//------------------------------//
// Fantasia of the Fairy 
// Story: Dance of the Fae 
// by Yinglung 
//------------------------------//

The night was young no more. Party noises had long since died down, by the time Twilight Sparkle laid back on her own bed. Scattered notes and books were already neatly re-organized into piles.

As the purple mare took the much-needed respite and drifted into sleep, her assistant, Spike merely gazed with boredom from the other side of the room, tuning out from the slurred chatter downstairs. 

After a good while, he turned to the patiently waiting fae, and purposely raised a claw to his mouth. Polytima silently dipped and casted a soundproof barrier around them.

"Thanks, Polly. I still think that it's more comfortable to talk with my actual mouth."

Polytima dipped with a flourish.

"Look at her, finally willing to climb onto bed." Spike stretched his arms lazily. "If I hadn't promised to take care of other things, she would definitely work overnight."

"She is responsible for her own body and health. If she wants so much to work herself to the point of exhaustion, then it's her prerogative."

Spike stuck his tongue out. He might not understand the big word Polytima spewed, but he did understand passive-aggression enough.

Another minute of silence passed, Spike impatiently looked to the night sky, and walked near the stairwell to check up on the remaining guests. 

As Spike finished sending away the last half-drunk pony out of the door, he sat back down near Polytima and quipped. "Polly, I really don't know how you can do this for so long."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean not having to sleep. I'm absolutely being bored out of my skull here. You said you don't even need to rest, do you?"

Polytima clearly wavered, but the blue light then blinked in acknowledgement.

"I did, and it's true. I'm always alert, and always prepared to serve." She said with pride.

"Really? I never thought I would have a beef with too much time, since I've always been working for Twi all day long... but isn't this just boring and awkward?"

Polytima was immediately nervous. "Do you not enjoy my company, Spike? I will make this work! Look, I can play tricks, I can-"

"No, no! Take it easy." Spike patted his forehead. "I just meant I'm not quite prepared for all the extra time myself. Maybe I would find things to do... I just have no idea right now. It's not your fault."

"... I see."

"I want to know, though. Before you found me, what did you do with so many hours a day?" Spike snickered. "Don't tell me you just spent all your time sneaking up on everypony."

"Nay, that's not the case. Whenever I'm not collecting information or wandering in the Everfree forest..."

She let out a soft hum, seemingly drifting off to faraway thoughts. "... I mostly stayed in the bustling glow of Harmony, who gave me my life, my power and my form."

"Sounds pretty snug."

"I recuperated under its current incarnation, the Tree of Harmony, and in its gentle glow I find a moment of peace."

"Is that... like a nice sleep? A good dream, even?"

Polytima, however, merely muttered with confusion, and said lowly. "... I don't know."

Spike simply continued, prodded by his own curiosity. "But do you at least sleep if you want to? Nothing's more relaxing than a good sleep at the end of a fulfilling day. Emptying your mind and the like."

"I- I don't know! I really don't know!"

Polytima suddenly exclaimed in distress, causing Spike to gasp in like.

After an awkward lull, Spike scratched his head and apologized. "I don't know it's such a sensitive topic for you. I'm sorry."

It was as if a lump was lodged in Polytima's throat, but she eventually pushed through. "No, it's me who should be sorry... This is not at all your fault. It's just that I-"

After a dejected sigh, she continued. "I simply cannot sleep or dream, even if I want to."

"...?" Spike was a bit astonished.

"You see, I'm not corporeal... which means I do not have a physical body."

Polytima wiggled in apparent frustration. "I can't even remember if I have ever 'slept' before, not to mention entering a 'dream'. My early memory is hazy anyway. But this is something that just makes me feel so different with every creature that I've observed. Every living being sleeps at night, but I can only stare, by myself, when they seem to have drifted off to somewhere else, into a realm that I could never reach... it makes me feel so different, so exposed, and so alone, and I really hate that." 

After a pause, Polytima nervously chuckled. "I'm so sorry... I don't mean to vent."

Spike then stroked the light sphere and tried his best to comfort her. "It's okay to be emotional once in a while, even in front of someone you care about. Being alone is nice sometimes, but being alone all the time can make us feel really bad."

Polytima let out a muffled, ambiguous sound. Spike simply continued with a reassuring tone. "Now, since we both have so much time to spare, why don't we chat some more? Like, have you seen anything funny that ponies do in private? Or any exciting adventures in the Everfree?"

The fae finally let out a delighted sound. "Sure! And afterwards, we can even talk more about the inner workings of the wondrous fae magic!"

Spike's grin froze. "Well uh... About that..."

"Just kidding!"

"Eh?"

"I'm a fae, not a stupid troll. I can tell when someone doesn't like something." Polytima chuckled. "Plus work shouldn't get in the way of a nice time with a... a friend, right?"

