//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 Sanguine Soul 
// Story: Lunacy of Love 
// by Akashic Brony 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight sat spellbound as Luna and Rarity had explained the situation to her. “This is a lot to take in.”
“Darling, surely you know which of us is best for Spikey.” Rarity shook her mane to draw attention to herself.
“Forsooth, we all know who is best.” Luna stretched her wings, displaying her Alicorn status.
The two mares exchanged glares of intense loathing. Twilight was in the middle and when she raised a hoof to speak, they turned on her.
Rarity got in close, eyeballing Twilight. “Tell me. Tell me. Tell me!”
Luna blasted her voice slightly. “Twilight Sparkle, we ask of thee a verdict!”
Twilight mewed. “You’re both great!”
“Really? Darling, after all the years we’ve known each other?!”
“Tis not an answer, thou gives! We bid thee tell us.”
“Spike, help here!?” Twilight shouted as the mares advanced on her.
All three mares looked for the dragon to find an open doorway.
Luna and Rarity’s faces were red with anger.
Twilight scolded them. “What did you expect treating him like a prize to be won!? My little brother isn’t an object to be fought over!”
Rarity’s ears flopped. “Oh dear, I have behaved shamefully.”
Luna nodded. “We let our passions get the best of us.”

Spike was running again. Cowardice, it shamed him. He felt like he was a holder of Grand Galloping Gala tickets. This time there would be no Celestia to swoop in and offer a magical solution. He nearly pulled his head frills out thinking about it. He remembered his idiot friends Snips and Snails and how they’d joke about having mares chase after them. Now he lived the reality, he couldn’t bear to have Luna and Rarity tear each other or him apart. He wondered whether there were any clever third options. He ran from the light and into the shady alleyways of Ponyville.  
His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of crying. A distraught mare laughed in a hollow and sad reverb. “It was cloudy… now it’s raining!”
He edged closer and saw the shadow of the mare leaning against a wall around the corner.
“My soldiers! Lute, Starshine, Evanescent, Serene, I am sorry!”
Spike poked his head past the corner and saw that the proud Captain Nightshade was source of the sobbing.
“Nightshade? Are you okay?!”
The bat pony snapped to attention at the voice. She assumed the rigid default stance of the Royal Guard. Her face was equally stern. However, she couldn’t flick all the tears from her face.
“I heard you. I’m not here to make fun. I’m worried,” said Spike.
“Hey,” said Nightshade.
“Hay is for ponies. I happen to be a dragon.”
Nightshade snapped. “Shut up. Go away.”
She turned around, only to find Spike fly over her and block her path.
Spike spread his wings out, blocking the entire alleyway. “Not happening, talk to me first.”
“Yesterday I killed several of my own Guards. I don’t feel like talking.”
Spike cringed. He stepped forward and hugged her before she could jump away. “Hey they were already… dead… you can’t be angry at yourself.”
Nightshade paused then nodded. “… yeah they were already dead.” 
She smiled sadly. “Thanks for that…”
“You guards, hold us all up. I wonder who holds you up at times.”
Her cherry colored eyes looked into his, and Spike spotted her deliberately looking away when he saw her. Nightshade pushed him away softly. “I want to thank you.”
Spike brushed his head spines in embarrassment. “No need, protecting Equestria is enough for me.”
Nightshade persisted. “I want to offer you training for controlling your bloodlust. Look, I know how it is being surrounded by blood packs every day. These ponies are delicious.”
The mention of ponies as ‘delicious’ and ‘blood packs’ unnerved him a bit about the psychology of Nightshade. Her training didn’t seem to be something pleasant. “That is disturbing. I want no part in it.”
“And they call me repressed,” Nightshade grumbled. “Listen here dragon; I’m trying to help you!”
Spike stuck out his tongue playfully. “No offense but you got angry during our first fight. I beat you because you lost control. I don’t think you’re qualified to teach me a thing.”
“Yeah… I got angry… but I didn’t go feral. Did I? Even with what I felt and what I was fighting for, I kept control.”
Spike considered Nightshade’s love for Luna and her jealousy initially, it was true during their battle she didn’t become feral. That only raised the question if she was bad angry, what was she like when feral? “Okay, you got me interested.”
“Good let’s get a drink together.”

