//------------------------------// // Fears of a Lost Love // Story: The Duty of Love // by Midnight Sky2 //------------------------------// Spike opened his eyes slowly in the bright daylight. The light stung his eyes. He blinked them repeatedly until they became adjusted to the light of day. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched his arms high above his head, groaning as he did so. He looked around the room. Twilight was up already, her bed was neatly made, the stars and planets perfectly aligned on her blanket. The sun reflected off the sun catcher in the window and spread prismatic light all over the walls and book shelves. Spike turned his head toward the wall clock. Its ancient wooden hands said it was exactly eleven o’ clock. Twilight had let him sleep in. He needed that rest for tonight. Not only for the date with Rarity, but also for the long journey to the recruiting station in Clopton. He had chosen Clopton because no one would recognize him there and turn him into Twilight, or worse, Rarity or maybe even Celestia or Luna. He took a deep inhale; he could smell Twilight making hay fries. It was that distinctive smell of fresh sweet hay and grease as the two were combined in a crisp chip and then salted. He salivated at the thought. Think of the favorite food of yours that your parents or grandparents make. That’s how Twilight’s hay fries were to Spike. First thing first though, get out of bed and make it back up. Spike leaped from his bed and frantically tucked in his covers. His prayers had been answered; his mom had made him his favorite pony food on his best day ever. Or at least, he hoped it would be his best day ever. He dashed into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He ran down the winding stair case toward the kitchen. He leaped from the bottom step onto the blue, fuzzy floor mat between the dining table and the fridge. “Twilight I’m” Spike proclaimed excitedly. “up.” he sighed as he looked around the vacant kitchen. The dishes had been washed and neatly placed in the drying rack in front of the window. The table had been wiped clean and a not placed upon it. Spike picked up the piece of yellow parchment gingerly in his massive claws. It read: Dear Spike, I have gone to get more parchment, ink, and quills. I took the liberty of leaving you some warm hay fries on the table. Love, Twilight “Well, at least she left me breakfast.” he said with a deep sigh. He was disappointed that twilight would be joining him but he decided it was probably for the best. He would be able to get out of the house faster and make all of the arrangements for tonight quicker. He turned his head. The hay fries were still steaming and were placed neatly upon a plate on the dining table. He picked up the porcelain plate and downed all of the sweet, crunchy chips at once. A slight belched escaped his mouth. “Excuse me.” he said to absolutely no one. Growing up with Twilight, it had become a force of habit to say “excuse me” every time he belched. He then went back into the bathroom to brush his teeth once more before setting out on his errands. As he brushed his fangs with a green Mister Scrubby toothbrush and his favorite minty toothpaste, Spike went over his list in his list in his head. He made up the order in which he wanted each and everything done. He was going to make sure that this was the most romantic night in the history of Equestria. Spike spat the toothpaste out from his mouth, took a small cup of water, swooshed it around a few times then spat it out to. This left his whole mouth with a fresh feeling. It felt cold but it burned at the same time. He smiled as he inspected each and every tooth like an artist inspects every inch of a sculpture before it goes on display. Perfect. Satisfied, Spike began the assent up the winding wooden stair case to the bedroom. His footsteps echoed through the empty house. He pushed the door open and went straight to his bed. He extended a long, scaly arm underneath it and groped around in the darkness. After a few seconds he felt what he was looking for and gingerly pulled it out from under his sleeping space. The ancient chest had collected a fine layer of dust since he last opened it around three weeks ago. The dark chocolate chest was covered with golden vines, expertly crafted onto its wooden body. The lock was a golden oak leaf with a key hole in the center of the central vein. Spike blew the dust from the precious case and delicately inserted the bronze key into the lock. He twisted it and the box snapped open with a metallic click from its golden hinges. Spike looked inside the box. All of his gems were growing fine. This was probably the best present anypony could have ever given him. Imagine it, a chest that could speed up the growth of gemstones. Princess Celestia had given it to him for his fifteenth birthday and Luna had given him a Night Amethyst to go with it. Oh how he had enjoyed the heck out of eating that amethyst. He marveled at how a chest designed and created some ten odd thousand years ago could grow a fourteen carat diamond in less than two months. But enough reminiscing in memories, he had to get finished with this little project so that he could run his other errands and get ready for his date. Spike took the two sapphires he had been aging out of the container. He had put them in three weeks ago when he last opened the chest. They were not that large but they were the prettiest and purest he had ever laid his eyes on. Their flawless azure surfaces glimmered and sparkled in the sunlight that was beaming in through the bedroom window. Spike could see right through them in they weren’t such a deep blue. Oh how wonderful they would taste. He began to drool over them but he couldn’t have them. These were for Rarity. He laid them gently on top of his recklessly made bed. Then he reached in between the diamonds and the emeralds and took out a gleaming slab of platinum and snapped it in half with a loud pop. It wouldn’t match the