> FlameWeaver: Into The Equestria-Verse
>  by closet brony 77
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> From The Top People!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

If there was one thing Sunset Shimmer loved about being the one and only Dawn Weaver, it was this: being able to dance across the rooftops of Canterlot city like it was her own personal playground. The wind against her mask, the bright, shining buildings passing her by in a blur of colors and shapes, the adrenaline surge that came with every swing, it was all so fantastic and there’s nothing in the world she’d trade for moments like this; Sunset could honestly do this all day and remain in this space of everlasting bliss.

Unfortunately that tranquility was broken when Sunset’s earpiece crackled to life with the sound of a police radio. “Ten-thirty-five, all available units respond! We have a robbery in progress at the corner of 128th and Shoichet, hostages confirmed! Repeat, we are dealing with a hostage situation!”

Sunset rolled her eyes in exasperation, so much for swinging the day away but that was the life of a vigilante; not a moment’s rest.

‘At least I’ll get some action for a change.’ Sunset thought to herself, adjusting her trajectory to head towards the situation at hand. ‘Things have been a little quiet around town lately. Haven’t even heard from Tierk for weeks now.’

Sunset then glanced towards the reader.

‘Oh hey! Almost didn’t notice you there, hiding behind the fourth wall like that.’ Sunset Shimmer…thought? Spoke? Ah who cares? She’s addressing you personally so you’d better pay attention.

‘You’re probably wondering what my whole story is: origins, canon events, all that good stuff. Well hang tight because I’m about to give you the whole rundown from the very beginning: My name is Sunset Shimmer, AKA the Dawn Weaver and I’ve been doing this super hero gig ever since I got bitten by a radioactive spider six-ish years ago.’

Sunset Shimmer slingshotted herself around a street lamp, flying down the boulevard before shooting out another web.

‘It’s a pretty great gig if I’m being honest: Super strength, danger sense, climbing on walls, and a few other bits and bobs you’ll get to see in action pretty soon. Plus I’m basically a local celebrity! Tons of people love me, some people hate me, and a few would refer to me as something of a menace but, hey, can’t win em all right?’

Doing a perfect tuck and roll onto some shorter buildings, Sunset sprinted across the rooftops, ducking and dodging past the obstacles in her way before diving off the edge and performing another web swing.

‘PR issues aside, I love being the Dawnweaver. I saved a bunch of people, fell in love with a really great guy, saved the city over and over again, gained some allies slash sidekicks, got a toy line, an excellent rock song written about me, and enough appearances on the front page of the Canterlot Confidential that I could wallpaper a room with them all. My life is awesome.’

Sunset could see the bank come into view over the horizon, the countless police cars parked out front creating a beacon of reds and blues that could be seen for miles.

‘Sure I take a few hits, get knocked down more often than not both metaphorically and literally, but I always find a way to get back up no matter what. Because the only thing standing between this city and total chaos is me, there’s only one Dawnweaver after all.’ Sunset internally monologued. ‘Anywho, nice chatting with you all but I really gotta stop these guys.’

Landing on the rooftop of a bodega across the street from the bank, Sunset took a moment to observe the situation at hand before flicking on her earpiece and calling up her gal in the chair.

“Hello?” the voice on the other end spoke.

“Starlight? It’s me, I need a bit of a hand over here.” Sunset replied.

Starlight Glimmer, Dawnweaver’s tech expert, groaned. “Really? Now? I was just about to go out for an arcade date with Sunburst.”

“I just need you to hack into the security cameras at the Spoiled Rich savings and loan, there’s a robbery going on and I want an idea of what I’m dealing with before I swoop in to save the day.” 

“Fine.” Starlight sighed. “You’re lucky you’re my best friend, you know that?”

The sound of clicking keys emanated from the other end of the call for a few moments before Starlight came back on the line.

“Okay, got it. Pretty standard robbery here: five guys, all of them armed with assault rifles and shotguns, three are managing the hostages while the other two are working on the vault. If you go in through the skylight you should be able to get the element of surprise on your side and take em all out before anyone gets hurt.”

“Thanks Starlight, you’re the best!” Sunset exclaimed.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Try to avoid getting shot like last time.” The tech expert replied.

“I only got grazed.”

“It still counts, see you later roomie. Over and out.”

The earpiece went dead and Sunset was able to refocus her attention on the citizens in peril. A quick running leap off the side of the building allowed her to clear the street effortlessly without drawing any attention to herself, the police and onlookers too focused on the crisis to even think of glancing upwards.

Peering in through the skylight, the vigilante saw that Starlight’s assertation was indeed correct. There were three guys pacing around the main lobby, keeping their guns leveled at the terrified patrons and bank staff, all adorned in hockey masks and jumpsuits of assorted colors. Thankfully nobody seemed seriously hurt, all the guards had only been restrained and were still very much alive but they might not stay that way if she didn’t act fast. Hostage situations were always tense and a lot of criminals tended to crack under the pressure and do something crazy if they felt cornered.

It took Sunset a few moments to devise an approach that would minimize collateral damage, then several more to get herself hyped up before she was finally ready.

‘Okay Sunset, the stage is set, the lights are hot, and the crowd is screaming your name.’ She thought to herself. ‘It’s showtime.’

Dawnweaver leapt up in the air and came down onto the skylight, smashing through the glass like it was made of paper and showering the area with broken shards.

None of the innocent bystanders were in the splash zone but one of the armed robbers was, yelping in surprise as bits of glass rained down upon him. The poor guy barely had any time to recover from his startled state before Dawnweaver was upon him, laying the criminal out with a flying kick to the head.

“Hi there! I’m here to deliver a package, five or so cans of buttkicking for the gang of bumbling robbers, is this the place?” Dawnweaver quipped.

One of the other robbers, wearing a red jumpsuit, immediately spun on their heel and gasped when they saw Dawnweaver hunched over his fallen friend.

“Holy mother of- It’s the Dawnweaver!” He shouted.

“Well don’t just stand there you idiot! Kill her!” His pal in the green jumpsuit repiled, aiming his shotgun at the vigilante.

Unfortunately his reflexes weren’t up to par and the Dawnweaver shot out a line of web that caught the barrel of his weapon, ripping it out of his hands and sending it flying across the room with a single tug.

Just then one of the thugs who had been working on the safe came around the corner to see what all the commotion was.

“I thought I told you guys to-” Was all he was able to get out before the butt of a flying shotgun slammed into his face, knocking him out cold. 

Sunset chuckled at the rather comedic scene, only for a familiar tingle to shoot down her spine and she immediately jumped back to avoid a volley of gunfire aimed right at the spot she was standing moments ago. It seemed as though the remaining armed robber had snapped themselves out of their stupified state and was now gunning for Dawnweaver, forcing her to run along the walls to keep herself out of harm’s way.

“Stand still you circus freak!” The red jumpsuit thug shouted, wildly spraying bullets in Dawnweaver’s general direction, desperately trying to take her down. His jade colored companion soon joined in with a backup pistol but despite the unfavorable odds, Dawnweaver’s agility proved to be too much for the gun toting duo and within seconds an empty click emanated from their weapons.

The red jumpsuit thug fumbled for their bag, trying to pull out a fresh magazine but his panicked state cost him dearly as Dawnweaver swiftly rammed into him with a shoulder barrage, knocking the wind out of him as he tumbled to the floor with no intention of getting to his feet anytime soon.

There was no rest for the wiry, however, as Dawnweaver saw the glint of a knife out of the corner of her eye and dodged out of the way; the blade mere inches from her face as it passed by.

The green thug had apparently forsaken his firearm for a melee focused approach, making use of a switchblade he had concealed on his person. He took several swings at the vigilante only to whiff each and every time. The criminal getting more and more frustrated with every miss.

That was until Dawnweaver grappled him by the wrist and pulled him in close, placing a hand over his face to activate one of her lesser known powers. The man wasn’t sure what had happened next, one minute he was coming at the superhero with murder in his eyes and the next he felt a sense of calmness come over him coupled with regret. Several memories flashed through his mind at a rapid fire pace, mostly related to his ill mother and baby brother back home.

“Wait, w-what? Was that…m-mom?” He said moments before Dawnweaver socked him across the face.

Sunset didn’t like to use that ability to win a fight, it always felt kind of cheap and scummy, but she was on a bit of a time crunch here. Those gunshots from earlier would attract attention of the remaining goon and she needed to take him down before he did something really desperate like-

“HOLD IT DAWNWEAVER!” A new voice screamed.

Take a hostage…

Dawnweaver slowly turned around and saw, just as she feared, the final burglar had grabbed one of the bank employees and was now holding a gun to her head; his hand was shaking and his eyes were wild, even from across the room Dawnweaver could tell he was panicking. Not a great state of mind for someone holding a gun.

“Easy there bud, let’s not do anything crazy.” Dawnweaver cautioned, gingerly approaching him.

“STAY BACK!” The purple jumpsuited thug shouted, pressing the gun right up against his hostage’s temple. “STAY BACK OR BEEHIVE HAIR HERE GETS IT!”

Dawnweaver held up her hands in the most non-threatening way possible. “Okay, okay! This is me staying back! Now how about you let uh…” the vigilante squinted at the woman’s name tag. “Mrs Cookie Crumbles go and we can talk this out?”

“No fraggin way. You already took out four of my boys, I’m not taking any chances here.” The thug replied. “Now here’s what’s gonna happen next, you’re gonna-“

It was at that moment that Dawnweaver stopped paying attention to whatever this guy was saying and started planning out her next move. 

‘He’s anxious, I’ve got him up against a wall and he knows it. There’s no way I can reason with him now, my only choice is to try and disarm him.’ Dawnweaver thought to herself. ‘I know he’ll aim the gun at me at some point to show he means business, which will give me a split second to take him down. If I move too early and he’ll kill that bank teller, too late and he might get a shot off on me.’

“And a supreme pizza with all the toppings! You got that arachno-girl?!” The thug yelled.

Dawnweaver didn’t say anything, she just stood there, slowly clenching and unclenching her fists. Her eyes leveled dead on the pair standing on the other side of the room.

“I said, you got that?!” The thug repeated, moving the gun away from his hostage to aim at Dawnweaver.

The world seemed to slow down around her, every last muscle fiber in her body moving on pure instinct. Dawnweaver sprang forward like a bullet with her eyes locked onto the purple robber’s gun. She stuck out her arm, clicked down on one of her web shooters, and prayed to whatever forces above that her aim was on point.

