Amy had awoken some time ago and had been laying there in thought ever since, listening to the soft snores of the little dragon not but a few steps away from her as she stared up at the ceiling. She reviewed all that had happened with a sleep-refreshed mind, from catching Spike following her, all the way to the exchange of goodnights before sleep, and she didn't know how to feel about it. No matter how impossible it seemed, even she couldn't deny what Spike wanted, for her to be part of his life, to be a sister to him, and that notion both excited and terrified her.
Amethyst Thistle had spent her life following the path she believed fate had laid for her. She would become a great adventurer, prove her father right by finding Bahamut's hoard, and, when she was old and strong, hunt down Malick and his brothers. The dragoness had forced her hatred deep into the depths of her soul where it could fester and grow without hurting those she had come to care for, planning to one day unleash it onto the monstrous beasts who had taken so much from her. She would show them the righteous fury a magic dragon could deliver, and get her vengeance, even if it cost her life to do so. She would do this to ensure they'd not have the chance to harm her little brother. This would have been her atonement for betraying her family, and she would have paid it happily, but now she was uncertain.
She was drawn from her thoughts by a crackling sound, and she turned her head to see Spike sitting up in his wicker basket bed. He yawned loudly as he rubbed at his eyes with the back of one claw. When the young dragon dropped his hand, he smacked his lips a few times and scanned the room with half-lidded eyes until they landed on her. Once they did, he gave her a tired smile and said, "Hey... Did you sleep well?"
She gave her own smile in return, though it was a bit strained, "Yeah, I did... How 'bout you?"
He yawned again and stretched, arms straight over his head until a series of small pops could be heard from his back and he slumped forward with a satisfied sigh, "I slept like a log."
Her smile became a little more genuine at that and she said, "I'm glad to hear it."
A silence, far easier than what had been the norm lately, fell over the two as they smiled at each other. It was Spike who spoke first, looking away from her and scratching the back of his head, "So... what are we supposed to do now? Wait for the other two to wake up?"
Amy chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Nah, the eggheads stay up late reading or something when they go to their room, so they usually get up pretty late," she said as she sat up and swung her legs over to touch the floor.
The younger dragon made an 'o' face, nodded once and asked, "... So, do we wake them up?"
"No, they'll probably be up in an hour or two," she answered as she stood and stretched in a similar fashion to her younger brother, though her back was far louder in its loosening. Had she not had her eyes screwed shut, she would have seen him flinch at the series of sickening pops.
"Are... are you okay?"
The dragoness relaxed with a loud sigh, her face the picture of bliss. It took a moment for her brother's question to register and when it did, she looked at him with a tilted head. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she asked.
Spike stared for a little while, but shook his head. "Nothing," he said, climbing out of his basket and looking around. When his eyes landed on the entrance to the dining area, his stomach growled. With a small blush he turned back to Amy. "Um, I don't suppose we can eat without Lore and Prose, can we?"
Amy giggled, but nodded. "Yeah, sure, come on," she told him as she passed. He followed and the two were soon in the kitchen. The older dragon began rummaging through the pantries. "Hmm, where are they?... Darn!" she said turning to Spike with an apologetic look. "Sorry, it looks like we ate all the gems last night, and I can't find any cereal."
Her brother looked around, claw coming up to scratch at his chin. "Hmm, well, everything is a little higher than I'm used to, but I should probably be able to cook something up," he stated and looked at his sister. "Would that be alright, ya think?"
Amy blinked a few times. "You know how to cook?"
~8~
Spike couldn't help but grin like an idiot on the inside, but managed to suppress it to just a happy smile on the outside. He truly felt things were on the right track now as he and Amy sat down at the table, a large stack of pancakes between them. Though she was hesitant at first to let a child perform the deceptively dangerous task of cooking, his reassurance that he was quite skilled in the culinary arts got her to give in to the idea. That and the fact that he was covered in fireproof, hard-to-cut scales, anyway.
