CHAPTER 10: PART III
Deep within the murky depths of the Everfree Forest, a hollow rumble broke through the ambiance, silencing the varied assortment of musical insects and singing birds. For the residents of the dark forest, it only meant one thing. Forthcoming danger.
For eons, not a single soul in the Southern Everfree Forest had heard a dragon’s roar, and they lived in relative relief. For good reason. When dragons had run amok over what was now known as Equestria, and other parts of the world, there was no living in peace. There was only running and hiding. And praying to your maker you didn’t stumble into the wrong cave.
It was, of course, expected that when the forest sensed the presence of the first dragon in centuries to traverse through its soil, every single creature in the area became alert, and worried. Now, just a few hours after sunrise, the loud rumbling of a dragon’s call swept through the forest, and everything hid. And ran.
For Spike, however, the rumbling only meant one thing. He was hungry. Of course, he should’ve expected it, But with all the drama sparked by last night’s events, and his brain working overtime trying to work out his own emotional turmoil, both the picnic dinner and breakfast were forgotten in favor of running away.
A second growl from his stomach punctuated his last thought. He would have to find something to chew on soon, or else his body would regret it in the near future. Looking around, he could see no potential snack, living or otherwise. He’d never really considered eating anything that breathed before, but with the hunger pangs getting worse by the minute, his dragon instinct suddenly made the aspect of a squirming meal a lot less disgusting that it would’ve been otherwise.
He blinked a few times, trying to clear his head. Eating another living creature? He’d never do that! He was sure of it. But then again, maybe a small one...
No. he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. He was scared now. It was as though something was penetrating his thoughts. Something dark. It was as if something in the shadows was whispering in his ear, telling him to stalk, hunt, maul, and eat some innocent creature.
But he knew better.
Didn’t he?
Spike inadvertently let out a frustrated growl, accidentally giving away his position to everything that moved in the forest. He flinched, quickly realizing his mistake, but allowed himself to relax. He couldn’t quite tell why, but he felt more confident than usual. More at ease with himself. Like he didn’t need to worry about anything staring at him from the shadows, sizing him up. He felt like he owned the forest. In fact, he felt like he owned the world, like nothing could beat him. He had no idea what was giving him that confidence, but it sure felt good.
He continued on his way throughout the forest. He knew he’d have to find something to eat soon enough, or else he’d probably have to do something he may later come to regret.
With a shining bit of luck, as he made his way underneath an uncharacteristically large root, he bumped into a bush filled with dark, black and blue berries. Blue-ish black berries. Well, whatever color they were, they were going to alleviate his pains, for a while at least. He sat back, resting most of his weight on his tail, and began to pick the berries. Once he had a handful of the berries, he stuck them in his mouth all at once, and set to pick another handful while he chewed on the berries contently.
He doubted they were poisonous, and even if they were, he was pretty sure his stomach could handle them. An unnatural resistance to poisonous substances was just another little trick that he’d learned he had after a close encounter with some belladonna tea. Fortunately, he just had a bit of a stomach flu for a few days, and Derpy had stopped hallucinating shortly after she’d gotten her stomach pumped.
He continued munching through his midday brunch, and his hunger finally alleviated, his mind found it easier to wander. His thoughts varied, one minute thinking about how the shadows seemed to dance all around him, and the next wondering what else called this place home. However, for some reason, every now and again, his thoughts seemed to converge on one very specific thing. Pinkie’s farewell.
He thought of how it had caught him completely off-guard, and how he’d never expected somepony as innocent as her to do something like that. Of course, she was Pinkie Pie after all. But still. He thought of the smell of her mane, like cotton candy and lilies, filling his nostrils. The way her lips felt against his own. How the blood had rushed to his cheeks... and some other parts as well.
But above all, he kept thinking about how he felt. Or rather, the lack of how he felt. He simply couldn’t figure it out. She’d been one of his best friends throughout the past years. He knew he loved her as a friend. But was there something more? He wasn’t sure he could say yes, but then again, he didn’t really want to say no either...
The thought of liking Pinkie Pie as more than a friend was confusing. More confusing than solving all the equations in one of Twilight’s advanced calculus books. And that was saying something. Somehow he knew he couldn’t figure it out, but maybe that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Maybe it was for the best that things remain in the unknown. After all, he was headed into the unknown right then, perhaps it would be best to simply think of “What If’s” for now.
