//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Twilights and Rainbows are a Rarity // Story: I Can Count On You // by Ekhidna //------------------------------// Chapter 6: Twilights and Rainbows are a Rarity “You want me to what?” Spike asked, incredulous, at Twilight. “I want you to read that book,” Twilight replied with a smile. “Twi… I love you to bits. You’re my big sis, I would do practically anything for you… but reading a book isn’t precisely what I was expecting from you when you told me, and I quote,” he cleared his throat. “ ‘Test your limits and patience to the point of madness’,” he chanted, doing his best interpretation of her lecturing voice. “And it will!” Twilight giggled darkly. “This training almost drove me mad, Spike.” “Almost?” He joked, crossing his arms. “You know what I mean, wise guy,” Twilight replied in good humor and punched his right upper arm. She blinked. “Wow, Spike. I didn’t really notice it before, but you’re so… different now. In a good way,” she smiled, hugging her little brother. “It’s quite nice to see like this, honestly.” “Beefed up and strong?” “I was going to say content and full of confidence. But I can’t say these new muscles of yours aren’t a welcome sight! I could almost see your bones sticking out before your training with Shiny started.” “Thanks, Twi,” he kissed her cheek. “It was grueling, but I am quite happy with the results so far!” “Then let’s not wait any longer,” Twilight nodded, returning his affection with one of her own. “You are going to sit here and read this book until you finish it. I am going to ask you questions about it, so don’t skip over anything.” “Yes, yes, my mistress. Whatever you say,” he replied with a sigh, taking the book and sitting on the lounging couch in the Castle’s Library. “So… I just have to read this book and give you a report on it to pass your training?” “Pretty much,” Twilight replied with a shrug. “You disappoint me, Twilight,” Spike replied with a blank expression as he grabbed the book. “‘The Magical Theorem of Combination, Teleportation, Absorption, and Manipulation of Magical Energies and its Applications.’ I take it back. You are the worst villain Equestria has ever faced,” Spike groaned loudly. “This is going to be more boring than watching a horde of Pinkie Pies watch paint dry!” “And what were you expecting, exactly?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Some sort of crazy, over the top, intricately thought out maze of traps, misleads, riddles, and an impossible task to reach the exit of the center of it whilst fighting back against magical constructs or dodging magic blasts?” Spike offered. “Silly Spike,” Twilight replied, shaking her head. “That’s more Starlight’s or Discord’s thing. Not all training has to be physical! Sorry to disappoint your expectations, but my training is going to be mental.” “Greeeeeeeaaaaaatttt,” Spike groaned once again. “Hey, can I at least have some snacks?” “Have fun, Spike!” Twilight said, practically skipping at the exit, ignoring his request. As she opened the door, her horn came to life. “And just another thing I forgot to mention,” she smiled devilishly as she stepped out of the room. “Try and keep focus.” With her horn shining brightly a wave of lavender magic engulfed the library. The next moment, Twilight closed the door. “What was that all about?” Spike muttered. Instantly, his eyes widened. The room was silent. His voice had felt uncanny and disturbing. Looking around, he noticed his senses were intact. But he couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable at the total absence of any sound. It was so deep and unsettling that it was immediately almost physically painful. Shaking his head, Spike opened his book and started to read. *********************************************** “It was torture, Rarity! Pure torture!” Spike cried and complained as he helped Rarity with her shopping bags. “I could barely keep my eyes on the damn book because I could hear my heart pumping! I could hear my own heart with my ears! And she went through with that!?” Spike sighed heavily. “I barely finished two pages before I quit. How can anyone, other than a deaf creature, focus on anything with t-that SILENCE!?” “My poor Spikey-Wikey,” Rarity pinched his cheek before gently kissing him. “Twilight can be such an unfeeling mare when she sets her mind on something,” she fixed her hair with a hand. “As an artist and a designer, I absolutely understand the need for ‘working silence’, so to speak. But never to such an uncomfortable degree!” “I know better than anypony how she can get over things and how obsessive she can become. But come on!” Spike grumbled. “I kind of get what she’s trying to teach me, but couldn’t she find a more… approachable way to do so?” “And what, if I may know, is Twilight trying to teach you, Spike?” She asked as the two of them arrived outside of her boutique. “That no matter the circumstances I have to keep the focus on my objective,” Spike pondered. “Or something like that. My head is still aching,” he replied while Rarity searched for her key. “My poor precious scales,” Rarity comforted. Her door opened as she twisted the key. “Come along, darling.” Spike walked into Rarity’s house as he carried her several bags of merchandise and other materials. They were quick to make it