Finding Your Place

by Jake The Army Guy

The Road Ahead

Even on the best of days, Spike was not known for his patience. With the awakening of his draconic nature and a prolonged separation from his newly claimed hoard—the inhabitants of Ponyville—the problem was magnified tenfold. He snorted in annoyance, sending inky smoke into the air as his claws drummed an antsy beat on the grass of the Royal Courtyard. With a grumble he shot a glance up to the clock tower, groaning even louder upon seeing that it hadn't even been a minute since he had last checked. "Ugh, come on, Twi..."

Spike turned back to the front, plopping his head back down in his arms, and closed his eyes, hoping the warmth of the early morning sun would ease away his nerves. After all the events that had lead him to this point, Spike was quite eager to get going. He had planned to leave as soon as the sun rose, but a sudden burp carried a letter from Twilight telling him to meet her in the courtyard to receive her mysterious "going away present." And so, instead of rushing back to his hoard, he found himself doing the one thing he had hoped to avoid: waiting.

 The lush grass of the courtyard tickled his chin, and the breeze carried the sweet scent of summer grass across the noses of himself and his two faithful guards. Heckel stood off to the side, keeping watch through his perma-scowl, while Jeckel sat atop the steamer trunk filled with Spike's few possessions. An uneasy silence had fallen over the group.

Finally, Heckel marched up to his brother. "Not that I'm complaining," he said, sending the closest approximation of a concerned look his perpetually grimacing features could manage, "but you’re not this quiet when you’re sleeping. What gives?"

Jeckel smiled at him, but Spike noted it was far from reaching his ears. "W-what do you mean? I'm fine!"

"I didn't want to say anything, but he's right." Spike lazily swung his head to face the seated guard, grateful for the distraction from the growing impatience. "You haven't said more than a dozen words in the two hours we've been waiting here. That's, like, a biological impossibility for you."

"I mean it, M-Mr. Spike! I'm just... just peachy!" His quivering lower lip suggested otherwise.

"Don't make me pull rank, Private Jeckel." Heckle moved to loom over his twin brother.

"Really, guys," he squeaked, "I'm a-okay."

Spike sighed. "Jeckel, look, I—" He was unable to finish his thought, due largely in part to the bawling earth pony clamping down on his muzzle with all four legs, squeezing with unseen strength.

"I don’t want you to gooo-hooo-ho-ho-ho!”

"Um... there... there?" Spike mumbled through his teeth.

Heckel just shook his head. "And the dignity of the Equestrian Royal Guard dies a slow, painful death."

The trio sat there for a good several minutes while Jeckel's wails of sorrow rolled across the expansive courtyard. Spike gingerly patted him on the back with a single claw, doing his best to not think about whether it was tears or snot staining his scales.

Finally, Jeckel took a few deep, gulping breaths, apparently immune to the tendrils of smoke from Spike's nostrils, and extricated himself from Spike's snout. "I'm sorry," he sniffled, running a hoof across his nose with a honking snort. "I, uh, I guess I lost my bearing for a minute."

"Oh, you think?!"

"Shh!" Spike hissed, still looking at Jeckel. "It's okay. Now, what's the big deal?"

Jeckel plopped to his rump, forehoof idly toying with the grass for a moment, then reached up and removed his helmet. The instant it left his head, the bleach white color melted from his fur, revealing a light green coat and shaggy, striped emerald mane. "Well, like I said, I... I'm sad that I'm not going to be your guard anymore."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Heckel said. "We're gonna have to start doing actual work again!"

Jeckel shook his head. "No, I... I-I mean Mr. Spike won't be... he, uh..."

Spike lay his massive head on the grass, bringing him eye level with the still quivering pony. "What is it?"

Jeckel gave a sad smile. "I know that I'm not exactly the brightest crayon in the tool drawer."

"That's sharpe—Hmph!"

A flick of Spike's pinkie sent a shimmering green glow around Heckel's muzzle, and Jeckel continued. "Ponies are always making fun of me, laughing at me. They say I'm too, um, obli... uh, obli—oblicivious? And I don't care, really! If it makes them smile, I'm okay with it, but... the only pony who doesn't treat me like a complete moron is my brother."

Heckle nodded sagely after Spike released his muzzle. "I just treat him like a normal moron."

Jeckel smiled widely at Spike. "But then you came here! I mean, you’re big, strong, and you have really neat magic! You're cool, and you... you don't make fun of me." His smile faltered. "It makes me feel cool. And now with you going away, we won't be friends anymore." He stammered a bit. "I mean, I know I'm your guard, you're my charge, so we're not really friends, but—"

"What are you talking about? Yes, we are."

Jeckel did a double take. "W-w-we are?" Spike just nodded. "But.. But we work together, or I... I mean I work around you, or for you, or... uh, I... I don't really know what I'm saying."

Heckel growled a chuckle. "As is so often the c—Hpmh!"

"Well, Jeckel," Spike said, moving his claw away from Heckel, "first off, I wouldn't call you 'oblivious'. Maybe, um... blissfully unaware." Jeckel beamed at the comment. "And as for the other comment, of course we’re friends!”

Jeckel gasped. "Really?!"

“Yes, really,” Spike said through a half-grin. “Dude, over the past month, you and your sourpuss brother—”

“Eat it, scaly.”

“—have done more to help me than anypony else, save Twilight. You... I mean, I... nrgh, look, I kinda suck at the whole... feelings thing, but... at a time when everything in my life has been changing, you two have been a constant. You were there for me when I needed somepony. So what if you were on duty?”

Jeckel sniffled. “B-but, you’re leaving Canterlot.”

Spike chuckled and shook his head. "So? Look, just because I'm leaving doesn't mean we're gonna stop being friends!"

"It... it doesn't?" Jeckel gasped.

Spike nodded. "Well, yeah! I mean, I have friends here in Canterlot and in Ponyville. Besides, it's not like I'm never coming back! Twilight and the princesses are here, so I'm pretty much required by law to visit at least once a month."

Jeckel began to bounce up and down in a manner disturbingly similar to another excitable earth pony he knew. “You mean... we... we can still be friends?!”

Spike just chuckled. "Trust me. True friendship can't be stopped by something as silly as distance."

"A very wise lesson, my little dragon."

All three spun, Jeckel fumbling to get his helmet back on, and saw Celestia and Luna walking down the cobblestone path leading from the castle, their effervescent manes billowing and beatific smiles shining. Behind them, much to Spike's surprise, walked Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.

