> MLP: Living with Equestrians
>  by Megapanda25
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Rift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike’s alarm went off, causing him to groan in annoyance. He hated having to get up early almost everyday, but it was part of the job. He rolled over and hit his alarm, slowly sitting up.

“Ugh, I gotta get moving. Twi hates it when I throw off her schedule.” The 21 year-old muttered, getting out of bed and getting dressed for the day. He threw on a purple t-shirt, blue jeans, and his black tennis shoes. He went into his bathroom to finish getting ready for the day, when he caught a look of himself in the mirror.

“Yikes! I look like crap!”, he said in disbelief as he saw himself in the mirror. He had bags under his eyes, and looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. His eyes, however, were still bright green, as was his hair. It had been brown, once, but Twilight had been practicing a spell when he had checked on her, and he got hit with the blast, tuning his hair green. It was ironic; Twilight Sparkle was a decent with magic in her world, yet somehow, she didn’t know how to fix it! “Eh, it looks pretty good anyway.”, Spike muttered as he combed his hair back to give it spiky look. As he finished getting ready for the day, he thought about the events of the last month.

A rift had opened on two worlds; Earth and Equestria, the world Twilight was from. Apparently, the inhabitants of this other world looked human, despite a few key features; They had pony ears and literal pony tails, as well as horns or wings depending on their “type”. There were four types of these “Equestrians”; Earth, who had no other special qualities besides tail and ears, Unicorns, who had horns, Pegasus, who had wings, and Alicorns, who had wings and a horn. Twilight was an Alicorn, one of the most rare types of Equestrians, and had been one of the first few to cross the rift between their worlds. After a few days, the leaders of both worlds reached an agreement, and people on both sides of the rift were allowed to cross over, and even apply for citizenship in the other world. That's what Twilight had done, wanting to learn about the Earth. She was allowed to choose who she wanted to be her Earthborn “host”, she chose Spike. He didn’t complain. He lived alone, didn’t have any family, and wasn't even working at the time. Twilight was also accompanied by a few other Equestrian officials, who took precautions when she was getting settled in on Earth. First, they set up a home for the two in the city, which was huge! It had at least 20 rooms, and plenty of space for both Twilight and Spike. It was definitely an upgrade from Spike’s old residence, a glorified shack. He was also thoroughly examined before the officials decided he was an appropriate host for Twilight. Apparently, Twilight was also, get this, a princess in the other world, and was to be treated with the utmost respect. Quickly, Twilight and Spike became fast friends, and the two did almost everything together. Twilight mostly stayed in the library of the house, learning much about the Earth, and it’s history. Spike helped her with her studies wherever he could, which led to her giving him the nickname “Bae", or Best Assistant Ever. He didn’t bother telling her what the word meant on Earth, and just asked her not to call him “Bae” in front of others. It had almost been a month, and the pair had grown increasingly close. Also, Spike had noticed that every now and then, Twilight would get…‘flirty’ with him. It was small things; batting her eyes, hugging him often, and a bit longer than a normal hug would last. Still, he worked past it, though it didn’t really bother him, either.



Finally, he felt he was ready for the day, and made his way to Twilight’s room, opening her door to see an empty bed. He sighed, but wasn't surprised. Twilight often pulled late nighters in the library, so he headed there next. When he arrived, he saw Twilight almost immediately, surrounded by books and papers. He walked over, and turned a dark shade of red when he realized Twilight was only wearing a black bra and matching panties. Still, he pushed his embarrassment aside, and tapped Twilight’s head.”Wakey, wakey! Time to get up, Twi!”

Twilight sat up almost instantly, letting out a garbled protest before clearing her head and looking at him in surprise. “S-spike? What time is it?” the 21 year-old equestrian muttered, her speech slurred. 

“Around 8 o'clock. I figured you would want to get the day started.” Spike said, smiling at Twilight’s dazed gaze. She really needed to get more sleep. She finally seemed to focus and took in her surroundings, than she jolted, releasing she was in her underwear in front of Spike. Her cheeks turned a bright red, but than a sultry look crossed her eyes as they panned over to him. 

“Enjoying the view, Spike?” she asked flirtily, rising slowly as if to give him a better view of decent bust. Spike felt his face heat up, and sputtered out an incomprehensible slur of sounds that were meant to be words. Twilight giggled and waved her hands in a “calm down” gesture. “Relax, Spike. I was joking. I know you wouldn't do that.”. 

Spike calmed down, and began to stack Twilight’s books and papers into a collective pile. “Well, I’m gonna make breakfast while you get dressed.  Any request, princess?” Spike asked, already recovered from the awkward joke she had shot at him. 

“...Pancakes?” Twilight asked innocently, smiling like a kid in a candy store, or in her case, a bookstore.

“(sigh), Sure, Twi. I’ll make you some pancakes.” Spike said, rolling his eyes playfully and making his way to the kitchen. Twilight shouted a thank you after him as he left the library, and thought about her human friend for a moment. She liked him a lot, and she knew he liked her to. Every now in than, she would catch him staring at her, or he’d come and help her with her studies, and her heart would beat so fast. She had learned a spell to turn his hair back to normal weeks ago, but every time she saw his adorable green hair, she knew she couldn’t let him change it back.

“Oh Spike…” she muttered, making her way to her room to get dressed. “What would I do without you?”
> The New Girl
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike had made three pancakes by the time Twilight came downstairs, into the kitchen. She was wearing a blue polo with a cute purple bow, as well as a blue and purple striped skirt. 

“Hey Spike. Whoa, that was fast!” Twilight said, a huge grin crossing her face when she saw the pancakes. She quickly rushed over and grabbed two, then she took her spot at the table. Spike smiled at Twilight’s childish actions, knowing how much Twilight loved pancakes. 

“ Well, what can I say? Good thing I’m a good cook.” Spike said, smiling as he prepared another pancake for himself.

“Y’know, I couldn’t agree more.” a voice from behind Spike said, causing him to jump and nearly drop the pan he was holding. He whipped around to see two Equestrian women in dark black suits, looking like Equestria’s version of the Secret Service, which is basically what they are. Since Twilight is a princess, she had a solid four to five guards tasked with protecting her, and basically just acting as security for the house. The first women was the leader of the security forces, named Sunset Shimmer. She had long red and yellow hair, and had a pair of black sunglasses to make her look more serious, at least that's what Spike hypothesized, considering she was quite friendly when she wasn't in “work mode”. However, the girl next to her was a new one, not one of the many guards he had seen already. She had a purple and blue hair, and also had a horn, meaning she was a unicorn. She also seemed more laid back than Sunset too, except for one thing; she was staring right at him. Not a bad stare, more of a curious one. Still, he found it slightly off putting.

“Y’know, there’s this thing on Earth. It’s called knocking, bacon hair. Try it some time, will ya? You keep giving me heart attacks when you pop up like that.” Spike said, shooting Sunset a playful headshake of disappointment while Twilight and the other guard attempted to keep from laughing from him calling her ‘bacon hair’. Sunset’s face heated up, but she quickly disguised her embarrassment with her, “I’m the boss here”, attitude.


“Call me ‘bacon hair’ again, and I’ll break your arm for disrespecting an Equestrian agent, Mr. Drake” the 22 year-old agent  said, knowing that Spike would get she was joking...mostly. Spike rolled his eyes, but handed her a plate with a pancake nonetheless. 

“Alright, fine. By the way, what's the new girl's name?” Spike asked, gesturing to the new guard, who seemed to jump slightly when she was referred to. 

“Oh! I’m Starlight Glimmer, I just got transferred to Earth! Sunset here was nice enough to get me a job here while my visa was being prepared!” she said excitedly, drawing a grin from Spike, and a muttered ,“No prob.”, from Sunset, who was still blushing. 

“Well, not that I have much of a say in it, but you’re always welcomed here, Starlight!” Spike said happily, handing her a hot coco he had set aside in case anyone else wanted one. The 21 year-old gave him a kind smile, and gratefully took the hot chocolate from him, thanking him for being so kind. The conversation lasted a bit longer, but Spike started to notice something. Every now and again, Twilight would glance at him and Starlight and look...upset? She didn’t look mad with him, more Starlight. At first, Spike was confused, but than he got it, or at least he thought he did; She wanted to get back on schedule!. He finished up his conversation with Starlight, and went over to Twilight, who glanced up at in surprise. 

“Sorry for taking so long Twi. Any plans for today?” he asked, shooting his friend a smile. Twilight’s eyes lit up, and she pulled out a list of multiple tasks for them to do. 

“Of course, Spike! I have an entire day planned for us! We don’t have anytime to waste! To the library!” Twilight stands up at the table and takes a dramatic stance.

“...Twilight, you know that we have a library, right?” Spike deadpanned. Twilight seemed to process this, and waves her hand dismissively. 

“Spike, please. There’s only so much knowledge one library can yield. Sunset! Hold down the fort!” Twilight shouted to her guard.

“K, keep her safe out there Spike, I’ll break your arm if you don’t.” Sunset said, not raising her gaze from her phone. Twilight ran to the door, psyched to be going to a new library, will Spike shouted goodbyes to Sunset and Starlight. “We’ll be back by 3:00. No parties while we’re gone, ok?” Spike jokes humorously. Sunset gave him a middle finger, while Starlight said they'd be sure to behave.

As Spike and Twilight left for the library, Sunset glanced at her fellow guard. “You like him, don’t you?” she asked, causing Starlight to blush slightly. 

“W-what?” Starlight asked, desperately trying to avoid her friend’s smirk. 

“Spike, the human. You like him, don’t you?” Sunset asked again. Starlight thought for a moment, than she nodded. Sunset stood up and walked over to her friend, and patted her on the shoulder. 

“Well, Star...may the best girl win~.” Sunset said, a full blown smirk on her face due to her friend’s confused expression. “What? You didn’t really think you’re the only one who liked him, right?” Sunset asked, genuinely surprised at her friends offended look. 

“Not particularly. Still, like you said; may the best girl win.” Starlight agreed, tapping her friend’s shoulder and walking away, before turning around “Oh, and Sunset?”. Sunset looked at Starlight, who had a very determined look in her eye. “I do intend to win.”
> Humans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He and Twilight had been at the library for nearly four hours, and Twilight was still reading books. She had basically learned about Earthen conflict  from the Revolutionary War the 9/11 attacks. She had been especially shocked about the latter, not understanding how evil humanity could be.  "But Spike, so many people were killed in those attacks! Why would anyone ever do that?” she asked, quite distressed by the knowledge she had gained. Spike shrugged. 

“I don’t know what to tell you, Twi. Some humans are just evil, and they just want to watch the world burn.” he said, grabbing a few books that he had seen Twilight put aside for later.

"But...what about you, Spike?! You’re not evil, not bad! Your one of the best people I’ve ever met! You could never be evil!” Twilight declared definitively, like she was defending a point still. Spike responded while checking out Twilight’s books, and a comic he had picked up for himself.

“I appreciate it, Twi, but most humans aren’t like me. That’s really all there is to it. Let’s get going.”

The two exited the library, only to see a hoard of people outside. Somehow, the press had heard that Twilight was at the library, and since she is a princess from another world, the press were obsessed with her. “C’mon, this way!” Spike shouted, grabbing Twilight’s hand and started to run away from the crowd. The crowd actually tried to follow them, shouting questions and taking pictures. However, once they had gotten far enough ahead that they were out of sight, they took a right down an ally, and kept running when they came out the other side.

After a minute or two more of running, the two stopped at a bench near the beach. “W-wow, we ran all the way to the beach! Nice work, Spike!” Twilight said, turning to see her friend wheezing and panting.

“I...need to get...back to the gym!” Spike said through heavy breathing, sitting on the bench. Twilight sat next to him, and the two enjoyed the setting sun.  After composing himself, Spike turned to Twilight, noticing her smile. She looked beautiful in the sunset, waves crashing distantly, and the subtle creaking wood from...wait a second.

“Um, Twi? Do you know where we are?” Spike asked, suddenly feeling quite nervous. Twilight looked around, looking puzzled. “Well, the high school is over there, and we’re near the bakery, soooo… I think this is Buzz Beach!” she said. Spike realizes why he felt nervous; Buzz Beach was where older couples from the high school would go to hang out and get…“frisky”. He noticed that Twilight was now looking at him, slightly concerned. 

“Spike, are you alright?” she asked. “You look uncomfortable.” Spike didn’t even get to respond as a shrill moan emanated from a shack only a good 20 feet away from them, causing them both to blush. Twilight had learned enough about human’s reproductive nature to know what the sound was, (he was not letting her go anywhere near the internet until he wiped every browser history in the house). Spike quickly stood up, and grabbed Twilight’s hand. 

“OK! WE SHOULD GET BACK NOW!” Spike said, a bit to loudly. Twilight didn’t protest however, and the two began to make their way back to their home. About halfway there, Spike turned to Twilight and smiled. “ So, did we have a good day, Twi?” he asked. Twilight smiled back at her friends, and nodded. 

“Yeah, Spike. Today was a good d-” She tried to say, before ducking as a can was thrown at her. The pair turned to the threat, only to see a drunk man and his buddies.

“GET OUTTA HERE, YA WINGED FREAK! WE DON’T WANT YER KIND ROUND HERE!” he yelled, stumbling towards them at a slow shamble. Spike felt a dark anger well up inside him, but sighed, and pushed Twilight away from the men. 

“C’mon, Twi. Ignore those bozos.” he said, trying to keep his voice from betraying the anger he was feeling. Twilight nodded, brushing away the comments. She had gotten use to the occasional petty insult, and kept moving. And then that bastard had to open his mouth again. 

“You’re just as bad as her, sick, green haired, monster fucker!” the drunk man spat at the pair. This time...Spike stopped in his tracks. 

“S-spike? Are you alright?” Twilight asked, but he had already turned around and was calmly walking towards the drunk man and his two friends, who were laughing.

“Aw, what? Did I hurt your--ARH!” the drunk man tried to taunt, only too have a fist fly into his jaw. His friends watched in surprise as Spike then knead the man in the stomach, and kicked him into his friends arms.

“If he says shit again, I’ll do worse to all three of you. Capiche?” Spike asked, rage flaring in his voice. The men nodded frantically, and pulled their drunk buddy off to safety. Spike returned to twilight who had a shocked look on her face, and looked baffled when he grabbed her hand they resumed walking. 

“Spike, why did you do that?! You could get in trouble!” Twilight finally asked, and when she looked at Spike, she saw anger in his eyes, but not directed at her. 

“Twilight, they had no right to say that about you. You are smart, funny, and overall great, and I just wished others saw that.” Spike said, a small smile crossing his face. “You’re a good friend, Twi. I want to keep you safe.” Twilight felt her heart beat a bit faster at the way he said this, and the passion in his eyes. 

