Spike Snuggles Everypony

Chapters

Twilight Sparkle
Fluttershy
Rainbow Dash
Applejack
Pinkie Pie
Rarity
Spike
Bonus Chapter: The Mane Seven

Twilight Sparkle

~ Twilight Sparkle ~

“Twilight, may I sleep with you?”

Had anyone else asked her that question, Twilight Sparkle imagined herself taking a page from Celestia’s book and banishing them to the moon—the sun, perhaps, if they were audacious enough. Baby dragons, however, were exempted from such punishment, especially since it was her baby dragon, standing just before the end of the bed, with puffy red eyes and tear-stained cheeks, who had asked her the question.

Twilight raised herself out from the blanket, resting her back against the backboard of the bed. She then lifted the right half of the blanket, exposing the sheets underneath, patting the space right next to her. The baby laughed—sounding more so like a sob to her ears—as he waddled around the bed and stopped at its side.

But, for whatever reason, he did not hop into the bed into right away, lost instead to a gaze, one to the open space meant to be filled by him. His body was shivering, the air of the room cool, yet something about the bed held him back from seeking its warmth.

“Spike...is everything okay?” she asked, voice almost cracking. “I mean, I know you're not okay because you've been crying and you’re up in the middle of the night, which implies that something is bothering you, which also means—“ Twilight cut her stream of thought short by closing her mouth, eyes just as well, a moment passing, before opening them up with a slight twinkle adorning their corners. “Spike...why aren’t you coming to bed?”

His emerald eyes trailed up to lock with her amethyst ones, his face looking afraid as he did so, that was, until he stared deeply enough into her gaze, and found the genuine concern that was meant solely for him. His cheeks glowed a lighter shade of purple as he looked down again, beginning to twirl his thumbs.

“Well, um—“ Spike’s voice cracked, something he quickly realized as he stepped back with shame. the realization of such causing him to step back. Spike swallowed, then tried again. “D-Does sleeping...I mean...in the bed with you...m-make me a...b-baby?” He swallowed back whatever was scratching the back of his throat. “A coward, I mean.”

Twilight stared back at him, lips parted, mind filled with nothing but questions. What was bothering Spike? Did a nightmare wake up him? Was he still scared about that nightmare? Or, had he not slept, a thought keeping him awake? Isn't that the same as having a nightmare?

Twilight cut the stream of questions before they could possibly grow in scope, knowing full well what could happen if she switched from concern to curiosity—a mistake she would never make again. Instead, she sat back fully against the board, knowing that sleep wouldn't be coming to claim her for a while.

“Well, that depends, Spike,” she said, almost playfully, causing the drake to look back up at her. “Did you have a nightmare?”

Spike opened his mouth, but no words would come out, so he closed it, and nodded instead.

“Hmm,” Twilight used her hoof to hold up her chin in faux thought. “And this nightmare scared you?”

Spike nodded.

“And even though you woke up,” Twilight began, extremely careful with how her playful-tone was being expressed, “that nightmare is still scaring you?”

Spike didn't nod, just standing there, ready to break into tears again. He tried looking away, but the pull of the mare's gaze was too strong, causing him to look back to her. Automatically, his tail slithered between his legs and climbed up his belly, where it was then hugged into place by his claws. After that, he found the strength to nod, admitting to his fear, and what could be viewed as his weakness.

“So you have a problem, acknowledged that it scares you, and the first thing you do is go seek help for it?” Twilight couldn't stop the smile stretching her lips more than the urge to laugh at herself. “No Spike, that makes you anything but a coward—a lesson I wish I learned at your age.” She patted the space at her side yet again, filling the drake with absolute joy.

Spike wasted no time in jumping up onto the bed, struggling on his side for a moment as he used his leg to hook him over. The first sensation he felt was of sheets rubbing against his scales, of the hovering blanket that promised to envelop him in its warmth, and, most important of all, of the soft fur caressing his smooth scales as he pressed himself against the lavender coat.

Twilight smiled as she felt his body press against her, relishing in the contact as she lowered her head, and kissed the side of the drake's head. He twitched, before his muscles began to relax, as he surrendered himself to her embrace. She let the blanket fall, covering them both, as she held the baby dragon close with a forehoof.

The lifelong friends released a blissful sigh at the mutual embrace, but even if all Twilight could see was the back of the scaly head, she knew that its owner would still be awake for quite some time. In a hushed tone, Twilight began to speak. “Hey...Spike?”

The scales of the dragon shifted against the crook of her forehoof.

“You know that if there's anything bothering you, that you can talk to me, right?” Her tone was unsure of itself despite the words being genuine. They had been told to her, time and again, by her brother, father, and mother, though she never said them to another—until now. “It always helps me to get what I'm feeling out into the open.” He remained eerily still in her grasp. “If it is still scaring you, you can talk about it while not looking at me. Just pretend that I'm not here.”

There was silence. No shuffling of the sheets, nor late-night clopping of hooves on the street outside, as even the bugs were quiet on a night such as that. Some of the room was bathed in moonlight, the surrealness of the otherworldly night made possible by the silence, as the two unconsciously shuffled closer towards one another.

In lonely moments such as these, having another by your side always seemed to quell that otherworldly feeling.

“You're going to a bigger school soon, right, Twilight?” The disturbing silence was broken by a small voice, whose owner remained ever still. “With new books to read, new teachers to meet...and new ponies to be your friend?”

“That's right,” she answered as gently as she could, pulling her other hoof out from under the sheets, and lightly stroking the fins on his back. “That graduation marked the completion of my elementary courses, and once this summer is over, I'll be returning to a new section of the school along with more mature courses.”

“So...you'll still need me then?” The drake finally asked the question responsible for his strife, for his tears and his fears, as his shiver was felt by the mare that held him close. “To clean after your messes and organize your books? You won't be getting another baby dragon that's better than me, that actually understands those books to replace me?”

“What? No!” Twilight fought down the urge to turn him around to face her, as it was his choice for when he wanted to reveal himself. All she could do now was soothe his fears. “Spike, there is no one in all of Equestria that can ever hope to replace you.” She momentarily stopped rubbing his back. “Do you want to know why?”

Stillness. Silence. Then.

“W-Why, Twilight?”

Spike's bravery was rewarded with an extra rub to the back of the head—given lovingly, of course.

“Because you're my number-one assistant, Spike,” Twilight said, almost whispering the words into his ear. “You're my first and only friend, and you're my best one at that.”

Surprise must have shown on Twilight's as she felt the baby dragon turn around, lightly, shuffling the sheets as he did so, before the two were face to face. Even in the low light, the vibrant emerald of his eye were disarming. Framed by his puffy lids, they almost seemed to generate a glow of their own. “But what about when you make new friends, Twilight, pony friends! They'll be better friends than I ever could, which I totally understand, but even then...I love you too much just to be an assistant.”

Twilight's amethyst eyes generated a glow of their own, quivering almost at the sudden revelation. The influx of pleading questions, of why this little dragon, who never had before shown interest in the world outside their dorm, was suddenly so afraid of it, caused her eyes to begin to burn—but that sensation was nothing, absolute nothing, compared to the pain she felt when she asked one of those questions, and saw him begin to cry again.

She had asked. “Spike...what happened in your nightmare?”

He didn't say anything to her at first, eyes lost to her in a daze, as if the nightmare were claiming him once again in a state of consciousness—the dread forced to be relieved at the expense of Twilight's curiosity. Softly, the baby dragon spoke. “You...you were in the halls of the school...and I was coming to find you.” A pause, a choke, and a claw that didn't cease to shake. “I don't like leaving the room...the halls never seemed to end, and the ponies are scary...all glaring down at me...but being alone in that room scares me even more.”

For the first time since speaking, the little dragon's face lit up as he realized he was telling this face to face with the mare of his nightmare, though the latter kept completely silent even when he stuttered or stopped. Twilight did not dare move an inch, not even to coax him as he spoke, as she was afraid that the slightest movement, the slightest touch, would shatter him inside like glass, despite being protected by scales.

Spike inhaled sharply, hiccuped, then continued looking directly into her eyes. “I found you after a little while, at the end of this hall and at the center of all these ponies, each of them talking to you like they were all your friends.”

His eyes drifted away, overcome by the face he saw in his nightmare—one that he didn't want to mistake for the real thing. “For the first time, I was...scared to approach you, to interrupt you, and when I did...”

Spike went silent. Tears welled in the corner of his eyes as his whole body began to shake, Then, it came, the bawling that had been suppressed for far too long, as tears and sobs streamed unbidden from his quivering little body. It was if the nightmare were happening in reality.

“You were disgusted by me! That...that I had left the room and embarrassed you, t-that a dragon shouldn't be around ponies!” His words shot out in the time between the sobs and the sharp intakes of air, his nose beginning to run. “You said you were getting rid of me, In-front of everyone! That you had found your true friends, and no longer needed me around!” Finally, the baby dragon gazed into the pony's eyes, unable to see past his own veil of tears. “Please don't leave me for pony friends!”

Those words, they were the same ones he uttered in the dream, and the result of them was almost the same in both fiction and in reality. In the dream, he was enveloped by a purple aurora that sped down the fall, a smirking Twilight growing ever distant by the second, until he was dropped inside a cold room. Spike rose up immediately and began to run back towards her, only to see her friends playfully wave him goodbye, as the click of the door was heard.

That cold feeling would've enveloped the baby dragon again had not the fur of a hoof caressed the scales on his back, slowly pulling him forward to a warm lavender chest, as the wonderful sensation wrapped around his body like a blanket. Try as he might, Spike couldn't help but stain the belly fur with his tears and his nose, feeling his shoulders shake with unusual joy as he wasn't being pushed away because of this.

Twilight could no longer deny her maternal instincts as his bawling reached its apex, holding him close to both her chest and her heart, feeling the former grow moist, though she for the life of her could not care. She opted instead to rub her other hoof down along the spines of his back, over and over again, as she hushed into his ear.

That's how the night went for the next little while. Twilight soothing her baby dragon who had managed, and trusted to her the fears regarding her, something which she hoped she never gave the impression of. And Spike, whose bawling began to die down into the occasional sob, his stubby arms holding onto as much as her barrel as they could, before his eyes finally traveled up the warm chest of the one whom he loved.

A soft smile, and an even softer face, awaited him.

“Spike,” Twilight began, breaking neither eye or psychical contact with the smaller creature, “don't you ever dare think that I would ever send you away, that I don't love you as much as you love me.” She lowered her muzzle and brushed it against the end of his snout. “You're my number-one assistant, not because of your strengths or your flaws, but because you're always there for me, even when it's well past your bedtime, or when I'm more crazier than usual.” Then, having been long suppressed as well, tears welled in the corner of her eyes. “There's...there's not many that see all those sides to me and want to stick around...” She gasped. Her lips a wobbly smile. “You like to complain, and yet, not once have you complained about the things I'm insecure about.” Finally, emotions reigned through her body as she broke down. “It's because of that, Spike, that no matter what you think I may be, or how many friends I may somehow gain, I'll always return to my best friend.” Her cheeks brushed against his as she rested her chin on his shoulder. “You're more than my assistant, Spike, you're my best friend, no matter what.” Her other hoof wrapped around him, consummating the hug. “And I'll always love you as much as you love me.”

Spike couldn't help but smile, overjoyed that this mare, as great as she was, and also a pony, could love a baby dragon as much as he loved her. They stayed like that for the rest of the night, with the blanket covering all but their heads, as those two beings were dreaming about each other.

Although their dreams were of another, they could never imagine all of life itself would have the other; time becoming an irrelevance to their everlasting bond.

Too bad there were some hindrances along the way.

Fluttershy

~ Fluttershy ~

“...Spike...Spike...Spike!”

The aforementioned drake felt his head begin to sway, the warm lavender fur in his dreams replaced by the chilling winds of reality as the latter's touch jolted him awake. Spike opened his eyes to a field where the grass stretched on to where the trees were already shedding their leaves to the fall, and where Ponyville loomed in the distance.

“Wha...” Spike breathed heavily, eyes darting around for any shred of familiarity, finding none that could answer the stark contrast of the place he now inhabited. “Where...” Then, the world came back to him in an influx of memories, catching him up to who and where he was now. Upon remembering, the little dragon couldn't help but sigh, looking to his right, and then finding a concerned face hovering above his.

Spike and Fluttershy both screamed upon making eye contact.

“WHAAAAA.” They both jumped back in opposite directions, each breathing heavily as they stared at one another. Then, realization dawned upon them as their breathing began to slow.

“Fluttershy?” Spike asked almost in disbelief leaning forward. “Why did you sneak up on me like that?”

She shriveled up at the question. “I'm so sorry, Spike, I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that.” She began to return to her hooves, keeping herself lowered as she did so. “It's just that the picnic ended a little while ago, and we didn't want to leave you behind.”

“Oh,” Spike said, getting back to his feet, and lightly dusting himself off. “Uh, thank you then, Fluttershy. Say, where are Twilight and the rest anyway?”

Her answer was to point a hoof to the dirt trail in the distance, which Spike followed with his eyes, and then found atop a small hill the mare of his dreams. Twilight stood at the center of her pony friends, seemingly engaged in conversation with each of them, one that prompted smiles and small giggles from each of their lips. Despite it being late fall, the sun shone brilliantly behind them.

Spike was taken aback by the display. Something inside him both filled his veins with warmth, and horribly churned inside his stomach like he had been stabbed by a knife that induces euphoria, helpless to move or do anything about it. Without quite knowing why, he reached out a claw to the group of friends, stretching his arm as far as he could. The space between his digits became filled with each of Twilight's friends, causing him to smile bitter-sweetly as his claw dropped weakly back to his side.

Fluttershy watched the drake in silence, confusion showing on her face as her eyes jumped between the gathered-friends, and the lonely dragon. Then, her eyes widened and brightened ever so slightly. “Oh, my.”

The drake looked back to her. “Sorry I made you worry about me, Fluttershy,” he said, before taking a few steps forward. “We should probably catch up with the others before they leave us both behind.”

Before he could take another step, however, he was stopped by a soft voice behind him. “Spike,” it called, causing him to look back to its owner. The two stared at one another for a few moments, another bitter breeze passing them by, before the mare cleared her voice and spoke again. “Is there anything bothering you?”

“Is there anything bothering me?” he repeated the question with slight confusion, before shrugging his shoulders. “Not really, hard to be when waking up from a nice nap. What caused you to ask that?”

“Well...you just kinda reached out to Twilight and the others...and you looked sad as you did so.”

Spike felt something rise in his throat, doing his best to swallow it down. “Oh, that? I was just stretching is all!” He reached out his other claw to the five, then the other, repeating the process as the kinks in his arms popped. “I always stretch after sleeping! It's something that Twilight and I always used to do when we both...woke up...” He went silent as his eyes became alight with memories, creating a familiar stinging sensation in the corner of his eyes.

Spike shook the memories out from his head, turning around so that his back faced Fluttershy, and stretched out his arms to the cloudy sky above—the hiss of distant thunder growing ever louder. “But don't sweat a thing, Fluttershy.” His voice brought her attention back down to him, where, for just a moment, she swore she saw him wipe his eyes with his claw, before turning around to face her with a beaming smile. “I'm totally fine, but we won't be for long if we don't get a move on.”

Before she could say anything, the little dragon already broke off in a dash towards the gathered ponies. Something shivered along her spine as she saw him get closer to the group, intensifying when he stopped just a few feet away from them, still and unnoticed. Sighing, Fluttershy stretched out her wings and broke out into a small flight towards her friends.

“Twilight would never skip the opportunity to discuss Daring Do to talk about something as boring as agricultural!”

“Just because something strikes your fancy, doesn’t make it boring!” Applejack fired back, pressing her orange muzzle into a cyan one. “And who are you to say what Twilight will and will not do? It's her slumber party—let the mare herself choose what the topic will be.”

“Are you kidding!” Rainbow pulled back, unfurling her wings so she could hover in the air. “If we left everything to Twilight, then she would have the night be about us learning about equations and stuff. Everypony knows that math is dumb!”

“Math is the complete opposite of dumb!”

“Oh yeah? Says who?”

“Everyone who knows math!”

Rainbow landed on the trail and furled her wings. “My point exactly.”

Applejack tipped her hat, letting it cover her face, and released the biggest groan her vocal cords could manage—all coming out us muffled to the surrounding ears. For whatever reason, Rainbow Dash took this as an admittance of defeat, hoof-bumping the air.

Twilight, having watched the two, couldn't help but dip her head with a sigh. From the corner of her eye, a pink pony walked up next to her, though she did not raise her head to greet her. “I'm not sure if this is super-helpful at all, but as long as I get to set the decorations, then I'll pretty much be set.”

Twilight rose her head with a smile, before feeling something brush to her left. She turned her head and found Rarity also standing next to her, a consoling smile on her muzzle. “You can expect the same from me, dear. Allow me to cure you of those black bags, and the night may be free from talks of fashion.”

