//------------------------------//
// chapter2 
// Story: Spike's wings 
// by valkyrie95 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight answered the door to find Apple Jack and Apple Bloom waiting there.
“Howdy there Twi.  Ah was wonderin if ya might have a book ta help me get organized fur next week’s campin trip?”  Apple Jack said when Twilight opened the door.
“Hello Apple Jack.  I was actually just in the middle of reading a book on the subject, come in”  Twilight said as she moved out of the way, so that Apple Jack and Apple Bloom could enter.  Apple Jack and Twilight walked over to the desk the book was on, but Apple Bloom spotted Spike in the corner of her eye.  She walked up to Spike, who was curled up in his bed, still holding the cookie and tears welling up in his eyes.
“Howdy Spahk, is every thin all right? Ya look like your gonna cry.”  Apple Bloom asked.
“I don’t feel like talking about it.”  Spike said rolling over to face the other way.  Apple Bloom circled the bed to get back in front of spike.
“Aww come on, why ya so sad?”  Apple Bloom asked.  Spike just ignored the question.
“Come on Spahk, cheer up.  Ah know, you should come and play with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and me.  It’ll get your mind off whatever is upsettin ya.”  Apple Bloom suggested.  Spike laid there for a moment before sitting up and whipping his tears from his eyes.
“I guess that might help.”  Spike said.  He took a deep breath to try and calm himself down before standing.  He walked to Twilight to let her know where he was about to go.
“Twilight, is it fine if I go out and play with Apple Bloom and her friends, you know to try and cheer me up?”  Spike asked Twilight.
“That’ll be fine Spike, but be home before it gets dark.  I’m still going to need your help with some camping preparations, and here take this just in case, but don’t spend it all.”  Twilight said as she handed him a small bag with twenty bits in it.
“Thanks Twilight.”  Spike said just before leaving with Apple Bloom.
“Come on lets go find Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.”  Apple Bloom said to spike when suddenly Scootaloo pulled up next to them on her scooter attached to a wagon, which contained Sweetie Belle and several rolls of thick fabric.
“There you are, we’ve been looking for you.  Sweetie Belle had a good idea for something for us to try and get our cutie marks.”  Said Scootaloo.
“Yea it’s a really good idea.  Hay what are you doing with Spike?  Are you two on a date or something?”  Sweetie Belle said sharing a laugh with Scootaloo.
“NO!  we’re not on a date.  Spahk just seemed upset so ah invited him ta hang out with us, ta get his mid off what it is that’s botherin him.  We actualy just started lookin fur you.”  Apple Bloom said with a slightly red face.
“We were only kidding.  Come on climb in the wagon, Spike can probably help.”  Scootaloo said.  Spike and Apple Bloom climbed into the wagon, and then Scootaloo scooted off into town.
“We have a few stores to stop by first, but my idea is to make bags.”  Sweetie Belle said
“Bags?”  Spike said.
“Yea you know, so people can carry stuff easer.”  Sweetie Belle said
“Sounds fun.”  Apple Bloom said.  The four of them stopped at two stores fore buckles and thread.  They went to the crusaders tree house.  The three fillies unrolled the rolls of fabric.  Spike out of habit organized the scissors, buckles, and thread.  Sweetie Belle started off the cutting.  Spike was juggled between the three for help, but it seemed that he helped with Apple Bloom the most.
“I don’t think I did it right, even with your help Spike.”  Sweetie Belle said holding up a light purple bag, with stitching running through unnecessary parts and loose fabric coming out at parts.
“Yea I didn’t do to good ether.”  Said Scootaloo, looking down at a mangled pile of fabric and thread.
“Mine came out good.”  Apple Bloom said holding up a yellow and red bag with a green burning scroll shaped buckle.
“That’s cause you kept calling spike over to help you.”  Scootaloo said.
“Well ah just didn’t want Spahk ta feel to left out.”  Apple Bloom said
“Wait how is it held?  Its got two straps on the back.”  Sweetie Belle asked.
“Its so Spahk can carry it on his back.”  Apple Bloom said.
“You made it for me?”  Spike asked.
“Yea ah saw how holdin the pouch of money was getin annoyin fur ya.  And ah thought this might make it easier fur ya.”  Apple Bloom said to Spike as she gave him the bag.
“Aww, thanks.”  Spike said, finally letting out a smile.  The days passed and Spike would go to hang out with the crusaders whenever he could.  He would use his new bag every day, throwing in his money and a book about what ever kind of adventures him and the crusaders would be going on that day.  Spike grew to be close friends with the three fillies, especially Apple Bloom.  Apple Bloom helped spike get out of his depression the most, so spike grew really close to her.
The day before the camping trip came and Apple Bloom was given the job of preparing the camp sight, and Apple Bloom invited Spike to help.  They walked around clearing the camp sight of loose branches around the cabin and fire pit.
“So what do we do with the sticks we find?”  Spike asked with a small pilled of sticks in his arms.
“If its wet just toss it inta the woods, away from camp, if its dry set it in the fire wood pile”  Apple Bloom said.  They finished cleaning up the camp sight at the same time.  The sat to rest on one of the logs around the fire pit.
“Ya know ah never found out why you were so upset the other day, why don’tcha tell me?”  Apple Bloom said.
“Eh… I don’t know.”  Spike said, scratching his head and looking at the ground.
“Aww come on.”  Apple bloom giving Spike a bight wide eyed look.
“Ok fine.  Well you see I really liked Rarity, but she said I was too young.  But its ok now, I’m over it, you helped me a lot, thank you”  Spike explained.  Without warning Apple Bloom planted a small kiss on spikes cheek and trotted off.  Spike sat there for a moment holding his cheek with a red face.
“Come on, we’re done cleanin up here, we mite as well head back.”  Apple Bloom said just before walking off with Spike following behind.