[Sideish Chapter]Thats What Bros, and Dragon Buds, Are For

“How about the museum?” Spike pointed at a map of the resort and looked at Applejack who shook her head and sighed.

It was a little later in the day than their usual, just before one, when Spike and the others had gathered in Twilight’s suite. It seemed that even with a week to decide what they were going to do, Applejack had held off until just before they went out. The result of holding off? Everything was booked or closed.

“We went there the other day and if it weren't the driest, stalest fruit in the orchard I’d think ‘bout it.” AJ looked at the map again. “How about this place?”

“Pinkie took me there, it was being renovated.” Spike scratched at the back of his neck and looked up at Twilight who was currently groaning physically, and mentally from how well he knew her.

“Why isn’t there an updated map of this resort I’ll never know. It’s a month old!” Twilight leaned back on the couch and held her face trying not to scream.

A click was heard as the door to Twilight’s suite opened as Sunset and Rarity came in, neither looking too positive. “I asked around,” Sunset started, “The reason everything is getting renovated is that the owner of the resort wants to add onto the area. Looks like we just picked a really bad time to go on vacation.”

“But honestly Applejack,” Rarity gave the cowgirl a look, “You should have thought ahead, everypony else did.”

Applejack let her shoulders drop. “Ah know, I just’...I thought it would mean more if it was, ya know, more of a ‘in the moment’ thing and all that…” She looked up at Spike. “Sorry, sugarcube…”

“Hey, don’t sweat it. Another calm day would be cool with me.” Spike patted her back but he swore he heard something snap as Applejack shot up.

“The hell it is! I’ll find something’ t’ do in the sorry town if its the last thang ah do!” She suddenly ran off and left everyone confused.

Rainbow blinked and looked at the ground where Applejack was sitting, the map was still there. “Oh crap!” Rainbow snatched it up and flew after her shouting. “AJ! You’d don’t have the map!”

The other girls looked at each other and Rarity and Twilight ran after the two more concerned about what they could do alone. Sunset rubbed the back of her neck and laughed before looking at Spike. “Guess it's another day to yourself, that is if you don’t mind sharing it with me.” Sunset winked and Spike blushed.

“As a matter of fact.” A voice from behind Sunset made her jump and quickly turn to see Trixie standing there next to Starlight. She wore a low cut long-sleeved shirt with bracelets and jewelry on her wrists, a pair of tight leggings with a mini skirt around her waist and a choker around her neck. “Do you mind if Trixie takes Spike for the day?”

Before Sunset could say something she saw Starlight nod silently and smile. “...sure, why not? Just make sure to bring him back in one piece.”

“Trixie cannot make that promise.” She walked over to Spike and grabbed his arm before he could muster a response and dragged him out of the room.

When they were well out of their way of the hotel Spike finally was given his back arm. “Mind telling me what you have planned?”

“You make it sound like Trixie is nothing but nefarious. Not that you would be completely wrong, but this is completely innocent. Well...as innocent as I allow myself to get.” Trixie’s eyes followed a mare and Spike shook his head.

“Going to dodge it until the very end, huh?” The magician before him looked at him and nodded. “Fine, lead me oh Illustrious and Robust Trixie.” Spike did an exaggerated bow and looked at her with a big grin.

Trixie chuckled and flicked her tail in his general direction while turning. “That's Great and Powerful to you drake.” Trixie and Spike started walking and caught up a bit while she led him.

“So there wasn’t anyone else?” Spike placed his hands in his baggy jeans pockets and looked out down the road.

“If there is anything Trixie has gotten good at, its gathering rumors and hearsay then picking out the truth.” She crossed her arms and looked ahead. “It got out what happened with you and she jumped town. Apparently, she went running to her parents or a cousin of some type and hasn’t done more than leave to pick up groceries. Beyond that, she's keeping a very low profile.”

“Well, at least she isn’t getting harassed. I want us to go our separate ways as cleanly as possible.” Spike let out a sigh of relief and caught Trixie looking at him. “You think I hate her don’t you?”

“Given what she said, how it was said and...well everything else...yes, Trixie did think for a moment you would hate her.” Trixie smiled and patted Spike’s back. “But anypony that knows you would also know that you would never wish harm or spite on another, pony or not. It's just not like you.”