There were no words to express her gratitude, so in a single instance, Twilight raised both of her forehooves and swung them around the necks of her closest friends, relying on them for support as she brought them in for a hug.

The crunching steps of feet against gravel ceased, though none of the five ponies seemed to notice. Spike came to a stop before the bubble of friends, seeing the mare whom he loved most hugging those who were not him, fur rubbing against fur.

His mouth was opened, but nothing escaped it.

“Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash said, looking in the drake's direction. “Where the heck was ya'?”

Spike turned right to noticed that the yellow pegasus had landed at his side, folding her wings once her hooves touched down on the gravel. She offered him a small smile, before facing the rest of the friends. “I was waking up Spike—no one else had done so when we finished the picnic.”

Rainbow Dash's eyes trailed from her down to him, as if seeing him for the first time. “When did you leave to take a nap, little guy?”

Spike's mouth was still open, and still, nothing was coming out of it. It wasn't before long that all the ponies were turning their gazes onto him, some looking annoyed and others just confused, waiting for him to say or do something. He fought against himself to speak, feeling all so tiny as the ponies looked down upon him. “J-Just a l-little after we began t-to eat.”

Rainbow scrunched her eyebrows at him for a moment, causing beads of sweat to roll down his scaly forehead, before feeling her gaze lessen as she shrugged her shoulders. Her attention returned to Fluttershy, as did the rest of the ponies. “So, 'Shy, you excited for this slumber party or what?!”

“Well, about that....” Fluttershy lowered her head to escape the combined gazes, lightly pawing at the gravel with a hoof. “I don't think I'll be able to make it to this one.”

“What,” Rainbow threw up her hooves. “And just why the heck not?”

“Because...because...” Fluttershy struggled for a convincing lie, the many observant eyes not at all helping the process, but the raindrops falling at her side did. She gazed up from the ground to the sky, seeing that the storm had finally reached them. “Beeeeecause I have to make sure that my animals make it through the storm okay!”

Rainbow Dash didn't relent her gaze, but ultimately crossed her forehooves in defeat. “Fiiiiiine. I guess that’s a good enough of a reason.”

Twilight Sparkle ended the hug with the two mares, stepping forward towards Fluttershy. "Do you need any help?”

“Oh, no.” She shook her head, catching sight of the little dragon as she did so, and causing her to look back at Twilight. “Well, actually, if it's okay with you, I would like to ask Spike if he would be willing to spend the night at the cottage with me.”

“Really?” Twilight said, casting a glance over at her assistant. “I mean, it's more than fine with me—I highly doubt he would enjoy our slumber parties anyway...but why him?”

“Well...” Fluttershy retreated a step, once again looking around for advice, only to see the confused face of the drake once again. For whatever reason, that sparked something inside her. “It's just, that, I have so many little things to get done, and Spike always does a fantastic job whenever he's helping you. I promise to reward him well for his efforts!”

Her tone was forced, made apparent by the faces all her friends were making, but none of them could ever think why Fluttershy would lie about something so small. Twilight was the first to shrug her shoulders, turning to face the little dragon fully. “Well, it's your call Spike,” she said. “What do you want to do?'

Spike felt all their gazes again, and felt his chest swell up once again. Without quite knowing why, he stepped closer to Fluttershy so that her shadow helped hide him away, feeling a tinge of warmth by just standing close to her. “I'll...sleepover at Fluttershy's if that's okay.”

Twilight studied the odd behavior of her companion, feeling something stab into her at seeing how close he was standing to the other mare. Something stirred inside her, a distorted voice speaking from her subconscious mind, pulling her attention away from the already distant drake. She went to speak, but another voice beat her to it.

“That's awesome!” Rainbow Dash said in an explosion of excitement. “With Fluttershy babysitting the little guy, that means it's going to be all about us. Heck yeah!”

Applejack shook her head, looking up at the pegasus. “Of course your first thought would be about yourself!”

Dash struck her muzzle immediately against the orange one. “The heck is that supposed to mean? I said us, didn't I?”

The two mares returned to where they began, much to the chagrin and giggles of their friends, as all attention was once again placed upon them. Spike merely looked up to Fluttershy, who, surprisingly enough, had lowered herself so that the two were eye leveled, a genuine smile stretching her lips.

“Shall we go?

Spike still wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but, for the first time in a long while, he couldn't seem to care. All he had to do was nod in response, a smile forming on his lips by itself. He didn't look back at the group of friends when he began to walk, rather focusing his attention on the friend at his side. His stomach still churned, yet it was quelled by the kind mare's presence.

Twilight watched the two disappear from behind the two auguring mares, not sure why her stomach felt so horribly hollow, but she did her best to ignore the sensation. Her little dragon waved goodbye without looking back, and even though it wouldn't be seen, Twilight waved back just the same.

She then went home with her pony friends.

“Umm, Fluttershy? Can we, uh, have something to drink before bed?”

Fluttershy stopped walking at the archway into the kitchen, looking back over her shoulder, and smiling down at the little dragon that had asked her the question. Had anyone else asked it, she imagined her cheeks would've burned like Celestia's sun and her wings capable of a sonic rainboom to get her to safety.

“Of course we can, Spike,” she said softly, wishing not to disturb the slumbering animals in the next room. She walked into the kitchen and began opening the cabinets, the baby dragon right at her heel. “Tea or coffee?”

Spike's lips twitched at the thought before giving his answer. “...tea, please.”

“Alrighty then.” Her voice came slightly muffled from behind the cabinet door, which closed a moment later, revealing a face with the handle of two tea cups hanging from her mouth. Her next words were still just as muffled. “Why don't you go upstairs to my room and get the table set?”

“Okay them.” Spike the left to do exactly as he was ordered.

A little while later, once everything was set and done, the dragon and the pony found themselves seated at a small wooden table in the latter's room. They both sipped at their tea in silence, the pegasus composed in her posture; the dragon not so much. The whisper of wind could be heard from the cracks of a nearby window.

Spike fidgeted in his seat, something inside of him recoiling at the strange territory that would be his home for the night. Home, now that was a strange word—one that he would ever call a place such as this, which stirred within him a small guilt. Fluttershy had a lovely home and was even more lovely herself, yet the idea of staying here for the rest of his days, much less one night, provoked a pain he did not know he had.

The pain stayed with him. Urging him to pick up his cup of tea, the trembling claw being noticed by eyes that were not his. Back in Canterlot, he had moved from room to room, to hall from hall, to different districts and places entirely, yet not once did he feel like he was leaving home behind. Even when he left Canterlot behind and came to Ponyville, home seemed to follow him there.

So why now did he feel so hopeless far away from home?

“Is everything okay, Spike?” Her kind voice sounded far away, but upon snapping back to reality, he found her face hovering ever so close to his from over the table. “Did I boil the water too hot for you?”

“What? No!” He shook all thought away, reaffirming himself in the present moment. It did little to help his mood. “Heat is kinda irrelevant when you're a dragon, y'know?”

“Oh.” She looked down in thought, face awash in concern, before looking back up at him again. “Did I pick out a bad tasting tea? Should I go put one a better one for you?”

“No!” Spike said again, holding his cup closer to his chest. “The tea is better than it is back at home...” The drake went silent. The mare became piqued. The two found their gazes meeting.

'Can I trust her?' Spike asked to himself in thought, studying the mare for all that she was worth. He had no clue when or why he did this, assessing the ponies he met for everything that they were, almost wanting to know if he would be safe around them. 'She's Fluttershy, so I doubt she'd laugh or get offended. But...I still don't know what I feel about Twilight's friends: what I say something hurtful without meaning to?'

“Spike,” Fluttershy's voice snapped him out from himself once again, “you know you can talk to us about anything, right? That I or any one of the girls are there for you.” She set her tea cup back on the table and looked directly at the dragon. “Part of the reason why I had you over in the first place was because I thought something had you down.”

Spike's eyes widen. “Really?”

She nodded.

Spike sat back entirely in his seat, half in thought and half in reality. 'If she went through all that effort to open up, then maybe, just maybe, it's okay to open up to her.'

Picking up his tea cup, he took a deep sit of his tea, relished in the smooth taste, and asked the question that had been bugging him for most of the night. “Fluttershy,” he took a moment to sigh, “do you...ever miss home?'

“Do I ever miss home?” She repeated the question in a tone of confusion, curling a wing around her tea-cup afterward. “I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean, Spike.”

“Well, you're living inside of this place instead of the home that you grew up in.” His pitch rose almost in excitement, ripples forming inside his cup. “Technically, despite having to share it with other animals, you own this cottage, right? Because you wake up everyday inside this room, make breakfast in the kitchen below, read in the living room and have ponies over, and then come back up here to sleep when the day is over.” He took a inhale. “That's what a home is, right?”

“Uh.”

“But that's also what you did in the home that you grew up in, so why does that home feel more home like this home?” The trembles in his claw urged Spike to put his cup back on the table, quickly returning to his train of thought. “Because, if you do the same things in one place, and then do it an other, what makes the one place more than the other. How come you don't miss your home back at home?”

“Uh.”

“I mean, you sort of miss your home back at home, because that's where the memories of you growing up are. But you don't actually miss it too much, because something about that home followed you to your new home.” His speech began to slow and his eyes began to widen. “And, as long as that things is with you, then you're always at home...unless that thing began to change, then, in which case, you could go back to your first home, and it still wouldn't be...home.”

Surprised lit across the canary mare's face as she lightly put down her drink. It had been so obvious, the signs so clear of what had the little dragon down, but even now, she couldn't entirely be sure. She needed to dig just a level deeper just to be sure, where the truth could be found, but also where the most damage could be done.

Slowly, she rose from her seat; the little dragon too lost to himself to notice. It took her a few steps before she was at his side, a glance to see the tears welling in his eyes, and a gentle clearing of the throat to gain his wavering gaze. In just a few words, Fluttershy broke open the dragon.

“Spike,” she said, “do you miss home?'

“No.” He lightly shook his head as tears leaked like a stream down his cheek. “B-But I do m-miss when T-Twilight u-used to be mine!”

And that was it. Everything repressed found its escape, through tears and sobs, of nonsensical words and little hiccups. All that was under the surface came to concision in a sudden influx, showing what was and now isn't.

Spike couldn't help but cry louder. “I miss h-how we used to c-cuddle by the fire. The g-games we used to play when she got home from school. I miss being her only one...I miss my best friend!”

He wasn't exactly sure when he had done so, but the little dragon had flung himself into the chest of fur, bawling his eyes out and matting the tufts of yellow. Realizing this wasn't like how it was before, he tried to pull away and begin apologizing profusely, only to feel a forehoof pull him back into the wall of warmth.

Spike wrapped his stubby arms around the kind mare's neck as best as he could. A small gasped reached his ears, before the muzzle it came from lowered itself to rub against his frills. Lightly, the voice spoke again. “It's okay, Spike. It's okay. Let it alllll out.”

The dragon rubbed his face up and down her coat. She took that as a yes.

So they stayed like that, for a time unknown; that fact bothering neither one. The sobs were high-pitched at first, muffled by the wall of fur it originated from, steadily declining as time went by. Soon, they were nothing but the occasional whimper, though the hug didn't show signs of ending anytime soon.

Though a yawn might have contested to that thought; the dragon blushed.

Fluttershy pulled back her neck from the hug, looking down at him. “There-there. Feeling any better?”

Spike's eyes climbed the yellow eyes to lock eyes with its owner, giving a small nod—his cheek brushing against her coat. The realization of how silly he must have looked dawned on him, causing him to pull away as much as the hoof would allow. “I am now. Thank you, Fluttershy.” He sighed, pulling further away from her. His heart panged for the opposite. “I suppose we should get to bed, huh.”

“That we should.” Spike wasn't sure why he was so dismayed to hear this, nor why he felt guilt on wanting, no, needing more. But Fluttershy didn't have to help him in the first place, and to expect more, especially as her guest, would be considered rude. “Are you ready?”

The drake nodded, stepping away from the mare, only to be pleasantly surprised when he was held against her once again. Before he could think to voice his confusion, his feet left the floor below, and his stomach fluttered with butterflies. Fluttershy had taken flight, gliding backward in the air with the dragon clinging to her midsection, before her back collided with the mattress of her bed.

Despite the landing, Spike still clung to the pegasus body, so much, that he felt her chest shift when she giggled at him. He looked to see vibrant eyes looking down at him, a smile adorning the muzzle below, as Fluttershy used a wing to cover the duo with a blanket.

“I hope you don't mind sleeping in my bed just bed just for tonight,” she said, lifting the blanket up to his neck and letting it rest there. He looked up at her with confusion painted across his face, something she took notice of immediately. “But if you would rather sleep on your own, I could always prepare the guest room. You were talking about how you miss snuggling Twilight, so I thought I...”

Her voice trailed away. The little dragon had wrapped his arms fully around her, burying his muzzle into her fur and delighting himself in the sensation. Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle at how much his snout tickled, slithering her wing underneath the blanket, and using her feathers to tickle his feet lightly.

A moment later, Spike joined her in the giggles, both preparatory parts swearing truce for the time being. Soon the laughs began to die down, and the pony and the dragon laid still in their bed, gazing silently into one another's eyes. A smile blossomed on their lips.

“I'm perfect like this, Fluttershy,” Spike said almost in a whisper, unable to do anything about the smile tugging at his lips. It was hard for him to remember that last time he had felt such bliss, and when he did, he remembered the times responsible for his current sadness. That smile dropped. “But...how did you know that I was feeling down in the first place?”

Instead of answering right away, the yellow Pegasus dabbed a hoof underneath his right eye, soaking up any leftover moisture with her hoof. After a moment, she pulled it away. “Because you were acting different from how you normally do, silly.”

“Different from I normally am, huh?” Spike murmured to himself, turning his head slightly away. “I'm not even sure what normal even means anymore.”

“Huh?” Confusion tinged the mare's voice. “What do you mean by that, Spike?”

The dragon's eyelids slipped closed as the world became black to him. His breathing slowed, his shoulders still stiff; the world still existing around him. The bed, the mare—everything about it was absolutely delightful, yet it was a far cry from the place he felt most safe, the place where he could breathe genuinely—if that made any sense.

It was strange, how, solitude was both the place the dragon felt the most safe and most scared in.

'I'm not by myself at home right now,' Spike thought to himself, trying to ignore any traces of the world outside of himself, 'I'm here, in this bed cuddling with Fluttershy. I can trust her with this—she's the only one I can talk to!'

The dragon took one last breath, one last deep inhale and exhale, before his eyes slipped open. Her light green eyes were still gazing at him, still slightly narrowed, still full of concern for a dragon like him. He had made her wait long enough.

“It's just, that, I'm not quite sure what normal really is anymore,” Spike said in a shaky tone. “I don't think I've ever been normal, even before I was even born.” He looked fully to the mare, letting her see full what the emotions raging across his face. “Celestia told me my egg was abandoned instead of being in a nest. That my hatching required a magic different from the rest. Where I then grew up around ponies instead of dragons.” Spike paused, afraid of his voice cracking.

Fluttershy felt his heart racing through the vibration in his chest. She kept silent, allowing the little guy all the time he needed, but still, she was torn at being rendered to do nothing. Hating that, she instead brought the wing that was at his feet up to his back, lightly stroking it as if to coax whatever was ailing him from inside out.

It seemed to work, for, a few seconds later, the dragon spoke again. He'd never broken eye contact. “I don't know what normal is, or what normal is for me, but I won't pretend to anyway, because it's never bothered it.” He took a breath. “The differences between normal and me might hurt, but they'll never bother me, because I wasn't the only one that wasn't normal.”

Without quite meaning to, Fluttershy spoke. “Twilight...”

“Yeah.” He nodded, eyes drifting downward in memory. “The only other being, a pony, that was as weird as me! Twilight was...well, she different from the rest, special in her own way, and just like me, was without any friends.” A smile returned to his lips. “So we were perfect for each other. We even got called the Two Freaks at one point, and I don't think any other nickname could have suited us better.”

The drake had gone silent. Memories of the past were flashing through his mind, as if inviting him back, back to when the times were perfect and safe. But he knew better than to accept to their call, relaxing further into the wing at his back.

Spike emerged out from his memories and began again for the mare willing to listen about them. “Even back then, I knew I needed Twilight far more than she needed me. She was fantastic and great, and it was everyone else that just refused to see it.”

Fluttershy couldn't help but tilt her head, a smirk adorning her lips. “Are you sure that was absolutely the case, Spike?”

He titled his head and looked up. Seconds later the same smirk appeared on him. “Okay, so maybe Twilight was a bit asocial, and she did make me fall on my face a couple of times. But I'm not kidding about the great and fantastic stuff!”

“Alright,” Fluttershy said, falling back fully into the pillow. “Please continue.”