Heckel and Jeckel stiffened, the former snapping a crisp salute, the latter bowing deeply.

"Sir!"

"Your Majesties!"

The twins exchanged glances, then switched positions.

"Your Majesties!"

"Sir!"

Luna chuckled, answering their awkward dance of bows and salutes with a gentle nod. "Be at ease, noble guardsponies. We are merely here to render farewell to dear Spike." She giggled at Spike's eye roll.

"You were planning on saying goodbye, weren't you?" Celestia asked with a sly grin.

Though outsiders would only see her usual gentle smile, Spike gulped, suddenly feeling very small under what he knew to be a glare for the ages. "Uh, eh-heh... um, Cadance, Shining! What are you two doing here?!"

“Twilight asked us all to come,” Cadance said with a smile

“She made you both come all the way from the Empire? Jeez, you must be going broke from all the train tickets!”

Shining shrugged. “We travel on the Royal account.”

“Ah,” Spike said with a nod. “My taxes hard at work. Anyway, I told Twi I didn’t want a big goodbye!”

"Well, she said it wasn't just to say goodbye," Shining said. "Something about an experiment. Where is she, anyway?"

"Sir!" Heckel snapped to attention. "Lieutenant Cake sent word that he and Miss Sparkle would be arriving shortly."

As if on cue, a deep, melodious peal of laughter came from the castle gates behind them. Lieutenant Cake threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, madam Sparkle, I had no idea that Platrot's allegories could be summed up with such colorful academic imagery!"

Twilight chuckled. "That's not surprising. A lot of ponies don't bother to see the beauty in the simple."

"'Everything has beauty, but not everypony sees it,' eh?"

As this was going on, Cadance watched the two unicorns with a smug grin. “Those two seem quite... chummy, don’t you think, Shine?”

Shining just smiled and cleared his throat. "Are we interrupting, Twiley?"

At the sound of her nickname, Twilight looked up and ran to her brother. "Shiny, Cadance! You made it."

"Heh, of course we did!" Shining replied, delivering a friendly noogie. "I'd never miss an opportunity to see you experiment on Spike. Remember that last time? Right before I left for Basic?"

Spike shuddered. “I still can’t look at grilled cheese the same way...”

"Well," Twilight said through a fierce blush, "today will be much different... theoretically,” she muttered.

"Ahem, Professor Sparkle," Beef said gently, "I believe my services are no longer needed, so I shall take my leave."

"Very well, lieutenant. Are we still on for Tuesday evening?"

Beef bowed deeply. "But of course."

Cadance appeared next to Twilight, a devious smile on her lips. "So, Twilight, you have plans with the lieutenant?"

"Oh, yes! Beef is taking me and Buckshot to the Canterlot Philharmonic."

Cadance's smile faltered a bit. "Um, wh-who's Buckshot?"

Lieutenant Cake smiled. "My husband. And might I say, Twilight, he is so looking forward to meeting you." A final wink, answered by a blush from Twilight, and Beef turned and walked away.

As Twilight went over to the princesses, Spike barely suppressed a chuckle as the Princess of Love glared daggers at her husband. "Shining Francis Armor..."

"What?" Shining smirked and shrugged. "You said to find somepony that Twilight would be interested in. You never said anything about them being interested in Twilight." His innocent façade almost broke thanks to the barely stifled giggles from Spike.

“Aren’t you the one always saying she needs to get out more?” Cadance said.

"Oh come on, honey. Aren't you the one who is always saying that you can't force love, and that it has to find itself on its own?"

"I wasn't trying to find her love," Cadance huffed. "I was just... trying to get her laid."

Shining and Spike both grimaced. "Eww!"

Twilight pulled back from Celestia and looked to her brothers. "What?"

Shining and Spike both blinked. "Nothing."

Twilight eyes them both curiously for a moment, then sighed. She trotted over to Spike, embracing his foreleg in a tight hug. "So..." She cast a glance to the steamer trunk beside him, and Spike could see her throat constricting. "All ready to go?"

"Well, I was until you stopped me via burp mail, which is kinda dangerous these days. My burps are a whole lot bigger." He knelt down to whisper in her ear. "You may want to avoid the Royal gardener for a few days."

"Um, why?"

"Well, I may or may not have told him that it was your fault I burned down a wall in the hedge maze." Before Twilight could yell, "So, where's this experiment of yours, and why does the entire royal family have to witness it?"

She glared at him for several moments. "Because they all have a stake in it. And the experiment will be here shortly."

"It's here!"

Professor Igneous strolled up to them, once more clad in his trademark tweed suit, pushing a metal cart carrying several odd devices and a small, nondescript box. Upon reaching the Princesses, he bowed deeply. "Your Highnesses, lovely to see you, as always."

"Likewise, Professor," Celestia said, inclining her head.

Fido rose and stepped towards Cadance, reaching his paw out, which she placed her hoof in. "Empress Cadance, a pleasure to meet you."

She nodded. "Likewise. You are?"

"Ah, forgive me, your highness. Professor Fidelis Igneous, a colleague and friend to Professor Sparkle." He gave a chaste kiss to her gold-shod hoof, earning a giggle from her and a glare from Shining.

Fido looked to him obviously. "Prince Armor, nice to meet you as well." Before Shining could answer, the diamond dog had already moved on, coming to a stop in front of Spike. "And my keen powers of deduction tell me that you must be young Spike."

"Yo," Spike said.

"Twilight has told me such good things about you."

"All lies, I assure you," Shining said with a smug grin.

Spike huffed a small cloud of smoke and flicked his pinkie at Shining, launching a small lightning bolt. A loud pop sounded as it bounced off a tiny patch of magic that appeared in front of Shining's head. The unicorn's grin got even wider.

"Shine!" Cadance elbowed Shining in the gut.

At the same moment, Twilight lightly shoved against Spike's leg. "Quit it!" She blushed and turned to Fido. "I'm sorry about that."

Fido simply grinned. "Oh, don't be. I've always been curious as to what a familial spat between some of the most powerful beings on the planet would look like."

"Ugly," Cadance said, shuddering a bit. "Trust me, I had to clean up after them."

Following the round of fierce blushing, Fido turned back to Twilight. "So sorry I was delayed, Twilight. I had to do a last minute check of the atomic stability of the gem."

