//------------------------------// // Part 3: Breach In Privacy // Story: S.P.A.R.K.S. // by Cardinal Dan Productions //------------------------------// Rarity looked to be hard at work when Spike and Sparks walked into the Carousel Boutique. Rolls of fabric, all consisting of varied colors and textures, were strewn about the room, in addition to the insurmountable amount of other tools of the tailor’s trade. Together, they stepped carefully over piles of experimental gowns and dresses that might or might not have contained a stray needle or ten. Rarity was at a workstation, one of many where she was feeding some fabric through a sewing machine. When she saw them approaching, the machine stopped, and she welcomed them with a smile. “Spike! Good morning, darling. It’s always a pleasure to see you around here, and...” Her eyes then shifted to the tall mare behind him, and her smile wavered slightly. “Wh-Who is this, Spike?” Before he could open his mouth to begin an explanation, however, Sparks stepped forward to greet Rarity herself. “Hello, Rarity, skilled practitioner of tailoring! I am Sparks, and I am Spike’s family!” She took the unicorn’s hoof in her own and shook it vigorously. “It is a pleasure to meet you!” Rarity was stunned, to say the least. She grinned nervously at the mare holding her hoof before looking at Spike with a worried expression. “Darling, what’s going on?” Spike quickly put himself in between her and Sparks, effectively separating them. “She’s just excited about meeting you... This is Sparks. Twilight made her to be some kind of research assistant. I’m just taking her around Ponyville so she can learn more about ponies.” The white mare raised an eyebrow at her. At first, Spike was unsure if she was impressed or skeptical. “Twilight made her?” Sparks remained almost motionless, only turning her head to follow Rarity as she circled her. “She’s remarkably lifelike, and her physique is exquisite.” When she came back around, she looked at Spike. “She said she’s your family... What did she mean by that?” Spike looked back and forth between her and Sparks before shrugging casually. “We had a conversation about family before we came here. She wanted to know what it meant to be apart of somepony’s family, and I guess she just likes the idea.” Sparks nodded her head as a huge grin came over her face. “Affirmative! According to Spike, members of the same family can consist of any close friends or loved ones. I like this concept very much.” At that, Rarity managed what looked to be a sincere smile. “That’s really touching, darling. Spike is a wonderful influence. There’s no dragon I’d rather spend my day with.” She completed the compliment by placing a firm hoof on top of his head and ruffling his green spikes. Sparks must have found this amusing, because she chuckled softly as she eyed the little dragon. “Indeed...” She looked like she was prepared to say more, but her voice drifted off into silence, and her stare lingered on. Fixated on Spike, she cocked her head to the side and offered him a concerned look. “Spike, your heart rate is rising. Is something wrong?” To tell the truth, nothing was wrong at all, but that didn’t stop him from feeling the least bit excited when in the presence of his lifelong crush. When Rarity spoke highly of Spike, it left him feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside. “I’m fine, Sparks. I think I need some water, just like you said before.” The artificial mare stubbornly disagreed and shook her head, not sensing his desire to change the subject. “Negative, Spike. Both your heart rate and your internal body temperature have risen significantly since speaking to Rarity. Existing data suggests you have strong, organic desires to behave intimately with her. I recommend caution when engaging in such behaviors so as to avoid injury and other unwanted consequences that may likely result from mating.” If he was feeling warm before, now, Spike was burning hot. Rarity was too, by the looks of it. Her white appearance was stained by the glowing crimson coloring of her face. “I’ll... get you some water, Spike...” Then, she turned on her hooves and speedily retreated from the room. Spike then turned on Sparks, and when she saw the look on his face, her smile melted away. “Sparks, you can’t say things like that! That... That was totally inappropriate! You can’t just go around sharing someone’s personal feelings and embarrassing them. You can really hurt them like that... Understand?” Sparks looked mortified, having never been shouted at before, and she nodded her head slowly. “Affirmative, Spike...” His harsh glare softened, and