//------------------------------// // Chapter 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well (S1:E24) // Story: My Little Pony: Nine Elements Book 1 // by BlueBioWolf //------------------------------// My Little Pony: Nine Elements Written by Brandon Nell, Blake Hawkins, and Rachel Ravens Chapter 24: Owl’s Well that Ends Well It had been one week since the day Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders heard the Cutie Mark stories of Twilight and her friends. June had just begun and tonight was a special night. A meteor shower was to take place in a little over an hour and it was all anyone in Ponyville had been talking about for the past few days. Spike was putting a telescope into the red wagon. “This is going to be amazing, Spike,” said Twilight. “You said it,” Spike agreed, putting fruit into the wagon. “It only happens every 100 years,” Twilight went on. “Princess Celestia says it's beautiful.” “If she says it’s beautiful,” Spike said. “It has to be true.” Twilight levitated a punch bowl to the wagon. “Let’s see: a picnic blanket, a telescope, fruit, fruit punch… ah, my quill, ink, and scrolls can’t forget that.” “Way ahead of you,” Spike said as he put the following items in the wagon. “And here’s my freshly baked homemade triple-decker nut-crazy vanilla cream cookies!” “Yum!” Twilight licked her lips. “Those will be a big hit at the celebration, my number 1 assistant.” “Anything else you need?” Spike asked eagerly. “Well, there is the Astronomical Astronomer’s Almanac to All Things Astronomy,” said Twilight. “I can use that to identify the planets and stars tonight.” “Kind of feels redundant since you memorized that book from cover to cover,” Spike said. “But, you got it!” Twilight giggled, knowing how much of a dork she can be. Nonetheless, Spike went to get the book while she went to get some warm clothes for him. It didn't take long for Spike to find the book Twilight had mentioned. Unfortunately the book was very old and very dusty. When Spike opened it up, a cloud of dust overwhelmed him. Though he put up a valiant effort to resist the urge to sneeze, it didn’t end up mattering as he sneezed emerald green flames on the book’s pages. After his sneeze, he looked in horror as he realized what he did. Oh no! Spike screamed mentally. How’ll I explain this to Twilight?! “Spike!” called Twilight. “I got you some warm clothes. Come down here so you can put them on.” “Uh… right away,” Spike hastily put the book back and rushed downstairs. Later, the two were heading to the celebration. Many ponies were gathered and it didn’t take long to find their friends. “Somepony borrowed the book?” asked Twilight. “I don’t remember loaning it to anypony.” “Ponies come and go from the Ponyville library all the time,” Spike replied. “There you are, you two,” smiled Pinkie Pie.  “Great to see you,” said Sweetie Belle. “Sit with us, Spike!” She, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo motioned to a spot in their little circle. Spike did so while setting up the picnic spread, which Rarity took notice of. “This looks simply divine, Spike,” she smiled. “And I see you made your freshly baked homemade triple-decker nut-crazy vanilla cream cookies. You definitely have the culinary skills of a Taurus.” Spike looked at his feet and blushed. “Aww…” “Little Spikey-wikey!” Pinkie Pie said sweetly, patting Spike’s head with her hoof. “Who knew that big ferocious dragon started off so cutesy wootsy?” I rather like that nickname, Rarity thought to herself. I’ll have to ask Pinkie if I can borrow it. “You’re one rad dragon, Spike,” said Rainbow. “I have to wonder if there are other dragons out there that are cool like you.” “Zecora said there’s some in Farasi,” Spike said. “I’d like to go there one day and learn their culture. Zecora told me they have a folklore character who’s the god of stories, wisdom, knowledge, and trickery, most commonly depicted as a spider.*” He then shuddered uneasily. “Admittedly, that part, I could do without.” “Ah understand that,” said Applejack. “Ah ain’t exactly thrilled ‘bout spiders.” “I’ve been afraid of them since Shining Armor transfigured my teddy bear into one as big as an elephant,**” Spike said. “Why would he do that?!” cried Apple Bloom. “He said he was trying to turn it into a goblet,” Spike said. “I… don’t know what he meant by that.” “My brother’s good with defensive and combative magic,” Twilight said. “But, he struggled with other branches. Give him a beetle to turn into a button, he’d give you a bottlecap. That’s a spell taught to first-years at magic school.” “I guess some unicorns take to a certain set of spells more naturally than others,” said Fluttershy. At that moment, a flash of light went across the sky. “It’s starting!” Twilight motioned for the others to look. Spike climbed onto her