> Andante - The path of the dreams
>  by CaioCoia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The violin and the cello
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike stared out the window as the darkened night scenery flew by in a blur. He huffed, fogging the glass, and sketched little formless swirls, as he looked at the violin case on his lap, sighing he looked at the foggy reflection of his face...

He felt the anger deep in his heart as the pain in his chest was the reason why he couldn’t let it go, he felt so broken and so angry after the same morning… 10 hours ago he was a happy drake, but after bombastic news not just made him broken but severed the ties with dozen of his friends from Ponyville, he looked at the ticket on his hands. A Canterlot ticket, Spike closed his eyes as he made the decision on that morning, he then observed the bow on his lap and looked at the swirls he made on the glass. 

He then huffed covering the swirls and with the new foggy glass, he decided to write a few notes over it. As he hummed a familiar song from his memory. A little simple partiture as a signal of how memories of a prodigy would follow him wherever he goes. 

There was a knock at the door to his cabin. Spike looked at the door before walking over, with still the train ticket in his hands he opened the door for the conductor. The conductor checked the ticket, peered over Spike’s head to look for more passengers, and punched it with a tip of his hat before moving down to the next cabin.

Spike took the ticked and shoved the ticket into the duffle and zipped it up. He frowned as the image of the conductor standing over him stuck in his head. He climbed up one of the daybeds that made up the seats of the first-class train cabin and stared at his own reflection. The image looking back at him wasn’t very different at all from the one that had been there when he and Twilight had first moved to Ponyville so long ago but the dark eyes he had after crying so much as a signal that he felt tired and worn out from the events of what happened, the sparkle on his eyes he had the hours prior the day were gone, and his smile became a cold straight line, neither smiling nor showing sadness. His face still had that short, childish snout and wide, round eyes. A grown dragon’s character into a baby dragon appearance.  After 4 years of staying in Ponyville, nothing much has changed into the dragon who left Canterlot, just the desire of regret of leaving it in the first place.

“How stupid I was.” Spike lamented as he remembered all the signs over the little city, he felt his heart being crushed into a way he never felt before into a few times, but never into a million years he could imagine the same scene happening again… He looked at the window as he recalled everything he has said. “You are kidding, right? If that’s a way you are making a prank with me Applejack then stops it now. That’s not funny.”

He looked at the mirror and saw the same face of the orange mare who seemed so conflicted but the sadness from her brother, and his best friend showed nothing more than deep anger and sorrow.

.

.

.

“Ah’m sorry Spike, but that’s true. Twilight has been into a relationship with Rarity, and they aren’t planning to tell you until they get ready to make you feel comfortable with the idea.”

“COMFORTABLE?” Spike looked at the version of himself shouting over the mare who has been wincing from the absurd idea. “So just like that? They’ve been together on my back and they kept that as a secret because they wanted me to be comfortable about my sister being into a relationship with the mare, I confessed to her that I loved her?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac appeared on his sister's side, as his face showed nothing more than inner anger, understanding the feelings deep inside of the drake who seemed to not like a bit of the revelation. “Spike, it’s true…”

Spike closed his claws so tight that the sound of the bones being snapped and his mouth closed so hard that his teeth were grinding. Then after closing his eyes for a few seconds, he couldn’t care more, but the happiness inside of him left his heart, as the good memories he had been with Rarity, working to her, being her mannequin, being her helper to locate the gems, catch them and carry them to everywhere she wants.

And Twilight, the only pony he trusted with the deep of his heart, telling her the crush he had on the mare he loved for years, and helping his sister into everything, he gave up many things to help his sister to achieve everything she had, he became her right hoof, her chef, her cleaner, her butler, her task subject, her helper, her assistant during many years… And this is how she paid him? That’s a betrayal that he never saw anypony doing it… Not even the worst of the worst from Canterlot would be so low to do that. 

After the sparkle his eyes have died at the moment, Applejack looked sorrowful, she knew that it was for the best to tell him. But there was one question left.

“Since when you knew this?” Spike asked trying to find comfort in somepony, somepony he can trust, and even if the look of the orange mare showing sadness, there was one thing he could see in her eyes. The pride she did the right thing.

“Ah discovered that from yesterday… Ah was conflicted if Ah should’ve told you that, but after telling Big Mac and Discord yesterday, they without thinking twice made me promise to tell you this morning.” Applejack was brutal with her truth, and even if Spike felt hurt, it was best to break his heart at that moment, then let the poor drake live into an illusion until the truth come from them, making the dragon even worse than learning from the farm mare.

“And where is Discord?” Spike looked around, trying to find the lord of chaos lurking around laughing at him, but to his surprise Big Mac spook once more.

“Talking to Fluttershy. Mad, the same as us.” Big Mac was so furious that he was even talking more words than normal, something usually the bulk stallion would rarely do, but since one of his best friends was into such a situation he couldn’t help but open his mouth.

Spike raised his eyebrow but then frowned as he looked at the orange mare asking for an answer…

“Spike… the other girls knew about this.” As Applejack once again admitted, Spike couldn’t take that anymore and stomped his foot angry.

“WHAT? Did they know the whole time? Since when?” Spike was gritting his teeth as his eyes were flaming with anger, Applejack shook her head in shame, realizing the answer to his doubts.

“2 months Spike, they’ve been doing that in your back more than 2 months.”

Spike's anger took control of his body, as he turned his back to both Big Mac and Applejack.

“Spike, wait.” As the mare was following his steps, Spike went even faster, as he ran at the entire Apple Acress, the memories of how the mare he loved, it wasn’t a crush, he wouldn’t make such effort into using his body as a subject test, using his effort to work day and night staying with the mare if wasn’t for love, accepting all the crushes she had waiting for just one chance with her.

And the worst part, she stomped his feelings by having a relationship with his own sister, the mare who hatched him and left inside of her house with her family, taking the steps and being part of her family, his family. And he did everything he could to help her. HE SACRIFICED HIS DREAMS FOR HER. 

Spike stormed into the castle, ignoring all the stares, all the ponies around him, he walked straight the castle, the anger inside of him made him forget that he walked a lot until he got to his bedroom which by surprise he shares with the mare who had taken the one he loved, under his nose.

Spike wanted so much to scream, to discuss, and even fight Twilight, but his rational mind reminds him that fighting an alicorn would be a bad idea and would make many attempts to make him stop on his track and accept by force, and he wouldn’t accept that. He will not accept being treated as a clown anymore. Screw Twilight, screw Rarity, screw Ponyville, screw being assistant.

“I QUIT” Spike shouted from the deep of his longs, as he took the suitcase from the closet, and taking all the things he had, all the bits he had with all the odd jobs doing over Ponyville, since his adorable sister didn’t even give him a salary, she would just spend to him the things he want like an allowance when he had good behavior.

Spike looked deep from his closed and found something that he valued most, the only thing he took with him after the boxes of books appeared from moving with Twilight at the new castle. 

A good but simple violin, with sheets, surround it, Spike checked the instrument, and the good memories had appeared on his mind… This little violin was something that nopony would take from him, the only thing he never forgot about it. 

Spike decided to use the proper suitcase for the little violin and the sheets around it, making sure that everything was fine, and since he was ready to leave, he couldn’t care less if anypony other than the town.

But he will miss Applejack, she was the only pony who did the right thing to him. And Big Mac will always be welcome on the home he will be since they will always have a guy's night. Discord was the other one who would be a great guy to be there to be part of the guy's night. 

Spike will make sure to call Discord more often, he will never forget the good things he passed from Ponyville, but at that moment he was so broken that the only answer into his heart was to leave the city. 

He took everything he had and left the castle. The anger on his face was so much that he didn’t look to anypony around him, all of them curious and worried about where the angry dragon would go with his 2 suitcases. 

Spike decided to write a personal letter to Princess Celestia…

.

.

.

Spike saw the foggy vision of the memories fly away, as he cited himself the message from the letter.

“Dear Princess Celestia.

As a good helper from your student Twilight Sparkle, it was my task to give help into whatever needs she had, since cleaning, cooking, helping her to take care of castle and help her whenever she needed since from her childhood. 

I’ve been in silence from my desires and dreams as I focused my entire life on helping Twilight every day. But after the recent events, and betrayals of my trust, I’m here to inform you that I’m quitting my task as her personal assistant, leaving the royal kingdom decided by themselves to help their new princess into such trivial tasks. 

I’m here to inform you that the offer from 11 years ago. I accept this offer from the deep of my heart, I want… no… I beg you to please give my recommendation letter to my old 2 professors that I’m ready to present myself on the Canterlot Royal Orchestra Event this year.  You may have doubts of my abilities after a few years absence from the orchestra, and I’m here to inform you. I never stopped thinking or even training 40 hours per day. I’M MORE THAN READY.

I will be living in my parents’ house, and please, I don’t want to hear anything about Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. I don’t want to meet them, and not even think about them. I want my life back; I want to follow my dreams. And I’m tired to be on Ponyville. 

Please understand this and give my recommendation letter to my former teachers, I want to be part of the dream I had since I was 3 years old. From your friend. 

Spike the dragon.”

Spike, let out a yawn of the tiredness he had over the morning, a part of him couldn’t manage to sleep until the conductor take a look at his ticket. Now that the due was done, he wanted to cover himself to his sheets and let out the deserved rest from the terrible day he had.

As he looked at the violin case next to him, he decided to open it and take a glimpse of the same violin he had many years. It was a well-molded violin with a good varnish covering the scratches after many hours of training. 

As he checked the violin itself, he took from the case the bow which would be the essential part of the instrument, and with his eyes closed he couldn’t let himself from the emotions over his body and with a slide, he decided to play one of the songs he practiced most of the time.



As the fingers from his claws touched every part of the violin, making the perfect harmonies and using the vibrato as the sequence of up and down slides using his bow, he managed to play in harmony one of his favorite composer's works. The smooth notes made the song pass through the entire train, as all the ponies inside of the train listen carefully at the song being played.

Some of them even seemed to enjoy having music as they among themselves thought their cabins, as some even treated the play as a good treatment from the conductor, making the trip a fancy trip to Canterlot, making everypony think of themselves as classy ponies and leaving them with a good impression for their trip to Canterlot.

But one grey pony in special who was checking her notes and planned her trip to Canterlot was immediately interrupted by a song she was familiar with. A violinist playing one of the greatest composers from ponykind. She decided to leave her cello over her cabin as she walked slowly in the direction of the song, not just a part of the song, but all the parts of the same creation. 

The cellist walked over the train and became so surprised by each technique displayed over the train. 

“How could that be? A violinist to play with such skill, the vibrator is amazing, and is that a triple? Is that possible for a pony to do a triple?” The mare talked to herself as she was mesmerized by the song she heard. An ability she never thought somepony would be capable of. 

Nopony was over the corridors, it seemed it was only her who was curious about the author of the music, she walked as the path of the song. Then, there she was, in front of the door of the violinist she never thought she would be part of the train.

She didn’t want to interrupt the violinist from knocking on the door, so she prayed that the door itself was unlocked. Fortunately for her, the door itself was unlocked. As she slowly opened the cabin, her eyes went wide open to witness something outside of the world, a little chubby dragon carrying a violin as the mistress of the entire world, and using all the fingers of his claws making a repetitive sequence of movements which made such impact of the sound as he quickly moved the bow with the other hand, the sound was clear as crystal, and the precise movements made that the mare herself was watching a soloist performing into a front of an entire orchestra, something breathtaking.

She didn’t even remember the pattern of the colors from the little dragon she knew from Ponyville, but looked intently at the serious look on his face, and the movements of his claws and the violin expressing the entire speed song from the deepest imagination. 

That was the version the composer wanted everypony to play? Never deep inside of her mind she had meet somepony capable to accomplish such feet. 

As she remained there, watching until the end of the play, the little dragon showing the skills he had. Until for the final note he let out a sigh of relief as he opened his eyes and looked at the space dreaming awake. Until the clap of hooves made him turn his head surprised at the grey mare clapping to him.

“Blimey, that’s fantastic, I wasn’t quite sure that I would’ve meet another performer on a trip over Canterlot.” The mare smiled at the dragon, as the looked sheepish. “Are you going to the C.R.O.E?” 

“You mean the Canterlot Royal Orchestria Event?” Spike asked the mare who gave a nod confirming the answer. “Yes. I’ve been waiting to be part of that event since I was 3 years old.”

“Oh? That’s something I would like to see… Oh…” At the moment the mare was smiling she then noticed something passed through her mind, the little dragon on her front, the color pattern of his scales. That dragon was someone she meets before. “Excuse me, if I remember correctly, aren’t you the dragon who lives in the castle of Ponyville?”

That question made Spike’s eyes wide open, but deep inside of his heart he received a good relief since that question could’ve have been another kind of question which would make him feel in pain at the moment. Anything related to Twilight’s name at that day would make him feel terrible again, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.

“Oh yes. Spike is my name, being a dragon is my game. But now I’m moving away from Ponyvile. I will be staying with my parents for the festival.” Spike decided to give a half-lie to make not just the mare not know the whole truth, but for him comfort himself after such a disastrous day. “But now that I’m looking at you, weren't you, my neighbor when I moved to Ponyvile? You and your friend who turns every morning into a pandemonium sound festival?” 

That question made the mare’s eyes wide open as she laughed delighting from such description. Making the little dragon next to her raises his eyebrows.

“You mean Vinyl? Yes. My name is Octavia if you remember correctly. And it’s being the first time I’ve heard a perfection description of what my roommate uses to wash our dishes.”

“Wash your dishes?” Spike said slowly as he tried to understand the meaning of that words, how doing the dishes could create such thunderous electronic music sound every morning on Ponyville, leaving Twilight with a headache every morning? 

“Why yes. She is a good roommate, however… She uses…wubs to clean the dishes.” Octavia giving a disappointing sigh she admitted something that left Spike’s eyes twitch trying to understand the message. “She uses the vibration of her wubs to clean the dishes directly.”

Spike’s jaw dropped, surprised from such a statement, not imagining something like that ever existed.

“But that wouldn’t destroy the dishes while cleaning?” Spike asked trying to understand who in Tartarus would be so crazy to do something like that.

“Surprisingly just if you are 6 steps away from the wub machine. Meaning we couldn’t use our cups or glasses until the machine finishes our dishes.” Octavia shrugged as Spike shook his head trying to process such trivial information. “But I’m surprised that you remember us. Now that we are both going to Canterlot to participate on C.R.O.E, we can take seats next to each other over the orchestra, I have to confess that it feels good to sit down with somepony familiar to play with.”

Spike hearing that thought about the letter he had sent to princess Celestia, and knowing the approval of his 2 teachers would be sure that the festival would be a good opportunity to not just play with the orchestra, but to forget the terrible thoughts about the city he left behind.

“Yeah sure. Actually, I’m surprised that anypony passed through the door.” Spike admitted sheepishly. But after looking at the mare who seemed flinch and blush in shame Spike shook his hands. “But I’m don’t mind, actually is good to have somepony to talk over here.”

Octavia left her head down in shame, forgetting something terrible she did, she invaded the cabin of other passenger without even knocking on the door.

“I apologize for my intrusion, I just wanted to know who could be the great violinist who managed to play Backh King so well.”

“Oh, you knew it was Backh King? I mean, of course you knew… Well Backh King was an inspiration for me as a little dragon, I’ve always been fan of his works…” Spike admitted as he looked at the sheets he did as he was composing, each of them were inspired of great works of Backh.

“So this symphony,” Octavia asked as the dragon smiled at her, nodding to confirm her inquire.

“This is Violin Partita Number 2 in D minor, from his BWV 1004.” Spike smiled as Octavia nodded her head in understanding. “But there is many other works that I liked to play since I was kid, and someday I will make a good concerto, the same way as him and lead the whole orchestra.”

Octavia smiled at the little dragon in front of her.

“I remember trying to play one of his works, many ponies often hates his difficulty works, even one of the most beautiful works he did, everypony thought he was in fact using a magic as he played, making it much easier to control the violin.” Octavia scoffed at such theory since had the biggest flaw inside of it.

“Wait? Backh wasn’t a Pegasus? How did he used magic if he was a Pegasus?” Spike raised his eyebrow not understanding.

“Exactly, ponies may enquire that Backh was actually an Alicorn.” Octavia snorted, making Spike chuckle. 

“Seriously? If his works make him an alicorn, what about Pagawhinny would be the pony devil himself.” Spike snorted, as Octavia started to giggle.

“Oh, it seems we have a pony of culture… Ops. I mean a dragon of Culture.” Octavia corrected herself, as Spike waved his claw.

“That’s okay, do you want to stay here for we talk more about the Event?” Spike managed to put his violin in its case as he smiled at the mare who was still on his door. “If you want to stay here, I can make some tea for us to talk until the end of the trip.”

Octavia smiled at the little dragon in front of her, but she shook her head. 

“Actually, I was preparing myself to have a slumber when your melody took attention from me, now that I discovered who was playing the violin, I sadly have to inform that I need to go to have a rest.” Octavia couldn’t manage to avoid let it out a yawn as she was showing the signs of tiredness, and after yawning Spike was infected by the sound and let it out a same yawn.

Spike yawned as he remembered how tired he was from that day, and after meeting Octavia he forgot that he was indeed going to sleep.

“I understand, I too was going to sleep, and since I had many things crossing into my mind, I decided release everything inside of me, and since I already finished playing, I have to go to sleep as well. But it was nice to meet you again Octavia.” Spike smiled at the mare in front of him.

Octavia looked at the sincere smile of the little dragon, somepony who has a great talent, he seemed to be a prodigy who was going to play with her at the orchestra. It seems the festival of the year would be interesting for both of them.

“The pleasure is mine, and now that I’m leaving I want to say I will be happy to see you at the festival before the event. I hope I find you there. But until then, I say. Good night Spike.” Octavia said as she winked on him, she left the cabin, as Spike closed the door and that time he locked to be sure to nopony would intrude as he was going to sleep.

“Well, that was…something. But I hope Canterlot would show something better than these years of waste of effort I did on Ponyville. I’m tired of wanting to always do the things for the others, this time I want to follow my dreams.” Spike said to himself, determined to let go of all the doubts inside of his heart, there was no way back this time. 

The future is the mystery Spike cannot see, but he will work hard to follow his heart, and this time do something he wants.

Spike went to his sleep, falling into the embrace of darkness as he hummed a song for him to sleep, as a tear fell from his face before finally get unconscious.
> Aria - First movement
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



As an ominous sound placed the entire area, the darkness covered all around the dragon who remained on his sit as he slowly drank the tea, as he enjoyed the music around him. The symphony was a music mix of violin, cello, clarinet, and a tuba covering the background. The solo clarinet was the creation of the air of sadness making the darkness dance around the place.

The dragon admired the dancing of the shadows, as the sound of a chorus singing behind all the sadness. As he slowly moved the tip of his claws as he was conducting the sad song inside of his mind.

“Sing for me, my orchestra. I will not let my nightmares conquer the deeps of my entire mind. Sing for me my sadness, sing for me my anger, sing for me my sorrow and regrets. A path once was forgotten I will not take back.” The dragon conducted as he then closed his claws. “NOW SING FOR MY HOPE.”

At the later, the voices became cheerful and sing as the tone of hope and show the rhythm of creation around the same darkness, the shadows little by little started forming the grass over the floor, and from the grass, it became a garden, and deep in the garden it became separated from a deserted, and from the desert a mountain, and from a mountain to a star. All according to from the chorus singing from behind. 

As Spike didn’t stop conducting the song inside of his head, and little by little a piece of the entire world was created around the table he was drinking tea. 

“And now, the Aria.” Spike finished his drink and cracked his knuckles as he tapped the claw over the table. And with a smooth sound of a clarinet start playing, making all the creation around Spike became bigger and more alive. 

A smooth singing started combining with the clarinet, making all the creation start developing, the flowers started blooming, the desert has created an oasis and the mountain was snowing as showing the picks of the high world. 

As Spike used all the feelings, he was creating a world inside of his mind, until a voice interrupted him.

“It seems I’m interrupting something important.” The curious voice of somepony who seemed to have hundreds, if not a thousand years of wisdom decided to show herself with her perfect grace. 

Spike who was conducting the song made a gesture as he closed his claws, making all the music stop and then all the darkness appear around the table like a click from a switch, all the creation was exchanged by the darkness, surprising even the princess of the dreams as well.

“The darkness is what prevents me to create illusions of nightmares in my mind. So what I owe you for your grace visit Princess Luna?” Spike said gloomily as he then proceeds to use the kettle to add tea on 2 cups, one for himself and one for his visitor.

The guardian blinked once and then twice…

“You… are being too polite to me little Spike.” Princess Luna was surprised by the little baby dragon was using words like she would use to her sister in the times she was with her sister… The noble way to sugar talks to the royalty… “I request thou stop this.”

Spike who was looking too thoughtful decided to nod his head. 

“Alright, sorry for making you feel awkward, when I get too reflective I start to talk the most polite way. Let me rephrase for you…” Spike then proceed to cough a few times. “Hello Princess Luna, how have you been? Don’t mind here I just want to make my dream most simple to not have nightmares, so… what do you want?”

Spike sounded more like his childish way, but it was sincerity behind his words, especially at the question… what do you want. This made Princess Luna ignore the question but sigh in relief.

“Ah, that’s better. Now, Spike, I have searched from all the dreams I was exploring, and then I found a nightmare over Ponyville. Do you know which pony was having the nightmare?” Princess Luna said as her voice was showing deep seriousness and the question was rhetoric. 

“Probably Twilight.” Spike scoffed, as he raised his eyebrows looking at the princess near him. “You think I care about she was dreaming about me leaving Ponyville?”

“She is your sister.” Princess Luna said in a warning tone almost showing deep anger inside of her voice.

“SHE TOOK THE MARE I LOVED.” Spike slammed his claws over the table, creating an echo around the darkness, making Princess Luna stop herself. “She has been in a relationship with Rarity for 2 months… And I know you know.”

Princess Luna who was staring at the drake finally understood the deep of his anger, and sadly it was something more dangerous for her to talk about since what he said was true.

“Yes… I knew the dreams she would be having…But…” As the moment Princess Luna was going to say something Spike raised his claw stopping her on track.

“A dream is a dream Princess Luna, you cannot be sure if the dream was real life, and the info you could have would actually destroy more ponies because it wasn’t a fact… I’m not anger for you to not tell me if you knew this because of the dreams…” Spike said as he really meant what he said, Spike has been reflecting everything, about the way he created his dream, he didn’t want to create a nightmare just to call the attention of the princess of the night, but somepony he knew actually sold him out to the princess. Not that he didn’t mind. “I broke my friendship with 4 ponies on that day Princess Luna, and I’m not even want to stay near to my sister for a long time… Please do not make me you another pony I wouldn’t like to stay away.”

Spike’s eyes showed deep sadness and anger from such betrayal. As Princess Luna remained quiet watching Spike quietly looking at the cup on his claws.

“I apologize for my haste judgment.” The princess of the night said as Spike waved his hands as it was nothing. Luna felt disappointed about how things would end like this, so she decided to turn around and opened a portal. “If you want me to leave, I will do it now.”

“No please.” At the moment Princess Luna was ready to leave, Spike called her, making her stop her track. “I need a friend to vent… and soon I will wake up because I’m almost getting Canterlot, please, stay for a few more minutes…”

Princess Luna nodded her head and closed the portal, and the darkness around her was too gloomy for her. So then she used her magic and created the royal garden around the dream.

“A few minutes I can spare for you, you seemed to have taken the last ticket of a train trip to go to Canterlot. Did you know that you will get Canterlot in 3 hours before my sister raises the sun?” Princess Luna asked as Spike nodded his head. “It seems you have somewhere you know that it will receive you any hour.”

Spike nodded his head again, making Princess Luna smile softly.

“Mind I ask you what’s in your mind little Spike?” Princess Luna smiled, receiving another nod from the dragon before he sighs and starts his tale.

.

.

.

As the night gave the fancy streets of the Canterlot a good embrace, the houses showed a deep quiet environment and the lights off from all the houses of the city... Still, the ponies who would have a good night of sleep for the next day get because of their daily events. 

A unicorn with a deep indigo color walked over the corridors of his house, in the direction of the kitchen... Drowsy of needing a glass of milk and a rapid cookie to make his night, he thought his own wife wouldn't notice if he take a cookie and go back to sleep.

At the moment the stallion walked on his own kitchen, his eyes snapped wide as he looked at his own wife, sitting on the table, looking unsure as she pressed her both hooves next to her chin, she was deep in thoughts.

"Honey? It's 3 a.m, is something wrong?" The stallion asked he looked at the clock next to the fridge, and he couldn't let the opportunity to take a glass of milk and turn the oven to make it warm for him, however showing a slight regret that he couldn't take a cookie with the milk.

"I'm not sure Night Light. Something inside of me is telling me that something happened last day, and I cannot stop getting worried about what may have happened." The elegant grey mare dressed in a pink robe as she messed white mane with violet strips was looking serious at her own husband. "Something is telling me to not sleep tonight."

The moment that the mare said that, Night Light noticed it was something unusual, but something he knew that his wife would be telling the truth, after his firstborn appeared, his wife Twilight Velvet developed something he wasn't sure about about was real until seeing it in action many times.

"It's your mother instincts tingling right?" Night Light asked as he noticed his wife nodding her head in agreement. Noticing that she would stay awake the entire night, he looked at the milk getting warm, as he then proceeds to make a kettle of black coffee. "I will make coffee with milk for you."

"Thank you, dear..." Night light turned his back as he proceeds to get the black coffee powder before his ears noticed the voice of his beloved wife again. "Ah, and you can have one cookie as you are here to take the milk."

The stallion nervously smiled...

"So you knew?" Night light smiled sheepishly as he heard from his wife a giggling.

"My dear, I'm just glad that you clean yourself before going to bed because I would have killed you if you leave messes on our bed." The stallion itself wasn't sure if she was telling the truth but decided to scoff the idea away.

"I love you too." Night Light responded as he finally started preparing the coffee for both of them, as he took a good bite of the cookie which he pleased so much to eat. As he started eating, he noticed his wife sigh in sadness. "What's on your thoughts Velvet?"

"Do you think a villain appeared on Ponyville or Crystal Empire?" Twilight Velvet as a somepony who always reads the newspapers from both lands, cannot help but get worried as cases like that happen, since Tirek appeared and drained the magic from Cristal Empire and destroyed her children's lair on Ponyville. 

"I wouldn't think soo." Night Light replied bluntly as he finished his cookie. "Princess Celestia would already have traveled right away to check on them."

The mare nodded her head, her instincts were agreeing with her husband. 

