Spike meets a filly named Pirouette who transforms into a swan during the day. Can he break her curse before the one who cursed her finds her?
A "The Swan Princess" crossover/parody. (I'm not sure which.)
As his friends prepare to go to Manehatten for a ballet, Spike comes across a frail swan in the Everfree Forest. Determined to help, he takes care of the swan while his friends are away.
The night after his friends depart, however, the swan makes its way to a pond and transforms into a filly when touched by moonlight.
Now, Spike must discover how to break Pirouette's curse before the wicked mare who cursed her finds her. While at the same time, developing feelings for her?
Title card created with Pony Creater by generalzoi and Medibang Paint Pro.
All OCs belong to me. The rest belong to Lauren Faust and Hasbro.
Spike the Dragon yawned as he opened the cardboard box with his claw. His friend and caretaker, Princess Twilight Sparkle, had ordered some new books and the first batch arrived that morning. Among his many duties, stocking shelves was the most boring in Spike's mind. Still, it wasn't as tedious as writing and checking-off Twilight's checklists multiple times. At least once it was done, there was no need to re-organize for a while.
As he opened the box, Spike grabbed a stack and began to shelve. They were advanced spell books Princess Celestia lent to Twilight and copies of books that were destroyed when the Golden Oaks Library blew up during Tirek's attack on Equestria. The spell books had to be placed on the side so no pony could accidentally learn a devastating spell.
After unloading another three boxes, Spike opened the fifth and final box. When he opened the box, he noticed a tome that was not a part of the list Twilight had him make. Picking it up, Spike discovered it was a red book with gold trimmings, a silhouette of a ballet dancing pony on the cover. He read the gold lettering on the cover aloud.
"The Beginner's Guide to Ballet? Why would Twilight want this? She can't dance."
"Oh! That ballet book I ordered came in." Exclaimed a familiar voice.
The sudden sound caused Spike to jump, the book flying out of his claws. While Spike landed on his tail, a magenta light caught the book before it could touch the ground. The glow belonged to the magic of Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. The lavender alicorn used her magic to bring the book over to her and began reading.
Curious, Spike spoke as he got up and brushed himself off.
"When did you order that book? I didn't see it on the list."
Hearing Spike, Twilight placed the book down and pulled something out of her saddlebag. A scrolled-up piece of paper. Twilight unfurled the paper and showed Spike the image of a crimson-maned black unicorn with golden eyes dancing on her tippy-hooves.
"I ordered the book last minute for this. Rarity had managed to score some tickets to see the famous ballet dancer, Requiem, in Manehattan and I need to learn about ballet before we go, tomorrow."
Spike smacked his head with his hand. A week ago, Rarity was in her Manehattan boutique when she was approached by the Manehatten Ballet Company's costumers. They've seen her work and need her help in creating costumes for their next show: Swan Lake. According to Twilight who heard it from Rarity, the MBC hadn't performed Swan Lake ever since their best ballerina passed away and they kept away from it out of respect for her. So now they need new costumes for the dancers.
Needless to say that once Rarity returned with the good news, everypony was excited. The excitement was still present as Twilight handed Spike the poster, exchanging it for the book.
"According to Rarity, Requiem is one of the best ballet dancers in all of Equestria. All of her shows end up running out of tickets on the first day! So when they gave Rarity tickets for the six of us, she hurried to our places faster than the combined speeds of Pinkie Pie on a sugar-high and Rainbow Dash's fastest speed."
He placed the poster on the table as he picked up another book from the boxes. He hadn't gotten a ticket like the Grand Galloping Gala during his first year in Ponyville. However, there was an extra sting. And that sting being his crush on Rarity. Why hadn't he gotten a ticket? Sure, he wasn't exactly into ballet. But he could still help Rarity and the girls with their stuff. Maybe try to sneak in a dinner for two at one of Manehattan's 3-horseshoe restaurants for him and Rarity.
Still, this wouldn't be the first time his friends went somewhere without him.
"Shame I can't go with you."
Hearing this, Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"Why would you want to go, Spike? I mean, I know you love Bridleway performances, but I don't recall you being interested in ballet."
Hearing the suspicion in Twilight's voice, Spike realized he had to choose his words carefully. Sure, Twilight knew he had a crush on Rarity. But he didn't want to let in on the plans he had in mind. And who knows? Maybe ballet wasn't as interesting as Twilight was making it out.
"I was just curious. I mean, I'm a male, right? Males don't do ballets."
Twilight rolled her eyes as she pulled out a book of ballet shows.
"There are male ballerinas in these ballets, Spike. Take 'The Nutcracker,' for instance. I know you at least liked that Hearth's Warming play. 'Swan Lake' has them, too. The plays were even written by the same playwright: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikowsky."
It was then that Twilight paused for a moment when a question came to her mind.
"Now that I think about it, what exactly is the ratio of male and female audiences that enjoy ballet? And do the males who have interests come from noble houses? Or do all classes of males come to watch?"
As Twilight began to ramble about the male presence in ballet, Spike knew he had an opportunity to leave. Sometimes, it pays to have caretaker who gets easily distracted by statistics. Leaving a quick note, Spike carefully tip-toed out of the library and out of the castle. Breathing a sigh of relief, Spike stretched his arms upwards as he made his way into Ponyville. Now that he had the apparent "day off," he wondered what he was going to do now. Of course, Rarity would be busy with designing costumes to present to the costumers in Manehattan. He would go help her, but something was telling him "not today."
That left him with Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. Perhaps during the Mane 6's time in Manehattan, he could set up an Ogres & Oubliettes game with Big Mac and Discord. Pinkie could provide the snacks before she could leave. Definitely make a list to give to Pinkie the next day. Rainbow Dash was no doubt flying somewhere or doing something in the Wonderbolts. And Applejack was adamant to keep Spike from helping on Sweet Apple Acres until his own skills improved. That left Fluttershy. And knowing the shy Pegasus, she didn't want to be a bother to anypony. Still, he could still check on her.