“I mean...I don’t see a point in just aimlessly hating someone. Doesn’t it just seem like anything done at that point is to get back at them? Besides forgiveness and acceptance have been beaten into me.” Spike puffed out his chest and Trixie smirked.

“And that is why you are surrounded by mares that adore you.” She shook her head and gave him a serious look. “I have another piece of info...if you want it.”

Spike looked at for a moment before looking out at the horizon. The pale blue sky over the blue of the ocean, the sight of all the people relaxing or walking about. A smile crossed his face. “No. I don’t think I do...maybe not now anyway. After all, we’re on vacation.”

Trixie gave him a nod and waved him along. “We’re almost there.”

They walked for a few more minutes and Spike kept himself busy by looking around until he watched Trixie walked into a random shop. “Hey, hold up.”

She looked at him with a playful smirk and he followed after her. “Alright, I think its time you-”

He paused, he needed to make sure he wasn’t going crazy first. Well-groomed and stylish blonde hair, a shiny white coat and dressed in the fanciest suit money can buy? Check, check and triple check.

“Big bro!!!” Spike ran up to the stallion and hugged him tight, in return he got pulled into a headlock with a fist grinding against his head.

“You diminutive doof, who do you think you are!? Not coming to me when you need me the most!? Do you have any idea how worried about you I was?” Blueblood gritted his teeth but smirk and hugged Spike tightly.

Spike laughed and looked up at his pseudo-brother with a big smile.

At first, things were a bit more...volatile. He was a baby dragon and Blueblood was a spoiled brat. At first, Blueblood couldn’t stand the little hatchling, but with how busy Celestia ended up being the two spent quite a bit of time together while being supervised. Over time the ice around the noble’s heart melted and the two of them rarely separated behind closed doors, he had an image to protect.

“What are you doing here?” Spike stood back and watched Blueblood point to Trixie. “How?”

“Trixie has her ways.” She puffed out her chest with her head held up.

“She told me you were out of your funk,” “Hey!” “There was no way I wasn’t going to show up and give you hell for locking yourself up. I tried to come by but some aristocratic asses decided to plot a ‘take over’ of the noble tennis circle.”

“...noble...tennis circle?” Spike raised a brow and Blueblood just groaned.

“I hate rich people.” Blueblood and Spike looked at each other and burst out into a fit of laughter. “I’m sorry I couldn’t show up. Life just isn’t easy right now. Things’ll get a ton better once you officially crowned.”

Spike made an ‘X’ with his arms. “No way, no how! I’m just not the royalty type. It's why my mom has made it a secret.” He leaned in and hissed at Blueblood.

“You say that like you have a choice,” Blueblood smirked and watched Spike deflate. “Oh calm down, you’ve got plenty of time to be free.”

Trixie clapped her hands together and the two looked at them. “Alright, enough brotherliness, we’ve got another stop before we can bond.”

“There more to this?” Spike looked surprised as Blueblood rubbed his head with a smile hidden from Spike.

“A lot more, now come on.” Trixie waved them along.

Spike walked further into the shop after Trixie and started to understand where they were. “Isn’t this one of those expensive bars?” He looked at Blueblood and the prince smiled. “Please tell me you aren’t spending much on this place…”

He heard Trixie laugh. “You don’t know!?”

“Know what? Would you cut the pronoun game already?” Spike was starting to get a little irritated.

“Spike.” The drake spun around and looked at Blueblood. “Tell me, did you ever consider who built this resort?”

He didn’t even need to think about it as he raised a claw to his face and just groaned.

Blueblood walked passed him and he and Trixie were ushered into a room.

Spike took a breathe and sighed and turned to follow before getting tackled into the wall behind him in a crushing hug.

There was only one person in the world that could hug this tight, and it was on accident too.

“E-Ember! Let up!” He was getting dizzy.

The blue dragon gasped and let go quickly, dropping the poor drake and letting him slide down. “Sorry!” Ember was still as strong and as tall as always, clearing six feet easy she was a proper mix of streamline design and sexy, though Spike would sooner skin himself than say it. She was in a usual for her, a black tube top and sturdy but torn jeans, her wings were tucked in tight and she was wearing a ring he remembered.

