Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Twilight and Spike sat in Rainbow’s living room, looking at each other but unsure of what to say. Spike had missed Twilight, but he still felt horrible for running away from Twilight and not visiting her until Rarity had made him, meanwhile Twilight was just trying not to break into tears again. Spike was the first one to break the silence. “I’m sorry Twilight, I should have been there for you like Rainbow was. I shouldn’t have run away from you.” Twilight took a second to reply.

“What, no Spike. It’s fine, you must have been really hurt and scared by what happened.” Twilight paused and chewed her lip. “I made a promise to you and then I got hurt and broke it. You were scared and hurt and I bet you didn’t think there was anything here for you. I can’t blame you for running away, I don’t blame anyone else for doing that so why would I blame you for doing it.” Twilight took a shuddering breath and started to cry a little. “What happened was horrible and you are still young, err were young, and didn’t know what to do. You’ve never been good with dealing with your emotions, just like me.”

Spike wrapped his arms around Twilight and pulled her close. “It’s okay Twilight, you’re up now and we’re here for you. All of us, you’re not alone in this struggle. We can move on from there, everyone can get together like we used and be friends.” Spike held Twilight tight as his tears began. “You’re back, that’s what matters right now.” They fell asleep holding each other tightly.

Rainbow Dash looked at Spike and Twilight sleeping on the couch and marveled at how much larger Spike had gotten. “She looks like one of those giant dolls you get at a carnival in his arms.” She chuckled to herself as she walked up and covered them in a blanket and headed to bed herself.

~~

Spike woke up first to find Twilight curled up on his chest like a cat sleeping contentedly, he gently ran a claw through her mane, remembering how he used to sleep on Twilight’s back before her accident. His eyes teared up as his thoughts drifted back to that fateful day, the day he lost his sister, his mother.

~~

“Twilight, is she alright? Applejack, Rainbow Dash, are they okay?” Spike stood in the waiting room in front of Rarity in hysterics. He had seen the cloud from the library all the way over at Fluttershy’s cottage and taken off as fast as he could. When he found that the library was toppled and Applejack, Twilight and Rainbow had been sent to the hospital he took off at speeds that would have impressed Rainbow Dash. He met Rarity there and she’d scooped him up in a massive hug. Usually this would have sent him to cloud nine… but not today, the hug felt different. It felt sad, like she wanted to protect him from something.

“Spike dear, it’s... it’s…“ Rarity couldn’t finish and broke into tears, grabbing him in a tight hug again. He couldn’t remember ever seeing Rarity like this before, it worried him a lot. He watched Fluttershy walk in and approach a doctor coming out of the ICU. He watched them talk and then Fluttershy suddenly sit down. He couldn’t tell what he was seeing but it worried him.

Fluttershy walked over but barely, she swayed from side to side bumping into things. When she reached him and Rarity she placed a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder and then just collapsed, large sobs wracking across her frame. She wasn’t making any noise, just shaking with hard sobs into the floor.

Spike panicked as she collapsed and started screaming. “SOMEPONY TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LIBRARY? WHERE’S TWILIGHT AND APPLEJACK AND RAINBOW? SOMEPONY, anypony, please tell me what’s going on.” He tailed off towards the end as Doctor Horse walked up.

“Would you three please come with me, I think we need to talk. If you have any other friends who should be informed I can send a nurse for them.” Rarity looked at the doctor and told him that Pinkie, down at Sugarcube Corner, should be brought in. “Alright.” he motioned to the nurse at the reception desk and whispered to her to send a message. “While we wait for her, could you three please follow me to my office where we can talk in private?”

Rarity nudged Fluttershy and put Spike on her back. She helped Fluttershy up and followed the doctor. Spike just sat, confused and afraid. He could feel something was off and everypony’s reaction just worried him even more.

It took fifteen minutes for Pinkie to show up, she seemed a little somber to Spike and he didn’t like it. Pinkie was always happy, except on really rare occasions. This wasn’t even her usual sad, it was more like she knew it was coming and she was trying to deny it, even though she knew it was happening.

