Art of night 3: Haunted Heart

by ImaginaryCatnip

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Spike
Length: 7112

What would you do if your heart became haunted by the one closest to you? Twilight tried to find answer and made her decision, but no matter how far she wanted to run away, it always came back... Spilight

In all of her years, Twilight Sparkle always could tell about herself, with utmost confidence, that she had attained the precious thing called knowledge. It was the single, little truth often spoken by others thus she believed that she could solve any problem by herself if significant amount of time was given... but some problems can't be solved by us alone, especially not those of heart, no matter how much time is given.

Even today there are questions she can't answer because the road is uncertain. Without scientific data to proceed forward, how would she solve them? Read to find out how she journeys towards unknown while being guided by by the only one who can give her the answers...

Proof read and edited by Aetherdash who did awesome job to improve this fic quality!

Published 2014-05-27 06:10:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-27 06:10:03 UTC

Chapter I

Haunted Heart
by ImaginaryCatnip

Deep inside the impenetrable darkness, where neither sound nor sight reached, there shone a silvery pillar of light, its glow warm like the embrace of a long forgotten motherly love that emanated unfathomable power. Sparkling with thousands of little stars, it invited her closer, the core of magic and knowledge which she felt deep inside herself. Her hooves tapping against the crystalline surface moved of their own accord, her forelegs reaching for the energy but then…

“TWILIGHT!” A familiar scream abruptly brought her from the trance, the silence vanishing instantly, replaced by something akin to a heavy blow through the back of her head. As she fought back the violent spasm, she laid with her cheek against the stone floor. The cold surface calmed her slowly as the whole world swirled all around, though it did little to soothe the irritation that was steadily arising deep inside of her.

“Twilight?” Once again the voice called out and then there was an audible creak of basement door opening and the sound of talons scratching against wooden stairs. A short while later, a gasp reached her ear, followed by two strong, scaly and yet, gentle claws wrapping around her trembling body.

“Gosh, sorry Twi, I didn’t know you were meditating.” Spike apologized to her while cradling her in his arms as she could only whimper from the nauseous feeling inside of her body. She had told him time and time again that her meditation was not to be interrupted, especially if she was falling into deep trance like this.

The mare opened her mouth and a whisper escaped from it, which Spike noticed instantly although he failed to hear it. Moving his scaly head closer to her mouth he tried to listen as it seemed she had something important to tell him, maybe a request, and as her number one assistant he was inclined to listen.

“I’m going to kill you one of those days…how many times have I told you not to shout in the library…” His lifelong friend groaned, her hot breath brushing against scales on his cheek, earning a chuckle from Spike, who knew she didn’t actually mean the first part and as for the second… Let’s just say that Spike had a very good but selective memory. It was actually her own fault for not keeping to her usual schedule and not warning him about her plans, but they’ll argue about it later.

Sighing, he easily lifted her up in his arms and began to move towards the exit, noticing that once again she had made a complete mess of the basement. Scrolls, books, candles and other stuff littered the whole floor, save for the small place where she used to lay mere seconds ago. They had been living together for so long now and yet he still couldn’t teach her that when searching for what she needs, she should put the unneeded things back instead of tossing them anywhere randomly.

“Put…me…down…” Twilight struggled in his grasp trying to get free, cheeks colored red as she always hated when he carried her around or so Spike thought. Funny, that only one year before he used to be the one who rode on her back and now, after hitting a growth spurt, their roles were reversed. It was something Twi light never could get used to and always opposed treatment like this, especially after Rainbow Dash joked once that they look like a married couple.

Compared to what others might think, she had never wanted a mate in her life, as she wanted to be more like Starswirl the Bearded or Princess Celestia herself. In her eyes, those two idols of hers always seemed to be able to achieve everything on their own, and she wanted to be just like them. True, the idea of settling down wasn’t bad, but there were so many books and starting a family would mean less time to read them all.

Honestly, she couldn’t even imagine continuing her important studies between sharing time for her friends, family and other chores, which would even pile up if one day her special somepony wanted to have kids. It simply wasn’t for her…or so she rationalized within her own mind as a way of refuting how she really felt about the whole concept.

