Originally published on September 4th, 2017
Last time we met up with Twilight Sparkle, she was feeling a bit under the weather about Spike to say the very least.
In this chapter, Twilight and Starlight Glimmer had arrived at Fluttershy's cottage to pay their friend a visit.
Fluttershy was in her cottage caring for animals as she typical did, when she heard a knock on the door.
"Oh, it sounds like I have guests." Fluttershy said.
She walked up to the door, and it was Twilight and Starlight.
"Hello Twilight." Fluttershy said.
"Hi Fluttershy.." said Twilight.
"Oh, is something the matter Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
"Something the matter? Why no, of course not. Everything's... fine." Twilight said, trying to not think about Spike.
"Well alright then, come in girls." Fluttershy said.
Twilight walked into the cottage, passing Fluttershy by. Starlight spoke to Fluttershy.
"Spike's gone missing." Starlight said.
"Oh dear, that just awful." Fluttershy said.
"Yeah, but try not to mention it, Twilight's been taking it pretty hard to say the least." Starlight said.
"She seems alright to me." Fluttershy said.
"She's been trying to cope. She may look alright, but it's really taking a toll on her internally." Starlight said.
Indeed, Twilight at this point was mostly trying not to think of Spike, not because she didn't miss him, she does, but she doesn't want her feelings to make her vulnerable or something. So she tried to act confident.
"So Twilight, what brings you around here?" Fluttershy asked.
Starlight nudged Fluttershy, as if her question was too pushy.
"Oh you know, I was in Ponyville, and then I ended up here... isn't that something." Twilight said.
"I suppose." Fluttershy said puzzled.
"So how have you been Fluttershy?" Twilight asked trying to change the subject.
"Oh the usual, I've just been helping animals. Cause you know, that's... what I do." Fluttershy said.
"Helping animals huh?" Twilight said.
"Yes, there was this adorable flying squirrel who had a broken leg. You just missed him, he made a full recovery and I released him into the wild." Fluttershy said.
"Cool story." Twilight said who was hardly paying attention. She was hovering with the birds inside the cottage.
"Twilight are you listening?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah totally." Twilight said.
Fluttershy started coughing to get Twilight's attention.
*cough cough cough* Fluttershy pretended to cough.
"Fluttershy are you okay?" Starlight asked.
*cough Spike* Fluttershy said.
"Fluttershy are you sick? That was an unusual sounding cough.
"Oh no I'm fine. What, did the cough sound unusual?" Fluttershy asked trying to get Twilight to speak about Spike.
"It was just sharper than usual that's all." Twilight said.
"So Twilight, why don't you like quesadillas?" Starlight asked, trying to change subjects.
"It's just all that cheese. Tortillas are fine, and so is cheese, but all that melted cheese confined between two tortillas is... bleh." Twilight said.
"But you're okay with pancakes? From what your friends say, youreallylike pancakes." Starlight asked.
"Oh yeah, me and pancakes have a long history." Twilight said.
"You know who else you have a long history with?" Fluttershy asked.
"Um... Owlowiscious?" Twilight asked.
"Well sure, but I was thinking of Sp-" Fluttershy was interrupted.
"You know I've always been wondering, is it spelled O-w-l-o-w-i-s-c-i-o-u-s? Because I've received letters from Celestia spelling it as O-w-l-o-y-s-i-u-s." Twilight said.
"I don't see why it matters the-" Fluttershy was interrupted.
"I mean the latter spelling is more faithful to the name Aloysius, but then there's that time Mayor Mare wrote a letter spelling it O-w-l-i-c-i-o-u-s." Twilight said.
"Twilight!" Fluttershy said.
"Gee, no need to shout." Twilight said.
"I'm sorry Twilight, but you were going off on a tangent." Fluttershy said.
"Yeah I tend to do that." Twilight said.
There was a moment of silence, Fluttershy saw this as a chance to jump in and change the subject.
"So Twilight, how's Spike?" Fluttershy asked.
Starlight nudged Fluttershy roughly to remind her not to speak of Spike. Twilight wasn't expecting the question, and was caught off guard. She sat in silence for a few moments before speaking.
"Oh, Spike, he's you know, busy." Twilight said.
"I already told Fluttershy." Starlight said.
"Well gee, thanks for breaking the news." Twilight said stern, to try to conceal her feelings.
"Twilight, we need to talk." Fluttershy said.
"Do we need to?" Twilight asked.
"Yes, because if we don't, you're never going to feel better just bottling up your feelings." Fluttershy said.
Twilight faced the other way, and tried not to entertain the question.
"Twilight, if you don't get this off your chest, you're never going to feel better." Fluttershy said.
