//------------------------------// // Of family... P1 // Story: Happy Anniversary Sug // by Bysen //------------------------------// Very rarely have I thought about you. In the times I did, they weren’t always good thoughts. Sometimes though, I missed you. It doesn’t really matter though, because no matter what happened, you’re my father. Thank you for what you did, it must’ve been hard to leave us. Unfortunately, I guess it was for the best… Sweetie Belle. She’d finally finished the letter after taking so long to find her words. Sweetie Belle thought about just asking her father to come see them, even for only a day, just to say he was alive in-pony. But she knew Rarity couldn’t see him. Everything that had happened to her; she couldn’t do that to her big sister. She also had to admit that him leaving had most likely been the right thing for all of them… but still… she missed him. More than she’d ever realised. Sweetie Belle had Twilight proof the letter and was a bit worried when she let out a small breathe and smirked. But Twilight passed it to Rarity shortly after. She approved the letter and added ‘and Rarity.’ to the end of it. She then finally passed the letter on to Spike, along with the first letter from her father. He looked at Sweetie Belle and in turn she nodded. With that he blew a small gout of green flame at the letter and it quickly burned away to nothing but smoke, which dispursed into the air. He’d needed the original letter in order to send the new letter to the same place the first had come from. It meant it would get there in a matter of seconds, maybe minutes being across the world, but it also meant with the original letter was gone. Spike wouldn’t know where to send any additional letters Sweetie Belle may write. Rarity let this one be, but she refused to let anything they say to each other be unmonitored. She had no reason to fear and she even admitted that to herself... she just didn’t… didn’t even know why herself. Sweetie Belle was fine with this. Because it was already done. Twilight had probably seen it but Rarity hadn’t; there was a hidden message in the letter that she hoped her father would see. Well, not very hidden but not quite obvious, unless you knew it was there. A knock came from the door. It was open but this was meant to be the bride’s chamber after all and Big Mac was as always a geltlestallion. Nopony said anything but after a moment passed he just went in. He hobbled some-what, still a little saw from what Twilight had done to him. He didn’t understand what had been going through her head but he was sure it was gone now. “Miss Rarity. Ah offer my condolences.” “Thank you Macintosh.” “AH know it’s none’a my business, but that Elusive fella. From what ah heard out there, he risked a lot ta stop this from happening. Ah get the feelin’ he may be wantin’ ta talk with ya.” he meant what he said and was only trying to help her out of what ever she was in now. To know somepony would do so much for her, Big Mac thought that would help. It didn’t… “I doubt it. He did out of guilt and revenge! I have no doubt what he said was true, after what the Flash Dance confessed to, but he only did it for the sake of his sister. If he truly cared for me like he claims, in anyway at all! Then he… he wouldn’t be dating my sister.” [Dear god sweet Celestia this IS a soap opera...] “What?!” yelled Sweetie Belle, taken completely off guard by Rarity’s accusation. “How the hay did you come up with that idea?” “But you… well, Spike told me.” Rarity half-heartedly said as she stood and turned to see them. Until now, she had been sitting on a pillow facing away from them. “Spike, you said you saw them together…” “He what?! Why would you lie like that!” Sweetie Belle yelled once more. “It was back when we where broken up. I saw...” “I don’t care about the names you called me, I deserved them. But why would you lie to Rarity about something like that! just because you where mad at me?!” “Wait Sweetie Belle, it’s not like that…” Spike stifled “Then what, prey, is it Spike?” scoffed Rarity, taking her sister’s side in this. Many an unwelcome thought where to be blamed on what Spike had told her a few months ago. To think that he’d just been lying out of his anger towards her... Spike should know better and Rarity had thought that he did. “Don’t you play so innocent Rarity. You thought I was seeing him for how long? And you didn’t even mention it to me? And Spike?. I was...” Sweetie Belle paused, trying not to yell and trying not to cry. “I was going to ask you to stay with me again. I thought you cared!... Rarity was