//------------------------------// // You Shook Me All Night Long or Spike’s Very Own Chapter // Story: A Princess’ Conundrum // by CalmNQuiet //------------------------------// Spike lived a perfectly normal life in an otherwise extraordinary world. The days were idyllic and filled with all the ice cream he could eat. The evenings were peaceful, the nights quiet, and no one ever interrupted his eight-hour long bubble baths—perfect for reading comics by firefly light. His only responsibility involved watching over a rarely patroned library in the small town of Ponyville. Prior to Twilight’s departure, his newly minted alicorn sister handed him a long list of instructions detailing every possible thing he didn’t want to know about maintaining a library. The first month consisted of daily check-up letters which consistently interrupted his bubble baths and, on one occasion, left the letter sopping wet. But the letters mysteriously stopped about the same time Rainbow Dash quit the weather team. Spike didn’t concern himself with these little details, because life was peaceful. He liked it that way. Not that Spike didn’t socialize with the ponyfolk of Ponyville. He regularly attended Pinkie’s parties, because parties meant delicious free food. Even the parties he missed due to ice cream-induced stomachaches resulted in later, “Glad You’re Better!” parties, so overall he didn’t mind missing a few parties here and there. He briefly recalled missing a party soon after Rainbow Dash quit the weather team, but the double-emerald and chocolate swirl special from Bon Bon’s the previous day was totally worth it. Of course, that was before the triple-ruby and sapphire, cookie-dough, fudge-brownie extraordinaire a couple of days ago. He missed a train ride and another party in Canterlot, but since he grew up in Canterlot, he decided he wasn’t missing too much. Now, settling into a nice hot bubble bath after a hard day’s sitting around and reading comic books, he wondered why his scales seemed to tingle with a sense of dread. Maybe it was the dozens of rainbows crisscrossing the skies above Canterlot just outside the bathroom window, or maybe it was the double helping of rubies that afternoon, but either way, he wasn’t feeling his best. Cutting his bubble bath short, and hugging his stomach, he plodded into the bedroom and sprawled himself out on Twilight’s old bed. For a moment, he missed Twilight, but the latest Power Ponies comic awaited him on the nightstand, and soon all was forgotten. Several hours later, Spike drifted off to sleep, his dreams haunted by the shadow of his perfectly peaceful life. * * * Spike woke up feeling pretty good. He rolled around in bed and stretched his limbs out, savoring the incredible sense of freedom he’d come to enjoy every day. He contemplated what to have for breakfast—of course, his meal options basically consisted of whatever he liked. This was a welcome change from the usual fare which had to be vetted from the “Equestrian Society of Meals for Ponies, Fourth Edition.” He settled for something that definitely wasn’t in the book: deep-fried gems covered in chocolate and whipped cream. Sugar was important for a growing dragon, and breakfast was the most important meal of the day. It made perfect sense! Between sizable bites of ice cream and rubies, Spike perused the daily newspaper before adding it to the library’s collection. Usually the newspaper was boring, and the only redeeming section of the paper was the “funnies” section toward the back with the most hilarious jokes—at least Spike thought they were hilarious. He always had a soft spot for puns. However, today’s newspaper was different. Right on the front page, in massive script, the headline read: “Twilight Guard Officially Formed.” Below the headline, the newspaper printed a picture and caption: “Princess Twilight Sparkle and Captain Rainbow Dash of the Twilight Guard.” The cogs in Spike’s head turned and the pieces clicked into place. “Oh.” Trying to calm himself for missing possibly the biggest event in recent history, he took another scoop of his ice cream. It’d be okay. He’d finish his breakfast and write a letter to Twilight. He could carefully explain what happened while leaving out the details of his ice-cream-fueled absence and all would be forgiven. But try as he might, no amount of internal dialogue seemed to stem that warm anxious feeling from inside his tummy. He tried to swallow it down, but it only got stronger every time he tried. Trying to ignore it, he gulped down a spoonful of ice cream...and promptly belched out a massive plume of green flame. A scroll landed in his breakfast. The spoon which held his ice cream bent under the heat. A second later after