“You know it is no use, right?” Spike asked upon entering her bedroom as she continued to struggle, her soft fur tickling muscles between his scales. They didn’t share this room like in the past after Spike had grown up and moved to his own room. Now it has become something like a private sanctuary of Twilight Sparkle that Spike hardly got access to. It came as no surprise to him when he was greeted by books, dust, more books and Celestia only knows what else that littered the floor.

Sighing deeply at the mess, he moved towards her bed and much to Twilight’s protest put her under the covers. Looking at him sternly, she tried to get up but his strong claw held her firmly in place.

“Come on, Spike! You know I have a dead line in my schedule and can’t lie down now.” She informed him, but the dragon didn’t budge, he simply sat there and stared at her until she stopped a little. Normally, she would’ve used magic to get free, but since Spike had grown up, his natural magic resilience made simple spells no longer work unless she put significant force behind them, and that could hurt him.

Crossing her forelegs before herself, she pouted and laid down obediently. However, the familiar twitch of her ear told Spike clearly she was far from being calm.

“Okay, what is it about this time?” She asked, her impatience growing more and more with every passing second. Her schedule was tight and in recent months it was arranged so well that she was overworking herself, which was something Spike naturally despised.

“It’s about you and your work Twi, because you barely come out of the library now a days. Not only are your friends worried but even Celestia is! You should know better than anypony that she rarely worries about such stuff unless it’s important.” Spike gestured lively while talking, at the last part even showing Twilight the scroll which had been sent recently. As ridiculous as it sounded, on this piece of parchment, adorned with a royal seal, an actual order was written for the youngest Alicorn Princess to take vacation.

“I have scheduled the time for vacation so what’s the problem?” She asked, a vein popping out on her forehead. This talk was something they were both having almost every day now, and it always made their tempers flare up almost instantly. From Twilight's perspective, her studies were meant for the betterment of all of ponykind and she also enjoyed doing them. For all her knowledge, she simply couldn’t comprehend why everypony insisted so strongly that she should take a break. She didn’t ask them to do such a thing, and she needed to immerse herself in books to not think about…other stuff.

“Are you really going to spend your life like that? Not everything can be scheduled, you know?” Spike inquired while tapping his claw impatiently against his purple scales. He just couldn’t understand her sometimes, and he was sure it wasn't because she was a mare. Her passion for knowledge was admirable but it was going off the charts right now. What happened to make her this way? He had no idea.

“I know that Spike!” Twilight almost yelled, because it frustrated her every time Spike brought that up. She had learned her lessons long ago and was no longer a shut-in pony like back in Canterlot, so whenever he treated her this way, it was simply irritating and hurt her feelings.

“All I’m saying is you should sometimes take a break. You know, go outside, maybe date somepony? It can be fun you know?” He said, preparing to move back but her next words struck a nerve.

“Oh yeah, fun, like with you and Rarity, right? A lot of fun indeed.” She spat but regretted those words almost instantly when she noticed the hurt look on Spike’s face.

“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” She started to apologize but Spike’s raised claw stopped her. The topic of Rarity was one they always avoided as it brought back unpleasant memories for the dragon.

In the past, after trying to woo the alabaster beauty constantly for so long, Spike didn’t have much hope that his heart's desire would be granted. It was only logical that he came to slowly accept it, blaming his baby appearance, something which couldn’t be helped. He almost gave up all hope, but then the growth spurt happened. It was as if miracle occurred for the young drake, so as expected, with hopes at their peak, he once again tried to ask Rarity out, but the result was a complete disaster.

Since this time around it was different, Rarity, who had never wanted to see the dragon broken, couldn’t simply treat him like a kid with silly crush anymore. With no options left, poor Spike had met the same fate as other potential admirers and she had to break his heart by outright refusing his advances like adults would do. For Spike, who’d had his hopes really high, it was a crushing blow that sent him into deep depression, but the worst was yet to come.

It all only worsened when a few weeks after that, Rarity announced her new coltfriend to Twilight and the others… another crushing blow indeed. It wasn't because of malice or some grudge towards Spike. Nopony could actually blame Rarity for jumping at a chance when Trenderhoof confessed his feelings to the fashionista, but Twilight still couldn't understand it.