Spike took a few steady breaths, the excitement of the moment leaving him, before he finally continued. “But yeah, I knew that if, no, when Twilight started opening up to other ponies, that I'd be...done for.” The drake knew that came next, but he couldn't be sure of the reaction it could create. He tore away his gaze and settled it on the ceiling of the room instead. “I even had a nightmare about it once, where Twilight had finally made some friends, and...and when she didn't need me anymore, she locked me away inside a room.”

Spike kept still. He knew his voice had croaked. His eyes burned, but he had already been comforted for this issue, and did not have the right to cry again. “I told Twilight about the nightmare when we were cuddling, and she said that something like that would never happen—she highly doubted she'd make friends in the first place considering how weird she was.”

Spike took a deep breath, still staring up at the ceiling. “But, then, Twilight and I came to Ponyville, met you five, and now living here. We didn't even get to say goodbye to our home, but I didn't get homesickness even once, because Twilight was there with me in our new home.”

Fluttershy ventured out her voice again, not daring to turn the dragon back to her. She was glad he was expressing these feelings instead of just repressing them. “But then, because Twilight became our friends, she...changed, and now home doesn't feel the same?”

“It's like she's becoming normal,” he stated, “and my nightmare is becoming real—just in a slower way. She already forgot about me today, so it won't be long until she forgets about me forever.” He sighed and croaked. “It's just...I wish it would happen already. I wish she would just disown me and live a happy life with you girls instead of just slowly watching it happen.”

“Don't talk like that, Spike,” Fluttershy said, in a tone that bordered between harsh and concerned. “You know that Twilight loves you too much to ever forget about you, that all the girls love you as much as they love her.”

“Is that why Rainbow Dash also forgot about me?” Spike fired back, inching his head right. “Because she loved me too much? Why not just tell me the harsh truth, Fluttershy? I already know it, I've already been telling myself it. Twilight finally found other pony friends that like her as much as she likes them, all of them better than a dragon like me could ever be—I'm just useless compared to you girls.”

“Spike...”

“You could all do my chores better. You could be better friends to her. Rainbow Dash can do a sonic rainboom, so she can deliver the friendship letters just as well as I could. There's no point in me being here if I'm just useless, and it hurts seeing Twilight being taken away from me, so why even stay in the first place!”

“Now you listen here, Spike!” Surprised showed on the dragon's face as he felt two hooves take hold of his cheeks, turning his head so that he faced the face of their owner. “Twilight is her own mare and never 'yours.' I understand that you two used to be extremely close and I won't pretend to understand it's depth, but I do know you're being incredibly selfish with how Twilight's been moving forward.”

“But...Shy...”

“No 'buts,' mister!” Fluttershy began again, her hooves keeping his head still. “And our friends did not steal her away from you, and they never will. You may not to get to spend as much time with Twilight, but I know that she'll always make time for you.”

Spike kept silent.

“Do you think I'm honestly lying to you, Spike,” Fluttershy said, the harshness leaving her voice. “That I'm just telling you what you would like to hear? Because I'm not, Spike. Tell me, if you told Twilight all of this and that you'd like to spend some one on one time with her, do you think she would just outright say 'no' to your face.”

“...N-No...”

Fluttershy smiled a little, knocking some sense into the guy, even if she had to give some tough love to do so. “And if you were to give your feelings to any of our friends, do you think any of them would lash out? Have you never thought that, maybe, they're just waiting to get to know more about you.”

“But h-how do you know t-that will be the case?”

“I don't know what the future case may be,” she stated, keeping stern eye-contact. “But I do know that you won't figure out what your feelings are if you keep repressing them. That you—despite how scary it may be—will never change if you don't express your thoughts to the ponies that created them.”

“But...what if they don't like what my thoughts are?” Spike said, voice more clam than it was before. “What if they get outraged and tell me what their true thoughts of me are?”

“Spike, do you hate any of our friends?”

He was silent. Lost in thought.

“Well? Do you?”

The drake blinked, then, shook his head as much as her hooves would allow. “I don't think I could ever come to hate any of you girls. I mean, you're what Twilight needed most in her life, and, more than anything, I'm just jealous of what each of you could give to her.”

That tickled Fluttershy's fancy almost immediately, for, upon hearing it, she used the grip she already had to bury the dragon's face to her chest. He struggled for a few seconds, most likely out of confusion, before ultimately giving into the embrace, hugging her back.

“Oh, Spike! There's nothing for you to be jealous about.” He began to look up at her smiling face, still slightly confused himself. “I'm sure there are things that you give to Twilight that none of us could ever mange.”

“Right,” he said in a sarcastic tone, burying his face in defeat back into her coat. “Because no one else is able to annoy her and do menial chores. It's not like I can show Twilight how to be a hard worker like Applejack, to be as cool as Rainbow Dash, and so on and so forth.”

“Are those the things you're jealous about?” Fluttershy asked. “I'm sure that, if you gave your thoughts to each of the girls and were honest about it, that they would be more than willing to tell you how they do it. Maybe they could even help your past your own insecurities, maybe even deepen your friendship with them if you really do not feel like you have one with them.”

The words echoed in the dragon's mind, as if they had always been known about, but never given proper form. He knew that they were true—that his nightmare would slowly become real and that he'll never grow without change. He tried to change on his own, and yet he remained the same.

Spike needed help. And who better than the same mares that helped Twilight Sparkle.

He let his head rest fully against the yellow fur, his arms hugging as much as the mare as he could, as he snuggled the rest of body as close to her's as he could. With eyes already closed and a mind drifting off to the dreamscape, the drake gave his thanks to the one who assuaged his sadness.

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” he said, in a tone very light. “If it weren't for you...I wouldn't know...what I'd...do...” His voice slipped away to snores, ones that lightly tickled the yellow coat, though its owner didn't seem to mind. All Fluttershy did was kiss the baby dragon on the forehead, embrace him fully with her own wing, and proceeded to drift off to the dreamscape.

One word slipped out from her lips.

“Anytime.”

Rainbow Dash

~ Rainbow Dash ~

"It was, without a doubt, one of the best slumber parties we ever had," Rainbow said, placing her forehooves on the table and then leaning over them, "and you missed it!" She fell into her seat. "Talk about a bummer."

Fluttershy smiled from the other side of the table, giggling softly into her hoof at Rainbow’s antics. "I know, Rainbow Dash, and I’m sorry. But you know I can't just leave my critters alone on such short notice."

"Yeah. I get you." Rainbow replied, turned her head and looking down the busy street behind them. "Gotta do what ya gotta do. Still, sucks you weren’t there." Without meaning too, flitted over to the third sitting at the front of their table: a baby dragon who'd been silently watching the exchange. "How about you, little guy, sad you missed the party?"

Spike shivered at the sudden attention, gazing at her and looking confused, the latter born of being noticed by her at all. " A-Actually,” he squeaked out, “I-I don't think I would have had much f-fun at all."

"Oh?" Rainbow tilted her head. "Why's that?"

"Well..." Spike let the word hang in silence, shivering slightly as he had the confident mare' full attention, and his stomach felt hollow and his tongue in a knot because of it. He worried the response his words could cause, and thus, it wasn't much of surprise when the spade of his tail slithered in-between his claws—something he was glad to clutch on to. "It's just, that, I have a hard fitting in with you girls while you have slumber parties. I think I would have more fun at Fluttershy's regardless."

For the silence that followed afterward, Spike clutched his tail even tighter, as the air around him became tense and harder to breathe. He hated moments like these, moments where he had expressed some part of himself, to which, guilt was attached, and was utterly at the mercy of the pony who had listen to his words. Even if everything he had said was the truth, or, at least, honest, he still had the crippling fear of his feelings being proven wrong for such an apparent reason.

"Yeah, that would make sense," Rainbow said, leaning back in her seat and setting her gaze to the blue sky, where so few clouds cluttered above. "The girls tend to do some girly stuff, so I can get why a boy would be turned off."

Spike opened his mouth, wanting to tell her that she was wrong, that he didn't mind the glitter and the gossip, but then, he remembered the reason why she was wrong, and promptly close his mouth. He'd already exposed himself, more than he had in a few years time, and he'd rather stop now while he was coming out on top.

"To be honest with ya," Rainbow began, and, for a moment, Spike felt his heart jolt in ecstasy, "I probably shouldn't have gone either."

Spike's face lit up in engagement. "Really?"

"Fluttershy's ain't the only one with responsibilities, kid," she said with a note of shame. "Only I like to blow em off for fun. The way I see it, life will always have responsibilities, but times of fun rarely come up, so it's best to just indulge in them whenever ya can." She sighed, looking back down at the drake. "Of course, that does nothing for my unbalanced checkbooks the chores piling up back at home."

Fluttershy's face beamed from across the table. Since they'd come out to the table for lunch, she'd been trying to figure out a way to leave Spike with Rainbow Dash, and finally, she found an excuse that could work—much to the dragon's chagrin.

'If you're so behind in your work," Fluttershy began, earning the duo's gaze, "why not have Spike help around the house? He was fantastic cleaning the cottage the other day, and a lot of the animals have taken quite a liking to him."

"Really?" Rainbow said with an eyebrow raised, tossing a glance over to the drake. "You'd be up for helping somepony with their chores?"

"Well," Spike said, once again unsure of what to say or do—it was becoming a trend for him, really, and one he disliked. He looked to Fluttershy and caught her small smile, her small tilt of the hoof to go on, and then he knew exactly what do to. "Of course I am!" He looked back to Rainbow. "I'm the number-one assistant to Twilight Sparkle after all, so I'm used to her study messes and keeping an inventory of the library consistent!"

"I ain't denying that," Rainbow said with a nervous chuckle. "It's just, that, are you sure you want to help me with my stuff? No offense, but I don't think I've done anything to deserve that yet."

Spike's building excitement, the prospect helping the Rainbow Dash, of talking and learning from, maybe even bonding—all of it was crushed in a single instance, of a confirmation of a fear that the drake had been telling himself to be true all this time. Him and Twilight's friends were not close at all, and it seemed to him, that that would forever be the case.

He debated being silent. Of nodding his head and giving up on the affair. Of going home and being alone. Of being content in his fears. Of never changing as Twilight and her friends grew. Of being left behind as his fears told him would be the case. Spike should have known better than to fight this reality, of not disillusioning himself with a hope that was only going to be taken away.

Spike should have known better than to try. So why did he go forward and do it anyway?

"Of course you have!" Spike said, not quite sure what words were going to slip from his lips next, only that his heart swelled with a strange kind of pride. "Any friend of Twilight is a friend of mine as well! I helped Twilight and Fluttershy when they needed the help, so why shouldn't I do the same for you?"

He hadn't realized it yet, but Spike had stood up as he gave his little speech, and only after giving it did he realized how so incredibly awkward he must of look, but still, he kept standing up with that strange sense of pride.

If they weren't out in public, Fluttershy might have even clapped for him, and Spike hoped that that was the reason why Rainbow had remained still all this time. Her head pulled back an inch, and she wore an indescribable expression on her face.

Spike could feel himself beginning to sweat. "We arefriends, right?"

Moments passed. Fluttershy shifted in her seat. Spike kept standing and Rainbow kept still. The wind blew, ponies passed by, chatter was in the air, and Autumn would soon be upon them all. The silence stretched longer, the answer wasn't looking good, and the world, at least to the drake, felt like it was going to shatter, and his core was going to be exposed to it all.

Then, there was laughter, and Spike was unsure if he should still be scared or not.

"Of course we're friends, you dork!" Rainbow said after her laughter, and the drake was unsure if she was just saying that to say it or if she meant it, but before he could ponder the thought further, a cyan hoof had wrapped around his throat, and the other was rubbing into the scales of his forehead. "Just thought you'd have better things to do on the weekend than help out a lazy pegasus. But if you're game, then so am I!"

Despite being unsure about her words, despite being noogied in public, Spike could help but laugh and indulge of the fun in the present moment—the fun he and her were equally sharing. After a bit more laughter—and some sore spots rubbed—the two broke away from the contact.

It may not have been a hug, but Spike would rather have nothing else.

"Hey, little guy? You sure Twilight's going to be alright with you staying at my place for a bit?" Rainbow asked as she sat back in her chair. "Because I really wasn't kidding about my chores building up. We could be there for a while."

"Well," Spike said, thinking about it for a second, before snapping his claws. "She may have an issue with me leaving your place late, but if I'm allowed to sleep over, then she shouldn't have a problem with it."

He held his breath in waiting for a response. Was he testing his luck too far?

"Okay, yeah, I don't have an issue with it," Rainbow said, her head tilted slightly, eyes looking up. "We can order a pizza and rent a movie as payment for your work. You wanna come over now or later?"

"Uh," Spike said, hating how, despite the new flow he found himself in, he still struggled to reply to Dash. "Now if that's okay."

"Cool," she replied, "but how you going to to let Twilight know you're coming over?"

"Don't worry about it," a third voice said, drawing the gaze of the duo back to Fluttershy. "I have some books I wanted to check out from the library anyway, so I'll just let Twilight know while I'm there. I doubt she'll have an issue with it, but just in case, I can always fly over and bring back Spike."

"That works for me!"

The three finished off whatever preparations they needed for the night, thanking each other for their company and wishing them a good day. Spike became suddenly apprehensive about the whole deal as Fluttershy walked away, the one mare that knew of his fears and was okay with them, suddenly gone and leaving him with someone who, much to his shame, intimidated him.

"You getting on or what?" Rainbow Dash said, standing next to the drake, her barrel lowered so he could hop on. "Flying for the first time is scary, but just hold on to my mane tight, and you'll be alright. "

Then Spike had another thing to be afraid of, actually flying with Rainbow Dash. But it was too late to back out now, and doing so wouldn't change anything. Time didn't change anything; doing stuff does. So, with a mightily gulp, Spike pulled himself onto Rainbow's back, held tightly to her mane, and felt his body go light as they took to the skies.

Spike hoped, that, whatever laid on the other side of his fears, that it was worth the cost of beating them.

When Rainbow Dash had said she'd been letting the chore piling up, she wasn't lying, but neither was she telling the truth. Spike had thought she'd neglected a few chores in exchange for a few days of fun, but upon entering the cyan mare's home, he felt like a neglected few months suited the place a lot better.

"Make yourself at home. Ya want some tea or coffee?" Rainbow said upon closing the cloudy door behind her, blocking the ray of sunlight from entering the now dim room. She walked past the still drake, stepping over empty pizza boxes and discarded jackets, coming into, what can only be called loosely, a kitchen. "Cause I got instant and green-tea if you're looking for a pick me up."

Spike opened his mouth and closed it again, opening and closing, eyes drifting, messes being spotted, along with a scent that the owner of the home had definitelygone blind too. He tried talking over the realization of just how much work awaited him. "I-I'll have c-coffee, please."

"Aaaalright! Now you're talkin'." Rainbow hovered over the counter, and, with the flick of her hoof, flipped on the kettle. As the water began to boil, she soon found her muzzle buried in the cabinet above. "How ya take it, small stuff!"

"Black please."

"Black eh?" She pulled back yellow container with a forehoove, looking over her shoulder at him as she closed the cabinet door. "Don't tell me you're going to be as dull as your coffee while we clean."

"Uh." Spike fished for a response, something cool as to his host nature, something to disprove her subtle fear. This was the response he gave. "Uhhh." Three H's, because you know he's serious.

"Easy Spike, I'm only teasin'." Rainbow said, stepping towards the sink. She dipped a wing into it. "Loosin' up if you can, Celestia knows I would after dealing with Twilight's antics and Fluttershy's messes." She pulled two mugs out with her wing, gazing into them for any lingering filth. "So take a load off and put your legs up on the table—no sense in tackling the workload just yet."

Spike was so horribly confused about the whole situation that, which seemed to become a trend now, he was unsure of what he was supposed to do. Should he argue that the messes Fluttershy's critters leave don't even compare to the main room, nonetheless whatever else lurked inside the other rooms? Should he be thankful for how direct she was being, stripping him of the fear of not exactly knowing what he should be doing? The stress of the affair was getting to him, and ever so suddenly, he had forgotten to breathe as he thought.

"Y-Yeah," he said, trying to hide his pants underneath his voice. "You're right, Dash, and thanks." He waddled over to a table suited just a few feet from the kitchen, arriving before the white and hopping on to it, coming to fidget as he tried to sit comfortably. It blasted nervous energy would not leave him n hoping up onto his seat, fidgeting as he tried to get comfortable. It seemed the nervous energy would never leave him.

"Last I check, I thought I said to prop your feet on the table!" Rainbow shouted, ending the drake's shifting as he looked to her. Her tongue stuck out her lips playfully at him as she began to scoop coffee with her wing into the mugs. "I wasn't kidding when I set to cut loose! Trust me, put your legs up, place your claws behind her head, lean back, take a deep breath, and just...relax."

