//------------------------------// // Visitors // Story: Spike's Shadow // by DraconequusMaximus //------------------------------// Spike was a less than happy dragon as Celestia's sun peered over the horizon. Due to the strain of the forced wing growth the previous day Spike's body was much too tired to move. That, coupled with his extreme weight made it impossible to be moved inside. Unfortunately last night the local pegasi had also saw fit to cause a rainstorm. A little storm couldn't hurt Spike, but the chill combined with his low magic levels made it difficult to keep his body temperature up. Halfway through the night, Spike had started feeling groggy and unfocussed. Reptiles don't handle cold well, though Spike was normally never without the fire in his belly. The chill, his aches and pains, and the pitter-patter of raindrops on his scales made it absolutely impossible for Spike to sleep. Lyra and Sombra had planted a beach umbrella firmly in the ground before leaving him to rest late that night, but the noise of drops hitting the umbrella was equally annoying. Spike's current thoughts were of envy, as Sombra had been given permission to use his bed for the night and Bon Bon had stayed the night with Lyra. Everyone but him had likely slept well, all the while he suffered in the muddy yard. It wasn't anyone's fault, but in his semi-delirious state Spike's thoughts weren't collected enough to realize it. With some effort, Spike lifted his head despite the protest of each and every one of his innumerable muscles and knocked the umbrella over. As soon as it was cast aside, Spike set his head back on the ground as slowly as possible and let himself bask in the sun like a common gecko. It would at least help his mind function at a relatively normal level once he got to a higher core temperature. Though with his size it might take a few hours to make a difference. "Oooh, that's the stuff. Thank you, Celestia." Spike cooed. "Oh yes, thank my sister for throwing around a ball of flaming gas. Heaven forbid anyone ask me how long it takes to paint the entire night sky and move around a trillion tons of rock." A familiar voice scoffed sarcastically. Spike looked up to see the familiar silhouette of Princess Luna, and eventually saw the playful smirk on her face as she landed in front of him. "Good to see you, Luna. I'd try and bow, but I feel like I went ten rounds with a rock-slide at the moment." Spike apologized. "Yes, I had assumed that this was why you hadn't entered The Dreaming last night. You're usually an excellent sleeper, very innocent dreams and sincere, selfless nightmares about the fates of your loved ones. "Most ponies have nightmares about personal things, but all you do is worry about others. Even though you know what is to come, and that you must face it head on. I would be hard-pressed to find such a fine stallion in this era." Luna complimented. Spike smiled at that, even though it pained him. "We both know you're a married mare, Luna. Even if the public doesn't. Where is your shadow today anyway? The two of you are practically inseparable, but I can't smell her." Spike asked. Luna smiled, glad to see Spike's senses weren't dulled in his condition. Though it was a bit strange for Spike to be so direct. As of late Zecora's penchant for being coy and cryptic had begun rubbing off on him. Luna decided to give her good friend a pass, considering his sorry state of health. Luna looked at the ground where one would expect to see their shadow, but as Spike had stated it was nowhere to be seen. Many ponies wouldn't have noticed it missing, but Spike's senses made him more aware of his surroundings than most. Even when Spike was barely lucid, apparently. "Selene is on a mission at the moment. She is up on our moon, preparing it for the worst. If Dootha does return it would be the only place for pony-kind and anyone else we can save to flee. We are stockpiling supplies and are prepared to expend a great deal of our own magic to make it more liveable. The last bastion of Earth's life. We felt it necessary, considering over half of the intelligent races were culled by Dootha in his first campaign." Luna informed Spike. Spike cast a glance upward to look at the fading visage of Luna's natural satellite. He had never spent much time thinking of how hospitable the environment was up there on the moon. It must be at least mildly liveable for Luna to have stayed up there for a thousand years as Nightmare Moon. Spike reasoned internally. "I guess it makes sense to have a Plan B, huh? Just make sure my family gets their tickets on the first trip up there if I screw things up. I don't intend to lose, but I'd be stupid if I didn't think it was a possibility." Spike requested. Luna frowned at Spike, but couldn't fault him. By dragon standards Spike was a mere hatchling and had yet to even