Even though Twilight had asked Rarity, she still couldn't understand. 'Why not Spike?' He was gentle, honest, always took care of others, just like the special kind of somepony that Rarity talked about, and yet it was still not enough. -Even I would want...! - She stopped herself there as it was no time to be thinking about herself.

-Was it because he was a dragon and she a pony? - She knew Rarity to be better than to judge others solely on appearances, so why? Her train of thought was interrupted by a deep voice from her number one assistant.

“I was stupid for believing a dragon and mare can be together. I’ll… I need to prepare dinner.” Spike's emotionless response came out of his mouth, and before Twilight could as much as blink he went out of her room. Guilt ridden, she felt a stinging pain in her chest and moved up from her bed. Any desire she held for studying today evaporated instantly and she knew that unless she straightened things out first then she wouldn't be able to concentrate. She might have been the Princess of Friendship but she still made mistakes like these every so often, and always ended up hurting Spike who only had her well-being in mind.

Twilight would never admit it to anypony, but Spike was really precious to her. When he had grown, for the first time in her life she’d realized that one day he might leave her to live with another mare, like Rarity for example.

The very image of waking up alone, to miss his voice calling out to her, to greet her at the table in the morning, his cooking, his smell, his jokes… To have it all go away one day was something she genuinely feared and she was all too aware of it. Twilight had become more affectionate towards Spike afterwards and it scared her, because a new emotion started to surface, one she realized five months ago after certain events. It was her true reason for keeping an even tighter schedule, because she didn’t want to think about it. She wanted to desperately escape the unknown but it haunted her every single day, both when she was awake, and when dreaming.

Twilight often pondered now a days what exactly was the bond between her and Spike. While it was true that she was the one who had helped him hatch, afterwards they weren’t that close because new school duties filled her daily life. She had barely interacted with the little dragon orphan, not until he’d learned to speak at least.

She actually remembered that Fluttershy once asked her about how she took care of baby Spike all by herself at such a young age, but Twilight never actually did it. The little drake was raised mostly by castle maids, occasionally by Princess Celestia who dropped by and rarely by Twilight herself, if no one else was on hoof and she was free of her studies… a very rare thing indeed.

After becoming her assistant, their relationship grew and Spike slowly filled the void left by Shining Armor. The dragon became her friend, companion and sometimes a student, whom she would teach basic stuff about the world. Did she consider him a family? Perhaps to some degree, although she knew that she would never treat Spike the same way she did her B.B.B.F.F.

For her, Spike was a unique existence which balanced her in every way possible. Where she was serious he was carefree, when she was book-wise he was street-wise, when she was socially-awkward, Spike was outgoing, making friends everywhere he went, when she was succumbing to her paranoia, he was the one who always pulled her out of it...

If we are friends, then that emotion back then definitely was… – She mused, remembering the first time she felt that strange tingle in her heart and butterflies in her stomach as the events from five months ago rushed back into her mind.

***Flashback***

“And then Rainbow almost collided with a wall, can you believe that?” Twilight expressed to Spike as they walked through the Everfree forest from Zecora’s hut. The reason for their visit was to deliver some rare ingredients from Canterlot the zebra needed and now they were heading home, although they might have gotten off the correct path a little.

“She should know better than to boast when flying like s he did, and with that speed.” Spike agreed, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. With Twilight’s magic and his physical prowess timberwolves weren’t much of a problem, but a hydra or chimera would be troublesome. Not that either lived in this part of Everfree forest but it was always better to be cautious here.

“I know and wh-whoa-ow!” Twilight screamed, as the slippery rock she stepped on made her foreleg slide forward and painfully hit a much bigger boulder nearby. Reacting on instinct, Spike quickly bent lower to inspect the damage and noticed her foreleg was swollen up with a little trail of blood dripping, a very minor injury, but certainly painful for a delicate mare.

“I’m okay, let’s keep…” She started to say but her dragon assistant yanked her up into his scaly arms without much effort, making her blush heavily.

