A Clear Choice- Part One
Finding Your Place
by
Jake The Army Guy
Chapter Four: A Clear Choice- Part One
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From high atop the tallest tower of the Royal Palace, Princess Celestia smiled down on the city of Canterlot with a warmth that rivaled the mid-morning glow of her solar charge. While she was, indeed, the eternal keeper of the light, Celestia secretly enjoyed partly-cloudy skies more than perfectly clear. Golden rays peeking from behind strategically placed clouds bathed the city in both warm light and cool shadows, creating a moving patchwork across the town. Streets and alleys crisscrossed the city, veins and arteries carrying the lifeblood of the world, her little ponies
It never ceased to amaze her; even after the thousands of years since she and Luna had descended from the heavens to guide them, the lives of mortals remained a joy to observe. Though bound by the limitations of her physical eyes, her sun saw all that occurred beneath its rays. Every secret meeting, every stolen kiss, every single moment that happened under the sunlight was witnessed by her purpose and oldest confidant.
"You're doing it again, auntie."
Celestia rolled her eyes as Cadance stepped next to her. "I have no idea what you’re talking about."
"Celestia, you're not their mother, you know?"
"Well, my mother is their mother, which means—"
"Which means, you need to get laid."
Both Princesses giggled at the crass remark, Celestia draping a wing over her “niece.” “Shouldn’t you be on a train for the Empire?
“It leaves in an hour.”
“Oh? Where is Shining Armor?”
Cadance groaned. “The same place he goes at the end of every visit: down to the Guard Wing to pester Generals’ Cloudhammer and Stone Wall."
"Hehe, are we regretting allowing him to maintain his position in the Royal Guard?"
"No, no. Shiny is a military stallion, it's in his blood. He'd never be happy without a role in Equestrian defense." Her feathers ruffled slightly. "It just gets irritating after a while. And besides," she said with a scowl, "you were the one that insisted to him that he remain at his post."
Celestia gave a low smile. "General Armor is one of the best commanders I have had in all my years as ruler. While I would never dream of keeping him from his family or his duties as Prince, as long as he is happy with the current situation," she gave Cadance a predatory grin, "you can have him over my cold, dead body."
"... You can't die."
"Hmm... you're right. How fortunate for me."
Cadance just shook her head, a mirthless chuckle escaping, and looked out on the Canterlot vista. A team of pegasi high above them were shifting the clouds around, going about the business of maintaining the weather.
"So, what is bothering you, Cadance?"
Cadance opened her mouth to question, but only got out a sigh as she met Celestia's knowing gaze. "Well, it's... it's about Spike."
"As it so often is these days."
"When I spoke to him last week, he seemed... oh, I don't know, out of sorts, perhaps?"
"Mmm. The poor dear has been through a lot recently. It's not surprising that he has a lot on his mind."
"That's just it," Cadance said, turning to fully face Celestia. "It's not what's on his mind. Both Twilight and I have noticed it. The things he's been thinking about, those problems about his longevity or his size, he seems to be coping with, as best he can, anyway."
"But?"
"But, in the week since I first spoke with him, he's been getting more and more, well... distracted."
Celestia's ear flicked. "Distracted how?"
"He's always looking off into the distance, in the direction of Ponyville. And he's been so restless."
"Oh?"
"Yes! Twilight told me that in the past week, when he wasn't working out with Shining, he's been racing all over trying to find busy work of some kind. Right now he's at a construction site on the other side of Canterlot begging some old crush of his to let him help."
"And I assume his magic abilities haven't improved either," Celestia more said than asked.
"Not from what Twilight sa—" She paused, her eyes narrowed. "All right, what do you know?"
Celestia's eyes never left the Canterlot skyline. "What do you mean?"
Cadance let out an irritated groan, moving to the opposite side of the balcony. "And now you're doing that again."
"Am I incapable of doing anything original, or must my every action be a repeat performance?"
"Don't do that!" Cadance snorted, her hoof digging at the polished marble floor. "You're plotting, playing the chess master."
"Am I?"
"Aunt Tia, why must you play these games with your subjects?" Celestia's wings ruffled slightly, but she remained silent. Cadance continued. "Why can't you be more straightforward? Just tell them things instead of toying with them!"
"Tell me," Celestia said cooly, "what would they gain if I handed them everything? If I whisked away every problem? My sister and I descended from our Parent's home not to control mortal lives, but to guide them. Strength is borne of struggle, young princess." She cast an eye towards her. "You would do your subjects well to remember that."
Cadance bristled at the comment, but took a deep breath, steadying herself. "And Spike? How will you... guide him?"
"By calling in a very old favor," Celestia said quietly.
The two stood there for a few long minutes, enveloped by the warm breeze carrying the scents morning dew from the mountain face before them. "I'm sorry, Aunt Tia. I only meant—"
"You meant to protect one you care for deeply, as you did so often when he was little." Celestia faced her, a warm smile playing on her lips. "You wish to protect an old friend. I take no offense."
Cadance rolled her eyes, then stepped away. "Well, I'd best get downstairs before Shiny gets into another fight with General Stone Wall over shift rotations. That mare packs a mean buck."
Celestia smiled, offering a final nod before Cadance walked back through the archway and into the castle proper. Alone once more, Celestia closed her eyes and turned her face up, basking in the warmth of her sun. Taking one final deep breath of crisp high-altitude air, she spread her pearl wings and dove off the tower, aiming herself west towards the Everfree Forest.
* * *
On the far side of the city, a construction site that was usually abuzz with activity was eerily still. Large blocks of pure granite lay on massive pallets, awaiting transport to the top of the half-formed wall that lined the perimeter of the large yard. The various bits of machinery strewn about the dirt yard sat abandoned, the ponies that operated them gathered in a large group, staring at the massive green-and-purple dragon before them.
