"What Makes You Think You Can Zap into My House without My Permission, so Late into the Night?"
The light bulb hanging above the family table began to flicker on and off, though this occurrence was not noted by the two mares below it, as the moon’s glow was bright enough to embrace the room in its light.
“Every memory I have of Spike is usually of him being gentle and kind, especially when he worked extra hard as my temporary assistant. But when I go to sleep, I can’t help but see him in my dreams, as she slowly makes them into nightmares.”
Applejack sat at the table, chin on a hoof, as she appropriately nodded whenever Fluttershy needed the affirmation to carrying on speaking about her feelings.
“And I always feel...so hopeless in them. It’s like I have no mouth and I really have something to say to Spike, anything that would make him stop or make him better. But then, in the horrible situations he places us in start to begin, I can’t help but wish I could speak if only to save myself.”
An unknown mixture of sorrow and mystery began to course through the Apple pony’s veins as she found her own throat too tight to talk with. Applejack nodded again for the tales of nightmares to continue, forcing more pressure on her already clenched throat.
“I know it isn’t like me to say this, but I always thought, that if a friend of mine or a harmless animal was in danger, that I would be willing to sacrifice myself for their safety. I’ve done it once before to teach that dragon who had flicked away Rainbow, so I thought I always had that capacity inside me.”
The buzzing of a month’s wings stopped as the insect landed on the wood of the table, earning not a smack or a swat by a single hoof, as it crawled along the table.
“In one of my nightmares, where it’s just Spike fading away into some black fog, I begin to, to curse myself for my inability to shout for him to come back. To say something, anything that would cause him to turn around and come home. I thought those were the worse nightmares until I began to sleep even longer periods of time.”
The moth flew off the table into the area where both pairs of eyes could see them, and yet, both mares were too lost to the sounds of their mind, to even see the insect on his approach to the flickering light.
“The worst nightmares were when I was placed in a situation where I had to escape this incomprehensive, scary...thing. Its face looked so clear to me when my eyes were shut, but now their open, I can’t even begin picture what it looked like. All I know is that I had to escape to live, and if I did so by myself, then Spike would get to live too.”
The moth embraced the heat of the flickering bulb, which burned into its being forcing it to let go. Its minuscule descent was not caught by a single glance as its body slammed against the table, where its legs then sprawled upward as agony swept its mind.
“My every step was doubled by the monster as I could feel him just behind me, so close to catching that I don’t even want to think what would happen afterward. I would close my eyes and stop running, hoping for it to just end without any scars, and it was there that another option became apparent to me. “
The moth summoned any lingering traces of energy to crawl toward the fuzzy edge, mind too fuzzy to invent the next course of action, as it crawled too far and fell off the side of the table. Its second impact which sealed away his life was not nearly loud enough or important enough to be pitied by the two mares.
“I wished for Spike to be dead; I woke up the next moment. I walked away from Spike when he needed me most; there was no monster as he didn’t have the will to transform. I floated in the sky and watched the monster chase Spike; I didn’t interfere as I look at the rat get cornered by the snake.”
Fluttershy leaned back in her chair once the heavyweight eased from her chest, her eyes catching by chance the speck on the floor that looked to have wings. “I was always aware of it, but never quite knew, that I am afraid.”
Applejack cared not for the tightness in her throat as she squeezed out her next words. “Afraid of what?”
“That’s exactly it.” Fluttershy looked away from the moth as she possessed not the kindness to care for such a minuscule thing. “I’m not sure what it is that scares me so much. All I know is that I’m afraid.”
Applejack began to lean forward as she caught the tone of the sentence not yet being done.
“And that, I didn’t receive as much from Spike as I should have.”
The alabaster table shone in its cleanliness the reflection of the two mares that were seated at its opposite ends. The rainbow maned pegasus had her back firmly against her chair with eyes held up high, though they next broke contact with their fixation.
The lavender mare with the skyrocketing mane had only her shoulders against the seat, with her head leaned back against it as she stared at the ceiling. In her eyes projected forth onto the blank canvas the dreams indulging in a particular drake.
“For the most part of my life, Spike has always been there. From the day I hatched his egg that granted me the access I needed into Celestia's school for gifted unicorns, to the faux fights we used to have where I was the evil witch and he the shining knight, till but a few months ago where I realized too late how far apart we had drifted.”
Rainbow had to suppress the urge to snap Twilight out from whatever weird state she was in, for she had a feeling whatever this was, had to do with the issues that had claimed her friend into almost eternal slumbers.
“Can you imagine such a sudden, terrible pain, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked, proving to be rhetorical, as she continued on a split second later. “Like if Fluttershy was your sister who you loved every day, to be suddenly whisked out of your life, and you being to think it was all your fault. All those good memories you shared coming to your forefront of your mind because your brain wants to tease you with the fact that such memories can never happen again with the one you love.”
Rainbow had to suppress the urge to blink repeatedly at the feelings being expressed. She wished that Spike were still here, as in a moment’s glance he could tell exactly what state Twilight was in, and the perfect way to get her back to her book wormy state.
“Those pains that accompany me when I’m awake are washed away when I’m asleep, replaced by the loving memories I have of the two of us together, as we go forth to go and create brand new memories. The obstacle of Spike not being here do not exist in sleep; if Spike still loves me or not doesn’t interfere with my dreams; whether these adventures can happen again are blown away by my dreamy euphoria.”
Rainbow wasn’t sure if this period of silence was meant for her to begin speaking. She knew not what to make of these dreams where Spike had become overly romantic, as Dash only remembered him as just some guy who happened to be a dragon. Would it be good to snap Twilight out of her bliss, when she had nothing to offer to help repel the misery that would come next?
“Though I’ve begun to wonder in my dreams,” Twilight began once more, eyes dragging down from memory induced ceiling to the eyes of her friends, “where I’m able to satisfy the drake’s every whim if I gave Spike all that I was capable of in reality.”
“What do you mean ‘received,’ Fluttershy?” Applejack has asked after downing a glass of water, which she had gotten to clear her head after listening to her friend’s worries. “Don’t get me wrong, it sounds like Spike owed you quite a bit for you letting him stay over and eat your food, but you never struck me as somepony to hold someone accountable for that.”
Fluttershy shook her mane to wash away such a possibility out from her friend’s mind. “When I say I didn’t receive enough from Spike, I didn’t really mean so in material or labor way. It seemed like a lot was on his mind...but it all looked to be too much at once for him, and he really just needed someone to help bear some of the weight.”
Applejack heaved a heavy breath, but did not mind the tightness of her chest, as the breath ended in a smile. “So what you mean to say, is that of the boy you owe nothing to, that you didn’t inherit some of his issues or problems as to make his life a little easier?”
Fluttershy blinked as she let the words fester in her head for a moment. “I guess you could put it that way, although it's not so much my owing him, but rather I just want to help him. I don’t mind listening to ponies problems or offering what I can to them, as it makes me feel a little better about myself, and makes me feel good in the process. Though, when it comes to Spike, I feel a little something more.”
“More?” Applejack repeated, trying to gauge correctly what undertone was attracted to the word. “Just what do you mean by that, Fluttershy?”
“That my life feels more lively and even dangerous when I was helping Spike. After all, the days spent going for my walks and helping out different animals, that a change was happening when Spike was around. Every day felt special in its own right, and I had something to look forward to. From helping his relationship with the girls to resolving whatever issues plagued his head, I felt my life changing for the better.”
A butterscotch hoof swiped away the mane that obscured half of its owner’s face, as all that was express on it was shown to the world. “A part of me even felt, that if I helped Spike and kept being supportive, that he would stay with me longer. I feel sorry for saying that, but I rather be honest about my feelings then go on living a lie. And honestly speaking, I don’t see why me being a supportive mare to Spike could be so wrong in the first place.”
Applejack gulped, not sure if this newfound confidence in her timid friend was a good thing, or just asking to re-write Twilight’s lesson zero.
“So that’s why I hope to find Spike sometime soon, so I can take all that I can from his mind.”
