//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: Dreams and Doughnuts 
// Story: Rarity's Choice 
// by mikemuir0178 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 5: Dreams and Doughnuts


Spike could feel his heart flutter happily as he walked in an open field in Ponyville.  The landscape was both inspiring and romantic as gentle shadows of trees lined the horizon and the open field glowed under the moonlight. Yet despite how beautiful the landscape was, it paled in comparison to the young maiden that now walked at this side. For him, nothing could compart to the dream of having Rarity at his side.  What made it even more special was that he knew Rarity now felt the same as he did. Nothing could ruin this evening of tranquility and bliss.

As the two silently made their way down the trail, they eventually found themselves at the foot of a bridge.  Slowly, Spike took the lead crossing the bridge, with Rarity following behind.  However, as he reached the other side, he found Rarity had stopped in the middle of the bridge and was now peering up into the night sky.  “Rarity?”

“Spike!  Look!” Rarity quickly responded.

Spike quickly peered in the general direction Rarity was facing and caught the brief glimpse of a shooting star.  A smile fell across his face as he remembered an old tradition.  “I guess you better make a wish.”

Rarity gave a small laugh before she placed her front hooves on the bridge railing and looked into the sky.  “I’ve always dreamed about a moment like this.  I would sit on this bridge looking up into the night sky with my prince.”

Spike made his way to Rarity’s side and took a seat on the railing next to her.  As he did, he began to admire how the moonlight seemed to place a gentle aura around her.  It was almost as if her coat glowed in the night air.  Her mane would also shimmer and flow like one of the princesses’, along with her-

“No.  Better not go there,” Spike thought as he remembered the feature that first made him first attracted to Rarity.  Still he found himself unable to remove his eyes from the young maiden who now sat next to him.  He could feel his heart race knowing that she wanted to be with him.  He then remembered the one thing he wanted to do over all else.  “Rarity do you think…” Spike stuttered

Rarity turned and looked at him with a gentle smile.

“Can…Can I kiss you?” Spike continued.

Rarity’s face lit up in total surprise.  “You…You want to…To kiss me?”

“I love you, Rarity,” Spike said as he reached up and cupped Rarity’s face gently.  Slowly he drew her head down so that their eyes could meet.

Rarity was stunned by the gesture, but did not resist. Instead, she looked into his gentle gaze, unable to react.  It wasn’t until their lips were about to touch that the realization of what was about to happen seemed to awaken Rarity from her surprise.  “But…But I’m not Rarity!”

Spike felt his body freeze for a moment as he heard those words.  “What!?” Spike cried before closing his eyes and shaking his head to awaken himself from his dream.  When he looked back up, he found he was in the Canterlot Boutique behind the counter. The night had vanished and he could see rays of sunshine coming through the windows.  He then realized he was cupping a pony’s head in his hands, but it was too small to be Rarity’s.

As he turned to look, he froze in distress at what he saw.  It was not Rarity’s face he now held, but Sweetie Belle’s.  The little pony looked back at him in confusion and shock.

“Yah!” Spike shouted in surprise as he quickly let go and jumped back for good measure.  Sweetie Belle also jumped back and landed on her haunches.  She appeared slightly flustered and surprised by what had just happened.  It took a moment for Spike to regain his composure.  “Sorry Sweetie Belle.  I was having a…” Spike considered his words for a second, “It was a strange dream.”

Sweetie Belle covered her racing heart with her hoof and took a moment to recover her thoughts.  She had gone behind the counter to wake Spike up when she heard him talking in his sleep.  When she tried to wake him, Spike had gently grabbed her while saying Rarity’s name. He then tried to…Sweetie Belle thought it was best not to think about what might have happened next.  “So…Were you…dreaming about my sister?”

Spike averted his eyes in embarrassment.  “What makes you say that?”

“You kept on mumbling Rarity’s name,” Sweetie Belle answered.

“Oh...Um…Maybe…” Spike mumbled.  He then made his way around the counter in hopes of avoiding Sweetie Belle’s gaze.  However, to his horror, Sweetie Belle decided to follow him around.