As he made his way to Fluttershy's cottage, his mind drifted to the location of the cottage. Outside the boundaries of Ponyville and on the edge of the frightful Everfree Forest. As he got close to the cottage, his thoughts on the mare in question popped up in his mind, silently conversing with himself.
"For a pony who was so timid that she was afraid of her own shadow, Fluttershy is pretty brave to live so close to the Everfree Forest. Then again, when I first met her, she was quite the social outcast. Not as bad as Twilight was, but still…"
His thoughts broke as his eyes saw something fall from the sky. Curious, Spike tilted his head upward and found the most peculiar sight. A large white bird descended from high in the sky. Due to the distance, he could not identify what kind of bird it was. However, he could see that it was descending far too fast to be landing. His eyes widened as he realized what was wrong.
"That bird is falling!"
Normally, Spike wouldn't notice. But for some strange reason, his memory seemed to have stimulated his curiosity. Seeing where the bird was falling, Spike gulped as he ran into the Everfree Forest.
Spike kept his eyes forward, continued to run to were the bird fell. He needed to focus on the bird rather than the possible dangers in the forest. All he needed to do was find the bird and get the heck out of there. Thankfully, he didn't need to go farther in. Within what he'd called the 'Not-So Dangerous' ring of the forest was the bird. And not just any bird, but a beautiful white swan.
Swans were among the rarest of birds one could find in Equestria. They often congregated around particular lakes and gardens, like the Royal Gardens of Canterlot. No pony knew why swans were so few. Some speculated that swans kept their distance from ponies because a male swan thought Princess Celestia was a swan with her pristine white wings and tried to court her. Of course, that was just a rumor. But that still left the question as to why this particular swan had collapsed in the Everfree Forest of all places.
The swan had landed on some bushes, though it was clear that it had struck the branches of the trees given how white feathers speckled the trees, giving it the illusion of snow falling. Spike's heart jumped as the swan tried to wake up only for its head to fall back onto the bush. Spike gazed sadly at the fallen swan.
"Poor thing. You don't look too good."
He bit his tongue as he took a closer look at the swan. Despite the fluffy down, the white bird looked pretty thin, as if it hadn't eaten in days.
As Spike began to think about getting his friends, a pungent odor caught his snout. An odor he was familiar with.
"Timberwolves." He whispered as his green eyes darted all over the forest, trying to find any signs of the creatures.
The dragon thought about running, but the sight of the helpless swan made him stop and think. If he left, there was a good chance a pack of the foliage-made canines would kill the swan before he could come back with help. And like with his phoenix, Peewee, Spike's conscience refused to let him run without providing some aid.
Carefully, Spike pulled the swan off the foliage and, after securing it over his shoulders and making sure there was no way he could step on the swan's long neck, made a mad dash out of the forest. Timberwolves rarely ever come into town, unless you count that one incident at Sweet Apple Acres. But Spike wasn't focusing on that. Instead, he shifted his focus to getting this swan to the nearest animal caretaker from where he was: Fluttershy.
Spike kept running until he was out of the Everfree Forest and on the trail to Fluttershy's cottage. Luck seemed to be on his side as he caught sight of the butter-colored Pegasus feeding her animals with tender love and care. The same TLC the swan on his back needed.
"Fluttershy! Fluttershy!"
The aforementioned mare jumped a little upon hearing her name called. She wasn't expecting any company, so she let her mind take in the serenity of her surroundings. When she turned to the source of the voice, the Element of Kindness' eyes widened upon seeing a tiny purple dragon carry a white frail-looking swan on his back.
"Spike?! Goodness! What happened?" Fluttershy asked as she set her empty basket aside, keeping her eyes on the unusual pair.
As soon as he got close enough to Fluttershy, Spike took a few breaths before he answered the mare's question.
"I was on…my way…here…when…I saw…this…swan…fall…into the…Everfree Forest…"
Fluttershy let out a gasp as she rushed to take the swan from the dragon.
"Oh my!"
Her hooves felt how thin the swan was and became even more concerned. She looked to Spike as she started to flutter to her cottage with the swan still in her hooves.
"Spike. I need you to get a loaf of bread, a small spoon, and a bowl of slightly tepid water. T-that is…if you don't mind."
Spike didn't mind. He headed into the kitchen after helping Fluttershy into her cottage. It didn't take long to find the bread, but he had to bring the bread to Fluttershy before he got the water.
Fluttershy had set the swan in an emergency nest she kept in her closet. The Pegasus started to take on Pinkie Pie's habit in placing things in emergency places, though hers were more animal-oriented. As Spike placed the bowl next to her, Fluttershy began to break the bread into small crumbs before tossing said crumbs into the bowl.
"Now, you hold her head while I spoon-feed her."
As Spike did as he was instructed, he waited for Fluttershy to get the first spoonful down the swan's throat before he asked a question.
"How do you know this swan's a girl?"
Keeping a steady pace, Fluttershy answered as she motioned the swan's bill.
"Female swans have smaller knobs on their bills than male swans. Of course, that is for Mute Swans. I can't tell what kind of swan she is."
As Fluttershy kept feeding the swan, Spike looked at the head of the swan and noticed a distinguishing mark. From the bill to just past between her eyes, the swan had what looked like golden feathers. Was it part of the swan's breed? Or was it something else entirely? Whatever the reason, the feathers glistened like gold in the light.
As soon as she figured it was enough, Fluttershy placed the bowl aside, letting Spike know that she was done.
"That should do it. Though I can't imagine how the poor thing got like this."
Spike placed the swan's head on a pillow he was using for his knees and allowed the bird to rest. But even though he got the swan to safety, Spike couldn't help but wonder if she was going to be ok.
"Any idea how long she'll be here?" he asked Fluttershy.
The Element of Kindness frowned as she thought up an estimate.
"Well if she's good, than she'll be ready to fly off in about 2 to 3 weeks."
Opening a drawer that held her schedule, Fluttershy was going over what her animals needed in order to fit the swan in when she notices a particular date.
"Oh dear!"
Hearing this, Spike struggled to see the schedule.
"What? What is it?"