“S-Spike!” She protested, although she couldn’t help but feel touched a little at how considerate he could be at times like this...a true gentledrake. However, she still wanted to walk on her own and struggled in his grasp but his next words froze her in place.

“What gentledrake would let a beautiful and clumsy mare walk with that kind of injury?” Although he only intended to joke, Twilight couldn’t help but stop and blink a little at those words. In all of her life it was the very first time that somepony, or somedragon in this case, told her that she was beautiful...it felt strange.

“Fine but I don’t see any beautiful mare around.” She tried to follow with his joke and it seemed to work as Spike chuckled at that. She once again tried to get free, however, nothing could have prepared Twilight for what came next.

“Really? With my two eyes I see one in my claws right now. She has the most beautiful and soft mane that sparkles like thousands of stars in the starry sky, carries the gentle smell of lavender around herself and has big, gorgeous eyes, like two of my most favorite purple gems, the color of knowledge and amethysts.” Words, one after another left his mouth like an enchanting music which instantly captured Twilight’s heart. She never could have guessed that such words could even be used to describe her! What was this she was feeling? Why was her heart pounding in her chest? Why was she looking down at her forelegs, unable to say anything? Could somepony really consider her like that? These questions filled her mind, overwhelming it as if Spike used some kind of magic on her, but that shouldn't be possible, right?

“Okay, that’s enough, let’s get ourselves to the library before it gets dark.” With that, he quickened his tempo, moving carefully through the forest while trying to be as gentle as possible with the mare in his arms. However, his consideration of her was unneeded because for Twilight, time seemed to stop. Something changed and she wanted to instantly know what this strange warm feeling was inside. The anxiety she felt was so strong, like the stress before a very important exam but it wasn’t unwelcome… It scared her and Twilight knew she would need to research it later in the library.

***Present***

And just like that, Twilight learned what that mysterious feeling was, or at least suspected it to be. She was thrilled, happy almost because Cadence always described it in a positive light, but it quickly turned into despair. Since being turned down by Rarity, Twilight knew that Spike stopped believing in love between a mare and a dragon, and every time she tried to initiate conversation about the subject he would quickly fall silent.

Expressing romantic love has become a taboo in the library which left Twilight with those emotions accumulating inside of her. Focusing on work was the only thing she could do to forget and not suffer but no matter how hard she tried, it always came back with a new wave of strength. Situations like when Rainbow uttered that stupid comment about married couples or other similar occasions only added salt to the injury. It got to the point where she had to distance herself from Spike so she would be able to keep her calm and rational mind!

Sighing deeply, she shook her head and moved out of her bedroom. Right now she had to apologize to Spike for being rude, because her stupid crush made her constantly snap at him... why was it that she could only hurt him when all she had wanted was to simply wrap him in the tightest possible hug and never leave his side? It was illogical, as if Discord were playing a cruel joke on her!

Descending the stairs, she found her dragon assistant moving about their kitchen, his whole attention so focused on preparing the best possible dinner that he failed to notice Twilight’s approach. She observed him with curiosity, her eyes following his every movement, noticing h ow his muscles moved, how his scales glimmered, how…

Shaking her head from side to side, Twilight could feel her face grow hot as she realized that once again she had been shamelessly ogling her assistant. – Just what was wrong with me?! - It frustrated her to no end that every time they were close, she couldn’t even look at him without feeling her own heart skip a beat. She didn’t want this, she couldn’t afford to love him because he no longer wanted a relationship and she had her studies and…and she couldn’t help it.

“Twilight?” His voice reached her ears, startling her, making her jump up. It was deeper now, not at all resembling that childlike tone which she used to know, but it still held the same gentleness with every word spoken.

“I’m sorry for…earlier.” She whispered, her ears flattening against her head and voice fragile even though she knew well enough that he would forgive her. He always was patient with her, never angry for too l ong whenever she made a mistake like this. Twilight knew that Spike was actually only playing upset when they were upstairs. It was mostly to make her realize that she’d treated him badly, as the dragon was never one to hold a grudge. Not against her anyway.

