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The Next Morning:

A tall slim stallion with a silver coat and a dark blue mane was walking through the forest with two large bags hanging off either side of him. The weather was now cooperating, the birds were singing and Celestia's sun was breaking over the hills, and Luna had now lowered the moon. The silver stallion then saw a fairly large old wooden cabin in the distance, the cabin looked very familiar to him as it should. This cabin was his cabin!

As he approached the cabin he noticed that a small plume of smoke still remained from the chimney, and that there was hoof prints leading into the cabin. He then began to think to himself.

"That's weird, I could've sworn that fire would of burned out hours ago? And I don't remember any pony being here last night".

"Unless........"

The silver stallion then quickly opened the door into his cabin and noticed that there was definitely activity there the night before. There was hoofprints and claw marks all over the floor in the entrance way, and there was some food left out on the table by the small couch. He began to think if maybe he had been robbed, but there was nothing much to steal, and he began to think that maybe whoever was in the cabin, had not decided to leave yet.

The stallion then headed towards the bedroom, he noticed that there were towels hanging on the towel rack and laying on the floor in the bathroom and they were still damp. He then opened the door into the bedroom, and peered inside. He noticed that the bed was indeed not empty.

As he approached he could see a female blue pegasus with a rainbow mane and a male purple dragon. At first he was surprised to see this unexpected couple, a pegasus pony and a dragon sleeping together in the same bed and in each others arms. He could also tell by the pile of used bed sheets off to the side of the bed, that there was way more than sleeping going on in that bed last night. The stallion chuckled to himself and then decided that he had to give them a wake up call.

"Hey you two, get out of bed!"

The stallions booming voice echoed through the bedroom, but to his surprise they couple didn't move an inch. The stallion let out a sigh and then tried again.

"Hey Lovebirds! Get out of bed!"

In her dream Rainbow Dash was dreaming about flying over Equestria with Spike on her back and the two began to have a picnic on top of a cloud. She thought it was the most exciting and romantic dream that she was having, until the Wonderbolts flew past doing one of their stunts, and after they had finished they came over to the picnic and sat down with the two of them. Rainbow was expecting Spitfire or maybe even Soarin to say something cool but all that came from their mouths was something unexpected.

"Hey Lovebirds! Get out of bed!"

Spike was having a dream where he went on a mission with his new marefriend Rainbow Dash and they were on a mission to find all the rarest gems in all of Equestria. In his dream they soon found a rather large cave and the entrance had every kind of gem just pouring out of the cavern. Spike looked over at Rainbow, and then began to rush over to the pile of gems that looked way to good to be true. He was about to bite into a rather large emerald but then it started to move out of his grip, and start to form with the other gems to form a rather large, rocky looking shaped body. Before Spike could say a word, the monster said out loudly.

"Hey Lovebirds! Get out of bed!"

The two then opened their eyes to see a unfamiliar pony standing at the foot of the bed. They both let out a scream and jumped out of the bed in surprise. Rainbow flew straight up and hit her head on the ceiling and Spike flopped out of the bed and landed face first on the floor. Meanwhile the silver stallion quickly jumped back in surprise and began to chuckle.

"Whoa are you guys okay?" He asked.

Rainbows head was spinning from her sudden contact with the ceiling and Spike had a stinging pain in his face. He then looked up at the stallion.

"Who are you mister?"

The silver stallion looked down at Spike and showed a kind smile.

"The name is Granger young fella, and I am the owner of this cabin".

Spike and Rainbow quickly began to feel bad, knowing that they did waltz into another pony's cabin that wasn't theirs.

"We're sorry sir" Rainbow apologized, "We just needed a place to get out from the storm."

Granger smiled and then shook his head while raising his hoof.

"It's perfectly fine, believe me. It is what this cabin is for anyway."

Spike and Rainbow quickly had to give their heads a shake and figure out exactly what Granger had just said.

"Excuse me?" asked Spike.

Granger then kindly explained. He told them that he kept the cabin open for ponies that want to get away from their busy lives and basically relax.

"Well that makes sense," Spike said. "Sorry about the mess that we made."

"No problem, I have seen worse. Believe me." Granger said with a chuckle. "But you two are going to clean up your mess or I will be charging you a hundred bits!"

That didn't take long for Spike and Rainbow Dash to quickly get to their senses. Rainbow got to work cleaning up the mess that was left behind in the bathroom, and Spike got to work cleaning up the bedroom and in the living room. Shortly thereafter the two had completed their chores, and then began to smell a sweet aroma coming from the kitchen. They noticed that Granger was making fried eggs and zap apple jam peanut butter sandwiches. Spike also noticed a bowl of turquoise gems on the table and became very hungry instantly.

