Rise of the Red Spirit

Chapter eight: I guess I can live with this.

        Spike walked out of the tree the following morning, ready to stretch his wings for the day. Once Princess Luna left all eyes were focused on Trinity, comforting her, begging her to get out of her nightmare-ish vision. Twilight and Kovu fell asleep beside her. The dragon didn’t have the heart to wake the group up—they deserved a nice long rest.  We've been through too much already, He thought with a sigh.

      Spike shook his head as he took flight, fighting back a yawn while the wind hit his cheeks. He had always been a simple soul; his routine was the same every morning. When he was a young dragon he took it all for granted, thinking that nothing would ever change. As the years passed, however, he began to notice different things. His body changed, his thought process changed… he was no longer the young, sarcastic dragon that was Twilight’s trusted assistant. He became a rebellious teenager, someone who had a lust for adventure, and a conquest for love. He even managed to get a part time job at the Weather Patrol Team while Rainbow was out at the Wonderbolts; they needed an extra hoof. His love for Rarity never changed, though. As time passed on, she too, gained feelings, and with the help of his mother they began a relationship that he’d always dreamed of.

      A small smile traced the edges of his lips at the thought of her, and he did a loop in the air. Rarity was no longer a childhood crush—she was his lover, somepony to hold, rely on, when the time was needed.

    The famous boutique came into view then, and he landed safely on the ground, his feet creating a soft thud.

     “Spike?” Rarity asked, opening the door. She gave him a dubious look. “What are you doing here at 3 in the morning? Not that I… n-not that I’m offended, of course.”

It’s funny how I can just stand there and still make her blush like a schoolfilly… He ran his claws through the scales on his head, fighting a sigh. “Sorry love. I just really need to talk to you.”

    Rarity nodded with a small blush, “Always, darling. Come on in.”

   Spike grinned as he trudged into the boutique, looking around at all the new clothing on display. His marefriend had definitely gotten better over the years, branching out to different styles and different fabric. Long hours had defiantly paid off, and she hadn’t let fame get to her head after the incident long ago. Sweetie Belle had fallen fast asleep on her school project that was due the following day, drool falling from her mouth.

       “How’s Trinity?” The unicorn murmured, taking his claw into her hoof.

    “She’s... Oh Rarity…” He sniffed, and within the hour, relayed the full story from what he’d witnessed to her. The two went through an entire box of tissues, ultimately waking Sweetie Belle up from her slumber, and had to get another just for her.

     Rarity wiped her eyes with her hoof and rubbed his arm gently, baring a tiny smile on her face. “Th-then if that’s what the Princess of the Night wishes, I will happily obey her command.”

     “She’s officially a member of the CMC in my book. I don’t care what anypony else thinks.” Sweetie Belle spoke up proudly, and her sister nuzzled her.

      “How… how did you feel about her, Rarity? When you first met?” Spike asked then, leaning over the table.

     Rarity thought for a moment. “If I’m honest with myself, Spike, I could easily tell that there was just something about her… something that she possesses that’ll design her for greatness. She has willpower, my darling, for withstanding those girls for so long. If she hasn’t given up, if she hasn’t ended her life then, then there’s no way she’ll give up now. The least we can do is show her that she has friends that care for her the entire journey.”

     A wide grin spread across Spike’s face. “Thank you, Rare. I knew you would share the same feelings as me.”

    “Let us hope that one day so will she.” Was his only response, and Sweetie Belle nodded, shivering only slightly when a timberwolf’s howl could be heard in the distance, with a curdling scream right afterwards.

   “Yeah…”

******

      Trinity woke up the next morning in a daze, slowly getting used to her surroundings. For a mere second she imagined herself back in her bed in the human world, dreading over the fact that she would have to leave for school. But when Kovu nuzzled her with affection to wake her out of her trance, she felt a sense of relief wash over her.

This is… the lesser of two evils, I guess. She thought with a yawn, If these ponies are willingly showing me hospitality… then they must be serious… right? Trinity shook her head.

    “Morning, Kovu.” She murmured sleepily, and the coyote frowned, nuzzling her again. He gave her a sympathetic look as if he could read her thoughts. “Hey, I’m alright. Honest.” He lulled his head to one side, almost as if he knew she was lying to him. “Okay…” She sighed. “I’m not. But I just don’t know how to feel better, alright? E-everything I try to do…” She paused for a moment. “I was a mess last night, huh?”

