The sun glows over the mountain and shone shiny near-translucent rays over the small pony village.
The gentle breeze of the wind bristled through the trees and through Rarity’s curled mane. It was peaceful. Just how Rarity had liked it so she can focus on her own thought. That was until a scroll appeared out of nowhere and dropped in front of the surprised unicorn.
“Oh! What’s this?” Rarity’s magical aura held the scroll into a gentle grasp, unrolling the paper to reveal the contents. Rarity’s eyes lit up when she had read about the divine trip Maud had experienced at The Crystal Empire. “Oh that is splendid! Absolutely splendid, Maud darling!”
Rarity opened her saddle bag, rolling the scroll back into its usual roll and into the pink leathered holder of her contents before closing it.
She gave a sigh, knowing it’ll be a little while before she could see Maud again. It did sadden her but she knew she had to accept. After a moment of thought, Rarity found herself face to face with a very familiar drake.
“Hi Rarity!” Spike gave a bright smile, tiny pink hearts fluttering out of his head. “I’ve been wanting to speak to you..”
Rarity dreaded this.. she knew how he felt but.. she didn’t return his affections.. how would she turn him down? Would honesty be her strong suit or was that best left for Applejack?
A brief moment of silence until.. “Rarity, you are the most beautiful pony in all of Equestria. You are the rarest gem in the cave and not even the shiny glow of Luna’s moon could compare to you. I love you, Rarity.. I think we could be perfect together!”
It finally happened… he had finally asked Rarity out. He had missed the rapid growing discomfort on her face.
“Spike… I..”
A purple claw was pressed to her white lips to stop anymore talk. “I can’t handle hiding this from you anymore, Rarity..”
The unicorn knew she couldn’t reciprocate Spike’s feelings ever in her life. He was much too young for her after all. Rarity sighed, taking a seat on the ground for a moment before she started to speak her own mind.
“Spike.. I’m flattered.. really I am.. but.. I uhh.. umm.. I.. I’m sorry, dear..”
Those words alone sent a shock up his spine, his smile slowly fading away with every word that repeated through his brain.
“I can’t accept your proposal, darling..”
That was the last thing Spike wanted to hear from her, she knew it but.. she couldn’t just.. lead him on anymore. Rarity saw the sadness rapidly growing in his green eyes and that sent a surge of guilt through her.
“W-why?” The saddened drake said as he held his tears back. The truth was going to be hard for not just Spike but herself too.
“Spike, you’re a great friend.. a wonderful dragon to be around. I could never take our friendship for granted.. but.. as a couple; I just don’t think we would ever work. You’re a baby dragon, darling.. I’m a grown mare with aspirations.. I’ve always known how you felt but.. truth be told; sometimes I felt uncomfortable by your advances.. I’m so sorry, Spike..”
Rarity saw a tear running down his scaled cheek, it broke her heart. It hurts to be rejected but.. it hurts to give to someone who you really care about.
The young dragon sadly lowered his head in defeat before he turned around and ran back the way he had came, tears stinging his cheeks and eyes. Rarity sadly sighed, knowing she had finally broken Spike’s heart.
The little dragon soon left her field of vision as he ran further and further away from her.
“I’m sorry, Spike..”
Rarity sadly said as she slowly walked towards her place of work and residence, a few tears running down her own cheeks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spike had finally arrived back to his room and immediately jumped into his bed, covering his face underneath his blanket. Gentle sniffles were heard from underneath said blanket and some were load enough for Twilight Sparkle to hear. The lavender alicorn slowly opened the door, heading her dragon companion wallow into his pillow.
“Spike? What’s wrong?” Twilight stood by the doorframe, listening to his sniffles. “Go away, Twilight..” Spike choked on his own tears. But Twilight wouldn’t budge and just walked towards his bed and sat onto the floor, his sniffles becoming more and more apparent with every step.
“Spike.. come on…”
Twilight placed her hoof onto his covered scaled head, trying to soothe him however she could.
