Happy Anniversary Sug

by Bysen

What is love?

He lay near the building, close to the wall but far past the small shrubs that made up the garden surrounding it. He’d done it… his leg had snapped, but he’d done it! Big Mac had caught Twilight on his back, stopping her from taking the fall force of her fall. She was hurt still, maybe as much as he was; she was out cold. Maybe she was hurt more than he was.

Big Mac didn’t know if she had just been reading it as part of a rotation through her books or if she’d been reading it because she wanted a family. It didn’t matter which it was, but it made him realise something. He’d started to feel that heart-break of his at the time that Twilight had cheated on him. But it wasn’t his pain he was feeling… it was hers. If she couldn't feel it, then he woudl feel it for her.

They were connected somehow. The pain he felt was what she felt for betraying him. Even if she didn’t know if she loved him; he knew. He knew that he loved her and no matter what would happen he would never stop. He’d save her even if it meant his leg being broken as it was now. It was worth it. He’d save her even if it meant him his life! Because he also remembered something else. That one day, his child would be her child too. He wouldn't let anything change that. He knew what this was: love.

Big Mac could see his leg as it lay bent in front of him. His left foreleg had buckled under him as he caught her and snapped clean in half; his hoof was pressed up against the knee of its own leg. He couldn’t feel it anymore; all his senses only let him feel one thing. That his love was still alive. He could feel her heart beating on his back and her chest slowly moving with each breathe she still took. She lay mostly on top of him, her tail draped over his other foreleg and her head resting on his back.

Rarity was just standing there, looking on. She didn’t know what to do. Elusive ran past her over to the two ponies on the ground. He yelled something but she didn’t really take in what he had said. She’d caused this. She’d called her friend horrible thing while she knew she wasn’t in a right state of mind and she had caused this! 'How could she think about killing herself… I didn’t…'

“Rarity!” yelled Elusive. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked over at him. “Move!” he shouted and pointed past her. Two doctors and a few nurses where rushing out of the building pulling a gurney along with them. Rarity stepped aside and let them pass.

“Ah’m fine! Take her first!” Big Mac tried to yell but ended up coming out a lot quieter than he'd hoped. His voice was panicked beyond anything Rarity had ever heard from him. He even helped lift her onto the gurney despite how much pain it must’ve caused him. Once Twilight was on it, one of the doctors and two nurses pulled her back towards the hospital doors. The other doctor and nurse stayed and tended to Big Mac. A broken leg was serious for a pony, especially one whose entire lively-hood was manual labour. “Miss Rarity, can ya-UH!... can ya come here?”

It took a moment for her to realise what he'd said before she hesitantly walked over to him “Yes, Macintosh?” she asked, She was fearful of everything that had happened. She had no idea Twilight was so… so... she didn’t even know a word for it. She didn’t think Big Mac would save her like he did either. It was ironic almost… Twilight must’ve felt so alone and abandoned and yet she had somepony who would risk their life for her. But… it was Rarity’s fault that Twilight felt that way to begin with.

“That spell of yours, the one ya used before ta talk ta me when ah weren’t there. Ya gotta tell Spike. He’s gotta know Twilight needs him. Needs all'a us!” his voice was ragged between huffs of pain, despite how much he was trying to force it away. He was strong but this was surely beyond his limits.

“Ye-yes of course… I just…” she stammered, as her horn began to glow as she began to concentrate. The spell had been hard enough to cast before on the relatively small area of Sweet Apple Acres and she known Big Mac was there somewhere. But now she had to try all of Ponyville and she didn’t have any idea where he was.

She only tried sending the magic to one place, the library, before she couldn’t anymore. Her concentration was being broken by the constantly pestering thought that this was all her fault. Had she thought about it, she would’ve realised it was worse now; yesterday she’d hated Flash Dance, Cecil, Elusive, her father and every stallion… now however, she hated herself. “I can’t do it…”

“Don’t worry none ‘bout it Mi-argh… Miss Rar’ty” Big Mac said as he recoiled in pain mid-sentence. “’f ya can’t do the spell, could ya go find him and tell him in-pony?” Big Mac asked. He was keeping himself calm but he was horrified. Spike needed to know… Big Mac’s son Spike needed to know. It’s how he felt about the dragon, because it’s how he felt about Twilight.

