//------------------------------// // Starlight Glimmer // Story: Spike's Dragon Code for Cuddling // by Kevinltk //------------------------------// When Spike awoke the following morning, he was fully rejuvenated and ready to tackle whatever challenge the new day might bring. That is, if he had not been so tempted to remain in the blissful embrace of Rarity’s hooves and warm blanket. Sadly, responsibilities and reason won out, and he coaxed Rarity awake. As promised, Rarity served Spike a hearty breakfast of piping hot pancakes for the both of them. She even prepared Spike’s batch with gems thrown into the mix. Before long, Spike finished breakfast and parted ways with Rarity, turning down the mare’s help and insisting that she used the time to make sure the work they accomplished was properly shipped. Spike headed straight back for home. With pretty much all of his chores finished before he started his cuddling crusade, he could afford to spend some time lazing about. However, he intended to make sure the castle was all spic and span for Twilight and Starlight’s return. One of the main things still left to do was cleaning up the delivery of books that arrived yesterday. When he stepped through the door, the crate and stacks of books were lying right in the middle of the foyer, right where he had left them. Spike’s eyes instantly locked onto The Ancient Guide to a Noble Dragon’s Code which he had reverently placed on top of several books on the edge of the pile. It stood out among the common rabble as though it was some holy artifact. And to Spike, for all intents and purposes, that book really was a holy artifact. Spike gingerly picked up the sacred tome, careful to not even breathe on it. Although he was a bit skeptical when he had first read it, he was now wondering why he had ever doubted the teachings in the book, in particular, one cuddly directive. In just one day, he bonded with his friends, felt some of the most amazing sensations, and even had a changed outlook on life. Spike securely tucked the book under an arm and took it to his bedroom. Although he had read the book cover to cover several times yesterday, he wanted to review it again in hopes of gleaning some more wisdom from the ancient book. Unfortunately, he had to first finish cleaning the other books, so he placed his reading material on his bed and returned to the foyer. It did not take long for him to transfer the rest of the books to the main library room, stacking them on the tables so they were ready for Twilight to sort through when she got back. He also pushed the empty crate to a nearby storage room in case they planned to reuse it because recycling was cool. As Spike clapped his claws together to brush away any debris, he surveyed the foyer, and a small frown formed on his face. Patches of dirt and dust, mostly left from the book delivery, littered the floor. He also never did finish cleaning the foyer before embarking on his cuddly quest. Even the broom he was using before Derpy arrived was lying nearby. Spike picked up the broom and began cleaning the foyer to ensure that there would not be a nagging Twilight in the immediate future. It did not take long before muscle memory and autonomy took over, allowing his mind to wander toward a certain objective. There was no doubt that yesterday was one of the best days of his life. He had cuddled with five of his closest friends, all more or less extending open invitations to repeat the enjoyable embrace they shared. That left Twilight and Starlight Glimmer. If he succeeded in cuddling with the two mares he lived with, he would have fulfilled the noble dragon code, proving that he was a better dragon. Of course, this was not a one time thing, and the code would require constant vigilance, which meant that he would have to keep on cuddling with all of his friends. He foresaw a lot more cuddling in his future. Spike let out a happy sigh. The things he did to be a noble dragon. As he continued to clean, he wracked his brain for ideas on how to talk to Twilight and Starlight to get them to cuddle with him. He was so wrapped up in his cleaning and cuddle plotting that he almost did not hear the front door open. “Hey, Spike, we’re back!” Twilight greeted. Her eyes promptly scanned the foyer and then to the broom in Spike’s hands. “Wow, the place looks great. I’m glad you didn’t stay in your room all day reading your comics.” “Don’t you do that everyday with your books?” Spike asked with a smirk as he set aside the broom. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Har har, really funny. But really, thanks for taking care of the place. Did you have fun staying home by yourself?” “Actually, I went out and visited all of our friends yesterday.” “Oh, that’s so nice of you,” Twilight said with a proud smile. “What did you do with them?” Spike snickered. “A lot, actually, but I’ll tell you about it later. Before I forget, your shipment came in yesterday.” Twilight cocked her head. “Shipment? I wasn’t expecting anything. What was it?” “Just a bunch of books from Canterlot.” “Books from Canterlot?” Twilight’s eyes sparkled with delight, and a massive smile grew on her face. “The Royal Canterlot Library must want us to store some of its books! Where are they?!” “Er, in the library,” Spike replied, pointing in the direction with his finger. “They’re all ready for you to look at.” Twilight rushed away at a speed that would make Rainbow jealous. “Ooh, I can’t wait to see what they sent us! Come on, Spike, we got books to sort!” Spike shook his head in amusement. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” He turned back toward the door. “So, Starlight, how…” He trailed off when he saw no sign of the unicorn. A quick look around revealed that Starlight had snuck past him and was heading for the stairs leading up to her room. “Hey, Starlight!” Spike called out and ran toward the unicorn. Starlight froze and then slowly turned her head toward Spike with a barely-perceivable smile. “Hey, Spike.” “You didn’t say hi or anything,” Spike remarked with a small frown. “What’s up with that?” Starlight sighed. “Sorry, it’s just that you and Twilight were talking, so I thought I would just leave you two be.” “Ah, yeah, I guess I didn’t say hi to you right away either, so I guess that’s kind of my bad. Sorry, Starlight.” Starlight shook her head. “No need to apologize, Spike.” “So, how was your visit to Canterlot?” Spike asked with a smile. “Oh, it was…” Starlight’s gaze drifted to the side. “nice…” Spike’s smile dropped. He heard that tone in the word nice from Fluttershy plenty of times. “Is something wrong, Starlight? You didn’t have fun in Canterlot?” “Nothing is wrong, Spike. It’s just… I’m tired, that’s all.” “You sure? Is there anything I can do?” Starlight smiled softly. “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to go lie down in my room. Thanks, Spike.” “Um, okay, see ya,” Spike said, watching the unicorn go up the stairs. He thought about following after Starlight, just to make sure she was alright, but he decided to let her rest instead. When Starlight left his sight, he headed back to the library to help Twilight. As soon as Spike entered the library, he had to duck as a book wrapped in Twilight’s magic sailed over his head. “Hey, watch it!” “Sorry, Spike,” Twilight apologized, even though her eyes were focused on several books floating in front of her. “I didn’t see you come in.” “By the way you’re eyeing those books, pretty sure you wouldn’t have noticed if I came in with Pinkie’s party cannon,” Spike replied with a huff before grabbing a couple of books to assist with the sorting. “Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s just that these books… I can’t wait to read them after we get them sorted!” Twilight gleefully explained as she used her magic to insert a couple of books into a shelf. “Everything that was delivered are on these tables, right?” “Right.” Spike nodded and then paused. “Oh wait, there’s actually one book in my room I was planning to read later.” Twilight shot Spike a disapproving frown. “Spike, you know you can’t just take a book away before we properly catalogue it. It could throw off the whole system.” Spike held up his claws defensively. “Sorry, Twilight. I was planning to read it again before you got back, but I got caught up in cleaning. Besides, it’s just one book. It’s not that big of a deal, and we can easily fix it.” Twilight’s frown remained for a moment before she sighed. Using her magic, she brought a roll of parchment and quill in front of her. “I guess it’s alright if it’s just one book, but I still need to mark it down. I’ll just need all the information on it. What’s the title of the book?” “The Ancient Guide to a Noble Dragon’s Code,” Spike immediately replied. Twilight peered at Spike over the top of her parchment. “Say what?” “The Ancient Guide to a Noble Dragon’s Code.” Twilight’s brow furrowed. “What kind of book calls itself ancient?” “But it does look all ancient and stuff.” “That’s not what…” Twilight took a deep breath. “Never mind. So this book has information on the dragon code?” “Yep! It has a lot of neat stuff in it.” “But I thought the dragon code was something you made up.” “Well, yeah, but I guess somepony found out there was an official one.” “But there has not been any known ponies that have been able to study dragons except for us. Even then, we’re running away and hiding from them more than half the time. Who wrote the book?” Spike shrugged. “Dunno. I couldn’t really find a name or anything.” “I see… Spike, could you go grab this book? I really think I need to take a look at it.” “Sure, I’ll be right back,” Spike said with a nod. He hurried out of the library, up the stairs, down the hall, and into his room. After he grabbed the book and proceeded through the hall, he paused in front of the closed door to Starlight’s room. Concerned about his friend’s behavior earlier, Spike knocked on the door. “Hey, Starlight, you feeling better?” A few seconds passed before Starlight replied, “I’m fine.” Spike waited a moment for any further response, but got