//------------------------------// // Thursday Morning // Story: Little Dragon Daycare // by TAD2 //------------------------------// Spike woke up the next morning with a groan. "Note to self, get a better couch." Said Spike as he could feel his spine pop back into place after sleeping on a rather hard leather couch. Spike looked around, and didn't hear anything around him, he sighed. "Good, Cadance is still asleep." Said Spike as he got up from the couch. He needed to get dressed and head to Equestria to discuss some matters. Spike walked over to his room, careful not to wake up Cadance, he grabbed his Thursday set of work clothes and a pair of underwear from his dresser. Then quietly closed the door and headed to his bathroom. Spike walked into his bathroom and turned on the shower. "Ok, Thursday, meaning it's going to be the girls minus Pinkie, Sunshine, Moonlight, Ember, and Sunny today. Don't upset Ember and call her cute, don't grab Sunny by her barrel, make sure to have the girls dolls ready and oiled, and start a card for Pinkie." Said Spike as he looked at himself in the mirror. 20 minutes later Spike walked out of the bathroom, fully dressed and cleaned up for the day. He walked over to his room and knocked on the door. "Cadance, it's time to wake up." Said Spike. On the other side of the room Cadance cracked her eyes open. "Man, what a weird dream, I dreamt that I was going on a date with Spike." She then noticed that her room looked very different from when she went to bed. "Hey where are my sheets?" Asked Cadance as she noticed that she wasn't in her room anymore. "Wait, where am I?" Spike knocked. "Hey Cadance, can I come in?" Asked Spike. 'SPIKE?' Thought Cadance. She looked around, and blushed. 'Oh crud, am I where I think I am?' Spike knocked again. "Cadance, are you awake?" Asked Spike. Cadance gulped, her hair was a mess, she looked horrible first thing in the morning, and if Spike saw her, her chances with him would be ruined. "Don't come in. I'm up, don't worry." Spike sighed. "Good, hey, I'm going to pick up some muffins from a place I know in Equestria. I'll bring some back, feel free to hang around but be back in the daycare before we open." Cadance gulped. "Sure, no problem. Hey completely random question, did you see me while I was asleep?" Spike chuckled. "I'm not sure if I should lie or tell the truth. So, I'll do both and you can figure out which one was which. Yes, I did, and you looked cute, no I didn't, but you snore like a jackhammer." Said Spike as he walked away from the door. Cadance blushed. 'I snore, but no that wouldn't matter to him, he called me cute, but maybe that was a lie, did he see me or didn't he?' Thought Cadance as she was pondering whether to hide away or blush. Spike did see her, and he did find her cute. Spike walked into the daycare and walked over to the front door. He placed his right hand at the middle of the door and his left hand on the middle hinge, using his body to open the door. When he did, he walked out of the daycare and saw how the large city of Canterlot was doing. The sky was a little cloudy, and the sun was just raising over the buildings across the street. Spike sighed. "Cool, lets head to Fancy's place first." Said Spike as he started walking up the street to an old friend’s restaurant. As Spike was walking, he noticed that a few ponies were already out and about, but most avoided him. Spike sighed. 'They just don't know me that well.' Thought Spike as he took a corner, giving him a great view of Canterlot Castle, a massive building in the middle of a mountain that acted as the gathering place for all the Pony Council. Scorpan said they used to have a Queen named Lilith, but she died and wanted the ponies to switch over to a democracy, but it's a process. Spike walked down the street and smiled when he saw one of his destinations, it was empty but from the sign they just opened. Spike walked in to the front door where he noticed a tall, very light pink unicorn mare with a light pink mane, she was standing behind the bar taking inventory. Spike walked over to the bar and took a seat. "Hey, can I get a drink?" Asked Spike. The mare nodded but she didn't even look at Spike. "Sure, but you have to work today so you only get coffee." Spike shrugged. "Cool, how you been Fleur?" Asked Spike. Fleur smiled. "Thanks to your donation, we're doing a lot better after that fire." Spike smiled at hearing that. "Great to hear, I was worried that you would have to go back to being one of the best known models in the world, such a hard life, so much harder than running a restaurant with one of the classiest stallions in town." Said Spike. "Oh, trust me old boy, it was not all parties and champagne, it takes a lot of hard work to fit in to such a crowd." Said a tall white stallion with a cobalt mane and mustache. "Believe you me, it was no picnic." Spike sighed as he turned to greet the stallion. "Well, I find that a little hard to believe Fancy Pants, but I'll take your word for it." Said Spike. Fancy took a seat next to his friend and smiled at his lovely wife behind the bar. "Well, I do miss seeing you after a long day of modeling, right when you let yourself free." Said Fancy. Fleur smiled. "But..." Fancy