//------------------------------// // Beginnings and Revelations // Story: The Love of a Dragon // by Racko //------------------------------// It has been three months since Obsidian Heartfire started living in Ponyville, as the roommate and assistant to Twilight Sparkle. Mondays and Fridays were spent helping Twilight with her studies, with Wednesdays being the day to get all sorts of lessons, useful and irrelevant alike, from the librarian. Tuesdays and Thursdays, he was found at Sweet Apple Acres, helping out around the farm. Saturday was the day he went gem hunting. Sunday, his day off. Even though it was his day off, he was usually at the Carousel Boutique, helping Rarity with dresses. If he wasn't at the library or the dress shop, he was helping the ponies around town. A few of the mares still eyed him openly, while some came to the realization that he wasn't interested. This Sunday afternoon, Obsidian was walking towards the Boutique with a large bouquet of roses, and wearing a nice looking suit. He had unexpectedly asked Rarity on a date after they had finished gem hunting, to which she surprisingly said yes to. The young stallion was so nervous that he was barely paying attention to the other ponies on the street. Finally arriving at the door between him and the mare of his dreams, he paused to calm his nerves. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door and waited for the fashionista. Rarity answered the door, wearing a beautiful black, purple and white dress, using dragon scales instead of her usual gems. “Hello Obsidian, come in.” she smiled at him, and then frowned slightly. “You know it is rude to stare at a lady, dear?” Obsidian shook his head and levitated the bouquet to her, giving her a sheepish smile. “I'm sorry, I was left speechless by your beauty, that I couldn't help it.” Rarity took the roses and smelled them. “Why thank you, Obsidian. I suppose I can let that slide this time. You are looking dashing yourself, if I may say so.” she said, leading him inside and setting the roses in a vase. “Give me just a moment, and I will be ready.” Obsidian nodded and sat on the couch to wait for his date to come back. A couple minutes later, Rarity came back, wearing a heart-shaped fire ruby necklace to go along with the dress. “Shall we go?” Obsidian smiled, getting up and opening the door for her. “After you, my lady.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They made their way through Ponyville, making light conversation. Obsidian had chosen one of the more prestigious restaurants, the Acquerello. It wasn't the fanciest around, but it still cost more than most ponies would normally hoof out. Obsidian had spent the last month and a half saving just for this opportunity. As they approached, Rarity let out a small gasp. “You didn't?” Obsidian smiled and replied, “Can't have anything less for such a grand mare, now can we?” Rarity blushed and followed Obsidian into the restaurant. Inside was a warm, romantic feeling. Crystal chandeliers with low-light candles burning in them, with tables meant for only two ponies, while a few larger arrangements were spread throughout to accommodate a bigger party. After getting to a table set next to a small fountain inlaid with gems of all kinds arranged in a nice mosaic, they ordered some white wine. Rarity was in awe at the restaurant and the thought the stallion put into this date. After the waiter left to get their wine, they were left alone to decide what to eat. After a few moments, Rarity decided on a daisy and daffodil lasagna. Looking up at her date, she couldn't help but giggle a little at his lost expression at the menu. “A little trouble deciding what to eat, Obsidian?” He started and looked up at her, flashing a small grin. “Yea, I never realized there could be so many choices, I'm not sure where to start....” “Hmm, how about I order for the both of us, then?” she asked, smiling at him. “Alright, I am positive anything you would pick has to be good.” he sighed, relaxing some as the waiter returned with their wine and took their order. While waiting for their meal, they talked about Rarity's business and upcoming dress line, along with what was going on around town. Vinyl Scratch and Octavia had recently opened a club/orchestral hall that was becoming popular. The cake twins had become a devastating duo in town, almost as bad as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They were starting to delve into what would happen if the twins joined the Crusaders when their food arrived. “Mm, looks and smells delicious.” Obsidian said, looking at his lasagna. “Bon appétit!” They ate their dinner in relative silence, and Rarity was the first one to speak up as they finished. “Well that was quite divine, darling. Do you have plans for the rest of the night, or should I think of something for us to do?” “I may have something in mind, but let’s go for a quick walk, shall we?” Obsidian grinned, offering a hoof to Rarity. Rarity smiled and accepted the hoof and walked with him as they left the restaurant and strolled through Ponyville. It was a nice evening out, just before sunset. Multiple ponies were still outside, a few of them enjoying companionship of someone close. “So, what do you have on your mind, dear?” Rarity asked, bashing her eyelashes at Obsidian. Obsidian grinned. “That is a secret.” Rarity pouted slightly. “I