"Do you think something happened with Shining Armor? Or Cadance or even Flurry Heart? They are new at this kind of taking care of their baby and maybe I should have stayed more to teach them more on how to take care of Flurry." The anxiety coming from the mare he loved during decades, Night Light knew she was starting to get worried about something, she wouldn't stop until all the worries would be resolved.

"Twilight Velvet, you passed 8 months in Cristal Empire just to take care of the baby, you taught the royal advisor Sunburst and even Spike's friend Thorax how to take care of her. You even complimented him about changing the forms for Flurry Heart has everything to play with." The husband once again calmed his wife... making Twilight Veltet relax a little. "And the worst that could've happen to Shining Armor would be after getting a discussion with Princess Cadance and sleep on the couch."

"You are right." Twilight Velvet sighed in relief, thinking about her elder boy maybe wasn't the cause of her anxiety. But then another terrible thought happened to her head. "What about Twilight and Spike? Is something that happened in Ponyville? What if Twilight forgot to eat as she started studying and then she was so weak that she was now at the hospital? What if the oven exploded as Spike was cooking? What if Twilight decided to take a risk spell and made something awful to her? And what if Spike fell from a huge height and then Twilight didn't manage to save him. What if?" 

As all the dangerous thoughts proceeded to scare Twilight Velvet, Night Light went wide open and proceeded to make the coffee mixed with milk for his wife.

"Woa woa woa. Here Velvet, you don't need to be too far away from such thoughts, something like that can make a huge pain in your heart, it's just a thought. Don't think something too extreme, calm yourself first..." Night Light usually would make half and half for Velvet, but in cases like this, he poured 4 quarters of milk and a single drop of coffee to make the most effective of the milk hit his wife instead of coffee. 

Velvet was already drinking the hot milk, as she despaired tried to maintain calm and collect. 

Night Light who looked concerned about his wife, couldn't help but shake his head.

"In cases like this, usually somepony goes to our door and knocks at this exact moment." Night Light didn't even finish his sentence as he then heard a knock over the door, surprising not just his wife, but himself as well. Twilight raised her eyebrow to him as he shrugged himself. "Okay, that was a lucky shot."

Twilight Velvet raised from her sit, ignoring her husband walked through the kitchen, and went directly to the main room, as each step she felt her heart racing and her instincts screaming for her to walk faster. She went directly to the door, and without delay, she opened. 

The dragon who was looking at the floor as he knocked, tired from waking up inside of the train to be despatched and walk late of that night, suddenly was awake by the sudden movement of the door is open.

Twilight Velvet looked clearly at the little dragon in front of her, a little child who avoided eye contact with her, but from her eyes, she could see clearly the dark circles and red parts around his eyes. He was crying, hurt, numb... Shame, anger, disappointment, sadness... 

"Hi mom," Spike said weakly, trying to smile at the mare who raised him all his life, he rehearsed this moment all the time, thinking about what he was going to say. "Sorry for waking you up but..."

At the next moment, the little dragon felt what would be the only feeling he needed most, safety. An embrace from his mother in the time of need was the only thing to comfort him that moment, Twilight Velvet embraced her little dragon with all her strength, but not strong enough to hurt him. Spike's eyes went wide open as he felt the whisper of his own mother reaching the deep of his own heart.

"I'm here Spike, let it out..." The soft voice, as a warm voice of a key getting deep inside of his lock connected into his broken heart, the warming tears passing through the robe, Velvet felt the tears passing over her clothe and the loud sobs coming from her baby dragon.

"Momma, sniff...I'm so tired..." Spike pressed his head over Velvet's shoulder as she gently patted her little boy's head and using her magic she moved the 2 suitcases from the outside, and she slowly closed the door, as she moved with her boy over her hug. 

Night Light watching from the kitchen, gave a little smile, as he used his magic to take the suitcases from the floor, and went directly upstairs. As he slowly started eating another cookie, and thankfully his little partner in crime became the perfect distraction for the perfect crime. 

As he looked again at his little baby dragon and his full-grown-sized hydra wife. Mother instincts are something that Night Light never understood about his wife, but one thing was sure, she knows when things were wrong, it is a fact. Still, he doesn't know what happened with Spike or how much time he will spend with them, but one thing is sure, Spike is in a fragile state and was holding up, but not even the best soldier of Equestria would refuse to cry to his own mama when she knew something was wrong. 

"That's her charm." Night Light chuckled, as he went into the visitor's room or what would be Shining Armor's former bedroom. And placed all the sheets and blankets over the bed. 

Knowing that this would be a long day. Night Light made sure to close all the curtains. And turned off all the alarms and clocks, to make sure everypony would receive a good night of rest. Being a good husband has its perks. 

"Now that everything was settled I can finally go back to... oh pony feathers, I forgot to drink the milk." The face of satisfaction of finally getting ready to bed was exchanged for the frown of his own stupidity, and now he had to go back to the kitchen and drink a glass of milk... 

As he walked downstairs, he then saw something which took his eyes... And made him smile... both mother and son were sleeping in the embrace, the tiredness had overcome them and now they were on spot, and finally, their fears, their pain, and their adrenaline came to an end just for a recharge. 

Night Light quietly turned off all the switches and using his levitation spell he covered both mother and son into an embrace before going to the kitchen and having a nice glass of milk and now that the beast was sleeping another cookie. Night Light was having the best night so far.

"Welcome home Spike." The father whispered as he proceeds to finish his cookie and go ready to bed.
> Fuga (Allegro) The morning rises in G Minor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the night finally showed the glimpse of climax, the princess of the night let out a sigh of tiredness after witnessing the morning rise from somepony near to her, a mare who sowed a lovely smile and a bowl of fruits waiting for her.

"Good morning Luna." The cheerful mare who seemed to have rested well gave a smile as the tired sister gave a tiny smile in return.

"Good morning Tia." The response sounded weak and tired, but another good accomplishment from the night. Looking at the bowl in front of her, she heard the banana calling her name, and she decided to eat the banana peel, leaving the inside of the fruit over the bowl. "Thanks for the breakfast."

"Anytime sister." Celestia as she watched her sister curious about eating the banana peal instead of the banana itself always amuses her. But ignoring her amusement she decided to have a talk. "Can you tell me how the work went my dear sister?" 

Luna after gulping the peel sighed in disappointment. Making her sister look at her knowing something wasn't right.

"I went on Spike's dream last night, and try to make him knows the wrongs he did with princess Twilight yesterday," Luna said as her own sister raised her eyebrow and looked sternly at her own sister, but before she said something Luna continued. "And I discovered he was the victim in question, Princess Twilight and Rarity became a couple on his behind, and he knew that I have a suspicion about it." 

"Did he fight with you?" Princess Celestia asked coldly, but after seeing her sister shook her head, made her calm herself, and then proceed to give the letter to her sister. "Luna, you know I love you...but what you did was too harsh and unforgivable, you could've asked me first before doing something harsh like that. We as princesses must know both sides of points before making such accusations, and I'm really glad that Spike didn't fight you... because he was already having a Tartarus for a day, and having a bad dream would make his morning even worse, and you know that..."

As the night princess looked at the letter created by the little dragon, she discovered she had indeed made a harsh decision that night, but thankfully Spike composed himself, even after his outburst. Luna lowered her head as she remembered everything Spike told her, that night Spike needed a friend to vent his mind. 

"I understand sister, Spike was indeed a good drake." Princess Luna remained in silence as she looked at her own sister who seemed satisfied with the conclusion.

"At the moment Spike sent me the letter, I knew he was speaking the truth, even at the beginning I was offering this idea when he was 3 years old, it was because I wanted to spark the interest at the little drake... Even after his enormous talent, I knew it was heartbroken for him to refute the offer after he was 7... But even after 10 years he still has the offer I did to him onto his heart." The princess of the sun used her magic to bring to her sister a mug of coffee, which the same sister couldn't help but reject, as she wanted to go sleep the soon as possible. 

Shrugging her arms, she decided to drink the coffee herself.

"For somepony like Spike decided to send a resignation letter to me, it means that something made him break his ties with Ponyville in the most terrible way." Princess Celestia said so casually that made her own sister raises her eyebrows at her. 

"Sister, you sound like you suspected this." Princess Luna couldn't believe her ears, as she looked at her own sister didn't show any kind of smile, but acceptance of facts in front of her.

"Well Luna, since Spike was a baby dragon, I knew that he has great potential at his future, but one thing which always made me doubt about when Twilight would start her journey was one of my most terrifying questions..." Celestia said as she came to a resolution, not showing any kind of emotion as her own sister raised her hoof and gesture to go on... "My most terrifying question would be, what if Twilight did something to Spike which she will regret for the rest of her life?" 

Princess Luna raised her eyebrow trying to understand the meaning behind the question.

"And that's terrible because?" All the vague answers were little by little annoying the younger sister, and the hesitation on her part makes the suspense even worse. "Spit it out already sister, I want to go to bed soon."

"Well... you see... Spike is her rock...since from foal hood, Twilight couldn't take care of herself on anything else than her studies, and she clumsy made herself get hurts all the time because she was too concentrated reading books..." Celestia smiled nervously but then after coughing herself, she made clear. "Spike had a dream of becoming a musician and was having great teachers and had a clear future at his front... but looking at Twilight...He then decided to give up his dream to become her assistant and help her out..." 

The eyes of the princess of the night went wide open from such a statement. 

"That was his decision from 7 years old?" Princess Luna couldn't help but feel shocked from the decision of the little dragon, to give up something like your future to remain low key to help your family is something not many ponies would do, and Luna knew about that because she didn't like any second from when her sister took all the glory and everypony started hating the night.

"Yes, he did it without any hesitation because he wanted to take care of Twilight, however, they still had the support of the family when they started here in Canterlot, and many of their conflicts would have been resolved from their family's interference... But when Twilight was supposed to be on mission on Ponyville and she resolved to stay..." Princess Celestia sighed in disappointment as her sister nodded her head in understanding.

"You feared Spike would quit being assistant as soon Twilight was in Ponyville." Princess Luna finished the process of the thoughts of her own sister but her eyes narrowed from such statement. "Wouldn't that be too much for the little dragon?" 

At the moment she said that princess Celestia gasped.

"Luna, please. I can't believe it you are thinking I was forcing the dragon to do something like that." Before her sister even replied she raised her own hoof. "I know that may have been selfish on my part but I didn't do anything to persuade Spike, I just prayed that he wouldn't have any fight with my student. I swear in my name that I didn't receive a letter complaining about their fighting since the day they were there."

"Are you sure sister?" Luna looked deeply at her own sister and after confirming that she was telling the truth, she at least sighed in relief. "Okay, keep going." 

"Well... to be honest, I was glad that Spike didn't get anything troublesome to him until Twilight Sparkle finally ascended to alicorn," Celestia confessed her relief which made her own sister raises her eyebrow... "At the moment that Twilight became a princess, I knew she was ready to take care of herself, and even giving hints that she could have butlers, maids, and helpers. Giving Spike a green card for him to quit his job of assistant and finally follow his own dreams."

"And knowing Spike, he took the hint but he was already too familiarized with Ponyville and he already worked for Twilight during all those years that he didn't need a reason for him giving up... Until yesterday." A sudden voice made not just the princess of the moon but even the princess of the sun herself turn their heads behind, as they say, a chimera creature applauding slowly to them. "I have to say princesses, this idea is so chaotic and so evil that I'm questioning if I'm the perpetrator of the chaos at all. Who knew that the elements of harmony would take the secret in 7 keys with them unless the element of Honest?"

Both mares made a grim thought as the lord of Chaos smiled evilly at them, but with the red on his eyes, they could see that the chimeric creature was actually plotting thousands of ways to make somepony suffers a Tartarus.

"Well Discord, I knew that Spike would someday be stressed with such works, that even someday I was planning to even call him and have a personal talk about he be ready to follow his dreams." Princess Celestia remained composed, but the scoff of the draconiquis showed some purple bubbles as his eyes rolled behind so much that his eyeballs got outside from behind his head. 

"Please spare me from this sweet talk Tia. You girls don't seem to understand the gravity of what happened." Discord decided to snap his fingers and made the entire garden be switched to a house whose furniture was mixed and upside down. Discord decided to leave them looking confused at the house, as he focused on the flying chest who was riding a blowfish. "FRANK, GET BACK HERE."

The chest trembled before flew slowly in his direction, making all the mares look at him.

"Frank, to let's be frank. I know, it's an old pun but old is still gold." Chest said as he opened and appeared 2 pieces of gold bars. Discord decided to go inside of the chest whose was half of his own size, making the mares look at themselves before shaking their heads. Then they say a giant cheese wheel getting outside of the chest, then a what would be a grey and brown rod with what would be a face craved on it, as they heard Discord mumbling sorry father, then what would be some red blouses with a kind of symbol on them. Then a bowling ball and after that 2 foxes who were kissing each other before running away from the sudden voice from the chest. "Sorry, Margareth and Edward. But I told you to do that on Fridays. Now GET OUT."

Discord finally came back with what would be 2 paper hats with giant letters DUNCE on them. And at the moment he came back, he placed on each princesses horns, making them look ridiculous, as they would be angrier if Discord started laughing at them, but to their surprise Discord was looking serious and without any kind of humor on him. 

"Let me be frank with you two princesses. I thought after 1 thousand years prisoned on that stone would make you two develop wisdom and understanding to all the creatures over Equestria because you were free... But as the time I was inside of the stone, I could see and hear many things... Cheating wasn't something I would be surprised of... And trust me, Spike is upset with cheating, but what Spike is doing isn't about the relationship of Twilight and Rarity..." Discord said as he made the mares in silence after seeing the Lord of Chaos himself look solemn and angry. "Spike isn't doing this because of betrayal or anger... No... this is a message of something they did to him much worse than that."

"A message?" Both Mares asked in unison...

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"A message?" The stallion said as the little dragon was eating the breakfast on the table, as he looked his own mother in silence and her mane was covering her eyes. 

"Yeah, dad... I would be upset about Twilight taking my crush, I know that. But that's life how it is, it happens. But was makes me so irate was the fact that they were in a relationship behind my back for months and our only friend who confessed the truth to me was the element of Honesty herself. And she said Rarity and Twilight would confess they would be into a relationship at the moment they would make me comfortable." Spike was so angry that he was munching his gems with milk like a maniac. "Comfortable... can you believe it, dad? They would make me work my body to the bone as they were into a relationship, making me happy to bring Rarity at home and thinking it would be my time to impress her, while in my back they would have been doing things I just imagine me doing with her... that just makes me feel like I'm a loser who wasted so much effort and time thinking about the ways to impress her."

At the moment he vented, the mare who was looking at the table got up from her place in silence but the sound of the chair moving made both males looked at the mare in surprise.

"Excuse me." Twilight Velvet said as she walked slowly, making both husband and son shrugged on their places. At the next moment, something passed through Night Light's mind. 

"Spike takes care of the oven, I need to check something quick." The father himself didn't even let the drake answer as he ran upstairs and walked inside of Shining Armor's former room.

"Velvet what you are doing?" Night Light asked as he looked at his own wife who seemed unfazed and not showing any kind of emotion.

"I'm just wanna talk to her." That was her normal response with made Night Light's eyes wide open and replied.

"You are not thinking into doing what I think you are going to do." Night Light firmly stomped on the floor.

"I'm just wanna talk to her." Twilight Velvet said as she used her magic and from inside of the wardrobe a royal sword from Royal Guard soldiers was there.

"Velvet this is serious. You are going to make this much worse." Night Light said as he saw Velvet carrying the sword with her magic as her unfazed face walked past him. 

"I'm just wanna talk to her." The same answer made Night Light follow her as he started arguing. But no matter how many times he tried to show a sign of reason to her, his wife always replied with the same answer.

"I'm just wanna talk to her." But after passing through the door she finally let it slip the true words. "I'm just going to kill her."

"Velvet even if you go to avenge Spike, you still will make Twilight sad by killing Rarity." At the moment Night Light said a good point, he could see the anger deep inside of his own wife got in check as she had the conflicting feelings inside of her. Angry, Night Light was too, but he couldn't let the anger make his wife and mother of 2 princes of Equestria make a scandal like that. Especially since this is a case of lose/lose to them. "There is nothing we can do to Twilight and that mare, it was their choice, the only thing we need to do is take care of our son. Remember Velvy, we have 3 kids, and if the 2 of them fight we will support everypony."

The sword covered in magic was shaking after a few seconds but at the moment of pure silence and many ponies looking at the Sparkles, Twilight Velvet let drop the sword, and sigh in defeat.

"I hate when you use your logic on me." The mare mumbled as she kissed the cheek of her own husband, leaving him to sigh in relief, and finally got back home. "Mares."

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As the room was filled with acoustic violin sound, 3 ponies were trying their best to follow the soloist who was giving a few explanations on how movements were made, as the violins were playing following the soloist it appeared some incoherences over the play but as the sound continued, ponies remained struggling but the pony who was leading the explanations was nodding and moving their arms and gestures, making the movement of the bow flows over the violin. 

As the ponies, 2 were teenagers and 1 old mare and a filly who seemed practicing and moving the same movements a lot of times. As the repeating movements were tiring and exhausting, at the moment they finally got a few good sounds, the movements of the soloist remained clean and without mistake, as the other correcting their stances was nodding by each movement.  

At the moment the soloist finished, all the ponies were gasping tired. 

"Good job everypony, Banana Bread, you need to relax your hooves when it comes to vibrato, but you did an amazing job in comparison 2 weeks ago, keep practicing 40 hours per day. Bottle Can, I'm proud of you the C sharp seemed clean on your violin, I want the other notes to be clear like that. Boreal Mane, I'm so glad after your recovering, and you didn't let the sickness take away your passion for music, I'm proud of you. And look at that, Mint Cookie you're officially learned about rhythm and you played so comfortably that makes me scared since at your age you can be treated as a prodigy." The leading violinist was a black stallion with a black and white mane and were glasses, he smiled at the students he was leading with his violin. As the other stallion beside him nodded his head. The other stallion was a grey fur stallion with a black mane and glasses at the same size as the leading violinist. 

"You guys made good progress with your time. I hope you guys still train 40 hours per day because I'm sure the next year you will be at the Canterlot Royal Orchestra Event. First remember you need to keep balance practicing with your fun, find your passion, and practice until you get ready for everything. Class dismissed." The pony in grey who was correcting their stances gave the final instructions before moving his head towards the black stallion and giving him a scroll. "You have to check this." 

Noticing the students were already taking their suitcases and moving outside the class, the black unicorn looked at the scroll on his hooves, the look from the black stallion was from unamused to shock, to a deep surprise and to an ecstatic smile.

"My goodness Bretton Wood, is that true?" The stallion couldn't hide his smile, as the other stallion nodded his head happy.

"I'm glad that this year will be a good surprise not just for the ponies who will hear the orchestra, but for us as well... It's been eons since we heard him play..." Bretton Wood said as he took his own materials and already went to outside of the classroom. "It's good to know an old student came back from the music art. Don't you think Sharp Education?"

"Yep. This year will be Interesting." Sharp Education said as his voice pitched when he said the word interesting. As both stallions finally got outside the classroom and turn of the lights.
> Melody of friendship on G String
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the tension happened outside of the kitchen, Spike was unaware of how much angry his mother was angry with not just his sister but from one of the heroes of Equestria as well, the element of generosity, he didn't know that his father Nightlight actually saved the life of Twilight's special pony.

He remained looking at the oven as he prepared a buttered bread made on a frying pan. It was a simple dish but Spike has a sigh of nostalgia crossing on his mind and nostrils. After taking the bread from the oven he then made the table just a few minutes later his parents appeared as they both looked not very happy. But the sigh of the table made their eyes wide open in surprise.

"Hey mom, dad. Did you mind I did the table?" The little dragon asked as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head... "I organized all the forks, spoons, and napkins for all the occasions by color and alphabet order, and even I decided to make sure the toasts look crispy enough but not burn, and I even find the condiments and placed them over the table."

Spike was so used to doing the breakfast that even his parents knew that this was a serious problem that happened to him. As somepony who saw her children does the table since childhood and noticing something on her little's dragon's eyes... Twilight Velvet knew something was very wrong at that moment. 

"Spike...does Twilight ever did the table?" Twilight Velvet as a mother of 3, always... ALWAYS made sure to make their children divided their tasks equally and making them switches for them not to be always used to one task. 

As she noticed that her own son freeze and his eyes went wide open, she knew clearly the signals on how busted she caught him and he was unable to tell lies at the moment she looked fixed to him.

"Mom I swear by Celestia's beard, this isn't what you are thinking... Twilight still does tasks, it's just I banished her 10 steps near to the kitchen before I allow her presence." Spike said quickly just to showing the despair into his voice, knowing that if he delays even a second she could misunderstand his words and even make things worse for Twilight. 

As her own eyes twitched, Twilight Velvet walked beside her own son and gave him a gentle hug surprising him. 

"Spike, we appreciate your help, but you are not in a condition to do home tasks right now." Twilight Velvet as she smiled weakly at him, showed from the tone of her voice was very serious. "You need to take a break of thinking into just work Spike, you need to stop."

"But mom, it's just a table." Spike not sure why his mother was on this way protested that she was being so far but the next question made him cornered.

"Spike, you were the only dragon or pony inside of the castle with Twilight, did she hired somepony to help you clean the castle as you take your breaks?" From the tone of her own voice, Spike knew... his mom was not angry but was sad...

"Well...no... But I wanted that way, I wanted to be the best to help Twilight whenever she needed... And well... I get breaks, but I pass most of my time helping the girls around and even go to gem hunt with Rarity for her to make dresses..." Spike slowly talked, noticing something he never thought before...he was burnout...exhausted... just after hearing the routine he had at that moment his body wanted to lay on the bed and don't wake up...  Spike let it out a sigh in disappointment. "I should have to know..."

The hug from his mother tightened up as he felt the warm fur around his scales. 

"Spike, you need a break... a break from Twilight, a break from work, a break from Ponyvile, a break from Rarity..." The whispered from his own mother made Spike remain in silence. "Spike you need time to think... Here, take this bag of bits and go to Ponyjoe and take a good breakfast over there, and bring a dozen of doughnuts for us. Go around Canterlot and enjoy yourself, come back when it's time for lunch. You need to think to take a break now. Say it... I'm on a break."

"I am on a break," Spike repeated slowly as he nodded to his mom, the bag of bits was on his side, giving a quick hug and a kiss on his mother's cheek Spike took the bits and ran outside of the house. "Bye mom, bye dad... Love you." 

Like the time the little drake got out from the kitchen, Twilight Velvet couldn't help but sigh in sadness, as her husband took his newspaper. 

"I know that that sigh. Do you want me to take the chair?" Night Light, after married Velvet, knew well all the kinds of her sighs, and the tone of this one would mean just one thing.

"Yeah, Spike it's holding his anger and other feelings as he tried to compensate it with work, I have to make sure to create a comfortable environment over the main room. And I will need you to warm up." Twilight Velvet most of the time would be glad to help the others when it comes to problems like that, but when it comes to her own family. It makes her uncomfortable. 

"So I take the doctor is in then?" Night Light takes a look over his newspaper, as he could see his wife looking thoughtful, he gave an exasperated sigh as he approached his wife to kiss her cheek. "I will take my barbershop uniform then. If you are going to make the therapist and the barberpony, you would need somepony handsome to help you with the barbershop?"

"Oh Night Light, you silly but smart stallion." Velvet giggled at her husband's silly gesture, but let out a smile. "You are right darling. I think the barberstallion and the therapist would be the best help Spike would need at this moment, not any kind of help, but professional help. It's time for us to step on and treat this problem from the rot."

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The productivity over the humble but famous doughnuts shops Pony Joe's showed how important his products were on the daily basis of his customers. Over that morning 6 royal guards were eating gladly their desserts, and the tables were full of couples sharing their breakfast with a good cup of coffee. The owner of the establishment was working as a machine without making a single mistake. 

The good movement of ponies getting out from the Pony Joe's was something the own Pony Joe knew well. And on rare occasions, he found time to talk with his friends when they appear over the bakery. The sound of bells being pressed over and over again, and many ponies around asking for coffee and a good doughnut, something he knew really well. 

As the door was open Spike's first look seems to be surprised at how full the store was, something that makes him accept since the Royal Galloping Galla was one of the reasons why Pony Joe's became really known over Canterlot. Spike knew Princess Celestia would share her party knight with her trustful guards, and from their part, they shared with their friends and family. And from the mystery inside of the train of desserts being eaten, that made him more famous with Ms. Cake and Mr. Cake as well. 

Spike sighed as he approached the balcony. 

"Hey Pony Joe," Spike said as he finally took a seat, as he looked the baker walk around the kitchen and proceed to bring dozens of doughnuts. 

"Oh hello Spike, it's been a while. Sorry about this rush, but it seems there is the break for all the royal guards and I want all of them ready for the day." Pony Joe said as he proceeded to fill the doughnuts with jelly and other flavors and walked to the royal guards to leave his desserts for their enjoyment. After taking care of the guard's Pony Joe who took his notepad from his pocket looked at the dragon sitting on his front. "What can I do for you?"

"I want a coffee milkshake and a box of doughnuts. I want to bring home the doughnuts. So take your time. " Spike said as he looked around and all the couples who seemed happy and satisfied with the service left the tables with their bits, making Pony Joe take it happily. As Pony Joe went back to the kitchen and after 5 minutes, the milkshake was ready, and in front of the drake who seemed happy.

"Alright Spike, there are a few dozen inside of the fryer so it will take a while. So here it is your milkshake." Pony Joe like a runner went back to take orders for another pony who seemed to be on the other side of the bakery. 

Spike was happy for Pony Joe overwork himself with a happy face, it seemed that he was having fun.

"Spike?" A familiar voice asked ash he turned his head and found a mare with pale fur and red messed mane. 

"Oh, hi Moondancer." Spike smiled at her, but his face looking tired gave her a signal of how much the little dragon needs a coffee.

"Spike? Are you feeling alright? It's because I never saw your face like that." Moondancer asked as she sat besides him on the balcony, as Pony Joe worked without looking at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine... I just came from Ponyvile yesterday and my parents said for me take a time to enjoy Canterlot." Spike smiled seemed forced but Moondancer didn't seem to notice.

"Really? And how is Twilight? She is around Canterlot too?" At the moment Moondancer asked that she noticed Spike cringing as he forced his teeth harder. Which made her ask in a different way... "Ooookay... I will take that as a no... so how long are you going to stay before going back to Ponyvile?"

"I'm not going back to Ponyvile Moondancer." Spike said quickly but it was enough to make Moondancer look at him shocked... "Yesterday I had a really awful day, and I cannot go back to Ponyvile... I left Twilight and decided to live with my parents..."