“It’s okay Twi, I was nagging you once again wasn’t I? I’m just worried about you that’s all. Besides, I shouldn’t overreact about past stuff like this.” A sigh escaped his scaly lips and Twilight knew that he genuinely blamed himself. Even though she was the one at fault he always took the blame, always tried to be kind and it only made her heart ache even more.

“You know…I was actually thinking of a way to make you feel better while not making you abandon your schedule. Why don’t we take a walk tonight around the plains? If I remember, you wanted to stargaze, so we can bring your telescope with us.” He proposed, smiling widely at her but this didn’t calm her down one bit! If anything, she felt a cold chill run down her spine because for s o long she’d tried to run away from those feelings and now it was as if Spike had asked her out for a... – d-d-date!-

“Wha-I-Isn’t today going to be chilly?” Twilight stammered, her hind legs moving back a little, her hooves making clopping sounds against the wooden floor. She wanted to run away, but knew very well if she had done such a thing then it would make Spike upset for real this time, and she never could forgive herself for doing so.

“Don’t worry, I talked with Luna about it, today is going to be a very clear and warm night. I also prepared your favorite food. So?” He neared closer and she could feel his claw land on her back, freezing her in place. She tried to come up with some kind of excuse but for some reason, her mind was empty. She could lie about not feeling well, but that would be the worst possible thing to do after he’d prepared everything for her.

Nodding her head slowly, she bit down on her lower lip, fear gripping a t her naïve and innocent heart. She had no idea what to do, no book could prepare her for something so unexpected!

***Midnight***

The warm breeze moved through countless blades of young, green grass, its scent reaching Twilight’s nostrils. Spring was finally here, gracing them with its radiant colors and a smell of freshness. Normally, she would’ve enjoyed this night, if her heart had not pumped blood so quickly in her chest. Looking ahead, she stared at Spike’s strong back where a heavy bag dangled from side to side, brushing against his scales. In the end she couldn’t come up with any excuse and now they were in the empty field without anypony in vicinity, only the stars twinkling above them.

“Here should be good. What do you say Twi...Twi?” Spike watched as the mare bypassed him and walked absentmindedly forward, completely unaware of his calls. Reaching out, he grabbed her tail gently with his claw which made her jump up and spun around.

“Y-yes?” She inquired, ears standing up to full attention, looking nervously around, making Spike sigh loudly. He really had no idea what was going on in her head anymore, but one thing was certain… whatever it was, it seemed to have made them drift apart. Those last few months were so unbearable that he’d considered asking others for help, but in the end he didn't do anything. If he didn't know what was wrong with Twilight, then there was no way that others would. Tonight, however, he was determined to find out what the problem was.

“I said this should be a good place.” Spike repeated as he set down the blanket. He proceeded to assemble her telescope in silence, trying to come up with some way to start the conversation. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Twilight sat down, occasionally stealing glances in his direction.

Spike wasn’t stupid. It was clear to him that whatever bothered his lifelong friend was related to him in some way, which was exactly why he’d proposed they spend the night like this together. He felt that unless he confronts her about it all, then their relationship would only continue to worsen until something broke.

Finishing with the telescope, he clasped his claws together before motioning for Twilight to come closer. Moving like a wooden doll, the mare neared his position, her quill and a parchment levitating unsteadily near her… another hint of her nervousness.

“Such a nice night. Luna really has outdone herself this time.” He whispered while looking up at countless blinking dots above his head. Relaxing, he began to reminiscence about the times when they lived in Canterlot. Poor Twilight always used to complain about not being able to see the stars because the city was too bright at night.

“Why didn’t we go stargazing like this before?” He asked, not expecting an answer anyway, and wasn’t surprised when no reply came. He assumed that Twilight was probably too consumed with her work to even register his question.

Unbeknownst to Spike, she was actually more focused on his presence, so much that she couldn’t even concentrate on the constellations her eyes were gazing at. She wanted to talk with him, like the romance guidebooks instructed, but for some reason she couldn’t squeeze even one word out of her throat, her tongue numb.

Looking at her, Spike furrowed his eyebrows. If this continued then the whole night would end up with them not saying anything to each other. Of course, he had a plan, a very bold one, but it shouldn’t be seen as anything suspicious by her.

