A Ray of Dusk

by AlphatheGriffin17

Time to Reflect

“Are you sure I’m not interrupting anything, Rarity?” asked Dusk.

“Not at all, darling,” she said. “I’ve just finished an order for a client and I was going to take a little break, so you came by at the perfect time. Besides, you know I always enjoy our little chats.”

Dusk smiled tightly as she levitated his tea to him, sitting by the window in Rarity’s kitchen. When Rarity had said she wanted to talk with him about something, he was concerned but tried not to let it get to him. With all that had been happening concerning it, he supposed it wasn’t unusual.

Rarity seemed to be doing her best to be her usual self, but it was the little things. Every now and again, her smile would falter or a flicker of nervousness would flash across her face. Still, Dusk didn’t press it for now.

“So, how are things with you, dear?” she asked. “How goes dream training?”

“Getting better,” he answered. “Not by much, but Luna said that it’s not something that will be mastered overnight, ironically.”

“Well, Equestria wasn’t made in a day,” she said. “Regardless, I wish you the best of luck with it. I ask, however, when you are able to walk between dreams, you find some way to let me know if you ever come across mine?”

Dusk smirked. “Why? Is the lady not as proper as she’d prefer to be seen?”

“Dusk! You cheeky devil!” She slapped his hoof playfully while her cheeks flushed. “Honestly, I expect that kind of remark coming from Ray, but I assumed you had higher standards.”

“I suppose he’s rubbing off on me a bit,” he chuckled. “My apologies regardless.”

“Oh hush, I know you meant nothing by it,” she assured. “However, if you are going to start being a little bolder, I know somepony who could benefit much more from it than I.”

Now, it was Dusk’s turn to blush. “Well… I’ll bear that in mind.”

“Good.” She returned his smirk. “I’m sure Twilight would thank me for it.”

“Most certainly,” he murmured. “So, did you enjoy the camping trip?”

“I must confess, while not my most favourite of activities, I did have a good time,” she said. “It was nice to get some good quality time with Sweetie Belle and Winesome Falls was simply marvellous. I would venture there more often, were less outdoors things and sweating involved with the outing.”

“Indeed.” He sipped his tea. “And having our friends there was rather nice too.”

“Oh yes, of course,” she agreed. “But the same could be said for any scenario really.”

“Of course,” he echoed.

“But…” Her expression became pensive. “There is something I’d like to discuss with you. It’s about… about Spike.”

“What about him?” asked Dusk. “If it’s his crush on you, I think he’s become a lot better at keeping it in check.“

“Oh no, nothing like that. I do completely agree with you in that regard. However, I…” She trailed off, searching for the right words. “I’ll be honest, Dusk: I’m worried about him.”

Dusk frowned. “In what way?”

“Where to start?” she murmured. “Dusk, have you ever thought how much danger that we get into?”

“I’ll be honest, Rarity, I try not to,” he said.

“That in itself speaks volumes. Discord, Paraserpents, Sombra and that whole business in Canterlot. And the entire time, Spike has been right there with us!”

“Well, of course. He’s our friend and this is home. It’s not as if we’ve deliberately placed him in danger.”

“Yet we’ve never done much to remove him from it either!” she cried. “The poor darling has been through so much! He even has scars now, for Celestia’s sake! Scars on dragon scales! What kind of friends are we that we’ve let this happen to Spikey wikey?! Why is it that we insist on keeping my sister and her friends out of danger, yet we never even consider doing the same for Spike?!”

Dusk opened his mouth to reply, but closed it as Rarity’s words set in. Along with a sense of shame.

Having spent a lot of time with Spike, it was sometimes easy for Dusk to forget that he was still young. Yes, he could walk, talk and have much more advanced faculties than a baby pony would, but he was still a baby dragon. A child. He thought back to all of the times Spike had fought at their side in countless fights, the moment Wrath had stuck him. If something had happened to Spike that he couldn’t just walk off…

“By Celestia…” he murmured, placing his head in his hooves. “You’re right, Rarity. I… I never thought…”

“It’s all I have been able to think about.” She came over and placed her foreleg around him in a hug. “I’m not blaming you, darling or Twilight. In a sense, there’s a shared sense of responsibility among us all. I’m not sure what to do about it, but perhaps if you could speak with Twilight? She’s the closest thing he has to a guardian, after all.”

“I think I’ll do just that,” he said quietly. “Thank you, Rarity.”

“Thank you for taking my concerns to heart, darling. Please understand, I don’t wish to lose Spike as a friend but I… I don’t want to lose him, either.”

“I understand.” The two of them exchanged a proper hug before Dusk left for the library.

His mood must have shown, for a few ponies backed off a little while he stalked back through town. Shame had given way to anger, mainly at himself. He was fighting very hard to control his temper. It had taken all of his self-control not to start shouting. He wasn’t sure if that would have helped, but it was all he could think of right now.

About halfway, he took a moment to calm himself down. Even then, he still had a measure of seething anger, mingled with shame.

Twilight looked up in surprise when he re-entered the library.

“You’re back early,” she noted. “Did something happen at Rarity’s?”

“You could say that,” he responded, still with a bit of an edge.

“Well, there’s no need to be like that,” she said coolly.

He took another few deep breaths and sat down at a desk.

“I’m sorry, Miss Sparkle. It’s just something Rarity said to me just now.”

“Why, what did she say?” She walked over to join him. “It must have been bad to make you of all ponies mad.”

Dusk looked around. “Is Spike here?”

“He’s upstairs taking a nap. We are on break, after all and you know Spike. Why?” she asked.

“Just that I think it would be better if he didn’t hear this,” he murmured.

He took her aside and relayed what Rarity had told him. Twilight appeared to mirror his own reaction, in many respects. Dusk noticed her knees starting to shake and he hurriedly levitated a chair for her to collapse into.

“Oh no… no, no, no, no!” Tears welled in her eyes. “Dusk… how could we not… all this time and we… oh Spike…!”

“I know, I know,” he murmured. “He always just seemed so... strong. I mean, he can jump into molten lava like it’s a swimming pool and he’s always been able to bounce back from everything.”

“That doesn’t matter! We’re lucky he hasn’t…!” She realised she was yelling and took a moment to quiet herself down. “I’m supposed to look after him. H-He’s like a little brother to me and I just…”

“Me too, Twilight. Should we… do you think we should talk to him?” asked Dusk.

She sniffed loudly and took a few calming breaths. “Not right now. Like Rarity said, this concerns all of us. I think… we need to bring everypony together, talk through how best to handle this.”

“I agree. Let’s just… give ourselves some time to think about it first. Ultimately, we have to do what’s best for Spike. Whatever it takes to keep him safe.”

She nodded, then hugged him tightly. This wasn’t going to be easy…

---

Unbeknownst to either of them somepony, or rather somedragon, had been upstairs and heard Dusk’s harsh tone. At the mention of Rarity, he’d listened at the stairs out of sight to hear what had been happening. Now, he was beginning to wish that he hadn’t.