As he asked that, Moondancer's mouth dropped as she looked shocked by the decision of the dragon.

"Spike, really? What kind of fight you did with Twilight to make it so awful to go back to your parent's house?" Moondancer as a childhood friend with Spike, knew well how his fights with Twilight could've been since, from kids, it can escalate quickly. But she never thought she would be terrified to hear the next words.

"Twilight has a relationship with a mare I have a crush on my back... And almost all our friends lied in my back about this secret..." Spike said as he looked at his own milkshake as he closed his eyes.

"What?" Moondancer gasped in shock and in disbelief. And then she frowns deeply. "And she didn't tell you why?"

"From what the element of honesty said... they want me to feel comfortable with her living into the castle with her during a few more months for finally hear them saying that," Spike said but jump out from the slam over the balcony which made even Pony Joe stop working.

"Spike, that's awful. No... not awful. THAT'S AN ABSURD. Did you break the castle and destroyed her bedroom? Launched fire everywhere?" Moondancer who seemed furious about knowing this, made Spike raise his eyebrows and shook his head. "Wha... why didn't you destroy anything?"

"Why would I do that?" Spike asked as he didn't know why this unicorn was being so adamant about the situation. "I just shout out I quit once and then took my stuff to go directly to Canterlot without telling anypony."

"What? Spike, did you got angry?" The question which was made by Moondancer made him look at her in surprise, but after thinking for a few seconds, he shook his head. "WHY DIDN'T YOU GET ANGRY? YOU HAD THE RIGHT TO." 

Moondancer was creating a scene, but Spike ignored it and shrugged.

"I don't know, for me, I seemed angry but actually I didn't feel anything but sadness... I cried a lot, but other than that, I didn't have angry on the desire to break stuff."  Spike was going to say more but he felt his mouth forced shut, as Moondancer looked at him angrily.

"Spike, you must find therapy... Because what you are feeling it's not normal... You need to talk to your mother about that, she knows about this more than we do... And heck. I'm really angry with Twilight, how could she do that to you? I can't believe I had crush on her at our childhood." Moondancer who seemed so timid, she was so angry that even the final words made Spike look at her in disbelief.

"You had a crush on Twilight?" Spike felt a bit of pain from his chest because Moondancer was the first crush he had on his life, but after looking on how furious Moondancer was with Twilight and how supportive she was to Spike even on that berserk mode, made him realize they were supposed to be friends, just that...

"I had... if you had a crush on me, sorry for my stupidity. I'm a filly fooler and I should have told you and Twilight from our childhood, but after that event of Twilight and you leaving at my birthday and all the process of her seeking forgiveness to me, made me realise I should look for therapy... And there was an amazing doctor who was helping me since from my first section..." Moondancer said as she smiled at Spike, who seemed surprised. "Spike whenever you need help and somepony to trust, you can count on me. In our childhood you and Twilight are my friends, so even she messed up this time. I will help you when you need it."

Spike was going to say something but then a box of doughnuts appeared in front of him. 

"There is Spike, it will be 20 bits." Pony Joe looked a bit annoyed at Moondancer but sad for Spike after hearing the conversation, he then gave a few extra sprinkles just to cheer the poor dragon which didn't know.

"Oh, okay. Thanks Pony Joe." Spike took from the bag of bits and after taking the box and finishing the milkshake, he smiled weakly at Moondancer and waved at her... "What a strange morning."

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As the morning sunlight demonstrated the passion over the entire Canterlot as the nature explored all the region of the noble city, in a camp of what would be a public garden for everypony to enjoy their time walking and enjoying their picnics a dragon remained sitting on the bench with a box of a few eaten doughnuts

His face looked around as he sighed, his mother was right about him having time for himself and have time alone to process his mind, and while he tried to act mature during all the trip... It's still hurt after imagining that everything happened in 24 hours. The pain and the secrets that made him second-guessed his friends over Ponyvile, and the former pony who he thought was the love of his life actually did to him. 

Spike pressed his face against his claws, trying desperately not to cry in public. And it was still the morning and he didn't imagine that even after quitting his job as an assistant he was still trying to work his routine as he usually does in Ponyvile. His mother was right, he overworked himself and was tired but he didn't even think about that until she told him. it would take several hours until sunset for him finally get time to sleep. His mother wanted him to go around Canterlot and pass time to reflect alone and enjoy himself and she would be expecting him to return by sunset for dinner. It would take a long day until he goes back to his house as he promised. So he decided to start his time in Park in quiet solitude. 

“Oh hello Spike, didn't see you there. Now move aside and let me sit.” A gruffly feminine voice commanded, interrupting Spike’s precious solitude. The voice was familiar and the way she talked to him made him snap from his thoughts and turn around to see somepony who was smiling grumpy at him. “You’re making it difficult for my work. Eating alone and not sharing... ”

"Lyra? Okay" Spike looked to see the minty green-coated unicorn wearing a beat-up old straw hat. He scooted over and returned to his wallowing, giving one doughnut to the mare who smiled wide and ate the entire thing with one bite. He sighed into his claws dejectedly but watched the mare out the corner of his eye. 

“Thanks, Spike, you know how much I love Pony Joe's doughs, don't tell Bon Bon I said that... But now, let's prepare for it.” Lyra Heartstrings the mint green unicorn, who has eccentric tendencies smiled as she sat beside the dragon on the bench. 

She leaned to one side and let her saddlebags drop off her back, rather than use her magic the way a unicorn would normally do. She removed a lyre from the bag before shoving the empty container beneath the bench and out of the way. Finally, she tipped the hat forward with a showy swipe of her hoof, flipping it over her horn and onto the ground where it landed open side up. The unicorn climbed up on the bench and took a seat with her legs dangling over the edge of the bench. She reclined against the backrest and played her instrument lazily.

As she started playing, Spike couldn't help but raise his eyebrow at her.

"Do you still do this? After all those years since our childhood? I thought you stopped doing this after you and Bon Bon got married and you were accepted on the Canterlot Orchestra at the same year." Spike asked snarkily but received giggling from Lyra who was still playing her instrument. 

"I still do this, it's a good hobby of mine when I take a trip to pass the mornings on Canterlot. This park always has great stories. The battle between a clown and a mime it's still my favorite." Lyra said after her instrument made a good comedy melody making Spike chuckle from his sit.

"Yeah, it was fun to imagine an earth pony would win against a unicorn... Mimes are crazy." Spike said before sighing a looking away...  "Lyra can you give me any advice?"

"Hmm?" Lyra who stopped playing her lyre looked to see the dragon on her side and raised her eyebrow. "Me from all the ponies you knew? Spike my pal, we knew each other since when?"

Spike touched his chin as he remembered his childhood.

"Well, I remember to meet you with Moondancer, Minuette, Lemon Drops, Twinkleshine at the time Twilight was in the School for Gifted Unicorns. You were always hanging out while Twilight and Moondancer were focused on their studies." Spike said not thinking the reason why she asked that question.

"Spike since from that age until now I don't  even can take care of myself, what kind of advice I would have to help you with your problems since even I cannot follow my own advice?" Lyra asked but the way she said it was more in a sarcastic way making Spike chuckle in his place.

"Please don't be like that, my problem is not that difficult," Spike said but after receiving a scoff from Lyra wasn't something he would receive in response.

"Spike, you became a giant dragon into your birthday party, you fought a tyrant over an empire, and you had to deal with the princess of friendship every day. All your problems are difficult." Lyra said that as she returned to play the lire making Spike pout and turn his head. 

With the good sound over the music crossing around the camp, Spike couldn't help but sigh again, this time making Lyra stop playing again.

"Alright drake, spit it out already. What's the matter?" Lyra knowing that Spike being gloomy that day would distract Lyra from her performance and she wouldn't attract clients that way so decided to hear his problem first.

"Twilight was having a relationship with a pony I had a crush during 2 months without telling me... Not even her friends who I thought were my friends told me, and they knew it... Just one pony who was the element of honesty actually came to me and told me all the truth." Spike said leaving Lyra to suck her breath as he then continued to resume. "And I passed so many years helping Twilight as her assistant and even after quitting my job and exhausting myself during so many years, I tried to be useful to my parents who let me stay home... My mother was freaking out about me being exhausted and my mind being on auto-pilot."

Lyra remained quiet as Spike looked at the camp again, waiting for something to relax his mind, or an ear to hear his vent, and Spike was glad that Lyra actually listened to him, but the silence after that showed that she didn't have an answer at all.

Lyra opened her mouth to say something but shooked her head instead... noticing Spike was actually down and she didn't actually have good advice would leave the poor dragon awful... But then an idea happened through her mind.



As somepony who grew to learn music classic and went to all the classes, Lyra knew something that would make Spike distracted in so many ways... As she started playing the first notes, Spike raised his head and looked at Lyra surprised and frowned at her.

"Har, har, har. Seriously?" Spike said as he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Here I am, telling my problems and asking an advice and you are just playing Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565 like I'm some kind of villain."

Lyra smiled at him as she continued to play. Spike scoffed and turned his back to her, Lyra remained to play each chord and in rhythm which made Spike nod his head and enjoy the good chords and thirds played by his friend beside him.  As the tragic thoughts he had over the last day, he couldn't help but think that it was a horror story, but playing on the harp was something beautiful to hear, especially that song which would make many ponies start horror movies. 

Spike closed his eyes, as he enjoyed the sound of each cord was being played. Enjoying every second of it, Bach King was always his favorite composer and that song was one of his most famous works. Lyra was somepony who always knew how to play even the most strange ways, nopony could make a better version of this song than her, and Spike knew that because he watched her play many times as a kid and even trained with her with his violin. Both of them enjoying music classes, Spike started looking at his past. 

"When did my life went on this turn?" Spike asked himself as he examined every day of his past, all the gems he ate, all the success and failures he and Twilight passed through and every memory remembered the good times he was with her, but all the bad times as well... He saw the time he was a little drake and started to play music but the filly beside him was so distracted with her books that she suffered an accident by making an entire bookshelf falls over her, making him try to help the little filly and protect her from all the problems she could have... Then there was the time he was on Ponyville were the times he could see Pinkie Pie avoiding him all the time, Fluttershy being more quiet than usual, Rainbow Dash forcing her smile, and the stares of the ponies over him... All the signs were about what almost everypony knew... minus him...

Spike's face darkened as he listened to the quick notes were playing, as he noticed something inside of him.
When he had to work every day inside of the library, or helping Twilight ever the case, he always was doing his best to make Twilight be safe, be her helper, but just that, always worked a lot, trying to receive recognition and just a few things he ever enjoyed himself. Just comics or walking into expeditions with Rarity, just in the end she takes the gems and leaves him with just scraps. 

He just lay there, feeling nothing... maybe it was because he was too tired to feel anything, maybe all the hard work cleaning, shelving, cooking, and being an assistant, made him too tired to actually feel anything after he felt the urge scream of quit his job as being Twilight helper and run away from Ponyville at the night's train to Canterlot.  As the final cords were played over the harp, Spike opened his eyes. Lyra played the song finished with a question that hit Spike in a way he never thought it would have.

"Spike... why aren't you angry?" The serene voice of his friend who finished her play made Spike remain quiet and after a few seconds of silence, Spike took a few bits from his bag and made the deposit on Lyra's hat. 

"I'm gonna go home." Spike didn't turn his face to Lyra, but he felt yellow magic pulling him back from his sit. 

"This song may be interpreted as the creation of a terror or a villain, but when I play on this harp... I treat this as waking up alarm... When ponies must face the reality and ask for help to find a way to deal with it." Lyra said as Spike didn't look at her, as he remained with his face looked serious but without a signal of anger.  "I don't know how you did it, but you must have made a lot of damage control and kept up being mature enough to deal with it... But Spike... Everypony must let out your feelings... It's natural for a dragon to let out the anger... And hold your anger inside of you makes the damage worse than let it out..."

Spike was still stuck on his sit but remained in silence making Lyra felt a bit uncomfortable with the silence. Knowing he was free from the speel, he got up and left without replying to Lyra who seemed disappointed...

"You did well you jackass..." Lyra mumbled to herself, knowing she was terrible with advice but still trying to her friend up. She couldn't help but sigh and continue her play as many ponies pass through the park.
> Sonata of barber shop. Rap in G5#
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After having an experience in the park, Spike knew it was best to avoid further contact and go straight to his parent's house. His mind was still in conflict with what to do that day since he wasn't thinking straight at that morning.

"Mom, dad... I'm home." Spike said before opening the door, thinking about many things, but he wasn't expecting to find a barber chair in the middle of the main room, and his dad reading a newspaper and besides him, another chair whose was a big as a sofa capable for many ponies to even laid and sleep on it. 

Spike's eyes went wide open as he felt the magic wrapping around him and levitate him over the barber chair.

"Hello son, I think it's time for us to have a mane cut..." His dad smile as he wrapped the dragon with a cape cloth.

"Dad... we stopped playing barbershop since I was a kid..." Spike looked annoyed by the simple fact he was being treated as a baby, but his father smiled at him.

"You may say that, but there is nopony more important to vent than a barberstallion." Night Light said as he used his magic to bring to his hooves a mane brush and a plastic scissor. "Well, how do you want your cut?"

Spike couldn't say no to his father. He then proceeded to adjust himself over the chair.

"Alright, the usual please, Light." Spike decided to accept to be part of his dad's play, as he felt the plastic tools over his scales. 

"Mister Dragon." The voice of Night Light calling Spike as he proceeds to use the plastic scissor to fakely cut his scales from the head, made the dragon turn his head as his father brushed his scales. "I know I'm just a humble scissor jokey, but you've been coming into my shopping for almost 18 years. I can tell when you got something on your mind."

Spike noticing his scales was being brushed and the sound of the scissor over his scales, made him clearly imagine that he was in fact inside of a barbershop. And he clearly knew that his barber could see his reaction. Spike sighed and couldn't help but admit his thoughts.

"I think... I think what bugged me is..." Spike started to vent as he couldn't see his own father turning his head to his back and winking to his wife who was laying on the couch with a notebook in her hands. "All the mares I have a crush on in some way was or became lesbians and they have the same crush on Twilight. I don't know if that was an act of selfishness by me or some kind of entity playing a prank on me. During all the years I've done my best to be the best assistant Twilight could trust... "

Spike felt the clicks of the scissor became louder as he felt his father trying to not react to the thoughts of his own son. 

"Oh yeah." The voice of Night Light sounding so indifferent but curious made sure Spike gives a lot of points for his father to not break his character of the barbershop.

"It's like, all the effort and all the help I did with Twilight was in vain, and in the end, I felt that I was backstabbed for the pony I trusted most. And the worst part is... I don't think I'm sad anymore, but I'm not happy, and surprisingly I cannot feel angry about it. And the ponies around always keep asking me why am I not angry when I should be." Spike moved his head down, as he heard the clicks of the scissor stopped. 

"Hmm. Well kid, if you want my opinion, I say that you gotta a lot of problems not just inside of your mind, but in your heart as well. Actually, it doesn't surprise me the fact you are not creating rampage." The barber pony who said that, made Spike eye's went wide open. "Your emotions are actually frozen from what I can imagine."

"Really?" Spike asked as he tried to turn his head to his barber, but the hoof from his father moved the head of the dragon back in front as he came back to 'cut' his scales. 

"Yep, it's because you are actually not feeling comfortable to be angry and that makes your feelings get uphold until you find somewhere that nopony may be and with most breakable objects around without nopony to watch you... Then next you would get into a rampage and destroy the entire place." The barber said making Spike raise his eyebrow. 

"Seriously? Why?" Spike asked as he didn't imagine a kind of possible reaction, but looking at the scoff from his father, he didn't expect the answer at all.

"It's because one of those ponies I cut her mane was your mother, and kid you must have seen... She wrecked the entire house of her ex when he cheated on her. You must have seen it, she destroyed the entire house from inside out as me and my friends were laughing at the stupid stallion which angered her." Night Light said as his own son jumped in surprise.

"MOM WAS CHEATED?" Spike couldn't help but scream. 

Night Light was going to reply but then he heard a cough behind him, which shrove his spine. And looked at the mare who seemed glaring at him but was hiding it from behind the magazine she was reading. 

"Can you two speed up? I have a client in the next 30 minutes."As the mare said, Spike couldn't help but look at the couch and he didn't notice his mother was there and she was wearing a pony tail which means...  Spike is her client... Spike gulp. But looking at his father who seemed so assured of himself, he then teleported his scissor and brought a plastic haircut machine.

"Oh, just wait for it ma'am, I will make this little kid a great haircut. Then Mr. Dragon, I will use the machine, which level do you want?" Hearing his father asking about the machine usually made Spike forget the problems over his mind and actually get inside of the paper he was given. 

"Oh, well I want level 2 this time Night Light," Spike said as the clear magic from his horn made sure to play one of his father's old vinyl. 



"Alright then." Night Light, made his little toy made vibrate as it was actually the haircut machine and passed through the scales around Spike's neck and his head. And sang the song which he remembered at the times he was a teenager as he worked in a barbershop.

Twilight Velvet lowered her magazine as she saw Spike feeling the beat as his father sang and looked so focused on the music, Velvet always loved her husband, and one of the greatest majors her husband did over the university they studied together is something nopony could believe. A barber pony with the skills of a psychologist, somepony who scored the full score over the final project making the ponies needing treatment actually think they were inside of a barbershop. 

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30 years in the past: 
.
.
.

"Attention class, today is the day... Today as your final project we have patients needing psychological examination and with possible prescription over their problems. I want you to make sure all the volunteers over this project be treated well, it's your final grade. I hope you all have trained what you need to make you pass and receive your license of psychology." A brown stallion in his mid 60ths walked as he looked at the class who seemed attentive from their anxiety, the final project. "I hope you are all ready."

Twilight Velvet with 20 books around her, as she made notes about the possible outcomes of the test and new references. 

"Wolfy, can you borrow me your book about infant psychology from Manhattan of 3 years ago?" The mare who had a ponytail looked at the little biped wolf beside her desk, surprising him. 

"Oh, right. Here it is Velvet." The puppy took a book from his bag, whose felt the magic from Twilight Velvet smiled thankfully to her college friend. "Velvet, I'm kinda worried about you, I know you have been stressed out. But everypony here is anxious, and from what I looked around. Everypony has a great chance to pass. I know we can do it."

"Come on Wolf, I love you being optimistic, but this is a real deal, I know you want everypony over this classroom pass, but we cannot be sure, especially since we have slackers who sleep all day over the class. Like Night Light." Twilight Velvet scoffed as she pointed her head to the stallion who seemed to use a hat to close his eyes, and ignored all the problems over the class. 

Every day, Twilight Velvet asked herself why somepony like Night Light who wanted to graduate in Astronomy want to major in psychology as well. They weren't of the same nature. But it seems the stallion thinks it wasn't worth his time going into class. 

"Night Light. NIGHT LIGHT, WAKE UP YOU LAZY STALLION." The teacher approached with his clipboard and looked at the stallion sleeping over the desk.  But as the teacher slammed his hooves over the desk, made Night Light open his eyes were surprised. 

"Wha? What the heck teacher, I was having a great nice sleep, what was that for?" Night Light asked receiving a glare not from his teacher, but from some of his colleagues in class.

"Night Light, today is the finals, and you will be the first to know what is the psychological problem without making your patient being uncomfortable. If you do a single mistake I will make sure to take a lot of points from you." The teacher was loud and clear, but as some ponies were chuckling against one of the lazy students, Night Light didn't seem to mind at all.

"Okay, how much time do I have to prepare?" Night Light yawned as he looked at the teacher, which receives a humph sound from him.

"You have 10 minutes to prepare what you need." The teacher grumpily said, but looking at the stallion in front of him, he always hated the face of the stallion on his front, he looked like somepony so confident, even after sleeping most of the time of the class, nothing seemed to agitate him on the class.

"Okay." Night Light said as he used his horn to levitate a box under his desk, and looked at some sites that seemed not occupied. Casting levitation he brought until the front of the class and directed to make some lines over the front, as he opened his box, revealing what would be a cape and a uniform. 

All the students looked at Night Light, who seemed didn't mind their whispers, and focused on the items inside of the box, he brought not just the needed clothing, but he brought old magazines and added over one of the chairs in the front of the class, and then he took a mirror inside from the box, and then he took out from the box, haircut tools which made everypony look at him in disbelief.

"Is that what I think what is?" Twilight Velvet said as she used her hooves to clear her eyes because she didn't believe the slacker over the class was actually dressing as a barber stallion.

Night Light, after fixing and made the position, he nodded to his teacher who seemed shocked, but then shook his head as he went to open the door, he made sure to give one more warning.

"Everypony I want you all to be in total silence and let this slacker work, I will not accept mistakes made by the others inside of this class, and if you fail. It will be your own fault. To be in silence. I'm watching Night Light." The teacher said as he went outside of the class and a few minutes later, he brought what would be a tired pony who seemed into a depression state.

The beard of the stallion was messy, as his mane showed the stallion didn't sleep any minute. Which made Night Light take a deep look at the stallion, and used his magic spun the chair, as the pony suddenly noticed something was strange...

The university said he was going to be part of the psychology test but why it feels like he was at a salon. As he shook his head and look around and he found he was in the middle of class like he was supposed to be. He then looked at the blue unicorn smile and his head nodding in the direction of the chair like it seemed the newcomer was supposed to sit on the chair. 

The stallion raised his eyebrows but nodded to the stallion and sit over the chair. 

"Morning, what it will be this time sir?" Night Light said as he used his cape to tie the neck of the stallion who sat on the chair.  "Do you want to make a full service? Or the usual?"

"Err... wasn't supposed to this be a therapy session?" The stallion asked but looking at the relaxed smile from Night Light it seemed he was indeed inside of a barbershop test and not psychology.

"Alright, the full service then." Night Light said as he took his mane brush and a water spray, and proceed to spray over the mane of the stallion, and using his mane brush proceeded to start taking care of the mane of the stallion. 

"Wait." The stallion tried to protest, but it seemed he was already being taken care of by Night Light. Not sure about what to do anymore he couldn't help but accept what the stallion will start to do. After a minute of passing the spray and brushing his mane, the stallion actually was feeling okay with that.

"Sir, I've been working at a barbershop since I was a foal of 6 years old. I've seen many stallions who had many kinds of problems not just on their manes, but inside their minds as well. I know when a stallion was with their minds in trouble." Night Light said as the stallion was more looking at the big mirror which some kind was being held by magic and looked at his barber stallion taking a scissor from the box, and cleaned up before starting to cut the mane. "My grandfather always said: There isn't any place better to tell your problems and your opinions than a barbershop. We are free to talk our minds. Did you know my uncle said Chancelour Pudding didn't do anything to help the earth ponies to receive nobility than just sat his flank into unicorn property?"

"WHAT?" The stallion shouted in disbelief, he would have been furious if he was an earth pony. But the other students shouted in disbelief and in anger, but Night Light ignored that. 

"Yeah, that was indeed a polemic, but since the barbershop is free to place to tell your mind, it created an interesting debate of what happened. Did you know there were many other earth pony stallions who did the same thing years prior than Chancellor Pudding, and they were launched into Tartarus, and the only thing Chancellor pudding had at that time was publicity which takes care of that and using the opportunity to make an earth ponies movement." Night Light seemed to ignore his fellow classmates and made the stallion who was receiving a mane cut has his eyes wide open.

"Really?" The stallion asked surprised as Night Light nodded to him. 

"Yep, that's why barbershops are so important. A small community to talk their minds and be free from all the opinions, that's why Princess Celestia had a good team of stallions to treat her mane when she wants most. That good mane needs to be treated by a full team." Night Light said as the eyes of the stallion looked shocked.

"Nooooo." The stallion said in disbelief but receiving a nod from Night Light, and bam. The stallion finally forgot he was inside of the class and was true of the barbershop.

"So sir, sorry didn't catch your name. And well, I should have to say my name first. Name's Night Light." Night Light said which seems fair since not even him had given his name.

"Oh, yes, sorry as well. My name is Fancy Pants." The stallion finally said his name, which made Night Light smile at him, and used his brush and made a good cut over the behind part of the mane.

"So Fancy Pants, your mane, and beard is looking a mess. I know for sure that you are not sleeping well since this mane doesn't look like it received a good waking up call." Night Light said as he finally started his therapy session.

"Oh well... To be honest, it's a long story." Fancy Pants looked uncomfortable to share his story to strangers.

"Oh, you don't need to worry, your secret will be fine by me. I'm a barber stallion and I know more secrets that would make Princess Celestia blush." Night Light said which made Fancy Pants look at him surprised.

"Really? Can you tell me some?" Fancy Pants looked curious, but Night Light used his hoof to zip himself.

"Sorry, secrets of a barber stallion. But if you want to hear the secrets, you just need to be in the barbershop. The secrets always were exposed there and ponies just move on." Night Light said as finally was fixing the front part of the mane, and the hair falling from the mane over the floor, was a good quantity, making the stallion close his eyes for not let hair goes inside his eyes. 

"Well, I will resume. You see, my father is a noble inside the castle, and he made a great dispute between me and my brother dispute the role of the heir of our house, and we've been competing for months, but we have to convince all the nobles to talk good things about us. And my brother has using blackmail and sabotaging my name, he even made my company on Manehatten bankrupt... And that has been stressing me out. Our father is on his final days, and I didn't convince the nobles to be on my side, and I want to achieve the expectations of my father. And that has to make me feel stressed every day, I haven't desire to eat, and I couldn't sleep well." Fancy Pants said as he felt the mane been cut and it was difficult to say it.

"Hmm. Boy, this is a serious problem you have there. Well, interesting thing since my grandfather dealt with the same kind of situation." Night Light said as he took a blade and started to sharpening on the belt, and used his magic to pass soap over the beard of Fancy Pants. "Thankfully my grandfather said a great plan which made him turns the tables and not just save his lineage and made his family receive karma."

"Really? And what was the advice your grandfather gave to him?"Fancy Pants forgot completely he was inside of a class and looked at the mirror his beard was covered in soap and was difficult to talk to. 

"Oh, it was so simple that nopony ever thought about it before... Make a good community festival charity, and uses Princess Celestia to sponsor the goodness over the community and make not just the community likes you but makes you into a good position with the Princess herself.

Fancy Pants' eyes went wide open and thought about it as he felt the blade cut off the beard calmly and with love as it was indeed a professional taking good use of the blade over his face. 

"Of course it wasn't easy, the stallion had to invest a good amount of bits and be totally sincere of him wanting the best of the community. As the many nobles walk around the Canterlot, they always forget there were ponies needing help and be treated as equals as well. And Princess Celestia knows this, and she wants ponies to help her with that, trustful ponies..." Night Light said as he took off the cape and used the towel to clean the face of Fancy Pants, and at the moment he took off and used a little tiny broom to clean all the many over the body and clothes of Fancy Pants, what the little noble saw a different kind of pony. "And everything always starts with a really good looking with a good mane cut."

