Dusk Dawns

by AlphatheGriffin17


Get Over It!

Fluttershy closed the flap on her saddlebag containing some select magazines she liked to read. In preparation for her weekly trip to the spa, she wanted to make sure she'd have something to do, in case she and Rarity separated and she wanted something more interesting to do.

She also did a little fly-around the home to check up on everything. The bird feeders were all full to the brim with feed, the chipmunks were feasting on their stashes of nuts and the water bowls were all stocked. Everything looked okay. Then she flew around again when she thought that one of the feeders was lacking a little, realised she was just seeing things and flew off again.

It was always good to check, that's what Twilight always said.

"Okay," she murmured to herself, "I think that's everything I need." She checked again, nodded and turned to the white rabbit behind her. "Now, Angel bunny, let's go over everything one more time, just in case."

Angel rolled his eyes and tapped his feet impatiently. She cringed a little from his reaction, but she had to make sure that everything would be in order for him to keep an eye on while she was out.

"Right, now, all of the food is the smallest cupboard so that you can reach it. There's seed for the bird, nuts for the squirrels and chipmunks and yummy lettuce and carrots for the rabbits like you. Make sure that, if anyone is hungry, you be sure to give them what they need, but not too much and not too little, just right. You got that?" she asked kindly.

Angel just frowned at her again, but she barely noticed.

"Great! Now, the water bowls are full, but just in case you drink it all, you can either refill from the tap or from the little river outside," she told him. "If anyone gets bored, I also put some toys in that cupboard as well. Balls, squeaky balls, squeaky dolls, chew bones, chew balls and some other things. I wouldn't want you all to be bored waiting for me to get back."

Again, Angel nodded with a roll of his eyes, but she didn't really notice the second reaction.

"Right, now just in case for if anything bad happens. If anyone gets really bored even with the toys, make sure to give them something to do that doesn't involve, you know, tearing through the house. I know you'd want to have fun, but I live here too. If the eagles and falcons start trying to eat the mice again, make sure you tell them they're not for eating and it's not nice to eat your friends. If anyone steals anyone else's food, remind them they have what they need and if you run out of food, I've left some bits on the table for you to go and buy some more. There should be enough water, but if you run out and the stream outside just happens to dry up, I've told them to let you drink from the water tower. Wouldn't want you getting thirsty."

While she was continuing to instruct, she didn't notice the rabbit was trying to get her attention, but failing.

"If any kind of natural disaster should happen while I'm out, you know to lead everyone to the panic tree and stay there until I get there and panic along with you. If Nightmare Moon returns, there are plenty of flashlights and lamps to light the house in the dark, because you know how scary it can get when it's dark. If Discord breaks out his prison again, make sure you make note of which part's the ceiling and which is the floor, because you'll need to. And if… oh, I'm sorry, did you want to ask me something?"

This last part came when Angel, exasperated by the many eventuality plans that would make Twilight proud, had kicked her hoof several times to get her attention. Though, in truth, it was more of a light tap due to his size.

"Yes Angel, what is it?" She followed his paw to the nearby clock and gasped. "Oh my goodness, I'm running late! I was getting so caught up in what I was doing, I hadn't noticed. Thank you, Angel, you always make sure to keep me on time, don't you?"

The rabbit shrugged and gave her a look that said 'it's what I do' before gesturing her frantically to the door.

"Right yes, you're right, I'd better get going." She paused on her way to the door. "You know where all the food is then?" A nod, followed by another pause. "You know what to do in an emergency?" Another nod and yet another pause. "Oh my gosh, what about-?" This time, it was a loud squeak and sharp point. "Right, right, yes, I should get going. I've really gotta stop being so worried about…"

She had paused again as she opened the door, not because she'd remembered some other little thing to tell to Angel, but because she was shocked by the fact that there was already somepony on the other side. The stallion had halted mid-motion, his hoof raised about to knock.

"EEK!" She jumped back a bit until she realised who it was and calmed down a little. "Oh, it's you, Ray…"

"Hello, Fluttershy," he greeted casually, with a pleasant smile which became a look of concern. "I didn't scare you, did I?"

"Oh! Um, no, not at all… well, not scared, more startled really. You see, I, I didn't know that you'd be… well, here, so I was just about to leave without um, anypony actually uh, here. But then um… then you were here and I just got… got startled, not as bad as uh being scared, but still… startling, which is why I… I was…"

She fell silent and looked away when she realised she was babbling. She normally couldn't think of the right words to say when she was under pressure and something about Ray made her mind go as fuzzy as a dog's fur on bath day. What a silly, stammering fool she must look like to him…

Ray, however, seemed not to have noticed this and still kept his smile. "It's fine, Fluttershy, I understand. I'm sorry for startling you."

"R-r-really? I mean, um… I accept your apology, thank you. I'm sure you… you didn't mean to…" She felt the heat rise to her cheeks and looked away again.

She was, of course, always like this around ponies, even her friends at times. She couldn't think of what to say, she would become frightened and want nothing more but to hide away somewhere, so she wouldn't have to face them and so she could stop making an obvious idiot of herself in front of them. It got better if they were nice or if they were her friends, but there would still be times of nervousness.

Ray, however, produced a reaction the kind of which she had never felt before. Her cheeks would become even hotter than they usually did. She wanted to look at him, but felt like she shouldn't because then she just ended up staring at him. Whenever he spoke to her, her mind was a complete blank and any response she might have been planning out for in case if he did speak to her just went up in smoke. It made her feel nervous, but also kind of… nice.

There were times too when she noticed things from Ray. Even though she was looking away now, she would occasionally look back to see his eyes lingering on her, a tiny spark of something she couldn't identify. However, if he noticed that she had noticed, he would quickly look away, a slight red tint coming to his cheeks too. She had thought before about asking him about it, but then her mind went blank again and words failed her as easily as her social skills.

One thing she did remember was that she was probably making him feel unsure by acting like this. So, with a monumental effort, she turned her eyes back to him and looked up at his face, hoping she'd be able to stop herself if she could.

Even so, a few minutes of silence had passed between them, both of them at a loss as to what to say to the other. Deciding to try and be brave, as well as get rid of the question that had just surfaced in her mind, she opened her mouth, trying to find where her voice had gone.

"So um… what are you doing here, Ray? If you don't mind my asking that is," she added quickly.

"No, it's fine," he assured, rubbing the back of his head a little. "Well, I just had some time on my hooves, quite a bit really and we haven't really, well, hung out much, you know? So, I was just wondering… if you wanted to do anything. With me, that is."

"You… you want to spend time with me?" she asked.

"Yeah, if you wanted to of course."

A smile started to grow on her face. Fluttershy didn't really know why, but she felt excited about the prospect of spending time with Ray, so much so that everything else was driven from her mind. Again, she didn't really know why. Maybe because she thought he was a nice pony or that she might learn more about him, she couldn't really say.

After all, Dusk liked him and she felt that after she made him feel when she first met him, that she would take an opportunity to make it up to him. Like the pony she considered her brother, he'd never had friends and she felt sorry for him because of that. Plus, he was kind of funny and he was nice to her.

She did her best not to let it show, but knew what she wanted to do. She was about to tell him that she would love to spend some time with him, if he didn't think she wasn't going to be too much of a bother, when he spoke again.

"Wait, no… it looks like you're already going somewhere." He pointed to her saddlebags with a sad smile.

