Spike was literally prancing in place, pausing every so often to run in small circles as his excitement overwhelmed him in exuberant bursts of energy and anxiety. "Oh, gosh! They should be here any time!" Twilight giggled, watching him bounce about the house. Spike shot Twilight a look. "What? I'm just... really nervous. And excited!"
"I'm pretty sure Pinkie has a word for that," Twilight commented, but it was largely ignored by Spike, who rushed around the living room a few times, checking to see that everything was ready. He dashed over to his box of toys, which he had situated in the middle of the room, nosing through and checking a second time that the tug-of-war rope and tennis balls were there. Satisfied that they were in order, he rushed over to the food and water dishes again; both were full. Finally, he checked that there were plenty of pillows in the bright patch of sunshine streaming through the window onto the floor of the living room: enough for anyone that wanted to flop over and enjoy the warmth of the day. He let out a sigh, turned in a circle three times, and flopped onto his side, panting with exertion.
"O-okay. It's all ready. The backyard is nice and clean, too? So we can go out onto the grass?" Spike asked Twilight.
"Everything's ready, silly. You just need to relax. This is going to be a lot of fun!"
"Yeah! Fun!" Spike whined, looking up at Twilight. "You think they'll think it's fun? I mean, they grew up so different from me... I'm really worried."
"Don't worry, Spike. I'm sure you'll have plenty of things that you can enjoy together. Your siblings might be working dogs, but I sort of feel like all dogs are the same, deep down. Just like people! We all have things we like. I'm just happy that their... owners decided that it would be okay for us to dog-sit them here at the house for the day!"
Spike nodded. "Yeah... this will be my first time meeting them. I'm just nervous."
"It's okay to be nervous, Spike. Just do your best and focus on having fun, and I'm sure things will go great!" Twilight said, reaching down and patting Spike gently on the head. Spike relaxed under Twilight's pats, until the unmistakable sound of a car rolling into the driveway reached his ears. Spike leapt to his feet, shaking with anticipation. Twilight straightened up, smiling. "They're here! I'll get the door."
Spike ran in a circle again, his eyes darting around the room for one more check that everything was in place. It was all fine, as it had been two minutes ago, and he whined anxiously before turning to look at the door. Twilight opened it up, smiling, and staggered as three small dogs pushed around her legs, heads down, noses sniffing. Spike could hear their owner, but he was totally absorbed by the other dogs.
They were all different colors—green, blue, and red—and all looked somewhat similar to Spike, but bigger. They were built bigger, stood taller, and were more... lean muscle. They were obviously working dogs. The blue and red ones were male and the green one was female. Spike's eyes widened, his nose taking in their smells: the scent of earth, livestock, and family. They were his siblings! He barked, a happy sound that drew their attention. The three dogs all froze as they spotted him, noses working, breathing him in, before they approached. The ensuing round of circling, sniffing, and barking was everything that Spike had hoped it would be.
"Hello! So small!" said Blue, though his words were less of true words and more body language and animal sounds.
"He is healthy!" said Red, his shorter tail wagging happily.
"Smells like family!" said Green, pausing to blow a longer forelock of green fur out of her eyes.
"Hello!" Spike barked, rolling on the floor in his excitement. His three estranged siblings smiled their doggy smiles, tongues lolling out and panting, and Spike wriggled before them on his back. "This is my home, but it is your home for today!"
Twilight giggled, saying something to the people outside before waving and then closing the door. She turned, surveying the three dogs and Spike, and smiled at him. "Going well?"
"Yeah!" Spike barked, but then he remembered he could talk, and he blushed. "Y-yeah," he stammered, slightly embarrassed. His three sibling's ears perked and their heads cocked almost in unison as they heard him talk, and he giggled. They looked so cute!
"Speak like them?" said Red to Spike.
"I speak like them," Spike replied, his head lowering a bit. Would that be a problem? Would they think he was strange?
Green yawned, a doggy laugh. "Neat! Do you want to play?" She asked, getting low to the ground, ready to jump and leap.
