There’s no getting around the fact that the period of life commonly referred to as “puberty” by most species is, to put it mildly, awkward. My own coming-of-age is filled with plenty of cringe-inducing stories, including quite a few involving hormones, bad choices, and a few instances that still cause me to blush. This was made all the worse because of the fact that most of my friends are attractive females, and I had varying degrees of personal attraction to all of them, not to mention living with two of them. Because of that, both Twilight and Starlight had caught me in rather...compromising situations more than a few times, and though we could laugh about it later in life, it was mortifying during the moments they happened. Twilight, being the organized mare she was, had actually developed a “scale of awkwardness” because of this, ranging from “mild discomfort” all the way up to “by the sun, moon, and stars, let me just die and end this embarrassment”. Even though that confusing time of bodily development was far behind us, the classification system still came in handy from time to time.
Right now was right at the top, in my opinion.
Following Ember’s hurried escort of me out of the room, followed by a certain vigorous and lewd private activity, it made sense that Twilight would cease being patient after three hours, and thus decide to investigate. This led to the poor pony princess being given a front-row practical education of dragon mating practices, as well as “popping her cherry” regarding binge-drinking by trying to drown herself in Sweet Apple Acres aged whiskey in an attempt to forget the sights, smells, and sounds she was subjected to. One of the worst parts about the entire situation was that neither Ember nor I even noticed Twilight’s arrival or her hurried exit. The only consolation was that, in regards to my sexual experiences thus far, my first time with Ember would be one I never forgot.
Twilight likely would never forget either, and alicorns have long memories.
Ember and I slept off the exhaustion and awoke the following day pleasantly achy, yet happy, and made our way out of the pocket dimension and back to the castle. After vigorously washing ourselves, we both nearly bowled over the mildly hungover resident alicorn, who only offered a squeak and blush at the sight of us.
Currently though, the dragoness and I were standing awkwardly in the private library, with Twilight looking over us with jaw dropped, cheeks flushed, and wings presented widely. We explained just what had happened, and why, but it didn't counteract the awkwardness.
“...academically, I’m impressed at the sheer utility of dragon magic,” Twilight commented softly, shaking her head as she slowly sipped a steaming mug of black coffee. “Turning emotions into pure power, and using that power to augment the physical capabilities of the body? That’s incredibly useful, and frankly terrifying.”
I pulled at the shirt I wore, wrinkling the hem as I shifted on my feet uneasily. “No one’s more surprised than me. I lived my whole life like a pony for the most part. Now, in just the last year, dragon genetic heritage has hit me like a freight carriage to the face.”
“If it helps at all,” Ember murmured, speaking for the first time since we entered the library, “this was just the best practical solution for an incredibly urgent problem. I won’t say I regret it,” she glanced at me with a strong blush, “because I don’t, but I didn’t drag Spike off to bump uglies because I all of the sudden had dirty thoughts I couldn’t control.”
Twilight settled herself a little bit and blew out a long breath as her wings finally settled properly. “I...I understand, and I’m not mad or anything.” She then glanced between me and Ember. “So, is this going to need to be a regular thing?”
Ember’s blush increased, but she shook her head. “Um...no. I won’t say we’re going to suddenly hold off on physical intimacy or anything, but there won’t be the same urgency. If Spike had lost control like he was very close to doing, he would have probably hurt some innocent pony...maybe one of his friends. I have a way that he can vent this extra magic so something like this doesn’t happen again.”
Twilight’s own blush matched Ember’s, but she nodded regardless. “Um...g-good. That’s good to hear. I’ll, um...I’ll let you handle that, then. Is there anything we need to do?”
“Not telling anyone about this, for one,” Ember said, frowning briefly. “Spike is already under enough scrutiny, so we don’t need anypony to catch wind of the fact that he was basically a ticking time bomb.”
Twilight snorted with narrowed eyes. “That goes without saying, Ember; what kind of idiot do you take me for?”
“I-I didn’t-”
“No,” Twilight interrupted, sighing heavily as she shook her head again with her eyes tightly closed, “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just...stressed. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
Though she wasn’t looking at me, I squinted at Twilight in clear disbelief. Something was up with her, and I hoped she was being honest when she said she would be fine. Time would tell.
“Anyway,” Twilight continued, standing and smoothing out her clothes, “we have other important things to think about. Tomorrow’s Saturday, which means the funeral for Scootaloo’s parents, and then we head to Canterlot on Monday. Hearth’s Warming is the week following that, so things are going to get busy around here. Thorax and Ocellus will be arriving sometime in the middle of next week, and the rest of our out-of-town guests will arrive shortly after that. What’s the word on the catering?”
The shift toward business shook me out of my awkward state, and I straightened my posture at the question. “Pinkie and the Cakes are running on schedule, and the catering company already sent an invoice with the delivery day and time. I put it in your inbox for you to go over.”
Twilight nodded firmly to me and turned to Ember. “I’d appreciate it if you could assist me today. I need an outside perspective on the speech I’m composing for our meeting in Canterlot, and you would work best since you don’t hold the reverence for me that most ponies do.”
Ember tilted her head at Twilight. “I mean, I guess I can. You know I’m not really one for speeches though, right?”
“That’s exactly what I need,” Twilight assured, smiling supportively. “I don’t imagine the nobles we’ve already snubbed twice will want to listen to the ‘youngest and naive princess’ prattle on for an hour, so what I need is someone that can tell me what’s unnecessary or needlessly boring.”
Ember playfully cracked her knuckles. “Finally, you’re playing to my strengths. Yeah, I’ll help.”
“Good,” Twilight gratefully answered, then turned to me again. “Spike, I need you to ensure all the guest rooms are properly prepared and stocked, then I need you to head out for a necessities run in Ponyville -- you know, things like toiletries, extra towels and sheets...stuff like that. I also need you to check the local mining company for sapphire and ruby jewel dust, and use my personal account to buy any they have. Lastly, I want you to ensure the local guard force is aware of the visitors we’ll be having. We don’t need another ‘incident’ like the last time that Yona visited.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory of the young yak and the “incident” Twilight was referring to. Yona had a good heart, but yaks could be rather abrasive to those that didn’t understand how their society worked. To make a long story short, three tables were broken, four guards put in the hospital, and a very irate Yona was jailed due to a “misunderstanding” that happened in a local pub. It was funny to think about after the fact, but let it not be said we all weren’t freaking out due to the potential public relations nightmare the incident could have caused.
I gave a nod and salute to Twilight. “I’ll take care of it. Send me a message if anything comes up.”
And, with our own jobs to attend to, I went off on my own to take care of my tasks for the day.
It was no surprise that my tasks took most of the day, since I was quite used to my day-to-day life being full of things to do. While Twilight and I didn’t actively take on too many governmental tasks (Parliament handled most issues of state nowadays, and Mayor Mare took care of most local government tasks), there was still plenty to do regarding relations with other nations, the school, and the mundane tasks that the average person had to take care of, simply as part of life. As a younger drake, it bothered me that I never really had time to just...be a kid, but I later realized that Twilight hadn’t exactly had a “free” childhood either; whether it be self-imposed or due to being Celestia’s personal student, Twilight was busy doing things every day, and those habits were passed onto me. It certainly helped as an adult, but didn’t exactly lead to a flourishing social life when I was younger.
Still, because of the skills I picked up earlier in life, my tasks were finished in short order. All the linens had been washed and laid out on the guest beds, the rooms themselves had been cleaned and dusted from top to bottom, and the washrooms had been stocked with everything one might need to take care of personal hygiene. The walk in refrigerators and freezers had been stocked well enough to feed a small army, and with all of that done, we were prepared for our guests at the castle. I spent the two or so remaining hours of daylight with an axe and a cart out near the forest, splitting some of the logs we had seasoned over the summer, to be brought back to the castle; it was a mindless, mundane task that allowed me to focus on the rhythm of placing a log and chopping it into smaller pieces, over and over again, for quite a while. It was so relaxing, in fact, that I almost didn’t notice a certain changeling trying to sneak up from behind me.
Without pausing in my work, I called, “You may be an expert at blending in, but you’re a novice at actually sneaking around. I heard you coming.”
A startled squeak answered, followed by a muted huff before the changeling entered my field of vision. She was dressed in heavy winter clothing, since she had no fur to insulate her like ponies did, and was looking quite adorable with the brooch Rarity had designed for my herd displayed proudly on the left breast of her coat. She tromped over and took a seat on a tree stump, crossing her arms underneath her chest as she pouted playfully.
“How do you always hear me coming?” she grumped, though I could tell she wasn’t actually that bothered by it.
Regardless, I answered anyway as I pointed to her with my tail. “You’re a soldier, not an infiltrator, so while you retain the ability to blend in with your species’ natural shapeshifting abilities, you were never meant to be stealthy. You were never taught to be, and as a soldier, stealth can actually work against you, and I have a feeling that was engineered into your caste*.” With a grunt, I finished splitting the current log and tossed the firewood into the cart, then turned to Lyla with a grin. “Besides, Ember is sneaky enough for the both of you. Remember when I joked that we should put a bell on her? Well…”
Lyla nearly burst out laughing, jamming a palm over her lips to stem the giggles before bubbling, “No way, she actually did it? That’s going to amuse me for weeks.”