Nightshade lead Spike to small bar that seemed seal off to the general populace by the maze of dark alleyways that lead to it. Even if they were flying, he probably couldn’t spot it. He was astounded that such a place could be hidden near the center of Ponyville. The sign read in red lettering ‘The Cherry Chalice’.
The bar had a bat pony bouncer block the door with his Big Macintosh-scale body. “Captain Nightshade,” said the gruff bouncer acknowledging her with familiarity. 
He turned towards Spike with a raised a brow.
“He’s with me, Noche.” said Nightshade.
Noche nodded as they passed through. He then swung his head back. “Captain, how is he with you?”
Nightshade had anticipated him. “Not that way!”

The bar was rather calm; Spike suspected that these were far from peak hours if bat ponies were there frequent patrons. Aside from a couple of Night Guards, a Griffin, and the Earth Pony staff they were essentially alone. Even during day the place was dimly lit, the patrons had coats of dark ashen colors and seemed to blend in gray.
The waitress raised her right hoof in salute and locked her legs to military attention. She wasn’t saluting Nightshade but a flag behind the bar counter. Spike recognized that the arrangement of the frowning crescent moon, and a blood red star beneath it were earlier than the republic, they were symbols from the original Lunar Rebellion. “Long Live Luna!”
“Praise be to the night eternal,” said Nightshade saluting back.
The waitress turned to Spike and glared angrily at him. “Pay your respects to the flag of revolution!”  
Although an earth pony, the waitress had similar red shine to Nightshade’s own eyes. “Or are ye a rat for the republic?”
Nightshade waved the waitress off. “A recent acolyte of the night, he will learn.”
“Very well, Captain.” Waitress’s gaze lingered on Spike for a moment before she walked off to serve other customers.  
They sat at a smallish round table. Spike was somewhat unnerved by the looks he got from the other patrons. There were red glints in their eyes, even the Griffin when she lowered her sunglasses. Nightshade returned the looks and all of them turned back to their drinks.
Nightshade called out their order to the waitress. “We’ll have the red cognac.”
The waitress turned to Spike then to Nightshade. “Are you sure?”
“O positive,” said Nightshade, smiling.

Cold steam drifted from the opened bottle besides the two glasses set on the table. A glass was presented in front of Spike and filled with a cerise liquid. After pouring another glass for Nightshade, the waitress bowed and left. The contents however were more viscous than wine; Spike recognized it for what it was.
“No, I’m not doing this.” Spike pushed the glass away.
Nightshade pushed it back. “You wanted training. Here it is. Limited exposure over an extended period of time can reduce the urge.”
Spike shook his head. “How’s this helping? It’ll just increase it.”
“Abstinence isn’t the solution. You’re more liable to lose control if you don’t build a tolerance. You might not get an option when you’re in battle.”
“I won’t use my teeth in battle then. I can always use a sword like the Griffins. I have a sword at home; I’ve been meaning to wear it for more than ceremonies.”
“A dragon’s bite can break diamonds; you’d lose out on a valuable asset. You may need to use your fangs when your sword breaks. If you can use your jaws you’ll always be ready. If you have your jaws and a sword, you’ll be unstoppable.”
Spike then picked up the glass. He let it swirl slightly. The chalice of temptation beckoned he take a sip as the aroma wafted into his nostrils. It scared him that it was not the blood speaking but his own animal nature drawing to drink. “What if I like it?!”
“Then we’ll put you on a regular regimen of blood packs like some of my guards. We have many blood packs, but you’ll have few friends if you take bites out of them.”
Spike took the glass and took a gulp. It barely passed his tongue as he drank it like bitter medicine. However, save the metallic twinge of iron, he found the drink rather flavorless. He drank another gulp to confirm. Again it was the same. “It doesn’t taste as good as I thought. That night when I first tried it… it seemed like the most delicious thing though…”
“Ah that’s good. Your rational mind can process its flavor. Like hard cider though, I’m sure you’d lose that revulsion after a few cups. It must have tasted better when your mind was numb.”
Spike put the glass down. “If I can help it I never want to taste blood again.”
“Bite your opponents swiftly and withdraw before you taste them.”
The exercise was immensely helpful. Spike was elated that he now knew he didn’t prefer blood… at least when he was of sober mind. Satisfied he thought about the bat pony in front of him. He had questions for Nightshade. “You have a secret bar in Ponyville that serves blood, how many ponies are vampires?”
A Night Guard patron coughed and the waitress who was polishing glass crushed it with her hoof.
Nightshade hissed. “Don’t use that word, it’s a slur! It’s our word.”
Spike nodded. “Okay so tell me. So how many share your umm… condition?”
Nightshade pressed her muzzle to her glass. She stuck out her tongue and lapped up the liquid like Rarity’s cat, Opal, did with a saucer of milk. Spike found the mannerism to be rather cute. Nightshade spoke after wetting her tongue. “Our condition isn’t contagious with magical sealing that Luna herself developed. We kept vampirism limited to keep enough blood supplies for every pony. Also because we wanted to keep our combat advantage. We were Luna’s shock troops. Only the best could join the inner circle, and even then if they so desired.”
Spike raised a questioning claw. “Nightshade, how did you get your blood fix before hospitals and blood packs?”



