//------------------------------// // Prompt #537: Not Bound By Blood // Story: Ponywatching // by ThunderTempest //------------------------------// Spike slipped into Sugarcube Corner early in the morning. Twilight was still asleep, and she’d stay that way for another few hours, and that was perfect for Spike. “Heya Spike!” said Pinkie Pie, poking her head out from the door to the bakery’s kitchen. She was half-covered in flour, but her usual smile was fixed on her face. “Hi Pinkie. Is it all ready?” asked Spike, moving around the side of the counter. Pinkie poked her tongue out to one side of her mouth as she thought, one hoof scratching her head. “It should be ready. I’ll just go and check!” Pinkie ducked back into the kitchen. For a minute, Spike could hear the sounds of Pinkie checking various places in Sugarcube Corner. “Huh, that’s weird,” said Pinkie, “I thought I put it on the counter, but,” Pinkie trailed off, and Spike went wide-eyed. If Pinkie had lost it... “Oh wait, silly!” said Pinkie, shoving her hoof into her mane. A moment later, her hoof pulled back out of her mane, bringing a box along with it. “Here it is!” Spike let out the breath that he had been holding, and took the box from Pinkie. He lifted up the lid to check that everything was all right. Satisfied that everything was in order, he smiled. “Thanks, Pinkie,” said Spike. “No problem, friendo! I’m sure that Twilight will love it!” “I sure hope so,” muttered Spike, as he exited Sugarcube Corner. It was a short walk back to the Friendship Castle, though a little slower for Spike as he tried not to get his present crushed. Once he was back inside, he called out. “Twilight? Twilight, where are you?” Spike’s voice echoed around the corridors. Fortunately, Twilight was usually very predictable, so Spike headed for the library. But Twilight wasn’t in the library. Nor was she in bed, and she wasn’t anywhere in the castle. Heading into the kitchen, and after setting off two of Pinkie’s hidden confetti cannons, he found a note. ‘Spike, been called to Canterlot unexpectedly on Princess business. Be back tonight.’ Spike sighed. He’d had everything planned for today, for this Mother’s Day. He knew that Twilgiht wasn’t his birth mother, but she had actually been fairly involved in raising him, and on some deep, reptilian level, Spike knew that Twilight was the one that hatched him. And this year, he had wanted to celebrate that on Mother’s day. He’d saved up, ordered a special cake, and everything. And now Twilight was in Canterlot. “Well, happy mother’s day, Mom,” sighed Spike, looking at one of the photos of him and Twilight on the wall. Then he put the cake in the fridge, and went to look for something to do. ****** The moon was high in the sky when there was a burst of purple sparkles in the kitchen of the Friendship Castle. “Spike?” called Twilight Sparkle, “are you there?” Twilight looked around, and spotted Spike, who had fallen asleep at the table, with a box in front of him. A careful application of her magic opened the box, and revealed the cake inside. Elaborate frosting spelled out ‘Happy Mother’s Day Twilight’. “Oh, Spike,” sighed Twilight, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She lifted Spike up with her magic, and carried him to her room. “Just for tonight, you can sleep here,” said Twilight, tucking Spike into one side of her bed, before climbing into the other side herself.