The instant he said that, her excitement drained away completely and she remembered. She was supposed to be going to the spa to meet Rarity. Now only guilt flooded through her, for getting Ray's hopes up and for almost forgetting about her friend.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she blurted. "I mean, I would w-w-want to spend some t-t-time with you, if… if I could but you're right, I'm sorry, I do have other plans. See, I'm going t-t-to the spa to meet Rarity, we… we um do this every Saturday. I'm really, really sorry, any other time I-I-I wouldn't mind at all, really I wouldn't but… I'm sorry, I really am."

Ray paused for a moment, his face falling a bit before he smiled sadly again. "It's fine, I understand," he repeated, a tone of disappointment creeping into his voice. "Maybe next time… well, have fun at the spa."

With that, he turned and started to make his way back down the road. Fluttershy felt even worse, conflicted between these two problems. She didn't want to see Ray disappointed and to spend some more time with him, but she also didn't want to abandon Rarity from their weekly arrangement. She didn't see how she could solve both problems…

Of course, that was it!

"Ray, wait!" She hovered to catch up with him. "You can come along with me!"

The stallion looked confused. "With you… where?"

"To the spa! That way, we can hang out more and I can still keep my weekly appointment." She would have said two birds with one stone, but she always hated that phrase. "What do you think?"

Ray blinked at her a few times and lost his relaxed composure. "I uh, don't know, Fluttershy. I'm not really big on spas, I've never even been to one before. Maybe we should do something some other time."

"Oh, that's not a problem," she insisted. "Dusk goes to the spa too and he thought the same thing, but he loves it just as much as we do. I'm sure you will too."

He didn't look convinced. "I'm not sure…"

"Please, Ray. I don't want you feeling left out or lonely. You'll be with friends and I'm sure you'll have a good time," she reasoned.

"I don't know…"

"Please. I mean, don't feel like you have to but… I would like you to come along…" She looked at him with her big blue eyes.

It looked like he was being convinced. He seemed to flicker indecisively for a few minutes, before sighing and reluctantly smiling.

"Okay, fine," he conceded. "I'll come along."

"Really? You will? Don't feel you have to…"

He chuckled a little. "You've just been trying to convince me to come, now you're telling me not to go again?"

"Oh, right… sorry…"

"Relax, I'm only kidding." His smile was a little more relaxed now. "Lead the way then."

"Great! I mean, um, good… um… this way," she stammered, looking away so he wouldn't notice her blush.

Ray fell in step next to her, or rather he was walking and she was gently hovering a few feet above the ground. Silence fell between them again, though Fluttershy wasn't sure if he wanted to talk or not. Though she was happy about the idea of spending time with him, she felt even more nervous in his presence, quite at a loss as to what to say.

It wasn't too bad. She'd had the same problem with Dusk, the only other stallion she knew. Now, the two of them were close friends and considered each other to be siblings in a sense. She thought it would be the same with Ray, but she felt more tentative around him than she ever had with Dusk. He was… different somehow.

But why, exactly? Why was he so different to Dusk?

She did like Ray, of course. She found him to be an optimistic sort, even though he had been alone up to now. He was funny and liked to laugh himself. He got on well enough with the others, and even though she didn't really like how he hit Dusk whenever he said something bad about himself, he did it for the right reasons. She liked the way he smiled, his teeth shining in his grin, as did his eyes which lit up with happiness every time, how he did his mane of shimmering silver, that only added to how attractive he…

Fluttershy blushed even more at this sudden thought, chastising herself a little for staring at a friend in such a way. Even though, she had to admit, she did like looking at him…

"Fluttershy? Did you hear me?" She blinked when she suddenly noticed he was talking to her. She'd been so caught up in her own thoughts, she hadn't really been concentrating.

"Um… sorry, I didn't hear you," she muttered. "I was um… I was just…"

"Your mind wandered off with the butterflies?" he asked, laughing a little. "It's okay, I do that as well. I think everypony does."

This was something else she'd noticed. He could be rather loud and hyper with the others, almost like a combination of Rainbow and Pinkie. When he spoke to her, however, his voice softened and he didn't appear to be as confident as before. He still spoke easily, more so than her, but there were times…

"Thanks. So um, what did you say?" she asked.

"I was just saying about your home." He gestured back to her cottage. "It seems rather out-of-the-way from everything else."

"It does?" She felt bad again and started stammering again. "I'm sorry, did you have trouble finding it? O-o-or did you take a while getting here? I'm sorry, it's just-"

"Calm down, I was actually going to say I kinda like it," he said nicely.

"Y-you do?" she asked, a little surprised by this unexpected comment.

"Yeah. I mean, out here, you get to enjoy the fresh air more, the scenery, more than if it was at the centre of town." He smiled at her, making her heart flutter like her wings. "It's nice, really peaceful."

She blushed again, touched that he would say such a nice thing about her home. "Thank you… it's one of the reasons I live all the way out here."

"I can see why," he remarked, looking around the area. "I also noticed there are quite a few animals at your home. It's like a pet shop."

"I guess," she giggled. "That's because they all live here. I take care of them all, it's just something I love doing."

"I honestly couldn't tell," he joked. "Are they all your pets then?"

"Yes and no, in a way." He looked confused, so she elaborated further. "I mean, while I do take care of all of them, the only one is really my pet, my bunny Angel."

"Angel?" He grinned a little as he said the name. "That's a… a sweet name."

"Oh, he is, such a sweet little thing." She thought for a moment. "I mean, most of the time. He can get a little demanding at times, but I don't think of him badly for that. He's not bad… not really."

"How can he be demanding, exactly?"

"I'd rather not say, I don't want him to think that I think badly of him," she said. "What about you? Do you have a pet?"

"No, I don't actually," he answered.

"Really? Why not, if you don't mind me asking?"

"No, I just um… I don't feel comfortable having one, I guess…" he said hesitantly.

She waited for him to elaborate more, but he remained silent. She found this to be a little curious. From her perspective, it would be wonderful to have an animal companion. Even if you didn't have one, the chances were if you did get one, you'd soon see their joy. Dusk and Rainbow had, there was every chance Ray might.

She was going to suggest this, but ultimately decided that she didn't want to appear presumptuous and refrained from mentioning anything more about it. Out of ideas for possible conversations, but simply enjoying the company he gave, the two remained in relative silence throughout the remainder of their walk into town.

They arrived at the spa a few minutes later, Fluttershy being the first inside, while Ray waited for a bit. He said he was still working up the nerve to feel comfortable enough in his masculinity to enter a spa, so she just told him to come in when he felt ready. Rarity was waiting on one of the couches, reading a magazine, but she looked up when Fluttershy entered.

"Fluttershy, darling, how lovely to see you!" She walked daintily over with her charming smile. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten about our little arrangement."

"Oh no, not at all. I just got a little held up, I hope you don't mind," she added.

"Nonsense, dear. I've not always been on time myself, so I can hardly…" Her eyes narrowed slightly when Ray entered, still looking unsure. "Oh… I didn't know you were bringing company."

Fluttershy felt a little guilty now. "Yes, I… hope you don't mind. He had some spare time on his hooves and I thought this would be a nice way for him to spend it. I hope you don't mind…"

Rarity's eyes were locked on Ray, who was curiously examining some of the magazines on the table nearby. For a moment, Fluttershy thought she was going to say that she did mind and was trying to think of something in response, but she was spared when she replaced her glare with a smile and tittered.

"Of course not. I admit that this is a little unexpected, but I am nothing if not accommodating," she said lightly. "If it is your wish that he should join us, Fluttershy, then I have no objections."

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief and returned the smile. "Thank you for understanding, Rarity."

