Spike
There were seven of them. Six-and-a-half, really. High-backed, clean stone chairs arranged in a circle. Thrones, in form and function. One for Twilight and each of her five best friends, each adorned with the cutie-mark of its intended occupant.
No doubt in the weeks and months to come, Twilight and her friends would have lots of serious, important, funny and crazy times gathered here, together.
Spike sat in the centre of the circle, quietly hugging his knees to his chest, and simply stared at the seventh.
It was all wrong. Only half as large as the rest and its back blank; unmarked by a symbol he didn't possess. A pointless addition, looking freakish next to Twilight's throne, and a blight on the otherwise perfect symmetry of the room.
All wrong.
It didn't belong in that circle.
But there it was nonetheless, so he'd be there too. He'd just keep quiet while they did their thing. Make notes or something. Stay out of the way. Clean up after.
He sighed, his breath turning to vapour in the dry, cold air of the castle, and when he blinked, he distantly felt a wet streak caress his cheek.
The room would look a lot better without that throne.
There was a distant, echoing bang from somewhere behind him. The door to the palace opening and falling shut again; the sound carried along the hollow, empty corridors. Then more echoes, this time a series of clip-clops as though half-a-dozen coconuts had been split in two and were being tap-tapped together, getting closer.
Spike remained still, hugged his knees a little tighter, and could do nothing but stare. He wanted to belong here. To be wanted here. But the more he looked at that chair—the more he saw how different it was to the others—it made a sad mockery of that idea.
Although he could hear the hoofsteps getting closer, he didn't really make the connection that they were approaching him until they stopped. Then Applejack stepped into his view and sat in front of him, worried sympathy on her face. He felt a little concerned pang and couldn't help but wonder what was wrong. Couldn't help but want to help. She might not think him a real friend but he still wanted to help, even now.
"Spike, sugarcube? Can we talk for a spell?"
Sensing the requirement for conscious action, Spike's trance slowly faded and more normal cognitive functions asserted themselves. His eyes focussed properly and he blinked several times. He wiped his face with his claws to discover his cheeks were coated with some kind of wet, ever-so-slightly sticky moisture. He looked up at Applejack, and around at Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie all stood surrounding him. Then his eyes found the thrones just beyond each of them, ready for use.
"Oh, right," he said. "Sure, go ahead. I'll leave you guys to it." He stood and started to walk away in what he hoped carried the appearance of his normal, confident stride.
Applejack's mouth opened and she missed a beat before shaking her head and trying again. "To you, Spike. We wanna talk to you." She smiled. "Please?"
"Uh... okay," said Spike hesitantly. It felt like he was in trouble or something. He took a step backwards and found himself bumping into the short, ugly, didn't-belong-in-this-room throne. His throne. He hopped up onto the seat without really thinking, shrinking awkwardly back into the foreign chair and finding the stone underneath him cold, hard and rough. The five ponies arrayed before him looked on in worry and sympathy.
Then Rainbow Dash flapped over and, without warning, wrapped her hooves around him and gently picked him up. "Nah, you were good where you were," she said, plopping him down softly back in the middle of the room, the smooth floor still warm from where he had earlier sat.
"Spike? I'm sorry. We all are..." began Applejack to several accompanying nods from the others. She looked like she was about to elaborate, but didn't get the chance because suddenly, Pinkie Pie.
She leaped at Spike and desperately wrapped her hooves around him in a crushing, suffocating hug. "SPIKEI'MSOSORRYITWASTHECAKE'SFAULT!" she half-screamed, half-cried, her face scrunching with the effort.
"P—Pinkie?!" Spike gasped. "C—can't breathe...! You g—otta l—let go!"
She released him and he fell onto his back on the floor with a thud. He sat himself up, a little dizzy from lack of oxygen, and saw that Pinkie looked guilty, her lower lip trembling as though she'd done something awful. It was hard to look at. Why were they all so upset?
Rarity finally brought some order to the proceedings. "Spike? I fear that our behaviour towards you today has been much less than a true friend should be entitled to expect, and... and..." She met his gaze and her voice became softer and more personable. "And we're all so, so sorry Spikey. For how we've treated you."
Fluttershy took a step towards him and dipped her head. "I'm really sorry if I made you feel like you weren't a friend, Spike. I don't know what I did wrong," she said honestly. "But I hope you can forgive me. I'd still like to be friends. If... if you want to."
