//------------------------------//
// Ch. 3 Welcome Back Spike 
// Story: My Diamond 
// by Regis-Th3-Lesser 
//------------------------------//

Spike, the dragon who became lost with time, is home. Twilight was the first to approach him, treading slowly as if he were a lost soul. Her breath was shallow she her hoof trembling as she approached the dragon. She lightly touched the scales is his chest then looked up to him, tearfully.
“Spike?” she asked, trembling.

He smiled softly, “Hey Twilight, long time no s-”
She threw her arms around as much of him as she could. Spike felt humbled at her sudden outburst of emotion. A little hesitant he wrapped an arm around her while keeping one to the ground.

“I can't believe you're here,” she sobbed.

“How is that unbelievable?”

“Because–” she wiped away a tear “–you're here! It feels like I'm dreaming but... ”

“Don't worry, it's not a dream,” 

Twilight stepped back and looked up at him.
“Look at you, all...big now,”

Spike looked over himself, flexing his wings, and waving his tail. “Compared to some other dragons I've met, I'm tiny,” 
He looked past Twilight to the rest of the group who stood stock still. Rainbow  Dash was the first other than Twilight to consider moving. She took a few steps forward exposing a cowering Fluttershy. Her mouth hung open while she approached Spike, looking as if she'd been possessed. 

Nothing but silence filled the air. Rainbow Dash looked on at him, astonished at how the last she saw of him he was only a foot tall, now he's as big as Celestia with wings to match. “Wow,” she whispered.
Spike darted his eyes around, looking for a way out of the awkward situation. Soo. They all descend on him, wide eyed and slack jawed, drowning in disbelief. 

“Okay guys, this is getting weird,” he chuckled, taking a few steps back.

“S-sorry, we're tryna process this right now,” Applejack tilted her hat back. Then Pinkie Pie jumped from behind Twilight and nearly tackled Spike.

“Spikey! Oh my gosh, look at you. You've gotten so big–” she looked back to the others with a playful scowl “–come on girls, are ya just gonna stand there like Cockatrice statues?”
She giggled playfully while climbing onto his back. “Hmm, you used to be small enough to ride on my back, now I'm small enough to ride on yours– “she gasped “–did I shrink!”

Spike laughed warmly then stretched out his wing while Pinkie Pie poked at it. “No, you haven't shrunk; at least I hope that you haven't,” 

After Pinkie came Applejack who looked at his arms and legs. “Well I'll say, you look like you can buck an entire tree without even tryin',”

“I did live in the mountains for a while,”

Then Rainbow Dash stood under his outstretched wring, her eyes wide as saucers. “Whoa,”

“I figured that you'd be the first to take notice,”

“I-It's almost as big as me... Can I tou–”

“Go ahead,” he lowered his wing. Rainbow Dash began rubbing the thick membranes slowly, taking in the pure unfiltered awesome in this moment.

“Hello...S-spike,” Rarity stepped forward.

“Hi Rarity,” Spike responded nervously.
Their eyes locked, neither one willing to break contact. Rarity tried to summon the right words to say, but all that she could think of was “big dragon”.

“Are you okay?”

“I uh...wow—” she cleared her throat “—look at you. You were no taller than Sweetie Belle when she was that age, now look at you. I wouldn't doubt that you rival Celestia in size.”

“I bet you're right, but like I told Twilight there are other dragons five t–” *roar* he let out a deep mighty groan loud enough to be heard a mile away, and powerful enough to shake the ground. He looked at his wing. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie looked at him with terror stricken across their faces.

“Sorry Spike,” Rainbow Dash cowered.

“Argh, it isn't your fault. I dislocated that one last month, guess it still needs some time to heal,”
There was a faint sob coming from in front of him. Fluttershy lay, curled up in a ball crying softly.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie stepped off his back as he approached the weeping pegasus. He crouched down and nuzzled her back. “Hey Fluttershy, it's me...” no response “Come on, I'm still Spike,”

“I know, but you're a big scary dragon now,”

“Look at me,” she sniffed then turned her head so only one eye peeked out from behind her forelock. Spike gave her a big toothy smile. She winced at the sight of his ferocious razor sharp teeth. Then she looked into his eyes. Within them she saw the adorable baby dragon that used to run around Ponyville, helping wherever he went. She lifted her head, turned around, and began to smile.

“Spike, is it really you?”

“I would guess so,” she threw her arms around him, much like Twilight did. 

