Chapter 10: Spike's confession
It was time.
Standing in front of my house, Spike was ready to tell Starlight his true feelings. But when he saw us, he rubbed his arm, trying to look “cool” I guess.
“Hey, Sam and...Starlight. That's a...nice collar,” Spike started in a normal voice, but it grew into a meeker one when he said “Starlight.” I didn't think he was bothered by collars like how some ponies are; he was just trying to flatter Starlight. At least, I didn't think collars bothered Spike.
I waved my hand and greeted, “Hey, Spike. Twilight don't need your help with her princess work?”
"No. She said that she can manage on her own for a while, so...here I am." Spike took a deep breath, walked up to us -- or more so to Starlight -- and asked, “Starlight? Uh...would you like to...hang out for a while?”
Starlight stared at Spike. Maybe she was sensing something was on Spike’s mind, but I highly doubted she had any idea what it really was. “Hang out? I can, if Sam won't need my help with anything.”
“No, I’m good, and I can’t have you all to myself anyway. Go spend some time with Spike and get to be friends with him. I’ll chill inside while you two have fun.”
“Okay.”
Starlight and Spike went off to bond, but before they got too far, Spike turned his head to me and I gave him a thumbs up. He nodded his head to it, and I walked into the house.
With Sam inside his home, Starlight Glimmer and Spike walked down the path leading away from the house and toward Twilight Sparkle's castle, the Castle of Friendship, that was in the distance. Spike was fidgeting his claws and wore a seemingly nervous frown. Starlight didn’t know for sure if Spike had a specific place in mind for them to get to know each other, so she just followed his lead and waited for him to say something. But he stayed quiet.
Since Spike wasn’t saying anything, Starlight elected to make the first move and asked, “So...uh...Spike, what would you like to do?”
Spike stopped fidgeting his claws. “We could have something to eat, if you're hungry. I made some sandwiches and carrot dogs earlier.”
“I am getting a little hungry. Where are they?”
Spike smiled and said, “They're in Twilight's castle. I've made a bunch, so you can eat as much as you want.”
While it wasn’t too noticeable to Starlight, Spike picked up his walking speed, and she matched it.
“Uh, I've heard that you have made some...mistakes and that you’re turning over a new leaf?”
“Yeah. Twilight told you about it?”
“Kinda. But I never thought of you as a ‘bad’ pony anyway but just...misunderstood?”
Starlight giggled. “I guess that’s one way to put it.”
Spike and Starlight continued to trade small-talk on the way to the castle.
Once inside the castle, Spike led Starlight down its hallways and to the dining hall. Plates had already been laid out on the table in the room, and one of them held three hayburgers. Three carrot dogs sat on another plate. Yet another plate held three daisy sandwiches, one more held three jewel sandwiches, and the last plate was empty. There was a cup beside both the empty plate and the one holding the jewel sandwiches, each filled with cherry-flavored juice. Lastly, there were three lit candles sitting in the middle of the table.
Starlight walked forward to the table, looking over all the plates. “Are these the sandwiches and carrot dogs on the table?” Starlight gasped and facehoofed at asking such an obvious question. After the facehoof, she turned to Spike with an embarrassed smile.
Yet if Spike thought Starlight’s previous question was odd, his friendly, if not nervous, smile didn’t show it. “Yep! Go ahead and eat as much as you want...but leave the jewel sandwiches for me,” Spike explained that ended with a chuckle, then hopped on a chair in front of the plate with the three jewel sandwiches.
Starlight giggled and leaned her head to the sandwiches and carrot dogs. They looked even tastier than she thought they would have. She looked all of them over (except the jewel sandwiches) another two or three times before levitating a hayburger off its plate and onto the empty plate. She levitated a second hayburger to her and took a bite from it, and the flavor and texture of the hay mixed seamlessly with the bread’s flavor to be that much more delectable. From the happy 'noms' mixed with the crunching of the jewels in his mouth, Spike was enjoying his jewel sandwich as well.
“Wow, Spike, this is really good! This is one of the best hayburgers I’ve ever had!”
“Heh, I don’t like to brag, but I can be quite the chef. Twilight can make things like hayburgers and can cook a little, but I do most of it,” Spike replied with his mouth half-full.
