Twilight breathed heavily, leaning her hand on the chest-high stone wall of the Neighagra Falls Inn’s rooftop balcony as sweat dripped off her fur onto the roof.
“You okay, Twi?” Applejack chuckled, similarly out of breath and glistening with sweat. Twilight couldn’t help but think it was a good look for her.
“C’mon you guys!” Spike exclaimed, pumping his fists and punching at the air. “You’re not getting tired already, are ya?”
Twilight had to wonder where did he find all that energy as she laughed at his undying enthusiasm.
Twilight, Applejack, and Spike had spent most of the day sparring with each other. It was now golden sunset hours and Twilight’s bones felt like they were ready to snap and wither away to ash if she even sneezed the wrong way.
“I think we gotta call it for today, kiddo,” Applejack hunched down and ruffled Spike’s mane and he snorted in laughter. “We don’t wanna accidentally break your ma.”
“Oh, like you’re not—” Twilight gasped and struggled for breath. “Like you’re not winded too!”
“I’m winded alright,” Applejack said, “but I don’t look I need to go to the hospital or nothin’. You sure yer alright, Twi?”
“I’m fine,” Twilight took a deep breath and centered herself; it helped, at least a little. “This is nothing compared to magic exhaustion.”
“True,” Applejack whistled, “now that’ll kill ya.”
“Yeah,” Twilight said coldly, “it sure will.”
Suddenly it felt very cold on the rooftop balcony, even though Twilight could’ve sworn she’d been boiling hot just a second ago. Now all she could think about was the snow and winter wind, and the smell of blood and leaking magic coming from her mouth and—
No. Not going back there.
“Well there’s only one thing to do after a long day of training!” Applejack said proudly and clapped her hands, snapping Twilight back to reality. “Time to hit the showers!”
“Dibs on the bathtub!” Spike called out, raising his hand.
“That’s fine, Spike,” Twilight giggled, “I can wait until you get out.”
“Y’all only have one bathtub?” Applejack asked.
“Well it’s a hotel room, so yeah,” Twilight snarked with a cheeky grin on her face, “how many bathtubs did you get?”
“Haha, fair,” Applejack playfully rolled her eyes. “But hey Twi, why not hit the hot springs with me instead? That way Spike doesn’t have to feel like yer waitin’ on him to get outta the tub.”
“Yeah I’m a tub sleeper so,” Spike added, “you could be waiting a while.”
“You shouldn’t sleep in the tub, Spike!” Twilight balked. “That’s dangerous!”
“You’re right, Twilight,” Spike said drolly, “I might accidentally fall asleep so hard that I drown without noticing.”
“Exactly!”
Twilight held out her arms over her head, baffled that no one else seemed to recognize the obvious danger of the situation, and yet everyone else remained quiet until Applejack let out a single cough.
“Okay fine,” Twilight grumbled, puffing up her cheeks and crossing her arms. “Are you gonna be able to find your way back to the room okay?”
“Yes, Twilight,” Spike sighed, “and if anything happens, which it won’t, I can always use the beacon.”
“Right,” Twilight muttered. Maybe she was being a little overprotective. Just a little.
“What’s the beacon?” Applejack asked.
“It’s a little charm that Spike has,” Twilight pointed at Spike, who with a small puff of green flame materialized the small dragon doll of Twilight’s likeness that held Twilight’s beacon. “If he breathes a tiny spark of magic into it, it’ll summon me.
“Cuz you’re both right! Spike is his own man, and even though he’s still a child, it’s wrong for me to try and smother him in the name of ‘protecting’ him! I know that!” Twilight gesticulated wildly as she spoke, but then she held her arms stiffly in front of her and bit on her thumbnail. “But I still worry about him.”
“So Twilight made me this!” Spike beamed, holding up the beacon for Applejack to get a good look at. “This way if anything bad ever does happen to me, which it won’t, Twilight can come help!”
“He’ll always be able to find me if he needs me,” Twilight explained, “and I don’t have to hover over him and invade his privacy or anything. Everyone wins.”
“Wow, that’s pretty smart, Twi,” Applejack said. “Yer ma’s a pretty smart gal, Spike!”
“Yeah, she okay,” Spike said, “I guess.”
“You’re ‘okay I guess’!” Twilight shot back and huffed, turning away from Spike for all of one second before teleporting behind him and holding him in her arms. “No you’re not, you’re perfect and I love you.”
“Alright, Twilight, I get it,” Spike grumbled as he pushed himself out of Twilight’s embrace. Then he paused for a moment and opened his arms, and Twilight picked him up and embraced him in a much softer, more reciprocal hug. “I love you too, Twilight.”