Twilight’s brow tensed momentarily. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes. It’s the oddest thing. I ran the numbers seven times, and it always checked out." He scratched behind his ear. "Then on the eighth, it failed to show a covalent bond in the spell lattice, only to work perfectly again the next dozen times!”

"Well, you know what they say," Twilight said with a grin, "you can't trust atoms. They make up everything!"

Fido's barking laugh mixed with Twilight's snorting giggle for several moments, the two eggheads lost in the moment, before they both noticed the distinct lack of any other noise. Turning, they were met by a collection of blank stares.

Spike rolled his eyes. "I can see why you two get along so well..."

"Well," Fido said, clearing his throat, "I believe we should skip the rest of the comedy portion and skip right to the experiment, eh, Twilight?"

"I agree." Spike leveled a playful glare at Twilight. "You disappear for three days, then insist the entire royal family be here to witness some experiment you plan on running on me. I'm not sure whether I should be curious or terrified."

Luna stepped forward. "I, for one, am curious, Twilight Sparkle. When you first spoke to us about your plan, I was... dubious that you could achieve such an effect. You believe you have solved the problems?"

Twilight nodded firmly. "Yes... I think."

"Not exactly installing a lot of confidence here, Twi," Spike deadpanned.

Twilight just flashed a confident smile, then took the box from Fido. "Well, let's get started. Spike, hold out your claw and close your eyes.

After eyeing her for a moment, he snorted, launching a plume of smog, then did as he was told. Despite himself, he cringed just a bit when a small... thing was placed on his right ring claw. While he had known Twilight for most of his life, and knew how brilliant and competent she was, he had also known Twilight for most of his life, and knew how a good deal of her experiments ended. The prospect of leaving a devilishly good-looking corpse spattered on the castle lawn was not outside the realm of possibility.

"Okay, Spike. Open your eyes."

Slower than he would ever have admitted to Spike opened his eyes and looked down. Much to his surprise what lay atop his finger was not some medieval torture device or some obscure science thingy but a very familiar tiara, topped with a starburst amethyst. It took a moment before his brain finally kicked in, and he jerked his eyes up to face her. "Twi, is this... this is the..."

"That was precisely my reaction," Fido said as he walked forward, wheeling the cart with him. Several moments later, a series of sensors were attached not just to the element, but to Spike, as well.

Shining stepped forward. "Princess, what is going on? Why is the Element of magic just hanging out in the hooves of a university professor?!"

"Oi! I have paws, not hooves, thank you."

Shining shot him a glare, then turned to Celestia. "Your highness, please tell me this is a joke. Tell me that you're not letting Twilight give a vital part of national defense as a going away present!"

"Take a deep breath, General." Celestia raised a hoof. "Be assured that I have taken everything into account. The element needs to be protected, yes?"

"Of course! So why—"

"Then tell me, where could be safer than in the hands of a mighty dragon?"

That seemed to bring Shining up short. His eyes darted between the three alicorns, each looking at him with different levels of amusement, and sputtered. "Buh? A dragon versus an entire army and enchantments from two alicorns?”

“I understand, Shining,” Celestia said calmly. “You’re right, it is a risk, but the potential benefits are worth that risk.”

Spike hadn't moved his claw since he opened his eyes. It remained hovering just a few feet off the ground, and his eyes were transfixed on the tiara adorning his finger. "Look, Celestia," he momentarily forgot protocol, finally tearing his eyes away from his hand, "I appreciate the fact that you consider me 'mighty' and all, but I don't understand. I mean, if you want me to guard the elements, I... I guess I could do that, but... why are you giving me this?"

"Because," Twilight said, "it was the only way to get the spell to work."

"Spell?" Spike arched an eyebrow ridge. "What spell?"

Twilight simply smiled and took her place in front of him. "Princess Luna, I'll need your assistance."

Luna inclined her head, but stepped forward to her side. "Me?"

"Yes. Something I found while studying the element. While it is bonded to me, there are parts—at the subatomic level, mind you—that are still bonded to you. So, I'll need a bit of your magic to initiate the spell. Nothing major, just a touch of you."

"Wait, it's attached to Luna?" Spike shot a glance to Celestia." But, I thought that..."

Luna smiled. "Everypony does. While yes, my sister is, indeed, more powerful than myself, there is much more to magic than brute strength."

"You always were the artist," Celestia said with a giggle.

"Okay, so is somepony going to tell us exactly what is going on here?" Shining huffed. “I know I’m not well-versed on theory, but I have been briefed on the abilities of the Elements. What in Tartarus are you trying to do that requires that much power?”

"Yeah, inquiring minds would like to know," Spike said.

Twilight swallowed hard. "Well, Spike, I've been working on a possible solution to your problem."

"And which one would that be? I've, uh, heh, I've had a couple in the past few months."

"Your size." Twilight walked over to the cart Fido had brought.

Spike arched an eyebrow ridge. "My... Twilight, you can't fix my size. I'm big, and I’m only gonna get bigger.”

“I know,” she said as she helped Fido. Monitors and cables hung from the top of the cart in a slapdash manner that didn’t exactly put Spike at ease

“You know? Then... well, then what are you trying to do here? What, you going to turn me into a dog?!”

“And what, pray tell, is wrong with being a dog?” Fido asked, his back still turned.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Tried it once, didn’t like it.”

"It's easier to just show you," she said, then cast a nervous glance to Fido.

The dog nodded. “I’ll be monitoring the thaumatic infusion rate. You just concentrate on the spell itself.”

She took a deep breath, then set her shoulders. "Okay, lets get started."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Spike recoiled slightly. "This, uh... this isn't going to hurt, is it?"

"Oh, no, no!" Twilight's horn blazed to life. "It shouldn't... much... at first."

Before Spike could raise further protest, a beam of lavender light lanced from Twilight’s horn. Despite himself, a very feminine yelp escaped from Spike as the beam connected with the element upon his finger. After several moments, Spike noticed something odd: he had not exploded. Not even once.

Cautiously, he opened his eyes. Sure enough, all his bits and pieces remained in place. Stealing a glance at his claw, the element was flashing, slowly at first, but much like an old engine starting after long periods of rest, the flashes began to grow in frequency and brightness. Oddly enough, no matter how bright it got, Spike never had to squint away, and he was glad he didn’t have to. Every time the amethyst would glow, a torrent of swirling energy could be seen within, seething and writhing like a building hurricane. Spike summed it up very succinctly. “Whoa, cool. Heh, hey, Twilight. It doesn’t hurt at all!”

