“A pony that breathes fire, Twilight! I thought only dragons can do that!”
“Oh Spike, you know that's just smoke and mirrors,” Twilight Sparkle revealed, much to the young dragon's dismay.
“You really know how to ruin a good thing,” Spike furrowed his brows and as he dropped the 'Flame Lungs Extraordinaire!' poster to the ground. “I still think it would be a fun show to watch.”
Twilight grasped the poster with her telekinesis, laying it on a nearby table, “I'm sorry Spike, but Manehattan is simply too far away. We can't just up and take a week's vacation, we have duties here. Besides, you've been asking me for the past week. You already knew what the answer would be.”
Spike sighed in defeat, and moved along with his day's chores. Summer was just beginning with the school year ending in unison. This left the librarian with much less to do as students of all grades no longer needed to borrow books, save for a few summer reading material. Even though Twilight's library is the most well-stocked, there have always been other local bookstores available for the studious and literature aficionados.
“She can't be that busy. We haven't been on vacation in forever,” the dragon whispered to himself. A faint flipping of pages in the distance. Twilight studying again I bet, Spike figured, she just makes things busy for herself. Spike chuckled at the thought of Ponyville's inhabitants pining for an ever familiar doll. What happened to that doll, anyway?
The door barged open behind Spike, “What, huh? What's going on?”
Twilight closed her eyes in annoyance, “Spike, I thought I told you to buy ink yesterday,” an urgent tapping of a hoof drilled into Spike's mind.
“Oh, uh, yeah! I'll go buy some right now!” He rushed towards the entrance before Twilight could berate him. He pulled open the door and slammed into a familiar coat, “Sorry about that. Oh wait, Rarity? I'm really, really sorry!”
Rarity found Spike's doting to be very adorable, “Spike, I'm fine dearie. I'm classy, not glassy.”
A slight blush and smiled formed itself on the dragon's face. He noticed a few more familiar faces standing aside his first crush, “What's everyone doing here so early?”
Fluttershy popped her head over from behind her friends, “We're just visiting. Well actually, we wanted to talk to Twilight about-”
“Spike! Are you getting the ink or not?” An annoyed purple unicorn pressed as she walked onto the main floor of the library.
His eyes darted in every direction possible, “I- I gotta go!” He slipped through the small group of ponies and headed for Ink & Quills.
“Twilight, dear, you push him too hard sometimes,” Rarity worried as she watched Spike run off.
Twilight scoffed, “ Oh please. You used him as a pincushion!” The other elements giggled.
“He has tough scales! Besides, he did it to himself. Hmph.”
An all too common blue blur makes her way through the entrance with friends in tow, “Spike's a hard worker I think we all get it. But take a look at this!” Rainbow Dash tossed a Wonderbolts poster to Twilight.
Slowly getting acquainted with the theme of posters, Twilight simply shrugged, “What of it?”
“This week only! The whole entire team in a single performance! This like, almost never happens!” Rainbow's love for the costume clad ponies knew no bounds. Twilight just looked on with a confused expression. “Ugh, this week only. In Manehattan. Summer time? Hello, Twilight?”
“Rainbow, please calm down. Here, Twilight, take a look at this,” Rarity levitated a pamphlet for Manehattan's premiere spa and massage parlor, “I hear this place is simply divine. Fluttershy and I have been dying to give it a try, haven't we?”
Startled by the suddenly being included into the conversation, “Oh! Yes. I hear it's really nice. But I still enjoy Aloe and Lotus' spa, of course!”
“Ah've got some folks I wan' ta visit over there,” Applejack looked upward with thoughts elsewhere, “Haven't seen my aunt and uncle in a long while, I tell ya.”
Pinkie Pie bounced around, unable to contain her plans for the trip, “Don't forget! Big cities mean big parties! I bet I can teach those city ponies a thing or two and getting down, Pinkie style!”
“Okay girls, I get it. You guys want to go on vacation in Manehattan,” Twilight sighed, “ But I'll have to tell you what I told Spike earlier. I'm too busy to take a vacation. You girls can still enjoy yourself though., don't let me hold you back.” Her friends looked on with frowns. Rainbow was the first to cock an eyebrow.
“Wait, wait, wait. Busy? With what? Not that many ponies borrow books around here. Celestia knows I don't,” Rainbow pensively eyed the protege.
