‘So then, Spikey,’ said Rarity as they stepped outside the castle grounds, ‘What was it you wanted to talk about?’
Spike put his claws behind his neck, stretched and came to a stop, looking ahead before saying anything. ‘Ahh. It’s a beautiful afternoon, don’t you think, Rarity?’
Rarity surveyed the plaza before them as they stood at the top of the side-stairs leading from the western wing’s outer courtyard, downward towards Canterlot’s inner city. The sun was just starting to dip in the deep blue sky, casting longer shadows across the centre’s gleaming towers and spires, the hustle and bustle of ponies and a few other creatures in the streets meeting, travelling, shopping, patrolling, working, winding down a little as sunset approached. The plaza itself, overlooking the drop off the mountainside upon which Canterlot resided, still had its market running, a bi-weekly event that attracted traders from far and wide across Equestria, questing to make bits from high-society ponies searching for that little piece of authenticity missing from their lives.
Looking past the plaza from their vantage point one could see little Ponyville and its rolling hillocks, the river and roads winding towards, through and away from it, and the vastness of the Everfree Forest into which the river disappeared, all sprawl across the low land in the distance. The day was clear enough that you could definitely see Ponyville’s city hall in its middle and Twilight’s old castle near its edge if you peered a bit, Rarity found.
Her attention jerked back to the city closer to her as she heard the tinkle of music from a street performance troupe on the breeze from the plaza, creating a carnival atmosphere that gave her a tingle down her neck to her back. Normally when she came to Canterlot she made straight for wherever she needed to be unless something or somepony severely caught her eye, and this scenic vista of the city and its beyonds revealed much she hadn’t seen nor thought of for some time.
She shivered – not just from the frisson the scene instilled inside her, the breeze was a bit brisk despite the satin headscarf and silk neckerchief she was wearing. ‘It is breathtaking, isn’t it,’ she agreed plaintively, sitting down on the top step as she drank in the view, ‘I can see why you didn’t want to wait around in a stuffy old library longer than necessary.’
Spike sat next to her, seeing the very same things she saw. ‘Yep… sure is,’ he said, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, ‘The view’s amazing from here. Sometimes if it’s clear I grab my binoculars, fly up a bit and see what I can see of Ponyville, if Canterlot’s too boring. I mean, it’s not always this busy.’
Rarity raised an eyebrow, smiling at Spike. ‘Really, now? How good are these binoculars of yours? Ever see anything interesting over there, hmm?’
‘I can see all kinds of–’ Spike stopped himself, ‘I mean, uh, nothing like, I don’t spy– Rarity!’ he glowered, ‘C’mon, don’t turn things around on me– I, I, maybe I shouldn’t have admitted that… I wouldn’t have told you that if I did anything like, like that!? Uh, I mean–’
‘I said nothing of the sort, Spike,’ Rarity said blithely. Spike cringed, and Rarity felt a little bad – she’d only meant to tease him slightly, in jest, and he’d gotten himself all flustered. ‘It’s alright, I didn’t mean anything by it. Besides, surely you’d need a telescope to see more than little specks of distant ponies?’
Spike took a moment to compose himself. ‘Yeah… I can’t see all that much, I mostly just guess at what anypony’s doing at a given time, really. You’re all like ants all the way over there.’
‘Nevertheless, if we come out this way again sometime you’ll have to bring them!’ said Rarity, ‘To think I could check up on the boutique over from here… how marvellous!’
They sat quietly for a minute more before Spike stood up. ‘Well, wanna head down to the market? There’s a smoothie stand in the middle of the plaza you’ll love, and I still have some pocket bits… my final pocket bits off Twilight before I hit the vaults later and check out my stuff. My treat, whaddaya say?’
‘My muzzle still stings a bit from that awful juice Smolder was drinking…’ Rarity scrunched for a second, ‘I should say, that was an acquired taste for sure. Smoothies sound splendid, but no more dragon specialties for me today, I don't think. I gladly accept your invitation, precious.’ The breeze was pushing her headscarf back up her head a little, and she adjusted it downward as she spoke.