Spike found himself stifling tears, and had to take a long, shaky breath. "Aw, Fluttershy, don't be silly. You didn't do anything wrong." He looked around at the ponies. "None of you did. You were just yourselves. I don't want you to apologise for that. There's nothing to forgive, guys. It's okay," he finished, a little hollowly.
"It's not okay!" said Dash. "Look at you, Spike. Right now you're more down in the dumps than a... uh... a... okay, never mind!" Then her face and voice softened too, and she stepped up close to him. "Come on, buddy. What's wrong?"
"Spike? Please, talk to us. There ain't nothin' you can't say," Applejack reassured. "We're yer friends."
"Are you?" Spike heard himself reply automatically. He bit his tongue. It had just slipped out. He hadn't meant it to. He'd meant to play it cool. Act like nothing was wrong. Play the cheery sort as usual. Seeing his friends wince with guilt at his question sent daggers through him, and he wanted nothing more than to smile and tell them to chill. Everything was cool. No sweat.
But... well, he’d committed himself now.
He took a deep breath. Okay then.
"It's just... I really like you guys. I mean, I care about you, just as much as Twilight does. But... I get it, y'know? She's your best friend and I'm... I'm just lucky I get to spend time with you. I guess I thought I might be your friend too." He needed another, shakier breath. "But... I'm not. I don't know if it's because I'm a dragon. Or because I'm a boy. Maybe I'm still too young or it's something else, but it's just different for me, isn't it? I'm not your friend like Twilight is. I'm just..." He turned and looked at the Throne-That-Didn't-Belong, his composure gone and tears running anew. "Just... a friend of a friend." He sounded pathetic, even to his own ears. His gaze found his feet, and he stood with his back to the ponies. He wasn't angry with them. He loved them and always would. It just... didn't work the other way was all. No big deal.
"Well, duh! Of course you are!" said Pinkie Pie.
Spike's ears perked in spite of himself. He glanced around to see the other four ponies looking horrified at Pinkie, and Pinkie looking innocently confused back at them. "Don't you get it?" she asked the room in general. Then Pinkie pointed a hoof at Applejack, but she fixed Spike's gaze and spoke directly to him. "You are a friend of a friend." She moved her hoof onwards towards Rainbow Dash. "And a friend of a friend of a friend." Next was Rarity. "And a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend." And finally Fluttershy. "Aaaand... so on." She beamed at him. "It doesn't matter how many friends there are in the middle. You're still a friend, silly." She lowered her voice and it became the unusually soft, sweet intonation that she used when she found occasion to be serious. "Besties forever, Spike. How could we not be?"
"Because I don't do anything?" Spike reluctantly protested, a little sniffle in his nose. It was nice of the girls to try and make him feel better. But it was just a kind façade. A thin veneer of compassion. Not true friendship. Not for him. Why would they even want that?
"I just get in the way, don't I? I mess things up. You'd all be no worse off if I'd never even come to Ponyville. Why would you ever need a friend like me?" he finished quietly.
There was a short silence before Applejack spoke up. "You're absolutely right, Spike. I don't need a friend like you." He felt her walk up close behind him, and her voice became soft. "But, that ain't how friendship works, is it?"
He looked over his shoulder at her to see her smiling kindly for an instant. Then her face became more serious and her tone hardened. "I need Filthy Rich to buy a hundred jars of Zap Apple Jam this week, or the barn roof ain't gettin' fixed this side o' winter. And yet, somehow... he ain't one o' my best friends," she said, tapping a contemplative hoof on her chin. Then back came the smile and the soft voice. "You ain't my friend because I need you to be, Spike. You're my friend because I want you to be." Her smile became just the kindest, warmest expression. "You an’ me are always gonna be friends. Y'hear?" There were four assenting voices from behind her. "And as for you, 'not doin' anything'?" she said, and put a gentle hoof on his shoulder. Carefully, she turned him around to face her, and he could see what looked like the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "You saved my life, Spike. I'd call that doin' something. And don't you go thinkin' I'm ever gonna forget it."
"Uh... mine too, I think," piped up Rainbow Dash.
"Ooh! Ooh! And mine!" squeaked Pinkie Pie. "Like when you stopped all those buffalo from squishing us, remember?"
"And who cares if you mess things up sometimes?" continued Dash. "Do you know how many times I've messed up? A lot!" Several sets of eyes stared at her. Dash winced and sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. "Okaaaay, not doing my rep a whole lotta good here, but it's true. The point is..." She trailed off. "Aw, ponyapples, I forgot where I was going with that. It was good too," she muttered.
