Lines and Webs

by Airstream

Of Trust and Trickery

Spike returned to the library later that evening. After helping the Crusaders pull down their tree branch, they had spent the rest of their time together talking and discussing what it was that the Crusaders wanted to do after school finished. This would be their last year, and the consensus was that each of them wanted to take their search for the truth behind Cutie Marks Equestria-wide. Sweetie Belle would be heading for the Royal Academy in Canterlot on a full scholarship. She would be taking a double course load in Genetics and Magical Studies, Twilight Sparkle's old field of study.

Applebloom didn't have that kind of money, so she had applied her newfound love of history to finding a patron to help with her education. She had caught the eye of none other than the world-renowned professor Dr. Dusty Tomes during a class field trip to the Manehatten Museum of Natural History. She had distinguished herself by pointing out that one of the Classical Equestrian exhibits was incorrect, combining artifacts from several different Equestrian city-states. The professor had been passing by, and impressed with her observational skills and knowledge and passion for history, had offered to take her on an expedition past the Everfree Forest later that summer. Her sister had taken some convincing, but Applejack had reluctantly agreed to let her go after eliciting a promise from her and the doctor that they didn't go "taking any rock headed risks" on the expedition.

Scootaloo would be taking a less scholarly route than her friends. Though she was now able to achieve flight, she wasn't able to fly for as long as or as fast as her idol, Rainbow Dash. Dash had been a mentor for the young filly growing up, and had encouraged her to "find a way to make the world work for you". She would later that year be attempting something never before done by a Pegasus, an edge-to-edge transversal of Equestria without flying. She would be starting during the annual Running of the Leaves, stopping in each town along the way. Rainbow Dash hadn't been shy about helping her promote the dangerous journey, and as a result it was being talked about as "a heroic feat of physical and mental endurance". She and her scooter would be stopping in each town, and she would be speaking about how important it was to keep persevering in the face of hardship, as well as promoting the Crusaders nationwide.

It was to these topics they had ended up talking away an afternoon, instead of devoting themselves to their studies like they normally did. Soon after, Spike had realized that he was supposed to be helping with the shopping today. After making a somewhat hasty farewell, the young drake had slipped away into the rapidly gathering evening in the hopes of getting the groceries before the stalls closed for the day. Deciding to make an entrance, he unfurled his wings from his body, and ponderously lifted himself into the air. He had promised Twilight that as soon as he was a strong enough flyer, he would take her for a ride. Soon, Spike was able to see the town beneath him, all the way from the Apple farm to the train station. Aiming for the approximate center of town, Spike angled himself in for a landing, gliding in over the rooftops of Ponyville. Flaring his wings, he arrested his forward momentum and fell the last ten feet, landing with a graceful "thud". Ponies who had headed for cover at the sight of his approach emerged, greeting him warmly and heading back to their stands and shops.

Spike padded forward into the market, using his excellent draconic memory to pull up the list he had written that morning in perfect detail. He had lines of credit open with most of Ponyville's vendors, exchanging goods for services like clearing trees and turning over fields, or flying in large deliveries. He was thusly able to make most of his purchases. 2 pounds alfalfa, pound and a half carrots, eight dozen daisy bunches...the list went on. Soon he was standing in front of a very familiar building, one that more resembled a baked good than architecture. Setting his bags down outside the door, Spike ducked his head a little and entered Sugarcube Corner.

"Hello, and welcome to Sugarcube Corner! Be out in just a sec!" came a voice from the kitchen. A rusty-red unicorn with a black mane came trotting out of the kitchen, holding a tray of fresh cinnamon bread in his magical grip. Setting the tray down, his eyes lit up when he saw the dragon in his bakery. "Spike! How are you, my friend? It's been a while since you've been by! How's the library business going?"

Spike smiled at him. "Hey, Allspice. Sorry I haven't come to visit, we've had a busy week."