He knew he’d always loved Rarity. Or at least, he’d always thought he did. But maybe Twilight was right. Maybe it was just a silly crush. And maybe it was time he got over it. Maybe it was time he just forgot about Rarity. For good.
But no. He knew he could never forget her. He’d never forget her. And he couldn’t live with himself if he swallowed his feelings, ignored his heart, and on top of everything else, he had to see her around Ponyville every holy day. He couldn’t live with that grief. Having to watch her go on with her life. Someday meet another pony who she could share her life with. Get married. Raise her children. All while he rusted away in Twilight’s library, never knowing love, never knowing life, and forever doomed to live his life pretending to be someone mother nature hadn’t intended him to be.
Depression once again sank in, and Spike felt sleepy all of a sudden. His eyelids grew heavier to match the lead in his heart, and little by little, he felt his muscles become unresponsive. As he slowly sank towards the forest ground, and the shadows loomed over him, closing in on him, shrouding his vision, his last thought was of the berries still clutched in his claws. Perhaps it hadn’t been the smartest decision he’d made, eating them without really checking them first. Things were different in the Everfree, raw magic ran wild, and as he fell into a deep sleep, he wondered. And wondered.
Just as unconsciousness was about to sink in, he thought he heard something. Something calling for him.
“Spike.”
The voice was faint, but just barely audible, and distinctly feminine.
“Spike!”
It grew just a bit louder, and Spike knew he’d heard it before. The voice resounded in his head, seemingly getting louder and clearer as he fell asleep.
But with just one blink, everything changed.
Spike felt a magic aura spanning all around him. He recognize the feelings since he was used to Twilight using magic around him all the time. It’s intensity grew exponentially, making him instantly alert, and nauseous all at the same time. In just a few milliseconds’ time, it reached its climax, and with a sharp bang, a blinding white light filled the forest. Everything around him at that moment was probably dreading to think what might have caused such an influx of magic. Spike, on the other hand, could only wonder,
What’s up with all the blinding white light recently?
He felt renewed, as if his stomach had been filled, his thirst quenched, and he’d gotten a full-night’s rest. He didn’t know exactly why, but the relief was welcome nonetheless. Now suddenly alert, and much more wary of his surroundings, Spike turned towards the source of the commotion, and clambered over the uneven ground to try and get a better look. What he found, was as usual, highly unexpected.
There, just a few feet aways from him, two of his best friends, two of the mares he loved with all his heart, emptied the contents of their stomachs and wobbled about pitifully. It made his stomach twist to see them in such a sorry state. Both Twilight and Applejack were hardy ponies, and could withstand just about anything. They’d proved that time and time again. But he guessed that the recent events caused by him were taking quite a toll on them. That, and Twilight had just teleported two fully-grown ponies kilometers into the Everfree Forest. Yeah, that might have been another reason.
He moved some ferns aside and ducked behind a fallen tree trunk to get a better view. Unfortunately, Applejack made sure he got a very detailed view. Spike resisted the sudden urge to throw up, and swallowed the burning bile that surfaced at the back of his throat. Trying to ignore the foul taste in his mouth, he watched the scenario unfold.
Applejack, seemingly feeling a bit better, turned towards Twilight, who lay on her stomach, flung out on top of a soft patch of grass.
“Twi? You Alright?”
At first she seemed to be unresponsive, and Spike’s heart skipped a beat. If she had overexerted herself, she might as well have been dead already. Even the scavengers of the Everfree were a fair match against a pony, let alone the predators. And if Twilight was unconscious, their job was simple. Chew and swallow. But he wouldn’t let them. He was sure of that.
Spike clutched the trunk with his claws, flexing his muscles, ready to spring from behind the ferns to his friends aid. However, movement from Twilight caused him to freeze. She slowly lifted her head, just enough to give a small, but reassuring nod. Spike relaxed. She was tired, that was all. He’d seen Twilight a lot worse. She’d quickly be herself again. Still, Spike maintained a ready position, just in case. It was, after all, the Everfree Forest.
Applejack had gotten nervous. Spike watched as she looked in all directions around her. She was smart. Smarter than he’d been. He ducked down just a bit lower, making sure he wouldn’t be detected by the ever-alert pony.
“Twi!” She whispered, a bit too loud for a proper whisper, but not loud enough for a spoken word. She’d realized the danger they were in. Of course, Spike knew it wasn’t that much of a problem. He was fairly certain he could defend both Twilight and Applejack if some unwanted critter overheard their conversations. At least long enough for them to get away.
