> Nine Elements presents: Spike the Werepony > by BlueBioWolf > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1: Transformation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Little Pony: Nine Elements presents: Spike the Werepony Written by Brandon Nell and Blake Hawkins Inspired by Curse of the Werepony by dlazerous Chapter 1: Transformation It had been one week since Shining Armor and Princess Cadance’s wedding. On this particular day, Spike was sweeping the Golden Oak Library while Twilight was sick with pony pox. Peewee was fluttering close by keeping the drake company. “Can’t play right now, Peewee,” the little dragon said. “I need to sweep since I’m the only one in any condition to work.” Peewee chirped and landed close by on a nearby flameproof perch made especially for the phoenix chick. Spike’s scales had been falling loose since the day before, but, not alarmingly so. One scale was perched on Twilight’s nose. “Huh?” Twilight muttered to herself, feeling the slightly familiar texture on her nose. She coughed and tipped the scale into her mouth. “Hmm…” At that moment, Spike entered the bedroom and she saw that the spaded tip of his tail had no scales on it. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.” “Jinshu said that this is a pre-molt,” Spike said. “It’s not a complete molt. That won’t happen for years.” “I see,” Twilight nodded. “Did he say when new scales would grow in?” “A week or two,” Spike answered. “And they’ll be more durable than the old ones.” “That’s good,” Twilight smiled. “Until then, my friends will have to do everything they can to make sure you’re safe.” “You need anything while you’re up, mom?” Spike asked. “A cup of chamomile tea would be lovely, please,” Twilight said. “You got it,” Spike said before he rushed to the kitchen. When he got there, he found they were out of chamomile tea bags. “Uh, there’s a slight problem,” he called. “Ah,” Twilight said. “Do we still have Earl Grey?” Spike checked. “Uh, no.” “Orange Pekoe?” “Nope.” “Boy, I never realized how much tea I go through when I’m sick,” Twilight muttered to herself. “Then, I’ll just have a glass of water please.” “Okay,” Spike said. And he prepared a glass of water for his unicorn mom. “Thank you, Spike,” Twilight said gratefully. “After I get better, we’ll pick up some more tea from the tea shop. Fluttershy told me there’s a great shop she frequents run by a pony named Jasmine Leaf.” “I can go there right now,” Spike offered. “I appreciate the offer,” Twilight said. “Though please be careful and try not to be out too long. Make sure you’re home before dark.” “Okay,” Spike said. “Though, that may be a slight problem. Remember when I was at Fluttershy’s earlier today?” “Oh, that’s right,” Twilight said. “She’s working with Zecora to make a cure for my pony pox.” “Yeah,” Spike said. “And I said I’d stop by and pick it up later. That, on top of the trip to the tea shop, will take a while.” “I understand,” Twilight said. “So, be back as soon as you can.” She gave Spike a kiss on the forehead. “It’s a good thing you can’t catch pony sicknesses.” “It sure is,” Spike said. “I’ll be back when I can. Love you, Mom.” “I love you, too, son,” Twilight said. With that, Spike left. Spike had just reached the fountain of Ponyville when he felt a sharp pain in the tip of his tail. “Ah!” Spike exclaimed. “I don’t remember Jinshu mentioning anything about a sharp pain.” He looked back to see that the unprotected part of his tail was pricked by a dart. “A dart? Who in their right mind would…” He plucked it out and inspected himself. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, so, he went to the nearest trash can and disposed of the dart. It was nightfall by the time Spike had made his trip to the tea shop. He was inches away from the fountain when he began to feel strange. “Ooh~” Spike muttered as his body started convulsing. “What’s happening to me?” Falling to the ground, he clutched his stomach as another wave of pain coursed through him. The basket he was carrying rolled off along with a few scales disturbed by the low wind. For a moment, he thought he may have caught Twilight's illness, but, that was impossible since he wasn't a pony. Spike's face contorted in pain. Everything hurt, his head felt like it was going to explode, and every bone in his body felt like it was breaking. His muscles burned and his joints ached. Spike was in absolute agony. He believed his body was being torn apart and just when the pain had become too much to bear, he screamed and exploded in a puff of purple smoke and scales. In a stroke of luck, Pinkie, Applejack, and Rarity were all present when Spike started aching and were alerted by his screams of agony. “Ah!” Rarity exclaimed. “Spikey-wikey!” “We got ta help him!” Applejack exclaimed. The three ponies rushed to Spike as the smoke cleared. They could hardly believe what was happening right in front of them. Spike’s scales turned to fur, his claws to hooves, and his ear fronds to pony ears. His face contorted into the shape of a colt’s face. Throughout the transformation, the sound of bones breaking could be heard. Mercifully, Spike had passed out from the pain. “Spike?!” Pinkie exclaimed. “What happened to him?” “That don’t matter now,” Applejack said. “We should get him back ta the Golden Oak Library.” “We should make sure to get the things that Spike was carrying home as well,” Rarity said. She used her magic to levitate the items. Among them, she saw a list saying to go to Fluttershy’s to get the cure for Twilight’s pony pox. “Pony pox? Oh, dear. We had best be cautious.” “We’ll have to get the cure,” Pinkie said. “Maybe she can help Spike out, too. We can’t just leave him here.” “We won’t,” Rarity said. She gently embraced the ponified Spike. “Applejack, you go and pick up the Pony Pox cure from Fluttershy. Pinkie and I will keep Spike company until you return.” “Ah say we bring him ta Fluttershy,” Applejack said. “Explainin’ that Spike became a pony’ll be hard ta do without proof.” “Right,” Pinkie said. “Even with you being super-duper honest, Applejack.” “Very well then,” Rarity conceded. She levitated the unconscious Spike onto her back and the three ponies made their way to Fluttershy’s cottage. In the shy pegasus’ kitchen, Fluttershy and Zecora were making Twilight’s medicine. The pegasus was growing a little worried that Spike hadn’t come yet. “Oh, dear,” Fluttershy said. “Spike should have been here by now. We can’t let Twilight’s pony pox get worse.” “The young dragon’s absence is indeed a concern,” Zecora said, well aware of Spike’s typical punctuality. “It is unlike him to take a wrong turn.” They were suddenly interrupted from their guessing by a knock at the cottage door. Fluttershy recognized from the knock pattern after years of studying its nuances that it was Pinkie. Fluttershy answered it. She was surprised to see Applejack and Rarity present as well. “Hello, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity,” Fluttershy said. “By any chance, you three wouldn’t happen to know where Spike is, would you?” “Well,” Pinkie said. “We do, but, he’s not exactly himself at the moment.” Rarity walked into the cottage, presenting the colt that was once a drake on her back. Fluttershy carefully looked him over as Rarity levitated him onto the couch. When she got around his mouth, she saw two little fangs sticking out, fangs she recognized as Spike’s. “Spike?!” Fluttershy gasped. “What happened to him?” “We saw him explode into smoke near the fountain,” Pinkie said. “When it cleared, he turned into this before our eyes.” Zecora walked over to the ponified Spike and looked him over carefully. “Know anything about this, Zecora?” Rarity asked. “I am not too familiar with this transformation spell,” Zecora said. “But, I do notice in his tail there is a peculiar swell.” Rarity inspected Spike’s tail, which was now that of a pony’s. She then found the swell on the tip of his tail dock. “It looks like the remnants from where a dart would shoot him,” Rarity said, inspecting the swell with her Mystic Eyes of Detail. “You better get to the Golden Oak Library,” Pinkie said to Zecora. “We’ll keep Spike company.” “I’ll make sure Twilight’s cure for pony pox is delivered,” Zecora said. “You look after that dragon transfigured.” “Uh, that was kind of a slant rhyme,” Pinkie