Starlight took another bite out of her hayburger. “And Sam told me that you taught him some things too. Maybe you could teach me how to make something simple later.” With more big bites, Starlight finished her hayburger, picked up her cup of juice to take sips from it, then moved on to the second hayburger she had laid on the plate in front of her. It was as delicious as the first one. Once that was finished, Starlight tried one of the carrot dogs and then a daisy sandwich, both were as good as the hayburger. Spike had finished eating once Starlight started eating one of the carrot dogs.
Once Starlight ate at least one of everything, except the jewel sandwiches, her stomach couldn’t take any more and her cup of juice was now empty; Spike's cup was also empty. She burped and said, “I’m full. That was really good.”
“Thanks, and you can take the rest with you back to Sam’s later. We have more than enough to make more here; Twilight is a princess, after all. Heh."
“I’ll take you up on that offer, and Sam would probably like to try the carrot dogs. He said they are something humans can eat.”
Spike’s relaxed smile became a nervous one. He hopped off his chair, walked to Starlight while rubbing his arm and said, “So, uh...I heard that you have some...issues with your parents.”
Starlight’s smile became a frown and her ears drooped, memories of her fillyhood flooding her head. “Y-Yeah, you could say that.”
After a brief silence, Spike said, “I’m sorry. You know, I’ve never met my parents, so I have no idea what they are like, or even how they look.”
Starlight’s eyes widened. She was aware that there were no other dragons in Ponyville besides Spike, but she didn’t know he was isolated from them to the point that he didn’t even know his parents' identities. “Really?”
“Yeah." Spike sighed and walked away as he continued, "But all the dragons I’ve met so far are big jerks, so maybe my mom and dad are too. In fact, maybe they didn’t care about me at all because they never tried to find me, and Princess Celestia said my egg was found alone. I don't talk to Twilight about this much, but...sometimes I wonder if my 'dragon parents' meant to leave my egg by itself.” Spike tilted his head down.
With her ears still drooped, Starlight ran next to Spike and laid a comforting hoof on his shoulder. Could Spike have been sadder than he let on? "I’m so sorry to hear that, Spike. Maybe having parents that don’t think we’re worth anything is something we have in common.”
"Maybe."
"But at least you have Twilight, Sam, and our other friends as family."
Spike lifted his head back up, wearing a smile. Seeing Spike smiling made Starlight in turn smile, her ears perking back up.
“That's true, and I wouldn't trade them for anything in Equestria. And, Starlight?”
“Yeah?”
“Sorry about the staring I did before. It didn’t upset you, did it?”
“It’s okay, and it didn’t upset me, but why were you doing it?" Starlight lifted her hoof off Spike and pointed it at her face. "Was there something on my face?”
“No, it wasn’t because of anything like that. It was because...I...” Spike bit his lip, rubbed his head, and looked away.
Starlight wanted to ask what was wrong, but pondered if she should. Would a good friend try to encourage Spike into saying what was on his mind, or to leave the matter alone? He definitely seemed to want to say it, so after a moment of hesitation, Starlight asked, “‘I’ what?”
Spike spun his head back to Starlight and shouted, “I love you!”
“WHAT?!” Starlight's pupils shrank and she jumped back from both the volume of the shout and the words of it. Part of her was worried that Spike didn’t like her and that was why he was delaying becoming friends with her. She didn’t even consider a crush having anything to do with it.
Spike covered his mouth with his claws. After an awkward silence, he uncovered his mouth and said, “Er, I mean, I...think you’re really cute, and have a bit of a crush on you.”
“The thing you said before that sounded like more than a ‘bit’ of a crush.”
Spike chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, I guess it was.”
“Wow...uh...wow.” Starlight looked to the left and right, almost like she was looking for answers. Spike had feelings for her? Was it a joke? But Spike’s nervousness proved it to be no joke. Starlight struggled to form words, but the shock made it nearly impossible. She found the strength to force out two words, but they were luckily two of the best words for this situation.
“Why me?”
Spike stopped rubbing his neck and frowned. “I’ve had a crush on Rarity for a while. But when the girls went on their trip to...visit your village last week, while it wasn’t easy, I finally admitted the truth: Rarity’s not into me. At best, she thinks of me as her little brother. And soon after I did, the girls brought you to the castle and...well...you saw how I acted.” Spike's frown flipped into a nervous smile.
