I love you, idiot!
Chapter 1: Wut?
It was as any day in the small town of Ponyville; the sun high in the sky, --which had been cleared a few hours ago-- and the townspeople going about their business. It would appear that all was well in the small town, but as a young man with spiked green hair darted by, rubbing his eyes with his forearm as he did so, you would know that all was, in fact, not well.
Spike had one destination in mind; The Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse, regardless of the CMC ceasing to exist years ago. It was more of a hangout than anything, but that's where he was headed. He had seen Scootaloo fixing her scooter a few minutes back, and so he had figured she'd still be there for him to talk to. She was there quite often, and she always listened to his problems.
He ignored the cries of concern that followed him to the farm, even those of the farmers that he'd grown to know, and love. After all the farm labor the boy had helped with, the Apples were practically his second family.
Just as he reached his destination, he lifted a part of his shirt and wiped his eyes dry with it, barely managing to choke back a sob as he did so; he couldn't let himself look weak, he was a man, and he wouldn't have others see him as anything but that.
"What's up, Spike? Come to see your dear friend Scootaloo?" He heard her call from behind him, she as usually sarcastic like that. It was kinda funny sometimes.
As he turned around, a lump had formed in her throat; his facial expression was saddening. He didn't like people knowing he was troubled, and overly emotional and stuff like that, but she could tell how much he was hurting. It killed her to see him like this.
"Aw, crap, come inside Spike." Scootaloo couldn't help her words from coming off as sad, regardless of trying to sound comforting. She couldn't do this forever; they did this every other week, and it killed her to see him like this.
When she was met with silence, she began to lead him up the ramp and into the clubhouse, where she had left her scooter when she picked up lunch a few minutes ago.
As she opened the door, ushering him in, she couldn't stop a stray tear from trailing her cheek. She quickly wiped it with the side of her hand, and followed him in. She really cared about him, which hurt. It hurt a lot.
The clubhouse had recently been refurnished, the room now containing a television, a sofa, a table, and a nice lavender patterned area rug in the center of the room. The place was comfortable, it was where the 'CMC' would go when they wanted to just relax, and whatnot.
She noticed Spike takes a seat on the sofa, sighing sadly as he did so; he was about to speak, she knew this because this really did happen every other week.
"What's wrong with me Scoots? Why can't she just love me?" The boy asked, suddenly finding the wooden floor interesting.
Scootaloo walked over, sitting down next to him and throwing an arm around his shoulder supportively. Even if she wasn't about all this sappy stuff, Spike was sad, and she was who he'd come to every time; she couldn't let him down. They really did do this a lot, though.
"There's nothing wrong with you Spike, you're awesome. You shouldn't care what Rarity thinks about you, forget her." She offered, squeezing the taller boy as she did so. She was no Applejack, but Scootaloo didn't like lying all too much.
"That's easier said than done... Rares and I go way back... I can't forget all the moments we shared, Scoots." Spike muttered, resting his head on his palms, his elbows propped up on his knees. He ran his right hand through his hair, something Twilight used to do to calm him down when they were younger. It's sort of become a force of habit nowadays.
They really did do this a lot. She knew where this was headed; she'd gently console him, he'd vent a bit, they'd hug, and then he'd leave. That wasn't going to happen today, every time it did, he'd simply try his chances with Rarity again.
"You know what Spike? I've had enough of this!" Scootaloo stood up in frustration, after unravelling her arm from Spike's shoulders; it was time for a new approach. "Every other week, you do this shit! I'm done!"
"What?" While Scootaloo gathered a deep breath to tell him off, Spike was utterly dumbfounded. He couldn't see where he'd gone wrong.
"You need to get over her! You don't realize it Spike, but... you're hurting people..." Just as quickly as the outburst had started, it was over, the last part coming out as no more than a whisper.
"Scootaloo... why do you suddenly care so much?" He stood from his position, now feeling irritated that he was being told how to live his own life.
"You don't see it, do you Spike?" She asked sadly, her voice betraying her anger at the boy.
"See what?" Spike spat, staring into the downtrodden girl's lavender eyes.
"Why I'm doing this... why I'm always there. Spike, what does Rarity have that I don't? Why are you always fawning over a woman who doesn't even feel the same way? Why her, Spike?... Why not me?" Tears trailed the shorter girl's face, Spike's anger instantly fading. Her last words came out as a broken whisper, to quiet for Spike to hear.
"...Scootaloo, why are you saying all this?" The boy was perplexed, he still couldn't grasp where this was going.
"Because I love you, idiot! Why can't you see that?!" She screamed in pain, his expression changing to one of utter shock. He really hadn't seen that coming.
Before he could respond, Scootaloo darted to her scooter, tears still falling free, and dashed out of the clubhouse at break-neck speeds. He called out to her, but to no avail.
"Why me?" He asked, as he began to walk after the girl. There was no sense in running from this, he valued their friendship far too much to just run from such a truth.
Halfway into the orchard and still no sign of Scootaloo, but he was sure she'd surface sooner or late, the only place she could go was the Everfree forest, but he knew she wasn't stupid.
I should go see what Twi has to say, she gives good advice about this kinda stuff.
With that thought he turned and began making his way back home.
"You know Spike, she talks about you a lot." Rainbow Dash commented, completely ignoring Spike's previous question on Scootaloo's whereabouts.
"She does?..." He paused, blushing for reasons unknown to him.
"Yeah, she says you're a total egghead, but that she likes that. She really talks about you a lot Spike." Spike didn't know why Rainbow was acting so out of character with her tone, but he chalked it up to being her loyalty to those she cares about. There's a reason why she's the embodiment of loyalty.
"Yeah... I guess she does." He mumbled, watching as Dash flew off.
"Spike, I can't make your choices for you. All I'll ask, is if you feel the same way." Twilight questioned, she really tried her best to help. Too bad Spike didn't know the answer to that question.
"I... don't know. I mean, she's cute, fun, and really athletic, but I don't know Twi." Spike replied shakily, unsure of what he thought of his dear friend.
After a moment of allowed silence, Spike spoke up, "I saw her running to the Everfree, Twi, what if she get's hurt?"
"You're not going to let her get hurt though, are you Spike?" Raising an eyebrow, and smirking, Twilight gestured towards the sword Spike received from their brother a few years back. Spike kind of had a dumb dream of being Rarity's 'Knight' so he went to Shining for help when he was younger. He was a natural with that sword, he really was.
"Scootaloo! " He called into the forest, hand on the handle of his blade as it rested in it's sheath.
An ear piercing scream reached his ears, as he was making his way into the forest.
"Scootaloo..." He muttered, dashing in the direction of the scream.