//------------------------------// // Titanium // Story: No Hugs for Sugar Crush // by FerociousCreation //------------------------------// It was a bit difficult for Spike to contain himself as he stood at the center of Pure Gold’s jewelry store. Various gems decorated the display cases alongside many other precious metals. Even Rarity was bewitched by the dazzling accessories. But thankfully, Rough Diamond and his wordy mouth distracted them as he continued to express his passion with facts about gems. “Sapphires and rubies are almost the same type of gem,” the colt said as he specifically talked to Pinkie Pie. “Do you know why?” “Ooo! Ooo! I know this one!” Pinkie Pie bounced. “Is it because… there is something inside sapphires that rubies don’t?” She leaned into the colt’s ear and whispered, “It’s been a while since I was given a pop-quiz about rocks, so forgive me if I’m off my game.” Rough Diamond looked to his father who nodded down at him. “You are correct," Rough said. "There is something inside sapphires that rubies do not. There are traces of iron and titanium in sapphires but rubies do not have traces of either metals. The only thing making the two similar is because they consist of corundum.” The talk about gems did not ease Spike’s love for sapphire, and his stomach bubbled in protest. “No wonder I love sapphires so much,” he said with his tongue running over his little teeth. “Titanium is a huge delicacy among dragons.” Pure Gold beamed at his hero, “Would you like a bar of titanium? I have plenty in the vault.” “You don’t have to,” Spike said, waving a dismissive claw at the shop owner, but the dragon knew he would receive one anyways. “But I insist!” The stallion quickly left and returned with a shiny bar of precious metal for Spike. It fit perfectly in the dragon’s two claws and the dense titanium weighed down his arms. Certainly, a full bar would last him an entire day. “I must say, Mr. Pure Gold,” Rarity chimed in as she walked down a row of jewelry, “I will have no choice but to return later on during my visit here in the Crystal Empire.” Each cut in the jewels she saw flashed like cameras at her, the unicorn feeling like the stones were calling to her, saying, “Look this way! Gaze at me!” A smile crawled onto the shopkeeper. “It would mean the world to me if you did. But I am gladder that you and the others chose to come here and select me to aid in setting up the Crystal Fayre.” “You can thank Morgaite’s Mission,” Spike said. “Speaking of ‘Morganite...’” Pinkie Pie hummed as she looked down at Rough Diamond, “Got any facts about morganite?” “I sure do!” However, Rarity did not think another fact hunt would progress their own mission any quicker. “I think we should next find out where Morganite works instead of learning about lovely gems.” Rough’s little ears retreated, upset he couldn’t let out anymore factoids. A pang of guilt surged through Rarity but knew that work had to be done first. “Maybe next time you can tell us all about morganites. Why don’t you brush up on your lovely facts and tell me when I come back to your father’s wonderful shop.” She gave him a wink that made Rough’s cheeks glitter like rubies. Spike looked at the pink box of sweets that sat on a small rogue table. It was the last of the several boxes they had from the Chocolate Palace, but carrying them around was starting to become a hassle. So with every place he, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie have visited, they decided to leave one box as a thank you gift. However, Spike was very conscious of his Mineral Milk Cookie that had yet to be tried. He walked over to the box and pulled out the baggie containing his unique sweet. The dragon looked at Pure Gold and pointed at the box, “Do you mind if we leave this here? We’ve been carrying it around all day and think that it would suit you and Rough more than us.” A frown sagged Pinkie Pie’s cheeks. “Aww! But that one has custard-filled donuts!” “Custard-filled?!” Rough exclaimed and dashed for the box. “Those are my favorite!” As he clambered through the sugary sweets, Pinkie grumbled, “I just had to say something… Then again, my running mouth has gotten me into worse situations already.” The door called to Rarity, the sky signaling to her that afternoon was upon them and progress had to be made. “I hate to depart so quickly, but we must be going.” She spun around and began walking toward the door. “Thank you ever so much, Mr. Pure Gold and Mr. Rough Diamond for accepting Spike’s offer. I do hope that your Mrs. can accompany you both when the time comes to meet at the castle.” Instead of receiving a kind farewell, nopony gave Rarity any response. The gems in their cases gave no reply either, giving the shop a haunting silence. When she looked back, neither Rough, nor Pure Gold gave Rarity a smile worthy of a farewell but was greeted with frowns. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes firmly on the colt. “Do you not want us to go?” Rough looked down at the carpet, his eyes studying the patterns beneath him. Rarity looked to her friends, curious if they knew what was happening, but even they bore no answer. In a mad dash, Rough Diamond made for the door. “Son!” Pure Gold cried out. But it was too late; the colt slammed into the door with his shoulder before he could flee the store. “What just happened?” Spike asked the owner. Pure Gold shook his head, “It’s alright. Rough Diamond gets like that whenever he is reminded of his mother.” “What do you-” Ice stabbed into Rarity’s back. “I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to offend!” His ears were pinned back, but Pure Gold mustered up a smile. “It’s quite alright.” Rarity dared to ask, “Is the Mrs… not around?” Pure Gold took in a very uneven breath. After he sighed, he answered a quiet, “No.” A body of pink entered Rarity’s peripheral. “Way to kill the mood,” Pinkie said through her teeth.” “How was I supposed to know!” Rarity hissed. While nearly everything continued to be mute, Spike’s index claw tapped on the thick bar of titanium. He approached the shop owner cautiously and reached out a claw to the stallion. “I’m sure wherever she is, she is still happy for you.” The dragon clenched the metal tightly in one claw and pointed it at Pure Gold. “Be strong.” Pure Gold’s brows twitched along with his mouth. Spike feared the pony would break down, but instead, the stallion puffed out his chest and smiled with pride, “I will, Spike, Great and Glorious!” *** “Geeze, Rarity, why you gotta be so personal with ponies on accident?” Pinkie Pie asked. “It’s exactly just that,” Rarity snorted with a high-held nose. “On. Accident.” Spike did not wish to have another qualm to happen, especially among his friends. He hobbled in front of the two and held up one claw; the titanium bar and bagged cookie were still clutched in the other. “I think we get the point, everypony. No need to press the issue or point any hooves here.” Rarity and Pinkie Pie stopped, blocked by the purple dragon. “I agree with Spike,” Rarity said with a flick of her tail. “No need to heckle me as you have been all morning.” A very disgruntled Pinkie Pie sharpened her brow to a point where it might poke a hole into something. “I am not trying to be mean here!” Pinkie argued as she stamped a hoof. “I am being factual. I’m not saying I’m perfect either because I pressed the issue of this friendship problem we are trying to solve. But you just happen to ask the wrong questions by accident.” “Then why must you make it sound like I am committing a crime, Pinkie!” The number of problems the day had created did not weigh too well onto Spike. He wedged himself between Pinkie Pie and Rarity and managed to distance the two a good half a meter from each other. “Alright! Alright! Break it up!” But the staredown did not end there. Neither mares backed down and continued to try and intimidate the other. Spike scratched his scaly head with the bar and then looked at it. His slit pupils looked back at him in the titanium’s reflection. The mirrored image blinked at him, telepathically attempting to give Spike something to ease the issue before him. The tip of Pinkie Pie’s mane was poking into the bar’s shiny surface, so Spike chose to speak to her first. “Now Pinkie Pie, why did you tell Rarity what you said?” “Pft! That’s easy!” Pinkie responded, her eyes rolling once before returning to Rarity. “I’m just telling her the truth. She just happened to upset Rough Diamond on accident.” Pinkie jabbed a hoof at Rarity, “Also, if you remember back at the Chocolate Palace, Rarity also got to ask Sugar personal questions and accidentally flustered her.” “And I apologized for my words!” Rarity glared. Spike faced Rarity, holding his claw open to her. “Hold on, Rarity. I’m not trying to be rude, but I want to hear Pinkie Pie out.” He returned to Pinkie Pie and asked, “Was there a real reason why you had to bring this up?” “I… well…” Rarity’s brows twitched with suspicion. “Hmm. It seems you have a motive to your heckling.” Pinkie Pie’s ears fell back, and the mare skittered away from her two friends. Spike held out a claw in hopes to try and grab Pinkie with a non-existent magical force. “Honestly Spike, what has gotten into her?” Both watched Pinkie Pie round a corner, out of sight. The dragon took one step forward before telling Rarity, “Wait here. I’ll find out.” He gave chase to the fleeing mare, hoping Pinkie didn’t get too far from him. Thankfully, Spike easily found her standing a good distance from the building’s corner, staring down at the shiny sidewalk. When he stepped into her view, the reflection Pinkie created asked, “Here to scold me like Rarity?” A gentle claw rested on Pinkie’s shoulder. “I’m just here to fix this temporary friendship problem. I want to help you.” Pinkie Pie looked down the road. “I just… Why does she get to ask all the sensitive questions and not get in trouble for it, while I get yelled at for trying to figure out the friendship hunch I have?” Spike clicked his index claw on the titanium bar. “So you were upsetting Rarity on purpose.” The truth finally found its way into Pinkie’s throat. “I don’t know why this week has been so terrible to me! First my failure to sell all the pumpkin cubes, then the Cake Twins and their crying, then me being too hasty with my friendship problem hunch, and now, I’m being a jerk because Rarity gets to say things that are super-duper personal and nopony gets mad at her!” “But why did you have to push Rarity’s buttons, Pinkie?” Spike asked. “Because she doesn’t get into trouble unlike me when I open my mouth!” The walls echoed hoofsteps, forcing Spike and Pinkie to look back at who was on the approach. Rarity came forward with no anger in her eyes, but she was very stoic. “Is that a reason to be rude to your friend?” the unicorn asked. Pinkie Pie spun her head around, unable to face the pony she was heckling. “No… And… I’m sorry. I just want to stop having a super terrible week. I want to stop making mistakes.” “But what you were doing to me was not a mistake, Pinkie Pie.” Rarity walked around Spike and looked down at Pinkie Pie’s shameful gaze. “Don’t think you are the only pony who has had bad weeks. And I don’t want you to think that bringing others down will make anything better.” Rarity took one step forward, her large hat casting a shadow over Pinkie and Spike. “Does it make you feel better that you were putting me in a very upset mood on purpose?” Two pink ears fell back. “No…” Spike was relieved to see a smile he loved witnessing so much grow on Rarity’s lips. “Then I am glad to say that we are taking the necessary step to solving this bad week issue that has been plaguing you.” Rarity offered her white hoof to the lamenting mare. “Let’s play the Pinkie Pie Actively and Carefully Watches What She Says Game.” Pinkie looked up at Rarity with a frown still plastered on her face. “I’m not sure if I'm good at that game…” “But the reward is a better week,” Rarity said. “Doesn’t that sound like a fantastic prize? I think it is a fantastic goal to chase.” The unicorn smiled at Spike. “And I know Spike and I will be a great asset in assisting you.” “Is it okay for me to ask for help?” Pinkie asked. “This game does have my name in it.” “Absolutely!” A modest grin wormed its way upon the earth pony’s lips. Pinkie took her friend’s hoof and was assisted onto all fours. “Then let’s play!” All three bunched together in a friendly embrace. The sun warmed Spike’s scales along with the relief that both mares were no longer in a quarrel. He didn’t think the spontaneous game he was partaking in would be too difficult to follow. All Spike had to do was steer Pinkie Pie away from touchy questions. Rarity’s tail bounced as she advanced a few steps ahead. “Let us continue our endeavor. We still need to meet Morganite and the Vamponies, and daylight will not