There had been a few obstacles to overcome beyond just working in an unfamiliar kitchen, like how he was too short to reach much of anything he needed to. Amy had explained to him that, because of its large variety of inhabitants, Ford Junction building code was a bit less consistent than other places. To try and accommodate all, nothing in the cooking space was completely comfortable for anyone, things were too tall, being just within reach of quadrupeds, and low enough to require bipedal to hunch over. He was no stranger to this kind of thing, of course, but he didn't have his stool available to compensate for his unimpressive stature.
But, with teamwork, the two dragons managed to whip together a bowl of eggs, flour, milk, baking powder and all the sweet spices they could find. About the only time Spike had felt uncomfortable was when he, after asking a series of questions of what was and wasn't in the cupboards, was picked up under the arms by a frustrated Amy and held level with the shelf full of spices to make his own selection. After that, all they had to do was pour the batter into the skillet.
It was nice for Spike to have someone who wasn't completely hopeless in the kitchen with him. He loved Twilight, but there was a reason he did all the cooking for the two of them. Amy even managed to get pancake flipping down pat in one try. All in all, it was probably the most fun he had making breakfast in a long time.
So now they sat, both smiling to each other from around the plate full of fluffy goodness. The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg in the air soon got the better of the younger dragon and he said, "Well, ready to dig in?" In truth, it was more that the food in front of him was made with his sister than hunger that was making him crave it, though the loud rumbling of his belly may disagree.
Her smile widened until her bright white fangs were on full display. "Do you even have to ask?" She punctuated the statement by grabbing her knife and fork, spearing the first three pancakes and dropping them onto her plate. Spike mirrored her and soon the two were tearing into the stack. They ended up using nearly all of the apartment's supply of maple syrup to wash down their breakfast as they shoveled pancakes down their gullets. The flapjack feeding frenzy lasted all of five or six minutes, but the aftermath would need thrice that amount of time to clean.
When the two had fallen back into their seats, Spike's stomach was bulging and even Amy's slender midriff was distended just enough to be noticeable. Neither dragon was fully aware of their surrounding as they were too busy fighting off the food coma trying to set in. This was the sight that Lore Finder and Prose Worthy walked in on.
Amy lolled her head in their direction and gave them a lopsided smile. Heeey Lorey, want some pancakes?" she asked drunkenly.
Spike turned his head and added, "Yeah, they're pretty good, if I do say so myself." The little dragon followed this with a burp far bigger than any would believe possible from one his size.
Lore tried to keep up her mask of indifference, but she was having trouble while looking at the crumb and syrup-covered dragons. The corners of her lips kept twitching and when she coughed, it sounded suspiciously like laughter. The pegasus cleared her throat and said, "Yes, I think some pancakes would be lovely. Thank you for the offer, Amy, Spike." She nudged her still confused husband. "Right, Prose?"
He looked at her and then back to them. "Uh, sure, sounds nice... Are those ours then?" he said, nodding to the plate, only two flapjacks left untouched.
Spike saw this and raised an eyebrow. "Huh... where'd they all go?" he mumbled before shrugging. "Oh well, we'll just make a few more."
~8~
After Lore assured him that a pancake each for Prose and her would suffice, Spike shrugged and succumbed to his food induced-slumber. Amy, whose sisterly instincts had been awakening ever since meeting the younger dragon, proceeded to shrug off her own lethargy and pick her little brother up. Cradling him to her chest, she moved as carefully as possible to the sink and wiped his face of leftover breakfast. After he was cleaned, she took him back into the living room, and, once there, laid him down onto the couch where he curled up into a ball of scales and spines. She smiled when she heard an unintelligible mumble escape his lips as she pulled the blanket over him.
When the dragoness came back into the kitchen, the ponies were already getting to work. Lore was wiping down the table while Prose filled the sink with soupy water and dropping in the dirtied kitchenware. "I see you and Spike had a busy morning," Lore said as she carried her crumb filled washcloth over to the garbage to shake it out.
Amy scratched the back of her head. "Uh, yeah... I'm sorry for the mess, by the way," she responded. "Hope you don't mind that we used your kitchen."
