Embracing friends and the friendships therein felt so nice and relaxing. It really helped to know that the efforts had reached at least two young fillies' hearts. None of them wanted to trade a moment like this for the world. Unfortunately, that was getting increasingly difficult considering some ponies standing outside the castle were so loud.
"I'm with Applejack," commented Fluttershy. "We should really do something about them."
Twilight Sparkle sighed as they pulled out of the group hug. "Alright. Any pony have any ideas?"
"I don't know what we can do." Pinkie Pie shrugged with her eyes wide open. "Aside from Rainbow Power reserved for the monster-like meanies, the power of music is the strongest thing at our disposal and look how that turned out."
"Well, whatever we do, we need to be quick." Rainbow Dash looked over at the curtain. "I think I heard a window start cracking."
"Hmph." Applejack grunted. "Back in Granny's day, mobs never broke windows needlessly."
"Apparently, vandalism is considered a retro expression of art in this day and age," added Rarity.
Starlight Glimmer tapped her chin for a second, until she went, "Ah ha! I have a plan. But first Twilight, can I do something while using your name of authority?"
Twilight looked at her grad-student carefully. "Does it involve cutie mark magic?"
"Nope." Starlight shook her head happily.
"Does it involve brainwashing or hypnosis in any capacity?"
"Nope."
"Does it involve time magic?"
"Nope."
"Does it involve the virgin sacrifice of blood, sweat, tears, and souls?"
"N- uh... maybe a little sweat, but none of the other things."
"Eh, close enough." Twilight nodded. "Okay, you have my permission. What's your plan?"
"First, I need some pony to cover Toola Roola and Coconut Cream's eyes." Starlight trotted over to one section of the castle. "This will not be appropriate viewing for younger audiences."
Fluttershy and Rainbow flew over and held their hooves over the fillies' eyes.
"Um, what's going on?" Toola asked while attempting to move the larger hooves away.
"Wait, I remember this lesson." Coconut smiled. "Sometimes you have to believe in some pony else, even if they don't immediately make sense."
"Oh yeah!" Toola nodded, while Fluttershy barely managed to keep her eyes covered.
Pinkie grabbed a handkerchief from one of her emergency spots. "I'm so proud."
Starlight carried a long fire hose via magic as she trotted toward the door. Twilight was about to ask, but Starlight quickly lifted a hoof up in front of her mouth before continuing her quiet trek. Light blue magic surrounded the front doors as they opened. The mob attempted to crowd and enter, until they noticed a floating metal nozzle pointed right at them.
"By order of Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Starlight smirked as she pulled the valve. "Get off her property!"
Those immediately standing in front of the doorway were sent sprawling backwards. They felt the equivalent of experiencing a flash flood all over them. The rest of the mob outside the castle gasped before galloping away as quickly as possible. As the water finally launched its passengers to a place where the main stream couldn't reach, the wet ponies scrambled to run. A few of them slipped due to the layer of water droplets on their hooves, but they pulled themselves along.
Starlight shut off the hose and wiped some sweat off her forehead in relief. "Finally, peace and quiet has been restored."
She cast a spell to teleport the fire hose back to its emergency container. She closed the doors and turned around. It was then that she noticed a collection of faces in various degrees of shock and surprise.
"Oh, sorry." Starlight chuckled nervously. "Did you... want a turn?"
"Can we open our eyes now?" asked Coconut Cream.
"What the feather duster is wrong with you, Starlight?!"
"Fluttershy, watch your language," muttered Rainbow Dash as she put her hooves over her selected filly's ears too late.
Fluttershy slammed her hooves against her mouth and groaned. "It's been a rough day, alright? Just give them bleeper censors before they go home."
Rarity floated off a few of her headdresses to float something out of a sewn pocket. "In the meantime, some pony needs to have a chat with the swear soap."
"And some pony else needs another rousing round of juvenile hall." Twilight curled up her feathers into tight, round shapes as she trotted toward Starlight.
Applejack looked between the ponies frantically. "Alright, let's all take a moment to calm down."
"All?" Pinkie popped up in front of AJ's face. "I'm completely calm!"
Toola Roola scratched the floor with her hoof. "Um, not to interrupt, but... isn't there some pony missing from this group?"
The main six plus Starlight all took a moment to stare at the filly in bewilderment. What was she talking about? The C.M.C. were on a cutie mark camp this week. Aside from them, there wasn't any pony else. Right?
"Or rather some dragon?" added Coconut Cream.
Twilight gasped as her wings opened up and wide. "Spike! Has any pony seen Spike anywhere?"
Pinkie hummed in thought. "Now that you mention it..."
"I haven't seen claw or tail of Spikey-wikey at all," commented Rarity.
"But how?" wondered Rainbow while hovering. "He wrote at least a couple of the lessons in the journal too. You'd think he'd get at least some kind of attention from fans and critics."
