Since my Beta-reader is currently unavailable and I'll be busy over the next week, I have to appologise for this pre-edit version of the fic. It will be updated, so either wait with reading, or try to overlook the raw version for now.
Also: I have to thank all my commentators for not pointing out that we have reached chapter 11 without any new dragon arriving yet! That is partially due to the fact that I don't like writing OCs. But she is on her way! I promise!
Two mares, paragons of harmony and cooperation were currently locking their gazes in a terrible battle of wills. It started right after Rarity commented that the pies were a little too dark. Applejack had answered that she put some more cinnamon into the dough, since Spike liked them like this. Now it was either lightening up the pies, so they would go with blue, or removing them from the little diorama, Rarity had constructed.
“Why don’t you just put them back in the bag?”
“Because then it looks too cold! We need a warmer colour in this! Otherwise the sapphires dominate it!” Rarity wailed “Have you lost your colour vision?”
“No, I can still tell Granny Smith from Golden Delicious!”
“That is hardly proving anything! Your grandmother is at least 40 years older than your cousin!”
“I meant the apples!”
“Yes, that’s what your family IS called.”
“I meant the... what in tarnation are you doing now?”
“Well, since the pies won’t work, we have to cover them!”
“Stop sticking your gemstones in my pies!”
Applejack lunged forwards and grabbed the pastries from the fashionista. Again, their tempers were flaring. They looked into each other’s eyes and Applejack let out a slight growl. If glares could kill, two dead ponies would be littering the basement floor right now.
She is ruining my pies!
She is ruining my efforts!
I would garrotte her if I had my lasso!
I would strangle her if I had thumbs!
Kiss her Applejack, you idiot!
Kiss me Applejack, you idiot!
Suddenly a machine exploded. The fight was quickly forgotten, as the two mares hugged each other in fright. They quickly let go of each other and looked towards the weird apparatus that was little more than smoking remains. Sadly the label was burned beyond recognition.
“I am pretty sure this was not our fault!” Applejack said “But in any case, we should probably get out of this basement! These Machines scare me!”
“It does go against good Feng-Shui.” Rarity admitted “I guess I can call it a lost cause and leave Twilight the card of my interior decorator.”
“Don’t you do that yourself?”
“I may want to explore new career options, yes.”
“So... fussing over how other ponies live?”
“I would welcome it, if you could call it differently.”
Suddenly the door opened and two mares entered the basement.
“Hello you two.” Twilight said with a smile while Fluttershy waved quietly.
“Hey there, girls!” Applejack answered.
“Hey! What happened to the sexual tension meter?” Twilight suddenly asked, seeing the smoking device in the corner “My poor prototype!”
“Why would you have... something like that?” Applejack asked quickly.
“I built it!” Twilight answered “I wanted to prove to the princess that you can quantify everything with science. Sadly I never had a chance to think of a unit...”
“Then... How exactly did that thing work?”
“With SCIENCE, of course.”
“Anyhow... since Fluttershy is here now, what is the plan?” Rarity intervened.
“Well, Fluttershy will wait for Spike and turn this into a perfect hideout. Applejack, you will go back to Sweet Apple Acres and prepare, in case we need apples for Pinkie Pie or as weapons! Rarity, you help with decorating the town for now. Once I have enough data, I will be in touch.” Twilight explained “I will go see the mayor. Later, I’ll continue studying the book. Any questions?”
“Actually, I have one, Twilight.” Applejack admitted with a bit of hesitance.
“Sure, AJ. Ask right away!”
“Do you really think that this is going to work?”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, tilting her head slightly.
“You know... this whole plan... hiding Spike, throwing a party, trying to deceive the dragoness... this whole think kinda begs to go haywire.” Applejack admitted “I mean... this just asks for some shenanigans, like me trying to lie to the dragon or Snips and Snails slipping up. Not to forget my sister and her merry band.”
“Come on, Applejack!” Twilight tried to sound secure “My plans usually work!”
“Actually, Twilight.” Rarity intervened “Your plan A usually fails in some comedic fashion. It’s your plan B or our combined effort or improvisation that usually saves the day.”
“Or Pinkie Pie...” Fluttershy added quietly.
“Girls!” Twilight finally wailed “Do you really think that I don’t know that? Heck, I expect her first words after landing to be “Now where is the little purple one that walked into the green ones cave?”! But we have to try! For Spike! If this dragoness finds and questions him, he’ll lose all credibility as a dragon!”
“So... basically we have to watch this train wreck unfold?” Applejack said quietly.
“Basically...” Twilight admitted “Now let’s get on with the plan and keep smiling! We can at least go down while we follow my plan!”
The other ponies nodded and after a few moments, Flutterhshy was the only one left in the basement. Besides the snakes that were taking position within the walls, of course.
Just as the Pegasus was done removing the remains of the exploded machine, Spike returned with two big bags on his shoulders.
“Hi, Fluttershy.” He said his mouth full of what appeared to be fluorspar “What are you doing down here?”
“Hello, Spike. Twilight said that I should help you turn the basement into a hideout and then move in with you.”
“I see...” Spike answered, while climbing down the stairs. He set the two bags aside and started to help Fluttershy with getting the scariest machines out of the way.
“I hope you won’t mind being down here with me too much.” Spike suddenly stated after an hour of quiet work. They usually didn’t have much to talk about, with Fluttershy already knowing the story of Spikes whole entire life.
“Why, of course not, Spike!” Fluttershy answered “Why would I?”
“Because... well... I know that you have a bit of a thing against dragons.”
“Oh, but not against you, Spike! I’m just afraid of the giant, enormous, sharp scaled...”
“I get it!”
