The Dragon of Coltonville.

The week spent at Sweetheart's home had ended as quickly as it began. Upon gathering the bookbag which carried his schoolbooks and biding Sweetheart and her family farewell, Spike made his way to the door, where he found Bon Bon waiting to take him to her place. The trek from Sweetheart's to Bon Bon's home would have felt like a mile had the filly and dragon not been so engrossed in their conversation; but as soon as they both finished whatever it was they were discussing, the two immediately found themselves standing before a two-story purple house with a yellow roof which was surrounded by four apple trees.

"Your family grows apples?" Spike strung up a new topic of discussion.

"Mm-hmm," Bon Bon nodded, "and we also have a field plot in the back where we grow other fruits and vegetables. I'll gladly give you a tour around here, but first I want to introduce you to my family." Holding Spike's claw as if she were bringing home a date, Bon Bon led him inside while announcing, "Mother, Father, where are you?"

"We're in the kitchen dear." The voice of Bon Bon's mother rang out.

Letting himself be directed to the kitchen by Bon Bon, Spike was greeted by the sight of the yellow filly's family sitting together near a round table. Both her parents share the same mustard yellow coat, with their main differences being that her dad's mane is teal while her mom's mane is light brown. As for Bon Bon's five siblings, each of them possess their own unique attributes; her oldest sister is beige with a long pale pink mane tied in a ponytail, her freckled brother is light yellow with a pale orange mane which is covered by a blue baseball cap, her younger sister is white with a curly pale blue mane (whose only accessory was a single green bow tied to her tail), her even younger brother is beige with a frazzled azure white mane, and her baby brother is maize with a cornflower blue mane.

"Everyone, I'd like to introduce you all to our guest, Spike." The second Bon Bon's family greeted the dragon, the yellow filly turned to him and said, "And Spike, allow me to introduce you to my family; this is my big sister Misty, my brother Rusty (who's a year younger than me), my little sister Amber, my little brother Twink, my father, my mother, and my baby brother Baby Pony."

"His name is actually 'Baby Pony'?" Spike questioned the logistics behind such a literal name.

"Well it's really a temporary name until we can think of an actual one to give him." Bon Bon's mother explained.

As Spike took the opportunity to let his eyes scan his surroundings, he had spotted a photograph of the baby that shown him having a cutie mark. "Oh, Baby Pony earned his cutie mark right away, that's quite impressive."

"Cutie mark?" Bon Bon's dad was puzzled until he eventually figured out what his guest was referring to in the photo. "Oh, you must be referring about his hip mark; it confused me a little when you said it's impressive, considering that all ponies are born with hip marks."

"You mean everypony gets a cutie mark the second they're born?!" Spike exclaimed. "Because where I come from, ponies would be born with blank flanks and will have to earn their cutie marks by discovering their hidden talents."

"Really?" Rusty asked with great interest. "It must be fun trying to figure out what kind of mark you get."

"Not for most ponies," Spike answered, "I have three friends who used to be bullied constantly just for not having cutie marks of their own."

"How mean!" Amber commented.

"It's OK," Spike continued, "the three of them would later earn their cutie marks by helping their bully understand her own special talent, and now those three ponies help other ponies find their cutie marks."

"That's very noble of those three." Bon Bon's mom commended the Cutie Mark Crusaders' purpose.

With that story finished, the dragon moved onto another topic. "So I notice you have four apple trees and a garden out back, do you supply fruits and vegetables to this town?"

"That we do." Bon Bon's dad asserted. "Our apple trees and fruit and vegetable gardens have been part of the Planter family for generations. We all do our parts to maintain and harvest our resources whenever we sell them to the market or prepare them for a family feast."

"I was just thinking about a friend of mine whose whole family lives on an apple farm that holds millions of apple trees; Applejack and her family would definitely love doing business with you."

"If this Applejack you speak of appreciates planting and gardening as much as I do, then I think you might be right."

