After leaving all his belongings in the guest room that Twilight and her family had prepared for him, Spike would step out of the room in search of his friend. With a light step and a smile on his face, he would make his way towards the living room through one of the hallways of the house, although he would pause a bit upon seeing multiple photos of Twilight and her family. Among the photos, he would recognize Twilight at different stages of her life, from childhood to adulthood, along with her parents and her brother Shining Armor. He would also see pictures of family events, vacations, and special celebrations, but after a few seconds, he would begin to recognize... very similar photos to the ones they would have taken in the pony world, he would even recognize the areas where he was in those photos.
"Hehe... Mom's birthday?" Spike would murmur softly as he gently grabbed a photo that he remembered having taken in the pony world, they had gone out to eat at one of his mother's favorite restaurants, he still remembered being under Shining and next to his mother. "It looks... empty."
Spike would feel a mixture of nostalgia and melancholy as he looked at the family photos, remembering the happy moments he had shared with Twilight and her family in the pony world. The feeling of emptiness upon seeing the absence of his presence in those photos would remind him of how much he missed his home and his loved ones.
"It's strange... to be here and see these photos without me in them," Spike would murmur to himself, feeling a lump in his throat. "But I guess that's how it should be... This is their world, not mine."
Spike would take a moment to process his feelings as he contemplated the family photos. Although he felt a little sad at seeing the absence of his presence in those images, he also understood that he was in a different world now, and that he had to adapt to that reality.
After a moment of reflection, Spike would realize that while he was feeling sorry for not appearing in the photos that were not from his universe... His Twilight was in his original universe, alone since he had disappeared months ago.
The realization would hit Spike hard as he remembered his Twilight, his home, and the moments shared with his loved ones in his original world. He would be overwhelmed by a deep sense of loss and loneliness as he realized that his absence also left a void in the world he left behind. With a heavy heart filled with longing for his world and the sadness of leaving his Twilight and loved ones behind, Spike would stand in silence, looking at the photos.
With a sigh, Spike would leave the family photos in place and continue on his way to the living room in search of Twilight or Shining Armor.
After a couple of minutes of searching, Spike would find Twilight sitting in the living room quietly reading a book. Upon seeing Twilight sitting in the living room, Spike would approach with calm steps, noticing the concentration on her face as she read the book. With a warm smile, he would stop in front of her, waiting for her to look up from her reading before speaking.
"Hi, Twilight!" Spike would greet enthusiastically, trying to dispel the tension he felt inside. "What are you reading?"
Twilight would lift her gaze from her book upon hearing Spike's voice, surprised by his presence but glad to see him.
"Hi, Spike!" Twilight would respond with a smile, putting her book aside. "I was reading a book about ancient magic. How are you?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you," Spike would reply with a smile, trying to hide his emotions under a façade of normality. "Just taking a little stroll around the house... Wait, ancient magic? Does that exist here?"
That would have taken the boy by surprise, while he knew that friendship magic still existed in this human world, knowing that there was regular magic... was strange.
"Yes, it does exist here!" Twilight would respond enthusiastically, excited to share her knowledge with Spike. "Ancient magic is a fascinating subject. It refers to the knowledge and magical practices that date back to very ancient times, beliefs that led to current science!"
"Oh, no real magic, what people in ancient times believed was magic," Spike would say, tapping the side of his head somewhat embarrassed by his silly question.
"Meh, sounds interesting," Spike would say as he sat down next to Twilight, looking over the book. "But why are you reading this anyway?"
Twilight would smile at Spike's response, understanding his initial confusion.
"Well, although magic in this world doesn't work like in Equestria, I'm still very interested in studying magic and the history of ancient magic," Twilight would explain enthusiastically. "Plus, I have to write an essay about antiquity for my history class, and magic is the science of the past!"
"Hehe, that sounds so Twilight," Spike would say, shaking his head and laughing a bit at the girl. "Well... do you need help?"
Twilight would smile at Spike's comment, recognizing his tendency to immerse himself in academic studies.
"Yes, I would definitely appreciate your help, Spike!" Twilight would respond gratefully, thankful for her friend's offer. "We could go over together some of the most important concepts about ancient magic. What do you think?"
