This story is a sequel to It's a Dangerous Business, Going Out Your Door
The great adventure achieved its goal. Twilight Sparkle was cured of her deadly horn rot, her friends came back safely, and everything can go back to normal.
Except, of course, that such an upheaval is never truly forgettable. It leaves its mark on all who take part in it, touching and changing them in ways they may not, at the time, completely understand. Like the pressure in the earth that turns coal into diamonds, the stresses of disaster--or its near aversion--alter the natures of ponies, and alter the relationships between them. Twilight Sparkle, on a seemingly ordinary day, is about to learn that first hand.
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This story has been floating around since shortly after Dangerous Business' completion. At the time, I envisioned it as the first in what would be a whole cycle of stories, building up to a monumental, multi-story tale very similar to what eventually became Besides the Will of Evil. It's not quite 'canon' to BTWOE--for one thing, Twilight and Spike's relationship here isn't what it is in there, since the later clarifications by the showrunners were taken into account with the later story. However, I like to think that the spirit of this story still informs the later, larger story. Astute readers will also see a clarification of something that was only hinted at in BTWOE. I hope old readers enjoy their fond memories, and that new readers enjoy what has long been a fan favorite.
This was definitely worth reading again. Good to see it here on FIMfic.
If it flashed across his face, then he didn't really suppress it, did he?
Hmm... I like it, but it feels dated. I know you said this is from back when Dangerous Business finished up, and it shows. This reads very much like a Season One fic, which in a way works great! Spike was awesome back then. Snarky, yeah, but very much a little boy trying to be helpful to Twilight. As much as I hate it, later seasons have been making him progressively more and more a simple butt monkey for one-off jokes. Sad that writers as talented as the MLP staff can't find a proper use for such an interesting character.
On a more personal note—thus don't take this as a criticism—but I've never liked the mother/son angle for Twilight and Spike. It's probably because the way they interact reminds me almost exactly of how me and my big sister interacted as kids. But more than that, I have a difficult time believing that a 6 year old could be the primary caregiver for any infant, let alone one that breathes fire. I think Cathy Weseluck herself said it best. When I asked her during the press conference at Bronycon 2014, she said she saw Twilight and Spike as a brother and sister in a family where the parents died. A little bit of both. Or to quote the king of Twilight and Spike stories, The Descendant, "He's her little one, she's his big one." And to those who talk of Spike "imprinting" on Twilight... Spike is a dragon, not a duck.
Either way, this was very cute and worth reading. My only suggestion is that you add some kind of breaks in between the scenes when Twilight is going around to the girls. Fast cuts work great in TV, but in writing, it jsut seems like Twilight teleports without even casting a spell.
So, yeah, great job, Jet!
I was waiting for this to show up here. Glad to see it!
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You cut me deep, bro.
But alas, Spike is too awesome to be misused. So much potential, yet so little respect.
Good to see this here! This is a sweet little slice of life.
Did not expect you to just resolve the sequel hook in an author's note like that.
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I also do not think that a filly could be a primary caregiver for an infant (although I think she was older than 6 when she took her exam - about CMC age perhaps), I am not sure why people always dismiss the fact that she could eventually grow into that role, especially since they moved to Ponyville...
Love it. This is now forever part of my headcanon
This is the fic that got me into writing Spike and Twilight as a Son and Mother pair
6666489 I completely agree about not being able to see the mother-son thing... It just seems so weird whenever it gets put in a fic; I definitely view their relationship more as very close brother/sister.
That one line made me see Twilight and Spike as a Mother/Son duo forever more....
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Spike is the Dark Horse of MLP
Based on what I've seen in your other story, are you a Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fan? It just so happens that I'm a fan of that stuff too.
This just in: nobody cares.
6669877 This also just in - troll sighted in the comments.
As for the actual story, this is excellent, as good as Dangerous. (A story that I have on my e-reader, I might add.)
Just to clarify, is this story Spilight?
Someone (who is very unreliable when it comes to story selection) has added this story to the Spilight group, and I am curious to see if this is a correct action.
I do plan on reading this and the story before it; It's a Dangerous Business, Going Out Your Door as it seems to be a very promising read.
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No way, this is Mother-Son for Twilight and Spike... which I highly approve of
And those who say that 'Canon Proof says this...', in fiction, there is only one rule that I have learned from my years as a writer of this site:
ANYTHING GOES!
6671738 Agreed, thank you for the clarification so now I can read both without Spilight goggles on.
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I'm personally on the other end of the spectrum when it comes to their relationship, and see them at most as someone like family, sorta like a long time family friend. But to each they're own and it's not totally unbelievable.
However what is completely unbelievable is Twilight raising Spike alone, while still being a child herself, while she's still in Celestia's school. Yet she somehow even found the time to personally teach Spike? It makes seem like the perfect parent. It makes this sentence make much more sense
A normal loving pony family with two caretakers and experience raising young couldn't possibly match up to a child, especially if that child is Twilight.
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It's perfectly safe to assume that many ponies were involved - castle staff, Cadence, Twilight's parents and even Princess. But it doesn't Spike didn't see Twilight as his primary caregiver.
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Why is it safe to assume that? Spike only mentions Twilight raising and teaching him, and in the flash-back Celestia gives young Twilight full custody while still being a student.
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Well, since we both agree that little filly busy with school couldn't possibly handle infant 24/7 I guess it's safe to assume she had some kind of help, until both of them were little older. It's a big castle, I am sure there were ponies employed to look after children there. But of course, it's me guessing.
Bruh are you alright? Saw you get beat on the street
Absolutely lovely.
I always saw the relationship between these two as tantalizingly between mother/son and big sister/little brother. It seemed like the show took pains not to specify which would fit better, just calling Spike Twilight's 'assistant'. I had the sense Twilight was nine when she passed that exam and took him into her life, and I imagined that her parents raised him as a third child and that he's close to them and to Shining Armor too, even if we were never showed it.