“So what were you dreaming about?” Sweetie Belle asked as she kept up with Spike.

Spike refused to make eye contact with her as he walked around the showroom.  He tried to appear as if he was examining the room for things that still needed to be done. However, his real intention was making sure Rarity was not around or had overheard what had just happened. Fortunately, too his surprise and relief, Rarity was nowhere to be found.  “It was nothing,” he quickly answered.

“I could tell you were dreaming about Rarity. Perhaps it was a memory.  Maybe your first date with her?” Sweetie Belle replied. 

“Ah!” Spike froze as his eyes went wide with surprise.  He quickly turned to Sweetie Belle.  “How did you know that?!”

“You mean it was?” Sweetie Belle asked.

It took a moment for Spike to realize that Sweetie Belle had only been guessing.  A part of him cursed himself for having the bad habit of talking in his sleep sometimes. “Well…” Spike averted his gaze to the floor as he scratched the back of his head nervously, “It was…sort of,” he confessed.  However, he admitted to himself that the events he had seen were a little different from what actually took place.

“So what happened?” Sweetie Belle asked.

If ever there was a time when Spike wished Sweetie Belle’s curiosity would not show, it was now.  “It’s probably best for me not to say anything,” he said before making his way around the boutique looking for Rarity.  To his surprise, she was not even in the building.

“Come on, Spike,” Sweetie Belle begged, “Tell me what happened.”

Realizing Sweetie Belle would not leave him alone until she got an answer, Spike turned to face her.  “Sweetie Belle.  I’m begging you.  Please don’t ask.  I’m sure Rarity would not like it if I did tell you.”

Sweetie Belle’s head drooped down in disappointment. As her sister, Sweetie Belle wanted to know how far along the relationship was between Spike and Rarity. She had so many questions.  But as she looked at Spike’s pleading face, she decided to contain her curiosity.  Spike was a good friend and the last thing she wanted to do was cause any more grievances to him.  “All right...” she pouted.

“Thank you,” Spike sighed in relief.  He then took another look around the boutique. “By the way, where is Rarity?”

Sweetie Belle’s mood lightened as she heard the question.  “Oh that. She said she wanted to pick something up and asked me to wake you before she got back.”

“Pick something up?” Spike questioned, “What did she want to get?”

“I don’t know.  But she said she wouldn’t be long,” Sweetie Belle replied.

“Huh.  I wonder-“ Spike was interrupted the next moment as the front door of Canterlot Boutique burst wide open.

“Spike!  Sweetie Belle!” Rarity sung out happily as she stood in the door.  Her horn glowed blue as it levitated a white box in the air next to her head.  For a moment, Rarity peered around the boutique until she spotted Sweetie Belle and Spike.  “Oh good! You’re awake,” she said as she pranced happily into the room.

“Rarity?” Spike said in surprise.  He then peered at the white box she was levitating next to her.  At first glance, Spike thought it was a box for carrying clothes in.  However, Spike could detect a sweet aroma from inside it.

“I was worried Sweetie Belle wouldn’t have been able to wake you in time,” Rarity replied.  She then levitated the box down in front of both Sweetie Belle and Spike to show what was inside.  “I brought a whole assortment of culinary delights from Pony Joe.  Freshly made!”

As the lid opened up, Spike and Sweetie Belle’s mouths dropped open and their eyes lit up in surprise and delight.  Inside the box were a dozen doughnuts and a few Danish pastries.  “Wow!” They both said in unison as they began eyeing which doughnut they would go for first.

“Come.  Let us eat at the counter,” Rarity said as she levitated the box up before one of them could grab a treat.  She then proceeded to the counter and placed the box in the middle.  Spike took a place directly opposite of her while Sweetie Belle took a seat to the right of Rarity.  “Enjoy!”

Immediately, all three of them reached for their doughnut of choice.  For Spike, his preference was the chocolate covered doughnuts with sprinkles. Sweetie Belle went for one of the glazed cherry jam filled doughnuts while Rarity used her magic to gently take out a Danish pastry.  The three mumbled in ecstasy as they ate their fill.  When they were done, there was nothing left.

