//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 part 1 // Story: A Foxglove incident. // by PinkV5 //------------------------------// Morning dawned on Spike as he woke from his slumber, feeling something pressed against the back of his head; two things actually: soft yet firm, like two giant marshmallows. He slowly opened his eyes, the red dots of the alarm clock spelling out the time for him. It was 8:30. "Ignore," he thought, slowly rotating his body around, his face now smashing against the two marshmallow-like cushions. He caught a whiff of their scent. He picks up the smell of shea butter mixed with sapphires. He nuzzled himself further into the source of this intoxicating smell. "Smell so nice!" he thought, taking a deep breath. He grabbed hold of what he believed to be his pillow as he cozied himself into it. He was surprised to feel that same embrace wrapping itself around him. He opened his eyes, blushing heavily as Rarity's breasts enveloped his face, the source of that luscious smell. Instead of rearing his head back, he closed his eyes again and drifted off to sleep. "MMmmHH~" she uttered, squeezing his body as she nuzzled herself against him further. Another hour passed before the sounds of someone knocking on their door rocked them from their slumber. Their cozy solace ruined, Spike forced his body to move, answering the door. "Alright, I'm coming," he said definingly, stomping his feet as he approached. He yawned, stretching his back as he grabbed the doorknob. Once opened, he was embraced in a giant hug, his face smeared by his assultant. "Good~ Morning! Ready to get this party started," Pinkie said, swishing him side to side in her embrace. Wiggling his way out of her bear-hold, he caught his breath before confronting her. "What? Pinkie, do you know what time it is?" he said. "Adventure time!" Spike palmed himself before he was suddenly grabbed by Pinkie, trying to drag him away to the elevator. "Hang on, Pinkie!" he shouted, snatching his arm away. He wanted to reprimand her for waking him up, but one look from her pleading puppy-dog eyes dismissed his anger. "At least let me put some clothes on," he said. "Eh-he, my bad," she said, watching him walk away. As he retreated, Pinkie, discreetly taking out her phone, snapped a picture of his backside. "He-he! This is going string to the cloud." she thought, smirking happily. Once back in his room, Spike meticulously brushed his teeth, paying extra attention to his fangs. He changed into fresh clothes and was about to leave his room when he suddenly heard Rarity groaning in her sleep. He looked back, the covers covering only half of her body, exposing herself to the cold air. He pulled them back up, gently lifting her head as he fluffed her pillow and placed his own on her side to grab, smiling as he watched the tension on her face relax. "I love you," he whispered softly in her right ear before gently kissing her cheek. As he walked back to a waiting Pinkie, he thought to himself, "It's nice being able to say that so easily again." As the door closed behind him, Rarity slowly opened her eyes, grabbing at his pillow tightly. "I love you too, Spikey." Having barely slept last night, Rainbow groggily woke up as the sunlight fell on her eyes. "Ya Couldn't just let me sleep in today, huh Celestia?" she muttered, rubbing her eyes. She exited the bed and stretched her wings, arms, and legs. Then, she walked to the bathroom, picked up her toothbrush, and brushed her teeth vigorously. After finishing, she looked at herself in the mirror and admired her physique. "AWW Yeah, Can't no pony touch this," she said when the image of Spike suddenly appeared in her head. Embarrassment pooled over her as she lowered her arms, exited the bathroom, and changed into a pair of black shorts and a tank top. "Ugh, I need to get him out of my head," she said. She left her room and arrived at the hotel's workout center. Looking around the room, She grinned to herself. Not a soul in sight. She walked over to the bench press, loading around 75 lbs on each side. She took out her phone, taking a picture of herself before her workout. She exclaimed, "Oh yeah, this is definitely going on my blog!" and posted it immediately. She scrolled through her latest posts, all from when they boarded the train to yesterday, and noticed that most of the responses and comments were heavily focused on Spike, with people talking about his looks and asking if he was single. Initially, it began harmless, but the replies turned increasingly unpleasant as she read further down. Eventually, everyone was demanding she