Lore had moved to the sink to rinse the cloth out when Prose scowled a little and opened his mouth. Before he got the chance, his wife stuck a wingtip to his lips and gave him a stern look. "We don't mind at all," she began before turning to her friend with a calm smile. "I was already going to the market today; I'll just add eggs and milk to the shopping list. I'm just glad the two of you are getting along well."
The dragoness smiled broadly at that, glad she hadn't upset her friend. "Yeah, it was a pretty awesome morning. The little guy can really cook too, those were some of the best pancakes I've had in a while!" she said with growing pride and excitement.
Lore chuckled. "Yes, yes, they were delicious," she replied before leaving her wash cloth in the sink and leaving the room. Her voice echoed into the kitchen, "But it would be nice if you'd assist in the clean-up though, Prose could use some help drying and putting away the dishes."
Dragon and unicorn glared at each other until the pegasus returned with a broom. When she did, both turned and smiled to her. "Sure thing, Lorey, it's the least I can do," Amy said before moving beside her enemy. The two, backs now turned to the sweeping pegasus, scowled at each other. "Try not to cause another mess, salamander," Prose Worthy mouthed.
The dragoness sneered and picked up the large mixing bowl, a whisk and the skillet sitting within, from the counter. Prose raised an eyebrow as she held it over the sink. Amy dropped the bowl with a loud sploosh, not flinching as water splashed up on her chest and slid down her scales. She smirked triumphantly as Prose gasped in shock, one wide eye visible through a parting in his soaked mane.
Behind the two, Lore Finder sighed and shook her head, though a small smile played across her lips. Hopefully, her kitchen would still be in one piece after this.
~8~
Spike blinked awake, and was a little confused by that fact. Sitting up, the blanket fell from his form and he saw that he was once again in the living room, though on the couch instead of his basket. Then he remembered, and couldn't help but groan and put his hands over his face. Aww darn it, I can't believe I passed out like that, and after just waking up too. Amy probably thinks I'm a baby now!
"You awake in there Spike?" he heard called from the kitchen. He peeked out from behind his claws just in time to see his sister lean through the entrance. When she spotted him, a wide smile split her face. "Great, you are! That's perfect, the kitchen's all cleaned up and Lore says she has something for you to wear in town," she said as she entered the room.
The younger dragon dropped his hands and gave her an embarrassed smile. "Yeah, I'm awake... Um, sorry for falling asleep on you like that, I should have helped with the clean-up," he said, smile turning into a slight frown as he diverted his eyes.
She frowned herself as she hesitantly approached him. Once she was in front of him, Spike looked up to see her smiling tentatively down at him. "It's no big deal, I'm sure just about everyone has passed out after a big meal at least once in their lives," his sister said before a small smile came to her scaly cheeks and she added quietly, "I know I have."
Her words did indeed make him feel a bit better, but he still felt the need to say, "I guess you're right... but I still feel like I should have helped. I don't usually leave that big of a mess."
"Hey, if cleaning means that much to you, you can always come by my place and help tidy up," Amy offered in what was meant to be a joking matter, but Spike could hear the hint of wishful thinking underneath.
"Ah... no thanks, I'm over it already," the younger dragon said, not wanting to find out how much, if at all, Lore Finder was exaggerating. Seeking to change the subject, he asked, "So, you were saying Mrs. Lore found something for me to wear." The dragoness simply smiled in response.
~8~
Lore floated in the air, forelegs crossed, with one hoof placed at her chin. "Hmm, it definitely covers him well, but..."
"... It may be hard to walk," Amy concluded. "What do you think, Spike? Is it too big for you?"
The little dragon looked at her, the hood of the cloak held up just enough by his spines as to not completely block his vision. "Uh, I think I can deal with it... but, if you have anything else, I wouldn't be against the option," he said, only the tip of his muzzle exposed to the light. Amy couldn't fight the small smile brought on by the sight of her brother. The light purple, cotton cloak was from when she was fourteen years old, if she recalled correctly, and it was obvious that she had been bigger at that age than the younger dragon was now. What had hung down to the ankles on her, trailed all the way to the floor on him with a couple of inches sprawled across the hardwood. The dragoness felt something scratching at the back of her mind looking at that particular cloak, but could not imagine why. She had gone through quite a few cloaks in her life, after all.
