons. First, the gems left an awful taste in my mouth from the night before. Second, for the first time, I can clearly remember my dreams for the first time since I got here. And you know what?

Spike can have my old life. I never want to go back to Ponyville.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

Woof, man, the last few weeks of the school year are maddening. Tests, homework, more tests, projects, regionals, etc., all piled in before the fourth of June? Not sure if I'll make it. Don't think it sounds bad? In the next week, I have to film a game show, take an in-depth look at the Rwandan genocide, murder a handful of kids with nothing but a meat tenderizer (on film), write ten half-page journals on To Kill A Mockingbird and its themes, memorize a military march in three days, and figure out how to write out hydrocarbons. So yeah, I'm doing the best I can with this story.

Next on Two Weeks:
A drake tried to hide his real name
Another dragon thought it was a game
She revealed that she knew
When he appeared quite blue
And was surprised to hear no declaim

The drake promised to tell the whole truth
For his true love would find it uncouth
To find out one day
Of the drake's foul play
Which would lead to the hiring of a sleuth

So he went to go tell the poor girl
His real name and where he's from, though it might make her hurl
He feared she would think
That he needed a shrink
And he knew that his plans would unfurl

See that? That took effort. Don't forget to leave a comment! Adieu!

-NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. That thing about murder? "On film" means it's another movie I'm making. I am not revealing murder plans on the Internet. That would be a really dumb thing to do.

On the Subject of Relationships

____________________________________________________________________

Up the stairs. Across the room. Ignore Spike, ignore Twilight. Out the door. Door shuts behind me, slamming like a starting gun. Sun blinds me, wakes me up properly. Blink. Blink. Blink. Okay, keep going.

This is the first thirty seconds of my day, and I can only pray I don't smell terrible (I haven't showered or anything since I got here) as I make my way to Rarity's again. I'm an hour early, but I'll need it. I take a left, a right, another right, and I'm at the Sugarcube Corner. I step into the sugar-scented world that Pinkie Pie works in, and find a table set at a spot that keeps it invisible to anydragon who happens to look in from the outside. The shop's not as full as I thought it would be; fine by me. I want some quiet, and if I can't stay in my own bed then I'll settle for here. Here, I can get something that isn't gems for breakfast, and-

"Hiya, Emerald!!" A plate slams down in front of me, and it's full of donuts glazed with sparkling red frosting. Across from me is Pinkie, who's got her head in her hands in a way that makes me feel like I'm on a date with her. She tilts her head one way, then another, then points at the donuts.

"You asked for no gems, right? Those are gem-free. And on the house, by the way. I know you have money now, but I can tell you've got something on your mind, and when that happens to one of my friends, I can't let them pay for comfort food, and nothing's more comforting than Sugarcube Corner's Comfy Creme-filled Donuts!"

Maybe coming here for some peace wasn't a good idea. I glance down at the plate of pastries before me.

"I didn't tell you what I wanted, Pinkie."

She giggles again. "Of course not, silly! But Auntie Pinkie always knows what dragons want. So,"--she pulls a milkshake that wasn't on the table a few seconds ago close and takes a long, glass-emptying sip--"what'cha wanna talk about?"

Yep. Definitely a mistake. "Pinkie, I don't want to talk about anything. I need to think about what I'm gonna do in the next few days. Rarity and I have a date, and I have to find my way back home, and now Spike-"

"-knows you're Spike too?"

She's looking at me like she's supposed to have known that. I'm probably looking at her like she's a psychic that's just correctly guessed what I've had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the past ten days. Like an idiot, I sputter out:

"Spike told you."

"Nope." She puts her head back in her hand. "You did. Just now. Actually, I guess Spike did tell me. Just not the one you were thinking of." She's very unimpressed by the presence of a Spike from another universe. Then again, it is Pinkie. I used to think she always faced things like this. I slide down in my seat a little, feeling like I'm about to explode. Pinkie just sucks down more milkshake.

"How did you know?" I finally ask.

More giggles. "Silly Spikey! As if I wouldn't recognize you! Just 'cause you've got scales instead of fur, doesn't make you unrecognizable. I mean, you didn't even change colors or your voice or anything! If you really wanted to hide, you shoulda done that. When I first saw you, I thought 'Oh wow! Spike got that one spell right, finally! I bet he's on his way to see Rarity and give her the good news!' But then you saw me, and you got all scared, like I wasn't supposed to be there or something, so I decided to get things figured out, only my head works really super fast, so by the time I'd gotten to you I'd already figured out you didn't know who I was. So I thought, 'Hey, this is cool! A dragon-Spike that doesn't know us!' So I introduced myself like I didn't know you, and you acted like you didn't know me, and it was super duper fun, until I got all confused when Rarity fell in-" She hiccups, or does something like that, and I take the chance to interrupt her.

"OK, I get it. You know who I really am." I glance around like there might be somedragon listening in on us. "Please, don't advertise it. I don't want things getting too out of hand."

Pinkie nods. "I Pinkie Pie Promise (insert the proper motions here) not to tell anydragon that you're really Spike from another dimension or something." She takes another sip. "So...wanna talk about it?"

I sigh. There's really no point arguing with Pinkie. Besides, it might be helpful to be able to talk with somedragon who can know what my real predicament is without freaking out. "Alright Pinkie, yes. I want to talk about it."

The pink dragin claps her hands together. "I'll get another round of milkshakes!"

____________________________________________________________________

We talk for most of the hour I have before I have to go to Rarity's. Most of that time is used up by me as I tell my story (or, as much as I know about it) to Pinkie, who is a surprisingly good listener for somedragon so loud and energetic. When I'm done, she taps her fingers against her chin and hums some song I've heard somewhere on a radio. She scrunches her face up like she's thinking hard about something, and for a second I have this glittering feeling of hope that she'll have a solution to my problem.

"So, you get a tailboner every time you see a dragon that's larger than you? Like, even drakes?"

Of all the things to comment on, she picks on the one little spot in my story where I mention how odd it is being around somedragon huge like Applejack. I almost slam my face into the table, but switch at the last second to my hand.

"Pinkie! I really need your help here!"

"I know! You've got a serious size problem, Spike! I didn't even realize-"

"Pinkie!"

"What?" It takes a few seconds before-"Ohhhhhh, the Celebration!" She shrugs, and fiddles with her straw. "I didn't think there was a problem with that. Really, just wear something nice, I bet Rarity's already making you something. Don't get nervous, don't worry about other-Spike or Twilight or anydragon, and just have fun. Ooh, and don't forget: if you really want to get her hooked, kiss her when the fireworks start, under the gazebo at the park! That place is secretly the best area in town to watch fireworks! You can-"

"Pinkie," I interrupt, placing a claw over her mouth, "I don't think you understand what I'm saying right now: I can't have a relationship with Rarity."

She pushes my hand out of the way and gives me a frustrated look. "Well, why not?"

A frustrated sigh lets itself past my lips without my permission. "Pinkie, I have to go back to my world. I can't leave Rarity here with a broken heart. I couldn't do that to her."

"Then don't! Tell her who you are!"

"Tell her--Pinkie, are you crazy? I can't do that?"

"Why not?"

"She'll think I'm crazy, or a liar, or some kind of pervert!"

"Not if you prove it to her! If you tell her something only Spike would know, then you'd be alright!"

"What could I possibly tell her that would keep me from getting burnt to a crisp?"

Now Pinkie gives me the most mocking look I've ever seen her make. "Uh, the Fire Ruby incident? Duh?"

I need to tell her that she's wrong, that that would never, ever work, not in a million years, but some part of me is saying that it might just. I pause long enough for Pinkie to glance at something behind me, and her eyes widen suddenly.

"Oh no! It's almost ten! You're gonna be late!" She gets up at lightning speed and yanks me up with her. "You've gotta go tell Rarity who you really are!" She pushes me towards the door of the Sugarcube Corner. "Go go go! Now! And remember, if you need to talk about this, Auntie Pinkie's always here for you, Spike. I Pinkie Pie Promise." I have no time to say anything before I'm outside, the door's shut behind me, and when I turn around Pinkie's back behind the counter of the bakery, serving some blue drake I've never seen before. She gives me a look that tells me to hurry up, and I'm about to argue when I realize I'm blocking the door to the Corner, and there's a burly white drake about ten time's my height looming over me. I thank him for not stepping on me by accident, and walk away from the Sugarcube Corner hesitantly. I wonder if I'm actually going to take Pinkie's advice, and tell Rarity who I am. I want to, badly, but if I do, I feel that I might be doing more harm than help.

Of course you will. She would think you're crazy. You would leave her brokenhearted. And you can't do that. Not to her. And yet, plans form in my head that would never work, and I find myself lost in my own thoughts on my way to the Carousel Boutique.

____________________________________________________________________

I know from the moment Rarity answers her door that it isn't going to be easy to get her to simply sit and talk. How, one might ask, do I know this? The answer is this: when Rarity answers the door to the Boutique, she's using the "I've just stepped out of the shower" technique on me. I'm actually a little flattered: she'd never do that in Ponyville. The best way to describe the way the "I've just stepped out of the shower" technique works, surprisingly, is the line she always opens with:

"Oh, Emerald!" Rarity said, adjusting the embroidered towel wrapped around her body to keep it from slipping off. "I wasn't expecting you just yet; I'm afraid you've caught me getting out of the shower."

Yeah, it's like that. Now, normally, this wouldn't get to me (completely), because I've seen her try this on a few of the colt's she's seduced over the years (100% success rate, by the way). However, I have never seen a dragoness with wet scales before. I have never seen dripping spines that hang down the side of her face like they're bangs. I have never seen a towel cling so tightly to such flattering curves, or scales that shimmer in the sunlight when wet, or a dragoness that knows exactly how to move her spines out of her face in the sexiest way imaginable. And because I have never seen these beautiful, amazing things before, I am rendered a total blubbering mess by the combination of all of the above. And boy, does Rarity use that to her advantage.

"Oh dear!" She puts a claw on my forehead. "Are you alright? You're shivering!" She's evil, she's merciless, she's making a complete fool out of me, and dammit, I wish I had control over my body! She tells me I should come inside, and I nod. In my head, I'm remembering the last time this happened while I was in the Boutique. It wasn't me being flirted with back then. Rarity and I had made an agreement that each time this happened, I had to get out of there without the nameless colt she was wooing seeing me. Usually, this ended up being a situation where I just sat in the closet until I heard a door slam shut. Of course, when I hit those wonderfully rebellious teen years, I felt the need to watch her go through the motions, just to see what it was like.

To put a long story short, the claw marks I made gripping the door that day are still there. She never found out.

She leads me to her couch, I sit down, and she leaves, telling me she'll be right back and that then we can "get down to business." I have the time to regain my senses, and I spend the precious few minutes before Rarity returns telling myself not to act like the bumbling, love-struck lizard I was ten years ago, and that it was ridiculous to get nervous about seeing her with a towel wrapped around her body, as dragons in this town usually go around naked anyway (some traits from both worlds stick, I guess) and that's probably what she'll be like when she comes back to me. Rarity returns after what feels like only a minute, dried off and primped up. As I guessed, she's naked, save for a golden chain necklace that runs down onto her somehow less-noticeable chest. I wonder briefly what the towel did to make the situation so awkward before Rarity sits down next to me. She still has bedroom eyes, which means I'm still in for something I think I might actually want.

"Better, Emerald?" she says, fluttering her eyelashes. She's made herself up well; I wonder how long I've actually been sitting on this couch sweating. I nod, and she smiles and says, "Excellent. Now we can begin..." She leans in closer, and I don't even resist what's about to happen. I can feel her slide her arms around me and up to my neck, as she brings our faces closer, closer, closer...

And then she wraps the measuring tape around my neck. Lips that are only an inch away from mine stretch into a sly grin, and she whispers, "...your fitting." She shakes a few spines out of her eyes, and moves back enough to see the size of my neck. "We'll need to get your measurements today, if you want a suit for our date in a few days." Her bedroom eyes are gone, her bedroom tone is gone, and its like what just happened didn't happen. She checks the measuring tape, mumbles a number to herself, and her horn lights up. From the designing table across the room floats a quill and piece of parchment, which writes down the number I assume is the width of my neck. Then she gets up and gestures to the small stage set up in the shop portion of the boutique, visible from the room we're in.

"Well then," she says, giving me a smile, "if you'll just step up to the stage, then we can get the rest of your measurements."

So it goes, for the next fifteen minutes: Rarity sets up something that could turn into us going at each other right in the middle of her designing room, then passes it off as her simply measuring part of my body. Checking out my biceps? Nope, we need to make those sleeves fit. Ooh, feel those pecks...or just get the width of my upper torso. Oh Spike, you're tail is so thick! That might make it difficult to make the pants, you don't mind wearing suspenders under your jacket, right? I am certain that this is a form of torture they use down in Tartarus, for the ones who really deserve it. It becomes too much when she begins measuring the width of my thighs (I don't even think that's a real measurement!), and I try to voice my problem to her.

"Uh, Rarity? When'll these be done?"

A jolt runs up my spine as her claws brush dangerously close to Spike Jr. She replies: "Oh, this won't take long. Just one more measurement to make." To my intense relief, she begins to move upward, leaving my crotch alone. "Why? Do have somewhere to be anytime soon?"

Uh oh, bedroom voice. "Um, I was going to start figuring out where I am. Twilight wanted to try something to jog my memory, and-"

I choke up when Rarity slides her arms around my neck. She's staring at me with her bedroom eyes, and she talks in that bedroom voice: "And?" She begins measuring my neck, something I know we've already done. I glance past her: the clipboard where she's been writing down my measurements is sitting on the design table nearby, completely forgotten.

I try to continue. "A-And I wanted to see if where I'm from is anywhere nearby, so I know how long it'll take to get back-" Again, I'm stopped, because Rarity has just tightened the measuring tape a bit too tightly around my neck.

"Ooh, terribly sorry, darling." She loosens it, but doesn't seem to be measuring me anymore. We're dangerously close, and I pray that Sweetie Belle is asleep or not here, because if she comes down the stairs, things are going to go horribly wrong for everydragon.

"So, you're going to try and remember what happened to you?" she continues, not moving away, or moving at all, for that matter. "A--Are you going to leave when you find where your town is?"

"W-Well, yeah." I'm very much in a bad place right now. I think I'm sweating. "Why wouldn't I?"

Rarity gives me a hurt look. "Well, you might just leave something behind..." She leans in closer, and our noses touchOhCelestiaI'mNotGonnaMakeIt.

"...something very important." She's opening her mouthOhSweetLunaStopHerStopHerStopHerNowYouIdiotStop.

"Rarity!" My body, on instinct, does some sort of primal survival squirm, and I end up shoving myself off of the stage. I land hard on my spines, bending some to the point of snapping. Those are definitely sprained. A shadow falls over my face as Rarity comes to my aid.

"Emerald! What in Celestia's name was that?" The annoyance in her voice is well hidden, but it's still there, and I know she expects an answer from me. I rub my head, straightening the spines that will allow it, and mumble, "Don't want..." Which, admittedly, probably wasn't the smartest thing I could say. I look up and see a slightly sad, mostly still shocked and annoyed face peering down at me.

"'Don't want'?" Rarity leans in closer, squinting. "'Don't want' what?"

I have to explain. "I don't want to be like that with you!" As I say this, I put my arms up like a shield in front of me, and I can almost hear her heart shatter like fine china. I gaze at her through my arms, and she's looking very much shattered. "Um," I say, thinking before I speak for once, "I mean, right now."

She moves her head away, and I cautiously lower my arms. "I-Is that okay?" Again, wrong thing to say.

Rarity's holding her head in her hands. I think I've just made her cry. Stumbling over myself trying to prevent that from happening, I blurt out my next few sentences like a whelp whose voice is just changing:

"I mean with the sex thing! I don't want that from you! I mean, I do, if that's alright with you, that is, but I want that after I get to know you! Like, actually know you, and we've gone out on a date or two! I just don't want you the way you came on to me just now! I really, really want to go out with you, please understand that! Like, to the Summer Sun Celebration! With a new suit!" I don't think even I know what I've just said. Rarity gives me a sickeningly sad look, and I feel like vomiting. I step up to her, and she doesn't do anything. I still have to explain.

"Rarity, there's a lot you don't know about me. You don't know where I'm from, or how I got here, or even what my favorite gem is. One thing you really should know, though, is that I really, really like you. I like you so much, that I actually want to take things slow with you. I'm that bent on not messing this up. You get that, right?" Please, please, please, please, please, please...

Rarity wipes at something in her eye, and turns away from me. "You mean that?" she asks. As if I could lie to her about that.

"Yeah. I really do." No response, and she does something with her face while she's turned away from me. When she turns back to me, thank Celestia, Luna, and the heavens they control, she's smiling.

"I suppose I acted a bit unladylike." She steps close. "And I would love to get to know more about you."

I'm going to tell her, just like Pinkie said. I'll tell her where I'm from, and how I got here, and when she starts yelling that I'm crazy I'll prove it by telling her how beautiful she looked as we fell together, that faithful day when I honestly, truly fell in love with her. I'll say this, and she'll realize it's me, and she'll be so happy to hear me finally say it, and we'll kiss and end up doing what I just stopped myself from doing right here on the dressing room floor. I'm going to tell her.

Just as soon as I know I don't have to leave.

"Listen, Rarity," I say, swallowing my other plan and letting it burn in my flame sack, "I really am sorry about earlier. I-" am interrupted by her claw, which covers my mouth to let her talk.

"No, Emerald, I'm afraid I have to apologize. I acted extremely rude, and I hope you can forgive me for such uncouth behavior."

I laugh when she moves her hand away. "Hey, I'm getting a suit and a date out of this. I've gotta forgive you."

She giggles in response. My heart flutters. "Thank you," she says, and gives me a sudden sly smirk. "And, if I may offer some advice..."

"What?"

Her arms wrap tighter around my neck, and our noses touch. She stares me in the eye, and for a second I think she's gonna try and kiss me. Cue drumroll. I hear her whisper:

"The next time we're this close together, don't pass up any opportunities. You might hurt somedragon's feelings." Then she moves away, and steps over to the list of measurements she took down from me. She picks it up and brings her glasses over to her face with her magic. She mumbles a bit to herself as she takes in my measurements, and looks up at me when I do nothing but stand and gawk. "You can go now, Emerald, we're all done now. Come again tomorrow, and you can try on your suit."

I don't wanna go. "Don't you need help?" I protest.

Rarity smiles slyly again. "I can manage one ensemble on my own. Besides, if you worked on your own outfit, that would ruin the surprise, now, wouldn't it?" After many complaints, all of which are received well and promptly ignored, I'm pushed out of the Boutique, and it's only 11:30. I suppose that's payback, and I suppose I deserve it. So, I've got nothing to do for the rest of the day. Unless...

____________________________________________________________________

Pinkie's face droops momentarily when I waltz back into the Sugarcube Corner, and her cheerfulness seems a little more forced as I stand in line behind other customers. She doesn't look at them very much as I wait for my turn, so I'm relieved by the time it's my turn to order.

"One..." I scan the menu, but Pinkie is already writing something down on a pad.

"One emerald shake with extra whipped cream and caramel sauce and an order of Surprise Glazed Donuts, along with another session with your old Auntie Pinkie, coming right up!" she rattles off quickly, grinning not-so-widely. "I have a break in a few minutes. Just head on back to our usual table, and I'll be with you in a jiffy!"

I think I've only just now realized that this is Pinkie I'm talking to, and not just some dragin that looks like her. I assume our "usual table" is the one we sat at a few hours ago, so I make my way there, imagining different ways that Pinkie could have known what I wanted before I did (heck, I don't even know if I wanted a milkshake) and trying to remember if I'd made a Pinkie Pie Promise to tell Rarity who I was today. Of course, Rarity being Rarity, the mere thought of her drags my mind away from Pinkie Pie and over to the date I have with her. I sit down and stare at the grain of the table, lost in the fantasy world I so often go to when I imagine how perfect being with Rarity would (no, will!) be. I don't even notice Pinkie approaching, and when she slams my milkshake down on the tabletop I yelp and dig my claws into my seat, effectively scarring it permanently.

"Okee dokie, Spikey Wikey!" she shouts. To my horror, a dragon at the table nearest to us looks over at us, or me, specifically. He looks me up and down, and confusion turns to shock as he recognizes my color scheme. I act like I don't get why, and give him a weird, accusing look. It works, and he turns back to his meal. As calmly as I can manage, I smile at Pinkie and tell her what's wrong with calling me "Spikey Wikey" so loudly. She, having not seen the drake's reaction to her outburst, nods and glances around mischievously.

"Good idea, Sp- I mean, Emerald." The way she says this and winks at me makes me feel as if everydragon around us already knows who I am, and I'm part of some practical joke that ends with a "We Knew You Were Really Spike The Whole Time!" party. "How'd it go with Rarity?"

Here goes. "Well, uh, about that..."

Pinkie bites into a doughnut nonchalantly. "You didn't tell her who you were," she says, chewing thoughtfully. She licks her lips, rolling her eyes in pleasure. "Mmm. Strawberry Opal."

Remember, Spike, it's Pinkie. "...No, I didn't."

Pinkie sighs. "So, does that mean you broke it all off with her?" She takes an enormous gulp of one of the two green milkshakes on the table, ignoring the straw she's put in it. I try to answer her, but she sets the milkshake down and says, "Didn't think so," like I've already told her. "Well," she continues, "what's poor Pony-Spikey gonna do now?"

He's gonna go back to Ponyville instead of me, that's what. "I...I don't know."

Pinkie crosses her arms. "Well, you can't just keep lying about it. You know what happens when you do that."

"I know, and it'll probably blow up in my face if I don't get out of here soon, but-"

"You're leaving?" Pinkie tilts her head adorably. "Why are you leaving?"

"Because I have to, Pinkie. I can't just leave Twilight and the others in Ponyville without any idea what happened to me. Heck, I don't even know what happened to me! I could be dead, for all I know!"

I'm chilled by this new theory I've just thought up, and Pinkie frowns sadly as I shiver from the prospect of this all being some sort of pre-mortis hallucination. That drake is staring at us again. This time, I stare him in the eye, and he turns back to his food quickly.

"I don't think you're dead, Spike." Pinkie sounds very serious, a fact that frightens me more than the prospect of being dead. "I just think you're getting super worked up over something that doesn't need to be worried about." She reaches over and takes my hand. "You shouldn't worry about all of what's happening in some other crazy dimension right now. After all,"--she grins happily--"you've got a date to deal with."

Somehow, those words are comforting, and I feel myself smiling back at this crazy, hyperactive, amazing dragin. Rainbow Dash's words repeat themselves in my head:

You can't know how something will happen until it happens.

I laugh, and say, "I think you're right, Pinkie." I glance at the green and brown monster of a shake in front of me. "Hey, how much you wanna bet I can chug this in one go?"

Pinkie grins. The game is on.

____________________________________________________________________

Absolutely nothing interesting happens the rest of that day, save for a pretty funny moment where Twilight tripped while sprinting down the stairs trying to get me to read some amnesia spell she found that might help me.

____________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow arrives with a very shocking bit of news. Or rather, a lack of news. For the first time since I arrived in Serpentia, I have had no dreams.

A few nights ago, this would have made me happy: my dreams have been nothing but maddening flashes of events that I don't recognize. When I realized that what I had been seeing were my own lost memories (which, ashamedly, was only a day ago), I came to the following conclusion, presented here in this convenient scientific-sounding theory:

The amount of sleep Spike receives each night is directly proportional to the amount of memory he recovers that night.

So, when I wake up this fine morning, with only one more day between this one and the Summer Sun Celebration, to find that I've gleamed nothing from my good night's rest, I'm almost angry at myself for not sleeping well enough. I spend ten, fifteen, thirty minutes tossing myself around in bed before resigning myself to my internal alarm clock and getting out of bed. I stumble up the stairs and into the library kitchen, where Twilight and Spike are sitting down to breakfast. Both give me cheerful smiles, but Spike's easily looks a little forced. The now-familiar wave of repulsion washes over me, and I realize I'll never get used to them, however many times it happens.

"Morning," I mumble, heading for the fruit bowl immediately.

"Good morning, Emerald," Spike replies. "Did you look over those maps I gave you yesterday?"

Oh yeah, I got some maps from him as a way to "find just how long it'll take to get back home." I threw them into a corner of my room, and I think they're still down there. I didn't even unfold them.

"Yeah, but I can't find my town on the map. It must be too small, it was a pretty general map." Too easy.

Spike gives me a very unsettling smile, complete with raised eyebrow. "Are you sure? There was nothing that gave you any clue as to where your home is?"

Oh yeah, and Spike wants me to figure out how to send him to Ponyville. He must have expected me to figure it out by looking at whatever's actually on those papers or whatever. I guess there were a few interesting things that happened yesterday.

"Um...Nope, sorry!" I sit down and bite into an apple. "I'll have to do something about it today. Unless..." I turn to Twilight. "Did Rarity give you another message for me?"

Twilight shakes her head. "Nope. You're free today. Maybe we'll try that memory spell I showed you yesterday. We can figure out how you ended up outside the Everfree."

Somehow, I don't think that'll work. I say, "Maybe. I was kind of hoping to get used to the town. I've gotten lost, like, twice on my way to the Carousel Boutique. It would kind of suck for that to happen on the way to the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow."

"Well then," says Spike, "why don't you check the map for the route? It's easy, and it sure beats wandering around Dragonsville for hours wasting your time!" His smile is so forced, even Twilight notices it, and she can be thicker than (forgive me) a dictionary.

"Um, is there something you two are in on that I'm not?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. My eyes are glued to Spike's, and the purple pony quicky answers in as deadpan a voice as possible.

"Nope. Just giving Spike some friendly advice." He taps his hooves on the tabletop, and his voice reverts to normal. "Welp, guess that's breakfast for me, then! I think I'll go get some more spellbooks for you to look through, Twi." He gets up and heads to the kitchen door before turning to me. "Emerald, why don't you come with me? There's a few interesting excerpts Twilight found yesterday that might shed some light on what might have caused your amnesia."

It's a very thin veil that's hiding Spike's true intent for calling me away from Twilight. Not wanting to leave the breakfast table so soon, I say, "Uh, besides hitting my head really hard on a rock? Sounds boring." I catch the dirtiest look I've ever seen Twilight give, and realize that I've just accidentally insulted her research. Quickly, I recover: "But, uh, maybe you and Twilight are onto something." I get up and follow Spike out the kitchen door, tossing my apple core in the trash and giving Twilight a small, nervous wave as she followed me out with a dangerous look.

The moment we stepped out of the kitchen and Twilight's line of vision, Spike dropped the act and went from cheerful and friendly to the irksome and angry colt I'd come to know. He trotted into the library maze, and I followed him hesitantly, wondering if he was actually going to show me anything. He had a great many reasons to kill me, and with the maze of the library as the crime scene, there was an all-too-likely chance that my corpse might never be found. Still, I followed him, trying to remember the path we took as we sank back into the depths of the library.

Left, left, right, left, right, left, straight, left, left, straight, right, right, right, left, right, right, left, three rows down, left, right, left, right, left, left, left, left, right, right, two rows down, right, four rows down, and then I lost count. I'll have to talk with pony-Twilight about this kind of expansion spell, see if I can make my room bigger; it would be nice to add a slide or two.

Finally, we reach a writing desk, not unlike the one I'd met the dragin Twilight at four days ago. Spike sat at it, took a very deep breath, then turned to me and let me have it.

"What are you doing? You're spending all of your time here sleeping and going to Rarity's and drinking milkshakes with Pinkie and-"

"Wait a minute," I interrupt. "Have you been following me whenever I go out?"

"That's not the point!" Spike shouts. "You're wasting your time doing all of that, when you should be figuring out a way to get back home. Or at least, get me back home." He stomps a hoof against the desk. "We had a deal."

I sigh and say, "Listen, bud, I can't just figure out how I got here or how to get back. I don't even know where here is. I've come up with a bunch of theories, but not a single one gives me any clue as to what could get me back to my world. And even then, I don't know if I could come back here once I leave."

"Well, that's why I leave instead of you," replies Spike. "If it's a one-way trip like you're assuming, just toss me through the portal, and we'll be fine."

"But I don't know if there is a portal! I might just blink out of this world and pop back into Ponyville. I might never be able to go back at all. Hell, I might not have actually left. I'm still open to the possibility that I might be dreaming this whole thing, or even worse, I might have died a-"

A blunt hoof strikes me across the face. I stumble backwards and rub my aching cheek. When my vision stops spinning, I see Spike smirking smugly at me, rubbing the hoof he no doubt just hit me with.

"Did you feel that?" he asks. In response, I rattle off a few inventive cuss words at him. "Good," he says, "that means you aren't dreaming. Now, think, Spike: what seemed off when you woke up here?"

It's a dumb question, and he's a dumb pony for asking it. "Oh, nothing. Just the countless dragon population in a place I thought was my home."

Spike groans and rubs his temple. "No, I mean right when you woke up. Was there anything off about the exact spot where you appeared?"

Oh. I think about that, and after a second say, "Not really. I just woke up in this pasture, just off the side of the road. I was in the dirt, and I felt like crap, and a mosquito buzzed into my ear, and I got up and-"

Wait. I remember now. There was one thing, one small, papery thing that was off about my arrival, besides the whole being in the dirt outside the Everfree thing. One thing that I've been ignoring and keeping in my storage center this whole time. And I think I already know what it means.

"Well, what is it?" Apparently, my realization shows, because Spike is staring up at my face with hopeful desire. "Do you remember something?" When I nod, he grins and bounces in his seat. "That's fantastic! What is it?"

I cough up the parchment, and slowly unfold it, in a way that's probably way too dramatic for my own good. My only message from my world, or at least something outside this one, stares out at me:

Two Weeks

I hand it to Spike. He looks over it, reading it once, twice, three times, before his face lights up with revelation.

"This is great! Now we know exactly how much time you've got before you leave!"

Hearing it from Spike's lips makes it solidify in my head: I have a time limit. I knew, I suppose, maybe not when I first read it, but for a long time to be sure. But it can't be true, not when I have Rarity.

"Are you sure? What makes you think that I'm going to leave?"

Spike looks at me like I'm an idiot. "What else would it be, Spike?" Hearing him say my name is weird, and I bet it's even weirder for him to say it. I search my mind for another possible answer.

"Uh, well, it could...mean somepony else is coming?" Actually, that sounds logical. "Yeah, somepony else is coming! In two weeks! Well, actually it's only about nine days away, but-"

Spike hits me again to shut me up. Then he says, "Stop it. You're being stupid, and if I know that, then so do you. There's nopony and nodragon coming here from your world besides you. You're in denial because you really don't want to leave."

He's right, but I yell, "That's not true!" in a childish voice anyway. Spike rolls his eyes at me.

"As if." He squints at me, as if trying to see something he's not sure is on my face. "Y'know, it makes me wonder what happened to you before you came here, to make you not want to go back so badly."

"Yeah, well, you'd understand if I told you," I reply.

Spike's eyes widen. He stutters, "Y--You remember what happened to you? How-"

"Not all of it," I interrupt. "It's not everything, but I'm certain I know why I left, or wanted to leave anyway." I look down at the floor, and add hesitantly, "You've gone through the same sort of thing, in a way."

In a flat, but very worried tone Spike says, "You and Rarity had a falling out."

I laugh, despite how sad it is that he's right. "That's only one piece of the puzzle. There were...other circumstances that made things go bad." I sigh. "Let's just say it was the perfect storm, and when it finally calmed down, I was here."

Spike stares at me, silent. I want to turn and leave, but I'm not sure if I can get back without my unicorn counterpart. So I just stand and stare back at him.

"Tell me what happened," he finally says.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"If you don't tell me why you're so bent on staying here, I'll ensure that you can't." He leans forward in his seat. "So start talking."

I'm not sure if he's actually capable of getting the townsdragons to hate me, but something in the menacing tone of his voice tells me that the first dragon he's going to mess with is Rarity. So, figuring that a little storytelling will be good for me, I say, "Fine. It'll help with the stress.

"It began when Rarity was invited by Hoity Toity to a Fashion Expo held for a weekend in Canterlot. There, she would be able to put a line of outfits on display for the world to see, and if she did well, she could become rich and famous like she'd always dreamed, not that she wasn't already famous for the whole Element of Generosity. She immediately accepted, and when Twilight caught wind of her trip, she wrote the Princess and had her provide us with rooms and transportation to the city. As it happened, Rarity needed an assistant to help with perfecting her dresses, so I was able to go on. I only realized I was only taken along as an assistant, and not a friend, later, when everything fell apart.

"Anyway, we arrived at the castle, and right off the bat things began to go wrong. The guards, under Celestia's orders, had prepared six bedchambers for the girls. For me, they did nothing...No, that's not true. They gave me a pet bed, in Twilight's room. It was actually very comfortable, when you rolled up into a ball so you could fit in it.

"The first day there was the day of the Expo's opening at midnight, but Rarity wasn't presenting until the day after, so each of us took the time to check out some sights in the city, except of course Rarity, who shut herself in her room and demanded that no one enter, not even me. So, I spent the day roaming around. At some point I reached the Royal Kitchen, and the moment I stepped in, I was tackled to the ground. Everypony there either didn't recognize me or didn't know me, so they thought I was some attacking monster. I was almost murdered by a sous-chef.

"That was the first incident. Then came when Rarity and I had to go into town to get supplies. While Rarity went to pick out fabrics, I stayed at a nearby park and met a few foals playing. We started a game, but one of the kid's mothers thought I was actually a monster trying to hurt her child. She hit me and sent me away, something that actually pissed her kid off more than it pissed me off. Rarity and I were going to have lunch next, but when we reached the restaurant Rarity wanted to go to, the head waiter said 'no pets allowed.' At that point I was sick of the whole thing, so I left her there, which was probably pretty rude of me. I got bored at one point during the day, and read through a bunch of library books. One had a description of dragons that made them all look like these horrible, dumb monsters that had no minds and no feelings. And I could have taken all that, if it wasn't for what happened while I helped Rarity with the dresses and what happened after that.

"We were working on them, and I was, well, basically admiring her blatantly. I was so lost that when she started talking to me, I kinda told her I loved her. Ironic, huh? Years and years, and it comes out in one brainless moment. What I was expecting was the worst few minutes of my life. Instead, I got something maddeningly ambiguous: she told me to give her more time. Of course, I did, without complaint, but it was nerve wracking, the way we kept working. There was this awkward subtext to everything that happened, and we barely managed to finish Rarity's dresses in time. When we did, though, it was like a weight had been lifted off of her: she lit up like a candle and popped a celebratory champagne bottle. We went out onto the balcony overlooking the entire city, glasses in our grip, and toasted to her success. That was when things went wrong, because I decided I couldn't wait any longer.

"I brought it up as smoothly as I could, trying to pull her in gently. But...I lost control of myself. Before I knew it, I'd kissed her, and amazingly, impossibly, she was kissing me back. It was the most perfect moment in my life. Until she felt my teeth. Or my fangs, I should say. My deadly, gem-crushing, potentially flesh-tearing fangs.

