Rarity was humming a delightful little tune to herself within Carousel Boutique. She was looking forward to a relaxing day with nothing major on her schedule. A day to maybe catch up on her reading or just start a small side project. A day where she wouldn't have to go gem hunting or worry about sewing dresses in order to fill an order. It helped that Sweetie Belle was staying with their parents, so the chances of the filly dropping by the boutique were almost zero.
The fashionista unicorn eyed her calendar a second time, just to be sure she hadn't somehow forgotten something or had misremembered the day. She had not, there was indeed nothing on her schedule for today.
But just as Rarity was about to make herself some breakfast, she heard a faint knock on her front door. That struck her as most odd. It wasn't a grooming day for Opal, so it couldn't be Fluttershy stopping by to drop off the cat. Well, whoever it was, Rarity had plenty of time for them. So she trotted over to the door to answer it.
Imagine the unicorn mare's surprise when the familiar face of Spike greeted her upon the door being opened. "Hi, Rarity," He greeted as he seemed to blush ever so faintly, his scales turning a kind of adorable shade of pink in the process. "Lovely day, isn't it?" It seemed like he was unsure of what to say given the way he spoke and carried herself.
Rarity politely nodded back as she remembered Spike's confession about his crush on her. She still wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, and not just because she was worried about what Twilight might think. Despite that, she still greeted her visitor like he was any other. "It is indeed quite lovely out, today. Seems like Rainbow Dash actually got up on time for a change."
"Yeah," Spike nodded and then asked completely unprompted. "Uh, would it be okay if I stayed with you? Just for a little while? Maybe I could help you with some things?"
That struck the unicorn as quite odd even as she invited Spike into her boutique. "Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, Spike, but why have you come to see me?" She questioned the little dragon. "Did something happen between you and Twilight? Did you have a falling out?"
The little dragon immediately protested with a shake of his head. "No no no. Everything's fine between Twilight and I. She's just busy today, that's all."
The fashionista inquired further. "Busy how, exactly?"
Spike put a claw to his chin as he tried to recall. "Well, it all started just a little while ago, actually. And it's all a part of Twilight's advanced studies, apparently." The memory started to flash in his mind as the details slowly came flooding back to him:
"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve." Spike had counted off a stack of books that had just been delivered. And they all seemed rather thick and full of pages.
Twilight had replied. "Huh. Odd. That's not that many, actually."
The little dragon had been quick to remark. "'Not that many'? Are you kidding? How are you even supposed to read twelve books in one weekend? Even for a pony like you, Twilight, that's a lot!"
The studious unicorn had just chuckled. "Well, Princess Celestia obviously thinks I can do it or she would never have assigned them to me. I'm not planning on letting her down. Obviously, I will be taking breaks as needed for food, drink and the bathroom."
"Just hope you weren't planning on sleeping at all," Spike had teased. "I can tell you're gonna be busy with those books all weekend long. And we both know you can never put down a good book."
Twilight had nodded back without shame. "Guilty as charged, Spike," Then an idea had come to her as she had proposed. "Actually, Spike, why don't you take the day off? I don't think I've given you a full day off in a long time."
The little dragon had been taken by surprise by the sudden decision from the unicorn. "You actually want me to take a day off? Are you sure?"
Twilight had simply replied in a sincere and friendly tone. "Why not? After all, these books are going to keep me very busy for a while."
"But... what am I supposed to do?" Spike had pondered. "Just wander around town until sundown and then come back? Are you sure there aren't any errands I can run for you, Twilight? I didn't exactly have time to prepare for this."
Twilight had then proposed. "Well, why not see if one of our other friends need help? I'm sure at least one of them will have something they'd appreciate a helping claw with."
"Okay, sounds good to me," Spike had agreed. "Guess I'll see you at sundown, Twilight. This time, I promise I won't stay out late." And with that, he had left the Golden Oak Library, having already settled on a destination.
"So I immediately thought of you, Rarity," Spike explained as the flashback ended. "I know I've helped you a couple of times before. And this time, you don't even have to ask me. I'd be happy to help you with just about anything: Even just getting some of your chores done."
Rarity hesitantly replied. "Well... I don't know..." She remembered the one time Spike had been kind enough to take out the trash for her, that had been most appreciated. But not only did she not have a full trash can that needed to be taken out, but a part of her was feeling guilty about making Spike do any kind of work for her that she could easily take care of herself. Even Sweetie Belle had been getting on her case about being lazy.
Spike then reached up towards his head and pulled out a small card of some sort. "If it helps," He proposed. "I can officially offer my services to you as a part of my 'Noble Dragon Code'." And he presented the card to Rarity without hesitation.