right. Stallions… dragons… whatever. You’re not worth it!” Sweetie Belle wished she knew how to teleport like Twilight or Elusive, or apparently Rarity too; but she couldn’t. Instead she just turned and walked away, leaving the room. Spike wanted to follow her and tried but he was picked up by Twilight’s magic. “You mind explaining this to me Spike? I get you can say stuff you don’t mean when you’re mad. But why would you say something that would hurt somepony like that?” “No! I know what I saw. She was at the train station and she kissed him. She’s lying, I just… don’t know why.” “I’m afraid she’s right… or I am rather. They’re not worth it. I had the right idea until Flash Dance. Relationships are… just not for me. Even if Elusive does care for me, I don’t know I could care back. I’m damaged goods as it were... and Spike; stay away from my sister!” “No.” “What?” “I said no. I’m not staying away from her. Even if she’s lying, even if she’s not, I love her! I know everypony’s been throwing that word around a lot lately but I really love her!” he yelled as he broke free from Twilight’s telekinetic grasp and started towards the door. Twilight’s horn relit and a stronger field encircled Spike once again. He couldn’t break free from this one. “Listen Spike! If Rarity says you’re to stay away from Sweetie Belle then you stay away from her, you understand?” “You’re not the boss of me Twilight!” “Yes.” she stated as Spike yelped a little. “Yes I am!” her eyes narrowing. Big Mac stepped in front of her “That’s enough Twilight! You’ve hurt enough ponies taday, and ah couldn’t bare ta let you hurt Spike. No matter what ya feeling right now, you know he don’ deserve that.” his expression was rather calm but on the inside, he was horrified! What had gotten into her? She’d hurt Flash Dance, that was understandable to a certain degree but she had hurt him as well. That was in the moment and she had gotten carried away perhaps. But now… she was hurting Spike too. Whatever Big Mac meant to her, which he assumed was a lot, Spike had to be more than double that to this mare. That she could even think about doing this meant something was terribly wrong. “You’re going this again?” Twilight said as she extended the magic to him as well, levitating the pair off the ground. “I want both of you out of here!” she yelled as she threw them through the door. They slammed hard against the adjacent wall and each other. Her magic quickly affixed to the door, closing and locking it. “Twilight, don’t you think that was a tad over the top?” Asked Rarity. “I mean…” “I know Rarity, but it would’ve just got worse if I hadn’t gotten rid of them. Spike would’ve yelled about Sweetie Belle and Big Mac would’ve just defended Spike again. I’m sorry… if you want me gone too, I’ll leave.” Twilight sighed; she thought she knew what Rarity’s answer would be and already began preparing to teleport out of the locked room. “No, stay. I suppose you’re right. It’s those stallions, not those two of course, but stallions all the same that caused this mess. I am glad they’re gone in a way. My father, Blueblood, those pompous fashionnears’, Elusive and now Flash Dance… they’ve all ended in disaster. I’m done with them… all of them…” ~ ~ Something was seriously wrong… how could Twilight be doing this? Big Mac had heard her explanation through the door but it didn’t sound right. It wasn’t rational at all. This wasn’t his Twilight that he knew and loved. Something was horribly wrong with her! This thought just kept pecking at his mind as he walked home. He only meandered down the path at a slow pace but he left like he was running away from some bigger problem. It was only just starting to get dark as he made his way along the long back path to Sweet Apple Acres. He was just passing the trees that marked his family’s graves. He felt that now would be the right time. It was just an Apple family tradition really, and how it didn’t make him sadder would’ve been a complete mystery to anypony not in on it. But to him it was a symbolic thing that he and the rest of his family had gone when ever they felt down. The previous applebuck season had been the first season that the tree planted for Granny Smith’s grave had bore fruit. Eating one from this tree was meant to be a way to remind himself that no matter how he felt, he was still a part of a great family and that he too would offer this comfort to one somepony who missed him one day, to cheer them up. He picked a few apples, green granny smiths of course, and put them on his back as he continued to the farmstead. When he arrived home, he went into the main living room and placed the apples on the table before walking away into the kitchen. A moment later he came back with a bowl and placed them inside. He had only picked about ten apples, even though there had been at least fifty on the tree. But ten was more than enough. He took a bite out of one. He hadn’t eaten a granny smith in years and though he ate apples all the time, he could distinctly taste the difference between any two types. By the time he finished the first one, he didn’t really feel like a second right away. He began to think that even as few as ten may have been to many as he was the only pony in the house at the moment. The normally four-pony-strong home had been shrinking of late. Fluttershy and Applejack weren’t here right now, off in Cantalot seeing Dash. They'd be back soon but they weren't here now. Applebloom had left and was soon to be leaving for good. To an entirely different city. Twilight… even though Twilight had all but moved in around the time Applebloom had left, she wasn’t here right now and she was honestly the cause of his concerns. He decided to eat another apple, after all the point of this was to remind him that even if he was alone now, he was part of something bigger than the right now. That some day his kid’s kids would be missing him and doing the same… As true as that was and as cheerful the thought was to him, dispite it’s grimmer aspects of him being long gone in this scenario, he couldn’t get past one part of that that felt wrong at the moment. His kids… would be Twilight’s… wouldn’t they? And from that thought, every bite just reminded him of how worried his was about her right now. ~ ~ This was ridiculous… Rarity couldn’t believe she’d done this… again. She’d woken up this morning in her bed at the boutique… next to Twilight. ‘And supposedly I’m straight…’ she thought to herself. She knew full well she tended to be a ‘gay drunk’. Then again she hadn’t really drunk much last night, she’d been tipsy at best. Crap… this was her choice then. Still, Twilight was with Big Mac. This was likely the same as what happened between herself and AJ a few months back, only reversed. Rarity wouldn’t tell Big Mac. She certainly had no plans to EVER tell Fluttershy about what had happeend between them. Still, at least this time Rarity would be the one to say that she understood what it was, just a one-night-stand because she was needy and Twilight was just trying to be there for her. It was still awkward as hay though!… Rarity nudged Twilight. She was heavily asleep. It was quite early still, barely after dawn. She nudged to a few more times before Twilight stirred. She yawned and half humbled “Not before 8 or I punch you in the throat…” it didn’t deter Rarity though as she nudged her once more, giving Twilight a bit of a shake to help jolt her awake. It took Twilight a moment for where she was to register, but it was clear when she did. The look on her face... most likely identical to Rarity’s when this had happened to her. “Rarity… I…” “You don’t need to explain darling, I know what this was.” Rarity started trying to remember what AJ had said, as it had gone over quite well with her... sorta. It should go over well with Twilight as well, she was rational about this type of thing. “I’m so glad this happened!” “What?... I mean… what?” Rarity was dumbfounded. This had been the last thing she had ever expected. “I love you Rarity.” “Twilight, you can’t mean that…” “You have to stop thinking that no pony loves you. I…” Rarity put a hoof over Twilight’s mouth “No, I mean you can’t mean that! You’re crazy!" Twilight tried to talk but Rarity kept her hoof firmly over her month. Rarity hadn’t thought about it before, too caught up in her own problems, but now that she did; Twilight hadn’t been herself. She’d harmed so many ponies. She would never do that! “What has gotten into you Twilight?” Rarity finally removed her hoof. “I mean it! I’ve felt this way for the longest time!” “No. You haven’t! We’ve been here before, quite a few times. If you’ve felt this for so long then why have you never said anything? What of Big Mac? I… I won’t tell him but…” Rarity paused. Twilight had told her that, as she usually tended to before that fiasco two months back, that she'd never really felt anything for Big Mac before they'd started dating. She admitted she had the occasional fantasy about him and in all honestly, Rarity had as well. He’s so big and all, surely it was proportional. Though a few months back, Twilight had also said he turned out to just be average... at best. She’d gotten him to stay that night that Spike left, to comfort