"Not a problem at all, but boy do Pinkie and I have news for you! Hang on just a sec, I'll go get her!" And with that, the fast-talking unicorn disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Spike was in a bit of a rush, but even though Allspice was usually energetic and outgoing, he hadn't seen him this nervously excited since the day he had married Pinkie Pie, four years ago. This meant that this was either some sort of baking breakthrough that would revolutionize Equestrian cooking forever, or something similar in importance. Spike braced himself, because whatever it was that had gotten Allspice so excited would have been bound to make Pinkie...

Before he could finish his thought, a pink blur had raced down the stairs and immediately accosted him with a hug that was worrying in its intensity and strength. "Spike!" the pink mass of fur babbled. "Spike, guess what! You're never going to believe this! I mean, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, but it's such great news! Oh, we just found out this morning, but we were gonna wait until tomorrow to tell everypony, but you're like, one of my bestest friends, and I'm just so excited! We gotta have a party and tell everypony really soon! Oh! I gotta make invitations and get a cake baked and make sure the decorations are ok, and..."

"Pinkie!" Allspice exclaimed from the bottom of the staircase. "Give the drake some breathing room! I'm excited too, but we should tell him together, right?"

Pinkie Pie skipped over to her husband, and nuzzled him affectionately. "Agreed. On three, ok? One, two, three!"

"We're having a foal!" the couple exclaimed. Spike blinked, once, twice, and then sat down heavily enough to knock a bag of flour off of one of the shelves, landing on his head and covering him in white powder. Grinning at him, the two eagerly awaited his response. Spike took a moment to pull his head together. At last finding his voice, he spoke. "Wow, congratulations you two! I'm sure everypony else will be thrilled! How did you find out?"

Pinkie's grin stretched wider. "Well, I woke up this morning and I got ready to open up the shop, just like always, but then I got this really weird feeling, twitchy nose, itchy eyes, and shivery spine! And then I threw up, so Allspice helped me into the bathroom, and he checked me over to make sure that I was ok, and he found out that I was pregnant!"

Spike raised an eyebrow and turned to Allspice. "How did you find that out?"

Allspice grinned. "Actually, it was that book on common illnesses I checked out. I used one of the spells, the All-Body See-All Spell, and it came back as showing Pinkie was going to have a little colt or filly!"

Spike nodded. It made sense. Pinkie and Allspice had been trying for a while, so it made sense that sooner or later they would succeed. This would make them the second couple Spike knew to have a child. "Well, again, congratulations you guys. That's really good news. You finally did it, huh?"

"Sure did! And Pinkie's throwing a party tomorrow, just her closest friends, to share the news. You and Twilight are invited, of course." Allspice said, trotting back behind the counter. Reaching for his tray of bread, he slid two loaves of the fresh baked goods into a paper sack and handed it to Spike. "Here you go, Spike! On the house, in celebration! And don't tell anypony besides Twilight, alright? We want to keep it a surprise."

Spike grinned, turning to leave. "Will do, you two. Have a good day!"

As he picked up his bags and left, Spike thought about what he had just learned. He wasn't sure how he felt about telling Twilight, but he knew if she heard it from Pinkie instead of him, Twilight would take it as a breach of trust. With a sigh, he turned and headed for his last stop before home, the Apple cart. It was a good thing it was Saturday, Applejack usually packed the cart up an hour before sundown most other days, but on Saturdays the cart stayed open later. Spike approached the cart, and was disappointed to find a member of the Apple family absent.

"Hey, Applejack! You're out alone today?" he called, setting down his now sizable collection of bags. The orange mare turned to him, and smiled.

"Well, howdy Spike! Twi finally let ya' out of that dusty ol' library?"

Spike chuckled again, and reached out to hug her. Returning the embrace, she said "Honey Crisp had a cold today, so she had to stay behind. Shame really, she loves Saturdays." Honey Crisp was the daughter of Applejack and a stallion from the next town over named Barley Scotch. A hard worker and brewer, he didn't have much of a head for business in marketplaces, although he did a brisk trade with taverns and the like.

"Well, that's a shame. She's going to be alright, isn't she?" Spike said. Honey Crisp was his favorite of the youngest fillies in town, barely three years old, with a sweet and caring personality. Spike had never once heard that filly cry or grumble, and she was rarely seen without a smile on her face.