“No, I can’t…” Rarity replied.

“Like ah said, ah’m fine. Ya gotta let him know thou…”

“No! This is my fault! I, I said horrible things to her. I caused this!”

“Rarity.” Elusive said as she continued on.

“I knew she wasn’t well and I caused this!”

“Rarity!”

“I can’t help anypony, I’ve tried but I can’t. I should just do the same as she did…”

“RARITY!!!” Elusive yelled as he slapped her. “Don’t talk like that! Don’t you ever say something like that!”

“You… you too? Why would you…”

“Because you were getting hysterical. I’m sorry.” he hadn’t thought it through what hitting her may've impied. But it was too late now. “You can’t find Spike. Can you find Sweetie Belle? She’s most likely with Spike.”

“I… I… yes." Rarity stammered as her horn began to glow anew. "I… Elusive. Do you?... could you help?” Rarity asked, knowing he knew what it meant. She hadn’t thought about it at the time she’d given her magic to Twilight to help teleport Pinkie, that situation was beyond it, though likely what caused it. Sharing magic was an intimate thing but she needed his help. “I can’t do it alone is all.”

“Of course, I understand." Elsuive said as he stepped lcoser to her. "Help. Nothing else.”

~ ~

She was packing. Just a few things… Spike had been serious. He wanted her to move into the library with him. “You know, you don’t really own that much stuff Sweetie Belle.” Spike said as he put her bag down on her beg and sat down beside it. It was the only one she had packed to take with her. It was quite small too. Sure she could come back and grab anything else she needed at any time but still, she had pretty much all she needed right there.

“Are you completely sure Twilight won’t mind me moving in?”

“I’m sure. She hasn’t said it but I pretty much own the place now. She lives with Big Mac. Hay, when we get married, you’ll practically be an Apple. At least by their loose standards… let’s see, you’ll be Applebloom’s brother’s wife’s adopted-son’s wife… which would make you her… step-step-cousin-in-law.”

“Close, but Big Mac’s her uncle, not her brother. Remember?”

“Oh yeah… well in that case I have no idea.” Spike shrugged as he said it. Sweetie Belle laughed at him. She got the impression that he could figure it out, he’d figured out that last title in about a second but she quickly sombered to his words

“Listen Spike, I know you were just making a joke, but could you not talk about us getting married. I mean… it’s just everything that’s happened. I know we have history and how you feel for me but we’re only just back together. I mean…”

“No, you’re right. I shouldn’t bring it up… we also should bring up that I want three children, two boys and girl named Jet, Topaz and Amethyst.”

“Really? You wanna name your kids after gems?”

“Shhh!… I said we shouldn’t bring it up!” Spike laughed… she’d walked right into that one.

“You know Spike… you only have one more joke left before I start getting annoyed… three per day. That’s the new rule.”

“Was that a joke?”

“Nope.” she replied bluntly.

“Hmm… better make it a good one then. Not a joke but that’s kinda funny, role reversal and all.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well normally it’s the mare who brings up marriage and the stallion who tries to squash the subject. It’s just kinda funny is all.”

“Haha, yeah it kinda is. Also, you’re not allowed to tell joke in bed anymore.” Sweetie Belle added, sounding actually serious unlike before. "It's what broke us up... so just try not to say something stupid again ok?" Sweetie Belle looked at him sternly before adding "As hard as not saying sometihng stupid may be for you..." with a slight laugh.

“Well, speaking of beds… this is the last time you’ll be in this one." Spike asked, shifting his tone to something more sultry . "Wanna make it a good memory?”

“Was that a joke?”

“Nope.” Spike replied bluntly, the same way she had.

“You know what… sure.” Sweetie Belle said as she cantered over to him, swishing her tail as much as she could before hopping onto the bed beside him, giving him a deep kiss as she pulled him down with her. “Uh, not so loud Spike…”

“Loud? What?”

“Rarity?”

“’Rarity’?” Spike question, not sure what Sweetie Belle was talking about.