Spike stood on his hind legs, resting his body weight against the large stone. Steaming sweat rose from his body, his breathing a little labored, but he felt good. A slight burn pulsed through his muscles, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been in past weeks. "How's it looking, Moon?"
High above, Moondancer studied the wall with unerring focus. Spike's keen draconic eyes saw her tongue protruding from her lips, her brow furrowed. Finally, he heard her lazy, Manehatten accent drift down. "Okay, Spiker, this level's good. Bring up the next one!”
He smiled, rotating his neck and setting his shoulders. Beside him, a burnt red earth pony spoke up. “Ten bits says ya can’t beat your time!”
"You're on, Rusty!" Spike answered with a smirk before turning to the other side. "You ready with the clock, Heckel?"
"Three years of service for this," the unicorn guard grumbled through his perpetual scowl.
Jeckel stood beside him, wearing an extremely over-sized hard hat. He held a large red flag in his left hoof. "Okay, Mister Spike! On your mark..."
Spike knelt down and threw an arm around a block of granite next to him, letting out a large puff of smoke.
"...get set..."
His long, forked tongue darted out of his mouth, licking his lips before a determined grin set in.
"Go!" Jeckel waved the flag with such fervor he spun around, the hard hat atop his head wobbling wildly and covering his face.
Spike tore off, kicking up copious amounts of dust, the large block of stone in his grasp as he lumbered in a surprisingly graceful three-legged gait. As he approached the wall, his wings flared and gave a mighty flap, launching him up to the top.
Landing with a grunt, he hefted the large stone into place. He took a split second to gauge its position, then shoved it into proper alignment, dust and debris raining down.
"Good!" Moondancer yelled from the next block over.
Spike nodded and took a deep breath. Pursing his lips, he sent a jet of fire towards where the slab met its neighbor, the flame so hot it was nigh-invisible. The two stones actually melted a bit, the small rivers of molten rock blending together and cooling, effectively welding the two rocks together thanks to the magic of Spike’s dragonfire.
Once the block was sealed on three sides, he leaped down and ran back to the pile of blocks, egged on by the loud cheers from the crowd of workers. Without even stopping, he grabbed another block and ran to the other side, taking another wing-assisted leap onto the wall.
In an impressive feat of balance, Moondancer sprinted around the wall, screeching to a halt just as Spike finished locking the stone into place. "Good!"
For the next several minutes, this process repeated over and over. Spike’s claws dug ruts into the soft dirt, his massive foot falls sending tremors through the earth. The construction ponies all whooped and hollered their support, save one, who looked to be very nervous at the looming prospect of losing the night’s drinking money.
Eventually, only one block remained. Spike was sweating profusely and huffing large clouds of smoke that dissipated almost instantly, but a fire danced in his eyes as he leapt down from the wall and sprinted on all fours to the last block. Acutely aware of the cheering throng of ponies, he grinned and decided that since he had an audience, he may as well give them a show.
Eyes twisted in focus, Spike thundered past the granite block, earning a momentary gasp of confusion from the ponies. It was short lived, though. As soon as his massive body past it, Spike’s long, prehensile tail wrapped around the block and yanked it into the air. Thundering footfalls and deep gulping breaths echoed as he bounded towards the wall where Moondancer awaited him with a wide grin.
Just as Spike approached the wall, he gave his serpentine tail a hard flick, sending the heavy block whizzing upward. His wings flapped hard, launching him up to the top of the wall. He landed with a grunt, and instantly threw his arms out, catching the falling stone, then slamming it into place. After breathing the needed jets of fire, he winked down to Moondancer, bent his muscular legs, and flipped backwards back into the courtyard.
Using his wings to stabilize himself, he flipped around and landed hard on the dirt floor, the construction workers all sent off balance by the solid tremor. The instant he landed, he turned to Heckel. “Time!”
Heckel looked down at the watch. "Four minutes, thirteen seconds."
“Yes!” Spike pumped his fist, plopping down on his back and breathing deeply.
Across from him, Jeckel pulled out a large bit bag. “Okay, that’s ten bits from Mister Nails, two bits to Mister Banger, and... uh, three bits to Miss Dancer!” He dug into the bag and began dispensing the proper amount of bits to the proper ponies, while Rusty grumbled and dropped several of the gold coins back in the bag.
Heckel scowled at his twin brother. “What are you, his bookie now?”
Jeckel stuck his tongue out. “Yes. Jealous?”
“Jealous?! Of you losing all military bearing? Ha, I think not!”
Jeckel put the bag away, turning to his unicorn twin while still grinning. “Oh, I’m just being nice!”
"There's being nice, then there's being unprofessional!"
"Hey, you catch more flies with honey!"
"Yeah, you know what else catches flies?! Bullsh—"
"All right, all right, that's enough!" Moondancer walked into the middle of the crowd of stallions that were still heaping praise onto Spike. "I ain't paying you mooks to stand around! Back to work!"
"What work, boss?" A burly earth pony with a deep five o'clock shadow spoke in a Manehatten accent even thicker than the foremare. "Ol' scaley here has done more in the past three hours than we have in the past three days!"
Moondancer looked around at the near-completed foundation surrounding them. "Huh, wha'dya know? You're right, Banger! Geez, we must be three, four weeks ahead of schedule!" She turned to smirk at Spike. "You're a Sisters-sent miracle, Spikey!"
"Heh, yeah. You need to stop, Spike. You're making' us all look bad!" Rusty said.
Spike gave an exaggerated sigh, running a claw over his head spines. "Yes, yes. I am quite awesome."
"Hey, Spike!" A cream-colored earth pony mare approached him, her massive frame dwarfing even a few of the stallions. "Do the thing!" A chorus of agreement rose from the group.
