A Little Serendipity

Chapters

Dynamics
Desire
Denouement, Part 1
Denouement, Part 2
Destiny
Direction

Dynamics

"So he still won't talk about it?"

"No!" whined Belle. "I don't get it. I mean, sure, we were drunk. Really drunk. Super drunk. Like, 'holy shit, why does the world keep spinning' drunk. Like, you try to get up and you fall on your ass-"

"I get it, you were drunk!" shouted Applebloom.

"Right. But still, it was awesome," sighed Belle, staring off into the distance, "I've never been kissed like that."

"Not even by Pip?" inquired Applebloom. "I heard he could do some pretty incredible stuff."

"Oh he could," said Belle, temporarily losing her focus. "But that's not what I meant. It wasn't like a good kiss in the physical sense. I don't even think there was tongue involved."

"No tongue?" gasped Applebloom. "Blasphemy!"

"No, really. Zero tongue contact. No, it was just... good. It just felt like it was right, somehow. My whole body felt it. It was crazy. It was sort of like..."

"Cumming?" asked Applebloom. Belle squeaked, but nodded her head. "No shit! Wow, talk about a good kiss."

"I know, right? But he just won't talk about it. He just comes into work, says hi, does his job, and then leaves. And whenever I try to steer the conversation towards it, he just changes the subject!" cried Belle. She leaned back into her beanbag chair, her hair brushing the floor. Applebloom sat on the couch, idly picking at some loose stuffing. They were waiting for Scootaloo to get back with some snacks. "I hate boys."

"Well guess what? I'm not a boy," Applebloom wiggled her eyebrows. Belle chuckled, and shook her head.

"You're never gonna give up, are you?"

"Nope. I'll see you naked yet!" said Applebloom, throwing out a devious grin. Belle rolled her eyes. The front door opened, and the two girls turned expectantly. It wasn't Scootaloo - a different girl walked in. She was tall, and had long, curly, bubblegum pink hair and she wore a red belly shirt and knee length shorts.

"Hey Pinkie," said Belle, giving her a wave.

"Hey Belle, hey Applebloom," greeted Pinkie. "I'm just here to pick up Octavia and Scratch. We're all going out to that new club."

"Can I go with you?" asked an eager Applebloom.

"First of all, you're not old enough to drink," said Pinkie, wagging her finger and adopting a completely fake lecturing voice. Applebloom pouted. "Secondly, your sister would kill me if she knew I was taking you out to clubs."

"Ugh, she's such a freaking butt!" the copper-haired teenager threw her hands up in frustration.

"She is a little bit of a downer," agreed the bubbly woman. She looked at Belle, and a worried frown crossed her features, "You okay Belle?"

"Boy trouble," explained Applebloom, to spare Belle the awkwardness.

"Oh! Well, I haven't dated boys in a while - well, ever, really - but maybe I can help." Belle thought about it, a moment of doubt in the face of Pinkie's talkative personality, but decided to go ahead and spill the beans. After she explained the situation, Pinkie began pacing back and forth.

"Hmm... he won't talk to you at all, huh?" She tapped her finger against her chin. After a few seconds, her face lit up, "You know what, I know a guy just like that! Dash's fiance! Man, those two loved each other for years before either one said anything. Silly situation. Someone should write a story about it. But anyway, it took a while, but he came around. With some guys, you just have to let them come to you. You can't pressure them, or you could scare them away."

"But I don't want to wait," protested Belle. "I really like him."

"It's tough," said Pinkie, "but you have to soldier through it. Trust me - if it's fate, it'll come through in the end. Just like Dashie and her future hubby."

"What was his name again?" Bloom interjected.

"Oh, it's-"

"Pinkie, is that you?" Octavia's cultured accent called down.

"Yeah, it's me! I'm ready to go when you are!" Pinkie shouted back. The two older girls thundered down the stairs. "So, are you excited Scratch? You're finally going to be the head DJ!"

"It's cool," answered Vinyl, blowing her blue bangs out of her eyes, but she didn't comment further.

"Nice seeing you guys again!" Pinkie smiled brightly at the two girls. They exchanged goodbyes, and as the three left, Scootaloo finally arrived. She carried two bags full of various fatty foods.

"Who wants to gain fifty pounds?" asked Scootaloo, raising the bags into the air.

"Me!" said Applebloom, her hand shooting up into the air.

"I guess," sighed Belle, slumping again now that the bubbly smile of Pinkie had left.

"She still upset?" asked Scootaloo, and Applebloom nodded sadly. Scootaloo set the stuff down on a nearby table and sat next to Belle, pulled her close, and began to stroke her hair.

"He'll come around babe. I promise." Scootaloo smiled down at her, and winked. "Who could possibly resist your charm?"

"Hey Spike! How are-"

"Fine. I got a lot to do- we'll talk later." Spike brushed right by her and retreated into the back of the boutique. She sighed, and walked up to the front desk. For a while she toyed with a dress her sister had sent her to mend, but gave up after she pricked her finger a couple of times. She just couldn't keep her mind on anything.

This isn't how it was supposed to go! Her mind wailed, the thoughts sounded despairing even to herself. He was supposed to sweep her off her feet - be everything she ever wanted, and more. Instead, he just avoided her like the plague. She thought back to that day - had she done anything wrong? Had she said anything that might have offended him? No. No, she had not. She was certain of it. She'd been walking on eggshells, being careful of every little word, every little action. She had done everything she was supposed to do! He was just being an ass.

Belle threw down her needle and thread, and then put down the dress with considerably less venom. This was not how she handled things. She was not Sweetie Belle. She was Belle. Proud. Strong. Sister to Rarity, the fiercest seamstress in all the land. She knew better then to take a bunch of crap from some man. No, not even a man. Some boy who was too much of a baby to just talk to her and tell her what was wrong. This would not stand.

Belle stomped through the store, looking for her employee. She was tempted to shout out for him, but she wanted to catch him by surprise. She wanted to demand an answer to why he was being such a jerk. Force him to confront her, tell him face to face to end this silliness once and for all. She finally made her way to the back of the store, into the storage area where he was busy moving some heavy boxes. She rubbed her hands together. Finally, she had him. Just as she was about to make her presence known, her cell phone rang. She gasped, and Spike whirled around, nearly dropping a box onto his head. Belle cursed under her breath, and ran from the room. She pulled out her phone, and flipped it open.

"What!?" she shouted into the receiver.

"Belle?" a soft voice answered.

"Rarity?" she gave a little gasp. "Is it you?"

"It is!" Rarity squealed. Belle gave a little hoot of joy, and did an impromptu dance.

"I haven't heard from you in so long!" Belle said.

"I know," sighed Rarity. "I deeply regret that - it's just that I have so much going on. You know how it is - Sapphire Shores needs a new dress for the Gala Awards, and I can't just leave her hanging. But I should call you more often, regardless."

"You should," admonished Belle. "I hate not hearing from you every day."

"I know, I know!" Rarity faux-sobbed, "I am a horrible sister." Belle sighed, rolling her eyes. She hated when her sister got melodramatic.

"No you aren't," said Belle. "You're a great sister."

"Why thank you," said Rarity, she always cheered up when someone complemented her. "Now, onto business - I hear we have a new hire at the store?"

"Hmm? Oh, right, Spike," said Sweetie Belle, a note of irritation creeping into her voice as she said his name.

"Right, Twilight's friend. Oh, he used to be so cute when he was a kid. He had a crush on me, it was adorable," the giggle over the phone only brought a frown to Belle, "But I digress. How is he working out? Not making any trouble, I hope? I heard some disquieting rumors about him making trouble when he was in school."

"He's been fine, Rarity," Belle said. She had to hold her tongue to keep from finishing, 'other than the fact that he gave me the most passionate kiss of my entire life and has refused to talk to me since!'

"Good. I'd hate to have to tell Twilight that her little Spikey-Wikey isn't working out," said Rarity.

"Spikey... Wikey?"

"Oh yes, that's what me and Twilight used to call him. It was our little pet name," chuckled Rarity. "Well, I just wanted to make sure everything was going okay. I'll call you back tomorrow, and we'll talk about non-boring, non-business stuff. Fair?"

"Fair," agreed Belle.

"Okay. Bye bye little sis," Rarity said and hung up the phone. Belle sighed, pocketting her own phone as Spike walked over.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Fine," Belle said stiffly. "I was just talking to Rarity."

"Rarity?" Spike's eyes lit up and she felt something strange biting at her insides. "How's she doing?"

"Fine," said Belle curtly, trying to stifle the jab in her stomach. "A little busy. She called, and made sure everything was working out with you."

"What'd you say?" asked Spike.

"I said you were fine," said Belle, all too tempted to say 'I told her you were the most insensitive jerk I've ever met.'

"Just fine?" He groaned, "I've been working my ass off around here!" Spike shook his head and ran a hand into his hair, looking a little hurt. "Seriously, I've been trying my best. I thought that my work was really good."

Belle felt herself soften, almost a physical thing, the anger giving way to something milder, like exasperation at his inability to see how dense he really was. She put a hand on his shoulder, feeling that she could at least try to bridge the silent gap between them.

"You're doing great Spike," said Belle. "I've just been... I don't know. I've been feeling a little lost lately." She gave the shoulder a few pats, "Keep up the good work."

"Thanks," said Spike, obviously appreciating the forced brightness. He briefly put a hand on hers and walked away.

"Spike-" Belle half-called after him, but he was already gone. Shaking her head, she wandered back to her dress, slowly beginning to mend it. Only later did she realise she was holding back tears.

That evening Belle slowly opened the front door to her flat. She took it in - the small, three room apartment she could barely afford on the stipend Rarity gave her. Even though she had lived there for a while, it still seemed a little alien to her. She hadn't spent much time in it back when she was going to school - back when she had a life other than the boutique, and the occasional day spent with her friends.

She had decided to take a little break from college. It was something that very few people knew - she hadn't even told her parents. She had always wanted to be as succesful as Rarity, but she had been struggling for a while. Her Dean had suggested she take a little time to get herself together, and she had obliged. She hoped that she could keep in contact with some of her classmates, but they quickly left her behind. She sometimes wondered whether it was worth it to go back to school at all. She knew Rarity wouldn't let her run the shop if she decided not to go back to school, but who says she needed Rarity's help? Who said she couldn't find her own job, and make it on her own? Then she thought of Spike - finally having his job, finally getting his life together. How he would react if he not only lost his own job, but found out that Belle was struggling like him?

Belle walked into her living room (and kitchen, and dining room), and fell onto a couch. She set her purse down, and rubbed her eyes. Well who cared about Spike? Oh, no use trying to lie to herself. She did. And she knew that she couldn't do anything to hurt him.

"This is so stupid!" she said out loud. She pounded her fist into the couch, and let out an exasperated groan. She was already in love. Not head over heels love, but stupid puppy love. Still, puppy or not, it was still love. And if she knew anything, she knew it sucked to be in unrequited love. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that he was probably sparing her feelings. He was Spike - he would like crazy, wild girls, not girls like her. He had gotten drunk, kissed her, and now couldn't think of a way to let her down easy.

Belle got up off the couch, and walked to her bedroom. She put her purse away, stripped down to her underwear, and got into bed. She pulled the covers over herself, and closed her eyes knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, but she could at least try. She tried to keep not just Spike, but all her old loves out of her head. Still, trying not to think of something is the best way to think of it. She thought of lovers lost, and lovers she never had. Of painful breakups, and horrid let downs. Of being told no, and being forced to tell others no. It was going to be a rough, rough night.

"Come on in!" shouted Scootaloo. Belle found the front door unlocked, and she stepped inside. Scootaloo stood at the back of the hall looking at herself in the large mirror and smoothing the fabric out on a tight fitting black dress she was wearing.

"What's the occasion?" asked Belle.

"We're going dancing!" shouted Scootaloo, wiggling her hips.

"We sure are!" Applebloom yelled back. She came downstairs, wearing a well worn - but still pretty - red top with a knee-length yellow skirt. "We're gonna tear it up! And maybe I'll find a new lady love."

"And you're coming with us," said Scootaloo, grabbing Belle by the arm and pulling her into the room.

"I can't, I don't have anything to wear," said Belle.

"Covered," countered Applebloom, pulling a blue dress out of a nearby shopping bag. "Sorry Belle, you don't have an excuse."

"I don't know girls. I just don't feel up to it," a shrug said it all. Even if it was a really nice looking dress...

"Not even if I told you a certain spiky-haired ruffian would be there?" probed Scootaloo.

"Spike? At a club? Please," scoffed Belle. "There's no way in hell."

"Oh he'll be there," said Applebloom.

"How are you so sure?" Belle asked.

"Because he told me he would be, for one thing," explained Applebloom. "And because I told him if he wasn't I'd break every bone in his body. And he knows I wasn't jokin' about that."

"Wait a minute," Belle said slowly. "Did you invite him out?"

"I did," admitted Applebloom. "I couldn't help myself." Belle shot her a dark look. "Don't be gettin' jealous now. Remember, I ain't buying what he's selling."

"I'm not jealous," huffed Belle. "I just don't know if you should meddle in my affairs so much."

"Meddle in your affairs!" A fire kindled behind Applebloom's eyes. "Now wait just one damn minute-"

"All right, hold on now," said Scootaloo, holding her hands out between her two feuding friends. "Before we all get our collective panties in a bunch, let's calm down and think this through. Belle, you know Applebloom was just trying to help you." Belle crossed her arms, but gave a little nod. "And Applebloom, you know Belle is sensitive about this sort of thing. You know better then to get mad at her." Applebloom blew her bangs out of her eyes, and returned the nod. "Now come on girls. No fighting - especially before we hit the club. Kiss and make up." Applebloom's face alit in a huge smile.

"Now you're talking my language," said Applebloom, rubbing her hands together.

"On the cheek," said Belle with a smile. After Applebloom deflated, melodramatically, she gave her friend a tiny peck on the cheek.

"All right. Belle, go get changed," said Scootaloo, pointing upstairs. "Applebloom, get out the nectar of the gods - we're pre-gaming."

"Yes ma'am!" said Applebloom with a salute. She tossed Belle her new dress, and she went upstairs to try it on. When she was halfway there, Scootaloo shouted up after her.

"Hey, knock on Vinyl's door and make sure she's ready to go - she's DJ'ing later tonight."

"You got it chief!" shouted Belle in response. She ran up the last few stairs, and stopped in front of Vinyl and Octavia's door. She gave a hard knock, and before she could stop it, the door flew open from the impact.

She saw Octavia and Vinyl in a deep, passionate embrace, the light in the room was moody and low, but it was enough to clearly set the scene. They stood in front of the bed, wrapped around each other - barely distinguishable as two separate bodies. Vinyl - pale, but curvy, her blue hair hanging disheveled around her head - had her hands between Octavia's long, lean legs, one of which was wrapped around the DJ's hip. The tan, toned beauty was deep in the throws of an orgasm, clasping Vinyl for support. She was silent, wide eyes staring off into space, as if the force of it had stolen the voice from her. Belle carefully backed away from the scene, but the two quickly noticed her. Octavia - after she recovered herself - was quick to hide her nudity. Vinyl seemed not to care, and simply stood in all her body's glory.

"We're leaving soon," Belle managed to choke out, "Just wanted to make sure you were ready."

Before either lover could respond, Belle bounded away, and ran into the nearby bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She collapsed against it, and let out a nervous laugh. The scene kept replaying itself again and again in her head. It was not entirely unpleasant. Even though Belle was not attracted to girls, she did feel the passion between the two. She wondered it would be like if Spike touched her like that... if his hands were as powerful as his lips.

"Are you okay in there?" asked Vinyl. "Sorry about that - we should have locked the door."

"It's all right," Belle answered in a voice that sounded too high pitched to be hers, "I'll be out in a minute."

"Cool," said Vinyl, and Belle heard her walk away. She quickly changed, and ran downstairs.

Club Hoof - playfully named after the town it resided in - was noisy, crowded, and loud. The club played badly remixed techno music (except when Vinyl was at the helm), and charged an absurd amount of money for drinks. Unfortunately, it was the only half-decent club in Ponyville. Plus, the club rarely carded, and when they did, they always (with a little extra tip) seemed to misread the age on the card. The girls quickly paid their dues, and ran out onto the floor.

Applebloom quickly fell in line with an attractive blond, while Scootaloo found an old classmate. Belle made her way through the club, carefully maneuvering through the thick knot of bodies on the dance floor. The pulsing music and strobe lights were giving her a hell of a headache, but she soldiered on, desperate to find Spike. She circled the place a few times. Occasionally, she would see a shock of green hair and feel a surge of hope in her heart - but it was never him. She quickly realized he wasn't there.

She found a table, and sat at it, put her head in her hands and mentally kicked herself a few times. She was so stupid - she had known Spike wouldn't be here.

Looking back out, she saw that Applebloom and her new friend were getting pretty close for people who had just met. Scootaloo had given up on her beau, and danced with a circle of girls near the center of the floor. Belle sighed, and ran her fingers idly over the table. Just as she was about to fall into the almost meditative state of powerful boredom, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Without much enthusiasm, she turned and then nearly gasped in surprise. It was Spike. He was dressed in a suit, holding the jacket over his shoulder. His hair was still green, but it was styled in a much less outrageous fashion. It looked like a shorter version of what she had done for him in the shop. Spike gave her a wide smile.

"I know, I look so different," he said.

"You look incredible," Belle said in a near whisper.

"What?" Spike shot an irritated look at the DJ, "Sorry, I can't hear you over this stupid music."

"Yeah, it's pretty bad. You wanna head outside?" asked Belle. She shot a nervous look at the booth, somehow afraid that Vinyl might have heard her. Spike nodded, and the two carefully wove their way through the crowd. Applebloom saw the two, and tipped Belle a wink. Belle winked back. They reached the door, and made their way out onto the street. Spike found a nearby bench, and sat down. As Belle sat with him, he hung his jacket over the back, pulled a cigarette and a lighter out of his pocket and began to smoke. Belle thought she would hate it, but she found the smell strangely nostalgic.

"I can't believe you came out to a club," Belle said. The comment drew a chuckle.

"I can't believe it either. But to be fair, I was threatened." He grimaced, "You have some pretty intimidating friends."

"Yeah, they can be pretty assertive," agreed Belle. The two sat in companionable silence for a while, Spike's cigarette gradually shrinking. "Who did your hair?"

"One of Twilights friends. Some pink haired chick. Turns out she works in some sort of animal grooming place," he shrugged with a smile for the minor joke, "guess human hair isn't much different than other animals."

"And the suit?" inquired Belle.

"Hand me down. It was Dash's husbands. Since he's getting a tux for the wedding, he didn't need it anymore. Nice guy," said Spike, flicking his cigarette butt away. "Can't remember his name."

"It fits you," she couldn't help teasing a little, "you pull off normal pretty good."

"Gee, thanks," said Spike, rolling his eyes. "So, what do you want to do? Dance some more?"

"No, I don't really feel like it tonight." she answered honestly.

"So what do you want to do then?"

Belle steepled her hands under her chin, and gave the matter some serious thought. "What does a punk like you do on nights like tonight?" She pondered out loud. Spike laughed, but then noticed that her face was completely serious.

"Oh come on. You don't want to do what I do!" Spike said, waving his hands.

"Sure I do," she insisted, "I took you out, and showed you how I lived. Now you show me how you live."

Spike shook his head, "No way."

"Come on. Let's do something crazy... Spikey-Wikey," Belle dropped her voice to a threatening tone and Spike blushed furiously.

"Who told you about that?" he asked, turning his face away, "Never mind, I don't care." He turned back towards her, seriousness written all over his face. "Fine. I'll show you how I live. But I can't guarantee you'll like it."

"Well, sometimes you have to try something new," said Belle. Spike sighed, and stood up.

"Fine. Follow me."

"This might have been a bad idea," said Belle.

"I warned you," said Spike.

"Oh well. Too late now. Let's do it!" Belle screamed.

"Wait! Belle-" before Spike could stop her, Belle pushed off with her right foot, and rolled into the concrete bowl. She desperately tried to keep her balance - her dress and shoes weren't helping - and as the bowl curved back up, she ate it. She threw her hands up to protect her face, and managed to avoid any serious injury as the board went skittering away, but that hurt.

She lay against the side, dazed. "Holy shit! Are you okay?" asked Spike, carefully sliding into bowl. Belle bobbed her head in the affirmative, and managed to stand back up.

"That's a lot harder then it looks," muttered Belle, rubbing the back of her head. He moved in closer, hand out a little in case he had to catch her- he'd seen plenty of kids eat it, balancing was always difficult for them for a bit after.

"You're not hurt, are you?" He was frowning, voice low, nearly a whisper.

"No, I'm fine," assured Belle. "I appreciate the concern though."

"It just looked like you took that fall pretty hard," said Spike. "I thought you might have cracked your head open." He peered at the top of her head to see if there was any sign of that.

Belle placed a hand on his chest, and was shocked to find his heart was racing. She looked into his eyes, and saw concern. She did her best to stop a smile from forming on her face - as nice as it was, she probably should be serious.

"I'm fine. Cross my heart, hope to die," she made the motions that accompanied the rhyme, "stick a needle in my eye."

"Please don't, I have enough to worry about," sighed Spike. Belle giggled, but almost collapsed - she still hadn't found her footing. Spike was ready and grabbed her. He helped her up, and she sat on the edge of the bowl while he found his board and returned to sit next to her.

He had brought her to the nearby skate park. It was a little broken down, and covered in graffiti, but Belle supposed it had a weird charm to it, nestled as it was out of view of the main roads so 'normal' people wouldn't have to see it. They were the only two there - not a surprise, really. It was night, and it was a friday. Most of the other deviants were out getting in trouble, and the night was warm enough that the cool concrete beneath her was welcome.

"I think I should give it another go," said Belle. "Maybe if I take these shoes off..."

"No," said Spike, holding his hand out. "No way. Absolutely not. I shouldn't have let you do it in the first place."

"Fine," Belle resigned. "Then you do it. I want to see you try." Spike smiled, as if he had been waiting for this. He folded his jacket up, and handed it to Belle. He began to unbutton his shirt, and Belle raised an eyebrow.

"Don't want to get it dirty - in case I wipe out," said Spike. He then let out a little laugh, and peeled it off and placing it in Belle's hands as well, "That probably won't happen, but better safe then sorry." Belle was surprised to find that he was rather muscular. Not overly so - he didn't have a six pack, or bulging biceps, but he was relatively well cut. He had several tattoos - two wings were etched onto his shoulders, and a line of purple flame went across his chest.

He dropped the board at his feet and closed his eyes before, gently, leaning forward and pushing off. The board dipped down into the bowl, and - instead of panicking like she had - he seemed to relax. His body moved with the motion of the board, carefully balancing himself with every subtle movement it made. He rode with fluid grace, going up and down with no effort at all. Belle stared open mouthed as he dipped up and around the slopes to gain some speed. He made it seem so easy. He gave Belle a little wave, and then his eyes narrowed. Reaching the apex of the bowl, he pushed with his left foot, and propelled himself into the air. He grabbed the bottom of the board, and spun himself in a circle. After a heartstopping little moment of hang time... he landed it, and gave a little fist pump.

He came back around, rode straight up the ramp and landed on the ground outside of the bowl. Without ceremony he picked up his board and walked back over to Belle.

"So, what do you think?" Spike panted. Belle reached out, and embraced him. At first, Spike tensed at her touch, but then his muscles seemed to melt, and he returned the hug.

"Pretty cool, for a punk," Belle said. She let him go - he was a little sweaty, and she didn't want to ruin her dress. "Nice tattoos by the way. They're very pretty."

"Pretty?" muttered Spike, a dark look falling onto his face.

"No! N- n- not pretty!" Belle stuttered. "Handsome. Cool."

"Thanks," said Spike, rubbing a hand along the flame across his chest. "I got them done a long time ago. You should have seen the look on Twilights face."

"I'm sure she was super happy," giggled Belle. The two shared a laugh. A silence began to creep between them. Belle began to fidget. After a while, Spike finally broke it.

"I'm sorry," muttered Spike.

"For what?"

"For ignoring you. I just..." he walked away from her, and set the board down. He put one foot on the board, and gently moved it back and forth. "I don't know. I wasn't sure how you felt. You were drunk - I wasn't sure how much you really wanted to do it." He flipped the board up with a hard kick, and caught it midair. "I was afraid that you thought I was trying to take advantage of you." He turned his head away, hiding his face from Belle. She walked up to him, still holding his shirt and jacket in her arms.

"Spike, look at me," Belle implored. Spike turned. Tears were welling up in his eyes. Belle put his jacket and shirt over her shoulder, and again reached out to him. This time, she brushed her hands through his hair. She put some pressure on the back of his head, pulling him close.