“Yeah, Spike’s here.” Sweetie Belle said, looking around as she paused. Spike wasn’t quite sure but thought she was talking with Rarity somehow. He really hoped she couldn’t see them too… “Ok, we’ll come right away.”

“Um... what was that? Rarity wants us to go somewhere?”

“Don’t worry, she just wants us to meet her at the hospital, it’s probably just Flash Dance or something. She’s to kind to him after what he did. Besides I’m sure we still have time to make love…” Sweetie Belle said as she re-lowered herself to Spike and kissed him once more, rolling on top of him. “Oh Celestia…” Sweetie Belle said, abruptly breaking the kiss. “You heard that… well un-connect us or something!”

"Pfft-ha..." Spike tried not to laugh at the awkwardness between the sisters. He could think of at least a hundred lines to say, most alone the lines of ‘let her listen’ but he was sure they wouldn’t go over well. Of course Sweetie Belle knew him, she knew exactly what he was thinking and the smirking-grin he was trying to hold back only betrayed him even more.

“That counts as your third…” Sweetie Belle said, staring daggers at him.

Spike finally lost it and just blurted out a series of laughs before saying “I bet Rarity took that completely out of context…” Sweetie Belle didn’t look amused. But she did look… fearful? “C’mon Sweetie Belle, I don’t mean anything by it. I’m saying that again aren’t I?”

“No, it’s not that… Twilight’s hurt. Badly.”

“What? What happened!?”

“She fell from a window an…” Sweetie Belle flinched for a second. “Argh! What was… Rarity? Are you still there Sis?” the spell had faded and she couldn’t hear her sister anymore. She’d heard what had happened though, that Twilight had tried to kill herself. But should she tell Spike that? It was best not to tell him… but she had to, if she could trust him, than he had to trust her in turn. “Spike. It’s… she didn’t just fall. She jumped.”

“What? Why would she… no, she just fell, Twilight wouldn’t do that!” he was still under her and had pushed to slightly aside and got up. Now he was scampering about, trying to figure out what to do. “Where is she? Tell me!”

“Calm down Spike. Twilight’s at the hospital, I’m sure she’ll be fine. I’m sure! But… that’s what Rarity told me, that she tried to kill herself. I’m sorry Spi..”

“No! She wouldn’t do that! She wouldn’t!”

“Spike…” but he was out the door. She quickly took off after him. He was panicked but still… he asked her to trust him and then called her a liar… that didn't seem fair.

~ ~

They’d all left… she’d asked them to. But Big Mac was still there, he stayed… she’d asked him to. Twilight couldn’t explain why, she just wanted him there. No… despite what she told herself, she knew EXACTLY why she had asked him to stay. Somepony nice to comfort her, so she wasn’t alone. She was half sitting; half lying on the way up the stairs to her room, Big Mac had his hoof around her shoulder as she cried.

Spike had left her for Sweetie Belle. And on his hatch-day no less. Not that she blamed him, he was old enough to move out and maybe it would work out for the best. She only wished it hadn’t happened the way it had. She looked like a complete mess; ruffled mane, tears running down her puffy reddened face. Even if she could tell herself that Spike hadn’t left out of spite, and even if she knew it was true, it still hurt…

“Miss Twiligh’, can ah ge’cha another glass of water?” Big Mac asked. He didn’t really think it would help much but it was the gesture that mattered. He didn’t quite know why she had asked him to stay… he had a hunch… but he wouldn’t move on that in case he was wrong. Not to mention he couldn’t take advantage of such a heart-broken young filly. Not that she was a filly by any means. She was a mare. Turned thirty a few months ago. But still, he was a full ten years older than her and he’d known her for more than a decade. Even longer than his sister had been with Fluttershy.

“No than-thank you Big Mac. I’m fine.” she said as she wiping a few more tears. She wasn’t fine but she was getting better. She could make a coherent sentence again. After she’d wiped away enough that her vision wasn’t clouded, she stood up once more. She’d only been lying there because she’d nearly tripped climbing the stairs earlier. Big Mac gave her a small nudge helping her to her hooves then backed away slightly. He almost seemed timid to her.