none. “Um, okay then. Just wanted to check up on you.” Spike resumed walking, glancing back at Starlight’s door as he went down the stairs. When he arrived back at the library, he held up the book to Twilight, who was still sorting through the other books. “Here’s the book, Twilight.” “Thanks, Spike.” Twilight grabbed the book in her magic and began inspecting the cover. “Hey, Twilight, is something wrong with Starlight?” Spike asked. “She seems kind of off. She’s like all quiet.” Twilight sighed and nodded, putting the book down on a table. “I think something is bothering her, but she won’t talk to me about it.” “Did something happen in Canterlot?” “Seems like it. She seemed to be having a good time at first with our visit, but I noticed her change around the time I took her to see Canterlot Castle. While we were there, Celestia wanted to talk to me about some things in private, so Starlight took a brief tour of the place with an attendant. When we met up again, that’s when I noticed her being all gloomy. I tried asking her if there’s anything wrong, but she just smiles and insists that she’s fine.” “Yeah, she pretty much did the same with me when I tried to talk to her earlier.” “I planned to talk to her again later tonight so that she could have some time to rest. I just hope she’s not bottling up whatever is bothering her.” Spike tapped his chin in thought. “Could I try talking to her again? Maybe she’ll feel more comfortable opening up to me.” “What makes you say that?” Twilight asked. Her tone implied she was genuinely curious instead of her being offended. “Well, you are kind of her mentor…” Twilight cocked her head. “So? That should mean she could come to me with any of her problems.” “Just like how you always went to Celestia with all of your problems?” Spike asked with a raised eyebrow. “That’s…” Twilight’s mouth opened and closed several times, producing no sounds. She eventually let out a heavy sigh and nodded. “Okay, I guess you got a point there. I suppose I did do a few crazy things trying to be the perfect student for Celestia.” “Like the Smarty Pants incident?” Spike pointed out with a smirk. Twilight shot Spike an angry glare. “We shall not speak of the Smarty Pants incident!” Spike snickered. “Gotcha. So, should I go talk to Starlight now?” Twilight nodded. “Sure, just don’t push her too hard. I do hope you’ll be able to help her. I’ll just be here checking out your book. Good luck, Spike.” Spike saluted Twilight before scampering back to Starlight’s room. He had a mission to help his friend get better. If talking was not going to be enough, he still had a trump card up his sleeves. Once again stopping in front of Starlight’s door, Spike took a deep breath and knocked. “Hey, Starlight, it’s Spike again. Can I come in?” Spike thought he caught the sound of a sigh before hearing, “You don’t have to worry about me, Spike. I’m fine.” “Come on, Starlight, Twilight and I know that something is on your mind. We’re only going to keep checking up on you unless you let me in and have a little talk. Please?” There was a brief pause before Spike heard a soft “Okay”. Opening the door, he saw that Starlight was laying on her stomach in bed, her attention focused on the dragon as he entered the room. “Hey, Starlight.” “Hey.” There was a brief silence and then Spike cleared his throat. “So, um, how are you feeling?” Starlight rolled her eyes. “Look, Spike, I appreciate the concern, but like I said, I’m fine.” Spike frowned. “That’s what you keep saying, but that’s not what Twilight and I are seeing. You’ve been avoiding us. Something’s obviously bothering you, and we just want to help.” He walked over and climbed up onto the bed to sit next to Starlight. “Come on, talk to us, Starlight. We’re really worried about you.” “I’m…” Starlight blinked when Spike huffed at her. She turned her head away. “Okay, maybe there is something, but it’s nothing worth bringing up.” “If it’s bothering you, then it’s definitely worth bringing up. You know I’m going to keep pestering you until you fess up now. I’m positive I can even get Twilight to join me.” Starlight’s eyes flicked back and forth between Spike and her bed. Eventually, she let out a sigh. “Fiiine… I’m just thinking about the whole timeline mess I put us through.” “This again? Starlight, you know I, Twilight, and the others forgive you for that.” “I know, I know, and I’m really grateful that all of you are giving me a second chance. That’s not what’s bothering me though. It’s… well… I just wish I knew how important Twilight and the others were to Equestria before I tried to ruin their lives. It would have saved us all a lot of trouble. When I first saw them, I didn’t know who they were at all.” Starlight let out a hollow chuckle. “I guess I was too busy brainwashing and ruling an entire village in the middle of nowhere to keep up with the news.” “At least you know what they did now, right?” “I do, yes. You and the others told me all about your amazing adventures, but at the same time…” Starlight twirled a forehoof in a circle. “Well, it’s