"Alright..." Twilight muttered to herself. "Maybe this won't be so bad?"
... That's a joke, right?
Twilight flinched. The thought still stung, even if she agreed with it. Her head was already swimming, filling with pictures of Spike. His piercing green eyes drilling through her, teeth grinding into a furious snarl, the library windows fogging from the sheer amounts of steam pouring from his nostrils—
"Ow!"
The little dragon's tail fell from her claws, a grimace on her face as she looked at the scale she'd accidentally pulled from it. A tiny fleck of purple that blurred as her eyes focused past it to the door she'd been trying to pretend wasn't right in front of her. Twilight's heart began to race as the scale fluttered from her claws.
She swallowed hard, her gaze travelling up the branches of the library, coming to a rest on the loft window overhead. Even from the ground she could make out the sounds and shadows of something moving around inside.
Which means Spike's definitely home already.
"This... I can do this," Twilight said, her paws balling into fists. "J-just go in there and tell Spike... tell him..."
Her head was starting to spin again. More steam and snarling teeth floated across her vision. She tried to draw in a breath, the air burning as it whistled down her dry throat, but still her voice refused to say the words. Swallowing hard, she looked up at the loft window once more before reaching forward with a trembling paw.
"H-he might not have noticed it's gone yet?" She wasn't sure if it was a question or a prayer as she grasped the door handle. "M-maybe if I just act natural—"
The musings cut off as something yanked on Twilight's arm. She had just enough time to realize the door she was holding had flung itself open before she found herself flung into the library's main room, landing on the hardwood floor with a thud.
"Twilight!" somepony shouted.
"I'M SORRY!"
The one who called her name might have jumped back when Twilight shouted. She couldn't be sure. Her voice had cut out right afterwards, both of her eyes squeezing shut and her paws clamping themselves over her ear fins as she just lay trembling in place.
So much for acting natural.
Twilight grit her teeth. Her frozen throat didn't have the strength to snap back at the thought, however. She didn't have the chance to anyway, as a familiar tingling sensation quickly swept over her body. Her heart shuddered to a halt as she opened one eye and found herself covered in a green glow.
"There you are!"
The same voice from before spoke again, this time as the light hoisted her into the air. Her numb claws dangled beneath her, a second too slow in their attempt to anchor her to the floor. Reluctantly, the dragoness pulled her gaze up.
Just as she'd feared, she found herself looking into the green eyes of her best friend.
"Where have you been, Twi?" Spike asked, his magic pulling her closer. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Y-you..." Twilight swallowed hard, her voice barely more than a tiny squeak. "You were?"
"Of course!" Spike answered.
... I'm doomed.
She wanted to cringe. To run away. To do anything other than float limply in midair. Spike's magical grip was too strong, however. Twilight's vision was fading, her breath coming in shallow gulps as the unicorn moved in with an anxious look on his face...
"Today's articles are due any minute!"
Twilight's eyes snapped back into focus. Just in time for several sheets of parchment to shove themselves at her.
"I went looking for you earlier, but I-er... got distracted—" Spike was pacing, one hoof trying to pat down his fraying mane as he glanced to the clock. "B-but then I got home and you still weren't here and I was about to go looking again when—"
FWOOSH
Twilight could feel some of her frozen body thaw as the papers were consumed by a flash of magenta fire. At the very least her breath was easing, the warm feeling of her own flames glowing in her chest as the reports collapsed into a curl of smoke. She almost managed to smile as it darted over her shoulder and out the door with a soft, musical chime.
Her comfort with the familiar sight vanished, however, as Spike darted after it. The green magic holding her in the air flickered out just as he ran past.
"Whoa-oof!" Twilight grunted as she tumbled to the floor again.
Her paws were smarting, but she mentally congratulated herself for managing to land on all fours this time. Though she still winced a bit as she pushed herself back up and turned around. Spike stood in the doorway, his shoulders visibly relaxing as six bells tolled in the distance.
"Phew... that should keep Ink's blood pressure stable at least," he said, turning a smile towards the dragon as she brushed herself off. "Thanks, Twi. You've got great timing!"
In spite of the praise, Twilight frowned. She could feel a fresh knot trying to tie itself in her stomach as her eyes darted to the ground.
"Don't you believe it..."
