Spike grunted as he stretched his arms out, gritting his teeth as his ribs protested. The days since their return from Baltimare had been more than a little boring. Most of it was spent lounging in his new bed, provided by Celestia, or reading. Not today though. Today he was going to get back to his chores, injuries be damned. With a grunt of effort, he hoisted himself up onto his feet. Pain erupted throughout his chest originating from his ribs. He ignored it, putting on his clothes as fast as his injuries permitted and crept downstairs to avoid alerting Twilight.
“I leave for one week, and the place is a pigsty,” he joked to himself, grabbing his broom and getting to work. “I bet Owlicious had a party while we were gone,” he added, smiling as he returned to his familiar routine. He couldn’t help but notice how much easier some of his chores came to him thanks to his new height. “Actually, I should see about getting paid for my assistant thing...”
He’d have to talk to Twilight about that as soon as she wasn’t confining him to his bed. It was a rather nice change of pace to have her wait on him. The only downside, Twilight’s cooking was terrible. ‘Good thing she has me around’ he thought to himself as he dusted the bookshelves. ‘Otherwise she’d be eating nothing but Hay Burger.’ He snickered at the idea of his sister gaining weight thanks to an all fast-food diet.
By the time he finished his long put off chores, Spike’s body ached and his ribs felt like they were on fire. Still, a sense of pride filled him and he wore a grin as he put his supplies away. “There, now to slip back in bed before Twilight notices.” He crept back up the stairs, practically diving into his bed and pulling the covers over him. The aches in his body were slightly soothed by the plush support of his mattress. Wriggling out of his clothes, he tossed them onto the floor. He yawned, settling into bed and finally giving his body some rest.
Spike’s rest didn’t last long as Twilight stormed upstairs and loomed over him. “Spike why were you downstairs?” she questioned, her tone full of barely contained fury.
Spike yawned, pulling himself into a sitting position. He rubbing at his eyes as if to make it out like she was waking him up.“What’re you talking about, Twi? I’ve been resting up like you want me to.” He made a show of yawning, smacking his lips a few times. “Maybe Wyatt went downstairs for something?”
Twilight narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Then how do you explain how everything is freshly cleaned?” She tapped her hoof on the floor. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”
Sighing, Spike let himself fall back onto his bed. “I’m sorry, I just... can’t stand laying around anymore! I dunno, I just can’t sit still anymore!”
Twilight sighed, her look softening as she took a seat on his bed and put a hand on his shoulder. “Spike, I know this is driving you crazy, but you need to rest if you want to get better.” She gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Besides, if you aggravate your injuries, you’ll just have to lay around even longer.”
“Right...” Spike grumbled, his spines wilting. “I dunno, Twilight. I just... it’s hard to just sit here. Part of me wants to get up and move; it’s even hard to read a comic now.”
Twilight smiled, pulling Spike into a one armed hug to be mindful of his damaged ribs. “Your body has just made a substantial change. You’re feeling restless because you have a ton of energy to burn.” Her smile turned a little sad, and she nuzzled the top of his head. “You’re also growing up. I’ve been reading the scrolls Smaug gave us and he included some on dragon development.”
Spike returned the hug, looking up at her. “Anything crazy I should know about? Like anything majorly different from pony puberty?”
“There is one thing,” Twilight spoke, pulling away from him. “But you won’t have to worry about it for a few years yet.”
“What is it?” Spike pressed, tilting his head at her. “I’d like to know just so I can be prepared for it.” He shot up excitedly, pointing at his back. “Does it involve growing wings?!”
Twilight giggled, easing him back down. “Spike, just enjoy what you have now, alright?” She leaned down, placing a kiss on his head. “I know you have to be a rider, but that doesn’t mean you should let your childhood slip away.”
“Ugh, way to be a buzzkill, Twi,” He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m so going to read those scrolls the first chance I get,” he muttered, already considering all the possible places Twilight would store them. “I’m not gonna stay in bed though, I wanna get back to doing stuff.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, getting up from Spike’s bed. “How about this, you stay in bed until I can get a wheelchair for you to use? That should let you get back to some form of independence while preventing you from straining yourself too much.”
“My legs work just fine, Twi,” Spike shot back, frowning at her. “I promise I won’t do anything too crazy, okay? Just, let me walk around and stuff.”
