Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie had been waiting all afternoon for the train. Spike was finally coming home from the guard academy! “Oh, Darlings, what is taking that rain so long?!” Rarity whined.

“They must have hit a storm or something,” Twilight mused, staring down the tracks.

However upset her two friends were, Pinkie’s enthusiasm would not be damped. “I can’t wait to see Spike again! It’s been two whole years! I mean, do you think he’s forgotten what we look like? I hope he recognizes me!” She stopped jumping. “Do you think he won’t recognize me? Sweet Celestia! What if he got amnesia and doesn’t know any of us?!”

“Pinkie!” Twilight shouted, grabbing her friend and pinning her to the platform. “Spike hasn’t forgotten about us! Calm down, please!”

Pinkie giggled sheepishly. “Hee hee! Sorry.” She stood between her friends, bouncing up and down in place.

Twilight smiled, facing the tracks again. “No worries. I wish you guys could have gone with me to see him in Canterlot, back in December.”

“Oh, yes, me too!” Rarity sighed. “I miss dear little Spikey Wikey.”

Twilight laughed. “Yeah, he’s not very little anymore. Guard training has really been good for him.”

Rarity gave a ladylike giggle. “Darling, how much could he have changed?” She thought back to the last day she had seen him, that adorable little awkward dragon, always helping her carry her stuff around. And that cute, high-pitched voice of his! “I miss the little dear.”

“IT’S HERE!” Pinkie’s yodel brought Rarity back to the present, and all three friends watched as train pulled into the station. Pinkie started bouncing again. “SpikeSPIKE SPIKE SPIKESPIIIIIIKE!!!!” she nearly screamed, staring in anticipation at the train coach door.

The door opened, letting out a stream of ponies and… Rarity’s jaw dropped. That can’t be Spike! The tall, muscular dragon that stepped out of the coach looked nothing like the awkward little teenager she remembered. She was too busy staring to notice Twilight’s knowing smirk.

“SPIIIKE!” Pinkie threw herself at the mountain of reptile, hugging his neck with all four limbs. He laughed: a deep, mature laugh that made Rarity’s jaw hit the floor again.

“Hey, Pinkie!” he chuckled, hugging his friend. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too!” Pinkie bawled. “I’m so glad you don’t have amnesia!”

Spike blinked. “What?”

“Don’t ask,” his adopted sister warned, smiling as she gave her brother a hug. “Come on down Pinkie, the weather’s better down here!” she called up to her friend.

“Har har,” Spike muttered as Pinkie reluctantly let go of his neck. “Where’re the others?” he asked, looking around.

“Only us three could make it,” Twilight apologized. “Everyone else is either out of town or crazy busy.”

“Three?” Spike looked around and spotted Rarity. “Rarity! How are you?”

“Gubglab aba dada guk.”

“Er…” He looked a little confused. “Are you okay?”

“W-what, me? ahahahaha! Never better!” Rarity frowned as she noticed her voice going up about three octaves. Now, what’s that all about? “H-how are you, dear?”

“Never better!” Spike replied, a bit eager to change the subject. “The academy was awesome! I can’t wait to tell you all about it!”

Twilight leered at her purple and white friend over Spike’s back. “Yeah, we can’t wait to hear about it!”

---

Sorry for the sketchy look to it, but I didn’t feel like doing fine lines this go around :)

I don’t think I’ve ever drawn Spike as an adult before. I LOVE HIM!!

My head cannon: Spike was having anxiety problems and even a bit of depression during his teenage years, due to many things that I may or may not explain later XD So Shining Armor offered to get him a place in the guard academy. Both he and Twilight thought it would be a good experience for him, and it would also help him tough up a bit (he had turned into a bit of a wuss). He spent one and a half years there and has just come back from 6 months of deployment in Saddle Arabia.