The Thursday felt too fast, as everything good that was about to end
Spike woke up ready for Thursday more thoughtful than usual, but he did his best to contain the storm in his head; he still had two more days with his new friends so he would do his best to enjoy it as much as possible. And also there was Rumble’s party, that would be great since the Power Ponies were coming and his parents apparently had hire DJ-P0N3.
It was weird, Spike regularly attended to Pinkie’s parties and had fun, but now that he would go to a kid’s party he was more excited than the other times. Why he had never go to a kid’s party? But no, he did his best to clear his mind and went downstairs.
“Oh, hi, you’re awake! I was just about to wake you up. Ready for your next-to-last day of school here in Ponyville?” Smiled Lyra when she saw Spike.
“Yeah, thank you Lyra”
The minty unicorn hugged him.
“And hey, thank you for staying with us a couple of more nights”
“What? Oh, you’re welcome. I just wish I won’t have to leave”
Lyra kissed his forehead.
“What? Are you worried you won’t be able to make new friends? Don’t be, you’re great and kind so you won’t have any trouble. What else? Oh right you’re a dragon! How many kids can say they have a dragon friend? So take it easy and you’ll see everything will be fine. Now come on! I can smell something delicious already, that means Bonnie had just finished breakfast”
Spike sniffed the air and effectively, it smelled like egg with haybacon. Bon-Bon greeted the purple dragon with a smile and served him breakfast.
“You better hurry to eat, remember Cheerilee doesn’t like delays. Have a good day at school”
“Thank you Lyra, Bon-Bon. See you at lunch, have a nice day too!”
The two mares nodded to Spike and the dragon walked happily to school. The teacher received him as always, with a warm smile and a little push to hurry him into the classroom. The students started to come one by one, all greeting Spike in a very good mood. Finally Cheerilee closed the door and began:
“Very well, good morning kids! It’s great to have you here!”
“Good morning Miss Cheerilee!” Said the students at the unison.
“Before we start I have two announcements. First one is from your friend. Rumble, do you mind?”
The young Pegasus flew proudly in front of his classmates and after two stylized bows that cost him some giggles and a couple of paper balls thrown to him. Still he smiled and started:
“As you all know, tomorrow is my birthday, so after school we’ll go straight to my house to celebrate my ten years! You heard it, two digits! So please remember to bring me all the presents you can! Nah, just kidding, but I hope you all be there!”
The entire class shrieked in excitement as a response and Rumble bowed again very proud of himself and then he returned to his seat.
And then Cheerilee’s expression turned serious.
“The second announcement is about our new friend Spike. This is his first and last week with us since tomorrow he’ll move with his family to the Crystal Empire”
The entire class began to mumble in confusion and looked at Spike, who lowered his head in silence and nodded.
“Then you won’t go to my party?” Asked Rumble clearly disappointed.
Spike smiled to him.
“Are you kidding? Of course I’ll go! I’ll leave but after your party: I won’t miss it for anything!”
“You better be there!” Warned Rumble.
Sweetie Belle raised a hoof.
“Yes, Sweetie?” Asked the teacher.
“So Twilight is leaving too? Are they shutting down the library?”
“No, only Spike is leaving, Twilight will stay” said Cheerilee dryly. In fact las afternoon she had to fill an especial progress report to deliver to the principal of Spike’s new school.
Unfortunately that called the kids’ attention.
“Now that I remember, you’ve been staying with Lyra and Bon-Bon and started to come to school out of nowhere, did you had a fight with Twilight or something?” Asked Twist.
“It’s hard to explain” said Spike seriously wanting to change the subject.
“Now that I remember, yesterday I saw my brother’s girlfriend arguing with Rainbow Dash and Twilight. Is it related?” Asked Rumble.
The kids pushed more and more until Cheerilee called back to order and started the class. But Spike noticed Swetie Belle and Apple Bloom watched him carefully, they’ve seen their sisters closely and knew something serious was going on because of their depression. This all had to be related.
Then Snips passed him a note.
“From Apple Bloom” whispered the little unicorn.
Spike seemed surprised at first but nodded and open the note:
WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU AT RECESS
He looked at the two fillies and nodded sadly, he had to see that coming.
They met under a tree a little far from the playground so they could talk calmly.
“Spike, something very odd is going on, don’t deny it!” Said Apple Bloom.