"Yes!" Spike said, relieved for the change of interest, and he lead his family to the box of toys. The three other dogs tumbled over one another in their excitement to play, growling and yapping and laughing in their doggy way. Spike spilled the toys over the floor and set the balls, plastic toys, and other fun things into the mix. His brothers and sister leapt after the rolling pile of toys, finding instant favorites. Red and Blue grabbed a rope toy with two loops, biting down and engaging in a tug of war that sent them snarling and growling. Green chased after a ball, snapping it up in her mouth and shaking her head as she enjoyed the soft plastic toy. Spike sat down in the middle of the floor, content to watch for a moment, smiling a wide and happy smile. Green tossed the ball with her mouth, sending it bouncing over the floor to land at Spike's feet. She grinned, wagging her tail at him, and Spike leapt on the ball and joined in the play.
Spike and Green wrestled over the ball, growling playfully as they enjoyed each other's company, and soon they drew the attention of Red and Blue, who came rushing over to engage in a struggle for the ball. The play turned to a king-of-the-hill game atop the ottoman in the living room, with Red finally triumphing over them all, holding the top of the ottoman before collapsing into a panting, tired heap. The rest of them sprawled around the floor, catching their breath. Twilight, having stayed back to watch the dogs play, set out extra water for them, which was gratefully lapped up. Red held his position stubbornly for a bit, ensuring that he was the winner of the invented competition, before he finally leapt from the ottoman to get some water. Blue and Green turned to regard Spike with interest. "That was fun!" said Blue.
"Yes! Fun!" Green said, standing up and sniffing around the room.
"Do you work for your people?" asked Red, peering at Spike with interest. The sudden topic shift was startling, and Spike stammered to reply.
"Uh... I help Twilight all the time!" said Spike, smiling at Red nervously.
"Oh! You work! That is good. Work is good! We like work!" Blue said, growling with excitement.
"Work is good, and play is good. Do you need help with work? We like work!" Green said, looking around eagerly.
"Well... uh..." Spike hesitated, considering for a moment, before he turned to Twilight, who had been watching them with interest. "Twilight?" he spoke, drawing curious looks and cocked heads from his siblings.
Twilight looked up from a notebook, where she was scribbling notes. "Oh! Spike, hey. How are things? You guys look like you're having fun!"
"Yeah! My brothers and sister are really happy to be here. They want to know if you need help with anything? They like to work, I guess," Spike said, doing his best to explain the situation.
"Well, I'm mostly taking notes on your interaction with your siblings. I'll have loads of questions for you later, of course! But, if they want to help, I guess... could you ask them questions?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah! They're pretty smart, but they might not answer how you expect. They don't really think like we do." Spike was briefly struck by his statement, and the realization of the distance, mentally, between himself and his siblings. "I can try, anyway!"
"Neat! I just wonder how much they can understand. I'd love to find out how many words and things they know. It'd be fascinating to get some definite answers on how they hear and interpret us when we talk to them or give commands!" Twilight said, grinning excitedly as she clutched her notebook close.
"Um, well, I think right now they were hoping for... other kinds of work. Something physical? Do we have anything they could help with?"
Twilight frowned, pondering the state of the house. Her eyes drifted slowly to the backyard, and she smiled. "I have an idea."
Spike watched with wide eyes as his siblings went to work. Twilight worked with a rake in the backyard, raking the leaves falling from the trees into small piles atop old tarps, and the dogs teamed up, grabbing corners of the tarp and hauling it across the yard to a single spot. They followed Twilight's commands with a singular purpose, happy and excited to help her, and between Spike's explanations and Twilight's demonstration, they had turned from playful pups to a well-oiled machine. Spike had never worked so hard in his life, most of his time with Twilight typically having been spent passing her chemicals or pulling levers while she recorded data. This was a totally different type of work that left him panting and hot with exertion. His siblings were more than happy, coordinating through body language and working as a group. Spike had trouble, at first, but they had been patient with him, and he'd swiftly learned to work with them. His added effort made the work that much faster, and soon the leaf piles were building up into a great mountain of earthy-smelling detritus.
After nearly a half-hour, the yard was clear of leaves, excepting the giant pile on one side of the yard. Twilight giggled as the dogs collapsed about the yard, happily rolling in the uncovered lawn and enjoying the sun. Spike gasped for air, and Twilight brought him some water, which he gratefully drank. "Wow. Who knew they would be such hard workers?"