Fortunately for everyone involved, luck was on her side today and the string of web hit the gun barrel dead on. Then, in one fluid motion, Dawnweaver ripped the firearm out of his hand and continued on her path towards the surprised criminal. 

With the thug’s leverage gone, the woman caught in his clutches managed to squirm her way free and escape from her captor. He tried to give chase, if for no other reason than to cling to some semblance of control, but it was all in vain as a clothed foot suddenly slammed into the side of his face and knocked him off his feet. 

The robber dropped like a sack of bricks, hitting the tile floor with a loud bang and falling into unconsciousness. Dawnweaver moved in shortly after to web him up, ensuring the masked man wouldn’t be able to pose a threat even after he returned to the waking world. 

“Well, I guess that’s that. Is everyone okay? Anyone hurt?” Dawnweaver asked.

As soon as Dawnweaver got close to the bank teller known as Cookie Crumbles, the woman threw herself at the vigilante with her arms outstretched and tackled Dawnweaver into a bear hug.

“THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!” The woman sobbed into Dawnweaver’s spandex.

Dawnweaver gently wrapped her arms around Cookie Crumble’s form, pulling her in closer while stroking her hair. “Shhh. It’s okay, everything’s okay, I’ve got you.”

It was just another day on the job for the friendly neighborhood Dawnweaver.


*************************


Once Dawnweaver had gotten the heist gang all webbed up and immobilized, the police were given the all clear by the bank’s security team to move in and apprehend the suspects. Which was Dawnweaver’s cue to leave, beloved local hero or not she was still a vigilante and the police weren’t exactly fans of those types. While she was on much better terms with law enforcement now compared to when she was first starting out, there was still a large crowd of officers who believed she needed to be brought in at all costs which included the chief of police Flash Magnus. 

Although that didn’t stop Sunset Shimmer from perching onto the edge of a nearby building to watch the criminals get led out of the building, still bound in webs, towards vacant cop cars alongside shaken civilians who were being tended to various paramedics and having their statements taken by other officers.

This was another moment Sunset lived for as Dawnweaver: seeing her efforts bear fruit. 

Whether it was a cat stuck in a tree or a major supervillain attack, she never got tired of seeing how her actions had a positive effect on the citizens of Canterlot city. Their relieved smiles, their expressions of gratitude, and even the occasional gift that Dawnweaver occasionally accepted to be polite. All of it gave her a sense of accomplishment; knowing that every action she took, no matter how small, was making a difference in the lives of others. A lot of the bank hostages would be able to go home to their families, safe and sound all thanks to her. 

It truly gave Dawnweaver a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. 

The sounds of a chiming bell brought Sunset out of her internal monologue and she spotted a clock tower not too far from her current position, helpfully notifying near passerby that the time was five o’clock in the afternoon.

‘Wait, five o’clock?’ Her eyes widened beneath her mask. ‘OH SHOOT! I’M LATE!’

Sunset abruptly sprung off the edge of the building, completely unbothered by the possibility of being spotted in the midst of her frantic swings. Her mind was too focused on getting across town as fast as humanly possible.

‘Shoot, shoot, shoot! I got so caught up in my patrol that I lost track of time!’ Sunset screamed in her head.

That was the biggest downside of being a superhero: maintaining a proper work-life balance. 

Between school, her job, her superhero gig, and her various social obligations, Sunset had little to no time to rest. Her life was a constant grind moving from one activity to the next.

It was hard keeping up the juggling act sometimes. More than once she fell behind on sleep just to keep up with everything and on particularly rough days it felt like she was going to die from sheer exhaustion even without the bruises she got from the likes of professor Octopus or Tirek. 

Lesser individuals would have broken under the pressure, but not Sunset. Because as she said before: no matter how much weight was placed upon her shoulders, no matter how hard she got hit, she always found a way to keep going.

Which was good because mid way through one of her swings, a drone came flying out of nowhere and slammed right into her face, knocking her out of the air. Luckily her fall was broken by a pile of trash bags sitting on one of the street corners and even more luckily she was only a few more blocks away from her destination. 

One of the lesser known benefits of being a superhero is that one becomes quite adept at quickly changing in and out of different outfits. When trouble springs up and mere moments can mean life or death for dozens of people, being able to suit up as fast as possible becomes a sort of necessity for the job; the last thing Sunset Shimmer needed was for someone to see her throwing cars and swinging webs out of costume. Not only was having this skill great for when she accidentally stumbled into a crime in progress and needed Dawnweaver on the scene ASAP, but also when she need to swap back into her civilian persona just as quickly.

Such as when she was running towards a prior engagement that had slipped her mind and had only mere seconds to spare. Seconds Sunset used by ducking into an alleyway and using a random dumpster while she quickly swapped the white and gold spandex for her usual crop top, leather jacket, and jean combo; a stylized belt buckle that she had received for last year’s heartwarming completing the ensemble. 

A few metaphorical leaps and bounds through the city streets brought Sunset Shimmer to her destination: a local donut shop known as ‘Pony Joe’s’ that had long since become a local hangout spot for college students such as herself thanks to the cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, and godly pastries coming together to form an experience you couldn’t find anywhere else.

“Phew! Made it!” Sunset said through shallow breaths. “And with fifteen seconds to spare too!”

“Wow, that’s a new record isn’t it? You’re usually five minutes late.” A voice Sunset knew all too well teased from behind her.

The red-and-yellow haired girl let out a small ‘eep’ and spun around to find that her boyfriend of several years, Flash Sentry, was leaning against a nearby lamppost with his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face.

“Oh, h-hey Flash!” Sunset stammered, wiping away some of the accumulated sweat on her forehead.

“So what was it this time? Cat stuck in a tree? Run away subway train? Another sinister sirens attack?” the boy said as he casually strolled up to Sunset.

Sunset shook her head. “Bank robbery. I tried to wrap things up as fast as I could but you know how I have to hang back for a bit and give all the hostages a once over. Friendly neighborhood Dawnweaver, ya know?”

“I know.” Flash said, lightly pecking Sunset on the lips. “It’s why I love you so much.”

Sunset smiled warmly and threw her arms around Flash’s shoulders, pulling him into a deeper kiss right there on the sidewalk. Flash’s hands quickly finding their place on the small of her back to fully embrace her.

Only a select few had the privilege of knowing about who Dawnweaver was under the mask, a sort of ‘circle of trust’ Sunset had established for herself consisting of her best friends Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst as well as the love of her life, Flash Sentry. They supported her, held her up when her responsibilities started to weigh her down, and gave her people she could truly confide in about her double life. Without any of them, Sunset may have very well lost herself to some of her darker instincts a long time ago.

The memory of that horrible period of her life where she almost turned into ‘demonweaver’ still made Sunset shudder and she silently thanked her friends everyday for pulling her back from the edge of the abyss.

But there was no point in fretting over bad times, not when she had the sweetest guy in Canterlot City pressed up against her form.

The two of them made out in front of ‘Pony Joe’s’ for a few more minutes before Sunset finally pulled away from Flash with a light giggle, pressing her forehead against his own.

“God I love you so much.” Sunset whispered. “What did I ever do to deserve a guy like you?”

“Other than getting bitten by a mutant spider? How about being the one and only Sunset Shimmer? Lead singer of the Rainbooms, master of chemistry, and the most beautiful girl at Canterlot University?”

Sunset playfully shoved Flash back. “Oh stop it you romantic dork.”

“Hey, I’m just stating the facts! Anyways, wanna head inside? I know Joe’s probably pulling some fresh bear claws out of the oven right now. Your favorite!” The rocker said in a sing song voice.

“After the day I’ve had? A mouthful of frosted pastries sounds amazing.” Sunset replied.

The young couple then looped arms and walked into the donut shop, receiving a chorus of happy greetings from some of the other regulars that frequented the place. Joe already had a small box of bear claws read for Sunset and Flash, along with their usual drink orders straight off the hot chocolate machine as always. 

‘My life may have some ups and downs, twists and turns, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. Through good times and bad, I’ll always be the one and only dawnweaver.’

But while Sunset Shimmer was spending an afternoon pigging out on Joe’s finest creations, she remained blissfully unaware that come tomorrow morning her story as Dawnweaver would soon be reaching its end…

While the tale of another hero was just about to begin.
> An Average Day for An Average Boy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Come on. Almost there….” Spike muttered to himself, a look of pure focus etched on his face.

He had to be absolutely, positively perfect here. One slip of the wrist and hours of hard work would go straight out the window; Spike literally couldn’t afford to screw up now, not when the finish line was so tantalizingly close.

“Just a few more inches and…there! Done!” 

The green haired boy released the solid grip he had been keeping on his pencil for the last half hour or so, letting the drawing tool clatter against his desk as he held up his latest masterpiece. Spike didn’t want to brag but he felt that this was his best work yet.

Decorating the paper was a complex pencil sketch of Spike’s Aunt Luna, the woman leaning on a beach house balcony with a full moon shining down upon her. Spike had happened upon the scene last summer when the whole family went to visit her and auntie Celestia at their vacation home down in Applewood. The fifteen year old had felt a little bad about secretly taking a picture of his favorite aunt without her permission like that, but the pose was just so striking he had to get a reference image for later. The creative potential was too great to pass up.

And his efforts had certainly paid off. Every stroke was flawless, perfectly capturing the almost regal grace Luna carried herself with, with the shading really highlighting the way the natural light of the moon glimmered off her body while standing in a stark contrast to the shadows surrounding her. This was the sort of thing one would hang in a museum and Spike felt a deep sense of pride while looking over his handiwork. 

But unfortunately he wasn’t able to enjoy this moment of satisfaction for long. A series of knocks impacted against his bedroom door, followed by the voice of his mother coming from the other side.

“Spike? Honey? Are you finished packing for school?” Twilight Velvet said.

Spike glanced over at the empty suitcase sitting on his bed, one that he had neglected to pack after getting distracted with his latest art piece.

“Uh…yeah?” Spike replied.

“Spike Sparkle you better not have been doodling all morning!”

“No, no! I’m just putting in my last shirts!” Spike lied, haphazardly throwing bits and pieces of his closet into the suitcase. 

“Come on son!” Spike’s father Night Light called from further down the hall. “This is your first day at Crystal Prep! Being the tardy kid is not a good way to start off the school year!”

Spike scooped up his textbooks and started cramming them into his backpack. “Just one second! I’m- Almost- ready!” he grunted.

Once he had his belongings somewhat organized, or at least to the point where he could hide how thrown together everything was, Spike slipped on the academy uniform: a plum blazer with a light blue undershirt and black tie, along with some dark blue slacks and dress shoes. It made him look sharp, intellectual, and refined.