only take pictures with Spike in it. Irritated, she blocked a few people and made her account private, turning off the comments section. To vent out her frustration, she sprinted at full speed and added more weights to her workout for the next half-hour. "Who do those jerks think they are? They're my friends, and it's my blog! If they don't have anything nice to say about them, then I don't need them. I'm no damn show pony. I don't cave into demand just because of some mean words. I'm Freaking Rainbowdash. And so what if most of my pictures didn't "always" have Spike in it!?! If I want to take pictures with Spike, I will! YOU KNOW WHAT-" She screamed, dropping her dumbells onto the ground. "I'll go see what he's doing right now," Inside the hotel game room, Spike and Pinkie Pie were engaged in an intense battle of wits and minds. "G9!" Spike confidently said. "NO! You sunk my last battleship," Pinkie cried out, dramatically wallowing on the ground over her defeat. As Spike celebrated his victory, a bright light flashed in the corner of his eyes. He looked over but saw nothing. "I don't understand. I was winning. By a long shot! How'd you do it?" Pinkie demanded, wanting to know how she was beaten. "That's classified information, I'm afraid. Better luck next war," he bragged as another flash of light gleamed from the corner of his eyes. He turned his head again but found nothing once more. Pinkie looked up from her wallowing, seeing him stare off. "Something over there?" she said, making hand binoculars. "No, No, I just thought I saw something. Wanna play again?" he asked, setting the pieces back up. "Nah, I wanna see what else they have in here," She shook her head, springing up to her feet. She toured her eyes around the room before spotting something, squealing in delight. "OUH, ouh, ouh, Wanna have a dance battle," she said, pointing over to the dance machine. "Maybe later," he said nervously. Suddenly, a rather loud growl emanated from her. Pinkie giggled, patting her stomach. "How about some breakfast? We can have that dance battle later," he said, getting up from his seat. Pinkie didn't move, however. Her imagination was taking over. As if out of a Telenovalia, she pictured herself in an all-white dress, a veil covering her eyes as she stared at her imaginary husband Spike, dressed head to toe in full Military gear, towering over her in size. War had broken out, and Spike was desperately needed. "My dear Pinkie, don't cry," He said to her, his Spanish accent thick and present as he lifted the veil. "We will have that dance later," He finished as he leaned in for a kiss. As their lips met, Pinkie could practically hear Spike saying her name. "PINKIE!" Spike shouted, shaking her back to her senses. She shook her head vigorously, her cotton candy-like hair poofing up. She patted it down back to normal before giving Spike a thumbs up. "Geez, Pinkie. You had me worried for a second there. Did you hear me?" he inquired. Pinkie nodded as she finished adjusting her fluffy hair. "Señor Spike was worried about me!" she thought to herself. Leaving the game room, another sudden bright light flashed, blinding both of them this time. They turned together, but once again, there was nothing visible. "What was that?" she asked. "Let's just ignore it," he said, continuing his path. Pinkie kept glancing at him, unable not to admire his physique. Her eyes scanned him up and down, taking in all she could. From what foot he stepped with to how his tail swayed. She slowed down just enough to get a good look at his butt when she suddenly slapped herself, leaving a red print on her face. "Mosquito, he-he," she awkwardly said to a startled Spike. She rubbed her cheek as she tried her best to look forward and not at him. "Come on, Pinkie, pull yourself together. He is one of your Bestist friends. You can't lose sight of that... Of course, Aj crossed that border yesterday. And it's not like Rarity wants to be with him. She doesn't even know how tunnel-visioned she is over every "Showpony" and "Snob" she meets. If it weren't for her living rent-free in Spike's heart, she'd be feeling the same way as me...wait, that makes no sense. I drank that weird chug-jug-looking potion Twilight gave me, so I should be-" "Excuse me, miss," some asked. Pinkie returned to her senses, now seeing she was holding a small menu book, Spike sitting across from her—a mare with brown colored hair holding a notepad, ready to take her order. Pinkie nervously laughed before quickly scanning her menu, frantically ordering the first thing she saw. The mare bowed to the both of them before