Admission
Spike knew it was only a matter of time until Twilight would come to interrogate him, but for the moment, he couldn’t bring himself to care. Right now, he just wanted to lay on his bed and replay all the wonderful moments he had with Rarity just scant hours ago, especially the almost-oh-jeez-so-close-it’s-a-dream-come-true-oh-no-why-Celestia-why-kiss that nearly miraculously happened mere hours ago.
Just thinking about the kiss again made his heart race and his blood circulate up to his face, and made a loopy, woozy smile form on his face. Sure, his expression might cause him to become the target of ridicule by children and insensitive animals everywhere, as well as give reason for Twilight to try and drag him off to the veterinarian in concern that he might have contracted some sort of facial parasite, but what did it matter? He was happier than he had ever been, and no jerky petting zoo or an overreacting Twilight was going to spoil that for him.
He now had a sizable pile of sparkling gems, a new favorite memory of all time, and even a newly acquired prize in the form of the awesome gemstone-trimmed bowtie made just for him. His hoard was looking to be building up nicely.
Spike’s brows creased deeply as he frowned. Wait a minute. Hoard?
Did he just think of all the gems, bowtie, and could’ve-been-kiss as a hoard, instead of what they actually are: gifts from Rarity. That’s right, they were gifts from the most lovely mare in the world, not some sort of pilfered goods.
Spike smiled and looked at the sparkling bowtie held delicately in his claws in an attempt to drive that thought home. When he did, however, his vision suddenly blurred and everything became foggy, as though he was somehow thrust into a dream. What he saw in the blurry after-images of the bowtie was a mountain of gems, stacked from the basement to the very tip of the library, with the fire ruby he gave to Rarity as the cherry on top, as well as Rarity herself, who licked her lips and beckoned him with a sultry gaze, a teasing swish of her tail, before blowing him a kiss.
It started as a prickling sensation, like the after-sensations from eating large spoonful of lemon mint flavored ice cream. Eventually it became a hazy torrent of deafening noises, something akin to the buzzing from hundreds of swarming insects, and all thoughts were quickly drowned out. The dragon felt his heart start to pound. The image of the imaginary hoard was somehow becoming more and more vivid, and a voice, something gravelly, so strange yet familiar at the same time, pierced through the buzzing to whisper at him.
Make it yours...it can be true...take what belongs to you...
Spike began to feel something pulsing in his body. His muscles started to contract, his heart thumping stronger than ever. One moment he was on the bed, in the next he found himself pushing open the window, leathery wings unfurled and ready for takeoff. And he instinctually knew there was only one possible intended destination for his seemingly subconscious actions: Carousel Boutique.
With a yelp, Spike scampered away from the open window, nearly tripping over himself and flailed back onto the bed. He stared at the high ceiling of the library for long moments, waiting for his thundering heartbeat and breathing to come under control as the ambient silence once again registered. He looked at his open claws.
What the heck was I getting ready to do?
It was a rhetorical question, of course. He knew what he was about to do, and it involved breaking and entering, vandalism, abduction, and probably ungentlecoltly advances. All under the guidance of some sort of voice in and atop of his skull.
With the noise dying down and his vision still hazy, he looked at the bowtie, trying to concentrate his thoughts on anything else. But the buzzing was picking up again, threatening to envelop any sense of clarity in a sea of blank, and he fought the tide with all the mental strength he had in him.
Spike wants...
A reel of images began to swirl through his clouded thoughts; gems, gold coins, trenchcoats, silver, pottery, Rarity, hats, mustaches. Rinse and repeat. He held the bowtie tighter against his chest as he felt himself slipping, as if holding the gift from the one he loved the most would help him to overcome the greed. And he really wished it would work because he didn’t want to hurt the ones he loved or his town, the place he called home. He didn’t want to see gigantic trench-like clawprints spread amongst the desolation of Ponyville. And yet, the gems he had, were all his, and he had the right over them, and they were so shiny, and delicious.
He needed more. There were never enough around, so he had to find more, dig and snatch any that he could find and put it all into a wondrous, neat pile and, and—
And there was even a jeweler in the town, he could get them all... he wanted more, the pile was quite small compared to the amount he could get, and in Rarity’s house there had to be more of them. It’d be easy for him to grab them all and make his hoard bigger, and not only the gems but he’d have the most precious one, the one pony who collected them in the first place, then he could have even more! And he could have her! He always wanted that, right?
