//------------------------------// // Judgement // Story: Role Reversal // by JaketheGinger //------------------------------// There she was in all her glory. Princess Celestia stood before Spike, her face completely neutral. Instead of a feeling of serenity that many ponies claimed that had when they saw her, only worries and questions flooded Spike’s mind. One thing was certain though: this wasn’t a casual visit. Spike had received no letters from her beforehoof. Spike quickly knelt down before the alicorn. He hoped that this show of respect would lighten her mood (if she was in a bad one anyway) but he then realized that she would have got this all the time. “Meet me in the library.” She stated. She then flapped her wings, creating a powerful gust of air, and flew off. Spike got up onto quivering legs. This was just like the time where Twilight enchanted her doll, Smarty Pants. He looked around. Everypony in the vicinity was staring at him, unsure of whether this would be a favorable encounter or one best forgotten. The young dragon tried to ignore them and set off. His destination was actually Rarity’s boutique. As much as Celestia wanted his presence now, he couldn’t abandon Twilight. He said he would return to her soon and he meant it. He attempted to look cool and relaxed on the way over but he was actually close to running instead of walking.Thanks to that though, he soon got to the boutique. He rapidly knocked on the door. It didn’t long for it to open. “Oh hello again Spike! What’s the rush dear?” Rarity greeted him. Spike blinked. “Rush? What rush?” “Well you knocked on the door quite hard...” “Oh. Right.” Spike mentally slapped himself for not controlling his nerves enough. “I just need to take Twilight home.” He peered inside, trying to locate the filly. “So soon?” Rarity tutted. “I’ve barely finished adding her to the drawing.” “Please Rarity. It’s important.” Spike pleaded, looking into her eyes. Seeing those pools of beauty was a brief respite from his current worries. “Very well.” Rarity trotted to the drawing table, where Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Twilight were sitting around and taking part in friendly chit-chat. “Twilight?” The filly looked to Rarity upon hearing her name. “Spike’s here.” Rarity stated. Twilight instantly smiled. “He’s here to take your home.” Then the filly’s face turned to one of confusion. “What? Why?” Twilight queried. “Aaaaw, so soon?!” Pinkie piped up. “He wouldn’t say, darling.” Rarity said. The other three mares looked at each other, each wondering the same thing. Twilight looked at the floor, her face now one of concern. “Okay then.” She turned to her other friends. “Bye everypony.” She would have been more cheery but this sudden exit had chased that away. She waved at them all and headed to the front door. Spike gave a wave to Twilight, then looked at Rarity who had followed the filly. “Thanks.” “It’s nothing Spike. But...is something wrong?” “I’m fine. I’ll see you later.” He replied, before walking away, accompanied by Twilight. Rarity watched them walk away and closed the door only when they left her sight. “What is this about Spike?” Twilight queried, looking up worriedly at Spike. “It’s...” He sighed. “You’ll find out soon.” “Uh...okay then...” Spike glanced at Twilight. It was amazing to think that in just a couple of days, she had grown from a shy, timid filly to one that had no complaints about going outside. She seemed completely relaxed, although concerned about Spike. She was a far stronger filly than she was before. Then he remembered that he had asked Twilight to to estimate the date of the next shooting star. “Hey Twilight, do you know when the next shooting star is yet?” Twilight hesitated for just a fraction of a second. “In about a month or so.” “Alright then.” Spike nodded. After a short while, the library loomed before them. Whereas before it looked inviting and comforting, all feelings of comfort that it gave to Spike were dashed. He knew who and what was inside: Celestia and his fate. Spike gingerly opened the door and crept inside, followed by Twilight. He had expected Celestia to be staring down at him but on quick inspection of the room, she was nowhere to be found. However, Spike spared himself no sigh of relief as he knew that if the Princess wasn’t here, she would be on the balcony. He took slow, unsure steps towards the stairs. After scaling them, he saw that the balcony doors were open. Celestia stood there, overlooking the fine town. Chances were that she had already known of his presence somehow, so Spike didn’t delay any further. He walked up to the balcony and the alicorn turned around to meet him. “Spike.” She said. That threw him off. The casualness of her greeting made it even harder to tell what her real intentions were. “Princess.” Spike stammered, trying (and failing) to appear relaxed. “I am here to notify you about a situation we have. Hopefully, you can provide