//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: A Day's Outing and an Unexpected Turn of Events // Story: It Was All Destiny // by Turtleboy76 //------------------------------// Ponyville along with the rest of Equestria was in a state of complete calm; the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony had saved the land countless times and everything had become peaceful. The six friends Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were still the best of friends, although did have jobs and their own lives to live. Twilight was still studying like crazy, Applejack along with her brother Big Macintosh were working on the farm, Rainbow Dash was in and out of Flight Academy climbing higher in the ranks, Pinkie Pie was throwing parties for fillies all over Ponyville and baking her heart out along with the Cakes, Fluttershy was Fluttershy, so looking after the animals was her one and only job. Lastly, Rarity was spending hours upon hours making dresses and becoming one of the most famous fashion designers in all of Equestria. However, they all agreed that no matter what that they would at least meet up with each other once a week on the weekend, which essentially gave Pinkie Pie a week by week excuse to throw a "Weekly Get Together Party." Spike who had assisted the Elements of Harmony on countless occasions, including the fact that he was the one who bought the Crystal Heart to save the Crystal Empire from King Sombra, had now grown to be a healthy, tall dragon growing to seven feet, although he had grown wings they were not big enough for him to fly with yet. He still lived with Twilight Sparkle, but due to the clam, his presence around the Library was not needed as much as most of Twilight's readings were recreational study. Princess Celestia was more than pleased with her student after all the success stories she had performed over the years, which had lead the Princess to give Twilight more time to pursue her own life for a while. So now Spike, much to his delight spent most of the time with his long term love interest Rarity, he would help around the Carousel Boutique, helping Rarity with dresses where he could or doing other tasks for her. He has loved her since day one, but she had yet to return the feelings, but he was content with the current arrange he had with her. It was a Saturday, around eleven AM; Rarity had been working on a big order of dresses and had finally managed to finish them. However, these outfits had required a large amount of materials and gemstones to make. Noticing the time, Rarity had decided that for the rest of the day that her and Spike would get some new gemstones and other materials and then relax until the evenings party. "Spike darling, all of today’s dress work is done, so all that’s left to do now is to acquire some new gems and other materials, and then we can have the rest of the day off" Rarity stated with a big smile on her face. "Oh, really? Sweet, sounds like a plan" Spike replied. "Let me just grab a few bags and let us be off." After grabbing some bags the two headed out into town. The two went around the stores buying fabrics, threads and eye catching materials for future designs. The two had always caught the attention of the townsfolk as they had always sent most of their time together. But at this point no pony cared as nothing serious had come of the two, but some store owners and friends jokingly teased the two about all the time they spend alone together, though it had never bothered them. "Okay, that should be the last of the fabric" Rarity said as Spike proceeded to carry the rolls of cloth under his arms. "My word has he always had muscles like that" Rarity thought to herself as she started to blush slightly. "Alright so the new gemstones are all that is left right?" Spike said before a look of concern went over his face; "Oh Rarity are you OK? your face is going red!" and before she could say anything he quickly bought a nice looking hat and put it over her head. "There you go, i don't want you getting heatstroke or something now" Spike said with a big grin on his face. Rarity stood there speechless as she was just processes what happened. Rarity then tilted her head down so that the wide brim of her new hat covered her face as it went to a deeper shade of red. "O..Oh you shouldn't have Spike really, you are to kind" she said stuttering slightly with embarrassment. "So are we buying the gems you needed Rarity?" Rarity regained her composure "No dear, we will drop of these goods at the Boutique and then go to the mountain to find them, there should be some nicely sized gem stones at this time of year." "Alright let’s get back quickly so we can have the most of the afternoon to relax" The two went back to the Boutique and quickly organized the new materials before the headed out to the nearby mountains to find some gems. Before leaving Rarity walked past one of her many mirrors and actually saw the hat that Spike had gotten her and her jaw dropped. It was the new designer velvet hat that was made by Hoity Toity, it was an expensive piece and was something she had been saving up for herself, but seeing that Spike bought it right then and there just to protect her from the sun, had her in a state of confusion. "Spike, how did you afford this hat, it is simply beautiful?" Spike started scratching the back of his head and avoiding eye contact "well...actually...I was saving up for a long time and it was actually meant to be a present for you since I knew that you really wanted, but when i thought there was there might have been something wrong with you I...I... felt like I had to protect you, my dragon instincts kinda came into play I guess." "What instincts darling?" Rarity questioned with curiosity. "Well I guess my instinct of being greedy and protecting my treasure." Spike said as he starting blushing "Treasure? What treas-" Rarity went speechless as she understood what he just said. "Well I'll be honest, I have always treasured our friendship and I always will, and well the idea of something being wrong with you, well I wanted to protect you best I