said. Zecora, deciding not to press, left the cottage with the pony pox remedy in her saddlebag. A few minutes after Zecora left, Spike began to stir. “Huh?” Spike said groggily. “Where am I?” As his vision cleared, he found himself surrounded by Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, all of whom wore baffled expressions. “Oh, Fluttershy,” Spike said. “Thank goodness you’re here. Do you still have the cure for the pony pox available?” “Zecora already left to deliver it,” Fluttershy said. “Are you okay?” “A little drained, now that you mention it,” Spike admitted. “Now, uh,” Applejack said in an uneasy way. “Try not ta freak out, but, uh, yer kinda… different than how ya were a while ago.” “What do you mean?” Spike asked. “Basically,” Applejack said. “Ya turned inta a pony.” Spike carefully listened, but, couldn’t hear Applejack’s belly making the queasy rumbling that came with her lying. This just made him more confused. “Wait…” Spike muttered. “Did you just say that I turned into a pony?” “Ah know it sounds hard ta believe,” Applejack said. “If’n we hadn’t seen it happen, we wouldn’t’ve believed it ourselves.” Pinkie pointed Spike’s face to a mirror she conveniently had available. Instead of seeing the familiar dragon, he saw an earth pony colt older than the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but, younger than the Guardians of Harmony of a light mulberry coat and a moderate harlequin mane and tail with his familiar moderate pistachio eyes. Most unusually, the colt in the mirror had the fangs he recognized so well. “Whoa!” he exclaimed. “I am a pony!” “What were you doing before we found you?” Rarity asked. “Well,” Spike said. “I was on my way to pick up the cure from Fluttershy’s that Zecora had and I was also picking up tea from Jasmine Leaf’s tea shop. On my way to the tea shop, a dart struck the tip of my tail.” “Call it a hunch,” Pinkie said. “But, do you think that dart had something to do with you turning into a pony?” “It’s possible,” Spike said. “It didn’t seem to affect me all that much at the time, so, I threw it away.” “This dart,” Applejack said. “Was there anythin’ about it that could give us some kinda clue as ta who launched it?” “I didn’t really get a good look at it,” Spike admitted. He then proceeded to get up from the couch and attempt to stand up on his hindlegs. However, he found himself struggling to balance on two legs. “Whoa~ whoa!” As he struggled to balance himself, he tripped and landed on his chin. Fluttershy and Applejack helped Spike stand upright on his four legs. “Are you alright?” Rarity asked. “I don’t understand,” Spike said. “I was clumsy before, but, I never had this much trouble standing on two legs before.” “Maybe it’s because your pony legs don’t have claws,” Pinkie said. She held one of his legs. “You have hooves now.” “Oh, right,” Spike said. “Well, I used to walk on all fours like a pony when I was a hatchling. How different can it be with hooves?” So, he slowly started to walk around the cottage on all fours. It was a bit more difficult than he expected. “It’s okay, sugarcube,” Applejack said gently. “We’re here ta help.” Then, a thought occurred to her. “Maybe Jinshu knows somethin’. Ya still got that mirror he gave ya?” “I never leave home without it,” Spike smiled. “I always keep it in my loose dragon scales.” Spike was about to reach for it when it suddenly dawned on him that since he was no longer a dragon, he no longer had scales. “Which I can’t use as a pony…” Suddenly, a loud exclamation burst out of him as he suddenly grew very angry and upset. “I’m such an idiot!” He slammed his mouth shut and calmed down. “Whoa… where’d that come from? Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” “Seeing as we don’t know where Jinshu lives,” Rarity said. “I don’t believe writing a letter to him would do any good. Even if we knew where he lived, it would take the letter days to reach him.” “Maybe Zecora would have some answers,” Fluttershy suggested. “After she gets back from delivering Twilight’s medicine, we can ask her for permission to visit her hut.” “Ah don’t know,” Applejack said. “This seemed new ta Zecora, too.” “Perhaps there’s something in the Golden Oak Library that can explain things,” Rarity considered. “If the library had any books on dragons, Spike wouldn’t need ta get info from Zecora er Jinshu,” Applejack pointed out. “Since the library ain’t got books on dragons, ya really think they got one explainin’ how a dragon turns inta a pony?” “Hmm, I suppose not,” Rarity said. “So, there’s no possible way to figure out what’s going on?” Pinkie asked. “How are we going to help Spike now?” “Well,” Fluttershy said. “There’s the possibility that the princesses know. They’ve been around longer than all of us put together.” “Then, that’s what we’ll do,” Spike said with a determined tone in his voice. “We’ll go to Canterlot and see them.” With that, he ran to the door, only to trip over the floor frame and land on his chin again. “Note to self: try to master walking on all fours before trying to run.” Rarity gently levitated Spike onto her back. “Allow us to escort you back to the library,” she offered. “Wait, what about Canterlot?” Spike asked. “We’ll need to let Twilight know about this,” Rarity said. “She’s your mother figure, after all.” “Yeah,” Spike said with a reluctant sigh. “You’re right. And I did promise her that I would be back as soon as I could. I can’t break that promise.” And so, the mares escorted Spike to the Golden Oak Library. They arrived just as Zecora was leaving. “How’s Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “Your unicorn friend is doing well,” Zecora said. “But, her dragon’s current state was difficult to tell.” “We do have a plan to find out more about this,” Rarity said. “The first part is explaining this ordeal to Twilight.” After Zecora left, the mares took Spike inside and went to Twilight’s room. The unicorn was looking healthier, but, still bedridden. “Hey, Twilight,” Applejack said with a slightly nervous tone in her voice. “We’re glad ta see ya doin’ well, but, we have a bit o’ a predicament.” “Is Spike okay?” Twilight asked. “Uh,” said the timid voice of Spike on Rarity’s back. “Emotionally, I’m okay, but, physically? It’s hard to say.” Rarity turned to the side to reveal Spike on her back. Twilight gazed deeply into the mulberry-coated colt’s deep emerald eyes. “Spike?” Twilight gasped. Overwhelmed by the shock, she fainted into her bed. “Well,” Spike said. “That went about as well as expected.” Some time later, Twilight recuperated and slowly came out of her shock. She saw the still ponified Spike clumsily trying to grasp a broom with his hooves. “So, Spike really has become a pony,” Twilight said. “How did this happen?” “We don’t know,” Rarity said. “We were hoping to inform the princesses.” “Do you think you’ll be well enough to join us?” Fluttershy asked. “Since Spike is important to you, you should know why this is happening, too.” “I’ll be going anyway,” Twilight said. “Spike’s well-being is more important to me.” “We best stay here the rest o’ the night,” Applejack suggested. “It ain’t safe ta head home this time o’ night.” “I have plenty of extra bedding you can use,” Twilight said. Spike attempted to settle into his basket bed, only to find it too small for his ponified body. “I, uh, think I’m going to bunk with somepony else,” Spike said sheepishly. “You can’t sleep with Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “You might catch her pony pox.” “True,” Spike said. “You may share a bed with me,” Rarity offered. “Thanks, Rarity,” Spike smiled. He climbed into the same bed as Rarity. “Rest well, Spike,” Rarity said in a nurturing tone. “I can promise you that we’ll all get the answers we need to help you.” With that, they all fell into a peaceful sleep. > Chapter 2: Werepony > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Little Pony: Nine Elements presents: Spike the Werepony Written by Brandon Nell and Blake Hawkins Inspired by Curse of the Werepony by dlazerous Chapter 2: Werepony The next morning as the sun’s rays cascaded into Twilight and Spike’s room through the window, Spike felt the pain from the night before and began screaming in agony. The mares awoke in alarm with these sounds. “Spike!” they collectively said in a worried tone. As Spike convulsed, he