“Still kind of getting used to holding back,” Ember chuckled nervously. “Lots of fighting between the other dragons now that I’ve announced that I’m-”

“Dear!” She was cut off by another familiar voice as Spike looked up and smile wide.

“Thorax!!!” Spike shot up and hugged the tall changeling without reserve. The changeling king was still looking as lithe as usual even if though he was about as tall as his mother. Same as Ember he wore his usual casual clothes, a jacket with a long-sleeved shirt underneath with a pair of matching jeans.

“Good to see you too, Spike.” Thorax returned the hug and pulled back before looking up at a...less then happy Ember. “U-um...c-come on in Spike! We’ve been waiting for you.”

“We? Who are we?” Spike turned into the room and came face to face with a pair of floating eyes. “Discord!!!”

The chaotic being formed around his eyes and gave Spike a noogie and a fist bump. “Good to see you up in spirits my boy!” The draconequus wore what he always did, his mismatch suit and tie, even looking at him one could tell he was the embodiment of chaos.

Spike pushed Discord off but the smile never left his face. “I thought you were all too busy to stop by!?”

“I admit working the chaotic storm of another realm into ‘balance’ has kept me quick involved, but it would take the end of the world to stop me from coming to see one of my best buds.” Discord and Spike shared another fist bump.

“Keeping the peace in a kingdom of dragons is rough…” Spike turned to Ember, “But you’re my friend Spike, you can always count on me. Isn’t that right Dear?”

Thorax gave a nervous laugh but nodded. “I tried to get away but things kept piling up, but now is all that matters and we’re here. Besides, Trixie wouldn’t leave us alone until we finally started setting up this whole thing.”

Spike blinked and looked at Trixie who was hiding behind a menu. “Trixie…”

She lowered the menu, her face flushed a deep red. “Well...you are one of Trixie’s few actual friends...you did not think Trixie sat around hoping you got better, do you?”

“...since that day...all this time?” Spike was taken aback.

“Getting in touch with the draconequus was the hardest part…” She looked away but was suddenly enveloped by a pair of purple arms.

Spike gave her a tight, meaningful hug, a big smile on his face and nearly on the verge of tears. “Thank you Trixie...thank you so much.”

Trixie lightly grumbled but hugged Spike back, a big smile on her face.

“You can’t be serious.” Spike stared at Blueblood aghast.

Blueblood for his part took a small drink from a glass. “Completely.”

“With the pool boy?” Spike drank hoping to get the words off his tongue.

“With all of her pool boys.” Blueblood stated flatly.

“Have to give her point for...quantity.” Discord laughed.

“Ponies never cease to amaze me…” Ember downed her drink and groaned.

Spike just shook his head. “I can't wrap my head around it…”

“You’d be surprised what middle-aged ponies will do, especially unmarried rich women with children. MILF is a term for a reason boy.” Discord chuckled at the room’s collective groan.

Trixie shivered. “Discord please don’t, I just got this food.”

“Fine be that way, do go on Blueblood.”

“Very well, it turned out that the whole thing was staged in the end. She got called out rather publicly, not that she didn’t deserve it.” Blueblood took another swig and set down his glass to eat.

“She tried to sleep with her daughter’s fiance, I would expect it. That or public execution.” Ember flexed her claws and Blueblood laughed.

“We aren’t in the stone age Ember dear. Besides she’s socially dead, that enough.”

“I grow more and more worried about you bro…” Spike gave him a worried look.

“Its nothing I can’t handle. Besides, I have days like these, no politics, no fake ponies, no kissasses. Just a group of people I cherish, alcohol and all the food we could ask for.”

“Here, here!”

“Speaking of days like this,” Spike spoke up. “How in the world did this day come together?” He looks around the table for a moment. “I mean Discord was off doing Faust-knows-what, Ember and Thorax were dealing with...public relations-” To which the changeling king nearly choked on his food. “And Blueblood was doing what he does best, outing corrupt nobles and being the life of any party.”