Fancy Pants looked himself in the mirror and was surprised by what he saw. The mane was well made and it looked like his mane was beyond many noble stallions he ever saw. And his beard, it didn't have any, he took all the beard but let it a tiny mustache on his face. 

Fancy Pants was beyond disbelief, he never looked like that before, but for the first time, he could see the beauty of what a good barber could do.

"My grandfather always believed that one simple haircut and a good beard cut is what it needs to change the lives of the ponies. Make one humble stallion feels like he became a noble even if he didn't have any bit on his pocket. And a final advice Fancy Pants." Night Light said as he took his notebook from the desk and made the stallion realize he was in the middle of class and forgot the reason he was there. "In the days of my grandfather, a barber was a counselor, an advisor, a psychologist, a fashion expert, a style coach, a pimp, just general things the stallions looked around for a good looking day. But the problem is all the cast of these amazing things were dead, ponies over this day got no skill from our ancestors, no sense of history and then with a straight face got the nerve to be somepony, wants somepony to respect them, but it takes respect to be respected... Princess Celestia knows very well about this. So I hope you think well about your future decisions. The first cut is free. So you don't need to pay anything. I just wish the best for you Fancy. See you in the future someday."

Fancy Pants remained quiet as Night Light finally write on his notebook and then he looked at his teacher who seemed quiet, the entire classroom was quiet, and thinking about what he said.

"Here is your report teacher. Anxiety over pressure to surpass the expectations of his own father, depression over family rivalry, lack of auto-confidence due much stress... Further details inside of the notebook.  " Night Light gave the notebook to the teacher who seemed surprised by his action. "Since I already did the test, I'm out of here. Have a nice year teacher."

Night Light looked again at the class who seemed with their heads down thinking about their actions, but everypony watched Night Light get out from the class...

Twilight Velvet and Wolf looked at what would be a barber stallion which some of the best psychological skills they have ever seen... Something so simple that made the pony with problems changes his point of view of himself. A simple mane cut and a beard cut. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She smiled as she remembered what her husband said to her on the project of why he was questioned about being a psychologist and be a barber pony. It didn't matter how he ended up in the end, he did it because he wanted to enjoy helping ponies and enjoy his work.

"Talcum?" Night Light asked as he made Spike think a few seconds before shaking his head. "Well Spike, I gotta to confess... Your great grandfather would be proud of the decision you made. Even if you felt hurt and destroyed on the inside, you did it what many stallions wouldn't have balls to do... You were willing to ask for help even in the moments of weakness like that, you went to ask help to your parents, and to your friends... And things like that it takes a good courage to do that."

"Really dad?" Spike asked as he saw the barber smile at him.

"And trust me, your grand uncle would have cursed all the family of those mares who broke your heart, and would have made a scene that you would love to watch. But Spike, now I will tell you an advice by experience. Problems happen to everypony, and everypony makes stupid mistakes. What the mare did to you with Twilight was stupid, but teenagers make stupid mistakes, even you did or even will do. But that happens, and the mistakes are what make us grow with more experience and wiser than before. You aren't married, that would have made your life 10 times worse, and now you are free." Night Light said as he took the towel over Spike's body, as he brought the mirror in front of him. "With a new haircut, you can look at yourself in the mirror and say, Alright world, I'm back, and this time I will do what I want."

Spike's eyes went wide open as he could see clearly inside the mirror, the tiredness inside his eyes were gone, and by some way his scale looked more curved, and even polished. It looked higher than before, looking stylish, his father always had the skill to make somepony feel great with themselves just by giving a simple haircut.

"Thank you, Night Light. How much was?" Spike finally felt comfortable with himself to let it out a simple smile of gratitude for the first time.

"It will be 7 bits." Night Light said as he took the cape of the little dragon, who seemed to take from his imaginary pocket what would be a single bit made by air.

"Here, have a bit which value 10 bits." Spike raised to Night Light who raised his hooves.

"I cannot accept that." Night Light said, as Spike who smiled and approached above his father. "It's too much."

"Oh come on, I'm already going to add into your pocket." Spike said as he moved around his father who seemed to effortlessly try to not accept the imaginary coin.

"Please sir, I have dignity and I cannot. WOA." Night Light stumbled on his hooves, making both him and Spike fall at the floor. "HAHAHAHAHAHA."

Both Spike and Night Light laughed at the silliness they felt over the middle room, and Spike finally gave a hug on his father who seemed to pat on his back. 

"Okay Spike, your haircut is ready, and now you are looking great for the section." Night Light said as he walked with his own son inside of the kitchen.

"I really have to do that dad?" Spike sighed as he looked at his own father who took of his uniform and closed the kitchen door.

"Well son, you know the rules, and the haircut will make her fall into your feet, trust me, I know the barber who made it." Night Light chuckled as his son punched slightly at the back of his father's head. 

Both son and father waited 1 minute before Night Light knocked the door from inside of the kitchen.

"You can enter." The female voice made them open the door and reveal a mare siting into a big chair, as the couch was ready for the patients she had. A modern therapy room which showed a lot of diplomas, pictures of college. A photograph of a mare and a wolf and a barber dressed as graduated students. And the environment over the room looked cozy but serious at the same time.  

"Spike the dragon? I was waiting for your visit." The mare who seemed a professional psychologist offered her hooves as she used both of them to take the little dragon from Night Light's back. "We have a great session in mind."

"Oh boy." Spike said as he finally sighed and finally accepted that the end will be long at the moment he stepped inside of the room...
> Bolero of Therapy. - Marching in La major
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



As the room was with fragrances of perfumes over the room, Spike looked around and saw the curtains were opened wide, making the environment of the room he was cozier than before. As a mare of Ponytail and glasses awaited on her armchair, looking at the drake and his pony father walk beside her. Spike would be more comfortable if wasn't for the fact it was his own mother who was wearing glasses and ponytail and she was in the room 5 minutes ago.

"Oh Spike, it's been months since the last session. I'm glad you take a whole trip from Ponyvile to visit one more session on this humble room." Twilight Velvet said as she used her magic to levitate the notepad on her hooves. "Please take a seat."

"Hello, Doctor Velvet. Sorry for interrupting you today." Spike said as he walked to the sofa and decided to sit comfortably on there. 

"Oh please, don't mind it." Twilight Velvet scoffed as she gave good look to the little drake over the room. "Oh, it seems you have cut your scales, you looked more charmer than the last session."

Spike after hearing his mother compliment his scales, blushed as he smiled sheepishly.

"Thank you, I just got these scales cut before coming to this session." Spike scratched the behind of his head, as he heard both his father and mother giggling from his reaction.

"Anyway. Now that you came here, it seems it's time for us to start our new session." Twilight Velvet said as she took a feather and ink beside her. "It's been a long time since I want to talk to you again."

"Well, it feels a while," Spike said as he reclined himself on the sofa and at the right moment he felt really comfortable. "Wow this couch is amazing, really cushy and comfy, did you buy it recently?"

The doctor smiled with her eyes closed as she nodded to him. 

"Yeah, I bought it 4 months ago. It's something I wanted to make my family enjoy into dinner talks or talk beside the fireplace. But I think it works better in my sessions with other ponies." Twilight Velvet said as Spike felt the comfy cushions beside him. It was a simple white couch but the cushions made it looks really comfortable as he reclined himself to enjoy his session.

"I have to say Doctor Velvet, your family doesn't know what is losing," Spike said as he exactly forgot he was the son of Twilight Velvet and once again his mind made him like it was talking with his most trusted therapist. 

"Why thank you, Spike, my furry friend actually gave me this idea as I went to meet him at the grocery store." Twilight Velvet said as she examined closely as the little dragon was with his eyes closed and ready for the session.

"Oh, and how is doctor Wolf? It's been a while since I went on his session as well." Spike said as he opened his eyes and looked curious at the mare on the armchair. 

"Oh he is fine, he is on vacation with his wife. He is taking a trip to Manehattan and enjoying the time of his life with his loved one." As doctor Velvet explains the wherebonds of the furry therapist, Spike's face fell when he heard some keywords which would make him sad, making his mother look at him in concern. "Spike... are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah." Spike snapped from his thoughts making the mare not convinced. "It's just, many things changed since our last session doctor Velvet."

Knowing well how difficult the little dragon must have felt from the turmoil of feelings passing through his mind, Twilight Velvet, even she was his own mother... she didn't exactly know full well what it was passing through his mind. There are times that even the mothers couldn't know the inside of the mind of their own children, and that's why the therapists are for, to help them to vent and help them to pass through all the challenges.

"Please Spike, remember that we are in an area of secrecy and I do my best to make an atmosphere of understanding for you to express what is inside of your mind. Me as your therapist, I want you to take your time and explain from the beginning what is bugging you. If it is something you care to talk about..." The mare used her magic to take off her glasses and with delicacy, she cleaned it up before replacing again on her face. 

Spike took a few moments to breathe in and breath out and calm himself before talking.

"Okay... well, I do strive to be my very best every morning since I was a little drake... every single day I tried to make sure I would wake up to help Twilight on her needs because I feared she would make herself hurt... And don't get me wrong, since I went with her on Ponyvile I did many good and cool things, like helping the girls on their missions and even be a hero I wanted to be in some places." Spike said as he looked over the ceiling noticing from his deep mind the process over all the good moments he had on Ponyvile. "I will always be grateful for the times I actually made the difference to help everypony on Ponyville... But it seems that most part I passed there, I did my best to make everypony happy... But just yesterday I noticed that the only pony or dragon who wasn't happy on Ponyvile... was me..."

"That sounds a quite difficult Spike." The doctor contained her feelings as she started making notes from her notepad and made remarks as she looked in concern at the drake. "Can you explain to me why do you feel that?"

"Well, since from my times as a little drake I had a really busy life... as Twilight was on the school. I enjoyed my own time being a babysitter and even taking my own studies as learning music from the royal musicians. It was a routine I liked since I was young. But since I became Twilight's number one assistant... I think I made myself become tied to a compromise that nopony expected me to be that far..." Spike looked at the mare on his side and raised his claw to her. "Firstly it was just to shelve and clean books, but later becomes to help to take the apples off the farm, cook in the mornings, make coffee every hour, help to make cakes, take care of some animals, be an inspiration for new kinds of clothing... Everything happened in such haste that actually forgot which kind of hobby I enjoyed I was a kid... The only thing I used into my breaks was to read comic books or make a snack for me to eat."

As the mare hummed carefully she decided to give some writing on her notes, as Spike felt a bit uncomfortable explaining that thoughts.

"I mean... when I looked at the time behind... I can see that maybe I didn't enjoy much time on Ponyvile. Well, it had its moments, but maybe I felt more need to work than actually enjoying living in that city. I think most parts of the friends I did on Ponyville were actually Twilight's friends mostly." Spike shrugged as he pressed his tombs and looked at the mirror on the wall attached not a while ago. "I think at some times I feel like I was into prison as many ponies were walking over the city and enjoying their times together... When it comes to trips, Twilight and the girls were the ones who would actually be there, leaving me to take care of the library of the castle after the last incident. I know the girls wanted the best for me, but I mean... Maybe I'm acting like a victim too much... Did I do something wrong for them to make such bad things escalate this way? Maybe I should have done something different..."

At the moment Spike said that he heard a stomp from the floor and made a look at Twilight Velvet who seemed to call his attention. As her eyes were twitching. But proceed to make a deep breath and release as Spike looked in concern at what he said.

"Spike... ever heard about the seven sins and the four cardial virtues?" Twilight Velvet asked receiving a look from her son who seemed to snap from his thoughts.

"Uhhhh..." Spike would have answered but he was interrupted as the psychologist got up from her seat and walked beside him.

"Well Spike, mostly ponies or even other creatures over the Equestria, believes in any of us have strong inclinations towards 7 specific sins and vices, the virtues could be represented by 7 or 13 if you make a combination of them... From what I heard from the last session, I know that you received an encounter with the sin of Greed but it wasn't by your own choice or inclination..." Twilight Velvet said as Spike winced from remembering the partial destruction of Ponyvile by a dragon who couldn't take his mind of wanting things on his birthday... "However...if you want to hear my professional opinion. I have to say you now have an inclination of the sin of Envy..."

"What?" Spike got up from his seat and looked at his mother staring at him. "What do you mean?"

"I think you will understand why the sin is envy after I tell you which is your vice or better said... vices." Twilight Velvet took an anagram and pointed to a draw of a star representing the name of all the sins and the virtues around it. And from the draw, she made some arrows pointing into 2 names... Prudence and Fortitude. "Spike what I'm about to say will be harsh and difficult to swallow but deep inside of your own mind, you know what I will say it's true... I will start with Fortitude... Fortitude is the virtue of the remaining firm in the difficulties and constant in the pursuit of good... did that sound familiar?"

Spike shook his head as he tried to figure out from his point of view.

"Well Spike, let's start from everything you passed in Ponyville... You were: Target of pranks which could kill you, the test subject to spells and science experiments, an employee who works more hours than an entire staff of a company, a loyal puppy who try to seek the love of your life by doing everything she wants, a friend who is abandoned on the trips working yourself as the said friends go to everywhere enjoying themselves, suffered injuries from any kinds of ways, both psychological and physical... And yet... you still smile, try to do everything to make the others happy... You passed through a lot of mistreatment from your said friends, and you still help them and do that to make them happy..." After any example from Twilight Velvet, Spike little by little felt his eyes getting wide open and then he looked at his own claws, shaking from frightened. The truth hurt... "You must have questioned yourself about why, why are you insisting to do good as the others makes your life like Tartarus... you try to remember the good times and that may help you to keep hope in the tomorrow you would have a nice day... That's one of the virtues who actually made you still have a good heart..."

Spike clenched his teeth as he closed his claws hard, he closed his eyes and moved his head away, trying to avoid contact with his own mother.

"And from all the possibilities you could have made after knowing about Twilight and Rarity, you didn't destroy the castle, you didn't get into a fight with Twilight, you didn't go to each of your 'friends' to shout to them, you didn't try to burn the books Twilight loves, and maybe the reason of why you are trying to avoid getting angry... because of another virtue you have: Prudence..." Twilight Velvet decided to sit beside Spike as she moved her forearm to his neck and approach him to show the notepad. "Prudence is the virtue of the ponies who discern the good in all the circumstances and the ways to attain it. You could have done many terrible things after knowing everypony was keeping a secret from you, and you decided to just take your stuff and leave from Ponyville without thinking twice.  You avoided talking with Twilight because you knew that anything she would say would make things much worse for you. And maybe from all the Fortitude you practiced, this virtue must have helped you to make you more mature and wiser. Which leads to feeling down on yourself."

Spike sighed in disappointment as he felt a few tears passing through his eyes, and leaving him unable to answer back to the reason the mare was leading him to.

"While still feeling disappointed and betrayed at those who have been hiding this secret from you during all this time. And it is a special hard thing to put aside that need to resolve the issues of others. But that's what I want to focus on here. The fact it's their issue and their problems to their focus on themselves and not yours. You have been working for others during all this much time that you forgot the way for you to work not for others but for yourself." Twilight Velvet used her telekinesis to grab a jar of water and put it inside of a glass and offered to Spike to drink. "And even if they still would continue hiding this secret from you, hurting your trust from all the time you worked helping them... I have this conclusion... NOPONY Can make you feel a certain way, that is a choice you make yourself. You cannot control how the other ponies think, feel, or even act... In the end, they will decide on how will they feel... Just you as decide how do you feel. Is that make sense to you Spike?"

Spike nodded as he drank the water inside from the glass. Making Spike listen carefully but after letting it out a gasp he shook his head disappointed.

"Sorry mom, it doesn't... It should make sense but it doesn't, why? Because I have been hearing this freaking same monologue inside of my mind my entire life... the part of the virtues may be a good point, but the fact of deciding how I should feel and accept how the other ponies act the way they want, makes me even worse because I have been telling this same excuse over and over and over again... Trying to accept all the work I have done, accepting the loneliness and responsibility of being alone, the worry about Twilight not coming back from a fight... Now I just realize I always had this problem." Spike said as his tears crossed his face and his hands started shaking almost shattering the glass in front of Twilight Velvet. "And no matter what I do, no matter what I try, I keep falling at the same traps: Ponies I trust needs help, I always help, and then they ask a lot of favors, and then I do all of them, and then they launch all their responsibilities to me, and I cannot say no, and the mares I love, they always will be mare lovers and will ALWAYS FREEKING LOVE TWILIGHT. Then I see how stupid I'm and I get disappointed and sad with myself for allowing it. "

Spike claws destroyed the glass, leaving many glasses pieces over the floor, and making both Twilight Velvet and Night Light remain in silence. 

"The memories of similar events appear into my mind and I get even more disappointed with myself for not learning from the last time. It's a vicious cycle I want to stop but the lesson never seemed to stick. I don't want to feel this way ever again, but I still do. I keep getting told the same things, over and over and over OH CELESTIA BUCKING DAMMIT. WHEN AM I GOING TO LEARN?" Spike started to punch the coach repeatedly while he tried to let out all his rage. Taking out the cushions and punching until his arms get tired and then using one cushion to press on his face to muffle the angry shout inside of him. "HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM"

After a few seconds of both parents approaching slowly at the dragon who seemed so angry but tired, they took off the cushion as the crying dragon remained laid on the couch.

"When am I going to learn..." Spike whispered crying as he couldn't help but feel defenseless and helpless...  

As a mother, Twilight Velvet had the desire to destroy a city brick by brick after listening to how much her little boy had suffered, as for her own daughter she wanted to make sure that she would have grounded into a way for her never forgets on how terrible she had been to her own brother, she wanted so much to cause rucks and even go against to the princesses herself and say something of her mind...

But as a professional therapist and which she is so focused most time of her life writing books on children psychology and helping her friend to make all the ponies win against their struggles... Twilight Velvet knew that Spike didn't need her as a mother to avenge him... He needed her as a therapist to help him to make him grow better from the problems inside of his mind.

"Spike, I said that you help the other ponies because of the virtues you have inside of you... But that doesn't mean you have to deny any request for help from the ponies who really need it at the moment. I raised you better than that..." Twilight Velvet said as she used her hooves to carry the dragon near to her and then placed it over her. "What you learned it's from the way you won against the difficulties and the struggles you have... The experience and the stories you may have passed can inspire many ponies who suffer the same problem as you... But you need to keep in mind that as you can help the others, but first you need the support of the only pony or dragon who matters most for you... Yourself..."

Spike opened his eyes as he felt the hoof of Twilight Velvet pressing over his chest. 

"As many ponies may have requested your help to achieve their dreams and wants... You need to understand the only dragon you should to listen more... Yourself... You may have helped the other ponies but is there something you helped yourself with? Don't you have wants and dreams prior to all these problems happening?" Spike's eyes went wide open and at the moment he was going to reply he was shushed by his mother. "And I'm telling about the wants of self-achievement and not material to make your greed desire to appear once again..."

Spike sheepishly smiled as he giggled nervously...

"Well... I've always wanted to be part of the orchestra. Not the greatest violinist of Equestria or the maestro of the whole orchestra... I just want to be part of something good and be with my friends and a lovely mare..." Spike said as he sighed once again, but he felt the glance of both Twilight Velvet and Night Light nodding to him. 

"Well, now you are free Spike..." Night Light said as he looked at his wife who seemed satisfied with the results. "You already sent a letter quitting your job from being an assistant, and from the school, you had in the past... It's time for you to focus on yourself. So why not focus on your dreams now? We already have a princess and a prince in our family... But mostly what we want Spike... It's our children to be happy with their dreams and their lives... And even if you want to just be part of Canterlot Orchestra, we don't care if you will be the last-line violinist. We want you to be happy." Night Light said as he took from behind the shelf a little violin. "We can talk to the princess about the possibility for you to relearn a few classes before trying to the orchestra the next year. But we want you to enjoy your time as a new Spike. Find your muse and go. We are already proud of the resolution you had. But one thing we want you to learn... "

Spike looked at his father as he cleaned his face with his arm, as he felt a kiss on his cheek from his mother who seemed to take off the elastic of his ponytail mane and took off the glasses as she nodded to him.

"You cannot win this alone, so let us help you...You have 2 loving parents who would give their lives to protect you and help you. So please, whenever you need to talk or vent... You can trust us... Now go and take a bath. Later we want you in a suit because we will be at the beginning of the festival." Twilight Velvet smiled at the dragon's shock after hearing those words.

"Seriously? You want to go?" Spike pointed for both husband and wife who nodded their heads.

"Oh trust me, Spike, I know I can find it kinda boring and tiring when it comes to concerts. But when it comes to my son. I will be in the front row just to see you play." Nigh Light smiled as he felt the sudden hug from the little dragon who seemed happy once again. "Now go to bath."

"Thanks, mom, thanks, dad."  Spike hugged Twilight Velvet and ran upstairs at maximum speed, happy with himself.

After watching her boy get out, Twilight Velvet took a few deep breaths and finally let out one of the phrases her friend always taught her when it comes to a great session of the day...

"Ahhh... it's good to be helping."
> 4'33 after bath.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the courtroom was in devoid silence, both princesses looked around at the group of ponies who seemed nervous from the sudden call that afternoon. 

Maids, Butlers, and servants. All of them bowing respectively to the princess of the day and the princess of the night. 

"Please rise, my subjects." The warm voice of the princess made all the nervous feelings and doubts over the ponies of the court dismissed. As their presence didn't actually show any kind of threatening presence to the ponies, but their fear of something happening made them grow in anxiousness. "You may question yourselves about why we have called you."

As the sweet voice of their leader showed that they aren't in fact screwed. Made them more confused about why they are in the court. From pegasus until unicorns, they all shook their heads, as the princess of knight walked between them.

"You all have been chosen for relocation to the next kingdom over Equestria. Since many of you have told on your applications that you are in fact looking for a new place to live, even not having somepony to burden you to stay into living in just one place." Princess Luna solemnly said as she looked at the reaction of all the subjects in front o her. From their eyes widening in confusion, the princess of the night couldn't help but sigh in seriousness. "The castle of Friendship located in Ponyville lacks subjects to take care of, not for the castle itself, but help the Princess Twilight to deal with her affairs and schedules over there. Since her only helper decided to retire himself from working as her assistant, we want to make sure the princess would have everything she needed to keep leading from there."

As the sound of whisperings and mumbles over the subjects was indeed expected as the princess awaited all the whispers to quiet down as they remain in seriousness but with a smile on their faces.

"We wanted to make sure that Princess Twilight wouldn't make all the work alone, so we asked all of you if you were able to move to work into a new kingdom a few months ago. And since all of you agreed. We are eternally thankful for all of you to sacrifice the time you trained with us and be ready to take care of the castle in the city a few hours from here." Princess Celestia proceeds to use her magic to bring a lot of scrolls to share with all the ponies over the courtroom and make them read. "This is the updated contract for the job application you had with us a few years ago. The payment will receive a raise of 10 percent by the hour and be free from taxes for the next 2 years of good work. Like the contract, you had with us since the beginning. We choose you, not just because you aren't wanted here in Canterlot, but you all are one of our best subjects but don't have anything to hold you in Canterlot like family or ties. Please, as your princess. I bow to you for your help and kindness."

As both princesses bowed to their subjects, all of them never felt such honor at that moment. Making them shocked. But from their shock, they all start smiling, determined as they all agreed to sign up for the new job they are going to fulfill. 

"We thank you all for your help and services, we wish all of you good luck and life you all you will be happy to live. The passages it's all paid for the last train over the night. So you all can prepare your baggage for there. We have instructed Mayor Mare from Ponyville and she will be glad to help you all with adapting to the new city. You all are dismissed. And Once again thank you for accepting this offer." The princess of sun opened the door with her magic, she watched the satisfied subjects leaving the courtroom. 

As she and her sister remained alone in the deep space of the court, Princess Celestia couldn't take anymore and sigh in sadness.

Princess Luna remained stoic as she walked beside her own sister.

"You want to know a sad thing, Luna? Maybe I should have done that to Twilight at the moment she became a princess. That way I could have offered Spike to find his teachers when he had free time from Ponyville." Celestia admitted that parts of the catastrophe were made by her. Since she knew how hard Spike has worked helping Twilight, even noticing that she was the one who could have made it easier for the dragon. "I was the one who introduced Spike into learning music as Twilight was receiving my classes. And I knew how in love the little dragon was learning about playing the violins. Even his teachers came to ask me how he was in the cases I find them." 

"You don't have to be harsh on yourself Tia." Luna who remained quiet she patted the mane of her own sister as she looked around and found they were alone over the courtroom. "Spike knew well that he had the offer you made for him, and that's why he made the message for you, he took the offer that you did years ago. So I know that he doesn't blame you. He didn't blame me even knowing that I may know the secrets of their dreams. Tia... sometimes you need to understand that you cannot take the blame for something that happened by other ponies."

"Lulu." Celestia sighed as she smiled weakly at her own sister. "Thank you."

"That's what sisters are for... Anyway, I'm glad that tonight will be the opening of the festival, and knowing Spike, he will be there. Maybe we can talk with him and lead him to his teachers. Since they are going to be part of the festival." Luna smiled as she knew she made her sister smile again, and this time it was the best for the final comeback.  "Well, we may be harsh and make a lot of snarky comments, but know that. I love you with all my heart, my dear sis... Even if sometimes you buck up." 

Luna decided to say quickly as she used the teleport making Celestia's eyes wide open in outrage.

"Wait what?" Celestia turned around and found that she was alone in the room, as she grumbled annoying. "One of these days Luna, one of these days... Baam Boom, Back to the moon."





As the bath relaxed the muscles and took all the anxiety inside of the body. Spike could feel finally renewed from all the bad energy he was having that morning. Everything that happened to him seemed like a fresh start... He's hurt? Absolutely, but now that his mental fortitude was renewed from his two sessions. He knew exactly a good way to heal himself. 

Pass time with his family and enjoy the festival with all his heart. 

"Okay. Spike, you are a mountain. They broke you down, and made you explode like a volcano? They did, but now you are new and the volcano is sleeping again, thankfully I didn't make such a terrible mistake." Spike looked at himself in the mirror as he flexed himself showing his tiny muscles. "And now you are ready to take the next step."

As he looked himself at the mirror, he then found his reflection becoming Bulk and bigger, and the poses he made looked so effeminate but with such style that made him open his mouth in awe. As one of his reflections even raised his index claw and pointed at him with a good style that he was even looking badass. 

"Wow." Spike was admiring until he felt a claw touching his side. "AHHHHHHHHHHH."