The party pony stepped forward, “Yeah Twilight, what gives?” Pinkie's head tilted with a inquisitive pose.
“Well, for one, I'm not only a librarian,” agitation lingered in her voice as she eyed Rainbow Dash, “I have to keep up with my studies. I am Celestia's personal student and I cannot let her down. There are many other unicorns who dream to be in my position!” The other five simply laughed, Twilight none too amused by the reactions. “What's so funny?”
“Ahaha, I take it back. You don't push Spike too hard. You push yourself too hard!” Rarity raised a hoof to cover her smirk.
“Yeah, one of these days you're gonna just explode or something,” Rainbow stretched her front hooves as far apart as possible, “it'll be bigger than my sonic rainboom! Heh, well, probably not.”
Pinkie sprung forward with a particular memory in mind, “Remember that super-duper-long speech Twilight made for AJ? The pile of cards thicker than cookie dough! Or maybe brownies. Cupcakes?”
“Or how about the time she made everypony fall in love with her toy doll a' hers?” Not one for picking fun, the farmer couldn't help but join the charades.
Rainbow reared for the equivalent of a verbal pile on, “That's nothing! I remember when she-” a purple hoof muffled the speedster's shot at the conversational spotlight.
“I suppose you're all correct. I can use a nice vacation. The princess wouldn't mind,” a sudden realization hit Twilight, “Manehattan has one of the largest libraries specifically for magic users! They even have some volumes not available in Canterlot. The princess would practically beg me to go on 'vacation'.”
Rarity grimaced at the pony's inability to relax, “That's certainly a... nice idea. We always have room
for one more at the spa if you get tired of those books.”
__________
“I can't believe they only had one bottle of black in left! I hope Twilight doesn't mind blue letters for a month,” Spike hurried home with a bag of rattling ink bottles in tow. The town clock struck twelve o' clock with nearby ponies already gathering around various restaurants. Lunch time, Spike's mouth watered, can't wait to eat hay fries and a side of amethysts. The small assistant picked up the pace as his home came into view, the front door still slightly ajar. As he neared the door he caught a bit of the conversation; the subject matter caught his attention. He slowed to a stop and stayed out of sight, allowing himself to eavesdrop for a moment.
“So it's settled. Ya'll pack yer bags by noon tomorrow and we'll be off to Manehattan for two weeks of good times,” Applejack's voice was shrill with eagerness. Two weeks off from applebucking would give her the rest she needed, even if Big Mac was expecting some favors once she gets back.
Twilight quickly interjected, “Ah, but remember not to tell Spike.”
“You know we'd never break a Pinkie Promise, silly filly!” Pinkied assured her with a bright smile.
Spike found himself confused at first. Unsure why this trip was being kept a secret from him. He practically begged to go to Manehattan. He pondered for a moment, and remembered a recent event that he regretted digging up. His heart stopped, the anchor of a memory holding him place.
She's leaving him behind again, his eyes locked on the grass beneath him, just like her birthday party in Canterlot.
Rumbling and growling emerged from the dragon's body. Spike quickly opened the door before they could think he was listening in, “Hey everyone. I got the ink you wanted, Twi.”
“Well, we'll be off, Twilight. See you tomorrow. Ta-ta, Spike,” Rarity and the rest of the gang waved their goodbyes and exited in their own unique ways. Flying, bouncing, and fancy walking; always a spectacle.
The bag of rattling ink bottles settled on the floor and opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came of it. His head dropped as a few tears rolled down his cheeks, “I'm just really hungry,” he couldn't stand to confront her about it. If leaving me behind makes her happy, Spike fought the tears, then it's alright.
Oblivious to his eavesdropping, “Spike, don't be such a baby. Wipe those tears, I'll make some food,” Twilight trotted towards the kitchen, blissfully unaware of the the dragon's predicament.
__________
If one were to look towards the library from a distance, they would see a silhouette of a sitting dragon with his hands wrapped around his knees. The orange glow of the sunset presented itself to his eyes, offering what little comfort it could provide. He continued to mull over the thought of being left in Ponyville. Twilight's birthday party wasn't an unreasonable situation, Spike rationalized, it was a spontaneous act to bring the party to Rarity; who was stuck in Canterlot due to her 'sick' cat. He stayed behind to keep an eye on the library; he thought of it as another gift to Twilight for her birthday. Though, as well as he tried to handle the situation, it hadn't done much to make him feel any better.
