It was a special day in Equestria, and Twilight was tidying up the castle before her mother, Twilight Velvet, came.
You see, today was Mother’s Day; it was a time where all the ponies big and small, young and old, celebrated their mothers in honor of their hard work raising them.
It was a time to give thanks.
A time to appreciate; to praise.
A time to acknowledge how much each and everypony truly loved their mothers.
“Spike!” Twilight called, “What are you doing up there?! I need your help!”
“I’ll be over in just a minute!” Spike called back.
“Ugh, you said that ten minutes ago!” Twilight said, frustrated.
“Sorry! It’s really important!” Spike apologized quickly.
“What exactly is so important that you have to have been working on for almost an hour?!”
Silence.
“Spike! Spike! Spike?” Twilight called.
More silence.
Before Twilight could investigate to see what the little dragon was up to, there was a knock at the door. And immediately the young princess knew...
Twilight Velvet had arrived.
“You better hurry up! My mom is here!” She said in Spike’s direction.
As she trotted down the hall, she couldn’t help but feel excited about seeing her mother again.
It’s been so long… I haven’t seen Mom since my coronation!, Twilight thought.
The doors opened to reveal a white unicorn with a white and light purple mane and three purple stars as a cutie mark, standing at the door smiling, waiting to greet her grateful daughter.
“Mom!” Twilight said, running towards her.
“Twilight, honey! Oh it’s so good to see you!” she said as she hugged her daughter, “I’m so happy you wanted to see me! I was absolutely ecstatic when I got your letter!”
“It was no biggy. Oh, and, Happy Mother’s Day!” Twilight exclaimed.
Twilight Velvet beemed. As she looked around, she noticed something missing.
“Where’s Spike?” the motherly mare inquired.
“Oh, he’s up there doing his own thing; he’s been working on something for like an hour now! He say it’s ‘really important’.”
“Oh, well, I hope he comes down soon; I would hate for him to miss a visit from his own grandmother!” Twilight Velvet said with a wink.
“Mom!” Twilight said, the few awkward seconds passing by seemingly eating her alive.
“Oh Twilight! I’m just messing with you! In the mean time why don’t we catch up on each other’s lives?”
“Whatever you want Mom. Today is your special day!”
As they trotted down the hall, Twilight told of some of her recent misadventures and friendship lessons, with occasional questions from her mother.
“Oh my! A male version of Pinkie Pie?!” Twilight Velvet said as Twilight told her the story of Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich.
“I know right?! But they’re still good friends and fun to have around,” Twilight Sparkle said.
Twilight Velvet just smiled. It was hard to believe that just almost a decade ago that her daughter did nothing but read books and study, valuing knowledge over friendship. Not that she wasn’t proud of her little Twily’s achievements, of course. But the only pony she truly interacted with that wasn’t a teacher or her and her husband, Night Light, was her brother, Shining Armor. Boy did Twilight love her brother!
I think she called him her… B.B.B.F.F., I think, or something like that, Twilight Velvet thought.
“We’re here!” Twilight said, yanking the white unicorn out of her thoughts.
“Huh…? Oh yeah, sorry! I was just thinking about how proud of you I am, and your foalhood,” Twilight Velvet said.
“It’s okay, I’m glad!”
“Oh well then, lets-” Twilight Velvet stopped when she comprehended what her daughter did for her on the most special of days.
“Mom? Are you okay?” Twilight asked with concern.
“It’s… it’s beautiful!” the visiting unicorn said, tears in her eyes; she was an emotional pony.
She just kept looking at the sight before her: a clean crystal table with a purple tablecloth, and a neatly prepared picnic basket, along with a lemonade pitcher and plates and glasses neatly set up. There was also a clear vase that held a bouquet of a variety of absolutely stunningly beautiful flowers, each one obviously precisely hoof-picked, and trimmed and nourished to perfection.
“Oh thank Celestia! I know it isn’t perfect, but-”
“Oh but it is perfect!” Twilight’s mother interrupted. Twilight just smiled.
“Well I’m glad, and happy that I’m able to make you happy,” she said as they sat down and placed daisy sandwiches on their plates.
“Mmm! These are delicious!” Twilight Velvet said.
“Yeah! Spike made them!” Twilight said.
“Hmm, speaking of Spike, he still isn’t down yet. Don’t you think he should be down by now?” her mother asked.
“Yeah, he should, actually. Spike?” Twilight called out.
Silence.
“Spike?”
More silence.
“Spike?” Twilight called out again, fear and worry creeping into her voice.
Still, no answer.
“Spike? Spike? Spike?!” she started to panic, was he okay?
“SPIKE!!!” Twilight yelled. Twilight Velvet wasn’t panicked, though. From years of watching her daughter raise the baby dragon, he was most likely just off in his little world, but still okay.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, he’s probably in his own little world again,” she said, taking her daughter’s hoof.
“Yeah you’re right, maybe if I just check up on him real quick-”
“And the motherly instincts resurface,” Twilight Velvet said with a chuckle.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing.”
After finishing their food and drinks, they chatted. Yet time was ticking by, already over two hours had passed.
