Someone To Talk To
All that could be heard through the castle of Princess Twilight Sparkle was the tiny foot steps from one purple scaled geen fined dragon as he struggled to carry several large stacks of documents for the princess. All that Spike could focus on was the step in front of him as he descended down the stairs, hoping he would not trip and send everything flying. Once Spike reached the bottom of the spiral staircase he could hear the laughter coming from the throne room. He quickly recognized the laughter that belonged to the Cutie Mark Crusaders: Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo. The fillies were busy practicing the new things that Twilight had taught them for the day while Twilight was surrounded by towers of scrolls and books, busy studying them.
“Here the stacks of papers you wanted Twilight,” said Spike as he approached the busy alicorn. Twilight ignored him, still sifting through the papers in front of her, posing Spike to say it again louder. “Twilight your documents you wanted!” Twilight only lifted her head for a second and looked at the dragon.
“Thank you Spike,” said Twilight as she turned back to what she was reading. “Just set them with the rest.” Spike did as he was asked and gently placed the stack of papers next to the rest of the piles. As he was turning away to handle his next chore, his tail knocked into a nearby stack, the tallest of all of them, sending the documents all around the room. Spike started gathering up papers franticly, looking at them helplessly because he wasn’t sure what order they were in.
Slowly, he approached Twilight, “Um, Twilight?” The sacred dragon could barely manage a whisper. Twilight didn’t see the mess and kept her head focused on her work in front of her,
“Whatever it is Spike, it can wait.”
“But Twilight I’m sorry, all the documents they--” Twilight only looked over her shoulder to see the mess that was made and only shrugged her shoulders.
“Spike it’s fine that stack was full of stuff I have not read and it was all about the same thing,” said Twilight as she reorganized it with her magic without even looking.
“R….really?” asked Spike nervously.
“Yes, now go along and finish the rest of your chores.” With that Spike slowly backed away, surprised that Twilight had not snapped at him like she normally does when stuff was out of order. He had just made it to the doorway out of the throne room when when he and everypony else was almost deafened by the purple alicorn scream. “SPIKE!!!!!”
“Y….yes?”
“What is this?” asked Twilight as she raised up one of the papers that Spike had recently carried in for her.
“Uhhh the itinerary for the Summer Sun Celebration,” answered Spike as he read the paper.
“Yes and this not what I asked for!” yelled Twilight as she stomped her hoof down in anger, scaring both the dragon and little fillies in the room with them. “I told you you to bring me the notification for the Summer Sun Celebration not this!”
Spike just stood there searching for what to say as his eyes shifted between the alicorn and the paper she was levitating. Cutie Mark Crusaders were not sure what to do as the entire room went dead silent. Scootaloo watch the poor little dragon intently as he tried to explain, while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom just shifted back to what they were doing. Hoping that the situation would quickly end. After a few moments, Spike finally broke the unnerving silence
“I…..I’m sorry Twilight. I’ll go get the---”
“Don’t even bother,” interrupted Twilight in an angry tone. “If you can’t do something as simple as get me a few measly papers than--"
But it was an accident,” said Spike as he tried to argue with the mare, as he tried to hold back the pain he was feeling because of Twilight’s icy words.
“I don’t care this the the fourth time this week you’ve done something like this! If you can’t do a one simple job right then don’t do anything at all!” With that Spike felt the last bit of strength he had that was holding back his tears fail and ran as quickly as he could out of the room and back up the stairs to his room.
“I swear he knows how important this stuff I deal with as a princess is, but he just has to make things more and more difficult for me,” said Twilight as she finished placing the papers she was reading back in place and focused back on her work. Scootaloo just stood and looked at the little dragon had went with sad eyes, before turning back to face Twilight.(i know…..)
“That wasn’t very nice,” said Scootaloo under her breath, thinking that nopony could hear her.
“Well I can’t help it if he can’t handle a simple task,” remarked Twilight as she cut her eyes at the small pegasus filly.
“But that still don’t give you the right to yell at him like that.”
“He knows I get stressed at times I’m sure he will get over it.” With that Twilight went back to studying her papers.
Scootaloo could only bite her tongue to keep her from causing even more conflict. It was true that Twilight was stressed out and everypony knew she had a lot of important things to do, but it didn’t give her free rein to treat Spike like that.