Spike’s legs suddenly felt heavy and he just fell back onto the floor in a stunned daze. He just sat there, staring blankly at the wall. As the words began to set in, his eyes started to water, though he barely reacted from the tears that trickled down his cheeks.

Whatever it took to keep him safe. Like he didn’t deserve a say in the matter. After all he’d been through with them, all the times he’d helped. It was thanks to him they’d saved the Crystal Empire! They may not have said it, but Spike knew what this meant. They were going to try and keep him out of the way. They were going to leave him behind.

Absently, his claw drifted to the three parallel scars that ran down his chest. They sometimes stung a little if he put any kind of sudden pressure on them or something big hit him in the chest. But it had only gone through one layer of scales and scraped the second, so it could have been a lot worse. They would never fully heal, but he never minded. They looked cool and he took pride in knowing what he’d gotten them for.

He began to think that it had been for nothing. That it didn’t matter anymore. They were going to push him off to one side. It was like Owlowiscious all over again, except he was sure it wasn’t just him being jealous again. This was real.

He was going to lose his family, just because they thought he was just a kid…

But the more he felt his scars, the more he refused to believe those thoughts. He was Spike. Number one dragon assistant. Adoptive brother to an Element of Harmony. Saviour of the Crystal Empire. He had to make things right, show them he could handle the danger, but how? There had to be some way he could prove himself or change their minds. If his body would just give him something to work with, some way to reflect what he knew he felt inside. Maybe another greed growth spurt would…

A thought occurred to him. Maybe it didn’t have to be greed. What if he could find a way to make himself grow up? Make his body more than just a pudgy baby dragon? Then they would see. He wouldn’t have to be left out!

But then he remembered something Twilight told him. Spells like that were of the highest level of magic. Only an alicorn would have the power to pull it off and he couldn’t picture any of the ones he knew willing to perform it on him. They wouldn’t understand. They’d probably agree with his friends. If he was going to do this, he’d have to figure out a way himself.

He found himself thinking about the story of the mirror Dusk had told him about. It could change the appearance of whoever looked in it to whatever they wanted. Could they change anything? Did it really exist? It was a long shot, but maybe there was more to it. For his friends, he had to do it.

He quickly ran to a mirror. He gathered himself, made sure there was no trace he’d been crying and made himself smile at the thought of finding a way to help him and his friends. He waited, making sure that Dusk and Twilight had pulled themselves together. He didn’t want to force the conversation he knew was coming. He needed time. When they looked better, he headed downstairs, stretching his arms and yawning.

“Ah, that was a nice nap,” he said. “Break over, Twi?”

“Just about, Spike.” She smiled proudly. “Usually, I have to come up and wake you. Good job on getting down here early.”

“You know me. Always ready to work!” he said with as much enthusiasm as he could. “Anything I can do?”

“Yes. Can you reorganize the sports section in the East wing? The Crusaders were flicking through the whole shelf for cutie mark ideas and didn’t bother putting everything back in the right place.” She groaned. “Some ponies just have no respect for proper order.”

“You got it,” he saluted. “Can Dusk gimme a hoof? There’s a lot of books to clean up there.”

“I don’t see why not. You don’t mind, Dusk?” she asked.

“Of course not. I could use something to take my mind off of things anyway,” he said. “Lead the way, Spike.”

Spike marched through the door and grinned at his good fortune. This would be perfect. He could ask Dusk about it away from Twilight so she wouldn’t get suspicious. He mentally crossed his fingers as they neared the shelf.

“Goodness, this is quite a mess,” noted Dusk. “I suppose it’s only right that two number one assistant’s tackle the job.”

“Yep.” Spike let a few moments of silence pass while they work. “Hey Dusk, mind if I ask you something?”

“If I can answer it, not at all,” he replied. “What’s on your mind?”

“I was wondering… you know the story you told? About Eros and her mirror? Is it real?”

Dusk paused in his work. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, you know,” he said as casually as he could, “last time you talked about something that used to be a story, turned out it was true. Just making sure it isn’t a trend.”

Dusk regarded him for a moment and Spike was afraid he hadn’t bought it. But he smiled and resumed his work.

“It looks like it might be starting to be,” he said. “The legend and the events that happened in it do stem from a real magical artefact. It was originally called the Novo Mirror. Nopony knows much about, where it came from or who made it because of how old it is - centuries, some speculate - and its changed hooves many times as well. Eros was the last to possess it, and ever since then those who have sought it have met with a… very gruesome end.”

Spike shivered. He didn’t need to ask exactly what, in that respect.

“But the mirror,” Dusk went on, “was no mere tool of vanity like what she turned it into. Its power to change was near limitless. An earth pony who wanted nothing more than to fly used it to give herself wings. A stallion mocked for his weedy stature soon had a physique even Hoofacles would be envious of. Another went away into a room with it and emerged a blossoming young mare.”

“Seriously?” Spike could hardly believe it. “It was that powerful?”

“Indeed it was and hence why it was always so jealously guarded by those who became fortunate enough to own it. Or unfortunate, depending on one’s view,” he added. “They’d always try and hide it away, but it always ended up in somepony else’s hooves. Only Eros doesn’t seem to want to let go of it.”

“Uh huh,” Spike nodded, his hope growing. “So, where is it now?”

“Where most believe it’s resided for a long while. In Eros’s home, in the town of Blight in Transylmaneia,” he answered. “Those who believe the story have gone trying to find it... and end up with more than what they bargained for.”

“Transylmaneia, huh?” Spike murmured.

“Yes. In a land brimming with ghost stories and tales of horror, what is one more?” Dusk mused. “Was there anything else you wanted to ask about it?”

“Uh, no that’s it.” He smiled genuinely at Dusk. “Thanks, bro.”

“My pleasure. Now, we’d best get back to work,” he suggested. “Don’t want Twilight to come in here and see us slacking off.”

Spike did so, but his mind was only partially on his work. The rest was formulating a plan. If Dusk’s knowledge could be trusted, and he knew it could be, this mirror could be just what he was hoping for. He knew it was risky and he knew it may be a long shot, but it looked like the best chance he had of fixing things with everypony. He had to do this. But he had to do it on his own.

While Dusk and Twilight were studying, he was too. Specifically on where Blight was, what was there and how best to get to it. While they went out to lunch, he volunteered to stay behind and managed to sneak some food from the kitchen to prepare for the trip, as well as taking a little from his stash of bits for a train ticket. On top of this, he had the perfect opportunity to slip away tonight.

In accordance to Twilight’s level of organisation, they’d organised certain days of the week would be date nights for them. This was one of them. He waited until Dusk and Twilight, dressed up for a dinner at a nice restaurant had left before making his move. He propped some pillows in his basket to make it look like he was sleeping, left a note for them when they would discover him gone and grabbed his bindle and stick once more.

With a heavy heart, hoping they would understand, he slipped away to the station and was soon travelling out of Ponyville towards Transylmaneia. He just hoped it would be worth it.

---

The journey had taken almost all night. By the time the conductor announced they were arriving at their destination, the sun had already risen above the horizon and Spike had managed to catch some sleep along the way. He stretched and yawned, grabbed his bindle and hopped out of his chair to the door. He had a good look of where he was.

