//------------------------------// // Quality Time // Story: Spike's Shadow // by DraconequusMaximus //------------------------------// After a long day of training Spike had nearly destroyed his own yard, pulling masses of earth from the yard over and over again. The largest of which Spike was somewhat proud of, as it was almost as large as the dragon himself. Granted, Spike had used up a good portion of his mana in that one moment. Afterwards Spike wheeled Sombra inside, moved him to the couch for comfort, and got him a new book to read. In the meantime, Spike was intent on making good on his promise of making something special for dinner. It wasn't often that Spike got to cook meat for anyone else and Spike was looking forward to the challenge. Sombra continued familiarizing himself with the modern world while he had nothing better to do. However other than reading about the major villain attacks there was little that held Sombra's interest. The relative boredom combined with the steady drip of magical painkillers quickly put Sombra to sleep. By the time Spike was finished cooking and came to fetch Sombra he saw the stallion curled up like a cat, snoring softly. Spike snickered a bit at the sight, finding it surprisingly funny and adorable. It was still a little odd for Spike still, but he was quickly warming up to Sombra even though he wished Sombra would have a bit more faith in himself. "Sombra? ...Hey? Food's ready." Spike carefully prodded Sombra. Sombra slowly rose from his position on the sofa and yawned widely, unintentionally giving Spike a look at his pearly whites. Sombra blinked the sleep from his eyes, trying to wake himself up. As his mind gathered itself Sombra's nose detected the smell of Spike's cooking. It was still a tad strange to him, but now that Sombra knew the sort of taste to expect the smell didn't really seem to bother him as much. Once Spike had gotten Sombra situated in the wheelchair once more he pushed Sombra to his normal seat where the normal chair had been moved away for the time being. Sombra saw two covered dishes on the table, the largest of which was in front of Spike for obvious reasons. Sombra had his own, which was appropriately sized for a pony. Spike used his hand and tail to lift the covers simultaneously, revealing the meal he had prepared. Sombra easily recognized that one of the three items on each plate was a steak of some kind, accompanied by a side of braised asparagus. The third item was what Sombra had a bit of difficulty identifying. On Sombra's plate was two red, segmented... things, which had been split down the middle revealing white meat inside. The things on Spike's plate however gave Sombra a little context. It was a pair of large, almost insect-like creatures, and the things on Sombra's plate appeared to be what served as a tail for it's kind. It was strangely alien, but Sombra could see at a glance that Spike was very much looking forward to eating them. "Introducing a classic meal well-known almost everywhere not populated by ponies, the Surf and Turf! One perfectly tenderized manticore steak, two lobster tails, and a side of braised asparagus." Spike announced with pride. "Lobster? I am... unfamiliar with this creature. Is it some kind of forest-dweller also?" Sombra asked Spike. Spike could barely contain his laughter, but managed to quell it as not to be rude. "*cough* Ah... No, actually. Lobsters are a type of crustacean that typically live at the bottom of the sea. Seafood isn't very well known in Equestria, but the world over it's pretty commonplace. It's one of my favorite things to eat, but it's kind of a rare treat." Spike explained. Sombra felt a tad guilty for being so skeptical of the lobster. It seemed as though Spike was once again sharing rather selflessly, even though he had every reason to hate Sombra. Sombra didn't hesitate and tried the lobster, even though he had some reservations about it's insectoid appearance. It was incredibly different from the bacon, but not in a bad way. It was extremely tender and had a quality Sombra could only equate to rubber or elasticity, though that seemed a poor summary. Over all it's texture was smooth, but it's other qualities and the warmth of the meat made it give way extremely easily to Sombra's unusual teeth. The taste on the other hand held both sweet and savory elements and a buttery presence that tied it all together. Sombra was enjoying the lobster immensely, even though the insect-like appearance had been a tad off-putting. "I feel a fool for doubting your tastes. The lobster is quite unlike anything I've ever had." Sombra indirectly complimented. "Glad you feel that way. I'll have to get my claws on seafood more often then. I'm always looking for an excuse, and since I've got another meat-eater in the house I'll splurge more often. I usually only order a lot around the holidays." Spike thanked Sombra. "Holidays?" Sombra asked. "Oh, yeah. I guess you've never celebrated Hearth's Warming, or New Year's with anyone before. It's a big deal to our group of friends and family. We all get together at Mom's castle, and then me, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie cook dinner for everyone. We all drink, eat, and spend time with each other. "We even spend the whole week in the castle usually, though not everyone stays until New Year's. It's everyone's favorite time of year because it's the one time we all get together. Everyone is usually off doing there own thing, but we all make time for that week. This year, you'll get to come with me and meet my whole family." Spike explained. Sombra saw the glint of excitement