We finally meet Spike in the series! Is he a dog? Is he a human? Read on and find out!

Sub-Volume 3 - Love is Blind

Chapter 9 - Mind Games (Lennon, 1973)

Written by Zack Wanzer and James Riddle

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

One morning, sometime after the Valentines Day incident, Vincent was making his way to the Sparkle household for a group project. It wasn't just him and Twilight in their group; joining them were Comet Tail, Song Cue, Math Equation, and Rarity Belle.

At last, he arrived at Twilight's place and rang the doorbell. It was Twilight Velvet who answered.

"Hello, Vincent," she said.

"Good morning, Mrs. Sparkle," said Vincent. "Where's Twilight at?"

"She's in the living room," said her mother. "A couple of her friends are inside as well."

"Thank you," said Vincent, going in.

In the living room, he saw Twilight with Comet Tail and Song Cue.

"Hi guys," said Vincent.

"Hey there, Vincent," said Comet, noticing him.

"Glad you could make it," said Song Cue.

"Where's Math and Rarity at?" asked Vincent.

"They'll be along shortly," said Twilight. At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" Vincent wondered. It was Math Equation.

"Morning, everyone," he said to the group.

"Good morning, Math," said Twilight. "All we have to wait for Rarity."

"She's probably taking extra time to do makeup," whispered Comet to Vincent.

"I can see it," whispered Vincent.

Eventually, after ten or fifteen minutes, Rarity finally showed up.

"Hello," she said. "Sorry I'm late."

"Hey Twilight," called a young voice. "I made sandwiches. Want one?" In walked a boy no older than eleven with green hair and eyes. He also had a prominent fang.

"Thanks Spike," said Twilight.

"Oh, hello there," said the boy to the others. "My name's Spike."

"He a friend of yours too?" asked Vincent.

"He's my little brother," explained Twilight. "We adopted him."

Sounds a bit like Sunset and Cel- uh, Principal McCracken, thought Vincent.

"Oh, he's so adorable!" gushed Rarity. Spike blushed at this compliment.

"I know the feeling," Vincent told him.

After all five introduced themselves to Spike, Math asked Twilight, "When'd he come into your life?"

"Well," began Spike, "it all began when I was just a fet-"

"Okay, we don't need to know the birds and bees," laughed Twilight, covering his mouth.

Spike rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Actually," said Twilight, "this story takes place quite some time ago when Moon Dancer, our friends and I first met Spike..."

JUNE 23, 2008

One afternoon, Twilight and her friends were walking through the park. It was a fine summer afternoon, and nothing felt out of the ordinary.

"Isn't it great that school's out?" asked Lemon Hearts.

"Yeah, but it may be the last summer we hang out," said Twinkleshine. "Some of us may not even be in the same middle school."

Suddenly, Twilight looked over and noticed something.

"What's that?" she wondered. She could see a shape behind a bush. Pulling the bush aside, she could see that the shape was a boy with green hair.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed with surprise.

"H-hi," said the boy in a rather scared tone.

"What's wrong?" asked Twilight kindly. "I promise I don't bite."

"I'm hiding," said the boy.

"From whom or what?"

"My cousin Garble."

"But why are you hiding from him?"

"Because he's a bully."

"Hey shrimp!"

"Run!" the little boy cried to Twilight and her friends.

"Not gonna happen," said Minuette. "We're not gonna let someone like you be bullied."

"But Garble could hurt you, and he doesn't hold back!"

"My father's captain of the police," said Twilight.

"He is?"

"Yes," said Twilight. "He's very good at his job, and he'll listen to you and your problems, so don't worry... er, sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Spike," said the boy. "My name's Spike."

"I'm Twilight Sparkle."

Suddenly, they could see a figure coming towards them. It was a boy around the age of twelve with light grayish olive eyes with dark purple pupils, spiky gamboge hair, and he had prominent fangs. This, the girls assumed, had to be Garble.

"S'up, dolls?" asked Garble, trying to slick his hair back. "Any of you seen my loser cousin Spike?"

"No, we have not," said Twilight. "Even if we did, why would we tell you?"

"So you do know where he is, don't ya?!" snarled Garble. "Out of my way, sissies!"

"No!" snapped Twilight.

"I said 'out of my way'!" snarled Garble.

"We're not going anywhere!" snapped Twilight. "You leave Spike alone!"

"Yeah, you'll have to get through us to get to him!" agreed Moon Dancer.

"You'll be in big trouble for hitting girls," added Minuette.

"Besides," added Twilight, "my father's chief of police. Mess with me, and he'll lock you up and throw away the key."