Fluttershy reached into the drawer and pulled out a ticket. A ticket to an event Spike had only heard about an hour ago.
"I forgot! The day after tomorrow, I have to go to Manehattan with the girls for the ballet. Rarity wants us there a week before the play so we can work on the costumes and take in the sights."
Her ears drooped as she gazed at the ticket with disappointment.
"I haven't found anypony who could take care of the animals while I'm gone. And with the swan, I'm afraid I can't go anywhere until she is well enough to eat on her own."
Spike hated seeing his friends disappointed. While it would be easy to just take the ticket for himself, he could see that Fluttershy wanted to go. Perhaps to see if there were really swans in Swan Lake? He turned his gaze to the sleeping swan. He really wanted to make sure such a beautiful bird was taken care of.
It was then that he got an idea.
"What if me and Angel take care of your animals while you're away? Angel knows how to handle the other animals, so aside from feeding and other maintenance, I can take care of the swan until you get back!"
Fluttershy looked to Spike in surprise. With the animal sanctuary up and running, she didn't have to worry about over-crowding. But still, could the diminutive dragon handle such tasks for a week? Sure, he handled their pets well. But could he take care of an ailing swan without supervision?
"Oh…I don't know. This will be a big responsibility. You'll have to be around her all the time. From feeding to cleaning, you have to make sure she remains comfortable until she feels better."
Hearing this, Spike started to have second thoughts. He had not told his friends that when he pet-sat for them, they ended up having him chase them all the way to the Crystal Empire. But as he looked at the swan again, he felt something tug him towards her. Something that's telling him he needed to be there.
"I think I can do it. Besides, I want to make sure she's ok."
Fluttershy could see the commitment in his eyes. Whatever the swan did, it was clear the dragon was going to keep checking on her until she gets better. Seeing this, Fluttershy smiled and hugged the baby dragon.
"Oh, thank you, Spike. And don't worry. I'll teach you how to take care of her until the train arrives."
Little did both pony and dragon knew that the little dragon's actions were going to make a very big impact on their lives.
An action that involves the mystery of the sleeping swan.
After Spike left for home, Fluttershy took to watching over the swan as she continued her chores. After she fed her animals, she checked on the swan. After she cleaned the cottage, she checked on the swan. After she got back from her Spa Day with Rarity, she checked on the swan. And still, the swan slumbered. As night fell, Fluttershy checked the swan one last time. This time, the swan started to stir.
Fluttershy let out a quiet gasp as she quickly gathered fresh water and the bread that Spike brought before she approached the swan. As the swan's eyelids lifted, the revealed teal-blue eyes adjusting to the sight before her. The swan's vision was blurred for a bit, seeing mainly colors and faint shapes. One of those colors, a buttery yellow mixed with a mix of rosy pink and faint cyan where she figured the face was.
The Swan's vision cleared as the visage of a Pegasus mare knelt down before her with bread and water. Startled, the swan lifted her head to pull back. Or at least tried. Unfortunately, she was too weak to lift her head more than six inches. Seeing the startled swan, Fluttershy spoke softly to try and calm her down.
"It's ok. It's ok. I'm here to help you."
The swan seemed surprised at the gentleness of the mare's voice as if it was a foreign tone to her.
To prove herself, Fluttershy prepared the bread crumbs and held out a hoofull of crumbs.
"Here. Eat up." The Pegasus coaxed the swan a bit before the waterfowl took a bit of crumbs.
This was followed by happy eating as the swan kept eating the crumbs. Relieved, Fluttershy broke off slightly larger bits of bread and continued to feed her patient.
"That's it. Eat as much as you want."
The swan happily obliged. After being without food for so long, she was going to take the chance and have her fill.
As the swan ate, Fluttershy spoke as she broke more bread.
"My friend saw you falling into the forest near here. He found you and brought you here. He'll be taking care of you, too."
Even as she ate, the swan was curious. Who was her savior? And why did he go out of the way to help her? Many questions filled her mind as her stomach filled with much-needed nourishment. Once she was done, the swan set her head down as Fluttershy helped her drink some water.
"Drink up." She softly ordered.
The swan obeyed without resistance until her thirst was quenched as well. The swan sighed in content as she laid down to rest again.
When Fluttershy returned, she sighed at the sight.
"Looks like she needs more time to restore her energy."
She felt a tug on her mane, causing her to look down at an irritated (and "slightly" spoiled) rabbit.
"Now, Angel. I know she is in your favorite spot, but she needs it for tonight. The poor thing must have flown a long way for her to be exhausted like that."
Angel remained unconvinced. Still, it was just for one night. Begrudgingly, he made his way to his rabbit hutch while Fluttershy walked up her stairway. Before entering her bedroom, she looked down at the sleeping swan with a sweet smile.
"Have sweet dreams, Miss Swan."
The next morning, Spike and his friends were at the train station waiting for the train that was going to take the mares to Manehattan. All of the ponies had their luggage, packed with a week's worth of necessities they would need. Well, in Rarity's case, the necessities and then some. And of course, Twilight was finishing up with the latest checklist she made for Spike to do while she was gone.
"…and at 3 PM, the train will be back, so be sure to have everything done before then." Twilight finished as she rolled up the ten-foot scroll.
Spike rolled his eyes as she gave it to him.
"I got it, Twilight. It's not like the first time I've been left in charge of the castle."
Seeing the thickness of the checklist, Twilight blushed and grinned in embarrassment.
"I guess I don't really need to give you a checklist, do I? Still, don't want to waste a perfectly good checklist."
Without missing a beat, she shoved the checklist into Spike's claws, causing him to roll his eyes again. Still, Twilight remained uneasy.
"Are you sure you'll be ok, Spike? I mean, we've never been gone this long before."
Spike grinned as he patted Twilight's shoulder.
"Don't you worry, Twilight. The castle is in good claws."
Twilight was still unsure, however. But still, Spike wasn't exactly a helpless baby dragon anymore.
"I guess sooner or later, he'll want to do things like this on his own."
