//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: He Loved You // by StarLightStarBright //------------------------------// "Come on, Twilight! We need to hurry up! I wanna ask her right as the sun touches the horizon, and that won't happen if I'm late!" "Sorry, Spike, but you know this spell requires complete concentration on both our parts. I can't perform it if your mind is jumping all over the place." Twilight had to close her eyes to competely focus on the impatient dragon. "Now hold still..." A flash of light enveloped Spike as the random items placed on his body began to change form. The small blanket covering his body became a black suit jacket and a pair of matching pants, the pail on his head became a top hat, and the muddy galoshes Twilight let him borrow (that he was supposed to also clean a week ago) became a pair of handsome, black dress shoes. With the spell complete, Twilight fell back on her haunches in exhaustion. "Are you okay, Twilight? You don't usually get that tired when you perform this spell. Can I get you anything? Water? Lemonade?" "No, no. I'm fine. Perfectly fine. I've just been using quite a bit of magic today, and I guess I didn't know how much I had left to burn." Spike immediately felt guilty for rushing her through the dressing process. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I didn't mean to drain you like that. If I'd known you were that tired, I wouldn't have asked you to--" "Don't worry about me, Spike. Tonight is your night." A warm smile came from Twilight that melted away Spike's worry. "You just get to Rarity's house and ask for that date, ok?" "Are you sure?" "Of course I'm sure. And you'd better hurry; the sun's setting fast." Spike took a quick look at the sun. Slivers of it were touching the horizon. "Oh man! Thanks, Twi! I owe you one!" He hastily grabbed the bouquet of roses and, giving Twilight one last hug for luck, zipped out of the door for Rarity's house. Twilight walked out of the swinging door and watched him move with impressive speed. "Don't forget to tell me how it goes when you get back!" No response from him told her that he was out of earshot and didn't hear her. "Oh, Spike. I hope she says yes this time, you really deserve it..." "Hmm...maybe if I...no, that won't work. It'll just fall to the other side." Twilight pulled the rose to her side of the vase. As predicted, the rose went limp out of her touch and retreated from her to the other side. She groaned and simply let the rose be; she had been fiddling with it for fifteen minutes and the rose just would not stand straight up for her. She didn't want the poor thing to die, especially after what Spike had went through to get it. He grew it, along with an entire bouquet more, himself to give to Rarity. He watched over them day and night, through sun and rain and chores and pretty much everything else the world gave him. He wanted them to be perfect for the mare he thought was perfect, and he did everything in his power to ensure that they were. Of course, it's perfect... Twilight thought as she trotted to the stairs. She gave the rose one last look before going up the stairs to wait for her number one assistant to return home with the exciting story of his first date. It had been a long day for her: Equestrian history from sunrise to about nine, then a few chemistry experiments with Spike in the basement until noon, then lunch with Pinkie Pie (which, by the way, was a nightmare to schedule), an afternoon of timing Rainbow Dash's flying routines to make sure that they were still up to snuff with the Wonderbolts, then more time with Spike picking off all of the thorns on the roses and getting him into his clothes. He planned on asking Rarity on a candlelit dinner, and he wanted to look his absolute best... Two hours passed, and Twilight had dozed off in the middle of her favorite Daring Do novel. She hadn't meant to, but the section she was reading was getting slow. Besides, she'd hear the door when Spike came back. And if she didn't hear that, Owlowicious would wake her and alert her of his return. SLAM. Twilight jumped up, ears perked and eyes alert. She hadn't expected the door to close so loudly. And it didn't take a detective's hat to figure out that the one slamming the door was upset. Oh, no. Spike...Twilight rose from her bed and looked over the stairway to find Spike's shadow rummaging through something in the kitchen. The clothes he was wearing were scattered across the floor, and the roses he was carrying were crumpled on the floor as if someone stomped on them. She leaned over the edge of the bedroom in an attempt to see him, instead of his shadow. "Spike?" ...No answer. "Spike, is that you?" ...Still no answer. "Spike, please say someth--" "Yeah, it's me, okay?!" His voice cut her like a knife. It was so cold and unfeeling. "Why did you slam the door like that?" "Why do you think? She brushed me off like an annoying mosquitoe, that's why..." "Oh, Spike..." She knew that he hurt. She hurt for him. He worked so hard with those roses, with the preperation, with everything. He had practiced the question for days; Twilight even helped by pretending to be Rarity. All of that hard work, for nothing. "Do you want to talk about it? I can give you a shoulder to cry on..." "I'm not going to cry this time, I already promised myself that. We can talk tomorrow; right now, I just wanna eat some ice cream and be alone, okay?" "...Of course, Spike. Anything you want. But I need to see your face before I leave you alone." A pause from Spike. "Why?" "I just need to. Please?" "...Okay, fine." Spike walked out of