The bat pony’s face became flushed with red. “After Luna forbade the practice of keeping blood pet slaves, well… we’d take lovers. Back then there were actually ponies eager for something exotic. Nowadays though, they fear us more than anything. I’m surprised even the Pegasi, Weather Warlords, have become sheep.”
Spike chuckled. “You must have taken many lovers then to have lived so long.”
“No! I drank from my own subordinate officers. I don’t know who they drank from though.”
“You can do that? So you never had a special somepony?”
“Grrrhhh, what is it to you?! I never had someone okay!” She pounded the table causing droplets of their drinks to spill.
“Nightshade, I didn’t mean to be mean. You deserve someone nice who would cherish and appreciate you. Have you considered changing your approach? Maybe if you were less abrasive you could get some more mares.”
“I’m not only into mares… I just want someone sensitive and kind.”
“Why is that the domain of just mares? Maybe change your standards? When Luna made you into a maid, the stallions were chasing you.”
Nightshade stared furtively into her glass. “Like flies they were. Those sort; I could kick into the dust and not feel a thing.” She looked up towards Spike. “Thanks for the advice.”
“What are friends for,” said Spike.
“Comrades?” Nightshade smiled.
“Friends.” said Spike bumping her hoof. “I’ll see you later.” 
He set his chair back and left.
“I’m always only just…” Nightshade sighed. She shouted at the waitress. “Another red! Extra iron! Give me a Bismarck, blood and iron!”

Spike returned to his library home. He heard no fighting; he guessed Luna and Rarity had left. It eased his mind but when the door swung open his saw both mares were waiting for him. He was about to swing out as well.
“Spikey,” Rarity said, “please don’t leave. We have something to say. It’s important to us and you.”
Luna closed the door with her magic. “Sir Spike, we realized how thou might feel with us warring. We vow we won’t.”
Spike nodded and cautiously entered the library.
Rarity rubbed her foreleg nervously. “It was uncouth of us to fight so. You aren’t a contest, a battle, or war. You’re our Spike, and we love you.”
He sighed. “It’s because I can’t decide is it? I’m sorry… I just love you both… You’re going ask me to decide aren’t you?”
Luna gave a kindly smile. “Sir Spike, do not presume what will be the subject of this conversation. We have decided it is too cruel to force thee to make a decision in so sudden a time. Instead we will hold off.”
“Spikey, until then we’ll both offer you our love… come the time, the heart will know.” Rarity swallowed hard to speak. “We promised no hard feelings.”
Spike smiled. “I love you both more for giving me this choice and the time to decide.”
“It was my idea.” Twilight hugged Spike from behind.
Luna said, with a warm smile. “As thee were with Rarity last night, we would be glad to have escort thee this night.”

Spike was left with Twilight after Luna and Rarity left on friendly or at least friendlier terms. He was waving them good bye from their door when Twilight yanked him inside with her magic.
Twilight had a devious grin. “So, Casanova, how did you snag a Princess?!”
Spike crossed his arms. “A gentle-drake never kisses and tells.”
“You kissed her?!” Twilight squealed. “That’s it! Tickle torture time! You’re going tell me everything!”
Twilight leapt at him and rubbed his sensitive belly scales. Spike fell to the floor laughing.