He hated it. 

Spike preferred hoodies, jeans, and sneakers; the kind of clothes that reflected his true self and made him feel comfortable in his own skin. This outfit clung to his body like a giant leech, sucking the spirit out of him. Just like Ember said it would.

But Spike had to give this a fair chance. His entire family had been so proud when he had gotten that acceptance letter and even more so when he won that scholarship (even though Spike was still convinced it was nothing but pure luck), as much as he hated going to some stuck up, preppie school he had to see it through for their sakes. He didn’t want to let them all down.

That and Spike knew if he tried to blow it off, Twilight and Shining would never let him hear the end of it. The lecture he’d receive would be infamous.

The youngest member of the sparkle family checked himself over one last time in the mirror, ensuring that his hair was reasonably neat and his tie wasn’t a complete disaster, then grabbed his luggage and moved out into the rest of the apartment. An apartment that was currently in the midst of its usual morning chaos. 

Spike barely managed to take two steps into the main hall before he was ambushed by his mother, the older woman pulling him into a hug and pecking him on the cheek.

“Oh look at my little baby! All well dressed and grown up!” Twilight Velvet cooed

“Mom! Cut it out! I’m gonna be late!” Spike said as he broke free from the embrace and moved towards the kitchen.

“Here. Got your breakfast ready champ, everything bagel with jalapeno smear and salmon slices.” Night Light said, sliding a plate over to the boy.

“Thanks dad. Anybody seen my e-pad?” 

“Right here honey!” Twilight Velvet said, pushing the slim device into Spike’s already overflowing backpack. “You better finish up, you need to be out of the door in five minutes.”

“What are you talking about? School doesn’t start for another half hour and I can walk there in fifteen minutes.” 

“Oh you’re not walking.” Night Light said.

“Dad it’s fine, I could use the exercise.” Spike argued.

“Your older brother would disagree with you on that.” the patriarch of the Sparkle family shot back.

Spike nearly dropped his bagel right then and there when he realized what his father was implying. “No. No way! I’m not letting him drive me to school!”

“Sorry Spike, but he insisted and you know how stubborn he can be sometimes.” Twilight Velvet said.

“But he’s also super embarrassing! You know he’s gonna do something dumb and humiliate me in front of the whole school!” Spike whined.

“Maybe you should have thought of that before you and your friends slapped a bunch of stickers all over ninth street two days ago.” the older woman said.

“He saw that?”

Night Light snorted. “He also saw the Romane candle incident over at Everfree park.”

“...Okay, in my defense that was not on purpose.” Spike weakly responded.

“Doesn’t matter. He wanted to be your personal chauffeur for your first day of school to make sure you don’t get into any trouble on the way there and he’s not taking no for an answer.” Twilight Velvet said as she grabbed a cup of coffee.

“But mom-” 

“No buts mister. You should be grateful that your brother is taking time out of his day to do something like this for you. He is a busy man you know.” Twilight Velvet snapped. “Now finish your breakfast and get cleaned up, you don’t want to keep Shining waiting.”

Spike bowed his head in defeat; if mom and dad were siding with Shining then there was really no way of getting out of this. All he could do was sadly munch down the rest of his bagel and hope that the drive would go by quickly.


***********************


Spike sighed and leaned his head back against the seat. “Shining, seriously. You don’t need to drive me to school anymore, I’m fifteen.”

“Spike, you could be fifty and you’d still be my baby brother. Nothing’s ever gonna change that.” Shining Armor replied from his spot in the driver’s seat.

Spike had put up a good argument when he met up with Shining Armor outside (or at least what he thought was a good argument) but his big bro didn’t wanna hear it. He just waved the kid into his police cruiser and set off through the streets of Canterlot City. 

Don’t get him wrong, Spike loved his older brother with all his heart and still looked up to him but the guy was an embarrassing older sibling to the highest degree. Not because of his natural geekiness, he wore that moniker quite well and even scored a beautiful wife in spite of it, but rather because of how he interacted with his siblings. The sort that would always gush over how amazing they are and go on and on about their accomplishments with pride. When Spike had won that middle school art competition it was all he was talking about with his fellow officers at the precinct for two weeks straight.

While Twilight loved having her BBBFF always cheering her on from the sidelines, Spike just found it embarrassing and it didn’t help that his older sister often teamed up with him for such excursions.

‘At least I won’t have to worry about her today. Twilight’s busy with that tech lab internship.’ Spike thought to himself.

So now here he was, stuck in the back of a police cruiser like a criminal while Officer Shining hauled him off to his first day of school. The same way he did when Spike was in Elementary School and in Middle school.

“So…” Shining began, glancing at his younger brother in the rear view mirror. “Excited for your first day at Crystal Prep?”

“No. Not really.” Spike huffed.

“Oh C’mon Spike, you’re gonna love it. I went there and so did your sister when we were your age, it’s a great school with tons of friendly people!” 

“Didn’t you say that you got a swirly from Buck Withers on your first week there?” 

Shining clenched the wheel harder. “Okay so things were a little different back then. But it’s way better now I promise, besides Buck Withers isn’t that bad of a guy once you get to know him. He’s a darn fine officer.”

“Why can’t I just go to Canterlot High? That’s where most of my friends are going! Not this…elitist prep school.” Spike grumbled.

“Spike, you and I both know you’re too good for a regular old school like that.” Shining Armor replied. “I get that you miss your friends but you’ll have plenty of time to make new ones here.”

“Yeah, assuming I don’t flunk out immediately. Only reason I’m here is because I got lucky with that scholarship.” 

“Don’t start with that. You aced the entrance exam just like your sister did, you’ve got every right to be at this school.” Shining Armor huffed. “This is a huge opportunity for you Spike. You really wanna throw it away and end up like your buddy Ember?”

“Hey! Ember’s cool, she’s fun, she’s nice!” Spike snapped.

“She’s a punk is what she is, her and those little flunkies she always hangs out with. Sure Ember may seem like hot stuff now but give it a few years time and I promise you she’ll be nothing more than street trash; robbing convenience stores and vandalizing public property. Wouldn’t be surprised if I end up hauling her into lockup someday.” 

Spike crossed his arms and pouted. “We are not having this conversation again, Shining. Ember is my friend and I like her a lot.”

“Alright, I’m just saying I don’t get why a good kid like you has to get mixed up with somebody like that.”

With that Shining Armor returned his full attention to the city streets as a heavy silence settled over the vehicle, Spike occupying himself by watching the surrounding buildings pass by.

After a few more minutes of this, Shining felt that things were getting a little too awkward and flicked on the radio to create some sort of ambient noise.


And it took public workers six hours to repair the burst pipes after last night’s earthquake


In other news there has been another sighting of the elusive Dawnweaver. During a robbery at the Spoiled Rich savings and loan yesterday afternoon, the superheroine appeared on the scene and quickly gained control of the situation, all of the criminal suspects involved were taken into custody with the hostages only suffering mild injuries thanks to Dawnweaver’s efforts. 



Shining Armor could only groan and roll his eyes. “Dawnweaver. Feh.”

“Shining…” Spike began.

“She’s a vigilante Spike! Doesn’t matter how much good she does, she’s still acting outside of the law! Throwing on some Nightmare Night costume and souping yourself up with some fancy gadgets doesn’t give you a right to go around enforcing your own brand of street justice.” Shining ranted. “Me and the guys at the precinct are out here risking our lives every day, no mask, no fancy toys, and do we get a thank you? No! It’s always that web slinging weirdo who gets all the credit! Gal swings in, does a few fancy flips, and answers to nobody. Doesn’t even have the decency to show her face! I mean really Spike, we’re-”

“We’re here, Shining.” the younger boy said, pointing to the private academy coming up on the right. The front courtyard of the school filled with all sorts of students milling about in matching uniforms.

“Oh, right. Sorry, got a little distracted there.” Shining Armor replied with a light blush dusting his cheeks. 

Spike just shook his head and got out of the car, silently thanking the powers that be that one of Shining’s ‘Dawnweaver’ rants was cut short. For some reason the guy was utterly convinced that Dawnweaver was a menace that needed to be brought down. Spike didn’t share that sentiment, he wasn’t one of those ‘webhead’ fans around town that practically worshiped her but he thought Dawnweaver was alright; she always stood up for the little guy and kept the neighborhood safe, always beating the baddies with a sort of snarky charm. 

“You really need to stop listening to those Gabby Gums podcasts Shining.” Spike remarked as he retrieved his bags from the front seat.

“Yeah, yeah.” Shining replied. “Enjoy your first day at Crystal Prep.”

“I will Shining.”

“Love you Spike.”

“Yeah I know Shining.” Spike said, slamming the door shut with his foot. “See you later.”

Spike turned around to head into the main entrance of crystal prep and made it all the way to the staircase before the sound of a blaring police siren made him freeze in his tracks.

‘Oh no.’ Spike internally cringed.

“You gotta say I love you back Spike.” Shining’s voice echoed through the cruiser’s PA system.

“Shining! Seriously?!” Spike snarled, spinning on his heel to glare at his brother.

“I wanna hear it! I’m not leaving until I do!” Shining continued.

Spike stamped his feet in frustration. “Why do you always have to-”

“I love you big brother!”

“Shining you’re embarrassing-”

“IIIIII love you big brother.”

“Everyone’s staring at-”

“Big brother I love you.”

Spike let out an audible groan and bowed his head in defeat for the second time this morning. He loved his brother but gosh darn it could he be stubborn.

“...I love you Shining.” Spike declared.

“Copy that baby bro.” Shining said, wearing a smug smile so wide it could practically be seen from space. “And don’t forget to say hi to Twily for me!” 

Spike could already hear all of the other students laughing at him, their jeers and taunts filling his ears as he marched into the school. The boy taking on the appearance of a Hearth's Warming decoration with his green hair and blushing red face.

‘Everytime. He has to embarrass me like that every single time, I was hoping for a fresh start but now everyone’s gonna think I’m a baby for the next four years.’ Spike thought to himself. ‘Oh well, at least things can’t get any worse from here.’

“Spike! Hey Spike! Over here!” A certain feminine voice called out.

The green haired kid felt his heart drop into his stomach as he looked over to see none other than his older sister twilight sparkle standing on the other end of the lobby, excitedly waving at him.

‘You have got to be kidding me…’ Spike internally despaired as Twilight practically skipped over to him.

“Hey Spike, how’s my favorite little brother doing this morning?” Twilight beamed.

