Chapter 21: A Gentlecolt of a Dragon
Spike left the Boutique, feeling quite pleased with himself. It had been hard to hide his total lack of surprise, but he’d managed it. “Love is in bloom. A beautiful bride, and a happy... huh... which one will be the groom? Oh! And who will I throw the bachelor party for?” He giggled softly.
His heart ached a bit when he saw her, even now. He supposed it always would. At least she’s happy; it’s better than watching her drive herself crazy.
His shoulders slumped just a bit, before he made a conscious effort to straighten them. Still wish it could have been me. Ah well. I guess we were always star-crossed, milady.
“Rarity, why did you stop me?” Spike asked her in all earnestness.
“Sorry, why did I stop what, exactly?” Rarity looked up from her design in confusion.
His face screwed up in frustration. He’d been trying to ask her this question for a while now; this was the first time he’d managed to make the words come out. “I tried to tell you I had a crush—”
“Stop, please.” Rarity sighed heavily. “Because it didn’t need to be said. I’ve... known for some time.” She went back to going over the design concept.
They were in her boutique, working on a small order for Fillydelphia. Spike was playing pin cushion as usual, and had taken the opportunity to ask her the question that had been on his mind since his greed-growth rampage.
“So... what do you think?”
“What do I think about—” Rarity stopped, realizing what he meant. “Spike, you are very sweet. I am honored to count you as a friend.”
“But—”
“But that’s what we are.” She shook her head firmly, allowing no argument from him. “And that’s what we shall always be. I am sorry, Spike, I should have talked to you about this some time ago. I hope you can forgive me for being weak-willed, but I hated the idea of hurting your feelings.”
“W-why do you have to hurt my feelings? What’s wrong with me? Why isn’t it okay for me to have a crush on you?” Spike suppressed a sniffle and rubbed at his nose a little angrily.
Rarity set down everything she had in her telekinesis and went to him, giving him a comforting hug. “There is nothing in the least wrong with you, Spikey. I am the one to blame here for not addressing this long ago. I’ll admit I misjudged how deep your feelings went. I had expected it would pass naturally, as most crushes do.”
“You thought I would just stop having a crush on you?”
Rarity said nothing for a time, uncertain of what to say. “No, I suppose not. I only hoped you would.”
“I don’t understand! What’s wrong with me? Why is it wrong for me to love you?”
Rarity sadly stroked his head with a hoof. “Spikey, there is never anything wrong with love. Always know this in your heart: I do love you. It’s just not the type of love you want me to have for you. I am sorry about that, but I cannot change how I feel. You are a dear and wonderful friend to me, but nothing can come from holding on to feelings of that type for me. It’s unfair to let you hold that hope in your heart when it won’t ever come to pass.”
“But... why not?”
Rarity paused, considering her words carefully. “There are many reasons, Spikey—No... Spike.” She put extra weight on his name. “The age difference is a bit of a factor, as is the expected longevity. Let’s face it; you will, in all likelihood, be sharing tea time with the princesses and reminiscing about the six of us long after we are gone. I don’t begrudge you your long life, but it would be unfair for you to saddle yourself up with somepony who will die long before you even reach maturity...
“But... even ignoring all of that, I still couldn’t consider having a relationship with you in that way. You see, I am in love with another.”
“T-that Blueblood guy you talked about?”
“What?! No! Not... she doesn’t even know...” Rarity exhaled carefully before she revealed more. “I-I envy you, Spike... Things didn't work out the way you wanted them to, and for that, as I said, I am sorry. But at least you possess the courage to say what is in your heart...”
She held him for a while longer, then stood up resolutely. “I'll be right back, Spike.” She trotted upstairs. Upon her return, she deposited the heart-shaped ruby necklace in his claws. He looked up in surprise. “Please do not misunderstand, Spike.” Here she placed affection in the name, trying to show that she did care deeply for him. “I am not rejecting your generous gift, but neither will I keep it under false pretenses. Do you wish to take it back, knowing that I do not return your affection? I would not think less of you.”