After the tussle had ended, Twilight and Spike lay on their back staring at clouds pass by their window. Spike felt an odd sense of relief, having had the details tickled out of him. It was a cathartic experience. 
Spike smiled. “Twilight time, always fun.”
“I’m calling it quits if you start building a harem,” Twilight smiled.
“Nah, Dragons are monogamous…”
Twilight groaned. “Argghhh! I swore to be a neutral party on pain of being a pincushion or being hit with a falling star.”
“It’s okay, Twi. I got to settle this on my own. It’s just on days like this a part of me wishes I could go back to being your assistant. The routine of it was brutal but I still found time to go over to Rarity’s and wag my tail like a dog begging for a treat.” Spike folded his claws over his belly.
“Sometimes I want to go back to school. Now that I’m teaching lessons instead of taking them, it gets a bit overwhelming. There’s only so much you can cram at one time.”
“Part of growing up, I guess is taking on more responsibilities until your claws are full.”   
“Luna wants me to lead the Mages’ Corp,  they’re a military unit! I’m going to have govern one day! The law books are mind numbing!” A strand of Twilight’s mane poked out as she stressed herself.
“Good luck with that or… you can be another ‘Prince’ Blueblood and just sit on your haunches.”
Twilight cringed. “Ewwww…. That’s an option?”
Spike laughed. “Twi, you’re not too rusty on sending stuff by spellfire are you?”
“I sent you everyone’s letters when you were out of country didn’t I?”
“You kind of burnt my throat a bit. Anyway could you send something bigger than a letter?”
Twilight smiled. “Can you burp it out?” 

All of Ponyville observed the sky. The humming of magic gem powered engines and spinning rotors sent ripples in the stillness of the night. As the battleship moved it generated a waste wake of clouds from its generator. Swinging to a lower altitude, the ship created an air pressure wave. The maelstrom of wind coalesced around Spike as he stared from the library door into sky. The warship was headed towards the library, to him.
“We see our chariot has arrived.”
Spike had been too distracted to notice had appeared Luna besides him. He raised brow at her as he stared upwards at the mass of metal. “A Cloud Carrier Warship?”
“Sir Spike, we wished for no interruption during out date.” Luna gestured grandly as she laughed. “Any who dares so attack us shall drown in a sea fire!”
Spike smiled. “Enjoying yourself? I hope you didn’t divert this ship from national defense just for our date.”
Luna coyly smiled. “Thou implies much, The HMS Thunderhead so happens to be my second escort for the evening. We are Equestria.”
“The words of tyrants!” Spike spoke playfully.
“Tis opportune that we used the royal ‘we’, the definition incomposes thee. Now let us take to wing.”

Spike and Luna flew to the ship, letting the evening breeze wash over their wings. Spike in particular felt the warm winds against his leather draconic wings as they neared the airship’s engines.
Landing onto the Pegasus flight deck, they folded their wings. A platoon of Pegasus guards saluted with their wings. Fancy Pants walked towards them.
“Sir Fancy Pants,” Luna said, “give us a status report.”
“You majesty, Cloudsdale Weather Control promises clear skies. The scouts report the same. I just sent their rotation replacements out.”
“Glorious, prithee, what of the Griffin War Wing and Zebra Airship?”
Fancy Pants smiled. “The two vessels remained moored in Everfree. If they attack, they’ll feel our larger and longer guns.”
“At ease then Captain. We expect their vanguard to be more than two ships should there be an assault.”
“Your majesty, I worry they may be scouting lands for a proper invasion should the coming Peace Summit fail.”
Spike spoke. “I spoke with them it seemed they were in a mind for peace. If they wanted an excuse, those assassins gave it to them.”
“True.” Fancy Pants rubbed his moustache.
Luna bumped against Spike affectionately. “We have thee to thank for thy resolution of the situation. Your message saved us from having to implicate them in the press conference.”
“A fine job, lad,” said Fancy Pants, smiling.
Spike shrugged. “Shucks, I figured I was just doing my job as ambassador. I never figured palling around and making friendly would be so useful.”
Luna turned toward Fancy Pants. “Have thee made ready the preparations?”
Fancy Pants nodded. “Yes, your majesty.”  

