//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: DATE?! // Story: Spike's Mark // by mikemuir0178 //------------------------------// Chapter 6: DATE?! “Oh my aching horn,” Rarity said after lifting another box full of records, “Did Princess Celestia really need to send the records of every pony in Ponyville?” Rainbow Dash then placed another box on top of the one that Rarity had stacked. “I agree. Why couldn’t she just send the one file?” “Well, we did need to be thorough,” Twilight added as she joined her friends to check on their progress. “Well yeah,” Rainbow Dash admitted, “But dropping them in on us like that. I mean, look at the mess!” Twilight could not deny that when Princess Celestia sent the files it created quite the mess. They were still picking documents off the floor and trying to organize them before sending them back to Celestia. She had assumed Princess Celestia would send a caravan keeping all the files together and in order. “I guess she thought this was urgent,” Twilight replied. “Urgent?” Rainbow Dash asked, “But what gave her that idea?” Twilight thought about it, then shrugged. “I don’t know,” she replied. Twilight then looked at the rest of folders that were spread out across the floor. It would take all night and maybe the following morning to the get the files sorted. Already she could see that everyone was tired from the day’s activities. “Why don’t you all take the rest of the day off? We’ll clean up the rest tomorrow.” “Are you sure about that?” Applejack asked. Twilight nodded. “Besides, I want to try to organize the records,” she added. “Yay! School’s out! Time to go!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she put her last box up and zoomed out the room. The other ponies agreed and said their farewells to Twilight as they walked out of the room. After all of them had exited, Twilight walked over to Spike in the corner of the room. The little dragon seemed to be nervously organizing some files and putting them into a box. “Spike? You didn’t mark that letter ‘urgent’, did you?” Twilight asked. “Urgent?” Spike said cautiously, “Who me? Heh…What gave you that idea?” “Spike?” Spike sighed in defeat. “Sorry Twilight,” he admitted, “It just feels like I’m so close to finding my parents. I want to know what happened to them. Why did Grey Shire have my egg? Did my parents entrust it to her, or did she steal it? Where did I come from?” Twilight could easily see the weight on Spike’s shoulders. Gently, she placed a hoof around him. “We’ll find them, you just need to be a little more patient.” “I know. And I trust you will find them. It’s just that,” Spike sighed, “I’ve been waiting for so long.” Twilight knew that Spike meant that he had been waiting all his life. She wished there was some kind of spell that could help him relax. At the very least, she wanted to relieve the tension he was feeling about finding his parents. However, there wasn’t anything she could think of. Or rather, there was nothing SHE could do to help Spike. “Spike. Why don’t you take the rest of night off? You could use some rest.” Twilight said. “I’m not that tired,” Spike admitted grudgingly. In his mind, he wondered if Twilight still thought he needed to go to bed early just because he was young. “I didn’t say you had to go to bed,” Twilight replied. “Huh?” Spike looked at Twilight in surprise. “In fact,” Twilight lowered her head so that her face was close to Spike’s and she was looking him in the eye, “You can probably catch up with Rarity and ask her out on a date,” Twilight added. Spike’s jaw dropped as he heard this. In truth, he wondered if he was hearing Twilight correctly. “A…A DATE?!” “Why not? Think of it as a way to repay her for helping you look for your parents,” Twilight smiled. Spike was still stunned by what he heard. “A date with Rarity?! I mean…Should I….?!” Twilight was a little surprised by Spike’s reaction. She would have assumed he would have jumped at the chance to be with her. In fact. Spike had been with Rarity a number of times before. Why should now be so different? “What’s wrong, Spike?” “It’s just that….I’ve never been on an actual date with Rarity,” Spike admitted. Twilight was confused. “But the two of you have been together before.” “Yeah. Just not in the romantic sense,” Spike clarified. He then took a seat on the floor as he prepared to confess. “Every time I spent with Rarity was as a friend…or rather…me wanting to be close to her. I would help her with jobs, carry her bags, or accompany her to the gem cave.” “What about the times at the Spa?” Twilight asked. She doubted Rarity had Spike tending to her all those times too. “She wanted me to keep her company in those cases,” Spike admitted. “And the cabin?” Spike felt his heart flutter as he remembered the events in the cabin. He had been so close to Rarity. He still remembered the kiss they shared. Not just a kiss on the cheek like Rarity had done in the past. The FIRST kiss they shared. It still felt like a dream to him. “I’m not sure how that happened,” Spike confessed, “It just happened, like the Mark.” “You didn’t force her, did you?” Twilight asked. “No. I asked her first. And she said ‘yes’,” Spike replied. Twilight