You had your chance
A one-shot By Foxgear
Twilight, Princess of Friendship and Dean of the School of Friendship stood against the wall as she watched her faithful assistant set out plates and flowers. His mood excited as he lay out a smog board of gem embedded treats for the arrival of Dragon Lord Ember, leader of the Dragons. His shining expression had her worried, especially after a recent event. An Event that had struck the Dragon down the core, through the heart and then through the back. That event?
Rarity finally came clean about her true feelings for Spike. It was an event she and her friends have been waiting for. Sure, when she and Spike first arrived she had let Spike’s behavior with Rarity go unchallenged because well, she was too focused on her studies to really see the harm in it. And Spike was young, barely a teen really, though her use of the term baby dragon was a bit inaccurate according to pony age standards, in dragon terms it was correct. After all, dragons live so much longer lives then ponies, minus Alicorns of course, which she was now.
Anyway, when Spike grew into a young adult dragon (finally) gaining a new height of 5’11 from his former 5’3 and much more defined muscle mass and strong jaw he could no longer be considered a ‘baby’ dragon. Also, his eyes were no longer level with Rarity’s breasts, actually he was taller than Rarity now, but Applejack, Fluttershy and herself still lord a few inches of height over him, but that was beside point. With his new handsome looks, the words of Rarity, of course, he finally worked up the confidence to openly speak his feelings towards Rarity, rather than passively.
Now before this happened Twilight had a talk with Rarity, not to persuade her from not going out with Spike, of course, it wasn’t her business, but she did want to get a read on her friends actual feeling for her dragon brother/son/assistant. They had a weird dynamic, ok? Ok, moving on. Rarity made her feelings plain. She loved Spike, but not in a romantic way. She did admit to maybe abusing his feeling of youthful love a bit more then she should have, but she honestly thought when he realized his feelings weren’t equally received he would go looking for another affection. In Rarity’s own words she was shocked that Spike hadn’t given up on her.
So, when Rarity left to meet Spike, Twilight made a call to her Sister in Law, the Princess of Love, Cadence. Because this had to be under Cadences jurisdiction, right? Anyway, one magic hologram chat later. Twilight was all prepared for what was to come. Namely Spike’s broken heart.
It really wasn’t as dramatic as she thought it would be. Spike simply came home after seeing Rarity, he wasn’t crying or angry, he just looked defeated. On his way up to his room, he gave her a weak smile. Mumbling to himself. As per Cadence’s advice, she let him be.
The next few days Spike didn’t have his usual energy, but she kept him busy to help him cope. After a few weeks he was peppier and when he saw Rarity he didn’t suddenly turn away. At week five, he talked to Rarity again. No infatuation, no anger, he just spoke to her as a friend. He still helped her from time to time, but not as much as before. He began mingling around with other ponies more. He busied himself with work around the school. She even saw him with a girl around his arm, so he was finally trying dating.
Then came the day he decided to ask Ember. And though she smiled and supported the idea, Twilight couldn’t help but feel a dark pit in her stomach as he sets the last plate on the table. It’s been years since he and Ember became friends and they kept up pretty well, and maybe Ember burned for Spike in the beginning and she was no Princess of Love, but after Ember’s last visit she could say Ember’s feelings for Spike seem to have cooled. Now maybe this date would relight it, but there was the chance Ember, like Spike with Rarity, moved on.
“I guess we’ll find out tonight,” Twilight mutters softly. Leaving Spike to his preparation. She has some school budgets to look over and maybe she could give some thought to her own love life. Cadence and Shining were married, Mac and Sugar Belle were about to get married, Maud was dating that stick guys Pinkie told them about, hell even Applejack was starting to look around.
“It’s ok, there’s no rush, but it would be fun to have bookworm boyfriend,” Twilight giggled, fantasies of what her stallion could be like. A knock came from the castle door, that must be Ember Twilight mused heading for the door. She’d be nice and give Spike some more time to get ready. Twilight opens the door, “Ember! How are you… oh…” Twilight’s stares at the petite as a long shadow falls over them. Twilight’s ears flop down as she stares upwards at Ember’s companion and then Ember herself, who had a very noticeable difference in her figure. “Oh boy.”