"Not at all, darling, not at all." Her smile became a little more strained when she approached Ray. "I understand that you'll be joining us in our little session today."

"It would seem so," he replied, with almost the same reaction Rarity had, though without as much attempt to conceal it.

If Rarity noticed, she ignored it. "Rest assured, you won't regret this. I hope you enjoy yourself today."

"I'll try to," he said in a slightly curt voice.

Again, Rarity didn't appear to notice, though her eyes did narrow a bit at him again and she pursed her lips. But it was only there for a moment before she requested the 'usual' to the attendant behind the counter.

The three of them were led into the section where they could change into the woollen robes, though Ray still looked as if he was a wolf among sheep, so to speak.

"Why do we have to wear these?" Ray asked, when he was given a robe to wear. "I mean, we don't wear clothes outside anyway. Why give us a robe to wear in here?"

"I don't really know," admitted Fluttershy. "It's just part of what they expect of us, I suppose."

"Yes, it's merely proper procedure, Ray," put in Rarity as she slipped into her personal robe. "I'm sure you can appreciate the need to follow rules, to show proper respect."

"I can, yes. I might also say the same for you," he responded, again with an edge to his voice.

"I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to," she said, with a forced laugh. "I always show respect to others."

"That's what you would say," he muttered, more to himself.

Fluttershy, not wanting things to go bad over a misunderstanding, stepped in.

"Anyway, um… shall we get the usual?"

"Good point, Fluttershy," agreed Rarity. "Come along then, let's get started.

"Two faced, just like them," Fluttershy heard Ray mumble.

Rarity glanced back. "What was that? Speak up, dear, I can't hear you."

"That's the point," he muttered again, before speaking more loudly, "I asked what is the usual anyway?"

"Oh, it's simply wonderful, believe me," said Rarity, apparently forgetting about everything before. "We start off with a few minutes in the sauna, then move on to a full facial with mud masks. After that, we get a hooficure, they do one specially for horns as well and a massage to sooth all the stresses in the muscles. Finally, we wrap things up with a seaweed wrap and mud bath, pun not intended and hoof dip, just for the finishing touch. Doesn't that sound grand?"

"I'd say more excessive," he voiced. "Do you really need all that stuff?"

"You might think so, but some of us do take pride in our appearances and take care of ourselves as a result," Rarity stated knowingly.

"Of course, you need to get priorities right," replied Ray, again with that slight edge.

This time, Rarity did seem to catch it. "And what, may I ask, is that supposed to mean?"

"I think you should know."

"Can I just say?" put in Fluttershy, silencing the retort Rarity was about to give. "It really is very relaxing Ray, I love it. You don't have to go through everything but… it is nice."

Ray looked at her for a few seconds, before his expression softened. "Okay then. If you say so, Fluttershy… I'll give it a shot."

"Wonderful. Now, shall we proceed?" Rarity walked off before he could say anything else, the two of them in tow.

While Fluttershy could be socially inept at times, she knew enough to notice that there was some visible tension between Rarity and Ray. She had noticed it before from how they'd spoken to each other in Canterlot and how his voice hardened a little when he referred to her and Rarity's became a little disdainful when she spoke of him. She had hoped that it was nothing and things would be fine now they had a chance to relax.

However, it seemed that her hopes wouldn't come to much. While he did seem to be enjoying himself, for the most part, Ray appeared to be irritated easily by almost anything that Rarity said. He wouldn't always say something, normally just watch silently and glare at the unicorn but, when he did, it was usually sarcastic and spiteful.

Likewise, Rarity was becoming increasingly irritated herself by Ray's snide remarks against her. She would usually do her best to ignore them or to respond as politely as possible, though not without a similar edge to her own voice. She probably didn't want to start a fight here, but Fluttershy could tell that she was reaching her limits, despite her efforts to keep things peaceful between them.

One such example came from when they were getting their hooficures and Rarity was on the subject of a bad mane day.

"Oh, you should have seen it, Fluttershy," she gasped. "No, wait! Perhaps it was best that you hadn't, it was far too awful to see."

"Why, what happened?" she dared to ask.

"It was awful, simply awful!" she repeated. "I had just been pulling the curler through my mane, when I left it too long so that, as I desperately tried to pull it out, the ends of my mane became, not their usual glamorous curls, but horribly straight. Straight! Can you imagine it?!"

"Oh my goodness, that sounds awful," sympathised Fluttershy.

"Yes, what a big problem," shot Ray from the hot tub. "Your mane came out slightly different from what it normally is, what a shock."

"Hmph, I didn't expect you to understand," snapped Rarity back. "Luckily, it wasn't too big of an issue. I didn't have any big orders that day, so I could afford to wait inside until my mane became able to be curled again."

"I'm glad to hear that," nodded Fluttershy. "How awful for you."

"I know! Just for a while there, it looked so… hideous!" she whispered with dread.

"Yes, I can just begin to picture it," muttered Ray, leaning back in the tub. "You know, I can sort of see why you like this place, Fluttershy. It is very relaxing."

"I hoped you would see it that way," she smiled.

Rarity glared at him again. "Yes, it is relaxing when somepony isn't trying to spoil your time here."

"I know, I'd hate to have that happen." He opened one eye to look at her. "Oh, wait…"

Sensing danger again, Fluttershy changed the subject of the conversation quickly and Ray seemed to drift off for a bit in the tub, giving Rarity some time to calm down. It looked like she wanted to say something against Ray, but didn't want to upset her friend. Even so, Fluttershy knew that she was reaching her limit and she would break soon.

It came when they were having their hooves soaked and Ray was getting a treatment on his horn. Rarity was on the subject of her party in Canterlot.

"I'm glad to hear that you had such a great time," Fluttershy was saying to her.

"As am I. Oh, I wish you could have been there Fluttershy, you'd have loved it there. The glamour, the sophistication, the refinement!" She squealed with happiness. "Oh, it makes me giddy just thinking about it."

"I'd imagine that you fit in there perfectly, Rarity," put in Ray, apparently complimenting her.

Rarity seemed to think of it that way too. "Why, thank you Ray."

But then he'd continued on. "No problem. All of those shallow, empty-headed, fickle ponies changing what they think at the drop of a hat. You must have fitted just fine."

Rarity looked absolutely flabbergasted and Fluttershy became worried again, about to reach forward to calm her down.

"Now, Rarity, let's just…"

"Now, you see here, Mr Strike," she growled. "At least I did manage to fit in with them, for they would never tolerate the company of an uncouth, impolite ruffian such as yourself."

"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment, which is probably the kind of compliment they'd offer anyway, so well done," he shot back.

"It's the only kind of compliment that you deserve." She had now stepped out of the water and started striding towards him. "They have the kind sophistication you clearly do not possess."

He stood up too, his tone becoming mocking. "Oh no! I feel at such a loss for that!"

"You, sir, are merely jealous because you could never even begin to hope joining the ranks of high society!"

"Sorry, is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

"It most certainly is! Whatever you may think of them, at least they are polite!"

"Whatever you may think of me, at least I'm honest, which is more than I can say for them and you!"

"Why, you uncouth, unsophisticated hooligan!"

"It's better than being a stuck-up, snobby excuse of a pony!"

"Fluttershy, can you believe what he saying to me?"

"Oh my… um…" Fluttershy didn't want to be dragged into this.

Ray seemed to sense this. "Leave her out of this! Besides, I'm sure she probably thinks the same as me!"

"And just who are you to say what she thinks?"

"It's probably not just her. I don't know how she or any of the others can even stand you!"

