//------------------------------// // Chapter 80 (Princess Spike) // Story: Spike The Brony Dragon // by red4567 //------------------------------// I drummed my fingers rapidly on the dining room table. Twilight finally came in. “So?” I asked. “I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight said. “We did everything possible. We talked to everypony, we checked everypony out. I’m afraid that changeling you were talking about is not in Ponyville anymore.” “But I saw it at Cranky and Matilda’s wedding.” “I’m not saying there wasn’t a changeling. In fact, some of the colts and fillies said that they saw it, too. It’s just that we did a thorough search and didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. No missing ponies, no suspicious civilians, no stolen love...” “What about Chrysalis? The changeling could be looking for her.” “Princess Celestia said that she’s still locked up in the Canterlot dungeon, and it has very tight security there.” “But, I’m still worried.” “So am I, Spike. But I promise if somepony here sees a changeling again, we will take action.” That conversation was all I could get about the changeling that appeared in “Slice of Life”. I was hoping to learn what was going on in the hive, what Thorax was up to, and if the changeling’s name really was “Kevin.” Sadly, this was going to be another mystery left unsolved for now. Twilight’s birthday already passed, which meant she was now 23 years old. Thankfully, I was able to attend her party for once.  I still have yet to learn about Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy’s birthdays. It has been over a year since I came to Equestria, and I learned nothing about the trio’s birthdays or ages. Maybe when I find Pinkie’s hideout, I could find something about them. The Grand Equestria Pony Summit was coming. Twilight and I helped Celestia, Luna, and Cadance get everything ready in Canterlot. I took frequent breaks, and I tried to get Twilight to do the same. But no matter how many times I or the other ponies tried, Twilight kept insisting that she wouldn’t rest until everything was perfect. Eventually, the opening ceremony was underway. Ponies from across the globe arrived here in Canterlot for the summit. Even a griffon from Griffonstone showed up. The princesses and I were currently backstage watching the crowd. “Sure are a lot of ponies here today,” I said. “Equestria is not a small world, after all,” Luna replied. Twilight yawned. “You alright, Twilight?” I asked. “Huh? Oh, I’m fine. Just a bit tired is all.” The bags underneath her eyes told a different tale. Fanfare echoed through the ballroom. The four alicorns and I took to the stage. Just like in the show, Luna and Celestia welcomed everypony and revealed the giant crystal statue. Everypony in the crowd cheered upon seeing the colorful mosaic sculpture. “Now I'd like to turn things over to the one who organized the summit: Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Celestia announced. Twilight stood front and center as the cheering grew louder. She thanked everypony for coming and noted that it took more than one sleepless night to put everything together. I, sadly, could vouch for that. “And now my faithful assistant, Spike, would like to say a few words,” Twilight announced. I stepped forward and cleared my throat. “Hello everypony. Glad you all could come. I hope you enjoy what Canterlot has to offer.” I took a step back as everypony praised the princesses. Later that day, I headed back to the room where Twilight and I were staying for the event. The episode “Princess Spike” was happening, and I already knew how to end it early. I patted my backpack as I put some of the books away. A loud thumping sound came from the door. “It’s unlocked!” I shouted. Cadance came bursting in, knocking all of the books off from the nearby bookshelf. I was glad I wasn’t near it like the old Spike. “Spike! There you are!” Cadance exclaimed. “We need you!” “What’s wrong?” I asked, but I already knew the answer. Twilight came in. She was as wobbly as grape jello and looked like she drank too much cider, and I didn't mean the one Applejack makes. “Twilight! Are you okay?” I asked. “Oh, I'm sorry, Spike. I just…” Twilight gave a big yawn that almost made me sleepy. “...need a quick…nap…napkin!” She tumbled backwards into the pile of books. “Tell…the delegates…I…” She said not another word as she fell asleep on the books like a hoarding dragon. “She's been awake three straight days preparing for the summit!” Cadance exclaimed. “We need to make sure she gets some rest today! She'll never be able to attend the welcome reception in this condition. Can I count on you to see to it that she isn't disturbed, Spike?” “Don't worry,” I replied. “I promise.” “Good. Now, let's get her in bed.” Cadance lifted Twilight's body with her magic. I pulled the covers on the bed back as Cadance carefully placed her sister-in-law on the bed. I then draped the blanket over Twilight’s body. “And that should do it,” said Cadance. “I'm going to head out now. Remember what I told you.” “She'll be in good hands,” I replied. “Oh, hey, if anypony is having problems and needs Twilight, tell them that she sent you on her behalf.” Cadence nodded and left the room. That's when I took action. I pulled out some earmuffs and a sleep mask from my backpack and carefully put them on Twilight’s head. Then, I went around the room, closing and locking every window. I pulled the curtains together to make sure no stray sunlight could pierce through. Finally, I got out a sheet of paper and wrote in big red letters, “DO NOT DISTURB.” I