“Twilight! Come on Twi! Get up!” she said, a bit louder this time.
Slowly but surely, Twilight obeyed.
“Wha... What happened...? You...”
“Ah had to.” Applejack cut her off.
Spike’s curiosity had peaked once again. Had to do what? What had AJ done? Instead of voicing his questions, which would have probably caused quite a ruckus, he decided to simply let the scene before him play out. He sat, watched, and listened.
He watched as Twilight sat up on her haunches and opened her mouth to offer a rebuttal. However, a sudden twist in the drama. Her face became contorted, the corners of her lips wavering, and almost as if involuntarily, she let out a soft sob, and started crying.
Spike’s heart once again suffered the consequences, and melted a bit. It pained him deeply to see the pony he’d loved all of his life, hurting so much, and all because of him. Part of him wanted to reach out and comfort her, but he knew he couldn’t. For her own sake.
Applejack tried to reassure Twilight, not taking her eyes off of the shadows all around them. He ducked down a few more millimeter. He couldn’t help but feel it was only a matter of time before she saw him, and his plans were all ruined.
Little by little, Twilight calmed herself. It didn’t surprise Spike. She was always much too smart to let herself be so easily defeated by sheer emotions. He’d always poke fun at her about her illogical lack of emotions, but she always had a witty rebuttal to his jokes. She was the better part of him that completed one, absolutely priceless, weird, pony-dragon puzzle.
Suddenly, as Twilight’s sobbing diminished to a nearly peaceful silence, Applejack whispered in her general direction, still not making eye-contact.
“Ah’m... Ah’m sorry, alright? Ah shouldn’t have done that, but I couldn’t let you go off and do somethin’ rash like... like this!”
Again with the apologies. What had Applejack done? And Twilight, do something rash? It didn’t sound like her...
Then again, sitting in the middle of the Southern Everfree Forest with Applejack, sobbing like a filly, aslo didn’t sound much like Twilight.
Spike tried to lean in closer, and almost jumped when he heard the noise of a dead branch groaning beneath his weight. He shut his eyes tight, and pictured Applejack and Twilight staring at him with intense stares of shock and anger. His life would undoubtedly be over.
However, much to his great relief, AJ hadn’t heard, or at least, she hadn’t paid the noise any mind. Giving off a silent sigh, Spike continued his observations, careful not to call any more attention to himself.
Drooping her ears, and with an almost disheartened expression, Applejack continued,
“Ah know y’all got feelings for Spike.”
He froze.
What?
Wait...
...
What?!
No, that, that must have been a mix-up. Maybe Applejack meant another Spike? And what? She also liked that other Spike? Was that why she looked so heartbroken?
What?!
“Ah saw that look in your eyes Twi, you can’t deny it. Ah can’t blame ya either.”
Wow. Way to remain subtle, Applejack...
Spike shook his scales. No. Now wasn’t the time for jokes. His brain still hadn’t caught up to the situation, and he was pretty sure his heart was frozen in place, almost as if afraid to go on beating for fear of what might be said next.
It was obvious they were talking about him. They didn’t know any other Spike that he knew of, and even if they did, what would the chances be that he’d also run away into the Everfree Forest? Slim, he though. Possible, but still, slim.
So if they were talking about him, why did it seem like they were only just now finding out about their own feelings for him? And why had he never considered it? How had he missed it all? It couldn’t have happened overnight, there should’ve been some signs. He couldn’t think of any at that precise moment, his brain curently preoccupied with getting back on track again, but he’d have to make sure to think back carefully.
“But you’re not helping by teleporting yourself into the Everfree forest all on your own! You’re just putting yourself in danger.”
Well, there was one mystery down. It didn’t really surprise him. Twilight could be rather reckless with her teleportation spells. And AJ had probably gotten to her before she could dematerialize completely. That would explain the apologizing and the general expulsion of bodily fluids from the two mares.
Still, there was one overpowering question that haunted him, and would continue to haunt him for much longer than he’d expect. Did Twilight like him? Love him, even? How? Since when?
She‘d always been around, ever since he‘d hatched, and from the very beginning, they‘d been best friends. Always together, relying on each others‘ strengths, and fortifying each others‘ weaknesses. All through his life, they‘d been best friends. But he‘d never considered that she would have such feelings towards him. That wasn‘t to say he hadn‘t let his imagination run a bit wild now and again, especially through a rather turbulent adolescence.
