//------------------------------//
// Part 10 The Verdict 
// Story: The Measure of a Dragon 
// by Zephyr Spark 
//------------------------------//

	The hours passed, and Spike soon found himself sitting at the defense stand beside Twilight. He gripped her hoof nervously. The judge turned to the jury.
“Has the jury reached a verdict?” 
One mare rose from the group and responded, “Yes, your honor. But given the nature of this case, we feel it necessary to dictate our process for reaching this conclusion.”
The judge inhaled sharply, vexed by all this tension. “Proceed.”
The mare bit her lip. “At first, this case seemed fairly straightforward. The defendant is a dragon, which as a species have never been officially recognized by Equestrian law. The benefits to studying him would be countless and immense and the law recognizes him as property.”
Spike tightened his grip on Twilight’s hoof. The mare continued, “However, the defense revealed there are so many layers to this whole case that prevent the solution to this trial from being so straightforward; in fact, they deeply complicate the matter. The defense expertly demonstrated the defendant is physically a dragon, but internally, the differences between him and other ponies are practically nonexistent. Do we know if he has a soul? No. Do we know if we have souls?”
She shook her head. “So, designating him as property ultimately is the equivalent of slavery. Ironically, one of the deciding statements that helped us reach our verdict came from Dr. Saffron. I believe she stated ‘It’s true Spike is going to be vital in bridging the gap between our species. But if the best place for him to do this is by his friends, who taught him how to value friendship and constantly provided him with family and love, then that is where he belongs.’ With this in mind, we can only reach one conclusion.”
The unicorn took a deep breath. Every pony leaned forward anxiously. Spike sweat profusely, gripping Twilight’s hoof so tightly she cringed. 
“The defendant is physically a dragon, but on the inside, he is a not just a pony, but a rational, self-aware being capable of feeling emotions. He is a living, sentient being entitled to his natural rights and to his family. We, the jury, declare the science department cannot claim him as their property now or ever.”
Instantly, the crowd erupted with applause. Every pony from Ponyville, Canterlot, and the Crystal Empire cheered for their little friend. None cheered more loudly than Twilight’s five closest friends, her parents, and Silver Stone. Cadence and Twilight collapsed on their desks with relief. Spike was stunned. He wasn’t going to be separated from Twilight. He was free. As this realization hit him in full force, tears of joy emerged from his eyes and he tackled Twilight in a bear hug, nearly squeezing the breath from her lungs. She retaliated, embracing him with all of her strength, laughing with undeniable joy. Dr. Saffron looked on at them with a wistful smile. The judge dismissed the court and the unicorn left with her assistant without a word.
As the audience began filing out of their places, Amber Heart frantically gnashed her teeth, but remained outwardly calm as she deftly hid amongst the audience departing from the courthouse. This was not how any of this was supposed to go. How could her carefully laid plans be so completely thwarted? She stared at the purple alicorn and dragon furiously. This would be a major setback to empowering the science department. Now, they might never grow beyond the princess’ shadow. Worse still, Dr. Sapphire and Dr. Ruby would go on unavenged. The beast responsible for their deaths would escape her justice. She would have to leave Canterlot, reevaluate her strategies and spend months, maybe even years hatching a new plan. Well, she had time. Sooner or later, he would pay.
As she exited the courthouse and took her first step to the train station, a hoof on the doctor’s shoulder stopped her dead in her tracks. Beads of sweat poured down her forehead. She glanced behind her to see a white male unicorn marked as a leading member of royal guard by his specially designed armor and badge, with a blue mane and a cutie mark shaped like a shield. He gave her an incredibly loathing scowl. Four other stallions of the royal guard accompanied him, and a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane who assisted in bringing her to trial earlier, as well as that insane pink pony from earlier. Suddenly, she didn’t think she had any more time.
“Dr. Amber Heart,” the white unicorn growled as the other guards surrounded her, “You are under arrest for conspiracy, keeping national secrets from the crown, and plotting against my little sister.” He thoughtfully added, “Who is a princess. Come quietly or there will be consequences.”