master three of the seven ancient magics taught to dragons by the first gods of the Earth. Spike had every right to be insecure about the coming trials. Luna couldn't feel blameless either, considering Spike would be a thousand years older had she not placed Spike's egg in stasis out of fear. However that also would have meant Twilight Sparkle would have never become Celestia's pupil, and it was entirely possible that Luna as Nightmare moon would have ended the world by depriving it of the sun. Dootha would have reawakened, likely preyed upon the remaining immortals, then used their blood to raise a whole new army. In the end, it wouldn't be worth it to try and change the past. Far too many variables to consider. Luna resolved. "We have great confidence in your abilities, Spike. But the future of the collective species' of the Earth is in question and cannot be left to chance. Which is why I am here now. We need you on your feet as soon as possible. There is little time to rest if what Zecora informed me of is correct." Luna implored. Spike watched as Luna lit her horn and levitated a scroll out of her mane. It was made of heavy-weight parchment with silver-leaf designs all around the edges. It was bound with a black and purple ribbon that Spike recognized as the ones Luna frequently used when mailing him. Soon after a fancy quill-pen followed, leading Spike to believe he was to sign something. "This scroll is a modified version of an ancient rite used for thousands of years. It isn't quite as old as the magic of your people, but they had little use for such arts. This is a contract I drew up for you and your pet, soon to be your familiar. "Percival has already given his consent and left his mark on the parchment. All you need do is muster the strength to sign. I have imbued the scroll with enough mana to bring him here to you, all you need do is complete the spell." Luna explained, leaving Spike utterly confused. A dragon's memory actually increased with age up to a certain point, and Spike had no recollection of a pet named Percival. "Okay, I'm a little lost. I remember reading about familiars, but I have no idea who Percival is. Or what Percival is." Spike admitted. Luna face-hooved, having forgotten to elaborate further. "Percival is the lengthened, proper-sounding name I have taken to calling your phoenix, Peewee. He has been hanging about Sister's phoenix Philomena like a love-sick puppy as of late." Spike's tired eyes lit up at the mention of Peewee. It had been ages since Spike had seen the little bird he had lovingly cared for as an egg and for several weeks after. Luna laid out the contract on the dry patch of earth in front of Spike and set the quill beside it. Spike saw a bird's claw-print on the parchment and a warmth filled his cold body almost instantaneously. It's so big~! Peewee's not a peewee anymore. I wonder if I'll recognize him? Spike wondered. Spike inhaled and exhaled several times, preparing himself. With a tremendous effort Spike managed to lift his right arm and pick up the quill. Though it was just barely legible Spike managed to scrawl his name with his tired arm. A second after the embarrassingly daunting task was finished Spike's arm fell to the ground as if it had died. Which incidentally, it felt that way also. Spike's passable signature and Peewee's claw-print glowed green and orange respectively as soon as the contract was completed. Spike felt a mild tingling sensation, but other than that nothing seemed to happen. "Okay? So now what?" Spike asked of Luna. "You now need only to call for Percival and he will come. You are now bonded to one another. I have had many familiars throughout the years before my banishment and they were all beloved companions. I am sure Percival will be ecstatic to share an even deeper bond with you." Luna replied. Spike nodded and did as instructed. "Peewee." For a time nothing happened, but after a few seconds the contract burned itself away and even the ash dissipated into a blue aura. Spike recognized it immediately as Luna's power, both from experiencing it and from using his draconian senses. However a new signature that Spike was unfamiliar with was slowly coming through. Luna's magic always feels and tastes like cool nighttime air in autumn. Celestia's is like laying in the midday sun in spring. Mom's is lilac scented and feels like warm blankets. This isn't even pony magic... It must be Peewee. Spike wondered, surprised at the new magic's strength. The fog of blue aura lit up after another few seconds, a blinding light rendering it into nothingness and momentarily blinding Spike. Spike looked up to find a truly beautiful bird setting atop his comb. The bird was an eye catching blend of golds, reds, yellows, and oranges. At first Spike almost mistook it as Philomena, Celestia's phoenix, but the bird was altogether