"Enjoying  the reflection?" The yellow claw said as Spike looked at the owner of the claw and made him surprised. "You think you are waiting for somepony, BUT IT'S MEEEEEE. DISCORD."

"Discord, what are you doing at my bathroom?" Spike said as he took his towel and covered the parts of his body. 

"Bathroom?" Discord asked surprised, as he suddenly took a map with a compass as touched his glasses with his tail, as Spike didn't know how it appeared in the first place. "I knew I should have turned left on Albuquerque. That explains a lot."

Spike's eyes twitched, as he wanted to scream with Discord, but then he felt his mouth being zipped.

"But let's focus on more important business Spike." Discord said as he hold Spike's mouth with his claw. "At the moment you have left Ponyville, the girls went to each other's throat. It was so chaotic that I was even proud." 

"what?" Spike tried to scream but he was muffled from the claw on his mouth, but his eyes went wide open in surprise. 

"Yeah, I was so furious about what they did to you, that I personally talked down to Fluttershy and made her understand how terrible things they did to you, and how she holding that secret made you don't trust anypony else than Applejack." Discord sighed as he remained serious with such news, that he even released the mouth of Spike as he continued. "I said that what they did to you for making that secret so terrible, that even if you forgive then... your friendship with them wouldn't be the same... I did the same thing with Pinkie Pie..." 

"Why are you doing this Discord?" Spike knew that something like that would be a disaster, but then Spike could see the fury over the draconequus in front of him. 

"They must know how they did mess up. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy knew something was up, and I'm not angry with them, but I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THEM." Discord's eyes were so angry that his red slitters were flaming in front of Spike. "Pinkie Pie did her best to try to make the secret known in one day... And it was about the birth of a pony princess... How didn't she did the same effort to try to make you realize that they were dating on your back? And Fluttershy did her best to avoid you, she confessed to me that she didn't have the courage to face you after knowing that secret. I was so shocked after learning that, that I really wanted to shout to Fluttershy...But I will never do that... not to her. But she knows that my silence hurts more than any shout coming from my mouth."

Discord looked at the dragon who seemed unable to decide how does he feel. He wanted to be angry as well, but looking at his friend on how angry he was... Spike couldn't help to feel pity for himself. The reasons Discord addressed Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, made Spike indeed hurt.

"You said they are into each other's throat, what do you mean?" Spike raised his head and asked ominously. 

"Rainbow Dash went to take satisfaction with Applejack asking how dare she to make such problem over that, and she went straightly to a shout with each and other. And at the moment she was going to scream more. Big Mac appeared behind from her, and made a buck so strong that it launched her to a cloud after 10 miles of distance." Discord said, making Spike's eyes go wide open, he was firstly annoyed about Rainbow Dash being an annoying bully like ever, but Big Mac giving a buck that strong, she must have really peeved him. "And if you don't believe me. I even took a picture of the perfect moment. Hahahahahaha."

Discord said trying to hold his laugh, but after looking at the picture he was releasing the laugh of a madman. Spike decided to take the picture from his claws and see a surprising painful face of Rainbow Dash with mouth open wide. With the 2 red legs of  Big Macintosh bucking the flank of that pegasus.  

Spike looking at that picture, couldn't help but chuckle with that slight schadenfreude feeling inside of him.

"Rarity went into a discussion with Applejack when she told she wasn't feeling sorry for telling you the truth, and for Big Mac has bucking Rainbow Dash... She tried to be mature, but Rarity even by accident is too much drama queen and made the simple talk become an argument between sides." Discord said as he looked at the dragon's reaction, which remained quiet and without any kind of feeling. "Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy made sides with Applejack after finally having some kind of good sense and told that you indeed had the right to know. And the plan was fated to fail. Everything would have gotten much worse if Twilight didn't give the final word explaining that what is done is done... the damage was made, even if they made the mistakes, it's too late now."

Spike remained in silence, as he could imagine Twilight's mind as she saw all the problems happen after he left. He knew Twilight was feeling sorry about what happened, but now she acted like a true princess and made sure to live her title. 

"Twilight did it right. It's good to see that she wants to make sure that they didn't need to fight over what happened. They made their choices, and I made mine. I live here now Discord." Spike said as he then proceed to open the bathroom door and walked straight to the room. "It's so sickening that ponies will go try to find a way to blame the others, when in fact the only ponies who should be ashamed is for themselves. Applejack is the only one who could help me. And if wasn't for the fact Twilight had to give the final word. I know that the girls would start fighting and friendships would be destroyed...They don't need to do that because of me... since I'm not going back."

Discord became a tiny version of himself as he teleported over Spike's shoulder.

"Who said I was going to convince you otherwise? Buck no. I in fact would say keep doing what you want. You already quit your job... I mostly want to know when it will be the next guy's night. Since I can teleport me and Big Mac." Discord was rubbing his palms excitedly. Which made Spike start chuckling and shaking his head smiling.

"Oh Discord, just you to make me feel better." Spike was being honest as he felt the tiny draconequus salute to him like a soldier. "Well, I think I can be free next Wednesday. If you don't mind, can you bring Shining Armor too? Having him as co OO master would be really awesome."

"Sure thing Spike, and hey. I know you are going to the festival today. And I was even thinking about going there as well." Discord smiled which made Spike stop his track.

"Do you like classical music?" Spike's eyes went wide open as he looked at the tiny Discord in disbelief.

"Oh, trust me Spike, even me composed some of the biggest success of all times when it comes about the classics." Discord smiled as he took one tuba. "I even created the 4'33." 

"YOU TROLL," Spike shouted in disbelief and in shock. "I should have known that you would come with a song so stupid brilliant like that."

"I know right? And surprisingly I still make this song a success even after 1000 years later." Discord bowed as Spike looked at him with a lot of mixing feelings. "I even love the ponies making cover songs about it. My favorite is when they make a death metal version. I'm even requesting their guitar tabs." 



Spike was having a migraine at that moment, but couldn't help but accept his friend's madness. 

"Discord, just you to make such thing possible." Spike decided to choose wisely his words. As he still looked at the smug grin from his friend. "Anyway, I'm going to take wear my suit and prepare myself to go with my parents to the festival. I will see you there."

"Sure thing Spike, I wish you a good festival, and hey... if you find a stallion named Opera Hoove, tell him that he owns me 300 bits, and he didn't pay me up. So I will personally take it from him." Discord said seriously as Spike looked at him confused. "Until then, Ta Ta."

As Discord teleported away, Spike couldn't help but shake his head and have in mind a new thought. 

"I didn't even get out from my therapy 2 hours ago, and now I'm having a headache."
> Dynamics of the festival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



As the evening crossed the sky of Canterlot as the moon finally went wide up in the sky. All the elegant ponies walked over the streets to celebrate a good event that happens once each year. Something most nobles and members of the high society of Equestria waits for months to get a place for their enjoyment.

As the hotel placed mostly musicians from all the places of Equestria, it was a good time for many of the said musicians to take their time to dress and take their instruments to the orchestra which is a few meters from the hotel.

It was an event that mostly ponies waited during the entire year...

"And that's all the stupid content that this pamphlet will say." The mint green unicorn scoffed as she grabbed her lyre and walked beside the hall of the hotel. "I don't know why ponies would make such dramatic publication, it's not Royal Galloping Gala, for goodness sake. It's just a week of the orchestra. Not many nobles would be there to listen to classic music."

Dressing a glamorous cyan dress, the mare watched all kinds of ponies carrying their instruments over the doors, and a long line was being placed from her position.

"Great, now I have to wait more than 20 minutes for this line to be over. Of course..." The mare grumbled annoyed, as she looked at the pamphlet one more time, fixing the content inside of it.

"Oh, crude. This is horrible. I knew I shouldn't have wasted much time choosing which dress I should use. Now I have to wait in the line, and by Faust... the tuba ponies is on front at the line? This will take almost an hour." Another voice came from behind the mare. As she turned her head, she found a familiar face that she didn't think she would have seen during a few days. A grey mare with a pink bow on her neck and a huge cello on her back.

"Yo Octavia, didn't saw you during the train trip, I thought didn't come this year." The mare smiled as she found somepony she knew well enough to launch the stupid pamphlet away from her eyes.

"Lyra? What a surprise, well... I mean... I kinda oversleep at the time and I was late to take the train, so I managed to pay for the last ticket train of the night, and I came here by the night of yesterday." Octavia blushed shamefully while she heard a snort from the mint mare.

"No way, you? Late for something? Wow that's precious, anyway, it seems that train of the night was the most uncomfortable, is that true?" Lyra raised her eyebrow as she could see the mare actually using her hoof to tap her chin as she thought.

"Hmmm... I wouldn't say uncomfortable, it was a bad experience to sleep and be awake at 3 a.m? Yes, it was, but to be honest... there was a pleasant surprise while many ponies were at the train at that hour..." Octavia remembered about a violin recital in the middle of the night, which many ponies found pleasing while they were feeling uncomfortable at the train.

"You're kidding. What kind of surprise the train stallions would do to all the passengers to make it pleasant?" The mint mare raised her eyebrows as she asked.

Octavia shook her head in denial.

"No, it wasn't the train stallions, it was one of the passengers who played in the middle of the night." Octavia smiled as she remembered how a chubby dragon violinist managed to make all the passengers have a pleasant trip with good violin music.

"You aren't kidding, wow, to have somepony to play in the middle of the night, the violinist must have been trying to keep sharp for the festival." Lyra whistled, admiring somepony who played even being sleep-deprived. It must have a reason for trying to practice in the middle of the night. "Which piece he play?"

"Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004" Octavia said in an amused tone, as she saw the look on her friends' faces, as she stopped and stared hard at her.

"BachKing?" Lyra asked as she received the nod from the cellist, which made her look at her. "Let me guess... a purple dragon." 

"How did you know?" Octavia looked at the harpist who scoffed at her.

"Oh silly Octavia, there is nopony who plays Bachking and lives in Ponyville like Spike, that drake played his songs like it was a foal play, and trust me, I saw him playing like it was a foal play and it was absurd... Actually, I think I saw both my teachers had an existential crisis when he did that... Their self-esteem was destroyed like a blew in the candle." Lyra held her laugh as she saw the look at the mare behind her. 

"What? How old he was when he did that." Octavia's eyes' went wide open after Lyra gave some thought and proceed to answer the question in the most absurd way...

"Since I met him when I had 5 years old... I think when he was 3 years old." Lyra shrugged as she looked at the face of the cellist who seemed to drop her mouth in disbelief. "I mean, he started playing at 3 years old, but he became a monster of music with 6. I remember talking to them a few weeks ago and they said Spike was an eye-opener for them on how they should teach the future prodigies and how to deal with their own self steam after learning that there are so many more talented ponies and dragons in Equestria." 

"Really? They didn't try to sabotage him like usual, the veterans do to the prodigies?" Octavia asked while receiving her friend shoo her head. 

"Nope, they aren't like that, they are silly sometimes, but what they want is to make everypony enjoy their music, and even being depressed with lack of self steam, they still managed to teach Spike well, and I think Spike didn't do the classes for taking attention of other ponies, but it was more to enjoy himself," Lyra said as they walked further.

"AWAY FROM ME YOU MORONIC PONIES. I'M GOING TO BE THE LEAD SINGER AND I NEED TO BE AT THE HALL RIGHT THIS MOMENT." A strong shouting voice came from the back of the line, which made all the ponies look at the stallion walking straight to the door. His white fur and 3 parts of his head were covered with yellow mane, while most parts were bald from his own head. 

Both Lyra and Octavia, gave room for the fat stallion to walk grumpily at the door and with a huge buck kick the others from the door. Leaving a bad taste to all the musicians in the hotel.

"This Opera Hoove, one day he just sang an Opera of 2 hours, and now he thinks of himself as a huge star. Ponies like this are just asking for trouble appearing to them. I'm glad that I live far away from him. Ponies like him always attract unlucky encounters." Lyra who always seemed to be a cool mare, couldn't deny that she feels disgusted by the stallion who just made such musicians get through the door by force. 

"You have a good point Lyra, and I'm obliged to agree with you. Ponies who always treat ponies like that are always a way to attract enemies whenever they go. I'm just glad that we are going to play just one song for this jerk." Octavia fixed her bowtie as she glared in the direction of the stallion who walked away.  "Now, let's focus on another thing. Tell me about the classes you had with the dragon." 

"Oh? Look at that, it's like the little dragon has your curiosity... are you interested?" Lyra gave some hints as her eyebrows raised and dropped in such quick motion like giving another meaning. While the cellist's eyes went wide open and quickly turned her head away, as her cheeks appeared a tiny blush of pink. 

"It's not that. It's because we never met another musician pony from Ponyville, and it was a good time to meet new ponies..." Octavia tried to subdue the grinding smile from the mint mare, but she smiled even wider.

"Oh, is that so? Well... if you are not that curious, then I'm going to sit next to him when he plays it at the orchestra." Lyra scoffed and turned her back, as she left Octavia glared at the mare and she bite her lips. 

"How do you know he is going to play?" From the tone of the voice, Lyra discovered that her college was in fact interested to know about the violinist. 

"Oh Octavia, your silly mare... Let me tell you something I learned from my foal hood at the music school for fortunate talented ponies. When a musician is without music for soo long, it's like a thirsty wanting to be fulfilled from one oasis." Lyra smirked as her friend raised her eyebrow surprised. "Spike's dream was denied by years, many ponies who know about his talent knew about that. It's painful to watch a talented pony give up their dreams to somepony. And now, since what happened is happened. I'm sure after the talk he had with his parents, he will be great in no time and even start playing as soon as possible."

"Do you really think so?" Octavia looked at her friend, which waved her hoof-like it was normal, after receiving a good affirmative from the mare, Octavia smiled as she could be optimistic about the event over the week.





The dark of night gives a beautiful view of the lights exposing in the corner street in a place with many ponies walking over the street. Many ponies dressed for the event awaited during the entire year. Ponies outside of the main open area where it would be the size of a goofball stadium, where many ponies dressed cordially talked among themselves. Some were the musicians who were part of the orchestra, some were the families of the same ponies, and went there to enjoy their night hearing their own relatives. 

Usually, the even would be about the nobles from Canterlot, but in fact was for everypony who wants to hear good music before to sleep, and enjoy a good experience of a week once per year. 

Spike awaited this experience most of his life. He heard many good stories from Lyra about how an event like that would be memorable and he always wanted something like that. Not something too big, but something for him to enjoy. 

He looked at his parents who seemed well dressed for the event, and himself was wearing his favorite suit from Canterlot, and in case he wanted to ask some points for some ponies, he brought his trusted violin, just in case to learn at the event. 

After entering the concert area, the fancy structure of an open area, with pillars of marble, and a marble roof for the opera singer, and the chairs around the pillars, it was so simple but so fancy, and with the magical light spell around the marble, making them changing colors by the sound, it made Spike's eyes sparkle in awe.

"So this is the Canterlot Royal Orchestria Event? It's amazing. Thanks for bringing me here mom and dad." Spike said happily, as he heard both his parents chuckle at his actions. "I will take a walk over here and see if I find somepony to ask for a few tips."

"Okay, but don't forget to be here in 15 minutes, your seat is B-15." Twilight Velvet called him after he left but not before nodding to them and giving a wave. "Sigh, Night he seems so happy that it looks like nothing happened yesterday."

"Well honey, that's because we are really good at what we do. We are good parents and good therapists... Now... where is the pony who sells nachos over here?" Night Light who seemed to rub his hooves excited to eat something saw a pony dressed as a vendor who carries a food kart. "There he is.  See you soon honey."

Twilight Velvet smiled as she shook her head almost rolling her eyes.

"Colts and Stallions, different ages, but same minds sometimes." Twilight Velvet giggled as she walked to her seat and open a magazine with the gossips of Canterlot society. A cover with a picture of Princess Celestia dressed as a banana and the cover the letters of the cover. (The pleasant guilty pleasure of the monarchy. Look at the dirtiest dreams from the princess of the sun. Pictures made by Nightmare ShadowLuny. ) "Such silly colts."
> A night of Symphony in G
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the group of ponies walked around dressed for the occasion, the little purple dragon walked around finding the most interesting view he would ever see the amount the ponies. A group of musicians who each of them walked to their sits and prepared their instruments. 

Spike admired all the ponies who looked so solemn and ready to enjoy their night playing everything they must have practiced during months or possibly even years. 

As he watched the groups of stations preparing their tubas, Spike heard a rehearsal of a single violin, which followed by simple mistakes... Following the sound patterns, Spike knew that kind of mistakes like that would be made by a kind of amateur, and something like that wouldn't be actually appreciated at the festival, so he decided to follow the sound.

The groups of stallions and mares were focused on their own instruments, ignoring completely the suited dragon who walked beside them, and watching at the corner, a shadow of a little filly who seemed struggling to make a simple note.

"Bananas...please, come on..." The despaired whispering from the filly who seemed to her backs to the dragon who kept reading the violin struggling to make a correct not, leave Spike to understand well what the filly was doing. "Minty, be calm, I know that it's your first event, but you need to stop making mistakes, and stop being nervous."

The filly trying to command herself to calm herself down actually was making her legs tremble even worse, as her voice was starting to crack up. 

Spike looking at the filly who seemed to be fighting her problems, decided to intervene and help her out.

"Are you okay?" The voice from the dragon made the filly jump on her spot and turn 180 degrees immediately. She was going to scream but she reminded herself that she was in an open place with many ponies who could see her scandal. So she gulped her scream.

"You scared me."The filly hissed to the dragon who seemed to see that her hooves were shaking, as she looked angrily at him. "What do you want?"

"I noticed that you seem to struggle with some notes, I want to ask if you are okay." Spike noticing that the filly seemed to be holding on to her anger, wanted to tell the truth, which made the filly stop and look at her own violin.

"I'm fine... I'm just..." The filly thinking about her nervousness made her forelegs start trembling again, and her teeth grit as she imagined herself falling on the notes again. "It's just..."

"You're scared, aren't you?" Spike sadly said as the filly didn't deny as she lowered her head. Spike touched her head. "That's okay to be nervous, it's crazy going around and having many ponies watching you. But let me tell you, it will be over after you finish it. And all the applause would be heard from everypony. Are you the soloist?"

"No." The filly shook her head. "I'm a ninth violinist with not much to play, just a steady background for the play."

"Well that's even better, you can use the other violinists as references and when you feel that you are going to make a mistake, you can lower the volume of your violin and let the others carry you." Spike clapped his claws like a good idea while making the filly shrug her body in consideration.

"It seems so. But still, this song is way too hard." The filly pouted as she moved her violin in front of the drake which raised his eyebrows. 

"Really? And what is the song?" Spike asked as the filly gave him her partitures, which made him read carefully, and then he looks at her in disbelief. "GOD SAVE THE PRINCESSES? Who would make a filly try to be part of one of Paganini's most difficult plays?"

"Right?" The filly raised her arms in disbelief as well and looked at the partiture with a bit of fear. "And my parents are over there, and I don't want to make them feel disappointed in me. But still, this song is really annoying for me." 

As her forelegs pressed over a position and the filly started playing, Spike's eyes went wide open in surprise, the position was solid, as her arms moved like a normal violinist pony would be, as she moved her bow it made the right tones at the beginning, which surprised that even she wasn't the soloist, she had a potential to become one, and made Spike asks what would be the difficult part that she was. Until a part that she was sounding hesitant which made sudden stops and made Spike's eyes raise until he noticed that the hooves she used were tight in the bow she was holding which made her make some disharmony tunes. 

"It's too rigid," Spike mumbled, which made the filly raises her eyebrow at him. 

"What do you mean?" The filly asked as Spike pointed at the bow. 

"You are holding the bow too tight, you need to relax a little of your hoove, but not too much, it needs to relax but maintain the consistency. Here, may I?" Spike raised his hand, which the filly shrugged and gave to him her violin and bow."Firstly let me tell you something... Paganini is a crazy stallion. He is cuckoo."

Spike moved the bow around his head making the sound like a crazy dragon and made the filly giggle in her place. Spike smiled as a way to relax the filly.

"Second, Paganini's work isn't about always being perfect, unless you are the soloist. And trust me being a soloist you would need to make a lot of crazy techniques... Like, I love the song God saves the princesses because I remember one street stallion doing this amazing trick and I kept practicing since I was a little drake."



At the moment Spike decided to use the violin, the eyes of the little filly went wide open as surprised skill at the drake was playing, the loud tunes made not just the filly surprised, but all the other ponies who were preparing themselves at the play, looked at Spike who seemed focused on the skills of his fingers, which made the play into something that ponies never heard before. It was so majestic and yet crazy enough that not even the most experient ponies would do, since the dragon was taping his claws on the cord as the showed a good speed on the notes.

So at the moment, he moved slow cords using the fingers to tremble the cords creating good harmonic sound and like a phantasmagoric sound remained around such beauty, and then making more ponies musicians looking at the dragon which the sound of the violin was loud enough to catch a few meters. And then the next thing made all the ponies' mouths go wide open.

The fingers of the dragon were pulling the cords of the violin which made such impressive sound which was like 10 different notes playing before he used the bow to hit the violin and then used a slow move with it as the fingers did the rest of the job, in the end creating such speed movements. 

That was impressive but then it became impossible as Spike did the same part but this time he was using his mouth to pull the cord with his fingers. The filly herself was in awe of the dragon as she giggled from the silly way the dragon was playing with her violin, and the music continued as his fingers pressed quickly at the cords, creating the harmonic music. Which made in the end sound even more impressive. Until later like a maniac Spike used the bow to up down in such a crazy way to create an even more chaotic speed but yet something like Paganini would do mostly on his songs. Which made all the ponies question.

"IS THIS THE TRUE WAY OF PLAYING GOD SAVE THE PRINCESSES?" All the ponies asked themselves as Spike was just focusing on entertaining the filly who seemed more shocked and still amazed by the dragon playing one of the most difficult songs from Paganini. 

At the end of the impressive play, Spike smiled satisfied with the play he did, as the filly clapped happily as she received her violin back to her hooves.

"Wow sir, this is amazing and totally silly." The filly said as she looked at the dragon with other eyes, to which Spike chuckled from her reaction.

"I know right? Nopony knows why Paganini wrote this, but most of his songs are crazy and hard, but if you enjoy playing into another way, in the end, it's just silly." Spike smiled at the filly which seemed way more relaxed after saying that the music was so crazy that it didn't bother her anymore. It was just silly. Which will help her to concentrate.

"I knew that I would hear the true version of Paganini's God save the princesses again. And it's from a dragon that I waited so much to see again." Then a voice came from the back of the dragon which turned his head and saw who would be two ponies that he couldn't be happier to see them. The black stallion with a black and white mane and were glasses and black suit remembered a baby dragon which seemed to be half of the size of the violin and yet would have made him almost have stock at his young days. 

"Yeah, Ed, for a dragon who could make Paganini and BachKing like foals play, just this prodigy would have made us having an existential crisis after hearing such masterpiece. Well, Spike? Aren't you going to say hello to us?" A grey fur stallion with a black mane and glasses with a white suit smiled at the dragon who seemed to be ready to tackle them.

"Brett, Ed, it's been so long." Spike went directly at the stallions who seemed to have aged well but still, he remembered them as the time he was a little drake, they were funny ponies when he was learning violin. 

"Professor Education, Professor Wood. I'm so sorry." The filly seemed to have forgotten the place where she was until she saw the presence of her 2 teachers who were looking at her calmly. 

"You don't need to worry Mint Cookie, we got worried about you didn't go to your place to prepare yourself, but knowing that you just found the dragon we were looking for, we are glad to see you found him for us. You can go to your sit Mint." Bretton Wood took off his glasses as he used a tissue to clean it, as he looked at the filly who nodded her head and went straight away. Leaving the 2 stallions with a dragon. "It's been a long time Spike."

"Yeah... 11 years." Spike sighed as he remembered the good memories that he and his teachers were having when he first started his music classes. "So you both are still the teachers from Royal Music Classes?"

"Yep. Still teaching ponies of every age to learn their loves for their music. Even prodigies like this little filly." Sharp Education walked beside the dragon and looked at the way the filly went, leaving Spike nods his head.

"She has great potential. I never knew that someone as her age, she got rhythm and she can play comfortably, and she got me off guard by making slurs on her age." Spike said which made Sharp smile at him and make Bretton nod to him.

"Yeah, I didn't even have consciousness of her age. And she has made a lot of progress since she started playing 2 months ago." Bretton made the joke but even Spike looked at him in disbelief.

"A pony at that age did that with 2 months of training? Wow, I wouldn't be surprised if her cutie mark would be related to music." Spike said which made both teachers smile at him. "What?"

"You know Spike, from somepony who played BachKing with 3 years old, saying something like that made us look at you that you are being a hypocrite." Bretton smiled which made Spike's blush appear on his face.

"Well, we got to say thank you, because it wasn't you. We could have been having an existential crisis for every prodigy which appeared in our class. But after dealing with you, all these prodigies became somehow easier to deal with since they aren't that musical like you." Sharp said as both of them remembered how Spike destroyed their minds 11 years ago, and now after dealing with many prodigies, they seemed to know how to teach any of them in a way that would help them both. "Still the best part we taught them is the same thing you have been doing into our classes. Enjoy every part of the lesson and the music you are playing, you always smile when you play something isn't that right Spike?"

"Damn right," Spike said proudly as the stallions chuckled at his reaction. 

"Yeah, I think so. Anyway, I'm glad that you are here. Are you going to be part of the orchestra?" Bretton looked at his clock to check if already was the time for the Event, but looking that they have 5 more minutes would be enough to ask one more question.

"I don't think so, Bret. I had a difficult time this week, and my parents brought me here to watch the play for the first time, I don't think that I'm ready to be a violinist for this big event." Spike shook his head sadly which made both teachers look at each other.

Sharp Education sighed in disappointment, as Bretton Wood nodded his head in acceptance.

"Well, we cannot force you to be part of the orchestra. Because tonight will be 4 hours of play and 4 conductors. Bret and I will be before the finale of the event. And we really would appreciate it if you as one of our best students would be at the orchestra to play the songs we've chosen." Sharp couldn't help but give a request to his old student, as Spike's eyes went wide open in surprise.

"Wow, you were chosen to be the conductors on the Event. What an honor." Spike couldn't help but admire his teachers whose gave themselves to the bone to teach all the ponies what they can do, to have a chance to impress princess Celestia. Since mostly just ponies with 50 years old could have such honor to conduct the orchestra. Now he has seen his teachers being able to receive such honor. It would be an offense if they refused such an offer. "Well... I can watch the first 2 conductors and when it becomes the break. I can appear to be a background violinist and give a hoof for you guys."