back and the Crusaders jumped onto Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash’s backs to get a better view. Caramel stood beside Applejack as the farm mare put a hoof over his shoulder. Dozens upon dozens of white flashes streaked across the sky. The ponies and dragon could only stare in awe at the spectacle. “Celestia was right,” Twilight said to herself. “This is beautiful…” “Oh, before I forget,” Rarity said, levitating a bowtie encrusted with gems. “I made this for Spike.” “Oh, Rarity!” Spike gave a big smile as Rarity placed it on him. “For me? It’s… wow… thank you so much.” “I made it using some gems Bluu gave us,” Rarity said. “Oh yes,” said Spike. “Well, my thanks goes to him, too.” Suddenly, Spike’s eyes began to grow heavy and he would’ve fallen into the punch bowl if not for Pinkie using her body as a cushion for him. “The punch was almost… spiked,” Pinkie giggled to herself. “Oh, the poor dear,” Rarity said. Though, she had to admit he looked cute sleeping like that. “Come sail away, come sail away,” Spike sang in his sleep. “Come and sail away with me, lads~” Twilight couldn’t help but smile seeing the sleeping drake. “Is he singing in his sleep?” Rainbow asked softly. “Yeah, he does that sometimes,” Twilight quietly replied. “Don’t let on that you know, though. He’s very embarrassed about it.***” Rainbow nodded quietly, understanding the situation. Caramel, the fillies, and the other mares did likewise. After the meteor shower, Twilight brought Spike to his bed and tucked him in. “Rest well, Spike,” Twilight said softly. She then quietly headed downstairs. She felt a slight pang of guilt. “To think that he does so much for me and my friends even when he’s so young. I shouldn’t have him working so late when he needs his sleep.” She put a hoof to her chest. “I have to find a way to make it up to him.” She then made it to her study and began writing. To make sure she didn’t disturb Spike’s sleeping, she decided not to say aloud what she was writing. She instead stated it mentally. The Study of Comets. Comets are small, irregularly shaped bodies that are made of non-volatile grains and frozen gasses. They have body structures that are fragile and diverse. With a surrounding cloud of material called a coma, that grows in size and brightness as the comet approaches the sun. The next morning, Spike was still asleep. The events of last night had worn him out. Twilight woke up and saw the sleeping drake. He looks so peaceful, she said internally. After thinking it over a bit, she made a decision. I’ll let him sleep in for a while. I’ve been having him do most of the work for too long now. It’s time I start pulling my own weight like I promised him. She quietly headed downstairs and made herself some breakfast. She had just finished it when she heard a knock at the door. It was a quiet, gentle knock. She knew at once it was Fluttershy. Twilight opened the door. “Good morning, Fluttershy,” Twilight smiled. “Sorry if I disturbed you,” Fluttershy said. “You’re alright, don’t worry,” Twilight said understandingly. “So, what’s up?” “Well,” Fluttershy said. “I couldn’t help but think about how hard Spike worked last night.” “Yeah,” Twilight said. “I felt guilty for that, too.” She sighed. “I know I promised to go easier on all his responsibilities, but, I’m afraid he’s gotten so used to working that he’s slipping back into the way things were. Remember that bad habit he had when we first faced Nightmare Moon?” “Oh, I do remember,” Fluttershy said. “So, I thought about that and I had an idea on how I can probably help him.” “Please tell me, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “The last thing I want is his old habit coming back after he’s been over it for so long.” Fluttershy walked forward and she presented an adorable brown owl that was perched on her back. “Twilight, this is an owl I’ve had staying with me. With him being nocturnal, he can help you at night while Spike gets the rest he needs.” “He seems pretty awake right now,” Twilight observed. “Well,” Fluttershy said. “He’s gotten into the habit of staying up late in the day. He should be asleep by the time Spike wakes up.” “Alright,” Twilight said. “I’ll try and see if this owl can help me. Does he have a name?” “I named him Owlbert,****” Fluttershy said. “You can feel free to change it if you like.” “It’s alright,” Twilight said. “But, to me, he looks like an Owlowiscious.” The owl seemed to like that name better and flew over to Twilight. “I was hoping to ask if Spike’s okay with this arrangement,” Fluttershy said. “I’ll make sure to talk to him,” Twilight said. “Thank you.” A while later, Spike woke up and looked at Twilight’s alarm clock. He woke with a start when he realized it was 10:00. “Oh, no! I slept in!” In his haste to get the day started and make things up to