Spike hoisted himself upon a ladder, pulling out a thick book from the top shelf of a tall bookcase. He grinned at the sight of the blue-covered book in his claws. He dropped down the ladder’s bottom step and kissed the cover.
“Hello Encyclopedia of the Arcane Arts.” He said with a flirtatious tone.
He dropped the book’s cover and eyes Sweetie Belle, who flashed a keen smile towards his direction. Spike squealed and leaped onto the ladder.
“How did you get here?!” Spike shouted, holding the step of the ladder with his left claw.
“Rarity brought me here. There’s something I want to tell you.” Sweetie Belle said.
“Can’t it wait until some other day? I’ve been wanting to read out of this book for a while and I finally get my chance to.”
Spike stepped down onto the floor. Sweetie Belle grabbed Spike’s right wrist with her front right hoof.
“Rarity told me that you are always busy reading out of books and doing magic-based experiments here. I think you need to get out of this place once in a while.”
“What? I have free time and I do get out of this place from time to time. It’s just that… well, err… I want to use magic. If I’m out of this place, then I can’t use magic like any other unicorn could.” Spike rationalized.
“And? Why is it that you want to learn and use magic so much? Take it from a unicorn filly who is learning her way around magic; it’s useful, but it’s not what others would consider to be worth dedicating their lives over.” Sweetie Belle explained.
“You wouldn’t understand, Sweetie Belle. I was hatched through magic right before the Van’Goth invaded. Magic is beautiful to look at. Magic gives me hope and the energy to live day by day. Even if I can’t use magic outside of here, I want to learn everything about magic because magic is ultimately fun. You understand?” With a grin, Spike said.
“Spike, it’s pointless for you to concern yourself about magic. You’re a young drake who shunted himself from the outside world to perfect something that he will never be able to do.” Sweetie Belle said with a flat tone.
“I guess your right… but Twilight depends on me for helping to advance some of the magic around here. I can’t just stop what I’m doing to have fun.”
“Sure you can! You really need to spend time with others who are around your age group or you’ll never be able to become a socially-functioning being in our modern world.”
“So what does this have to do with my current dilemma?” Spike asked with interrogative tone.
“Rarity and Twilight told me that you need to socialize and that will teach you a magic you can always use; the magic of friendship.” Sweetie Belle stated with a confident tone, tugging on Spike’s wrist.
Spike rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
“Fine, I’ll go along with you. If this is what Twilight wants.”
Spike and Sweetie Belle walked underneath a series of hanging pots filled with dramatic and colorful flora littered the streets that they walked on. Spike inhaled through his nose, letting the sweet aromas mixing together trigger a pleasured sigh.
“I don’t think I have ever been on this street before. What’s the name of this street?”
“This is the Floral Avenue. It’s one of the best-smelling places in the city, and it uses real bees to pollinate the flowers.” Sweetie Belle explained, pointing to a bee flying inside of a hive on a lone tree.
Within their line of sight, they viewed Stereo painting an image and Fleur De Lis looking on with a happy glint in her eyes and a small smirk.
“This place is very relaxing. It puts my nerves at ease and the aroma is wonderful.” Stereo commented.
“It is a very nice street, no? You will not find anything like this district throughout the rest of the city.” Fleur De Lis told.
“Hey, Stereo!” Spike shouted, waving his right claw and running towards him.
“I did not expect you to be outside today, Spike. And I see you are courting a lady friend as well.”
“What? No!” Spike shouted with a red tinge on his cheeks surfacing. “Sweetie Belle just wanted me to come outside today.”
Stereo gazed towards Fleur De Lis and grinned with a hopeful expression. Fleur De Lis nodded with a silent smile.
“Well bring Sweetie Belle and yourself towards those patches of moonflowers blossoming over there. It would bring to fruition the inspiration I desire.”
“You mean there?” Sweetie Belle asked, pointing towards a steel arch covered in white flowers. “Come on, Spike! This will be fun. We get to be on a painting!”
“Eh, I might as well. I got nothing else better to do.” Spike said.
