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.