Beneath him, Twilight’s horn was blazing almost brighter than the element. Her brow was creased in extreme concentration, beads of sweat formed on her face, and her lips were peeled back, showing gritted teeth. She grunted something unintelligible.

“Huh?”

“That… ngh, th-that was just the… groundwork. Laying the f-foundation for the r-real work.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Okay, everything’s ready. Princess Luna, I need a sustained stream of four point seven thaums, oscillating at four-hundred kilohertz.”

Princess Luna chuckled and lit her horn. “Yes, your highness.”

Spike opened his mouth, but his snarky retort died as a midnight blue glow shot from Luna’s own horn. Instantly, a large shower of sparks flew from the element. Spike cringed; his three claws still on the ground dug deep ruts into the soft grass, but he remained as rigid as possible. “Twi—“ To his extreme despair, the Element of Magic erupted into lavender flame, tinted by flashes of dark blue. The acrid tang of ozone played in his nostrils, and his spines ached from the massive amounts of magic swirling around him, but oddly enough, Spike felt no heat from the fire blazing on his claw. A deep, humming tone pounded in his ears. His eyes went wide as numerous green ethereal tendrils snaked out of the gem and began to wrap his enormous body like a cocoon.

“Okay, that’s enough!” Shining stepped towards his sister, yelling to be heard over the droning hum of magic. A fierce wind had kicked up, whipping his electric blue mane in his face. “Twiley, something wro—“

An ebony paw halted his advance. Shining whirled around. Fido was adjusting the knobs on one of the sensors, keen eyes trained on the readout. “Prince Armor, please be calm, everything is under control.”

“Under control?! His bucking claw is on fire!”

Fido didn’t even blink. “And I assure you, this is expected. Your sist—“ a loud crack and another shower of sparks interrupted him, but he recovered quickly—“Your sister and I have run through the calculations and simulations dozens of times. He’s fine.”

“Shining, it’s… it’s cool.” Spike’s shaky words did not instill much confidence, but he stood still. “If Twi says it’ll work, it’ll work.” The green haze had enveloped his entire lower body. A coolness began to flood him, like someone was holding a giant block of ice inches above his scales.

“Spike…”

Spike made to speak, but all he got out was a muffled cry of shock as the green field wrapped around his mouth. He barely heard Shining yell something when the haze completely overtook his head, and the world fell into silence. Freezing tendrils of magic slithered their way across his scales towards his eyes. The last thing he saw before darkness claimed his vision was Twilight, horn blazing with power, smiling at him through gritted teeth.

The stillness was absolute. All his senses were blocked by the blanket of magic that was smothering not just his outsides, but inside. He could feel it inside him! It permeated him, soaking in past his diamond-hard scales like tissue paper. With each thumping beat of his heart, the coolness spread to every inch of his body.

Spike’s breath came in panicked gulps, but inside his emerald cocoon he couldn’t even hear that. The only clue he had that he was still alive was the frantic pounding in his chest and the feeling of movement against his scales, icy tendrils of magic sinking into him

Suddenly, the field surrounding him contracted. The ice hanging above his scales pressed down. Spike cried out through his clamped mouth, but the noise was swallowed by the oppressive blanket of magic. Every fiber in his being felt like it was being pressed down, he swore he could hear his scales cracking.

The writhing mass on his scales tightened its grip further. He could feel his insides shift and writhe, his muscles cramping, ice water pumping through his veins with each terrified beat of his heart.

Finally, he’d had enough, and pushed back against the magic. His coiled-steel muscles surged and contracted, pushing back with the entirety of his draconic might, but the field didn’t budge. Panic set in. He couldn’t breathe, can't think, can't move, oh, Celestia, can't even open my mouth to scream I have to get out have to run have to—

Spike.

A soothing voice echoed in his mind.

Relax. Stop fighting.

But, I can’t it’s going to kill me crush me need to get out need to—

Trust me.

A burst of warm air cascaded over his being. His pounding heart slowed, his muscles relaxed. As if sensing his acquiescence, the magic intensified. The weight of the world, the heavens, the entirety of creation fell on his shoulders, but he felt no pain, only the all-encompassing coolness and the odd pushing on every inch of his body.

Then, in the most anticlimactic way imaginable, it simply... ended.

Spike gasped and felt his knees truly give out, and he hit the ground with a dull whump. He simply laid there for several moments, minutes, hours, he didn’t know and didn’t care, reveling in the tickle of the grass against his belly scales and the warmth of the sun on his back.

Slowly, his senses began to return. The air still reeked of the pungent sting of ozone, bright sunlight shone through his closed eyelids. A residual tingle pulsed throughout his body, accompanied by twitches on muscle, but the warm sun quickly banished the frigid void from before. He lay there, taking slow, deep breaths as his heart relaxed, until a shadow fell across him. “Spike?”

Groaning slightly, Spike groggily opened his eyes. “Ugh, T… Twilight?”

“Yeah, it’s me."

Slowly, the blurry blobs of colors began to coalesce. The instant it did, his eyes went wide. "Twi... when did you get so big?"

"Hehehe, I didn't."

Confusion spread across his features, Spike brought a hand up to her face, a hand that not five minutes ago could have crushed the life out of her, and found that it barely covered half her face. With a quiet yelp, he jerked his hand back. "M... mirror, I need a mirror."

"Spike, it—"

"Mirror!"

Twilight sighed and lit her horn. A large sphere of air popped and hissed before them, and a large mirror appeared. Gulping, Spike rose back to all fours, his tail twitching and shaking behind him. What had she done to him? What would he see in the mirror? He took a deep breath and looked up to see himself... looking exactly as he had a few minutes ago. He had the same wicked claws, same pointy green spines running down his back, expansive wings folded neatly against his body, thick hind legs and muscular forelegs built for quadrupedal motion, narrowed muzzle filled with razor sharp teeth. Everything was exactly the same, just... smaller.

So entranced by his reflection, Spike didn't notice Twilight standing next to him, also facing the mirror, until she spoke. "Well?"

His eyes darted to her reflection; with them both on all fours, the tip of her horn just reached his shoulder. "Y... you," Spike gulped, "you shrunk me."

"Mhmm-hmm."

Spike ran his hand through his head fins. "You used the element as... as a capacitor, supercharging the spell to overcome my inherent magical resistance."

"Yup."

"Twilight, you..." he slowly turned to face her, looking right into her gleeful eyes, "you permanently imprinted a spell into the single most powerful and important artifact in the history of equine kind for me."

