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A Second Chance

by Jay David

Chapter 66: Recovery

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The sun had already begun to slowly fall to the horizon, bathing all of Ponyville in a warm orange glow. Everywhere, mares and stallions alike were getting themselves back into their homes, ready to rest and relax after a long day. But, nowhere was rest more noticeable than within the confines of the Golden Oak Library. For there, at the top level of that tree-house, within the safety and comfort of her room, was Twilight. The young unicorn was, despite this late time of day, not within her own bed, but rather kneeling beside it. There WAS, however, someone in her bed besides her tonight, and that was none other than her adopted son, Spike. The young dragon was fast asleep, breathing steadily as Twilight watched over him. An affectionate smile was plastered all over her face as she gazed upon him, her eyes never straying from his still form. Raising a hoof, she carefully stroked some of the green scales atop his head, like how other mares might to so with the manes of their foals. This gesture caused Spike to move slightly, smiling briefly at feeling his mother's touch. However, gradually, Twilight's smile began to fade as something changed in Spike. He started to clench at his bed sheets his eyes shutting tighter than before. He began to toss and turn, with a cold sweat forming upon his brow. Twilight watched with concern as, at last, Spike bolted upright, waking up and letting out a scream.

"ARGH!!!"

Although taken aback by this, Twilight quickly composed herself, reaching forward and placing her hoof upon Spike's shoulder.

"Spike! It's okay! Everything's going to be fine I'm here for you!"

The young dragon turned, seeing Twilight smiling gently at him, before looking down, finally realising whose bed he was in. After a while, he brought his knees up, holding them close while he began to rock back and forth slightly.

"I...I had a nightmare. I was...I did...something terrible."

Twilight gained a concerned look as Spike turned towards her, his eyes practically pleading with her.

"Please...tell me I didn't! Tell me I wasn't doing all those things!"

The young unicorn paused, thinking over how best to word her response. But, the longer she delayed, the more Spike became worried. Eventually, Twilight let out a sigh before, in the end, choosing to simply tell the truth.

"I'm sorry, Spike...but it was no dream. You did grow that large...and you did rampage over Ponyville."

Hearing that brutal honesty from his mother, Spike looked away, with tears forming in his eyes. It broke Twilight’s heart to see him like this, but even more so when he eventually started speaking again, his voice wobbling all the way.

"I...I...I'm a monster!"

Twilight's eyes widened with shock after hearing that, but when she softened, she leaned forward, giving an affectionate nuzzle to the small dragon.

"No, Spike! You are not a monster! You just...couldn’t control yourself. Nopony can blame you for what happened."

But, to Twilight's surprise, Spike simply pushed her aside slightly, turning to her with tear-filled eyes.

"But I am to blame! I did all those things! I stole from everypony, I broke all those houses! I...I..."

A pause followed his words, after which he gained a look of horror upon his face. Slowly, he turned to Twilight once more.

"Did...did I hurt anypony?"

A look of sadness crossed Twilight face before, once again, she elected for honesty and gave a grim nod.

"The Wonderbolts. They tried to stop you, but didn’t last long. They're recovering in Ponyville General."

Spike turned away, reaching up and covering his face with his clawed hands.

"I can't believe I did that! It's just like all those pony stories say! Dragons are dangerous! I'm dangerous!"

But, he was then taken aback when Twilight leaned forward again, embracing him and holding him tightly. Looking up at her, Spike saw that her eyes were also welling up as she spoke, her voice calm and soothing.

"Spike...please listen to me. I know this has been a difficult time for you. I know you scared many ponies today...and I know that you'll probably never forgive yourself for it. But...you have to remember. While this part of yourself is not something you can change, it is something you can fight."

The young dragon looked to her with confusion, prompting Twilight to explain herself.

"Greed is what caused this, Spike. And you can control that. It won't be easy, and you may have to live with such impulses for a long time...but I believe in you. I know you can learn to hold back those instincts."

Sadness and concern filled Spike's face after hearing that.

"But...how? How do you know that?"

Hearing that question, Twilight simply put on a warm smile.

"Because you're my son."

Those words, once uttered, were like a soothing balm over a wound, as Spike's tears soon stopped after hearing it. He closed his eyes tightly, leaning forward and burying his face into the fur on Twilight's chest. Smiling at this, Twilight closed her eyes also, embracing her adopted son and simply staying with him. In this moment, everything was calm and peaceful; the perfect moment. But, Twilight soon looked up when she saw that somepony else had arrived. It was Trixie, who, using her magic, was levitating a tray with a bowl of soup balancing on it. Clearly, she intended to give this to Spike, but, as soon as she caught sight of what was happening in that room, she stopped, realising she’d just walked in on something private. After a brief moment, Twilight smiled to her, and Trixie breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she wasn't getting into trouble for this. Slowly, the blue mare laid the tray down on the floor beside the door, ready for it to be used when Spiked was ready, before heading back downstairs. With that settled, Twilight returned her attention to Spike, who finally began to part from her. His eyes were red and puffy from having cried as much as he did, but Twilight simply raised a hoof and carefully wiped the remaining tear away. Smiling at this, Spike opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly found himself drained, yawning loudly. Giggling slightly, Twilight spoke.

"It’s okay, Spike. Your experience today took a lot out of you. You'll need to stay in bed for a few days, if not more. But don't worry..."

She leaned in close, giving Spike a single, tender kiss upon his forehead. This did a lot for him, as he smiled back at her while starting to get himself settled into his bed. Leaning back, Twilight carried on speaking.

"...I'll be here the whole time."

Spike nodded at that, and watched as his adopted mother got herself comfortable, pulling up a chair and sitting upon it. But, before she could do anything else, she looked to Spike as the latter spoke up softly.

"I...I missed you...so much!"

Twilight looked at him, smiling while tears formed in her own eyes again. Leaning close, she gently pressed her forehead against his.

"And I missed you. Not a single day went by out there when I didn't think of you. After all that...being able to return to you is a joy I can’t describe."

However, after hearing that, a thought now made itself known in Spike’s mind, though he appeared more than a little hesitant to speak it. Eventually, he mustered up the courage to do so, though his voice was quiet and nervous.

"Um, Mom? Where...where did you go to? And...why were you gone so long?"

The smile vanished from Twilight's face after hearing that, and once more, she found herself deep in thought over what to say and how to say it. Spike watched her, curiosity upon his face, before she finally put on another smile. Raising a hoof, she patted him on the head again before giving him his answer.

"Spike...do you trust me?"

Although taken aback by that, Spike nodded in response, prompting Twilight to continue.

"Then trust me now when I say this. What I did, out there across Equestria, was important. very important. The work I did...I did because I love you all. Applejack, Fluttershy, the rest of the girls, my family, and..."

She looked right into his eyes, her expression one of great affection.

"...and you. What I did...was all for those I love. Can you accept that, son?"

There was silence between the two, and for a moment, Spike seemed confused by what he'd just heard, leading to Twilight seeming somewhat nervous. But, those nerves eventually disappeared as Spike simply smiled and nodded, with Twilight smiling back and giving him another pat on the head. With that settled, the young unicorn watched as the baby dragon before her closed his eyes once more. Minute after minute passed as Twilight kept her eyes on him, waiting until he finally started to sleep, breathing gently and steadily. Letting out a sigh of relief at this, Twilight leaned forward, softly nuzzling her adopted child once more.

"Goodnight, Spike...and have sweet dreams."

Next Chapter: Past and Present Estimated time remaining: 10 Hours, 44 Minutes
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