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// Don't Shoot the Messanger 
// Story: MY LITTLE YAMATO 
// by RDFan1701 
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While the Council spoke, Spike sat the whole time utterly silent. Sure, he was interested what was being said. And sure a visitor from another planet had caught his attention. Even when Twilight said the Elements could probably be used to move a ship faster than light through space he found himself flabbergasted. However, his mind was on a totally different topic.

How he was going to tell Twilight that her brother was dead battered around his mind over and over. It was not something he was looking forward to doing. Twilight had been his closest friend for years before the war and he was afraid that the news would make Twilight hate him. 

He shook his head as he climbed down off of his seat and followed his friends down towards the concourse in the middle of the chamber. "No, Twilight wouldn't hate me for that...would she?" he asked himself quietly his nerve once again wavering as his mind ran wild. "What will she do? Banish me?" he blinked, "No, that is NOT Twilight!" he said firmly. His mind finally made up, atleast until he saw Twilight once again.

He ducked behind a corner and leaned against the wall. "This isn't fair. Why does it have to be me?" He asked himself outloud. 

"Because sometimes, the most heartbreaking things can be less terrible if a close friend tells another." Celestia responded, seeming to have appeared out of no where.

Spike literally jumped up from the wall, "Princess! Don't scare me like that." he began before blinking, "Wait, you know about-"

"Luna told me before the session. She is very upset about it, but she too knows that a trusted friend can not only tell the pony that is going to be hurt, but offer a shoulder to let her cry upon." Celestia explained as she motioned a hoof in Twilight's direction. "Do you understand that Spike?"

He looked up at Celestia, trying to understand it himself, but not completely. "But...her brother...he's never coming home...how can even a friend help make her feel not as upset?" he asked quietly. He watched as Twilight smiled and received praise for her idea's that occurred during the session.

"Do not get me wrong Spike, Twilight will most certainly be heartbroken. But knowing she has friends as close as you and the others to support and be there for her, will help allow her to grieve and move on with what she must do." Celestia sighed, "However, we are not in a time of peace and her time to mourn will be short." she looked down at Spike with concerned eyes.

Spike looked back and sighed, "So telling her sooner rather than later will be better." Celestia nodded in response as she looked out on the group accompanied by Luna. "Should I tell her when she is alone or while the rest are around."

Celestia remained silent for a moment, "Tell her after I have called Luna away. Twilight may not take well to the news if Luna remains. She could lash out at her and I doubt we both want that."

Spike looked at Twilight once again and nodded, "I will Princess. Thank you."

"You are most welcome Spike. Now, I shall fetch Luna now. Be brave little dragon, and simply be there for her." Celestia said whilst making a slow walk towards the group. Spike slowly following behind watching the group smile and hug one another.

He thought to himself, "Brave Spike, that's all you need to be. Brave." he tried to reassure himself. 

"Princess, that was such a lovely speech you made." Rarity began as she pushed a bit of her mane up with a hoof. "Though that Filthy Rich does get on my nerves. I hope you gave him the speaking to that he rightfully deserved." she concluded with a sharp nod and a hmmmp, at the thought of Filthy Rich getting away with things completely free.

The group giggled and Celestia shook her head, "I had...words with him. But not on that subject. He did have a point but the way he went about it was rude. Though...I doubt anypony could change his attitude, even if the world as we know it is in danger of slipping away forever."

Pinkie Pie trotted up quickly, "I can always prank him! That always makes ponies think differently about things! Oooooooh maybe a pie to the face? Or a whoopie cushion!" she grinned evilly, "OR! I could make it so that water dumps on his head when he opens the door to his room!"

Celestia, Luna, and Twilight frowned at Pinkie Pie, "Two wrongs don't make a right Pinkie." Twilight said with a undertone of annoyance on her voice.

"Awwww but-" Pinkie began before being abruptly cut off by Applejack.

"Twilight is right sugarcube. Ya can't go 'round prankin' ponies jus' 'cuz they go an do somethin' tha ya don't agree with." She said with a frown on her face, "If tha was the case, Flutterhsy'd be prankin' ya left and right. An ya wouldn't like that, now would ya?"

Pinkie's ears dropped, "No...I wouldn't." she said with a saddened tone. 

Applejack smiled lightly and gave Pinkie a rub on her head with her hoof, "But that doesn't mean ya can't keep prankin' us every now and then."

Pinkie beamed and squeee'd at the thought of pranking her friends. "I'll get started right away!" she exclaimed excitedly as she started to bounce off towards the main door. Applejack chuckled as she watched.

Of course that is when Celestia cleared her throat, "Could you six remain here please?" she looked up at Luna, "And I need to speak to you alone sister." 

Luna nodded and moved around from behind the group of Ponies to move towards the exit of the chambers. Celestia looked at Spike, "I leave them in your capable claws Spike." The group looked confused as Celestia turned and followed her sister out. As Spike stood there, shaking at the knee's.

Fluttershy moved up and put a hoof on Spike's forehead which made him finally snap out of his nervous daze. He waved a claw at her hoof, "What're you doing that for?" he protested at the intruding hoof.

"I wanted to see if you were sick. You were shaking all over, I thought you were cold or something." Fluttershy responded, "But you seem perfectly warm to me. What's wrong Spike?" 