I nodded with my own smile before meeting Lyla halfway as she stood, and enveloped her in a tight embrace. We held it for a few moments before pulling away. “It’s great to see you, Lye. Sorry I haven’t had a whole lot of time lately, but that’s gonna change soon.”
Lyla released me and shrugged as she let me get back to work. “Eh, I can’t really complain. I’ve had a lot of work lately as well -- mostly ponies wanting to be sure their homes are winter-proofed before we get a bad blizzard or anything, as well as some asking for commissions for Hearth’s Warming gifts.”
I grimaced slightly as I continued chopping the wood. “Yeah, woodworking’s never been a strength of mine. I can chop it just fine,” I tossed a few more split logs into the cart, “as you can see, but it’s never pretty. I tried whittling and woodworking when I was younger, but all my ‘projects’ looked like they were done by a three year-old having a seizure.”
“Singing seems to be something you do very well, though,” Lyla pointed out.
I shrugged, but continued my task. “I don’t really think that counts. From what I understand, singing for dragons is like shapeshifting for changelings: it’s an inborn ability, so much so that the ones that don’t have the skill are seen as defective. I would certainly say you’re a fantastic shapeshifter, but it’s not your talent. Your talent is something that is rare within your own species; it’s something not many of your kind can do, or do well.” I glanced up to her, noticing the changeling had a thoughtful look on her face. “LIke, for example, your skill with woodworking and carpentry. Changelings are experts at construction with natural materials, but not all of them are great at turning a hunk of wood into art. You have a few talents that set you apart, and that’s one of them.”
Lyla seemed to consider my words for a moment before deciding, “...yeah, I guess you’re right.” She then nodded toward me with a smirk. “So what’s your talent, oh great Dragon Sage?” My face soured at her question, and if her immediate frown was any indication, I didn’t do a good job at hiding it. “What’s with that look?”
I shook my head hard, barely choking back a growl that tried to rumble from my throat. “Don’t call me that, please.”
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of piquing the interest of Lyla, who was never one to back down from learning new things. She shook her head at me and rested her elbows on her knees with a hard stare. “Oh, I’ve gotta hear this. Clearly there’s a story behind that, and I want to know about it. C’mon, spill.”
I buried the blade of the axe into the stump in front of me before resting my rump on the lip of the cart. “All right fine, but don’t go spreading it around.” I rolled my neck around to work some of the tension out of it before beginning. “When I went to the dragon lands during mine and Twilight’s expedition there, some of the more ‘intellectually-inclined’ dragons were...let’s say more than a little impressed with me. They are a minority -- and honestly, I think they always will be -- but among them I was always welcome, and I felt more at home with those few than I have anywhere else but Equestria. It was nice to know I wasn’t just some freak dragon that wasn’t a noisy brute, and that even outside of Equestria, there were others like me.” I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. “Anyway, we were there for months, and during that time, I became pretty close with that specific group of dragons. I later learned that Ember was a part of that unofficial group, but that wasn’t why I became interested in them. For the first time, I felt valued by dragons for who and what I was. I wasn’t just ‘the squishy whelp’ or ‘the runt,’ I was a smart guy with lots of crazy stories, and my intelligence and wit was valued with them. As a bit of a joke, they started playfully calling me ‘The Dragon Sage’ because of all the knowledge I had and all the places I’d traveled.” The smile that had grown on my face faded away as I remembered the unhappy ending to this story, which not many new about. “Unfortunately, intelligence isn’t exactly valued among the younger dragons, and as I’m sure you know, they aren’t exactly known for being accepting of people like me. It’s almost like, until they reach a certain age, they completely lack the ability to see value in anything not related to strength or battle prowess.”
“Most other creatures call that maturity, Spike,” Lyla pointed out with a wry grin.
I could argue semantics with her, but I chose not to. “Well, anyway, I never found out what happened to the buddies I’d made among that little circle. There were five of us, and they all just...disappeared. I want to believe they just moved on to other lands or something, but I find it hard to believe that all of them are suddenly gone for seemingly no reason. I never found out what happened to them, but it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The little nickname they gave me just brings up heartache that I don’t like feeling, because there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Lyla’s expression had changed to one of sympathy, and she reached across the small gap to place a hand on my knee. “Did you ever try to track them down?”
I nodded with a sigh. “Yep, and before Ember went silent for that long while, I even asked her for help. Nothing came of it, though. For now, they’re just a part of my past, and so is that nickname.”
Lyla looked remorseful with her ears splayed and eyes lowered. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have dragged up a painful memory like that.”
I shook my head and raised her chin with the tip of my tail, offering a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. Memories are given new life when we share them with others, and it’s nice to talk to someone about things like that...even if it hurts a little. The happiness I feel from the memories outweighs the heartache, so I’m glad you ‘dragged it out of me’.”
Lyla smiled back before suddenly perking up. “Oh, I almost forgot what I came to find you for in the first place! Rarity agreed to a dinner with the herd if you’re not busy tonight. She suggested we could go somewhere to eat at around seven, seeing as how we haven’t had a proper date in awhile.”
I scratched my chin for a moment as I thought aloud. “Well, I’m not really doing much after I get this wood back to the castle, and as far as I know, Twilight and Ember shouldn’t be busy all night.” I shrugged and gave a smile to the changeling. “Yeah, sounds good. Run and tell Rares I’ll get the other two on board when I get back to the castle.”
Lyla practically bounded away, too excited to even fly properly, and I chuckled at the sometimes-childlike changeling. After she left, it only took me a few more minutes before the cart was full, so I then lugged it back toward town to drop it off, now looking forward to tonight. Unfortunately, the recent days never seemed to go the way I envisioned, and there were always surprises to be had. This was the case as I nearly flattened a familiar pink-maned pegasus with soft yellow fur, and I had to swerve hard to avoid crashing into the mare, nearly flattening myself in the process. Nonetheless, a crisis was averted, but now I was facing down a mare I had been shamefully avoiding for a little while now.
After she calmed her racing heart and checked herself to be sure all limbs were firmly attached, Fluttershy’s teal eyes wandered to me, and her face immediately lit up with a rosy pink blush that matched her hair quite nicely. “O-oh, hello Spike. I-It’s, um, good to see you.”
I lowered the front of the cart to rest on the ground, and cleared my throat awkwardly. “Umm, yeah. It’s good to see you too, ‘Shy.” I found my eyes darting away against my will as an uncomfortable feeling settled into my gut. I found myself offering a weak excuse of, “Sorry we haven’t seen each other much lately. Winter time always gets busy before Hearth’s Warming, and then there’s all the stuff with Scootaloo and the visitors coming to Ponyville…” I trailed off, unsure of what more to say, mostly because I had a feeling Fluttershy believed my excuse about as much as I did...which was not at all.
If she suspected though, she didn’t show it. Her eyes focused timidly on me as she answered, “I-it’s okay, Spike. Winter is busy for me too, so it’s not your fault.” She wrung her gloved hands a few times before adding, “...b-but I’ve missed you.”
And unfortunately, that quiet admission cut straight to my heart like an impossibly sharp blade, and I found every rationalization I had made over the past week falling away like dust in the wind, leaving only icy guilt. Regardless of what I felt regarding Fluttershy being interested in my herd -- in me -- she was my friend first, and I had been avoiding her. She was still mourning the loss of Angel to a lesser degree, and I had avoided her because of what I had learned from Rarity. Within the span of only a minute, I felt like the lowest of the low.
Releasing a sigh full of self-loathing, I shook my head slowly. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I should have made more time for you.”
“No, you don’t have to apologize. I know how busy-”
I held up a hand to silence her before bringing my eyes up to meet hers. “I made time for Twilight, I made time for Rarity, I made time for Lyla, Ember, and Starlight, and I even made time for Applejack when I could. The only one I didn’t fit into my schedule was you, and that wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.”
Fluttershy bit her lip gently before shuffling over to me. She hesitated for a moment before pressing her body against mine, and wrapping her arms around me. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she buried her face against my larger form, and her hair and hat hid her face completely as she gave me a hug I didn’t feel I deserved. Still, I couldn’t stop myself from reflexively encompassing her body in my arms and under my wing, and even though I felt undeserving of such affection, I relished it nonetheless.
After a few silent moments, she finally said, “It’s okay Spike. You’re here now.”
I settled my chin atop Fluttershy’s head, smiling at her ears flicking around almost playfully at the action. “I am. How have you been?”
Fluttershy pulled away a bit so that she could look at me, her soulful eyes still carrying a hint of melancholy in them even as she offered me a smile. “Better. I’ve been keeping busy and exercising to stay in shape.”
I’ll readily admit that the thought of such a dainty, soft (for lack of a better term) mare keeping to a strict exercise schedule was...odd, to say the least. Much like her personality, Fluttershy’s deceptively delicate-looking body held a hidden layer of steel just below the surface. It was easy to mistake the gentle pegasus for some weak little mare, but any who made that mistake would be shocked to learn she was the exact opposite.
“Speaking of exercising, you’ve improved recently, haven’t you?” she observed critically, looking over my neck and shoulders.