The fashionita took the card into the glow of her horn and looked at it. She had never heard of any such code before. What should she do? What should she say?
But it seemed that Spike didn't want to wait for an answer. Or rather, he took the silence from Rarity as approval to officially serve her. "Great!" He cheered and took back the card! "I'll get started right away, Rarity! Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it!" And he raced away before the unicorn could say a single word in protest.
Little did Rarity anticipate that this overeagerness on Spike's part would become a very big problem for her. One that was going to cause her to do something she was going to regret.
Rarity was still in something of a state of shock. Spike had just agreed to basically serve her and tend to her every need, regardless of whether she wanted him to or not. What would her friends think if they found out about this (Twilight especially)?
Well, the fashionista couldn't think on an empty stomach. So she immediately proposed to Spike. "Spike, darling, why don't I fix us up some breakfast before you get started? I was just about to make it for myself, actually."
"Want a helping claw?" Spike offered as he strolled right on up to Rarity. "I make breakfast for Twilight all the time, even though she's perfectly capable of cooking herself. I don't mind, though. That's just what Twilight is, family's family after all."
But the unicorn with a snow white objected! "N-no, I wouldn't want to take advantage of your... er... generosity when you're already promising to do so much for me. Really, this is the least I can do for you in return. My treat, if you will."
That seemed to satisfy the little dragon as he looked at Rarity and told her with a cheerful smile on his face. "Okay then. I'll just have a look around the boutique and see if there's anything else I can do for you. Just call me when breakfast is ready."
"It won't take long, Spike," Rarity insisted as she not so secretly pushed him away from her. "Just have a seat at the table. And after breakfast is over," She then got an idea. "You can help me with the dishes. It'll be over much quicker with two."
"Heh, dishes it is," Spike replied. "I could do those in my sleep." But with a satisfied smile on his face, he walked away to take a spot at the kitchen table to wait for breakfast to be served.
Rarity immediately threw herself whole heartedly into making breakfast for her and her unexpected guest. As she did so, however, her mind started to wander ever so slightly. It turned to the subject of that little card, that little code Spike had mentioned. Was it just something he'd made up so as to have an excuse to serve her? If so, it was odd that he'd choose to do it now when he'd never needed an excuse to serve her before or even just hang out with her.
Then again, Rarity remembered that Spike hadn't been quite the same since he'd returned from his trip outside of Equestria. He hadn't talked about it much, only mentioning that he'd spent time in a dragon colony. Had something on that trip inspired or encouraged Spike somehow?
Well, those were thoughts for another time and place. But the fashionista unicorn silently vowed that she would get to the bottom of that little mystery before long. If Spike really was intent on serving her all day long, she at least wanted to know why.
Breakfast wasn't anything fancy, but Rarity was no slouch in the kitchen. She'd practically been forced from a young age to learn how to cook given that her mother's cooking skills were... less than ideal (to say nothing of the disasters that unfolded the few times her father tried to cook). Soon, she had made a lovely plate of pancakes, and some eggs to go along with it. For drink, fresh squeezed orange juice was on the menu.
Spike happily dug into his plate of pancakes and eggs as soon as he was presented with them. His table manners weren't ideal, but Rarity had seen far worse displays. She still wanted to say something about it, but decided to hold her tongue for fear that she might come across as rude or ungrateful.
When at last breakfast was over, Rarity took up the places within the soft glow of her horn and carried them to the kitchen sink to be washed.
Spike was at the unicorn's side in a heartbeat. "I'm ready when you are, Rarity!" He gave a salute! "You did promise to let me help you with the dishes."
"Oh, yes," Rarity sheepishly blushed as a nervous grin formed on her face. "Forgive me, I'd... forgotten."
The little dragon chuckled. "At least it wasn't anything important. I'll bet there's probably other things you've forgotten. But I can help you remember them. After all my time spent with Twilight, I've learned a thing or two about organization and memorization."
The fashionista chuckled back. "Forgive me for saying this, Spike, but you're a real momma's boy. Twilight has raised you well."
"Not entirely by herself," Spike confessed. "Don't forget, she was just a child when she hatched me. You couldn't expect one child to take care of another. She had her parents, and she had all kinds of castle maids to help her take care of me."
"Ah yes, that would indeed make sense," Rarity agreed as she filled up a huge container with dish soap and water. "Although, it seems like I practically had to raise Sweetie Belle on my own from the day Mother and Father brought her home from the hospital. I didn't like it, but somepony had to do it."
The little dragon just nodded as he then grabbed a dirty plate and started to wash it. "I'm sure your parents have their reasons for raising Sweetie Belle the way they did. And she seems to be doing well for herself these days."