"We were drunk, stupid. But I'm sure - one hundred percent sure - that I wanted that kiss. In fact..." Belle continued to pull him closer. "I think I want a kiss right now." Spike put a hand on the nape of her neck, and the two locked eyes. "Your eyes are so green... like emeralds."

Their lips met - hesitantly at first. It was their first sober kiss and they were still exploring each other. Spike pulled in for another, and another. He was a dominant kisser - and Belle willingly obliged him. His tongue began to explore hers, and Belle dropped his jacket on the ground. Spike followed suit, and tossed his skateboard aside. They embraced each other, hands exploring bodies, lips exploring lips. She felt his muscles, his body pulsing underneath her hands. She felt his arms, his chest. She ran her hands along his back, around his tattoos. He felt her softness - her slight hesitancy. Her flowing, silky hair. They fell against each other, their spirits tangled together. It only lasted a minute or two, but it was wonderful. Powerful. They finally pulled apart, panting.

Belle let out a nervous giggle, and picked up Spike's clothes. "Sorry about that," she said breathlessly.

"It's all good," Spike said, picking his board back up. "All very, very good. Good. Definitely good."

"So it was good?" Belle laughed. Spike nodded.

"I guess I should get back to the Hoof," Belle said with earnest disappointment. "The girls will be wondering what happened to me." Spike frowned, and shuffled his feet. Belle gave him a little shove. "You don't have to go. I know it's not really your scene."

"No, it really isn't," Spike agreed. "You gonna be okay walking back?"

"I'm a big girl," Belle said. She handed him back his jacket and shirt.

"When can I see you again?" he asked.

"Tomorrow - you got a job, remember?"

"I mean, when can I see you-"

"I know what you mean," Belle teased. "I'll let you know." She brought his head down, and gave him one final, lingering kiss. "But it'll be sooner rather then later." She took a few steps backwards, and then finally broke out into a fast walk, waving to Spike as she faded into the streetlights. Spike wiped his hand against his forehead - it was soaked with sweat.

"Holy shit," he muttered.

"Oh my Gawd, that is awesome!" screamed Scootaloo, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She was holding her shoes, and swinging them around with glee.

"It was pretty awesome," agreed Belle. Scootaloo nearly lost her balance, and Belle tightened her hold on the over-excited girl. The two were walking away from the club, towards the car. Scootaloo was - once again - pretty hammered. "You gotta calm down on the booze hun," admonished Belle.

"Oh puh-leaze," groaned Scootaloo, "Don't be such an Applejack."

"I'll second that," came a voice from behind them. The two spun around, and saw Applebloom approaching them. She had her head hung low. Her hair was desheviled and Belle could tell something was up, but Scootaloo was oblivious.

"Bloomy!" she shrieked, breaking away from Belle, and jumping at Applebloom. Applebloom managed to catch her. "I thought you were going home with that pretty blonde chick."

"Nope," sighed Applebloom. Scootaloo let go of her, and took a step back. She was finally noticing Applebloom's fallen mood. "What's a matter babe?"

"She's not gay," huffed Applebloom. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean she's not gay?" Scootaloo asked.

"What do you think I mean!" Applebloom exploded. Scootaloo took a step back. "We were dancing together, I was getting a good vibe with her..." she began to calm down, and her anger began to transform into sadness. "She.. she took me outside. We talked. And I tried to kiss her. She kissed me back, and then out of nowhere..." Applebloom just shook her head. "She called me some dirty words, said I tricked her, and left." Applebloom's lip began to quiver. "I don't know whether she's just in the closet, or if she just wanted to try it out... but there's no reason to talk to someone like that." The tears began to fall. "There's just no..." her last few words became a sob. Her two friends ran over to her, and embraced her. Applebloom shook with heart-wrenching sobs. "I fucking hate this place. I hate it."

"It's okay," whispered Belle soothingly, "you're gonna be alright." Applebloom shook her head.

"No, no I'm not. I'm tired of this. I don't know how Pinkie, or Vinyl, or any of them deal with it. I'm tired of being called a dyke. I'm tired of being told that what I'm doing is wrong." She looked earnestly at her friends. "How can what I feel be wrong? I love these people... how can love be wrong?" The girls all stood in silence, Applebloom shivering, tears running down her cheeks. "Let's go home."

Belle - the most sober of the three - had dropped Applebloom and Scootaloo off at Scoot's house. The two sat together on the couch, snuggled against each other to stave off Applebloom's depression.

"So Belle made out with Spike?" asked Applebloom. She had managed to calm herself down in the car. She still hurt - and not just emotionally. Something hard and painful seemed to dig into her chest. She felt truly hateful for the first time in years. But she was trying to put it all away - this was not her friends' battle. This was her own.

"Yeah," said Scootaloo, "she said it was awesome. He's got tattoos."

"Sexy," muttered Applebloom. Scootaloo nodded, then stretched and stood up.

"I'm going to bed," she said. "You gonna stay over?"

"If you don't mind," said Applebloom.

"When have I ever minded?" said Scootaloo, making her way towards the stairs. She went up, taking each stair very carefully. Applebloom made sure she heard her door open and close before she stretched out on the couch. She took her shoes off, set them near a beanbag chair and closed her eyes. She started to fade...

"Bloomy? Bloomy, can you hear me?" Applebloom's eyes snapped open. She got up, and ran over to the front of the staircase.

"Scoot? Are you okay?" Applebloom said, her voice uneven.

"I... I need to see you." Applebloom pounded up the stairs. Scootaloo might be sick - she got a little crazy with the alcohol sometimes. She ran up to her room, and threw open the door.

"Scoot-" her voice was stolen away from her. The room was lit by a single lamp, throwing the scene into harsh focus. Scootaloo stood before Applebloom, almost completely naked. She wore only her panties - black, silky. Her skin was beautifully tanned, the kind of tan that only comes from spending long days out in the sun. Her hair was messy, lying across her head like tossed hay. Her breasts were perky and her nipples hard. They rose and fell with her breath. Applebloom noticed this, and more - the curvature of her body, the dimples of her hips, the acrylic pink of her nails - but she couldn't process it.

"I want you," muttered Scootaloo. She approached Applebloom - nearly falling as she did so - and put her hands on Applebloom's shoulders. Their breasts were nearly touching. Applebloom felt her mouth dry, her skin go cold.

"You're drunk," said Applebloom. "You don't want this."

"I do!" gasped Scootaloo. "I want this more than anything. I've always wanted this..." she pushed herself against Applebloom, until the redhead could feel her heat. "I've always wanted you. You should have known... the way I look at you. But I couldn't ask. I'm not like you, Bloomy. I'm not strong. You're one of the bravest people I know, and still you suffer. I'm not brave... I'm such a coward. If someone called me a dyke, or a queer, I'd fall apart. And then there's my family. I couldn't stand the looks, the whispering. Every time I think of telling my mother, I see her sadness in my minds eye. She wouldn't abandon me, but she'd wonder where she went wrong. Wonder why her little girl became a sinner. And my father..." Applebloom felt her shiver. "I don't even want to think about that. But this... this can be our secret. I want you to love me. Love me like you've loved all those other girls." Scootaloo looked at her imploringly. "Please?"

Applebloom took Scootaloo's hand, and led her over to the bed. She helped the unsteady girl into it and Scootaloo looked up at her - ready for her friend to join her - but Applebloom pulled up her covers.

"Go to sleep babe," whispered Applebloom. She kissed Scootaloo on the cheek. "I love you - you know that. And I'll help you through this. But not now. Not when you're drunk." She rubbed her hand lovingly through Scootaloo's spiky hair. "We'll talk tomorrow." Applebloom walked away.

Scootaloo looked up at her with disappointment, but her eyes were already heavy in near sleep. Applebloom turned out the light, and shut the door, leaning up against it, steadying herself. She made her way down the stairs, and laid back on the couch. She didn't know whether Scootaloo would remember her admission in the morning. And if she did... no. Applebloom could not think about that now. She had to follow her own advice. For now, sleep.

In her dreams, Belle dreamed of great dragons. They towered over her, and enveloped her in wonderful fire. Applebloom dreamed of something just out of reach - something she desperately wanted, but could never grab. Scootaloo dreamed of playing soccer with her friends - a never ending game of soccer, where both teams won.

Desire

Their lips wrapped around each other - tasting, feeling. Teeth nipped, tongues slipped, breath hitched out in moans.

"This is wonderful Bloomy... so wonderful." Applebloom reached up, and felt the swell of her lovers breast. She heard the soft sigh of her partner, felt the shiver ripple through her. She felt a hand feel its way down her stomach... the butterflies transformed into a pounding, desperate warmth. She grabbed her partners hand, and pushed it down her jeans, and into her panties. The hand began to touch her gently - pushing, rubbing. Applebloom began to loose control. She looked at her partners face.

"Scootaloo..."

Applebloom gasped and snapped awake. She sat up, and looked around. She was in her room - it was dark, still late at night - and she was drenched in sweat, breathing in staccato bursts. "Not again," she muttered, sinking back down onto the mattress. This was the third dream this week. They just wouldn't stop! She turned and looked at her alarm clock; it was three in the morning - she had work in four hours. With a sigh she dropped back against her pillow. She knew she wasn't going to get back to sleep any time soon. Every time she had this dream, she became plagued by the memories of the past week.

It had been the worst in recent memory. She'd lost one of her closest friends.

She got up and walked over to a desk, opened one of the drawers and took out a scrapbook. Her grandmother had made it for her graduation - a sort of tradition in the Apple family household. It contained pictures of her childhood. She opened it up, and scanned through the pages. Her former best friend looked up at her in almost every single one. In some they were smiling, holding hands (how innocent that seemed at the time), in others they were embroiled in the heat of competition, battling with each other in soccer, field hockey. A sudden memory rose up, the two of them burning their field hockey skirts (which they had hated with a blazing passion), dancing around the fire drunkenly, raising hell. Only a week ago, that memory would have filled her with fondness. Now, it only brought her misery. She slammed the book shut and tossed it aside. She leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes.

She wouldn't return her calls. She wouldn't answer her texts. She even ignored the repeated knocks at her door. Her best friend... was it gone? Was that the end of it? Just one night of drunkenness, and-

"Bloom! Watch what yer doin!" Applebloom was startled out of her thoughts. She had been in the kitchen, idly mashing up some apples for a new jam the family was planning on selling. She looked down, and realized that she had made a total mess of things. Instead of putting the mash into the bowl, it was scattered all around the table. There were large chunks of uncrushed apple mixed in with the mush, and stems and seeds abounded. Her sister pushed her aside, and began painstakingly correcting her mistakes. "Dammit Bloom, what's a matter with you?" her sister asked. Bloom backed away from the table.

"Nothing. Just a little distracted." Applebloom muttered.

"Well, you're not going to be much use then," Applejack sighed. Applebloom felt her cheeks go hot with embarrassment.

"Sorry," she muttered under her breath. Applejack wiped her brow, and turned to face her sister.

"Anything you wanna talk about, sugar cube?" her sister probed. Applebloom shook her head.

"Don't think you could help," Bloom said. She shrugged her shoulders. "It's just... things are starting to fall apart a little bit." Applejack nodded, and put a hand on her sisters shoulder.

"It gets like that sometimes. But you can get through it." Applejacks face lit up with a smile. "You're strong, little sis. Apple family strong." She pounded her fist against her chest. Applebloom managed to eek out a smile. "Remember Bloomy - life will always get tough. It doesn't matter what led up to it, that's all in the past. What people will remember you for, what will form your future, is how you handle it. If you let it break you, and fall, it'll be tough to recover. But if you face it head on, and stand tall, you'll never falter again." Applejack took her other shoulder.

They stared into each others eyes - eyes that were just like their mother's - and felt that powerful, blazing love that only kin can feel for each other. "Whatever it is Bloomy, I know you won't let it break you. You're my sister. You're an Apple. And an Apple never falls." Applejack winked at her. "'Less we pick it first." They stood together, reveling in some unseen power that flowed between them. It lasted a few moments... and then it disappeared, folding into the aether. Applejack stepped away, and went back to work fixing up Applebloom's mash. Applebloom searched for words, some way to thank her sister, but she just couldn't find them. She ran out of the room, picking up a coat on her way out the door.

"Hey, where ya goin?" called her sister.

"I'm fixing what's broken!" shouted Applebloom. She walked out the front door, pulled her coat over her, and stepped double time to her car. She wasn't going to let this stand. That's what weak people did. When weak people encountered a problem, they waited for someone else to dig them out. But the strong know that the true solutions to life's problems lie within themselves. Maybe the weak persons method works one time, someone might bail them out, or they might gain divine provenance. But what about the second obstacle? Or the third? When they are faced with an obstacle that no one can help them with, they lie helpless. They don't know how to overcome it. However, the strong will be able to do it easily. They've conquered such problems before and conquered them on their own.

Applebloom started up the car, and put it into drive. She wound it through the streets, a look of tenacity set upon her brow. This would not stand. She would not give up her best friend without a fight.

"Scoot! Scoot!" Applebloom pounded on the door as hard as she could. A dull ache began to form in her knuckles, but she ignored it and pushed on. "Dammit Scootaloo, I know you're in there! Answer me!" She slammed the door with her fist again, and let out a frustrated grunt. She had been at Scootaloo's front door for nearly ten minutes now. She had pounded and called out with all her strength, but there was never an answer. She was beginning to give up hope. Maybe this was all just for nothing... just fruitless. Maybe-

"You're gonna break it down if you keep that up." Applebloom gasped. She turned around slowly, willing that the owner of that voice would be who she thought it was. She closed her eyes... and slowly opened them. Scootaloo stood there, leaning against the fence. Applebloom felt unbridled joy fill her. She opened her mouth... and quickly closed it. The joy began to curdle. It began to turn into something darker... anger. Resentment. Frustration. She bit her lip, and leaned against the door she had been pounding on only a moment before. She tried to think of something to say, but everything that came into her head was just too vicious. She had come here to smooth things over with Scootaloo, not destroy things again. Still, she felt like she should say something.

"Wassup?" She asked. Damn. That was pretty lame.

Not much." Answered Scoot, scratching the back of her head, "How about you?"

"Oh, you know..." What could she say? Worrying my ass off? Thinking my most precious friendship had ended? Destroying myself emotionally? "... the usual." Scootaloo walked away from the fence, moved up the stairs to the porch, and stood in front of Applebloom. Applebloom looked at her- really looked at her. Scootaloo was avoiding her eyes. Her features were etched with foreign emotion. Regret, maybe? Disappointment? She just couldn't tell. Come on, this was Scootaloo! She used to be able to read her like a book. But now, she was obscured. It was like they were seeing each other through a fog.

"Do you wanna come in?" Scootaloo motioned to the door. Applebloom nodded, and Scootaloo led them inside. When Scoot closed the door behind Applebloom, the red-head sighed. She was just going to have to come out with it. It might hurt Scootaloo, but she needed to make her feelings known.

"Scoot, listen-" her words were cut off. Scoot had embraced her.

"I'm sorry." Scootaloo's voice came out in harsh gasps, as if she was desperate for air. "You don't deserve this. I care about you so much. But... " Scootaloo took a few steps back, turning her face to try and keep her friend from seeing her expression. "Every time I see you now, I just feel confused. No, not even when I see you. Whenever I think about you, everything starts to get weird. You're my most loyal and loved friend, and I never imagined that I'd want anything more then that. Especially since... well, you know."

"Know what?" Applejack took a step closer to Scootaloo, staring her straight in the eye.

"Well, we're both..."

"Girls. Yeah, crazy world we live in," snarled Applejack. "It must be so tough admitting that you like other women. I have no idea what you're going through." Scootaloo shook her head sadly.

"That's just it... you don't," sighed Scootaloo. Applebloom could only stare at her, open mouthed.

"I'm sorry, what?" asked Applebloom. "Are you bein' serious?"

"Dead," answered Scootaloo. "You see, when you came out, you had friends and family that would accept you. It was hard, but you knew you could get through it. But me... no, I don't think I could. I know it was tough, but when it really comes down to it, you had it easy. Not to mention, you told me that you had feelings for girls your entire life. Well, I haven't. I dated boys through high school, not because I had to, but because I wanted to. I had fun with them... I was attracted to them. I even loved some of them. But throughout all that, I had feelings for you. I felt so conflicted. I wasn't sure what I was."

"Then why put a label on it?" Applejack put an arm around her friend. "That's the problem with society today. To most people, sexuality is black and white. Gay and straight. But that's just not true. I know plenty of straight women who have slept with other women, and don't feel regret about it. And I know a few straight men who admit they get a rush when they see a really good looking guy. You shouldn't feel bad Scoot. You weren't cheating on those guys, you just had feelings for someone else. Even people in love get that way sometimes. Any person who says their love is so powerful that they're blind to any other person is lying. No matter how committed you are to somebody, you're still going to want to sleep with other people. You know?"

"I guess," sighed Scootaloo. "This is a lot to take in. I'm not exactly..."

"Open to this sort of thing?" nudged Applebloom. Scootaloo nodded. "Well, maybe you should be. Better to try this stuff out now while you're young then when you're committed to a family."

"Try it out? You mean, you would wanna, you know..." Scootaloo scratched her head sheepishly.

"Fuck?" Scootaloo gave a very Belle-esque gasp. Applebloom laughed. "When did you get so squeamish Scoot?"

"I don't know," shrugged Scootaloo. "But, but what if it doesn't work out? Can we still be friends?"

"Maybe. But nothing's for sure," countered Applebloom. "But I don't know if we can really be friends right now. If I left this house right now, do you think you'd be able to face me again without feeling uncomfortable? Do you think we'd ever be able to have a conversation without you wondering what could have been? Would things really go back to the way they were?"

"No, probably not," realized Scootaloo. Applebloom nodded.

"So... what are we gonna do about all this?" The arm that Applebloom had slung around Scootaloo's shoulder made it's way down her back. She grabbed Scootaloo by the waist, and pulled her close. She ran her other hand through Scootaloo's hair. She had let it grow out a little bit... it didn't look bad.

"What..." Scootaloo's breath hastened, and her heartbeat quickened. "What do I do?"

"Whatever comes natural." Applebloom's hand may its way down from Scootaloo's hair, down onto her cheek. She brought her face close, and guided Scootaloo's lips to hers. The first kiss went through them like thunder. Applebloom could feel Scootaloo's knees weakening, and she tightened her grip on her waist. They came apart.

"Oh man," whispered Scootaloo. Applebloom could only giggle.

"No men here sis." She kissed her again, deeper this time. She felt Scootaloo's hands running down her back, onto the top of her jeans. Their lips parted, and Applebloom whispered, "go ahead." Scootaloo's eyes widened. Applebloom felt the hands go lower, and grasp her butt. She felt a shudder rip through Scootaloo, and felt a sort of base pleasure. They kissed again - their lips dancing - and Scootaloo tightened her grip. Applebloom began to feel a familiar heat, and felt her cheeks redden.

"I can't tell you how long I've wanted this," sighed Scootaloo. Her normal voice seemed to have vanished- it had transformed into some softer one. It reminded Applebloom of the wind blowing through the trees- skimming over the grass. Her eyes sparkled, and the kisses grew deeper, and longer. Their bodies unconsciously moved against each other. They began to preform a dance of desperation, as if they were trying to get closer then just skin to skin contact. As if they were trying to break through their fragile mortal shells, and move into each others very souls. Scootaloo took Applebloom's hand, and led her up the stairs. Applebloom could feel her heart pounding, a strange, violently beautiful feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. She hadn't felt this since... since her first time. This incredible anticipation. The etherial feeling of floating outside the boundaries of time and space. Being so wrapped up in someone that you couldn't form a coherent thought.

'This is how it feels before you make love,' Applebloom realized. It had been so long since she had been with someone she thought she could love. All the women before this were brief flickers of physical pleasure. They never lasted, never lingered. Applebloom thought about them sometimes, with some fondness. But not the fondness that a true, powerful experience has on you. More like the fondness of a fleeting joy, a cool breeze in the summer, or a particularly tasty meal. But this moment, with Scootaloo... she knew she would never forget this. She knew that this moment, this memory, would become ingrained in her consciousness.

It took them only a few moments to go up the stairs. These few moments, in two peoples lives, in the vast fathoms of the human subconscious, with millions of shared experiences coalescing at once, were not even a drop in the ocean. To most people, this is nothing. But to these two, these star struck lovers, who at that moment had nothing in their minds or hearts but each other, this would be the start of something incredible. Something beyond words. The best way to put it might be that it would be magical. That is where the true magic lies, not in the simple tricks performed by an illusionist, but in the blossoming hearts of young lovers. To follow these two into their bed would be to tread on the sanctity of love. This is their memory, and their memory alone.

Authors Note: I don't normally do these, but here goes. Now that things have settled down, and I have time to write again, I'm going to do my best to update more. It's tough to find times to write, but I owe it to you all to give as much to this story as I can. I wanted this chapter to be longer - especially after such a long wait for it - but truth be told, this is where it should end (the chapter, I mean- not the story). I feel like this chapter has a different tone then the others, and maybe that's because I'm still finding my voice. Hope you all enjoyed it. Also, keep an eye on 7 Days, you may be in for a surprise in a week or so.

Denouement, Part 1

The morning after their skatepark tryst, Belle could barely keep herself together. She had spent nearly an hour at the mirror making sure her hair was just-so, and that her makeup was perfect. She was supposed to be hanging up a banner, but she was so distracted by her wandering mind that she kept dropping it. After three failed attempts she folded the banner up and tossed it in the back room. She began to pace around the shop, waiting for Spike to come in.

A bell rung, signifying that somebody had entered the boutique. Belle jogged over from the back room to the front door. Spike was standing there, beaming at her. He wore a well-pressed button-up shirt, and khakis. His hair was carefully combed, and had started to lose some of its artificially green color. Belle felt the breath leave her chest.

“Hi Belle,” said Spike. Belle had no reply. She bit her bottom lip, and approached him. A strange look came onto his face. “Umm, are you okay?” She stood in front of him, still refusing to speak. Spike began to look around the room. “So, what should I do? Should I start working on unpacking the new shipment, or reorganizing the sewing needles, or-” he was abruptly cut off as Belle pounced on him.

Belle embraced him as tightly as she could. Spike felt her breasts press up against him, and a heat surged through his body. He could feel her heart pounding, and it seemed his heart was trying to catch up to hers. She leaned her face in close to his.

“You have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to you walking through that door,” Belle said. Spike’s mind went foggy. He leaned down, and their lips met. It wasn’t tentative, exploratory, like it had been last night. Now their kisses were passionate, desperate. It seemed as if they had been waiting for this their whole life. Belle felt one of her feet leave the floor as Spike’s tongue touched her own. They broke apart after nearly two minutes, both beet red and panting.

“Jesus Christ,” Spike muttered. “You’re really good at that.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” said Belle. “You know, we have an hour before the store opens.” Spike’s heart quickened even more. It was pounding so fast he thought it might fly out of his chest. “I think we should use that time constructively, don’t you?” As an answer, Spike leaned down and kissed her again. One hand was on her hip, and the other in the small of her back. As they continue to kiss, the hand on her hip wandered up to her hair. He ran his hand through it. It was such a beautiful color. He wondered whether she dyed it, or whether the pattern in it was naturally occurring. Meanwhile, Belle’s hands wandered down to Spike’s belt. She reached below it, and grabbed two handfuls of his ass.

“Woah!” said Spike, breaking apart from Belle. She giggled, and gave his ass a squeeze.

“Look what I’ve found,” she said playfully. She kneaded his butt in her hands. “You’re pretty well built down here.” Spike smiled deviously, and Belle squealed.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” said Spike. Belle was blushing so hard she was almost purple.

“B-back room,” she squeaked. Spike acquiesced immediately, clasping her hand and racing to the storage closet in the back of the shop. They threw the door open, flicked on the light, and Spike kicked it back closed. The closet was covered with shelves on all four walls. The shelves held all sorts of materials, from sewing equipment, to fabrics, to the banner Belle had tossed in earlier. In the center of the room was a table. It was currently covered in paperwork, mostly banking stuff that Belle was supposed to send to Rarity. Belle swept it aside and sat down on the table. The couple began to kiss again, their hands moving across each other’s backs.

“Wait,” said Spike. Belle frowned, but sat back.

“What’s the matter?” said Belle.

“Isn’t this a little, I don’t know, fast?” said Spike. Belle raised her eyebrows.

“I don’t think so,” said Belle. “What, aren’t you having a good time?”

“Oh hell yes!” said Spike. “It’s just, well, I wasn’t expecting you to be so…” Belle narrowed her eyes.

“Watch it,” she warned.

“I just mean, I thought you would be one of those girls who liked to take it slow,” said Spike. Belle chuckled.

“Look, the only reason I didn’t jump your bones at the skate park was because it was so cold out,” said Belle. “I’ve been wanting you since the first time you kissed me. I just hesitated because you seemed unsure of yourself.” Spike frowned.