I ran my fingertips over the noticeable cords of muscle around my arms and neck. “Yeah. Training with Ember is hard work, so it makes sense I’d put on some more muscle. It’s a pain though, because my old clothes don’t fit quite right anymore, and some of them were my favorites.”
I was surprised by the feel of Fluttershy’s soft fingers tracing my shoulders and upper back, as if measuring me by hand (which Rarity had done before, and not entirely for practicality). Her expression was distant, as if she was in a trance, and it took me clearing my throat to bring her back to the present. The mare practically jumped away from me with a squeak of fright, and I did my best not to blush or display just how much I enjoyed the attention.
After a moment of awkward silence, I broke it with a loud, “So, anyway, I’m glad you’re doing okay, so I’m gonna go ahead and-”
As I turned to leave, however, Fluttershy’s fingers grasped my wrist, and while I could have easily pulled away, I didn’t -- something in the way she touched me, and the fact that she stopped me, bid me to stay; even though my mind was furiously denying it, my heart knew exactly why she had stopped my retreat. The sound of shuffling from behind me drew my curiosity, and I turned around to see something that burned away all rationalizations my mind could come up with.
There, displayed proudly on the left breast of Fluttershy’s overcoat, was a familiar brooch designed by Rarity to identify those she had vetted and accepted as prospective herd mates. I didn’t have to test the brooch to know it was real, since Rarity had confirmed to me that she had already spoken with Fluttershy, and gave her approval. What seemed like so long ago, when a little wyrm pup had bit my hand, I remembered thinking it was odd that Lyla had commented “Go get him, tiger” as we left...but now it made sense.
Fluttershy’s entire face was practically glowing from the blush that lit up her cheeks, and her eyes were darting to me and back to the ground repeatedly before she growled to herself, stamped her hoof, and forced herself to look at me. Her posture straightened, her eyes sharpened, and she no longer looked like the timid mare I knew. Instead, when she spoke, that inner steel that I admired could be heard in her voice, clear as crystal.
“I’m afraid of a lot of things, Spike,” she began, her blush beginning to fade as her posture straightened completely, and she looked far more confident than I ever remembered seeing her. “Monsters scare me, loud sounds scare me, and even some of my animal friends can scare me. I’m afraid of seeing my friends hurt, I’m afraid of getting hurt, and I’m afraid of being afraid.” She kept her gaze focused on me as she slowly shook her head. “But I’m not going to be afraid of this anymore. Spike…” she stepped forward, only a few scant inches separating us, and tilted her head back to look me in the eyes, those shining jewels of aqua more radiant than I could ever remember seeing before. “...will you accept me into your herd? Please?”
To put it simply, I was flabbergasted. The mare before me was not the scaredy-pony I knew from my childhood. Instead, before me stood a resolute, confident mare, confessing her desire to join my herd, and holding my gaze the entire time.
Slowly, as my mind caught up with what she said, I found the idea far less scary than I once did. What had I ever been afraid of in the first place? Sure, Fluttershy had been through a traumatic experience recently, and yes, maybe all the time we spent together following it had pushed her toward this...but I could tell this wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. If what Rarity told me was accurate, Fluttershy had been pining for me for quite some time...and I had somehow never noticed. I felt bad about that, but I couldn’t change the past. I could, however, do something about the present, and about a possible future.
But I still had to be sure.
“Fluttershy,” I began, ensuring my face matched how serious my words were, “are you sure this is what you want? Being with me -- with us -- is not going to be easy. Being a part of my life is going to thrust you into the spotlight; there’s going to be no avoiding becoming a high-profile pony, at that point. Everyone will know about you, and everyone is going to want to talk to you and talk about you. Privacy in the way you’ve enjoyed it for years is going to be at an end.”
Without even hesitating, Fluttershy nodded firmly, the determination in her voice matching the resolution in her eyes. “Yes. I know it won’t be easy, and I know things might get scary, but I won’t let that push me away. I’ve wanted this for a long time, and I’m not running anymore. If I succeed or fail, I have to know I tried my hardest, or I’ll live the rest of my life wondering what could have been.” She briefly glanced away as a forlorn expression settled over her features. “I’ve missed out on so much because of my fears, and I’m done letting those fears rule over my life.” Turning her eyes back to me, she nodded once again. “I want this.”
Once again, Fluttershy surprised me, and I was eager to learn just what she would be capable of in the future.
A smile slowly grew on my face. “Then I accept you. Welcome to the herd, ‘Shy.”
“Congratulations, Fluttershy!” Twilight gushed, having immediately noticed the brooch when we returned to the castle. She rushed over to us, and was now proceeding to hug the stuffing out of the shorter pegasus. Fluttershy could only smile and return the hug while I watched the two friends embrace.
After a few moments of this however, Ember stepped over to join us, and her imposing figure dwarfed Fluttershy’s. The two ponies noticed the metaphorical shadow that had been cast over them, and Twilight subtly stepped away from Fluttershy at the same time I did. We as a group had discussed how new members to my growing herd would be greeted, so we knew this was coming.
Even though herds nowadays had a far more relaxed hierarchy than those of the distant past, a sort of “pecking order” still existed within all modern herds, and we knew this was part of it. Luckily for us all, Ember did not feel particularly threatened by any of the others in the herd -- through our shared brands, she had firmly established herself in my life, and we both know she wouldn’t be going anywhere (metaphorically, at least). That being said, as a dragoness raised as a dragon, Ember brought a unique perspective to our lives...thus what she was going to subject Fluttershy to. As someone that was well aware I was a valuable asset to any nation that had me, Ember was adamant that I had to learn to protect myself, as well as be protected, so she was not going to allow weakness within the herd. Hierarchy-wise, she was below Rarity and Twilight, but was still high enough that she had been elected to test the courage and strength of will of any new members we may welcome.
Nothing visibly changed about Ember, but suddenly, a chill seemed to spread throughout the room, and the lines of Ember’s body somehow looked sharper, and more dangerous. My senses were sounding off with warning bells telling me that there was a large, dangerous predator now in the room with us, and even though I knew it was Ember that was putting out those signals, I still felt my body tense. I knew that if I felt it, ponies -- a race evolved from prey animals -- definitely felt it. To the shock of both me and Twilight, Fluttershy was calm and collected as she watched the larger dragoness approach.
Normally when faced with an uncomfortable situation, Fluttershy’s body language would become more passive, more defensive, and far less confident. I was nowhere near as adept at recognizing body language as Fluttershy herself, but I knew enough to be downright flabbergasted at the change in the normally-timid mare. Usually, at this point, Fluttershy’s hands would be clasped together, her arms raised and held nervously over her chest, her shoulders and posture hunched, and her wings slightly raised over her head. The mare we saw at that moment was completely different: Fluttershy’s back was straight, her shoulders relaxed and hands at her sides. Her eyes were completely focused on the dragoness with a steely, yet neutral stare, and her wings were actually flared slightly. This version of Fluttershy was practically taunting Ember, her body language clearly telling us that she was ready to fight -- not run -- if she needed to. For a moment, I thought I was looking at Fluttershy’s mother, and the resemblance was uncanny.
Ember was staring down at the smaller pony, and I could practically feel the surprise rolling off of her. Like us, she had likely expected this meek, little pony to back down or cower away from the larger, stronger female, but instead, Fluttershy was standing her ground and, even if she didn't realize it at the time, asserting her place within the herd. We all knew Fluttershy was nervous around others that she didn’t know well, but she was a master at dealing with dangerous predators, and it appeared that skill was working to her advantage against her predatory herdmate.
The stare-down lasted for a few more moments before Ember smirked and reached up to the top of Fluttershy’s head, running her claws through the pink locks. She glanced back to me and said, “This is a strong pony here; no backing down, and no warning displays.” She looked back to the mare she was currently petting (for lack of a better word) and nodded approvingly. “I have to say, I’m impressed.”
Fluttershy relaxed completely and giggled slightly at the feel of the claws in her hair. She looked up to Ember and nodded in return. “I’m strong when I have to be. If that means I need to prove to you that I can be strong, then this is one of those times. It’s true, I’m a scaredy-pony most times, but I’ll always be strong for my friends.”
Ember just smiled down at the mare before turning to me and Twilight. “You two got one brave friend. We gotta take good care of this one so she doesn’t run away.”
I raised my brow at Ember questioningly. “Y’know, you’re surprisingly on-board with this ‘herding’ thing lately. Sure you’re not the one that wants her?”
Ember accepted the jab with a good-natured chuckle and shook her head. “I’m just a dragon that knows the value of things and people. Any dragon knows that the things he or she collects -- mates, it seems, in your case -- must have a value beyond what others might see. This mare,” she patted the head of the pegasus that still stood next to her, “is a valuable addition. Anyone can see that.” She then nodded toward me. “As you fully master control of your greed instinct, you’ll find that even when you feel the need to hoard, it won’t be for things that are shiny anymore. For mature dragons, the things they hoard sometimes look mundane to others, but hold a special significance to them. One of my most treasured items, for example, is a smooth, round river rock given to me by my father when I was very young.”