Spike rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, guys! I just set a whole level on the wall, I need a break!"
"What's the matter? Little dragon lost his flame?" Rusty said with a beam.
"Moon, please control your children."
"Aw, come on, Spikey," Moondancer cooed, her voice deep and smoky, "how long do we go back? I know you’ve had eyes for me for the longest." She turned around, looking at him over her shoulder, and gave her rump a seductive wiggle, causing Spike to gulp hard. "Do it for little ol' me, eh?"
"Hey, hey, boss! You keep shaking your flank like that, and I'm gonna start spittin' fire!"
Moondancer turned and smiled. "Yeah? Well, according to your wife, Rusty, you ain't spitting nothing but air!"
A loud chorus of "Ooohhhh's" erupted from the group. Rusty just grinned lasciviously. "Yeah, hows about you follow me home tonight? I'm sure the three of us could figure somethin' out!"
She rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Rusty."
"Heh, each an' every night!"
"Come on, guys," Spike said. "Can we just do something else?"
"Come on, Mister Spike!" Jeckel ran up to him, bouncing like a puppy. "Please?" he said with a pout, doing a disturbingly good impression of Apple Bloom.
Spike sighed and hung his head, but a smile spread across his face. "Okay, fine. But one more time, that's it!"
A loud cheer rose, and six of the ponies lined up in front of Spike, each a few meters apart.
"Oh, come on, guys! Give me a challenge!"
At this, they dispersed, stopping at random places around the yard. Each stood proud, with an expectant grin on their faces.
Spike took a few steps back, hunkering down and squaring his shoulders. "Alright, you ready, Heckel?"
The unicorn grunted, but lit his horn. Around the yard, each of the six ponies’ hard hats were enveloped by a yellow aura. The burly stallions all giggled at the tickle of magic.
The large yard was still as death. A sudden breeze kicked up a tiny blanket of dust that wafted lazily across the site. Five stallions and one mare that towered over them all stood at the ready, their hard hats abuzz with potential magic.
Spike's forked tongue slithered out of his maw, wetting his lips as the corners crept up into a confident smirk. His eyes scanned his first target, his mind opening up to feel for the ley lines surrounding them. Slowly, the tiny eddies of magic appeared. "Pull!"
With a flare of Heckel's horn, the hard hats flew off there respective owners and soared high into the sky, all veering off in different directions. At speeds that would make the fastest Wonderbolt blush, Spike whipped his head towards the first helmet. His eyes narrowed, tracking his target.
A twitch of his jaw, a sound not unlike somepony hawking a loogie, and a pencil-thin jet of green flame lanced from his mouth, flying at near-supersonic speed before colliding with the helmet. The instant the red plastic touched the flame, it erupted, turning into a puff of smoke that hung in the air for but a moment before swirling in on itself and plunging earthward. Like some kind of hellish snake, it honed in on the mountain of mare beneath it. With a subtle poof and a tiny shower of sparks, a pristine red hard hat dropped neatly into her head.
The process repeated four more times, Spike letting loose jets of emerald flame in random directions, each catching one of the airborne helmets and transporting it back to its owner. Mere seconds after the initial toss, five of the six workers stood with their helmets back in place, whopping in celebration.
Spike eyes the last hard hat and smirked. Raising one claw to his left nostril, he huffed a tiny jet of fire out of his right towards the helmet. It caught, ignited, and rocketed downward. Banger stood grinning, awaiting the gentle impact of his helmet returning.
Clang!
Everypony in the yard let out a collective, "Oooh" as Banger wobbled back and forth. Moondancer raced to his side, a look of concern barely covering her hysterical laughter. "Y—You okay, Bang?"
The earth pony faced her, his eyes rotating in opposite directions. "Mommy, why can't I go to ballet practice? Teacher says I’m a natural!" With that said, he twirled around, performing a perfect pirouette, and fell to the dirt.
Spike walked next to the hysterically laughing Moondancer. "Uh, he going to be okay?"
"Y-yeah, he'll be fine. Heehee, I'll give him some workpony's comp."
Spike joined in the laughter around him, everypony laughing their tails off. Except for Heckel; he still scowled. "Why couldn't it have been me?" he grumbled.
Eventually, the crowd dispersed, the workers returning to their assigned tasks around the yard. Spike turned to Moondancer. "So, anything else I can do?"
"Jeez, Spikey, you just raised half the foundation for this bigwig's new summer home!"
"I know, I know," he snorted, his front claw digging at the loose dirt beneath him, "I just... need to keep moving."
Moondancer raised her eyebrow, taking a slight step back. "You ain't in heat or nothing, is ya?"
"What?! No! I'm just... antsy, I guess." As if to demonstrate, he shifted his weight to one side and back. "Come on, just give me more work, okay?"
Moondancer opened her mouth, but something behind Spike caught her eye, and a slow smile spread across her face. "Actually, why don't you, ah... take an extended lunch."
Raising his eyebrow ridge, he turned. "What do y—" His words faltered, his eyes narrowing as he saw the cart of pastries approaching on squeaky wheels; specifically at the cream-colored, brown maned unicorn pushing it, wearing his trademark stained apron.
A plume of smoke escaped Spike’s nostrils as he turned back around. "You know what? I'll just go back to the castle," he said as he stormed off, purposefully stepping with loud footfalls.
Pony Joe abandoned his cart, chasing after Spike. "Spike, please, wait!"
"I got nothing to say to you, Joe." He jerked to a halt as the burly unicorn jumped in front of him.
"Then don't talk, just listen!"
Spike slitted eyes glared at him. "What are you even doing here, Joe? How did you get in?"
Joe shot a quick glance past him. "Heya, cuz."
