A Not-So Draconian Adventure

by Rock-Lee

The Past is always there

Spike would be walking towards the train station alongside what for many was a huge mountain of suitcases and such, this being Pinkie Pie with 'everything required' for the trip to her family farm. Pinkie would have managed to convince the girls and Celestia to let her take Spike for the whole month under the excuse that one week wouldn't be enough to efficiently get to know her whole family. After that, both she and Spike would have obtained a special permit to not attend classes for as long as the month lasted, which was easy for Pinkie since she did the same thing every year.

"Are you sure you need to bring all this, Pinkie?" Spike would ask, looking at the numerous bags with a raised eyebrow as they continued their way to the station. "I'm carrying two suitcases and I feel like I'm overpacking, heh."

"Of course, Spike! You never know what you might need on the farm!" Pinkie would respond, with a bright smile on her face. "Plus, I want to make sure we have everything we need to have the most fun during our time there!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Spike would say, shrugging lightly.

"Of course, silly! Pinkie is always right!" Pinkie would say with a big smile, effortlessly carrying all those suitcases.

"I can't argue with that," Spike would say, laughing slightly at his pink-maned friend's words.

Spike would look up at the sky, noticing it was still slightly dark, he didn't remember exactly what time it was, but apparently it was slightly early in the morning to arrive at a good time at the family farm.

"Yeah, I definitely need some extra sleep," Spike would respond with a tired sigh, feeling the weight of lack of rest on his shoulders. "But I'm excited for the trip. It'll be great to spend time with you and meet your family."

"Aww, I'm excited too, Spike!" Pinkie would exclaim, hugging Spike tightly. "It'll be amazing having you with me on the farm and showing you everything we do there! You're going to love it!"

Spike would let himself be hugged by Pinkie, feeling comforted by her enthusiasm and affection. He knew the trip would be an unforgettable experience and he was eager to explore the farm and spend time with Pinkie's family. Though after a few seconds, he would open his eyes, confused.

"Wait, how are you hugging me if you have all your suitcases?" Spike would turn to see Pinkie continuing her way as if nothing, leaving him slightly confused for a few more seconds before starting to follow her slowly.

After a couple of minutes, they would both be sitting in the train seats, with Spike comfortably leaning on Pinkie's shoulder, softly snoring, while the pink-maned girl apparently sent text messages to someone on her phone.

After a few seconds, Spike would open his eyes while sitting in the void of the mirror world, which would surprise him a little since he hadn't done or thought anything that should have caught Crystal's attention.

"What... Hello?" Spike would say as he walked in silence through that place, somewhat confused. It wasn't the vibrant and bright place it always was; it was dark, with the mirrors dimmed. It wasn't terrifying; it was even... relaxing. "Crystal?"

After a few minutes of aimless walking, he would come across a somewhat surprising sight for him. Crystal would be lying on the floor with her eyes closed. He had vague memories of seeing Applejack or Fluttershy sleeping like that on busy days on the farm or with too many animals. Maybe she had too much work that day and needed to rest.

"Are you okay?" Spike wouldn't receive a response, so he would approach a bit closer, then look around and notice a couple of things. Crystal wouldn't be sleeping directly on the floor, but on what seemed to be a blanket. A few meters away, there would be a stack of letters that, as Spike approached, he would see were a mix of letters from Discord, Celestia, and Luna, although all of them seemed to be somewhat old. Alongside them, there would be a couple of old photos of a younger Crystal with Celestia and Luna, some even with a more...'youthful' version of Discord. "Wow..."

"These letters are from Discord, Celestia, and Luna," Spike would murmur to himself, examining the dates they were written. "And some of these photos... They seem to be very old."

Seeing Crystal lying on the floor, Spike would worry about her well-being, wondering why she would be in that seemingly lonely place surrounded by memories of the past. He would approach her carefully, feeling a mix of curiosity and concern about what might be going through her mind.

"Crystal, are you okay?" Spike would ask again, this time a little louder, hoping to catch her attention and get a response.

Crystal would slowly open her eyes upon hearing Spike's voice, blinking a couple of times before focusing her gaze on him. She would seem surprised to see him there, as if she didn't expect his presence.

"Spike..." Crystal would murmur, her voice sounding somewhat distant. "What are you doing here?"