the flame dissipated, he realized the truth: there was no spoon. Sighing, he plucked the slightly sticky scroll out of his now melted ice cream and undid the purple “T” seal around the middle. Twilight’s neat horn-writing covered the inside of the scroll. Luckily, years of living with Spike and receiving dragonic scrolls meant Twilight knew to never write anywhere near the margins, and the ice cream did not cover any of the text. Idly, Spike picked up his bowl of melted ice cream and drank the contents as he read the letter. Dear Spike: How are you doing? Rainbow and I are very excited to share the news of the Twilight Guard with you. I’m sorry you missed the party. Pinkie said she tried to get you to come, but you weren’t feeling well. She wanted to save you some cake too, but unfortunately Princess Celestia and Princess Luna polished it off during one of their late-night philosophy discussions on the equal providence of Day and Night. Anyway, I’m getting off topic. During breakfast this morning, I proposed a few ideas to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Both of which, they’ve readily approved. I’m happy to let you know I’ll be returning to Ponyville as soon as possible with the entire Twilight Guard. I’ll be in charge of safeguarding the borders with the Everfree Forest here in Ponyville and the greater surrounding area. Sincerely, Twilight With that, Spike’s peaceful idyllic life came to an end. * * * Twilight arrived back in Ponyville with all the pomp and circumstance a small town on the outskirts of Canterlot could manage. A copious amount of glittering streamers, provided by the ever generous Rarity, lined the streets from the train station to the library. Lovely birdsong, directed by the ever charming Fluttershy, filled the air with harmonious melodies. And a tremendous afterparty planned by Pinkie, stocked by Applejack, and attended by just about every single pony in Ponyville wrapped up the event. Of course, just when Spike thought things could settle down and he could figure out just where he fit with this whole Princess Twilight and Captain Rainbow Dash business, he found out he was wrong—mostly because some terrible creature escaped from Tartarus, sucked up all the magic in Equestria, and blew up his house. Not to mention his comic books. So he spent another day dealing with that business being trapped in some sort of magical void-bubble; a terrible experience altogether. Just to top it off, a magical crystal box somehow sprouted magical rainbow powers and grew into a huge magical crystal castle on the edge of town. And because he was Twilight’s very best number one assistant, he was expected to stay in it. Which was fine, except it was on the edge of town and far away from just about anything and everything he’d like to eat, do, or see. But given the number of various adventures leading up to this, he probably should have seen it coming. Regardless of his discontent, he did his best to stay positive. After all, Twilight was back and he had his own room. Which probably was for the best, because the last time he wandered into Twilight’s room to inquire upon her dinner selection, he found Rainbow sprawled out on top of Twilight’s back, both of their wings spread in some sort of odd exercise. From that day on, he opted to arrange dinner plans at breakfast and not interrupt the two of them in the evenings. Of course, there were also other oddities which involved Rainbow. Spike found it kind of odd that it was always Rainbow guarding Twilight and nopony else. And for the most part, the castle remained unguarded except for a couple of the Twilight Watch stationed outside the castle. The remaining guard spent their time patrolling the expansive border of the Everfree Forest and helping civilians around town. “Spike?” Spike sputtered and shook his head free from where it rested on his arm. Looking up, he found himself face-to-face to Twilight. “Woah, hey, Twilight. What’s up?” “That’s what I want to know Spike. We were having breakfast, and you sort of zoned out. Are you alright?” “Me?” Spike puffed up his chest and tapped it with his right claw. “I’m better than alright. I’m great! Gemstones for breakfast every day? Delicious!” He reached into his bowl and stuffed a clawful of gems into his mouth. Swallowing the crunchy treat, he smiled up at Twilight but didn’t get a smile back. “Are you sure? You’ve been really out of it ever since I got back to Ponyville.” A warm, feathery wing wrapped itself around Spike’s back. “If something’s bothering you, you can talk to me about it. I’m here for you, Spike.” “Well...” Spike began, his claws toying the bowl of gems in front of him. “I guess...” He looked to Twilight and got a smile and