Amber Heart was perfectly prepared to argue in her defense. She had millions of methods to legally justify her actions and countless loopholes to exploit. She could easily turn this around and have him arrested for wrongly accusing her of misdoing. But that pink pony came inches from her face and lifted a single cupcake; this one was the exact same color as the doctor’s fur; its frosting matched her mane. She stuffed it into her mouth and chewed very slowly, taking great pains to show the doctor how she grinded the food to dust before swallowing. She opened her mouth into a snarl, to reveal her teeth stained dark red. The doctor hoped that red material was simply juice, or some creamy filling in the cupcake. Honestly, she hoped that thing the pony ate was just a cupcake. The pink pony huffed an arctic breath against the doctor’s face, threatening her with tortures that would chill even King Sombra. The pony’s stone-cold eyes reminded Amber Heart that there were worse things than death, and easily worse punishments than what she did to the doctor to make her confess. How that pony could be so … persuasive, the doctor would never know, but she knew another encounter with that pony was the last thing she wanted to experience twice in her life. She gulped and obediently obeyed, following all of them to the castle, never to be seen again.

***

When Spike and Twilight left the courtroom and entered the open streets, they were instantly surrounded by all of their friends. Feeling so overwhelmed with happiness, Spike could barely keep their words straight. He recognized Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo cheering him and Twilight for showing those scientists they couldn’t take him. To his left, Big Mac wept happily while Cheerilee comforted him, and Twilight Velvet and Nightlight stared at their daughter with pride. To his right, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity raced forward to embrace him and Twilight.
“Twilight that was absolutely brilliant!” Rarity beamed. “You certainly showed that pompous know-it-all what for!”
“I couldn’t have done it without all of you,” Twilight grinned. When they broke from the hug, she shifted to face Fluttershy. “I especially couldn’t have done it without you, Fluttershy. If you hadn’t suggested revealing who Spike really is on the inside, I might not have been able to prove my point. You’re a real hero, Fluttershy.”
“Oh, well,” the yellow pegasus bashfully smiled, “I’m just glad it all worked out.”
“I’ll say. I especially liked the part where Spike here gave that no good doctor a piece of his mind.” Applejack slapped Spike’s shoulder playfully, “So how does it feel to be a free dragon, Spike?”
He gazed at every pony surrounding them from Canterlot, Ponyville, and the Crystal Empire. Looking at all of his friends, Spike smiled, “Not as good as it feels to know I’m staying with all of you.”
This comment lead to another happy embrace, only this time it included all of his friends from every part of Equestria. Twilight heard someone call her name and lifted her gaze to spot Rainbow Dash hovering above them.
“Pinkie Pie and I just helped the royal guard put Amber No-Heart away for good,” the crowd parted to make room as she landed beside Twilight. “We won’t be hearing from her again for a long time.”
The pegasus ruffled Spike’s head, “Glad to know you’re safe, little buddy.”
He grinned but realized something was missing. Given the nature of their victory, a certain pony making a certain exclamation was duly in order. As if on cue, Pinkie Pie appeared from thin air beside him, hopping up and down.
“Do you know what this calls for?” She smiled, not bothering to hide or contain her excitement. “A PARTY!!”
Twilight chuckled at the pink pony’s antics, “You know something? I couldn’t agree more, Pinkie Pie.”
“Alright!” Pinkie Pie faced Twilight and Spike, “You two go back to Mrs. and Mr. Twilight’s parent’s house for a few minutes. When you come back, I’ll have all of Canterlot set up for the biggest party it’s ever seen!”
The pink pony rushed away, eager to begin preparations. Every pony left to help her, wanting to celebrate Spike’s freedom as well. Twilight and Spike walked passed the many ponies congratulating them. Twilight nodded her thanks to all of them, eager for a moment of peace outside of this crowd. Spike found himself wondering where Dr. Saffron and Silver Stone went. He really wanted to thank them both for helping him. The drake especially wished he could tell Dr. Saffron how much it meant to him that she gave up everything just to help his case. When he thought of her sacrifice, his mind still boggled to comprehend it all. He then pondered how Cadence must have been feeling. If only he could find her and show he had no lingering ill will. While her prosecution was incredibly painful for him to bear, he now recognized she gave Twilight, the most brilliant pony in all of Equestria, the chance to represent him in trial. After all the betrayals every individual involved in this case had suffered, he wanted to forgive her as soon as possible.
