//------------------------------// // The Warmth of the Night // Story: Aged Scales // by XineLegacy //------------------------------// "Spike, your headache will return in the morning," said Luna. "Take these painkillers once every hour starting tomorrow." She gestured to a clear plastic bag containing dozens of small white pills. "Don't spellbreathe for at least seventy-two hours." "Thank you, Princess. Both Twilight and I owe our lives to you," Spike replied, taking the bag of of the bedside table. "It is my duty and my pleasure to help the citizens of Equestria in any way I can." The Princess turned to pick up the spellbreathing book from the other table. "Uh, Princess, I was wondering if I could keep that for a few weeks. I'd like to practice a bit of magic at home. After three days of course." "Magic," Twilight whispered to herself. "Hey, speaking of magic," she said aloud. "Where's my horn?!" Celestia slowly reached for the jar on the opposite table and gave it to Twilight. She stared in shock at what was inside. Her horn. Her own horn. A part of her body. "Oh, no. Does this mean I can't do magic anymore, Princess?" she asked, hanging her head. "I can reattach it," said Celestia. "But you have to be fully healed for that. Judging by your injuries, it'll be at least a week before I can safely perform the spell on you. And there's something else." She took the jar from Twilight's hoof. "In order for it to be reattached, it must still be alive. A unicorn's horn remains alive for two days and two days only after detachment. Someone has to keep it alive for a week until I can reattach it." "Keep it alive? How?" "By fueling it with raw magical energy once a day." "I'll do it." said Rarity. "Are you sure you can do it?" "Anything to help Twilight." "Thank you, Rarity," Twilight replied. "Raw energy is a bit difficult to produce, but I'll manage." "Excellent," said Celestia, giving the jar to Rarity. "What about Applejack?" Rainbow gestured to the still-slumbering pony at the other side of the room. "She won't be fully conscious until after two days. Leave her here for the time being. You won't be allowed in here again until then anyway." "Hey, where are Applebloom, Granny Smith and Big Mac?" asked Spike. "They don't know anything about this. Applebloom and her class went on a family camp-out field trip with her school. They should be back by tomorrow morning, and I will send them a letter informing them of what has happened." Spike nodded and turned to Luna. "Princess Luna, about the book?" Luna sighed. "Alright. Keep it-and yourselves-safe. I best be going. I have much work to do." "Twilight," began Celestia. "Your brother and your parents should be over to see you tomorrow evening. I'll send a letter informing them that you'll be okay. Now, I should leave as well. Oh, and seeing as you're all exhausted, there will be five carriages waiting outside the hospital to take you to your homes." "Bye Princess!" Twilight called as the two sisters walked into the doorway and disappeared in a flash of light. Rainbow yawned. "Let's go." "But what about Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy pointed at the pony sleeping in the other room. "Guess we'll have to wake her up." Rainbow Dash walked over to her slumbering friend. She put a hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "Hey Pinkie, we're leaving. Spike's okay, don't worry." Pinkie kept snoring. "Come on Pinkie, let's go!" Rainbow tugged her foreleg. No reaction. Rainbow grabbed Pinkie's face. "Pinkie Pie! Get up!" Still no reaction. "PINKIE! GET UP!" shouted the pegasus. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz... "Hold on," said Spike. "Let me try." Rainbow moved aside with a grunt. Spike cleared his throat, then spoke in a barely audible tone. "Cupcakes." "CUPCAKES!?" Pinkie exclaimed, her eyes opening to be the size of watermelons. "Whe-SPIKE!" Before he could react, she picked him up, then dropped him one foot off the ground. He fell down on his rump and Pinkie pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. She let him go as she calmed down from her outburst. "I knew you'd make it Spike! What did I miss?" "Nothing really," said Spike. "I'm alive, Twilight's alive and we can come back here in two days to see an alive Applejack." "We're leaving now, darling." Rarity said. "Princess Celestia was kind enough to get us carriages so we wouldn't have to walk." She yawned. "Alright," replied Pinkie with her own yawn. They made their way out of the room and down the hallway. They reached the reception room in silence and walked out the door. There stood five elaborate and intricately carved carriages, painted white and yellow. Each one was pulled by a pair of stallions. Everyone was too tired to really notice any of it, and they all simply boarded and told the stallions where they had to go. "Ponyville library," said Spike after helping Twilight up. The moon was quickly making its way to its place in the sky as the stallions started running with their respective carriages. Spike watched each one of the others disappear over the horizon before turning back to Twilight. She still had her bandages on. "Hey, let me take those off for