“I’m going to talk to him,” said Scootaloo as she started towards the staircase to find Spike. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both exchanged a look of uncertainty before Sweetie Belle took a step forward.
“Are you sure?” asked filly.
“Why wouldn’t I be sure? He’s upset.”
“And that’s why y’all can’t go up there.,” said Apple Bloom as she tried to grab Scootaloo to no avail. “You know how he gets when he’s upset.”
“I can take care of myself!”
“But Scootaloo…..”
“No! I don’t want to hear it from either of you! You act like I’m some helpless baby just because I don’t have parents and I can’t fly! Stop babying me!” Fueled by anger now more than her desire to help Spike, Scootaloo ran upstairs away from her fellow Crusaders. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes but she simply swallowed them and followed the sounds of Spike’s running feet.
Spike ran to his room, slamming the door behind him. Scootaloo flinched at the loud BANG! Even though she was around the corner, the pure force made her feel like it was right next to her. For a split second, she questioned whether this was the best idea but then she stopped and knew she had to go see how he was doing. If it was her in his place, she’d want to know someone cared enough to check on her.
She slowly approached the door and knocked twice, “Spike?”
“GO AWAY!” shouted Spike from the other side of the door.
Scootaloo sighed and almost walked but she stopped when she heard sniffles, “That’s it! I’m coming in!” She pushed the door open and saw Spike sitting next to the window crying.
“I said go away….” She ignored his protests and walked towards him until they were face-to-face.
“Why did you let her talk to you like that? I know she’s a princess, but---”
“Exactly! She’s a princess!” said Spike as he turned to face the filly. “She has a whole kingdom to worry about! She has enough to worry about without some stupid dragon giving her the wrong papers and knocking over the stacks and everything else I do wrong! No matter how much I do I always do SOMETHING wrong!”
“When have you done something wrong?” Spike’s eyes clouded over in surprise.
“Well, um….my list for the day is over here.” He picked up the parchment roll that was on his desk and rolled it out. It rolled all the way to the far wall and Scootaloo could tell by the way it rebounded a bit that there was even more to that list.
“That is way too much for you to do,” said Scootaloo as she skimmed a small part of the list.
“What can I do? She’s the princess. I can’t force her to cut down the list, especially when the deadline for a lot of these things is that day because she forgot about it and then what isn’t due that day is a two day job.”
“Which is exactly why you need someone to help you!”
“Twilight must have faith in me to do it on my own…..”
“Your mental and physical health should come before all the crap she wants you to do!”
“What can I do, she’s the princess! She can banish me somewhere terrible!”
“Or she might respect the fact you stood up for yourself and either ease up on you or get someone to help you out.”
“Oh please you’re used to help. You always have the Cutie Mark Crusaders to help you.” Scootaloo’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Excuse me?! I am not used to help!” said Scootaloo as she raised her small wings in defence. “I know that mister big fancy palace dragon wouldn’t know this, but I’m an orphan. I was abandoned by my own grandmother, ok? For the first years of my life, I was on my own, doing EVERYTHING for myself.”
Spike was a little set back by this. “I….Iknow you're an orphan…..”
Scootaloo cut him off, “Don’t you ever dare tell me I’m used to help! There have been so many times when I had only myself to depend on! For you to even think……” Scootaloo’s watering eyes ran over and she started to cry.
“Scoot….are you crying?” asked Spike as he tried to look at the pegasus as she hide her face behind her wings.
“No I’m not……” she sniffled as she slowly sat down near the door.
“I’m….I’m sorry. I knew you were an orphan, but I never knew you were abandoned by your grandmother too.
“No one does…..not even the crusaders.” Scootaloo wiped her eyes with her hoof.
“But you have Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom now. You have friends who care about you.
“And what happens if they find out I was abandoned? What’s going to stop them from doing the same one day?” Scootaloo looked away, the shame from her secret past obvious on her face.
“Nothing, but they won’t. They are your best friends,” said Spike as he reached out to touch her shoulder, causing her to blush.”I know they won’t think any differently.”
“When my parents died, my grandmother, who was my only family, who should have loved me, decided I wasn’t worth bothering over. Why should anyone else?”
