Breakfast did not fail to live up to Spikes reputation as a cook. As Twilight put it, it was delicious as usual. Scrambled eggs, and Prench toast, a delight to the taste buds. After breakfast, Spike began his job of cleaning the plates, and the kitchen, doing the dishes and such. A few moments after he began, he heard the sound of Twilight getting up from her seat.
“Well Spike, Skylight and I are heading over to Rarity’s. She said she has a special surprise for him.” The mention of Rarity’s name caused Spike to swoon, his heart filling with joy.
“Oh, can I come too?” asked the young drake.
“Sorry Spike, but I need you to stay here, in case somepony comes to check out a book. Besides, you have to finish cleaning the kitchen.”
“Oh…all right then,” said Spike in a downtrodden tone that Twilight didn’t pick up on. Twilight levitated her baby into a carrier that she had purchased, and strapped to herself.
“Alright, I’ll see you later Spike!” called Twilight as she made her way out the door. Once she was gone, Spike turned back to his dishes, and resumed cleaning.
‘Once again, she goes off to have fun, while I’m stuck cleaning up,’ he thought as he scrubbed a particular dish. Once he dried it, he nearly slammed it back on its rack. ‘Chores, chores, chores. All I ever do are chores. I bet I’ll even be doing chores when Skylight is older. Then I’ll be doing work for both of them!’ His cleaning be came harder, and more violent ‘I’m just a kid; you think I want to spend all day doing work for her? And I’d rather be banished to the moon then play servant to that kid.’
Once Spike was done, he hopped off the stool he was standing on, and walked back into the main room of the library. His mood soured as more thoughts about his servitude made their way into his head. He recognized these thoughts, only this time; he had a harder time dismissing them. He knew he was just thinking these things because he was angry, but that didn’t make them untrue. He did everything for Twilight, and she always asked for more. She probably wouldn’t give Skylight any jobs to do either; she’d pamper him like the prince he was, while leaving him to do the dirty work.
Spike shut his eyes, and took some deep breaths. He needed some time to himself, to do something he wanted to do. That’s all he needed. He was about to head to the door when he remembered that he needed to stay in the library in case somepony came to check out a book. But he really did need to get some fresh air, to clear his head. He looked to the door, then back to the library, then back to the door, then back to the library. After some thought, Spike decided that he would leave for maybe ten minutes, just walking around, maybe get a snack from Sugarcube Corner. Making up his mind, he left the library, locking the door behind him.
Twilight and her baby arrived at the Carousel Boutique, ready to see Rarity's surprise. The Princess used her magic to open the door, and stepped inside. As expected, Rarity was not in the main room, most likely off in her workroom, designing, or finishing an outfit. Twilight looked to the bell that was positioned on the counter, and rung it.
“Just a minute!” came the singsong voice of the fashionista. After a few moments, Twilight could hear the clip clop of Rarity’s hooves on the floor. As soon as she came into view, her eyes widened and glistened with joy as she saw her friend and her child. “Ah, Twilight, it is so good to see you!” Rarity rushed over to Twilight, and gave her a gentle hug, careful not to squeeze the foal to hard. She then lowered her self to his eye level, and cooed.
“And how are you doing little Skylight?” The infant giggled in response, reaching out for the alabaster mare, who in response, nuzzled the baby. Skylight then latched onto a lock of Rarity’s mane, and started pulling.
“Ah ah ah darling, no touching my mane,” said Rarity, as she gently pulled away from the foal. In response the colt started getting fussy, upset that his plaything had been taken away from him.
“Oh dear, there is no need to get upset. Especially after you see what I have made for you!” Rarity led the mother and son into the living room, where she had the purple Alicorn take a seat. “I’ll be right back darling,” she said, as she left the room, leaving the two alone. Twilight took the baby out of her carrier, and started bouncing him.
Soon, Rarity returned with a small box levitating in her magic. She handed it over to Twilight, who took it in her magic.
“Ooh, what do we have here.” Twilight opened the box to find a beautiful onesie made to fit the child. The top half was sky blue, showing off beautifully depicted clouds, along with a depiction of the sun. But as it descended to the bottom half, the colors carefully morphed to depict the night sky, full of stars, along with a beautiful full moon.
“Rarity, this, this is amazing!” gasped Twilight.
“I had a feeling you might like it,” said Rarity with a wink.