Luna led him to the conning tower of the airship where a white cloth draped table had been set for them. They sat down and were promptly served. Luna had some light leafy lettuce while Spike was given an ample assortment of gems. So far above the clouds and with the extra height of the conning tower they dined as if amongst the stars themselves.  
Spike chuckled at the location. “They call airships ‘dragon slayers’ elsewhere. Yet you bring me to one.”
“Are thee scared?” Luna giggled. “We shall protect thee!”
“Nah it’s just interesting. The Griffin King once told me, the nations of the world are defined by their specialty. Dragons have pyromancy, Griffins have technology, Zebras have chemistry, and Equestria has sorcery.”
“Tis a fair assessment, we would be inclined to agree.”
“I think he was mistaken on the last.”
“Oh? So tell us, Sir Spike.”
“I think the real magic of Equestria though is the cooperation of three races that built this ship. Pegasus Cloud Generators, Earth Pony Engineering, and Unicorn Gemstone Power, it all makes this ship of friends work.”
“Sagely words, dost thou know Starswirl the Bearded?”
“Yeah, I’ve been long enough with Twilight to know about her idol. She in fact asked me to ask you about him. You talked to the guy didn’t you?”
“Starwirl twas not as profound as he led others to believe. The wizard was wise in one regard though.”
“What was that?”
“He would take big puffs from his pipe, scratch his prodigious beard, look ever so vaguely into the distance, and raise one of his broad eyebrows.” Luna playfully mimed the motions to Spike’s amusement. “After the great show he would nod.”
Spike laughed. “Wow, Twi is going to be disappointed. So the guy was a big poser.”
“Even a fool is thought to be wise as the gods if he stays silent and nods.”
Spike twisted his face into a the most serious form he could. He blew a smoke ring, scratched his chin, turned his head off to the left, and raised a brow ridge. After a moment he nodded.
Luna laughed clapping her hooves. “Bravo! A most convincing impersonation!”
“Twilight got his spell right though, so he was probably onto something.”
“Sadly Starswirl was not incorrect… alas it was not his failure… but that of his so called companions. Friendship tis a lovely boat with room for many in calm waves. The storm cometh… often it becomes a raft for one. The three pony tribes waged war when such a calamity came.”
“I remember helping to narrate the Hearths Warming Eve play. The Windigo spirits came and brought the cold.” Spike noticed Luna’s sigh. “I trust that wasn’t all?”
“My sister, Celestia, was fond of white washing history for a more pleasant telling. Dost thou wish to hear the truth?”
“Luna, I value truth. Please tell me.”
“A natural ice age caused conflict due to lack of resources. Windigos are hate filled spirits that take up the bodies of the fallen to reap revenge without discrimination or thought. The cold kept many corpses for them to inhabit and the conflict gave an ample supply. Uniting the tribes became a matter of survival when the dead outnumbered the living.”
A chill ran down Spike’s spine.
“The depopulation from fighting and the Windigos removed the strain on resources therefore permitting peace. Twas an alliance borne not of fellowship but of convenience.”
“Wow sounds like an epic premise for a story. It’s rather scary that it’s real though.”
“We apologize, tis not a proper subject for dining conversation.”
“Luna you know so much about history. If you want sometime, we could write a book.” Spike recalled taking a million letters for Twilight. They had a system going, he could imagine having Luna do the same with him. “It’ll be a true version of history. You dictate and I’ll do the quill work.”
Luna placed a hoof on his claw. “Thou says we ought to dictate, that would make us a dictator. Nay Sir Spike, we could write such a tome together, burning the midnight oil until we were so tired that we’d fall into each other.”
Spike blushed.
“Thy commentary would be most amusing! We could allow thee to assess mine memories.”