"Of course, I'd be happy to help, Twilight!" Spike would exclaim with a smile. "Where do we start?"
"We can start by reviewing some of the basic concepts of ancient magic, such as the beliefs and practices of ancient civilizations, the magical objects believed to exist, and how they influenced the development of modern science."
Spike would nod determinedly, ready to delve into the study of ancient magic alongside Twilight.
"Perfect! Let's do it!" Spike would exclaim enthusiastically, prepared to help his friend write the best essay on ancient magic the academy had ever seen.
After a couple of minutes, Spike would have realized how strangely similar the history of ancient magic was to the magic present in Equestria, so he basically would have stolen the entire essay to start writing it himself with little help from Twilight. After a few minutes, Spike would take Twilight's essay draft and begin correcting the mistakes, pointing out inaccuracies and providing correct information about the history of ancient magic.
"Twilight, we need to make sure the facts are accurate and supported by historical evidence!" Spike would explain seriously as they worked together on the essay. "Star Swirl the Bearded was a real wizard, but some of the legends surrounding him may have been exaggerated over time! But you can't just dismiss him as a fake being!"
"Wow, Spike, you sure know a lot about ancient magic, huh?" Twilight would say, laughing a bit at the situation, but crossing out that part of the draft to start writing it differently.
"Thanks, Twilight!" Spike would respond with a smile, not noticing the sarcasm in the girl's voice, before quickly skimming over his draft again to lightly tap her on the back of the head with a rolled-up paper. "...No no no! According to the people of the time, magic was based on human relationships, love, hate, you can't just say that every being does magic!"
Twilight would be surprised by Spike's correction, but then she would smile knowingly, appreciating the help the boy was giving, rubbing her head somewhat embarrassed.
"You're right, Spike," Twilight would respond, taking Spike's corrections into account.
Spike would smile satisfied to hear Twilight's response, reminding him of all the times he had helped Twilight or Fluttershy write essays or simple informational texts about dragons. It was comforting for him to be able to apply his knowledge and help his friends in this new situation they found themselves in... Plus, he loved being in control, he was very similar to the Twilight of his universe in that sense.
"Hey, nerd duo! Cadance is going to be back from the hospital in a few hours, want to take advantage and have a brunch?" Shining Armor would say with the phone in his hand, probably with which he would have spoken to his wife.
"Brunch?" Spike would say somewhat confused, looking at Twilight.
"Oh, it's one of Shining's silly things, when it's too late for breakfast but too early for lunch, he does some nonsense like putting fried eggs and bacon on last night's pizza, Cadance never lets him do it when they're together," Twilight would say shaking her head, assuming that Spike would also know how silly it was.
"...Woah! Brunch!" Spike would respond enthusiastically, raising both arms with a smile.
"Great!" Shining Armor would say with a smile, happy that Spike accepted the invitation. "Let's go, Spike! Let's see what's to eat!"
Spike would run behind Shining, leaving Twilight to continue with the essay on ancient magic. As they headed towards the kitchen, Spike would raise an eyebrow as he remembered what Shining had said about Cadance.
"Why was Cadance at the hospital? Did something happen to the baby?" Spike would say with a slight concern in his voice.
"Oh, don't worry, Spike," Shining Armor would respond with a reassuring smile as they walked towards the kitchen. "It was just a routine check-up. Cadance is expecting a baby and she wanted to make sure everything was okay, she insisted on me going with her, but she almost kicked my butt to go pick you up at the train station."
To reassure the boy, Shining would ruffle Spike's hair with a calm smile before entering the kitchen and opening the refrigerator.
Spike would feel relieved to hear that Cadance's visit to the hospital was just a routine check-up and that there was nothing to worry about. He would thank Shining Armor for the clarification and would relax a little more as they headed towards the kitchen.
"And what do we have here?" Spike would say as he sat in a chair behind Shining.
"Well, we have eggs, bacon, orange juice, leftover tortillas from last night..." Shining would explain as he rubbed his chin trying to come up with some ideas to prepare with that.