He looked at the ruby, and then at her, sniffling. He held it out to her. “I still want you to be happy. Take it, please.”
She took the necklace in her magic and fastened it around her neck. “Thank you, Spike. It means all the more to me now.” She hugged him again. “You are a true gentlec—Well, dragon, I suppose. I am so very honored to count you as a friend.”
“Spike, I don’t understand. Why would you want to go back to Canterlot?” Twilight was concerned about him, which he appreciated, but it was also frustrating; he was having such a hard time making her understand.
“Twilight... I just need to get away from Ponyville for a while. I sent a letter to Princess Celestia, asking if it’s okay if I come visit her at the castle. I will be back.” He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring fashion.
She gave him a doubtful look. “Does this have something to do with why you’ve been moping around for the last few weeks?”
Guess she didn’t buy the smile. Sorry to worry you, Twilight. “Like I said, I don’t really want to get into that. It’s not something you can fix, Twilight. Not this time. I need some time to get over... things. Ponyville just... is not helping right now.”
“What ‘things’?” she pressed, still unsatisfied.
He hardened his face, unwilling to say more.
She relented reluctantly. “Fine. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay, I guess. I can’t say that I won’t miss you, though. It just won’t be the same, running things without my number one assistant.”
“I’m not leaving for good, Twilight, I just need some time away. And hey, I kinda miss hanging out at Pony Joe’s; I miss the friends I made while you were in your room studying.”
Twilight's protest died on her lips and she smiled sadly. “I guess I can understand that...”
He waited for the train impatiently, staring at Canterlot—resplendent as ever—in the distance.
“Spike!”
He winced, and turned around to face a very angry unicorn. Rarity looked at him resentfully. Her chest was heaving, as if she had run all the way from the library to the station. I really hoped I could avoid this...
“Were you ever going to tell me you were leaving? I know you needed some time and space after our talk, but I thought we were better friends than this!” Rarity huffed and blew a sweat-weighted forelock from her face.
Spike stood silently, frozen by indecision. Half of him wanted to apologize, half of him wanted to scream at her for breaking his heart.
She nodded sadly. “I guess that’s my answer then. Goodbye, Spike.” She turned and walked away, weeping softly.
He almost let her go. He wanted to let her go, but his heart refused to allow it. He cursed inwardly, and called out to her. “Rarity, wait!”
She turned back, her big blue eyes framed in red. “Yes?”
“I couldn’t... I know—Urgh!” He stamped his foot in frustration. “There was never anything between us, I know that now. We were friends, but that was it. You never promised anything, you never said anything... But I hoped, and I dreamed, and now... that’s gone. I loved my dreams, I loved loving you, and now I can’t anymore. I don’t expect you to understand what that’s like...”
Rarity nodded sadly. “Oh, but I do. I understand only too well. You dreamed of Princess Rarity, to match your Sir Spike. Then your princess rejected you. I am no better than Blueblood in the end. I-I should go. I am sorry.” She turned away again, walking back towards Ponyville slowly.
The train pulled into the station. Spike looked at the train, then back to Rarity. “Rarity, have you told her?”
She stopped dead in her tracks. “T-told who?”
“You said ‘she doesn’t even know.’ You should tell her, whoever she is.”
She began to stammer, unable to keep the panic from creeping into her voice at the very prospect. “I-I can’t... She’s too— I can’t risk—”
Spike looked at the train again; any further delays, and it would leave without him. “I have to go, but... if you want to make it up to me; if you feel you owe me anything... promise me you’ll try? I meant it when I said I want you to be happy. Please try?”
“I-I will try, Spikey.” She ran back to him and hugged him firmly. “Be well.”
He boarded the train, and picked a window-seat which was facing Ponyville. He waved to Rarity sadly as the train pulled out of the station.
Huh, I miss it already. He could see Ponyville in the distance. He’d spend hours, at times, just staring at the town and wishing he was still there. It had been several weeks since he had left and, contrary to his assertations to Twilight, he’d been doing exactly what he always used to tease her for.