promise you will enjoy it.” Soon, they arrived at a small hill at the edge of Ponyville. Walking over to a basket next to one of the trees, Obsidian pulled out a blanket and spread it out and placed a pillow on top. Obsidian offered Rarity a seat on the pillow and took a seat next to her. They sat there quietly, watching the sunset and eating some cupcakes that Obsidian had in the basket. Rarity sat there lost in her own little world until she felt something in her hoof. Looking down, she was surprised to see Obsidian's hoof in hers. She looked at the stallion to see him smiling warmly at her. She returned the smile and turned her gaze to watch the sun finish setting, resting her head against him. After the sun was below the horizon, Rarity spoke up quietly, “Obsidian, today has been just fabulous. But I have to tell you something.” she looked down a little “Another has already claimed part of my heart, and even though he is gone, he took that part with him. But,” she continued, looking up to the stallion. “That doesn't mean that somepony else can't claim the rest of it.” she finished, giving him a peck on the cheek. Obsidian had a slightly sullen look, but when Rarity kissed his cheek, he was stunned. He was brought back when he caught a glimpse of something in the sky. Looking up he nudged Rarity and pointed at where he was looking. Rarity looked and gasped. Blazing across the sky was hundreds of meteors. “Make a wish, Rarity.” he whispered. Rarity smiled and closed her eyes for a few moments. When she opened her eyes, she looked over at Obsidian, who had a blank look on his face, and was staring off into the distance. “Obsidian, darling?” she asked, nudging him a little. Something flashed in his eyes before he turned to look back at her. “Huh? What?” “You were staring off, dear. Am I that much of a bore?” she teased. “No, it's not that, Rarity!” he exclaimed. “I think I just felt something, but... Nevermind..” he turned to her and smiled “I hope I have a chance at the rest of your heart.” “I think you already have taken some, darling.” she replied, leaning towards him slightly. “I'm just not entirely sure about the rest.” she closed her eyes. Obsidian closed his eyes and slowly leaned towards the white mare. The soft kiss didn't last long, but to both of them, it felt like it lasted forever. They sat there for a while, cuddling together, watching the stars. Rarity let out a very unladylike yawn and jumped up. Obsidian smiled to himself and stood up as well. “Shall I walk you home, Milady?” he asked, offering her a hoof. She took it smiling and walked with him back to the Carousel Boutique, leaning on him along the way. They paused outside the door to the shop. “Thank you for such a wonderful night, darling.” Rarity said after opening the door, turning to him. “Thank you for giving me a chance, Rarity. Shall we do something again soon?” “I think I would like that.” she replied, nuzzling him. She stepped back and into her home. “Goodnight, Obsidian.” “Goodnight, Rarity.” he smiled at her as the door closed. Humming lightly to himself, he made his way back to the library. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight was sitting at her desk, frowning slightly at the book in front of her, Starswirl's guide to Insanity: Memory Problems. It was one of his later books, and it seemed to repeat itself at times. Maybe due to his forgetfulness in his later years. But it still had some interesting points. Twilight's thoughts were interrupted when the door to the library opened. Turning, she seen Obsidian slowly walking towards the staircase, humming quietly to himself. “How did the date with Rarity go?” “Perfect.” was all he said. “Just perfect? Nothing else to say, or she leave you speechless?” “It's hard for her not to. If I'm not up in the morning, I have died of happiness. Goodnight, Twilight.” “Goodnight Obsidian. I don't think you would want to die of happiness, Rarity might be a little upset.” she teased, turning back to her book. He reminds me of Spike..’ Her frown deepened, flipping through the book. 'I wish he could remember something from before. And this stupid thing isn't helping.' She huffed, closing the book with a sigh. Coming to the realization that books weren't helping her with this, she made her way to her bedroom. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a basket. Hugging it, she looked out the window. “Spike, wherever you are, I hope that you are happy. I can't bear the thought of you being hurt and alone. I miss you.” She slowly set the basket on the floor went to her bed. She slumped down onto it shortly before going into a restless sleep. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack sat down at the edge of the orchards to enjoy the morning for a moment. It was a nice morning, with a cool breeze flowing through the trees. Closing her eyes, she relaxed, letting the sound of the wind through the leaves and the smell of apples wash over her. Her ears perked up at a strange sound just before there were hundreds of small pops and cracks started around her. Yelping, she bolted up and looked around. “Rainbow Dash, ahm gonna kill yah, when ah get my hooves on yah!” she yelled, making her way to the source of laughter She was surprised when she found the source, a black stallion rolling around on the ground behind one of the trees. “Obsidian? What are ya doin here? Shouldn't yah be helpin Twilight?” “Well, she gave me the day off. Said something about talking with the princesses. So, I came over here to see if I could lend a hoof for a while before I go see Rarity.” he said, sitting down. “And shouldn't a farmpony be working, not sitting on her flank?” he teased the orange mare. Applejack glared at him, “Well, Mr. Obsidian. Ah have decided to take the day off. I need a day to relax, and we are ahead of schedule with the work to not have to worry about it today. So, you and Rarity, huh?” she looked at him. Obsidian looked off into the distance. “Yea. We had a nice date last night. She said she had a wonderful time. I know I did.” “Somethin' wrong, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, looking at the stallion. “It's just something that Rarity said last night, and how Twilight has been acting. Twilight's assistant, Spike. He was more than just her assistant, wasn't he?” Applejack sighed. “Well, Ah suppose you should know. Spike was sort of like Twilight's little brother. She hatched him when she was just a little filly and had raised him since. I can't imagine how much the little guy meant to her.” she said, looking at the orchard. “And he had a fancy fer Rarity. Ah don't reckon ah can say that he was a good friend, we didn't exactly spend much time together. He wasn't around much for our adventures and fun. Heck, I can't imagine what it would be like for my friends to overlook me.” “So what exactly happened?” he asked, looking at the orange mare. “Ah'm not too sure, really. Celestia had invited Rarity to a fashion show to give her more recognition, and even asked for a dress for her and Luna. Spike was with her almost the entire time, trying his best to help her. When it was time for her to go to Canterlot to finish preparations for the show, she invited Spike to come and help. Of course, he jumped on the opportunity.” she gave off a small smile, which soon turned into a frown. “Ah even gave him a nudge to confess to Rarity. Which ah heard he did, right at the start of the fashion show. But she turned him down, and he was gone after that. Rarity won't say anything more about it to us.” They sat on the hill quietly for a short time before Applejack spoke up again. “Ah can't exactly say that he was a good friend, we didn't hang out enough for that, but he was a great little dragon when he was around. Had a heart big enough for a few ponies. Shame we never hung out more, or that he wasn’t along with our adventures with us instead of at the library.” she stood up, and started walking towards the farm. She looked back at Obsidian. “Obsidian?” he stood up and looked at her. “Ah don't think it will be a problem, but don't go breakin' Rarity's heart, ya hear? Ah can’t help but feel like some of this is mah fault, I did convince the little guy to follow her, and ah don’t want to see her in more pain.” Obsidian nodded and walked slowly back towards Ponyville. His head burned and tingled, like it had moments before he passed out months ago. The feeling had lessened from his talk with Applejack, and he felt confident enough to go visit Rarity today. Stopping by the florist's stall, a nice mare named Rose, he picked up a couple of daisies, tulips, and a lily. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Rarity hummed while sketching out a new dress design. She didn’t even move when the door to the Boutique opened, instinctively calling out over her shoulder, “Give me just a moment!” She looked at the sketch. It followed curves nicely, but still had a nice flowing look to it. She got up and walked to the main room, to be greeted by a small arrangement of daisies, some tulips, and a nice smelling lily. Taking the flowers, she smiled at the stallion behind them and walked towards the kitchen. “Why thank you, darling. What brings you over here so soon?” After she set the flowers in a vase on the table, she turned her full attention to Obsidian. “Something wrong, darling?” she asked, noticing the slight worried expression on his face. “It’s just something that has bothered me for a while. Now, I don’t know, but I just got to know something.” he said, looking away from the mare. “About what, darling?” she asked, worried that he was having second thoughts about last night. Obsidian looked around the Boutique. It was full of dress designs that the white unicorn enjoyed having out on display. There were some that were made to be somewhat simple in design, not looking too flashy, but maintaining a look of elegance and beauty. Some of the dresses were so grand that just looking at them was enough to make you stop for a moment to admire them. Obsidian’s gaze rested on a ponyquin with the dress that Rarity wore last night. “About the little dragon, Spike. I know he meant a lot to Twilight, and he was a part of everypony else’s lives.” he looked at Rarity, and sighed. “And it just feels right to me to try to help with this.” Rarity sighed and walked over to the couch and sat down. “Come here darling, sit down.” she waited and watched as the black stallion made his way to the couch and sat next to her before she continued. “I didn’t want to talk about it, and I don’t like to think about it, but I think you should know.” she looked up, not really looking at anything. Instead, she was looking towards the past. “He was a wonderful little guy, more than