"I could say the same for you!" She snorted at him. "I don't know what Dusk saw in you, but I think he might need a second pair of glasses to see it clearly!"

"And I don't know why he thinks so highly of you. You probably just worked that charm you think you have on him and thought it would work just as well on me!"

"How dare you?! How dare you even…!"

She tried to drown it out, to silence it but it was no good. They still went at it, just as strongly as before.

Fluttershy couldn't take it anymore, watching her two friends fight like this. She couldn't stop it or control it, she was useless at that sort of thing, nor did she want to take a side and upset the other. So, she did the only thing she could and felt like doing.

Ignoring their calls, she bowed her head and ran out of the spa straight back to her cottage, the tears streaming down her cheeks.


Spike checked himself over in the mirror. His scales were shining, for he had washed the specially. His claws had been sharpened to their best and his back spines glinted fiercely in the light. Or at least as much as they could, due to his undeveloped size.

"Oh yeah," he nodded, brushing back his spines and grinning at his reflection. "Spike, you are looking good."

"I'm so glad that you approve," remarked Dusk, as he passed by with some books. "I'd hate to think of what might happen if you didn't have your assurance that you look fine from you."

"Hey, if you can't be happy with yourself, you can't be happy with anypony," countered Spike.

"Touché." Dusk had lowered his voice while he placed the books on a shelf. "Just remember to be quiet. Twilight's still asleep upstairs."

"Don't you warn me about waking her up when she doesn't want to." Spike shuddered at the memory. "Man, I never thought I'd see the day when she'd be asleep past nine."

"She was up a great deal studying last night," reminded Dusk. "I think she deserves her rest."

"Yeah, she was dead set on finishing that spell before she went to bed." He shook his head. "I keep telling her that she should stop staying up so late, otherwise she'll be too tired to do any studying."

"Wouldn't that just give you another excuse to nap?"

Spike blinked and slapped his forehead. "I can't believe I never thought of that!"

"Too late now, I would think," chuckled Dusk. "I think Twilight's learned her lesson about staying up too late now."

"Pretty ironic, coming from the student of the night princess," remarked Spike.

"I have an excuse though, I need to stay up late. Plus, Luna doesn't let me stay awake at night for too long and then I'm straight to bed."

"Meaning that you're ready to do all your work and mine in the morning." He smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks again for doing my work while I'm out."

"It's no trouble at all, my scaly friend," he assured. "I could use the distraction anyway…"

Spike detected a break in his voice at the end there. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yes, yes fine," he said quickly, not really looking at him. "You just make sure you enjoy yourself with Rarity."

"I always do," he sighed.

Dusk's smile was disrupted by a grimace and rubbed his head, wincing a little like he had a headache.

"Hey, you alright?" asked Spike. "You eat some ice cream too fast and get brain freeze?"

"No, it's nothing…" Once again, he wouldn't look directly at Spike and hurriedly went to sort more books out.

This wasn't the first time. Spike had noticed on occasion that he would act in similar way at others times throughout the day and he would usually try to hide it. If he was ever asked about it, he would deviate attention from it or give some sort of excuse. Spike was about to ask him about it when the door to the library opened.

"Morning, good librarians!" greeted Ray, as he stepped inside with a grin.

"I see that you've figured out that a library, being a public place, doesn't require knocking before entering?" asked Dusk, smiling easily at the stallion.

"Yeah, I know, it took me long enough," Ray laughed good naturedly. "You got a minute?"

"I can spare a little time, yes." He placed the book he was levitating back into its shelf. "I'm a little busier than normal though. I'm doing Spike's workload, as well as my own."

"Aren't you usally doing that anyway?" asked Ray, with a chuckle.

"Hey, I do my bit!" insisted Spike. "Mostly. Some of the time."

"Relax, I'm just messing with you Spike," placated Ray,

"Sure. Hey, Dusk, you seen that bowtie that rarity gave me? You know, the one with the little diamonds on it?"

"Not recently, unless you've eaten it," he joked. "Have a look around, it'll be here somewhere."

Spike nodded and started to search, while he and Ray engaged each other in conversation. He kept most of his focus on finding the tie and didn't pay much attention to whatever it was they were talking about.

The dragon had to admit that he hadn't been entirely sure about Ray at first and, to a degree, still didn't. Now he had been around a little longer with the group and, from what he could tell from the few times they had spoken, he seemed like an alright pony. In a way, it was pretty good to have another guy in the group, especially one who knew how to have a good laugh and was pretty fun to be around. In that respect, Spike liked him and he was good for Dusk, especially if it meant every time he tried to be modest, Ray would usually hit him with something.

It was a guy thing of finding pain a little funny.

Even so, Spike didn't know him all that well yet and that generated some distrust. Apart that he used to travel around a lot, he wouldn't really say much about himself or where he was from, only that he used to live in Idahoof. Even so, he didn't really elaborate on that or anything else about his early life. Anypony like that shouldn't be trusted too lightly and should be made to tell them, to ease some of the distrust.

At least, that would be the reason Spike gave if he was ever asked. The real reason that he felt a little hostile towards the stallion was that he had picked up on how Ray was around Rarity. He'd heard the edge in his voice when he spoke to her, the tone he took when he addressed her and he didn't like it one bit. Who the hay did he think he was, talking to a pony as perfect as Rarity like that? If he had his way, Spike would make sure that he would never treat her with such disrespect ever again. That would show him.

He didn't want to say anything yet, because he was Dusk's friend and didn't want that to deal with. But if he tried anything…

His ears perked a little, or at least they would have done, were they not inside his head, when he heard his lady's name being mentioned in the conversation. He paused to listen, to see if this was what he needed to act.

To his surprise, he found out that it was. Apparently, after taking a trip to the spa with Rarity and Fluttershy the previous day, Ray had got into an argument with the former and caused the latter to run off weeping back to her home. He could hear a tone of sadness in his voice, but that wasn't going to distract the baby dragon from the main issue here, as he was sure it would with Dusk, who was silently listening. Spike was about to turn around, to call him out on this and demand the reasons why, until he heard his next words.

"So, I just wanted to ask… what do you think I should do?"

Dusk was silent for a little longer. "Why come to me?"

"Well… you're first friend I've had, since… well, ever. Rarity seems to think a lot of you and… she's been your friend longer than mine," he explained, uneasily.

"I see…" He sounded a little unconvinced. "So, are you saying that you want to make amends for what you did?"

"I… I guess I am…" He still sounded a little awkward saying all of this. "I mean, I upset Fluttershy because of… well this and one of your friends… I knew I shouldn't have, even though I… yeah, I'm… I'm sorry for what I did."

"Shouldn't you be telling her this?" he pointed out.

"I would, but… come on, she won't want to see me and… I don't wanna screw this up anymore than I have." He did sound contrite about this, from what he could tell… "You and the girls are the only friends I've ever really had. I don't want to… well, lose any of you because Rarity and me can't get along…"

While Dusk lapsed into silent thought about all that Ray had said, Spike strained his ears to listen to anything else that might come up. After a few minutes, Dusk spoke up again.

"I think I might have a solution, that is if Spike is done eavesdropping."

The dragon whipped around to see the two of them looking right at him, Ray still looking unsure while Dusk was smiling a little.

"H-h-how did you know?" asked Spike.

"Considering that you haven't moved the whole time we've been talking, it's rather obvious." He was still smiling though. "Don't worry, it just saves me having to explain the situation, since you're part of my idea anyway."

"I am?"

"He is?"