Sneaking behind Twilight, he suddenly clasped his claws onto her shoulders. Before she could as much as to protest, he fell to his back with her landing near him on the blanket, only the endless starry sky before their eyes.

“S-Spike!” She yelped in surprise and started to struggle but he held her firmly, waiting until she calmed down. When she did, she turned her head to regard her mischievous number one assistant, full set of questions in her amethyst eyes and muzzle blushing heavily from embarrassment, which Spike mistook for anger.

“Sorry, just remembered how you always used to hug me from behind and fall back… I guess all this stargazing had made me reminiscent about the past.” He spoke softly, his tone a barely audible whisper, making Twilight relax as her own memory was also jogged back to those carefree days of their youth.

“We have come such a long way together, haven’t we?” Spike continued, registering how Twilight slowly nodded her head, but to his surprise, he saw something else in her eyes… sorrow that shouldn’t be there, not when he talked about happy times.

“You look sad....is something wrong, Twi?” As soon as this question left his mouth he could clearly see it, a glint of fear in her trembling eyes, but what could Twilight be afraid of? In all the years they’d lived under one roof he rarely remembered her act like this. She was usually only like that when there was a problem she couldn't solve.

“Everything is… fine…” Twilight wanted to assure him and even put a smile on her face, but the attempt was so bad that even a random filly would see through it right away.

Looking at the constellations above their heads, tracing the familiar gatherings, Spike tried to focus his thoughts. The vast, dark sky above seemed to swallow him, making him forget the distance between the ground and the sea of stars...what was the distance between him and Twilight right now? Feeling the gentle breeze run through the valleys between his scales, he knew that he couldn’t be too invasive if he wanted to get to the bottom of this.

“Looking at the stars, I feel as if the time has never moved forward since the day we met for the first time. We know each other so well, and I feel it Twi. Something bothers you, doesn’t it?” He finally asked, deciding that a direct approach would probably be the best course of action. Spike waited and waited while gazing at the stars and still no reply came from her, only the familiar scent of lavender filled his nostrils, the sound of her soft breathing putting him at ease.

“I don’t want to put pressure on you Twi but I’m worried. We have always been together as friends. Recently we’ve grown apart… did I do something to make you hate me?” he whispered, and it seemed to work as she sharply turned her head, their eyes meeting, amethysts staring into emeralds and emeralds into amethysts. Even if they didn't speak, the look she gave him conveyed the message clearly... that she could never bring herself to hate him.

Spike observed carefully her every little motion, the usual knitting of eyebrows when she was thinking, the slow blinking of her eyes, the deep breaths of her chest rising up and down as she tr ied to calm herself...she was readying herself to finally speak, gathering her courage.

“It isn’t you Spike, it’s more like me being a stupid egghead that only knows books.” Twilight managed to say as another sigh escaped her mouth, her hot breath reaching his cheek. It seemed as if even speaking those few words was a heavy burden for her. Just what was going on? Spike still had no idea, but he could feel it wouldn’t take much longer before he would gain his answers.

“You’re never stupid, if anything, you always tend to over-think simple stuff.” His claw moved through air, reaching for her cheek slowly and when she didn’t resist, he began to gently caress it. The soft fur underneath his palm was always so delicate, so soft, its hair so thin.

“This time it isn’t so…simple…” Twilight whispered meekly, her eyes closed and breathing deepened. Her heart beat even faster, mind screaming that she shouldn’t talk anymore or she won’t be able to hold back her tongue from telling him how she felt about him, but he was once again enchanting her with his words, just like five months ago.

“Then can’t I help you out? We’ve always tackled every problem together.” He asked, making Twilight even more scared, her fragile heart at the verge of breaking, putting up one last attempt at resistance.

“It’s better if I don’t tell you...” Those soft words escaped her mouth as she felt her eyes grow moist underneath her eyelids. This couldn’t continue like or she would make the mistake of confessing to him and she was aware of it. However, the gentle claw stroking her cheek, his warm breath so close to her, his strong arms which kept her safe… it all weakened her more and more.

