Shrinking Lavender

by Yinglung

Chapter 3

Applejack gasped. “The Grand Galloping Gala!”

“… The Gala?”

“Yep.” Spike waved the two tickets he just spew out from his flame.

I was obviously a lot less enthused to the idea. I was sure that the other Spike would think that the Gala was unsuited to his radiant masculinity.

By extension, I would’ve readily agreed. But… I was not currently a paragon of virility, now that I was Twilight Sparkle the royal student.

I should really stop thinking about this whole ‘I was now a mare’ thing. It was awkward enough to handle this mess, I didn’t need another layer of awkwardness by… fantasizing anything in Twi’s perspectives. Ughck.

In any case, my opinion that the Gala was likely just a nonsensical set-up that was overly formal and ostentatious still held.

I might also be overthinking it since the Gala was moons away from now, but I was a bit averse to the idea of showing up in front of Twilight’s beloved mentor and staying for a whole night. She could figure out something wrong by observation, and then I would be neck-deep in trouble.

As I was considering my hesitation to the idea, Applejack and the other Spike seemed to be engaged in some hard bargaining.

“… Can you imagine the things we can do with all that money? We could do a heap of fixin' up 'round here. We could replace that saggy old roof, and Big McIntosh could replace that saggy old plow, and Granny Smith could replace that saggy old hip!”

She leaned in and gave an implicating gaze to Spike. “If you don’t wanna go…”

Spike, however, simply gulped and pointed at me.

Oh right, I was the one nominally in charge here.

But giving Spike’s ticket to Applejack? Not that I didn’t treasure Applejack as one of my friends, but if I absolutely had to go, I would definitely prefer going with the other me. It just felt safer and more comfortable somehow.

“I’m s-”

Suddenly, a cyan shadow flashed before our eyes, and landed in front of all of us. With a loud bang, the cyan mare plowed into the soft moisty soil.

Rainbow Dash shook herself out of the stupor and immediately asked, “Whoa, are we talking about The Grand Galloping Gala?”

Looking at her expectant face, I internally sighed. She’s obviously another pony who was extremely eager to go.

Just as I foresaw, she began a rambling of how she could get recognized by her dream team the Wonderbolts.

… No offense, Rainbow, but this was not how Wonderbolts recruited ponies. They wouldn’t need a whole academy to train pegasi if they could just pluck ponies from the street and place them directly in their teams.

Alas, I could already predict the reactions from my other friends, who must all have wild dreams about their prospects at the Gala.

And why on Earth did the princess decide to invite us to the Gala only after we moved to Ponyville? Twilight and I had been living in Canterlot for ages, and she had been of age a long time ago. Heck, even I could have attended. There must be some strange reasons for her to do that now but not earlier.

Hmm. And two tickets…

Hang on. Whelps. I should stop zooming out to think, because I noticed that Applejack and Rainbow Dash was already gearing up for an impromptu hoof-wrestling to fight for the second ticket.

Nah-uh. The ticket was for the other Spike and no one else. Sorry.

I quickly intervened. “Time out, my friends, a word.”

“Hmm?” They both turned to me in expectation.

Okay, time to convince them that their aspirations would not work.

“Uh, Applejack, Canterlot ponies are notoriously snobby. Those who will attend the Gala will be the snobs of the snobs. I peeked at the Princess’s receptions back when I was in Canterlot, and the guests are crazy finicky. They won’t even drink a cup of juice without its pulp filtered, or eat a pie without its paste absolutely pulverized. Also, they prefer their food to be prepared by nationally famous chefs. But they are also cheap in the sense that most of them won’t expect having to pay for food in the Gala. So, not to put a damper on your dream or anything, but this won’t work.”

Applejack widened her eyes. She looked a bit frustrated and disappointed, and she bit her lips. But eventually she conceded and said glumly. “Ah see.”

“Aha! So that ticket are gonna be mine, right, Twilight?”

“Sorry, but no. Wonderbolts are not pop music groups, they aren’t going to pluck somepony out of the street because they recognize his or her talent. They have more than a thousand years of history, and they have strict codes regarding recruitment. All new intake must go through the Wonderbolt Academy. Besides, they are super big-shots. Even as the royal student of Princess Celestia, I never really had the chance to directly speak with them for long, even when I was doing a study on them. So it’s highly unlikely that you would have enough time to talk with any of them.”

Rainbow Dash was visibly disappointed. She groaned aloud. “Aww… what a killjoy.”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow, but that’s how it is.”

“Fine, I’ll go back to nap.” Rainbow Dash muttered reluctantly. “If any of the weather team came by, drop me a notice.”

“Will do.” I smiled, while Applejack rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you just clear the sky already?”

“Meh, I can do it in ten seconds flat. It doesn’t matter if it’s ten seconds in the morning, or in the afternoon.”

