Author's Note

I went on hiatus and then had some computer issues. I have returned and plan on weekly updates. Coming soon.. Guy Talk.

Betrayal

Betrayal

Chapter 8

Apple Bloom felt like she had butterflies in her stomach as her mind struggled to process this new turn of events. She was trying to put her feelings aside so Scootaloo could step in and Spike shows up to talk to her alone. The nervous feeling of facing your crush was worse enough without the guilt of betraying a close friend.

“Actually, I’m kinda busy right now.” She had to look away as Spike looked confused by her answer.

“Are you sure? It‘ll only take a second.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

“Oh, maybe later then.” She could feel the disappointment in her voice like a knife being twisted in her heart. The hardest part was when Spike walked past her. All the mental anguish and turmoil she had experienced since discovering her feelings came rushing back. She wondered if she’d always have to bear this pain. If her feelings for Spike never faded, could she truly ever get over him?

“Tsch! What a waste of time!” Spike thought as he walked away. Spike knew she liked him and she just blew him off like it was nothing. The only reason he went after her in the first place was because he thought she was a sure thing. It was a minor hitch anyway. There were plenty of other fish in the sea.

“I guess I‘ll have to find some random filly and start from scratch.” Spike said as he was walking away until a voice called out.

“Wait a second!” Scootaloo shouted as everyone turned their attention to her.

“What is it now?” Spike said digging in his ear.

“What’s with that tone?” She said equally irritated.

“The last time you shouted at me didn’t go so well. I think I’m well within my rights to be annoyed at you.”

“I‘m sorry, okay?” it wasn’t exactly the sincerest apology, but Spike accepted it all the same.

“I guess I forgive you. Is that all you wanted to say?” The dragon said looking at his claws.

“N-No, there’s something else.”

“This ought to be good. What is it now?”

The pegasus cast a sidelong glance at Apple Bloom. The moment was only a few seconds long, but the earth pony knew exactly what was going to happen next. She tried to be happy for her friend as she looked away.

“Ummm, do you want to…. I mean if you‘re not too busy…” Scootaloo said staring at the ground.

“Sure, I‘ll go out with you.”

“Huh?”

“That’s what you wanted to ask me, right?”

“How’d you know?”

“If you were anymore nervous, you’d be Fluttershy.” Spike put his claws together and pretended to look nervous. “Do you want to… I mean if you’re not too busy?” The dragon said playing up her nervous demeanor.

“Shut up!” Scootaloo said giving him a stiff hoof to the arm.

“So where do you want to go?”

“You mean now?”

“Is it a bad tine for you?”

“No, I just wasn’t expecting it to happen right away. Could you give me a second?” The filly said walking over to her friends. Sweetie Belle squealed with joy as her friend came back with a smile on her face.

“Oh, I’m so happy for you!” Sweetie Belle said hugging her friend.

“Do you guys mind if I leave early?”

“Of course, we don’t. Right, Apple Bloom?”

“Y-yeah, you go on ahead. I’m not feeling so hot today anyway.” Apple Bloom said excusing herself. Scootaloo wanted to say something to make it better but Sweetie Belle stopped her.

“Give her some time. I’m sure she just has a lot of stuff to work through right now.”

“I guess.” Scootaloo sighed. “What are you going to do?”

“I‘ll go see what sis is up to.” Spike started to cough loudly in an attempt to get Scootaloo’s attention.

“I should get going.”

“Good luck!” Sweetie Belle said as she waved her friend off. She watched as the two of them walked off together before turning and looking at Sweet Apple Acres.

She wondered if things would truly be the same between the three of them. \When Scootaloo looked away, Sweetie Belle saw the look on Apple Bloom’s face. It was only there for a second but it was as clear as day. It was the same look she had seen on Snails’ face so many times when he thought no one was looking. It was one of complete and utter sadness.

