Prologue

Hello, my lovelies, Citrine here to bring you a fresh, dark outlook on the alicorn-Twilight idea.

This is NOT a SHIP FIC. It's a close-friendship fic.

Keep in mind I love Celestia to death, but she's needed for this role for the story to work.

Disclaimer: If you think I own MLP:FiM, you're sorely mistaken.

Spike,

You know what tomorrow is. You have to make sure none of your friends can get into the library. Last year was entirely too close; we've worked far too long for this to backfire. She can't escape; her friends can't find out. Good luck, Spike. And remember; stay out of the way of windows.

~Princess Celestia

Spike scowled and crushed the letter in his claw, glad he'd been alone when the princess sent that. Yet another annual 'study session', as Twilight Sparkle always called it. Yet another lie to hide from their friends. The only upside, he figured, was that he got to see his closest friend in her true glory, the way she naturally was before...

The dragon pushed the thought out of his mind. No, it wasn't nearly as beautiful anymore. It was harder to ignore her pleas to be let go, to be able to escape. It was harder to ignore his own desire to escape with her... but where would they go? 'Princess Celestia', he thought silently, 'is a beautiful alicorn with a beautiful, forgiving heart. She wasn't a bad mare-but she was determined. She would catch us if we left. Her spell would reactivate after twenty-four hours anyway, and three-hundred and sixty-four more days would pass before she 'woke' again...'

"Spike?" He jumped slightly as he heard his friend's voice coming up the stairs. Looking around wildly, he threw the letter under his bed and cast a nervous glance around. "Spike, are you coming? We need to spend as much time with the others before the mandatory study session!"

With a sigh, Spike put on an excited grin and ran forwards. "Coming, Twi!" he called, and though the enthusiasm in his voice sounded fake to himself, Twilight Sparkle easily fell for it.

"Hurry up, sleepyhead," she laughed, letting the little dragon hop up onto her back. "We're gonna be late." She trotted out the door, happily humming a song that Fluttershy had taught her. In that moment Spike truly wished that that was their real life; her happily humming, him riding her back, and them going off together to meet friends.

Anything was better than being... he pushed the thought out of his head again. He still had nearly twenty-four hours before he had to think about it.

For the time, he was content to believe that they were living the truth.

However, no matter what he couldn't stop thinking about it the entire way there. The letter was on his mind, and so naturally the entire thing was on his mind. He could remember that day like it was yesterday... but it had been much, much longer...

'Gah, Spike, stop thinking about it!' he mentally scolded himself. 'Today is about friends!' He forced himself to tune into their surroundings.

"... so yea! It's been a tradition of mine since I was a filly, and after he was old enough, Spike joined me!" Twilight had been telling her friends, and Spike nearly deadpanned.

"It's so boring!" he whined, pretending like he'd been listening the entire time. He hadn't even realized they'd made it to the picnic. "Books, books, and more books!"

"So can we actually join you this year?" Rainbow Dash asked, munching on one of Pinkie Pie's delicious cupcakes.

"Sorry, Rainbow Dash," Twilight laughed. "It's Twilight-and-assistant only." Spike crossed his arms and glared to the side.

"I wish it wasn't," he stated, only half telling the truth. "It's so boring!" He jumped off of Twilight's back and headed towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders, throwing a "Seeya later, Twi" over his shoulder. The dragon sat down with the fillies and closed his eyes, enjoying the sun on his scales.

"Spike, look. It seems a young alicorn has been born right here in Canterlot."

"What? But-Princess, no one outside of the royal family-"

"I know, Spike. It's very... curious. I would very much like to teach that filly when she is old enough..."

"Princess," another voice cut in, "it seems the alicorn's parents are trying to get out of Canterlot."

"Oh, that will never do... Spike, be a dear and retrieve my traveling cloak. I have some spells to cast."

"Princess... wh-what are you going to do to them?"

"Don't worry, Spike. It's just a memory spell... and a concealing charm. It's nothing you need to concern yourself about for a while now."

"Princess...?"

Spike opened his eyes, a little surprised to hear that conversation in his head again. It had been... a long time since he'd heard it. It was the first time in a while he thought about it.