"She was afraid of me, in that moment, and it ruined everything. I felt her shiver against me, and I got mad. I got really, really mad. I was probably meaner to her than I should have been, if I should have been at all, but I didn't care at the moment. I yelled, I think, and left as fast as I could in my numb state. I was horrified to find that the mare of my dreams was afraid of me, after all these years of us working together. It tore me apart.

"But time doesn't stop just because your world does, and Rarity's fashion exhibition was tomorrow. I was required to go, being credited as one of the 'creators,' though nopony seemed to believe that, including me, so I put on a fake smile and the suit she'd made for me and headed out with the girls. I wasn't sure if I could make it through another handful of hours getting gawked at and made fun of behind my back, but I found I had an easier time when something alcoholic was in my claw. I spent most of the Expo standing in isolated places, though I did chat with a few of the ponies who knew me. One of them convinced me to try and patch things up with Rarity, and I began to make my way over to her. And then..."

That was it. That was all I knew. Spike gathered this from my silence, and looked away from my face for the first time since I'd started. He stared down at the floor, and it occurred to me that he hadn't said anything, made any sound, or faces, or even the slightest of movements during my entire monologue. I watched him silently, and, as a way to postpone the awkward silence filling the row of books we stood in, I said, "That's all I remember, now." I sigh. "I don't know how I'm here, Spike, or what brought me here or when or if I'll go back forever or temporarily, but I do know why I want to be here: no matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, I can never have a normal life in Ponyville."

Something drips on the wood floor of the library, from Spike. I know what it is, and say nothing. I feel my own "liquid sorrow" well up in my eyes, and I pinch the bridge of my nose to stop it. I feel a hoof rest on my shoulder suddenly, and looked up into the eyes of my counterpart. Once more, perhaps because we are in a place very similar to where it first happened, I feel a shock run through my body from the spot he touches. This time, though, we aren't forced away from each other. It feels more as though we're bonding together, and I almost think that his hoof might not be able to remove itself from my body.

Spike smiles up at me, understanding me more than anything in any world could ever understand me. He opens his mouth and chokes on something, takes a deep breath, then tries again. And this time, he makes noise:

"I'm sorry."

Author's Note

Pinkie is as Pinkie does. That's all I have to say about that. Also, doesn't it make too much sense for Rarity to be a tease? Not that she isn't already in the show, but...you know what I mean.

From the library of The Next Chapter, we bring you such title's as Spike's Story, Facts About Dragons You Might Not Have Known, Friends In the Strangest of Places, The Truth (As Told by Rarity), and Waiters and Their Ways. We hope you can make it to this very special event, premiering June 1st on FIMFiction.net.

Thank You! Oh, and, have this. On me, because you deserve it.

-NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. And yes, really, nothing interesting happened the rest of that day. I saved you from another five thousand words or so of boring everyday stuff in Dragonsville, like Derpy Talons mail route and Twilight explaining the fun thing about amnesia spells (and not the part with the actual amnesia). If you don't believe me, good luck proving me wrong. Nyeh.

The Hardest Part

____________________________________________________________________

"...I guess I can understand, maybe. It hasn't been that way for me. I'm not exactly a monster to everydragon else, more of a cute puppy. None of them really had a problem with me, I was just different, that's all. Then the Fire Ruby incident happened.

"Now, being a dragon, your transformation was brought on by greed-growth. Mine, however, was a bit more... self-induced. It began, like your's did, a day before my birthday. I had found the Fire Ruby months ago, and was aging it to perfection. Here's where things get different: you wanted to eat the gem, I wanted to harvest the magic in it. A text I'd read told me that Fire Rubies were one of a handful of gems that held ancient magic in them, said to be created by the mythical alicorn race themselves. When it was ripe, the book said, there was a chance that an experienced mage could use its power. I was, naturally, excited beyond belief, and went right to preparing it. Then Rarity showed up. I'm sure you can guess what happened next.

"I gave Rarity the Fire Ruby. I had to, she wanted it so badly, and I couldn't say no to her. Maybe if I'd been older I would have said no, but...anyway, I gave her the gem, without telling her what I wanted with it. She made it into her iconic necklace, and wore it the next day, my birthday. I was happier seeing Rarity enjoying my gift than I was receiving my own. All of them were fine, really, but they were meant for dragons, not me. A claw polisher for my hooves, a blanket ten times too large for me that I could never use, things like that. It made me feel depressed, and lonely. I wanted to be normal like everydragon else. I wanted to be able to eat gems, and breathe fire, but most of all, I wanted Rarity. And I knew I could never, as long as I was a pony. So I did something terribly dumb: I tried a permanent transmogrification spell.

"I used it the day after my birthday, and it worked, at first. I had turned myself into a dragon, the same size as Rarity, looking healthy, strong, and very very handsome. For a reason that I never really understood, I had changed color, from purple and green to red and brown, something you should be thankful for, because otherwise everydragon in town would have known who you were right away. I showed myself off to Twilight, who knew I was trying this, and she seemed slightly sad to see her assistant as a dragon. She was worried, too, and made me go through a physical with a town physician, who had no idea what he was supposed when Twilight told him I was really a pony. I remember how he still treated me like an animal, and how angry I felt that he did. That should have been a warning for what came next, but I ignored it, and prepared myself for my asking Rarity out the moment we were back in the library. That's when things went wrong.

"It started with this itch, on the back of my neck, this itch that wouldn't go away. I scratched at it and scratched at it, never really paying it much mind. Next came a dull, constant headache. It made me a little irritable, which made the itching worse. By noon that day, I had begun to feel like I was wrapped up in cellophane, and the itch had spread to more of my body. It had begun to drive me a little crazy, and the increasing pain of the headaches made things worse. I didn't let Twilight know anything, of course, because I'm an idiot who doesn't think his problems concern her. Within another hour, the itch turned into a constant scalding feeling all over my body. I couldn't think straight at that point, or even at all, so I didn't seem to care when I began tearing off my scales. I also began to grow, something I noticed when my spines, or whatever they were at that point struck the ceiling of the library. I broke chunks from it, and when one landed on my head, I lost control.

"It was like watching a car crash through a first-dragon point of view. I went berserk, and turned into something...unnatural. It was my punishment for messing with nature, trying to make myself something I wasn't. I don't know exactly what I looked like, but I knew I had no skin and that my innards were being held in my the energy of the spell. I was terrifying everydragon, that's what I could tell, and I hated watching, but I couldn't look away. I had no control over my body, if you could really call it that at that point. I made my way through town, doing whatever my new body wanted. I reached Rarity's house, kidnapped her, and brought her up the side of the nearby mountain range. She was so terrified. I've never hated myself more than I did when I saw her screaming and crying that day.

"Of course, the thing controlling me didn't care, and kept climbing. Battalions were sent to stop me, but I...took them down. It was a nightmare that I thought would never end. I'd just finished off another squadron when I heard Rarity yell at the monster. She wasn't afraid anymore, or maybe she was and wasn't showing it. Whichever it was, she decided to yell at her captor and tell him off for kidnapping a lady so rudely. That's when I noticed the Fire Ruby. I reached for it, desiring the power that it radiated, and when I came in contact with it, several things happened at once.

"First, Rarity screamed, 'NO!' at the top of her lungs. Inside of my own head, I gave one last push to regain control of myself, desperately trying to avoid hurting Rarity in any way, at any cost. The monster's claw touched the Fire Ruby, and for a millisecond I felt its power coursing through me. Then it sparked, and I felt something big shift inside of me. I felt like I was falling from the sky for a second, before finding that I was in control of my body again. What's more, I found that it was becoming my body once more, shedding the skinless flesh of the nightmarish dragon-me. All of this happened in only a second, and another one later, I was back to normal, hovering above ground with Rarity directly in front of me. She had time to yell my name before we began to fall.

"I'm sure you know the rest of the story. We fell, and I tried to tell her I loved her. And I was gonna do it; imminent death has a way of convincing you to grow a pair. But she covered my mouth and gave me that amazing smile of hers. I wanted to ask her later if she was actually crying while we fell, or if the wind was hurting her eyes. She kept the Fire Ruby, and I stayed away from both it and transmogrification spells. I never bothered to discover why or how exactly the ruby had changed me back, and I don't think I ever will. I'd like it to remain a mystery, for the sake of letting me keep my belief that it was because of her."

With that, Spike gets up from his desk, wiping a tear out of his eye. I'm simply leaning against the wall, having listened to my counterpart's own story for the past half hour. For what felts like hours before that, I explained more of my life in Ponyville and the troubles I faced being a dragon in a world of ponies. Now, though, I don't know if my troubles are that big: I didn't think the Fire Ruby incident could ever have been that bad.

Spike sighs, and says, "After that, well, there were those who didn't want me around anymore. Now I was a monster, not a pet, and it got so bad that a petition went around to have me expelled from the town. When Twilight and her friends saw it, of course, she protested almost to the point of violence. The petition was never passed, as it violated Dragonsvillian law, and I never knew if it had gained enough signatures to pass. I like to think it didn't but a big part of me always tells me not to bullshit myself." Another sigh. "The point is, I think that, even with all the differences in our lives, we're still very much the same creature: a fish out of water, trying his hardest not to look out of place in a world where he knows deep down that he can't. I didn't even realize that, when I learned you were me. I guess I should have before I tried bribing and tricking you." He holds out a hoof and smiles. "Friends?"

I can't say no. Nodragon would ever say no to him, if they'd heard what I heard. I smile back, and hold out my hand. "Friends." We clasp, and another small spark jumps in between us.

"What do you think that is?" Spike asks as we relinquish our grips. "With the lightning touch, I mean."

I shrug. "Dunno. Probably something to do with the other dimension thing."

"Yeah, probably."

There's an uncomfortable silence. Spike stares at the shelves surrounding us. It occurs to me that I have no idea what time it is, or how long we've been here. I want to gesture towards the exit, but I had no idea which way it was.

"Um," I say, "you want to head back to the, uh, rest of the world?"

Spike nods. "Yeah, we probably should."

We start on our way out, and I once again have to rely on Spike to lead me out of the maze of bookshelves. As we walk, I wonder what's going to happen in eleven days. There's no point in trying to ignore the note; I have to leave, whether I like it or not. I know that I never intended for Spike to go in my place, but I can't help but feel guilty when I think about Spike returning to his normal life, only now with a brokenhearted Rarity to comfort. Then again, that might just be what he needs to get close enough to her. On the other hand, comforting a recently dumped crush is one of the fastest paths to the dreaded friendzone...I sound like a military strategist.

The bookshelves reach an end, eventually, and Spike and I find ourselves back in the main library. Twilight is at her desk, scribbling, and she jumps when we appear out of the maze of her home.

"Spike!" She goes red in the face, and fiddles with something on her desk. The sound of crumpling is heard, and she tosses a little paper ball into the nearby trash can before guiltily leaning over the desk, resting her head in one hand. "What's going on?" she asks, the nervousness in her eyes betraying her.

"Not much," Spike replies, apparently used to this kind of thing. "What're you doing? Writing flash fiction again?"

Twilight stumbles, blushes more, and stutters a bit before sighing and muttering, "Yes." Spike chuckles, and trots past her towards the door.

"Well," he says, "Emerald and I were just going to go have some lunch, so you'll have plenty of time to write, barring any unexpected visits from anydragon who might want to check out a book." He nods to me. "C'mon, Emerald. There's this great place near the Carousel Boutique that makes the best sweet potato fries in the world."

I can't help but worry he might have something up his sleeve, especially after hearing the words "Carousel Boutique." But I can't really say no, thanks mostly to the desperate "get out of here I'm busy" look I'm getting from Twilight. So, shrugging, I follow my counterpart out the door of the library. I can hear Twilight sigh in relief as the door shuts behind me. I squint at the glaring midday sun, then look down at Spike.

"So, where to?"

____________________________________________________________________

Fifteen minutes later, he and I are sitting at a table out on the patio of a fairly nice diner called The Flambéed Phoenix,a name that makes me worry what's on the menu here. My suspicions are confirmed when I spot a group of friends splitting was appears to be an entire cow at the table across the patio from ours. Our waitress appears, a pale yellow dragoness with spiraling red spines, and she offers me a menu. I reach for it, but Spike stops me and gets the waitress's attention by putting a hoof on it.

"He's a Stone-eater, Clean Plate," he says, smiling at the dragin kindly. She blushes and pulls the menu away from me.

"Oops," the waitress named Clean Plate says to me, "Sorry, I should have asked. I kinda just started here." She giggles cutely, making her spines bounce lightly. "I'll go get the Stone-eater's menu's, then, for both of you."

"Sounds lovely," Spike says, and Clean Plate leaves, still blushing a little. He turns to me, and he can tell I'm confused. "I figured you don't eat meat, being raised by ponies."

"Yeah. What's a 'Stone-eater?'"

"It's the term for a dragon that can't eat meat," Spike explains. "There are different types of dragons, you know."

"I knew that! I just thought that, uh..." My eyes drift over to the group chowing down on some rather rare looking steak. "I thought all dragons sort of ate meat."

"You'd be surprised." Spike says, grinning. "There's a few species of dragon that can't even eat gems. All they eat are vegetables and fruits. Close enough to ponies, if you ask me."

I don't think, with the two weeks I'm here, I'll ever cease to be amazed by this world. I feel as though there's an almost infinite amount of knowledge I can gain just by doing something as simple as sitting at a park bench and watching dragons walk by. I'm about to ask more about the ways of everyday dragon life in town, when Clean Plate shows up with our menus.

"Here you go!" she says, giving that cute giggle again. "Sorry about the mix-up, sir." She's giving me this odd look, like she's shy around me or something.

"That's alright."

Clean Plate leaves, giggling some more, and I pick up my menu and look through it. all of the dishes sound amazing, and I can't choose between this and that or that and this and ooh, how about that one? I glance up from the menu and watch Spike watch me.

I ask, "What are you having?"

Spike shakes his head. "Nothing." He gestures to the menu in front of him. "This isn't for me."

Uh-oh. "What?"

He smiles. "Rarity's favorite is the Sapphire Stew with Carrots and the Diamond-Ruby Creme Anglaise."

"Umm..."

"Turn around."

I do. Entering the patio area, glittering sun hat atop her head and equally glittery purse in hand, is Rarity. She begins strolling closer to our table, though I don't think she notices us. I feel the same panicked, nervous wave wash over me the same way it has for a decade, and I turn back around to find that I've looked away for too long. Spike is gone, with no evidence that he had ever been there save for the second menu and a small sack that has a note tied to it. I take it, and read:

Spike-

She does this every week, at exactly noon. You're welcome.

-Spike

I crumple the note up and look in the sack to find a fistful of small gemstones. I'm in the middle of counting them when I hear an all-too-familiar voice call to me from behind my back.

"Yoo-hoo! Emerald!"

I turn, realizing Spike's true intentions, and spot Rarity waving at me, smiling. I wave back, and she takes that as an invitation over to my table. She approaches, and hugs me.

"So good to see you!" she says, and looks over at the empty seat with a menu at it. "Oh! Am I interrupting something? Were you expecting somedragon here?"

Stumbling makes me look like an idiot, but bad habits are hard to break. "Er, no. No, I'm, uh, alone." I gesture to the seat. "Care to join me? Unless you already have a table..."

She's already sat down. "It would be my pleasure, Emerald." She looks down at the menu. "Well, what a coincidence! I just so happen to be a Stone-eater, and it seems as though you've already gotten me a menu! How did you know, I wonder?" She looks up at me and smiles slyly. "Have you been following me?"

"Er, no. It was, uh, Spike." Nice save, doofus. "Yeah, Spike told me. He said diamonds were your favorite."

She giggles. "Of course," she says. "Spike's always such an excellent helper. Anything you might need, he'd be able to help you with." She sighs, almost dreamily. "Such a gentledrake."

I can hear the affection in her voice. "You mean gentlecolt," I joke, and we both laugh. A short silence follows, and I feel a question burning in the back of my head that I know I have to have the answer to. So, just as the silence between us begins to become awkward, I ask: "So, you and Spike: what's the story behind that?"

Rarity's smile fades, and her cheeks redden faintly.

"Oh..." She doesn't seem to want to talk about it, and she searches for something to say. "Spike and I have a...complex relationship."

"What does that mean?" I say it like an accusation. Rarity looks more uncomfortable now than I've seen her these past few days. But she talks:

"Spike and I have known each other since the day he and Twilight came to Dragonsville, and he's helped me countless times on countless orders in my shop. Besides that, he's always doing everything he can to make me and everydragon else he knows happy. He'll assist them anyway they can, or give them gifts to cheer them up-"

I don't mean to interrupt her, but I can't resist asking about it. "Like the Fire Ruby?"

She looks up at me, with a look in her eye somewhere between fearful worry and confusion.

"Spike told me."

She still gives me that stare as she talks: "He must really trust you, to tell you about it."

"He called me his replacement once, when I happened to listen in on him in his room." This is partly a lie, because he's actually said it directly to me: I'm supposed to be his replacement.

"Oh, goodness, no!" She laughs and waves a hand in the way she does that I love. "Nodragon could ever replace Spike! He's so..." She has to think for a second. "...different. Not counting the fact that he's a pony, of course. I can't really explain it, but there's something about Spike that makes him one of a kind, and I can't see any reason why he'd ever need to be replaced. In fact, I can hardly believe he said that. I would never replace him, ever!"

I wish I had a glass of water to drink from. "Well, why do you think he'd say that?"

Rarity pauses, and stares down at the menu again. She talks slowly when she answers: "Spike...has feelings for me. He has for a long, long time. And, to tell you the truth, I haven't been very honest with him about it."

My heart is pounding so loudly in my chest that I'm sure she'll be able to hear it from across the table. A nervous sweat is forming on my brow, and I feel like my lungs might be shrinking. I might actually be about to learn whether Rarity loves me, despite the species barrier that I know has kept us apart for years.

"Oh?"

Rarity nods, and continues: "I never paid it much mind, because when I first noticed it, I thought it was just a silly crush."

And?

"As he grew older, though, I saw no change in his feelings for me. In fact they seemed to grow stronger. And still, I said nothing of it. I acted as though I didn't notice, something I'm particularly ashamed of." She looks off into space. "How I must have tormented the boy. I never showed him any sign of knowing how he felt, save for..." She trails off, but I know what she's talking about. I repeat my words from earlier:

"The Fire Ruby."

She nods, still staring at nothing. "Yes, the Fire Ruby. That was when I was sure it was something more than a little crush. And that was only a year since he'd moved here. I've spent the better part of a decade pretending not to notice his affections for me."

"Why?" I shouldn't be asking her these questions, really. "Did you not have it in your heart to tell him the truth?"

Rarity smiles softly. "That's what I told myself, for a long time, and I believed it for years. However, as time passed, I found myself less and less convinced whenever I told myself I didn't want to break his heart, and I think that, perhaps..."

She trails off. I lean forward, maybe a little too eagerly to not seem suspicious. Rarity continues to stare at nothing, and speaks again with a detached kind of tone:

"I felt the same way about him."

I lean back in my seat, sighing. It takes all of my willpower not to start celebrating loudly right then and there. After all this time, she's liked me back! It's been our gap, and even though it's ruined us back in Pony-world, I can still make things work here, when I leave!

I look back at Rarity, who is looking at me with a slightly guilty expression. I say, "So, you and Spike are..."

She shakes her head quickly. "No. I never did anything, and neither did he. We're still just very close friends, and I think that we may stay that way. And I would be alright with that. Spike, however..." She looks at a very interesting bush sitting outside the restaurant.

"If I wasn't here," I ask abruptly, "would Spike have a chance?" I'm being very, very dumb right now, but I don't think I care.

Rarity looks (appropriately) taken aback. "W-What?"

"It's just a hypothetical. I don't want to be in the way of anything-"

"You aren't, I swear!" Rarity looks almost frightened. I realize how much emotional stress I must have just put on her. "Spike and I have never been anything more than friends!"

"Good," I say, and am worried by how much I agree with myself. "I don't want to mess anydragon's relationship up in a town I've been in for less than a week."

Rarity opens her mouth to say more, but at that moment, the waitress Clean Plates arrives and almost asks me where Spike is. Fortunately, I interrupt her and order a drink for myself, and when Rarity looks back down into the menu to choose a drink, I tell her, through a series of wild gestures, that she should avoid mentioning that Spike was here. She gets the message and takes our orders with a quiet voice, as if speaking loudly may clue Rarity in to whom I've been chatting with. Our orders are the same, and Clean Plate leaves with our menus without another word.

"That was odd," Rarity remarks, watching the pale yellow dragin disappear inside the diner. "She seemed more nervous than Fluttershy."

"Yeah, I asked her about it," I lie. "She said it was her first day on the job."

We sit in silence, the awkwardness of our last conversation still hanging around us like a fog. She wants to let it go, and honestly, so do I, but I can't help but need to know the whole truth about the matter.

"So," I finally say, "why did you never talk with him about your feelings? Spike, I mean."

She frowns. "I wasn't sure I ever wanted to. I was...selfish, when it came to my feelings. I wanted to find my perfect drake, but I also desired a place in the Serpentian high society that I thought Spike would never let me have."

"So you thought that if you started a relationship with him, you would be less popular by other po--dragons. That's why you and he never did anything."

"Yes," she replies shamefully. "I was selfish. Horribly, horribly selfish. I was afraid of what other dragons would think about me, and I let that fear control me and tell me what to do about Spike." She looks almost sick, I see, and I think it would be best to drop it.

"Rarity," I say, reaching out to take her hand, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. I've just seen how close you two are, and I thought..." I thought maybe I was too late.

Rarity squeezes my hand and smiles. "I can assure you, Emerald, that I intend to spend the Summer Sun Celebration with you and only you." She giggles, and lets go of my hand. "I Pinkie Pie Promise." She goes through the motions, and we both laugh.

Clean Plate returns with our drinks. Mine is a lime soda, her's is a ruby-raspberry iced tea. The dishes in this world are so amazingly inventive.

A toast, then," Rarity proposes, lifting her glass up. "To the Summer Sun Celebration, and our date."

I can toast to that. Our glasses clink, and we wile away the midday together.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

Ha! I bet you thought that I wouldn't actually have the chapter up! Well, Bam! That's how it's done! And with only two days of testing left for the school year, things are gonna get done a lot quicker 'round these parts.

Next Chapter:

It's the Doozy, boys. No beatin' around the bush with this one. We've hit the jackpot, the gold mine, the real deal, and it's time to let the big guns out. I'm talking romance, music, dancing, the whole shebang. What've you got, Spike's Dreams?

We got a whole sequence all lined up, Boss. He'll be cryin' when it's over.

Excellent. Love Interest, is your section all covered?

Yes, Mr. Boss-Man. The songs are all lined up, and I've got just the most beautiful dress for that pretty girl of his!

Perfecto. Now, Climax, are you gonna be ready when we need you?

You can count on me, Boss. I'll be ready to give 'em a little push'n'shove.

Good. Alright then, we've got everything all set up. We meet back here in...six days, maybe five. Capisce? Now get outta here.

I'm sure you'll all be waiting with bated breath.

-NotARealPonydotcom

Midnight Dancers

____________________________________________________________________

Time passes by quickly for me, as though I'm in a tunnel with nowhere to go but ahead. Beside me is Rarity, and in a way, she is the tunnel. With her, time flies by, from lunch to the walk in the park we take afterwards. We talk about this and that, and on many occasions there's simply nothing either of us can say, so we're just standing there glancing at each other awkwardly. Everything has this sort of romantic air to it, like something out of a cheesy B-movie. Each time she looks at me, she gives me a small, sad sort of smile, and turns to look back at the path we're following. It makes me feel like a jerk, and I wish that she'd stop.

Time passes. We finish our walk and she offers to show me the town, in case I haven't gotten a good look at it yet. I agree, and we make our way along street after street. I find similarities between here and Ponyville in everything that we stop and look at closely. All the shops and stands I know and love are there, but it's the places that don't exist in my world that interest me. I avoid the butcher's shop, a friendly-looking place with a smiling pig head on the large sign above the front door and a few headless cows hanging in the window, and visit instead a building called the Gemery, a tall octagonal building filled with gems of all shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors. The point of the shop is similar to that of a candy store, and I find all sorts of unique delicacies there. Fortunately, I've brought along my payment from working at the Boutique before, and I spend about half of it on three boxes of crystal jelly beans, a creation of mine from the build-your-own-confection station that looks like Rarity's cutie mark (she blushes when she sees it), and a bouquet of ruby-roses. The latter, I give to her when we leave the store. I feel giddy, and wish she'd stop making me nervous with those weird little glances I get.

Time passes. We walk, and watch dragons setting up booths and stages and rides for the Celebration tomorrow. One such attraction is particularly interesting: a wide, red tower stretching up at least a hundred feet in the air. Entrances pepper its sides, each one connected to another by a set of tracks. At the base of the tower is the loading station, where a lime green dragon is setting up carts for dragons to sit and ride in. I can tell by the design of the seats and the way that Rarity tightens her grip on my hand that this is a couple's ride. She leans close to me and makes me promise to take her on the ride tomorrow. I one-up that promise, and say that we'll be at the top of the tower when the sun rises. She nuzzles my neck, and my heart soars higher than the tower could ever take me.

Time passes. The world darkens, and suddenly there are couples and families out on the streets, looking for somewhere to eat for dinner. I wonder to myself how the larger dragons are going to use any of the rides, and contemplate asking Rarity about it before we find ourselves chatting with a familiar spectral dragon larger than Applejack. Rainbow Dash greets us, and Rarity introduces us officially. Dash, as a dragon, is visually magnificent: a slim build, with powerful wings that extend further than she is tall; spines that jut out proudly from her back and head, each a different color of the rainbow, lined perfectly to provide the least possible resistance when flying; a thin tail that curls, flashing more rainbow spines in a way that seems as though there are actual rainbows radiating from her body. It's impossible for me not to blush, something that Rainbow harshly jokes about and Rarity laughs at, to my great relief. I wish Dash would just get out of here so I can enjoy my time with her.

Time passes. I take Rarity home, and we stay for a long time on the porch, smiling at each other and waiting for one of us to say so long and leave. Drums roll off in my head, and I'm seriously beginning to consider if waiting is worth it. She tells me that she had a wonderful time, and that I should stop by the Boutique tomorrow at six to pick her and my suit up. I just nod, and before she goes inside we hug, tightly, for what feels like forever. My heart is pounding hard, and I wonder if that's what's been making those drum beats I've been hearing. I don't want to let go, and neither does she, actually, but we both do it anyway, and there's another minute of us just standing there smiling at each other before she finally says good night and shuts the door softly behind her. I stand on her porch for another minute, and I tell her door that I love her before I turn and walk away. The library is warm and welcoming when I enter. Spike and Twilight are nowhere, and I realize that I'm exhausted. I move silently down the stairs to my room, and the bed welcomes me even more than I welcome it.

Time passes. I fall asleep.

____________________________________________________________________

No blue. Not anymore. Now, there's only the gray, with it's twinkling white snowflakes all around me. I'm tired, so ridiculously tired I can't move my legs without stumbling. So I just stand still, and turn my head as best as I can while trying to figure out the situation I'm in. None of the windows are around, so I think I'm safe. I wonder what happened to-

"Spike."

Ah. There she is. Now that I've heard her, I feel as though I can move, and I slowly turn around, to where the voice is coming from. I turn around, and I meet the blue, face to face. She's standing there, not a blob of color anymore, but a pony, and a beautiful one at that.

She's

‡

He dreams of a dance. He dreams that it is a dance made for two, and that he and she are gliding together across the floor, moving in perfect time with its irregular rhythm. He holds her close, but she keeps a gap between them, for her own safety. He does not notice that there is nothing more than a floor in this world. He does not even notice the floor. He sees only her, and her beauty, and her smile, as they dance through their pocket world silently, letting the dance speak for them. He does not know he is dreaming.

The tempo shifts, slowing, becoming more intimate. He is sitting by a river, with her, and the sun is beginning to set, and the world is beginning to feel the chill of night. She is laughing, and her laugh renders him speechless. He cannot resist, and leans over to kiss her. She doesn't notice, and gasps when he pulls her into an embrace. She continues to laugh as he holds her close, kissing her neck and face, but as the sun sinks behind the hills they are surrounded by, the laughter turns to coos and then moans, as the darkening nighttime sky engulfs them in its intimacy, hiding their passions from the rest of the world. He still does not realize he is dreaming.

Once more, the tempo shifts, morphing into something more upbeat and lighthearted. She has become bored of the daily routine, so he decides to take her someplace. He takes her to a beach, on an island where they will not be recognized, and she is happy again. He feeds her tropical fruits as they lie together on the oceanfront, she buys him a necklace in the shape of a flame for their anniversary, and they take a class on hoofpainting. That night, they stay up and practice on each other's bodies. He cannot see that he is dreaming.

The tempo slows once more, dropping to nothing more than a melodic tapping of keys. He is in the hospital, waiting for the news. He is scared, and worried, and nervous. He has been there for hours. She has been there for almost two days. He knew that there would be problems, issues that would make thing difficult, but he had been reassured that she should be fine. He looks up as a nurse steps into the waiting room. She is wearing a face mask, still, but he can see the smile underneath it. She tells him congratulations, it's a--

He is dancing again. She is closer now, having closed the gap between them. He can feel her wrapped around him, feel her breath on his lips, and he sinks into her and is drowned in her love. They stop dancing, and the rhythm that echoed around them fades. He pays it no mind. She is everything now, wrapped around him, on top of him, inside of him. He understands now what being one half of a whole means, and he knows that he cannot survive without her now.

It is this that makes it all the more horrifying to find that he is alone when he opens his eyes.

•

gone.

I am alone. Truly, absolutely alone.

____________________________________________________________________

Get up, I tell myself after lying awake in bed for five minutes. Get up, and try to act as though everything's alright. My body takes its time answering, before tossing away the sheets lying limply across most of me. It pulls me across my basement to the stairs, where my hand rests on the wall to keep me from falling to the ground. I glare up at the door at the top of the stairs.

I really wish I had forgotten what I dreamed about last night.

It's bright outside when I step into the library's main room. To my left, Twilight sits at a desk, frantically searching through a large pile of important-looking papers. She doesn't notice me as I walk past her towards the front door, and for a brief second I hope that I might be able to sneak away without her seeing me. Then Spike comes trotting down the stairs.

"Hey Emerald!" he says when he spots me. "Glad I could catch you before you left for the Celebration!"

My groan escapes me (and the usual wave of repulsion passes over me) simultaneously with Twilight's gasp. She looks up from her desk and swerves around in her chair to glare at me. In her eyes is a hint of the madmare that likes to take control of my sister from time to time.

"You're leaving for the Celebration already?" she snaps. "It's already six o'clock?" She stares at me, then at Spike, then at the window letting sunlight into the room. I can't answer her, because I have no idea what time it is either. In fact, Twilight's frantic comment has just reminded me that I need to go and pick up my suit and date in...however much time I have before the Celebration begins.

"Umm...No." Spike says, looking at Twilight oddly. "It's only five. Emerald's gotta go get his suit, though, right?" He doesn't wait for an answer, and rattles off another question, this one to Twilight. "Wait, how long have you been working, Twi?"

Twilight blushes, and stares at her feet sheepishly.

"...Uh, not long?"

Spike groans. "Twi, seriously? You've got to stop with the binge-working, okay? You're gonna hurt yourself one day, or forget where you are or who your friends are or something." He trots down the rest of the stairs to comfort Twilight, but she's already stood up and is barreling toward me, or more specifically the door.

"Move, Emerald!" She shoves me out of the way. "I have to go over final preparations for the opening ceremonies!" With that, she bursts out the door, trailing various bits of parchment in her wake as she sprints into town with all the speed of a cartoon character. Spike and I watch her until she's out of sight, and the purple unicorn shuts the door nonchalantly.

"Well, that takes care of her for the rest of the day."

"Is it really already five?"

"Yep." Spike trots over to Twilight's desk to reorganize the cluttered mess atop it, so he misses me face-palming. I really need to stop sleeping so much. I think I might be developing narcolepsy, or something. I have no time to get ready for Rarity. Heck, she might be waiting for me right now.

As though he can read my thoughts (and perhaps he can), Spike says, "You should get going. Rarity'll be waiting for you."

No need to tell me twice. I turn and reach out to open the door Twilight almost tore apart when Spike calls to me again.

"Good luck," he wishes to me when I turn to look at him. "Get it right for both of us."

I smile at him, regardless of any repulsion I may feel when around him, and nod. He salutes me on my way out, and I can't help but think of how happy he could make Rarity. If only she were a pony...

____________________________________________________________________

To my horror, I manage to get lost (again) on my way to the Boutique, and I spend at least half an hour searching for a building that's familiar. The towering structures that dot the town of Dragonsville might have been recognizable to me if I could see more of them: the dragons that roam these streets can be larger than Applejack, and that really messes with a drake's vision. Even after I manage to find a familiar building, I've somehow managed to end up further away from the Boutique than when I started out. So, fighting the crowd that's headed towards the areas reserved for the Summer Sun Celebration, I inch my way to Rarity's home, taking forty minutes longer than I thought I would. It's all worth it, though, when Rarity opens the door standing in her dress for our date.

"Oh, Emerald, thank goodness!" She notices where I'm gazing, smiles slyly, and spins. "What do you think?"

I think a lot of things, looking at her: I think the radiant color of the dress matches her eyes perfectly, and that the fabric shimmers like a curtain of water; I think the starred pattern that trails down from the midsection of the dress to its hem gives her the appearance of the night sky, glittering with the celestial bodies above; I think the golden pendant she's wearing, with a flawless emerald embedded in its center, shines the brightest of all just above her cutie mark, second only to her gorgeous and equally flawless eyes; I think her complexion, her eyes outlined with dark, glittering mascara, her lips accentuated with ruby red lipstick, her scales shimmering like the moon's reflection in a lake, everything, is simply jaw-dropping; I think she is, without a doubt, the most beautiful creature in the universe; I think I might have a nosebleed.

"I think," I say, after checking my nose for any bloodstains, "that whoever made your dress is easily the finest seamstress in all of Serpentia."

She blushes, and fans her face with her hand.

"Emerald, please, save that for later, when I can actually have the chance to hide my blush!" She giggles. I'm getting so much better at this whole flirting thing. Rarity lowers her hand and continues: "If you really like this, then you'll simply adore what I've got made for you." She gestures for me to follow her inside with a finger, and I do so eagerly.

The boutique is a mess, for obvious reasons. Rarity tells me to ignore the mess, and pulls me to the stage she uses. There, she covers my eyes with a spare piece of fabric and tells me not to peek. There's the sound of shoes tapping against the wooden stage, the squeaking of wheels on the ground, and then I feel the blindfold heat up slightly with the energy of Rarity's magic and it's pulled off to reveal my outfit for the evening.

"What the..."

