The summer sun was just passing its highest point when Twilight walked out of the quill and sofa shop with a brand new batch of quills in tow, and her number one assistant flapping along at her side, trailing a lengthy scroll behind him.
“We are way of ahead of schedule!” Twilight beamed as she put the new quills into her saddlebags. “Don't you just love it when a plan goes smoothly?”
“Gee, I'm not sure.” Spike smirked. “It happens so rarely. I dunno if I can really have an opinion on it yet!”
Twilight rolled her eyes but didn't lose her smile. “Oh come on, Spike, it's not like we get into some big mess every time we step out the door.”
“That's how it usually starts.”
“I think you're exaggerating.”
“I'm just saying...” Spike swerved directly over her, plopped himself down on her back, and shrugged. “Weird stuff happens to us.”
“Oof!” Twilight sagged under his weight and straightened her legs with a bit more effort than usual. “You're getting too heavy for this.”
Spike rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “Heh heh, uh, sorry about that. In my defense, I did eat a big pile of rocks for breakfast.”
Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes good-naturedly while she broke into a trot off towards the castle.
“What's next on the list?”
Spike ran his quill down the list past numerous checkmarks and saw that they were all the way down to the triple checking of the checklist. He rolled his eyes and checked it off. “That was it. Just back to the castle.”
“Wow! We really are doing well!”
“Y-yeah, I guess so. We got done nice and, er, fast.”
“Is something wrong?” She shot a look back over her shoulders. “Did you think of something we forgot to put on the list?”
Spike looked down at the end of the list. It hadn't been the longest one they'd done, not by a long shot. That checklist from the time Twilight had freaked out about missing a friendship report was a whole third the length of this one longer. The less said about the list for the Friendship Festival the better. And the school. Sweet Celestia, the school's construction checklist had three volumes. Still, he could think of one thing that applied to this list that made it unique.
“Yeah. Sorta." His voice lost a little volume and almost all its enthusiasm. “'Give Spike his last ever ride',” he said as though reciting from the list. “Just another minute and we can check that- whoa! Er, Twilight?”
Twilight's gait had dropped from brisk trot to dead stop in one second flat. She stood stock still in the middle of the road like she'd just walked up to the edge of a cliff.
“Twilight? Are you okay?” Her magical aura took hold of her saddlebags and lifted them just off her back. A small flash of light and sizzle of magic and they were gone. “Uh, where did-?”
“To the castle,” she said. “I don't actually need to carry them all the way there. Besides, there's nothing perishable in them.” She made a sharp right turn and trotted off down a side street that lead as directly away from the castle as possible.
“Where are we going?”
“The castle. Eventually. We're just taking the scenic route.” A twinge of guilt twisted in Spike's gut. Why couldn't he have just kept his mouth shut?
“Is this because of what I said? You don't have to--”
“Yes,” Twilight said shortly. “Yes, I do.”
“But there are still things to do at the castle. What about the evening checklist?”
“Forget the checklist!” Her voice had an edge to it that she normally reserved for a crisis or at least a moderate freakout.
“Forget the-?” Now Spike knew something was wrong. Twilight Sparkle did NOT skip out on a checklist. “Look, just forget I said anything, okay? It was stupid. You don't have to do this for me.” Twilight's trot slowed to a walk and finally to a stop.
“Spike.” The edge was gone. She sounded almost… wistful? “I'm not doing this just for you.” Spike swallowed nervously. Twilight was acting like she was really upset. He hadn't meant to make her feel so bad. It wasn't like it was her fault he'd hit this growth spurt.
“Then… why are you doing it?”
“Don't you get it? If this is your last time riding me that means that-” her voice caught and she had to clear her throat before she could try again. “If this is your last time riding me then that means this is my last time carrying you.”
A lead weight landed in Spike's stomach. He hadn't thought of it that way. He hadn't even thought she would mind.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“I… I'm gonna miss this, Twilight.”
“Yeah. I'm gonna miss this, too.”
Spike blinked against the stinging in his eyes.
No.
He straightened up and set his jaw. Not like this.
“Well? What are we waiting for?” he said. Twilight looked over her shoulder into his now determined eyes, her own just starting to shine with tears. “You're right, Twilight. Forget the checklist!” He held it up and blew a bright green flame over it that reduced it to ash. “Forget everything!” He tossed the quill aside. “It's just you and me so let's go! Just like old times.” He grinned at her fiercely, showing just about all of his pointed teeth.
Twilight stared back for a moment until a smile crept across her muzzle. “Yeah. Yeah, why not? Just like old times!” She looked forward and ducked her head low.
“On your mark!” Spike began. Twilight pawed at the dirt. “Get set!” She shifted her back legs, digging in her hooves. “Go!” She reared back with a whinny, kicking her forehooves and flaring out her wings. The moment her hooves hit the dirt she was off like a shot. Spike hung on tight, laughing like a young foal having his first piggyback ride.
Tomorrow he'd have to start walking beside her. Tomorrow he'd have to start acting his age before he gave her back problems. But today, just for one last afternoon, he could be a silly little kid for a little longer.
If only it could last forever.
Author's Note
Just a little something that came to me this week and actually got to a state I'd call finished. The number of stories I have in horribly incomplete, un-publishable states is infuriating. That said, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.