"I'm afraid neither Prose nor I have any interest in clothing beyond a few formal suits for business purposes, and Amy has only ever worn one thing other than her cloaks," Lore began to say, causing her friend to go rigid, "Though, I still think she looked quite nice in a-"
"Don't you dare say it!" the dragoness warned.
This only caused Lore to smirk. "Dress."
Amy groaned and ran a hand down her face as Spike asked, "You wear dresses?"
"No! It was only one time, and it was no big deal, just a stupid bet," she answered before sending a glare her friend's way. "Lorey thought I needed to get out and mingle more so she tricked me into a date. End of story."
Lore leaned towards the younger dragon and whispered behind her hoof, though it was still loud enough for Amy to hear, "I'll tell you the whole story later. It's very entertaining." When the dragoness growled, she chuckled and landed. "Now, as I was saying before, we don't have much in the way of options for you. The only reason I even have that one is because it was from before her line of work lead to the constant destruction of any cloaks she wore."
Spike sighed. "Well, it's not that bad I guess... I'm just a little worried about tripping, is all."
Amy looked down at him, her attempt at coming up with a solution showing on her face in the form of a frown of concentration. The hood wasn't a problem, but that hem had to go, and that was when the answer struck her. Duh, I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. "I got this," she said in way of explanation before getting down on one knee and pulling her little brother closer. Though he was surprised and protested as she went to work, she just spun him in a circle and maneuvered her talons with long-practiced finesse. When she finished, she leaned back to get a better look at the dizzy dragon and gave a nod of approval.
Spike shook his head to right his spinning eyes before looking down at himself. The adjustment was small, but served its purpose well. The excess fabric that had been dragging along the floor was cleanly sliced away so that the base of the cloak reached midway down his short shins. "Huh," he stated as he looked up at the dragoness with a smile. "That works, I guess."
Amy smiled broadly in pride as she elbowed her friend. "How's that for problem solving? I surprise even myself sometimes."
When she was greeted with silence, she turned to look at the pegasus, only to see her mouth was slightly parted. Though the expression was subtle, Amy had known the mare long enough to see the shock and horror on display. It was even more obvious in her voice when she spoke monotonously, "That... was the cloak I made for you on the second year anniversary of our friendship... and you just cut it up..."
The older dragon's heart sunk in guilt and she could see Spike's eyes widen as he held the cloak out in scrutiny. Gods! Can't I do anything without hurting others! "Lorey... I-I'm sorry, I was so focused on trying to help that I didn't even think about it," Amy began, her tone becoming more frustrated as she went on. "I'm such an idiot! I can't even-!"
"Quiet, Amy!" Lore snapped, glaring at her friend before averting her eyes and sighing. "You know I don't like to hear you talk like that. You didn't mean anything by it... and, at least it's serving a purpose now instead collecting dust in the back of my closet," the mare said as she bent down and swept the ribbon of fabric at Spike's feet into her hoof with a wing. "Now, Prose has a meeting with his editor today and I'm going out to do errands. That means we'll be gone for a couple of hours, so you should try and think of something to do in the city that will take at least that long."
"Why's it important we get back at the same time," asked Amy, still on one knee.
"Because, I haven't gotten around to having another spare key made since you lost the last one and we had to get the locks changed," Lore answered matter-of-factly as she placed the fabric onto the dining table to the side of them.
The dragoness chuckled nervously and scratched the back of her head. "Eh heh heh... Oh yeah, forgot about that... So a couple of hours, huh?"
"Yes, at least. You can be out longer than that, but we won't be here to let you in until then. I do hope you come back before night fall. I was planning on making something special for dinner tonight, though. A sort of welcoming into the family for Spike," Lore said as she placed the cloth in her hoof on the table, seemingly not noticing the widening eyes of those around her.
Both dragons repeated the word "family" in a whisper, but it was Amy who continued. "You've only known him for a day and... and you already think of him as family?"
Lore quirked a brow. "Why wouldn't I? He's your younger brother, and you're my family in everything but blood, so, ergo, he's part of my family also."