Spike blinked a few times upon receiving the orders, still horribly ashamed that he was acting so out of place. Was she feeling as awkward as he was? Was she regretting her choice of bringing him along? It was all so sudden for her, now to have this strange creature, this dragon in her home, that the feelings must be mutual. She was still looking at him, her eyes again expecting, doubling his heartbeat to the point he felt himself begin to sweat.

Then, before any more thoughts could spring to the forefront of his mind, Spike slowly put his legs up on the table, their placement on the semi-cloudy object feeling weird, and once again, he became worried of doing something wrong. But instead of thinking of how wrong he was yet again, the dragon instead put his left leg on his right, and just like that, a feeling of relief washed over him.

Spike exhaled heavily, feeling a weight leave his shoulders, the tension of the room suddenly gone as he leaned back into his seat, his claws resting against his head almost naturally. His posture felt so wrong, so rude and so different, yet, when he breathed again, the air had never felt so fresh—despite the overall stench of the place.

"See?" Rainbow said, tipping the kettle over the mugs with a wing, steaming water pouring downward. "Isn't that so much better?"

"Totally," Spike replied, content staring up at the ceiling. It was made out of clouds as well. "If I knew this was as relaxing as cool it looked on you; then I would have started doing this no matter how much Twilight yelled at me."

"Yeeesh." Rainbow finished pouring. "I don't envy you." She put the kettle back on the stand, slipping the ends of each of wings into the handle of the mugs, before turning back around to him. "If I had to deal with half of Twilight's rules, I think I would have run away like you did as well."

She walked to the table as she spoke, putting a mug down on either side, before taking her seat at the opposite end of him. Spike didn't have the heart to correct her—the real reason was also the reason he was sitting her now—well, sitting back now.

Rainbow Dash took her seat, and in doing so, raised her mug over the table, looking over expectedly at the drake. At first, he was confused (great surprise), but it only took a moment for the act to click, and at that moment, he was filled with glee. He leaned forward immediately, taking his mug and claw, and holding it before hers.

"Cheers," she said.

"Cheers," he replied.

The two clinked their mugs, sat back their seats, and sipped their drinks. Spike took in his sips, of having an act that he could fulfill, instead of just standing around and looking guilty for something to do. Whenever he had a purpose, something to do, he felt a little less guilty about being somewhere.

"I gotta ask. Just how is it working for Twilight anyway?" Rainbow's mug covered most of her muzzle, but her rose eyes were set upon him. "I mean, we all love her to death, but being around her eccentricities twenty-four seven has got to be a little hard on the spirit."

"Well." Spike chuckled nervously. "What can I say?" He began to sip on his coffee, hoping to buy himself a few more precious seconds. He gulped then spoke. "It's always been a pleasure working for Twilight! She's my best friends and gave me a home to stay—there's nothing I wouldn't do for her because of that."

Dash's lips stretched left, her eyes half-closed, as she took a deep breath looking down, and then spoke. "And I don't doubt that for a second, Spike, but...surely she says or does some things that irk you, right?"

"Uh, well..."

Dash sighed, placing her mug on the table. "You know it's cool not always to be okay with other ponies, right, Spike? Just because Twilight leaves messes for you to clean when you wake up doesn't mean you don't love her any less."

"Um, I mean..."

"Is it that you don't trust me?" she said, not with any particular tone, but it jolted his heart all the same. "I get it, you and I aren't exactly close, so I would be afraid of somepony blubbering everything you said to Twilight."

"I-It's not that either!" Spike said, slamming his mug on the table as the liquid jumped up. She stared at him in surprise. "I mean, I would be pretty scared if what I said was taken out of context and told to Twilight, but I trust you. I know we're not close, but I'd trust you no matter what!"

Rainbow tittered. "Oh? How come?"

"How come? Well, uh, it's...it's because you're awesome!" he said, falling back into his seat, normally this time around. "From the first moment we met, and you cleared the clouds, I've always thought you were awesome! Then, I got to hang around the girls, and I saw just how much you care for them, of how you sit through Rarity's gossip and Twilight mathematics."

"Is that so?" Rainbow said, giggling now at his enthusiasm. "What else ya got?"

"You never leave the girls hanging either," he said, voice becoming calm. "You're always there for them, either to work or to listen or just even hang out. Plus, there's the sonic rain-boom you did, and just, and just how cool you are! Even if I wasn't Twilight's friend and we never met, I'd still trust you just the same!"

Rainbow stopped giggling, eyes blinking at the proclamation. Slowly, she leaned over the table. "Hey, Spike? Do ya...do ya really mean that?"

"Of...of course I do," Spike said, finding it hard to keep eye contact with her. Once again, in a fit of energy, he had exposed himself to another. "You're cool, Rainbow Dash, and the fact that you and I are even talking right now blows my mind."

Then, her expression change, the smile fading, and her eyes becoming stern. "Stop that."

Spike blinked. "Stop that."

"Don't think I didn't catch that," she continued, leaning more over the table, " of how you put yourself in your praise of me. I'm going to tell you this, and I'm going to tell you this once, so listen closely."

Spike gulped, not the coffee but his saliva, well, the saliva could still be tinged with the coffee, but that was not the point of him swallowing. He gulped because he was afraid, yet he leaned forward anyway to catch her precious words.

"Never think as somepony so important that you'll never be good enough to meet them," she said, in a tone of simplicity. "And never think yourself so important that nopony is ever good enough to meet you." She pulled back, a small smile on her lips. "That last part is a bit much coming from me, but that doesn't make it any less true."

Spike didn't move, didn't blink, as all the circuits in his head and body all went wrong. It was impossible to think, that this pegasus with a body built for the wonder-bolts, beaming with such personality, didn't consider herself as someone more important than him. Congestive dissonance was upon the drake, and he fought it back with all his might.

"So, t-that mean you're cool with me?'" he said, still leaning over the table. Her face looked amused by this. "That I'm not wasting your time, or that you rather not have me here, or—"

"Ease the thoughts," she said, bopping her hoof on his muzzle. "You've always been alright in my books. I won't lie to you say that we're close, or that you're not annoying at times, but then again, who isn't? I'm just more concern that someone saw me as too important to strike up a conversation with."

Spike held his mouth open, but could not get out a response.

"You gotta think about how the pony you look up to feels," Rainbow said, "because, even though I think I'm awesome, I don't think I'm that awesome. Pleasantly of things still scare me, and, I'll beat you if you tell anyone this, but there's still a lot of things that I'm not good at."

Spike closed his mouth, listening to her words carefully.

"How'd you think it feels to have ponies always looking up to you, of never feeling like you're on equal ground? Talking always about how awesome you are, but never anything else." She chuckled, looking down. "I'm all for the praise, but even somepony like me gets sick of it after a while."

She looked back up at him, staring into her eyes. "Especially when they put themselves down because of me. Hard to feel up when you're the cause of ponies, and apparently dragons, putting themselves down."

Spike's arms began to tremble on either side of the table, his eyes blinking, his lips slightly parted, as the trembles started to shake the rest of his body. He looked down, unable to suffer her harsh gaze anymore as he fell back into his seat. He couldn't think of what to say, what was the right thing to say at a time like this, but his mind kept pulling blanks in the silence.

Spike sighed, and, in closing his eyes, began to speak, not from his mind but his heart, for once in his life being honest with his feelings with somepony else without being prompted to. "To tell you the truth, Dash, I never thought of that before."

He opened his eyes to the mare, enduring her gaze and setting out on his path anyway. "I've always spent my time looking up, and not just because I'm small. Whenever I see you girls, whenever I see most ponies, I can't help but admire you all. I see everything that makes you great, what makes you all so awesome and unique, but, whenever it comes time for me to look in the morrow, I see none of that at all."

Spike inhaled deeply and exhaled just the same. "And it's just, I never considered what it would be like for the other pony looking down. There's just so much I didn't consider, and I'd hate it too if I was the cause of other ponies putting me down."

He shook his head, catching his mug within his sight, and then taking it with his claw. "And, to be honest with you, I don't think I'll ever be able to shake that stance off. I'll cut it back for sure, but there's such a gap between you and I, between the girls and I that I can't even begin to compare."

"And who said you were supposed to compare in the first place?" Rainbow said, almost with a growl, her face stern yet again, but only because of her concern. "Because let me tell you something, Spike, the comparison game never works out in the end."

"How...how do you mean?"

"Listen, I could go on all day about how I could beat you any race, lift a weight with my wing that would take both your claws, or, heck, even having the ability to fly. There are so many areas where I'm better than you, Spike, but does that make me better than you?"

Spike blinked. He wanted to answer yes and no at the same time.

"Because let me tell you something: I'm glad you came because I'm clueless when it comes to balancing books. It's not long after I clean that things begin to fall out of order, and I'm lazy enough that it builds into this mess." She gestures blew hoof across the main room. Spike didn't need to follow it. "I could also go on about all the things you're better at than me, Spike, but does that make you better than me?"

"N-No!"

Rainbow rolled her eyes at his ability to admit that, but not the one before. "Then there's no point in comparing one pony to another. Just because you're better at one thing does not make you better than anypony else—there's a lot of ponies that don't understand that, but you don't for different reasons than them."

"I uh...I guess I do."

"Look, the same applies to personalities as well," Rainbow said, sitting back into her seat, the air between them becoming more lax. "There's no real way to compare one to the other, all you're left with in that case is preferences. I mean, sure, you could say I'm a bit hot headed and yours a bit cool, but I take more chances than you do."

"I think...I think I'm starting to get it now," Spike said, to both her and himself, as he couldn't help but feel like a fool with the influx of information—knowledge and wisdom he wished he knew long ago. "In the end, we all pretty much equal out the same, so there's no real point to comparing."

"Exactly," she said, with a smile at last, picking up her mug and drinking once again. After, she sighed happily. "No sense in sweating the small stuff. All you can really do is compare yourself to who you were yesterday, and work on all the stuff you feel like ya gotta work on." She then shrugged her shoulders with a grin on her muzzle. "Or don't. You don't have to measure up to be worth something, and you're already good where you are now—the only reason to improve is if ya want to get better."

Spike clenched his claws, feeling his eyes beginning to burn. He kept it back, not wanting to be the one to ruin such a great moment between the two. But there was still one fear, still something that nagged at the back of his head, something that threatened to destroy all that he had learned.

"But what if you don't feel like you have a personality?" he said, hoping his tone hadn't come off as pleading.

"Everyone has a personality, Spike, including you—and I've seen it first hoof." Rainbow held out her mug once again, smiling at him from behind it. "Just let yourself be free and be honest with what you feel, it coming emerging out eventually. But not if ya keep worrying about it like Twilight used to."

Spike couldn't help but laugh, wiping his eyes just to be safe. "I guess I have been a bit of a Twilight."

"Tell me about it," Rainbow said with a chuckle, her mug still held out. "But, just like her, you'll get better with time." The two made full eye contact, each communicating everything in their gaze. "For now though, best not to keep me hanging. Let's clinks our drinks and get on with the work."

She didn't need to speak twice, for, the drake had already raised his mug, and the clink resounded throughout the house. They gulped down the lukewarm liquid at the same page, slamming the mug on the table in unison, before wiping their lips, and beginning with their tasks.

It was going to be a long day, but neither one of them minded.

In the aftermath of the day, of the washing of clothes and cleaning of floors (don't expect me to explain that one), of throwing out garbage and going through a year worth of bills, Spike had to admit that, after suffering from sunrise to sunset, he had gone through much worse. In fact, he'd be a scaly little liar if the entire affair wasn't fun.

Sure, the stench of most of Rainbow Dash's clothes were prominent, but her quips on how she needed to shower more always made him laugh. The two were talking through most of it, of wonder-bolts and even old rock records, something he hadn't realized Rainbow was a connoisseur of. The topics, the mutual feelings on subjects never seemed to run out, but the work certainly did.

The two sat now on the couch in the center of the room, both feet and hooves set upon the table before it, their owners with their eyes glazed to the distant screen. They'd come across some scattered movies during the movies, a couple of classics, and the duo had agreed to binged them all, currently laughing in delight at the comedy currently playing.

"Oh Celestia," Rainbow began, coming down from the laughter, "still as funny as when I was a filly, wouldn't you agree?"

"Dunno," Spike replied, looking up to her with a devious smirk, both of them bathed in the screen's blue glow, "this movie is older than I am, so who am I to say?"

"Oh!" She shook her head in faux surprise. "Calling me old, are ya? That's it! I'm telling Twilight you watched a movie she forbid against."

"That's cool," he replied without missing a beat, "and I'll just tell her who allowed me to watch the movie as a reward."

Rainbow laughed her hardest. "Thatta boy! Now you're learning!"

He smiled at that, a small blush on his cheeks, though she made no mention of it. They returned to the screen, coming to laugh, again and again, sometimes holding each other in glee in response to the jokes, knowing of no better way to spend a night such as this. Soon, the next movie began to play, and the mare was still just as excited, while the drake was a little wobbly. He tried keeping straight and his eyes wide, but Rainbow was onto his antics.

"Y'know, if ya want, you can lean on me if ya like." A jolt coursed through the drake, who looked up at her in surprise. She giggled. "I don't bite and I don't mind, plus, I won't tell anyone else about it if you promise the same."

The drake sleepily nodded his head. Before he could pull back, he felt his drowsiness push him forward, his heart jolting for a second, before his face came into contact with a plush cyan wall. He felt it shift upon the sudden contact, shivering almost as a voice above giggled.

"You seriously can't be comfortable like that,' Rainbow said, her voice rumbling through her body and into his pressed ears. Spike enjoyed the effect, letting his whole body fall against her, relying all his weight unto her. She giggled at the contact.

"There we go." Rainbow looked down at him. "Comfy?"

He nodded his head, his ear-fins rubbing against her feathers and sending delightful shivers up her spine. If Rainbow was honest, she mutually enjoyed the embrace, though she would never outright say so.

The movie played, but its attendance wasn't paying that much attention. One drifted into slumber and the other just relished in the moment. The drake had closed his eyes, but was still conscious enough to pose a mumbled question.

"Hey...Rainbow?"

"Yeah, sport?"

"Do you...regret today...at all?"

"Not in a million years," she said, wiping away some dust on his forehead with a hoof. "Totally sudden and a bit weird at first, but today turned out better than I could ever have expected. I've got a clean home because of you, a movie buddy too."

"Hey...Rainbow?"

"Yeah?"

"I really...like you...and I'm glad...that you like me to," he yawned, snuggling further into her fur. "...because you're really cool...and...and..." he yawned again, slowly losing his voice. "...and I hope...that one day... I'll...be...just as cool...just...just in my own way..."

Spike's voice trailed off, and light snoring followed.

Rainbow smiled, unfurling her wing and wrapping the small wrapping the smaller creature in her wing. She made sure to hold him as close to herself as she could, fully enjoying the embrace, of all that had happened today, and hoping the same would happen again for the days to come.

But, for now, Rainbow let the sleeping dragon lay against her body. Smiling, she whispered into his ear.

"I'm sure you will, Spike, I'm sure you will."

Applejack

~ Applejack ~

"Yeesh," Rainbow said as she leaned back in her seat, hind-hooves, of course, already up on the table. "Yeah, I gotta slide with Fluttershy on this one—you are acting a like a pansy."

Spike sighed and rolled his eyes, leaning back into his seat, and, just like his counterpart, with this feet up on the table. It no longer felt alien to him now, neither did the mare on the other side of the table, which was part of the reason why he rolled his eyes instead of breaking out of tears at the criticism.

"Great boost of confidence, Dash," he said, only slightly fazed he was talking back to the likes of someone like her. "Now I'm really sure I can win Twilight back." He blinked, realizing his words. He promptly shook his head. "No, that was wrong of me to say." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "I just...I wanna become good enough like you girls are for Twilight."

"Spike," Rainbow droned, and when the drake opened his eyes, he caught an icy glare from her rosy eyes, "the whole point of last night about not needing to be good enough just to be somepony's friend. Just relax and talk to her."

Spike came forward, pulling down his legs and placing his claws on the table. "I will, and I promise that I've taken everything you said to heart, and I will talk to Twilight." The sincerity in his voice caused Rainbow to lose the glare, her lips even adopting a small smirk. "But I don't want this to end just yet. I've been afraid of you girls all this time, and now, because I've finally begun talking to you all, I'm learning so much, not just about myself but you as well."

He dipped it his head, finding it hard to make eye-contact as he spoke so truly of his feelings. "You girls are all so amazing, so unique and so cool, that I just want you all out in any way I can. But now, now that I have this confidence that we're all equal, then maybe, just maybe I can get the other to open up as well, and I'll become as awesome as the six of you."

Rainbow stared at him from across the table, head slightly tilted in thought, eyes scanning his face. Then she chuckled, a single shake of her shoulders, as she later rolled her eyes. "Ya ever wonder if you're overthinking the whole thing?"

