//------------------------------// // Chapter One: Afterparty // Story: A Change of Heart // by Big-Mac-115 //------------------------------// Spike leaned over the balcony, the autumn sun setting to his back, watching the party draw to a close and the ponies disperse out and back to their homes. Tonight was truly an amazing night, he thought. It was the night of his 16th birthday, and Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie had, even though he told them not to, thrown a huge surprise party in his honor, and most of Ponyville was in attendance. Though he didn’t like the idea at first, he had warmed up to it around the time Rarity showed up in an absolutely stunning new dress she had made, just for the occasion. He smiled when he thought of how incredible it looked on her; the dark magenta cloth, tightly wrapping her perfect figure, the color complementing her hair flawlessly… The various gemstones that encircled parts of it such as the waist and ankles, giving it a sense of immeasurable beauty and value… The fabulous shoes she wore with the ensemble (also of her own design), covered in dazzling gems and diamonds as well… She looked like a queen. Ohh, Rarity... Spike's eyes softened as he began thinking of her, as they always had and always would. She still lived in her dress store, Carousel Boutique, in the heart of the town, working hard all day to create her original and eye-pleasing clothing, occasionally getting a visit from big-shot fashionistas from across Equestria, all wanting to get a look at the work of this incredibly talented designer. She was nearly twenty-two years old now, and though there was a six-year age difference between them, that didn't stop him from loving her in the least. He thought once again of how perfect his world was; He and Rarity now lived in that shop together, him waking every morning to her soft smile and looking into her gorgeous eyes. He would always get up early and make her breakfast while she got ready for her day of designing and selling dresses. They would always eat together, and after he gave her a passionate kiss goodbye, he would leave for his day of work at his own restaurant that he had recently opened on the edge of town. He came home every night to her warm embrace, and they would go over the events of the day while he made dinner for the two of them. They’d sit down and enjoy the meal together in the candle light, staring lovingly into each other’s eyes. They would then wash up and go to bed, where they would cuddle close and feel each other’s warmth throughout the night, completely safe and utterly satisfied in their embrace.... “Spike, are you coming to bed?” He snapped back to reality as Twilight’s voice came from behind him, interrupting the pleasurable daydream. “Uhh I will in a little bit. I’m… Thinkin’…” He looked over the balcony and realized that Ponyville had gone dark and almost everypony was in bed by now. “Okay, just don’t stay up too late. Remember, we have to help Applejack and Big Macintosh over at Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow, and you don’t want to be tired.” Twilight reminded him. “Gotcha. Don't worry, I’ll get to bed before too long.” He still worked under Twilight as her intern, as he would for the rest of the year, and then she would no longer need his assistance and he would be free to live and do as he pleased. Though he didn't get paid, it was still a fun job, something he enjoyed doing, helping his "sister", as he had begun calling her, with her studies and other various chores around the library. Not much had changed in the four years since he had arrived in Ponyville, he realized. True, he had matured a lot, his muscle tone and facial features becoming much more defined and masculine, as all dragons do at this age. He had matured mentally too, becoming less child-like and hyper, and mellowing out into a more quiet, adult individual. But he was still the same old Spike, although nobody called him a “baby” dragon anymore, as he had grown to be the same size, if not larger, than almost everypony in Ponyville. Twilight was the same old Twilight, the incredibly gifted student of Princess Celestia, although she only had one more year left of schooling under her mentor before she graduated and began living under her own rule, as would Spike once Twilight graduated. Rainbow Dash was still Rainbow Dash, the proudest and fastest pegasus in all of Equestria. AJ was still the same honest AJ, that strong and brave country girl and best friend of everypony. Pinkie Pie was still the same old Pinkie Pie, the crazy, funny, goofy, random and energetic little pink pony that threw parties at even the smallest and insignificant of occasions. Fluttershy was still her kind, reserved and lovable self, though she had