smiled. “There’s your answer, Spike.” “Huh?” Spike looked at Twilight in confusion. “She let you kiss her after you asked. It sounds to me like she wants to be with you and you have nothing to worry about,” Twilight explained. Spike gave this some thought. Could he actually ask Rarity on a date? A REAL DATE? Spike’s mind raced with questions as he thought about the idea. He had pictured the scenario in his mind hundreds of times and played it out. But now that it was actually happening…his mind became blank. “But…How do I act? What should I do?” “Just be yourself, Spike. That’s all that matters to her,” Twilight replied. She paused for a moment to consider some ideas to help him. “You could take her to the ice cream parlor. She might like that.” Spike gave this some thought. It seemed simple enough, and he could be with Rarity. Slowly he built up his courage. “Yeah. I think I will do that!” Spike said as he leapt to his feet. He then launched himself into the air and flew quickly out of the room. Twilight smiled as she saw Spike fly off. She then turned back to the task of organizing the folders. As she was about to start, she felt something suddenly hug her leg. She looked down to find Spike there. “Thanks, Twilight,” Spike said as he hugged her. “Your welcome. Just don’t stay out to late. Okay,” Twilight instructed. Spike nodded as he released her from the hug. “I promise.” “Better get going then,” Twilight encouraged. “Right!” Spike said as he launched himself again into the air and flew off. Twilight watched him leave again. Spike had grown up so much. She then turned back to the mess at hand. “Well. Better get started,” she sighed. X X X X X Spike flew over the town as fast as his wings could carry him. Assuming Rarity had not stopped off at a store, she would have needed to cross Ponyville in order to reach the Carousel Boutique. She would also be passing Town Hall on her way there. That was probably the best place to locate her before she reached home. Getting to Town Hall by flight only took Spike a few minutes at best. As he hovered over the round building he looked down at the ponies making their way through the streets. He figured it would be easy to spot Rarity with her white coat. Very few ponies had a white coat as pristine as hers. However, as Spike looked down, he could not see a trace of her. His eyes looked from one pony to the next, but he could not find the white coat he was searching for. As he scanned the area, he wondered if he had missed her and she was already back at the house. If she ran, that might be the case, but he severely doubted she would. It would not be ‘lady like’ to rush through the streets. As Spike’s hopes began to wane, his nose caught a scent on the air. The smell was sweat and familiar. It only took him a moment to remember that it was Rarity’s scent, or rather, the Mark that Rarity carried on her neck. Quickly, Spike turned his head into the direction the scent was coming from and saw Rarity just entering the square. She probably had stopped off to look at something before heading home, which was how he had beaten her to this location. “Okay, Spike. Time to make this happen,” Spike said to himself. He then flew ahead to the next street she would take to reach home. He landed off to one side of the street and hid behind a barrel that lined the side. Taking a quick peek, he saw Rarity was now walking towards him. It did not look like she had seen him yet. Spike then hid himself behind the barrel and faced the building he was near. He only had a few moments to prepare himself. He decided he would first figure out how he would ask Rarity out on a date. “Okay….Rarity let’s go out on a date,” he said in a casual free tone. No. That didn’t sound right. Too casual. He needed more strength. Spike turned around as he tried another approach to asking her. “Rarity. Come with me. Let us go to the ice cream parlor,” Spike said in a bold tone. A bold tone that was totally not him. It also seemed too forceful. Rarity was regal in her approach to things. Perhaps he needed something more formal and subtle like a prince. Spike turned around again so that he was now facing away from the street. “Rarity. It would be my honor if you would accompany me.” “It would be my pleasure, good sir.” Yes. That would be an answer Rarity would- RARITY?! Spike’s eyes shot open as he realized that he did not imagine Rarity responding to his request, but actually saying it. He turned around to come face to face with Rarity, their noses nearly touching. Her eyes were half open and she was giving a gentle, yet mischievous, smile at having caught Spike off guard. Spike quickly averted his head away from Rarity so she could not see his embarrassment. “Breathe, Spike. Breathe,” Spike said to himself as he took in deep breaths. This was not how it was supposed to turn out. “How long have you been there?” Rarity pulled back her head. “I believe it was when you said ‘Come with me’.” Rarity replied, emphasizing the bold tone he had used. She was clearly amused by his reaction. Spike felt his embarrassment grow. By now, he figured his face was now entirely red. Everything was going wrong. “Now. I believe you were asking