Ring! Ring! Ring!
The alarm clock blared in the entire room. Beside it, a colt in bed is struggling to get up. He reached out with his hoof to turn off but missed a few times since he is groggy from the noise. When he finally press the "off" button, he got off from his bed and went to the bathroom to get himself clean up. He turned on the bathroom sink and splash himself some water to snap himself out of this tired state.
He looked up into the mirror to see his reflection of himself to see his pale colored fur on his body and black hair and tail is a mess from moving around in his sleep. His brown colored eyes his is a bit blood shot from his sudden awaking. The colt clicked his tongue seeing his messy self and decided to shower before going out. He went into the shower and started the water.
With the water pouring on him, he is thinking of meeting up with a good friend to see what has been going on with him. He has been working hard for the pass couple of weeks and hasn't talk to him much ever since. His friend was a little dragon who is an assistant for one of the princesses of Equestria. The colt knows that helping out the princess is an important job but even now and then you need a break from all the hard work. The colt was the one suggested that he and his friend should hang out by eating out for lunch. He hesitated a little at first but then agree to the idea.
The colt finished showering himself and shake himself to dry off. Then with him done brushing his hair, tail and teeth, he sets off ready to see his friend while wondering how he is. He put his black hood over him and got his little bag of coins for the day and strapped around his side. He went outside of his house and locked the door with the key he hides under the mailbox next to the door. After that, he started to walk towards the big tree castle in the center of town.
As the colt, going through town, many colorful colts and mares gives a cheerful greetings towards you. The colt greet back happily back towards them. In his mind he thinks about where he comes from that not many people will even look at each other because they are busy with their own lives. He wishes it was like that back at his old home. As he is a little lost in thought, he steps in front of the door of the big tree castle.
The colt knock on the door and waited for an answer. For a while no response. He knocked again and waited. Nothing. He got a little impatient and knocked harder. As he thinks that he might not be home, the door open up. In front of the colt was a small little purple dragon with green spikes holding the door. The dragon rubbed his eyes and looked up to the colt.
"Oh! Hey, Cross. How's it going?" the dragon asked.
"Nothing much." Cross replied. "But you sure look like you been working for like a week straight Spike."
"Yeah will it certainly feels like it. Especially, after all the new people coming around." Spike yawned and stretched his little arms out. "It has been rough for a couple of days."
"Yeah I can imagine. Is Twilight inside with you? She still busy working on her royal duties and such?"
"Not in here. She's at Canterlot with Princess Celestia and Luna helping her with all the people coming in. I think she said something about talking with the human leaders or something." Spike yawned loudly. "Twilight said she'll be back in around in a month or so."
Cross gave him a concerning look. "And you been here alone this entire time?"
"Don't worry about it." Spike smiled weakly. "I have been doing this for a long time. Twilight always been giving me a lot of work even before she turned into a princess. I always triple check to make sure everything on her To Do List is done heh."
Cross looked at Spike worryingly. He knows that Spike is always working hard as Twilight's assistant since he cared for her like a mother but with her as the princess and the work she has to do, Spike has been working to the point that he barely can get any rest even at his own home.
"Maybe we can do this another time." Cross replied. "I got nothing to do for a while so we can reschedule-"
"No, its fine." Spike interrupted. "I agreed we can hang out today and I won't let you get disappointed because of me. And..." Spike looks down from Cross's face. "... I do need somepony to talk to."
Cross stared at him and said, " Well... alright. Lets get going. We are just going to eat out at the new diner near my place. Maybe some good food and drinks can get your energy back. Sounds good?"
Spike looked up with eyes sparkling. "Do they have gems that I could eat?"
"Err... No. Just regular food sorry."
"Oh." Spike said looking disappointed.
"Oh come on." Cross says happily putting his hoof on the young dragons shoulder. " At least we should enjoy ourselves without worrying all of troubles in life. We don't get much time off so lets make the best of it, okay?"
Spike didn't say anything for a little while and replied with a smile, "Okay. Lets go. You got any money though?"
"Yeah, got on me tight." Cross said patting his coin purse. "Got to make sure no one steals from me or lose it. Lets get out of here.
Spike step out from the castle closing, the door behind him. Cross and Spike then started walking off together towards the diner near Cross's house.
Cross and Spike entered the new diner that everyone was talking about. Cross looks around and see that it looks familiar to the one back at his world. Its got pure bold colored stools, benches, tables and walls. They could see the place is packed with not just ponies but also griffins, yaks and more.
"I never really been somewhere this crowded." Spike whispered to Cross.
"Its fine." Cross replied. "Now we just got to wait for our table."
As Cross said that, a mare unicorn waitress comes forward towards the two next customers. She came wearing bright red and white uniform with a nice smile on her face.