Spike took a gulp as a round of, "What's wrongs?" and "Come on, tell us." lines came from his friends. He sighed and walked up to Twilight and looked up at her with sad eyes.

"Twilight..." he began slowly. "I...I...I have some bad news..."

Twilight cocked her head to the side, "What bad news? What's wrong?"

Those words cut into him like knives, so many times he had heard it in the last few minutes. He just wanted to run away, hide, get away from the responsibility of telling her. But surrounded by ponies on all sides, Spike couldn't go anywhere.

"Twilight...you should know-"

"Know? Know what?" she interrupted, her eyes large with worry.

Spike sighed and looked up at her, tears forming on his eyes, "Shining Armor...he's...he's dead."

Twilight blinked down at Spike. Her eye's growing even larger as the words hit her like a ton of bricks. "No...no..." she stammered out as she collapsed on her flank. The other five Ponies letting out long gasps of shock, upset, and worry for Twilight. They slowly started moving around her as her eyes filled with tears.

"He died protecting Princess Luna's ship." Spike continued, "He bought us enough time to get back to Equestria. All the while holding off the enemy until the last possible moment. If he hadn't done what he did...we wouldn't have made it back." 

Twilight started to slowly let out a whimper. Her bright indigo eyes becoming very large as more and more tears gathered in her eyes. Spike couldn't look at her any longer, his head drooped and his eyes locked to a single speck of dust on the floor. Twilight's tail wrapped around her flank on her right side. Her whimper slowly turned into short sobs.

"But...that's...no...he can't be...he can't..." She pleaded to nopony in particular. Her front legs giving out and she placed her head down in her legs and openly cried. "Noooooooooooo! No! Shining Armor! You can't! You promised! You promised to come home!" she cried out, pleading for him to come home. 

Spike grabbed his tail and took a deep sniffle, "I'm sorry Twilight...I am so so sorry." 

Twilight jumped up to her hooves and shouted, "Sorry?! SORRY?! How can you be sorry!? You're still alive! My brother is dead! You don't GET to be SORRY!" she screamed at Spike who went wide-eyed in fear as her words cut deep.

Rarity put a hoof up in front of Twilight, "Twilight, don't be mad at him. It's not his fault that it happened. Don't take it out on him. He's one of your closest friends." Rarity said calmly and quietly.

"But...but..." Twilight tried to argue but she knew that Rarity was right. Instead she shrank back to the floor.

"Oh Twilight, we are so sorry." Fluttershy said kneeling down next to Twilight, rubbing her head on Twilight's forehead. "He did a very good thing protecting Spike and Princess Luna."

Rainbow floated above the group for a moment before placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, "He will be missed but again, it's not Spike's fault. We're all here for you Twilight."

Twilight looked up at Spike, tears clearly running down her cheeks. Spike looked back at Twilight. He was still a little afraid of her still. But that was only a brief moment before Twilight used her magic to pull Spike towards her in a hug. Her arms wrapping around his tiny form tightly. She cried openly as her friends crowded around her to simply just be there for her. 

"I'm sorry Spike, you didn't deserve that." she said between sobs. 

Spike gently ran a claw through her mane. "It's ok Twilight. Just let it out. Your friends are all here." he said as she simply replied with a long bought of sobs, cries, and tears.

From above the concourse, Luna and Celestia watched the scene unfold. Luna was tempted to fly down and stop Twilight right there but Celestia had stopped her. "This is something that they need to do together."

Luna began to protest, "Sister, I am the one who lead all of those Ponies to their deaths. *I* should have been the one to tell her."

"Sometimes friendship and simply being there and hearing it from a friend is better than hearing it from your ruler." Celestia countered. "Even if you had told her yourself, the feeling she has towards everyone right now, wouldn't have changed. And she still would have lost her brother."

Luna looked down again as she watched the friends gather around and either lie down or put a hoof on Twilight as she cried. "Will she still be able to work her magic? Without her, we won't be able to make it to Iscandar in time." 

Celestia looked at her sister, "Despite her losing her brother, my student won't let us down. Her heart is larger than the loss she has suffered. She will do what she needs to save Equestria and her friends." Celestia said confidently listening to the cries fill the room. Luna only had the assurance of her sister to go on as the cries reached down into her chest. Her heart felt as if it was being squeezed tightly.

"Do you still want to command the mission? I could take your-" 

"No. I will stay in Command sister. You are needed here Celestia, Equestria is where you belong. And you know that you are more capable to keep Equestria alive and running while we are gone." Luna countered to her sisters inquiry. "And we both know that I am more adjusted to space than you are, after all, I did spend One Thousand Years imprisoned in the Moon."

Celestia smiled, "You never cease to amaze me sister. It was not that long ago that you were learning how to adjust to the modern times we live in. Now you Command Ponies in battle and travel across the stars." Luna looked up as Celestia wrapped a foreleg around her neck, "There are times that even I, am jealous of you." Luna smiled and closed her eyes, resting in her sisters embrace as the cries of Twilight slowly ended. And the bright simulated light of the fake sun beneath the surface shown through the glass dome above. Lighting the room with a warmth that nopony had noticed since they had moved beneath the surface.