It's simple and elaborate at the same time. She's put so much work into this, thinking of how to make the perfect match for her dress in a way that wouldn't leave me looking drab, and the result is...flawless. A solid purple jacket, several shades darker than my scales, with an emerald green vest stitched with a scale-like pattern that would make it look as though I weren't wearing anything under the jacket. The cuffs of the jacket are covered with the same silver stars as Rarity's dress. Sitting comfortably at the neck of the collar is a diamond-patterned bow tie, colored the same as the vest. A pair of purple dress pants lay folded on a chair next to the suit. Atop them is a silver pocket watch that appears to have emeralds studded around the face of the timepiece.

"Do you like it?" Rarity asks nervously, as if she thinks I might hate it.

I take time to answer her, thinking of how to phrase what I think about it. Finally, I answer: "You made this?"

"Y-Yes?"

"How could I not?" I love seeing her blush.

I step up onto the stage to try on my new attire, but Rarity stops me. Her tone shifts violently from flattered and giggly to defensive and blunt.

"Stop!" She puts a claw on my chest, putting herself between me and the suit. "You aren't ready for it yet!"

I don't understand. "What?"

She gives me a serious look, and asks as politely as she can: "When's the last time you've washed yourself?"

My turn to blush. She notices it and smirks, and when I don't answer immediately she pushes me off the stage towards the stairs leading to the upper floor of the Boutique.

"Up you go!" she insists. "I understand that you love it, and I truly am flattered, but if you so much as touch that couture without being clean as a whistle, then so help me Celestia I will tear each and every scale off your body and disinfect them myself!"

____________________________________________________________________

When I'm finally allowed to put on the suit, I look very, very handsome. I can't resist flexing in the mirror, and the good-looking drake in front of me does the same and checks me out. Behind me, I can see that Rarity's doing a bit of checking out as well; when I turn, she does an impressive job of making it appear as though she were checking to see if her claws were perfectly trimmed (which they are).

"Finished?" she says nonchalantly when she looks up from her claws, smirking slightly.

"Yep," I answer, and turn my back to her again, keeping my head turned towards her as best as I can manage: "Are you?" I shake my tail at her teasingly, and even though she denies it sharply, I can still see a blush on her cheeks that says it all. I laugh, and walk over to her while she talks about her claws needing perhaps a bit more filing. She breaks off mid-sentence when I take the hand she had been talking about and kiss it. Her face turns bright red; it's ruining the look her dress gives her.

"Well?" I say, smiling down at her (somehow, I've become taller) and her adorable, blushing face. "Shall we get going?"

Rarity nods, and, with my hand still holding hers, we make our way to the door of the Boutique. I open the door for her and gesture outside.

"After you, milady."

Rarity giggles and says, "That's a very good impression of Spike you're doing, Emerald. Don't think that that will get you any points tonight, though."

My heart stops beating for more than a few seconds, and my eyes, previously held closed and pointed at the floor, snap open for the briefest of moments. I manage to regain some control of myself, and I look up at her with a look in my eye that I pray doesn't show the panic I'm feeling right now. Apparently it doesn't, because Rarity simply laughs and walks out the door. I'm so frightened by what she just said that I'm afraid to follow her out, but of course I'm being silly, and I shut the door behind us as we walk in the direction of the Summer Sun Celebration and the late afternoon sun.

We walk through the shops in an odd sort of silence. I think Rarity is content with this, because she's leaning against me and wrapping her arm around mine snugly as we walk, but I can't really tell because I'm focused on deciding whether or not I should be worried by her earlier comment. I figure I shouldn't: she wouldn't believe I was Spike if I told her, mush less if I just acted like him, but something about her comparison is still horribly unsettling to me. My thoughts turn to what-ifs: what if I tried to prove that I was Spike? I can't imagine how I'd do that, but I can imagine how that situation would play out: Rarity panicking, thinking I'm a stalker, or a maddrake, or worse. Which leads to another what-if: what if Rarity believes me? How would she react, I wonder, to the knowledge that the drake that stole her heart in only a matter of days is the same in soul as the unicorn that has been trying for years and never succeeded due only to the fact that he and she were of different species? I wonder what she would do, knowing I was Spike, how differently she may treat me. What if she decided, knowing how happy I make her, that the Spike that's actually spent all those years chasing her is who she would want to be with, because she knows that he deserves it more than I do. What if she knew that I might, or will, be leaving at the end of next week, without any hesitations? No doubt she would be upset, whether or not she knew the truth behind it, and perhaps she would scream and cry and tell me please please be lying, Emerald, or Spike, or whoever I am at the moment, please don't leave, and perhaps she would hit me. I hope, should that be how this all goes down, that I'll be able to somehow make things work between her and Spike. What if-

Okay, that's enough of that. We're approaching the first booths, so I try to push these worries out of my mind. Rarity's grip on my arm tightens as we enter a crowd of dragons of all shapes and sizes. All of them are crowding around a stage, where a familiar lavender dragoness is reading off what appears to be the last page of a pile sitting in front of her on the podium she's standing at. I realize that many of these dragons around Rarity and I are asleep.

"...and so the Summer Sun Celebration was established," Twilight Sparkle is saying, "in the name of Princess Celestia of Serpentia, to celebrate the coming of the longer and warmer days." She seems completely unaware of the countless slumbering dragons around her. "And it is this tradition that we continue today, and tonight, and well into tomorrow, so that we may watch the sun rise on yet another wonderful summer in this country we all call home. So, it is with the greatest of pleasures that I hereby declare this year's Summer Sun Celebration open!"

With these words, Pinkie Pie appears from behind Twilight, an impossible feat easily achieved by Pinkie's disregard towards the laws of physics. She kisses Twilight passionately, and then shoves the lavender dragin away from the podium so that she can get to the microphone.

"Alright, party monsters!" she yells into the device, waking up most of the sleeping dragons around Rarity and I. "Now that the talkin's all done, it's time..." She pauses and pulls her infamous party cannon out from nowhere. "...to have some serious Summer Sun super fun!" With the yank of a cord, confetti, streamers, and countless other objects eject themselves from the cannon, rocketing out to the audience members. Rarity herself ends up with a quartz crystal in her claws. Pinkie continues on the mic while the dragons in the audience scramble to grab themselves a prize from the party cannon's shot. In the ensuing madness, I grip my date's hand as tightly as possible and pull her close, to the extent that her horn is jabbing me in my forehead.

"We should get out of here, before we're trampled and the outfits are ruined," I suggest. Rarity nods quickly, her pupils having shrunken to mere pinpoints at the prospect of her dress being dirtied. I pull her through the crowd of dragons, and we somehow manage to escape the living trap of civilians without a tear or stain or anything. Rarity, after a thorough inspection of both of our outfits, takes a look around, and notices a stand boasting an array of steaming, multi-colored objects in a display window. Her face lights up.

"Oh, they have steamed gem buns!" Now she pulls me along, towards the stand. "Emerald, you simply must try one of these! You can only ever get them during the Celebration, and they're to die for!"

So we kick off the evening by getting steamed gem buns for ourselves (which really are as good as she says they are) and strolling around the still slightly mad crowd of dragons fighting for prizes from the canon. Pinkie and Twilight have vanished from the stage along with the podium, and now it appears as though it's being set up for a rock concert. Multiple dragons that I can't recognize pedal out speakers, stands, and other equipment to the front of the stage while the main curtains close behind them. Rarity, her mouth full of pastry, lights up again and points excitedly at the stage until she swallows, at which point she tells me that her sister will be performing as the opener for the Celebration.

"She's absolutely fantastic!" she fawns. "You should have seen her the day she got her cutie mark: she sang a Hearts and Hues Day valentine for her friend, and it appeared just as she finished. She was so happy, she started crying." She gave a watery smile to the stage. "I think I did, as well."

"You must love her a lot," I remark, noting the odd name of Hearts and Hooves Day, "to be so happy for her."

"Of course I do! She's my sister! No matter what she might have done in the past, to be there when she found her calling in life was one of the happiest moments of my life." She turns to me. "You must have somedragon in your life like that?"

I smile at her, and squeeze her hand. "As a matter of fact, I do."

Before she can answer, the stage lights up, making the near-sunset evening seem even darker. Pinkie Pie appears from behind the curtains and outstretches her arms ecstatically to us.

"Dragins and gentledrakes!" she announces loudly. "Tonight, or maybe today, since the sun's still sort of up, we've got something super duper special prepared for the opening of the Celebration! They've come a long way since the days they tore our town up looking for their cutie marks, and now that they've got 'em, well, what better way to celebrate than start a band! Especially since it's headed by a dragin who got her cutie mark in singing!" She giggles, finding something hilarious in what she's just said that nodragon else understands. "Anyway, without further ado, I give you, The Crusaders!"

She waltzes off the stage in the direction that the curtains retract. The audience applauds excitedly; apparently, the Crusaders are rather famous in Dragonsville. On stage are a quintet of familiar dragons, each in outfits that were no doubt designed by the dragoness whose hand I'm holding now. It's interesting to note the differences between this version of The Crusaders and the version from my world: Featherweight was never added to the roster, at least not as far as I can remember. From the center of the stage, a periwinkle dragin in a vibrant pink gown steps up to the microphone Pinkie had been speaking out of a minute ago. Sweetie Belle looks out at the crowd, and her gaze rests on us for a second longer than anydragon else. She smiles with that "I know something you don't" face before addressing the crowd.

"Thank you so much," she says, sounding slightly sheepish. "This song, I wrote in a day, for my sister. It's called 'Friends.'" She turns, and nods to the orange dragin holding a guitar. Scootaloo smiles, looks at the gray drake on the other side of the yellow mare at the drums, and the two count off a beat simultaneously. Featherweight, at the keyboard behind Rumble, begins the song with a simple riff, and the song quickly expands as Sweetie Belle takes center stage with the microphone in both hands:

I think of all the times you had to use that mask you love to wear
Just to keep him from finding out
All the ways you avoided his asking you
As if you didn't know what he was asking about

But now you're dancing with some drake you think is a different guy
I watch and wonder how you can't realize
You worked so hard to get him under your thumb
When he's always said, "You're the One."

It's been a long time since you met
The perfect dragon
But you didn't get that he was begging you
"Just give me a chance," yes, I heard him say
But I guess friends just can't treat each other that way

Friends (oh yeah)
That's what I hear you say
Friends (oh yeah)
Nothing more, no way
Friends (just say)
Just say you think he's great
Friends (please say)
Tell him you love him, 'k?

Rarity's giggling beside me, telling me how adorable it is that they tell stories with their songs, seemingly oblivious to the message the band is sending out to her. I'm almost shaking with terror: they're up there giving my identity away through song. I didn't even think it was possible to do something like that.

Up on stage, the beat seems to shift, as though changing into a different tune altogether. And yet, when Sweetie step up to sing again, it feels exactly the same, though she rattles off lyrics at a much quicker pace:

Well, now, I guess I can see
You weren't kidding when you said, "He's not for me!"
Wonder if he knows? (I'm sure he does)
Maybe if you tried to explain
He'd see he's playing the wrong game
Thing's'll turn out fine (That always works)

Wait, who's that you're walking with?
Same green eyes, same big-tooth grin
Why date some drake just like him?
Let the right one in!

Friends (oh yeah)
That's what I hear you say
Friends (oh yeah)
Nothing more, no way
Friends (just say)
Just say you think he's great
Friends (please say)
Tell him you love him, 'k?

Scootaloo comes forward, her face contorted into a twisted, focused, and completely ridiculous expression as she tears into a guitar solo punctuated by the occasional strum from Rumble. The way the young dragin moves about the stage would have made me laugh if I wasn't so nervous about Rarity, who has snuggled into me and has her head resting on my shoulder. Glancing down at her, I see she's still smiling, but her eyes, directed at the momentarily wordless Sweetie Belle up on stage, are now aware of the oddness of the (admittedly rather impressive) song's lyrics.

"Oh dear..." I hear Rarity mutter, as Sweetie snatches up the microphone once more. This time, she pulls it out of its stand, and goes strolling across the stage as the lyrics, now sung to something close to a rock ballad, come flowing from her maw:

Oh darling, darling
Can't you see he's just right?
Oh darling, darling
He'll wait for you all night

(Yeah) Oh darling, darling
Hope you know it's not right
(Yeah) Oh darling, darling
Just to leave him all night

(Yeah) Oh darling, darling
He would hold you so tight
(Yeah) Oh darling, darling
Ooh~

Hey, he wants you, has to have you
Can't you see you tear him up inside?
Don't replace him, you know what to do
Tell him when you said you're friends you lied

Friends (oh yeah)
That's what I hear you say
Friends (oh yeah)
Nothing more, no way
Friends (just say)
Just say you think he's great
Friends (please say)
Tell him you love him, 'k?

Friends (oh yeah)
Just let me hear you say
Friends (oh yeah)
You think he's more than OK
Friends (no way)
I know you feel that way
Friends (please say)
Please tell him you love him, k?

The song ends with an abrupt final chord from Featherweight, and when Sweetie has replaced the microphone and steps back from it breathing heavily the crowd explodes into applause. Rarity herself is screaming alongside them, louder than most of the dragons around us. I applaud and watch her cheer for her sister. I look back up at the stage, and Sweetie is looking directly at me. She has on the same smile she gets each time she sees me with Rarity, that "I-know-more-than-you" smile that pisses me off so much. I stare her down, but she doesn't look away, and our gazes hold for a long, ridiculously slow-moving amount of time before she turns away, still smiling, and takes up the mic again.

"Hope you liked it, Rare," she says, chuckling lightly. The audience applauds some more, and Sweetie looks off into the distance. "Oh look," she says, breathlessly, "we're just in time for the sunset."

Everydragon, including Rarity and I, turn, and sure enough, there's the sun, dipping below the trees of the Everfree. While everyone else turns back, I continue to stare at the forest, and wonder if there's anything waiting for me in there. Rarity gets my attention, and I realize Sweetie Belle is talking again.

"...and there'll be more of our own songs later," she's saying. "For now, though, let's kick off the evening with something to match the colors going on right now." It takes me a second to realize that everything's tinted gold by the sunset.

"You might recognize this one," Sweetie croons, "from a famous little movie starring Secret Scale..."

Featherweight takes this as his cue, spins around, taps a few buttons on another keyboard behind him that doesn't have any real keys, turns back to us, counts off the tempo, and suddenly a full brass orchestra is wailing out of his fetlocks. Speaking of which...

Goldclaw
He's the drake, the drake with the lightest touch...

Rarity pulls me away from the crowd suddenly. I follow her, albeit hesitantly (Sweetie's voice is very, very enchanting), and we reach an outdoor café that we can sit down at without losing sight of the stage.

"Your sister is fantastic," I mutter, still half zoned-out and absorbed in the music.

Rarity sighs, a little sadly. "Yes, she is."

"What's wrong?"

She looks out at the stage briefly. "I don't know if you heard those lyrics, but I can't help but feel-"

"-she wants me gone?" I finish. She looks at me and nods. I laugh. "Well then, I guess I'm done for. May as well call it quits after tonight."

Rarity giggles, but there's still genuine concern in her eyes. I take her hand in mine, and give her a comforting smile.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I bet she just feels like you might be neglecting her or something." I doubt that's it at all.

"I doubt that's it at all," Rarity says. "Sweetie Belle is simply holding onto the possibility that I might change my mind about you and go running after Spike, or something like that. She's always believed that the two of us were soul mates, and that we were destined to be together."

"Hmm. So she thinks I'm not right for you?"

"Apparently not?"

"Do you think I'm right for you?"

She doesn't answer immediately. In the distance, Sweetie Belle is warning the golden dragonesses about Goldclaw's kiss. It's the kiss of death, you see.

"...Yes. I do."

I lean back in my seat. "Well then, I guess she'll just have to accept it. I hope she can: I'd hate to have a sister that hates me."

What did you just say, Spike? Rarity blushes, I blush, and I foolishly try to correct my mistake.

"I, uh, I meant that, um, I'd hate it if T-Twi-"

Again, I realize what I am saying, and shut up a second time. Fortunately, Rarity stops me, laughing quietly with her hand over her mouth, and she squeezes my hand with her free one to comfort me.

"Emerald, please!" She moves her hand away from her mouth and smiles kindly at me. "There's no harm done."

I'm still blushing, and I'm nervous again, and I wish I had ordered a drink when the waiter asked us if we wanted anything. We sit in silence for a minute, listening to the music echoing from the stage (the audience is dancing along to a light, bubblegummy rhythm with some chilling lyrics about lights or something). I consider what to do next. I think back to what I saw the day before, when the Celebration was being set up, and an idea pops into my head.

"Hey, what was that place we passed with those huge hedges?"

____________________________________________________________________

The phrase "time flies when you're having fun" is an idiom, used to express a passage of time that feels as though it's passed quicker than normal, due to an increase in one's level of enjoyment during said period of time. This includes all forms of entertainment, though some, usually of the sexual or adrenaline-rushing manner, can make time "move" faster than other forms would. The origin of this idiom stems from a day in Canterlot in which the sun did not rise for an extended period of time. Princess Celestia of Equestria could not be found in that time, and when the elusive alicorn finally did show her face, it was covered in cake frosting. The princess, it seemed, had deemed that she deserved a night off, and had "lost track of time" during the night, though this may have been due to the massive attack of amnesia that had come over her at some point during her unexpected vacation. She never truly remembered what happened that night, and the gap of missing hours in Celestia's memory and the sun's presence led to the phrase's creation. I read that in a book, once.

Time flies when you're having fun, and nodragon knows it better tonight than Rarity and I. Minutes blend together by at the hedge maze that's been set up in the center of town, where we take five tries to find the center and then keep trying until we have the path to it memorized (left straight straight right right right left left straight left right right straight left straight right right straight right right straight straight left left left left) and we've danced to a melody playing from a speaker nearby. Rarity pulls me close and I kiss her on the cheek, and we get out of there when another couple, this one much more affectionate than us, shows up and begins, uh, showing their affection towards each other. Seconds speed by when we approach the Gemery once more to find it open, literally. The innards of the building are on display, and the unicorn-dragon who runs the place has used his magic to give the town a show: the seemingly infinite gemstones kept in the store are pouring down into two enormous tub in twin waterfalls, arranged into a sparkling waterfall of jewels. Hatchlings play in the tubs, splashing each other with waves of gems and holding their mouths open while more cascade down on them from the waterfall. Rarity is content to stand and watch the gem falls, but I manage to keep a tight enough grip to drag her into the nearest tub, at which point she gives up trying to stay clean (though I can't really see the harm in swimming in gems) and begins splashing me like the hatchlings do, giggling giddily. Her splashing turns into a gem war, and after ten minutes the shopkeeper informs us that he's sorry, but we'll have to leave, because we're scaring the children. Under the waterfall, Rarity tries to say something, but I pull her along to our next destination before she can utter a single word.

At a restaurant near the river bank where we plan to have dinner, a problem finally arises: we don't have a reservation. It seems one was necessary, and that we'll have to wait, oh, an hour or so before a table frees itself up for us. I've had my fill of gems, so I don't mind waiting, for Rarity's sake, but apparently she'll have none of that tonight, as she spots somedragon from inside the restaurant, waves, and insists that she and I are part of their party. The waiter at the front desk apparently buys this, and Rarity and I step into the restaurant and walk over to the table holding the dragons Rarity recognized. I recognize them, too, when we get near enough: it's Pinkie Pie and Twilight, sitting together in a booth large enough for either the four of us or one enormous drake, like the one we pass that's chowing down on what appears to be two entire cows.

"Hello, you two!" Rarity greets as she and I scoot into the booth, Rarity across from Twilight, me across from Pinkie. A half-empty bottle of wine sits in a bucket in the middle of the table, and Twilight takes a long drag from her glass before returning the greeting. Pinkie just giggles and waves, her smile almost bigger than her head will allow.

"Rarity, Emerald," Twilight says, a little curtly. "Nice of you to join us." She seems to force that sentence out. I get the feeling that we weren't expected to show up here tonight, and that we aren't wanted at this table.

"Ooh!" Pinkie draws our attention with the wild waving of her hands. "Now it's like a double date! This is so much better than a single date, because now there's double the fun and double all the 'awwww' moments and double the romantic gifts and-"

I'm a little more than thankful to see Pinkie's lips light up with a magenta glow and then shut. Turning to the spell's caster, I see Twilight give Pinkie a dangerous glare that says, "Please, I love you, but if you don't stop talking I might have to punch you." She turns to Rarity, leaving Pinkie to struggle with her zippered mouth.

"As fun as that sounds, it'll have to wait until after I've used the restroom. Care to join me, Rarity?"

Rarity raises and eyebrow, and is met by a deadpan stare from Twilight. A moment later, the other eyebrow slides up to meet the first, Rarity makes an "Ohhh" sound, and she excuses herself along with Twilight. The two dragonesses retreat from the booth, leaving me with only Pinkie to talk with. I savor the few seconds before the spell holding her mouth shut fades, and when it does Pinkie gets right down to business.

"So did you tell her the truth?" She practically shouts this, but I don't check to see if anydragon heard her. I put my hand over her mouth and shush her.

"No," I tell her after some hesitation.

With my hand over her mouth, she speaks with her eyes, giving me a look that's somewhere between disappointment and anger.

"But I will, I promise. Just not tonight."

Pinkie raises her eyebrow: why not?

"If I tell her now, then our date will be ruined, whether she believes me or not, which I doubt she will."

The other eyebrow rises: don't you think you're being a little unrealistic?

"Pinkie, if, in the middle of this dinner, or whenever you and Twilight are alone tonight, you told her that you were from another dimension where she was a unicorn and you were an earth pony, do you seriously think that the rest of that night wouldn't be just the least bit awkward?"

Repetitive blinking, then a shrug: ...yeah, I guess so.

"Exactly." I pull my hand away from Pinkie's mouth and settle back in my seat.

"But you promise you'll tell her?" she asks after smacking her lips dryly, "When the sun rises?"

I nod. "Tomorrow, I swear."

A pause. Then: "Pinkie Pie Promise."

I do a double take. "What?"

"You heard me." Pinkie leans forward, propping her head up with her hands. "Pinkie Pie Promise me that you'll tell her by sundown, tomorrow."

I can't. "Pinkie, I don't think that's necessary-"

"Were you lying to me?" A rare look of anger crosses over Pinkie's face. She leans forward further, pointing a stern claw in my face. "Did you lie when you said you would tell her?"

"No, I just-"

"Then why are you so nervous about Pinkie Pie Promising?"

"Well..." Oh, screw it. "...What if I can't?"

Pinkie is angrier than I've seen her in a long, long time. "If you don't tell Rarity who you are, then the lies will just have to get bigger and bigger, until you can't control them anymore, and they all come crashing down on top of you, and you end up hurting Rarity, and the real Spike, and Twilight and me and Applejack and everydragon else involved in this in any way!" She punctuates each phrase with a jab of her claw, and it pokes me roughly in the nose twice on her last two words. "So, you Pinkie Pie Promise me that tomorrow, before sundown, you will tell her that you aren't from this world. You Pinkie Pie Promise me that, or I Pinkie Pie Promise you"--here she goes through the Promise's motions--"that I will tell her myself."

I have just been threatened by Pinkie Pie. I will tell dragons or ponies this, one day, and they will laugh at me. I have no choice in the matter, I can see, so, very slowly, I make a Pinkie Pie Promise I may have to break.

"Cross my hearts..." I slide a claw over two areas of my chest, slowly.

"...hope to fry..." The smoke billows from my nostrils in slow, green-tinted clouds.

"...stick a diamond in my eye." I think I've poked a hole in my eye from holding my claw in it for too long. "I promise I will tell Rarity I'm not from this world before sundown, tomorrow."

With the ritual over, Pinkie Pie leans back in her seat and smiles at me, her anger vanishing as quickly as it had come.

"Good." She holds up her glass in toast, either unaware or indifferent to my lack of one, and says, "To our super-romantic dates, and the Summer Sun Celebration, and Princess Celestia, and Luna too, can't forget her, oh, and-"

"Pinkie, darling, I wouldn't make too many toasts. The restaurant may run out of wine before you're finished."

Rarity appears at my side, sidling up close to me. She leans in, and whispers in my ear, "Twilight is quite adamant about being alone with Pinkie Pie tonight."

I glance up at the lavender dragoness. She's staring at me, the same dangerous glare on her face as before.

"It would be best, I think, for us to find some other location to dine at," she finishes. I nod, and the two of us turn to the other couple.

"I just remembered," I lie, "I did make reservations. At a different restaurant." I look Twilight dead in the eye. "On the other side of town."

"Aw!" Pinkie whines, ignorant of mine and Twilight's silent exchange. "That's such bad luck! We were gonna have the best, most fun-and-romantic-date-night-dinner of all time!" She bangs her head down on the table, drawing some odd looks from other patrons of the restaurant. They promptly dismiss the dragin's behavior when they see that it is indeed Pinkie Pie who's doing this, and Rarity glances around nervously before continuing.

"Yes, well, I'm afraid we simply can't let Emerald's reservations go to waste!" She wraps her arm around mine. "Come along, Emerald. Show me where we'll be eating tonight, and let's leave these two to their evening."

"Of course," I reply, giving a small bow to the pink and purple pair as we exit the booth. I wink to Twilight on the way out, and she gives me a smile that totally says, "Thanks, I definitely won't punch you now, maybe." I also catch a look from Pinkie, who is still resting her chin on the tabletop.

It says, "Forever."

____________________________________________________________________

We exit the restaurant and walk for a while in silence. Rarity is still gripping my arm, and after a minute she rests her head on my shoulder. We have no set destination in mind, so I stop us and ask where she had in mind for dinner.

"I feel that, staying up until the sunrise, I'll need plenty of energy." She smirks, and runs a claw teasingly down my chest. She repeats, "Plenty of energy." I tense up, and she smiles playfully and pulls her claw away. She points it behind me, and I turn to face a row of booths. All of them sell foods that are either fried or sugary, and I am certain that all of them are in some way bad for one's health. Rarity whispers, "For tonight, I think I can let myself off my diet."

I turn to her, grinning.

"Let's have some fun, then."

What follows is the closest thing to a feast of gems I'll ever know, barring any sudden treasure troves I may stumble upon. Gems, fried gems, boiled gems, gem pies, deep-fried gems, gems in a blanket, molten gem cake (veeeeeeery risky), double-fried gems, gems a la mode, carbonated gem "juice," gem dumplings, gem kabobs, triple-fried gems, chocolate-covered gems, gem cupcakes, fortune gems (I eat the fortune on accident every time), gem fraîche, powdered gems, and that's all I can remember because I eat so much that I think I have brain damage by the end of the night. I can say nothing of how Rarity acts in the hours it takes for us to work our way along the rows of food booths, for that I also forget that night. I know that each and every stand that sells gems is approached by us, and that each and every stand that sells meat is ignored (the both of us do not eat meat, it seems; what a wonderful thing to have in common), and that by the end of our spree it is past midnight and my suit feels tighter than it did when I put it on yesterday evening.

"Oh Celestia!" Rarity groans, rubbing her stomach. "I feel thirty pounds heavier!"

I wrap an arm around her and say, "I think you look just as beautiful as before, milady, if not better."

Rarity laughs and pushes me. "Stop it, Emerald. You're compliments aren't making this dress feel any less tight. Remind me, please, never to do something as unladylike and self-destructive as that ever again in my life."

"Alright, I promise."

She hiccups, and takes my hand in hers. We stroll through town, passing couples, families, and other celebrators, all of whom are glancing at a large clock tower every few seconds. The time is 3:54.

"Goodness!" Rarity says when she reads this time from the clock's face. "How in Celestia's name did so much time pass?"

I shrug. "Time flies when you're having fun."

"Well," she replies, nuzzling me again, "I most certainly have had fun tonight." Her lips press against my neck in a gesture that, if I knew any better, might have been a kiss. "It's certainly a shame to know that our date's almost over."

I can feel her smiling into my neck. "You say that like we're never going to see each other after tonight," I say. Rarity pulls her head away from my neck and looks up at me, smiling. I feel her grip my hand tighter. I realize with sudden sorrow that I'll only be here for a week more, perhaps a bit longer. I turn away from Rarity and find myself looking at a familiar stage: on it are Sweetie Belle and The Crusaders, playing yet another song. I wonder if they've been there all night, and if so, how in Celestia's name is Sweetie Belle still able to form words? As the song currently playing ends, Sweetie Belle speaks to the slightly smaller (but still very large) audience:

"Okay, everydragon, it's been a long night, full of party music and freak dancing and the like, but I think it's time again for a slow dance. So, grab your special somedragon, drag 'em on over to the dance floor, and get ready." She turns and says something to Scootaloo, then adds: "This is isn't ours, but it's still pretty good." With that, she begins to count off, and breaks into song before the rest of the band starts playing. Couple after couple walk to the area in front of the stage and begin to dance together. I look back at Rarity, who's still looking at me, though not with the small smile from before on her face anymore, and I offer her my hand. With the other one already locked in her grip, I look absolutely foolish. Exactly my intention.

"Dance, milady?" I mentally slap myself for using a Spike phrase, but fortunately, Rarity seems to be focused on something else. In fact, she seems to only half-hear me as she stares into and through my eyes. I feel as though she's not looking at me, but at my soul. That was oddly philosophical of me.

"Of course," she says quietly. She let's go of the hand she's holding, takes the other one, and we stroll out onto the dance floor. For whatever reason, we begin to dance as though the song is a waltz (which it isn't; it's more of a rock ballad), and I move slowly in step with Rarity as she pulls me close to her. We move close enough to touch chests, and she rests her head on my shoulder, relaxing into me as the music starts to control us more than we do. I relax too, embracing the lovely white dragoness pressed against me, and the more we dance, the more I feel detached from myself. As the melody of the song drops into the chorus for the second time, I have what I can only call an out-of-body experience: I blink once, while standing on the dance floor in front of the stage with a beautiful dragin wrapped around me, and when my eyes open next I'm watching myself dance, somehow twenty feet away and five feet off the ground. I can see us gliding across the floor to the beat of the music, the music that is now all around me, around me and reverberating through me and radiating from me in the form of bursts of color, bursts of color that paint the scene of Rarity and I dancing into a work of art impossible to create in the world I'm watching, watching with eyes filled with stars and shapes that can't exist in the world I've left behind. I watch my head nestle into Rarity's neck as hers has in mine, and the dance grows in intensity with the music. I realize that I might be dreaming right now, that this entire night or indeed this entire week has been nothing more than a trick, and I suddenly don't want to be in this state of being anymore, and just like that I snap back into myself, and my feet become tangled in themselves. I stumble, and Rarity snaps out of her daydreamy state, but the stumble turns into an awkwardly large step instead as I do my best to correct myself. Rarity pulls away enough to look me in the eyes, and I stop moving as the music builds once more towards the chorus. She leans in, and her eyes begin to close. I can feel her breath on my lips, and my head leans towards hers of its own accord, despite my common sense screaming in my head that I can't do this because... I just can't.

Our noses touch, but I pull us back into the dance as the chorus booms out once more, startling Rarity into moving away. I pull her tightly to my chest, and lean into her, my neck nuzzling hers. Her claws dig into my back, and I wonder stupidly what might have led her to harm one of her own designs. The song reaches its climax, and I swing her out in front of me, spin her under my arm, and pull her back into me so that she bends back. The song fades into gentle, serene chords from Featherweight, and Rarity's hands slide up my back and pull my head down towards her. Her gleaming sapphire eyes disappear behind ivory lids, and my own eyes shut tightly as I will myself to finally-

Underneath my eyelids, I see a vivid picture of Rarity, as a pony, crying on a balcony.

Stop. I open my eyes, letting something like a gurgle escape me, and I make the deadly mistake of pushing Rarity away from me. The song ends as I do this, and my pushing her away is simultaneous with the separation of most of the other couples on the dance floor, though some stay together longer to do what I know I should have done. I'm sweating, somehow. I stare at the ground, breathing hard, then look over a pair of larger dragons who are looking at me oddly. My gaze meets that of the dragoness, and she looks away quickly while I take my time, running my eyes slowly across her form and taking in her enormous curves before looking back at Rarity. I describe the action this way because that is how Rarity must have seen it, for when I meet her gaze I almost stumble backwards again in fear: smoke is pouring from her nostrils, and in her eyes, flames of rage are dancing around. I think I've just made the biggest mistake I will ever make in my life, ever.

She opens her mouth to say something (scratch that, yell something), but nothing comes out. She raises a hand, probably to slap me, but she can't do anything more. Her own inability to react infuriates her more, and angry tears form in her eyes and begin to run down he cheeks. Realizing this, she spins on her heel and simply runs, without a word to me, and vanishes into a small crowd of embracing couples. I'm too numb to do anything about it immediately, but I find that I can stumble in her direction until I'm off the dance floor. I can just see her escaping down an unlit street, and before I can follow her any further, my legs stop working, and I have to sit at a table to keep myself from falling flat on my face. Not that I haven't done that already.

"Rarity..." I am faintly aware that I'm the one saying this. I'm also faintly aware of the Crusaders being begged for an encore of the slow dance. All of it fades to background noise as I feel something dangerously painful tighten up in my chest.

I ruined it. I ruined everything, even after all the second chances she gave me, all of the patience I asked of her, I took it, abused it, and threw its carcass into a fireplace where I could leave it to burn. I led her on, without meaning to, and I hurt her, badly. And I deserved more than her simply running from me. She'd trusted me, gotten close to me, and I'd let her down. I was just the same as Blueblood, perhaps even worse. What I had just done would probably scar her for life; I doubt she would ever be able to trust anydragon ever again. I wonder what Spike will make of it, when he hears that "Emerald" is responsible for Rarity's broken state. I can hear him pounding on the door of the Carousel Boutique, trying to see Rarity, to comfort her. I can see him giving up, can see him walking away, can see the emerald flames flicker in his eyes as he recalls who is responsible for her misery. I can see myself hiding from him, knowing full well what's in store for me. I watch Spike, in my mind, as he breaks into my hiding place and tears me to pieces, literally. Everything I worked for, going up in flames, and I wonder if I'll even survive until the end of "Two Weeks" before the flames of my mistakes consume me along with everything else, which they will, I know.

Unless I can put them out.

Reality snaps back into place. Sweetie Belle is calming the crowd by promising an encore. I want to fix this, I have to fix this, even if it'll only be for a few days. I feel doubt clouding my head, and it's that same doubt that's responsible for this whole situation. That doubt stopped me from kissing her, that first day I worked for her. That doubt made me run away from her, that night at the library Welcome Party. That doubt made me push her off of me when she showed interest in me the next day, at her Boutique. That doubt made me break my promise to her, when I said that I wouldn't push her away anymore when she made advances toward me, it made me lie to her, it made me afraid of her, it put me in this situation, and right now it's keeping me from getting up and going after her one last time. And I am so, so, so sick of it.

The Crusaders have started playing again. It's the same song that Rarity and I danced to: they must be out of tunes or something. I feel it surround me again, and this time instead of leaving my body I just close my eyes and listen:

Isn't it enough now that you know our chance is gone
To have you for the night
You've had me all along

This isn't a coincidence, I decide: I was supposed to hear this. I look over, and my eye catches Sweetie Belle's. She passes to me a message in the split second our gazes connect, and that look gives me better advice than anything I've been told in all of my time here. I'm probably exaggerating, probably have been since everything went downhill, but that's what I do when things go bad for me. I don't tend to stay all that optimistic.