She then felt a hoof on her opposite shoulder. She looked and saw the hoof belonged to Applejack, complete with a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Twi. Big Mac will check on 'im every now and again."
Still, it felt harder than ever to leave him alone for so long. True, she had left him alone before. But those times were only for a couple of days at most. And when shehadto go somewhere longer than a couple of days, she would always bring him along. She had thought about asking the Apples to look after Spike, but Applejack informed her that Big Mac was planning on visiting his Special Somepony, Sugar Belle, and Granny Smith would be too busy watching Apple Bloom. In fact, they had to call on some relatives to look after Sweet Apple Acres.
Of course, Spike was still prohibited from using the Apples' kitchen again.
The sound of a train whistle brought Twilight out of her thoughts as the conductor called out "All aboard!"
Hearing the conductor, the six ponies gathered around Spike to give their good-byes.
"Take care, Spike. And if ya'll need anything, just head on over to Sweet Apple Acres." Spoke Applejack, her drawl in a caring tone.
"We'll be sure to bring back plenty of souvenirs. Though I still wish we were going to a Wonderbolts show." Rainbow Dash muttered, not exactly interested in the art of ballet.
"I'll be sure to throw a big 'Welcome Back to Ponyville' party when we get back." Pinkie Pie joyously announced.
Spike couldn't help but snicker at the fact that Pinkie could use just about any occasion to throw a party.
He was caught off guard when he felt a familiar unicorn's cheek nuzzle affectionately against his head.
"I do wish I was able to bring an extra ticket, Spikey-Wikey. I hate having to leave you out on this."
Spike, his cheeks a light lavender, brushed it off.
"Ah, don't worry about it, Rarity. There's always next time."
As soon as Rarity began to bring her luggage on board, Fluttershy approached him with a notebook.
"I've written what foods every critter likes in this as well as times to feed them. Your swan friend's diet is in here, too."
Upon being reminded of the swan, Spike looked to the notebook and back to Fluttershy with concern.
"Did she wake up at all?"
Seeing his concern, Fluttershy placed a reassuring hoof on his shoulder before smiling at him.
"She woke up twice, now. Once when you left and this morning. I told her you would be coming over to check on her. Oh! And I have also mentioned that you are a dragon so she doesn't get scared. If that's ok with you, that is."
Spike breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
"I don't mind, Fluttershy. In fact, I think you did me a favor."
Once Fluttershy boarded the train, Twilight gave Spike one last hug.
"If anything goes wrong, don't hesitate to contact us. You know how to reach us at our hotel, right?"
Spike rolled his eyes, though he smiled this time.
"Just sprinkle some of that magic powder onto the scroll and toss it into the fireplace. Got it!"
Reluctantly, Twilight released her assistant and boarded the train. As the train began to roll away, the six ponies stuck their heads out the window and waved their goodbyes. Spike waved back.
"I'll see you guys in a week!"
As soon as the train, Spike went through the chore list Twilight gave him. But his thoughts were focused on the swan that was resting at Fluttershy's cottage. He opened Fluttershy's notebook and found the time for the swan's feeding.
"Ok. So she gets bread, corn, and shredded greens at noon."
He then looked at a nearby clock.
"It is...10:43 right now. I guess I'll do some chores quick, then head to the cottage."
But as he began to walk to the castle, his thoughts plagued him again.
"Maybe I should check on her. Just in case."
With that, Spike left the station and made his way to Fluttershy's cottage.
Fluttershy's Cottage
The swan sighed as she watched the rabbit tried to get her to move from the sofa. After the mare left, the rabbit became insistent that she'd move from the couch. She had watched the breakfast scene as soon as she woke up and couldn't believe how spoiled this rabbit was. Even striking his owner just so he could have a dish fit for rabbit royalty. She did not like the rabbit's behavior, but she conceded. Not because of the rabbit, but because she wanted to go outside.
She was still weak, but she was strong enough to hop off the couch and make her way to the door. Angel raised an eyebrow as he saw the white bird make her way to the door. He became confused as she tried to turn the knob with a feathered wing and struggling. Did she want to go out? That was a big "no" to him. He had let Fluttershy know that he was going to help watch the swan while she was gone and she wasn't allowed to go flying for a while.
But before Angel could do anything to stop her, the door opened, causing both the swan and the rabbit to jump back. The swan fell backward as a small purple and green dragon entered the cottage in both surprise and anxiety.
When Spike opened the cottage's door, he had not expected to be greeted by the sight of a flailing swan falling backward from him. The sight caused him to jump and give a slight yelp as the swan struggled to fly around the cottage, looking for a way to escape.
"I must have scared her," Spike muttered to himself as he closed the cottage door.
He raised his claws up as he called up to the swan as she was trying to find an opened window.
"Wait! Stop! It's ok! I'm a friend!"
His cries fell on deaf ears as the swan kept flying into things looking for an escape. Spike's worry grew not because of the number of things being broken in Fluttershy's cottage, but the growing chance of even greater injury to the swan.
"I have to do something to calm her down! But what?"
Spike looked to Angel for an idea, but the rabbit was struggling to stop the swan and yelling at her with his lagomorph speech. This left the dragon with little to no idea on what to do. He thought hard about how to calm a scared swan but nothing came up.
"Ugh! Is this what Twilight had to go through when she first took care of me!?"
Biting his lip upon seeing the swan falling to the ground and moving back towards a corner, Spike figured it was time to try again. Mouthing to Angel to find up some bread, Spike knelt down before the frightened swan, keeping a friendly look on his face after the rabbit left.
"It's ok. I want to help you."
The swan kept at the corner, still scared. Spike stayed where he was, holding his claw out when Angel returned with some bread. He broke off some pieces and slowly held them out to the swan, who was hesitant to go near him. Seeing he wasn't going to get anywhere with the bread in his claws, he placed the crumbs on the ground a bit before her before breaking off a sizeable piece and popped it into his mouth.
"Don't worry. I don't eat meat."