Blueblood smiled and put an arm around Spike. “Well, it just so happened that a certain pony decided to call in a favor I never expected her to have and got my attention. She went on and on about wanting to apologize for being a bad friend and she wanted to cheer you up.” At this point, Trixie was violently vibrating in her seat as she was being held down by three magic auras. “Trixie here couldn’t bear to go another day without making it up to you.”

Spike blinked and looked to Trixie who was seated across from him, and now free from magical binds was blushing up a storm and glaring at Blueblood.

“You should have seen her Spike, kicking mages around trying to work up a powerful enough location spell to find me.” Discord stuffed a plate and its contents into his mouth and slid the tableware out with a fresh wash shine. “Imagine my surprise as I manage to wrangle things up cowboy style when she appears out of nowhere shouting at me that the temporal chaos could wait.” He laughed and as an empty glass came flying at him he caught it and took a drink of water from it. “Thank you Miss Lulamoon.”

The blue unicorn growled at the laughing draconequus, Spike’s face lit up and a huge smile grew on his face.

“Well if we’re trying to embarrass her-” Ember smirked at Trixie who looked ready to pick a fight with the Dragon Lord. “Watching her come waltzing into the Dragon Lands like its nothing was a sight. And anything that stood in her way got tossed into the ocean. Five dragons later she shows up as Thorax and I are trying to deal with those less than happy about our marriage. She puts a rather rude dragon to sleep and bothers us for the next five days about coming to see you.”

Thorax nodded a little and smiled at Spike. “Trixie cares about you a lot.”

“Stoooooop.” Trixie at this point has her face in the table and is hiding behind her arms, her red-tinted ears had flopped onto her head as she whined. “I can’t take any more.”

“Okay let’s ease up guys. It's not like she used her various blackmail on a few nobles to get them and all of their conspirators to ease up so I could have a break.” Blueblood grinned at the poor unicorn and watched her bang her head into the table and groan.

“Careful bro your villain is showing.” Spike slowed any laughter in his throat and looked at Trixie. “Thanks, Trix.”

Trixie stopped trying to crack her skull for a moment and raised her head to look at Spike, it was a rare moment of genuine embarrassment and she seemed almost on the verge of tears, she looked kinda cute. “I just...you deserved my best after I couldn’t do anything for you back then. Everypony wanted to help but things kept piling up and...fuck man, Ponyville wasn’t the same without ‘you’.” She took a deep breath and pushed her hair back. “There goes my image as the cool and kinda indifferent mare…”

Spike laughed a bit. “I don’t know about indifferent, but you’re definitely cool.”

With a groan and another moment of hitting her head on the table she almost stood up shouted. “That's it! I’m getting hammered off my ass! Drinks! Beer! Wine! Whatever just get me so drunk, I’d fuck Discord!”

“I take offense to that!” Discord looked offended for a moment but raised a beer mug that he pulled out of the same space Pinkie keeps things and shouted. “But I agree, LETS GET SHITFACED!!!”

Ember was grinning and Thorax looked terrified. “It time to finally put that pony constitution to the test Trixie.”

“You’re on Blueberry!” Trixie shouted and Blueblood, Discord, and Spike cheered them on as Thorax looked on in abject horror.

“Come on Emby Baby! Put that pony in her place!” Thorax rooted Ember on as she and Trixie down their 25th round. Ember was flushed and slurring while Trixie was laughing and wobbling. The contest had been made even by giving Ember appropriate alcohol for a dragon, which backfired since Trixie demanded to show her up.

“Was wrong Trixie? Can’ handle a real dragon’s fire?” Ember smirked and took another drink, this one she was taking her time, sculling another was going to hurt her in this competition. She finally finished and put the empty glass down, only to see Trixie already had a fresh one and was waving her previous glass a bit.

“I can handle it, but it looks like the Dragon Lord is scarred little ol me will win.” She giggled up a storm and almost spilled her drink while sitting up.

“Oooooo.” Discord off to the side egged them on while taking another hard drink of his now cask of beer. “I missed this.”

“You’ll miss it more if she croaks from alcohol poisoning.” Spike pipes up, deciding to drink less than everyone else, beer and wine never did it for him anyway.