I banish the fog in my head. The numbness in my body dissipates. I know what I have to do, and I know what I want now: I can't be afraid anymore of the future. I can't let my fears of what's ahead hurt me now, and I especially can't let them hurt Rarity. I can never let myself hurt her again. If I don't fix this, then I won't give Spike the chance to finish me off. The song is right: I've been hers, all this time, and there's no choice in the matter anymore. I need her, she needs me, and Celestia damn me if I'm going to let a little slip of paper get in the way of that need.

I stand up, and squint past the activity of the Celebration (how can it still be going on when she's out there sobbing and running from it all?!?) to try and find the street Rarity ran down. With one last glance at the Crusaders, I silently thank Sweetie Belle for her surprising wisdom, and go sprinting into the night.

Author's Note

Writing song lyrics is both easy and difficult: it is easy because it's simply making up rhymes to catchy tunes; it is difficult because you have to fit a certain amount of syllables into a line when you aren't creating a song entirely on your own. This is why it took me so much longer to write this chapter. For the song to plug these lyrics into, click here. Try to ignore the lyrics that are already in there, and it'll work out fine, I think.

Oh God so loooong! So very very long, but I promised the Doozy, so you get the Doozy! It was ridiculous, getting all of this down with finals going on. But, school's out, and I'll have plenty more time to get this done; we've reached the beginning of the end, and I want to take my time with getting down Spike's last few days. It'll be a real tearjerker, I'm sure.

Because of the nature of this chapter, I feel a little hesitant to post a hint of the next one (also I'm running out of ideas for little preview gimmicks). But, since I like hinting at things, you get this: Amnesia.

Okay, so long! No definite release date for you, either. I need a break...

-NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. Feel free to point out any mistakes I've made in this chapter. There was this whole thing that happened last time, and I proof-read this one twice and everything, read it with iSpeech, but still, just in case... help a brony out.

The Amnesia Game

____________________________________________________________________

I enter the dreamworld again, and this time I'm terrified. Because there isn't any grey, or blue, or even black surrounding me. Not this time.

Everything's white. Just white.

I go sprinting in a direction that probably doesn't exist here. I have to find her, have to find the blue, or whatever she really is, though I've got a good idea of what that might be since I last saw her. I have to find her, have to, have to, have to-

"Spike! Desist!" Where? Where's she talking from? There's no blue, everything's white and empty and I'm alone, I've always been alone, always always always...

Wait. Color, far off. Only a blur of it, but still, it's blue! Runrunrunrun to it, faster, before she disappears again, before I wake up, before anything else pulls me away. I have to figure out the end of the story she was telling me. I was there, in Canterlot for the fashion show, Rarity and I kissed, and then we fought (why would you just throw it all away, you foolidiotmoronscum!), but then...?

So close, so bucking close yet I'm further away from the truth than I ever was before. She's not a blur, she's a shape now, a shape that looks so familiar. It's a pony, obviously, there were hoofsteps before, but she's a mare! No wonder she was so mad when I called her a smile-frown (or frown-smile, whichever)! She's a beautiful, dark blue mare with big, beautiful wings that could encompass whole worlds if only she stretched and stretched and stretched...

And suddenly, I know who she is. It's so obvious, I can't believe I didn't know before...

"Spike!"

The ground disappears, and again I fall. I always fall here, always, either into a memory pool or an abyss or something else, whatever. I can't even call out her name before I'm falling down, down, down...

I catch a glimpse of her face before I wake up. She gives me a very worried look.

____________________________________________________________________

I know without opening my eyes that I'm not in my bed down in the basement of the library, but I can't remember why not. I have to figure out why, but not before I remember my dream. Come on, who was it I saw? It shouldn't have mattered, but the fact that it did makes it that much more important to remember who. Was it Twilight? Was it even a pony? Was I watching myself, or dragin-Twilight, or pony-me, or dragin-Rarity...

Wait. I remember something. I was running...

¿Θ?

I ran the way Rarity had gone. I let my body focus on moving me forward, while my mind began buzzing with things that I should say or do when or if I caught up with her. But my brain was on the fritz: I couldn't hold on to any of the ideas I had in me before they were gone, replaced by another batch that disappeared just as fast as the one before it. My eyes were unfocused, clouded by my jumbled thoughts, but I could still make out the streets of Dragonsville, which were growing darker the further I ran from the Summer Sun Celebration. I searched frantically for her, and when I could not see her I ran faster, hoping to catch her before it was too late. I reached the end of the street and stood for a moment, trying not to breath too heavily so as not to block out any noise around me. I strained my ears and looked left and right, hoping to catch sight of her or hear something. Through some kind of miracle, I did get a glimpse of her, or rather her pearly tail flicking around another corner a block away. I sprinted towards it.

I imagined, as I ran to catch her, all the scenarios that could play out when(if?) I caught her: she could fight me, scream, have me taken down by anydragon that happened to pass by and hear us; she could simply slap me, yell at me, and leave me standing in the street, wanting to chase her more but unable to move my legs; she could accept an apology, an explanation, and still not want to be with me anymore. No matter how many situations I imagined, none of them ended with her kissing me, or me kissing her, or any romantic relations ever happening between us again, all because I refused her at the time that it mattered most.

Oh, but I didn't deserve her anyway, right? That moment had been proof enough. I was shallow, selfish, unwilling to commit myself to her when she gave her heart out. I made her wait and wait until she finally could take no more, and even then I didn't apologize or even think of apologizing to her until she had run away in tears and I was left standing there gaping like I hadn't seen that coming. Only now did I want to set things right, now that it was too late and she had run away and I had realized what I had was going, going, gone.

I turned the corner; she was there, walking swiftly now. I could hear sobbing. I knew I had to explain everything to her, where I was from, who I was, why I was so afraid of us being together...

•

...and I caught her. Then what?

I shift in the sheets. They're silk, flowing like water across my scales. I roll onto my stomach, and I feel other fabric rub against my body: I'm still wearing my dress shirt and pants. So I didn't get into anything... dirty last night, which makes perfect sense. My nose is buried in the enormous, fluffy pillow my head is resting on. I sniff, and the intoxicating scent of lilac fills my nostrils. I know exactly where I am now; the Carousel Boutique, in what can only be Rarity's bed. Which means...

Something shifts in bed next to me, and I smile into the pillow. I can remember more of what happened the night before, now. I definitely caught her, on that dimly lit street...

¿Θ?

"HEY!"

Rarity heard me shout, and when she turned, I caught a nice, full look at her shocked, angry, mascara-stained face. Her eyes widened, and she spun around and started running again. I sped up, desperate to catch her. I knew she didn't want to talk with me, or be around me, or think about me at that moment (or probably ever again), but I had to talk with her. I had to be with her, at least tonight, long enough to get an answer out of her. If the answer was "No" (which I was sure it would be), then I could at least leave with that. But I couldn't have things end like this, because nothing had actually ended. I needed an answer, and I needed her to hear me out before she gave it.

"Hey!" I called out again, lacking the cranial capacity to say anything else. She ignored me and ran faster. I was now at a full sprint, and was glad to see that I was catching up to her. I could hear her choking on sobs in between deep gulps of air as she ran. I hated her for crying, and hated myself more for making her cry. I was getting closer and closer, and I thought of how to stop her from running more. She may just keep trying to get away, even if I ended up overtaking her. So, without a true plan in mind, I simply reached out for her shoulder.

The moment I touched her with my claw, she slowed dramatically and spun around to face me. I thought that she might have been reaching out to hug me, but a moment after this (ridiculous) thought passed through my head, she shoved me. I grabbed her arm, and she struggled in my grip.

"Get away from me!" she yelled, sounding more unlike herself than I've ever heard. She sounded broken. I held on, ignoring her yelling, and stared into her angry eyes. They were still so beautiful in the moonlight. I had to let go of her when she dug her claws deep into my arm, but she didn't start running again when she was free from my grip, to my relief. Instead, she just glared at me with those big, broken eyes, and yelled, "Would you just leave me alone?"

"Rarity," I started to say, "please, I can-"

"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, pushing me away again. She cried as she spoke; I almost couldn't understand what she said. "All of this flirting and teasing, what's it all really for? Why are you even bothering to chase me? You're almost bipolar, the way you switch from wanting to be around me to shying away each time I get within ten feet of you! What is your game, Emerald?"

"There's no game, Rarity, I swear-"

"And why should I believe you? All this time, I've thought--I've thought you really liked me. I ignored all the looks you gave to other dragins and you pushing me away every time I want to get close, because I though that perhaps you were just nervous or something silly like that! But it's never gotten any better! I thought you had some sort of feelings for me, but all I get from you whenever I try to acknowledge those feelings is some sort of twisted keepaway game where you're trying to hide something from me by dodging all of my questions and staying away from me, when you and I both know you can't do that without hurting me!"

"Rarity, I really-"

"And even when I forgive you, for everything that you're doing that makes me feel so, so uncomfortable, you just go ahead and do it again! I don't know who you are, Emerald, because you keep changing each time I think I know something about you! You act like you care about me, most times, but you always end up leaving me in the middle of something important! If you're not actually interested in me, please, just leave me alone. Don't come see me, or talk to me on the street, or anything like that. Give me time to pull myself together again, and then we can-"

"RARITY! LISTEN!"

The force of my yell made her stop for a long enough time for me to tell her the truth.

"I have to tell you something," I said, slowly and quietly, like speaking too fast would just make her yell at me more. "Just one last thing, and then, when I'm done, you can go ahead and walk away, and you'll never have to see me again, alright?"

She said nothing. After a minute of watching her staring at me, I decided to go ahead and tell her.

"Rarity, I love you." I said nothing more. She stared at me with the same expression as before: disbelief, anger, slight confusion, all bundled up in one big, sorrowful frown. She was still silent, too, so I decided to go ahead and pour my heart out while I had the chance.

"I've loved you," I said, "since I first saw you. I looked at you, that first day in the library, and I fell in love with you. I was too stupid to realize it, and when I did realize it I was too stupid to admit it out loud. I couldn't do it when I was alone in bed at night, I couldn't do it when I was with you in the Boutique, and I couldn't do it just now, at the dance, when I knew it mattered the most. And I needed this to happen, all of this crap, just to tell you that I am madly in love with you, and for that I am so, so sorry. So now, I am begging you, from the bottom of my stupid, selfish heart, to forgive me for being so pathetic." I stopped, thought, and added, "And I want to thank you, for being so patient with me. I wanted to say it, all this time, but I got..." Dammit, words, don't stop now! "...stuck."

"You got stuck?" she repeated, eyes full of tears again, voice raspy and choking back more sobs.She didn't look angry anymore, I noticed. Just worried.

"Yeah."

"You love me?"

"Yeah."

Pause. She sniffled a few times and glanced up at the night sky. Somehow, she had the smallest of smiles on her face. The longest of silences plays out while I wait.

"Okay," she finally rasped, and to my amazement, she leapt forward and kissed me, wrapping her arms around my neck as she did so.

Nothing. Nothing, in all of the gems I ever eat, in anything I ever do for a rush of adrenaline, no matter how many romance novels about love I read or songs above love I hear or symphonies about love I listen to, no matter how much I learn about it, no matter how many times I am told that it was all in my head and that none of it actually happened, nothing, nothing, nothing will ever compare to what I felt what I saw what I tasted smelled heard when we kissed. Lilac and vanilla, fireworks bursting, white and green flames rushing from our lips, smoke from our nostrils, claws running through my spines, claws running down her back, scales rubbing scales, everything is forgiven, everything was so messed up, everything is perfect, pressing up against a sign post, time slowing stopping, claws digging into fabric, don't care if the suit's ruined, everything so intense, everything alive, chill of the cool metal, soft moans from her lips, her pulse quickening, my breath catching in my throat, her sighing, my tongue flickering past her teeth, the faintness of the red wine from earlier, the hint of ruby, the chill of her necklace and the softness of her cheeks, the crumpling of her dress, the firmness of her body and the warmth of her chest, the world spinning from our embrace, and its night but lights shine around us, lights in her eyes when they open, telling me she wants more, her eyes like sapphires, only brighter bigger more beautiful than any gem could ever be, and nothing could ever ever compare to that first kiss until the second one came and I felt it all over again

•

The feeling of elation that engulfs me when my trip down memory lane ends is so powerful that I have to bite down on a pillow to contain something that I want to say would be a scream but would most likely end up being a squeal. The bundle beside me shifts closer, and I turn in the bed and wrap my arms around her. She's remarkably warm, and I can hardly keep myself from waking her up. My claws run along her body, relishing the smoothness of her scales and the plushness of her curves. I smile into her neck when she sighs. I adjust myself, making a pocket with my body that hers fits into perfectly. Everything is perfect.

"I love you," I whisper. Finally, I can say it to her, and it feels so good passing my lips that I say it again: "I love you."

She lets out another sleepy sigh, and in a voiceless whisper that's more of a breath she says, "I love you, too."

She does. I remember...

¿Θ?

"I love you, too," she whispered. She was still crying, but I could tell they were happy tears. I kissed them off her face. The mood of the moment was heavy with intimacy. Everything I said seemed to be the most important thing anydragon's ever said.

"I will never make you cry again," I told her, kissing her face again, and again. "I promise."

It was like a dream. Each time we kissed, Rarity left a shorter, gentler peck on my lips, like a punctuation mark. I couldn't tell how long we spent standing on that street corner embracing, but I realized very quickly that I didn't care one bit. Well, no, that's a lie...

"Oh!" Rarity gasped. I thought at first that it was because of me (I was nibbling her neck now), but when I looked up at her she was staring upwards. I followed her gaze and saw that the sky was getting brighter. It was almost sunrise.

"We're going to miss the sunrise!" Rarity said. I stared at the sky, thinking for a second.

"No we're not," I told her, grabbing her hand. "I promised you we'd see the sunrise together, and I'm never going to break a promise to you again." I pulled her in a direction, she followed, and we went running towards a familiar tower a few blocks away.

The journey to the tower was uneventful. Getting in, however, involved bribery, breaking and entering, more bribery, and what could technically be considered assault. And yet it was the most romantic thing I'd ever done. We raced up the stairs inside the tower after I'd decided that there wasn't enough time to start the ride at the bottom. Rarity objected when I insisted on removing the couple sitting in the boat I planned on commandeering, but seemed to understand that I would not let my promise go broken. She apologized to the couple for me as we took their seats. I started the ride up again, and the two relatively small dragons were left yelling at us through the darkness of the tunnel as we went on our way. Rarity was silent for a moment, and for a second I thought she was angry at me, but a moment later she chuckled and wrapped her arm around mine. The whole thing really was romantic, in a way.

We rode through the tunnel, and when we came out into the open, we could see that there was a crowd gathered around a platform in the center of town. The sky was a lighter shade of azure, and as we turned and followed the course of the ride to the very top of the tower, I knew that somehow, Celestia was on my side. I stared down at the town, and the thought occurred to me that I had no idea what Celestia looked like. I figured she was still white, still had a sun cutie mark, but how did her spines work? What did the regal attire look like? How large was she?

We reached a rise. Rarity squeezed me, excited. Down below, I could hear somedragon on a megaphone announcing that it was time for the moment we'd all been waiting for, and that she was very proud to present...

We reached the top of the tower, and the sun rose.

"Princess Celestia of Serpentia!"

She appeared with the rays of the sun, and stood as tall as the tower. Her scales shone so brightly that I was afraid I might go blind. Her spines were the same colors as her counterpart's mane, and I saw that they became thinner and thinner and thinner and then they whispered out into nothing, just like the alicorn's mane and tail would. Her crown was a tower on its own, made of gold and gems and magic itself, it seemed. She was a spectacle to behold.

Celestia was at eye level with us, and when the enormous magenta orbs focused on us, Rarity waved and I, being me, blushed. Rarity, somehow noticing this without taking her eyes off the princess, happily punched my arm, and I remembered that subjects who weren't basically the son of the princess were customarily supposed to bow. I did so, and Celestia smiled at us before lowering herself down to look at the dragons below. Or, I thought she was lowering herself; I looked over the edge of the boat and saw that she was in fact shrinking down to the size of the other dragons. I meant to watch longer, but Rarity tore me away from the spectacle by yanking me over to her and kissing me passionately. I had no problem with this. Her embrace was warm and loving, like the morning rays of the new summer sun

•

Arms wrap around me as I reminisce, and a pair of lips press firmly against mine. It's not a perfect kiss: she misses the first two times, because we're both still half asleep, and I assume her eyes are closed as well as mine. When we finally lock lips the taste of alcohol is so strong I almost start coughing (alcohol; that might explain my amnesia). I couldn't care less, though. Any kiss from her is perfect. She trails kisses down my neck and buries her face in my shoulder. My hands trail down and squeeze, and she coos softly:

"Ooh~, Pinkie..."

My hands squeeze tighter due to the shock that runs through me, and the dragin cuddling with me squeals. My eyes are open by this time, wide open, and I get a second to look at a set of wide violet spines before the head the spines belong to snaps up, and a pair of equally violet eyes flutter open to look at me. They are, of course, not expecting to see me, so that smile she's got on her face disappears in less than a second; mine left my face the moment I heard the word "Pinkie" come out of her mouth, because this is Twilight not Rarity and oh holy mother of Celestia I just made out with my sister and I think I liked it oh man oh man oh man.

There's this moment that happens, with her on her knees on top of me (oh man I have a boner that's so gross oh please don't let her see it) and me just lying there gripping her arms (I was gonna do it, I was gonna--), where the both of us just stare at each other with the same look on our face, the look that says, "Oh man, you weren't the dragon I was expecting to be sharing a bed with, and I might be sick from making out with you, no offense, and I should have somedragon else in bed with me, only I can't remember last night clearly, and oh Celestia did I have sex with you instead of her?" It's kinda freaky.

Then Twilight screams, and I do something like screaming too, only it's closer to a roar, and I'm suddenly being forced off the bed we shared (oh man) onto the floor of what is still Rarity's bedroom, not Twilight's (oh man what happened?), and Twilight pulls a bunch of sheets around her and stares at me vehemently as I try and nurse the lump that's growing on the back of my head because I slammed it into Rarity's bedside table and I think I have a concussion but that doesn't matter because I might have slept with my sister and why is my memory on the fritz again dammit?!?

Twilight's stuttering something: "Y-Y-Y-Youaren'tPinkiewhere-" She doesn't say anything else because she apparently realizes what just happened. "OhnononoIkissedyouIkissedyouwhatamIgonnatellherarrrrghhhh!!" She yanks on her spines comically and puffs magenta smoke from her mouth.

"I think I have a concussion," is all I can think to say. Twilight, being absorbed in her own thoughts, completely ignores me and goes on hypothesizing the worst possible situations that could have happened last night. I try and get up, black out momentarily, and come to on the floor again. Twilight has done nothing to help me. I lay there for a second or so, and I'm about to say something when the door opens.

Rarity comes strolling into the room, smiling (what). She looks just as gorgeous as she did last night (this morning?) and peppier than, say, Pinkie Pie (an expression, nothing more). Which makes absolutely no sense, because wouldn't you be angry, no, furious, to find your new drakefriend in bed with one of your best friends?

"Twilight, dear," she says calmly, "please keep it down. You'll wake the entire town, and nodragon wants that on the day after the Summer Sun Celebration."

Author's Note

Okay, break over. Time to finish this thing.

Chapter posts should be much more frequent from now on, but there may be a longer pause between this chapter and the next, so that I can get the last of the story written down and ready for proofing. After that, well, it's all downhill.

Speaking of downhill, how was that for an awkward moment? Maybe Spike deserved that, just a little bit, after all that torture he put poor Rarity through. Or maybe I just like putting characters through emotional trauma almost all the time. One of those. Oh well, doesn't matter, he got the girl the way he wanted, yay. Anyway, on to the next hint!

Wbmbeds ixh Jpzsxq wifi ktf
Spike

Now, you might not have any idea what the above lines mean, and you might be saying, "Well, jeez, that's not fair!" But that's the point. I don't want you to find out what it says. That'll ruin the next chapter. Oh, and if you get it and figure it out, don't leave any hints in the comments. It's funnier that way.

As always, notify me of any mistakes in the chapter. I'm trying different forms of proofing (I don't use pre-readers). Until next time!

-NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. If you can guess what scene I used for Spike/Rarity's first kiss, I love you forever.

Putting the Pieces Together

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Breakfast for Rarity and I is a plate of blueberry crepes with various fruits arranged around them. For Twilight, who actually can and does eat meat, there are eggs, bacon strips (which don't look like they're made of hay), and a slab of bloody-looking beef that takes up half of the plate. A large platter of hash browns sits in the center of the breakfast table, along with a pitcher of orange juice, another platter piled high with toast, and two large bowls of (what else?) gems of various size, shape, and type. Everything is arranged in neat, intricate patterns that showcase Rarity's designing skills, and it all looks delicious. However, seeing as Twilight and I have still not received any explanation whatsoever as to why we woke up in Rarity's bed together minutes ago, I'm not feeling too hungry. In fact, I'm still wondering why I can't remember what happened; I think I might have a serious memory problem, between the whole "how did I get to this world" thing and what's happening right now.

Rarity sits down at her seat (designated by a rather grandiose cushion placed on her seat) and grabs some gems with a pair of tongs sitting in one of the gem bowls. When she notices that Twilight and I have not sat down with her, she pauses, sets the tongs back in their place, and gives us a patient look.

"Is something wrong, darling?" she asks me. She turns to the dragin beside me: "Twilight?" She's being playfully oblivious. This only troubles me more; why is she not as disturbed by my bedmate as I am?

"Rarity," Twilight says, voicing my concerns for me, "please, please tell me why Emerald and I woke up in bed together?"

Rarity giggles and looks at me. "Care to explain, Emerald?"

I almost snort. "Uh..." I take a little too long to figure out what to say. "I don't know why either?" I didn't mean for that to come out as a question. Rarity fixes me with a dirty look, and I realize why a second after the chills finish running down my back: you'd be pretty mad too, if somedragon you'd just confessed your love to had seemingly forgotten said confession.

"You don't?"

Such accusation in her voice! I'm almost frightened to answer her with "No." So instead I say, "Uh, past the sunrise, that is," which is the truth and has probably just saved my life.

"Mm. I thought so." Rarity's harsh look softens, and I swear I can see a smirk on her face as she turns away from me. Turning her attention back to Twilight. "We had to bring you here, Twilight. You were... incapable of staying at the library safely."

"Incapable?"

"In a word, yes." She hesitates, and then tells her, "You were drunk, Twilight. Hideously drunk."

Twilight blinks a few times. She reaches up and slowly begins to squeeze her head. Her eyes are wide and staring at something that neither Rarity nor I can identify. Her voice comes out slow and filled with care:

"I don't remember anything... after Pinkie and I left the restaurant... I know she stayed by my side until that point, but..." She starts shaking her head, claws still clamped around her skull. "Pinkie... Pinkie has to know what happened... I..." Her eyes shoot open and flash at me, filled with malevolent accusation. "You! You were in bed with me! How do I explain that?"

"What?"

"To Pinkie!" she yelps, squeezing her spines as though they might pop out an answer. "What'll she say when she hears that I slept with you?"

"Um, you didn't actually sleep with me that way," I say. "At least, I hope not." Looking to Rarity provides me with no new information whatsoever.

"Oh, like she'll believe me!" Twilight insists. "Telling her that I've been in bed with another dragon is going to throw our relationship out a ten-story window!"

"Well, when you phrase it that way-"

"What Emerald is trying to say," Rarity cuts in, "is that you don't have to tell Pinkie that you slept with him. Simply say that you spent the night at the Boutique."

"But that's lying!"

"Not at all. You did spend the night here."

"But if I don't tell her-"

"Who said you couldn't? Tell Pinkie you spent the night here, by all means."

The purple dragoness points at me and blurts, "But him!"

"Twilight, I can assure you, you and Emerald had no relations of any kind last night." Rarity pauses, scratches her head, and mumbles, "Er, earlier this morning, I mean. And if you're word's not enough for Pinkie, send her to me. I would be more than happy to vouch for you, should it prove necessary. Which, by the way, it shouldn't." She gestures to the buffet before us. "Now then, would you care to join me for some early-afternoon-breakfast?"

Twilight is staring in the direction of the kitchen sink, through Rarity; it's very clear that she hasn't been listening to a word Rarity's said. She doesn't respond when Rarity calls her name again. Listening closely, I can hear her muttering to herself:

"Pinkie wouldn't just leave me... she couldn't have been so careless as to lose me... something... somedragon must have... if she's still out there..."

She looks up and straight ahead, and announces in a loud, clear voice and a twitch of her right eye, "I have to go now."

Sensing the instability in her voice, Rarity gets up and puts a reassuring claw on Twilight's shoulder.

"Twilight, dear, maybe you should get some more sleep. You've only had a few hours..."

Twilight shakes her head again and speaks in her metallic voice again: "No. I have to find Pinkie. Something's wrong. I can tell. I need to find her." She turns and heads for the door, mumbling to herself once more. Rarity reaches out to stop her, but Twilight's horn sparks once, twice, and suddenly she's gone, replaced by a rather chaotic burst of magenta sparks.

I stare at the remains of Twilight's teleportation spell as they wither on the carpet, wondering if it actually sent her where she wanted to go. Rarity says, "Oh dear. I hope this doesn't turn into another 'Smarty Scales' incident," and I suppress a giggle, recognizing the parallel immediately. Dumbly, I reply, "I don't know, this doesn't have anything to do with a friendship report. At least, I hope not." I turn to Rarity, and she's giving me this weird "and you know this how?" look. It takes me longer than I'm proud to admit to realize that what I just said was something that only somedragon who'd been there for the incident in question would say (it is an unspoken secret amongst Ponyvillians to this day). I absently wonder if she's noticed how familiar the colors of my scales and spines are. I hastily throw in, "Spike told me," like it's some sort of scapegoat. Thankfully, Rarity nods slowly, choosing not to question my abnormal knowledge of Twilight's near-insanity. She heads back towards the breakfast table, but I stop her before she reaches it.

"Hold on," I say, turning her around to face me again. "I'm still kind of in a daze. I remember us getting off that ride after Celestia showed up, and that's it. What happened?" I notice the look she's giving me, and add, "And, uh, how far, exactly, did we, uh..." That's my question.

Rarity smiles gently, and puts the arm I'm not grabbing around my neck. She moves very close, and tells me, "Well, to answer your first question, it was early morning by the time we stepped out of our little loveboat, and you seemed very tired all of a sudden." She chuckles cutely. "Almost as if you'd spent the whole night chasing some dragin around like a little dog."

My eye twitches, for whatever reason. "I'm not a dog. Why did I wake up with Twilight in bed with me, and not you?" Oh sweet mother of mine, I just asked that. "Uh..."

Her claws run tantalizingly down my back, running across each and every one of my spines and silencing me immediately. Rarity's smile becomes more and more suggestive, and she starts swaying back and forth, as though she's dancing. Without meaning to, I join her.

"Well," she continues, "I decided that you needed a place to stay, and I wasn't going to let you go back to the library even if you'd begged me." I've let go of her other arm by now, and she uses it to tease some scales on my chest. "I was almost carrying you around, you were so exhausted. You can imagine my relief when the Boutique came into view, after what seemed like an eternity of walking along with you leaning on me, and I rushed to get there. Then Twilight came tripping out of a bush next to me.

"It seems as though Pinkie Pie had decided to play Hide and Seek with Twilight, who either could not take alcohol as well as Pinkie or had had much more than Pinkie that night. She was stumbling around looking for her, and she asked me to help her. And I did, in my own way. I brought her inside the Boutique, and she pulled herself up my stairs and into my room, asking nodragon in particular where the bathroom was." She pauses in her swaying, gripping my back tighter; her claws dig into my scales, deep enough to sting a little. Her features darken momentarily, but are almost immediately replaced with the gentle expression from before. "After I cleaned up that mess," she continues, " I found that poor Twilight had passed out on my bed, and after the ordeal she'd put me through, I really didn't have the energy to move her: I'd been up for such a long time, you know."

I find that I've been staring directly into her eyes the entire time that she's spoken: did I mention how enchanted I am with this dragoness?

"So, that left you to deal with," Rarity says, sighing, "Or so I thought. I turned to exit the bedroom, and who should be slumped against the door almost completely asleep but my tired little drakefriend. So, doing the only sensible thing a dragin such as myself can do, I put you in my bed as well and let you sleep with Twilight. I myself went down to sleep on the couch for the morning. I only woke up an hour ago or so, and made some breakfast for us." She glances at it briefly. "It's a shame that Twilight left; I've made far too much for only two."

Sensing that an opportunity has opened up, I ask, "So, we didn't, uh...?"

Rarity's smile grows just a bit larger and just a bit more sensual. "No, dear Emerald, we didn't. Twilight's unexpected sleepover made sure of that."

"Oh."

For the first time this morning, no one is making any noise. Rarity and I sway back and forth; I notice that I've settled my claws on her hips. I wonder, as I take in how close she's put her snout to mine, how in Celestia's glowing ethereal mane we've managed to have a perfectly normal conversation with our faces merely half an inch apart.

"Um... I'm hungry."

"So am I."

"Well, you made us breakfast."

"Mm."

"Don't want it to get cold..."

And that's as far as I get. With absolutely no interest in breakfast, I lean in slowly and kiss Rarity on the mouth. She meets me halfway, using the split-second before I meet with her to wet her lips with her tongue. Warmth spreads through me as claws move from my back to my chest. Besides that, there's no other movement, beside her tail flicking at mine beneath our legs. We (barely) part when we need air, and spend a moment taking deep breaths that blow against our faces when we exhale. That's the first kiss. Then the next one happens, and whereas the first was gentle and sweet, this one is more active, more fiery, more alive. I move a claw up and cup her cheek, turning her head so that our lips fit perfectly together. She purrs in response, and a tingle runs up my spine as her slender white tail sensually wraps around mine, which is rigid and pointed straight at the ground, and strokes it slowly. In response, I squeeze her hip, and she squeaks against my lips and pulls away, blushing and panting. That's the second. For this one, the third, Rarity pounces and kisses me open-mouthed. Somehow, she forces my mouth open, and our tongues tangle in a struggle for dominance, which I give her almost instantly. One arm wraps around my neck while the other moves down to where my claw is. Her hand grabs mine and guides it down her backside, leaving it only when my claws are snugly fitted to the curve of her flawless ass. Her tail tightens around mine, and a series of quick strokes elicits a squeeze from me. Rarity moans loudly into my mouth, and her other arm joins the first around my neck and pulls the rest of her body as close to me as possible. I feel heat building in me, as though a letter might come roaring up any second. Instead, it's a puff of smoke, and I try to funnel it through my nostrils so as not to ruin the moment. Then I feel Rarity's tongue dive straight into the smoke puff in my mouth. She shudders in what I think is disgust, but when her grip on my tail intensifies and her own puff of smoke comes bursting from her throat down mine, I feel a rush of adrenaline pump through my veins and realize how damn good it feels to swallow her smoke. She sucks mine out of my mouth, and we separate hesitantly. She tilts her head back and blows my smoke out slowly, in a thin greenish stream. Mimicking her, I let out a blueish puff that joins with the green stream to create a vortex of swirling color that mesmerizes me long enough to get a good, deep breath. That's the third.

I look down at Rarity, who's eyes are half-shut and glazed with what I can only guess is pleasure. A dreamy smile sits on her face, and she gives my tail long, gentle strokes as she comes down off of her high. When she opens her eyes, they're shining brighter than they had last night. She watches the smoke float upward for a while, and I try to talk to her as best as I can. My throat feels as though it hasn't been used in years.

"That was..." There isn't a suitable word for what that was, so I have to settle for, "fantastic."

Rarity gives me a cute smirk. "Oh? Was that your first time trying that?" She giggles when I nod, and runs a playful claw down my chest, teasing at loose scales. "It would seem as though you've just had your cherry popped, then."

The innuendo catches me by surprise, but at this point I can tell she's too turned on to care what she sounds like. And honestly, so am I. When she looks back up at the smoke, giggling at her little joke, I get a nice, long look at the pearly white scales on her neck. The idea comes to me in an instant, and I waste no time in executing it. I dive in and start kissing her neck sloppily, and her gasp is all the payoff I could ask for. Except perhaps the words that coming spilling out of her mouth a moment later:

"I-I think we'd ~ah!~ enjoy this more in the ~mmmh!~ bedroom, don't ~uhnn!~ you?"

The breakfast's going to get very, very cold, and I couldn't give less of a crap.

____________________________________________________________________

About five minutes later I'm pushed into Rarity's bedroom and onto her bed. She falls on top of me, peppering me with her lips. She only gives me a second to breathe before kissing my mouth again, and again, and again. I can't even begin to describe how it feels, when she's pouring affection down on me. I manage to wrap my arms around her, and we roll over in the bed so that I'm on top of her now. She pulls away from my lips and rests her head on one of the enormous, soft pillows that litter her bed. She's panting and looks like an angel on a cloud of pink silk.

"No more waiting..." she moans, staring up at me with a lust-filled half-lidded gaze. "I want-"

I don't give her the time to finish. I pounce, and she cries out in a mix of surprise and excitement. She traces her claws around the spines on my back as I suckle her neck again. They slide slowly down my body, teasing at the sensitive spots between spines. I mimic her, trailing my claws down her stomach until I reach her waist, and then I go lower. Her claws reach my tail as I reach a sensitive spot on her inner thigh, and she coos in my ear as I hiss in hers. Something that's been burning in between my legs for a long time needs to let loose, and Rarity finds it in a second and I lose myself to something primal deep inside me.