"Well, they are working dogs, Spike," Twilight reminded him with a gentle pat on the head. The other dogs saw the pats being offered, and quickly crowded Twilight, seeking attention. Green practically leapt on Twilight in her eagerness, causing her to trip over Red. Twilight went down with a quiet 'oof', and was promptly swarmed by happy dogs looking for scratches. She laughed aloud, eliciting happy barks from the dogs as they climbed atop her and ran around her, licking her face. "Okay! Okay! I get it! You like pats!" she said, doing her best to give them all a bit of love.
"She's nice!" said Green, happily leaning in to an offered ear scratch.
"She's the best," Spike agreed, sitting and watching his siblings as they all lay around Twilight getting rubs and scratches and pats. He grinned happily at Twilight, before letting out a big yawn. All that work was exhausting! He didn't think he had ever worked so hard in his entire life. As he lay on his back in the sun, the warmth lulled him, and his siblings crowded around him in a happy pile, he slowly fell asleep.
"Spike."
Spike yawned, rolling over. "Mm, just a few more minutes..."
"Spike..." called the voice, again. It sounded like Twilight.
"Sis, please..."
"Spike!" Twilight shouted.
"Augh!" Spike sat upright, panting for breath. He whined, looking up at Twilight. "What? What is it?"
"Where are your brothers and sister?" Twilight asked, looking around the back yard.
Spike's eyes widened, and he rubbed them before getting up on all fours and casting his gaze around the back yard. His siblings were nowhere to be seen. He gasped, and put his nose to the ground, catching their scents immediately and following it across the grass to the wooden fence enclosing the back yard. He sniffed along the fence to right behind the pile of leaves, revealing a broken fence board that had been bent upward. Beyond it lay the street and the rest of the neighborhood. Spike swallowed hard and looked back at Twilight. "... Looks like they, uh, went for a walk?"
Twilight gasped. "Oh, gosh! That's not good!"
"Hey, they're smart dogs! I'm sure they're fine! We just need to find them!" Spike said, trying to be rational even though he was screaming internally.
"Well, can you sniff them out?" asked Twilight.
"Yeah, I think so! But, uh, are you gonna be able to keep up?" Spike said, gesturing to the dog-sized hole in the fence.
"Oh, well, maybe we should split up. I'll head down the block. If you find them, try to get them to come back!" Twilight said.
"On it!" Spike said with a little salute.
Twilight reached down and gave Spike a pat on the head. "And be careful, okay, little brother?"
Spike grinned. "Of course!"
Spike dashed through the hole in the fence and ran off, his nose low to the ground, scenting for his siblings. He traveled through the neighborhood in a meandering path that went all around interesting spots with interesting smells. Luckily, it wasn't terribly difficult to find his brothers and sister, as they'd left quite the mess behind. Trashcans had been spilled in the quest to discover neat treasures, cats had been frightened up trees, and there were scent markings on every post, hydrant, and bush between Spike's backyard and the little park that Spike found them in. Red, Blue, and Green were madly circling a group of children, barking at them. The kids appeared to have disembarked from a bus in the neighborhood after school, and had been rounded up by Spike's siblings, and were currently being herded back towards Twilight's house. The children, for their part, seemed delighted by the dogs, and were content to play along with their nonsense game. Green spotted Spike and yipped a happy greeting. "Little Purple! Come help! These small humans are lost, they were spreading out! We are keeping them safe and together!" Green 'said' enthusiastically.
Spike's jaw nearly dropped as he watched the giggling children get herded along the sidewalk. Every so often, one would pretend to break away from the group, only to be confronted by a barking puppy that would move them back into line with little pushes with their nose. Spike ran next to Red and Blue, barking at them. "Uh, guys, maybe we shouldn't?"
"What? Why?" Red said, cocking his head at Spike.
"These kids aren't ours! We can't just... herd them!" Spike tried to explain.
"No, Little Purple. They're lost! We have to keep them together! What if there are predators?" Red said quickly, turning his attention to a child that was attempting to break away. He barked a few times, eliciting a squeal of laughter.
"Yeah, what if they get hurt? They're safer in a pack!" added Blue, pushing a kid back into the group.
"We'll bring them back to your master, and they'll be safe!" Green said, herding the children along.