"Whenever she and her friends aren't tearing up the town trying to get their cutie marks," Rarity remarked. "All the same, I can remember what it was like not to have a cutie mark and to be worried about such a thing. Such is youth, I suppose."
"Hey, you're not that old!" Spike pointed out as he allowed himself to become momentarily distracted looking at the unicorn. And it was because he was so distracted that the plate he'd been cleaning slipped from his grip. Before the little dragon had a chance to react, the plate fell to the floor in front of him and shattered into pieces with a loud crash! "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Rarity! Really!" He sincerely apologized as his face flushed with embarrassment.
The fashionista unicorn did her best to hide her worry. It wasn't like she'd never experienced this sort of slip up before, after all. Besides, it was an honest mistake that could've happened to anyone. No need to get upset. "It's nothing to worry about, Spike. Accidents happen, as they say," Levitating her horn, she prepared to summon a broom and a dustpan. "Nothing to do but to sweep up the broken pieces."
Spike, however, was quite insistent. "Let me do it, Rarity! I'm the one who dropped the dish, I should be the one to clean up the mess."
Rarity gently tried to lead Spike away from such an idea. "Oh, it's no trouble to me. You're already doing enough just helping me wash the other dishes. Besides, magic will it make much eaiser and much quicker."
"I know I'm a baby dragon but I'm not an actual baby," Spike snorted as a bit of smoke escaped his nostrils. "I can take care of myself, Rarity. Please, let me help you!" And he tried to grab the broom, practically jumping up to do so.
Rarity reluctantly relented, sensing that Spike wasn't going to let the situation go. "Oh, I suppose there's no harm. Just please be careful, Spike."
The little dragon took up the broom and the dustpan as he replied. "Like you said, it was an accident. You can just use your magic to put the pieces wherever they're suppsed to go, and then we can get back to washing the rest of the dishes." And he managed to sweep up the broken pieces without further incident, then allowing Rarity to float the dustpan over to a place where the pieces could be safely disposed of.
After that, the dish washing proceeded without further fanfare. And Rarity was right, things went a lot faster when there were two doing them as opposed to only one. However, Spike's constant insistence on being helpful was troubling to the fashionista. Was it just because of his crush on her?
Hoping to find out, the unicorn asked the little dragon afterwards. "Spike, just what is with you today? Not that I don't appreciate the extra help or anything, but you're practically insisitng on helping me with everything and anything."
"I told you, Rarity," Spike protested. "It's all a part of my 'Noble Dragon Code', I'm honor bound to serve you. It's what the code says."
The fashionista skeptically replied with a quirked brow. "Forgive me, Spike, but from what I saw of it it sure looked like you were making it up. You don't need to invent an excuse to see me, or any of our other friends for that matter. I'm sure any of them would love to have you help them out from time to time. You don't need to make up a 'code' for that."
But Spike snorted, groaned and rolled his eyes. "I'm not making it up, Rarity! I'm serious! That code means a lot to me!" And he explained. "Look, after I came back from my journey to see those other dragons, Twilight and I did some more research. We went to Canterlot together," He started to recall the entire day the two had spent combing Canterlot's libraries and archives. "We looked up any information we could find about dragons. And that's when we discovered this 'Noble Dragon Code'."
Rarity was surprised if the expression upon her face was any indication. "Really?"
"Yes, really," The little dragon firmly nodded. "Dragons used to live by it all the time, until some dragons started complaining about other creatures taking advantage of it. Basically, dragons agreed to do all kinds of things to prove their nobility. Some would even serve another creature for life if said creature saved their life."
"But I haven't saved your life, Spike. And I don't recall your life ever really being in danger either," Rarity pointed out, before an unfortunate memory came flooding back into her mind in an instant. "Except for that time you accidentally turned into a rampaging monster and took me prisoner."
At that, a look of shame and guilt came into Spike's green eyes as he confessed. "That's pretty much the whole reason why I knew I had to adopt that code. It's the only way I can be sure I'll never become that greed induced monster I was on my last birthday! So that's why I have to serve you, Rarity. It may not be for life, but a code is a code and I can't go back on it. Not if I want to be a noble dragon."
In response, the fashionista smiled even as she bit her lip. Any attempt she might now feel tempted to make to gently send Spike away would only make her feel guilty. "Well, I... do want you to feel like a noble dragon, Spike."
Taking that as a sign that his offers to help were accepted, Spike happily replied. "So I'm just gonna keep on serving you, at least for the rest of today. After all, I was a big help with the dishes, wasn't I?"
Rarity nodded ever so slowly. "Yes you were. I never actually noticed how long it usually took me to do them by all myself, but with you helping me it definitely took less time than it usually does."
