//------------------------------// // Hope // Story: Not Just A Bug // by Bringiton6611 //------------------------------// We stare at each for God knows how long, every second goes by I think he's going to scream. Eventually, I speak. "Your Spike, right?" "How do you know my name?" "Remember me? The forest?" He takes a second more to look at me. After a second, his face lights up in recognition. "David, right?" "Yep." "I didn't know you were a changeling." Oh my God, I swear if I hear someone call me a changeling again... "I'm not a changeling, nor have I ever been one." "Wait, really?" "Yes, really. You have no idea how many others have assumed that." Which is not that many, actually. You know, considering. "Then why are you with him?" He points to Thorax." Changeling are evil!" "Not all of them are.Thorax proved that to me. Right?" I ask, turning to Thorax. "Yeah, all I've ever wanted is a friend. From the moment I first splint my egg in the nursery hive." Okay, I didn't ask for his life story, but since this could be useful information for me, so I think I'll let him talk." "I was part of the attack on Cantorlot during the royal wedding, but I'd never seen true friendship like that! And I couldn't just steal it and feed on its love. I wanted to share it! After I was blasted from Cantorlot, I met David. He's the first friend I ever made. But..." "But... what?" "I'm starving! And there's so much love here! It's what drew me here! But it's driving me crazy!" "Is that you were walking in front of me half the way here?" I ask Thorax. "Yeah..." "Wait, why are you starving? I thought you feed off of emotions. I've been with you for over a month." "Yes, I am. A changeling's hunger can almost never be satisfied. You've help me with that, but I'm still hungry. And with all the love coming from here..." "That would be from the royal Crystaling. It's pretty much a giant outpouring of light and love for a new baby." Thorax hisses, which causes me to jump back. "Sorry!I'm just so hungry! If I had more friends, maybe it would sustain me, but I don't think anypony wants to be friends." "What I told you there was somepony they respect and admire so much, he could convince them to give it a try." "If only that were true..." "It is! I mean, I am! It's me, Spike! Spike the Brave and Glorious? I'm sure you've heard of me." "I'm not from here, so nope." I say. "Nope, but I was raised by an evil queen.I'm Thorax. I can't believe you want help us." "Why, hasn't anypony other than David just been nice to you?" He places a claw on his shoulder. Thorax smiles at him before breaking into another fit of hisses. "Sorry! Kindness like that kind of brings it out. Do you still wanna be my friend?" "Of course! I can be David's too!" Joy. "And I'm 100 prevent sure I c an get the whole Crystal Empire to be your friend too!" Thorax hisses again. Crystal Empire, huh? Sounds like heaven. Once Thorax recovers from the hiss. Spike speaks up. "But... maybe I should just, uh, talk to them first." Thorax muffled an agreement. Spike walked off. As he did, I turned to Thorax. "What was that hissing? I've never heard you do that before." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thorax and I go back to the ice wall where we hid behind to rest and to wait for Spike to return. After awhile , we hear footsteps in the snow. I peak my head around and see Spike walking over to us. I calmly vet up while Thorax rushes over to Spike, like a child going to their mother when they know she got them something from the store. "So? so? Uh, what did they say? How many new friends do I have?" I see the look on Spike's face, and I instantly know what the answer is. "Well, it didn't go exactly the way I thought." "Oh... I understand. Week, thanks for trying. I-I guess it's not surprising. How can you expect who look like this," he changes into a pony," to trust something that looks like this?" He changes back to his normal self. "I think I might know." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How did Spike convince me to stay here while he took Thorax to the Empire? I swear I have a weak spot for kids... Without warning, Thorax coming running looking like he's about to cry. "Thorax?! What the he'll is wrong?!" "Spike..." was all he said. I then heard Spike yelling from close by. "Thorax! Hello? I just want apologize! I should have stood up for you... aw, come on, Thorax, David! I know your here!" "Leave me alone!" Thorax shouts at him. This scares Spike and he falls down to the cliff, barely gripping the side. "Little help?" Im immediately on my feet and start moving to him. Thorax, however, stays where he is. "Why do you think I would help you? I'm an 'evil changeling'!" "Thorax, cut the shit and help me! You should help him because he's your friend." "I just wish I had been there one to you." Spike adds. This immediately makes.Thorax move over to help Spike and me. Once Spike is on solid ground again he says, " Woah, what happened to you!?" I follow his eyes and I realize that he saw my hand. "I... had an accident." "What kind of accident?" "A guard and me were fighting after I help Thorax get away from him. We fought and, long story short, he sliced my hand open." "Ow." "How do think I felt" "It looks horrible." "That's because it get infected little while ago." "Why didn't you say something sooner?" "It wouldn't have matterd. It's pretty bad now, we can't find anything to help it." Spike stays silent for a moment. Thorax speaks up. "It's okay, I know it's hard. Everyone in the Empire loves you. We appreciate you trying to help us, but we couldn't ask you to give that up for us." "You don't have to." This gets both of our attentions. "What do you mean? What are you going to do?" I ask him. "What I should 've done in the first place."