can....even if it was for such a little thing" Rarity's Stomach felt like they had butterflies in them and her heart began to flutter. "Spikey Wikey....I.....well.....that is the nicest, most caring thing anyone has ever said to me". She then hugged without realizing and started to tear up a bit. "Rarity...." Rarity then realized what she was doing and did not want Spike to let her see her crying, "well I will go get ready" Rarity then quickly dashed off to her room where she quickly dried her eyes. "Oh Spike, have you always been this nice to me, have I simply never noticed....or had I noticed and just brushed it off?" "Come on Rarity snap out of it." She said to herself. She then looked around the room and saw her jewellery chest, she opened and saw on a special shelf she had built into it, the necklace with the fire ruby that she had received from Spike many years ago. "Spike, you really have grown since then haven't you." She then levitated the necklace out and put it on her neck, along with the hat she wore the two gifts that Spike that gotten her, and to her they were quite possibly the best gifts that she had ever seen. She then walked back downstairs to see Spike in a daze with a big smile on his face. "Come on darling, we have work to do" Spike came back to reality and saw Rarity in her new hat and wearing the fire ruby that he had given her years ago, he felt happy seeing her in those and in such a good mood. The two exited the Boutique and headed towards the mountain. The two exited the Boutique and headed towards the mountain. They walked in silence though, as Spike didn't want to be question about some of the things he said earlier and Rarity was busy thinking about all the time that she and Spike had spent with each other over the years, far too many times than she could remember, he was around more than Sweetie belle was, but she didn't mind and walked up the mountain smiling as she did so. They made their way to the summit as many gems matured better in higher altitudes. Rarity used her magic to place crosses over the spots that had large caches of gems and spike dug them out in no time with his huge claws. "My word, we are definitely getting a good variety of gems todays; sapphires, rubies, topazes, emeralds and opals. What would make my day is if there were some diamonds around here somewhere, but those are rare" Rarity thought aloud. "Well, where are they normally located?" "Well they only tend to form in thick and compressed rock, so they would be deep in the mountain most likely, if they were here" Spike then without saying anything starting tunnelling into the mountainside and at great speed, Rarity was impressed at his new speed and power, which came from his growth. "Well, shall we go hunt for some diamonds then?" Rarity said with a big smile. After ten or so minutes of digging around, Rarity's horn starting glowing and she knew something good was in this mountain somewhere. Her horn started glowing brighter and brighter until.... CHINK!!!! "Huh!?" Spike questioned with a confused look on his face. "What was that, my claws hit something hard." Rarity's face lit up and her grin was so big her cheeks might pull a muscle; "DIAMONDS, DARLING WE FOUND DIAMONDS!" The two hugged each other in the commotion, before they quickly separated, both blushing slightly. "Well let’s see here" Spike counted the diamonds they had found. "Wow fourteen diamonds that is quite the find and some of them are huge, look Rarirty!" He held up one which was as big as her head. "YAY!, today has been a great day, finishing work, getting new materials and now I got a new designer hat and some diamonds, and it was all thanks to you Spikey Wikey". Spike smiled at her, feeling happy that he was able to make her so happy and Rarity blushed slightly, she was definitely happy to have Spike around, he always knew how to make her happy "Spike, you really do know how to make me happy, could any else make me this happy?"She then began to think back at such failures in her love life like Prince Blueblood, she remembered how miserable she was after events like that, but Spike was always there to cheer her up, always..... Spike finished putting the last of the diamonds into Rarity's gem bag, he noticed Rarity looking funny and asked "Rarity, are you OK?" with slight concern. "Spike, I" RUMBLE!!!! The two looked around and noticed that where the diamonds were taken from had started to collapse. "Oh no! We must have removed the support needed at the end of this tunnel" Rarity said in a panicked voice. Spike then instantly grabbed her and put her on his back, and started running and an incredible speed back through their tunnel. Rarity looked behind her, she saw the tunnel collapsing before her, even though spike was running and at incredible speed, the tunnel was just too unstable. She turned her head forward and squinted her eyes as the entrance of the tunnel was close. But she was to nervous, she closed her eyes put her hooves around spikes neck and her head into the nape of his neck. BOOM!!!! Rarity was shaking as she opened her eyes. "Are we dead?" she said with unease in her voice. "Nope far from it Rarity" Spike stated in a very proud voice. Rarity turned and saw the caved in tunnel and they were back in the summit, and asides from her mane being frizzed and getting dirt on herself, she and Spike were both fine. "Oh sweet Celestia, Spike, you....you saved me." She hopped down from his back and began talking again. "You know Spike after today's events I...I.....I think I need to tell you something which has always been there, but I'm only just realizing now after all this time. "Really?" He said with and excited tone "Yes, Spike I-" BOOM BOOM BOOM A loud noise appeared behind the two, they quickly turned their head to see a boulder hurdling towards them, which had been knocked loose by the collapses shocks earlier. Rarity then pushed Spike out of the way and then jumped away herself, causing her to slide over the edge and hang on with the top of her body an causing her hat and gem bag to fall over the edge. "RARITY!!!" Spike yelled as he rushed