"Eh, no one else was using it."

Spike let out a belt of laughter. Nearly falling into her, Spike embraced her, gently at first out of habit, but he slowly began to squeeze tighter, until he was hugging her with all his might. A move that would have crushed her yesterday, just made her groan and tap a hoof on his shoulder.

"Spike... air!"

He pulled back, now grinning like an idiot. "Ha, sorry! I just... Twilight, this is..."

Whatever he was going to say was cut off as everypony present rushed to him.

"Holy smokes, Spike!" For the first time since Spike had known the surly unicorn, Heckel's face was not twisted into a frown, opting instead for complete awe. "You... you're so... so—"

"So not big!" Jeckel squee'd.

Just like that, the frown returned. "Be careful, I can see smoke coming out of your ears."

"Again?!"

"Grr..."

While the twins bickered, Celestia was making Spike feel a bit uneasy. Her deep lavender eyes, usually overflowing with warmth and wisdom, were scrutinizing every inch of his new body. "I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes. Magic at this level, performed on a dragon, no less. And with such precision!" She made a slow circle around him as she spoke. Spike noted with elation that he was now only slightly shorter than the alicorn. "Everything appears to be in perfect proportions. Tell, me, child, are your wings still functional?

Spike flinched ever so slightly at the comment. Even the thought of his newfound flight status being revoked struck a deep nerve. "Everypony take a step back." They did so, and he flexed his wings. As always, the sunlight filtering through the thin membranes cast a slightly purple haze on the green grass, though the smaller size meant the many veins no longer showed through. He gave a few experimental flaps, enraptured in the exact same feeling of control as he had before.

"Step back a little more!" His excitement overrode etiquette, and both princesses giggled at him. Either ignoring or not caring, Spike tensed the same flight muscles he had grown to love so much and gave his wings a mighty flap. To his unending delight, the hard downswing launched him several feet straight into the air, only for him to pitch forward on the way down and hit the ground with a yelp, only just catching himself on all fours. "Eh-heh... need to get used to the new weight."

"This is incredible!" Cadance said as she placed a hoof over his shoulder. "How is this even possible?"

"A boatload of advanced mathematics and theory so advanced it would make Einstallion blush." Fido joined the group, a beaming grin on his narrow muzzle. "This is incredible! It's one thing to see it in paper, but to see it right before your eyes..." He knelt down and placed a paw on Twilight's shoulder, "Twilight, you did it!"

"We did it, Fido."

"Oh-ho-ho, no, my dear," he said as he stood back up. "I just double checked your arithmetic. This is your pup, and this is... well, let's be honest. This is probably the biggest advancement in spellcasting since Twinkle Shine's cloud-walking spell! Actual shifting of molecular structuring via thaumatic induction. My word, can you imagine the commercial applications?!" He smiled warmly at Twilight. "A bit of refinement, and I dare say you're a shoe-in for a Neighbel Prize!"

Twilight's cheeks flamed under the praise. "Oh, I don't know about that."

"But I am." Luna laid a wing across Twilight's withers, beaming with pride. "I tell you truthfully, young professor, even when I was tied to the elements and at the height of my abilities, I doubt even I could have achieved such a feat. It is obvious that you have a deeper connection with, and understanding of, the Elements than I ever did."

"Now, now, it's not perfect, okay?" Twilight eased out from Luna's wing and rejoined Spike, laying a hoof on his shoulder—which she barely had to reach up to do, he noted with elation—and smiled at him. "For now the spell requires recharging approximately every..." Twilight cast a quick glance to Fido.

"Roughly six hundred and seventy-five hours."

"Right, so every month or so I'll need to recast the spell."

Spike blinked, then laughed. "So, I really AM required to come back once a month!"

"Um... yes. Also, the spell only works as long as you wear it, so don't take it off unless you have some room to grow."

Spike arched an eyebrow ridge. "Wear? Wear wha—" He looked down at his right hand, eyes going wide.

"Okay, wait!" Shining stormed up to the both. "Twiley, where is the element?"

"Uh, Shining, I think it's right here," Spike said, raising his hand. The Element of Magic was gone. Where it had been there now lay a silver ring that fit snugly over his claw. In place of the starburst amethyst was a brilliant emerald, shaped into what looked like a flame.

Shining balked. "What, you're trying to say the element... transformed? That's impossible!"

Spike shot him a deadpan stare. “Uh, Shining?” He held his arms out and looked up and down his body several times. “I think ‘impossible’ went out the window about five minutes ago.”

“I... I-I still don’t get it.”

“You see, young General,” Luna said, stepping forward to stand next to Spike, who noted that they were now almost exactly the same height, “The Elements of Harmony are intrinsically linked to Harmony itself. They are connected to life, and by their very nature are sympathetic to their users. This is why it for so long resembled your sister’s cutie mark.”

Twilight nodded. “It’s also why now that Spike is using it, it changed into a form he can wear comfortably and the gem reflects him. If he were to take it off, it would revert to the tiara.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you saying that... that I’m the bearer of the element now?!”

Twilight chuckled. “No. The gem is still linked to me. I just... hmm, lent it to you.”

"Oh! So, you just lent him one of Equestria's primary weapons o—"

"Shining, stop." Everypony jumped a little at Twilights outburst. She fixed a scholarly glare at him. "The elements aren't weapons. They're conduits of harmony, physical manifestations of magic, love, of... of friendship. This is exactly the type of thing they were intended for,” she finished, looking at Celestia.

A slight halo of light appeared around Celestia’s body as she beamed down at Twilight. "She is correct, dear General. The Elements of Harmony seek only to maintain order and balance in all things. They do not destroy..."

"Merely instill harmony as best they can," Twilight finished. "Whether that's purging the Nightmare from Luna's mind, encasing Discord in stone, or," she turned back to Spike, "allowing one of the most important creatures in my life lead a normal one."

Shining nodded. "Okay, but the fact remains that historically, the elements have been out best defense against some very nasty customers. What happens when the next King Sombra or Discord show up?"

"Well, General Shiny," she said through a smug grin, "I've already thought of that. I wrote a tethering spell into the gem, one that utilizes a low-frequency pulse to create a constant link between the gem and myself. If at anytime I need it and Spike is away, I can recall it near instantaneously." She turned to look at Celestia. "I'm currently working on a way to cast the same spell on the other elements. It shouldn't be too hard for Generosity, but the others are proving tricky since they're linked to non-unicorns. I think I can design a sustained mana-pulsing device that could stabilize the quantum tunneling, but it would require such an—"

Fido tapped her on the shoulder, pointedly clearing his throat. "Focus, Twilight."

