It was a lovely afternoon in Ponyville, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were walking up to Twilight’s castle. For they all assumed that today was their ‘Twilight Time’, in which they practice more of their skills or if they just want to hang out with Twilight for fun. Once at the doors of the castle, they all looked up in amazement. It had only been a while since Twilight’s house was destroyed by Lord Tirek, but Twilight had a new castle now. Still, it was quite something to simply gaze upon. Apple Bloom then snapped out of it and knocked on the double doors three times. The doors then opened, revealing Spike.
“Oh, hi, girls!” Spike grinned.
“Howdy, Spike,” Apple Bloom spoke. “Is Twilight around?”
Spike looked confused as the Crusaders all walked inside. “Uh...Twilight?”
“Yeah, today’s our Twilight Time!” Scootaloo smiled. “Didn’t she tell you?”
Spike scratched the back of his head, nervously “Uh...I think you got the schedule’s wrong. Twilight’s with Celestia, Luna and Cadance today. They’re helping out with a summit somewhere.”
“Awww,” The Crusaders all looked down in disappointment.
“I was hoping she was gonna help me lift a ginormous building today!” Sweetie Belle complained.
“Twilight never told me anything about that. That’s not even in our advanced unicorn magic study books,” Apple Bloom spoke as they began to leave.
“Hey, a filly can only dream.” Sweetie Belle shrugged.
Spike walked up to the Crusaders before they could exit.
“Hey, wait!” Spike spoke. “You don’t have to leave already,”
“But what can we do?” Scootaloo asked.
Spike tried to think. “Well, we can all just hang out here,” Spike took notice of something in Scootaloo’s bag. “Hey...what’s that?”
Scootaloo looked at her bag and pulled out a box. “Oh!” Scootaloo spoke. “This is Ogres And Oubliettes!”
Spike’s eyes widened and a grin formed. “No kidding?!” Spike laughed in enthusiasm. “I love that game!”
“Ya do?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Yeah, me and Big Mac play it all the time on Guys’ Night!” Spike explained. But then he blushed. “...Which is a secret,”
Apple Bloom giggled. Spike was never good at keeping secrets.
“You wanna play a round of it?” Scootaloo asked.
A grin formed wide on Spike’s face. “Would I?” He then beckoned the Crusaders to follow him upstairs. “Come on!”
The Crusaders followed Spike upstairs until they reached the room with the Cutie Map. “Me and Big Mac have been using the Map to play on recently.”
As Spike and Scootaloo began to get the game ready, Apple Bloom started thinking about something. “Hey, Spike?”
Spike turned to Apple Bloom. “Yeah?”
“Ah was just thinkin’,” Apple Bloom sat up on one of the chairs. “Didn’t you say you were raised by Twilight and Princess Celestia?”
Spike paused a bit to find the right words for his answer. “Yep, that’s true,” Spike nodded.
“Well, what is Princess Celestia like in real life?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Oh, she’s awesome!” Spike affirmed. “And really funny!”
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow. “...Funny?”
“Yeah, she’s actually really good with jokes.” Spike told the Crusaders. “You know, sometimes when things are tough in Canterlot, she...calls for a certain dragon to help.”
“Really?” Scootaloo asked.
“Sure!” Spike nodded. “I’ve helped her fight off an army of giant cockatrices in Canterlot and she helped me find Twilight a birthday present in the mountains!”
Scootaloo’s jaw dropped. “You fought monsters?!”
“At times, yeah.” Spike shrugged.
“Can ya tell us about one?” Apple Bloom jumped in the air as she and Sweetie Belle leaned in closer to Spike.
“Come on, please?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Spike thought for a second. “Sure! Wouldn’t hurt to.”
The Crusaders leaned in as Spike began to tell the story.
Spike was riding atop Celestia, dashing across Canterlot’s rooftops and charging at a nemesis who somehow remained one step ahead.
This antagonist in question was a giant beetle, black on the body but with red spots lining its wing cases. Its giant, vice-like jaws seemed like they could slice a pony in half. Celestia had met it outside her palace and tried to be polite, but the bug would have none of it. And try and try as she might to catch the bug, it stayed away from her.
At last, the beetle stopped in the village square, ready to attack a pony. Celestia and Spike were hidden in a dark alleyway, the princess’ horn glowing with energy. “I have a plan,” she alerted Spike under her breath. “Take something and throw it the bug’s way. But do it quick!” She tilted her head at the other wall and Spike searched the ground. He found a small rock at his feet, and on impulse threw it out of the alley.