“Twilight. What are you doing here? I thought you were busy at that lab job out in the mountains!” Spike said.

“Oh, well I talked things over with my boss and got reduced to part time hours on the weekends so I can help run the library here on the weekdays!”

Spike’s hold on his luggage turned into a white knuckle grip, he was going to have to deal with his sister hovering over him while he was at school too?!

“Did Shining put you up to this?” Spike asked.

“No…well maybe. I just wanted to keep an eye on my BLBFF while he makes his educational journey through one of the top schools in the state. Someone’s gotta keep you from slacking off after all.” Twilight said in an annoyingly bubbly tone.

“Great. Just PERFECT.” Spike fumed.

“Aw don’t be like that. It’ll be just like old times, the two of us! Twilight Sparkle and her number one assistant Spike!”

The nearby laugher seemed to grow even louder around and Spike was able to pick out a few taunts among the crowd:

I love you big bro

Twily’s number one assistant

It’s a whole family of dorks

At times like this Spike wished he had the ability to just sink into the ground and escape from this absolute nightmare of a day he was currently having. But since that wasn’t possible, he had to settle for shrinking in on himself and hiding his face the best he could. 

If Twilight noticed her sibling’s discomfort, she didn’t show it. The older girl softly grasping Spike’s shoulder in a friendly manner.

“Since we’ve still got another twenty-two minutes and thirteen seconds before the freshman orientation, how about I give you a personal tour of the school grounds? I know it’s been a few years since I graduated but I know Crystal Prep like the back of my hand!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Alright, fine. Not like I have anything better to do right now.” Spike grumbled.

“That’s the spirit Spike!” Twilight replied, grabbing her brother by the arm and dragging him deeper into the building. “Let’s go, we’ve got quite a lot to cover!”

The best way Spike could describe the overall aesthetic of Crystal Prep Academy was ‘regal’. Everything had a very affluent vibe to it from the general architecture to the smug air the students carried themselves with to the unusual cleanliness of the whole place. There were a few touches here and there that reminded Spike he was still very much in a high school with normal teenagers such as the bulletin board covered with all sorts of after school club flyers and other announcements, but it wasn’t enough to mitigate how out of place Spike felt here nor the growing anxiety that came with the thought of spending four whole years here.

For once, Twilight’s geeky ramblings provided Spike with a much needed distraction instead of boring him half to death like they usually did.

“And here’s the library! I’ll be working here for most of the day so if you ever need to find me for any reason, feel free to swing by for a chat!” Twilight exclaimed as she led the way into the aged stacks. “Speaking of which, there’s actually a rather interesting history behind the Crystal Prep Library. Back in 1951, a few years after the school was established, a fire broke out at the local-”

Nope, nevermind. Stewing in his own nerves was better. 

Much like his older brother, Spike had an equally interesting relationship with his sister Twilight. As much as they loved Shining, there was no denying that the two of them shared a closer sibling bond than the one maintained with their older brother. They weren’t just siblings, they were lifelong friends. Be it Twilight acting as Spike's personal tutor in elementary school or Spike helping Twilight calm down when she was in the midst of one of her meltdowns, they always looked out for each other, protected each other, and loved each other.

But then Twilight, the prodigy that she was, ended up getting sent ahead a few grades and this in turn caused her to slip away from Spike. The girl buried herself in her work, making less and less time not only for Spike but her family in general as her obsession with the road ahead grew. She may have relaxed somewhat after being picked up for that research lab internship and taken a step back from it all, but the damage had been done and her relationships had remained strained. It didn’t help that her workplace was way up north in the mountains and saddled her with a pretty busy schedule.

‘That’s probably why she’s doing this. Trying to make up for lost time, again.’ Spike thought to himself.

“And with that, we come to the end of our tour! Just in time too, freshman orientation starts in a few minutes. You’d better get in there Spike!” Twilight said.

It was at that moment that Spike realized that he had pretty much tuned out Twilight’s entire tour and the two of them were now standing in front of the auditorium where all of the freshman students were being filed in one by one.

“Oh, right. Thanks Twilight.” Spike replied.

Twilight smiled at the green haired boy and pulled him into a tight hug. “You’ll do great here Spike. I just know it.”

She gave her baby brother one last kiss on the top of his head before gently pushing him into the crowded auditorium, waving him goodbye as she disappeared around the corner. Leaving Spike all by himself in a sea of unfamiliar faces. 

The green haired teen swallowed down as much of his anxiety that he could and scanned the auditorium for the nearest available seat, which just so happened to be next to where a REALLY attractive girl was sitting with alabaster skin and silky, violet hair styled into perfect curls. 

It took quite a bit of effort on Spike’s part to fend off his hormones so his gaze didn’t wander further south to more inappropriate areas as he approached the girl.

“Uh, hey, is this seat taken?” Spike asked her.

The girl glanced up at him and made a quick ‘go ahead’ gesture, returning her attention to whatever it was she was looking at moments before. Spike awkwardly sliding into the seat next to her.

Now that Spike had a chance to get a closer look at the girl, he realized that she was a few years older than him. Not as old as Twilight but closer to a junior or a senior student. So it was odd she’d be attending freshman orientation.

Spike was about to ask her about it out of pure curiosity, but the sound of microphone feedback drew his attention to the stage where several members of Crystal Prep’s staff were getting settled. One of them, an old crone with violet hair tied into a neat bun and half moon glasses sitting on her face, approached the podium.

“Attention everyone? Your attention please? I am Principal Cinch and allow me to be the first to welcome you all to Crystal Prep Academy, where we carefully cultivate the minds of today to mold them into the future leaders and innovators of tomorrow. Your academic journey will be filled with peaks and valleys but rest assured your future is in good hands here. Furthermore-“

A soft groan passed through Spike’s lips, he could already feel the boredom setting in. He didn’t know how long this orientation would last but with the way Principal Cinch was droning on and on it may as well have been forever. The boy was ready to simply zone out and daydream for the next hour or so when a refined voice suddenly spoke up:

“My, my. That woman must adore the sound of her own voice.” 

Spike glanced to his right and saw that the remark had come from the girl next to him, who was now sporting a somewhat annoyed expression.

“Sure seems like it.” Spike whispered back. “Hey can I ask you something?”

“By all means.”

“What are you doing at the freshman orientation? You look like you’re one of the seniors here.”

“Oh. Um, well I…transferred here recently, from a different town. My father recently obtained a new job in Canterlot City and with my academic credentials, I was able to attend Crystal Prep easily.”

Spike nodded in understanding. “Ah, gotcha….I’m Spike by the way.”

“Rar- I mean ra-ra-Rachel! Yes, my name is Rachel!” The girl said a bit louder than necessary, getting shushed by the students around her.

“Rachel?”

‘Rachel’ nodded.

“Huh, that’s kind of a weird name. I thought you would have been Diamond Gleam or Opal or something like that.” 

“It’s a European name.” Rachel quickly said. “But enough about me darling, how about you tell me what brought you to this lovely institution?”

“Well…last year I applied to this art scholarship after my family guilt tripped me into entering. I did a sketch of my neighborhood block, it wasn’t anything that special but apparently it was enough to impress the people in charge and a few weeks later I get a congratulatory letter…”

The two of them spent the rest of the assembly chatting with each other, simply chewing the fat over whatever topics came to mind. It was a comfortable exchange that helped clear out some of the anxiety Spike had picked up from the rough morning he had gone through and he really felt like he had a connection with this girl. There was just something about her that he found so alluring. 

Before either of them knew it, the orientation was coming to a close and all the new students started emptying out of the auditorium in a massive flood of bodies. 

“It’s true what they say, time flies when you’re in good company.” Rachel remarked, standing up from her seat and smoothing out some of the wrinkles on her skirt. “Well I suppose I must be going, settle into my new accommodations.”

“W-wait, do you think we can swap numbers before you go? I’d really like to keep talking with you!” Spike asked with an almost desperate eagerness.

“Unfortunately I can’t, my contact information is not something I give out freely. You do seem like a pleasant boy but I simply cannot share that sort of thing until I’m certain I can trust you.” Rachel replied.

“Oh.”

“Come now, it’s not as though this will be the last time we see one another. I’m sure we’ll have more encounters in passing, perhaps we’ll even have the good fortune of sharing a few classes.”

“Yeah I guess.” Spike dejectedly replied. “It was really nice to meet you Rachel.”

“The pleasure was all mine Spike.” The girl remarked.

Spike looked on as Rachel walked away, keeping his eyes on her with a sense of longing until she disappeared into the throng of students moving through the auditorium walkways. The green haired boy soon followed suit and joined in with the crowd just as his newest acquaintance had.

It took Spike a few minutes to figure out where he was supposed to go, they probably went over that in the orientation that he didn’t pay attention to while talking with a pretty girl, but after a bit of asking around he headed off towards the dormitory wing where students were supposed to stay throughout the week. Which was good because he was still lugging around his bags and they were really starting to weigh down on him.

A quick check in earned him a room key which in turn brought him to room 306 and with it a whole new sense of fear that came over him. 

During the check in process, Spike was kindly informed that he would be bunking with a roommate for the rest of the semester like the rest of the students; a roommate that had stopped by mere moments before Spike did. Leaving him to ponder what they’d be like: would they be some kind of preppy jerk? A quiet kid that kept to himself? Some a-type neat freak? An endless stream of possibilities ran through his head as he stood before the closed door to his dorm.

‘Stop it.’ Spike internally scolded himself. ‘You gotta think positive about this. For all you know a new best friend is waiting on the other side of this door, but the only way you’re gonna find out is if you suck it up and get this over with.’

So Spike took in a deep breath and slowly opened the door, bracing himself for whatever individual was waiting for him within…which turned out to be a scrawny kid with orange hair, purple eyes, and lime green skin that Spike was very well acquainted with.

“T-Thorax?!” Spike gasped, dropping his bags in surprise. 

The boy looked up from the comic book he was reading and immediately mirrored Spike’s stupefied expression. “Spike?!”
> Two best friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thorax didn’t have the easiest time growing up. 

He was born on what most would consider as the rougher side of Canterlot City, a collection of rundown neighborhoods on the edge of town filled with squalor and crime that tourism boards did their absolute best to hide. Decaying infrastructure, barely livable housing, and plenty of criminal low-lifes were just some of the few hazards that the poor souls who were unfortunate enough to wind up residing there had to face. While the subset did have an official name on the books, Hayseed Hills, practically all of the Canterlot City locals affectionately referred to it as ‘The Badlands’; a fitting name given how inhospitable it was there.