She blinked several times. "Uh, heh... sorry." She then turned back to Spike. "Just a warning: if I do, you'll only have about thirty seconds to find an open area."

"Um... why?"

"Because that's how long it takes for the spell to wear off once you remove the ring. When it does, your body will rapidly expand back to its true size."

Spike nodded. "Wait, so what if I'm somewhere that I can't get outside in thirty seconds? What if I'm, like, asleep or something?"

"Well, ideally I'd let you know via burp mail before I do."

"That a technical term, burp mail?" Fido chimed.

Twilight elbowed him softly. "Oh, hush. As I was saying, the only reason I would recall it without warning is in case of a dire threat. I'd think that if Nightmare Moon returned, the last thing we'd be worried about is property damage."

"I would certainly hope so," Luna said with a wry grin.

Twilight was saved from her death by embarrassment as Fido cleared his throat. "Well, it appears that the' 'show and tell' portion of the day is over." As he spoke, he wound the wires that had been attached to Spike back up, resetting the cart as it had been when he arrived. "This seems to be a family affair now, and I really must be getting back to class."

"Of course, Professor," Celestia said with a brief nod. "Please know that we cannot thank you enough for your help."

Fido gave a small bow. "A pleasure as always, your Majesties." He walked up to Spike and extended his paw. "Spike, my boy, best of luck."

"Dude, um...” Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “I-I can't—"

"And you don’t have to."

Spike chuckled and took his paw, giving it a firm squeeze and a shake. "All the same, thanks."

"Of course." He turned back to the cart, and with a wave of his paw, began to depart, but not before he walked past Twilight, and whispered, "Still on for Saturday, seven o'clock, yes?"

Twilight's lavender cheeks turned deep crimson. "Oh, yes, of... of course."

Fido gave one last grin and walked away, tail nearly breaking the sound barrier.

Twilight watched him leave, still blushing furiously. When she turned back to the group, she was meet by the mother of all big brother glares.

"What was that?" Shining asked.

Twilight blinked several times. "What was what?" She turned to walk back to Spike, but not before giving a sly wink to Cadance, who giggled at her husband's glare.

“Snkt—Hehehehehe!” Spike had moved over to where Heckel and Jeckel stood. He was currently lifting his large steamer trunk off the ground, all but squealing with joy as his arms barely fit around it lengthwise, and he actually had to put effort in to get it off the ground. “It’s heavy! It’s actually heavy!” Dropping the trunk, he raced back over to Twilight, who was still weathering a scowl from Shining, and spun her around to face him and hugged her again. “Twi, this is incredible! I... I mean... wow! I don’t get it. Where did the rest of me go?”

Twilight giggled at his enthusiasm. “Technically, you’re still occupying the same amount of space-time, but your atoms are in a constant state of quantum flux due to the saturation of thaumatic energy, which also allows for simultaneous exertion of a steady-state compression field, thus keeping all your matter in place."

Spike blinked. “Uh... yeah, I have no idea what you just said. But it’s awesome! I mean... look at me!” With a whoop, he leapt into the air and gave his wings a strong flap. It barely mussed Twilight’s mane, and he pitched forward awkwardly and just barely landed on his claws, to the sound of nothing but the soft crush of grass. “No more earthquakes! Of course, now I can’t really fly, but ah, me and Rainbow can figure that out in a weekend! Oh, but how am I gonna get back home now?”

“I can dispatch a chariot to take you there,” Celestia said.

Spike's eyes brightened and he snapped his fingers. "You know what? I actually think I'll take the train!"

"The train? Why?"

"Well, I told the girls I was going to land at the train station in Ponyville at four. If I hurry, I can still catch the ten o'clock train, which should put me in town around that time." He showed a toothy grin to Twilight. "Can you imagine the look on the girls' faces when I step off the train? Ha! Rainbow will probably go into labor!"

They all laughed at the image. After a moment, Celestia stepped forward to Spike. "Well then, I suppose you should be off." She leaned down—leaned down!—and wrapped her wings and a foreleg around him, gripping him tightly, and Spike returned the gesture. "Be safe, child. I am so proud of you."

Spike nuzzled back into her. "Thanks, Mom," he whispered.

He disengaged from her only to be caught in an even tighter hug by Luna, who squeezed tight enough to elicit a crack from Spike's spine. "Fare thee well, nephew."

"Th—hrkk—thanks," he squeaked.

"Corporal Heckel, Private Jeckel!" Shining barked behind him.

The twins snapped to attention. "Sir!"

"Escort Spike to the train station and see him off, then report back to your commanders. You did a damn fine job guarding him, so tell them I said you can take the rest of the week off."

Jeckel's shoulders slumped just a bit. "Th—thank you, sir." He turned and trudged off towards Spike. Heckel, however, remained in place.

Shining arched his eyebrow. "Something wrong, Corporal?"

Heckel cast a glance towards his slowly retreating brother, then mumbled under his breath, "Damn bleeding heart." With a final growl, he turned to Shining. "Yes, sir, there is."

"Oh?" Shining eyes the unicorn curiously. "And what would that be?"

Heckel stood so rigid Spike was worried his back may break under the pressure. "Sir, with all due respect to Professor Sparkle, I think leaving the Element of Magic out in the open like that seems very... risky."

"Well, I tend to agree, but the princesses, and my sister," he emphasized, "seem to think they have thought of everything. Tell me, corporal, what have you thought of that they haven't?"

Heckel fidgeted under Shining's withering eyes. "Y-yes, sir. If I may be so bold, I believe it—" his eyes darted to Jeckel, who was watching through wide eyes—"that as long as the Element is there, it may be prudent for the Guard to set up, uh... a presence in Ponyville."

Shining's face screwed up in confusion for a moment, until he heard the loud gasp from Jeckel. A tiny grin flashed on Shining's face before the mask of professionalism slammed back down. "That actually sounds like a fine idea, Corporal."

"Yes, sir!"

"It wouldn't, uh, have to be a very large contingent, would it?"

"No, sir!"

"One soldier should be plenty, wouldn't you say?"

For the briefest of moments, Heckel's frown cracked. "I was thinking two would be best, sir."

"Oh?"

"Er... strictly to ensure the safety of the element, of course! Sir!"