become more social recently due to her friends always trying to bring her out of her shy little shell. And Rarity... The sound of the door closing behind him jump, and he spun around quickly. "Hello, darling." Well speak of the devil... His stomach did a backflip as he found himself looking into the eyes of a beautiful white unicorn, still in her dazzling gown. A massive smile involuntarily formed on his face. “Rarity? What are you doing here? I thought you left?” “Well, I was about to, but I realized that I forgot to tell you happy birthday!” She giggled as she said this and began walking toward Spike on the other side of the balcony. His eyes followed her as she put her hooves up on the railing next to him and gazed up at the stars. “My, what a beautiful night…" Rarity looked to at Spike with a soft smile. He glanced away sheepishly and blushed, lost for words and mind scrambled, and flattered at the fact that she had stayed after everyone else had left just to say happy birthday. “Yeah, it is a nice night isn’t it?” He looked up at the stars and let himself feel how nice the moment was. They stood near each other like this for a few minutes before Rarity’s soft voice broke the silence. “So Spike, you’re sixteen, almost and an adult dragon! Tell me, how does it feel, being all grown up?” “You say it as if I’m supposed to feel any different.” Spike replied with a chuckle. “I really don’t feel any different, I mean I’m still just that little dragon in Ponyville, trying to find his purpose.” “Only not so little anymore” Rarity said smiling, referring once again to the fact that Spike was actually slightly larger than her now. “I must say, Spike, you have grown up to be quite the handsome dragon. And a marvelous culinary artist too, if I do say so myself.” “Aww, thanks Rarity.” Spike’s cheeks reddened once more at these compliments. “You know speaking of that, I was actually thinking about working as a chef or cook of some sort, since that seems to be my thing. I sure do love cooking!” “Well then GO for it, darling!” She exclaimed. “The only way you’re going to find out who you are is through experimentation, since dragons don’t receive cutie marks to tell them what their destiny is like ponies do.” “Yeah, I was thinking about maybe asking Mr. and Mrs. Cake for a job, but I guess I just haven’t gotten the courage to go and ask them yet. But I dunno, they don’t seem to need any help, considering that they’ve turned just about everyone else who’s asked for work there down.” Rarity got a look of genuine sadness. “Aww, that’s too bad! You know, I bet if you asked Pinkie Pie, surely SHE could put in a kind word for you, maybe pull some strings” Rarity smiled slyly and winked. “IF you know what I’m getting at.” She giggled. “And if not, there’s always Applejack and Big Macintosh. I’m sure they could use some help around the farm, making new apple recipes and what have you. I doubt they would mind sparing you a couple extra bits an hour for your help!” Spike liked these ideas. A lot. Indeed, he could ask Pinkie to maybe convince Mr. and Mrs. Cake that he was worth hiring, and was an excellent asset to them. And if not, the fallback option Rarity suggested was nice as well. Both options would allow him to be able to receive some sort of actual teaching on how to cook, as well as allow him to get creative with it. “Gee, thanks Rarity! Me and Twilight are actually heading down to Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow anyway, so I might just have to take up on that offer while I’m there!” “Oh, it’s no problem! Anything to help you out, darling.” He simply loved it when she called him “darling”. Even though she called everyone that, it just seemed like something personal when she directed it at him. They went about, carrying on conversation in this way for several hours, telling stories back and forth, offering advice to any dilemma either of them may have, cracking the occasional joke and sharing a laugh between them, making little, sometimes flirtatious, compliments to each other. This was the sort of thing Spike dreamed of, being able to spend time alone with Rarity, no matter how, just to be able to hear her voice and converse with her on a heart-to-heart level. “My my, it’s becoming quite chilly out here...” Rarity said after awhile, inhaling through her teeth and rubbing her hooves together. “How about we start heading toward the direction of the door, hmm? Surely YOU must be colder than me, being cold-blooded and such.” Spike was indeed starting to get cold, but he was disappointed a bit; he wanted to stay out here under the stars with her, he didn’t want her to go just yet… BUT, in all kindness he wanted to do what was in Rarity’s best interest, so with a smile and nod of his head he turned and