The following day, the group went their separate ways for the day to take care of various tasks they needed to see to, agreeing to meet up again the next day to hear more of the story.
Applejack and Apple Bloom went back to the farm to take care of chores they'd left a few days more than they should have, as well as a harangue from Granny Smith for ditching so long. When they explained that it was because Spike had come back after so long, they then got a different harangue for not bringing Granny Smith along to help welcome "the little fella" back. She didn't seem to hear any of the comments about Spike not being so little anymore.
Rarity took Sweetie Belle back to the Boutique, since she was watching her this week while their parents were out of town...again. While Sweetie Belle got to work on her Spring Break homework - after a bit of a lecture from Rarity for delaying it so long - Rarity got to work on some of her own back orders of dresses and suits. Intermittently, she paused to work on another suit design, though if one paid close attention one would see it was most definitely not for a pony frame. Also, the design was more...archaic than the norm, giving a sense of being armored, despite being crafted of cloth and gem.
Rainbow Dash spent the entire day practicing her own flying, while working with Scootaloo to figure out what changes needed to be made to normal flight lessons to take into account the fact her flight used different vectors. Scootaloo was a bit surprised just how much of the advanced mathematics involved in flight Rainbow knew so well, having long assumed that Rainbow flew by instinct and awesome. When they weren't redesigning the lesson plan, they were flying together, both of them happy as could be.
Celestia took her chance to check back in with Canterlot, to find out if anything of significance had happened to require her immediate return. Her new Guard Commander - a thorough going professional Earth Pony/Diamond Dog hybrid named Shepard - gave her a brief report with nothing too urgent. The nobles were, of course, in a fit over their Princesses "abandoning them", but Blueblood had finally showed enough of a spine to actually deliver the message she'd given him pass on to the nobles, and he'd ranted at them for a good three hours straight about being 'spineless foals who couldn't do anything without mumzy coming up behind them to wipe their asses'. As a result, Canterlot was running smoothly, if with a bit of tension, and the Canterlot kitchens had been keeping Blueblood tipsy with a steady supply of high quality booze. Celestia wasn't sure whether she should be pleased with Blueblood's apparent growth or dreading the fallout when she and Luna finally returned. Beyond that, the only thing of issue was a minor report of disturbances in the Badlands, but it didn't seem to be of significance.
Pinkie Pie bounced happily back to the Cakes' and began making plans for Spike's "Welcome Back" party. Having gathered a great deal of intel during the story about new flavors Spike liked and disliked, she first went to update the file she had in her Party Planning Palace in the basement, including notations on portions to take into account his new size. She also created a brand new file for Samus, though it was a bit more sparse than she liked, as all she'd determined so far about Samus' likes and dislikes so far was that she liked Spike and chocolate, and disliked big meany stinky-heads like that Ridley character. While a lot that Pinkie could agree with, it didn't really leave much to plan a "Welcome to Ponyville" party around. Somehow, she didn't think a Spike shaped cake would be the best of ideas...especially with how all her friends were being doggies. Something about those two things said "bad idea" to her, though she couldn't put her hoof on why.
After all, friends didn't think naughty thoughts about each other. That was an absolute she'd known for years.(1)
Luna and Fluttershy took it upon themselves to show Samus around Ponyville, after bringing her by Fluttershy's cottage to help feed her animals. Samus, for her part, was careful and gentle with the animals, though she kept her helmet on so neither mare was able to see her emotional reaction. She did seem to enjoy the tour of the town, however, and the ponies around town certainly worked to make her feel welcome, even if her armored appearance did make some of them a little nervous.
Twilight, much to her surprise, slept late. When she finally awoke, she saw that it was nearly noon, and nearly freaked out. "Oh my gosh, I'm so late!" Dashing from her bedroom, she rushed through brushing her teeth and combing her mane - managing to use the wrong tools on the wrong spots by mistake in her panic - before rushing downstairs, hoping that opening the library so late wouldn't cause a problem.
