The three mares stared at the sight before them. Twilight looked shocked, Trixie looked nervous and Midday was alarmed. The baby dragon was now tall, taller than most ponies and wearing an oddly out of place hat on his head. Midday couldn't help but stare at his disturbingly odd proportions.
"What's happening to me?" he yelped, his voice sounding much deeper, though still bearing all the essential Spike-ness.
"I don't know" Twilight said. The aura of confusion in the air was palpable. Midday couldn't even remember the last time she'd heard Twilight actually admit there was something she didn't know. She started looked through a book as Spike tried to wrestle the hat off his head.
"Think back to last night!" Twilight said, "Did something happen?" Spike didn't seem to be listening. He seemed more interested in his new body.
"Did something happen? Spike? What did you do after I saw you?" Midday noticed Spike was staring at something.
"I went to talk to... talk to..." he stared walking across the room to an old globe, a hungry look in his eyes.
"Spike!" Twilight yelled. Her horn glowed and the globe floated into the air, at which point Spike fell flat on his face.
"You went to talk to who?" she asked. Spike shrugged and grunted.
"I don't remember." Midday watched as Twilight floated the globe over to the pile of stuff, too disturbed by the proceedings to make any remark about that act. She was vaguely aware of the noise of Trixie edging her way towards the stairs, though.
"Hey, can I have that globe? You're not using it, right?" Spike said as he walked to the pile. Twilight quickly leapt on top of it, so he went for a small book that looked rather like the one Twilight had wanted to give him for his birthday.
"What about this book?" Twilight's horn glowed, and she wrenched the book out of his hand.
"Spike, I'm worried about you" she said, checking the book to make sure it was okay. "You're not usually this... grabby!"
"My arms aren't usually this long either" Spike said, gasping in horror as his voice deepened halfway through his statement.
"What's happening to me?" he asked. Midday tried to rally her thoughts and walked over to Spike.
"Okay, Spike, hello, just tell me, how do you feel?" she said, trying to smile reassuringly. The dragon shrugged again.
"I don't know. Tall, and kinda hungry, I guess."
"Hungry, okay, we can work with that." She paced back and forth for a moment.
"Okay, Twilight, I'll go see if I can figure out what's going on. You stay here and... hold down the fort." She quickly rushed downstairs before Twilight could say anything. She found Trixie pacing back and forth and looking incredibly nervous, as well as undressed.
"What's going on with the dragon?" she asked. Midday ignored her and started looking over all the shelves.
"What are you doing?" Midday cursed as she couldn't find anything. She quickly rushed into the secondary room and started searching there.
"What is it?"
Midday turned to look at Trixie.
"I'm looking for a book on dragons which I know I saw around here. I was thinking I could use it to figure out what's going on and then maybe stop Spike's sudden growth spurt."
"You mean that isn't natural, it didn't just happen?"
"Does it look like a natural growth spurt to you?"
"I don't know. I stay the hay away from big, mean, snarling eats-ponies-up-in-one-go dragons!"
There was a pause. Midday was sure she could hear the sound of hoofsteps, and a door closing.
"Oh no!" she said, rushing out into the main room. She saw the bright flash of a teleport flare by the front door.
"Ohnononononono!" She added, for all the good it did.
"What was that? Should I be panicking? Should I be running away? Is Trixie wasting valuable running away time talking to you?"
"That was Twilight taking Spike to a doctor, instead of listening to me for once. Just once, when it matters, she could listen"
She started remembering some advice her aunt had given her, and her mother as well. She took several deep breaths. For the moment, her panic cleared up.
"Okay, okay." She turned back to Trixie, her voice eerily calm.
"You are going to go to the town hall and tell the mayor to start an immediate evacuation of Ponyville, and me, I'm going to go find Spike and stop him before anything goes wrong."
"Me? Go tell the mayor to evacuate a whole town?" Trixie said. There was no arrogance in her voice, more like... disbelief.
"What, you don't think you can do it?"
There was a moment as Trixie looked about uncertainly. "Perhaps Trixie does not believe anypony will listen to her."
"Ah. Fine." She waved her hoofs.
"We'll have to move quickly" she said.