Garble just sneered.

"Fine," he snarled. With that, he stormed off.

"Is he gone?" asked Spike nervously.

"The coast is clear," said Twilight. Spike sighed with relief.

"Thank goodness," he said. "I thought I was dead meat."

"Why do you let that bully push you around?" asked Moon Dancer.

"He and his parents - my aunt and uncle - are the only family I got," said Spike. "They said my parents died when I was a baby and on top of that, they don't acknowledge my existence."

"That's awful!" cried Lemon Hearts. "You poor thing..."

"That's something my dad needs to know," said Twilight. "I know that he and his team arrested a woman for abusing her own daughter."

"Didn't one of them try to kill that woman?" asked Minuette.

"Come on, Spike," said Twilight. "You're coming home with me."

"Really?"

"Yes."

With that, Twilight led Spike back to the Sparkle residence. Twilight's older brother Shining Armor, aged nineteen, was at home. Over the years, his hair had gotten longer in the back, almost like a horse's mane.

Shining Armor wasn't alone; with him was his girlfriend Mi Amore Cadenza, more commonly known as Cadance, aged twenty. She had light purple eyes with arctic blue eyeshadow, and her hair was moderate violet with rose and pale gold streaks.

"Twily?" asked Shining Armor when he noticed Spike. "Who's this?"

"This is Spike," explained Twilight. "My friends and I just saved him from his bullying cousin Garble. Where's mom and dad?"

"I'm right here, dear," said Twilight Velvet, having just come in. She then noticed Spike.

"Oh, hello there," she said. "Who are you?"

"My name's Spike."

"Are you a new friend of Twilight's?" asked her mother.

"Uh, yeah," said Spike. "She's probably the first friend I've ever had."

Spike then told them about all his struggles ranging from an almost always absent uncle, to an alcoholic aunt, and being bullied by Garble.

"How horrible!" exclaimed Cadance after Spike finished. "No child deserves this treatment, especially not a sweet little boy like you."

"When Night Light gets home," said Twilight's mom, "I'll be sure to inform him of this so it will be stopped."

"Something tells me he'll be annoyed at having to deal with another case of child abuse," said Shining Armor, "especially after that last one!"

"I think Twilight and her friends already mentioned that," said Spike. "Did an officer really try to kill an abusive mother?"

"Whiplash almost did so-" Shining Armor began, but Cadance cut him off.

"Shining! Not in front of a kid!"

"Sorry," said Shining Armor.

A little while later, Night Light came home.

"Evening, dear," he said to his wife, kissing her.

"Evening, sweetheart," said his wife. "Our daughter's met with a little boy with family problems I think you should look into."

"Family problems?" asked Night Light. "Like what?"

Twilight Velvet told her husband everything Spike had told her thus far.

"How dare they treat an innocent child like that!" snapped Night Light. "Where do they live?"

"47 Brimstone Boulevard."

"I see," said Night Light. "Looks like I'm gonna have to do some research on this..."

Soon, Night Light and several other officers were driving over to the designated house to deliver justice. At last, they arrived at the address. Night Light knocked on the door.

"Open up!" he commanded. "RFPD!"

With a grumble from behind the door, it opened to reveal Garble's father Charcoal. He had dark crimson hair, a mustache, and sickly green eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Police Captain Night Light," said Night Light. "Are you Charcoal?"

"Yeah? What's it too ya, copper?"

"You and your wife are under arrest!"

"What?!" Charcoal was indignant. "What did we do wrong?!"

"The crime of child neglect," explained Night Light.

"What do you mean, child neglect?"

"Is your nephew called Spike?"

"Yeah."

"How many hours a day are you there for him or your son Garble?"

Charcoal tried to come up with an answer, but came up with nothing.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," scolded Night Light. "When you have children in your care, you have to look out for them and take care of them, not ignore them and go gallivanting off to do whatever you want whenever you want to. Doesn't your wife look after them for one minute?"

"Yeah, when she's not pickled," said Charcoal sarcastically.

"She's an alcoholic?" asked Night Light.

"Yeah. That's why I'm away so much."

Night Light shook his head. "I don't believe it; an alcoholic mother and a constantly absent father, unable to properly raise their son and nephew. Do you know when Spike's parents died and why?"

"When Spike was a baby," said Charcoal, "his parents dropped him off with us while they went to meet with some friends. They were supposed to be back by 5:00, but they never got back. Turns out they were on their way home when a truck hit a patch of black ice and swerved into oncoming traffic."

"So they were killed in the crash?" asked Night Light.