“Should… should we talk?” asked Spike. “I just, I don’t know, I don’t want to go down this road and disappoint-” again, Belle cut him off with a kiss.

“Maybe some other time,” said Belle. “But Spike, I’ve been waiting for you to come through that door since last night. Now we’re here, we’re ready, and you’re doing your best to ruin the moment. So I hope you won't think I’m rude for saying this, but please,” she pulled him up against her, “shut up and fuck me.” Spike lost all conscious thought. His entire being was pulled into one single purpose. He leaned his weight against Belle, and she fell back against the table. He carefully climbed on top her, his hips pivoting into hers. Belle let out a gasp, and began undoing the buttons on Spike shirt. He helped her, and after a second his shirt was lying on the floor. He took off hers next, pulling it over her head and tossing it onto the floor. Her bra was a lacy blue number, with flowers patterned into the material. Spike guessed that Belle was a B-cup, although she was definitely pushing C. Spike’s hands shook as he reached behind her, and fooled with the clasps that held her bra in place.

“It’s been a little while,” Spike muttered. He struggled with it for a few seconds, until Belle reached behind her and helped him out. Together they unclasped it. Spike held the clasps in his hands for a few seconds, preparing himself to see such an intimate part of her. He let them go, and Belle pulled her bra off. Spike’s heart wasn’t just beating fast now, it was beating hard. He could feel it thumping against his chest; he was sure it was going so hard that Belle would hear. “They’re perfect,” said Spike. Her nipples, perfectly sized, were diamond-hard.

“You won’t know that for sure until you touch them,” Belle said. Spike didn’t need the encouragement. He ran his hands down her shoulders, and paused at her collarbone. Belle fidgeted in anticipation, but he went slow. He continued down her chest, until his hands were filled. Belle made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a moan. He let his thumbs drift to her nipples. He moved his thumbs in circles, and Belle arched her back. He pinched them, and rolled them between his fingers. As he did, he felt Belle fidget with his belt. She pulled it off, and tossed it away. She found the button above his fly, and undid it. Spike took his hands off of Belle, kicked his shoes off, and pushed his pants off of him. As he did, Belle began to laugh. Spike felt his blood run cold. He looked down, and realized he was wearing his Simpson's boxers. They were bright yellow, with donuts running across them.

“Oh man, I forgot that I’d put those on,” groaned Spike.

“It’s fine,” said Belle. “They won’t be on you much longer anyway.” Spike smiled gratefully, and turned towards Belle’s jeans. He got them off quickly. Her panties must have come from the same set as her bra. They were the same color, and the material had the same lacy-flowery pattern. Spike saw that there was a sizable wet spot in between her legs. He felt his mouth go dry, and his libido went into overdrive. He realized he was fully erect now. His dick pushed against his underwear, desperately trying to escape confinement. He pressed his hips against hers, and their sexes, separated only by two thin pieces of fabric, brushed against each other. They both gasped.

“Condom,” muttered Belle.

“What?” asked Spike.

“Do you have a condom?” asked Belle. Spike found his jeans with his foot, and pulled them up to his outstretched hand. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his wallet. It had been a while, but like most guys Spike felt it was good to be prepared just in case. He pulled the condom out of one of the wallet, and tossed the leather accessory to the ground.

“God I want you,” said Spike. Belle reached for the waistband of his underpants. As she was about to pull them down, the two heard the tinkle of a bell.

“Oh fuck,” said Belle. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Did you accidentally turn the open sign around?” asked Spike.

“No!” said Belle.

“Sweetie!” called a loud voice. “Where are you?”

“Rarity!” gasped Belle. “Spike, get off me!” Belle pushed Spike away, almost knocking him off the table. She began to stuff her legs into her jeans. “Get dressed!” hissed Belle.

“Sweetie Belle, are you in the back?” called Rarity.

“One second!” shouted Belle in reply. Belle had managed to clothe herself, but Spike was struggling to button his shirt. Belle began to help him, and they finished just as the door creaked open.

“Belle!” squealed Rarity. She ran over to her sister, and embraced her.

“Hello Rarity,” said Belle. She returned the hug. Rarity noticed Spike and gave him a wave.

“Oh Belle, it’s been too long,” said Rarity. She let Belle go, and looked her over. “My goodness, you’re all sweaty.” She looked from Belle, to Spike, and back to Belle. Spike sheepishly tucked his hands into his pockets.

“I, um, have to go take care of some stuff,” he said quickly. He double timed it out of the room, moving back towards the front of the shop. He found a chair and sat down. He realized he was shaking. They had been so close. All he could think about was Belle. Her beautiful face, her perfect breasts… and what might have happened if he had slept with her. They would have been locked into a relationship then. There was just no question in his mind. Spike had never been one of those people who could hit it and quit it. Sex had an emotional connotation. He wouldn’t be able to just let Belle go after something like that, and he still wasn’t sure if he wanted to be in a relationship with Belle. He cared about her, but there was just so much going on…

Spike’s mental ministrations were interrupted by the two girls entering the front of the shop. Rarity kept looking between him and Belle, while Belle did her best to avoid her big sister's gaze.

“Spike, me and Rarity are going out for a bite to eat,” said Belle. “We’re going to go ahead and close up the shop. You can have the day off.”

“Oh, okay,” said Spike. “I guess I’ll see you soon Belle. And, um, nice seeing you again Rarity.”

“Tell Twilight I said hi,” said Rarity. The tone of her voice was pleasant enough, but Spike could tell it was forced. Spike stood from his chair, and exited the shop. He began to walk back towards the apartment. He turned behind him, expecting the girls to follow him out, but they stayed inside. Spike knew they’d be talking about him. That Rarity would be telling Belle how bad of an influence he was. How Belle should avoid him if she wanted her life to stay on track. Spike had to fight a sudden urge to run back into the shop and tell Rarity off. So what if he had made mistakes in the past? Did that mean he was always going to be a bad person? Didn’t she realize that people could change?

As Spike continued to walk, he felt something vibrate in his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone, and saw that he was receiving a call from Belle. He pressed the answer button.

“Hi Spike,” whispered Belle.

“Hey,” said Spike. “I can barely hear you.”

“I have to whisper,” said Belle. “I’m in the bathroom right now, and I don’t want Rarity to hear me.”

“Right,” said Belle. “I bet she gave you a hell of a talking to.”

“She did,” said Belle. “She doesn’t like that I was fooling around during work hours.”

“Yeah, that’s it,” said Spike. “It has nothing to do with the fact that you were fooling around with me.” There was silence on the other end of the line.

“I don’t care what she thinks,” said Belle finally. “I like you Spike. And I want to finish what we started.” Spike’s felt heat race through his body. “Why don’t we meet back at my place later tonight, maybe around eight? I’ll text you the address.”

“I’ll be there,” said Spike.

“Good,” said Belle. “I’ll see you then.” She hung up the phone. Spike pocketed his and tried to stop the smile that kept creeping on his face. He wanted to be sad, to be sullen, but it was just impossible.

Applebloom and Scootaloo were snuggled together on Scoot’s couch. Applebloom was the little spoon, and Scoot was covering her. Since they had admitted their feelings for each other they had been physically inseparable.

“I can’t believe we waited so long to do this,” said Scootaloo.

“I know whatcha mean,” said Applebloom. “I feel like I’m in a dream.”

“A really, really good dream,” sighed Scootaloo. “I don’t want this to end.”

“It doesn’t have to,” said Applebloom. Scootaloo shifted uncomfortably. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing,” said Scootaloo.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that,” said Applebloom. “The whole reason we got in such a mess was because we didn’t talk to each other.” Applebloom rolled over so she was facing Scootaloo. “What’s goin’ on?”

“It’s just, well, I don’t know how we’re gonna do this,” said Scoot. “We’re gonna have to be really careful, you know?”

“Why?” asked Applebloom.

“Because we can’t let people know that we’re together!” said Scootaloo.

“What!? Why the hell not?” demanded Applebloom.

“Do you think that people will be able to keep it to themselves?” asked Scootaloo. “Of course not! They’ll go and tell everyone else, and then it’ll just keep going like that, and, and, what if my parents find out!?” Scootaloo began to shiver.

“Oh Scoot,” said Applebloom. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“I know,” said Scootaloo. “I hate that I have to keep you a secret. But I don’t think my parents will be able to handle it.”

“And I don’t like being your secret,” said Applebloom. “But I know your parents. I’ve known for a long time that if they found out I was gay, they wouldn’t have let you hang out with me. If they find out you’re gay, well…” Applebloom didn’t need to say the rest. “I don’t like having to make this relationship all weird and cagey right off the bat, but I will if you need me to.”

“I hate it as much as you do,” said Scoot. “I want everyone to know how much I love you.” She grabbed Bloom’s hands, and squeezed them. “Maybe I should just say to hell with it, and tell my parents anyway. I don’t even live with them, it’s not like they can kick me out.”

“But you love them,” said Applebloom quietly. “I know how bad you’d be hurt if they decided not to love you back.”

“But they should love me unconditionally!” said Scootaloo. “I’m their daughter! Just because I happen to like another girl doesn’t mean I’m suddenly a different person.”

“I know that, and I’d like to think that most other people do as well,” said Applebloom, “but that’s just not how your parents feel. It would change things. And, as much as we don’t want to think about it, it might end things. I don’t know if you know this, but Pinkie’s parents don’t talk to her anymore.”

“Really?” asked Scootaloo. “I never would have guessed. She’s such a positive person.”

“The people that seem the happiest can sometimes be the ones that hurt the most,” said Applebloom. “That’s what my sister always says. Look, I think we just hold off on telling people for a while. We can make this work. So what if we have to hide it? It doesn’t mean that our feelings for each other are at all diminished.”

“True,” said Scootaloo. “But I think we should at least tell Octavia and Scratch. We’re going to be spending most of our time here, and having to hide from them would make things really difficult.”

“Fair enough,” said Applebloom. “And we should tell Belle.”

“Definitely,” said Scootaloo. “What about Spike?”

“If he’s going to be spending as much time with Belle as we think he is, I’m sure he’ll figure it out on his own,” said Applebloom.

“I’m glad they finally got all the kinks worked out of their relationship,” said Scootaloo. “That whole, ‘I like you but things are way too complicated’ thing was getting really annoying.” Applebloom frowned.

“Do you have any idea how ironic that was?” Applebloom asked. Scootaloo blushed and chuckled.

Rarity and Belle sat outside Ponyville cafe. They were at a table with a large umbrella that had been situated in the middle. Rarity sipped a mimosa, while Belle toyed with an order of scrambled eggs.

“Are you okay Belle? You haven’t eaten a bite,” said Rarity.

“I’m not hungry,” said Belle. Rarity set down her mimosa, and put her hands on her hips.

“Sweetie Belle, don’t sulk,” said Rarity. “It’ll give you frown lines. Look, I’m not saying you can’t see him, that’s not my place. I’m just saying that, well, I’m not sure you can’t do better.” Belle slammed her fork onto the table.

“You don’t even know him,” said Belle.

“I don’t have to,” said Rarity. “Twilight has told me all about him. Honestly, it’s such a shame. He was such a pleasant little boy.”

“He’s changed,” said Twilight. “You might not believe it, but he really has.”

“Look, it’s okay to be attracted to the bad boy,” said Rarity. “Believe me, I was. But at some point you have to get over that and start looking at relationships that could actually end up meaning something in the future. I know you’re only twenty, but it never hurts to start looking early.” Belle stood up from the table, tossing her napkin aside.

“I’m leaving,” said Belle. Rarity sat in shock, her mouth hung open in surprise. After a second she dug into her purse, threw some money on the table, and ran after her sister.

“Belle, wait!” Rarity called. She ran as fast as she could, cursing the fact that she had worn high heels. She managed to reach Belle, who refused to even look at her. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

“Well you are!” said Belle. “You’re not my Mom, Rarity. And I’m not you. I don’t want everything you want.”

“I didn’t say you did,” said Rarity. “It’s just, well, I’m trying to look out for you!”

“Well you’re doing a lousy job of it,” said Belle. “You’re judging Spike without even getting to know him.”

“Maybe you’re right,” said Rarity. Belle stopped in her tracks. This was very unlike Rarity. Most of the time if Rarity was convinced she was right, there was no way to convince her otherwise. “Look, if he means that much to you, I suppose I owe it to you to at least get to know this… new Spike. Shall we do dinner tomorrow, at your apartment?” Belle beamed.

“That would be excellent!” said Belle. She hugged her sister tightly, and Rarity returned it. “I really appreciate this.”

“It’s no problem,” said Rarity. “Consider it a thank you for running the boutique so well in my absence.” Rarity let her sister go, and smiled. “At the rate my work is selling in Manehattan, who knows? I might just give it to you after college.” Belle did her best not to flinch.

“That would be amazing Rarity,” she said.

“Spike!” called Twilight. “Spike, are you home!” Spike blinked the sleep out of his eyes. He turned to look at his alarm. Seven P.M. Twilight was almost two hours late. He stretched, and walked out of his room. Twilight was taking off her coat. She noticed him, and smiled. “There you are.”

“What are you doing home so late?” asked Spike. “You didn’t say you’d be going out tonight.”

“Why Spike, I didn’t think you cared,” said Twilight.

“Har-har,” said Spike. “Really, what kept you?” Twilight sat down at the dining room table, and began to tap her fingers.

“Work,” said Twilight. “Spike, I have something important I need to talk to you about. Can you please sit down.” Spike slowly walked over to the table, and sat across from Twilight.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Spike, how much do you know about what I do at the University?” asked Twilight.

“Not much,” Spike admitted. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I kind of tune out when you start talking about it sometimes. You use a lot of big words I don’t really understand.” Twilight chuckled.

“Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who has trouble following it,” said Twilight. “Essentially, I work under Professor's Celestia and Luna doing research on how energy interacts with matter- more specifically, how kinetic energy affects how atoms act under certain conditions.”

“Uh, okay,” said Spike.

“Well, we can only do so much at our University,” said Twilight. She began to tap her fingers against the table even more rapidly. “Ponyville is a small town, so as you can imagine the University isn’t exactly well-funded. We have a lot of smart people, but we’re missing some key equipment we need to do our experiments.”

“Sure, that makes sense,” said Spike. He wasn’t sure where she was going with this. Twilight rarely talked about her work at the University, not just because Spike couldn’t appreciate it, but because Twilight liked to keep her work life and her professional life separate.

“So we’ve ended up having to borrow a lot of equipment from Crystal College, down in Crystal City,” said Twilight. “And, well, both schools have decided that it’s gotten pretty inconvenient to have to transport sensitive equipment from one school to another on such a frequent basis.” Spike felt a chill start to creep into his gut. “We all got together, and decided that the easiest solution would be for one of the researchers to move from Ponyville to Crystal City. Since Celestia and Luna are both administrators as well as researchers, it was decided that I should be the one that goes.”

“But… but you can’t!” said Spike. He was doing his best to keep his emotions in check, but he was having a miserable time of it. “We’ve lived in Ponyville our whole life! If we move to Crystal City, we’ll have to start all over!”

“Spike,” sighed Twilight, “I’m not finished.” Twilight was now tapping on the table with such rapidity that it seemed like there was no break in the noise. “As part of the deal, Crystal College is going to let me live on campus in a student apartment. Those apartments are designed for a single person. The don’t even have a living room, it’s just a bedroom and a shared bathroom.”

“So… so we’ll have to share a bedroom?” asked Spike. Twilight stopped tapping, and lowered her head so that her hair fell across her face.

“No, Spike,” she whispered. “I can’t have any roommates. The only person that can live there is me.” Silence permeated the room. Spike sat in utter shock. He realized that Twilight was crying, but he wasn’t sure that he cared. She was kicking him out. He was finally getting his life together, and she was kicking him out.

“Did I do something wrong?” Spike asked.

“What? No!” said Twilight. Tears were streaming down her face. “You’ve been really, really good lately! This new job has been incredible for you! It’s just, well, there’s no other choice.” She shook her head miserably. “I’m going to be leaving in two weeks. I’ll do everything in my power to get you a place to stay. Even if I have to sell all my worldly possessions, I’ll-” Spike abruptly stood up from the table, and walked towards the door.

“I’m going out,” he said.

“Spike, no, wait!” Twilight cried, but the door had already swung shut behind him. He pounded down the stairs of the apartment building. He was seething. He had done everything right! He had got a job, got better clothes, gotten rid of the mohawk, and had stopped hanging out with his friends that Twilight considered a bad influence. He had done all these things, and it still wasn’t enough. Well what the hell was he supposed to do!

Spike burst through the front door of the apartment complex, and started to pound the pavement. It wasn’t fair! Nobody was giving him a shot. Rarity hated him, Twilight wanted him out… they were all abandoning him. But people had been abandoning him all his life. Why should now be any different. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out. Sweetie Belle was calling him. He pressed the answer button, and waited for her to talk.

“Um, hello? Spike, are you there?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said brusquely.

“Well I was just calling to let you know I’m home,” Belle said. “So did you maybe want to
come over a little bit earlier?”

“Look, something came up,” said Spike.

“I’m sorry?” asked Belle.

“We’re going to have to meet up another time,” said Spike. “Goodbye.” He hung up the phone, and continued walking. Sweetie Belle tried to call him again, but he didn’t answer. At first he didn’t know where his feet were taking him, but as he crossed over into the red-light district of Ponyville, he realized exactly where he was going. He walked up to an incredibly beat-up single story house. A group of kids sat outside, smoking and drinking. As Spike approached, one of them- a tall, tattooed kid wearing a hat with deer antlers on it- saw him approach.

“Spike, what’s up?” asked the kid. “It’s been forever.”

“Nothing much Discord,” said Spike. “What are you guys getting into tonight?”

“Same old same old,” said Discord. “You tryin’ to hang out?”

“You know it,” said Spike. “I need to let off some steam.” Discord laughed, walked over to Spike, and put his arm around him.

“Don’t worry man,” said Discord. “We’ll get you good and fucked up.” Spike laughed, and the two walked into the house.

Belle gasped as her phone began to ring. She looked at her wall clock. It was almost three O’Clock in the morning. She picked up her phone, and looked at the caller. It was from an unknown number. She tentatively pressed the answer button.

“Hello?” said Sweetie Belle.

“Hi, is this Belle?” Belle faintly recognized the voice, although it had been awhile since she had heard it.

“Twilight?” asked Belle.

“Yes,” said Twilight. “Belle, I’m sorry to call you so late, but I need your help.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Belle.

“Spike left the house earlier because… well, because he was mad at me. I’m not sure what happened, but I just got a call from the Ponyville PD telling me that Spike was arrested, and I can’t get my car to start. I know he cares about you, and I know you live near the jail, so…”

“I’ll go get him!” said Belle.

“Oh Belle, thank you so much,” said Twilight. “Please keep me updated.”

“I will,” said Belle. “I’ll call you soon.” Belle closed her phone, turned on a lamp, and quickly dressed herself. She grabbed her wallet and car keys, and sprinted out of the house. She practically dove into her car, started it up, and sped out into the night. She white knuckled the steering wheel, doing twenty over the speed limit. In ten minutes she had (after narrowly avoiding being pulled over on two separate occasions) reached her destination: Ponyville Detention Center. She ran into the building, and made her way to the front desk. A bored looking woman with cyan hair and a light blue jacket was tending it.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked.

“Yes!” said Belle desperately. “I’m here for my friend Spike!”

“One moment,” said the woman. She pulled out a huge ledger, turned towards the back of it, and ran a finger down the page. “Ah, here we go,” she said. “Lucky for you he’s not being charged with anything.” The woman put the ledger back. “Fair warning: he’s drunk as hell.” Belle shook her head.

“No way, I think you’ve got the wrong person,” Belle said.

“A little less than six feet tall, green hair, wears a purple hoodie?” asked the woman. Belle deflated. “We’ll get him out for you.” Belle walked over to a cluster of chairs and sat down in one of them. She was miserable. She thought that Spike had knocked this shit off! This kind of thing was unlike him… well, unlike the new him. The Spike that Belle had tried to sell to Rarity earlier that day.

A door opened, and a chubby officer dragged Spike out into the room. Belle ran over to the pair. Spike looked miserable. His hoodie was covered in all sorts of multicolored stains. His hair was an absolute mess, sticking out in a way that, were the situation less tense, would be completely comical. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was clutching his stomach.

“You gonna be okay with this guy, little Miss?” asked the officer. “We can take him back for the night if you want.”

“No, no, that’s okay,” said Belle. She grasped Spike’s arm, and led him out of the building. As she led him to the car, she realized that he stumbled almost every other step. “Spike, what happened?”

“Nothin’,” he muttered.

“Spike, talk to me,” she said. “I just want to know what to tell Twilight.” Spike’s face darkened.

“You don’t have to tell that bitch nothin’!” he shouted. Belle gasped.

“Spike, what’s the matter with you!?” Belle demanded.

“Juz take me somewhere,” Spike hiccuped. “Not back to Twilight’s place though. I don’t wanna see ‘er.” Belle led Spike to the car, and carefully helped him get in and buckled. Spike was fast asleep by the time she had got back around and started the car. As she drove towards home, she had to admit to herself that she didn’t know how to feel. She thought she knew Spike. Thought he had changed. But this… this was worrisome. Belle knew that if Spike did this every time he lost his cool, any relationship she had hoped for with him would be out of the question.

Belle parked, and gently shook Spike. He awoke enough to be dragged out of the car. Belle led him into her apartment, and onto the couch. He fell onto it and was back asleep in seconds. Belle went to her room, pulled out her cellphone, and gave Twilight a call back.

“Oh God, I haven’t been this hungover in years,” groaned Spike. He was on his knees in front of Belle’s toilet. He had been throwing up off-and-on for almost an hour. Belle, meanwhile, hadn’t said a word to him. All she did was pace back and forth, occasionally sitting down to do some paperwork or some sewing. Spike wiped some sweat from his brow, and tentatively stood back up. He made his way out of the bathroom and into the living room. Belle was sitting at the table, sewing a patch into an old blanket.

“Feeling any better?” asked Belle tersely. Spike shook his head. He made his way over to the tiny kitchenette, and poured himself a glass of water. He managed to down it without gagging. “I called Twilight,” said Belle. “She’ll be here to pick you up in about fifteen minutes.”

“I wish you hadn’t done that,” said Spike.

“Well you can’t stay here all day,” said Belle. She was doing her best to control herself, but anger was starting to creep into her voice.

“I have other places I could go,” said Spike.

“Like Discord’s house?” asked Belle. Spike didn’t say anything. “That’s where the police say they picked you up from last night.” Spike still refused to speak. “I don’t get you Spike. You passed up a night with me so you could go drinking with a bunch of, of… miscreants?”

“I was going through some stuff, okay?” said Spike. “I like you, but I can’t talk to you.”

“First off, yes you can,” said Belle. “I’m not just interested in you physically. I like you as a person. I like talking to you.” Spike smiled at this. “Secondly, it doesn’t seem like you did any talking. It just seems like you spent the night getting into trouble.” Spike’s smile vanished.

“We talked for a long time before we started drinking,” said Spike.

“Well I guess it was worth it then,” Belle said acidly. Spike set the glass down, and walked over to the table. He sat across from Belle, and closed his eyes.

“Do you have any aspirin or something?” asked Spike. “My head is killing me.” Belle set down the blanket and marched back into her room. She came back a few seconds later with a large pill bottle. She threw it at Spike, who barely managed to catch it before it hit him in the face. “Thanks,” he muttered. He took a pill out and threw it in his mouth. He looked at the bottle, and scrunched his face. “Midol,” he said. “Hey, isn’t this for-”

“It works for pain in general,” said Belle. Spike shrugged, and set the bottle aside. “Do you think you’re going to feel better by six O’clock?”

“Probably,” said Spike. “Why?”

“Well, I was going to ask you if you’d have dinner with me and Rarity,” said Belle. “But under the circumstances, maybe we should just do it another day.”

“Yeah, I think that would be best,” said Spike. Belle frowned. She was hoping that he wouldn’t say that.

“Fine,” she said. Her phone began to buzz, and she answered it. “I’ll send him out,” she said. “Twilight is here to pick you up.”

“Okay,” sighed Spike. He stood, but didn’t walk towards the door. “Belle… thanks.” He smiled. “For everything.” Belle didn’t return the smile. She just nodded. Spike walked out the door, and down the stairs.

Scootaloo sat on the swingset her father had installed for her when she was a child. She swung back and forth idly, her mind racing at full speed. She knew her parents would be home from work in a little while, and she was desperately trying to figure out how to say what she needed to say.

Although she and Applebloom had decided to keep their relationship a secret, she realized that she just couldn’t do it. Her family was just too important to her. They had supported her through everything- the good, the bad, and the ugly. They had been with her through every relationship she had been in before now. She just didn't have it in her to deceive them.