willing to help out others. Me especially. He meant a lot to me. I also meant the world to him, but I was too selfish to see it.” she looked at Obsidian, who watched her with a hint of concern in his eyes. He rested a hoof on her arm, and she continued, looking down at it. “When he heard about me being invited to the fashion show, he practically dropped everything else to help me. I think Twilight was a touch upset that her assistant became more willing to assist me than her at that point.” she said with a small smile. “When I asked him to come with me to Canterlot to help, I didn’t see how happy he was.” “You were too excited and preoccupied with the fashion show to notice.” he said softly, to which Rarity just nodded. “Yes, I guess you could say that. He did everything he could to try to help me with making the dresses, and the entire time when I tried giving him a gem, he refused. I didn’t know why, he always loved to eat them, and was drooling half the time when he was holding them. I was finally able to get him to take one, and he held it like it was the most precious thing in the world.” a tear rolled down her cheek “It was something given to him from whom he thought the most precious thing in the world. And then during the party before the show, I betrayed him. The ponies there thought he was a pet, and treated him like he was one. And I was a foal and did the same, hoping to impress them.” She sighed and looked down at her hooves, tears flowing down her cheeks. “Something caused him to confess to me a few hours later, right in front of all the other ponies. I was shocked, and I did want to return his feelings, but I just kept going trying to impress the rest. I lost more than I realized I even had in that moment.” Obsidian wrapped a hoof around her and pulled her into a loose hug. Rarity pushed her face into his chest and sobbed, soaking his coat with tears. Obsidian ran a hoof through her mane and held her in a tighter embrace, hoping to soothe the mare. Minutes passed, and her sobs slowly died down. “I’m sorry if i brought something up you didn’t want to talk about, Rarity.” he said, looking down at her. “It.. It’s fine, darling. It helped. A bit.” she sniffed, pulling away slowly, still looking down. “He.. Ended up destroying half of the fashion show, and more than a few ponies were treated for cuts and burns that night. The only thing I was left with was a few cuts, a singed mane, and a burnt dress.” she reached a hoof up to wipe some tears away. “The scales that he gave me for that dress, I still have. He didn’t burn those.” “And you are still able to love him after that?” he asked, rubbing a hoof along her back. She nodded, “Far too late, but yes. All it took was for me to lose him to realize he was the one I wished for all along, even if he wasn’t what I imagined.” “I’m sure he loved you in the end.” she choked back a sob and nodded. “And I am sure he wouldn’t want to see me sad, especially for him. He would want me to be happy.” she looked up at Obsidian, tears still in her eyes. “It must sound like I am still chasing after a shadow, and I am sorry, Obsidian. And even though I still care for Spike, that doesn’t make last night anything less than it was.” she said, giving him a quick, small peck on the lips. “But if you will excuse me, I think I need to be alone for a bit.” Obsidian offered a small smile and nodded, before pulling her into a long, warm hug. She returned the embrace quite tightly, lingering for a moment after he let go. Running a hoof through her mane again, he stood up from the couch and walked to the door. He opened it and looked back at the white mare still sitting on the couch. “Bye, Rarity. Try to cheer up soon, tears don’t suit you.” She let a chuckle escape. “I shall try to cheer up, darling. Bye Obsidian.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight walked through the castle in Canterlot, looking around at how the castle felt so familiar, despite it being a few years since she had visited. She wanted to visit the archives to try to find something in there about memories that she hadn’t already looked at a hundred times. First, Twilight wanted to talk to her mentor, Princess Celestia, about it, but she was busy taking care of the country’s affairs and would be busy for a few hours. She walked through the corridors, humming to herself, looking at the statues and tapestries inside. There was one of Starswirl the Bearded, with one of Clover the Clever further down the hall. Turning around a corner, she noticed she was near her old room here in the castle and decided to pay it a visit. Walking inside her old room, it looked exactly like it did when she left for Ponyville years ago. Her first telescope was leaning against the corner, her bed next to it was neatly made with a small quilt covered in constellations. Walking to the dresser on the other side of the room, she seen a notebook laying on top of a small stack of books on the corner. Sitting down and levitating it to her, she seen the title, written with a childish scrawl, ‘Spike’s Journal Twilight Sparkle.’ She opened it up and found the first few pages burnt. She giggled and hugged the it to her chest, remembering when she gave the little dragon the notebook. ”What do I do with this, Twiley? There’s nothing in it.” the little baby dragon asked, opening up the blank notebook. “Oh, Spike. It’s for you to write in. Now that you know how to read and write, I thought it would be a good idea to write down your feelings or just write because you are bored.” “Oh, ok. I guess that make-” Spike sneezed, catching the open notebook on fire. Twilight hurriedly ran over and stomped out the flames before they did too much damage. “Um, oops?” the little dragon said sheepishly. Twilight looked at the notebook and let out a small sigh. “It’s fine, Spike. I guess I should go get you a new notebook.” She picked up the notebook with her magic, only for a pair of scaly pair of hands to grab it out of the air. She looked at Spike, who was holding the notebook to his chest. “You don’t have to do that Twilight. It’s fine the way it is.” he gave her a grin and walked up to her, wrapping his arms around one of her legs. “Thank you, Twiley.” “You’re welcome, Spikey.” she replied, wrapping a leg around him and returning the embrace. She bent her head down and nuzzled the side of his head, only to have him jump. “Hey, that tickles!” he said, taking a step back. “Is that so?” she responded, grinning deviously at the little purple dragon as she approached him. “What about this?” she jumped at him, attacking with a frenzy of tickles, causing him to giggle uncontrollably. “Hey! That’s... Not... Fair!” he said between giggles, attempting to tickle the lavender filly back. He managed to scrape a claw on the inside of her shoulder, drawing out a squeak from her, pausing the relentless attack. Spike pushed his advantage and started tickling both of her sides, causing her to be the one having a giggling fit. The tickle war lasted a long while, and left the two youngsters in a mess, struggling to breathe normally. A few minutes after the war, light snores could be heard in the room. Twilight looked down at Spike and found that he was pressed against the fillies chest, arms wrapped tightly around her. Smiling, Twilight levitated a blanket over and covered both of them, curling her body around the dragon and giggling softly when he let out a louder snore. She kissed the top of his head and fell asleep nuzzling him as he slept. Twilight was smiling as she looked through the notebook, the first few pages were illegible. A few pages in, she noticed her name in one of the entries, and noticed her name in many more entries after that. ‘Today, Twilight refused to play with me. Said she had to study about some big levitation spell. I don’t get it, she knows levitation and has been reading that same book for 5 ½ hours now. Can’t she take a break for a little bit? Oh well..’ ‘Twilight, being the shut-in little filly she is, left the party just after it started because she said something about practicing that new spell and writing a report to Celestia. It made me feel lonely that she just left. Even though there’s all these ponies here. Wish she would make some friends, it makes me feel lonely.’ ‘Well, it has been three weeks since Twilight really talked to me. Sure, she tells me to ‘take a letter, Spike’ or ‘grab that book for me, Spike.’ Meh, I need a walk...’ Twilight felt a few tears form as she thought about what he had written. She had stopped treating him like a friend for a couple of months and more like a servant. Sure, he was her helper, but Celestia had also charged her with raising the little dragon. Sniffling, she kept reading. ‘Twilight has been pouring over these books so much recently. All she wants to do is read them and tell me to do chores, blah blah blah. She snapped at me when I tried talking to her. I feel like burning those books.’ ‘Well. Happy Birthday, Spike. From Spike. Nopony else said happy birthday to me. Well, Celestia left me a small gem. Twilight just shoved a huge stack of books at me and told me to organize them all. I hate her.’ ‘I tried burning a few of those books Twilight keeps reading. Celestia wondered why I sent her the books, and Twilight just scolded me and told me to learn how to control my fire better.’ ‘Have I said I hate the young purple unicorn called Twilight Sparkle? I am tired of being her pet. I thought she cared about me. Why did you have to lie to me?’ Twilight felt tears rolling down her cheeks and splash down onto the pages of the notebook. She felt like her heart was being ripped apart by the words in the notebook. She jumped when she felt something warm cover her. She looked up and seen Princess Celestia, spreading a wing over her, looking down at the notebook in front of Twilight, a frown on her face. “Well, I guess that is part of the reason you are here, right Twilight.” the sun princess said. Twilight let out a barely audible whimper. “I think you should continue reading.” Twilight looked at the face of her mentor, her eyes full of tears, pain, and questions. “Why? Do you just want to see me in more pain?!” she shot at her. “Calm down, Twilight Sparkle. Can you judge a book by its cover or the first chapter alone?” she asked. “Well, no. But how do you expect me to get through this thing?” “Just trust me, my little pony.” is all Celestia said, tightening the wing around her. Twilight sighed and looked back to the notebook and continued reading. ‘Twilight wants me to go through and dust all the books and clean her entire room. What is the point? She never leaves her desk.’ ‘Twilight finally said something to me. Want to know what she said? Me too. I didn’t hear it well enough, she was asleep, face in a book. I am not cleaning that up.’ ‘Well, Spike. Guess you are the only one who cares about me. Hearth's Warming Eve and Twilight hasn’t said a word. I feel pointless.’ Twilight choked a loud sob back, eliciting a tight squeeze from Celestia. Taking a moment, she closed her eyes and thought about that time. She had wanted to spend more time with Spike than she did, but she got so caught up in her studies. She thought she had talked with him more, but must have been so consumed by books that she didn’t notice. Looking at the next page, Twilight seen that it was a letter, addressed to her. ‘Dear Twilight Sparkle, If you read this, and I don’t think you ever will. Why would you? It’s not like I matter to anypony, especially not you. I just wanted you to know that I hate you. I remember you say hate is a strong word, and I want to rephrase that now. I BUCKING HATE YOU! I wish you had never became Celestia’s student and spent all your time reading books. I wish you had never been accepted into Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns! I wish I didn’t have to be here! You never spend any time with me! I know I am your assistant, but I thought we were friends?! You promised me that we would have fun together! Do you not remember?! I wish you had never hatched me. I don’t want to be around in a place where the only pony I care about don’t give a buck about me! You didn’t say anything to me on my birthday, you didn’t say anything to me on Hearth’s Warming Eve, you didn’t give me a bucking thing! I HATE YOU, TWILIGHT! I- I- I-’ The letter ended there. There was a couple of lines left, but the ink was blotched and the page was wrinkled from having been wet. Twilight pushed the notebook away and buried her face in her hooves, crying her heart out. Celestia rested her head on top of the young mare’s neck and nuzzled her softly. She didn’t know how long she was crying. Could have been minutes, could have been hours. She looked up at Celestia after gaining some strength again. The Princess just gave her a nudge of confidence, urging her to continue. ‘I am thinking about just running away. I don’t know where. I don’t care where. Twilight don’t need me. I feel so lonely..’ ‘Ran into Princess Celestia today. Couldn’t have been at a worse time. Now I am sitting here in Twilight’s room. Twilight got called out to talk to the Princess in her study. I hope I don’t have to deal with that stupid mare anymore. Speaking of her, she is screaming my name, sounds like she’s running here. I swear I’m going to smack her if she just starts lecturing me, or change my chores or something.’ Twilight gasped. Was this really what had gone through Spike’s mind? “You remember that day, don’t you, Twilight?” “Yea. After you talked to me about him looking depressed and walking out of the castle, I went to him and tried getting him to talk. He just pushed me away and wouldn’t talk.” ‘Seems Celestia said something to Twilight. Figures, she only wanted to talk to me after Celestia said something about it. She had the nerve to try and hug me. I don’t want anything from a selfish little filly. I will try again tomorrow.’ ‘I am hiding. Not from Twilight. I don’t care if she finds me. I’m hiding from Celestia. She caught me trying to get out of the castle again, and I just ran, even with her calling out to me. I hate ponies. I wish they would all leave me alone. Well, they already have, but it’s like they are trying to pull me back in so they can torment me even more.’ ‘Celestia caught me. Disguised herself as a little baby dragon and lured me back into the castle. Now I’m sitting on her bed until she gets back. I wonder if I can turn this bed into a model of Twilight and shred it.’ ‘Celestia walked in on me while I was in the middle of tearing up her bed. She wasn’t happy. Or maybe she was amused. Hard to tell with her sometimes. Anyway, I am happy, Celestia told me that she will be taking care of me for a while. Maybe now I will have somepony there for me, unlike that unicorn.’ ‘Celestia bought me ice cream today. She doesn’t really talk much, but she is there, and actually treats me nicely.’ ‘Princess Celestia brought me along with her to something she called ‘Royal Court.’ It was full of snobby ponies talking non-stop about problems and wanting her to help promote their businesses. We made jokes about all of them. Except the few that had real problems, like no food or shelter. Those ponies we helped. I even met a griffon today!’ ‘Celly let me ride on her back today. It felt wonderful being able to feel the air rush across my scales and looking down at different towns. Seen a rainbow trail while we were out, that was weird.’ ‘Had a nightmare last night. I was back with that stupid purple unicorn. Celestia woke me up and looked worried and made me sleep with her. She wants to talk with me later today.’ ‘Mommy is nice. I told her about my nightmare and she gave me the biggest hug I can remember. And she gave me some ice cream with crushed rubies in it. That was yummy.’ ‘Mommy is having me tell her what I am so afraid of, and why I tried running away. I told her about her stupid student. She looked worried and scared. She has been having me sleep with her all week. I don’t know why, but it feels nice to have somepony love me.’ ‘Mommy isn’t being very nice. She is making me talk with Twilight today. I don’t want to. The only reason I’m going to is because mommy asked nicely.’ ‘Twilight looked tired and depressed. Sounded like mommy yelled at her the other day.’ ‘I have to go outside with Twilight today. Alone. With no books. I don’t think she will last two minutes before going crazy.’ ‘Twilight tried talking to me. She has been doing that a lot lately. What does it matter? I don’t need her anymore. I have somepony who cares for me. Somepony who spends time with me without being told to.’ ‘Mommy is having me spend the night with Twilight. I am not looking forward to it. Another night sitting by myself while a purple unicorn shoves her face in a book. Yipee...’ ‘Twilight cried herself to sleep last night. Even though I still hate her, I still felt sorry. I think she started crying harder when mommy came and got me.’ ‘Twilight started writing me little letters. I have a feeling Celestia told her to. Twilight sounded sad, talking about how she missed me. Yeah, right.’ ‘Twilight has been sending me letters for a month now. Every day. Sometimes a few times a day. I guess she does miss me. Or at least my help.’ ‘Twilight wants to come visit me. I think I will just go to her room later. Mommy is busy today, so I don’t have anything to do. ‘Twilight actually kissed my forehead. I don’t remember her ever doing that. She keeps saying she is sorry for ignoring me. A little late, detective. I may spend the night, though.’ ‘I have been spending time with Twilight again. It still hurts to be around her, but it just feels right, I can’t explain it. I enjoy staying over there, she always falls asleep while holding me. She is really warm.’ ‘Celestia asked me if I want to start staying with Twilight again. I don’t know. I want to stay with mommy, but I do enjoy being with Twilight. I guess if Twilight doesn’t ignore me again, I will.’ ‘Twilight insists on spending time together every day. She took me out to get donuts today. Man, are those things delicious!’ ‘Twilight spent all day with me today, she didn’t even once look at a book. I think she is sick.’ ‘Twilight talked to me about before I went and stayed with mommy. I started crying. She hugged me and wouldn’t stop apologizing.’ ‘’I love you.’ I’m not sure if I heard that, or I am imagining things, but I think I heard that when I was cuddled up with Twilight, looking at a picture book of when I was just a hatchling.’ ‘Twilight is starting to call me Spikey. She hasn’t called me that for a long time. It felt all fuzzy when she hugged me.’ ‘Twilight is the best pony ever. She woke me up this morning with a big bowl of ice cream with lots of gems and a whole box of donuts. She wished me a happy birthday! We spent all day doing all sorts of fun things. She even pretended to be a clown to make me laugh. Then her and mommy gave me a big party in the castle. I wish I was bigger so I could hug them both.’ ‘She said it. She told me that she loved me. I have never felt happier in my life. I love you too, Twilight. Even though I am too scared to say it. I am changing the name on the notebook so the most important pony to me will be special.’ ‘Dear Twilight Sparkle, Do you know how happy I feel? No matter what happens each day, when we cuddle together and talk, I always feel happy. I want to be able to feel like this all the time. I wish you could read my mind so you know how special you make me feel. I’m glad you are here. I love you, Twilight.’ ‘Twilight has started to study more again. I don’t mind, really. She still spends time with me, and we always cuddle up and go to sleep together, so I feel happy.’ ‘Summer Sun Celebration is coming up. Twilight seems excited. She started studying more. At least we still cuddle together before sleeping.’ ‘Twilight is concerned about the Celebration. I don’t know why, it sounded like a whole bunch of nonsense. Mommy told Twilight to stop reading. It was funny.’ ‘Mommy is sending us off to a town called Ponyville, and told Twilight to make some friends. Finally! I hope she makes some, it still makes me feel lonely when I see her not talking to anypony. Love you, Twilight.’ The entries ended there. There were still a few blank pages, but it seemed like the notebook had been left behind. Twilight closed it and brought it to her chest. She was crying, almost as hard as she was before. But now, her tears were from joy, and love. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash flew to the library. She decided to use the door today, for once. Landing in front of the door, took a breath of cool air and knocked. She waited for what seemed like ages, when it was only about three seconds, before knocking again. She pushed the door open and called out, “Twilight! Hey Twilight, are you in here?” A thud came from upstairs and Rainbow trotted up the stairs to find the source. There were sounds coming from Twilight’s room. Rainbow just opened the door and walked right in. “Hey Twilight- Obsidian?! What are you doing in Twilight’s room? Where’s Twilight?” she said as she advanced towards the stallion. “Wait, are you crying? Why are you crying?” she walked up beside him and looked at what was in front of him, a scrapbook of Spike and Twilight. Obsidian looked at Rainbow, tears flowing down his cheek. “I don’t know. It feels weird. I came in here to make sure Twilight’s room was clean, and seen this. I started looking at it and just started