Twilight grunted and didn't want to to talk.
"Come on Twilight, it's just you me and Fluttershy here, we're all ears." Starlight said.
"I..." Twilight's voice trailed.
"You what?" Fluttershy asked.
"*sigh* I miss Spike." Twilight said.
"Are you worried?" Fluttershy asked.
"...Yes." Twilight said.
"It's very unfortunate what's happened." Fluttershy said.
"It is..." Twilight said.
"Tell me more about Spike, and what he means to you." Fluttershy said.
"Spike's always been... delicate." Twilight said.
"Oh, is that so?" Fluttershy said.
"When I recruited Owlowiscious as an extra assistant, Spike was very paranoid, and ran away because... he thought I didn't... want him anymore. But of course that wasn't true. No one can replace Spike. He's my no. 1 assistant, and... my closest friend." Twilight said.
Twilight was showing a lot more emotion, now that she was letting her feelings show.
"Spike had been doing so well lately too. He saved the Crystal Empire twice, but every now and again, something comes up that reminds him that he's different from us. And he lets it get to him, no matter how much he seems to be coping. And then... this happens." Twilight lamented.
"I don't know where he could have gone. I don't even knowwhyhe left..." Twilight said.
"Twilight. We're here for you." Fluttershy said leaning in closer.
"Wherever he is, I just hope he's safe." Twilight said.
"I'm hope so too." Fluttershy said.
"I'm sure he is." Starlight said, trying to be optimistic. Of course we know she was being over optimistic.
There was some knocking on the door.
"There's someone at the door." Fluttershy said.
"Perhaps I shall get the door." Starlight said.
Starlight got up and opened the door. It was the rest of the main six, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie.
"Hey Twilight. How are you doing?" Rainbow Dash said, sounding more reserved.
"Oh you know." Twilight responded.
"I brought you some of this Twilight." Applejack said. AJ had brought some apple cider.
"It's some apple cider to help... calm your nerves." she said.
"Thanks but no thanks. Drinking won't directly solve anything, it just makes you not think." Twilight said.
"Well, I just thought I'd try to help." Applejack said.
"Thanks AJ, I appreciate it, but right now I just need some time alone." Twilight got up and trotted out of Fluttershy's cottage.
"Where are you going darling?" Rarity asked.
"Somewhere, where I can be alone for now." Twilight said.
"But Twilight, we're here for you, you don't have to go through this alone." Rainbow Dash said.
"It's not that I don't appreciate your help, but I just want to be alone right now." Twilight said.
She trotted off in the other direction, leaving her friends behind.
"I feel so, useless right about now." Starlight said.
"I know, me too. I feel like no matter what I say I may say the wrong thing." Pinkie Pie said.
"Twilight's our friend, and I'm sure ain't nothing you could say that would change that Pinkie." Applejack said.
"Oh I don't know Applejack, you don't want to say the wrong thing to Twilight at the wrong time. She can be quite... touchy." Starlight said.
The girls sat around Fluttershy's garden all wondering how they could help Twilight cope with Spike's disappearance.
"You girls get the feeling that we're overlooking a very obvious solution?" Starlight said.
"Is it writing a letter to Spike since he has the ability to send and recieve letters?" Fluttershy asked softly.
"Whatever do you mean darling?" Rarity said, she did not hear Fluttershy.
"You know, like there's an easy way to find Spike we're not thinking of?" Starlight said.
"Like how Spike used to write letters to Celestia and she'd write back?" Fluttershy said.
"You're killing me sugarcube with all your cryptic, encoded drawl." Applejack said.
"Encoded... encoded... like letters, like the letters Spike would write to Celestia!" Starlight brainstormed.
"Um... that's sort of what I was getting at-" Fluttershy was interrupted.
"That's it! Let's write a letter to Spike and send it via dragon mail!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Let's go get Twilight right now and-" Applejack shoved her hoof in Pinkie's mouth to get her to be quiet.
"Hold on there sugarcube, let's not be too hasty." Applejack said.
"Indeed, let's all of us go visit Princess Celestia where she receives Spike's letters, so we may send one to... wherever Spike is." Rarity said.
"And let's just do it ourselves and not tell Twilight yet, in case we get a... unfavorable response." Starlight said.
"Or worse, no response." Applejack said.
Everypony looked at her.
"What?" she said.
"You bring up an interesting point darling, what's worse? No response? Or bad response?" Rarity asked.
"Well, we'll only know once we try out dragon mail, so, no time like the present." Starlight said regrettably.
With that, the mane six sans Twilight, plus Starlight went to Canterlot to see Princess Celestia, where they would try writing a letter and sending it Spike, and seeing what happens. What happens? Well keep reading and find out.