Right.
“Spike, are you okay? What’re you doing?”
That sounded familiar, whatever it was. But instead of comfort, the voice only brought a surge of hostility from the pit of his gullet. There was something in the vicinity of his hoard, probably looking for a chance to steal from him. His hoard. His gems, his prize, his stuff from Rarity. That was not cool, whatever it was.
So it should be on fire.
It was with a heavy heart as Twilight realized that ‘something was wrong’ would likely win top prize for the ‘no shit statement’ award of the century.
“S-Spike. It’s me, Twilight, remember?”
Unfortunately, instead of bringing about some light of recognition in the dragon’s eyes, what she got were clenched fists and a slowly slacking jowl already sparking with the first signs of green ignitions.
Eyes blazing with a white light, Twilight prepared to defend herself.
It’s mine. It’s Spike’s. Everything belongs to Spike!
Spike’s grip over the bowtie was so strong that a little gemstone of the trimming bounced off, falling to the floor. The raging dragon noticed this, quickly grabbing it, forgetting about roasting alleged enemies for the moment.
He tried to stick the little jewel into its original position on the bowtie again, but it didn’t work. Then the gem started sparkling from the reflection of the moonlight, and something managed to break through the white hot haze and catch his attention.
“But I hope you won’t eat the trimmings.”
An angelic laugh. White. Purple. A warm, beautiful smile. Lovely. Ever so lovely. Something he loved.
Something that was his everything. Something, someone who he’d protect with his life. Nothing was more important for him than seeing that beautiful smile and those charming sapphire eyes and hearing that angelic voice once again. Nothing.
At once, a shockwave boomed throughout his thoughts, sweeping through every crevice of his hazy mindscape and shattering the swarm of noise and fogs. And in its wake, it was blissfully quiet.
It was with a joyful, relieved smile as Twilight decided ‘things are going to be okay’ was her favorite thing to say for the duration of the remaining days of the month.
She had been ready to raise a shield, shoot a magical cannon of pain, turn things into oranges, and a slew of other actions that could have ended very badly. But now it looked like everything was getting back under control.
Spike was now clenching his eyes shut as he folded his head with his claws. An object, a jewel encrusted bow tie from what she could tell, and another gemstone dropped to the ground. He shook his head once again, and opened his eyes, still a claw over his head, and looked around him before settling his gaze on the pony before him with tired green eyes. “T-Twilight?”
“Spike?” Twilight cried out, some moisture clinging to the corner of her eyes as she took several tentative steps forwards.
“The one and only,” Spike mumbled, his entire body almost slacking to the point of falling to his knees.
Twilight leapt over to the dragon, hugging him tight with moisture at the corner of her eyes. “Oh, Spike, thank Celestia you’re back to your senses!”
Spike’s eyes began watering too, though for different reasons.
“Twi...I feel sick.” Grumbling stomach. Sounds of preliminary retching.
Twilight’s eyes flew open. “Bathroomtoiletbathroom, gogogo!”
He didn’t quite make it. Twilight was beginning to suspect the day was smelly and going to suck.
“So, Spike,” Twilight said, once they took a seat in the middle of the library and the scent of gastrointestinal hydrochloric acid finally wafted away through the window. “Do you want to talk about what happened earlier?”
Spike grimaced. “Uh, not really. But I guess we gotta, don’t we?”
“You were about to either set me on fire or bite my head off or some gruesome combination of both, and I was ready to transmogrify you into a mustached orange and catapult you through the library walls at the speed of sound...so yes, I do believe we should talk about things.”
“Well, I…” Spike blinked. “Wait, a mustached orange. Really?”
Twilight shrugged. “I was in a panic.”
“What kind of mustache?” Spike asked after a pause.
“Spike,” Twilight chided, “stop trying to stall the inevitable.”
“I’m not stalling, I just…” Spike sighed. “I don’t actually know what came over me. All I remember are these crazy noises and some kind of big blurry image of gems and...stuff.”
Twilight frowned. “From what I’ve seen and what you’ve just told me, it seems like you just went through some sudden surge of dragon greed related complications. Did something happen when you were with Rarity earlier?”