“First my sister gets depressed after a trip to Canterlot, then you send me that note for her and Twilight, and then suddenly you’re moving without Twilight. Talk to us, what happened?”
Spike looked at his two friends who looked at him expectant but he had no idea where to start. Noticing this, Apple Bloom continued:
“And just like Rarity, Applejack returned depressed from Canterlot. A’ asked her what was going on but she avoided ma’ question; thought she’ll be better next morning but no, she argued with Big Mac and fought, then she came here with me and argued with Cheerilee. And it all started when ya’ began to stay at Lyra and Bon-Bon’s. What’s truly happening, Spike?”
Sweetie Belle took his claw with her hoof.
“Come on Spike, we’re your friends, we want to help you. Please, tell us what’s happening”
Spike took a deep breath in a desperate attempt to not to cry.
“It’s all my fault… I knew I shouldn’t get it those two ponies last Friday… But I swear it wasn’t my intention! I just wanted to finish my chores when suddenly two ponies from the social services took me to Lyra and Bon-Bon’s house saying Twilight and her friends were doing wrong at making me work so much and next thing I know is that I’m forbid to see them or even talk to them or they’ll be in trouble. I don’t understand what’s going on, I hope is all a misunderstanding, but everypony is looking bad at Twilight and every time I say is a misunderstanding, they get angrier at her! I don’t know what to do except wait, but I couldn’t take it anymore so I asked you to deliver my letter. Sorry I used you Sweetie”
“Spike, if I knew at the time I would do it faster! Why didn’t you tell us what happened?”
Spike nailed his claws on the ground.
“Because when I’m with you, with the others, I forget about my problems. All I do is play and don’t have any worries. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know how I would take it”
The two fillies just hugged the dragon, and this time he couldn’t hold his tears any longer. He cried in silence until Feather appeared out of nowhere and began to tease him:
“Oh look! The boy with two girls, so before we know it, you’ll be playing with baby dolls!”
But the Pegasus muttered at seeing Spike’s and the girl’s eyes.
“Man, I’m sorry… I just…”
Luckily for him Spike took his chance to change the subject and after cleaning his tears he grinned to colt.
“What, jealous? A double date, a man between men!”
Feather grinned relieved he was left out of the problem and limited to invite the trio to the soccer encounter between Rumble’s and Scoots’ teams.
The rest of the day was pretty normal and was a little too quick for Spike’s taste. But for the end at the day the group decided to go to Sugar Cube Corner.
“And for today, we’ll pay for you Spike!” Announced Snails.
“What? I mean, thanks but, why?” Asked the dragon.
Rumble rolled his eyes.
“Aren’t you leaving? Duh! This is your farewell-party! Today your party tomorrow mine!”
Scootaloo face-hoofed.
“We get it! It’s your birthday, can you shut up already?”
“Sure, but only if you kiss me!”
And Scoots pretended as she was going to hit Rumble but he saw her on time and began to fly laughing at the other Pegasus. Scootaloo extended her wings and began to chase Rumble while the others just giggled at this.
“Didn’t I tell you? They’re always fighting” smiled Twist.
But leaving aside the little conflict, the kids arrived to the bakery. Spike tried to see if he spotted Pinkie Pie but he didn’t see her anywhere. But again he hadn’t had the chance to consider it too much since his new friends called him back to reality:
“So what do you want Spike? You can ask for anything you want” said Pipsqueak.
“Uh-oh… maybe a strawberry shake and a red velvet cupcake” said Spike shyly.
“Sure, sure, go to find us a table and we’ll join you as soon as we ordered!”
Spike nodded and chose a little table aside a window, and fifteen minutes later the rest of the kids came starting their little party.
“I want to propose a toast for one of the coolest dragons we ever met!” Suddenly said Feather Weight raising his shake.
“Cheers!” Said the others at the unison.
They drank their shakes happily until Spike complained.
“Hey! This one is black berry when I asked for strawberry!”
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.
“Who took the order?”
“Pipsqueak”
“Why I’m surprised?” Groaned Button Mash.
“I bet the cupcake isn’t the right one neither” sighed Silver Spoon.
Spike looked at the unmistakable red velvet cupcake from the bakery.
“No, this is the right one!”
“Miracle!” Exclaimed all the colts at the unison.
“Pip got half of an order right!”
“Celestia have enlightened you pal!”
Pip groaned.
“Ha-ha!” Laughed Pipsqueak sarcastically.
Spike placed a comforting claw on Pip’s shoulder.