past the upfront studio and arrived at the storage room. “Where do I put these, Rarity?” “You can leave them on the floor, darling. Now, follow me,” Rarity invited. Spike followed her to the kitchen. Suddenly, he smelled something rich. Sniffing at the air deeply, his mouth watered involuntarily with drops of spit dripping down the corners of his maw. Before he could ask what was going on, they arrived at the kitchen and he saw the source of the smell. “A-Are those seasoned and crown sapphires, rubies, emeralds, a-and a malachite?” his eyes widened. “O--Ohhh…. A jasper… and bismuth… and t-two whole peridots?” He swallowed the ball of spit that had formed in his mouth. “W-Where did you find them!?” Spike asked, smiling widely at Rarity. “I have my sources, precious scales,” she replied with a warm smile. As Spike reached for one of those delectable gems resting on a fruit bowl, she spalled the back of his hand away, causing him to look at her with confusion. “Ah, ah, ah. I didn’t say they were for you, dear. I’m saving those for a dashing outfit I’m working on.” “Y-You’re seriously going to waste t-those gems,” he swallowed. “Those… delicious… sweet gems... for a dress!?” Spike protested as he stared at the gems. “I know. I knooooowww, Spikey, but you know how Sapphire Shores can be about her stage outfits. Oh! Speaking of which,” she got off her vest, leaving her only in her blouse. “I must go change clothes and work on it now. Spikey-Wikey, be an absolute daaaarling and keep an eye on my gems? I wouldn’t want anything to happen to them in my absence! Ta-ta~” Spike stared at Rarity before she ran out of the kitchen in a flash. Nodding to empty air, he turned her gaze back to the gems. He opened his mouth, but it was overflowed with spit and saliva and several strands fell to the ground. “R-Rarity… h-hey, Rarity… I… I can’t,” he swallowed again, loud enough for it to echo around the kitchen. A sinking realization materialized in his rumbling stomach and he let out a painful groan. Defeated, bested, tricked, and deceived, Spike sat on a nearby chair, watching and smelling the delectable gems, knowing he couldn’t touch them… lest he wished to fail Rarity’s training. “Of all the things Rarity could’ve come up with,” he swallowed again. “Why thi-iii-ii-hiiiis?” He whined. *********************************************** “Hiiiiiaaayyyaaaahhh!” Rainbow Dash cried as she delivered a powerful kick at a punching bag. “Ya’see, Spike? It’s all about the posture and the momentum, you gotta keep your balance and then strike!” She screamed again as she delivered a quick combo of three high kicks and a roundhouse. “I see what you mean, Rainbow,” Spike replied, both of them wearing a karate-gi, as they trained in her sparing room thanks to Twilight using the cloud walking spell on him. Closing his eyes, he focused his balance and his strength. After taking a soft breath, his eyes shot open. “Hiiiaaayyaaaah!” He shouted, delivering a kick to his punching bag much like Rainbow had done, although with lacking expertise, the effect was the same.  “Cool! I see AJ wasn’t kidding when she told me you could control that crazy dragon strength,” Rainbow mentioned, impressed. “You can thank Shy for that, Dashie,” Spike stretched his arms as did little hops just like Rainbow showed him. “Come on! I can take whatever you throw at me… unless it’s silence or delicious gems!” “I am not going to ask about either of those, but okay!” Rainbow replied with a laugh. “Hey, is it crazy that I kinda miss the lanky twerp from almost a year ago, before turning into mister hot stuff?” “What? Good ol’ miss Number One flier in Equestria doesn’t like what she sees?” Spike joked as he flexed his muscles. “HA! As if! You’re like a brother to me, Spike. That would be just plain gross!” She replied before delivering another kick to the bag. “I would totally kiss you just to get Zephyr away from me, ugghhh,” she shuddered. “But nah. I just appreciate well-built bodies, buddy.” “Well, I don’t miss my old pathetic self, Rainbow,” Spike said with a smile. “Now… Now I can fight at your side! I can actually do something! I’m no longer just an errand boy!” he cheered as he delivered another kick. “Is that what all of this is about, Spike?” Rainbow stopped, turning to face Spike. “Did you hate being the way you were before you asked us for help?” “Of course I hated it!” Spike replied, giving another kick. “I was always the weakest… the coward… the useless one! I couldn’t do anything back then,” another kick. “Now… Now I can help!” Another kick. “ I can do something besides cowering!” Another kick. “I can be useful!” Another. “I can finally make mom proud!” Another. “I CAN PROTECT YOU GUYS!” With a final kick, Spike tore the punching bag apart, breaking it off its handle and sending its remains flying across the room. He exhaled a mouthful of steam. “I am strong now. I. Am. Strong.” “You sure are, Spike,” Rainbow dashed across to Spike, hugging him tight. “You know we never considered you like that, right?” “I know, Dashie. I know. It’s just how I felt all the time… now I am alright. Now I am like I always wanted to be,” he smiled, returning the hug. “It won’t change how I was character-wise, but now I’ll just improve.” “As long as you’re our same ol’ Spike, I support you, yah big softie,” she said, nuzzling