Rarity glanced at Dash and cleared her throat. "You were about to say that it doesn't matter if Spike makes the odd mistake, because nopony is perfect. And no matter what may happen, we will always love him for being the selfless, brave, and noble friend we know he is."
Dash blinked, then looked at Rarity. "Was I really going to say 'love'?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes you were," confirmed Rarity with a grin.
"I think we're really lucky you came to Ponyville, Spike," said Fluttershy with a proud smile. "You really do come through for all of us when we need help. And we're sorry if we never told you how much we appreciate it."
"Guys... I..." Spike tried, but tears were flowing freely now. The back of his throat was all choked up with something and so was his nose. It was all too much. "I dunno what to say."
"That's okay, Spike," said Fluttershy, drawing close to him. Then she slowly reached out her forehooves and wrapped them round him, pulling him into a soft, gentle hug. Then Rarity joined in. Then Applejack. Then Pinkie Pie, who at first threatened to crush them all. Then—
"That's how we're doing this? A group hug?"
"Dash, get in here!" snapped Applejack.
"Whoa, okay."
—Then Rainbow Dash.
...Who, for her token protest, seemed to be squeezing equally as hard as the others.
It was like being wrapped up in pure love and joy. In the back of his mind there was the vague thought that he, a butch, handsome, manly dragon, shouldn't really enjoy a hug this much. But that thought was quickly squashed because... well, it just felt awesome. All his friends—the ponies he cared about most in the world—really did care about him too. For the first time, the remaining days until Twilight was due back didn't seem so—
"Come on guys! Can't we come in yet?" It was a faint voice, echoing about halfway up the corridor. It sounded like... Apple Bloom?
"I thought we told y'all to stay outside!" hollered Applejack.
"Um... maybe?"
"But then we'll miss the hug!" complained... Sweetie Belle?
"Okay, come on down then," said Applejack.
There came the echoing clopping of a trio of small, galloping hoofbeats approaching at a rather phenomenal pace and then, just as Spike managed to get a look beyond the many legs and bodies in the midst of which he found himself, he glimpsed an excited Apple Bloom launching herself at the pile of hugging ponies.
There were two soft impacts, and the cuddle pressure increased subtly.
"Ugh, really?" protested Scootaloo's voice from nearby. "Can't we just—?"
"Scootaloo, get in here!" snapped Apple Bloom.
The pressure increased subtly one final time.
And the room wasn't so cold anymore.
* * *
The hug broke up. It couldn't last forever after all, but there were happy smiles all round. They began to chat amongst themselves, friends talking to friends.
Spike found Rarity standing a little way off from the group, just outside the circle of stone chairs, and realised he'd never get a better chance to say it.
"Rarity? Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Why of course, Spike," she said. Then, more softly, "Always."
"It's just... I mean since I'm being honest about how I feel and everything... with you there's always been... I mean I've always felt... well... I lov—"
He was cut off by Rarity's hoof shushing his lips. He realised he hadn't been able to look at her while he was speaking, but he looked up now, to see her smiling a friendly, sympathetic smile.
She sat, taking their dialogue just behind the back of one of the thrones.
"I know, Spike," she whispered, and as he watched he thought he saw a tear come to her eye. "But you were right. You're a little too young for that, aren't you? You're still a baby dragon after all." Rarity took her eyes off him and gazed upwards somewhere. "Oh, I had so many crushes when I was your age," she said wistfully. "I grew out of most of them."
"But it's not a—!" he began to protest, but Rarity's hoof found his mouth quite expertly once more.
"Pinkie Pie was right too," Rarity continued and her stunning blue eyes fixed his gaze again. "Forever, Spike. I'm not going anywhere. If you still feel the same way once you have a few more years under your belt, well... I'll still be here." She gave him a nuzzle and a wink. Then she was on her hooves again, making to rejoin the group. Just as she rounded the back of the throne she tossed her mane and glanced back at him. "Don't take too long growing up though, Spike. Don't you know? It's terrible to keep a lady waiting." Then she rounded the throne and out of his sight. The spell was broken, but he found himself smiling all the same.
One day, when he was ready, she would give him the chance. He figured that was one of the most generous things she'd ever done for him. But for now and the foreseeable future... friends. Real, true, close friends. He figured he could live with that, as he came back to the group himself.
As he rounded the throne, he practically stumbled into the trio of foals to whom he hadn't really had a chance to speak as yet.
