Love Isn't Enough

by SingingLark

Love Isn't Enough

"Twilight," Spike said, wringing his hands, "Are you busy?"

Twilight looked up from the bookshelf she was dusting. "No, what's up?"

Spike gulped, "I've been thinking of something, and it's important."

Twilight sat quietly and waited for Spike to continue.

"Am I your brother? Or your son? What am I to you?"

That was not the question she expected. Twilight didn’t speak for a moment, as she gathered her thoughts.

"Well, I've always considered you to be my little brother. You know that. You even won the Sibling Supreme Crown not too long ago."

Spike smiled, then shook his head. "I know, but then, I don't have a mom. Velvet didn't raise me. You did, even as a filly who couldn't care for yourself. Neither of your parents ever considered me their son. Does that make me an orphan?"

Twilight furrowed her brow and thought. After a minute, she said, "But mom always bragged about you and said how much she loved you."

"She loved me like she would have loved a pet."

"What? Spike, no, that can't be true. She always helped me when you were a baby."

"That's the thing. Velvet helped you. It should be the other way around. She helped you, a filly, raise a pet, not a child. She never really helped. My first memory is you crying over me, because the stress was too much. Velvet did the bare minimum to keep me alive. You were the one who made me happy."

Twilight tried to smile. "Mom always said it was to teach me responsibility, and since you imprinted on me, she couldn't help.”

He flew to Twilight and held his arms out for a hug. After relaxing slightly in her embrace, he said, "Do you remember eight years ago when you and Shining Armour asked your parents for a pet?”

Twilight's breath hitched, "Are you saying dad was talking about you when he said we already had one?"

Spike nodded.

"Well, it doesn't matter what they say. You're still my little brother, and you're just as important as any other pony. I don't know if you’re an orphan, but it doesn't matter because we have each other."

"It still hurts, not knowing my heritage. I wish I knew if my birth mother abandoned me or if somepony stole me as an egg. Then your parents always treated me differently from you and Shining. It sucks."

Twilight hugged Spike tighter. "If it makes you feel any better... mom and dad didn't treat me that well either."

That was news to Spike, "Really? What do you mean?"

“You were too young to understand, but I had a lot of pressure placed on me. Mom always emphasized the importance of maintaining the family's reputation. My happiness came second. Dad agreed with her because 'she knew best,' which meant being a smart and magically gifted filly wasn't enough. She wanted me to be the best.” She chuckled and looked at her wings. “It worked, but it was rough. My parents wanted Shining and me to be perfect. All the time. They tolerated nothing less. I would spend so long perfecting each spell so mom could show me off at her dinner parties."

She closed her eyes. "I still remember the disappointed faces of my parents when I struggled with the test at Celestia's school. After coming under her tutelage, I asked Celestia if I could stay in the castle to stay away from my parents and keep you away. I'm sure we would have been better off if she agreed. That's why we moved there as soon as I became an adult."

Spike hugged Twilight tighter. "I didn't know you also had it so rough."

She returned the tight hug. "Anyway, the point of my story was to show it wasn't anything you did. I think they were just not meant to be parents."

Spike realized something. "You were six when you passed the test, but you already felt like that?"

"Mostly, I wanted to keep you safe. Even as a filly, I was used to it and I could take it, but you were so small. I didn't want my parents to make you feel inadequate. I thought they were treating you well because you didn't have the immense pressure Shining and I had. They treated you like a pet, I didn't know. I'm sorry for not realizing it."

"It's not your fault, and I was never upset at you." Spike hopped off the couch. "You know what we need? We need to confront the problem directly. Let's send a letter to your parents."

He grabbed a quill and parchment.

Twilight pressed her ears to her skull, and her breathing quickened. "No, I can't do that. That wouldn't be good. Can we instead move on to something else? Get some ice cream? I could get some more ruby sprinkles. I can't confront them, not yet. It took years, but I finally feel free. What if talking about it jepordizes our freedom?"

He dropped the parchment and quill and ran to Twilight.

"Hey, it's alright. We can call Shining and Cadence, or write it and put it away, never to be seen again. It doesn't have to be now."

Spike repeated those words softly while rubbing her back with practiced ease.

"They love you, don't forget that," he whispered.

Twilight shook her head, "Sometimes love isn't enough," she took a deep breath, "I don't think I'd be able to send it, but we can write it and call Cadence and Shining."

He nodded and picked up the equipment from the floor. They sat together on the couch to write.

'Dear mom and dad,

Spike and I have been doing some talking, and we realized we need to talk with you. It's about our foalhoods and how you two raised us. We will contact Shining as well. Please respond and tell us when both of you are free. It's important.