He’d helped lift her up and get her walking again but the way she looked at him kept making him think that his hunch about why he was still here was right. Irrigardless, he wouldn’t make a move. He just wasn’t that kind of stallion. “Is there anything else ah can help ya with before ah get going?” he asked. She had been heading off upstairs to go to sleep before she’d tripped ascending them.

Twilight didn’t know if he was oblivious or not interested in her, she was making it easy for him. Asking him to stay, getting him to walk her up the stairs to her room. She was attractive right? Sure she was a bit of a mess right now but he’d seen herself at her best and he knew how gorgeous she could look at times… right? She was… attractive… right? “Big Mac I… do you, I mean… do…?”

“Ah think ah know what you’re getting at Miss Twilight. And sorry, but the answer’s no.” he said bluntly. Twilight had been going to ask if she found him attractive but he’d though she was asking him to bunk with her. He though he’d said the right thing but as she reach the top of the stairs she just sat down once again and began to cry anew. “Ah’m sorry Miss Twilight, but ah just ain’t that kinda stalyen.”

That statement didn’t stop Twilight’s crying but it hindered it somewhat. He was gay? Surely he wasn’t… “So you’re not into mares?... well I…”

“That ain’t quite what ah’m saying.”

“So you’re not a colt-cuddler… you just don’t think I’m attractive… “

“Now it ain’t that neither!” he said with a bit of force behind his word. He wasn’t helping much but he wouldn’t let her put herself down like that. He was about to add something about her being quite a pretty young lass, and that he where younger he may’ve even asked her out but he was cut off.

“Then why did you say you didn’t find me attractive?!”

“Ah never said such a thing!”

“Yes you did! Just before, I asked you! And you said, and I quote ‘ah think ah know what yur getting’ at Miss Twiligh’. An’ sorry but tha answer’s no.’” she mocked his country accent. He let it go though; she’d thought he’d insulted her so he just let it slide by.

“Ah’m sorry again then. Ah shoulda let ya finish the question ‘fore ah answered. Thought you were gonna go somewhere else with that question is all. Truth is, ah do find ya quite attractive. Have fer quite a while now. Always felt like kind of a creep fer doing so, seein’ as ah’m so much older than you and what not. But ah can assure you, ‘fI where a bit younger or you were a bit older, then ah’d be more than happy ta call you ma mare.”

Twilight had stopped crying half way through his small speech. She still had tears in her eyes and one running down the side of her face but they’d stopped flowing again. He was speaking honestly and she could tell. Of what little she knew about Big Mac, this was diffidently how Big Mac saw things. He was above all things, a gentlecolt. “Thanks you for that, I mean it. But I was just wondering. What did you think I was going to ask?”

“Well… ah’ma be honest here too ah guess. Ah thought you were going ask me ta spend the night wi’cha. Sorry, if ah where readin’ inta things that weren’t there.”

“Actually, I was. I’ve been trying to drop hints all night now. I guess what you said makes since… at least to you but, my mother was nine years older than my father and they were together for so almost fifty years. What you said before… it was nice and… well. I’d like to be your mare.” she said as she walked up to him and gave him a small kiss. “Would you like to be my stallion?”

“No.” he replied bluntly. “Ah ain’t gonna let nothin' happen tonight Miss Twilight. But trust me, its fer the best. You’re all messed up right now and ya ain’t thinking straight. Now please. Go to ya bed; by ya self. Ah know it may sound hypocritical ta be sayin’ this after what ah where saying bef…”

“More like hypocrite-cruel!” she yelled and stormed off to her room. It wasn’t really a room so much as a raised area of the house… tree… whatever.

Big Mac felt bad but he knew she would’ve just regretted it in the morning. Honestly… he’d had this kinda thing happen before with Rainbow Dash years ago... he saw Twilight fall into her bed and he could hear muffled sobbing through the pillow her face was dug into. “Miss Twilight, ah won’t leave ya though, ‘fya need me, ah’ma be down stairs on the couch."
He went down and got himself a glass of water before taking a seat on the couch. He just sat there for a good while until he eventually heard an end to the crying. He was pretty sure she was asleep now, it was almost 1am by this point. A few minutes later he heard the briefest little snore. He chuckled quietly to himself and then lay down. He wasn’t used to staying up this late.