walking off, indiscreetly shaking her hips as she walked past Spike, hoping he would notice. He bluntly ignored her, focusing on how odd Pinkie was acting...well, odder than usual. "You feeling ok, Pinkie?" he asked. "Huh, oh uhm, Yep-a-duper-onie," she chuckled awkwardly. "Hey, uh, sorry if I...kinda sorta forced you to wake up just to hang out with me," she finished. Although he was a little upset, remembering how comfortable he was in bed with Rarity, he chose not to hold it in front of her. "Don't sweat it. You should probably apologize to Rarity, though," he said. Pinkie felt like pulling out her hair as she was verbally reminded about her friend's "predicament," sharing a room with the girl of his dreams must be a blessing from Celestia herself to him. A small part of her felt glad, however, knowing she had woken her up from her "beauty sleep" in the process. "Right~Anyways, you still good from yesterday?" she questioned back, trying to change the subject. "Yeah. I'm ok. That whole cafe thing wasn't sitting right with me. And apart from getting my hid tossed around playing SmashMares against you, Yep-a-duper-onie," he mimicked her, forcing her laugh out, her tiny piggy snorts elevating his own laughter. "Did I ever tell you your laugh is contagious," he said. She paused, blushing heavily from his sudden words. "Oh my gosh, Oh My gosh, Oh My Gosh. He likes my laugh. Wait, calm down, Pinkie. He's always liked it. Be cool~." "No," she said, blushing heavily as she hid her face with her hair. "Well, it is. I wouldn't even know what you were laughing at or about; I'd still join you," he chuckled before finally stopping when he noticed her slouching in on her chair. "Are you feeling ok, Pinkie?" She nodded. Unconvinced, Spike glanced around them, noticing how the few patrons close to them stared and whispered behind coveted hands and menus, only looking away after he made eye contact. Seeing his reflection in his cup, he muttered "Is-is it me?" Although she didn't hear him, Pinkie could see his displeasure, but before she could say anything to cheer him up, a voice called out his name from afar. They looked at the entrance, seeing Rarity waving. Pinkie looked back at Spike; his eyes lit up like New Year's as she strutted over. Pinkie uncovered her face, holding something of a forced, happy look, somewhat unpleased to see their "friend." "Morning, Pinkie," she said, frilling her finger at her. "Hello, Spikey," she said, taking a seat next to him. "Thanks for letting me sleep in," she said. "But of course. You looked so peaceful. I didn't wanna disturb you," he bashfully said. As the two of them talked to each other, Pinkie's presence was seemingly forgotten to the duo as she silently watched them converse. Although she didn't like it, she had to admit that Rarity had a way of grabbing his attention. She looked at her clothes: her black and white high-neck-sleeved crop top and ripped denim jeans highlighted all her figures while somehow still making her modest. She felt almost forced to look down at her clothes. Her bright pink-neck knitted tank top and trousers didn't exactly bring that "pop" aesthetic that Spike found attractive. Suddenly, two plates were dropped off onto the table. A large plate of blueberry pancakes drowned in syrup, and an omelet with a small fruit bowl and a mixed berry muffin. "I didn't order these," Spike said, pointing at the bowl and muffin. "Just a little something extra from that table over there," she said, pointing at two mares wearing floral dresses across from them. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know there'd be more partons joining you," she said, noticing Rarity and apologizing. "It's fine. I'm not really hungry in the mornings," Rarity said. "But I am," said a voice from above. Rainbow Dash was flying above them before slowly plopping down onto the ground and pulling up a chair. "I'll have what he's having, hehe," she said. "Dashy, when did you get here?" Pinkie said, biting down on her smile, everyone oblivious to her displeasement. "Just now. Got a text from Rarity that breakfast was on," she said, crossing her legs. The waiter mare walked away, repeating the same swaying motion from earlier. Spike again ignored it while Rarity rolled her eyes. "Rarity called you......hooray-!...are the rest of the girls coming?" she said. "Don't care; too hungry," she said, slumping back in her chair. Spike leaned away after catching a whiff of her sweat. "See something you like?" she teased, flexing her bicep. But before he could defend himself, Rarity's stomach growled loudly. "I'm sorry," she