“That’s cute and all, but that is kinda our job.” a voice next to them spoke up. They turned to see Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer in a car next to them, in casual clothes. 

“Need a lift? You to have been walking for a while.” Starlight asked, opening the doors for them.

“Yeah, thanks guys...wait a second, how did you know where we were?” Twilight asked. 

“Eh, we’ve been watching since you left the library. The human government allowed us to put cameras up all around the town in case we need to find an Equestrian fast. By the way...thanks for protecting Twilight, Spike.” Sunset muttered as she gave him a small smile. 

“Anytime, Sunset. Anytime.” Spike said, allowing himself to rest as he and Twilight were driven back home. As he drifted of, he felt Twilight grab his hand. 

“You talk a lot about how most humans are pretty bad, Spike.” she said, her eyes meeting his. “Well...I think you’re pretty great.”

……

Meanwhile, a pink Equestrian walked up to a man at a auto parts shop. “Oh, hello there! Is there something you need, ma’am?” the man asked, curious of why an Equestrian needed car help. 

“Hiya! I was just wondering; is it safe for a bus to have flashing lights, a disco ball, minibar, and have enough room for 30 plus people?” the girl asked cheerfully, faced with man’s shocked face.

“Um...I guess?” he said attentively. 

“GREAT! Time to get to work than!” the girl yelled, running around the corner and pulling out in a fully stocked disco bus. “Time to get this party started!” she cried as she drove off, leaving a very confused man on the street.
> Party Wagon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike and Twilight were finishing up their trip to the store when they first heard it. It was soft, at first, and Spike didn’t really recognize it. “What is that?” he asked, looking to Twilight for her input. She turned her head and listened as well.

“It sounds like music, what humans call, “pop music” to be specific.” Twilight said, not looking to concerned. However, at this point to music was closer, and much louder. Suddenly, a bus flew around the corner, barley staying in the speed limit. The bus seemed to have hydraulics, and was colored bright pink with touches of purple and blue. Spike would also see many people moving behind the tinted windows. “Spike, what is that thing?” Twilight asked, very confused.

“That’s weird. It looks like some kind of “Party Wagon”. It’s like a dance club, but on wheels.” Spike explained, watching the bus colorful bus approach them. “Strange, I don’t remember any Party Wagon coming through here before. I’ve only heard about them in New York or Europe, not in Sanctuary City.”. Twilight watched the bus approach in wonder, and turned to Spike with a wide smile.

“Spike, do you think they’ll let us on?” she asked, her eyes glimmering with excitement.

“Eh, I don’t know, Twi. From what I’ve heard, people get picked up by random. The bus looks pretty full, so I doubt it.” Spike said, turning away from the bus. “Besides, I don’t think we would fit in.”

Almost right on cue, the bus drove past them, leaving Spike and Twilight behind it. “Sorry, Twi. Maybe another time, we’ll-huh?” Spike started, but stopped when the bus stopped suddenly, and reversed right back to their position. The door of the bus shot open, momentarily blinding both. When their eyes adjusted, they saw a girl in a pink dress with a blue jacket.

“Hi there!”, the girl shouted, and before either of them would respond, Spike was yanked onto the bus, which promptly drove off, leaving a shocked and flabbergasted Twilight on the street.

“Wha-I--SPIKE!” she cried as it hit her what had just happened; Spike had been kidnapped.

……


Spike had been initially terrified when he had been yanked onto the mysterious Party Wagon, but it was only a few moments before he relied nothing was even slightly sinister about the bus. It really was just a bunch of people partying on a bus. There was lights, music, and even a disco ball and dance floor. After a moment or two, he felt  someone tap his shoulder. He turned around to see girl who had yanked him onto the bus, and blinked in surprise. Now that he had a better look at her, he notice one key feature that he hadn’t seen before; she had pony ears.

“Holy crap, you’re an Equestrian?” he asked in surprise. The girls smiled and nodded excitedly.

“Yup! My name is Pinkie Pie, and this is my first week on Earth!” she shouted happily jumping up and slightly. “My parents said that I would move to Earth on my 20th birthday,and here I am!”

“What a way to start your time on Earth, this place is awesome!” Spike marveled at the decked out bus. “Did you do all of this on your own?”

“Eyup! Got this baby five days ago, and for the last two, I’ve been driving it around, trying to get a party going, and it looks like it worked!” Pinkie said, gesturing the hoard of humans dancing and having fun on the bus, which seemed much bigger than he expected.

‘Well, while this party is awesome, I kinda need to get back to my friend, so, can I get off?” Spike asked. Pinkie seems disappointed , but nodded a moment later.

“Yeah sure, you just gotta talk to the driver.” she said, gesturing to the front of the bus.

“Thanks, Pinkie. I hope I see you around.” Spike said, giving Pinkie a fist bump as he passed. He reached the front of the bus and spoke to the driver, who was watching the road. “Hey buddy, you mind dropping me off? I need to find my friend.” Spike asked, only to be answered by a familiar female voice.

“Are you sure buddy? You might have fun if you stay!” Pinkie answered, turning around in the driver’s seat.

“...Pinkie, how the hell did you get from the dance floor to here?” Spike deadpanned, receiving a casual shrug from Pinkie.

“Mmmmmmmmagic?” Pinkie offered, taking her hands off the wheel to do a “jazz hands” motion as she spoke.

“Pinkie, your not a unicorn, you can’t use---PINKIE, THE ROAD!!!” Spike shouted as he realized that the bus was nearing the cliff. Pinkie screeched in surprise, sharply turning the wheel, causing the bus to flip onto it’s side,sliding until it was halfway off the cliff. The other passengers began to shout and panic, until Spike yelled at them. “Don’t move! Everyone calm down!” he shouted, causing everyone to stop moving. “Ok, now everyone slowly climb out the door, help those who can’t do it themselves.” The passengers started climbing out, and Spike returned to help Pinkie escape, only to see her attempting to stand against the now cracked window next to the driver’s seat, looking down in fear. “Pinkie, what’s wrong?” he asked, only to have her look at him in fear.

“H-h-high...very high.” she stuttered, looking terrified.

“It’s ok, Pinkie. I won’t let you fall. Take my hand.” Spike said, extending his hand to her. Pinkie nodded nervously and began to reach for Spike’s hand...and the glass shattered. Spike watched in horror as Pinkie began to fall, down to the ocean below.

Pinkie closed her eyes, and waited to hit the water below, for the end of her life...but than she felt someone’s arm wrapped around her. She opened her eyes to see Spike, one arm wrapped around her, his other holding onto the remaining edges of the window. His face was strained with tension and pain, and Pinkie noticed that the pointed glass edge of the window was sticking into his hand, and blood was beginning to flow from the wound. He looked at her, and pasted on a smile through the pain.

“I-it’s ok, Pinkie. I won’t let you go.” He said, barely holding tears of pain back. After another few seconds, another set of hands grabbed onto Spike’s and pulled the pair up and out of the bus. Outside, several police cars and ambulances were circled around the bus, and the authorities were helping those who exited the bus. A paramedic came over to Spike and Pinkie, and they ended up in an ambulance next to each other. Pinkie had a few small scratches, but nothing serious. Spike, however, was getting stitches on his hand. Ouch.

“You...you saved my life Spike.” Pinkie finally said, causing Spike to look at her in surprise.

“Of course I did, Pinkie. I told you I wouldn’t let you fall. Besides, what would your host say if I let you get hurt?” he asked, trying to keep Pinkie happy.

“I don’t know,they probably wouldn’t care too much. I mean, they’re nice and all, but they both have jobs as doctors,and don’t really care what I do.” she said, sinking a little further into her sadness. Spike began to feel bad, and than had a thought.

“Pinkie...would you like to live with me and Twilight?” Spike asked, noticing Pinkie’s head perking up immediately.

“Really?! You mean it?!” she cried excitedly, nearly choking him with a hug.

“I certainly think it’s a good idea.” a voice from outside the ambulance commented. Spike and Pinkie turned to see Sunset Shimmer standing expectantly outside of the ambulance. “I’ve been watching since Pinkie snatched you up off the street, and I gotta say, I’m impressed, Spike. You jumped out of a window for someone. That means something. I’ll get the paperwork set up, and miss Pie will stay with me for tonight. I’ll tell Twilight you’re on your way home. Come with me, Pinkie.”

As Pinkie started to exit the ambulance, she turned back to Spike and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks, Cupcake!” she said, beaming brightly as she left with Sunset, leaving a blushing Spike to contemplate the event’s of the day. As they left, Sunset turned to ask Pinkie a question.

“So, Pinkie, you like Spike, right? And I mean like, y’know?” she asked, her voice casual. Pinkie, with a slight blush, nodded rapidly. Sunset smirked. “Well...how about a wager?”

……

A cyan Equestrian watched the accident scene from afar. “Yeesh, that’s a lot of damage. I hope everyone is ok.” she comments, rubbing the back of her neck with guilt of leaving the scene. “I should probably find the guy that got us all out, and thank him.” With that through in mind, the cyan Pegasus walked towards the accident, hoping to get the name of their green-haired savior.
> A Dash of Rainbow: P1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time Spike had gotten home, it was 11pm. Sunset had taken Pinkie Pie to crash at her house for the night, leaving Spike to enter the house alone. He opened the door in stepped in, not getting any initial sign that antone was awake. Spike felt his stomach rumble, and realized he hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so he went to the kitchen to grab a snack. He entered the kitchen to see Twilight and Starlight sitting at the kitchen table, both sound asleep. He smiled at the pair, both looking so peaceful. He quietly grabbed a sandwich from the fridge, and then threw two blankets over Twilight and Starlight before heading upstairs to go to sleep.  After he ate his sandwich and layed down, he reflected over the day, and couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow had in store for him.

……

Spike sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He got up, changed into new clothes, and brushed his teeth. His hand still ached from having being cut by glass saving Pinkie Pie, but it subsided a bit when he took some painkillers. He made his way downstairs, and saw that neither Twilight nor Starlight had moved from their spots last night. He grinned, and walked over to Twilight, gently tapping her head. “Hey, Twilight. Time to get up.” he said softly, not wanting to startle her. She lifted her head,and looked at him for a few moments.

“...Spike?” she asked, her eyes widening as she realized who was in front of her. Before he could answer, he was wrapped into a tight hug by his friend, who shouted with joy. “Oh Spike! We were so worried about you!” she cried out, causing Starlight to jerk awake.

“Wh-what happened? What’s going on?” Starlight mumbled before seeing Spike in a tight hug from Twilight. Starlight than squealed in excitement, and joined the hug. “Spike! Thank Celestia you’re ok!” The two girls were thrilled to see their human friend was ok, but Spike was having mixed feelings. On one hand, the girls were hugging him, and it was nice to see how much they cared. On the other hand, he was squashed between their breasts and was starting to lose air. He gently pushed the girls back, smiling despite the bright red blush on his face.

“It’s ok, guy’s. I’m fine! I’m sure Sunset’s already informed you about what happened, right Starlight?” Spike asked, hoping that Sunest had got the message through. He noticed the smirk that crossed Starlight’s face.

“Oh yeah, I got her message. I gotta say, Spike, I didn’t think that you’d be such a womanizer.” she said, teasing the now beat read human. Spike could feel Twilight’s withering glare on him.

“Spike? What does she mean, “womanizer”?” she asked, her eyes looking darker than they had any right to.

Spike proceeded to explain the events of the day before to Twilight and Starlight. While Twilight looked mad at first, she looked more surprised by the end, and even a little impressed when he mentioned how he saved Pinkie. “Anyhow, Pinkie will be living with us from now on, are you alright with that, Twilight?” he asked, the thought that she might be mad at him finally dawning on him. Twilight shook her head, giving Spike a reassuring smile.

“That’s just fine, Spike. It’s a good thing you finally have someone else to hang out with besides me or Sunset, not to mention there’s around 25 rooms in this house,I’m sure Pinkie won’t cause any trouble.” she said. Spike smiled, and gave Twilight a mock-surprised gasp.

“Twilight! You’re forgetting someone! I don’t just have you, Sunset, and Pinkie!” he said, tilting his head pointedly to Starlight, who was now blushing.

“Aw, Spike! I’m glad you consider me a friend.” Starlight said gleefully, wrapping the human in yet another hug. Spike smile, and returned the hug, not seeing Starlight’s face heat up at the compassionate gesture.

“Of course, no problem, Star!” Spike said happily. Spike released Starlight, who quickly turned away to hide her bright red face. A few minutes later, Starlight got a text from Sunset, who was helping Pinkie pack up her things, and they would be home by noon. Starlight told Twilight and Spike this new, and Spike turned to Twilight.

“So, any plans for today, Twilight?” he asked. Twilight’s eyes lit up, and an evil smile crossed her face.

“I know exactly what we can do today.” she said.

……

“NEW BOOKS!” Twilight shouted with excitement, running around the bookstore in an excited frenzy, to the mild dismay of Spike and Starlight. Spike didn't know what he had been expecting, but this wasn't a surprise. Twilight loved the bookstore, and Starlight had no problem taking the two there for the bookstore’s weekly sale, during which Twilight looked for all the books she would carry to buy.

“Sooooo, you two do this often?” Starlight questioned, watching Twilight dart between aisles and grabbing what she liked. Spike shrugged, shooting Starlight a grin.

“Yup. Twilight loves her books, so every week we come here. It’s pretty great to see her act so...hm?” Spike stopped mid sentence noticing a girl watching him from next to one of the checkout counters. More specifically, an Equestrian girl. She had long rainbow hair that went down her back, and her eyes were a dark red/purple. She wore a blue sports jacket, a white t-shirt with a cloud shooting out a rainbow lightning bolt, and pink and white skirt. Spike began to sweat as he felt her eyes run up and down him, and was actually surprised when she started to walk towards them.

“Excuse me, are you Spike Drake?” she asked, a strange look on her face. Before Spike would answer, Starlight moved herself between him and the new girl, a look of concern and defensiveness crossing her face.

“Depends. Who are you, exactly?” Starlight said, a surprising amount of authority coming from her voice. However, this did not appear to deter the new girl, as she stepped forward, a small smile on her face.

“My name is Rainbow Dash, and I want to thank Spike for saving my life.”

A moment later, Twilight rushed up to the three, using magic to hold up a small mountain of books. “Ok, I’ve found everything I was looking for, ready to---” Twilight stopped talking as she noticed the heavy tension between the three, not too mention the looks of surprise that they gave her. “Um, bad time?”
> A Dash of Rainbow: P2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After some convincing, Twilight and Starlight had left the Spike with Rainbow Dash so they could talk privately. For the first few minutes, neither one really knew what to say. Finally, Spike broke the ice.

“So, um, when did you get to Earth?” he asked, smiling at his new companion. A cocky smile crossed her face, and she turned to answer him.