‘No more surprises, gotcha,’ said Spike, before hovering overhead, ‘Well, hold on tight!’
‘Hold on to what– waaah!!’ Rarity cried as Spike put his claws around her hooves, gripped them and took off, carrying her haltingly over the flights of stairs she otherwise would have spent valuable seconds traversing on hoof. ‘Spike! Spike, what are you doing?!’
‘Saving us some time!’ answered Spike through slightly laboured breathing from the effort of carrying his friend, ‘Those stairs are steep, y’know?’
Rarity kept her eyes forward in an effort to keep calm, and for the first leg of their flight she got another eyeful of the view, and it swept through her vision as they descended. As they passed the halfway landing point of the staircase, however, she couldn’t help looking down, and saw that they were dipping downwards rather closely – probably no more than a few feet above the railings by her own estimation – and she foisted her legs upwards as much as she could and held tighter onto Spike to avoid scraping against anything. ‘Spike, I think you should lower me down right now, darling! Gently!’
Spike flapped his wings harder to gain some distance between Rarity’s rump and the stone staircase. ‘N… no can do, Rarity, it’s the bottom or b-bust! Nowhere to l-land on these now!’ he strained.
Rarity couldn’t suppress a scream as he took her to the final stretch of the descent, and she felt him wobble as his stamina started to give out. The pavement at the bottom of the stairs was approaching fast and she was sure he wasn’t going to stick the landing. ‘Spike! For goodness’ sake!’
‘Oh, this was a bad idea!’ cried Spike, ‘Look out below!!’
Rarity screwed her eyes shut, cried out and, in desperation, cast a spell to take some of the weight off Spike’s wings. They glowed blue as he was able to slow up somewhat, and for a second it seemed they would land without incident, but it was still that bit too fast – with an “oof!” from both of them they collided with the flagstones, bounced once and rolled to a stop in a heap, Spike landing on Rarity’s back as she sprawled on the ground just in front of a well-to-do pony couple she was sure she recognised.
‘Goodness gracious, are you OK?’ asked the tan female of the pair, extending a hoof to her, ‘That looked a rather close call!’
As the jet black-maned pegasus pulled Rarity to her hooves, her moustachioed unicorn partner did likewise for Spike. ‘Experimental traversal via dragonflight, mademoiselle Rarity?’ he said, ‘I have seen far worse misadventures in the name of science in my time, but perhaps you two should be, aha, un petit peu more careful in the future?’
Rarity thanked the two profusely for a moment before they trotted on their way. ‘You know those guys? They seem nice,’ said Spike once they were out of earshot, somewhat sheepishly.
‘I’ve probably met them before at one function or another, but I can’t name their names…’ Rarity pontificated out loud, adjusting her headscarf again and dusting herself off before turning to Spike to give him a good telling-off. ‘Spike the dragon, I really don’t think that was necessary!’ she snapped, ‘You gave me such a fright doing that without any warning! We both narrowly avoided disaster, and we could have crashed right into somepony and hurt them! It could very easily have been those “nice” ponies, even!’
Spike averted his eyes from Rarity’s fierce gaze. ‘Man, I’m sorry. It’s way easier to do that when I’m not carrying anypony, I didn’t think…’ he trailed off.
‘Hmm… no, you didn’t,’ Rarity said with finality, before lightening up a little – she couldn’t stay angry at her favourite little dragon for long. ‘Oh, well, we worked it out, didn’t we? No real harm done… just warn me next time and maybe don’t bite off more than you can chew, as they say.’
Spike exhaled. ‘Ah, Smolder was right. I wanted to show you I was stronger than I used to be, but I messed up.’
‘There’s strength and bravery, and then there’s plain recklessness,’ said Rarity pointedly, before looking back to the hundred or so stairs looming behind them, ‘And I fear you erred on the wrong side of the line between those. I do appreciate the thought, though – I see why those stairs are seldom used.’