Looking at Spike who scratched his head nervous but accepting their request, both Bret and Ed couldn't help but be excited.

"Would you really do that Spike?" Bretton smiled as he saw Spike nodding his head to him. "That's perfect. Since you came here to watch it and didn't brought your violin you can use mine." 

"What?" Both Spike and Sharp looked at Bretton Wood surprised, as he took from his back, his violin case which made Sharp Education raises his eyebrow.

"I never get out of home without violin-chan, now that you are here... This is work I've been doing for months before the festival. I want you to take a look." Bretton even after giving the violin to Spike, he opened the case and showed the partiture of his composition.

Spike was surprised by the sudden papers in his hands and with the violin. Spike managed to take a look.

"Pa pa papapa, pararara papan..." Spike hummed the sound of the composition which then started slowly but then it became higher pitch and even higher. As Spike read the partiture his eyes became wide open in disbelief and look at his teacher as if he found the answer to an impossible enigma. "IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? Make violins sing like a choral?"

Both teachers chuckled at his outburst reaction, which made him even more amazed by such impressive composition.

"Yeah, even me became impressed with this. Bret really outdid himself with this work. Are you excited to work with it?" Sharp smiled as he noticed Spike nodded his head like crazy.

"Of course, this is something that I wouldn't wait for it. This is amazing." Spike noticed that there was no way back now. He decided to leave the violin with his teacher. "I will wait until the break of the 2 concerts and then I will prepare myself. Can you please guard a spot for me to be?" 

"Sure, you don't have to worry." Both teachers smiled which Spike nodded his head and waved to them before running to his spot with his parents. Watching far away, a couple of simple ponies well dressed, but the husband with 5 boxes of nachos and cheese. A curious couple indeed.

After watching Spike go, both teachers sighed to themselves satisfied.

"I can't believe it you borrow your violin to Spike, Bret," Sharp said in disbelief as his friend shrugged his arms. 

"Well, he is here, and this is a good opportunity. The event will be memorable for us. Especially you that now you have to change all the work you did, Ed," Bretton knowing that the work he had with his orchestra would now suffer an extreme exchange since Spike played one of the works of Paganini in a way that nopony ever heard before. 

"Tell me about it. But thankfully with my perfect Pitch, I will be able to make the exchanges to all the partiture and make it able to sound exactly like Spike played." Sharp smiled as he remembered perfectly how God save the princesses were played at the moment Spike used the violin of the little filly. Now that they indeed can make a tribute of one of the most amazing violinists on Equestria, now Paganini can rest in peace if they play exactly like the sound of the devil pony over the past. 

The first night of the event would be marked as one of the most memorable Events on Canterlot for decades for many reasons.
> The concert of the dreams. - The partiture of happiness.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the group of ponies go to their seats, Spike lurked around trying to identify from away the line B.

"B-15. B-15." Spike talked to himself, as he looked around just a few minutes later, finding the couple of ponies that brought him to such an event. "Oh, there."

Spike bumped into a few ponies, as he excused himself, and crossed the line.

"Oops, sorry, excuse me, oh, sorry I stomped at your hoof, ops, sorry, excuse me, excuse me." Spike went over the line where all the ponies over that line got annoyed by a dragon passing in front of their seats with them sitting on there.

"Oh Spike, you came here on time. The event will start soon." The motherly voice of Twilight Velvet was still being heard after she didn't take off the magazine from her face. 

Spike looked at his parents, his father was enjoying his nachos as his mother was still reading, he opened his mouth to say something, but the lights over the area started flicking.

"Oh, I think it's about to start." Twilight Velvet used that signal to hide her magazine and get comfy on her seat. As Night Light was still munching his food.

Spike looked at the stage which showed dozens of ponies tunning their instruments, before every one of them looking at the stallion who seemed to be somepony known as the maestro. The responsibility to make the entire guidance of the music be an amazing experience for all the ponies around there. He would lead the ponies to make an amazing time for everypony at the event. 

Dressed elegantly with his suit, he raised his baton as all the eyes of the orchestra looked deeply at the maestro. As Spike waited in anticipation, his excitement could be shown how much he waited for that moment to happen.



Everything started with a flute, which made Spike's spine shrive and all his scales get goosebumps. As the drums played in the rhythm of such march, as the violins marked the percussion, the combination of such 4 instruments, was nothing but something so simple and yet so epic. It was like imagining legends of old heroes crossing Equestria to defeat enemies in such an epic way. 

"It must be a neighponese style," Spike said in awe as the maestro led the flutist to be the star of the song, making such simple beauty, like a walk of the heroes. It was a great opening, showing from where the style of the song would be. A song of 8 minutes that Spike will take into his heart, and loved every second of it. 

At the end of the first song, everypony clapped their hooves as Spike clapped his claws, as he admired the ponies who seemed to prepare themselves for the next song.



Then it cames the suspense, created by the sound of brass instruments, and later the violins slowly created an ominous sound of what would be a sad song, which made everypony feel their emotions, as the crescendo grew inside of them, the sounds of violins and the brass creating a combination, of what would be a melancholic sound of suspense. 

Then the flutes with the brass prepared the impact of all the instruments played together, as the beautiful and sad melody passed through everypony, felt a bit of sorry over the tragedies and wars over the past. It became clear that the wars created such a melody of beauty and yet sadness over Equestria.

Later the violins carried to a different kind of melancholic song. As the mares started singing in the choir, making the experience even better. It was such a sad song and yet so beautiful. Spike felt tears falling from his eyes. As the maestro carried and with details made everything perfect after the first 5 minutes of the song. The stations and mares from the choir sang in harmony as the violins carried the sad melody as everypony over the festival closed their eyes, imagining such an event, of a group of criminals. Ponies with such strength, which didn't fear death, yet they get destroyed after seeing his own friends dying. It was like they lost one of their own family, and the next song is about how they mourn their friend's death in the cruelest way. Revenging as their leader became the maestro of destruction over the world. A requiem indeed followed by a Riot.

The mares and stallions sang, as ponies could imagine the group of ponies exercising their revenge making cities and towns burn, how terrifying the loss of their own friends created such tragedy. Nopony blamed them, they felt they were the criminals themselves, and felt their spines and adrenaline exploding as they wanted to have the desired revenge on their own friends.

Spike closed his fists as he imagined himself burning everything, it was a powerful melody, and the message behind it was so wonderful, and yet so emotional even the triangle showed as the star of the song with the brass instruments, the triangle was the rhythm with all the stallions and mares sang the song of revenge. Then violin passed with speed, as the everypony felt immerse inside of the song. 

This was how the orchestra was supposed to be, everypony who loves orchestras loved this feeling, being carried through the story of the melody. Spike was enjoying every second of it. 

After the end of the song, the silence appeared, as the tuba started once again and after that, the trumpets and flutes and violins started to play, another song, which would be a dramatic fight between predators to decide who would be the high scale of the food chain. A piece of tribal music as the drums and wood instruments make such rhythm, it was suspense music, a preparation to war between powerful enemies. A traditional zebrican music maybe, nopony knows, but the ponies started to feel the imagination flowing through their minds. As they found many predators fighting against them. Then a bass and electric guitar? 

"An electric guitar? That's unusual." Spike said to himself, as the combinations of instruments created chaos over the air. The suspense became clear after lowering the volume but not the speed. As the violins in crazy rhythm started to play at the same pace as electric guitar. It was something new and so different at the same time. Then they became slower, as the violin and cellos played a low song, creating such suspense and terrible demise of their imagination created. A war where nobody wins, it was painted as red as blood. And the fight gets even more brutal.

As the sound became loud and the wood beats started sound again, until the trumpets and the flutes started to play and with the violin made the fight become fierce and their hearts beats the same way as the drums. Until the chaos reigned over the final of the song, making all the instruments play into chaotic sound until the silence reign again.

Then the violin started to play. Spike's mind floated himself inside of the castle of friendship, as the violin was over his hands, he listened carefully at the high speed of the violin, and his fingers alone could guess the sounds on where his claws should be as it was the start of a beautiful song. Then the choral started to sing once again, as Spike felt his tears once fall down over his face, as the beautiful sing showed what would be his walk over the castle of cristal empire as he went behind over the crystal heart. He was falling down trying to take the heart once again as he felt the hooves of his sister-in-law saving him at the moment he took the crystal heart.

Then the grand finally. The drums showed what would be the song between two powerful creatures overall Equestria. Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia was such a noble song, and dramatic as the beautiful cords of instruments and the choral worked together. Until the melodic sound showed what would be brutal of might alicorns fighting among themselves. It was like the last mission Princess Celestia would ever do to her kingdom, she would die for trying to save both her kingdom and her sister who fell in the darkness.

Everypony felt goosebumps over their bodies as they heard the melodic music, it was phenomenal. Something nopony ever thought to create before. 

As the drums played the final notes, silence reigned over the area. As the maestro looked at everypony and curved himself.

A second later the entire event was covered into claps of hooves. Spike was crying about such emotions he had. He awaited so much to be there, and it was even beyond what he expected. It was like everything he dreamed 100 times better. That's what he dreamed of so far. And now he doesn't regret any decisions he did in the past. 

He looked at his parents, and he could see that his father was clapping as he cleaned the nachos over his muzzle, and his mother was weeping down her tears. 

"Now every pony, the next event will happen in 15 minutes. There will be 3 more after this. The next orchestra will be led by  Our orchestra will be conducted by Bretton Wood. One of the main conductors over Canterlot. He managed to create great songs to lead everypony into a new style of classical music." A suited mare walked over the stage and already said what was the plans for the night. "Get comfy as you can buy your snacks and enjoy a time to go to the bathroom before is too late."

As the mare said that, mostly well-dressed unicorns got up from their seats and walked fast to not waste their time before the next peace.

"Oh yeah." Spike snapped from his thoughts as he cleaned his face and looked at his parents. "Mom, dad, you will not believe it. But my former teachers want me to play with the orchestra right now."

"Right now?" Both his parents looked at him confused and yet in surprise. 

"Yeah, I know it's crazy, even Bretton Wood let me borrow his violin to play in his orchestra. Can I? Please?" Spike usually doesn't ask much from his parents, especially when is a last-minute request. 

Night Light and Twilight Velvet looked at each other not sure what to say. But after a minute of thinking, Night Light shrugged off his thoughts.

"Oh, buck it. Go on Spike, show them what you can do." Night Light's permission made Spike's eyes go wide open as he started smiling wide.

"Really?" Spike smiled deepened as his father and mother nodded their heads to him. "Okay, I will be on the last lines. I will try my best. Love you."

"We love you too." Both his parents said aloud, as they see their little drake pass through the lines just to walk over the stage.

After 5 minutes of walking, Spike decided to sit not in the front, it would be rude for the veterans, he would play in the background, helping out the ones who would need him. After walking a while, he then heard a call.

"Oh, Spike, over here." A filly voice called his name, as the dragon looked to see the little minty filly calling him. 

"Oh, there you are Mint Cookie. I was looking to sit next to you to help you to deal with your problems." Spike gladly sat beside the filly who seemed grateful to him.

"You have no idea how much this means to me, thank you." The filly lowered her head in gratitude as Spike raised his hands.

"Oh, that's no problem. I know that you will have difficulties with the songs, that's why if you are going to mess up, I will try to help you out by leading you with the sound okay?" Spike's strategy to help Minty was what actually made her relax even more. Making her smile at him.

"Okay, thanks once again." Mint Cookie has finally felt the weight over her shoulders go away, as she sat comfortably as she raised her violin to tune.

"Maybe I should start tunning the violin as well," Spike mumbled to himself.

"Unbelievable, they have the audacity to say there wasn't room for cellists since there were 3 spaces for at least 3 cellists to play over there." A familiar voice took the attention of the drake who was preparing himself, as he looked at the pony in grey fur sitting on his side, as she prepared her cello.

"Octavia, I already said. That place is for the choir, there isn't a need for you to sit in front off... Oh hey Spike, I knew that you would be here." Then the minty green pony herself grinned as she took her lire with her and made Spike's eyes go wide open.

"Spike?" The grey mare gasped as she finally noticed the dragon who was sitting next to her.

"Oh... hey girls... fancy to see you here." Spike smiled nervously as both mares looked at him behind mostly ponies of the orchestra.

Wandering what in Tartarus is going on...

To be continued...
> The presentation. Pt 1.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the maestro appeared in front of the orchestra, Spike felt his anxiety caming into a full force, he never felt so nervous and yet so excited to finally achieve his dreams, he was now part of the orchestra, even if was for just one night, he would make it the most memorable as ever.

Bretton Wood was excited as well, he knew from the look of his own orchestra, all the work he did during years as being professor finally paid off, he passed nights awake creating melodies until he created what he thought would be the most suitable story he would create with songs. He let his imagination flow, as he used his own horn to make the lights turn off and from above the podium, there was a giant white canvas which Bretton Wood gladly made the gesture to all musicians.

Spike's eyes went sharp, as he prepared the violin and made the right position for play. As he looked on his side, Minty Cookie was trembling nervously but yet managed to make a good position of her violin, and he looked on his other side where Octavia was used to her cello and was concentrated on the maestro who was going to play.

Spike looked in front again, and Bretton Wood counted until 4 and gestured the play:



The percussion started to a quick passe as a single violin started to make a rhythm, and Spike knew at the time started until he was the time for many violins to work together.

The loud violins sound the same speed of the rhythm as the solo making everypony jump from their seats surprised by the loud impact the violins appeared until suddenly part of the violins started creating the melody, it seemed slower and yet the same smooth, but yet so beautiful, like a single pony singing, until more violins joined making the song louder, and the melody more harmonious, and then more instruments appeared, until the violin scaled like creating a huge choir of violins joining the song, making everypony open their mouths in disbelief.

It looked like the violins were singing an opera.

"Aahahahaaaaaaaaahhhhhahahahaahaha." A single melody that would be in the minds of the ponies until suddenly the violins created an impact and suddenly stopped, then a smooth violin solo again played and the other violins created a vibrato, and the next a duet of violins played and the other violins made accomplishment over their part, and then the solo started to create a bass from its cords, until the loud cords of a group of violins again impacted the entire event, making the same part like the first, like a song of the beginning middle end, starting with it the same way it would end it. 

Bretton Wood was using his hooves with so much passion that the orchestra knew how much he worked for it. 

Spike used all his fingers to make his violin the loudest as possible, the fast parts, the slow parts, he wanted to make it sound so smoothly like everything was perfect, and surprisingly, he looked at Minty who struggled a bit, but she looked at him and using the same positions she managed to win her struggles as well, she sounded so happy as all the violinists were using their all to make their violins in harmony until all of them finished the first song, which made the stop.

"Ah aha ha." Spike was gasping his air, he never felt so accomplished in his life, to make such song as the loudest and yet the harmonious as well, it made him enjoy himself even more.

As he looked at his former teacher, he was signaling another song that would appear at the moment. He prepared himself as a flute gave the signal, and slowly he moved his bow.



( 1)Struggle Against fear
2) To be a winner
3) Must win)

Breton wood who has been learning and teaching music for eons of his life, finally could achieve his dream to actually not just show everypony his composition, but actually, tell a story. He ignited his horn and he aimed at the canvas above them, and using his magic a projection appeared at the canvas. And using both his hooves he gave the flow of the music which his orchestra will follow.

The first song was a slow pace as the violins and cellos played together, slow music of a desire, slow but yet so strong, and then a simple touch of piano made many spines shriven and have goosebumps. As the melody combines together as later the percussion play, and then the lyre, and then the clarinets and flutes.

Spike could feel it, the story behind his song, he wished to see the canvas, but he was part of the orchestra and he was letting his own imagination appear in the same way as everypony was watching the story...

Slow as a training of a broken warrior, somepony who sacrificed so much to get just one objective, defeat and kill the pony in front of him, resolute that mere sword wouldn't actually be enough to fulfill his desire, he launched away his sword, and raised both his hooves, in a combat hoof to hoof.

As the melody got speed as the ponies imagined the same warrior the struggles of his training, losing weight, training harder, punching faster, bucking faster and stronger, until he found a resolve. A challenge, destroy nature itself with his own hooves, by punching a tree until it got destroyed. 

As later the percussion got speed, ponies could see the ponies in front of them with one single determination, as the voice could be heard from the pony in their imagination.

"It's you, it's all because of you..." The recent and the venom from his voice, as he looked ready to destroy somepony. "I will kill you."

Then the percussion got faster and louder, as the speed of the brass got speed, like the violins and the piano together continued the next song.

The warrior passed through villagers, forests, using everything around him to make him stronger, punch stronger than many, and quick that could kill many animals around him with his only hooves. 

As he felt the painful scars around his body,  all the instruments stopped leaving a solo of clarinet and a piano as background, making everypony imagine the painful memories of a simple warrior and his master, teaching the basics of punches and attacks, and when the finally the time has come, the warrior gave a hug at the body of his master before leaving. 

"Master, this is for you." The pony finally appeared against the devil king who smiled at him. Then the song once again started taking pace as the got louder as the great fight has happen.

The battle was fierce and stunting, the punches against swords were something that ponies never could imagine in their imaginations. A pony whose master was beaten to a pulp, leaving a dangerous demonic pony watching from away and laughing at him, and now the warrior came back from his unconscious by using his own instincts. 

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT." The punch over the animalistic pony punched straight to the devil king, who got surprised by the attack, and never imagined that his sword would have been broken. But now he was on the hooves of a monster far more dangerous than an Ursa minor. Then an electric guitar appeared with all the other instruments making it even more impacting.

Punches as they could see the same scene of the old pony training the warrior get beaten to a coma, and now the same warrior, got with such bloodthirsty revenge that nothing could pass through his eyes. His own instincts were acting with all his training, punching the tempura, the jaw, into such speed, as the most basic of attacks and punches was enough to make the king unable to defend himself. As the punches got even stronger until the cruel king couldn't defeat a warrior with such a desire for revenge. 

The king was dead.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH." The shout of victory was enough to say that made everypony snap from the sequence of the song, which finished with a great movement of the conductor who made all the instruments get in silence.

Spike after playing such an amazing song, couldn't help but clean the tears over his eyes, it was a masterpiece, and the silence a second later was answered with huge applause from everypony over the event. Spike clapped his claws as well, he loved everything of the song, it was such storytelling that he felt the emotions of the main character, the determination, the hatred, the desire to accomplish revenge for the pony he loved as a father. 

He looked on his side, and found Minty Cookie felt relieved as finally, she finished one part of the event, she just needed 2 more to go. 

Octavia was smiling as she looked on passionate Spike was with the way he played the violin, she even stopped to give a few glances at how he treated the violin on some parts. 

Lyra was chugging a soda can as she looked between the mare and the dragon who seemed to be so happy at the moment. By smashing her can she couldn't help but relax and crack her neck.

"Alright, we have 20 minutes to relax and prepare for the next maestro. How are you hanging Spike?" Lyra as she was his childhood friend, she knew Spike would be at the moment, but it was a great time to make that 20 minutes entertaining to them. 

"Oh Lyra, you have no idea. I never had this much fun before." Spike was sweating a bit, but 20 minutes of relaxing before going back to play again, was something that he couldn't wait for it. He was smiling like Pinkie Pie who ate a lot of sugar."I can't believe this is how you both work every year."

"Oh, that's nothing Spike, you should see the orchestra when it comes at the gran finally, it always ends up with a surprise." Lyra enjoyed seeing her friend once again showing his true smile, even since that morning she questioned herself if she did the right thing. But looking at how more in peace Spike seemed after visiting and even participating in the big event, made her feel more relaxed with the idea that she didn't screw up. 

"Well, I will take your word for it. So what is going to be the grand final?" Spike asked as his curiosity picked up as he could see Octavia tunning her cello.

"Oh, nothing too extraordinary, it's just Opera Hoove who will sing an Opera." Lyra was going to answer but Octavia cut her up, receiving a glare from her. "What? That buffon stallion doesn't deserve that much attention."

"Yeah, I know, but you kinda broke the flow I was having with Spike." Lyra glared at the cellist not because of the rude stallion, she wanted to actually make Spike be disappointed in the end and make some troll jokes. "You are a spoilsport, did you know that?"

"Yes, and I'm proud of it." Octavia ignored the mare who sat strangely and noticed Spike's face showing some discomfort. "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know." Spike reluctantly said. "It's just the stallion name seemed familiar... Oh yes. Discord said this Opera Hooves owns him money, and he wants it back quickly." 

Spike snapped his finger as he remembered how Discord wanted Spike to warn the stallion about paying what Discord wants, or he would suffer the consequences. And knowing Discord, anything could happen when he is angry.

"Wait, are you telling me that there is somepony stupid enough to try to scam the lord of Chaos?" Lyra as she was holding her Lyre, she was with her eyes opened in disbelief, which made Spike shrug his arms and nod his head.

"Yep, you would be surprised at how many times I saw Discord collecting debts, and some of them weren't pretty, I remember that he said his father was even crueler, his father made a bet with a unicorn saying he would try to make the unicorn get crazy during 1 month, and if he could be sane after 1 month he could grant whatever the unicorn desired... And trust me, for a lord of chaos Discord told me that the worst way a lord of Chaos and Madness could curse a pony is doing absolutely nothing..." Spike remembered when Discord came to play O&O and created a character based on his father...Spike felt sorry for 7 of his best villain bosses, he never thought all of them would have suffered from such madness.

"Doing nothing?" Octavia decided to be part of the conversation as she tried to understand how a lord of Chaos could make somepony cursed by doing nothing at all.

"Trust me, I didn't believe it at first but think about it... When we expect chaos, we think about hundreds or even thousands of ways that how chaos should act, especially if we are the target." Spike decided to give a brief answer. Which made both mares nod at him. "Now... imagine thinking about this by 30 days straight... you would become so paranoid that anything would be your worst problem, and that way you by yourself made you mad."

Lyra's mouth dropped hard, as Octavia became pale from how simple and yet cruel somepony would actually do something like that.

"Thanks, Celestia that Discord is talking about his relationship with his father at Psychologist, Doctor Wolf was actually the one who was getting him to make him feel better even after such a burden passed." Spike waved the concerns of his friends away, or that was their thoughts since he thought Discord would have suffered a lot of burden in the past because of his father, but in fact, what the mares were thinking was...

"Opera Hooves better pay what he is in debt with Discord, or possibly all the consequences would be against not just him, but for them as well."
> The presentation. Pt 2.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the night progressed over the ponies at the festival, the entertainment made by the orchestra was indeed something treated as spectacular for most ponies if not all the ponies could have enjoyed the last hour of pure music and now a good show over a screen.

Over the background, the ponies were still in cheerful mode, since the second presentation seemed to be even more Espectacular than before. Now since Bretton wood finished his part of being the conductor, he walked over to the orchestra and complimented everyone.

"Mane String, you did a great job on Tuba, thank you so much. Bow Wind, thank you for doing your best, it's fine you were struggling in the second part but the group managed to help you to play fine, thank you so much. Line Heart, you did great on the trumpet. Thank you so much. Guys, thank you so much for helping me out, every single of you managed to make all my work appreciated, and for that, you have my gratitude." By walking around he finally found the group he was looking for. "Minty Cookie, great job, you handle really fine." 

"Thank you, professor Wood. I actually had a lot of help."  The tiny filly smiled as she glanced at the trio of mares and the dragon chatting happily, which made the little filly more comfortable around the orchestra.

The conductor smiled at her, and giving a pat on her head, decided to turn his eyes to the group who was still happily chatting over what would be the next part of the show.

"Octavia, Lyra, it's good to have your help over Minty Cookie, your help was good enough to make her feel relaxed enough to play her part perfectly. Spike, your presence doesn't need any words, you know that without your help she could be struggling. You have my gratitude as always, and you seemed that you have stopped your training for a while, but I'm glad to see you still have the same experience as a kid, and that's great for me to see."  Breton Wood smiled in gratitude at his little pupil, someone who in ages made him question his abilities as a teacher and destroyed his self steam. But after years without him, made him realize that it was a tragedy to lose someone so talented as the little dragon.

"Don't worry professor Bret, the music never has left inside of me, so even if I stopped playing for a while, I will never forget the reason why I play music, it always makes me happy." Spike smiled, knowing well how much that meant to him. "To be honest I'm loving this festival so far."

Bretton Wood smiled at the little violinist, who seemed to receive a cheeky smile from the mint pony who rolled her eyes, and a giggle from the cellist who seemed to be enjoying quite a good time with him.

"Well, since my part was over, Ed will appear s."

"Right now." A voice interrupted Bretton Wood which made the group stare at him, and from the look on his face, something must have happened. "I have a problem." 

"What is it? Everything seemed just fine." Bretton Wood raised his eyebrows and Sharp Education gave a slight glare to him.

"The main violinist Feather Cord left the podium." The stallion gave what would be terrible news since professor Wood seemed to pale after hearing that. "From what the others said, his wife is giving birth right now. So he is going directly to the hospital."

After hearing that, the part of the orchestra couldn't help but cringe at such bad news. It was something nopony could control, and the stallion preferred to be there instead of watching his wife 100% time was commendable but still, the problem remains. The violinists remained in their own positions, trying to find courageous words to give to the professor.

"Do you want me to play it, Ed?" Bretton Wood asked as he finished his part of the festival, helping out his friend was something he always could do.

"Thanks, Bret, but you've always hated to play  BWV 1041." After hearing the name of the composition many of the orchestra cringed hard since most violinists hated that song, a soloist always thought it was a level 8 in difficulty scale the first 50 seconds of the song. Which made many violinists hate the song all that time.

"Dammit." Bretton Wood cursed, at all the songs, this one made him almost lose face while teaching his students on how to play it. It was treated as the Bach King's most difficult song. Almost everypony hates it.

"Oh BWV? I like that song. Do you want some help?" The dragon which once before made both his teachers loses their self steam and even started questioning their own abilities as violinists, asked if he could play the song that was the most difficult for them to play.

Bretton Wood and Sharp Education turned their heads into each other, and as if they were back in time, they could see a little chubby dragon, who was still having difficulties raising his own violin, asking if he could play his favorite song, which once made themselves to regret to ever wake up on that day. But after years of maturing themselves, they couldn't help but feel relieved and smile to see something that they never forgot how much they missed it.

"Spike, you have no idea how much I want you to be my soloist. Please, follow me." Sharp Education smiled as he instructed the little dragon to get out of his seat and go directly to the side of the orchestra.





"Wow, nachos and a good screen show, I never knew this could have been a great combination to watch an orchestra." Night Light used a napkin to clean his face covered in cheese as he enjoyed a good night watching what would have been a movie made with imagination, magic, and pure music made by the orchestra. "Well, it's a good thing we have a son who likes this stuff, this way we will have more events like that."