It did not hit the bug, but graced in front of it, distracting it from its path. This caused the beetle to turn and look in Celestia and Spike’s direction, diverted by its new assailants. It charged the Sun Princess, but she was ready for it.
“I have you now,” Celestia threatened as she charged her horn. Right as its jaws began to close, she blasted the beetle with a paralysis spell, trapping it in place. All the beetle could do was move its eyes in confusion as an aura of purple contained it. Later, Celestia would move the beast further into Everfree, but for now, she would let it stay. It would take hours for the spell to wear off anyway.
Celestia sighed and wiped her forehead with her hoof. “That’s the last time I try to reason with a beetle that big,” Celestia laughed.
This battle was not without witnesses. A few dozen ponies right then rushed up to the dragon and princess. The crowd cheered at their heroism and rallied around the crowd. “Hooray Celestia! Hooray Spike!” They crowded the two heroes, but Celestia put up a shield to avoid having Spike be trampled.
Spike moved in closer to Celestia, who looked pleased with his own valiance in this situation. Celestia looked down and winked to Spike. “Good job out there,” Celestia leaned her head down and kissed Spike’s cheek. Spike blushed at this gesture. “Quite the...hero’s treatment, I guess.”
Celestia chuckled and whispered. “Would you like to go for a victory flight?”
Spike’s eyes grew big as he grinned wildly. He loved flying with Celestia. “You bet!”
Celestia leaned her back down as Spike remounted her. She spread out her wings and began to talk in a robotic voice. “You are now boarding the grand Celestia. We will begin flying in a matter of seconds.”
Spike burst out laughing as Celestia smiled. She then began to gracefully float before soaring into the sky, up to the clouds.
Spike felt proud after he finished his story, and the Crusaders were all amazed.
“Wow…” Scootaloo spoke with widened eyes.
“You really helped the Princess beat that giant bug?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Don’t mean to toot my own horn, but...yeah.” Spike spoke with a smug shrug.
Apple Bloom was the only one who appeared skeptical. Out of all the Crusaders, Apple Bloom was the closest to Spike, almost like a sister to him. She knew the most about him and there was something fishy about that tale. “Hold on a second there,”
“What?” Spike asked.
“Ah spent the night with you and Twilight before,” Apple Bloom spoke. “And there was a storm brewing, you were plumb goose-pimply scared by it!”
Spike remembered that night, when he was frightened by the storm, upon a couple flashes of thunder, he zoomed under Twilight’s covers, and with no hesitation let him sleep with her.
Spike chuckled sheepishly. “So, that happens once in a while. But Celestia told me there’s nothing wrong with being scared by that.”
“How can you be scared by a thunder storm, yet not a humongous bug?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Well, it actually happened that same night after I helped Celestia.” Spike started.
Later that night, Spike was sleeping in the guest bed in Canterlot Castle. He would have been pleased to room there under normal circumstances, as the room was quite large and the bed was one of the most luxurious in the palace. Unfortunately, it had to be this time of his night when his eyes opened for no reason then to just ruin a good sleep.
Now, he felt uncomfortable as he looked around, and noticed everything was pitch black, except the window that showed it was pouring outside.
CRACK-KABOOM!!!!!!
“Yaaaugh!!!” Spike jumped in fright by the loud thunder outside. He was usually scared of thunder, and the fact that it was this loud wasn’t helping. With his whole body, shivering in fear, he tried to not think about it.
“I’m not scared,” Spike reminded himself. “I helped fight a giant bug!...Yeah...there’s nothing to be chicken of-”
KABOOM!!!!!
Spike yelped as he hid his head under his pillow in fear. Suddenly, he heard his bedroom door swing open, which made him even more terrified.
“Who’s there?!” Spike clenched his eyes shut, waiting for the worst.
All of a sudden, he felt something warm and gentle stroke his head. He looked up and saw Celestia with her horn glowing, while sitting right next to his bed.
“Spike,” Celestia spoke in a concerned voice. “I could hear you from the hallways. What happened?”
“Celestia!” Spike quickly jumped up and tried to wipe his tears away. “I-i-it’s not what it looks like!”
CRACK-BOOM!!!
“Oh!” Celestia was startled by the loud thunder as she turned back to Spike who was shaking non-stop.
“It’s nothing! I-i-i-it’s just thunder!” As Spike kept trying to be calm by chuckling, he couldn’t pull himself together as tears kept streaming from his eyes. “And I di-didn’t know what to do, because I feel like shouldn’t be scared and-and-!!!”