But Twilight, feel something for him? Spike blinked. He wasn‘t sure. He simply didn‘t know. He knew he loved her, but he wasn‘t sure he loved her that way. And after the whole Rarity fiasco...
He felt absolutely horrible. He‘d never considered Twilight‘s feelings all this time. Who knew how long she‘d felt that way, and he‘d been blind.
But still...
He simply didn‘t know what to think.
“But... But then how...? How will we get him back?” Twilight said, breaking the silence. Her helpless tone sent a pang of pity echoing across his heart. Applejack lowered her head, and replied gravely.
“Ah’ll go lookin’ for him...”
He gulped. And swallowed nothing but fear. If AJ went looking for him, she’d find nothing but trouble. Not from him, but from the forest’s other not-so-friendly residents. Now that he knew where she was, and what she was planning to do, avoiding her would be easy. He just had to stay a few paces behind her. And he’d have to look after her. A lone pony in the middle of the Everfree Forest looking for a stray dragon was a pretty easy meal, even if said pony was Applejack.
“So what am I supposed to do then? I can’t just sit around while you risk your life!” Twilight said stubbornly, as usual.
Oh come on! Spike thought with some sadness, For once in your life, don’t make things harder than they need to be!
“You’re right Twilight, you can’t just sit around.”
Huh?
“You’ll have to take care of things back home before I come back with Spike...”
Perfect. Applejack was really intent on going through with this. She really thought she’d bring him back to Ponyville? No. No way. She was stubborn, just like Twilight, Spike knew that. But he couldn’t let her win. Not this time. One way or another, she’d have to return to Ponyville without him. How he’d get her to do that, he’d have to figure it out, and quick.
Yet another bright white flash, much to Spike’s distaste, and now it was just Applejack and him, without a friendly creature for kilometers, surrounded by shadows and claimed by the forest. With that, she ran.
She ran, and she ran fast. Faster than he’d ever seen her run before. Without hesitation, Spike leaped from his hiding spot and chased after her, falling on all four claws and moving with speed that surprised even himself. He lept from tree to tree, hanging on with razor-sharp claws, and gave chase after the panicking orange cowpony beneath him.
He was on automatic pilot. His muscles did all the work, and that left his mind free to work other things out. But no matter what he thought of, he kept coming back to the same thing. Twilight.
******************R******************
It wasn’t the sunlight streaming through her curtains that woke her. The same sunlight had been shining into her room, illuminating her surroundings for a good couple of hours, and she still couldn’t see. It wasn’t the sound of ponies bustling through the now-busy streets as the clock hit ten. She couldn’t hear either. Nor was it the smell of freshly baked goods that wafted though the town, or the bitter taste of dry saliva in her mouth. She couldn’t smell or taste. She was dumb, deaf, and blind, caught in a web of dreams, and for the moment, oblivious to the pain that lay dormant in her heart.
She dreamt of good things. Bright things. Colors shining and ponies laughing, and a big blue sky. All in all, many things that she couldn’t really see, or make sense of, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. She wouldn’t remember what she’d been dreaming about, all that abstract nonsense of feelings and memories. But she’d remember other things.
During a particularly green part of her dream, a sudden feeling of emptiness took over her, falling from the backs of her eyes to the pit of her stomach, and filling her with an awfully unpleasant sensation that wracked her body. She twisted and turned in her bedsheets, and her own tumultuous movements shook her from her otherwise pleasant dreams.
All of a sudden, she was transported into a bright, new world, where she lay on her back, panting, and covered haphazardly by white satin sheets. It took her a while to realize where she was, and for her memories to come back to her, piece by bitter piece.
She remembered all of her doubts and worries, her friends skepticism regarding her date. And then the date itself. It had started out wonderfully, just like she’d hoped it would. Or rather, how a true date actually should commence. They’d picked a wonderful spot, just a few meters from her friends, but far enough away so as to avoid akward confrontations. A useless care if ever there was one. The play was about to start, that much she remembered. And as she lay on the blanket next to her fine date, she remembered...
She sat up, her muscles tensing and her heart-rate accelerating. She was almost certain she was starting to sweat. She remembered.
She remembered how Spike had come over, and tried saying something to her. Something sweet. No, not sweet. Bittersweet. It had made her heart flutter and blood rush to her cheeks. It had made her feel something unlike anything she’d ever felt before. But she hadn’t had time to take it all in. He had to interfere.