Just as Spike and Mr. Planter were about to converse further, Mrs. Planter walked up to her husband and said, "Could you please hold Baby Pony while I lead Spike to the guest room?" Handing the baby over to her husband, Mrs. Planter led Spike up the stairs and towards the guest room that stood at the end of the hallway. "This'll be where you'll sleep for the week, it's right next to mine and Mr. Planter's room should you need our help with anything. Bath time is arranged in order, with guests being granted the first bath throughout any day--of course, if you don't have time for a bath, you're welcome to let someone else take your place. Also, we may need your assistance in maintaining our garden or taking care of the baby since you'll be staying with us for the week."

"I've been assisting ponies since I was old enough to write a letter," said Spike, "so I'm always happy to help anyway I can."

"I'm pleased to hear you say that Spike. Anyway, I'll let you get settled into your quarters and I'll let you know when dinner is ready. I hope you like salad."

...

The next day wasn't nearly as eventful. Aside from helping Mr. Planter carry groceries into the house, Spike would have spent the rest of today lying upon the guest bed, until he felt a rather strong force shake the entire house! Peeping his head out from the door, Spike saw what appeared to be white feathers falling all over the place like snowflakes which were coming from Baby Pony's room. Entering the room alongside Bon Bon, Amber, and Twink, the dragon and three ponies observed Mr. Planter sweeping up feathers with a broom and dustpan, while Mrs. Planter rocked herself on a rocking chair while cradling Baby Pony, who immediately let loose a powerful sneeze that sent a pillow flying towards a wall and exploding into a flurry of feathers!

"What's going on?" Bon Bon shook some feathers off of her while asking the same question her younger siblings and guest were wondering.

"Uh-oh, looks like he got you too, Bon Bon." Her dad commented.

"Why is he exploding?" Amber asked.

"He's not exploding Amber, he's sneezing." Her dad explained. "Poor Baby Pony is sick."

"Is he gonna be OK?" Bon Bon let her concern for her baby brother be known.

"He'll be fine, it's just a bad cold." Her dad put her worries to rest. "But I'm not so sure about his room."

"Phew, good! Then we can still go to the cinema?" Bon Bon changed the subject.

After Mr. Planter blew off a single feather that remained on his daughter's head, he gave her the bad news. "I'm afraid not, I have to get Baby Pony some medicine."

"But, but you promised."

"Bon Bon, I have to make sure he gets well."

"Would you like me to get the medicine for you?" Spike offered his assistance.

"I would definitely appreciate you saving me a trip to the kitchen." Mr. Planter gladly accepted the dragon's offer. "It's a purple bottle of cold medicine in the upper left cupboard at the corner, and please bring a spoon as well."

With the directions lingering in his head, Spike flew down to the kitchen and opened the upper left cupboard as he rummaged through until he spotted the purple bottle of cold medicine, along with a spoon that he found in a drawer that he surmised to hold silverware with his instincts, which he promptly delivered to Mrs. Planter, who in turn dipped a spoonful of the purple liquid which she gently thrusted into Baby Pony's opened mouth.

...

Going to school on a Monday would typically feel like the longest day for most kids, but Spike and Bon Bon got through it as if their lives were briefly put on fast forward mode until they both arrived home. While Bon Bon went to ask her mother to braid her mane for her, Spike went into the kitchen to help himself to a snack. After removing a bowl of green grapes from the refrigerator, Spike took notice of Misty measuring milk and Rusty sorting a pile of laundry.

"I take it this involves your baby brother still being sick?" Spike hazard a guess while eating a grape.

"Mm-hmm, our mom's busy cradling Baby Pony." Misty confirmed. "So I'm helping with putting the right amount of milk in his bottles."

"And I'm helping with the laundry." Rusty stated just before he dove into the pile of clothes and towels.

It was at this moment that Bon Bon trotted into the kitchen and called out for Misty. When Misty didn't turn to acknowledge her little sister the second her name was called out three times, Bon Bon took it upon herself to tug her big sister's tail, which immediately displeased the teenage filly. "Ow! Bon Bon, look what you made me do! Now I'll have to start all over!"

"I'm sorry, but I..."

"Shh, I have to concentrate."

"I have to have someone do my hair."

"I have to help with Baby Pony, he is sick you know."

"Ok, maybe Rusty will play a game with me. Have you seen him?"