He suddenly felt Celestia’s hoof bring him close to her chest as she began to hold him in a warm embrace.
“Shhhh…” Celestia spoke in a soothing voice as she rubbed his back. “It’s okay, Spike, I’m here...Shhhh...take deep breaths,”
Spike took a couple deep breaths, as he finally began to calm down. He then noticed a yellow glow around him, and noticed it was Celestia putting a little shield around them for additional protection. He then heard Celestia’s heartbeat, and it was definitely a more soothing thing to hear then lightning. He sighed in content listening to that calming sound.
“Thanks, Celestia,” Spike sighed in relief, with his head in Celestia’s neck. “I...I’m sorry I acted so scared.”
Celestia nuzzled Spike’s head. “Aww...there’s nothing to be sorry for, Spike…”
“But I shouldn’t be acting like this,” Spike worried. “I mean, after that giant bug we fought, I felt pretty brave! But here I am, being scared of the dark and thunder. What’s...what’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing is wrong with you, sweetie.” Celestia spoke, softly. “Everypony even the bravest has their own secret fear. In fact...did you know I’m terrified of balloon rides?”
Spike’s eyes widened. “Balloon rides?”
Celestia nodded. “The feeling of going high in the air, and stuck in one place during the ride I always…always…”
Spike tried to suggest the right word for Celestia to finish. “Found uncomfortable?”
“Oh, I hated it!” Celestia laughed. “My last experience felt like a century ago.”
“Was it?” Spike asked.
Celestia paused, before chuckling again. “Well...yes, actually.” Spike giggled at that, as Celestia kissed his forehead. “It all started when I was traveling to Griffonstone. My chariot was broken and needed to be repaired. So…”
A century ago, the Princess of the Sun was with two guards, ready to go into a balloon.
“Alright!” Celestia spoke in an awkward tone. “Here we go! I’m excited for this!” She then turned to her two guards. “Are you two excited?” She asked them with a nervous laugh.
“...Yes...your majesty…” One of the guards spoke.
“That’s the spirit!” Celestia spoke as the guards got in the balloon. “We’re all set!...Ready to take a ride! I’m ready for this! I know I’m-”
“Your highness?” Asked the second guard. Celestia noticed the guards waiting for her in the balloon.
“Oh!” Celestia chuckled. “But of course.” Celestia then hopped in, as the guards removed the ropes keeping the balloon still and it began to float.
“And no sooner,” Celestia narrated. “I began to lose it.”
“Yes! Isn’t this nice?” Celestia began to sweat. “Feels nice being in the balloon...in the air...in one space! Ha-ha-ha!...How much longer?” She asked with her voice cracking.
“We...just started.” Spoke the first guard. “It should take us an hour to get there.
“Oh! You don’t say!” Celestia began taking deep breaths. “Well, let the waiting begin!”
Celestia’s breathing began getting faster and bigger with each passing minute, as her sweat almost felt like a waterfall.
“What color are you thinking?!” Celestia asked the second guard.
“...Well...I’m-” The second guard tried to think.
“WELLI’MTHINKINGOFGETTINGOUTOFHERE!!!!” Celestia then jumped out of the balloon and began flying away and yelling like a lunatic. The guards were left speechless.
“Uh...did the princess just go squirrely?” Asked the first guard.
As Celestia finished the story, she turned to Spike who was more than surprised. “Wow…” Spike exclaimed in surprise. “And you never went on another balloon again?”
“Nope,” Celestia spoke. “In fact, I decided to get more chariots built.”
“How many?” Spike asked.
“Oh, not much.” She then leaned down and muttered the answer to Spike, trying not to laugh. “Twenty.”
Spike tried to hold in his laughter too, before he and Celestia both began to laugh.
BOOM!!!!
The sound of thunder scared Spike as he stopped laughing and clutched Celestia’s chest and neck, shaking. Celestia kept her hooves around the dragon, making him feel tender and warm.
An idea then flashed in Celestia’s head. “How would you like to sleep with me tonight, Spike?”
Spike’s eyes widened as he grinned. “Really?” He then looked down, blushing. “You really don’t mind?”
“Of course not,” Celestia used her magic to levitate Spike on her back and affectionately rubbed her muzzle on Spike’s snout. She then turned and began to speak in a robot-like voice. “You are now boarding the grand Celestia, we’ll begin to move in a matter of seconds,”
“Celestia!” Spike laughed. “We’re not even flying!”
“I know,” Celestia smiled as she began to walk to her bedroom with the dragon on her back. “But that never gets old.”