“Spike?”
He turned. A towering mountain of the purest white met his gaze; he kept looking up until he reached the familiar face. “Oh, hey, Princess.” He went back to moping for about two seconds before his mind realized whom he had just ignored. “Princess! Sorry, I was a little lost in thought just now...”
She nodded graciously, seeming amused by his inattentiveness. “That’s why I am here, Spike. You said you missed Canterlot, but instead I find you here, gazing at Ponyville. You are always welcome here, my little dragon, you know that. But why aren’t you there, if you miss it so much?”
“Sorry, Princess, I guess I should get out more, huh?” He smiled weakly, “Hey, you wanna go out for a donut or something?”
She looked at him sternly. “You’re deflecting, Spike. I know you well enough to see that. Don’t try to put a brave face on for my sake.”
“Sorry, Princess.”
Her expression lightened and she smiled warmly. “What’s bothering you, Spike?” She levitated a pillow and set it down near to him, laying down on it.
Spike looked back out the window at Ponyville, not answering right away. “Princess... Have you ever been in love?”
Her voice sounded bemused, but the tone implied she was answering openly. “Oh my, more times than I can count.”
He turned back to her. “Did they ever... not love you back?”
She didn’t answer at first, studying his face for a moment. She nodded, seeming to see something in him that answered a question she hadn’t even asked. “Ah... that explains much. Yes, Spike, I know that pain very well. It’s a lonely existence at times, living so long, knowing the friends you make will leave without you in less than a century. That thought is very intimidating to some. When they turn old and grey, I will still remain as I am now. It has caused me more heartache than I care to admit.”
Spike left the window and lay down beside her in the curve of her body. He looked up in interest. “So, what did you do?”
“I kept loving them, and I wished them a happy life. Some I bestowed land and titles on, because I loved them so that I wished for them to want for nothing in their entire life. I can be a sentimental foal at times.” She sighed heavily, deep in memories. “I never stop loving them, even long after they are gone.”
Spike considered this, “Did any of them love somepony else?”
“Some did; one in particular comes to mind, actually. She was so afraid to tell me... At first, she agreed to a relationship with me, but I could tell her heart just wasn’t in it.” She gazed off into the distance, then looked back down to him.
“I have to be very careful when I love somepony, Spike. Some are afraid to deny me, fearing some imagined punishment. Some do it out of worship; but I don’t want to be treated like a goddess, I want to be loved.” The look on her face spoke of countless heartaches.
“When I discovered her deception, I was deeply saddened. Despite this, I helped her confess to the mare she admired. When they were ready, I married them myself. They lived a long and happy life together.”
Spike looked up in confusion. The idea of helping a romantic rival just didn’t sit well with him. His draconic instincts cried out, declaring that rivals were to be fought tooth and claw to the bitter end. “Why did you do that? Didn’t you want to be with her yourself?”
She smiled again, though it seemed bittersweet. “Of course I did. But I loved her, Spike. Can you imagine watching somepony you love live in misery their whole life, never having known the love of the pony they truly loved themselves?” She shook her head sadly at the thought. “I could never do that to anypony I claim to love.”
“Huh...”
She nuzzled him gently. “So, did you want to talk about what is bothering you, Spike?”
“Actually, I think I might be okay. At least I have something to think about now. Thank you, Princess.”
“Anytime, little one.”
“Gimme another round, Joe!” He slapped his claws down on the bar.
Joe smiled at him in amusement. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough there, Spike?”
“I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough!” He grabbed another half dozen of the steaming hot donuts and downed them in one shot. “I’m telling you, Joe... women.”
“I heard that.”
“Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em!”
Spike continued to drown his sorrows in doughnuts. It did feel good to be out and about, at least. He loved Canterlot, its sights, its smells and its ponies. And the lack of a certain, specific one.
“Hey, Joe!”
The dorsal fins on the side of Spike’s head twitched. I know that voice.
“Hey, kiddo, what can I do you for?”
