//------------------------------// // Ending // Story: Two Ponies, One Heart // by jdb1984 //------------------------------// Spike dug his claw in right next to the seal, breaking it with a pull. As it came loose, the scroll unrolled in front of him. As Spike's eyes fell in the fancy print of the Princesses usual horn-writing, he heard a cough behind him. He gulped when he realized who it was. "Please tell me that's not you, Twilight," he stammered, without turning around. A purple glow surrounded the letter in his claws, and took it away from him, rolling it up at the same time. Spike followed it as it floated behind him to see it was indeed Twilight, looking more angry then Spike has ever seen her. "I'm not sure what has gotten into you lately," she told him. "You act all nervous and jumpy around me, you're neglecting some of your chores, and now I see you reading my private mail." "I-I'm sorry, Twilight," Spike answered, looking down at his feet. "Is there something going on? Something I should know about?" she asked. "You know you can tell me anything, and I'll help in any way I can." "There is, but...I want to keep it to myself, at least for now. Like you said, we all have secrets, and..." "And I catch you trying to get into my own secrets," she finished. "You need to learn to respect other people's privacy. No dessert for a week." --- The next day, Spike was getting some coffee ready, when he heard Twilight getting up and walking downstairs. He turned away from the pot to watch her as she came downstairs. Even with her hair a mess and her eyes barely registering, he thought she still looked great. "Coffee should be ready in a few minutes," he told her, trying to focus. Twilight simply nodded, as she went to the mirror and levitated a brush to her hair. Spike turned away to focus in the coffee, but occasionally glanced back to look at her. He was so focused on her, he accidentally burned the coffee. "What is that smell?" Twilight asked, as she stepped into the kitchen. "Er...hope you like it extra black," he answered. Twilight levitated a mug of coffee to her lips and took a drink, her expression saying enough about how bad the coffee tasted. Despite that, she drank the whole glass down. She blinked and stretched a bit, awake enough to check her to-do list. "I need to pick up a couple of quills to backup my backups, then I have to get that order of apples from Applejack. I also need to buy some groceries, get Rainbow Dash to return those overdue books, and still hope I have time to attend Pet Play day." Twilight said, mostly to herself. "Sounds like you'll be kept busy," Spike remarked. "And I'm getting started now," she said, levitating her saddlebags to her back and heading out the door, Owlicious flying behind her. After she left, Spike sat down, his hand rubbing the top of his head. Because of this crush, he got in trouble, made Twilight angry, and even burned the coffee. It was affecting his life, and he knew he knew he had to get it under control once and for all. Sooner rather than later. --- Twilight returned home that evening and looked around to see that Spike was nowhere to be found, but all the chores were finished. "Spike, I'm home," she called out. A quiet library greeted her, but as she looked around, she noticed that the bathroom door was slightly ajar, and she heard a voice from the other side. Stepping closer, planning to just knock and tell her she was home, she heard what he was saying. "Twilight, I know that you may not like me this way, and it may change our relationship, but I feel it needs to be said...no, that may be too long." he said to himself in front of a mirror. "Twilight, I need to tell you that...I have a crush on you. No, that just seems too formal. And I'm not sure if I can just come out and say it like that." Twilight blinked and stepped away in surprise. Spike, the little dragon she considered a family member, the one she cared for since he was young...had a crush...on her? Her mind spun, as she tried to process the information. She knew she saw him as a family member, so she couldn't return his feelings. She knew she would have to turn him down gently, but had no experience in that. None of the stallions in town seemed interested in the quiet bookworm unicorn, so she really had nopony to turn down. But it looked like she did now. --- As Spike came out of the bathroom, he found that Twilight was home, and she was sitting at the reading desk. What was unusual was that there was no book in front of her. "Twilight, you okay?" he asked. "I heard what you were saying in the bathroom," she said flatly. "Y...you heard that?" he asked in surprise and shock. "Yes, she said, turning towards him and stepping forward, with a look of seriousness. After a deep breath to prepare herself, she said, "Spike, I think of you like family, and I really can't return the feelings you feel for me. To me, it would be like if I dated my brother." "Oh," Spike said, his face and spikes drooping. "I guess I kind of expected that." "But even though I can't love you the way you do, that doesn't mean I can't love you with everything I have." she continued, draping a leg around his shoulders and smiling at him. "You're still part of my family, and you'll still be my assistant. Nothing about that has changed. And I still love you, Spike." "Thank you, Twilight," Spike answered, giving her a hug, which Twilight returned. "I love you, too." The End