Mirror Disconnect

by Shingo

3

Spike sat on top of a mess of covers in their basket. They stared at a nearby bookshelf without any real focus on anything. Their roommate’s snoring created a calm and consistent soundtrack for the room, one that Spike welcomed after the trip to dreamland. The little dragon crept out of the basket, careful not to wake anyone. Spike put a hand on their chin as they left the room.

If I ever need a friend, huh? Spike’s feet squeaked under the stairs. So, one pony knows now. And of all ponies, it’s Princess Luna. Another squeak came from Spike as they entered the foyer. The sound woke another of the library’s occupants who was standing on a nearby perch.

“Who?” Owlowiscious greeted as Spike passed by.

“Morning,” Spike idly said. They entered a hallway making their way to the kitchen. What was it she said to me? Right, it’s all on my shoulders and no one can help me. Spike pulled a pot out of a cupboard along with a bag of oats. They filled it with water before putting it on the stove. Spike turned it on. Well, maybe if more ponies knew, they’d be able to find a way to help. Owlowiscious flew into the kitchen and sat on a counter in front of Spike. He stared at the dragon as they were lost in thought.

“Who?” Owlowiscious said. Spike ignored the owl in favour of pondering. After all, everyone sees things differently, maybe they can see something I can’t, and that’ll help me. “Who?” Who…who do I talk to first though? Spike grabbed a wooden ladle by the stove. They poured the oats into the pot, gently stirring the mixture. I have to keep this quiet and controlled, so it can’t be anyone who has loose lips.

“Who!” the owl shrieked.

Spike dropped the ladle in surprise. “HOLY CRAP!” they yelled. Spike turned to the left. “You scared me, man. Don’t do that, especially when I’m cooking.”

“Who.”

Spike resumed mixing. “For how long now?” they asked. “That can’t be right.”

“Who?”

“Seriously? Sorry, I was distracted.”

“Who,” Owlowiscious deadpanned.

“Thanks, I really appreciate your sarcasm.” Spike rolled their eyes. They scooped out a small bit of oats and tasted it. Spike smacked their tongue. “This’ll do. Can you get some bowls?” Owlowiscious hooted as he flew across the kitchen. As he opened and rummaged through the cupboards as Spike turned off the stove and moved the pot. Owlowiscious returned to the counter with three birch bowls in his talons. He passed one to Spike and they filled the bowl with thick oatmeal. Spike placed it down and Owlowiscious passed another bowl. They repeated the routine another time before heading to the table, each with a bowl and spoon in hand.

“When did she get home last night?” Spike asked as they sat down.

“Who?”

“That late, huh?” Spike said through a mouthful of oatmeal. “I bet she’ll be super groggy by the time she gets down.”

“Who?”

“Fair enough.” The two continued their breakfast in relative silence, the sound of their utensils creating the underscore to their scene.

Near the end of the meal, Spike put their spoon down. “Hey Owlowiscious,” Spike said. Owlowiscious looked up. “When Twilight came home, did you say anything to her?”

“Who?”

“Well, that’s true. She would have been too tired to listen.” Spike squeezed their arm. “She won’t be later today though. So can you not tell her about what happened last night?”

“Who?”

“Because she has other things to worry about. She’s a princess now and that means she has a lot more responsibilities. She can’t be worrying about a personal problem I have when she has to worry about partially ruling the country.”

“Who?”

“What problem?” Spike asked. “I’m sorry, but it’s something I have to handle on my own. I don’t really think I can…” They trailed off, staring at the owl with a blank expression. Spike tilted their head and Owlowiscious mimicked them. They tilted in the other direction and again Owlowiscious followed. Spike’s eyes widened as they rest themselves. They smacked their forehead, groaning. What am I saying? “Never mind. Fine, you want to know what my problem is?” Owlowiscious nodded.

“I’ll tell you as long as you don’t tell Twilight.” Spike crossed their arms. Owlowiscious reached over with his wing to make a cross over his chest. “That’s not going to work with you. You can actually fly. I need something else to know that I can trust you.”

“Who.” Owlowiscious flew over to a drawer beside the stove. He opened it up, pulling a knife with a blade nearly as tall as him.

“What are you doing with that?” Spike asked as he returned.

“Who.” Owlowiscious picked up the knife with his left wing.

“How’re you doing…” Spike was interrupted as Owlowiscious turned the blade towards themselves. He gently placed it on his neck.

“Who?” Owlowiscious asked. Spike stared him completely slack jawed. “Who?”

“Okay, that works.” Spike took a deep breath, followed by another, and then two more. Owlowiscious hooted in annoyance. “Sorry, I’ve never actually said this out loud.

“The short end of it is that I’m having an identity crisis,” Spike said. “I’ve been having it for almost as long as I can remember. It doesn’t have to do with whether or not I consider myself a dragon, I already dealt with that with the migration. It has to do with something… deeper than the surface. But at the same time it has to do with the surface.”

“Who?”

“I know it doesn’t make sense,” they continued. “It hasn’t made sense at all. So I avoided it. I pushed it away thinking that it wasn’t important because it didn’t make sense. That hasn’t been working for me. You saw what happened last night, that tends to happen once in a while. It’s been getting worse though. So I decided to confront it.”

“Who?”

“That’s all I’m comfortable sharing, okay?” Spike sighed. “That’s all you really need to know anyways.”

“Who?”

“You can help by not telling Twilight. Can you do that?” they asked. Owlowiscious nodded. “Thanks Owlowiscious. You can drop the knife now.” The table echoed with a dull thud as Owlowiscious loosened his grip. Spike idly tapped the table. Well, that was easier than expected. And I feel…a bit lighter too. A smile crept up their face.

“Who?”

“Nothing, I was just thinking.” Spike looked out a window. Just outside they could see ponies just starting to run their errands. Behind them they could see the outline of one of their favourite places in Ponyville. Spike slid off their chair. “I’m going to go to Carousel Boutique today, I’ll see you later.”

“Who?”

“I cook, you clean. Yay or nay?” Spike asked as they headed towards a backdoor. Owlowiscious hooted, picking up the bowls. “Great, have a good day, and tell Twilight where I am.” Spike gently closed the door behind them. I hope I can find some help there.