He looked away from his filly friends towards the mares, and in particular Twilight. She was laughing, she looked so happy... she was truly lovely, but Spike knew that she wasn't nearly as beautiful as she was that one day... even in-

"Spike, why are ya starin' at Rarity?" Apple Bloom asked, and Spike blinked in confusion. He hadn't realized that Rarity was right beside Twilight. He forced a blush onto his face and tried to look nervous.

"No reason!" he said quickly-just fast enough to sound guilty of staring at the 'mare of his dreams'. Sure, he cared about Rarity-but he cared about all his friends. He didn't love her... but it was a nice cover, it seemed. Caught watching his best friend a little too closely? Thankfully Rarity was usually always right there!

"Oh come on," Sweetie Belle giggled. "Everyone knows you like her!"

"Shhh!" Spike desperately shushed his friend, growing redder in the face. It was a shame his acting abilities were put to such waste... "She doesn't need to know...!"

"Ha! So you admit it!" Scootaloo smirked triumphantly. Spike hung his head at his own stupidity. Sure, the three fillies were quickly becoming mares-it had been several years, after all-but they still had a childish way of hanging everything over his head...

"Lay off him," Sweetie Belle giggled. "If he prefers it to be a secret, then let it be a secret."

"Thanks, Sweetie Belle..." Spike sighed, listening to the CMC laughing. He desperately wished they weren't growing up so fast...

"I'll be back tonight, Spike, I just have to go pick up some new quills and food," Twilight called, walking out the door.

"Seeya, Twi!" Spike called back, and waited until she was completely gone before sighing and checking the idols. "They're in place," he mumbled. He could feel the magic radiating from them-joys of being a dragon. Reassured that the magical idols were all in place and undisturbed, he went around and placed curtains over all the windows. They weren't completely transparent, but so long as no one deliberately looked in, there'd be no problem...

Spike heaved a sigh and sat down to watch a clock. There was only one more hour until midnight. Just like every year, he'd sit there until Twilight returned from doing her shopping for the 'study day' and then he'd let her walk around and get everything ready, and then-

"I'm back!" Spike nearly jumped out of his scales.

"That was fast!" he exclaimed, turning to look at his smiling friend. "Why are you back so soon?"

"Back so soon? Spike, I was gone for nearly an hour." Twilight gave the little dragon a strange look. Spike's cheeks turned red, realizing she was right-it had been nearly an hour since she left.

"I must have gotten distracted!" he laughed.

"Staring... at a clock?"

"Yea..."

".... O... kay... you do this every year, Spike. It's really kind of worrying," Twilight finally said. Spike winced slightly and glanced around at the books.

"Just counting the minutes until my twenty-four hour imprisonment in this library..." he mumbled. Twilight shook her head and smiled.

"Oh Spike, don't be such a worrier. Now, help me set up. We have forty-seven minutes and twenty-six seconds!"

So for the next thirty or so minutes, the two of them set up food in the kitchen, Spike yawned a lot, Twilight giggled, she set up a blanket on the ground with a lamp and several books, he carefully and secretly arranged the idols around it....

Before Spike knew it, Twilight had settled down on the blanket with a book open in front of her. It was still ten minutes until midnight. He could feel the magic buzzing in the air, something Twilight didn't seem to notice despite her intelligence and magic skill. He sat down in front of her and watched her. The dragon tried to look bored and tired instead of worried and weary; he really tried not to let her know anything was wrong. Of course, she had to notice eventually.

"Spike, is something wrong?" she asked, frowning. "You're acting... strange."

"Nothing's wrong," Spike answered, trying to sound natural. He saw Twilight start to get up. "Stay there, Twilight-don't worry. I'm just tired and thinking of all the good dreams I'm missing right now!"

The mare didn't seem convinced, but Spike only needed to keep her there ten more seconds....

"Spike are you sure-" nine... "-nothing's wrong? We-" eight... "-can skip the study-" seven... "-day this year if you-" six... "-don't feel up to it." Five...

"Don't worry Twi!" Four... "Everything's fine. I can-" three... "-make it, no sweat!" Two...

The mare still seemed skeptical as one second remained...

But then the clock hit midnight.

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