Twilight sighed, thinking it over for a few moments before responding. “Okay, I’ll let you walk around a bit to see how you do. But if I think you’re starting to put too much strain on yourself then it’s right back to bed, mister. Deal?”
“Deal!” Spike grinned, giving her a thumbs up.
Twilight turned, making her way towards the steps. “Glad we could come to a reasonable agreement. Now, I’m going to check on Wyatt; you can come with me to the market when I’m done.” She left him to his own devices, making her way over to Wyatt’s room. Standing outside the door, she found herself hesitating.
Her hand paused at the doorknob to his room in the basement, her face heating up and her heart rate quickening slightly. ‘Ugh, why am I like this?’ she chastised herself, grabbing the doorknob. ‘I’m just going to have a quick conversation with my friend.’ All of a sudden, an image of the moment they shared on the bench appeared in her mind, causing a blush to explode across her muzzle. Shaking away the image, she knocked on the door.
“What’s the password?!” Wyatt’s muffled voice responded.
“I’m coming down, Wyatt,” Twilight replied, opening the door. She made her way down, sighing to herself. ‘Just put it out of your mind, Twilight. It’s not important.’
“Sorry, but that was not the password, please vacate the premises,” Wyatt joked, putting down a comic he had been reading and adjusted himself on his bed.
Throwing up a smile, Twilight walked over to the bed. “At least one of you knows to stay in bed.” She sat down at the edge of Wyatt’s bed, keeping her smile. “Spike snuck out of bed and cleaned up the library.” Sighing a little, she closed her eyes. “You know, I still haven’t told our parents about his growth spurt.”
Wyatt needed a moment to process what she had said, his eyes fixated on her smile. He chastised himself for it, slowly returning the gesture. “Sounds like you’ll have to send them a letter or make a point to visit them. As for me staying in bed, I think I’ve gotten sneaking out of it out of my system.” He nearly winced at that statement, but passed it off with a chuckle.
“Yeah...” Twilight kept her eyes closed, poking her legs together. “How are you feeling? Any new pains or anything?”
Wyatt almost started to shake his head, only to realize how pointless that would be. “No, still the same aches and pains.” He chuckled weakly and rubbed the back of his head. “Which is just about everywhere with how thoroughly my ass was kicked.”
“Right.” Twilight nodded, doing everything she could to not look at him. “Spike and I are going to the store soon, do you want anything?”
He paused, thinking things over for a moment. “Some more juice if we’re out and anything to help me pass the time,” he finally answered. “I’m getting desperate for anything to do but nap here, Twi. I’d even take up knitting or something.”
“You could probably ask Rarity for lessons,” Twilight giggled, finally turning to him with a bright smile etched onto her face. “I’m sure she’d love to teach you.”
“How am I supposed to ask Rarity if I’m not supposed to leave my bed by Doctor Twilight’s orders?” Wyatt questioned, his face warming up slightly. “I’d rather not get her angry; last time I did that, she actually slapped me.”
Twilight whined, looking away again. “Right. Sorry.”
“It’s alright,” he assured, rubbing the spot she had slapped him. He could almost swear he could still feel her handprint there. “I was being an idiot. Losing to Lupin means I need to get better, not run away.” After a moment, he reached out, taking her hand. “Thanks for that pep talk by the way.”
Twilight turned her head from him again, but made no effort to move her hand. “I just said what came to mind, but you’re welcome.”
“You know...” Sitting up, he gave her hands a squeeze. ‘Come on man, you’ve fought monsters. Are you really going to fall into this?’ Taking a breath, he took his chance. “Twi, we should probably talk about... you know.”
A blush bloomed across Twilight’s face and she pulled her hand away from his. She made her ears twitch and she shot up from the bed. “Oh! I think I hear Spike calling me! I’d better go to the market with him!” She zipped out of the basement, taking the steps two at a time.
“Twi!” he called after her, frowning when she ignored him. “Oh this is going to be fun...” Flopping back down onto his bed, he stared up at the ceiling. “At least I know I’m okay with liking a pony-woman. That’s something at least...” He blinked, a sudden weight off his chest at the admission. He rubbed the side of his head, going over what he had just said. “Yeah, I guess I like Twi. Despite how high strung she can be, there is something endearing about her.”
Meanwhile, Twilight stepped up to Spike’s bed, picking up his clothes in her magic and tossing them at his face. “Okay Spike, it’s time to go to the market.”