"Great!" Spike cheered. "So, what else can I help you with? You name it, I'll do it: I can sweep floors, do laundry, organize anything you need help organizing, even dust off some shelves or just take out the trash. Whatever you need, Rarity. Your wish is my command."
Bitting her lip again, Rarity managed to force out. "Well, I guess sweeping the floors is a good place to start. I haven't done that since... I can't even remember. Just try not to get carried away."
Spike waved a claw. "Relax, Rarity. I won't make a mess. And if I do, I'll be sure to clean it up. You'll see: By the time I'm done, your floors will have never looked better!"
As Spike set to work sweeping the floors of Carousel Boutique, Rarity decided to occupy herself with some light sewing and knitting. She hoped it would be enough to take her mind off her troubles. Spike was only helping her out for today, after all. Once today he was over he was sure to go back to helping Twilight like he always did. And even if not, he would surely seek out one of their other friends, having exhausted everything he could possibly do to be of service to Rarity (hopefully).
However, when Rarity was in the midst of some private knitting, she heard a screach and a loud meow, followed by what sounded like a desperate scream! Fearing the worst, the fashionista unicorn dropped what she had been doing and ran downstairs to the source of the disturbance, afraid of a disaster!
Opal was standing next to Spike, apparently covered in dust and a bit of soot. Her tail swished back and forth as the cat looked as if she'd just seen a ghost.
As for Spike, he had a few scratch marks on his face and the broom he'd been using appeared to be all but burnt to ash given its charred appearance. Aside from that, though, he was unharmed.
"Spike, what did you do to my precious little Opal?!" Rarity demanded in a tone more furious than she had originally intended.
"I'm sorry, Rarity!" Spike sincerely apologized as he all but threw himself at her feet. "I just got a little bit distracted, and then the next thing I knew, there was Opal right in front of me! She got mad when I blew a bit of dust onto her, and she clawed at me! I panicked and shot off a flame! I didn't hit Opal though, she got off me before then. But I burnt your broom, and some of the soot got onto Opal's coat."
"That's twice now he's gotten distracted while doing a chore I've seen him do no problem with Twilight," The unicorn with a snow white coat thought to herself. "Just what is it that's occupying his mind? Is it me? Or is it something or somepony else?"
But all Spike could think about was that Rarity wasn't accepting his apology or his explanation, and that worried him. "Please, Rarity. I know you must be mad with me, but it was an accident, I swear! I can make it up to you, I promise! Just please don't be mad with me! I'm just trying to be a noble dragon."
Immediately, Rarity moved to reassure Spike. "Oh, Spike, darling. I'm not mad with you," If one looked closely they could see her lips struggling to form a smile. "Really, I'm not. It's an honest mistake, no one got hurt. Besides," Looking down at Opal and picking up the cat with her magic she declared. "Opal was due for a bath anyway." She did her best to ignore Opal's meows and hisses in protest.
"But what about the broom?" Spike nervously asked.
The fashionista unicorn waved a hoof and tried to play it off. "It's just a broom, Spike. I have plenty of them. I know how much you want to be a noble dragon. A few small mistakes aren't enough for me to get mad with you. Celestia knows I've endured far worse from Sweetie Belle's attempts to 'help'."
The little dragon then insisted. "Well, why don't I help you clean up? Or help you give Opal a bath?"
Immediately, Rarity objected! "No!" A bit too loudly since she saw Spike begin to whimper, and she felt guilty. "Er, I mean, no thank you. I can manage both tasks just fine on my own, Spike. Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment behind it, because I do."
"Okay," Spike reluctantly agreed. "Well, if there's anything I can do for you, you just let me know."
"Actually, Spike," The fashionista proposed as she thought of something that would hopefully be doable for Spike. "Why don't you go out and do a little bit of grocery shopping for me?"
The little dragon smiled. "Sure thing, Rarity! Just tell me what to get."
Rarity smiled and floated over a small list that had been hastily written down on a sketchpad, placing it in Spike's claws. "These are just a few basic necessities. I was going to go get them myself, but now I'm going to be rather busy with Opal," She also gave the dragon some bits. "This should be enough to cover everything, and even have some left over. Run along now, Spike."
Spike eagerly accepted his new responsibility as he gave a salute and promised. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Rarity! Noble dragon's honor!" And in the blink of an eye he was rushing off to go do what Rarity had asked him to do. His eagerness hadn't been curbed at all by his mistakes.
The fashionista unicorn felt greatly relieved when Spike left. Hopefully, grocery shopping would be just the thing to help him clear his mind. Plus, it gave her time to clean up after Spike's mistakes, even if it wouldn't really take her long to do so.