The Crusaders' conversation halted and as one they stood before him, regarding him with friendly smiles.
"We just wanted to say we're really glad you're feeling better, Spike," said Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle nodded, while Apple Bloom signalled her agreement with a, "Yeah."
"Thanks, guys," he said. "I appreciate it."
"Oh, you don't need to thank us," said Sweetie Belle, still smiling. "It was the least we could do after all."
Spike raised an eyebrow. "Uh... what was the least you could do?" Then the lightbulb in his head snapped on. "You mean...? Is everyone here right now because you guys told them to come?"
The Crusaders' expressions suddenly ranged from shocked to horrified, and three voices answered at once.
"No!" cried Apple Bloom.
"Of course not!" protested Scootaloo.
"Not... really!" said Sweetie Belle, which earned her a couple of quick glares from the others.
Apple Bloom took a breath and guiltily met Spike's gaze. "Spike... it ain't like that. Really, it ain't. It's just, when we saw you on the bridge earlier, you looked so sad."
"It was horrible seeing you like that, and we wanted to do everything we could to try and help," Sweetie Belle added.
"But, the way you walked off... well it was pretty obvious you didn't feel like you could talk to us about it..." said Scootaloo, disappointedly.
"So we went to get the ponies we knew ya could talk to," finished Apple Bloom. "Your friends."
"No-one's here because of us. Everyone's here because they wanted to help, including us," said Scootaloo.
"We're your friends too, Spike," said Sweetie Belle with a happy smile. "We hope you know that."
Spike smiled back. Then it was his turn to look guilty and he met their gaze. "Guys? About the bridge earlier? I shouldn't have just walked off like that. It was rude, and you didn't deserve that. It wasn't that I felt like I couldn't talk to you about it. It was more like I didn't think anyone wanted to listen. I was so convinced no-one wanted me for a friend... that I didn't even notice the only three ponies who took the time to come talk to me all day. I'm really sorry." He looked at each of them in turn, his eyes threatening tears yet again. "I know we're friends, guys. And I'm really glad we are," he beamed.
"Awww," said Sweetie Belle, welling up.
"Us too," said Apple Bloom happily.
"We're not hugging again," said a resolute Scootaloo. Then her face turned plaintiff and her voice dropped to a strangled whisper. "Pleeeaase Spike. Rainbow Dash is right there!"
Spike grinned. "Okay, okay." Then, in lieu of another hug he raised his right arm and clenched his claw, holding it out to the Crusaders.
Three hooves struck his claw simultaneously with a firm bump.
Yeah, they were great friends.
By now the light of the day had faded, and dusk had claimed the world. Soon the moon would rise and signal the onset of the night, and the ponies he called friends—that he knew as friends—would retire to their homes until the new day.
He sighed softly.
"Somethin' up, sugarcube?" asked Applejack with a smile, coming over to him.
He looked up. "Hmm? Not really. I guess it's just... this big empty castle doesn't really feel like home yet, and I'm kinda stuck here by myself until Twilight gets back." He gave a little resigned shrug. There was nothing to be done after all. Time was the only cure.
Applejack seemed to consider something for a moment, her hoof thoughtfully rubbing her chin again. "Y'know,' she said, "It ain't like Granny Smith or Big Mac are expectin' me home. And it is awful dark out now." She smiled down at him. "Mind if I crash here tonight?"
There was a zipping sound, and suddenly Apple Bloom was right next to her older sister, stood at attention. "Me too!"
"A slumber party? It has been a while," said Rarity.
"Aw, guys," said Spike, blushing. "You don't have to—"
"Well I'm not leaving," said Dash firmly. "It's raining."
Pinkie looked to the nearest window. "Don't be silly, Dashie. It's not raining!"
"Pinkie, trust me. If anypony leaves here right now, it's gonna start raining really heavily."
"Well we're not gonna risk getting rained on!" said a happy Scootaloo, a grinning Sweetie Belle at her side. "We'd better stay too."
"Spike?" asked Fluttershy quietly. "Would it... be okay if I stayed over tonight? It's just... it's a long way home and I think it might rain."
Tears started flowing again, and Spike's mood lifted for what felt like the tenth time that day.
Home was much, much more than just the building you lived in wasn't it? Home was where your friends were. Where you shared your time with the people you loved. Where you laughed. Where you cried. And where you were happiest. And this castle...
It was starting to feel a lot more like home already.
* * * The End * * *