In the comic the Crusaders are two years younger than Spike, All three are 13 years old, Spike is close friends with all three of them and they always drag him into their silly shenanigans and they always like messing with him a lot but they do value his friendship. This was the last photo they took of each other before he was banished and went missing.

After they heard from Celestia that Spike was alive they were overjoyed to hear their friend was OK, but sadden that he can't come home yet. So their waiting for him to return.