"Hi! May I help you two nice boys a table?" she said.
"Yes." Cross answered. "Just us two thank you."
"Right this way then."
The waitress lead Cross and Spike to the two benches by the front windows of the diner. The two guys sits down across each other and the waitress magically manifested two menus from her horn and placed in front of them.
"You two boys get comfortable. I'll be back to take your orders soon." The waitress smiled and left Cross and Spike by themselves.
Cross looks at his menu to see a lot of selection of food like hay burgers and fish sandwiches. He looks over his menu seeing Spike muttering to himself of what he wants. Cross spoke up to start the conversation.
"So what are you getting Spike?"
Spike grumbled a bit and said, "I don't know. Maybe I'll just get one of those fish sandwiches here. I wished they have gems though. A good turquoise or garnet would've been good." He sighed and looked at Cross. "What about you?"
"I guess a salad with ranch." Cross replied. "I would like to eat meat but ever since I came here, I always been eating hay, fruits and whatever plants that is edible to me."
"Oh yeah. You humans eat a lot of meat where you come from right?"
"Yeah."
Cross thought to himself of that remark. He is actually human himself although his body is a pony. Ever since he come here he kind of forgets that he was human in the first place. But he remind himself that he is so he won't forget who he was and his family back at Earth. He came to this world to give himself a new life but of course life doesn't give him exactly what he wanted.
"Its was very hard for me though." Cross said. "I mean I do get craving for meat now and then but when I see the animals here, they seem to be more intelligent and understanding than the animals back from home so I couldn't bear eating them."
"You eat other animals like cows, chickens and others?" Spike said worryingly. "Even dragons?"
"Well we do domesticate them like the here people but yes. Were omnivores, we eat both plants and animals. But not dragons though so don't worry."
Spike calmed down with Cross's answer. "Heh, well that's good I guess. I just don't really understand humans as much as Twilight and Celestia do. Ever since I heard about them I am always curious of what they are and what they do. I mean I know you are one at least even though you look like a regular pony."
"How can you be sure? I mean not all humans automatically turns into ponies like me. I hear some turns into zebras or buffalos when they come here. I even heard one guy turns into a minotaur! Its making people hard to tell who is human or not. Or maybe this world just change our bodies based on our personality."
"Yeah. I bet some of the people here are human as well." Spike and Cross look around and see the crowd. They all look like talking animals but they know at least some of them came from the human world. But who is originally human or not is hard to tell. The only way to know is that if they speak things that are not normally from here or they do things that they don't normally like trying to stand on two legs and such. Cross and Spike then look back to each other.
"Well maybe Celestia can use some magic to find some way for us to know." Cross said.
The waitress comes back to Cross's and Spike's table with a flipbook and pencil floating right next to her.
"Well boys, can I get you anything?"
"I'll have Caesar salad with ranch dressing with fries and a small soda." Cross said quickly.
"Well... I guess I'll have the fish sandwich with fries and small soda as well." Spike said in turn.
Both Cross and Spike looked from their menus to see the waitress writing down their orders quickly. She then wished with the pencil and flip book disappearing using her magic horn.
"Your orders will be ready soon. You two just wait." The waitress then tends to the other customers.
The two then looks at each other.
"So..." Cross speaks up first. But he didn't know what to say to Spike since he hasn't really talked to him much as before. They haven't hang out for weeks since the human race has been immigrating or passing through here. Cross thought to himself how much Spike has been through with all the work he had and thinks that its stressing him out even though he doesn't want to show it. So he tried to bring up something to get all of his work away from Spike's mind.
"So what else are you doing besides all the assistance for Twilight? I mean even you can't be working all day everyday."
"Oh nothing much." Spike replied. "Just going around Ponyville, seeing what others are doing... I'm also trying to write well..." Spike then whispered silently.
"Well..." Cross looking interested. "Writing what?"
"I-Its a love letter to Rarity." Spike sighed embarrassingly.
"Oh." Cross looks at Spike with concern and a little bit of frustration. He knows all to well of Spike's crush towards Rarity even though he tries to deny it multiple times. Cross always seen him eye balling her and always been talking about beautiful she is. Its not that Cross is jealous or anything but he feels like Spike is wasting his time trying to get someone he can never have.
"So your still trying to win her over?" Cross said.
"I well..." Spike said weary. "I do think I got it this time. I just need to give it to when we are alone. I thought that we can go to-"
"Look," Cross interrupted. "I know that you really love Rarity and all but... don't you think maybe its best..." He try to say his words carefully to him. "to think about finding someone else?"
Spike looked at Cross in a fit of anger but slowly turns down sadly. Then he said, "Cross, I know that you are to help but I love her. I just... can't stop thinking about her. She is very beautiful and kind to me. I just can't help myself but be drawn to her."