"Indeed. Since Spike here is just about to go and see Rarity for a gem collecting session, it would be an apt opportunity for you to accompany him, Ray."

"What? You mean… he goes with me?" asked Spike to confirm.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about this Dusk…" added Ray. "How will this help?"

"Quite simply because this will give you and Rarity a chance to get to know each other better, as well as give you a chance to apologize to her. Part of learning from your mistakes is learning why you made the mistake in the first place and getting to know Rarity better, I feel, will help to achieve that," he explained. "Plus, out of all of us, Spike is the best to help you see her in a positive light."

In the end, neither of them could argue with the line of reasoning. While Spike did feel some resentment towards Ray for how he had treated Rarity, this would help to give him a chance to fix his mistake and give him less of a reason to be mad at him. So it was that the two of them both left the library, making their way to the Boutique.

Before they had set off, Ray had offered Spike to ride on his back. Though he could keep pace with ponies, his short height sometimes made it difficult to keep up with anything more than a fast pace, so riding on their back was easier. Were he anypony else, Spike would have accepted, but he didn't really trust Ray enough to do that yet, especially since he hadn't technically apologised yet. So, they walked on in relative silence, partially awkward at that, for Spike was still judging on what Ray had said before.

It seemed like he was sorry for what he had done, otherwise he wouldn't have sought out Dusk for advice in the first place. It also looked like he was thinking about something, probably what he was going to say to Rarity when he saw her. The mare could be quite touchy when angered, so Spike didn't blame him.

He was conflicted as well though. His own feelings for Rarity still caused his suspicions to be raised, concerning Ray. Was he really going to say he was sorry or was he just saying that? Perhaps he was just taking this as an opportunity to insult her further, to trick her by pretending to apologise and then drop the bomb with another insult towards her. That seemed like a probable scenario, one of many, enough for Spike to make sure to keep his eye on him.

Plus, he'd wanted to do this with just Rarity and him, which Ray's presence had disrupted, so he felt some annoyance regarding that.

About half way there, Ray was the one who broke the silence. "So, Spike… how long have you been Twilight's assistant?"

"Ever since I was born," he answered. He decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for now and not respond with hostility.

"Really? That's quite a young age to be writing letters and fetching letters," he remarked.

"Well, not right away," he corrected, with a slight tone of annoyance. "Twilight looked after me until I was smart enough to hold a quill, then she started training me up to be her assistant."

"I see. And despite that, you're still considered a baby?" he asked, sounding quite surprised.

"By dragon standards, yeah. We apparently age and mature at a different rate that ponies do. While they're still learning how to walk, we're already running and talking in full sentences, so it's kinda faster," he explained.

"Ah right, I see," he nodded. "And I thought I was a clever kid because I could say 'cat' when I was two."

"Yeah, it does put you to shame a bit," chuckled Spike. "But, then again, that's us dragons. We learn faster than you, all of us can fly and we grow bigger than you."

"Along with your egos, apparently," remarked Ray, with a slight smile.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being proud with who you are," argued Spike.

"Good policy, I'm pretty much the same." He chuckled a little. "That's a lesson I'm still trying to get into Dusk's head."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," agreed Spike, starting to smile too. "I don't think I've ever met a pony with an ego so low, it's right next to dinosaur bones."

"Then it's about time we lifted it up, before he shies himself into an early grave," joked Ray. "Has he always been like that then?"

"Pretty much from the day I met him, yep," he affirmed. "Right from when he walked into the library, he thought he'd made a mistake by arriving early."

"He still seems to think he's a mistake," nodded Ray. "But I'll soon change that, one way or another."

"To be fair on the guy, he is getting better at it," defended Spike. "Not sure if that's due to our influence or yours, but he's at least accepting compliments more without stuttering them off."

"A small chip in a prison wall is still progress," he said in response. "Though I think I'm still facing a pretty thick wall myself with this."

"With what? Oh yeah, Rarity…" Though he was making him feel better about him with humour, Spike was now reminded of why he was here in the first place.

"Yeah… hey, what do you think of her Spike?" he asked.

"I think…" Spike sighed and blushed at the thought of her. "I think she's the most perfect pony to ever walk Equestria."

Ray's voice took on a slight tone of disbelief. "Really?"

"Of course! She's beautiful, she's smart, she's graceful. Her voice is a sweet as a bird singing and speaks with words that could hold anypony enthralled for hours. The clothes she makes are one-of-a-kind, just as much as the mare who makes them. She's caring, friendly, kind, charming and just the image of everything a unicorn should be…"

Once he was done, the silence brought him out of his trance and he looked at Ray, who was now suppressing a smile.

"You seem to think highly of her then," he remarked. "I would have thought so, considering the crush you seem to have on her."

Spike was hoping he hadn't been too obvious. "What?! Aw, how did you know?"

"Lucky guess," he shrugged. "Don't worry, I won't say a word to anypony."

"Right… thanks." He felt a little vulnerable, now that Ray knew his secret. "Just saying, I'm not sure what it is you might think of her but, whatever it is, it's wrong."

"Yeah, I think I might be seeing that now…" He looked thoughtful for a moment and Spike wondered if anything he said had an impact on him. "Thanks for that, Spike."

"No problem, Ray," he said, as they neared the Boutique. "Besides, I'm not the one who's on the wrong end of the horn here."

"Don't remind me." He stopped before the door and took a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing then."

With Spike now feeling a little better towards him now, the two of them stepped inside to meet Rarity, Spike only now considering how she might react when she saw the company he'd brought.


To say that Rarity had been surprised when she saw that Ray Strike had accompanied Spike would have been a severe understatement. Not only did this mark the second time one of her friends had brought the stallion along to something that she was part of, but seeing him had been the last thing she had expected since yesterday.

Their argument hadn't gotten much better after Fluttershy had run off. Not only did the rapscallion have the nerve to blame her for upsetting the Pegasus, but he also expected an apology from her for what she had done. The sheer audacity of it had made Rarity so angry that she hadn't even stayed to finish off her usual. She had simply flung her robe aside, very gratefully turned her back on him and had stalked back to the Boutique.

He had seemed charming enough when she had first met him but, as they spent more time with him, she gradually noticed that he was being consistently hostile towards her. Nothing too obvious and she had dismissed it at first, but as it went on, she could not continue to ignore it. He'd never said why, but she had seen enough to know that he was rude and inconsiderate towards her. The session at the spa had proven that much.

She had hoped that this gem collecting session today with her little Spikey-Wikey would be an opportunity for her to calm down and focus on something positive, for she was still feeling some anger about it from yesterday. The very sight of him, however, had caused her anger to flare up again and she had to use all of her self restraint not to fling him out of the door and make sure he hit something hard on the way out.

Spike's insistence and the look he had on his face, however, had made her stop long enough to hear him out. From there, he had awkwardly apologised to her from how he had acted yesterday and that he was willing to make up for it by helping her out today. If she was willing to give him another chance, of course.

While he did, a thought had crossed her mind. Yet another time a new stallion she had met had come to apologise in her home. Though she preferred Dusk much better to be honest, because she wasn't entirely convinced by Ray.

After a few moments of consideration, she had answered, "Well, I suppose that if you are fully contrite, it would be improper not to extend the same courtesy that you have."

He looked a little confused. "So… do you…?"

"Yes, Ray, I accept your apology. As I have said before, a lady does not hold grudges and I shall deign to give you a second chance," she said, though still with formality.

His eyes seemed to narrow a little, but he kept a polite tone. "Right. Thanks, Rarity. I'm glad we've got that out of the way."