“Two dozen powdered, please. The girls and I have a test in the morning, so we really have to cram today.”
Spike felt a hoof in the small of his back. He turned. “Hey there Spike! How’s Ponyville treating you? I keep hearing wild stories in the paper. Can you believe that rampaging dragon just crushing everything? Was he, like, your relative or something?”
He just sat there in a mild state of shock. He hadn’t seen her in a while, but he’d recognize that cutie mark anywhere. Crescent moon and stars... it’s her! “Oh hey, Moondancer! Yeah... um, that was pretty wild, but I—he was caught just fine. How you been?”
“Oh, you know, pretty boring around here. Well, except for that whole Gala fiasco. Oh, and Discord of course, but he was everywhere... Say, you got taller! Little bit cuter too! Listen, I gotta jet, but tell Twilight I said hi, ‘kay?” She picked up the donuts she’d ordered in her aura and trotted off, waving goodbye and even blowing a little kiss.
Spike waved, still feeling a bit dazed. “...Cuter?”
“SURPRISE!”
He jumped back through the door as a wall of sound hit him from the library. Nopony had been there to meet him when he’d arrived at the station, and he hadn’t been able to find any of them on the way here either. It shouldn’t have surprised him to find them all here instead; this had Pinkie Pie planning written all over it.
“T-thanks, guys. I missed you too. I thought you were all too busy when nopony met me at the station...” He smiled widely, sitting down with his friends.
Rarity nodded apologetically. “Well, we would have been there, of course, but Pinkie insisted on a surprise party instead. She was quite distraught when she found you had left without giving proper notice, robbing her of the chance to throw you a proper going away party. But never mind that. How was Canterlot, Spikey?”
“Good, although I spent most of my time missing Ponyville. Canterlot just doesn’t seem like home anymore. I missed you all.” He picked up a slice of cake and dug in.
He sat silently for a time, watching his friends dance and play. Pinkie, as usual, was attempting to draw Fluttershy onto the dance floor, with limited success. Rarity sat with him in silence, amused by her friend’s antics.
It took some time for him to realize what looked so familiar about the look on her face. He had, after all, never really studied himself while he was looking at Rarity, before. When he recognized it, however, it brought him no small amount of confusion. Rarity was looking at Fluttershy... with clear infatuation.
Rarity’s past mentions of a mysterious “her” played back through his mind suddenly.
“—she doesn’t even know...”
“I-I can’t... She’s too—I can’t risk—”
He whispered softly, “Have you told her yet?”
She seemed distracted, answering almost as if she was voicing her thoughts. “No... I tried so many times... Aloe would come in, or Lotus, always somepony...” She shook herself. “I’m sorry, what did you say just now?”
“I said ‘Can you pass me another slice of cake?’”
He put the finishing touches on the miniature, dabbing the pink paint gently to her mane. “There we go, Fluttershy. You go next to Rarity.” He looked at his cabinet in satisfaction. Various pairings were on shelves together, some marked “Happy couple”, others marked “Could be happy together”. Shy and Rarity were on a shelf marked “Could be happy” along with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. He wasn’t sure exactly when he’d begun ponywatching with an eye for romance, but the cabinet was built when he had made so many miniatures to play with that he could no longer reliably hide them under his bed.
He held the Fluttershy miniature carefully. “I know how she feels about you... but what about you? How do you feel, Shy?” The miniature, naturally, said nothing. Not that I would expect the real one to be forthcoming either...
Twilight was off visiting Sugarcube Corner, working on some new friendship studies with Pinkie Pie. Spike was nominally in charge of the library for the moment, but the moment in question tended to be the slowest time of day. As such, he had simply left the door of his room open so that he could hear anypony entering, whereas normally it would have been locked while he was working with the dolls in his cabinet.
The front door creaked open, and a voice called out hesitantly into the empty library. “Hello? Is anypony here?”
Spike hastily put Shy back on her shelf and closed the cabinet. “One sec!”