A short time later, Spike returned to Carousel Boutique with two bags full of groceries being carried in his arms. He was used to carrying such heavy loads, though. After all, Twilight often made him hold stacks worth of heavy books.
As he thought about Twilight, Spike began to think to himself. "Maybe I should get Twilight to give me days off more often. I really do like being helpful, especially for Rarity's sake." And soon, his thoughts began to wander once again. Try as he might, he couldn't get the beautiful unicorn out of his head or his mind.
The little dragon entered through the front door of the boutique, and because his thoughts were on Rarity and how helpful he wanted to be towards her, he forgot all about calling out to her to let the unicorn know he'd come back. In fact, he decided then and there to not only bring the groceries to where they were needed, but also put everything from the paper bags in wherever they were supposed to go.
Unfortunately, the bags were heavier than Spike realized. And he'd been holding them for quite a while. So his arms ached and began to sag under the weight. To make matters worse, he had forgotten that the floors had been recently scrubbed. When he took one step into the kitchen, his legs gave way and he began to slide!
There soon came a crash, and the bags fell out of Spike's arms and spilled open some of their contents while the little dragon was still dazed. "Oh no." He groaned as he realized he'd somehow managed to mess up again. And this time he was sure it wasn't his fault.
As expected, the crash drew Rarity to the scene. And when she saw the bags and their spilled out contents, she was anything but pleased. Briefly, she frowned while sighing. "Oh, Spike, what am I going to do with you?"
Immediately, a look of horror flashed in Spike's eyes as he got up, shook off his injury and desperately pleaded in protest! "No, Rarity! I'm sorry! I swear, I don't why I'm being so clumsy today! I'm not usually like this! Just ask Twilight, she'll vouch for me!"
The fashionista tried to ease her frown, not wanting Spike to be upset. "Spike, you've already done so much for me today. Why not take a break? Maybe you're just so used to helping Twilight that you're not able to focus on helping me?"
"But I want to be helpful, Rarity! I do!" Spike insisted! "I want to be a noble dragon, and a noble dragon must serve the pony he chooses to serve! I'm honor bound, that code is binding! I can't just take it back!" By now he was wrapping himself around Rarity's hooves and shooting her the best pair of puppy dog eyes he could muster up. "Let me help you, Rarity!"
"Spike, please!" Rarity tried to argue back. "I think you've already proven yourself to be quite noble just helping me as it is. In fact, the most noble thing you could do for me now is to stop trying to help me. You're no help to anypony when you're like this." Why oh why was he making this so difficult for her?
Alas, it seemed Spike wasn't in a mood to take no for an answer. "But what if there are things you need help with that you don't even know you need help with?" He frantically insisted as he let go of Rarity's hooves and turned to his own claws. "Maybe your back is sore? I could give you a nice claw massage. You wouldn't have to waste a trip to the spa."
As tempting as the offer was, Rarity declined it. "My back is quite fine, Spike. You don't need to massage it."
"Or... or you might need help with breathing!" Spike responded as he then ran off to fetch something!
"Spike, don't be ridiculous!" Rarity all but rolled her eyes. "I don't need help-" But before she could finish her sentence, she was cut off as Spike inserted the tip of a bellows into her mouth and started to pump furiously, filling her up with air. Eventually, however, all the extra air was let out as Rarity deflated not unlike a balloon.
The little dragon seemed to ignore the look Rarity was giving him as he just went on saying. "See? There's all kinds of things I can do for you, and you don't even need to think of them!"
The unicorn mare just shook her head from side to side. "Spike, I most certainly don't need your help thinking of things I need help with. If you really want to be helpful..." She bit her lip, deep in thought for a moment. But then an idea seemed to come to her all of a sudden. Why hadn't she just thought of it in the first place? Taking a deep breath and composing herself, she told the little dragon. "You could fetch me some brickleberries."
The term caused Spike to blink, wondering if he'd misheard Rarity somehow. "Brickleberries?"
"Y-yes, brickleberries," Rarity explained as she seemed to swallow hard. "They're a very rare kind of berry that only bloom at this time of year. They're quite tasty, actually," She licked her lips to emphasize that point. "However, you can't simply go to a store and buy them. You have to harvest them yourself. And they only grow deep in the Everfree Forest," Fluttering her eyelids, she sweetly proposed. "Why not be a dear and go and fetch some for me?"
Spike happily gave a salute again. "Of course, Rarity! That'll be just the thing to show you I can be helpful."
Rarity smiled. "Indeed it will be. Now get going, those brickleberries won't pick themselves you know!"