I shrugged slightly. “I guess that makes sense. I have a lot of little knick knacks and souvenirs that don’t have a lot of value objectively, but they mean a lot to me for certain reasons.” It was at that moment that I remembered why I headed back home in the first place, and I slapped a palm to my face, groaning loudly. “Ugh, and I completely forgot why I was heading back here. Lyla and Rarity suggested we all go out and have a dinner date as a herd,” I then glanced to Fluttershy, who was staring at me quietly, “and it looks like we can introduce our new member, as well.”
Fluttershy was adorably delighted at the suggestion, and was smiling brightly with a happy flutter of her wings. “Oh my, that sounds wonderful! When are we meeting them?”
I shrugged. “The date is around 7, so I figured we could meet up at Rarity’s boutique at 6:30. I have a feeling she’ll still be getting ready by then.”
Twilight glanced at the wall clock as she observed aloud, “That gives us about two hours, then. Fluttershy and I will get ready, while the two of you,” she pointed and Ember and I, “get to clean up the mess you left in the pocket dimension.”
I felt the blood rush to my head at the mention of the room Ember and I had thoroughly “used”, and could only offer a meek nod and, “...yeah, we’ll take care of it.”
The four of us -- me, Twilight, Ember, and Fluttershy -- all approached the Carousel Boutique together as the last light of day disappeared over the horizon, and the moon rose to take its place in the sky. With the night being as clear as it was, the moon was bright enough to bounce light off of the snow all around, which gave ample light for anyone to see, even in the middle of the night; this gave night an interesting feeling to anyone out and about, since we knew we should be preparing for bed and such, but there was still plenty of light to see by. Winter was truly a magical time of year, and I loved it.
The door opened as we approached, revealing a younger mare at the door, beckoning us inside with a smile. “Well c’mon, get inside before all the warmth escapes.”
I greeted Sweetie Belle with a smile, ushering all four of us inside before turning to give her a hug. Sweetie Belle and I might not be as close as I was with the other two Crusaders, but she was still important to me.
After pulling away, she motioned to the sitting room. “Take a seat. Rarity is still fussing over herself and Lyla, so she’s gonna be a few more minutes. Does anyone want anything? Tea? Cocoa? Coffee?”
“Some tea would be nice, Sweetie,” I answered for the group. I also gave her another warm smile as she trotted away to the kitchen.
“Whenever you call her name, I always feel like you’re giving her a pet name,” Ember quipped, smirking at me.
I shrugged and returned her look. “Which is why I tend not to really use ‘sweetie’ as a pet name. It makes it weird since I know someone named Sweetie. Still, it would be funny if her and I were together, because that would be ‘Sweetie squared’.”
Ember just stared at me with a deadpan expression. “That was bad and you should feel bad.”
I shrugged again. “Eh, they can’t all be winners.” I glanced to the pegasus on the other side of me, who was presently watching the banter between Ember and I. “So, I was just wondering: how long have you liked me?”
With the attention brought to her, Fluttershy stiffened and blushed, but didn’t shy away from me. It took her a few moments, but eventually she admitted, “...u-um, a long time. Y-years.” I continued staring at her, waiting for elaboration, and eventually she continued. “W-well, I’ve always liked you as a friend, Spike. Before you and Twilight came to Ponyville, the only dragons I had ever seen were the ones that flew by during the dragon migrations, and they were big and s-scary. But then, Twilight brought you with her, and I got to meet and get to know a baby dragon. You changed the way I thought about dragons -- I was still afraid of them, but you proved they could be nice, and smart, and live with ponies.” She grew a gentle smile as she continued talking. “As you and Twilight lived in Ponyville and we did so many things together, I got to know you even better, and it was easier to see you as your own dragon, instead of ‘Twilight’s assistant’. Sure, there were the things we did as ‘the Elements of Harmony’, but the most important parts of our friendship are the regular things we do every day.”
I nodded understandingly. “I agree. That does answer a lot of questions, but when did you start to like me? Not as a friend, but as...more?”
Fluttershy finally averted her eyes, but for only a second, before reaching over and taking my hand in hers. “W-well, if I’m honest, I think it started from the moment you began to mature into a real grown-up. You remember the whole thing with the stonescales, and when your wings grew in?”
I remembered the uncomfortable time, and scratched at a phantom itch on my face. “Yeah...that sucked.”
“But,” she continued, giving my hand a squeeze, “it showed me that you were growing, and aging. For so long, you were the same size, same shape, same everything. I know it wasn’t actually true, but it felt like we were all maturing, and you were just...frozen in time. But then, you grew wings and got a little bigger, and that showed that you grew just like the rest of us.” The blush that had started to fade came back full force as she kept going. “And then, you had your first major growth spurt. All of a sudden, you weren’t this pudgy little baby dragon with wings. Instead, you were taller, and sharper, with a deeper voice and bigger wings. You had muscles, and you were strong, even for your size. You were still goofy and awkward, but you were growing into something more than just a cute baby dragon. Instead, when you wore the right clothes and acted just the right way, I found myself sometimes thinking you were handsome, like a stallion. I-I’d never really looked at stallions that much when I was younger; they were scary and loud, and they always wanted to talk to my other friends instead of me, which was...fine.”
“But then I came along,” I surmised, slowly smoothing my thumb over the back of her hand.
Fluttershy nodded and smiled again. “Yes, you came along. You were a good friend already, so there wasn’t any reason for me to be afraid as you grew up and turned into...um…” she trailed off and her blush increased tenfold as she looked to the other girls for help.
“A hunk?” Lyla playfully teased.
Fluttershy just wrapped her wing furthest from me around herself, attempting to hide her embarrassment. “U-um, yes. I never had any problems finding stallions or even some mares attractive, but Spike was always ‘cute’, not...hot. It took some time for me to work through those feelings.” She then inclined her head towards the stairs that led to the second level of the building. “I talked to Rarity about it a long time ago, and she suggested that I might...love you.” Fluttershy absentmindedly twirled her finger in her pink locks, shrugging helplessly. “And that took more time to process. I-it’s been years since I finally admitted to myself that I liked you like that, and it was only after l-losing Angel that I decided I needed to do something about it. Rarity was the first of your herd though, so I had to talk to her. The conversation was short, and she made sure I knew that I needed to commit to this, or it wouldn’t work. And...well, that took some more time.” She glanced out the window, apparently remembering the time a few hours earlier. “Today, I just threw all my nervousness away and did it, because if I didn’t do it now, I don’t think I ever would get around to it. It was scary, and I was afraid of what you would think,” she then glanced back at me with a faint smile, “but I’m happy I did it. It feels good to be brave.”
I affectionately nudged her with an elbow. “You’ve always been brave when it counted, 'Shy. Don’t ever feel like you have to compare yourself to others in terms of confidence, because we all like you just the way you are.” The mare blushed a bit, but leaned into my side with a happy sigh.
Sweetie entered the room with a tea set and the cups levitating behind her, and set it down on the coffee table as she sat on the arm of the love seat, next to Twilight. “So, how is everyone? It’s been awhile since I’ve been in Ponyville.”
Twilight took the cup offered to her, taking a deep whiff of fragrant tea. “Mmm...that’s good tea.” Upon noticing our stares, she giggled a bit in embarrassment before shrugging. “Nothing too crazy, other than Spike finally starting his herd. I…” she released a happy sigh and glanced to me briefly. “I’m very happy with the way things turned out. Life is in a good place right now, and I see a lot of good things in store for the future.”
“W-well, I’m sure you heard about Angel passing away,” Fluttershy added, taking a long draw from her teacup, clearly trying to calm herself, “but death is simply a part of life, for me.” The pegasus glanced to me and gave a smile “From the end of a short, yet bright life, Spike and I bonded like never before. I wish Angel could have stayed with me forever, but I know he would want me to be happy even though he’s gone.”
Sweetie gave a gentle, yet sad smile, and nodded. “I’m sorry for your loss. I’m happy to see you can live on after the loss of someone so important to you.”
Fluttershy gave a little nod and smiled. “Things are getting better. Everyone is still working, everyone is still healthy, and we’re happy. That’s everything I could ask for.” The pegasus then settled her head against my arm again, which I readjusted a moment later to wrap around her. I just barely kept myself from cooing aloud at how ridiculously cute “Cuddle-shy” was.
Sweetie then turned to Ember, and the dragoness chuckled a bit nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Heh, it’s uh...it’s actually a funny story…”
Ember went through the events in the past few months, with me throwing in input here and there. Sweetie’s eyes widened at quite a few parts, and her expression showed utter horror at the mention of the brands (much like my other friends), but at the end, her eyes were shining as she smiled at us. Sweetie had always been a romantic at heart since she grew up with a sister like Rarity, so she found the trials that Ember and I had gone through together to be very interesting.
It was just as Ember was finishing up her story that Rarity finally descended the stairs, with Lyla just behind her. The unicorn was dressed in a silky, red dress that hugged her form like a second skin, and the slit on the side was high enough that one could just barely catch the bottom of her cutie mark. Lyla, by comparison, was dressed in a similar dress, but colored green and violet to match her natural accents, and backless to allow room for her wings if needed. Both ladies, to put it mildly, looked like they had just stepped off of a fashion runway and into the living room, though I could always expect that when Rarity was involved with the clothing.