We kiss again and again and each time we do she seals one kiss with another one a smaller one that's like a promise a promise that says that she'll never let me go and I never want to go and she pulls me down on her and I promise her I'll never leave this bed without her and I can't stand to let her out of my sight I have to hold her tightly her claws digging into my back my claws digging into the sheets somehow we still have our outfits on tearing at the fabric it's ruined but I don't care she doesn't care feel her warm smooth scales shining like pearls kiss her chest heaving with needwanttake up to her shoulders her neck feel her breath catching in her throat her lips warmer than anything I've ever felt leaving burn marks on my mouth and my face and my neck and shoulders and chest I'm growling so loudly but it's alright she told me her sister won't be home today she's with friends and we can be as loud as we want and I want to scream it out scream out loudly how much I love her but I can't because each time I try she kisses me again again again again and there's lilac and vanilla and the whispering remains of a glass of cherry wine in her mouth her taste I can't get enough it's never enough we're struggling together I feel like I'm holding up the world even though I'm on top and it's taking all of my strength not to fall down but wait that's what she wants and so I let it go and she cries happy tears our chests pressed together so tight can't breathe until she pulls away and then I dive back into her I need more of her more of her love her love her love our love the heat around us is melting us together and the bed can't possibly be holding us up like this the world outside is frozen time stopped to let us have our time is slipping out the window I have to hold onto the time because I don't have enough of her love my body's burning with her she's asking me to bite her shoulder and I do and she's screaming yes yes yes yes yes I feel constricted by her grip she's choking me there's smoke billowing from me or her or the bed or out the window but I don't care I can only feel her and there's nothing else that matters right now because she needs this deserves this after what I've done to her what I'll do to her when I go no don't think can't think more more more of her love in and out and in and out the bed is shrieking with protest it's breaking I can feel it amazing that it wasn't already broken she's shrieking too quiet her with another kiss she grabs my neck she needs more long slender tongues sliding past her and there's nothing better in this world or my world or any world nothing better than her sweetness and her sweat beading soaking the bed wet with heat and ecstasy and out of control can't stop won't stop never ever stop I promise cross my hearts hope to fry stick a diamond in my eye her scent surrounds me I can't think I can't breathe I don't have to all I need is more of her and her taste harvesting sweat on my tongue harder she asks harder please and I feel her body shuddering as it builds and builds a fire in my chest and she's tearing scales off my back tearing skin and muscle and pulling me apart and it feels so damn good I don't want her to stop need her love another kiss another taste of wine filling her cup up and up and up soaring searing fearing what's going to happen next and how long have we been here oh it doesn't matter I would stay here until the day I die and I just might because whatever's in my chest might burst but no it just keeps building and building and she's smiling and crying and screaming at the same time for another kiss her on the lips so full and ripe like a sapphire in her eyes shining bright and rolling in her head my claws grab her her curves so soft my claws moving lower lower her head sideways on the pillow eyes shut tongue lolling out of her mouth she can't even scream anymore I find a spot that wakes her up and she pounces back up at me like a tigress beautiful and dangerous and I love it I need it I take it from her and she loves it gives it her tail flailing finds mine warps around it playing with it just playing with it so sensitive why and ah her tail moving up and down and in and out and in and out and we're reaching breaking point and I think I want that want that so badly she does and she's showing it too her arms trying to pull us together like we're one being and it's amazing but I think it's working there's a well of ecstasy building between us and I think it might just fuse us together and then what ah wait something's happening am I bleeding no she's just ah my shoulder ah can't hold back ah I feel it building up in my chest in my throat and it comes roaring into my mouth past my teeth ah I let out a burst of flames and our mouths are connected and she breathes in my fire and hers comes bursting out too and I take it in and it feels ah unimaginable pleasure and she shudders in giving and I take it and shudder too and suddenly it all comes pouring out from that other place we were fused ah together and she's roaring my name and I can't say anything ah because there's too much pleasure flooding synapses in my brain overloading dopamine and ah and waves crashing on a beach somewhere and ah how can this be real coming it's too good I'm coming I'm ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh and then everything's still and my body tries restarting and then it all happens again and then we're done for real and we're just lying there panting, holding each other in the bed that somehow hasn't broken thanks to our antics.

I'm back again. My clothes and Rarity's are all torn apart, and there are bits and pieces scattered all over the bed and the floor of the room. Outside, the summer sun shines down on Dragonsville as though nothing of any importance has happened. Rarity is burying her face half into a pillow, half into my shoulder, panting like a dog. A beautiful, flawless dog that I love more than anything in the world. She's still coming down from the high, and her arms are limply wrapped around my shoulders. Our smell is intoxicating.

"Aghhh..." She's trying to say something, but she's exhausted and still lost in the pure loveliness of the moment. So am I, actually, and I would really love to sleep right now. I turn my body so I'm facing her, not the ceiling, and I tilt her head to look up at me. She still has sweat on her face, and I kiss her once more on the lips before letting her say anything. Finally, her eye's open, still shimmering brightly, she speaks:

"Em... erald..." She pulls herself closer to me. "Y... You..." She really wants to tell me something. I get another passionate, tired kiss. "I love you." There it is.

"I love you too," I say, meaning it more than anything. I pull her in so that our chests are pressed together again. I plant small kisses along and down her neck.

"Mmm... ~Ah~ Emerald..."

"Hm?"

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

I can't help it; I laugh, hard. I move back up to look her in the eye and ignore her annoyed stare.

"You must really be out of it," I say, stroking her spines. "You're talking nonsense." I peck her on the lips. "Of course I'll stay with you." Another peck. "I want to stay with you forever."

"Oh yes," she sighs, resting her head on my shoulder. "You can stay here, and I'll have Sweetie Belle go and stay with our parents, and we'll get married and have lots of adorable little hatchlings that I can make cute little outfits for, and..." Poor dear. She's so tired, she can't even keep her eyes open. Before I can say anything, she's asleep, curled up against me. I kiss her eyes, and she sighs into my chest. I love her, and I never ever want this moment to end, but I can feel my own exhaustion getting the better of me. I can't keep my eyes open very much longer, and after a moment of fighting it, I let sleep take me over. As my vision fades, I think about what Rarity said, and my stomach tightens. I want it to be just as she described it more than anything in the world, and yet it would all be a lie. Faintly, as though from across a wide, empty field, I hear an echo, of something I think I might have said or heard last night. Something about it is very unsettling, and I can't remember why.

Forevvvveer...

____________________________________________________________________

I'm dreaming again. The exhaustion I felt a moment ago is gone now, lost in the realms of sleep. I'm back in the window room again, or maybe it's the window plane, or the window dimension, or whatever. I have the weirdest dreams.

Behind me, hoofsteps. I don't bother turning this time, because I figure I won't be able to see anypony when I turn around, just like all the other times. So I stand there, and the hoofsteps grow louder and louder. I notice, eventually, that there's some sort of glow radiating behind me that's tinting the grayness around me a little blue. I realize there actually is somepony behind me when they speak:

"Hello, Spike."

I turn, recognizing the voice immediately. She's blue, very blue, and the stars of the night sky shine in her mane, which flows like smoke up and into nothing. She's regal, tall, and wears a crown and necklace that display the same motif that resides on her flanks. Her wings stretch out wide, and her horn is glowing faintly with magic. An aura radiates from her, and as it spreads out, everything crystallizes. The world becomes real, and shapes begin to form around us.

"Can you see me?" asks the Blue, who in reality has a much less silly and more regal name.

"Yeah," I answer, finally piecing the puzzle together, "and I really hope there's some kind of explanation for all this, Princess."

Author's Note

Blargh. This was so damn annoying to get finished. I'm so glad it's done, I might actually sing a song. But not to you.

Writing this was a blast, mind you. We've finally reached the plateau before the peak of the mountain... that's this story... and then we go back down... so we're actually a while away from the end. I guess that's a good thing? Anyways, what I'm complaining about in that first line of text is the process of going over the chapter, fixing errors, adding tidbits, etc. The combined workload of the start of the new school year and other projects I'm working on, including this little diddy right here (which somehow got more attention than anything I've ever written) set me back almost a full month on this story. I was lucky to get this chapter up today at all.

"Now comes the part where you say that you'll be more regular on updates, right?"

No, random line of text, I'm afraid not. Starting now (when this chapter is first published), I'll be putting this story on hiatus (yes, again) for the month of September. Why? Because, there's a challenge approaching that every FIMFiction writer should know about: National Pony Writing Month. The gist is this: write a 50,000+ word pony-related story in a month. So, yeah, can't exactly juggle this with that. I'll be focusing on that, so you all should be expecting a new story from me in a few weeks, which I'll happily post a link to if you'd like.

Now, because I'm really running low on new ways to hint at events of the next chapter, I'm just gonna respond to a few choice comments from the last one.

Ahem:

No, there was no four-way epic orgy of epicness. If you want that, I can recommend you to an author. I don't tend to write that kind of thing.
The purple words were just a cute gimmick I wanted to use. I like cute gimmicks.
No there was no full-day orgy of epicness. Seriously, I'll give you a link if you want it.
Yes, everyone's pretty much tired of Spike's rhymes-with-bit. But you've gotta have some character evolution in this.
Yeah, don't expect the lightheartedness to last. I might actually take away the "Comedy" tag on this.

Be seeing you!

-NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. Oh, one more thing: the "Okay" kiss scene was based on the ending of Silver Linings Playbook, though the smaller kisses thing is actually from Watchmen.

Bliss and Ignorance

____________________________________________________________________

We're sitting on a park bench, in the middle of a field that's slowly beginning to fill itself with the world. Landmarks appear, turning it from an empty, anonymous place to the park the bench belongs to. Trees first, then bushes, rocks, and other bits of nature materialize into place. Next come buildings, railings, more park benches, a play structure, and a sand pit. The sky blooms overhead, an expanse of bright blue that leaves spaces in the white nothing that look enough like clouds to pass for them. Finally, I hear hoofsteps around me, birds chirping above me, and the sound of ponies chatting. I blink, and the park is suddenly full of life. Directly in front of me is a group of young foals, all crowded around a purple dragon three times their size. He and I make eye contact several times, but he doesn't see me; rather, he can't see me. He looks down at the crowd of foals and starts a conversation with them, oblivious to the clone of him sitting mere hooves away. Nopony around seems to notice me or the Princess of the Night at all; we're like ghosts, watching the world move on without us.

I watch Spike chat with the foals for a while. It occurs to me that I'm not crazy, or in yet another alternate dimension, but simply viewing another one of my memories. In a few minutes, Sundown—who is currently sitting closest to me, almost in my lap—will suggest a game to play. Everypony will think it's a great idea, including me. I will notice, but ignore, the look of disdain coming from the red mare sitting on a bench that's actually directly next to the invisible one the princess and I are sitting on. We'll begin; I'll count to fifty, and start collecting a pile of stones I'll pretend are gems while the foals come up with a battle strategy. When it goes into action, they'll beat me mercilessly with sticks, something I won't be expecting to hurt as much as it does. When they finally let up, we'll exchange a bit of dramatic dialogue, and I'll use an argument between two of them as a chance to attack their leader, Captain Sundown. By attack, of course, I mean tickle, but that's not how the mare next to me will see it. All she'll see is me on top of her son, and all she'll hear are his screams, and then...

I blink again and realize that all of this has already occurred; I'm now watching myself walk towards me. I guess what's coming next and shiver as my memory-me goes walking through me; I can almost feel it. I turn and watch Spike walk up to Rarity, and at this point I've been unsettled enough by the reenactment to turn to Luna, who has been waiting patiently and is watching Sundown and his mother with a strange, pensive expression on her face.

"How long have we been here?" I ask stupidly. My voice is raspy, like I haven't spoken in a day. My throat feels drier than a desert.

"No more than ten seconds," she replies, so quietly it's as if she's not completely there. She's still staring at Sundown and his mother, both of whom are now frozen in a single moment as my memory of them reaches its end. She tears her eyes away from them, and out of the corner of my own I see them vanish. Or, I stop seeing them exist. Something like that.

"So," I say, wondering where to begin.

"So?" Perhaps she's wondering where to start, too.

"I'm dreaming."

Luna nods; her starry mane flutters around her.

I sigh, trying to accept the truth, and keep talking: "I've been asleep this whole time. Nothing's been real since I woke up in the Everfree, that morning. All of it's been in my head."

Luna smiles, and shakes her head; the stars wiggle with it.

"I believe that it would be easier," she says, "if you were a bit more specific with the questions you asked."

"Okay." I stare out at the now-emptying field and pour out to her: "Has all of this been a dream? Was everything in Dragonsville just in my head?" Silence follows for a while, so I add, in a small voice, "I mean, it isn't real, is it?"

"Allow me to answer your questions in reverse," Luna finally begins. "First of all, no; almost none of what's happened to you has been in your head. Only when you are asleep do you visit your subconscious. Second of all, it would be silly to think that just because something is happening in your head, that makes it unreal: it is very much real. I would prefer it if you would stop passing my visitations and dreamscapes off as mere figments of your imagination."

Her voice rises as she says all this, particularly during that last bit, and her expression makes her seem insulted, for some reason. I avoid her eyes and mutter, "Uh, sorry, I guess. I didn't mean to, uh..." The rest is lost in my throat.

Luna blinks as though coming out of a trance, and blushes faintly. "No," she blurts out, "I should apologize. I am just... tired of hearing ponies call my worlds 'fake'." She turns and stares at some grass. I get the feeling that she's not talking about something that's happened recently.

Starting again quickly, she says, "These moments you spend in your memories, and whenever you were with me, were the only parts of this journey that you spent in your head. As for your other question, it will take more than a simple 'Yes' or 'No' to provide you with a proper answer.

"As I said before, it's wrong to assume that something that happens in your head isn't real: everything, in some way, is real. In some cases, what's in your head may be more real than what you normally consider to be so. But what you've experienced in Dragonsville is real, Spike. Very real." She turns to me and points at my chest with a boot-fitted hoof. "It is you, young drake, that is the least real in this situation."

That almost made enough sense for me to believe her, but I need a little more than that. "I'm sorry, but I don't-"

"Please, let me explain." She stares hard at the ground, deep in thought. "You asked if you have been asleep this entire time. I assume that by 'entire time,' you mean the time you've spent in Dragonsville. You are correct; you have indeed been asleep. In a way."

Uh-oh. The way she said that sounds bad. "What does that mean?"

She looks me in the eye, opens and shuts her mouth, and frowns. She looks genuinely sad. "I mean that you are technically not alive at the moment. Your soul has officially left your body."

"WHAT!?!?"

The world explodes, literally. The grass turns a violent shade of red, something roars at us from underneath the earth, and everything blurs as the field we're in goes up in flames around us. I hear the screams of familiar ponies. A sick, black feeling comes over me, the feeling that I'm on the edge of something dark and bottomless. My eyes stay fixed on Luna this whole time; she pays no attention to the destruction surrounding us. I feel a slicing pain in my lip—turns out I've been biting it, hard. I grip the seat of the park bench, tearing into the wood with my claws. I can feel sobs trying to force their way up my throat. I think I'm going to vomit. These are symptoms of an anxiety attack, which is something I can't possibly be having because I'm dead, and dead creatures can't feel anxiety anymore because they are dead, dead dead dead—

Oh sweet Mother. I'm dead.

Luna puts her hoof on my shoulder. "Spike, please let me explain before you overreact-"

"What more could you possibly say? I'm dead!"

"Spike, you are not-"

"I can't be dead! How am I even talking to you if I'm dead? Unless this is-

"Spike! Desist!"

The Royal Canterlot Voice comes to her as naturally as breathing. I obey, shutting up and gritting my teeth to keep the lump in my throat down; when she speaks again it is in the same calm, collected voice she had when we first appeared in the field.

"Spike, let us walk. I will explain, if you will listen."

I nod, staying silent; I'm certain that if I try to say anything, all that will come out is "dead." We stand, and the bench folds out of existence. Luna begins to trot down a lone dirt path that wasn't there a moment ago, and I follow her. The explosions around us are calming down (so am I, I realize), and as we walk the scene blurs and changes, shifting into other memories of mine.

"I'm dead," I say, after we walk in silence for a minute (or perhaps a year, give or take a few days; time's weird here), "so, that makes Dragonsville heaven, right? Or maybe it's the other place, because there wouldn't be any other Spike if I was in—"

"Spike, stop," Luna interrupts. "You are not dead. You are not gone from your world forever, and Dragonsville is most certainly not heaven. Your soul is merely... taking a vacation from your body."

"Oh," I say, pretending to understand what that means; something about that hesitation makes me doubt that that's what's happening at all. Next question: "So, I'm half-alive, or something like that? In limbo?"

"Yes. Something like that."

"I've been like that for, what, a week in Equestria?"

Luna shakes her head. "Neigh. I've taken measures to ensure that you can return to your body at an appropriate time."

"What measures?"

"I have frozen time. That way, your body will not stop functioning and decompose, and your friends will not find you lying in a pool of your own blood." She says this so casually! It's as if she's done it before.

"You can freeze time?"

"For a time, yes. It isn't permanent, though. I can hold the spell for any time that amounts to at most-"

"Two weeks."

She smiles. "Yes. Very good."

We've reached a place that looks hauntingly familiar; the main room of the Golden Oaks Library. A lavender unicorn rushes around, looking over every shelf full of books for something she doesn't realize is in her assistant's hand. He's holding it out to her, and it takes her some time to notice it, but she thanks him and snatches it up gratefully. Luna and I walk to the library steps as Twilight and Spike talk about something; I can't remember what.

"What do you mean, 'I can return to my body?'"

"You are only in limbo," Luna answers, "because you so wished it."

"Bullshit."

She gives me an irate look. "Language, Spike."

Oh please. "I'm sorry, but I think I was just told I wished for my own death and got it, sort of. I think that's a very legitimate reason to swear."

"Please, let me explain—"

"I wish you would!" I'm getting tired of her s—

"Spike!" The stars in her mane flare brightly. I'm faintly aware that the Twilight and Spike chatting in the library are now silent and staring at us with faces devoid of all emotion. Creepy.

"...Sorry." I'm still mad, though. "Please continue. I promise I won't interrupt anymore."

"I understand your frustration," Luna says, "and I apologize for how unsympathetic my explanations must sound. I have been trying to improve upon my social skills." She starts up the stairs. "Please, though, do not let your emotions get the best of you. In these dream realms, emotions have caused the death of a great many ponies, griffons, and dragons alike."

I want to know more about this, but I'm afraid to open my mouth again. We reach the top of the stairs and step out of the trunk of an apple tree into the center of a field—specifically, a field of Sweet Apple Acres apple trees. A few rows down, a purple drake is standing on the back of a muscular maroon stallion, picking bright red apples and putting them in a white basket with a tag on it that I can't read from here. I know what it says, though: "Rarity," in big, golden letters. It was an idea for the week leading up to Hearts and Hooves Day, to get a different kind of fruit for her each day, ending with a bouquet on the actual Day itself. It didn't end well; Ponyville really only specializes in one kind of fruit.

Luna continues: "A wish you made resulted in your temporary termination. You may return when you would like to, and I will provide you with something that will allow you to do so. For the sake of allowing the spell to run its course, it would be best if you waited the full two weeks before returning. You will have a small window of opportunity to return to Equestria then."

"Why wait for the spell to end? Won't I just be frozen in time for a while? I wouldn't even feel it."

Luna frowns and answers slowly, as though unsure of her own words. "I believe... that you would not be able to cross over into Equestria without my assistance, and at the moment most of my magic is focused on the time spell. Until it ends, you will be stuck in Dragonsville."

I feel as though this isn't the entire truth, but I choose to drop it. "Fine." Looking up into the branches of one of the trees, I decide to pull an apple off it and give it a taste—emerald milkshake, with extra caramel sauce. "So, I've gotta wait until you're done with the spell?"

Luna nods and says, "Two weeks. I can maintain the spell for this long. When the two weeks are up, then it will fail, and it will be only a few short minutes before your sister and her friends find you in the Canterlot castle, bleeding to death. If you choose to stay in Dragonsville, then you shall die in Equestria, and you will be buried, mourned, and then, eventually, life will go on without you."

She makes it sound so simple and insignificant. "You say I have a choice?"

"Of course you do. I would not force you to return if you did not want to, though I would be severely disappointed."

"How so?"

"I have two very good reasons. Firstly, there is already a Spike in Dragonsville, and he cannot return in your place. To step into his life and try to take it over would not only be a horrible thing to do to him, but a disaster that may end in the destruction of both your world and his."

Well, that escalated quickly. "That's worst case scenario, though, right?"

"If it occurred immdiately, perhaps, but even if it did not, it would be inevitable. No doubt you have already experienced the chaos energy building between you two."

We're walking through rows and rows of books, the apple trees long having changed into shelves. To my left, down an isle, a unicorn and a drake with the same color of fur/scales are sent flying away from each other. Books fly as well, in what appears to be a small explosion.

"The shock," I mutter.

Luna nods. "Yes. When you and your counterpart first came in contact with each other, reality recognized that there were two of the same beings in one world. The shock you felt was chaos energy, used to keep you and Spike from tearing each other, and consequently all of the universe, apart. The energy acts as a sort of shield, protecting you from each other, though it does have some... side effects."

"Like what?"

"...disorientation." She pauses, sees that that isn't enough for me, and continues, rattling off a list: "Narcolepsy, short-term memory loss, and, most prominently, emotional instability."

Oh. "Emotional instability?"

"Indeed. You must have noticed by now that you are acting very radically when you deal with a situation in Dragonsville?"

"I—" I have. I realize now why I felt the way I did around Spike, why I morphed back into the bumbling fool I was years ago when I met Rarity, why I almost strangled Twilight when she told me how happy she was that Spike had gotten over Rarity. I feel faint, which makes no sense as I'm already asleep. I sort of whimper to Luna, "You're telling me that I've been acting like a jerk to my pony counterpart, messing with Rarity's head, and been a total mess in general,"—I let that sink in, and it hurts—"because there's some sort of magic energy keeping me from touching myself?" I don't even care how weird that sounds.

Luna nods. "I'm afraid so. The chaos energy sets up its own defense system, a way of keeping the creatures protected by it from making contact. Each time that you and your counterpart touch, it weakens. Eventually, it would fail all together, and the next time you came in contact with one another, you would both be torn from reality."

"And the universe would go down with us?"

"Yours and his, yes. Reality does not enjoy being warped by mortal hooves, Spike, and it will take the most drastic of measures to right any wrongs made. You don't belong in Dragonsville. You never did."

That figures. Just for fun, I ask, "What's the other reason I have to go back?"

"If you didn't, you would be leaving behind a group of ponies who care about you very, very much."

We're in another terribly familiar place; this one's a hallway, one I've seen in my dreams before. Debris and ashes are everywhere. Luna walks past a wounded, scaly form without looking at it, but I have to stop and stare. In the light of the moon, I can see every bit of the me that's just been through hell and back; I'm pretty sure this is one of the only times where I'm not looking at myself and thinking, Oh yeah, there's a handsome drake. Once more I feel like vomiting, but I swallow hard and follow Luna instead.

"If my memory serves me right," I say, "then when I 'died,' I was leaving behind ponies that considered me..." (Say it.) "...a pet. Not a friend or a loved one."

Luna ignores my statement and reaches a door at the end of the hallway. Instead of opening it, she walks right through without a word. I follow, hesitantly, and pause at the door. After a few moments of wondering whether or not it'll work for me, I try sticking only my head through the door. It works, and after a brief moment of darkness I come out on the other side and find myself staring right into somepony's face. It isn't Luna.

I'm facing a mare, very close up. She's frozen in place, in the middle of pounding her hooves against the door, trying to break it down to get through. Her ivory coat has been stained with ash and running mascara—she's been crying. Her dress is torn, her mane is a mess, and her tail looks singed in some places, but she's still the most beautiful pony I've ever seen.

Next to Rarity is Twilight, who is handling the situation much more calmly than the ivory unicorn. Or, it seems that way at first. Her horn is glowing, and her eyes are shut in concentration. Her dress looks beaten up as well, and there is a large cut on her cheek that I have the worst feeling is there thanks to me. When I look closer, though, I see that she's in fact having trouble with her magic, because she's crying. It looks as if she's frozen in between chokes. Behind the two unicorns are Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Luna. Applejack's got her hat pulled over her eyes, a clear sign that she's crying. Pinkie's just staring at the ground, blank-faced—absolutely terrifying. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are nowhere in sight.

"Do you think that they would be this desperate," Luna says, in almost a whisper, "to find a pet?"

No, no they wouldn't. I walk around Rarity, taking this image of her in as much as I can. She looks so scared, so miserable, so...

Maybe I'm just making myself see remorse on her face. It worries me that I can't remember very well how she looked as a pony. I turn away from her and look to the Luna standing behind Applejack, with her eyes shut and her horn glowing brightly.

"This is your memory," I say to the Luna that is over by Twilight, watching me.

"Yes," she replies. Making her way back to the door, she steps through it again. I follow, reluctantly—I dislike the feeling of walking through walls, and there's something about looking down at my own corpse, or half-corpse or whatever, that makes me want to vomit and then go insane—and we stroll down the ruined hallway quietly. I realize that she has made no hoofsteps this whole time, and that I myself make no sound when I walk. Interesting.

We reach my body, and it takes some time before I can look at it without breaking down, and even then I feel something trying to rush up my throat. The first time I'd looked at it, I'd avoided looking at the face, for obvious reasons. Now, though, I stare at it, and try to understand just why the hell I'm smiling up at the night sky.

"Luna," I croak, "how did I end up like this?"

"Would you like to see?"

The Spike on the ground grins up at me, giving me an answer: "No, I don't think I'd like to." I look away from the horrid, smiling dead-me to Luna. "But show me anyway. Please."

She nods, and suddenly things shift rapidly around us. Everything blurs as time moves backwards at a rapid rate. There are a few seconds of this blurriness and confusion; then everything straightens itself out. The hallway is perfectly clean now, and packed with ponies of the highest caliber. I look around, taking in the sudden noise and activity, and Luna begins walking through the crowd (literally), heading away from me. I follow, staring at everything but the Princess, and I spot Rainbow Dash chatting with Spitfire of the Wonderbolts. I wonder why Spitfire would be at the Expo, until I see the dress she's wearing. So, the Captain of the Wonderbolts is a fashion-lover—didn't see that one coming. I spot another Luna looking out at the crowd of ponies near where the dream-Luna (my Luna?) is headed. She (the memory-Luna) is pretending to listen to some first-class colt with an outrageous mustache-goatee combo that gives him the look of a Con Mane villain. Luna says something to him, turns, and walks through the now-open doors to the main room, now in line with the dream-Luna. I step into the room after her, only to be greeted with the shattering of a certain tray of champagne glasses. The Lunas look over simultaneously towards where the noise sounded; I follow their gaze, and we watch a group of ponies crowd around me. Not me, me; I mean the me that's just walked into a waiter on his way to Rarity, who's moved far enough away that only her ear twitches at the sound of the shattering glass. She doesn't see me (the memory-me), which is good, because it would suck for her to watch me being abused by the countless ponies who saw an untrained animal "attack" the waiter, not a civilized drake who made a mistake. The Luna that's a memory frowns, and starts trotting towards the crowd. The other one, the one that already knows what's going to happen, merely sits down. I know what's going to happen, too, and resign myself to fate as the colt that's going to spit in my face approaches me. Not the me that's dreaming; the me that's about to lose his cool. The me that just wanted to apologize to the mare I love, the me that wanted (wants) to be accepted by everypony.

The me that's about to go feral.

____________________________________________________________________

It was over in one minute, twenty-five-point-eight-two seconds. All this happened, more or less.

The dragon was spat upon by a stallion named Gilded Gown, who would later admit to being slightly inebriated when he did what he did, and would be charged with assault and receive a fine of 10,000 bits for his actions. That, added to a hospital bill he would be receiving soon, would be enough to force him to sell his summer home in Los Pegasus. These events would give him cause to change his ways, in the hopes of bettering himself and securing his family's future, and he would soon come to found an organization that researched and eventually cured several defects in horns, wings, and other vital pieces of the pony anatomy. By the time he died, forty-seven years thirty-four days and ten minutes after spitting in the face of a dragon, he would be the third richest pony in the world. Before he could be that pony, however, he had to suffer the wrath of an enraged dragon.

Gilded Gown's first reaction to the animalistic growls the dragon made after he spat upon him was that of snobbish humor: he assumed that he'd been correct in his belief that all dragons were simply large, unthinking beasts. This humor soon turned to fear, once he realized that he had just become the reason for one of said large, unthinking beast's anger. He attempted to flee the scene, and found that he had been boxed in by the other snobbish ponies who reacted to the actually very dangerous situation with their own snobbish humor. He searched for a way out, but turned back to the dragon when he heard the sound of tearing cloth. The dragon was ripping the suit he was wearing apart, and smoke was billowing from his nostrils. The suit he was destroying was made by the up-and-coming fashionista Rarity, who stepped into another part of the Canterlot Castle at that moment and would not be aware of anything happening in the other room for another sixteen-point-three-eight seconds. In that time, the dragon would start the worst incident in the Canterlot Castle since the Changeling Invasion several years prior.

The dragon finished tearing off his suit, and by this time seven different ponies had recognized the danger at hand and were quickly escaping the castle. Gilded Gown was still trapped in the crowd of ponies, and he found himself unable to move as the dragon approached him. He would later testify to having felt as though he were "under some sort of spell," a fact that led a small group of ponies to believe that the entire incident was set up; by whom, nopony could guess. The dragon reached the now-terrified stallion, and swiped him across the face with an unsheathed claw. The damage done in that single swipe would permanently scar Gilded Gown, and doctors would say it was a miracle that he survived. With him lying on the floor screaming, the rest of the crowd became aware of the danger in front of them, and panic immediately took hold of it. Somepony screamed "Murder!" and everypony else fled, flailing or shrieking to some degree. All this happened in six-point-seven-seven seconds, and it was point-two-four seconds later that the dragon began to transform.

He grew in large surges, and each surge was unbelievably painful for him. He let out several roars, each one growing more and more ferocious and animalistic. After five of these growth spurts, which left him at exactly thirty-three-point-six feet tall and exactly seventy-one-point-five-four feet long from tip of nose to tail, his roars became accompanied by geysers of flame that scorched the stone walls of the castle and set fire to many of the curtains lining said scorched walls. It also happened to strike most of the guards that stood at the walls, and many of them were permanently scarred, a huge stroke of luck considering what might have happened had they been closer to the fire's point of origin. Onepony that ended up rather lucky in the end was one Ms. Star System, who snatched up the wounded Gilded Gown and rushed him out of the room, saving his life. Some of the guards that had evaded the fire began to escort frantic guests from the castle, while more of them attempted to take down the dragon. Five ponies in total ended up trampled by the rush of ponies trying to escape the castle; two guards, two guests, one waiter. The dragon had reached surge number eight when his tail lashed out and tore a gash in the line of windows on one side of the room. The glass that fell from the windows landed in the garden, where many ponies were still enjoying the Fashion Expo with no idea of what was happening above them. Eight-hundred-fifty-four ponies ran screaming from the garden, after the glass had finished raining down on them. A great many of them were cut, but fortunately none were dead. Above the ruined garden, the dragon roared a ninth time, and the up-and-coming fashionista in another room heard him and said his name aloud. Sixteen-point-three-eight seconds had elapsed; there was still a minute and nine-point-forty-four seconds left before it all ended.

The room where Rarity had been led to also held Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, as well as Princess Celestia, who had summoned them and the other two Elements of Harmony for a spot of tea. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had yet to arrive: the former was in a hallway just outside the room holding the dragon, and the latter had been in the gardens; both of them were now outside the castle or on their way there, trying to fight the current of fleeing guests and get back inside to find her friends. The four Elements and the Princess all became aware of the dragon's roars simultaneously, but it was only Rarity who initially went to the door to investigate. Twilight followed soon after, as did Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Celestia hesitated for some reason of her own, but when the doors opened and she heard the ferocity of the dragon's roars, she realized what was happening and followed intently. By the time the five had reached the room of the dragon, he had already grown to reach the ceiling of the room, which was alight with emerald fire. Twenty-nine-point-nine-seven seconds had passed.

The dragon did not see the five ponies when they entered the room; his focus was on the guards attacking him. His roars could now be heard from all parts of the castle, and all guards were either focused on getting guests out of the castle or taking on the monster in the main ballroom. It was for this reason that the Equestrian Royal Guard made up the largest percentage of casualties from the incident, and this percentage would lead to the installment of a Draconic Fighting Force within the Equestrian military ten months later. The dragon swatted aside a group of guards, sending them flying at the princess and Element-bearers at dangerously high speeds. Though not badly hurt, the five mares found themselves stuck back into the hallway they had come from for another eight-point-eight-three seconds, enough time for a startling fact to be discovered about the dragon's fire.

Thirty-three-point-one-four seconds after being spat upon, the dragon had released enough flames to light every flammable surface in the ballroom, and with his friends and mother forced into a different hallway there was nothing to remind him of what he had become. At this moment, a group of unicorn guards attempted to dowse the flames with magically-summoned water geysers. This resulted in the aforementioned discovery that, much to everypony's horror, the dragon's fire would not be put out by water. The guards tried in many different ways to put out the green fire, but they found that it could not be stopped by anything they did. By the time the Element bearers and princess reentered the ballroom, the flames had spread to three other parts of the castle. The dragon himself clawed at the ceiling of the ballroom, and broke open an enormous hole into open air in nine-point-nine-eight seconds. He roared another roar, one that was now completely feral, and a geyser of flame blasted into the night air. Around the dragon, the castle burned, and could not be put out. Fortunately, it would burn for only another forty-two-point-seven seconds. Unfortunately, the end of the fire would only raise more questions from everypony present at the castle.

Forty-one-point-eight-nine seconds before it all ended, the dragon began to hoist himself up through the hole he had created in the ceiling. At his feet (now each the size of ten ponies) were unconscious or otherwise-incapacitated Royal Guards. At the entrance to the room from a hallway that eventually led to Princess Luna's bedchambers, five ponies looked up and knew the dragon that was the cause of all the destruction they were seeing. All of them were speechless, save for one: the fashion designer Rarity yelled the dragon's name, and got his attention. The dragon paused in his ascent, and when Rarity called his name again he turned his enormous head towards her. With the eyes of a beast he saw the terrified ponies, his friends and mother, and suddenly the horror came to him. The dragon looked at his claws, then his thick, trunk-like tail, then back at Rarity, and knew in that instant what he had become again. It took only point-three-six seconds for the next roar to reach his lips. When it left them, it was a roar of pain and sorrow, one that the five ponies would hear for a long time after it ended. The dragon turned from the ponies in shame, and tried to run. He flung himself up through the hole in the ballroom ceiling, leaving the room to burn. It was at this moment (thirty-three-point-nine-three seconds before the end) that Princess Luna made her first true appearance on the scene; she had been kept from stopping the dragon by a combination of fleeing guests, guards that insisted she needed to be somewhere else, and a pile of rubble that trapped her in a corner that was on fire. She rushed into the room just as her sister, who at that moment feared more for the fate of her son than for any of her fleeing or fighting subjects, went rushing into the air and out into the night, after the dragon. Luna stayed with the Element bearers, and thought of what to do next.

The dragon crawled along the roof of the castle, choking out roars that sounded almost enough like sobs to not terrify the ponies that could see him. He did not know where he was going, only that he wanted to be away from everypony. He also wanted desperately to be out of the body he was in, because it was not his and he hated it because of how much everypony he loved got hurt when he had it on. He spent sixteen-point-seven-seven seconds slithering along the castle roof before being halted by Princess Celestia, who had prepared a spell that she knew would help the dragon if he gave her time to perform it. And he did so; he practically begged her to, with his aware-again eyes.

Precisely one minute, eight-point-six-six seconds after having his face spat upon, the dragon was struck with a spell that stunned him into momentary unconsciousness. His massive claws dragged along the side of the castle hall he was above, and because it had already weakened due to the fire licking its insides, it collapsed. The dragon, already shrinking, began to fall. As he did, his tail lashed around and struck Princess Celestia, completely by accident, of course. She was sent over the edge of the castle's roof, and landed harshly in one of the Canterlot Royal Garden's duck ponds. The fall was approximately forty-seven-point-eight yards downward, and while it did not kill her (alicorns are very hard to kill, though it is entirely possible to do so), it did knock the breath out of her for the next twenty-one-point-four-seven seconds. For the dragon, it took three-point-four-five seconds to strike the floor of the destroyed hallway, and when he landed he struck a spire of rock that lodged into his back. This shocked him back into consciousness, and he found that he had returned to his normal, smaller form. He also realized, only one-point-six-two seconds later, that he was dying. As his body numbed, he experienced a moment of mad lucidity, and chuckled to himself as he thought of what he'd done. Then he remembered why, and nausea prevented him from laughing again.