Spike sighed. ‘Welp, so much for that,’ he gestured in the general direction of their destination, ‘Smoothies await us, I guess.’
Rarity grinned. ‘Why, yes! I hope they’re as good as you say, I simply couldn’t say no to a strawberry mixture right now, especially after that excitement!’
Spike smiled at Rarity as they made their way through the thick of the crowds towards the plaza, side-by-side. ‘They do a really nice oat salad bowl, too, if you’re hungry at all.’
‘Thank you so much for offering, but no – I'm quite full after all those sandwiches at the meeting,’ said Rarity, ‘Delicious and filling, the lot of them. You outdid yourself there, Spikey,’ she sidled up close to him, elbowed his side and said quietly into his ear frills, ‘And truthfully, that sort of thing is much more impressive to any lady than a near-injury experience, you know?’
Spike blushed awkwardly. ‘Heh, yeah, I hear you… I’ll keep that in mind.’
After a few minutes’ walk and a little bit of gossip about Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara’s new manestyles – it turned out Sweetie Belle had told Rarity, then Spike, independently, that they were both going through a punk phase which may or may not have been inspired by Rarity’s makeshift Vanity Mane photoshoot a while back – Spike stopped at a modest little covered cart stand. There was a fancily-illustrated chalkboard advertising the selection of drinks nearby, a number of occupied metal garden tables, chairs and parasols, some of which were occupied by resting tourists and nattering schoolpony unicorns from Twilight’s school of magic surrounding its front, which was attended by one pale orange, teenaged earth pony filly with her mane tied back, wearing an apron and hat. ‘Well, here we are. Hey there, Peach Melba!’
‘Hi, Spike,’ said the pony, nonchalantly shaking up a carton of something before putting it in a refrigerator. She was obviously dazzled by his accompaniment when she looked up from her work properly and involuntarily flashed a bracey smile. ‘And, ohmigosh, is that– Ms. Rarity, it’s an honour! Spike told me you were friends, but I wasn’t a hundred-percent certain he wasn’t making it up? So good to meet you at last!’
Rarity laughed mildly, as one did when flattered upon first meeting somepony, and half-raised a hoof towards her. ‘Delightful to make your acquaintance, Ms. Melba. Dear Spikey brought me here, and he tells me your stall makes the most magnificent smoothies. Would you care to accommodate moi with an, ah, a tall,’ she focussed upon the chalkboard behind the attendant for a moment, ‘Strawberry and… hmm, what would your recommendation be to go with strawberry here?’
Peach Melba bit her lip nervously. ‘Kiwi, blueberry or lemongrass are the favourites along with yogurt, but… my dad’s not here, he left me alone while he checked something out on the other side of the market… he’s the real reason to visit. I’m still learning the trade.’
Rarity pondered her choice with great care. ‘I’ll have my usual,’ said Spike, ‘Uh, apple and amethyst, that is. You know, if your dad left you serving customers like this you must be picking things up alright.’
Peach Melba took the compliment with a broad smile. ‘Thanks. Dad says that plays havoc with our grinder and blender blades, you know, but I’ve got the goods and a shiny new set of ’em. How about you, Rarity?’
Rarity blithered in deep contemplation for a moment before deciding. ‘Eehblehehbleh… oh, I’ll be a devil and have all three of your recommendations together, darling. Toss a banana in if you’ve got one?’
‘Got it. Take a table and I’ll bring ’em to you in a flash! Well, maybe two flashes,’ said Peach Melba, ducking down to fetch her ingredients from beneath her counter. A second later she popped back up and said, ‘Wait, almost forgot – Spike, your box is round the back. One moment.’
She disappeared entirely from the stall and came around with a small bottle crate held by one edge in her mouth, which Spike took with both claws. ‘Thanks, I’ll need that,’ he said.