“I-I see.” Starlight took a step back and set a hoof on her chest, drops of sweat flowing down her forehead. Her ears flopped and she felt the beating of her heart, now at twice its normal speed. Her whole body felt numb from her dilemma. The silence of the dining hall became more apparent. “Wow, I-I-can't believe you feel that way about me, Spike, and...uh...well…”
“‘Well’ what?” Spike asked, his smile now a hopeful one.
What do I say? If I break his heart, Sam, Twilight, and the others might get mad and stop being friends with me. Should I just lie and tell him I "like" him? No, if I lie and they find out, they’ll dump me as a friend for sure and I can’t be alone again! But if I tell Spike I don’t like him that way, he might hate me and then the others would hate me too! What should I do?!
Starlight bit her lip. Her muscles tensed up. As much as she was terrified of getting her heart broken from being rejected, the risk of breaking another’s heart herself was nearly as frightening. She felt that she had hurt too many already. “I...I...d-d--”
“Wait, I think I know what you’re about to say.”
“You do?” Starlight asked in a more normal voice, but her muscles still felt tense.
“Yeah. You don’t like me, do you?”
“I...don’t.” Starlight frowned and dived at Spike’s feet. In an almost fearful voice, she quickly added, “And I’m so sorry! But I do want to be your friend, so please don’t hate me, Spike! Please!”
Instead of an angry or heartbroken frown, Spike just formed a puzzled one and raised his claws in a "hold on" motion. “Whoa, whoa, easy, Starlight! I don’t hate you.”
“You don’t?” Starlight asked, still lying on her stomach.
Spike shook his head. “No. Why would you think that?”
“Isn’t your heart broke?”
“Broke? I wouldn’t say it’s broken. Sure, I’m disappointed, but it’s not your fault if you don’t like me that way. Besides, I was prepared for this anyway, and I’d much rather know now that you don’t feel that way about me, than go on hoping you do, like I did with Rarity.”
Starlight gave a sigh full of relief, feeling the tenseness in her body rapidly fading. "So you're really okay? You're not going to tell the others that I broke your heart and make them hate me?"
“I'm okay," in a more playful voice, Spike continued, "and I think you have a lot to learn about friendship and our friends if you think they'll hate you over this."
Starlight's ears perked back up and she smiled. "Well *giggle* I am still pretty new at friendship." Starlight stood to her hooves. “Still, I’m sorry that I don't like you back, but maybe someday I will. You are kind of a...little cutie pie.” Starlight gasped and gave a nervous giggle. She didn't know why she felt the urge to say “little cutie pie.” Perhaps she thought it was a good thing to say, and it wasn’t like she didn’t think Spike was cute at all: she just didn’t feel anything towards him.
“Heh, that’s something I expect Rarity to say, not you.”
“Well, I do kinda have her mane style,” Starlight pointed out with a wink. “But for now, friends?”
“Friends.”
Starlight wrapped a foreleg around Spike and he spread out his arms to return the hug, his head against her chest. Starlight had never hugged a dragon before, so his rough scales against her coat felt strange, but oddly comforting. She thought that Applejack would be proud of her for not lying, despite the temptation being so great to do it.
After Starlight and Spike let each other go, the candles on the table caught Starlight's eye. "Spike, what's the deal with those candles?"
Spike chuckled. "I...just thought the table looked better with them."
The two new friends would go on to talk for a while before Starlight left the castle to return to Sam’s house, levitating a hayburger, two daisy sandwiches, and two carrot dogs in her magic. As she was trotting back to Sam's house, Starlight made up her mind on something she had wanted to do, but had been putting off because she didn't feel she was ready.
I couldn't stop thinking about Starlight, no matter how much I focused on reading the book I was currently holding. Even had the CD player on earlier but it didn't help, so it wasn't on now. I’ve gotten used to sitting beside Starlight on the couch, so I chose to sit there, in case she came back and wanted to sit beside me again.
But more importantly, something I didn’t even think about until she left was if Starlight might feel pressure to lie to Spike to prevent breaking his heart. Despite how happy she’s been, I could tell she wasn't over her past yet, so I figured she might be afraid of losing me or the others as friends if she did something to make us mad. Maybe I should have gone with them to reassure Starlight that we won’t be mad if she didn’t like Spike. Or for that matter, I should have told her that already. Guess I have friendship lessons to learn too.
The front door opened, breaking me out of my bit of worrying. I looked toward it and saw Starlight walking in, carrying some sandwiches and what I thought were two carrot dogs in magic. She was smiling, so that was an obvious good sign.