her. Rather scandalous, but that's the night they started seeing each other...after she’d told everypony about her… It couldn’t be? it could… Twilight had moved in with Big Mac. Yet when Rarity had come over to visit, before staying a while repairing one of the old dresses she’d made for Twilight, she hadn’t seen it anywhere. But surely Twilight wouldn’t be that foalish… yes, yes she would. Her new found affection for Rarity, her drastic mood swings since… since she’d spent copious amounts of magic teleporting Pinkie to Cantalot… and drew from Rarity’s own magical essence to help do so. It made sense that she’d feel this way. “Twilight, we need to get you to a doctor. Now!” “Rarity, I’m telli…” she was cut off again by Rarity’s hoof. “You’re having an episode! How long has it been since you took anything for your magibetes?” Rarity said, hoping Twilight could at least see the logic in this still. “You’ve not had your medication in months as far as I can tell. You’ve been acting erratically in my defence. You only think you love me because it’s my magic causing this!” she hated to use these next words but if they worked to convinced Twilight into getting help, it was worth it. “If you love me, then come with me to a doctor, for me!” “Magibetes? No, I got rid of that ages ago now. I took the medication and I’m cured.” “H-how could you, of all ponies! Be so stupid?! It’s permanent! You can’t cure it!” “But I, if I don’t know this how the hay did you?” Twilight’s mood shift from love-struck to defensive was understandable but to Rarity it all but confirmed… and frightened her. She’d seen what Twilight had done in anger the last day. Her fear though wasn’t of getting hurt, it was the fear of how this reminded her of him. “Because my father has it remember! And so does Sweetie Belle.” “What? Since when has your sister had it? I’ve never seen her take any medication if it’s permanent.” “It can be hereditary, passed down genetically. I’m sure you know the numbers.” “’32.33, repeating of course, percent of unicorns have it and of that 96.5% have type C which is only displayed by somewhat over enthusiasm’… I guess that describes Sweetie Belle and if your father had type B, built up out bursts but… I have… HAD, type A. But it’s gone, I haven’t had any issues. Until…” Twilight was starting to see what Rarity was saying. This hadn’t been like her and if over use of magic had given it to her then surely such a powerful spell as teleporting Pinkie Pie would’ve had an effect on her. But what she felt for Rarity… could that just be artificial? It felt so real. So much like what she felt for Big Mac. Was… was what she felt for Big Mac real? She’d started feeling it for him not long after she was diagnosed. She’d been horrified about getting engaged… how she’d even got engaged said she was driven by this illness rather than true love. She’d been so sad from what Rarity had said about her the day before, then instantly happy with Big Mac. “It… can’t be…” Twilight whispered to herself, though Rarity heard it quite clearly. “Darling, we should go get you some help. I’m sur…” Rarity trailed off as Twilight disappeared in a flash, teleported off to who knows where. Twilight needed Rarity's help and Rarity needed help giving it. She needed to find Big Mac. ~ ~ He’d looked everywhere. The library, Sweet Apple Acres, Sugercube Corner, even the train station but Spike just couldn’t find Sweetie Belle anywhere. He had checked here already, but he returned once more to Sweetie Belle’s house. It was still empty when he arrived and it was well after dark by the time he had arrived. And though he knew he shouldn’t have, he stayed the night in the empty home. It was morning now and he’d awoken in her bed… he missed being here. Wait… he hadn’t been in her bed when he went to sleep. He’d fallen asleep on the couch, how did he get here? He looked around and hope against hope that by some miracle he would find Sweetie Belle lying next to him. He didn’t of course, but seeing how many weird twists had happened lately, it almost seemed completely possible to him at that moment. He got out of the bed, still a bit confused as to how he got there. He stood in place next to the bed for a few moments looking around. He missed this place quite a lot. No, he missed being here with her quite a lot. But maybe it was best he wasn’t with her. Rarity was right in a few ways. He had practically squatted in her place last night when he found it was empty. She most likely would’ve let him stay had he asked but that wasn’t the point. He finally took a few steps away from the bed, heading towards