turned back into his dragon form, clear agony on his face. Mercifully, he passed out before having to endure much more. The mares saw that Spike returned to normal. “Yippee, Spike’s all better!” Pinkie said happily. “That might be pushing it,” Fluttershy said. “Yeah,” Applejack said. “We’ll still need ta figger out why this happened ta Spike. The trip ta Canterlot ta see the princesses’s still top o’ our list.” “I’ll draft a letter to the princesses,” Rarity said. “Spike can send it when he comes to.” “And we should take the mirror out of his loose dragon scales,” Fluttershy suggested. “There might be a chance he transforms into a pony again, so, we’ll want to have the mirror available so it isn’t stuck in Spike’s body.” Rarity levitated the mirror out of Spike’s loose scales. Slowly, Spike started to wake up. He seemed to struggle even more. “Spike?” Twilight said soothingly. “Ugh,” Spike groaned. “I’m starving.” “We can help you with that,” Pinkie smiled. During breakfast, Spike stuffed his face as if he’d never seen food before. “I guess changing from a dragon, to a pony, and back to a dragon again can affect the appetite,” Twilight observed. “Hopefully, the princesses can tell us more.” Soon, Spike had his fill. By this time, Rarity had finished the letter for the royal sisters. Spike sent it off. “So,” Twilight said. “While we wait for a response, what shall we do to pass the time?” In Canterlot, Celestia and Luna received the scroll. They read through it, growing ever alarmed with each sentence. “The symptoms are clear,” Luna said. “Spike has become a werepony.” “We must alert Spike and his friends at once,” Celestia said. “I’ll send Shining Armor to arrange an escort.” Shining Armor and Princess Cadance had finished their honeymoon the night before. “Understood, sister,” Luna said. Later, Shining had been briefed on what’s happening. “What?” he gasped. “Spike became a werepony?” “Yes,” Luna said. “And as a result, he’s in danger.” “Then,” Shining Armor said. “I’ll protect my little nephew.” “Not that sort of danger,” Luna said. “We will explain later. First, you must escort Spike and the Guardians of Harmony here.” “Right away, your highness,” Shining Armor said before heading out. Back in Ponyville, Rainbow met up with the other Guardians and saw that Spike was struggling to stand. “Hey, Spike,” Rainbow said. “You feeling okay?” “Define ‘okay,’” Spike said. “Need some help there?” she asked. Spike stepped back a bit from Rainbow. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” he said. “But, I have this fear of heights now and your tendency to be rough doesn’t exactly help.” “Oh, right,” Rainbow said. “Sorry. Wait, where’d this fear come from?” “Remember the day after my birthday this year and Rarity and I fell from the sky?” Spike asked rhetorically. “Oh…” Rainbow said. “Yeah, that’ll do it.” Soon, a carriage pulled by two of Celestia’s pegasus guards arrived. The door opened to reveal Shining Armor and Cadance. “The princesses sent us to escort you and your friends to Canterlot,” Shining Armor said. “Climb aboard.” Rainbow, noticing how nervous Spike looked, decided to help Spike onto the carriage. The other guardians followed suit with Twilight comforting Spike. “Stay close to me, Spike,” Twilight said soothingly. “I’ll keep you safe.” “As will I,” Rarity said. Spike took deep breaths. Being surrounded by the ones he loved helped to keep him comfortable. Soon, they arrived in Canterlot as the sun was setting. The carriage settled down in front of the castle. Shining Armor and Cadance led the Guardians to the drawing room just as the moon started to rise. Luna and Celestia were already there. “We’ll allow you to get settled in,” Shining Armor said. As Spike climbed down from Twilight’s back, he stepped into the moonlight and his body convulsed before he exploded into smoke and scales while screaming in agony. The other ponies witnessed the abject horror before them. “What the Tartarus is going on?!” Rainbow cried. “It’s what we’ve learned from the letter Rarity sent to us,” Luna said grimly. “Spike has become a werepony.” “A werepony?” Twilight asked. “How did this happen?” “A werepony,” Celestia explained. “Is very rare and can only happen to young dragons. When a dragon is shedding his scales, like Spike was, they become vulnerable. If during this time, their unprotected flesh comes into contact with the saliva of a pony suffering from pony pox, they can be infected and the only cure is a spell performed by four or more casters." “So…” Twilight concluded. “He became a werepony because of me… I was sick with pony pox and I gave him a forehead kiss.” “Did Spike still have scales where you kissed him?” Luna asked. Twilight nodded. “Then, he couldn’t have gotten infected there.” “So, it wasn’t yer fault, Twi,” Applejack said. “We know ya wouldn’t do anythin’ like this on purpose er by accident.” “So,” Pinkie ventured. “Since Spike got hit by a dart that turned him into a werepony… could it mean that that dart had pony pox spit in it? That’s gross!” “A dart?” Luna gasped. “Then, this wasn’t an accident. Another creature planned this!” “But, who?” Fluttershy asked. “And why would they do this to Spike?” When the smoke cleared, Spike was a pony again. But, he seemed weaker than the night before. Twilight gently cradled him in her forehooves. “We must cure him and fast,” Rarity said. “Why more than four?” Twilight asked. "The amount of magic necessary to break the curse and seal Spike into his true form is so taxing that one or even two spell casters alone could die in the process," Luna explained. "That is why at least four are needed. Spreading the strain out is simply safer." “There are at least six of us with horns and magic here,” Twilight said. “The three princesses, myself, my brother, and Rarity.” Spike began to stir. “Spike,” Fluttershy said soothingly. “How do you feel?” “Well,” Spike said. “I felt my bones all breaking and shifting at the same time, so, I’m not exactly feeling so hot.” “‘N with how much ya switch between bein’ cold-blooded n’ warm-blooded,” Applejack noted. “It can’t be good fer yer heart.” The other ponies looked at her in surprise at the detailed hypothesis she gave. “What? Ah can’t learn no bio-lomogy?” “It’s biology, but, that’s not the point now,” Twilight said. “The point is we need to help Spike and figure out who did this to him.” “Our top priority is breaking the curse,” Luna said. “Spike may like being a pony, but, he can’t stay this way.” “Honestly,” Spike said. “I’m not exactly sold on this form.” As he listed his reasons why, he became increasingly sadder. “I can’t walk all that well, I keep tripping, I can’t hold a broom that well, and when I turn into this, I feel like I’m getting torn apart and put back together.” His voice began to break. “I just don’t feel it’s worth the pain it brings.” He started sobbing deeply. Twilight and Rarity comforted the colt. “Let it all out, Spike,” Twilight said soothingly, rubbing his back gently. “For what it’s worth, Spike,” Rarity said. “We care about you as a dragon and we always will. We would never want you to change who you were in an unnatural way.” “Indeed,” Luna said. “Changing into a pony every time the moon rises is a terrible strain on your body. However, my sister and I will not force you into a decision. You can either return to being a dragon or you can stay as you are now, but, you must understand, the constant shifting from one form to the other is extremely harmful and will significantly shorten your lifespan." “The sooner I can be a dragon again,” Spike said between breaths. “The better.” “If he’s cured,” Rarity asked. “Will he stay that weak? Will every day be a struggle for him?” “No,” Luna said. “If he returns to his true form, he will regain his strength and vitality and live out his life as if nothing had happened." “Well,” Rarity said. “I shall do all I can to remove this affliction on our beloved Spike.” “I’m afraid it’s not so simple,” Luna said. “If Spike chooses to stay a dragon, we have to wait until he changes back.” She directed her attention to Spike. “I want you to really think about this, but, do not take too long. The longer you stay like this, the more difficult it will be to change you back. Even with our combined ability, after a week, we will not be able to cure you at all. With that