"Hi, Sam! I'm back with some sandwiches and carrot dogs Spike made, and they are some of the best I've ever had! I think you'll love the carrot dogs!" Starlight trotted into the kitchen to put the food in the fridge, then came back in the living room. One of them was a hayburger, but I didn't ask what good putting a sandwich with hay in it in the fridge would do. I know a lot of things in Equestria work differently than in my world -- daffodils are poisonous to ponies in my world, but they don't make Equestrian ponies sick -- but still, hay is hay. Same does for the sandwich that seemed to have flowers in it, but I couldn't tell if it was a daffodil, a daisy, or some other flower.
“If Spike made them, I instantly believe you. Oh, how did it go with him?”
“Good, but also"-- Starlight rubbed her head --"a bit...weird: he told me that he had a crush on me.”
“Oh, really? A crush?” I asked. Didn’t want to say that I already knew about it, so I played along.
“Yeah.”
“So, what did you tell him?”
“I almost told him that I liked him back to keep from hurting his feelings. But I just told him that I didn’t, but wanted to be his friend, and we’re friends now.”
“Well, that’s good, so you have another friend. Things are going pretty well for you.”
“Yeah, but…” Starlight walked in front of the couch. I thought she was about to hop on, but instead just looked up at me. “Do you remember when you said that making friends with Lyra was something you were thinking about for a while, but only did it today?”
“Yeah.”
“In a few days, I want to do something that I’ve been thinking about doing. I was going to ask the others if they could come with me when I do.”
“Sure, I definitely can, and I’m sure the others will, especially Rainbow. But, what is it you want to do?”
Starlight took a deep breath. The last time I saw her do it was when she was apologizing to the rest of the gang on her “apology tour.”
“I still haven’t apologized to the ponies in my old village yet. I want to go and finally tell them that I’m sorry for what I did to them.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.046 seconds
Total duration
987 users online
111,645 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Nice.Same does for the sandwich that seemed to have flowers in it, Goes.
Felt a little bad for Spike here but at least Starlight let him down easy instead of stringing him along like a certain unicorn for 8 seasons.
Gabby knew Spike for much less time, and treats him better than the pompous marshmallow ever did.
10138232
Thanks!
10138261
Nope, Starlight wasn't going to do that.
10138270
Rarity had some good moments with Spike (like how she threatened three dragons in "Dragon Quest") but yeah, she's had too many moments of not treating Spike that great over the show.
10138305
Let me amend that: Gabby is the only one to ever give him any respect, that includes Twilight.
(Excuse me, I'm still sour that the writers deliberately refused to address the Spike abuse.)
10138305
Np.
EVIL CLIFFHANGER evil evil evil lol
I'm glad Spike and Starlight are at least friends now; means there's still hope for Sparlight in the future.
10138444
It's a necessary evil
I really don't want to leave cliffhangers in every chapter since they can get annoying when that happens that often, but the best places to leave chapter that makes sense tends to leave them.
10138448
Maybe
10138481
How true, how true. Hey, where is the Discord-rubbing-his-goatee emojicon?! I need to use it!
I really liked this chapter. Spike feels like he really matured confessing to Starlight and handling it as well as he did. And I'm looking forward to this story continuing.
Well at least Starlight and Spike are friends now and on good terms!
10138690
why did you blackout Pinky's head
10138637
Glad you liked it!
10138690
Yep, at least there's that.
How do you guys do the thing with the black bars?
10270578
You mark the words inside spoiler tags
It would look like this. I have to misspell "spoiler" on purpose to show how it would look, but when it's done for real, the word isn't misspelled.
[spailer]text[/spailer]
He needs more male family members; he's got three here (Sam, Shining Armour, Night Light), compared to eight female (Twilight Sparkle, Twilight Velvet, Starlight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie). 3:8 - not exactly even. In the show it's worse, being 2:8 - 1:4. Not exactly a healthy ratio.
I greatly appreciate how you handled this situation, both Starlight letting Spike down gently and Spike’s mature response.
10350024
Thanks, and I'm glad to hear you think so!
really good so far
my new opinion on starlight ( also sci twi )
when twilight became a princess 2 things that made twilight I think that those were put into
starlight and sci twi cus
bookicus horseicus twilight became sci twi
and magicicus ponicus twilight became starlight
well part of them anyway