“I’ve already got the magic prepped, it’ll get rid of the danger to her body, but she’ll keep the hangover.” Blueblood took a sip and smiled as Ember and Trixie took another drink each, throwing them back.

“You’re an asshole.” Spike laughed and looked over, both of them were barely staying up, it was anyone’s game now. “Okay you two, last one, cuz anymore and you’ll be comas.”

Spike raised his hand off the table and look at both of them. “Hit it hard and fast, the first one to finish wins.”

The two drunks unsteadily glared at each other, drink in hand. Spike raised his hand a bit more and waved it down. “Go!”

Ember threw back the drink, but barely a fourth threw she almost toppled back, she used her tail to keep her up and began drinking. But with all the alcohol and how quickly she’s been drinking them, she began to slow down and eventually it hit her. She hadn’t been drinking too often with all the political stuff going on.

As Trixie struggled to drink the last of the beer in her hand she heard a thud and looked up. Ember was face down into the now cracked table her drink caught by Thorax’s magic. He looked down at her in fear and they all heard the very low mumbling from Ember.

“Ember is down?” Blueblood turned to Trixie who seemed barely conscious.

The words seem to wake her up and she raised the glass and laughed out loud. “Fuck yeah I did!”

She then unceremoniously passed out.

“There, all better, she shouldn’t have to worry about feeling sick or anything. Much more importantly she’ll be awake in a bit and not on the verge of death.” Blueblood relaxed a bit as Discord and Thorax were prepping to take Ember home.

“Thanks, bro, I’m glad we could hang out again after all this time.” Spike smiled and gave the alabaster prince a tight hug. “I’m sorry for not calling you when everything went down...thank you for this.”

“Don’t thank me, thank the alcoholic.” Blueblood returned the hug as tight as he could. After being released from the hug he punched Spike in the arm and smirked at him. “The next time you forget you have a big brother who’s always ready to drop everything to help you out, I'll make sure to carve it into your scales.”

Spike rubbed his slightly pounding arm and nodded.

Thorax made sure Ember was fine for a moment and gave Spike a big hug. “Ember would say goodbye but she’s off in dreamland. Take care of yourself, Spike. Remember our doors are always open.”

Spike returned the gesture by pulling him down and whispering to him. “I wouldn’t want to intrude on anything.” To which Thorax lit up and stepped back over to Ember.

Discord’s arm stretched and wrapped around Spike as he rubber-banded to the drake. “You’ve got a few more days of vacation and plenty of time to do whatever needs to be done. Just make sure you know that if you hurt Fluttershy I’ll send you to a place so in between even your mother couldn’t find you.” He gave Spike a fist bump and snaked back over to Thorax and the sleeping Ember and snapped his fingers, then with a poof they were gone.

Spike, still a little dazed from the promise of interdimensional prison shook his head and watches Blueblood walked outside to an awaiting limousine. He turned and waved before stepping into the car and driving off.

He turned and looked at the sleeping Trixie, gave a bit of a sigh and picked her to take her home.

He stepped out of the building and began on his way. Before he got a few minutes away he heard a slight groaning from behind him as Trixie began to lean up a bit. She blinked slowly and looked down, Spike had her on his back, his tail around her waist and his hands on her legs as he was leaned forward so she didn’t fall. She looked at him, the day’s event played through her head and she fell onto him blushing. “Why didn’t you just leave me drunk so I would forget today existed?”

“Because I care about you and I’d rather you not die. You drank head to head with a dragon, that’s not safe. You did win though so props there.” Spike straightened up and Trixie held onto him.

“You’re damn right Trixie won, Trixie is amazing.” She pouted and looked up at the night sky. Even with the lights of the resort town around them, she could still clearly see the stars. “So? How’s my image?”

“Well you’re still my friend, but now I know if something happens you’ll fight dragons and cross dimensions to help.” He stops and looks at her. “Thank you, Trixie.”

Trixie looked at him and sighed. “Put me down I can walk.”