“So your three friends were in an accident,” the doctor paused and pulled out a box of tissues. “And there’s no easy way to say this, but Twilight is in a coma, Rainbow Dash is going to lose at least one wing and her other doesn’t look good, and Applejack is currently in a coma and is in a critical condition.” He paused to let it sink in, a small tear in one eye.

“Hey doc, what’s a coma?” Spike looked at the doctor with a worried look.

“Well it’s a little bit like sleeping,” the doctor paused for a second trying to think of how to explain it to the baby dragon. “But instead of getting up in the morning, they won’t. There is no way to determine if they will wake up at any point in time. They might wake up in a week, or they may stay that way till the day they die.”

Spike looked at the doctor. “So she’s gonna be okay? Twilight and Applejack will be okay?” Spike knew he was young and could be naive but the looks everyone gave him told him he was being foolish. “I take it that’s not the case, is it?” He looked at everyone around him; each one looked like they wanted nothing more than for him to be right. “No. Twilight’ll be fine. SHE WOULDN’T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS, SHE PROMISED ME.” Spike’s voice rose as he shouted, then he turned to run through the door to look for her, only to be stopped by Rarity.

“Spike, she doesn’t want to, but she has no choice in this matter. It isn’t her fault this has happened, all we can do right now is pray for everypony involved. I know you love her, but there is nothing any pony can do, she will wake up when she does.” Rarity had finally composed herself and was holding the sobbing Fluttershy while she talked gently to Spike. “It’s going to be hard but you must know she is not abandoning you in any way. I won’t say she will be come back but she isn’t doing this to hurt you. She wouldn’t do that and you know it.” She wrapped a hoof around him and pulled Spike into the embrace.

“We can’t let you visit them today, but you should be able to visit Applejack and Twilight tomorrow. Rainbow Dash will need more time; we will let you know when she is ready for visitors.” Doctor Horse stood up and opened the door to his office. “I am so sorry about what has happened and we are doing everything we can. If you need anything, let us know.”

Rarity held spike and gently led Fluttershy out of the office, before they went to the Carousel Boutique to wait for tomorrow.

~~

Spike’s thoughts returned to the present and he stared at Twilight, gently sleeping on his chest. “I am so sorry that I never visited any of you. I am sorry that I ran away on that first night, I was so foolish to run away rather than face what had happened.” Spike watched as Twilight slowly woke up as he stroked her mane.

“Spike, mmm, I missed you. I was so afraid to face you. I promised you I wouldn’t leave, then I left without a word. I hope you can forgive me.” Twilight murmured in her sleepy state. Spike giggled as he watched her talk in her sleep. He put his head close and whispered. “I forgive you. I did that many years ago.” Twilight’s eyes shot open and she slipped off his chest, fully awake now.

“Oh Sweet Celestia, where, what?” She looked at Spike and her face split into a huge grin. “Spike, you scared me.” Spike smiled at her and sat up.

“Sorry you were talking in your sleep and I couldn’t resist. Sleep talking is always when you’re the most honest, so I find it’s the best time to keep an open ear.” Spike leant down and scooped her up, placing her gently in her wheelchair.

“You have grown so much Spike, I remember when you so much smaller. I used to scoop you up and carry you around on my back, now we’ve reversed positions.” She chuckled a bit, “So are you gonna make breakfast like you used to, you used to make the greatest pancakes. Should I wake Rainbow while you do?”

“For you Twilight, your number one assistant will always make breakfast and yeah, go get her and clean yourself up while I cook.” Spike turned to the kitchen hiding the flash of regret that crossed his face.

~~

Twilight rolled herself down the hall as quietly as she could, she loved waking Rainbow. She opened her door slowly, poking her head in first. She was startled she saw Rainbow kicking about in the bed, she looked like she was having a nightmare. She quickly made her way over and placed her hoof onto Rainbow’s chest, only for Rainbow to grab it a moment later, still fast asleep. “Shh, shh, Rainbow. It’s okay.” Twilight paused as Rainbow calmed down, then blushed deeply and extracted her hoof from Rainbows’ own.

“Twilight, please don’t go. I need you here, I was so lost without AJ and you were my light in the dark.” Rainbow rolled over mumbling in her sleep, facing Twilight now.