"Indeed honey, but you still must take care of your health, you are eating too much cheese, and I don't want to bring you to the doctor after you have a stomach ache again." Twilight Velvet as she was using a tissue to clean a few tears from her eyes without messing her makeup, she seemed so happy to see from far away, a little chubby purple dragon seemed to be so fine and happily talking with what would be a group of ponies, one who Twilight Velvet must have seen to know that minty unicorn using an instrument as the same way of her name. "Oh Nighty, Lyra is near to Spike." 

"Oh really? Wow, it's been a while since I saw her around, do you think her wife is her as well?" Night Light noticed that his son seemed to be so fine and he was having a good night already, he was just needing one thing to finish his night in the perfect way.

"Night Light." Twilight Velvet used her voice in a warning tone. The mere glance of the grey mare was enough to make the poor husband stop thinking of any further ideas. "No more candies. You need better control of your diet." 

Noticing that he couldn't win against his own wife into any sort of argument, the night blue stallion rolled his eyes and turned his back away.

"Damn you Doctor Manespring." Night Light remembered how much he was angry with his nutritionist since she told him that he was gaining weight and his blood pressure was going to the extreme after eating too many candies. "It was just a night of 40 donuts, 10 cakes, and 100 sugarcubes, it wouldn't be that bad."

Twilight, rolled her eyes, unconvinced that her husband was still unhappy about her being obligated to help him to follow his diet. Making him healthier. She wasn't a monster, she allows him to have a few biscuits and candy around, but the nights of craziness sugar drive? No more for him.

"Stop being a baby, Night, it seems that soon will be the start of the next presentation." Twilight Velvet finished reading her magazine, which she placed in her purse, while her husband couldn't help but pout.



The group started playing the violin with such precision as the crescendo of the harmonious song and speed made people understand how amazing the song was, maybe one of the most difficult songs ever played over the orchestra. Making everypony appreciate the skills and abilities of all the ponies of the orchestra where they passed most of their time improving their skills and their knowledge. 

Unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasus admired such quality songs over the event, knowing that everypony was doing their best. From the side of the orchestra, a little chubby dragon walked over the pedestal, which made the duo of ponies who seemed to recognize the little dragon has their mouth wide open in surprise. The purple dragon was actually not only following the speed of the violins, but it was actually leading the whole orchestra with his solo. It was so amazing that not just the duo of ponies, but all the ponies around the event couldn't help but have their eyes wide open on seeing the claws of the little dragon playing with such speed and precision as the song was made by himself. Ponies could protest by seeing that the claws were helping the dragon to create such cords and even questioning themselves if were cheating. But music is always about adaptability, doing music is what comes from the heart, so if he wanted to play with his claws, it was his way to play the song, and if the song was beautiful, then it wouldn't need a reason to question itself. A dragon who is using the whole potential of his claws to press the cords and created the vibrato in many ways, and using his bow in such precision and rhythm.

Both parents watched the little dragon leading the violinists and the cellist something that both parents could have sworn that they couldn't imagine would happen on the same day. It was something far too unbelievable. 

"Oh my goodness, it's Spike." Twilight Velvet watched her little dragon using the whole violin and controlling the speed as the background and followers violinists and cellists followed his own speed and steps, and even doing the crescendo of the sound, such harmony, such melody, was what made everypony watch the miracle of an era of the music born once again. A chubby little dragon with his own closed, the ponies could see that the dragon was playing the same way as he breathe until it finally came to the end of his part.

Seeing her baby dragon playing with such passion, and love, seemed to have unlocked her best feelings for her, now knowing how much her little baby always played as a kid and knowing how he could have been so incredible if was with them instead of leaving the Music class. Tears appeared on her face, and she used a tissue to clean the tears, Night Light was smiling proudly at his little boy who seemed to be in the command of the whole orchestra, even if the maestro was conducting the others, Spike was the star of the moment, he was playing with all his best of skills until the group created a huge harmonization before closing the opening.

After a little pause, the speed of the violins became slower and together they played another song. Then Spike waiting for the moment got inside the song playing calmly, like a little serenade, something beautiful, simple, and with a good vibrato that made many ponies have goosebumps, on how wonderful the little dragon violinist played as he used his claws like it was playing with it, like a new kid playing with a toy. The little dragon was playing with vibratos. 

Octavia was one of the ponies who could feel that Spike was enjoying so much the song, since his vibratos were so clean and smooth, that it made her envy the skills of having claws to create vibratos so easily. And yet she could see how much the chubby dragon loves music since he was playing it like he was indeed touching the face and the arms of a beautiful mare, the muse of the song. A beautiful pony who usually most ponies have inside of their own minds. 

Spike was enjoying the way he was playing since it was his first time leading the whole orchestra. The night was a kid, and everypony will have a night they will never forget. So Spike, who's always loved Bach King's compositions, would never regret playing his songs, because it was what it drives him into the world of music, and he finally could show a bit of happiness, to follow his own dreams.

Then the slow pace is finally over with Spike finishing the song.

Until the next song Spike grinned and played at his full speed, which made the other violinists follow his pace, which made all the ponies surprised by his quick change of pace, and the cheerful mode around the orchestra once again could be heard by the all podium, the ponies around of the event couldn't help but smile from the quick speed and abilities of the chubby dragon who seemed to be having the time of his life, then the dragon was playing doubles, and triples, and when he did the quadruple, all the ponies couldn't help but have their mouth drop hard, never hearing such skill before. it was like bach king was there to teach the orchestra a lesson on how his song was played, a song never once listened to before. 

And like dancing strings, Spike was playing with vibratos, while he was spinning around, ignoring the stares of everypony around him, he was having the time of his life, something nopony ever thought to see before. Spike from a little dragon to the best violinist in the orchestra, a hidden gem during so many times under the sand, he finally emerged from a secluded dream, which now made everypony question, why, why he left himself to hide in the first place. Who could be the monster who hid such a gem inside of the sand, or tried to hide such good treasure? 

A little dragon who could so much create a name for himself in the world of music. 

Like a little prison made by himself, Spike played like all his feelings needing to vent, and by playing it he felt that nothing matters anymore, no problems, no discussions, no regrets, it was just him, the violin, the orchestra, and the song. It was something that he wanted to free himself, so his mind got free and his body started to move by himself like enjoying the song he was playing, the key to his own happiness, to play with his own heart.

Octavia, seeing the little dragon smiling as he spun around with his violin, couldn't help but felt her heartbeat increase. She was feeling the blush on her face appear as she smiled at the image of him alone playing just for her, and together with her cello, both played dramatically to a pause, until the other violins and together the duo played harder and harder. It was magical, an experience once never seen before. A little dragon who was leading the whole orchestra to a bach king song, and everypony was loving it. It was something nopony ever wanted to stop, but like all the good things, this song must as well. It was surprising that the little dragon after finishing the song. He smiled like all his problems faded away. 

Spike let out a good sigh, as he never enjoyed so much playing as he felt at that moment. Now, he looked at his former teacher Sharp Education who pointed out which song they will play next, just saying Paganini's God save the princesses, that he knew what he was going to do next.

Spike gave a slight glance on his back and looked at the little filly who was still nervous on the back, he smiled at her and gave a thumbs up, showing he got this. Then he pointed to his teeth, which made Minty Cookie giggle in her seat. Spike then glance at the group and smiled then. Until he heard Sharp Education use the attention of everypony by tapping his baton over the conduction pedestal, which made everyone get ready for the next song.



Saying Paganini is a mad stallion it's an understanding since most ponies never could play his crazy style, but after watching the presentation, they finally understood, Paganini is neither a pegasus, nor a unicorn, nor an alicorn he was a griffon in disguise of a pony, because the notes were supposed to be played by claws, because just now it made sense how such difficult notes could have been played. 

Spike was living proof of how a mad stallion created a song just for dragons and griffons to play because it would be impossible for earthponies to do a play like that... Until Spike started playing with his teeth.

After that skill, there was nothing more they could say... Paganini's play was not for anypony, just for the crazies ones. That was the epiphany of everypony that night.

A night which was almost at the end...
> Presentation finally.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The minute the orchestra finished the third act, the ponies who were listening to such a marvelous presentation started clapping from such wonderful play, and the orchestra as a whole felt proud of the way they played. For the ponies who were playing for the first time at the festival, the feeling of being applauded for the first time. It hit on their feelings that they never felt before. Such emotion of being accepted for their efforts, and being applauded made some stallions and mares shed some tears, knowing that such efforts were paid off. A little filly who couldn't help but see their parents smiling proudly at her, made her lift a weight on her heart for such the start of the festival, and from the dragon. Who's always dreamed about that? He finally could see in the front row, how it was. The feeling of being applauded was exactly the same way he was around the Equestria girls, but this time, he was being applauded by himself, all his dreams of being a violinist were in front of him, showing that indeed that was his dream, and how that feeling of learning music since as little dragon really paid off. 

He didn't regret anything since his choice from leaving Ponyville, it was his choice and he managed to leave without making something to regret, and now, he understands how it was even better. He was there for himself, and the ponies for the good music of the festival, and Spike came to a conclusion, it was indeed the way he ever wanted to live. 

The ponies got up to give a slight bow, the same way as the little dragon, in gratitude for all the applause he received, it was indeed an outworld experience, and he now really wanted to live like that from now on. Live by doing what you love, and without regretting your choices. Sharp Education too gave a bow and went to the background to thank all the ponies who gave their best to make everypony satisfied with their play. 

Spike turned his back and went back to see his group of friends, who'd been so happy to finish another act from the festival, now it would need the grand final before going to make everypony has a good week in their lives, waiting for the next weekend for another time of the festival. 

Octavia was drinking a bottle of water from the exhaustive play that she did with the orchestra, Lyra was chugging an energy drink and after finishing it, she used both her hooves to smash it before teleporting the can over the trash, which made Spike smile at both girls who seemed to be recovering from the event which happens on act 3.

"Hey girls." Spike smiled as he sat beside them, and both girls gave a glance and smiled at the little dragon who seemed to be happy after such an outcome.

"Spike, what you did was amazing, I never thought I would see somepony capable to play Bach King like that." Octavia used a tissue to clean the sweat from her face, while Lyra scoffed beside her, making her raise her eyebrow at her.

"Spike is a huge fan of Bach King, you will never see a pony like him playing Bach King, anyway Spike, you nailed it. It was almost like the third month of our music class when you made professor Wood and Professor Education with so much low steam that they were on the corner almost crying." Lyra joked as Spike rolled his eyes, as she pointed at the teacher behind him. 

"Oh, professor Education," Spike said as the smiling stallion walked over to the group with a proud smile on his face.

"Guys, I came here to tell you all that you have my gratitude, it was indeed a dream becoming true, and you all were amazing, Spike you are still a monster on violin, if it wasn't for the fact that I was your teacher, I would have been ready to give up my career as a musician." Ed gave a comment which made Spike facepalm himself while the girls behind him were giggling.

"Oh come on, I wasn't that great when I was 3 years old. You are both exaggerating." Spike found it funny at first, but now two jokes on the same subject weren't that funny at all when they come in the sequel of one minute.

"No Spike, you were that great. Still, you played like a true professional like we always dreamed of when you left the music class. It was indeed a pity for you to leave soo soon, but we understand that you have a mission for yourself." Sharp Education said as he looked near to the group, and especially the filly behind them. "Minty Cookie, I'm so glad that you managed to play these difficult songs, your parents seem to be really proud of you, a prodigy who soon will be stunting in the same way that this little fella here was to us. But enough talking, I hope you guys have a few minutes to relax for the final, I and Bret will be on the corner watching the final and you don't have to worry much. Opera Hooves will be singing the song which will end the day amazingly." 

"I hope so." Both Lyra and Octavia said as they both rolled their eyes, which made the maestro raise their eyebrows at them.

"Oh, and by speaking of him, look who is coming?" Sharp Education smiled as both girls' eyes twitched annoyingly, from hearing the approach of such a stallion.

"Stay back, let me pass. You must know that I don't have time for you all." A gruff voice, full of pride of himself, and boastfulness was enough to make the group turn their heads and see a big and chubby stallion walking in his suit with a red bowtie and a clean manecut covered in comb cream, the cologne was enough to make Lyra's nose twitch and her whole face become instead of mint green, to slimy green, which who followed for her holding booth hooves over her mouth.

Octavia cringed so hard as she tried to not smell such terrible taste. Spike's nose twitched after smelling such strong cologne, and he was sure that it wasn't cologne at all, but Colon smelled as if he was sniffing it. Spike held his breath using both his claws over his face.

"Ah Opera Hooves, I'm so glad that you are on time, you must be ready for the next minute, we've been waiting for you since the start." Sharp Education even knowing the smell from the singer, did his best to ignore it and smiled forcefully at the singer who scoffed.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm here now, if wasn't for the fact that stupid draconequus thinks of himself as a god above us ponies, I would have been here sooner." Opera Hooves mumbled as he scoffed at the idea, but from the words saying from his mouth, Octavia and Lyra's mouths dropped hard.

"Oh, you've been talking to Discord? He asked me to tell you that you are owing him some money." Spike still holding both claws over his nose said it which made the chubby singer scoff at the little dragon.

"Pff, that stupid guy thinks he can make me pay him? Nah, I told him I would pay him whenever I had the money. It's not my fault that he will not have one bit from me. Well, if you don't mind. I have a performance to make and a final to create for the event, ta ta." Opera Hooves scoffed as he turned his back and walked over to the podium, leaving the group of mares and the dragon staring at him in disbelief. 

Professor Sharp Education didn't know what to do after dealing with such a pony in front of his former students and decided to just smile and wave his hooves before leaving quickly. 

A few seconds later, the smell was gone and everypony could breathe again. But this time with other thoughts on their minds. 

"This Opera Hooves must have balls of steel." Lyra was the first pony to talk her mind, which made both Spike and Octavia stare at her in surprise. "Because just someone really courageous and stupid would say such words from the lord of chaos."

"For my time living in Ponyville, I never found someone so full of himself, even dealing with someone like Discord. I remember one day he made the entire floor made of bubblegum and made everypony stuck on the street for 4 hours straight." Octavia still remembered the bad experience she had when the lord of Chaos reigned over Ponyville while Princess Twilight and her friends had to find the elements of Harmony to deal with the draconequus. Leaving the ponies from Ponyvilled dealing with such terrible shenanigans.

"Well, I'm just glad that Discord isn't here to hear that because I know for sure that at the moment Discord deal with this guy, there will not be any chance for this pony to have any excuse." Spike narrowed his eyes, scoffing at the pony who made himself a target for his friend. "Well, I did my part, this guy was warned anyway. So let's prepare ourselves for the gran finally. So... what are we going to be playing?"





Both spectators seemed to be preparing themselves for the next show in the stadium. Opera Hooves remained in his position dressed in a tuxedo with a bowtie. It was clear that he was preparing himself to be the vocalist of the grand final of the event.

"Leopold!" Suddenly one of the musicians exclaimed in surprise and admiration, the pony playing on the large drums called what would be a name that brought the attention of his fellow musicians who stopped playing before starting the last show of the day.

"Leopold!" Another stallion musician, this one playing the bassoon, echoed as he too halted playing. The reason for their surprising reactions was the fact of a rumor made for the whole Equestria, one griffon who was known as the best conductor around the whole Equestria seemed to have disappeared for years. A draconequus who whore a powdered wig and a tuxed who calmly walked down among the musicians. 

"OH MY GOSH IS THAT LEOPOLD?" Lyra exclaimed as she watched the large figure walking among them, and she stopped playing and directly pointed her hoof in the direction of the solemn maestro. But when Spike ceased to talk and turned his head to see... His mouth dropped hard...

Watching a draconequus, which there was just one in whole Equestria, and it was so familiar that he gave a quick glance to Lyra to see if she was messing with his own mind.

"Discord?" Spike stared at the Maestro who remained walking over the podium. 

Lyra who was so excited after seeing the legendary maestro suddenly froze in her place, and having a better look, her whole face became in dismay and disappointment. Octavia was surprised to see one of the most known musicians was now a whole farce made by the lord of Chaos himself. 

"Awww, I can't believe I fell for that. Just another prank."  Lyra never felt so betrayed, since she wanted so much to see the griffon but was looking at the lord of chaos preparing himself into doing something.

"Why the surprise?" Suddenly a voice appeared behind the trio who suddenly yelped in surprise.

"AHHHH. Discord." The trio glared at the sudden lord of Chaos who didn't seem to be laughing. 

"I have to say, this is my first time meeting you two young mares, and you are already acquaintance enough to be glaring at me? Wow, it seems Spike has taught you well about me." Discord smiled he blinked sweetly as his dragon friend seemed to be rolling his eyes.

"Discord, are you impersonating another person again? Isn't that illegal?" Spike had to ask his friend who this time waved his hand and scoffed.

"Oh, that would have been a problem... If wasn't for the fact, that Leopold is indeed me." Discord smiled as the trio looked at him surprised and confuse.

"What?" The trio once again said in stereo which made the lord of Chaos chuckle. And snapping his fingers, made the trio of mares and a dragon have their mouths zipped by a zipper.

"Well, I will lend to you this secret, and if you hear that then you will create an outburst, but Leopold had a tragical accident over Gastle Gorge. And no, I have no influence over the accident." Discord was talking about the tragedy over the griffon, and the panic in their faces betrayed their thoughts which made the chaotic creature rolls his eyes. "It happened a few hours after my second freedom which I stayed with Fluttershy, I was enjoying my time seeing Equestria and I noticed that such griffon had a tragic demise... And for the sake of your innocent, it's best I do not tell you how I found him... But I found that he was with his bag full of his compositions and identity... So I did what was best for him... I took his mantle and I used his life to make ponies still love him as the legend."

Spike raised both his eyebrows as he looked in disbelief at his friend.

"I swear, it took me 2 years to make sure that his legend still would be heard. And now you three will witness one of my biggest creations... I name this, the punishment of the stupid fool." Discord snapped this finger and teleported away while the trio had their mouths freed once again.

"What the..." Lyra was the first pony to recover from the shock and watched in silence with Octavia and Spike. Opera Hooves adjusted his bowtie while he whispered the name of the legendary Maestro Leopold. "So, Discord was Leopold all along... I don't know how to feel about it."

"Well, in my experience, Discord is like Pinkie Pie, just ignores it." Octavia gave the advice, but without noticing one of the names made Spike cringe and then shake his head. "Are you okay Spike?"

"Oh yeah, it's just everything is happening so weirdly, I just hope Discord knows what he is doing." Spike looked at the wig powdered draconequus who seemed so solemn and serious about the final he promised to give to everypony.  

Discord walked at the maestro who was orchestrating the music. More and more musicians called out Leopold in surprise and reverence as the maestro stood and looked at them in confusion before spotting Discord standing beside him with a bored expression on his face. 

"L-L-Leopold…" the stallion stuttered out, backing away from his position so that Discord could take his place. He noticed Discord holding out his claws and the pony offered his conducting baton to him, who accepted it, snapped it in half, tossed the two halves aside, and wiped his hands clean.

Discord glanced at the background which made everypony even the trio get prepared with their instruments on their hooves and claws. And raising his left claw Discord commanded the ponies to play for only one moment and by trembling it was commanded by the trembles of the melody as well, both Spike and Octavia were doing vibratos in an understanding of his command before he dropped it, silencing them.  And by using his right claw for the other side for an equally brief moment with the brass instruments. 

Staring at Opera Hooves, excited to see such a legend he adjusted his bow tie once again and fixed his mane, almost nervous by the stares of the draconequus looking at him.  Discord held his hand low and raised it high. 

"Ahhh~, AHHHHHHH~!" Opera Hooves sang briefly before Discord had him stop. 

"AAHHHH~!" He sang again as Discord raised both claws fluttering motion for a second.

"Ah~, Ahh~, Ahhh~, Ahhhh~, Ahhhhh~!" He sang yet again in a rising pitch before stopping Discord was raising the claw by 4 levels of height before hiding it inside of his pocket. Discord looked at the trio who seemed to hold their laughing, Spike had to give that to his friend, it was indeed something Discord would do. 

Looking at him, Discord waggled his eyebrows before having a bit of fun with Opera Hooves once again, by making him vocalize more bars with his hands before turning back on even with only one finger. He then proceeded to make Opera do a dramatic higher note upwards behind himself. He then had his arm downwards with his finger pointed up and transitioning to down before moving back with the stallion forced to sing along with the conduction, and all with a surprisingly eloquent voice fit for a professional vocalist.

Discord leaned back far enough to curve his spin so that he could have Opera Hooves sing what should've been an impossibly low note before a turn and have the stallion sing from low to high in smooth succession and hold that high note for a moment. When he stopped, Opera Hooves was already having trouble catching his breath while Discord turned to the crowd behind him and bowed applause. Spike, Octavia, and Lyra were almost wheezing out from laughing, at seeing the poor stallion not catching even a break. Then they suddenly saw Discord raise both his palms to make the applause stop... And then turn his face again at the stallion, and not only a second later he cracks both his knuckles in a motion on how serious he was.

He pointed at the orchestra which was an indication of the final, and all violinists, drummers, brass, cellists, everypony were ready as Discord was flexing his arms then with all emotion DIscord raised his left arm up as high as he could and. 

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH~…!" Opera Hooves sang once again, being forced to hold the high note while the musicians played fittingly dramatic m one would hear in a final chorus of a performance. Discord looked the stallion dead in the eye as the Opera kept singing, watching as his face slowly turned red from the strain of low oxygen clothing started to rip apart as his body was forced to take in more air to hold the note. His face went from red to purple, to blue.

Spike understood the meaning of why Discord wanted to make that final, he was playing with both his claws craved on the violin without leaving any marks, but still, he was using almost all his strength and was praying for the strings don't break after he kept playing the violin the loudest as possible. Lyra was using both hooves to play his lyre in a such powerful tone which made it a good example of harmony. Octavia was playing and still was in shock on how wonderful and yet cruel was both seeing the Lord of Chaos creating a such beautiful song, from the suffering of the jerk who owns his bits. It was marvelous and yet terrifying. 

Discord propped his left arm with his right hand before inexplicably pulling his hand out of the glove that somehow stayed floating in and forced Opera Hooves to keep going. The audience observed as Discord then walked offstage with his hands covering his ears, disappearing for a moment before returning to soundproof muffs covering his ears. He retook his position on the conductor's stand and slipped his hand back into the glove while Opera whose face was changing into all sorts of colors, shades, and patterns, was writhing on the ground, and pounding his fists on the st futile attempts for mercy as he kept singing the high note. 

Meanwhile, the concert hall was breaking apart from the sound, reducing itself to rubble and internal parts as the stage was ensuring dust for a moment. When the dust settled, Opera Hooves was gone, there was a large pile of rubble and dirt, and Discord kept holding his another second before dropping it and turning to the audience who was in silence.

Then ponies over the festival went into a frenetic and the cheers echoed, leaving Discord to bow to the ponies who watched the final act in such awe. Never in their own lives, they saw such a legend literally make an ending of the festival hall be destruction made by the song. And then Opera Hooves emerged from the rubble, and suffering from concussion started to bow as well.  Discord around in mock surprise before looking up. Precariously resting on an exposed beam was a large, boulder-like piece of rubble and it was directly over the stallion. So, naturally, something had to be done. Discord raised his arm once more, and Opera Hooves was once again forced to sing a high note while the band played. The rubble fell off the and plummeted with a comical whistling sound that abruptly ended with a conk as the stallion took it to the dome and was knocked, leaving the lord of chaos then turned once more to the crowd and bowed with a flourish of his arm. He glanced at the bolder.

"I will give you more 2 months for giving me back my money. Next time I will not be merciful like that." Discord then smelled the flowers he took with him, and walked away as the crowd was amazed. 

The orchestra was bowing from such an amazing ending, while the trio have one thought in mind.

"The festival is awesome, but there is no way in Tartarus I will provoke such a monster like Discord."

And just like that, the festival came to a break...
> The life must go on. - Elegy in C minor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dark night couldn't have ended better for most of the ponies over the Festival, the first weekend of the festival was indeed something to be appreciated and enjoyed with their families and special ponies the culture even happening once per year, 3 weekends full of great music played by the orchestra. To all ponies who came from far away to enjoy their little time of culture that just a few ponies could have appreciated for a while. 

"I can't believe it. This was the best play I ever watched in my whole life." The Sparkle patriarch said as he carried his own son, a purple dragon who seemed to be smiling greatly at his own parents. "Next time we must have the front-row seat. Maybe we can ask for a few favors for a few friends or even the princess in case you start being the star of the festival once again Spike."

"Hahahaha, that's fine dad." Spike smiled as he noticed how his father felt so excited, especially from watching the final with such happiness. "I have to say I loved every single thing about this festival."

"Well, I know for sure that you had a lot of fun Spike, and that's what we wanted for you to have today. But I have to say, you were so cute in that suit while playing for hundreds of ponies at the festival. Thankfully I was prepared for this kind of situation." Twilight Velvet said as she brought from her purse an old photo camera for memorable family moments.

"Oh no..." Spike's eyes went wide open as he noticed the pictures that his mom brought from the festival, and while some pictures were indeed worth to be something to be proud of... there were still a few of him acting like a silly baby dragon and enough for him to blush in scarlet mixed with purple. 

Taking a deep breath he was ready to do some action until a yellow light of magic made him close his mouth.

"Not so fast honey, you will not "sneeze" on purpose after such wonderful pictures I did my best to take. Would you honey?"  The sweet and kind voice from the mare who knew so well her little dragon decided to give a threatening glare which made the poor dragon pout but obey his own mother. Happily, she obliged to stop her magic. 

Seeing that he couldn't have any choice, Spike dropped his head defeated, as he can plan many ways to try to take the photos, but his mom always was 10 steps ahead of him, who knew how many copies she might have on that moment, and how much it will be on the family photos album, which would be the devastating weapon against the image to not just him but to his own siblings as well.

The silence between the trio who was walking behind the good among of the ponies was ignored as Spike couldn't help but feel happy to imagine how just one day made him feel so happy. It was like just one decision it made his life of anger and sadness turn upside down and became the best day of his life for a long time. 

"Mom... dad..." Spike spoke which made the duo turn their heads to him. "Thank you so much for today. I loved every single moment of it."

Smiling at each other, the duo just patted the head of their little boy who happily was feeling so much better. It was like things weren't sour when the moment he came from Ponyville... 

Spike's smile froze, as he thought about how leaving that place was a big step in his life, and still, he couldn't help but think of the villagers in that place... Sure he didn't have much interaction with many of them, but still there were some good times he was with them. At times he was at the wedding, and at times he was at the Nightmare Night festival at nights. 