This confused the swan. In all her life any creature who had sharp teeth had a penchant for meat. Her confusion furthered when the dragon ate another piece of bread without looking like he was going to be sick. In fact, the rabbit didn't look afraid of the dragon one bit. Her stomach telling her to eat, the swan proceeded to eat the crumbs while keeping an eye on the dragon. It was then that she got a better look at him.
Instead of a giant, frightening dragon like what she had heard of, this dragon was not only her size, but looked rather…cute? In fact, she began to wonder why she was so scared of him in the first place. She ate more crumbs as the dragon spoke up, noticing how comfortable she was getting.
"There we go. See? I'm not so scary."
The swan let out a soft smile as the dragon continued.
"My name's Spike. I'm the one who saw you fall into the Everfree Forest."
The swan lifted her head up in curiosity.Thiswas the one who saved her? But…why?
As Spike continued to feed her, he decided to break apart the bread in his claws and give them all to the swan. The swan held no qualms about eating the bread. She was pretty hungry after all. She did, however, give him a grateful smile before she ate.
Seeing the swan eat well, Spike leaned back next to the couch and closed his eyes. A light snore caught the swan's attention to the sleeping dragon before her. With a light smile, she moved to his side and nestled next to him, joining him in a nap.
Especially since she had plans tonight.
Later that night…
Spike woke up from his nap and, much to his surprise, it was night. Or at least the beginning of the night as the moon hadn't risen yet. A chill made him turn his head to the door.
It was opened!
Rubbing his head, Spike wondered if he had left the door open when he arrived as he approached to close the door. But as he reached for the doorknob, he saw a white blot on the pond. He squinted his eyes and saw that it was the swan, looking quite content.
Spike watched as the swan swam, looking quite happy. He was relieved to see that after the events of today, things were looking up. But as he turned back to make himself dinner, he heard something. Somepony…a filly…singing. Curious, he looked back outside to find the source of the voice. But he saw no pony around. Just him, Fluttershy's animals, and the swan. He watched closely as his ears picked up a song coming from the water.
Spike rubbed his ears, trying to make sure he wasn't hearing things. The sound he was hearing came from one place that was clearly unorthodox. Keeping his eyes on the swan, his eyes widened as the swan's mouth moved and a filly's voice came out in a beautiful song.
After the rain goes,
There are rainbows
I'll find my rainbow
Soon~~~
Quietly, Spike left the cottage and carefully made his way to the water's edge so as to not disturb the swan. He settled on a patch of grass as he listened and watched the strange moonlit concert.
Soon, it won't be just pretend
Soon, a happy ending.
The swan, clearly engrossed in her song, failed to notice her audience had a dragon in it. She opened her eyes to keep track of the approaching reflection of the moon as she continued. Spike was completely mesmerized at the creature's talent and how beautiful it was.
Love, can you hear me
If you're near me?
Sing your song
Sure and strong
And soon~~~~~
As she hit the final note, the moon's reflection moved so that the light was touching the swan like a celestial spotlight. Beneath the swan, a golden glow appeared as water began to rise and circle the swan. Spike stood up, ready to help the swan as the water spiraled around her until it encompassed her and dispersed before he could lift a foot. When the glow faded, Spike's eyes widened with shock and surprise.
Before him where the swan once stood was a unicorn filly about his age. Her coat was a pristine white and her mane was cut short and was of a golden color. Her tail was of average length with a wave to it and was golden, but had the addition of cyan highlights. There was no Cutie Mark to identify her talent. Her cyan eyes fluttered open with content, only to shrink with shock at the sight of Spike.
Spike was beyond stunned. Before him, the swan he had saved the other day turned into a filly. And one his age, from the looks of it. He had heard of unicorns using transformation spells, but this was clearly something he was unfamiliar with. He took in the sight of her from hoof to horn, only to snap out of his stupor at the sight of fear in her eyes with a hint of Fight-or-Flight. More on the latter than the former.
Carefully, he waved his fingers as he spoke.
"Uh…hi?"
Still, the filly remained frozen. Biting his lip again, Spike tried talking again.
"Uh…if that's a secret, I won't tell."
Hearing what he said, Spike wanted to smack his head in frustration, but opted to close his eyes in embarrassment, instead.
"Ok! That sounded very stupid! Think, Spike, think! There's got to be a way to salvage this."
"…um…"
The sound of the swan's voice caught Spike's attention. It was soft, but he could tell it was coming from the filly before him. Opening his eyes, he saw that the filly was looking off to the side, twirling her right hoof so that it made circular ripples in the water.
"…th-thank you…Spike…"
Spike let out a relieved sigh as he smiled at the filly.
"Hey, I'm just glad I could help."
He then held out a claw to her, causing her to look at it in confusion.
"Come one. I'll cook you a proper meal other than bread crumbs. That is…uh…if you want me to."
The filly looked at Spike in surprise. She was certain he was going to dislike her for her transformation, but to be fine with it and offering to keep it a secret and cook her a meal, the filly could not help but find this…foreign.
"Y…you don't find me… I mean...You don't hate me?"
Now it was Spike's turn to be confused again.
"Hate you? For what?"
The filly gulped as she struggled with her words again.
"F…for…what I…I can…"
Seeing that the filly was having a hard time getting the words out, Spike decided to intervene.
"Look. I don't hate you. Not at all. But how about we talk about it inside over a nice bowl of soup? I don't know about me, but I'm sure you're pretty hungry."
A low growl coming from the filly's stomach cause said filly to blush in embarrassment and Spike to chuckle. She chuckled nervously, but Spike's chuckling made hers transform into delight.
"He-he…I-I guess I am."
With a small smile, the filly walked out of the pond and approached Spike as he led her to the cottage. He stopped before he turned to the filly.
"Oh! Um… What's your name? I mean, I can't call you 'Miss Swan' anymore, right?"
While she had some reluctance, the memories of the dragon's kindness made the filly decide that it was probably alright to tell him her name. After all, what were the chances he knewher?
Spike was quick in preparing a simple meal for himself and the semi-cautious unicorn that is Pirouette. After scouring Fluttershy’s cupboards, the dragon settled for tomato-and-basil soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.