And who knew, maybe they’d change their opinions about same-sex couples after finding out their daughter was a part of one. She had managed to change their opinions about things before. It took them a while, and they went kicking and screaming, but she had done it.

She swung back and forth, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm. Ponyville was solidly in the middle of fall, and this year it had been unusually cold. It seemed like the dour weather was reflecting her mood. The yellow and orange leaves seemed to mirror her inner thoughts. She suddenly recalled a very vivid memory of her childhood. Her father had spent his entire saturday afternoon raking leaves into one gigantic pile. Just as he was getting ready to start bagging them away, Scootaloo had raced out of the house and dived headfirst into the them. She had scattered the leaves everywhere, completely ruining all her dad's hard work. She thought he would be furious, but her surprise he had just laughed and hugged her. Her mother had come out right after him. They spent the entire evening outside, playing in the leaves. It was one of her most cherished memories. That was the kind of parents they were. Loving, supportive, wonderful. They’d never abandon their daughter.

She saw a Volkswagen van pull into the driveway. Her stomach began to flutter, and her heart began to pulse. She got off the swingset, and made her way over to the van. Her parents got out of the car, and smiled at her.

“Scoot!” shouted Dad. She raced over to him, and they hugged. Her Mom hugged her next.

“Hi guys,” said Scootaloo.

“What brings you here?” asked her mother. “I thought you’d never leave that dingy apartment.”

“Hey, when you work to keep yourself living someplace, you want to spend as much time at that place as you possibly can,” said Scootaloo.

“Nonsense!” said her father. “You know you’re always welcome back home.” Scootaloo smiled.

“Thanks Dad,” she said. “Do you guys think we could go inside and talk?” Scootaloo’s parents exchanged worried glances.

“Is everything okay?” asked Mom.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” said Scootaloo. “It’s just, well, there’s some stuff going on in my life that I really need to tell you about.”

“I just don’t know what to say, Spike,” said Twilight. “I really thought we were done with stuff like this.” Spike refused to answer her. “Really, nothing? No witty comeback? No exclamatory accusations of me not being related to you in a maternal way?” Silence. “Well fine,” said Twilight. “You’re lucky Belle could help you. Nobody else lived near the police department, and last night my car wouldn’t start.”

“She’s a real hero,” said Spike. The two pulled into the parking lot in front of their apartments. They walked into the house, and Spike made a beeline to his room.

“Spike, I really think we need to talk-” but the door had slammed behind him. Twilight stomped her foot. She hung up her coat, and sat down at the table. This was going about as poorly as it could have. She knew Spike might take having to find a new place badly, but Twilight had desperately hoped he wouldn’t take it this bad. She resolved that they had to have a talk, no matter how bad he wanted to sulk. Twilight walked over to his room and knocked on the door.

“Spike, I really think we should talk,” Twilight said.

“Just leave me alone,” said Spike.

“Come on Spike!” Twilight shouted. “You’re twenty years old! This kind of thing is teenage bullshit!” Spike still refused to answer. Twilight decided to open the door anyway.

“What the hell!” said Spike. “You can’t just barge in here!”

“Yes I can!” said Twilight. “I pay the bills, this is my damn house, and I’ll go in and out of whichever room I chose whenever I damn please!”

“Yeah, that’s right, you pay the bills,” said Spike. “You pay the rent, you make all the decisions. You get to decide who gets to live here and who doesn’t. Well, you made your choice. Now just leave me alone.”

“Spike, it’s not like that!” said Twilight. “I’m not kicking you out! I’m happy that you got a job, and that you’re doing well for yourself. But I have to take this opportunity!”

“Hey, don’t worry, I understand,” said Spike. “I get it. You chose work over me. Fair enough. I didn’t think you had it in you, but boy did you prove me wrong.” Spike shrugged. “I guess in the end I probably never meant shit to you, right? I should have guessed.” Silence echoed through the room. Twilight clenched and unclenched her fists, while Spike glared at her.

“You are the most ungrateful bastard I HAVE EVER MET IN MY FUCKING LIFE!” Twilight roared. Spike’s mouth dropped open. “YOU’RE RIGHT! I NEVER CARED ABOUT YOU, AND I’M GLAD YOU’RE LEAVING YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Twilight left the room, and slammed the door behind her so hard that the door frame cracked. Spike realized that he was shaking. He felt completely cold. If pervaded his entire body. He had never, in his entire life, seen Twilight that mad. Even when he had come home outrageously drunk or high, or had flunked a simple test at school, or had been carted home by a cop. Twilight always kept her temper. But that… that was something else. Spike slowly stood up, and opened the door. Twilight was sitting at the table. She was sobbing. Spike felt his heart drop into his shoes.

“Twilight, don’t cry,” he said. He walked over to the table, and sat next to her. He put a hand on her shoulder. She shoved it off.

“Don’t, don’t touch me,” Twilight said. She did her best to stifle her tears. “I just can’t believe you Spike. I know you’re troubled, but I really didn’t expect you to be so goddamn heartless.” She wiped tear tracks from her eyes. Spike turned his face away from hers. “Do you know how much I’ve sacrificed to take care of you? When your parents abandoned you, I could have just let you fall into the foster care system, or let you live with those terrible assholes you called friends. But I let you live here, because you’re like a brother to me.” Twilight sniffed. “For you to say I never cared about you, well, it just b-breaks my h-heart.”

“I… I didn’t mean to hurt you,” said Spike. “I just…” Twilight waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. He felt Spike shiver next to her, and gave him a closer look. To her astonishment, he was crying. Spike never cried. He hadn’t cried the day his mother left the country. He hadn’t cried the day he had come home and all of his father's, and his own, stuff had been removed from the house. He hadn’t cried when both of his parents had told him that he was own his own.

“Spike, it’s okay,” whispered Twilight.

“I just don’t understand why everyone wants to abandon me,” said Spike. “I know I’m not the best person in the world, but… I… I don’t think I’m worthless.” Twilight embraced Spike, hugging him as hard as she could.

“Oh Spike, I don’t think you’re worthless,” she said.

“Then why are you leaving me?” he asked. “You’re leaving me alone just like they did. Just like everyone else does.”

“I’m not leaving you,” said Twilight. “I’ll be moving away, but I’ll never leave you. Trust me. I’ll call and visit you so much, you’ll get sick of me.” Spike chuckled wetly. “And I’m not gonna let you live in a shitty place. I have some money saved up bud. We’re going to get you a nice place to stay.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” said Spike. “I’m making my own money. I should find my own place to go.”

“It’s no trouble,” said Twilight. “I owe it to you.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” said Spike. “You’ve given me too much as it is. Twilight, I’m so sorry. I mean it. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“And I didn’t want to hurt you either Spike,” said Twilight. “I’m sorry for going into Mommy mode, but you really have to talk to people. You can’t just assume the worst all the time.”

“I know, I know,” said Spike. They let each other go, and just sat together for a while. “There’s somebody I need to go see.”

“Spike-” began Twilight.

“I’m never going to ge see Discord again,” said Spike. “It was a moment of weakness. I just didn’t know how to process my emotions, you know? I’ve never been good with that.” Twilight nodded. “But there’s someone who I need to talk to. Someone who I… who I really need to express my feelings to.” Twilight smiled.

“Go get ‘er champ,” she said.

Spike pounded up the stairs as fast as his feet would carry him. He was exhausted- Belle’s apartment was all the way across town- but he just had to talk to her. As he reached the top of the stairs, he was shocked to see Belle coming out of the house.

“Spike!?” said Belle.

“Yeah, it’s me,” said Spike. “Look, we need to talk.” Belle shook her head.

“Not now Spike,” she said. She walked past him and began to go down the stairs.

“But, but I have some things I really need to say!” said Spike.

“Believe me, I want to hear them,” said Belle. “But something’s happened, and Scootaloo really needs my help.”

“Oh,” said Spike. “Is it serious?”

“Yes,” said Belle. The two had reached the parking lot, and were approaching Belle’s car.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” asked Spike.

“I’m sorry, but no,” said Belle. “Look, we’ll just talk at work tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure,” said Spike. He watched as Belle got in the car. “I’ll see you then.” Belle turned the engine, and drove off. Spike stuffed his hands in his pockets, and sighed. It was gonna be a long trip back home.

Author's Note

First off, I just want to say that I’m about halfway done. Fear not, I’m working on the other half as fast as I can, and I promise it’ll come out ASAP. Anyway, a couple of things:

First, in my attempt to expedite this final chapter of the story, it is entirely possible that I have made some glaring grammatical errors. If this is the case, please PM me and I will do my best to fix them as soon as I can.

Second, Sorry for the wait. I fell out of the fandom, and my writing kind of went by the wayside. If you’re enjoying this, thank Blue Flame. Seriously, PM him right now and tell him how awesome he is.

I have a lot more to say, but I feel like I should wait until the proper end of the story. I’ll talk to you again soon!

Denouement, Part 2

Applebloom and Belle sat side by side on the couch, not talking. They couldn’t find any words. It had been like this for some time now. Time had almost lost meaning. In a strange way, an essential part of their world had broke. Someone who they loved completely had shattered.

The sound of someone coming down the stairs broke the grave revery. Pinkie Pie jumped the last few steps, and joined the other two girls on the couch. She sat down heavily, and put her head in her hands.

“This is terrible,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Understatement of the century,” muttered Applebloom.

“At least we got her to sleep,” said Pinkie Pie. “But I’m going to call off of work and stay here for a while. She needs to have someone keep an eye on her.”

“I can do it Pinkie,” said Applebloom. “I’m sure Applejack will give me time off. She’ll understand the situation.”

“Well, two heads are better than one,” said Pinkie. “Maybe three?” She turned expectantly turned Belle. Sweetie hitched a huge sigh.

“Believe me, I really want to,” said Belle. “But the shop’s been closed for a lot longer than usual. Rarity has business in town, so I have no choice. I have to be there.”

“It’s all good,” said Applebloom. “I know you’d be here if you could.”

“Yeah,” said Belle. “I wish there was something more I could do.”

“We’ve done all we can,” said Pinkie. “I have a lot of experience dealing with people who are in a bad place. We can help them, but they have to want to heal. Right now Scootaloo isn’t in the frame of mind she needs to be in to get better. She’s still stuck in an incredibly painful place, and she will be for a while. All we can do is keep her safe.”

“I’m going to go upstairs and keep an eye on her,” said Applebloom. The other two girls nodded. Applebloom started up the stairs, taking them as quietly as possible. She gently opened the door to Scoot’s room. Scoot didn’t stir. Applebloom slid in the bed next to her, and wrapped an arm around the sleeping girl. Her heart was filled with anger, sadness, bitterness. All they wanted to do was love each other. Was that so bad? They weren’t hurting anybody else. They just wanted to be together. Love is love, regardless of who it exists between. That’s how it should be. unfortunately, in Applebloom’s experience, that’s rarely how it turned out.

Downstairs, Belle had closed her eyes and drifted off. Pinkie had drank three red bulls before she had come over, so it would be a while before she went to sleep. Not wanting to disturb Belle, she kicked back and relaxed. She wouldn’t leave Scootaloo’s side. She had already lost someone to depression. It wouldn’t happen again.

Spike looked at himself in the mirror. He had changed so much since he had started working with Belle. He had stopped smoking, so his teeth were less yellow. His skin was a shade darker now that he was out and about more. His complexion had cleared. He had started eating more as well, so he had filled out his clothes. He looked like a new man. A better man.

Spike wanted to say bye to Twilight, but as he left his room he saw her asleep on the couch. Spike gently opened the front door, and tiptoed out of the apartment. He softly shut the door behind him and began to jog towards the shop. He called Belle’s phone for the fifth time. Again it rung for a while, then went to voicemail. By the time he arrived at the shop Spike had called twice more. The shop was locked up, but Scootaloo had given Spike a key a while back. He unlocked the front door, entered, and decided to begin setting up. Belle had never been late for work before, but he was positive she’d be there.

The boutique's phone rang. Spike wondered whether or not he should pick it up. Technically they were open, but Belle always handled work calls. Spike ran a hand through his hair as the phone rang in earnest. He shrugged, and decided to pick it up.

“Rarity’s Boutique,” answered Spike. “How can I help you.”

“Oh, hello Spike,” said Rarity. Spike’s eyes widened.

“Hello miss Rarity!” said Spike. Rarity giggled.

“Really now Spike, you don’t have to call me miss Rarity anymore,” Rarity said. “It was cute when you were a kid, but now it makes me feel positively ancient.”

“Sorry,” said Spike.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Rarity. “Could you be a dear and put Sweetie Belle on the line please?”

“She’s actually not here right now,” said Spike. There was a moment of silence on the other line.

“I see,” said Rarity. “How very unusual. I tried her cell phone, but she didn’t pick up. And now it seems that she’s late for work. Were you and her out together last night, Spike?”

“What? No,” said Spike. “I haven’t seen her since last afternoon. I ran over her house to talk to her, but she had to leave to go see Scoot and Applebloom.”

“Oh,” said Rarity. “I see. Well, I trust her. I’m sure she has a good excuse for being late, and I don’t think she’d get herself in a jam. In any case, could you ask her to call me when you see her?”

“Sure,” said Spike.

“Great,” said Rarity. “Spike, while I have you on the line, do you have a moment to talk.”

“Um, I was kind of setting up the shop,” said Spike. “But I guess it can wait. What’s up?”

“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way,” said Rarity, “but what exactly are your plans with my sister?”

“My… my plans?” Spike honestly didn’t know what to say.

“Yes. I mean, you obviously mean a great deal to her,” said Rarity. “Her asking me to meet you is proof enough of that.” Spike began to shift his weight nervously from left to right foot. “I just want to know what exactly is going on between you two.”

“If this comes off as dickish, I apologize,” said Spike, “but is this really any of your business? I know she’s your little sister and all, but isn’t it her prerogative to tell you anything?”

“Normally I would say yes,” said Rarity, “but I like to think of myself as more than just a big sister to her. I’m her mentor. I feel like it’s my duty to keep her on a path to success.”

“And you think her dating me will keep her from being successful?” asked Spike cooly.

“That’s not what I said,” muttered Rarity. “I just don’t want her to make the same mistakes I’m making.” Rarity took a deep breath. “Look Spike, this is difficult for me to talk about, but I think I need to share this with you.” She cleared her throat.

“Not so long ago, I met this man. He was, well, I won’t say perfect, but he had something I had very rarely seen in someone before. He genuinely cared about people. This may come as a surprise to you Spike, but I’m actually a bit of a cynic. I’ve been around the block, and I’m not so sure that most people are at all kind. But this person was different. Sure, he had some issues, but he cared so much about people that it was mesmerizing. I fell for him. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help myself. Unfortunately, he was in love with another girl. Normally that would dissuade me from making any sort of attempt to get him, but what can I say? I saw opportunities to get him to love me, and even though I could feel that it was wrong, I felt like I would regret it for my whole life if I didn’t. I did things I… well, things that embarrassed me, and likely embarrassed him. Things that I know in my heart, he was ashamed of me for.” Spike gulped, and tightened his grip on the phone.

“After I was sure he wouldn’t have me,” Rarity continued, “I realised that, despite his gentle heart, he had brought the worst out of me. It was a rather shocking revelation to come to. That, even though I loved him, it seemed like he just made me a worse person.” Rarity paused. Spike could hear her sniffling. He wanted to say something, anything, but he was at a total loss for words. “So that’s why I’m asking you these questions. Sweetie Belle is a gentle and kind girl, and that kind of attitude tends to breed naivety. I don’t think you’re a bad person, Spike. But I do think you’re going through a very difficult period in your life. And I don’t want you two to hurt each other. You might not mean to do it, but that won’t make the wounds any less painful. So, please tell me: what exactly are your plans with my sister?”

“I like her a lot,” said Spike. “But I’m not sure what I want. I’m not sure what she wants either. We’re just trying to figure it out right now.

“I see,” said Rarity. “Well Spike, all I ask is that you take a good long look at yourself. You need to ask if her dating you is going to cause more harm than good. If, after you do some soul searching, you think you’ll be good for her than you have my blessing. But if you think otherwise… please don’t hurt her Spike. I beg you.”

“I… I’ll think about it,” said Spike.

“I appreciate you listening to me,” said Rarity.

“It’s no problem,” said Spike.

“All right. Take care of yourself Spike, sincerely.” said Rarity. “Good bye.”

“Bye,” said Spike. He held the receiver to his ear until he heard nothing but dial tone. He
slowly lowered the phone back into its cradle. He went over to a nearby chair, and put his head in his hands.

Belle blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She felt weirdly hungover. She knew she hadn’t had anything to drink the night before, but it had been an incredibly exhausting night. Her back ached from sleeping upright. The sun was shining brightly through the window. She pulled her cellphone out, and checked the time.

“Oh shit!” she shouted. She had overslept by almost an hour. Pinkie Pie was dead asleep next to her; Belle’s sudden outburst didn’t cause the pink haired girl to stir even a little. Belle ran out to her car, and started it up. She looked at herself in her rearview mirror. She was a mess. Her hair was knotted, her makeup runny and clumped, and there were giant bags under her eyes. It was gonna be a long day.

Belle burst into the Boutique. Spike stood idly behind the counter. He was again dressed in a button-down and khakis, and his hair was tidy. Belle approached him.

“Jesus Belle, you look terrible,” said Spike.

“Well that’s just what a girl wants to hear in the morning,” said Belle.

“Sorry,” muttered Spike. “I’m just surprised is all. What’s going on? I tried to call you.”

“I had my phone on vibrate,” said Belle.

“Oh,” said Spike. “I see.” It was clear that Spike wanted to know more about what had happened to make Belle run out of her house yesterday, but that he didn’t want to pry. Belle decided not to say anything to him right away. He would probably find out sooner or later, but Belle wanted to respect Scoot’s privacy.

“Can you keep an eye on the shop for a while longer while I get cleaned up?” asked Belle.

“Sure, no problem,” said Spike.

“Thanks,” said Belle. She moved past him towards the bathrooms. After a few minutes she returned. Her hair had been combed, and her makeup had been washed off. She looked radiant. As she began to work on setting up the shop, all Spike could do was marvel at how beautiful she was. He was lucky to have met her. To have spent the time he had with her. It had been such a blessing.

He knew what he had to say. What he had to do. It was going to be one of the most painful things he had ever done in his life, but he realized there was no other way around it. Rarity was right. Sometimes the people you love the most bring out the worst in you. And Spike could see it happening to Belle. Again and again he saw her bailing him out of jail, giving him money to avoid the debt collectors, telling all of her family members that sure, he didn’t have much going for him, but he was just a really swell guy. He couldn’t put her through all of that. He wouldn’t.

“Before we open up, I think we should talk,” said Spike.

“Sure, what’s up?” Belle asked asked.

“It’s about what I wanted to say to you last night.” Spike clenched his fists in his pockets. “It’s really important. Maybe you should sit down.” Belle raised her eyebrows, pulled up a chair, and acquiesced. Spike began pacing back and forth. “How… how do you feel about me?”

“Are you seriously asking that?” Belle asked. “Did you forget that we almost had sex?”

“I’m sorry for being a typical guy here, but sometimes sex is just, you know, sex,” said Spike. “Did it mean anything more than that?” Belle put her hands on her lap. She had been thinking about this a lot lately.

“Well, we haven’t know each other for very long. I mean, we went to the same high school, sure, but I always had you in the periphery of my vision. But since we've kindled this new relationship, it felt like things had been evolving very fast.

“It seems like every day brings new challenges, new struggles. But at the same time, every day also seems to make me more and more happy. Like the last time we were at the shop together, before Rarity came in.” Belle felt her heart quicken. “That was, well, that was incredible. I mean, I’ve been with other guys before, but I’ve never felt anything like that. And I’m not just talking about the physical stuff. When we were together, it just felt right, you know?” Belle began to talk quicker. “When I’m with you, I just feel-” Belle searched for the right words. “Well, I guess I finally understand what people are talking about when they say they’re in love. There’s no real way to describe it.” Spike let out a huge sigh.

“Would you say your life has been better since you met me?” he asked.

“Of course!” Belle said. “I just told you I loved you!”

“Stop and really think about it,” said Spike. “I’m not talking about all the good times. I’m talking about all the time we’ve spent together, start to finish. Have I really made you more happy than sad, or upset?” Belle rose from her seat and walked over to Spike. She placed her hands on his shoulders.

“What’s going on Spike?” she asked.

“What if this isn’t a good thing?” Spike asked. He stepped away from Belle, and let her hands slide away from him. “I feel the same way about you that you feel about me, but what if that isn’t okay?”

“How can it not be okay?” asked Belle. “It’s love. Love is always good.”

“That’s not true,” said Spike. “I’ve seen love hurt people plenty of times.” Belle couldn’t help herself: pictures of Scootaloo and Applebloom popped into her head. Spike’s pacing quickened. “I’ve done a lot of thinking, and I think that there’s just no way this is gonna end well.” Spike suddenly stopped. He couldn’t look Belle in her eyes, but he looked in her general direction. “I don’t want to start something if we’re both going to end up regretting it. I think it’s better if we just call it now.” The silence seemed to stretch for an eternity. Belle balled up her fists, and looked down at the floor. Spike saw the tears begin to roll down her cheeks. Before he could say or do anything her face shot back up. It was contorted with rage.

“Are you fucking kidding me!?” shouted Belle. Spike gaped. He wasn’t sure he had ever heard Belle curse before, let alone lose her temper. “You… you can’t d-do this S-Spike!” Belle’s lips were quivering. “Y-you can’t tell me you l-l-love me, and then tell me to go fuck off! Do you know how fucking h-horrible that is to do to someone.” She began to wipe her tears off with the sleeve of her shirt.”

“Belle-”

“Oh shut up!” Belle screamed. “Just get the hell out of here. You know what? Now that I think about it, you’re right. You have caused me more fucking pain and h-heartbreak since I’ve met you than anyone else in my goddamn life.” She took several deep breaths, trying to steady herself. “I’m so sick of this. Leave. Now.”

Spike didn’t need to be asked twice. He marched out the door, not looking back at Belle. Belle stood in the shop, shaking. She slowly sank to her knees, and clutched at her shirt. She didn’t want to do this, but she couldn’t help herself. She let all of her emotions go. Her body began to shake with the force of her sobbing.

Spike continued forward. He didn’t know where he was going, and he didn’t really care. He had to just get away. He knew it had been for the best, but he still felt like somebody had torn his beating heart out of his chest.

Scoot had been near catatonia for three days. In some ways, she hoped she would never snap out of it. She hoped maybe she would just drift off and fade away, forgotten by everyone. It was the worst she had ever felt. Everything that she cared about had been taken away from her. Well, almost everything. Applebloom was still there, but it just wasn’t enough.

Every time she tried to think of something else, her mind grabbed her head and forced her to relive the awful memory of coming out to her parents. Their eyes widening in shock. Her mother bursting into tears. Her father telling her over and over again that she was being stupid, that she didn’t know what she was saying. And that final moment. That final, unbelievably awful moment.

“I’m sorry Scootaloo, but I have no choice. As long as you’re with that girl, you’re not welcome in this house.”

Pinkie brought over a bowl of hot soup, and set it in front of Scootaloo. Earlier, Pinkie had tried to get her to change out of her pajamas. She had refused. She’d allowed Applebloom to comb her hair, and had even taken a shower, but other than that she had done nothing. She wasn’t even eating.

“You have to eat somethin’ hun,” said Applebloom. She was sitting on the living room couch next to Scoot, holding her hand. Scootaloo looked down at the bowl of soup. Chicken noodle, from the looks of it.

“I’m not hungry,” Scootaloo said.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Pinkie. “Even if you’re not hungry, you need to eat. You shouldn’t starve yourself.” Scootaloo began to tear up.

“What’s the point?” she asked. She began to cry in earnest. “What’s the fucking point of anything.” Applebloom was at a loss, but Pinkie came over and sat on the other side of Scoot. She put an arm around the crying girl.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Pinkie whispered. Scoot continued to cry. Applebloom finally came to her senses, and scrunched up next to Scootaloo.

Listen to me,” said Applebloom. Scootaloo gripped Applebloom’s arm. “You got me, Scoot. And you’ll always have me, no matter what.” Scootaloo tightened her grip on Applebloom. Her sobs shook both of their bodies. “We’ll get through this.”

“You don’t understand,” said Scoot. “I can’t live without my family. They’re everything to me. I knew I was gonna lose them, I just fucking knew it!”

“It’ll be alright,” said Applebloom. “Trust me Scoot. You’ll be okay, I promise.” Scoot shook her head, but no more words came out. She continued to cry. She let Applebloom go, and put her head in her hands. Applebloom sighed, picked up the bowl of soup, and stirred it. After Scoot had composed herself, Applebloom put the bowl in front of her.