“Oh, about a week ago. I don’t really have any family in Equestria, so once I turned 21, I decided to start my application for citizenship here on Earth. A week or two later, my application was rejected, so I made a decision,and...I did Equestria’s equivalent of what humans call, “Jumping the Border”.” she said, rubbing her neck in mild embarrassment at Spike’s shocked expression.

“Y-you crossed the rift illegally?!” Spike whisper shouted in surprise, not wanting to attract any attention from others nearby.

“Yeah,” Rainbow answered hesitantly, looking nervous. “After I got here, I didn’t really know what to do. For two days, I just kinda wondered around the city. I had food, and money, but I just had no idea where to go! I started get heckled by humans, they called me a freak. To be honest, I was starting to hate Earth.” she finished, her eyes cast downward, worrying Spike. A second later, a smile crossed her face.

“And then I found Pinkie Pie, or more specifically, she found me. She invited me onto her decked-out party bus, and that’s basically where I lived for the next three days.” she said, rolling her eyes at the shocked looking Spike. “Relax, I didn’t stay there for three days straight. I just ended up back on the bus by the end of the night. To be honest, it was pretty nice to have another Equestrian to hang out with, Pinkie even introduced me to my roommate! It was great while it lasted, but then...you know what happened.”

Spike felt his face heat up,and turned away in shame. “Yeah, I know. The bus crashed and people got hurt, thanks to me.” he said, hanging his head. It was quiet for a few seconds, then Rainbow burst out laughing. Spike looked at her, his face a bright red. “W-what are you laughing about?” he asked, noticing the Rainbow was almost in tears she was laughing so hard.

“Y-you really t-think, you, oh dear Celestia, that’s rich!” she said through giggles. She grabbed Spike by the shoulders, and looked him dead in the eyes. “Spike. That was not your fault. Pinkie’s always been easily distracted, an if anything, you saved us by keeping everyone calm. I’ve been at parties when things have gone wrong, and guessing it’s the same on Earth, things like that can end much worse.” she said. She paused for a moment, contemplating something, and then wrapped him in a hug, causing Spike’s face to heat up yet again. “I don’t really know you, but considering what I saw and heard about, you’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever met.” she said. The two embraced for another few moments, before Rainbow lightly pushed him away. “You could have stopped at any time, y’know. I do have a reputation to uphold as a bad bitch surviving on my own, without any humans to protect me.” she said, causing them both to have a nice laugh for another few minutes. After they had calmed down, Spike pulled out his phone, and looked at Rainbow.

“Hey Rainbow, wanna exchange phone numbers so we can stay in contact?” he asked, causing Rainbow’s face to heat up slightly. She pushed past this sudden, (an confusing), embarrassment and typed her number into his phone. He did the same, and the two said their goodbyes. “See you around, Dash. It was nice to meet you!” Spike said, extending his hand in a fist bump motion. Rainbow Dash looked at him for a moment, and returned the motion, giving him a fist bump.

“Sure Spike, it was great to meet you too! See ya!” she said, and with that, she flew off into the sky, most likely to her roommate's house. Spike sighed, and texted Sunset that he needed to be picked up.

“GOOD!” she texted back. “We’ve been trying to entertain Pinkie for hours, and there’s only so many games you can play before you snap!”

Spike chuckled at the agent’s expectedly negative attitude, and sat in the cool breeze, waiting to get picked up.

……


Rainbow Dash made it to her roommate’s cottage in a little under ten minutes. She opened the door and walked in. “YO, FLUTTERS! I’M HOME!” she yelled, drawing the attention of her fellow pegasus friend.

“O-oh, hi Rainbow Dash. Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked timidly. She was always a quiet one, that’s what others loved about her. Rainbow began to answer, but her phone vibrated. She checked it to see that Spike had already sent her three funny videos of humans messing with their pets. She smiled and sighed happily.

“I think I did, Flutters. I think I did.”
> Stress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“NO PINKIE, I DON’T WANT CAKE FOR BREAKFAST!” Twilight yelled to her pink housemate, who was carrying a large plate of cakes varying in flavor and size.

“BUT TWILIGHT! I GOTTA MAKE SURE THEY TASTE GOOD FOR SPIKE!” Pinkie cried in return, attempting to get Sunset and Starlight. “YOU TWO GOTTA TRY THIS AT LEAST!”

“Look Pinkie. I’m glad that you’ve found something that you enjoy doing here on Earth, but I’m just gonna stick with coffee for breakfast, alright?” Sunset said, her hand wrapped around the warm cup.

“You guys are crazy! I’ll try some cake, Pinkie!” Starlight said excitedly, grabbing a fork and giving the first cake a gleeful taste. Her eyes shot open, and a smile crossed her face. “Pinkie, this tastes great! Spike will love this one!”

Pinkie smiled and giggled happily, preparing the cake and putting the rest aside. A few minutes later, a very exhausted looking Spike made his way downstairs. Sunset raised her eyebrows at the bags under his eyes. “You ok their, Spike? You’re not looking to good.” she asked, earning a glare from the human.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. I appreciate it.” Spike said as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. Sunset looked like she wanted to say something, but was quickly interrupted by Twilight.

“Spike! I need your help with a few projects today, do you mind helping me out?” she asked, a wide smile on her face. Before Spike could answer, Pinkie quickly pushed Twilight aside, looking annoyed.

“But Twilight! I wanted to hang out with Spike today! You’ve hung out with him twice this week, learn to share!” Pinkie shouted, pulling Spike into her chest. Typically, this would cause Spike to blush and protest, but now he just groaned.

“Pinkie, I just said…” Spike started, but was pulled away from Pinkie by Starlight, with a slight glare on her face.

“Pinkie! Spike can decide who he wants to hang out with on his own. Besides...he hasn't really spent much time with me.” she said, a small blush shading her face. The three Equestrians began to argue, while Sunset watched from the sidelines. As the yelling grew louder, Spike suddenly snapped.

“CAN YOU ALL PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP?!?!” he shouted, his face drawn up in anger. However, a moment later, he saw his friend’s expressions of fear, and the anger melted away. “W-wait, no, I d-didn’t…” he started, bowing his head in shame. “I...I’m sorry.” As he apologized, he ran out of the house, despite the multiple protests from his friends.

“Oh no, this is all my fault! I shouldn’t have---” Twilight started, but was stopped when a hand landed on her shoulder. She turned to see Sunset, who looked damn near disappointed with her.

“You’ll all share the blame for this, but for now, just stay here, and watch each other. I’m gonna go find you’re...our friend before he does something foolish...or worse.”

……


Sunset was getting worried. Sunset had checked the movies theater, the beach, Uncle Joe’s, all places Spike would frequent. She still hadn’t found him. She was actually starting to worry he may have left town when Rainbow Dash called her.

“Uh, Sunset. I found Spike…” Rainbow started, only to be interrupted by Sunset.

“That’s great! Thank you for the help, Rainbow! I appreciate---” Sunset began, but was interrupted by Rainbow’s annoyed voice.

“I wasn’t done, Bacon.” Rainbow said, irking Sunset. Did Spike have to tell them about that stupid nickname? “He’s been quiet for a while. He up on Blue’s Bluff. Just...go easy on him, alright?” The worry in Rainbow’s voice scared Sunset, but she made her way to Blue’s Bluff. It was a cliff near the edge of the city, a small picnic area at the top. When she got there, she saw Rainbow waiting expectantly. Sunset had learned about Rainbow from Starlight, and once the two had made contact, they actually became fast friends.

“How’s he doing?” Sunset asked, only to be met with a glare from Rainbow Dash.

“Ask him yourself, Sunset. Remember...be gentle.” she said, flying of a moment later. Sunset walked over to Spike, who was sitting at one of the tables at the campsite. She sighed, and sat next to him.

“Hey Spike...you alright, pal?” she asked gingerly. Despite her low tone, Spike still jumped, apparently unaware she had sat next to him.

“Oh, hey Sunset. I’m...I’m doing okay.” he said, his face falling for a moment. “I’m sorry for what I said back there, I’m just so...so!”. He looks like he wants say something, but just can’t. His face twists with frustration, but stopped when he realised Sunset’s hand was on his shoulder, her eyes calm and reassuring, like she was saying “Take your time.”. He sighed, and continued.

“I never realised how much work went into this. I mean, I love hanging out with you guys, and having friends for once, but...you all want to hang out constantly! I get it, you're on a new world, it’s weird and new, but that doesn’t mean I’m the only one you guys can come to for everything!” Spike ranted, letting all of his pent up annoyance out. “It’s so exhausting, even if I have fun. I just…(sigh). I just want to rest for a while. Just hang out, and not have you all fight over me! Hell, it’s been affecting my sleep I’ve been doing things with you guys so much!” Spike continued to rant for another 30 minutes, unleashing all of his stress and anger over the events of the last few months. Sunset listened as he unloaded his baggage, and by the time he was done, he looked like his normal self.

“Wow. That. Felt awesome.” Spike said, sighing and smiling at Sunset. “Thanks for listening, Sunset. I needed that.” Sunset tried her best to suppress the blush on her face, but she smiled at Spike.

“No problem, Spike. If you ever need to talk again,you know where to find me.” she said, offering him her hand as the two stood up. Sunset started to say something else, but was interrupted by her phone ringing. She answered it, only to hear Twilight’s distressed voice on the other end.

“SUNSET! DID YOU FIND SPIKE? IS HE OK?” Twilight screeched into the phone, causing Sunset and Spike to jump.

“Yes, he’s ok, Twilight. We’re on our way back now.” Sunset said, shooting Spike a smile. “In fact, I think he just got a lot better.”
> Shy of Frantic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And that’s how I beat the Wonderbolts in 30 seconds flat.” Rainbow Dash finished, smirking at Spike’s shocked grin. “Pretty cool, right?”

“That’s awesome, Rainbow!” Spike shouted excitedly, causing Rainbow Dash to laugh. Despite being almost 21 years old, Spike was still a kid at heart. She had felt for him over his snap the day before, but luckily, he had worked it out and was on good terms with the rest of the girls. He had decided to hang out with her for the day, and it was been nice so far.

“So, any other ideas for...hm?” Rainbow Dash began, but stopped as she realised her phone was ringing. She answered it to here Fluttershy on the other side. “Hey Flutters, what going on?” she asked, only for Fluttershy to start panicking on the other side of the phone.

“RAINBOW DASH! I LOST ANGEL AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE HE WENT!” she shouted into the phone, sounds of her searching frantically were heard in the background.

“OK, calm down, Flutters! It’s ok, I’ll help you look for him!” Rainbow Dash said into the phone, a distressed look crossing her face. She turned to Spike. “Hey, I need to go help my friend, do you want to help?”

Spike nodded and smiled at her. “Sure, lets do it! I’d love to help!” he said, earning a smile from Rainbow.

“Thank’s, pal. Glad I can count on you. Let’s go!” Rainbow said, suddenly bending over. She glanced back at Spike’s red face and shocked expression and rolled her eyes. “I’m a Pegasus, genius. I can fly. Get on.” Spike did so, and Rainbow took of to her home to meet her friend.

…....


Fluttershy was on the verge of tears. She had looked away for five seconds, and Angel was gone! Sure, Angel was a troublemaker, but he had never ran away. She felt a bit better when Rainbow Dash arrived, but her joy turned into nervousness when she saw a human on Rainbow's back. Fluttershy had only encountered humans twice, and the encounters had been...embarrassing to say the least.

"O-oh! Um, hello there. My n-name is Fluttershy. It's nice to meet you, Mr...um..." Fluttershy tried to greet the new human, only to panic halfway through. Oh no, she was doing it again! She tried to keep from panicking, and noticed that he human was smiling, and not a mean smile. 

"Hi, my name is Spike. Nice to meet you!" he said, turning back to Rainbow Dash. "So, what are we looking for?" 

"Fluttershy has a pet rabbit named Angel. Apparently, he ran away so we're gonna help her look for him." Rainbow answered, turning to Fluttershy. "Where did you see him last?" This appears to bring a spaced-out Fluttershy back to reality.

"Oh! Yes, I saw him go towards the forest, and he couldn't have gotten to far! Let's go!" Fluttershy said, a surprising amount of enthusiasm radiating from her. The three charged into the woods, and it was only twenty minutes before they found traces of Angel near a Cliffside, near the edge of the forest. "Were could he have gone?" Fluttershy asked, looking around.

"UGH, he's a bunny! How many places could he go?!" Rainbow exclaimed, looking very board. Spike shrugged, but smiled at the two.

"Don't worry, guys! I'm sure Angel will pop up any second now." Spike said. Apparently, Spike was more right then he thought, for a snap was heard overhead and Spike looked up only for a white ball of fur to hit him full force in the face. He proceeded to scream bloody murder. "OH GOD! IT'S EATING MY FACE AAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Spike continued to scream, and stumbled backwards, towards a cliffs edge.

"SPIKE, WATCH OUT!" Fluttershy cried, but it was to late. As Spike finally pried the crazy rabbit, he tripped back over the ledge and began to fall. He closed his eyes as he fell, and prayed that he would land on something soft, or at least slightly close to the ground. However, he felt two arm wrap around him as he was lifted back up into the sky. He opened his eyes, and saw Rainbow Dash flying him to safety.

"C'mon, Spike. Did you really think I'd let you fall?" she asked, smirking at the look of disbelief on his face. "Let's get back to Fluttershy!" She quickly sped right back to the cliffs edge. The two were greeted with the sight of Fluttershy trying her best to hug and strangle her rabbit at the same time.

"ANGEL! You almost got my new friend killed! He was pretty cute, too!" she cried shaking the rabbit back and forth. Spike let out a bashful "Thank you", causing Fluttershy to squeak in surprise and blush heavily. “I-I didn’t know you were back already!” she cried in surprise. Before Rainbow or Spike could respond, they noticed smoke rising from the otherside of the forest.

“...Flutters?” Rainbow began, turning to her yellow friend. “What were you doing before Angel ran off?”

Fluttershy thought for a moment, and then she remembered. “Oh, that’s right! I was making tea on...the...stove…” she said, her face slowly falling as she realized what this meant. The three ran as fast as they would back to the cottage, but it was too late. The cottage was engulfed in flames. Spike and Rainbow did what they would to extinguish the fire, but in the end, there wasn't much to save. FLuttershy looked mortified.

“R-rainbow...I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean...I didn’t know…”Fluttershy stuttered through tears, wrapped into a kind hug by Rainbow Dash.
“Hey, hey. It’s ok, Flutters. There was nothing in there that we can’t replace.” Rainbow said quietly. “Well, there was my full collection of Daring Do signed by the author…” she muttered, earning a glare from Spike and Angel and a fearful look from Fluttershy, but she continued. “That doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you and Angel are safe.”