"All the time."

They shared a chuckle.

"Well," Rainbow began, bouncing her head left and right, "since technically, you're tacking your fears head-on instead of letting them lock you away, I guess you get a pass in my books." She slid her hind-hooves off the table and let fall to the cloudy fall. "But tone the struggle back if ya can. You'll hit it off a lot better with ponies if you don't have some objective in mine—makes you sound a little creepy if I'm being honest."

"Once again, thanks for the confidence boost, Dash."

"Oh C'mon! Would you like it better I lied to you?"

Spike turned from the table, preparing to hop down from his seat. "Suppose not, but I guess dealing with the truth is something I gotta get better at."

Spike hopped down onto the floor; Rainbow Dash stood up from her seat. The two turned their heads to one another.

"Hey," Rainbow began, stepping towards the drake. "Since we're on the subject of truth and honesty and some other third thing, I know who you should visit next!"

"Applejack?"

Rainbow nodded her head. "Mmmhmm! She's been going on and on about the number of no-shows on the farm as of late. If you were to offer her a claw, then I'm sure she would show you the ropes—maybe even literally."

Spike raised an eyebrow in confusion; Rainbow only laughed.

"Do you think she would even accept my help a second time?" Spike asked. Her laughter ceased immediately. "Because I don't want to waste her time if I know the answer's already going to be no."

"The answer isn't 'already no,' Spike, and no amount of thinking will make it so." Rainbow fell to her rump before him, and even then, she still towered above him. "But if you keep this up and tell Applejack all the reasons why you shouldn't help out on the farm, then you shouldn't be surprised with the answer ya get."

She laid a hoof on his shoulder, looking deeply into his eyes. "Confidence is key. Instead of focusing on your past mistakes, show instead how much you've improvedfrom them. I know that'll jive with Applejack."

"A-And what if she still says no?"

"Then she says no. Trust me; the word isn't scary as you think: watch." She inhaled deeply. "No no no no no no no no." She then hunched forward, dropping her muzzle next to his, gasping for a few breaths, before looking back into his eyes. "Now try this on for size: yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes."

Spike narrowed his eyes and pulled back his head.

"See?" Rainbow said, pulling her head back up. "They're just words, nothing to be afraid of! But not giving it your best and not trying at all?" She blew out her lips as her head inched back. "Now that's something to be afraid of."

Spike was still, thinking ever more, the mare's words echoing in the forefront of his mind. Then, he closed his eyes, chuckling and smiling as he did so, feeling like the world's biggest goof. "You're right, Rainbow Dash."

"Of course I am," she said, "because I'm Rainbow Dash."

That elicited another round of chuckles. It wasn't before long that finished off any remaining chores in the house, before heading to the front door. Rainbow opened it, looking back to her charge. "I've been fancying some apple-cider since last night, so I'll drop you off if that's alright."

"Really?" Spike said, quickly running up to her side. "You'd do that for me?"

"Who said I'm doing it for you?" she replied with a smirk. "I'm just thirsty for some cider, plus, I owe Twilight some after stealing her last batch. I'll tell her what's up with you when I drop it off."

"Thank you, Rainbow Dash!"

"I already told you, there's no need to thank me because I'm doing it for myself." She lowered herself on all fours, shaking her barrel. "Now hop on. We're wastin' sunlight!"

Spike didn't hesitate, smiling as he clambered onto her back, his fear of flying with her cured in a single instance. Once he was seated, Rainbow rose up, stepping out the door and closing it with a kick. Her wing unfurled, catching the first rays of sunlight, before she leaped forward, and begun to soar through the blue skies.

The sun buzzed overhead, its heat heating down on the ponies scattered across the green field, all of whom were already sweating due to their work of bucking the nearby trees. Applejack wiped her brow, her hindlegs bucking the tree behind her, as the all too familiar sound of apples falling into her cart filled the air.

Applejack panted. Then, the heat became more tolerable, and the light less harsh, causing her to look up to what had gone wrong. Happiness and pleasure were something to be suspected in the Apple family, and the earth-pony herself would first suspect that the moon was falling than a slow cloud passing her by.

Which is precisely why she was delighted to just what was hovering above her.

"Well, I'll be." Applejack reached up a hoof to take off he hat, holding it to her chest as her body was blanketed in the shadow of her descending guests. "This is certainly a combination I wasn't expecting to see today." Rainbow Dash landed before her, the drake on her back quick to clamber down. "What brings ya to Sweet Apple Acres?"

Rainbow kept silent and still, unsure of the course of the conversation she wanted to take. The seconds ticked by, the sun continued to beat down, and then she stopped thinking and trusted her mouth instead. "Just out for my morning flight, figured I'd try my luck at scoring some cider if ya have some lying around."

"And here I thought ya wanted to help out," Applejack said, rolling her eyes, but smiling all the same. She tossed her glance downward. "It's quite a sight to see ya without Twilight. Don't tell me Rainbow has got you up to mischief."

"Not at all!" Spike raised his claws up in defense, his brow beginning to sweat. "I just did her taxes and cleaned her house, honest!"

Applejack glared back to Rainbow. "Gosh darn it, Dash! You stole Twilight's assistant on his day off just to clean up your messes?"

"Whoa whoa whoa," she too held up her forehooves in defense, relying on her wings as she hovered back into the air, "I didn't force him to do anything: he offered to help. Besides, he helped Fluttershy the night before, and I bought him pizza, so it makes everything okay in the end."

"She's not lying!" Spike said, stepping out from pegasus shadow, and into the light, standing exactly before the orange earth mare. "You girls have done a lot for Twilight and me, and, well, I wanna pay you all back somehow." He gulped, then stared up, directly into bright green eyes. "Which is why I wanna help out on the farm, at least, just for today."

Applejack looked down at him, face stoic as always, never yielding the mare's thoughts and expression.

Spike became worried, as he was prone to do, about what the other pony thought about him. That she was pulling up all the reasons, all the dastardly memories of his failures, and then finding the most careful words to put him down. Had this been yesterday, Spike imagined, he would have just kept silent, nodding in agreement to the fact of his ineptitude.

But this was today, and Spike had learned from yesterday.

"The last time I helped out on the farm, I know I was a bit much," Spike said, braving the gazes of the two mares as he once again exposed himself. "But this time around, I promise to take everything slow. If you show me how the job is done, I swear I can learn to get the job done well." He clasped his claws together, fluttering his eyes. "So please let me work for you?"

Applejack's head recoiled back, eyes blinking a few time as she looked down at him, mouth open but only strange sounds coming out. The drake wasn't sure if this was a rejection or just pure confusion on her part, but, after a few seconds later, the answer became clear, once she had laid a hoof on his head and gave it a soft rub.

"Well, I'll be, a boy that fancies work over comic books!" Applejack pulled him into a quick embrace, one he immediately recuperated. "Of course ya can help out, assumin', of course, Twilight's alright with it."

A thought struck Spike, one that caused him to shiver despite the wall of fur, something that made him look down in shame. It'd been two days since he'd seen Twilight, their longest time apart since Canterlot, and by offering to help her friends, he couldn't help but feel like he'd betrayed her in some sort of way.

"Of course Twi's cool with it!" Rainbow said, earning the duo's gaze as they slowly broke away. "She let him help me and Fluttershy after-all." She brought herself up to Applejack's side, lips hovering just before her ear. "I was even thinkin' of seeing her today, but only if I had some cider to share. The little guy is itchin' to stay the night in order to help you out, and I know I could get Twi to agree easily."

Applejack's eyebrow never lowered during the bribe, inching ever higher with every introduction of a clause, coming to sigh once the deal was over. Her eyes wandered west, to where the drake stood, eyes shimmering and clews trembling, it looked like he wanted to stay.

"You'll find Mac in the house," Applejack said, turning back to Dash as she spoke. "He'll let ya have what's left in the last keg."

"Awesome!" Rainbow propelled her hoof through the air. "That's everything I came here for." She then turned to the smaller drake, giving him the biggest smile she could manage, it even catching some sunlight. "Guess this is where you and I part ways."

Spike opened his mouth to speak, to talk of how much fun he had last night, how his new-found confidence was because of her, or how much he was going to genuinely miss her once she was gone. Try as he might, no words could express all that he felt towards this mare—towards this friend.

Which is why relief washed over him when a cyan hoof lifted up his jaw, closing his mouth. Before he could be granted a moment of confusion, a wind of the same color wrapped around his body, concealing himself and it's owner's muzzle and granting them privacy.

"Remember," Rainbow said, her face just before his, "above all, be confident. Be confident that you can do the job, and have the confidence to confide in her without any shame. You can do this, Spike, I believe in you." Her forehooves reach around his waist, pulling him against her, as she rested her muzzle on his shoulder. "And next time? Don't sweat needing to help me just to come over; my couch is always available for your butt."

Spike blinked, feeling his eyes beginning to burn with tears, all of which he wiped away upon rubbing his face against her chest. She giggled at how much his muzzle tickled—the wonderful sensation causing her to hold him closer to her chest.

"Thank you," he said.

"Don't mention it," she said, squeezing the embrace for all it was worth, before reluctantly pulling away. "You know how to keep quiet during a motive, and you enjoy vintage comedy, so our lazy butts were made for each other."

Spike smiled.

"Anyway, it's time I got a move on," she said, beginning to pull up, "and for you to get to work. Oh, and if you tell anyone about that hug of ours: you're dead."

Spike smiled even more, nodding his head as sunlight filled all around him once again, the cyan wing retreating to its host.

Rainbow Dash walked past the drake, flashing him one last smirk for good luck, her trajectory set for that of the distant house. Before she could trek away, an orange hoof barred her path, causing her to look to its owner.

"What is it yer plotting?"

"Surprisingly, it's not me this time around," Rainbow replied with a smile, pushing down the orange hoof. But, instead of trekking forward, she instead brought her muzzle to Applejack's ear and whispered, "but take it easy on the sport. He only wants to do good."

And with that, Rainbow was on her way, another mare, another friend that Spike had made, leaving him once more. He knew it wasn't fair to get upset, that he'd been left for the likes of Applejack, and anything could happen between of them. But he almost felt that Rainbow would forget him, of their new-found relationship, and things would go on as they did before.

But all those fears were quelled the moment Rainbow raised a hoof, waving back to the drake while she focused head, showing just indeed, she would never forget. Spike smiled, wanting to cry all over again, but that wasn't in the cards at the moment. He turned around, looking up to Applejack with a confident grin and open claws.

"So, where do we start?"

During his flight, whenever he wasn't being assaulted by whipping winds and the sharp turns of his host, Spike was thinking just what kind of job awaited him on the farm. Would he be alongside the other workers as they bucked the trees? Perhaps pushing a wagon full of apples or plowing the lands for seeds?

What he wasn't expecting, however, was to be given a clipboard and thrown into a dim room, filled with nothing but crates and barrels and bags and other such things.

"I don't get it," Spike said, turning to the door. Applejack half-way through leaving it when her ears flicked up, and she looked back at him. "I thought you said I could help."

"And ya are helping us, Spike," Applejack replied, turning fully around to face him. "Our numbers have been outta whack since Granny Smith last threw out her back!"

"And...and that's important?"

"Is that important?" Applejack tasted the words in her mouth, promptly spitting them out moments later. "Why, part the reason why I gave you job is because of how well you are with numbers for Twilight! We've been orderin' seeds despite having plenty and not ordering tools because the number tell us otherwise."

Spike let his claws droop as he looked away. "I guess I get it." He looked back to her, his tone unsure. "But isn't there, I don't know, something more important I can do to help you?"

"I'm not sure I read ya there, Spike," Applejack said, her tone taking concern as her rump hit the floor. "Just what do ya mean by that?"

"I don't know," he said, feeling as though he had made a fool out of himself. The previous two times, Spike was able to make some sort of connection with Twilight's friends, but here, he felt as though he had hit a brick wall. "I just thought I'd be out there on the fields, with all the others, working hard to help the farm."

"Right,' she said, "and those who can't do physical labor, like Appleboom or Granny Smith, they aren't helping the farm when they do inventory for us?"

"I...I didn't mean it like that!" Spike said, his breathes becoming quicker as the room began to grow blurry. "It's just that...I..."

"Listen, Spike, and listen close," Applejack said, her expression set in stone. "Just because one job is harder, just because on job looks cooler, it doesn't mean that the other jobs suddenly become less important." She stood up, walking to the wall situated with many shelves, where she then pointed to the bags lineing them. "If we miscount these and order too few, we'll run out of seeds in less than a week." She turned to him. "Do you know what that means?"

"Um...that something bad with happen?"

"We'll catch the error by the time it's too late," she said, stepping forward. "It'll take a few days for us to request more, and in those few days, we won't have anything to grow crops with. Our schedule goes back, workers don't get paid, and ya can very well guarantee they'll be a shortage of food throughout the town."

"I'm...I'm sorry, Applejack," he said, trying desperately to keep his voice from cracking. "I never considered that before."

"It's very easy to overlook the small things, Spike," Applejack said, her features softening. "But they always matter, it just ponies only realize they do when it's too late. A job, no matter how small or how big, helps you, everyone around you, as well as the farm itself. Never neglect the small things, Spike."

He nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak, hoping the act itself would prove to her that she understood.

"Good." Applejack turned back around, intent on the door. "Now, I've got to tend to my own chores and check up on the other workers. Since you're offering to help, ya can work at your own pace—I'll be back soon enough to check on ya."

Spike nodded again, doing his best to smile, but he imagined she'd seen it falter. She didn't make any mention of it as she left the room, leaving him the space and the time to compose himself after the embarrassing situation. Things had turned out the absolute worst for Spike, leaving him so pent-up inside. He felt as though all that had happened before was meaningless—that he was just going to make the same mistakes and had lied to and wasted the time of Applejack.

Should he just give up? Tell her it was a waste and go home? What would have been the point of it all, then? Spike sighed, the negativity welling inside him, feeling his body bloat with the unpleasant feeling. He just wanted to shut down, but that wouldn't be possible here—he couldn't just back away after offering his claw.

That triggered it. Spike looked to his claw, to the clipboard he was holding, a list running down through the papers attached. It had the icon of the item, the brand, and the purpose, where it was supposed to be stored, and it's quantities.

A shiver ran through the claw holding the clipboard, it shaking with the weight it carried behind it. Mess this up, Spike thought, and the farm shuts down, and there's a shortage of food. Such a simple task possessed severe consequences, ones he wasn't sure he could bear the shame of. The task simple task became impossible—a more responsible pony should have been given the reigns over this.

Before he could drop a clipboard, another voice spoke inside of Spike, one recently ignited and just as true. Haven't you've done this before, the voice asked, hasn't this been what you've been doing all your life?

Spike looked to the clipboard, and what he saw caused his arm to stop shaking. Instead of seeing bags and seeds, of tools and tin buckets, he saw books and shelves, of filled-cabinets instead and stressed out lavender mares. It then clicked, Applejack's comment on why she had given him the job.

"You've done this before," the voice of Rainbow Dash said, "and you'll do it again."

The room surrounded the drake. On a farm far away from home, tasks different yet the same, with something inside himself to prove, but only if he trusted himself enough to carry out the job. He knew the neglecting the small things could leave to devastating consequences, yet he had the confidence to carry out the task anyway.

It wasn't easy for him at first. The bags for the seeds all looked akin, except for different shading and the icon the middle of the bag. He ended up second-guessing what he had recorded to a point, worried he'd mistaken a bag for something else, and would go back and examine each bag more thoroughly. He hated himself when he did it, it cost time and progress, but it was worth the price of doing the job right the first time.

It took a little while, but the drake began to get into the groove of things, and when he did, the most peculiar thing happened to him. He'd still been pent-up with his last encounter with Applejack, unsure how to deal with those emotions, but he felt them begin to fade the further he got into his work.

The work started to go by faster. He was still careful to ascertain an item's true identity and resolve any lingering discrepancies, but he'd gotten better at recognizing the different items that he didn't need to expend as much effort as before. In fact, he was making fewer mistakes, and attaining more progress and at a speed far quicker than before.

Before knew it, Spike had finished the first stock room, smiling in glee, his tongue struck out, as he signed his name below the papers. He fell to his rump, enjoying the bliss of doing absolutely nothing after doing a hard task, and simply enjoyed being free from the throes of work.

At least, free until the door opened back up.

"Well I'll be, you're taking a break already," Applejack said, causing the drake to look over his shoulder at her. She closed the door behind herself. "How far did ya get in before givin' up?"

Spike grinned. Never before in his life had he been so happy to tell somepony they were wrong. "I didn't give up at all," he said. "I finished the whole room!"