taped it to the front of the door right before closing and locking it as well. I sighed as I wiped my hands. I pretty much turned a typical half-hour episode into a five-minute short. That’s what happens when Spike isn’t stupid. Seeing as I had a lot of time to kill, I indulged in a few activities to pass the time. I read some of my comic books and mangas with the help of a flashlight. I did a few push-ups and sit-ups. I played solitaire with a deck of cards. I even tried to make a house with the cards, but I couldn’t for the life of me get past the second layer. Basically, if all this happened in the show, it would be a time passing montage. I leaned against the bed, wondering how much time has passed since Twilight went to sleep. That’s when I heard her mumbling. Must be talking in her sleep. I stood on my toes to hear what she was saying. “Why, Flash…of course I’ll read the entire encyclopedia with you…” Twilight murmured. She’s still into him? I peeked through the curtains to see what was going on in the outside world. Like in the show, there was a polo game happening, a landscaper cutting down branches, and a construction pony fixing the water main. I don’t know why the last two picked today of all days to do their work. They could have done it earlier before the summit happened. At least I didn’t have to go down there and keep them quiet. I rummaged through my backpack to find more things to pass the time. That’s when I found the Canterlot newspaper. I sat by the desk and read through the current events. At least most of the events happening in Equestria are more uplifting than the news in the human world. I flipped through the pages until I came across the real estate section. A picture of the Golden Oaks Library caught my eye. It was still up for sale, and the price itself wasn’t too expensive from what I can tell. I guessed not everypony would be interested in living in a library. I’m sure somepony will buy it. It’s not like it’s haunted or anything. After my daily dose of news, I went back to reading some of my manga. I was already on the seventh book about Mesu and Iki. To be honest, I was really interested in this series just like Rainbow Dash was into Daring Do. After seeing how victorious Mesu and Iki were at their first battle, I just had to get the next book. The more I read about them, the more I noticed that they shared similarities to Twilight and the old Spike respectively. Mesu was interested in books and education like Twilight, and Iki was interested in being rambunctious and helping Mesu. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a future manga that has Iki growing out of control or Mesu sprouting wings. I was on the last page of my manga when Twilight gave a big yawn and stretched her arms. “Huh? It’s nighttime already?” Twilight looked around. “How long was I asleep?” I hurried over and removed Twilight’s sleeping mask and earmuffs. “Don’t worry, Twilight,” I said. “It’s still daytime. You were asleep for a couple of hours.” Twilight rubbed her eyes and hopped off the bed. I quickly opened the curtains. “I haven't slept like that since I was a filly!” Twilight stretched her legs. “Anyway, we've still got a lot to do. Do you know if the water main was fixed?” “I’m not sure.” I shrugged. After Twilight’s long respite, we packed some of our things and left the room. Twilight and I went about Canterlot joining meetings and helping delegates out with each situation they had. It was a good thing Twilight and I were together. She came up with solutions that were a lot better than the old Spike suggested. Some meetings even lasted shorter than others thanks to Cadance’s involvement earlier. Evening had approached fast. Twilight and I were already in the ballroom. The other three princesses were there as well. Twilight took to the stage. “Thank you all for coming to this welome reception,” Twilight announced. “I do apologize that I had to meet with some of you so late. I had…certain matters that needed attending to.” Like the pillow and blanket? Twilight continued, “In a way, it taught me that sometimes, it’s better to take breaks once in a while, and to listen to those who suggest it. Especially when hosting important ceremonies like this one.” Twilight looked at me. “Would you like to say a few words of advice, Spike?” I nodded as I stepped forward.  I cleared my throat and said quickly and calmy, “Remember to use common sense. It’s just as important as friendship.” The crowd chuckled a bit. As Twilight continued with her speech, I joined up with Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. “Thanks for helping Twilight get some sleep,” Cadance whispered. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.” “Not really,” I whispered back. “I just closed all the windows and doors, covered Twilight’s eyes and ears, and made sure nopony or non-pony disturbed her. Common sense.” “That would explain that rather short speech you gave.” “Well, I just wanted to let them know. Otherwise, we might’ve ended up with something like a flooded ballroom, a destroyed statue, or a crowd of angry ponies.” “That sounds weirdly specific, Spike. Heh, almost like you’ve seen it happening before.” I stayed silent, and so did Luna. It was a relief to solve this episode so early. The Dragon Sneeze trees were trimmed properly, the main water line was fixed, the polo ponies played their game without any interruptions, the statue never got destroyed, the ballroom remained dry, Twilight got her rest, and most of all, none of the ponies got angry and formed a mob. Maybe I should’ve been the Element of Common Sense.