For hours now, Sweetie Belle had been meandering about in her bedroom. She hadn’t seen Spike in almost two days, and was constantly worrying about what had become of him.
“Spike...what’s happened to you?” she thought to herself.
He was so mean and distant the last time that she saw him. For all she knew, he was twice as bad now as he was before. What would happen if they met again? Would he hesitate to hurt her again? Or worse?
Her thoughts were interrupted by her door opening, and Rarity walking in.
“Sweetie Belle? Are you still thinking about that boy?” Rarity wondered.
Sweetie almost lied to her sister. She knew that Rarity already didn’t approve of her and Spike being friends. But, for whatever reason that compelled her, she simply nodded her head.
“Sweetie Belle, you can’t keep mulling over that little thug. Nothing good could ever have come from you spending time with him,” Rarity said.
“But, Rarity, what if something’s happened when I’m not around him?” Sweetie reasoned.
“Then, it’s for the better for all of us. Now, I won’t be having this conversation with you again,” Rarity said, as she guided her sister out of her room by her wrist. “Now, come along. It’s not good for you to be locked up in your room like this all day. I’m on my way to Twilight’s house, and you’re more than welcome to come along to be dropped off for a visit with your friends.”
Sweetie Belle knew that she never had a choice in the matter when her sister started to act like this. She simply compiled, and followed her to the car, where they buckled up and drove off.
Not a word was shared between the sisters as they drove. Though Rarity tried to speak with her sister, Sweetie Belle didn’t respond. To Rarity, and response would have been less disconcerting than simple silence.
After navigating the traffic, they arrived on Twilight’s block and parked on the curb in front of her house. To their surprise, Twilight was already there in the front path.
“You came. Good,” Twilight said, as she quickly got into the car with the others.
“Twilight? What are you doing?” Rarity asked.
“I’ve already called all the others. We need to go to the beach. All of us. Fluttershy’s already picking up Applejack, Apple Bloom and Discord. Rainbow Dash is getting Scootaloo. We need to pick up Thorax next. And fast,” Twilight said.
“Twilight, slow down. You sound positively flustered!”
“Because I am! We need to all go to the beach and find Spike! Now, drive!”
Not wanting to provoke Twilight further, Rarity quickly started the car again, and drove away.
“You’re looking for Spike?” Sweetie Belle said.
“Yes. I think we need to find him. Now. Or he won’t come back to where he’s going to,” Twilight answered.
“What do you mean? Where is he going?” Rarity asked.
“Somewhere bad! I told you this would happen if we didn’t find him soon!” Sweetie Belle said.
What Sweetie Belle said resonated to Twilight. Somehow, Sweetie Belle was involved in the issue. And there was the chance the young girl knew more than herself.
“Sweetie Belle, what do you know about Spike? Why are you so concerned about him?” Twilight wondered.
“Because, he’s my friend! And I want to keep him,” Sweetie answered. Only then did she realize just how important it was that she kept him.
As Rarity drove, she tried her best to comprehend what was going through her passengers’ minds. Twilight, who only days ago had told Spike he was not welcome in her house. And Sweetie Belle, who had been scarred and disfigured by Spike before. For whatever reason, the two had developed an emotional attachment to the boy. Partly from the desire to help her friends, and partly from the sheer curiosity of what would happen if her friends were able to reach Spike, she kept driving to reach Thorax, and rally them all together. If only for Sweetie Belle’s sake, she would help to find Spike.
___________________________________________
Spike was already long gone from his spot on the beach. He had started walking to meet Sweetie Belle in her home some time ago, and was already well on his way.
The first thing he did that morning, after putting away his bedding supplies was wash up in a sink at a nearby men’s room. Using the soap dispenser, he washed his face, his hair, and even took off his shirt to give that a quick scrub, before he left to reclaim his friend.
He didn’t worry about drying off. He would simply dry naturally as he walked through the city. If he was still damp by the time he reunited with Sweetie Belle, then so be it.
Currently, he was descending the steps to the Canterlot metro, where the stink of the litter shocked his nostrils greatly. He had never been to the metro before, but wanted to quickly make his way to the business district where Sweetie Belle lived as quickly as possible.
The world below Canterlot seemed somehow different than the streets above. While Canterlot was not perfect, and had its blemishes, this entire place seemed like a festering wound, and the streets above were the sterile bandage that covered it.
Transients and other lowlifes sat against the walls. Unscrupulous businessmen ran their clandestine dealings in the halls here. Spike walked past a homeless man with a cart full of trash. Whatever he was collecting it for, Spike would rather not have known.
The turnstile was coming closer. Glancing around to see if anyone was watching, Spike closely followed behind a woman who was paying her way through, and quickly zipped through just as she passed it by.
Spike walked to the nearest train platform. As he waited for a train to arrive, he started to think he was going to need to wash up again, just to get rid of the stink of the metro.
There came a dull roar down the tunnel, and a train slowed to a halt at the platform. Spike, and only a few others boarded the train, and took their seats in the empty car. Well, nearly empty.
Seated on the opposite side, at the other end of the car was a hooded man in a black jumper. He sat with his back to the wall and his feet up on the seat, as though he were watching the other passengers board and disembark, without any place to stop of his own. And now, his eyes were locked solely on Spike.
Slowly, the man rose from his seat and walked across the floor.
Spike became aware of the muffled sounds of metallic steps, as though someone were trying to walk softly enough to not be heard. He glanced over, and saw the man in black just as he took a seat next to him.
“Your name is Spike, isn’t it?” the man in black said.