Once she actually reached the downstairs where the public library was, however, she was startled to hear ponies already present.
"Thanks for the help, Spike!" Lyra was saying.
"Glad to help, Lyra," Spike replied. "Library needs to open...and Twilight needed the sleep."
"Well, have a nice day!"
"You too!"
When Twilight got into the library portion, she saw Lyra leaving with a checked out book while Spike worked on reshelving. Noticing Twilight enter, he smiled at her. "This is a lot easier now that I'm not pint sized," he joked, reaching easily up to the top shelf to put a book back. He then suppressed a chuckle. "Twilight, you've got tooth paste in your hair and hair in your teeth...again."
Groaning, Twilight spat the hair from her brush out. "You've got things down here for a bit?" she asked.
"I can handle it," he replied. "Go get cleaned up. I'll make you an omelette for breakfast when you're back down."
Twilight smiled as she turned to head back upstairs, but paused at the door. "...Spike?" she called over her shoulder. "It's...it's good to have you back. The place just...wasn't home without you."
Spike smiled back, knowing how hard it was at times for Twilight to vocalize her deeper emotions. "I'm here to stay," he reassured her, pretending not to see the tears she raced upstairs to hide.
(1)Yes, Pinkie's lack of understanding of the "woof" thing is due to a logical disconnect in her mind, given the way she thinks. Not a lack of understanding of what 'woof' could mean, but a mental refusal to see the connection.
Brilliant as always. And the Pinkie explanation actually makes sense which honestly scares me a little. Pinkie making sense is usually not a good sign for ones sanity.
The correct word is "all". Otherwise, excellent chapter. Wasn't too surprised about the logical disconnect thing going on, but still caught me a little off guard. I was half expecting Pinkie to be joking about it because she wasn't really sure what to think of the new, very attractive Spike.
Poor Pinkie, always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Then again, she would be limiting her love to one person, and that's not very Pinkie like. So, bets on who is going to adopt a few orphanages first? My money is split on Pinkie and Twilight.
The beauty of old age. Selective hearing and nobody can do a thing about it.
So Rainbow Dash is a Genius Bruiser of sorts? AWESOME!
Blueblood got character growth? NICE.
Cakes.
Yet "Woof."
Must be pretty rare for her to be around animals that DON'T want to kill her.
Heh.
Daaaaw!
I see.
(This was a bit short, but I don't mind.)
6480290
Cakes', actually.
so is there going to be a crisis so celestias new commander can solve it well making choices either renegade or paragon well gathering a team of random backrounds and races and proving just how much of a stone cold badass he is?
also is there any plans for a mass effect cross over in the future? just asking.
this guy must be a blast around reporters
6480296
Oh. Mea culpa!
Somehow, if Mass Effect were to somehow fit here, I can imagine Shepard turning into this.
Shepard-Commander?
...
Is that a hint at another fic in the works? Will Shepard be getting a pony of his/her own? It's going to be that Renegade-for-Life Lightning Dust, isn't it?
6480432
Nope.
I was just being silly.
I've always liked the idea that Dash knows more about the technical aspects of flying and weather control than you might otherwise suspect.
6480436
...
I knew that.
I really like the reference to Mass Effect. The way it was just mentioned in passing and making it fit so well just makes it better. Although now I want to see Wrex in one of the stories, maybe offering sage advice after a pony's first kill... That's it for me, great chapter. I'm looking forward to the next.
Has there ever been any artwork of pony/diamond dog hybrids? I honestly don't know.
6480290 Genius Bruiser RD.... I like.
6480824
It makes sense when you think about it, they probably wouldn't let her be the head of the weather team if all she could do was fly really well, she has to have SOME theoretical knowledge about how this stuff works, she just does the math in her head probably, which is even more awesome.
6480831 True plus add on the fact she learns when she flies that helps as well.
6480838
Indeed. Add that to all her canon feats and she's concentrated BADASS. Who says rainbows can't be awesome?