************

After helping Applejack some more, Spike suggested us to take a walk in the town. I simply shrugged and agreed.

A walk in the town did lessen my nagging worry somewhat, but the tickets to the Gala have proven themselves to be trouble magnets.

And boy they were. Throughout our short walk in the town center, we were continuously accosted by our other three friends, and even a smattering of other acquaintances in the town. I seriously didn’t know how the news of me having the tickets got out, but I guessed this was how small towns worked.

Even Fluttershy swung by and begged to have the ticket, because she wanted to see the animals in the Royal Garden. It’s unfair to say she also ‘accosted’ me, but for the demure mare to gather up the courage to ask, it was really something. Still, I told her that animals in the Royal Garden were extremely stranger-shy, and she walked away dejectedly.

After a while, we simply decided that it was simply too much to walk around in the public like a pair of moving targets, and went back to the library. I was not exactly into having to invent more excuses in order to not give out the tickets that I did not particularly want myself.

Come to think of it, could I just save the trouble and make the tickets disappear?

I was a bit afraid that it might displease Princess Celestia, but I was even more scared that my screw-up would be uncovered. I just didn’t want to get close to Canterlot in the foreseeable future, if not absolutely necessary.

“Spike, come here please?” I called out.

“What’s the matter, Twi? Do you want to continue your experiments?”

“Yes, but later. For now, I want to talk about the tickets to the Gala.”

Spike winced. “Ew, I don’t really want to go.”

“Yeah, neither do I.”

“T- Twi?” Spike looked utterly shocked. “You too? But the princess told you to!”

“Not quite, Spike. She might have wanted us to, but it’s not exactly an order, but an invitation. Répondez S'il Vous Plaît, right?”

“Yeah, but…” Spike fidgeted, seemingly reluctant to go against the will of Princess Celestia.

“I don’t think going near the princess when we’re struggling with the Elements is wise. I’d avoid Canterlot myself.”

Spike gulped and gingerly nodded.

“… Burn them, Spike.” I whispered. “We should pretend that they never arrived.”

Spike gasped. “But the town ponies have already seen them!”

“Touché. Well, I’ll just say the tickets, uh, were lost when I use them as bookmarks.”

“That’s… a little unconvincing, Twi. You’re too organized to do something like that.”

I became a bit nervous and agitated, the visions of an irate Princess Celestia filled my mind. “J- Just burn them already! I don’t want us to be discovered!”

“A- Alright-” Spike was visibly frightened by my outburst, and let out a flame engulfing both tickets.

A green flame.

Oh dear!

“Holy Guacamole, Spike, you just sent the tickets back to the Princess!”

“I- I- I’m s- so sorry…” Spike stuttered.

“I…” My eyes twitched. Eventually I let out a long sigh and sat on the floor helplessly.

“Twi…”

“I just feel that nothing has been going our way these few days. I’m disoriented and exhausted.”

Spike frowned sadly. “I’m so sorry…”

I was again moved by his pitiful look, as I swept him into my embrace. “It’s alright though, it’s alright though…”

I then stood up with a severe look. “I will draft a letter to explain why we send back the tickets. Maybe I would be frank and just tell her we don’t want to go. Whatever comes comes.”

Spike asked nervously. “Do you need me to write…”

“No, Spike, just go have a rest. It’s about time for your afternoon nap.”

I tried to put up a smile, and directed the conversation away from heavier issues. “When you’re in the kitchen, I’ve put a ruby in your crib, and another one in your stash. Good luck on saving up to buy a present for Rarity.”

“Wow, thank- Wait!”

Spike’s expression turned from beaming smile to utter shock in a second. “How do you know I have a stash, where it is and what it is for?!”

Oh… I knew far more than that, the other me.

I mentally grinned, and at the same time lamented my inability to tell him the truth. But at least I could have some fun teasing the flabbergasted dragon.

“Who am I, Spike? I’m the one who hatched you from your egg! Of course I’m going to know you, just like you know the difference between biting a topaz along its cut or opposite its cut.”

Spike was red-faced and flustered, and he didn’t further question my strangely draconic simile. Good.

I then turned to walk towards my writing desk, but Spike called out.

“So… um, you said Rarity…”

“Yes?”

“So you know about…”

“You’ve fallen for her? That’s pretty obvious, to be honest.”

I wryly smiled. This was one observation Twilight could not have known with such clarity if not for this bizarre accident.

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Why…”

I stopped mid-sentence, because I recognized there was a dissonance in my mind.

As the dragon himself, I would not have a problem with Spike’s romantic adventures.

I might not be inclined, or indeed able to chase after Rarity myself. However, I was okay with cheering the other Spike on, knowing how important the white mare was to him.

But what would Twilight Sparkle think of this?

Would she be too much of a book-loving dork to notice? Would she disapprove because she would have seen him just as a baby, and that it would distract him? Or just turn a blind eye because she would respect his free will, or just wouldn’t care?