engagement band, but at least they would be far better than anything she could buy from an ordinary jeweler, even one in Canterlot. Spike gently blew a stream of green fire onto one of the pieces of the silvery metal. Within seconds it turned to a bright red jelly. It hissed as Spike meticulously cleaned off the gray impurities that had floated to the surface of the molten blob and tossed them into a lead bucket that was placed beside him. He formed the top half of one of the earrings with expert precision. The part that would fit through Rarity’s ear and the hook it attached to were formed within twenty seconds. “Twenty seconds flat.” Spike said with his best impersonation of Rainbow Dash’s voice. He then returned his attention to the main body of the earring. He blew softly on the bottom of the already molten blob to make it even softy and thus easier to work with. He took his clawed fingers and slowly began to work with the metal. Skillfully he formed mountains and valleys and rivers. He pinched and poked and prodded. He lost himself in his own little world. It was a world where he could make anything he wanted. He was the master painter and the searing blob of metal his canvas. He began to hum a song. The origin of said song he knew not. He hummed as he worked. It was a rich, natural humming that seemed to come from his very soul, his very being. It seemed to translate itself directly into Spikes fingers and into the metal. It was like putting in his scaly hands. He finished. The metal made a deplorable hissing, almost screaming sound as Spike dunked it in a cup of ice water. It instantly hardened and Spike pulled it out again. He examined it. It was a slightly dangly earring. It was not as dangly as some of the earrings he had seen or made. It would only come down just past Rarity’s ear. Spike was thoroughly impressed with his work, his little creation. The mountains he had formed were the veins of six oak leaves that were connected to each other by their stems. The valleys and rivers were the ripples he had made in each leaf. They were so very delicate. Never before in his life had Spike made such a beautiful treasure. It sparkled and glistened in the sun as Spike held it up to check for imperfections. He marveled at it, scrutinized it, it was beautiful. Spike was baffled that he could make such a gorgeous bobble in, he glanced at the clock, thirty minutes. “Now for the tricky part.” Spike announced to himself. He picked up one of the oblong sapphires in his powerful claws and placed it gingerly into the platinum framed of the earring so that the oak leaves came exactly one fourth of the way down the body of the gem. The leaves, of course, were much longer than this and formed a dome above the gem without the gem being inside the dome; it would just be grasped and held in place by the tips of the leaves. Spike blew carefully on the tips of the leaves as he gently twirled the earring by its hook. He thin dipped it briefly back into the ice water. This time instead of a screaming hiss, it was only a slight fizzle. He looked it over. Perfect! The gem and metal had been perfectly fused into one, glorious piece of jewelry. One that Rarity would love. He immediately set to work on the next one. He managed to repeat the process to the letter. He had made the two most dazzling pieces of jewelry he had yet to create. Spike reached back into the chest and pulled out a small, white jewelry box. The inside of which was a plush, royal blue carpet. He snapped the box open and placed his little works of art into the two holes that would hold their clips and thus keep them in place. After making a last minute check he snapped the box closed and placed it under his pillow. The clock read twelve fifteen. The young dragon hopped up from the wooden floor of his bedroom and dashed down the stairs. He had less than six hours to make his arrangements, get dressed, and meet Rarity at her doorstep. He threw the door open and stepped out into the blinding sunlight. Spike closed and covered his eyes to save them from the burning light. One thing he hated was spending time in the dim library and then entering the full blaze of Celestia’s sun. Blinking rapidly for a few short seconds, Spike was able to lower his arm and fully open his eyes as they adjusted to the change in the light. He glanced around the streets. The usual ponies were out and about talking, shopping, working, or just hanging out. A few of them waved and said “Hello” to Spike as he walked down the earthen street toward the mayor’s office. She was one of several ponies that owed him favors from weeks, months, and some even years ago. Spike was never one to collect on such favors as he helped others purely out of the kindness of his heart. However, he was going to make a few exceptions…. just for today. After several rather tedious hours of making the necessary preparations for what Spike hoped to be the best date he would ever go on (he thought it might be the LAST he would ever go on), he finally arrived home with a pair of corsages in hand. He checked the door to see if it was locked, it wasn’t, which meant that Twilight was home. He pushed the door open and walked inside. He set the corsages on the table dining and walked into the main library. As usual, he found Twilight arranging and rearranging books with her telekinesis. She hummed and bustled and made all kind of remarks as she went about her work. “I’m home Twilight.” said Spike cheerfully as he entered the room. “Where have you been? You know it’s re-shelving day. You’ve never been late for anything before.” she nagged him, letting several books fall to the floor. “I’m sorry I guess I just forgot.” he replied apologetically. “Forgot? Forgot about a job like this? Are you okay?” she asked with an expression that was half surprise and half concern. “I’m fine I was just busy running errands.” Spike explained. “For?” she questioned further, raising an eyebrow. “For my date with Rarity tonight.” Spike said as if replying to something that should be completely obvious, and making hand gestures to express this. “What date with Rarity?” asked Twilight as if she knew nothing about it. “Oh! I didn’t tell you did I?” he laughed. “I have a date with Rarity at seven. I was out making the necessary preparations.” “Oh….okay.” Twilight said as she accepted his explanation and returned to her work. Spike glanced at a wall clock that hung above entrance to the main library. The time was five twenty two. He had to hurry if he was to be at Rarity’s on time. “Twilight?” asked Spike “Yes, Spike?” she replied without even glancing up from her task. “Could you make me smaller….just for the night?” he requested. “Huh?” the purple unicorn asked as she turned, with a perplexed look on her face, to face him. All of the books fell to the floor with a thud. “We’re going to do some dancing and I was wondering if you could make me……more her height.” Spike explained, using his hands to communicate the approximate height that he wished to be for the evening. “I don’t know Spike.” said Twilight, twiddling her purple, pink streaked, mane. “I’ve never tried anything like that. Not on a living being anyway.” “Can you at least try? PLLLLEASE?” he pleaded, getting down on his knees and starring longingly into her thoughtful, amethyst eyes. “Fine.” she said flattening her ears. “Here goes nothing.” she grunted as her horn began to glow purple. Spike was suddenly surrounded by a glowing, purple aura. He stood back up, closed his eyes, clinched his teeth, and crossed his clawed fingers. He began to reduce in height and weight almost immediately. “Uhahhhhhyah.” Twilight grunted through clinched teeth as she finished. She looked at Spike with satisfaction in her eyes. Her telepathy had successfully changed Spike from an alicorn sized dragon, to a normal pony sized one in ten seconds. Spike opened his eyes and took a few moments to examine his now shrunken body. He looked exactly the same; long arms with clawed hands, spines that had grown from short, blunt and rounded to tall, curved, and sharp as he had aged, fangs that hung out of his mouth slightly from his upper jaw, jagged but soft scales, and large feet with extra sharp toe claws. It worked exactly as hoped he had been shrunken but his body reflected his age rather than size. He was simply scaled down a few sizes. He hadn’t been this height since he was fourteen. Twilight and Spike’s eyes met. They smiled; they each knew what each other was thinking. “Ten seconds flat.” they laughed simultaneously, high hoofing each other. “So are you happy with it?” asked Twilight proudly. “Yes! Thank you so much!” the purple dragon exclaimed as he jumped up and embraced Twilight in a bear, or rather, a dragon hug. “I’m glad you like it but *gasp* I can’t breathe.” Twilight wheezed as she squirmed and tried to get away from Spike’s suffocating embrace. “Oh, sorry.” Spike apologized as he released Twilight from his grip. He stood there blushing as she picked herself up off the floor. “It’s okay.” stated Twilight as she rearranged her ruffled mane. “Now run along and get dressed. You don’t want to be late.” she nagged as she shewed him away with her hooves. He ascended the stairs into the bedroom. He flipped on the light switch and dove into his closet and shoving through the numerous clothes hangers toward the right side of the clothing rack. There he found it, the tuxedo he had worn to the Grand Galloping Gala the year he was fourteen. It would match anything Rarity would be wearing. It was solid black; of course, the undershirt was white, and the tie black. It had no elaborate patterning or any frou-frou coloration on it. It was just plain and simple. The scarlet red rose corsages he had picked up would also match anything. The purple dragon took his clothing of choice and hung it on the bed room door knob. He stepped into the shower and freshened up. He brushed his teeth and gleaming, white fangs with rapid, fluid motions. He smiled into the mirror. His teeth sparkled as the light reflected from their flawless surfaces. Perfect. He made sure that his spines where in absolute perfect alignment. If he was going to die before he had another date, he had better look his best for this one. Spike looked at his reflection in the mirror and sighed deeply. “Is this truly the end of it all?” he asked himself dejectedly. A still small voice in his head told him no. But somewhere deep inside he knew he was going to die. He decided that if he died it would be for the right reasons; honor, duty, country, family, friends, love. The same reasons hundreds of soldiers had already valiantly given their lives in this bloody conflict. He tossed these thoughts aside for the moment and slipped into his tuxedo. It fit like a glove. He looked at himself thoroughly in the mirror. He turned and examined himself from every angle to make sure he looked perfect. A piece of lint on his left shoulder blade was immediately flicked off. Another quick check and perfect. He plodded down the stairs and took the box with the corsages inside. He opened his and pinned it over the left side of his chest. He opened the door and shut it behind him. Spike made his way down the empty streets of Ponyville, humming as he went. One block down, turn left on Hay Street, another block down and you were at Carousel Boutique. He had made this journey hundreds of times during the last six years. He could probably make it with his eyes closed. After about three minutes he made it to his destination. He was unsure what froufrou outfit Rarity might have on for the occasion. It was not the beginning of the end to her, just another date with the one she truly loved. The door loomed before Spike like a monolith made of all of his fears, dreams, anxieties, and insecurities had been combined into the form of a harmless wooden wall; a wall that he could not make himself face. He turned to leave but was enveloped by a warm golden light coming from inside the house. In the doorway stood Mr. Gemstone.