The previous happy moments featuring Rarity flashed through his mind at Twilight’s prodding, but instead of a feeling of giddiness, what he experienced could aptly be called a numbing chill down the spine. While the recall was fuzzy, he knew exactly what his body had intended on doing.
“Spike, what’s that?”
Spike blinked out of his thoughts and looked up. “What’s what?”
Twilight pointed with a hoof. “In your right claw. You’ve been holding on to something this whole time. I think it’s a...bowtie?”
Spike’s eyes widened and almost snarled as he pulled his arm behind his back. “So what if it is? Why does it matter?” He winced when Twilight immediately straightened up and took a couple steps back. “Ah jeez, Twilight, no, sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
Twilight took a steadying breath and halted him with a raised hoof. “It’s okay, Spike. We’re both still a bit jumpy from earlier.”
The two of them lapsed into a period of silence. During that time, Spike kept casting furtive glances between Twilight and the bowtie still clenched in his claw. He had been ready to attack again, like some kind of feral beast with no sense but those from the back of skull, a hijacking by parts of him unknown.
“Let’s leave this matter alone, for now,” Twilight said, causing Spike to snap out of his tunneling thoughts.
“Wha…” He gaped slightly. “Leave this alone? A-are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Twilight stared the dragon in the eyes. “I don’t, but, there’s not much else we can do about it now, and we’ve both had a tiring day. So, maybe it’s for the best we get some sleep instead. We’ll discuss this tomorrow morning.”
That was not the entire truth, Spike knew. Twilight was as perceptive as they come, and she must’ve come to the same conclusions he just did, such that he was experiencing another rather vicious episode of dragon greed. This also meant that she was going to be pulling an all-nighter and going through research reports and documentations in lieu of actual rest. He yawned loudly, feeling a huge wave of drowsiness wash over him.
Twilight grinned. “See? You’re going through a huge energy crash.” She sniffed and made a face like she just tasted a toilet. “Not to mention a terrible case of halitosis.”
“Ha-ha,” Spike countered before yawning again. “Yeah, I guess sleep does sound wonderful right about now.”
“Go to bed then,” Twilight said ten yards away with a smile. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Spike blinked rapidly as he felt the weighty difficulty in keeping his eyes open. Deciding against replying, he gave a small wave of the claw and sluggishly made his way upstairs and into his room.
“And make sure to brush your teeth first,” Twilight called after the dragon. “Or at least floss!”
Spike grumbled an assuredly witty response if it could be heard and disappeared from sight.
Twilight took a deep breath. She gazed at the spot where Spike just was, and sighed. With a flash of her horn, she summoned several lantern sprites to illuminate the dark as she approached the bookshelves and began browsing through the scrolls.
Rarity pursed her lips as she appraised her work. She smiled when everything about the outfit seemed to meet her critical standards. “Now I just need to make sure it matches Spike’s bowtie and the ensemble will be complete. It most likely will, of course, but one can never be too careful with ensuring fabulosity!”
Being extra careful, she enshrouded the outfit with her azure magic and packed it carefully within a trunk she prepared for the occasion, because a magnificent piece of art had to be wrapped in an equally magnificent package.
She had never actually put so much attention in the packaging before, since there were the standard boxes and bags aplenty, and they all met the criteria of fabulous fit for Carousel Boutique, of course, but outstanding occasions such as this called for a dash of special attention and Rarity never one to skimp on necessary details.
After making sure her fabulousness was in expectant order in the mirror, Rarity snatched a ribboned floppy sun hat from her wardrobe as well as the ornamented trunk then descended down the stairs and out the door. She smiled as the early sun greeted her with warm rays all the way to the Golden Oak Library.
“Good morning, everypony,” Rarity sang as she entered. “How are we doing this fine morning?”
On a cushion intentionally located equidistant from the numerous bookshelves, Twilight smiled weakly at the guest before failing to stifle a yawn. “Hey, Rarity. What brings you here so early in the morning?”
Rarity carefully placed the trunk to the side after pulling it through the doorway. “Well, I…” She blinked. “Oh dear, Twilight. You look terri—er, I mean, you look like you’ve seen better days.”