“I think part of the reason why Spike left in the first place was that I wasn’t giving him all that he needed.” Twilight had started again after the long silence, content with the prospect that her friend might have stopped listening. “As much as it I hated to say it at the time, I was overbearing on Spike and limiting what it was he needed at the time. I should have allowed him to come on more of our adventures, and not hear second hoof of our stories.”
Rainbow looked at her friend with eyes that were not sure of what emotion they were supposed to contain. Her fluffy blue ears were erect while her mind remained confused.
“Maybe those times when I caught him doing nothing on his days off I shouldn’t have given him something to do. Those times of laziness might have been needed to help build his character or to clear his mind. The books and comics he wanted, maybe he needed, as a distraction or to inspire some greater thing inside of him.”
Rainbow began to see the fundamental blocks that constructed her friend’s bizarre state, though she knew not what to think about these talks about giving back to Spike. He’d been this dragon that worked as an assistant to earn his keep in the library, and anything other than that should have been dealt with on his own.
That thought conflict with how Rainbow was willing to do anything for Twilight, despite it should be the lavender mare’s problems to resolve these deep rooted issues. So not only did the cyan mare think about if she was a double standard and to some of her friends but if Spike played a bigger role in this bizarre tale.
“So that’s why, when Spike finally comes home, that I’ll give him all the attention and items he’ll ever need. I know now, that after he’s done with whatever journey he is on, he’ll make his keep and then some when comes home.”
Rainbow merely smiled. For she didn’t have the heart to tell her damaged friend that there were still no sightings of Equestria's only friendly dragon.
“When I find Spike, I’ll try my best not to be afraid anymore!” Fluttershy spoke from as honestly as she could from her pounding heart. “I’ll use the courage I learned from him to finally express my feelings, not matter how selfish it may be. When we meet again, I’ll tell Spike that—”
The sentence was cut short by the door to the outside being nearly knocked off its hinges by the fury of a pink hoof. It’s panting owner, who leaned on the archway for support, looked at the two mares with a glint in her eyes.
“Sorry to disturb the stew party, but you girls are needed at the train station!”
Both Fluttershy and Applejack stared at their friend without quite knowing what to say next to their summon.
“When Spike comes home, I’ll make everything right again.” Twilight saw that she had Rainbow’s full attention, a witness to the vow she was about to make. “I’ll rectify all my wrongs and bring back the joys of the past so that our future together will be just as great. I’ll finally be able to tell Spike just what—”
A brilliant light of azure zapped into existence in the kitchen of Rainbow’s home, blinding momentary both who were present. When their eyes adjusted and dilated on the intruder, they found no other than their friend Rarity.
“Rarity?” Rainbow said, before going on. “What the hay? What makes you think you can zap into my house without my permission, so late into the night?”
The question went unanswered for a few moments as Rarity was far to focus on catching her breath, as her hoof laid against her chest to repress the beatings of her heart. Finally, her pleading lungs began to pained less. “My apologies, Rainbow Dash. But I would never attempt such a rude thing toward one of my friends if not the reason behind it were not dire enough.”
Rarity’s word fought against the rising anger in Rainbow Dash, ultimately winning as the waters of reason extinguished the small flames of spontaneous irritation. “Fine. What’s so important that you had to barge on in, or rather teleport on in, during a critical moment between Twi and me.”
Twilight’s eyes glazed over to Rarity, where she offered a small smirk.
“Twilight,” Rarity began, her eyes collecting all that was wrong with her friend’s features. “You’re mane, it’s…” she shook her head to rid herself of the unnecessary observation, reverting back to the task at hoof.
“We all must leave for the train station immediately.”
“The train station?” Applejack repeated as she rose from her seat. Fluttershy did the same. “Why in tarnation are we needed there when most ponies are about to fall asleep.”
“You don’t understand.” Pinkie finally caught up to the missing breathes she had used upon her sprint to the farmhouse. “My Pinkie Sense started tingling, trying to tell me…”
“A letter of the utmost importance reached me but a few minutes ago, with no other than the Princesses official seal.” Rarity had already marched over to the table and tried getting both mares out of their seats and to start heading toward the door. “
“When I read it, I sent Sweetie to the Apple’s as fast as I could and teleported over here. For, your see…”
“...the Elements of Harmony are needed in Canterlot immediately.”