They soon were all sitting at the dining table and began to have breakfast. Spike munched on the bowl of turquoise while Rainbow munched on her zap apple jam sandwich. Granger had helped himself to some fried eggs with some hay stalks and finished with a cup of coffee. Soon after they were done, Spike began to do the dishes while Rainbow Dash cleaned off the table. Spike didn't mind cleaning, he was Twilight's number one assistant after all and doing these kind of chores were kind of his second nature. Rainbow on the other hoof absolutely hated cleaning, especially cleaning up after herself, but if it was to avoid paying a hundred bits she had to do it.

"Thanks for the Breakfast Granger" Spike said as he finished with the dishes.

"Yeah thank you so much." Rainbow thanked the sliver pony. Granger nodded kindly and then chuckled.

"You're just saying that because you don't want to pay for the mess you two made!" He smirked, and then he began to laugh. Spike and Rainbow were embarrassed and then both began to blush. Granger then smiled and then put his hooves around the two of them.

"It's alright, You're not the only ones to damage this place. At least you didn't try to steal any of the furniture."

Spike was surprised by Granger's response, and then he remembered noticing that the cabin was very empty and that the furniture that was there was very old. He then began to chuckle along with the friendly silver stallion and then Rainbow joined in as well.
Granger definitely had a peculiar form of sarcasm, the two didn't know half the time if he was joking or being serious but he was sure entertaining to be around.

"My apologies, but I never got your names." Granger said kindly. Rainbow and Spike were having a cup of coffee and had to gulp down quickly when he asked them their names.

"I'm Spike!"

"I'm Rainbow Dash!"

Granger smiled widely.

"Pleasure to meet you Spike and Rainbow Dash" Granger replied. "You two look very familiar though, have I seen you two before?"

Spike and Rainbow had never met this kind stallion before. They told him what they might of done for him to recognize them. Rainbow told Granger that she was a member of the wonderbolts and that she was friends with princess Twilight Sparkle and that she represented the element of loyalty.

Spike told Granger that he was Twilight's assistant and that he was the hero of the Crystal Empire and the friendship ambassador to the dragons and Princess Ember. Granger seemed amazed and then he laughed.

"I knew I recognized you two. I saw the statue of Spike during my visit to the crystal empire last year, and I recognized you for saving Equestria from the changelings back in Canterlot and I also saw the wonderbolts in Las Pegasus two months ago", He said while looking at Rainbow Dash.

Spike and Rainbow smiled and beamed brightly. Granger then chuckled again and looked at the two of them.

"Now tell me, how long have you two been together? Are you two married or something"?

Spike and Rainbow Dash both winced with surprise. They then looked at Granger who had a worried look on his face.

"Hey don't worry, I'm not against interspecies relationships or anything like that. I actually think you two make a very nice couple."

The two friends looked at each other. They then did a slight chuckle and looked back at Granger.

"We've been together for quite awhile now, but no we're not married," Rainbow Dash said sweetly putting her wing around Spike. Spike knew that Dash was lying since they have only been together for four days, but he had known her for quite a long time since he moved to Ponyville and decided to go along with it.

"That's right" Spike replied, "she's my special marefriend". Rainbow slightly blushed and gave Spike a smooch on the cheek. Granger gave a slight chuckle.

"So what are your two's reason for coming this far up north?" He asked.

Spike and Rainbow Dash then told him that they were sent on a friendship mission, but they couldn't figure out what the friendship problem was. They told him about going from village to village and trying to figure out where the problem could be and what could be the real problem. The silver stallion listened to what they had to say, and he thought that what they were doing was very kind.

"How many villages have you two been to already?"

They showed him the map that they had, and showed him the villages that they already visited. But when they showed him the four remaining villages that were left he gave them a sad look and shook his head.

"I hate to tell you this, but these last four remaining villages are vacation spots just like this cabin here. There are no ponies currently staying there because of the storm and that it is now the end of the summer season. I'm sorry, but you won't find any friendship problems there!" He finished. Rainbow Dash and Spike were dumbfounded when they heard this. The mission that they had to complete sounded like it turned out to be a complete bust.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Asked Spike trying to control himself. The silver stallion looked into him right in his emerald green eyes and nodded.

"I'm truly sorry but I am sure of it. I had just come down from that area and passed through the four villages myself. All the villages are completely empty, just like my cabin has been until you two found it." Spike gulped. This was his first friendship mission, and now that it was a bust it would now show Twilight that he was a failure at trying to repair friendships in other parts of Equestria. Rainbow's ears flattened as she saw the sad look on Spike's face, she reached over with her wing and pulled him closer to her. But then Spike became surprised by Granger's response for how empty his cabin had been. After hearing this, Spike cleared his throat and asked the stallion the question.