It seemed the perfect moment. Spike drew a napkin and used his spell fire to send it. Luna looked on and tilted her head inquisitively. Spike raised a claw to signal her to wait. He hoped Twilight had remembered the napkin as her cue. He felt fire come from his throat and he blew the emerald flames unto the table. Luna clapped her hooves in delight as a red bowed and white gift wrapped package appeared. Spike sipped water from his glass; Twilight was still new to sending post by spell fire, and his throat was made somewhat sore. After he recovered he turned to Luna. “Open it.”
Luna delicately untied the bow but struggled with the gift wrapping.
Spike chuckled at her attempts, he was reminded of her dissecting food and how she ended up wolfing it down when she wanted. “Luna, it’s okay, gift wrapping is cheap.”
Luna smiled and eagerly then tore through it messily. He hoped the book was to her liking. She read the cover aloud. “A Celestial Body of Poetry, by Moonbeam. A most wonderful gift! We love poetry.”
Spike breathed in relief. “I’m glad you like it.”
“We have a gift for thee as well.” Luna summoned a dark portal. She pulled from the void a saber sword. Luna presented Spike with the weapon. “Thou expressed a desire to fence. While the standard issue saber is given to ambassadors, we felt this weapon more appropriate.”
He remembered his ceremonial saber was light, when he wore it to the Dragon Dominion, several drakes called it a ‘tooth pick’. Spike held the sword in his claws, it had respectable heft. 
The scabbard was lacquered with some midnight blue paint and inlaid with silver designs that depicted battles long forgotten. The hilt guard was silver as well with a crimson handle. As it was pulled from its scabbard, the sterling blade was blinding in its brilliance. He felt the curved saber was smiling to him. It had a blood thirst and eagerness to be swung tempered by the weapons natural elegance. 
Luna smiled at his enthusiasm. “The best weapons have names. This one is called the Crimson Crescent.” 
He stood up, held his arm out, and shook it in his grasp. Then, he gave a few practice parries and attacks. “It’s balanced perfectly,” he said with a smile. When he held the blade to the sky, Spike examined the pommel of the saber. It bore the initials ‘S.S.’ engraved elegantly. “Luna, who was this S.S.?”
Luna quickly pulled the sword to her to see. She quickly smiled nervously as she returned the blade to him hilt first. “It stands for Sir Spike.”
Somehow her explanation seemed improvised in lieu that she was surprised that there was an engraving. Spike didn’t buy it; the handle’s silver was polished smooth from a history of use. He could see the fissure cracks of a lie as evident on the craters on the moon. Yet the pain it brought to her, he didn’t want press further. Her smile was sadly sweet and expected his favor. He bowed. “It’s an excellent gift. Thank you.”
“Here, try it on, Sir Spike.” Luna produced a blue sash inlaid with silver for him. She wreathed the sash around his head while Spike folded his right wing. Spike secured the sword scabbard into the provided loop.
“How do I look?” Spike planted a foot on his chair  and held an arm to the saber on his hip. He struck a dramatic pose.
“The maidens would swoon for thee!”

A Guard in golden armor approached them. Luna and Spike spun around to see what the matter was. The Guard immediately lunged towards Spike and smacked his face with her hoof. “Dragon! You killed my squadmates! Beast!”
Several Night Guards pounced upon the distraught mare.
She shrieked as she was held down. “My beloved Lute! He was a good husband! I want blood!”
Spike immediately recalled the dead puppets he fought to protect Luna. “I’m sorry, they were already dead.”
The mournful mare sobbed for sorrow and anger. “He was brainwashed! You didn’t have to roast him alive! His funeral will be closed casket! You monster! He was under an influence spell! You didn’t have to burn him!”
The Night Guards led the mare away, with her kicking and screaming the whole way. Spike felt the ache on his cheek where the mare had slapped him.
Fancy Pants bowed. “Your majesty, forgive me. The Guard showed no signs of a breaking down. She was a fine soldier. It was an oversight she found her way aboard.”
Luna lower head sadly. “Sir Fancy Pants, the maladies of the mind do not make themselves immediately apparent. Soldiers related to those lost… that day… they should be rotated. There shall be a time for grieving. Set her upon indefinite leave with pay. Watch over her that she does not take her own life. We grant thee all resources required in this endeavor.”
Fancy Pants bowed. “I shall assign someone to console her on grief… hopefully a guardian angel upon her shoulders.” He left to make the appropriate orders.  
“What did that guard mean by brainwashed? That night I thought we were fighting corpses…”
“It was later revealed the enemy had not slain all the guards, a number had been simply entranced. There was no way to knowing.”
“Luna, that’s a lie… I recalled that evening Captain Nightshade having reservations… she was trying to speak out… she sensed that not all were dead.”
Luna calmly sipped from her wine glass. “Thou art most observant… terribly so.”
“That’s why I found Nightshade crying…”
“She was?” Luna winced, she then composed herself and speech.  “…Thou will arrive at the conclusion. We ask thee not to blame Captain Nightshade. A leader accepts responsibility—”
“Then you knew!”
Luna spoke softly. “Of course I compelled her to silence.”
Spike recalled unleashing a torrent of flames into a group of ‘zombie’ ponies. Each of the faces he saw could have been a husband, wife, father, mother, son or daughter. He clenched his claw and grit his teeth. “I killed living ponies because of you. That mare doesn’t have a husband!”
“Thou art mine subject. I will accept the blame.” Luna then spoke sternly. “Firstly ask thyself would thee be alive were it not for the lie? Thine hesitance in battle would hath been fatal.”
“What about after the battle?”
Luna then was more hesitant. “We did not wish the deaths to weigh on thine conscience.”  
“I don’t need your protection! You’re supposed to be the leader of our Equestria. Ponies look up to you!”
“In preservation of this republic and nation… for the greatest good... we must make difficult decisions. At times we must employ a noble lie to support the narrative of unity and harmony. What wouldst thou have done in mine stead?”
“It wasn’t right that you lied… You’re a terrible pony!” Spike stood up. “You manipulate me… you got between me and Rarity… you’re pulling my strings right now with your words!”
“I have murdered and manipulated more than thou will ever know. Even then it pales to Celestia’s sins. This is burden of the crown. None can be called innocent that wear it. Those who give orders play with others’ strings of fate.”
Spike wailed. “Am I your puppet too? You made me love you! Did I love the lie?”
Luna lowered her head. “Sir Spike, forget of me. Go back to fair Rarity.”
“I will!” Spike ran for the stairs.