In the other room, Twilight Sparkle cast a spell and found that her brother was lying in a hallway only one room away. She found that the door leading to the hallway in question could not immediately be accessed, being blocked by piles of rocks on both of its sides, but was thankfully free of the seemingly unstoppable flames that covered the rest of the ballroom. She rushed over to it, as did Rarity, who was all but suffering an emotional breakdown. The two reached the door in seven-point-nine-four seconds, and one began to lift away the rocks blocking the doorway as the other began pounding against it with her hooves. Applejack, the Element of Honesty, found she could not move from her spot, and hid her face. The Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie, stared at nothing in particular and thought about her good friend Rainbow Dash, whom she loved dearly. She was completely unaware that the Element of Loyalty was perfectly safe, ushering guests out of the castle with the Captain of the Wonderbolts herself, Spitfire; because of this, Pinkie felt worried beyond belief. Behind her, Princess Luna made a decision on which course of action to take, and began to cast a spell that, because of an incident involving a former suitor of hers who wanted to stop time forever, was extraordinarily forbidden.

In the hallway, the dragon witnessed a unique event, one that, in his state of delirium, made him do something odd; he wished upon a shooting star, one that took four-point-one-five seconds to pass over his head and out of sight. At that point, he felt himself slowing to a halt, and he faintly heard the sounds of pounding hooves and crumbling stone. Beyond the hallway he lay in, his sister tried to move more debris away from the door, but found that she was crying too hard to do so properly. The fashionista at the door was yelling at the door, as though her voice might fling it open on its own. The farmer and the party planner both stayed in their respective spots, and none of them noticed Luna or her glowing horn. As the clock on the dragon ran down, the alicorn of the night cast her spell.

One minute, twenty-five-point-eight-two seconds. All over the castle, the flames died out.

____________________________________________________________________

The hallway again. I'm smiling up at the sky. A stone is floating in midair over by a door that used to lead to the Equestrian Fashion Expo. I'm looking at Princess Luna, who looks back at me with a pitying look on her face. I don't deserve it, but I'm too tired to even try and tell her to stop it. One minute, twenty-something seconds, and I successfully set the castle on fire. I did that; I did that, and I hurt(worse than that) all those ponies. And yet the ones on the other side of the door are still pounding against it to see if I'm alright.

All of this destruction. And Luna wants me to return to Equestria anyway.

Very, very slowly, I sink to my knees. Then I press my head firmly into the ruined carpet beneath me.

Presently, I become aware that my face has become soaked with tears that I didn't know were running down my face.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

Well, that took a while to get down.

Sorry about the delay, really. Things have been frantic: many projects, many competitions, and of course the part where my National Pony Writing Month entry completely fell through. I was unable to get it done (see above for reasons) before the deadline, so that ended up being a bit of a waste of time. I do still plan on finishing it, though, once I'm done with this. And I will get this done, I promise; two weeks isn't forever, you know.

Anyhow, about this chapter: I wanted to do something different, so I tried the whole omnipotent narrator thing, in an homage to Mr. Kurt Vonnegut. This was also going to be a much darker chapter, with the flashback scene being much, much more violent. I might throw that in as a non-canonical bonus chapter sometime, when I'm done with everything else. Then again, I have a habit of piling way too much on my plate, and that usually ends with me taking a month-long (or longer!) break from it all. And that's no way to end a story.

Spike's gone through so much in this; I'm a heartless son of a rhymes-with-witch. But, I can promise that it won't end on a note like this. Or maybe it will: I'm also a fickle son of a rhymes-with-witch. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this long-overdue update!

—NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. After reading and re-reading this chapter, I've decided to take down the "Comedy" tag on this story; this is more a drama now, with comedic bits speckled in it. I wish they had a "Drama" tag. *sigh*

P.P.S. I was also waiting for that shiny new cover you all get to look at now! Thanks, Pia!

Night (with Guest Narrator Luna!)

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

WOOOO, LOOK AT ME, AUTHOR'S NOTES AT THE TOP, WOOOOOOOOOOO! I GO WHERE I WAAANT!! MAYBE I'LL VISIT THE MIDDLE OF THE CHAPTER NEXT TIME W0000O0O0O0O0OOO0O0OOOO!!!! I'M INVINCI—

Ahem. That's enough of that.

Anyway, wanted to get this next chapter up as a bit of a last-minute (and possibly late) Christmas gift. Don't celebrate Christmas? Consider it a Hearth's Warming gift! I promise that things'll start looking better soon for dear old Spike. I think.

Whatever. Gonna keep this short, because I have more to work on. Also, it's Christmas for many of you; don't want to keep you from your festivities too long.

Happy Christmas, Happy Hearth's Warming, Happy Reading, Happy [insert what you're happy about here]!

—NotARealPonydotcom

Night (with Guest Narrator Luna!)

Night

____________________________________________________________________

I have lived for a very long time, and in that long time I have seen many, many terrors and many, many wonders. However, when you are meant to live forever, such things tend to lose their luster. You tend to become rather detached from the lives and challenges of mortals as well. Perhaps that is why my sister takes it upon herself to have a relationship with her students that is more than simply that of a teacher and pupil, and perhaps that is why I became so cold and distant in the years leading up to my...

My detachment hardened me, and my constant exposure to the raw, dangerous emotions of dreams only intensified my clear emotional instability. Even now, as I try and reintegrate myself into Equestrian society, I find it troubling how little I care for the worries of ponies when there are no nightmares plaguing them in their sleep. Even Celestia has noticed this trait in me, and is trying to cure me of it: the talk she gave me after I had missed our dear niece's wedding made me late to lower the moon that evening. I am trying, though, to understand the emotions of mortals. I am trying to connect with them, find some similarities I may have with them; "make some friends," my sister asks of me. I have been successful in the past, most notably with young Twilight Sparkle, who has been helping me by introducing me to her own friends. The world I have returned to is much kinder than the one I left behind when It took me a millennium ago. I have my subjects, who adore my night and I unconditionally, as though I had never before done anything to harm them; I have my sister, who has apologized countless times for my crimes and continues to do so years after my return; I have friends, real friends, who all know me as "Luna" instead of "Your Highness" or "Princess" or "Lady of the Night."

Yet I can connect with none of them the way I do with the young dragon crying in front of me. He's pressed his head into the ground—I can recognize from the aura radiating off of him that he is having an emotional breakdown. I am reminded of myself, when I first learned of the damage Nightmare had done when It used me. I remember the resentment I felt towards myself, and I see the same self-hatred reflected in the way Spike moves. That is to say, he does not so much move as claw—at the floor, at the rubble next to him, at himself. Strangled noises come from his throat; they sound like those of an animal reaching the end of a very painful death. There's a small pool underneath his face, the result of the tears he's shed. Inconsolable; that's how he looks. Inconsolable. And for the first time in an eternity, I can truly sympathize with the pain of another creature.

"Spike," I finally say, hoping that simply saying his name might console him somehow. The drake does nothing to acknowledge me beyond hissing in my general direction. He continues to cry and snarl at something, everything, nothing. When he finally goes silent, I try again:

"Spike." I wish to be gentle; I know how delicate this situation is. I wait for him to take several more deep breaths, and he finally lifts his head up to glare at me. His face is wet with tears and spit, and his wondrous green eyes are dim and bloodshot.

"What?" he croaks. His voice is full of painful emotion, and though he cannot see it, there are rapid bursts of aura leaping off of him and consuming parts of the world around us. Already, there are holes burning through the stone floor he'd pressed his head into. Stones sitting near him are dissolving into dream dust, as is the memory of him underneath the stones.

"Please," I ask, "don't hurt yourself. You must calm down."

He spits at me, "Why shouldn't I hurt myself?" He stands up and takes a step forward. "Why shouldn't I hurt you? It's in my nature, isn't it?" His bloodshot eyes scream out at me with madness; I fear that Spike may not be all together anymore.

"Spike, what I showed you was not you. You did not hurt anypony, and you did not destroy anything, except perhaps the outfit you were wearing."

My attempt to be humorous is in vain. Spike snarls at me and takes another step in my direction. "Really? Well, that's fantastic. What a relief! I'm sure all those ponies who were just attacked will love hearing that!" He puts his claws around his mouth in a calling gesture and yells at something far away: "Hey, guys! Don't worry, that wasn't me, the dragon that was actually at the Expo and walking around and breaking dishes, who destroyed the Canterlot Castle. It was some other dragon who just happened to look exactly like a bigger version of me that did all that. He must have moved at insanely fast speeds and swapped me out for him so he could terrorize you all for a minute or two before switching himself out with me again so I could take the blame for him!" He lowers his claws and glares at me again. "That sounds like a completely legitimate story, especially since I've never done anything like that before, say, in a smaller town, on my birthday. Tell me, did your sister come up with that while she was stopping me, no, sorry, that dragon, from hurting anypony else? Because it sure sounds like something she would pull out of her fat—"

"Enough!!" I let my magic flare out, and Spike is thrown down to the floor. I stand over him and hold him down as I speak: "We can discuss what will happen to you should you return to your world, and I can and will help you in any way I can, Spike. But we shall do so as civilized beings, not like children having a temper tantrum! Do I make myself clear?" My magic calms as I do, releasing Spike from its grip. Breathing heavily, he sits up and glares at me. He takes a moment, then, instead of answering me, asks:

"Can you kill me?" The expression in his eyes is black like ink.

"Yes," I answer, knowing full-well what he is going to say next.

Spike lifts his arms out to his sides and says, in a voice deep and full of maddening pain, "Will you kill me?"

"No."

Unmoving, still gazing, he repeats, "Kill me."

"No."

"Please."

"Get up."

He does not. "Only if you kill me when I do."

"Get up, you pathetic creature! Now!"

I am sick of this. I let him know that with the rush of energy that bursts from me, and after another moment of glaring, he stands up and puts his arms at his sides. The black look is still in his eyes.

"So," he says, looking almost bored, "what happens now? Are you going to wake me up?"

I shake my head. "Not until you understand that what has happened is not your fault."

"How do I believe that?" he asks in a deadpan tone. "Am I supposed to agree with you when you tell me that all those ponies are hurt, that a huge part of Canterlot Castle is destroyed, that it's all because of a dragon that rampaged in the Fashion Expo being held that evening, but that it wasn't me? How can you say, 'It's okay, Spike, you can just go back to sorting books on library shelves, don't you worry your little head about any of it,' and think that I'd just nod my head like a dog and forget that it happened?" The more he speaks, the more his voice betrays him; anger and sadness, building and boiling inside of him. "How can that be okay? How would I ever get away with this, Luna? I destroyed... There were... And Rarity..." He's becoming delirious again. I watch him sink to the ground for the second time. He holds the sides of his head with his hands and begins to shake with fresh sobs.

Around us, reality churns.

I want to help him, but there is nothing I can do for him the way he is now. I have to return him to a stable emotional state before I can assist him properly. So, using some advice my sister has given to me many times over the course of my life, I step over to the kneeling dragon and give him a hug.

The churning slows, then stops.

"Please stop crying, Spike," I request. Something flutters in me; I recognize it as compassion. I hug him tighter, shutting my eyes as I do so, and suddenly I feel warmer inside. The warmth spreads to him, or at least it feels as though it does, and he slowly wraps his arms around me, returning my gesture of kindness. I open my eyes to find that a bright, colorful aura has surrounded; the source of the warmth that we are feeling, no doubt. I am not used to this, and some of what I feel is unrecognizable to me. Spike's sobbing against my shoulder fades away. He is silent for a minute before lifting his face up and looking at me. The colors of the emotion drifting off of us reflect in his scales and his eyes, painting him as though he were a canvas. He is glowing with all the colors of the world.

For the first time in more than a millennium, the beauty of the dream world amazes me into silence.

Spike must be seeing me the way I see him as well, for his eyes widen with amazement and his jaw slackens slightly. I cannot break my gaze away from him as the warmth surrounding us grows and tightens. I feel closer to him than I've felt to anything in an immeasurably long time; perhaps too close. I can feel his claws digging gently into the fur on my back, the scales of his leg rubbing against my hoof, his breath drifting across the gap between his lips and mine. Something else, something new and even warmer than what floats around us now, pours first into my gut and then out through my skin. From the corner of my eye, I see it seep into the emotional stew that we are in, its rosy glow reflecting in Spike's eyes in the loveliest way, and it's only as Spike leans his head towards me and I feel how hot his breath is that I realize—

"WAIT!"

The blanket freezes and shatters; Spike jumps when I yell, falling onto his back. I push myself away from him, terrified and embarrassed at what has almost happened. As I cover my mouth and try to force my emotions back down, Spike sits up again and rubs his head, his own having already completely dissipated. He is lucky; it takes me several painfully long moments to rid myself of the glow that had so captivated us a minute before.

Spike groans, "Jeez, Luna, what—" His eyes shoot open, no longer glowing with the spectrum of emotion from earlier. "Oh crap! Luna, what in your sister's name was that?" He looks up at me, hoping for an answer.

I clear my throat, hoping that my blush is not noticeable to the young drake. "That," I tell him, "was the result of an overflow of emotion." My blush has not yet gone from my cheeks, so I try coughing again (Celestia told me that works). "We were overcome by our feelings towards—" Oh dear Sister, what am I saying? "Er, perhaps I should phrase that better—"

"I'd like it if you would," Spike deadpans. I thank my stars that he has not noticed my unbecoming behavior.

"Yes, of course," I say, regaining control of myself as quickly and as calmly as I can. "Simply put, what happened is exactly what I warned you of: raw emotion. You, in your... damaged state, let your emotions leak out." Yes. He let them leak out. "You'll notice that we aren't where we were before."

Spike looks around; I cannot help but smirk at the look of surprise on his face when he sees that I am right. My smirk disappears, however, when he asks:

"Why are we in your bedroom?"

His question is not illogical; for a reason that I would like very much not to disclose to Spike, we've been transported from the destroyed hallway of Spike's damaged memory to my private quarters on the other side of the palace. How Spike recognizes them, I do not know, though the recurring motif of the moon painted on the far wall and sewn into the sheets of the bed may be what has convinced him.

"Ah," I say, thinking very quickly of a different reason for us to be here. "I think that, after the scene you've just destroyed, it would be nice to be in a place that you find comfortable." I move over to the conjured bed and sit on it. "I couldn't help but choose somewhere a little more familiar to me." To convince him, I giggle a little. Celestia says that it's an effective tool for a mare to have; for what, she did not specify. Fortunately, Spike appears to believe my fib, and gets up again.

"What do you mean 'destroy?'" he asks.

"Simple," I reply, happy to see that the conversation is getting back on track and that Spike is stable once more (for now). "You let your emotions seep out of you, and they tore apart the world around us. You were very emotionally unstable, which is why I had to console you. Oh, and I apologize for calling you 'pathetic.'" Confound it; I cannot be rid of this blush!

Spike sighs and shakes his head. "It's fine, Princess."

"Please," I insist, "call me Luna."

"...Fine. Luna, tell me this:"—he turns to me with a worried look in his eyes—"what's going to happen to me, when I get back to Ponyville?"

I put a hoof on his chest and smile. "Spike, I assure you, when you get back, my sister, and no doubt your own, will do everything in their power to make sure that you are not harmed. I will as well, and under my wing, nothing will happen to you. I promise." To stress my point, I stretch my wing out and hug him with it. I'm getting much better at this than I had previously thought.

Or perhaps not, as Spike lowers his head and slowly shakes it. He pinches the space between his eyes and says, "No. I don't want that."

He is refusing my help? "Wh-What?"

"I don't want nothing to happen, Luna." He sits down on the bed next to me. "I don't want to walk away from this the way I did on my birthday. This isn't like that. I can't have you or your sister just sign some documents, make some apologies, and promise that everything will be okay from now on. I... I need to pay for this, in some way."

"Spike, you're being ridiculous! You aren't responsible for-"

"Yes I am, Luna!" he shouts, gripping the bed tightly with his claws. Reality around him warps for a moment as he continues, "I was the one who lost control. Even if I wasn't actually in control when I..." His face twists, as though he may be sick. "...murdered those ponies, I was the one who let him out! Again!" He bent his head down towards the floor and mumbled in addition, "I didn't even have to take anything this time..."

"Spike, you did not murder anypony! Anypony who died that night—"

"—died because of me!" he finishes, smacking himself in the chest. "Even if I didn't literally rip their heads off, there are some ponies who'll never see their loved ones again because they ended up crushed by others trying to escape me!"

My wing flutters against his spines. "They were accidents, Spike. It was bad luck..."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"It means that you aren't at fault for—"

"Don't say it," he growls, flashing his fangs. "Just. Don't."

Oh, why can't he accept that I'm trying to help him? "Spike, I understand that you're—"

"No, Luna!" he yells. "You don't understand what I just saw! You saw a monster rampage around a castle for two minutes. What I saw?" He shakes his head, glaring at me with wide emerald eyes. "That was much worse. I watched myself break a promise I made years ago, the last time this happened. I promised that I would never lose control of myself that way again, for the sake of everypony that I loved and cared for. How can you possibly understand what it feels like to see that you've caused so much pain and destruction, all because you didn't have the self-control to stop it from happening?"

How dare he.

From deep down, I feel It bubble up again. There is the all-too familiar feeling of oil slicking over my body, and for a flash It surfaces again; a flash is all I need.

"Who do you think you're speaking to?"

The effect is instantaneous: Spike's eyes widen and stay wide, even after I put It away and return to normal. His jaw slackens; his mouth opens and shuts, and opens and shuts; then he turns away and stares at a spot on the floor in front of him. There is silence—complete silence. Only in sleep can one experience this. I've seen many a pony go mad, trapped in a coma, unable to make a sound and faced with this most absolute quiet. Like the emotions earlier, it blankets me. I let it; I have no intention to say more to Spike, not yet. The quiet covers me; I shut my eyes, and for a while I'm nowhere.

Finally, when I feel the silence truly begin to sink in, Spike speaks:

"That was a dumb thing to say..."

Gently, I return to the world and turn my gaze to the purple dragon beside me. I can see that, even though his comment is immature and lighthearted, he is truly sorry. So I say, "Yes. Just a little bit," and I smile, because I've been told that it's good to be lighthearted in times of trouble.

Spike looks at me and says, "So, then. You think that this is just like you and Nightmare Moon? Because you seem to have much more control over it now."

I shake my head. "No, Spike. What I showed you was an image; the appearance of Nightmare Moon. That, I will always be able to do, and I will always change into her when I am in a deep enough rage. It is a permanent reminder of my moment of weakness, when I allowed myself to lose control to the darker forces that were within me."

Spike lets out a puff of smoke through his nostrils. "Yeah, well, my darker forces are probably going to get me lynched. Once those ponies know I'm still alive..."

I move closer to him and put a hoof on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "Spike, please understand that you are not going to be killed for what has happened. As is with Equestrian law, your case will be explained, and—"

"A court case?" Spike asks, pushing away my hoof and giving me an incredulous stare. "There's going to be a court case?"

I nod. "There was one to determine my fate. Why wouldn't there be one for you?"

Spike blinks a few times, then looks down at his feet again. "I just..." he mutters, "wasn't expecting that. Do you think... that they'll sentence me to death?"

I don't mean to laugh, but I can't hold it back completely. A bark escapes me, and through the hoof I put over my mouth I say, "There's no death penalty in Equestria, Spike. We don't sentence ponies to death."

He gestures to himself. "You're not talking to a pony, Luna."

I smile again; this is becoming increasingly easy for me. "Spike, I do not think that you will be killed for your mistake if I was not for mine." I give him a wink (another helpful trick my sister taught me), and joke, "Having my sister on your side will probably help you as well."

Spike frowns; he doesn't seem to understand my joke. "I don't think abusing her power to put me above Equestrian law will be very good for Celestia."

I sigh; I had hoped to put him in better spirits. Oh well. I say, "I don't think divine intervention from my sister will be necessary. The ponies of Equestria are kind, understanding creatures. They will not be cruel to you."

Spike snorts. "That's a bit too hard to believe. In case you weren't watching my memories with me, somepony tackled me the moment I stepped into the kitchen in your palace."

"Spike, you must have faith. There are always exceptions that prove the rule. Always. There are ponies who are not as idealistic as those from Ponyville, true, but you must know that there are plenty more who are. The world has learned to forgive, Spike; it's a lesson my sister has been teaching since Discord was first defeated." I rest my wing over his shoulder again. "I want you to promise me that you'll stop worrying, Spike. Don't let this make your last days in Dragonsville unenjoyable. You can't be dragged down by this, please."

Spike snorts again. "Luna, I don't think you realize what you're asking me to do..."

"I am asking you to forgive yourself for everything that's happened. I understand that you will have some trouble doing so completely without making some amends, but at the moment it is impossible for you to do that. So, while you are unable to make peace with everypony else, I want you to make peace with yourself."

He looks up at me when I take his hand in my hoof. I let my smile reassure him once more.

"Please Spike," I request, "do this for me."

The drake looks down at my hoof, then back up at my visage. I can tell by the glint in his eyes that he is deep in thought; another long pause passes before he finally answers me:

"Okay, Luna." He nods, smiling gently. "I think I can try that." He hugs me; and once more, I feel raw emotion bubbling from within both of us. I let the bedroom dissolve around us, and Spike's memories return, in the form of a scene that I suspect our embrace has reminded him of. I pull away from him, and he looks over at the pair of embracing creatures at the edge of the balcony we now reside on. His smile vanishes as the dragon and pony kiss. The pony, a mare with a coat that rivals my sister's in brightness, drops a glass that had been held in her magical grip. It shatters on the ground, but neither she nor the dragon give it any mind. Sitting next to me, Spike sighs, and leans back against the chair that he's now seated in. He smiles returns as he relishes the relived memory. I see some of the rosy color from earlier wisp off his shining purple scales.

"In three, two, one..." he says slowly, his eyes still on the embracing pair. I turn my attention to them just in time to watch the mare push the drake away. The drake now looks worried, and even a little frightened. The two begin to talk, and as their voices rise, the Spike sitting beside me shakes his head and covers his ears. His smile has vanished.

"No..." he mutters, and suddenly I cannot hear what the mare and the drake are saying anymore. I turn to Spike again, and offer my hoof again. Spike opens his eyes and stares at it, but ultimately ignores it and turns back to the arguing couple, still muted by his request. I see the longing look in his eyes as he keeps them fixed on the mare, who is trying in vain to talk to the dragon. He is backing away from her, a look of sickening anger growing on his face. As the drake makes his way to the balcony doors, Spike mutters, "Idiot..." and puts a claw to his forehead. He continues to watch the mare as she sinks to the floor of the balcony. Even as the memory ends, and she freezes and blurs, he stares at her, looking tired and sad. I cannot stand to see him like this.

"She still loves you," I tell him. "I spoke with her once, just before the Expo began. She opened up to me, told me that she believed she could trust me with her true feelings." I smile, remembering the moment (without letting the scene around us change), and add, "She was the first pony to ever call me their own 'friend.' Besides your sister, of course."

Spike doesn't look away from the blurry mare. In a low voice, he says, "I really wish I hadn't done that." He sighs. "All of this happened because I couldn't deal with her thinking my teeth were weird." A chuckle escapes him, and he buries his face in his hands. "And then she wanted to wait until after the Expo, and I thought she wanted that because she didn't want to be seen with me that way." He looks back up at the blurred form of his love. "I must have put her through so much pain, that night I stormed off. She'd never love me now."

"You're wrong," I say. The drake turns to me, and I shrug. "There's nothing more to it than that, Spike. You're simply wrong. Rarity still loves you. In fact, I'm certain that, no matter how much you don't want it, she'll always love you, just as you will always love her."

Spike opens his mouth, then shuts it again. I giggle once more, and say, "Trust me, I know what emotions you're feeling right now. I've felt them with you, these past few days." I try nudging him (another one of Tia's social tips) and add, "There's no point in dwelling on an issue that you can't actually do anything about just yet, Spike, so I would advise you to leave it for another day. Perhaps one you spend in your own world?"

At that, Spike chuckles, a sound that is marvelous compared to how he had been sounding (was it only?) minutes ago. He grins and lets the scene on the balcony fade away, until we are left sitting in a white void with nothing existing in it but the chairs we are using. He turns to me and asks, "Speaking of which, how am I gonna get back? Do I just vanish out of Dragonsville, or am I gonna, like, gradually fade or something?"

Excellent; we can move on to the important business. I get up from my seat and begin walking. Spike follows me, and our chairs vanish as the world begins to form into a new memory. This time, we appear in the halls of the Canterlot Castle, on a path that I know will lead to the place we must go. As we walk, I speak:

"I am glad our conversation has finally come to this. Your departure from Dragonsville, should you choose to leave and return to your world, will involve a bit of a ritual."

"How so?"

We reach a door that does not exist in the actual Canterlot Castle, and I push it open with a pulse of my horn. Behind it resides a small room made of cobblestone. In its center is a wooden pedestal, and covering the walls of the room are countless shelves, in turn covered in chests and vials and tomes and mystical, dream-world things. The shelves themselves stretch into infinity, up and up into a dark, unlit part of the impossible room. Spike and I step inside; the door dissolves behind us as it shuts.

"You remember where you first appeared in the other world, correct?" I ask, moving to the shelves at the far end of the room. I spread my wings and begin flying upwards.

"Uh... Yeah. It was a clearing, just outside the Everfree Forest, next to a pasture."

I reach the row I need to find and spot the small chest immediately; sapphires and pearls glimmer on its dark oaken surface.

"Excellent." I take it in my hooves and begin my descent. "Do you know the exact spot you were in when you appeared?"

Spike's answer is slow. "Kind of... I was on the side of a road, and there was, like, an indentation of my body when I got up. I might have been there a while."

"Ah, yes, I remember. You were brought there in your sleep." How else could you be brought here? I almost add. I land, holding the chest in my magic. I move over to the wooden pedestal in the center of the room, where Spike already is. He eyes the chest as I set it down on the pedestal.

"You will be able to return to your world when my time spell wears off, which should be in seven days."

Spike looks at me oddly. "Wait. Seven days? But, the Summer Sun Celebration was only yesterday, and that was only five days after I'd arrived..." He seems to be doing some sort of mathematical equation. He mumbles to himself, "So, the sixth... no, the seventh day was this morning, with Twilight, and then there was breakfast, and then Rarity and I... but how long were we... and if we were, then that means..." His eyes widen, and he puts a hand to his forehead. "Uh-oh."

"Spike?"

He looks at me, and seems to remember where he is. "Oh. Uh, it's nothing. I just... lost track of time." He looks over at the chest. "So, uh, why did you bring this chest down?"

I decide to leave well enough alone and continue. "Inside of this chest," I say, "is an artifact that will serve as a way of telling you when it is time for you to choose." I concentrate my magic, and the lock sealing the chest clicks. With another pulse of magic, the top of the chest swings open, revealing a large spherical gemstone. My gemstone.

"Spike, this is a Moonstone," I explain, lifting the precious artifact out of the chest. "It is a manifestation of my power, sealed within a pearl that was grown under the light of my moon for an entire year."

Spike, mesmerized by my stone's beauty, blinks at the mention of its formation. "An entire year under the moonlight? How?"

I smile and say, "The gem was constantly moved, by a very special pony." I stare into my gem and think about its caretaker, and how much I cared for him. "It was his life's work, ripening the stone for its destiny."

"Who moved it?"

I smile, keeping my eyes fixed on the orb. I can almost see him in it.

I tell Spike, quietly, "His name was Artemis." Even quieter: "He was my son."

He does not answer back immediately; I expected as much. When he does, he seems to have left the subject alone, in exchange for one more comfortable:

"...So, uh, how does it work?"

I cradle the orb like a firstborn child. "As my time spell wears off, magical energy that I'm taking from this stone will begin replenishing. By the time the spell completely cancels out, the stone will be filled with energy once more, and it will be required that it return to a place where can be kept safe. That place is here, in my dream world, in our universe. When it is with you, it will begin blinking to signal that it wants to go home."

Spike stares with wonder at the stone. "It holds your energy?"

I nod. "The stone is a... contingency plan of mine. Should it ever become necessary, the Moonstone will distribute its stored power to me, giving me the strength to do... anything necessary."

I notice that Spike's eyes flicker to me for an instant and ignore it, continuing: "However, I doubt that I will need it for anything that drastic any time soon. For now, let it serve as a warning sign to you. The stone will slowly grow whiter and whiter, until it is as pure white as, say, fair Rarity's coat. When it reaches that color, it will begin to warm up. That is your signal to return to where you came into the other world and wait for the Moonstone to completely charge. Then, when it begins blinking, you will have a small window of opportunity in which to return to the world you've left behind. Simply place the stone in the spot you appeared at, and the magical residue left behind by your wish will be recognized and exploited by the stone, so that it may open a portal that can take you home. All it will need is a bit of the world you wish to travel to."

"So, what, I yank out a loose scale and toss it in?"

"I left you with something that I'm sure will do just fine." I let him think for a moment, and the answer appears in his brightened eyes before it leaves his lips.

"Your little slip of parchment?"

I smile. "Indeed."

Spike looks back to the Moonstone. "So, is this going to appear somewhere in Dragonsville?"

I nod, and gesture for him to take the stone. He does so, and the moment his hands touch the gem it explodes into a glowing white fireball in his claws. Spike yells, but does not let go as the Moonstone glows brighter and brighter. There is a momentary feeling of suction; my mane drifts towards the orb briefly. Then, the glow subsides, and Spike is left holding it as before. He stares at it with wide eyes, and takes a moment to speak again:

"Luna?"

"Mm?"

"What was that?"

I smile. "That was the stone's way of crossing over to the waking world. When you took it in your claws, you gave it a path to follow, and it appeared in your arms as you slept. When you awaken, it will be waiting for you. Keep it safe."

Spike's gaze breaks away from the stone and snaps to me. "What?" he barks.

Perhaps he did not hear me correctly. "The Moonstone is now with you in the waking world, Spike—"

"As in, it appeared in my arms in a flash of magic white light?"

He interrupted me! How rude! "Well, I suppose, yes—"

"Oh no." He stares at the stone in absolute terror. "Oh no," he repeats, moments before the entire world begins to shake violently. Spike holds the Moonstone tightly as he is thrown around by the tremors. He slams into one of the shelves and grunts. I find myself gripping the sides of the wooden pedestal as the world begins to crumble.

"Spike!" I manage to yell, though the rumbling is making it difficult to do so.

"Luna!" the dragon responds. "I think I'm being woken up! I can feel the sheets of the bed I'm in!" I look over to him, and I find I can see through him. The stone is vanishing with him.

"Who in the world is waking you up?" I ask. As if to answer me, a voice booms from around us, all-encompassing and, in all truthfulness, terribly frightening:

"Emerald!"

"I wasn't sleeping alone tonight!" Spike shouts. "The Rarity from Dragonsville was in bed with me! She must have seen the Moonstone appear in my hands!" The more he speaks, the harder it becomes to hear him. I can now see more of the shelf he is leaning against than I can see him. The voice from everywhere calls out again, practically knocking me unconscious with its power:

"Emerald, wake up! Please wake up!"

Spike's words finally connect in my head, and I realize why he is being awakened so abruptly. I watch as he gives me one last smile and, with no better ideas for saying goodbye, waves. I try to wave back, but I have to keep my grip on the pedestal tight to keep from being thrown to the floor. As he finally vanishes, the quaking stops, almost as if it had never occurred. Still gripping the pedestal tightly, I think back to how close I've come to being torn apart by dreams this night. I feel lucky to have only had to deal with Spike's rude awakening for so long. Briefly, I consider the emotional blanket and rosy color from our earlier moment together, but I quickly shake off these thoughts. I don't have time for them, and there's no point in holding on to them, anyway. He has enough things to worry about; he doesn't need to add me to that pile.

I return to all four hooves and dust myself off. Then I go over to the chest that held the Moonstone, which has been thrown to the ground, and pick it up with my magic. Returning it to its spot on the shelf, I can't help but wonder what it must have looked like to whomever was watching Spike sleep, to see the Moonstone suddenly appear.

"Oh Spike," I whisper, to no pony who is anywhere here. "Please, be alright."

____________________________________________________________________

I'm leaving Luna and moving back to my world and one moment there's the shelf room and I'm hitting my head on the back of one of them and the stone's in my hands and radiating warmth and then I'm sliding down a tube a thin tube and there's shouting in my ear and it's getting louder and louder and louder and the hard cobblestone floor gets softer and softer and suddenly they're sheets and I'm awake and back in Rarity's room with my body bunched up under the bed sheets. I'm still holding the Moonstone, and Rarity's sitting in bed with the sheets drawn up around her. She looks scared, and rightfully so—I'm pretty sure she just watched the Moonstone appear in my hands in a magical burst of light. So that's my wake-up call.

"E-Emerald?" she asks, pointing at the still-warm gem. "That thing, it—it just appeared in your hands."

I momentarily ignore her and turn over in bed, looking out the window. To my relief, there are still signs of the sun in the sky, though not for much longer. Looking closer, I can just make out the form of a pink dragon standing in the street that the window gets a perfect view of. If I didn't know exactly who that was and why they'd have a reason to do anything as crazy-looking as what they're doing right now, I might have passed off their pointing directly at my face from where they're standing and mouthing the same word over and over again as me being paranoid. Except that's totally Pinkie Pie out there telling me to tell Rarity the truth, and I Pinkie Pie Promised I would; so what can I do but turn to Rarity and say:

"I know. And, honey, I've got to tell you something. Right now."

All Out

____________________________________________________________________

In the real world, the Moonstone looks a lot like a crystal ball. It is perfectly clear, save for the flaws that decorate the inside. Each one of these flaws is unique, a snowflake suspended in a single moment; put against a dark background, they give off the appearance of stars in the night sky, or maybe a midnight snowfall (with the name Moonstone, though, the former seems a more proper comparison). In the sphere's center is another flaw, or what looks enough like one, anyway; a minuscule white dot sits there, shining light through the glassy orb. In the dark, the Moonstone shines the silhouettes of the flaws onto whatever surfaces are around it, giving, say, a bedroom, all the look and feel of an observatory. It's smaller than in my dream, too; whereas I previously needed to hold it in both hands, in reality it's only about the size of a polo ball, maybe even a bit smaller. It would look wonderful as a Hearth's Warming tree ornament—even better, as its star.

Right now, though, it's sitting in the middle of the coffee table in Rarity's living room. I'm sitting right in front of it, on a comfortable purple chair made of what feels almost like a cloud. I'm waiting for Rarity, who's preparing some tea for the both of us, despite the fact that I'm not thirsty. In fact, I had insisted on just telling her the truth right when I'd first woken up in her bed. She, however, insisted back that we both properly wake up—we both want our heads to be clear when we talk, she claimed. A stalling technique, if ever there was one.

"Right," echoes Rarity's voice from the kitchen entrance. I don't look up from the Moonstone as she walks into the room and sets a steaming cup of tea in front of me. My focus shifts from the orb to the cup as she sits down; it's green tea. I smell jasmine.