"No..." Spike turn off his mind, he looked around and saw many ponies looking around and enjoying their fancy night as they celebrate the end of the play which was having. "I was never from Ponyville. I'm from Canterlot... maybe in the future I can visit them, but I will not do it now."

Spike's resolve was enough to make him focus on his own objectives, now he was back to his house. Life of a dragon of 17 years old, he would soon become an adult in the pony standards. So he must enjoy his time thinking about the future he will have after coming back to Canterlot.

Spike already has some ideas on how to work into helping his parents, as he was a professional violinist from Canterlot he can possibly go to the place he studied before, and ask for some references from his teachers on what to do from there. He can start trying to create his own compositions and follow the steps of his favorite composer. Canterlot was a place for fancy dreams to become true... Even... oh sugar emerald... even Rarity's boutique is installed in this city. 

That thought made Spike freeze and his mind filled with some specific thoughts. Since Rarity has a reason to come here. It seems that possibly at the time Twilight wants to visit home, her... lover will come to visit the boutique and there are only two ways that this would end... Rarity is going to visit with her and make things even worse for him, like fighting that he has trying to avoid since the beginning, or a shout between two parties that would make them both broken from their views...

But thankfully Spike has the ground advantage, by staying at his home in Canterlot, Twilight wouldn't be able to convince him to come back by force, or she would be grounded by both their parents and she would have to receive a huge lecture on how terrible she was being as a sibling... Spike's shrove just with that thought, the lecture of bad siblings was one of the worst punishments they could receive from their parents. They are far too skilled in guilt tripping and they are both psychologists which would make it even worse. They know how to hit their weakest spots and even make them suffer the worst of the blows inside their own hearts.

Spike gulped, but at least he was hopeful that things wouldn't go sour like that, he just prayed that he would at least receive a few weeks to prepare himself, and not let her sister go crazy after him... oh who he is kidding? It was clear that possibly in a few days top, Twilight would come for a simple visit to him, he just prayed that she would be alone and wouldn't make things worse for their family.

"SPIKE." Suddenly a voice called him and made him and his parents stop in their tracks. As they could see, a grey mare followed by a mint green mare called after him, which made both the parents give a simple hidden smile.

"Hey son, I forgot how you young kids always enjoyed being late at night. I will be heading home to a good night of sleep. Enjoy your night." And with a little telekinesis, a blue glow made Spike float on the floor which made the dragon stare at the stallion in surprise. 

"What?" Spike was surprised by the sudden spell from his dad, and a little kiss on the cheek made his face blush like a tomato as he stared at his own mom.

"Be home at 2 a.m, we will not be waiting for you. Good night my little baby dragon." And with that Twilight Velvet and Night Light galloped leaving the baby dragon alone as he was staring confused by why such a hurry. Until he looked back and saw both Lyra and Octavia almost near him. 

"Hey girls, what's up?" Spike decided to ignore the sudden change of pace that his parents decided to do at the last moment and focused on the girls who seemed to be happy to find the dragon who seemed to be walking away.

"Well, since the festival has stopped now, we are planning to hit a midnight waffle house before going to the hotel," Lyra said as she was already excited to eat the waffles she was craving after a long day of work and a good night of play.

"Oh, that sounds awesome." Spike already liked the idea and then glanced behind him, to see his parents nowhere found. "Well since I don't have anything else to do, I think I will accept it."

Lyra raised her eyebrow as she decided to stretch her forelegs. Seeing that the mare on her side was feeling already happy to hear the response of the violinist, and that was a great way for her to have a bit of company as she could do it as a great way to have food before sleep.

"Alright, it seems that we already have a good time ahead of us," Lyra said as she walked forward and marched towards the direction of the street, leaving the duo of pony and dragon behind her. 

"Oh, wait up Lyra," Spike called as he tried to follow her, and the grey mare couldn't help but sigh happily as she was going to have a great time. 

.
.
.

"So what did you think Spike"? Lyra asked munching her favorite combination of waffles with chocolate whipped cream.  "I have to say, it was awesome to have to play with you like the old time's sake."

Spike nodded as he was devouring his favorite strawberry and blueberry waffles and drank cocoa.

"It was AWESOME," Spike shouted as he felt a part of his dreams was fulfilled on that day, it was like his dreams became true and he couldn't help but be happy and even take a good bite of his sweet dinner. "Like the old times on the training music lessons. You were really a filly with many skills."

"Pff, like I could follow the steps of the baby dragon who made the teachers have an existential crisis in their lives." Lyra laughed as she brushed her mane away from her face, making her and Spike laugh loudly about their friendship in the past.

Octavia was in her seat, observing the interaction between the married mare and the baby dragon who seemed to have a story with her, as a good pair of childhood friends, she couldn't help but listen to the stories of the duo on how they meet on the past and how it was the times on the music class, but one thing that always has made Octavia look strangely at the mare who was sitting on her side...

She was sitting the same way Spike was sitting as both of them could stand in two hooves and she sat exactly like him.

"Anyway, Octavia." Spike suddenly grabbed the attention of the mare who just looked at him in surprise. "I have to say, I'm glad to have met you yesterday. I don't know why but I'm actually grateful that you listened me to play..."

The mare suddenly felt a side of her cheek heat up, as she looked nervously.

"Why would you mean that?" The cellist tried to be polite but her nervousness made her bite her tongue. 

"I mean, seriously. I think yesterday I was so down that I couldn't find a good way to cheer me up. And when I played my violin... I tried so much to vent out all my frustrations and sadness... But from that night I brought your attention and after our talk. I think that was enough to make me realize that yes... music was indeed what I love to do most. So that's why I'm thanking you." Spike was honest from what he said, he understand that even on that terrible moment he passed on the night prior... just one kind word was enough to make him second guess his mistakes and thinks that what he was doing was exactly right for him.

"Oh... well, I understand that you may have been thinking like that. And I'm glad that you have managed to pass such a border and decided to make a better look yourself. Which is the best you can do at this moment." Octavia smiled, as she ignored the awkwardness she was feeling minutes before. She couldn't help but be happy for him. "But I have to say since the next event will be on the next weekend. I will possibly be in this town this week. And I wouldn't mind if I could have some company around to show me the places over here."

Lyra smiled, noticing the setting up that was happening in front of her, she decided to use her magic which created a yellow glow to the dragon and she floated him above her.

"Are you kidding? Spike has a free pass to even go to the castle. Since he was the right hand of one..." Then Lyra's face froze as she remembered what Spike must have told, and then she gave a glance to the dragon who seemed to be trying to avoid her gaze. "smooth, Lyra, really smooth. *cough* Anyway. I think since Spike most part of his childhood he was on the castle, he can have a free pass from the princesses if he just asks nicely." 

Spike glanced at his friend, and couldn't help but say that Lyra gave a good safe from what she was saying. And nodded his head to the mare in front of him.

"Yeah, I think I can talk with Princess Celestia if we could just have a good walk around the castle, maybe even have something from the cooking of Princess Celestia. She always knows how to prepare a good breakfast over there." Spike always ate Celestia's pancakes which were good to die for, and knowing that not many ponies had such privilege it was a good thinking Lyra gave such idea for him to do.

"Oh, that sounds lovely. Well, that's a date then...Wait... I mean..." Octavia stuttered as she found herself caught in the words she just said, but Spike was looking away from listening to that part.

"Oh sorry I wasn't paying attention to the last part, what did you just say?" Spike asked curiously, making the mare smile forcedly.

"Nothing. Just say it was going to be wonderful." Octavia replied as she let out a sigh of relief and yet disappointment inside her mind, but then she gave a quick look on her side, and her eyes didn't like what she was seeing. The mint green mare was smiling slyly at her... That wasn't a good sign.

"Well, I know for sure it will a blast. Sadly I think after tomorrow I'm going to go back to Ponyville and see Bon Bon, she misses me if I stay long for many days. So next weekend I'm going to bring her." Lyra shrugged as she placed a good among of bits over the table. "Alright, I'm already full, let's have a good night to sleep and enjoy our day tomorrow. I will be in the park tomorrow Spike, see you there."

Lyra decided it was a good time for her to leave, leaving the dragon and pony duo alone at night. Spike usually would be happy, but he was feeling nervous about staying alone with a mare at that time of the night. 

Octavia wasn't feeling any better. Since she was there to ask Spike out, but it was difficult to find the right words. And yet everything just worked fine. But she still needs to find a way to make the little dragon has a conversation with her. And at that moment of the night, it was sounding a bit more difficult than she was expecting. 

Spike then glanced at the mare and decided to ask a simple question.

"Hey, Octavia... why did you decide to start playing a cello?" Spike decided to give a simple question, and both of them start to smile. At least both of them are in good company.





Another waking-up call, the allicorn who got up from her bed couldn't have a good night of sleep. The lavender allicorn stared at the cabinet nearby her bed, and on the corner of the bedroom was another bed, one that she missed for her own company.

The princess of friendship placed both of her hooves on her face, trying to find a way to get used to the fact that happened since the day before... her brother was not there anymore. It was a cold and cruel fact, but one she cannot deny. It was her fault, she took the mare that he was deeply in love, and she read dozens of books already specifying the drama of the same problem. She knew at the moment she kissed the white mare, she have brought problems that she couldn't control.

She formulated plans and plans into trying to find a good way to tell her brother about the terrible news, but while the plans looked good in her head... she was afraid to actually execute them in front of her brother, and by each day avoiding it, it made it worse and worse. She knew it was her fault, but she doesn't know in what aspects her brother was madder at her, the fact of she didn't actually talk to him, or the fact that she took another thing from him.

The time she went back home, calling for her brother and best assistant, she wasn't there, and her heart was fulfilled with worries and panic, she tried to talk with all her friends, but at the time that Applejack the element of Honest had told the truth? She knew that her brother was ready to fight her... the biggest discussion, the words that would clash, and all the begging that she would do to her brother to forgive her, she was doing her best to ask him forgiveness...

However, he didn't get back to the castle... the opposite, he went back to Canterlot, to their parents' house. Which explained one simple fact... he didn't want to talk to her anymore... and that alone destroyed her, because she would try everything to make this mistake works... but, her brother preferred to leave her alone with a victory that she felt the sour taste than actually let her explain herself. 

She was now alone without her brother... she has her friends, but now... what would be friends without the first one who actually sacrificed everything to be on her side...

And now, she knew... nothing would be the same... Because she cowardly took what was important to her, her own brother is not going to give her a chance to bring it back to Ponyville... And now she is alone, the last Sparkle of Ponyville...

Who knew that in the night the cry of an allicorn could be heard from an echo without anypony to hear?
> A trouble in Requiem, in F#
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The usual path to Tartarus usually was paved with good intentions, beyond their further walk towards a new adventure, now the path was fulfilled with only silence between a group of mares who didn't even dare to open their mouths to speak. 

This led to a new mission of friendship, leading toward the direction of what would be a simple city into the unknown area pointed from the map of friendship. A mission required to everypony of the castle to go. Even if every single one of them was actually against the idea of working together again. 

"Come on, are we really going to avoid the elephant in the room?" The cyan mare finally had enough for silence and decided to stomp on the floor. "He is gone okay? We messed up, but we could not break our friendship because someone just left. Can't you just talk Twi? You have been in silence since we left the castle." 

Twilight seemed to be stoic and remained focused on her objective, she didn't want to distract herself from the pointless guilt she was having, it would not help her mission, and she needed to be focused on helping the others... Even if her own problems would be attacking her own mind and heart, she has avoided speaking a single word, in a hopeful attempt not to mess up and hurt her own friends...

"Twilight, darling..." Rarity decided to touch her marefriend's neck, as she also knew she hadn't spoken anything at that time. From her own point of view, she could see that the mare in front of her, the princess of friendship who should be a good example of how everything should be fixed with friendship, now was in desolation because of losing one close friend whom she did by a mistake, and now she has paid the price as she couldn't have taken care of her own appearance, she was well feed from the help of the butlers and maids who did their best to try to wake up the princess... But Rarity knew that Twilight must have avoided sleeping some nights because of how her guilt must have touched deep inside her own heart. "It has been days. Maybe it is the time for you to speak what is inside of your own heart."

Twilight glared as she was ready to create an outburst but at that moment she turned her head to shout that she was fine. It was her own business... she just saw her own marefriend which made her stop to even open her mouth... she wanted to deny that, she wanted to shout it was her own decision to make... But she couldn't shout to her own marefriend... since it was her own choice to love that mare, the mare that she practically took from her own brother. A reward that she didn't know how the consequences would have bitten hard on her own flank.

"Thank you for worrying Rarity, but I don't think I have anything to say." Twilight forced her own smile, but then she noticed that one orange mare walking in front of her. 

"Wait a darn minute Twilight, for my Granny's sake, yah have been more stubborn than me, yah need to share the weight of what is happening because we are here to help yah. And we are not going to take a no for an answer." Applejack acted like a wall towards her own friend who just spoke one sentence. 

"I have to agree with the traitor, you have been taking this burden alone for so long. Speak up, why are you still sad about Spike?" Rainbow Dash got her own strength and decided to go near the orange mare, but the way she spoke it made the country mare glare hatefully towards her.

"What did yah just call me?" Applejack went face to face with the rainbow mane pony, who just glared at her as well.

"You heard me, traitor, it was because of you that Spike knew the truth and how we hid it." Rainbow Dash said as she looked at her own flank. "And now you don't have your brother to buck my flank in surprise again."

"Ah don't need Big Mac to buck yar flank after yah being a flankholle, just because Ah told the truth that means Ah'm the traitor? Then what would yah be? If yah are the element of Loyalty? Loyalty to what Rainbow Dash? LOYALTY TO WHAT?" Applejack became angry towards the insinuation of the element of Loyalty being a total hypocrite.

Rainbow Dash gritted her own teeth, and her face was frowned in such scorn.

"YOU THINK I DON'T CARE OF HIM? I TRIED TO MAKE SURE THAT HE WOULDN'T BE HURT BY HAVING EXPECTATIONS. I TRIED TO SET HIM UP TO SCOOTALOO TO SEE IF HE WOULD BE OVER HIS LOVESICK PUPPY, AND FIND HIS OWN TYPE AND GET OUT FROM HIS FREAKING LOVE OF SUCH A..." Rainbow Dash shouted as she was really angry towards the orange pony, since she knew that she couldn't reveal the truth, Rainbow Dash tried to help the dragon into her own way. But she didn't know that the poor dragon was so stuck with the love of the white mare that her own attempt to set between her consideration little sister would just end up with both being dated as a friend. Which made Rainbow Dash face slam into the wall many times. 

Rainbow Dash and Applejack heard a loud coughing which made both realize that the white marshmallow mare was now staring at both of them. 

"Be careful to choose words when you try to talk Rainbow Dash." Rarity decided to intervene she knew that the next word she was going to say would be referred to her, and she wouldn't like to hear what the cyan mare would have told about her. 

"GIRLS STOP! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" Then the last girl from the group they expected to have the outburst, the kind pink mare Fluttershy was on her limit and shouted as she wanted everything to stop. To the point that the mare dropped down and begged. "Please... no more fighting."

"What was the point anyway?" Then another voice which was enough to make the other mares turn their backs toward what would have been the most cheerful pony, who just while she tried to remain with her usual happy and crazy mane, it was like a mix between her usual cheerful mane, but with a part of it being deflated and straight down, which usually the girls would have guessed that the painful time of not being the element of happiness. But still, they wanted to see what Pinkie Pie wanted to say, the pink mare walked towards the element of kindness who was still taking deep breaths from her own screaming. "It's pointless to try to avoid the discussion Fluttershy, we know we made a terrible mistake, and we know that Applejack was the only one with courage enough to actually tell the truth to him. We lost a friend... it hurts, oh Celestia how bucking hurts... but we have to accept and move on..."

Rainbow Dash wanted so much to rebut the words of the loony Pony, but the fact that there was nothing they could do would matter anymore since the trust between them was shattered in so many pieces, that it would be difficult if there were even a tiny possibility to the dragon ever to call them as friends again.

"This is your fault." Rainbow Dash then decided to approach differently towards the true pony who just caused the whole madness over the whole fiasco. The white pony just looked offended.

"Excuse me?" Rarity tried to see what the cyan pegasus would try to point out this time. 

"This love-sick puppy thing was always your thing, you played the poor boy into your hooves for years, you could have dismissed his crush for so long, this wouldn't have become catastrophic." Rainbow Dash pointed out the reason why such betrayal of feelings would have come not just for the sibling of the dragon, but also for the pony who has been playing with his feelings for so long.

"How dare you, what Spike had was nothing more than a lovable interaction between friends." Rarity simply said it, but at the same time, she narrowed her eyes when Applejack scoffed and walked nearby to Rainbow Dash.

"Friends? Girl, he was so into yah so hard that yah could see him following yah like a puppy whenever yah call him." Applejack never thought that she would have to agree with the same mare that she was arguing with, and now making the white mare look at both of them trying to put the blame on her.

"Of course, it was obviously a childhood crush, I was always thankful for every single task that he managed to do to help me towards my work. Even if he did it by only passing the time with me, I never took anything of him without any good in..."

"So what about the Ruby?" That was the question that made Rarity bite her tongue and stop talking since the whole group knew that Rarity practically guilt-tripped the poor dragon into giving her a gift that he spent a long time preparing the Fire Ruby to make a good special lunch for himself in his own Birthday. "Did yah even use it after the whole Greed Catastrophic  birthday Spike had on that day."

"I don't see the point in answering the question. But bear in mind that it was the proof of his own generosity with me, that managed him to control his own greed and recover from his own size again." Rarity hated when her friends brought up the Fire Ruby incident since it wasn't her most proud moment, but it was something that both learned for themselves, about how greed could be terrible...

Twilight remained calm, as she only hoped that the journey they would, come towards the unknown would not just fix the friendship problem on their mission, but also their own friendship which needs to once again be fixed from such a terrible month they are having. 

Since the trio of mares once again started arguing behind her back, Twilight ignored the painful noises that Fluttershy was making herself, and she just looked to her side and found the semi-serious Pinkie Pie looking at Twilight with a question in her mouth.

"Is there something you need to ask Pinkie?" Twilight asked, and the pink mare nodded her head towards the princess of Friendship.

"When are you going to leave to go to Canterlot?" Pinkie Pie didn't even beat around the bush, she already asked the important question, which Twilight reflected on for so long.

"... I'm planning to go this Friday Night, hopefully, my parents will let me stay at home for the weekends," Twilight said in secret since she stopped trying to figure out how Pinkie Pie would ever predict when she was going. "I didn't tell anyone about it... since I know bringing you girls would only make things worse... It will just be me and him."

"You kn..."

"I know this will not bring him back home, but I want at least to know that he will forgive me for what I did Pinkie. It has been a whole week, and I need to be mature and deal with this problem. trying to deny it or run away from it would make things worse for my own mind and heart, so I need to have this closure. And I know someday Spike would forgive me... But I hope that I will start at least to say I'm sorry first... And goodbye and thanks for his help during my childhood. I didn't get here without him."





"GARBUNKLE, I TOLD YOU THAT USING A BANISHMENT SPELL TIER 5 WAS A STUPID IDEA." Discord as he dressed in his iconic green archer outfit and beautiful yellow mane covering his face, was showing nothing more than outrage and deep fear as the entire group looked to be surrounded by cardboard ghosts who seemed to be even more hostile than before.

"I GOTTA TRY SOMETHING CAPTAIN WUZZ." Spike shouted as he tried to use his own time to place his scepter on the floor and used what would be another magical barrier toward the entire group. The unicorn wearing a Viking helmet and armor was using his own magic to levitate a shield to protect the whole projectiles from all directions. 

The group stared at the sky to see what would be the possible outcome, as the dice on the sky once again rolled, which to their surprise and disappointment, was just 10 number was placed on the dice. 

"OH NO, IT'S NOT STRONG ENOUGH," Spike said as he could feel nearby him, the number of his own mana being wasted for not completing the protection spell. "SIR MCBIGGUN, CAN YOU HOLD ANY LONGER?"

"NOOOOOPE." Big Mcintosh tried to hold them off, but even the little projectiles seemed to be affecting his own health points, and sooner or later the stall would possibly be the end of their lives. 

The group seemed to be in deeper problems when suddenly a whistle from far behind made them stare and make the trio look relieved.

"Don't worry boys, I got on the way. Spike, they are arcane ghosts of level 11 tier, and not vampire spiritual beasts of level 14 tier. So don't use any dark magic and they will not get even angry." A unicorn who seemed to be wearing what would be clothing made of leaves, wood, and especially sap as his own mane, made the walk toward the group. As the ghosts walked towards what would be the circle between the ghosts. "I'm going to use my own presence to start the ritual of the Druid Spiritual Diplomacy."

The dice on the sky rolled as the development of the entire trio seemed to be sweating towards until the dice rolled a 15 which made the whole group sigh in relief. The white unicorn nods towards the ghosts to seem to be stepping aside to let him have some space.

"Spiritual creatures of the supernatural, the know of the deep abysm of the reality of our own mortality,  for the great mother earth Gaia, Sky Uranus, Lightus of Jupiter, and Darkness of Pluton, I salute to all of you and ask about you hearing my plea." The druid unicorn used the part of the ritual courtesy as he gestured towards the ghosts who seemed to be appeased from the way he treated them... until... "RUN. I use my transformation of level 5 to become the devourer of spirits Three Eye Serpent."

Shining Armor stared at the sky, as the entire group looked at it in disbelief at some strategy that seemed to will be stuck into their hearts forever... As the sky dice showed nothing more than a neat 20. 

And grinning to himself, the magic made the body of the unicorn become slander, and when the ghosts finally saw the apex predator towards the spiritual creatures, each of them used their paper bodies to jump around and leave the entire field, as the entire squad of the party was awe and happy to be saved.  

"Thanks, prince Blinding Armorer, we didn't think those ghosts would have caused such a problem after my mistake of using a nightshade glown inside of the cave," Spike said sheepishly, as he tapped the white unicorn's back which the said druid chuckled with himself.

"I know, it happened to me when I did a journey of the East as a teenager, it caused APK and one of the saddest moments for my whole party, but now I managed to prevent such a terrible problem." Shining Armor who has been all the time away from his own brother Shienegans can happily say this was by far his favorite adventure so far. "Now what we should do now? We have a difficult mission ahead. And I managed to take information from Seletine the wild guardian which by the order of the royal princess Gaya, we have to go to Maplestone town."

"Oh no." Both Spike and Big Mcintosh said in unison, while Discord looked excited.

"OH YES. I FINALLY WANT MY REVENGE ON THAT STUPID SQUIRREL." Discord shouted delightedly, as he was holding his owl arrows and the flames covering them showed an immense powerful force, as he himself wants nothing more than revenge. "It was personal."

Spike wanted so much to keep doing his adventure, however after he looked that there was somepony knocking on their doors. He looked quickly at Discord who snapped his fingers and made the whole group of Ponies and Draconiques sit down at the round table.

"Come in." Spike walked towards the door and by opening it, the grey mare with a purple mane walked towards the group levitating the whole tray of food. 

"Pausing the roleplay boys. You never can kill monsters with an empty belly." Twilight Velvet smiled at the group of boys who seemed to be just nerdy adventures who liked to play a little fantasy, but the happiness of seeing her eldest son enjoying playing with his little brother and his friends warmed a lot of her own heart. 

Discord and Big Mac smiled as they themselves took the opportunity to accept the food, while Spike rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but enjoy seeing his mom being their supplier of food. Shining Armor also knows well that feeling, so both of them took the tray of snacks and gave a lovely kiss to the mare's cheeks.

"Thanks, Mom. You are the best." Both siblings said in unison, as the whole group decided to give a tiny break. And Twilight Velvet left the whole group.

"Spike, I never thought you had the best version of a roleplay game ever made. I never had this much fun, since I first started playing O&O and I had to use my whole imagination to play it."  Shining Armor said as he took a towel to clean up his sweat from all the running adventures they had.  "I never thought I would be so happy to enjoy a guy's night like that, this definitely is the best way of playing O&O, thanks again for inviting me, little bro."

"That's no problem Shining, To be honest, to have a druid on this mission definitely made the adventure more balanced." Spike smiled, since it had been years they hadn't a roleplay that good.

"Not forgetting also the funny shenanigans from your critical failures," Discord said as he couldn't stop laughing loud from one scene of the said session. "You jumping from a cliff just to become a goldfish, was the funniest death I ever saw in my life"

The whole group, especially Shining Armor laughed as the trio remembered how a little mistake would be a running gag joke between them for years, and he loved every single second of it.

"Well Shining, I'm still curious about why you choose druids, I thought you disliked Shapeshift, since... you know." Spike didn't want to make a sore spot for his own brother, but the night of the Royal Canterlot Wedding and the Changeling invasion indeed created a lot of mistrust towards the shapeshift creatures, but looking at his own brother, he seemed perfectly fine with it.

"Why wouldn't I like shapeshifts, they are the best, I mean I even had love with one, please don't tell Cadence, but man, how I missed nights like a week before my marriage." Shining Armor replied as he took his own druid clothing, and having his own way of life once again, he felt a good relief after dealing with all the troubles towards the Cristal Kingdom. "But still Torax gave me good points on how to become more fierce in trying to become a creature, and even my roleplay became sharper when I used druids. I'm still grateful for you to let me have a royal title of the druids, that would give me a boost on my magical runes."

"Well, it was your first time, and we actually wanted to see a good veteran showing how much we lacked in skills, while you simply acted like you were born for this." Spike agreed with his friends, and Discord couldn't help but agree with him.

"Well, it seems that we still have a lot to learn boys, but COME ON, WE HAVE SQUIRRELS TO BURN, AND BREW MEED TO DRINK WHEN THE CHAOS IS OVER." Discord snapped his fingers and the whole quartet was smiling as they prepared themselves to go into the new objective. 

"Wait, just a bit of OOC before we start." Shining Armor replied as he started chugging his own water. He then glanced at Spike. "Cadance said she will come to visit you tomorrow, she heard that you and the earth pony mare are dating. And she wanted to see if you still need help."

"WHAT? WHY?" Spike faceplanted himself on the floor and shouted at his own brother who seemed to be taking pleasure in that.

"Well, she was nagging me to let her help you with the... that problem, so I told her that you are fine and taking music lessons again, and even had a date... which actually made her threaten me to sleep outside of the castle... and Spike... you don't want to know how weird is for someone to sleep outside of the castle... I had to sacrifice you, bro." Shining Armor said it, before running with the guys away, Spike's eyes twitched, but not before his nostrils burst into flames.

'YOU TRATOR. LET ME GET YOU PICE OF SARDING..." Spike shouted as he knew that his brother launched him under the bus for his sister-in-law. And he had prayed for the rest of the week wouldn't have been weird... Oh how little he knows...