"Ya gotta be pulling my leg," she came next to the drake, picking up the clipboard from the floor. She flipped through the pages, her smile growing wider with every signature she saw. "You really weren't foolin'! Ya really got all that work done in such a short time." She then narrowed her eyes and lowered the clipboard. "Ya didn't make any mistakes on this, did you?"

"Only one way to find out" he replied, grin still on his lips. "Quiz me."

Applejack continued to stare at him, searching for any cracks in his expression, finding none. She slowly walked to the wall again, never breaking to the eye-contact, as she pointed to a bag.

"Apple seeds."

She pointed to another.

"Corn."

She went to another, but instead of pointing, she held her hoof over the icon.

"Sunflower seeds."

"How do ya know?"

"Because it's a lighter shade of yellow," Spike said, rising to his feet and waddling to the other side of the wall. He began pointing at all the tools. "Shovel and stake, harness and plough—I've memorized it all."

Finally, after trying to fight it off all this time, Applejack began to grin as well. She walked across the room, chuckling lightly as she did so, coming to lay her hoof on the dragon's shoulder. "You did good, Spike, ya did good."

Spike's grin turned to a smile of pride, delighting in her contact. "Wait till I get started on the next room."

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Spike." Applejack stood back up and turned around, nodding her head towards the door. "Come with me; it's about time we worked together."

Spike was confused by the request, but followed it anyway.

Applejack bucked a tree. She had done this many times in her life, doubtless that she would do it many more, but this was the first time she could say she had a dragon helping her with the task. Dragon's were known to be pesky creatures—burning crops and workers—but this creature was anything but.

"So all I have to do is carry the buckets to the wagon, dump em, then bring them back?" Spike asked, standing to the right of the tree.

Applejack bucked the aforementioned tree. Apples fell from their branches, knocking on the wood of the bucket as they collected inside of it. "Ya got it." She panted from the exertion. "But if the weight is too much, ya call me, and I'll help ya out."

Spike nodded before carrying out the task, squatting before the bucket and wrapping his claws around it, lifting with his knees as he carried the bucket back to the wagon. He struggled, his breaths strained, yet he followed through on the task.

"So this is what Granny Smith had to put up with," Applejack said at her breath, chuckling at the irony of her situation.

"You say something, Applejack?!" Spike shouted over the sounds of apples pouring into the wagon, turning around the moment the bucket was empty and dashing to the mare. She chuckled at hard he was trying to impress her.

"Just talkin' to myself.'

"Oh, okay." He set the buckets back next to the tree, but instead of backing away, he looked to her. "Say, how come you're letting me help out in the fields now instead of before?"

"Well, there's several reasons for that," Applejack said, coming closer to the tree. "First one is that I wanted ya to get comfortable with the job. Give ya somethin' you're used to so you don't feel the need to try."

"Feel the need to try?" Spike repeated, moving out of her way.

"You put too much thought into trying, somethin' I'd rather you not have picked up from Twilight." Applejack turned around, readying her hind legs. "Ya overthink what ya gotta do so much, that you put too much weight behind it, and ya just end up getting overly nervous and screwing the whole thing up."

Spike opened his mouth for a response, only to find her words absolutely right.

"So give ya an easier task and build up from there," she said, cracking her neck and her back. "I also get the benefit of having you familiar with the trades of the farm. Not much help if ya can't tell the different types of bags and tools."

"I guess that's true," Spike said, looking up at her in slight surprise, "is that all?"

"And there's one last reason." She bucked the tree. Apples fell. The knocking and tilting of wood never grow old to her. "It was to humble ya."

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm." Applejack eyes him expectantly, and it took him a few moment to catch on, going to the bucket and working while they talked: a cardinal rule when it came to the farm. "Don't take it personally—I would have had a few choice words if I was shoved into inventory. But Celestia knows we all need to be taken down a peg at times, Dash and Twilight included."

It was weird for Spike to hear that. That these mare, which he regarded so highly, were just like him in needing to learn this lesson. It made them feel more approachable, more like him in a few days, that they no longer felt out of his reach—that everypony was capable of getting a little too cocky and that no one was perfect as he so imagined.

"But how do you know they're not just being confident?" Spike finally asked her, and she accompanied him on his way to the wagon.

"There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance, Spike," Applejack said, "the former is having faith in your abilities, and the latter is thinking your better than what you are and everypony else."

Spike thought about that as the apples poured from the bucket, a feeling he was starting to get used to, for, as soon as the bucket finished, he was already back on his way to the tree. He placed the bucket on the grass before looking at Applejack. "How do you mean?"

"Take this tree for example," Applejack said, moving away from it, and singling for a hoof for the drake to stand before it. He hesitated but complied. "Now, when ya first came here, ya thought you were going to be bucking trees and plowing fields, right?"

"Sorta."

"Now, I want ya to buck the tree—go on and give it your best shot."

Spike stared at her, waiting for her to laugh and say it was a joke, but she only nodded towards the tree. He shrugged his shoulders and complied with the request, snapping his foot into the bark, and promptly hopping away in pain.

"Ya alright?"

"Yeah," Spike said, hopping around some more, before finally putting his foot back down. "Didn't expect it to hurt so much." He turned around, seeing only a single apple in the bucket. "And I thought there would be more apples."

"Ya didn't consider just how much work goes into being on the farm," Applejack said, resting a hoof on the drake's shoulder, "and even though ya didn't mean to, that's a bit of arrogant thinking."

Spike looked downward. "So I guess Rainbow was wrong about being confident then."

The hoof lifted up his chin so that he was staring into green eyes. "Rainbow Dash may have her heads in the clouds from time to time, but whatever she told ya about confidence, she's probably right. Because look at me."

Spike did so. From the sweat on her brow to the muscles in her legs, he tried to take her all in for whatever he was supposed to find on her.

"Do ya think I could always buck tree this well?"

"Uh..."

"Lil' Applejack bucking a tree like all the other workers on the farm?"

"I guess not."

"So should she have given up then?"

"No," Spike said, looking back into her eyes as he began to catch on. "Because you're able to do it now. If you had given up, then you wouldn't be able to do it now."

"Exactly," Applejack said, removing her hoof and standing up. "Confidence is just the belief that everything will be okay for you in the end. Just because ya can't buck a tree now doesn't mean you never will. Ya gotta build your way up, and have the confidence to do so."

Spike thought about it for a moment, then it clicked, causing him to stand straighter. "I'm thinking I'm starting to get it now. Just because I've done something wrong doesn't mean I'll always be bad at it, but I need to have confidence in myself in order to learn from it and improve?"

"Now you're thinking straight."

Spike felt as if he was learning all natural things, stuff he'd know most of his life, but never have the courage to given voice to. But now, he had these mares, these mares that scared him so much giving him voices to aspire to. He knew how Twilight could take the criticism from her teachers, and how he had been neglecting to be able to do the same with her.

"Since we've got that out of the way," Applejack said, looking up to the remaining apples on the tree, "say we finish this lot and go in for supper?"

Spike nodded his head. "I'm game."

The rest of the day went much better than how it began, but it was precisely because of how the day began that it got better for Spike. He still hadn't hit that connection with Applejack, but slowly, he stopped caring about such things—the work at claw was taking precedence over that.

Not only that, but he thoroughly enjoyed himself. Working itself was nice, that he was actually doing something and helping others, instead of just lazing about in his room and feeling guilty about doing so. Plus, Applejack was the greatest co-worker he could have asked for—striking up a conversation about her past or just her views on life.

Before he had known it, the sun was setting, and the work was done and became more surprised when he was paid for his efforts. Applejack praised him for how much work he had gotten done, and saw genuine potential in the drake if he ever wanted to come by again.

But, for now, they were inside the main house eating supper. The Apple family didn't mind having a dragon at the table—in fact, they took delight in it. He chowed down like never before, replenishing a stomach he had burned while at work, and the family would laugh whenever he joined in on cracking jokes.

Spike had never felt so warm, so welcomed before than with the family. They all ate at the table, telling stories of their day and the days before, the subjects turning and gags beginning to run, until the kitchen just became a laugh fest. And, as Spike dug into his second servings, he wondered if this was what family was supposed to be like.

'You're my first friend," Twilight said, pulling him from the present moment, 'and my best one at that.'

Spike blinked, sitting back in his seat keeping silent throughout the meal. He couldn't help now but watch the family differently, of their jointed laughter and of exposing their every little secret, something that Twilight and he used to do all the time. He and Twilight had a family, of course, but they were never like this, and no one had gotten closer to him than Twilight herself.

Spike tried to picture the lavender mare in his head, only for the picture to be blurry. He had seen her almost every day of his life, and yet, after only a few days away, he couldn't be entirely sure of her every detail. That, combined with how they used to be close as this family was, sent Spike into a deep sadness.

It wasn't before long that supper was finished, that the dishes were silently washed, and everypony and every-dragon went to their rooms for bed.

"Hey Spike," Applejack said, stopping him in the upper floor's hallway. He stopped before the guest room, turning around to face her. "During dinner you got quiet, and I don't think I've heard you speak since then. Is everything alright?"

It wasn't, but he wasn't about to waste her time with such trivial thoughts. "Yeah, everything's cool."

"Spike," she began again, her voice almost pleading, "you know you can trust me with anything, right? I'll listen to whatever's on your mind and keep my lips shut if that makes ya feel better."

"I know, I know." He looked away from her, grabbing at the handle to his room. "It's nothing big; I'll get over it on my own."

He pulled open the door. Just a few steps and he would be taken by darkness, where he can indulge in his thoughts and be left in estranged peace. But before he could make the step, he heard her voice speak once more.

"Have ya ever wondered why ya never seen me cry?" Applejack said, earning the drake's attention immediately. "It's because I can't. Have ya ever wondered why I'm not as emotional as the other girls?"

Spike thought about it for a seconding, coming to close his door, and stepping away from it. "Why?"

"Because I have a farm to run," she said,"with Granny Smith to take care of and Applebloom to look over. The moment I falter, it all begins to fall to paces—it's the reason why I don't think too much."

Spike began to walk towards her, surprised to see, that for once during this whole crazy ordeal, he wasn't the one exposing himself to another pony—it was the other way around. But why would Applejack go through all this for him?

"I can't afford to lose my head over conflicts that can be avoided, or to worry about somethin' that's outta my control." Applejack kept standing in the dark, her eyes casting a glow of their own. "I've gotta lock everything in, my feelings and my thoughts, or I wouldn't be able to rise for work in the morning."

Spike was only a few steps from her now, coming slowly out of the dark and into her presence.

"I've gotten good at lockin' away the small things, Spike, but remember what I told you?" she asked. "That stuff builds up; it boils inside you, and, no matter how strong will ya think ya are, it's going to come bursting outta of you in a breakdown."

Now, Spike was standing before her, looking up into her eyes.

"The only reason why I haven't broken down is because I've found an outlet through all those things," she said, smiling softly down at him, "from talking to Big Mac to the work itself, I never let those small things fester. So trust me in that, whatever has got ya down, isn't going to go away so easily, and that I'm here to help you no matter how silly it sounds, because you and I are good friends."

Spike continued to stand there, not smiling back at the mare as her words rang inside his head. He thought about them, he felt them, and then, once it could no longer be held back, he wrapped his arms around her neck and began to cry his eyes out.

"I miss Twilight!"

Applejack was startled by the sudden change in events, but was quick to support the dragon's weight with a fore-hoof, quickly leaving the hall and entering her bedroom to avoid waking up anyone else. She didn't have table or anything to sit on for that matter, so she merely came before the bed.

"Do ya mind if we share this tonight?"

She repressed chuckling as she felt his face wipe across her chest, and just like that, she clambered onto the bed and brought the sheets over them. She was careful to keep it that his head was still above the blanket, her fore-hoof still holding his close to her orange fur.

"So what exactly has ya missing Twilight?"

Spike pulled his head back, his eyes climbing her warm chest to find their owner's eyes and lock with them. "I haven't seen her in a few days, since the picnic in fact."

"Oh? I see."

"But, even before that, I've been missing her more and more," he said, sniffling as he spoke, "missing the way we used to be. Before Twilight had friends, it was just her and I back in Canterlot, and we used to be like your family downstairs."

"Is that so?" Applejack said, feeling his body shift against her coat. "Knowing what Twilight was like before, I guess she had you as her only friend. You two must go pretty deep."

"We used to," he replied, moving his claws to try and wrap it around her barrel, "but ever since Ponyville, I can't help b-but feel we're moving further away. At first, I thought you girls would come in and take her away from me, but Fluttershy showed me how foolish it was to think that."

"And she was darn right about that," Applejack said, raising her hoof to wipe the tears from the corners' of his eyes. "Twilight has a connection with ya that none of us can interfere with, but I get the feeling nonetheless."

"I-I was just worried that you girls could give her more than I ever could, and she would no longer need me." Even now, he knew how foolish that sound, but it still wounded him all the same. "It's the reason why I started helping you girls, so I could become your friends as well, and maybe learn something that will make me as good as you all."

"Spike," Applejack almost whined, hugging the baby dragon close, "you don't have to be like anybody else for Twilight to love ya."

"I know," Spike replied, his voice rumbling against her coat, "but there's so much more I want to be able to do for her, and I thought, that no matter how hard I tried, that I'll never become good enough." He snuggled closer to the warmth, finding every rise and fall of the mare's chest calming, trying to match his own breathing to hers. "But because of today, I have the confidence that I'll become good enough, that I just have keep doing instead of trying."

"And being, Spike," she added. "The moment ya try the moment ya set yourself up for failure. You shouldn't try becoming someone else, rather just be yourself. We all like you for you, and no other would do."

Spike felt his eyes begin to close. "You think?"

"Yes, Spike," Applejack said, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof. "You can't compare yourself to us, you can't compare yourself to anypony else—we all go about our own things our own way. It's just like how I'm not better than Dash and Dash isn't better than being, and anyone who says differently is just talking from preferences."

"...hey, Applejack?"

"Yeah, Spike?"

"You know a lot."

"Only I don't let it get to my head." She smiled, watching the creature slowly drift to sleep. "But Spike, if ya wanna get close to Twilight again, going through all this isn't gonna solve the problem. Ya still need to talk to Twilight, and reestablish that spark you two once had."

It was too late. Spike had already fallen asleep.

"Oh, well," Applejack said to herself, watching the slumbering creature, lighting stroking his scales. "That's another lesson I can teach ya in the morning."

Applejack didn't know how long she stayed up for, stroking this dragon that was now in her bed. It was weird to think, that just a few days ago, he was just tag-along dragon whose identity was interconnected with Twilight. But now, she felt as if she finally met the dragon on his two own legs, and she couldn't have been more proud to see how far he was coming.

"...I love you...Twilight..."

Applejack smiled, and bringing her lips to his ear, whispered.

"And she loves you too."

Pinkie Pie

~ Pinkie Pie ~

Hoof-steps and incessant chatter were the sounds of the streets, each lane filled with ponies alike, all walking in their own direction and some conversing among another. An observer of the scene would be forgiven for their lack of mention of a dragon among the town, only because of the latter's height.

Spike grumbled to himself, caught between a group of stallions, each one towering over him, and not seeming to notice. They were walking in some general direction, one of which he hoped to be north, but couldn't bring himself to care of this might not being the case.

"At least the shade is alright," Spike muttered, keeping within the stallions' shadows. "But I'd take the heat over being short any day."

'Ya shouldn't let your height affect you,' the voice of Applejack echoed, drawing him back inside his mind. 'It's something outside of your control, so ain't a lick of sense sweating over it. Focus that energy on making things right with Twilight—something that is within your control.'

He raised his claw. A tanned pouch sat on his palm, the weight of bits having a slight pull; the funds earned from a hard day at work. Try as he might to refuse the payment, Applejack insisted that he take the bits, asking that they be spent on both him and Twilight.

They were on the threshold of the farm when he had been paid. Spike didn't hesitate to throw himself at the orange mare, who merely chuckled at the show of affection, wrapping a hoof around his head and holding him close for the embrace.

Then he was off. Applejack called out to him, stating he was always welcomed back—that her ears were always for him if his were open for hers, another fair exchange between the two. He planned on helping on the farm when he could, for he enjoyed the work and felt the reward on his body, as well as closing the gap between himself and the wonderful Apple family.

"That's great and all," Spike said to himself, snapping back to the present, "but I still have no clue what I'm supposed to do now."

The stallions began to part, walking down their own roads, exposing the drake to the blistering rays of heat. He sighed, stopping in the middle of the road and looking for shade, but as he did so, he couldn't suppress the sound of a voice speaking from the back of his mind. He shook his head, wondering if the heat was already getting to him, before spotting a pink blur in the corner of the vision.

Spike turned his head, found blue eyes staring into his, and a pink muzzle pressing into his. Before he could react, to cry or fall back, she seized him by the arm, and promptly threw him onto her back.