“Ooh, this is so amazing. I want to know everything about dragons,”

“That's Fluttershy for ya,” Applejack tipped her hat.

“So, how long are you staying, if you don't mind me asking?” Rarity asked. Fluttershy released Spike and joined the rest of the group. Spike got to his paws and turned to them. He rolled his eyes around, deep in thought. “I would say... Indefinitely for now. I haven't really decided how long I would stay,”

“Where are you going to be staying? The castle should have enough room for you,”

“Thank you, Twilight. It'll be just like old times,”

“Hey, had anypony seen Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash looked around for her. They all looked around for her, but there was no sight of her anywhere.

“Over here!” they looked to Spike.

“What? I didn't say anything,”

“That's because I did silly,” she jumped out from behind his head.

“I just put together the biggest welcome back party ever!”

“Sugarcube corner ah' reckon?”

“Of course, now come on. All of Ponyville is waiting to see Spike,” Pinkie bounded away followed by the others and Spike. Rarity walked besides Spike, hesitantly. “My goodness, look at him. There is no way that large monstrosity used to be my little Spikey,” she looked up to him, walking calmly and without a care. “There must be a mistake... Maybe this dragon intercepted the letter he sent to Twilight and he's here to take over Ponyville! Oh my, I sound like Pinkie...”

“Nice to see she hasn't changed a bit, classic Pinkie,”
“Pardon?”

“Pinkie, she hasn't changed at all. Still happy, cheery, and innocent as a hatchling,”

“Hatchling?”

“Oh, I'm used to talking with other dragons. I meant as innocent as a filly.

“...My apologies...” They continued on, awkwardly avoiding each other's gaze. Spike rolled his neck, popping a few vertebrae as he did, then spoke.

“... What did I miss?”

“What was that?”

“What did I miss while I was gone? How are the Crusaders, did Trixie ever come back, did another world threatening catastrophe happen?”

“Oh, well the girls all earned their cutie marks, I don't know who Trixie is, and no ancient enemy has threatened our way of life recently,”

“That's good to hear. What about you?”

“Me? Well, I am still in the fashion business. I was in Canterlot a few days ago attending one of my shows,”
“Following your dreams, huh?”

“Yes,” her expression went from uncomfortable to upset. “What's the point of a dream if you can't share it...”  she shook her head then looked back up to him. “May I ask, what have you done the last eight years?”

“Travel, I've been all around the world,”

“The world?”

“Yeah, you thought Equestria was the only place on the map?”

“No, no, I knows that there's more than Equestria out there. What's it like?”

“Absolutely beautiful... I've got tons of stories, but I'll save those for another day,”

“He seems so—worldly, and mature now. Perhaps my little dragon may not be in there at all...”

“You look really pretty today...”
Rarity fell out d her thoughts. She was confused at first, receiving a random compliment wasn't against the norm for her, but it just seemed odd and more heartfelt coming from him.

“Th– thank you...”

Spike's face froze as she smiled at him. He quickly looked back ahead at Pinkie who was still bounding gaily. “I...I wanted to say something earlier, but I didn't want the others to hassle me about it.”

“Aw, thank you Spike,” Rarity blushed slightly.
 
Meanwhile behind them, Twilight eyed Rarity, suspiciously contorting her face as she did so gaining notice from Applejack.

“Uh, Twilight, what're ya doin'?”

“Now that Spike's back I'm going to be keeping a close eye on Rarity,”

“Why?”

“I'm not going to let her play with his heart again... Too many nights he came home and cried himself to sleep because Rarity didn't want to be with him,”

“He'll be fine now, would ya stop makin' that face. It looks like you're, well I'm not sayin' it...”

“Right, sorry,” 

As they neared Sugarcube Corner, every v puny that wasn't preoccupied or blatantly ignorant stared at Spike. Some hid and took a few precautious steps back, while others were intrigued by the purple dragon among them. Soon they reached their destination.

“Is everypony ready?” Pinkie stood on her hind legs while her front hooves were on the door. Barely able to contain her excitement, she shoved the doors open revealing a bakery full of old friends from the past. From Mr, and Mrs. Cake, to Mayor Mare.
“We're here! Everypony please give a big Ponyville welcome to one of our old friends, Spike!”

Spike tucked in his wings as he ducked through the short doors. Silence once again dominated the atmosphere. They looked in him as the others did earlier. Shock and disbelief present on everyone's face. Spike stood embarrassed. He was just about to back out of the crowded shop when he heard a little colt yell out at him.