Twilight approached the house with a weary, but satisfied smile. She opened the door with her magic and walked inside. The second she closed the door, Spike tackled her in another embrace. His green, teary eyes met her purple, affectionate eyes. He whispered.
“Thank you, Twilight,” he snuggled closer to her chest. “I knew you could do it.”
“I should thank you,” her words startled the dragon, who looked at her in confusion. “If it weren’t for you befriending Silver Stone, behaving so well in court, and answering everything I asked you, I might not have won. You helped me win, Spike. You proved to the entire court through your actions that you’re no different from any of them. Because of what you’ve done, I never have to say goodbye to you.”
Noticing Spike’s lapse in embrace, Twilight pounced on him, trapping him in her own, life-squeezing hug. They both giggled, content to lie in this embrace forever. They only broke when Spike’s stomach felt queasy. He broke away from the embrace, leaping to his feet, and belched a flame from which a letter bearing Princess Celestia’s seal dropped into his hands. Twilight noticed the letter was addressed specifically to Spike, but as he unraveled the scroll, she just couldn’t help herself.
“What’s it say?” She asked the dragon. He recited its contents.

Dear Spike,

I formally apologize for allowing this whole trial to take place. I should have listened to my heart and denied the department any claim to you, but Amber Heart’s machinations made this impossible. Her documents convinced the council Dr. Saffron was justified in trying to take you, and only my intervention convinced them to give you a chance.
To ensure this catastrophe never occurs again, I have sentenced Amber Heart to a lifetime of imprisonment (and possibly community service) and denounced all of her works and contributions to the field. The council has agreed that the science department should be temporarily disbanded so its laws limiting my power may be revised, particularly the ones used unethically against you in court. Most of its members may stay to serve the newly formed department, if I believe they can be trusted. The department as a whole, however, will no longer have the political power it once had, nor will it ever assume such power again.
Once again, I am sorry for this whole mess. If you never wish to speak with me after I permitted this whole ordeal, I understand. But please know I will never allow something like this to happen again.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

Twilight saw Spike frown. She could only hope he might forgive the princess, but realized she should not blame him if he refused to accept her apology. Suddenly, he raced away, leaving the alicorn perplexed. He entered Twilight’s old room, digging through her belongings for a loose piece of parchment, a quill, and an inkpot, preferably with ink. Finally, he found a white quill and an inkpot containing black ink, but still no parchment. He gritted his teeth, annoyed.
“Were you looking for this?” Spike turned around to see Twilight magically levitating a blank scroll towards him. 
He snatched it, and leapt onto her nearby desk. Haphazardly, placing the scroll and the ink on the brown desktop, he dipped the quill in the pot and began scribbling a message. Twilight glanced over his shoulder to peer at the letter, but Spike leaned in front of her gaze, indicating she should wait. After five minutes, he rested the quill in the inkpot and gazed at the letter. He handed it to Twilight.
“Could you proofread this for me?” He asked, “It’s hard for me to proofread my own work. As I’m sure you already know.”
Twilight nodded, taking the scroll with her magic and holding it before her scrupulous eyes.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today, I learned a very hard lesson about friendship. There are times, when friends have to do something that hurts you, not because they want to or because of peer pressure, but because they have no choice. When Twilight made me reveal my crush on Rarity to the entire court, it honestly hurt me as much as Cadence testifying against me. But neither of them did this maliciously; they both wanted to protect me in the only ways they knew how. Because Cadence testified against me, the best pony to represent me, Twilight Sparkle, could represent me. Because Twilight revealed my crush, the court was convinced that I could feel everything they could, that I was no different from them.
I won’t say forgiveness is easy. It really isn’t. I could only forgive Cadence and Twilight when I stepped back to look at the big picture. It took me a while to realize it, but I know they both did what they did out of love. I’m still a bit angry at what they did, but I do know why they did it, and I don’t intend to hold it against either of them.
Real, everlasting friendship isn’t always a happy lazy river. It’s marked with twists, sharp rocks, rapids, and waterfalls. But real friendships can endure any ordeal, no matter how it pushes friends apart, because the bond between friends is stronger than any challenge the world can conjure. After testing the strength of their friendship, any ordeal can even bring friends closer together, helping them grow side by side.
