//------------------------------// // Sometimes You're The Hammer... // Story: Heart Invasion 101 // by FamousLastWords //------------------------------// The sun’s midday rays beat down upon the Ponyville train station. The gentle heat provided an excellent therapeutic massage for Spike and Vinyl as they made their way off of the Manehatten Express. "Oh, sweet Celestia, does it feel good to be off that train," Spike said, stretching his arms, legs, and back. Vinyl arched her back and filled the air with the sounds of cracking joints. "Dude, you have no freakin' idea. That little colt in the seat behind us wouldn't stop kicking the back of the chair!" "Serves you right for stealing the edge seat again," Spike said with a chuckle. Vinyl responded with a mock glare before making her way towards the brick road that led to the town. "Just for that, you can walk back to town. No free rides today." Spike let out a small laugh and ran up next to her. "Oh, c'mon. Riding you is so much fun!" The duo earned several awkward glances from surrounding ponies, much to Spike's enjoyment. "Spike, you're such a dork," Vinyl said, trying to stifle her own laughter. "I know, but that's why you love me." "Uh-huh, whatever you say," Vinyl chuckled. "Anyway, have you given any thought to how you're gonna explain all this to Twilight?" "Not really," Spike replied. "I'm kind of hoping she won't bring it up." "No offense, but that's a really stupid plan." Spike let out a sigh. "I guess so. I'm just not sure what to say." "This may be a shot in the dark, but the truth might be a good place to start," said Vinyl with a smirk. "Oh, sure, I'll just waltz in there and say 'Hey, Twi! Sorry I didn't come home last night. I was too busy getting drunk and spending the night with my boss at a cheap motel!'" Vinyl rolled her eyes. "Dude, everyone makes mistakes. I'm sure she will understand." Spike pondered the idea for a split second. "Maybe... or I could just give her an abbreviated version of the truth. You know, one that's less likely to get me banished to the moon." "Abbreviated?" Vinyl said, lips turned to a frown. "Yeah. Like, I'll cut out the parts where I got drunk and stuff, and just say stuff came up and we had to spend the night. Think it'll work?" "Absolutely not." Spike turned to her with a glare. "Wow, I'm loving the support here, Vinyl." "Look, take it from somepony who's been there before. If you tell the truth, you'll save yourself a load of trouble. Not to mention this could be a good chance to explain to her how you feel about getting to make your own decisions." “I don’t know, Vinyl. I have a feeling the second I mention going to a drinking party, she’ll blow up in a massive ball of fire and fury. Trust me, I speak from experience.” Vinyl shrugged and turned put on a small smile. “Well, yeah, that’s probably true. But if you let her go off on you, then tell her your opinion… who knows? She might hear you out, or at least she might consider what you have to say.” “And if she doesn’t?” “Dude, think positive. If she cares for you as much as it would seem, she’ll hear you out. I’m not saying it will be a walk in the park, but it’ll turn out okay in the end.” Spike rubbed his chin for a moment, then turned to Vinyl with a grin. “Thanks. You’re probably right.” “What are friends for?” she replied with a smile. Spike returned the smile and then turned his attention back to the path. “So, what are your plans for the week?” “Well, we don’t have another gig until next Sunday, so I pretty much have the week to chill. Meh, I’ll probably hang out at Octavia’s shop or something to keep myself busy. Maybe I’ll work on some new music. You?” “Hmm, not sure. I might help Rarity at her shop. She could usually use some help during the week,” Spike said, letting out a small sigh. “There’s not a whole lot to do around here, to be honest.” “Ha, tell me about it,” Vinyl said. Spike was about to turn his gaze back to the path in front of them, but a sudden idea brought his attention back to his friend. “Hey, I have an idea!” “What’s up?” Vinyl asked. Spike turned to her with a wide grin. “Why don’t we hang out this week? Like, go out to eat or hang at your place or something.” “Woah, are you like, asking me on a date?” Vinyl asked with a smirk. Spike formed a small blush before responding. “Of course not. I’m merely using you to make myself look cooler in public,” Spike replied with a smug grin. “But if you wanna call it a date, I won’t argue.” Vinyl blushed lightly and broke out into a small fit of laughter. “Ha, why not? I haven’t been on a date in a long time, and it sounds like fun… even if is just an excuse for you to look cool.” Spike tried to hide his growing blush. “Awesome! Sounds like a plan.” After a little more walking, the two finally arrived back in town, and it was already busy as can be with the hustle and bustle of towns ponies. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later?” Vinyl said. “Yeah, definitely. Does Wednesday sound good for our, you know… date?” Spike asked, a few beads of sweat forming on his palms. “Uh, sure! Sounds good. Five o’clock?” Vinyl replied with a goofy grin. “Sweet. I’ll meet you at your place.” The duo stood there for a moment, awkwardly finding anything to look at that wasn’t each other. Throwing caution to the wind, Spike quickly ran up and wrapped his arms around Vinyl’s neck in a quick hug, which she quickly returned. “Umm, well, bye,” Spike said while backing away. “Uh, yeah, um... later,” Vinyl replied, her voice shaking. “Good luck with talking to Twilight.” With a quick wave goodbye, the two separated. ***** Any smile that he had had was now long gone as Spike stood outside the library door, heart beating a million miles a minute. Alright, Spike. You can do this. You’re just gonna walk in, tell her why you’re late getting back, let her flip out, and then you lay down the law! Spike’s false confidence was almost enough to get him through the door, but his overactive brain shut it down just as quickly. Why is this so difficult? C’mon, Spike, you’re a dragon! The pinnacle of evolution, the symbol of unbridled power, the definition of wisdom and intelligence. This should not be hard! Without a second thought, Spike steeled himself and charged into the library. He half expected to be met with an angry Princess waiting for him behind the door, but was instead met with eerie silence. Spike cautiously stepped further into the library, glancing around the dimly lit room."Hello? Twilight? I'm home!" He took another step forward, and was greeted with the haunting sound of the front door being slammed shut behind him. "Ahh!" Spike screeched, practically jumping out of his scales. "Hello, Spike," a strange voice called out from the shadows. Spike slowly turned his head to find Twilight sitting on the living area chair, calm as could be. "Umm, hey, Twilight. I'm home," Spike said, venturing a smile. It quickly disappeared upon seeing Twilight's stoic expression. "Spike, if I may ask, why didn't you come home last night? Where were you?" "Oh, yeah, well, you know... It's kind of a long, boring story," Spike replied, letting out a weak laugh. "I'd like to hear it," Twilight said, her gaze fixated on the nervous dragon. "It’s nothing big, Twi. Just, you know, we were at the show, it got late, some stuff happened..." "What kind of stuff?" "Just... things," Spike answered. "What kind of things?" Twilight said, her patience wearing thin. "You know... stuff." "Spike!" Twilight yelled, jumping to her hooves. "You agreed to be home last night! Do you have any idea how worried I was when you didn't?" "Well, I-" Twilight began frantically began pacing the room. "I had no idea what happened to you. You could've been hurt, or killed, or worse!" "But Twilight, I'm just fine," Spike replied. "Then why didn’t you come home until exactly 4 minutes ago?!" Twilight asked. "Because... because I was being stupid and got drunk at a party." Spike cringed, awaiting her response. "You what?!" Twilight yelled, her face now inches from his. "What in the name of all that is holy would possess you to do something like that?" Spike turned his eyes to the floor. "I don't know. I messed up. I’m sorry." "I knew something would like this would happen," Twilight said, shaking her head. "And what about Vinyl? What kind of boss lets her employee go to a drinking party on the job?!" Spike turned a dagger-like gaze at Twilight. "Hey, leave her alone! She didn't have anything to do with it. In fact, you can thank her for getting my drunk tail out of there and into a motel." "Sure, but you shouldn't have even been in that situation in the first place! The city is dangerous, Spike. And if this job keeps putting you in dangerous situations like this, its not going to work out." "You can't make that decision for me, Twi," Spike responded. "Yes I can," she retorted. "You're my responsibility, so its my job to make sure you make good decisions." "You see, that's the kicker. I'm not your responsibility, and I'm perfectly capable of making decisions for myself! I don't know why you can't see that." "Hmm, well if last night is any indication of your decision making abilities, perhaps you have found your answer." Spike could feel his frustration burning like a fiery inferno inside his head. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'm not perfect. I'm gonna make mistakes. But its my life, and I have a right to make whatever choices I want." Spike could see a look of shock and rage on Twilight's face. Without waiting for a response, Spike turned around and stormed out of the library, taking special care to slam it behind him. “That’s it, mister! Don’t expect there to be any gems for dinner tonight when you get back!” Spike let out a deep sigh and wandered down the road. Like it or not, he needed to cool off for the afternoon. Well, that could have gone better... ***** Over the course of the afternoon, Spike managed to visit half the town on his walk. There was so much going on in his head that it was almost too much to process. He was still upset over his argument with Twilight. He had said what he needed to, but it still left a bad taste in his mouth. However, he needed some help to figure things out. Luckily, he had somepony that he could always turn to for help. He made his way across town to Rarity’s home, and firmly knocked on the Boutique door. "Rarity? You there?" A few moments later, the door opened to reveal the dressmaker, who was wearing a sweet smile. "Spike! Do come in." She quickly moved out of the way, granting Spike entrance. The dragon made his way in, and turned to Rarity, eyes wide and portraying a large frown. "Rarity, we need to talk. It's important." Rarity nodded in understanding and wrapped Spike in a tight hug. "Yes, dear, I know! I feel simply dreadful about it." "Uh, you do?" Spike asked, slowly returning the surprise hug. "Yes, sweetie," Rarity replied, slowly pulling away. "I just feel so awful about missing your show last night." "Oh, that!" Spike replied, his initial confusion gone. "It’s alright, Rares. I understand that you were busy." "No, darling, it's not. I claim to be your friend, yet I abandoned you at the last minute. I have no excuse!" she said, dropping her head and letting her mane fall over her eyes. Spike let out a gentle sigh and walked over to his friend. He gently tilted her chin