delay itself for our sake.” Spike and Pinkie Pie easily caught up with Rarity, and the trio returned to their important task. And Pinkie Pie did not hesitate to return to a present issue. “I do want to address something that has me curious.” “Does it involve either Sugar Crush or Rough Diamond?” Rarity asked, squinting a suspicious eye at Pinkie Pie. Spike prepared himself to remind Pinkie of her unique game but was greeted with an interesting response. “Both actually. But I'm not trying to rough up anypony’s mood on purpose,” Pinkie said. She looked down at her reflection, the two having a silent discussion. “I’m just curious about something that I think might help us.” Spike glanced at Pinkie Pie’s reflection, “Tell us what you got.” “Well…” Pinkie Pie lifted her head. “I just find it interesting that we confronted two sensitive issues today. First, there was the issue of Nebula and-” The mare suddenly halted her train of thought and was succumbed to a heavy frown. “What’s the matter, Pinkie?” Rarity asked. “Are you trying to play your game carefully?” “It’s not that…” she muttered. “But…” The three approached a street corner and Pinkie Pie looked up at the street sign. “Something about what Sugar told me has this sad air to it. She told me there was nothing to be done about Nebula.” Pinkie returned her attention to Spike and Rarity. “And then when Rarity asked about Mrs. Gold, well, I’m sure you know the rest.” Nopony gave Pinkie Pie any negative rebuttal, but Spike was affected by her words. He was not aware of the details of what Sugar told her, but his world felt depressed as he stood in Rarity’s consuming shadow. “What are you saying?” Rarity asked, clearly unaffected by the discussion. “I’m saying that we conveniently encountered two really sad circumstances,” Pinkie Pie answered. “I may not know the details involving Nebula and the Vamponies, but something did happen to the team. And we may not know what exactly happened to Mrs. Gold. But I just cannot shake this feeling that there is more to it than this friendship problem we will eventually confront.” The sun from above ran behind a cloud, the air slightly chilling Spike to the bone. “Are you suggesting that the entire Crystal Empire is having a friendship problem?” he asked. “Considering how Princess Cadence and Shining Armor need our help in gathering several crystal ponies in order to get the Crystal Fayre set up properly, that might be the case. Maybe ponies are not having an issue with their leaders...” Pinkie Pie arced her hoof over her head, “... but this may be the biggest friendship problem to date!” She then spoke to Rarity, “While I was being a mean face to you, I did want to discuss this idea I had with you and Spike.” Rarity stood still, her eyes glancing between the various shops and ponies that walked about. “That is quite the hunch; much more specific than the latter one you had.” Pinkie Pie turned her head, “But I don't have issues with latters. I haven’t walked under any in fear of bad luck.” The sun peeked around the devious cloud it hid behind. Rarity giggled into her hoof, “No, Pinkie. I mean latter as in the previous hunch you had about the Vamponies.” “Couldn’t you have just said ‘previous’ instead of being unnecessarily sophisticated about latters?” Spike couldn’t hold in his amusement and laughed while Rarity simply rolled her eyes. “Regardless of complicated words,” Rarity resumed, “your new hunch is very interesting, and I wouldn’t put it past the possibility that we are looking at a far bigger issue than what it on the surface. But I suggest we shouldn’t ask anypony any possible personal questions unless somepony wants to open up to us.” “I can do that,” Pinkie nodded. “And you want to know what else I can do?” “What’s that?” Spike asked. Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof at a building across the street, “Get another point in Let’s Find Everything Morganite Featured in Her Magazine Section by finding the Bright Spotlight offices!” The dragon finally sunk his teeth into the titanium. I don’t like that game... As he chewed, Spike thought about Rarity's word choice. The latter? He shook his head and said to Rarity, "No need to be rude, but I believe you mean the former, not latter." "Okay, that makes sense!" Pinkie exclaimed.