"B-but, their parents will worry!" Spike protested.
"No! They are safe with us!" Red said, barking at a child that was sneaking away.
"Guys!" Spike called, but the three dogs were set in their mission. They were going to deliver a gaggle of elementary school kids to Twilight's house! Twilight was going to freak out. With a sigh, Spike followed along behind them as they moved the kids along the street and down the block. He had to admit, the kids seemed to be having fun, and his siblings were having fun, so maybe it wasn't all bad. Maybe things would be okay! Spike focused on being positive.
"Come on, Little Purple! We're working!"
"Yes, working!"
"Yay, working!"
Spike sighed. "Yay, working..."
Twilight had already made a lap around the block with no luck, and she'd headed back home, hoping that Spike would be able to find his family members and bring them home. They all had seemed like good puppies, but they must have a mischievous streak to run off like they did. Fundamentally, they were very different dogs than Spike was. Spike... wasn't like them any more, and he'd never do something like this! So, she placed her trust in her little brother, best friend forever and waited at home. "I hope everything is all right..."
Just as she completed that thought, the doorbell rang, and she picked up the sounds of children. It sounded like a group of neighborhood kids. She walked to the door and opened it up, only to be confronted by a dozen kids that she recognized from the elementary school next to Canterlot High. "Um, hello?"
The children all stared up at Twilight, giggling and laughing, and one spoke up. "Hi, Twilight!"
Twilight stared at all the kids as they started waving to her and piping up little greetings. Over the ruckus, she spotted the three missing puppies. They sat around the group of children in a semi-circle, watching the kids and panting with exertion. Spike popped up from the middle of the group of kids, pushing his way through their legs to get to Twilight, and he stared up at her with a worried expression. Twilight picked him up, squinting at him in concern and turning around so they could whisper to each other without the kids noticing. "Uhhhh, hey, Twilight. So, I found my siblings!" Spike said sheepishly.
"Yes, I see that. Spike, why are there a group of elementary school students at my house?"
"Well, it's complicated. You see—" Spike began, but a chorus of barks interrupted him. Twilight couldn't understand his family, but if she could, it would have been pretty obvious what had happened.
"We're working!"
"Yes! Working!"
"Working! Working! Working!"
"We are good workers."
"So good!"
"Maybe she will say we are good dogs?"
Spike rolled his eyes. "—my brothers and sister decided that the neighborhood kids walking home from school weren't safe. So, they did what they did best... and they herded them here."
Twilight sighed, shaking her head, and turned her attention to the kids. "Hey, everybody. Are you all okay?"
"Yeah, Twilight!" said one, giggling at the puppies. "Are these your dogs! They're funny!"
"They brought us all the way here! Do you have a surprise for us?" asked a kid.
"Um," Twilight said, trying to think quickly. "Yyyyyyes? Yes! I do have a surprise, but first, I need all of you to call your parents and tell them we're doing a special screening of the Daring Do movie here at my house!"
The kids all collectively gasped, and then cheered happily. Twilight ushered them into the house, and made certain that those with cell phones began calling their parents, while she directed others to the house phone to make calls. That issue solved for the moment, Twilight returned to the front door and stared down at the three mischievous puppies with her hands on her hips. "You three are very lucky that the neighborhood parents and my parents all are on good terms. I could have been in real trouble!"
Green, Red, and Blue exchanged looks, whining. "Is she mad?"
"Did we mess up?"
"Are we... bad dogs?!"
Spike translated, "They're worried you're mad."
Twilight sighed. "I'm not mad. I was very worried about you three..." She knelt down and patted her legs, beckoning the dogs closer. All three walked over to her hesitantly, and she snatched them up into a big hug. "Don't run away, okay? You three are silly dogs."
Green, Red, and Blue all barked happily, licking at Twilight's face. Spike shook his head and jumped into the hug, getting an extra-close snuggle from Twilight. "And... you did good, Spike. Even if they didn't listen, I know you kept them safe."
Spike blushed. "Aw, thanks, Twilight. It was nothing."
Twilight stood up, wiping her glasses, and turned back into the house. "Now, I've got a surprise screening of Daring Do to set up. Why don't you and your brothers and sister come inside and get some food? I'm sure all that herding worked up an appetite."
