"Spike!" Twilight's call sped through the door to the backyard, ricocheted off the crystal walls, and reached the dragon's ears just as he was about to eat a scoop of delicious rocky road ice cream. He shrugged and ate it anyway.
"Coming!" the dragon replied after he finished the dessert. If Rarity could solve her problems with ice cream, so could he. Spike wondered what insane request Twilight would have for him. Yesterday's fiasco of a test was not increasing his confidence in the project. He didn't have to wonder long.
Twilight looked up from the motor she'd been working on. "What color should we paint the cart?" she asked.
Before Spike could answer, Oloy popped up from the other side of the cart. "Why do you want to paint it anyway?" he asked.
She tapped the cart's platform, "We can use a heat resistant paint to keep it from setting itself on fire!"
"Paint it red," her dragon assistant said, "and put on some green flames." That would look really cool. Especially the flames, green was just a good color for them.
The alicorn smiled. "What a great idea!" she said, as she wrapped Spike in a hug. Oloy grinned. The Princess of Friendship was so friendly! Nopony was this nice to him back at home. "Hey Oloy, wanna pick out the paint with Spike?"
"Of course!" he agreed almost immediately.
Spike nodded. "It'll be way easier to carry all the paint with Oloy!" The two left through the chrysanthemum door.
Twilight smiled as they did. "Those two are gonna be great friends!"
***
Oloy and Spike walked silently through the corridors of the castle. The student considered what kind of plant would look nice next to the crystal walls. The princess' assistant focused on navigation. "How much paint can you carry?" he asked.
Oloy shrugged. "A couple buckets."
"I'll get you some saddlebags."
"No thanks, I've got my own."
"Whatever." With that delightful exchange concluded, the two left the castle. Spike led the way towards the paint shop. A gray stallion with blue eyes and a blond mane waved at them from behind the counter.
He held up a bucket of paint. "Only the finest of paints, for the finest of ponies...and dragons! Get 'em while they're here!"
Spike walked up to the counter. "Where's the red and green?"
The paint pony paused. "You'll buy purple paint and like it, you scaly buffoon."
"What?"
"Pinkie's painting the town again, so I'm all out of red and green. I'm terribly sorry, sir," the salespony sighed.
"What about pink?" Oloy butted in.
The shopkeeper smiled. "I've got all kinds of pink! Petunia Pink, Peony Pink, Pinkalicious...Not that you'd know this difference, you dolt!" Spike frowned.
"Peony Pink, please," Oloy requested obliviously.
"Wait! It has to be heat resistant!" Spike reminded him.
The paint pony grinned. "Why didn't you say so, my good friend? I'll get it from the back." As he left, the dragon shot the student a confused look.
"What?" asked Oloy.
"He has such weird manners!"
"That's just how paint sellers are!"
"And butchers," Spike grumbled. The student shot the dragon a confused look.
"Here's your stinking paint, troglodyte!" The shopkeeper said as he returned, tossing the paint can on the counter haphazardly.
Oloy grabbed the paint. "Thank you very much!"
"Come back soon! And thank you for your business!"