And Thorax’s childhood was spent smack dab in the middle of it all. The boy was raised by an uncaring mother, Chrysalis, with a dozen half-brothers and half-sisters who all came from different fathers. Rumors swirled that Chrysalis was some sort of black widow, leaving behind a trail of dead partners with bastard children being the only proof of their existence, but nothing was ever proven even with the countless disappearances that plagued the area.

Local gossip aside, Chrysalis was still a monster of a mother who largely neglected her children. With so many kids living under a single roof there was hardly enough of well…anything to go around. They often had to fight for the most basic necessities, turning the house into a veritable survival of the fittest where the stronger kids got to have full meals, decent clothes, and their own rooms while the weaker ones subsided on scraps, dressed in rags, and were crammed together in the common areas. What made it worse was that Chrysalis almost seemed to encourage this behavior.

The woman frequently pitted all of her children against one another, using her love and affection as a sort of carrot on a stick to motivate them to tear one another apart. Getting Chrysalis to pay any attention to you in that house was a matter of proving yourself worthy of it, that you stood above your siblings in one way or another. Those that couldn’t had to endure the indignity of being constantly compared to those that could, the phrase ‘why can’t you be more like your brother/sister?’ was repeated so often that it still echoed in Thorax’s head to this day. And when called out on her behavior? The excuse was always the same:

‘Pressure makes diamonds.’

The only thing Chrysalis had going for her as a parent was that she never struck any of her children, none of them endured so much as a spanking from her. Then again she never really needed to, not when Thorax’s siblings were more than capable of handling physical abuse for her.

Growing up in such poor conditions with an emotionally abusive parent was bound to make anyone a little messed up in the head, but Thorax’s siblings were on an entirely different level. Most were constantly on edge, hair trigger tempers that were ready to lash out at even the slightest provocation thanks to the stressors of their horrible home life piling up. When they weren’t getting into trouble around the neighborhood or being absolute menaces at school, they’d take their anger out on each other and Thorax…well Thorax often caught the worst of it.

Thorax was the weakest of his siblings, the runt of the litter, the omega. His older siblings were pushing him around constantly; beating him up, breaking his things, and destroying any sense of self esteem he had with frequent insults and taunts. The fact that he was a timid kid who had trouble standing up for himself and a bit of a crybaby only egged on their bullying. 

The only reason he survived at all was because of his twin brother Pharnyx. In a stark contrast to Thorax, Pharnyx was one of the toughest if not THE toughest member of the family. Despite being the youngest he was more than capable of beating the snot out of his older siblings through pure ferocity and aggression, establishing himself as the de facto king of the house when Chrysalis wasn’t around. A position he used to engage in a bit of nepotism by making sure Thorax was at least somewhat taken care of in terms of basic necessities and that his siblings didn’t beat him up too bad. Even if he picked on Thorax a little, it was clear Pharnyx cared quite a lot about his brother.

But even the bonds of brotherly love can be so easily severed. 

As Thorax made his way through school, it quickly became apparent to his teachers that the boy was a veritable prodigy. No matter what subject it was, he tackled it with gusto and brought back some of the highest scores in his grade. Everything came so easily to him and after winning first prize at a science fair, that intellect caught the attention of mommy dearest who started lavishing her youngest child with affection. Thorax became Chrysalis’ favorite, her golden child and his standard of living rapidly rose as a result.

However, that also painted a massive target on his back. All of Thorax’s siblings, including Pharnyx, grew jealous of their baby brother’s success and ramped up the abuse tenfold. Chrysalis was able to get them to back off for the most part, threatening them with punishments if any harm came to Thorax. But she wasn’t always around to protect him and Thorax’s siblings came up with new ways to punish him without leaving a mark.

Things only got worse when Chrysalis started to be absent from the house for extended periods of time. At first she was only way for a few extra hours than normal but those hours grew into days, days that took their toll as Thorax was left at the mercy of his older siblings. This went on until one day Chrysalis went away…and never came back.

 No note, no phone call, nothing. The woman had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth and a full week went by before someone noticed and called the proper authorities. Once she was marked down as a missing person, Thorax and the rest of his siblings were quickly brought into the child care system and divided up amongst various orphanages and halfway houses.

Thorax had the good fortune of being moved into the ‘Crystal Heart Orphanage’ in the center of Canterlot city, run by the kindhearted Mrs. Mi Amore who welcomed the newest arrival with open arms.

Compared to his old living conditions, Thorax had practically been shipped off to paradise: three home cooked meals a day, a bed that didn’t feel like it had been pulled out of a dumpster, and some of the sweetest caretakers he had ever met. If Thorax didn’t know any better he’d think Cadance Mi Amore was an angel in disguise. Even if it wasn’t perfect by any means, the Crystal Heart Orphanage was still a massive improvement over his old home.

Thorax should have been happy. He was gaining a healthy amount of weight, his bruises started healing, and he actually had time to study in peace now; he had everything a kid like him could ask for….and yet his life felt more empty than ever.

In a messed up way, Thorax missed his siblings. Especially Pharynx. For all their faults they were still his family and now that they were gone, a crushing sense of loneliness came over him. The other kids at the orphanage tried to engage with him but Thorax’s scars ran too deep and he only distanced himself further from any form of social interaction, finding solace in the weekly library trips the Orphanage held. 

It was through one of those trips that the eight year old Thorax met another kid his age by the name of Spike. He didn’t know what possessed the green haired child to walk up and start a conversation with someone he’d never met, Spike told him that he thought Thorax looked lonely and could use a friend. Thorax tried to ignore him at first and focus on the latest edition of Daring Doo, but with a bit of prodding Spike managed to get Thorax to start chatting with him until his older sister came by to take him home.

They didn’t get a chance to exchange contact information so Thorax wrote the boy off as a pleasant, one-time encounter that added a bit of light to his life. All while trying to ignore the odd tightness in his chest at Spike’s departure.

So imagine his surprise when Spike turned up at the Crystal Heart Orphanage a week later, his older brother apparently dating headmistress Cadance, and practically jumped at the chance to spend more time with Thorax. 

This led to several more encounters and playdates between the two, causing a deep friendship to blossom and the sense of loneliness Thorax felt ever since he was brought into the orphanage began to ebb away. Spike was the first truly good thing that had come into his life and he treasured their bond every single day.

Which was why Thorax’s face broke out into a wide smile as soon as he got over the shock of seeing his best friend standing in the doorway. The boy shot up from his chair and practically tackled Spike into a tight hug, squeezing the life out of his best friend.

“SPIKE! OH MY GOSH! IT’S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU!” Thorax exclaimed.

“Yeah…Same…here!” Spike choked out as his ribs started to ache. “Can…you…let…go?!”

“Whoops! Sorry, got a little too excited there!” Thorax said, quickly releasing the boy who went to work smoothing his uniform out.

“It’s okay, it’s fine. What are you doing here anyways?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I got accepted into Crystal Prep academy! They said my grades were some of the best they’d seen and that personal recommendation letter Cadance sent in cinched it!” Thorax beamed.

“What?! Why didn’t you tell me you were applying here?” Spike said.

Thorax shrugged. “Well I knew you were applying and I didn’t wanna put more pressure on you to get in, knowing I was going here. I was worried you’d get all nervous about failing the entrance exam and never getting to see me again because I was busy with school.”

“I wouldn’t have gotten nervous!” Spike protested, only for Thorax to give him a knowing look. “Okay maybe a little.”

“Well it doesn’t matter anyways. We both made it in! And by the look of it we’re gonna be roomies for the whole semester!”

Thorax started twirling around the room in joy. “This is going to be so much fun! We can have movie nights, be study buddies, and….and…” the boy soon started babbling so much that Spike could hardly keep up with what he was saying. Yet that didn’t stop a smile of his own from creeping onto his lips.

His best friend’s cheerfulness always had a contagious quality to it, like a ray of sunshine bursting through even the darkest of clouds and boy did Spike need it after the rough day he’d had so far. But seeing as Thorax would probably be too caught up in his excitement to pay any attention to his surroundings for the next few minutes, Spike quickly went to work unpacking his luggage and getting settled on the top bunk; the presence of a familiar set of bed sheets and posters making it clear that Thorax had already laid claim to the bottom bunk.

By the time Spike was folding up the last few bits of his underwear, Thorax finally snapped out of his long winded chattering.

“Oh but we’ll have plenty of time to get to that later.” Thorax finished. “Anyways, how was your first day here?”

“Fine…I guess.” Spike muttered.

“Spike. What happened?” 

“Shining Armor insisted on dropping me off at school this morning.” the green haired boy replied.

Thorax lifted an eyebrow in confusion. “So? That sounds really nice of him.”

“Thorax he embarrassed me in front of everyone! Made me say ‘I love you big bro’ right at the front entrance!”

“Oh that was you?” Thorax asked. “I heard some other people giggling about that in the halls.”

Spike groaned and plopped down on the bed, burying his blushing face in his hands. 

“Great, just great. The whole stinking school probably knows by now, they’re gonna be laughing behind my back for the rest of the year.”

“Hey c’mon now, it’s not that bad! I’m sure some new rumor or gossip will pop up in a week or two and everyone will forget about the whole thing!” Thorax said.

“Yeah, assuming Twilight isn’t embarrassing me on a daily basis…” 

Thorax’s expression shifted slightly at that. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you know? She’s gonna be working at the school library on the weekdays. So I’m going to have to deal with my older sister babying me every day of the week!” Spike whined.

“Do you think it’s like what she did last summer?” Thorax asked. “Where she felt guilty for ignoring you for so long that she-”

“Can we NOT talk about that? Please?!” Spike snapped, immediately interrupting his friend. The last thing he wanted to bring up was the whole sibling supreme incident and the immediate fallout that had put a decent amount of strain on his relationship with Twilight. 

“Alright, alright. But at least she’s trying right? That’s more than my siblings ever did for me.” Thorax softly replied.

“I guess that’s true.” Spike huffed, laying back on the bottom bunk and staring at the ceiling. “Hopefully she won’t meddle too much.”

“If she does, I can put in a good word with Cadance to make her stop. She always listens to her old babysitter.” Thorax chuckled as he laid down next to Spike.

“Thanks Thorax.”

For the next few minutes Spike and Thorax just laid there on the bed, enjoying the comfortable silence setting over them that was so rarely found in the hustle and bustle of Canterlot City. A silence that came to an end when Spike spoke up again.