"Over here." Following the sound of his voice, Bon Bon stood next to the pile of laundry in utter perplexity of where he could be, only to quickly be mildly startled when her brother poked his head out of the bundle. Thinking it was a game, Bon Bon leapt into the pile as if it were a large bundle of leaves, only to be scolded by Rusty for unknowingly messing up the work he did in organizing the laundry while also reminding her of Baby Pony's ailment.

Seeing the yellow filly feel dejected over feeling like nopony is interested in her, Spike did what any good friend would do in this situation. "I could help braid your mane for you, Bon Bon."

Not one to look a gift horse--or dragon in this case--in the mouth, Bon Bon graciously accepted Spike's kind offer and led him to her room. Relaxing on her bed, the yellow filly permitted Spike to brush her mane and then meticulously braid strands of her purple mane into a single ponytail. Walking up to her mirror for a better look, Bon Bon was awed by the dragon's handiwork.

"Wow Spike, I didn't know you could be so deft when it comes to hairstyling."

"I've had years of practice from all of the times I brushed Rarity's and Sweetie Belle's manes, I just like to make girls happy." Despite feeling proud of himself, the dragon managed to catch a glimpse of a frown on the yellow filly's face. "What's wrong? Do you not like it?"

"No, it's not that. I just can't get over on how just one sick baby pony can get so much attention; I'm sick of Baby Pony being sick."

"It's not like your brother chose to get sick, and he's only a baby for that matter, you can't expect a baby to take care of himself."

"I know, I know." Picking up a can of mane spray, Bon Bon covered herself in a cloud of spray that elicited a few coughs out of her until the spray fully dissipated. "Say, I just got an idea. What if I pretended to be sick? That'll make everyone want to give me attention."

"I don't think that would be such a good idea."

"Why not? Baby Pony is being pampered and cared for because he's sick, and I want to be pampered and cared for too, ergo I pretend to be sick like him. What's the worst that could happen?"

"For starters, if your family were to think that you're sick too, they would have to balance out taking care of you and your brother, which would just make things all the more hectic for everypony. Lastly, if your parents ever found out that you were just faking your illness, I'd imagine they'd probably ground you for a long time."

Taking the dragon's points into consideration, Bon Bon let out an irritated huff when she realized that everything he said is perfectly true. "Oh fine, I guess I'll just lay around my room and have no one to keep me company."

"Excuse me, but I'm someone who's keeping you company. Am I not good enough for you?"

"No, no! I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry for making you feel unappreciated, Spike; I couldn't ask for a better friend than you. I just wish there was something to help take my mind off my family not paying attention to me." No sooner had Bon Bon made her request did she and Spike hear a distant ringing sound. "It sounds like the phone in the living room, could you please answer it for me."

Being the helpful dragon that he is, Spike followed the ringing to the living room to find the source of said ringing originating from a rather bizarrely designed contraption. Utilizing his memory of the way humans would talk on cell phones in the alternate Equestria, Spike picked up the handset, that was attached to a cord connecting it to what appeared to be a red box with a white wheel of numbers in the center, and held it to his ear while saying, "Hello, who is this?"

"Hi Spike, it's Starlight. I was calling to see if Bon Bon would like to go to the cinema and see a movie with me."

"She was just talking about wanting something to do, she'll be more than happy to see a movie with you. Also, would it be OK if I tagged along?"

"Absolutely, the more the merrier."

Hearing Starlight's voice be cut off by a long drone, Spike simply returned the handset to its proper place just as Misty and Rusty came in to see what was happening. "Wow Spike, I didn't know you knew how to handle a phone." Misty let her astonishment be known.

"This is a phone?" Spike asked with legit confusion.

"Of course." Said Misty. "Is this the first phone you've ever seen?"

"No, it's just that the phones I've seen were small enough to be carried into pockets, were rectangular, and could let you take photos, watch videos, play games, and listen to music."

"Wow, you must be from the future." Rusty stood impressed by Spike's description.

"I would definitely love to see a phone that can do all of that." Misty declared.

With the conversation over, Spike wasted no time in returning to Bon Bon's room to relay Starlight's invitation to hang out at the cinema, which the yellow filly accepted with great enthusiasm. Putting on her best hairpiece, Bon Bon and Spike made their way down the stairs and stopped near the kitchen where her parents were.

"Mother, Father, Spike and I are going to meet Starlight at the cinema."