I felt irrationally unsettled finding myself unable to answer these questions, having mastered how Twilight behaved in front of others.

“… Twilight?” Spike asked uncertainly.

“… Oh! Uh… of course!”

I pulled myself back into reality and smiled. “Cheers, Spike. I’m, uh, glad that you reach the age that you’re interested in this sort of stuff. But I thought that you might not be too comfortable talking about that with me. After all, we live together for so long, and we’re practically family.”

Spike’s face again reddened like a tomato, and he gulped audibly.

I sighed. “Rarity’s a stunningly beautiful mare, I’d readily agree. I… have no problem if you two get together, given if she’s also okay with this. But hear me out, Spike.”

“… Yes?”

“You have to get to know her before you put all your heart to love her. Don’t get blindsided by glamor.”

Spike’s embarrassment was replaced by a face of bemusement. It seemed that he did not quite catch what I meant, but he nodded regardless.

I looked to the side. My already troubled mind had become even more turbulent by all these talks of romance. I wasn’t even sure who the Tartarus I was yet!

I took in a deep breath and turned towards my desk once more. I didn’t want to lose control of myself and lash out at the other Spike again. It always made me feel incredibly guilty afterwards.

I then settled myself into crafting a diplomatic-sounding response to Princess Celestia, when Spike again came forth to me.

“Twilight… the Princess has replied.”

“What? I haven’t even sent in anything yet!”

Spike raised his claws. To my shock, there were seven tickets to the Gala along with a hoof-written letter by Princess Celestia.

“W- What did it say?” I asked with dread, cold sweat dripping from my forehead.

Spike gulped and waved the letter open.

“Dear Twilight,

I was admittedly a bit shocked when I saw the two tickets I sent out were returned to me without any message. Knowing you, I don’t think you’re one to rudely reject an invitation like that without reason, so I hazarded a guess. That’s when I notice I only sent two tickets, when you’ve made friends with five new friends after going to Ponyville. You must have been too embarrassed to ask for more tickets, and you don’t want to upset your friends by going alone. Don’t worry, my most faithful student, I’ve sent you enough tickets for your friends to go as well. I look forward to both your letters, as well as seeing you and your friends at the Gala.

Princess Celestia”

“… Crap.”

“T- Twi, did you just swear?”

I temporarily paused, slightly stunned. In my memories, Twilight never swore in front of me. She cursed in rare circumstances, but never swore.

But… heh, ‘crap’ was just a mild curse, right? So I rolled my eyes up and sighed. “Spike, there are certain other sayings that could be considered swearing, but crap is not one of them. It’s at most a somewhat uncouth way to express my mild exasperation.”

“Your mild what?”

“Annoyance.”

“Oh.”

I slapped my forehead. “I guess now with the clear directive from the Princess, we have no choice but go, and we have to re-convince our friends to go as well.”

“Ow… But you’ve been saying that the Gala was a horrible place to be to them.”

“I know. Those horror stories were half-fiction and half-conjecture, but I obviously can’t renege on them all of a sudden.”

“So what should we do?”

“I’m going to tell them that it was Princess Celestia’s wish for us to go. I doubt that they’re gonna act against the Princess’s wish, unless they clamor for the comforts of the moon.”

“Don’t joke about that, Twi…”

“It helps loosen us up a bit, no?”

I smiled. “Besides, now that she knew what kind of a ‘gentlecolt’ Prince Blueblood is, she naturally would not go out with him anymore. This could be your chance! Think of the things you can do if you and Rarity go to the Gala together.”

Spike’s eyes lit up. “R- Right!”

“You need to ask her out yourself, though. Mares appreciate the showing of maturity through initiatives. If you want to shake off the image of being ‘just a baby dragon’, you have to be calm and confident.”

Spike gingerly nodded.

I then stood up from my desk. “Now I’ll go and give the tickets to them, you wanna come?”

“… Yes.”

Spike bit his lips and called out as I turned towards the door. “Wait, Twi.”

“Is there anything else, Spike?”

“I want to say thank you. You’ve been extra caring towards me since we’ve come here. Even as I screw up one thing after another, you still show a lot of patience. Thank you for everything, Twi.”

“… Silly Spike.” I gave him a wincing grin.

Author's Note:

And so we passed through a station of the canon. We will not dwell on many more because the story will diverge soon (look at Adventure tag and gulp).

Comments

[UltiXevoz]

Spike fumbling through the plot as Twilight is fantastic.

[ComatoseVEVO]

Does anyone know a groups for stories like these? It's a great genre

[Amethyst Blade]

Twilight Sparkle is The Dovahkin! Dragonborn!

[honeyhoneyhoney]

This is nice.

Ah'm impressed that the quality hadn't dipped despite the lack of comments. Huh.