"Of course, of course. So, Corporal Heckel, have you any thoughts as to who might want such an assignment?"

"Well, sir, I—"

"Oh!" Jeckel zipped in front of Shining and bounced up and down, hoof raised high in the air. "Ohohohohohoh!"

Shining just barely stopped the smile threatening to break his countenance. "Need to use the latrine, Private?"

"No, sir! Well... no, wait, yes, sir! B-but that's not important right now!"

"Oh?"

Jeckel nodded. "I would like to volunteer me and my brother for the Ponyville assignment!"

Shining arched an eyebrow. "You feel you can handle it?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Operating as an autonomous unit, plain clothes soldiers on near constant duty?"

"Yes, sir!"

“This wouldn’t just be a vacation, Private. You’d be charged with watching over the element and a member of the Royal Family.”

“Yes, sir!”

"Hmm, I don't know..."

"Shining..." Cadance frowned at him.

"Well," Shining said, "it really should be Spike's decision. What do you think?"

Spike looked at the twins before him, one bouncing in place and the other somehow frowning while still looking hopeful. "Hmm..." He stroked his scaly chin thoughtfully, eyes darting between the two. Slowly, he opened his mouth. "Hmmmmm..." Spike looked up at the sky, brow furrowed in deep meditation. He took a deep breath, opened his mouth, then paused for several moments. "Hmmm—"

"Oh, for pete’s sake, would you just say something before his head explodes?!" Heckel cried.

Spike shrugged. "Eh, why not."

Throughout the castle, dogs howled, windows rattled, and Spike grabbed his ears in pain as Jeckel squealed at a pitch Spike didn't think was possible for a stallion. The earth pony lunged forward and embraced Spike with strength borne of glee.

Shining just chuckled. "Okay, okay. You two run back to the barracks, change out of your uniforms and pack an overnight bag. We can ship the rest of your belongings later. I'll talk to your commanders and sign the appropriate paperwork."

"Yes, sir!" the twins cried, then turned to run, but Jeckel hesitated. After several moments of chewing on his lip, he whirled around, ran up to General Shining Armor, Commander of the Equestrian Royal Guard's Unicon Corps and Prince Consort of the Crystal Empire, and squealed like a filly as he embraced him in a fierce hug. Several seconds later, he disengaged, hopped once more time, then blurred away.

“Are we sure we want him and Pinkie Pie in the same zip code?” Spike whispered to Twilight, who chortled.

"Luna, kill me now," Heckel grumbled as he turned to follow.

"Well, since you asked nicely..."

Heckel whirled around just in time to see Luna, horn blazing, glaring at him with an evil intent, as a tiny bolt of lightning shot from her horn and impacted the ground at his hooves.

"Eep!" Heckle danced on his hooves for an instant then tore off after his brother.

Celestia looked to Luna. “Really?”

Luna grinned at Celestia and blew her a very dignified, princess-like raspberry.

Cadance rolled her eyes, then walked up to Spike. “You two better get going if you’re going to make that train.” She leaned forward and hugged Spike with both wings and a foreleg. “Remember, time is always on your side,” she whispered, then kissed him on the forehead.

“Yeah, I know.”

After a few moments, Cadance pulled back as Shining stepped up, offering Spike a hoof. “Take care of yourse—”

For the second time in as many minutes, Shining Armor was locked into a tight bear hug. He stiffened the instant the dragon grabbed him, but with a roll of his eyes, he returned the embrace. “Don’t you go getting sappy on me, scaly-butt.”’

Spike pulled back from the embrace and smiled at Shining, who looked back with his trademark smarmy grin. "Not on your life, Shiny."

The two held the look for a moment, then Shining stepped back. "Well, you better get going if you want to catch the train. Don't want to keep your hoard waiting, right!"

A brief flash of annoyance passed over Spike's face before he full weight of Shining's words sank in. He threw a glance to the clock tower behind them: nine thirty. "Aw, crap! I gotta go! Princesses, thanks for... er, everything, I guess. Cadance, great to see you again. Shining, you're a jerk." He didn't wait for any of them to answer, running back to his trunk and hefting it onto his back. "I'll send you a letter when I arrive. Love y'all, bye!" He began to run away from the castle, then jerked to a halt and cast a glance over his shoulder. "Come on, Twi! Let’s go!"

Twilight rolled her eyes, then turned back to face the others. "I guess I have to go."

"It's fine, Twiley. We'll meet up for dinner, kay?"

She gave a nod, then ran off. "Wait up, Spike! You know I could teleport us, right?!"

Spike's slitted eyes were transfixed on the brilliant emerald adorning his claw. Somewhere in his mind, he realized that it should be making his mouth water. The emerald was, as far as he could tell, flawless. Unlike any other piece of jewelry he had seen, the stone was impossibly smooth; not a single rough edge could be felt. Stranger still, the gem reflected no light. Even as he moved it around, catching the bright sunlight streaming into the train station at all angles, not a single ray fell from it. It was amazing; the longer he stared, the deeper the gem seemed to go.

A sharp tap on his shoulder snapped him back. "Hmm? What?"

Twilight giggled. "I said your train is here."

Sure enough, Spike looked up just in time to see the large red engine car squeal to a halt, a jet of steam pouring from the wheels, and a belch of black smoke rising from the top. As the doors slid open, a river of ponies poured out onto the platform. The well-dressed denizens of Canterlot shuffled on and off the train, snazzily-dressed station attendants scurried about carrying bags and trunks to the luggage compartment. Spike noted with idle amusement that the river tended to bend around him. "Heh, some thing will never change."

"I guess not," Twilight said. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and her horn began to glow. "Oh, Spike! I just remembered, I have something for you."

"Something else?" He rubbed at the silver ring on his claw. "Jeez, Twi, haven’t you already given me... well, my life back?"

A brief look of fierce concentration, and a book popped into existence before them. Spike plucked it out of the air and read the title: The Equestrian Library Association's Official Study Guide for Prospective Librarians.

A low growl eked out of Spike's clenched jaw. "Shining Armor..."

"Oh, relax, Spike. He was only trying to help," Twilight chided.

"Yeah, yeah," Spike grumbled. "Tell him thanks... then flick his ear for me."

Twilight chuckled. "Anyway, the princess messaged ahead, and the interim librarian has no problem with you moving back into our old room. She'll also let you work there as an assistant, but you'll need to get accredited before you can officially take over, so study."