Twilight blinked blearily. “More like better nights, when I was in a warm bed, and unconscious. I stayed up all night doing...research.” She turned away momentarily to yawn and rub her eyes. “Staying up late is taking more out of me than I thought possible. I must be losing my edge from being in Ponyville for so long.” She gave the unicorn a slightly dour glance. “Glad at least one of us looks well rested.”
“Oh, I’m just more adept at covering up,” Rarity said with a placating giggle. “I’ve actually only really had several hours of sleep myself. If I may ask, what were you researching about?”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed for a moment. “Just some information about ancient magic and the likes as well as taking care of some lingering business for the library. Yesterday had been somewhat... eventful.”
“I know that feeling, darling,” Rarity said with a genial wave of the hoof. “There’s always something more at the end of the day to keep enterprising mares busy. Speaking of eventful..” She gave a dainty cough. “Is Spike up and about as well? I imagine he would be giving you a hoof with whatever you needed.”
“No, unfortunately,” Twilight replied after a long pause. “He probably had a more eventful day than I did, so I insisted he get some rest.”
“Oh,” Rarity said with a small frown before she resumed smiling. “Well, I simply came to deliver this.” Her magic came to life and she presented the trunk to the librarian. “It’s just a shame he’s still asleep, I wanted to see his reaction. But perhaps I can return later… I wouldn’t want to wake him up so brashly, I know how enjoys sleeping in more than the rest of us.”
“That’s very generous and thoughtful of you, Rarity,” Twilight said after another pause, during which she seemed to scrutinize both Rarity and the apparent gift trunk. “Why don’t you leave that with me and go home. If what you said was true, then I think it’s best if you get some rest yourself. I’ll make sure Spike knows about the gift when he wakes up.”
Rarity smiled. “Thank you ever so much, darling, but if it’s alright with you, I’d rather deliver it to him personally. Professional courtesy and all, you see.”
Twilight frowned. This was probably as good an opportunity as any. “Professional courtesy? I was under the impression this was a gift to Spike.”
Rarity seemed taken unaware by the unicorn’s tone but quickly resumed smiling pleasantly. “You’re mistaken, darling. It’s an order from Spike—”
“An order in which you took the measurements for just yesterday, right?”
Rarity blinked. “Uh, yes. Is there something—”
So you finished under a day and delivered the product personally because of... professional courtesy?”
Rarity blinked several times more. “Well, I… I just happened to have enough inspiration and drive to get things done.” She tittered. “Haven’t we been over this before? Making clothes isn’t hard for moi, especially if it’s for a friend.”
Twilight nodded stiffly. “Uh-huh. Well, let me get my saddlebag so I can compensate you for the work—”
“Oh, no,” Rarity interjected. “There’s no need for that. I’m not charging anypony for this…”
“Then it’s a gift.”
“Twilight, just what are you trying to get at? I’ve never asked for payment from any of my friends. Why would Spike be an exception?” Rarity said, all signs of a practiced smile gone.
“What I’m trying to get at is that you’ve been insisting on giving Spike so many gifts lately. I mean, you came by twice in less than a week to give him a pile of gems and later a jewel encrusted bow tie, and now a trunk that for all I know is filled with pajamas entirely constructed of sparkling diamonds dug out of Canterlot Mountain. What’s going on?”
Rarity harrumphed. “I still don’t know what it is exactly you’re trying to convey here, Twilight, but I’m rather certain I do not owe anypony an explanation for something that is strictly between Spike and I. And not to be rude, dear, but just because Spike is your assistant does not mean he has to answer to your every beck and call.”
“That’s not the point here!”
“Then please, explain because I simply don’t see what point there is to make.”
Twilight took a deep breath.
After being awake for a few minutes, Spike eventually mustered enough control over his faculties to climb off the bed. He yawned as he lumbered out of the room, his growling belly demanding some breakfast. The dragon went to the stockpile of gems and popped a clawful of jewels into his mouth to soothe his grumbling stomach. As he was savoring the taste and the memories from whom said gemstones came from, voices from the floor below carried up to him.
“The point is that you keep showing up here with all these so-called non-gifts for Spike, and I think you’re doing so out of more than just simple friendship.”
Twilight? He did his best to stealthily approach the top of the stairs for a better position.
“I...I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Spike blinked. And Rarity? They’re talking about me?
“I think you do, and it’s time you stop being so ambiguous and come clean. You don’t know what you’re doing to Spike. Or maybe you do, in which case you really need to be clear with your intentions.”