began walking back toward the door, taking a few steps ahead of her to open it. She walked past him through the door with a smile and nod of appreciation, causing him to blush again. Closing the door behind them, he turned and gazed at the stunning unicorn, once more finding himself speechless at the sheer beauty; her flawless white coat, although mostly covered by the dress, showed through a little bit on her stomach where the gown didn’t cover; her feminine body, the curves of it couldn’t have been more attractively angled or placed; her gorgeous, deep sapphire eyes, shining like magnificent gemstones in the soft light of the fire that was still going in the fireplace. “Goodness, it’s nearly three in the morning!” Rarity exclaimed, looking at the clock hung against the wall of the library. “I had best be going, dear. Tomorrow's going to be a busy busy busy day as usual!” She and Spike made their way down the stairs and to the living room. Then she did something that Spike didn’t expect; she reached up and put her front legs around him and gave him a warm hug, holding this embrace for several seconds, Spike’s insides teeming with the overwhelming feeling of happiness it brought. She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “Once again, happy birthday, Spike. I look forward to seeing you again soon!” She said, grinning from ear to ear. She released him, and began to walk toward the door of the library. Spike’s eyes followed her passionately across the room and out the door, leaving him to stand there, still stunned by everything that had happened in the last few hours. Finally finding the ability to move again several minutes later, he headed to his bedroom with a spring in his step. * * * Rarity sighed as she opened the door to the balcony, where Spike supposedly was. Well, here we go... Spike hadn’t seemed to notice the sound of the door opening, so she made sure to close it slightly harder to make the sound audible. Startled, he turned around and immediately smiled, the same way he always did when he saw her. Rarity had to admit, she was flattered whenever anyone did this, for it made her feel beautiful and appreciated. Of course, Spike also smiled in her presence for these reasons, in addition to the fact to that he had an immeasurable and unconditional love for her. Everyone knew this, and although they all thought his little crush on her was just too adorable, she found it a bit outlandish. She tried to forget this as she walked toward him on the porch, falsely reassuring herself that he was simply a friend and had no interest whatsoever, which would hopefully make this entire situation a bit less awkward. “Hello, darling” she said in the most normal way possible. “Rarity? What are you doing here? I thought you left?” “Well, I was about to, but I realized that I forgot to tell you happy birthday!” Which was true, she hadn’t gotten a chance to say happy birthday to him personally, as he had been doing other things most of the night. In an another attempt to make it a little bit less awkward, she walked over to the railing and put her hooves on it, standing next to him. “My, what a beautiful night…” She spoke out, hoping he would take the initiative to start a light conversation, but to her dismay instead he simply replied “Yeah, it is a nice night, isn’t it?” She waited for several seconds for him to say something more, but still nothing. She began to fidget, and after several minutes she could no longer tolerate the awkwardness, so she just decided to speak first again. “So Spike, you’re sixteen, almost and an adult dragon! Tell me, how does it feel, being all grown up?” “You say it as if I’m supposed to feel any different.” Spike laughed. “I really don’t feel any different, I mean I’m still just that little dragon in Ponyville, trying to find his purpose.” Little? Rarity almost laughed out loud at this; Spike was far from “little” anymore. Looking him over, she realized that he was in fact slightly taller than her, even now when they were both standing erect on their back legs. She put thoughts into words. “Only not so little anymore”. Looking him over again, she also noticed something else…. Something she never thought she’d say, but Spike actually seemed… Handsome. No longer the stumpy lizard-like creature that was just over half her size, he was now taller and less chubby, with well-defined muscles that could clearly be seen under his scales. And no longer was his face as round and childlike, but a harder, more chiseled-looking face that she found oddly… Attractive. “I must say Spike, you have grown up to be quite the handsome dragon.” Realizing that she had said this out loud, her head raced as she thought of something to cover it with and make it seem less flirtatious. “And a marvelous