~18~
"Friends."
Rain fell from the sky, landing wherever it pleased. Spike was indeed lucky, to arrive at Sugarcube Corner before the storm took hold. Still, some droplets trailed down Spike’s body, but they were refreshing in a way.
Opening the door, Spike heard the bell overhead give a little chime. Pinkie exited from the kitchen, a smile painting itself on her lips; the inspiration being the sight of an old friend. She leaned over the store counter and waved hello.
Spike couldn’t help but chuckle, the smile staying even when the laughs died away. He went to the counter and met the outstretched hoof with a claw of his own. “Long time no see, Pinks.”
“Dah! Tell me about it! If someone was going to say me today, that I was going to see, Spike, a dragon more of a recluse than Twilight herself–” Pinkie deeply inhaled, her chest sticking out “– I would've said I already knew.” She exhaled.
Spike tilted his head right, dipping a claw onto his lips. He then pointed said claw at her. “Pinkie sense?”
Pinkie beamed up, keeping her mouth open. “Ah–No. Close, though!”
“Then, how—”
“Fluttershy sent me a letter!”
Spike hunched forward. “Oh.”
A hoof rubbed the back of Spike’s head, which he had no choice but to take delight in. “You were close, though! So no need to beat yourself up over it.”
Spike smiled, rising back up. “Heh, I guess my primary reason for coming here is now redundant.”
“Ohh! Did you come here for something else? Tell me what you want, and I will show you need!”
Spike coughed a single chuckle. “I’m afraid I’m just here to meet a friend. But I suppose two cups of coffee wouldn’t hurt.”
The rain continued to beat against the window, wind now growing outside.
“Eh, Spike. That’s all fine and dandy,” Pinkie said, as she looked over the store, “but the rain scared all my customers away. It’s just you and me in here.”
“I know,” Spike said, diving a claw into his jacket pocket and retrieved a white card, “I just came a little early is all.”
Pinkie smiled, as she returned to her kitchen. “Okie-Dokie-Loki. So, how do you take your coffee?”
“As black as a midnight on a moonless night!” Spike shouted. A giggle came from within the kitchen, along with the running of water. “What?” he shouted once more.
“I forget that sometimes, you can be even sillier than me!”
Spike lost some air over that, shaking his head and crossing his arms. “Not true!”
“Totally right!” Pinkie shouted from the kitchen. “But as I like to say: being silly is what keeps you sane!”
“When have you ever said that before?”
“Two seconds ago, I believe.”
Spike groaned.
Pinkie laughed. “So, how does your friend take it?”
“I think I’ll let him decide,” Spike replied. “I’m going to go sit down now, okay, pinks?”
Spike didn’t get an answer, so much as humming in return. He sighed, but with a smile, as he went to take his seat. By the corner, right next to the window, as requested.
He played with the card in his claw. Shuffling it around, seeing if there was a hidden detail to it. But not, just an ordinary card. His claws went to rip the card, but Spike stopped them before any damage could be done to the card.
Spike flipped the card onto the table, and with a hovering claw, tapped the card twice.
Spike jolted from his seat. The window lit up. A crash came from outside. Lighting ringed throughout the store. The scar left Spike out of breath, clutching his chest.
A chime sounded throughout the store, as hoof steps soon approached. Spike looked up from his chest to the brown eyes of Falcon.
“You’re a day early,” Falcon said, shaking his head and spraying the water out from his mane. “I thought we agreed on meeting tomorrow?”
“We did.” Spike nodded. “But I needed to get out of the house; we can meet tomorrow if you’re busy.”
Falcon shook his head as he took a seat at the table. “No no, this is fine. I just like sticking to a schedule is all – it assures my heart that there are no surprises.”
“I see,” Spike said.
Falcon dived into his pocket and brought out a cigar. Placing it on his lips, he looked to Spike. Only, it wasn’t the dragon who answered.
“Sorry Loki: no smoking inside,” Pinkie said with a wink. She placed a tray on the table and handed each pony and dragon a cup of coffee. “Though, can I get you milk or sugar?”
Falcon took the cigar out from his mouth and deposited it back into his pocket. “No thanks. I prefer my stuff to be bare.”
Both Spike and Pinkie blinked, looking at one another as if they had some answer. When silence was all the two had to offer, Pinkie took it as a hint to take her leave.
“So, you’re interested in the job after all?”
“I guess,” Spike said, picking up his cup, “but I still have questions about this job.”
“Fire away.”
“Just what the heck is it?”
Falcon cracked his neck, taking a deep breath before he answered. “I told you, I work for an agency: they’re purpose being to better the world. And we think you would make a good client.”
Spike took a sip of the coffee, his entire body accepting the liquid. “So, I would be fighting against bad guys then?”
“Please don’t sound so cliche,” Falcon said, he too diving into his cup with his lips. “Good guys and bad guys don’t necessarily exist, and even if they did, they should never receive our full attention.
“Besides! I’m sure that sister and friends of yours can handle the big baddies.”
“And why is it I can’t handle them?!” Spike raised his voice, leaning over the table. Falcon offered a grin, one that told Spike to take a deep breath.
“I see some issues regarding your friends?”
“No,” Spike stated, returning to his seat, “friends are friends. Some are better than you; some are worse than you. But they are still your friends.”