6480843 TASTE THE RAINBOW MOTHER FUCKER!
6480848
Considering literal ones are insanely spicy, only time you'll be on the receving end of the Elements or Rainbow Power is if you're evil, and tasting Rainbow herself could be taken one of two ways, neither of which I think she's quite interested in... Yes, I know, I'm overthinking a very entertaining meme. I do that a lot.
6480852 Yeah.... you REALLY are.
6480856
My bad...
6480859 S'alright.
6480862
Still, kinda makes her teasing Twilight for being an egghead a bit hypocritical. Ah well, there's worse.
6480866 She tries to act cool. OF COURSE she'd try and pass off the egghead stuff to Twilight.
6480876
Fair enough, and she knows that Twilight won't take it seriously. For whatever flaws she may have, she's more patient than you'd think, then again, with everything she's had to deal with... Which is why it's so fun when she snaps. Off topic, nice avatar.
6480486 A slight callback to one of Tatsu's other stories, namely The Technological Technicolor Technomare...damn that's a mouthful *Throws money into swear jar*
6480881 Thanks.
6480891
It's a Dracula Rainbow Dash, drinking wine/blood with a foot on Tank. That screams epic. Wonder how DracuDash would fair against AluShy?
6480896 Consider this..... they're the same type of being.
oh pinkie pie that is some terrible logic to assume about your friends. I mean any great relationship should have a basis of friendship, because the level of trust that is required to maintain a good relationship is just slightly beyond th st of s friend. just look at shining armour and princess cadence, their love had to start somewhere
6480568 I don't remember the name, but there is a fic where Twilight hatches Wrex instead of Spike.
6480929
True, but in the original anime, Incognito was also a real vampire and Alucard fixed the fact that he was alive.
6481138 .... I'm talking about Hellsing Ultimate.
6481145
I know, I just, you know, never mind. Bottom line, you have a cool avatar, and I need to get off my lazy rear end to find myself a cool one.
6481155 You will.
6481158
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
6480955 I know of the story you speak of.
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/184299/sparkles-no-1-assistant
You're welcome.
Male or female???? And can Commander Shep go around Canterlot without advertising stores???? Though I can also see Fem Shep coming to Rarity for a dress that is "Easy to move in, can conceal a hundred weapons, and reinforced to take a hit"
Nice chapter, glad to see a bit of Slice of Life to break up the games into manageable sections. Only worry I have is that disturbance in the Badlands... either Chryssie is up to something or that's where Ridley is... oh wait, he was just in the Crystal Empire merging with Emperor Ing.... could there be a bunch of love drunk changelings staggering towards Ponyville to find out what they're feeling all the way in the badlands???
6481428
What makes you say he was in the Crystal Empire? That horn fragment could have been blasted anywhere.
6480883 *Grins and takes out wallet*
Well damn *Throws money into swear jar* I guess this damn *Throws money into swear jar* thing will fill up a lot faster than we though it would! This damn *Throws money into swear jar* jar's to f**king small! *Throws money into swear jar*
6481916 Yeah! that story was Buckin' awesome! (puts half the normal amount in the swear jar for only half swearing.)
Ah, this is why Tony had a digital swear jar so he wouldn't have to stuff all this f*cking cash into it. aw, damnit! (adds double money to swear jar.)
Wait, did i see a reference to Mass Effect, there?
Is it weird that this version of spike would be voiced by Yuri Lowenthal (AKA Yosuke from persona 4)? Am I alone on this or are others who think this?
Chrysalis ex machina. Calling it right fucking now.
6481529 Just re watched his defeat and you're right, I thought he just got disintegrated and it fell down. Well, hopefully Chryssie survives and comes to warn the ponies about Ridely-Ing-Sombra... wait... Ing-Ridley-Sombra = IRS.
6483687
Chrysalis: The IRS is coming!
Samus: But I paid my taxes!
6483704 Samus: My legal counsel has this counter argument. *Spike breathes fire, giving Samus time to charge her arm cannon*