Starlight smiled in realization and chuckled nervously. "Y-Yes! We should totally forget everything we're doing now and focus on finding Spike, wherever he is. Yep. That is the most important thing right now!"
Twilight squinted at her briefly before sighing. "We'll discuss your assigned reprimand later. For now, help us look for Spike."
For the next several minutes, every pony in that front hallway scattered. They checked as many rooms as they could navigate in search of the young dragon. Rainbow Dash went high. Fluttershy went low. Twilight scanned through the humble library. Applejack surveyed the kitchen and dining areas. Rarity scoured around each corner and behind every curtain. Pinkie opened a door that resulted in yet another broom closet dumping its contents onto her head. Starlight went upstairs and checked the relaxation area.
The target au-er... The two filly friends knocked on some of the doors that were currently not being checked. Coconut put her ear up against one such door. Her eyes went wide as she motioned for Toola to come closer. Toola hopped on Coconut's back and used both hooves to turn the door handle. The room was pretty dark, but the light coming from the hallway made the room's contents clear.
"Found him!" They called together as Toola dropped back down to the floor.
"No... I'm fine... just leave me alone..."
While the young dragon mumbled to himself, the rest of the castle's occupants and visitors eventually met up near the dark room. Twilight trotted closer when she stopped and noticed a lot of scrolls spread around. Some of the seals were broken. She levitated one up and read its contents.
We shouldn't even grace Spike with a description. None of his lessons are relatable and he's always the cause of the problem in the first place.
Twilight picked up some of the other scrolls in her magic.
A dragon teaching a baby phoenix how to be a pony? What the hay has the world come to?
A lizard has no business getting lovey-dovey with a unicorn! Aside from that, he's way too young for Rarity. It's creepy!
Spike was way out of character during the lesson about the owl. Actually, who in their right mind would complain about having another helping wing around where you don't have to do any work? No pony! Oh wait... he's not a pony.
Spike should be written out of the Journal entirely. I mean, Starlight has practically taken both his and Twilight's place at this point in the story.
Pinkie's organ trapdoor was highly inappropriate against Spike. She should have used her Party Cannon with an actual cannonball. That would have been so much more effective in putting him down for good.
All of the scrolls suddenly fell to the floor at once. An uncomfortable liquid started building in Twilight's throat. She fought to choke it back down. She steadied herself with Cadance's hoof-and-breath technique. She then walked over close to Spike and held him with her front hooves.
"Every pony hates me..." whimpered Spike, "... and they aren't... completely wrong. What am I doing with my life except making things worse? I have no right to exist."
"Spike Theodosius Dragon, don't you ever talk that way again!"
The young dragon gasped and went wide-eyed, despite the tears still dripping. "Wha?"
"Every pony does not hate you." Twilight's gaze went from fierce to caring. "Because I'm some pony and I love you. I'm sure the rest of our friends love you too. Right?"
"Darn tootin', we do." Applejack adjusted her hat.
"Yes." Fluttershy nodded.
"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie jumped for emphasis... or natural joy. It could have been either really.
"Most definitely." Rarity held a hoof against her chest.
"Hay yeah." Rainbow Dash flew a bit lower. "I mean, not love-love, but... you know what I mean."
"I know I enjoy your company," added Starlight Glimmer.
Twilight pulled up a blank parchment and drew a check mark. "Then, there are a number of ways in which you truly make things better. Who's there to wash my dishes when some-pony gets trigger happy in creating more teacups than we'll ever need?"
"Or saving me from a giant timber wolf when my hoof gets pinched at just the wrong angle?" Applejack absently rubbed her back leg.
"Or there to look after my animal friends when we have to go on a scary adventure?" Fluttershy smiled in determination.
"Or there to provide sly remarks when the rest of us are acting really silly?" Pinkie held up a couple large cotton balls that were decorated with illustrations of her thoughts.
"Or being a true gentlecolt where other stallions completely forget I exist?" Rarity held out a hoof for emphasis.
"Or tough enough to tell egg-crushing dragons that what they're doing is wrong?" Rainbow punched her front hooves together.
Starlight chuckled. "Or wise enough to see right through me when I try to avoid my lesson?"
Spike blinked and the water in his eyes started shrinking in volume. "Wow, when you guys put it like that..."
"And if any pony has a problem with you just being around..." started Toola.
"They would have an entire Crystal Empire's worth of admirers to answer to," finished Coconut.
He wiped his right eye. "Y-Yeah, they... would." His mouth shook as he smiled. "You guys are the best."
They all joined together for a group hug out in the hallway. Suddenly, a pony fan sneaked in and interjected.
"Wait, if his middle name is Theodosius, doesn't that mean his initials spell Ess-Tee-"
The interrupting pony was quickly washed down and out of the castle by Starlight Glimmer and the fire hose. She poofed the hose and the dripping water back to where it belonged.
"Alright, you can have that one," relented Twilight, "but you're still grounded for hosing all those other ponies earlier. No kite-flying for a week."
"Awww..." whined Starlight.
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