Twilight, he missed a step on the stairs and clumsily fell down the staircase. Twilight heard the commotion and turned her attention to see him. “Spike!” Twilight exclaimed. “Are you alright?” “Please don’t be mad at me, Twilight!” Spike pleaded. “I’m sorry I slept in! What do you want for breakfast?!” “Spike, I’m not mad at you for sleeping in, don’t worry,” Twilight said. “I actually have someone I want to introduce to you.” “That’ll have to wait!” Spike said. “I have to make your breakfast and do my morning chores!” “You don’t have to worry about those,” Twilight explained. “They were already taken care of.” Spike looked at Twilight as if he wasn’t sure he heard her right. “…What?” “I said, your morning chores were already taken care of,” Twilight said. “There’s someone I want you to meet and he’ll be helping both of us.” Spike, however, only listened to the first half. “What do you mean my morning chores were done?” “Fluttershy came along and introduced me to someone who will be helping out,” Twilight explained. “His name is Owlowiscious. He’s our junior assistant.” This did little to alleviate Spike’s concerns. “What do we need a junior assistant for?” he asked. “I can handle the work on my own.” “Well, you’ve been doing a lot for me,” Twilight said. “And while I do appreciate your efforts, I was hoping he could help you a little bit, too.” She gestured to the archway leading to the library itself. “He’s in the library right now. Go introduce yourself. But, be careful and go slowly down the stairs in future.” “Do I have to?” Spike asked. “Yes, Spike,” Twilight said. “It’ll be a good way to make a new friend. There’s nothing to worry about. He’s not going to hurt you. Not that he even could with your scales.” So, Spike carefully made his way into the library. He saw the owl on a perch close to a window. Said owl was visibly drowsy.***** “So, that’s Owlowiscious,” Spike said quietly to himself. He then approached the owl. The owl saw him and sleepily hooted a greeting. “Uh, hi,” Spike said. “I’m Spike. Twilight said that you got my chores done for me.” "Hoo," Owlowiscious said in reply. “Uh, yeah,” Spike said. He then got serious. "Well, just so you know, I've been an assistant for far longer than you have. I've got seniority, so, don't get any ideas about trying to take my place!" This surprised the owl. “Hoo?!” he hooted in alarm. "I'm not accusing you of anything, I just thought I'd let you know. I don't need competition," Spike snorted. The owl became offended by the insinuation and began to go into a tirade of hoots. “I don’t know what you said,” Spike said. “But, I don’t like the way you said it.” Owlowiscious flew over to get a sheet of parchment and dipped one of his talons into an inkwell and began scribbling a message on the parchment with it. Spike looked at it. “That’s not really clearing anything up for me,” Spike said, deadpan. Owlowiscious used one of his wings to make a facepalm gesture before using his feathers to point to one of his eyes. “Uh, eye?” Spike said. Owlowiscious nodded before flying near one of the bookshelves and using one of his wings to point to the “M” in the “M Section,” sign. “Eye, M… Oh! ‘I am…’” Owlowiscious then looked around and spotted a piece of string with a knot tied in it. He grabbed it with his talons and held it to Spike. He pointed to the knot for clarity. “‘I, am, knot,” Spike said, trying to piece the puzzle together. Owlowiscious then positioned a wing as if cupping an ear. “Hear? ‘I, am, not, here.’” Owlowiscious nodded and made a “four” sign with his wing. “‘I, am, not, here, for,’” Spike continued before Owlowiscious used his wing to point to Spike. “Me? My?” He then paused as the owl gave a deadpan expression. “Wait, that doesn’t make sense in context. Uh, ‘your?’” Owlowiscious nodded. “Okay, ‘I, am, not, here, for, your…” Owlowiscious then got a newspaper and pointed to the classifieds. “Job,” Spike said. “You’re not here for my job?” Owlowiscious nodded and made an expression that made it clear he didn’t like the insinuation to the contrary. “Oh. Sorry about that. Did I touch a nerve?” Owlowiscious nodded and then shrugged since Spike apologized. “I didn’t mean to sound rude,” Spike said. “I don’t always take change happening without a heads up very well.”****** Owlowiscious flew up to Spike and gave him an affectionate nuzzle. It was his way to say, ‘All is forgiven.’ “I’m sure we’ll get along,” Spike said. “How about we shake on it?” Owlowiscious extended one of his wings out to Spike. Spike grabbed it and they shook their respective appendages in a manner similar to that of humans shaking hands before the owl let out a yawn. “Okay,” Spike smiled. “I’ll let you take care of that.” Owlowiscious went back to his perch and went to sleep. Well, glad I don't have to worry about Fussy Feathers over there trying to steal my job, Spike thought to himself. In a matter of time, things will go back to normal and I'll still be Twilight's number one assistant. However, it wouldn’t be long before Owlowiscious started to make Spike jealous. About an hour later, Spike had finished his lunch break and was sitting near the open window by the stairs, reading a book about owls. Twilight and her friends were downstairs. Those that hadn’t seen Owlowiscious yet were looking him over. “He is a mighty cute little feller,” Applejack said. “I’ll say,” Pinkie agreed. “I’m hooked.” “Hooked?” Rainbow said. “Really? But, yeah. I bet he’ll be fun to fly around with sometimes.” Spike wasn’t happy about what he was hearing. “Yeah,” he said sarcastically. “He’s soo special.” Twilight couldn’t help but overhear what Spike had said. She looked up to see him. Spike had his face stuck in the owl book, making it hard for her to see what his expression was. “I must say,” Rarity said. “He looks as precious while sleeping as Spike’s sleep-singing.” She quickly covered her hoof as she realized what she said. Too late, Spike already heard it. “You told them about that?!” he accused Twilight. “I didn’t tell her,” Twilight said. “We saw you and we wanted to keep it secret, but-” Spike didn’t give her a chance to finish explaining as he slammed the window shut and marched upstairs and later slamming the door to his and Twilight’s room shut. “Oh dear,” Rarity said, mournfully. “I’ve upset him. I can only hope to make things right with him.” “It sounds like Spike’s feeling threatened,” Rainbow observed. “Yeah,” Applejack said. “Ah can tell that there’s a smidge o’ jealousy in there. We’ve all seen Spike get angry a fair number o’ times, but, they ain’t never been this bad.” “I think he’s afraid Owlowiscious is trying to replace him,” Fluttershy said. Twilight found that theory to be absurd. “That’s crazy,” Twilight said. “Spike knows he can’t be replaced.” “Yeah,” Rainbow said sarcastically. “Because nothing says ‘I’m irreplaceable’ like what Spike did.” “Well,” Twilight said. “Hopefully things will sort themselves out.” Meanwhile, Spike was pacing in his and Twilight’s room. “I can’t believe it,” he said to himself. “I just don't believe it. They’re trying to replace me! After everything I’ve done for Twilight over the years! Have I not been as helpful as I used to?” He puffed his chest in determination. “Well, I better step it up and make sure that Twilight and Owlowiscious both know that I'm still number one!" He then looked around and remembered that he’s the only one in the room. “I should probably stop talking to myself so much.” Some time later after Spike came out of the room, Twilight was writing on various scrolls. Owlowiscious was starting to wake up. “Spike,” Twilight called. "Can you fetch me that old book called Two Headed Mythological Mysteries?" “I’m on it!” Spike said as he went to retrieve a ladder. But, on the way to get the ladder, Owlowiscious flew up and grabbed the copy of the aforementioned book with his talons and gently placed it near Twilight. Unfortunately, Spike didn’t notice this and kept climbing, which Twilight noticed with growing concern. “Spike!” Twilight cried. "Hold on, Twilight, I've almost got it!" Spike said seriously. Just then, the ladder began to wobble. Spike found it hard just to keep his balance. Owlowiscious flew up and helped Spike. “I don’t need any help, bird!” “Spike, get down before you hurt yourself!” Twilight said. “I’ll come down after I get the book!” Spike said. “That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Twilight called. “Owlowiscious already fetched it for me!” This revelation caused Spike to misjudge his last step and by the time he realized this, it was too late. As he was trying to regain his footing, the ladder collapsed. It hit the floor with a loud crash. “Are you alright?!” Twilight asked with growing concern. Spike rose up with a loud growl, he was more angry than hurt. "Stupid ladder!" he snorted. Twilight grew to be more concerned. “Are you okay?” she asked again. "I've felt better, but, I'll live," Spike replied "Nothing's broken." Except maybe my pride, Spike thought to himself. Twilight sighed in relief. “Now,” Spike said. “What was it you said earlier?” “Hmm?” Twilight asked before recalling. “Oh, yes. Owlowiscious already fetched the book for me.” Spike was beyond irritated at this. “That completely invalidates my efforts!” he said. “If that bird already got the book for you, what was the point in asking me to get it?!