“Because we care about you,” said Spike as he gave her a warm smile, but that smile did not last as Spike’s mind began to wander. “At least you had family. I never got to meet my parents.”
“Neither did I. I was abandoned…..I think I was 5 weeks old. I don’t even remember them and even if I did meet them, which I’m not even sure of. And you have family. Twilight hached you.”
“So what?!” yelled Spike. “Celestia told me about how she found my egg abandoned in a dragon’s nest surrounded by a bunch of already hatched eggs.” Tears started to form in Spike’s eyes as he continued. “Celestia never found out what happened to my family. My parents didn’t even bother to see if I would hatch!”
“Maybe it would have been dangerous for them to stay!” Scootaloo laid a hoof on his shoulder.
“No! They abandoned me! As soon as my brothers and sisters hatched, they just left me. A defenseless egg!” ()
“Spike, if you were in their place and all your children were in danger and you had to choose between an egg and all your other babies, would you wait to see if the egg would hatch? Would you risk all your children for one egg that might not even hatch?”
“I...I guess, but why couldn’t they just take me with them?”
“If the others were just born, they wouldn’t be very good flyers, now would they?”
“I guess,” said Spike as he looked at his back remembering that he himself still did not have his wings.
"I’m sure if they were able to keep you, you’d be with them right now.”
“Maybe, but….sometimes I wish I wasn’t a dragon.”
“Just like I wish I could fly…..” said Scootaloo sadly. “I don’t really belong anywhere.”
“But at least ponies don’t mistake you for an abomination. Most think that I will go on another greed fueled rampage if they give me stuff. I’m an abomination!”
No you’re not! Spike, you’re the most kind and gentle dragon I know! Which isn’t saying a lot because you’re the only dragon I know but still! You’ve come a long way from that greedy dragon and I’m proud of you! At least you aren’t a…..blank flank.”
“Scoot, who cares if you are a blank flank?”
“Have you not seen how every single pony in Ponyville with a cutie mark walks around with their nose in the air because they have one and ponies like me don’t?! They treat blank flanks like they’re useless! And I’m a flightless pegasus! Who in their right mind would trust me with anything ever?!” Scootaloo slumped back against the wall, “I’m no good to anyone.”
“You really need to stop listening to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoons,” said Spike as he tried to comfort the saddened filly. “They don’t know what’s special. The only thing special about them is that they have very bad personalities.”
“If they’re so bad, why does everyone listen to them?” Scootaloo looked incredulously at the small dragon.
“No one listens to them except their parents, and I don’t even think that they pay attention to them half the time.”
“You’re just saying that….”
“No I’m not,” said Spike as he placed a gentle claw on her shoulder. “I think you're special.”
“R….really?” Scootaloo smiled lightly as her face turned a light shade of pink.
“Yeah, and I’m not the only one. Rainbow Dash thinks so too!”
“Then why does she always ignore me?” asked Scootaloo as she looked down hiding her sadness.
“Wh...what? I thought she agreed to be your big sister figure.”
“I overheard her telling Pinkie Pie she only did that to shut me up. I told you no one wants me and no one cares about me.”
“Thats not true,” said Spike as he felt tears start to roll down his face. “No one wants me…..not even….Rarity!”
Scootaloo flinched lightly, “I….I gotta…..I’m coming Twilight!” She headed slowly for the door.Spike could only look at the bedroom door and questioned why Scootaloo had left, but it was not long before he could hear lite sniffling coming from beside the bed room.
Scootaloo sat in the hallway, feeling more unwanted than ever. She was the one who went upstairs to help him, yet all he could think about was Rarity. She wished she could just tell him about her crush, but now she knew it was a bad idea. She decided to cut her losses and started back downstairs.
“Scootaloo?” said Spike as he looked out of his bedroom door to see where she went.
“Y...yes?” Scootaloo did her best to keep her voice steady, because she didn’t want him to know she was crying.
“What’s the matter?”
“N….nothing I’m fine.” Scootaloo kept walking toward the stairs. Spike quickly looked past the sorry excuse for a lie.
“Come on you can tell me,” said Spike with a caring smile.
“Why don’t you go ask Rarity how she feels?!” Scootaloo burst into sobs as she ran downstairs.