"Quickly!" Pinkie said, rearing to charged as she reared up on her hind legs. "We don't have much time!" She galloped forward, feeling claws hold onto her puffy mane, as she cut through the street like a dagger and barreled up the steps to her store.

The door to the store was thrown back, its lobby dimmed and empty, causing a smile to stretch on a pair of pink lips. Pinkie cantered into the place, closing the door behind her with a kick of her hoof. She then wiggled her body, singling for the drake to clamber down, which he complied with, abet still as confused.

"Uh, Pinkie?" Spike asked, his feet touching the floor. "What exactly is going on?" He turned around, only to find by the windows, peering out of them with suspicion at the passing ponies. "Are you okay?"

"Not okay!" Pinkie said, pulling the cord next to her. The blinds folded. "Worse than okay!" She turned around, pulling back her head as she looked down at him. "Things will never be okay until you consider me your friend!"

Spike opened his mouth but did not speak.

"Fluttershy requesting a book made sense, but Rainbow Dash giving away cider!?" She crossed her forehooves and fell to him rump. She then shook her head. "Nice try, mister, but I knew something up ever since my tail ticked twice and my ear flicked thrice!"

"Uh," Spike managed out, rubbing the back of his head. He tried again. "This is gonna sound weird, but—"

"I already know the story, so don't think you can get away with telling it twice!" Pinkie rose up once again, walking towards him. "You don't feel as though we're your friends, so you're trying to get closer to us."

"But I've realized how silly that sounds!" Spike said, clasping his claws. "I know you six are my friends just as much as my friend's as Twilight it. Just because I failed to notice that doesn't make it any less true!"

"Liar!" she replied, now standing over him. "Your words say one thing, but your heart says another." She bent down, biting his tail, and raising him into the air. Her next words were mumbled. "Now you and I are going to my bed, having a heart to heart, and becoming friends, and that's final."

Spike tried to open his mouth, but her voice shut him down.

"I've already told Twilight you're spending the night," she said, walking towards her room with him in-tooth, "so don't try pulling that card. Now c'mon!"

Spike couldn't do anything, really, besides lightly sway in tandem with her steps. If he was honest, the week and previous day work were starting to take effect on his body, and an early and long rest seemed not at all unpleasant. As for Pinkie, he was unsure if this was some game or if she was acting from the heart, but quickly remembered that this was Pinkie he was dealing with and gave up on logic.

Spike was dropped on the bed, one bigger than at the farm and the cottage, with enough space to have his own area if he so pleased. A few moments later, Pinkie clambered in, sliding under the sheets as he continued to sit upon them,

"You don't have to snuggle if you don't want to," she said, eyes set on him. The irritation in her tone was faint. "But I do want you to open up. Something big or small, it doesn't matter, just anything we can bond over."

Spike sat there, head dipped slightly in thought, finding it hard to search his feeling in such a bizarre situation. The sun was still out, most of its light blocked by a thick curtain, but it still added to the eerie atmosphere.

"Guess I'm a bit weirded out about this," he said, gesturing the bed with his claws. "Usually it requires me doing something before a pony lets me sleep in the same bed as them."

"Well I wanna skip to the friendship making as quickly as possible," she said, shifting slightly underneath the covers. "You don't have to do something for me for us to get close. I just want for us to get, well, close!"

"And that's enough for us to snuggle?"

She nodded.

"But why?" Spike asked, surprised, that for once, he wasn't self-aborted and genuinely curious about the present. "I mean, I consider you six my friends now, so something natural is bound to come out from that.

"I don't want to wait," she replied, head shaking. "I'd rather we become real friends right now."

Spike sighed. The situation was so weird, so bizarre and some other third thing, that it overloaded his system and caused him to stop thinking. Then his eyes focused, on the pink mare half-hidden beneath the covers, on how her mane draped over her eye and covered the pillow.

He fought off the urge to hug her with all his might as he slipped underneath the covers. He didn't embrace her yet, keeping the space as the conversation continued. "Why the rush for someone like me?"

"Because I like you," she said, almost laughing, "and I want to be your friend."

"Why though?"

"Does there have to be a reason?" she asked, lowering herself down the bed so that they were on eye-level. "Do I have to list all the qualities about you I like, or all the stuff that you've done for the girls or me, everything separatefrom who you are?"

Spike kept silent, mulling over the words as he shifted. The mattress took his weight, foaming around him as it adjusted itself to his shape, as the blanket was just a layer of warmth that he just wanted to cover himself with.

"How about me?" Pinkie said, her tone now tired. "You want to be my friend, right?"

He nodded, watching the rise and fall of her chest, feeling the warmth it radiated even from the distance between them. It took everything just not to throw himself at her and snuggle the mare for all her fur was worth. "Of course I do."

"Without thinking like a filly, why do you?"

"Because I want to," he said, scooting towards her. "Because all I want to do is cuddle next to you and fall asleep. To dance with you whenever you throw parties, and just talk over muffins if you're ever free."

Her eyes narrowed. "Do you really want to cuddle me?"

"More than anything."

"Then prove it," she said, "and I can see for myself whether you're lying or not."

Spike was more than happy to comply, scooting up to her under her watchful gaze, and opening up his arms as they flew around her barrel. She giggled at the sharp touch of his claws, tickling her back as he put himself into the hug, laying his head against her pink chest.

"You comfy like that?' she asked, to which, she felt him nod against her coat, causing her to laugh once again. "Okay then." She wrapped her hooves around his smaller body, enjoy how his smooth scales rubbed against her fur, the two taking delight in the embrace. They felt so lazy, so free in the bed, just basking in as much warmth as they could consume.

"Hey, Pinkie?"

"Yes, Spike?"

"Thank you for being my friend," he said, letting his eyes drift away from the tufts of pink. "Even though the rest told me afterward, it's nice not to have to say something, to do something to get sompony else to become your friend." He yawned, tickling her chest. "Having sompony that just likes you for who you are feels really nice, but not as nice as how you feel, Pinkie."

She smiled, getting into the habit of stroking his spines with a hoof, any irritation in her system dissipating within a second. She let her eyes drift as well, her motions becoming automatic as she too started to drift away.

"That's what great about friendship," Pinkie mumbled, "it doesn't need a reason."

Rarity

~ Rarity ~

The streets were quiet. The sky was dark. A baby dragon stood before a very large door.

"You can do it, Spike," he said to himself, lifting a claw to the alabaster door. "Just go in, commission the order, and see what happens from there." His knuckles grazed the wood, retreating immediately upon the faintest touch. "And if things go well, so what? You're just gonna spend the rest of the evening with the most beautiful unicorn alive."

Instead of knocking on the door, his claw fell to his side, and he hung his head in shame. "It's hopeless."

"Most certainty with that attitude," a voice said from above, causing him to raise his head. He blushed at his proximity to the alabaster unicorn, who had opened the door without him noticing, and wore a knowing smile upon her lips. "Do you have a request for me or just here to pay me compliments?"

"Buh."

"Either reason will net you an invitation inside."

Spike felt his heart ready to explode as all his blood rushed to his cheeks, which stung every-time he moves his lips, trying to usher out words only to utter strained gasps. Rarity tilted her head in confusion, but her ever-growing smile spoke of just how familiar she'd grown to the drake's bizarreness.

"But choose quickly," she said, nudging his shoulder with a hoof, "or else we're both stuck in the cold."

Spike snapped out of his daze from that, reaching into the pouch tied to his hip, and pulling out a small scroll. He held it up, the winds taking it within its cold grasp before a blue aurora manifested around it, unrolling it and presenting it before its owner's eyes.

Spike stood silently as the mare began to read his drawing. For the moment, he couldn't stop shaking in fear of possible rejection, or worse, mockery at his art. He rubbed his claws together, both to keep warm and exhaust his nervous energy.

"You want an order done?" she said, head popping from the right of the floating scroll.

"Two actually," he replied, exerting his willpower just to look up into her shimmering blue eyes. Was he asking for too much? "One for me and one for Twilight."

She gazed at him curiously, before rolling the scroll back up, and floating it alongside her as she stepped inside the boutique. "Come along then, darling, we've much to discuss."

Spike gulped, looking over his shoulder one last time to the moonlit sky. He then followed her inside.

"I must confess my admiration for your prowess in illustrations," Rarity said, eyes scanning the scroll laid on the table between the two, before looking up to the drake. "Just where did you learn to draw like this, Spikey?"

"To be honest,' Spike said from the couch, holding a cup of tea with both his claws, "I picked it up from working with you. I may have also stolen some drawing from you trash bin—but only because I wanted to learn from them!"

"I see." She levitated her glass, swirling the red liquid within before taking a few timely sips. Then, she spoke. "I hope you don't mind my saying this, Spike, but it seems that a dragon of your ability should be able to invent outfits not as cliche as the ones present."

"I wouldn't say that," Spike said, immediately regretting doing so, as a voice spoke up from inside him.

'Stop selling yourself short!' Dash's echoed. 'And get on with telling her what you came here to do!'

"But the outfits are supposed to be like that," Spike quickly added, placing his cup on the table while looking deeply into Rarity's eyes; an act that was less scary when he had a reason other than admiration. "It's taken from a book Twilight and I used to read. It was about this Princess stuck in a tower, and a knight has to defeat a dragon in order to save her."

Rarity scrunched up her muzzle. "And you want to draw inspiration from such a thing?"

"Not exactly," the words tumbled out of his mouth, a blush gracing his cheeks. "Look, I'm about to tell you something that I've never told anypony else before—you have to promise not to laugh or tell anypony else!"

"My my," Rarity said, levitating her glass back to the stand. "Of course! What are friends for but to keep each other secrets?"

Spike smiled at the subtle mention of the two being friends, a lesson he had already learned days priors, but still enjoyed relearning. He leaned forward, keeping his voice hushed as he spoke. "When Twilight and I were extremely young, I always had it in my head that she was a Princess as well—no matter how many times she told me otherwise."

"Oh? I see."

"She got used to it after a while, but then, one day, she read me that book," he closed his eyes at the memory, chuckling painfully at it. "I bawd my eyes out by the time she finished it. For whatever reason, I thought I was the dragon in the book, keeping Twilight locked in the same room with me, holding her back from making friends and going out into the world."

"Oh Spike," Rarity said, her tone of concern, "you know such thinking is absurd, right?"

"I do now," Spike replied, opening his eyes to focus back on her, "but I didn't back then. My crying got so bad that Twilight had to make a few...adjustments to the story."

"How so?"

It was Spike's turn to smile. "She re-wrote so that the Princess possessed these special powers, something which evil knights and ponies alike wanted to steal her for, but the dragon protected her from them all. Not only that, but since it was these two against the world, the dragon and the Princess eventually became best friends."

Rarity kept silent, a smile once again on her lips, growing in size as she saw what this was leading to.

"The dragon would look after the Princess, cleaning up her messes and listening to her lectures, playing games and talking all night," he said, feeling his eyes beginning to water. "One day, she dubbed him with a role, one he would always uphold till the day he died. It required only two things of his: to protect her, and always be there for her."

Rarity waited patiently for the drake to continue, who was rubbing his eyes.

"The Princess dubbed the dragon as her number-one assistant," Spike said, his voice cracking as he could no longer hold back the damn, "and t-they lived happily ever after." Then Spike began to cry, not meaning to get so caught up in the memories of the past, but only by examining them once again did he realize how precious they were to his heart.

"Oh, Spike." Rarity was quick to leave her seat, even quicker to cut the distance between her and the couch, not wasting a precious second to lift this poor creature in her magic and float him towards her. Once he was close, she ceased her magic, letting him fall to her chest, as she took his weight and laid back on the couch, wrapping her hooves around the spines on his back. "It's alright. Everything's going to be alright."

"How can you be so sure?!" Spike cried, burring his face onto the white fur of her chest, his sobs muffled by her coat. "It's all I've been thinking about! I...I've been so worried about losing her that I went out to become a better dragon, only for me to fail in being there for her!"

"Hush now, Spike, I promise you it's not like that." She felt her become moist with his tears, but did not mind whatsoever as she raised a hoof to his head, softly stroking his head spines. "We may not have known each other for very long, but I can very well see the connection you share. It's so fundamental to who you are, to who she is, that few ponies will ever know the depth of the trust you have for one another."

"I...I just miss her so much," he said, his sobs beginning to die down. "It's only been a few days, but it's the longest we've ever been away from each other. I want to see Twilight again; I just want to make everything right again."

"And we will, my darling." Rarity brought her lips to his forehead, peppering it with light kisses as she spoke. "We'll make those outfits by the end of tonight, and when we're done, she'll be in for the most wonderful surprise. You can say everything you need to say to her then."

His snout brushed just under her throat, his eyes traveling up the warm features of her face, coming to lock with her eyes as he posed his innocent question. "A-And you think it'll work out in the end?" he wiped his eyes, feeling all of the sudden tired. "That w-we'll all live happily ever after?"

"Without a doubt," she said, smiling. "Without a doubt."

He smiled back, sniffling. He then looked over at the clock, frowning at the time. "Guess we s-should probably get to work then?"

If he was honest, something he'd learned to be while on the farm, Spike wanted nothing more than to stay like this for just a few moments longer. Rarity's embrace was divine, her warmth quelling his sadness, the soft rise and fall of her chest paving an easy route to the dreamscape. Hugging Rarity was like hugging perfection itself, but of course, there was still work that had to be done before the drake could have his happy ending with Twilight.

It seemed he wasn't the only who felt this way, for, a hoof wrapped around his neck and pulled him against her body, as the shadow of a blanket came over them both.

"A long night before us, Spike," Rarity said, her horn ignited in a blue glow, as the blanket fell upon the duo. "So we might as well gather whatever rest we can before we begin to work, wouldn't you agree, darling?"

She received no response, other than claws wrapping around her barrel, as the drake pressed his face fully again her chest. Rarity indulged in the sensation of his smooth scales, hearing light snores but a few moments later. She stayed awake for quite some time, just stroking the fins of the little dragon, wondering how such a creature could ever become so adorable.

"Never change," she whispered into his ear, knowing it to be in vain, but proceeding anyway. "Ponies may become afraid of you, dragons may call you a wimp, but your heart is filled with a gold that neither of them could ever hope to obtain—never lose your innocence, Spike, never forget who you are."

She felt the drake grip her tighter.

"I promise," he mumbled in his sleep.

Rarity embraced him with both her hooves, squeezing him as lightly as she could, as she whispered one last thing into his ear.

"Thank you, Spike."

Spike

~ Spike ~

The crackling fire was but a distant sound to her ears; the orange glow bathing the room the furthest sight to her amethyst eyes. Twilight Sparkle sat, like all the days prior for the past week, alone before the fire. She'd dream of times like these, curled up before the warm fire, a good book in her hooves, the only sounds being the hiss of wind and the crackling fire.

They only served to compound her solitude.

Twilight flipped the page of the large purple book, its pages bigger than any of those she'd read before; a lot thicker too. At every page that passed, she both smiled and cried, staring at the pictures of the album book trying to summon forth the memory associated with it.

One photo stood out from the rest. In the photo, the room was dark, the only light that of the moon's glow, yet bright enough to illuminate the scattered toys of the floor, of the drawers slid partially out and the door left half-open, but, most importantly of all, the light showed to the viewer of the children sleeping on the bed.

The starry-night blanket was hanging off the right side of the bed, but the children didn't seem to notice, each deriving their warmth from the other's body. The baby dragon laid in the lavender filly's hooves, huddled against her chest with his claw strung around her neck, each holding the other tightly even in night's embrace.

Even though the lighting was low, their smiles were distinguishable.

A tear fell on the photo, followed by a lavender hoof closing the book, it clapping slightly as it was set back on the wooden floor. Twilight looked into the fire, pondering deeply as the flames danced atop the wood, voices speaking inside her mind.

"He was a wonderful guest," Fluttershy had told her, book clutched underneath her forehoof. "He even managed to get all the animals tended to on time. He such a great little assistant, which is why Rainbow..."

Twilight shook the voice, standing up. She turned around, peering upwards and into the window held together by duct-tape.

"He's an awesome couch buddy," Rainbow had said, lying on her belly of the library's floor, surrounded by shattered glass. "He even balanced my books and did my taxes. We had pizza afterward, then wondered how apples would taste on pizza, and then we began talking about Applejack..."

Twilight shook her head, but it did little to quell the voices. So what if she hadn't seen the drake for a few days? He was allowed to have his own life, and her friends were entitled to his help as much as she was. Still, the logic did nothing to suppress the pang of pain she felt in her heart.

"Shucks Twilight, had I know that boy had spirit, I would've given him a chance sooner," Applejack had told her, hat held against her chest. "If there's days ya don't need him, I'd love to have him up the farm. He'll be paid, of course, which is the reason why Sugarcube Corner..."

Twilight's horn ignited in a lavender glow, and when she turned back towards the fire, she summoned the same magic around it; steam resulting moments later from the now darkened chamber. The same glow then reappeared around the purple book, floating over to its owner's side.