"I hope you don't mind jasmine," she confirms, sipping from her own cup. "I find it very useful when I'm trying to think clearly while under a lot of stress. I hope that you'll find it helpful as well."

"Thank you," I mutter, taking the cup in one claw. I take a long, slow drag from it, trying to stall the oncoming conversation as much as possible. It's actually very tasty, and the warmth that trickles into my stomach eases the nausea I've been suffering from ever since Rarity brought me downstairs. Setting the cup down, I let out a hot breath and watch the small cloud of steam rise up from my lips.

"So." Rarity's voice captures my attention. I focus my eyes on her; she's looking at me with a stern, but patient expression.

"So?"

"So, what exactly do you need to tell me?" She gestures to the Moonstone. "I suppose it involves this."

I nod, but don't say anything.

"Am I supposed to guess what it is?"

"No. It's called the Moonstone."

"The Moonstone? Not a Moonstone?"

Another nod. "There's only one." I point to it.

"And how, exactly, did it appear in a flash of light in your claws not twenty minutes ago?"

"Princess Luna gave it to me."

This surprises her. She probably thinks I'm talking about her Princess Luna.

"Come again?"

"Princess Luna gave it to me. She said it was the source of her magic."

Rarity looks down at the Moonstone. "The source of..." She looks back up at me. "You've met Princess Luna?"

Nod. "We've been meeting for a while, actually. I just didn't know it was her. I thought I was dreaming. Well, I was dreaming, but you get the point."

"Actually, darling, I don't. You mean to tell me that you've been communicating with Princess Luna for... how long did you say?"

"I didn't." A pause, in which Rarity tilts her head expectantly. "It's been a week, now."

"So, ever since you showed up here." She's figuring it out all on her own. Good for her.

"Mm-hmm."

She stares at the Moonstone for a while, then sighs and sips her tea again.

"Alright, I'll bite. What does it do, then?"

"The Moonstone?"

"Yes, darling."

"It..." How do I phrase this the right way? "...It takes me home." That was not the right way.

"...And where is home?"

I take another huge gulp of tea, trying to ease my churning stomach. When that fails, I turn my head down towards it, hoping that maybe I can stare it into calming down.

"Emerald?" Rarity bends her head down to try and look me in the eye. "You promised me, remember?"

You're not the only one, I think, and smirk without meaning to. "Yeah, I did. I just wish the truth didn't suck so much."

"Darling," she insists, resting a claw on my shoulder, "it would be better than lying again."

I look up, into her sapphire eyes. She brought herself close; I think maybe she might be expecting me to kiss her. Instead, I mutter, "I don't think I agree with you."

She huffs, and sits back on her couch, crossing her arms.

"Tell me anyway. Where are you from, Emerald?"

"My name's not Emerald," I suddenly spit out, a bit more harshly than I intended. She starts a bit, almost spilling her tea on herself.

"A—Alright then," she stammers, once she'd gotten a hold on her cup again. "Your name isn't Emerald. What's your real name, then?"

I just stare at her claw, wrapped around the teacup so tightly. It occurs to me that she might be just as unwilling to know the truth as I am.

"I can't tell you. Not yet."

We make eye contact again, and I think she sees how badly I don't want her to know my name, because she sighs again, sips her tea, and says, "Fine. We can save that for later." She sets the sup down and folds her hands properly in her lap. "Back to this Moonstone, then. You said it would take you home."

"Yes."

"Where is that?"

"It's... hard to explain."

"Oh, I'm certain. But, given that neither of us have any plans to be anywhere for the rest of today, you have plenty of time to regale me with the stories of your past." She leans towards me again, now with a deadly serious look in her eye. "I will ask you once more: where is 'home' for you?"

"...Ponyville."

"Speak up. You sound like Fluttershy."

I grit my teeth and force myself to speak louder.

"Ponyville," I hiss.

"Never heard of it, dear."

Never heard of it. Oh Celestia, she doesn't even make the connection. Something about the way she said it, maybe her deadpan tone or the disappointed look in her eyes as she spoke, is just too damn funny. It shouldn't be, but it is, and I can't hold it back.

I laugh. Hard.

It starts in chuckles, small ones that make my head shake. Then I'm grinning, and letting out more and more, until finally I rear my head back and let it out in huge, lung-emptying roars. I can see Rarity out of the corner of my eye, leaning back in her seat, eyes wide with shock. She must think I'm crazy. Heck, I think I'm crazy at this point—wasn't I just diagnosed with emotional instability by Luna, anyway?

The laughter shakes my body, and my chest is aching by the time I finally get a hold on myself. Actually, I only half-get a hold on myself: the laughter still comes, but my attempts to stop it force it to only pass my lips in the form of wheezes that sound like they should be coming from a dying old drake. I clutch my chest as I wheeze and bend forward again, and my other hand reaches for my tea cup. I shakily bring it to my lips, and the jasmine soothes away the last of my laughter. I look back up at Rarity when I'm done; she's giving me the look of a dragoness afraid for her life, as I suspected. I give her a big, grim grin.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to laugh like that."

"I—I don't see what's so funny," she replies, and I almost go back into Laughtertown full throttle.

"No you don't. Not just yet."

"Oh." She shifts in her seat nervously; obviously, I've made her quite uncomfortable.

"Sorry," I repeat, realizing how terribly this is all going. "I—I sound totally insane right now, don't I?"

She gives me a small nod as confirmation. I notice that her claws are gripping her couch cushion very tightly.

"I didn't mean to come off that way, this is just—" I groan and bring a claw to my forehead, feeling the beginnings of a migraine set in. "Look, I don't think there's any way for me to say this without sounding completely insane, but I want you to know that I'm really trying my best here to make it sound believable to you."

"Make what sound believable?" Her voice is wavering. I move my claw away to see that she's staring at me with big, sad eyes. "You still haven't told me anything about who you are."

"I told you my name—"

"No you didn't!" she yells. Her eyes are shimmering. "All you've said is who you aren't! You keep skirting around my questions, Emerald, or whomever you are!" She shuts her eyes, and takes two deep breaths before continuing: "Now, let's try this again: You are from where?"

"Ponyville." It sounds so alien when I say it aloud.

"And that is where in Serpentia?"

"It's not in Serpentia."

She opens her eyes enough to glare at me. "Alright, then where is it?"

"It's in Equestria."

"Again, I'm afraid I've never heard of such a place—"

"That's because it's not a part of this world."

Her eyes open completely now. She's still glaring at me, but she doesn't look so tired anymore. Silently, she prompts me to continue.

"Equestria is... from another universe." I pause, expecting some sort of response from Rarity—not a word. So: "It's a lot like this one, with a few... minor differences. Like, for instance, there're hardly any dragons around. It's all ponies, like Spike." The more I talk, the more I have to avoid her eyes and wring my hands to keep from stalling and stopping. "A-And, like, instead of Night Fury, we've got Nightmare Moon. Then there's, um, the Summer Sun Celebration, except that's pretty much the same in Equestria as it is here, and—"

"Equestria..." Rarity breathes, loudly enough to stop me. She stares straight through me with clear blue eyes and whispers, "Serpentia..."

"Uh... yeah." I try smiling. "Do—Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Her jaw unhinges a little. Slowly, she nods, and leans back into the cushions of her couch.

"Good. That's good. I'm glad we can move on." I try to take another sip of tea, only to find that I've finished it. I must have been taking larger gulps than I thought. I put the empty cup down on its saucer, and try to relax, just a little.

"S-So..." Rarity squeaks out, "this"—she points a finger at the Moonstone—"is some sort of... transport... back to your world?"

"Yes."

"Equestria."

"Yes."

She stares at the orb, then at me. "And you got it from... Princess Luna?"

"Yes. My Princess Luna."

"Not a dragon?"

"Nope. Alicorn."

"A what?"

"It's... like a unicorn with wings. And a lot more magic."

"Ah." Sip. "And I presume she sent you here?"

"Actually, I don't know how I got here. There are still a lot of unanswered questions." My headache spikes suddenly, and my claw drifts to my forehead. "What I do know is that it's partly my fault. Actually, it's mostly my fault. I made a wish on a shooting star—don't laugh—and it apparently sent me here. I don't want to believe that that's true, but... Luna showed me something that tells me it probably is."

"So, you made a wish, and you just... appeared here?"

"Um, I think so. I was kind of unconscious when the teleportation actually happened. I appeared in this clearing, out in the Everfree Forest. It was by a bunch of cows in a stable."

"That would be the Apple Family's livestock."

"Regardless of whose cows they were, that's where I showed up. Heck, there might still be an indent in the ground where I poofed in."

"And this was a week ago?"

"Just about, yeah. And... I had a message with me when I woke up..."

"Yes?"

"It... told me I had a time limit."

Rarity frowns, but says nothing.

"I—I was going to tell you..."

No response. She just stares.

"...I can only spend two weeks here. That's when the Moonstone is going to take me back to my world. So, in a week, I'll be... gone."

Still no response. Rarity just looks at me with that small, disappointed frown.

"Look, I promised you I wouldn't lie anymore, and I haven't. Everything you've heard from me is the truth." I feel like I'm scrambling to catch something before it falls over a ledge of some kind. "I really hate that it has to be this way, and I was looking for ways to get out of it, but Luna told me that there's nothing I can do. If I'd known right at the beginning, I wouldn't have..."

I trail off because Rarity doesn't react at all. All I get is that frown. We spend a minute in silence, looking at each other. I'm waiting for her to start crying, or maybe she'll just yell at me, or even (Celestia forbid!) smile—anything that's not this. But she just stares, and frowns, and I feel squeamish and tiny and jittery all at once. Finally, she looks away from me and down at her tea. She finishes it in long, deep swallows, sets the cup and saucer down on her coffee table, and gets up. Slowly, she comes over to me, and as if by command, I stand up too. When she reaches me, she's not frowning anymore: now it's a small, somehow comforting smile. Without warning, she moves in close and hugs me, making me jump. I'm shaking like a maddrake, but I return the hug as best as I can. Rarity buries her snout into my shoulder.

"Y-You believe me?" I stammer, staring at the Moonstone.

I hear her muffled answer: "I think I do, yes." Her grip on me tightens, and she pulls her head away so that she can look me in the eye.

"Only a week?" she asks.

I nod, and she cups my cheek in her claw. Her smile grows only a smidgen bigger, and I think I see a sparkle in her eye. She turns and looks down at the Moonstone. Picking it up, she puts it firmly in my claw, gripping it tightly with hers.

"Good."

There's a rush of color. Then I'm not in the boutique anymore.

"What the..."

I'm standing in the street, and it takes only the time needed to spin around to see that I've been teleported outside Rarity's home. I don't realize what's happening until the dome comes down around the building, trapping me outside it.

"Oh no." I walk up to the dome and put my hand on it. I get a shock, like the one between Spike and I, and a memory from a long time ago surfaces. I've seen this dome, only once before. It was years and years ago, back when Twilight and I were still relatively new to Ponyville. Rarity put this thing around the boutique after the Grand Galloping Gala fiasco, when she was all torn up about Blueblood and her ruined fantasy. For a whole week, nopony could get past it, and of course nopony ever left it. It was completely soundproof, but some ponies said they could see something happening inside the boutique. Most of them reported cases of flying furniture. When the dome vanished and Rarity stepped out, she was totally fine. Mention Blueblood to her, and she'd shrug it off like he was nothing anymore. As if she'd never even known he'd existed.

"Oh no."

She's in there now, crying again, because of me. Should I worry, though? No, because it'll be just like Blueblood. She'll only be in there for a week, and then she'll be fine.

Only a week.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

One last update before the new year, I decided. You deserve it, after all these month-long breaks I've taken. It's one of my New Year's Resolutions to stop taking such long breaks between... well, anything. I'll probably follow through with it. Probably.

Anyways, It's been a wild year, especially for this little tale. Unexpected popularity, rewrites, the above-mentioned breaks, and a brand new cover art piece, all for this! I'm touched, honestly. I write just to write, because it's something that I love to do, and the fact that all you people like reading what I churn out is remarkable to me in more ways than one. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Next: Things are actually going to get better, for real! (Also, no more hints after this!)

I wish you all a prosperous 2014! Bring on the Year of the Horse!

—NotARealPonydotcom

Two Little Words

Two Weeks
NotARealPonydotcom

Chapter One: Two Little Words

____________________________________________________________________

Everything's blue.

Drifting, up, maybe down? I don't know, maybe to the left. Does it matter? I don't know. Where am I, actually? I don't know that, either.

There are a lot of things I don't know. 19 is still pretty young, for me at least.

Blue. Everything is blue.

Something shifts, in the blue, and I realize I can see something like a mouth smiling at me. At me? Yes, at me. There's no one else here. Or maybe there is. I don't know, I can't see anything behind me, and I don't think I have ears anymore, so I can't hear anything behind me.

"Hello," says the blue.

Oh. I guess I do have ears. I have a mouth too, I realize, and I open it to reply to the blue.

"Hi," I say to it, "what's up?" Casual. Friendly. "Where am I?"

The blue's answer isn't really an answer.

"In-between."

"In between what?"

Now there's definitely a smile there, shining white in the sapphire ocean around me.

"I think you know."

I don't. I don't know anything important. I never do.

Everything is blue.

____________________________________________________________________

I wake up before my eyes open, and for a minute I just lay there, breathing deep. I was dreaming, I know I was, I just have to remember, don't do anything else until you remember what you were dreaming about. It was important, I know, so I have to remember it. There was a smiling...being, I'm not sure it was a pony. I was in...an ocean? No, but something like it. Come on, Spike, you got this, just remember...

Something buzzes into my ear, and my hand automatically crushes it without hesitation. Wiping the dead bug's fuselage from my ear canal, I realize that I'm not in my bed at the library. In fact, I'm not inside the library at all. I'm lying on dirt.

"What the..."

I begin to sit up, and hear a crinkle in my hand. I realize that there's a piece of parchment paper gripped tightly in my claws, and when I relax the muscles in my hand they scream in protest, too used to being balled in a fist. I unfold the parchment and read what's on it:

Two Weeks

The hoofwriting's unfamiliar to me, and nopony I know writes in blue ink. The parchment's familiar, from the library, so I assume Twilight wrote it and used her magic to throw me off, for some unknown and seriously unfunny reason. Whatever "two weeks" meant, she'd tell me when I got back to the library. Speaking of which, where the buck am I?

I'm on the side of a dirt road, that's where I am. The road leads in two directions: to my left, a far-off mountain range, with no cities, towns, or rest stops in between; to my right, a forest, which reminds me of the Everfree, though it isn't. Behind me is the rest of the forest, and ahead, beyond the road, a herd of cattle are munching on small patches of flowers. I think for a moment about asking them where I was, but it takes me only two seconds to realize that when a dragon is walking towards you and you're a cow, you probably aren't thinking, Oh, he's just gonna ask for some directions, sure. Seems legit.

I stand up and stretch, popping my back. I can feel the discomfort from the night in the dirt dissipating, and I step onto the road to assess my situation, taking in my environment completely. Wherever I am, it isn't in Ponyville, or even near it. Guess I've got some walking to do. Twilight Sparkle certainly has some explaining to do, I think, when I find her and finish strangling her. I toss an imaginary coin and it tells me to go into the woods, since the path towards the mountains is long and deserted and I am a very lazy young drake. I make my way over to the forest's entrance, but when I reach the arch of trees serving as a gateway into the wood I lose my nerve and stop. For a full minute I simply stare into the forest, where it's most dark.

"So, Spike," I ask myself, "is this the Everfree, or are you really lost?"

No one answers. I shrug, and step into the forest, hoping the path isn't going to vanish and leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere. Not that I'm not there already. As I walk, I think of how I could have gotten here, and I realize I can't for the life of me remember anything from the night before. My last memory is of...the carriage. I'd gotten in a carriage, with Twilight and Rarity and everypony, and we were on our way to Canterlot for...I can't remember that, either. Dang.

The path is completely, utterly empty, save for the occasional marker, which is blank but pointing in the direction I'm heading, so I guess I'm going in the right direction. I try harder to remember what happened before now, brainstorming different scenarios that would leave me lying in the dirt by the side of a road in a place I've never seen before. The only thing that comes back to me is the suit I was wearing, which isn't on me now. Rarity probably designed it. So, a suit meant it was a party I was at? Maybe. Maybe this is some sort of surprise set up by Pinkie Pie. It isn't beyond her limits (in fact, I don't think she has any), but I doubt that she would do this to me without any clue it wasn't a real situation. Were we headed to the Grand Galloping Gala again? I doubt that theory too; Rarity refused to ever return to the Gala because of Blueblood, and she was there in the carriage. So, not the Gala, not a Pinkie Pie Party. What, then? A meeting with the princesses? Cadence and Shining Armor? My head starts to hurt as the forest lightens around me. I'm near the edge again.

I reach it and step out into bright, uncomfortable sunlight and for a second I'm blind. When my vision returns, though, the picture that appears out of the light is worth the sting in my eyes. A town, not more than a quarter of a mile away, sits peacefully next to the rest of the forest (which I guess is in fact the Everfree). I spot all the little landmarks that make Ponyville so unique and beautiful, including the Golden Oaks Library, where my dear older sister is waiting for me, probably giggling to herself about how brilliant she is to have left her "#1 assistant" in the one part of the Ponyville area he doesn't recognize. The branches of the hollowed oak swing in the breeze that's been blowing since I woke up, and they're beautiful and golden (hence the name).

And yet...

Something is off. I don't know what, not yet anyway, but something is off. The buildings look...larger. So do the ponies. Still, this can only be Ponyville: there's the library, and the river that runs through the town, and the mountain where Fluttershy had gotten rid of that dragon. There isn't another town with landmarks like that, not in the same exact spots. Or, I think there isn't. Cartography's not my thing.

I begin walking towards Ponyville (Ponyville?). In my hand, the parchment with "Two Weeks" on it crinkles each time I take a step. As I near the town, the oddities become odder, and suddenly I'm more than unsure that I'm returning to Ponyville at all. The buildings are definitely larger than I remember, and now that I'm closer to it, I notice there's an arch made of thin metal beams that didn't exist yesterday serving as the official entrance to the town.Of course, being me, I figure that my memory is screwier than I thought, and pass it off as a trick of the light. I reach the arch, and my tail brushes it as I pass under it. It's real. Maybe I was out on the side of that road longer than I thought. I look up at it as I walk under, and it's just as I accept that I'm not still dreaming that I notice the townspeople aren't who I thought they were.

The ponies looked weird from a distance, like I said. When I'd seen them before, I was standing at the edge of a forest that is now far behind me, on top of a hill that led down to the town (yet another unfamiliar feature to me). Now, though, I'm in the town limits, almost on what I believed a second ago was Mane Street, and I can see very clearly that the creatures I'd been watching from afar are not ponies at all. They are dragons. All of them.

I am not in Ponyville, I realize. Not the one I know. This is a town of dragons.

The ground slips away from me, and the last sensation I feel before I faint is the collision of my knees against the dirt road.

Author's Note

So, first chapter's a bit short, but whatever, it's just the beginning. Anyone not satisfied shall receive a healthy serving of words next chapter.

This is my first time trying a first-person narrative, and I think I'm doing alright. Anything I got wrong? Tell me in the comments section, right down there. ↓↓↓

As far as I know, the library isn't named in the show, but that's the name given on the Wiki page, so I'm using it. Deal with it (please).

That's all. See you next chapter!

Syncing the Stories

____________________________________________________________________

Leaving the library makes me feel better, as I suspected, but there comes with it a catch: within ten minutes of leaving the library, I get lost in the marketplace. Am I ashamed? Not really; everything is so huge here that the buildings I know from Ponyville are unrecognizable to me. I ask a drake for the time: 9:45. Not good. I promised I'd be there by now. I have to find my way out of this crowded mess. I scrape my way along stand after stand, trying not to topple any of the various goods on display with my tail. All's well, though, and I find a break in the rush of dragons where I can stretch my limbs without punching a drake in the face. I look up at the sky and see dragons flying through clouds. I'm more envious of them now than when Twilight had first gotten that owl who'd tried to replace me. They seem to have their own market up there, where they probably purchase their own special sky-foods, or whatever. I stick my tongue out at them childishly and move on.

I'm upon an apple stand before I know it. Standing behind it is a familiar face, kind of. Pale yellow scales, shimmering red-to-yellow irises, and a crimson set of spines trailing down her back. A flamingo pink bow ties two of her spines together, curving them down past a few others. Her cutie mark is a puzzle box in the shape of an apple. Only one pony I know fits that description, and that's

"Howdy, sugarcube!" She sounds just like her sister. "Care to buy some'a Sweet Apple Acres finest on this mighty fine morning?" She doesn't seem to notice that I'm trying not to be swept away by the crowd. She's just staring at me cutely with her head in her hands, elbows propped up on the stand in front of her. I'm about to refuse when she suddenly brings her head within inches of mine. She squints at me for a long while, and I'm about to ask why when she says something that makes my heart leap into my throat.

"Spike? That you?"

What? What? How could Applebloom, of all ponies (dragons?), be the only one here who makes the connection between me and the unicorn working in the library? I can tell how nervous I look because she's so close to me I can see my reflection in her eyes. I make myself look calmer than I really am, and answer back in a low, hopefully tough-sounding voice: "No. My name's Emerald."

Applebloom laughs and backs out of my face. "No it ain't. Ah can tell it's you, Spike. How'd ya do it? Bet it was somethin' outta one o'them spellbooks ya'll've got filling up yer room at the library. Ah-"

"I'm not Spike," I repeat with as good a deadpan voice as possible. "Spike's at the library sulking."

Applebloom raises an eyebrow and rolls her eyes. "Alright, Emerald. (Oh Celestia she doesn't believe me) Ah guess Ah believe ya." She leans forward again. "If'n ya'll can answer one question fer me."

"Which is?"

She jabs a claw into the bottom of my neck.

"Where's yer cutie mark?"

Oh crap oh crap oh crap. I'm prepared to give an explanation, one that I know she'll believe about as much as anything else I've said, but the universe smiles upon me and sends a deus ex machina.

"Applebloom! What'd Ah tell ya 'bout messin' with the customers?"

Both Applebloom and I jolt at the sound of the voice, Applebloom because she's been caught by her sister, and me because I can't find the body that the voice belongs to. That is, until I look behind Applebloom.

The dragin-Applejack is poking her head over a large wall of orange, which I realize when it moves is her body. Applejack gets up on her feet and looks disdainfully down at her little sister, hands on her hips. She's enormous. At least twice my size, three times Applebloom's, and I can't help but remember the equally enormous door in dragin-Twilight's library. Applejack lowers herself onto all fours, still standing taller than me, and brings her bed-sized head over to rest beside Applebloom.

"Ah'm sorry 'bout mah sister, sir." She still sounds like pony-Applejack, despite the most likely increased size of her vocal cords. "She's a bit eccentric." I say nothing, mostly because I'm staring at the orange pillar of a tail swinging back and forth behind her. Am I going to be as flustered as I am now every time I meet a dragin I used to know as a mare?

"But sis!" Applebloom whines. "It's Spike! He's a dragon now! Jus' look at him! Can't ya see it?" Applejack looks, stretching her long neck over towards me, and I feel a very unwanted blush spread over my cheeks. AJ notices it, smiles, and winks at me. What the hell was that? Before I can ask her, she retracts, and gives Applebloom a disappointed look.

"Now, listen here, young missy. Ya'll know that Spike's tried that before, and you definitely remember what happened when it didn't work." Applebloom's look of annoyance is justified: it definitely didn't work, and I can only imagine the horrors of what happened to the poor unicorn who wanted to be a drake. "Besides, if this is Spike, why's he got no cutie mark?" Applebloom's own question is turned against her, making her jaw hinge in astonishment.

"But-"

"No buts. Now, apologize, an' then ya'll can go help Big Mac with the cider barrels."

"Can't Ah run th' stand a little longer? I promise Ah won't accuse anydragon else of bein' Spike!"

Applejack shakes her massive head, and Applebloom lowers hers in defeat. She turns to me, mumbles an apology, and disappears behind her sister's torso. I am left with Applejack, who now truly turns her attention to me for the first time.

"Sorry again. She's-" I stop her with a wave of my hand.

"It's not a problem. I've seen Spike, and I know I look a lot like him. Except for, y'know...claws." I wave them in her face, and she giggles. Her whole body shakes when she laughs, and I once more feel flustered. Stop it, brain, you know who this is you're talking to. Stop.

"Well, ya'll can have an apple on th' house." Her tail flicks, and the shining fruit lands in the palm of her giant hand. She offers it to me, and I pluck it out of her hand. She could pick me up in that hand. I ignore that sad fact by munching into the apple she's given me. The flavor takes me away, and I happily forget the dragoness in front of me for a second.

"Good, huh?" Applejack asks. I nod, still chewing that first bite. "That's Sweet Apple Acres for ya. Best dragon-harvested fruit in th' country. N'fact, Ah think we're the only ones who still do it naturally."

I toss the rest of the apple in my mouth and enjoy it for another half a minute. Applejack waits patiently for me to finish, and when I do, she starts asking me about myself.

"So, if ya'll ain't Spike, who are ya?"

"Name's Emerald Spires. You must be Applejack."

"That's me. Who told ya 'bout me?"

"Twilight Sparkle." To make it more convincing, "The librarian."

"Oh, ya'll know Twilight! Well, if yer a friend'a hers, yer a friend'a mine." Her arm swings around, and for a moment I panic and try to get away from her. All she does, however, is take my hand in hers (we are comically mismatched in size) and swing my arm (and, consequentially, me) up and down. When I get a solid footing again, Applejack's leaning over her folded arms, giving me that same sly look as before.

"So, what was that whole blushin' act ya had goin' on back there?"

"Nothing!" I wish that sounded more convincing.

Her smile only grows wider. "Mm-hmm. Well, since yer gonna be holdin' up the line soon, Ah reckon ya get yer apples and get goin'." She leans in close, and I wonder silently if this is still a dream I'm having back in Ponyville after eating too much ice cream. "N'less ya got anything else to say?" She bats her eyelashes at me. Since when did I start noticing that Applejack has eyelashes? I choose to answer her question with my own, to get her off my case.

"Actually, yes there is. Can you tell me where the Carousel Boutique is?"

AJ's smile vanishes so quickly I wonder if a spell has gotten rid of her mouth for a moment. She pulls away from me and points in a vague direction.

"The boutique's over there. Jus' keep walking that way, it ain't possible ta miss it."

I thank her and resume my journey, leaving the disappointed dragin behind. I highly doubt that her directions will be helpful, but I also doubt that staying in her company any longer will be good for my health. I can't help but think back to my times helping out on the farm in Ponyville. I'd never noticed Applejack giving me any signs of affection before, so what did it now?

"Guess I'm just a stud here," I tell myself, hardly believing what I am saying.

____________________________________________________________________

Applejack's advice is genuine, it turns out, and I reach Rarity's home sooner than I thought I would. I can see her through a window, sitting at her sewing machine, stitching together what I guess is a dress for the upcoming Festival. I knock, she answers, and it's great to see her smile at me.

"Oh good, you're here!"

"Sorry I'm late, Ms. Rarity." What?

"Oh, please, don't call me 'Ms.,' I sound old! I'm just Rarity to you. You aren't late, either. You're actually right on time."

I spot the clock sitting on the drawers in the room behind her. It's exactly 10. What do you know? She welcomes me in, and I take a tour of a house I already know. Unlike many of the things I'd seen in this new world, Rarity's boutique is still very much the same: organized chaos. The only difference is the size of the room; I see another large violet crystal hanging from the ceiling. Her room's been up-sized by Twilight, then. Rarity also has a bigger door for AJ-sized dragons. Everything else, though, is like coming home. Or, coming over to Rarity's to work with her. When the tour is finished, we begin our work together, and time starts flying past.

There are times when my prior knowledge of the boutique almost gets me in trouble: Rarity asks me to get a pair of shears for her, and I hand them to her before she can finish telling me where they are.

"Emerald, how did you-"

"Uh, I saw you using them earlier."

"...I haven't used them today."

The crisis passes when I bring up that we can't waste time when the outfits need to be made. She agrees, and it's back to work. Other times, I learn about the differences between this world and the one I'm from: halfway through a dress that's half-fabric, half-gemstones, I discover a drawer filled with what appear to be iron plates.

"Oh, those." Rarity seems very casual when I ask her about the chunks of metal in her studio. "Those are for when I am commissioned to create armor for military figures. You know, decorative armor, for military balls and the like."

"Oh." I have no idea what she means, but ask for her to tell me about her military commissions anyway. I learn through this that the Serpentian Royal Guard is much stronger than the Equestrian Royal Guard: during the Changeling invasion, the Elements were not needed at all, and the Changelings were held back by the Guard, not Twilight and the others, long enough for Cadence and Shining Armor to work their magic. This leads to a question I'd been wanting to ask for a while: What's the story behind the Elements of Harmony?

Fortunately, by the time this question comes up, it's past noon, and Rarity decides to tell me the story over lunch. I offer to make it for her, but Rarity insists that it would be too much if I did that for her.

"Nonsense. You can finish that gown while I cook something up." It takes some coercing, but she finally agrees.

"Don't forget to make enough for three. My sister will be joining us for lunch as well."

So I make lunch, and I think about my situation as I do so. Unless I'm having some sort of horrific fever dream, I'm in another world where everypony is a dragon, except me. No matter how many times I say this to myself, I still can't get over it. I'm normal here. Your regular old neighborhood fire-breather. Just another drake walking (not trotting!) down the street on his way to the bakery, or to Sofas and Quills, or to the library. I don't have to go hunting for gems anymore, or go trekking halfway across Equestria just to see another of my kind. I can walk around town without being stared at, like I'm some kind of monster...but I can't stay here, no matter how much I want to. There's a family waiting for me, back in Ponyville. I wonder what pony-Twilight is doing right now. She's probably already crazier than when she was worried about not sending a friendship report for more than a week. Poor Princess Celestia, she must be swamped in messages from her...

And just like that, I'm homesick. My stomach clenches and unclenches as I stir the melting cheeses together in their pot (I'm making fondue). I'll only stay here as long as I have to, however long I need to find a spell or potion or charm that can bring me back home. Which means that I should stop being such a jerk to poor Spike, and help the guy get the girl, because I sure as Tartarus can't. Not if I'll be gone in a few days. Maybe I should have let him come here instead of me, because the longer I'm with her, the closer I am to succumbing to old habits and trying to get her. So, no more romantic advances. In fact, you should stop working with her, maybe even now.

I finish making lunch and walk back into the main room of the boutique. Rarity's going over a long list of what I can only assume are orders for the Festival. She looks up at me and gives me a smile.

I can't leave her. I really can't. I tell her lunch is ready, and that it's a surprise.

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity calls up the staircase next to the kitchen entrance. There's the sound of something thumping around, a faint "Coming, sis!", a door slamming, and Sweetie Belle the dragin comes hopping down the steps. She's almost identical to her sister, save for her much curlier spines and the music note inside a gem printed onto her collar. She spots me and giggles cutely, smiling bashfully.

"Ooh, Rarity, I didn't know you had a date over!"

Surprisingly, it's Rarity's face that turns beet red, not mine. Before she can say anything, though, I butt in:

"I'm Spike's replacement for the day. He's a little under the weather, so I'll be helping Ms. Rarity with her work." I hold out a hand to shake with. "The name's Emerald Spires. Nice to meet you." Smooth as buck.

Rarity's blush fades a little, and she quietly reminds me not to call her "Ms." Sweetie Belle gives me the same look that Applejack did, which worries me to no end, and glances between the two of us. She sighs like we're not getting something painfully obvious.

"Whatever." She heads to the door, but Rarity calls her back.

"Not so fast, young lady! Where do you think you're going?"

Sweetie stops at the door. "The CMC have got a gig for the Summer Sun Celebration, and I just finished the lyrics for our first song! We need to practice!" With that, she wrenches the door open and goes stomping out, leaving the two of us to enjoy dinner...alone. I feel for the first time both anger and happiness as the sound of stomping feet fades from behind the boutique door.

Well played, Sweetie Belle. I turn to Rarity, who's blush has faded completely now, and cough. She jumps like she's forgotten I'm here, and turns to me.

"I must apologize for my sister. She's still a teenager, and-"

A sense of deja vu washes over me as I wave her apology off. "Nah, forget about it. Believe it or not, that's the second time that's happened to me today."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm. Come on, let's eat." We head into the kitchen, where I've set up several bowls of gems and a large pot of fondue. I pray that she's okay with it, and can't help but let out a sigh when her eyes light up (don't impress her, dammit!).

"Ooh! I didn't know you could make fondue!"

"That makes sense. You've only known me for, what, 18 hours?" We both laugh and sit down to eat.

"So," I say as I offer her a pair of tongs, "you were going to tell me a story about the Elements of Harmony. What has Twilight got to do with them?" Normal, non-romantic chats about some mystical artifacts. Regular dragon stuff.

Rarity picks out a ruby and nibbles at it before beginning:

"Well, the Elements of Harmony, as you know, we're used to imprison Night Fury when she tried to bring about an endless night, I'm sure you know that story. Do you remember the night a decade or so ago when the sun didn't come up?"

I nod. There was a night like that for me, though it certainly wasn't because of any Night Fury.

"Well, that happened because Night Fury escaped her imprisonment on the moon. Princess Celestia was captured, and everydragon thought that the night would truly last forever. That's where Twilight Sparkle, and, incidentally, moi, come in.

"You see, when Night Fury returned, it had been so long since she was imprisoned that nodragon remembered her. Nodragon except Twilight. She knew who Night Fury was, what she was here to do, and, most importantly, how to stop her. The Elements of Harmony were needed to defeat her. So, she set out to find them in the Everfree Forest, where they were said to be kept in the Castle of the Royal Dragon Sisters. Before she could go, however, five other dragins insisted they help her."

"I take it you were one of them."

"Yes, I was. There was me, Pinkie Pie, whom you've met, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and-"

"Applejack?"

Rarity gives me a funny look. "How did you know that?"

I pop a fondue-covered emerald into my mouth. "Educated guess. Met her coming over here, and she said she was good friends with Twilight. I think," and here I more voice my thoughts than chat, "I think she likes me."

The ivory dragin across from me rolls her eyes. "No comment on that, though I don't see how it would work, what with her...girth."

I laugh. "Sounds like you two aren't as good friends as you and Twilight are."

"I'll admit that Twilight is the reason we are companions in the first place, though Applejack does occasionally accompany me to the spa. But we're getting off track."

"Right. Back to the Elements.:

"Yes. So the six of us, Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and myself charged into the Everfree Forest to retrieve the Elements, without any thought of what could happen to us on the way. Oh, and what challenges we faced! There were chasms and creeks and sea serpents and so, so, so, so much dirt! I still have nightmares!" She's combing her fingers through the thin spines on the top of her head, looking down at her plate. "So much dirt."

"Uh, dirt?"

