Princess Spike

by Daelyx Len Auphydas

Surprise Discoveries

Just as Spike awkwardly opens the back door into the castle, he just about runs head-first into Twilight as she had been leaving.

"Oh, there you are Spike! Come on!" Twilight announces, jerking backwards with her head. Spike and Starlight look at eachother, shrug, then follow.

"At first I thought the spell was using alchemy as a go-between for the effect." Twilight starts chattering excitedly, walking at a brisk pace back towards the library. "But after studying it, I think it's actually much more involved than that! Its some kind of ritual magic, more akin to what they use down in Somnambula! The reagents arent used as ingredients for a potion but rather the magic is channeled through them into its target. I might be able to reverse the effect if I draw the magic back out into empty vessels." Twilight starts hopping from hoof to hoof as she walks, growing increasingly excited.

Spike glances over at Starlight, as if to ask if she knew what twilight was rambling on about, but Starlight just looks back at him and shrugs.

Just then, Twilight reaches the doors to the library, and throws them open... Only to be met with her five friends, all sitting around the library waiting for her. Rainbow Dash is curled up in a corner with a Daring Do book, Fluttershy and Rarity are investigating the scrolls Twilight had left lying around, Applejack is sitting by the table waiting, and Pinkie Pie is... Currently firing a confetti cannon just as they entered, the loud bang just about startling Twilight out of her skin.

Spike's reaction is a bit more dramatic- Startled, he accidentally lets out a great ball of green fire. Eyes widening, he scrambles to control it before it incinerates his friends to dust, and manages to entrap the fireball within a shield by reflex, sighing with relief. He was lucky to have been taught by the most amazing spell-caster in all of Equestria!

As one, all of the ponies present turned to regard the newcomers, and a long moment of awkward silence hangs in the air before being broken by Applejack. "Well, ah'll be, Starlight was right. Ya really 'ave turned into an Alicorn!" Applejack announces, while Rainbow Dash's jaw just hangs open in shock. It was one thing to hear it, quite another to see with your own two eyes.

Spike rubs one of his forelegs with the other, uncomfortably, and looks away. He wasn't used to being the center of attention, like that.

"Come on everypony, let's be respectful." Fluttershy floats down by Spike's side and lays a reassuring wing across his back. "I'm sure our friend doesn't like being stared at." Spike gives her a grateful glance, and scurries into the room.

"What... How... You're actually an Alicorn!" Rainbow Dash announces, sounding almost offended. "How did you become an Alicorn before me!?"

Twilight shoots Rainbow Dash a quizzical glance, while Applejack looks at her primary rival nonplussed. Rainbow Dash recoils, looking defensive. "What? I'm awesome, we all know it's going to happen eventually!"

Ignoring the rowdy pegasus, Applejack removes her hat. "Ah, don't mind 'em, sugarcube. We just came by t' see how y'all are holdin' up. Ah imagine it's pretty shocking t' just up and wake as a different species."

"Well, I'll say!" Rarity announces, strutting around examining Spike, making the alicorn's cheeks turn red in self-consciousness. "My little Spikey-wikey, an Alicorn! Why, I never! And just look at that gorgeous Cutie Mark!" Rarity remarks, admiring the green fire on Spike's flank.

Spike wants to say something, somehow spin the situation with Rarity, but finds that he keeps tripping over his words and only ends up making unintelligible noises.

"This is CRAZY!" Pinkie Pie announces. "It's like your a princess! Oh! Oh! I'll have to start planning the princess spike coronation party right away!" Pinkie Pie prances in place, excitedly.

Spike's blush gets even worse, but he manages to get out a handful of words. "P-P-Princess? Why am I a princess?" He asks, bewildered.

Rarity stops circling him and approaches him from the front. "Well, have you ever heard of an Alicorn that wasn't a princess?" Rarity asks, teasingly.

"B-b-but I'm a stallion!" Spike protests, mind whirring. "Shouldn't I be a prince!?" The uneasy looks given to him by all the other ponies make his heart skip a beat.

"Um... Spike, are you sure about that?" Twilight asks, cautiously. Spike goes pale at the tone of voice and nervously glances around.

"Wh-what do you mean? Why wouldnt I be?" Spike asks.

Twilight sits down on her haunches, biting her lip. "Spike, Alicorn's don't have gender. Didn't you know? I've been one for a while now." Twilight asks, in a soft and patient tone.

Spike blinks, thinking back to when he'd examined himself in the mirror. He... Supposes that explained some things. Looking down darkly and blushing even more, he mumbles "I thought I just wasn't understanding pony biology..." sullenly. Well, there goes my chance with Rarity... Spike thinks to himself.

"It's nothing you should be ashamed of, sugarcube." Applejack states, delicately. "Ah'm sure Twilight 'ere'll git you back to normal in a jiffy."

Spike furrows his brow, and bolts up. "Wait, no, that makes no sense! What about Cadence? She had a foal!" Spike protests.

Twilight just shakes her head. "Cadence wanted to be a mother, so she used her special magic talents to make herself able to bear children." Twilight explains. "It only worked out because of her special talent being related to romantic love. That's why before Flurryheart, there had never been a natural-born alicorn." Twilight gently chides.