“Of course friends are friends, Spike. But we all have issues with somepony or another.” Falcon took another swig of his coffee, moaning after each sip. “Even if we chose to accept someone wholly, we still hold some negatives about them. That is just our nature, Spike. Nothing to be ashamed of.”
“What is shameful, however, is ignoring your feelings just because you think they are wrong.”
Spike groaned, looking away. The stoic face he held soon began to crumble. “Hmm. You gotta hide some stuff to look strong, no?”
Falcon sighed, then chuckled. “You’ll never look strong by doing that; you’ll never be strong by disregarding yourself. You’ll become a mess, and that’s what others will look at you as.”
Spike choked on his pride, his refute being not a single word. Yesterday Fluttershy had nuked him; now this guy was vacuuming the ashes. When all that you believed, is proven to be fake before your eyes, what is it you do next?
Think over your thoughts, and come to a better conclusion yourself?
Or join the guy who destroyed you, believing that he holds the truth?
“So, this job… will it make me better?”
Falcon inched over the table. “It will make you the best. The things you learn will make you a dragon that you would want to look up to.” Falcon laughed, slamming his hoof onto the table. “You’ll be a dragon of action! No longer a dragon of just words.”
Falcon coughed into his hoof, retreating into his seat. “Sorry about that.”
The me right now isn’t good enough, Fluttershy!
“Hey…” Spike began, placing his elbows on the table, “the me…that I am…right now. Is there…anything wrong with him?”
Falcon slid his bottom lip left, bouncing his head left and right. “Hmm, no. You have pros, and you got your cons. You're a dragon, so with that, comes more potential than that of a pony. But…”
“But?” Spike urged.
Falcon sighed. “Please don't take this the wrong way, mate, but you’re kind of forgettable.”
Spike choked back the saliva in his mouth, as his companion played with his tongue.
“You’d think, with you being a dragon and all, that you’d be more entertaining. But no, you’re just average. Ain’t nothing wrong with average, but… you could do better. And I think you know that too.”
“So, ah, how do I get better!?”
“You join me,” Falcon replied, “and allow me to train you. I’ll make you into a proper, dragon.” Falcon's eyes wandered to the window, admiring the rain that came from the sky. “One that’ll shake the ground, and change the words of history.”
Spike right claw twitched. He couldn’t stop it from spasming. He couldn’t even control his breathing. “But what if I’m not ready to become something like that yet?!”
“Then you’ll wait forever, in your friends’ a shadow.”
Falcon got up from his seat. He looked at the collar of his jacket, but not at Spike. “You can be something or nothing. That choice is up to you, not me.” A coin bag was tossed onto the table, with a green card fluttering down next to it.
“What we do is not only fight but help those who do not know the way. To help rebuild towns, to harvest the farms so that others may eat. Fight to fight, only to protect. We don’t appear in the light, nor the headlines. We remain in the shadows, where most good deeds go unnoticed.”
Falcon turned around, finally placing his eye upon Spike. “We do it for the sake; we do it to improve ourselves. Heroes mean nothing to us; warriors are just brutes.” He shook his head, striking a hoof Spike’s way. “The title, Agent, holds the most meaning for us. Because the word is nothing more than a mirror, to reflect our vision.”
Falcon retracted his hoof, placing it firmly on the ground. “You’ve already wasted so many times, putting your hopes on those, who, superficially care. Join our darkness, so that we may bring a greater light.”
Spike’s mouth hung open, eyes blinking and mind frozen.
Oh, Spike! It has been a while since I’ve last seen you. Say, why don’t you come inside for a cup of tea?
Of course you can stay! You’ve been a great friend, and the cottage is more joyful with you around.
I like you, Spike. Even if you aren’t at the level you want to be; I still like you for the dragon you are now. And you know dragons scare me.
“No,” Spike said, shaking his head and darting his eyes at Falcon. “I have friends who care about me. Ones that I want to make sure I’m alright.”
“Then that’s good,” Falcon replied. “Not many real friends exist in this world. So keep them close.”
“But, if they’re fine with who you are now, then how will you ever improve?”
“I’ll do it on my own!”
“You’ll be stuck in their shadow longer. You won’t have guidance; you always be the pushover character. A punching bag, if you will.”
Spike clutched his claw, closing his eyes. “Tell me for a second, that most your friends don’t see you this way?”
Spike didn’t respond. He kept still, all energy being used by his brain to process what he should do next.
“You don’t have to meet me right away, but my location is on that card. When you arrive there, burn that card into a tree. That is how we’ll meet.”
Falcon went to the door, opening it and taking one step outside. “I’m not your enemy Spike, nor am I your friend. I am just someone out to offer the truth, along with knowledge. You can become something more, Spike. Please know that.”
The door shut, and Spike took his seat. He picked up his cup of coffee and finished it in one gulp.
Though the other cup was already empty. Spike ignored the pouch on the table, and instead, picked up the card. He got up and left the bakery, to wandered the streets for the rest of the evening.
From the door frame of the kitchen, Pinkie frowned. She rested her back against the frame, as her eyes stumbled on the calendar on the wall.
Make sure you’ don’t forget, that there’s a party tomorrow at six!