smiled even more. "But, seeing it every day is just better." Fleur smiled. "Good boy." Said Fleur as she placed a cup of coffee on the bar for Spike. "So, what brings our favorite little human into our little eatery?" Spike sighed. "Well, I got a date and I was wondering if I could get a table." Fleur hummed. "So, you finally stallioned up enough to ask Cadance out, took you a year." Said Fleur with a smirk. Spike sighed. "Hey, it wasn't that long." Fancy sighed. "Spike, it's been a year." Spike sighed. "Not helping Fancy, but yes, so can I get a table for the two of us?" Fancy hummed. "Well, let’s see, we can pencil you in at 8:30 for next month." This earned him a rag to the face by Fleur. "Of course, Spike, we'll get you the best table in the house, be here tonight at 8pm, and be prepared to make her smile." Said Fleur. Spike smiled at hearing that his friends are going to do this for him. "Thanks Fleur, I'm lucky to have you as a good friend." Fancy looked at Spike. "What about me?" Asked Fancy. Spike shrugged. "Nah, you're just always around." Fancy sighed but Spike gave him a side hug. "But I still like having you around." Fancy laughed at the little joke. "Very well, tonight it is." Spike smiled at hearing that. "Cool." Spike then pulled out 5 bits. "Well, I need to head to Star Swirl's place to make a new key. Keep the change Fleur, and thanks for the table." Said Spike. Fleur smiled. "Anything for you Spike. I'm still trying to pay off my mothers’ debt to your grandfather, hospital bills are not cheap." Spike sighed. "Fleur, why do you keep bringing that up, it was almost 60 years ago, and I'm standing here, meaning that his stuff still worked. Sure, your mother was a dancer, but she didn't kick me?" Fleur sighed. "I know, but my mother said that she would do everything in her power to get his forgiveness, and she never did." Spike groaned. "Well, then after tonight, your family will have his forgiveness, so say I the grandson of Scorpan." Fleur shrugged. "Cool, now today is Thursday, you have your hands full today so you should probably get going." Said Fleur. Spike smiled as he walked out of the restaurant. Spike walked down the street and reached a little shop on the corner. Spike walked into the shop, the walls were covered in junk, but Spike just kept walking to the back to wake up the old stallion who owned the junk shop. Spike walked through a door and up a flight of stairs, down a hallway and to a little door with a sign on it. GO AWAY, SPIKE ESPECIALLY! But Spike didn't really care, and just opened the door. "Hey old horse, I need to talk to you today." Said Spike, the room was a bed room, and in the bed there was a large lump in the sheets trying to cover itself. "Come on Star, it's been a week since I checked up on you, you know I do this." The lump grumbled. "Spike, I'm 96 years old and I'm tired." Spike sighed as he grabbed the sheets and pulled them off the lazy stallion. "Really, because last I checked, your time spell is still working." Said Spike as he looked at a 50 year old stallion in the bed, he had a long curled beard and a long white mane. "Besides, you ponies live for 150 years, you're still young. Star Swirl groaned as he sat up on his bed. "What do you want Spike?" Spike smiled. "I need a new key for my new employee." Star Swirl groaned as he rubbed his eyes. "First you make me brake the spare for that girl you like, now you want me to forge a brand new key?" Spike nodded. "I really hate you." Spike smiled. "Love you too Gramps." Star Swirl got out of his bed and walked to the workshop in the basement, Spike following behind. "Ok, where is this one from?" "The Elf world." Said Spike. Star Swirl groaned. "Ok, you know the drill, tell her to place a signal gem in her home to give me a place to center the key, is the door in the focal point still working?" Spike nodded. "Yep." Star Swirl nodded. "Good, I'll need a day to get the world frequency harmonized." Spike smiled. "But this is not cheap, the materials to make the key itself is going to burn a hole in your grandfathers safe." Spike nodded. "Yeah, what will it cost?" Star Swirl hummed. "70 gems, 2000 bits, and a new item that I can display." Spike hummed. "How about 2500 bits, 20 gems, and a giant pearl that I got from my harpy friends, it's the size of my head." Star Swirl hummed. "Deal, I'll come by tomorrow night to deliver and collect." Spike nodded. "Cool." Star Swirl tossed Spike a purple gem with the colors of the rainbow in the middle, this was a signal gem, an artificially created gemstone that contained the energy of the door. Star Swirl and Scorpan created then, and they think that the door and the focal point were made from a natural version of it. But it's impossible to really know, seeing as the little chick egg farm was established in the early 30's, but the door in the slime world was there for hundreds of years. "Give this to this new employee, and tell them to place it near the door they want to make the point." Said Star Swirl. Spike nodded. "Got it." Suddenly a large clock chimed upstairs. "Oh, I got to go old man, I'll see you tomorrow." Said Spike as he rushed out of the shop, it was 7 O'clock and Spike still needed to pick up some muffins for Celestia