me out on a date,” Rarity smiled. “YES…I mean NO…I mean….” Spike felt himself start to panic, unsure what to say or do. How had it come to this? “Pity,” Rarity said in a sorrow filled tone, “And I was so looking forward to going out with you.” “Huh?!” Spike’s eyes shot wide open as he heard Rarity’s tone turn into one of sadness. Rarity turned around and sat down on her haunches, avoiding eye contact with him. “I thought the two of us shared something. Was I wrong?” “What?” Spike gasped, “That’s not…“ Rarity fell on her back, covering her face. “Whatever should I do? Was our love for naught?” Rarity cried. She then rolled onto her stomach while still hiding her face. “Woe is me!” She began emit tiny sobs. Spike began to worry that he might actually lose her. Immediately he kneeled down next to her. “No! I do want to go out with you!” he confessed. Rarity stopped her acting and looked up into his face with a smile. “Good.” Spike’s jaw dropped open. “Wait!” Spike demanded, “Were you sweet talking me just now?” “Perhaps,” Rarity said with a playful smile as she got up, “You did look like you needed a little confidence boost.” Spike could not argue against that. He felt like such a fool for getting cold feet when it mattered. “Sorry Rarity. It’s just that…I don’t know how to act on a date. You’re so special to me and I didn’t want to mess things up.” Rarity placed a hoof on her heart as she heard Spike say this. Rarity had learned long ago that Spike always wanted to gain her attention, but often had trouble expressing what he wanted in front of her. The fact that he was trying so hard for her was what touched her heart. “You don’t have to pretend to be a something you’re not, Spike. I like you just as you are.” “Really?” Spike replied. “Yes Spike. Goodness knows I don’t need you to turn into some prince….I’ve had to deal with an enough of those,” Rarity scoffed as she remembered Prince Blueblood, “I just want to see the same Spiky Wiky I’ve always known.” Spike felt reassured as he heard this. He was still nervous about going on a date with Rarity, but at least he knew he didn’t need to act like something he was not. “Shall we be off?” Rarity asked, “I think you said something about going to the ice cream parlor.” Spike’s blush intensified. He didn’t realize he had been so loud. Still he wanted to make sure he got everything right for his first official date with Rarity. “Yeah. But first,” Spike bowed, “Rarity would you be interested in joining me for some ice cream.” Rarity had to suppress a laugh as she heard Spike offer his request again. “I would love to.” X X X X X Spike walked next to Rarity as the two headed to the ice cream parlor. Normally, he would be hanging back a little or trailing her footsteps when he accompanied her on a trip. There were a few exceptions, but they were more along the lines of leading her somewhere. This time he was escorting her like a prince would escort a princess. Occasionally, he took a few glances her way. However, if she ever glanced back, he reflexively returned his eyes back to the road. Unfortunately, he suspected Rarity knew he was taking sneak peeks at her. A few times she laughed at how he tried to act innocent. This only made him feel more embarrassed. Was this how dates played out? Having no experience, Spike felt like a mess. A part of him wondered if following Twilight’s suggestion for ice cream was right. Rarity had always portrayed herself as a fair maiden of regal stature. Spike wanted to treat her as such. Was taking her for ice cream a good idea for a first date? Should he take her to an expensive restaurant instead? Did he have money for an expensive restaurant? Spike could feel the sweat running down his head as more questions popped into his mind. He had wanted to date Rarity for so long. He would dream about it. Plan out all the details. Come up with romantic banter. But now that it was happening, it all seemed so inadequate. “Spike.” “YES!” Spike quickly answered. Rarity was a little surprised by his response, but thought little of it. “Would you mind waiting here for a moment? I would like to make a quick stop in the Gem store.” Rarity explained. For a moment, Spike wondered if he had done something wrong. “Uh…Sure.” Before Spike could ask why, Rarity quickly rushed to the store they were passing by. As Spike watched her enter the building, doubt began to creep into his mind. Maybe he did do something wrong. Did she run away from him? The one chance with Rarity and he was losing it. What should he do? “Ready to go, Spike?” Rarity asked as she exited the store. “Huh?” Spike was surprised at how quickly she had returned. Normally, she would spend several minutes examining an item that caught her interest. “That was fast.” “Sorry about that,” Rarity smiled, “There was something I wanted to do before we got to the ice cream parlor.” For a brief moment, Spike wondered what Rarity was planning. But as they approached the ice cream parlor, he only shrugged and decided not to ask. It was probably a quick check on an order she made, or so he thought. The short walk afterword was in silence as they made it to their destination. When they got to the ice cream parlor, they