//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: A friend's assurance // Story: Together Forever // by CodenameOne //------------------------------// Foreword: why is there no tag for Lickety Split? The fuck is this nonsense? *-*-* Chapter Two A friend’s assurance After taking a small nap Spike woke up and Twilight told him that Lickety Split had stopped by, wanting to hang out with the dragon. After taking a shower Spike had went back into town and headed over to his friend’s house. Feels good to have showered; I was so dirty from picking those apples earlier Spike thought, breathing in the warm afternoon air. The midday bustle had passed and as a result the town was rather clear of ponies, meaning Spike wouldn’t have to stop at any point to offer them a hello like he had earlier. Thanks to this the dragon made good time to his friend’s house, which was almost halfway across Ponyville. Knocking on the door Spike stepped back and waited patiently for it to open, idly looking up and down the street. Of course he had seen it all before but he was merely trying to pass the time. Finally the door opened and Spike was greeted by Mrs. Split, Lickety’s mother, who said “oh, hello Spike. Are you here to see Lickety?” “Yes, ma’am. May I come in?” the dragon asked with a friendly smile. “A well-mannered and handsome dragon such as yourself? Certainly” the mare replied, stepping aside to allow Spike entry into the house. “He’s up in his room.” Nodding curtly Spike headed upstairs and opened the door to the brown colt’s room, finding the young stallion lying on his bed reading a book. Upon seeing Spike stepping through his door Lickety slapped a shred of a paper in between the pages he was on and closed the book, setting it aside on his nightstand. It looks like there was something else in between the book's pages, a magazine from the looks of it. Weird. “Hi, Spike. What’s up?” the colt asked, sitting up on his bed as Spike approached. “Nothing. Twilight told me you stopped by the library earlier and I decided to come over” the teenage dragon answered. Lickety was nothing special for his age, being your average everyday stallion, but Spike still liked him. The colt was something of a connoisseur when it came to ice cream and other frozen treats and the two almost always go to Sugarcube Corner when they hang out. But today Spike just wanted to stay inside with the colt. “So what were you reading?” the dragon inquired, taking a seat next to Lickety on the bed. Strangely Lickety blushed and replied “oh, n-nothing” which confused Spike; why would he blush when asked what he was reading? Was he reading some kind of illustrated anatomy book? Or was it a romantic novel with intimate detail? Or maybe it had something to do with the magazine that was so clearly wedged between the pages. Maybe it was a dirty magazine? Spike didn’t know, and beyond idle curiosity didn’t really care. Leaving the topic alone the dragon asked “so what did Snips and Snails go do after you three left Sugarcube Corner?” “Those two ran off to find some fillies to ask out, but I think they’re looking for the wrong ones; Applebloom and Scootaloo have expressed their interest in Snips and Snails to me before, but I can’t help with relationships; I’m an ice cream professional, not a match-maker” Lickety joked, earning a chuckle from Spike. “Yeah, I hear you on that one. So anyway, what do you want to do?” “Hey, you were the one that came to visit; what do you want to do?” Lickety retorted playfully, hopping off the bed and heading over to his closet, which was a mess of toys and board games. The brown colt had outgrown the toys but the board games were still of use between the two of them. “We could play Monopony” Lickety suggested, earning a nod to the affirmative from the other boy. Lickety grabbed the box and set up the board and such on the bed, distributing the money as the two began to play. A few hours later and Spike had won each time they played; growing up with an intelligent pony like Twilight Sparkle had made the dragon very smart financial wise and as a result he had completely creamed Lickety. “You cheated” Lickety said once they had finished, folding his forehooves over his chest with a “hmph.” Spike chuckled and responded “I did not; I’m just good with money...even fake money” as he began to help Lickety put the board and pieces back into the box. “Good with money, but not with mares” Lickety teased as he put the box back in the closet, his comment reminding Spike of the crisis he had yesterday over his possible sexuality. Barking up the wron- NO! SHUT UP! I’m straight! I’m just not attracted to the mares I know, that’s all the dragon thought, looking down at the floor in thought. Turning back and seeing a kind of sad look on Spike’s face Lickety walked back over and sat down next to his friend, putting a foreleg over his shoulder and asking “hey, are you OK? I didn’t upset you with my joke, did I?” Spike looked up at the colt, seeing the concern in his eyes. “Kinda, yeah, but not for the reasons you think” the dragon answered, confusing Lickety. “Huh?” Spike sighed and replied “Lickety...I have to tell you something...” “OK, what is it?” the brown colt said, interested in what his friend had to say. His tone of voice was kinda sad and sported just a little hint of fear. “I...I’m going through a crisis right now... Ya see, I’ve recently lost interest in Rarity, the mare I’ve loved since I moved here. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, but... Lickety? What do you think of...gays?” Spike inquired, looking down to avoid his friend’s gaze when he finished his question. “I don’t mind them; there’s nothing wrong with them, I think. Why are you asking me this?” Lickety responded, trying to get his friend to look him in the eyes. “I...I think I might be attracted to colts, Lickety...” the dragon trailed off, still completely avoiding Lickety’s eyes, too ashamed to do so. The brown colt smiled and gave his dragon friend a hug, comforting him in his vulnerable state. Spike looked up into Lickety’s eyes as tears streamed from his own. “That’s OK, Spike, I don’t have a problem with that. I’m still your friend, and I always will be. You’re a nice, noble, and fun to be around pony...er, dragon” Lickety assured Spike. Spike smiled and wiped his eyes, sniffling and saying “thank you, Lickety, you’re a good friend. Even if I am or are not gay it’s nice to know you’ve got my back.” “Always, Spike” the colt said, hugging Spike once again and earning a hug in return, the two of them just sitting like that for several moments before Spike pulled away. “Well I suppose I should go back to the library; it’s been a few hours and I’m sure Twilight is really wishing I was there right now to help with some kind of experiment, so I’ll see you later, Lickety” Spike stated, standing from the bed and approaching the door. “OK, but remember what I said; it doesn’t matter who you are or what you like, I’ll always be your friend” the colt promised him. “Thanks, Lickety.” *-*-* Author's note: I really don't like how rushed this story feels, but this is my first ever shipfic. If any other shippers out there have any suggestions on how to flesh out the story feel free to help. Legal note: Spike the Dragon, Lickety Split, and all related characters belong to Hasbro. My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro.