//------------------------------// // Together // Story: Memories Returned // by Jake The Army Guy //------------------------------// Spike gnawed on his lip. There was a nervous excitement in the air that made his scales itch. Muted conversations danced around the starlit garden, the laughter of ponies that were once strangers, brought together by tragedy. Ever since the Incident, they had all sort of unofficially agreed to meet with at least one member of another family every month or so, just to check in. Even with that bond, this was the first time all of them had been in the same place in a little over a year. Combine that with what was about to happen, and some frayed nerves were forgivable. A little wave from across the way caught his eye. Hondo Flanks stood next to his family, Cookie Crumbles speaking with Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nervously giggled. His eyes flicked down to something in Spike’s claws with a wry smirk. Looking down, Spike let out a huff and released the tight grip he had on his tail. He hadn’t done that in months. He rolled his eyes as Hondo snickered. The voices of all their families merged in the air. Igneous Pie and Cloudy Quartz were sharing an awkward yet friendly conversation with Granny Smith, Posey Shy comforted a very nervous Gentle Breeze, and Pinkie’s sisters ran the gamut from terrified to furious to nothing, as per the usual. However, just audible above the din, Princess Luna spoke to a voice he knew all too well, despite not having heard it in a little over two years. A soft pillar of moonlight shone in the center of them from which emanated that scratchy, tomboyish voice, with only a slight tinny echo to it. Not bad, he mused, for being on the far side of the plane Apparently Spike’s nerves were noticeable. A blue hoof tapped his shoulder, and Spike turned to see Night Light wearing a quietly excited smile. “You okay, kiddo?” “Uh, yeah,” Spike said, giving a shaky nod to the stallion he was just a hair taller than. “I just—” “If we may have everypony’s attention,” came the soft yet commanding voice of Princess Luna, and all the conversations immediately ceased. “We believe that enough preamble has been given, and that the main event should commence. Rainbow Dash? Art thou ready?” “Yeah, I think we should, Princess Moon Moon,” Rainbow Dash said. “I think Pinkie Pie will explode if we don’t get started soon.” A quiet chuckle rumbled throughout the room. Even Maud cracked a tiny smile. “Very well,” Luna said, turning to Spike and giving him a small nod. “Let us begin with somepony who specifically requested to speak to thee first.” Spike had known this moment was coming. It was nearly a month ago when Princess Luna showed up at the library, offering a chance he never thought he would have again. He had a month to consider his words, to decide what to say with the precious time he would have, for he wouldn't get another chance. Rainbow Dash was just about to cross over to the Dark Side of the world, and she would most likely never return. Yet still, as the moment came, when Luna stepped away from the beam of moonlight and all eyes fell upon him... he froze. Every muscle in his body locked up, his fight or flight response screaming in his ear. He took a half-step forward, but made it no further. “Hey,” Night Light said. “You can do this.” Twilight Velvet gently nuzzled into his side. “We’re right behind you, sweetie.” He gave them both a quick appreciative glance. Running his eyes across the garden, all the other ponies gathered smiled at him. Except for Limestone and Maud, of course. Steeling his courage, Spike took a deep breath and stood before the moonbeam. “Uh... h-hey, Rainbow Dash! It’s me! Spike... uh, obviously,” he said with a wince. “Hey hey! Spike the Dragon Guy!” Rainbow’s voice came from the moonlight. “Heh, Twilight almost just had a harmony ghost heart attack over how deep your voice has gotten!” “Yeah I’ve, uh... done a bit of growing,” Spike said, rubbing the back of his neck for some reason. “I’m almost eye level with Big Macintosh now. Plus there’s, you know... the wings,” he said, then rolled his eyes as he realized he was pointing at them. “You better be practicing with those. I expect you to become the first dragon Wonderbolt! Anyway, you probably have a lot you want to say to—” “A-Actually, Dash,” Spike interjected. “Before we get to... t-that, there’s something I feel like I need to say... to you.” “Oh. Well, okay. What’s up?” Spike took a deep, cleansing breath. “I... I want to apologize.” “Uh, for what?” “Okay,” Spike said. “So, shortly after you left Ponyville, I... I, uh...” He flicked his claws along his thighs, a nervous habit he was trying to replace the tail wringing with. “You see, the thing is... nrgh, look! I was hurt, I was scared, I was alone... I was angry.” Despite his best efforts, he found himself shying away from the moonlight. “I was very angry... a-at you.” Now that the ice was broken, Spike found the words all but spilling out of his mouth. “I-I was convinced that it was all your fault. That you were the reason Twilight was dead. And that you left because you d-didn’t care. And no matter how many times everypony told me that you were under the same spell as the girls at the time, I refused to hear it. I... I-I hated you, Dash. “But, eventually my friends,” he took just a moment to glance back at Night Light and Velvet. He had his arm around her, and they both showed him warm smiles, which he answered with a tiny smile of his own. “A-And my family, helped me see that I only felt that way because Discord was dead, and I... needed somepony to blame. Heh, I think Princess Luna used the word ‘projecting’ at some point. The truth is... you did everything you could given what was happening. It was just... a horrible situation all around. Discord was the one to blame, not you. And now that we know you’re on this destined quest older than time itself, maybe it...” Spike let out a shuddering breath. “Still, you’re my friend, Rainbow Dash. You have been since the day me and Twilight came to Ponyville... and I spent a non-insignificant amount of time hating you for something that ultimately was out of your hooves. I’m sorry, and I hope you can forgive me.” The silence that followed was very likely the most tense and awkward Spike had ever experienced. For what seemed like an eternity, the only sound in the garden was a cricket in a nearby bush, blissfully unaware of its excellent timing. Right about at the point where he started to wish the spell had failed, a deep sigh echoed from across the world. “It’s okay, Spike. I honestly don’t blame you. Truth be told... I-I kinda hated myself for a long while there. In some ways I think I still might.” Dash took a deep breath, and Spike could all but hear the lopsided smirk he remembered so well. “Don’t sweat it, kid. Rain off a pegasi’s back.” A seemingly literal weight lifted from his shoulders. He stood to his full height just as Night and Velvet walked up to him and hugged him from each side, which he reciprocated. “Thanks, Dash. You... y-you have no idea how much better that makes me feel.” Looking around, a sea of friendly faces, some with moist eyes, warmly smiled back to him. Spike heard Dash take a breath, and stiffened. “Uh, just... just one more thing, Rainbow?” “Yo.” Spike’s eyes clenched shut. Night and Velvet held him tighter as he spoke. “Um, I-I was also always afraid that... t-that if Twilight knew how I felt, she’d... be disappointed in me?” he asked more than said. For some odd reason, the silence that ensued, while longer than the last, was nowhere near as tense. Eventually, Rainbow spoke. “Okay, through a whole butt load of tears, Twilight just said that you could never truly disappoint her, Spike.” A few moments later, she chuckled. “Uh, ‘except for the time when you were four years old and you ate Princess Celestia’s favorite diamond necklace’.” Spike let out a snort of laughter. “Hey, she was the one who wanted to play dress-up and then basically put a giant piece of candy around my neck!” As a wave of laughter circled the garden, it finally struck him. The true weight and meaning of this night truly sank in. “Rainbow, she... she really is there, isn’t she?” “Mm-hmm. And she’s got a lot she wants to say to you. What do you want to say to her?” For several long moments, Spike gnawed at his lip. The past two years had been the lowest point of his life, and yet it had improved him in so many ways. He found a new family in the one he kind of always had, he made friends with ponies who knew his pain and helped him ease it as he did for them, he had decided what to dedicate his life to, and grown in every sense of the word. And now, he finally had the opportunity to speak with the one pony it was all for. The pony who mattered more to him than any. How could he possibly begin? Finally, a soft smile spread across his face as he moved to stand directly into the moonlight, gazing up at the stars. “Twilight? I’ve missed you.”