over to help her. He grabbed onto the two hooves that were still on the summit and pulled her up. Rarity stood back on all fours and looked at Spike with eyes showing so many emotions towards this dragon which had saved her yet again. But this brief moment of happiness was cut short as the edge Rarity stood on cracked causing her to fall. It had seemed like time had frozen over for the two, as in a matter of seconds their brains had processed what had happened. Spike quickly reached out his arm, but had narrowly missed her. Rarity began falling from the Summit, as her eyes started tearing up she yelled out "SPIKE!!!" She thought that might be the last word she would ever say and she never got to tell the one person who meant everything to her what she had really felt. Spike's Pupils shrunk as he saw the mare he had loved for so long started to plummet to her demise. "No, Not Rarity, you can’t die no, YOU WERE MEANT TO BE MINE, MINE ALON-" Spike started feeling something, something was changing in him, he felt strange and fell of the summit as well. "Wh-What is happening to me?!" Spike curled into a ball mid-air screaming as he felt something building up inside him. He opened his eye and saw Rarity in the air below him getting ever closer. "No Rarity, my greatest treasure, you're mine to protect for the rest of my life" At that moment the young dragon uncurled from the ball revealing his new wings which grown from his greed, his greed for the one he loved. Spike then looked at Rarity and instantaneously dashed after here as fast as possible, leaving a brief after-image of him in the air. Rarity saw that she was about to hit the ground and closed her eyes as a final few tears flew upwards from her eyes. She felt her land on something but it wasn't hard, and best of all it didn't kill her, she opened her eyes and looked down to see some dragon hands holding her a few meters from the ground. Her eyes lit up, and as she looked up she saw Spikes face with the Sun directly it, making the dragon shine, even more than he did. Spike hovered towards the ground and landed, placing Rarity on the ground. Rarity sat down as the shock of what had happened was still running through her mind. Eventually she looked up and saw Spike, Spike and his new fully grown wings. "Spike, how did you get those wings, I thought you weren't old enough yet?" "Well as I saw you fall, all I wanted to do is protect you, protect my treasure, my dragon's greed makes me want to protect my treasure with my life, and if I get to greedy I grow, but my greed for you allowed me to grow these wings, So it seems my greed did something useful after all huh?" Spike chuckled a bit at the last comment. Rarity stood there speechless, joy, excitement, gratefulness, happiness, love. These emotions were running through her heart as she gazed at the dragon. Spike looked around and saw that Rarity's hat and bag had landed here, but most of the gems were broken and her hat was dirty and ripped. "Sorry, about your stuff Rarity, guess we will have to get some more." Rarity slowly started approaching Spike while he was looking around at the items on the ground. "Oh yeah Rarity, what did you want to say to me back in the tunn-" Spike was cut off, as something he had only dreamed of was happening. Rarity wrapped her hooves around Spike and kissed him. Everything around, the world itself seemed non-existent, the two stood there for minutes in each one another’s embrace with their eyes closed just embracing and comprehended what the two had never done before. They finally moved away from each other’s lips and opened their eyes and blushing as red as each other looked deep into the other’s eyes. Rarity began talking as to avoid an future events that could stop her talking and revealing her feelings; "Spike, I need to tell you this now before some other freak event happens so I can die with no regrets. I love you Spike, I love you with all my heart. You have always been there for me emotional, physically and spiritually, I think my feelings have always been there, but today you really shone in more ways than one and I realized I need you in my life, I want to be your treasure forever and ever." Spike stood there, trying to understand what had just happened. He pinched his cheek "Ouch......this....this isn't a dream is it." Spike said with a vacant expression on his face. Rarity shook her head side to side. "Rarity, I have loved you ever since I saw you day one in Ponyville, you were, are and always will be the most beautiful pony...no beautiful being in all of Equestria, in all of the Universe. I don't think I have ever cared about someone as much as I have you. I always wanted to be with you, but I thought that since I was younger and a dragon that you would never like me or would be interested in someone else." Rarity's starting crying as she was listening to the most beautiful thing ever said to her. "Rarity I promise to always, ALWAYS be there for you in the future no matter what the problem, you are the greatest treasure a dragon could ever hope to have and I want you to be mine forever." "Oh Spike" Rarity said trying her hardest to stop crying. The two leaned towards each other embracing each other's warm lips again, knowing that this was just Day one for them. Day one until the end of time for them. The two pulled away from each other and smiled. They picked up the hat and salvageable gemstones, and started flying back home with Rarity on Spike's back, hugging him the whole time. "So Rarity, how do you think the group and the rest of Ponyville will handle us?" "Well I'm sure some will see it as a surprise, and I'm sure it will be hard for some people to accept, but it doesn't matter we have each other and I'm happy, so I couldn't care less." Rarity said as she snuggled into his back. "Well, first things first Rarity." "What is that Darling?" "Pinkie's party, let’s get ready to tell our friends the good news." "Sounds like a Plan Spikey Wikey" As the sun set, the two flew towards Ponyville to start a new chapter in their lives. A chapter together. A chapter that was in their destiny.