"Oh! We could cut the tortillas into circles and make bacon and egg sandwiches with tortillas instead of bread!" Spike would say with excitement in his eyes.
"I like your style, little buddy!" Shining Armor would exclaim.
After a couple of minutes, both would be comfortably seated in beach chairs in the backyard of the house with a small table between them with their plates of food, both wearing sunglasses looking up at the sky.
"Tell me, Spike," Shining would say while calmly eating his sandwich. "What was your life like before you got here?"
Spike would take a moment to savor his sandwich before responding to Shining Armor's question, remembering his life in Equestria before arriving in Twilight's world.
"Well, before coming here, my life was pretty exciting but... quiet, if that makes sense," Spike would begin, his tone reflecting a mix of nostalgia and excitement. "I lived with my older sister. We worked together at the local library, where I was her assistant and helped with organizing the books."
"Yeah, Twilight told me you had a sister," Shining Armor would say, interested in Spike's story. "And what did you specifically do at the library?"
"Yeah, my sister was great," Spike would confirm with a smile as he took another bite of his sandwich. "And at the library, my main job was to help her organize the books, classify them, keep the place tidy and clean, sometimes I helped people who came looking for books, recommending readings according to their interests, also helping her with her research, bringing her materials, cooking for her in case she spent too much time lost in her stuff, etcetera."
"It sounds like you had a lot of responsibility at the library. Did you enjoy working there?" Shining would say as he finished his sandwich with a proud smile, rubbing his stomach with satisfaction for his food.
"Well... I liked helping her," Spike would say as he continued eating calmly.
"But did you like working like that?" Shining Armor would say, glancing sideways trying to see how the boy reacted.
Spike would reflect on Shining Armor's question for a moment before answering honestly with a sigh, he already knew the answer since his conversation months ago with Fluttershy's brother.
"Well, I guess I did like working at the library," Spike would begin, pensive. "Although sometimes it was a bit exhausting and stressful, especially when there was a lot of work to do... My sister didn't like to help much with that, she was always busy."
Shining Armor would nod with understanding, but also with concern upon hearing Spike's description of his work at the library.
"I understand. But, didn't it seem like too much responsibility for a kid?" Shining Armor would say with an evident tone of concern in voice, reflecting his concern over the workload Spike had to handle alone.
"Yeah, sometimes I felt a bit overwhelmed," Spike would admit sincerely, acknowledging Shining Armor's concern. "But I wanted to help my sister and do everything I could to make sure the library ran smoothly."
Shining Armor would nod understandingly, but also with a touch of sadness upon hearing Spike's response.
"I understand your desire to help, Spike, but children should be able to enjoy their free time and not worry so much about work," Shining Armor would say with concern. "It's important for you to have time to play, relax, and just be a kid."
Spike would listen attentively to Shining Armor's words, reflecting on his situation at the library and his role in his sister's work. While he appreciated Shining Armor's concern for his well-being, he also felt a bit confused. For a long time, he had assumed that it was his responsibility to help his sister and ensure that the library ran smoothly. But now, hearing Shining Armor's words, he began to question whether it was really okay to take on so much responsibility at such a young age.
"Yeah, sometimes I felt a bit overwhelmed," Spike would reluctantly admit, not fully wanting to accept the idea that perhaps he had taken on too much responsibility at a young age. "But it was important to me to help my sister and make sure the library ran smoothly. I'm not sure if it would have been different if I had had more time to play and relax."
After enjoying their brunch and finishing cleaning the dishes, Spike and Shining Armor would recline on the living room sofa, relaxing while watching television since Twilight would have finished her rehearsal. Spike would nestle comfortably among the sofa cushions, enjoying the feeling of relaxation after the meal.
"What are you watching?" Spike would ask, curious to know what program or movie Shining Armor had chosen.
"I'm watching a soccer match," Shining Armor would reply, pointing to the TV screen where a group of two people were playing the mentioned sport.
"Oh, soccer!" Spike would exclaim enthusiastically, recognizing the sport that Shining Armor was watching. "What's your favorite team?"
