After a few more weeks, it was Spike's last day on the farm, and he would end up waking up in the middle of the night to get some water. He would quietly descend the stairs, noticing the calm figure of Igneous Rock sitting outside, absorbed in the contemplation of the stars. Intrigued by the presence of the family patriarch, Spike would approach cautiously, not wanting to interrupt his moment of reflection.
"Good eve, Mr. Igneous," Spike would say softly, announcing his presence as he approached.
"Good eve to thee, Spike," Igneous would respond in his usual deep and tranquil voice. "What brings thee hither at such a late hour?"
"Just needed some water," Spike would respond, rubbing his eye somewhat tiredly. "And you, Mr. Igneous? Why are you out here so late?"
"Sit thee a spell, Spike. I'd fancy a chat, man to man," Igneous would smile slightly to Spike's surprise, his gaze fixed on the dark starry sky as he gestured to a chair beside him for Spike to sit.
Surprised by Igneous's invitation, Spike would gratefully nod and take a seat beside him on the indicated chair. He would gaze at the starry sky for a moment before turning his attention to Igneous, curious to know what he wanted to discuss with him at this late hour.
"Yes, Mr. Igneous, what would you like to talk about?" Spike would ask, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the tranquil atmosphere of the night.
Igneous would take a moment to consider his words before responding, his gaze still fixed on the stars above them.
"I wanted to speak with thee afore thou departest from our farm," Igneous would begin, his voice resonating with solemnity in the stillness of the night. "Thou hast shown thyself to be diligent, hardworking, respectful, and eager to learn.... Thou art a good lad, and thou shalt be a fine man as thou growest."
"Thank you, Mr. Igneous," Spike would respond sincerely, his voice filled with emotion. "It means a lot to me to hear those words. It's been an honor and a privilege to work here on the farm and be part of your family these past few weeks."
Igneous would nod in approval, his face illuminated by the starlight as he listens to Spike's words.
"I am glad to hear that, lad," Igneous would respond with a serene smile. "Thou shalt always be welcome here, shouldst thou ever wish to return. But remember, wherever thy journey may take thee, carry with thee the lessons learned here, and may they guide thee well."
"Yes, I will remember that, Mr. Igneous," Spike would affirm with determination, assimilating the patriarch's words of wisdom. "The lessons I've learned here will always be with me, and I hope to apply them in my future. Thank you for everything you've done for me."
Igneous Rock would search for something under his chair before placing two small glasses in front of him on a small table, along with a bottle of alcohol, and then pour a little into each glass before offering one to Spike.
"Spike, lad," Igneous would say solemnly as he offers the glass to Spike. "A toast, to thee and thy future endeavors. May thy path be bright, thy heart strong, and thy spirit unwavering."
Spike would accept the glass with gratitude and raise his glass to Igneous, his gaze reflecting a deep sense of gratitude and respect.
"Allow me to be candid with thee, Spike... When I was younger, my father raised me to protect women, deeming them weaker, unfit for farm life. And so, I believed it when I wed my beloved wife. Yet she... Many a time proved herself stronger than I could ever be. She stood by me day and night, in sunshine and rain, in health and illness, even when we had to pick rocks from our soup to eat without squandering our toil... My final counsel to thee, Spike, is this: never fear assistance, never fear admitting mistakes, and never fear shedding tears alongside those who love thee, for they alone shall never judge thy weeping." Igneous would say as he raises his glass to Spike for a toast.
Spike would listen attentively to Igneous's sincere and thoughtful words, feeling a deep connection with the family patriarch. Grateful for the honesty and shared wisdom, he would raise his glass to Igneous with respect and gratitude.
"To your health, Mr. Igneous," Spike would respond with emotion, gently clinking his glass with Igneous's before bringing it to his lips and taking a sip of the liquid inside.
"Go to thy rest, youngling, for thou shalt depart in but a few hours," Igneous would say with a small smile as he leaves his empty glass on the table.
"Thank you, Mr. Igneous," Spike would nod gratefully at Igneous's words and finish his drink before rising from the chair. "I'll go rest now. Thank you for everything."
Igneous would nod with a slight bow of his head, bidding Spike farewell with a serene smile before the young dragon retreated into the house to rest.
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After a couple of hours, Spike would be sitting on the train with Pinkie, going through a small bag of gifts that the Pie family had given them. Spike would pick up an object wrapped in tissue paper and carefully unwrap it, revealing a carved rock in the shape of a Western dragon.
"...Is this even physically possible?" Spike would say, raising an eyebrow in confusion and looking at Pinkie.
"Oh! I'm sure this is a gift from Maude! She can do anything with these things," Pinkie would say with a smile as she gently held the carved rock.
"This is amazing!" Spike would exclaim with excitement, admiring the fine details and meticulous craftsmanship of the carved rock. "Maude really has a talent for this! I'll definitely find a special place for this in my room."
Pinkie would smile with satisfaction at Spike's reaction, pleased that the gift was received with appreciation. She would carefully tuck the carved rock back into her bag, making sure to protect it during the train journey.
After a couple of hours of travel, Spike and Pinkie would disembark from the train to be greeted by the sight of Twilight waiting for them on a bench while reading a book.