“What?” asked Spike. Spike just stood there as he watched Scootaloo gallop down the stairs trying to figure what she meant.
Scootaloo ended up in the garden before she slowed down, “All he ever talks about is Rarity, Rarity this, Rarity that, Rarity, Rarity!” Scootaloo started to cry even harder, “Why can’t he notice me for once?” As she continued to sink further into depression, Spike quietly walked up to the distraught filly.
“Scootaloo, what do you mean?” asked Spike, scaring Scootaloo. “I notice you.”
“All you ever talk about is how Rarity is so pretty, Rarity is so great, how you wish you could be with Rarity….that’s what I mean.” Scootaloo choked on the tears that welled up again.
“So? I think she these things.” Spike paused for a moment as he look to the ground. “She’ll never like me so what’s the point.”
“YOU’VE GOT YOUR NOSE SO SHOVED UP HER PONYTAIL YOU NEVER NOTICED I LIKED YOU!” Scootaloo finally snapped and kicked a near-by fountain with her two back legs, “You always complain about what you can’t have, you never realize what you could have and you always break my heart!”
“Wh….what?”
“You heard me….. I’m gonna go before I make myself look even more stupid.” Scootaloo turned from him and headed for a near-by gate.
"Wait,” said Spike as he grabbed her hoof to stop her. “What do you mean I always break your heart.”
“Oh my word, you are so dense! I like you, I have for a long time but whatever! I’m not your precious Rarity…..”
Spike just looked at the now bright red faced orange pegasus in shock not sure what to say. As the two looked at each other, Spike’s mind began to think back to all the time he had spent with the filly. As he thought, he started to notice times when she would come around the library before it was destroyed and how she always tried to get him to hangout with her and the other crusaders. After what seemed like an eternity, the little purple dragon finally broke the silence.
“Y….you really l...like me?” asked Spike nervously as his purple scales turned red around his face.
“Yes, but why would you care? I’m not Rarity and I know that’s who you want.”
“‘You're wrong, I do care about you.”
“But you care about Rarity more. Let me know if she ever gives you the attention you really deserve.” Scootaloo turned away from the dragon to try and leave the castle, but was stopped by somepony pulling her back.
"No,” said Spike in a sad tone. “Please don’t go.”
Scootaloo looked back at him, “Spike, don’t worry, we’ll be friends. I know that’s what you’re about to say.”
“No, I don’t want you to go because….”
“Because?” Scootaloo told herself not to get her hopes up but a small part of her hoped to hear he felt the same way.
“I kinda like you too,” answered the dragon as his face turned bright red and looked down to the ground to hide his blush.
Scootaloo looked at him carefully, “But I thought…..”
“I gave up my crush on Rarity a while ago. I just didn’t see the point anymore she was never going to like me the same way I liked her.”
“Then why did you mention her upstairs?”
“Because I’m still dealing with the pain from loving her,” explained Spike as continued to look at the ground trying to avoid Scootaloo. “I never meant to hurt your feelings.”
Scootaloo smiled, “It’s OK. I understand.”
“But I hurt you.”
“Knowing Rarity, it’s not your fault.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s not exactly the kindest pony around. No offense.”
“I know and she is supposed to represent generosity,” said Spike as he chuckled a bit looking back up at the filly.
“Well…...where exactly do we stand?”
“I...I’m not sure,” said Spike nervously.
“Well, why don’t we just see how it goes?”
Spike hesitated and looked at the filly for a moment. Scootaloo had been honest with him with stuff that no pony had known. “But Scootaloo, why did you tell me all that stuff?”
“Because I trust you.”answered Scootaloo as she looked the dragon. Spike was surprised by her trust in him.
“I...I trust you too,” replied Spike as he looked into her purple eyes.
“New idea.”
“What is that?”
“No matter what happens, we can always talk to each other.”
“I like that idea,” said Spike as he took her hoof in his claw. “If you ever need somepony to talk to, I’m your dragon.”
Scootaloo smiled, “Need help with that giant list?”
“Sure, but how about we go out somewhere first? Just you and me.”
“I’d like that a lot. How about…..Sugarcube corner?”
“Sure, lets go,” said Spike as he lead Scootaloo out of the castle garden hoof and claw