Rarity selected an unoccupied table in the corner a little way right of the counter next to another occupied by a gaggle of schoolfillies cutting loose after hours – more importantly to her, it was the table closest to a hippogriff flautist busking with a tune she found awfully nostalgic across the way – and plopped herself onto a chair as Spike bunged the crate onto another, before wing-boosting himself onto its top. She liberated her coiffed mane from her headscarf for the time being; they were less exposed to the elements here than elsewhere and it was honestly making her ears a bit itchy when she moved. ‘What a lovely girl you’ve befriended there, Spike. I simply must leave her a nice big tip when we’re finished here.’
Spike smiled. ‘Ah, I’m just over here a lot in my downtime is all, so they know me by name,’ he said, ‘They’re one of the only places around here that do gem recipes well. She is very nice, though, and she’s underselling herself; she mixes the gem stuff up better than her dad, in my opinion. Between you and me, he’s a bit stingy with it.’
‘Amethyst’s not the cheapest gemstone around these parts, that’s probably why,’ said Rarity, ‘Doubtless he’s somewhat concerned about his bottom line.’
‘Guess I hadn't thought of it that way. I mean, they could raise the price if they needed to! I’d still buy it, although, thinking about what Twilight said before about wasting my cash…’
‘Hmm… I’d say it would hardly break the bank if they did, Spike, although I suppose I'm thinking of that as a seamstress reselling raw materials as accessories, rather than simply a consumer…’
Spike forced a smile, ‘Yep, that’s me alright… the dread Spikey-Wikey, consumer of gems.’
‘Now, now, it is not wrong to enjoy a teeny luxury once in a while, don't give me that guilty look. Besides, this is purely a hypothetical concern, is it not?’
‘You just got me thinking of the value of a bit, is all. It’s weird to me since I'm so used to Twilight, heck, you, just giving me stuff in exchange for assistance if you were around and I wanted it, and my monthly pocket bits if you weren't.’
‘Yes, well, once you know exactly what’s in your coffers it may be you’ll need a budget worked out somewhere down the line, then,’ Rarity said matter-of-factly, ‘I do have experience with that if you need a gentle shove in the right direction later – unexciting for sure, but I know doing one at each moon’s commencement keeps the boutique turning a reliable profit. Also, forgive my asking, but… do you have pockets?’
Spike nodded as she spoke, faintly uncomprehending of Rarity’s first point, then answering her query. ‘Heh, good point. Figure of speech, I guess – Twilight always called it that.’
‘Fascinating,’ said Rarity, terminating that line of discussion – now wasn't really the time and she could always return to budgetary concerns later. After a few seconds she exclaimed, ‘Ooh, I’m looking forward to this! Your recommendation carries a great weight with me, you know!’ She beamed and clapped her hooves.
‘Well, I hope it lives up to expectations,’ said Spike, before looking around and spotting Peach Melba approaching with a silver tray, ‘Oh, I think she’s coming with the good stuff now,’ he said, slapping his side of the table with both claws.
Two seconds later Peach Melba clinked the tray, adorned with glasses containing their orders which were in turn each adorned with a wacky drinking straw with a three-dimensional star halfway up, onto their table. ‘Smoothies up, nerds,’ she said, ‘Well, one nerd and an, um…’
Rarity smiled knowingly. ‘I believe two delightful smoothies have arrived for a lady and a young gentledragon,’ she said, ‘Thanks so much.’
Peach Melba’s face turned red as she looked at Rarity. ‘You’re the last creature in Equestria I’d call a nerd! S’cuse me, I, I'm just used to Spike being accompanied by, uh, where’s Gabby been, anyway?’
Now it was Spike’s turn to look awkward. ‘We broke up a few weeks ago…’ he intoned with some hesitation, ‘Long story, but we’re still on good terms, I think?’
‘Oh, I'm so sorry,’ Peach Melba gasped, ‘Say no more. N… not my business, but you were cute together. Well, enjoy!’ She ducked out after that.
Once Peach Melba had set off back to prepare her next order, definitely trying not to look embarrassed, Rarity giggled. ‘Oh, that poor filly… I do think she thinks she’s really put her hoof in it!’