This finally drew out a smile from Fluttershy, and the two embraced a moment longer. When they broke the hug, they turned to their former home. Now the shock was gone, and it was replaced by a big question. “Where the hell are we gonna live now?” Rainbow finally asked. To their left, Spike they heard a cough.

“I think your friend Spike can help you with that.” Sunset said, walking up the hill to their sides.


“Sunset?!” Spike shouted in surprise. The Equestrian agent turned to him and smiled.

“Heya, Spike. Sorry that it took me so long to find you, the chip in your phone is harder to track up high.” she said, turning back to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy despite Spike numerous questions about the chip she referred to. “Anyhow, if you two would like to, I can get Spike to be your host, and you can live at his house.”

Fluttershy’s face lit up, as did Rainbow Dash’s. “Oh, that would be amazing!” Fluttershy cried, clapping gleefully. Rainbow Dash turned to Spike.

“You good with this, Spike?” she asked, feeling nervous for a moment. However, Spike’s warm smile reassured her.

“Yup. I love for you guys to move in! It’s not like we don’t have room.” Spike said, smiling at his friends. Fluttershy squealed and wrapped Spike into tight hug.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” he cried, not noticing the fact the Spike could no longer breath while he was pressed into her chest. Finally, she let him go, his face bright red from embarrassment and...something else. A black car came up the hill, and took the Equestrians and Spike home. As they drove, Spike turned to Sunset, looking inquisitive.

“So. Sunset. What, exactly, was that about a chip in phone?”

"Spike, c'mon. It's my job to know where you are at all times! A tracking chip kinda helps that."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense...hey, Sunset?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks." 

"No problem, Spike. No problem at all."
> The Festival P1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Spike, you really should have let Sunset or one of the other guards go with you!”, Twilight protested over the phone, causing Spike to roll his eyes.

“Twilight, I’m not a kid, I can handle myself!”, Spike complained, quickening his pace as he noticed the sky darkening with storm clouds. “Besides, Sunset and Starlight have been swamped lately, they would use a few less headaches, y’know?”. Spike smiled as the mall came into sight. He had been granted a day away from the girls, who all planned their own activities. As he entered the mall, he quickly ended his phone call with Twilight.

“Stay safe, Spike!” Twilight said as he ended the call. Spike made his way to the bakery, were he was greeted by a familiar face.

“Hey, Marmalade!”, Spike said with a grin as he approached the counter. He had first met the purple haired Equestrian the same week he became Twilight’s host on Earth. She was kind and laid back, so the two kept in contact. A while later, Marmalade got a job at the mall in the bakery, and was in charge of Spike’s orders from that moment on.

“Eyy, how you been, Spike? Getting your usual, I presume?”, she asked, shooting him a pair of finger guns. He nodded, and she got to work on his order. As he tapped his foot and waited patiently, the door behind him opened and he heard two female voice arguing.

“Rarity, I’m telling you, we don’t need to go that far!”, a voice with a thick southern accent argued, while a delicate, posh voice responded, “BUT DARLING, the turnout would be superb! You should at least give it a chance!”.

Spike looked over his shoulder to see the girls who were arguing, and he felt his face heat up. The first girl had orange skin, blonde hair, and was dressed in a rancher-esc outfit, while the second girl had white skin, purple hair, and was dressed in a stylish outfit, complete with jewels and other bedazalments. They continued to argue for a moment, until they noticed he was listening in. They both turned to Spike, and before he could turn away, they directed a question toward him.

“Um, excuse me, green haired human?”, the Equestrian named Rarity spoke causing him to turn around. “We were hoping you would settle something for us, if you’d be a dear.”. She batted her eyelashes, causing Spike to blush and nod.

“Alright, sure. What do you need me to settle?”, he asked, causing the other girl, named Applejack, to explain.

“Well, my family is holding a festival soon, welcoming humans and Equestrians alike. However, me and my friend here are disagreeing on what we should do for food. My family and I would like to make a majority of the food, but Rarity thinks that we should buy all the food for the event from another vender to avoid repetition. What do you think we should do?”

At the end of the exclamation, both girls looked at Spike expectantly. After a moment, he answered. “Well, it’s kinda a simple fix. Just buy half-and-half. Buy some goods for the other venders, and just make the rest with your family. Than, everyone will have a choice on what to eat, and the turnout might be bigger.”. The girls processed his suggestion and both smiled. 

“That sounds like an excellent idea! Do you agree, AJ?” Rarity asked, causing her friend to nod in agreement. 

“Yup, I must say, I’m surprised we didn’t think of that! Thank you very kindly Mr...um…” Applejack offered, and Spike answered. “Oh, my name is Spike Drake. Pleasure to meet you.” After he shook both of their hands, Marmalade returned with his order. 

“Here you go, Spike. Say hi to the girls for me, alright?”, Marmalade said, before turning to Rarity and taking her order. As he left, Spike asked Applejack what the name of the event was.

“Oh, we’re calling it “The Friendship Festival.”, Applejack said, grinning afterward. “I know, I know. It’s cheesy as hell, but it also kinda fits the atmosphere of how this world has become home for Equestrians too. I hope to see ya there.”. 

Spike thanked AJ, and on his way back to his home, he decided that he would go to the festival, and imagined the excitement and entertainment that would come with this event.
> Nostolgia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“...Spike...Spiiiike...SPIKE!”

Spike jolted up in his seat, shaking the fatigue off. “Yeah, yeah, what’s up, boss?”

Mark rolled his eyes, and gestured to the clock that read 6:48 pm. “You’ve been here an hour after your shift ended, Spike.”

“Ok, you’ve never complained when I’ve stayed later before.” Spike quipped, standing up and stretching. Mark smirked, and said, “Yeah, well usually you staying behind doesn’t attract 6 beautiful girls.”

Spike stood ramrod straight at the mention of the girls, turning to look at Mark, who wore a wide grin proudly on his face. “You better not have--”

“Relax, I just told them you were resting in the back and would be home shortly. I do know the bro-code, after all.” Mark joked, shrugging thoughtlessly. “Bros before...strong independent women.”

“Nice save, dude.”, Spike deadpanned, patting him on the shoulder and making his way towards the exit. “I’ll see you tomorrow, man.”

“Actually, you won’t.” Mark said, causing Spike to turn around. “Me and Shiner are going to that “Friendship Festival” thing to try and drum up some business for this place. In other words, you got the day off. Have fun, Spike.”

Spike thanked Mark, and made his way to the front of the store, clocking out. He couldn’t help but smile at the adorable mascot animatronic that waved as he walked out. Spike thought back to when he had first gotten his job at Megatronic General Store three years ago, way before the Rift to Equestria had been opened. Spike was only 17 back then, and Mark was only 22. They were the only workers there back then, and even then, business wasn't exactly booming. Only when the Rift opened, and equestrians flooded into Sanctuary City that business kicked up, and another person got a job at Megatronic’s. Her name was Shiner, and she was unicorn girl from Equestria. Right away, her and Mark got along great. Trading dry jokes and witty comment throughout the day, they grew really close. Spike had to admit, it was great to see Mark so happy. Deep down, however, he felt sad that he was drifting farther and farther from his friend. Nevertheless, the three continued to work together, and soon, Shiner became friends with Spike, too. 

Finally, Spike reached the house, snapping out of his trip down memory lane. “Geez, times really do change.” He sighed, but shook the nostalgia away, and threw on a smile. “Time to see what the girls have been up to while I was gone.”

Spike opened the door, entered...and was met with the view of the girls around the dining room table in various states of being undressed, apparently playing strip poker. 

Before he could say a word, he heard an exasperated Twilight cry out, “GOD DAMMIT, HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD AT THIS?!”, with a calm Sunset responding, “Eh, I got one helluva poker face.”

After a few moments of grumbling, Twilight began to fumble with her bra, and suddenly, it was off. And just like Twilight’s bra, Spike’s brain went off. Not a thought ran through his mind. That was until Pinkie, who he now realized wasn't wearing ANYTHING suddenly shouted, “Oh, hey Spike! We’re playing strip poker, want me to deal you in?”.

At that point, all of the girls turned to him with surprised, embarrassed, and even angry expressions. His brain started functioning again, and he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Welp, I'm fucking dead."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a brief explanation, and subsequently waiting outside out of respect, Spike actually did join in the game. The girls got redressed, dealed him in, and started a new round of regular poker. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Spike finally spoke up.

"Sooooooo...why strip poker?", he asked, as gallantly as he could. In the end, Pinkie Pie answered. 

"Well, Sunset and I were the only ones who have ever played poker, so we wanted to show the others how so we'd have something else to so when you're gone. Eventually it evolved in strip poker, and you know how well that went."

Spike nodded, and shrugged. "That actually kinda makes sense. Sorry you girls don't have more to do around here."

Pinkie waved her hand dismissively, and said, "Pshhh, it's fine. Besides, we all had fun.". Then she looked up at him and smirked evilly, and said, "You seemed to be having fun too, getting an eyeful of all our goodies."

Spike then let out an chocked stutter of what was supposed to be words in response. Fluttershy and Starlight both blushed, while Sunset and Rainbow Dash smirked and made a few more teasing comments  before Twilight, surprisingly, intervened.

"Pinkie, that's not very polite. I'm sure Spike would never intentionally watch us without us knowing, right Spike?", she asked. Spike flushed bright red, and suddenly, the cards in his hands became very interesting. 

"...Spike, this is the part why you answer the question.", Sunset added pointedly, all of the girls now looking right at him. How were they so damn intimidating?

"Of course I wouldn't, that's extremely disrespectful. I never do that to you girls, let alone anyone.", he said, finally meeting his friends eyes. Apparently, they believed him, as he saw smiles and even slight blushes on their faces.

"Of course, it was wrong of us to doubt you. I'm sorry, Spike.", Twilight said, offering and embarrassed smile.

"No problem, Twi. I get it.", Spike said earnestly. Suddenly, he remembered a question he had been meaning to ask them. "By the way, w-why'd you girls go down to Megatronic's? Did you need me for something?", Spike asked.

"Oh, that! Well, Fluttershy mentioned the Festival tomorrow, and I thought that maybe we could all go and see what its all about.", Twilight answered. Spike smiled, and looked around the table. "Well, does that sound good to all of you, girls?"

"Eh, why not?", responded Rainbow.

"Heck yeah, sounds like a blast!" Pinkie shouted excitedly.

"I'd certainly love to.", Fluttershy muttered happily.

"Hey, I'm in if you guys are.", Starlight agreed happily.

"And of course, I'll be there to babysit all of you.", Sunset commented with a wink.

"Well, I guess it's settled then." Twilight said, her eyes lighting up. "Tomorrow, we go to the Festival!"
> The Festival P2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sanctuary City’s Fairground was full of life on that cool summer day, humans and equestrian’s alike roaming, chatting, and celebrating The Friendship Festival. The festivities include a number of stalls, including games, food, and supporting both local and equestrian businesses. Near the entrance, Spike Drake smiled as he scanned the grounds, before turning to the girls behind him. 

“So, who wants to do what first?” He asked, prompting a flurry of answers from the girls. 

“Oh, oh, I want to try the ferris wheel!” Pinkie shouted, practically shaking with excitement.

“We gotta see what games they have!” Rainbow added, hovering above the rest of the girls slightly with her wings.

“I-I was hoping we would visit the petting zoo…” Fluttershy muttered, stroking her hair bashfully.

“Well, I’m afraid I won’t be joining any of you.” Twilight admitted, resulting in everyone turning to her in surprise. “I was contacted by the orcistraitors of the festival, and they asked me to give a speech about the benefits of equestrian and human relations.”

“Put in none nerd speak, she needs to talk about friendship.” Sunset translated, straining her sunglasses. “Starlight and I will be on perimeter duty in case anyone tries anything while Twilight’s doing her speech.”

“Do you really think that’s possible?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide. Sunset shrugged, a nonchalaunt smile on her face.

“Not likely, but protocol exists for a reason.” She said, before nodding to Spike. “You’re in charge of the girl’s while we’re gone. Behave, or-”

“You’ll break my arm, yeah.” Spike deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “You really need to come up with some better threats.”

Sunset just chuckled, before turning to Twilight and nodding. “Alright, Princess. Put on your public face.” 

Twilight nodded in return, turning to Spike and muttering a quick, “See you later.”, before her expression straightened out and she strode forward, flanked by Sunset, Starlight, and two other guards Spike didn’t know. After they left, Spike turned to the girls with renewed enthusiasm.

“So, who wants to do what first?”

----------
Line Break
----------

By the time the girls had done everything they wanted too, Spike was wiped. Luckily, the longer they were at the fairgrounds, the more independent they became. They were currently all eating at the stall for local bakery while he rested on a bench nearby. While hanging out with the girls was enjoyable, it was a new level of exhausting. Still, watching Pinkie Pie ride a goat while Fluttershy chased after her and Rainbow Dash lost her shit was a hilarious sight.

Spike was snapped out of his thoughts when a vaguely familiar voice. “Oh, hello again darling! Are you enjoying the festivities?” Spike turned to face the source, looking up at the purple haired equestrian, who was beaming at him.

“Oh, hi again...Rarity, was it?” He asked, before continuing. “Yeah, I am enjoying this place. You and Applejack did great!”

Rarity let out a delighted squeal, clapping her hands together and smiling a Spike happily. “Oh, that’s wonderful to hear, darling!” She said, before turning around and spotting her co-host, who she quickly waved over. “Oh, Applejack! Would you come here for a moment, please?” 

Applejack obeyed, walking over to the pair, smiling as she approached. “Howdy, Spike. Hope you’re enjoying yourself!” She greeted, before turning too Rarity. “So, whatcha call me over for, Rares?”

“Well, Spikey here said that he is enjoying the festival, and that we did great putting it together. Isn’t that sweet?” Rarity said, her tone laced with pride. Applejack turned back to Spike, a grateful smile on her face, as well as a thin blush.

“Well, shucks. I’m glad you think we did so well, Spike!” She confessed, taking of her hat and holding it in front of herself in an admittedly adorable display. “Honestly, we couldn’t have done it without you!”

“M-me?!” Spike asked in surprise, looking around in case she was addressing someone else. “What did I do?”

“Well, you gave us the idea to invite businesses from the area so that there would be options for everyone!” The cowgirl explained, still smiling at the boy. “This festival wouldn’t be half as good as it is if you hadn’t given us the idea in the first place!”

“Oh, gee.” Spike muttered, scratching his neck anxiously. “I’m sure that’s not true, two smart girls like yourselves probably would have figured it out.”

Both girls flushed a bit at Spike’s praise, but a sudden announcement from the stage in the center of the festival caught their attention.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle will be performing a speech in 2 minutes.”

“Oh, goodness!” Rarity cried, turning to her partner quickly. “We should return to the stage for the princess’s speech!”

