Getting off the plane ten new guests were given extra special treatment by the staff. “Thank you so much for deciding to come to our humble resort. Please enjoy your stay Princess Twilight!”

Twilight gave the staff a diplomatic smile. She came up to about 6 feet even, her hair was tied back and placed neatly between her tucked in wings. She sported a short sleeve shirt and vest, snuggly keeping her ample chest in place and a skirt that covered her well but kept what mattered hidden, all her clothes matching colors, purple and a dark blue. She had made all the girls promise to hold off on dressing for the beach just yet. She stepped off the plane first and took in the air. “Finally here. Princess Celestia said this is the best resort on the continent! According to several different accounts and records, it seems-”

An orange hand grabbed her shoulder. “Relax Twilight. I understand how you feel but that’s not why we’re here.” The hand belonged to Sunset Shimmer, a friend from another world. In the human world she had moved on from high school and decided it was probably time to rejoin Equestria, though she still would return from time to time, she still cared about her friends there. Twilight had offered to give her a place to stay but she wanted to strike out on her own. She was doing odd jobs here and there, the human world had taught her quite a bit. She was a bit taller than Twilight and her body was definitely more developed, she also had a toned look to her body, proof of all the labor she’s done over the years. She also wasn’t as shy, sporting black jean shorts that came up down to her knees, a high cut blue short-sleeved shirt that showed her midriff off and her favorite jacket. “You’ll have more than enough time to do that later,” She smiled, her orange and red hair bouncing a bit.

“She’s right Twi.” Twilight looked up as Applejack came down and put her hands on both of their shoulders. “Take in the sights. Ah, reckon three weeks is enough time to do yer thing later.” Applejack was the tallest out of them all at 6 foot 5, she wore a green shirt and brown vest with slightly torn pants that did little to hide her muscular body, forged by years of working on a farm. She wasn’t as endowed as Twilight or Shimmer but was far from flat chested. She tipped her stetson up and looked around them. “Wouldn’ want ta miss what this place has ta offer.”

A groan came from behind her as a rainbow-haired mare spread her wings and stretched. “Finally off that dumb plane! I felt so cramped.” She leaned against her blonde friend and blew a bit of her hair from her face. Lean and built for speed, she was on the same level as Pinkie in terms of height but lacked a few things that she, in her own words, ‘would only slow her down’. She had on a pair of sweat shorts and a tank top with her favorite blue with yellow streaks. Her wings flapped behind her as she flew up a bit and dropped in front of Twilight. “So good to spread my wings.”

“Ah was worried we’d have ta tie ya down at first.” Applejack gave her a playful look and Rainbow Dash shrugged.

“Can’t help my nature.”

“Speaking of nature do you see all these trees? Trixie does not know if we are still in Equestria…”

“Trixie, what did I say about that?” Starlight pulled on Trixie a bit and made her give an apologetic look. Starlight for her part was a little taller Twilight with Trixie just slightly shorter than her. Starlight had on a long-sleeved shirt and a long skirt while Trixie sported jeans and a white halter crop top with an open lace up the front. Starlight begged her to change at first since her chest was threatening to burst the strings that held the top together. The two were tight as ever, with a few ups and downs but they were good friends nonetheless.

Rarity stepped out and stretched her arms out, she had a faint smile on her face. “I’m just delighted to be on the ground again. First class is nice but I’d much rather be grounded.” She had on a sun hat and sundress on, she was around the same height as Sunset, being just slightly taller than Twilight. Normally she’d be at the top of her game for a trip like this, but she just didn’t feel up to it. She turned and reached out her hand to help out her pink friend. “Come on darling, it looks wonderful.”

Pinkie for her part was looking a little deflated. She still smiled at the sights around them but she couldn’t help but look back into the plane. “It looks great.” Her normally bubbly personality shrank a bit. She dressed in blue jeans and a multicolored shirt with cloud designs. She kept glancing back into the plane while Rarity moved her down the steps from the plane.