Spike winced. ‘Eh… I'm not really willing to explain that to anyone besides you and Twi, honestly, at least not yet. I'm kinda glad she backed off.’
‘I’ll leave her a note along with the tip later, anyway,’ said Rarity, ‘Besides, she’s right – the two of you were adorable around one another.’
Spike had taken to slurping on his straw, and Rarity did likewise for a moment – she was anxious to finally try the wares. It was as delicious as Spike had promised – the sheer sensation of the fruit blend flooded her mouth as she sipped her first mouthful, a little acidic on her tongue before mellowing as it reached her throat, going down nice and smooth. ‘Oh, fabulous,’ she said after a second gulp, looking right at Spike and smiling, ‘Rather invigorating, as a matter of fact! How’s yours?’
The flautist nearby paused for a swig from his flask as he came to the end of his song. ‘Same as always, not that that’s a bad thing,’ said Spike, slightly flatly, ‘I'm glad you like it too.’
Once they’d both about hit the halfway point of their respective drinks, he spoke again, in a hushed tone and with a serious look in his eyes. ‘Rarity, can I ask you something?’
‘Anything, Spikey,’ she replied.
‘...Were you really okay with me and Gabby… being a thing?’ Rarity’s smile shrank, and he continued before she could formulate a reply, ‘I mean, I know we worked things out between the three of us early on, but these last moons we barely saw you… neither of us knew why. Was it just work keeping you, or something more than that? You were around, and we were friendly, you seemed to be getting on fine with Gabby, and then all of the sudden…’
It seemed appropriate to Rarity that the new tune the hippogriff had commenced upon was slow and melancholic, and she threw Spike’s serious look back to him intensely, not responding immediately. ‘It’s fine if you don't want to answer that,’ said Spike, ‘Maybe this isn't the right time–’
Rarity looked left and right, silently gauging whether anycreature could hear them before pursuing such a personal topic, but between the lowkey din generated by the smoothie stall’s other customers and the music, she was sure they were sonically isolated enough for her to answer Spike’s question truthfully. ‘No, no, I do owe you an explanation somewhat on that front,’ she said, magically swirling her drink around with her straw a bit nervously, ‘I should come clean about something, although I must warn you, it is a little… ah, perhaps I was being a bit silly…’
‘Did one of us offend you, somehow?’ asked Spike.
‘Not exactly, darling… do you, do you remember that last time the three of us played Ogres & Oubliettes in the old castle library? Back in the spring?’
‘Cerulean Mage Garbuncle and Warrior Princess Shmarity battle Vampire Queen Bloodstone’s batpony hordes,’ Spike recalled, ‘Sure, I remember that. Gabby OM’ed that one.’
‘Ah, always with the bat ponies, that griffon,’ said Rarity, ‘Countess Bloodstone was her chaotic-neutral main character, a being of motive changeable as the plot required, was my understanding? I remember the stack of bookmarked character lore notes she brought to games most vividly.’
‘Yeah, she really took to O&O after I introduced her to it. She’d written up this whole dark urban fruitsucker universe lore, with illustrated manuscripts and everything. It was fun in a spooky way, huh?’
‘I don't think Fluttershy would approve of some of it for a few reasons, but between you and I, absolutely! Gabby was an excellent OM, her games were always creative and jolly good fun, if verbose even by my own standards,’ agreed Rarity, before getting back on topic, ‘Anyway Spike, do you remember near the end of the game, when I got up to fetch some tea and cookies for us all?’
Spike racked his brain for a moment before coming up empty-clawed. ‘Not especially?’
‘Well, it would have been a simple hoofnote to the get-together, if not for one thing…’ Rarity’s face fell and she sighed as she recalled what she remembered, and she slouched forward, spreading out over her side of the table.