“Gah.” Spike grabbed his clothes, frowning at her. “You didn’t have to chuck my clothes at me, Twi.” Easing himself into a sitting position, he began to pull his clothes on.
Twilight chuckled nervously, looking between Spike and the door. “Sorry Spike, guess I’m just excited to have a walk around town with my favorite little brother after so long.” She flashed him a strained smile.
Spike gave her a pointed look, ignoring the aches as he slipped his shirt on. “Okay, I’m not gonna ask. You wanna be weird, be weird.” Rising out of bed, he stretched out with a satisfied sigh.
Twilight’s eyes darted to and fro, a nervous sweat forming on her brow. “Weird, I’m not acting weird.” She chuckled, pointing to the stairs. “Anyway, let’s get going. Do you need any help down the stairs?”
“I think I got it.” Stretching his limbs out, he walked out of the room, grinning from ear to ear. “I did it earlier after all, and you weren’t even awake.”
Twilight giggled, her smile matching his. “Okay, it looks like we’re good to go then. Would you like to take the lead to celebrate your health?”
“Heck ya!” he smirked, strutting over to the door and opening it. Suppressing a hiss, he put his hand over his eyes. “Geez, that’s bright! You think we can get Princess Celestia to lower it a bit?”
Twilight shook her head, shooting him a playful glare. “No Spike, we can’t have the princess disrupt the solar cycle just for our benefit.” She gave him a light swat upside the head. “Nice try though.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Spike rubbed his head, moving out of the library. “Feels so good to be out~” he proclaimed, throwing his arms out as if to hug the world.
Twilight smiled brightly, taking a step out into the light. “I’m sure.” She spun on her hoof, flashing her smile at him. “Where would you like to go first? I made sure to get a list ready.” Reaching into her pocket, pulling out said list.
“I’m fine with anything, Twi,” Spike replied, putting his hands in his pockets. “I’m just happy to be out here. But uh,” he paused and scratched his cheek, “what’s on that list?” Leaning over, he perused the list as she spoke. “Shoulda figured we’d need quills and parchment,” he muttered, scanning the seemingly endless page for anything interesting. “Uh, Twi? Why does one of these say ‘sign Spike and Wyatt up for guard training?’”
Twilight smiled brightly, tapping the item in question with a finger. “You and Wyatt are in drastic need of improving your fighting abilities. So I thought it was prudent to sign you up for training that would improve your techniques as well as your physical conditioning.” She swelled up with pride as she concluded her statement.
Spike stared at her for a few moments, a blank look on his face. “And you didn’t consult Wyatt and I because?” he asked, gesturing with his hand.
Twilight’s smile waned slightly, but she didn’t falter. “I wanted it to be a surprise. Of course, I wasn’t going to force you two to do it; I just thought it was exactly what you two were looking for.”
“Well...you’re not wrong,” Spike conceded, running his eyes over the rest of the list. “Okay uh, how about we go with picking up clothes from Rarity.” At the thought of seeing her again, his tail started to swish.
Twilight nodded, rolling up her list and returning it to her pocket. She waved an arm out towards the town before saying, “Then lead the way, Spike. I’m sure she’d be ecstatic to see you up and about.”
Spike’s tail swished a bit faster, unable to keep himself from picturing Rarity fawning over him. A cocky smile spread over his face and he attempted to slick back the spines on his head. “Well then, we shouldn’t keep the lady waiting.” He started off towards the boutique, confidence abound in his stride. “Come on, Twi, we’re burning daylight!” he called back to her, waving at her to follow him.
Rolling her eyes, Twilight followed after him. ‘At least I know he’s feeling better’ she thought to herself, eyes on him just in case he needed her help. ‘I suppose, he doesn’t really need me anymore, does he?’ She then recalled needing to nurse him after gorging himself on ice cream in the aftermath of her time travel panic. She put a hand to her muzzle, failing to stifle a giggle. ‘Guess he isn’t totally self reliant yet.’
The two continued on towards the boutique, Spike straightening out his clothes and attempting to primp himself along the way. Once they reached the building, Spike stopped at the door to check his breath. He nodded in satisfaction and gave the door a series of knocks.
After a few moments Rarity opened the door, sporting the red glasses she always wore while designing. She gasped as soon as she took notice of Spike. “Spikey, what are you doing out of bed?!”