     His ears flattened as he made no sound, hopping off the bed and onto the floor.

I thought so… She shook her head and followed her pet, the two silently making their way down to the kitchen. Twilight was there with breakfast already made. She forced a smile at her friend. Spike rubbed his eyes from lack of sleep.

     “Good morning, Trinity.”

    She frowned, narrowing her eyes. “Cut the crap. You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”

       Twilight gave up her smile and put her hoof to her face, rubbing her temples. “I’m only mad ‘cause you can’t accept yourself, Trinity. Look, I know what happened. Luna saved you from your nightmare and told me all about it—you did nothing wrong, Trinity. That girl manipulated you into thinking so.”

     “I’m a bitch, Twilight. Why would you want to be friends with a bitch?”

   Spike shot up from his seat angrily, pointing a finger at her. “Because you have a right and a will to live!” He seethed— the corners of his eyes prickled with tears. “She doesn’t. She can go rot in a dungeon for all I care. You’re absolutely amazing, Trinity, for the things you’ve been through.  You’re not a freak. You’re not a mistake, and you’re most certainly not. A. Bitch.” He fell to the floor on his butt, defeated. “Why can’t you see that anymore?”

      Trinity stared at him with a fixed gaze, before closing her eyes, memories flashing through her mind once more. She didn’t cry. She didn’t move. It was as if she were frozen in time. Twilight shared a knowing look with Spike. Then, finally, when she spoke, it was chaos.

        “Everybody I thought loved me told me the opposite.”

   The group had gotten out of the library around twelve in the afternoon, letting Trinity cry out her fury. Spike held her hoof the entire time, like an older brother would, while Twilight handed her the tissues with her magic. Today was the day Trinity would get her stitches out, after two whole weeks of being suspended in her bed. She was relieved for the most part, since she thought that she would never get them off. Twilight had to smile when she saw the mare bounce in her step for the first time.

  “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the notorious Starlet,” A voice came from one of the clouds, and a toad fell onto Twilight’s face. She glared up at Discord.

    “Really? Toads?”

   The dragonquus completely ignored her, though, and passed a smile towards Trinity’s way. He bowed slightly. “Pleasure to finally meet you; Pinkie Pie wouldn’t stop her blabbing about that incident. I guess she had every reason to.”

     Trinity humbly smiled, remembering this creature from the history books she read. He truly was, in a sense, his own example of harmony. “I-it’s nice to hear I’m talked about with good meaning.”

   Discord shared a look with Twilight, for he too, heard about her nightmare from Luna. He then shook his head at her. “My dear, what’s there not to talk about? You’re practically a hero, around these parts.” He patted her head as if she were a dog. “Don’t think of yourself so lowly.”

   “I-I’m trying, Discord.”

    He threw his head back with a laugh, “Well then whatever you’re doing stop it, obviously it isn’t working,” He then turned his head around to somepony calling his name, and blushed. “That’s my love—I better get going. Where are you guys off to?”

   Spike slapped his claw on her shoulder. “Trinity here is going to get her stitches out, finally. She’s had them in for longer than she needed.”

     “Oh!” Discord’s eyes lit up in happiness, “Well, I can get you there no problem, if you don’t mind.”

    “Uh… Discord, you really don’t have…” Twilight murmured, but he didn’t listen, teleporting them in front of the hospital. “…to.” The dragonquus let out a jolly laugh before sipping on his cup of chocolate milk –that had just appeared out of nowhere- and disappeared back into Sugar Cube Corner.

       “That’s Discord for you.” Spike said nonchalantly, folding his arms. “C’mon girls, let’s go in.”

    Trinity shook her head as a smile plastered on her face, following the two with Kovu close behind. He grinned up at her, beaming. Nurse Redheart looked up from her book to see a familiar face, and smiled, happy to realize that she came in early.

     “Starlet! Oh, how good to see you. Ready for your exam today?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.” She answered back with a cheesy grin, letting her brown hair fall into her eyes. Her confidence faltered, however, when she caught sight of the tools around the workplace. “Um, will it… be painful?”

    Nurse Redheart shook her head. “You’ll be asleep the whole time, dear, like when I put the stitches on you when you first got here. It’ll be like nothing ever happened.”

    “O…okay then.” Twilight put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder, while Spike gave her a confident smile. She couldn’t say or hear anything afterwards, for as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was greeted by darkness.