Spike was surprised when this year, he didn't get a ticket for the Grand Galloping Gala. When he sent a letter to Princess Celestia about the matter, he got a letter with only a ";)" on it.
"That's...a little more silly then usual of the Princess." Spike pondered. "I guess it should mean things will get resolved about my missing ticket at least..."
And the next day, nothing about it seem to change, so he figured he would double-check that the Elements of Harmony got their tickets.
Fluttershy nodded with her plus-one Discord happily by her side. Pinkie Pie had Marble Pie with her and Applejack with Big Macintosh, as all the CMC got their own individual tickets.
All the Wonderbolts had their own tickets, but Rainbow Dash chose a orange and white pegasus mare named Squash Soup.
Twilight Sparkle brought Owlowlwischous on her shoulder and when Spike asked her why, she just winked.
Finally, Spike showed up at Rarity's. He knocked and was taken by her usually luscious figure.
"Hello, Spikey." Rarity cooed. "You must've heard all the dates the others have taken yes?"
"Uh-huh." Spike answered breathlessly.
"Well, I was thinking of a particular handsome dragon to bring this time around..." Rarity explained. "Do you know who?"
"I..." This is real?!
Rarity batted her eyelashes and Spike nervously pointed to himself. Rarity nodded.
"Why me?" Spike asked.
"Why not you?" Rarity giggled. "Princess Celestia was going to give you a ticket but I thought asking you as my date would be even better."
So that's why she sent me that wink...huh.
"Well..."
"Do you not wanna go with me?" Rarity asked.
"N-no! I mean, of course I do!" Spike stammered. "It's just so...sudden. You know I've liked you for a long time..."
"Wouldn't this be long overdue then darling?" Rarity purred. Spike hesitated, then nodded.
So that would be it, waited so long for the mare of my dreams and suddenly I have her. It...it cannot be that easy.
He was confused and blissfully happy at the same time. He walked in the castle to see Twilight beaming at him, her tail flickering eagerly.
"Congrats Spike!" Twilight neighed.
"You heard?"
"Rarity told everybody of her plans!" Twilight replied. "I never thought she'd come around and this is so exciting!"
"I know." Spike smiled. "I never thought she would either."
"It's going to be a little hard to find a tux for a baby dragon." Twilight pondered. "And I'm not sure if you should ask your date to make your tux for you..."
"Imagining Rarity is probably making her dress herself..." Twilight murmured. "I've heard of a stallion near the Everfree Forest named Evening Gallop that's selling clothing."
Spike and Twilight went later in the evening to see a night-blue stallion with a cream mane and expensive tux who happened to have a tux just perfect for Spike along with a tie.
I can't believe it, this is all falling into place perfectly!
Spike was enamored by the variety of creatures that showed up to the Grand Galloping Gala this year. He saw Matilda showing up with a young donkey that appeared to be her son.
"I'm so proud of my little Tumbleweed." Matilda boasted. "He'll get to make all sorts of new friends here."
Spike saw Steve Magnet with Evening Gallop, who appeared to be a couple.
He saw all of the Mane 6 was here but Rarity, oddly enough Rainbow Dash's plus-one was also not here.
He helped himself to the appetizers till he saw Squash Soup enter and then Rarity, wearing a dazzling dress from a recent line of work months ago.
"You look incredible Rarity." Spike complimented her.
"Thank you darling!" Rarity beamed, suddenly his compliments were so praise to her ears it seemed. He still couldn't believe it.
They had a blast, with Rarity occasionally leaving the table to speak with Squash Soup and Evening Gallop.
Spike and her took off an hour early to her boutique, where the lights were dimmed.
"Um...Rarity? What's happening?" Spike whispered.
Rarity's eyes were gleaming like stars when she passionately kissed Spike. He felt drunk from her kisses and felt overwhelmed from bliss.
It seemed he would get to go all the way with the mare he loved. It was a paradise he never thought he would experience.
Spike woke up on a rug Rarity had pulled out for them, he looked up and saw Rarity was absent.
She is a busy mare, but I thought she'd stay long enough to wait for me to wake up.
Suddenly Twilight and Applejack bolted into the boutique, surprised to see Spike on the floor.
"Spike!" Twilight gasped. "Did something hurt you?!"
"No, I'm fine!" Spike reassured her. "What's wrong?"
"Rarity has gone missing!" Applejack exclaimed.