As she started the rather lengthy trek from Sweet Apple Acres to Carousel Boutique, she wondered what she could do for either of them. Her attempts to cheer Snails up had proven fruitless as he avoided talking to her at every available opportunity. To make matters worse, she had no idea what had happened to make him so depressed. She had tried everything she could think of. Well, almost everything.

“Maybe I should ask Rarity.” She thought to herself as she walked through town. It was her last resort and with good reason. If she even hinted that she had a crush on a colt, Rarity would go overboard trying to help her. She’d put her in all sorts of dresses, redo her mane a billion times, and basically make a bigger deal out of it than she wanted. Unfortunately, trying to talk to Snails had proven fruitless and Snips wouldn’t tell her anything. She needed the advice of somepony who was experienced in matters of love and Rarity was the only pony she knew.

As she approached Carousel Boutique, she noticed a figure in the bushes staring through the window. Sweetie Belle instantly recognized the pony lurking in the bushes as her classmate Peppermint Twist. It was like she was looking for something, but why she had to sit outside and spy was a mystery to the unicorn.

“Umm, Peppermint Twist?” She said shocking the filly. Twist jumped at the call and turned to find herself busted.

“S-S-Sweetie Belle! What are you doing here?” The filly asked nervously.

“This is my sister‘s place. Why exactly are you peeping through her windows?”

“I was… looking for a dress. Yeah, that’s it!”

“From the outside and in the bushes?” Sweetie Belle said looking at her more suspiciously.

“Well, I didn’t want to bother her.” She said as she started to turn and walk away. “By the way, you haven’t seen Spike anywhere, have you?”

“Why do you ask?” Sweetie Belle was caught off guard by the query, but it did explain why Twist was really lurking around Rarity’s place. She didn’t know exactly where Spike was, but she did know he was with Scootaloo. If she was willing to spy on Rarity, how far would she go if she knew he was on a date?

“I just wanted to talk to him about something. So do you know where he is?” Twist asked. Sweetie Belle had to keep her busy until the after noon was over. She looked around and noticed Rarity working on a dress through the window. At that moment, she had the most wonderful idea.

“How about a total makeover from my sister? It‘ll be so much fun!” She suggested. If there was one thing that could waste time, it was one of Rarity’s projects.

“I‘m kind of busy. I really have to talk to Spike.” Sweetie Belle said pushing her towards the door.

“Nonsense, it’ll only take a second. After one of my sister‘s makeovers, Spike won‘t be able to take his eyes off of you.”

“Really?” Peppermint Twist said excited by prospect of Spike’s adoration.

“Of course! Spike used to spend all his time around Rarity so she would know for sure how to get him.” Sweetie Belle said playing up the Spike angle. As long as she mentioned him, she’d probably follow her all the way to Canterlot.

“I guess I could spare a few minutes.” Twist said as she imagined Spike complimenting her on something besides her oral skills.

“That’s great! Follow me.” Sweetie Belle said as they entered the boutique.

Rarity was pacing around the mannequin with a furrowed brow as she examined her latest work. It was supposed to be a centerpiece that would go on display outside her boutique and draw a crowd that would bring her business the recognition that it was sorely lacking. Unfortunately, there was something missing. Something crucial that left it wholly unsatisfying to the fashionista’s high standards.

“Hey, Rarity!”

“Oh, Sweetie Belle! I thought you’d be out with looking for your cutie mark with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.”

“Where are Apple Bloom and Scootaloo anyway?” Twist wondered aloud before being pushed into Rarity by Sweetie Belle.

“This is Peppermint Twist and I told her you’d give her one of your amazing makeovers for absolutely free!” The little unicorn said changing the subject. Rarity looked at the filly for a moment before sighing.

“I’m very busy, Sweetie Belle! I don’t have time to play around. I need to figure out what the new display for my boutique is going to be before Photo Finish arrives. If I can impress her, all of Canterlot will be whispering my name.”

“You’re the Element of Generosity! Everyone already knows who you are.”

“Helping stop a evil alicorn from enshrouding the world is nice and all, but it doesn’t do much for my fashion career. I need to put something out that will really display my skills as artiste. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m very busy.”