the answers.” Celestia stated, her voice as neutral as ever. Well, this certainly was it. She knew. Granted she didn’t know the truth but she knew something was up. It was time to pull the wool over her eyes... “Celestia!” Cheered Twilight, bounding onto the balcony and affectionately nuzzling the Princess’ leg. At first Spike was completely shocked at Twilight’s actions but then he remembered why she did them. In all of his anxiety, he had forgotten that Celestia would have acted as Twilight’s surrogate mother in this world just as she did for him in the old realm. “Hello Twilight.” Celestia said warmly, nuzzling Twilight’s head for a moment. “It’s very good to see you again.” “It’s good to see you too!” Twilight exclaimed merrily. The scene was quite touching for Spike and yet...it was so wrong at the same time. The two clearly shared a deep love for each other and had an unbreakable bond and it was great to see Twilight so happy. Despite this, it reminded him of all the wrongs he had committed to get here. Twilight had no real parents and therefore, she may have had no brother either. She had no B.B.B.F.F. Twilight would have had no friends at all for the first part of her life. She was a pea all alone in its pod. No Shining Armor to look out for her. What had he done? “I’m afraid you will have to let us discuss something important Twilight.” “Oh...okay then.” Without any signs of visible protest, Twilight trotted back in the library and went out of sight. Celestia turned her attention back to the young dragon. “As for this situation, it seems that when I remember any memory involving you I succumb to a mind spike.” She paused, allowing Spike to take what she said in. “Luna is also affected, which leads me to believe that everypony may be too.” She lowered her head slightly so her eyesight was level with that at Spike’s. “Can you perhaps offer an explanation?” Staring into those ancient eyes, Spike couldn’t help but feel very intimidated. Her tone was still neutral so she wasn’t angry at him at all. He found himself paralysed, unable to look away. This was it. If she didn’t like what he said now, she could incinerate him on the spot like he was a harmless pest. The same would probably be true even if he was a full grown dragon. “I...I made a wish...” Spike finally spluttered out. “Hm.” Celestia raised her head. Spike simply stared at her elegant legs. They was better to look at than her eyes. “I see...and what were the conditions of this wish?” “To swap lives with Twilight...” Spike mumbled. The guilt was bearing down on him, forcing him to look down at the floor. Celestia was silent. Time seemed to slow down. Fear took control over the young dragon, forcing his body to lock down and become immobile. “And now everything is clear to me.” Celestia finally said. What on Equestria did that mean? Was it clear what had happened? Or had she decided on a punishment? Spike just didn’t know at this point. “I am very disappointed in you Spike.” Celestia continued. Each word felt like a nail being hammered further into Spike’s gut. “This was highly irresponsible of you.” Her voice was stern now. Spike was only a few seconds away from punishment... “And yet...I forgive you.” Spike blinked. Where did that come from? He slowly raised his head to look at the alicorn. “Wh-what?” “You are extremely out of your depth in this situation.” Celestia stated. Spike didn’t know exactly why but he suddenly groveled at the Princess’ hooves, pleading for forgiveness. “I know I know! I’m really sorry! I truly am!” He panicked. “May I finish?” Celestia looked down at the dragon, her eyebrow raised slightly. Spike rapidly nodded and sat on his rear. He listened carefully to the ancient alicorn’s words. “As you have learnt, wish magic is very real. It is also extremely powerful. And it is not an easy process either but I shall try to explain in simple terms. Shooting stars are magical themselves and provide the catalyst for the wish. However, they cannot generate the wish alone. This is where the wish-bearer comes in. For you see, shooting stars ‘feed’ off emotions. I use the term lightly, for they are not living of course.” Celestia elaborated. “That is why I chose to forgive you. Am I correct in thinking that you were not happy when you made this wish?” Spike nodded once more but had many questions that he couldn’t leave unanswered. “Was my wish different then? Is that why it hurts to remember?” Celestia paused, thinking. It surprised Spike that there was a subject that she got puzzled in. Despite this, he didn’t think any less of her. “I believe it worked like this. In order for this world to make sense, the wish had to rewrite history. Now I don’t know what that entails but it may have been very damaging.” Spike felt a lump form in throat. Shining Armor. “However, I do not think it sent us all back in time and forced us to replay those events. This is where I think the mind spikes come in. I hypothesise