"Hey, Joe," Moondancer said with a wave of her hoof, before turning her back. "I gotta go make sure these knuckleheads don't tear the yard down.” She winked at Spike as she turned around. “You two play nice.”
Spike blinked several times in her direction, then turned his scowl back to Joe, who stood with a pleading look.
"Please, Spikey, two minutes, that's all I ask."
Hard, slitted eyes scanned him up and down. Finally, with a sigh, "You've been here for thirty seconds. You got a minute and a half left."
Joe nodded. "Alright. Here's the deal. Business has been booming lately, and I mean really kicking! I'm turning double, triple profits some days!"
"Not exactly winning me over here, Joe."
"Now, now, just hold on a second, alright?! So, I've been thinking of franchising out, maybe opening up a shop back home in Manehatten, ya know?"
Spike drummed his claw on the dirt. "One minute."
"Look, kid, when you came by, there was this investor there. One of them snooty, uptight types, a goon in an overpriced sweater with a matching stick up his rump, you know?"
Despite himself, Spike let out a snort. Joe smiled, but his face soon fell. "Apparently, he, uh... he don't like dragons a whole lot." Spike's scowl returned with a vengeance. "He told me to get rid of you, or he'd take his money elsewhere."
"An you chose a check over an old friend." Spike rolled his eyes, waiting for the excuse.
"Yeah, I—I did."
Spike arched his eyebrow and looked down. Joe visibly deflated, his broad shoulders slumping as he cast his eyes to the ground.
"You’re right, kid. I got blinded by the money. I let bit signs dancing in my eyes make me turn my back on one of the most loyal customers I ever had." He laughed mirthlessly. "Jeez, how many nights did you and Twilight spend in my shop sucking down donut holes and hot chocolate all hours of the night?"
"More than was probably healthy."
"Ha! Don't I know it! I'm mean jeez, kid, I know you was still growing, but how in the Sister's names did Twilight pack all that away?! By all known laws, she should’ve had a flank the size of Jersey!"
Spike couldn't help it. He and Joe both erupted in a fit of laughter at the mental image. When they calmed down, Joe looked up at Spike, his ears splayed against his head.
"Look, Spike. I'm not here to make excuses, cuz there ain't one for the way I treated you. I'm just ho—"
A loud gasp from behind them cut him off. They turned to see a unicorn wearing what looked to be a very expensive polo short with a sweater wrapped around his neck. A look of deep revulsion creased his face as he glared in open contempt at Spike.
"Mr. Cruller!" His voice was deep and nasally, every syllable drenched in superiority. "It's bad enough that you ask me to this—" he looked around and shuddered—" filthy place, but you bring me here when that... that monster is sta—"
"Hey, hey!" Joe leaped in between the haughty unicorn and Spike, stomping his hooves. "He ain't no monster! He's one of the nicest, loyalest customers I ever had, and you can bet your silver spoon-sucking mouth that he means a helluva lot more to me than all of your money!"
The look the unicorn gave Joe could have scalded the cutie mark right off of Princess Celestia. "Mr. Cruller, I will not have the name of Set Investments sullied by an organization that serves... those kinds of creatures."
Joe shot a brief look back at Spike, then faced back at the unicorn, his eyes blazing. "Tell you what, you don't like the way I do business?" He leaned down to reach into his apron, looking back up with a crisp check in his teeth. He held it there for a moment, then in a flash, sucked it into his mouth and chewed several times. The unicorn gasped indignantly right as Joe spit the ruined check at his hooves. "Blow."
Spike wagered he could have fit ten glazed donut holes in the unicorn's gaping jaw. "Wh—"
"Take a walk, ya mooly!" Joe kicked his hooves, launching a small cloud of dirt at the stunned unicorn. "Don't nopony tell Pony Joe Cruller who he can and can't be friends with!"
"Well, I never..." With a final huff, he thrust his nose high in the air and walked away.
"Yeah, I'll bet you never, you stuck-up fleabag." The deed done, Joe turned back to Spike, who watched the scene with wary eyes. "Look, Spike. I'm not asking you to forgive me. What I did—the way I treated you... it was unforgivable. I turned my back on you, when it looks like you needed a friend more than ever."
"No, Joe, it's not that big of a deal, really. You didn't have to do that!"
"Yes, I did," he said, making his way back to his donut cart. "If not for you, for me. If I had taken money from that bozo, I'da never felt right with myself."He leaned down to the cart, opening up the main compartment. "Now, I know this don’t put us back where we were, but—" he pulled out a single donut— "I was hoping maybe we could start over?"
A loud grumble sounded in Spike's gut as he looked down; in Joe's outstretched hoof was a glazed donut, dripping with icing, and dotted with large chunks of rubies and sapphires. With a look of intense focus, Spike reached out as grasped the donut between two claws. Slowly, began to raise it to his face.
Behind him, Jeckel stared through wide eyes, biting his hoof. Even Heckel let a raised eyebrow break his trademark scowl.
As they watched with bated breath, Spike gingerly brought the pastry to his mouth, looking down at Joe with a tiny smile. "Baby steps." With that, he tossed the donut into his mouth. He barely had to chew, the thing was so tiny inside his massive jaw. His eyes rolled back into his head as the sweetness of the icing combined with the tangy spiciness of the ruby and the cool mint of the sapphires, creating a tableau of deliciousness on his tongue.
Whatever Joe was going to say was lost due to his hanging jaw. Before Spike could ask, a mellifluous voice came from behind him
“Well, it appears that Shining Armor’s workouts have paid off.”
For a brief instant, a wide grin threatened to break on Spike's face, but he quickly forced it back, clearing his throat and putting in a mask of professionalism. Turning, Princess Celestia smiled up at him, several ranks of pegasi guards flanking her.
He knelt into a humble bow. "Your highness, such a pleasure to see you again."