in mind, I'm giving you two days to decide." “I think it’s pretty evident that Spike should be a dragon again,” Rainbow said. “So, why can’t we just wait until the sun comes back up tomorrow and then do the whole magic cure thing?” “We do not wish to force him,” Luna said. “We would prefer he make the decision on his own.” Rainbow sighed. “Fine,” she said with a light huff. “But, I think he said it himself that he would rather be a dragon again.” “I would,” Spike said. “But, I imagine it’ll take a while for the spellcasters to gather enough magic and deep down, I’ve wanted to be a pony.” He groaned in frustration. “I’m so conflicted.” “Hence the two day thinking period,” Luna said. “As the transformation took a lot of energy, it would be prudent for you to get some rest.” “Yeah, sure,” Spike said after taking a second to calm down. “Uh, out of curiosity, do wereponies have mood swings?” “Frequently,” Luna explained. “In your transformed state, you’re in a heightened emotional state. When you feel sad, it borders on depression. When you feel anger, well, we’re well aware of how angry you can get under normal circumstances.” “Yeah,” Spike said sheepishly. “I think it’d be a good idea for me not to get too emotional like this. Normally, the worst thing I'd do when angry is yell. In this state, my anger could hurt somepony and I don’t want that.” “Understood,” Luna said. Shining Armor escorted Spike to the tower room Spike and Twilight lived in two years prior. > Chapter 3: Confessions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Little Pony: Nine Elements presents: Spike the Werepony Written by Brandon Nell and Blake Hawkins Inspired by Curse of the Werepony by dlazerous Chapter 3: Confessions Rarity kept her eyes on Spike until he was out of sight. Tears fell from her eyes. “Spike is going to be okay,” Fluttershy said gently. “I knew Spike’s life in Canterlot was hard,” Rarity said. “But, what cruel creature would go to the effort of shortening his lifespan?” “We don’t know that yet,” Rainbow said. “But, when we do, we’re going to teach them a lesson!” “It’s absolutely heartbreaking knowing there’s a creature who holds so much contempt for such a sweet little dragon,” Rarity said. “Even if he has a temper, he’s such a gentle little dear. He doesn’t deserve any of this.” “Yeah,” Rainbow said. “If any dragon did deserve this kind of ordeal, it would be Garble. That guy was a jerk.” “Girls,” Twilight said. “It doesn’t matter if any other dragon deserves it. What matters is that this is still wrong.” “Sorry, Twilight,” Rainbow said. “But, I’m just so angry at the idea that someone would hurt our friend like this.” “Maybe it was Blueblood,” Pinkie suggested. “We’ve all seen how much he hates Spike.” “Ah don’t think that’s likely, Pinkie,” Applejack said. “Last we checked, he was locked up n’ ah doubt Chrysalis could’ve bailed him out this time.” “True, but, Shining Armor was away on his honeymoon with Cadance,” Pinkie pointed out. “And apart from Flash, we all know most of Princess Celestia’s guards are terrible at their job.” “Much like with the mystery before the National Dessert Competition,” Twilight said. “We will need to look for clues.” “We should get some sleep first,” Fluttershy said. “We won’t be much help if we’re tired. Especially you, Twilight. The medicine still needs time to fully work and we don’t want you to relapse.” “Fluttershy’s right,” Applejack said. “We all want ta help Spike, but, we got ta take care o’ ourselves, too.” “I shall arrange for you to have rooms here until the decision is made,” Celestia said. “Thank you, Princess Celstia,” Fluttershy said. “If it’s all the same to you, princess,” Rarity said. “May I be in the same room as Spike? As Twilight still hasn’t recovered, I don’t want him to catch pony pox or for the little dear to be alone.” Celestia smiled knowingly. “Of course you may, Rarity. However, given his emotional state now, it’s best not to take any chances. To wit, I’m assigning Flash Sentry and Shining Armor to watch Spike’s door until he makes his decision.” “Thank you very much,” Rarity said. “Hey, I thought of something,” Rainbow said. “Why not have some of the unicorn guards help out?” “Barring Shining Armor,” Celestia said. “Most of the unicorn guards are hardly model unicorns.” One unicorn guard stepped up to the princess and saluted. “Your highness,” he said. “We’ve found the criminal responsible for the shadow government creating the bank account scam.” “Need I say more?” Celestia asked rhetorically. “Point taken,” Rainbow said as the unicorn guard marched on. “Still trying to phase them out?” “Yes,” Celestia said. “It’s a very slow progress.” “Got it,” Rainbow said. Rarity made her way to the room Spike was taken to using her Mystic Eyes of Detail to see the hoof prints Shining Armor left behind. “Here we go,” she said to herself. She knocked on the door. “Who is it?” Spike called from inside. “It’s me, Rarity,” she answered. “Come in,” he said. Rarity entered the room and saw Spike sitting on the bed Twilight slept in before the fateful day she and him came to Ponyville. Even though it had been two years since he and Twilight shared the room, it had not changed in the slightest. It was odd, but, there was no dust, no disorder, everything neat and tidy from her small bed to the stuffed toys patiently sitting on the shelf next to it. Children's books and small tomes on introductions to magic were neatly stacked on the small bookshelf. “It looks as though it was well kept for sentimental reasons,” Rarity said. She then turned her attention to Spike. “I was hoping I could give you some company tonight since Twilight is still recovering from her sickness.” “Thanks, Rarity,” Spike said. “I may be 12 in pony years now, but, I’m still not ready to have a room to myself.” “That’s understandable,” Rarity said. “So, we won’t let you be alone.” Spike looked around. “I’ve spent six years of my life in this room,” he said. “To think it looks so small to me now.” “Things do tend to change as one grows older,” Rarity observed. “This pony form is the most I’ve grown in years,” Spike said. “And that’s not saying much.” “Whether you’re a pony or a dragon,” Rarity said as she gently held onto Spike. “You’re the right size to snuggle with.” She nuzzled the top of his head. Spike couldn’t help but smile a bit. “You know what’s strange?” Spike said. “What’s that?” she asked. “In this form,” Spike said. “Hugs feel even warmer.” “That could be due to your own warm blood,” Rarity ventured to guess. She stroked his green mane. “That’s true,” Spike said. “In this form, I’m a warm-blooded mammal.” “And I doubt that as a pony, you’ll be able to eat gems,” Rarity said. “Even magically active ones.” “Since I’ve never seen anypony try to eat any actual gems,” Spike said. “I’m not going to try to myself. Rock candy, on the other hoof, I already like that.” He then tapped his front hooves together nervously. “Is something troubling you?” Rarity asked. Spike sighed. “Rarity,” he said. “Since I’m getting weaker, I have something to confess.” “Yes, Spike?” Rarity replied, looking deeply into his eyes. “I haven’t really been entirely truthful about what I was going to do with that Fire Ruby,” Spike said. “You haven’t?” Rarity gasped in surprise. “The Fire Ruby is magically active and my stomach can’t handle those types of gems,” Spike explained. “I tried eating a magically active gem once and my stomach forced it back out the way it went in. If I tried eating the Fire Ruby, it’d be the same thing all over again. Let me tell you, if I never have to go through that again, it’ll be too soon.” “Oh, dear,” Rarity said. “I can’t even imagine how painful that would be.” “Long and short,” Spike said. “It doesn’t compare to the pain of transforming to and from a pony.” “I see,” Rarity said. “Anyway, please continue.” “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that Fire Rubies aren’t heart-shaped in nature,” Spike said. “True,” Rarity said. “Not even gemstones without magic in them can come in that shape in nature.” “I cut it that way for you,” Spike said. “I knew how much you like gems like that, but, I was afraid of you rejecting it if you knew the truth, so, I made up the story about planning to eat it.” “Oh, Spike,” Rarity said. “If I had known that before, I wouldn’t have felt as guilty to