//------------------------------//
// A Confession 
// Story: Patients (Part 1) 
// by DubstepIsAmazing 
//------------------------------//

Sweetie Belle avoided Spike's eyes after he called her bluff. He was right; there was more that she had to tell him. It was only a matter of what and when it would be told. 

Nervously swinging her hindlegs that dangled off the chair, she racked her brains for words. Spike stared at her, waiting for her to say something, anything. And yet, she couldn't find anything. She had already told him everything that was on her mind. Well, most of what was on her mind. 

She was shocked to learn that he had expected Luna to get the information from them. But that confession only led to a slew of other questions.

"So, if Luna knows about this now, what's gonna happen to you?"

Spike shrugged. "I dunno. Whatever happens happens."

"She's going to interrogate you, Spike," she warned, "And I doubt that she'd be happy after learning about what you said about her sister."

"I doubt that she'd doubt me when I remind her that she's not exactly innocent either," Spike countered, causing Sweetie Belle to gasp. "No, not corrupt," Spike corrected, "I mean she hasn't exactly been truthful with me either."

"What do you mean?"

With remorseful eyes, Spike looked at the ceiling. "I mean that ever since she's become my dragonsitter, she's had this...disguise on. As if she really cared about me, as if she really trusted me, as if she really knew how important our friendship was to me."

Sweetie Belle listened intently; this was similar to what she heard in the LSB during the game.

"...and that fight we had, she showed me how she really felt," Spike said with tears in her eyes, "I trusted her, Sweetie Belle. I poured out my secrets, my past, my hopes and...well, she already knows my dreams, but you get the point. I told her everything. And in the end..."

Spike wiped his eyes and looked at his friend.

"...in the end, it didn't even matter," he finished, sniffling, "I don't know when she was being genuine or when she was faking it all. I don't even know if she told the truth about where my parents came from."

"You're wrong, Spike," Sweetie interjected, causing him to glare at her.

"How?"

"Just a teensy, weensy bit wrong," she corrected, "It did matter in the end."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"It matters because...well...it's sounding like her being your dragonsitter was really therapeutic for you," she explained, "You told her everything that was on your mind. From what it sounds like, you told her the good, bad, and the ugly of your life, and she gave you advice on how to deal with it. You told her your secrets, and I haven't heard you say that she told them to anypony. On top of that, even if she did fake the story of your parents, there's still some good that came out of it."

"What did you just say?!" snarled Spike, enraged by her last sentence. Cowering back into her seat, Sweetie Belle made the realization too late that she had used a poor choice of words. 

"Spike, let me finish!"

"I've been looking for a way to figure out where I came from for years! And when there's a chance that the answer I found is a fake, you say that's a good thing?" he hissed getting out of bed and approaching her, claws gleaming. Donning a determined look, she glared back at him.

"YES!" Sweetie Belle shouted, "YOU WANNA KNOW WHY?!"

"Why?!"

"Because she made you feel like you belonged somewhere!" she screamed, tears flowing, "She made you feel like there's a reason you are the way you are! Like there's a reason you're sweet, compassionate, and not scary at all!"

Her words silenced Spike; she took it as a cue to continue.

"Even if she didn't know where you came from," she responded in a quivering voice, "She did something to make you feel like she did and you did. I doubt that all of your efforts and worries about learning about your origin went unnoticed by her. I also doubt that she felt good about lying to you about it. But one thing that I'm certain of is that her doing it to make you feel like you belonged somewhere was worth it. Not just to her, but to you."

Getting out of her seat, she embraced Spike with a hug full of as much love as she can muster. She was now sobbing at the suddenness of Spike's anger. Although his scales were a bit dry, she didn't care; Spike was taken aback.

"We all love you, Spike," she cried, "More than you'll ever know."

Embracing her back, he sighed.

"It's time for you to go now," he said, "I'll see you this afternoon, okay?"

Letting go of him, she walked to and opened the door. The coolness of the hallway quickly got rid of the warmth that Spike's room held. She looked back at him, and was happy to see him leaning on his bed, donning a grateful smile. 

"Spike?"

"Yes?"

She took a deep breath; she didn't know if she'd ever have this chance again. Convincing herself to go back, she ran to him, and planted a kiss on his cheek, changing the dragon's emotions from tired to happy to shocked all in one go. 

"Sleep well, Spikey," she whispered with a smile before running back out into the hallway.

The second she stepped back into it, she was sure she'd faint. At the moment, it was the gutsiest thing she'd ever done in her life.

You know he has eyes for Rarity, Sweetie Belle! she scolded in her head, Why would you do that?

As she walked down the stairs towards the lobby, she knew that, no matter if he returned her feelings or not, at least he knew. Or at least she hoped he did. 

The chill of the hallways of the asylum were nothing compared to the cold air outside of it. Sweetie Belle, taking one more deep breath, ran back to the Carousel Boutique with mere minutes before Rarity awoke.





Cadance held a crying Diamond Tiara in her hooves; she felt truly dismayed. Everything Spike had said in that room was true! In addition, she was able to picture Diamond's struggle in her mind as she told the story. 