glittering eyes urging him to continue. “I just feel a little left out. All these things have been happening, and I’ve just been sorta in the background. Like a background dragon. I can help too, you know!” Feeling a little better after his outburst, he smiled up at Twilight. When Twilight smiled back, he sighed in relief. “Of course you can help, Spike. You’re my number one assistant after all.” “So, you’ll include me in all the things you and Rainbow have been doing ever since you got back to Ponyville?” “Um...what sort of things, exactly? Do you mean the—” Twilight trailed off, her face reddening. Spike waited for a response. Seconds passed. Nothing. Then minutes; still nothing. He reached forward and shook Twilight a little. “Twilight?” He shook Twilight harder. “Twilight, snap out of it!” Panic rose up Spike’s spine. Any number of horrible and unlikely scenarios raced through his mind. He scrambled to snap Twilight out of her trance, but nothing seemed to work. He was just about to send an emergency message to Princess Celestia when Rainbow trotted into the room. “Hey Spike, Twi, what’s up?” Spike looked to Rainbow, fully decked in her captain’s armor, and back to Twilight, and realized this was a very bad situation for him to be in. He rushed over to Rainbow and grabbed her breastplate. “Rainbow, you’ve gotta help me! I was talking to Twilight, and suddenly she just froze. She won’t talk to me, move, or anything!” Obviously concerned, Rainbow made her way over to Twilight and carefully looked her Princess over. Everything looked normal, aside from the slightly faster breathing, the slight blush on Twilight’s cheeks, and the tensed muscles. Grinning to herself, she casually placed a hoof around Twilight’s shoulders and turned to Spike. “So what exactly were you two talking about before she tensed up?” “Nothing really, I just wanted to feel a bit more appreciated. Twilight’s always hanging out with you. She used to always hang out with me—not that I’m jealous or anything!” “It’s no big deal Spike, it’s not your fault Twilight can’t resist my awesomeness. Especially in this getup.” Rainbow thrust out her chest plate and fluffed up her wings for emphasis. “But I can’t leave my Princess hangin’ like this. Watch carefully Spike, this is a field-tested, Twilight-approved maneuver.” Spike crossed his arms and did his best impression of an unimpressed Applejack. “Seriously?” Completely serious, Rainbow leaned in close to Twilight, her muzzle tracing the outline of Twilight’s ear. “Uh...” Spike took a step back and looked away. “Are you sure I should be watching something like this?” When he didn’t get a response, he turned back just in time to see Rainbow nibble the tip of Twilight’s ear. Ignoring the urge to paint the floor with his breakfast gems, he watched in morbid fascination as Rainbow repeated the motion on Twilight’s left ear. It wasn’t long before he could see Twilight’s wings stirring. First her body relaxed, then her breathing slowed, and within minutes, she was fully leaning into Rainbow’s touch. “See? Easy.” Rainbow chuckled and ruffled Twilight’s mane. “You should see how much she tenses when she stresses out. Half the time I have to work my way all the way down to her wings before she gets coherent again.” Spike shifted uncomfortably on his claws. “So, you two...” Rainbow Dash grinned. “And Twilight here...” Rainbow Dash grinned wider and draped a wing over Twilight’s back. “Ugh.” Spike buried his head in his claws. “It’s all so obvious now! Is that why you’re the only one guarding Twilight all the time? Is this whole captain thing because you have a thing for Twilight?” “Of course not! Sure, the helmet is pretty cool and it’s nice to be called Captain. But that’s not why I’m here. I’m here because Twilight really needed somepony back in Canterlot, and I happened to fit the job description.” Rolling his eyes, Spike threw up his claws in frustration. “Forget it. I don’t want to get mixed up in all your mushy business. Count me out. If anything important comes up, let me know.” Grumbling, he sauntered off to his room. Still grinning, Rainbow gave her princess a little shake with the wing draped over Twilight’s back. “Hey Twi, you okay there?” Shaken back to reality, Twilight blinked a few times to clear her dry, blurry vision. “I think so. Is Spike alright? He asked a question that I really didn’t want to get into.” “Already taken care of.” Rainbow replied with a cocky grin and a mock salute. “You can count on me, princess.” Twilight smirked and firmly nuzzled Rainbow underneath the chin. “Did you now? And did you manage to do it without traumatizing him?” “Define traumatizing.” Sighing, Twilight smiled as she shook her head. “Rainbow, I