said, interrupting herself with a slight cough. "Maybe I am a bit hungry," she added, glancing at their breakfasts. "Here," He slid over his fruit bowl and the muffin. "I only asked for the omelet anyway," he said. "Thank you, Spikey," she said, happily taking the food from his hands. Her joy was short, however, as multiple cups and glasses spilled all over her body. "Aaaaagh," She screamed, leaping to her feet from the excitement. Spike got up immediately, grabbing napkins from the table and handing them over to her. Pinkie and Rainbowdash snickered momentarily before joining in to help the waitress, who was trying to hide her laughter behind her hands. "I'm so (snicker) sorry! I didn't see where I was going," the waitress apologized, lying through her teeth as she picked up the glasses from the floor. Rarity refrained from saying anything as she wiped her eyes. Ponies sitting at nearby tables had watched the scene unfold. Spike couldn't help but hear their remarks and comments as he assisted Rarity with her soaked clothes. "Did you see her face? Priceless!" or "That's what happens when you try too hard," and "He so sweet for helping her, lucky bitch." The last comment set Spike off. Unable to bite his lip closed any further, he turned to face them. "Don't you all have nothing better to talk about!?!" he snarled, hushing the ponies silent. The waitress cowered in shame on the floor after seeing his face. "I'm heading back to the room," Rarity said nonchalantly before walking out. "I hope you all enjoyed yourselves," he said just before chasing after her. "Hey, waitress," Rainbow said, panning to the mare. "Next time, be more careful. And you can forget my breakfast too. I just lost my appetite." She finished by waving the waitress off. After she left, Pinkie pushed her pancakes away, crossing her arms as a thought entered her mind. "Glad the others aren't here." Cutting over to Canterlot Palace, Ember and Smolder arrived after flying nonstop overnight. Once they reached the palace, Ember walked over to the four guards stationed at the front gate. "Halt, no one is allowed near the......t-the-" The guards stopped their unison speech as Ember stared them down, her eyes honed like shaped blades, as if ready to cut them down like a guillotine. Without saying a word, they all slammed the bottom of their spears against the ground as sweat dripped from their heads, parting way for the duo. "Smart choice, ponies. I'm in no mood to enjoy your "pleasantries." Come on, Smolder," she said, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her inside. "Oww, watch it." she rebuttled, snatching her hand away. "I can walk just fine," she said. As they approached the second door of the palace, a group of servants, along with the palace headmaster, came out to greet them. They offered them both refreshments and gems to eat, but Ember ignored them. The headmaster of the group tried to lead them to a waiting room, but Ember shooed him away. In contrast, Smolder grabbed a few gems for herself, stuffing them in her pockets as she walked past them. Now, can you finish what you were saying?" Smolder asked. "Didn't those ponies teach you any manners?" Ember replied. "Ugh, Can you "please" finish what you were saying?" she corrected. "No." "What? Then what was the point in saying "please"?" "To see if you "actually" learned anything." "You can't be serious?" she said. Smolder could have sworn she saw her grin before she suddenly sped up. Smolder hounded her with her insistence on finishing explaining why she was dragged out of her dorm and forced to fly all the way to Canterlot in less than a night. Her wings were sore beyond belief, and she was tired. She felt like an explanation was demanded now more than needed. She stayed quiet all the way up until they reached the Royal conference room. In one swift motion, Ember pushed open the massive doors, revealing both Celestia and Luna sitting atop their twin thrones. Luna reading what looked like documents while Celestia sat facing Ember. Stepping into the throne room, Celestia used her magic to close the doors behind them. "Dragonlord Ember! I figured that was you causing such commotion," she said. "You don't seem surprised to see me," Ember said, hoisting her scepter in the air as the gem in the center began to shine. "I take it you already know as to why I'm here?" she finished. "Unfortunately...I do." Back at the hotel, Pinkie sat alone in her room, eating from a bowl of candies. "Don't y'all have anything else to talk about." "I hope you all enjoyed yourselves." "He looked so scary," she told herself, shoving