Little did the two ponies know, Spike had just finished. Looking down at his masterpiece, he felt proud, even if his claws were covered in glue and marker smudges, even if he did have glitter on his face, even if he did get some pencil shavings in his eye.
He was proud of it.
And he was going to make her day.
For all the things that she did.
For all the times that she put up with him.
For all the moments they shared.
And he, he was going to show her just how much he loved her.
He was going to show her just how much he cared.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Well, I hope you liked today,” Twilight Sparkle told her mother.
“I really did, Twilight. I really, really did. Thank you,” Twilight Velvet said, giving the alicorn a big hug.
“You’re welcome, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Spike was sitting out of sight, cleaned up, with his masterpiece in his claws, waiting for just the right moment…
“Here, these are for you!” Twilight Sparkle said, giving the bouquet of flowers from the vase to her mom.
There!
“Oh my… Twilight I don’t know what to say…”
“You don’t have to say anything, Mom. Because you deserve these. And thank you. For raising me. For tolerating me. For doing all the things that you did for me. And most of all, for loving me unconditionally. Because today, I just want you to know that I love you unconditionally too. Happy Mother’s Day,” Twilight said with a heartfelt tone.
By now Twilight Velvet was crying with gratitude and joy; she’d hadn’t felt this special since her wedding day!
“Funny, I was just about to say the same thing!” a familiar, boyish voice came from behind the two.
“Huh?” they said in unison.
Spike tapped Twilight on her shoulder.
The princess looked down to see a little green and purple dragon that she had had so long.
“Spike?” Twilight Velvet asked.
“What do you mean you were about to say the same thing?” the purple alicorn asked.
“Everything you just said to her, I wanna say to you,” he said.
“But why? I’m not your mother.”
“But you are,” Spike said, holding up a homemade card that said, ‘Happy Mother’s Day!’ in Spike’s handwriting. The card wasn’t perfect, but it was amazingly decent for Spike to have made it, although he was a great at taking notes and writing letters.
“What is this?” Twilight said holding up the card to her face using magic.
“It’s what I’ve been working on this whole time!” Spike said proudly.
She read the title, then looked at Spike with sad eyes.
Her look suddenly hardened.
“I’m not your mother,” she said sternly, dropping the card at Spikes feet and turning away.
This startled both Spike and Twilight Velvet.
Twilight Velvet looked at Spike with a worried look on her face, only to find her fears confirmed. As she looked into his eyes, she knew…
His fragile heart had been shattered.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Twilight just stood there, still turned away.
As she finally got the courage to look back at Spike, she hated herself upon seeing him.
“Twilight…” her mother whispered. But she had no words.
Spike then did something that would make Twilight want to die from regret.
With tears in his eyes, he let out a hurt, sad whimper like a puppy, his eyes wet…
And he started to quietly cry, covering his face with his hands and hanging his head down.
“Please don’t cry,” Twilight said, soft and gentle.
“Y-you said you weren’t my mother b-but you didn’t read the inside y-yet,”
Twilight Sparkle turned around, picked up and opened the card, and read it aloud:
You are the one who hatched me.
You are the one that raised me.
You are the one who gave me chicken soup when I was sick.
You are the one who scolded me.
You are the one who grounded me.
You are the one that taught me.
You are the one who stayed up late, suffers my tantrums, and never gives up on me.
You are the one that loves me no matter what I do, say, or think.
You just love me, just like I love you.
Are you my real mom?
Yes.
But why?
Because that’s what mothers do.
They are teachers that prepare you,
They are providers that nurture,
They are friends that help you,
They are advisors that light the way.
And that’s just what you do.
So in honor of this day,
I’m letting you know this:
That having you raising me is just absolute bliss,
And when you feel like crying,
just know that I’ll be there,
Just like you did for me,
I wanna show you that I care.
So next time that you’re lonely,
And maybe even sad,
I’ll give you this reminder:
You’re the best I’ve ever had.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Twilight closed the card slowly, comprehending what she’d just read aloud. Her mother stood there, shocked.
“Spike…” Twilight said. But she was speechless.
He held up another, prettier, thicker book.
“Happy Mother’s Day,” Spike said.
Twilight held the book up with her magic, flipping through the pages.
On each and everyone of the pages, pictures were scrapbooked of Twilight and Spike, ranging from when he was a baby until present day. There was one of a filly Twilight opening Hearth’s Warming Eve presents with a baby Spike; Twilight’s parents on the side lines. Another one was of Twilight and Spike in the old treehouse library, before it became a castle.
“Spike… I… I…,” Twilight began.
The baby dragon sighed.
“You don’t like it do you?” he said sadly, as if he were expecting it to happen.
“I… I absolutely love it,” she said.
“Huh?” Spike asked, surprised.
“I love it! It’s absolutely amazingly beautiful. The card, with the poem and drawings, and the scrapbook? I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Spike’s face lit up with joy.
“Really?!”
“You heard me! Now come here, you little rascal!” Twilight said as she pulled him in for a hug.
“Haha! Hey!” Spike said, squirming around in her arms.
“Stop squirming around!”
“Why?” he asked playfully, but stopped squirming.
It was then that Twilight gave him the hug of a lifetime, kissed him on the cheek, and said,
“Because mommy said so.”