“Is something wrong, Twilight?” Ember’s companion asks. She shakes her head.
“No, no problems Thorax, um why don’t you come in?” She nervously chuckles.
Spike just finished putting the finishing touches on his and Ember’s meal, blue sapphires with rubies and diamond sprinkled cupcakes. He was sure Ember was going to be surprised, he hadn’t been told her why he was inviting her over of course. In his last visit to the dragon lands, he talked to some of the other female dragons there and asked what dragons considered romance. The answer was lots and lots of gems, so that’s what he did, he got gem plates, forks, glasses, everything he could think of! Ember was probably going to eat it all, but it was worth it to for the chance to tell her how he really felt.
He laughed at himself. He let this love for Rarity blind him. But really was what he felt love? Or just puppy love as she had explained to him the night he went to confess. The pain on Rarity’s face was clear in his mind. Despite her many fancies with other stallions, he knew she never really got truly romantically with them, most of them were for promoting her business. Connections she would later use to build her chain of boutiques. Not that she was dishonest about, all those stallions and mares, were close friends and business partners with Rarity now.
Still, he would admit it made him jealous whenever Rarity latched on to her newest fancy. He foolishly thought he could wait it out till she moved on and then he’d come in and steal her heart finally. Really what a fool he’d been.
“Well I’m wiser now,” He said. “I know this will work. Ember and I get along great, it’s all about taking the first step.” He had to keep himself in check, he can’t come on too strong or desperate. He just needs to take it slow.
He hears footsteps coming through the door, three different sets, strange? Did Twilight call a friend over? It was probably just Starlight. She lived here too. No doubt she wanted to come takes a look at his display so she and Twilight could go gossip about it. One set suddenly picked up the face, running ahead of the others, Twilight’s head peeked through the door, her face was a fit of worry.
“Um… Spike, maybe you should set another plate… and prepare yourself, this is going to be a shock.” Twilight said as the two people behind her caught up. He was taken back by the sudden appearance of Thorax, his six-foot-four tall friend towering in the doorway. Standing beside Thorax and holding his hand was the 5’5 Ember her other hand resting on her enlarged stomach.
“Hey, Spike!” Thorax said excitedly. “You will never believe the news we have for you!”
Ember blushes, hiding her face from view, grumbling, “Hurry up and just tell him.”
“Right, right sorry, um…” Thorax produces his own blush. “Dear. But yeah, we meant to tell you sooner, but Ember and I started dating about four months ago, a little after your last visit to my kingdom. We kind of hit it off and got a little carried away.” He laughs pointing to the bulge in Ember stomach. “I know you just invited Ember, but I wanted to come along and ask if you’d be my best man at the wedding?”
If Spike’s hopes and dreams were completely shattered and his heart ripped from his chest, he didn’t show it as he smiles at his two friends, now lovers. “Yeah man, I’d be honored. Come in, why don’t we celebrate? You’ll have to excuse me, I still need to bring another plate. Just give me one second!”
“Take your time,” Thorax says leaning down to kiss Ember, Spike catching the action as he enters the kitchen. He lets out a haggard breath, clutching his heart as he held onto the counter to stop from just dropping to the floor right now. “Dammit.” He bit out bitterly.
Purple arms surround him as Twilight embraces him from behind. “I set up a silencing ward, so if you want…”
A lone tear escapes his eye, but he didn’t wail or cry aloud. “I just…” he stutters. “I thought this was my chance, but it passed a long time ago, I wanted to long. I let her slip between my claws without even a fight.”
“You had your chance a long time ago,” Twilight told him. he knew she was right, Ember had probably felt something more than friendship for him awhile ago and he ignored it for a foolish one-sided love. Twilight’s embrace tightens. “But this isn’t the end either, you don’t have to rush, there’s someone out there for you.”
Spike nod, only half listening, he heard those words before with Rarity. Still, he thought wiping away his tears, he wouldn’t ruin Thorax’s and Ember happiness. He gently broke Twilight’s embrace, standing tall he gathered another plate and food for Thorax and went back out into the dining hall, a bright friendly smile on his face, even has his heart crumbles to dust.
“So tell me how you two became a thing.”