Twilight blushed and checked to make sure Rainbow was sound asleep. “I won’t, I miss AJ too and with all that has happened, you’ve become my anchor and beacon as well. I feel bad for doing this to AJ, it almost feels like cheating on her but...” Twilight paused mid-sentence and kissed the sleeping Rainbow gently, “you have become more than a friend to me.” Then Twilight sat up and composed herself before grabbing the sheets and flipping Rainbow out of bed.

“Huh, what? OW. What the heck? Oh hey Twi, couldn’t you have been a bit gentler waking me up?” Twilight snickered and stuck her tongue out as she wheeled herself into the restroom. Rainbow placed her hoof to her lips. “Huh, why are they all tingly?” Rainbow shrugged, stretching before she wandered down to the kitchen.

~~

Spike was trying to distract himself by baking but he was so used to it nowadays that it wasn’t working like he hoped. He instead found himself back in the past, the time Rarity had found him in Canterlot.

~~

Spike was running an errand for the royal archives when he heard a squeal and froze. It had been years since he had last heard that sound and he did not like the memories it brought up. He slowly turned to see the white unicorn with the purple mane. “Hi Rarity, it’s been awhile.” He said sheepishly.

“SPIKE, YOU LITTLE... oh who am I kidding.” Rarity ran up and tackled Spike in a hug. “It’s so great to see you. It’s been what, five years now?” Rarity let go off Spike and helped him up. “So what have you been doing since... these last five years? Are you serving the Princesses or just doing odd jobs around the castle? Might I add you have grown resplendently. I remember how small you used to be, you’re starting to look more like an adult dragon these days,. It’s quite impressive.”

“Mostly odd jobs. I, umm, kinda avoid the Princesses, they bring up unwanted memories.” Spike sighed and hoped she’d get the hint. He’d spent five years running from that night and he wasn’t going to let her ruin it for him now. He was happy here, not as happy as... okay he was at least doing fine for himself. Why now and why today? He had been reminded of Twilight all over the place today and now here was his old crush. He just couldn’t get a break.

“Oh I am sorry Spike, is it really that hard. She really...” Spike interrupted Raritry, shouting at the top of his voice and drawing the stares of the ponies around them,

“NO. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS. I JUST CAN’T RARITY, SO DROP IT.” Spike took off running, completely forgetting his errands.

~~

Spikes’ reminiscing was interrupted by Rainbow Dash. “What smells so good in here Spike? Are you making your secret pancakes?” Rainbow smiled at him.

“Sadly not, just normal pancakes since you don’t have the secret ingredient.” Spike smiled at Rainbow, “So, how has she been since waking up?”

Rainbow paused for a second, worried about whether she should tell him the truth. She decided to since not being honest had caused a lot of problems already. “Honestly Spike, not as well as she lets on. She has a great mask, but underneath it I think it is taking everything she has just to hold it together. She has these moments and then the rest of the time she seems fine. I don’t know if she’s okay or just coping with it all really badly.”

Rainbow walked to the sink and started washing her hoofs. “I didn’t see it at first because I let things get to me like before, but after I started paying more attention, it became obvious. She is hurting a lot and I worry every time somepony comes back to her. I worry that each old face having changed so much will send her over the edge and she won’t be able to take it anymore. She told me that she often thinks of suicide, I got her to promise to talk to me if she has those thoughts again, but I worry she won’t and I won’t catch it soon enough.”

Rainbow walked over and grabbed some berries out of the fridge, bringing them to the sink and started washing them. “I hope that I am enough for her, but I don’t know if I am. I know she is hiding something from me and it worries me a lot. I’m really worried about it but I can’t get her to tell me. To be honest I think you being here is the greatest thing for her. She used to tell you things she would tell nopony else. If Rarity was here that would be even better, no offense big boy but Rarity really was everyone’s confidante.”

Spike shrugged, “I know, I’ve been Rarity’s assistant for 3 years now. She listens to everyone and keeps secrets better than any pony. I swear, I think some of her customers use her services simply so they have somepony to spill their secrets to who won’t blab them.”