“You are just too cute to be scared of.” Fluttershy added happily “And I don’t think that I will ever be scared of you! Even once you are fully grown!.”
Spike bit his lip for a second and smiled to himself. “I know you won’t... you will never see me fully grown up after all.”
Fluttershy stopped her work for a moment and turned to Spike. She was about to say something when the little dragon intervened.
“None of you will... All of you girls will be long gone before I even grow my wings.” A sad smile formed on his lips “So I really won’t have to worry about you ever being afraid of me.”
“Spike, I...”
“It’s ok. The princess taught me how to deal with having a long life. Her being immortal and all. You just have to enjoy the moments you have with those you love and...”
“And seal them in your memory. Even if it stings a little at night, just before you fall asleep.” Fluttershy finished.
Spike looked at the Pegasus in surprise.
“I... I do know how you feel, Spike.” The mare explained “Ever since I found my talent, I have been working with the animals... my friends, who lead much shorter lives than I do. I not only count the new *born* bunnies. And I can still remember when I first counted Angels mother, after she was born. I saw many eggs hatch. And I dealt with many of them... going before me. All I could do was make their time worth it. Share...”
“Whatever you had, knowing that even if they will go, you had an impact on them.” Spike added a picture of a peacefully sleeping Twilight passing his mind “A short life isn’t less valuable than a long one. And seeing them happy, makes yours so much more worth living!”
Fluttershy nodded quietly and gave Spike a big hug, which he returned.
"I'll keep you all alive... in my memory." The little dragon whispered and Fluttershy nodded.
After parting and a few more minutes of cleaning up, the two started to share a few memories. The best way of keeping those who passed alive.
Dawww...that took a twist from the unexpected....now then, I really hope the Rarity X AppleJack thing is just for laughs due to my dislike of my favorite Pony being shipped with nearly everyone. So yeah...great chapter! I cant wait for the dragoness to actually arrive! Also, I hope this turns out to be a very long story full of giggles, pony on brony!...... When will you next update?
blast these emotions, they always flare up during good reading...
anyways, good job on the story.
20424 YES, it is a joke! I poke fun at shippings, I don't indulge in them... much... a lot...
ANYHOW: I might throw in the favorite shippings to have some good natured fun with them. But this story is and will never be about them. So, don't worry!
"How does that thing work?" "With SCIENCE!"
Ah, yes, science. My old nemesis. Is there anything you can't do?
HAHAHA! never put two people who aggressive sexual tension near a untested machine twilight (But seriously good laugh)! and that last bit was sad (It made me almost cry, sniff.)
PS heres a BADASS metal slug MLP image
http://fazspaz2.deviantart.com/art/Metal-Slug-MLP-X-265023149
“So... fussing over how other ponies live?”
“I would welcome it, if you could call it differently.”
Could've been worse rarity, she could've pull the TOM card.
Also nice bit with spike and fluttershy you are good at changing the atmosphere to your story to serious to hilarious and vice-versa.
20477 Remeber the good old time when that was all you need in... basically anything to explain the plot?
Those were better times! (At least for writers... )
The Rarity x Applejack joke caught me by surprise. I thought I was reading it wrong when it said. "Kiss me/her Applejack you idiot."
But the Fluttershy and Spike scene was really touching for a fanfic that's comedy.
And I sense foreshadowing that things will not go well, as always.....Keep it up Davesknd.
20559 I hope that I haven't overdone the shipping-jokes... not that a bunch of rabid AppleDash fanatics kick in my door and make me 20% deader
As for the Fluttershy and Spike scene... I really wanted to explore how those two might deal with the condition of surviving the beings they love. Spike has to look forward to seeing his friends age and die, while Fluttershy has been doing so for years now.
I was a bit worried about the sudden shift in tone, but I hope I was able to give it a bitter-sweet feel, instead of a complete downer.
20539 You're talking to a Dr. Who fan here. The plot of pretty much every single episode is explained by a jumble of made up, vaguely scientific sounding jargon. If you say science can do it, odds are I'll buy it.
Also, unit for measuring sexual tension: . And no, I don't know how to pronounce that, or what type of units it reduces to.
20581 well you succeeded in the bittersweet category. A sexual tension meter? I want one!
20989 Too bad... the only prototype just exploded...
But don't worry, We have a genius working on one, right Twi?
X is the most obvious in canon, the love and competition is just too spot on. That machine woulda esploded during a game of roshambo. X is also doable, they are alike in a few ways, but different enough to complement each other in a relationship. My fave is pinkie-dash, especially after the Gilda episode. And 5, I HATE pairs. The senseless ones like Twishy or Twixie, or, *shudder* Twistie Belle. TwiMac has some good to it, since the characters have interactions that aren't overly stressful, and after the "Smartypants incident", well... TwiMac's got a little more realistic.
21236
..... Sweet Celestia snapping at a student, did I seriously give an IN-DEPTH analysis on the likely outcomes of animated, pastel coloured ponies LIKING each other?!?
f...y...u...k!
APPLE BIKE ALL TEH WEIGH!!!!
SCIENCE!
21239 I think that this is the true beauty of the show: You can have rather deep discussions about the characters. They are developed enough to be recognizable. And there is enough free room for everyone to have their own ideas on pairings and other interpretation.
And YES, you have posted a rather long comment discussing the finer details of pony-relationships.
It happens.
21819 Thanks. I knew I wasn't the only one, but still...
This is still one of my all-around favorite ongoing fanfics. Good job sir.
May Celestia smile upon you.
23284 Did all the good fanfics end already?
I'm flattered... thank you for enjoying!
Nice catch on the parallel between Fluttershy and Spike, regarding lifespans.