Usually he would go to sleep pretty early in order to get up at the crack of dawn. He just couldn’t stop thinking about poor Twilight though and it kept him awake for at least another hour. Normally it only took him a few minutes, if that, to fall asleep and eventually he did.

~ ~

“Big Mac…”

“Wuh!?” Big Mac exclaimed as he awoke, not sure where he was for a second.

“I’m sorry to wake you but…” he quickly recalled where he was and what had occurred. He twisted he head around to see Twilight calling to him from the top of the stairs. It wasn’t well lit but he could see her face. It was still red and puffy, she’d been crying again even though she wasn’t now. “Would you come up here and sleep with me?”

“Nope… we’ve been over this alrea…”

“No… I don’t mean… I just…” she was clearly crying again “I just don’t want to be alone again…”

Big Mac couldn’t turn her down. She looked so helpless and distraught. He had no idea how much Spike must mean to her. Then again… she’d said that he was a son to her earlier that day. He couldn’t imagine what that felt like. Twilight knew, his sister knew… maybe one day he would know too…

“Sure thing Miss Twilight.” he said softly, partly due to his thought path and partly due to the fact that he was still half asleep. He got up and walked over to the stairs. It was dark and he couldn’t see them that well but he got up them without any problems. Twilight nuzzled his neck for a brief moment as he reach the top of the stairs, then walked over to her bed. It wasn’t a huge bed but they’d both fit in it. Just.

Twilight got in the left side and Big mac soon after got slowly into the right. They lay face to face for a moment. Big Mac almost regretted getting in the bed thinking that she might try something with him. But she never did. After a few moment Big Mac notices she was as far away from him on the bed as she could be without falling off. It would’ve been quite uncomfortable for her and she was likely doing it just for him. He put his hoof out onto her shoulder and pulled her in close. She didn’t resist and soon was pressed up against him.

After quite a bit of time they’d gotten comfortable with each other. She had her hooves wrapped around him and her head pressed against his neck. She was asleep now but Big Mac was still well awake, making sure he didn’t move as to not wake her in turn. Suddenly though… he felt something run down his neck. It was a tear. She was still awake after all. He put his hoof that had been down by his side over her. “It’s alright Miss Twilight. Ah said ah’d be here if ya needed me and ah am… just let it all out. Let it all out...”

~ ~

“How could she do this…?” Spike said, trying to hold back from crying. He’d cried in front of Sweetie Belle before. He’d cried in front of Rarity as well and didn’t really care what Elusive thought of him. He just felt he needed to not cry right now. To be strong for Twilight. She was unseeable, in the intensive care room in front of him with a cracked skull, the tip of her horn chipped off and internal bleeding. Big Mac had slowed her down quite a bit, and even though it had only been the third floor, she would’ve landed head first if it weren’t for him. She would be dead if not for him.

No pony answered Spike's question; he’d asked it a few times now. It wasn’t rhetorical so much as it was he just couldn’t accept that it had happened. Sweetie Belle put a hoof around him and leaned against him as Rarity just looked at the door to her room alongside Spike. Elusive was sitting in a seat a few meters away. He didn’t know if he should stay or go. He wanted to speak with Rarity but this wasn’t the right time or place.

He had stayed this long in hopes that the right time would eventually come up but it had been hours now. It was mid-morning when Twilight had fell and it wasn’t until just before noon that Spike and Sweetie Belle had arrived. Now it was getting late in the evening and the odds that it would come up where getting lower and lower. Of course by this point it would be rude, beyond rude, to just leave. In Rarity’s mind, he was here for Twilight, not for her and though he felt like an arse for milking that misperception. He still took the opportunity to score some points none the less. He couldn’t help but think ‘Nice-guy points… just what I need…’

A low-pitch ding sound came from above them and the sign above the door went from lit, indicating that the patient was getting treated to until meaning they had finished and she was alright. That… or they’d lost her. None of them knew what was happening on the other side of those doors. All they’d heard was the severity of her condition a few hours ago. Only Spike had thought of the latter option and almost lost control of the tears he’d been holding back waiting for as the door to finally opened.