he let out a long sigh. “You know a lot about ponies, Sparks. I know you didn’t mean to do it. You just gotta be careful with their privacy.” Having composed herself, Rarity returned with a glass of water in her cloud of magic. She offered it to Spike, who was more than happy to accept her generosity. Sparks must have been right about the whole dehydration bit, because he found the cool, clear liquid to be very refreshing. The synthetic mare approached Rarity and bowed respectfully before her. “I apologize for my previous statements, Rarity. My intentions were not to cause you harm or embarrassment, but Spike informed me of my error, and I wish to reestablish trust with the both of you.” The unicorn raised an eyebrow at Spike before looking back at Sparks. “Did he? I do hope he wasn’t too harsh with you, darling.” She shook her head and glanced towards him, cracking a small grin. “Negative... Spike is gentle and forgiving...” Then, she rose to her full height. “You are fortunate, Rarity, to have such a companion.” Spike let out a sigh of relief as Sparks and Rarity made up. He brought her to the Carousel Boutique to avoid any conflicts, not to start one, so this result was a good one. “Rarity, I was actually hoping you might be able to help us.” The unicorn turned her attention to him. “Oh? How so?” He gestured towards Sparks. “Well, I want to show her around Ponyville so she can gather all of the information she wants, but she’s not exactly inconspicuous...” Behind him, Sparks observed herself, looking over her own hooves and even swishing her synthetic tail so she could see it in what was almost a cat-like fashion. “We thought you could... You know... dress her up?” Rarity scoffed at him and waved a dismissive hoof before turning around and making her way over to a pile of discarded bits and pieces of prototype outfits. “Say no more, darling. For you, anything you like.” Then, she picked out several assorted pieces of clothes and looked back at Sparks. “This way, dear. Let’s see about getting you into something you can be proud of.” Sparks looked down at Spike, like she was silently asking him for confirmation. He smiled back and coaxed her forward. “Go on. You can trust her.” She nodded her head and managed a wary smile in return. “Affirmative, Spike... I will return soon.” Then, she followed Rarity into a fitting room, leaving Spike alone. *** Spike wasn’t sure how much time had passed. It could have been anywhere from fifteen to twenty minutes, and he didn’t stop thinking about Sparks the entire time, wondering to himself if she was managing to get along with Rarity after what transpired earlier. His eyes drifted around the room, darting from mannequin to mannequin and the elaborate dresses that covered them. They looked to be some of the unicorn’s best work up to this point, and yet, that very thought vanished from his mind when Sparks finally emerged from the fitting room. When he saw her turn the corner with Rarity by her side, his jaw hit the proverbial floor. Sparks was now fitted into what looked like a flowing black gown, with orange trimmings that complemented the hard-light visor over her eyes. The trimmings seemed to shimmer under the light as she walked forward, and she took every step with a never before seen level of confidence. To put it simply, she looked beautiful. Rarity looked proud of her work. “Don’t say a word, Spike. Just take a moment to soak it all in. I tried to start off with something simple yet dazzling that would give some contrast to her... everything, but once I got going, I just couldn’t stop myself.” She then looked at Sparks. “Dear, you look lovely, simply marvelous...” The dragon cleared his throat, but kept his eyes fixed on Sparks. “Ye-Yeah... She looks... great...” He wasn’t even aware that he was staring, but if she minded, she wasn’t saying anything to stop it. Then, something clicked in the back of his mind, something that he remembered he was about to say before he was caught off guard, and he finally brought himself to look at Rarity. “Wait... I thought the idea was to help her blend in, not look like a princess.” Again, the unicorn waved his concerns away. “Posh, darling. She likes the way she looks, and frankly, so do I. Forget about my fee, dears. This one is on me. Both of you are welcome back anytime.” Then, she took off for the stairs and vanished from sight, leaving Spike and Sparks alone by the door. Now that it was just the two of them, Spike attempted to keep himself from ogling the beautiful mare, but her intense stare wasn’t doing much to help. “Well, Spike? Where are we going next?” ***Up Next: Organics Are Weird***