//------------------------------// // Celebration Invitation // Story: The Alchemist's Dream // by L Drkheart //------------------------------// “Ten tickets for the Grand Galloping Gala? Do you really think I am supposed to be attending such a fancy sounding party? I would rather be spending the night eating donuts and watching movies with you and the girls.” Spike said as he was practicing walking again after three weeks of laying down and healing from his fight with the Diamond Dogs. Twilight was using her magic to hold two large pillows in case Spike was to fall. He was extremely appreciative of the protection and care she had given him but he couldn’t help but feel as though she took caring a bit too far, such as when she didn’t give him any food that he had to chew for the first week or when she insisted that she take baths with him to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. “Oh come on Spike, the Grand Galloping Gala is the biggest and most important party that the princesses throw and it can be great fun! All of Equestria’s elite will be there and I may get to spend some quality time with Princess Celestia. They have some great music already planned, Octavia Melody, DJ Pon-3, the Hex Girls! I bet the town would love to see their hero again besides it would only be a single night where we could just relax.” “I don’t know Twi, I have been relaxing on my back for the last few weeks while forcing you to take care of me… As your assistant, I was supposed to be helping you not the other way around! Maybe you all should go without me, I could watch the library.” “There is no way I’m leaving you on your own right after you got hurt and every time I leave you something crazy happens!” “I’m not a baby Twi… You and the girls have been like mothers lately, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow all are giving me thanks and pity as they think I saved the CMC all on my own while those fillies fought just as hard as I did. They also changed towards me as they blame themselves for my injuries even though I was the dumb one to fall for a trap. Fluttershy has been a nurse towards me so I can’t really blame her and Pinkie has been the most normal to just visit and play some games maybe bringing some cake sometimes.” “I-I know that… I’m sorry Spike it’s just that I’m still learning about friendship and since we have been living under the same roof we become close friends and I don’t want them or you hurt… I don’t wanna lose you and my friends and I have never gotten so close to losing someone then that day with you and the girls. If you want to stay okay I won’t fight you but I know I would miss you being there…”  Spike lowered his head and slowly walked to the unicorn before hugging her. “I didn’t mean to sound so bitter about all this, I guess I’m so used to the dragon way of things where they would blame you for being weak enough to get hurt that I don’t understand you all. Okay as long as you relax a bit on the caretaking and let me actually start cooking again then I’ll go to the gala. We can’t keep surviving off of cake and takeouts.” Twilight giggled and nodded before giving Spike another hug and putting the pillows down but she saw him get to the stairs and turned them into a slide. He slid down and smiled before shaking his head at his friend, getting to the kitchen and started the oven. “I’ll make a veggie pizza! Hey, Twi so who else will be coming with us? Ten tickets is a fair amount.” Twilight came into the room with five books flying around her as she caught up on lost researching time. She didn’t even look away as she sat at the table. “It will be you, me, the other girls and the CMC. The princess said that everyone that has helped teach me lessons or learned some themselves deserve to have a night we will never forget.” Spike nodded and popped the pizza in the oven while sitting across from Twilight and checks how his new chest scales were coming along. He grabs one of the issues of Power Ponies that the CMC had worked to get him while he was hurt and read while they waited. “Hey Spike, how has your progress come along with the stone you are making?” “Well, Zecora has been a lot of help for getting strange new plants and elements that I never had at home. I have failed every time though because the stone won’t solidify and explodes due to the instability. I’ll figure it out though, someday.” Soon enough the pizza was done and Spike cut it half while adding a crushed sapphire to his half. Spike finished the issue rather quickly as reading was an art he had mastered only losing his title of the best to Twilight. He watched her as she read, noticing the small details and tweaks that she uniquely possessed, such as when she found a new piece of knowledge she liked her eyes would sparkle or when she was stumped by a word her tongue with stick out until she got it. She would also narrow her eyes at the book like an old foe if it didn’t explain a topic enough. He chuckled when she tried to eat one of her books as she thought it was her slice of pizza. She looked over to him with a blush and turned her head away while pointing to the library. “I guess you must really be better if you have the strength to laugh at me! Go shelf those books! Just be careful on the ladder…” “As you wish princess~.” Twilight rolled her eyes at his playful bow and he started his chores, noticing a lot of the books were medical books and animal caring books. “Oh, Twi…” She