"Oh my darling, are you okay?"
Spike could feel the dirt sticking to his face, yet something was different, he felt different like he wasn't himself. He lifted his head from the dirt when he heard the most angelic voice. That voice...I know that voice. "I must still be in Equestria."
"Sorry, darling, I am afraid you're not."
Spike glanced up with dirt coating his face. He noticed that he had long fingers now instead of claws. So this is what Twilight got to experience... His jaw hit the floor when he spotted who'd spoken so kindly to him. "Rar...ity?" That unmistakable dark purple hair that was in a big curl at the end of her head was a dead giveaway.
"Yes darling, I am Rarity, and you are?"
In shock. He mentally said to himself but replied. "I'm Spike."
"Wait...Twilight's dog is named Spike." She noticed a familiar shade of purple on his face. Unmistakable dark green eyes and his hair were the same color.
"Well...there was some kind of mix-up." A thought struck him he reached onto his pock on his shorts and pulled out a small red fire heart ruby. "I had this in my...claw before I went through the portal."
Rarity couldn't help but gaze upon the ruby, the rays of the sun overhead made it sparkle. "That is gorgeous darling."
"My Rarity was aw struck when I let her have it on my birthday a few years ago," Spike said using his free hand to wipe the dirt off of his face.
Rarity smiled at him. "She's definitely a lucky...um...unicorn...is that right?"
Spike nodded. "She's a unicorn as pure as the whitest winter snow."
Rarity could see the dreamy look in his eyes. "Really darling?" He really cares about her. She thought and added. "Have you said this to her?"
Spike could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. "I...can't bring myself to do it. I just clam up around her." He reached back and felt the solid of the marble stone he'd just come through. "Okay, that's new."
"Princess Twilight Sparkles did make it so she could cross over at any time, right?"
"Far as I know," Spike replied and noticed that Rarity was staring at the ruby again. "How will I get back home?"
"Back to your Rarity?" Rarity said.
Spike grinned. "This is so strange. You sound and act just like her. Last time I was in a dog form."
"I remember Spike. I must admit that this is quite different." She could see him glancing back and forth between the ruby and the marble block. "I bet Princess Twilight Sparkles is already thinking of a way to get you back. If not just for you then for Rarity's sake." Okay, that sounded so strange. What is Equestria even like? She could feel her curiosity growing.
Spike glanced over at Rarity and smiled. "Thank you."
"Any time darling. I wager the others are around."
The thought of letting this Rarity hold the fire heart ruby had crossed his mind but for some reason, it didn't feel right. Spike got to his feet and found that his balance was better than he expected. Already being bipedal had made it easier to adjust than what Twilight had gone through. "I'll be a sight to see." He said while he put the ruby back into his pocket.
"Indeed darling." Rarity agreed she had to look up to meet his gaze. "Are you...well you wouldn't know if you've always been this tall."
"I hit a growth spurt not too long ago. I know Rarity likes it. I've caught her glancing my way more often and blushing whenever I would catch her looking." I could get used to this. He thought while he was walking with Rarity.
So she does like him. Rarity thought with a smile. Maybe I could help in some wa. She led Spike to where the group was.
***
Rarity had been busy over the past couple of days working on dresses. Keeping her mind occupied. "Why hasn't Spike stopped by like normal?" Rarity asked no pony, she was alone in her Boutique. She stopped a hoof in frustration. "I'll go see Twilight, she'll know, and I know Spike will be glad to see me." She smiled and added. "He always is."
***
Princess Twilight Sparkles was running around the large room at Friendship Castle in frenzy. The portal Spike had gone through two nights ago wasn't working. She'd been trying to figure out what caused the issue. "There's got to be a reason why. Everything has to have a reason." She concluded. "Rarity is probably going nuts missing Spike. I wish I knew what possessed him to go through the portal."
***
Rarity made her way to Friendship Castle. A strange feeling hit her the closer she got to the Castle. "Something...is wrong. I know it." She summoned her unicorn magic and opened the massive double doors.