“Better give her something close to a light meal. Who knows what she’s used to eating besides bread-crumbs.”
As Spike made the soup, Pirouette watched with intrigue. She watched as Spike opened cans of a red liquid substance into a saucepan before using some sort of water pump to fill one of the cans with clean water before dumping it into the saucepan. He placed the saucepan on a device the size of a pair of rain barrels and saw a tiny flame spark beneath the saucepan when he turned a knob.
As he stirred the liquid every now and then, he took four slices of bread and spread a hard creamy-looking substance on both sides before placing yellow squares in between two slices. Once the two strange foods were made, he got out a flat pan and started the fire-making device again. She heard the food sizzle as the dragon got out a green spice she was familiar with and sprinkled some into the liquid, stirring it in as he did. He then flipped the bread concoction, revealing a golden underside. The smell of the items was tantalizing to the filly.
Seeing that the soup and sandwiches were nearly done, Spike pulled out a pair of bowls and two small plates from Fluttershy’s cupboard and began filling the bowls with the soup. After checking to make sure both sides were done, he used a spatula to remove the sandwiches from the frying pan and cut them diagonally. He placed one soup and one sandwich at each end of the table before getting glasses of milk.
Pirouette sniffed the strange offering and found the scent delightful. With her front hooves, she picked up one of the triangles and, with slight hesitation, took a bite. Her eyes widened as she experienced a flavor she never tasted before and found it wonderful. The creaminess and flavor of the golden filling and the white creamy substance were balanced with the crunch and familiarity of the bread. What’s more, the heat that had been applied to this dish had somehow made the dish taste more delicious.
This was definitely a step from the breadcrumbs and the edible vegetation she spent most of her life eating.
Next, she tried the liquid. She sniffed it, finding scents old and new mixed together in a thick liquid with little green specks in it. Unlike the bread dish, the liquid had a scent of items that were familiar to her. Tomato and basil? Yes. That must be it. The filly’s eyes quickly glanced at the dragon, who had begun to dig into his own meal by taking one of the bread triangles and dipping it into the red concoction before biting on it. Out of curiosity, she did the same thing and found it delightful enough that she forgot about her situation and began to enjoy her meal with great fervor.
Spike saw the filly enjoy his creation of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato & Basil soup. It was simple but flavorful and easy to make. And it was clear he did a good job judging by Pirouette’s reactions.
Speaking of reactions, he noticed how the food seemed unfamiliar to the filly as well as well as the way he made it. Had she never been inside a kitchen before? Was it because of her swan form? And speaking of her swan form, how did she get that way? Was she a powerful unicorn like Twilight? He shook his head of that thought as he realized the filly had not used not one bit of magic to levitate her sandwich, her soup bowl, or her milk. All of that was done by her hooves. He wouldn’t question it were it not for her swan form. After all, Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s younger sister, had only just started her magic training not long ago. But the swan still begged the question: how did Pirouette get like that?
He chuckled as he saw a red mustache on her lips and handed her a napkin.
“He-he. Here. You got something on your face.”
Though she was confused by the gesture, Pirouette took the napkin and cleaned her face. Once she saw the red liquid, she realized why the gesture was made and blushed in embarrassment.
“S-s-sorry. I-it’s just…I’ve never had anything this good in a very long time.”
Yet another piece to the mystery in Spike’s head, one he hoped that would be solved. He waited until they ate their dinner and he began to clean up before he spoke.
“I’m glad you liked it. I wasn’t sure what you would like, considering we met while you were a swan.”
Pirouette gave a faint smile before Spike placed the dishes in the sink to wash another time. For now, it was time for some Q&A.
As he sat down, Pirouette spoke up with a soft voice once again.
“Th-thank you. For the meal…and saving me, that is.”
Spike smiled as he waved a hand nonchalantly.
“Heh. I’m just happy to help.”
He then became serious as he took the chance to ask his question.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why were you a swan? How did you get that way? Was it a spell gone wrong?”
Pirouette bit her lip at the questions. She was anticipating it, but she was still debating on telling him. After all, it wasn’t a happy tale.
“But he seems nice. And he did save me and fed me. Not to mention he said he would keep the spell a secret.”
Seeing her anxiously thinking, Spike panicked and tried to salvage the situation.
“S-sorry! I-if it’s too sensitive, I won’t talk about it anymore!”
Hearing this, Pirouette was brought out of her thoughts and she noticed the embarrassed and ashamed look on Spike’s face. Biting her lip again, the filly made a decision.
“N-no. I…it’s alright. I mean, you did save me and fed me. I guess it’s only fair I tell you.”
Hearing this, Spike straightened himself in his chair as Pirouette gazed at the table, tracing a circle clockwise with her hoof.
“I…it all started when I was three. I…I lived in a city with my mama and papa. My mama was a unicorn ballerina named Rhapsody. Papa, who was a Pegasus, worked on the stage, making sets for Mama’s dances. It was there that they met and fell in love. Mama was the best dancer in the world. At least in my opinion. She was beautiful, graceful, and very kind. When I was little, I wanted to become a ballerina like her.
“But what we didn’t know was that there was somepony who didn’t like Mama at all. It was another unicorn name was Requiem.”
Spike’s eyes widened. A unicorn ballerina named Requiem? It must be a coincidence. Wasn’t it? He remained silent as Pirouette continued her tale, her body shivering as she spoke.
“Requiem hated Mama. While she danced well, Mama was better. While she performed with little mistakes, Mama made none. And more ponies loved Mama more than her. She hated Mama because she felt that Mama was taking everything from her when she actually worked hard for it. I guess it wasn’t enough for Requiem, because…because…”
Pirouette trailed off, trying to hold back tears. Seeing this, Spike got off his chair and made his way to the filly. He placed a claw on her shoulder, getting her to look at him.
“You don’t have to continue if it’s too painful. I won’t force you.”
Again, the gentleness in his voice was foreign to Pirouette. No pony had treated her this kindly since her parents. Perhaps he was not like her after all. She shook her head as she spoke.
