Book two of "Who We Become".
Being a princess means always worrying what everypony thinks about you. So when Twilight overhears a private conversation, she has to come to terms with how she feels about herself, love, and a certain somepony, all whil...
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There was something worrisome going on in the kitchen. The sounds were traveling down the hall and reaching the sitting room, where Twilight Sparkle was lounging with a book. Her head popped up as she heard it. Someone was moving around her kitchen, and they weren't being quiet about it.
She stood up and hesitantly walked down the hall. Tentatively sniffing the air confirmed her fears – something smelled delicious. She stopped by the door to the kitchen and braced herself for what she knew she would find inside it. She took a deep breath, just like Cadance had taught her to do when she felt her anxiety welling up, and gently pushed it open.
The calming breath didn't help, not once she got a look at what her kitchen had become. That morning it had been perfect. It was perfectly organized; from the giant crock pot to the tiniest eighth of a teaspoon, everything had it's place. And from what she saw, although everything certainly had a place, absolutely nothing was in its place.
"Spike, what are you doing?" Twilight asked frantically.
The little dragon had lived with Twilight for his whole life. He was her beloved little brother, her invaluable assistant, and, at times, he was her most merciless tormentor.
"Don't worry about it," Spike said, as if it were that easy. "I'll clean everything up."
Twilight looked around the room again. It could be worse, she reminded herself. As messy as Spike was, he was actually a very competent cook. So she at least could take solace in the fact that the castle wouldn't burn down. "But why are you even doing all this in the first place? I don't remember inviting company over or anything."
Spike shrugged. "I just wanted to practice some fancier recipes."
Things clicked into place. "These fancy recipes wouldn't happen to be a way to impress somepony in particular, would they?"
"Well, uh..." Spike suddenly found himself very busy stirring the contents of a large bowl.
Twilight sighed. She walked over to stand beside her brother, and looked over the recipes he was making. Half the pots and pans he got out weren't even required for the recipe. She was going to point this out, but changed her mind she turned to him and saw his determined expression. It was important to encourage his interests, and that included the messy ones.
"I'm sure Rarity will love it," she said, causing him to blush. "I think I'm going to take a walk. Try not to make too much of a mess."
"You got it!" Spike replied enthusiastically.
Twilight tried to avoid dwelling on the state of the room as she left it. She knew that her day would end with helping Spike clean the kitchen, but at least he was happy. Still, every clinking pan would drive her mad if she stuck around. She could retreat to the library, but she was afraid her curiosity would compel her to check in on Spike's culinary experiments, and that wouldn't be good for either of them. So with no particular place to go, she walked out the door and into Ponyville.