"Well met, my little dragon." She inclined her head, then smiled at Joe. "Mr. Cruller, always a pleasure. I take it business is doing well?"
"Oh, yes, your majesty! The Double Diarch Dutch Delight is a massive hit. Thanks again for letting me sell it to the public!"
"It would have been selfish of me to keep such a delicacy to myself. Perfection in that level deserves to be shared."
Joe's cheeks flamed. "Aw, shucks, thank you! Would you like a bear claw? On the house!"
Celestia shook her head. "General Stone Wall has me under the watch of a new personal trainer, her son Snowflake. Even I would fear breaking his diet rules!"
"Princess!" Moondancer trotted up, smiling widely. "So nice to see you again!"
"Ah, yes, um... Moonraker, yes?"
"Moondancer."
Celestia shrunk just a bit under her wilting glare. "Eh-heh, sorry. When you've graduated as many students as I have..."
Moondancer cackled boisterously, slugging the princess on the shoulder. Several of Celestia’s guards gasped, but a withering glare from Spike set them back. "Aw, it's okay, princess! I graduated over ten years ago, right around the time Spiker here left with Twilight."
"Oh, you two know each other?" She turned to Spike with a playful glare.
"Oh, yeah, your highness! Spike here was my little 'plus one' back in the day!" She playfully nudged at Spike, whose cheeks were painfully flared. "He was so cute, being a little hanger-on, always trying to do me favors. I remember one time he—"
"So, Princess!" Had Spike elbowed Moondancer any harder, she would have achieved orbit. "What brings you down here?"
Celestia chuckled warmly. "Well, I was wondering if I could borrow you for a little while, Spike. We haven't spoken one-on-one since you returned to Canterlot. I wanted to catch up a bit. Unless, of course, you still need him, Madam foremare."
"Hay, your highness, if he works for another few hours, I'll be able to take early retirement!"
"Very well, then. Spike, would you mind terribly meeting me on that hilltop?" She pointed to a distant hill, perhaps several miles away. Without another word, she gracefully took to the air and soared off, her entourage in quick pursuit.
Spike waved, but as soon as Celestia was out of sight, he whirled around, showing Moondancer the full weight of draconic fury. "Et tu, Moon?!"
She gave him sultry smile beneath lidded eyes. "You better get flying, lovercolt." With that she turned, flicked her tail against his massive snout, and sashayed off. "Alright, you lazy bums, back to work!"
Spike shook his head, taking several alicorn's names in vain under his breath, then spread his wings, legs bent and primed.
"Wait, Mister Spike!"
He paused mid-leap as Heckel and Jeckel ran up to him. "How are we supposed to get there?"
Spike glanced at the far of hill, then smirked back to his twin guards. "Better get jogging."
His thunderous wing beats almost drowned out a string of profanity from Heckel.
Almost.
* * *
Thanks to his massive wingspan—and Shining Armor's workout regimen, though he would never admit it—the journey to the distant hilltop took only a few minutes. Finding himself almost directly overhead, a strong thermal nudged the bottom of his wings, and Spike decided that Celestia could wait several minutes as he lazily glided in a long arch around the hill.
When he was but a whelp, he feared that he would never fly, that he would be landlocked forever. His infant body showed no signs of wings, and due to the lack of knowledge on dragon physiology, nopony had ever thought it would. Especially after that one fateful birthday, when he had grown to mammoth size and still remained grounded, flight seemed to be a far-off dream.
The day that Twilight had informed him the the growing, itchy lumps on his back were not, in fact, bug bites, but wing sprouts had been one of the happiest days of his life. He and Rainbow Dash spent the rest of the day planning all the awesome tricks she would teach him.
Even now, months after his first spin in the air, the freedom of flight, that invigorating high from soaring above creation, never got old. It was a drug that never lost its bite, all peaks and no valleys. He gently angled to the side, his massive body cutting through the air with ease and widening his lazy glide path. The cool air rushed over his tough scales, tickling him in ways he never thought possible. The feeling of the air currents, the warmth of the sun at altitude, how everything below seemed tiny. He loved it.
Finally, he pointed downward and began the slow spiral to the ground. As he descended, he could see Celestia's eyes upon him, the subtle smirk gracing her lips. His chest puffed out a bit, and he dipped his wings more, intent on getting this right.
The sudden change in angle turned his gentle slope into a tight corkscrew. At dizzying speeds, he cut through the air towards the ground, spinning faster and faster the closer he drew to the earth. The wind pulled at the corners of his mouth, lips trembling from the wind sheer, eyes watering, but he held. In the rapidly approaching hill, his tear-filled eyes barely made out the smile in Celestia's face.
Now less than a few body lengths from the ground, he violently jerked out of the spin, his whole body twirling midair. A few forceful flaps of his leathery wings, and he righted himself just in time to backwing and gently land before her with more grace than seemed possible for his large body. He reared back up, thrust his arms out and smiled. "Ta-da!"
Celestia's eyes roamed his whole body several times. "Meh."
His arms fell. "Meh?"
"Meh."
They held gazes, ones of disbelief and boredom respectively, for several seconds. Celestia was the first to crack, her smile struggling through and showing her true feelings, and she sat back to her haunches and threw her forelegs open.
That was the signal Spike needed. He grinned widely and leapt forward, scooping Her Serene Immortal Highness off the ground and into a fierce bear hug, squeezing her against his broad chest. She reciprocated as best he could, though even her longer alicorn legs didn't come close to surrounding him. Spike could care less; it just felt good to be able to really hug somepony and not have to worry about snapping their spine.
After a few more moments—and more than a few more nuzzles—Celestia pulled back from the crushing embrace, taking a few steps away to look him up and down more clearly. “Look at you, child. Every time I see you you seem to grow more and more.”
