//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: A Not-So Draconian Adventure 
// by Rock-Lee 
//------------------------------//

A couple of months had passed since Spike had returned to the pony world, and although unfortunately everyone knew that certain things would never be the same, they tried to live in the best way possible. Spike had noticed the bags under the eyes of all his friends, how Pinkie's hair wasn't as fluffy as it should be, or how Applejack had started to have more physical contact when interacting with him, or how Fluttershy seemed almost dependent on having him nearby. He simply tried to help silently; he wasn't there to judge, he was there to help them get better.

"You really didn't clean anything while I was gone, huh?" Spike would say with a teasing smile while using a duster to clean a large shelf full of cobwebs and dust.

Twilight smiled with a touch of guilt in her eyes as she helped Spike clean the castle library. "I'm sorry, Spike. Without you here, things just aren't the same. I think we were all too worried and distracted."

Spike let out a soft laugh, moving the duster skillfully. "It's okay, Twilight. The important thing is that I'm here now. We can catch up on everything."

Spike continued cleaning, his mind wandering to the past few months. It had been a period of adjustment, not just for him, but for all his friends. He knew he had made an impact with his departure and return, and although they were trying to get back to normal, some changes were inevitable.

"How do you feel?" Twilight suddenly asked, her voice soft and concerned. "I know it hasn't been easy for you either."

Spike paused for a moment, considering his response. "It's been... complicated. I missed this place, all of you, but I also learned a lot in that other world. I feel like I've grown, you know?"

Twilight set the duster aside and approached Spike, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "Spike, we've always been a family. And families go through ups and downs, but the important thing is that we stay together, right?"

Spike felt a small knot form in his stomach before nodding with a smile. He was about to say something when a clock alarm sounded, making him sigh.

"Well! My shift here is over!" Spike would say with a smile, having reached an agreement with Twilight after having a serious conversation with her about how he felt. They had agreed that Spike wouldn't be a servant 24/7, but just for a few hours like any assistant. Even number ones deserved a break.

Twilight nodded with a smile, though her gaze reflected a mix of pride and nostalgia. "Yes, of course, Spike. Thank you for all your work today. Go and rest, you've earned it."

Spike set the duster aside and stretched his wings, enjoying the feeling of relief. "See you tomorrow, Twilight. Don't worry about anything, I'll still be here to help! Though today I should go visit Celestia and Luna, they've been wanting me to come for some reason."

Twilight smiled and nodded. "That sounds great, Spike. I'm sure they'll be delighted to see you. Enjoy your time with them and don't worry about anything here, we'll manage just fine."

Spike gave her one last smile before spreading his wings and quickly flying out the window. It would probably be faster to ask for a teleportation spell or safer to go by train, but he needed the time to enjoy the air beneath his wings.

While flying towards Canterlot, he let his thoughts wander, appreciating the landscape of Equestria from the heights. The flight was therapeutic for him, giving him time to reflect and process everything that had happened in the last few months.

Upon arriving in Canterlot, the majesty of the city greeted him with a warm welcome. Spike headed straight to the castle, where the guards recognized him and greeted him with respect. Upon entering the grand hall, he was greeted by Princesses Celestia and Luna, who were waiting for him with warm smiles.

"Spike! What a joy to see you," exclaimed Celestia, approaching him.

"Hello, Princess Celestia. It's good to see you too," Spike replied with a smile.

"No formalities, please, Spike. Just Celestia, or mommy if you feel comfortable with that," she said, gently laughing with her hoof in her mouth.

Luna approached and hugged him. "You have no idea how much we missed you, Spike! You can't just leave for so long, come back, and then ignore us for months!"

Spike smiled shyly as Luna hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, Luna," he said softly. "Things have been pretty busy in Ponyville and, well, I needed some time for myself."

Celestia nodded understandingly. "We understand, Spike. We all need time for ourselves after... all of this, but how has my little dragon been?"

Spike took a moment to consider his answer. "I've been okay, mostly. It's been a period of a lot of changes, but I think I'm finding my way."

Spike felt... strange about all this; he had noticed that after all the fuss about his disappearance, everyone had been much more open in showing their affection for him, which he loved, but there were moments where he felt like they were only doing it to make him feel good.

Although he knew the princesses really cared about him, the idea that his disappearance had caused excessive concern made him feel a bit uncomfortable. Did they really miss him that much? Or were they just being more expressive to compensate for his departure?

"And... Sorry if I sound rude, but did you need me here for something?" Spike would scratch his neck while Luna still held him in a tight hug.

"You see... Our sister, your aunt Crystal, has decided to contact us after years but... She requested that you come with us too," Celestia would say, letting out a small sigh.

"Aunt Crystal wants to see me?" Spike asked, trying to hide his surprise. "Anything in particular?"

Celestia exchanged a glance with Luna before responding. "It's not very clear, Spike. It seems there are important matters she wants to discuss, but she didn't specify more details in her message. We're as intrigued as you are."

"Maybe she wants to apologize for everything that happened... Are you ready to go? We believe it will be quick," Luna would say with a concerned expression for the dragon.

"I think I'm ready," Spike replied with determination, although a small part of him felt nervous. "It's time to face whatever I have to face."