the door. He felt like he should bathe but he still also felt weird about just being here by himself let alone using her shower. “Sweetie Belle?” Spike called out the door as he walked through it. A few seconds passed and there was no reply; she wasn’t here. He walked past two more rooms, both doors closed as they where emtpy for now. Sil and Die's rooms. They'd been gone for a while now, still wouldn't be back for some time. He continued past them and finally down the stairs, into the main foyer. Spike was wrong, Sweetie Belle was here, she just hadn't answered when he called out for her. She was sitting on the couch he’d gone to sleep on. She was more laying down than sitting, but not really resting, just… awkwardly possitioned on the seat. Kinda like how that weird Lyra filly did… before she was put in that asylum at least. Seeing her like that worried him, that topped with the fact she hadn’t answered when he called out to her didn’t help either. “Are you alright Sweetie Belle?” he asked as he approached her. She looked at him but didn’t say anything. It was possible she’d been crying but it looked like if she had been, it was ages ago now. Though the tell-tell signs where still there. Either way, she was still clearly upset. He took a seat beside her, sitting much the same, though that position was normal for a dragon. He though about putting an arm around her but decided not to. “Did you… put me in your bed last night?” “I just wanted the couch is all.” she said harshly. She clearly wasn’t happy he was here. “So you slept on the couch, um, ok. But… why did… look, Sweetie Belle, I know you and Elusive are together so why pretend you aren’t? Ok, maybe Rarity wouldn’t wanna talk about it but let’s just be real here. I like you and you don’t… I guess I’ll just have to move on.” “Why the hay do you think we’re together, what on Equestria gave you that idea?! I’ve been spending some time with him but so what? I can’t have friends who are colts without everypony automatically assuming I’m doing them? You’re just like Rarity. She thought I was doing you ages ago and what made her think that was us walking down some stairs together! You say you love me and all you do is mess things up!” “You’re right… I’m sorry, it’s just… Rarity…” “And you and Rarity! When we first started dating, she told me the only reason you wanted me is because you used to have a crush on her and you couldn’t have her! I stood up for you and told her she was full of herself and that she was just jealous! I completely believed in you and then do you know what you do? A week before you said you loved me, you asked me for a three-some with Die!” “What? I never said that!” “Stop lying about everything! I told you about the pictures of me and her and later that night you asked and I told you there was no chance of it!” “I never said that!” Spike yelled! “You’re! Lying!” “NO I’M NOTT!!!” Spike yelled even louder still. But he stopped at the look he saw on Sweetie Belle’s face. “Just do it already…” she said and she closed her eyes tightly and turned to him. She still wasn’t crying but the slightest dampness could be seen rounding her closed eye lid. Spike leaned over and gave her a small kiss on the lips. He thought that’s what she meant but she flinched as he did. “Why didn’t you…?” “I though… isn’t that what you wanted me to do?” “No… I know you wanna hit me so just do it already!” “I would never hit you Sweetie Belle! Why, what made you think I ever would?” “Because everypony else has! You’re lying about everything, saying I’m wrong and you’re right and you’re yelling and it’s… it’s why I don’t want to be loved by anypony! I hate everypony! You, Rarity, my dad, Die and every colt I've seen before you! Everypony I’ve ever loved, or even liked has hurt me! And you’re just as bad! You’re lying about asking for Die!” Sweetie Belle stopped. She saw that Spike was just going to deny it again. “Don’t say you didn’t say it! I remember it! it was just after we… made love…” she finally started crying. Spike finally put his arm around her. She didn’t want it there and tried to shrug it off her but he put it around her and pulled her close to him. “I’m sorry. Yeah, maybe I did ask, but I didn’t mean it… I know, that sounds like a dumb excuse but c’mon, every time we’ve made love, I always said some dumb joke afterwards. It’s just, I’m so happy, I wanna laugh and make you laugh. Remember that terrible joke I made after the first time we where together? Neither do I but I’m sure it ruined the moment too… um, I’m not really helping myself am I?” “I guess… and you are helping… but, what