*******” “He had got it for me while you were getting the ladder,” Twilight said. “I tried to stop you, but, you were persistent.” “Just perfect,” Spike muttered under his breath. The next day, Twilight was writing when suddenly, her quill snapped. “Shoot!” she shouted in frustration. Spike instantly responded. “What happened?” he asked. “My quill broke,” Twilight explained. "Say no more, Twilight, I'm on it!" Spike replied eagerly and he began to search for a replacement quill. It wasn't long before he was causing a commotion. “Easy there, Spike,” Twilight said soothingly. “I’m sure if we slow down, we’ll find some more.” Spike didn’t listen as Owlowiscious gave Twilight one of his own feathers. "Come on, come on! Where do we keep those spare quills?!" Spike said to himself, looking in every drawer and under every table and bed. He searched high, he searched low, but, no matter where he looked, he failed to find a quill. “It’s okay, Spike,” Twilight said. “Owlowiscious gave me one of his feathers.” This caught Spike’s attention and his further frustrations began to grow. “Well, that’s just peachy,” Spike said sarcastically. “I guess now, I’ll have to clean up my mess. Or did Owlowiscious already do that for me, too?” “Spike, it’s okay,” Twilight said gently. “Yeah, I just turned the place upside down for nothing!” Spike said sarcastically before getting started cleaning. Twilight began to become more worried about Spike’s well-being. What could be making him act this way? she internally asked herself. Did he get up on the wrong side of the bed? By the time Spike finished, he was exhausted and immediately went to sleep. Twilight saw this and she levitated him to his little bed. Oh, Spike. Even with Owlowiscious’ help, you’re working so hard. The next morning, Spike woke up to a loud thud. “Huh, wha-?!” Spike stammered in alarm. He looked before him to see what had been dropped in front of him. It was the same copy of Astronomical Astronomer’s Almanac to All Things Astronomy that Spike had accidentally burnt with his fire sneeze. It was open before a stern-looking Twilight. “Spike, what is this?” she asked sternly. “You had told me that this book was checked out, but, Owlowiscious found it in the spot where it’s supposed to be, but, in this condition. How did it get this way?” Spike had forgotten about the book until now. Now that he remembered, he knew he had to confess. “It was an accident, Twilight. Haven't you seen me sneeze before?” “I’ve seen you lie,” Twilight scolded. “I’m very disappointed in you, Spike. Owlowiscious and I are going to run some errands. You’re to stay here and think about what you’ve done until we get back. Do I make myself clear?” Spike’s eyes welled with tears and he looked away from her. To him, it felt like his heart had shattered into pieces for disappointing Twilight. “Yes, Twilight,” he replied weakly before Twilight left. Once Twilight and Owlowiscious left, Spike’s sadness turned to anger. “That horrible Owlowiscious set me up!” Spike said angrily. “He says that he’s not out for my job, but, this proves that he lied to me! He just wants to make me look bad so that he can be Twilight’s number one assistant! Well, I’ll show them… I’ll show them both!” He briefly considered framing Owlowiscious for killing a field mouse, but, he quickly stopped himself. “No,” he said. “I’m not resorting to that. I’d just be stooping to his level.”******** So, Spike thought of other ways to prove he could be useful. Then, it hit him. He’d clean up the library before Twilight and Owlowiscious got back. So, he grabbed a feather duster and a broom with its dust pin and started to work. He made sure to plug his nose to avoid dust tickling it, causing him to sneeze again. So, he did a thorough job of cleaning the library. He was growing exhausted from the effort, but, kept at it. When he was finally done, the library literally sparkled and he looked at his work. “Whew,” Spike said to himself as he removed his nose plugs. “You did good, Spike. You did really good. This’ll show Twilight that I’m number one assistant material.” He then saw one book on the floor near one of the bookcases, which had an empty space on one of the upper shelves. “Oh,” Spike said. “I’ll just put that away. Can’t let Twilight see that there’s a book on the floor.” As he picked up the book, he noticed that it was very dusty and, without thinking, blew the dust off the cover. The dust from the cover tickled Spike’s nostrils. He panicked and hastened to cover his nose. “Oh, doh!” Spike said, his nostrils plugged. “Dot again.” But, it was too late. The sneeze made its way out, causing emerald green flames to incinerate the book in his claws. The force of the sneeze sent him into one of the bookcases, causing the books to be knocked off and pile on top of him. “Oh, no,” Spike said nervously. “I don’t see how things could get even worse.” “Spike!!!” Twilight’s voice called out. “Oh,” Spike said to himself. “That’s how.” Twilight levitated him towards her. “I would have thought you would at least be thinking of what you’ve done, but, now, not only have you gone and