Rarity smiled at all of us as she approached, but stopped short when she saw Fluttershy and the brooch she wore. She was silent for a few moments before squealing excitedly and wrapping her arms around the startled pegasus. “Oh dear, I’m so happy for you! Welcome to the herd, darling!”
Fluttershy blushed brightly, but smiled as she accepted the embrace from her longtime friend. Rarity and Fluttershy had always shared a special bond between them, and I knew Rarity wasn’t exaggerating her happiness at seeing Fluttershy wearing the brooch. They hadn’t been distant, but I knew that it felt somehow different to have her within the herd: Fluttershy wasn’t only a good friend now, she was a part of our family, and that meant a lot to all of us.
Rarity pulled away from the pegasus and stood, nodding to the group. “I’m pleased to see you’re all here. So, shall we go?”
I stood with the others and led us out of the Boutique. Though I was leading us to the restaurant, I couldn’t help but pick up a short conversation from behind me between Twilight and Rarity.
“That dress is very beautiful Rarity, but it makes me feel...underdressed.”
“Oh, pish posh, dear; you look wonderful in anything you wear. Besides, this is a casual outing, so, to be frank, Lyla and I are the ones that are overdressed. You look wonderful as always, darling.”
“...that dress is also rather...risque for winter, don’t you think? I mean, someone might see your underwear.”
“I suppose I would be worried about that...if I were wearing any.”
And immediately, I felt the flame within me burn so much hotter...and I knew Rarity had intended for me to hear that.
The restaurant we decided on was a four-star place that could be enjoyed by both the common pony and elites alike. It was actually the place where Ember and I had shared a meal shortly after she began her stay in Ponyville, and even though it was commonly considered a “carnivore” restaurant, that was mostly only because they specialized in omnivorous options; they still had plenty of choices for vegetarians though, so it was still a good place to eat as long as a pony wasn’t one of the (thankfully few) that couldn’t stand the presence of meat, or those who ate it. Because of this, it was a popular restaurant, since it also encouraged other races to emigrate to Equestria.
Though it was a Friday, winter had thinned the dinner crowd a bit, so we were easily able to get a table on the 2nd floor of the restaurant, overlooking the small center stage that held a grand piano. A white unicorn mare with a two-toned blue mane was playing beautiful music on the instrument, and because of her immense skill, it was difficult to imagine the elegant mare was also one of Equestria’s most famous DJ’s. Her delightful music gave a refined, relaxed atmosphere to the restaurant, which tied the entire experience together into a package that was nothing short of wonderful.
The server brought us to a large booth set against one wall, which was just large enough to seat the six of us comfortably. He then left to get our drinks, allowing us to look over the menus. I was seated near the middle of the table, with Rarity on one side and Fluttershy on the other, and I’ll admit it was difficult to concentrate on reading the menu with two beautiful mares cuddled up close. Luckily, I had frequented this restaurant enough that I knew what to order, so that was one “crisis” averted. Unfortunately, whether it was a planned, coordinated attack or just coincidence, I felt two other hooves playfully teasing my calves from two different directions, as well as an unmistakable, leather-like feathered tail. Twilight, Lyla, and Ember looked far too innocent, and I knew at once that this was going to be a memorable dinner, if nothing else.
The waiter approached a few minutes later with pad and pen in hand and our drinks floating in his magic, the latter of which he distributed to us. He then gave us a bright smile and asked, “So, have we decided what we’ll be having tonight, or would you like to hear the specials?”
I admit, I was impressed by the ladies answering him without giving away their little under-the-table game they were playing with me. As for me, I was trying my best to keep from shivering from some of the more adventurous caresses.
“Sir? Sir, are you all right?”
The voice of the stallion brought me out of my stupor, and I answered with a supremely intelligent, “Huh?” I mentally shook myself before looking to the waiting stallion and answering, “Oh, uh, I’ll put myself in the claws of the head chef. Just tell her I’m fine with meat, and I’m feeling like something spiiii-cy!” My words ended in a squeak as Ember’s tail stroked deviously over my clothed crotch. I refrained from looking at the dragoness, but cleared my throat loudly as I subtly reached under the table and firmly gripped the end of her tail in my claws, holding it tightly as I smiled at the waiter. “Besides that, I would like to see what the chef can come up with.” I barely kept a straight face at the sound of Ember’s squeak of surprise, but internally, I was laughing my rump off.
The waiter finished taking down my request before gathering the menus and nodding to us. “Very well. I’ll return in a few minutes with the starters. Ring the bell if you need anything.” He scurried off to the kitchen, leaving the six of us alone for the moment.
Once we were alone again, I smirked at Ember as I reached out with my own tail under the table, returning her teasing with an otherwise straight face. “Are we really going to do this here? I’m game if you are, Little Fire.”
At the mention of the nickname, Ember practically exploded in a blush. Rarity only made it worse for the dragoness by commenting, “‘Little Fire’? Oh, that is adorable.”
Ember tried not to look like she was enjoying how I was toying with her as she hissed, “You are so paying for that, Spike.”
Resting my elbow on the table and resting my chin on that hand, I grinned devilishly at the dragoness. “Do I need to call you ‘Mistress’? My safe word is ‘kumquat’.”
Ember sputtered incoherently for a moment, halfway between outrage and embarrassment, before yanking her tail from my grasp and crossing her arms with a pout. She didn’t stop me as I slowly ran my own tail along her legs though, and her twitching wings told me she wasn’t as calm as she was trying to appear.
I rolled my eyes and poked her with the end of my tail. “Oh c’mon, stop pouting. Nicknames are how I show affection, and it was just a matter of time before you got one. Besides,” I rested my elbows on the table and leaned forward a bit, “you don’t need to keep up any sort of act to save face around those gathered at this table. This,” I gestured to the mares around her, “is your family now. They aren’t competitors, they aren’t rivals for resources or mates, and they aren’t looking to undercut you in any way. Around them, you don’t have to always keep your defenses up; you can relax, because they’ll always watch your back, just like me.”
Ember hesitatingly raised her eyes as she looked around at the gathered ponies, each giving a reassuring smile (or an affectionate wing-hug in Twilight’s case) to the embarrassed dragoness. I knew Ember was still adjusting to the fact that ponies were so affectionate, and that they openly welcomed her, but the very fact that she was able to smile at their actions told me she was adjusting far faster than I could have hoped. I had no doubt that there would be times in the future where cultural differences would clash between all of us, but Ember was trying, and time had already proven our differences were a strength, not a weakness.
“Dragons don’t...usually talk about sex or physical affection so openly,” Ember muttered, still blushing a bit shyly. “That kinda stuff is considered private, so we don’t really talk about it. Hell, we barely talk about it with mates.”
While the ponies at the table likely had no idea what “hell” was, there was enough context to relate it to how they used “hay”. Judging by Rarity’s thoughtful expression though, she was far more interested by the context itself.
“So,” the white unicorn began, pausing as she appeared to try and formulate the right words, “...how do young whelps learn about these things? Do the elders teach them? I don’t imagine the dragon lands have schools the way ponies think of them.”
Ember chuckled a bit dryly as she shook her head. “Oh hell no, the older drakes don’t tell us anything; and you’re right, we don’t really have schools. Mostly, it’s by exploration and experimentation.” She shrugged helplessly. “Instincts have allowed us to survive for hundreds of thousands of years, and it allowed our ancestors to last long enough to evolve complex brains. As...animalistic as it probably sounds to ponies, we just let those same instincts tell us what to do. I think Applejack would refer to it as, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.”
While Twilight and I were aware that dragons were almost hilariously shy about some aspects of life, the rest of the ponies were clearly shocked by what they heard, as was Lyla. Frankly, I understood their surprise -- Twilight and I had been similarly shocked when we took our tour through the dragon lands, and found it amusing that such large, powerful creatures were easily embarrassed by just talking about simple biological laws of nature. The book for foals titled Everyone Poops* would probably have them in an uproar.
I also knew, however, that dragons hated pity, and the looks Ember was receiving primarily from Fluttershy and Rarity were going to make things worse, not better, if I didn’t jump in.
“Hey,” I interrupted, bringing the attention to me as I slowly shook my head, “it’s not her fault, and it’s just the way dragons are. They live a very long time, and so they’re pretty...let’s say resistant to change.” I shot a look to Rarity as I continued. “I agree that Ember is a bit behind when it comes to Equestrian culture, but she needs support, not pity -- don’t feel sorry for her. Instead, if she wants to learn,” I caught Ember’s gaze briefly, “teach her. Ember is quite willing to learn if we’re willing to be patient with her.”
Ember sent a silent, grateful glance my way before clearing her throat and sitting up straight in her chair again. “...Spike’s right. Just by getting to know all of you, I can see that there’s nothing noticeably bad about the way you all learn this stuff -- you’re not all just mating in public, defecating on the streets, or holding giant orgies with strangers, so ‘pony ways’ can’t be as bad as our lorekeepers make it out to be.” She closed her eyes briefly and took a breath before opening her eyes again and scanning everyone at the table. “I do want to learn. Please, help me feel less like an outsider all the time.”