about, you said me and Elsuive… you lied about that.” “I don’t know, maybe I was wrong. I know I was wrong. But I thought I saw you kiss him when… at the train station. You know the day.” Spike didn’t really want to say anything that would describe that day because all he could think to describe it himself was Rarity getting drunk, Elusive fighting Flash Dance or Rarity calling her ‘Sweetie-Bitch’ and none of those would really help right now. “I should’ve talked to you about it… but I just thought we were over… and until yesterday, when you said you trust me. I don’t know if I broke that trust bu…” “I did kiss him.” Sweetie Belle admitted. “But I didn’t mean anything by… heh… you’re right, saying you didn’t mean something you did does sound dumb…” she said with a slight laugh, thinking about his comment about Die. “I asked him how he felt about Rarity. He said he thought he loved her but didn’t know… I guess kinda like you and me. I asked if he thought I was attractive and he said that I was. Then I kissed him and asked if he felt anything for me. He said no, and I told him that he loves Rarity.” Spike leaned over, he gently gave her a small kiss once again. It probably only lasted a second or two but to him it felt like forever. She’d kissed him yesterday and so many times before, but this somehow felt different. When it ended, Spike only had one thing to say… and he hoped he already knew. “Sweetie Belle, how do you feel for me?” She didn’t answer him. She just smiled and kissed him once more. It was better than any answer. He loved her; he knew he did. And she loved him too... or not. “I don’t know what I feel Spike.” Sweetie Belle said as she broke the kiss. “I just don’t know… I get it you trust me even though I lied about those things. I know you haven’t lied to me, but I…” “Well tell me then. What have you lied to me about? No matter what it is, I doubt I’ll care.” “I don’t know. Just so many small ones… I said you where my first… that was… haha, probably the dumbest. I’m sure you knew I wasn’t anyway, but I bet you never guessed my… father. You know, I never really thought about it but I guess I could blame him for how I slept with almost every one of my coltfriends growing up… daddy issues. Almost seems cliché to say but… I guess it’s true.” Sweetie Belle paused looking down. She didn’t seem sad but she didn’t seem happy. Spike couldn’t read her at all right now. “Spike, who was your first? Do I know her?” “It wasn’t Twilight if that’s what you’re implying…” Spike said, as Sweetie Belle gave a small snicker. He liked that she laugh. Not because that was meant to be a joke, he was serious, but she seems she thought it was a joke that also meant she hadn’t been thinking that. “But yeah, you do know her. It was Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle laughed a second longer before stopping. “Haha, really, when?” “Not long before she left… we were just fooling around. I don’t know if we were serious or not but I did miss her when she left.” Spike said, Sweetie Belle most likely didn’t want to know much more. Spike simply added “You see, I’ll tell you anything, I don’t know how else I can show you that. Um… Sweetie Belle, will you marry me?” “What?” Sweetie Belle was taken aback by his proposal. He couldn’t be serious… but what if he was… even if he was she had to say it. “No. I’m sorry spike, but no.” she felt instantly horrible for saying it. Almost about to cry. “Yeah, that was kinda stupid of me… but I wanna prove it. "You shouldn't have to prove anything to me Spike." "I shouldn't have to... but I want to. That you can trust me. Will… will you move in with me?” Spike stopped talking, Sweetie Belle had expected him to keep going after saying that continuing on about what he could do or ask. But this was a serious question. It was the same though: to serious! They’d been broken up for quite a while and to ask her? He obviously expected the same answer as before… “Yes.” Sweetie Belle wrapped her hooves around Spike. She didn’t know if he really wanted her to move in with her, but he hadn’t lied… for all she knew he had been serious about asking her to marry him as well. Maybe he did, but she wasn’t ready for that. Still, it would’ve been nice. If she’d said yes… if she’d… no. What happened to Rarity… there wasn’t any chance of that happening with Spike, but still. All of those fears faded though as she felt his arms wrap around her in turn. They just stayed in place, arms and hooves holding each other for the some time. She was happy, he was happy. He loved her, and she felt safe… she could trust him. She could love him.