Spike nodded. "Ain't that the truth."

Gazing out to the night sky, he added with a wry look. "And isn't it so weird anyway?"

"What's weird?"

"We're chatting so casually, when some ancient villain was about to come back and take over Equestria." He then quipped. "Is this what they call 'the calmness before a storm'?"

Polytima chuckled, and then let out a quiet huff. "Nightmare Moon is but a corrupted Alicorn. Her power was weakened with thousands of years of imprisonment, as well as the ancient toil of raising celestial bodies. Even with the power of Nightmare, there are ways to bring her down, even without using the power of the Elements."

"Oh really?"

Vigor returned to Polytima's voice, and she declared proudly. "I'm a spirit of Everfree. The forest is my natural abode, my trustful fortress, and the extension of my power. Even the pony princesses, who once built their royal capital within its perimeter, shall be at mercy of its formless yet mighty magic if they dare intrude."

She drew a half-circle in the air with her radiance and continued. "The Nightmare's dark magic is profane in the eyes of Harmony, and I could act as a made conduit of its will, calling down a roaring retribution from the heavens!"

"W- Whoa."

"Of course, this might exhaust a bit of my lifeforce. But it would take a lot more than that to extinguish me, hah. Though, the sun princess might have to mourn her wayward sister."

Spike gasped, and Polytima explained with clear disdain and indifference. "My barrage is not going to be as gentle as glow of the Elements or the Tree. Dark magic is my antithesis, and corruption will burn away before me from within and without."

She huffed again, this time with reluctance. "I do not have much time for anyone other than Master Spike, but I would assume you'll probably be disinclined to make her sad."

"That's for certain! Princess Celestia also cared for me when I was little, and we love each other!"

"Uhmm." Polytima mulled briefly, and then moved on. "There is also the very small possibility that she might yet escape outside the forest, where my power is diminished. Say in here, I might have a fifty-fifty chance against her, and the farther away I go, I can only take on a more supportive role."

"I see, I see." Spike then stuck his tongue out. "Still, spending your lifeforce to defeat an enemy? This sounds too scary. Please just don't get hurt."

"I am so happy to hear that." The fae let out a small chuckle. "But what's needed to be done needs to be done, and I'll just do it for you."





Just then, the two were interrupted by the rude blaring of an alarm clock. The purple pony shot from her bed like a red-eyed rocket, and in her morning mania she yelped. "Spike, Is it time yet?!"

The little drake gasped and turned. The time on the clock said '5', but there was not a sliver of twilight from beyond the horizons. Regardless, he replied dutifully. "Yeah, Twi! I'll pack up right away! Just give me a minute to wash up-"

The purple pony rubbed her eyes roughly, clearly irritated from the barely restful sleep. After forcing herself to focus, she glared at the dragon and said. "No. You stay here. It's more than clear that Nightmare Moon's return is imminent, and she is for grown-ups to deal with. A baby dragon like you have to stay somewhere safe, like in this library."

Spike opened his mouth reflexively. However, he first heard an even more furious blast of tirade right next to his cheek.

"How dare you, you sorry excuse of a know-it-all!" Polytima yelled right next to the astonished dragon's ears.

"Uh, Polly, you know she can hear none of thi-"

Her voice merely grew shriller, turning into an ear-piercing screech. "Fool! Gaze upon a mirror and reflect upon your stupid face and meatless flanks what you've just said!"

"Pfft!" Spike covered his mouth at the out-of-nowhere commentary of unicorn derrière, barely shielding the snort from the naturally suspicious mare.

Spike's mind cleared up somewhat, especially after the full blast in the ears he'd just received. He swallowed his own retort, breathed in deeply, and weighed. Before long though, Twilight Sparkle already turned and descended the stairs, taking Spike's silence as tacit acknowledgement.

Polytima gasped and immediately besought with burning concern. "Ma-  Spike, How can you tolerate such im- impunity!"

Spike waited till Twilight was out of his earshot. "Come now, it's not like I am a goody-goody silk stocking who can't take a yell or two. She's just worried about my safety, even though she's a bit blunt. She's never a morning pony anyway."

"But what about dealing with Nightmare Moon? You should go and dazzle them with your newfound-"

"Well, should I really?"

"What?!" Polytima was almost apoplectic, before realizing she was shouting like mad and letting out a quieter whimper.

Spike, however, simply continued. "If what you've said is true, then no matter whether I'm there or not, she should be able to deal with Nightmare Moon with the other girls, right? They say don't fix it if it ain't broken."

"B- But- didn't you say you want to make them respect you? Love you? What's better than doing it right here and now, when you first meet them?!"

"I just don't think it's right to-"

"Nothing has even happened yet! My foresight is not faultless! We can still go and-"

"Yeah, of course we can go. But I want to stay here, with you." His words carried an air of finality.