"Don't you go worryin', she'll be right as rain in a day or two. Now, how can I help you? The usual for Twilight?" Applejack said, reaching for one of her presorted bags of apples.

"Yep. Could you actually double that order? We've been going through them like crazy back home." Spike replied.

"Sure thing, sugarcube. Take 'em, and when you get back to the library, you tell Twilight not to be such a stranger, y'hear?"

Applejack said, counting out and weighing another bag. Turning around, she began to pack up the cart. "Ah know we've all been busy, Twilight 'specially. But t'aint no reason why we can't all get together."

Spike picked up his bags, finally figuring out how to balance them. "Sure thing. And expect an invitation from Pinkie. She's throwing a party tomorrow." he said, picking up the last one with his tail.

Applejack kicked her cart, causing it to fold up and ready itself for transport. "Well, she finally picked a day we all have off. I'll be there, likely with Barley Scotch and Honey. See you then!" she called, hitching up and beginning to drag her cart away.

Spike waved a claw in farewell, and turned to make the short trip back home. As he walked, he thought about how he would be breaking the news to Twilight when he got home. Over dinner would probably be best. She'd be a bit more relaxed then, and probably in a better mood. Rounding the corner, he had finally arrived at home.

________________________________________

Twilight Sparkle looked up as Spike entered the door, arms and tail full of grocery bags. She sniffed, trying to hide the fact that she'd been crying, and trotted down from the balcony to help him with the food. Clearing her throat, she gave him her best smile.

"Hey Spike, how was the study session?" she asked. Damn, her voice had hitched a little. She hoped he hadn't noticed. This being that kind of day, he had, and immediately.

"Twilight? What's wrong?" Spike's voice was full of concern. Setting down the bags, he walked over.

Twilight tried to salvage the situation. "Nothing! Nothing at all! I've been in here all day, looking at books! Yep, nothing wrong here!" she said. She had almost pulled it off this time, too. The effect was slightly ruined by her red eyes, and the fact that she had sniffled at the end.

Spike gave her a look. "Twilight. I've lived with you since I was born. I can tell when you're upset. It's not hard, believe me. Now, tell me why you were crying."

Twilight felt tears coming again, despite her efforts to the contrary. Against her better judgment, she let a tear fall. And another. Then another. Soon enough, she was huddled into a ball on the floor, a slightly soggy mess of sadness, loneliness, and a hint of self-pity. Spike wrapped himself around her, laying in such a way that they were face to face. Putting a wing over her in much the way he had seen Celestia do whenever Twilight was sad, he asked again. "Please Twilight, tell me."

Twilight simply lay there for a moment, attempting to get her emotions under control. Finally, she had calmed down enough to speak. Shakily at first, but gathering strength, she told Spike about the day's events, leading up to her realization at the window. "Everypony I know has somebody they can be with, Spike. But not me. It's not like I mind them spending time with their special someponies, but they're so busy now. And I can't help but think, if I had somepony like that, then maybe I would be ok, or not mind as much. But I don't, Spike. I've gone on dates, but I've never managed to connect with anypony on that level before. And it hurts to see my friends like that, Spike. I miss them."

Spike thought furiously, at last coming up with a solution. "Pinkie Pie is throwing a party tomorrow. For her closest friends only. You should get out and see them. Have fun, talk with your friends. We're closed tomorrow, so you'd have plenty of time to see them."

Twilight perked up a bit at that. "A party? What for?"

Oh, dear. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that. Twilight knew when he was lying, too. So he couldn't conceal the truth from her. If she heard that Pinkie was having a foal, she would break down and cry again. There was no way out. No answer that didn't end in a headache. Only one thing for it, then. Spike steeled his resolve and informed her, "Pinkie and Allspice are expecting a foal. It's a party to celebrate the news." That part out of the way, Spike cringed a little.