Applejack nodded in agreement, putting her hat back on and smiling at Spike. “Welp, duty calls. Enjoy the rest of your day, sugarcube!”

“So long, Spikey!” Rarity cried, following after Applejack towards the stage. AFter a few minutes, Twilight walked on stage, followed by Applejack and Rarity. Applause roared from the crowd, whoops and cheers accompanying them. Spike couldn’t help but chuckle at the blush on Twilight’s face as she waved into the crowd.

Twilight started her speech, but Spike quickly felt his interest fall elsewhere. Specifically, the strange man to the left of the stage. The man himself just looked...out of place. Surrounded by bright colors and cheerful faces, the man’s black jacket and stern expression just didn’t fit in. Spike’s eyes lingered on the man, and a dark, unsettling feeling of dread began to build in his chest. Something...something was wrong here.

The man than turned on his heel, and walked behind the stage, turning a corner until he was completely obscured. Spike was unaware he had risen and started walking before Fluttershy grabbed his arm. "S-spike? Where are you going?" She asked, the other girls also watching from the stall.

"I...I gotta check something out." he said vaguely, patting her hand. "Look after the girls for a few, please?" Fluttershy nodded, and released him, an uncertain frown on her face. Spike wasted no time striding over to the side of the stage, looking around the corner before he turned. His blood felt like ice in his veins at the sight before him.

The man in the jacket had a gun in his hands, a silenced pistol of some kind. He stepped up a set of stairs at the edge of the stage, entering the back area, behind the curtains. A muffled, "Hey, who are y-" was cut of my two muffled thumps, before a third, quieter one followed. Spike fully turned around the corner, and spotted the man, who was reloading his weapon. Spike's heart seized as he spotted the guard on the ground before him, blood seeping from a wound in his chest. The man on the ground looked at Spike, his blue eyes filled with tears as he slid something towards the green haired boy.

"Stop...that...man..." The man groaned softly, before lowering his head slightly. Spike wasted no time grabbing a costume that lay nearby, quickly wrapping it around the mans wound as quietly as he could. The man with the gun didn't seem to notice Spike, instead walking over to the edge of the stage, right behind the curtain. The man glanced at his watch, before raising the gun and sighing. Spike looked up, and saw the man begin to move the curtain. He looked at the item the guard had slid to him, a steel baton, and quickly scooped it up. Spike hands shook as he stood up, staring at the gunman as he moved the curtain further. 

I'm gonna die here.  He thought to himself as the man opened the curtain fully, and drew his gun. And with that, Spike lunged forward, praying he could prevent whatever was about to occur.

----------
Line Break
----------

"We are stronger together, as friends!" Twilight said, her tone enthusiastic as her speech continued. "Look around you and see all these happy faces, happy people! We can live together, humans and Equestrians, as one!"

Cheers broke out once more throughout the crowd, mixed with applause. However, a sudden ripple of concerned expressions and shouts joined the fray, and Twilight cocked an eyebrow. Did she...say something wrong?

BANG!

Suddenly, something whizzed past Twilight's head, and the crowd erupted into screams. Sunset and Starlight were at her side in a moment, practically shoving her off the stage. However, as she was pulled away by her bodyguards, three things popped into Twilights head.

A gun, a man, and a flash of green hair.

----------
Line Break
----------

Spike had tackled the man as he pulled the trigger, sending them both spiraling off the stage and into the ground. Spike writhed slightly as the wind was knocked out of him, shifting to his side just as the man recovered, his cold grey eyes shifting to Spike and sparking in rage. "You ballsey little FUCKER!" He hissed, picking up his gun and aiming it at the boy, before a lasso suddenly flew around his hands. "The fuck?!"

"Now partner, I don't think it's to kind of ya to be point no firearms at people." A familiar Southern accent hummed, Applejack walking into view, a stern look on her face. "So why don't you just drop your damn gun and come quietly?"

The man barked a laugh, before sneering at the cowgirl. "Not happening, freak." Suddenly, a blade popped from the man's coat sleeve and he cut lasso in half, before turning on his heel and sprinting out of there. Applejack hissed a "Shit!", before hauling Spike to his feet. "You good, sugarcube?"

"Yeah, I'm-I'm fine." He said, before turning in the shooter's direction. "C'mon, we have to stop him!"

Before AJ could protest, Spike was off. He followed the man, dodging and weaving between the people in the still dispersing crowd while the man just shoved them aside. Finally, the man stopped and whipped around, and Spike's heart froze once more. He was now holding Rarity, one arm around her neck, the other pointing a second gun against her head. 

"Not another step, green bean, or her brains go all over the grass." The man hissed, tightening his grip on Rarity's neck and making her whimper in response. Two guards and Sunset appeared next to Spike, pointing their weapons at the man.

"Let her go, NOW!" Sunset growled, her tone angrier then anytime Spike could recall. The man just chuckled, and shook his head.

"Yeah, I don't think so, sweet cheeks."

Spike watched in growing fear as the man began to inch backwards, only a few yards from the tree line on the edge of the fairground. If he made it there, he'd be home free. Spike sighed, muttered a quiet, rushed prayed, and lunged forward. The gun reacted just as he expected he would, the gun flying from Rarity's head to Spike's chest. The trigger was pulled.

Surprisingly, being shot was kinda like in the movies. Everything got hazy as Spike hit the ground, sounds becoming muffled and distant. A few screams were audible, as well as shouts of anger. Spike turned his head, and saw that the gunman was now on the ground, pinned by the two other guards. He turned his head back, and realized that Sunset was now over him, pressing on his chest, where the bullet had struck. The pain was present, but it was a bit dull already, which surprised Spike. He realized that Sunset was speaking, and quickly tried to listen to her.

"Stay with me, Spike!" She hissed, the slightest hint of fear in her tone. "Shit, WHERE'S THAT FUCKING MEDIC?!" Sunset torn of her glasses so that she could get a better look at the wound, and Spike laughed a little. Sunset's gaze flicked to his, her expression uncertain. "The hell are you giggling about, Drake?"

"Your...eyes...are...pretty..." He sputtered, smirking at the agent, who flushed at his comment. However, Spike suddenly felt dreadfully tired, and began to close his eyes. Sunset's voice, while frantic, began to get softer, more distant.

"Shit, GLIMMER! Get over here, help me!"

Sunset, we're losing him!

Spike! SPIKE!
> Recovery P1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike's eyes shot open, and he immediately groaned at the painful feeling rising in his chest.

"Owwwww. Ok, bullets hurt. Noted." He groaned, before sitting up and rubbing his head. "Ugh, I really gotta think these...things...through..."

Spike trailed off as he took in his surroundings. He seemed to be in some strange forest, sitting next to a lake and waterfall feeding into it. The entire forest had a tint of blue, almost as if it was in the early stages of night time. However, that isn't what made him go quiet. Instead, that honor went to whatever being was standing on the edge of the woods, a long, hooded robe obscuring their features.

Jaune felt a lump grow in his throat as he started at the creature. He could feel it staring back, it's eyes scanning him diligently. He sighed, before pasting on a smile and waving to the figure. "Uh, hi there! You wouldn't mind telling where I-WAH!"

Spike query was cut off as the figure suddenly appeared directly in front of him, as if crossing the space between them in a second. Now that it was closer, Spike could see stars in the robe, flickering and swirling idly on the cloth. That was...new.

"Spike Drake."

Spike jumped again as the figure addressed him. It voice was loud, but at the same time gentle, almost kind. "Y-y-yes?"

"Do you know who I am?"

"I...I think I might..." Spike answered quietly, a feeling of cold realization settling in his chest. "Am...am I dead?"

A brief silence passed through-out the forest before the figure laughed, initially loud and booming before softening into giggles, all while Spike stared at it confused.

"I-ahem, I apologize." The figure began, it voice now normal and distinctly female. "That wasn't very polite of me." As the figure spoke, she moved back her hood, allowing her head to be exposed. Spike was shocked to come face to face with the a blue skinned alicorn with long, flowing blue hair. 

"My name is Luna, I am a friend of Twilight Sparkle." She explained, offering Spike a hand and lifting him to his feet.

"Oh, you're Queen Celestica's sister!" Spike exclaimed, causing the taller woman to tilt her head in curiosity. "Twilight mentioned you and your sister while she was explaining Equestria to me. It's an honor to meet you!"

Luna grinned at Spike's enthusiasm, even flushing a little at the boy's praise. "Thank you, you're just as kind as Twilight said you were."

"Twilight talked about me? With you two?" Spike asked, a small blush rising on his face. 

"Oh, many times!" Luna confirmed, a sly smirk crossing her face. "She's quiet enamored with you, you know."

"W-what?!" Spike cried, his blush growing warmer. Luna chuckled a bit, but waved her hand dismissively.

"Any who, we should probably talk more when you're awake."

"I'm...not right now?" Spike asked, before it sunk in that that was a bit of a stupid question. Clearly, the blue forest straight out of a fantasy story wasn't the real world. However, Luna didn't mock him for the question, simply letting it slide.

"Nope! You're in a hospital at the moment." She explained, before tilting her head as the entire room seemed to get a bit...brighter? "Ah, it appears you're waking up! I'll be seeing you shortly, goodbye Spike!"

"Um, bye?" Spike muttered, suddenly feeling very tired despite the ever brighter light that seemed to shine from everywhere at once. "I'm just...gonna...sleep..."

-----------
Line Break
-----------

Spike slowly opened his eyes, blinking the sleep away as he sat up, immediately regretting the movement as pain shot up his chest.

"Ugh, yep. Bullets still hurt."

A gasp from the corner of the room made Spike open his eyes again, looking to the sound's origin. Pinkie Pie stood in the doorway of his room, staring at him with wide eyes. Before Spike could speak, she whizzed down the hall, making Spike sigh. Well, there goes any answers to the questions rattling around in his head.

However, a moment later, a thunderous roar of footsteps echoed down the hall, charging towards his room. A blur of pink speed back into his room, before something landed on Spike's chest. 

"SPIKE!" Pinkie cried, her arms wrapped around his form as he lay in the bed, still shocked from the sudden impact. He wasn't even able to recover, however, as three more blurs of color rushed into the room and to his sides, two grabbing both of his arms while the third stopped by his head.

"Oh Spike, I'm so sorry you got hurt!" Twilight cried from his right, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"You scared us shitless, you know." Rainbow muttered from his left, avoiding looking at Spike's eyes while her cheeks glowed red.

"You were so brave...I was so scared when I saw you get hurt." Fluttershy confessed, stroking her hair shyly from the sidelines.

"I'm sorry...I scared...you guys." Spike groaned. "But Pinkie...you're crushing...my ribs!"

Twilight and Rainbow Dash immediately released Spike, while Pinkie's hug lasted a few seconds longer before she released him, still perched in his lap.

"I'm sorry, Cupcake!" Pinkie said, before beaming at the bedridden boy. "I'm just so glad you're ok!"

"As am I, Ms. Pie."

The four friends turned to the doorway, where three equestrians were waiting. The one who had spoken had was tall, had  white skin, and her mixed color hair was long and flowing, shimmering in the light of the room. The other equestrians were Luna and Starlight.

"Hello again, Spike!" Luna said with a smile. Spike waved at her shyly, before Twilight interjected.

"Wait, you two have met? When?!" 

"Oh, I just visited him in his mindscape while he was unconscious." Luna stated, as if it was the most normal statement in the world. 

"Ugh, sister!" The tall mare groaned, facepalming at her sister's actions. "We've talked about this! You can't just enter other's dreams without their permission!"

"I, uh, I don't mind that she visited me..." Spike interjected, drawing all the girl's attention. "Still, I'm not quite sure what's going on."

"Ah, of course." The white equestrian said, shaking her head as if to clear it. "The very purpose of our visit."

The new woman walked over to a set of chairs in the corner after she said this, pulling them up alongside one another at the foot of Spike's bed. She sat down, and looked Spike in the eyes as Luna joined her.

"I suppose I should get straight to business." She stated, and among Spike's nod, she continued.

"My name is Celestia, and this is my sister Luna. We are the rulers of Equestria. And we have some questions for you."
> Recovery P2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Um, I'll answer whatever I can." Spike answered hesitantly, clearly a bit nervous due to the fact that he was being interrogated by a literal queen from another world. "I just hope I have whatever answers you're searching for."

Celestia smiled warmly at him, and nodded. "Of course, thank you for being so understanding." She said diplomatically, while Luna grinned as well before raising a note pad and pen using her horn. "Now, onto the first question..."

As it turns out, most of the questions were pretty standard. Why he was at the Festival, who he was with, when he first noticed the shooter. During the questioning, Spike was able to get some answers about the events at the fairgrounds and what happened in the aftermath.

Apparently, the shooter's name was William O'Malley. He was identified as a mercenary who was payed twenty-million dollars to assassinate Twilight Sparkle and disrupt the local celebration. Currently, both the local government and Equestrian officials were interrogating him and attempting to track down the individual who hired Mr. O'Malley. Unfortunately, not much progress had been made.

Even worse was the events that followed. Apparently, whoever hired O'Malley also hired a second individual by the name of Harrison Goodwill. Whoever was behind the attack decided that the Friendship Festival and Twilight weren't the only targets, because the day after the first attack, Goodwill detonated several incendiary devices around the entrance of the processing center for Equestrians. Amazingly, no one was killed, but two dozen people were injured and Goodwill was in the wind.

In other words, Sanctuary City was falling apart at the seams, and everyone was looking for answers. Hence Spike's current questioning.

"Well, I suppose that about covers it." Celestia said, frowning at the notes that she and her sister had received. While Spike's information was valuable, it wasn't the earth-shattering revelations or answers they needed either. Upon noticing the frown mirroring her own on the boy's face, she offered a small smile to him. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Drake."

"Oh, um, of course, Ms. Celestia...er, your highness?" Spike asked with a nervous chuckle, turning to Twilight for clarification. "Um, what should I address her as?"

Both Twilight and Luna chuckled, while Celestia herself bowed her head in a surprisingly bashful manner. "Celestia is fine, Spike. I doubt she minds." Twilight answered, followed by a nod from the princess herself.

"Yes, Celestia is fine." She confirmed, allowing her own chuckle as Spike raised his hand in question. "Yes, Mr. Drake?"

"Um, I was just wondering..." Spike started, trailing off momentarily as he scanned the room before continuing. "Where's Sunset?"

The atmosphere of the room immediately shifted back to a more somber, uncomfortable feeling as all of the girls avoid his gaze. All but one.

"Sunset...Sunset didn't take your injury well." Starlight stated, visibly uncomfortable. "Hell, none of us really did, but Sunset..."