"I have to ask you" Spike said to Granger, "Why has your cabin been so empty? Why aren't other ponies coming here?" Granger looked at Spike and then quickly looked down at his hooves. Rainbow wasn't sure, but she thought she could see tears forming in his eyes.

"To be honest Spike my friend, you two are the first couple that have stayed in this cabin in moons." The silver stallion said sadly. "I haven't had been able to find ponies to fill this place after what happened in the other villages."

Spike and Dash looked at Granger with a confused look.

"What happened in the other villages?" Rainbow asked. The stallion was hesitant to say anything at first, but after some pressing from the two, He finally gave in and told them everything.

"About three years ago, I started the same kind of business in each one of the other villages each with one my friends, but I kept messing everything up and it led to us not talking to each other for about a year."

"Why? What happened?" Spike asked. Granger looked at his hooves and again and shook his head.

"I was the brains behind everything, and I wanted all the cabins that we had to operate how I wanted them to, but it seemed my friends were more better at hospitality than I was. And because of that I became jealous and very angry and I let it get the best of me. I tried everything I could to try and make it look like my friends ways were not the right way and that my way was the right way. But no matter how hard I tried, I only made myself look foolish and it made my friends second guess their friendship with me."

"Well what was your way?" Rainbow asked. Granger gulped and took a deep breath.

"I wanted to charge ponies and couples a substantial amount of bits to stay at our cabins. But my friends insisted that we only charge a small amount, only more if they caused damage, made a ruckus or didn't clean after themselves. But if we lent out the cabins for a cheap and reasonable price, this would bring in more ponies and that would make our cabins full and show that we have great hospitality."

"So what exactly went wrong?" The two asked. They were curious and eager to find out why things between Granger and his friends didn't work out.

"It's because I got greedy!" The stallion admitted while slamming his hoof on the table. "I thought by charging more it would solve any problem that we would be faced with, but my greedy attitude got the best of me and my friends told me that they didn't want to be involved with a somepony like me anymore and they cut ties with me. It's been a whole year now since we all last saw each other. I really miss my friends and I really want to tell them how sorry I am for being such a rotten friend and greedy stallion. But I am too scared to tell them, and I am worried how they might respond. No ponies want to stay at my cabin because of what an idiot I was, and the only ones who stayed here completely trashed the place and stole all of the good furniture. I gave myself this reputation and I now must suffer because of it!" Granger sobbed.

Spike and Rainbow were surprised by Granger's words. They felt bad for their new friend and wished there was something that they could do to help him out. Then a lightbulb went off in Spike's mind and he quickly looked at Rainbow Dash with a large toothy grin.

"Can you excuse us for a few minutes?" Spike asked. Granger looked up and nodded. Spike then grabbed Rainbow by the hoof and brought her into the other room.

"What's going on squirt? Why did you bring me in here?"

"I think I know what our friendship problem is!" Spike exclaimed excitingly. Rainbow Dash was confused.

"What? You mean Granger? You think that he is the friendship problem that we are supposed to solve?"

"Yes, I am sure of it!" The young drake said boldly.

"What makes you so sure that this is what we are supposed to do?" The cyan mare asked him.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I think by helping Granger patch things up with his old friends again I'm pretty sure that is what we are supposed to do for this mission!"

"Then what if it's not then?" Dash asked. Spike looked at his feet for a few seconds and then looked his marefriend in the eyes.

"Then we go home and tell Twilight we failed" The young dragon said while gulping worriedly. Rainbow Dash knew that this mission meant everything to Spike and she knew that they couldn't return home failures. She was far too proud to let something as simple as a friendship problem bring them down.

"Okay Spike, I'm with you! I'm with you every step of the way." She said confidently. "Let's show this friendship problem who's boss!" Spike grinned and then they did a hoof bump.

The two then returned to find Granger sitting in the same place as before, tears were running down his face and his bright silver mane now completely looked dull and messy.

"Granger, I think I know what our friendship mission is!" Spike said happily. Granger looked up at Spike with a surprised look and quickly wiped his tears from his face. And then he listened as Spike and Rainbow discussed their plan.

End of Chapter Six.......

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay for this chapter. I have been suffering from a case of writers block, and after getting my affairs in order, I am now know how I will complete the story.

For Granger, I wanted to add in a OC to the story to make it somewhat interesting. If you are going to ask, does Granger live in this cabin in the woods? Does he have a home? I'm am not going to answer that question, and leave that to you to figure out.

And yes, I added a hoof bump in this chapter lol.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and keep your eyes out for the seventh and possibly final chapter???