The station was situated at a crossroads. There wasn’t really much to look at. Moors stretched on as far as the eye could see and there were small patches of trees on the road side. He noticed a sign post at the crossroads and made for it. It pointed in the direction of the town of Blight down the right path, the road along the way going downwards.

“Okay, Spike,” he said to himself. “You’ve come this far, now let’s take it all the way. For your family.”

Hefting his bindle, he set off down the road and hummed a merry tune to keep his spirits high. It looked like he would need it, for the road was only getting steeper. As it did, the hills seemed to rise up on all sides, enclosing in all around him and preventing any kind of escape. They threatened to block out the sun and it even started to get a little darker, even though it was early morning. A thin layer of mist began to creep up on him the further he went.

Spike shivered a little from how cold it had suddenly gotten. At least, that was what he preferred to think. He remembered what Dusk said, about Transylmaneia being a land filled with ghost stories. He was beginning to see why. The road was deserted. A few solitary lamps stood lit here and there. The wind occasionally blew and made what little greenery there was rustle. It was like even the grass and flowers seemed reluctant to grow along the path. The few he saw were withered from lack of sun.

Spike gulped and tried to ignore the faint shiver down his spine and the feeling of dread rising in the pit of his stomach. He forged on, picking up his pace a little.

He rounded a corner about half an hour later and saw a small collection of houses in the middle of a deep basin, lights shimmering faintly from it. If you were to approach it from any other way, it would be practically concealed by the monstrous hills that surrounded it. It didn’t really look like it was organised, more like somepony had just decided to slap some houses here and other buildings had just grown up around them, unlike the non-existent plant life.

At least he wouldn’t be alone anymore. With the thought in mind that there would be other ponies who could help him out and that he would soon find what he was looking for, Spike took another deep breath and headed towards town, again picking up his pace.

Blight was a small town, not unlike Ponyville in size. However, unlike Ponyville’s warm and welcoming feeling, Blight seemed like it wanted to be in the act of turning ponies away. Even with the sun in the sky, the town still seemed quite dark for how deep in the basin they were. A layer of mist hung over the ground and moss clung to the walls of rundown looking homes. It looked dirty and shabby with the streets covered in mud (at least he hoped it was mud), as did the ponies who inhabited the place.

There was something else Spike noticed about them. As he walked through the streets, he noticed how they seemed to stare at him. Their eyes glimmered with suspicion and fear. Those who were walking down the same route as him ducked into alleyways or gave him a wide berth. Were they like this with everypony or was it just because he was a dragon?

Spike didn’t really know and he didn’t feel like asking. What he wanted was to first find an inn and then the house of Eros. He decided to ask around for the former before finding out about the latter.

“Uh, excuse me, miss?” he asked a mare walking by. “But can you tell me where-?”

She froze when she saw him. Then, she screamed and galloped back the way she came.

“O… kay,” he muttered. He tried somepony else. “Excuse me, sir? Can you tell me where the inn is, please?”

“How about you try back where you came from?” he spat, stalking off.

“Well, that was rude,” he remarked. “Guess I’m on my own then.”

It took a little bit of time wandering around, but he soon found the inn, looking as rundown as everything else here. It didn’t have any name, it was just called The Inn. These guys really had to work on their tourist trade, Spike thought.

When he stepped inside, he felt every eye in the room lock on to him. He froze in the doorway, suddenly very conscious of everypony looking at him.

“Uh… hi?” he tried, with a little wave and an attempt at a smile.

Nopony returned either. Slowly, they returned to whatever business they were focused on, eating or drinking or discussing things in muttered whispers. Only one figure seemed intent on staring at him, over in the corner, and he couldn’t make out the figure’s face because of the hood he… or she, wore. To be perfectly honest, it was more than a little unsettling. Spike did his best to ignore it and waddled up to the counter.

“Uh, excuse me?” The innkeeper, an aging stallion with a bad eye and thin wisps of a ghostly white mane, leered down at him. “Uh… hi. Uh, you got any rooms for the night?”

“No rooms,” he answered sharply, in a heavy accent. “All full.”

“Oh.” Spike thought for a moment. “Well, are there any other inns around?”

“No inns. Only one. No more questions. Very busy.”

“O-okay, but can I just-?”

“No. No more questions. Back to work. Very busy,” he repeated, stalking off the other way and wiping a glass with a very dirty cloth.

Spike took another look around the room. There was barely anypony here. Sure, real busy, he thought bitterly. What was with everypony in this town? He was still thinking about what to do next and if there was anypony here who might actually be helpful when he became aware of somepony trying to get his attention.

It was the hooded pony in the corner. He… or she, again Spike couldn’t really tell with the hood, was beckoning him over. He glanced around. There was nopony else at the counter, other than him so it wasn’t meant for anypony else. He looked back at the figure and pointed to himself. The figure’s hood shifted in a nod and gestured to an empty seat.

Spike thought for a moment. So, after such a warm welcome from the rest of the town, somepony actually wanted to talk to him. He shrugged. It wasn’t like he had anything to lose. He waddled over to the chair and climbed onto it. Now that he was close, he could make out a faint yellow glow under the hood.

“I suppose he just told you he doesn’t have any rooms, yes?” a soothing voice asked, with a faint hint of an accent. Definitely a mare then. Spike nodded. “He said the same to me. It was only after some heavy persuasion he gave me one, and even then, it’s not exactly four stars.”

“Doesn’t really look it,” he noted. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Do not apologize,” she said. That voice was really something, smooth and silky, every syllable meant to entrance and entice. Spike could listen to it all day. “This town, it is like a snake in its burrow. They do not want to be disturbed and don’t take kindly to those who do. But for you and I, this is even truer.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I thought that answer would be obvious. Even in my travels, I don’t see many dragons in the places I visit,” she said with evident interest. “In fact, I haven’t seen any dragons that aren’t guarding hordes of treasure or outside their home in the Badlands.”

“Yeah, well…” Spike chuckled nervously, struck by the urge to say something cool. “I uh, I guess I’m not any old dragon then, heh. Right?”

She laughed, a sweet melodious sound that made Spike’s cheeks heat up.

“This is true,” she agreed. “You do seem unlike other dragons. Another thing we have in common.”

Spike cocked his head. “Why? Are you a dragon too?”

“Sadly, no,” she tittered. “But whereas you are unlike other dragons, I am unlike other ponies. You know how I said the keeper refused me a room? I will show you why…”

She pulled off her hood and Spike immediately saw what she meant. Though she had the typical features of a pony, there were several that were only unique to her kind. Her eyes were a brilliant gold, with narrow slits instead of round pupils. Her ears were pointed at the tips rather than rounded. He could make out pointed fangs poking out of her mouth.

But aside from that, she was rather breath-taking. Her golden eyes glowed alluringly, her lashes long as they fluttered. Her mouth curled into a charming smile and her luscious blue mane cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, crashing over the grey rocks. Or rather her grey fur, but even that appeared to border on silver and was well groomed.