Topline, the handsome, charming stallion that had seemed like quite a catch, suddenly turned into a vile monster. The way he spoke, with a snobbish superiority that made her fur stand on end. It was more than just disgusting. It was absolutely hideous, sickening, revolting. Ridiculing Spike, her best friend, in front of everypony present, all because of his kind heart. A kind heart that Topline clearly lacked, and for that, she hated him. From that instant on, she hated his guts, and if he ever showed his face before her, she’d be sure to leave that crystal clear.
And that was when it had happened. Spike had said something she’d always heard whispered quietly in her dreams. Something she’d longed to hear ever since she’d first heard it in a fairytale.
“I love you...”
And fear. Something snapped. She wasn’t sure what it was, but all of a sudden, there were green flames all around, and chaos. And she ran. With tears in her eyes, and not truly knowing where she was going, she ran nonetheless, far away from the chaos. Far away from the heartbreak.
But there was something else. Something she was forgetting.
After a few sacred seconds of silence, everything clicked, and Rarity’s heart plummeted into an endless chasm of emptiness.
Spike.
If Spike had attacked Topline, everypony would be after his blood. It was no mystery that many of the ponies in Ponyville, and even Canterlot, were highly skeptical of Spike’s presence, and a tiny little misstep could set hundreds of ponies against him. He’d be chased by the others, and even though she was sure the girls would do their best to protect him, they were still no match for the whole of Ponyville. News would soon reach Canterlot, and by the time it got there, the rumors would be so distorted, things would be blown out of proportion. Celestia would send in the Royal Guard, and then Spike wouldn’t stand a chance!
She had no doubts. The scenario played out in her mind time and time again, and somehow, each repetition was more brutal and more heart-breaking than the last. Rarity didn’t stop to think about anything else for one minute. She had been the only witness that could clear Spike’s name.
If she got there in time.
On any normal day, Rarity woke at what some might call a Discordant hour. Five in the morning was usually when only the most competitive shop owners or dedicated bakers, or in some cases, honest farmers, awoke. Rarity did not fall into any of those categories. Instead, she dedicated the first hour and a half of her day preparing herself. Looks like hers were not easily acquired, and it took a good amount of maintenance to maintain her natural beauty. Her hair was without a doubt the most challenging ordeal, especially after turbulent nights. Last night had indeed been, a turbulent night.
However, going wildly against her own personality, and going on instinct alone, she ran out of her boutique with her mane in a display only Discord would have been proud of. Her tears had made a freak show with the makeup still on her face, and her eyes glowed, puffy and red, and filled to the brim with salty tears.
She was most definitely not a pretty pony at that moment. But her emotions told her to ignore all that. To ignore the plain discomfort she felt from the way her coat was matted, and to simply flick away the hairs that fell on her face. To ignore all those stares from shocked bystanders, as she ran towards the Ponyville Library. She ran as fast as her hooves could carry her. She could’ve given both Applejack and Rainbow Dash a run for their money at that precise instant, but right then, those two ponies were nowhere in her thoughts. There was only one person in her thoughts.
Spike.
Ponyville was busy, as it usually was in mid-summer, and that just added weaving through crowds to her list of
obstacles to overcome. If she had been paying attention, she might have noticed that there were no Royal Guards in sight, and that there were no mobs of angry ponies with torches and pitchforks, and that her suspicions were overly-exaggerated. If she had been paying attention, she also might have noticed the gray pegasus pony with a messanger’s bag across her shoulders as she ran straight into her.
Both unicorn and pegasus collapsed in a muddled mess of eight legs, two tails, and several muffled protests. A mess of letters and flyers were strewn across the street as Derpy was forcefully detached from her bag. After a few seconds of squirming, Rarity finally managed to separate her face from the pegasus’s yellow mane to actually recognize her assailant.
“Derpy?! Oh, why don’t you watch where you’re going!” Rarity snapped at the still-confused mailmare that lay before her.
Derpy slowly regained her footing, and stood to face Rarity, who was also struggling to get up herself.
“Oh, Rarity, I’m so sorry, it’s just... I’m not... I mean... Wh-with all the things...” Derpy struggled to apologize as she ducked down, not making eye contact.
Derpy kept her head lowered, and began picking up her misplaced letters, and Rarity was inclined to ignore her and continue on her way. But she picked up on the saddened tone of her acquaintance, and upon further inspection, she noticed Derpy was also on the verge of tears. Rarity’s brain slowed its revolutions, and she once again returned to her senses. She forget her urgencies, and she forgot Spike for one split second, giving her heart a minute’s rest as she stopped to consider the poor, broken soul before her.