“What about Peppermint Twist? She could totally be your centerpiece!”

“M-m-me?” Twist said surprised by Sweetie Belle’s proclamation. Rarity motioned for her younger sibling to come over to talk in private.

“Don’t worry about it, Peppermint Twist! Everything is totally fine!” She said before following Rarity to a secluded corner of the room.

“Do you remember when I told that some ponies have ‘it’ and some don’t? Well, I’m afraid your little friend falls into the latter category.” Rarity said as she tossed a smile and a wave in Twist’s direction.

“I know she’s not much to look at now, but I’m sure after one your makeovers she could do it.” Rarity sighed as she pressed a hoof in the center of her brow.

“I need to put something out there that will show Photo Finish what I’m capable of. This is very important for my boutique, and I can‘t risk that on your friend. I‘m sorry, Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie Belle was disheartened but not out.

“Hmm… What if you proved how fashionable you are by using your skills to change Peppermint Twist?”

“Sweetie Belle, I told you-”

“Just hear me out, sis! If you could show everyone that you could turn Twist into a total knockout, there’d be no question that you’d be the trendiest pony in all of Ponyville.” Rarity couldn’t believe it, but Sweetie Belle actually had a point. She had thought a dress and mannequin were enough, but a living, breathing model showcasing her personal flair and design had far more appeal. There was only one problem and that was the supposed model.

“I suppose I could give it a try, but it’s going to take some time. Photo Finish will be here tomorrow, so I‘m going to need to keep her here all afternoon. The mane alone will take hours to work. The tail is going to be a nightmare as well. I should also do something about those granny glasses of hers. She‘ll also need to come back tomorrow afternoon” Rarity said already throwing around ideas in her head.

“That’s great! What should I do?”

“Go fetch my camera! We’re going to need good before and after photos! This is going to be my greatest work ever. I can feel it!” Rarity said with newfound enthusiasm. By the time she was done, Peppermint Twist’s new look would be the talk of the town.

Later that Evening

“You can’t honestly believe that.” Spike laughed.

“It’s totally true. Rainbow Dash could totally beat Princess Celestia in a race.” Scootaloo announced.

“How do you figure?”

“Princeess Celestia is always riding around in chariots and stuff. She doesn’t get enough to practice to maintain a high level of speed like Rainbow Dash.”

“She’s carried the sun and the moon across the sky for a thousand years.” Spike countered as they walked through the town.

“Yeah, really slowly! You’d think she’d be able to do it faster by now.” She said as the princesses began to draw the day to a close. The two of them looked up to watch them work.

“She’s pulling the sun and the moon. You can’t just sling them across the sky in a rush. They‘re heavy.”

“They have magic. Weight doesn’t matter.”

“Coming from a pegasus pony that sounds pretty presumptuous.” Spike remarked.

“Last time I checked, dragons can’t do magic either.” She pointed out.

“I know more about it than you think. Twilight tells me all sorts of stuff when she’s practicing spells.”

“You still don’t know what it’s like to cast a spell.”

“I bet I could cast one now.” He said confidently.

“No way!”

“I’ll prove it! Close your eyes.” He said stopping in front of her.

“How am I supposed to see it?”

“It’s part of the magic. Trust me.”

“This better be good.” She said doing as he instructed.

Spike looked at her for a second before leaning and kissing her. At the instant their lips made contact, Scootaloo opened her eyes and looked into his as they connected on a new level. The warm sensation made her heart practically skip as she started to get into it. As Spike broke away, she slowly savored the warm feeling of his lip leaving hers.

“Wow.” She sighed.

“I told you I could cast a spell.” He smiled as Scootaloo blushed.

“You’re so cheesy.” She said pushing him away.

“I had a really great time today, but I should probably get home.” He took one of her hooves in his claws and held it.

“Me too. Do you want to hang out again tomorrow?” She asked.

“Come by the library after school tomorrow, okay.”