“Rarity rejected me..” Spike wailed into his pillow, the heartbreak stinging his chest. That had shocked Twilight greatly! It had finally happened. She knew Spike would be upset but.. she didn’t think he would be.. THIS disheartened. “I’m too young for her.. she probably doesn’t want to be my friend anymore.. I don’t get it! Is there something wrong with me, Twilight?!” The drake raised his voice as he emerged from his bed, staring at Twilight, his eyes almost completely red and puffy from crying so much.
Twilight immediately shook her head, the empathy racing through her body. “No! Absolutely nothing is wrong with you, Spike. Don’t ever say that about yourself!” The alicorn wrapped her purple forelegs around him, his tears falling onto her shoulder. “It’s nobody’s fault that she rejected you. Sometimes this happens.. Spike, while what she says is true, you have a lot of time to find the love of your life. She was a crush, Spike.. a longterm crush..”
He was distraught.. Twilight knew Rarity was correct. Yes, dragons age slower but he was counted as a BABY dragon. In all honesty; he would be in the same age group as The Cutie Mark Crusaders or rather; Gabby Gryphon.
“It hurts, Twilight.. I lov- loved her..” Spike looked up at her, his eyes red and stinging from tears. “I just thought I’d be the perfect guy for her..”
Twilight sadly smiled and placed Spike onto her back before she walked out of the bedroom. “Here.. how about you and I spend some time together so you can get your mind off it? I’ll even play O&O with you. Would you like that, Spike?”
Whilst still hurt, Spike wiped his tears and gave a gentle smile. “Sure… I think I’ll stay away from Rarity for a while.. until I feel better..”
Twilight smiled as she walked through the halls and into the library, placing Spike onto Rainbow Dash’s assigned throne and opening up the box of Orges & Oubliettes.
“Now… they don’t you how to tell me how to play this?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rarity laid alone in her bedroom, tears and makeup staining her white hooves.
The bedroom door opened, a young white filly with a curly pink and purple mane and shining misty green eyes poked her head into the room of her elder sister.
“Rarity! Can you fix my ca-“ Sweetie Belle was cut off by the realisation of her sister crying and immediately ran to her side. “Sis?! What happened?! Did someone cancel their order?! Did you run out of sapphires?!”
Rarity shook her head; looking up from her hooves and towards her younger sister. “Oh Sweetie Belle! I’ve done something dreadful! I rejected Spiiiiike!” Rarity wailed into her hooves again.
Even Sweetie Belle knew how much Spike admired her sister. “Why? Why did you reject him?”
Rarity sniffled, trying to hold back tears and chokes. “He’s too young for me.. he’s a baby dragon and I broke the poor little fellow’s heart with my cruel words!”
Knowing Rarity for being a drama queen, Sweetie Belle knew that this was probably her sister exaggerating the situation way more than it needed to be. “I’m sorry, Rarity.. but if you didn’t feel the same way as him, why are you so upset?”
Rarity grumbled, folding her white forelegs in annoyance. “Didn’t you hear me, Sweetie? I was so rude to Spikey-Wikey after his confession! I didn’t need to be so mean!”
Sweetie Belle shook her head in disbelief and annoyance. “He probably just needs some space right now.. I mean.. to be honest; I doubt you said anything THAT bad..”
Rarity sighed sadly, looking at her sister. “I have other reasons to not accept Spike’s confession. 1; he’s a baby dragon. 2; he’ll live three times as long as I would. And 3;… I may or may not have feelings for somepony else.. but I didn’t tell him that! I already hurt his feelings enough!”
The young filly knew this was bound to happen again.. she had remembered how hard Rarity used to swoon for Dark Moon before their unfortunate break up. “Did Dark Moon come back and say ‘I’m so sorry’ and all of that sappy stuff?” The mention of her ex made Rarity immediately shake her head. “Heaven’s no! I would never take him back! Not in a thousand years!”
Sweetie Belle’s curiosity was piqued by this revelation. “Then who..?”
It took ages for Rarity to admit. With every fibre in her body.. every single breath in this moment.. she knew she had to come clean.
“Maud. I think I may or may not have feelings towards Pinkie Pie’s sister, Maud..”