"I'll just get my cape a-" Trixie was interuppted by Midday grabbing her ear and dragging her out of the door.
*****
The two mares stormed into town hall, and Trixie, with some 'encouragement' from Midday, demanded to see the mayor.
"Yes?" The grey-haired mare said when the two walked into her office, which looked largely the same as it had in Midday's time, aside from the slightly uncomfy looking chair.
"Mayor, we need you to authorise a full evacuation of Ponyville"
"Why?"
"I have strong reason to believe there will be a dragon rampaging about the town."
The mayor's face remained impassive, which considering what Midday had seen of her was unusual.
"I see."
Midday and Trixie exchanged looks.
"You... believe us?" Midday asked.
"Oh yes. Perhaps because Pinkie Pie has already informed everypony in town of an incoming 'doozy'" she said, making the requisite air-quotes with her hooves.
"Oh the blessing that is the Pinkie Sense. Okay, good, fine." Midday smiled.
*****
The two mares walked outside in utter quiet.
"So now what?" asked Trixie, who then looked down at herself.
"You get out of town until the all-clear."
"Okay" Trixie said instantly.
"Because of course you don't really have the sort of spells to take on a dragon, do you?"
Trixie shook her head, the considered something
"Do I have time to go home and get dressed?"
"Yeah, yeah, go." Midday sighed as Trixie rushed off back to the library. This would require extensive thought.
Then, through the fog of panic and general lack of sleep came the bitter realisation of memory. She knew what was going to happen. Impy hold told her about this day, told her about how Spike had grown giant with greed. Grown giant with greed...
That was it, she just had to get Spike to focus on other emotio-...
"Damn" she muttered. True, she had some spells capable of inducing calm or peace, but nowhere near as powerful as her aunt or cousin could manage, mere cheap immitation moods, and there had to be an amount already there anyway, she couldn't make ponies like something they didn't care about (Unless she used a Want-It, Need-It spell, which she wasn't going to.)
So, she couldn't do much. But she could do something, she told herself. She quickly rushed back to the library herself.
*****
She quickly knocked open the door, and rushed upstairs, past Trixie, to the cupboard, quickly opening it and pulling out the hat, cape and leotard.
"Why in the world are you using that?" Trixie asked upon catching up with her.
"Well, it seemed appropriate" she said. She looked at herself in the mirror. Cape, hat, mask, body concealing clothing. She activated her voice-changing spell.
"Now, all I have to do is find Spike, which will in fact be easy" she said. True, Impy hadn't exactly given her aunt the full details of what had transpired, probably because she didn't know herself, but it was easy enough to figure out where Twilight would have gone, and what she would have done.
"You see, she'd have gone to the hospital first, and Ponyville General is nowhere near a quality hospital, except for its nurses, who are a deadly fighting team. Then she'd have gone to the vet, and no vet who'd seen a dragon would be in Ponyville, so that leaves one last place."
"That weird rhyming zebra?"
"Her name is Zecora."
"So, why not go there?"
"Because Spike is currently in the middle of a greed rampage, which means he'll probably go after whatever isn't nailed down or on fire and..." She facehoofed.
"Screaming children in three, two, o-"
There was a distant scream. Midday did a double-check, then blinked.
"Huh. Must've been counting fast" she muttered.
*****
She found Spike wrestling with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, in the process of taking Scootaloo's scooter. He looked taller now, and from the sound of it his grasp of grammar was slipping.
"Well, of course it's them" she said. She leapt.
"Spike WANT!"
She connected with him, jabbing him ever-so slightly with her front hoof. There was a slight jolt. The dragon waved an arm, knocking her off him.
"Mare Do Well!" cheered Sweetie Belle.
"Three, two... one" Midday said to herself. The dragon continued struggling with the CMC, and then suddenly he spasmed, and collapsed.
"I love that spell." Midday said under her breath. Perhaps the adrenalin and panic was messing with her brain since she started thinking... inappropriate things about that spell.
"Girls!" Somepony cried. She turned to see Twilight rushing towards them, utterly panicked.
"Spike!" she said once she saw the dragon, lying on the ground and twitching. She turned to Midday.
"What did you do?" she asked, her tone halfway shocked and appalled.