"As am I. I know that the way that you acted yesterday wasn't exactly acceptable, but I am always willing to forgive and forget," she said, a little more pleasantly.

"Hold on a minute," he said in a sharp way. "Why just me though?"

"Why, whatever do you mean?"

"No offense, but you weren't exactly acting like the friendliest of ponies yesterday either," he argued.

Rarity felt her temper rise again, but she controlled it. "Often when we say we mean no offense, we might end up causing it, I've noticed."

"Sorry, but that's just how I see it," he replied.

"Well, the way I see it-"

"Hey, hadn't we better get going?" cut in Spike, awkwardly smiling. "I mean, we got gems to collect, don't we?"

The two of them glared for a moment longer, before Rarity broke the silence and nodded. "Yes, of course we do. Lead the way then, Spike."

"Right you are, m'lady," he said with a bow, pulling off the cart they used.

"After you," offered Ray, though not with any politeness in his voice.

"You're too kind," replied Rarity with equal tone.

In a sort of tense silence between the two of them, they made their way towards the place Rarity used to collect her gems. She had feared that the diamond dogs would still be in the area and had first shied away from it, but their attitude towards her and some information from Dusk assured her that the area was once again safe to explore. This was lucky, for she had been hard pressed to find another place to gather them.

That and the fact that she had another escort this time made her feel a little safer. That was about the only positive thing she felt for Ray right now, for she was sure that he didn't really mean his apology when he'd given it. He'd taken that tone with her again just before and she suspected that it wasn't just a one off incident.

It turned out, she was right.

"Right," Spike was saying, "so usual routine of you track, I dig and retrieve?"

"I believe so, after all it's worked well in the past, hasn't it?" she replied with a wink.

Ray felt the need then to add his voice. "Why don't you get them then? Why does he have to?"

"Because I am the one who finds them and I simply refuse to get my hooves dirty digging and gathering them up," she answered curtly.

"I thought you'd say that," he muttered.

"And what exactly, may I ask, do you mean by that?" she said, only glancing around at him.

"I mean, that I think that-"

"Um, Rarity? Spell, please," requested Spike, once again cutting off the argument.

"Right, yes, of course." She cast the spell that allowed her to find gems. "Thank you, Spike. At least somepony here is being helpful."

"Or somedragon, right?"

She let out a welcome giggle from Spike's joke. "I suppose I do, yes."

"Can we get on with it?" snapped Ray.

Rarity ignored him this time, though it was a tremendous effort and set to work finding the gems before stepping back and allowing Spike to dig them up.

This was a full length gathering session, for her stocks of jewels she worked into some of her clothes had been greatly depleted over the last week. She hadn't even used that much, or at least she thought she hadn't, for whenever she went to check them, she always seemed to have less than before. That meant they had to spend at least an hour here, gathering up the necessary amount she needed to resupply.

Normally, this would have been quite fulfilling for Rarity, for it meant she could have a personal session with Spike. She didn't really know why, but she always did like it when she spent time with the baby dragon. It was, however, ruined somewhat by the presence of Ray, who only served to make things more tense and awkward that not even the occasional joke or light remark could ease.

She was just waiting for him to make some kind of snide remark, for he appeared to be trying hard not to say anything. Just like Rainbow, he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself, which wouldn't be so bad if she didn't know what they were or what the subject would be.

"Right," she said, by the time the cart was half full, "we still need a few more to find before we decide to head back."

Ray finally snapped here. "I don't believe this! Seriously?! How many gems do you need?"

"Quite a few, as it happens," she answered icily. "I incorporate quite a few of them into my work, so I do need them.

He halted, his eyes fixed on her. "Well, maybe…"

"Maybe what, Mr Strike?" she asked, striding over and facing him too.

"Or maybe you're just greedy and want as many as you can get."

"What?! I don't believe… how dare you even suggest such a thing!" she shrieked, shocked at the sheer tenacity of his accusation.

"Because no normal pony needs this many jewels!" he retorted. "The whole work thing is just a cover and you just use it to make more on the side!"

"Um, guys?" Spike tried to get their attention, but they ignored him.

"That, sir, is completely unfounded and untrue!"

"Prove to me that you don't!"

"Prove to me that you have some basis!"

"I don't need to, you're clearly taking advantage of Spike here!"

"Guys?"

"I most certainly am not! He volunteered to assist me, he always does!"

"Only after you flutter your pretty little lashes at him first! You're just using him!"

"Who are you to make such outrageous accusations against me?"

"The only one who can see through your lies, that's for sure! You're just like the rest of them!"

"The rest of who? What are you talking about?!"

"You know darn well who I-"

"GUYS!"

"What?!" They both whipped around to look at Spike, who was pointing at the ground.

They looked… and saw that it was cracking around their hooves, about to give way, weakened from their digging in the area.

"Oh dear," was all Rarity had time to say before it gave way.


"So, have we learned our lesson about staying up too late for studying?" Dusk asked Twilight, who sat at the kitchen table, rubbing her head.

"Yes, you've made your point," she insisted groggily, some rings still under her eyes and her mane in slight disarray. "My body is complaining enough about it, I don't need you adding to it."

"Well, both it and I are right, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, setting some fruit and toast on the table for her breakfast. "Sorry, this is all I could really find on short notice."

"It'll do, I just need something to eat." She smiled gratefully up at him. "Thanks for this, Dusk."

"I'm doing my duty as your coltfriend and your assistant," he said humbly. "Spike would be here to make it but… he's indisposed."

"As you've explained." She kissed his cheek lightly. "You did a good job anyway. You know, maybe I should take your suggestion to heart. The one where you said that you should do some house duties too?"

"Ah, yes," nodded Dusk, recalling now. "It's just some toast and fruit though, hardly a fry-up…"

"But it came from you, that's what's important. To me, anyway." She giggled at his blush and offered him a piece of toast. "So, Spike's with Ray already gone to see Rarity?"

"Correct." He accepted it and buttered it. "He said that he wanted some way to apologise to Rarity and this was the best idea that I came up with to do that."

"I had noticed some tension between those too," she admitted. "I certainly hope that they can work out whatever differences they might have."

"But?"

She blinked in surprise. "How did you know there was going to be a but?"

"Haven't you heard? I'm psychic," he whispered, chuckling a little.

"So I've noticed," she giggled. "I just wonder… will this actually work, or will they just get into another fight?"

"I considered that too, but he did appear contrite concerning the matter," he explained. "Also, Rarity has been willing to forgive and forget in the past."

"A lady doesn't hold a grudge," quoted Twilight in an imitation of her voice.

"Indeed," he replied in kind. "If the two of them are willing to reconcile for what they've done, this should bring them a step closer."

Forgiveness, he thought at the word, along with the growling again. Something that he might need soon enough… no, that wouldn't happen!

Twilight hadn't noticed this, being a bit more interested in her toast. "I suppose you have a point. "I guess I'll just do what you always tell me to do."

"Have faith?" he asked, glad to distract himself.

"Exactly," she agreed. "We'll just see how it plays out and hope for the best."

"That's the spirit." He placed some fruit on his own toast. "After all, what's the worst that could happen?"

Trying not to remember the last time he'd said that, he took a bite out of it and put it out of his mind.


The collapse was finished, the dust had now cleared and the only moving thing now was a baby dragon, frantically shovelling away at the rubble that had fallen over the hole, blocking it completely, trying in vain to break through.