the kitchen and showed Twilight exactly what he was feeling: anger, sorrow, disgust, everything. Twilight knew that his expressions showed her exactly what he had been through; after all, she knew him better than anypony. And looking at his face, she could tell exactly what happened without even being told. He went to ask her on the date, she refused. He asked why, she gave an excuse that could be easily believed but not overtold (probably something about an order for a dress that needed to be finished that night). The door was shut on him and he sulked the rest of the way home, probably stopping a few times to watch the sun set or sit on a bench. "You'll get her next time, I promise. Okay, Spike?" "No, I won't, Twilight. I'll never get her to like me, and I'm not trying to make her anymore. I'm sick of falling flat on my face for a girl who won't even give me a passing glance. Tonight was the last straw! From now on, I'm through with Rarity, and I'm through with love!" He stomped at the roses on the ground to prove his point before walking back into the kitchen and opening the freezer. Twilight had to choke back tears. "I'm...I'm sorry, Spike. Just...try not to eat all of the...nevermind. Goodnight..." ~*~*~*~*~*~ "Twilight?...Twilight, wake up." She rolled away from his voice, mentally begging for more sleep. "Come on, Twilight. It's almost noon. What's wrong with you? You never sleep past ten, even when you're really, really tired!" Spike had done this many times before whilst living with Twilight. There was only one way to get her out of bed when she was tired like this. He climbed onto her bed and began to poke her with a somewhat sharp claw. "Come ooooooon! Wake uuuuuuup!" She began to squirm about under her blanket, resisting his touch and stifling giggles. "Hehehe! Stop it, Spike! You know I'm ticklish!" "Now where do you think you're goin'?" Spike jumped on top of her in an attempt to restrain her so he can tickle her full force. "I'm not gonna stop tickling you until I see your eyes!" At that command, she closed her eyes tighter and struggled hard enough to break free from his hold on her body, but soft enough to keep him knowing that they were still playing. She rolled and twisted, giggling all the way. But as much as she moved, she could not escape his grasp. "Haha! Think you can get away just like that? You've got another thing com--WHOA!" They both tumbled to the ground in a haze of blankets, bodies, and laughter. Twilight finally opened her eyes to see if Spike was okay, only to find him staring back into her eyes as he lay, on top of her, nose to muzzle, lips centimeters away from each other. Neither pony nor dragon moved an inch. After what seemed like the millionth time waking her up this way, they had never fallen out of the bed. And they had especially not fallen this way together. Twilight cleared her throat and blushed furiously, giving her scaly, blushing counterpart a signal to roll off of her. Twilight managed to break the awkward silence. "Well, heh heh...that was..." "That was different, heh heh..." Spike finished. He quickly stood up and brushed nothing in particular off of his chest while Twilight had an opportunity to roll over in a seated position on her haunches. "Now, was there any particular reason you just had to wake me up, Spike?" "Well, aside from the usual 'you never sleep in this late' thing, you never told me what you wanted for breakfast." Twilight looked at the sun from her window, and it was high in the sky. "Uh, don't you think it's a little late for breakfast, Spike?" "Well, of course not! Its never too late for breakfast! Besides, you know what you're always sayin' about 'never breaking a routine.' Well, we haven't had breakfast, and I'm starving!" Twilight mused, regretting her words. "Well, I guess you're right. But I would think that you'd have already eaten if you were 'starving' and all..." "Oh, no. Today is special. I couldn't eat without you today." Confusion from Twilight. "Oh? What's so special about today?" "Today is the ten-year anniversary of our meeting. Don't you remember? You called it 'Assistant Appreciation Day!'" "Oh, right! Ten years ago today is the day that I cracked the egg that enrolled me into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and it's the first day that I met you! Oh, Spike, I am so sorry that I overslept! Can you forgive me?" "I already have, because you gave me time to think about what I wanna do today!" "And what would you like to do?" "Well, since we had a big party and didn't really get to spend any time together last year, I was hoping that we could just have a nice day together. Just you and me. No chores, no friends, no obligations. Just you, me, breakfast and then other things." "That sounds wonderful, Spike. So where would you like to go?" "Hmm?" "For breakfast. I can't have you cook on a day like today, and you know my cooking isn't exactly five star..." she gave a little blush, remembering the last time she tried to cook. It...wasn't pretty. "...So just pick a restaurant, anywhere at all, and we'll eat there." Spike's eyes widened with shock. This has never happened before. He had always had to eat whatever Twilight wanted to eat. Now he could pick whatever he wanted to eat, and there were so many options! He could head down to Sugarcube Corner and get another sapphire-encrusted cupcake, or he could go to his favorite pizza stand on the other side of town, or he could even head out to the fields on the outskirts of Ponyville that were always so abundant with jewels of every shape, size, and flavor. He knew of all of the sweet spots for