Twilight, what are you doing!? Spike thought in panic. He wanted to tumble down the stairs to interrupt what could potentially be a disaster, but the questions that Twilight was asking...this could be the opportunity of a lifetime to find the answers he’s been wanting for so long. Now, fierce curiosity kept him rooted to the spot.
“H-hints? In-intentions? Twilight, darling, I think you’re over analyzing this way too much—”
“You don’t get it, Rarity. All those gems and that bowtie and your constant flirting...you’re tempting him and drawing out his draconic nature. Did you forget that he’s a dragon?”
Rarity huffed. “Of course not. I am well aware Spike is a dragon.”
“Then you must remember all the times when his greed became a big problem for him in the past. Haven’t you considered the possibility that what you’ve been doing could be detrimental to his control over himself?”
There was a pause as Rarity shuffled her hooves on the spot. “I...I…”
“Now just that, but all these hints that you’re dropping when the two of you are around each other. I know you’re not oblivious of his feelings for you, and sometimes...sometimes it looks like you’re just stringing him along for sport.”
“Wh-What?” Rarity nearly shrieked in offense. “Twilight, I can’t believe you would think of me as a mare who’d do something like that!”
“I’m sorry, Rarity, but it had to be said. In case you forgot, there was a time when you would use Spike’s feelings to your own advantage, whether it’s to dig up gems for you or deal with garbage for, from where I stand, little to no appreciation.”
Rarity stood there, agape, before she turned away when her eyes started to shimmer. “...I, I know I wasn’t the virtuous pony in the past, but I’m more aware now, and I try to be considerate of others. I’ve changed since then...h-haven’t I?”
Twilight smiled a little sadly. “You were a good pony since the first day I met you, Rarity. I’m sorry if I sounded reproachful. It’s just that sometimes you can be inconsiderate of others, but as you said, you’ve gotten better. And I can tell that you’re doing your best to be thoughtful about our friends. At the same time, though, what you’re doing now with Spike...it might not be for the best.”
“What...what do you mean?”
“I mean that the manner in which you treat him is quite different than the ways you’re with the rest of us, and I want to know why that is.”
“W-well, that’s because Spike’s a special individual, not that the rest of you girls aren’t spectacularly special yourselves, it’s just…he’s Spike,” Rarity said, her face considerably more colorful than moments before, and turned away in a manner reminiscent of Fluttershy.
Twilight blinked at the unicorn’s admission and squirmy posture and soon a smile slipped out before she resumed a stern visage. “Then you should understand how I’m feeling about this whole situation. You’re not the only one here who considers Spike as somepony important. So I have to know: How do you really see Spike?”
“Uh,” Rarity uttered as she brushed through the curls of her coiffure with a hoof. “W-well, I think he’s a great dragon.” She blushed at Twilight’s silent nod. “And he’s kind. He’s charming and funny. He’s very thoughtful and helpful, even though he occasionally messes up.” Here, she giggled. “He’s such a dear with his compliments, even if he’s sometimes clumsy with his delivery, but he’s always sincere and, and…” Gingerly, she pressed a hoof to her lips as she stared off to the side, her blue eyes unfocused. “He’s a wonderful friend.”
Twilight studied the white unicorn silently before ending the pause by taking a steady step forward. “Rarity. Do you like him?”
The question certainly seemed to catch Rarity’s attention as she snapped out of her daze to stare back at Twilight with wide eyes. “P-pardon?”
“You heard me,” Twilight said.
Rarity visibly tried to comport herself with a strained smile. “O-of course I like Spike. I just told you what a fantastic friend he is, how could I not—”
“We’re really doing this?” Twilight said with a flat stare. “Fine. Rarity, do you like like Spike? Or better yet, do you like like like Spike? I’ll throw as many ‘likes’ into a question as it takes for you to just answer the question. And if that’s not enough, I’ll use every synonym for ‘romantic affection’ in the equine language. Don’t think I won’t!”
The two mares were so focused on the rather escalating conversation that neither of them heard the entire library seemed to compress upon itself to give a subdued, vibrational squeak.
Rarity seemed to emulate a goldfish with the way her mouth opened and closed as her hair bobbed to the motions of her jaw malfunction. The two mares entered a short staring contest that quickly ended with the fidgety Rarity averting eye contact with a wavering laugh.