The little dragon nodded back. "You got it, Rarity! I'll pick every last brickleberry I can find!" And with this new task in mind, he made for the front door and exited it, bound for the Everfree Forest.
Satisfied that she would now have some peace and quiet, a part of Rarity still couldn't help but feel guilty for what she'd just said to Spike. But how else could she have gotten him to leave her alone when he was insistent on enforcing that code of his? He just wouldn't take no for an answer.
However, just after Spike had left, the bell above the door rang. Expecting a customer, Rarity trotted to the front entrance of the boutique to greet whoever it was. But to her surprise, it was Applejack who was now standing near the display stand.
"Rarity, what was that all about just then?" Applejack questioned as soon as she saw her fashion friend.
"Whatever are you talking about, Applejack?" Rarity innocently inquired, suspecting nothing.
Applejack immediately explained. "Why's Spike with you? And how come you just sent him away? You know how he feels about 'ya. You don't have to take advantage of that!" She immediately pressed her snout up against Rarity's to emphasize her point, ensuring the fashionista couldn't ignore her.
Waving a hoof and giving a slightly nervous laugh, Rarity responded. "It's all a part of this 'Noble Dragon Code' Spike discovered. Apparently, he decided to help me out today since Twilight gave him the day off," She sweetly added. "Oh, I'm sure he means will. I really do appreciate that he wants to serve me. But he's just so... well... clumsy, today. It seems like he's always getting distracted, and that always results in more messes for me to clean up."
The farm mare then questioned. "So why did he look so happy when you sent him away? Did you tell him how you were feelin' about his attempts to help you?"
The fashionista mare was quick with the retort. "Don't be so silly, Applejack. I'm not as blunt as you or Rainbow Dash! I simply 'Let him down gently' as the phrase were."
"Ya mean you lied to him?!" Applejack glared at her fellow mare!
"Not lied, just sent him off to do something else," Rarity answered in a sincere tone of voice. "I told him I wanted him to fetch some brickleberries for me from the Everfree Forest."
At that Applejack all but shouted at the top of her lungs! "You did WHAT?!" With steam blowing of her nostrils she immediately demanded! "Rarity, how could you do such a thing to Spike?! There's no such thing as brickleberries!"
Trying her hardest not to look guilty, the unicorn mare slowly replied. "..Well... yes. You know that and I know that, but what Spikey-Wikey doesn't know won't hurt him. He's bound to give up sooner or later when he can't find the berries. Besides, he's made of tough stuff. A trip into the Everfree Forest should be no trouble at all for him."
Upon hearing the words "Everfree Forest" Applejack's eyes immediately went wide! "Rarity, how could you do such a thing to Spike?! Don't you know it's timberwolf season?"
Rarity gasped in reply as a look of horror flashed across her face! "Oh my stars, I completely forgot!" And then she realized! "I've just spent Spike into danger! Oh, Twilight is gonna kill me for this when she finds out!"
The farm mare just adjusted her trusty stetson as she vowed. "Not if we get to him before the timberwolves do! Come on!" And she took her fellow mare by the hoof! "And when this is over, you and Spike need to have an honest heart to heart about the way you're feelin'. You can't keep stringin' him along like that!"
The two mares raced as fast as their hooves would carry them, until they were deep into the Everfree Forest to the point where the tall trees all but blocked out the sunlight.
Rarity immediately became filled with dread and concern. "What was I thinking sending Spike out into this ghastly place?!" She shuddered. "Even for a dragon like him, this place is far too dangerous to just wander into all alone."
"You've got that right," Applejack firmly replied. "It's a good thing for both of us I know how to find my way around here, more or less. It's easy to get lost in this here forest even when you know the way."
Just then, a faint but powerful smell began to tickle at the nostrils of both ponies. It had the faintest hint of brimstone to it.
Both mares looked across to each other and realized in an instant what the smell meant! Something was burning in the forest! And they had a pretty good idea what it was! "Spike!" They both said at once and rushed ahead as their eyes could see a faint, firey glow in the distance!
When Rarity and Applejack reached a small clearing in the forest a short time later, they saw a sight that almost stopped their hearts!
Spike was directly beneath them, at the bottom of a steep slope. He was frantically breathing fire, trying to protect himself while timberwolves growled. The enchanted wooden beasts growled in a low tone as their eyes remained fixated on their prey.
"S-stay back, timberwolves!" Spike insisted as he tried not to let them see how scared he was. "D-don't come any closer, I'm warning you! You... you don't want me! Just... g-go away, please!"
But the timberwolves wouldn't listen, even though the flames coming from Spike's mouth temporarily prevented them from getting near him. It was clear from the way Spke was speaking and breathing, however, that his fire breath wouldn't last long. And when it ran out, he'd have no means of protecting himself.