“Today wasn’t all bad though.” Spike remarked.

“Really? How so?”

“I met someone…a girl.” Spike grinned.

“You-you did?” Thorax said.

A light blush came across his purple cheeks. “Yeah. Her name’s Rachel, we sat next to each other during freshman orientation and really hit it off! She’s really pretty and smells like lavender.” Spike swooned, grinning like a bufoon. 

“Oh that’s….that’s nice.” Thorax said, looking uncharacteristically nervous all of a sudden. “I’d love to hear more about her but I just remembered I have a really important call to make in private that’s totally unrelated to this conversation! I’ll be back in a little bit!” 

Thorax then stood up from the bed, grabbed his phone off the desk, and rushed out of the room before Spike could get so much as a word in.

“Huh, weird.” Spike said. “Oh well, I could use a little alone time anyways.” 

Spike reached into his bag, pulled out his favorite sketchbook and settled down for some casual doodling. 

Today had been filled with all sorts of ups and downs. But now that he had his best friend and honorary brother by his side, maybe Spike’s days here at Crystal Prep academy wouldn’t be so bad after all!


*************************


This was bad, this was extremely bad. 

Spike had only been at Crystal Prep for a week now and his skull felt like it was going to split open from the overwhelming amounts of stress he had endured. Every day was filled with tight schedules and heavy work loads that left him practically sprinting from class to class, struggling endlessly to keep up with his assignments and quizzes as the pressure he was now under became all too real.

‘How did Shining and Twilight survive four whole years of this?!’ Spike thought to himself as he powered through his latest calculus quiz.

Sure there were benefits to the school. A gourmet cafeteria that served food that wasn’t just edible but comparable in quality to the stuff he got at home, an amazing art studio with all the craft supplies Spike could ever want, and teachers that seemed legitimately passionate about their jobs who really cared about student success (well except for professor Neighsay, thank goodness he only had one class with the man).

But that did little to improve his experience here. Everywhere Spike went, through every class and social interaction he had here, he was constantly followed by a sense of displacement; as though he was a stranger lost in a strange land. He missed his old neighborhood and the friends he had made within it immensely.

At least Spike still had a few friends here to make the experience here a bit more tolerable, they were practically the only reason he hadn’t gone insane.

Thorax was, as expected, a complete delight to have. Despite some of his socially awkward tendencies, Thorax was a master of adapting to new surroundings and blending in; he was practically a shapeshifter with how well he could camouflage himself in an unfamiliar situation. He helped Spike navigate his initial days at the academy, keeping him up to date on how things worked around campus and lending a helping hand when he started to struggle…which happened quite a lot during the first few days.

Spike could only hope that Thorax’s reassurances that things would get easier once he had properly adjusted to Crystal Prep proved true.

Twilight on the other hand was surprisingly helpful. The library kept her busy for most of the day but what little time she could spare for one on one time with Spike was filled with useful advice, words of encouragement, and occasionally snacks from his mother that Twilight had taken the liberty of delivering to him. Even so, it all felt a little too forced for his taste. Like it was just another tactic she was using to try and mend the rift that had formed between them. A rift Spike had trouble letting go of.

But then there was Rachel. Sweet, sophisticated Rachel. The school may have been large in size but that didn’t keep them from frequently running into one another during passing periods and down times, Spike even had the good fortune of sharing one of his art classes with her where he was able to impress her with his visual talents. The foundation set by their positive first meeting was only built upon through frequent interactions and Spike could feel just the teeny tiniest crush start to form for the girl. 

He couldn’t help it. Not only was Rachel absolutely beautiful, but she had this deep passion within her that was concealed behind a refined persona that drew Spike in like a magnet. Maybe she was out of his league but that didn’t matter to Spike, the more time they spent together the more he grew to adore her. Now if only Spike could figure out how to make his feelings known to her.

The boy had gone to Thorax for advice but for some strange reason he didn’t seem to be a big fan of Spike’s new paramour. Everytime Spike brought her up, Thorax would either change the subject or even try to dissuade him from pursuing her.

I dunno Spike. She seems like a total snob to me.

She’s two or three years older than you Spike, she’ll be off to college by junior year.

Just look at her hair, it’s all weird and coily. Who styles their hair like that?

Spike couldn’t understand why Thorax had it out for Rachel. Sure she was a bit distant, was always looking over her shoulder, and was very clearly keeping countless secrets. But she was a nice girl and once they got to know each other a little better she’d open up to him, Spike was sure of it. Then they’d start dating, have plenty of wonderful dates together, and maybe once they both got through college they could-

“Spike? Spike!” Thorax shouted, tapping a pencil against his best friend’s head. “Earth to Spike? Can you read me?!”

“Huh? oh, sorry. Spaced out there for a second.” Spike said. 

“You were thinking of that Rachel girl again weren’t you?” Thorax said.

“Yeah….”

Thorax sighed and closed the text book in his lap. “I’m telling you Spike. She’s a bad match for you.”

“You barely even know her, Thorax!” Spike argued.

“You don’t know her well either!” Thorax countered. “You’ve known Rachel for only a week and suddenly you’re convinced you two are meant to be soulmates?”

“Oh come on Thorax, I thought you’d back me up on this. You’re supposed to be my best friend!”

“I am! Which is why I’m trying to talk you out of this! I know for a fact that things would never work out between the two of you and I don’t wanna see my best friend’s heart get broken!” Thorax exclaimed.

“No, that would never happen. We’re meant to be together, I can feel it.” Spike stated. “Like our fates were intertwined and we met each other for a reason.”

“Spike, this isn’t Love Choice. You shouldn’t have your heart set on this one girl that you met last week. I know she seems nice and pretty and all that stuff but trust me, there’s a lot of girls and guys out there that would be a way better match for you than her.” Thorax said.

Spike crossed his arms. “Oh yeah? Like who?”

“Well I have a few ideas….”

Right on cue, a small plink came from their dorm room window; followed by several more plinks. The sound immediately catching Spike’s attention and he looked over to see that someone was tossing pebbles at the glass.

Curiosity piqued, Spike strolled over and slid the window open. Sticking his head out into the cool air of the night settled over Canterlot City to try and figure out where the odd disturbance was coming from.

“Spike! Hey! Down here!” A familiar raspy voice said.

Spike directed his gaze towards the exclamation and immediately lit up when he saw none other than his second best friend in the whole wide world standing on the sidewalk: Ember Scorcheart.

She was the perfect picture of punk rock. A dark blue mohawk contrasting against her sapphire blue skin dotted with all sorts of scars and bruises. A faded ‘Daybreaker’ t-shirt covering her toned form and a jean jacket with the sleeves ripped off draped over that. A set of ripped jeans and combat boots being the cherry on top of her countercultural aesthetic.

“Ember? What are you doing here?!” Spike shouted.

“Come down here and I’ll tell ya!” Ember shouted back. 

“Can’t you just tell me now?!”

“Do you want me to blow out my lungs shouting?!” The blue haired girl snarked. “Just get your butt down here and bring Thorax with you!”

Spike shook his head with a lighthearted chuckle, that was Ember alright. The same passionate and assertive girl he had met back in middle school. He moved to change out of his uniform into something more comfortable only for the knowing smile Thorax was doing a poor job of concealing to catch his eye.

“You set this up didn’t you?” Spike deadpanned.

“You’ve been having a really hard week at Crystal Prep. I thought you could use a relaxing night out with friends.” Thorax replied.

“...thank you.”

The boys quickly got themselves suited up in casual clothes: Spike opting for his favorite white shirt with a green dragon printed on the front and a purple hoodie; while Thorax put on a forest green tank top and magenta overshirt. They were about to head into the hall when Spike remembered something.

“Wait, I forgot about curfew. You know that school security would never let us go out this late.” Spike grumbled.

“Oh don’t worry, Ember and I thought of that.” Thorax said, pulling out a rope ladder from under his bed.

“You guys are the best!”

Thorax quickly got the ladder set up at the window and a short climb down brought them right in front of the third member of their friend trio who was casually leaned against a lamp post.

Spike moved to greet her but as soon as he got within range, Ember put him into a headlock and gave the boy a playful little noogie. As she always did. It was her special way of saying hello.

“Hey there, Spike. How’s my favorite dork doing?” Ember teased.

“Ember! Cut it out!” Spike laughed.

“Ah, just what I thought. That wussy rich kid school has made you gone soft.” Ember joked before releasing Spike from her hold, the boy quickly fixing his messed up hair.

“Believe me. If I could go to Canterlot High I would. How’s everyone else doing?” Spike asked.

Ember shrugged. “Oh you know, same old drama. Button Mash and Diamond Tiara are still on again off again, Gallus is still in the closet, and Garble really misses you.”

“More like misses his favorite punching bag…” Spike muttered under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” Spike quickly replied. “So uh, you mentioned you had a surprise for me?”

Ember clapped her hands together. “Right! It’s about five or six blocks from here so we’d better get moving.”

“Five or six?!” Thorax sputtered. “You said it’d only be two or three blocks!”

“Don’t be such a baby Thorax. It’s not that far.” Ember snarked. “Besides, that just means we’ll have more time to catch up on the way there!”

“On the way where?” Spike asked.

“You’ll see. Trust me, you’re gonna love this!” Ember grinned.

A part of Spike wanted to keep pressing the issue but the temptation of a long walk around town with his friends ultimately won out. Ember was a trustworthy gal and she’d never intentionally put either of her friends in danger.

Plus she was kinda cute when she got all excited like this.

“If you say so Ember. Lead the way.” Spike said.

“That’s more like it! Let’s go!” Ember exclaimed.

The three teenagers set off into the streets of Canterlot city. Intent on having a fun night out together…blissfully unaware that they were on a direct collision course with fate itself.
> Along came a spider...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines, and Ember? Ember was a tough girl. That wasn’t just the opinion of those who were familiar with her, it was a basic fact of life.

No surprise considering she was raised solely by her father Torch, a retired drill sergeant, after her mother passed away shortly after Ember was born. 

He was a man that believed strongly in ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ but never to the point of unnecessary cruelty. Torch considered beating one’s offspring to be in poor taste and a very ineffective way of instilling a sense of discipline in a child.

No, his punishments were more centered around the sort of thing he’d put army recruits through: verbal reprimands, solitary confinement (also known as the time out corner), and lots and lots of physical training. 

Torch had trained her aggressively, determined to toughen her up for a harsh world she’d have to face as a full grown woman. Martial arts classes, wilderness survival camping trips, and plenty of obstacle courses; all done under the pretense of family bonding time.