"Zapped him a bit." Twilight glowered at her. "Hey, he was trying to take her scooter" She nodded towards Scootaloo, who nodded in agreement, clutching her scooter to her barrel.
"Don't worry, he'll be f-" There was a low growling noise, and several wide-eyed stares from everypony else.
"I hate my life" she muttered, just before something kicked her. She flew through the air and landed in a heap.
There was a horrified squeak from the CMC.
"Spike... ANGRY!"
"I hate that spell" Midday said.
The dragon began to lumber towards her, and of course he snorted steam. Midday slowly tried to get onto her hooves.
"Hey, Spike!" Twilight yelled, "Check out this broom"
Five heads turned to see a broom floating in the grasp of Twilight's magic. Spike's eyes changed from simmering with range to wide-eyed interest.
"Spike want!" He started to walk towards Twilight, and Midday couldn't help but notice his sudden spurt as he did. The Cutie Mark Crusaders walked over to her.
"Thanks." Scootaloo said.
"No problem" Midday rubbed the side of her head. Spike had managed to kick her harder.
"What was all that about?" asked Apple Bloom.
"Oh, you know teenagers, plus, he's boy, it all makes sense." She saw the confused looks on the trio's faces.
"Oh, hush up, I've just been punted. Now then, where you fleeing Ponyville like presumably you were told?"
"Yeah. But couldn't we stay and help catch Spike?" asked Scootaloo, who looked like she was mistaken on the definition of the word 'catch'.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders Dragon Catchers?" asked Apple Bloom. The three fillies looked at each other, and back to Midday.
"Get to safety, girls."
"Got it." Apple Bloom said instantly. There was a momentary look of relief on her comrades faces. Then something occurred to Sweetie Belle.
"Wait, I think Rarity's still in her house."
"Got it." Midday said, "Now for the love of Luna, will you hurry and up and move." They did, and she set after Spike and Twilight.
*****
She heard a crashing noise, and saw a distant shape of a fifteen foot tall dragon rushing out of what appeared to be the side-room of the library.
"Twilight!" she yelled. The unicorn stared at her.
"Midday?"
"Hush, secret identity, old girl!"
Twilight blinked. "Really? Why are you doing this?"
"Good question, probably because I might have to do something serious and I don't want to show off and have ponies asking questions." The two mares stood there.
"Shouldn't we...?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah" was Midday's response.
*****
As it turned out fifteen-foot tall dragons were faster and more stealthy than their size and limited diction suggested. Eventually the two followed the kleptomaniacal dragon to Sweet Apple Acres.
"He's fast" Twilight observed, as they passed by dozens of barren trees.
"Actually I think most of these trees are just going through their winter phase."
"Where is everypony?" asked Twilight.
"Most of them fled thanks to Pinkie warning the mayor."
"Pinkie Sense" Twilight said.
"Yeah."
Twilight stopped, and once she noticed Midday did as well. Twilight stared deeply at her.
"How do you even know about Pinkie Sense anyway? Did somepony explain it to you?"
"Spike tried, I think, shortly after I arrived here."
That wasn't completely untrue. He had certainly tried, but Midday had heard the epic tale of Twilight learning about There Being Things Ponies Would Never Understand when she was a child, and had tried to prevent Spike straining something trying to re-explain the circumstances of that day to her.
"Anyway... hey, there he goes!" she said, pointing to a lumbering purple and green shape carrying a large pile of apples.
"Joke's on him. Most of them are probably rotten." She turned to Twilight.
"You fetch Applejack and I'll... do something clever."
"Like what?"
"I don't know," she admitted, "but step one of my fiendish plan involves you fetching Applejack."
Twilight quickly rushed off, and Midday pursued the dragon. However, she was unwilling to use any more magic on him, which made subduing him difficult.
"How can something so huge be so fast?!" Then she saw something in the corner of her eye, Applejack and Twilight.
"Hey" she said, stopping for breath, and also to hear whatever masterful plan Twilight came up with.
"Twilight, get my rope." Applejack said, shaking off two wayward leaves that had settled on her lips.
"You're gonna wrangle a dragon? Wow. Genius. Why didn't I think of that?" Midday deadpanned.