Sweetie Belle and Spike ran underneath the arch with wide smiles on their faces. Stereo held out his hand and raised a thumb up.
“Perfect! Keep it in that position for about thirty minutes!”
Stereo stopped stroking his paintbrush on the canvas. Sweetie Belle and Spike ran over to his side and looked at the canvas. An image of the two by the arch is presented to their eyes. The colors of the paint ran thin the farther it got away from the focus.
“What do you think? It’s a bit bare, but I have the skeleton of the image drawn.” Stereo asked.
“You really can be called an artist! The strokes are exquisite to the eye.” Sweetie Belle stated.
“I cannot be called an artist yet. I have not suffered enough to be deemed one.” Stereo noted.
“Being an artist sounds like serious work if you must suffer.” Spike noted.
“It cannot be helped. Art is experience, and the biggest experiences often end in tragedy.” Fleur De Lis said.
“Well, it wasn’t like I was trying to look for a cutie mark in painting anyways. I want to live a long and happy life.” Sweetie Belle said.
“Just remember, Sweetie Belle; happiness is just but for a moment. When you learn that happiness cannot be forever, then you shall take the next step to growth.”
“Ummmm… yeah we’re going to leave now.” Spike stuttered out with a rushed tone, tugging on Sweetie Belle’s right front hoof.
“Yeah. Spike and I have somewhere to be now.”
Spike and Sweetie Belle sprinted down the street and disappeared from sight. Stereo chuckled.
“Those two seem to be in quite the rush today. They should learn to stop and smell the roses.”
“I agree, and those two will someday make a fine couple. Their hearts are but just mere buds after all. Through the passage of time and the nutrients of their attention, those buds will bloom into beautiful flowers.” Fleur De Lis waxed with poetic language.
“So is that all for the apprenticeship today, Miss Fleur?” Stereo asked.
“I suppose so. Just remember to practice your dexterity and think outside of the box.”
Sweetie Belle and Spike stood outside of a window, where a nearby sign depicted an image of a white scoop of ice cream on a wafer cone. Spike crossed his arms and fumes erupted from the corner of his mouth.
“You know we could have ice cream back at H.O.R.S.E. right? We don’t even need to wait in a line since I got a whole stash of it!” He stated, raising his arms into the air.
“But then you’ll miss the point of eating at an ice cream parlor! It’s not about whether you can eat ice cream or not, but it’s about being able to eat ice cream with the sun shining down on you while sitting down on one of these tables.” Sweetie Belle explained. “It’s a time to get to know who you eat ice cream with.”
Spike glanced towards his side, where a table that seated Mono and Sophia became nestled in his view. Two ice cream tones here held in place with a steel frame. Mono licked at the vanilla scoop with an intense fervor and Sophia nibbled on the green scoop with trees of frozen broccoli jetting out of it.
“I didn’t even think that broccoli was even a flavor here!” Sophia noted.
“I was very surprised when I saw that. I thought that there wouldn’t be any bitter ice cream flavors for you to enjoy, since the other ice creams we saw here were the same vanilla, chocolate and other sweet varieties.” Mono said. “You hate those sweet flavors, right?”
Sophia brought her mouth away from the ice cream. Her mouth was drenched with ice cream. She nodded her head.
“Honestly, I don’t really like sweet things all too much. It’s too overbearing for my taste buds.”
Mono looked towards his right. Seeing Spike gazing at him by the window, he grinned and waved.
“Hey Spike! What are you doing here?”
Sweetie Belle’s horn flashed in a light green, allowing her to levitate the chocolate soft serve cones to her and Spike.
“Sweetie Belle dragged me here out of the library to get some fresh air and socialize or whatever she calls it.” Spike said, grabbing the cone and licking at the scoop of ice cream.
“You make it sound like it’s torture, Spike. What are you doing here Mono?” Sweetie Belle asked with a cheery tone.
“Well… Sophia and I thought that it would finally be a good time to go out on a date.” Mono stated. “She wants to spend more time close with me because she’s afraid that I’ll die sooner or later.”
Sweetie Belle rubbed her hoof on the ground with a nervous shake of her leg. She cocked her head with an uneasy frown on her face.