He let her down slow and while her first step was a bit worrisome she was okay afterward. “You shouldn’t thank me, I did all this because I’m not good at anything else.” Before Spike could talk she grabbed his mouth. “I mean it, I’m not good at the friendship thing. I try and I think I’ve got it right but then I realize I’ve still got a mountain of work to do.” She let go and crossed her arms. “I’ve got a good thing going though, I’ve got people who put up with me and I don’t have the entire town hating my guts anymore. I find a mare or stallion to help me warm my bed every now and then and my day is complete...no strings.”

“Then why does that sound sad?”

“Because it is sad, but that’s fine. Its what I-”

“Don’t you dare!” Spike bit out in rage. “Don’t you dare say that about yourself!”

“And what are you going to do about it? Kiss me and sweep me off my feet? I’m not like the others, I grew up with nothing. I had nothing. I decided to fuck up my life. Starlight and Sunset messed up but they made the choice to get better after they realized they fucked up. Me? I stay the same old arrogant, pissy, egotistical-”

“Trixie!” Spike shouted at her, baring his fangs and stepping into her airspace.

“What goddammit?”

“Why is it so hard to believe you’re a good person!?”

“Have you seen what I’ve done? I could have killed people!”

“So could I!”

“You had Twilight and your friends to back you up, I’m bare scraping by.” Trixie pushed him away. “I’m trying! I really, really am! But when people start talking about ‘all the progress I’m making’ it feels shallow! I did all of this because I wanted to help you because you’re my friend. Because even after all the crap I’ve done you guys still...let me be here...with you.”

“...you know you can be here. You wouldn’t be here if we didn’t want you around.” Spike put his hand on her shoulder and she jumped a bit. “Why don’t you think you belong?”

“Because I... didn’t help when you needed me…”

“You mean...how is any of that your fault?”

“You need me, you need everyone and we all treated you like weren’t one of the best friends we ever had.” She looked away from him. “I stood to the side and just let you continue to crawl into yourself. This whole time I keep saying and doing things that seem smart but… it’s just because its what I wanted to do for you if I could. But I can’t, they can because its who they are…”

“...the more you talk about this the more it sounds like you’re in love with me.” Spike smiled and Trixie gave him a flat look. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“Fine, it sounds that way. Sue me, you’re one of the very few guys that don’t try and get me in bed. So I appreciate you enough that I’d like you to bone me.” She pouts and crosses her arms.

“Because I know you, I know you mean that. But I get you.” He takes his hand back and hugs her tight. “Thank you for this, I mean it. I’ll have to make it up to you at some point.”

“This was a gift you doof.” She sighs and hugs him back tight. “Sorry, I guess I’m still not all there right now…maybe I shouldn’t have drunk so much.”

“You always realize that after you’ve gotten blackout drunk.” He lets her go and rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry for shouting.”

“Trixie is also sorry, I should know better by now that doubting myself won’t do anything else than depress me.” She stretched a bit and looked around them. “We should get back to the hotel now. Or do you feel like breaking down too?”

“I’m good. I’ve gotten most of my self-doubt and depression.” He gave a light chuckle even as something tugged at the back of his head.

“Good to know. The offer's still there, by the way.”

“Are you asking me to sleep with you?”

“No. Trixie is saying if you happen into her room with a key that was somehow placed in your pocket, she would not be upset about being woken up stuffed.”

Spike reaches into his pocket and hands her a key to her room. “That...is oddly hot. But I’m okay, as sexy as you are I’m not really into one night stands.”

She grins at him and takes it back. “You’re missing out. You find the most interesting people when you know what you’re looking for.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“Trixie thinks you’re starting to look at her differently.”

“What? No.”

“Hardy har har.” Trixie huffed as the two began to walk back to the hotel.

Sometimes there didn’t need to be soul searching and a night of grunts and moans. Some days you just need to be with your friends, at least, that’s what Spike thought as he went back to his room and flopped on his bed. “I love vacations.”

Author's Note

Non-sexy chapter ahead

I am SO sorry it took me so long to get back to this! I've been swamped with so much to do. With everything going on I really lost track of this. But the good news is that I'm back on this. I'll be trying to knock out chapters as much as I can.

I'm sorry this chapter isn't up to my usual lengths, but that might have something to do with the no sex.

See you guys next time! And I promise not to take a year to upload again.