I’ll admit I was angry with you for allowing this trial to take place. Then, I looked at the big picture. You convinced the council to allow this trial so that Twilight could debate for my freedom, rather than allowing the department to simply take me. Yes, there was heartbreak and strife along the way, but I’ve grown because of it, and my bonds with Twilight, Cadence, and even you have grown stronger. In short, I forgive you, Princess Celestia. And I hope in time, you can forgive yourself.

Sincerely,
Spike 

PS: If you have to punish the scientists on the department, I understand, but please don’t be too harsh on Dr. Saffron. She gave us the evidence that linked Amber Heart’s teachings as Dr. Facts to Dr. Ruby and Dr. Sapphire’s actions as described in the journal. She practically testified on my behalf and convinced the jury I belong with Twilight. Given everything she sacrificed for me, I think she deserves some grace. But I understand that’s up to you. Just please don’t separate her from Silver Stone. They need each other.


Twilight placed the parchment back on the desktop, “It’s fine, Spike.”
As he rolled up the parchment, bound it, and sent it to the princess in a burst of flames, Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the little dragon. Even after everything that happened to him, Spike was still capable of not only forgiving her, Cadence, and Princess Celestia, but even Dr. Saffron, the very mare responsible for this whole trial. Sometimes, his morality could surprise even Twilight. When she mentioned this to him and praised him for being so generous, he shrugged and looked at Twilight with a humble smile. He said if he knew how to be generous, it was because he had her.
On the wall, Twilight noticed the sun's afternoon light glistening through a nearby glass window. Gazing out the window, she noticed the sun dipping the sky. They had been here longer than a few minutes. Was Pinkie Pie ready for them? Well, Spike wasn’t the only one capable of surprising her.
She was about to suggest they head to the party, when she heard a knock on her door. She and Spike exchanged a quick glance, wondering who was there.
“Twily, it’s me,” they both recognized Shining Armor’s voice. “Can I come in? I need to talk to you.”
“Of course,” Twilight answered. The white stallion entered her room, looking noticeably concerned as he approached them. “What is it?”
He sighed, “It’s Cadence. She’s so upset about testifying against Spike that she won’t move or even speak to me. I’ve tried everything I can think of, but nothing’s working.”
Spike hopped out of the chair and approached his surrogate uncle. “Let me talk to her.”
Shining Armor told them Cadence was resting in the living room, prompting Spike to march away, with the other two sneakily following him. He was ready to put everything he had learned to use.
Entering the living room, he found the pink alicorn lying flat on a white couch, looking blankly at the wall. He wasn’t sure when she or Shining arrived, but he knew what he had to do. Cadence lifted her eyes to see Spike, but quickly averted her gaze, feeling unworthy to look at him. She stared at the wall until her face slowly sunk into her hooves, wondering how Spike would berate her for betraying him. Perhaps, he would refuse to speak to her again, even demand her to stay away from their family forever. Whatever he asked, she would obey. She had no right to even be here; much less hope their friendship would survive.
“Hey, Cadence,” Spike’s voice startled her and awoke her from her brooding, “aren’t you coming to the party?”
Her head snapped up. She shifted her eyes to Spike, staring at him incredulously. Was he actually offering her forgiveness, in spite of everything she had done?
“I just testified against you,” Cadence sat upright, completely ashamed of herself, “I nearly took you away from your friends forever. How can you even talk to me?”
“Cadence,” Spike smiled at her sympathetically, as he crawled onto the couch to sit before her. “If you refused to testify, they would have sent me away without a fight. And I know that you didn’t believe a word of what you were saying.”
Cadence nodded at Spike’s statements, acknowledging them as true. Then, she frowned, not meeting his gaze. “Please, stop being so kind to me. I don’t deserve it after everything I’ve done.”
Cadence felt one of Spike’s talons under her chin, directing her face back up. 
“Cadence, just hear me out,” He gave her an incredibly stern expression. “To be fair, I was pretty angry with you at first. I was angry at Twilight for embarrassing me in court. I was even angry with Princess Celestia for letting this trial happen. But I know each of you did what you had to because you had no choice. You all wanted me to have a chance.”
He took the alicorn’s hoof in his appreciative hand, “You did something that I doubt Twilight could have done if she had to, even for me. And the fact is you didn’t win. I’m tired of being angry. Now it’s time to forgive.”