“Heh, I can see that. So if you’re here, does that mean that she got the letter?” Rainbow started cutting the larger berries.

“Yeah, she sent me ahead to prepare the store. Though with recent events I think there was more to it. She fainted when she got the letter and then wouldn’t let me read it, instead sending me straight here to prepare the store for her return.” Spike poured out the first pancakes into the pan as he talked.

“She always was sneaky and tried to move things along at a faster pace. Even if it wasn’t always for the best, it usually worked out for her. She always has everyone else in her thoughts before her own.” Rainbow pulled out a jug of whipping cream and poured it into a bowl before starting to beat it. “Did you know Twilight sometimes talks about you during her episodes? Honestly I think it’s the only mention of you she made. I would sometimes hear her on the balcony dictating a letter. Like she used to do, back before… all of this. She would even make sure you were spelling it all right and everything, it was a little scary and cute at the same time.”

Spike paused in mid scoop of a pancake before continuing. “Really? That sounds like she was stuck in the past, reliving memories. We should keep an eye on that, it might be nothing, but it could be a bad sign. I wonder if it’ll get better now that I’m back, or if it’ll at least improve a little. She might be slipping down a dangerous road though.”

“I agree. She has trouble accepting the time difference and I think, even if she hasn’t admitted it, that she expected you here or at least to show up quickly. I don’t want you to feel bad or blame yourself, but I think she was hurt a lot and couldn’t bear to see that you were gone.” Rainbow turned and nearly dropped the whipped cream as Twilight entered.

“Actually it was because I felt guilty. When you told me I was doing that, I knew what it was about. It was guilt about Spike, what happened and how I’d hurt him. I broke my promise to Spike and it was eating me up inside. I didn’t know what I was going to do when I saw him again; the thought of him hating me for breaking the promise was too hard to think about. I had the conversation about his longevity a lot and I had promised him that I would be there for him till the end of my life. I broke that promise to him and it hurt me a lot, how could I do that to my brother, my son, my family.” Twilight sat just outside the kitchen still a little wet from her shower; there were fresh tears on her face.

Spike walked past Rainbow and handed her the spatula as he passed her. As he reached Twilight he wrapped her in a massive hug. “I am the one who should be sorry, I was foolish and scared back then. You didn’t break your promise by yourself. I helped when I ran away from Ponyville. You promised me you wouldn’t leave me and then you slipped into a coma and I left you. You didn’t break your promise, I did. I love you Twilight and I regret what I did eight years ago every day.” Spike released Twilight and knelt in front of her.

“I might never have forgiven myself or ever visited you if it hadn’t been for Rarity. We both owe her a lot, more than you know and more than I can ever repay her for. I ran away the night of your accident and hid in Canterlot for five years. I didn’t visit you once until Rarity showed up, she was in town for a fashion show when she found me. She cancelled it and forced me to visit you, and it was her greatest gift to me. I have spent the last three years as her assistant visiting you with her once a month. She brought us together after everything. I will always be your brother and family Twilight.” He hugged her again.

“So you’re no longer my assistant then, you’re hers? Aren’t you afraid of leaving me alone?” Twilight didn’t cry but smiled a little.

“No and I’m not leaving you alone, you have somepony else by your side to care for you. I will be there for you but not as an assistant anymore.” Spike hugged Twilight again.

“Somehow that doesn’t feel as bad as I would have thought. I don’t have a place for an assistant anymore. The library is gone and with it a piece of the life I had. I have someone else by my side right now, and you can now be just family to me. You always were family and sometimes it made me feel guilty about the assistant thing. I won’t have to now because you’re just my family now.” Twilight wrapped her hooves around Spike and hugged him lovingly.

“I hate to be a buzzkill but breakfast is ready.” Rainbow placed a plate of pancakes on the table and everyone joined her at the table. It looked like a family settling down to breakfast to talk about their plans and expectations for the day. Something none of them paid heed to because they were all content, sitting together like this. Two of them had been waiting for a moment like this for eight years and the other felt something she hadn’t thought she ever would, not even with the mare she had been dating before. That thought passed through her mind, but for some reason this time the thoughts of moving past her marefriend didn’t bother her.