________________________________________________________________________
"Twilight, have you seen Spike?"
"He went through the portal to the human world, and something strange happened." Princess Twilight said to Rarity.
"To Spike...my Spikey?"
Princess Twilight held up her hooves. "Before you flip out, I have been trying to open up the portal."
"When did he go into the portal?"
"Two nights ago..."
Rarity's eyes widened. "You can't get to him or bring...him...back?"
"I am sorry Rarity." Princess Twilight replied she could see the look in Rarity's eyes. Then a slight twitch in her right eye.
"Keep working Twilight. I want him back home."
Princess Twilight could hear the drop in tone from Rarity's voice.
***
In the human world, Spike had found comfort in the group that had been at first shocked to see him as a human now. Sunset had tried to contact Princess Twilight using the journal, but it wasn’t working. She figured that it had something to do with the portal.
Spike found that the human version of Rarity stayed by his side. He did miss his Rarity and it was comforting to have one so similar to pass the time until Twilight found a solution to the portal. He had no doubt that Twilight wouldn’t give up and he would be back with his Rarity in no time.
***
Four days went by, and Rarity was getting worse. All she could do was think about her Spikey-Wikey.
"I finally have an idea. I should have thought about this earlier." Twilight announced.
"What pray tell are you getting at Twilight?" Rarity asked with her mane in an unkempt mess.
"You, I know you care about Spike. Maybe just maybe with your feelings for Spike combined with your magic it might open the portal."
Rarity tilted her head and gave a half-smile. "It took you almost a week to think of this?" She replied feeling her right eye twitching again.
"It's something to try, isn't it? Speaking of trying. Why hasn't Sunset Shimmer written to you about Spike? Seeing as he's human and not in a dog form in this other world should have been a huge shock. Moreover, why haven't you tried writing to her?"
"I've been working nonstop on trying to fix this problem. You know how I get."
Rarity blew out a breath and summoned her unicorn magic and kept her thoughts on Spike, letting those feelings combine with her magic. She could feel her magic growing stronger as she aimed a beam at the portal. Energy crackled around the portal with arcs of lightning dancing across the marble floor.
Before Princess Twilight could say anything, Rarity leaped through the open portal. She came out the other side and found that she had long slender legs. With think fingers that lead up to soft hands that were once hooves. Amazing, so this is what it’s like for Twilight in this world. She could feel her long legs wobble a bit as she found her footing. “Wow…” She had her hand on the statue where she’d come out through. Her eyes scanned the school as Princess Twilight called it, her gaze caught the sight of someone who look very familiar, uncannily familiar. “That’s…me…and…”
She walked over to them and found that she could keep her balance.
“Spike, I know she’ll come for you. Sunset Shimmer’s tried to contact Princess Twilight, but her message can’t get through. It might have something to do with the portal.
“Oh…Spikey…I’ve found you.” Her mouth was wide open, and her makeup had run down her cheeks from the eyeliner she always used.
The human Rarity looked up and her jaw dropped open at the sight of another her.
Spike’s eyes widened. The human Rarity still held him. “Rarity…I can…explain…”
Rarity realized that she must look like a total mess. She could see the look written all over her counterpart's face. Her gaze stayed on Spike for several minutes taking in how he looked in this new form. It was still the Spike she knew; she could see those same eyes of his even in this form.
“Oh my darling, you look a fright…er no offense darling.” The human Rarity said.
“None taken. I’ve been so worried about my Spikey-Wikey. I’ve hardly slept, all I could think about was getting to him.” Rarity said still eyeing her counterpart who was holding onto Spike.
“Well, you’re all he talks about.” Human Rarity revealed. “How did you even get through the portal?”
Spike looked up at Rarity with his jaw dropped open.
Rarity tilted her head to the side. “Um…well, it was something Princess Twilight said. ‘with your feelings for Spike combined with your magic it might open the portal.’ So…I took a chance, I wasn’t even sure that it would even work.”