Polytima froze as Spike continued, this time in a gentler voice. "And of course I'd like everypony to love and adore me... Especially Rarity, heh."

"So why..." Polytima's voice wavered, her bewildered tone was tempered with an obvious streak of joy at Spike's declaration to stay with her.

"I just want to be able to look back and think proud. Of course I love being a hero! But I hate being a fraud even more." Spike muttered. "If I always think of what I've done as feats that should have belonged to Twilight and her friends, then I will always feel as if I have stolen something, and have to fear about being discovered."

"..." The fae let out a sigh clearly tinged with doubt and disappointment.

Spike jokingly added, hoping to lighten the mood. "Besides, if I really wanted that, there are surely easier ways. Like, why bother go into danger at all? Why don't I just use your oh-so-handy fae magic to, I dunno, mess with everypony's head to make them think it's my heroic deeds all along. This way I can just sit back and pop gems in my mouth, while I enjoy all the praises from adoring ponies. Haha."

The fae let out a voice of clear astonishment, and then said with ponderance and awe. "... Oh my! I haven't even- Why haven't I thought of that? Truly, to expose oneself before danger is a fool's errand. And to expose my master before danger is a risk I should have never undertaken in the first place. Fae magic of the mental persuasion, huh. Not exactly my most proficient line of art, but illusions, emotion manipulation and minor memory alteration-"

"Wait, wait, wait, I was just kidding...! I was just trying to say that it would feel just as empty! But, uh, you can do those things, like, for real?"

"I will try, and try my best, if you so command." The fae's voice was unsettlingly eager. "Harmony wills it."

"Uhhh... I'd rather we not talk about this again. It just sounds so wrong." Spike shuddered. 

"... As you wish, Spike." Polytima slowly sighed.

"Don't feel bad. Surely there are things that were- that are- would've been my own doing, and could've been done better. We've got time." 

Spike stuck his tongue out. "Gah, this whole future-past thing is confusing me. Let's talk about something I've been thinking about."

"Yes?"

"You know." Spike hummed. "We've known each other, like, for barely a couple of days? It surprises even me that I open up to you as quickly. I have never really made friends with somepony- someone other than Twilight... or maybe Princess Celestia, Cadance and Shining Armor, if I squint my eyes hard enough, haha."

Spike stroked the silent light and added. 

"I dunno, I just feel comfortable talking with you, even though we are so different. It's as if I've known you much, much longer. It's strange."

The fae rose up into the air, seemingly in rapt attention.

Spike sighed. "I surely hadn't got nearly as close with any of Twilight's old fri- classmates, even though I saw them from time to time ... ... Or maybe I was just feeling lonely, facing a big change I didn't really get to choose, and was glad that I had someone like you so firmly by my side."

"Spike..."

"It's not like Twilight could teach me how to make friends, is it? She's a basket case enough. Nor do I really have other friends to compare to, so I don't really know if this is normal... How's a dragon supposed to make friend in a pony world, anyway?"

Spike paused and looked up wryly. "... It does sound a bit pathetic, doesn't it?" 

As if to steady herself and 'take a long breath', Polytima remained silent for a while, then she spoke up, her hesitation giving way to firmness. 

"No, it isn't at all. I am honored to hear what you think of these few days. I feel joyful enough that my sudden intrusion upon your life is not unwelcome. It is truly a blessing to know that you have accepted me, even became fond of my presence ... and honoring me as a friend. This is all I can ask for." 

Polytima trailed off, then gradually floated up like a dandelion seed, and softly sang with rich and mellow tone. 

"I shall be your light in the dark.
I shall be your shelter from the storm.
I shall be your mirror to reflect your glory.
I shall be your water to cleanse your body.
I shall be your shield against their arrows.
I shall be your seal to bind their hearts."

"... Woah." Spike could only mutter, as he felt an inexplicable warmness wash over him. "What was that?"

"It's a hymn of devotion. I always knew the tune, but the words only just came to me." Polytima then said with some bashfulness. "If you felt something funny, it's normal. When I am emotional, even my words can inadvertently carry a magical quality. It's not anything harmful, however."

"It's beautiful." Spike remarked. "You really look like the kind of fairies from storybooks just now."

The fae fell into a curious silence, which prompted Spike to ask. "What's wrong?"

"No- nothing." Polytima gathered her wits and said. "Thank you, Spike. I can always sing to you if you so like. All night long, all day long."

"That'd be fine for now." Spike chuckled, then let out a happy sigh. "Ahh, it feels so good to clear the air. Why don't we spend the rest of the long night relaxing, and finally talk about someone other than ourselves?"

The fae simply bobbed gently.

"Aye, I'd be glad to."