know you mean well, but sometimes your methods are a little to rough.” Rainbow waggled her non-existent eyebrows. Twilight face-hoofed. “I mean, you don’t exactly express yourself with the choicest of words. You tend towards being more direct, which is great. But I think Spike needs a little more care.” “What? No way. The little guy is way more mature than he lets on. I’m pretty sure he’s been caught in enough trouble with us to handle a little teasing.” Rainbow grinned. “If you say so, Rainbow. But if he’s scarred for the next few weeks, you and I are taking him to therapy together.” “You go it. But it’s not going to happen.” * * * True to Rainbow’s word, Spike was perfectly happy with the situation. Sure, it was a little weird that Twilight and Rainbow were doing whatever special someponys do together, but at least they did it privately—which left him plenty of time to relax with a nice comic book, some gems, and ponder what to do with his time when Twilight wasn’t asking him to do one errand or another. By the time dinner rolled around, Spike had more or less forgotten the discomfort at breakfast. Instead, he was in the sizable castle kitchens, whipping up a pastry stuffed with vegetables and mushroom gravy. He carefully marked the one on the right with a claw mark before depositing them into the oven. He didn’t want Twilight to get the extra spicy one he made for Rainbow Dash. The spice was the perfect way to even the score and get Rainbow back for mix of weird feelings he was subjected to in the morning. When the golden brown pastries came out of the oven, Spike was sure he was about to pull off one of the greatest pranks in the history of spicy food pranking. He arranged the food on the table and called for Twilight and Rainbow. Naturally, Rainbow as at the table in a flash. The pegasus was always hungry, and when it came to Spike’s cooking, Rainbow had taken to it tremendously. Spike even went out of his way to make sure Rainbow’s portions were a little bigger than Twilight’s. Twilight, however, took multiple promptings and a threat from Rainbow that her tea was growing cold before the frazzled Alicorn stumbled down the stairs. From the looks of it, Twilight was going over the tax codes again for Ponyville. Apparently when tax codes are written by a bunch of apple farmers from a couple hundred years ago, they end up containing a lot of references and anachronisms that could frustrate even the most studied scholar. But all that was forgotten in the face of Spike’s delicious Vegetable Pastry Pasty Bake. Twilight leaned and breathed in the intoxicating aroma, her mouth watering. “Wow, Spike, this looks and smells delicious!” Rainbow nudged her own with a hoof and nodded approvingly. “And so flaky, just the way I like it. If I had known Twilight was getting such good food, I’d have moved in ages ago.” “Aww, thanks guys.” Spike puffed up his chest proudly. “I think I might open a little diner sometime and be the first Dragon chef in Equestria.” “Mmmf—you should go for it,” Twilight agreed through a mouthful of vegetables and gravy. “Argh!” Rainbow screamed and backed up from the table. “Rainbow! You should be supportive of Spike, his cooking is delicious!” Spike grinned and crossed his arms. “How do you like it, Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow glared at Spike as she poured a glass of water down her throat. “How much pepper did you put in this?” Panting, she quickly poured another glass of water and gulped it down. “Oh, not much, just a clawful toward the end. To get you back for this morning.” Spike shrugged casually. “You’re lucky I’m feeling generous, and I didn’t spice the whole thing. I was worried you were going to start from the wrong end, but it looks like it worked out.” “Spike! Did you purposely do that to Rainbow’s food?” “Sure did. You didn’t see what she did to me this morning. I think we’re even now.” Rainbow carefully tasted the next mouthful for spice before chowing down. “It’s okay, Twilight. Second rule of pranking is to expect to be pranked back. It’s really tasty otherwise.” “You’re welcome.” Spike nodded and and popped one of his roasted fire gems into his mouth, savoring a job well done. Or at least, he tried to savor a job well done, but it was not to be. Not five seconds later, a rush of flame shot out of his mouth and a scroll landed on top of his dinner. “Not again. Don’t ponies know it’s rude to message during meal times?” Twilight carefully floated up the message from atop Spike’s gems and looked over the seal. Smiling, she passed it over to Rainbow. “It’s for you, Rainbow. From the looks of it, it’s pretty important.” Rainbow looked up from another mouthful of pasty at the letter. “I’ll look at it after