“Is it? We are drifting slowly apart Twilight and I don’t want to lose what we have. Didn’t I promise you that I’ll remain by your side as your number one assistant?” He wanted to add more when he felt something between his claws. It was something wet…was Twilight crying? Just what was this secret that could make her cry even before speaking about it?

“If...If I tell you about it, then you might start to hate me, or think I have lost my mind. I’m the one to blame for everything I feel and I…If I tell you then we might lose everything. Do you still want to risk and hear it?” Her voice almost broke as she started to quietly sob which startled Spike. The trembling tone of her voice, her behavior, this whole scene, made his brain work as he could faintly feel what it was about but… no, this wasn’t possible, right? Twilight couldn’t feel that, certainly not towards somedragon like him, right? After all, dragons and ponies were too different. Right?

“I’d rather hear it, then watch you slip away while suffering.” He finally uttered after gulping down saliva which gathered in his mouth. He tried to brace himself for what was to come. How had he been so blind as to never consi der her feelings? Watching expectantly, he noticed that Twilight slowly rose up and sat, her head hung low.

“W-would you hug me first?” The request reached him, one which he understood perfectly. She felt vulnerable and afraid that her words would end everything. Twilight knew it could be the last time they would even hug each other and it was the reason she trembled now. There was no way he could refuse or simply run away now, not after he’d provoked her to finally speak

Getting up himself, his arms reached to her without hesitation and pulled the mare into the gentlest hug he was capable off. Her closeness was mesmerizing, the beating of their hearts matching each other, both of their breaths short, nervous and dynamic. He could feel through his body just how tense she was, and was sure that if he didn't hold onto her then she would run away and vanish in the darkness that surrounded them.

“Do you remember the time, five months ago, when we were returning from Zecora’s?” She asked and it instantly made Spike smile. Of course he remembered it, it was when he first got the idea to carry her to the library. –Was it the starting point for her affection?- He couldn't help but wonder.

“How could I forget? You were so clumsy that day…” He joked, feeling a light chuckle escape from her as well, but the tears which fell against his scaly coat poured even more lively. Her trembling body nuzzled even deeper into him, his claws stroking her back, careful to not hurt the precious and delicate mare. Spike had never seen Twilight so fragile and vulnerable before. True, there were times where she panicked but tonight was different, she genuinely feared that something will break between them.

“Y-yeah. That time you also said something to me… something I have never heard anypony say before…” She confessed, making Spike remember the exact words he’d said that day. Although he’d spoken them as a simple compliment he truly did mean all them. In his eyes she was truly beautiful and th at wasn’t limited only to her looks. Calling her perfect would be a blatant lie as he didn't believe such naive illusions anymore. Those times were long gone after he was done with chasing after Rarity.

Twilight Sparkle, whom he’d grown to know over many years together, was a mare who could be clumsy at times, couldn't do basic stuff like cooking and her knowledge was always limited to her books. She could freak out about even the smallest of things and would often do everything to make her point stand in discussions, not to mention countless checklists, which was ridiculous. However, even though she was like that, she was also the best friend a dragon could wish for. She was gentle, smart, hard-working, and never intentionally hurt others... and just because her heart was in the right place, Spike respected and admired her greatly. He wasn't the only one, because all of their other friends probably felt the same.

“Since that day I have been feeling s-strange Spike. All of it was so new to me and I started to research what it was and then I... I grew aware how c-close we always are, how you care for me and what it truly means for me… I have…I…” Her voice broke down, all the fancy words she knew failing her in this instant as she could only sob from fear and shame that in the end, she was so hopeless that she couldn’t speak those simple three words to him.

“You have fallen for me.” Spike finished for her, knowing from personal experience how hard it was to confess your own feelings to others. Holding her like that, he didn’t know what to do anymore. One year ago, when Rarity broke his heart he started to believe that a mare and a dragon would never be able to start a relationship. He believed only that he would be attracted to a different species because he grew up among ponies, thus he limited himself to helping Twilight to not feel the loneliness anymore. However, now his closest friend, the best companion he could ask for was offering her heart on silver platter to him.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he whispered, while thinking if he should return what she was giving or simply accept it. He’d never thought of Twilight this way before because they were always so close. To his mind, the answer was obvious. They were always together and he never wanted to leave her alone, but what was his heart saying? He didn’t know. Would giving their relationship a different name change anything of how they always are? How would others react when they find out?