too big. Spike knew Peewee was now in full maturity, but the sheer majesty of the bird Peewee had become was rather breathtaking. "Peewee? Is that you? You're so big!" Spike exclaimed with joy. Squawk! Peewee replied with equal enthusiasm. "Young Percival here was most eager to drop his pursuit of Philomena when he found out you were in need. The tears of a phoenix have healing capabilities. Doubly so if the phoenix cares for the individual it is shedding tears for." Luna explained. On cue, Peewee leaned his head out over Spike and cried a single tear that rolled down the feathers of his face. The drop shined in the early morning light until it fell onto Spike's scales, spattering like the raindrops the previous night. Unlike the ordinary water droplets, the miniscule portions of liquid sought out the flesh underneath Spike's scales and forced their way through the veritable phalanx of tiny shields protecting Spike. As soon as the tear drop pierced Spike's armored skin the dragon felt a noticeable difference. Much of the achy feeling throughout his body diminished, even though Spike still felt like he had just run several consecutive marathons the day before. With some difficulty and discomfort, Spike managed to lift himself up using all four of his legs and his tail. "I still feel awful, but better than before. I wasn't supposed to be able to move for awhile yet." Spike said as he marveled at Peewee's handiwork. Luna was elated to see that Spike's biology still allowed for Peewee's healing magic. "Excellent. Each day, Peewee can shed a single healing tear for you. You should be completely healed by the deadline for your trip up to the temple." Luna smiled triumphantly. Spike held out one of his arms, prompting Peewee to land on it. Peewee complied, receiving an affectionate nuzzle from Spike. "Now what's this about the temple and a deadline? Zecora didn't say anything about a deadline." Spike asked, seeking clarification. Luna once again reached into her nebulous mane and fished about for something. After a moment she pulled out a manilla envelope, sealed with Luna's own personal seal. It was full nearly to the point of bursting. Spike accepted it, curious as to exactly what was inside. "That is a mission dossier. It contains everything we know about the location of the next gem. It is a temple of some sort, floating of it's own accord. The temple's elevation makes it impossible for a normal pegasi to reach due to low temperatures and thin air, meaning it has been untouched for who knows how long. "Still, my sister and I have compiled a fair bit of information on it in the last few millennium. The most important of which is it's flight-path. We have confirmed that you must reach the temple and retrieve the treasure you seek in exactly eight days. Zecora agrees with our estimates, as I spoke with her last night in the dreaming." Luna stated more seriously than before. Spike racked his brain, hoping he had misheard Luna. "I'm sorry, but you couldn't have said eight days. I'm not even supposed to be able to learn how to fly for at least two weeks." Spike pointed out. Luna frowned, seeing Spike needed convincing. With a skillful use of a basic construct spell, Luna created a visual representation of the temple. It was a seemingly ordinary building, made of bricks and beautifully carved stones. It's one odd feature was that it possessed no base or foundation. It didn't sit on clouds, and it certainly didn't seem to have any kind of propulsion system. It was just floating about. Underneath the temple representation was a map of Equestria. Luna shrank the magical temple model to scale and set it on what Spike assumed to be it's actual flight-path. "The temple most often keeps a steady pace while in flight. However, for an indeterminate reason it speeds up over unpopulated areas until it reaches another populated region. Normally, this is grounds for suspicion. But through powerful spells we have been able to determine it has no evil intent, nor any living inhabitants." Luna began. Both Peewee and Spike nodded, understanding the explanation thus far. "We believe the jewel you seek to be the temple's power source. If you were to remove it, the temple would likely cease functioning and fall to the Earth like a stone. Most likely on top of a city or rural area. Casualties would be inevitable, and likely quite numerous." Spike visibly paled at the implications. Had Spike sought out the temple without knowing exactly what would happen hundreds, or even thousands of deaths would have been on his hands. Had anything still existed in Spike's stomach the dragon would have likely been violently ill. "I can't do that. I'll have to skip it. I'll just try and learn air magic by myself, the old-fashioned way." Spike reasoned. Luna shook her head, telling Spike that wouldn't work. "That is