“Come on Scoot. Just have a little,” Applebloom said. Scoot looked at her, and nodded. She took the bowl from Applebloom’s hands, and slowly began to eat. Pinkie and Applebloom shared a look of incredible relief. Applebloom’s phone began to ring.

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” said Pinkie. Applebloom nodded, walked outside, and answered the phone.

“Hello?” answered Applebloom.

“Hey Bloomie,” sighed Belle. “How are things going?”

“Better, I think,” said Applebloom. “She’s talkin’ to us now, and we finally got her eating.”

“Thank God,” said Belle. “I was so worried. Has she tried to, you know…”

“No,” said Applebloom. “I don’t think she would do that. Don’t get me wrong, we’re keeping an eye on her, but I just… I can’t fathom the idea of Scootaloo wanting to hurt herself.”

“I know,” said Belle. “This whole situation is surreal. Scoot and her parents were like, the ultimate family. The never really fought, they seemed to really love each other… I just can’t believe this is happening.” Belle paused. “I guess you never really know people. In the end, anyone can turn on you,” Belle spat.

“Woah, where’s that comin’ from?” asked Applebloom. “I’ve never heard you say anything so damn cynical before.”

“You already have so much to deal with, I don’t need to lay my problems out for you,” said Belle.

“Hey, you’re my best friend,” said Applebloom. “I’m always here for you. What’s goin’ on?” Belle took a while to respond.

“It’s Spike,” Belle finally said. “He came in and, I don’t know, started asking me all these questions about our relationship and stuff. I told him I loved him, and he, he…” Applebloom heard Belle take several deep breaths. “He said he loved me back, but that we shouldn’t be in a relationship.”

“What!?” cried Applebloom. “Why the hell not?”

“I don’t know!” shouted Belle. “I think he was going to tell me, but I was so angry at him that I just told him to leave. I didn’t want to hear it. I mean, God, I feel like I’ve been chasing after him for forever, and I’m just so damn tired of it. I think he’s a good guy, but he’s always so fucking difficult. I just can’t deal with it anymore.”

“Is it really gonna be that easy?” asked Applebloom. “You’re really gonna be able to just give him up like that?”

“I hope so,” said Belle. “But it’s going to be tough. Especially since he’ll be working at the shop.”

“You didn’t fire him?” asked Applebloom.

“I can’t,” said Belle. “As far as I know, this is his only job opportunity. I’m more than a little pissed at him, but I’m not going to ruin his life.”

“You’re a good girl Belle,” said Applebloom. “A better one than I am, anyway.”

“That’s not true,” said Belle. “The way you’re taking care of Scoot is proof enough of that.” Applebloom smiled. “Speaking of which, I should be over in a couple of hours. I’ll see you then, okay?”

“All right,” said Applebloom. “See you soon.”

It had been a rough day for Twilight Sparkle. Preparing to transfer her entire lab to Crystal College was proving to be more than a little difficult. Both she and her staff were being pulled in a thousand directions at once, desperately trying to tie together loose ends. She locked the front door to the apartment behind her, and collapsed onto a nearby couch. She honestly could have fallen asleep right there.

“Hey Twilight,” said Spike. Twilight nearly lept out of her skin. She clutched her chest, and steadied her breathing.

“Jesus Spike!” cried Twilight. “You scared me half to death!”

“Sorry,” said Spike. He was sitting at the dining room table. He had a cup of coffee in front of him, as well as an unfolded newspaper.

“It’s alright,” sighed Twilight. She walked over to the table and sat across from Spike. “What’s the newspaper for? You never read that stuff.”

“I’m looking through the help wanted’s,” said Spike. “The job offers I’ve found on my phone are all kind of crappy, so I’m seeing if the newspaper has anything better.”

“Why are you looking for another job?” asked Twilight. “I thought you liked working at the boutique.”

“I don’t hate it,” said Spike. “But it doesn’t pay much. I honestly took it because it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I didn’t put any thought into it. Now that I’m going to be moving out on my own, I really need to start planning things out.” Spike took a long sip of his coffee. “I need to make more money, and I’m probably going to need benefits or something.” Twilight felt two very different emotions tearing at her at once.

“Well I’m happy that you’re finally thinking of that kind of thing,” said Twilight. “But… well, I didn’t think that money was the only reason you were working at the boutique.”

“It wasn’t,” Spike said simply. Twilight waited for him to elaborate. After a bout of silence, Spike sighed and set down the newspaper. “Me and Belle aren’t a thing, Twilight, and we’re not going to be.”

“Oh,” said Twilight. “I see.” She curled her hair around her fingers compulsively. She didn’t want to pry…

“We just couldn’t work it out,” said Spike. “There’s just a lot going on with us right now, you know? So we decided not to get involved with each other.”

“That’s a little surprising,” said Twilight. “She really seemed to like you Spike.” Twilight was unsure if she should say what she was thinking, but it flew out of her mouth before she could stop herself. “She came to get you out of jail, Spike. Not just anybody would do that, you know.”

“I know,” said Spike. He frowned. “It was a really tough decision, Twilight. But it had to be done. If we had kept doing, whatever, someone would have gotten hurt.”

“Well, that happens sometimes Spike,” said Twilight. “Love can be treacherous, you know? It can hurt someone worse than almost anything else.”

“Exactly!” said Spike.

“But it can also be the best thing in the world,” said Twilight. “There’s nothing more powerful than the love between two people.” Spike snorted. “I mean it! Don’t ever look down on love.”

“If you say so,” said Spike. He returned to his newspaper. Twilight wanted to continue the conversation, but it was clear that Spike was in no mood. She was too tired to get into a fight with him. With a sigh, she stood up and cracked her back. As she moved off into her room, she didn’t glance back at Spike. If she had, she might have stopped. Spike’s face was twisted in pain and confusion. His hands shook, the newspaper gently flapping with the beat of his tremors.

Belle and Applebloom flanked Scootaloo, each with an arm around the girl. They had been sitting together like this for almost an hour. Other than the brief hello’s said when Belle had entered the house, the group had remained completely silent. Pinkie normally provided most of the conversation, but she was upstairs getting some much needed rest. Scootaloo stirred.

“Bathroom,” she muttered. Belle and Applebloom took their arms of her, and she slowly ambled upstairs.

“She’s lost weight,” said Belle. “You can see it in her face.”

“She was always a tiny girl to begin with,” said Applebloom shakily. “After couple-a days missin’ meals, it really starts to show.”

“She’s still not eating much?” asked Belle. Applebloom shook her head.

“She keeps saying she don’t have an appetite, but that can’t be true,” sighed the redhead. “I’ve seen that girl eat an entire turkey before. She could run a Golden Corral out of business.” Applebloom shook her head. “This is some weird way of punishing herself, I think.”

“If she doesn’t get better soon, I think we need to consider sending her somewhere,” said Belle.

“I agree,” said Applebloom. “If she don’t eat, it’s gonna start hurtin’ her real bad.” The sound of a flushing toilet, running water, and the groaning of wooden stairs was their cue to shut up. Scootaloo came back downstairs, and sat between the two of them. They sat in silence for a while longer.

“Belle.” It was Scootaloo who had broken the silence. Belle and Applebloom exchanged surprised glances. “Can I have some time alone with Applebloom?”

“Um, sure,” said Belle. “I’ll just go outside for a while.”

“Thanks,” said Scootaloo. Belle tentatively left the thinning girls side, and walked out the door.

“What’s up hun?” asked Applebloom.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” said Scootaloo. “My parents said I couldn’t go back home as long as I was dating a girl. So, there’s a really easy solution to all of this.” Applebloom felt something heavy drop into the pit of her stomach.

“I understand,” said Applebloom. “I know how much your family means to ya, and I won’t stand in the way of-”

“You didn’t let me finish,” said Scootaloo. “There’s a really easy solution to this, but I’m not going to take it.”

“You mean it?” asked Applebloom.

“Yes,” said Scootaloo. Without warning, she threw her arms around Applebloom. “This whole time, I’ve felt like I was dying inside. Like someone had just ripped my heart out with their bare hands. You could have left me, but you never did.” Scootaloo tightened her grip. “That’s why I love you. No matter what, you’ve always been there for me. You’ve never given up on me. You’re love was…” Scootaloo’s breath began to hitch. “Uh-unconditional. And that’s what l-love should be.” Applebloom was fighting back tears. “You’ve never left my side, not even for one moment. Never said your love was based on how I acted, or who I was. In fact, you loved me even though my denial of who I really was hurt you. You’ve always, always been there f-f-for m-m-e.” Scootaloo began to cry in earnest. Applebloom joined her, and the two sobbing girls tightened their embrace. They stayed like this for a while, letting themselves slowly calm down. When the finally stopped, Applebloom pulled away from Scootaloo, and looked into her eyes.

“I love you more than anythin’,” said Applebloom. “And I always have. And I always will.”

“I feel the same way,” said Scootaloo. “I wish I had known it sooner.” She lowered her head. “It’s going to be tough without my family. Really, really tough. But home is where the heart is. And my heart is here, with you.” Scootaloo grabbed Applebloom’s hands, and placed them on her chest. Applebloom bit her lip to stifle another crying fit.

“We’ll get through this,” Applebloom said. “I promise, we will.”

Twilight was always nervous before she went into Professor Celestia’s office. Her boss was everything that she wasn’t. Tall, beautiful, composed, and utterly together. On top of that, she might have been even more intelligent than Twilight. Some people got all of the luck. She gently knocked on the door in front of her.

“Come in,” said a silky sweet voice. Twilight opened the door, and entered the office. It was roomy, covered with various awards and degrees. Two thick bookcases sagged with the weight of masses of textbooks, while a large oaken desk in the center took up the bulk of the room. A chair was placed in front of it. Behind it, Professor Celestia worked diligently, typing furiously on blocky computer. She looked up and smiled. “Hello, my little student.”

“Hello Professor,” said Twilight. She sat down, and smoothed out her skirt. “How are things going with the transfer?”

“Oh, fine,” said Celestia. “We’ve hit a few snags here and there, but nothing that can’t be worked out. Everyone at Crystal College is very excited to be a part of this project.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Twilight. She shifted in her seat nervously.

“Is something the matter?” asked Celestia. Twilight cleared her throat.

“Not really, no,” said Twilight. “It’s just, well, you know about my unique living situation?”

“Do you mean that boy you’re living with?” asked Celestia. “Spike, I think his name was.”

“Yes, Spike,” said Twilight. “Well, I feel terrible about having to do this. You’ve given me so much already, more than I deserve. But I need a favor.” Celestia scooted her seat over so no part of her was obscured by her computer. She folder her hands together, and looked Twilight in the eye.

“First off, you’ve been giving nothing you don’t deserve,” said Celestia. “You work harder than anyone I’ve seen pass through these halls, myself and my sister included.” Twilight smiled gently. “Secondly, don’t ever feel bad for asking a favor. You’re not just a student anymore, Twilight. I consider you a peer. A friend.” Twilight had to suppress emoting the jolt of glee that was coursing through her. “So, what do you need?”

Well,” said Twilight, “Spike is finally working somewhere now, but it’s not really a job with staying power. It’s barely above minimum wage, and there’s no real room for advancement. He’s going to be living on his own soon, and he really needs to find a career to fit himself into. I was hoping you could find him something here at the school.”

“Ah, I see,” said Celestia. “Does he have a degree?” Twilight shook her head no. “Well why doesn’t he just attend the University, rather than work at it?”

“He just doesn’t have the grades for it,” said Twilight. “I had to drag him through his last few years of high school. I know you have a lot of pull, but I don’t think even you could get him in with his GPA.”

“Point taken,” said Celestia. “Well, I think that the maintenance staff has been sniffing around for some new apprentice electricians. Does that sound like something Spike might be interested in?”

“Oh my goodness, that sounds perfect!” said Twilight. “He’s really good with his hands, so it’s definitely something he could do!”

“Well, forward me his resume, and I’ll pass it along to the staff,” said Celestia. “Make sure he puts me down as a reference. The head of maintenance owes me a favor for pushing staff raises at the last budget meeting. I think it’s time I call it in.”

“Oh my God, thank you!” cried Twilight. She bounced out of her chair and hugged Celestia. Celestia returned the hug.

“It’s nothing, really,” said Celestia. “Anything for my favorite student.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” said Spike.

“Yup,” said Belle. Spike scratched the back of his head, and lingered for a second. He seemed to be on the verge of saying something, but decided better of it. He walked out of the boutique, the door chimes tinkling behind him. Belle eased into a nearby chair and looked forlornly out the window. The sun was setting, giving the world an amber glow. This time of day always made Belle feel a little melancholy, but today it was worse than usual.

She had almost ignored Spike all day. Other than telling him the various tasks that he needed to complete, Belle hadn’t said a word to him. Still, she had been utterly distracted. It showed in her work. She hadn’t sold half of what she normally managed. Her repairs had been shoddily done, forcing her to start over on projects she had anticipated being completed. Overall it had been an incredibly long, irritating day.

The drive home was mostly uneventful. Traffic tended to be pretty tame around Ponyville, even during times that most towns would consider rush hour. Belle fixed herself some dinner and a glass of wine. As she sat down to eat, there was a knock at the door. Belle sighed, set down her silverware, and walked over to the door.

“Rarity!” Belle said. She unlocked the door and threw it open.

“Hello Sweetie!” said Rarity. “I’m sorry to come over unannounced, but my time in Ponyville is being cut short. I have to go home tomorrow morning, so I thought I’d spend my final night here with my dear sister.” Rarity peeked inside. “Oh my, it seems I’ve intruded on your dinner.”

“That’s all right,” said Belle. “Come on in. Want a glass of wine?”

“That would be heavenly,” said Rarity. Belle poured her sister a matching glass of wine, and the two sat down. Rarity sipped it, and made a face.

“I’m not normally one to spit in the face of hospitality, but my goodness this is terrible,” said Rarity. Belle chuckled.

“It’s boxed wine,” said Belle. “None of the fancy stuff you normally drink. I should have said something earlier.”

“It’s fine,” said Rarity. “With how expensive college textbooks are getting these days, it’s no surprise that you don’t have any spare money to buy decent alcohol.” Belle took a long drink from her glass.

“The boutique is doing really well,” said Belle. “If push came to shove, I don’t think I’d even need college.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” said Rarity. “Without college, I’d be nowhere. Do you think that any bank would give business a loan to a person without a degree, and no job experience? Absolutely not.” Rarity took another sip, made another disgusted face, and set the glass aside. “I was also able to hone my talent there. I already had some artistic inclinations, but it was at college where I finally found my artistic voice.” Belle took another deep drink. “My goodness Belle, you’ve almost polished that glass off. I know it doesn’t taste good, but you should savor it a little.”

“Rarity, there’s something I need to tell you,” said Belle. Rarity wrinkled her forehead.

“What?” Rarity asked.

“I’m sorry for keeping this a secret from you, but I wasn’t sure how you would react,” said Belle.

“Belle, what’s going on?” pressed Rarity.

“I’m taking a break from college,” said Belle. Rarity’s eyes widened. “I… I don’t know what happened. I was struggling, and before long my grades started plummeting. The dean told me it would be a good idea to take a little break, so I did.”

“How… how long of a break have you been on?” asked Rarity. Belle could tell that she was trying to keep the emotion out of her voice.

“It was just supposed to be a semester,” said Belle. “But when the school sent me the papers to register for my classes, I just couldn’t fill them out. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. So I just let my admission lapse.” A palpable silence filled the room. After what seemed like an hour to Belle, Rarity finally spoke.

“You might be surprised to know,” said Rarity, “that if you had told me this sooner I would have supported you.” Belle blinked in surprise. “I had a hell of a time finding myself when I was your age Belle, and it took its toll on me. I understand how hard things can get.”

“So you’re not upset?” asked Belle. She felt very childish asking that question, but she couldn’t help herself.

“Oh, I’m upset,” said Rarity. It was at this point Belle realized that her sister's hands were clenched into fists. “You know, I don’t think upset is the right word. I think furious would be a better way of describing it.”

“But you said-”

“I said if you had told me sooner,” said Rarity. Her voice was charcoal, her face stone. “But you didn’t. You lied to me Belle. For nearly a year, if my math is correct.” Belle bit her lip.

“I’m sorry-”

“Don’t bother,” said Rarity. “I… I don’t know what to say. I haven’t felt this betrayed in a very long time.” Belle lowered her head. “Why tell me now? Why not just let the lie go on?”

“I’ve had some changes in my life,” muttered Belle. “They’ve made me realize that holding onto my feelings isn’t a good idea. This lie was eating me up, and I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

“Well I hope you feel relieved,” said Rarity. She sighed deeply. “I won’t tell Mother and Father. But you should. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”

“Fine,” said Belle.

“The only reason you thought you could get away with this is because of your work at the shop, correct?” asked Rarity.

“I don’t know,” said Belle.

“Don’t be foolish!” Rarity snipped. “If you didn’t have the income from the shop, you couldn’t live here. And if you were living back at home, our parents would have made you go back to school.”

“I guess so,” said Belle. Rarity shook her head.

“I wasn’t just down here to visit home,” said Rarity. “I was called down here by an old friend. A friend who wanted to buy the shop from me.” Belle looked up in shock. “It seems that their business is expanding, and they need a new location for their restaurant. The boutique is, of course, in a prime area for Ponyville foot traffic. Initially I was going to decline, since the store seemed to be helping you out. But the truth of the matter is, the boutique is barely profitable. Our numbers are up, yes, but between you, Spike, and the rising cost of my preferred fabrics, the store is falling apart.”

“I had no idea,” said Belle.

“You weren’t supposed to,” said Rarity. “I wasn’t going to burden you with it. But, in light of what you’ve just told me, I can now sell the boutique with a clear conscience.” Belle wanted to protest, but no words would come. “I’m afraid that you’ll have to find another meal ticket Belle. Either find another job, move back in with Mom and Dad, or live at school.”

“You’re punishing me,” said Belle. “That’s not your job.”

“I’m not punishing you,” hissed Rarity, “and you know it. The boutique was not supposed to be a way for you to just shirk your responsibilities. Working there was a privilege. I had a lot of people in my life that really wanted to learn from me, and work at my store, but I chose you.” Rarity’s face softened. “You are my sister, Belle. I love you more than life itself. But I will not allow you to stagnate your life in the face of adversity. I already had to watch someone I love do that. It nearly killed him.” Rarity stood. “If you decide that school is not for you, I will find you a job with one of my friends. But you won’t work for me.” Rarity turned away from Belle. “Not anymore.” Rarity marched out of the apartment, leaving the door open behind her.

Scootaloo closed the door, took a few steps, and collapsed onto the couch. She slowly began to close her eyes… and then a huge bang startled her awake. She sat up, looking around in a daze. Another bang rattled the house, and Scootaloo raced upstairs. The door to Octavia and Vinyl’s room was open. The two lovers and Pinkie Pie were, apparently, rearranging the decor of the room. The banging was coming from the fact that the three kept dropping a large, ornate desk onto the floor.

“Sorry, sorry!” said Pinkie. “I hope that won’t leave a gouge in your floor.”

“Ah, who cares,” said Vinyl. “We lost our security deposit ages ago. Remember that time we busted a hole in the wall Octy?”

“I still have the scar,” said Octavia proudly. “Oh, hey Scoot! I guess they didn’t fire you, huh?”

“Nope,” said Scootaloo. She leaned up against the wall. “My boss only agreed to let me keep my job if I picked up extra shifts every day for the next week. Oh well, at least I’ll get really good at making espresso’s.”

“That’s always a good skill to-” Pinkie grunted as she lifted up a nearby chair- “have. Everyone likes coffee.”

“Alas, if only that were true,” sighed Octavia. “I had a boyfriend once who despised the stuff. I went out of my way to try to emulate him; part of my foolish youth, I suppose, so I cut out coffee from my diet entirely. Needless to say by the end of that relationship I was practically a narcoleptic.”

“You had a boyfriend?” asked Pinkie. Vinyl snorted.

“A boyfriend? Try ten or fifteen.” Octavia put her hands on her hips.

“More like five,” said Octavia. “And don’t make me bring up your magic number.” Scratch shrugged.

“Nearly triple digits, before I met you my love,” she said. Octavia’s face was caught somewhere between scorn and disgust.

“So you’re bisexual like me?” asked Scootaloo. Octavia shook her head.

“I don’t know what I am, and to be frank it’s never mattered to me. For a very long time I considered myself straight, but then I met Vinyl. I fell in love, and I decided it just didn’t matter what gender she was.”

“Not me,” said Pinkie. “I always knew I was into girls. When I was a kid I always wanted to end up with the Princesses, not the Prince. I wanted Belle and Ariel, not Eric and, uh, whatever the beast's real name was.”

“Same here,” said Vinyl. “But I didn’t have the balls to come out in high school like Pinkie did. I waited until college, and I didn’t tell my parents until after I graduated.” The entire room went silent. Vinyl looked at Scootaloo, and she gasped. “Oh shit Scoot, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” said Scootaloo. “I can’t say I’m over it, but it’s good to talk about these things. Pinkie, how did you come out?”

“I just did,” said Pinkie. “It wasn’t a big production. One day I brought home a girl, and told my parents that she was my girlfriend. They were a little taken aback at first, but eventually they got used to it.”

“I’m more in Scootaloo’s boat,” said Octavia. She sat down, and Vinyl slid in next to her. Octavia clasped her hands together, and Vinyl put an arm around her. “My parents didn’t take to Vinyl at all. They had always imagined me getting married, having children, carrying on the family name. In the end we just drifted apart. I still see them every once in a great while, but we aren’t nearly as close as we were when I was a child. It’s a sad truth that many people lose their parents when they come out of the closet.”

“I have to admit that I was always envious of Applebloom,” said Scootaloo. “She was basically raised by her siblings, and neither of them cared what gender Applebloom preferred.”

“You’d be surprised,” said a voice from downstairs. Scootaloo turned around and smiled. Applebloom was bounding up the stairs. The two embraced when she reached the top, and shared a quick kiss. “Sorry for intruding on the conversation, but I just wanted to say that Big Mac wasn’t too fond of me being gay for a long time. He came around, but at first it really weirded him out.”

“Really?” asked Scootaloo. “He never said anything?”

“That surprises you?” asked Applebloom.

“Fair enough,” said Scootaloo.

“It made the house tough to live in for a while,” said Applebloom. “Mac and Applejack were really taking the reigns from Granny, since she was getting so old. Things were already tense. I can’t tell you how many shouting matches I heard Applejack having with Mac and Granny.”

“They never confronted you?” asked Pinkie.

“No,” said Applebloom. “Granny never felt comfortable trying to raise me- she figured that was Mac and Jack’s job- and Mac never had it in him to discipline me. But I could see how confused and hurt he was.”

“When did they finally get over it?” asked Scootaloo.

“Mac came around after I brought over a girl he really liked,” said Applebloom. “He just got really close to her. He was more broken up when she cut it off then I was. As for Granny, well, I think she just tolerates it.”

“Let’s move this conversation downstairs,” said Vinyl. “It’s hot as hell in here.” The group migrated downstairs, and flopped into various chairs. The two couples snuggled together, while Pinkie stretched out on her chosen beanbag.

“You know, seeing us all here together makes me really happy,” said Pinkie Pie. “We’ve all overcome a lot to get here today.”

“I agree,” said Octavia. “And we’re all going to stay together, come hell or high water!”

“Fuck the haters!” shouted Vinyl. The group whooped and cheered their approval. Applebloom looked at Scootaloo, and kissed her gently

“So worth it,” Scootaloo whispered.

Belle had come in three hours ago to start putting everything in boxes. Scoot and Applebloom’s party was later that night, so she wanted to get her work done early. It had been difficult work, in more than one sense. Seeing all her and Rarity’s unsold work being put away in boxes… it felt like the shop where she had spent a large portion of her life was dying.

A white hot hatred of her sister blistered her insides. She had tried to make it go away, but it wouldn’t fade. Rarity was doing this out of spite. She was acting like no one had ever lied to her before. Growing up, everyone always talked about how generous Rarity was. How she was always giving to people, thinking of others before herself. Belle had often wondered if it was a facade. This seem to confirm it. She had spent hours here, killing something she very desperately loved, and after a while she felt emotionally and physically spent. She had laid down for a nap on a plush chair in the back room.

The sound of the front door opening woke Belle from her nap. She groggily wiped the sleep from her eyes, and registered a form entering the shop. Spike looked around, dumbstruck. All of the displays had been taken down. The register at the front had been put away. The piles of cloth that were normally neatly stacked were nowhere to be found, and he saw cardboard boxes no matter which direction he turned.

“What the hell is going on here?” asked Spike. As if in answer, Belle burst through the hallway separating the shop from the back room.

“Spike!” Belle gasped. “Oh my God, I completely forgot to tell you about what’s going on.”

“What’s going on?” Spike repeated.”

“There’s no easy way to say this,” said Belle. “Spike, Rarity is selling the shop.” Spike balked.