"Hehe, yes, ma'am!" He snapped a quick salute.

Twilight smiled, but before she could reply, a burly stallion carrying a pocket watch bellowed, "All aboard for Ponyville, with continuing service to Dodge Junction and Apploosa!"

Twilight and Spike's eyes met for a few precious moments before Spike opened his mouth. "Well, I, uh... I guess that's me."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Spike's eyes flicked back to his new ring. "Twi, this... I mean, I can't believe this! How long have you been planning this?"

"Since that night we got in," Twilight said. "When I saw how badly this was affecting you, I, uh, well I had to do something."

"So, I throw a fit and your first idea is to break all known laws of physics? Ha! That is so you."

"Hehehe, I guess." Her smile fell a bit. "I almost didn't pull it off."

Spike's eyebrow ridge rose. "Oh?"

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "I mean, it was difficult, of course, but near the end I had it all worked out. The science, the math, everything was perfect, but the element kept rebuffing the spell, refusing it."

"What changed?"

Twilight's ears fell flat against her head. "Well, it's like I said. The element is sympathetic to its user. That's not just in a physical sense. It's literally connected to me, so it knew... that I didn't really want you to go."

Spike's head fins twitched. "Oh? But now you do?"

"No," Twilight said, gnawing her lip a bit. "But, I realize that I have to. You're a grown dragon, Spike. You have to find your own place in life. If that's back in Ponyville, that's great! Me wanting to keep you close by was me just being selfish. I didn't want to think about life without my Number One Assistant."

"Twilight," he groaned. "I'm not going to sleep for a hundred years. I'm a train ride away! And once I figure out how to fly again, it'll be even quicker."

"I know, I know, it's just," she hesitated, "a chapter of my life is closing, you know?"

"Yeah, I know,” he said as a grin spread across his scaly face. "And another is starting. So, giving the dog a bone, eh?"

Twilight sputtered for several seconds as her cheeks erupted. "Spike!"

"Ha, I knew it! You have a date with a Dog!

"It's not a date! Professor Igneous is a friend and colleague, and he invited me to dinner so we could discuss the experiment."

"Ah, 'experiment.' So that's what they're calling it these days." Spike could have sworn he saw steam coming out of ears.

"Spike..."

"What?" he said, lifting both hands up. "Oh, come on, I'm not gonna judge! Heck, I'm in love with a pony! Although," his eyes narrowed a bit, "isn't he, like, eighty?"

"Sixty-five, and from a relativistic viewpoint, he's not that much older than me. Besides, numerous studies have been done on the attraction of younger mares to older stal—"

"Okay, yeah, details, no thanks!"

"Last call for Ponyville!" the burly stallion bellowed. "All aboard that's coming aboard!"

"Okay, then!" Spike smiled at Twilight. "Any last minute things I should know about this?" he asked, holding up his right claw.

Twilight "hmm'd" for a moment. "Yes. If the gem starts to glow rhythmically, it means the spell is wearing off quicker than I thought. Take it off and get outside."

"Right," Spike said with a firm nod.

"Oh, and if you happen to start tasting oatmeal, take it off immediately... and run."

Spike's tail twitched. "Wait, but what if I'm actually eating oatmeal?"

A deep shudder ran through Twilight. "I... I wouldn't."

"Uh... got it."

Twilight's lip trembled slightly and she lunged forward, throwing her forelegs around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm going to miss you so much."

Spike reciprocated, one claw stroking her mane. "I know, Twi, I'm gonna miss you, too."

A shrill whistle made them both start. They pulled away from the embrace and gazed at each other. Despite the growing growl of the engine and the bustle of activity on the platform, the two shared a moment of deep silence.

Twilight's lips parts several times, as if chewing on her words, fighting to give voice what they were both feeling. Finally, she decided on a sad smile. "Goodbye, Spike."

Spike held her gaze for a moment, then leaned in and gave her a light peck on the cheek. Pulling back, he grinned widely. "See ya in a month, Twi!" With that, he turned and bounded towards the train door like a giant, scaled puppy.

Spike very carefully made his way down the train; apparently no matter his size, his tail had a tendency to slam into things. After a few muttered apologies to other passengers, he finally arrived at the first-class cabins, internally thanking his relation to the Royal Family.

He paused occasionally to check the numbers on the cabin doors against the gold ticket in his claw. Finding the right door, he opened it to find a lime-green unicorn sitting in one of the plush cushions.

"Oh, sorry sir, I—" Spike squinted. The unicorn had a mane of dark green with stripes of lighter mixed in, cut into a sharp crewcut. More importantly, Spike looked at the deep scowl on his face. "Heckel?"

The unicorn growled at him.

"Yeah, it's you." Spike chuckled and closed the door behind him then made his way to the cushion across from the surly guard. The felt padding was designed for two ponies, which made it a perfect size for Spike to lay on. He sank into it with a satisfied moan. "Oh, yeah. This is the only way to travel. You know, you look good without the enchantments. Is your brother—"

The door flew open, and Jeckel bounded into the room,  his thick, shaggy mane bouncing up and down, and landed on the cushion next to his brother, wrapping a foreleg around him. "Isn't this exciting, Heckie?!"

"Pft—H-Heckie?"

Jeckel ignored both the chuckles from Spike and the death glare from his twin. "You and me, guarding Mr. Spike! I had no idea you were so attached to him.”

A muffled chuckle came from Spike, and Heckel flushed. “I-I-I’m not! I only took the assignment because I knew you would mess it up! Somepony has to be professional, here!”

Their bickering faded into the background as Spike looked out the window. Twilight still stood on the platform, smiling wistfully at him. He smiled back as the train car suddenly lurched into motion.

A weight fell in his chest. This was it, the moment he had been both dreading and anticipating for so long. His old life stood on the platform, waving gently through the slight shroud of steam and smoke, while the train slowly began to move to—

"Oh, hey, it's Professor Sparkle!" Jeckel leaped to the window and stuck his entire top half out, waving frantically. "Bye, professor! Don't worry, we'll take real good care of him for you! You can count—glck!"

Heckel yanked him back into the car. "Would you please maintain some form of decorum?!"

"Oh, relax! We're on vacation!"

"We're on assignment!"

"General Armor's said we could take the rest of the week off. That order was never rescinded, so..." he blew a loud raspberry.

"Ugh, I should have let the princess kill me..."

Spike laughed and turned back to the front as the train picked up speed, taking him back to his ponies. His friends.

His home.