unnecessary. In eight days time the temple will pass over the San Palomino Desert, the largest unpopulated area on the continent. It will take the temple exactly twenty-four hours to exit the desert and return to inhabited areas. It will be your only window of time that large for over a year. "Thanks to Percival it is possible for you to learn to fly and take advantage of that window of time. I imagine it will be quite difficult, but no one has ever said saving the world would be easy. Except for Rainbow Dash, but she is a boisterous one to be sure." Luna continued. Spike let an extremely tired sigh escape his lips but nodded nonetheless. Luna was obviously right, and Spike merely had to push himself harder than before. A lifetime of relatively easy going had left Spike (figuratively) soft, making Spike feel he needed to apply himself more. Spike vaguely tightened his grip on the manilla envelope as a reflexive action to his renewed commitment. "Eight days it is. I'll make it, because I have to." Spike affirmed. Luna smiled a pleased smile and took to the air. "I bid you farewell and the best of luck! Take care of Sombra, and yourself!" Luna shouted down at Spike and Peewee. After saying goodbye, Luna lit her horn and vanished in a flash of blue. At the same time, the last fraction of the moon visible in the early morning sun disappeared. Spike smiled a knowing smile, glad to see Luna off to see her other half already. As soon as Luna was gone, Spike folded his wings to his back for the first time. The act seemed foreign, but at the same time strangely familiar, or even natural. Once satisfied that his wings wouldn't accidentally catch in the door-frame, Spike headed toward the house with Peewee sitting on one of the spines going down Spike's back. Upon entering, Spike found his living room empty, but he could hear voices in the kitchen. As Spike headed into the hall to the kitchen, Peewee took to surveying the new surroundings, exploring Spike's home. Spike momentarily wondered if Peewee knew his birthplace had been destroyed, but realized he himself didn't like thinking about the old library. Once in the kitchen, Spike walked in to see Bon Bon at the stove cooking something with Lyra chatting her up only a few steps away. Being a predator, Spike was quite adept at being stealthy, up to the point that he very rarely realized how quiet he was being while moving about. This instance was unfortunately one of those times. "Morning Lad-" Spike started. Spike was cut off by Bon Bon, who had retaliated against the sudden intruder with a deep voice by tossing the hot eggs in her skillet into his face. Spike stood there for a few seconds, the literal egg on his face having caught him off guard. After a moment, Spike used his long, prehensile tongue to pull the eggs into his mouth, no worse for the wear. "As I was saying, good morning ladies." Spike continued with a hearty chuckle. "I'm really sorry about that Spike. I just wasn't expecting you, and you were so quiet." Bon Bon fretted, walking up to Spike with a hanky. Spike graciously accepted her offer and cleaned the leftover egg off of his scales. "No, it's my bad. I forgot you aren't used to having me around. I wasn't expecting to be up and around yet myself." Spike reassured Bon Bon. "Yeah, what is up with that by the way? Some kind of super-regenerative power you just discovered or something?" Lyra theorized. Spike laughed, though secretly wishing that were true. "Magical phoenix tears. Me and my pet phoenix were just reunited by Luna. His name is Peewee and he's around here somewhere, scoping out his new digs." Spike explained. "Sweet. Bonny's making breakfast, and Brero's at the table already. Dude looks a bit wrecked though." Lyra replied nonchalantly. Spike nodded, and on his way out of the kitchen used his tail to grab the pot of coffee that had already been made. Having not slept the previous night Spike figured he could use some caffeine. After a short walk Spike found Sombra at the dining room table, in the same condition Lyra had described to him. Sombra seemed barely conscious, at best. Heavy bags were visible below his eyes, even against Sombra's already dark coat. Sombra's mane was something of a mess, and the pony-tail had all but come undone. Sombra was having great difficulty keeping his eyes open, meaning he was too preoccupied to even notice Spike. Spike sat down in his dragon-sized chair at the head of the table, and only then did Sombra wake up enough to notice his presence. Spike was almost as tired as Sombra looked, though thankfully his features stayed largely the same at all times. Spike smiled at Sombra, who didn't change his expression at all. "How's everyone's favorite former tyrant this morning? You look like you somehow managed to get less sleep than I did out in the rain." Spike attempted to joke. Sombra nodded