“Can you please not say ‘die’ around me? It makes me feel like this will be our last day alive.” She requested.
“It’s understandable. So, it seems like you found a boy toy of your own.” Sophia said with a smug grin on her face.
“What? What’s a boy toy?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Sophia rushed by to Sweetie Belle’s side and wrapped her left front leg around Sweetie Belle’s shoulders and pointed towards Spike with her right front paw.
“Don’t play dumb with me. You obviously picked someone who will grow up to be very big if you know what I’m talking about.”
The entirety of Sweetie Belle’s white coat reddened to a rose in bloom. Her hooves quivered and she stared at Sophia with a scowl.
“That’s not funny! I’m just taking Spike out for the day because he’s always stuck doing nothing but research!”
Sophia leaned inwards towards Sweetie Belle’s right ear with her same smug grin.
“Are you sure you don’t have any feelings for him?” She whispered.
“Sophia! You’re making things between us awkward.” Sweetie Belle warned.
“Well if you want Spike to reciprocate his feelings for you, you got to learn how to turn him on. I’ll even demonstrate this right now using Mono as the test subject.”
Saying these words, Sophia strutted her way towards Mono and walked around him, rubbing her body around his legs with a slow and sensual speed. Mono’s spine jerked upwards. His eyes shot wide open and his mouth shut at an instant.
“W-what are you doing, Sophia?” Mono asked.
“Oh, nothing.” Sophia said with half-lidded eyes, leaping up towards Mono’s shoulders and rubbing them with her front paws.
She dipped her legs underneath his upper limbs and down his sides until she is rubbing his hips. A bright red blush illuminated through Mono’s dark coat. His left eye’s lower eyelid rose to cover half of his pupil and a loud purr emanated from him.
“P-p-please… Sophia.” He stuttered out.
“Oh you like that, do you?” Sophia asked with a seductive tone.
“I do b-b-but why h-h-here? A-and why is this making me feel so…”
“You know that soup has a lot more eggplant in it than you think. Eggplant does some very fun things to males you know.”
“Just stop. This is embarrassing.” Mono pleaded.
“Okay!” Sophia stated, letting go of Mono’s body. She went towards Sweetie Belle and grinned. “And that’s how you turn on your mate.”
“I don’t get it. Wouldn’t that be called sexual harassment?” Sweetie Belle called out.
“Not if you’re a female.” Sophia whispered, winking with a tilt of her head. “Seriously speaking though, you don’t really want to do that too much. You could get arrested or sued if they feel harassed.”
Sweetie Belle looked towards Spike, who stared towards Mono’s direction with his mouth and eyes wide-open. He stood in this position with his ice cream tone towards his chest level, frozen in disbelief.
“What just happened?” He worded out in shock.
“You don’t want to know yet, Spike. Trust me, you don’t.” Sweetie Belle answered.
The two of them walked away from the ice cream parlor with their faces stunned with uneasiness. Sophia walked to her seat and began eating the ice cream in front of her. She looked towards Mono with a smile on her face.
“You look a bit distracted there.” She teased.
“Ummm… a b-b-it. My vocab-LOUGH isn’t cong-EESE!” Mono sputtered out.
“Awww don’t be like that, Mono. How about we go back to my place and I could shower you with more of those massages?” Sophia asked with a seductive grin.
Mono looked down towards the ground with a deep red blush on his face. He glanced towards Sophia with a nervous glint in his eyes.
“That would be… nice.”
Spike’s scales and Sweetie Belle’s mane became drenched in the waterfalls of sprinklers spraying throughout the park. Sweetie Belle shook her head, shaking off the beads of cascading water that swamped her mane.
“The Sprinkler Park is a very refreshing area to be in. The grasses are well-fed and the spraying water is a perfect way to cool down.” Sweetie Belle explained.
“Yeah, but doesn’t it use up a large amount of our water supply? Water is a very limited resource.” Spike interjected.
“The water we get is from the sea through pipelines. It is treated within the water filters underneath the city and brought onto the surface for public use. Miss Cheerilee taught us that today.”