“N-no. It’s ok. I…I’ll finish.”
Spike kept silent as Pirouette continued her tale.
“One night, after Mama danced a ballet called Swan Lake, Requiem came to our house. She broke down the door and screamed at Mama. I don’t remember what. I was too scared to pay attention. But I do remember what happened next.”
Pirouette swallowed hard as she recalled the rest of that horrible night.
“Requiem charged her horn to cast a spell. She aimed it at Papa and unleashed it. It…it…”
Tears fell as she nearly screamed the words out.
“…she killed him! She killed Papa!”
Spike’s pupils shrank in horror. Murder was very uncommon to the point of rare in Equestria. Mostly because according to ancient law, Murderers were dealt the harshest of punishments depending on the kind of murder they committed. If it was premeditated first-degree murder, the punishment was execution. But there had been no accounts of executions in over five hundred years. Spike had to shake the Twilight Sparkle-induced history lesson as Pirouette continued, crying.
“Sh…*sob*…she was going to kill me, too! *sniff* She aimed her horn at me *sob* and…fired.”
She bit her lip.
“But…Mama…*sniff*…she…she jumped in the way. Requiem killed her, too!”
Feeling guilty for asking and sorry for the filly, Spike grabbed a paper towel and let Pirouette use it as a tissue. He waited patiently as the filly went on.
“R…Requiem wasn’t happy. She…she wanted me dead and Mama to live. She…she was going to do to her what she did to me.”
Unable to stop himself, Spike asked with a growing sorrow and a planted fury.
“What did she do to you?”
He waited patiently until Pirouette composed herself enough to continue. Her tear-stained face made him want to kick himself as she spoke.
“*sniff*…She…she didn’t kill me. She…she wanted Mama alive so…so she could…curse her.”
“Curse her?” Spike asked, having a feeling where this was going.
“Req…Requiem wanted Mama to suffer. But since she had killed her, she decided to curse…me.”
Silence from the dragon urged the filly to continue and elaborate.
“She…used her magic to grab me and…used as a spell to take me away to…to her castle.”
Spike raised an eye ridge.
“Her castle? How could a ballerina own a castle? And why haven’t I heard of it?”
Pirouette traced the grain on the table as more recent memories appeared.
“I…I don’t think you would have. No pony even remembers its name anymore. No pony except for the family that owns the castle: Requiem’s family.”
Spike’s eyes widened upon hearing this.
“Were they nobility?”
Pirouette shook her head.
“I…I think that I remember hearing her saying that she…she came from a family of sorcerers. Ones that…practiced black magic.”
“Then…was this spell black magic?” Spike asked, struggling to put the pieces together.
Pirouette kept her gaze to the table, not wanting to meet Spike’s eyes.
“I...honestly don’t know. When Requiem brought me to her castle, she cast a spell on me. I don’t know what kind of magic it was. Then again…I can’t use magic.”
That statement sent Spike in a surprise so great, he jumped in his chair and nearly fell over. By law, Pirouette was at an age to know even a little bit of magic whether it is from her family or a school. Did Requiem deprive her of that, too? Keeping silent, he let Pirouette pick up her story.
“The spell Requiem cast upon me…it turns me into a swan…until I meet certain conditions.”
“Conditions?”
Pirouette nodded.
“First, I had to be in the water. Second, moonlight has to touch my wing. This lets me become a pony during the night. About the only time I can be a pony.”
She then looked out the window, gazing at the moon.
“When the moon sets, the spell turns me back into a swan.”
“Well…that doesn’t sound too bad. Then again, if I had her curse, I would miss being a dragon during the day, too.”
“What happened after she cursed you?” Spike asked, knowing that there was more than what Pirouette was giving at present.
Once again, she surrendered her story.
“Requiem told me that I could never leave the castle grounds. That even if I ran away, I’ll still turn back into a swan. Because I was so little and didn’t know where I was, I was too afraid to go anywhere. So I stayed. Requiem returned to work, but she would visit on the weekends, hurting me with her words, hooves, and magic.”
Spike gasped in shock upon hearing the last sentence. “She…abused you?”
Pirouette bit her lip, embarrassed. “I…I don’t know that word.”
Now it was Spike’s turn to bite his own lip. He wasn’t sure about Pirouette’s education other than that she had developed proper speech, but not knowing the word gave him an idea. Then again, it might be what little innocence she had left that kept her ignorant.
“I-in your case…it means ‘to treat with cruelty.’”
Now understanding the word, Pirouette nodded. “Oh. That’s right.”
Now Spike had another question.
“If Requiem treated you so cruelly, why didn’t you fly away, sooner?”
Pirouette rubbed her hoof, looking ashamed.
“I…I thought the only way I could become a pony again was to stay at the lake where I was cursed. That the water was another key to the spell. And to be honest, again, I would have died if I didn’t have my friends with me.”
Spike relaxed slightly upon hearing the word.
“Your friends?”
Pirouette nodded, finally smiling for the first time since she began her tale.
“Well, I befriended the many animals that lived around the castle’s lake. I made friends with turtles, frogs, birds, even the fish. But my best friend was Bell.”
“Bell?”
The filly responded with her smile, though it saddened a bit.
“Bourdon Bell. He’s Requiem’s Earth Pony servant. He was born ugly, so he is forced to stay at the castle, out of sight. His family served Requiem’s until his mama died. Requiem likes to hurt him, too. But even though she hurts him, Bell tries to keep smiling and ‘look for a better tomorrow,’ as he would say. He took care of me and taught me how to read and write. He also took care of my injuries when Requiem arrives and leaves. He was the one who convinced me to run away.”
Spike’s eyes widened.
“He did? Why? I thought you said you couldn’t leave the castle grounds.”
Pirouette nodded, recalling her statement.
“That’s what I thought, at first. But a couple of days ago, Bell found the spell book Requiem used on me years ago on accident. He was looking for a book to read when he found it in Requiem’s normally locked study. I guess she forgot to lock it last time. Anyway, he figured I didn’t have to stay at the lake to turn back into a pony and that I could transform anywhere where there was water. Turned out his thought was true when we tested it the next night.”