Externally, I calmly gave a reassuring smile to Ember, but internally, I was rejoicing and praising her to the heavens. Pride was a large part of dragon culture, and I knew it couldn’t have been easy for Ember to ask for help like that. Also, the fact that she was putting forth this kind of effort just made it even more clear that she was serious about fully integrating into my life, even if she won't always be able to be around after my training was finished. More than all that though, she was ensuring her place within my herd/hoard was a positive influence on us all, and that her strength would give us all strength.
Faust, what did I ever do to catch the eye of such an amazing dragoness?
Rarity seemed to be quietly analyzing what Ember was saying before finally nodding to herself. She beamed to the dragoness as she said, “Of course, darling. We will help you in any way we can; you need only ask.”
Ember returned the grin before turning to Twilight and nodding, at which point the alicorn finally removed her wing and scooted back to her place. At that point, chatter around the table began to be traded freely, and I tuned it out unless one of them directly spoke to me. Rarity was getting to know Ember better, Fluttershy was becoming more comfortable as a member of the herd, and Twilight was chatting animatedly with Lyla about something (magic, if I had to guess). It was a warm, peaceful few minutes, and I enjoyed the atmosphere as I just relaxed and spent time with my mates (and yes, it still feels good to be able to say that).
“So Spike,” Twilight called after a few minutes of me zoning out, garnering my complete attention. The alicorn smiled the type of smile that promised a nice surprise of some sort, casually advising, “So, I-uh...heard from a friend of ours after you left to get wood, and I think you’ll be rather excited to hear that she’s coming to Ponyville this Hearth's Warming.”
I raised my brow, sitting up a little straighter as I devoted my full attention to her; I couldn’t think about anyone off the top of my head that would be coming to visit us other than those we were already expecting. “Oh? Who is it?”
Twilight playfully grinned. “Well, I’ll give you a hint: it’s someone Ember hasn’t met yet, and we haven’t seen her in a few years. She’s another of our ‘reformed friends’-”
“As if that narrows it down,” I commented dryly.
Twilight just continued as if I hadn’t spoken, “And she’s an incredibly powerful unicorn-”
“Again, as if that narrows-”
“With a broken horn,” she finished, the final hint causing my eyes to go wide with shock.
I stared at her dumbly with my mouth slack before cautiously asking, “...Fizzle is coming back? Is she just visiting or-” Twilight flashed her horn, materializing a rolled scroll in front of me. I snatched it out of the air and quickly pulled it open, my eyes roving over the text in an effort to decipher just what Twilight had meant. After a thorough inspection of the short note from Fizzlepop, I brought my eyes up and looked at Twilight. “She says she’s coming ‘home’. What does that even mean? I thought you said she’s coming to Ponyville.”
Twilight just gave me a bittersweet smile. “You know her story, so you also know that after she left her hometown and joined with the Storm King, she didn’t really have a home anymore; fifteen years of her life were completely devoted to the Storm King and the lies he used to manipulate her.” Twilight lowered her eyes as she stared sullenly at the tablecloth. “She had nothing and no one left, and that’s why she felt she had to go out and do everything she could to atone for her crimes and the sins of the Storm King’s armada.”
“I imagine she felt she had to discover who she really was,” Rarity suggested, frowning briefly as she said so. “I unfortunately did not get to know her very well before she left.”
“I don’t think she knew herself very well, so this journey has been a way for her to rediscover who she really is as a pony,” Twilight said. She then smiled as she raised her eyes and added, “But that’s also why I told her that she would always have a home in Ponyville, and that I would be her friend, even if no one else would.”
I nodded slowly. “I see. So when she wrote that she was coming home, she meant-”
“To the castle, yes,” Twilight finished. “I don’t doubt Fizzlepop Berrytwist is a very talented individual, but I imagine many ponies would be wary of giving her a chance, even after what she did in the fight against Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow. Not only did she lead the Storm King’s armada and brought most of the developed world to its knees, she was the only one in longer than most ponies can remember that actually conquered Canterlot, and neutralized three alicorns. That’s very scary, and even though I’ve been able to teach ponies to be more accepting of different types of creatures, someone like Fizzle still makes ponies wary.”
I didn’t like it, but it made sense. Because of what she’d done, Fizzle would likely always be an outcast in the world, and our castle was probably the only place she would be able to call home. With Starlight and even Trixie, it had been relatively easy to ease them back into normal society -- yes, ponies remembered the things they did, but they didn’t carry physical reminders of what they had done with them. Fizzle though, she was “the scarred unicorn with a broken horn”, and she would be recognized no matter where she went in the world. It was unlikely she would ever be able to just have a normal job and a normal life, all because of the mistakes she made in the past.
With a grim expression, I nodded. “I understand. I don’t like it, but we can’t just make ponies accept her.” Ember caught my attention out of the corner of my sight, and I noticed her wings quivering behind her as she was sitting very stiffly in her chair. “You okay, Ember?”
Ember chewed on her lip as she glanced over the gathered ponies before sighing and lowering her eyes to the table. “I’m kinda...nervous about meeting Tempest-”
“She doesn’t like to be called that,” I snapped, shooting Ember a stern glare before realizing what I did and looking away in shame. After a moment of silence, I said, “...sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you like that, but that name is a part of her dark past she wants to move on from.”
Ember smiled briefly to let me know she forgave me before she continued. “It’s okay. Anyway, I’m just kinda nervous about meeting Fizzlepop in person. She’s like a storybook villain come to life, and no matter what they might tell you, most of the dragons back home were terrified she was going to come for us next. I trust all of you if you welcome her into your home like that, but I’m still...anxious.”
Again, with pride being such an important part of dragon culture, I was very proud of Ember for having the courage to admit she was actually nervous about something. It meant she was already making great strides in better settling into Equestrian life. I’ll admit, it gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
I again reached under the table with my tail, and ran it along Ember’s leg in a more soothing manner as I gave her a reassuring smile. “I know you won’t stop feeling uneasy until you actually meet her, but I promise, you don’t have anything to worry about. We wouldn’t be inviting someone into our home that we thought would blow it up.” I then glanced to Twilight and amended, “...well, on purpose, anyway.”
Twilight levitated her cloth napkin off the table and tossed it at my face as I laughed, rolling her eyes with a good-natured grin. Just like that, the atmosphere was light and happy again, and Ember loosened up little by little until she was smiling and chatting animatedly again.
After a few minutes of idle talk, the server approached our table again with the starters, which consisted of some sort of creamy dip with crackers, another plate of what smelled like cheese puffs over a bed of lettuce, celery, and carrots, and what I could tell by smell alone was the restaurant’s popular seafood sampler, which had garlic-basted butterfly shrimp, baked scallop dip, and a few crab cakes. After setting down the dishes and handing out smaller plates for each person, he smiled to us and bowed. “Enjoy. Your meals are being handled by the head chef herself, and they will be prepared with great care.” The server then departed, leaving us to try the food.
Ember, of course, looked a bit lost, likely wondering if she was supposed to wait for her turn or if there was some sort of rule she was meant to follow. I just nodded to her and said, “You don’t have to wait; go ahead and get in there. Try a little of each one, and if you like it, grab a little portion for yourself on your plate.”
Ember nodded before licking her lips and reaching for the seafood (which I expected, since it was more familiar to her). In the middle of portioning out a little of each seafood dish on her plate, she stopped and glanced at me as she asked, “Wait, I thought that ponies don't eat meat. Is this just for us?”
I smiled and gestured to Fluttershy and Lyla, who were both eyeing the seafood dishes with interest. “Red meat, pork, and poultry is generally off-limits for most ponies, but seafood is usually something most can tolerate and even enjoy; pegasi especially love seafood.”
“Oh...cool,” Ember answered, sounding pleasantly surprised as she settled back into her chair and began tasting what she had. The pleased hums she produced told me the seafood was definitely a winner, and I had a feeling she’d probably like the other dishes as well, if I could convince her to try them.
Chatter at the table was reduced to a minimum as we enjoyed the appetizers, though I kept my eyes on Ember to keep track of the adorably pleased expressions and noises she made whenever she took a bite -- it was likely she had discovered, in this very moment, that there was a lot she was suddenly willing to try regarding Equestria, if she could find food like this. Ember was even adventurous enough to try the other appetizers, and though the creamy dip (which turned out to be cold seasoned cream and dill) wasn’t a favorite of hers, her participation in the meal helped the rest bond with her just a bit more, which would always be a plus in my book.
The appetizers were finished in short order, and the timing of the arrival of our main courses was perfect. The same server came to the table to take our dirty dishes away, returning shortly afterward with a female gryphon who was clearly the head chef of the restaurant. I hadn’t met the hen before, but the pure white jacket, slacks, and chef’s toque made it clear to anyone that saw her that she was the boss of the kitchen. She was a pale gray with white accents and bright yellow eyes, and she followed the server with a relaxed, professional gait.
After our meals had been placed at the table, the chef gave a short bow and gestured to the dishes provided to us. “I am Head Chef Griselda, and I have personally overlooked the preparation of these dishes tonight.” She then motioned to my dish specifically with a proud smile. “Since you asked for my choice on the dish, I have taken the liberty of preparing for you a favorite of mine from my homeland, the balmy islands of I’a Tele*. It is a surprisingly simple dish of ocean white fish poached in spiced tomato sauce, but the secret is in the preparation by a skilled, experienced hand. Please,” she nodded to me, “try it, and tell me what you think.”