another candy into her mouth. Suddenly, she heard a knock on her door. "Pinkie, open up," Rainbowdash said, banging on the door. She opened it, Rainbow letting herself in. "We gotta talk," she said. Pinkie sat down beside her, offering her a piece of candy. She waved it away. A small moment of silence played before Rainbow broke the silence. "Did you see that look he had?" she said, making her remember how angered he was. "Yeah. I never knew he could look so...so... "Cool!" Pinkie went wide-eyed as she looked at Rainbowdash, baffled, her eyes practically sparkling. She could have sworn they were talking about a different Spike altogether. "Oh, come on, I know how it sounds, but that look he shot to those guys," she grabbed at her arms, stroking them up and down. "I got shivers!" she said, her body trembling, sporting a look of excitement mixed with ecstasy. "UHHH~," was all she could say. "Well, I thought it was cool. Shame about breakfast, though...Hey, wait a minute?" she said. What were you doing eating with Spike? "Alone!?!" she said, heavily emphasizing. Pinkie fidgeted for a second, trying to come up with an excuse but to no avail, only managing to make noises. Rainbow's eyes narrowed down on her, practically seeing through her. "What? Can't we have breakfast with one of our friends?" she said, defending herself. She felt confused and embarrassed and replied, "Well, you could have at least invited me," while crossing her arms. "I-I...guess I could have done that," she added with a pause, looking away in embarrassment. "Yeah, I'd appreciate it if you did," Rainbow said, also averting her gaze. They stayed like that for a few more moments before Rainbow broke the silence. "So, ugh, what did you guys do? she hesitantly asked. She looked over at her, a little surprised by her sudden interest. Rolling with her newfound interest, she told her about how they spent the morning in the game room, talking passionately about how much fun it was and how he promised to dance with her. "You two were going to have a dance-off; now that I gotta see. What else happened?" she asked, fully invested in the story. "Well, after that was when he said we should get something to eat. We got there, we ordered, and he said I had an "amazingly cute laugh...and," she paused, looping her hair in her hands, blushing. "And what? What else happened," she said "She showed up," she spat out, her words filled with a tinge of jealousy and displeasure. "We were having fun until she waltzed in with her pampered hair and fancy clothes," he continued with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Rainbow chimed in, "And that accent!" Pinkie snorted in agreement and laughter. "Exactly, who does she think she's fooling?" She grabbed another piece of candy, popping it into her mouth before a sudden thought came to mind. "Hey, we aren't being mean, are we?" she asked. "What?~ No. Friends pick on each other all the time. If they can't take a joke, then that's on them, like earlier, when that waitress spilled those drinks on her. Sure, we laughed, but we still helped her, right? she pointed out. "I guess, but-" Rainbow groaned in annoyance, interrupting her. "No more but's Pinkie. You see, even when she isn't here, she's killing the mood, like at the cafe," she mentioned. "Oh yeah. She acted like a jerk to Spike there, too. Actually, she's been acting like a jerk ever since we got here. If any ponies acting mean, it's her," she said. "Mean? Try cold; He must be going crazy sharing a room with her," Rainbow said. (Sigh)"Yeah, it makes me wonder if he wants a new roommate-" she stopped as a lightbulb clicked in their heads. They looked at one another, the quiet of the room disappearing as they waited to see who would do something first. "UGH! I just remembered! I haven't had breakfast yet! See you later, Pinkie!" She said, making a break out of the room, but Pinkie sprang from her bed and caught her by the wings. She rushed in front of Rainbow, closed the door, and pulled her back, causing Rainbow to fall to the ground and rub her head. As Pinkie slammed the door shut, Rainbow felt a fire ignite inside her. She jumped up, puffing steam from her nose, and swung open the door. She tackled Pinkie while she eagerly knocked on the door. They wrestled together on the ground, pulling and shoving at one another just outside the door. (Creaking noises) "Oh deary me," said the elderly maid, walking out from one of the rooms. Behind her, she had a cart full of cleaning equipment, bed sheets, and pillowcases. Embarrassed, they released one another and patted the dirt off