Another stretch of tense silence passed over the room as the guard trailed off. Spike scanned the room once more, before shifting in his bed, ignoring the dull pain in his chest as he swung his legs over the side. Twilight let out a gasp of alarm, and moved to support Spike as his feet met the ground. Rainbow Dash quickly assisted the alicorn, the pair supporting Spike as he rose, turning to Starlight while the rest of the girls gawked at him in shock. He growled a quick question, clear despite the strain from his chest wound.

"Where is she?"

--------------
Line Break
--------------

Sunset swirled the brown liquid in her cup repeatedly, watching the ice cubes tap the sides and bounce off in mild interest. In her defense, she was completely wasted, bitter, and sad as hell. Alcohol tended to numb that pain.

"Ey, bacon hair!" The bartender jeered, wiping up a spilled drink from the bar. "You've been here what, two days? I think ya best start headin' home."

Sunset shot the man a thin glare, prompting a groan and a muttered comment about "stubborn women" before leaving her to her devices. Sunset took another sip of the drink, and hummed in acceptance of the bitter taste. Alcohol had never really been her thing, but after what happened...

Sunset mentally cursed herself as the images started to rush back. The human in black. The gun against an Equestrian's head. A gunshot. A red circle of blood staining with the white cloth of Spike's t-shirt...getting larger...

Sunset shuddered as her fist hit the table of the booth she was siting at, and she downed the rest of her glass in an act of desperation to forget once more. She was lucky she swallowed the liquid when she did, because the voice that rang out from her left would have made her choke mid-sip.

"Sunset?"

Her eyes flicked up, and sure enough, there he stood. Spike. Fucking. Drake. A look of bewilderment, concern...and slight disappointment on his face. Sunset discreetly pinched herself, making sure this wasn't another black-out-drunk dream. It wasn't.

"H-hey, killer." She slurred, the alcohol in her system clearly not doing her any favors. "How...how are you?"

"I've...been better." Spike answered carefully, offering a kind smile to the girl and making her heart flutter. Gods, what she wouldn't give to hug him, to kiss him, to tear his cloths right off his body and fu-

Down girl, down. She growled to herself mentally, not yet far enough gone that she wasn't in control. She snapped back to reality as Spike extended a hand to her, still smiling.

"Hey, you...wanna head home?"

Sunset gazed into those gleaming emerald eyes for a few seconds before nodding, accepting his hand and allowing herself to be pulled up by the boy. She was almost a head taller than him, but that didn't stop him from supporting her weight with his own, while groaning quietly due to the dulled pain. Sunset still noticed, and tried to take a step on her own. She almost faceplanted, only to be hauled back up by Spike, who shot her a playful scowl. 

"Hey, we help each other, ok?" He clarified, receiving a shaky nod from Sunset in response. With that, the pair stumbled toward the doorway, while the bartender watched the pair with a small grin.

"Heh, Ol' Drake. Always the gentleman."
> Changes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike Drake was not an idiot. At times he was foolish, sometimes even naïve, but he was smart where it mattered. However, he couldn't help but feel as though something had changed with the girls. 

It had started out small. It'd been two days since Spike had been shot, and the girls were being especially nice to him, though that was to be expected, they were his friends after all. Sunset pulled the others aside to talk, and left him alone in the kitchen with Rarity and Applejack, who had come to visit after receiving news about his recovery.

"Oh, Spikey. I'd just like to thank you again for saving my life." Rarity cooed, before averting her eyes and frowning slightly. "I...I also must apologize for even putting you in that position. You almost...a-almost..." 

Rarity trailed off, and moved to the side of the room to compose herself. Applejack stepped up, holding her hat before her with an embarrassed expression. 

"I'm sorry too, Spike." She stated quietly, not meeting his eyes. "I could have stopped you, but I wasn't fast enough. With all that was going on, I just...lost control."

"Well...that's ok."

Both Rarity and Applejack looked up at Spike, who was smiling warmly at the pair as he continued.

"Truth is, I didn't really know what I was doing either. I just saw someone in need, and I acted. I'm just glad no one got hurt."

"Spike, you got hurt!" Applejack interjected, now frustrated by the boy's cadence. "Doesn't that bother you?"

"I mean, getting shot hurt a lot..." Spike confessed, making both girls flinch before he continued once more. "But, you're both safe. That's a good enough trade for me."

A brief silence fell over the room before Rarity crossed over to Spike's position, before wrapping him into a hug. 

"Thank you, Spike. I'm still terribly sorry that you went through what you did." She whispered, before releasing him. "I'm also thankful that you're alright. Just...please promise me that you'll try to stay out of trouble."

"And you have ta promise me that you'll take good care of yourself." Applejack assed, offering a small smile to the boy as she joined the fashionista at his side. "Think you can manage that, sugar cube?"

"Well, I'll certainly try." Spike quipped cheekily, making all three of them laugh. A few minutes later, the rest of the girls returned, and the day continued as normal. The next day was when things started to get weird. 

Spike rolled in his typically spacious  bed, determined to get another ten minutes of sleep, when he felt something warm and soft make contact with his chest. He cracked his eyes open, expecting to see a stray pillow or blanket that he had shifted in his sleep. Instead, he came face to face with a very awake Pinkie Pie, who beamed at him as his eyes widened.

"Hiya, Cupcake! Sleep well?"

Spike responded by letting out a shrill shriek and lurching back. He nearly fell of the bed before Pinkie grabbed his hand, and pulled him back up. 

"Whoopsie daisy! Sorry about that, Spikey." She apologized, still smiling. "I just thought that you might like a surprise to start the day!"

"Well...you definitely surprised me!" Spike responded, slowly returning the girl's smile. On the scale of crazy things Pinkie had done, that had definitely been on the lower end. A few minutes later, Spike got out of the shower, only to find the clothes that he had picked for the day were now gone, a small slip of paper in their place. He quirked an eyebrow before bending over to grab it, stopping and letting out a hiss of pain as his chest wound ached with the movement.

I should take my pain meds after this. He thought to himself, before scooping up the note and reading it hastily.

Noticed your clothes lying here, figured I'd put them back in your room for ya ;) -RD 

Spike groaned as he finished reading, but found himself smiling once more. Rainbow was always one for practical jokes, he really should have seen this coming. After a brief sprint back to his room, Spike found his clothes waiting on his bed, as well as a smirking Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, stud. Ah damn, I forgot you had a towel in there with ya. I was hoping for more of a show." She mused, going into a pout on the edge of his bed. Spike rolled his eyes, an jabbed a thumb towards the doorway pointedly. "Alright, alright! I'm going! See you downstairs, Spike."

With that, Rainbow left his room, shooting him a wink on the way out. Spike shook his head, and closed the door as he got dressed for the day. When he got downstairs, the sweet scent of cocoa met his nose. He followed the delicious smell to the kitchen, when Fluttershy was currently making two cups of Hot Chocolate. She noticed his approach, and smiled gently at him.

"O-oh, you're awake!" She greeted, turning and offering him a mug of Cocoa. "Good morning, Spike!"

"Morning, Flutters." He said, taking the Cocoa and offering her a smile. "How's your morning going?"

"I'd say it's going well. I'm planning to visit the local animal shelter and see if there's anything I can help with." 

"Hey, that's great!" Spike said, patting Fluttershy's shoulder. "Good to hear your animal skill are gonna be put to work."

Fluttershy blushed and muttered something about her skills being novice level at best. After a few more minutes of talking, Twilight entered the kitchen clutching her own mug of coffee. Her eyes flicked from the book she was reading to Spike, and she smiled happily.

"Spike, you're up!" She said, excitement present in her tone, before shifting to worry. "Are you feeling alright? No pain from your injury?"

"No, Twilight. I'm fine!" Spike insisted,  smirking at the alicorn's concerns. "When are you gonna let me back onto one of your projects? I'm wasting away here!"

"I'll let you help out again when I'm certain you're in condition to help again!" Twilight responded, frowning slightly at her host. "I don't want you getting hurt again."

"I know, and I appreciate that, Twi." Spike admitted, before smiling lightly at his friend. "I just...wanna help out still. Or you know, do anything except lie around and be lazy." 

"Well, you're in luck." Spike nearly jumped as Sunset spoke, and turned his head to see her to his left, dangling her keys pointedly at him. "Star and I gotta go run some errands. Wanna come with?"

"Hell yeah!" Spike exclaimed, before turning to Twilight an offering a apologetic smile. "I promise I won't strain myself."

Twilight groaned, but nodded in acceptance and gestured to the front door. "Well, if you promise...go for it."

"Thanks, Twi!" Spike crowed, even giving her a kiss on the cheek before heading for the door. Twilight's face became a bright shade of tomato red, while Sunset chuckled and Fluttershy giggled quietly.

"Do you think he even knows?" Sunset questioned, drawing a sigh from the purple equestrian, along with a shake of her head.

"Not a chance. Spike's smart, but his skull is thicker then granite when it comes to romance."

"When do you think we should tell him?" Sunset asked, receiving a shrug in response as Twilight turned around and moved back towards the library. 

"Whenever we're all ready to."
> Adapting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, what exactly are we getting here?" Spike asked as he, Sunset, and Starlight entered the local mall. 

"Well, food for starters, but Star and I are covering that." Sunset answered, before handing Spike a small list. "I need you to grab everything here, if you please."

Spike quirked an eyebrow as he read the list. 

"2 bottles of conditioner/shampoo, three rolls of paper towel, one box of disposable gallon bags, one copy of the movie "Die Hard"....really?"

"What? I heard it was good." Sunset defended, her cheeks glowing lightly.

"Well, it is, but that's besides the point! I was expecting something a bit...bigger?"

"Spike, I really hate to quote the princess, but you need to take it slow." Sunset insisted, crossing her arms. "Seriously, I-er, I mean, WE don't want to see you get hurt because you overestimated yourself."

Spike sighed, and nodded slowly, rubbing his neck sheepishly. 

"Yeah, I guess you're right...sorry about being difficult about it."

"It's fine, Spike." Starlight said, smiling warmly at her friend. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to be useful. Just take it easy, and you'll be just fine."

"Yeah, I know." Spike replied, before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, I'm gonna get started on my list. See you girls in a few?" 

"Sure, see you then Spike."

With that, Spike made his way over to the store, while Sunset and Starlight headed for the market section of the mall. As Sunset grabbed a cart, she noticed her fellow guard staring at her.

"Alright, what is it? What have I done now?" She asked, turning to face her friend, who raised her hands defensively.

"Nothing, I've just noticed that you've been extra friendly with Spike lately."

"I've always been friendly with Spike, Star. I had to deal with the guy since I was assigned to Twi's guard unit, so I learned to like him." Sunset said, crossing her arms once more. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Of course not, we already talked about how we feel about him." Starlight replied. "It's just...you were kinda passive with him before, now you're actively telling him how much you care about him."

Sunset paused, before she pulled her friend back to the cart station and took of her sunglasses, displaying her sharp blue eyes in an angry glare. 

"Star. Spike died in my arms."

In that moment, the world suddenly felt much, much smaller to Starlight as she realized how deep an impact the attack on the Festival and Spike's injury left on her.

"Thirty-two seconds, that's how long he was gone Star. I felt the life leave him. And then we got lucky, and the resilient bastard pulled through, but for those thirty-two seconds, I've never felt such pain in my life. I would have taken that bullet a thousand times over just to prevent seeing him like that, and...a-and losing him..."

For a moment, Sunset got choked up, barley holding back tears. Starlight wrapped her friend in a comforting hug, and the two stayed there for a minute. Eventually, Sunset composed herself and let out a shaky chuckle as she disengaged from the hug.

"Jeez, look at me gettin' all sappy. Heh, guess that dork really has changed me, huh?"

"Seems like it, Sunny." Starlight quipped, earning another laugh.

"Well, enough of my emotional bitching. We should grab food for the week." Sunset mused, and with that, they entered the store.

-------------
Line Break
-------------

"Twiiiiiiiiiilight!" Pinkie called, peaking into one of the many rooms of the mansion she hadn't gotten to exploring yet. This one looked like a library, and a huge one at that! "You in here, Twilie?"

"Over here, Pinkie!" The princess responded from deeper within the maze of bookshelves. Pinkie advanced into the room, coming across Twilight at a table with several stacks of books surrounding her.

"Wowie, what is all of this?" Pinkie asked, picking up one book and cocking her head to the side in curiosity. 

"Well, since I'm waiting until Spike is fully recovered to start back up on my main project, I've decided to take up something to keep me occupied." Twilight explained, shifting through one of the books she was holding before putting it down.

"Um...reading?" Pinkie guessed, placing the book back onto Twilight's pile. Twilight rolled her eyes, but offered the pink equestrian a smile.

"Technically, yes, reading is part of it, Pinkie." She admitted, before lacing her hands together. "However, I was hoping to learn about the more...intimate sides of human culture."

"Ooooooooh!" Pinkie exclaimed, her eyes lighting up in realization. "You wanna know what get Spikey in the mood!"

Twilight promptly went red, and sputtered in surprise before composing herself.

"P-PINKIE! WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!"

"Because that's why you're interested, duh." Pinkie explained, as if it was the most obvious fact in the world. Before Twilight could retort, her friend continued. "Dashie has already been looking into it, you're kinda late to the party."

"Damn right I have been!"

Twilight turned in her seat and gawked at Rainbow Dash, who had not only entered the library without her noticing, but had collected her own stack of books, of a more...lewd variety.

"RAINBOW DASH!"

"Yeah?" The speedster answered, smirking at the egghead as Pinkie perused the new collection of pornographic materials. "Look, we agreed that we'd confess together, but I'm gonna make sure that I know how to blow our stud's mind."

Twilight stared at Rainbow Dash in a mixture of shock and embarrassment, before sighing, rubbing her eyes in frustration, and walking over to the cyan Pegasus's table.

"Fine. Let's see what you have so far."
> Escalation P1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Um, are you guys feeling alright?" 

It was a fairly simple question, or at least it seemed like a fair one. It had been running through Spike's mind all morning. In his defense, it was justified. All four of his roommates had been acting strangely all morning, as were Sunset and Starlight. 

Their respective ears and tails had been twitching erratically, and their general behavior had either fallen under the categories of distracted, uncomfortable, or both. Even Pinkie Pie, the classically hyper morning person was remarkably subdued that morning. Currently, they were all huddled around the kitchen table, wither eating breakfast or drinking coffee. However, upon hearing Spike's question, all head immediately snapped in his direction.

Well...that's not a fantastic sign.

"W-were, uh, we're fine, Spike." Twilight answered, tapping her fingers rhythmically on wooden table. "It's just...well, um, well, it's complica-"

"We're in heat." Rainbow Dash interjected. Twilight immediately sputtered in surprise and embarrassment, which was the general consensuses from the rest of the girls as well. Spike, on the other hand, was utterly confused.

"I'm sorry, heat?" He asked, his gaze flicking between the girls for confirmation. "A-as in, animal heat? Like...mating?"