“I get it,” he whispered. “You’re a… a bat pony.”

“We prefer the term ‘thestral’,” she corrected. “You have seen my kin then?”

“Yeah. Luna has them as her royal guard or chariot pullers.”

“Of course that would be where,” she nodded approvingly. “You rarely see thestrals outside the care of our beloved Princess of the Night, for there are so very few of us.”

“Really?” Spike asked. “I always thought there were more of you guys in other places.”

“Yes, but they are few and far between. With good reason.” A faint tone of bitterness entered her voice before she returned to her previous tone. “Ah, listen to me. Here I am moping over such things and I haven’t even asked the name of the little drake kind enough to sit with me.”

“Uh, sorry.” Spike blushed at the compliment and held out a claw. “I-I’m Spike, uh, miss.”

“A fine name for a fine young dragon.” She shook his claw and shone that brilliant smile. “I am Selena.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Selena.”

“Likewise, Spike.” Her eyes seemed to glow in the low light. “So, what brings you to such a place as Blight? Are you travelling, the same as I?”

“Sort of, but I’m only going as far as here,” he explained. “I uh… well, it sounds kinda silly now I think about it.”

“Do not presume so early. Please, tell me what has brought you here,” she encouraged. “I find myself intrigued.”

“O-okay…” He thought for a moment. “Well, uh… I heard a story about a mirror and I was told that it was here.”

“Ah, then it seems we have another thing in common,” she noted. “We both seek the same goal. The Broken Mirror of Foul Fortune, or the Novo Mirror.”

“You’re looking for it too?” Spike asked in amazement. “Wow, that’s an awesome coincidence!”

“I quite agree,” she giggled. “It seems to me the mirror is the only reason anypony would wish to come to Blight. Have you found where the house of Eros is?”

“Not yet,” he admitted. “I was gonna ask around about it, but nopony here seems to be that big on talking. But the story said it was a house above the town, so that can’t be hard to find.”

“No, it wasn’t,” she said.

Spike’s eyes widened. “You mean you know where it is?”

“Something we do not have in common, but we can soon change that.” Her eyes flickered past him and narrowed. “We’re about to have some unwanted company. Don’t panic, let me handle this.”

Spike turned and saw three burly looking stallions striding towards their table and they didn’t look very friendly. One he recognised as the stallion who had told him to go back where he came from in the street.

“Is there a problem, gentecolts?” Selena asked.

“There is. Him.” He pointed to Spike. “We don’t want him here.”

Spike quivered a little under the stallion’s gaze. Why did they hate him so much? He hadn’t done anything to them!

“Ah, now there we have a problem,” Selena said. “Because I do.”

“Beat it, lady,” one of the others snapped. “This don’t concern you.”

“That is where you are wrong.” She placed a hoof on him. “The dragon is with me. He is under my care and my protection.”

“Then you can clear off too!” snorted another.

“I see.” Slowly, deliberately, she rose from the table. She glided around to face them, letting her robe slide from her form and revealing her leather wings, which were slowly unfolding. “It seems we’re just going to keep having problems. I could fix that.”

The stallion on her right roared and threw his hoof at her. In the blink of an eye, she ducked and swept him and the other two out from under their hooves. Carrying the momentum of her sweep, she kicked the guy on her right in the chin so he went crashing head first into the wall. The one on her left tried to go for her, but she slammed him with her other rear hoof and he went flying too.

Only the lead one was left. He tried to get up, but she sharply shoved him back down so she was towering over him. She bared her fangs and smiled wickedly.

“You’re scared. I know. I can smell it. You reek of fear.” She leaned in and ran her tongue across her fangs. “You have five seconds to run before I show you why you should be.”

“Back, Tartarus spawn!” He pulled out a clove of garlic and dangled it before her.

She stared at him for a moment. She raised a single eyebrow. Then, she swatted it away.

“Hm, maybe it was that. Now, you have three seconds.”

Trembling, the stallion scrambled to his hooves and hurried out. His friends staggered behind, one of them slipping on the way out and banging his head again. He crawled out. Selena laughed and turned to see Spike, staring at her in awe.

“Whoa… that was amazing!” he praised. “Where’d you learn that?”

“When you live as I do, you learn to look after yourself in more ways than one,” she replied. “They did not harm you?”

“Didn’t even get close. Thanks,” he said sincerely. “But uh, I think I could have handled them.”

“I have no doubt.” Her eyes drifted to his scars. She sat back down and placed her robe back on. “Now, as I was going to say before we were rudely interrupted, I have a proposition for you. We are both after the same thing and neither of us seem welcome here. Might I suggest we partner up and better our chances of success?”

“Yeah, sounds great!” he said at once. “I mean, not that I’m scared to head up to a scary, haunted house to find a cursed mirror or anything.”

“Of course not,” she chuckled. “You can share my room, I insist, and we will wait until dark. I hope you don’t mind, but we thestrals hunt better when the moon is shining rather than the sun.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” He laughed nervously. “I uh, I’m not scared of the dark or anything.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” she promised. “Now, let’s get ourselves some food. I’d say I’ve earned it and you must be starving from such a busy day.”

---

With the walk going up through a creepy dead forest on the way to the house, full of branches reaching out towards them like long spindly fingers, Spike was more than relieved to have the company and security that Selena provided. Her keen eyes scanned every inch of the forest and her ears were high, listening for any sound.

They’d talked whilst having dinner. She was interested to hear about his life in Ponyville with Twilight, Dusk and the others. How he’d been raised by ponies, all of his adventures. Spike left out a few essentially secret details, but she seemed nevertheless enthralled by his tales. It was kind of nice to have this kind of attention from somepony.

She seemed rather interested to know his reasons for finding the mirror. When he told her that it was so he could change for his friends to help them, she’d frowned.

“Hmm… a noble reason, yes. But surely, if these friends of yours feel as such, they would be happy with you as you are.”

Spike only shrugged and muttered that he didn’t really want to talk about it. She conceded, but he could tell she disapproved.

However, she was rather vague when he asked her about what she did. She said she was born a long way from here, that she was a traveller with no real home anymore and few friends. She and Ray would have gotten along like a house on fire, Spike thought. She didn’t really explain why she wanted the mirror, just that she had her own reasons.

There was one question he’d been awkward about asking, one that was quite a rumour about thestrals.

“So, uh… is it true? That you guys uh, you know, with the fangs and all,” he’d stammered. “Do you um… do you really uh… um…?”

“Are we vampires, is what you are asking?” she’d finished. “Do we drink blood?”

“Well uh… yeah. S-sorry if that’s, like, offensive o-or anything. Just, you know, you hear stories. N-not that I think you do, I mean! Just uh, um-“

“Yes, Spike. It’s true. Nothing satisfies us more than the blood of the innocent.” Her had voice taken on a dangerous tone. “And it has been so long since I’ve fed…”

“AGH!” He’d cowered, holding his arms over his head. “Don’t eat me!”

