Twilight's Final

“Spike,” Twilight whispered as she tried to shake the baby dragon awake.

“Twilight,” he murmured sleepily. “You're back from Canterlot.”

“Yes,” she whispered back after a quick chuckle at the sleepy dragon’s grasp of the obvious.

“And you're trying to wake me up.”

“Can't get one past you,” she mocked gently.

“And we're the only ones in the library.”

“Well, yes, of course.”

“Then why are you whispering?”

Twilight blinked, then laughed. “I have no idea. I'm sorry, it's still early, but I thought you'd rather I let you know I was back than let you sleep in.”

“You thought right. But...” He sat bolt upright. “Twilight? Did you find out?” He knew immediately from her expression that it wasn't good news.

“I'm sorry, Spike. The truth is... The truth is that not even Celestia knows for sure. I'll probably only have the lifespan of a normal unicorn.” She cocked her head at him with a playful smile. “That means only, oh, fifty years more, give or take. So I wouldn't go all grief-ridden just yet, OK?”

Spike nodded, as bravely as only a baby dragon could. “I understand. And Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for looking into this.”

She patted his head. “Anything for my number one assistant. Get some more sleep, all right? We'll be a little bit busy tomorrow.”

“More sleep? You talked me into it. Good niiiiii...” Spike having given new meaning to 'fast asleep,' Twilight wiped away a tear, and hurried out of the room before her control broke further.

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Spike awoke again, this time to the unmistakable smell of pancakes with ruby chips. He hurried down the stairs, appetite in full gear by the time he hit the bottom step. “Twilight! You really did come back last night!”

“I did. But I have do have some bad news.”

“I remember,” he said glumly. “But I'm not giving up hope!”

“Me neither,” she replied. “But that's not what I meant. Spike, I don't know how to break this to you, but...” She trailed off as he sat down at the table, then hurried through as she set the pancakes in front of him. “IhavetogobacktoCanterlotforawhile.”

“You, um, can't what?”

“I have to go back to Canterlot for a while.”

Spike sighed, then nodded. “I can hold the fort for you, Twilight. I always have.”

“Spike, this time it's for a long while. It's, well, it might be for good.”

Spike stared at her in dismay. “But Twilight, all my friends are here in Ponyville now.”

“Spike, that’s the hard part. I can't take you with me for a while. I'm sorry, but I'll be studying and doing research all the time, and...”

“Then you need your number one assistant all the more!”

“Its all classified work, Spike, vital for national security. Don't get me wrong; I trust you. Celestia trusts you. But the royal guards and the nobility would never agree to giving security clearance to a baby dragon.”

“But I could just stay with you, couldn't I?” All regrets at leaving Ponyville had already slipped from the dragon's mind.

“Maybe, Spike, but for the first few months, anyway, I'll be doing research almost every waking moment. And I need you to 'hold the fort' for me, for both the library and for the girls. You need to help my replacement get on her hooves for a while, OK?”

“Your replacement? For the library or for your work with the others?”

“Both, I'm afraid. Mostly my work with the other Bearers, but as long as she's here, she'll be the new librarian as well. And Spike, I want you to visit me every week! Promise!”

“I promise, Twilight! I'll even work for the train tickets!”

“That won't be necessary. The balloon is yours now, Spike.” She looked back and flapped her wings a few times. “I was just using it for old time's sake, after all.”

“But...”

“Spike,” she interrupted. “You know I wouldn't ask this of you if it weren't absolutely necessary, right?” He didn't answer, but his look told her that the understood. “And Spike, I'll miss you every hour of every day.” And Spike, someday you'll forgive me. This is one secret I could never trust you with. Especially you.

“So who's this replacement?” he grumped, looking forward to finding all kinds of flaws with her.

They heard the door to the library open, followed by a familiar voice. “Twilight? Trixie is sorry she's a little early. Trixie wanted to make a better impression this time.”

Spike was one of the few inhabitants of Ponyville whom nature had gifted with the body for a proper facepalm, and this seemed like the ideal occasion for it. “This day just gets better and better.”

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So,” Applejack asked sourly as they trotted back from Sweet Apple Acres. “We lose you and gain Trixie in the same day, huh? Ah'm afraid to ask what else yer gonna tell me that you couldn't tell me back home.”

“Well, the important favor... The more important favor, anyway, is to ask you to keep an eye on Spike. You're the most level-headed of all my friends, except maybe for a certain stubborn streak...”

“Hey now,” Applejack started to object.

“And even that might serve you well in dealing with Spike at times.”

Applejack swallowed her pride with a visible swallow, then nodded gravely. “You said 'the more important favor.' Which means one more's a-comin'.”

“Just give Trixie a chance. I know she's...”

“A pompous, egotistical...”

“Yeah, that. But she's in the top few percent of unicorns for sheer power, she's bright, she's not lacking for courage, and I'm sure her heart's in the right place. Now it is, anyway. And if she's to be able to use the Element of magic, she needs friendship.”

Applejack grimaced. “Givin’ us more solid way to keep you replaced. You ain’t sweetenin’ the pot none, you know? Ah don't suppose you have a few other baby dragons for me to take care of instead?”

“A.J., please.”

“And you ain't gonna tell us why it's so important that she be able to use your Element?"

Twilight winced. "I wish I could, A.J., I really do. I know it's asking a lot."

Applejack eyed her friend, then sighed and nodded. "Ah reckon as long as you say it's important, it's important. Ah’ll try my best, and that’s a promise.”

“That’s all I can ask. Thank you.”

“And if it still don't work?”

“In an emergency, Spike can send me a letter that same way he sends them to Princess Celestia, and I'll be back within fifteen minutes.”

“Fair 'nuff, I suppose. Anything else, sugarcube?”

Twilight thought about asking Applejack to let the rest of her friends know she was going, but quickly quashed that idea. She owed it to them to do that personally. “Visit me, when you can? I mean, I know you're busy with the farm, and I'll completely understand if you can't, but if you could, then do?”

“Hun, rabid manticores couldn't keep me away.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks, A.J. I can't tell you how much I'll miss you all.”

“Tell us at the party you know Pinkie'll throw.” Twilight's expression of dismay brought a much-needed smile to Applejack.

“Now, if you'll excuse me, A.J., I'm off for something else really important.”

“What's that?”

Twilight thought about not telling her, but she'd easily enough find out later if she wanted. “I have to go ask Lyra to tell me everything she knows about humans.”