‘Oh, oh boy. I remember now, I think,’ said Spike, putting a claw to his forehead, ‘Right before you came back in, me and Gabby…’
Once Rarity got started, she just kept going. ‘I saw the two of you kissing as I walked back into the room, teapot and cups in tow,’ she shrunk back so as to be less dramatically sprawled across the tabletop, ‘And you were really… you were really up in each others’ faces. It looked downright passionate. It may be that my memory elaborates somewhat, but I distinctly recall Gabby’s claws caressing your cheek and frills, and one of yours on her haunch as your tongues entwined, mouth and beak! You were both enjoying yourselves so much you didn't notice me, and I felt, I couldn't bear it! I simply didn't want to have seen what I’d just seen!’
She elevated herself from off the table, and supported her forehead on the backs of both her hooves as she continued. ‘I mean, of course you were in a relationship, you’d been drakefriend and griffriend for quite some time by that point! I hadn't the right to be shocked or affronted; of course creatures in a relationship are going to do things like that in their private moments! But, in that instant, I just, I didn't know what I felt, but it was a sensation most dire… I’d believed myself prepared for that sight some time prior, but apparently I was emphatically not. Given circumstances it just seemed simpler to deny it, so I quietly scooted backwards a couple dozen hoofsteps back outside the room, paused, then clinked two of the cups together, which alerted the two of you to my return. Then I sat back down at the table and served up some earl grey and vanilla creams as if I hadn't seen anything. After that we wrapped up the final showdown with Bloodstone and her fanatics, and then we called it an evening, and I went home, all smiles all the way to my doorstep, and then I spent an hour or more face-down in misery on the fainting couch until Sweetie Belle dropped by.’
Spike had been quiet, slowly sipping his drink for the duration of Rarity’s surprise outpouring. ‘So that’s why you didn't reply to my next invitation,’ he breathed, ‘I figured you were preoccupied with costume orders for the Two Sisters’ Festival, but I wondered if something was up.’
‘I needed some time,’ said Rarity, fiddling with a strand of her mane and trying not to cry, sniffing once, ‘I felt… confused for a while after that. Not jealous or resentful, I wasn’t angry at either of you, and even if I had been, you know I vowed never to interfere between you again anyway after that nasty possessive jag I suffered after you first started seeing one another. I just felt… oh, I don't know, a peculiar sense of loss, of sadness, seeing conclusively with own true, blue eyes that you were with Gabby, romantically, and I was just the gooseberry of our trio, and my favourite little dragon was growing up and moving on without me. I didn't want to admit it, but it hurt so much.’
‘Aw, Rarity… Just because I did things like that with Gabby didn't mean I didn't have any time for you. You should have spoken to me. I was just left to assume!’
Rarity’s eye judged Spike just for a second before mellowing. ‘Well, perhaps you could have come to see me if you were concerned, you know. Oh, I don't know, you’re not a mind-reader… like I said, I was being a bit irrational, but I just couldn’t help it…’
Spike leaned forward and put both his claws on one of Rarity’s hooves, and when she looked up properly she saw a little dragon’s face that was full of regret. ‘No excuses. I didn't even bother to visit, Rarity, even though I suspected. I made excuses to myself not to, I told myself you’d get in touch with me sometime, plus, like you may have noticed, things were heating up a bit with Gabby which made it easier to kinda ignore you, and I now I say that, geez, I’m a real jerk…’
‘And just like that, we independently made a mutual decision to let our friendship wither, didn't we,’ said Rarity wistfully, ‘I threw myself into work, as well as training up Yona once she’d started her apprenticeship with me around that time. I suppose I’d just about come to terms with it when I heard the news from Gallus that afternoon. If I hadn't bumped into him, I'm certain we wouldn't be having this conversation now. Well, maybe I’d’ve heard the news from Sweetie Belle before too long, and certainly at the next Friendship Council, but who can truly say?’
‘You coming up to Canterlot just to see me made me realise what a mistake I was making, ditching you like that,’ said Spike, ‘You really didn’t have to give me the time of day, but you did, and you were so kind and, and understanding… I guess I appreciated it enough to offload grossly all over you at the time. Sorry about that again, by the way… but also, thanks so much for meeting me all these times lately. I really mean it.’ He paused, then snorted a giggle and, grinning, retracted one claw from Rarity’s hoof to his mouth.