He was brimming with anger. In the natural course of events he’d have been with Rarity were it not for Luna’s intervention. Luna had confessed to fabricating factors to insert herself in between Rarity and him. Now she had used him to commit no less than murder. He felt himself dirtied by having been deceived. He looked back and sighed; even Rarity pulled his strings when he was younger by using his affections to have him work for her. Spike supposed he had a general resentment towards being pulled like a puppet. Luna’s logic still was sound, it was the lack of choice that made him bitter.
Spike was back into the airship corridors when he noticed the rattling saber hanging from his hip. He took it off with the sash and stormed back. He was going to make it official and resign. In claws, though, he noticed the weapon was guiding him back. Its rattling wasn’t due to his swagger, the weapon shook of its own will. He wanted to be rid of the demonic blade even more now. Halfway stomping up the steps, he heard her… crying.

Luna’s tears sparkled like the stars as she wept. Darkness pooled in her depression and the energy swirled around her. 
She arched her head to sky and shouted. “Mother moon! Why tie me here to this cursed plane?! Why?! Can I hold onto nothing I love?! Why give me a heart if it will only hurt! Choose another peasant girl from the fields! I deny destiny!”
“Luna?”
Luna froze as he stepped up from the stairwell. She shielded her eyes from him. “Leave me be!”
First Nightshade, and now Luna… ponies were hurting all over. Spike couldn’t bear it. “No, right now you need a friend.”
“Sir Spike? Why did thee return?”
“I came to give you back this sword.” The saber’s rattling had reminded him to return to Luna. Even as he presented it, the weapon didn’t seem to want to leave his claws. Regardless, he forced it down to the table as gently as he could.
Luna nudged the weapon back to Spike with her hoof. “It was a gift. It favors thee over me… Take it.”
“Luna, let’s talk then.” Spike pulled up a chair. “I didn’t realize it was hurting you so much.”
“Thou asked me once whether if I should liked to have traveled the world as a stranger free of responsibility… nothing would have pleased me more.”
“The chains of command, they bind you just as much?”
“The chains choke me, yet I know of none more so suited. I grew to love and hate them.”
“Those decisions weigh heavily on your conscience, don’t they?”
Luna rose from her chair and stared off into the dark abyss absent of stars. “Nay, the cold does… I am more shocked that I am unmoved. Chess pieces upon a board are not named; have no loved ones… and they do not cry as they die. Power has become a puzzle, a game to me… We lost dozens of guards, there are thousands more. We could clear the board a million more times.” 
Luna laughed hollowly before trailing to sobs. “Yet ye mourn the loss of so few, hath shown me my own cruelty!”
It became evident for Spike; often others would draw the moon as they saw it as a immaculate sphere, however, this face was a false facade. The moon was cratered and battle scarred, like Luna herself. Luna was fallible, capable of falling and hurting. He couldn’t forgive a perfect goddess but he could forgive her.
Spike stood up pushing away his chair. He wrapped his arms around Luna and brushed her mane with tenderness. “Luna, if you’re aware then you’re not as cold as you think you are. I want to be there for you. But firstly—” 
He pulled her back slightly and looked her straight on. “If things are to work between us… I want you to tell me the truth from now on… no matter how you might want to protect me. We can share in the burden.” 
Spike lifted her chin. “Nature has given you a beautiful face you don’t need to make another one.”
“Twas Shakespony thou quoted.” Luna chuckled.
Spike chuckled in embarrassment. “Well words are timeless.”
“If thou ask that I cast away mine mask; I want to hear in ears words of thine own.”
Spike pulled her close again. “If your heart grows cold, then let mine warm you. If your days darken, let me light them. If you cry, let me hold you.” 
As Luna had been there when he was at his lowest and coldest, Spike simply stood there and provided her warmth. In the cloudless sky the stars paid witness and blessed them with their evanescent shine. 