“But why?” asked Spike. “I thought the boutique was doing really well!”

“So did I,” said Belle. “But as it turns out, we were wrong. Turns out it was barely pulling in a profit.” Belle shrugged. “Someone asked Rarity if she’d be willing to sell, and she said yes.”

“So I’m out of a job?” asked Spike. A cloud seemed to pass over Belle’s face, but it faded.

“I’m afraid so,” said Belle. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you more notice. I…” Belle felt her throat go dry. “I didn’t get much notice myself. I can pay you until the end of the week, if you’re willing to help me pack this stuff away.” Belle waited for Spike to say something, but he seemed completely overwhelmed. He made his way over to a nearby chair, and slowly sat down.

“I’m not going to lie, I figured I was out of a job anyway,” said Spike.

“Did you?” Belle asked curtly.

“Yeah,” said Spike. It was clear they both wanted to say more, but no words were forthcoming.

“So, can you help me?” she asked.

“Yeah, no problem,” said Spike. “Just tell me what to do and where to go.”

“Don’t I always?” asked Belle.

The pair worked in silence for several hours. Although Belle had attempted to get a jump on things, the truth was that the boutique was too big to be cleaned up in a day. Despite her best efforts, she knew she’d have to return to this place at least one more time. She couldn’t just rip the bandaid off. It would have to be peeled off slowly. Painfully.

“Hey Belle, what should I do with this?” Spike called. Belle set down a gown she had been folding and walked over to Spike. He was in the back office. The place where they had almost…

Belle shook her head. No more thinking of that. He was sitting in chair, sorting through the various pieces of ephemera that Rarity and Belle had tossed back here. He was holding a picture frame in his hands. Belle looked down at the picture, and gasped.

“Oh my God,” said Belle. She carefully took the picture out of Spike’s hands. It was Rarity, Belle, and their parents standing in front of the boutique. Belle had just turned fifteen, while Rarity had just graduated college. It had been taken five years ago, right after Rarity had bought the boutique. She remembered being so amazed by the place. So amazed that her sister had owned such a beautiful little shop. More memories came to her. Working here over her high school summers. Drinking wine with Rarity and talking about boys. Her heart soaring when Rarity told her that she would be in charge of the shop while Rarity left for bigger and better things. This shop… this boutique… it meant so much to her.

“Belle, are you okay?” asked Spike. Belle knew she wasn’t. she shakily clutched the picture to her chest.

“It’s my fault,” Belle whispered.

“I’m sorry?” asked Spike.

“It’s my fault,” Belle said a little louder. “I ruined this for myself. For you. It’s my fault that the shop is closing down.”

“Don’t be silly,” said Spike. “You’re an amazing seamstress, and an amazing saleswoman. You did everything you could to keep this shop open and thriving. If business dried up, there’s nothing you could have done.”

“You don’t understand,” said Belle. “I could have kept this place open, if I had been honest. But I was scared, so I lied.”

“What do you mean?” asked Spike.

“I told Rarity I was still going to college,” said Belle. “I knew that it was a condition on keeping this place open, but I kept lying to myself. I honestly thought if she saw this place flourish, she wouldn’t care whether or not I went to school. But now I see that she did this for me…” a look of startled revelation came on to her face. “She would have closed this shop forever ago if it wasn’t for me. She knew how much this place meant to me. Knew how much I loved it. She lost money, maybe even career opportunities so I could learn and grow as a person, so I could keep this place that I loved so much alive, and all she wanted was me to be honest with her.” Belle walked over to a nearby wall, and leant on it. “I couldn’t even do that.” She slowly looked up at Spike. “I always blamed our problems on you, but I get it now. You said that you would end up hurting me, but you were wrong. You wouldn’t have hurt me, Spike. I think I would have hurt you.”

“No, come on Belle,” said Spike.

“Don’t,” said Belle. “Just, don’t.” She clutched the picture tighter to her chest, as if willing herself to go back to the day it was taken. “Go home, okay? Don’t worry about coming back here, I’ll pay you anyway. I need to be alone with this place.”

“Are you sure?” asked Spike.

“Yes,” said Belle. As Spike turned to leave, Belle spoke up. “Spike… maybe we might hurt each other. Maybe. But do you think… do you think we could just try? Just try and see what happens?” Spike froze.

“Belle…” before he could finish, he heard Belle sniffle. He turned around, and to his shock, Belle was in tears.

“I need something,” said Belle. “Rarity didn’t mean to do it, but she took the last thing in my life that meant anything away. I really need something, Spike. Please. Don’t tell me that it’s not worth a shot. I know that’s what you think, but please… I need… I need something.” Spike said nothing. “Look, tonight I’m going to a party at Scoot’s house. Please come. even if you don’t want to be my boyfriend, I really think I need you to be a part of my life. At least be my friend.”

“I’ll… I’ll be there,” said Spike. “Goodbye Belle.” Tears continued to run down Belle’s face as Spike walked out the door. When it was just her alone in the shop, she walked slowly through the boutique's now empty aisles. This wasn’t Rarity. She had lost this place, because she had been afraid. Because she had been content to live a lie. Because she wouldn’t face her problems.

“It’ll never happen again,” whispered Belle.

Author's Note

I was hoping to publish the last section of this story as two parts, but as we approach the twenty-five page mark on just this section alone I realize that will be foolish. The final, final section will come sooner rather than later. Thank you for your patience, and for giving this a read. As always, please message me with spelling and/or grammatical errors.

Destiny

Spike tentatively knocked on the door. He still couldn’t believe he was doing this. After his final day at the boutique, he was tempted to delete Belle’s number from his phone. It could have been a clean break. No more seeing each other. No more wondering what could have been. A simple, true end to it all.

But he hadn’t been able to bring himself to do it. Instead, he had thrown on a clean T-shirt and jeans, and had walked to Scootaloo’s. He wasn’t sure what spurred him into showing up here today. Maybe it was the way Belle had looked at him as her voice broke; the utter honesty in both word and deed. Maybe it was because he felt like he owed Belle something for putting up with him for all this time. Maybe it was something much simpler. Maybe he just wanted to see her again.

The door was opened by Pinkie. She was wearing a tight pink T-shirt that matched her hair, and near see through yoga pants. It took an extreme effort from Spike not to outright goggle a her.

“Hey Spike!” said Pinkie Cheerily.

“Hi Pinkie,” said Spike. “I guess everyone is inside?”

“You betcha,” said Pinkie. “Come on in.” Spike took a deep breath, and stepped over the threshold. The house was just as it was the first time Spike had entered it, only this time there were a lot more people. There were the three girls who lived there, of course, as well as the bouncy pink haired girl who made this her second home. Spike recognized a few faces from his old high school days, included the redheaded Applebloom. There was a group of people Vinyl and Octavia’s age that Spike didn’t recognize. Most of the older people seemed to be clustered tight-knitted into a corner, dancing to a song that Vinyl was playing on her I-pod. Scootaloo, Applebloom, Belle, and an older looking girl that Spike vaguely recognized were sitting on bean bag chairs, passing around a bottle of Ciroc. The older girl’s hair was a pink (a much lighter shade than Pinkie), and she wore a yellow knee length dress. Pinkie led Spike over to the sitting group.

Spike couldn’t help but focus on Belle. She was wearing a lavender blouse and jeans. At Spike’s approach, she burst into a smile. Applebloom and Scootaloo seemed ambivalent. The older girl (who Spike had now recognized as one of Twilight’s old friends) waved as he approached.

“Oh my God Spike, it’s been years!” said the older girl. “Do you remember me?”

“Umm, Fluttershy, right?” asked Spike. The older girl beamed.

“Yes!” said Fluttershy. “How have you been?”

“Fine,” said Spike. He sat in between Belle and Fluttershy. Pinkie whooped and made her way over to the group of dancers, gyrating as she wormed her way into the group.

“Thanks for coming,” said Belle. “I really appreciate it.”

“Oh, my pleasure,” said Spike. “Scoot, Applebloom, how are you guys?”

“Fine,” said Applebloom curtly.

“We’re good,” muttered Scootaloo. A look of displeasure seemed to pass over Belle’s face, but it quickly passed.

“Look Scoob, we’re about halfway through this bottle,” said Belle. “Think we can get to the bottom of this mystery?” Applebloom and Scootaloo both groaned, Fluttershy giggled.

“Guess I gotta catch up,” said Spike. He held out his hand, and Belle passed him the bottle. He steeled himself, and took three long gulps. The entire group looked at him, impressed.

“Damn Spike,” said Scootaloo. “You got an iron gut.”

“You know it,” said Spike. He pounded his chest, and accidentally unleashed a giant burp. The dancing party seemed to skip a beat. Fluttershy slapped her hands over her mouth, but neither Scoot nor Applebloom decided to conceal their laughter. Spike blushed, while Belle patted him on the shoulder.

“Better out than in,” said Belle.

“Hey hey,” called Pinkie Pie. “You guys look like you’re getting a little low on liquor there.” She walked over to the group, reached into her massive pink curls, and pulled out a bottle of Grey Goose. She tossed it to a nonplussed Scootaloo. She tipped the group a wink. “It’s not a party until somebody hurls! Woohoo!” She bounced back into the coil of dancers.

“Oh my,” said Fluttershy. “I just came to hang out, not to get, um, hammered.”

“It’s okay Flutters,” said Scootaloo. “Me and Applebloom can take care of it.” The pair kissed. Spike was taken aback. He remembered hearing Belle talk about the pair getting together, but it was still strange to see them be so intimate.

“Hey, I want in too!” said Belle, snatching the bottle from Scootaloo. Applebloom pulled herself from Scoot, and waggled her eyebrows at Belle.

“Long as Scoot don’t mind, you can get in on this anytime,” Applebloom said sultrily. Scootaloo and Belle simultaneously rolled their eyes.

“Some things never change,” said Belle.

“And thank God fer that!” shouted Applebloom. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a pack of cards. “Anyone wanna play kings?”

“Hell yes!” said Scoot. Belle and Fluttershy nodded.

“Hey, we played kings the first time I came over,” said Spike.

“That’s right!” said Belle. “God, that was a fun night.” Belle and Spike shared a brief glance, and then turned away from each other. Applebloom frowned, and Scootaloo scratched the back of her head.

“Let’s go,” Applebloom said. She slapped down a seven, and four hands shot into the air.

It was an hour into the game, and the group was good and drunk. King's has a way of doing that to people; no matter how many times you swear you’ll sip instead of drink, you still end up on your ass. Fluttershy had left the group to go upstairs, and had been replaced by a very wasted Pinkie Pie. Applebloom was on top of Scootaloo’s lap, and it was clear to everyone that it was taking every ounce of their self control for them to not go at it. Belle, meanwhile, was happily talking to Octy and Scratch. Spike was the odd man out. He pensively played with an empty liquor bottle that was in front of him, rolling it back and forth. He just couldn’t relax, not completely. Scoot had ignored him, Applebloom had been stabbing him with snide comments all night, and Belle just looked sad and perplexed. Things were going exactly how Spike feared they would. He stood up with a stretch, taking the empty bottle with him.

“Where ya goin?” asked Pinkie.

“Throwing out empties,” said Spike. True to his word, he began scouring the house for discarded beer cans and liquor bottles. In no time at all Spike had gathered quite a collection. He carefully opened the front door, and closed it with his foot. He balanced the massive stack with the precision of a tibetan monk, and finally placed it in a nearby recycle bin. He walked back up the porch and stared at the front door. He shook his head, and walked over to the porch’s edge. He sat down, and reached into pocket. He had taken a few cigarettes with him, just in case. He had almost kicked the habit, but he was afraid he’d need some emergency stress relief. He pulled a lighter out of his shirt pocket, popped the cigarette in his mouth, and lit it. He hated to admit it, but it was bliss.

“That stuff’ll kill you,” said Scootaloo. Spike turned towards her. He hadn’t even noticed that she’d come out side.

“You gotta die somehow,” said Spike gruffly. Scootaloo scoffed.

“Whatever. Keep looking over there for a second, would ya?” Spike raised an eyebrow. “I gotta pee, and Fluttershy is currently using the toilet as her home base, if you know what I mean.” Spike felt a heat run into his cheeks, and he turned the other way. He heard Scoot go down the stairs, and the rustle of someone nestling themselves into the bushes by the side of the house. He nervously tapped his fingers, hoping that she would hurry up with her business. She didn’t take too long. After a while, Spike heard her coming back up the porch, and turned to see her. She leaned next to him and smiled.

“Not gonna wash your hands?” asked Spike

“I didn’t touch anything,” said Scootaloo. Spike was taken aback, but after giving it another moment's thought he realized this was entirely possible. The heat in his cheeks grew.

“Aww, you’re blushing,” said Scootaloo. “You’re just like Dash’s fiance.”

“Yeah,” muttered Spike. He exhaled a lungful of smoke. “I hear he’s a really swell guy. Nothing but good things.”

“You might be surprised,” said Scootaloo.

“What do you mean?” asked Spike. Scootaloo shook her head.

“Not sure it’s worth getting into,” she said.

“I’d like to hear the story,” said Spike. “It’s getting a little bit stifling in there. I think I’d like to get some air, sober up. Might as well talk in the meantime.” Scootaloo sighed.

“Fair enough,” said Scootaloo. “This is all secondhand, but I did get it directly from the horse's mouth. I was practically Dash’s little sister, back in the day. As she grew up, she grew out of my life. But for a while, I heard everything that was going on. Mind if I have a drag?” Spike shrugged, and handed the cigarette to Scootaloo. She took a long drag off it, and handed it back to Spike.

“Dash and her boyfriend were crushes for a while. Like, a long while. It was one of those weird things where they both kind of thought they had feelings for each other, but neither one wanted to pull the trigger. Dash was afraid she’d ruin the friendship. The guy was too chicken to make a move.

“One day all of Dash’s friends decide to get together, and make the two admit their feelings for each other. It was kind of a harebrained scheme, to be honest. Something out of a story. But it worked somehow. Sort of. Only there were some unexpected consequences.”

“What do you mean?” asked Spike.

“Turns out a lot of the girls had feelings for this guy,” said Scootaloo. “That happens sometimes in groups where all of the friends are one gender except for one. People start falling in love with that friend, and before long they start fighting. The girls all thought they were better than that. They all thought that they could handle it.”

“Rarity was one of them,” said a stunned Spike. He was starting to connect the dots. Her phone call suddenly made a lot more sense

“Yeah,” said Scoot with mild surprise. “Guess you figured that out since she hung with Dash back in the day?”

“Something like that,” said Spike.

“Anyway, like I was saying, they all thought they were better than that,” said Scootaloo. “They were all determined to stay friends. But that’s not what happened. They all started to drift apart. About a year later they looked up, and they realized none of them had seen each other. Dash was engaged to the guy by then. This was about five years ago, I guess. They decided that they’d try to see if lightning would strike twice. They all got together again, although this time without the guy.”

“And did they all stay friends?” asked Spike. Scootaloo frowned.

“No,” said Scootaloo. “They had a gigantic fight. In one case, literally a fistfight. By the end of it, none of them wanted to see each other again.”

“Jesus,” said Spike.

“It gets better,” said Scootaloo. “The guy hears about this, and gets super upset. He hates the fact that he caused the girl's friendship to fall apart. He ruminates on it night and day, and before they know what’s happened, him and Dash have broken up the engagement.”

“But… but obviously it didn’t stay like that,” said Spike. Scootaloo smiled.

“You’re right, it didn’t,” said Scootaloo. “In fact, that’s kind of the point of this story. Cut to two years ago, and it turns out some of the girls have started hanging out almost by accident. Fluttershy and Pinkie, Applejack and Rainbow, Twilight and Rarity. Before long they all try to get together, and wouldn’t you know it, time heals all wounds.”

“It couldn’t have been that easy,” muttered Spike.

“You’re right, it wasn’t,” said Scootaloo. “They’ve never been as close as they used to be. They all still see each other, but for the most part they stick to their own cliques. Still, they’re at least on good terms. But here’s the real silver lining: Dash and her boyfriend got back together. They realized that they were sort of destined for each other.” Scootaloo looked at Spike. “They went through all that, but they still ended up together. Isn’t that something?” Spike frowned.

“So that whole story was to prove a point?” asked Spike.

“Yes,” said Scootaloo. “Love is never easy, but it can survive almost anything. It’s always worth trying for.” Spike rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t come out here for a lecture,” he said.

“Don’t,” said Scootaloo. “Just don’t be that guy. You don’t have to be that guy anymore Spike. You’re better than that.”

“What guy!?” asked Spike exasperatedly.

“That guy who is always a sarcastic asshole for no reason. That guy who just shits on people because he can. That guy who…” Scootaloo crossed her arms. “... who hurts a girl that has some very intense feelings for him.”

“I was just looking out for her,” said Spike. “You’re absolutely right. I’m the kind of guy you regret getting involved with, you know?”

“You’re being so fucking stupid,” hissed Scootaloo. Her hands were shaking furiously. It was taking every ounce of effort she had not to just start screaming in his face.

“Can you honestly tell me Belle has been better off since she met me?” asked Spike.

“No!” said Scootaloo. “But it’s because you keep putting her through all this stupid shit! If you would just stop being an asshole, it would be fine!”

“Whatever,” Spike murmured. “That’s just who I am.”

“No it’s not!” cried Scootaloo. “I think you can be a really nice guy, but I also think that you hurt people. I see the nice guy, and I see this person who hurts people, and I just can’t reconcile them.” Scootaloo shrugged. “I know it’s impossible to control your personality, but it seems like that’s something you could just turn off if you wanted to.”

“It’s not that simple,” said Spike. “If it was, I would have stopped being like this forever ago.”

“Well it’s obviously not simple!” shouted Scootaloo. She knew that her voice might carry and the people inside might hear, but she didn’t care. “It takes time, and effort. But you need to admit to yourself that you can change, otherwise you’ll never even start.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. “I know it from experience, Spike. I know you can change, because I did. I just couldn’t keep pretending to be someone I’m not. And you need to stop pretending. You’re not a punk, Spike. You’re not cooler than the rest of us. High school is over man. It’s time to grow up.”

“Fuck you,” growled Spike. “You think you know me. You don’t know anything about me. Anything about my life.”

“Maybe I don’t know your life, but I know enough to see how you and Belle feel about each other,” said Scootaloo. “I see the way you two act when you’re together. You two are in love. It’s so fucking obvious it hurts.”

“We’ve only really known each other for a few weeks,” said Spike. “You can’t fall in love that quick.”

“Sure you can!” said Scootaloo. “Sometimes you just know, you know? Like, you just meet somebody, and you realize it was meant to be. That’s how it was with me and Bloom.”

“Right. I guess that’s why it took you guys fifteen years to get together,” said Spike.

“Don’t try to change the subject,” said Scootaloo. “You know you love her, and you know she loves you. I don’t care if you think you’re bad for her. Maybe you are, but so what? You won’t really know that until you give it a try.”

“What’s the point?!” shouted Spike. For the first time, Spike was really beginning to lose control over himself. “It’s just going to end in disaster anyway! I know it! I’m absolutely, one-hundred percent positive!”

“How could you be!?” Neither had noticed that they party music had been turned off. “How could you possibly know that it wouldn’t end up working!?”

“BECAUSE EVERYONE ALWAYS LEAVES ME!” roared Spike. Scootaloo stood in stunned silence.

It came in stages. First the anger slowly began to leave Spike. Then, he felt something inside him releasing itself. Something that had been buried for a long, long time. “They always leave me,” said Spike quitely.

“Spike…” said Scootaloo. Spike grit his teeth, and closed his eyes. He marched off the porch, his hands clenched into fists. “Spike, wait!” cried Scootaloo. He began to jog, and then the jog became a run.

He wasn’t sure when he started crying. Wasn’t sure when the cries had become sobs. Wasn’t sure when he had to stop and sit down on the dirty sidewalk.

The town of Ponyville had been his home his whole life. Normally, that thought offered him some sort of comfort. But not tonight. Tonight, the streets were empty, cold, and nearly silent. The only sound that echoed through the still night air was that of his anguished cries.

He didn’t know how long he’d sat there. It seemed like an eternity. His knees were pulled up to his chin. Every once in awhile, he’d feel it rushing back up, and would try to stop it. But, inevitably, it came out, and he was wracked by a fresh bout of crying.

He felt something warm embrace him. He didn’t need to ask what it was. He knew.

“Please don’t leave me,” he begged.

“I won’t,” said Belle. “I promise.”

“I can’t take it anymore,” said Spike. “I’m so, so tired of getting close to people, and having them spit in my face. I don’t think I’m worthless, but that’s how people treat me.”

“I don’t think you’re worthless either,” said Belle. “I don’t want to leave you, I never did. But you just kept pushing me away.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just… I just wanted to do it to you before you did it to me. I’m so, so sorry.”

“It’s all right,” said Belle. She tightened her hug, and Spike began to calm down. “Spike?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to come back to my apartment?” Belle asked. Spike’s heartbeat quickened. A thousand excuses passed through his head. But, to his astonishment, he opened his mouth and said,

“Yes.”

Belle untangled herself from him long enough to turn the lights on. After she flipped the switch, Spike took her right back in his arms, and kissed her bottom lip softly.

“Bedroom,” she demanded. Spike lifted her bodily, carrying her in his arms like someone on the front of a cheesy romance novel. Belle clasped her hands to her chest. Spike walked into Belle’s open bedroom, and set her down. Spike closed the door behind him, and the two were in the dark. He crawled onto the bed, and loomed over her. Belle could smell his cologne mingled with his sweat. She reached up, and ran a hand across his cheek. It was still wet with tears. “It’s okay,” said Belle. “I promise.”

“I know,” said Spike. He leaned onto her, and she felt his weight press on top of her. It felt right, somehow. Now Spike could smell her. She had the lingering scent of alcohol on her, but it was her hair that he focused on. She used a wonderful smelling shampoo, something lilac, and he buried his face in her curls. He raised his head back up, and gently kissed her. They stayed like that for a while, kissing each other. Belle took his hand, and placed it on her breast. He grasped it, and she moaned into his mouth.

“Fuck,” muttered Spike. “I love it when you do that.” He took his other hand, and placed it on her other breast. She moaned again, and Spike realized he was beginning to lose himself.

“Take your shirt off,” Belle demanded. Spike did. Again, Belle was surprised at how well defined he was. He wasn’t rugged, but years of skating has shaved all the fat off his body. She moved her hands down to his ass, and took a cheek in each hand. She squeezed them hard, and Spike let out an involuntary squeal. Belle tittered.

“I love it when you do that,” she said deviously. Suddenly overcome by a need for dominance, Belle muscled him off of her. She flipped him onto his back. Spike was too stunned by her aggressiveness to fight back. She straddled him, and planted her lips on his with the ferocity of an amazon warrior. They entwined tongues, and Belle grasped Spike’s wrists. She was in full control. The moonlight illuminated her prey, stunned and helpless underneath her. His eyes were wide as he observed him. “You’re amazing,” she said. She kissed the nape of his neck, and began to work her way down his chest. She lingered on his stomach, and let go of his wrists. Her hands found his belt, and began to pull it off.

“Belle-”

“No talking,” she said. “We need this. I need you, Spike. I need you now. That’s all that matters.” She pulled his belt off of him, tossing it behind her. Belle reached down, and pulled her shirt over her head. She was wearing a plain black bra, nothing fancy, but she swore that she could feel Spike twitch beneath her. “You wanna do the honors?” Belle asked. Spike nodded eagerly, and reached behind her. His face began to contort with effort.

“Goddammit,” he muttered. “I hate these things.” Belle giggled, and reached behind her. She undid the clasps in a flash, and tossed her bra aside. Spike’s hands were immediately on her. She tried to suppress another moan, but her breasts had always been sensitive. She let out a barking gasp.

“Oh God,” she groaned. Spike’s hands found her nipples. He ran his thumbs over them, and Belle could have screamed. She needed to take control. She reached down, and grabbed Spike’s package. Hard enough to get his attention, gently enough that it didn’t hurt. Spike gasped, and Belle put on a cheshire grin. She began kissing his stomach again, and slowly moved down to his pelvis. He unbuttoned the top of his jeans, and pulled down the zipper. She slowly pulled down his jeans. He was already hard. He wasn’t especially hung, but it was more than enough to work with. Belle bit her lip, desperate to contain her excitement. She kissed down his pelvis, going down until her lips found his hardon. She kissed through the fabric of his boxers. Spike gripped the side of the side of the bed, practically foaming at the mouth. “Tell me what you want,” said Belle.

“What?” asked Spike desperately.

“I said, tell me what you want,” Belle teased. Spike shook his head.

“I don’t- I can’t-”

“If you don’t tell me what you want,” said Belle in a singsong voice, “I can’t give it to you.”

“I want you to… you know…” Spike trailed off.

“What?” Belle demanded.