"And...oh great Star Swirl the Bearded I'm so sorry." Twilight whispered. "We found this right outside the boutique."
Twilight had something on her wing which she gently placed in Spike's claws.
A shed of a Changeling's wing.
"Who knows how long that thing was pretending to be Rarity." Applejack whispered.
Spike felt like he was kicked several times and he kneeled over from standing and fell over.
"That...thing...that thing took advantage of me!"
Twilight and Applejack were both gaping at Spike, the former's nostrils flared in fury.
"Twilight! Applejack!" Rainbow Dash gasped as she entered the room. "Zecora told me she saw Changelings in the Everfree Forest!"
The ponies bolted quickly without another word to Spike. He blocked off the bombardment of thoughts and ran to catch up with them as fast as he could.
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were running at his side as they were nearing Everfree Forest. Fluttershy quickly giving words of comfort while Pinkie Pie was asking him how sleeping with a Changeling went.
"HEY!" Rainbow Dash screeched, scaring Spike.
She was yelling at a trio of Changelings in view. They had found them.
Rainbow Dash spreaded her wings and in a flash collided with the center Changeling.
"WHERE'S RARITY?!" Applejack boomed as she and Twilight were facing on the other two.
"And which one of you impersonated her?!" Twilight demanded.
"I didn't mean no harm!" The one Rainbow Dash tackled squeaked. Her voice and demeanor was that of a mix between Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.
"Adrenaline..." the Changeling Applejack was facing sighed. "Of course you didn't. Just as I was impersonating Squash Soup and Tornado was Evening Gallop."
All the six ponies gaped in shock.
"Cyanide wanted me to kill Rarity." Adrenaline replied. "But I didn't have the heart to do it. She's...between the roots of a tree three trees down."
The five ponies split in different directions three trees down while Spike turns around and faced away from the Changelings.
"I...Oh Spike!" Adrenaline sobbed. She ran to him and nuzzled his shoulder.
Spike felt a burst of anger and leaped away from her to look for Rarity.
"Guys! Squash Soup and Evening Gallop are dead!"
Spike ignored Pinkie Pie's cry and walked over to where Twilight and Applejack were, standing over Rarity. She was tied up and gagged.
Spike clawed the ropes and removed the gag. He hugged her and her friends gave her comforting words on the way back.
"Spike can I speak to you?"
Spike woke up to see Rarity standing over his sleeping spot in the castle. He quickly got up.
"Yes?"
"I heard...about what the Changeling did." Rarity whispered. "You do know, that I'll never feel that way for you. I'm very sorry that happened."
Spike's nostrils flared.
"Are you kidding? I was manipulated, and you walk in and squeeze lemon juice in the wound?" Spike growled. "Get out of here."
Rarity looked shocked in her beautiful blue gaze and walked away.
Weeks after, Spike was shocked that Adrenaline walked in Ponyville in her real form. Ponies by this point had definitely heard about them kidnapping Rarity and immediately ran into their homes.
The Mane 6 galloped to the Changeling and surrounded her.
"What do you want?" Twilight growled.
"I..."
"You better have a good reason for coming here!" Applejack huffed, holding back her hooves.
"I wanted to talk to Spike. Spike?" Adrenaline looked at him and walked to him.
Twilight ran over to block her from reaching him.
"You stay away from him!" Twilight hissed.
"I can talk to her, it's fine!" Spike snapped flustered.
"One hoof on him and you're Changeling meat." Twilight growled, spreading her wings and flying back to her friends.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Spike." Adrenaline started. "Changelings don't have a sense of guilt for manipulating their victims because they live off love."
"I'm not saying you were my victim, I actually am...in love with you." She confessed. "Cyanide and Tornado killed those ponies, Tornado so he could be with Steve Magnet, and Cyanide because she wanted to fit in normally with society."
Spike nodded, it was true. He never saw a Changeling in Ponyville.
"I was hoping we could be friends?" Adrenaline asked. "I want to try and stay here in Ponyville, I'm not like the Queen or her minions. Some of us actually want to belong here and love without tricking others."
Spike looked at her and nodded. The weeks that had followed helped his anger for Rarity and Adrenaline burn out. He had began to feel better.
Months past and Adrenaline, like many others, was taught friendship. Twilight's anger for her had turned into tolerance and then actual kindness.
Spike and her began hanging out more and more, and he began to love this personality more than Rarity's. After all, her head was in the clouds. Adrenaline was grounded, just like him.
Things would turn out to go for the better after all.