“Is that supposed to be a joke?” Spike snorted.
Celestia giggled, like windchimes in a summer’s breeze. “Quite possibly. Oh, Spike, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to see you since you arrived in Canterlot.”
“It’s okay,” he said, waving a claw dismissively. “Twilight told me, Luna’s off trying to stop the latest Griffonian temper tantrum, I get it.”
Her wings drooped slightly. “Well, still, I should be—”
“Mom, seriously, it’s okay.” Celestia blinked several times, stunned, and he shot her a questioning gaze. “What?” he said.
“Oh, just... you haven’t called me that since before you went to live with Twilight. Said it was, ‘too foalish for a noble dragon.’ “
“Well,” Spike shifted his shoulders a bit, suddenly finding a blade of grass beneath his foreclaw utterly fascinating, “it’s uh... been kind of a crazy few months.”
She smiled warmly at him. “Indeed it has. Come, sit with me, my little dragon.” She eased down to the ground, tucking her legs beneath her.
“I’m not little, you know,” Spike said, arching his eyebrow ridge.
Celestia looked up at him as he sat down next to her. “Hmm?”
“That’s the second time you’ve called me that today.” He leaned in, a smug grin on his face as he towered over the solar goddess. “I’m not exactly little anymore.”
She smiled that knowing smile she was famous for, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “Child, you speak to one who bore witness to the dawn of creation. You are very little.” With that, she turned back to observe the view, leaving a very large dragon feeling very small.
Upon recovering his bearings, Spike turned his head to look where she was looking. Before them, an emerald sea of lush grass spread out forever, marred only by the occasional copse of trees. A warm spring breeze carried the sweet scent of the grass.
Celestia broke the silence. “So, did you get that book I left for you?”
“The Complete Works of Robert Trotst? Yeah, thanks!”
“And?”
“Oh, it was great! He’s no Lewis Carriage, but The Death of the Hired Stallion was really powerful. Say what you want about him, but Trotst really knew how to make you feel.” Celestia laughed, and he turned to raise an eyebrow ridge. “What?”
She shook her head. “Oh, nothing.”
“No, seriously, what?”
“Hehehe, I merely wonder what Twilight would think if she learned that the little dragon who used to so bemoan her reading habits was now burning through the collective works of Equestria’s greatest poets at a record pace.”
Spike snorted, the tiny plume of smoke dissipating quickly as he shifted uncomfortably. “Hey, I can’t help it if keen insights into the equine condition and deep interpretations of the Equish language are so cool.” He adjusted his shoulders, looking at her through the corners of his eyes. “Besides, I spent most of my life in a library. I’m gonna pick up a book or two, and Daring Do can only hold a guy’s attention for so long, you know?”
“Hmm, indeed.”
The two sat in companionable silence for several minutes, simply enjoying the sights and smells of the Equestrian countryside. Celestia wore a content smile that spike couldn't help but chuckle at.
She looked up at him. "What is so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing. Just... you have that look. You know, the one get when you wander off on one of your 'I love everything' mind vacations."
Celestia rolled her eyes. "Have I really grown so predictable that my every expression is telegraphing? Besides," she said, ignoring his rumbling chuckle, "pony kind rarely takes the time to enjoy the simplicity of nature anymore." With that, she leaned her head down and took a dainty nibble from the grass beneath them. Chewing thoughtfully, she looked back to Spike, who watched through wide eyes. "What? It's quite sweet this time of year."
Spike shook his head, turning back to the sprawling vista before them. Silence once more took hold, the two enjoying a moment of peace that they hasn't had in a very long time. Slowly, Spike found himself leaning in to Celestia, subconsciously longing for the warmth of her ethereal mane, wishing he could wrap himself in it like he had so many years ago.
Finally, Celestia spoke. "So, Spike... how are you?"
Spike couldn't help but chuckle at her awkwardness; he hadn't seen that side of her in years. "I'm, uh... I'm good. It's a lot to take in, you know? It's gonna take some time, but, I have a lot of that, don't I?"
"And I shall be there for you for every second," she quickly replied, leaning her shoulder into his for a brief nuzzle. "So, beyond your workouts with Shining, and cavorting with old flames," she giggled as Spike stiffened momentarily, "what have you been up to since you've been back?"
"Oh, a little of this, little of that. Anything to keep busy."
"Yes, I noticed. You seem to have found roles where your size is a boon, not a bane."
Spike snorted, rolling his lilac eyes. "Oh, yeah, a lifetime of lifting heavy things and setting things on fire. Totally where I want my life to go."
"Okay, then," Celestia said, her gaze still locked in the picturesque countryside, "where do you want your life to go?"
"Doesn't really matter anymore, does it?" He huffed, his foreclaw digging a small trench in the grass beneath him.
“What one wants out of life is always important, child.”
He gave a nonplussed glance. “Even when the building you want to work in is smaller than your butt?” She laughed, and he couldn’t help but smile, as well. “Anyway, it was... meh, it was just a silly thing, anyway. I’ll be fine.” Spike caught Celestia looking at him, imploring him to continue. She leaned in to say something when he cut her off. "So, yeah, I've been fine. I am fine. But you know Twilight's new job is starting to get on my nerves a little bit."
“Oh?”
"Yeah. I hardly get to see her anymore! She’s been so busy with her class, and some secret project she's working on. Won't tell me what's going on, but apparently it's big. Heh, I haven't seen her this agitated since right before her first publication!"
Celestia smiled. "Has she still been giving you magic lessons?"
Spike sighed. “Yeah.”
"Tell me, what kinds of spells have you been practicing?"
"Well, the book said Drakenwyrms are elemental, so we’ve been covering the basics: fire conjuring, earth bending, wind spells, lighting summoning. For all the good it's doing me," Spike groaned, his tail swatting at the ground.
