Her Diamonds

by flyingcloudcakes

What Happens When the World Has Ended?

Chapter Eleven

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Spike sat among stacks of unsorted books, spread out in every direction like some impossible maze at a county fair. Twilight Sparkle had put him on indefinite cataloging-and-shelving duty, for no good reason he could discern.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He knew the reason— it just wasn’t a good one, in his opinion.

When he’d come home last night, Twilight had spent another hour pushing for details. Why was Rarity at Berry’s Punch? What happened in her office? Why didn’t you tell me all this before? On and on and with quite a bit of shouting and a few tears and also a book was thrown. (Twilight had been angrier about that than anything else, really, staring with dismay at the slightly bent spine and ranting about bookmaker’s fees and proper respect. He’d just stopped listening after a while; it was late and he was tired, and it wasn’t as though she noticed when he fell asleep at the kitchen table.)

He’d tried to explain (I don’t know; Nothing, honestly; I tried to, but the phone rang...), but it was no use. Twilight was set in her ways, and it didn’t help that she thought he had something to do with Rarity’s drinking. (She was right, of course, but he couldn’t tell her that.)

So here he was. In the library. With the books. For Celestia knew how much longer.

He’d barely made a dent, and here was why: he was thinking. No, thinking wasn’t quite the right word—he was pondering.

Spike was pondering the end of the world, and how one goes on after it’s come to pass. He’d been pondering this for quite some time, and it didn’t seem as though he would be stopping soon.

When I first started loving Rarity, I had hope. I had hope that she might love me back one day. Sure, it was misplaced hope, but it was hope. Now... well...

Let’s try a scenario. Let’s say that in this scenario, hope is represented by Normal Life.

So, Normal Life (i.e., hope) goes on. Babies are born, grandparents die, grass grows, dancers perform in their theatres, people fall in love, doctors prescribe medication and pretend it actually works.

Then something happens. Something unexpected. Let’s say a meteor falls from space. Let’s say global warming melts the ice caps, drowns the continents, and then boils the oceans until they’re just steam. (This all represents last night with Rarity.)

So, Normal Life as we know it has ended. There is no more hope. Everything is gone, wiped out and reduced to ash and dust and cockroaches. (Come on, people, we all know they’re the only things that could ever survive a nuclear war or global warming or aliens. Unless it’s zombies, in which case they’re screwed just like the rest of us, cockroaches will still be there.)

Everything has ended. There will be no more white sundresses on display behind the glass of a boutique, or schoolyard bullies pushing smaller kids into lockers, or painters hosting gallery-walks of modern art no one understands, or business men in suits using their bluetooth phone in the middle of a crowded intersection. There will never be any of that again. Everything is just... over.

How do you go on after that? After everything you know has just come to a halt? How do you keep living, day by day by day by boring, wonderful, awful, lovely day... when you've seen your world come crashing down around you?

“What happens now?” Spike asked the books.

They didn’t reply.

Spike nodded, laughing to himself under his breath. “That’s what I thought.”

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“Spike, have you finished cataloging yet?” Twilight Sparkle asked him, hours after his internal monologue.

Spike rubbed his eyes and blinked several times, trying to get them moist again. He’d had them open all day, and all these letters and numbers were starting to look like jumbles of nonsense. “I’m almost finished with the Zs. Why the hell do you have so many books on voodoo medicine? Doesn’t Zecora want these back? What would you even need these for?”

Twilight Sparkle peered at him from behind her half-moon glasses. Her navy hair was tied up in a tight bun, and her blazer was freshly pressed. She looked like a disapproving schoolteacher. In many ways, thought Spike, she was one.

“You never know.” She said vaguely. “They could come in handy for something eventually.”

Spike had the distinct sense that this was a threat.

“Well, if you’re almost finished, I’m going out. I have a few things to pick up, not to mention—“ She held up the text he’d thrown at her last night and gave him a pointed look. “—Something to drop off, as well.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I’ll aim better next time, so as not to hurt the book.” There may have been just the slightest hint of spite in his voice, but it was so small she might have missed it.