“Take it easy, everyone makes mistakes!”
“Thank you Spike! At least I have one true friend around here!”
And the kids finished their drinks happily and to close an already perfect day somepony suggested:
“Pine-nut fight!”
There was no need to repeat it, the kids ran to the same hill they had their little encounter last Saturday and organized a disaster of major proportions.
“They have us surrounded!” Said Pip to Spike looking how Feather, Snips and Apple Bloom have covered their whole flanks.
Their only shelter was a big flat rock, but it wasn’t enough to protect them for the death-trap.
“There’s still hope! Do you trust me Pip?”
“Sure Spike!”
“Then at my sign!”
The first one to arrive was Apple Bloom who dangerously held a pine-nut, when Spike suddenly created a smoke-screen and ran with his friend.
“After them!” Commanded Feather Weight.
But it was too late already, they escaped.
“Damn dragon!”
“Take it easy, soon he’ll be problem of the Crystal Empire!”
The game kept going, and Spike decided to enjoy it fully.
Nighttime. Twilight was looking at the moon through the window melancholically while giving small glances to Spike’s letter from time to time. She knew what she had to do, but she had to wait for the Social Services gave her permission to do it.
“I guess I have to wait until tomorrow or probably I’ll take at train to the Empire” Twilight sighed walking to bed.
She was sad, but mostly exhausted, even if it was the last day, the encounter with her family was exhausting. They were really mad at her and yelled really badly at her, but at least they have released everything at once. Would they forgive her? Twilight wasn’t sure but at least she was sure that she had to focus on what was best for Spike. She would be fine as long Spike could forgive her for her stupidity.
And suddenly somepony called at the door.
“Princess Luna!” Exclaimed Twilight when she saw the purple alicorn at the door.
“Do you mind if we come in, Twilight Sparkle?” Asked the Princess of the Night.
Twilight sighed and let Luna in.
“Let me guess: you’re here to scold me too” sighed Twilight. “Go on, I’m kind off used at this point”
Luna smiled gently to her.
“No Twilight Sparkle, we would never dare to such thing. Do you remember last Nightmare Night when we had a little incident with the young foals? Well, it is the same thing: we know what is like to make a huge mistake that turns everypony against us. No, we don’t judge anypony for their mistakes. If we came tonight is only to see how you are”
Twilight couldn’t believe it but soon enough she cheered up at least a little.
“Thank you, this is the first nice word I hear in a while”
Luna nodded.
“For our own experience we can tell you all you must do is to wait. Everypony is upset, yes, but only because masses are dumb and need something to be entertain with. Unfortunately, this time the victim was you”
Twilight lowered her head.
“My family is upset as well”
“They’re nothing but a bunch or jerks, you don’t worry about them Twilight Sparkle. Everypony portrays you as a bad pony, but what do you think?”
Twilight sighed.
“I guess I acted irresponsibly”
“Then you don’t take any more blame that you deserve; yes, I’m sure they’ll take the kid away from you, but you must understand it isn’t because you were mean to him,. But because you demonstrated not to be ready for take care of him. Everypony can say what they want about you, but nothing is more important than what you think. Do you understand?”
“Well yeah… but I hurt him”
Luna nodded.
“We hurt our sister as well, but at least you didn’t try to kill him”
“Still I have to make it up for him!”
“Everypony haves to make up for somepoy at some point” assured Luna.
“Everypony is really upset. Princess Celestia…”
“Tia haven’t stop loving you if you’re asking. She’s just frustrated for her own stupidity and blindness, and to be honest the notification couldn’t arrive in worst time (sometimes politics are the worst career choice). Just give her time, when the notification came everypony discharged their anger with you but what is done it’s done. Just give them time to calm down”
Twilight looked at Princess Luna thankfully.
“Thank you, Princess Luna”
The blue alicorn nodded.
“What worries us the most is that everypony forgets this problem isn’t about you, but what’s best for Spike”
“I know, I’m sure I’ll have to say goodbye to him forever but…”
“Do not accept any more guilt that corresponds you Twilight Sparkle. If you can understand that my job here is done. And I’ll talk with Tia, okay? She still have to apologize with you”
“Thank you, Princess Luna”
“Whenever you need me. And remember: everypony makes mistakes, sometimes bigger than others, but your mistakes don’t define you, and as I said, do not take any more blame that corresponds you. You have the right to defend yourself when the others go too far”