his shoulder for a moment. “Now, enough with the feelings stuff! Come on! Want to get serious with me? Then let’s get your form up to form, because you make my eyes bleed with those kicks of yours!” “Let’s go at it then, Dash!” Spike chanted. “Good. You have the technique and the style down already. After your form is right, we are going to spar seriously and I am going to kick your scaly ass!” “Just try it, Dash!” ************************************************ Reading a book under the pressure of such deafening silence was a task harder than the grueling training under Shining Armor’s leadership. It was only comparable to the torturous temptation of having such precious gems at an arm’s reach, but knowing he couldn’t take them. And Rarity forced him to watch over them for several hours. Alone. Overall, his time spent with Rainbow was by far the easiest and the one he enjoyed the most. Using what he had learned with Fancy and Fleur, all of applied with the techniques he learned with Blueblood, and mixed together with Fluttershy’s and Pinkie’s teachings, and he was swimming through Rainbow’s lesson in under two weeks. He had always been quite the fast learner, after all. But when it came to Twilight’s and Rarity’s trainings, one set to teach him how to focus his mind under a single objective; whilst the other taught him how to suppress his own desires, their trainings were but a step away from being torture. He couldn’t adapt to them or grow used to them, every session was as difficult and suffocating as the last. But despite all that, he endured, pressed on against the adversity, and fulfilled his first task with a final flip of a page and the closing of the cursed book. Standing up, Spike walked to the door and then outside the room; relieved out of his mind that the dreadful silence was replaced with ambient silence, peaceful and welcoming. Letting out a tired sigh, he made his way to Twilight’s room and found her sitting at her desk writing something. “I’m done with the book, Twi,” he said tiredly. “You’re a horrible monster, sis. But thank you. Now, ask away.” Twilight smiled and clapped her hands repeatedly. *********************************************** “Aaaaaaand we’re done!” Rarity said happily. Stepping back and clearing her brow from sweat, she stared at the beautiful dress she had finally finished. “Oh, Spike-Wikey, I couldn’t have done it without you!” The mare cheered giddily before throwing herself at the arms of the dragon. Spike hugged her tightly, smiling ear to ear that the torture was finally over. Looking over the gems had been one thing… to actually touch them and pass them to Rarity as she masterfully added them to the dress was another form of torture, and a test to his will, he had passed with success. “I’m glad for you, Rarity… and I’m sure Sapphire Shore is going to be delighted with the dress,” Spike replied. “Oh my~, it seems I missed something rather important, wait here for a moment, precious scales. I will take but a minute!” She said before rushing off to her room upstairs. Spike waited patiently, admiring the dress and glaring at it slightly. “Sapphire Shores better be damn glad….” Half a minute later he heard Rarity’s hoofsteps rushing back down. Turning around, he saw her standing at the bottom of the base of the stairs, blushing lightly and smiling warmly at her. Walking towards him, Rarity opened her mouth to speak and let out a single little gasp. “Spikey, my knight in shining scales,” Rarity started, smiling as brightly as ever; her eyes reflecting a sentiment Spike couldn’t quite identify. “You’ve passed with flying colors. And now… now I feel like it’s the right time to return you this,” she declared as she came to a halt half a meter in front of the drake. Spike’s eyes widened with nostalgia upon seeing what Rarity revealed to be carrying behind her back. “Rarity--” “Please, Spike, take it,” she pushed it a little further up to him. “I can’t, in good mind and heart, keep it any longer. Not as a mare. And certainly not as a friend. It’s time it returned to his original owner,” she smiled tenderly. “And may it find a better holder.” Spike reached out, unblinking and his mouth partially opened in astonishment. His claws graced its surface and his face reflected on it. For a brief moment, he saw himself as the little, scared, insecure dragon he was back then playing and pretending he was tough. His crush on the mare in front of him. His life before that very moment. Spike smiled… and pushed the Fire Ruby back at Rarity, confusing the alabaster mare. “It’s yours, Rarity. It was a gift from the heart. I can’t accept it back. Not in good mind. And certainly not as a friend,” he said solemnly, gently, and smiling warmly at her. “Spikey-pooooo,” Rarity croaked, her eyes filling up with tears. Throwing herself at his arms once again, Rarity hugged him as tightly as she could. Both friends hugged for long moments simply enjoying each other’s embrace. “Then, precious scales, tell me what do you want. I can get some more gems like those for you as a prize.” “This is prize enough, Rarity,” Spike whispered back. Choosing it was the perfect moment to ruin, his stomach grumbled with the might of a famished manticore. “Buuuut I’d totally accept some hayfries and burgers, though.” Rarity giggled. Chapter 6 End.