and anticipation in Spike's eyes, making Sombra feel less than confident the event would meet Spike's imagined expectations. Sombra wasn't truly surprised that Spike wanted to include him in the event, but the thought of meeting Spike's family seemed a little intimidating. The former elements of harmony and the princesses would surely all be there, and it wasn't likely that all of them, if any had forgiven Sombra for his past transgressions. Even with the extenuating circumstances, Sombra didn't like his odds. Dinner continued on as planned, and Sombra finished every bite of what was on his plate other than the lobster shells and steak bones. Spike of course finished absolutely everything, and then followed up with a fistful of diamonds and garnets. Spike told Sombra that those were the best gems for toughening up one's bones, at least if you were a dragon. After the battering Spike took from the orthros, he wanted to do everything possible to make sure his wings came in correctly. After the table had been cleared Spike kept his promise and began pushing Sombra to the location of his hoard. Unsurprisingly enough they headed downstairs, which was buy and large Spike's private rooms. Spike stopped in front of the door to what Sombra remembered as Spike's private study. The door was rather unassuming, a normal brown hardwood door with a gold-brass knob. It was scaled-up for Spike's likewise dragon-sized home, but that was to be expected. Spike reached forward and opened the door, revealing the study. There was a tremendous desk and chair to one wall obviously meant for Spike. The opposite wall had yet another fireplace already roaring with green flames, illuminating the entire room. Beside the desk sat a large, unoccupied birdcage. On the farthest wall was the room's truly remarkable feature. A bookshelf as tall as the room itself that covered the whole wall. It was packed with a truly impressive number of old books, scrolls, tablets, and every imaginable form of written media. Many of the items were likely priceless, and possibly one of a kind. Judging by the markings that Sombra could make out it seemed they also came in a variety of languages. However, Sombra was somewhat befuddled when Spike closed the door after Sombra had finished taking the room in. Spike saw he was confused and grinned a sly sort of grin down at Sombra. "There's always more than what meets the eye, don't trust everything you see, lest the important details pass you by." Spike rhymed in a skillful impression of a certain zebra. Spike moved Sombra a bit further away from the door before holding out his hand and pressing it against the wood. A ring of green flames burst forth from Spike's palm and pulsed outward. As Spike removed his hand Sombra saw that the door was becoming a polished purple color, with green accents here and there. The very last thing to change was the knob, which had become a sterling silver. Once the door was changed, Spike opened it once again and showed Sombra the study once more. The room was exactly the same as before, except for one crucial detail. The magnificent library of mysterious tomes had vanished. Instead of ancient books and documents the top shelf had around thirty hard-backed books of many different colors. All the other shelves were empty, save for the bottom shelf which held a few gray books in a stack on their sides. Somehow the brightly colored books felt important, even though they all looked brand new. The longer Sombra stared at them some of the colors seemed to speak to him. Sombra walked toward them for a better look. His suspicions were confirmed when he got close enough to see that in the middle of most of the book's spines were a different cutie mark. "This, is my hoard. Or at least the closest physical representation as possible. My memories, experiences, opinions, and everything I love about my family, all written down. I won't ever forget my family, but I like having physical copies of our time together in case I ever get amnesia or something centuries down the line. I doubt it'll happen, but with lives as crazy as ours, y'know?" "Since I beat my greed I don't grow from keeping a hoard anymore, but I still feel better having one. I'd die for my hoard like any other dragon, and they give me motivation towards saving the world. I value each and every one of the people in these books infinitely more than myself." Spike elaborated, feeling a flurry of emotions as he stared at the books. Sombra was unsure of what to say, but Spike wheeled him closer to the bookcase regardless. Without speaking, Spike grabbed one of the dull gray books from the bottom shelf and brought it to about eye level. Spike took a calming breath, and closed his eyes. Sombra watched for a moment while nothing happened, but soon saw thin trails of smoke coming from the book, or possibly Spike's hand. Very slowly, green embers burned the surface of the book and turned it a shade of ashy, dark-grey. At first Sombra thought it was merely burning, but when Spike stopped it was clearly not the case. The book was now totally dark ashen grey with black designs in the corners and a large Gothic-print S in the center of the front cover. "And here, is your book, Sombra. I know it's a bit early to call you a 'loved one' but I feel like I needed to do something after you saved my life. This is basically the biggest thing I could do. Only my mom actually knows about this room, and she just thinks I keep treasure in here. "I don't expect you to warm up to the rest of my family immediately, but I can tell you're making an effort. I don't want you to think we're gonna force you into