both ordered their own parfait and took a seat at one of the round tables located outside of the shop. Spike carried both of the ice cream treats outside and placed them on the table. He then ran to Rarity’s side. “Allow me,” he said as he pulled out the chair for her. “Thank you, Spike,” Rarity replied as she took a seat. Spike then made his way back to his own chair and took a seat. “Let’s dig in!” Spike said enthusiastically. “Hold on, Spike. There is just one more thing,” Rarity added quickly. “Huh? What’s that?” Spike asked. “Could you close your eyes for a moment,” Rarity asked as she batted her eyes. Spike was a little confused by the request, but saw no harm. With a casual shrug, he closed his eyes. After a moment, he could hear a familiar hum. It wasn’t hard for him to recognize that it was Rarity using her magic. But what was she doing? “Okay. You can open them now,” Rarity said. Spike opened his eyes. Immediately, he found himself looking at a fairly large baby blue sapphire on top of his parfait. He could feel his mouth water as he gazed upon its shiny texture. “Do you like it?” Rarity asked. “Wow! This is great!” Spike said excitedly. Rarity smiled happily at Spike’s response. “A little something for the hero who saved me,” she replied, “Shall we get started?” Spike was only too happy to agree. The two of them then picked up their glasses and tapped them against each other before starting on the parfaits. Spike wasted no time in dipping the sapphire into his creamy treat and taking a large bite of it. For him the sapphire was sweeter than normal. Knowing it had come from Rarity made it seem extra special, and he savored every bite. Rarity was the first to speak after they had finished their desserts. “What would you like to do next?” she asked. “Well…Truthfully I never thought that far,” Spike admitted, “I’ve never been on a date before. I mean…what do ponies usually do on dates?” Rarity gave this some thought as well. Now that she thought about it, she never had been on a real date herself, at least not one that ended successfully. Granted she had read some romantic novels, so she had some ideas. But never any personal experience. “I fear I have as much experience as you in such matters.” Spike was caught by surprise. “You mean…you’ve never been on a date before either?” Spike found this hard to believe since Rarity was so beautiful. “Well...not a successful one,” Rarity admitted. “I see,” Spike replied. Desperately, Spike racked his brain trying to figure out what to do next. The ice cream parlor had been Twilight’s idea. Now he wished he could ask Twilight what he should do as a follow up. Rarity could see Spike was trying, but not having any luck. Even she was having trouble figuring out what to do next. “Perhaps we should walk around town. Maybe we can find something then.” “That sounds like an idea,” Spike replied. He then jumped out of his chair and walked to Rarity’s side. “Allow me,” he said as he slowly pulled Rarity’s chair out. “Thank you kind sir,” Rarity replied as she stood up and took her place next to Spike. The two then proceeded down the street to see what Ponyville could offer them. X X X X X As Spike and Rarity walked down the shopping area, Spike found himself at a total loss. He wanted Rarity’s first date with him to be a success. Granted the ice cream parlor was a good start, he needed to think of something as a good follow up. Maybe it would have been better if he took her to a restaurant. Spike began to play out the fantasy in his mind. The two of them at a table. He would be wearing a tuxedo. She would be wearing a…what would she wear to an expensive restaurant? Rarity had so many outfits, it was hard to decide. Spike’s eyes then wandered to a nearby store window and saw a blue sleeveless dress being displayed. The dress was designed to highlight the curves on a pony and was made of a shimmering blue material. It also had a golden yellow sash around the midsection. “What would Rarity look like in that dress?” he wondered. “Did you see something, Spike?” Rarity asked. “No…I mean…Yes…I mean,” Spike’s cheeks turned a deep red. Rarity looked at Spike for a moment before turning her head in the same direction Spike had been looking. It did not take long for her to spot the blue dress in the window. “Were you looking at that dress, Spike?” Spike sighed, “I was wondering what you would look like wearing it,” Spike confessed. Rarity was amused by the idea. “How about we find out,” she said as she pranced over to the shop. “Huh?” Spike said as he quickly ran to her side. Rarity and Spike entered the shop together. Immediately, Rarity looked for the nearest store clerk and approached him. “Excuse me. But I was wondering if I could try on that dress in the window.” Spike could not believe what was happening. He could only watch in bewilderment as the store clerk handed Rarity the dress and led her to a changing room. “Be back in a moment,” Rarity called back to Spike. For Spike, a moment had never seemed so long. He waited anxiously on a nearby stool, trying to imagine what Rarity would look like. However, he found his imagination could never match the real thing. Rarity strolled out