//------------------------------// // Pick of the Litter Part 04 // Story: The Shadowbolts Adventures // by DragonShadow //------------------------------// The growing puppies were bouncing around Lemon Zest's bedroom floor, chasing each other around the carpet as their parents, Spike and Mina, stood careful watch together from near the foot of the bed. The sound of panting and yipping puppies and the playful tiny shadows they cast across the room in the fading light of the sun outside gave the room an air of joy that did battle with the sadness of the scene. A sadness that only grew when the puppies moved to challenge their mother, growling at her and leaping on her only to be batted to the floor with a casual swipe of one paw, where the puppy yipped and moved to apply apologetic makeup nuzzles. Twilight Sparkle closed the bedroom door slowly and made her way out to the living room with a heavy heart. The puppies were four weeks old now, halfway to the point where all but one would have to be given up for adoption. Despite Indigo Zap's assurance that they would find a way to keep them with their parents, and multiple group meetings since then, not a single opportunity or idea had come up in the intervening weeks. Lemon Zest looked just as dejected as Twilight felt, sitting in the living room recliner with her chin resting in the palms of her upturned hands. "It's like watching a movie, isn't it?" She huffed sadly. "You know the bad stuff is coming, but there's nothing you can do about it." Twilight plopped down on the sofa beside her friend. "I actually didn't think Spike was ready to be a father when I first heard... but he's been amazing at it. He always wants to come over and see the kids, he and Mina get along beautifully, and he's actually matured a lot since then." Twilight pulled off her glasses and rubbed the crook of her nose between her fingers. "I feel like this is my fault. I mistook him for a puppy when he was ready to start a family... and now that he has, I'm just gonna have to tear that family apart..." The silence consumed them for several more long minutes. These sessions where Spike asked to visit his family had become one of the hardest parts of Twilight's week. She could only sit here stewing in her guilt, listening to the slow ticking of the wall clock beside the kitchen entrance as it counted down the hours to when these visits would have to end. "Do you think..." Lemon took a deep breath, as if finding the courage to finish her thought. "Do you think we should tell him?" "Right now?" "The longer we wait the worse it's gonna be, right?" Lemon asked. "Besides, doesn't he deserve to know?" "Wh-what if we find a solution in the next four weeks?" Twilight asked. "What if we don't?" Twilight gnawed on the earpiece of her glasses as she thought about it before speaking. "It's funny, in my mind I know that's correct. It's a fundamental part of psychology. Well... human psychology, anyway, and Spike isn't really human, but he's not entirely a dog anymore either, so I guess he would think enough like us for human psychology to apply to him. But then that's only a theory, maybe some time we could come up with some kind of test for his intelligence and aptitude... for..." Twilight trailed off slowly when she caught side of Lemon just staring at her with a steady gaze. Rambling wasn't going to let her avoid this question, Twilight told herself. The answer was yes... but she found that despite the answer being obvious, it was the most difficult conclusion she had ever reached. "Do you want me to tell him?" Lemon asked. "I don't mind." "It's my responsibility." Twilight nodded and stood from the sofa. "I'm his mommy..." Twilight blushed suddenly. She had never called herself that with anyone else in the room. "I mean I'm... you know..." "Hehe, I know." Lemon Zest stood and pulled Twilight into a comforting hug. "I'll be right out here when you're finished." "Thank you." Twilight briefly hugged her friend back then steeled herself and turned to march back towards Lemon Zest's bedroom, where the happy doggy family was obliviously playing and bonding. She felt like a monster... but Spike deserved to know. The bedroom door closed behind her with a soft click as Twilight leaned her back against the hard wood with her hand lingering on the door handle. Spike's eyes darted back to her with a bright smile when his sensitive canine ears detected the door and the movement in the room. "Hey! Do you wanna come say hi too?" Spike's tail was wagging so hard it pounded into the carpet on either side of his legs. "Spike..." Twilight slid down to her butt in front of the door. Mina wasn't going to understand anything they said, not on the level Spike would, but she still felt like it would be wrong somehow to talk about this right next to her and the babies. "Could you come over here please? We need to have a talk about something." "Oh, sure!" With a bounce in his step Spike skipped across the carpet to meet her near the door, stopping and sitting obediently in front of her knees. "What's up?" Staring into those large, wet eyes Twilight could barely bring herself to say anything more. She didn't want to hurt him, she didn't want to have to see the sheer joy in those eyes fade even a little bit... but as his mother, this was something she had to do. It was her responsibility, and it would hurt less coming from her now. "Spike..." Twilight reached out to pull Spike into his lap where she knew he was most comfortable, running her left hand slowly through his fur. "The truth is... we can't keep all of those puppies." Spike blinked up at her in confusion. "What do you mean?" "I mean..." Twilight gritted her teeth, then took a deep breath before continuing. "Our parents won't let us raise this many puppies at once... in one month they're going to make us give away all but one to loving families." Spike's body tensed under her hand. "Give away...? But they're my puppies, Twilight. You wouldn't do that..." "It's the last thing I want to do, Spike, but it's out of my hands. We're still trying to think of a solution, but if we can't... we're going to have to find them loving homes." "W-with your friends... right?" Spike stood up on her knees worriedly, his tail no longer wagging. "N-no..." Twilight looked away. "If we can't find good homes with people around town then... we're going to have to take them to the animal shelter." "What!? Twilight, no!" Spike put his paws on her chest in a panic, leaning against her hard enough to push her back against the door. "Please! I'll take care of them! Nobody will have to do anything, I'll do it all, I promise!" "It's not about effort, Spike." Twilight brought her hands up to his cheeks, rubbing them as she met his frantic gaze. "I believe that you would make an amazing father to these puppies... but our parents simply won't allow it, and as long as we live with them, we don't get any say in the matter." Twilight gave him a sad smile. "We're still looking for a way around this... but I thought you should be ready for it if... if that day comes." "But they're my children, Twilight..." Spike whimpered. "How could you ask me to choose one of them...? To send the rest away to some cold animal shelter?" "I assure you the shelter will take care of them. Fluttershy works there, she'll make sure they're given the best care and the most loving homes." "But their place is with me! With us!" "I know how you feel, but-" "No, you don't!" Spike jumped off of her lap. His whole body was quaking, whether from fear or sadness or anger she couldn't tell. "How would you know!? You're not a parent! You don't know anything about how I feel right now!" "Spike, please..." "You wouldn't tell a human to do this!" Spike whirled to face Mina and the puppies, who were as oblivious as ever on the other side of the room. "You're only saying this to me because we're just dogs, and dogs can be split up and sent away and nobody will care! Well I care Twilight! Maybe I'm a dog, but I care! And I won't let you take my babies away!" Without looking back Spike bounded back over to Mina. Mina looked up at him over her shoulder, and gave his chest a soft nuzzle as he approached. Spike knelt to lie on the carpet beside her, resting his chin across her belly once again as he resumed a much more watchful perch over the puppies. The puppies were now settling down for a nap, curling up in little furry piles against Mina's warm, furry stomach. Twilight rubbed her eyes as she pushed herself to her feet, wiping the moisture from her cheeks before slipping her glasses back into place. "M-maybe I don't understand, Spike..." Twilight turned the doorknob. "But that doesn't mean I won't do everything I can for you..." Spike didn't respond to look back as she slipped through the crack in the door, and pulled it silently closed behind her.