From Twilight Sparkle and her little brother, Spike.'

Comments

[Clopian26]

Very interesting, I like the story

[Cragadilian]

I thought this was going to be a classic “Am I your son or brother?” debate Spike and Twilight fanfic. Color me surprised when it went down a different route. The show showed us a vague picture of Twilight Velvet and Night Light. Even in later seasons, most of their personality is up to interpretation by authors. I wouldn’t have gone in the direction you went, yet it does get me thinking about their (Twi & Spike) earlier season selves. Twilight seemed like a nervous wreck in some episodes and Spike was just a little boy living with his guardian.

He could be obnoxious at times, but never overly so. Any remarks or witty comments were done out of mischief/amusement. Lesson Zero may have seemed funny... Yet as someone who loved getting good grades, straight A’s mostly, it put into perspective how much stress I used to put myself through. Twilight was a powerful magic user even before becoming an Alicorn or being recognized as the Element of Magic. They matured over the years while the show evolved from its lesson of the day format.

Most people rarely think of Spike as a pet since he can talk, besides the EQG series of course. I like how some authors make me think even after Generation Four’s end. Well done, —Cragadilian

[SingingLark]

11215495
Thank you, I'm happy you enjoyed it

[Starlight Nova]

Didn't this story used to have more chapters?

[SingingLark]

11215572
No, it's a one-shot for the 1000 words contest. I forget to mark it as complete when I first posted it though, it's marked as complete now

[Theresa]

Definitely needs a sequel.

[FanOfMostEverything]

What if talking about it jepordizes our freedom?

I know fear isn't rational, especially not fear rooted in childhood trauma, but Twilight is a legal adult by this point and possibly also an alicorn. I don't think her parents have much authority in her life right now, and even if this is before the wings, she's still on assignment by royal decree. (Plus, as you've made abundantly clear, they have no claim on Spike.)

This is definitely an interesting concept, but the word count left you barely any room to even justify it, much less explore it. A good chunk is spent with Twilight and Spike "As you know"-ing exposition at one another. Yes, some of it is news to each of them, but not all. The end result is a very cramped story that stops rather than ends. I'd love to see further exploration of the idea. For now, thank you for this and best of luck in the judging.

[Bicyclette]

"Am I your brother? Or your son? What am I to you?"

aww, it is very ambiguous in the canon!

My first memory is you crying over me, because the stress was too much. Velvet did the bare minimum to keep me alive. You were the one who made me happy."

oof, that is a really oof first memory to have! and sadly consistent with how Spike only started being treated as a sibling rather than a combination of pet, servant, and child many seasons in

Twilight's breath hitched, "Are you saying dad was talking about you when he said we already had one?"

Spike nodded.

and oof, that must have been psychologically damaging!

She closed her eyes. "I still remember the disappointed faces of my parents when I struggled with the test at Celestia's school.

and nice, spinning a lot out of that split-second in the canon episode! Twilight's parents just seem so chill in "Once Upon a Zeppelin" that it might be hard to imagine them as not-great parents, but this is a phenomenon that is too true to life! their relationships with their adult children are going to be different from how they think they should raise a child, and considering the successes their children have had, they have no reason to be anything but satisfied with how things turned out

I thought they were treating you well because you didn't have the immense pressure Shining and I had. They treated you like a pet, I didn't know. I'm sorry for not realizing it."

and oof, that is so messed up for a child that young to have to worry about protecting her own younger sibling from her own parents! again, too sadly true to life

I can't confront them, not yet. It took years, but I finally feel free. What if talking about it jepordizes our freedom?"

and yeah, this is a great illustration of how otherwise rational adults' thinking can get easily distorted when it comes to their dynamic with their parents. in Twilight's mind she is reverting back to the time when they really did have absolute power over her, and that fear is still in her even though the situation is so different now. poor Twily and Spike!

"Hey, it's alright. We can call Shining and Cadence, or write it and put it away, never to be seen again. It doesn't have to be now."

and yeah, there's a lot to think about how all this affected Shining as well, and how this affects his mindset going in to raising his own daughter. dang, that is a very adult conversation, in the literal sense of the word

Twilight shook her head, "Sometimes love isn't enough,"

and oof, too true, sadly

From Twilight Sparkle and her little brother, Spike.'

augh, and somehow now i am thinking of how in EqG world, Spike is literally Twilight Sparkle's pet, and dang, isn't that whole situation messed up when you think about it? but in Equestria things are nicer, and though nopony can go back in time to give the three siblings a better childhood, at least they are surrounded love and healthy relationships in the present.

a great piece exploring what is implied by a strange aspect of the canon, thank you for it!