“I want you to suck my dick!” Spike roared. Belle’s eyes glittered in the moonlight. She yanked off his boxers, and slowly ran her tongue across his length. Spike couldn’t contain himself. He was gasping, nearly choking. Belle put her head over him, and slowly put him in her mouth.

“Fuck me,” groaned Spike. Bell bobbed off of him.

“Later,” she said. She lowered her head again, and began to work in earnest. She pressed her tongue against the tip of his cock, and closed her lips over the end of it. She began to bob up and down, working him expertly. She was very good at this. Spike didn’t know you could even do that with a tongue. Before long she had his whole length in his mouth. She lingered on this for a while, long enough for her to tear up. She gasped as she came up for air. “You like it?”

“God yes,” said Spike. Belle went back to work, a little faster this time. She moved up and down his cock, her tongue going into overdrive. She moved faster and faster, and Spike felt something building in him. He sat bolt upright.

“Stop!” he said. Belle acquiesced immediately.

“You’re close already?” she asked. Spike nodded, a little embarrassed. “No problem,” she said. She laid on her back, and spread her legs. “You’re turn.” Spike gulped. He was back in the power position. This time the moonlight was illuminating her. She was grinning from ear to ear. Spike had never seen anything more beautiful. Spike leaned on her, and grabbed a breast. Belle sighed with pleasure. She could feel him pressing up against her pussy, and she realized she was drenched. Something coursed like thunder through her body. Spike leaned forward, and ran his tongue over her nipple. She hadn’t been expecting this, and the thunder struck again- this time much harder. If she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn she had almost orgasmed. Licking became sucking. Belle was in utter bliss. She ran her hands through Spike hair. Spike took his mouth of her breast, and began to kiss down her stomach, mirroring her earlier actions. Belle couldn’t wait- she unzipped her jeans, and squirmed out of them. She was wearing pink cotton panties. Spike reached down, and felt her there. Belle almost screamed. He grabbed the top of her panties, and pulled them down. Belle kicked them off. Spike looked up at her.

“I’ve never done this before,” he said nervously. Belle gave him a surprised look. “My old girlfriend never wanted this.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Belle said. Spike ran a hand through her pubic hair- Belle hadn’t shaved in a while, but to his surprise he found that he didn’t care. In fact, he realized that he actually like the fact that she had that hair. He ran his fingers over her labia, and she pulled blankets into her clenched fists. He gently put a finger at her entrance, and Belle winced. “Actually, do you mind if I help you a little?”

“I think I’d appreciate that,” said Spike. Belle smiled.

“Good, I was afraid I’d, I don’t know, emasculate you or something,” she said. “Okay, don’t just finger me. Find my clit.” Spike ran a hand through her pubes again, looking for where he thought it was. Belle grabbed his hand, and led him to it. When she felt his fingers- bigger than hers, calloused- touch her, she let out her first unrestrained cry of pleasure. Spike felt his heart begin to pump faster. He really liked making her feel like that. “Circles,” she said. “Rub it in little-” he didn’t need any more prompting. He took to the task immediately, and Belle absolutely squealed in pleasure. He did it slowly, not wanting to hurt her. “Faster!” she shouted. He moved his fingers faster, and Belle’s legs began to shake. She couldn’t speak.

Spike made a decision. He took his fingers away. Belle looked down in anger and confusion, but she soon bucked back into the bed. Now it was his tongue on her clit, and he needed no help in this department. Belle wasn’t screaming anymore- her breath was caught in her throat.

“I’m close,” Belle said. He moved his tongue faster, and Belle pushed herself deeper into the bed. She could feel it building, but she needed something to push her over the edge, something like-

Spike took her clit into his mouth, and sucked. Belle lost herself completely. She bucked up and down, gasping with each wave of her orgasm. Spike was surprised, but immensely pleased with himself. She jerked involuntarily for nearly a minute, gasping and panting all the while. The feeling finally began to dissipate, and she blew a sweaty bang out of her eye.

“Oh yeah,” sighed Belle. “I needed that.” She cuddled close to Spike. There sexes were nearly touching. They began to kiss again. “One second,” said Belle. She rolled over, and opened her nightstand. She pulled out a condom, and switched on the lamp to check the date. After confirming it was still good, she reached up to turn the light back off.

“Wait,” said Spike. Belle paused. “As romantic as the moonlight is, I’d really like to see you.” Belle smiled, and left the light on. He handed Spike the condom, and reached back into the nightstand. She found some lube, popped open the top, and squirted some into her hand. As Spike put on the condom, she leaned forward and took his length in her hands. She ran the lube over his dick, and Spike shivered in pleasure. She lay on her back, legs spread. Spike positioned himself over her, guiding his dick to her entrance.

“You ready?” asked Belle. Spike nodded eagerly. “Go ahead,” she said. He put himself against her, and Belle gasped. He slowly began to penetrate her. It had been a while since Belle had been with anybody. On top of that, Belle preferred clitoral stimulation, so she wasn’t as used to insertions as someone with her experience normally might be. She pressed her fingernails into Spike’s skin as he entered her. Belle felt her toes curl. She was so full. Spike was gasping as well. She was tight, hot, pulsing. It had been so long since he had felt this, so long. He hadn’t realized how badly he had wanted it. They stayed like that, unmoving, coping with the overwhelming sensations.

“I’m gonna move now,” said Spike.

“Okay,” said Belle. Spike pulled himself out, and both he and Belle were stunned when she dug her fingernails deep enough into him to draw blood. Spike hissed in pain, but felt Belle jerking under him again. She was cumming.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck,” she repeated over and over. This one had been completely unexpected. She slowly released him. Spike could feel blood dripping down his back, but he didn’t care. Seeing her orgasm again put his libido into overdrive. He needed to be in her. He drove himself back inside of her, and they both shouted in pleasure. “Wait, I need a second,” Belle pleaded. Spike grunted in frustration. “Sorry, sorry,” she muttered. “Okay, go ahead.” He started moving in and out. Neither of them talked, they couldn’t. Belle was edging again, and Spike was filled with an animalistic lust. He thrust in and out again and again, their moans beginning to crescendo.

“This is so fucking good,” Spike said. Belle nodded her head. “Keep going,” she demanded. Spike began to go faster, harder. The whole bed was shaking with their movements, groaning under their weight.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” said Belle. She felt a third orgasm coming on. She allowed it to take her, helplessly giving herself over to pleasure. Spike felt her pussy clamping down on him rhythmically with her orgasm. This was too much for him.

“Belle, I’m close,” he said.

“Go ahead and cum,” Belle said. Spike pushed his entire length into her, and pressed her head into the nape of her neck. He came hard. Belle could feel his dick pulsing inside her. She smiled, utterly satisfied. They embraced each other. Spike didn’t want to pull out of her. He could have stayed inside her forever. For the first time, things felt real. Honest. Certain.

They weren’t sure how long they stayed like that. Eventually, Belle shifted under him. Spike took the hint, and took himself out of her. They both sat up and stretched. Spike stood, and pulled the condom off of him. Normally this part was super awkward, but for some reason Spike felt content. Belle pointed to a trashcan nearby. Spike tossed it in, and walked back over to Belle. They sat next to each other, not speaking. They both just smiled.

“I love you,” Spike said. And he meant it. God, did he mean it.

“I love you too,” said Belle. They kissed, and laid back down. They ran their hands over each others bodies. It wasn’t sexual, it was exploratory. The barrier had finally been torn down. Now they were free to really learn about each other; not just physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Mind, body, and soul.

“I don’t know how things are going to turn out,” said Spike. “But I know I’m ready to take a risk. To take a leap of faith.”

“Me too,” said Belle. “But I plan on keeping my promise.” She snuggled into him. “I’m not going to leave you. Not ever.”

“Good,” Spike whispered. “I need you.”

“We need each other,” said Belle.

“Yeah,” said Spike. “We need each other.”

SIX MONTHS LATER

Twilight stood up, and the whole room quieted down. A lot of people were surprised when Dash had told people that her wedding would have two maids of honor. They shouldn’t have been. Her husband had always been friends with more girls than boys. Twilight had been like a sister to him, so Rainbow had no problem letting her fill the position that the best man would normally be in. Twilight raised her glass. It was clear that she was nervous. Dash’s husband gave her a thumbs up, and Twilight smiled at him.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Twilight said. “It is my honor to be here today. When I first met-” a loud sneeze echoed through the hall “-, I knew that he was something special. The kind of person that someone meets once in a lifetime. Empathetic, understanding, compassionate, the whole package. Don’t get me wrong, he’s certainly not perfect.”

“Here here!” shouted someone in the crowd. Everyone chuckled.

“I could tell you all about the time he tried to build a model train from scratch in engineering.” Dash’s husband groaned. “Or about he almost got thrown out of university for graffiting the cafeteria…”

“It was an art instillation!” shouted Dash’s husband playfully.

“But most of the time, he was pretty cool. When I met Dash, I knew that she was perfect for him. She’s his perfect foil. Smart as a whip, bold, and spirited, I could see this coming for a mile away.”

“Took them long enough!” shouted another voice in the crowd. Another chuckle.

“That it did. But it was definitely worth the wait. Dash, -” the man sneezed again, “-, you two are a match made in heaven. So, to Dash and-” the microphone let out a whine of feedback “-, may all your days be filled with marital bliss!” Dash raised her glass, and the wedding guests mimicked her. She took a swig, and the guests followed suit. A round of applause greeted Twilight after she got done taking her drink. She blushed, and sat back down. Spike punched her playfully in the arm, beaming at his older sister. Belle smiled at her as well.

“That was awesome,” said Belle.

“Thanks,” said Twilight.

“I told you that you’d kill it,” said Spike. Twilight blushed deeper.

The reception had been going on for several hours. Some of the guests had started to leave, but Dash, her husband, and their five friends that had met in that cabin so long ago were still here. They were sitting in a circle, exchanging stories and generally having a good time. Spike and Sweetie Belle were sitting in the corner, holding hands.

“What a beautiful ceremony,” said Belle. “It was wonderful.”

“Yeah it was,” said Spike. “I just wish I didn’t have to work in the morning. The boss has really been riding me lately.”

“He likes you though,” said Belle. “You know he does.”

“Yeah,” said Spike with a smile. “And I like the job. I’m just complaining to complain.” Belle giggled.

“Fair enough,” she said. “I don’t have anything to complain about. I was going to wait to tell you, but I got my letter back from the school. I start classes again next semester.” Spike grinned from ear to ear.

“That’s amazing!” he said. “We’ll be able to see each other all the time!”

“Like we don’t already do that,” said Belle.

“You got me there,” said Spike. “Have you told Rarity yet?” Belle shook her head.

“I’m going to wait until I actually start,” said Belle. “The last thing I want is for something to go wrong at the last minute. I think you know how that might look.”

“Not good,” said Spike. A gale of laughter from the seven people in the circle attracted the couple's attention. “They all look really good like that,” said Spike. “They look like they’re supposed to be together.” Belle sighed.

“I have a bad feeling this might be the last time this happens,” she said. “Rarity is moving to Manehattan, Pinkie’s got that job out in Fillydelphia, and Fluttershy is going to have her hands full with the new vet clinic that’s opening up. Not to mention all the globetrotting that Dash and her husband do.”

“Yeah,” sighed Spike. “It really sucks thinking about that.”

“At least we don’t have to live it,” Belle said. “I can’t imagine that. Watching your friends drift away. I know it happens to everyone, but…”

“We have each other,” said Spike. He grasped Belle’s hand tighter. “We’ll always have each other.”

“Right,” said Belle. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” said Spike. But they didn’t look at each other. They looked at the group of seven, laughing, drinking, hugging, crying.

Spike stood up, and Belle stood with him. They walked out of the hall together, leaving the sounds of the seven echoing behind them. Twilight turned around, and watched them go. The other six looked at her. She turned back to face them.

“So,” she said. “What’s next?”

Author's Note

First: As always, please message me with all grammar/diction/spelling errors. Thanks.

Second: if the sections about Dash’s husband seem confusing, please remember that this is a sequel to 7 Days in Heaven. It’s hinting at some things that took place in between the stories. I wanted to get all this down to give the people who were waiting for the continuation of 7 Days some closure. I might go back and try to write it all out, but I don’t want to promise anything. Also, if you want to know why his name is never mentioned directly, go read the story!

Anyway...

It’s finally done, and it only took me four years! If you are one of the people that have followed me on this journey from start to finish, I owe you an immense thank you for your patience. I hope the story is at least enjoyable. If this meant something to you, please pay it forward by writing your own fiction if you don’t already. Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, there is no greater way to spread love, good will, and essential knowledge than through writing.
Special thanks to Blue Flame, who convinced me to continue the fic. If you’re reading this, I wish you all the best.
I hope to continue writing MLP fanfiction, but knowing me it may not happen. If this ends up being the last MLP fanfic I write, I wish to say that I am immensely proud of this fandom. Although I had some occasional issues with certain people, the large majority were amazing. I joined because I wanted to be different. I left because I realized that I wasn’t. I came back because, in an otherwise dark world, it’s nice to travel to a place where the ending is always happy, and the love is always pure. It’s corny as hell, but it really is nice to escape to a place where friendship is simple and uncomplicated. Where friendship is magic.

-jacetheponysculptor

P.S. As I do at the end of all of my fanfics, here’s the playlist I listened to while writing this:
-PC’86: Visions
-Tanuki: Babybaby
-Roman w/Macross: I Miss You
-Matabei & Kattch: Feels Like Heaven
-Skyhill: Firefly
-Ratatat (ft. Dan Avidan): Loud Pipes
-The Last Unicorn (cover)-Dan Avidan & Brian Welch
And a special mention
-Closer-Tegan & Sarah,
which I listened to on repeat as I put the finishing touches on this story.

Direction

"It took a week, but it was a lifetime in the making. They sat down, talked it out, and finally realized they loved each other. And then they, um..." Twilight trailed off.

"Screwed each other's brains out?"

"Well, I was trying to come up with a more romantic way of phrasing it," muttered Twilight, "but yes. And anyway, they just got engaged! Isn't it great? Finally, Rainbow Dash is getting married to-"

"What a riveting tale."

"Jeez, you don't have to be such a dick about it," sighed Twilight, "I mean, I thought it was really beautiful."

"Pardon me, I have to go throw up."

"When did you become so cynical?" asked Twilight.

"I don't know. I think around the time you started telling that terrible story."

"Honestly Spike, sometimes I think you were just put on this planet to drive me crazy!" cried Twilight, throwing her hands up in the air. Spike only smiled, and lit up a cigarette.

"I really wish you wouldn't smoke," Twilight couldn't help protesting, for the thousandth time, "Those things are terrible for you."

"Thanks mom, I'll keep that in mind," Spike retorted.

"I could do without the smart mouth. You're lucky I'm even letting you stay here. You graduated. You should be out, you know, finding a job or something." Twilight got up from the table, walked over to the sink, and began washing the dishes. Spike did have to admit it was a little cramped around here. When Spike had first shown up on Twilight's doorstep, he had only planned on staying for a month or so. He didn't think it would be a big deal - Twilight had practically raised him when he was younger. But it had been almost six months now, and the three room apartment was starting to feel a little small. Spike was tired of riding the couch, and Twilight was tired of Spike trashing the place. And honestly, they were both quite tired of each other.

"I am trying to find a job. It's not my fault no one wants to hire me," Spike tried to pass it off with a shrug.

"Oh really? Then why did I find that Salvo's application crumpled up in the trash can?" said Twilight, speaking over the running water.

"Come on, fixing cars? That's not really my style," he defended, crushing out the remainder of his cigarette. "I want to do something cool, you know? Something that'll make a difference. Like, maybe I'll be a writer."

"Well, most writers have college educations," said Twilight, pointedly

"Most - that's they key word." Spike stretched, and stared off into space, "Most, but not all." His instinct knew what was coming next, and thoughts ran in one direction; Not the college thing again, please...

"But college can't hurt." Twilight was now hand toweling off the dishes, and putting them on the dish rack, "You can get financial aid, you know. What with your home situation, it should be easy to-"

"Enough about college, Twilight," growled Spike. It took a lot to make him mad, but talking about school was a good way to do it. He'd struggled all through high school... going back was not what he had in mind. To be honest, he wasn't sure what he had in mind. He didn't want to say he was ambition-less, but it was a pretty accurate description. He wanted money, but he didn't want to put the effort into working. He wanted to write, but when he actually sat down to do it, nothing came to him.

"Well, you have to do something," sighed Twilight. "I love you Spike - you know I do. But you can't live here forever. If you don't find something soon..." Twilight didn't bother to finish her statement - she didn't have to. Spike knew that she would kick him out. She would hate him for making her do it, and hate herself for having to do it, but she would do it nonetheless. Spike stood up, and walked away from the kitchen. He moved into the living room, and took a long look at himself in the mirror. His pale green eyes stared back at him. He ran his hands through his spiky mohawk. He had first cut it like that out of rebellion, but now it had really grown on him. He was a little thin, but not unhealthily so. He looked a little young for his age, and his clothes - torn jeans and a band T-shirt - hung off of him. Still, he didn't feel any sort of loathing when he saw himself. A few years ago, he wouldn't have been able to look at himself for more then a few seconds.

"I'm going out," he said. He waited for Twilight to acknowledge him, but she said nothing. He shrugged, and walked out the door. It was dusk - the sun slowly dipping down past the horizon. The crisp fall wind blew roughly against him, and he crossed his arms in front of him. He felt himself mindlessly wander off in no particular direction. He did this pretty often. Ponyville was a very open, beautiful place. Hell, you could even see the stars at night. He had spent a few days in another, more populous city, and he couldn't even see Orion's Belt. He drifted forward, past the apartment complex where he lived, past a few convenience stores, and past the Apple farmhouse. His feet took him to his old school. In the back of his head, he knew this is where he would go. Ponyville High - or, as he and his friends had not-so-affectionately called it, the freak show. He wandered past the front of the school, into the back. The wide field was always open, and usually had a few stragglers playing pick up ball. Today, it was oddly empty. He lit up a new cigarette, and took it in. The only thing that suggested human occupation was a soccer ball, lying next to a nearby goal post. He walked over to it, and gave it a few kicks. He himself was never good at sports - unless you count 'boarding as a sport - but he had played the game as a child. He remembered one girl in particular - they had ended up going to this very high school together. She was a funny one - she had one of the craziest names he had ever heard. He remembered her flowing purple hair, her tan skin, her face constantly screwed up in concentration. He gave the ball a really good wallop, and watched it sail away. Those were the days... yeah right.

He walked away from the field, dousing the cigarette butt by the gates, and again his feet took on a random direction. High school hadn't been that long past, but it seemed like it was a lifetime ago. Spike had never been one of the popular kids. Maybe it was the hair. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't care about any of the sports teams, and thought school spirit was a joke. Hell, maybe it was just because he didn't want to be popular, and that in some way he enjoyed being outcast from everyone else. Whatever the reason, he had stood on the outskirts of school life. Still, high school hadn't been terrible. He had some fond memories. Getting high behind the gym, while the rest of the school droned and buzzed at some sort of pep rally. A string of short lived but very passionate relationships. And of course, those long nights in the skate park, losing himself in the pavement.

"Spike?"

He nearly jumped in surprise, whirling around in search of the voice, and was stunned to see one of his old classmates.

"Belle? What the hell are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?"

Spike looked around. He had somehow ended up in the fashion district - specifically, in front of the Carousel boutique.

"I was just going for a walk," Spike answered honestly, "Guess I ended up here somehow."

"Well, while you're here, do you want to get fitted for a dress?" Belle giggled. Spike frowned. Sweetie Belle ("not Sweetie Belle, just Belle," she had always whined) was just how he remembered her. A little short for her age, and a little pale, but very beautiful. She had waist length pink and purple hair, and always seemed to be wearing a frilly, frou-frou outfit.

"No thanks," he deadpanned, starting to walk off again.

"Hey, wait!" Spike turned, and raised an eyebrow. "You haven't seen me in like, two years, and that's what you do? You just leave? Not even a, 'hello Belle, how have you been?' Or even just, 'wassup'?" In typical Belle fashion, she put her hands on her hips and leaned a little towards him, "That's not very nice."

"My bad," said Spike. "Wassup?" He began walking off again, no sense in starting an argument.

"Oh no you don't!" Belle walked up to him, and grabbed him by his arm.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Spike.

"You're not just walking away from me," said Belle, her head held up, her chest puffed out. (What? So he noticed. You would too.) "You're coming inside, and telling me what you've been up to."

"Fine, fine," groaned Spike. "Easy on the duds, please. I just got these cleaned."

"Just... cleaned?" Belle stared at his outfit, with an expression somewhere between disgust and confusion. "Right... well, come on."

Spike sat at a table, impatiently tapping his foot. He still didn't really understand how he'd ended up here. One moment, he had been taking a nice little stroll. The next, Belle had dragged him in here. If ever there was somewhere that was the opposite of Spike's personality, it was this place. This wasn't the first time he had been in the boutique - Twilight had dragged him here a few times as a kid. He had had a crush on the girl who worked here - Rarity - who had gone to school with Twilight, and they had met through some mutual acquaintance. She had never even looked Spike's way - there was a big age difference - but he had still adored her. It was through her he had first met Sweetie Belle. Belle was Rarity's sister, and as such, they had ended up spending a lot of time together. He hung out with her throughout elementary and middle school, but they had drifted apart in high school. Still, considering their past, he suppose he did owe it to her to at least make small talk. A nearby door opened and Belle walked in, carrying two cups. She set one in front of Spike, and took a seat. Spike stared at his drink suspiciously.

"Go on, take a sip, it's good!" she urged him, taking a gulp of her own drink. Spike took the cup by the handle, raised it carefully to his lips, and took a little drink. It actually wasn't bad. Heck, it was good!

"It's okay, I guess," muttered Spike, setting the cup back down.

"Thanks, it's a family recipe." Belle set her drink down, and stared at Spike. "So...?"

"So... what?"

"So, what have you been up to?" probed Belle. "After I graduated, Rarity helped me pay my way through fashion school. I still have a while to go, but I'm doing pretty well. How about you? Are you going to school."

"Nope."

"Oh. Well, um, do you have a job?"

"Nope."

"Oh, okay. Well, where are you living?"

"With Twilight."

"Still? You haven't found another place to live?"

"Nope."

"Aww, Spike." Belle stuck out her bottom lip. Spike frowned.

"I don't need sympathy. I have a plan. It just... it just hasn't come together yet," said Spike, raising his arms noncommittally. This was about how he'd expected this conversation to go.

"Right... well, you know, if you ever need a job, you can always work here," said Belle.

"Where?"

"Here, at the boutique! Rarity has her hands full with other things now, so I pretty much run this place by myself. It gets a little hectic sometimes. I could use a hand around here," said Belle. Spike opened his mouth, but quickly closed it. He was about to tell her off - him, working in a fucking boutique!? Had she seen him? He was a skater, a punk, a stoner, not a damn fashionista. But something had stopped him. He was pretty strapped for cash lately. He'd broken his board a little while back, and still hadn't managed to raise the funds to fix it, not to mention that he hadn't bought a new video game in months. Plus, if he had a job, Twilight might finally get off his ass.

"What kind of pay are we talking about?" asked Spike. Belle's eyes widened.

"Oh! Well, um... it really wouldn't be much beyond minimum wage, to be honest. We don't have a lot of spare cash," said Belle.

"Minimum wage, huh?" Spike tapped his chin. "Would I have to wear some stupid uniform?"

"No. But you would have to dress a little, umm..." Sweetie Belle took another look at Spike, chewing her bottom lip. "... nicer."

"Fine. I'll take it." They both stared at each other in disbelief. He... he had just taken the job.

"Okay... I mean, great! No, really, great!" Belle jumped up, and ran over to Spike. She suddenly embraced him, and Spike jumped up in surprise. "You start tomorrow. Be here at eight!"

"Eight a.m?" Sweetie Belle let him go, and frowned down at him.

"Yes, eight a.m. And don't be late. It's never good to be late on your first day."

"Right, okay."

"Well, this is wonderful. And all because we just happened to run into each other on the street. Talk about serendipity, huh?"

"Yeah," said Spike. "Serendipity." They exchanged a confused glance for a second. Something had passed between them... some strange feeling. It almost felt like some big clock had started turning. "Well, it's getting kind of late. I better get home soon, otherwise Twilight'll kick my ass. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Eight o'clock sharp, right?" asked Belle.

"Right," said Spike. He felt a smile rise to his lips. He was shocked to his soul when he realized it was his first smile in a very long time - a long, long time.

"A job! Oh Spike, finally!" Twilight embraced him, and Spike let out an exasperated groan.

"Come on Twilight, enough with the hugging," moaned Spike.