After everypony had gotten off Fluttershy slowly got off herself. She was wearing a sweater and a long skirt, her arms were wrapped around a purple arm. She was the second tallest out of them, a bit shorter than Applejack, not that you’d know since she was always squished into herself. She smiled a bit and the owner of the appendage and pulled on him a bit. “Come on, Spike. Look? Doesn’t it look great?” She spoke to the dragon that normally would be a darker shade of purple due to her chest being squished against him but now…

Spike had a vacant and distant look in his eyes. One all the girls had become painfully aware of. Within the two months after Spike’s VERY public break up, things hadn’t gotten any easier. At first, Spike was fine going outside, he just had to put on a strong face and he could fight through the pain.

But he could hear them.

The ponies that were there, the ponies that had heard, the ponies that were just laying blame.

He heard them all. And every word hurt him. Cut into him in some new way. The ponies that knew Spike stood up for him but it wasn’t enough. One day Spike suddenly stopped being seen in Ponyville.

He secluded himself in his room, only coming out when Twilight called him. She tried her best, they all did, to help Spike through it, but it wasn’t enough. And after a few days of holding up in his room, coming out only to do his chores, cook and see anypony that had come by to see him, the worst happened.

Spike, in an effort to save himself from further pain, entered a sort of autopilot. He would move and do the things he was used to without anything extra. He was caught in a routine that would effectively get him through the day and he would return to his room and lay in bed for hours before finally falling asleep. It was torture for anypony who cared for him. Time and time again they would come by to see him and he would look at them all with a vacant expression, it got worse when Sweetie Belle began to cry for her friend. Spike recoiled in horror and locked himself away, digging himself deeper, believing he was hurting the only ponies that cared for him.

That was the final straw. Twilight, her friends and not shockingly, Luna and Celestia, all came together and put to work to help Spike out of this, they wanted to help him no matter what. They opened up their schedules and at last, the day came, the girls helped Spike pack and pushed him along. Pinkie had tried the whole time to get more out of him then a nod. During the plane trip she began to deflate, she understood why he was hurting, but not being able to help was torture.

Fluttershy pulled Spike along slowly, not wanting to force him too much. “Spike, look. We made it in time for sunset.” She gave him a sad smile, hoping for a reaction, for anything.

The frills on the sides of Spike’s head wiggled a bit as he reacted to her voice, he tilted his head up and his vacant eyes met the sight before them for the first time. A clear stretch of road led out, almost touching the ocean it seemed. The orange of the sun and the deep blue of the ocean contrasting as the day came to a head. The clear and beautiful water reflected the sky and sun perfectly, almost too much so. The palm trees and the sight of a large hotel in the distance created a painting that pulled at what he had hidden within himself. Spike blinked and drank in the view, there was really only one word for it. “Beautiful…”

As he made his way down he was met with one hug after another, and a pat on the head from Trixie.

Rarity and Pinkie clung to him as Fluttershy wiped her tears. He looked at them all and gave a sad smile. “I’m sorry...I’m really truly sorry.”

Rainbow, trying to seem like she wasn’t in tears, wiped her face and poked him in the forehead. “You haven’t done anything wrong so...stop saying you’re sorry man.”

Spike gave a dry chuckle as he was let go of. “I just...thank you.” He was forcing most of it, he didn’t feel at a comfortable level but he wanted to show how thankful he was to these 8 for doing so much for him.

“Spike you deserve this as much as anypony. Come on, our hotel is calling.” Sunset pat his shoulder and the group made their way to the hotel.

“Friggin stupid hotel…” Rainbow Dash complained while they sat in the lobby of the hotel. “Course it’s only my room…”

“They’re givin ya a new room fer free. Stop yer bellyachin’.” Applejack rolled her eyes at Rainbow Dash’s complaints. When they arrived there seemed to be a problem with one of the rooms. It seemed the last pony to stay there hadn’t cleaned up very well and now the room had to be renovated.

“How does that even happen?” Starlight and Spike were sitting together and looking at the different things the resort and the city as a whole had to offer. “How bad does something need to stink?”

“I’m just glad they didn’t decide to quarantine the whole floor. Looks like the room was spaced quite a ways from the others.” Twilight spoke up after coming back from taking to the management. “Rainbow’s room will be on the floor below ours.”

“Meaning I’m the only one not on the same floor, jeez way to make a gal feel left out.” RD leaned back in the chair. “Best start to a vacation ever.”

