Chapter 4: Jealousy
It had been a few months and Gray found himself sleeping outside. Devoid of any sort of shelter, he had used the last of his money to purchase a small one pony tent. That’s what he’d slept in for the past few weeks now and his back was killing him. He still frequented Rarity’s boutique, even if it was just for company. The theatre was being constructed, but it was behind schedule. It was really annoying Gray.
Rarity was humming. She always hummed when she worked, but today was different. Today Rarity was letting memories drift through her head... Memories that included silky black hair and gunmetal grey coats. Back to the first time her and Gray met, the strange questions, the praise about her work. She barely noticed Spike walking in. Once more he held in his hand a bouquet of flowers.
“Uh.. Rarity?”
Rarity looked over at the little dragon and smiled.
“Hello Spike.”
Spike held out the bouquet of flowers to Rarity.
“I picked them for you Rarity.”
Rarity smiled.
“Thank you dear. They’re lovely.”
Spike looked at her closely, noticing the faraway look in her eyes.
“Are you ok Rarity?”
The unicorn smiled dreamily at the little dragon.
“Oh yes... I’m just fine Spike.”
The dragon frowned and put the flowers on a worktable, turned and left.
~*~
Gray sat in his bed, his mind wandering over the delays. It was so frustrating. He only really knew two ponies who he could talk to. He really wasn’t feeling up to talking to the mayor though. Instead, he walked away from his tent and headed towards Rarity’s boutique. Rarity was with a friend when he arrived. A shiny black Pegasus with deep red mane and tail along with deep red primary feathers on his wings. Rarity smiled over Demonhearts’ shoulder.
“Hey Gray!”
Gray smiled at her. Demonheart turned around and looked at the newcomer. His face split into a smile.
“So... you’re the mysterious Gray I’ve heard about...”
The soft voice carried over to Grays’ ears. It was a comforting sound.
“Yes sir, I’m Gray. You?”
The earring Fluttershy had made for him shone in the light.
“My name is Demonheart.”
Rarity watched the exchange, a slight smile decorating her face. Gray gestured towards Demonheart’s earring.
“So who’s the lucky mare?”
Demonheart chuckled.
“Her name is Fluttershy.”
Gray nodded.
“Lucky girl.”
Rarity’s smile grew larger as she watched the interaction from the two stallions. They’d barely met and they were getting along well. She couldn’t help but giggle girlishly. The two stallions looked at her.
“What is it Miss Rarity?”
Rarity waved a hoof at them happily.
“Oh don’t mind me... Please keep talking. It’s good to see you two getting along, especially after all the trouble Demonheart went through to make friends in the first place.”
Demonheart and Gray exchanged puzzled looks. It made no sense to them. Gray shrugged.
“So, I take it Fluttershy is good with animals?”
Demonheart looked at the stallion in surprise.
“Y... Yes... How’d you figure that out?”
Gray gestured to the earring.
“It’s shaped like a butterfly. If I’m not mistaken, the earring of an engaged stallion is in the shape of their partners cutie mark. Since it’s a butterfly, I figured she’d be quiet, gentle and therefore very good with animals.”
Demonheart’s shocked expression told Gray all he needed to know. He’d hit the nail right on the head.
“Wow... That’s impressive Gray...”
Gray shrugged.
“Lucky guess.”
~*~
Gray returned to his tent. He’d been talking to the main builder of his theatre. A big workhorse name Big Macintosh.
‘Fitting name....’ Thought Gray seriously.
They were incapable of building or working at all the next day, a rainstorm being scheduled by the weather team. It worried Gray immensely. His tent couldn’t stand to a rainstorm. He needed to find a place, but he’d do it tomorrow. He was too tired now. He let his thoughts wander as he sat down inside his tent. He found his thoughts inexorably drawn to Rarity. He admired her work... But there was something about her that was different from the other mares he’d met over his teenage years. In all his twenty-three years, he’d never met a mare like her. He let his minds’ eye wander over her features, smiling as he did so. He saw her beautiful mane, her brilliantly curled purple tail and her immaculate white coat. He looked up as a purple dragon entered his tent. He recognised him as Spike.
“Hey Spike! What brings you here?”
Spike looked at the stallion. There was something about the look in his eyes that made Gray nervous.
“Gray... I have something to say...”
The voice that came out of the fang-toothed mouth was venomous and full of jealousy.
“But I’m only going to say it once.”
Gray looked nervously at the angry dragon.
“What is it Spike?”
Spike lifted his head and looked Gray right in the eye. The look was beyond deadly.
“Rarity... Rarity is my mare... Nopony elses! Especially not yours!”
With that and a puff of flame, Spike stormed out of the tent, heedless to the small flames licking at the sides of it. Gray stared for a moment. This was more than a crush like he first thought. Spike had taken it into an obsession. It took a small burning sensation on his hoof to realise his only shelter was on fire. He yelped in surprise and ran out, just narrowly escaping being burnt as the tent fell apart around him. He stared helplessly at his destroyed tent.
“Well... So much for that.”
Helplessly, Gray lay down on the grass with the storm clouds hovering overhead. His eyes spoke volumes on loneliness and sorrow. He’d just lost his last possession to a jealous baby dragon. He sighed.
“Guess it makes sense... Nothing else has worked out... Why would this?”
Gray fell asleep that night on the cold, hard ground with nothing above him but gathering storm clouds.