Amy was stunned by the mare's words, and when she finally collected her thoughts, she gave her friend a watery smile and pulled her into a hug, much to Lore's surprise. "Thanks, Lore... That means a lot," the dragoness said softly.
Lore Finder waited a moment before she wrapped her forelegs around her friend. "It's only the truth, nothing to get so worked up over," she replied. After a little while, the pegasus patted Amy's back a few times. "Okay, that's enough... Time to let go now, Amy."
"Oh, uh yeah," the dragoness said before stepping back. "Sorry, it's just... sorry."
Lore forelegs settled back onto the floor. "It's fine, Amy, nothing to apologize for," she said simply as she turned to Spike, who was now looking down and shuffling his feet. "And besides, even if I've only known him for a short time, I can already tell he'll be far less troublesome than his older sister," she said, getting a proud "yeah" from Amy that was followed soon after by an indignant "Hey!" that Lore ignored.
He looked up at this to see the mare giving him a warm smile, and he returned it as best he could. "Thanks, Mrs. Lore, I'll... uh, do my best to not, um, disappoint you," he offered hesitantly.
"You can just call me Lore, if you want. We can't really have such formality between family members, can we?" she said.
The younger dragon's smile became more genuine as his body relaxed. "Sure thing... Lore."
"Good," Lore began, "So, now that that's out of the way, do you have anything specific planned for today's outing Amy?" She finished with a look over to the dragoness, who had been watching the two with hands clasped in front of her, eyes hopeful and a wide smile on her face.
She blinked a few times. "Huh? Oh, yeah! I was planning on showing him around, and maybe taking him to one of the diners or something around town. Show him some of the variety we have here in Ford Junction, ya know?"
Lore nodded. "That sounds good. Do you have enough money to pay for the both of you, though?"
Amy froze, smile still on her face, until finally, her head dropped. "No... no I don't."
Lore chuckled. "That's fine, I can just lend you some bits and you can pay me back next time you go to the bank."
The dragoness jumped to her feet. "Alright, Lorey! I knew could count on you!"
"Yes, yes, calm down Amy. I don't want you going out there and causing trouble in your excitement," the mare said as she began walking away.
Amy rolled her eyes as her friend left the kitchen, presumably to get some money. "Oh come on, what's the worst that could happen?"
As soon as the words escaped her lips, Prose Worthy tensed and looked at her in disbelief. "You did not just say that."
The dragoness tilted her head with a quirked brow. "Huh, what's up Prosey?"
He just shook his head, and Amy couldn't help but wonder why Spike mimicked him.
~8~
Spike did his best to ignore the irrational worry brought on by his sister's words, but he had read enough books in his life to make such a feat difficult. "Are you alright, Spike?" asked Amy, adjusting the staff over her shoulder. It still had the familiar bag from before tied to one end, but now, it was joined by a smaller one he knew contained their bits for the day.
"I'm fine, just thinking is all... So, ready to go? He gestured to the door they stood before.
She looked a moment longer before nodding her head and stepping forward. "Yep, all set, let's go," she said, turning the knob and holding the door for him.
Spike took a deep breath and steeled himself. Enough worrying, I'm sure everything will be fine. She's just giving me a tour of the city and we're going to get something to eat, what could possibly go wrong? His eyes widened under his cloak, and he took a step backwards before slapping himself in the cheek, much to the shock of his sister. I said stop worrying! The younger dragon took a few deep breaths and ignored both Amy's worried questions and the urge to berate himself for tempting fate, even within the confines of his skull. Even if things do start to go bad, your sister is a seasoned adventurer. I'm sure she can handle any trouble we come across. Besides, just saying, or even thinking... that, can't cause problems... right?
He once again shook away his doubt, and he had to adjust his hood afterwards. "Okay, let's do this," Spike said with more confidence than he felt. "We're burning Celestia's daylight." With that, he marched out of the door with his head held high and left a confused dragoness standing behind him.
Today was going to be a good day, no matter who tried to get in their way... At least, that was Spike's mantra as he marched down the hallway. Then he realized he didn't know where to go. Yep, today was going to be a good day.