"It's a serious problem!" she snaps at me, making me scoot back a bit in my chair. She sees she's getting off topic, and clears her throat before continuing:

"We faced many challenges along the way to the castle, all of which, we later learned, were placed in front of us by Night Fury herself. Each of them took a different one of us to solve: when Night Fury shook the earth and sent Twilight hurtling over a cliff, it was Applejack's Honesty that led Twilight to trust her enough to let go of the edge and fall into her tail; when Night Fury tried to separate the six of us by bribing Rainbow Dash with fame and fortune, Rainbow proved her Loyalty by refusing and making a bridge for us to cross; when-"

"Wait, wait. She made a bridge?"

"Out of her own body, yes."

That was different. That was way different. "And how far across was this gap you needed to cross?"

"Only about a hundred feet. Why?"

Rainbow is bigger than Applejack. I wonder if she could still camouflage in the sky at that size. I start to imagine the spectrum of colors running down her back, and apparently I blush again, because Rarity gives me an accusing look that makes me ask what's wrong.

"What is it you find so attractive in dragins so much larger than you?"

What?!? No, no way. Nuh-uh. I would never, in all my life, be into that kind of thing. That's what I try to say. Instead, I choke on a fragment of quartz and start spluttering. Rarity bursts into a fit of giggles that last long after I've gulped down a glass of water and returned to my seat.

"Yeah, ha-ha, it's hilarious. Just finish the story." Jeez.

"Mm. Alright, then, where was I? Oh yes, our trials. Applejack was Honest and saved Twilight, Rainbow Dash proved her Loyalty and made a bridge for us-"

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Only joking, darling. Anyway, Fluttershy proved her worth when she showed Kindness to a beastly thing that the rest of us would have killed."

"What was it?"

"Some ghastly, corrupted version of an Ursa Major."

"Holy cow!" Except I didn't say cow.

"Language, Mr. Spires, or I shall have to postpone my storytelling. Now, Pinkie Pie helped us all get over our fears of the dark, simply by laughing at every last thing she saw. Her Laughter was truly magical that night, though I don't think it's been as magical any other time. I mean, constantly giggling or hooting or barking or breathing fire on my perfectly spotless sun dress or-"

"Ahem. The story."

"Oh, right. My apologies. After Pinkie erased our fears of the forest, we came across a river where a poor sea serpent had just lost his dearest possession."

"His moustache?"

Another weird look. I'm too clairvoyant for her. She gives me a smile, though, and the crisis passes unattended to.

"Yes, actually. How did you know that?"

"A drake's true pride, if not his hoard, is his facial hair." I am making this stuff up as I go to impress her. Stop it, Spike.

"Well, it certainly was his pride, and for good reason, too. He looked simply hideous with half a moustache! So, I did what any reasonable creature would do..." She lifts her tail up on the table and gestures for me to give it a closer look. She points to a few of the lower spines on it. Upon closer inspection (I can smell her perfume), I notice that the scales around them are uneven and bent.

"...I tore out my spines and fashioned another moustache for him."

"Didn't that hurt?"

"Oh, I ensured that it wouldn't. I'm very good with numbing spells, and the spines were replaced, but I'll get to that. So, I gave my spines up, and my Generosity earned us passage across the river."

"You're amazing." I blurt this out because it's true, not just because I've always thought so. I would never have been able to tear my own spines out, numbing spell or not. I look up at her. She's blushing heavily. I probably am too. Rarity moves her tail back under the table and chews on a sapphire.

"It was nothing, really. I just knew I had to do it, for that poor sea serpent. Anyway, we all passed our trials, and we came upon the Castle of the Royal Dragon Sisters. There, we found the Elements, but they were merely stones, which, before we realized it was a trap, were crushed by Night Fury."

"Uh, quick question: how large is Night Fury?"

"As large as Celestia."

"Uh..."

"Very, very, very large."

"Oh." Don't bucking blush, Spike, or I swear, I'll-

"You're blushing again, Emerald."

Dammit. "On with the story, then!"

"Right. Well, I'm not sure exactly what happened next, but Twilight was taken by Night Fury to an enormous chamber deep in the ruins of the Castle. When we found her, she'd already figured out the truth: the Elements of Harmony cannot be destroyed so long as they exist in the dragons of Serpentia.

"She started to explain how each of us were representations of the Elements. Pinkie was Laughter, Fluttershy Kindness, Rainbow Dash Loyalty, Applejack Honesty-"

"And you were Generosity."

She smiles at me again. "Yes. Glad you've been listening."

"How could I not?"

Is that a blush on her cheeks? What are you doing, Spike? "Anyhow, we all had proven ourselves worthy of the Elements, and when we were all recognized by the Elements themselves, they appeared as necklaces around our necks. Then, Twilight went even further, bringing into existence the sixth Element: Magic.

"With all of the Element's powers combined, we defeated Night Fury, and brought back Celestia. The Dragin de la Lune was gone, hopefully forever, and-"

"And Princess Luna came back, right?"

"Right. Since then, we've been the Elements of Harmony, and we've been called upon whenever needed to help preserve the peace of Serpentia." She signals the conclusion of her tale with the dip of another ruby in her fondue pot, and shes pops it into her mouth while I mull over the story. Things seem relatively the same as in my world, though each of the different trials the girls accomplished were edited to a more suitable situation for a dragon. Rainbow Dash was apparently the size of what I'd considered for so long a full-grown dragon, and I only assumed that Fluttershy was too, to have been able to calm an Ursa Major. So pegusi-dragons were the largest of the three kinds, then earth-dragons, then unicorn-dragons. A feeling of dread washes over me as I realize that I really am clueless as to how dragonkind works.

"Emerald? Are you alright?"

She's worried about me (stop)! "Uh, yeah. I was just thinking how"--thinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthink!--"cool it is to know national heroes!"

She giggles cutely (stop). "I wouldn't call us that!"

"But that's what you are, right? I mean, the Elements defeated and reformed Discord, they've saved an entire empire from a demonic king, all of that and more, right?"

Her face is red like strawberries. "Well, yes, but-"

"No buts! You are a hero, no ifs, ands, or buts! Say it!"

She can't even look me in the eye now. Her cheeks have turned beet red once more. "Emerald, please, you're embarrassing me..."

"In front of who? Just say it, to me!"

She fiddles with the tongs for a while, and I don't think she's going to say it. Then she looks up at me, blush fading, and murmurs softly:

"We're heroes..."

I grin and stand up (STOP). "That's it!" She's shocked by how I'm acting, and honestly, so am I (WHAT ARE YOU DOING). I've never felt this giddy before, not even with unicorn-Rarity. I go on, unhindered: "Now, let's go make some outfits!"

Silence. My giddiness fades (YOU IDIOT), and the sane me grabs hold of the controls again (finally). I look down at Rarity, who is staring up at me with the most amazed expression I've ever seen her wear, unicorn or anything. Once again, I'm wishing that I'm still asleep in the library after an ice cream binge. But I'm not, and Rarity is still staring. Then she stands up too, and puts a claw on my shoulder. Now my face is beet red (you bucking deserve it).

"Emerald, that's exactly what we shall do."

____________________________________________________________________

The rest of the day flashes by in a flurry of motion and fabric and sewing. By the time we are finished with the day's order's, it's 6:30. Rarity sees this and gasps.

"Oh dear! I didn't mean to keep you here all day!"

"It's alright. I like being here with you." Oh no, Spike, what are you doing? Stop it, man! "Er, I mean, since I have nothing else to do in town..." Since when did you forget how to speak correctly, huh? Is this revenge for that crazy moment during lunch? "I guess working here's fine. With you, I mean." How is she not laughing at me yet?

"Well, I still didn't mean to spend so much time on these." She brings her purse over with her magic and pulls out a pouch filled with gems. "Here. Your payment for the day." She raises an eyebrow when I set the pouch down on her coffee table.

"I don't need payment. I'm fine. I'll-"

"If you don't take it, then you can't come back tomorrow."

I snatch up the pouch (but you DON'T want to come back tomorrow!), and she laughs again. "Ten o'clock again, right?" I'm her servant, forever and always.

She nods. "I'll see you then, Emerald." Then she steps over to me and pulls me into a hug. It's more payment than any sack of gems could ever be worth. "Don't forget," she whispers as we separate. Then there's a moment where we're just standing there, right in front of each other. She's so close to me, I would only have to move my head forward, and we'd be kissing. Somewhere, a drumroll is being played off. How long have I been staring at her? Is somepony leaning in? Is it me? Why is she blushing?

(NOOOO!!!)

The drumroll stops.

"So long," I gasp (I have not breathed since she hugged me), and I spin around and practically fly out the door. Outside, the world is tinted orange by the setting sun. I get away from the Carousel Boutique as fast as I can, and I don't slow down until I reach a bench near the park, where hatchlings are playing and parents are watching with great caution. I think about the day I've had, this first day in Dragonsville. It was well spent, no doubt, but why am I so flustered around Rarity?

What kind of question is that, Spike? You're in love with her. Oh yeah. I forgot, kinda. I look left and right, at buildings that are familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, and I wonder how many differences there are from Ponyville here. I should figure out where places are, so I can find something to do when I'm not with Rarity. Or maybe I'll find things to do with Rarity, just in case she says yes. Because tomorrow, I am going to ask her on a date.

I stand up and start the journey back to the library, doing my best to ignore the voice in my head screaming at me in rage.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

My real life has finally stopped raging at me, and I can know post chapters at a regular, healthy pace. Barring any other incidents, expect another one next Tuesday (or earlier, since I made you wait for a while last time).

Yes, I'm afraid that Spike (dragon) can be a bit of a douche to himself. I'd chalk it up to a combination of draconic instinct telling him to protect what's his and the thought of Rarity "belonging" to him, but that would go against the true reason behind his hateful attitude towards Spike (unicorn). More on him (U-Spike) later, though: next chapter includes a dramatic change in perspective, an overly psychogenic conversation at a party, an awkward talk being eavesdropped on, and a very rude bunny.

Changing the story behind these characters is fun! I'll have to do it more later! See you then!

-NotARealPonydotcom

Waiting For...

Waiting For..

____________________________________________________________________

I shouldn't have told her. I shouldn't have Pinkie Pie Promised that I would. I shouldn't have tried to woo her in the first place. I shouldn't have wished that I was in a world of dragons, I shouldn't have lost control of myself at the Fashion Expo, and I shouldn't have gotten angry at her for wanting to wait for a day. I shouldn't have done a lot of the things I did, but I did them, and now there was no turning back—it was time to pay the price for everything stupid I'd done. Did I deserve it?

Oh yes. Every bit.

I don't know how long I spend in front of the force field covering Rarity's house. I do know that I start pounding my fists against it, and that after around thirty minutes I give that up and resolve to just wait with my hands and head pressed against it, hoping that if I push hard enough I'll be able to get through the damn thing. I stare down at the Moonstone, which I dropped the moment I realized I was outside, and lean against the dome, and wait. Presently, the sun vaishes, signaling that it is now properly nighttime. I don't feel tired at all, though, which is good, because I don't want to go to sleep. If I fall asleep, that means I'll start dreaming again. And lately, my dreams haven't exactly been the best pick-me-ups, which is exactly what I need right now.

My hands eventually fall to my sides. I keep staring at the Moonstone, and wish that it would just start glowing already. I don't want to be here anymore. I want to be home, where there are actually ponies who know me as me and not as Emerald. Even if I end up being locked up in a dungeon, I would be happier back in Equestria than I am here. Luna was right; I don't belong here.

The sun rises, eventually. I decide to leave once it starts shining in my eyes, taking it as a sign that the dome is going to remain regardless of my protests. Heading for the library, I try to throw on a false expression of normal-ness in order to hide my angst from any other dragons I might meet. This doesn't work out the way I want it to, though: I can't seem to remember how my face looks in a resting position. So I give that up and pick up the pace, hoping that nodragon stops me or talks to me on my way to the library. Fortunately, it seems that the town is still suffering from post-Celebration headaches and hangovers, because the streets I trudge down are nearly empty. A few scaly forms lay across benches or tables outside a few darkened restaurants, snoring peacefully, but other than that, I'm alone. So I've got that going for me, at least.

The library looks relatively unharmed as I approach it. I don't bother knocking to see if anydragon's home; I just want to be back in my room. I stumble inside and head for the stairs. I'm on the fourth step when I hear a loud cough nearby. I would have ignored it, had it not been accompanied by a tingling in my tail that kept me from moving forward—a telekinesis spell.

"Draft."

I turn and look down at Spike. He's at the table in the middle of the room, reading a brick entitled Basic Quantum Magic. His horn is glowing, and his nose is still buried in the vast amount of pages. He doesn't look up.

"Can you please shut the door?"

"You're closer."

"And you're standing," he retorts, turning a page. "Don't be lazy."

"You're a unicorn. Close it with your magic."

"Can't. I'm too focused on keeping a very loud dragon from stomping up to where Twilight and Pinkie are sleeping." He repeats, "Shut the door, please."

I grumble, and turn to head back down the stairs. Down the stairs? Yes, down the stairs—seems I miss my bed enough to have forgotten that I can't use it for another week. A question pops into my head:

"I'm being loud?"

"Yes, very. I'm surprised you can't tell—you must be trying to wake up half the town with your stomping and groaning."

"I was groaning?"

"Mm-hmm." Another page turn. He finally looks up at me. "Any reason why—" He notices my face, and straightens up in his chair, frowning. Shutting the book, he asks, "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You came storming in here after being gone for more than a full day groaning and your face is covered in tears." He leans forward in his seat. "What happened?"

I was crying? Dragging a claw along my cheek answers that question; apparently I wasn't perfectly aware of myself during that time spent at the dome. I growl, knowing that I can't lie my way out of this one, and tug at my tail.

"Let me close the door."

The glow around my tail fades. I take care to try and be less loud as I make my way down the stairs over to the open door. Shutting it slowly, I take another deep breath and turn to face Spike. I walk over to the table and pull up a chair across from him. Sitting down, I wait for the inevitable, snapping questions.

"Well? What happened?"

I can practically hear the "to Rarity" that belongs at the end of that question. I gaze into the grain of the wooden table and run a claw along it gently.

"I screwed it all up."

Spike barks out a loud, harsh laugh.

"Well, obviously. What'd you do, call her fat?"

Something like a snort escapes me. "Nope. I told her who I was."

In a flash, he's upon me, teeth bared and horn ablaze with emerald light. He knocks me and my chair backwards onto the ground, completely ignoring the very loud sound of wood against wood. He pins me down with his magic and weight, and his forehead smacks against mine as he stares me down with angry, glowing eyes.

"You did WHAT?" he yells, flinging spit on my face.

"I told her about Equestria."

"And who you are? Who we are?"

My turn to laugh bitterly. "Oh, if only. The moment I mentioned that I had to leave in a week, she magicked me out of her house."

Spike's eyes stop glowing, and a sigh escapes his lips. He pulls his head away, and I see that he's smiling now. He steps off me and releases me from his magical grip, brushing himself off as he does so.

"OK, good. I thought I was in trouble for a second there."

Of course. He only wanted to know if he was in the clear. The bastard.

"Wait." He spins back around and gives me a concerned look. "What do you mean, you have to leave?"

I grin, remembering my talk with Luna: looks like he won't be getting what he wants, either. I say, "I got some new information from the pony that sent me here. Turns out I can't send anypony else back in my place. It's gotta be me."

"But we made a deal!" Spike snaps, stomping a hoof on the floor. A sizzle of magic jumps from his horn as he rants, "You and I agreed, I would help you get Rarity, and you would send me to your pony-world so that I could be happy! Just because you talked your way into making her think you've been lying to her this whole time—"

"I did not!"

"Oh-ho, yes you did! Let me guess: your little confession sounded something like this." He starts pacing, and mimics, "'Rarity, I know that I've been trying to get you under me for more than a week now, but, uh, now that you've finally given me what I wanted, it turns out I'm from this other universe where everydragon's a pony, and I have to go back and never return in about a week, m'kay?'" He raises an eyebrow at me. "How do you think that sounded to her?"

"I wasn't just trying to get her under me! You of all ponies should know that!"

"That's not the point!" he yells, flinging his hooves up in the air. "She thinks that you've been lying to her this whole time. With all this emotional crap you've been putting her through, I'm surprised that you actually made it this far with her!" He pauses and considers something for a second. "How far did you get with her, by the way?"

Even with all this drama, I still feel a blush cover my face as I answer, "W-We spent the night together."

"You mean like—"

"Yep."

"And all of yesterday, too?"

"Most of it, yeah."

He smiles, and nods in approval. "Niiiiiice."

"Thank you."

He nods for another second before realizing what he's doing. Shaking his head to clear it, he goes back to yelling:

"No! That just makes it worse! Now she thinks all you wanted was sex! It's like you're her new Blueblood!"

"Funny that you should mention Blueblood..."

He squints at me. "What?"

"Uh..." Damn, how can I phrase this right? "...Remember the Gala?"

"Who doesn't?"

"Good, good. Quick question, then: when Rarity had her dreams of Prince Blueblood utterly crushed, did she happen to lock herself up in her boutique and surround it with a dome of magic?"

"Yeah, why—" His eyes widen, and he slowly brings his hoof up to meet his face. "Oh no."

"Yeah, I figured that would have happened. A lot of things are pretty identical in our two timelines. Just wanted to check if—"

WZZARRP!!

I'm back on the floor, gasping for a breath that won't come; he's turned off my lungs, or closed my windpipe, or something. I hear him come over to me, and his head appears just above mine, decorated with a rage-filled snarl and a sizzling horn.

"She's holed herself up in the dome again? You were that good at breaking her heart?!?"

I would have answered, but I'm still trying to get a gulp of air down. Spike flicks his horn, and I take in several large lungfuls before answering:

"I couldn't help it! I had to tell her!"

"Why!?"

"I Pinkie Pie Promised Pinkie Pie!"

"You—" He falters and stumbles backwards. "Wait, Pinkie Pie knows?"

I sit up and nod. "She knew who I was right from the start. She hasn't said anything because she thought that we were playing a game."

Spike's jaw unhinges. "I can't believe—well, actually, that does sound like Pinkie Pie. Still, though, why would you even consider telling Rarity the truth?"

"What was I supposed to do? Just get up and run away when it was time to go home? Leave her there, wondering who it was who stole her heart and whether he'll ever be back?"

"No, you were supposed to find a way to send me back instead! Then you could tell her who you were, what had happened, everything!"

"And how would that work out any differently?"

"I don't—" He stops and groans, rubbing his forehead gently. "Look, there's no point in arguing over how you should have done something. It's done, and you're obviously sorry about it. I mean, look at you." He gestures to my face. "You're a blubbering mess."

"I am not!"

"Don't argue with me!" He sighs, and looks at the door. Sunlight streams through the small window on it. The unicorn frowns, and mutters, "I've got to go help her." He starts for the door.

"You can't," I try to tell him. "She's in her dome, remember?"

He ignores me, and continues towards the exit.

"Hey!" I yell, starting after him. "What are you even going to do?"

"I'm gonna talk to her," he says blankly, reaching the door and throwing open with his magic. "I'll set things right."

"But she's in the dome!"

He stops in the doorway, and turns around. Weirdly enough, there's a smile on his face.

"You said that our timelines are mostly identical, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I can tell you one thing that happened to me that could never happen to you. The last time this happened, Rarity and I had a little talk. She told me she never wanted to go through something like Blueblood again, and that if history repeated itself, it was my job to get her out of her funk." He taps his horn. "So she taught me the counterspell to get through the dome." With that, he leaves, slamming the door shut behind him.

I hear a sizzling noise behind me. Turning around, I catch the last remnants of what appears to be a faint green bubble dissipate from the top of the stairs. Spike must have set up a soundproof force field once he knew that our yelling was gonna be inevitable; he's clever, like me. I slink towards the basement stairs, wishing that I could go upstairs and into my own room instead. I feel that homesick.

Oh man. I'm homesick.

I step down into the guest room, and head right for the bed. I need to sleep right now; there's nothing else to do but wait for something to happen, so I might as well spend that time with Luna. We'll have plenty to talk about, I'm sure.

____________________________________________________________________

I don't dream. I don't even sleep, in fact. I just lie in bed, waiting for Spike to come back, or for my eyes to shut, or maybe for Luna to appear right above me. Minutes and then hours fly by, and still, even with the few hours of rest I've gotten in the past two days, I don't feel the least bit tired. It's as though I absorbed enough energy from Rarity's dome to keep me running for the rest of the week. I toss, I turn, I bury my face in my pillow and try to asphyxiate myself into unconsciousness, but nothing works. I just won't sleep.

So I lie there and think, about the past and the future and Rarity and Twilight and Spike and Luna and sapphires and glassware and dresses. I wonder whether it was really a shooting star that brought me here; Luna didn't sound so positive when she explained to me what happened, and it didn't seem to make sense that a star would have enough magic to send my soul into another universe and mold a body for it to walk around in. But, hey, what do I know? I can't even maintain a relationship for more than a day.

Relationships. I think about Rarity, both of her. The dragoness is probably being comforted by Spike right now. Perhaps her house is a mess, with furniture and shredded paper and burnt dresses everywhere. Maybe he's telling her how I'm just a con artist and a thug, and that she deserves so much more. He's right. Maybe she's looking at him right now, with wide eyes, as he tells her how much she means to him, and how he'll always be there to protect her, no matter what. Maybe she's realizing just how much he loves her, and maybe as he talks she's leaning closer and closer to him. Maybe he's noticing that, and maybe he's trailing off and coming closer too, until they're both too close to make out any definable features on each other's faces except their eyes, and they'll close them and Rarity's mind will erase me forever in the moment that comes next, when Spike takes her forever from me. Maybe I deserve that, to be beaten by my pony-counterpart. It's such an ironic thought that I spend a full minute just laughing at the thought of being able to break the species barrier between us as a pony but not as a dragon. It makes sense, though; how could a town of dragons be afraid of such a small, harmless little meat-sack? Ponies weren't dangerous to dragons, but dragons were certainly dangerous to ponies.

Ponies like my Rarity. My Rarity? Maybe she was mine for a second, in that perfect moment just before she shied away from my fangs, but not now. Not after I'd ruined her moment in the spotlight, after I'd lost control and destroyed half of the Canterlot Castle and her reputation in one fell swoop. She didn't deserve me, and I didn't deserve her; she was too rich in taste, too precious for me to hold in my arms without breaking. Everypony was, or would be, eventually. I'm not completely ignorant; I know that it's inevitable. We skip around the topic, but there will come a day when Twilight sits me down and we'll have a sad, long talk about my lifespan and what it will mean for me in twenty years. Or in twenty hundred years. I understand that I'll be alone sooner than I think. Maybe this incident was what's best for me, then. Maybe it's best if I distance myself from everypony, when I get back. Maybe I should start early, go find a cave somewhere. Maybe it's best if I end up banished.

Maybe it's best if I just die.

...

No. No, I don't think that would be best. That'd be pretty hard on Twilight and the others. And myself, I guess.

So what do I do, then? Do I just sit back and watch everything fall to pieces around me? Should I watch all of the ponies I love wither away until there's nothing left, chalk it up to "that's life," and go sit in a hole in a mountain for the rest of my days? With that option, at least, I can get away before I get too huge for ponies to handle. If I do, though, I'm throwing away my life in Ponyville and exchanging it for a life of loneliness. I'll spend it sitting in a cave, hoarding jewels and trying my best to forget what it was like to be loved, and soon enough that's just what'll happen, and I'll be no different from the rest of the dragons that roam the world; a greedy, hulking brute that destroys anything and everything to get what it wants. I don't want to be like that.

Perhaps if I run far enough, I can find a colony of dragons to live with. I could be adopted, if I'm lucky. It'd be nice, I'm sure; a family, friends, and a community to be a part of, all made of dragons. I'd be a normal drake, somedragon that wouldn't stand out in the crowd, somedragon who would live without drawing attention to himself just because he has hands. Maybe I could meet a nice dragoness, and we could fall in love and have a big wedding with lots of gems.

And every time I kiss her, I would think of Rarity; and every time I high-fived a friend, I'd think of Rainbow Dash or Applejack or Pinkie Pie, and the illusion would fall apart in a second and I'd be right back where I started. So that option's out of the question.

Should I leave, once they're gone? What would be the point? It'd just be me, and whoever lived in Ponyville that still knew me. That wouldn't last long, either, and once they were gone...

But I'm thinking too far ahead, aren't I? What happens in a hundred years won't be important for another century; I'm just trying to make myself sadder. I've noticed I'm a bit self-destructive lately. Isn't that why I'm in this situation in the first place, with Rarity in her dome and Spike hating me more than ever? I need to fix that, as much as I can before I leave in six days (only eight days! It feels like I've been here so much longer!), and even if I can't make right with Rarity, I need to make right with me. Luna was absolutely right; if I'm going to continue my life in Equestria, I need to stop hating myself for my screw-ups. It's time to take some action and focus on what's happening now, both here andback home!

Technically, what's happening back home right now is nothing, but once I get back and time starts moving again, I'm sure that the whole country will be jumpier than Pinkie Pie. I know there's going to be a storm of cow-pies to face down once everypony finds out that I trashed Canterlot Castle. There'll be ponies who are out for banishment, and probably a lot more who are out for blood. I deserve it, certainly, but there's no way that Twilight or Rarity or anypony who knows me is going to let that happen—especially not Celestia. Neither am I, actually; I'm absolutely certain that I don't want to die, now. It'll be tough; things will probably seem hopeless at points; I may or may not be banished from at the very least Canterlot; and there'll probably be an everlasting mistrust of me for the rest of time; but I know that with my friends by my side, I'll make it out on top. They wouldn't let me fall. That's not what friends do, and lucky me, I happen to have the best friends in the universe. Twilight and Dash and Pinkie and Rarity...

No. Rarity isn't my friend. She can never just be my friend anymore. With everything out in the open, there's no way we can go on the way we did. Once I get back, I know there'll be a conversation with her waiting for me, no matter how much I try and avoid it. My worst fear is of how that conversation may end. I wish that nopony had to get hurt; I have a feeling that the conversation is going to end exactly that way. And there I'll be, back even further than when I began, trying to reach a moment that's already happened, to race back into the past for another taste of that perfect bliss with her. That's how it'll always be, if that conversation goes the way I'm hoping it doesn't, and each day I'll run faster, get closer and further at the same time, and one day, when that bliss has finally faded into the mist...

I feel so damn tired, but I won't fall asleep. I just lie on my bed and think.

____________________________________________________________________

"Emerald?"

I don't respond at first, mostly because I don't recall that I've got two names I go by now.

"Emerald? Are you still down here?"

I come back down to reality. My head turns to the left an inch: there's somedragon at the stairs. I can't recognize the voice, though, and I still don't fell like answering.

"...Spike? Can we talk?"

Ah. Pinkie. I didn't recognize the heavy sound of concern in her tone.

"Yeah," I say, still a little distant. "We can talk, Pinkie."

"Good."

She comes walking down the stairs—quietly, I notice, which is odd for her—and appears in my room wearing a small, comforting smile.

"Hi."

"Hi." I turn my head back up at the ceiling and give it a nice stare. "What do you want to talk about?" I ask, a little harshly.

I hear her step closer, and a slump in my bed tells me that she's sat down by my legs.

"You told Rarity, I guess."

"Mm-hmm. Had to keep my Pinkie Pie Promise. I know what happens when somedragon breaks one of those." I try to smile, and almost succeed. Pinkie does a better job of it, though she still looks pretty sad with it on.

"I'm sorry that I went and ruined it for you so soon, Spike, but—"

"Please don't apologize," I say. "If you do that, then I might actually start believing that it isn't my fault."

"But—"

"Don't say it's not my fault, either." I sit up, half-glaring at the pink dragin. "There's no way this isn't my fault. I knew that there was another Spike here. I knew that I couldn't have stayed here. I knew that if I started a relationship with the Rarity here, I'd just end up hurting her, and I did it anyway!" My claws are digging holes into the blankets underneath me, but I don't notice it. "So don't you bucking dare tell me that this isn't my fault!"

Pinkie's staring at me with wide blue eyes. I'm staring back, teeth grit and smoke trailing from my nostrils. She actually looks afraid; that's a first. Oh well, better than her usual "Oh, let's just make it another excuse to party!" crap.

"You don't have to yell," she mumbles, as though afraid to speak to me now. That's when I realize how hard I'm grinding my teeth, and how I can feel a fireball charging in my belly, and how my claws are now stuck in my mattress. From the back of my mind, I hear an echo:

You must have noticed by now that you are acting very radically when you deal with a situation in Dragonsville?

Emotional instability. Right. I need to stay calm, at least for now. Maybe I'll go out into the Everfree and demolish a tree later, or something. Right now, it's time to deal with Pinkie. Luna give me strength.

"I'm sorry," I say, slackening the grip on my bed. I lie down again, and feel the fireball simmer away in my stomach. "I've been a bit of a mess lately."

"It's okay," she murmurs, doing a terrible job of not sounding upset. "I'd be angry too, if I ever hurt Twilight without meaning to."

"Mm."

There's a decent amount of silence between us. Then:

"...So, are you hungry?"

"No."

"Have you eaten anything lately?"

"No."

Pinkie turns about on the bed, looking for something. Apparently, she doesn't find it, because she turns back to me and asks, "Do you even know what time it is? There's no clock in here."

"No." This is getting easier and easier.

"It's almost eight. You missed dinner."

"Eight at night?" Maybe I did fall asleep.

"Yep." Her curls bounce as she nods. "I figured you wanted some privacy after that fight with Spike, so I convinced Twilight to teleport us both out of the library, and then we spent the whole day together, and it was great because a lot of dragons were still out of it from the festival, so we—"

I interrupt, "You heard Spike and I fighting?" Suddenly I'm sitting up again.

"Yep. I was in the kitchen, and Spike didn't know that, so I heard everything."

"But Spike said that you and Twilight were—"

"Spike, you know who you're talking to, right?"

I open my mouth to protest, then realize that there's no point. I shut it, and nod in defeat.

"It doesn't matter anyway, I guess," I tell her. Looking up at her, I say, "So I guess you know where Spike's gone."

"Uh-huh. I told Twilight, and she's gonna talk with you too, but she'll save it for tomorrow, or maybe when Spike gets back."

"Does she know who I am?"

"Nope. I promised you I wouldn't tell anydragon, and I haven't. Twilight still thinks you're just Emerald, the drake that tore Rarity's heart to pieces."

"Oh. Fantastic." It looks like Pinkie's getting back to normal.

"Not really. She's pretty mad, but I think I can calm her down enough so that you don't end up getting kicked out of the library. How long do you have left here, anyways?"

"After today? Five."

"Five days? That's it?" She slaps a claw against her forehead. "That's barely any time at all! I have to get your Goodbye Party all put together before then! Ooh, I'm gonna need some extra help on this!"

I scowl at Pinkie. "No, you won't. We aren't going to make my goodbye a huge public thing. I'll leave when it's time to, and nodragon in town is ever gonna think twice about it. Capische?"

"Catfish?"

A sigh escapes me. "Understand?"

"Not really. What's catfish got to do with any of this?"

"I mean about me leaving, Pinkie."

"Oh, that! Yep, I get it! No party, no streamers, nothing! You'll just disappear in the middle of the night!" Her eyes light up (if that's even possible—they're so bright already), and she gasps. "Ooh! We can have a 'Mysterious Stranger Disappearance' Party! I'm sure Rarity'll love that one!"

I want to smack her, but I tell myself that's just the emotional instability talking.

"Pinkie, I don't think Rarity wants anything to do with me. Not now, and probably not for a while."

"Oh." Her ears drop a little. "I guess you're right." She traces a claw along a pattern on my blanket. Another awkward silence hangs over us for a while. What breaks it is my stomach: I haven't had anything to eat in a day, maybe longer, and I'm finally starting to feel it.

Pinkie feels it, too. She gets up, grinning again, and sticks out a hand to help me out of bed.

"Sounds like you could use another caramel-emerald milkshake, Spikey." She hears another, louder rumble, and adds: "Make that two shakes. And some beignets, with lots of filling and powdered sugar."

____________________________________________________________________

The moon is high up in the sky by the time Pinkie pulls me out of the Sugarcube Corner to send me off. It takes all of my willpower (what remains of it, anyway) to keep myself from breaking down and begging Pinkie to let me stay there the night and keep eating—food makes a wonderful coping device. Good Luna, I'm a teenage filly.

"I can't let you do that, silly scales! The way you were stuffing those beignets in your mouth, you looked like you could eat me and the Cakes out of our home, literally!" She pushes me away from the bakery, and I let out a groan.

"Please let me take home a bag of them! Just a small one, please!"

Pinkie giggles and shoves me harder. "Don't get greedy, Spi—" She stops, and looks around. "Er, I mean, Emerald!" She winks, rather conspicuously, and I groan again. Not because I'm not getting those donuts (she calls them beignets, but they're not really), but because she mentioned greed. Now I'm thinking about my birthday again.

"You need to go and get some rest, and then tomorrow you can talk with Twilight, and Spike'll come back and you can talk with him, too. You need somedragon to talk to, Emerald, and you'll be fine."

"No, I need more of those—"

I stop, thinking about what she's just said. I need to talk to somedragon.

"No," I mutter, not particularly to her. "Not somedragon."

"What's that?"

But I've already turned and started for the library again. The town passes by in a blur. When I reach my home (almost my home), it's dark and empty, just as Pinkie and I left it. But that doesn't matter to me. It's not Twilight I need to talk to. Not somedragon. And Spike doesn't count, either.

I head for the basement, praying the lump of food in my stomach will help me get to sleep sooner. I'm gonna need all the time I can get my claws on.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

Happy Anniversary, Two Weeks! Yes, one year and nine published stories ago, I decided to post that idea I had about Spike getting a chance at being normal on this site. Of course, I didn't think I'd make it past a hundred likes, or even a hundred views (I hadn't been very successful before, as you'll see if you check my earlier stories). Then you all happened. You, you wonderful, Sparity-loving users. Celestia bless you for flattering me with your attention.

I honestly would not be where I am now if not for this story. Because of its success, I feel more confident whenever I write something, I'm always looking to improve my abilities, and I've gotten back into the habit of reading a new book every week (I like living near a library). I also have this story to thank for a lot of the users I've come to know on the site, especially the ones who've been here from the beginning (I'm looking at you, Ignaltus). I'd probably have left the site a while back if it weren't for all those crazy people who kept telling me "MOAR"! So thank you, thank you, thank you for dealing with me and my awkward author's notes and my occasional infuriating grammar mistakes and my super-long pauses between chapter posts.

Now we are reaching the end. Yes, really, there's an end to the story (I might have said this before, so bear with me). It's all written down save for one or two chapters, and I'll be posting as often as I can. This should be all tied up in a nice little bow before Winter Wrap Up (you should know what that means). By that time, I'll hopefully have a new piece of prose for you all to latch onto. Something much lighter and cuter, I'm thinking. I'm all drama-ed out from this.

One last thing before I go: I wonder if you can tell me where you think I got the "Draft" moment from...

Okay, that's it. Toodles.

—NotARealPonydotcom

P.S. Oh yeah, and tell me if you find any mistakes, please. It's always such a big help when you do that for me.