“That was great, Rarity.  Thank you,” Sweetie Belle said.

Rarity nodded her approval.  “You can thank Pony Joe.  When I told him you were both here, he immediately baked a batch of fresh doughnuts for us.”

Sweetie Belle then turned to Spike.  “What did you think, Spike?”

Spike swallowed the last bit of his doughnut before answering.  He then opened his mouth to reply.  However, before he could speak, his eyes went wide with shock.  He then closed his mouth and clutched his stomach in pain.

“They weren’t that bad, Spike!” Sweetie Belle scolded.

Rarity on the other hand recognized what was happening almost immediately.  Quickly, she stepped to one side to avoid what she knew would come next.

Spike let out a belch of magical green flame the next moment.  As the flame circled overhead, it materialized into a sealed scroll in the air. The scroll then fell into Spike’s lap. “What’s this?” Spike said as he picked up the scroll and examined it.

“Is it from Princess Celestia?” Rarity asked.

Spike recognized the seal almost immediately, but was slightly surprised when he saw who had sent it.  “It’s from Twilight,” he replied.  He then began to unroll the parchment and read it.  After reading the first few lines, his eyes shot open in surprise and fear.  “Uh…This is…”

Rarity grew concerned when she saw Spike’s face pale. “What does it say?” she asked. When Spike did not respond, she circled the counter and made her way to his side.  She then peered over his shoulder and examined the writing.

The scroll was from Twilight, however it was not a friendly greeting as both Rarity and Spike had first assumed, but quite the opposite.  In it, the letter had Twilight demanding to know where the two of them were last night and why they had not gone to the palace.  Twilight then began demanding to know if another incident like the one that happened in Grey Shire’s cabin had happened.  She also started pointing out that they had broken their promise.  The tone Twilight wrote in could only be matched by the tone she had used when she first found out about the Mark on Rarity’s neck.

“This is…” Rarity’s voice trailed off as she pictured Twilight, who was now ten times her normal size, gazing angrily down at both her and Spike.  Small beads of sweat formed on her brow as she wondered how she would explain what had happened.  When she looked down at Spike for help, she could see he was also wrestling with a similar vision.

“What’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Both Spike and Rarity looked up from the letter to Sweetie Belle.  They then looked to each other silently for answers before turning back with sheepish smiles.  “Nothing you need to worry about, dear sister,” Rarity replied.

Sweetie Belle did not fall for their deception. “It can’t be that bad.  What did Twilight say?”

“Nothing!” Rarity repeated, she then leaned towards Spike. “Burn it!” she quietly growled.

Spike did not hesitate to reduce the letter to a pile of smoldering ash.

“What are you hiding,” Sweetie Belle demanded.

“A lady never reveals her secrets,” Rarity repeated with a fake smile.

Sweetie Belle then looked to Spike.  “Spike.  What did it say?”

Spike jumped out of his stool in surprise.  He gave a quick glance to Rarity who only returned it with a stern look.  He then looked back at Sweetie Belle.  “It’s…complicated,” he stuttered as he backed away from the counter.  “I think I’ll write Twilight back now,” he said before making a mad dash to the back room.

As Rarity saw Spike disappear from her view, she turned to look back at her sister.  “Sweetie Belle.  You really shouldn’t get involved in other pony’s romances.  Especially mine.”

Sweetie Belle looked at Rarity with eyes of slight regret.  “I know. It’s just that you and Spike have been good friends for a long time and I want to see it become something more. The two of you deserve to be together.”

Rarity’s tone lightened as she heard this.  She was grateful her sister approved of their relationship.  A part of her had wondered how her parents would react if they found out about her and Spike.  The idea of a pony and a dragon being together was considered farfetched in pony society and a part of Rarity could understand why Spike’s parents, a dragon and a pony, had hid themselves away.  However, seeing Sweetie Belle endorse their relationship helped instill confidence in Rarity that such a relationship could be accepted.  “Thank you, Sweetie Belle.  It means a lot to hear you say that.  But you still should not pry into another pony’s affairs. Remember what happened with Big McIntosh and Cheerilee?”