“Is Twilight ok!?” he yelled before he could even see anypony. The door fully opened with nurse in the lead followed by Horse M.D. then finally a gurney being pushed by a second nurse, or maybe an orderly, with Twilight lying on top of it. Unconscious. Spike knew she was alive at least. She had a heart monitor hooked up to the gurney and it was beating with a steady rhythm.

Horse looked at him and sternly said "She’ll be fine in time, we’ve stopped the hermitages and bones should heal in time. As for her… mental state. We’re going to need to keep her under observation for a while beyond that. We’ll have a room for her in the psychiatric facility of the hospital. Once she’s arranged there you can see her.” he finished as the gurney was pushed passed Spike and the others before they could rush to her side.

~ ~

They’d all moved to the waiting room of the mental ward… Spike knew that was the polite word for insane asylum. Not that mental ward sounded much better. It had been an hour more that they waited. He was getting frustrated waiting for so long and kept thinking about what they were doing. Restraining her so she couldn’t escape or try it again? Putting some sort of magic dampener over her horn? Then again, was she even awake?

Finally though, Horse returned. “Miss Sparkle is set. She’s asleep now and should awake soon. But visiting hours are over shortly, only two hours, and if she’s not awake by then, we’d like to ask you to leave before then.” he said, trying to put some empathy in his words but Spike didn’t feel it. He just wanted to see her as soon as possible and without missing a moment; he rushed pass Horse and right into her room.

A nurse, or again, an orderly, he wasn’t sure which, or what the difference even was, was finishing up with her chart before placing it on the clip at the end of her bed and walking past Spike and out the door. Twilight was strapped down but it wasn’t as bad as Spike had imagined. They were clearly loose so as to let her move but not enough that she could get out of her bed.

Her horn had something covering it but it didn’t look like an anti-magic field of any sort. Most likely just a wrapping the chip off of it. She probably couldn’t use her magic very well, if at all, because of that chip either. Lastly, she had an I.V. in her right foreleg and a heart monitor displaying her pulse, though it didn’t seem to be attached by any wires. It was one of those new ones that sensed the pulse through the mattress. Spike was surprised that such a rural hospital had such new, expensive equipment.

Sweetie Belle followed him in shortly after but he had been in there for a few minutes before she did, as to give him a moment with Twilight. When she did come in she stepped up beside him and without saying anything leaned up against him. They stayed like this for a few minutes, both just looking at Twilight asleep in the bed. Sweetie Belle often found herself looking at Spike instead. She was more worried about him than she was Twilight.

She pulled away from him minutes later when Rarity and Elusive came into the room as well. Sweetie Belle had asked them to stay out for a few moments to give her and Spike some privacy and wished they had stayed out a bit longer. It had actually been almost half an hour but it had seemed much less to both of them. They stayed silent but they could all see it in Spike. He was sad. Confused. Angry.

“Oh lord!” Rarity suddenly shouted grabbing Spike’s attention as well as Sweetie Belle and Elusive’s. “Rainbow Dash… we completely forgot about her! Pinkie Pie and Applejack and Fluttershy too, oh my! Should… should we let them know… should we find out how Dash is?”

“No, we should stay here for Twilight. All of us.” Spike replied. “We can’t just leave her like this.”

“You can tell them Spike.” Sweetie Belle interjected. “You can send them a fire-wire right?” Spike didn’t reply, instead just turning back to Twilight. “Spike? Are you alright?” Sweetie Belle asked, already knowing the answer.

“No… I mean, no I can’t send them the message. I’m fine though.”

“It’s ok Spike… she’ll be ok. She just needs som…”

“No she won’t! You don’t know she’ll be alright! Do you even know what cracking your horn can do to a unicorn?! Even if she recovers she’s… she’ll never be the same! She may never be able to use her magic properly ever again! Twilight! Without magic! It’s… she’ll…”

“She’ll be fine, believe me on this…”

“How can you be sure! You can’t!”

“You’re right, I can’t… you’ll just have to trust me… please… trust me Spike.” The word hit home. They were his words. He’d said them just yesterday to her. He finally let them out. He’d been holding back from crying, from flowing for hours but he finally let the tears go.