"Yes, Spike. Like mating." Sunset practically growled, clutching her coffee cup tightly, as though she was desperately trying to distract herself. "It happens one week a year on Equestria, it's official term is, "The Red Moon Effect" or some shit, but it's generally referred to as "Red Week". All female Equestrians are affected by it after the age of 18."

"I...see." Spike responded cautiously, even taking a few precautionary steps back. "So, should I be worried about locking my door at night, or..?"

While the question was mostly a joke, Spike was a bit concerned with the implications of this news. The look of unease on the girls faces didn't do much to calm his nerves.

"No, we...we should be fine." Twilight answered slowly, offering a smile to the green-haired human, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Just...if we ever seem a bit over affectionate, put some distance between yourself and us. Just for safety purposes."

"Oh, safety proposes! Well don't I feel safe!" Spike snarked, before shaking his head dismissively. "Why'd you guys wait so long to tell me about this? It seems at least a little important for me to know."

"Spike, it was in the paperwork for Twilight's citizenship application." Sunset sighed, before her gaze snapped back up to his. "You did read all of that, right?"

"Of course I did, Sunset! There was forty-plus pages on that application, I'm not gonna remember all of it off the top of my head!"

Suddenly, Spike's phone chirped, resulting in him glancing down at the device an sighing.

"Damn. I gotta get to work, are you guys gonna be ok?" He asked, unknowingly arising a series of blushes to rise on each girl's face.

"I-I think we'll be fine, R-right girls?" Twilight asked, turning to her friends for confirmation. 

"Y-yup. All good." Rainbow grunted, while Pinky and Fluttershy both just nodded in confirmation.

"We'll be f-fine, Spike." Starlight confirmed, pasting on a thin grin. 

Spike watched the girls for a few more moments, before shrugging his shoulders and smiling at them. "Ok then. I'll see you guys in a few hours, ok?"

After receiving a chorus of confirmations, Spike stared for the door. Really, if the girls were certain that this "Red Week" thing was nothing new, then he trusted their judgment.

Honestly, what could possibly go wrong?
------------
Line Break
------------
Very much could go wrong. Very, very much.

The first day wasn't so bad, but that's because Spike was at work for a majority of that day, having to pull a double shift due to Shiner being out for Red Week. He got home around 10:00, he headed up to his room and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Initially, Spike didn't notice anything out of the ordinary the next day, aside from the silence that fell over the mansion. He ate some cereal before heading back upstairs, deducing that the girls would probably just do their own thing that day. He made it halfway to his room before he heard a whisper from behind him.

"Psst, Spikie! Over here!" 

Spike turned on his heel, and spotted Pinkie Pie leaning out from behind her door, he hair in a towel and what seemed like her normal wide smile on her face.

"Oh, hey Pinkie." Spike greeted. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Yeppers Peppers! I feel great!" She confirmed, still smiling. "Buuuut, I could use your help with something."

"Um...ok. What's up?" Spike asked, a slight feeling of unease rising in his chest.

"Well, my shower kinda just stopped working while I was using it." Pinkie explained, maintaining eye contact with Jaune with every word. "I figured you might know if anything was wrong with it."

"Oh, yeah. Twilight mentioned that bathroom's shower was a little finicky." Spike admitted, before taking a few steps forward. "Well, I guess I could che-"

Spike paused and stopped walking as he allowed the situation to register in his mind, the uneasy feeling in his chest rising higher.  Something...something felt wrong here. Why would Pinkie come to him for this? Why not Twilight? Spike's unease didn't falter as Pinkie tilted her head at him, her smile widening as if she could sense his nervousness.

"Something wrong, Spikey?"

A spark of fear and slight arousal hit Spike with the way Pinkie practically moaned his name, her sharp blue eyes glaring into him, like a lion hunting it's prey.

"N-nope! I'm fine!" He stuttered, hastily retreating back towards his room while maintain eye contact with the pink Equestrian. "I-uh, I actually have something I need to do, I-I'll see you later Pinkie!"

Spike didn't miss the way Pinkie's eyes sharpened as he backed away, almost making him want to sprint back to his room. However, she simply shrugged her shoulder and slipped back behind the door with a final, cheery shout.

"Okie Doki, see you later, Spikey!"

With that, the door clicked shut. Spike let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. OK, so that was...weird. But it probably wouldn't get worse!

Then it did.

Wednesday was the day when things started to get bad. Once again, Spike ventured down stairs, only to happen upon both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy in the living room, both stretching on their respective yoga mats. Their attire was also a lot more...reveling than normal, tight in all the right places, resulting in Spike hastily averting his gaze.  

"Wha-M-morning, girls?" Spike sputtered, a bit surprised to see them acting so normal. Both girls gazes immediately snapped up to meet his, smiles rising on their faces in seconds. 

"Spike! I was wondering what you were up to!" Fluttershy said, rising to her feet and grabbing his hands, giggling excitedly. "I was hoping you'd come and say hi!"

Spike found Fluttershy's enthusiasm a bit off-putting, distinctly noting the lack of stutters or stammers in her speech. While this would normally be a welcomed change, her current personality change combined with her frazzled appearance wasn't particularly comforting. It wasn't helped when a pair of arms suddenly snaked around him, pulling him into an unexpected hug from behind. 

"Yeah, me and Flutters were talkin' about you." Rainbow Dash added, pressing herself into his back. While the feeling of Rainbow Dash's breasts pressing into his back was distressing enough, Spike was hit with the secondary thought that he was now surrounded. 

"Y'know...we could use your help with something, stud." She continued. "Flutters and I are feelin' a little...pent up. Mind helping us work it out?"

As the blue Equestrian spoke, Fluttershy's hands strayed lower, grazing chest before ending at the bulge in his pants.

That was around the time Spike panicked.

He didn't completely remember what happened next. All he knew was that he ended up in his room, his heart thundering in his chest and his breaths ragged and broken.

"You can't hide forever, stud!" Rainbow Dash called out from outside his room, making him jump. You'll have to come up sometime, and we'll be waiting when you do!

A few minutes of silence passed, allowing Spike to catch his breath, before raking a hand through his hair and releasing a shuddering sigh.

Jesus, how the hell do they deal with this on Equestria? He asked himself, before shaking his head. Well, at least I only have three days left. If I just keep my distance, I should be...I...I should be...

Spike suddenly felt very weak, his head was spinning and his chest felt tight. Everything looked...wrong.

What's...happening...why...is...everything...blue?

Then his world went black. A figure stepped out from his closet, allowing her magic to cease as she smirked at his unconscious form.

"That's right, Spike. Get some rest." The Equestrian whispered, leaning down and petting his head affectionately. "You're in for quite the ride when you wake up~"
> Escalation P2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike's eyes fluttered open slowly, feeling concerningly heavy as he lifted his head, scanning his surroundings quickly. He noted that he was no longer in his room, instead finding himself in the mansion library.

What the...how did I get here?

"Oh, you're finally awake!" A familiar voice chirped, making a shiver run up Spike's spine. Sure enough, Starlight Glimmer came around from his left, her bright blue eyes locked with his. "I'm sorry I had to knock you out to get you here, but we just kept  missing each other!"

"S-starlight?" Spike asked, shocked with how hoarse his voice sounded. Starlight seemed to notice this, her eyes lighting up before she turned around, scrambling over to a nearby table.

"Ah, sorry about that, too!" She apologized, turning back around and offering Spike a glass of water. He took it slowly, taking a long sip. He was a bit surprised with how dry his mouth felt. "I though you might need to eat, so I got you some food and water."

"Um...thanks, Star." Spike muttered, still a bit uncomfortable with how his friend was acting, but relieved that she still seemed fairly normal. That relief died, however, as Starlight turned back around to face him, wide grin still present on her face, followed by a lustful look in her eyes.

"Of course, anything for my special friend!" She chirped, leaning forward and quirking an eyebrow at her captive. "Maybe...you could make it up to me?"

Spike let out a nervous chuckle, before standing up from the wooden chair he'd been sitting in, and slowly walking backwards, babbling all the while.

"O-oh, well...I gotta grab something real quick, but I'll be right ba-"

Spike's stuttering stopped as he bumped into something solid, whipping around and letting out a sharp gasp as he came to face to face with a smirking Sunset Shimmer, who tilted her head playfully as he began to back away from her.

"Oh? Whatcha lookin' for, Spike?" She hummed sadistically, wrapping her arms around the human's neck to keep him in place. "I think you have alllllll that you need, right here. With us...with me."

Spike could practically feel the sexual tension in her voice, his heart hammering in his chest as he tried to pull back from her embrace, only for Starlight to wrap her arms around his chest, pulling him just as close and humming happily as she did so.

"Oh, Spike~" She purred, slipping her head onto his shoulder. "You have no idea how long we've waited for this."

As Starlight spoke, Sunset leaned in her face inches from Spike's. For single, still moment, their lips were inches apart...

Suddenly, a bright purple flash illuminated the room, with all three of the current occupants crying out in surprise, and with both girls releasing Spike. Just as fast as he was released, a new set of hands landed on his shoulders, followed closely by a second blinding flash.

Spike let out a groan of pain as he hit the cold wooden floor of a new room. He raised his head, taking in his surroundings. 

"Ugh, Spike? Are you ok?"

Spike's eyes shot open fully, and he turned over to see Twilight Sparkle, rubbing an apparent bump on her head. He hastily scooted away from her, eyes darting around looking for an exit before she spoke again.

"Woah, woah! Spike, it's ok!" She cried, holding up her hands in a surrender motion. "I'm not going to hurt you! I promise!"

Spike paused, flicking his gaze back to Twilight and noticing that she wasn't advancing on him. In fact, the longer he looked at her, the calmer he got. While her cloths and hair were slightly disheveled, she seemed like she was acting normally.

"T-twi?" He asked cautiously, rising to his feet. "Are you...ok?"

To his surprise, the alicorn chuckled and nodded in confirmation while straitening her shirt.

"I'm supposed to be asking you that, Spike." She said, before her expression became concerned. "Are you doing alright? The others haven't...done anything to you, right?"

"Luckily, no." He answered, earning a sigh of relief from Twilight. "I've had a few close calls, though. You didn't tell me you guys would be so...intense!"

"I'm sorry, Spike." Twilight apologized, rubbing her neck anxiously. "I f-forgot that this is you first year experiencing t-this."

"It's not your fault, Twi." Spike insisted, before noticing the girl's tail twitching. "Um, are you ok? You still seem a bit...twitchy?"

"O-oh, I'm f-fine." She answered, her ears twitching almost as intensely as her tail. "Just...still a-adjusting."

"Oh...does...does it hurt?" Spike asked, blushing immediately after as it registered how strange that question sounded. Apparently, it didn't seem strange to Twilight, as she answered almost immediately.

"Gods, YES!" She cried, raking her hands through her hair as she practically whimpered. "It's not even actual pain, I-I-it's just this-this NEED to fuck!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Twilight's face burned a bright crimson, followed by a series of stuttered excuses and apologies, before Spike spoke again.

"Um...Twilight?" He asked, a look of uncertainty on his face. "Are...are all of the girls going through this?" 

"Wha...yes, yes they are." Twilight answered, cocking her head in confusion. "Spike?"

Spike didn't say anything, instead extending a hand to his equestrian friend. Wordlessly, Twilight took his hand and allowed him to lead her out of the room, and towards his own. Her confusion only increased as he opened the door and gestured for her to step inside.

"Um, Spike?" She asked, glancing around the human's room as she entered. "what are we don't here?"

"Hopefully something I won't regret." He answered cryptically, before walking back to the doorway and raising an airhorn, blaring the siren through the halls of the mansion. 

"S-spike! What are you doing?!" Twilight cried, rising to her feet as the telltale flurry of wing beats and footfalls echoed throughout the halls, coming towards them fast.

Instead of answering, Spike took a few steps back in anticipation of the approaching hoard. Right on cue, all five of the girls skidded into view, crazed eyes and wide smiles abundant. 

"Hey there, girls." Spike greeted politely, offering a wave alongside his words. "So, before you do anything crazy, I need to ask you something."

To his surprise, the girls seemed to sober up ever so slightly, entering the room, but not advancing any further than the doorway. 

"Are you guys in pain from this..."Red Week" thing?" He asked. The girls all either averted their gaze or nodded bashfully. "Well...ok then. Do...do you still need my help?"

Immediately, six sets of eyes flicked up to meet his. Spike's heart hammered in his chest as Sunset advanced stopping only a few feet in front of him. 

"Spike...are you sure?" She asked, her voice shocking soft. 

"Yeah, yeah I am." Spike answered, steeling himself for what was to come. Sure enough, Sunset's gaze became more lustful, and she took another step forward and placed a hand on Spike's chest. At the same time, Spike's door was surrounded by a purple glow, and swung shut. Twilight stepped into view, her expression just as excited as the rest of the girls as they advanced towards him, with only two words leaving his mouth.

"Oh boy."

-------------
Line Break
-------------

Spike's eyes fluttered open, the light from his window hitting his eyes and waking him up. He sat up in his bed, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Ugh, what happened last night?" He groaned, before laying back down and turning over-

And coming face to face with Sunset Shimmer. A naked Sunset Shimmer. In. His. BED.

"...what."

Suddenly, Sunset's eyes snapped open, and she let out a shriek of surprise, lurching upward. Spike reacted similarly, releasing a LOUDER shriek and scooting back.

"WHAAA! SPIKE?!

"SUNSET?!"

"PINKIE!"

Spike froze as the third voice chimed in, turning his head in the direction of the voice to see a topless Pinkie Pie at the edge of his bed. Alongside her were Fluttershy, Rainbow, Starlight, and Twilight, all completely naked. The silence that followed was deafening. Of course, there was only one natural response.

"WHAT THE FU-"
> What Comes Next
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So...what happens now?"

The question hung heavily in the air, with the green-haired human being met with silence from his female friends before Twilight spoke up.

"Well, we've all taken a pregnancy test, and...we're all clean." She stated, offering her host a weak smile. "So...there's that."

"Ok, but...I mean what do we do." Spike clarified, scanning the now clothed woman surrounding him. "I mean, do we just move on?"

"Well...yeah." Rainbow Dash confirmed, shrugging her shoulders loosely while avoiding eye contact completely. "Red Week is always awkward, but it's not like this was some kind of planned hook-up. It just happened."

"Huh...I guess you're right." Spike muttered after a few more seconds of silence, before rising hastily. "I-I'm gonna go for a walk. Are you guys all set here, or..?"

"We'll be fine, Spike!" Pinkie assured, though her usual smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Take your time, we'll be here."

"Alright...see you guys later, I guess." Spike stated before leaving the room. As soon as the door swung closed, Sunset facepalmed and released a growl of frustration.

"We are so fucked." She hissed from behind her hand, before shifting her gaze to Rainbow Dash, visibly annoyed. "And why the hell did you down play what just happened?!"