“And that’s another reason why magic is so important and that I should be studying it right now.”
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and frowned. She looked towards her right and saw Gnasher and Custard sitting on the bench. Gnasher crossed her arms and scowled and Custard laughed and pointed to her.
“Can we leave this place yet? I hate getting wet.” Gnasher responded with an aggravated tone.
“We can leave here at any time. You are the one who suggested we go here today.” Custard said.
“I did because we always did what I wanted to do together and thought that it would be a nice change of pace to do what you wanted. But this?!” Gnasher shouted, holding out her arms with widened eyes.
“I suppose it is a problem, considering you are a Ground-type. But I come here from time to time to reinvigorate my moisture levels. It helps to keep me healthy after all.”
“Ummm… who are they, Spike?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Oh! That’s Gnasher and Custard, two more H.O.R.S.E. operatives! I’m surprised you haven’t seen them.” Spike stated. “Want to talk with them?”
Gnasher poked her head through the sprinklers, where Spike and Sweetie Belle entered in her field of vision. She grinned.
“Look! It’s the dragon shrimp, and it seems like he’s with a filly. Want to say hi?” She suggested.
“I would love that.” Custard responded.
Gnasher and Custard stood up from their seats and approached the children. Spike waved towards their direction.
“Gnasher! Custard!”
“S’up Spike? It’s a rare sight to see you out of the headquarters.” Gnasher commented.
“Sweetie Belle thought it would be a great idea for me to get some fresh air.” Spike said, letting out an exhausted sigh. “The amount of times I actually had to say that is getting very stale.”
“You only said it three times.” Sweetie Belle stated.
“Sweetie Belle? I think I might remember seeing your image in Rarity’s work office.” Custard said.
“Rarity is my big sister after all.”
“Then why aren’t you at H.O.R.S.E. more often? Wouldn’t you be considered a H.O.R.S.E. child then?” Gnasher asked.
“Well, that title only goes to children whose parents are operatives at H.O.R.S.E. My parents are civilians with civilian jobs in the city.” Sweetie Belle explained. “Rarity decided to become a member of the Regiment so that she can put her design sense into practical use as well as fight for our nation.”
“So you two are out here on a date?” Spike asked.
“Yes we are. The fine mist here invigorates me. Are you out here on a date too?” Custard responded.
“Gah! Why does everyone assume that Sweetie and I are out on a date?! It’s absurd!” Spike shouted. “She just happened to drag me outside against my will! There’s nothing even close to romance between us!”
Saying these words, he stormed off with a scowl on his face. Sweetie Belle extended her right front leg towards his direction and frowned.
“Spike!” She shouted, running towards his direction.
“Great. Now it feels like we are involved in some sort of cheesy romance plot.” Gnasher said.
“I would offer to cook fish, but there are people who hate it when the fish is cheesed.” Custard said with a light and casual tone.
“D…did you just crack a joke?”
“What if I did?”
A small grin made its way on Gnasher’s face. She wrapped her right arm around Custard’s shoulder and dragged him close to her.
“That’s the first time I heard you make a joke. It could be better, but it is passable.”
“I did learn how to joke after being around you for so long. I thought that it would be the perfect time to joke.” Custard said.
“You know, I’ll take you up on your offer to cook fish. I’m getting pretty hungry. But please, leave out the cheese.”
“Spike!” Sweetie Belle called out, reaching out her hoof and grabbing Spike’s right shoulder.
“Look, Sweetie Belle, I’m not sure if I even feel comfortable being around you right now.” Spike said with a crestfallen tone, turning around and looking Sweetie Belle in the eyes.
“Just because a couple of operatives keep calling us a package? Don’t listen to them, Spike. It just looks weird because we are a male and female going through some areas that can be considered romantic… well, except for the ice cream parlor. That was just weird what happened there.” Sweetie Belle mentioned.
“I know. But… what if they are right and we are a package?” Twiddling his claws together, Spike asked. “I mean, you’re nice and everything, but I really don’t want to be in a relationship right now. Not when I have all of this magic research to do.”