with his claw to where they were making eye contact. "Rarity, seriously, its okay. Trust me, I could never be mad at you over something stupid like that." He pulled her into a gentle hug which brought a back a small grin to her features. "Thank you, Spike. I appreciate it very much," she said, regaining some of her composure. "Now, you said you needed to talk to me, dear?" "Oh, right! It's, well... kinda complicated and could take awhile. Do you have time?" Rarity smiled and quickly took a seat on the couch, and patted the spot next to her, encouraging Spike to follow suit. "For you? Always." Spike took a seat next to his friend and explained the entire situation to her, down to the very last detail: how he had gotten drunk, the reason he and Twilight argued, and even the awkward yet exciting feeling he had been getting around Vinyl. Rarity listened intently, nodding and laughing when appropriate. Spike could always trust Rarity with his thoughts and feelings. She was his best friend for a reason. "Sweaty blueberries? Really? You are too precious, Spike," Rarity cried out in a fit of laughter. "Yeah... let's never speak of that again," Spike said, head hung in shame. "Ahem, yes, I apologize," Rarity replied, face red from stifling her laughter. "It’s fine. Just remind me not to say something like that ever again," he said, chuckling. "Agreed. Now, let's look at the situation, shall we? Tell me, how do you feel about the situation with Twilight?" Rarity asked. Spike opened his mouth to give an answer, but his churning mind closed it before any words could come out. His head ached when trying to figure things like this out. Spike slumped back into the couch and let out a deep sigh. "Geez, I don't really know. I mean, part of me thinks she's an overprotective pain in the rear, but another part of me can't forget how much she actually cares about me, and the things she's always done for me." "I see. So, you're confused about how you want to approach the situation is what I'm understanding," Rarity said, gently stroking her chin. "Yeah, pretty much. I want to tell her that she's suffocating me with her rules and nagging, but I also don't want to hurt her. She's my family, and I love her, but I seriously can't go on forever with things like they have been over the past year or two. You know how its been," Spike said, rolling his eyes. Rarity gently rubbed his shoulder and gently sighed. "Yes, I understand what you mean. She even complained about you spending too much time with me, recently. But, have you tried thinking of what might be causing her to act this way?" "Well, I know that it seemed to get worse as her Princess duties set in. I always figured stress probably had a big effect on her attitude. But still, I don't know why she's so strict with me," Spike said with a shrug. "It's almost like she doesn't want me to grow up and get a life." "Spike, darling, I believe you're missing a key point here," Rarity stated. Spike simply responded with a confused gaze. "What do you mean?" "Answer this: how many friends would you say Twilight has that she gets to spend time with regularly?" "Well, she has lots of friends. She just doesn't have much time to spend with them anymore. Sometimes I think I'm her only form of social life," Spike said with a quick laugh. "Honestly, I can't remember the last time she was able to visit anyone else for fun." "Exactly. In light of that, how do you think Twilight will feel when you eventually leave her?" Spike’s mouth dropped open. “I, uh… wow. I guess she’ll be alone.” Spike processed the information in his head for a moment before turning his attention back to Rarity. “But I wouldn’t ever just leave her like that. Even if I moved out I’d still help out at the library and visit her.” "I'm sure you would," Rarity said. "But, darling, try and see things how Twilight sees them. You've been her closest friend and assistant for most of her life. You've lived with her and have always been by her side when she needed you. Since she became a princess she's relied on your company even more. It’s true that you need to live your own life, but the idea of losing you is probably terrifying to her." For what seemed like the fifteenth time in the past twenty-four hours, Spike was hit with a bolt of unforeseen wisdom that leveled him. This entire time he had been solely thinking of wanting to get out and get his own life, but never thought about how leaving would affect Twilight emotionally. Unfortunately, approaching Twilight about the situation would still prove to be difficult. Spike started pacing back and forth. "I get what you're saying, Rarity. I'm just not sure what to do about it. I mean, I could try and talk to her about it, but she doesn't really listen to me all that much." "I understand, Spike. If you would like, I could come and help you explain things to her," Rarity said with a smile. "Thanks, but I think this is something I need to handle by myself. I need to talk to her about everything. Hopefully, she’s had a chance to cool off from the argument. Even if she won't listen, I at least need to try. She deserves that much." "Very good. She's very lucky to have a friend like yourself." "Yeah, I am pretty awesome," Spike joked. "But yeah, I'm gonna head over and talk to her right now. I just kind of stormed out earlier, so I wanna make things right." Rarity got off the couch and gave Spike a hug. "Good luck, Spike." "Thanks, I'll need it," he said, walking to the door. "By the way, is it alright if I come over tomorrow to talk some more?" "Of course. What about?" "Well, just something involving Vinyl," Spike said with a nervous smile. "Something that hasn't happened in awhile."