“Dear me, Twilight, darling. Do you even hear yourself?” She gave another nervous laugh. “Really. Are you seriously asking...I mean, me and Spike? Why, he’s a dragon, a-and I’m a pony for goodness’ sake. How would...how could that ever work?”
For a split second, everything seemed to hitch to a halt, as if for that one imperceptible moment the planet ceased rotation out of protest. And once that indescribable instant passed, the tension that seemed to clench at the bark of the library slipped away...only to be replaced by something else. Something neither Twilight nor Rarity, both frazzled by different but equally pensive emotions, could notice.
Twilight took a steady breath and gave a leveled stare. “I didn’t ask you if a relationship was feasible. I asked if you feel anything for Spike. Beyond friendship.”
Rarity’s breathing increased in pace.
“I don’t claim to fully understand myself, and I do know that a relationship takes more than two ponies liking each other, but right now, I just want to know how—”
Rarity mumbled, her hair obscuring her face.
Twilight blinked. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”
Rarity mumbled again, louder.
“Sorry, still didn’t quite catch that.”
With the same ferocity that would impress her own pet cat, Rarity stomped her hooves and declared, “I like like like like like him, okay!?”
Twilight blinked owlishly.
Rarity huffed as she fumed clamorously. “Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“Uh...yes, actually.”
“Well, then there you have it,” Rarity more or less growled out. A mysterious spotlight honed in on her as she struck a dramatic pose. “You’ve wrung a confession out of me. Congratulations! You’ve successfully uncovered the truth, that I, Rarity, the fabulous pony, have romantic feelings for a dragon! You now have me at your tender mercy. What do you wish for me to do next? Announce it to the rest of Ponyville at the town square? Have it all printed on next week’s headlines? Craft my confession into the mountains themselves!? Whatever it is, I’ll do it!” With that, she quickly descended into a jumble of flustered ramblings as she seemed ready to start thrashing around in agitated embarrassment.
“Rarity,” Twilight called, grabbing the unicorn by both shoulders. “Rarity, please, calm down!”
The fashionista quickly came to her senses when Twilight cast a tranquilizing spell and coached her through Princess Cadence’s breathing exercises.
“I’m sorry,” Twilight said, after the two eventually lapsed into an awkward silence. “I’m really really sorry, Rarity. I can’t believe I just kept pushing you towards distress without regard to your comfort. I’m...I’m a bad friend.”
Rarity shook her head gently. “No, Twilight. While I would have preferred a more...dignified reveal of my feelings, I suppose it was something inevitable.” She gave a soft laugh. “Even if you didn’t bully me into it, Sweetie Belle would’ve eventually pestered it out of me with her mischiefs.”
The two shared a moment of genuine smiles, before Rarity’s slipped away first.
“It’s just...I only really admitted these feelings to myself these last few days, and I still don’t have a clear grasp on exactly what these feelings are and—”
“It’s okay,” Twilight interrupted. “You don’t need to explain to me anymore. In fact, it’s me who owes you an explanation for all this.”
“Twilight,” Rarity said, with a new wave of distress in her voice. “Spike’s a dragon, and I’m a pony. Can it ever work out? What are we going to do? What will the others think?” She wiped at her eyes. “Not like I’ve made it easier for him and myself. I’m such a coward.”
Twilight silently hugged her friend, who returned the embrace receptively.
The previous streak of unnoticed shifts in the library ended when the entire Golden Oaks shook violently, followed by a vicious roar and crashing sounds of exploding barks.
Twilight gasped as she pulled away from Rarity and immediately teleported to the second floor. In a burst of speed, she pushed through to Spike’s room and felt her body stiffen in a proverbial flash-freeze. Instead of a purple possibly rampaging dragon, what first greeted her was the wind flowing through the rather gaping new hole. The room was a mess, with shredded furniture and curtains and scattered items all over. So stunned was the unicorn that she didn’t even respond when the other mare walked passed her into the room.
Rarity moved to the shredded bed, carefully navigating through a carpet of shattered gemstones, and levitated the jewel encrusted bow tie she gave to Spike. Or at least what was left of it. She stared at the hole through which the wind howled with the echoes of a dragon’s roar.
“Spike…?”