Spike hadn't noticed the signs of stress until it had been too late. At first, he had been focused on trying to stop Rarity and Ray arguing again. He had felt quite a bit of anger and annoyance at the two of them, but mainly Ray, as he kept starting it and had the thought to remind him exactly why he was here in the first place. He'd stepped forward, only to see a crack originate from where his foot had been placed.

He'd looked up, seen more cracks appear around the area the two ponies were standing, but by the time he had managed to get their attention, it was already at breaking point. The two of them had then plunged into the darkness that opened beneath them, Spike scrabbling away to avoid a similar fate, only being able to listen to their cries echoing away.

Now, panic and fear had replaced his annoyance and anger, fuelling him while he dug away at the ground. After a while though, even he had to concede that his efforts were futile. There was too much rubble to try and dig through and he'd wear himself out trying. Though it pained him to do so, he ceased his efforts and slumped on the ground, panting.

He couldn't dig through himself and those two needed help. If they were still okay… no, of course they would be okay. Rarity had been when the diamond dogs had taken her, she would be this time. But they had carried her down, she hadn't fallen… would she be okay?

More worried than ever now, Spike decided he had to take action. Shooting back to his feet, he sprinted back to Ponyville as fast as he could. Those two needed help and so did he and, just like last time, he knew where to get it from. If they were still alive, that is.

"Hold on, Rarity," he whispered, "I'm coming for you."

And Ray, he thought too, if anything happens to her, you'll be sorry.


Falling. That was all Rarity could remember before she blacked out. Falling and screaming, tumbling down into the dark abyss. Then a sudden pain… and nothing. Just darkness. Except, now she was opening her eyes, she panicked and thought she was still unconscious, for she couldn't see a thing in front of her.

Was she still knocked out from… whatever had happened? No, she could feel things, was aware of being somewhere. The ground was cold and hard. A faint crumbling of stone came from nearby. A strange warmth was near her body, brushing against her.

Where was she… had she simply fallen out of bed in the middle of the night after a bad dream? That would explain the warmth and coldness, but not the floor beneath her… if it could be called that. The ground wasn't the wood of her floor, but it was coarse and hard… like rock and stone.

She remembered the last time she'd felt like this, but she'd been awake then. Awake while those brutish diamond dogs and kidnapped her. They hadn't done it again, had they? Did they want revenge? No, she couldn't remember them… or recalled having seen them, but could they still be here?

Now, calm down Rarity. Stop and think for a moment.

Slowly, she began to think more clearly, recalling what had happened. She had been with Spike… and Ray. They had got into another argument, with Spike trying to get her attention. She'd looked down, seen the cracks… not long after, that had been when the falling had started. Falling. Screaming. Not just her, but Ray as well. Then… she must have hit something and been knocked unconscious. But why had they fallen… they'd just been digging…

Wait, that was it! The digging! It must have weakened the ground beneath them, which were already riddled with diamond dog tunnels. Their own efforts must have been the straw that broke the camel's back, causing the whole thing to collapse benath them. Or a small portion of it, anyway. They were obviously underground, possibly trapped.

Wait… underground. That meant she was covered in…

"Dirt!" She could feel it now, all over her glossy fur and fine mane. "Oh Celestia, I'm covered in dirt! The shame, the humility! How awful this is! For myself and for…"

She cut off her own worries and new ones spiked up. Ray! He had fallen with her too, but where was he? Was he okay? Was he close by anywhere?

Wait, why exactly was she worrying about him? Almost from the moment he'd met her, he had been rude, inconsiderate and downright unpleasant towards her, with no explanation or provocation as to why and no apology, when she had been perfectly pleasant towards him. Even when he'd given her one, he was no better and was possibly even worse. Why should she worry about what happened to him? Why should she even care?

Because your friends will, said the thought that shone through the bitterness.

Yes, she thought, berating herself now for thinking such things. Whether she liked him or not, her friends obviously had some affection for him and was important to them. Even if he was rude, he still didn't deserve to be stuck down here, just as much as she didn't. They both needed to get out of here and she couldn't live with herself for leaving him behind. Even if he was rude. Her friends wouldn't let her.

She began to try and stand up, to make an effort to look for him. It was then she noticed something she hadn't before in her dirt panic. Something was wrapped around her midsection, something warm and furry… like the feeling that still lingered behind her. One that she knew well enough from previous affairs with stallions. The thing draped over was a foreleg, belonging to a pony, as did the warmth and there was only one other pony who had fallen down with her.

Though she couldn't see, she knew that this could only be Ray lying next to her. He had fallen with her and was now unconscious like she had been. He was still alive, for she could hear him breathing, could feel the warmth from the leg he had around her… almost protectively. She considered this strange fact for a moment, but pushed it from her mind after a bit. She could question that later, but right now they needed to get out of here.

Carefully, she moved his leg off her so she could stand, turned so her head was inclined in his general direction and leaned forward towards his prone form.

"Ray? Ray, can you hear me?" she whispered, adding a tentative prod with her hoof. "It's Rarity. I know my voice may be the last thing you want to hear right now, but you need to wake up."

At first, he didn't respond to her efforts and she began to worry he might be comatose. However, after a few more attempts, he started to respond. She could make out a faint murmuring under his breath, hear his body shifting a little.

"Ray? Can you hear me?" she asked, again in a low voice.

There was a low, indiscernible murmur in response.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

The next response was clearer. "I said… I can hear you."

"Excellent," she said, breathing a sigh of relief, surprised at just how much she felt. "Can you stand?"

"I… I don't know…" He sounded confused and disorientated. "Where… where are we? What happened? How come I can't see?"

Still pondering over her relief that he was awake, Rarity explained as best she could where they were and how they got here. She tried to do it in such a way that he would understand, especially in his confused state and hoped she was being clear.

However, before she was even finished, he'd already recovered and was speaking more clearly now.

"Yeah, I remember now!" he exclaimed. "We fell when the ground gave way from our digging."

"I had come to the same conclusion too," she replied, surprised at how quickly he'd recovered his wits.

"Are you okay?" he asked her suddenly.

Surprised by his concern for her, she answered, "Yes, relatively. A little sore in places, but I'll be fine. Cup of tea and a bath and I'll be as right as rain."

"Right… good…" he acknowledged awkwardly. She couldn't see him, so she could only imagine what his face was expressing.

A tense minute of silence passed between them after this. Clearly, residual negative feelings existed, despite the situation they were in. Rarity tried to think of something else to say, but nothing really came to mind.

"You still there?" Ray asked, breaking the silence. She answered she was and followed with, "Where are we, anyway? I can't see anything in here and my voice seems to… echo a bit."

"It does rather," she noted, only realising that now. "I have an idea though, give me a moment…"

She cast her gem detection spell, hoping that there would be some nearby. Thankfully, there were and they provided enough light to illuminate the cavern with multi-coloured lights. As she expected, she saw cave walls and tunnels, some of them collapsed, along with wooden support beams over some of the entrances, abandoned carts and rusted metal tracks. From the looks of things, the diamond dogs were no longer present, not for a while anyway, so there was no chance of running into them.

Although, if they had, she might have been able to use her wits to trick them into showing them the way out. But they were on their own.

"Just as I thought," she said outloud, turning to Ray. "Now, all we need to do is to find- AGGGGGGH!"

Ray cringed from the shriek she emitted at the sight of him as it echoed around the cavern, though it wasn't entirely unfounded.

Unlike her, who had escaped the fall relatively unscathed, Ray was anything but. A long gash crossed his left eye and red, angry welts pockmarked the side of his face. Bruises were dotted all over his body and his right hind leg was caught under a rock. In addition to this, his body was also covered with dust and grime, something that would have been salt in the wound for Rarity.