that the wish implanted those events in our thoughts as images so that we would not question the world. I am also assuming that only those closest to you are affected by the mind spikes.” She explained. “But...why?” “I believe it may be because we know you personally and deeply. Therefore, we are the closest to the epicentre of the wish, that being you. The mind spikes may just be the wish’s magic falling apart and affecting us. But I am purely speculating at this point so take my words with a pinch of salt.” The Princess contiuned. Spike sat there, taking everything in and becoming a little dazed by it all. “How do you know all of this?” “Luna taught me. She is the expert on these things.” At last, something made sense to Spike. Being the guardian of the night, Luna would have known about shooting stars and the like. “Speaking of whom, I must commune with her. We require her estimation of the date of the next shooting star. I think we both know you can’t stay here.” Celestia turned around and closed her eyes. Her horn began to glow with golden magic that hummed ever so slightly. Spike caught his breath, taking the time to relax. He wanted to hug Celestia for being merciful, even if he knew that would be a silly idea. He knew that he had a sentence though. A simple one that he should have pursued from the beginning: get back home. Although despite Celestia’s word, part of him didn’t want to... But he knew he had to stick to his priorities. His mind overruled his emotions for the time being and he steeled himself for working towards the goal of reversing the damage he had caused. It wasn’t long before Celestia brought her attention back to Spike. “My sister has predicted that the next shooting star will fall in three days time.” 3 days?! That wasn’t long at all! Spike thought he had more time...Luna couldn’t have been wrong in her estimates either so why was Twilight incorrect? “I will return on that day to make sure you wish everything back to normality. For now, I must go back to Canterlot and attend to some royal duties of mine.” She flexed her huge wings, preparing to take off. “Wait!” Spike called out. “I have one more question.” “Speak your piece.” Celestia responded. “When everything goes back to normal...will anypony remember all this?” “I greatly doubt it.” She answered. “Take care of yourself, my faithful student. I shall see you in three days time.” She peered around, unable to locate her surrogate daughter. “Tell Twilight I said goodbye and that I love her dearly.” And with that, her powerful wings set into motion. Wind generated from them swept into Spike, causing him to flinch slightly. Soon, she was out of sight. Spike wasn’t entirely off the hook; clearly his actions had annoyed Celestia. Nevertheless, she had proven her status as a just and wise ruler. He sighed and headed back inside, looking around the room for any signs of Twilight. She was no where to be found. Spike didn’t worry though; she was probably reading in the main room. Heading down the stairs, Spike managed to spot Twilight curled up in her small bed. He snuck closer, unsure if she was asleep or not. Her shuddering form made it apparent that she was very much awake. “Twilight, what’s wrong?” Spike spoke softly. “I don’t want things to change.” She sniffed. “What do you mean--oh.” The dragon sighed deeply, rubbing his head. “But you’ll still be here. You’ll be safe. Happy even. What more can you want?” “But I won’t remember all this...” “Your old life was be--” Spike paused himself. How could anyone tell a child that their current life wasn’t up to scratch? “Sorry, slip of the tongue there. Heh. I meant to say your old life was just as good.” “I like it here though!” Twilight wailed through sobs. She then turned in her bed to look into Spike’s eyes through watery lenses. “You’re...like the brother I never had...” Spike stepped back, reeling in surprise from the statement. This was way too much now. He had to revert everything back to normal but damn it, Twilight was making it difficult. The subject matter also made the guilt about Shining Armor even worse. Regardless, he had to say something quickly or he would unsettle her further. “I can still be that! Promise!” She shook her head. “I don’t think you can. Why did wish for this in the first place?” That hurt. Twilight had the wrong idea of course yet it didn’t make the question any less painful. It brought up how selfish he was that night. What he had thrown away... “Because...because I was stupid okay!” Spike cried, his defenses starting to break away. He started to pace around. “I made a mistake, a huge mistake!” “No!” Twilight called out, becoming uncomfortable with Spike’s distress. “No you’re not stupid.” Spike froze in place, staring at the filly wrapped up in her bed. He was silent, allowing her to elaborate. “Fluttershy. Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Five amazing new friends I have, thanks to you. I even have the confidence to go outside by myself now! And don’t forget my novice magic skill.” She stopped crying, her face becoming somewhat determined. This moment felt exactly like the way it used to be; Twilight sorting things out, making things right. “Yes, you made a mistake Spike. But you’ve more than made up for it. You’re wonderful. You’re family to me. And I love you.” Tears welled up in her eyes again. Her words reaffirmed Spike and it seemed that once again, their roles had switched. “I love you too Twilight.” He spread his arms, inviting Twilight to an embrace. She gladly took the offer, leaping out of the bed and wrapping her limbs around his scaly chest. She buried her head into him and it wasn’t long before he felt lukewarm tears make their way down his body. “Why?!” Twilight shrieked in pure childlike frustration. Just seconds ago she was speaking elegant sentences and now she was reduced to repeating one single word through bitter sobs. Spike just hugged her protectively and let her unleash all her anxiety. It took some time before she was worn out and it was unbearable to sit through but Spike had managed to keep a cool head during it all. Twilight was now completely drained, although still upset. Now she needed sleep and Spike hoped that the world of sweet dreams would be enough to calm her further. Without saying anything, he gently put her back into her bed and swept the covers over her body. She didn’t protest and held Smarty Pants instinctively. “Sleep well Twilight.” He whispered. She was close to falling asleep so he doubted she could understand completely what he said. He turned to walk away then immediately turned back around. “Oh er, almost forgot: Celestia says goodbye and she loves you very much.” The only response he got from the filly were light snores. Now he needed to sort himself out. He was a little shaken after that moment so he decided to exit the library and grab some fresh air. The Sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with beautiful reds and oranges. Silhouettes of birds could be seen flying through the air as they made their way back to their nests. Ponies were still out and about, their destinations and objectives helping form the calm atmosphere that Ponyville is (usually) known for. Spike leant against the library tree trunk and slid down onto his rear. Once he was in a comfortable position, he let out a big huff. He could feel the warmth of the air as it escaped his maw. Yes, Spike was young but he was mature enough most of the time. He knew that himself. But he also knew that he had grown up so quickly in the past few days. He didn’t know how to feel about it. Would it all be for naught once things returned to status quo? He hoped not, yet at the same time he didn’t want his childhood to be wished away. Fact is, he had definitely matured; childish actions brought him here and tough choices would take him back. He spotted Lyra in the near distance with another mare. She had a curly blue and pink mane and seemed to be very good friends with Lyra, although he couldn’t put a name to her face as the musician never mentioned her in their chat. Spike didn’t bother to alert them about his presence. He was content to watch them have their moment. They hugged each other, both smiling fondly. Then the mares separated and gave each other a wave before parting ways. They were the lucky ones; nothing would change for them. Their friendship did remind the dragon of another pressing matter: how would he spent his last three days in the wish world? He wasn’t sure exactly but somehow, he’d tried to have fun. Failing that, he’d definitely make sure Twilight would be happy. But on the last night, he knew exactly what he wanted to happen. A party. Just a party, perhaps celebrating nothing more than friendship itself. He grinned to himself, picturing it. It would be awesome, as he knew the exact party pony to help him make it a reality. A tiny bit of drool escaped from his mouth, prompting him to wake up from the daydream. It was reassuring to know that maturity didn’t turn him into a complete bore. He snickered at his gluttonous cake fantasies and wiped his lips clean. Just three days. Then everything would revert to the way it was. No, that was a cynical way of looking at things. Change would happen. For one thing, Spike needed to talk with Twilight about their relationship and hopefully changes would be made from that. Just as long as Twilight understands why Spike did what he did... Just three days. What would happen in that time? Ponyville was peaceful but a lot of crazy things took place here. Would something bad happen that would complicate the situation further? Spike shook his head and stood up. He was thinking too much about this. He just had to let the music play. I need some sleep. He entered the library once more and was just about to make his way to the bed when the open kitchen door caught his eye. Diamonds! Diamonds first then sleep.