"Oh, come now, child. I’m sure you’ve been getting better!”
He snorted. “Uh, not really, no.”
“Here, show me.” Celestia stood up, moving several meters away. “Make lightning for me.”
"I don’t think so. I’ve only tried that spell once."
"Please?"
For a moment, Spike was taken aback at how effectively an ageless royal could employ the puppy dog eyes. "Okay, okay, fine." With that, he reared up and sat on his haunches, bringing his left claw to his face.
Much like the show from the street in Canterlot, and like every other time he had tried, a swirling vortex of energy quickly built up. Also like before, once released, the energy quickly evaporated, leaving only the tiniest flicker of electrical current flowing between the thumb and forefinger of a very frustrated dragon. His shoulders slumped, and he looked past the crackling arc on his hand to Celestia. "Woo-hoo."
Celestia seemed to not notice the grumpy look on his face, her eyes glued to his sparking hand. "You can actually summon that much mana?"
"Yup," he said, slumping to his haunches.
"But you can't focus it into any coherent effects?"
"Nope."
"That shouldn't be possible."
"And yet...”
"And you're allowing the mana to build up INSIDE your belly before moving it through your ganglia?"
"Always waiting for the tingle of my Hoofinberg gland before I shunt the thaumatic energy."
Celestia slowly circled him, eyes scanning harshly. "And still nothing..."
He sighed. "Zilch. Twilight has taught me techniques from every book in the library on magical technique, and none of them work!"
"Books written by unicorns," she muttered. "Tell me, Spike, have you started hoarding?"
"NO!" Spikes tail slammed into the ground, causing Celestia to emit a very demure yelp. Spike's eyes went wide. "I mean, no, not since... that day."
"What day?"
Spike shot her a deadpan glare. "The day I turned into a giant monster and nearly leveled Ponyville?"
"Wait... you mean you haven't hoarded anything in almost ten years?!"
"No, and I don't want to."
"Spike, it's not a question of wanting to, it's a fact of your biology! I've never met a dragon who didn't feel that insatiable need, the desire for treasure and trinket. You don't feel at all?"
Spike let out a dry laugh. "Not anymore. I mean I did for a few weeks after. But then after awhile it just... kinda faded."
Celestia's tail froze behind her. "Faded, you say?"
Spike nodded. "I figured it just meant I was growing up more naturally."
She cut herself off, taking a deep cleansing breath before looking back to Spike. "And what about now?"
"Huh?"
"Since you've left Ponyville, have you felt that greed like before?"
"N—no, no no, I haven't."
Celestia's ear flicked. "Spike? Please, be honest with me. I am only trying to help."
His shoulder slumped. "Okay, I haven't felt greed, but... jeez, I don't know. I keep feeling like I—I forgot something. That I left something important behind, but I can't think of what."
"And this has been bothering you immensely, yes?"
"Not at first. First it was just this... this itch. Kind of like when my wings were growing in, an itch I couldn't scratch. In the past week, though..." He fidgeted on the grass.
"It's gotten worse."
"Yeah."
"Like a drive in your mind. The longer you stay, the louder the voice telling you to go back, screaming in your ear to leap to the sky and fly to Ponyville."
Spike stood roughly. "Okay, what do you know?"
"Spike, I—"
"No! Look, princess, I know you. You know a lot more than you're letting on." He took the tiniest step towards her. "In the past three weeks there's been a buzzing in my head like a parasprite trapped in a bottle. I can't sleep, I can't sit still, my own damn body won't listen to me! Last time this happened, I turned into a monster!"
"A monster?! Spike, do you truly believe..." Celestia held his eyes for a few moments, then sank into the grass. "Cadance was right. This is all my fault," she said, though it seemed to spike that she was more talking to herself than him.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I'm a selfish old nag. A fool who tries to manipulate the world without thinking."
"Celestia, that's no—"
"We can't conceive." She held her breath for a moment, allowing Spike to blink several times before she continued. "Luna and I. We can't have foals of our own. Long ago we, heh, we thought it would help keep us focused on all our little ponies."
A warm smile played on her lips, though it seemed hollow and distant. "And it did. We love our subjects more than life itself. But, we are still mares, we have... desires, drives."
"Hey, just so you know, me and Twilight already had this talk."
Celestia giggled, allowing him to lift the mood. "Even so, I always wondered what it would like to be a mother. To have someone depend on you in a more personal manner than my subjects. I briefly considered adoption several centuries ago, but mortal life is so fleeting to ageless beings like my sister and I. And then there’s the nightmare of bloodlines, the fallout from the noble houses. So, I... I thought it would always be a forgotten dream. An unfulfilled wish."
"Then I came along," he said quietly.
She smiled against, this time the warmth showing through. "Yes. Here was an infant, a creature totally helpless and depending on one to provide everything, and he would live for millennia. But more than that, I... I thought of what you could be. What you could mean, to the world, to... to me.” She reached up and ran her hoof along his massive jaw.
"Oh, Spike, don't you see? This would all be crystal clear if you had been raised as a proper dragon, and not a... a—"
"Pony?"
She chuckled quietly, then rose. "Well, it's time I was a bit more giving. Spike, I think I can help you with your magic, but it will require a... change of scenery."
"Okay then," he said, standing and unfurling his wings. "Where are we going?"
"Very far away, too far to fly unless we wanted to spend the night. I shall teleport us there."
"Um, I don't think you can. My little growth spurt has seriously upped my natural resistance to pony magic. Even Twilight hasn't been able to teleport me in years..." She shot him a sly grin. "And you move the sun. Got it."
They both stood atop the hill as Celestia's horn began to glow bright gold.
"W—Wait!"