“Alright, bye.” She said quickly kissing him on the lips before skipping away. As Spike watched her, his smile faded as he yawned.

“That was so freaking boring.” He said stretching out as he started the trek back home. “It’s such a pain in the ass to do all this lovey dovey crap first. Twist was so easy.”

Speaking of which, he hadn’t seen her all day. He had anticipated her to come looking for him or something. Did she just go home? He couldn’t imagine her not trying to look for him. Maybe she did and they just missed each other. In any case, it was probably better she didn’t show up. It was less to explain for now and he had to focus on bedding Scootaloo so he could move on to the next filly.

“My next conquest, huh? Should I go after Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle? Or a completely different filly entirely?” The dragon shrugged as he walked on. It didn’t matter. There were so many fillies in this town that he could bang a different one every day for a year and never run out of options. This town was his gem and all he had to do was bite.

As the dragon grew closer to the library, he noticed somepony standing at the entrance. It looked like a filly and really cute one too. She had a beautiful, long red mane with a single white streak that covered her face and a shiny white coat that seen to shimmer in the waning sunlight. Before Spike knew it, he found himself unable to look away. She cast her somehow familiar red spectacles in his direction and smiled. He practically felt his heart skip as their eyes met.

“Spike? Is that you? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” She called out a she ran towards him. Her voice was so soft, yet mature. He almost didn’t answer just to hear her speak again.

“Umm… have we met? I think I’d remember meeting a filly as attractive as you.” The filly blushed as Spike’s words hit home.

“Wow, that‘s the first time you ever called me attractive! I was so mad that Rarity‘s makeover took so long, but hearing you compliment me made it all worth it.”

“Rarity? You must be some fancy Manehattanite doing some shopping, right?” Spike guessed. The filly giggled at his response.

“Wow! You really don’t recognize me. Maybe this will jog your memory.” She leaned in and immediately kissed Spike. Her tongue lightly touching his lips made him open his mouth letting her slip her inside. Almost immediately she put her forehooves around his neck as their tongues intertwined. She began to slide around around Spike’s tongue letting it wraparound her own. At that moment, Spike realized who she was. He tried to speak only to be hampered by their current predicament. The filly carefully disengaged as they separated.

“I knew you’d recognize the flavor of your sweet treat. I‘m sorry about kissing you out in the open, but I just couldn‘t resist.” Peppermint Twist giggled.

“F-Forget about that! What happened to you? You look and sound so… different.” He said still shocked by this new revelation.

“Rarity gave me a makeover! I was kind of on the fence about it at first, but seeing how much you like it, I think I could get used to it. I mean it’s the first time I actually changed my style. My mom usually brushes it for me, but only for a little bit. Rarity took ages and she did all sorts of other stuff to it. At one point, it felt like my scalp was on fire, but being a dragon-”

“Okay, I get it!” Spike sighed. Only Twist could pointlessly ramble on like that.

“What happened to your voice? Your lisp is completely gone.” She tossed the mane back revealing a white choker with a red ruby at the center.

“It’s because of this thing. Rarity said as long as I wear this my voice is completely normal. She enchanted it and everything.”

“Well, you look great! If it weren’t so late, I’d really like to play around with the new you.” He said casually stroking her mane.

“I wanted to play with you too. Where were you anyway?” She said pushing her face against his claw.

“I had some personal business to attend to. Don‘t worry about it.”

“Maybe next time you could tell me in advance. I could probably help.” Spike dropped his claw from her cheek and turned away.

“I told you it was personal.” He said looking away.

“I’m sorry. I just thought if you had help…”

“What have I told you about thinking?”

“I’m sorry. Can you come to Carousel Boutique tomorrow? I’m going to be modeling some dresses for Rarity. I‘d really like it if you came.”

“I got something to do.” He said waving her off as he headed towards the library door.

“Please! It’d really mean a lot if you were there!” She shouted as he reached for the door. The dragon stopped and turned to face her. A neutral expression in his face as he stared at her.