“Then you flew away?” Spike asked.
Pirouette shook her head.
“Not at first. I asked him about how to remove the spell. Bell couldn’t find any spell to break my curse, even though he couldn’t cast it, anyway. But he did figure out two ways the spell can be broken.”
Spike jumped on the table with surprise and joy. After hearing this tragic tale, finally, something good was happening. If Pirouette knew how to break the spell already, then perhaps he could get Twilight to help once she returned.
“Really? That’s great! What are they? My friend’s a great sorceress. Maybe she can help you.”
A faint blush appeared on Pirouette’s cheeks. She was really hoping he wouldn’t ask that question. But when he mentioned his friend, the desire to end her curse grew too great to contain.
“W-well. One way is to break the spell the way it was written.”
“And that is?” Spike asked eagerly, causing Pirouette to blush redder.
Rubbing her foreleg, she answered.
“I…I would have to kiss somepony that I…love. I mean…love-love. And…and then they * gulp* must make a Vow of Everlasting Love. And finally, prove it to the world.”
Hearing this made Spike blush. He had heard about True Love’s Kiss in stories. Heck, he often daydreamed about playing the part of the heroic knight or prince that had to save the princess (whom he was picturing Rarity as at the time,) and granted her the kiss to break the evil wizard’s spell. But the conditions for Pirouette’s curse? They were real. And how would this pony make a Vow of Everlasting Love AND prove it to the world?
“O…ok. What’s the other plan?” he asked, sitting back down in his chair.
Glad that he wasn’t going to speak any more on the subject, Pirouette answered him.
“Well…that another idea is to…*gulp* meet with the alicorn princess and see if they could break the spell. That’s why I was flying this way. I was flying to the castle on the mountain.”
Hearing this, Spike smiled at this revelation. Hearing Pirouette’s story, he couldn’t stand to think to let her be miserable like this any longer. He realized it was her lucky day. Considering his friend, he had an idea.
“Actually, you don’t need to go farther than here to find a princess.”
Pirouette tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
Puffing out his chest, Spike happily answered as gallantly as he could.
“My friend, the sorceress I told you about?”
The filly nodded, allowing Spike to continue.
“Well, she also happens to be an alicorn and the Princess of Friendship! And if there was anypony who knew more than her fair share of magic, it would definitely be Twilight Sparkle!
Pirouette’s eyes widened with surprise. She never knew that the area she was in had a princess, or that there was more than one. If what Spike was telling her was true, then her long journey was over.
“Really?”
Spike’s smile grew. “Really.”
Excited, Pirouette left her chair and giggled happily.
“Can I see her? I really hope she can help me.”
Hearing her request, Spike cringed and frowned. He had forgotten he had just bid Twilight farewell that morning.
“I’m sorry. Twilight’s out of town for a week. But as soon as she gets back, we can tell her about your problem.”
Pirouette’s frown returned, not that Spike could blame her. After hearing her story, he had raised her hopes of ending her curse that very night. Now she will have to wait six more nights before she could finally meet Twilight.
This was bad. He wanted to make Pirouette feel better, but his clumsy memory made the situation worse. Trying once again to salvage the situation, he spoke.
“Why don’t you stay with me in the castle until she gets back? We have plenty of rooms in the castle.”
Once again, Pirouette was surprised by Spike’s hospitality. The only one who was ever this kind to her since her parents were Bell.
She had hoped to find one of the princesses right away and break her curse.
“*sigh* I guess I shouldn’t have expected it to be so easy. I just hope this Princess Twilight Sparkle can help me. Especially since Bell didn’t come with me. Still, it’s nice that Spike invited me to stay at his princess’ castle. But…”
She looked away shyly, feeling what she was about ask was a bit rude on her part.
“…If it’s alright, I would like to stay here. I-if that’s ok, that is.”
She rubbed her foreleg again, anxious.
“I-I-it’s not that I don’t like your offer. B-but it’s nice and quiet here. An-and I’d like to stay by the pond. I-if that’s ok, that is.”
It was a strange request, but not an unreasonable one. Considering Pirouette’s “condition,” perhaps she felt more at home at Fluttershy’s pond than in the crystal castle. He then gave a smile that was both understanding and somewhat-mischievous.
“Well, alright. But on one condition.”
Pirouette gulped upon hearing this. “C-condition?”
Spike approached Pirouette and placed a claw on her shoulder.
“That we’d meet every day, whether it is during the night when you are a pony, or during the day when you are a swan. In other words, I’d like to be your friend.”
The request was a surprise to Pirouette, but she smiled. After what she had been going through, she needed a friend other than the animals at the lake and Bourdon Bell. Spike had been nothing but kind to her since they met and was even to keep her secret and volunteered to help her remove the spell. She held out her hoof, still smiling.
“Deal.”
Returning the smile, Spike shook Pirouette’s hoof, sealing the deal. But in the back of Spike’s mind, he was worried. The “Requiem” that Pirouette mention. It couldn’t be the same Requiem that Twilight and her friends were going to see? Not to mention Twilight had told him that the Manehattan Ballet Company had not performed Swan Lake since their best ballerina died. Could that ballerina be Pirouette’s mother?
One thing was for sure: he had to keep Pirouette safe. Her captor was still out there and she would not be happy once she discovers the filly had escaped.
“I’ll visit her twice for breakfast and lunch every day. Then I’ll return at night for dinner. That will give me time to do all the things on Twilight’s list and make sure no pony is hunting her.”
He sighed mentally as he and Pirouette began their first conversation as friends.
“Maybe I should send Twilight a letter about this. If the Requiem she is seeing perform is the same one that cursed Pirouette, then maybe Twilight can figure something out. I’ll have to let her know to keep this a secret, though. Last thing I want is for Requiem to find out.”
His thoughts became positive as he saw Pirouette’s smiling face as they conversed.
“Don’t worry, Pirouette. I’ll find a way to free you and keep you safe.”