Or not, judging by the look his mentor was now giving him. This one was pointed in a whole different way—like knives. “Yes, well, good luck with that. I’m sure you can find another book to help you. I’d recommend Throwing for Eggheads.” She retorted, turning on her heel and marching smartly off.

“Love you too!” He called as the door slammed, and then, under his breath, “Bitch.”

Although there was no way she could have heard him, he instantly regretted even thinking the word. They’d never fought like this before... Sure, they had their arguments, and sure, they’d been mean, but it had never gone on for this long, and over something so obviously not his fault.

It’s not like he asked for Rarity to get drunk. Where did Twilight get the idea that he was responsible? Hadn’t it been Twilight who’d been so hung up on Rarity’s age? She was an adult— wasn’t she responsible for herself?

This was all so confusing. He wanted to stop fighting with Twi, but he also knew that she was in the wrong. He wanted to be happy that Rarity kissed him and declared her love, but he also knew that it wasn’t real.

It wasn’t real. She was smashed off her arse when she told him she loved him, so obviously she wasn’t thinking straight. She was just mixing her platonic feelings for him with her guilt about the kiss in her office. Why else would she tell him to leave after he expressed his feelings for her?

And the kiss; it hadn’t meant anything to her. They’d just been having a nice chat, and they were sitting very close to each other, and she’d just taken a leap. Heat of the moment. By the look in her eyes afterward, Spike could tell she regretted it.

...Right?

Spike sighed and shelved the last book. He needed to stop over-thinking this. He needed a distraction.

He picked up his headphones from the couch in the living room, where he’d tossed them earlier, and turned the volume up as loud as it could go. What better way to distract himself than with his favorite song blasting in his ears?

“Oh, what the hell,” she says
“I just can’t win for losing.”
And she lays back down...
Man, there’s so many times I don’t know what I’m doing...
Like I don’t know now...

On second thought, maybe this wasn’t the best song choice... Did he even actually have any other songs on his iPod? (No, he didn’t, apparently. He’d checked.)

So music is a bust. What else can I do around here?

Spike never got a chance to answer that question, because just then, a knock came at the door.

He rolled his eyes and walked into the front hall to answer it. “Twilight never remembers to take her damn keys with her.”

He opened the door, and found the last person he expected to see standing there (although he honestly should have expected it). (It wasn’t Twilight Sparkle.)

“Rarity?”

Comments

[Prof Tokeman]

Twilight needs to stop being such a bitch.
But other than that, dat cliffhanger! Really can't wait to see what happens next!

[Roach of Wrath]

Awesome Chapter!!!!!!!!!!

[rakdoz]

so yeah I just had a cliffhanger induced heart attack... so you know... if someone can get me an ambulance... it'll be greatly appreciated
narwhaler.com/img/uw/x/my-little-pony-hnnnnnng-UwXWQJ.jpg

[CrappyCrap]

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[CrappyCrap]

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[Oneyearwarpilot]

1039209 Sorry phones are dead just walk it off you'll be golden.

[flyingcloudcakes]

1039209 I'M SO SORRY!

[The Incredible Werekitty]

WHY do you write in cliffhangers? Here we are, reading along, then BAM!

[flyingcloudcakes]

1041788
Why does anyone write cliffhangers? Because I want to keep people invested in the story... and I take a little bit of pleasure from being unusually cruel

[Dataguy]

I like you for writing this stuff, and hate you for torturing me with all these cliffhangers. You abusive author you. Hurt me and yet I just can't quit you On a side note, I really liked this chapter, especially the ''End of the world'' musing. Do you have somewhere you're going with Twilight though? Is she just gonna be a bitch for bitchinesses(totally a word) sake?

[flyingcloudcakes]

1042570
I'm glad I'm addictive Thank youuu~! And with Twilight, she always turns out a lot bitchier than I mean for her to be... I'll try to work on it, but she is a bit mean, isn't she?

[Dataguy]

1043063 Yeah, I get what you're saying she kind of is, especially to Spike Not that vicious kind of mean, but taking someone for granted mean