To the alicorn’s surprise, he wrapped his arms around her. He stood on his toes, reaching her ear and whispered firmly for the entire world to hear, “I forgive you, Cadence.”
Eventually, she began to forgive herself and wrapped Spike in her hooves. She leaned over to his ear and tearfully whispered, “Thank you, Spike.”
With a beaming smile, he led her off the couch towards the door, “Come on,” he grinned at her, “I can’t go to the party without my favorite aunt!”
She stopped him for a moment. “Spike, if there’s anything I can do to make up for this whole mess please just say the word.”
Spike paused for a moment, considering her offer. In truth, he did have one small favor to ask of Cadence. Twilight and Shining were out of earshot. Good, they might not agree with what he was about to do.
“Actually,” he began, “I was wondering if you could get a message to some ponies.”

***

As the purple alicorn observed the festive town, she reflected how astounding her pink friend could be. Twilight had no inkling how Pinkie Pie managed to decorate all of Canterlot, much less arm one hundred party cannons across the rooftops and prepare a celebratory cake for Spike, decorated with gems that were arranged to spell Hooray For Spike! She didn’t bother trying to make sense of her friend’s antics; tonight, they were more than welcome as she sat at the table, eating the delicious cake, with her five friends and Spike. After this emotional roller coaster, they were all content to rest.
Plenty of ponies had approached to congratulate Twilight for her brilliant defense and Spike for enduring such cruel abuse. They spoke their thanks to every pony they met. Several scientists appeared and expressed their sincerest apologies for nearly separating Spike from Twilight and denying his uniqueness. Some even offered precious, tantalizing jewels to him. Twilight had no objections to Spike accepting those gems, so long as he promised not to force every scientist to give him more as a form of apology. To be honest, the thought had briefly crossed his mind once, but he would not have acted on it even if Twilight hadn’t ordered him not to do so. 
Spike scanned through all the ponies present, hoping Cadence delivered his message. He had his knapsack with that other journal just for the occasion. Rainbow Dash was in the middle of telling some story that Spike had stopped paying attention to, when suddenly she stopped mid-sentence with a look of surprise. That surprise morphed into distrust and unease. Twilight, Spike, and the others all wondered what was wrong.
“We’ve got party crashers at one o’ clock,” Rainbow Dash gestured with her chin where her gaze was fixed, prompting the friends to turn around. 
Twilight’s eyes widened as she noticed Dr. Saffron and Silver Stone making their way through the crowd.
“What are they doing here?” She hoped the two hadn’t experienced yet another change of heart and changed their minds about Spike.
“It’s alright, Twilight,” Spike grabbed his knapsack beside him on the floor, and moved out of his chair. “I asked Cadence to invite them for me.”
Every jaw at the table dropped. Pinkie Pie was the first one to express her sentiments regarding Spike’s decision to invite the pony who forced him to court in the first place.
“WHAT? Have you gone crazy? They’re the ones who put you through this whole mess.” Spike winced at loud sound and rubbed his sore ears. 
“I had something I wanted to talk to them about,” he responded before another pony could shout their thoughts. “Don’t worry. They helped us win the case, remember?”
They all exchanged curious glances, before following Spike as he approached the unicorns. When the silver unicorn saw him approaching, she smiled happily and instantly burst through the crowd, racing towards him. To the amazement of many of Twilight’s friends, the dragon and filly shared a friendly embrace.
“Spike! I’m so happy for you!” The unicorn exclaimed, “I wanted to congratulate you when it was over, but Saffy felt we should leave.”
“It’s fine, Silver Stone,” Spike broke from the hug to stare at the filly with a grin. “I’m glad the two of you could make it.”
Dr. Saffron finally made her way through the crowd and trotted towards Silver Stone and Spike. She halted in front of Twilight’s friends, who stared at her uncertainly. She awkwardly smiled, trying to alleviate the tension, but her social skills didn’t make her smile the most inviting. 
“Hello,” the unicorn shuffled her hooves uncomfortably. She glanced at Spike who smiled at her. Feeling slightly more at ease, she addressed the dragon, “Cadence said you wished to speak with me.”
“Yeah,” Spike nodded and walked in front of the unicorn. “I’ve got so much to talk to you about that I’m not sure where to start.”