“I do,” Sweertie Belle admitted as she recalled how everything went wrong that day.  The last thing she wanted was a repeat of that terrible ‘love poison’ incident. “But you’re my sister and I just want to help.”

Rarity smiled down at Sweetie Belle.  “Having your approval is all I need,” she said as she cupped Sweetie Belle’s cheek in her hoof.

Sweetie Belle smiled back happily at her sister. However the moment did not last long.

Before anything else could be said, there was a gentle knocking at the front door.

“Who could that be?” Rarity said as she took a moment to look out the window.  To her surprise, she saw a pony of the elite class waiting patiently on the door step.

“Do you know her?” Sweetie Pie asked.

“I don’t think so,” Rarity replied with uncertainty.  She then proceeded to the door.  As she opened it, she found herself face to face with a lavender pony with a pearl connected to the stem of a petunia for a cutie mark.  The pony appeared older than Rarity’s mother but not as old as Granny Smith. She wore a pearl necklace and glasses. “I am sorry, but we are currently closed for the moment,” Rarity said.

“My name is Pearl Petunia.  I’m the one who requested the wedding gown for my daughter,” the pony replied.

“Oh!  Yes! Please come in,” Rarity replied happily as she gestured the pony inside.

Pearl Petunia slowly entered the boutique and peered around.  As she did, she did not display any emotions to the current state of the boutique but merely examined her surroundings.

“I apologize for the mess.  We are currently renovating the boutique for the new season,” Rarity explained.

“No need to explain.  I have a few friends in the fashion world who are making the same adjustments as well.  From what I can tell, you appear to have taken the initiative.  It is very commendable.” Petunia replied.

Rarity was glad that that Petunia was understanding about the state of her boutique.  However, she could tell that her guest was one who wanted quick and decisive answers. “I assume you are here about the wedding gown, correct?  We only just received the order and-“

“Yes.  Yes.  I know.  I’m sure you don’t have any designs ready yet,” Petunia replied.

Rarity gave a smile of confidence.  “Actually, I do have a few designs ready.  If you would like, I can show them to you.”

“Oh?”  Petunia’s mood lightened a little.  “I’m glad to see someone is taking the initiative.”

Rarity quickly used her magic to pull out a series of drawings she kept in a drawer in the counter.  As the pieces of parchment floated over, Rarity took a position to the right of Petunia and held the sketches up for Petunia to see.  “These are some of my initial sketches.  Some of them are based on what you had from your previous designer, but I took the liberty to make a few changes to give the dress a more traditional feel.”

“Hmm…” Petunia said as she studied the sketch, “I see…”

“However, if the bride does not favor the more traditional feel, I’ve created a few designs that add some extra trim around the edges to give it more flare,” Rarity continued as she flipped to another sketch.

“Hmm…Very nice,” Petunia replied with more satisfaction.

Sweetie Belle watched in silence as Rarity showed the different designs she had worked on the previous day.  She admired how Rarity seemed to quickly adapt to Petunia’s mood.  Rarity studied each of Petunia’s reactions to each design and started to only show sketches that seemed to meet with the elder pony’s interests.

“I have to say that some of your designs are quite inspiring,” Petunia said after looking over the drawings Rarity had made, “I’m not at liberty to decide which one to use.  That will fall on my daughter.”

“If you would prefer, I can meet with her.  If she comes over now, I might be able create one or two additional designs,” Rarity explained.

“Alas.  She is currently busy making some other arrangements.  However, she has asked me to invite you to a family ball we are hosting tonight so that she may see your designs,” Petunia explained.

“Oh.  That sounds lovely…However,” Rarity turned and looked toward Sweetie Belle before looking back at Petunia.  “I must decline at the moment.  I am currently taking care of my sister.”