“I said no and I meant it. You get a makeover and suddenly think you make demands of me. Do you know how many fillies there are in this town? I could snap my fingers and have a whole new flock of fillies ready to take your place. I suggest you keep that in mind when I say no. Understood?” He said in a stern and harsh voice.

“I’m sorry.” She whimpered.

“Whatever.” He said walking into the library and slamming the door. The filly stood their for awhile crying softly to herself.

“He’s right. I shouldn’t have been so pushy. I’m so stupid.” She said as her makeup started to run.

“That’s right! You are.” A voice called out to her. The filly looked up to see where it came from, but there was no one else around.

“Who said that?” She said feeling a little spooked.

“I’m the one Spike wants. The one he deserves.” The voice said with a sinister tone.

“Who are you? I won’t let anyone take Spike away from me!” She said frantically searching for the source of the voice. It sounded so close that it could have been right next to her, but there wasn’t another pony around besides her.

“That’s good! You have to want it enough!” The filly started to whirl around figuring the voice was behind her, hiding just out of her periphery.

“But I thought you wanted Spike?” Twist said confused.

“I want what you want because we’re one in the same.”

“This is some kind of sick joke! A unicorn is casting a weird spell on me. That‘s it! It‘s probably Snails or someone.” She said as her voice started to crack.

“Come now, Twist! Snails couldn’t cast a spell to save his life. Even if he could, we both know he doesn’t have the balls to face us, let alone get revenge. He‘s a complete pussy now. It‘s actually kind of pathetic the way he can‘t even look in our direction.”

The filly took off in the hopes that she could escape the spell. She looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever it was. It had to be someone else. It was probably Diamond Tiara. She could easily pay a unicorn to do something dirty to her.

“Now you’re really reaching! Diamond Tiara! She’s even worse off than Snails. Ever since we shoved her to the ground and made her see what it feels like to be pushed around, she can’t even bring herself to act like a bitch anymore. It was a long time coming if you ask me.”

Peppermint Twist had made to her house and quickly ran upstairs. She threw herself on her bed and buried her head under her pillows. It had to be some kind of prank. Someone else was making that voice. It could be coming from anywhere else. For awhile everything was quiet, she looked around and sighed as the voice had seemingly disappeared.

She decided to get up and check on her face. Rarity had told her not to exert herself or her hair could get all frizzy. She walked to the mirror near her door and did a quick check. Everything seemed alright as she looked herself over, except her reflection seemed wrong somehow. Her hair was bangs seemed to go right instead of left.

“Are you done?” The voice said reappearing again. Twist immediately fell to floor and covered her ears. With any luck, the voice would go away like last time.

“I’m not going away! Look in the mirror.” The voice said clearly annoyed. Twist refused to acknowledge the voice’s request though.

“La-la-la! I can’t hear you!” She shouted without looking up.

“Okay, this is getting pathetic! If you want to lose Spike forever, that’s fine with me. I’m sure he and Apple Bloom will make a wonderful couple.”

“No!” The filly said standing up and looking at her reflection. It was smiling back at her despite that the fact that she was clearly not.

“Glad to see you still have some spine left!” The reflection said.

“But how? Am I crazy?” Twist thought to herself.

“You’re not crazy. You’re in love. There’s a difference, no matter how slight.”

“What are you?” The filly said lightly pressing her hoof against the mirror.

“I’m you. When you pushed that rich tramp into the ground and broke that idiot’s poor, dumb heart, I came out. If you‘re the good girl, I‘m the bad one you keep locked away.”

“You said you were the filly Spike wanted. The one he deserves. What did you mean?”

“First of all, you’ve been going about this whole thing with Spike all wrong. You can’t just chase after him all the time. I’m here because you need my help more than ever.”

“What should I do?”

“Leave Spike alone. He’s pushing you away because there’s no challenge anymore. Remember when he wanted to try anal.”

“It wasn’t so bad.” She shrugged.