“I jest, I jest! Goodness, your face!” she’d cackled. “But in truth, the option is there for thestrals to drink blood, should we need the nutrition it provides. Primarily, we are carnivorous. Some of us do eat things other than meat, but most of us simply prefer it.”

“Oh, right.” Spike had watched her tear into the leg of a chicken she had. “So, you don’t drink pony blood then?”

She’d glanced up at him, continuing to chew her meat, but didn’t answer. Spike had taken that as a sign not continue this line of conversation and changed the subject.

It was a little odd that she didn’t want to talk much about herself, but if she’d rather keep it to herself, he wasn’t going to force her. He was just grateful for her help and for her kindness since he’d gotten to Blight. It would make finding the mirror a hay of a lot easier.

It wasn’t long until they stood before the house. It was the husk of a once grand two storey affair. At its peak, Spike imagined it would have been quite a sight. Now though, its wooden walls were in a state of decay. The shaded porch now seemed menacingly dark. Many of the windows were either smashed in or completely gone. It wasn’t a place for anypony to live in anymore.

Yet Spike couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t completely alone. The torch he held shook in his hand as he held it before the house, illuminating it for them with his fire’s green glow. He wished Dusk was here with his light magic. He scanned the second floor of windows. He paused. He whipped the light back to one of the windows. He held it there, staring at it.

“What is it?” murmured Selena. Spike almost jumped at her voice.

“I… I thought I saw something in that window there,” he whispered.

She gazed up to the window he was indicating with his torch. “I see nothing.”

“I’m telling you, I saw something!”

“I’m not saying I do not believe you,” she said. “We both know who this house used to belong to, after all. Keep your eyes open. I have a feeling she may try to stop us.”

“Um… by ‘she’, you mean…?”

Selena said nothing. She walked towards the door and Spike scampered after her. She pushed it and it opened with a loud creak. They stepped inside, the floorboards creaking under their weight. A large entrance hall greeted them, a staircase in front leading up to the second floor. Four doors, two on the right, two on the left.

They took a few steps forward. Spike stopped, glanced back at the door and let out a short laugh.

“What is funny?” asked Selena.

“Just I thought the door was gonna suddenly slam,” he replied. “You know, like in the stories?”

As if on cue, the door snapped shut and Spike yelped. Selena raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry. So, uh, what’s the plan?” he asked.

“Split up, search these rooms and look for any sign of the mirror,” she said decisively. “You go right, I go left. Any trouble at all…”

“Scream as loud as I can?” suggested Spike.

“A sound idea,” she agreed. “Good luck, Spike. Watch your back.”

“Y-you too.” Gulping, Spike raised his torch and crept towards his door.

It led to a narrow corridor. There were a few more doors down here. Two on either side of him, one at the very end. The first he checked was a living room with broken furniture. The second was a closet and got a nasty surprise from a mop that tumbled out.

The door at the end led to a large room for which the entirety of the wall in front of him was taken up by a mirror. Not, he noted, the one he was looking for. This was just a mirror for a large wardrobe, filled with moth eaten dresses. Eros sure liked to admire herself.

Spike stared at his reflection in the faded glass. He knew why he was doing this, but could he really go through with it? This was the face he’d always seen staring back every time. What would it be like when it changed completely? Could he deal with that?

He reached to touch his reflection. He noticed it was getting darker. He turned, but the room was the same as it was before. He looked back, but the room on the other side… in the reflection. It was changing. He noticed a small green spark in the corner of the room. Then another one. And another. Before he knew it, the whole room was set in a green inferno. He could practically feel the heat. He wanted to run, but he stood transfixed.

Something flashed. His reflection no longer mirrored his movements, but stood motionless. It began to change. One by one, like withering petals on a dying flower, his scales began to drop off. Only a few of them, in rotted patches, remained clinging to decaying bone. His eyes were gone, replaced by black, empty sockets. His face became a visage of anger and it screeched horribly.

He screamed at the top of his lungs and stumbled backwards away from the horrific sight. It started to walk forwards, like it would come out of the mirror towards him.

“Spike?!” Spike whipped his head around to see Selena came rushing to him. “What happened? Why do you scream?”

“M-my r-reflection! L-look!” He pointed. He looked. He gasped. It was back to normal again. No fire, no zombie version of himself. “B-b-but it changed! It did! I saw myself! I was all dead and the room was burning and-“

“Spike.” Her firm voice made him stop. “What you saw was not real. It was Eros, trying to frighten you, to scare you away.”

“W-well, she’s doing a good job!”

“Listen to me, Spike.” She gripped his shoulders. “I too know what it is to feel fear. For me, it has always been with me and I thought it would be my constant enemy. But I learned one day that was not to be the case. On that day, I learned that fear was not my enemy, but my companion. When you learn to accept fear, to use it, to embrace it, nothing can ever frighten you again. Nothing.”

Spike didn’t really feel assured by her advice. If anything, the conviction she spoke with made him feel a little scared of her. But something else brought him comfort. The thought of why he was doing this. Of who he was doing this for. To see her smile, to hear her laugh again. This was for Rarity and for her, he would face any danger.

His hand drifted to his scars again and he was able to draw pride and courage from them once again.

“Thanks, Selena,” he said. “I’ll remember that.”

“Glad to hear it,” she smiled. “Though in the wake of this, perhaps it would be better if we stayed together from now on.”

“Sounds good to me. Don’t you worry, I’ll protect you,” he said bravely.

She chuckled. “I feel safer already. Come, there’s a few more doors we need to try down here.”

There weren’t many things of note in the other rooms they checked. Just that same oppressive feeling like they were being watched and the general feeling of decay. Nothing but rotting wooden fixtures and faded ornaments in the rooms they were checking. Until they arrived at the dining room.

The table in the dining room was still set. Candelabras coated with cobwebs stood on the table without candles to light them. The fabric of the tablecloth had faded from the vibrant red it used to be and the cutlery had lost its shine. An old grandfather clock against the wall was strangely silent, its hands forever frozen.

But what really stood out were different remains. Pony remains. Three skeletons lay scattered around the room, frozen in positions of death. Collapsed on the ground, some pieces of bone scattered around.

“What do you think happened?” Spike murmured.

“I cannot say,” replied Selena. “Dead ponies tell no tales.”

“You think maybe they came looking for the mirror too?” he wondered. “Maybe one of them is Eros and another’s Charming, like in the story?”

“What does it matter? They’re dead. That’s all we need to know,” she said coldly. “We shouldn’t waste time writing their eulogies. Come.”

“But…” Spike was about to say something more, perhaps challenge her argument.

Until the door slammed shut.

Selena flinched and Spike jumped. She gripped the doorknob and tried to pull it open, but the door refused to give way. An icy blast blew past them and they heard a rattling sound. Slowly, they turned around.

One by one, moved by some unseen force, the bones pulled themselves together. Within seconds, the three skeletons were up on their hooves and turning their sightless eyes towards them, glowing with ethereal energy keeping their joints connected.

“I… don’t think they want us to leave,” squeaked Spike.

“If they insist.” Once again, she let her robe fall to the floor and flexed her wings. “I always relish a little exercise.”