"Spike, I know that but she still isn't interested in you. She interested in guys of her type like those fancy rich colts she been talking to. I know its hard for you to admit it but she doesn't like you the way you wanted."
"But-"
"She is NOT interested." Cross gives Spike a stern look then sighed. "Look, I been in love myself. Back at Earth their was this beautiful girl I wanted to be with. At first, it was really for me to talk to her and we did eventually hang out. But I wanted to be more than friends but she like e the same way." Cross look away from Spike and turn his head towards the window seeing ponies and others outside walking. "I try hard to be more than friends with her but she would rather date men that I didn't like. I'll admit its partially out of jealously but the men she dated were, how do you say 'seedy'. She got hurt by them and I defended her because I loved her so much. But... she never fallen in love with me." Cross sneered at himself painfully. "Eventually, I stop being with her because I was tired trying to be with someone that doesn't have the same feelings. I tried at least be friends with her but... I guess she doesn't want anything to do with me either and we left our separate ways. After that..."
Cross stared out at the window for a bit and said, "Look Spike, what I am saying is that you should not give up on love, but the love one you wanted so badly isn't THE one for you. 'Love at First sight' to me is a myth. It is how much time and willingness to be with one another, how much you sacrifice for her and no matter what life has thrown at you, you will always be together. To me that is what love is."
Cross turn back to Spike to see him at surprised by his story. He never told him this so he won't remember the past but he felt better telling him.
"I-I didn't realize..." Spike answered.
"That I been in your situation?" Cross finished his sentence. "Yeah, I have."
The unicorn waitress then comes back to the twos table with two trays floating besides her. She materialize their orders onto their trays and set it up upon them.
"Here's one Caesar salad with fries and soda and one fish sandwich with the same side order. Enjoy yourselves!" She smiled at the two and left.
"Anyways... let's just forget all of this depressing stuff and enjoy the good food." Cross trying to get back the positive atmosphere. Spike seems to notice that and started to eat on his food. Both of them eat and drink their orders in silence for a while until Spike spoke up.
"So... about the thing you say before..." Spike seems nervous of asking Cross the question. Cross sees that and presses him.
"Go on. What is it?"
"I mean is there anyone you like here? I mean you met all of my friends after all."
Cross sighs. "I don't know. I mean I like them as friends and keep it to that."
"Is it because of the girl before?"
"I guess that and it would might complicate the entire relationship with everyone so I don't try anything intimate towards any of them."
"Well if you try, which one of them you want to be with?"
"Well..." Cross took a sip from his soda. "Twilight is too busy with all the princess stuff so I don't think she have anytime for me. Same goes for Applejack with her farm and family. Rarity, well... its not because you like her but I just don't like her attitude. I know she a good mare inside but she sometime so full herself which I didn't like. Rainbow Dash ABSOULTELY is not attracted towards me. I don't know why but she always been a little rough towards me but sometimes she can be nice. Besides I think she would want someone from the Wonder Bolts or anyone of that also likes athletic hobbies. Fluttershy is very nice towards me but I don't think she feels like she wants to go out on a date. She sometimes very nervous to me since I'm a colt after all and I can understand that since she hangs out with mares most of the time. And Pinkie Pie I mean... heh... its like mixing water and oil. I am calm and serious while she's all energetic and too bubbly for me. Like the first time I met her, she ran into me and keep trying to give me a lot of cupcakes even when I was done with the welcoming party she thrown for me."
Cross finishes his fries after what he said. "Anyway, I don't think anyone of those girls likes me like that and I guess its for the best."
Spike thought of what Cross said to him. Even though Cross just came to Ponyville a few months ago, every one of his friends is very close to him. At first he was nervous of meeting him since he know he is one of the humans who came to live here and heard a lot of rumors of them being aggressive and as a habit to hurt anyone who isn't their own kind. He wasn't one of them thankfully and is nice to everyone he met.
"It must be nice that everyone to talk to you." Spike said quietly.
Cross stops eating and looks completely at Spike's comment. "What you mean by that?"
"I mean, everyone in Ponyville knows you so well and that they talk about you a lot. Even Twilight talks about you a lot and you never really hang out with each other. Its just... I been with Twilight and the others for years and they never really pay much attention to me no matter how much I help them. And yet, you came here and they all want to hang out with you even though you never really did anything for them. I'll admit... I am really jealous of you."
Cross looks stunned at Spike's confession. All of his time trying to convince him before to hang out of him was denied is not just of over work but also jealously? Hearing this from Spike, it made him feel guilty that he unknowingly made him feel this way.
"Is..." Cross spoke. "is that you never really talked to me for a while?"