“Darling, I’m sorry, I was the one that wasn’t watching where she was going. You have nothing to apologize for. Here, let me give you a hand...”
Rarity’s horn lit up, and using her magic, she began helping Derpy pick up the scattered pieces of mail that lay on the dirt road. Derpy herself joined the effort, still sniffling, and opened her bag for Rarity to place the letters into. Once everything was once again in its place, Derpy turned towards Rarity with a sad half-smile, and uttered a small, hoarse,
“Thanks.”
As she was about to leave, Rarity realized something was still bothering her, and it wasn’t her reputation as a klutz. That was already well-known, and she wouldn’t be pouting about that all over the place. Finally, the curiosity of why one of Ponyville’s most cheery citizens looked so glum overpowered her.
“Derpy, dear,” Rarity said, causing Derpy to freeze just as she was taking off.
“Is something the matter darling? You seem terribly upset.” Rarity said. If she hadn’t been so concerned for the poor mailmare, she might have laughed at the irony of her saying that, when she was certain she didn’t look all that upbeat either.
Derpy slowly turned around, and even with her, ahem, condition, she seemed to find it difficult to make eye contact, and simply pointed her nose towards the dirt.
“So... you haven’t heard?” She replied meekly.
Rarity leaned forward, now giving Derpy her undivided attention. It didn’t go unnoticed by her, and Derpy quickly spoke up.
“Spike was my friend too, and after last night, well... I’m worried for him. They’re saying he ran off into the Everfree Forest, and that he’s gone off to look for... for others.”
Rarity froze. Spike? Everfree forest? Others? Her brain got caught on that last word, and she asked almost without thinking,
“Ot-Others? Other what?”
Derpy finally looked at her, directing her right eye towards her own, and making known the fear and sadness she herself also carried within.
“Other dragons.”
*************************************
She just stood there. She just stood there in the middle of a dirt road, while all around her, her world collapsed. It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t. She just stood there, and denied everything.
She didn’t know how much time went by. Derpy had left a couple of minutes after she stopped responding, muttering something about having letters to deliver. A few ponies stopped and asked her if she felt alright, and she’d simply respond with a quiet, “yes”.
The truth was just the opposite of course, but frozen in the middle of a public intersection, in her conditions, she would have thought it was obvious. Still, no medicine, no doctors, no psychologist, nothing would change that. Nothing would make her, “alright”. Nothing that was possible, in any case. The only thing that might have changed something was Spike. And now he was gone. And it was her fault.
For far too long she had been aware of his childish crush on her, ever since he’d been a hatchling when he’d arrived in Ponyville. She’d thought it cute at the time, and simply allowed it to be, sometimes taking slight advantage of the situation. Nothing to feel guilty about, she’d thought at the time.
She’d also gotten the chance to watch him grow from hatchling into a rather handsome Drake. Forget those repugnant adolescent dragons they’d encountered during the Dragon Migration. Spike was clearly an entirely different species. A much more elegant species. He’s dropped to all fours, and despite his lizard-like appearance, his sharp scales and furnished spikes gave him the appearance of a regal lion. All in all, quite the catch for a dragon.
However, she’d also noticed his crush had grown side by side with his physique and his mentality. He’d become more serious, but more subtle, and even though she appeciated his efforts and his kindness, it had concerned her. He’d send mysterious flowers, do extravagant favors. He’d even carved her name in middle of a priceless diamond just for her. And even though it touched her deeply, she simply couldn’t bring herself to reciprocate his feelings. She couldn’t love him. Not the same way he loved her.
But she could never bring herself to tell him that. She could never confess to him that she really did love him, but that she could never be with him. That they weren’t meant to be. Not in this life.
And now, she had broken his heart and signed his death warrant. Be it at the hooves of the Forest, or by the signing of his sentence for attacking a pony. Whatever happened to him now, she’d be responsible for it. And no matter what, she knew she’d never be able to live with herself if something happened to him. Not after everything they’d been through.
Not now, that she was certain that he truly loved her.
And if something had to happen, he at least deserved to know that all his efforts were not for naught. That he really was that dragon of her dreams. That it had taken all of this for her to finally realize that. And above all else, he needed to know that she’d be there by his side every step of the way, until the very last breath, be it his or her own.
And her mind once again clicked. And automatically, her hooves began to carry her onwards, southwards as she walked, toward the Everfree forest. Towards her death. Towards her love.