"You got a better idea, Missy Do Well?"
There was a moment of near-silence, punctuated by what sounded like a dragon chuckling.
*****
So, two and a half minutes later, three ponies found themselves wound around one of Applejack's trees.
"Okay, ah'm willing to admit my plan could have used a bit of polishing."
There was a squeak from Midday.
"What?" Twilight asked.
"Dragon. Big dragon. In face." Midday was looking straight into Adult-Spike's eyes. Underneath her mask she smiled nervously. Spike roared in her face, dislodging her hat and getting bits of dragon-spittle all over her face.
"I bet you say that to all the costumed adventurers." She yelled at him as he ran off carrying a small farm's worth of apples. "Also: Ew."
"Help!" yelled Twilight. There was a distinctive sound of somepony laughing, that of the pony Midday least wanted to see when tied to a tree with Applejack and Twilight Sparkle.
"Don't tell me" Rainbow Dash said, before pausing.
"Out of tree puns?" Midday said, raising an eyebrow for good measure.
"I'm branching out" Rainbow Dash said defensively.
"Oh, please tell me you didn't plan that one." Twilight groaned.
"Nope, pure improv. Now, shall we get to the root of the current problem?"
"Rainbow Dash, untie Twilight and Midday here, but not me. Ah feel like ah'm gonna break something."
Midday started counting.
"Why are you counting?" Asked Twilight.
"Because-" There was a high-pitched scream.
"That's why" Midday said, calmly.
"Fluttershy." Midday and Rainbow Dash said.
The pegasus quickly untied all three ponies, staring at Midday every few seconds.
"How can you tell that was Fluttershy?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"I'm good with voices" Midday said.
"And why are you wearing that costume, anyway?"
Midday just shrugged her shoulders. "Because it's so comfy. I think in a few years everypony'll be wearing one."
*****
They quickly found Fluttershy outside her house, clinging to an impossibly thin branch of a tree, with several squirrles clinging to her.
"What happened?" asked Twilight.
"I was helping my squirrel friends with a dance step" Fluttershy explained, "And, all of a sudden, a giant, rampaging dragon came through"
"He's giant? Oh, that's incredibly far from good" Midday said to herself. She noticed Fluttershy's chicken coop was missing, and several startled and confused chickens were sitting around
"That was Spike" Twilight shouted. Fluttershy blinked.
"Spike? But...Why would Spike steal my chicken-coop?"
"That explains the missing chicken-coop then" Midday noted.
"He just pulled it out of the ground and filled it with a whole bunch of apples."
Any further discussion was interrupted by another high pitched scream, one that took Midday a few seconds to realise.
"That sounded like Pinkie Pie" Rainbow Dash said.
*****
They found Pinkie inside Sugarcube Corner (where else would Pinkie Pie be on a Sunday afternoon?) throwing cakes at a remarkably agile Spike, despite the dragon's now prominent stomach, and the fact that he was holding a chicken coop.
"Back!" Pinkie yelled at Spike, hurling another cake at him, "Get back!"
"Pinkie, why are you giving him cake?"
"I'm not giving him cake" Pinkie snapped, "I'm assaulting him with cake!"
"Oh, for the love of..." Midday said, lunging at the dragon before Pinkie could give him more delectable ammunition. She slammed into the dragon, and there was an almighty crash as dragon and pony fell out into the street.
Midday bounced off of him and rolled, quickly pulling herself to her feet before Spike could pull himself up.
"Zap him!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
Midday leapt out of the way of Spike as he lunged at her.
"Wouldn't it be an idea for somepony to find Rarity, instead of playing cheerleader?" Midday asked as she leapt around Spike. While he amazingly fast for such a bulky giant, he was still getting too big. She leapt at his neck, making sure to try and keep a strong hold on him and altered her voice to sound like Rarity's.
"Now, Spikey, let's all behave like calm and rational beings, who do not steal from Fluttershy"
There was a rumble from Spike.
"Or Applejack. Or anypony for that matter."
There was a series of rumbles from Spike, and Midday noticed a strange feeling on her back.
"You've got your tail around my waist, haven't you?"