"What was that?" Spike asked.
The bitter aftertaste of the muttering had already hit her tongue before Spike had even said anything. Twilight's eyes still went wide as she realized the thought had slipped out. One paw clapped over her mouth as her gaze shot back up to Spike. The unicorn's smile was faltering, and Twilight could feel her heart hammering away at her ribcage once more as he raised one eyebrow.
"Uh, I said... 'aww, you don't mean it?'" Twilight said, straining to keep her voice steady. "Because, heh, I'm just doing my job, you know!"
Smooth...
Twilight did her best not to sneer as she willed her thoughts to shut up. Spike was still looking at her, and she could feel the sweat starting to bead on her forehead.
A few tense seconds passed, before the stallion finally shrugged and looked over his shoulder.
"Well, I'm still glad you got back when you did," Spike said as his magic eased the door shut. "Where'd you go, anyway?"
"Oh! Uh... nowhere in particular," Twilight answered, quickly forcing on what she hoped looked like a smile. "Just out for some fresh air, that's all!"
Spike was staring at her again, this time his head tilted as his brow scrunched up. Twilight could feel her jaw starting to ache as she tried to make her smile bigger. Though that was nothing compared to the way every fiber in her brain burned. Her eyes darted about the room, frantically searching for something, anything, to end the conversation.
"That must have been some walk," Spike finally said, letting out a short chuckle. "I never even saw you while I was out!"
"Guess we just missed each other. Or something," Twilight said quickly, her gaze finally landing on the clock as an idea suddenly sprang into her mind. "But wow, is that the time? I really was gone longer than I thought! No wonder I'm so tired..."
Twilight trailed off, drawing in as deep and yawn-like a breath as she could. Half-shutting both her eyes, she began to shuffle away from Spike. A relieved smile played across her muzzle as she turned around, seeing nothing between her and the stairs up to the loft.
"I'm just gonna go read in my bed," she said, waving one paw over her shoulder. "Let me know if you need anything else!"
She wanted to move faster, but she forced her legs to keep up their slow, sleepy pace. Even if it was just an act, though, she couldn't stop picturing her cozy little basket upstairs. Every fiber of her being just wanted to crawl into it, pull the covers over her head, and never leave it.
Ever.
She could feel the smile on her face getting more and more sincere as her feet kept plodding along. As such, it took her a few moments to realize that, despite all her walking, the stairs weren't getting any closer. A growing sense of dread began to build in her stomach, as she also noticed the light tingling sensation on the tip of her tail.
"Actually... there was one other thing."
Spike was talking, and it was undoubtedly his magic that was slowly pulling her back towards him. Twilight tried to break into a run, but was too late. One of his forelegs had already planted itself on her shoulders.
"I have a little surprise for you, Twi," Spike said as he drew her right up to his side.
Oh please no
Twilight put one paw over her mouth, trying to fake another yawn. She knew it failed spectacularly as her breath kept catching in her throat. Spike didn't seem to notice anyway, a huge smile plastered to his face as he gently turned her back around to face him.
"Uh, surprise? Gee, thanks Spike but..." Twilight cleared her throat, a vain attempt to get her voice to sound normal. "I'm really not sure I'm up for a surprise right now."
"Aww, you don't even know what it is yet!" Spike countered, giving her an affectionate squeeze as he spoke.
Wanna bet?
Twilight bit down on her lip before her thoughts could voice themselves again.
"Now, I know what you said about the Gala ticket..." Spike started.
The dragon was only half listening. Too much of her attention was focused on her own internal berating. Wondering just why she hadn't seen this coming.
Because of course he'd want to bring it up right away!
"... but I thought about it..."
Twilight squeezed both her eyes shut. Spike either wasn't looking at her or didn't care about the grimace on her face.
The situation wasn't anything like she'd pictured. No smoke. No glaring. No yelling. Just the feel of Spike's gentle hoof, the warm glow of his magic around her, the subtle excitement in his voice as he kept talking...
"... and I talked to Rarity..."
Somehow, all of it was worse than anything she could have imagined.
"Spike..." Twilight muttered, one paw patting against his hoof. "C-could you... uh, could you not?"