really must have been so worried for him to get so many of these and it looked like she managed to finish them. He reshelved the books and put the others that he guessed were Fluttershy’s on a nearby desk, checking the desk and seeing they were low on scrolls and ink. “Hey, Twilight! I’m gonna go over to the train station and see if they were bringing that new shipment of ink and scrolls, we could also do with more quills. You never left my side for the last while so we are behind on a fair number of materials.” “Well… okay, Spike but be careful and try to get back before dark because it is supposed to rain.” Twilight put her books down and watched him start to leave before looking at the ten tickets and going over to him. “Hey umm… you said that you wanted me to treat you like my assistant again so can you do something else for me while you’re out?” “Of course!” Spike wobbled back to her, his legs not ready yet to run. “Deliver the tickets to everyone please and thank you.” She floated eight gold tickets to him while keeping two for them. He took them and thanked her for trusting him again before leaving towards the closest place he needed to go to first; Sugarcube Corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were there and smiled at the small dragon as he walked up to them. “Well look who it is, the local hero of the town! The girls all told us how you helped protect those fillies from those kidnapping Diamond Dogs.” “I’m not sure that I should get that much credit, the girls helped protect him also and if not for Pinkie then we could have been in worse trouble. Where is she anyway? I had something for her.” “Oh Pinkie is out for the day, she does this once a month where she goes off on her own before coming home. It’s a day where she remembers her family and plans for the time where she’ll get to see them again. It’s best we not push her.” “Poor Pinkie, I can kinda understand that but she must be feeling it way harder than me. I have only been away from home a few months not years… This is a ticket for her to the Grand Galloping Gala over in Canterlot that will be coming in a few days. I bet that she will enjoy it, after all, who loves a good party more than Pinkie Pie?” “No one heh. That sweet girl has been the daughter that we never had, we even taught her some of our own secret family recipes. We’ll give her the ticket when she comes home.” Spike smiled and gave them the ticket before starting to walk out but was called back. “Oh here is something Spike for all the help around Ponyville and for all that buzz back in Canterlot. Ponies haven’t always been nice to your kind and maybe not every dragon has been to ponies but every small step is a step in the right direction. You have been that step for us.” They handed Spike a sapphire cupcake which made the dragon smile and gave them a quick hug before waving a bit. “Thank you both and… that means a lot coming from you. I want to keep making that progress because dragons have been apart from all this for too long. Our lives would be better as friends and maybe it could open the door to something better.” Spike nibbled at the cupcake, savoring every crumb while stopping at Quills and Sofas where they only sold two things, quills and sofas. Spike shook his head as he left the shop questioning how the shop kept in business before Twilight moved to town, effectively boosting their profits by a thousand percent. He bought a large order to be delivered to the library before walking out and heading down to the Carousel Boutique. He opened the door as a dress hit him in the face. Rarity was tossing failed designs and dresses over her head with her magic, not noticing the shadow until it loomed over her. She jumped back as it spoke her name until the clothing monster shook off the clothes and Spike stood there while tapping his claws on his arm. “My apologies darling, I been looking for the perfect design to take to the gala… I want to show the best of my abilities but I’m not sure what will impress ponies who are at the center of the fashion world! The other girls have their dresses that I made them before but I want mine to be like my cutie mark, something that defines me…” Rarity shouted before sighing hard and laying on the ground, covering her face with a dress. Spike frowned and sat next to her, rubbed her mane. “Oh Rarity, if there is anything I learned about you since I been living here, it’s that you are a beacon of fashion ideas and beauty. If anyone will be able to impress the most stubborn of ponies it would be you, I say you take inspiration from things and those close to you.” Rarity relaxed at the praise an began to think hard about herself and what she wanted, glancing at Spike an idea came to her and she began to smile. “Thank you for your kind words Spike but I need room as my muse speaks and I must draw some new designs!” Spike smiled as she was back to herself and he left her ticket next to her. .   . . Spike rubbed his chin as he sat at the train station and checked the nearby clock, the train was late and he had a guess why. The trains in Equestria were run off of pony power and he could give it to them that they were strong and impressive to do such a job but maybe this could be changed to make their lives easier. He drew a prototype design for a train that would be able to power itself but he needed to find a power source. It snapped like a bulb just went off in his mind, an electric citrine gem would be able to power an entire city! Dragons had mastered developing and crafting gems over generations now but it took months and years of training to do so, but with his alchemy, Spike might be able to create artificial stones that would carry the properties of their original brother. If he was able to make large citrine stones that a pony could add a current to so it could get charged then the train would have the power to move on its own. Maybe with a few changes to the stone’s DNA he would be able to make a stone that could develop large energy surges on its own. Spike finished drawing his design and added some text on the side to explain his thinking when the train finally arrived. The stallions pulling the train had gotten tired and the train had stopped, explaining the lateness and giving Spike more determination to finish this design later. He took the large bag of scrolls that had come from Canterlot and dragged them behind him, groaning as they began to hurt his sore body over time. Lucky for him, Ditzy Doo was flying by while eating a muffin and offered to help him out a bit. She took the bag and saluted the tiny dragon before going off towards the library. He waved and thanked her for her help before noticing it was getting late and he ran off best he could to his next location. .   . . There is nothin sweeter than the smell of a perfect home cooked apple pie after a long day working the fields, that what Spike remembered being told once by Applejack and while he didn’t know about the workin field the scent he was smelling was indeed sweet. He was nearly floating his way to Sweet Apple Acres once his nose caught the scent of the pie. The farm was being repainted by Big Macintosh who Spike waved to. The two had become friends after the girls had to leave while Spike was still hurt and they trusted Big Mac to keep him company. They had talked a bit before deciding on playing a game and Big Mac mentioned playing Oubliettes & Ogres which Spike had never heard about. They spent the whole day talking about the game and the rules but Spike found himself having fun just from learning about the game, promising Big Mac that they would play once he was better. “Heya Big Mac is Applejack in? I have something for her and is the next few days good for you for us to play you know what?” “Eeyup to both, she is in the barn and I can find some free time next time you visit.” “You’re the best, thanks!” He jogged over to the barn but was stopped once by Granny Smith who thanked him for bringing home her sweet Applebloom, handing him a slice of pie. He thanked her and waved before heading to the barn and knocking. “Hey AJ you here?” “Howdy Spike, how’s it hangin?” Applejack was tied up in a rope hanging above him, waving a bit. “Oh, the pie is done huh? I’m glad Granny gave ya a slice. Is there somethin I can help ya with?” “Umm… well I came over to give you your ticket to the gala, do you need a claw? I can help you down.” “Nah, don’t worry about it ah can get down pretty easily ah was just making a new pulley system to make getting hay to the animals easier. Ya can leave the ticket there and ah’ll get em.” “Well, okay then. Hey AJ, why are you going to the gala?” “I’m goin to take some of our products and show off the Apple family’s skills and hopefully make some money to bring back. We all have somethin we need.” “Hmm so you are going to make things easier for your family, that’s a pretty good reason. Thanks AJ, have a good day!” “Ya too Spike! Come back anytime!” .   . . He started to wobble faster as he was losing time but he did manage to get to the CMC clubhouse in record time, for a cripple dragon. Spike heard singing and glanced in the window, seeing the three were trying to practice harmonizing with each other but had a bit of trouble here and there. Spike smiled and wished that he had what they did when he was younger but Ember was always there for him when he needed her. Spike smiled and knocked on the door making them all jump, blushing they opened the door and nearly jumped on the dragon. He laughed as he was knocked down and soon Sweetie Belle noticed he was still hurting so she pulled the others back. “Hey, girls, I have a special delivery from Princess Celesta for you three, tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala! She said that you three have learned and grown with your sisters and her friends enough to join us. Plus, I think she enjoys the stories of you three trying to get cutie marks.” The three blushed and happily took the tickets before turning back at their mikes and the smiles vanished. They seemed to be bothered. “Why the faces?  I thought you were happy?” “We are but… it’s just that we ad a plan for singing to our sisters but singing is hard with three fillies…” “Yeah, our voices are so different that we can’t get it right…” Spike frowned and looked around before grabbing a nearby guitar and smiling once he got a feel for it. “You three have simply tried so hard for so long Beaten down time and time again But if you hear me now, listen to what I say I have seen your hearts and you are so strong! You’ve never given up so why start now? Love for them still drives your every move They won’t ever leave you So go out there and take your bow Who cares if this is wrong? If what we always do is good That’s not true life Go and write your song!” Spike smiled and grabbed Scootaloo’s front hoofs and began dancing with her while she tried to dance on wobbly legs. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom giggled and bowed to each other while beginning to dance and soon enough all three began to sing together with Spike giving pointers here and there. .   . . Dark clouds were rolling in and Spike wished the weather patrol could make it a clear night but knew that they had missed the last scheduled rain. He came up to Fluttershy’s small cottage as the door opened and Rainbow Dash was being pushed out of the door. “D-Dash we have to get started on our way or we’ll be caught in the rain…” “Fluttershy, we can fly above the clouds remember? Besides the migration is a day’s fly away, you know if you weren’t me.” Both pegasuses were wearing weird hats and Rainbow did not look happy. “Do I have to goooo?” Fluttershy gave her an angry pout and crossed her arms while sitting down. “You promised…” Rainbow sighed seeing the expression and rolled her eyes before grumbling. “...Let’s go then.” Fluttershy cheered up and hugged her friend. “Where you two going?” Spike asked while chuckling at Rainbow trying not to smile at the hug. “I brought you your gala tickets.” “Thank you, Spike and I’m glad you’re up but try not to overdo it, please. Rainbow Dash and I will be gone for a bit because we always go to see the butterfly migration together.” “Yeah, she loves it and hates being alone so I go with her to keep her company. It’s boring really but, anything to help a friend right?” “Right, well I’ll cook you up something Dash once you get back, I been told my brownies aren’t too bad.” “Seriously?! Thanks, Spike! Oh, you better get home quick, that rain is gonna be pretty bad we should get going. See ya!” “I’ll check up on you in two days! Bye Spike!” “Bye.” Spike waved at them before smiling and heading home as the sun vanished and night fell. He sighed as he walked home and was glad he had managed to finish his assignment but dull sore pain was there still. The path seemingly went on endlessly when the first drop landed on his nose and then the downpour began. He held himself as he tried to run but didn’t get far before slipping into the mud. He coughed and groaned in pain, looking up to see a purple light and the rain stopped. “Spike! Are you okay!? I was worried that you would get caught out here in the rain so I came looking for you.” Twilight used her magic to lift the dragon and put him on her under the umbrella, ignoring his wet scales damping her fur. She got them home in a speed that would have earned a thumbs up from Dash, getting Spike to the fireplace and drying him off with a towel. Once she was sure he was okay, she prepared two mugs of hot chocolate and they sat next to each other while sipping the sweet drink. “Thanks, Twilight, maybe I did bite off more than I could chew, but I got all the tickets to the girls and all the supplies we would need. I also had an idea at the train station that I wanted to try out but later, how has your day been?” “I managed to catch up in record time but there are some spells I need to practice later. Tell me about your day.” Spike proceeded to tell her about his various visits and showed her his idea for the trains of Equestria. She made a few modifications based on what she knew magic could do and made a promise that she would show it to the Princess in her next letter. Spike relaxed and hugged Twilight as they took a nap, her warmth making him feel warm, loved, and safe. Eventually, Spike woke and slipped a blanket over Twilight before sneaking up to their room. He wrote down chemical reactions and the different possible ways he could make a stronger citrine gem. The first attempts failed due to not having enough of a charge and the other shattered before he even touched it. The third attempt was different as Spike added bits of other crystals to strengthen this one but missed that he dropped one of his potions in the mixture. What came out once he began to press the material into a gem was sparks and the stone began to shake with Spike hiding behind Twilight’s bed. The lavender pony yawned coming into the room and Spike rushed at her. “Hey, Spike-” “Get down it’s gonna blow!” Twilight woke at the shout and saw the crystal beginning to glow and she panicked, shooting a magic blast at it. The stone absorbed the magic and spun before taking on a strange new look and falling to the ground. The two looked out from their hiding places and Spike touched the stone which glowed green at his touch, power filled his body as he dropped the stone. He looked closer at it and found it was warm and the center seemed to have stars in it. “W-what is this thing…” Twilight lifted it with her magic and also felt the strange sensation fill her and her aura turned a darker purple before she dropped it. She bit her lip before putting a box over it. “Spike whatever we just created here can amplify magic to a massive degree… I think we should destroy the stone.” “Wait! If this is what happens when you mix magic and alchemy maybe I can use this. I may have found the secret to the philosopher’s stone! I just want to run a few tests, please!” “Hmm… fine but I want to be present during the tests.” They agreed and Twilight locked away the stone but far from their room, a feline witch smirked as she stared at a swirling potion in a makeshift cauldron. “So they created something that powerful, did they? Looks like I’ll be visiting Ponyville soon and then I will get my revenge on that pitiful dragon! This time, no screw-ups…”