Ember heard the phrase ‘drop and give me twenty’ so often it had become a Pavlovian response for her. 

But despite a rather aggressive approach to parenting, Ember felt that her father had done a fairly good job raising her. Torch was harsh but he was fair and the punishments were never excessive in regards to what she had done. 

He praised her when she succeeded and helped her learn when she had failed; as long as Ember had truly given it her all he was never truly disappointed in her. Is it any surprise that she considered herself a bit of a daddy’s girl with how close they were during her childhood?

Those were such wonderful days. Just the two of them living out in the countryside in a modest farmhouse surrounded by forests and fields stretching for miles around, giving Ember plenty of space to run around and have her own little adventures while her father was busy heading up a local mining operation as the foreman. Be it relaxing in the grass and watching the clouds go by or catching fireflies under a blanket of stars, that town was Ember’s own little paradise and she wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Unfortunately Torch did not share in these feelings about their humble little existence as Ember would soon learn.

Ember was given the news as soon as she got home from her last day of elementary school, after she had graduated from the fifth grade. Instead of the fun filled summer with her father that she had grown accustomed too, Ember was informed that the next few months would be a time of upheaval. 

After putting in a significant amount of time and effort, Torch had achieved a long standing dream of his to own a gym and be his own boss for a change instead of taking orders from others. He had selected the perfect location, gotten the building fully up to code, lined up the necessary staff; everything was ready to go off without a hitch!

The only problem? The gym wouldn’t be in their small little town of Ruby Ridge, it was in Canterlot City. Which meant that they’d be leaving the calm fields behind for a chaotic concrete jungle,

Understandably Ember didn’t take the news well and while she tried her best to dissuade Torch from leaving the town she had grown to adore, her father stood firm in his decision and all but ordered her to start packing up her things in preparation for the big move. Leaving Ember with little recourse but to put on a brave face and try to make the best of it.

A task that proved to be much more difficult than Ember anticipated. The girl was not well acclimated to city life and going from a wide open expanse to cramped streets filled with blaring cars and inconsiderate pedestrians was not good for her general mood. Ember could barely sleep during the initial weeks in Canterlot City due to the sheer amount of noise constantly echoing through the area.

Sure there were a few advantages such as everything being in walking distance and having all sorts of new potential hangout spots right at her finger tips, but those hardly made up for all the perceived downsides that came with her new life. Nevertheless, Ember wasn’t raised to be a quitter and as long as she had her father by her side she just knew she’d be able to face any challenge this new chapter of her life could throw at her.

Which is why it was all the more demoralizing when Ember found the bond she shared with Torch slowly began to fade away. 

Running a local gym, especially in the big city, was hard work. Everything from balancing the books to settling staff disputes to keeping up on heath and safety regulations kept old Torch swamped with work; he did his best to delegate but there was only so much he could foist off onto his underlings and he didn’t trust anyone else to man the helm in his absence. 

As a result he started spending less time with Ember and more time keeping his business running smoothly. She could no longer count on his comforting presence to be there when she got home, instead it was a steady stream of sticky notes and apologetic phone calls for not being available with hollow promises to make it up to her at a later date. All of which only served to anger her more.

It was bad enough that Ember had to lose the tranquility of Ruby Ridge and all the joy it brought her, but now her own father was starting to ignore her in favor of some stupid gym? It was enough to drive a girl crazy!

By the time school started up again, Ember walked through the doors of Canterlot middle school with a dark cloud hanging over her head and a whole lot of pent up aggression looking for an outlet. 

Which she soon received in the form of the school bully Garble who was looking to show the new girl her place. Ember tried to ignore his taunts at first but when he tried to grab her shoulder is when she finally lost her temper and beat the living snot out of him. The thrashing was so brutal that it took two teachers to pry her off the poor boy and haul the two of them to the principal’s office.

The worst part about that whole incident wasn’t the two weeks detention she received nor the disappointed look that Torch showed up with on his face. No, the worst part is that the scolding she received from her father was the most attention she had received from him in weeks.

Maybe that’s why she kept acting out. So Torch would be forced to at least acknowledge his daughter instead of constantly blowing her off with work.

The one good thing that came out of it all was that she managed to earn Garble’s respect as well as the respect of his friends who soon welcomed her into their little clique and appointed her the leader of the group. One could say Ember was making fast friends, but they were much more like henchmen and underlings with the way they regarded her. 

Ember didn’t much care for them as a whole but at least it gave her something to keep herself distracted as she spiraled into the world of juvenile delinquency and grew increasingly distant from the father she once loved.

The girl quickly gained a reputation as the new bully in town, picking up where Garble left off and becoming infamous amongst the student body. She was respected, feared, and actively scorned. Yet…she still couldn’t shake away that hollow feeling in her gut.

On some level Ember knew she was throwing her life away, turning into the sort of person she hated, but that feeling was buried underneath a swath of aggression and negative emotion. If the most important person in her life wouldn’t give her the attention she needed then she’d try to find something else to fill that hole.

The girl would have likely continued that downward spiral until she hit rock bottom in the worst possible way. If not for the timely intervention of a certain green haired boy. 

It was Ember’s second year of middle school, she was in the middle of zoning out during a history class when she snapped out of her daydreams just in time to hear the professor say something about a ‘partner project’ and that she’d be working with one of her classmates for the next few weeks on it. Said classmate? Some pint sized little dork named Spike who had gotten bumped up to one of the advanced classes thanks to ‘outstanding academic performance’ as he mockingly stated.

Ember disliked him almost immediately. Weakness was something she frowned upon and that twerp looked like he’d snap like a piece of balsa wood under pressure; the way he flinched at her aggressive approach only seemed to confirm such assumptions and she resigned herself to just blowing off the assignment and letting him do all the work for an easy A. 

But Spike had different plans. After their poor first meeting, Spike approached her again with an odd sort of resolve she hadn’t seen in him before and threatened to fail the assignment on purpose if she didn’t put in her fair share of the work. Obviously she tried to pull her usual intimidation tactics to get the boy to change his tune but Spike wasn’t budging.

Ember could have easily solved that issue with a bit of physical violence but something about the way he went up against her, having the guts to stand up to someone who could easily knock him on his butt struck a chord in Ember and she relented to his demands. 

What followed next was…odd to say the least. 

Spike was well aware of her reputation and who she was, some of his friends had been stuffed into lockers and been left hanging from the flagpole by her personally, but that didn’t keep him from treating Ember with nothing but kindness and respect whenever they were working together.

It felt…nice, actually. Like that hole her father had left behind was being filled; not completely mind you but enough for her to feel moderately okay for the first time in a while. 

From there Ember started to relax to a degree, Spike proving to be just the positive influence she needed to ease off her more aggressive tendencies and escape her downward spiral. The project soon turned into an excuse for the two of them to keep hanging out and when it ended, Ember swallowed her nerves and asked Spike if they could keep up these routine meetings. To which he gave a resounding yes.

From there, a friendship naturally flourished between them and with it Ember started to turn her life around. Spike’s presence motivating her to be a better person, to be the sort of individual he’d WANT to be friends with.

She didn’t do a full one-eighty in terms of personality mind you. The rebellious punk counterculture was something Ember found to genuinely enjoy and she was still the tough, assertive girl that her father had raised. But she stopped bullying people, stopped getting into trouble as much as she used to, and started getting her life back together. Much to the chagrin of Garble and his braindead friends but they couldn’t do much against a girl who could wipe the floor with them if they ever stepped out of line. 

While Thorax was a little more apprehensive towards her and Ember couldn’t blame the guy after Spike told her about his homelife, he eventually warmed up to the girl and the three of them became this sort of tight knit group of misfits that watched out for each other. Their respective personality traits complimenting each other perfectly. She never did quite regain the relationship she had with her father, but the warmth and comfort given off by her new dorky friends more than made up for it. Especially when it came to Spike.

But as time went on and the throes of puberty began to set in, Ember started to see the green haired boy in a whole new light that made her desire a relationship with him that went far beyond a mere platonic friendship. 

Thus it was imperative that Ember learned as much as she could about this ‘Rachel’ chick who had caught Spike’s eye before it was too late to make her move.

“So what did you find out about Rachel? What kinda stuff is she into? Is she hotter than I am?” Ember demanded.

“Ember, for the last time: you look great. she’s not prettier than you.” Thorax said.

“Then why is Spike going gaga for her and not me?!” Ember snapped, only for Thorax to shush her. The boy jerked his head towards their shared acquaintance bringing up the rear.

“You say something Ember?” Spike asked.

“Just talking over the surprise with Thorax!” Ember replied. “Don’t worry about it!”

Spike shrugged and turned the majority of his attention back to his phone where he was scrolling through some pictures he had taken of Canterlot city, trying to find inspiration for his next sketch.

“Look, I know this seems bad.” Thorax said, lowering his voice to a whisper. “But I promise everything’s under control. Spike’s known you for years, he’s known Rachel for about a week. You have a massive head start.”

“And a lot of good that’s done. The closest I’ve gotten is during that meteor shower and I chickened out before I could tell him how I felt. Now some new girl’s entered the picture and soon he’ll forget about me.” Ember sighed.

Thorax narrowed his eyes. “Stop it. The Ember I know wouldn’t give up so easily. So someone else has caught Spike’s interest, so what? That just means you have to fight even harder for him, you’re not gonna let Rachel just steal him away are you?”

 We haven’t lost yet, there’s still plenty of time to nudge Spike in the right direction and make sure you two end up together. You are going to get married and have beautiful kids together, I promise.”

“But Thorax-”

“You’re the perfect girl for him Ember, Spember is meant to be. You two are going to get married and have a bunch of beautiful kids down the road, I just know it.”

“You’re right.” Ember smirked. “You’re right. If this Rachel chick wants Spike then she’s gonna have to go through me to get him!”

“There’s the Ember I know! Anyways, how much further do we have to go before we get to that spot you mentioned?”

“Should be another-” Ember cut herself off as she came to a sudden stop, eyes wide with mild surprise. “Oh wait, we’re here!” 

The two boys halted in their tracks and followed Ember’s gaze to get a glimpse of the highly anticipated surprise:

A barren alleyway.

“Uh, Ember? Are you sure this is the right place? Doesn’t look anything like what we talked about…” Thorax remarked.

“Hang on Thorax. All it needs is a little bit of a ladies’ touch.” Ember replied, producing a crowbar from her jacket which she used to effortlessly pull open a manhole cover sitting in the center of the alleyway.