Sweetie Belle cocked her head and smiled with a soft disposition. She treaded her right front hoof onto Spike’s forehead.
“Is that all you were worried about? You know I never brought you out with the intention of going out with you. I just think that you are very lonely sometimes and that you need someone to take you out from time to time.”
“You think I’m lonely?” Spike asked with a confused tone.
“Well, yeah! You don’t go to school like I do and you rarely interact with others outside of research-based means.”
“I suppose that’s true. I never really interact with Equusians around my age group. So… I’m sorry that I acted immaturely back there. I’m actually enjoying today and I really don’t want it to stop.”
“We actually have one last stop to go on before our day is complete.” Sweetie Belle declared.
Celestia’s sun neared the end of the horizon and Luna’s moon rose into the sky. Sweetie Belle and Spike rushed through the neon-flashing frame of a building. The duo walked around the bend of the corner, where their eyes were greeted by bright and flashing lights coming from machines and the walls. The roars of the stereos and Equusians fiddling with the controls smacked the duo’s eardrums.
“This place looks fun. What is it?” Spike asked, looking around with an innocent smile on his face.
“You’ve never been to the arcade before? It’s a great place for kids to just hang out. Speaking of which.”
Sweetie Belle pointed to the right, where Apple Bloom and Scootaloo walked towards the group with Rumble and Jetstream Rush by their sides.
“Oh! You made it!” Applebloom shouted. “I never thought you would get that stubborn drake out of the headquarters.”
“Yeah. Now that we all have our plus ones, we can participate in the Xtreme Lazer Tag Arena!” Scootaloo shouted, stomping on the ground.
“Ummm… what’s going on?” Spike asked.
“You didn’t know? Tonight is the Crossed Hearts Lazer Tag event. Couples participate for free instead of having to pay.” Rumble explained. “I came with Scootaloo as soon as I heard that.”
“I’m here just to go out with Applebloom. Nothing wrong with that right?” Jetstream Rush said.
“Wait a moment… you tricked me into coming here?” Spike asked with an interrogative tone. “Why?!”
“Well… errr, none of the other students wanted to be my plus one because everyone else had plans. I know that you are always available, so I kind of lied about my sis and Twilight saying you need to get out.” Sweetie Belle responded with a sheepish grin. She frowned and looked down onto the ground. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”
“Normally… I would be very mad in this situation. Very! But, I’m not.” Spike said. “You showed me a great time and that’s all that matters. Who cares if you did it for yourself? Ultimately, I’m glad you did it.”
“So does that mean you’ll play?!” Sweetie Belle shouted with a smile on her face.
“Of course. I’ve always wanted to try Laser Tag.” Spike said.
“Is that so?”
The group of children looked to their right. A bandaged Lith and Fei walked towards the group.
“Lith! You and your friend don’t really look too good.” Scootaloo noted.
“We came off the cruxes of a vicious battle today. Mono and I came out to be in good shape, but Fei and Keldeo… not so much. Though, I hear that your sister is taking care of him.” Lith explained.
“I’m confused. Why’s Fei here if he’s in such bad shape?” Applebloom said, pointing towards Fei, whose leg wavered and his right eye squinted in pain.
“It’s nothing much. Just some broken ribs and some internal hemorrhaging remaining. It’s nothing serious.” He said.
The children looked towards each other with nervous glanced and clenched teeth. A nervous giggle made its way through Scootaloo’s lips.
“I’m not a whiz on doctor stuff, but I don’t think you should be walking outside of a hospital.” Scootaloo said.
“And miss the Crossed Hearts Lazer Tag event going on tonight? I don’t plan to miss it for the world if it allows for me and Lith to spend the night together.” Fei responded.
“I tried to convince him to stay in bed and rest, but he really wanted to do this with me. I would probably do the same thing, so I let him come with me.” Lith explained.
“Wow… you’re really stubborn.” Rumble noted. “My older brother wouldn’t even try to move around on a sprained ankle.”