She suddenly felt herself being violently yanked backwards, and then flung right in front of Spike. He was glowering at her.
"Ah" was all she could say to that.
'I could've given this plan a bit more thought' she thought. Then she saw Spike inhale. An ominous green glow began to fill the back of his mouth.
"This is going to suck" she muttered.
*****
Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie watched as Spike spat out a burst of bright green flame, centered entirely on Midday. Fluttershy collapsed, Pinkie winced.
"That poor girl" Applejack said.
Apparently satisified, Spike turned in the direction of Carousel Boutique. Twilight was still staring at the flames.
She felt a strange feeling in her heart, not entirely like that of when her grandmother had passed away. She'd been a child at the time, so her parents had suggested she stay at home instead of attending the funeral. Why exactly this bizarre accountant from Canterlot made her feel like this, she wasn't sure, but there was something eerily familiar about her.
"OW! HOT, HOT, HOTHOTHOT!" Twilight looked up to see Midday discarding the burning Mare Do Well costume, well outside the flame.
"Oh, good, it's off." Midday sighed, wiping her brow. The five mares stared at her.
"What did Rarity make that costume out of?" asked Rainbow Dash, staring at the almost undamaged costume.
"Sugar, spice, everything nice, and INGREDIENT X!" Pinkie declared, before seeing the blank looks everypony gave her. "No?"
"No 'fense, but how aren't you dead?" Applejack asked.
"Guess Rarity didn't tell us about every feature she installs in her clothing." Midday laughed.
Any further conversation was interrupted by a distinctive scream.
"Speak of the Draconequus."
*****
"Let me down you brute!" Rarity screamed at the now staggeringly large Spike.
"Oh, that'll work." Midday said. She turned to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
"Think you can distract him?"
"I'm not sure" Rainbow Dash muttered.
"We could give it a try" Fluttershy said. There was an awkward pause.
"I think you two have your roles switched" Midday noted.
"I can't kick a baby dragon in the face!" Rainbow Dash hissed.
"Ah." Midday said. "Yes. That was why I wasn't zapping him with magic."
"Really?"
"Well, you see, the amount of magic needed to actually get a dragon's attention would probably be as close to a kill-shot as makes no difference. Which is also why it's probably a good thing I've never had to fight a dragon."
"That might change in a second" Applejack said. Midday turned, ready to say something scathing, and saw she was looking up, and backing away. And Spike's ten-foot wide foot was heading towards her.
Instinctively she raised a barrier. There was a harsh grinding noise as Spike's giant foot slammed into it, and a feeling like something smashing into her head. She looked at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
"Move" she said. They quickly rushed to the side, then took to the air. Spike's foot slammed down again. Midday felt something moving along her lip.
"That's not good." Spike slammed his foot against the barrier once more, and this time it shattered. Midday saw the foot approaching, closer, and closer... She closed her eyes.
There was a quick hum, and a strange 'bloink'. She opened her eyes, expecting grays and drabness and eternal floating around, the Asphodel Fields, because there was no chance she was getting into Elysium, not with her school record.
Instead she was in the library. In the distance there was the sound of screaming.
"Next time, just get me a smaller brother for Hearth's Warming" she muttered, before staggering out of the door, trying to ignore the pounding in her head. Or was that just Spike moving about.
It took her a few minutes to get to everypony else, since she could barely move at more than a jog. She could feel the occasional shake of the earth, meaning Spike was moving, although at his scale he wasn't moving very fast. As she ran she found a part of her mind she barely used ranting and raving about something to do with cubes and squares.
"Dragons" she muttered, "give me big green things with teeth any day of the week." You knew where you stood with Big Green Things with Teeth, and it wasn't underneath their feet, because they didn't have feet. Usually. If the Creator was feeling benevolent.
She found Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Applejack standing and staring at the extra-large Spike climbing up a mountain. She was incredibly certain she could see a blob of white on his tail, which was in all likelihood Rarity.
"Hey everypony" she said, just nodding at the looks of surprise on their faces.
"Yeah, yeah, twice in one day, go me. What's up with our dragon friend?"
They looked. Even from their distant vantage point there was a strange look on Spike's face. It looked like... guilt?