‘Well, what’s funny?’ Rarity scrunched her muzzle with mild indignation; she was still feeling a mite raw from confessing to Spike, and she wasn’t certain she appreciated his mirth.
Spike smiled broadly, giving Rarity an eyeful of his fangs’ full complement. ‘Sorry, I was just thinking about how we tag-team nagged Twilight into giving me the keys to my vault, that’s all. Teamwork makes the dream work!’
Rarity sat up properly in her chair again for the first time in a short while and wiped her eyes, cheering up a bit. ‘Oh, quite! I don’t think she appreciated it, you know, at least not at first, but you’re quite correct, we talked her into it with a bit of persistence. I do think it’s a rather important step for you to take.’
‘Yeah, that went better than I think it would’ve if I’d just brought it up to her by myself. That and you bringing up ancient history… I mean, the kindergarten thing. It’s weird thinking about that positively at all, but it’s something that happened that, as much as it sucked out loud, doesn’t need to define me forever, I guess. Same as the greed-growth thing, or that first time I went out to the Dragonlands and got bullied by Garble and his gang… that left me with kind of an identity crisis for a while ’til I met other dragons who weren’t like that. I gotta stop letting things like that drag me down.’
Rarity sucked the dregs of her drink through her straw and licked her lips before speaking again, her eyes sparkling as the sky above began to take on a pinkish-orange hue. ‘I know it feels such sometimes, keenly, Spikey, but you’re hardly the only creature ever to, ah, “screw up”, as you’d say,’ she said, ‘Did I never tell you about the first time Celestia invited me to the castle back in the day? I became so preoccupied with impressing snooty upper-crusts I came this close,’ she held one hoof aloft, ‘To jeopardising all my friendships with the girls at once, and even with my poor Opal! I’d never do anything so foolish and selfish nowadays. Nocreature is flawless, darling. What’s important is that we learn from our mistakes, and you said it yourself during the meeting, there’s no way you’d ever transform into that dreadful, ah, “Spikezilla” beast now.’
‘If I can help it, and I’m sure I can,’ Spike said before smiling slyly, ‘I’ve been present for some of your worst too, that’s for sure… you always bounce back, though. I really admire that about you, no lie.’
‘Well, there you go, then,’ said Rarity, emptying her glass, ‘I can be your role-model if you so wish, Spikey-Wikey.’
Spike had a strange, tranquil look on his face for a moment, and he rested his head on one claw as he looked right into Rarity’s eyes, then shook it off. ‘Mmmmm… hey, you know? I’m pretty sure we weren’t actually prenching like you said, Gabby and me I mean? Like, we weren’t kissing with tongues, Gabby didn’t like doing that ’cuz mine’s so long…’
Rarity grinned awkwardly, blushed and averted her eyes from Spike’s. ‘Eheh… as I said, dear, my memory may have embellished just a little… but you’re telling me, bold as brass, the two of you at least experimented with it, are you?’
‘Yeah, once or twice… is there a problem with that?’ Spike sounded at once defiant and apologetic in his effort not to get so flustered a second time.
‘I won't lie and say it doesn't make me feel uneasy to contemplate, Spike, but that’s your business and not mine,’ said Rarity, ‘For tact’s sake, we probably should put this topic of conversation to rest for the time being. If we’re both done with our drinks, should we pay and get on our way?’
‘Agreed with that, and I’m all done,’ said Spike before getting Peach Melba’s attention for the bill, ‘Hey, where’d you like to go next?’
Rarity readied her own bits as well as a pen, as Peach Melba returned to their table with an itemised bill atop a saucer; she hadn't forgotten what she’d said before. ‘Hmm… normally left to my own devices I’d hit the shops for a tad, but I think I’ve accumulated plenty of fabric and gemstones lately as it is. That view of Ponyville you showed me before atop that staircase was most enticing, though! We’re close to the city rim from here, aren't we? Let’s trot over to the river cascade before it gets dark, or, um, fly, on your part?’