“I have to. As a H.O.R.S.E. operative, I need to be able to move even with the worst of injuries. Please, do not let my condition change how you see me. I’m here to have fun with my girlfriend, and that’s all what matters.”
“I would hug you, Fei-Fei, but I really don’t want to aggravate your condition.” Lith noted.
“I really appreciate your concern.” Fei said with a small smirk on his face.
Sweetie Belle and Spike stood back to back of each other, wearing black vests around their chests that illuminated in a bright green color. They panted with heavy breathing and held their handgun-shaped weapons close to their faces.
“How are you holding up, Spike?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Very good. There are twelve teams and half of them were eliminated so far. But this maze-like structure isn’t exactly helping out with my nerves.” Spike responded.
No sound emanated through the air. Sweetie Belle and Spike heard their hearts jumping out of their chest.
“Where is everyone? They can’t all be gone already… can they?” Sweetie Belle questioned.
“I’m not too sure… but Fei is surprisingly vicious out on the field despite his condition. His marksman skills and stealth took out half of the competition by himself.” Spike voiced with concern.
“I’m afraid that he might be breathing down our necks right now.”
“You mean like this?”
Sweetie Belle and Spike’s eyes widened to the point where their eyeballs can fall out at any moment. With a slow movement, they directed their heads above them. Only darkness was seen.
“Okay, for a moment there, I was afraid that Fei might have found us. It must be our minds playing tricks on us.” Sweetie Belle said, sighing in relief and wiping away the sweat from her forehead.
“But I did.”
Spike and Sweetie Belle looked forwards, gazing at Fei in a glowing rest vest. Their hearts plummeted into their stomachs.
“W-what?! But but how did you throw your voice?!” Spike shouted.
“I didn’t. But, now that I have you on my sights, it’s time to end your game.”
Spike aimed his weapon towards Fei’s chest and shot a laser into it.
“You talked too much. You gave me the opening I needed for that shot.”
“So I have.”
Fei cracked a grin and peeled away at his vest with careful pulls. His body shrieked in pain. Spike’s eyes glanced upon Fei’s mouth, where a drop of red liquid seeped out of his mouth.
“Ummm… Fei? You’re bleeding.”
“Don’t worry about it too much. I’m fine, really.” Fei insisted.
Wearing an aqua blue vest, Mono sprinted down the corridor and grinned. He ran towards Spike, Fei and Sweetie Belle with a confident smile. His smile dropped into an open frown, seeing the blood leaking out of Fei’s mouth.
“Fei!”
“Mono? What are you doing here?” Fei asked.
“Sophia and I came here to play, remember? Why are you out here in your condition? Don’t you know you can damage your organs?!” Mono shouted.
“I know, Mono. But, I would give my body up for Lith. I love seeing her smile.” Fei stated.
Mono clenched his teeth and gripped Fei’s left hand with his right upper paw.
“That kind of attitude is going to get you killed, Fei. At the very least, let me treat some of your wounds with my Psycho Heal. After this match, you’re going straight back to the infirmary and you will be re-examined by the doctors.”
Fei nodded in silence. He kneeled down to his knees. Mono’s eyes flashed in a blue color and his upper paws became illuminated with a white aura. He treaded them upon Fei’s chest. The blood on his lips retreated back into his mouth.
“Mono, did you come here because you are worried about Fei?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Part of the reason. Though… I wanted to play with Sophia as well. I just didn’t expect Fei’s condition to act up this badly.” Mono explained.
“You didn’t need to do this for me, Mono. I’m perfectly fine.” Fei said.
“No you aren’t! Bleeding from the mouth is not a good sign under any circumstance! I know you didn’t want to disappoint my sister, but I don’t want to lose a friend because of recklessness. Now you kneel still and let me treat that rupture I know you have in your lungs.” Mono stated.
“Lung rupture? You mean you’ve been playing this entire game with that?!” Spike shouted.
“It only came up halfway when I was eliminating other teams. I didn’t think much of the lower levels of breathing and the pain in the right portion of my chest, so I continued.” Fei responded.
Sweetie Belle looked onto Fei in silence, seeing a disappointed frown on his face. The light on Mono’s paws faded.