Twilight reacted in much the same way Spike had. There was a pregnant pause in the air. Twilight blinked, and furrowed her brow. She sniffed once, and then looked at Spike with a small smile. "Really? That's amazing news. We'll definitely go tomorrow. Should we bring anything?"

Spike stared. There was no crying, nothing except for that one sniff. He studied her closely. Maybe she had just cracked under pressure. But her ears both remained perked forward, neither of them flapping. No eye twitch, no disturbing smile. Nothing.

"Spike? You alright?" she called, interrupting his concentration.

"Huh? Oh, um, no. She said she was organizing the whole thing, I think... Are you sure you're ok with going?" he asked, peering at her face to see if she was still upset. Amazingly, she wasn't.

Twilight gave him a bigger smile. "Of course I am. Just because I'm having a few problems doesn't mean I don't want to congratulate my friends! Especially for something as big as this!" With that, she trotted over to the bags, lifting the contents into the air and sending them to their respective places in the pantry and icebox.

She didn't bring it up for the rest of the evening after that, and Spike was wise enough to keep his mouth shut about it, lest he risk her crying again. They shared a dinner, vegetable soup for Twilight, and a single ruby for Spike. He found that the bigger he grew, the less he needed to eat. Twilight had noticed this, and surmised that soon he would have no need for food at all, eating merely because he enjoyed it. "I envy you, Spike!" she had said, after taking some measurements of her own. "I'd love to have no need for food, I would get a lot more done if I didn't need to stop to eat!"

Spike was something of an oddity. Most dragons were solitary creatures by nature, living in deep in forests, high atop mountains, across hazardous deserts, and other places usually inaccessible to ponies. Many only saw each other during their migratory season, and that was only to breed and squabble over hunting grounds and the like. Spike was one of the only dragons willing to cooperate with Equestrian scientists who wished to find out more about his species. In fact, he was the only one. Twilight spent much of her time writing different scholarly articles on his growth and habits. This had garnered her a fair amount of respect in the scientific community, as well as several different teaching positions at prestigious universities, all of which she had turned down in favor of staying home in Ponyville.

Soon enough, the meal was finished. Twilight seemed at ease, and was eager to get started on a new project, muttering such phrases as "dangerous at that level" and "Post-Classical deathtraps", all of which made Spike feel a bit anxious about leaving her alone for extended periods of time. But the sun was down, which meant Spike would follow soon after. After talking a bit more, Spike felt the need to ask one final question. "Hey, Twilight?"

"Yes, Spike?" Twilight said, turning to face him.

"You were saying earlier, you went on dates? Why haven't I heard anything about this? Did they not go well?" the purple dragon asked.

Twilight gave a small grin. "No, they didn't. I tried with a few. You remember that earth pony who was always running everywhere? Had an hourglass cutie mark?"

Spike did indeed remember him. "That doctor guy with the Trottingham accent? Sometimes wore a tie?"

She nodded. "Yep. We dated a few times, but he must not have been all that interested. He left town a few months after we started dating, and he hasn't come back since. Strangest thing, left his house unlocked with all of his things inside. He was the only one I felt that I could have had a connection with. The rest of my dates always seemed kind of...pathetic, to be honest. In the name of curiosity, I even went out with a mare, once. But there wasn't really a connection there. One date, and it was awkward for both of us."

Spike wasn't really sure what to make of this. "Really? Who was it?"

Twilight snorted, turning back to her desk. "Y'know, I honestly can't remember. She left town not too long after, as well. Better job offer in Baltimare, I think."

Spike allowed himself a small frown, thinking back. He knew a number of mares that had left town, but none that had gone to Baltimare. Shrugging it off, he opened the door to the basement. "Alright, Twi. I'm downstairs if you need anything. Good night!"

"Goodnight!" she replied, poring over her book.

Spike shut the door behind him, and descended to his den. Curling himself up, he quickly felt himself drifting off to sleep. As he slipped into dreams, though, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched...

________________________________________

Unbeknownst to Twilight or Spike, in that very moment in Canterlot, two figures looked over a scrying pool. It showed all the comings and goings in the library, as it had every day since Twilight Sparkle's arrival in Ponyville. As they watched, one spoke to the other.