Her voice was so soft, she wasn't sure that the unicorn could even hear her. Still, he fell silent. Twilight didn't even bother to look up at the confusion that was likely painted across his face. She just closed her eyes and drew in a long, shuddering breath.
"Th-there's something..." she said, her voice slowly growing in volume. "S-something I should probably tell you about first—"
"SPECIAL DELIVERY!"
She couldn't get any further before a new voice broke in. Rather than cursing the interruption, though, Twilight's eyes flew wide open. Spike's were doing the same as the both of them turned towards the source of the sound.
A blur of gray, rapidly approaching one of the library's windows.
"Hold that thought!" Spike shouted.
Twilight didn't argue, not even as Spike nearly knocked her over with how fast he spun away. The green glow of his magic spread across the room, sending several of the reading cushions flying through the air. The stallion was gritting his teeth, his face a mask of concentration as the pillows flew faster, gathering into a large pile beneath one of the bookshelves.
Twilight took another glance to the window, and her eyes shrunk to pinpricks. Both her paws immediately jumped up to cover her ears
"HISPIKEHITWILI—"
WHUMPH!
Warily, the little dragon cracked one eye open.
A cloud of feathers was floating in the air above the makeshift crash mat. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as she looked around, noting that each book was on its proper shelf rather than laying scattered on the floor. And Spike stood in the center of it all, a proud grin on his face as his horn slowly dimmed.
"I am getting good at this," he said as he trotted up to the pile of pillows.
Twilight could only nod in agreement as Spike shifted some of the cushions aside. His horn sparked once again, magic seizing hold of the long tail that stuck out of the mess.
"Hey, Ditzy?" Spike asked, gently tugging on the strip of blond hair. "You do remember you already brought me my mail today, right?"
"Mmm-mmph! MMmhmmphmm..."
"What did she—" Twilight started to ask.
He question came to a halt as the reading cushions began to tremble. Instinct took over as Twilight dove to the floor. Just in time, as a pair of wings shot from the pile sending the pillows and their feathery stuffing scattering in every direction. The little dragon clamped down on her muzzle, doing her best not to laugh as a wad of feathers caught Spike full in the face. Ditzy Doo, unsurprisingly, seemed oblivious to the havoc as her smiling face poked out of the now significantly smaller landing pad.
"Hee hee! I said 'Of course I remember, silly!'" Ditzy giggled as her forelegs emerged, trying pull the rest of her body free. "That's what makes this a special delivery!"
With one final grunt, the mailmare popped free, her mailbag bouncing against her chest. Spike was coughing, one hoof pounding against his chest as he tried to pull himself up straight.
"So what—" With one final, massive cough, a feather flew from his mouth. Twilight had to fight down another giggle as his cheeks darkened. "So what is it? I mean, the Gala tickets were already special enough for me!"
"Well, it's not really a delivery," Ditzy admitted, opening up her bag and sticking her muzzle in. "It's-uh-actually a return and... hmmm, where'd it go?"
The gray pegasus pulled herself up straight, and Twilight could feel her ribs crack. The mailbag completely covered Ditzy's head, leaving the mare turning her head in confusion. Her fears and sorrow from just a moment ago felt miles away, especially compared to the laughter that was going to slip out any second...
At least until a single, white envelope fluttered out of the sack.
What
A nimbus of green light shone around it, stopping the letter in midair as Ditzy pulled her head free. Twilight's laughter was forgotten, her eyes going wide as the magic highlighted the golden script on the paper.
"No. Way." she breathed out.
"A return?" Spike was asking, the envelope floating a little higher as he squinted at it. "What are you—"
Twilight didn't bother to hear anymore.
Her feet were flying, the whole world collapsing into a blur around her as she darted forward. Spike, Ditzy Doo, the mess of torn cushions and feathers, none of them mattered as she stretched her arm forward. All she could notice was an overwhelming rush of triumph as she snatched the letter out of midair, not even caring as her feet scuffed the floor on her landing.
"It's back..."
The words slipped out before Twilight could stop herself. There was no doubt in her mind about their truth, though. The envelope she held was unquestionably the same one she'd handed to Parcel Post.
"It's back?" Spike's distant voice asked from somewhere behind her. "What's back? Twilight?"
"This-I-m-my let—" Twilight's eyes were wide as she spun back around, her gaze locking on the smiling gray pony. "Ditzy! Where did you get this?!"