culinary artist too, if I do say so myself.” She stuttered, letting out the first thing to come to mind. Spike’s face reddened, and so did hers as she saw this. How could I have said that? He’s going to think I’m interested! Luckily, he only responded with “Aww, thanks Rarity. You know speaking of that, I was actually thinking about working as a chef or cook of some sort, since that seems to be my thing. I sure do love cooking!” Okay… Good… He didn’t take it as a sort of come-on. But she was genuinely excited to hear that he would pursue a career in food, as he was indeed marvelous at cooking and obviously enjoyed doing so. He routinely would prepare food and such for Rarity and her friends on all kinds of occasions, and everyone agreed that the things he made could rival even some of the best diners in Canterlot, or any city for that matter. “Well then GO for it, darling!” She exclaimed. “The only way you’re going to find out who you are is through experimentation, since dragons don’t receive cutie marks to tell them what their destiny is like ponies do.” Spike’s lowered his head and his voice went down a bit, clearly disappointed. “Yeah, I was thinking about maybe asking Mr. and Mrs. Cake for a job, but I guess I just haven’t gotten the courage to go and ask them yet. But I dunno, they don’t seem to need any help, considering that they’ve turned just about everyone else who’s asked for work there down.” This was indeed disappointing. “Aww, that’s too bad!” Rarity thought for a moment of what she could say to make him feel better. “You know, I bet if you asked Pinkie Pie, surely SHE could put in a kind word for you, maybe pull some strings, IF you know what I’m getting at. And if not, there’s always Applejack and Big Macintosh. I’m sure they could use some help around the farm, making new apple recipes and what have you. I doubt they would mind sparing you a couple extra bits an hour for your help!” Spike’s face lit up as she presented this. “Gee, thanks Rarity! Me and Twilight are actually heading down to Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow anyway, so I might just have to take up on that offer while I’m there!” She smiled satisfactorily to herself. “Oh, it’s no problem! Anything to help you out, darling.” His face reddened again, and Rarity couldn’t help but giggle at this. As they carried on, Rarity became more and more relaxed, realizing that Spike wasn’t going to try to “make a move” or anything of the sort, as she presumed he would. In fact, she actually began enjoying herself as she talked to him, making the realization that, once she put out of her mind the fact that he was madly in love with her, it was just like talking to any of her friends on a heart-to-heart level. It also dawned on her that he was actually her only male friend that she could talk to in this way, for all other stallions she knew simply would gawk at her and flirt, which was incredibly annoying; part of the reason most of her friends were girls anyway. Rarity started getting cold sometime later. “My my, it’s becoming quite chilly out here...” She intended to simply go indoors where it was warmer, but upon realizing that it must have been nearly two or three in the morning, she decided it best that she go home and seek some rest… Much to her dismay. * * * Twilight was still in her room reading her new book about the medical uses of magic when she heard the door of the second-story porch open and close, smiling as she remembered that it was Rarity and Spike. “Such an adorable little couple”, she chuckled to herself, closing the book and stepping lightly over to her bedroom door. She opened it as slowly as she could, careful not to make any noise and let them know she was watching. She slid out of the small opening, approaching the stairs and peeking through the railing, still being sure as to not give herself away. She looked down into the living room from above, watching as Rarity hugged him, and noticed Spike’s face turn a bright shade of red. She nearly squealed and had to control her urge to clop her hooves together, excited by the sheer cuteness of him and her being together like this. Rarity exited the library, leaving Spike still standing there in the same spot for several minutes, seemingly dumbfounded, which is exactly the reaction Twilight would have expected. He seemed to have found his train of thought again, because he shook his head a few times and began making his way toward bed. They just seem so… Happy! Twilight thought gleefully to herself. She loved seeing these two happy more than anything else in the world, for they were practically siblings to her. She yawned a satisfied yawn and started heading back to her room to get some sleep as well. Tonight had gone exactly according to plan… *End part one*