the family, or that you have to do anything you don't want to after Dootha is gone. All I want from you is for you to keep trying, and to talk to me when something is wrong. Okay?" Spike continued. Spike carefully slid the newly created tome in place on the top shelf with the others. Sombra felt warm, accompanied by something that he believed was a mixture of hope and belonging. Sombra had never been given so much as a smile until meeting Spike, but now just a few days after formally meeting the dragon he had been given what Sombra could only describe as a grand gesture. Sombra didn't completely understand what he was feeling, but it was pleasant and unpleasant all at once. The emptiness within Sombra's chest that had dulled was making itself known again. For some reason now was the time that Sombra's body chose to remind him he was incomplete, likely because seconds before it was the most fulfilled Sombra had ever felt. Sombra's thoughts became muddled, and the good feelings he was finally enjoying were falling flat fast. The only thing Sombra's addled thought process could think to do was to act on Spike's words. "I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for me, but I am rather sorry to admit I am still afflicted. Whether it is Dootha himself, or the lack of my soul I am uncertain. But when I experience... overwhelming emotion, I lose focus and become tired." Sombra admitted. Though he still hurt, Sombra somehow felt lighter than before by doing as Spike had asked and voicing his problems. All Spike could manage was to reach out and grab Sombra. Sombra found himself in a firm, warm hug. Sombra suddenly felt even lighter inside as tears began to stream down his face, though Sombra was barely aware of it. Spike cried too, happy that Sombra was opening up, but sad because he couldn't do much to help Sombra as he was now. After what was probably a few minutes Spike and Sombra separated. Sombra did his best to look away from Spike, but Spike had no problem showing his tears. "I'm gonna get you your soul back from Discord somehow. We probably can't put it back into you until Dootha dies, but getting it is a good first step. We'll just have to figure out what the old nutter wants for it, eh?" Spike told Sombra. Sombra felt guilt creeping in at the mention of Discord. "I would be further indebted to you. I have scarcely been here five days and you have sworn yourself to do more and more for me and the rest of the world. I have no means to repay such acts of altruism." Sombra pointed out. Unfortunately, Spike wouldn't have it. Spike playfully punched him on the shoulder as lightly as he could and gave Sombra a warm smile. "I already see the good in you. Good guys do things for other good guys without expecting anything in return. Though if you wanna make me happy, you could try and warm up to Lyra and Zecora a little more. They're gonna be around a lot you know?" Sombra smiled weakly, feeling emotionally drained by the night's experiences. "I will make the effort. Though right now, I believe some sleep would be appreciated." Sombra asked with a tired look and a weary smile. Spike laughed, but nodded his head. Spike wheeled Sombra out and shut the door behind him with his tail. As soon as they were out and the door had shut it was once again ordinary brown wood within seconds. "Sleep sounds good. Between training and showing off I'm tapped out on mana for today. Gotta recharge my batteries." Spike agreed. Just to be certain, Spike opened the study door with the knob revealing the first study once again. Once satisfied Spike shut the door and opened the door to the bedroom before wheeling Sombra in. "Out of curiosity, how is the room trick done?" Sombra wondered. Spike smiled, seeing Sombra had at least kept his acuity for magic. "The normal study is a separate, undetectable, artificial-space that's layered over top of the actual room with my memory-books. Mom built it for me with magic, and I had Zecora help me link my fire to it. Nobody gets in without me, and nobody can take a book but me or it burns up and goes back to the shelf." Spike explained. "A dragon's hoard is serious business eh?" Sombra asked rhetorically. "Yeah well, I got the idea from a comic book actually. I was just surprised Mom could actually do it." Spike chuckled. Sombra had no idea what a comic book was, but it didn't really matter. He was too tired for many more explanations. With a little help from Spike, Sombra got into bed and Spike changed the bandages around Sombra's midsection. The wounds were nearly healed, and Spike estimated that Sombra would be running on all cylinders again in about four days, so long as he took it easy. With Spike's doting nature Sombra doubted that would be much of an issue. Once Spike made sure Sombra was settled he took his temporary spot on the floor, finding it acceptably comfortable. Honestly Spike would have been fine sleeping on broken glass or nails, but a bed seemed friendlier in case he ever decided to get back into the dating game. After about forty-five minutes had passed and neither Spike nor Sombra had fallen asleep Sombra had had enough stewing in his own metaphorical juices. In the quiet and the dark there was far too much time to think. "You make a much better pony than I do." Sombra stated, unsure if Spike was even awake. Spike chuckled at that, to Sombra's surprise. "And you probably would have made a hell of a dragon. Better than me anyway. Let's just hope we don't have to find out in a year or so." Spike joked. "Agreed." Sombra replied quickly. Both Spike and Sombra fell asleep not long after, tiring of the awkward silence.