One of the skeletons galloped at her and she ran to meet it, an almost playful smile on her face. Spike didn’t have time to watch her for another was already coming at him. He dived aside from its clumsy swing and scrambled onto a chair and to the table. He grabbed one of the candelabras and prepared for a fight.

It punched at his head. He ducked and swiped up with his weapon. The hoof went flying across the room. Looks like there wasn’t really a whole lot keeping them together, he thought. Another missed swipe and away went the other hoof. The skeleton fell forward, having lost both its forehooves and Spike smacked off its head. The body froze for a moment and promptly fell apart.

He whipped around when he heard another clattering. The other skeleton was there, standing in front of the grandfather clock. Spike got an idea. With all his might, he hurled the candelabra at the clock. The skeleton ducked and Spike ran forward, using its head as a stepping stone to get onto the clock. He wedged himself between the wall and clock and heaved.

With a satisfying crash, the skeleton was crushed and its bones went flying everywhere. Spike pumped a fist in there and leaped down to the floor.

“Marvellous work, Spike.” Selena beamed, standing up from a crouch and away from another lot of scattered bones. “I see those scars are not just for show.”

“Thanks. You did good too, again,” he added.

“Thank you.” She looked contemptuously at the bones. “There is a certain thrill to be found besting an opponent in combat, wouldn’t you say?”

“I guess,” he shrugged. “Looks like Eros really doesn’t want us finding that mirror.”

“Clearly not.” She stiffened and her ears perked. “Did you hear that?”

Spike tensed. “Hear what?”

“I heard something move upstairs,” she whispered. “I’m going to go check what it was. You stay here.”

“You’re going off by yourself? What happened to staying together?”

“Don’t worry. I can take care of myself,” she assured. “Believe me, I have suffered worse.”

She hurried off before Spike could say another word. He stared after her, remembered where he was and hurried outside in case the bones started moving again.

He waited in the entrance hall, mulling over all that had happened. Especially where Selena was concerned. On one hand, he was glad to have her here. Better to have somepony else watching his back than be on his own. On the other, the things she’d been saying, how secretive she was being… something didn’t feel quite right.

Maybe he was being paranoid. These weren’t exactly normal circumstances and they had only just met. He didn’t know what had happened in her past and it could just be some personal reason that she didn’t feel open to talking about it. Still, he couldn’t help but ponder what exactly she wanted with the mirror. A mare like her didn’t seem like she would have any real need or interest in such a thing.

Unless she was like him. Did she want to change who she was too? She kept saying about how many things they shared. Was that one of them?

A high pitched scream snapped him out of his reverie. It came from upstairs and it sounded like a mare’s.

“Selena!” Spike sprinted upstairs and barged through every room until he found her. “Selena! Are you okay?”

“Spike!” She appeared to be bent over something, but he couldn’t tell because of how dark it was. “You startled me…”

“I heard a scream,” he said. “What happened?”

“This.” Not facing him, she stood up and moved away.

A mare was rested against the wall. She sat limply, her head lolled to one side and her limbs lifeless. Spike hurried up to her, but her open, glassy eyes told him she wasn’t going to get back up.

“I heard the scream too,” Selena said from behind him. “When I ran in here, I found her like this. Eros must have gotten to her before we did. There was nothing we could have done.”

Spike was still looking at her. The mare’s face was frozen in an expression of utter terror. Her eyes were wide, her pupils shrunken back and her skin was pale. She certainly looked like she’d seen something that had really scared her, to say the least. She looked so young, she should have been so full of life…

But Spike noticed something else. On her neck were two faint pricks, like two needles had been sunken in there. A faint redness was dripping from them. He reached out with a claw to touch them when Selena spoke up again.

“There is nothing we can do for her,” she said, licking her fangs. “We should move on, before Eros comes for us too.”

“Shouldn’t we do something for her though?” Spike asked. “Get her out of here, bring her back to the town? Maybe she has family.”

“What does it matter to us?” she asked indifferently. “Besides, how would it look when everypony’s favourite strangers come down from this house carrying a corpse?”

“We should still do something,” Spike said firmly. “It’s not right to leave her here. Not like the others.”

Selena gazed at him steadily from the shadows. The faint glow of her eyes seemed to flicker with something. Interest? Curiosity? Amusement? Finally, she smiled.

“You might be right. We’ll return for her later, bury her outside the house,” she suggested. “Does that satisfy you?”

“Better than just leaving her here,” Spike said somberly. “She shouldn’t have died like this…”

“She came to this house of her own will. She made her choice. She can’t be pitied for not expecting it,” she murmured. “Come.”

Selena glided out of the room. Spike took one last look at the mare, closed her eyes and followed Selena out. He could still see that glassy stare...

The last door they came to was locked. With their combined effort, the two of them managed to break it down. It led to an old dressing room, complete with makeup table, a wardrobe… and a large shape covered by a sheet.

“You think this is it?” Spike whispered.

“Only one way to find out,” said Selena, with barely suppressed excitement. “Make sure you’re not looking into the mirror before we pull this off. Just in case.”

“Uh, right.” He scampered off to one side while she approached it.

With one swift motion, she pulled off the sheet. It revealed a full length mirror, cracks running along its surface. Though it appeared old, the wood frame still looked freshly polished and new. Magical runes decorated the top and though he couldn’t read them, Spike knew what they meant.

“This is it.” Selena touched its frame reverently. “The Novo Mirror… we have it. Now then…”

“What are you…?” Spike saw where she was moving to. “Selena, wait!”

She stood in front of the mirror. Spike tensed and waited. A full minute passed and nothing happened. Just like in the story, her heart must be pure so she could use the mirror. But that raised a question for Spike he’d had before. With everything that had been happening since they got here, it had just been pushed back to the surface and now he had to know.

Even though he had a feeling he might not like the answer.

“You know, you never said,” he began joining her in front of it. “What do you want the mirror for? A pretty mare like you doesn’t look like she needs to change herself for any reason.”

“Well, aren’t you sweet to say so,” she chuckled.

Spike blushed, but stayed focused. “That still doesn’t answer my question.”

“I told you, I have my reasons. At last,” she whispered, “it’s mine.”

“But why?” Spike asked. “What do you want it for?”

“That doesn’t matter…”

“Yes, it does,” he said firmly. “I might be a kid, Selena, but I’m not stupid. I saw that pony before, those marks on her neck, and you were the only one there when I found you. And you never did answer my question about whether or not you’ve drank a pony’s blood. So what do you want the mirror for?”

Selena was silent for a long while. She had her back to Spike. When she glanced around, her eyes glinted again, as did her fangs. Spike suddenly didn’t feel as confident about confronting her as he had before.

“You said you wanted to use the mirror to change? I suppose that’s another thing we have in common,” she said. “Imagine it, Spike. I would have the power to change myself whenever I want, to whoever I want. I would never be discovered and my prey would never suspect a thing… until it’s too late.”

Spike had suspected as much, but hearing it still made him tremble. He took a step back.