themselves. "Are you two ok?" she asked, slowly walking over. "We're fine. We were just..uh, roughhousing and got a little carried away," Rainbow said, taking tiny pauses to think. "Yeah, we just got bored, uhm, waiting on our friend," she pointed at the door. "Oh, that's a relief. I thought you two were fighting. Friends shouldn't fight, after all. Good to know these old eyes of mine were playing tricks on me." She finished. Rainbow and Pinkie rubbed the back of their necks and their arms, feeling bad for tricking the old mare. "Sorry for the scare, Miss," Rainbow said, with Pinkie nodding in agreement. "It's all ok. You gals were having fun. Like that Drake and his mare friend," she said. The old mare grabbed her cart and slowly walked towards the elevator. Rainbow and Pinkie's eyes widened as they flicked their heads toward the elderly maid, rushing to the mare's side. "What mare friend?" Pinkie asked. "No, you're asking the wrong thing. What did her cutie mark look like?" Rainbow asked. "Alrighty, I'm coming out now," Rarity said, finishing changing out of her dampened clothes as Spike waited beyond their bathroom door. "Well?" She said excitedly, gave him a little spin, and struck a pose for him at the end. She opened her eyes, seeing little reaction from him. "What? Do you not like it?" she asked. "Huh, no, no. I do, I do," he said assuringly. "Are you sure? You don't like it, do you?" she said, pinching at the sides of her blouse. She sucked her teeth, pulling on her shirt. "I knew it; I knew I should have sprung for-.", "Rarity, It's beautiful," he said, taking her by the hands. "You look beautiful." She smiled, his sweet words falling on her ears. "Well, say something sooner, you silly drake," she teased. "Sorry. I'm still a little bothered by earlier, is all," he admitted, rubbing his shoulder. She spoke, remembering how violent his voice was compared to now. "Spikey," she said to him, when suddenly, she a loud rumble roared from her stomach again. This changed their mood, making Spike chuckle looking at her blushing face. "Don't laugh," she said, playfully slapping his shoulder. "Forget it," she waved away. "Let's just go get some food already." Spike nodded. "So, what do you feel like?" he said, grabbing the room phone as she walked back into the bathroom. "Definitely, not room service," she replied, to which he quickly dropped the phone back down. "I didn't get dressed, Again, for nothing." she walked back out, her purse now in tow as she grabbed Spike's hand. Speeding out of their room, they nearly bumped into an old maid walking out of the hallway. "Sorry," Rarity said, walking around her to the elevator. The doors closing behind them, Spike looked down at their hands, his heart beating faster by the second. "Her hand is so soft," he thought, gently tightening his grip. Her eyes widened for a moment, widening briefly before doing the same. "How are your hands always so soft?" he blushingly asked. "I moisturize every morning. A lady has to try her best as often as possible," she remarked, tightening her grip on his hand. Spike cleared his throat, unsure of what to say next when his own stomach suddenly rumbled. Rarity giggled, fan covering her mouth. "I didn't even get to taste my omelet earlier," he said. "You'll get to do more than just taste your food this time around, I'm sure-" She said. "Oh, I already know what I'm ordering," he interrupted, his excitement surprising her. She wasn't offended, however, rather interested as she asked him, "And what is my Spikey mood for?" "Pancakes! Stuffed with gems and stacked as high as possible!" he exclaimed with his hands. What about you? Any favorites in mind?" he asked of her. "French toast sounds divine right about now, or maybe some crepes topped with powdered sugar and chocolate," she exclaimed, her hands on her cheeks as she drooled over the delicious thoughts. However, with the sound of the elevator ding and the slow opening of the doors, they look out to realize they are in the lobby. They looked at each other, then back to the lobby, then back to each other when Rarity gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh, this is embarrassing. I must have clicked the wrong button, My fault Spikey," she admitted while reaching for the correct floor button when Spike's hand fell onto hers. "Wait," he said. "Is something wrong?" she asked. Suddenly, Spike pressed the top floor button, bringing them back to their room floor. "What is it? Did you forget something? If it was your wallet, darling, you don't need it. I'm more than capable of- "Will you go out with me!?!" "W-What!?!"