"Afraid so."

"What's all that noise?" came a voice. It was Charcoal's wife Ash, who had messy brown hair, and her amber eyes gave her a permanently drunk look.

"We're being arrested," said Charcoal.

"We've got a bed dress?" asked Ash.

"No, you stupid drunk!" snapped her husband. "We're being arrested!"

"Arrested?!" cried Ash. "What for?"

"Child neglect, you bimbo," said Charcoal.

"I ain't no bimbo!" snapped Ash.

"You're right. You're a fish!"

"Silence!" said Night Light. "You're both at fault!" This made the two be quiet.

"When you take in children to raise," said Night Light, "you need to put their needs ahead of your own and treat them with love and kindness, not neglect them just so you can do nothing but run around and drink. Unless you get your priorities straight, you will never see Spike or Garble again."

As the two adults were taken away, the police did some investigating around the house. They found many empty bottles, and some of them were shattered to pieces.

"Good grief," said an officer. "Who does their cleaning around here?"

"And how do the children survive in such an environment?" asked another.

Within the week, Garble was soon sent to live with a foster family, and Spike was allowed to live with the Sparkle family.

"I don't know what to say," said Spike once he got the news. "I thought I'd be stuck with them forever."

"It'll take a while before you're officially adopted," said Twilight Velvet. "But you are still welcome to stay here."

"Gee, thanks Mis- uh, I mean, mom," said Spike.

Twilight Velvet smiled and then hugged Spike.

When Spike's birthday came, August 21, the family had a big party for him. There were balloons, streamers and a cake with green frosting. By now, he'd been officially adopted by the Sparkle family.

"Happy birthday, Spike," said Twilight.

When the cake was done, it was time for presents. Spike's first present was a big one with a few air holes.

"I wonder what it could be," he said, opening it. Out of the present came a small puppy, barking upon meeting his new owner for the first time.

"A puppy!" cried Spike excitedly.

"Since you liked dogs," said Twilight, "I suggested it to Shining Armor, so he's from both of us."

"Aw, look at him," said Spike. "He's so cute! I think I'll call him Junior."

His second present was a video game - Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii.

"Alright!" he cried happily. "Thanks, dad! I can't wait to plug this baby in."

After the birthday party was over, Spike began playing his new video game.

"You want to play with me, Twilight?" asked Spike.

"Sure," said Twilight. Whilst Spike went for Donkey Kong, Twilight picked Pikachu. At first, Spike was doing well. But then Twilight made a comeback and won.

"How'd you do that?!" cried Spike. "And on the first try too?!"

"I'm a fast learner," said Twilight innocently.

"I'll have to train a bit more if I ever want to be as good as you," chuckled Spike. With that, he gave his adopted sister a hug. Surprised, Twilight hugged him back.

Twilight's friends would often make more visits to the Sparkle house... even if they were mainly to see Spike.

"Isn't he so adorable?" giggled Twinkleshine.

"Like a cute little puppy," agreed Minuette.

"You mean like Junior over here?" asked Spike.

"Just like Junior," said Lemon Hearts.

"Arf! Arf!"

The human Spike just grinned. He loved the compliments and attention he was getting.

"I just hope he doesn't let it get to his head," said Twilight to Moon Dancer. "He'd never let us hear the end of it!"

"I can see it," said Moon Dancer.

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Twilight at last finished her story.

"Oh my," said Song Cue.

"We're sorry to hear what you've been through, mate," said Comet Tail.

"Thanks," said Spike. Vincent didn't say anything, but was surprised at how much Spike loved the attention, and at a younger age.

"Looks like Spike's becoming a bit of a ladies man," teased Math Equation.

"Math, this is my adopted brother you're talking about," protested Twilight.

"But he's so adorable!" squealed Rarity, cuddling with Spike. He was looking up at her with an adoring look in his eyes.

She's so beautiful... he thought. Twilight just rolled her eyes. She had a feeling that Spike would have quite an attachment towards Rarity.

FOOTNOTES

In the Equestria Girls films, Spike is a dog. Whilst Spike is a human in this series, I referenced the idea by giving him a pet dog named Spike Junior.

Spike's birthday, August 21, is the same as his actress' Cathy Weseluck. He was born in either 2000 or 2001.

Garble's parents Charcoal and Ash - Spike's uncle and aunt, respectively - are loosely based upon Vernon and Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter franchise. In addition to that, Charcoal is the brother of Spike's mother.

47 Brimstone Boulevard indirectly references Dragon Quest - it is the 47th episode of the show, when Garble was introduced.