crying.” Rainbow put a hoof on his shoulder as he looked back down. “I can’t stop looking at it.” Rainbow felt awkward. Not only had she just walked in on a grown stallion crying, but she had walked in on him crying in her best friends’ room. She jumped when he talked again. “Rainbow Dash? What was Spike like?” She was confused by the odd question, but answered anyways, “Well, he was kind of cool. Only dragon I know of that isn’t some greedy bully. Did you know he once faced three larger dragons on his own? I mean, how awesome is that? He was fun, too. Although I think I picked on him a bit too much. I wish he was still here, I had wanted to teach him how to fly. How many pegasus’ can claim they taught a dragon how to fly? None that I know of!” she said, looking through the window into the horizon. “I wish he would come back. I kind of left on a bad note, and never got the chance to apologize. Kept picking on him and teasing him about chasing after Rarity.” “Thanks, Rainbow.” he sniffed. “What did you come here for, anyways?” “Oh, um, I came here to see if the new ‘Daring Do’ came in today.” “Yea, the mailmare delivered it earlier. Something about a ‘Special Muffin for Twilight.’ I swear my brain was a muffin for an hour after that conversation.” “Oh, I guess that’s Derpy for you.” Rainbow chuckled. “Well, it’s downstairs, on Twilight’s desk. It is already marked as checked out for you, so you can go ahead and grab it.” “Awesome. Hey, Obsidian, you gonna stop looking at that book and go do something?” “I think I am going to continue looking at this. I don’t know why, but it just feels like I have to.” “Blegh.” she gagged. “Well, that’s too much for me. Later, Obsidian.” she called out, leaving a rainbow blur as she dashed out of the room. Obsidian sat looking at one picture for a long time. Spike the dragon was hugging a very surprised Twilight Sparkle, and he had the happiest look on his face. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- “What was that?” “What are you talking about, Twilight?” “I thought I felt something. It was almost like when Spike hugged me before we left for Ponyville.” “That’s interesting. Twilight, do you know what his nightmare was about?” “No, he never said anything to me about a nightmare.” “I didn’t think he would. It was about you, Twilight. He was always afraid that you would abandon him. Even when he was staying with me, he was scared to death that ‘the sparkly pony’ would come back and be mean to him. Not physically, and not taunting, either. He was afraid of a lie. He was afraid you would lie and make a promise to him and break it.” “But why would he be so scared about what I had to say? If he had hated me so much, why was he scared that I would lie to him.” “Remember when we were talking after your burst of magic?” Twilight nodded in response. “Remember how he crawled on top of you and fell asleep, refusing to let go? There was always more to it than just being your friend.” “I.. I think I understand.. But why are you telling me this? Spike’s gone..” Twilight closed her eyes, turning her face down. “Yes, but I don’t think he is gone forever.” “Why is that?” “Well, I know he was safe after the fashion show, and I am pretty sure you would have felt something powerful if he had died.” “How could I feel it? It’s not like we were connected.” “You are connected, Twilight. Your magic is what gave him life, and it is still mixed with him. But the strongest connection is here,” she said, placing a hoof on Twilight’s chest. “You were able to feel powerful emotions sometimes, right? When you hatched him, you two were connected, and it allowed you to feel for each other. Didn’t you tell me that you felt so special, and not because you had just become my student, but because Spike pushed through a dozen research ponies just to cuddle against you and sleep?” Twilight smiled and nodded. “Yea, at first I felt weird, but it felt like I was the most important thing in the world to someone. I wanted to take care of him and look after him, and was excited when you let me keep him.” “I have a feeling that what you felt was some of the emotions flowing from Spike into you at that moment. I also have a feeling that as soon as something happens to Spike and he dies, that you will feel it instantly. I can’t imagine how it might feel, but I am sure you would know it.” The two just sat there for hours, not talking. It wasn’t awkward, just a moment that would have been ruined by words. Eventually, Twilight sniffed and looked at her mentor, who was looking through a photobook of Spike growing up. “Princess Celestia? Can I ask you something?” “Ask away, my dear Twilight.” “Is it alright if I sleep like Spike used to?” Celestia smiled at her student. “Of course it is, Twilight.” the lavender unicorn smiled and nuzzled into Celestia’s side. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Wake up, it’s time Huh? Five more centuries. No, now. Just send Discord. He is stone, idiot. Oh. Ah well, guess it can’t be helped. Send for the girls. They are gone. What happened? You painted them up like the Prance ponies, and ate them. Oh, yea. Tasted like old wine. What about those weird smelling things? You ate them too. Drat. Find me someone to consume. I can’t. Why not? I’m just the voice in your head. Oh, I forgot. Hard to tell anymore. Guess I have to go do this myself, then. Stupid lazy voices.