“It was awful, and you hated every minute of it. You had to go to school the next day and sit on a sore bottom for hours. Don’t even get me started on the blowjobs. A little more warning than grabbing my ears and shoving it deeper would be appreciated before he cums down my throat. I think our gag reflex is practically nonexistent. Speaking of which, why doesn‘t he ever go down on us for a change? He did it that one time and never again. He has such a-”

“Wow! Do I really go off on tangents like that?” Twist said as she watched her reflection go on. It was so hard to get a word in. She just kept talking and talking. Hopping from one subject to the next without any sign of stopping. No wonder Spike got so angry at her.

“Hey, are you listening to me?” She asked.

“What if ignoring him doesn’t work? He could go to Apple Bloom or another pony.” Twist asked.

“We’re not just going to ignore him. We’re also going to make him jealous.”

“Jealous? You don’t mean-”

“That’s right! You have to get close to someone besides Spike.” Twist looked down and sighed. She never wanted to be with anyone other than Spike. The very thought of even kissing another colt made her want skin crawl.

“I don’t know. Things are fine the way are. Why ruin things?”

“Don’t you get it? If you stay Spike’s sweet treat, you’re going to lose him. You’re just a play thing to him now. Something to be tossed away when he gets bored. Is that what you want? I don’t want to get close to anyone else either, but if things continue the way they are now, we’ll lose him altogether.” Her reflection said breaking down in tears. Twist had long since known this was the case, but she always hoped that her devotion and love for Spike would somehow keep them together. That was never the case though.

“I have no choice.” Twist said wiping her eyes.

“We have to do whatever it takes to keep him.” Her reflection said staring back.

“Of course!” Twist smiled.

The Next Day

“Come on, buddy! You got to get over this.” Snips said for the millionth time.

“I am over it!” Snails said looking away.

“No, you’re not! You always look away when you’re lying.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore, okay?” He said increasing his pace as they walked to school. Snails knew that Snips was only trying to cheer him up, but he couldn’t talk to anyone about what happened. Just reliving that awful memory was enough to make him tear up. He couldn’t do that in front of his best friend.

“At least, tell me what happened between you and Twist.” Snips said struggling to match the much taller colt’s pace.

“Nothing happened! Stop asking me already!” He said looking away again. Snips knew for a fact that something happened at the post office. He could never forget the scene he saw as he and Spike walked outside that day. Snails running away crying as Twist watched with an evil smirk on her face. He could never forgive for what she did to him, even though he had no idea what had transpired. To make matters worse, Spike had continued to hang out with her afterwards. He wasn’t sure he wanted anything to do with the dragon anymore.

The duo’s walk was interrupted by the sound of crying. They looked over and noticed a filly weeping next to a tree. Even though her back was turned, she looked like a real knockout. He noticed saddlebag on her back and wondered if she was a new student or something.

“Check out the hottie crying to herself by the tree!” Snips said.

“What should we do?”

“You should totally go talk to her.”

“Me? Why me?”

“She’s probably some new girl who got lost on the way to class. If you swoop in and help her out, you‘ll be her hero, pal!”

“I don’t know.” Snails said reluctant about approaching another girl. He had been skittish around the fairer sex ever since the incident with Twist. Most of the time, he spent his time dodging girls. A task that wouldn't have been so hard, if not for Sweetie Belle who had started hounding him recently.

“I’ll tell you what. If you talk to her, I promise I’ll never ask about Twist again.” Snips swore.

“Really?”

“Really!” He nodded. Snails decided it couldn't hurt to see what was wrong and if it got Snails off his back, all the better for him.

The colt swallowed hard and walked towards the filly. Upon closer inspection, the red in her hair seemed oddly familiar. The colt quickly pushed the thought out of his head. He didn't want to think about her anymore.

“Hey, are you all right?” He asked. The filly turned around and looked at him with those big pink eyes he recognized almost immediately. Before the colt could react, the filly wrapped her hooves around his neck and embraced him.

“P-P-P-Peppermint Twist!”