I looked down at my plate, which was a red-sauced slab of fish over a bed of white rice. I could see green onions and crushed tomatoes in it, and my nose told me there must be garlic and some sort of citrus as well, so I wasted no time in bringing my fork and knife to cut off a small bite. To my surprise, the fish was extremely tender, able to easily be cut with only my fork, so I simply scooped up some rice with it before taking the bite into my mouth. Immediately, my taste buds were assaulted by a myriad of flavors and spiciness, including the light, subtle taste of the fish itself. Unable to stop myself, I let out a borderline obscene-sounding groan of approval, nodding to the chef as she smiled, clearly pleased I enjoyed her hard work.
The chef gave another bow. “It is always a pleasure to share the tastes of my home with others. Enjoy your meals.” She then turned and left the table with that same professional-yet-relaxed gait that said, “I’ve worked very hard to get where I am, and I love what I do.”
"So what is it?" Lyla asked, eyeing my dish with interest even as she ate her own.
I shrugged before taking another bite of the wonderful meal, humming happily at the taste. I adhered to manners and swallowed before speaking, but couldn’t stop the happy hum that escaped. “Some sort of spicy, seasoned tomato sauce with whitefish, over a bed of rice*. I’d have to ask her for the recipe, but just from the taste, I can guess she used some kind of peppers or pepper sauce to give it some heat.” I scooped up a bit on my fork and held it up. “Want to try some?”
“Mmm, don’t mind if I do,” Lyla happily replied, leaning over the table and taking the bite before sitting back down. The others at the table watched her chew, apparently waiting for a verdict, before the changeling smiled happily. “Yeah, that’s pretty good. Not something I’d normally go for, but it’s got a light, unique flavor. I might have to order that next time we come out.”
…
About an hour later, the six of us were chatting happily as we relaxed in the booth, just enjoying the music and each other’s company. We had collectively abstained from dessert, but alcoholic drinks flowed rather freely (except Fluttershy, who tended to avoid alcohol), which led to the normally more-composed Rarity getting a bit loopy and silly, and Twilight couldn’t stop the perpetual smile that crossed her rosy cheeks. Ember was simply getting to know her herd-mates better and learning odd things here and there (like the fact that Twilight became rather affectionate when under the influence), and I was very happy to see her becoming a bit more relaxed around the mares. Lyla would normally be snuggling against me, but since that spot was taken by Fluttershy at that current time, she instead spent time reconciling what little she knew about traditionally-raised dragons with the dragoness next to her -- Lyla loved to learn new things, after all, and she was especially drawn to history and archaeology, so a member of a long-lived race like dragons was a metaphorical gold mine for the changeling soldier.
Eventually though, I noticed Twilight’s horn glowing every now and then without anything happening, which I had learned meant she was checking the time. I decided to save her the trouble of having to be the one to break up the nice time by letting out a loud groan and sitting up straight. “All right, I think we should get out of here before it gets too late. We all have to be up early to get ready for...you know.” I hated to bring the mood down, but there was no avoiding the funeral tomorrow. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash needed us all there, so I was going to make sure we weren’t half-asleep during the ceremony.
Rarity seemed to sober up a bit, and she nodded firmly. “Yes, you’re right. Come on then, let’s get going; it wouldn’t do to deprive ourselves of sleep when we need to be at our best for tomorrow.”
We all began standing as one and shimmied out of the booth. I reached into my pocket and fished out the required money before tucking it into the bill booklet, ensuring there was a hefty tip in it for the great food and nice service. We filed out of the restaurant, thanking the staff as we did so, only for another white unicorn in a sparkly blue dress to stop us. Even if I hadn't known her personally, one would have to be literally living under a rock not to know who she was.
“How’s it goin’, Scaley?” Vinyl greeted jovially, smiling brightly as she approached. She then looked over the gathering and nodded to the rest. “Evenin’ ladies. Did you all enjoy the tunes?” Her smile slipped from her face as she noticed the changeling of the group was frozen stiff, looking like she was about to faint. “Yo, you okay? Spike, I think I broke your girl, dude.”
A sound began to come out of Lyla’s mouth, starting soft as a whisper and gradually growing in volume. It was a sound I heard so rarely from the changeling: an honest-to-goodness squeal of joy. At its apex, Lyla was bouncing excitedly on her hooves as she clasped her hands tightly over her chest.
“AAAAHH!! OHMYGOSH, YOU’RE DJ PON-3!” the changeling exclaimed, doing a rather spot-on (and adorable) imitation of Pinkie Pie as she bounced on her hooves in front of the DJ-turned-concert-pianist.
Saying Vinyl was used to excited and exuberant fans would be an understatement -- she was close personal friends with Pinkie Pie herself, after all. Vinyl just smiled brightly again and nodded to the happy changeling girl. “That’s me. I take it you’re a fan?”
“A-am I a- OF COURSE I’M A FAN! Who isn’t a fan? I mean, what-” Lyla blurted, making several false-starts before composing herself enough to ask, “w-what are you doing here? I-I mean I thought you looked familiar, but I didn’t know you could play the piano, so I didn’t think twice.”
Vinyl just smiled good-naturedly at Lyla as she shrugged. “Eh, it’s a hobby of mine. Tavi is out of town for the symphony's winter performances, so I was just chilling out at home. Griselda is a friend, and her normal pianist came down with the flu, so I figured I’d help her out.” She glanced at me and raised an eyebrow as she removed her shades, revealing deep, ruby-red eyes that rivaled the beauty of Ember’s. “Did you not tell her you and me are tight? You could have introduced us years ago.”
“If you haven’t noticed,” I countered, jerking my head at the changeling next to me, “Lyla’s a bit of an EDM-head, and you’re her favorite artist. I’ve offered many times, but every time I did, she made some excuse about not wanting to bother you.” I heard an offended snort from beside me, and I caught eyes with Lyla as I challenged, “What? It’s true. You acted like I was going to introduce you to a deity or something.”
Vinyl just chuckled and shook her head before poking Lyla in the shoulder. “Look, for the future, if I’m not on tour and Tavi’s out of town, I’m just sitting at home, bored out of my mind; please, bother me. I’m glad you love my songs, but I don’t like it when ponies treat me like I’m some kinda celebrity. If I wanted to look down my snout at everyone, I’d be living in Canterlot, in a mansion. But screw that mess,” she tossed her head to get the wandering strands of blue mane out of her face, “if I had to live around those uptight douchebags, I’d probably wanna gouge my eyes out with a spoon after about a month. So not worth it.” She then backed up a bit and took a look at all of us collectively. “Anyway, it’s good to see you all doing good. I’ve been busy most of the year, but it was good to come back and see Spike finally got a herd of his own.” The unicorn slugged me playfully in the shoulder. “Proud of you, man. It’s about damn time. Anyway, Tavi’s gonna be home late tonight, so I’m gonna head out too and be ready for her when she gets back. Peace, and thanks for comin’ out.”
We all watched as the mare walked out of the restaurant and into the cold winter air, completely unbothered by the temperature. I knew why, but if what Ember asked next was any indication, she wasn’t exactly up-to-date on just what kinds of ponies lived in the nation. We would rectify that.
“She confuses me,” the dragoness commented as she pulled on her coat and hat again, preparing for our own foray into the cold air.
I raised my brow at Ember. “How so?”
Ember finished securing her hat on her head before looking to me with a matching confused expression. “She talks like she’s just one of the younger ponies, which I guess is why she’s so popular with them, but her voice says she’s a lot older than the rest of us.” At my questioning look, Ember explained, “You can tell a lot about someone just from their voice alone. The tone, the subtle harmonics, the way they speak, and even the words they use can tell you what kind of person you’re talking to. For us, though,” she gestured to the two of us, “practiced dragons can hear a lot more in a voice than most other races. It’s…” she trailed off, apparently considering how to word her explanation, “it’s like, there’s another layer of information underneath what most other races can hear. When you learn how to hear it, you can’t turn it off, and it’s like a whole new world is suddenly open to you.”
I just stared at her for a moment. “You’re totally teaching me that next week.”
Ember smirked at me briefly before her expression turned serious. “Anyway, once you learn to use the ability, just by listening to the undertones, you can learn a lot about someone. You can tell how strong they are, whether or not they’re lying, and all kinds of other things. For this situation, you can even tell how old they are, and that,” she pointed toward the door where Vinyl had walked out of only a handful of seconds prior, “is an old creature.”
I gave my own smirk at her deduction. “Want to guess how old?”
Ember went silent for a few moments before guessing, “Older than the Two Sisters. Can’t get much more than that without talking to her more.” She then raised an eyebrow at me curiously. “What is she? I know for a fact that no pony except an alicorn lives longer than maybe three or four hundred years, and even that’s pushing it.”