"We've gotta do something!" Rarity desperately said to Applejack. "Oh, if only I were as magically gifted as Twilight! I could lift Spike out of danger no problem."
"We ain't got time for magic!" Applejack snorted as she picked up some rocks! "Help me aim for those timberwolves! We gotta clear an openin' if we're gonna rescue Spike!"
Seconds later, as Spike shut his eyes and feared the worst, he suddenly heard the sound of rocks whizzing through the air and of solid wood being shattered. Looking up, he saw Applejack and Rarity next to a pile of rocks, firing them off one after the other to pelt the timberwolves! Soon, all the timberwolves were reduced to nothing but sticks scattered all over the ground.
Applejack then gave a whistle and threw down a rope. "Grab hold, Spike!" She shouted. "Quickly! Those timberwolves will be back for more!"
Spike was about to ask Applejack what she meant, when he happened to see the sticks and branches that made up the timberwolves begin to ominously glow with a strange, green, magical glow. It didn't take a genius to realize that they were putting themselves back together, or at least trying to!
So the little dragon quickly took hold of the rope and held tightly to it as he was hoisted up! "Applejack, you saved my life!" He exclaimed as the shock slowly wore off, briefly throwing himself onto the farm mare. "Oh, thank you! You and Rarity both! If you hadn't shown up when you did I... well, I don't even wanna think about it!"
But Applejack only replied. "It's not over yet! Timberwolves don't give up that easy!"
"But we shattered them into pieces!" Rarity protested. "Surely, that should be enough to make them back off while they put themselves back together."
The farm mare frowned as she looked down into the clearing. "Granny Smith's told me all about timberwolves. There's a reason why they're so feared. If they can't take down their prey through numbers, they'll try to overwhelm with pure strength." And as she spoke, she saw the timberwolves starting to assemble into one massive timberwolf that was slowly but surely climbing up the cliffside!
"Run!" Rarity shrieked, and she, Applejack and Spike did just that! They ran as fast as they could back into the forest, hoping beyond hope to get far enough away from the massive timberwolf to make it give up the chase.
Alas, the giant timberwolf was surprisingly fast for a creature of its size. And the smell of its breath was enough to let the ponies and dragon know that it was onto them, and slowly but surely closing the gap.
"We're almost there!" Rarity shouted at last as she could see the forest edge and daylight coming into view! "If we can get out of this forest, we'll be safe! Timberwolves never leave the forest!"
But just as Rarity had said that, Spike failed to notice a tree branch sticking out into the path. By the time he did it was too late! He tripped over it and stumbled to the ground. He wasn't hurt, but that brief stumble brought the timberwolf right on top of him!
Thinking quickly, the fashionista lit up her horn and fired off a single shot of magic from it, drawing the timberwolf's attention! "You leave my Spikey Wikey alone, you horrible beast!" She all but roared! "If you want to lay a claw on him, you'll have to go through me first!" Then she rushed in front of Spike to protect him.
"Rarity, what are you doing?!" Spike screamed in disbelief! "Get out of here!"
"I'm not leaving you, Spike!" Rarity firmly insisted! "It's my fault you're in this mess to begin with."
Despite the roar of the giant timberwolf, Spike had heard Rarity clearly. "What?!" He exclaimed in disbelief!
All Rarity had to say in response as she stood with her horn at the ready was. "If we make it out of this, I'll tell you everything! I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you sooner, Spike."
Yet before either Rarity or Spike could do anything else, Applejack gave a whistle all the while she was pulling back a large tree branch as if it were a sling. "Leave my friends alone!" She bellowed and let the tree branch swing back as hard as she could! The branch immediately swung into the large timberwolf before it could react, smashing it into several pieces in front of a disbelieving Rarity and Spike!
The farm mare wiped the sweat from her brows and adjusted her stetson. "Cut that one mighty close, I reckon," She said to herself, before turning to her companions. "Well? You gonna just stand there, or are we gettin' out of this forest?"
Rarity and Spike both nodded, and followed Applejack until they were well past the clearing and safely back in Ponyville, free from the timberwolf threat.
Now that the three friends were alone, Applejack immediately pushed Rarity forward with a knowing look and encouraged. "Go on. It's time."
Feeling the guilt well up inside of her, the fashionista gulped and swallowed hard. "Spike, I... must apologize. I lied to you. There are no brickleberries. I just made them up."
The words were slow to sink in for Spike, but he nevertheless managed to process them as he blinked. "You did? But why? Why would you lie to me, Rarity? I was just trying to be helpful and be a noble dragon, just like that code."