Spike silently nods.
Cross didn't say anything at first but then said, "Look Spike, what you thinking is not true. I heard a lot of good things about you from the others. I heard from AppleJack that you saved her from the timberwolfs, I heard from Rarity that you save her from the dark magical book, heck I heard from Twilight that you saved the ENTIRE Crystal Empire from that Sombra guy or whatever. So you thinking that no one cares about you or anything, your wrong."
"But-"
"But nothing! I could've not done those things. I could not work tirelessly all day helping Twilight with her duties. I could not save lives like you do. I mean... your a better person than I am. I wish I can be hardworking as you for others and keep going no matter what. You care for them so much that you never really expect them anything in return. Even when you haven't been with Twilight and the others, they think of you as a family member to them. They all love you in their way."
Spike looks surprised and in a verge of tears of Cross's words. This is what has been bothering Spike for sometime. Cross looks at the young dragons sad face. He's trying to be mature but still a child in his dragon age. In a way, Spike's friends are his family and he felt threatened and alone for having someone else coming into their lives and getting all the attention. Cross never wanted that but he still hurt Spike without realizing it.
Cross gave a napkin besides him to Spike for him to clean himself up. Spike rub his tears away and blows his nose into it.
"Thanks." Spike said. "I needed that." He put the napkin down onto his tray.
"Well..." Cross replied. "If I was in your position, I would've felt the same. So don't worry about it."
"Really? But I-"
"When we feel like we would lose our family and friends from others, we often think bad things about them and question our own if they actually care about us. Its a natural thing to feel. But we should talk to them about it or we drift ourselves away from them. Eventually, we would lose them for good. So you have the right to feel threatened by me but I am telling you its not true that they don't care about you. So don't worry about it anymore."
Spike looked at Cross and smiled. "Thanks." Spike said again. Cross smiled in turn and silently went back to finish their food and drinks. After they were done, Cross paid off everything and gave a nice tip to the mare waitress who gave him a nice smile and the two guys left out from the diner.
Both Cross and Spike walks back towards Twilight's castle with the daylight turning orange. With their bellies full and with a better attitude, they are both had a good time.
"You enjoyed yourself?" Cross asked to Spike.
"Yeah, the food was nice and I had a good time talking to you."
"Yeah. It sure was."
"It made me feel better you know. What you said and your right. I thought nobody cares about me anymore. And I thought it was because of you for coming into our lives but I was being dumb and selfish. I shouldn't thought of you like that."
"Your not dumb Spike. Your selfish but not dumb."
Spike laughed a bit. They both stop in front of Spike's home and they both looks at each other.
"Well." Cross spoke first. "I guess I'll see you later then. Just make sure you don't over work yourself so much okay?"
"Ah don't worry about me." Spike smiled. "After a good break like this, I can work all night for the stuff I need to do. But your right, I should take breaks when I really need it."
Spike opens his door and went inside his home and turns back to Cross with his hand on the door. "Thanks. For cheering me up back there. I never really talk to someone like this for a long time and it makes me feel better. So again thanks."
"Like I said don't worry about it. We are friends after all."
Both of them smiled at each other and reach out with Cross's hooves and Spike's free hand, they did "brofist" to each other. Cross taught it to Spike after a few times they hang out.
"Well..." Cross said. "I'll see you later."
"Alright. I see you soon."
As Cross turns and was about to leave, Spike spoke up. "You know, about what you said about the girls not liking you..." Cross looks back to Spike listening. "I think they do like you but they have their own way of showing it."
Cross stood there in silence. Spike now is trying to cheer him up now and trying to help him of his problem.
"I don't know Spike... Its just..."
"Did you give up on love?"
Cross again is silent. For a while he didn't respond but quietly and with a slight pain in his voice, he said "I don't know."
Silence again came back between Cross and Spike. Spike could see he has given love up and doesn't want to admit it. But he feels the same way of yearning of loving someone and for her to love him back. He then tries to reassure him.
"I think you find that special someone. Whether she's a pony or human like yourself. I know that you find her and she will love you just the way you are. I'm sure of it."
Cross looks at Spike in surprised and didn't say anything at first but soon he said "Thanks. I'll think about that."
Spike smiled at Cross. "Alright. See ya." he said and closed his door behind him.
Cross thought about what Spike said. That he will find that special someone one day. He was trying to help him like he did for him. Even though he has given finding his true love up, hearing his friend's encouragement makes him feel not to give up anymore.
"Heh, heh." Cross chuckled to himself. "Don't know who's really the teacher or the student here but... I know that we will always have our backs." He looks up at the castle. "And that we both get our wishes together one day." He then turn forward and started to walk back to his home, thinking of what Spike said and what to do for tomorrow.