dinner. This is way too delicious to let go cold.” Nodding, Twilight dropped the scroll on the table. “You’re right. Spike, you’ve really outdone yourself with this one.” “Wait! This is from the Wonderbolts!” Rainbow dropped her food and picked up the letter. Tearing the seal away with her teeth, she unraveled the scroll and darted her eyes across the words. Her face gradually shifted from a grin, to a slight frown, until finally she dropped the letter on the table without a word. Standing up from the dinner table, she took to her wings and disappeared upstairs. “What just happened?” Spike looked to Twilight, and to the letter lying on the dinner table. “I don’t know Spike, I’ve never seen Rainbow so upset before.” Carefully picking up the letter in her magic, Twilight floated it over and read the contents. Frowning, she turned to Spike. “I’m not sure what’s wrong, but it says here that the Wonderbolts are inviting Rainbow to join her.” “That’s amazing!” “It sure is. I can’t think of it happening to a more qualified pony. But why is Rainbow so upset?” “You should probably go talk to her.” Spike nodded and popped another gem into his mouth. “I can never tell what’s going on in her head.” Twilight nodded. “It can be tough. I’ll go talk to her now. Don’t wait for us, it might be a while given the way Rainbow reacted.” Spike nodded back before popping another gem into his mouth. Luckily for him, he was careful to stay out of issues like this one, and he liked it that way. * * * Twilight hesitated in front of Rainbow’s bedroom door. It was always open to her, she knew that, but the way Rainbow charged out of the room left her uneasy. She could understand the pressure Rainbow faced. It certainly wasn’t a pleasant sensation. Still, this was important; they had talked about it the very first night Rainbow had agreed to become her captain. Twilight was determined to set things right, no matter how difficult it would be. Sighing heavily, she raised her hoof and rapped it lightly against the door. The door offered no resistance and creaked open. “Rainbow?” Twilight called out through the crack in the door. Hearing no response, she pressed her hoof forward a little more, cracking the door just enough so she could see inside the room. She found Rainbow standing at the far end of the room, staring out into the sky, her captain’s helmet clutched to her chest with one hoof. “Rainbow?” Twilight trotted into the room, and eased up behind Rainbow. Laying a hoof across Rainbow’s back, she leaned in and nuzzled her captain’s cheek. She felt Rainbow quiver under her touch, so she drew closer, wrapping one of her wings around Rainbow’s side. “Hey, Twi,” came the muted reply after a moment of the hugging. “I know what you’re going to say, but I can’t do it.” Twilight shook her head and nuzzled Rainbow a little more. “I understand, but you should do this for yourself. I’ll be alright. You know that.” “But what about the Twilight Guard? And you? I can’t leave you. Not after all we’ve been through.” Squeezing Rainbow close, Twilight shook her head, “I think the guard will be alright for a while without a Captain. You can always appoint a temporary replacement. And me, well, I think we both know the answer to that. I want you to do this, Rainbow.” Rainbow huffed and turned away. “Sure, I could. But they definitely wouldn’t be as good as me. And you don’t deserve anything but the best.” “Neither do you, Rainbow! This letter?” Twilight waved it in the air. “It’s exactly the pinnacle you’ve been working for this whole time. The first night, when you agreed to help, we both knew that this day would come. And I’m okay with that.” “It’s not the only thing I’ve been working toward,” Rainbow responded quickly, her eyes darting quickly between the letter and Twilight. “How can I leave now? We’ve been in Ponyville together less than a year! You just got your castle. I can’t leave you now. I’m your captain.” “Rainbow...” Twilight trailed off, her heart thumping in her chest. She desperately wanted Rainbow to stay, too—but it was illogical. From the very start, they agreed this would be a step in the right direction to Rainbow’s dream. Even if Rainbow wanted to stay, Twilight understood this was just as important, perhaps even more so because Rainbow was her precious captain. She thought back to that first night without Rainbow, and she realized something. “Let’s go for a fly.” Twilight set her jaw and looked to the darkening evening sky. “What?” Rainbow said quietly. “A fly. That’s what we used to do when we needed to think over something. I think it’s just what we need right now.” Twilight smiled ever so slightly and gestured to the window. “What do you say, Rainbow? Fly with me?” Rainbow