"All right dear, just don't be late coming home." Her father responded while reading a newspaper.

...

It wasn't too long before the dragon and yellow filly arrived at the cinema where Starlight had patiently waited for them. "I'm glad you two could make it. I brought us three tickets for a romantic period piece that'll start in five minutes, but we still have time to buy some snacks before we go."

"Good, because having to run all the way from my house made me hungry."

Fortunately for the party of three, there was no line at the concession stand. Starlight bought herself a milkshake and bag of gummi bears, Spike opted for a soda and a box of chocolate BBs, while ordered herself a large bucket of popcorn. And when Bon Bon began to devour hooffuls of popcorn when they took their seats, it occurred to Spike that this filly possesses both Rarity's fashion sense and care for her appearance as well as Pinkie Pie's appetite for food. When the movie finally started, Spike saw that it was an historical drama of a pony settler allied with two warriors of a dying tribe who are protecting the daughters of a general from a vengeful native warrior, all while the eldest daughter falls in love with the settler. When the movie eventually came to an end, the two ponies and dragon shared their final thoughts.

"I absolutely adored the locations that they shot for this film." Starlight praised the cinematography.

"And it was so romantic when Hawkeye tells Cora 'I will find you'." Bon Bon gushed over the love story.

"And the fighting scenes were pretty cool." Spike admired the action.

"Thanks for inviting us, Starlight," Bon Bon gave her gratitude, "I appreciate you wanting to spend time with us."

"I'm always happy to hang out with my friends." Starlight replied. "See you at school."

No sooner had Starlight made her departure did the dragon and yellow filly found themselves being approached by Patch. "Hey there, funny getting to bump into you two. I was on my way the Rolling Rink to work on my rolling blade skills, wanna join me?"

"Do we?!"

As if getting to see a movie with one of her friends wasn't fun enough, Bon Bon now got to go roller blading with another friend. As if this couldn't be her lucky day anymore, the Rolling Rink was right across from the cinema. Patch and Bon Bon proved to be having a good time skating together, but not as much as Spike, who was eliciting cheers from ponies who watched him perform various tricks as if he were a professional skater.

"Wow Spike, it's like you've been doing this your whole life!" Patch commended the dragon's skating prowess.

"I like to ice skate back at Equestria during the winter, so this came easy for me."

"I'll say, you could probably be a great addition to our hockey team." Said Patch. "Well, it's been fun getting to hang out with you two, but I gotta split."

Upon leaving the Rolling Rink, Bon Bon was feeling as if she were on cloud nine. "Could this day possibly get any better Spike?"

"Hey Bon Bon, hey Spike!" Melody appeared to answer Bon Bon's question. "I got extra tickets to the Cleveland Bays concert and backstage passes! Wanna come along?"

...

It was nighttime when Spike and Bon Bon departed from the concert to return home. Even though it would appear the two of them would be late, Bon Bon was too enamored by the autographed photograph of her, Melody, and Spike, along with the Cleveland Bays to even be concerned about getting scolded for her tardiness.

"This has been the greatest day of my life!" Bon Bon celebrated everything she got to do. "And to think that I never would've gotten to do any of these fun things had I pretended to be sick. Thank you so much for talking me out of it Spike, I can see why your princess made you her royal advisor."

"It was nothing Bon Bon," Spike modestly shrugged off her praise before requesting, "but could you compliment me some more?"

Rolling her eyes with a smile on her face, Bon Bon rewarded Spike with a friendly pat on his head as the two finally reached home. "Mother, Father, I'm sorry for not coming home in time, but I can..." She stopped right in the middle of her explanation when she found her family sitting on the couch and chair in the living room while looking under the weather. "My goodness, what's happened to all of you?!"

"I'm afraid we all caught Baby Pony's cold." Her mother elaborated. "We just don't have the strength to move or take care of ourselves."

"Well don't you all worry, because Spike and I will take care of all of you. Spike, you go get some blankets and medicine for everyone, while I go check on the baby."

And throughout the rest of Spike's stay at Bon Bon's abode, he and the yellow filly worked together tirelessly to tend and care for Bon Bon's sick family exactly how they were all doing for her baby brother, and Bon Bon couldn't have been happier to give her family the attention that she wanted from them.