//------------------------------//
// Dog Days 
// Story: Live Forever in My Dreams 
// by Mockingbirb 
//------------------------------//

"I can watch him," Sunset offered. "I know he's really sick, and he shouldn't be left alone."

"Thank you. I...I really have to go take my final. I'm sorry, Spike." Twilight squatted to gently ruffle the fur on top of her sleeping dog's head. Afterwards, she ran out of the room. A moment later the front door opened and slammed.

Sunset said, "Twilight's probably going to kill me...even if this works, she might STILL be furious." She opened a closet and rummaged through it. "Here we are." 

Sunset pulled out a basket, which she lined with a small blanket. She set it down beside Spike's bed, scooped him up gently with both arms, and set him in the basket.

She carried the basket out of the house, put it into her motorcycle sidecar, and strapped it in. "Chance one for Twilight to want to kill me: if we get into a crash. I know you're on your last legs already, and that could just finish you off."

Nevertheless, Sunset climbed onto her bike, kicked the starter, and turned out onto the road. 

After two hours of careful riding, she pulled into a parking lot near the high school she and Twilight had attended, when they were teenagers.

Sunset unstrapped the basket from the sidecar, picked it up, and carried it to the statue. Spike whined softly. "Where are we?" he mumbled. 

"Do you remember Canterlot High School?" Sunset asked.

The dog said sleepily, "Sure. But didn't you and Twi graduate?"

"Yes," Sunset said, planting a soft kiss atop his head. "But first, our friends at CHS taught me the meaning of friendship. That helped me start researching how to make Equestrian magic less dangerous to the human world. And we helped human world Twilight learn about friendship and magic too. Do you remember?"

Spike whined again. "It all seems...fuzzy, now. I don't know what was real, and what was a dream."

"It was all real. You even helped Twilight return to human form, back when she accidentally turned into a flying demon. You helped save the world, Spike. I'm so proud of you. You don't even know how much I learned from you, about friendship and love and loyalty. I really think if I'd never met you, I'd be a different person." 

Sunset kissed him again. "But now you're getting old. A dog's life is so much shorter than a human's. I don't know how much longer you'll be with us."

Spike's mouth opened, panting. "You've been a good friend too, Sunset. Thanks for everything." He tried to raise his head, muscles quivering, but failed. 

"Spike. We have a big decision to make. You know your Equestrian counterpart is a dragon, right?"

Spike breathed, "Sure. Told me. Not dream?"

"No, it's the truth. But Twilight and I have...a difference of opinion."

"Heh. Happens."

"I'm serious. Twilight thinks taking a very sick dog through the mirror portal would be too much strain on your body, and you'd die. Not a lot of Equestrian scholars even know the mirror portal exists, but the few ponies who do...mostly agree with Twilight."

Spike's cloudy eyes gazed up at Sunset. "But you think different."

"I do. I think if we go to Equestria, you might turn into a dragon. We don't know exactly how old you are, because Twilight adopted you from the pound. But even if you're twelve or fifteen years old...a dragon your age is still a kid. As a dragon, you could live for centuries. Maybe even longer."

Spike took small, rapid breaths. "Do it. I'm dying. You know. I know. Go now."

Sunset ran at the statue's podium, her legs bent to keep her whole body low enough to fit. When she hit the vertical stone surface, it rippled and let the pair inside. 

As different colors streaked past, and Sunset felt her body being oddly warped and reshaped, Spike mumbled, "Thanks. Not sorry."

A minute later, Sunset felt herself spill out through the mirror, with a basket's handle gripped between her teeth. She took a few steps forward, levitating the basket gently to the floor. A familiar dog lay curled up inside, silent and unmoving.

Sometimes a dog is just a dog. Sunset wailed a wordless cry of anguish. 

Just a dog, she thought. No matter how wonderful he is. But isn't every dog wonderful, loving us even if we don't deserve it?

Sunset screamed, "Somecreature help! Please help him!"

Running footsteps slapped and clopped on stone somewhere in the castle. A moment later, a flash of purple light teleported two creatures into the room: a purple alicorn and a matching teenage dragon.

"Sunset!" Twilight shouted. "What's going on?"

In front of Twilight, the dragonling ran to the basket, and touched the furry creature inside. "Twi, get the vet!" he said. "Teleport now!"

"On i--!" Twilight's disappearance cut off her shout in mid-syllable.

The dragonling said, "Can't feel properly with claws." He bent forward, touching the dog's neck with the softest part of his muzzle, feeling for the carotid pulse. 

After about twenty seconds, he switched to the dog's foreleg. "Come on..." he whispered. "Give me a sign, buddy."

Spike lifted the dog out of the basket, laid the mutt on his side, put his claws partway around the dog's ribcage, and pushed. He pressed rhythmically, speaking as he worked. "Come on," he said softly. "You can do it, pal." 

Sunset watched, tears running down her face. "I really thought he had a chance."

Spike said, "He looks pretty old. You were hoping to turn him into a dragon, weren't you?"

"Yes."

Spike nodded. "I would have wanted that too, if I were him."

"He's never waking up, is he?"

"I'm sorry. I don't think so."

"I wanted him to be a dragon SO MUCH. I wanted to show him Equestria...let him see me as a unicorn..." Sunset sniffled.

Sunset leaned over both medic and patient, shrouding them in her wings.

"Um...Sunset. About that..."

"Don't care," Sunset said, dripping tears.