“You really shouldn’t move much anymore, Fei. I don’t want you to aggravate your condition some more.” Mono said.
“He’s already eliminated. I’ll make sure he goes straight back to the hospital at H.O.R.S.E.” Spike offered.
“Wait, he is?” Mono asked.
“He’s telling the truth. Spike is fast on the gun. I probably should have just shot him.” Fei said. “Lith will be disappointed, but I’m going back to the infirmary.”
“I’ll walk you there too.” Sweetie Belle said.
“Are you sure you want to do that, Sweetie Belle? It seems a bit inconvenient for you to do.” Spike warned.
“I’m sure. Plus, it will give me another reason to walk back to your place.”
With these words, Sweetie Belle undid her team vest and placed it on the ground. She smiled and looked onto Fei’s face.
“I’ll make sure no other harm comes to you, Fei.”
“That sounds like a good proposition from you.”
Spike, Sweetie Belle and Fei walked into a room where a periwinkle polka-dotted curtain separated the two begs in the room. Fei limped his way towards the bed and sat down.
“I think I might have overdone it again. My ribs are poking at my chest.”
“Well why did you run? Your ribs aren’t exactly in the steadiest condition right now.” Spike said.
“I was lucky that Mono and Sophia decided to play tonight. If not… well, my condition may have worsened.”
“There has to be more for purposefully hurting yourself than to make Lith happy. She would be the last being to see you pass away.” Sweetie Belle rationalized.
Fei lied back on the bed and shut his eyes. He took a shallow breath and exhaled it.
“Maybe… maybe I just miss my little brother. It has been a while since I last saw him conscious. With the whole ‘warp every Pokémon and good human on the planet into a different world’ scenario, I can only wonder how he is doing. I wonder if he is even alive anymore.”
“You have a brother?” Spike asked.
“Fee was his name. My parents must have had a naming scheme with us, but I still loved my younger brother very much. But, a mechanical malfunction with a mecha being developed for Pokestar Studios under a project I was involved in went wrong. Fee, who was with me at the time, believed that he could stop it and went inside of it.” Fei explained.
“Don’t tell me…” Sweetie Belle said with her breath robbed by shock.
“The malfunction caused the mecha to transform and crushed him. Miraculously, he survived. But… he never woke up after that incident. Part of the reason why I was involved in the same lab that the others were in was so that I could afford the treatments to keep my younger brother alive. I guess that I don’t fear death anymore because I feel that death would be a way to reunite with my brother once again.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that, Fei. I never could have imagined that you held thoughts of hurting yourself for what happened there.”
“Do not feel sorry for me, Sweetie Belle. No one could have known that would happen. But… this incident has always left me feeling uncomfortable around mechas. Who knows if the exos here would cause their pilots to end up in the same condition as Fee was when he tried disabling the malfunctioning mecha?” Fei said.
“It’s getting late, Fei. I’ll be walking Sweetie Belle back home before the curfew settles in. I don’t want her to be stuck here while her parents worry about not being able to see here.” Spike stated.
“That would probably be the best idea. I don’t think Rarity would want to see anything bad happen to her younger sister either.”
Spike and Sweetie Belle turned around towards the door behind them. The two of them walked out with frowns on their faces.
Sweetie Belle and Spike walked along the streets. The street lights illuminated the duo’s path. Spike looked into Sweetie Belle’s eyes, seeing that her cheery radiance dimmed into a shallow sadness.
“Sweetie Belle, you looked bummed out. Is there anything you would like to talk about?” He asked.
“I’ve just been wondering; what would happen if something bad were to happen to me? Would Rarity try to hurt herself because she failed to protect me? I don’t want that to happen to her, and I’m afraid that I will get badly hurt sooner or later.” Sweetie Belle explained.
“Don’t say that! You’re not going to get hurt. Rarity, Keldeo, Fei, Twilight and all the other members of H.O.R.S.E. and your parents will make sure no harm will ever come to you. And, if they can’t do it, then I’ll be there for you!” Spike declared.