The dogs didn't understand a lot of what Twilight said, but they picked up on the important part. "Food!" cheered Red.
"Yes, food!" said Blue, jumping up and down.
"Yay, food!" yipped Green.
Spike laughed. "Yay, food!"
The four of them ran inside past Twilight, and Twilight shook her head at the dogs as she closed the door behind her. She gathered the kids together in the living room and set them up with popcorn and drinks, and within a few minutes the kids were comfortably watching the Daring Do film featuring Twilight and her friends. The dogs, for their part, enjoyed a quick snack, and soon found comfortable laps to sit on, and were lavished with attention by the neighborhood kids. Spike smiled as he watched his siblings snuggle with the children, and he settled himself onto the couch next to Twilight. As the movie played out, Twilight kept him close, and Spike leaned against her side, only able to halfway pay attention. It had been a long day for a little dog, and he soon found himself drifting into another nap, serenaded by the sounds of happy dogs and happy children. In his half-asleep state, they almost sounded the same.
It was an hour later when Spike woke up, roused by the sound of the neighborhood kids departing and the somewhat familiar noise of a truck rolling up outside. If Spike hadn't been sure, then the reaction from his siblings made him certain: their owners were back. Spike hopped up off the couch as Twilight stood up, and Green, Red, and Blue all rushed in a barking scramble for the front door. Twilight met the older gentleman at the door as he knocked. "Hey, welcome back!"
"Hey, Miss Sparkle. I hope the pups didn't give ya too much trouble?"
"Oh, we had a few adventures, but nothing to write home about," Twilight said with a giggle.
"Ayuh, that sounds about right. They're rambunctious critters."
Green, Red, and Blue all leapt up and barked happily at their master, rolling over his feet and rubbing against him. "Dad!"
"It's Dad!"
"Dad! Yay!"
Spike stopped, listening to their reaction and smiling. They called him... dad? The idea that he was like a father to his siblings warmed his heart, and he also leapt into the happy pile of dogs to lavish affection on this man they called 'father'. If the man was worthy of their love, then he deserved some love from Spike as well. The man bent down and picked up Spike, eyeing the small purple puppy with a wry smile. "Ah, this is the little brother? I see the resemblance." Spike barked happily and tried to lick the man's face, and the farmer chuckled. "He looks very happy, Miss Sparkle. I'm glad we gave him a good home."
Twilight smiled and shot Spike a wink. "He's a member of the family. My little fuzzy brother."
The farmer laughed and set Spike down. "All right, pups. Say good bye to your little brother."
Green was the first to catapult herself into Spike, nearly bowling him over with her affectionate nuzzles. "Bye, Little Purple! We love you!"
"Yeah, we love you!" Blue said, bumping his head against Spike.
"You're the best, Little Purple!" Red said. "Come work with us again sometime!"
Spike smiled and yipped happily. "I will! I love you guys."
"Yay!" Green said, laughing a doggy laugh, her tail wagging.
The farmer scooped up Red, tucking him under one arm. "All right, pups. Come on."
At the word "come", Green and Blue were instantly by his side, all business. They followed obediently behind the farmer as he went out to the truck, and needed no prompting to hop up into the cab. The farmer was kind enough to roll down the windows after he started up the truck, and he waved to Twilight as Spike's siblings stuck their head out the window. "We'll do this again, sometime!"
"Of course!" Twilight called, waving back.
"Bye!" Spike barked, his tail wagging, even if he felt a bit sad to see them go.
"Yay! Driving!"
"Driving is the best!"
"I love wind!"
With that, the three pups and their owner drove down the street, heading for home. Spike stood and watched them until they turned a corner and disappeared from view. He sighed happily, and sat down on the front step. "That was a good day," he said.
"It was. A little difficulty aside, your siblings were great fun," Twilight agreed.
"Do you think... we can do this again soon?" Spike asked, looking up at Twilight hopefully.
"Of course," Twilight said, patting Spike on the head.
Spike leaned against Twilight's ankle, smiling up at her. "You're the best, big sis."
Twilight smiled. "You're not too bad yourself, for a little brother."
Spike laughed, and Twilight picked him up and carried him inside.