Growing Pains

by Lucefudu

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 1618

Spike maturation process prompts the dragon to become hostile

Growing up is never an easy thing... Especially for dragons. But when Twilight asks Spike to run some errands for her, the maturing dragon feels that, this time, the mare crossed the line.

[Cover image by Limearts]

Published 2012-03-12 22:44:03 UTC
Last updated 2012-03-12 22:44:03 UTC

Story

"What did you say?!" Twilight asked, incredulous. Spike thought that Twilight would just burst into flames like she once did at Froggy Bottom Bog. Despite being afraid of Twilight, Spike felt that he had to confront her, or else he would spend the rest of his life being her shadow. The little dragon had grown quite a bit in the passing years. But in the past season, Spike’s mood began to suffer some oscillations. He quickly changed from the usually sweet and kind dragon that everypony knew and cared for, to something completely apathetic and devoid of respect for anypony.

The mere presence of ponies around him made Spike feel that he was at the brink of an emotional explosion. Everything that was told to him, Spike took as a personal offense. Every time Twilight asked him to run an errand for her or cook the meals, he felt like he was slave to her. Only there to serve her needs. He felt that everything that she did depended so much on his help that he had been living her life for her.

Twilight didn't know much about the normal physiology of dragons. She didn't know that the mood swings were part of a dragon's maturing process when one didn’t succumb to greed. The drastic changes became something like a routine for Twilight in the past months. She thought that he was maturing like anypony and shrugged it off as a phase. Although partly correct, she was clueless as to the permanent apathy that took hold of dragons when they were fully matured; something Spike was almost achieving. It never crossed Twilight's mind as to why, in the peaceful land of Equestria, no dragons were seen alongside with ponies ever.

"I said, buck off, Twilight!" He said, spitting her name as if it were poisonous. When she tried to walk near him, Spike snapped and hissed at her. That fake demonstration of affection and the constant, growing need for his help in the most simple of the day's activities were wearing him out badly.

"Spike, what is wrong with you?!" Her tone shifted from anger to shock, as Spike never before exploded when around her. He usually kept himself alone when the ponies made him lose his mind.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you!? With all of you!" He said gesticulating everywhere around him.

"What do you mean?" Twilight said, confused, eliciting a sigh from the dragon.

"What I mean is that you all ponies treat me like I'm nothing! Like I'm here just to fulfill your everyday needs. Well, I'm not!" Twilight expected an angry dragon, accusing her for the most illogical things. But Spike’s voice was calm and nonchalant. His demeanor also changed, shifting from an a defensive state to a neutral one. Twilight swore that Spike’s eyes seemed soulless. “For far too long I’ve endured you, Twilight Sparkle. But only now I’ve come to realize that I’ve become one of the most important pillars that keeps your life from falling apart onto itself.”

Twilight lifted her forehoof and opened her mouth, readying herself for one of those explanations. Spike foresaw that and cut her short. “Do you have any idea of what it is like to work and never have the appreciation one deserves?”

“Spike, I’ve-”

“Throughout the years, all I’ve done is what you asked me to. I confess that I exchanged my own happiness for yours, Twilight Sparkle. I really believed that if you were somehow happy, I would be happy too.” Spike lowered his head a bit and inhaled deeply before facing Twilight once more. “But you abused me... You kept neglecting your chores, pushing them to ‘Spike, your number one assistant’.” He said, mimicking her voice. “You never stopped to think about me, about what I really wanted. You knew that I was too young to handle myself on my own. You knew that if I ever talked back at you, you could lecture or discipline me. You kept me as your pet slave, Twilight Sparkle.”

“What? Spike, you know that’s not true!” She yelled at him.

“Oh, no? If I wanted to leave back then, where would I go? Where could I go? Ponyville, Appleloosa and Canterlot are the only places in Equestria that I know and both Appleloosa and Canterlot are too far away for me to have travelled on my own. I was stuck here, Twilight Sparkle. Stuck with you!” He said, maintaining his calm demeanor. He lazily raised his arm and pointed a finger at her. “Slave by servitude.” He paused and snickered at the dumbstruck mare. “You had me in your hoof, Twilight Sparkle. Maybe this could be avoided... maybe. But not anymore.” He said as he advanced towards the library’s door.