I frowned a bit as I mentally organized my response. Twilight led me out into the winter air as we all began making our way back to the castle, which was fine because it took me a few seconds to come up with a decent answer. “...frankly, we don’t know. Vinyl’s mind isn’t perfect, and even though she remembers more than most would think possible, she’s told me there are gaps in her memory centuries long, where she just...doesn’t remember anything. I’ve never gotten a clear answer from mom when I’ve asked her how old she and Luna are, but I know they were already adults before they faced Discord for the first time, and that was nearly two thousand years before...well, before Nightmare Moon. Then, Nightmare Moon was imprisoned for a thousand years, and…” I shrugged. “We don’t really know how old they are, but the best we can guess is at least five thousand, judging on what little we know of their biology, and Vinyl said she was already grown by the time they were born.”
Ember was just staring at me with her jaw slack. “...okay, so what is she?”
“Equus Sanguis is the official scientific term,” I answered, frowning briefly as I did so. “She’s one of the scant few left of her kind, at least that we know of.”
Ember silently mouthed the words, clearly using what knowledge she had of ancient languages to puzzle out what it meant. “W-wait, that translates to ‘blood horse’. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
I kept my voice low as I answered, even though no one else was on the roads at that time of night. “Yeah. The term used before that one was Equus Nosferatu Vampiris, based on legends of a nightmarish creature called Nosferatu -- which was, of course, a vampire. Findings in the last few decades showed a distinct lack of evidence that the creature ever actually existed, so the name for VInyl’s kind was changed to be more accurate to what vampires are.” I shrugged. “They have a very intimate relationship with blood, for obvious reasons, so having ‘blood’ in their scientific nomenclature made sense.”
Ember just stared for a few moments once again before shaking her head and turning back toward the path. “Just when I think I’ve got a grasp on Equestria, I learn that vampires are real, and what’s more, you’re friends with one.”
I nodded before nudging her to get her attention again. “She’s a legal citizen and the royal family knows what she is, but most ponies would react...poorly. I trust you to keep the information private.”
Ember nodded firmly, her face serious, before she again looked confused. “Wait, so how did you find out she was…?”
We arrived back at the castle by that point, so I opened the door and ushered the ladies inside before closing the heavy door behind us to keep out the cold. I continued my explanation as I helped them take off their heavier winter wear. “Well, the first time Tirek attacked, she was one of the victims. Unlike normal ponies, she didn’t recover when her magic was returned to her -- she needed blood, and it took awhile for any of us to find her. By that time, she was starving, and she lost control and bit me. I was still a little whelp back then, so she was easily able to overpower me, but something about the potency of my blood shocked her back to sanity, and she stopped herself. She took a minute to explain just what she was, and then…” I frowned briefly at the memory, “she apologized and told me to leave her to die.”
“And you said no,” Ember surmised, pulling off her boots at last, sighing happily as she was once again free of the constrictive winter clothing.
I nodded as I draped her coat over my arm, following the rest from behind as we made our way toward the upper levels of the castle. “I had known Vinyl for years by that point -- we were already good friends -- so there was no way I was gonna just leave her to die when I could do something to save her. I had found her by accident after Tirek had been sent to Tartarus, and I didn’t know how much longer she would be able to endure, so I offered my own blood to save her.” I chuckled at Twilight’s growl ahead of me, since she was likely remembering how much she freaked out when she found us in that alleyway hours later. “Turns out, you have to choose to become a vampire, which is why there are so few of them -- getting bit by a vampire doesn’t cause you to become one. I didn’t find that out until after the fact, but Twilight made sure to let me know just how stupid I was for putting myself in danger like that.”
The named mare snorted loudly from in front of us, her tail lashing stressfully. “How do you think I would have felt if you had made such a huge life change like that on a whim?” While Rarity didn’t say anything, the narrowed gaze she was shooting me from the corner of her eye told me she felt the same.
“Hate to gang up on you, but I agree with Twilight,” Ember replied, shoving me hard enough to make me stumble to the side. “I get that she’s a friend, but you’re lucky things didn’t turn out way worse.”
I lowered my gaze to my feet as we made our way up the spiral staircase. “I know, but I was having what you might call a personal crisis during that time. Up to that point, almost every time something was going bad, or some world-ending catastrophe was looming over the horizon, I just had to watch as my friends and family put themselves in harm’s way. There was never anything I could do, and I just had to stand back, chewing on my claws, praying that everyone would be okay, because there was nothing I could do.” I shrugged weakly. “It...was stupid, and I know that, but at that moment, there was finally something I could do to help one of my friends. I wanted to be the one to save someone for once, instead of relying on the rest of my friends to do it. Plus, I was being honest when I said I didn’t know how much longer she had left.”
Ember was clearly trying not to frown -- and failing miserably -- but eventually conceded, “...all right, I get it. Still, you haven’t exactly grown out of your impulsive behavior, so that’s another reason we gotta teach you how to protect yourself.”
I raised my brow at this new information. "What do you mean ‘another reason’? I don’t recall discussing this.”
Ember just looked to Twilight, who smiled sheepishly at the dragoness. “I um...might have forgotten to bring it up.”
Ember just sighed and shook her head before looking to me again. “Long story short, we can’t always count on someone else to look after you, so we’re going to teach you how to defend yourself.” Before I could respond, she held up a hand and said, “I don’t mean brawling, I mean fighting -- to the death, if you have to. Look,” she placed her hand on my shoulder as we finally walked into the commons area in the private wing of the castle, “I wouldn’t recommend this if it wasn’t necessary, but it doesn’t take a genius to understand why you’re such a valuable asset, and depending on others to look out for you is just going to make them targets first.”
“I’m sure you remember what happened to me, Spike,” Lyla commented from off to the side, causing me to deflate a bit in shame. She leaned in and planted a peck on my cheek as we sat on the main sofa, taking my hand in her own. “You know I will always jump in to protect you without a moment’s hesitation, but if nothing else, it would put my mind at ease to know that if the worst happens, and I’m no longer able to protect you, you won’t be defenseless.”
It was true, I already knew some rudimentary fighting techniques, but it was also true that “rudimentary” wasn’t going to cut it if I had a trained team come after me. I was relatively safe in Equestria, but I was also technically high-profile, meaning the probability was high that someone, at some point, was going to try and do something to me or the ones I cared about. I felt a bit guilty that I’d brushed it off for so many years, but guilt wasn’t going to do me any good, so I buried it.
With a sigh and a nod, I acquiesced. “Okay. You’re right, I should be more to all of you than dead weight in a fight.”
“Hey,” Twilight broke in, poking me hard in my shoulder, “stop that. If anyone should feel guilty about that, it’s me, because I never made it a priority. We can’t do anything about that now, but we can do something for the future by making sure you’re not helpless. Yes, you can grow, and you’re learning to use your magic, but brute strength and power is nothing without skill.”
I let out a short breath from my nose, giving a nod of assent. “I get it.”
“Now now, this all can wait until later in the week,” Rarity interjected, motioning all of us sitting around the room. “Tonight is a time for our herd, in preparation for tomorrow. We will deal with business at the start of next week, including whatever training Spike might need.” With a dainty yawn, Rarity physically shook herself. “Now, however, I believe we should all get our rest. Ember dear, please wait with Spike while the rest of us change into something more fitting for sleeping.” Whether it was the alcohol or simply her being a tease, I couldn’t help but notice a distinctive sway to Rarity’s gait that was the equivalent of putting a giant “LOOK AT ME” sign on her rear; I was happy to oblige.
“Do you think hers is nicer than mine?” Ember commented playfully from off to my side.
I was quite used to the way Ember teased me by now, so while it could still be embarrassing at times, it no longer turned me into a stuttering mess. Still, I will admit I had a mild blush as I gave my reply. “‘Nice’ is relative. Hers is a little bigger and squishier, but yours is more sculpted and I can really sink my claws in without hurting you.” I turned my eyes to Ember and smiled slightly. “You do know I find you immensely attractive, right? You don’t have to compare yourself to others.”
Ember smirked at me before brushing her hands over her chest. “The only thing I feel mildly jealous of is pony breasts, only because I see the way they make you stare.”
My blush increased tenfold at the mention of that, and I could only nod quietly.
“Is there anything you want me to do while you all are gone tomorrow?” she asked in a more serious manner.
The thought of the implied event brought me out of my embarrassment. I gave another nod and said, “Yeah, study up on court etiquette -- Twilight should have a few books about it. I could tell you and try to prepare you for when we go to Canterlot, but there’s probably a bunch of rules and stuff I’m forgetting; Twilight usually takes care of all the ‘royal stuff’, so while most of it is a sort of ‘muscle memory’, I can’t really articulate it to teach you. We’ll brush you up over the weekend, but it couldn’t hurt for you to get started on your own.” I glanced to the clock to judge how long it had been since the others left the room, then jerked my head toward the bedrooms. “C’mon, they’re probably finished by now. Let’s get to bed.”
As Ember and I walked toward the bedrooms to rest for the night, I couldn’t help but silently dread what the next day would bring. I was going to be there to support my friends, but I wasn’t exactly an expert in the grieving process, and nor was I particularly good at hiding my emotions if I was really sad. I could only hope that the support of all my friends and family around me would allow me to compose myself a little better, to be there for Scootaloo. I didn’t know what would come next after that, but while I was certainly going to attend, I was not particularly looking forward to the event itself.
With a long sigh, I entered the bedroom to sleep, doing my best to pass the thoughts out of my mind so that I could get a good rest to prepare for the mourning that was soon to come.