Spike falls back on his haunches, mind whirling. He wanted to talk to Twilight about his conversation with Starlight, but this was too much new information. He had to think, figure out what this meant for him. Thankfully, his friends could see how overwhelmed the dragon-alicorn was, and Rarity and Fluttershy both give him a reassuring hug, soothing his nerves.

"Its alright, my spikey-wikey, I still think you look positively dashing." Rarity enunciates, encouragingly. "And I'm sure once Twilight gets you back to normal, you'll have taken alot away from this experience."

Spike sets his jaw now. Why did everypony assume he wanted to turn back to normal? Maybe he was supposed to be this way, they didn't remember if the spell had been cast purposefully or not. Maybe... But Spike himself was not sure. There was so much to take in.

So he looks up at Twilight- The pony who had raised him, who took care of him, who was the closest thing to family he had in this world. Suddenly, his throat feels dry, and he swallows to wet it. Rarity and Fluttershy can feel the change in posture, and retreat back to a more casual distance.

Clearing her throat to get everypony's attention, Applejack jerks towards the exit with her head. "Ah think the two of 'em need a moment of privacy, girls." Applejack states. "Why don't we head down to the kitchen, get some dinner ready for 'em? Ah'm sure they could use the break." Twilight and Spike's friends nod in general agreement, and slowly leave the room, Rainbow Dash looking back at them before she leaves last.

Finally alone with Twilight, Spike leans against her. Twilight pauses, a little surprised at the sudden display of affection, before resting one wing over him. Spike closes his eyes and lowers his head, to savor the sensation. A long silence lasts between the two of them, Twilight waiting for Spike to speak first, before Spike finally raises his head and looks into Twilight's kind, reassuring eyes. Was it just him, or did they look more familiar than usual somehow? Like the pupils werent quite circular.

"How did you feel about it? Becoming an Alicorn, I mean." Spike asks. "I mean... I know I was there. But I feel like I never really understood it until now."

"It was pretty shocking." Twilight admits. "I mean, it's not every day your body disintegrates into a pile of ash and you have to manifest a new one through magic alone."

Spike frowns thoughtfully. "Did it... Did you feel like you lost something? I mean, your original body was just... gone, right? And..." Spike trails off, uncertainly. Twilight looks back ahead, pensively.

"At first, all I could really think about was all the new responsibilities. I felt.. Humbled. I didn't feel worthy, didn't feel ready. It was a long while before I really reflected on what it meant to have a completely new body." Twilight confides. "I mean, the wings took some getting used to, but that wasn't the really big change, was it? The fabric of my being was different, even my magic- the very thing my identity was based on- had changed in nature. It was a big adjustment."

Spike nods. I think I can understand that, given what I've been through today.... Silently, he is thankful that he didn't need to worry about responsibilities that day... Just getting used to things. "But, what about... Don't you feel upset that you won't ever be able to have foals of your own?" Spike asks, uncertainly. He'd never really asked this kind of thing of Twilight before.

Twilight shrugs. "I don't know if I ever would have, anyways. I mean... I have my friends. And I have you, Spike. That's all I need. No... That's all that I want." She affirms, confidently.

Spike blinks up at her with wide eyes. She had specified him separately from her friends- But did that mean he was closer, or less important compared to them? He didn't know.

Twilights gaze becomes downcast, and for a moment, she seems distant, gazing off towards the wall with a sorrowful expression. "At least, as long as they don't find special someponies themselves, I mean. Like... Shiny." Twilight sighs, glumly. Spike nods empathetically; Shining Armor had become something of a sore subject for Twilight ever since he'd gotten married. But Twilight just shakes her head to dispell that thought, and looks at Spike again.

"I know its got to be strange, being changed so drastically even if its just for a short while." Twilight tries to say supportively, once again misreading Spike's thought process. "I promise I'll find a way to get you back to normal as soon as possible, so you don't have to worry about these things." Twilight vows.

Spike lowers his head again, sighing. She still wasn't understanding what he was getting at. But she was doing her best for him, and he could feel the compassion and care in her worried eyes, just like she always took care of him whenever he did something stupid. It was ok. There was time. He could always talk to her later. Right now he just needed to... Think things through, think about what the implications of such a change would even mean to him. "For now... Thankyou for being here with me." Spike says, wrapping one leg around Twilight and hugging her tightly.

Twilight smiles, not quite sure what was on Spike's mind but not needing to know either. "Of course, Spike, you know I'm always here for you. Now, why don't we go see what our friends are whipping up for dinner? And make sure its something you can actually eat..."

Spike nods eagerly, thinking about the leftovers of the gemstone salad from earlier that day, and stands up. "Count me in!" he announces, before prancing off along with Twilight towards the dining hall.

Author's Note:

in case anypony is wondering why they are still referred to with masculine pronouns... Force of habit. I mean, I'm a eunuch and I still am generally referred to that way.

Comments

[Aiwhisper]

Interesting choice making them gender less.

[zachary12]

nice