‘That sounds like a great idea!’ Spike said, descending his box as Rarity scribbled a quick note, pen in mouth, and left two bits alongside his payment. ‘I’ve not been over there in a hot minute myself; it gets dull on my own, but if we’re going together, well… that’s a different matter entirely.’
Rarity stayed put at the table as Spike paid his bits and bid farewell to Peach Melba, adjusting her neckerchief and replacing her headscarf over her mane. She observed Peach Melba’s reaction with amusement as she and Spike both chuckled at the message and the silly little smiley face drawing of herself she’d left (“😋 Simply divine smoothie, darling! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+1 for yourself, you star! ~R”), and she waved when Peach Melba flashed her braces in her direction. Before Spike returned she made sure she had something more for the busker still hard at work behind her, now playing a familiar, mellifluous melody she couldn’t quite place.
Rarity stood as Spike flew back to their table. ‘All done,’ he said, ‘She really liked the note you put on the bill! She said she’d get it framed, even.’
‘Yes, so I saw,’ smiled Rarity, ‘I’ll be sure to pop by here again sometime in the future, it’s quite urbane in a manner that I find most pleasing and the staff are so friendly. Well, hop on!’
Rarity lowered her back end a bit, and Spike realised what she meant. ‘Uh, I can fly, Rarity. It’s fine.’
‘Well, I’m hardly questioning your abilities, Spikey, I just thought it was a nice idea? You purchased a wonderful smoothie just for me and you were awfully kind about, erm, that discussion about, well, things that had been eating at me for some time. Let me do something nice for you in return. I’ll carry you to the rim, what do you say?’
Spike considered her offer for a moment. ‘Promise not to hurl yourself down any stairs while I’m riding?’ he asked.
Rarity gave Spike a sly glance and smiled. ‘Why, I haven’t the faintest idea of that to which you refer, dear. Everything will be perfectly fine, although I must insist, do not muss my mane if you can possibly help it.’
‘Well then, I graciously accept, and I promise I won’t touch your hair,’ he said, hopping onto Rarity’s back as she’d instructed.
‘I’m sure I can count on you,’ Rarity said as she stood up properly, slowly at first to gauge Spike’s weight, and began to walk through the thinning plaza crowd in the general direction of the rim. She levitated a gleaming blue crystal into the hippogriff busker’s hat as they got on their way and smiled, and he nodded back in appreciation, mid-tune as he was.
Spike silently noted that Rarity’s back was a little firmer beneath him than Twilight’s, its curvature was more pronounced towards her posterior and her hoofsteps were slightly lighter. He didn’t dare disrespect Rarity’s specific instructions regarding her mane but it was plain to him the curls escaping the back of her headscarf were very bouncy indeed, and it was especially noticeable from behind how they flounced as she perambulated onward. He tried not to think too hard about how soft it surely was, nor how nice she smelled this close up, definitely flowery perfume doing the heavy lifting; he guessed it was rose petals.
She turned her head left to talk to him. ‘You are alright back there, aren’t you darling? I’ve not had much practice carrying anycreature like this since Sweetie Belle was little, but I know Twilight used to do it for you all the time before you got wings! She’s probably far more practised at this than I am…’
‘It’s fine, you’re not uncomfortable or anything. Maybe a bit bumpy, but I’m not gonna fall off,’ replied Spike, ‘If you start galloping I might, though!’
‘I may need to hurry,’ said Rarity, ‘We won’t be able to see much besides lantern-light after sundown! How far would you say it is?’
‘It’s about six minutes from here as the dragon flies?’ Spike guessed, ‘The crowds aren’t too bad now so it shouldn’t be much longer on hoof.’
‘Nevertheless, we must make wise use of the small time we have. Hold on now, Spikey-Wikey!’ said Rarity, picking up the pace from a casual trot to a light jog. Spike obeyed, putting his claws around her shoulders; mainly through necessity, partly because holding onto Rarity felt good.