He scratched his head for a moment in contemplation, eventually making a decision. “Firstly, I want to thank you for giving us that journal and those documents for the case, and I want to thank you for testifying on my behalf in front of the entire court. Most of all,” Spike took a deep breath, “I want to thank you for resigning from your place on the science department so Dr. Facts couldn’t invoke another stupid law to automatically end the trial. That was absolutely amazing, and I can’t thank you enough.”
“So, um,” His eyes shifted away for a moment, slightly ashamed that he was the reason Dr. Saffron was forced to give up a job she undoubtedly worked very hard to achieve. Then he realized he was the reason Princess Celestia temporarily disbanded the department, so the unicorn might still have some resentment against him. Spike also realized he had not really thought this whole meeting through. “Now that the department is gone for a while, what are you going to do?”
Spike clenched his teeth, wishing he hadn’t asked such a stupid question. The unicorn studied him a moment, noticing his sudden unease. When she realized he felt responsible for the fate of the department and her position, she couldn’t help but chuckle. Not too long ago, Dr. Saffron would have responded angrily, but now certain events changed everything. She leaned down to speak with Spike on his height level.
“Actually, funny thing happened with the department,” she grinned. “I had sent in my resignation and had it ratified by the department after your testimony. But a few hours after the verdict, I received a letter from Princess Celestia. Her majesty wrote that she and the entire council were amazed by my strict adherence to ethics despite the overwhelming popularity of Dr. Facts’ philosophy. They were particularly impressed that I gave up my entire career just for your sake. The princess made a proposition for me: she is reorganizing the science department, and expects me to return so I can assume a higher level of authority as a department head. She believes that I truly demonstrated that a scientist has a duty to put their morals first and wants me to impart that belief to every pony.”
Spike gasped excitedly and beamed, “That’s great! I’m so happy for you.”
The doctor nodded her thanks. Twilight and the others opened up to the doctor a bit more, seeing Spike so friendly with her. After they offered their own congratulations, the unicorn glanced back at Spike.
“Oddly enough, the princess said a little dragon asked her not to overlook my actions or punish me for bringing you to court.” She gave Spike a very sly, playful look, “You wouldn’t happen to know who that little dragon was, would you?”
Grinning, Spike shrugged friskily, prompting a round of laughter from Dr. Saffron and Silver Stone. When they stopped, the unicorn wrapped a hoof around Spike.
“Thank you,” she smiled, with tears in her eyes. “I know I don’t deserve this after everything I’ve put you through, but I swear that I will convince every scientist that there are somethings far more important than discoveries.”
She retracted her hoof, prepared to leave. “Hold on. There’s something else I want to talk to you about.” Spike reached into his knapsack and pulled out her journal, handing it to the confused unicorn. She had almost forgotten about this journal. How did they acquire it?
“What you said in court, about me being important as the link between ponies and dragons, I think you were right. I’ve never thought about it before, but I really do have a duty to bring ponies and dragons together. But there’s a problem,” Spike said, as his friends listened intently. “I really don’t know anything about dragons. I can interact with ponies easily; I grew up with them. But dragons,” he shrugged, “I’m a little more in the dark where they’re concerned.”
Dr. Saffron blinked uncertainly, but gestured for Spike to continue. He pointed to the journal.
“Silver Stone swiped that journal from you to show us that you really just wanted to understand dragons. I’ve read some of those much more ethical experiments you had in mind,” the unicorn almost sulked in shame before she heard Spike’s next words. 
“I have to say, they’re all very intriguing. I mean, I don’t know how hot my fire breath could become or how hard my teeth really are, but I really wouldn’t mind finding out things like that. After you’ve gotten this new department settled out, if you ever have any spare time, come visit me in Ponyville. Once you’ve improved your research methods, I’ll gladly help you learn anything you can about dragons. Then, you can teach them to every pony and to me, so I can truly understand dragons.”
The unicorn stared at the little dragon, her jaw wide open and her eyes disbelieving. Every pony who could hear Spike’s proposal gazed at him astounded. Twilight’s amazement soon turned to pride; Spike no longer cared that Dr. Saffron had nearly cost him his freedom, now he really wanted to help the unicorn understand dragons. Her dumbfounded expression changed, revealing all the love and respect she had for her little friend. Twilight placed her hoof on Spike’s shoulder to catch his attention; her gaze alone praised him for his selflessness.