She had only the chirr of her sewing machine to keep her company. The little light bulb within the machine lit her way through the darkness. Stitch after stitch, hers was a labor of love. She strained her eyes to peer through her red reading glasses, each stitch had to be perfect. Another needle snapped trying to puncture the enchanted fabric. 
Fluttershy yawned. “Oh my Rarity, it’s getting rather late.”
Rarity was drawn back from her thoughts. Fluttershy had been feeding her bolts of cloth as she frantically sewed.  “Fluttershy dear, I’m sorry I forgot you were here.”
“I’m glad to help Rarity. Also I miss our spa days.”
“Darling, I’m sorry it’s just things have gotten out of hoof as of late.”
“Oh I know Rarity, everypony has their own direction now. Sometimes I feel they’ve left me all behind.”
Rarity was prompted to raise a brow. Her friend was rather successful in her eyes to the extent she was rather jealous of Fluttershy at times. “Fluttershy, you’re a fully qualified veterinarian with a thriving practice. You example has inspired the opening of animal hospitals throughout Equestria.”
Fluttershy rubbed her leg timidly. “I know but it’s just I haven’t seen everypony as much as I want recently. They’re often too busy or I’m too busy. It was just easier to let things be.”
Rarity sighed, sadly. There had been a drift as each of their friends fulfilled their dreams; as a career mare she knew how little time she had when first building her boutique. It had been more comforting to simply let things be. 
“Darling, you’re absolutely right. Life has a way of putting us into our corners of comfort… I apologize for calling you on such short notice just to have you help me.”
Fluttershy spoke without any passive aggression. “It’s okay, this job must be really important to you.”
Rarity stood up as she swelled with passion. “The most important. It must be avant-garde yet functional! Beautiful yet masculine. It must be perfect!”
“Rarity, who’s the lucky stallion?”
Rarity abruptly stopped her dramatic spinning. “It’s for Spike.”
Fluttershy gasped for air.
Rarity narrowed her gaze and removed her red reading glasses. “Is there a problem?”
Fluttershy squealed with joy and hugged her friend. “No it’s fantastic! Rarity, so you stopped chasing after your knight in gleaming armor?”
“No Fluttershy, he was there all along, I just was too blinded by his shine to notice.”
“What about… your special somepony…. I mean somedragon being… well a dragon?”
“I suffered the rumors and ruination of my business to the Canterlot Elite. I don’t care anymore because I care about Spike more. I’ll shout it from a mountain if I have to. If I can’t sell my wares here, I’ll… I’ll sell them in the Dragon Dominion!” She rubbed a hoof thoughtfully on her cheek. “Dragons like armor do they? I suppose metal is a material like any other. I’ll make suits of metal then.”
Fluttershy shrunk curling up slightly. “Rarity can you keep a secret? I’ve always been scared of giant, terrible, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp scale-having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, totally all grown up dragons. I became afraid of Spike as he grew older, but I’m more afraid to admit it. I saw Spike the other day; I wanted to say something…”
“Fluttershy darling, I think we all are all afraid a bit, but Spike has had it hard these years. We never considered how it might affect him.”
“Rarity you’ve had it hard too.”
“I suppose all this time we’ve been torturing each other. We developed a routine of suppressed intimacy. He’d come over and help; and he’d look at me when he thought I wasn’t looking. I doubt he’d notice but I looked at him a lot myself… As he grew past the point of cute… it became difficult.”
Rarity let the humming of her sewing machine distract Fluttershy while she contemplated. Rarity finally spoke. “We’ve been so close but neither of us wanted to become closer because of how it might hurt, instead we’d just continue the same routine ad infinitum. Spike was the first to break this stalemate… oh I reacted terribly.” Rarity buried her face in her hooves. “There were those days where I could just whisper his name and he’d come to me. Now I’m not sure.”
Fluttershy rubbed Rarity on the back consolingly. “Rarity, from all you told me… I’m sure Spike loves you. You certainly love him.”
“I’m losing him. I know it. It’s driving me crazy.” Rarity returned to her sewing. She felt she was working with the strings of fate themselves. Each strand of thread that eventually bonded the two cloths made her think of Spike and herself, with each passing moment being another second closer to him. In every project she gave pieces of herself, here she resolved she would give it her all. Could she sew together a broken heart?