//------------------------------//
// Treeson 
// Story: Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot 
// by Equimorto 
//------------------------------//

"How do you think it's going?" Spike asked, looking out the window towards the distance.
"It can't be too bad. We'd know it if it was."
"How?"
"I'm not sure, actually. But I'm sure we would. Since we clearly don't know things are bad yet, that must mean they're not that bad."
"I don't think that holds up quite well."
"Maybe, but what's the point in worrying too much about it? If things are bad this time, we'll have a lot more to be worried about than just being disappointed our expectations weren't met, so for once I don't think there's anything wrong with being hopeful. I'm planning to have as good of a time as I can right now, because I know I'm going to miss it if things go wrong."
"I guess."
"Come on now. You trust Twilight and her friends, don't you?"
"I do."
"Then have faith. You've got Harmony on your side, after all." The unicorn looked at Spike. Then he forced himself to look away, shaking his head, and he stepped away from the window. "Well, I have work to do. Wish me luck."
Spike looked at him as he walked away, and noted the way he swayed slightly from side to side, thankfully never stepping over the cape on his back. "Good luck," he said.
The unicorn paused after rounding a corner, one hoof against the wall to hold himself up as the world spun around him. Too much to drink, for sure, but he'd worked drunk before. He could do it. The hard part he'd already dealt with, thankfully enough. It would be best if he didn't return to the castle for a while, after things were solved.
He headed down the corridor, trying to straighten his walk against the dizziness the alcohol gave him and the stiffness in his hind legs. Definitely too much to drink. But he was on schedule, the others were the ones running late.
Inside the room, Spike looked out the window again. The sky was cloudy on the horizon, like a storm was raging over the Empire. One very well could be considering the circumstances. He wished he'd been able to be there and help, but the battlefield was no place for him to be, as Twilight had very convincingly reminded him. She had a point, and he knew he'd have been more of a liability than actual help.
The unicorn reached the end of the corridor, and peeked past the door into the room behind it. Things were still being set up, and he wasn't required yet. He chose not to enter, instead he stepped back and rested his side against the wall. Best if he wasn't seen in those conditions while he could avoid it. His horn shone and coolness spread over his face, bringing some more clarity to his thoughts. Had it been a questionable decision to get drunk in the middle of a battle? Yeah, but he hadn't tasted alcohol in years, and if that world risked being taken over and he was forced to leave it he refused not to do it at least once before then. It wasn't like he would be sticking around there any longer if things went bad.