“Hey, are you that dragon that everypony talks about?” the voice came from behind Mr, and Mrs. Cake. The little colt revealed himself to be little Pound Cake. “Are ya?”

Spike lowered his head. “What was that?”

“Everypony used to talk about a dragon that lived here a long time ago, are you him?”

“Well, I do say that you have the right dragon,”

Pound's eyes went wide as he adorned a Cheshire cat smile. “Cool, Pumpkin come here!”

A little unicorn with orange hair came charging out of the crowd. 

“It's the dragon that mom, dad, and aunt Pinkie used to talk about,” Pound presented Spike as if he were a trophy. Pumpkin looked up at Spike with a queried look.

“I dunno, Pound. They said that he was small, that thing isn't small,”

Spike scrunched up his snout. “Thing?” he mouthed.

“Hey yeah, what happened to you? They all said that you were as big as me,”

“Over time everypony, and every dragon grows up. That's just life...”

“So you're saying that I'm going to grow up soon?”

“Yeah, but don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure you'll have lots of fun before you turn into a boring adult,”

“Thank you Mr. Dragon,”

“You can call me Spike,”

“Okay, Mr. Spike, can I tell you something?”

“Sure,” Spike lowered his head. Them Pound grasped his snout and began running up his neck. Then Pumpkin hooked onto his leg and climbed up as if it we're a tree trunk.

“H-hey kids don't bother the dragon now,” Mr. Cake cautioned.

“It's okay Mr. Cake. I've dealt with dragon hatchlings, with claws, these two won't be a pro– hello!”
Spike dropped his head to see Pumpkin had poked his crotch with a broomstick. He picked her up with his tail and set her on his back.
“Be careful where you wander little one,”

“Sorry Mr. Spike...”

Everyone laughed at the adorable sight. Mr. Cake stepped up to him. “Sorry about freezing like that, we didn't expect you to be so big,”

“You've grown quite a lot deary,” Mrs. Cake added.

“I'm still me-e–” Pound hung off of one of the dorsal spines on his cheek “–m-more or less...”

Finally relaxed they welcomed Spike home with bright smiles and open arms. Spike told stories of his travels and different ponies that he had met. He told of Saddle Arabia where the heat was unbearable, and how the native camels showed him how to find water when in the most dryest of places. He told of how he went to Griffons and learned skills of flight that no pony ever knew. Rainbow Dash wasn't impressed, and how he meet a tribe of Zebras who tried to worship him like a god. Zecora took full advantage of that situation. Then he stopped at the mention of a race that walked upright, had two long protruding arms covered in long thick fur, and howled like demons. It was a story that he didn't wish to remember...





Night fell upon our guests quicker than expected. No one wanted to end the gathering, but like all for things, they must end at some time. One by one the guests left for home. The last to leave where Spike, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.

“Thank you for throwing me a welcome back party,” Spike placed some plates on his wing.

“No problem at all sweetie, even though Pinkie sprung the idea on us,” 

“She does have a bad habit of doing that,” Twilight added, organizing the clean plates. “That should be about it then,”
Twilight came from behind the counter. “We'll be on our way now, come on Spike,”

“Alright,”
Spikec waited for her to walk out the door. He then turned to Rarity who has just finished sweeping.

She looked to him. “Is something the matter?”

“...N-nothing I just wanted to say that if you need any help I'm here,”

“Thank you,”

“Hey Spike, can I talk to you,” Rainbow Dash stole him away. Rarity watched as he slipped as easily as he could out of the doorway. She turned to the cakes who were on their way upstairs.

“Have a good night,” 

“You too,” they replied.

Rarity walked out into the crisp cool night. Luna's moon cascaded over the land creating a warm white glow. A little apprehensive, Rarity began her short trek home. On the way she thought about today and how the each event played out. Something about this all felt off. Why had Spike returned home on such short notice, why did he seem calm for a dragon who had been cut off from pony society for so long, and why did he compliment her? It wasn't right. Of course she wanted him to still be interested, but now he's a huge fire-breathing dragon.  

“No, no, he is still Spike, right? His little chubby cheeks are slim teeth filled death traps, his like l little stubby legs are long muscular vice grips and his eyes–” she stopped “–h...his eyes. They haven't changed. Maybe if I look him in the eye...” she held her hoof to her heart, concentrating on it's repetitive rhythm. “I need to sleep on it, standing here in the middle of the night talking to myself, ponies will think I'm mad,” 

So she walked on into the night with a thousand thoughts racing in her head...