“I needed to get out of my bed for a bit.” Spike played of her concerned, leaning to one side and casually inspecting his claws. “Thought I’d come by and see how those clothes are coming.”
Rarity frowned, poking the drake in the chest and causing him to wince. “Do not make this a regular thing, darling. You need to take it easy so you can recover fully.” She retracted her finger and turned on her hoof. “But, since you are already up and about, I suppose I can show you your new outfit.” She waved the pair inside, leading them to a room filled with mannequins.
“I can’t wait to see it!” Spike eagerly followed after her, eyes brimming with anticipation.
Rarity’s horn lit up, pulling one of the mannequins under a spotlight. The outfit displayed on it was fairly casual: a black pair of jeans that had a hole cut out for Spike’s tail and a shirt. The shirt was a purple button up that was a shade darker than Spike’s scales, with two green stripes running down the sleeves and a green flame design on the right breast.
“Ta-da!” Rarity exclaimed, throwing her hands out towards the outfit. “What do you think, darling?”
“Wow.” Spike stared for a moment before walking around the mannequin. “It’s amazing, Rarity!” He ran his hands over the shirt, nodding at the flame symbol. “This is even better than I had in mind!” Rewarding her with a grin and a thumbs up, Spike beamed.
Rarity swelled up at the praise, putting a hand to her chest. “What can I say, my muse was strong.” Her horn lit up and she picked up a sketchpad. “I’ve also been toying with making clothes based on your rider form like I did for Wyatt.” She opened the sketchpad and displayed it for Spike. The pages showed various shirt designs. One was a deep red and displayed a soaring hawk while others only showed colored outlines that needed detail added to them.
“I really like the hawk one,” Spike commented, sifting through the designs. “Oh, this hoodie looks nice.” The drawing on paper was still incomplete, but from what Spike could see, it had stylized version of his three main animals. “I can’t wait to see this when it’s done.”
Twilight froze for a moment, the mention of Wyatt’s name instantly made her think back to the conversation he had tried to start with her. It was obvious he was going to bring up what had happened in Baltimare, but she barely understood her actions that day. She glanced over at Rarity, collecting her thoughts. Rarity was knowledgeable about relationships, maybe she could help? Her gaze landed on Spike; there was no way she could talk about her feelings with him in the room. A flash of inspiration struck Twilight as she recalled a lesson her mother had given her years ago.
Twilight was around twelve, sitting in her living room across from her mother. Spike, her father and Shining Armor were all out of the house for a Hoofball game and wouldn’t be back for some time. Her mother placed a cup of fresh tea in front of the two of them, taking a deep breath and releasing it.
“Honey, you’re getting older so I think it’s time I taught you an important lesson. One you’ll need as a mare,” Velvet started, grabbing cream and sugar and putting it into her tea.
“What’s that mother?” Twilight asked, watching her mother closely. “Is it magic related?” she beamed, kicking her legs.
“No, dear,” Velvet replied, giggling as she stirred her tea. “This has nothing to do with magic. One day, you’re going to find that you need to get any and all stallions out of a room to engage in, ‘mare talk’. When that time comes, all you have to do is...” She gave off a series of subtle signals, moving her neck towards a stallion that wasn’t there. “Do that, and the mare closest to you will clear out any stallions.”
Twilight giggled, taking a sip of her own tea. “I don’t think I’m ever going to need to use that, mother.”
Twilight blinked, slowly coming back to reality. She focused her gaze on Rarity, gulping. “Here’s hoping this works,” she muttered, giving the other unicorn the exact signals her mother had shown her.
Rarity blinked for a moment before a smile spread across her face and she nodded with understanding. “Spike dear, how about you go up to the loft and see a few of my in progress works?” it was more of an instruction than suggestion, followed by a gentle push to the door.
Spike nodded, stepping away from her touch and making his way to the stairs. “Yeah, I’m up for seeing how some of them look in real life.” He disappeared up the stairs, the faint sound of a door closing reaching them a few moments later.
Once Rarity was sure Spike was out of earshot, she grabbed Twilight by the wrist and pulled her to the sitting room. A wide grin overtook her face and her horn lit up to put a kettle of tea on the stove. “Now tell me everything!” she chirped, letting go of Twilight’s wrist. “Why did you need to have mare talk?!” A look of realization crossed her face and Rarity grinned. “This is about a certain human, isn’t it~?”
