Let Me Count The Ways

by Rara

03- BDBFF

Twilight Sparkle was in a bad mood. “Spike! Why, in Celestia’s name, did you have to tell that filly that we’d meet her tonight? I should be unpacking and taking notes and starting an… um… hang on.”

The purple filly galloped over to a nearby table, where a cardboard box strained under the weight of the heavy books stuffed inside. She pulled out a massive hardcover dictionary, first using her hooves, then giving up and using magic instead. Flicking through the pages, she muttered under her breath. “I, I, here it is!”

She whirled around to the patient dragon as if she had never stopped berating him. “Starting an inventory! But instead of taking care of our responsibilities, we’ll be prancing around town with some crazy filly just because she likes your scales!”

Spike crossed his arms. He was too used to the high-strung filly by now to take any real offense to her words. “Twilight, I just think it would be a really good chance for you to socialize. The Princess herself told you to relax and make some friends. But you realize you don’t have to go if you really don’t want to, right?”

Twilight threw her forelegs up in exasperation. “The Princess also told me to fix this library up and continue my studies! The quicker I do that, the quicker we can get out of here! Anyway,” she sighed and lowered her head, “You already told her we’d go, and my etiquette books all say that breaking a prior engagement is incredibly rude. I can’t just tell her no.”

Spike shook his head and tried not to laugh. “Well, we can’t ignore the etiquette books. Anything but that.”

The unicorn nodded firmly. “Exactly.”

She turned and trotted upstairs to explore the rest of the tree’s rooms. Spike slapped his forehead and groaned. “I hope that Rarity pony has a sense of humor. I can’t take this much longer.”

*L*L*L*

Spike, being almost twice as big as (and far stronger than) Twilight, was used to doing the tasks she couldn’t. Her magic wasn’t fully developed yet, so he often had to do heavy lifting and other chores that she couldn’t manage with hooves, teeth, or magic. His main duties were to help Twilight in her studies and day-to-day life, but just as important was his companionship.

As much as she would like to, the Princess was far too busy to spend all her time with Twilight, and the little unicorn had a tendency to withdraw into herself if she wasn’t goaded into interaction with other ponies. Spike’s presence was invaluable to her social growth, Celestia had once confided in the dragon. His laid-back personality, humor, and good-natured ways made him the perfect balance to Twilight, and the fact that they were only a few years apart in age didn’t hurt. Spike had spent a week swaggering through the palace with his chest puffed out proudly after the Princess told him that.

Secretly, though, Spike suspected it was because he was a lot like Twilight’s older brother, Shining Armor. She idolized Shining, and opened up to him like she did with no other pony. Spike got along quite well with the colt, although Shining was a bit older and had a more serious attitude toward life in general. Spike remembered the first week, a little less than a year ago, when the three of them had gone to the local playground.

Spike had only been partnered with Twilight a few days before, when she was accepted as Celestia’s personal student. They were instructed to spend time together and get acquainted with each other before Twilight moved out of her parents’ house and into Canterlot Castle. Spike and Shining had decided to take the filly to her favorite park for the afternoon, and so they set off.

Shining was a teenaged colt who had only recently been accepted into the Royal Guard Academy. His coloration, unlike his sister’s, was a traditional unicorn combination of a white coat and a blue mane and tail. He was well-built, but it was obvious that he was still growing into the powerful frame he would one day occupy. His hooves seemed slightly too large for his body, and his voice quavered slightly every now and then.

The trio sat on a newly-painted wooden bench in the playground. They had ceased all conversation in order to focus on the ice cream cones before them. Twilight, lacking a precise control in her holding and levitation magic, had crushed two cones and dropped another before relenting and letting her brother hold her ice cream for her. Spike had his cone wrapped carefully in his clawed fingers, precise in a practiced way born of many, many accidents.

Twilight, perched between the two boys, took a dainty lick of her cone. “Thank you for the ice cream, Shiny.”

Her brother smiled fondly at her. “Hey, it’s the least I could do. We gotta have as much fun as we can before you go off to school.”

“It’s too bad they were out of garnets,” mused Spike, looking sorrowfully at his own ice cream. “I mean, blueberry’s nice, but it’s not the same.” He took a huge bite, then yowled and slapped a hand to the side of his head as a stabbing pain hit him.

“That’s what happens when you eat cold things too fast.” observed Twilight sagely. “It’s called a brain freeze, even though it’s not actually your brain freezing. That would kill you. What really happens is-”

“Thanks, Twiley,” interrupted Shining Armor. “but I think Spike knows that already.”

The filly shrugged, unconcerned. “If you say so.” A thought seemed to strike her, and she turned to the groaning, slowly recovering dragon. “Hey! If Shining is my BBBFF, that makes you my BDBFF!”

“What’s- ow- what’s that stand for?”

“Big Dragon Best Friend Forever!” Twilight recited.

Spike smiled. The lingering pain in his head was forgotten as he gave the purple unicorn a quick one-armed hug. “Thanks, Twilight. That sounds awesome.”

Shining watched this exchange with a proud smile. He had had his doubts about the scaly “assistant”, but if Twilight liked him, that was good enough for her brother. Twilight rarely opened up to other ponies (well, dragons too, he supposed), and it warmed the young stallion’s heart to see his baby sister making a new friend. The odd trio resumed eating their respective treats. Each one felt happier than they had a few seconds ago as the sun warmed their faces and ponies passed by on the cobblestones, going about their lives, oblivious to the new friendship binding the three together as they sat in the summer sun.

*L*L*L*

Spike stood in the dingy, utilitarian kitchen. In the crook of one arm he cradled a moving box (helpfully labeled “Kitchen”, “Delicate”, “This way up”, “Do NOT drop”, and “Handle with care” in Twilight’s neat and instantly distinctive script), and in the other he balanced a stack of plates. The sound of hooves against the smooth wood floor made him turn.

In front of him, looking embarrassed and slightly ashamed, stood a straight-maned unicorn filly. She didn’t meet his eyes; she only scuffed one hoof against the floor and cleared her throat.

“Hey, Spike. Um… I thought it over, and I’m sorry I yelled at you. I was just frustrated with all these distractions! It’s… hard, being away from home.”

Spike sighed. Putting down his burden, he crouched and beckoned the filly towards him. Slowly, she stepped into his scaly embrace. The two friends hugged. Spike thought he heard a sniff, but he didn’t say anything for a long while. Finally, he released her.

“Hey, I know you miss Canterlot. I know you feel like maybe the Princess doesn’t want you around anymore,” Twilight sniffled and started to turn away, but Spike laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Hey. Look at me. I know you feel like that, but it’s not true. The Princess loves you, and you know what?”

“What?”

“We’re gonna make this the best summer ever. Think of it as an experiment on how to make friends- scientifically. Okay?”

The filly nodded, and gave the dragon a tiny smile. “Okay. That sounds good, Spike.”

They smiled at each other, knowing that everything was back to the way it should be.

Comments

[MasterSpike]

Update!

Finally. now I await the next chapter.

[Rara]

1445304
Yep. I'm finally home, so hopefully updates will be more frequent, but I'm really sick right now, so we'll see.

[MasterSpike]

1445326 Hope you get better soon then.

[Rara]

1445369
Thanks! In the meantime, I have four other fics that may tide you over. Ya never know.

[mbpony 512]

Aw, nice intro to how Shining Armor and Spike bonded with the young Twilight.

I cannot wait to see how Rarity Prepares for her "engagment" with Spike and Twilight.

[Rara]

1445957
I'm glad you liked it I wanted to show how Spike and Twi interact, and the "older brother" comparison was too good to pass up.
Rarity... well, let's just say she has plans.