Sometimes Bad Things Happen
It was a beautiful day, the birds were singing their happy tune as busy ponies went about their daily lives. The sun was high in the sky and a cool breeze swept gently threw the town. It carried many sounds, the loud chatter and laugher of the townsfolk, the beautiful sighing of the birds, the soft crying of a small filly.
Sweetie Belle sat in the middle of the kitchen, before her lay the small, limp figure of a millipede strewn across the hard, cold floor, yellow juices flowing from its head and abdomen. Seeing this only made the filly's tears grow ever more rapid and pained.
'Why, why... I didn't mean for this to happen, why am I so useless.' light flooded in, yet to Sweetie the kitchen seemed as gloomy as rainy day. 'How could this happen, Rarity said there is always a happy ending'. In her state, Sweetie didn't notice a figure entre the kitchen.
"Ok Rarity wanted a snack, lets see so she keeps her grapes in the draw to the left of..." Spike was pulled from his thoughts of assisting Rarity the moment he entered the kitchen "Sweetie Belle?" Sweetie looked up in the direction of the voice, seeing a familiar dragon looking back at her, concern adorn his face. "What's wrong... and what is that?" Spike asked, walking over and eyeing the limp form before her.
"I-I wanted *sniff* a snack, s-so I tried claiming up to reach the cubed *sniff* and I was holding Fluffy and..."
"Ummm Fluffy?"
"The... the millipede, my first pet, Rarity let me pick an animal to keep from Fluttershy's garden, she said I had to get an easy to keep pet, so I looked around, they were all really cute and all but Fluffy just stood out to me, like she was meant to be my... my pet"
"And you named it Fluffy?" Spike questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"*Sniff* Y-Yeah why wouldn't I?"
"Don't worry" Spike said quickly.
"S-So anyway I-I just wanted a snack, but I forgot to put her down and... and I dropped her" Sweetie covered her face with her hooves and began sobbing again. "I-I didn't mean two, honest but she is so slippery she just slid off my hoof"
"Hay now its ok" Spike walked up to the filly and pulled her into a comforting hug. "Everypony makes mistakes sometimes, its just part of growing up"
"B-But this is different, I-I killed her, its all my fault, I'm a bad pony" Sweetie whimpered, expecting Spike to let go in disgust, but he didn't instead to her surprise he hugged her even tighter.
"You are not a bad pony Sweetie Belle, you are one of the sweetest, kindest ponies I've ever met"
Sweetie Belle blushed intensely at this compliment 'What, Spike really thinks that'. "But what about Fluffy?"
"Hmmm, let me take a look" Spike let go of Sweetie and examined the millipede. after a minute or so Spike shook his head, sighing he turned to face Sweetie Belle. "Well, it doesn't look good, I mean I don't know much about these little guys but she fell from quite a height onto a hard surface, to be honest I don't think she will last more than an hour or so, I-I'm Sorry Sweetie" The dragon looked down at the floor.
Sweeties eyes welled up with tears once more and she slumped to the floor in sorrow. "I-I'm sorry Fluffy, I never wanted anything like this to happen" Sweetie pushed her face as close as she could to her dying pet, no friend. "Please don't leave me" She whimpered.
Fluffy raised her head a little in the direction of Sweeties face, her feeble antenna reaching out just enough to make contact with the tip of the filly's nose. It tickled a little and Sweetie smiled, remembering all the times she had felt that same tickle when they played together, it had been about an hour since they last played dress up, Sweetie had used some of Rarity's spare fabric to make a small crusader cape for her. "Now you can come crusading with me and my friends" Sweetie had said happily just a few hours ago, yet right now that time felt like years prior. Fluffy then curled up into a limp spiral for the last time.
"Why did this have to happed, isn't there always suppose to be a happy ending?" Sweetie asked, whipping the tears from her eyes.
"Sometimes bad things just happen, its kinda how we learn and grow I guess, I mean If I hadn't gone on a rampage as a giant terrifying dragon I wouldn't know how important it is to be grateful for what you have and not to give in to greed"
"I guess, but it hurts"
Spike leaned in and gave the filly another warm hug. "I know but trust me, in the end everything will be alright... even if you have to make sacrifices along the way"
"Spike! I need help with this dress, what is taking you so... long?". Rarity poked her head threw the door, only to see the tragic scene before her. "Oh... my"
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Later that day Sweetie Belle stood at the top of a hill with a small paper bag. Spike and Rarity, who were accompanying her both war sorrowful expressions.
"I-I am so sorry Fluffy, y-you were a great friend, you kept me company when the crusaders were busy, you played dress up with me, you helped me with my homework... sort of. I wish you were here, p-please forgive me" Sweeties eyes were beginning to water again "You may not be a dog, or cat or well any sort of pet most ponies would expect but that doesn't matter. I-I l-love you, I want you back" Tears were streaming down Sweeties face now as she mourned her lost friend.
A cool breeze swept over the hill, it carried many faint sounds, the sound of ponies in town chatting and laughing together, the sound of birds singing their beautiful melody, the sound of the breeze itself, it sounded strange, like words. Sweetie listened hard, shore enough she could make out words, "I will always be with you, anypony you care about will always be with you as long as you remember"
"Sweetie Belle? Are you ok?" Spike asked putting a clawed hand on her shoulder.
"Huh? Oh umm I guess, did you hear the voices?
"What voices?" Spike asked confused
"Oh umm never mind" Sweetie took the bag delicately in her teeth and placed in in a hole they had prepared, with one last look into the bag, she filled it in. She then planted a small flower on the spot before finally turning to leave. "Goodbye Fluffy" Sweetie sighed and proceeded towards Rarity and Spike, after a moment however she couldn't take it any longer and rushed up to her older sister, tears streaming down her cheeks once more.
"Its ok Sweetums" Rarity cooed softly, as she wrapped the filly in an embrace.
"I-I know, but it still hurts"
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"Thank you again Spike" The three had returned to Raritys boutique and Sweetie Belle had gone to bed.
"Dont mention it Rarity, really I just saw her in that state and had to help"
"I know, you know you are a kind dragon Spike, I'm so happy you and Sweetie are friends, you are someone I am comfident she can count on" Rarity smiled
Spike just smiled and nodded. "I think I'll come back tomorrow to check on her, its going to take a while for her to get over it, I know what its like to lose a pet, it was hard enough returning Peewee to his parents but this must be so much worse "
"I think she would appreciate that Spike, thank you" Rarity smiled, holding open the door for Spike
"See you tomorrow then" Spike waved
"See you tomorrow dear" Rarity called as Spike trotted off into the distance.
"Now theres somepony I would be proud to call family"
The End