"I dunno, I just panicked!" The cyan Equestrian defended, her cheeks burning a bright scarlet as she huffed. "How are we supposed to handle this?"

"Well...isn't it obvious?"

The question drew the attention of all girls to Starlight, who looked slightly bemused at her roommates.

"I mean, let's be honest: we all like him." She stated, receive subdued and embarrassed confirmations in response. "And we all know that polyamorous relationships aren't uncommon on Equestria, so...why not just pop the question?"

"Oh, why wouldn't we?" Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically, a mocking smile on her face. "Maybe it's because he could say no? He could say, "What the actual fuck?! Hell no!" Really, there is no end to the no's he could supply us with!"

"He could also say yes!" Pinkie Pie countered, flashing a genuine smile at her cyan friend. "I mean, think of all he's done for us!"

"Letting someone live with you is a far cry from falling in love with them, Pinkie." Fluttershy commented, before a soft smile rose on her lips. "But it's worth a shot."

The girls all looked at each other, and gradually, a silent agreement seemed to be formed. Twilight sighed, and rubbed her eyes tiredly. 

"We all know the risks. Are we sure we want to do this?" She asked her friends, receiving confirmatory looks from all present. With another deep sigh, she smiled and spoke again. "Well...I guess we're doing this."

----------------
Line Break
----------------

Spike walked the streets of Sanctuary City with no real rush, simply enjoying the fresh air. Despite the cold front that had started to move in over the city thanks to the approaching winter season, he found himself enjoying the walk more than he expected to. His thoughts, however, had not become much clearer.

What the hell do I do? He asked himself, truly at a loss. I mean, I had sex with all of my friends! How the hell do I talk to them after this? How do we move on?!
…
Well...we don't have to.

The thought startled Spike, but immediately the train of thought kept moving.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and you know it. You care about them, more than you care to admit.

"But...I couldn't." Spike protested weakly, before reminding himself to keep his thoughts internal. They'd never even consider that.

Dude. You fucked them. You let them fuck you.  And more importantly, you care about them. This isn't just a physical attachment, and you know it.

For the first time since his walk started, Spike's thoughts became less wild. He knew that he cared about the girls more than he let on. It had started during his recovery, when the girls had spent every waking moment with him. The simple act of making them smile filled his heart with an unspeakable warmth. He found himself attached to them in a way he hadn't even known before. He was falling in love with all of them. 

Twilight's nerdy but mature nature, Sunset's cool and collected, Starlight's controlled enthusiasm and Pinkie wild and fun-seeking nature. Rainbow being the laid back and cool comparison to Fluttershy, who was meek but kind. Then there was Applejack and Rarity, who had both kept in contact with him after the events at the festival. The farmer and fashionista both made a habit of visiting him, and he found himself getting closer than he anticipated.

"Gah, what if I'm over thinking this?" He mused aloud, stopping momentarily. "Even if they did like me like that, they wouldn't all agree to share me or something crazy like that."

Spike took a moment to just stop and breath, before allowing himself to relax. He had could think about this later, for now he just needed to calm down and enjoy the quiet. 

"Spike? Is that you?"

The green-haired man jolted in surprise, and turned towards the voice only to find a familiar face. 

"Luna?" 

Sure enough, the Equestrian queen was descending the steps of the capital building. Spike was surprised that he had actually walked this far into the town. Guess I really was stuck in my head. 

Any other thoughts ended abruptly as Spike was suddenly embraced by Luna, who was smiling widely at the human before her.

"Oh, it's wonderful to see you again!" She greeted, before releasing him. Spike managed a awkward chuckle, an found himself offering the Equestrian a genuine smile.

"It's nice to see you again as well." He replied. "What brings you back to Sanctuary City?"

"Ugh, more security meetings." The princess whined, making Spike chuckle. "My sister and I have been speaking with the officials looking for any updates regarding the attacks last month."

"Oh yeah? Did you get any answers?" 

Before Luna could respond, a distant SLAM echoed from the building's entrance, followed by a very pissed off looking Celestia stalking down the steps. If her expression wasn't enough to represent her sour mood, the aggressive and irritated movement of her hair made the message clear; she wasn't happy.

"Um...did the meeting go well, sister?" Luna asked gently, somehow resisting the urge to flinch as the Equestrian queen's head snapped in her direction. After taking a few breaths to calm herself, she answered crisply.

"Not particularly." She growled, before pinch the bridge of her nose and sighing. "Honestly, sister, why are humans such fickle, bothersome creatures?"

Luna coughed abruptly, before nodding towards Spike in what was likely supposed to be a discreet manner. Celestia glanced at Spike momentarily before her gaze snapped back to him and an embarrassed expression rose on her face.

"Oh! Um, greetings, Mr. Drake." She addressed him, the slightest tinge of red to her cheeks. "I apologize that you had to hear that, I promise you my words were formed only of frustration and do not reflect my true feelings regarding your people."

"Nice to see you again to, Ms. Celestia." He acknowledged with a chuckle. "And no apology needed. I've lived with humans my whole life, I get how much of a pain in the ass they can be."

To his surprise, the Equestrian queen laughed lightly at his quip, her hair's movement returning to it's normal, calm fluttering.

"Well, nevertheless, I apologize for the inconvenience." She refuted, before her smile widened slightly. "You wouldn't happen to know anywhere where one could indulge in the more alcoholic beverages?"

"It's...only noon." Spike stated with a quirked eyebrow.

"Oh, c'mon! Don't humans have a saying about it being "five o'clock somewhere?"." Luna interjected, smiling giddily. "Could you at least point us in the right direction, pretty please?"

Spike sighed dramatically as Luna flashed him a pair of puppy dog eyes, allowing a smile to rise on his face. There were worse people to drink with.

"Ok, ok. I know a place you two will like." He relented, before starting down the street towards the location in question. Yet again the sisters surprised him as they fell in line beside him, one on each side. He could have sworn he heard one of them whisper something sly to the other, but he couldn't guarantee that he hadn't just imagined it. "Let's see how many shots it takes to get an Equestrian hammered."

-----------------
Line Break
-----------------

In the distant state of Alaska, Harrison Goodwill tapped his foot nervously on the cold metal floor he was standing on. He'd been in the conference room for about two hours now, and the u settling feeling that he was being watched had no yet settled. 

This is fucked, this is fucked. He repeated to himself mentally, panic finally starting to set in. It had been bad enough escaping from Sanctuary City after the attacks, with William getting himself captured and the third operative never even making it to the city at all. Now, thought, the uncertainty of his situation was starting to take it's toll.

Suddenly, the lights of the room started to dim, before leaving the room in darkness. A soft click then sounded, and a projector emerged from the ceiling. Seconds later, an image of a shadowy figure was projected onto the far window of the room.

"Hello, Goodwill." The form greeted, it's voice masked as usual. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Oh, I'm just peachy!" The man snarked bitterly, too frightened to mind his tone. "What the hell is going on? Your idiot soldiers haven't told me anything."

"Patience, my friend. All will be explained." The voice responded, it's tone remaining neutral the entire time. "Something has come up. I need you to return to Sanctuary City."

"Are you fucking shittin' me?!" Goodwill screeched, gripping his hair in distress. "That place is on high alert after the shitstorm of an operation you had us do there!"

"I'm aware of it's status, Goodwill." The voice retorted, the smallest inking of irritation seeping into it's tone. "This operation will not be a failure, I assure you."

"NO! You know what? Fuck you!" The man spat, flipping off the screen. "Fuck you and your stupid, suicidal operation! I don't want to be a part of this any more!"

A tense silence followed the man's outburst, lasting several seconds before the shadowy figure stood up, and crossed their arms.

"Then your services are no longer required."

As soon as the last word left the form's mouth, the room exploded with sound as bullets sprayed from the adjacent windows, turning Goodwill in a human impression of bloody swiss cheese. After several seconds of gunfire, the form raised their arm and the shots ceased. Goodwill, or at least what was left of him, fell to the floor a mangled mess. The form sighed deeply, and shook their head in disappointment.

"Such a smart man. A shame his arrogance got the better of him." They mused, before terminating the transmission and turning to an officer that stood nearby. "Get into contact with Agent 36. It's time we get some new blood in this operation."
> Friends In High Places
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Have you heard from Spike yet?" Twilight asked for what seemed like the fiftieth time, forcing Sunset to stifle a groan of annoyance. She well understood the princess's worry, as it had been several hours since Spike had left for his walk.

He had texted Twilight once or twice, confirming that he was alive and not kidnaped. Still, his last message had been at about one o'clock, and it was almost eight now. Needless to say, all the girls were feeling a little restless.

"No, I haven't heard anything else from Spike." She answered, scrolling through her messages once more. "Look, maybe we should think about settling down for the night."

"Why don't we just go out and look for him?" Pinkie asked jovially, gesturing to the girls around, who were all either sitting around the table in the dining room or standing nearby. "With how fast Dashie and Flutters can fly, plus Twilight's magic, we could cover the entire city lickity split!"

"She's...got a point." Rainbow Dash admitted, raising her arms in a surrender motion of Sunsets and Twilight's duel glares. "Look, if we really put our peddle to the metal, we could find him pretty quickly."

"Or we could just wait it out like we've been doing for the last few hours!" Starlight countered, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "He's only one guy, how much trouble could he get into?"

"Please don't ask questions like that. That's when the worst things happen." Sunset deadpanned, before jumping as her phone started to ring. She checked it immediately, and let out a sigh of relief. "It's him!"

The girls all stood up immediately, hastily huddling around Sunset as she answered the call.

"Spike! Are you ok?" She asked, pausing as he responded, her expression quickly shifting bemusement. "I'm sorry, I couldn't have heard you right. Who did you say you were out drinking with?"

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"HUZZAH, MY FRIENDS! TO THE GLORY OF EQUESTRIAAAAA!" Luna crowed drunkenly, gulping down another glass of vodka with frightening ease. This had been the situation Spike had been dealing with for about the last three hours. As it turns out, Equestrians have shockingly high alcohol tolerance, so the more the sisters drank, the longer it took to go into effect. Naturally, they had grossly over compensated in drink orders, and were now decisively smashed.

On the plus side, they had both cast spells to disguise themselves before they had arrived at the bar, so they looked like regular humans. They were well aware that Equestrian officials couldn't be seen entering such a debaucherous place as Old Al's Bar and Motel. Still, that didn't make their rowdy antics any less conspicuous, with Luna making boisterous toasts every five minutes and Celestia getting...touchy.

"Oh, you have no idea how much I needed this, Spike." She mused drunkenly, practically laying on top of the human, her head resting on top his own. "It's sooooo much work ruling an entire world, and then dealing with your government not wanting us investigating Goodwill further? Ugh, I envy Cadance only having her kingdom."

"Wait, what was that about not investigating Goodwill?" Spike interjected, surprised by the sudden turn in conversation. Everything before now had been drunken ramblings or excuses of confidentiality. Apparently, the more whiskey she drank, the looser her restrictions became.

"Your precious mayor-and several members of his security whatever-have assured my sister and I that the investigation is being handled, and that we don't need to involved!" She sputtered, her voice rising with every word. "As if MY people weren't place in the same danger as HIS! I mean, what gives him the right to-"

Celestia's words came to an abrupt end as she started to fall over, apparently trying to rise during her rant despite her legs not responding. Spike caught her by her arms halfway, and pulled her back up into a sitting stance.

"Are you ok?!" He asked, giving her a brief once over to make sure she hadn't hurt herself. If he had looked at her face, he would have noticed the scarlet tinge that crossed it, not entirely from the alcohol in her system. "Listen, you've had more than enough to drink, and clearly Luna has too. Sunset is on her way. Can you please sit still for a few minutes while I get your sister back over here?"

"I...of course. I'll stay here." She assured him, apparently having sobered up slightly. Spike didn't have time to think about the shift as he started towards Luna who was making a drunken attempt to get on top of the bar while Mason the bartender, watched in amusement.

"Friend of yours, Drake?" He asked playfully as the green-haired man approached, receiving a glare in response before Spike returned his attention to Luna, who had now successfully gotta on top of the bar.

"Luna, can you get down from there, please?" he asked diplomatically, only for the blue-skinned equestrian to look at him incredulously as she wobbled atop the table.

"But it was so hard to get up here!" She whined, taking a few shaky steps before wobbling slightly. "And I can see the entire bar from up here!"

"You can see the entire bar from down here, too!" Spike retorted, barley restrained the growing irritation that was rising in his chest. Wasn't the point of bringing these two here to relax? He felt like a damn babysitter.

"Ohoho, you jest, good sir!" Luna jeered, not watching her step as she continued to walk. "I am no fool, Drake I am the goddess of the moo-AGH!"

Yet again, the Equestrian's rambling was brought to an abrupt end as she slipped on the rag Mason had been cleaning the bar with, sending her into the air before she falling and crashing into Spike himself. After a few moments, she lifted herself up, and rubbed the back of her head, which now had a slowly growing whelp.

"Ugh...perhaps that wasn't my finest idea..." She mused, before glancing behind her and realizing that Spike was out cold. "...Oh shit."

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Agent 36 hummed happily to himself as he strolled down the silver corridors of the Alaskan research station. 

Heh, research. He thought to himself with a short chuckle. Like any of that actually happens here.

Granted, on occasion the eggheads present would pump out a new "finding" or "discovery" to keep the illusion going. No one could really know what this place was about, or there'd be hell to pay, and probably a new world war. Nevertheless, it didn't quite matter to 36. As long as he was getting paid, he was in the game.

Eventually, he reached the conference room, and let out a hiss of sympathy as he eyed the bloodstained carpet, the only remnant of where Goodwill had been executed the day before.

"Poor bastard." He muttered, before the projector on the far side of the room whirred to life and a familiar shadow appeared on screen. "Evening, boss. I heard you got a job for me?"

"Your heard correctly, 36. They confirmed, voice masked as always. "I need to you to go to Sanctuary City for a duel assignment; recruitment and asset management."

"Asset management?" 36 asked with a scoff. "If I don't know any better, I'd think that might mean "Take care of O'Malley before he can spill anything". Am I close?"

"I'm afraid not, though your witticism is appreciated, as always." The shadow countered. "I need you to find someone connected to both Princess Twilight Sparkle and the royal sisters."

"Hot damn, you serious, boss?" The agent quirked with a quirked brow. "Who the hell is this guy?"

"Your everday human. A man as normal as any other." The shadow commented, before projecting a secondary image of a green-haired human. "We've identified him as Spike Drake. Age 21, no family that we can find. He lives with Sparkle and hosts around five other Equestrians, though he has affiliated with many more. "

"Heh, sounds like an interesting guy." 36 admitted with a low chuckle before cracking his knuckles and smirking at his anonymous boss. "So, when do I get to meet him?"