“I appreciate the thought, Spike, but I really can’t see you doing much when compared to the others.” Sweetie Belle said.
“I don’t care. You’re one of the very few people who have told me to do something different other than to study magic. For the first time in my life, I actually felt alive and a member of our unique society. Even if it was through trickery, you introduced me to a new way of life. For that, I thank you. Now I know that there’s more to life than just trying to learn magic. Friendship is magic, just like what you said. So now, I’m going to learn to take that magic and add it to my life.”
Finishing up his words, Spike stumbled onto the path towards a two-story home. He looked towards Sweetie Belle and smiled.
“Thanks again for walking me home, Spike. Do you think we will see more of each other?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“You can always stop by H.O.R.S.E. to visit me. I’m usually the one who’s researching magic. I’d love to go outside again.” Spike responded. “I had a great time after all, even if the last bit of the day was depressing.”
“I’m sure you did.”
Sweetie Belle ran down the path towards the door. She knocked on it, cueing a flashing of yellow lights in the home. The door opened. She walked through the open crack of the door.
Spike crawled into a twin-sized bed in his room. Twilight Sparkle, who sat at a stool with a computer in front of her, looked behind her and smiled.
“How did your day go, Spike? I heard from Mono that you had fun.” She asked.
“A lot of it. But, right now, I’m pooped. I walked Sweetie Belle back home.” Spike said with half-lidded eyes.
“I could tell that you are tired after that. Her home is on the other side of the city.”
“Twilight, can I ask a favor of you?” Spike asked.
“Sure. What do you want? I’ll grant it without a problem.” Twilight Sparkle said with a confident smile on her face.
“Twilight, can you enroll me into school?” Spike questioned.
Twilight Sparkle’s eyes widened and a small frown curved onto her face.
“But… aren’t you happy being lectured by me? I make sure to give you only the best tutelage available.” She asked.
“I am, and I appreciate what you teach me. But… I’m still a growing boy. I need to interact with others around my age group if I want to function in a socially healthy way.” Spike stated.
“I see your point. I’m not happy with it, but I understand. As your legal guardian, I will make sure that you go to school so that you can learn and be happy around others.”
“Thanks, Twilight.”
With a small smile on his face, he squirmed himself into bed. Twilight Sparkle’s horn flashed and the sheets became enshrouded in a purple aura. Spike felt the blanket tuck itself into him.
“Good night, Spike.” Twilight Sparkle said.
She looked towards Spike’s direction, seeing his chest rise and fall. She turned back towards the screen, where an image of Strawberry Delight and her room was present on the desktop.
“Sorry about that, Strawberry. Spike just came back home tired.”
“It’s not a problem, Twilight. So how’s your research into applying the Pokémon Genome into Equusian magic going along?” Strawberry Delight asked.
“It’s proceeding very well. I received some volunteers for the Pokémon-Equusian Genome Transfusion. It’s doing well. I’ll talk more about it tomorrow morning.” Twilight Sparkle responded.
“One more thing; has the new issue of Playfilly come yet?”
“No. That should be coming in tomorrow. When it does, you’ll be one of the first girls I’ll invite over my abode to look over it.”
“That will be so hot! I hope that Razor Wind doesn’t mind me looking through images of hot and sexually explicit male Equusians.” Strawberry Delight stated.
“You act like he doesn’t look at smut himself. I’m sure he’s fine with whatever you do in regards to your personal tastes of magazines.” Twilight Sparkle assured.
“I know. So… you’re going to enroll Spike into school?”
“Yes. I don’t like the thought of sending him off to someplace where he can suffer social issues, but he really wants to go. I understand where he’s coming from since I only started making friends after the Van’Goth invaded. At the same time, I know that he understands how I feel about sending him off alone.”
“There you go! You two have a perfect mutual understanding on each other’s feelings. That’s the sign of some healthy communication there.” Strawberry Delight said. “Anyways, I got to log off. I’m tired. It was nice chatting with you again online.”
With these words, the image of Strawberry Delight disappeared. Twilight Sparkle turned around and flashed a confident smirk.
“Mutual understanding, huh? I like that concept.”