It felt good to let them out at long last. “I trust you Sweetie Belle.” but saying that felt even better. As he wrapped his arms around her she put one of her hooves over him in turn. She felt him crying into his neck as tears ran down its side.

“Let’s go Spike. I know you wanna stay with her but this isn’t helping you being here. Help me move my stuff in, all one bags of it, haha. I want to get settled into the library. Settled in with you.”

“Sweetie Belle…” interrupted Rarity. “Are you, moving in with Spike?” Sweetie Belle hadn’t told anypony yet… it had only happened this morning after all. She really hoped Rarity wouldn’t freak out. It would work so much against what she’d just said and tried to build. 'Oh to hay with it…' Sweetie Belle thought, Rarity already knew they had been about to make love when she ‘called’ them this morning.

“Yes Rarity.” She said calmly, but with a face Spike couldn’t see that conveyed the message ‘NOT NOW!!!’ “I’m moving in with Spike. It’s sudden but… it’s the right thing to do.”

“Sweeti…”

“It’s alright Rarity” sobbed Spike, his head still leaning against Sweetie Belle’s neck, though his face wasn’t buried into it anymore. “I get it, you don’t want anything t-to happen to her. But you know I love her. You know I wouldn’t hurt her… at least I hope you know that about me.” Rarity didn’t answer. He was right but she didn’t want to say it. Spike took her silence as he turned to face her. He imagined a grimace on her face but when he finally saw her, she was smiling. Even if she didn’t know it, Rarity had accepted them ages ago. “Thanks Rarity.”

“Yes, thank you Rarity.” added Sweetie Belle as she smiled at her sister. She turned back to Spike “Should we go? We can stay a bit longer if yo…”

“No, you’re right. Let’s go home.” his arm still around her, he started slowly towards the door as Sweetie Belle got into stride alongside him. “Will you help me draft a letter for the others?”

Sweetie Belle waited until they were out the door to say it but Rarity was still able to faintly make out “Of course, but I may get distracted… remember, no jokes are allowed in bed…” with what Rarity had heard earlier, she could only imagine what her sister was implying… but she was ok with it. Spike was right for Sweetie Belle. Though, Spike had a tendency to get distracted easily… she had to worry that with Sweetie Belle 'distracting him', what mistakes he may make in the letter.

Rarity herself would leave soon as well. Though she’d like to stay by Twilight’s side… it didn’t seem right to stay. Then again it didn’t seem right to leave either. She had no idea what she was going to do. There was even a part of her that was saying ‘Go see Dash.’ An even smaller part saying ‘Go see Flash Dance.’ And of course, that part of Rarity that was far too large for her liking that said ‘Speak with Eli…’ she wouldn’t listen to any of them though.

Elusive on the other hoof “They seem nice together. I’m happy for Sweetie Belle.”

“Don’t you start. I know where you’re going with this. And I especially don’t want YOU talking about her love-life.” Rarity sighed… he’d done nothing but it was still hard to forget her old thoughts about him and her sister at times. “I’m sorry. It’s just, certain… ‘developments’ have come up lately. Did I ever tell you about Magnum?”

“I don’t recall you saying anything about him. Was he a former… um, lover of hers?”

“Sadly, yes. I won’t go into further details but serviced to say. She recently found something out about him that, well… I’ve tried to hide from her. And that would be in particular; that he’s still actually alive.” Rarity hated saying any of this but she felt she needed to. It was selfish though, she said it in order to kill any moment Elusive may have thought he had. Rarity didn’t want to have this discussion with him… again.

“I see. I take it he wasn’t the kindest individual. But Spike; he’s nothing like that, we both know him. You don’t have to worry about your sister and he.” Elusive knew Rarity was trying to stop this conversation but he wanted to… he needed to have it. “And she’s moving in with him. I didn’t know they were so serious again.”

It was a game of whits now. She would derail, he would put back on course. Rarity could tell where this was going once more. She had the bomb shell though: that Magnum was her father. But she couldn’t drop it. Partly for her own renewed guilt at having the lie broken after so long and partly to protect Sweetie Belle even now. “Listen Eli…" and then there was that. "I mean Elusive… Just say what you want to say and be done with it!”