slowly. "Somehow, I seem to have gotten accustomed to your snoring. Without it, I appear to have quite a difficult time getting to sleep." Sombra explained. Spike, who had begun to worry snaked his tail that still held the coffee over to Sombra. Since it was hot and difficult to hold Spike continued to hold onto it, but silently prompted him to try it. Sombra squinted skeptically at the dark brownish-black liquid, unsure of what the strange brew was. It smelled rather pleasant, but wasn't all that appetizing to look at. That, and instead of a cup it was being offered to him in a strange sort of measuring beaker or something with various markings on one side. Still, Spike was literally the only living thing Sombra found himself able to truly trust. With Spike's help Sombra tried the mysterious beverage, finding it's mere presence in his maw seemed to revitalize him to some extent. The taste was bitter, but not overwhelmingly so. It seemed vaguely like tea, but in a whole other magnitude of strength and boldness of flavor. The brew warmed Sombra up and wakened him a bit more than before, putting him in a more talkative mood. "I assume this is some kind of magical, revitalization-elixir that enabled you to heal quickly?" Sombra asked, rather confident in his assumption. Spike's palpable stress seemed to melt away a little bit at Sombra's innocent assumption. Spike momentarily hated himself for trying to put the word adorable to Sombra, knowing it would only serve to annoy him. Spike still thought it though. "Yes to the magical elixir part, no to the healing bit. It's called coffee, and it's likely to be found in every home on Earth in today's society. Ponies are particularly fond of in the mornings, usually with cream and or sugar, kinda like tea. It's full of a natural chemical that makes you more alert and awake. It's a poor substitute for sleep, but it'll do in a pinch." Spike replied, taking pleasure in Sombra's relative innocence. Sombra was slightly disappointed but accepted that as truth. Before anything else could be said Sombra saw Spike's ear fins twitch and Spike's eyes momentarily focus on the far wall for a moment. The wall between the dining room and the living room. After a few seconds Spike returned his attention to Sombra, deeming whatever had caught his senses either unimportant or benign. After a full minute had passed Sombra decided to resume their conversation. "So just how are you up and about? Zecora had informed us you would be immobile until at least nightfall." Sombra inquired before signaling Spike to help him with the coffee again. Spike smiled, thinking of the events that had lead up to Peewee's hatching under his care. "When I was about ten I ran away from home and joined up with an unruly bunch of adolescent dragons. They tried to get me to smash a phoenix egg, but I wouldn't do it because I knew it was wrong. Once Mom and some of the girls rescued me I hatched the egg and raised the baby phoenix until it was ready to go back to it's parents. "Apparently, phoenix tears have healing powers, so Luna reunited us. Peewee, my phoenix, cried on me, and now I'm tired as hell but relatively okay. And, Luna also brought me the all of the details the princesses have on the location of the next magical jewel." Spike explained, his voice practically dripping with hints of nostalgia and anticipation. "And where would that be?" Spike and Sombra looked to the doorway to see the source of the voice. It was a pony Sombra hadn't met before. In the doorway stood a remarkably skinny pegasus mare with a smug look on her face. Spike didn't seemed at all surprised to see the newcomer, while Sombra hadn't heard her take a single step. The mare was orange, with a messy violet mane and tail. She seemed to radiate a calm, confident atmosphere, while there was a fire just waiting to escape from behind her purple eyes. Sombra somehow got the impression the mare was a risk taker, despite her rather fragile appearance. From the angle she was standing at, Sombra could see her cutie mark was a cannonball that seemed to be streaking across her flank, leaving a violet trail of flames. "It's customary to knock before going into someone's home, Scootaloo. And I'd appreciate if you didn't mess with the sword on the mantle either, since it's Sombra's not mine." Spike casually complained at the mare while smiling a smug smile. Scootaloo immediately looked frustrated and impressed at the same time as soon as Spike finished speaking. "Ugh! How do you do that?! There's no way you heard me, I'm friggin' stealthy like a cat!" Scootaloo whined in disbelief. "Dragon magic. You touch my stuff without me knowing, I know it. The sword isn't mine, but I have a connection with it so it counts. Plus, I could hear the door." Spike explained before downing the remainder of the coffee. Scootaloo opened her