Twilight then carefully dressed Skylight in the outfit made by Rarity. Once he was dressed, the two mares awed at the sight.
“He looks so precious,” complimented Rarity.
“I can’t thank you enough for this Rarity,” said the Alicorn.
“Oh, think nothing of it! After all, what are friends for?” As soon as she said that, a small rumbling noise made itself known. Shortly after, the young child started to cry.
“Oh, it looks like somepony’s hungry,” said Twilight. “ I better take him home, and feed him.”
“Oh, it’s a shame that we weren’t able to talk for longer, but I understand,” replied Rarity. Twilight got up, and placed her child back in his carrier, and then made her way towards the door. “You know, the six of us should get together sometime, just us girls.”
“I’d love to,” said Twilight. “Only, I don’t have anypony to watch Skylight.”
“Well, couldn’t Spike watch him? He is pretty responsible.”
“You know, you’re right Rarity. He IS responsible, especially since the baby came. He’s done all his chores, and never complains. I really should do something nice for him.”
“That sounds like a lovely idea darling! I’m sure whatever you have planned would be wonderful!”
“Well, I better get going. Thanks again Rarity, I love the outfit. I’ll see you later,” said Twilight as she made her way out the door.
“Ta-ta darling!”
Twilight had a nice peaceful walk back to the library, well as peaceful as you could with a fussy baby. By the time she reached her home, his whimpers had become full blown crying.
“I know, I know,” said Twilight, as she used her magic to open the door. Only, instead of opening, the door remained closed, the doorknob refusing to turn.
“Hm? Why is the door locked?” she said to herself. She had left it unlocked so that anypony who wanted to check out a book could just come right in. “Spike must have locked it,” she mused. She used her hoof to knock on the door. “Spike! Spike, it’s me, I need you to let me in!” She waited, to no response. So she knocked again. “Spike! Spike, let me in, Skylight is hungry!’ Still no response. Twilight grunted in frustration, and then used her magic to cast a spell. The purpose of this spell was to scan for the presence of her dragon assistant. The spell revealed nopony’s presence in side the library.
‘I told him to stay in the library,’ thought a frustrated Twilight. It was the reason she had left her key inside. Skylights crying had escalated into wailing. Twilight started thinking of a way to get inside. She could teleport, but newborns could get really sick teleporting. They needed to be at least a few months old before that could be attempted. She could set him down on the ground, teleport inside, and open the door from the inside, but that would involve leaving her child alone, on the ground, outside. That was something she DID NOT want to do. But as the infant cried due to hunger, Twilight realized she had no choice.
Carefully putting the baby on the ground, she stepped away from him by a few feet, and cast her spell, teleporting inside the library. Once she was inside, she quickly opened the door and brought her baby inside. She closed the door, and trotted to get one of her baby bottles. ‘Spike, you are in so much trouble.’
Spike made his way towards the library, licking an ice-cream cone. Cookies and cream, with gems sprinkled on it, it was his favorite. Spike felt as though his batteries where recharged. He’d cleared his head, and was now ready to continue with his duties. As he reached the door, he pulled out his key, and was about to unlock the door, when it opened, to reveal an angry looking Twilight.
“Oh, uh, hi Twilight!” greeted Spike. The mare just gave him a stern look, and replied; “Get inside.” Spike did as he was told, and came inside.
“Where have you been?” questioned Twilight.
“Oh, well you see, I needed a little bit of a breather, so I went out to get some fresh air.”
“I told you to stay here,” said Twilight.
“Yeah, I know, but-"
Spike, you know I didn’t have my key with me, and when I had to get back inside to feed Skylight, I had to set him on the dirty ground, and teleport inside to open the door.
“Oh, oh my gosh, is he okay?"
“Thank Celestia!” yelled Twilight. “You know he could have been abducted? I had to leave him on the dirty ground, with who knows how many germs! Spike, you outright disobeyed me!”
“I’m, I’m sorry Twilight,” said Spike, with tears coming to his eyes.
“I thought you were more responsible than this. No more comic books or desert for the rest of the week,” said an angry Twilight, as she levitated the cone from his hand, and put it in the garbage.
“Hey, I paid for that!” yelled Spike.
“Go to your room, now.”
“But Twilight-"
“I said now Spike!” Spike stopped talking, and reluctantly went to the room that he and Twilight shared. That night, he went to bed sad and angry. And it was all because of that baby.