try and take it out of your grasp. That Fire Ruby is one of the most wonderful gifts I could have ever received and I’m still very grateful that you gave it to me.” “It was a way to give you something I wanted to for a long time, my heart,” Spike said. “Oh, Spike,” Rarity said, tears of joy forming in her eyes. Spike sighed. “That sounds so cheesy.” “Regardless,” Rarity said. “It’s still a wonderful gesture on your part. And as for me holding onto your heart, I promise I will take the greatest care not to break it.” Then, a thought occurred to her. “If I may ask, when did you get the Fire Ruby?” “It was that errand I needed to run with Fancy Pants,” Spike said. “We got the Fire Ruby after we got the tanzanite bracelet for my mom for her birthday. I hoped to give it to you on Hearts and Hooves day, but, it wasn’t ready.” “My goodness,” Rarity said. “You’ve planned this for quite a while. That dedication is truly astounding.” “It was finally ready a week before my 12th birthday,” Spike said. “By then, my story about it being my birthday dinner would’ve been more believable.” “I see,” Rarity said. “I’m sorry for lying to you,” Spike said. “I can see why you did,” Rarity said. “But, I do appreciate that you told me the truth now. Honestly, that’s a very romantic thing you did.” She kissed his forehead. Spike couldn’t help but blush happily. He then let out a yawn. “I don’t know about you,” he said. “But, I’m about ready to go to sleep.” “As am I,” Rarity said. “I think we all could use some good rest.” With that, the two fell asleep in a warm embrace. > Chapter 4: Resolutions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Little Pony: Nine Elements presents: Spike the Werepony Written by Brandon Nell and Blake Hawkins Inspired by Curse of the Werepony by dlazerous Chapter 4: Resolutions Rarity was woken up by the sound of Spike screaming in agony. Mercifully, he passed out before having to endure much more. “He transformed back again,” Rarity said. “I’ll have to gather the others to get his breakfast ready.” When Spike woke up, he was met by all the Guardians and three large platters piled high with scrambled eggs, pancakes, and fresh fruit. Spike dove into the food and began devouring it with a will. Rainbow, who didn’t witness Spike’s ravenous state the day before, was taken aback. “Whoa,” Rainbow said in a somewhat impressed tone. “Thanks,” Spike said after swallowing the last bit of food. “I have to say,” Rainbow said. “I thought you’d be against eating the eggs.” “The eggs weren’t fertilized,” Spike said. “So, I don’t feel so bad.” “That’s good,” Rainbow said. “Just so you know, Celestia set Flash and Shining to keep you in here until you’ve made your decision because of your mood swings.” “Fair enough,” Spike conceded. “Honestly, I’ve been kept in this room so long, I’m actually pretty numb to it at this point.” Twilight couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge of guilt at this. By then, the medicine Fluttershy and Zecora made had taken root and her pony pox were cured. Because of this, she tearfully hugged the little dragon. “Oh, Spike~” Twilight weeped. “I’m so sorry for keeping you confined all those years!” Spike comforted his unicorn mother gently. He could tell that she did feel guilty, but, he reassured her that he was okay. “You gave me freedom after we moved to Ponyville,” he said. “Better late than never.” Twilight heard Spike’s words and made an effort to calm down. “Thank you, Spike,” she said. “So, while we’re all in here,” Pinkie said. “Is there anything we can do to pass the time until the decision is finalized?” “Well,” Spike said. “I’m still feeling a little drained, so, I’d like to nap for a while.” “That’s alright with us,” Fluttershy said sympathetically. She then tucked Spike into the bed. “Uh, mom?” Spike said. “Is it okay if I sleep in your old bed?” “Of course, Spike,” Twilight said gently. “You’ve been through a lot of anguish recently and deserve some rest.” “Thanks, mom,” Spike said as he got settled in. “I’ll keep Spike company,” Rarity whispered. “The rest of you go investigate the mystery of who did this to him.” The other Guardians nodded and left the room quietly. Once they were out, they huddled. “Okay,” Twilight said. “What do we know so far?” “We know that somepony shot a dart at Spike’s bare tail tip,” Pinkie recapitulated. “And that Spike threw said dart away back in Ponyville when it didn’t seem to do anything to him.” “So, our biggest clue is already gone?” Twilight said. “Ah’m afraid so,” Applejack said. “Unless we mosey over ta the Ponyville Rubbish n’ Recycle Center.” “I don’t have enough magical strength to teleport us all back,” Twilight said. “And it’d take us too long to get there by train. Even if we took the express, there’s no guarantee the dart won’t be recycled by the time we get there.” “So, we’re in a dead end, it looks like,” Rainbow said. “Unfortunately,” Twilight said. “Oh, if only we had leads.” “Hey look,” Pinkie said, pointing in a different direction. “A lead.” They looked in the direction Pinkie pointed. On the long purple carpet of the castle floor was a discarded dart that was similar to the one that struck Spike’s bare tail tip. Twilight levitated it with her magic. “Careful, Twi,” Applejack said. “If it is one o’ them darts with the pony pox spit, we wouldn’t want ya ta catch it again.” “Uh, you do know that once a pony catches pony pox, they become immune to it for the rest of their life, right?” Rainbow said. “Guess ah didn’t,” Applejack said. “Least, not till now.” “I know you were mostly homeschooled,” Rainbow said. “But, you’d think your parents would’ve at least taught you that.” “Girls, please,” Twilight said sharply. “I’m trying to concentrate.” The others quieted as Twilight magically scanned the dart. “Pinkie,” Twilight said. “Your hunch last night was correct. This dart not only has saliva from a pony who had pony pox, but, traces of Prince Blueblood’s DNA mixed with that of one of Princess Celestia’s clone unicorn guards.” The others gasped at this. “Which guard is it?” Rainbow demanded. “Since they’re clones, their DNA is all exactly the same,” Twilight said. “So, Blueblood is the main cause of this,” Pinkie said angrily. “Let’s get him!” “While ah would love ta knock him down a peg er two,” Applejack said. “We would have ta find him first. We don’t know where ta start lookin’.” “And we can’t ask the guards for help,” Twilight said. “So, it looks like it’s up to us as Spike’s friends to help,” Fluttershy said with confidence she never knew she had. Unknown to them, one of Celestia’s cloned unicorn guards quietly exited the palace grounds and made his way to the back alley that ran behind Donut Joe's Shop. He jumped with fright as a voice sounded out from the dark shadows. "Were you followed?" “N-no,” the unicorn guard stammered. He cleared his throat. “No, I wasn’t followed. Nopony saw me.” “Did you bring back the dart so that I may destroy it?” “Uh….” the guard replied nervously. “No. I dropped it in the drawing room.” “You incompetent fool!” the voice said. “If the princesses, the captain, or the Guardians see it, they could find traces of our DNA on it!” “Well, what do you want me to do?” the guard said, mid frightened tremor. “Go back now and possibly risk getting caught?” “Your involvement in this is over!” the voice said before the owner steps out of the shadows, revealing Blueblood. The former prince lit up his horn and fired an energy beam from it, disintegrating the guard. “Hopefully, the other guard will be more competent.” Meanwhile, Spike began to stir and saw Rarity sitting beside the bed. Rarity noticed that Spike was coming out of his slumber. He’d transformed into his pony form. “Rest well?” she asked gently. “Yeah,” Spike said. “That’s good,” she smiled. “Can I get you anything?” “No thanks,” Spike said. “If you insist,” she nodded. Then, an idea struck her. “Spike, would you like to come out of this room for a while? You’ve been cooped up in here for nearly two days.” “Sure,” Spike said. “I could use some fresh air.” Rarity levitated Spike onto her back. Flash and Shining barred their progress at the bottom of the stairs. “Sorry, you two,” Flash said. “We’re under orders not to let Spike out of the tower. He’s to remain there until the Princesses deem it safe." “Oh,” Rarity said sadly. Then, an