"Cuddle-wuddly, you could make a business outta him!" Pinkie said, bouncing around the library with her face scrunched up in glee. "Had I know cuddling was all it took to knock his walls down, I would have done it sooner! You can bet that Rarity..."

The clip-clop of hooves resounded from the wooden steps. Twilight didn't bother with a spell of light; it wasn't like she was focused on the present anyway. She entered her room, bathed in the same glow as the picture captured years ago, though far fainter and much darker than it was before.

"He could be an artist if he put himself to it," Rarity said in a hush, as if afraid of wakening him up from across town. "He could be a lot of things if the right ponies teach him, but, for now, he's napping on my couch. I don't suppose he could..."

Once the bed was within distance, Twilight hopped onto it, not bothering to pull back the blanket as she landed atop the mattress. She stayed like that, still, for moments, perhaps minutes, maybe even hours, silent and unmoving, unable to think, nonetheless break this curse that had consumed her.

A week ago, her life was filled with friends and books. Only one thing had changed, a tiny little thing in her mind, yet without it, the silence truly became intolerable, and her body never so hollow. Twilight clutched the book close to her chest, imagining scales instead of leather, hoping to take even an iota of warmth the pictures inside the book proclaimed.

Twilight Sparkle went to sleep cold that night.

Smoke.

Her snout twitched. Not entirely smoke, but a scent accompanied by fire for sure. Her eyes slipped open, glad at first to see the absence of black clouds, but flinging a hoof up to block the harsh rays of sunlight. Ever so slowly, Twilight began to sit up, but found it harder than it should.

When she looked down, a blanket covered her up to her chest, and when she looked right, she found the album sitting on her desk. Then, she gazed across the room, finding clean floors and dusted shelves, and for a moment, Twilight wondered if the week-long solitude had driven her mind.

A hiss came from downstairs. More of the scent wafted upstairs. And then, Twilight Sparkle realized that she was not alone, and could not be blamed for jumping out of her bed and galloping downstairs to the kitchen. Metal clanked. Something delicious hissed. Humming filled the air.

She slowed at the last step, indulging in the sounds as if she would never hear them again, that if she turned this corner, they would all suddenly disappear, and her hope would run out. With a deep breath, Twilight took the step and came to the kitchen's archway.

Spike stood atop a stool, white chef's hat and pink apron, claw on the handle of a pan as he flicked upwards—pancakes gaining air before falling once more against the heat. His tongue was stuck out in constriction, obvious to the other in the room.

'It's...him,' Twilight thought, blinking at the sight as though it were unreal. 'He's been gone for a week, and just like that, he's back to cooking us dinner—like nothing ever happened. I can't believe it.'

Those thoughts never stopped coming. Twilight kept standing there, unsure what to say, uncertain what to say, for the first time in a long while so unconfident as to what the next course of action should be. She knew she shouldn't be feeling like this, that ponies come and leave our lives of their own violation, and yet, others don't make such a big deal out of it. She should feel the same: the drake wasn't hers after all.

Spike snapped his head from his work, feeling something in the air, and by the time he looked to the archway, he had noticed a tear hit the floor. He smiled, about to ask what was wrong and that breakfast was almost done, but was sooner tackled by a pair of forehooves and brought to the floor, the mare that held him close taking the brute of the contact.

"T-Twilight?!"

She hadn't know why she cried. She didn't understand why she tackled him. She didn't understand why she felt the way she did. She didn't understand why she was so possessive over this dragon, one with his own free will. She didn't know what Spike was to her.

"S-Spike..." her voice crack and her tone was hoarse, yet she looked deeply into his emerald eyes and stroked his cheek with a hoof. "I-I've missed you so much."

Spike looked confused, and for a moment, Twilight was horrified. Here was this drake who finally got his taste of freedom, of spending time with her friends without her, and they all seemed to enjoy themselves just as fine. He must have been wondering why she was giving him such a reaction, that he didn't possess the same depth of feelings for her that she had towards him.

Twilight began to pull back her hooves, sniffling back her sobs and blinking her eyes to erase any trace of tears, but before he could succeed in any of those goals, the drake matched them in spades. A wobbly smile took to his lips, tears cascading down his cheeks. His stubbly arms reached around her neck, pulling her larger muzzle closer towards her own, denying her the possibility of pulling away even an inch.

Not that Twilight wanted to.

"I'm so glad you're home," she said.

"I'm so glad you missed me," he said.

They said nothing more. Their feelings, raw and overpowering, were felt by each other through the contact of their bodies, through the rhythm of their breathing, through the fabric of their beings. They stayed like that for quite some time, despite the burning pancakes and the burnt coffee, more than just content in their mutual embrace.

When the purple duo finally broke away, it wasn't through choice—Celestia forbid, they would've stayed like that all day and all night, but on cue to their synchronization, their bellies grumbled at the absence of food in them. They both blushed, looked up at one another, and laughed, then getting up from the floor and taking their seats at the table.

Time passed awkwardly between them at first. Each knew the other felt the same way about them, but never quite knowing the finer details as they dug into their charred pancakes and awfully tasting coffee—but Spike took his black so he hardly noticed a difference.

'I've have to tell him," she thought.

'Will she find me weird if I tell her?" he thought.

A beat.

"Spike—"

"Twilight—"

They both dipped their heads, with Twilight's mane covering most of her face, while Spike was forced to bear his blush to the world.

They tried again.

"Y-You go first," she said.

"N-No you," he said.

Silence again.

Spike sighed, clutched his fist, and summoned up the words that needed to be said. "T-Twilight?"

She looked up, face partly hidden by her mane. "Yes, Spike?"

Spike looked at her, at the best friend and at the greatest unicorn alive, of the filly he watched grow into a mare, of the loner who made some friends, of the shut-in who'd save the world and became a part of the Element of Harmony in the process. In his eyes, despite her messes and her flaws, Twilight was perfection, and for whatever ungodly reason, she liked him back.

Spike clenched his fist tighter atop the table, almost drawing blood with his claw at being unable to say what he needed to say. He'd learned confidence from Rainbow, that no pony was truly better than another, yet at this point, he had a hard time believing it.

"C-Can you t-take a note for m-me please?" he asked, not daring to face her. "F-For Princess Celestia, I mean."

Twilight blinked at the request, raising her head so that her eyes were once again visible. Her horn ignited, and a few moments later, a scroll float through the air and landed on the table, accompanied by a quill and a bottle of ink. She cleared her throat.

"Dear Princess Celestia," Spike began, chuckling at his own voice, and then, hearing the sound of a quill scratching against parchment. "I'm writing to you now to tell you about the week I had. I've always been close to Twilight, closer than I'll ever be to anypony else in my life, and once I was sure she felt the same way."

The quill stopped scratching. Spike didn't dare look back. A few moments later, the sound returned, and Spike continued.

"Ever since moving to Ponyville, I've felt as though I've been losing her every day. She had gotten these new pony friends, who were so much better than me in every day possible, that it seemed like a fact that I would be tossed aside for the new."

The quill scratched. There was a sharp intake of breath. He tried to ignore it and continued.

"Fluttershy was quick to pick up on my feelings, helping me process through the ones that I'm not so proud of now," he said with a heavy sigh. "She then sent me to meet with each one of the girls, at first just to help, but at the end of each day, I'd learn something important and gained a true friend because of it. I was so confident on becoming the drake that would be worthy of being Twilight's assistant."

There was a sound other than the scratch of a quill. Spike knew the sound; he had made plenty of them himself throughout the week, even now as he spoke, yet, if he had the courage to look up, he wouldn't have been composing the letter in the first place.

"It wasn't until I was Rarity that I realized what I had done wrong, why all that had happened suddenly felt so cheap," he said, more tears pelting against his chair. "That journey wasn't meant for Twilight, it was meant for me to deal with my insecurity, and in doing so, I failed Twilight more than I ever done before in my life."

He raised his head but didn't dare look right.

"It's my job as number-one assistant to always be there for her," the words were little more than a croak. "Yet I left her to go embark on some selfish quest to become something more for her, everything I learned mattering little as I sit here now. To be honest, I'm not even writing to you, Celestia."

Finally, he looked right, and into Twilight's eyes.

"I'm writing this to you, Twilight," he said, unable to compose himself any longer, "because I was too much of a coward to say it outright. I love you, Twilight, and I don't think I'm good enough for you."

Twilight stared at him, eyes burning just as much as his, mouth slightly agape. Her shoulders shook, she felt like a mess, as she alleviated a scroll and a quill over to him. He looked at her, surprised and crying, yet her gaze told him everything, as he nodded his head.

"Dear Princess Celestia," she began as well, not fairing much better than Spike did, "I'm writing to you as well about that same week. I thought it would be like any other, but I was terribly mistaken in thinking that. It'd been a week I'd been dreaming about for quite some time, but it quickly turned into a nightmare."

Spike tilted his head at the revelation, looking over the table at Twilight, only to find her head dipped and face hidden. She'd paid him the same respect when he had exposed himself, something he thought only he feared, yet returned the same favor and went back to writing.

"I've never had to deal with an empty home before," she said, tone wavering, "No matter how dark my room was, or how silent the night, I've always had my number-one assistant there. Those late-night study sessions weren't ever lonely, so long as I could hear his distant snoring."

The two couldn't help themselves: they chuckled.

"But sometimes...sometimes he can get on my n-nerves," Twilight had to squeak out, the words slicing their way up her throat. "I-I don't always r-react the way when he does. I-I always say things I regret, o-or ignore him when he just wants to help, e-even hanging out with my other friends i-instead of him."

Spike noticed his handwriting was almost unreadable; he couldn't help himself, his claws hadn't stopped shaking ever since she began talking.

"I-I never thought what kind of effect it would have on him, in fact, I-I didn't think at all," her words were a whine, each one making her bleed inside. "I took advantage of the fact, that if I had a bad day, that Spike would be there with coca. That if I needed someone to listen, he'd be there with both his ears and a load of questions." She choked back a sob. "But then, we had a slumber party at the library, and even though I had most of my friends there, everything suddenly felt so empty."

Spike couldn't keep his claw from shaking, the words struck him to the core, hurting him as much as they did her in the seedling of hope that had been instilled in his heart. He didn't want to hope for fear of it all being some sick joke, yet he couldn't help it, and did not care if all he wrote were scribbles on a page.

"The next days were even worse, where I thought the peace and quiet would be the best things ever. I was so terribly wrong. I called out to my assistant so many times, waiting for him to respond, to come to my aid and read along, but I was alone." She shook her head, bringing her forehooves to her eyes. "It only got worse, when, every day, I waited for him to come home, only for my friends to tell me that wouldn't be the case."

Spike gulped, ducking his head in shame.

"I-I don't know why, but even though I told the girls that it was okay, that I had no right to be mad, I couldn't help but be angry inside," she said, lowering her hooves. "He was my number one assistant, but course it would be fine for him to help others. But I still felt angry. Why?"

Spike kept silent, still writing.

"It took a few more days, of silence and loneliness, for it all to finally click," she said, looking forward with clear eyes. "I wasn't afraid of you helping them, I was afraid of them taking you. And even now, I'm writing this to you, Spike, because I'm also a coward."

Finally, he couldn't help it any longer, looking up from his chair, and locking eyes with the mare he loved.

"I made you a promise long ago to never feel like the way you did because I felt that way," Twilight said, straining to keep the contact. "But when those feelings died away because of my friends, I forgot they still existed in you. I neglected you, Spike, in every way possible, and I'm a terrible friend because of it."

Spike wanted to tell her just how wrong she was but found his throat too dry to speak.

"The reason w-why you went on this journey, the reason why y-you felt the way you do, i-is because I treated you only as an assistant." Spike stopped writing, rather, the quill dropped from his claw as he kept still. "You're not just an assistant, Spike, you're my best friend!" She stood up from the table, quickly coming around it to the dragon's seat, who didn't hesitate to jump towards her.

Twilight caught him, sitting down as she held him close, feeling his claws wrap around her barrel as she felt his tears make her chest slick. She did not mind in the slightest as she whispered into his ear. "You are my first, and you are my greatest friend, Spike, and no pony could ever hope to replace you. If this lonely library had taught me anything, Spike, it's that I need you as much you need me."

The two then broke down, crying onto each other, holding each other tightly. Then, it happened, something that you would only expect from the two: they began to laugh as they cried. It was an odd mixture, to be sure, but as the tears were running down their faces, their mouths were laughing a sweet melody to the other's ears.

It stretched on for a little while, lasting until the tears began to stop and their throats began to dry. They stuck together for quite some time still, until Twilight broke the silence with three simple words, ones Spike had been waiting most of his life to hear again.

"I love you, Spike."

Spike's reply, at first, was to simply clap his hands. It surprised Twilight, who brought back her head to get a better look at his face, only to see the biggest smile she'd ever seen him wear. Then she heard singing, and, looking to the window, saw it opened and a flock of birds flying it.

Twilight recognized them from anywhere: they were Fluttershy's birds, and they were carrying items in their talons to drop off on the table, things she recognized immediately.

The first item was a cult-classic she knew to be Rainbow's all-time favorite.

The second item was a basket, filled with apples and seeds, enough to start a small garden in front of the library.

The third item was a box with a verity of donuts and other sweets, as well as enough ingredients to try their hoof and claw at making their own batches.

Then the fourth item was a white dress and faux-metal suit, which caused Twilight to cry again, remembering the duo's origin.

By the time she looked back to the drake, he had placed his lips on her cheek and kissed it for all he felt towards this mare, this unicorn that felt the same emptiness when he was away, and the same joy when they were having fun. That she would be there for him, always, and the same could be said to her, as well as the five friends that made this all possible.

Spike backed away from the kiss, smiling up at her.

"I love you too, Twilight."

Bonus Chapter: The Mane Seven

~ The Mane Seven ~

“This is really okay with you girls?”

Pinkie giggled from underneath. “Of course it's okay. It's your birthday!”

“I still feel kinda, y'know, bad.” Spike looked around at the mares surrounding him, each pressed against one another and only a muzzle distance away from his face. Party streams hung across the lobby of the library. “This isn't too, and I don't know, embarrassing?”

“Well, of course, it's embarrassing!” Rainbow said, smiling at him as she lay atop Rarity. “Friends don't really do snuggle parties, heck, the fact that I'm here is a testament to how much I like ya.” She leaned forward, nuzzling his cheek and causing it to blush. “It may be weird, but if it's your birthday wish to be close to all of us, then who cares how odd this may look.”

“I simply concur!” Rarity placed a hoof on Pinkie's side, using her body to lean forward and peck the drake on the same cheek. She pulled back a moment later. “I still dislike being unable to buy you gifts due to your previous incident, but if this makes you feel just as happy.”

Spike smiled from the pink mare's tummy. “It does. It's just...it all feels so unreal, y'know? I keep blinking, thinking this isn't really happening.”

“Believe it, partner, because this is all for real.” Spike felt a hoof brushing down his spines, looking up at the smiling face of Applejack. “You've gone out of your way to help us for the past few weeks, so it's only fair that we've got your back as well.”

Spike did not know what to say; he did not know what to do, so, instead of thinking, he let his body take over as he pressed his face against the pink fur and began to weep gently. It was all so great to have his friends together, so warm to feel their embrace when he thought himself all alone, knowing now that will never be the case.

“I'm just so glad you girls like me,” Spike choked, lifting his head and wiping his eye. “For so long I thought you were just going to take Twilight away, that I was just her annoying her brother, that I was just—“

A yellow hoof pressed itself gently against his lips, the other softly stroking at his arm. Spike looked up to Fluttershy, who smiled sweetly down at him. “None of that was true, Spike, and you proved to by coming to each of us, by trusting us enough with your feelings even though they may have upset up.”

Fluttershy leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek, her long pink mane tickling the back of his head. “You made all those mares you feared into your friends, something, I think, Princess Celestia would be proud of.”

Fluttershy pulled back, but she never stopped smiling, never stopped stroking his arm, the soft fur of her hoof caressing his smooth scales. It was a contact both relished in, a stage of deeper friendship where feelings no longer had to be expressed with words.

“She has a point, Spike.” Before he could even turn around, he felt two legs wrap around his chest. A moment later, Twilight hugged his back, nuzzling his neck and whispering into his ear. “You learned a lot not only about yourself, but everypony here, and I think Celestia would enjoy reading some of your lessons.”

Twilight pulled back a bit, beaming over the drake like a proud mother over her child, forelegs never leaving his body. “You don't have to do it now, but would you be up for the task tomorrow?”

“I think I'd like that,” Spike said, turning onto his side. He shot a claw over Twilight's neck, pulling her closer once again. “But is it okay if we all stay like this, together, for just a little longer?”

Twilight smiled, placing her forehead on his.

“Of course, Spike. That's what friends are for.”