//------------------------------// // #429. Cannot Be Unseen // Story: Gone in 1800 Seconds // by True Blue Spark //------------------------------// The Prompt: The room never felt the same after that. ------ Slowly, with careful, tentative hoofsteps, Twilight stepped up the stairs to the bedroom she shared with her assistant. “Spike? Are you awake?” A lazy grumble was the dragon’s only response. “Come on down, Spike. I made breakfast! Citrine-studded omelettes, just the way you like them!” Spike rolled over in his basket and fixed Twilight with a flat-eyed stare. “You didn’t make anything else in there, did you?” Twilight choked, sputtered, and stammered, “I—guh—Spike!” “Hey, I had to check.” Spike hopped out of his basket and trotted past Twilight, who took a second to shake off her embarrassment and follow him back down. At the door to the kitchen, the little dragon paused, peering around the corner as if expecting something to jump out at him. Twilight could feel herself blushing. “Spike, you’re being ridiculous,” she grumbled. “Ridiculous? Well, excuuuuse me, Princess! I just don’t want any more surprises, okay?” “Look, I’m sorry that you walked in on... that... last night.” Even just alluding to it made Twilight’s face go red from cheek to cheek. Or maybe that was from remembering what she’d done. “But in our defense, you told me you were going to be at the boutique far later than you were.” Spike climbed into his chair, frowning at the table. “Well, Rarity didn’t need as much help as she thought. That happens sometimes. And how was I supposed to know I’d need to announce my presence when I got back?” “You did know we were having a date night in!” “That was not a ‘date night’. That was...” Spike waved his claws at his omelette. “I don’t even know what you call it! Pinkie was... and you were... and right on the cutting block! I chop gems on that! Or at least I used to...” “Spike...” “And I’ll never look at cake frosting the same way again, I can tell you that for—” “Spike!” Twilight’s chest felt tight. When Spike turned to look at her, she found she couldn’t meet his eyes. She looked at the wall, face still burning. “Does it bother you that much? That Pinkie and I are—” “Whoa, whoa, wait!” Spike scrambled off his chair to approach her, eyes wide. “I didn’t mean—I... You know I’m happy you guys are happy, right? Pinkie’s good for you, and you’re good for her! I’m glad you’re together, really.” Twilight sighed, feeling some of the tension leave her. “Thank you, Spike,” she said. “I’m happy to hear that. Your opinion means a lot to me, you know.” Spike beamed a bit at that before continuing. “But just because I’m happy about it doesn’t mean I wanna see it. I mean...” He scratched his chin for an instant. “You don’t want to think about what Shiny and Cadance get up to now that they’re married, right?” A mental image flashed into her mind, and she shook her head furiously to dislodge it. “Ew ew ew ew ew!” she chanted. “There, you see?” Spike chuckled, no doubt enjoying the minor revenge he’d achieved by putting that thought into her poor, innocent brain. “You’re like my sister, y’know? It’s just weird to think about you like that.” “Okay, I understand.” Twilight wrapped a foreleg around Spike and pulled him into a hug, glad that this little incident had brought them a bit closer in the end. “I feel the same way, little brother. I sure wouldn’t want to walk in on you and Rarity!” she teased.* “Not like there’s anything to walk in on there,” Spike sighed. Still, he returned the hug, seeming to have a little more energy now. “But thanks. Sorry I made you worry.” “And I’m sorry we weren’t more considerate of you. I promise, if Pinkie and I get up to anything else in the library, I’ll hang a...” Twilight faltered for a moment, then went on, “I’ll hang something on the doorknob, so we won’t surprise you again.” “Thank you. Now how about that breakfast you made?” Twilight smiled. “Yes, let’s eat! I think it came out really well!” They settled in at the table and dug in. Now that the air had been cleared, both pony and dragon could relax and eat in companionable silence. For a minute or two, at least. “So how does doing that taste, anyway? She had all that frosting there, but—” “SPIKE!” And normality returned to the Golden Oaks Library. Or, at least, what passed for normality with Twilight and Spike.