idea crossed her mind. "Why of course, I wouldn't dream of preventing either of you from performing your duties. However, I must inform you that we are favored amongst their majesties and point of fact, we are on our way to see them this very moment. Now, we could stand about talking about this for the rest of the evening or you could possibly escort us to the throne room so we may speak with them." “What?” Spike gasped. “Rarity, you weren’t-” “Tell you what,” Shining interrupted. “I found a loophole. We were told to keep an eye on you. We weren’t told where. I don't see the harm, especially if you want to speak with the Princesses.” “So,” Flash concluded. “We will escort you there. Walk between us, don't fall behind, and don't trot ahead." "Of course sir, lead on." Rarity said. So, Shining Armor and Flash Sentry led Rarity with Spike on her back to the throne room. Rarity negotiated letting Spike out for a while. "Do you think there will be enough time?" she asked Princess Luna. “A little bit of fresh air does lead to a clear mind,” Luna thought. “Very well. I will allow it, but, please stay within the Canterlot city limits. And remember, you have until sunrise. It would be unwise for him to revert to a dragon in public. We do not want to cause a panic.” “Understood,” Rarity nodded. “Thank you, your highness.” "Spike, I want you to take it easy as well," Princess Celestia told him. "You've been changing back and forth for two days and I'm afraid it may have left you a little weak." “It has,” Spike said. “And I have no choice but to take it easy.” “Thank you, princesses,” Rarity said. And with that, she trotted off with Spike on her back. Walking through the streets of Canterlot, Rarity couldn’t help but begin enjoying the feeling of Spike on her back. Spike inhaled and exhaled deeply. Already, the fresh air was doing him a world of good. “Feeling better, dear?” she asked. “Much better,” Spike smiled. “This was a really good idea.” Rarity carried Spike as they went by all the best dress shops showing her the fashions of the city, which included going to Hoity Toity's shop. At that moment, that particular shop was displaying several of Rarity’s dresses in all their glory. Spike couldn't help but smile at Rarity while she was staring at her sparkling dresses lit up in lights. “Wouldn’t it be amazing,” Rarity whispered to herself. “If I had my own shop in another location to showcase my designs?” “Which location?” Spike asked. “Perhaps Manehattan,” she thought. “There is a row of shops called Saddle Row which features all sorts of unique designs.” "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Really Rarity I'm surprised you would allow yourself to be seen in public with such a substandard colt," a familiar voice said. Rarity and Spike looked in between two buildings. From out of the shadows came a white stallion unicorn they knew too well. “Blueblood!” Rarity gasped. “Indeed,” Blueblood said. “I see you’re still associating with that abomination.” “I don’t seem to recall contacting you recently,” Rarity smirked. In a serious tone, she said, “What you call an abomination, I call him one of the most valuable friends I could ever ask for.” “Wait a minute,” Spike said. “How did you–” “Silence, cretin,” Blueblood interrupted. “Real ponies are talking.” Rarity stopped and realized. “Wait a minute… you’re the cause behind Spike’s transformation, aren't you?!” “The monster deserves a slow, painful death,” Blueblood callously said. “It’s nothing but a burden.” “Now, you listen here!” Rarity snapped. “Spike is nothing but a sweetheart! He’s a real gentleman, something that you could never hope to be! In fact, I should have had Spike as my gala date instead of you!” Prince Blueblood smacked Rarity with the back of his hoof, knocking her to the ground. The white unicorn stallion shouted at her over her tears. "Who do you think you are to speak to me in such a manner?! I'm not the same prince I was last year," he growled at her. "I will not be spoken to like that by anypony!" “You’re right,” Rarity said weakly. “You’re not the same as you were before… you’re much… worse…” No sooner had Spike digested the information that Blueblood was responsible than he became filled with a deep and terrible rage. He charged at the pompous prince, who barely had enough time to stop the little colt from headbutting him hard enough to send him back a few hooves. “How dare you call yourself a proper pony?!” Spike snapped. “You would willingly hurt a unicorn mare just because she disagreed with you?!” “What would you know about it?!” Blueblood said as he got up. “You’re nothing but a wretched dragon!” “In my life,” Spike said. “I’ve met one dragon that you would truly qualify as wretched. But, the other dragons I had met have shown my friends and myself more hospitality and grace than you ever will!” “Dragons are nothing but savages,” Blueblood said. “Monsters just like you!” Spike, having seen Applejack applebucking several times, turned around and used that very technique on Prince Blueblood’s chest, sending him back. “If you think I’m a monster,” Spike snapped. “Then, because you acted savagely towards Rarity and myself, that makes you a real monster!” Blueblood was about to get up again when another voice spoke up. “Not this time, you traitor!” Blueblood had barely turned his head when he was struck from the left by a magical blast. Spike, hearing the voice and seeing the magical blast, turned to see who was responsible. It was a very enraged Twilight, accompanied by Shining Armor, Flash Sentry, and the other Guardians of Harmony. “We learned that yer really the cause behind Spike’s werepony condition,” Applejack said angrily. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” Fluttershy said, angrily though still meekly. Twilight, horn pulsing, approached the prince, clearly intent on finishing him. Rarity, who was slowly coming to, saw what was about to happen. She wearily got up and stopped Twilight. “Twilight, please, you must stop this,” Rarity said. “This creep is already beaten. I don't blame you for being furious about what was done to Spike. I am, too. I would wager all of us are. But, this creep does not deserve the satisfaction of dragging you down to becoming a murderer over it.” Rarity’s words got through to Twilight. She slowly took deep breaths to calm down. “You’re right, Rarity,” Twilight said softly. “Killing an already beaten enemy in cold blood, regardless of what they did, is still murder. That would force Princess Celestia to send me to Tartarus, no matter how much she sympathized with me. And this scumbag does not deserve that satisfaction. Even if I kept it down to extremely painful yet survivable attacks, that would still be assault. Though, I will say, I hope there is a very very secure dungeon found or built to hold this piece of garbage for a life sentence. Because, if he was to try something like this again, I would not be so merciful.” “I’ll see to it that Blueblood rots in a cell,” Shining Armor said. “With reinforced escape-proof walls and constant surveillance by competent guards,” Flash added. He then thought about what he said. “Or better yet, a spell on the lock that only you can reverse, Captain.” “I like the way you think, soldier,” Shining Armor smirked. “Now, let’s deal with this prisoner personally.” He cast magical chains around Blueblood. “I think the princesses will be quite interested to hear that idea.” Blueblood, seeing that he had been beaten, reluctantly complied. “We better go with them to make sure Blueblood doesn’t try any funny business,” Rainbow said. “Right,” Rarity said. “And I wouldn’t want to go against the orders that they gave me before I took Spike out.” After the other Guardians went with the escort, Rarity turned her attention to Spike. “Spike,” Rarity said. “I’m terribly sorry for getting you into any trouble. We were supposed to let you take it easy, but, instead, we had that unexpected run-in with Blueblood.” “It’s okay,” Spike said. “I just need to clear my head a bit.” Suddenly, Spike’s stomach gave a slight gurgle. It wasn’t as loud as it would’ve been were he a dragon, but, still loud enough to be heard up to a hoof away. “I take it you’re hungry, dear,” Rarity said. “Yeah,” Spike said sheepishly while putting his hooves over his stomach. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” “Well,” Rarity said with a smile. “I’ll take care of that.” She lowered herself so Spike could climb onto her back. “Get on my back. In your current state, you must conserve your energy.” Spike carefully climbed onto Rarity’s back without hurting her intentionally. Rarity carried Spike several blocks from Hoity Toity's shop to a fairly high class-looking restaurant called The Foin et Herbe. The red brick building had a hedged eating area in front that was backed by plate glass windows. The large windows allowed Spike a clear view of the fancifully dressed ponies inside. Rarity led him into the restaurant and approached the greeter's stand. “Good evening,” Rarity said politely. “Do you happen to have a table for two available?” “Indeed we do, Madam Rarity,” the greeter said in a Prench accent. “It just so happens to be your usual table.” “Much obliged,” Rarity smiled. The greeter led the way. “How often do you eat here?” Spike asked, barely above a whisper. "Every time I'm in Canterlot for a show or a special delivery for a client, I make it a point to stop here. Their food is simply divine," Rarity assured him. “Ah,” Spike nodded. The greeter opened a door for the couple, allowing them entry into Rarity's private dining room. "When you are ready to order, please ring ze service bell and I will attend to you." “Much obliged, Pierre,” Rarity said politely. After they went in, the greeter exited, closing the door behind him. The private booth was, in truth, a small circular room with a table at its center. The walls were a light cream color with a painted ivy border around the top. A red velvet bench, topped with a planter box filled with violets, curved its way around the room with a space in front allowing for the entry and exit of guests and servers. The central table was nothing less than elegant. Two place settings sat atop of the shimmering white silk tablecloth with a silver candelabra at the table's center. Spike and Rarity sat themselves at opposite sides of the table and began to look through their menus. Rarity already knew what she wanted and so did not look long. Instead her attention was drawn to the purple colt sitting across from her. Even though Spike was looking down at the menu, she could still see his eyes. “There are a lot of good options on this menu,” Spike said. “At least I think there are. I can’t really read Prench.” “Perhaps I can help with that,” Rarity offered. “I have learned a bit of Prench growing up as a skill in learning a second language.” “Does that include how to read it?” Spike asked. “Fleur taught me the spoken language, but, I struggled with the written language.” “Why, yes,” Rarity said. “I did learn through books.” “On second thought,” Spike said. “Why don’t you order for both of us? I’ve never eaten here before, so, I don’t know what they serve.” “I understand,” Rarity smiled. “And I shall. In fact, I think I might know of something you might enjoy.” Rarity reached behind her and pressed a button on the wall. In a quick moment, Pierre arrived in the booth. “How may I help you both?” Pierre asked politely. "Yes," Rarity said, hoofing the menus to him. "We would both like the Herbe de blé et salade de fromage." “Excellent choice, mademoiselle,” Pierre smiled, levitating a notepad and pen writing down their order. “Would you like anything else?” “We’ll let you know in due time,” Rarity said. “Very well,” Pierre smiled. “Both of your Herbe de blé et salade de fromage’s will be momentarily.” And with that, he went back to the kitchen. “Wheatgrass and cheese salad,” Spike said. “Good call, Rarity.” “It’s a personal favorite of mine,” Rarity said. “You’ve been around ponies long enough to have a taste for their cuisine, right?” “Yeah,” Spike said. “Even without eating gemstones or rock candy, I can still enjoy hay, grass, and flowers. There’s nutrients in them that I can digest. Though, I’m one to admit it did take a while to get used to the taste.” “I understand living around ponies has made you reluctant to consume meat,” Rarity said. “It has,” Spike said. “I wouldn’t want any pony to think I would be tempted to eat them.” Rarity gently patted his head. “Twilight and her family did raise you well to be considerate of others, but, I think they and other ponies will understand that while you are capable of eating meat, you’re not one to devour anything that’s still alive.” “I’m still reluctant,” Spike said. “You don’t have to force yourself into it,” Rarity reassured. “If you decide you want to give it a try in your own time, that’s good. But, if you decide you don’t want to and you would prefer to stick to your usual diet, that’s alright as well.” Soon, the food arrived. “Bon appetit,” Pierre said politely. Spike took an experimental bite from his salad. He closed his eyes to savor the flavors of the dish. He soon found himself smiling, enjoying the taste. It wasn’t long before they both finished. “You were right, Rarity,” Spike smiled after wiping his mouth clean. “The food here is delicious. Or, I should say, la nourriture est délicieuse.” Rarity giggled. “Why don’t we go around Canterlot?” “But,” Spike said. “What about the warning? Shouldn’t we be getting back?” “I meant, go on a tour of the city,” Rarity said. “The night is young.” “Well,” Spike considered. “Alright.” They continued walking around. They walked past the many shops, some shuttering their windows for the night. Passing by a fountain park, they stopped for a moment and watched the foals prancing around in the water. Rarity watched one little filly chasing a colt around with a lovesick face. The colt was doing his best to get away. “One can only wonder how those two will act when they grow older,” Rarity observed. Spike watched the two younger ponies. “Will the colt reciprocate the filly’s affections?” he wondered. “Or will the filly decide to stop chasing him and find somepony else?” They continued walking through the city. At this hour, most of the stores and shops had closed but on the air Spike could hear the faint sound of music. Smiling, he led Rarity towards the sounds of ponies singing. As they entered one of Canterlot's many plazas, Spike led Rarity off to the side. "Is there a celebration today, Spike?" Rarity inquired. "Not really,” Spike said. “This sort of thing happens all the time. In one part of the city or another, ponies have a reason to celebrate. Dances and parties are pretty common. The best thing is that anyone is welcome to join." Spike smiled at Rarity and offered his hoof to her. "May I have this dance, Lady Rarity?" Rarity blushed and smiled back. “You may,” Rarity answered. The crowd parted as the two made their way to the dance floor. Spike danced a bit clumsily, as he was still getting used to his hooves. Rarity held Spike close to her, making sure he didn't completely fall. “It feels like I have two left feet like this,” Spike said. “You do,” Rarity said. “And two right ones.” “I, uh, mean in the fact that I’m still a little clumsy,” Spike said. “But, I do get your point.” The two ponies danced for hours as close as possible to each other, never once looking anywhere but the other's eyes. Spike's head started to droop, the activity starting to wear on him. “Perhaps we should take a breather,” Rarity said, noticing this. She then spotted a photo booth. “Why don’t we cap off the night with a souvenir?” Spike nodded in agreement. So, Rarity paid for a reel of photos in the photo booth. First, she had him sitting in her lap with her forehooves around him and her chin resting on top of his head with both smiling at the camera. Next, they made funny faces. Finally, Rarity kissed Spike’s face cheek, with the latter looking surprised. The blush on his face was evident of this. After the pictures were taken, Rarity levitated the film reel. “That was a lot of fun,” Spike said, the blush on his face still present. They made their way to a secluded spot away from everypony. They looked at the moon. “This is certainly a night I shall never forget,” Rarity said. “I’m glad I asked to take you out of the castle.” “Rarity,” Spike said. “I made my decision.” “Yes?” Rarity said. “I don’t want to continue going through the pain of turning into a pony and back for the rest of my life,” Spike said. “And cutting my lifespan short will hurt the ones I love. I can’t put