rubies out there; he and Rarity went there all of the time to collect... ...Rarity... Spike's eyes returned to normal and his expression changed from one that could lift even Pinkamena's spirits to one of pure, unbridled sadness. He looked down at the floor in attempt to keep Twilight's now inquisitve eyes from searching his soul and finding something that would change the outcome of this day. "Spike? Is something wrong?" Twilight was worried about his expression. Did she do something wrong somehow? "...Twilight? Do you know if Donut Joe is still in Ponyville?" "Yes, I believe so. He told Pinkie and I yesterday that he would be here selling until the end of the week, why?" "I wanna go to his place. I need a donut right now...with extra sprinkles..." ~*~*~*~*~*~ The streets of Ponyville were bustling with activity at this hour. Today was Market Day, the day of the week when all of the farm and garden ponies opened their stands and sold their goods to the public. Twilight did not like walking through the lively town when the markets were still in high demand; she preferred waiting until about six when most ponies had gotten their fill of weekly groceries and had been on ther merry way. It was...more effecient, in her opinion. Nevertheless, the only way to get to Joe's donut shop was through Mane Street amongst all the hustle and bustle of the markets, and her little dragon companion requested donuts and couldn't wait another minute. How could she refuse him on his special day? In Twilight's mind and Spike's stomach,walking through the markets in the middle of the day was like walking shoulder-deep in pudding. It was unbelievable how many ponies needed things on a weekly basis. Unsurprisingly, Spike had much to say in complaint of the wait. After a while, the complaints died down, and Twilight checked to see if everything was ok with the little dragon...only to find him snoozing on her back. Oh, Spike. What am I going to do with you? Twilight giggled inside her mind thinking about how hard he must be sleeping to not notice the sounds of business all arou-- "Apples! Git yer apples here! Fresh and delicious!" Came the familiar screech of a young filly. Twilight looked to her left and smiled as she noticed Applebloom bouncing around a cart with an apple balanced on her head. "Applebloom! What'd Ah tell ya about screamin' and jumpin' around like that?" Her big sister, Applejack, came into view now as Twilight attempted to make her way through the crowd to the two without waking Spike. She didn't much care for donuts, and an apple sounded delicious right now, seeing as it was well into the day and she was hungry as it was. Besides, she didn't want Spike to know that she stopped before getting him his treats. Applejack saw her before she could get completely over to the cart. "Well howdy, Twilight! Fancy meetin' you here this time 'a day. Ya usually don't show for another couple'a hours when all'a the sellin's done." Applebloom bounded directly in front of Twilight from the other side of the cart, allowing the apple on her head to roll off into her hoof. "Howdy, Twilight..." She extended her hoof to put the apple directly in front of her face. "Buy some apples!" Applejack lowered her sister's hoof from Twilight's face. She gave her sister a stern look. "Applebloom. I told ya you could come with me apple sellin', but ya can't show all'a that energy. Ya can't just put an apple in front'a somepony's face and expect them ta just buy it. And ya can't keep bouncin' around like that. Ponies'll think you're crazy, or somethin'. Now get back to the cart and wait until the other Crusaders come to pick you up." Applebloom's head lowered in slight embarrassment as she returned to the cart while Applejack returned to her friend. "Now, back ta you. Why're you so early today, Sugarcube?" "Well, it's a very special day for Spike and I needed to get down Mane Street to get to Joe's donut shop." "Oh, right. It's Spike's little "Assistant Appreciation" thingie today, isn't it?" "Yes it is. He asked for the two of us to spend the day alone without a party. And for his breakfast, he specifically asked for a donut with extra sprinkles." Applejack cast a look of confusion. "Another one? Ya mean he ate all the others?" This time, it was Twilight who was confused. "Others? What others?" "Well, Ah saw Spike last night sittin on a bench, munchin' on a box'a donuts. From the look of his clothes, he had jus' gone out on a date, but...the look on his face said somethin' jus' ripped his litle ol' heart in two. What happened?" Twilight's heart sank. She looked back at the sleeping dragon starting to murmur in his sleep. "It's...personal, AJ. I just don't want to talk about things in his life that he's not ready to talk about himself. You understand, right?" "Of course Ah understand, Sugarcube...wait, hang on a spell. I'll be right back." Applejack quickly turned around and inspected her apples carefully, looking for the best two. After finding them, she turned back to her friend. "Here, Ah want you two ta have these, free of charge..." She extended the apples to Twilight, who gratefully took them with her magic. "Tell him that if ever he needs to talk to anypony about somethin' or other that's botherin' him, he's always welcome down at the farm. Ah won't judge." "Thank you, Applejack. I'll pass the message along for you." "No problem, Sugercube. It's the least Ah can do for a friend. Now, if you'll pardon me, Ah've got a customer. Have a happy Assistant Appreciation Day!" And with that, she went on about her business. Twilight looked at the apples, back to the stirring dragon, and over to Applejack and, with a warm smile, waded back into the crowded ocean of ponies to continue on towards the donut shop. ~*~*~*~*~*~ "So how's the donut, Spike?" Twilight had taken a seat across a table from Spike. "Was it worth the long trip here?" "Mmmm..." Spike couldn't talk, his mind was gripped with the flavor of his meal. He had ordered a box of his favorite donuts and was eating them with surprising gusto. "AMAZING...Are you sure you don't want any?" Spike waved a half-eaten donut in Twilight's face. "They're freeeesh..." She turned her muzzle away in slight disgust. "Like I said the last time you asked, Spike, I'm fine with my apple. I'm not really a "donut" type of pony. Besides, those are for my number one assistant on his special day. Nopony else." Spike pulled his arm away from her and popped the morsel into his mouth. "Okay, Twilight. But you're really missing out on somethin' great with these things. I don't know what he puts in them, but I hope he never takes it out! I feel better already!" He bit into another donut. "By the way, where'd ya' get those two apples, anyway? You didn't..." he swallowed, "...didn't have them before." "About that, Spike. We need to have a talk..." Spike looked puzzled. "What about?" "Well, if it's alright with you, I'd like to talk about what happened last night..." Spike's face changed back to the one he had the first time he remembered Rarity earlier that day; however, this time he didn't attempt to hide his face from her. "Well...I guess I could talk about it to you." "If you'd rather not talk to me, Applejack told me to tell you that if anything's bothering you, she could help. She's excellent with advice." "No, no. I wanna talk about this with you. I'm closer to you than I am with Applejack. You know more about me than anypony I've ever met. I can only talk about these kinds of things with you..." That made Twilight smile. "What kinds of things?" "The things that I try to hide from myself. Things like my attempts to date Rarity." "What about them?" "All of those times that I kept asking her out and asking you for help, you just...I don't know, you seemed like you kinda knew all of my attempts would fail. So I wanted to ask you: did you think that Rarity and I would ever...you know...be together?" "Well...I hoped that you would, for your sake. But taken from a logical standpoint...no. I didn't think you would. But it wouldn't be your fault that the relationship wouldn't work, at least not entirely. Think about it this way: have you ever asked Rarity if she liked another pony?" Spike shook his head. "Had it ever crossed your mind that she was in love with somepony else and couldn't date you?" Another no from Spike. His eyes started to glisten with tears. Twilight had to put on her best compassionate voice for what she was about to say. "Exactly, Spike. I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but Don't you think these are questions that needed to be asked before you attempted to date her? She could be put in a weird spot right now with you if she was dating somepony because you didn't know to back off." Spike nodded to show his understanding. "Now, if you think about how the many times you've asked her on dates, what facts remain constant?" Spike thought long and hard about the hundreds of times that year she refused his offering of dinner or dancing or something or other. No matter how many times he tried to go about this question, his mind drew blanks. "Um...I don't know. Do you?" "Well, from what I've noticed, you ask her too many times about dates that are too sudden to possibly work with. Think about last night. That was the third time this week you've asked her out. Furthermore, you asked her on a dinner date that night. What if she had company? What if Sweetie Belle had been over? What if she had already had dinner and just didn't want to hurt your feelings? What did she tell you last night?" "...She said she was feeling 'a bit under the weather' and she said she would have to reschedule." "And how many times this week has she told you she had to reschedule?" "...All three times..." A tear began to fall from his eyes as he began to fully realize his mistakes. Yes, he had attempted to rush into dating without even asking if anypony else was in the picture. Yes, he had bothered her non-stop about dates and things too much and on too short-notice. And, come to think of it, what did he see in her, anyway? She was pretty, and she could find gems. That's all Spike wanted. That's all Spike needed...right? Spike's head fell onto his arms and he cried. Hard. Twilight moved from her chair around to him and placed a foreleg around his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. "Oh, Spike...I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you like this..." He looked up at her and tried to calm down, for her sake, at least. "No, Twi-*sniffle*-light...I needed you to tell me this. Otherwise, I *sniffle* would never understand why I kept failing. Thanks for telling me before I found out a much harder way..." Twilight gave him a big hug. "Anything for my little dragon. Is there anything else you need to say or hear?" "Well...can I have the apple that Applejack gave me? I'm still a bit hungry, and I don't want any more sweets..." She took the apple from the other side of the table with her magic and put it in his hands. "Anything else?" "I wanna go somewhere outside of the library that's private, and I wanna spend the rest of the day there with you. I need space away from everypony so I can think about some things." "Of course. And I know just the place..."