you." Twilight stopped his hand. "It's alright, I'll take them off when we get home." A few seconds of quiet followed. "Heh. Home." "It's funny?" "No, it's just...it feels like it's been so long." They sat in silence for the rest of the ride. "We're here," said one of the stallions. Spike and Twilight got off the carriage carefully. "No payment required, courtesy of Princess Celestia." The stallions galloped off. Spike hurried to the front door and opened it just as Twilight caught up. "Thanks Spike." She walked inside and he quickly followed. "Ah, home at last." He flicked on the light and turned to Twilight. "Here, now let me get those bandages off." He hurried over to where she was standing. She had three bandages on; one around her neck, one on her leg and one around her torso. "Twilight, stand still." He got onto his knees and slipped claw into the bandage. Riiiiip! The bandage fell to reveal a large scar running up her leg. Spike tried to ignore it. He moved to her back. "You'll have to hold your breath for this one, or I might cut your stomach." Twilight inhaled loudly and puffed out her cheeks. Spike quickly sliced the second bandage in one clean swipe. A look of horror washed over his face as the white cloth drifted to the ground and the area became visible. A big closed gash extending from her left hindleg to the middle of her back was what greeted his eyes. "Oh, god. This is terrible. I can't believe this." "Never mind about that right now. Just...just cut the last bandage." Spike took a deep breath. "Okay. You're gonna have to lower your head." Twilight bent her neck towards the ground. And then the images started coming back. Images of the attack. She clenched her teeth and felt a tear slide down her cheek. Spike used a claw from each hand and punctured the bandage from the inside upwards. He then pulled his hands apart while against the bandage, cutting it in a straight line. It fell to the ground slowly, but Twilight's fur still obscured the stump of her horn. She started quivering just as Spike withdrew his hand. "Twilight?" he asked softly. "Are you alright?" She grabbed him with a jerk of her forelegs and held on tight, pulling him into a hug. "I was so scared Spike!" Tears now flowed freely down her face. "I thought-I thought they were going to kill me. I thought I was gonna die in the forest!" Spike returned the embrace, somewhat dazed. "Twilight, it's over. It's all over. Try to forget it ever happened." "I can't! I know it's going to haunt me for the rest of my life!" "Twilight, we're home. After all of it. It's a happy ending. The diamond dogs are gone. I'm right here, and I'm still alive. Applejack's alive too." She calmed down slowly and her crying got quieter. "Thanks Spike. Thanks for saving me." "Hey, I know you would have done the same for me. And besides, if you didn't survive, I wouldn't have either. Twilight, you're the closest thing I have to a family." Twilight's sobbing stopped after a few seconds, and she released him slowly. "Really? But what about the Princess?" "Celestia? Yes, she raised me, and I'm grateful to her but...she was always busy. She raised me but...I never really felt loved. And I knew that it couldn't have been any different. I wish it could have been, but it just wasn't possible." Spike breathed slowly. "There's something..." He exhaled. "Something I never told anyone before. You know when we go for walks or I go to do something outside the library?" "Yeah." "Every single time I see a family or a brother with his sister or a father with his son-anything like that-I get so...so jealous. Jealous of them. Jealous because they have a family and I don't. Every time. But every time I also think of you, Twilight. You're my family. You love me like any family member. You are my family, Twilight. And I know its strange, But I love my family just the way it is. I don't care if you're not really my sister or my cousin. Because I wouldn't have it any other way." "Oh, Spike!" She pulled him into a hug again, though it only lasted a few seconds this time. Spike yawned upon letting go. "Well, time to hit the hay." He marched up the stairs and into the bedroom that they shared. Just as he threw the bag of painkillers onto a nearby table, he realised something. "Uh, Twilight?" "Yes?" "I don't think I can fit in this basket anymore." He pointed at his old bed. "Actually, Spike," she said timidly. "I was thinking that maybe you could sleep...in my bed tonight? With me? Just for tonight?" Spike smiled. He made his way to her bed and climbed onto the sheets. He turned to Twilight. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Twilight returned the smile and got up on the bed with him. She laid down slowly and Spike quickly followed. He curled himself up into a ball and Twilight arched over him, pulling him against her stomach. "Good night." "Good night." Spike was about doze off, when he felt shivering. Twilight shivering. Let's take care of that. He heated his center, breathing steadily. The heat began to spread, with him still focusing on his breath. A warm glow surrounded him. As soon as he felt her fur on his scales, the shivering stopped. "I love you Twilight." "I love you too, Spike."