my friends and family through that. So, I’m going to return to being a dragon.” “I’m glad you came to that decision,” Rarity smiled. “You may look cute as a pony, but, I made friends with a sweet, adorable, and helpful dragon and I want to keep it that way. You’ve been through enough pain in your life already. If I can help it, I won’t let you suffer any more.” She kissed his forehead. “Thanks, Rarity,” Spike smiled. “I knew you’d understand.” He yawned. “We better get you back and into bed,” Rarity said as she gently allowed him onto her back. Unknown to them, Luna was watching from above. “So his decision is as I thought,” she said to herself. She flew off. Rarity returned to the palace with Spike asleep on her back. She made her way back to the room that Twilight and Spike used to share. The princesses, Shining Armor, Flash, and the other guardians were waiting. “Well done, Rarity,” Princess Celestia said softly. “You kept my promise and made sure Spike was back before sunrise.” “I’ve been thinking about that,” Rainbow said. “Don’t you control when the sun comes up?” “Yes,” Celestia answered. “But, delaying it is a very large strain as it goes against the natural order.” “Hmm,” Rainbow considered. “Good point.” “Has Spike made his decision?” Luna asked, pretending she didn’t know. “He has,” Rarity answered. “He decided he wants to stay as a dragon.” "Very well. Follow us and we'll get ready," Luna said as all present followed her and Celestia to a special room below the main entrance of the palace. Along the way, the others were mobbing Rarity. “Is your cheek doing okay?” Fluttershy asked. “Indeed,” Rarity answered. “Were you guys able to get some food?” Pinkie asked. “Yes,” Rarity replied. “What else did you do while you were out?” Twilight asked. “I’ll explain later,” Rarity said. “N’ Spike’s okay?” Applejack asked. “He will be soon, hopefully,” Rarity said. Entering the room, the first thing they noticed was how immense it was. Above them in the ceiling, a large panel was sliding open allowing a single shaft of the early morning sunlight into the room. Most of the stone chamber was too dark to make out clearly, but, on the floor was carved an ornate, six-pointed compass star, the column of light illuminating its center. “Oh, my~” Fluttershy gasped softly, taking in the grand scope of the room. “This was the room where Starswirl the Bearded and five other sorcerers would come to raise the sun,” Celestia said. “It was also in this room that I discovered I had the ability to raise the sun without draining my magic. I have my older cousin, Sterling, to thank for that.” “And it’s here where Spike will be cured of his werepony curse?” Twilight asked. Celestia nodded as Spike stirred. “Ready to do this?” Rarity asked softly. Spike gulped, but, nodded. “Alright, your highness,” Twilight said. “Walk us through the process please.” “First,” Celestia said. “Spike must go to the center of the star.” Rarity gently placed Spike on the center of the star. As soon as the light touched him, he collapsed to the ground unconscious. The others winced as Spike transformed back into a dragon once more. “If it’s that painful to watch,” Rainbow said. “I can’t even imagine the pain that Spike is feeling by actually transforming.” “Rarity,” Luna said. “Take your place at the northern point of the diagram.” Rarity took her place without hesitation. Twilight took the southern point with Shining Armor taking the southwestern point and Luna the southeastern. Celestia and Cadance respectively took the northwestern and northeastern points. “What next, your highness?” Rarity asked. “Once he’s fully in his dragon form,” Luna said. “We must seal him into it.” “Yes, Princess,” Rarity nodded. The three unicorns and three alicorns concentrated as hard as they could, focused on the goal of sealing Spike in the form of a dragon. The horns of the spellcasters began to glow as magical energy was forced through them. The five ponies in the background could only stand there and helplessly watch as a blinding light enveloped their dragon friend. Spike's body slowly rose into the air, buoyed by the magic enveloping him. The unicorns and the Princesses stood there casting the spell for what seemed like hours. "Princess Luna, is it supposed to take this long?" Twilight asked. "No, it should have only taken moments. Something has gone wrong," She said, continuing to pour energy into the spell. All of them were straining under the exertion of keeping it going for so long. Celestia and Luna were actually sweating from the effort. "Give me a moment." Luna reached out with her mind and examined the magic's effect on the drake and gasped at what she found. “What?” Rarity asked. “What’s wrong?” "Something has changed in Spike's makeup,” Luna said. “Something that is pushing against our efforts. We need more energy to push back and finalize the sealing.” "Twilight, if you're holding anything back, you need to let it out!" Celestia said. "I'm giving it all I've got. There's nothing left!" She said. "If we stop now, Spike will die! Somehow we have to finish this!" Luna shouted. “How?!” Cadance asked. Rarity dared to open her eyes and saw her Spike floating there in the air. His face was no longer twisted in pain, but, looked soft and contented. She looked at the strip of pictures she held under her hoof. I can't fail him, she thought to herself. Somehow, someway I have to make this work. Rarity! said a voice in Rarity’s head. One she recognized as Spike’s. I’m here, Spike, I’m here, she internally replied. It’s dark here, I’m scared, he said in her mind. Slowly, his voice began to fade away. I don’t know where I’m going, but, I don’t want to go alone! Faced with the fear of losing Spike forever, Rarity dug deep into her magic reserves as her horn began to glow brighter. You’re not going anywhere, Rarity internally replied. You’re staying right here with all of us and I’m going to make sure it stays that way! Carefully, using all of her strength, she focused the power and let it out through her horn. The room exploded in a dazzling display of light cornflower blue-tinted light. Rarity opened her eyes in time to see Spike falling. She rushed forward just in time to catch the drake before he struck the floor. “Oh, Spike!” Rarity said, tears welling in her eyes. “I shouldn’t have held back as I did. I hesitated because I remembered the time we spent together last night. But, I could never forgive myself if I had been the reason you slipped away from us.” “The sealing is complete,” Luna said, out of breath. Rarity could feel Spike’s warm breath. He was inhaling and exhaling deeply. He was very much alive, but, he was tired. The alabaster unicorn allowed him to rest in her embrace. When Spike woke up, he found himself back in the Golden Oak Library in the guest bed, Rarity asleep beside him. He looked down to see he was a dragon again. “Am I… cured,” Spike asked himself softly so as not to disturb Rarity’s sleep. Twilight entered the room with Spike’s favorite breakfast: emerald pancakes topped with melted amber syrup. “Hi, Spike,” Twilight softly said with a smile. “You look well rested. Hardly surprising since you slept for three days.” “Three days?!” Spike softly gasped. He looked over himself and then back at his pony mom. “I didn’t transform at all during that time, did I?” Twilight shook her head. “Not even once. Rarity refused to leave your side until you woke up unless it was to eat or use the bathroom.” “Wow,” Spike smiled. “I’m really me again!” He closed his mouth, realizing he shouted. In a whisper, he said. “I really have to thank everypony who helped me.” “Rarity was the one who put in the final push to complete the sealing,” Twilight said. “It was so strange,” Spike said. “I feel like I could talk to her in my dreams. But, I couldn’t have, could I?” Rarity began to stir. “Good morning, Rarity,” Twilights said casually. Rarity saw Spike awake again. “Good morning, Twilight,” Rarity said. “And a very good morning to you too, Spike.” Rarity gently hugged the drake. “Have you slept well?” “Very well, thank you,” Spike smiled. Satisfied with the answer, Rarity began rubbing her muzzle against his left cheek, tickling the drake with the combination of her fur and warm breath. Once the two enjoyed some cuddle time, Spike started to enjoy his breakfast. The end.