and Cadance. Star Swirl sighed. "He's too much like you Scorpan." Said Star Swirl as he smiled slightly. When Spike returned to the daycare he was out of breath and carrying a box of muffins in his hands. He just ran across Canterlot in a matter of 20 minutes to make sure that he was on time. "Made it." Said Spike huffing. Cadance opened the back room door, the back was still Spike's home. Cadance looked at Spike, and he looked back. "Hi." Said Cadance. "Sup, hey do me a favor, head to Canterlot and pick up my lung, I lost it while I was running." Said Spike. Cadance giggled. "Nah, you're a dragon, you'll live with one." Said Cadance as she helped Spike to his feet. Spike smiled. "Thanks, Cadance, is 8 tonight good with you?" Asked Spike. Cadance nodded. "Sure, that sounds great." Spike smiled. "Good, these are for you and Celestia when she gets here." Said Spike as he handed Cadance the box. Cadance smiled as she took the box. "Thanks Spike." 5 minutes later, Spike was back to normal, and Cadance was enjoying her muffin and coffee, when the door to the daycare opened and in walked Celestia, she was dressed in her uniform and her hair was tied back into a ponytail. "Spike, Cadance are you guys here?" Asked Celestia. "In the back Celestia." Said Spike. Celestia walked into the back area and smiled at her boss and coworker. "Good morning everyone." Spike smiled as he lifted his coffee. "Morning, I got your key ordered, and tonight place this near the door that you want to be the exit point." Said Spike as he tossed the gem to Celestia. "Also, I'll be taking 3 gold marks out of your pay for the key to be made." Celestia nodded. "Yes, I remember, and that is fine." Spike nodded. "Good, come sit down and have a muffin. I need to get some stuff done before all the kids start showing." Said Spike as he got out of his seat and walked down to the basement. Celestia looked at Cadance. "So, you haven't said a word, did you ask Spike out or not?" Cadance blushed, she didn't, but she kinda did. "We have a date tonight." Said Spike as he could hear the question. Cadance blushed even harder at the smile Celestia was sporting. "Well congratulations, Cadance, I hope you have a great time with him." Said Celestia. Cadance's phone chimed which halted the teasing. Cadance grabbed her phone and gulped, it was her father. "Hello Daddy, what's up?" "Where have you been Cadance, you never came home last night?" Asked Sombra. "I had to stay for a kid dad, her mother got hurt and needed to go to the doctors. Spike was exhausted because one of the other kids had to stay the night before, so I offered to stay with him and help." "And you didn't come home because?" "Um... I kinda fell asleep with the little girl and when her father came and got her, it was late, so Spike let me stay with him." "Let me talk to him." Said Sombra. Cadance gulped. "Come on Daddy, nothing happened, he placed me in his bed, and he slept on the couch." "Mi Amore Cadenza, let me talk to Spike." Said Sombra. Cadance gulped as she imagined her father sitting on his chair with a bat in his hand, ready to kill Spike. Spike sighed as he snatched her phone from her. "Mr. Umbra, it's nice to hear your voice, what can I do for you?" "Listen to me Spike, I love my little girl, I was worried about her, so if you have to take care of a child past closing, please inform me so I don't stay up half the night worried about if she got into a car wreck on her way home." Spike nodded. "Of course, I should still have your number in my list, sorry for the inconvenience, the request was a little sudden. Hey quick question, I have a date with her tonight, what are her favorite type of flower?" "YOU HAVE A WHAT!?" Yelled Sombra. "Oh, never mind, Cadance told me it's daisies. Thanks for the talk." Said Spike. "IF YOU MAKE HER CRY, I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN, TOSS YOU INTO A SUPERMAX, AND COVER IT UP IN SO MUCH RED TAPE THEY WILL NEVER SEE THE TRUTH UNTILL YOU'RE 90!" Spike nodded. "Cool, have a nice day." Said Spike as he handed the phone back to Cadance. "Well, I'm pretty sure I got the ok about the date tonight, he even gave me the you hurt her speech." Cadance sighed. "Spike, why are you like this?" Spike smirked. "You bring the weird out of me." Cadance sighed. "Spike, can I ask you something really serious for a moment?" Spike nodded. "Sure, what's up Cadance?" Cadance gulped. "Um... Saffron wanted to know if she could come see the daycare?" Asked Cadance, not sure if Spike will get angry. Spike shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind." This threw Cadance for a loop. "Wait, really?" Spike nodded. "Well, yeah, I can trust her, I trusted you didn't I?" Asked Spike. Cadance blushed. "Well, you kinda didn't have a choice." Spike nodded. "Yes, but trust is only found when faced with adversity, but can last long pass it." Said Spike very sagely. Cadance smiled. "Yeah, but pull back the new age guru talk. We have kids incoming any moment now." Suddenly the bell tied to the door rang. Cadance sighed. "That was too convenient." Spike hummed. "The universe works in weird ways, that is why we are here." Cadance sighed. "Oh, zip it and go greet the kid." Spike nodded and got out of his seat.