"Just... appeared I guess, and found you here," Spike would respond, pointing to the letters and photos around them. "What are you doing here? And what are all these things?"

Crystal would slowly get up from the floor, looking around with a thoughtful expression on her face. She would approach the letters and photos, feeling a wave of nostalgia as she looked at the memories from the past.

"These are... old memories," Crystal would murmur, her voice filled with melancholy as she used her magic to draw a photo towards her, a photo of Crystal and Celestia sleeping peacefully while Luna read a book next to them. "Memories of times gone by... moments that can never be reclaimed."

Spike would watch Crystal with concern, feeling compassion for her sadness as he reflected on the words she just said.

"What happened, Crystal?" Spike would ask softly, moving closer to offer his support.

Crystal would look at Spike with gratitude, recognizing his kindness and concern. She would sigh before responding, trying to find the right words to express what she's feeling.

"I don't know... I'm just... remembering the past," Crystal would respond honestly, her voice trembling with contained emotion. "Remembering simpler times... happy times... but also times of pain and loss."

"I'm so sorry, Crystal," Spike would say gently, showing empathy for the pain Crystal was experiencing.

"Thank you, Spike," Crystal would respond sincerely, looking at Spike with a faint but comforting smile.

Spike would hesitate for a moment due to his previous experiences with the alicorn, but his heart would ache just leaving her like that, so he would offer Crystal a comforting hug, trying to convey his support and solidarity in that difficult moment. Crystal would accept the hug gratefully, feeling comforted by the kind gesture of the baby dragon.

After a while, Crystal would pull away from the hug, looking at Spike with a somewhat disheartened expression on her face. "Thank you Spike, but I think you should go back to your world, I guess I brought you here by mistake while I was sleeping, I'm sorry."

Spike would nod understandingly at Crystal's words, recognizing that perhaps it was better for both of them if he returned to his own world. Although he didn't like leaving her in that state, he knew that Crystal needed time to process her feelings and memories without his presence. "Understood... You'll be okay."

Crystal would nod with a bittersweet smile, grateful for Spike's support. "Thank you, Spike. I really appreciate your concern. We'll see each other soon, okay?"

Spike would sigh a little upon hearing that, since he didn't really have a high esteem for the woman, before giving her a small comforting smile before stepping back, preparing to return to his world. "Take care, Crystal."

With one last look back, Spike would close his eyes as the characteristic glow of the dimensional portal began to envelop him. Moments later, Spike would disappear from Crystal's room, leaving her alone with her thoughts and memories.

Crystal would sigh, looking at the spot where Spike had been standing moments before, feeling a sense of emptiness as she watched him leave. She would promise herself that she would deal with her emotions and memories, Spike had his own things to worry about, and she wasn't part of those things.

Crystal would remain alone in the room, surrounded by the memories of the past she had been reviewing. She would sigh as she gathered the letters and photos, carefully storing them in a box before placing it in a secure place. Although her thoughts were still filled with nostalgia and melancholy, observing and overseeing the universes was her job; she couldn't afford to feel this way.

After shaking her mane a bit so it would start to float as usual, she would use her magic to make her 'room' disappear, then activating all the mirrors once again, watching as all the universes slowly appeared in those places.

As she walked through that huge black hallway, Crystal would pause for a moment to look up, observing the bright stars that illuminated the place. A sense of peace and tranquility would envelop her as she allowed herself to enjoy the present moment, knowing that, whatever happens, her work was important; she was important for something, and that made her happy.

After a moment of contemplation, Crystal would continue walking down the hallway, passing by the mirrors that displayed the various universes she supervised. Each of those universes was unique and full of stories and adventures that she had observed over time. Although her work could be challenging and sometimes overwhelming, it was also incredibly rewarding.

As she continued her journey, Crystal would occasionally stop in front of one of the mirrors, carefully observing what was happening in that particular universe. Sometimes she saw moments of happiness and joy, while other times she witnessed conflicts and challenges. But she was always there to ensure that everything was in order and that events unfolded as planned.

If the Alicorn passed by a mirror where she saw a purple mare crying in her bed, hugging an empty basket, nobody would ever know.

Author's Note:

A short chapter with more story after a few chapters of just goofing around, and it works to set the five days per chapter easier

Comments

[Wildcard25]

Even Crystal has her hidden secrets Spike was not aware of