"Is it me or is he-?" Midday said as Spike began to... well, shrink. "Yeah, he is."
And then Spike and Rarity began to fall.
"Somepony do something!" Pinkie yelled, before falling onto her back.
"On it!" Rainbow Dash declared. They watched as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy caught the falling unicorn and dragon in what appeared to be one of Rarity's capes, before safely returning them to the bridge.
"We did it!" Fluttershy gasped, "I can't believe we did it!" She smiled.
"All in a day's work" Rainbow Dash said proudly.
"You said it." Midday said, rubbing her head. Rainbow Dash turned to look at her.
"Huh? I though Spike squished you?"
"I got out of the way. Got a massive headache though. And is the sun supposed to be that colour of chartreuse?"
Twilight laughed.
"Let's get you home before you hurt yourself some more"
"Aww, mom" Midday said, before smirking at Twilight blushing. Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Fluttershy giggled at that, while Rarity and Spike just sat next to each other.
*****
Later, as Midday was sitting down on her bed reading a book, a bag of ice on her head. There was a polite cough. She looked, to see Spike staring at her.
"Hey, Spike" she smiled. He looked embarrassed.
"I just want to say... I'm sorry for all the things I did to you" he muttered.
"It's alright Spike. You weren't exactly yourself. Believe me, I know exactly how that feels. And how it feels after."
"Really? You know what it feels like to wake up and find out you tried to... t-to hurt someone you love?" he sounded angry, though she wasn't sure if that was anger at himself or not.
"Yes" she said, quietly. Spike looked up at her.
"Spike, we're all allowed mistakes. Every single thing under the sun makes mistakes. You, me, Twilight, Luna. Everypony, everyone."
"I guess" he hopped onto the bed and sat next to her. After a few seconds of frowning and looking nervous, he asked a question.
"Does it ever go away? The guilt? For what you did?"
"Over three months so far, and I'm pretty sure it's gonna be here for the rest of my life. And that's what I deserve." Spike rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Well, just... if you need help, ask and I'll do what I can."
"Thanks." She looked at Spike, smiling away at her, face full of innocence.
"Did you enjoy your birthday party?" she asked. Spike smiled.
"Yeah. Thanks, by the way."
"For what?"
"Being here. Just... being here." He looked confused.
"I don't know why, but I just feel like I should trust you."
Midday looked around the room.
"You shouldn't."
"What is your real name, anyway?"
"What?"
"Well, 'Midday Eclipse', come on," Spike scoffed, "that's such a phony name. What's your real name?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yeah."
Midday stared into his eyes. He was serious, all of a sudden.
"If I do tell you, do you promise to not tell anyone, not just anypony, ever, unless I say so?"
"I guess."
"Do you swear, on your word as a dragon and the assistant of Twilight Sparkle?"
"Yes."
She sighed heavily. "Alright. But don't say I didn't warn you."
*****
Meanwhile, in a darkened room, two ponies met.
"Rarity, do we really need the lights off? And these cloaks? Brown is totally, undeniably uncool."
"Fine, fine. Be that way" Rarity said, her horn glowed and there was a click as the lights turned on.
"Happy now, Rainbow Dash?"
"Yeah. I guess."
"So, what is it you called this little conclave for?"
"Huh? Oh, right, well, I was just wondering why you went to the effort of making the Mare Do Well costume fire-proof"
Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash.
"I did what now?"
Seconds passed as the two mares realised what Rarity had just said, contemplated it, and came to an alarming conclusion.
"Rainbow Dash, we are going to Canterlot next week, yes?"
"Yeah..."
"Where Midday says she came from."
"Yeah..."
"So, perhaps while we are there, we should do some... investigating."
"Huh?"
"Find out something about her."
"Oh, yeah. Yeah." Rainbow Dash smiled and rubbed her hooves together. Rarity's suggestion sounded really good to her.
"This is gonna be sweet."
*****
There was utter silence between the royal blue pony and the small dragon, who had just been staring ahead into space.
"You okay, Spike?" Midday asked gently.
For a moment, Spike just blinked. "Yeah... I guess I asked, didn't I?"
"And you promised."
"Yeah. I won't tell a soul."