“Twilight's birthdays use to be just me, her parents, and Celestia. We all had fun,” Spike's anger began to seep, “Ever since we came to Ponyville she just treated me more like an assistant and less like... family. I guess with all her new friends she doesn't need me to keep her company. Heck, I can't even be her one true assistant anyway. Dumb owl.”
Blue hues swept the sky, engulfing the orange tint. Twilight, in the literal sense of the word. A clash between day and night with a victor already set in stone. The turmoil within the dragon continued which did not have a clear outcome, but had a set time when it would all be revealed.
“Would it even be worth asking Twilight directly? It was meant to be a secret, she wanted to leave without me knowing, ” Spike made his way back into the house, “She'd be mad if she found out I was eavesdropping. Then she'd go off to Manehattan, angry at me. If I stay quiet, then at least it'll only be me that's unhappy.”
A musty wood scent permeated the air, giving Spike a feeling of familiarity. But of course, where else to feel familiar, than at home? He was reminded of the fact that nearly all of Ponyville still considered him a baby, when in fact he was very near in age of Applebloom and her friends. He was young when compared to equines and he grew up right beside them. It was only fair, he realized, that he shouldn't be treated as a baby. He didn't live in a draconian culture where someone his age would still be an infant. This was his chance to prove to at least Twilight that something like this secretive vacation wouldn't sway the dragon aside.
Spike has been entrusted to watch over the library before, Canterlot birthdays aside. Two weeks would be the longest he has been alone. He mentally steeled himself for the upcoming situation, as would any true dragon. His initial worry about being completely alone quickly subsided as he remembered the Cuties Mark Crusaders, along with Big Macintosh. Always ready to help or at least keep him company while his closest figure of a mother is away.
Soft clopping of hooves echoed through the home's halls, the owner coming into view of the dragon. Twilight carried a saddlebag whilst reviewing a checklist. She held a small smile has she marked off each item on her list.
“Sun hat: check!” Twilight's obsession for organization teetered on the boundary of being unhealthy. However she kept her hobbies in check, as she did her magical prowess.
Spike asked knowing full well what the unicorn was planning, “Hey Twi, what are you packing for?”
“Oh, having a picnic tomorrow with the girls,” Twilight wore a halfhearted grin. She fidgeted a bit in an attempt to keep her composure.
“Sounds like a lot of fun,” Spike feigned a yawn and headed towards his bedroom. Pained by Twilight's outright lie, he kept it hidden away. Twilight has never outright lied to him and that record would've stayed intact if only for a little longer had he not approached her.
The unicorn sighed, “Close one,” she took another look at her checklist, “Ah, scrolls! Almost forgot. The princess will definitely want reports on this trip.”
__________
Spiked settled into his small basket bed beside Twilight's. He felt physically drained, more so than usual. The warmth of the bed enticed him to sleep. Eye's blissfully shut and his mind clear of sorrow for the night, he slowly let his conscience slip away. The wood floor creaked ever so slightly.
His mind returned to a state of full awareness, although he maintained his sleeping posture.
The bed room door swayed open with the hinges giving a slight creak. A pony stepped as lightly as her hooves allowed, not wanting to wake the young dragon. She reached in her bag for a sealed scroll and layed it down next to Spike's bed.
“I'm so sorry, Spike,” Twilight kneeled and nuzzled the dragon's cheek. She crept her way out of the room, door slowly shutting with a click confirming she was gone.
“Sorry?” He threw his sheets off did a quick scan of the room. He was alone with a scroll resting near him. He lit a candle and held it close.
He broke the scroll's seal and let it unravel.
Dear Spike,
I'm sorry that I didn't tell you this ahead of time, but I didn't want you to panic. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna has summoned me to the castle for advanced training. I cannot bring you along because my training strictly requires me to be in contact with only the Princesses. Please understand. I asked Fluttershy to take care of you while I'm gone. I'll be back in two months, maybe then I'll be able to take you to the Flame Lungs Extraordinaire show!