"Sorry, it's just..." to his horror, Twilight burst into tears. "I'm so proud of you Spike. I was so worried for a while. But now I feel like you have some sort of direction, and - oh, come here you!" Twilight hugged him again. Spike tried to protest, but he realized there'd be no point. He stood there, and let her hug him for a while.

As he lay in bed, he tried to think of why he might have agreed to this. He had wanted a job, sure, but he wanted to do something fun and exciting. Not doing menial labor at some crappy clothing store. It was like it wasn't even him answering. It was like some other person had stepped into his shoes, and talked for him. Still, now that he actually had the job, he didn't feel at all unpleasant. It wasn't just the fact that he would be making money. He felt like - for the first time in forever - he was actually doing something constructive. Like he was, well, going somewhere. He thought of his walks. Before, he had wandered with no destination. Now, he felt like he would have a place in mind when he began his treks. He found this strangely comforting. Huh. Maybe this whole working thing wasn't as shitty as he had first made it out to be. He closed his eyes, and tried to let sleep take him. He had trouble... he felt excited.

"This is stupid. I look like an asshole." Spike frowned at his reflection. Twilight had run out to the store, and bought him a pair of khakis and a button down shirt. She had also tried to comb his hair down into something normal, but it now resembled a terrible comb-over. Every time Spike tried to fix it, Twilight would slap his hands away.

"Would you knock it off? You look fine. And for the last time, stop fussing with your hair." Twilight smoothed his hair back down, and Spike let out a harumph of displeasure. "You know, your hair wouldn't be so out of control if you'd get a reasonable haircut."

"Oh that's it!" Spike threw his hands in the air, and stomped away from the mirror, "I'm getting out of here."

"Have a good first first day!" shouted Twilight, as Spike made his exit. After he had left, his hands immediately went up to his head. He tried to straighten his hair back up into his trademark mohawk, but it stubbornly refused to give. By the time Spike got to the boutique, he looked like he had been stuck in a wind tunnel.

"Hello Spike, how are - oh my goodness," squeaked Belle. "What happened to your hair?"

"Twilight," muttered Spike under his breath. Belle reached into nearby drawer, and pulled out a comb. She rushed over to Spike, and busily began brushing his head, "What is with you women and touching my freaking head!"

"Hush. I can't have you scaring off customers, you know." Belle continued to fuss with his hair. "You're dressed nicely though. I was worried you didn't own anything other then torn jeans and T-shirts."

"Twilight bought these for me. I think she went to the dweeb store."

"I don't think you look like a dweeb. I think you look very handsome. There!" Belle stood back to admire her handiwork. "Go check yourself out stud." Spike walked over to a nearby mirror, expecting the worst. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that Belle had somehow managed to flatten his hair. He stared at himself in the mirror.

"I look... normal." He stuck his tongue out, "This sucks."

"Very mature. Now, here's what I want you to do. We just got a new shipment of fabric in, and..." Belle rattled off a seemingly endless list of tasks for Spike to complete. She made him sign a form, to show he was now employed, 'For the books' she said, and then made him repeat what he had to do to make sure he had it. After what seemed like an hour, she ran off to attend to a customer, and Spike got started with his work. It was hard - not back-breaking, but some of it was pretty tedious. Having to count all the inventory took forever, and he stepped on a sewing needle while he was trying to stuff a roll of fabric into a cardboard tube. Still, it was satisfying. He fell into a sort of rhythm - semiconsciously doing the labor while letting his mind wander. He kind of felt bad for not talking to Belle earlier. True, they weren't great friends in high school, but they did see each other occasionally. And unlike a lot of the 'cool kids' she never made fun of him. In fact, she tried to get him more involved in school life. She would try to drag him to every single pep-rally, and even talked him into attending a student council meeting. She had always gone out of her way to help him, and he repaid her with irritated indifference. He didn't consider himself a bad guy - he had flaws, sure, who didn't - but that was a real dick move. Here he was again, taking advantage of an opportunity she had offered him, and he hadn't even said thanks. As he set down a heavy box, he decided to go find Belle.

He found her sewing up a torn dress, working carefully but incredibly fast. He cleared his throat, and she looked up. "Oh, hi Spike." She set down her work, and gave him her attention, "Everything going alright?"

"Yeah, everything's great." He scratched the back of his head, "Hey, listen, I just wanted to say... thanks. For giving me a job. I should have said it sooner, but I don't know. Guess I got kind of preoccupied, or something." Belle's face lit up, and Spike turned away. "So, yeah, anyway. Guess I'll get back to work."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything." She picked up the dress, but as Spike began to leave, she spoke up again, "What are you doing after you're done here?" He was a little taken aback.

"Well, nothing, I guess."

"Do you maybe want to go out with me?" Spike stared at her, his jaw drooping. Belle gasped, blushed, and shook her head, "Sorry, not like that. I mean, do you want to come hang out with me and my friends?"

"Oh." Spike tried to brush it off, but was a little disturbed to realize he was disappointed. Disappointed? Belle was a pretty girl and all, but she wasn't anywhere near his type. He liked wild girls, crazy girls. Girls willing to go on adventures, and do anything. Belle was... normal. Stable. She probably wouldn't do anything more exciting then go out to an R-rated movie. Still, he couldn't deny it - he was a little bit let down. Before he could stop himself, he saw an image of him and Belle, kissing, writhing against each other. Him touching her, smelling her, feeling her breath as she gasped in his ear... he shook himself out of it. "Who all would we be meeting with?"

"Do you remember Applebloom and Scootaloo?" Scootaloo he remembered. He had played soccer with her when he was younger, and had bumped into her frequently in high school. Applebloom he knew only in passing.

"Vaguely."

"Well, we all went to high school together. I meet up with them every once in a while, and we hang out. Nothing special, just maybe karaoke, or some video games or something."

"You play video games?" asked Spike, honestly intrigued.

"What? Just because I'm a girl, I must not like video games?"

"No, no, nothing like that. It's just..." he fought for the right words. "You don't seem like the kind of person who would be into that."

"Well, we enjoy it. So, do you want to come?"

"Sure, I guess," said Spike, shrugging his shoulders.

"Great! I'll just drive you there after work."

"Sounds like a plan," said Spike.

"Cool. Now get back to work," said Belle with a grin.

"Whatever you say boss."

The rest of the work day passed by with little incident. Belle had yelled at him for being to rough with some silk, but overall, Spike considered the day a success. He could have screwed up a lot worse.

"See ya Belle," he called behind him as he walked out the door.

"Hey, wait! I thought you were hanging out with me."

"Oh, right." He hadn't really forgot about it, but he guessed some part of him hoped Belle had. The more he thought about it, the more he worried that hanging out with her might not be a good idea. He was into different stuff then she was. Plus, he wasn't so sure about these friends. When he thought back, he couldn't remember Scootaloo or Applebloom ever torturing him, but he thought he remembered a few funny looks. But he had already said he would, and he didn't have anything else to do...

"I can't believe you forgot already," said Belle, shaking her head. "That's what all that pot will do to you - it kills your short term memory."

"Who told you I smoke pot?" asked Spike. "Let me guess - Twilight."

"Nope. It wasn't a big secret that you and your stoner buddies used to get high behind the gym." Belle let out a little giggle, "Oh, you guys thought you were so clever. None of you ever considered that you might be stinking the whole gym up." Spike felt something fall into the pit of his stomach. "I can't believe none of the teachers ever caught you. You must have been one lucky guy."

"Lucky, yeah." Spike nodded his head. He felt a little ashamed.

"Don't be like that. Everyone does that kind of thing when they're young."

"Did you?" At his question, Sweetie Belle seemed to change. A devious grin spread over her face. She looked around, as if someone might be lurking in the corner. She came closer to Spike, until they were standing almost nose to nose.

"Do you promise not to tell Rarity?" whispered Belle.

"Cross my heart."

"I did it one time." She put her hands to her mouth to stifle a giggle, "It was at some party. It was stupid, I know, but I thought why not? You only live once, right? And to be honest, I didn't even feel it."

"No one does the first time," said Spike. He was surprised he could even talk. Of all the things... he never would have guessed in a million years that Belle might try something like that. It was... cool.

"Is that so? Huh, I never knew." Belle reached into her pockets, and pulled out a ring of keys. "Well, I don't plan on doing it again. It was a one time thing, just some silly little high school experiment." She walked out the door, and held it open for Spike. Spike gave her a murmured thanks, and Belle locked up behind him. She walked over to her car (a small, pink thing that matched her personality), unlocked it, and opened his door. They slid in, and Belle started it up, "The girls are really excited to see you, by the way."

"They know I'm coming?" asked Spike, frowning.

"Of course. I can't just show up with some random guy and be like, 'oh by the way, this is Spike, he's hanging out with us.' I texted them and let them know. They can't wait to see you." said Belle, giving Spike a little nudge on the shoulder.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure."

"No, really. They've been wondering what happened to you after school."

"Why? They barely even knew me."

"Like you don't wonder what happened to your classmates after school?" Spike thought back, and realized there were a few people he wondered about occasionally. There was this one cross eyed girl who had always talked about being a mail person. And a massive dude that looked like he had to be on steroids.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Say, whatever happened to that one cross eyed girl? What was her name? Derpy?"

"Oh Spike, that's rude. Her name is not Derpy," said Belle, shooting Spike a dirty look.

"Really? What did you call her?" Belle lowered her head, and said something quietly into her lap. "What? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

"Ditzy, Spike. We called her Ditzy."

"Oh, well that's soo much nicer," teased Spike.

"Shut up you jerk!" She exclaimed, but she had a smile on her face. They rode in silence for a while - but not an uncomfortable one. They were both lost in their thoughts. They would think of school, of work, of times past, and times yet to come. But inevitably, their thoughts would lead back to each other.

"Well, we're here," announced Belle. They had stopped at the old farm that Spike would frequently walk past.

"Sweet Apple Acres? People live here?"

"They do indeed. Come on," said Belle, shutting off the car, and getting out. Spike followed closely behind her. She led him up past the sidewalk, through a gate, and into a grove of apple trees. Spike reached up to grab an apple, but Belle shot him a look. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned Belle. Spike withdrew his hand, and smiled sheepishly. They walked until they got to a large white house. Spike followed Belle up a flight of stairs, and onto the front porch. Belle knocked, and after a minute, the door opened. An absolute hulk of a man stood at the front door. His hair - almost as long as Belle's - was dirty blond. He wore overalls, and a piece of hay hung out of his mouth.

"Hey Big Mac. Is Applebloom home?"

"Eeyup," answered Mac laconically. He moved away from the door, and let the two walk inside. Spike nodded at the man, who simply raised an eyebrow in response. The walked into the living room and found two girls sitting and chatting. He recognized them both - they were friends of Twilight's. One - a thin girl with rainbow colored hair - he knew as Dash. The other - an earthy looking blond - was Applejack. They both looked up as the two walked in.

"Oh hey Belle!" said Applejack in greeting, giving her a little wave. "And... Spike, right? Don't you live with Twi?"

"Yeah, I do. Nice to see you again Applejack. Same to you Dash," he said, giving a little wave to the other girl. Dash waved back.

"So Dash," said Belle, clasping her hands together, "I heard you were getting married!"

"I am!" Dash squealed, sticking out her hand. On it, a large diamond ring sparkled. Both Applejack and Belle cooed at it.

"How did he propose?" asked Belle, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"You know how we first really connected at the cabin? Well, he took me back up there, a year after we first went. We spent a wonderful few days together, and then, after everyone else went to bed, and it was just the two of us... he proposed! Oh, it was great. And of course I said yes on the spot," said Dash. She seemed to be fully engrossed in her speech, reliving the moment. "The wedding is in a few months. We're going to be sending out invitations soon."

"Oh, I can't wait!" shouted Belle, doing a little dance.

"It took him long enough though," said Applejack, nodding to herself.

"Well what did you expect?" said Dash. "We're talking about-"

"Hey Sweetie!" called Applebloom. Belle and Spike whirled around. She was making her way down the stairs, fixing her bouncy red hair. She wore a tight fitting black shirt, and a pair of dirty work pants.

"Applebloom!" Belle ran over to her, and the two embraced. Applebloom looked over Belle's shoulder, and Spike gave her a hesitant little wave.

"Hey Applebloom. I'm Spike. We went to high school together."

"O' course we did!" said Applebloom, walking over to Spike. She was a lot taller then Belle - almost as tall as Spike. She was built like her sister - sturdy, curvy, but very pretty. "I remember you. You were part of the crew that was always skating around, making trouble and stuff."

"Aww come on. We didn't make a whole lot of trouble," protested Spike.

"Really? Wasn't it you guys who snuck all those chickens in on the last day of school?" Spike burst out laughing. That was one of the highlights of his high school experience. He and his friends - as a senior prank - had snuck in a whole crate of chickens, and loosed them upon the unsuspecting populace. The Principle nearly tore all of his hair out trying to wrangle them all.

"All right, maybe we did cause a little trouble," admitted Spike. "But it was all in good fun."

"Oh really? One of those chickens pecked some kid in the eye. He went blind." Applebloom stared him down, and Spike felt horrified. Then, she burst out into a fit of giggles, and Belle joined her, "You should have seen your face!" Spike stared in disbelief, "It was a joke buddy! Lighten up."

"Now Applebloom, that's not very funny," chastised her older sister.

"Oh, what do you know, you big stick in the mud." Applebloom wiped a tear out of the corner of her eye, and slapped Spike hard on the back. "You're a good sport kid." Kid? Spike was pretty sure he was older then her. "Alright, let's get the hell out of here." The three of them walked to the door.

"Be careful!" shouted Applejack after them.

"We will!" shouted Applebloom. After she shut the door, she whispered to herself, "She better take that stick out of her ass before she gets splinters." They walked to the car, and Applebloom gave Spike a challenging look.

"What?" asked Spike.

"Shotgun!" shouted Applebloom. She reached down, unzipped her pants, and pulled them down. She was wearing a rather revealing red thong. Spike nearly fell over. "Well come on! Your turn!" Spike tried to say something, but his mouth couldn't form words. Belle was doing her best to suppress her laughter, but her chest was heaving, and tears streamed down her face.

"I don't think he knows how to play shotgun," said Belle between laughs.

"Oh. Well, it's easy. If two people want shotgun, they pull their pants down, and race to the car with their pants around their ankles. Whoever gets there first gets shotgun, loser gets the bitch seat," said Applebloom motioning to the back of the car.

"You can have shotgun," muttered Spike, still dazed.

"Well you're no fun at all, are you?" sighed Applebloom, pulling her pants back up. She got into the car, while Spike stood there for a minute.

"Anytime you want to put your eyeballs back in your head and get in the car would be great," said Belle, still crying a little.

"Right." Spike pulled open the backdoor, and got in. Belle started the car, and they were off.

"Man, I shouldn't have worn this thong today. It is going right up my ass," groaned Applebloom, wiggling in her seat.

"Are you for real?" asked Spike.

"What?" said Applebloom.

"She takes some getting used to," said Belle, shaking her head.

"Who am I trying to impress anyway? It's not like anybody's getting laid tonight," sighed Applebloom. She then shot Spike a look, and gave him a little grin. "Well, maybe I shouldn't speak so soon." She tipped him a wink, and Spike could only gape. Belle turned to Applebloom, and they gave each other a serious look. Then, out of nowhere, they both burst out laughing. "Oh man, your face man... your face. Sorry dude, it's not anything against you, you're just not my type."

"Yeah. You have the wrong parts," said Belle, giving a sage nod. Spike raised an eyebrow.

"The wrong parts? What does that mean- oh!" gasped Spike, suddenly realizing what she meant.

"A little slow, ain't he?" chuckled Applebloom. Belle nodded, and they both shared another laugh. Spike couldn't help but feel a little like a punching bag. "Well, who knows. Maybe me and you..." Applebloom nudged Belle, who only rolled her eyes.

"Sorry baby, if I was into chicks, I'd pounce on you in a second," said Belle.

"You'll come around one of these days," said Applebloom.

"Oh I'm sure," said Belle. She looked into the mirror, and caught Spike's eye. Belle motioned towards Applebloom, and mouthed, 'She's nuts.' Spike laughed. Applebloom turned around, and addressed Spike. "So, what team are you battin' for?"

"I'm straight, thanks for asking," muttered Spike.

"I figured. I can tell pretty good," said Applebloom. "I still get some surprises though. I still can't believe Scooter hasn't come around. I thought she would come out before I did."

"Speaking of Scootaloo..." Belle pulled the car over. Scootaloo stood outside, on her stoop. She was more tan then he had remembered - she was almost brown. She had cut her hair short, and gelled it so it came up in little spikes. She was dressed very much like Spike would be - a loose, torn white shirt, and dirty jeans. The three got out of the car, and Scootaloo ran towards them. She gave Applebloom a running hug, and soon after embraced Belle. She turned towards Spike, and stuck her hand out.

"Hey Spike. Remember me?" she asked.

"Of course I do Scootaloo," said Spike, taking her hand in his. She suddenly tightened her grip, and pulled Spike towards her. She gave him a spine crushing hug - all the air rushed out of Spike's lungs.

"How have you been dude! I thought you like, died or something!" she squealed.

"Nope, I'm alive. But if you keep squeezing me like this, I won't be for much longer!" He choked out. Scootaloo released him.

"Sorry about that. I get a little intense with the hugs sometimes," Scootaloo said.

"No problem," Spike responded, rubbing his sore ribs.

"So, you guys wanna come inside?" asked Scootaloo, to which they all murmured their assent, and followed her. She lived in a small brick townhouse, no different from any of the others that lined the long boulevard. She opened the door for them, and the group filed inside. The front entrance was cramped, but homey - a small TV, with a Wii hooked up to it, and there was an old red couch flanked by two large bean bag chairs. Scootaloo collapsed onto the couch, and the two girls jumped onto the beanbag chairs. Spike sat on the floor, Indian style. He also noticed a stairway, which led to a second level.

"So, how are Octy and Scratch?" asked Belle.

"You can ask them yourselves, if you want," said Scootaloo. "Octavia! Vinyl! The girls are over!"

"We're busy!" came the shouted answer from upstairs.

"Yeah, 'busy'." said Scootaloo, putting her fingers in a V and sticking her tongue between them.

"I wouldn't mind getting busy with them," said Applebloom, rubbing her palms together.

"You are so gross," said Belle.

"You'll come around," said Applebloom.

"So, what do you guys want to do?" asked Scootaloo.

"Well, we could play some Mario Kart," suggested Belle.

"We always play Mario Kart," muttered Applebloom.

"I have an idea," piped up Scootaloo. "Why don't we let our guest decide?" The three girls looked at Spike.

"Well, I don't know. Anything you want to do is fine," said Spike.

"Oh good, a really take charge guy," said Applebloom, throwing herself backwards onto her bean bag.

"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Scootaloo. A smirk appeared on her face. "I'll be right back." She got up of her couch, and ran into another room.

"Uh-oh," said Belle. "I know that look. That look is never good."

"You're right," said Applebloom. "That look isn't good - it's awesome. Spike, I think you came over on a perfect night." Scootaloo returned, holding two bottles of Everclear and a deck of cards. She set down the booze, and began shuffling the cards.

"Kings?" she said, shooting the girls a look. The girls nodded.

"What's kings?" asked Spike.

"Really? You've never played kings?" asked Belle. "I thought you and your friends were little deviants."

"Well, we didn't play a whole lot of drinking games. We just kind of... drank," admitted Spike.

"Fair enough," said Scootaloo. "We'll tell you how it goes as the game progresses." She shuffled the cards, and set them in front of the bottles of Everclear. She motioned to Spike and the girls, and they all crowded around the booze. She opened one up, and pointed a finger at Spike. "Since he's new, I suggest he goes first."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Applebloom.

"Well, what do I do?" asked Spike.

"Just pick up a card, and show it to all of us," answered Scootaloo. Spike picked up the top card of the deck, and showed it to the girls. It was the four of spades. Immediately, all of the girls took their hands and placed them on the floor. Spike stared at them, utterly confused.

"Drink bitch!" whooped Applebloom.

"Four is for floor," explained Scootaloo. "When you draw a four, the last person to touch the ground has to drink."

"But I didn't know that..." Spike wanted to protest, but all the girls have him a glowering look. "I'll just drink." He lifted the bottle, and took a sip of the Everclear. It burned - badly, "Damn! That shit is toxic!"

"Nectar of the Gods," said Scootaloo. "Alright Bloomie, your turn." The game continued on for some time - Spike had trouble remembering all the rules. Most of them rhymed - two for you, three for me - but some of them were confusing. It was made even worse by the fact the girls knew the game, and he didn't. After a few rounds, he already had a hell of a buzz. It got back around to him, and he picked up a card - an ace of spades. Belle gave a nervous little giggle.

"Questions... very, very interesting," cackled Applebloom.

"That can't be good," sighed Spike.

"It's very simple, actually. Each person gets to ask you a question, and you have to answer honestly," said Scootaloo.

"What if I don't want to answer?" questioned Spike.

"Then we beat the shit out of you," said Applebloom, in a matter of fact way. She looked like she could do it to.

"All right, fuck it. Let's do it," muttered Spike.

"Okay, I'm first!" shouted Applebloom. She looked Spike right in the eyes. "How big is your dick?" Belle gasped, and Scootaloo started laughing so hard that she fell over. Applebloom continued to stare him down, but she to busted out into laughter. "I'm just kidding, I can't ask you that. All right, all right, real question - how many girls have you slept with?"

"Oh, that one is so much better," murmured Belle, who's cheeks had turned a bright red.

"Three. I've slept with three girls," answered Spike.

"Only three? Shit boy, I've slept with more chicks then that!" said Applebloom. "You need to step your game up."

"You are drunk!" hiccuped Scootaloo.

"Ain't that the pot calling the kettle black," laughed Applebloom. "All right Belle, your turn."

"What's your favorite color?" said Belle, putting her hands behind her back.

"Laaaaaame!" shouted Scootaloo, sticking her tongue out at Belle.

"Blue," said Spike, giving Belle a little nod of thanks. Belle smiled, understanding.

"All right, my turn!" Scootaloo came up to Spike, and grabbed his arm.

"Spike... how big is yo dick son!" she squealed, and both her and Applebloom burst into uproarious laughter.

"Oh for goodness sake," sighed Belle, putting her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself," snorted Scootaloo, tears running down her cheeks. "Okay, all right, real question- what do you think of Belle?" The four sat in silence for a while, as Spike chewed over his answer.

"I think she's a very nice girl, and I'm very grateful that she gave me a job," Spike said. Applebloom and Scootaloo sighed, and Belle gave him her own nod of thanks.

"What a boring answer," said Applebloom. "Screw it. I don't need a game to get drunk!" She took the cards, and flung them up into the air. "Let's just get shitfaced!"

"Here here!" shouted Scootaloo, taking a long swig from one of the bottles.

The night rolled on. They played drunk Mario Kart, drunk checkers, and even dragged down Scootaloo's roommates (who - interestingly enough - Spike also remembered from high school). The two trouble making girls didn't collapse until three in the morning. The were rolled up against each other on one of the bean bags, sleeping contentedly. The older girls, Vinyl and Octavia, had snuggled down into the other a while ago and Scootaloo had drawn a mustache and monocle on Octavia, saying that she could blame it all on Vinyl and they'd both believe her. The only reason he was still lucid was because he'd begged a break to have a smoke outside, the cold air and nicotine doing a good job of temporarily sobering him a little. On the other hand, he had no idea how Belle was still awake.

"They are gonna feel terrible tomorrow," giggled Belle. The color had returned to her face, but it had nothing to do with embarrassment. Spike himself was having trouble not falling over - and he was still sitting on the floor.

"I can't believe I almost missed this. This was fucking awesome," said Spike, swaying back and forth.

"I'm glad you came Spike," said Belle. "Believe it or not, I missed you. I really enjoyed hanging out with you when were were kids, you know? You were like, my cool friend. And even in high school, I liked being with you. Even if you did get a little... wonky," said Belle.

"I missed you to," said Spike. He scooted himself over to Belle, so they were sitting across from one another on the floor. "You were always so good to me. Even when I was at my wonkiest, you made sure I was taken care of. You're just... super cool."

"You're pretty cool yourself," said Belle. She scooted closer to him. "Hey Spike?" she whispered.

"What's up?"

"I think you should kiss me now." Spike gently put his hand on the back of her neck. He brought them close - he could feel her breath on his skin. Their lips met. Although they were both drunk, they felt the kiss rock through the core of their beings. It wasn't like any other kiss they had ever had before. It felt... right. They broke apart, and stared at each other for a long time.

"I'm going to go to sleep," said Belle. "I hope I remember that in the morning."

"So do I," said Spike. They both knew that they would. Belle clambered up onto the couch, and Spike collapsed onto the floor.

"Good night Spike," yawned Belle.

"Good night Belle. I..." the rest was lost on him. His mind slowly drifted away into darkness. He dreams were filled with fields of white.