"Well, I'm a fan of our city's local team," Shining Armor would reply proudly. "I've always liked supporting home teams. And you?"
"Before joining the school team, I didn't watch or play much, just a few times with my older brother," Spike would say, recalling moments playing Hoofball with Shining Armor in the pony universe, one of the few experiences he had with the man before he left home. But before he could delve further into his memory lane, the sound of a car stopping in front of the house would be heard, followed by a pair of keys and finally the beautiful voice of Cadance at the door.
"I'm home!" Cadance would say, leaving her keys on the bedside table before turning to see Spike and Shining observing them with the same childish look from behind the sofa cushions, making her laugh at how childish her husband was.
"Hello, darling!" Shining Armor would exclaim with a smile as he got up from the sofa to greet his wife.
"Hi, love!" Cadance would respond with a radiant smile as she entered the house, her face illuminated by the happiness of seeing her husband. "How was your day?"
After a sweet kiss and a warm hug, Shining would kneel to give a gentle kiss to Cadance's slightly bulging belly.
"Very good, thank you. We're watching a soccer match with Spike," Shining Armor would reply, pointing to Spike who was sitting on the sofa.
"Hi, Cadance! It's great to see you again!" Spike would say enthusiastically, approaching her to give her a hug.
Cadance would smile at the tenderness Spike showed her, giving him a gentle hug, noticing the care Spike had for her belly. "You worried me when you left without notice for almost a whole month, hehe."
"I'm so sorry, Cadance," Spike would respond sincerely, feeling a little embarrassed for causing worry. "It was an unexpected trip, but I'm back!"
"And I'm very glad about that," Cadance would say as she gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. "We have a lot of catching up to do."
Spike would nod with a forced smile at Cadance's words, trying to hide his slight discomfort at the idea of more dates with the version of Cadance who assumed the role of a psychologist.
"Yes, we definitely have a lot to catch up on!" Spike would respond with feigned enthusiasm, trying to maintain a positive attitude.
Cadance would notice the lack of genuine enthusiasm in Spike's response and would slightly furrow her brow, feeling that something was amiss. However, she would decide not to press Spike further at that moment and would opt to change the subject.
"The doctor said our little one is very healthy, she might not even inherit my myopia," Cadance would say, surprising Spike.
"But you don't wear glasses," the boy would say, somewhat confused by this new information.
"There's something called contact lenses, silly," Cadance would say, giving the boy a playful hip bump.
"Oh, right! Of course!" Spike would respond with a smile, trying to regain some composure. "I'm glad to hear that the little one is healthy. That's great!"
Cadance would smile satisfactorily at Spike's reaction, happy that the conversation had taken a more positive turn.
"Yes, we're very excited to meet her," Cadance would say with a radiant smile, tenderly caressing her bulging belly. "We hope she'll be born healthy and happy."
"Of course she will! She's my daughter after all," Shining would say flexing his muscles with a playful grin, making Cadance and Spike laugh.
"Cadance!" Twilight's voice would be heard from behind the group, before Twilight gave Cadance a tight hug from behind, being careful not to hurt her belly.
"Twilight!" After Twilight let go of her, Cadance would give her a gentle hug, along with a kiss on the forehead. "Sorry we couldn't do our usual greeting... You know, baby on board, hehe."
"Don't worry, Cadance, I completely understand," Twilight would respond with a warm smile. "It's great to see you again!"
"And you'll see me for a little while longer. I'll be staying with you guys for a couple of days while your parents return from their trip," Cadance would say with a smile.
Twilight would smile with joy at the news that Cadance would be staying with them a few more days, feeling excited to spend more time with her friend and her brother.
"That's awesome! I'm excited to have more time with you, Cadance!" Twilight would say with enthusiasm, hugging her friend affectionately.
"Yes, it's going to be great to have a little more time together," Cadance would say with a smile, returning Twilight's hug affectionately. "I hope we can make the most of these days before your parents return."
Twilight would nod enthusiastically, sharing Cadance's excitement for having more time together.
"We definitely will!" Twilight would respond determinedly, feeling excited about the days ahead. "We're going to make lots of plans and have lots of fun!"