He entered the main room of the library to find a blue-coated earth pony with a pink mane poking around the various stacks of books. “Oh hey, how can I help you, miss—”
She turned and smiled at him gratefully. “Lotus. I need some research materials. My spa is considering offering a new service, but before we can do so, we will need to learn how to perform it correctly. Do you happen to have any texts on preening techniques?”
“Well sure! Hey, I remember you now; sorry I didn’t know your name at first. You run the spa that Rarity and Fluttershy go to, don’t you?”
She blinked, then nodded. “Yes, Miss Fluttershy is the reason why we are considering adding this service to our repertoire.”
“Oh, that’s nice of you! Boy, they sure go there a lot, don’t they?” Spike began pulling books from the appropriate sections. ‘Mood Wings’? How did you get in here? You belong in languages... He set that one to one side on the library cart and laid out the others in another stack.
“Every week, like clockwork.” She chuckled lightly. “Miss Rarity is one of our best clients, and certainly the most frequent.”
“Yeah, Rarity mentioned you in passing recently.” Huh... “Kamare Sutra”? Blushing slightly, Spike set that on top of “Mood Wings” to be reshelved.
“Oh? What did she say?”
“She said she kept trying to tell Fluttershy something, but somepony always came in before she had the chance,” he muttered, trying to sound as casual as possible. He finished checking the remaining textbooks on the shelves, then dusted off his claws.
“I see...”
“Well, I think that’s everything you might find useful. Let’s get you checked out!”
There... maybe now you’ll have time to finally say it, Rarity. Good luck.
He looked back at the cart, trying to find the books he’d set aside that needed reshelving.
They weren’t there.
Oh... Well, um... Lotus is in for some interesting reading, I guess...
Shaking his head, Spike came out of his reverie. Geez, hard to believe it was Fluttershy, of all ponies, who finally made the first move. They did look cute together. Glad to see it worked out. He made a mental note to make the necessary changes in his collection when he got to the library. I think I’ll put them next to AJ and Rainbow.
A rumbling off in the distance alerted him to a scooter, occupied by three filly-shaped clouds of dust. Oh no... He flew back from the impact when they ran into him.
“Ow! What in tarnation did we just hit?”
Sweetie Belle coughed and waved her hooves to clear the dust. When it had settled a bit she finally recognized him. “Oh, hey, Spike! How was Canterlot?”
Spike painfully picked himself back up and dusted himself off.
“It was fine... ‘til I came home and got hit by the CMC express. Where are you girls off to in such a hurry, anyway?”
Scootaloo righted her scooter and beamed. “Well, we heard there was a lot of storm damage last night, so we thought we might try getting our cutie marks in carpentry!”
“And Ah told ‘em we already tried that.”
Sweetie clucked her tongue at Apple Bloom. “That was a table; maybe it’s different with houses. Besides, it might be nice to try to help ponies fix things, instead of breaking them all the time. It’s worth a try.”
Scootaloo chuckled, clearly remembering some fine crashes. “Yeah, I guess so. Least they can’t blame us this time.”
Spike shook his head ruefully, remembering several accidents these three had caused in the library alone. “Well, you may as well start at Carousel Boutique. I’m sure your sister wouldn’t mind a little help cleaning up.”
Sweetie Belle’s head snapped up. “Is my sister okay?”
“Oh yeah, she was just checking the damage. The roof caught on fire and—”
“Scoots, hurry! We need to go check on her!” They all piled into to cart, with Sweetie Belle clutching Apple Bloom tightly.
“Nice seeing ya, Spike!”
Spike shook his head in amusement.
“Twilight, I’m back!” He closed the door behind himself softly. He could hear soft giggles coming from upstairs. She really needs to keep the door locked when she has Pinkie over—Oh, nevermind, she needs to buy a new lock. Huh.
“Who?”
“It’s Spike, dude. You know me... Oh right. Hey, Owlowiscious.” He nodded to the bird in passing. “Took good care of Twilight while I was gone, right?”
“Who.”
“Twilight. You know: purple unicorn, kinda dorky—” He laughed suddenly. “Right, sorry. Anyway, I’ll be in my room for a bit.”