Spike just sat there jaw dropped as the two Rarity’s talked back and forth. He felt the human Rarity releasing her hold on him and climbed back to her feet.
The two Rarity’s stood side by side. “This is still so strange.” Human Rarity admitted looking at her other version. “Mind if I help you get cleaned up”
“Why?” Spike’s sudden word cut her off. Both Rarity’s looked at him, he kept his head down while he spoke. “It’s never been Rarity’s beauty that’s held my heart for this long. It’s who she is on the inside.” Spike got back to his feet, and he walked over to the one Rarity he knew was his. Thought it was easy to tell the pair apart, he’d know Rarity no matter how she looked.
Rarity could feel her cheeks turning red at what Spike had said. “Spikey…”
“It’s the truth.” He said and reached out and took hold of her hands. Having claws while he was a dragon didn’t make this feel strange. It was the fact that he could hold Rarity like this. He let go of one of her hands and pulled out the fire heart ruby in his pocket. “I know this is why I became human. It has to be.”
“You gave that to me on your birthday, why do you have it?” Rarity asked flashing a smile, that Spike would still find beautiful regardless of how she looked.
“I’m not sure, I just wanted to hold something that you cherished as much as me,” Spike admitted.
“So…are you two like an item or something in Equestria?”
Rarity and Spike looked over at Rainbow Dash when she spoke up.
“Well um…no darling…” Rarity could feel her cheeks turning redder than before.
“You definitely fooled me.” Rainbow replied.”
“Well…Is it because he’s a dragon in that world and yer a unicorn?” Applejack asked in her usual southern manner.
That got Rarity and Spike to look at one another.
Spike let go of Rarity’s other hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s a long story. I met her when I was little, I’ve known her for over nine years. It’s just…” His voice trailed off.
“I never let my feelings out. I wouldn’t let myself with Spike being so young…in pony terms that is.”
Spike smiled at that. “I kinda figured that was the idea, and my crush on you has only grown stronger over time.”
“Looks like more than a crush. Same with how you feel for Spike, Rarity.” Rainbow Dash said lifting an eyebrow.
“Rainbow, honestly darling.” Human Rarity shot back, she looked at Rarity who was shaking her head.
“I can see why Princess Twilight is so attached to all of you, especially Sunset-” Rarity put her hand over her mouth. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” She could already see Sunset Shimmer’s mouth hanging open. Rarity cleared her throat. “Being away from some…um…one can put one feeling into perspective and bring them to the surface.”
“What about when we go back to Equestria? I’ll be a dragon again…other ponies-” Spike said.
“Why would that stop us? So what if we’re different. It’s our hearts that call out to the other.”
Spike felt his entire face turn bright red at what he knew to be a confession to him from Rarity. “So you…me…us…as in us?”
“Besides, darling every…pony their things were an item,” She glanced at this group of friends. “I’d say these do as well.” She turned back to Spike. “Unless you’re objecting-” She glanced down when he placed the fire heart ruby back into her hands.
“I’d never deny my heart, I gave you mine all those years ago, to me it was a secret promise. Now that promise is real.”
Rarity grinned at Spike; she could feel her heart squeezing in her chest. She curled her fingers around the ruby and held it next to her heart. “I can’t wait to get back home and tell our friends. I bet our Pinkie Pie will throw a huge party.”
Sunset Shimmer walked up to the pair. “Mind if I return with you? I’d um…like to talk to Princess Twilight.”
Rarity grinned at her. “I truly am sorry for that little slip darling, but I don’t see Princess Twilight objecting to seeing you again.”
Sunset smiled at her.
“This is going to get awkward. Twilight won’t be expecting any of this.” Spike said reaching out and touching the marble stone statue, he watched his hand slip inside, the portal was still open. He withdrew his hand and looked back at Sunset and Rarity. “Shale, we go?” He held out his hand for Rarity she placed her hand in his as the three of them stepped through the portal together.
…