Admittedly Spike’s eyes may have lingered on her bulging muscles for a bit longer than was considered polite while she was working the crowbar; but if the sly smile on Ember’s lips was anything to go by, the girl didn’t mind.

Once the cover was cleared away, Ember dusted off her hands with a satisfied sigh and motioned to the open passageway. “After you.”

Spike and Thorax shared a nervous glance before the former said. “This had better be worth it Ember.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Well yeah but-”

“Then come on Spike! It’s not that much further, I promise.”

Spike just rolled his eyes in a good natured way and began his descent into the Canterlot underground with Ember and Thorax following right after him.

Thankfully this particular manhole led into one of the subway tunnels rather than the sewers like Spike had been anticipating and by the look of it, this particular railway line wouldn’t be in use for awhile which gave the trio plenty of time to hoof it to wherever they were going.

After stumbling through the dark with their phone flashlights being the only source of illumination, a quick climb over a security fence, and a bit more walking, the group finally came to their intended destination. Ember pulling the switch on an electrical box to bathe the area in light.

Spike for one, was absolutely blown away by it.

He was standing in the middle of a large atrium attached to a once active subway station, the walls absolutely covered in graffiti from over the years that spanned all sorts of styles and subjects. A few old couches and lawn chairs setup in a corner of the room with a crude lighting setup consisting of several work lights scattered across the floor. But those hardly caught his attention. No, Spike’s focus was on the massive wall in front of him that was completely and utterly blank; the untouched surface was practically glistening in the light of the electric bulbs, giving it an almost magical appearance amongst the darkness of the station. 

“Well, what did I tell you? Awesome right?” Ember said, strolling up to Spike and throwing a friendly arm around him.

“Yeah! This place is cool! How’d you find it?” Spike asked.

“I was doing a little urban exploration a few weeks ago and stumbled upon it, took some time getting it all ready with the lights and chairs and stuff so we’d be able to have this little get together.” Ember bragged. “Speaking of which…”

The punk girl strolled over to a duffle bag nestled next to the ratty old couch and pulled out a can of spray paint, lobbing it over to Spike who caught it easily. The green haired boy looked at the can, then at the wall, and then back to the can before it all became clear.

“Oh no.” Spike immediately said.

“Oh yeah.” Ember teased.

“Ember I can’t, if Shining finds out-”

“Pfff, the rent-a-cop? He’s not gonna find this place. It’s so out of the way it’s pretty much invisible.” Ember said. “Besides, look at that wall? It’s just begging for someone to make their mark on it, might as well be the best artist I know!”

Ember did have a point; odds were Shining Armor didn’t even know this place existed and if he did, what reason would he have to come down here? Even so, he still wasn’t convinced.

“I guess, but look at this place! So many great artists passed through here and left their own tags, no way am I good enough to- HEY!”

While Spike had been momentarily distracted by his own insecurities, Ember had taken the opportunity to fish the boy’s phone out of his pocket and start leafing through his photo gallery. Spike had taken to using his cellular device as a sort of backup for all of his drawings after Twilight Velvet had accidentally thrown away one of his notebooks, which meant there was quite the extensive portfolio.

“Spike, I’ve seen all the incredible stuff you can do with some pen and paper. You’ve got some serious spunk when it comes to this artsy stuff and you’re more than worthy of putting up your own-” Ember abruptly stopped as something on Spike’s phone caught her attention, lips curling up into a grin. “Well hello there.”

“What? What is it?” Thorax asked.

“How about you throw up this one?” The punk girl asked, holding Spike’s phone out to him.

“That one? Are you sure?” Spike asked with uncertainty. “It’s kind of a rough sketch.”

“Positive. If there’s anything I know about you, it’s how to polish up something like this to a mirror shine.”

“Well…”

“C’mon Spike! Live a little!” Ember said, playfully socking him in the arm.

“Okay, okay! I’ll give it a shot.” Spike replied.

The green haired boy popped the cap off the spray paint can and went to work, spraying a long line of jade across the blank wall while Ember stepped back and plopped down on the dirty couch next to Thorax. The girl pulling out her phone and putting on some fitting music to help facilitate Spike’s creative process. The two of them content to watch a real pro at work.

Panic attack, the backing track. A background hum for cerebellum. Oh what a blessing to meet someone like you! With eyes as dead as mine, it’s fine. It’s normal people things just to lie here in silence. 

Spike placed down the green and picked up a bright orange; putting several streaks of a warmer shade to make the base pop.

Spending days in self-medicating. Lost too much weight. Unpleasant aftertaste. We think the same, play different games. Since I like to refuse, hope you blink before I do. Then pray and pray that you’ll go and do it anyways.

“There you go Spike.” Ember remarked. “Let the muse run wild with ya!”

Hold your breath, I’ll make it worth the wait. Hold your breath to your chest. And come back and see me, yeah.

Spike’s movements became more confident, the colored mist sprinkling across the aged stone and slowly but surely making Spike’s vision a reality. 

You rub the makeup off my neck that I was using to hide the stubble rash I gave myself while shaving. Yes, it’s probably a razor thing but honestly, it’s harmless. I refuse to let the sensitive skin win!

Spike looked back towards Ember and Thorax. “Can one of you give me a boost?”

Thorax gave Ember a knowing look, one she returned with a smile as she got up from the couch and placed Spike on her shoulders.

Oh, what a blessing! To mean someone like you! With eyes as dead as mine, it’s fine. It’s normal people things just to lie here in silence.

So we lie here in silence. Just lie here in silence. Yes it’s normal people things just to lie here in silence!

Spike began putting the finishing touches on his work. The apprehension from earlier having all but disappeared and leaving behind nothing apart from an unfettered creative spirit. The grin on his face nearly stretching from ear to ear.

Hold your breath, I’ll make it worth the wait. Hold your breath to your chest and come back and see me, yeah. Hold your breath to your chest and come back and see me.

With a few more spritzes of paint, Spike’s masterpiece was complete and there was little left to do but step back to admire his work. The boy plopping down on the old couch between his two best friends with a tired but satisfied sigh. 

The once blank wall was now occupied by a beautiful art piece consisting of a massive phoenix with multicolored flames emanating off its body in waves, its wingspan stretching the length of the makeshift canvas with a look of pure passionate rage etched upon its face.

“Think I went overboard?” Spike asked.

“No way, it’s awesome. Not too crazy about the name though…” Ember remarked.

“What’s wrong with PeeWee?” 

“Kind of a wimpy name for a phoenix don’t you think?”

Spike shot his friend a glare. “Hey, PeeWee was the name of my first pet bird. I made this art to honor his memory.”

“Okay, sheesh. Keep your shirt on Spike.” Ember said.

The trio then lapsed into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the cool air of the Canterlot City underground accompanied by a much calmer rock track playing out of Ember’s phone. Then suddenly Ember spoke up again.

“Hey Spike?” the punk girl said.

“Yeah Ember?”

“There’s something I…need to tell you.” Ember stated in a rather serious tone.

Spike turned to face her better as did Thorax, the former out of curiosity while the latter out of mild excitement.

‘Wait, is she actually going to…’ Thorax thought to himself

“I didn’t just bring you here for a night of fun. I wanted to make sure you were in a good mood before I gave you the news.”

‘She is! She’s finally gonna tell him! Spember is coming true!’ Thorax internally cheered.

“Whatever it is Ember, you can tell me.” Spike said.

“Well…the thing is…” Ember began.

‘yes….YES!’ Thorax said in his head.

“I’m gonna be leaving for about a week or so.”

And just like that, Thorax’s hopes died right there. ‘Nooooo! That was the perfect moment Ember!!!’

“What? What do you mean?” Spike asked

Ember sighed. “My dad’s dragging me up north for this stupid cultural thing, ‘the gauntlet of fire’. Said it was something about a rite of passage that all our ancestors did and now I have to do it.” the girl explained. “But between you and me I think this is just his latest attempt at ‘daddy daughter bonding time’.”

“Well…at least he’d be making an effort right?” Spike offered.

“Yeah, I guess.” Ember snorted. “I’m gonna miss you two idiots the whole time I’m gone though.”

“Hey, it’s only for a week right? I’m sure the trip will go by before you know it and we’ll be the first ones to welcome you back! Right Spike?” Thorax said.

“Right!” the green haired boy said in agreement.

“Thanks guys. Oh that reminds me, Spike.” Ember fished a key out of her pocket and held it out to Spike. “My dad wanted you and your family to water our plants while he’s gone and bring in our mail. Pass it on to the rest of the family, will ya?”

“Sure thing Ember.” Spike said.

“Well as nice as this has been…” Thorax began, standing up from the old couch. “We should probably start heading back. It’s getting a little late and we gotta get up early for class tomorrow.”

“Yeah, good point. C’mon Spike, let’s go so Thorax can get his beauty sleep.” Ember teased.

“Hey!” 

Ember just stuck her tongue out at her friend as the two of them made their way towards the exit, only to notice the third member of their little group wasn’t following.

“Spike?” Thorax said, turning back towards the chamber to see the aforementioned boy standing in front of his handiwork with a thoughtful expression.

“Spike? You there?” Ember asked.

“Huh? Oh yeah, sorry. Just wanted to get a picture for the road and was trying to find a good angle.” Spike explained.

“Alright, but hurry it up.”

Spike nodded at his friends and held up his phone, taking careful aim at the mural he had recently painted. But just as he was about to snap the perfect shot, he saw a blur of movement on one of his hands and spotted a very strange looking spider with blue legs and an orange and green body. 

A spider that apparently thought Spike’s hand looked delicious and proceeded to sink it’s fangs into his skin. 

There was a brief sting that shot through Spike’s hand, similar to a bee sting, but the boy quickly shook it off with a slight wince and swatted the offending arachnid with his free hand. Killing it and then proceeding to take the photograph like he had been intending. 

“Oh that looks perfect.” Spike muttered to himself.

“Spike!” Thorax called out once again.

“Coming! Coming!”

The journey home passed by in a bit of a blur for Spike, for some reason everything seemed to be moving by so much faster than normal. He could hardly recall the conversation him and his friends shared on the way back nor the goodbye hug he gave Ember that lasted a bit longer than it should have before she departed. All he could really remember was how utterly exhausted he was by the time he arrived back at the school dormitories with Thorax. The poor boy was out cold practically the moment his head hit the pillow.

But as he gently tossed and turned in his sleep, the venom from that strange spider was already working through his veins; changing him in ways he could never even dream of.

Tomorrow was going to be an eventful day, that was for sure.