My little Pony:Spider And Magic

Chapter Nine: Life of Guilt

Chapter Nine "Life of Guilt"

The sun rose above the horizon, blessing the land with its light and warmth. Twilight shifted in her bed and slowly opened her eyes. Her mane obscured some of her vision but proved handy to block some of the sun's rays from striking her still adjusting sight. She rolled over to her side, turning her back to the light, and placed her hoof over her mouth to stifle a yawn. Brushing her mane from her eyes, Twilight groaned once she learned it was barely daybreak.

Last night's event flashed across her mind, causing the mare to frown slightly. In her emotional state, she must have fallen asleep without realizing it. Her violet eyes shot open at a late realization. The bed sheets and blanket were carefully wrapped around her body with great care, and considering she was last downstairs, it stood to reason that Peter tucked her in.

Forcing herself from the comfort of her bed, Twilight paused, careful not to wake Spike from his slumber, and quietly made her way downstairs. Each step was a slow and steady one, causing very little noise, but eventually she reached to the doorway at the bottom. The inside of her mouth grew dry all of a sudden, a clear sign of her immense nervousness. Biting her lip, Twilight pressed onward into the room until she reached the couch where Peter usually slept.

A star-patterned blanket covered the entire sofa as well as Peter's body with the exception of his head, which hung over the arm of the couch. His short mane fell over the side of his face, hiding Twilight from Peter's view, but once she was close enough, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest once it was clear he was still awake. In her panicked state, Twilight ducked behind the couch, albeit rather clumsily, pulled her tail up to her chest, and held her breath, mentally praying Peter had not noticed her.

"Why is he still awake?" she pondered, clutching her tail tightly. "Could he not sleep, too?" She began to rock in place. "Is it my fault?" Her heartbeat sped to keep with her racing mind. "Of course it is! I should have stayed in bed..."

For all Twilight knew, her behavior from last night left Peter troubled, explaining why he was awake at such an early time. Her own guilt deepened at this thought. Twilight was notoriously known for not being the best when it came to keeping secrets. For Celestia's sake, she could not keep quiet about Spike's very well-known crush on Rarity, and the sheer idea of trying to keep her revelation about Peter's past to herself was too much to handle. Right now, Twilight wanted to come clean and talk to Peter about what happened, but it was unclear whether he was in the mood for conversation or not.

She shook her head. "This was a bad idea. I should just wait until-" Her words fell into her throat once a hoof tapped her horn gently, causing the mare to look overhead and find Peter blankly staring at her. "Pe... Pe... Pe..." she stuttered, her mind struggling to form words.

"Bathroom's that way if that's the case," Peter said, pointing his hoof to the opposite end of the room.

Inhaling deeply, Twilight forced the lump in her throat down and held her hooves up defensively. "I'm sorry, Peter! I didn't mean to disturb you!" she hastily replied, unaware of the flush that had consumed her face. "I just..." she paused, turning her gaze away to avoid his, "...couldn't sleep."

Silence filled the room, adding on to Twilight's anxiety, but Peter's soft laughter lightened the atmosphere. The colt pulled the blanket from the top of the couch and wrapped it around his body before he slid to the end of the sofa, motioning for Twilight to sit alongside him. What used to be a mild flush turned into an intense blush, the stain on her cheeks going from pink to crimson, but Twilight steadied her nerve and accepted the gesture.

A chilling breeze seeped through the door and brushed against her coat, causing the mare to shiver involuntarily. Suddenly, something warm fell over her shoulders, shielding her body from the chill in the air, and Twilight's eyes widened once she recognized the cloth as the blanket Peter was using a moment ago. She snapped her head in his direction, ready to protest, but the colt held his hoof up and smiled.