Big Mac brought his hooves down on the map, making it wobble faintly from the force. "What!?"
Spike squeaked in alarm and shrank back. "Woah, hey, not me, I swear!"
"Yer the only wizard ah know!"
Spike righted himself, raising a lone finger. "But not the only that exists. They were attacking me just as eagerly as you. Come, Sir McBiggun, the mystery deepens, and we need to get to the bottom of it!"
And so, peace made with the imps, they left our heroes to prepare for the next leg of their journey. They had too many questions and not nearly enough answers. What foul wizard was trying to impede their progress? Could they save the fair princess?
"Fair?"
Spike blinked at the question. "Yeah, she's... kinda light colored?"
"Would that color happen ta be... white?"
Spike's fingers fidgeted among one another. "Maybe?"
Big Mac tapped his hooves together, as if copying Spike's nervous motions as best he could. "Ya know... it's alright."
"Huh?"
"Ah mean... Ah ain't gonna... say nothin'..."
Spike's head slowly fell to the side before it snapped upright. "I mean, thanks... B-but you've got it all wrong!"
"She's right pretty." Big Mac gave an easy smile. "Not my type, but right pretty."
Spike's cheeks began to warm dangerously. "W-we're not here to t-talk about Rarity!"
"Ah never said her name." Big Mac's brows gave a little waggle of victory.
Spike clapped a hand on his face. "C'mon, stop giving me a hard time."
"But ah ain't." He held a hoof over his chest. "Nope. Ain't mah place to tell a pony who they can like."
Spike gave the smallest laugh. "Yea..."
"And if ya want to be her hero, even in a game, what's wrong with that?" He leaned in towards Spike. "Nothin'."
Spike let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Yeah... Look, thanks. I mean... That's what friends are for, right?"
"Ayup." Big Mac wore his easy smile and tapped the table. "So, what happens next?"
As if on cue, the door to the castle swung open and both perked up at the noise.
"Spike! I'm home!" The voice was that of a familiar female.
Spike grabbed his book, slammed it shut and quickly snatched up all the dice he could find. "This'll be between us, alright?"
"Ayup." It wasn't as if Big Mac was in any rush to get flak from his sister about his fantasies. "Next time?"
"Next time! We have to find out what happens next." Spike gave a thumbs up just as Twilight turned the corner into sight.
"Oh, there you are. I hope you two had a nice time." She was smiling gently as she approached. "Next time though, please don't use the cutie map as a table. It's powerful magic, and we wouldn't want anything happening to either of you."
"Oh, yeah. Hey, how'd it go?" Spike tucked the book under his arm and flashed a big smile at Twilight.
"Nothing we couldn't handle." She nodded at Big Mac. "Good evening, Big Mac. Applejack's already on her way home, if you want to say hello to her."
"Ayup." He rose to his hooves and started walking for the exit.
Game time was over, but only for the moment. Both were quite eager for the next time they had a chance to live their fantasies.
"So, what were you two up to?" pried Twilight as she wandered towards the kitchen. "A hoofball team perform any sudden upsets worth talking about?"
"Yeah! How'd you know?" Spike smiled his false smile. "That referee's call was way off."
Her horn glowed as she fetched a packet of tea from a cupboard and got to preparing herself some tea. "Want some?"
"Yeah, thanks." He tucked the book away while Twilight was busy. "So, anything planned? I mean, anything else that'll call you out of town?"
Twilight paused and peeked over at Spike. "You sound a bit eager for that. Not right away, so far as I know, but emergencies do come up." She eased into a teasing smile. "You'll just have to wait and see, just like I will. Maybe next time, I'll bring you along."
Spike considered what happened what usually happened when he was out of his element at Twilight's side. Sometimes it worked out, but those were the exceptions. "Someone has to keep an eye out on the castle."
"You, my brave and fierce dragon, will watch over my treasures." She gave a gentle laugh as she poured hot water into two mugs that quickly darkened with the tea she had placed in them. "Such a noble dragon you are."
"That's me!" He stood erect like a soldier in line. "Nobody can get past me while I'm on duty!"
"Except Big Mac."
"Well, he's allowed." Spike waved it off before accepting a steaming and glowing mug from Twilight's magic. "Besides, he helps me keep an eye on things."
Twilight bumped against him as she walked past. "I'm not blind, Spike. You two enjoy a little 'guy's night', and that's just fine. I know I'm not a guy, and you can use some company. Hay, I'm actually relieved it's Big Mac. He's a good stallion, and I'm glad you two are getting along."
Spike took his drink and wandered off, leaving Twilight to sip at her own and unwind after her trip. She paused when she noticed something peeking out from behind a cupboard. A book?
She pulled it up with her magic. "Oh, I remember this one. I got it for Spike..." But there it was, abandoned and tucked away in entirely the wrong place. "Maybe he doesn't like it?" She frowned faintly. "Or! Maybe it's just too complicated. The way Shining Armor talks about it, it is a complex game..." Then, an idea struck her. "Of course!" She set the book down in a more dignified place. "I'll invite him over to show Spike how to enjoy the game! They'll have a great time." She clopped her hooves together before taking a sip of her drink.
"Who knows, maybe Spike'll start playing more intellectual games instead of enjoying grunting about sports for hours." Her eyes rolled at the thought, though a little smile remained on her face. She did not begrudge Spike his time of masculinity, or the friendship it cemented. She didn't understand it, sure, but a stallion was a stallion, far be it from her to cast judgments on that.