Sweetie Belle smiled as she realized Rarity was willing to forego the ball to be with her.

“I see,” Petunia said as she examined Sweetie Belle for a moment.

Sweetie Belle remained still and offered a gentle smile in hopes of impressing Petunia for her sister.

“Hmm…I suppose we can allow you to bring a guest. Some of the ponies attending are around her age,” Petunia replied.

Sweetie Belle’s excitement grew as she realized she had the chance to attend a fancy ball.  However, she contained her excitement so as not to change Petunia’s mind.

“In that case, we would be honored to attend,” Rarity replied.

Petunia nodded in approval.

“What about Spike?” Sweetie Belle said suddenly.

“Oh,” Rarity replied in surprise.  She had been so tied up with impressing Petunia that she forgot Spike was in the back room writing a letter.  A part of her feared she might have to decline again since she did not want to leave Spike alone.  It would not be right for her to abandon him.

“Spike?” Petunia asked.

“He’s a friend of ours who has been helping us. He is actually the assistant to Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Rarity explained.

Petunia stood in thought for a moment as she tried to recall the name.  “If memory serves, he’s a dragon, correct?”

“He is,” Rarity confirmed hesitantly, “But he does have close ties to all the princesses and is considered a hero in the Crystal Empire.”

Petunia’s interest grew as she heard this.  She was not fond of the fact that Spike was a dragon. However she believed hosting a member with ties to the princesses could prove beneficial to her family’s standing. “Very well.  I will allow it.”

“Thank you,” Rarity sighed happily.

Petunia nodded her approval.  “I must head out now.  There are several arrangements I still must attend to,” Petunia said as she made her way to the door.

“Of course.  I look forward to the event,” Rarity replied as she escorted her client out. After Petunia had left, Rarity closed the door and sighed in relief.  She felt fortunate that things had gone smoothly.  Her moment of peace was interrupted by the high pitched squeals of her sister.

“We’re going to a ball!  We’re going to a ball!  We’re going to a ball!” Sweetie Belle sung happily as she jumped around.

Rarity smiled at his sister’s reaction.  Still, she knew that proper décor was needed if she still wished to impress her client.  “All right, Sweetie Belle.  But we still need to make some preparations.”

Sweetie Belle’s excitement waned a little as a thought occurred to her.  “I guess we won’t be able to go shopping like you promised.”

Rarity had not forgotten her promise to her sister. Instead, she felt an idea spring into her head as she looked at Sweetie Belle.  “On the contrary,” Rarity said happily, “We need to purchase a nice dress for you since I won’t have time to make one from scratch.”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes lit up.  “Really?!”

“Of course,” Rarity smiled, “In fact, how about we go shopping for one and I’ll wear one that matches it,” Rarity replied.

“Yay!” Sweetie Belle bounced with excitement.

“Of course, I will need to whip something up for Spike,” Rarity said with concern when she gave the matter some thought, “I doubt many stores have suits tailored for dragons.”  Her demeanor then brightened the next moment, “But I think I can make the necessary clothing.”

“Can I help?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Rarity looked down at Sweetie Belle in surprise for a moment.  Normally, she didn’t like Sweetie Belle assisting her in her projects.  However, Sweetie Belle had proven useful so far and deserved a chance.  “Of course, Sweetie Belle.”

After Rarity had said this, the door to the back room opened and a worn out Spike slowly strolled into the room. “Wow.  You would never believe how much detail Twilight wanted about last night. I must have wrote down everything we said and did!” Spike cursed as he entered the room.  He then looked toward Sweetie Belle and Rarity.  “So what did I miss?”

Rarity looked down at Sweetie Belle with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.  “Shall we get started, dear sister?”

Sweetie Belle returned the mischievous gleam. “Of course, dear sister,” Sweetie Belle mimicked.  The two then smiled at Spike with piercing eyes.

“Ah...What’s going on?” Spike asked.  He could tell that something bad was about to happen to him.

“MAKE OVER!” Rarity sang happily as she and Sweetie Belle pounced.



To Be Continued…