“Who.”
He carefully closed and locked the door of his room behind him. Producing a key, he then unlocked the cabinet full of detailed wooden dolls, which had gotten much fuller over time. Picking up Rarity and Fluttershy, he placed them on a shelf that had acquired a thick layer of dust. The shelf was labeled ”Fluttershy and Rarity, reserved.” It was next to the one set aside for Applejack and Rainbow Dash, along with other couples from around town. He nodded in passing to the lone shelf marked “No idea what happened here” upon which he’d placed Pinkie and Twilight.
Other shelves were spread out in the cabinet, with various labels. He labeled a new shelf “Unconfirmed but suspected”, and made a mental note to have three new dolls made. Sweetie Belle had been holding Apple Bloom awfully tightly in that cart. Might have been my imagination.
He picked up another doll, the only one in the collection that wasn’t a pony. He held it in front of the Rarity and Fluttershy figurines and made it kiss them both. “You two try to make each other happy, okay?”
He set the small figurine down next to a unicorn with a red mane. The cutie mark on its white coat was carefully detailed—a crescent moon and stars. He smiled and closed the cabinet. He had some packing to do. And maybe, just maybe, a friend to see.
Fanart by Novaquill.
It's never easy when a dream dies, more so when your dream was somepony you wanted to live your life for. But love comes in many forms, and while it may not turn out the way we always hope, it's still a good thing to share. That being said, it's good to grieve when anything dies, even a dream, and good to share your pain with loved ones.
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Update!
...though intermission...
Comment: Spike's perspective was interesting. His miniatures shelf sounds interesting. Someone should draw that!
Wow. Spike really does have a keen eye.
images.wikia.com/halo/images/1/1c/129923751541-MLP_I_see_what_you_d.jpg
So many stories with So many stories with a non-Spike pairing for either Twilight or Rarity practically forget he even exists.
Of maids and mistresses was one but that was wrapped up in the VERY END. It's nice to see that he wasn't forgotten here.
Woot moondancer!
-Sturrn
Mood Wings drop!
Aaaand:
Spike becomes a shipper! Welcome to the Haato Side, Spike!
Spike's a watcher. A serious watcher.
... Okay, I've found something Spike and I have in common. We people... er, pony-watch.
So many interesting stories when you just sit and let your senses take you.
1481723 I was thinking of the very same scene.
I like the "No idea what happened here" cabinet. XD
This was nice and all, and don't get me wrong, I loved it, but... I need my RariShy fix. x_X
1481969 Soon, working on it now
1481969 Also, as a side note... new one shot coming soon. Raripie XD
almost fell over here
Spike, so attuned to the in and outs of Ponyville, he's maturing, mentally mind you, right before our eyes.
Ciao
1481694 Indeed.
1481991 Fun.
1481991
Oh, I'm not rushing you, in the slightest. It just so happens your RariShy is lovely and I can't wait to see more of it.
As to RariPie... Yeah, Spike would need a whole new "what?" cabinet if he had one there... Not against it, but I've never read RariPie before, sounds funny. XD
1482204 It's actually rather... sweet. But yes, its Pinkie, so there will be humor.
1482214
Looking forward to it, then.
Spike's the perfect little ship watcher, no one ever pays attention to him XD
Celestia's recounting of her loves... All the memories. I've done that. Lady I loved was crying on my shoulder wanting to go back to Massachusetts to the man of her dreams. While she was crying I bought her a plane ticket online and sent her back there the next day. They got married in July. They're pretty happy. I'm pretty happy for them. And maybe a tad bit lonely.
Awww spike you mature little dragon you, you bro have gained many stallion points for your thoughts, actions, and so forth.
Hope that one coupling works out right though between him and Moondancer, Spike been so mature and such he deserves a happy thing.
1481694 Who?
Yay! Loved the intermission.
Cheer up Spike, as... hmm, I believe it was a Greek philosopher said "One learns all things, great and small, through observing!"
Hehe, loved the Mood Wings name drop. Always liked that story.