Applejack kicked the chair RD was in and pointed to Spike who now looked down again. RD proceeded to sink as far into the chair as she could.

Starlight put an arm around Spike. “Don’t worry Spike it’s not like-”

Spike stood up suddenly and looked at the girls. “I’ll be in my room.” Spike pocketed his card key and walked off.
Fluttershy ran after him and held his hand while on the verge of tears. “S-Spike, please…”

Spike turned to Fluttershy and hugged her. “I’m...I’m fine. I just want to relax for a while. See you all later, you know where to find me.” He separated from Fluttershy and walked off, taking the elevator to the top floor.

Fluttershy turned to the rest of the girls and held her chest. “I can’t bear this anymore. We have to do something!” Rarity quickly walked over and held her close, Fluttershy leaned into her shaking and on the edge of a collapse. “I...I just want our Spike back…”

“I know darling...we all do…” Rarity hummed as she looked back at the other girls. “What can we do is the question…”

“Simply getting him outside should help him. No pony here knows what happened so they won’t give him looks. It's also not strange to have other species come to this resort. It’s why Celestia recommended it.” Twilight and Sunset looked at each other for a moment. “But what more can we do?”

The girls all went into deep thought, their mind racked for anything they could do for Spike.

“What would you do to help him feel better?”

Applejack sighed. “I’d give up buckin apple trees fer a lifetime if I thought it could help…”

“My dreams would turn sour if I knew Spike suffered like this while I did nothing…” Rarity shook her head and held herself.

“I’d give anything to help Spike, he’s always been there for us. It’s the least we can do…” Starlight said as the others silently agreed.

“Sounds like you care about him a lot.”

Twilight turned to the voice with a bit of anger. “Of course we do! I-” She blinked at Trixie as she gave them all a strange look.

“Then what’s so hard? Go on dates with him.” Trixie stated it like it was obvious, but it glided over all their heads.

“How does that help Spike?” RD was quick on the draw, they all were thinking it even if they hadn’t said so.

“You guys are talking about ‘How can we help him?’ ‘I’d give anything to see him happy.’ Well? Show him.” Trixie put her hand on her hip and looked to where Spike left. “Trixie hasn’t been a part of your group for long. Nor do I claim to care about Spike as much you guys do. But Spike is a good guy. He’s someone that ponies can lean on when they need help. It's very clear to me that right now he needs somepony to show him they care. But not because it's an obligation. Friendship, meh.” That got a gasp out of Twilight. “I’d like to think I’m the drake’s friend, but Trixie will admit that she would not have gone this far.” She motions to the resort. “But you all did. That’s more than any ‘normal’ friend would do. I’m not saying you all do anything extreme but take into consideration how you really feel about him before you decide ‘I want Spike back’, because what do you really want from that? Do you want the Spike we know? Or do you want something else?”

There was a silence in the lobby before Trixie walked past Starlight and took the car key from her hand. “Trixie will be in our room. Plane rides tire her.” She walked off leaving the girls to their thoughts.

Trixie was the one that was making sense here?

The girls took their leave from the lobby and headed to their rooms, they had things to think about. They’d gone pretty far for each other in the past, but there was something more here, they could all feel it. They cared about Spike. Seeing him like that hurt them. They’d do anything to help him feel better.

But was it for them?

Trixie’s words hit home. It also hit something else.

Equestria was a place of acceptance, there were times when ponies could be a little bias, but the moments never lasted long. Herds, same-sex marriages, and relationships, even cross-species relationships, all of these things were normal. The girls were not fillies out of high school. They all had some experience in one way or another.

Ever since Spike’s break up they had been more concerned about Spike then they expected to be. They wanted to be there for him, to be his strength, but only until now had they considered the why.

They each agreed to think more on the idea in their own ways, but they wanted to keep it to themselves. They were on vacation.

Day 1

A knock on his door woke him from something, he wasn’t asleep, just felt really tired. Spike stood up from the chair in his hotel room and walked to the door and opened it. Rarity and Sunset were standing outside and gave him a nervous smile.

“We didn’t wake you up did we?” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck.

“We were wondering Spikey...would you join us as we go to enjoy the beach? I have no doubt the view will be stunning!” Rarity beamed at Spike for a moment until she noticed the somewhat vacant look in his eyes.