“I-I tried but you said that love between a mare and a dragon is impossible. I didn’t want to burden you…not with this.” Her fragile voice reached out as she tightened the hug once more, fearing that any minute now he would shove her away and simply walk home. She started to regret her rash actions tonight, hated her own weak willpower that made her come clean about everything but most of all, she hated not knowing what it means to love like a mare should. Books couldn't offer this knowledge, nothing she knew could offer her anything at all.

“And so you escaped into work.” Spike concluded, his heart beating a little faster than it normally would. In his eyes, she’d grown significantly now because of how she preferred to remain silent than to win Spike over at all costs. It was totally different from when he courted Rarity, this was pure love she felt and it captivated him as he would never guess that she was capable of such strong feelings. What gentledrake wouldn’t respond to such strong emotions in this situation? Certainly not him, so with his answer ready, he moved Twilight a few inches away from himself, looked deeply into her teary eyes and said…

“Twilight Sparkle…sometimes you are such an idiot.”

“W-what do yo…?!” She began, mouth quivering as she was sure it was a rejection, but whatever she wanted to say was silenced by a pair of scaly lips that brushed against her own. With the soft scales brushing against her fur, Twilight could feel herself being pulled closer, her eyes widening and mind ablaze. She could feel the taste of minerals as her heart palpitated in her chest. No longer was she sure if the stars were above her head, as she could see them before her eyes. Closing them, she melted into the kiss, every little bit of emotion which she was withholding rushing into it.

Their bodies entangled with each other, their tongues began to dance together, moans escaping but they continued nonetheless, until the last of their breath. With stars above as the witnesses of their first kiss, Twilight could feel herself slipping away, as if it was only a beautiful dream. However, when her eyes opened once again, a pair of emerald orbs greeted her alongside a wide and nervous smile from her number one assistant.

“B-but I thought that y-you…” She stuttered, trying to comprehend what in all of Equestria actually happened. Did it mean that Spike accepted her feelings? No books had any information about it and once again she fell into spiral of uncertainty. Shouldn't he at least say 'I love you' like in the romance novels?

“I don’t know what I feel yet Twi. This kind of love isn’t something that grows up in your heart on a whim, it takes time. What I do know, is that I have kept you waiting and suffering alone for too long. I’m not smart like you and I can’t predict what our future holds but I know that right now I want to face it together with you, just like we always have, wherever it may take us.” Spike spoke softly, noticing how puzzled her eyes looked. She still probably wasn't able to grasp the idea but they'll make it work somehow, after all he was there to assist her, just like always.

She would obviously need more explanation later, like how a date should be or how to act with Spike around others...but there was time for all of that. The words he spoke seemed to work for her for now as she smiled sheepishly, her foreleg rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly as she blushed a light shade of pink.

“S-so are we um…t-together now?” She dared to ask, her hooves rubbing nervously against each other, wondering if it was the right thing to do, but upon hearing a chuckle escaping from between Spike’s lips she felt like an idiot for even asking such an obvious thing.

“Yes Twi, the dragon that stole your first kiss is yours now, but as I said, I want us to take it all slowly, because it’s a big leap for both of us.” With those words he extended his claws towards her and she didn’t think twice before coming closer to melt into another hug, the sound of his heartbeat calming her. She still couldn't believe all of this was happening for real and didn't even know if it would be right of her to kiss him now but... she felt wonderful and warm inside.

“Now…do you want to continue stargazing with your new dragonfriend?” Spike asked when they once again moved apart, her hoof still in his claw as he led her towards the telescope. Hearing his question, Twilight could only smile even wider and answer in the only way possible.

“I’d love to.”

Author's Note

Here it is, chapter one of new fic, this one a little longer than other art of night fics :) Hope it'll be enjoyable.
Also many thanks for aetherdash who helped out by editing it and thus improving its quality a lot!