Twilight’s muzzle exploded into a blush and she slowly turned her head away from Rarity’s piercing gaze. “W-well, you’re not wrong. I did want to ask you for some advice.” She took a deep breath, explaining to the best of her ability what had happened in Baltimare and earlier that day when Wyatt tried to talk about said event.
“Oh my.” Rarity brought her hand to her mouth. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have interrupted!”
“I have no idea why it was going to happen though!” Twilight cried, throwing her hands into the air. “One moment we were talking and the next I nearly had my first kiss.” She groaned, dragging a hand across her face as she tried to sink into her seat.
“Well, darling, the heart wants what it wants, even if we don’t see it yet.” Rarity leaned back, never losing her smile. “I think you should embrace it! It’s obvious Wyatt shares your feelings, and it would be a shame if the two of you didn’t try and cultivate this budding romance!”
Twilight’s eyes widened and she shot up in her seat. “But what if he doesn’t?! What if he was trying to tell me that things wouldn’t work between us and that nearly kissing was a mistake?! And even if he does like me back, I have no idea where to even begin with a romantic relationships.” Her arms shot forward, grabbing Rarity by the shoulders and shaking the fashionista. “Please help me!”
Despite her mane being tossed about, Rarity kept her smile. “Of course, darling. I’m more than happy to help with your romantic endeavors.” Taking a moment to compose herself, she primped her mane. “Now, tell me; what’s the thing you like most about Wyatt?”
Twilight stopped shaking Rarity, pausing as she wracked her brain for that answer. “Well, I can relate to him. He worries that he’s not worthy to be a rider, and I know that I’ve felt that way about being an element.”
“Mhmm...” Rarity nodded, grabbing her notepad and writing a few things down. “And how do you feel when you think about him?”
“Nervous,” Twilight replied instantly, putting a hand to her chest. “My face heats up and my heart rate goes up considerably.” Her cheek fur darkened, tinting red. “If I let my mind wander, I think about him a lot...” Eyes looking away, she poked her fingers together.
Rarity let out an excited giggle, hurriedly adding every juicy detail into her notes. “Ooh, you are utterly smitten with him from the sound of this! I have no choice but to help you plan the perfect first date.” She shot the purple unicorn a playful grin, arching a brow. “And what do tell do you think about Wyatt when your mind wanders, hmm?” Her horn lit up and she pulled over the steaming tea kettle for them. “I promise not to tell a soul.”
“W-well um...” Twilight’s blushed darkened, and her gaze looked everywhere but Rarity. “Y-you know... stuff...”
“You’re going to have to be more specific than that, darling,” Rarity gently chided, pouring the both of them a cup of tea. “I only ask so I can help plan a perfect outing for you two.” Pausing mid-pour, a knowing smile spread across her face. “Why, Twilight, is our local bookworm having erotic fantasies?”
Twilight’s face became an entirely new shade of red, putting her head down as she nervously wrung her hands together. “...Maybe,” she squeaked out.
“Twilight, dear, relax.” Finishing the pour, she passed Twilight her cup. “I’m not going to judge you, nor am I going to ask for details.” Taking a sip, Rarity hummed in delight. “But, back to my previous question, in your normal fantasies, what do you see yourself and Wyatt doing?”
Twilight took a sip of her tea, trying to relax with a few quick breaths. “Nothing too specific. Sometimes it’s just us walking around Canterlot. One time I even pictured dragging him to a Starswirl the Bearded museum and he feigns enthusiasm for my sake.” She took another sip and managed to fix one eye on the other mare. “Then there's the one where he’s helping me in the lab, and we’re trying to see if humans and ponies can crossbreed.”
“Oh?” Rarity took a long drink, concealing a smile. “Is that fantasy born out of purely scientific curiosity, or are you already thinking about having children with Wyatt?”
Looking into her cup, Twilight scrunched up her muzzle. “Well, it’s been on my mind since we met Spike’s grandfather. My little brother is half-pony and there was no way to tell. Then I thought ‘what other species can ponies hybridize with?’. We know zebras and griffons can, but what about others? Could a pony and a diamond dog have offspring?”
Rarity shuddered at the mention of diamond dogs. “I’m rather glad I don’t have firsthand knowledge in that department.”