Seeing Twilight waiting for them at the station, Spike and Pinkie would approach eagerly, greeting their friend with a smile.
"Twilight!" Pinkie would exclaim, running towards her with open arms to give her a hug.
"Hi, Twilight!" Spike would add, following Pinkie's lead with an animated smile.
Twilight would look up from her book and return the smile upon seeing her friends approaching.
"Hi, guys!" Twilight would respond joyfully, closing her book and standing up to hug Pinkie and Spike. "It's great to see you. How was your train ride?"
"Super fun!" Pinkie would say enthusiastically, bouncing with excitement.
"Hehe, well, I hope my family will like you just as much!" Twilight would say as she knelt down to squeeze Spike's cheek.
"Sure they will!" Spike would respond with a smile, enjoying Twilight's affectionate gesture. "I'm excited to meet your family, Twilight. I'm sure we'll have a great time together."
Twilight would nod with a smile, feeling happy that Spike was enthusiastic about meeting her family. "Would you like to come with us, Pinkie?"
"Sorry, guys, but I have to go with the Cakes to let them know I've arrived! Hehe," Pinkie would say, rubbing the back of her neck somewhat embarrassed.
"Yeah, of course, Pinkie. See you later!" Spike would respond with a smile, understanding his friend's situation.
"See you later, Pinkie!" Twilight would add with a friendly smile, bidding farewell to her friend as they headed towards the station exit.
"And are we taking a taxi?" Spike would say as he turned to Twilight to speak, instinctively grabbing her hand.
"No, my brother is waiting for us in his car," Twilight would say, not minding that the little one was holding her hand.
Spike would nod calmly as they continued walking until they reached a black sports car with a gray stripe on the hood of the car.
"Wow," Spike would say with sparkling eyes at how cool that car was.
Twilight would smile at Spike's excited reaction to her brother's car. With pride, she would approach the car and open the back door for Spike to get in before she got into the passenger seat.
"I'm glad you like it, Spike," a tall, muscular man with blue hair and a white complexion like Rarity's would say with a smile, enjoying the excitement of the little boy. "My name is Shining Armor, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Spike would feel a shiver run down his spine as that voice made him remember something he had never thought of until now... the human version of his family... he would have to live with people who were his family but... different, after a couple of seconds like this, he would just shake his head and return the smile to Shining Armor.
"Pleasure to meet you, Shining Armor!" Spike would respond, extending his hand to shake hands with Twilight's brother. "The pleasure is mine! Thank you for giving us a ride!"
Shining Armor would shake Spike's hand firmly and with a warm smile.
"The pleasure is mine, Spike," Shining Armor would respond kindly. "I'm happy to meet you and to help Twilight and you. Are you ready to go home?"
"Yes, we're ready," Spike would confirm with a somewhat weak smile, trying to mentally prepare himself for his future situation.
With emotions swirling inside him, Spike would fasten his seatbelt in the car with a bit of nervousness, glad that Applebloom had taught him how to do it. He would settle into his seat as the car started moving.
"Twilight told me you're the captain of your team, huh?" Shining would say with a smile, glancing at Spike through the rearview mirror.
"Oh! Um... Y-yeah, that's right!" Spike would respond enthusiastically, nodding his head. "I'm the captain of the soccer team at school! Hehe."
"That's great, Spike," Shining Armor would respond, trying to strike up a conversation with the little one. "Being a team captain requires skill. How's it going with the team? Have you won any games lately?"
"Yeah, we've been playing pretty well lately," Spike would respond, scratching his head nervously. "We've won most of our games and we're working hard to stay at the top of the table."
"That's a great attitude, Spike," Shining Armor would say with a smile. "Teamwork is crucial in life, especially for jobs like mine."
"Mhhg? What's your job?" Spike would say, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"Oh, I'm a police officer," Shining Armor would respond proudly. "I work at the city's Police Department. It's a demanding job, but very rewarding. I'm responsible for maintaining order and safety in our community."
"Wow, that sounds exciting!" Spike would exclaim with admiration. "Have you ever caught a thief or arrested someone who was doing something wrong?"
"Well, of course, kiddo, it's my job after all," Shining would say, laughing slightly, but happy that the boy is so interested.
"Hey, don't try to recruit him to be a cop now," Twilight would say, giving her brother a playful punch on the shoulder.
"Hehe, don't worry, Twilight," Shining Armor would respond with a smile, taking his sister's reprimand in good humor. "I'm not trying to recruit Spike to the police department. Just sharing a bit about my work."
After perhaps only half an hour of travel, they would finally arrive at Twilight's family home, a charming two-story house with a well-kept garden and a cozy atmosphere. Spike would gaze at the house in awe as the car stopped in front of it, impressed by its beauty and warmth.
"Wow, what a beautiful house!" Spike would exclaim, amazed by the sight before him.
"Thank you, Spike," Twilight would respond with a smile, noticing her friend's wonder. "I hope you'll feel at home here."
"Definitely!" Spike would affirm enthusiastically, excited about the idea of spending time at his friend's home.
Shining Armor would turn off the car engine and open the back door for Spike to get out. Meanwhile, Twilight would open the front door of the house and wait for Spike and Shining Armor to join her on the porch.