wearing the dress and began to pose in front of Spike. “Wow!” Spike said in awe struck surprise. The dress had indeed accented Rarity’s beauty. The fabric hugged her form tightly and made her appear more majestic. In addition, Rarity had quickly tied her hair back into a ponytail so that her appearance would match the outfit. Was this really Rarity? It was hard for Spike to believe it was. His jaw hung open as he studied every inch and every curve on her. He felt like he was meeting her again for the first time. This did not go unnoticed by Rarity as she posed like a model in front of Spike. Rarity loved to be the center of attention and having Spike watch made her feel even more special. After a few more dramatic poses, she approached Spike. “So,” she said as she batted her eyes, “What would you like to see me try on next?” X X X X X The next few hours proved to be one of the best times Spike ever spent with Rarity. Rarity did not look at clothes that caught her interest, but rather asked Spike to find clothes that caught his interest. Whenever Spike made a selection of one he wanted to see Rarity in, Rarity would try it on and then act the part that best suited the outfit. She even went as far as to try on outfits that Applejack would wear and then portraying herself as a country filly for Spike’s amusement. Eventually, Spike also found himself trying on some outfits that had caught Rarity’s interest. Like her, he acted out the part for her amusement. Rarity found it especially funny when Spike dressed himself up in a tuxedo and sunglasses and pretended to be a 007 super spy. But as night began to settle, both knew their escapade had to come to an end. As Spike escorted Rarity back to Carousel Boutique, he didn’t want to call it a night. But he had promised Twilight he would not stay out late. They also still had a lot of work in cleaning up the records tomorrow. As Spike and Rarity crossed a bridge that led back to the Carousel Boutique, something caught Rarity’s attention in the corner of her eye. Quickly she looked up and smiled. “Spike, look!” she quickly said. Spike looked up from the road and followed her gaze into the night sky. He barely managed to see the last few moments of a shooting star racing across the sky. “I guess you better make a wish,” Spike replied. Rarity gave a small laugh before strolling to the side railing of the bridge. “You know, Spike. I’ve always dreamt of a moment like this,” she said as she placed her front hooves on the railing and looked up into the night sky. “I would sit on this bridge looking up into the night sky with my prince.” Spike climbed up onto the railing next to Rarity and followed her gaze up. “Thank you for making my dream come true, Spike,” Rarity added once she saw Spike was settled on the railing. “Huh?” Spike said in surprise, “But I’m not royalty.” “You were the Dragon Lord for a few minutes,” Rarity teased as she looked at Spike, “That must count for something.” Spike guessed that was technically true. He had won the Gauntlet of Fire and became Dragon Lord. He even issued some royal commands before stepping down to Ember. “I suppose that is true,” he laughed. Rarity gave a small laugh as well before returning her gaze to the night sky. As Spike’s gaze returned back to the night sky, his mind wandered to Ember and what she had said about the Mark. He did not see it under Rarity’s coat, but could still smell the sweet fragrance that it emitted. He then remembered the conversation he had with Twilight. “Hey Rarity, do you think about what happened in the cabin?” “Why do you ask Spike?” Rarity asked in curiosity as she returned her gaze to him. “I’ve been trying to think what the Mark is exactly. Are we married? Is it me just…well…claiming you,” Spike did not like the word ‘claim’. It sounded like he was holding Rarity against her will. “I just want to make sure I do this right.” Rarity smiled. She had to admit that Ember was a little vague on what the Mark was exactly. But she did have her own interpretation. “I don’t think it’s any of those things, Spike,” Rarity explained, “Perhaps it simply is just a Mark of Love.” “A Mark of Love?” Rarity nodded. “Just a simple symbol that shows that we love each other. Nothing more,” Rarity said. She then reached over and placed a hoof on Spike’s hand. “And as long as I have the mark, you will know my feelings are true.” Spike felt himself blush. “Thanks Rarity.” Rarity smiled as she looked upon the little dragon. At that moment, Spike felt entranced by Rarity’s appearance. It almost felt like he was looking at her again for the first time. Perhaps it was how the moonlight bounced off her coat or how her eyes emitted tiny sparkles as they looked into his. “Uh…Rarity…Can I-“ Spike was interrupted as Rarity placed a hoof on his muzzle. “You don’t need to ask, Spike,” she said gently. She then moved her hoof away. Spike was transfixed by her appearance. Once again, he found it hard to believe he was not dreaming. But as he moved in and felt his lips upon hers, he began to realize it was not a dream. He and Rarity really were together. As they parted, their eyes met again. “I love you, Spike.” “I love you, Rarity.” To Be Continued…