Before they could try to use the mirror or contact Crystal to go with her, a large beam of light would fall from the sky, although it would pass through everything safely, almost like a hologram, but when that light disappeared... There was Crystal, in all her beautiful excellence, taller than even Celestia, her wings, her hair, her horn, everything seemed to have returned to normal after all the energy spent for months, although the weirdest thing was that... She was wearing a beach hat, sunglasses, and a flowery shirt.

"I... I've decided to take a vacation from my job as an observer of the universes!" Crystal would say with a great blush on her bluish skin, with her chest inflated and her eyes closed as if she were imitating someone from high society. The sight of that imposing alicorn, now dressed in vacation accessories, was an unexpected and bewildering sight.

"Sister!" exclaimed Celestia, trying to contain her laughter at her sister's extravagant appearance.

"What a surprise to see you like this!" Luna added, laughing gently as she watched Crystal with amusement.

Crystal opened her eyes and took off her sunglasses, revealing a slightly embarrassed but also amused look. "Oh, dear sisters! You have no idea how much I needed a break from my responsibilities. I've been ignoring your letters for weeks because I knew you were right! But now I feel so free! They haven't even started yet and I already feel like I have all this weight on my back disappearing!"

"We know how much you've worked, Crystal," said Celestia with a warm smile. "We're glad to see you enjoying a well-deserved rest."

Luna nodded, adding, "It's important to take care of yourself, even for someone as dedicated as you, sister."

"And it was so kind of you to take the reins of my work while I'm away, sisters! You truly are the best in the world!" Crystal would say, causing Celestia and Luna to open their eyes wide, with some concern on their faces.

Crystal remained momentarily silent, her expression turning more serious as she looked at her sisters. "I'm sorry, dears. I know I shouldn't have put this burden on you without notice, but I really needed this time for myself."

Celestia and Luna exchanged worried glances before Celestia spoke up. "Crystal, we understand you needed this break, but... delegating your responsibilities to us without consulting us beforehand wasn't the best way to handle the situation."

"Well... if I remember correctly, it was you two who insisted on helping me, right?" Crystal would say with a playful wink.

"B-But what about the sun and the moon!?" Luna would say, trying to find some excuse to not do such tedious work.

"Oh, please, sister, I'm like five times more powerful than you two combined, I can do that myself with my eyes closed!" Crystal would say with a calm smile, not realizing she was being a bit selfish. But who could blame her? After millennia of loneliness, she was allowed to think of herself a little.

"Crystal, we understand you need this break, but delegating all your responsibilities without prior notice can put a very heavy burden on Celestia and Luna," intervened Spike, trying to offer a balanced perspective. "Perhaps you could have discussed your plans with them before making that decision."

"We'll take you with us, we're going to the Power Ponies conference in Manehattan."

"Deal!" Spike would say, now with some suitcases and his own beach shirt that he had pulled from Celestia knows where.

"Oh, this will be so perfect! Finally, some quality time with my beautiful favorite nephew!" Crystal would say, squeezing Spike's cheeks with her hooves. "And with my boyfriend accompanying us, of course!"

"Wait, boyfriend?" Luna would say, raising an eyebrow, confused about who this pony could be.

"Yohoooo! Darling Crystal!" a voice would say from outside a window, making everyone turn their heads to see... Discord with his own beach shirt and sunglasses, sitting in the driver's seat of some kind of car that Spike recognized as a Ferrari from the human world. "The sun won't be here forever, baby!"

Surprise was evident on the princesses' faces, and Spike couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh at Discord's appearance on the scene.

"Discord!" exclaimed Celestia with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just accompanying my dear Crystal on her well-deserved vacation!" Discord responded, with a mischievous smile. "And I couldn't miss the opportunity to ride in this fabulous human vehicle. It's simply marvelous!"

"Spike, do you have anything to do with this?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Spike raised his hands in innocence. "I didn't know anything about this, I swear!"

Crystal got up and walked to the window, laughing as she looked at Discord. "Discord, darling! What are you doing here? You were supposed to wait for me at the entrance!"

Discord rolled down the window of his car and leaned forward. "Oh, just came to pick up my beautiful alicorn for a well-deserved vacation! Can't I surprise my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Luna repeated, now even more confused.

Celestia put a hoof to her forehead, trying to process the whole situation. "This is... unexpected."

Crystal looked at Discord with a smile. "I'm sorry, dear, I didn't introduce you. Girls, this is Discord, my... boyfriend."

Spike felt his head spinning. Since when was Crystal dating Discord again? And how had she kept that a secret for so long? He looked at the princesses, hoping for some explanation.

"This is... unexpected," Celestia repeated, with an awkward smile.

Luna shrugged. "I guess everyone deserves a second chance at love... even Discord."

Spike wasn't sure what to think. On one hand, he was happy that Crystal was enjoying her time off and finding happiness in her personal life. On the other hand, the idea of Crystal dating Discord felt a bit strange to him.

"Are we going on vacation or what?" Discord asked from his car, impatient.

Crystal nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, let's go! See you soon, dear sisters!"

And so, using her magic to levitate Spike and his belongings behind her, Crystal teleported into the car, which Discord had removed the roof from so that his girlfriend could enter.

"See you later, sisters-in-law!" Discord would say, making the peace sign from the pilot's seat, before speeding off in the car.

"What just happened?" Luna asked, still confused.

Celestia sighed. "I think we just witnessed one of the strangest twists in Equestria's history."