Love,
Twilight Sparkle
“But it doesn't make any sense. She was going to Manehattan for vacation. They were all going,” he dropped the letter and gazed at the door, “Twlight! Wait!” He ran out of the bedroom and headed down the stairs onto the main floor with the utmost urgency, only to be greeted by a yellow-coated pegasus.
“Hello, Spike,” Fluttershy immediately noticed the state of shock the dragon was in. She gave spike a hug, “Spike, it's alright. Twilight will be back before you know it.”
He shoved Fluttershy away, “No, no it's not alright! She was just suppose to go on vacation for two weeks. With you and the rest of the gang!” Spiked panicked, unsure of what to do if there is anything that he can do at all.
Fluttershy was stumped, “What vacation?”
“I-I overheard everyone talking about going to Manehattan when I came back from the ink store.”
“I don't know what you're talking about. Spike, are you alright?”
Fluttershy wasn't the element of honesty, but even Spike knew it would be out of her element to blatantly lie. His breathing hitched, “Applejack said to have your bags packed by tomorrow, because everyone was leaving and then Twilight said not to tell me about it. Pinkie Promise.”
“Oh Spike, we were talking about her moving back to Canterlot for awhile. We're not going on vacation,” the pegasus' warm smile drove needles into the dragon's heart, “She didn't want to let you know until she left because she was worried you would try to keep her here.”
None of it added up. Spike was at a loss with no hope of figuring out what happened. He confided in Fluttershy's coat, soaking her fur with tears, “Where is she? Where's my mommy?”
“Shh, she'll be back,” Fluttershy embraced him in the hopes he would calm down. His sobbing remained the same.
__________
Spike awoke with his pillow damp and his heart aching. He was in bed. He felt a breathing on the top of his head. He turned to the source, “Twilight!” He hugged her by the nape of her neck, catching her by surprise.
“Spike, I was so worried, you looked like you were having a terrible nightmare,” Twilight carried him into her bed, “Here, sleep with me tonight.”
His happiness transformed into a bittersweet feeling. She'll still be leaving tomorrow, he thought, but she'll only be gone for two weeks. They cuddled each other, they loved each other. Spike cherished every moment of it.
“Twilight?”
“Yes, Spike?”
“You won't leave me, will you?” Spike bit his tongue, afraid of the obvious answer. He was tied to the rails and faced the oncoming train.
“Of course not,” Twilight stated in a matter-of-fact tone. She felt a warm sensation on her chest.
The young dragon teared up, “You're lying.”
Twilight sat up, “Huh? I'm not-”
“I heard you guys talking! You told them not to tell me about the trip, Twi!” He looked directly into her eyes, blinking rapidly to clear his vision, “You made them Pinkie Promise!”
It was Twilight's turn to bite her tongue, “Spike, I'm telling the truth. I won't leave you,” she sighed, “I wanted to surprise you tomorrow, but I didn't expect to make you worry like this.”
Spike was caught off guard, “Surprise me?”
Twilight levitated a pair of tickets out of her saddlebag, “Two tickets to the 'Flame Lungs Extraordinaire' show: check.”
Spike smiled from ear to ear with his eyes wide open. He was absolutely ecstatic. He lunged towards his caretaker, “Thank you so much! I really thought you were going leave me.”
Twilight patted him on his back, “Spike, if you knew about the trip the whole time why didn't you ask me earlier?
“I thought you didn't want me to come along. Since it was supposed to be a secret I didn't want to ask you. I thought it would ruin the whole vacation for you. Sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“I eavesdropped on you guys. And, well, I asked you about the trip. What if you really did want to go without me? I'd be acting really selfish right now.”
Twilight was overwhelmed by her lifelong friend's selflessness. She layed back down, laying the tickets on a nearby desk, “You're so sweet,” her eyes welled as she held the dragon close.
They both fell into a happy slumber in each other's embrace.
__________
“Ooh! Aah!”
A stream of fire streamed above the crowd of ponies, lighting up the night sky in the city. The bustling crowd was stunned by the pyrotechnic display. A dragon and unicorn looked on, unamused. When inspected in closer detail, the famous Flame Lungs was simply spitting spray a flammable substance from his mouth as he ignited it with a spark from his horn.
“You were right, Twi, it is smoke and mirrors.”
“Does this remind you of a certain showpony, hmm?”
Spike giggled, “Even Trixie was better than this!”
“Spike.”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Twilight.”