Turning, they saw Heckel and Jeckel racing towards them. Well, Jeckel was racing towards them. Heckel was more limping awkwardly while gasping for air.
The two finally made it to the top of the hill. "What took you guys so long?"
"Too many jelly donuts, not enough PT," Jeckel said smugly, grinning at his twin brother.
"Sit—oh, hay—sit on it and rotate," he grumbled back.
"So glad you could join us, noble guardsponies," Celestia said through a bemused grin, "though we are about to be off. We should be back bef—"
"No!" Jeckel said with an indignant stomp of his hoof, his eyes hard, until he remembered where he was. "Eh-heh, w-w-what I meant to say is, please wait a moment, your highness."
"Yes?" Celestia's face was the picture of divine serenity.
Jeckel's face was the picture of professionalism. "Your majesty, my brother and I have been tasked by General Armor himself to stay by Mister Spike's side and to protect him from danger. I'm afraid I must insist, albeit humbly, that we are allowed to accompany you."
Spike was a bit shocked; this was the first time the blissfully oblivious guard didn't have the dopey, I'm-so-happy-I-must-be-unstable grin in his face.
Celestia's smile brightened a bit. "How professional you are. However, I assure you that between myself and Spike, we can handle ourselves."
"And I don't doubt that for a moment, highness." He took a reverent step forward. "Still, it's our duty to ensure his safety," he said with a nod to the ever more perplexed Spike, "so I must again insist."
Celestia's eyes darted between them, her face scrunched in expression that Spike couldn't recognize—apprehension? Concern, maybe? Or, he mused idly, it could just be general annoyance.
Finally, she sighed, the beatific smile returning. "Right you are, noble guardspony, I would never dream of withholding you from your appointed duties." She had to suppress a giggle at his blush and beaming grin. "Very well. Step closer, and we will be off."
Jeckel all but squee'd, bouncing forward to stand between Heckel and Spike.
Sparkling gold light shone from Celestia’s horn, but before she released it, she turned to Jeckel. "Out of curiosity, Private Jeckel, what did you have for breakfast this morning?"
"Oh, a plate of pancakes with lots of syrup, a bowl of mushed oats drizzled with gravy, a big plate of greasy hay cakes and some chocolate milk. Why?"
Spike and Heckel both groaned, each taking a step away from the grinning earth pony.
"Oh, no reason," Celestia said with a knowing smirk before unleashing the spell with a blinding flash, leaving the serene hilltop once more empty.
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Heh.... Looks like either the teleportation itself or the place they're headed is going to upset his stomach
My interest is piqued. I always enjoyed stories with "Spike can haz magic" and I'm really looking forward to seeing what Celestia is going to show him.
Celestia you troll. Alot of comedy and heartwarming moments.
MORE
Celestia and Spike OFF TO ADVENTURE!
Trow up scene comming
You are hilarious.
I'm guessing the green dragon in the Everfree Forest?
2329464 Thank you! Yes, I truly think Spike, while not the best character on the SHOW, is the one with the most dramatic potential. I love writing about him, and I think you'll like his magics next time...
2329506- About time we had some laughs, what with all the emoness, right?!
2329624 FRIDAY
2329648
Spike, grab my tail!
2329772
Thank you for the kind words!
2330925 You'll just have to tune in next time to find out.....
2331357
YES YOU TOOK THE BAIT!
That line...
Excellent chapter, Jake. Looking forward to more!
Excellent as always. Damn, five tracked stories updating at the same time with 10 thousand plus words each. No wonder I am not getting any writing done.
Can't wait for part two. I have a pretty good idea who is going to be Spike's tutor.
Now why does she want a terrible meeting?
I really cant wait to find out what Twilight's plan is ...
)
Pony to Dragon transformation spell maby? ...
(i am just saying that because Twily is a couple years late for her alicornicationization to be the obvious solution
An interesting idea about how Celestia views Spike.
Some minor fixes: you have non-capitalized "spike" in a couple of places. Also:
to ageless beings like my sister and I
It should be "my sister and me" (see here).
Bringing in "Razorfang" are we? :P
Spelling mistakes! I belive the first one should be "they" and the second one "her". Am I correct?
That was hilarious Jake!
Anyhow great chapter Jake now I shall storm the next one!
CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGE
2343944
Gah! Fixed!
Thank you so much for the kind words!
GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHAP !!!!!!!!
And this is why you are a legend my friend, seriously I very, very, VERY much wish I could learn to write like you, not for the fame but for the knowledge that I could extend my abilty to write, it would be such an honor to learn under you. I seriously love it when spike is the son to Celestia, no other headcanon is more firm in my eyes, period
Damn, I always had respect for Moondance, but I don't think I ever saw her before, she is awesome. You did such an amaizng job with this chapter, it makes me wonder what Spike needs to go to Ponyville for....will Peewee be in this by any chance?
Why do I sense the references to Celestia as a manipulative chess master in this and the previous chapter are inspired by "The Immortal Game", where she is almost heartless in that regard?
2329464 In "Under a Luminous Sky" it is established that non-unicorns don't handle teleportation very well and often end vomiting. Actually, that turns out to be a major plot point that is a key to solving the mystery.
Moondancer as one of Spike's crushes? I'm guessing this comes from the present he had for her back in the first episode combined with his apparent attraction towards unicorns? Fun idea, and it makes me wonder about how his upbringing might have led to this tendency of his.
Ahh, nice to see the rapprochement with Joe.
Hmn, I'm starting to wonder if this griffon issue that has been mentioned several times now is going to play into the story.
Making a guess, Spike's instincts eventually came to see Ponyville itself as his hoard, and his current antsyness comes from being separated from it.
So, Celestia raised Spike as a way of indulging her long suppressed motherly instincts? That's an interesting twist on the fanon of her raising him for the first part of his life.