“You’d… you’d use it… to trick other ponies… and drink their blood?” he gasped.

“What better way for me to hunt?”

“B-but you said it was just an option!” he cried. “Why? Why would you do that when you don’t even need to?!”

“Because I want to,” she said with utter conviction. “Freak, they called me. Bloodsucker. Vampire. Who am I to deny what I am?”

“A-and… the mare before…?” he dared to ask.

“It has been so long since I last fed.” She turned to face him, eyes glowing, fangs bared. She wasn’t joking this time. “She was alone. She would have died sooner or later. Nopony would miss her.”

“S-so you just… killed her?”

“You think me a monster?” she growled. “They are no better! They who, for all my life, showed me nothing but scorn and rejection! Who cast me out and drove me away, just for what I am! We are all monsters, Spike! Some of us just choose to embrace it.”

Something about that little story sounded uncomfortably familiar to Spike. Without fully realizing it when it happened, his mind wandered to a certain green stallion...but that only solidified his resolve for what he said next.

“No. Not all of us,” he declared. “Besides, you can’t use the mirror. It needs a pure heart. That was what the story said.”

“It never said anything about it being pure good...” She smiled, but it was no longer charming. “Oh little Spike, we shouldn’t be fighting over this. We’re the same, you and I.”

“I’m nothing like you!”

“Oh really? Tell me, Spike. Those friends of yours you mentioned, how much do you think they appreciate you?” she asked. “If you really trusted them, if they really cared, wouldn’t they have come with you? Would you have even needed to make this journey if they truly liked you as you are?”

“They do!” he shouted, but he didn’t feel very sure saying it.

“You have fought for them and look where it’s gotten you.” Her voice softened. “But I’ve seen what you can be, Spike. I see the strength, the fire that burns inside you. Among them, it will never burn but with me, you could be as bright as the sun! Come with me, Spike. Nopony will ever accept us, so why even try? We’ve accomplished this today. Imagine what more we could do. We’d be magnificent.”

Spike stared at her. He was silent for a long while. He wasn’t thinking about an answer. He was just shocked at what she was suggesting.

“Are you serious?” he scoffed. “What makes you think I’d wanna go with you anywhere?”

“You’re a dragon in a pony’s world. Do you truly think you’d fit in? You’re different from them and they know it,” she said. “And I know what dragons can be like when they let their greed grow out of control. It’s happened to you, hasn’t it? Why deny what you are?”

Spike flinched at the memory of that day. How he’d lost control, nearly flattened the whole town. But he’d been stopped. He’d been saved. He could see her brilliant blue eyes shining in the depths of his mind. Those eyes had never seen him as a monster, not even after that. She’d faced the monster and still saw his true spirit within. She’d never stopped seeing it, none of them had.

In that instant, Spike realised how foolish he’d been. How stupid it had been to come here. He faced Selena, without looking away from her.

“Yeah… yeah, it has,” he replied. “But they didn’t leave me. Not my friends. They never have and they never will. If they think that I’m… I’m too young to fight with them, I’ll understand. But I know they’ll never stop being my friend. They’ll always be there for me because they’re my friends!

“And they could be your friends too, Selena,” he went on. “I know you’ve had it hard, but if you come back with me, I promise it’ll be different. We can take you to Luna. She can find you a home, good food so you don’t have to put yourself in danger like this. You don’t have to live on the edge anymore. Just give it a chance and I swear you won’t regret it.”

Selena appeared thoughtful. She gazed at him as if he were the oddest thing she’d ever seen. Her expression became morose, her voice low.

“Or she could lock me away for what I’ve done and I’d still be seen as what I know I am…”

“You don’t know until you try,” he said.

“I have tried.” Her eyes narrowed and her tone hardened. “Sorry, Spike, but I stopped regretting long ago and it wasn’t for holding onto childish dreams. I know what I am… who I am and as you say, nothing will change that. And since I know what I am, I’m afraid that means I can’t leave any loose ends.”

She started towards him, flaring her wings. Spike stood his ground, preparing his inner fire.

“Don’t do this, Selena,” he urged. “You don’t have to do this.”

“But I really do. I promise, I’ll make it quick, but if it’s any consolation, you will be providing me with a new experience.” She licked her fangs. “I’ve never tasted dragon blood before.”

Something flashed and Selena reeled. Her cheek started to bleed from a fresh cut that had been made in it and a second later, she was kicked across the room and landed in front of the mirror. Hissing, she glared at her attacker, who twirled her bladed scarf menacingly.

“You will do no such thing!” declared Rarity. “I’ll have your head for even daring to lay a hoof on my Spikey Wikey, you witch!”

Spike stared up at her in shock. “Ra-... Rari-.... w-what are you-?”

“Rarity, I presume,” snarled Selena, getting back up. “Aren’t you a pretty one? Good. The pretty ones always scream the loudest.”

“You’ll have no satisfaction there.” She flashed her scarf. “If you don’t leave right this second, that is.”

Selena only smirked and Spike saw her tense. When she pounced, he was there to intercept with a burst of emerald flames. Selena screamed in shock and reeled back. Rarity took the distraction and charged forward, kicking her right in the face. She stumbled back and knocked into the mirror. She bared her fangs, but froze and stared in horror...

… In time to see the mirror topple forward onto the floor. The already broken glass shattered completely on impact. They covered their eyes to avoid the shards of glass that littered the floor. Strangely, the shards melted like ice into water and faded away until there was nothing left of them.

“NO!” Selena’s look of shock turned to pure anger. “What have you done?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”

“I’d say that’s rather obvious,” said Rarity coolly. “You just earned yourself about seven years bad luck, darling.”

“Why, you…!”

“Don’t try anything, Selena,” Spike warned. “You’re outnumbered and injured.”

Selena’s ears flickered. She heard it too. She looked to Rarity, then to Spike. It didn’t look like she would be perturbed until they all felt a sudden chill. The wind howled and something rose from the mirror. An icy blue vapour, that came together to make a ghostly form. It beheld Selena with pupil-less eyes and shrieked its displeasure at her, baring fangs far more terrifying than hers.

Now, she changed tactics. She hissed once again and kicked a nearby chair at a window, shattering its glass too. Swift as a shadow, she dived out of it and was gone just as quietly. They hurried to the window, but she was already fleeing into the forest and well out of sight.

“Apart from that, that’s fine,” Spike added. “Just so long as this mess is-“

He was cut off by the rib-crushing hug that Rarity gave him.

“Spike! You have no idea how relieved I am to know you’re safe!” She hugged him impossibly tighter. “Oh, my little Spikey wikey…!”

“Wow,” he breathed. “Maybe I should run away more often.”

“No!” She glared fiercely at him. “Don’t even joke about that! Have you any idea how worried we’ve all been? What you’ve put us all through?”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to… wait, we?”

At that moment, the door downstairs crashed open. He recognised the voices of Twilight and Dusk, calling for him.

“We’re up here!” Rarity called, then looked back to Spike. “The others came as well, they’re scouring the whole town for you! I happened across the inn and the keeper told me how you’d come up here! I got here just in time, by the look of it!”