Her retelling of the story had come with painful details that she had purposefully left out to Spike, Pinkie and the Crusaders. After asking why she did not tell them, she found out that if the filly were to repeat them to the others, she would be crying for a long time.*

"I'm definitely going to talk to Celestia about--"

"NO!" She yelled, latching herself onto her chest again, "If you tell Celestia, she'll keep me here! I've already been here for a month!"

Cadance's eyes widened; this was a new detail! The fact that an innocent pony, a young one at that, was being confined to such a place for such a long time...and for nothing but politcal gain? It made no sense! It sounded like the exact opposite of friendship!

"Well, I'm going to do something," she said, letting go of Diamond Tiara, and walking to the wall.

"Where are you going?! Don't leave me, please!" she sobbed, "I don't wanna be alone!"

"I'm just going to Spike's room; it's one room down from here. I'm just going to tell him what I learned and I'll be right back. I promise."

Diamond didn't move; she was too scared to. Levitating her onto the bed, Cadance put the covers over her.

"How about this," she proposed, "When I get back, I'll tell you a bedtime story! And I'll stay with you the entire night."

Diamond gasped with a smile. Although she didn't like to admit it, she always loved bedtime stories; the ones that she was told were always phenomenal. Smiling, Cadance phased through the wall to find Spike simply staring at his door in shock.

"Spike? Hello?"

She waved a hoof in front of his face; still no reaction.

"Earth to Spike?"

"Oh! Hey, Cadance," Spike said, getting out of his shocked stupor, "How's Diamond?"

"You were right," she admitted, "I never imagined it to be as bad as this."

Sadly nodding, Spike looked down. "Yeah? Well, you're not the only one feeling down."

"What happened?"

"Sweetie Belle was just here," he said, "She was giving me some predictions about how Luna acted towards me..."

Sitting down, Cadance stayed silent.

"...even if she was acting like she cared...Sweetie Belle thought it was...'therapeutic'."

"What did she mean by that?"

"Like, someone to talk to. Someone I could share my secrets with, someone I could voice my frustrations and worries to, that kind of thing."

"I see."

"And then she mentioned my origins and said that if she faked that, it could've been good..."

Cadance watched as he balled his fists in regret. 

"Then what?"

"...and I snapped at her...I yelled at her before she could explain...it was like I was gonna...hurt her..." he choked on the last part.

"I'm presuming you didn't?"

"I would never do such a thing, Cadance," he cried defensively, "Not when she's trying to help me!"

Cadance smiled. "Alright, just checking. Did she get to explain?"

"Yeah. She said that if she made it up, at least she made me feel like I belonged somewhere."

"Is she right?" asked Cadance, already knowing the answer.

"Y--yes..." he muttered, "I've never thought if it like that."

"Well, I'm glad she was able to open your eyes to a different scenario," Cadance said with a smile. Walking back toward the wall to get to Diamond Tiara's room, Cadance turned back at him. "And Spike?"

"Hm?"

"I know that Rarity and Applejack are visiting today, along with their sisters."

"Yeah. Why?"

"I just think that you won't be thinking of Rarity as much as you did in the past. That's all." Cadance said with a wink. Spike's eyes enlargened once more.

"What? What do you mean?!"

" You're not dense, Spike. I think you know what I mean."

With that, Cadance walked back through the wall, leaving Spike dumbfounded as he mulled over the possibility of what her words meant. It was definitely possible...but is that something he would be willing to accept?

Cadance chuckled to herself as she saw the filly asleep after she came through the wall. She was in the same position she was in when she left. Walking over to her, the alicorn brushed her feathers against her cheek with a smile. They were oddly wet; she remembered that she had wiped her tears away before she left.

"She's adorable when she sleeps," she whispered, "But I could've sworn her cheeks were dry."

She was also oddly cold, despite being under the covers. And yet, she wasn't shivering. Now Cadance was confused.

"CADANCE!"

She almost jumped to the ceiling at the sound of the sudden voice. The voice was clearly Discord's; she didn't see where it was coming from, though.

"Discord?"

"Yes! There's no time to lose! You must get her to the hospital as soon as possible!"

"Who? Diamond Tiara?"

"No, Spike," he said sarcastically, "YES, DIAMOND TIARA!"

"Why? Nothing's wrong with her!"

"Really?"

She heard him snap his fingers, and the second he did, Diamond's bedside stand opened its one drawer. Looking inside of it; Cadance's hooves went to her mouth. She stared at a syringe that looked like it had been recently used. It had remnants of a dark blue liquid inside of it, but she saw a hint of pink mixed in with it.

"Wh--what's this...?"

"We must go; I'll explain on the way!"

"Wait!" cried Cadance, "What's going on?!"

"What's going on," Discord said, appearing in front of her, "Is that if we don't get her to the hospital now, she's going to die."





You up?

"I can't sleep," Pinkie answered, putting her pillow on her face.

Neither can I.

"We're in one body; if you can't sleep, neither can I."

You're right! So, what's on your mind?

"You know what's on my mind!"

...

"Pinkamena, you're....I...how many days do you have left?"

It depends on how much you realize I'm here.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The less you consult me, the less I'll be here.

"So...I'm gonna guess...a couple days at worst?"

At best.

"What?"

Sad...but true, Pinkie. Sad but true.