“Which is why I’ve been pondering if ponies and humans can breed,” Twilight continued, Rarity’s comment falling on deaf ears. “I’ve been wanting to do a few tests but uh... I don’t want to make things weird with Wyatt.”
“I can understand, asking for a sample to run tests on is something you should wait to do a few months into your relationship,” Rarity offered, gesturing with her hand. “But since dragons and ponies are compatible, I’d say that bodes well for humans.”
Smiling, Twilight took another sip of her tea. “Thanks, Rarity, that means a lot. Though, I’ll still need your help of course.” Her smile faded a little when she noticed the devious look on Rarity’s face. “Oh boy, this might not have been the best idea...”
Rarity put her cup down, grabbing her notepad and scratching something down. “Trust me, darling, this is going to be perfect. Now, I’ll need you to clear your schedule for a day so I can take you to the spa and give you a makeover.”
“Rarity, I really can’t I have things-”
Rarity looked up, a dark look on her face. “Twilight, this is all absolutely necessary. Make time for this.”
Chuckling nervously, Twilight nodded. “R-right consider time made!”
Rarity nodded, her smile returning in full force. She continued to chat with Twilight, going over the details of her plan. Twilight had created a monster, and now she had to pay the price.
Celestia walked down the hall of a facility built into the side of a mountain on the outskirts of Equestria. She had authorized the use of the building for the G-project. Things were picking up, the country’s top researchers working non-stop in order to develop the tools needed to battle monsters.
Nodding at a pair of guards, she stepped into the lab, casually clearing her throat. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
The head researcher, a brown earth pony stallion by the name of Time Turner if she recalled correctly, shot up, walking towards her. “Even if you were, this is your project so you can do whatever you like,” Time Turner replied, a good natured chuckle escaping his muzzle. He swept his hand out to the rest of the team. “How may we help you, Princess? Here to see the progress we’ve made?”
He led her over to a large table where various bits of equipment and materials were strewn about. Laying on the table like some kind of cadaver, was a strange suit of armor. Pieces of it were missing, and what looked like metal framing would be seen at the unfinished areas. “I would like to present the first steps of our project: Rider Armor prototype G-1.”
Celestia smiled, stepping up to the skeleton and putting a hand on one of its limbs. “Very impressive that you’ve managed this much in such a short time.” She craned her neck to fix an eye on Time Turner. “May I see the concepts for the finished armor?”
“Of course, your Highness!” Time Turner guided her over to another table, shuffling some papers. “Here it is!” The armor itself resembled Kuuga to a shocking degree, though it was obvious that it was metallic. “We based the design on the rider images you shared with us.”
“I’m sure Kuuga would approve of the gesture,” Celestia offered, examining the paper for a few moments. Her eyes landed on the desired capabilities of the armor. “Tell me, are you concerned about any potential strain on the user of the armor?”
Turner hummed in thought, rubbing his chin. “It’s entirely possible, Princess. We’re still in the process of getting the frame built. We’ve been testing the servos and hydraulics before adding them to the suit.”
Celestia returned the papers to Turner, nodding at him. “Very good, send me a notice when you have a working prototype. I have volunteers from my guard that are willing and able to test the rider systems you make.”
“Of course.” Bowing his head, Time Turner added. “I’ll see to it personally.” Looking to the side, he frowned. “Though, I will admit, I can’t tell you when we’ll have G-1 ready. This ‘computer’ technology you spoke about, it’s not like anything Equestria’s ever seen. If it were at all possible to obtain one, it would greatly help our research.”
Celestia smiled, a chuckle escaping her lips. “I may just be able to do that for you. I will make a trip to Ponyville and see if I can get you what you need.”
Turner smiled, bowing his head. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Is there anything else I can do for you today?”
“Yes, I would like a copy of your research notes,” Celestia answered, pointing at the files. “This way I can show the G-Project recruits what they’re in for.” Watching as Turner gathered the files, she sighed. ‘Equestria is supposed to be peaceful, and here I am, commissioning weapons. No, not weapons, defenses. The G-series will never be used against another nation, not aggressively at least.’ She glanced over at the bits of armor, her expression hardening. ‘If only these monsters could be fought by normal means.’
Celestia was pulled from her thoughts by Turner handing her a stack of papers. She thanked him, bid farewell to the researchers and made her leave. As she walked through the long, barren hall towards the exit, her mind turned to Wyatt and Spike, hoping for their swift recovery.