Scaled Foal : Forlorn Friendship , Part 9 .


Diamond raised an eyebrow, as she stared at Button Mash and the Dragon. Then turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, "Looks like somepony else declared themselves Spike's hero."

Apple Bloom mumbled, "It was a dumb plan anyway."

Scootaloo sighed, "It wasn't like we had any other plans."

Diamond shrugged, "You three can still come by my mansion if you want... or... we could stalk Spike after school and see what he's up to."

Sweetie Belle groaned, "We aren't going to stalk Spike."

Diamond huffed "So it's okay for you girls to spy on me but not Spike?" then gave a slight smirk as the girls shifted uncomfortably. She might be trying to use her powers of manipulation, for good now, but she was still prone to getting what she wanted.

Diamond pushed. "If we watch them, we'll be able to figure out our next move, into getting Spike to like you again. Just wait and see girls, it will be brilliant,"


"Y-you sure the Princess won't mind?" Button hesitated, as Spike lead him to the castle door.

"It's fine," Spike swore. "Don't you want to see Twilight's private Arcade?"

The young colt really did. He already spent his week's allowance, and couldn't go to the local Arcade at the moment... and he knew soon as he got home, his mom would ground him, for getting in trouble at school.

Button's groundings weren't really typical. His mom would make him go outside and play, since he usually didn't. Of course he wasn't allowed to watch TV or play videogames either. It usually lasted for a whole week, but it might be longer this time, since he didn't just get in trouble at school, but got his flank smacked (for the fifth time this year). This might be his last chance to enjoy an arcade, for a while.

On the other hoof he was nervous to meet the Princess, especially since he got her ward in so much trouble, on his first day of school.

"Just wait till you see it!" Spike boasted. "Twilight has more Arcade stuff then the actual Arcade. It's like bucking Las Pegasus in there."

Button nodded, and stepped inside, when Spike held the door open.

They were immediately greeted by the lavender Princess. "Spike! You're home! I..." She looked at Button for a moment before grinning from ear to ear. "You made a new friend already? Spike I'm so proud of you!"

Spike looked down all shamed face, not being able to hide anything.

Twilight immediately picked up on it. "What's wrong?"

Spike hesitantly pulled out the letter and handed it over.

Twilight blinked taking it, "What's this?"

Button gaped at her. How could she not know what a red letter was? Surely she got at least one when she was in school, or at the very least had a friend who got smacked.

Glancing over the first line of the letter she gaped, "You got a SPANKING!?"

Spike blushed a bit well scuffing his foot on the cold floor. "S-sorry Twilight, I know I was supposed to be good but-"

"We'll talk about it later Spike," Twilight glared then glanced at Button. "For now you can just play with your new friend, but once he goes home you come and find me,"

Spike looked over at Button and asked, "Wanna stay for a sleep over?" However this was immediately met, by Twilight whacking him upside the head. "It was worth a shot," the young dragon mumbled, rubbing out the light sting.

"I can talk to... what's your name Sweetie?"

Button blushed, "B-Button Mash, your highness,"

Twilight nodded, "Please just call me Twilight. And see me before you leavez and I'll have a letter to give to your mom, about setting up a sleep over for the two of you some other time."

Button nodded, a little shocked and really pleased to hear that. As the Boys ran off to play Videogames Twilight read the rest of the letter.


Twilight immediately regretted her decision on promising to set up a sleep over. According to the letter, that colt was the reason Spike got in trouble.

He tricked Spike into playing video games during class! DURING CLASS! Spike knew how important his studies were. At least he admitted to the teacher what he did after his new friend was caught. The teacher was very impressed with Spike's character, as the boy actually asked to be spanked with Button, as they both did the same thing wrong.

Twilight was more then a little proud herself. Spike could have kept quiet and gotten away with it, but he did the right thing.

Still, neglecting his studies was serious, but Twilight didn't really know what to do. That was the type of thing she would normally spank him for, but he already got spanked, so... maybe she should just deny him his dessert. No that wouldn't be enough. Ground him? No Spike just got off a very long grounding. That would be too harsh. Twilight was at a loss of what to do.


Button caught the girls looking at them, through the corner of his eye. They were peeking through the doorway. They were just sitting their, watching them play games.

"Spike," the colt whispered.

"Just ignore them," Spike shrugged as he mashed buttons on the arcade box, not to be confused with the colt beside him.

"What do they want?"

"For me to tell their sisters we're best friends, even though they never wanted to hang out with me, until their sisters yelled at them."

"Really?" Button blinked "I always thought the Crusaders were cool."

Spike sighed, "They are, but I accidentally let it slip, that they never asked me to hang out at their clubhouse, so they got in trouble. Now they suddenly want to be friends... they're just doing it, because they got yelled at."

Button huffed before looking directly at the Crusaders, "Either come in or go away! You're creeping me out."

The girls gulped and hesitantly walked inside.

"H-hi Spike," Apple Bloom waved as Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Diamond Tiara stepped in. "Mind if we play to."

"It's a big arcade," Spike shrugged, then went back to ignoring them.

Diamond Tiara scoffed, "Honestly Spike how long are you going to make the Crusaders feel like glue?"

"Excuse me?" Spike glared, while Button gaped, at the horrible curse Diamond just used.

Diamond continued, "They know they messed up and all your doing is making them feel worse. You said you forgave them."

"I do forgive them!" Spike insisted. "I know they never meant to hurt me."

"Exactly. You have known them for years. You know that they really do care about you. They might not have been very good friends, but that doesn't change the fact they always considered you one. I know you feel bad, that it took their sisters yelling at them, to get them to apologize. You were probably hoping they would do that on their own, but now that can't happen. Sometimes it takes somepony else to make us realized when we're being idiots."

Diamond smiled surprisingly sweetly. "Tell me honestly, do you really think these fillies, who you've known for years and memorized all their little quirks, would try to befriend you just cuz the grownups told them to? Does that really sound like them?"

Spike hung his head, "No... it doesn't..."

Diamond then nudged Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom gulped, "We're really sorry for how we treated you."

Scootaloo added, "and for not realizing it on our own."

Sweetie Belle sighed, "We're really sorry for everything. Can you please forgive us?"

Spike sighed, "Yeah... I forgive you and I'm sorry to. I shouldn't have treated you like that, after you apologized the first time..." He slowly cracked a smile "Wow Diamond, you're really getting used to using your powers for good. I didn't even know I felt that way."

Diamond blushed, "Thanks."

"Have you thought about apprenticing under Doctor Wolf? I bet you'd make a great therapist."

Diamond blinked, "I never really thought about it. I always figured I'd inherit father's company some day. He probably won't be stepping down for a few hundred years though, so... I haven't really thought about what I'd do in the meantime... therapist." She rolled the title around her tongue, "That really sounds like something the Crusaders would be better at."

"No way Diamond," Apple Bloom grinned, "I think that's a great idea. Like you said earlier. Your cutie mark let's you understand ponies and if you want to help them you can use your talent to do it. I think it be the perfect way to use your talent to do some good."

Diamond hesitantly smiled. "I'll talk to my dad about it. For now, we're in the Princess' private arcade. Let's go crazy." she stood up on her hind legs, and waved her hooves about, as the other children cheered.