*reads the ending* D'AWWWWWW!
I like Spike's little collection... and it makes his playing matchmaker make so much more sense. You devious little loverboy, you....
Spike gonna get some...
looks like we have a new Leijon
YOU MUST FINISH THIS..you know, whenever you like if you don't mind...
I just hate reading things halfway through and then waiting for the next chapter with bated breath. But damn you! I couldnt resist!
the no idea what happened here shelf made me lol
We need more Spike fics...
I knew it, I knew it would be Moondancer! Well, I knew it when you wrote him returning to Canterlot. I sorta wish you'd gone on long enough for us to actually see them get together romantically and physically, but either way I enjoyed their quick reunion in Pony Joe's. Someone on YouTube once expressed their view on Spike, and it was too cool not to agree with; paraphrased, it was: "This is exactly how I like my Spike. Spike works best as a smartass out of the limelight and doing his best to make everyone realized how wrong they are." And here he is working behind the scenes. Love it.
1485079 FYI, Torn Between is good for romance, Guy Talk is good for generally showcasing Spike.
Ever-brilliant work here Steel, only downside as always is my nigh insatiable need to read more of this wonderful fic. Seriously though, if for whatever reason you aren't already, you should be proud of your amazing writing ability, or at least of what you have done with this one if nothing else
Once again, Spike is full of swag.
1485792 yep, but now he is in character. He was a tough nut to crack, but he is an interesting little guy when you dig into his canon.
Too lazy/drained to say something witty. You know this is what you were finally going for. And I kno how you suffered trying to get Spike right. Well you did, breathe a sigh of relief and give us more Fluttershy. Now.
That was an awesome Intermission I look forward to the next chapter.
I also look forward to the next mature chapter as well 
both of the ones you wrote were beautiful. 
1483223
Thanks ^^ I didn't even know Steel Resolve would do this
1485599 Thanks!
I found this REALLY interesting. Please dwell more into Spike's side of the story?
fiction in fiction ? woohooo ! can i have another spike-spike after the rari-shy-fix please ? this chapter was great !
Looks like Spike's a shipper. Welcome to the club Spike my boy.
Now back to the action.
Really? Spike and...
...
Hmm...
I... GUESS that works, kinda... Could even use part of an episode to show/assume a friendship existed to begin with, and then... :3
Interesting.... I'm kinda liking this new shipping idea you have....
1482496
ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4773161133277364&pid=15.1
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!! :3
Spike's collection, endearing or creepy?
Having miniatures made of all your friends without their knowledge seems like it could almost be across some sort of line, but it's not quite as clear cut as if he had a shrine with locks of hair, I suppose.
1489435
Random Comment: You seem to get everywhere.
1481719
Random Comment 2: Oh, you're here too. Interesting how joining a group makes me see so much more familiar people.
Semi-not-so-random
Hmm. Spike seems like another possible candidate. I shall contact her and see what her opinions are regarding him.
1481582 hmm, I might try if I have the time, though I'd have to ask how detailed they are (obviously Moon Dancer is very detailed)
God why is this story so good?! Two of my head canon pairings, though I'm not so sure about TwiPie, or SweetieBloom (personally think ScootaBloom and SweetiexSpike myself.) interesting chapter with Spike, seems to have a rough time of it in most fics with the whole Rarity thing.
Also yay for the mention of Mood Wings!
1496459 lol well actually its scootasweetiebloom...
1496606 which I have no problem at all with, if you know certain fics then all I have to say is "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER BABY MAKERS YAY!"
1496448 Well, YEAH, I'ma Chocobo! Chocobos get EVERYWHERE... That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
He whispered softly. “Have you told her yet?”
She seemed distracted, answering without thinking, almost as if she was voicing her thoughts. “No... I tried so many times... Aloe would come in, or Lotus; always somepony...” She shook herself. “I’m sorry, what did you say just now?”
“I said: can you pass me another slice of cake?”
t.qkme.me/3r9uod.jpg
Another amazing chapter. <3