Now edited by: Luna-cy
Spike looked at Apple Bloom, who had the fire behind her and the light from the flames dancing across her body, deciding exactly what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. He still wondered whether he should be really telling her this since he already had a guess of her reaction, but he said he would so that’s what he’s going to do.
“I guess I’ll start with the elephant in the room,” Spike said. “I’m a dragon.”
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Yes, because so many ponies I know can walk on two legs, breath fire, and fly,” the earth pony filly said. “Twilight can maybe do two out of three but not all of them.”
“Not the point I was trying to make,” Spike said. “I’m a dragon. To anypony that doesn’t know me personally that’s the first thing they’re going to think of me. Now Apple Bloom, without using me as an example, what would most ponies think of when they think of dragons?”
Apple Bloom faced away from Spike with her eyes still trained on the drake. Spike could tell by the look on her face that she knew the answer he was looking but didn’t want to say anything. Spike internally smiled at that, knowing that at least she cared about his feelings.
“You can tell me,” Spike reassured her. “I already know. Hearing it won’t make any difference.”
“…Greedy jerkish hoarders,” Apple Bloom said in a very soft voice, something akin to Fluttershy. But as soon as she said that Apple Bloom quickly turned about and told him, “But Ah don’t think that of you.”
“I know you don’t but that’s not the point,” Spike told her. “The problem is, that’s what most ponies think of when they think of dragons. And while Ponyville knows me well enough to know that isn’t completely true with me, there are still those little things, like that time I started hording and grew huge nearly destroying the town, that ponies remember.”
“So ponies are lookin down on ya?” Apple Bloom asked.
“As far as I know, no,” Spike told her. “Apple Bloom, let me ask you this. You’re hiring somebody new for your business. You have two guys who you don’t really know that well that can do it pretty good both applying. But one is a pony and the other is a dragon. Who are you going to hire?”
Apple Bloom once again looked like she knew the answer to the question but was hesitant to answer, only this time Spike didn’t need to prod her for the answer. “The…pony,” Apple Bloom admitted. Her eyes widened when she realized where Spike was going.
“Wait…you’re lookin for a job?” Apple Bloom asked. “Ain’t ya got the library when Twi is gone? And didn’t ya like workin there?”
“Like working there?” Spike asked. “Well yeah I did. When I was a kid I really did like working as Twilight’s assistant. I wanted to be Twilight’s number one assistant and keep it that way for a long time. ‘Course, I should have figured that wouldn’t last forever.”
“It slowly happened after Twilight became a princess. At first it was fine since Twilight tried to stick around Ponyville as much as she could to stay with her friends but we all knew she couldn’t. Ponyville is an out of the way small town, all the big discussions happen in Canterlot, and even half of her friends ended up going to Canterlot. Plus well…when Twilight ended up finding a coltfriend in Canterlot she had more and more reasons to stay there.”
Spike shivered and immediately noticed how dark it was becoming and how cold the desert air was so he nodded Apple Bloom towards the fire. Apple Bloom figured out what Spike was suggesting so she got up and they both walked to the fire that Spike made. When Spike sat down he grabbed a twig from his bag—which was already close to the fire while the two were talking—and poked it into the fire.
“Anyways,” Spike said. “Since Twilight started going to Canterlot more and leaving me in charge of the library I just…stopped liking it. I don’t like working at the library anymore. I don’t know why but I just don’t. I’m actually kinda glad I the library pretty much runs itself, because I don’t like running it anymore.”
Spike knew why Apple Bloom didn’t ask about the ponies that needed a book. Ponyville library was never a busy library, to the point where it didn’t even have a librarian to keep it up before Twilight moved in there. And he was the one that told the filly that Twilight placed a spell on the library so that anypony who wants to check out a book has to sign it out or they wouldn’t be able to leave the library with said book.
“So ya lost interest in workin at the library and instead of workin there ya want ta find a job?” Apple Bloom asked for confirmation that’s where Spike was going.
“Yeah,” Spike said with a nod. His eyes didn’t leave the fire though. “Mostly so I can make my own money and start my own life. If I’m not going to work at the library I don’t want to use the money I get from that or stay there for free. I want to make my own money and start my own place.”
“And ya also are havin trouble with that ‘cause you’re a dragon,” Apple Bloom said, which got her another nod from Spike.
~
Apple Bloom looked at Spike as her mind tried wrapping around what Spike had told her. Spike may not completely understand what he was going through but Apple Bloom had a few guesses. And from what Spike said Apple Bloom believed those guesses were probably right.
Ever since Apple Bloom gained her crush on Spike she had stared at him from afar and had noticed a few things about him. Spike seemed to be happiest when he was working for somebody he loved. Whether it was doing all of Twilight’s tasks or Rarity’s tasks, heck even one time when he was working for her sister because she saved his life, Spike never complained about his work and seemed happy doing it. And now that Twilight had gone leaving Spike working for himself, it would make sense that he lost interest.