like they were just stories. Hearing about something is not the same as actually experiencing it. It didn’t help that you all treated them as though they were all just a weekly thing. I didn’t really get or feel the importance of your actions.” Starlight sighed and shook her head. “Until now. When Twilight went to discuss things with Celestia, they left me with a guide to give me a tour of the place. It was kind of neat to see the castle, but to be honest, I didn’t really find it that interesting.” “Maybe because you live in one already,” Spike mentioned with a smile. That got a chuckle from Starlight. It was brief, but Spike was glad that it brought a bit of mirth to Starlight’s gloom. “You’re probably right with that. Anyway, at the end of the tour, I was brought to this giant room, and what I saw left me speechless. There were huge stained glass windows, almost as tall as a house, and many of them were depictions of Twilight and the others.” “Oh, that room. Yeah, Celestia pretty much had a window made every time they saved Equestria.” “That’s… That’s just it though. I’m not saying I thought you guys were lying, but it’s one thing to hear a story and another to see monuments, actual physical proof, of what you all did. The guide was really thorough in giving me all the details of every window.” Starlight bowed her head. “It just… It just put into perspective how important all of you are… And how I almost ruined all of that…” Spike moved closer to place a comforting claw on his friend’s forehoof. “Starlight…” Starlight placed her other forehoof on top of Spike’s claw. She remained silent as she listlessly stared down at the bed. Spike felt sorry for Starlight. The unicorn did have some anger issues and was prone to taking things to the extreme, but from what he had seen and heard, those things stemmed from loneliness. She had lost her best friend when she was at a vulnerable age, and that loneliness remained in her as she grew up, twisting her view of the world. After Starlight saw the error of her ways, she had been doing her best to become a better pony. It’s true that Starlight had put all of Equestria in danger, but Spike could see the guilt and regret in the unicorn’s eyes, as well as the desire to not repeat her mistakes. That made Starlight alright in his books. The problem was that while he and the others had forgiven the unicorn, Starlight still had not quite forgiven herself. “Hey, Starlight, I told you about the time I got greedy during one of my birthdays, right?” Spike asked. Starlight looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Um, yeah. Your dragon greed made you grow really big and you kind of went on a rampage.” Spike slowly nodded. “Yeah… Not my proudest moment… Anyway, while it wasn’t too bad, I still ended up demolishing a few buildings. When I changed back and saw the damage I caused, I felt horrible. I wanted to lock myself at home and never come out in case I did something like that again. “But that didn’t happen. With the support of Twilight and the others, I decided I couldn’t just sit around and sulk. Sure, there were a few ponies that were pretty mad, but after some time, they forgot about it, especially since I went around and helped fix the stuff I broke and then some. Also, to make sure I don’t let greed overcome me again, I do my best to be generous instead. And guess what? There hasn’t been a giant purple dragon wrecking Ponyville since.” Starlight sighed. “That’s nice and all, Spike, and I get what you’re trying to say, but I think what I did was a bit more serious.” “But the principle is the same. Just because we made mistakes, doesn’t mean we’re doomed to repeat them. I know you don’t want to do any more evil stuff, so keep doing what you’re doing now: Learning about friendship, fixing your mistakes, and becoming a better pony.” “I am, Spike. Believe me, I am. It’s just incidents like these make me wonder if I really am going to make up for all the things I did. I dug myself a pretty deep hole.” “That’s why you’re not supposed to do it alone. You've got me, Twilight, and the others all ready to help you, but we can’t do that if you sulk in your room. I’m glad I didn’t do that when I messed up, otherwise, I wouldn’t be here lecturing you.” Spike emphasized the point by wagging a finger at Starlight. Starlight chuckled and rubbed the spines on Spike’s head with her hoof. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I’ll try to keep what you said in mind.” She gave Spike a genuine smile. “Thanks for talking to me, Spike.” “No problem. So, you feeling better now?” Starlight shrugged. “Kind of. I still feel guilty for what I did, but after talking to you, it does feel like some weight has been lifted off of me. Feels nice though. I’ve been out of it ever since I saw all those windows at the castle.” “Speaking of, you saw mine, right?” Spike asked with a grin. Starlight laughed. “Yes, I did, oh Spike the Brave and Glorious, but to be honest, I think the two-story crystal statue in the Crystal Empire is better, not to mention the adoring fans you have there.” Spike smirked and coolly brushed the top of his head with one claw before placing both of his claws on his hips. “Yeah, I am a pretty big deal.” Starlight poked Spike’s stomach. “And I thought Rainbow had a big ego.” Spike giggled from the poke and dropped his pose. “So, you want to head back downstairs?” “In a bit. Don’t worry, I won’t be holing myself up in here all day. Promise. I just need a little more time to get over this slump I’m in.” Spike nodded and jumped off the bed. Heading toward the door, he said, “Alright then, I’ll see you…” He paused when an idea came to mind, and he swiftly turned back toward Starlight. “Actually, I think I know just the thing to cheer you up. We should cuddle!” Starlight blinked several times before she uttered a flat “What?” “I’m serious! I spent most of yesterday cuddling with our friends, and we all loved it! I guarantee you’ll feel all better after we cuddle.” Starlight was still staring at Spike with wide eyes. “So, uh, this is news to me. Do you always go around and cuddle with your friends?” “Er, actually no. Yesterday was the first time I cuddled with everypony. I found out I had to do it because of my dragon code.” “Your dragon code?” “Oh, right, you don’t know about that. It’s basically a bunch of rules to help me become a better dragon, kind of like how you’re trying to be a better pony. I just recently found out that the dragon code wanted me to cuddle with my closest friends, and well, that includes you, if you’re willing to try it.” Starlight’s eyes widened. “You… You really consider me a close friend like the others?” “Well, yeah. You’re smart and talented, kind of like Twilight but without the book obsession. You’re also a nice pony now that you’re over the being evil thing.” Starlight blushed. “Th-thanks, Spike. That really means a lot... “ She closed her eyes for a moment to take a steadying breath. “Alright then, let’s cuddle.” Spike leapt back onto the bed. “Awesome!” “So, how are we going to do this?” Starlight asked. “You’re the cuddle expert here.” With all the various positions he was in yesterday, it took only a second for Spike to pick one. Pointing at the bed’s pillow, he directed, “Just lie on your side and let me do the rest. Don’t worry, I got this.” Starlight let out an amused snort, but she did as she was told. She shifted up the bed and then laid her head onto the pillow. Spike crawled up toward Starlight, also lying on his side. He wrapped his arms around Starlight’s neck. Starlight, in turn, reached out with her hooves, one around Spike’s body, and the other around his head. They pressed further into each other as scales mixed with hairs. “This is… This is actually really nice,” Starlight stated, resting her chin on Spike’s head. “I can see why you said this will help me feel better.” “Told you,” Spike replied. “Cuddling can fix anything.” He was pretty sure that was accurate, given the cuddle-filled day he had yesterday. Starlight chuckled softly, sending a pleasant vibration through the connected Spike. “But really, I don’t think I held anypony like this for a long time.” There was a pause and then a sigh. “Yeah, definitely not for a long time… Not since Sunburst moved away when he got his cutie mark…” Spike felt Starlight’s clutch on him grow tighter. Using his claw, Spike gently stroked Starlight’s neck. “Hey, it’s alright. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are the others.” “I… I know… Thanks, Spike.” Spike could imagine Starlight's worries start to dissipate as the unicorn’s tense body gradually relaxed. He could even feel Starlight’s nervously-beating heart slow down into a calm, sedated pace. The grip Starlight had on him also loosened, but only slightly. She still held onto him possessively, but with how pleasant the embrace was, Spike did not mind it at all. Slowly, Spike’s hand glided up Starlight’s neck to play with her mane. He had to admit that he used to prefer Starlight’s old manestyle, but after some time, the new one she wore now really grew on him. He also supposed it was for the best. A new manestyle for a pony trying to change herself for the better. At some point, Spike and Starlight had closed their eyes as they relaxed into each other’s embrace. However, their peace did not last long as both Spike and Starlight’s eyes shot wide open when there was a knock on the door, interrupting their blissful rest. They looked at each other before Spike said, “Uh, I guess that’s Twilight checking up on us.” “Yeah, I guess it is,” Starlight replied, slowly and reluctantly letting Spike go. “Such a shame too. I was really enjoying this.” Spike chuckled. “I knew you would. Don’t worry, we can pick this up again anytime you want. I’m only a few doors down from you.” “I’ll be sure to hold you to that,” Starlight remarked with a grin. They both got out of the bed before Starlight opened the door with her magic, revealing Twilight with a frown on her face and The Ancient Guide to a Noble Dragon’s Code floating right beside her. “Spike, we need to talk.”