"From Parcel Post!" Ditzy answered with another bubbly laugh, her hoof gently patting down Twilight's head spines. "He said to tell you he's really sorry, but he can't bend the rules that much!"
"Huh?" Twilight asked.
She was reasonably sure that Spike asked the same question. Ditzy just smiled and bent her wing, pointing one of her pinion feathers to a blank corner of the envelope.
"You forgot to put a stamp on it," she explained.
The paper was crinkling, almost threatening to tear in Twilight's claws. Her vision was blurring again as her breathing grew faster and faster.
All as the biggest smile of her life broke across her face.
"It's back... It's really back!" Twilight cheered, the world exploding into brilliant colors around her as she leapt into the air. "YES! YESYESYESYESYESYES—"
"Well... glad you're happy at least."
Twilight blinked, freezing in the midst of her joyful dance. Her smile faded as she slowly looked over her shoulder. Spike was still there, his eyes locked on her, one eyebrow almost trying to attach itself to the ceiling.
"So... what just happened?" he asked.
Don't. Say. Anything.
Twilight's mouth had just started to open. It immediately snapped shut, and her eyes darted to the envelope.
She could almost taste how easy the lie would be.
Just tell him you filled it out for him and Rarity!
The dragon smirked at the thought. She could say it. Spike could tell her about his "surprise". Then all she'd only need to replace the RSVP card and send it out the next day.
And he'd never know the difference.
Her paw lowered She could barely hold back the chuckle as she looked back up at Spike.
I'm so sorry, Twi!
She flinched. The smirk vanished. Somehow, even though Spike's mouth wasn't moving, she could still hear his voice.
I'm gonna fix this.
Her stomach clenched hard as the memory echoed in her head. How she'd barely stopped him at the door. Told him it was alright even as he drowned her in apologies. Even the way he'd smiled and the warmth as he hugged and thanked her...
The moment I got that ticket, I knew I had a chance to pay her back.
And he'd still gone out to talk to Rarity.
All while she'd been racing to the post office with his ticket.
What'd I ever do to deserve a friend like you, Twi?
Twilight sniffled. She could feel the tears starting to roll down her cheeks again.
Nothing, Spike.
She held up the envelope, and placed one claw against the corner of it.
You didn't do anything to deserve what I did.
"Actually Spike," she said, her voice finally clear and steady. "This... this is what I wanted to tell you about."
With a soft rip, the envelope opened.
"You tried to do what?!"
Spike regretted raising his voice immediately. Too late to keep Twilight from cringing, however. Her tail was curled so tight over her ankles, he was sure she'd have tripped had she been standing. Fortunately, the little dragon was seated on his bed, though she was trembling so hard it was a marvel she hadn't slipped off.
Somehow, the sight left him with a disquieting feeling of relief at the fact that Ditzy Doo had gone home when requested. Letting out a low sigh, Spike walked over to the little dragon.
"Twi—" he winced, forcing himself to speak softer and slower. "Twilight, it's okay. I'm not mad."
The bundle of scales on his bed gave one last sniffle. Slowly, a tear-filled purple eye glimpsed from between her claws. Twilight's paws reluctantly lowered, one pausing for a brief second to wipe her nose before dropping into her lap.
"Y-you're sure?" she asked, her voice a tired whisper. "Because you still look kind of mad..."
As much as he wanted to argue the point, he couldn’t. Despite his best efforts to smile, Spike could feel the tight line his mouth had formed. Something was still glowing hot in his chest, a feeling he was struggling to fight down as he hefted himself onto the bed next to the dragoness. Whatever it was, the unicorn could see a faint wisp of steam coming from his nose as he let out a small snort.
"Alright, maybe I'm a little mad. A little." Spike flinched, his emphasis not enough to keep Twilight from sliding away from him. "But really, I'm... I dunno, confused? I guess?"
Twilight stopped squirming. A small comfort with the way his insides were rolling. Spike put one hoof to his stomach with a grimace, his gaze dropping to the floor as he took a deep breath. He tried very hard not to notice how the feeling seemed to settle as he looked away from Twilight.
"You're really not making any of this up, are you?" Spike asked, his eyes refusing to even glance at his assistant. "You tried to get rid of my ticket? Just to get back at me?"