burnt another book, but, you’ve also made a mess in here.” "I, uh... I was... I was just..." Spike stammered. “Out with it, Spike!” Twilight said, making him flinch. “I was…” Spike said. “I was just trying to prove that I was still useful to you.” "Well, let's see here..." Twilight said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "First, you burn one of my books and lie to me about it. Then, I leave you alone for a little while and you burn another one of my books and destroy half the library! I'd say that you've done a terrific job! I have half a mind to have Owlowiscious keep an eye on you until you can prove I can trust you again." That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Spike’s sadness boiled over into anger and he reached his breaking point. "What?! No! No! That's it! I've had it!" Spike yelled. “Spike, don’t-” Twilight began to say before Spike interrupted her. "All you care about is that stupid owl! 'Owlowiscious did this. Owlowiscious did that. Owlowiscious is so helpful. Owlowiscious is so wonderful.' That's all I hear from you anymore!" Spike ranted. "That's all I've heard from you ever since he showed up! And I'm sick of it! I mean, is that the only reason you even keep me around here anymore?! So you can rub Owlowiscious in my face?! That’s bad enough, but, after everything I did for you over the years, all it takes is two accidents to make you decide I can’t be trusted?!********* If your trust can be lost so easily, why should I bucking bother trying to earn it back?!" Twilight didn’t say anything. She listened to Spike’s words, her anger gradually turning to heartache and fear. This was the first time he’d gotten angry at her specifically and even though she could usually tame his anger, even she was starting to feel scared. If you can think of a greater testament to just how angry Spike could be than he was in that very moment, let’s hear it now.********** "N-No... I..." Twilight finally stammered, unable to believe what she just heard. "How can you say that, Spike...?" "How? Oh, I don't know..." Spike said crossly. "Maybe it's because ever since Owlowiscious showed up, I've been busting my tail trying to do my job for you and he keeps doing it for me! Or maybe it's because ever since you hired Owlowiscious, you've only cared about him! It's like nothing that I do matters to you anymore!" “Oh, Spike, that’s not true,” Twilight said softly. “He’s not here to take your place.” “Bullcrap!” Spike said, now angry enough to resort to swearing. “He got you the book you specifically asked me to get for you while I ended up buried under ladder rubble, he gave you one of his feathers when I was trying to get a new quill for you, and he tattled on me to make me look bad! And what does it matter anyway?! All that matters now is that you have some creature else to boss around now and tell them what to do!” Twilight felt as if she had been slapped across the face hard enough to give her a reality check. "Spike... If I did anything to..." “Just forget it!” Spike shouted. “It’s clear that you don’t love me anymore! Like you ever did in the first place!” And with that, he ran upstairs to his and Twilight’s room, slamming the door behind him. Twilight could only stand there, absorbing every word Spike said. When she finally gained the use of her senses, she turned around to see her friends outside the open door, none of them looking pleased with what transpired. “So,” Rainbow said. “Still think Spike wouldn’t get jealous?” “That was lower n’ a snake’s belly button, Twilight,” Applejack said. “This here mess is as much yer fault as it is Spike’s. Sure, he shouldn’ta lied ta ya, but, ah can understand why he did. Ya were lookin’ forward ta that meteor shower more n’ any o’ us n’ he might’ve been afraid ‘bout ruinin’ yer mood if’n he told the truth.” “Applejack’s right,” Fluttershy said. “Normally, I don’t say this, but, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. He’s still a youngling and how you acted toward him was really harsh and uncalled for.” “Do you legitimately believe Spike would make such a mess on purpose?” Rarity challenged. “Yes, he can be a bit clumsy at times, but, I know from experience that he works hard. You’ve known him longer than the rest of us.” “And so what if he burnt two books?” Pinkie said. “You can just ask the princess to send you new copies of those burnt books. You’d think somepony as smart as you would’ve realized that.” Twilight listened to her friends’ statements. She hung her head lowly with shame, tears welling in her eyes. “You’re right,” Twilight said sadly, a lump forming in her throat. “You’re all right. I should have been more sympathetic towards him.” “Spike’s clearly in no mental state to clean up this mess,” Rarity said. “If you want his trust back, you’ll have to clean it yourself.” “I will,” Twilight said, wiping her tear-soaked face. “And right after that, I’m going up to apologize to him.” “We’re stayin’ ta make sure ya do,” Applejack said. “Consider this a kick ta the flank fer overreactin’.” “It was a well-deserved one,” Twilight said. And with that, she got straight to work. At some points, Fluttershy wanted to help, but, Applejack held her back. She knew that Twilight was being punished and wouldn’t learn if they helped her.