Dr. Saffron’s mouth closed, but she still had difficulty believing what she had just heard. She blinked several times, making sure this was not some dream. It wasn’t; Spike meant every word he said. She had stopped viewing him as a pet or an animal a long time ago, but now she wasn’t sure he was even an equal. There was no doubt she was standing before some being immeasurably beyond her in every way possible. Witnessing his presence alone, the unicorn felt undeniably insignificant. She did not mind feeling so small; how else could she feel before this hero? Finally, the edges of her lips pulled back into an admiring, completely humbled smile.
“Spike,” she gazed into his eyes with utmost sincerity. “I think you’ll be the one teaching me.” 
She quickly stumbled to ensure this time, she had not merely his consent, but his partnership. The unicorn removed her glasses, and leaned down to Spike, “That is, if you’re okay with that?”
Spike nodded, and gave his own admiring smile to the unicorn, who had not merely sided with him, but had risked everything for him. This incredible pony had accepted responsibility in every sense of the word and vowed to spread that responsibility to all scientists, no, to all ponies. He wasn’t sure he was worthy to stand before her presence, but he swore to demonstrate he was grateful for her in anyway he could. He had no doubts; this unicorn who put the happiness of others before her own goals, was a hero. The two of them no longer had a need for words. They understood each other perfectly.
“Now then, this is a party! Let’s celebrate!” Spike grinned, walking over to Silver Stone and politely bowing. He extended his clawed hand, “May I have this dance, milady?”
Silver Stone coyly glanced away, pretending she had to give the matter serious thought. She couldn’t keep it up long. Bursting into giggles, she placed her hoof in his hand and grinned, “I thought you’d never ask.”
Twilight and Dr. Saffron watched the two youngsters depart hoof in hand to the dance floor, where they joined other pairs dancing. Rarity smiled, marveling that the two could find such joy together. She could not feel jealous at his contact with the opposite gender, when she saw her little Spikey-wikey so happy. Rainbow Dash smirked and was about to make a snide comment before Rarity gave her a reprimanding stare. The pegasus shrugged equally satisfied this conflict was over. Pinkie Pie bounced energetically. Knowing Spike was so content provided her with a second wind, prompting her to leap away to spice up the party in her own Pinkie way. Applejack shook her head in amusement as the pink pony bounded away, then turned her gaze to Spike and Silver Stone, appreciating Twilight’s defense had made this friendship possible. Fluttershy could only watch the two as they waltzed to Octavia’s cello, mixing harmoniously with Vinyl Scratch’s dubstep, admiring the beauty of this moment.
“You know,” Twilight finally spoke to Dr. Saffron, without looking away from the dancing duo, “If I could have used my royal authority to shut down this case, I would have. But I’m glad that I was personally able to bring this case down while I’m still here for Spike. Now, I know he won’t have to worry about any pony mistreating him when I pass on.”
Dr. Saffron did not look away from the dancing children either, “I’m sorry for bringing this case to court. Before we knew about her parents, Silver Stone and I were tormented by their deaths all those years ago. I wanted to prove no other pony would suffer like she had. I wanted make sure she could go on to live a peaceful, happy life when I passed on.” The doctor’s smile widened, as Spike twirled Silver Stone around. “But now, she has something better than closure. She and Spike have a friendship that will last a lifetime, long after we both pass on.”
“Maybe,” Twilight grinned as Spike dipped Silver Stone, and stared into her eyes. “They’ll find even more than that.”
The unicorn finally turned to Twilight, perplexed. “What else could they—? Oh.” She had an idea what the purple alicorn was about to say, but had no intent to stop her. She just shifted her gaze back to the pair, still staring into each other’s eyes.
“Family,” Twilight smiled as Spike quickly pecked Silver Stone on the cheek, before placing her back on her hooves, to continue their waltz. “Family that lives forever.”
Silver Stone blushed, realizing Spike had returned the favor she gave him earlier. It had happened so fast, but there was no denying the brotherly affection. The two danced through the party, celebrating their bond and praying a future, where all ponies and dragons alike, could share this bond. Suddenly, this future was not so far away or impossible. Now, it was inevitable.

The End