Suddenly a memory rushed through his head. A tale Twilight told him about her younger years. One she wasn’t proud of. He let out an emotionless snicker which disturbed Twilight. “What? What is so funny?”

“Oh, I’ve just remembered what you once told me about a little crush of yours and how you managed to ruin it completely. It all makes sense now; you have an amazing skill to push everypony you hold dear out of your life, Twilight Sparkle. Maybe you should have two cutie marks. It amazes me as to how you managed to keep your friends here in Ponyville for so long.” He paused and snickered once more. “I remember that it was me that convinced you to try and befriend them. You could say that I’m living your own life more than you are.” He turned around and looked at Twilight. She was nearly in tears. “I’m not angry at you, Twilight Sparkle. I’m just disappointed.”

Spike waited for some sort of reply from the lavender mare. Her lips tumbled as if she was trying to come with something to say. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t read Spike’s reaction. There was no anger, no remorse, no sadness, no nothing. The dragon shrugged and turned around, walking towards the library door.

"But... but Spike..." Twilight asked in a voice that was tinged by fear just as Spike reached out for the knob. He stopped and turned around once more to face her. Twilight was afraid of losing Spike. But she was much more scared of his determination. Up until today he always was passive about almost everything. Spike raised one of his brows and Twilight panicked, thinking that it would be the last time she would be able to see the little dragon. “What... what about Rarity?!”

"Ah... Rarity." Spike seemed to contemplate the name a bit. Twilight's heart skipped a bit at his hesitation. ‘I did it! I convinced him to stay!’ Twilight thought, a bit proud of herself. "She is just as responsible for this as you are."

"Oh, Spike I’m gl- wai- what?!"

"Both you and she are to be held responsible for this. I do know that my little crush was a silly thing. But back then, I really hoped that it would work out. I'm not mad that it didn't, though... what really gets me is how she was able to humiliate and mistreat me when she knew I was eating in her hooves." He turned around to face Twilight, his eyes fixed on hers, a smug grin on his face. "Like you, she knew what she meant to me. And like you, she used me without giving any thought. I'm really not mad at any of you. I pity you all."

He glared accusingly at Twilight one more time before opening the door and calmly walking outside. Spike kind of felt grateful for Twilight and Rarity. If it were not for them, he wouldn’t be in this relieving situation. Spike heard Twilight’s frantic yells approaching him. He unfurled his wings and ran as fast as he could and, in a moment he was on the sky. Spike flew many times around Ponyville, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this particular day held the most beautiful visage he’d ever seen. Spike inhaled the pure high altitude air. He felt it cooling him from the inside, soothing his very soul. It was then that he saw Twilight desperately running after him and yelling.

“SPIKE, WAIT!” She teleported a bit ahead, but was still very distant from the soaring dragon. “SPIKE, PLEASE COME BACK!” He was barely able to hear Twilight’s scream.

Spike thought about all the adventures he had with Twilight and the other ponies and snickered. “No.”

Author's Notes

Inspired by:

H8_Seed - Shoot the Messenger

You pride yourself on being rather shrewd
And yet you never show me gratitude
I'm sick and tired of playing your dumb game
I'm hurt and you're the one to blame

Chorus: I just wanna will it away
But even now, you taunt me still
You pretend to think it's okay
That I'm the one that holds your quill

I hope when you think about the things you say
That you know you need me; I don't need you
And you knew not to shoot your messenger
(Well, if you didn't, then now you do)

Chorus

Message to H8_Seed: I must thank you for giving me permission to write this, but all in all, I'm thankful that you composed this awesome piece. In fact, I have to thank all the bronies out there for their effort in making this community SO AWESOME!

Yes, this could be considered a somewhat sequel of Crimson Brass’ story. You really know how to fuck things up, don’t you, Twilight?

For a story written before Secret of My Excess, this turned out very nice.