“Thanks for the offer...but I’m feeling kind of tired...I think I’ll just...I don’t know, order some food and sleep. Sorry. Maybe next time.” Spike began to close his door.

“Spike!” Sunset called out and Spike blinked at her. “J-just...let us know if you need something. Anything! We’re here for you.” She gave him a nervous smile as he nodded and closed the door.

Sunset and Rarity looked at each other and sighed before walking away from his door. “Maybe he just needs a bit of time to himself…”

“Perhaps…”

Down in the lobby RD, Pinkie and Starlight had held off joining Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy at the beach. Fluttershy was tempted not to leave the hotel until Spike did but the girls managed to convince her of otherwise. RD looked over to see Sunset and Rarity coming off the elevator, without Spike.

“No luck huh?” Rarity could only rub her arm. “Don’t sweat it! H-he’s probably jet lagged! He’s not used to being that high up after all.” Rainbow crossed her arms and nodded to herself.

“Spike’s finally gotten away from all the eyes. Let’s leave him be for today so he can get settled.” Starlight smiled a bit as they all headed out. “I’m sure he’ll be up to coming out with us tomorrow.

Day 2

“I thought sleeping would help but...I’m just not feeling well. I’ll get some rest. I don’t want you girls to catch anything I might have caught.” Spike’s voice rolled out without a pause. It was robotic almost. He closed his door and Starlight stared wide-eyed as Twilight held back from pulling the door off its hinges.

Twilight and Starlight reported back to everyone and Trixie was giving them a tired look. “If this keeps up nothing will change.”

Twilight sighed and held her head. “I know but...I don’t want to make Spike do something he doesn’t want to…”

“Date.”

“That doesn’t solve the problem.” Sunset gave her a look.

“I mean it. You all know enough about the guy to know what he likes to do. And you all hung out before he got a girlfriend. You all had hobbies you share right? Things you only do with each other? Do that, but as a date.” Trixie uncrossed her arms and stretched. “I’m going to get something to eat and bring back a share for Spike. Don’t even want to think about the price of this place." Trixie grumbled a bit. "‘Royal Discount’ my arse.” She walked off and the girls couldn’t help but look at each other.

She as right but...was it really okay to force Spike to go outside when he didn’t want to?

Day 3

Another day, another excuse to not leave his room.

“This stops now.” Trixie thought she was more patient than in the past, but these girls were testing her. “What is wrong with all of you?”

The 8 mares before her had nothing to say. “You want to help Spike but here you are leaving him to rot.”

“We aren’t! We jus...don’ want ta force the poor guy to do anythin…” Applejack fiddled with her stetson.

“And where has that gotten you?” They were silent again. “Trixie gets it, she does. But leaving him to his own devices while he’s like that won’t help. You’ve got to do something if you want something to happen. Pretending it’ll get better if you wait it out is just as bad as egging him on.”

“But…” Pinkie looked at her. “Dating him? Are you sure that'll work?”

“I didn’t say to decide if you should hook up with him. But take him out, show him a good time. Show him you care. I don’t know, kiss him!” The girls all blushed. “Hey, it’s a free country. I’m sure any stallion, or male in general, would love to have 8 girls this worried about him. Anyway, Trixie’s point is that if you’re this worried about him, then be by his side. Grab him by his arm, or tail his you must, and pull him out. Take him out and show him a great time! Make him see that the world is bigger than a mare that, if I’m honest with the way she acted, doesn’t deserve him.”

The more she spoke the better the idea seemed in their heads.

“Who knows, maybe you’ll get an itch scratched yourself,” Trixie said innocently as she was showered with glares. “Now excuse Trixie while she goes to find the cheapest bar in the area.” She quickly made her escape and all the girls looked at one another and came to an agreement.

No more waiting and hoping Spike gets better.

They were going to help him, no matter what.

Though having an ‘itch’ scratched sounded nice too. The thought prompting a dismissal from the lobby to one of their room’s to begin planning out who gets what day and what they’d do. Spike was going to feel better for sure, they staked their friendship on it.

Author's Note

From here on that M rating is going to make sense. A warning. Tis all.