*********** After the mess was cleaned, night was falling and Twilight went up and gently knocked on the bedroom door. When no answer came, Twilight opened the door anyway to reveal Spike sulking in his bed with his back facing the door. “Spike?” Twilight asked gently. Spike refused to answer. “Are you alright?” “What do you care?” Spike asked bitterly. “Because I’m worried about you,” Twilight answered. “You’re just saying that,” Spike said. “No, I truly mean it,” Twilight said. “What I had said before was due to a lack of sympathy and understanding. You mean a lot to me, Spike, and I want to help you as you help me.” “By just hiring a junior assistant without asking me how I felt about it first?” Spike challenged. Twilight winced at this. “I’m sorry, Spike. I thought I was being helpful towards you, but, instead I’ve hurt you. I should have been more understanding towards you and your efforts. But, instead, I got mad at you over easily-fixable mistakes. It’s okay if you don’t forgive me. I haven’t exactly been the best friend towards you lately. I only want you to know that that’s how I feel.” Twilight turned to leave the room. “Now, I’ll just go off and… think about what I’ve done. Before I do, I just want you to know that I’ve always seen you as a son.” At that last sentence, Spike wanted to make sure he heard right. “What did you say, Twilight?” Spike asked. “I said, ‘I’ve always seen you as a son,’” Twilight repeated. "Ever since that fateful day when I hatched you, I knew you would be a part of my life. I'm sorry if I don't always show it. Sometimes, I get so wrapped up in my studies that I fail to notice how I'm treating you. That is wrong, I know that now more than ever." Spike’s eyes began to water. These weren’t tears of sorrow, however. They were tears of joy. “Are you saying what I think you are?” “I’m saying that I love you, Spike,” Twilight said. “And I’m sorry I haven’t shown you that I do. That's something that will never change, no matter what. Sometimes, you can make it hard to love you. But, no matter what, you will always hold a special place in my heart. Nothing could ever replace you no matter how many mistakes you make. And no matter how many mistakes I make, either.” She let a tear run down her cheek. “I got Owlowiscious so that you wouldn't have to constantly wear yourself out trying to help me at night. I was afraid of your old habit coming back and thought you would appreciate having more free time." “Wait, that’s why you hired him?” Spike asked. “Well, I guess I let the idea of him taking over really make me short-sighted and ignorant.” “To be fair,” Twilight said. “I could have explained the situation better. I thought I already made that clear, but, after everything that happened these past couple of days, I can see that I was wrong. You have every right to be upset with me. I’ve been a terrible mother.” Suddenly, she found Spike latching onto her with a hug. “Don’t say that, Twilight,” Spike said, tears streaming down his face. “You may not be perfect, but, ever since the first day we met and I came into this world, you were there for me when hardly anypony else was. You said it yourself that if you hadn’t intervened, I wouldn’t have made it to live this long. I owe you my life. That’s why I’ve been working so hard lately, to show how grateful I am.” Twilight felt tears streaming down her own face and she reciprocated Spike’s hug. “It seems we both said and did things that we regretted,” she said. “But, I did mean what I said before when you said that you’re a son to me.” “In that case…” Spike said before hugging his tail against his body. “Can I call you… ‘Mom?’” This question made Twilight’s heart melt as she embraced the little drake and kissed his forehead and face profusely. “Of course, son!” Twilight said happily. “I remember when you were an actual baby and refused to even leave my side. The idea of you leaving me is terrifying. Especially when the last conversation we ever had would’ve been an argument.” “Well, I’m not going anywhere,” Spike said. “Can you ever forgive me for being so jealous?” “Only if you can forgive me for taking you for granted for so long,” Twilight said. “It’s as much my fault as it is yours. Instead of talking to you about your feelings at the start, I allowed them to fester.” “I forgive you,” the two said in unison to each other. Suddenly, a