"I think the time is right, sister. She is finally ready. I must ask thee, though. Art thou sure thine is the way to go about it? I would caution patience."

"This is the perfect opportunity. If we move now, she will be the most responsive. Keep maintaining that spell. Trust me, Luna. I have been doing this for a very long time."

"Very well, Celestia. I will let thee know if anything is amiss. But where art thou going, pray tell?"

"Me? I'm headed to the Crucible. He needs to be deployed, and soon. He's getting restless."

"Wouldst thou have me go to the Vault?"

"No, sister. The Catalysts are still a bit...touchy around you. Prepare a transport for our candidate. Pick two Pegasi you trust to keep silent to pull it, and give them their directions. And do it quietly."

"As you wish, sister."

"The pieces are set, Luna. A great victory will soon be ours."

"Indeed, Celestia. A great victory."

Soon enough, in the quiet of a moonless night, plans were made. All of them revolving around one unicorn mare, blissfully unaware of her part in the great web being woven in Canterlot.

Comments

[Erebos]

The plot thickens

[Saffron Panther]

Well, this is indeed an intriguing story to come. Proceed.

[Obalie]

DUN DUN DUN

[Fudge Brownie]

Am I the only one who hears this music at the end of the chapter? It just seems to go so welll...

[Silver Scrolls]

1353919 I do think that seems to fit the atmosphere I envisioned between them as they went all voyeristic on Twilight

[Circuit Link]

Love it. Also I agree with Fudge Brownie. I can hear that.
This story shall get interesting.

[Circuit Link]

lol, and did the doctor go back to London?

[Stiggerzz]

1353919
chills down my spine while reading that last bit with the music playing.....
you sir, are a legend

[Swirls]

1282289 He does have a tie!

[Beware The Carpenter]

Sweetie Belle would be heading for the Royal Academy in Canterlot on a full scholarship.

Applebloom didn't have that kind of money

Isn't the idea of a scholarship that you don't have to pay?

Celestia's and Luna's conversation; not sure, but I'm thinking they might have been saving Twilight for some stallion of their choosing to produce the most powerful offspring??

Several common themes to mine, enough to be annoying but not enough to be damaging.
The fact that Allspice has almost the exact color schematics (though completely different personality) for Rainbow Dash's husband was a bit disturbing.)

[iloveportalz0r]

>taking any rock headed risks
There should be a dash connecting "rock" and "headed"

>Pinkie and Allspice had been trying for a while
Pics or it did not happen

>As you wish, sister.
>The pieces are set, Luna. A great victory will soon be ours.
You do not have an empty line between these as you do with the other lines above them

[RyanMagika]

There was a pregnant pause in the air.

was that a pun i see?

[Frostbite4]

Ok at the end where the two we're talking I notice right after about the crucible then the catalyst it sounds like mass effect 3 all over again

[MoonLit_Assassin]

can this chapter get any more sketchy??

[Connor Gorden]

I love this story but being a Mane shipper, I have to say... You're pairings... They BURN!!!!!

[Fox]

Wow, Twi. Stop being such a big baby. At least you have friends, and have actually been on dates. Yeesh.

2764892 A full scholarship, yes, but some scholarships only count for some of the tuition. Not to mention having to earn them.

[kingfish]

5430913
I don't know much yet, but I think that may actually be intentional. It gives the impression that they were shoehorned in rather than their relationships forming and growing naturally.

[Pharaoh]

Twilight simply lay there for a moment, attempting to get her emotions under control. Finally, she had calmed down enough to speak. Shakily at first, but gathering strength, she told Spike about the day's events, leading up to her realization at the window. "Everypony I know has somebody they can be with, Spike. But not me. It's not like I mind them spending time with their special someponies, but they're so busy now. And I can't help but think, if I had somepony like that, then maybe I would be ok, or not mind as much. But I don't, Spike. I've gone on dates, but I've never managed to connect with anypony on that level before. And it hurts to see my friends like that, Spike. I miss them."

"Why are you crying"

"I'm single"