Twilight's gaze was falling to the floor. Spike could feel it, even if he wasn't looking.
"Yeah," she answered with a soft sigh. "Yeah, I did."
Spike put one hoof to his stomach as he felt it twist again.
"I almost can't believe it," he said as he shook his head. "I mean, sure, I messed up but... Twi, that doesn't sound like you at all."
"I know..." Twilight groaned in response. "A-and I knew it was wrong, it's just..."
Spike's ears twitched as Twilight's voice stuttered to a halt, and he finally forced himself to look to the side.
Immediately, his teeth came down on his lip. Twilight still wasn't looking at him, her gaze focused on her claws as they calmly picked at her tail instead. Her shoulders were trembling, however, and he could hear her gasping for breath.
"I-I really meant it. I didn't want you to have to disappoint Rarity just for me," she said, her head sinking lower. "That's why I went to ask the others if they could take me..."
"Twi..." Spike muttered.
She didn't hear him. She didn't even notice as one of his forelegs lifted from the bed. Spike barely noticed himself. The anger and turmoil that had been boiling inside him had vanished, replaced with a chill as Twilight wiped at her eyes.
"But everypony else already had a guest, a-and it just felt so unfair!" Twilight's chest was heaving in and out, her claws tightening around her tail. "Then I realized I had your ticket and... and I was just so jealous and angry and I couldn't even think straight and—"
Spike didn't let her finish.
Twilight's voice cut out in a gasp as his hoof descended on her. For a second, he worried whether he'd been too fast. The unicorn pushed the fear aside, however, as he pulled Twilight close, his other foreleg wrapping around her in a gentle hug.
For several moments, neither of them spoke. Spike just closed his eyes as he squeezed the little dragon, one hoof rubbing along her back. The growing knot in his stomach eased slightly as he felt her scaly arms latch around him in return. Though he couldn't help noticing a damp patch forming on his chest where her face was buried.
"Why didn't you say something, Twi?" Spike finally asked. "If I'd known you were that upset—"
"Spike, don’t," Twilight interrupted, her head lifting away from him. "Even after what I said before, you still tried to make it up to me!"
Something pushed against the unicorn's legs, forcing the hug to end. Twilight squirmed her way free, her knees tucking up to her chest so her chin could rest on them.
"I didn't want to seem selfish anyhow..." Twilight sniffled once again, a humorless chuckle slipping from her muzzle. "Just look how that turned out."
Spike's eyes followed her claw as it gestured to the side. The Gala ticket sat on the nightstand, exactly where they'd left it what felt like ages ago. It softly twinkled in the light of the sunset coming through the window, still hanging half-out of its unstamped envelope...
No stamp...
Spike blinked, wondering why he'd noticed the detail.
Then, slowly, a small grin crept onto his muzzle.
"I don't think it's so bad," he said, his magic lifting the letter and floating it between the two of them. "The ticket came back in the end, didn't it?"
“I-why would… I guess…” Twilight muttered, still not looking up. “B-but that was just a lucky accident-”
"You're sure?" Spike asked.
He couldn't hide his smile as Twilight's head jerked up to him. She was still frowning, but her eyes were locked on the envelope. One brow raised as he tapped at the blank corner of it.
"Trying to send the ticket back doesn't sound like something you'd do. But neither does forgetting something as important as a stamp." Spike chuckled a bit as he brushed down Twilight's head spines. "I dunno. Maybe you weren't quite as mad as you think you were?"
Twilight's mouth flew open. Probably to protest. Spike couldn't tell since her jaw simply wound up hanging open as her eyes slowly widened. The unicorn let another laugh slip as Twilight slowly closed her mouth, a small blush appearing on her cheeks.
"Well, like I said: The ticket's back, so no harm done," he said, carefully pulling the golden slip from its paper packaging. "So I guess there's just one last question..."
Spike let his voice trail off. Twilight was biting down her lip, her paws trembling in her lap. He could see the dragon's claws twitching as she just stared at the ticket, and a fine sweat was forming on her brow.
This might be a mistake...
He pushed the thought aside as Twilight took a deep breath, and turned her eyes firmly onto him. With one last glance of his own to the ticket, let the words out.
"What should I do with it now?"