camera flash went off. “What the-?!” Spike asked in surprise. He then saw the rest of Twilight’s friends by the door with Pinkie holding a camera. “How long have you been there?” “Long enough,” Rarity said. “Mighty commendable apology, Twi,” Applejack said. “Yeah,” Rainbow said. “About time you fessed up to feeling like a mom to Spike.” “I think I owe you both an apology, too,” Fluttershy said, with the now awake Owlowiscious again on her back. “I was the one who introduced Owlowiscious to Twilight so he can help you, Spike. I was worried about you tiring yourself out. But, I wanted to know if you were okay with it first. I know you don’t always handle abrupt changes well. If I’d stayed and made sure Twilight did, this wouldn’t have happened.” “Your heart was in the right place, Fluttershy,” Spike said. “I also should have been more fair to you, Owlowiscious. You had said that you weren’t here for my job and you really did mean it. Can you ever forgive me for being a jealous numbskull?” “Hoo,” Owlowiscious said. “He said, ‘Looking back, I can understand why you went back to thinking I was trying to take your job,’” Fluttershy translated. “‘Finding that burnt book was an accident on my part. If I had known Twilight would react so badly, I would have just left the book right where it was. The only reason I went to get the book she asked you to get was because I noticed how unstable the ladder was and decided to save you the trouble of getting it since I can fly. I offered one of my feathers as a quill in an attempt to save time and effort of looking for them since I have plenty to spare. The last thing I intended was to make you feel inferior, so, part of the blame lies on me, too. So, in summation, yes, I forgive you. Provided of course, you can forgive me.’”************ The others were surprised by such an elaborate translation. “You got all that just from just one little ‘hoo?’” Rainbow asked. “Owl hoots are very sophisticated,” Fluttershy said. “Okay, then,” Spike said. “Well, I forgive you, Owlowiscious.” “Spike,” Twilight said. “How about we write this friendship report together?” “Really?” Spike asked excitedly as his tail wagged. “Boy, that would be a real honor!” “Okay, clear a path, y’all,” Applejack said. “They got work ta do n’ they need ta concentrate.” Twilight carried Spike downstairs, prepared a scroll, quill, and inkwell, and began writing. “Dear Princess Celestia..” Twilight began. “While Spike and I have had a bit of a rough time these past few days, it has given us both the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson about friendship. For one thing, I've learned that it's important to pay attention to your friend's feelings and to reassure them if they are feeling down or troubled. If you ignore your friend's feelings, you might end up giving them the wrong idea and they may feel that they are being taken for granted, which will only upset them more.” She then gave the quill to Spike. “Your turn, Spike.” “But it's also important to remember…” Spike continued. “...that if there is something bothering you, you don't have to keep it to yourself. Keeping it all bottled up inside will only make you feel worse and when you eventually do let it all out, you might say or do something that you'll regret. If you feel like you are being mistreated or taken for granted, you should speak up for yourself, and let your friend know how you feel, because a good friend will realize their mistakes and try to make up for them.” He then gave the quill back to Twilight. “Finish it off, Mom.” “Your faithful student and her number one assistant/son, Twilight Sparkle and Spike,” Twilight concluded. “PS, I would like to request a day off for tomorrow.” “Wait, what?” Spike asked. The idea of Twilight of all ponies asking for a day off was so sudden and unexpected. “I’m giving you the day off from your duties tomorrow,” Twilight said. “I’m going to start being a better mother and do things you want to do.” Spike was overcome with excitement and he hugged Twilight happily. “I’ll even make breakfast for you,” Twilight added. “That’d be great!” Spike said happily. He then remembered. “Oh, I better send the letter.” Spike held up the scroll and blew his fire breath onto it, sending the scroll to the sun princess. “Tonight,” Twilight said. “You’re sleeping with me.” “Sounds good, Mom,” Spike said, nuzzling Twilight. He let out a yawn. “We better turn in. It’s pretty late already.” “And we better head home, too,” Rarity said. Spike just remembered the others were there. “Okay, seriously,” Spike said. “Somepony needs to put bells on you mares or something.” “Heh, sorry,” Applejack said with a sweatdrop. With that, the friends said their goodbyes and they went back to their own homes. Twilight and Spike cuddled peacefully into the night. End of chapter.