“...What?” Spike casually asked, a bit perplexed as he saw the many weird expressions from his friends. When he looked over at Ember, she was trying her best to look away from him, making the entire situation even more awkward than it already was.
“Spike, can me and the other princesses have a word with you?” Twilight asked her assistant, after shaking herself out of a spaced out state.
“Sure thing, but I’m not sure what there is to talk about” Spike said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Trust me on this Spike. What me and the princesses have to talk to you about is very important. Girls, can you show Ember around the castle?” Twilight urgently asked her friends.
“Sure thing Twi. C’mon girls, let’s show our guest here ‘round this here palace” AppleJack stated, as she riled the girls up and started to show Ember around the castle, leaving Spike alone with Twilight, Celestia and Luna.
“So Spike...no pressure on you or anything, but umm….can you please explain to us why YOU DECIDED TO BECOME EMBER’S CONSORT? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST ACCEPTED YOURSELF INTO?” Twilight blurted out in a non-discrete manner, using her Royal Canterlot voice, and allowing even Ember and the remaining 5 to hear from where they were.
“Well, from what Ember said at the lands, she needed someone who could help her govern her people, and seeing that she really trusted me enough to recommend me for the job, I simply couldn’t refuse” Spike casually said.
“While that is, in essence, a part of being a consort, there are more…..personal tasks that are presented to the job in question” Celestia stated, as she patted Twilight’s back with a gentle hoof, not only trying to calm her down, but to also let her know that she would take things over from here.
“So what else does a consort have to do besides help rule a population?” Spike quizzically asked, more intrigued than ever.
“A consort has to also…….engage in more…”intimate” arrangements with their accomplice in the future….so to speak” Celestia stated in an aloof manner, hoping that Spike would be wise enough to catch the point.
“Ohhhhh….are you saying what I think you are saying?” Spike asked in a somewhat knowing manner”
“Indeed I am; I’m sure now that you see why Twilight is a bit apprehensive about this ordeal” Celestia smiled, glad that her surrogate son caught on to the point.
“You’re saying that I have to also help Ember with her love life? That’s a bit awkward, seeing how I don’t really know Ember enough to know what she would like in a male of some sorts, and also….” Spike started to ramble on, completely missing the entirety of the point Celestia was making, causing the 2 alicorns to face-hoof themselves. Luna couldn’t handle the situation anymore and went up to Spike and slapped him in the face, getting him to cringe in pain.
“OOWWWWWWWWWW” Spike wailed as he rubbed his slightly bruised cheek. Whatever did you do that for?” He questioned, a bit ticked off.
“Im just gunna skip to the point….as a consort, you will have to marry Ember at some point in your co-ruling, whether you want to or not, as well as everything that is insinuated from it” Luna declared with a straight face.
“......WHHHHAAATTTTTTTTTTTTT???????” Spike bellowed with astonishment and surprise, and then he fell backwards, fainting and banging his head onto the crystal hard floor.
------------------ 3 hours later ------------------
“.....Spike…...Spike….are you ok?” Celestia and Twilight asked, as Spike himself was stirred out of his slumber, his head throbbing in small increments of pain.
“Whoa……..for a minute there, I thought that Luna herself said that I was obligated to marry Ember as a part of my duty to her as a consort” Spike chuckled, hoping what he heard was just cruel and unjustified joke.
“I’m sorry Spike, but Luna’s right. Eventually, you will indeed have to take Ember’s hand in matrimony at some point. As a consort, you will have to ensure that Ember doesn’t necessary lose control of her grip to power; Not that I’m saying that she won’t, but as a precaution” Celestia dis-alarmingly said, alleving Spike of any apprehension that he might of had.
“Just my luck; How was I supposed to know that?” Spike questioned, unsure as to why he didn't know of this any sooner.
“I think the better question is, WHY DID YOU BLINDLY ACCEPT SUCH A REQUEST LIKE THAT?” Twilight again blurted out in a loud response, alarming Spike and getting Celestia to calm her down again.
“You didn't see the look on her face Twilight; I could see from the look on her face that she really had no other choice but to choose me. If it was some other male dragon, or even Garble…{shudders}, who knows what state of danger Equestria might be in right now. Besides, I’m her friend, and was I suppose to just stand aside and not help my friend out when she needed me the most? Sounds a bit counter-productive coming from the “Princess of Friendship” huh?” Spike questioned Twilight, starting to put her in her place with her own logic. Twilight couldn’t really say anything, lest she sound like a hypocrite, like her once arch nemesis and now pupil Starlight Glimmer tried on her.
“You do have a good point there Spike, and for that, I couldn’t be more proud of you” Celestia acknowledged to Spike. “Still, are you willing to take this task now, even after everything you heard?” she questioned.
Standing up and thinking on everything that has transpired, Spike stood still for a minute or 2, and finally came to a conclusion.
“I’ll still be her consort. Even after hearing all the aspects of being one, I can’t just abandon her at this point; Once I take a task, I intend to see it through to end” Spike declared, nodding his head with conviction set in his eyes.
“Good for you, my brave little dwagon” Celestia coddled to Spike, embarrassing him in from of Twilight and Luna, who were chuckling at him for their amusement.
“Moooommm…..stop it; I’m a big and tough dragon, and I do not need to be coddled like this” Spike begged, hoping that this event would end sooner rather than later. He tried to pull away from her grasp, but he couldn’t, and after a couple of minutes of such manner, finally got out of her powerful grip, his face red with embarrassment.
“Well Spike, since you are fully committed to this task, then you are gonna need somepony to teach you how to be an effective and fortuitous ruler, and I can think of no one else but yours truly!!” Celestia proudly said, with much pride and confidence in herself”
“Thanks for the offer mom, but I was thinking along the lines of Twilight, ya know…….since she is a princess and all…..no offense” Spike stated in a clear and obvious tone.
“While I am flattered of the offer Spike, I wouldn’t be of much help to you. Celestia is obviously the much better choice for you to learn from. Then again, there is Shining Armor, and seeing how he is a prince of the Crystal Empire for a good while now, I’m sure that he too could help you out” Twilight detailed.
“That’s cute and all Twilight, but I’ve been ruling all of Equestria for over 1,000 years. Besides, who else could better train him for such a task but his loving mother” Celestia stagnantly said.
“Still, Shining is technically Spike’s older surrogate brother, and he should have a shot at helping him, don't cha think” Twilight defended her choice in front of her former teacher.
Spike had a hard choice to make. On one point, having Shining teach him some things would be a good chance to bond with him as bro’s. Then again, his adoptive mom has been the longest ruler for as long as he’s known her, and she would be a big boon to his job. What choice would be side with?