"But you kept making messes because you were distracted," Rarity pointed out. "And I think I know why. It's because of your crush on me, isn't it?"
Spike said nothing, he just blushed hard.
The fashionista unicorn sighed deeply. "I figured as much," She struggled to find the words to say next. "Look, Spike. I'm... flattered you think so highly of me. Really, I do. It warms my heart to know that you think I'm beautiful. But you can't let your feelings for me keep you distracted, especially when they're making you careless."
"You... don't love me?" Spike questioned.
"I never said that, Spike!" Rarity firmly protested as she shook her head from side to side. "There's a time and a place for us to figure out what we wanna do. Maybe it'll work out and maybe it won't. But I can't do that if I'm the only thing you ever think about, other than code of yours. In fact, I think fixating on it was doing you even more harm than you getting distracted by your crush on me."
The little dragon could hardly believe the words coming out of Rarity's mouth. "What do you mean? That code is everything to me! I wasn't making it up, Rarity! You know that!"
Applejack just snorted. "Spike, with all due respect, that code of yours is silly! You don't need some code to be a noble dragon or do good things. And just because ya don't have one doesn't mean you're gonna turn into that monster you turned into on your last birthday. You feel bad about it, you don't want it to ever happen again. That alone is enough to guarantee you'll never get to that point," Then, in a more sympathetic tone of voice she added. "Besides, there's somepony you've been completely neglectin' in your eagerness to serve Rarity."
"Who could that be?" Spike sincerely wondered as he blinked anew.
With a warm, gentle smile, Applejack explained. "Why, it's somepony who's given you a home. Somepony who's always tried to be there for you no matter what. Somepony who considers you family, even if it's not by blood."
Rarity added to the sentiment by saying. "I know she gave you the day off. But I imagine if you let yourself go on worrying about that code without telling her, she'd be concerned about your belief that you have to have a code to do nice things. There's nothing wrong with helping out a friend, and you don't need a code to do that."
Slowly but surely, Spike realized what Applejack and Rarity were telling him. Somepony he hadn't even really consulted before any of this. "You're talking about Twilight, aren't you?"
Both mares nodded as Rarity then encouraged with a wink. "It's getting kind of late, Spike. Besides, there isn't anything I can think of that I'd need your help with. Right now, I only want you to help yourself by getting over that code of yours," She smiled and sweetly told him. "Far as I'm concerned, you're already a noble dragon in my heart, Spikey Wikey."
Despite his face flushing anew, Spike replied. "Thanks, Rarity. I never really thought I'd need to hear that. But from you especially it means a lot," And with a sigh he added. "And you're right. I can't forget about Twilight. With her for a mother, I don't have to worry about not being a noble dragon."
Spike returned home to the Golden Oak Library a short time later. Upon opening the door he called out. "I'm back, Twilight." But there was no reply.
Again, Spike called out. "I'm back, Twilight." And again, he didn't hear anything in reply. The little dragon just smiled as he realized that the studious unicorn was probably too busy with those books to hear him. That was okay though, that was just what he liked about her. Twilight was Twilight, and he wouldn't have her any other way.
Still, the little dragon decided to go upstairs and check to make sure Twilight was where she should be. He did so, taking care not to make too much noise and disturb her in case she was trying to concentrate.
To the surprise of Spike, when he finally made his way up the last steps, Twilight did not seem to be emersed in the books Princess Celestia had assigned her. "Twilight?" He called as he reached out a claw to touch her, worried that something might be wrong.
Twilight spun around to greet him. "Oh, Spike, you're back earlier than I expected," She somewhat nervously replied. "I thought you were helping our friends. Especially with that noble dragon code I know you made."
"You mean, you knew about it? I thought it was a secret." Spike commented in surprise.
Twilight giggled. "Oh Spike, you know you can never keep secrets from me. I'm your mother, for pony's sake," Then she explained. "And now I have a surprise for you. And I think you're going to like it a lot!"
His curiosity now piqued, Spike asked the unicorn mare. "What is it, Twilight?"
With a bright smile on her face, Twilight informed Spike. "Seeing as I've pretty much completed all but a few of those books I was assigned, I figured I can take a little time off tomorrow," She floated over a scroll. "I'm making it official. Tomorrow, I'm going down to town hall to file the paperwork. You'll finally truly be my adopted son!"
Spike was amazed, he couldn't believe what he had just heard! "You really mean it?!" And when he received a confirming nod, he lept up and hugged Twilight as he happily exclaimed with tears in his eyes! "Oh, Twilight, you shouldn't have! Really!"
Twilight just smiled as she returned the hug full force. "It's alright, Spike. Just doing what I can to make you happy."