looked to the sky, and the sky called to her. It always called to her, but now, another called to her as well. Maybe they could be one in the same. Nodding, Rainbow dropped her armor to the floor. “You got it, Princess. Let’s go for a fly, together.” Nodding to each other in agreement, they took flight from the castle balcony. They soared together into the sky, the darkness, the unknown, pondering if their decisions would be the right one. Life seemed to never be simple, and just as they once found solace in one another, they now found solace in their problem together in the dusky sky. Neither of them spoke, because they both knew at the end of their flight together, things would change. But Twilight wasn’t convinced. Things didn’t have to change completely. The obvious solution was always there. Why not both? There must be a way to convince Rainbow she would be alright. They wound through the surrounding countryside of Ponyville, to the outskirts of Canterlot, and to the grassy fields beneath Cloudsdale before turning back. No matter where Twilight flew, Rainbow was right there at her side. Occasionally, they’d share glances at each other, and somehow Twilight’s heart felt warmed with each passing minute. As they made it back to Ponyville, Twilight’s muscles, pushed past their breaking point, shuddered and gave out. In a moment, Rainbow’s hooves were around her, and they glided safely to a cloud. Panting heavily, Twilight wiped the sweat from her brow. When she had caught her breath, she smiled to Rainbow. “I remember when I nearly flew into you that night in Canterlot. I was lucky you were there. Just like tonight.” Rainbow smiled back. “Of course, Twi. You know I always got your back, no matter what.” “I do know that.” Twilight shuffled to her hooves. “You were with me the whole time, every second of it.” “And that’s not going to change. The Wonderbolts can wait. I’m sure in a couple years, they’ll be even more eager to have me.” “Rainbow, listen to me.” Twilight hesitated and glanced off to the distant, glittering lights of Canterlot. “I know you’ve made up your mind, but just hear me out. Just tonight, we flew nearly to Canterlot, Cloudsdale, and back.” “Yeah, so? I do long flights at night all the time as a way to keep myself fresh. Remember? That’s how I bumped into you the first night back in Canterlot.” “That’s exactly it, Rainbow.” Twilight smiled widely. “So what’s to stop you from accepting the invitation and flying back each day? It’s not that far, and I’m sure your lieutenants can handle the day-to-day. Thanks to the guard schedules I organized, you mostly just guard me each day.” Rainbow paused, the gears churning in her head. Slowly, a smile spread on her face as she slumped down onto the cloud on her flank. “Wow, Twilight. I never realized.” Twilight nodded. “Neither did I. I can’t believe I forgot how easy it was for you to fly to me the first night I was out.” “So I can still be a Wonderbolt?” Twilight smirked. “As if there was any doubt. You’ll be the best Wonderbolt, my captain.” Nodding firmly, Rainbow drew Twilight closer with her forehooves. “You can count on it, my princess. I’ll meet you in the sky each night.” Twilight leaned closer to Rainbow, savoring in the warmth of the pony next to her. “It’s a deal. Don’t keep me waiting.” The response was easy and clear as the night sky. Rainbow leaned in and drew her princess into a deep kiss. Close to one another, they let their bodies express the emotions that words could not. At the end of the kiss, Twilight knew her conundrum was over. Not only had she gained a stalwart captain, she had also found the pony who complimented her in every way. Together, they could both achieve their dreams, for one another. You Shook Me All Night Long by lostzilla Epilogue: Spike finally got the recognition he deserved and became honorary Captain of the Twilight Guard during Rainbow’s absences. He held no real power, didn’t do any actual commanding, and most of the work was done by Rainbow’s three lieutenants, but he did perfect his means of pranking Rainbow’s food with various kinds of spice to the point where Rainbow grew quite accustomed to spicy food. Twilight spent countless days putting together plans for a new Wonderbolts training facility closer to Ponyville. Owing to the increasing influence of the town due to her presence and the significant amount of open air in contrast to Canterlot and Cloudsdale, the facility was approved. It remains a valuable addition to the Wonderbolts facilities and Rainbow Dash even drops by regularly to perform her duties there. Rainbow Dash would go on to become not only a great Wonderbolt, but a loyal and loving Captain. But that is a story for another time.