mouth to tell Spike exactly why that was bullshit, but stopped as soon as she saw Spike's new additions. Within what Sombra could only define as a 'blink', Scootaloo was between him and Spike, poking and prodding Spike's new appendages. Scootaloo was practically drooling over the enormous wings, her own out at her sides. "Bucking beautiful man. If I weren't as awesome as I am I'd have some serious wing-envy. What's your span? Like, what, twenty-five feet?" Scootaloo interrogated. Spike chuckled, even though Sombra witnessed him wince every time Scootaloo touched him. It was plain to see that Spike was still far from recovered, even if he appeared to be well. It was still beyond Sombra to understand why Spike would put up with something like that, even if he and Scootaloo were friends. "Yes, I'm already rather attached to them, though I haven't had time to measure. But in all seriousness, they're still very tender. They just shot out of my back less than a day ago, and it's probably best if you'd stop molesting them." Spike politely pleaded with Scootaloo. Scootaloo threw her hooves up and backed off, not wanting to harm the beautiful wings or their host. She quickly dropped back down onto all four hooves, looking a bit guilty for bursting Spike's bubble of personal space. "My bad, I just heard some crazy loud roars from around here yesterday during flight drills, and I wanted to see if you'd bagged some big, bad, beastie." Scootaloo apologized. Spike frowned at Scootaloo, craning his neck down to meet her much smaller eyes. "No lying to me in my own house Scoots. I can hear your heartbeat changing rhythm perfectly when you're this close to me. Additionally, you aren't surprised to see Sombra, meaning you already know who he is. One of the girls could have told you, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they didn't." Spike reprimanded Scootaloo. Scootaloo rubbed her foreleg with the other nervously and shuffled her wings. It was disturbingly easy for Spike to flip the friend switch into disappointed parent mode, despite being only a few years older than Scootaloo. That, coupled with the close proximity to his now not-so-cheery face made the words hit Scootaloo hard. "I was in Canterlot last night running obstacle courses, and afterwards some of Luna's guards I know invited me back to their barracks to play cards and have a few drinks. One of them got wasted and let some classified stuff slip, including your whole 'save the world deal'. "I came over cuz I wanted to see if I could get in on it, and maybe go on an awesome adventure like Dash and the others used to?" Scootaloo admitted, hanging her head like she had been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. Spike's demeanor immediately returned to it's normal level of intensity, obviously already forgiving Scootaloo for her subterfuge. Spike patted her on the back, signifying things were still good between the two of them. "Have you told anyone about this?" Spike asked her, concern easily detectable in his voice. Scootaloo opened her mouth to reply, but was silenced by a single claw from Spike over her lips. "Besides Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, I mean." Spike smirked. Sombra watched with great interest as two more young mares slowly sulked their way into the room and joined Scootaloo at the dragon's side. The first mare was a butter-yellow earth pony with red hair in which she wore a large pink bow. Basing his opinion off of her cutie mark she was 'Apple Bloom' that Spike had mentioned. The mark was a set of four apples arranged in a diamond shape. The top one was red, the middle-left one was a green apple-half, the middle-right was a greenish-yellow apple, and the bottom apple was done up in rainbow stripes. Sombra had absolutely no clue what her talent could be at a glance. The other mare was something on the short side, and a very clean white. Her mane was swirls of pink and lilac, done up in an aesthetically pleasing form of organized chaos. Through the mass of curls, Sombra saw the tip of a horn, meaning she was a unicorn. On her rump was a silver bell, set atop a neon-pink musical score with several lilac-colored notes on it. It was clear her talent had something to do with music. By process of elimination Sombra supposed she was 'Sweetie Belle'. "Hi Spike..." The mares greeted awkwardly in stereo. "Crusaders still crusading , eh?" Spike joked, much to Sombra's confusion. "We jus' wanna have an adventure. Our sisters got to be famous an' do all kinds a' cool stuff an' meet all kinds a' folks. We wanna try our hoof at it." Apple Bloom replied, a firm hoof stamp serving as punctuation. Sweetie and Scootaloo nodded their agreement, coupled with determined looks on their faces. Spike saw that they weren't about to be swayed easily, and there was a long history of such cases in