Which reminded Apple Bloom. “So where does Twilight fit into all this?” Apple Bloom asked. “Didn’t ya tell me Twilight was one of the reasons ya left?”
For the first time since they got to the fire pit, Spike actually looked at Apple Bloom with his emerald eyes.
“Well when I first figured out that I was getting brushed off by most jobs since I was a dragon who do you think I turned to?” Spike asked. “The first thing I did was asked Twilight to help me. And that’s where everything went downhill.”
~
“Spike! It’s good to see you again!” Twilight exclaimed at the sight of Spike.
The purple alicorn ran across the red carpet in the throne room to greet Spike. She didn’t go too fast through because she was wearing a purple regal dress with gold trimming on it and Rarity’s trademark jewels. But eventually she reached Spike and gave him a hug.
“So how’s it going?” Twilight asked after her hug. “How are things in Ponyville?”
“That’s actually what I’m wanted to see you about,” Spike told her.
But before he was able to say anything else Twilight was approached on her left by a royal guard member who took Twilight’s attention away from Spike for a moment, much to the drake’s annoyance. The two whispered together for a few seconds while Spike tapped his foot impatiently. After a few seconds of whispering Twilight finally turned her attention back to Spike.
“Sorry about that Spike,” Twilight said. “Today’s a really busy day for me. Celestia is in the Gryphon Kingdom today leaving me in charge here in Equestria.”
“It’s…fine,” Spike said, altogether unconvincingly but Twilight didn’t seem to notice. “Anyways I need your help Twilight.”
“Alright, just ask and I’ll see what I can do,” Twilight said. “Just…I’m sorry Spike, I really am, but can you please make it quick? Today’s been a really stressful day for me, and it’s only late in the morning. I can tell already it’s going to be a long day.”
“Well Twilight…can you help me get a job?” Spike asked. “You see…”
“Is that it?” Twilight asked. “Well don’t worry about it Spike. You can have the job at the library for as long as you want. You don’t have to worry about anybody else taking it.”
Another guard got Twilight’s attention once again turning it away from Spike. After the guard left Twilight quickly told Spike “Sorry but I gotta go. There’s something I need to do and need to do now. If you need anything else just stick around here and I’ll try and get back to you.”
Twilight walked off to the back of the room and Spike mumbled “No, I’m fine,” before walking the other direction.
Twilight continued walking for a few seconds before she realized something. She turned around and yelled “Wait Spike, I have something to tell you!” but it was too late. Spike had already slammed the door before she was able to say anything else to the drake.
~
“Afterwards I just left,” Spike finished. “I left, and blocked off the fire that we use to send letters to each other. And after a few days of preparing you know what happened.”
“Well to me it sounded like Twilight was just really busy,” Apple Bloom said. “Maybe if ya just talked ta her a bit better she could have helped you.”
“I know if I talked to her she could have helped me!” Spike snapped. “That’s not the point!”
Spike looked back into the fire. “The letter I sent to her beforehand told her that I needed to see her about something important. I know she is a princess so she was busy but she should have set some time out for me. I don’t care how busy she was! Equestria isn’t under war! Nopony would have gotten hurt if she just spent a little amount of time actually listening to me! But she didn’t! So if she doesn’t care enough about me to take some time out to listen to my problems then I don’t want to see her again.”
“That’s why I’m leaving Equestria.”
Apple Bloom paused. When Spike started Apple Bloom hoped that whatever she would tell her, she would find some way of helping him and getting him to come back with her. But the way it sounded, Spike had no plans of staying in Equestria and Apple Bloom couldn't think of anything to convince him.
“So where are ya gonna go then?” Apple Bloom asked.
“…I have no clue,” Spike admitted. “I’m not going to find the dragons if that’s what you’re thinking. I already learned that I don’t fit in with them. But I can’t really stay with ponies either. I don’t know where I belong. That’s…kinda why I’m glad I’m at least following you for now. It’s at least given me some direction. But after Phoenix I’m going to keep heading south until I’m where Twilight will never find me again.”
“And you’re sure nothin’s gonna keep ya in Equestria?” Apple Bloom asked. “Even if ya can get a job without Twilight’s help?”
“No, nothing can,” Spike said. “I’m sorry Apple Bloom. I know how much you want me to stay but you have to understand I don’t want to stay.”
“I…” Apple Bloom hesitated but she really had no choice. “I understand Spike.”
I guess Ah have no choice then, Apple Bloom thought miserably as she faced forwards and closed her eyes. Spike’s leavin and if Ah want ta spend the most time with him Ah’m gonna hafta go all the way ta Phoenix.