//------------------------------// // Epilogue: 90 Years Prior // Story: Sleeping in the Light // by Wheller //------------------------------// Epilogue 90 Years Prior Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath and flicked open her lighter. She held the flame up to her face, lighting the cigarette that she had placed in her mouth, and took a nice long drag on it. She let out a sigh of relief, Twilight Sparkle had been a smoker for the last ten years, and she could hardly go a couple of hours without having one. Being Prime Minister of the Equestrian Republic was a stressful job, she didn’t have to tell anyone that, and smoking was one of the only ways that she could relax anymore. She had done a lot of good over her two five year terms, and here she was in the final months of her second, and what would be final term. She was popular, popular that she could remain in power until her death if she continued to lead the Pony’s Progressive Party. The people looked up to her as a shining beacon of hope... but she couldn’t continue to run. She knew that for sure. It was against the point of a democracy, something that was still relatively new to the Equestrian peoples. She had five months left in her term before she would dissolve Parliament, and a new election would be held. After dissolving Parliament, she would resign from her position as head of the Pony’s Progressive Party, and another would take her place. She’d been grooming Scootaloo to take her place for the last two years, ever since the pegasus mare’s accident had forced her to resign from her position as Captain of the Wonderbolts. Scootaloo would do a good job, she was sure of it. Twilight took another drag on the cigarette, and nearly jumped at the sound of a knock on the door. ‘Come in!’ Twilight called out, and watched as the door pushed open. In walked Spike, her former assistant looking as good as ever. Dragons aged slowly, and Spike looked almost identical to the way he did ten years ago when Twilight had first taken office, except for his height, he was about five or so centimetres taller. Twilight smiled warmly at Spike, happy to see him for the first time in nearly a year. ‘I thought you were quitting’, Spike said, pointing to the cigarette that Twilight was smoking. ‘I... I’m trying, but it’s really hard...’ Twilight said with a frown as she extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray sitting on her desk. ‘How are you Spike? How is everyone else?’ ‘I keep busy’, Spike said with a shrug. ‘I’ve been mostly in charge of the AP/VI project, Sprocket took some time off to care for Scootaloo after her accident, and has only been in to work two days a week pretty consistently for the last two years’. ‘Something tells me that Sprocket doesn’t particularly understand the idea of “time off”’, Twilight said with a chuckle. ‘Heh, no’, Spike said with a smirk. ‘No he doesn’t, I haven’t really seen any of the others lately, I had lunch with Rainbow Dash last week, but that was it... she misses you, you know?’ Twilight frowned at Spike and nodded her head in understanding. ‘I miss her too... this is why we broke it off though, we just don’t have time to be with each other...’ Twilight said with a look of disappointment on her face. ‘But you didn’t ask me here to talk about the good old days, did you, Twilight?’ Spike asked. Twilight always liked this about Spike; he was always a sharp one, despite the fact that he was still considered a baby dragon. Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle, Spike was twenty-seven years old at this point; he was hardly a baby from any other point of reference. ‘No, Spike, no I most certainly did not... I just want to preface this by saying that you don’t have to do what I’m about to ask of you, you have every right to say no and go on about your life...’ ‘Save it Twilight, you wouldn’t have called on me for it if it wasn’t important’, Spike said determinately. ‘Now tell me, what is it that you want me to do?’ Twilight nodded her head in agreement, leaning back slightly in her chair as the thoughts of days long gone by found their way back into her head. ‘The Tome of Alhazred is still out there... Spike, and quite frankly, if there is anyone that’s well equipped to handle it, it’s you’. Spike nodded. ‘Dragon fire is one of the few things that can destroy it... actually, the only thing we know that can destroy it...’ Spike said, his voice trailing off. ‘Correct’, Twilight said with a nod. ‘I... I want you to go and find it, you’d be acting as my personal representative and you would have full diplomatic honours...’ ‘Do I get a gun and a badge?’ Spike said with a small chuckle. Twilight grinned at him and opened her desk, pulling out a round badge and an Emerald Ordinance No.4 Revolver and set it on the table in front of Spike. Spike picked up the badge and took a look at it closely. ‘Special Executor of the Prime Minister of the Equestrian Republic?’ Spike read off the badge as he looked up. ‘Authorised by act of Parliament just yesterday’, Twilight said with a smile. ‘You’ll have full access to our overseas assets, and diplomatic authority similar to that of our ambassadors and consuls, including diplomatic immunity... in the nations that recognise our authority... that is...’ Twilight added her voice trailing off. ‘I see...’ Spike said with a nod. ‘You understand why you have the right to say no to this appointment, right? Your search might take you into nations that don’t respect our authority, meaning that they won’t respect your diplomatic immunity, if you get into trouble while you’re out looking; you know that I would do everything in my power to help you... but this search might take you longer than five months. I just can’t guarantee that if you get into trouble, that whomever is Prime Minister of the Republic will help you’, Twilight said, a look of worry forming on her face. She cared much for the dragon, he was her oldest friend, and he had been with her since the very beginning. She felt guilty for asking him to do this for her now. Spike, however offered Twilight a reassuring smile. ‘Don’t worry Twilight; I understand completely, I’ll do the job. I’ll find the Tome of Alhazred and destroy it!’ Spike said triumphantly, taking the badge and gun from the table. Twilight sighed in relief and offered Spike a smile in return. ‘Thank you Spike, I knew I could count on you!’ she said, getting up from, her chair and around the desk, giving Spike a tight hug. ‘You can always count on me, Twilight’, Spike said with a bright smile. ‘Spike, I don’t want to lie to you... this is going to be dangerous. Once the Tome of Alhazred knows that you’re looking for it. It will start sending people after you to try and stop you; it may even try to kill you...’ Twilight said. ‘I’m aware of the risk, Twilight’, Spike said simply. ‘I’m going to do the job. I’m the only one who can. And one day I will return with that book’s ashes in a pickle jar to put in a museum!’ Twilight said nothing, but continued to smile at the dragon. ‘I wish you good luck, Spike’, Twilight said after a few moments of silence. ‘I should go, I need to get ready to take a trip’, Spike said with a look of determination in his eyes. ‘I’ll start in the Nederlands, and work my way out from there. I promise you Twilight, I will be back, and I will be back victoriously!’ Twilight and Spike gave each other their goodbyes, and Spike left her be to ready himself for his new job. Twilight returned to her desk, pulling another cigarette out of the pack sitting on her desk and lighting up. She didn’t know it yet, but this would be the last time that she would ever see Spike the dragon in her life.