the past. In the last fifteen years since the CMC had been formed they had caused more destruction than any greed-grown dragons, apocalyptic events, magical anomalies, Pinkie Pie parties, or super-powered evils on their own. Sombra watched Spike struggle to find a way to dissuade the mares, finding the whole situation rather funny. Spike, a dragon with magic, weighing in at a few tons, was panicking while talking to three little mares. Sombra was of course ignorant to who these fillies were, but that wasn't his fault. Spike eventually seemed to come up with a solution, but he certainly didn't look happy about it. "Scootaloo. You're a royal guard in training, right?" Spike asked out of nowhere. Scootaloo blinked, uncertain of where Spike was going with this. "You know I am. Two more months and I get my real armor. Not the weighted practice vests." Scootaloo replied proudly. "And how often does a violent crime actually occur in Equestria?" Spike continued. Scootaloo shrugged, looking around to Sweetie and Apple Bloom. Neither seemed more in the know than her, meaning they had no clue. "Only about thirty five get reported per year, and probably only about fifty actually committed. I know because I've helped file the statistics before. Ponies aren't used to what I'm going to be dealing with. Your sisters never got mangled by Nightmare Moon, but Sombra and I got the holy hell knocked out of us the other day by a two-headed demon hound. "Sombra slashed it's tendons with his sword before it could kill me, and then I had to snap both it's necks. Shortly after, I had to take a magic gem I needed to save the world from the hound's master. "Turns out, it'd been keeping him alive. The old diamond dog turned to dust at my feet, and then I spent the rest of the night dragging Sombra and my own battered body back home while crying and silently telling myself it needed to be done for the greater good. Which incidentally didn't work very well. "Could you three kill someone, even if they're evil? It was probably easier on me since I have to hunt my own food, but the three of you are a guard trainee, a jack of all trades studying to become an engineer, and an up-and-coming pop star. I'm a big scary dragon with an immortal sidekick. I don't want you three, or anyone else in my family of friends involved with this that doesn't need to be." Spike ranted. All three members of the CMC had become progressively paler as Spike regaled them with his tale of hardships. Sweetie Belle seemed the most disturbed, being the most innocent of the three. Spike sighed heavily, hanging his head under the sheer dislike he had for himself at the moment. "I'm sorry I was so hard on you, but you three are some of my closest friends. If you got hurt trying to help me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I'm just under a crazy amount of stress, and I feel like I just got an elephant dropped on me right now. I've got like, eight days to learn how to fly up to a temple and find one little gem." Spike apologized, massaging his temples with both claws. To his surprise, all three crusaders gave Spike a simultaneous hug. Spike was momentarily caught off guard, but eventually smiled and carefully reciprocated the hug. "We're sorry we made light of your job, Spike. We didn't know what you were doing." Sweetie apologized. "Nah, it helps to talk. I just couldn't think of any other way to convince you guys not to get yourselves killed. "How about I go help Bon Bon and Lyra with the food, and then we can all sit at the table and check out my secret spy-type mission dossier delivered by Princess Luna herself." Spike proposed. Spike winced a little as he lifted his wing, removing the packet of information from beneath. The idea met with resounding success, with each of the crusaders taking a seat at Spike's dining room table and began chatting like nothing had happened. Sombra thought that the crusaders were insane for wanting in on the danger, but he thought better of it. It seemed more like every modern-day pony was apt to forget the terrible things going on around them until it was necessary. That or Sombra had just ended up as something of a cynic due to his situation. After Spike excused himself the crusaders each took a seat at the table. As they began chatting amongst themselves Sombra was growing continually less confident in his ability to socialize with others on his own. Sombra wanted to make the effort to speak with the crusaders, but there was absolutely no gaps in the mares' round table discussion about what might be in the envelope. Sombra was trying to think of a reason to excuse himself when his guardian angel saw fit to step in. "Hey Sombra! Do you wanna learn how to make coffee? You seemed to enjoy it." Spike shouted from the other room. "On my way." Sombra responded, gladly leaving the crusaders to chat.