Spike looked at the window again. “Pretty much, yeah.”

His fellow librarians came rushing in. He was caught in both their auras and more suffocating hugs ensued.

“Oh Spike! Thank goodness you’re safe!”

“You gave us quite a scare there, little brother.”

“You see, Spike?!” she snapped. “How can you say you didn’t mean to worry us, but just run off on your own like this?! What possessed you to even do such a thing?!”

“You did,” he answered.

At this, Rarity fumbled with her tirade. When Dusk and Twilight set him down, Spike jumped in before any of them could start.

“I know I worried you all and I’m really sorry about that. But what I did, it was for you, all of you. I heard Dusk and Twilight talking about what you told Dusk about… about me. I wanted to change that. I wanted to find the mirror because I thought if I could use it to turn myself into an older version of myself. Then you… you wouldn’t leave me on my own...

“But,” he gestured at the mirror, “looks like that isn’t happening anymore. Even if it weren’t broken… I’ve realised now that I shouldn’t have to change who I am to suit somepony else. I know you guys are worried about me. I’m worried too. Just… don’t leave me…”

That was it then. He bowed his head, waiting for their response. When he dared to look up, there was conflicting expressions on all their faces. Twilight shut her eyes tight and stepped forward, gently placing a hoof on his shoulder.

“We’d never leave you, Spike. We’re just… we’re worried about you. You’ve been put in so much danger a-and I never even thought about what it might be doing to you.” She hugged him again. “I’m sorry, Spike. I’m so, so sorry…”

“It’s okay, Twilight,” he said. “Like I said, I get it. I know you all think that I’m just… just a kid. I mean, I am really. But… don’t I get a say in this?”

Twilight looked at the other two. Neither of them raised any objection. She nodded and he took a moment to collect himself.

“I know what we do is dangerous. Heck, that’s been obvious from the moment we arrived in Ponyville. I know you don’t want me to get hurt or… you know…” He cleared his throat. “I-If you think it would be safer for me to… to stay back, keep myself safe, then I’ll get it. But the only thing that would be worse than all the danger we’ve faced… is seeing you guys leave and… and not knowing if you’re all gonna come back. What if you go and… I’ll just be left waiting f-forever? I… I know my place and it’s with all of you. Nothing will change that.”

This time, he managed to keep his head up and look back at them. He could tell what he said had got them thinking. They looked around at one another, seemingly trying to come to a decision.

Dusk was the first to break the silence.

“This is difficult. There’s no denying that there’ve been times in the past when, without you, Spike, the outcome could have been very different. Look at the Crystal Empire as only one example.”

“Nopony is denying that, but you’re still a child, Spike,” said Twilight. “I should never have brought you into that kind of danger to begin with. It was irresponsible of me and that has to change.”

“Perhaps some sort of compromise can be reached,” said Rarity. “I, for one, I have no desire to abandon Spike. Dusk is right, his bravery has saved us many times. I think it would be best if we evaluate the situations as they arrive or sooner. Say that the Princess assigns another mission to Twilight. Spike could still come along, but if the danger proves to be too great, he can stay back. Does that sound good, Spikey?”

“That sounds good to me.” He fiddled with his claws. “So… you’re not going to leave me behind?”

“Not at all,” she said at once.

Dusk nodded. “I wouldn’t want to be left without my fellow assistant.”

“Or me without my number one dragon assistant,” finished Twilight. They all gathered around him in a group hug. “Come on, we should let everypony know we’ve found you.”

“Indeed. Now, what of Eros?” asked Rarity, glancing around the room. “Do you suppose she would come after us after breaking her mirror?”

As if in answer to her question, the vapour of pale blue snaked past them and whirled before them. Briefly, they saw the image of a beautiful mare with a grateful smile on her face before the form changed. It was a mirror image of Spike, in ghost form. He looked to the three unicorns. They seemed just as confused as he was.

But then the image changed again. It still looked like Spike, but he was taller, much taller than even Rarity. His body was lean and toned with muscle, built for speed. His spikes were fiercer, but his face was still kind. A pair of wings sprouted from his back and he stood, back straight and proud. It was like when he had his greed spurt only he actually looked… better.

Then, it faded away, the wind blowing gently like a faint whisper.

“Whoa…” Spike shook his head. “What do you think that was?”

“I think that was her way of thanking us. A little glimpse into who you may become,” said Dusk.

“I guess so…” He flexed his weedy arms. “Do you think I should start working out? Start losing a little baby fat?”

“There’ll be plenty of time for that,” Rarity assured. “Now, let’s get you home, Spikey-Wikey. I have some gems at the Boutique with your name on them.”

Spike sighed happily. “Best news I’ve heard all day.”

---

Selena winced as she touched the mild burn she’d received from Spike’s fire and dabbed at the cut on her cheek. That kick the mare had given her left a bad bruise too. Nothing she couldn’t recover from. She’d suffered worse.

It was hard to remain in control of herself as she played those events out in her head. She had the mirror! Its magic was hers! And then that little…

Despite what had happened, she couldn’t help but feel a small sense of admiration for Spike. How firmly he believed in his friends, even though he was woefully misguided. She’d learned long ago that the only pony she could truly rely on was herself. Still, it would have been nice if she’d made the little drake see sense…

But that thinking was precisely what had landed her in this mess. It’s what had cost her the mirror. She’d forgotten what she’d learned a long time ago: never let anypony...never let anyone in. They’re not worth it. She’d been reminded of that, rather painfully too and she didn’t intend to forget it anytime soon. Time to move on.

She spread her wings and took off into the sky, pausing to glance back at the house. She hissed under her breath.

“I shall see you again, Spike, and you too, Rarity,” she vowed. “Then we’ll see who’ll have the run of bad luck.”

Comments

[Lord Zalgo]

Oh, dear. Just what the protagonists needed. Another antagonist.
'Dis gon' be good.

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

4555897 Oh if you think THIS is bad, just wait. We aren't done yet. Not by a long shot.

.......I wish there was an evil face on the emote list.......

[Lord Zalgo]

4555953
...I'm frightened.

[Pencil Lead]

4555897 That makes Doom, Discord(kinda), Selene, Paraserpents, and one more really big one. Insecurity. I can't remember any others.

[SageBrony07]

Wow. I feel you did a quote some where in here. Good job with this chapter. I felt you resolved the Rarity and Spike Issue very well.

[SaxPon3]

Holy moly, macaroni! Another character holding a grudge, and a thestral at that too!

This can't be good. Not good at all.

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

4557486 How fitting that you use the Rarity Despair emote at the end there.

Lord knows she'll be feeling it in times to come........meheheheheheh............

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

4561001 No, this was intentional. Now say something worthwhile in your review for all the effort we put into this. *hisses*

[X 865]

4566566 Woah man, no need to be hissy. I just wanted to make sure nothing had been left out, it wouldn't have been the first time something like that slipped through.

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

4567118 There was no need to delete the comment. I was just messing.

Why does everyone get scared when I hiss?

........oh wait.