The food delivery arrived very promptly, speeds at which Rainbow Dash would be proud of. Twilight made a mental note to go and apologise to the fast food venue the next day for making them go out of their way. But this was a royal emergency as far as she was concerned - her brother/son/royal assistant needed help.

Besides, having saved Equestria and the Crystal Empire multiple times should come with a few perks and this burger order could easily classify as one!

Twilights crystal castle was much bigger than their old home, but everypony had chipped in to make it as homey as possible. Much like before the downstairs areas were open to the public - a new library, the room of thrones etc. The higher areas were reserved for Twilight and her friends, and the top area just for Twilight and Spike. This included a personal library of Twilights rarest tomes, a personal library of Spikes mint condition comics and all the rooms a small family need: A kitchen, a reading room and a dining room.

Whilst Twilight and Spike normally ate in the dining room, the daily time together helping keep structure to the young dragons life, due to his mood she allowed them to eat sat on the soft couches of the reading room. The delicious meal was eaten in silence, although Twilight had thought ahead and had placed some music on to help. The lack of conversation was a little worrying but Twilight was glad at least Spike had stopped crying. Of course he still looked sad, so as they got to the bottom of their respective drinks, Twilight decided it was time to have the conversation Spike had been putting off. Turning down the music a little, she turned to her dragon.

“That hit the spot, didn’t it Spike?”

“Uh-huh” he replied barely in the positive, as his empty cup made a slurping sound.

Twilight put down her own drink “So...want to talk about what happened today?”

“Not really…but that was just a rhetorical question wasn't it?”

“Uh-huh!” Twilight smiled back with a nod, trying to break the hard outer shell she knew her dragon could have.

Spike welled up and burst into tears “I...I shouted at Rarity.”

Such a simple answer was one Twilight was not expecting, although she had highly suspected it may have had something to do with her purple maned friend. She rushed over Spike, pushing away the empty food cartons with a wing as she dragged him into a comforting hug.

After giving him a few minutes to calm down a little, Twilight asked what had happened to cause that. After a little coxing, Spike proceeded to tell the tale of the events of that day, from working hard all day without break up until the bombshell at the end and the subsequent argument. Twilight listened in silence, gently stroking his soft spines to help calm and console the baby dragon. As Spike finished, Twilight sat there in silence for a few moments as she organised her thoughts.

She had learnt a lot about friendship after moving from Canterlot - it is what gave her her wings and the castle they were sat in. But as a Princess looked up to by scores of ponies, and a mother-figure to a young child, she had also learnt other lessons. Whilst she had only heard one side of the story, there was nothing about what Spike had said that would have made her think that there was anything misleading about what had been said.

Twilight gave Spike a squeeze as she spoke “I know I’m friends with Rarity, but I have to say I think you were right to say what you did.”

“You do?” Spike turned around in the embrace to see the look of concern on the pony’s face.

“Yes Spike, and I’m not just saying that. I think Rarity was out of line on this one. Very out of line in fact!” Twilight's voice raised slightly and her wings semi flared in anger.

Spike let out a gasp at Twilights actions, having rarely seen anypony get Twilight so worked up before “Twilight, no need to get so angry!”

Twilight looked a little sheepishly towards the dragon “Sorry, but you're too important to me not to get caught up. I have studied friendship for many years and in this case Rarity clearly hasn't thought about her friendship with you. I’m not angry with her...just disappointed.” Twilight sighed at the end.

“Well, it’s not that bad. I mean I probably would have helped out anyway…” Spike sort of trailed off, the complicated relationship he had with Rarity playing over in his mind, causing a few tears to reappear.

“Of course, I expect you would Spike!” Twilight nuzzled him again “You are far too kind and generous to everypony, especially Rarity. But expecting you to help out, without telling you why? That was a very cruel thing to do, even if it was done accidently.”

Spike sighed, a few more tears falling from around his eyes, and hos head dropped a little. Twilight pulled Spikes face up so she could speak directly to him “Spike, she should have thought about your feelings. You two have a complicated, er, friendship, but I think you should have a strong think about it before deciding your next steps.”