“I will. You know how I feel about you. It doesn’t need saying but I will anyway. I love you and you know I do. Maybe I messed up your wedding and I could’ve done things differently. But… I didn’t. I did what I thought was best and I messed up. I love you Rarity!”

“I’ve heard it before. In the last two days, I’ve had four ponies say they love me. All of which have gone horribly! In order that would be Flash Dance, you, my father and Twilight! Yesterday I swore of stallions once again, as I did the last time I ended our relationship. So do you know what I did? I slept with Twilight! I shouldn’t be proud of it but in a way I am! So tell me Eli, what is love? Because to me it’s, in order once more: betrayal, stupidity, hatred and suicide!”

“Rarity. Love is to me… I’m not sure. Something you feel that you know is true. That even if you don’t see the pony you feel it towards, for four year, it’s still there. Just as strong as ever. And even if you're constantly hurt by that pony over those years, it’s still just as strong even though you know she hates you. I never saw another mare in all that time. And I don’t know if it’s true, but I was told you never saw another stallion in all that time.”

“No, I didn’t… but it where for different reasons than yours.” Rarity said dismissively. “But, please… go on.”

“It’s… to know that there’s only one for you! That’s what love is to me.” that was it. He’d told her how he truly felt. That even if it where for different reasons, they had both stayed away from anypony but the one they were meant for. She asked and he'd answered with all his heart. Hopefully, she would do the same. “So Rarity, please, tell me...”

“What is love to you?”

Author's Note:

Writer's notes:

That wasn't meant to be a cliff hanger ending again but upon rereading this... it kinda is... soz.

Well, I'm back. Computer's fixed, lost just over two chapters of work and had to rewrite this entire chapter and ended it completely different to how I did the first time but I'm back!
The opening scene was recreated to be the same as last time seems it pretty much NEEDED to be. Sadly though, it went along the same lines and I think it suffered for it, being that I tried to recreate something instead of starting from stratch and letting it be what ever it is. If that makes sence. [Which it doesn't].

I'm about half way through the next chapter already because I like to be a bit ahead so I can go back and change stuff before everyone's seen it but I'm not sure I'm ganna be posting on a schedual anymore. That being said, I'm still most likely be posting chapters on Sundays seems weekendism.

That entire flash back to the night of Spike's hatch day was an idea I had AFTER I had written this chapter the first time, before I lost it but didn't really work it in. It could've been a bit smoother but I still liked it and it's a good thing that I lost the original in that crash. [No, it really isn't a good thing...]

In the time that my comp was down I wrote a chapter that even though I like, probably won't be put up for a while seems it takes place at the same time that this section does. Because this section is also taking place at the same time as Pinkie trying ot get Dash to remember her. The chapter's about AJ and Fluttershy seeing off Applebloom back to Las Pegasus, among other things. I also half wrote another flash back chapter about them just after they got together 12 years ago. That one however, seems it's only half finished and not really that nessicary to the story may not be put out.
Edit: said chapter has become it's own story, here it is here!

Sweetie Belle would be Applebloom's Step-Step-Cousin-in-law... definitely only took a second to work out and not more like 20 minutes with a pen and paper working out a flow-chart…
Sweetie Belle might distract Spike from writing his letter to Pinkie, Dash AJ and Fluttershy... Just a little refference to the chapter 20 fiasco where I ended up completely changing the ending to it.
Edit: that ending change was when Pinkie said 'The Writer said nothing could possibly ruin this moment. That means something's totally about to ruin it.' was then followed by a letter from Spike telling them about Twilight's jump. However, I didn't say who it was just had Pinkie read it and say 'she tried to kill herself.' or at least that's what I planned. I accidently put HE instead of she and as such the entirety of chapter 21 [now chapters 21 and 22] seems like a lead up to Big Mac jumping and really confused a lot of people.

As for the title, again, just naming it after some of the last things in the chapter. What is love? [oh baby don't hurt me] Well, love is a battlefield. [1943]

Thanks for reading [and waiting...]
Edit: Before this chapter I had posted one or more chapters every week [with a few holiday exceptions] but this came about a month and a half later. after this I lost that timeline and it became to a VERY slow pace of new chapters.