“Next steps? What do you mean? Surely there’s nothing more important than friendship?”

“Spike, I may be the Princess of Friendship, but I’m also your, well…” Twilight’s front hoof circled in the air for a moment as she searched for the word. Instead she lit her horn and floated over a picture that was nearby. It had been sent over by her parents after her photos had been destroyed along with Golden Oaks. It was a picture of one of the first hearth warmings after Spike had been hatched and one of the only photos of the family and Spike together before Shining had left to join the Royal Guards. “...family."

Twilight let that sink into Spike for a moment before continuing "Friendship is important, but I think you need to really decide what's best for you. Despite what Pinkie Pie may say and do, you don’t have to be best friends with everypony you meet." Twilight thought carefully about the next words "Perhaps you need to decide what sort of friendship you and Rarity need to have...if you have one at all”

Spike gasped at the very notion and went to respond, but the look on Twilights face made him pause for a few moments. A mixture of sadness and anger started welling up inside him, combined with the feelings of love, friendship and regret. Twilight just kept in contact with her dragon charge, offering the comforting warmth of her touch as he thought things through.

“You and Rarity are very close, something that had brought both of you a lot of joy and has been mutually beneficial up to now. But…” Twilight paused to make sure she worded this right “...there can be times when friends need to evaluate how close they should really be.”

Spike wiped his face and gently pushed himself away from the pony, trying to gain a bit of composure “You’re right Twilight...as always. I may love Rarity, and I accept she will never love me back. Maybe we... maybe we just can’t be friends anymore?”

Twilights heart fluttered a bit at the thought “I think you really need to think this through. Not to persuade you at all, but I believe you should be friends. Not only do we all spend so much time together, there is much enjoyment you bring to each others lives. But perhaps you need a bit of space from each other and not be as close as you are now. There are many different types of friendship, and its perhaps time to decide what your’s and Rarity’s needs to be in the long term?"

Spike started sniffing again as thoughts of purple mane and white fur entered his mind. Twilight gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder "Don’t let me push you, but I’m here if you want to talk.”

Spike gave Twilight a hug and got off the couch “Thanks Twilight. If its okay I'll just go and lie down to think about all of this" Twilight naturally agreed and reminded him that she was there for him if he wanted to talk. With a slight sigh, Spike walked out of the room and up to the bedroom. Twilight watched with a pain in her heart as he left My brave little baby...I hope he make the right choice for him. Your first love is always the hardest to get over…or so I’ve been told! and her mind wandered back to a blue haired human she met through the mirror that she had majorly crushed on.

Rarity woke up at her usual time and almost couldn't be bothered to get out of bed. Sweetie Belle may have been staying with her parents this weekend, but even so she still had chores to do and she couldn't afford to wallow in pity all day. The unicorn pulled herself out of bed and slowly moped her way towards her lavish bathroom.

The previous days events weighed heavily on her mind as she stepped into the shower, and even the cleansing water failed to make her feel better. The half-hour or so it took to do her hair and makeup was a depressing affair, and her spirits had not improved as she went downstairs for breakfast.

As she was eating her bowl of oats (plain, good for the diet she was always on) she contemplated what to do today. She wasn't in the mood for socialing with friends and so instead could stay indoors to start on her next order. But she was out of gems and needed to go out and collect some to finish up the next order she had.

Just as she was thinking about what time to go out, she heard a knocking at the door. With the closed sign up and the courier company not due to the next day, she opened the door expecting one of her friends. Instead, she wasn't sure what she found.

“Spike?” she exclaimed in a little surprise at seeing him so soon “What are you doing here?”

Author's Note

I know people don't like too much Twi-mum, but given how the show seems to be changing is making it more appropriate. I feel the opening scene (this one) in Power Ponies (Season 4, so newer, so more canon to this story than the "You're not mommy" from WRU) shows a very parent/child relationship . As does the way she "dances" with him when she hears cadence is coming in Threes a crowd.

Either way, thats the last we hear of Twilight for a while