"Try not to bring more rocks on top of us, how about that?" he asked irritably. "I don't think this is the most stable of places to be."

"My apologies," she said, ignoring his rudeness. "It's just that… well... you're in a bit of a state."

"I am?" He started to look himself over curiously, wincing when he touched his gash and whenever he moved part of his body. "Well, at least I'm only morbidly injured and not irreversibly dead, eh?"

"How… how on earth can you make a joke about something like this?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, we're more in earth than on earth at the minute. Or a bit of both," he added, with a slight smile.

"That's not the point!" she shrieked. "We're trapped, underground with no discernable way out. You are practically crippled from the state you're in, I'm not strong enough to carry you and all you do is make light of the situation!"

"Hey, I'm the one caught between a rock and a hard place here," he quipped. "You haven't got a pen knife, have you?"

"No, I most certainly do not!" she cried. "How can you be so nonchalant about this whole thing?"

"Because what's the point in worrying about it?" he asked, more sharply now. "It's happened now, there's no reversing it and no point in worrying about it. Might as well try and make a joke about it, because it sure as hay is better than panicking."

"Even so-"

"Besides, I heal pretty fast anyway, so it's no big deal." Before she could ask about it, he spoke up again. "Look, Rarity, it's pretty clear that we don't exactly like each other but, like you said, we're stuck down here and we're not gonna be able to get out of this without helping each other. What say we call a truce and you can yell at me all you like when we're outta here? Agreed?"

Rarity hesitated, looking down at his outstretched hoof, which appeared to be quivering a little from the pain he was no doubt in. She hesitated at first, held back by her own reservations about the stallion. In the end, she conceded the point and shook his hoof briefly.

"Very well," she said, using her magic to move the rock from his leg. "You'll have trouble walking on that. Here…"

"Thanks," he gasped, leaning against her and still trying to keep a smile despite the pain. "Lucky you weren't hurt as badly as I was. Wouldn't want to ruin that precious complexion of yours."

As they started to make their way along one of the tunnels, the one that inclined upward the most, Rarity thought a little bit about what he just said there, thinking past the snide comment he had added in… and the conclusion she came to shocked her more than anything that had happened since they'd fallen down here.

The reason why she had escaped the fall relatively unscathed while Ray hadn't, why he had been unconscious so close to her and why his leg had been around her now became clear. She must not have noticed in the sheer rush and panic of the fall, but there could only be one reason why. He had grabbed her deliberately, placing himself between her and the ground so that he would take the brunt of the damage.

She didn't know if he knew, if he even remembered doing this. He had appeared concerned for her, but he hadn't mentioned anything about this, when he seemed like the type who would. But why? Why, if he disliked her so much, would he risk severe injury and perhaps even death to make sure that she was safe?

Rarity didn't know the answer to this, but if that was the case… perhaps he wasn't as bad as she'd first thought.

They continued their slow journey without speaking, with nothing but the crumbling and scraping of stone and the faint magical sound of Rarity's spell filling the silence. Rarity was relying partly on first hoof knowledge of these tunnels, or at least what she remembered from when she'd been kidnapped and partly on the hope that, if they kept travelling upwards, they would soon reach daylight and safety.

There was some other common sense that she used too. The gems that glowed in the walls and ground would be more frequent deeper below the earth, so any passage they took, Rarity would make sure there were as few gems in the wall as possible and that it travelled uphill too. Thankfully, the two usually went hoof in hoof, meaning that they might find a way out soon. The sooner, the better. Ray wasn't especially heavy, but Rarity would have preferred to get him out before she started to sweat.

The stallion in question was remaining in a resolute silence as well. She could tell that he was abiding by the terms of their truce and that he was refraining from insulting in anyway. At least he was sensible enough to realise that animosity would only exacerbate the situation they were in, as she already had. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, Rarity thought. He was grimacing in obvious discomfort. Whether this was from his injuries or from his vicinity to her, she couldn't really tell, nor did she feel like asking.

The more she looked at him, the more Rarity just found herself even more baffled for trying to figure out his motives. He had shown many times before that he didn't exactly hold affection for her, quite the opposite. Yet, despite the resentment he harboured for her, for whatever reason, he had risked his life to keep her safe while falling. She always thought stallions were easy to figure out but, like Dusk before him, he had surprised her, in more ways than one and not exactly in good ways.

The main thing that was weighing on Rarity's mind was a question concerning him, one that she refrained from asking at first, for fear of aggravating him. However, after what seemed like hours of nothing but darkness and silence, she felt that she couldn't keep it under wraps any longer. If they were in a truce, she might as well try and understand why.

"Ray, there's something I feel that I must ask you." He didn't reply, so she assumed that he was listening. "I cannot help but notice that you seem to bear a certain… resentment towards the upper-class and those affiliated with them, myself for example and those who reside in Canterlot."

"What's your point?" he asked sharply.

"I am simply curious as to why, that is all," she answered levelly.

"Oh, is that all?" he shot back. "Why should I tell you anything about me?"

"Because after the way I have been treated, I feel I am owed an explanation," she countered.

"I don't owe you anything."

"You see, there. The resentment, when all I am trying to do is ascertain as to why."

"Why do you care?"

"I care because I have tried to be your friend, yet you have responded with hostility and rudeness," she snapped, persisting because she knew he was avoiding the question. "I want to know what it is I've done to offend you so."

Now, he hesitated and when he spoke next, some of the edge had gone from his voice. "It's not you. It's them…"

"Who are they, then?" She let her voice soften a little. "I just want to know why. If you want to make amends, this is the best way to do it."

Ray was silent again for a while. She stopped and gazed intently at him, waiting for an answer. Finally, he leaned away from her, slumping to the ground, hanging his head and not looking at her.

"Okay… you want to know? Sit down. I'll tell you," he instructed, in a resigned voice. Trying to ignore the fact she was sitting on… dirt, Rarity sat next to him, trying to look him in the eye. "Did I tell you all about where I'm from? Idahoof?"

"Not that I recall, but go on," she urged.

"You ever been there at all?"

"Not really. Apart from a few select locations, I've never really been outside of Ponyville," she told him.

"I see…" He looked up briefly at her. "You might like it there. Quite a few… upper class ponies live there," he growled.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Not as many as Canterlot, but enough… you'd fit right in there."

"That's nice to know, but we're getting off the subject," she reminded him.

"Yeah…" He considered his next words before continuing." I grew up there, as a foal. Not a bad place, really. Decent sized, stable, good ponies. Except… none of them seemed to like me. At all." He let that sink in. "I grew up alone in that city, because nopony liked me. I never knew why, nopony told me, they just… resented me."

"What about your parents?" asked Rarity. "Didn't they care for you at all?"

"I… I never had any. I mean, I probably did but… I never met them." She could hear a break in his voice now. "I didn't have anypony to take care of me, no friends, no family. Just me… trying to survive. To live."

Silence passed again between them.

"All alone?" Rarity didn't realise that her voice had dropped to a whisper. "By yourself?"

"Yeah… happy childhood, huh?" he remarked, with a bitter smile.

"I wouldn't say that." She leaned forward a little more. "You mentioned about the upper class?"

"Oh yeah, them." That edge was back again, but it wasn't directed at her. "They were the worst. The others, they at least kept it to themselves, but them… they could never just shut their mouths."

"How… how do you mean?"

"How do you think I mean?" he shot at her. "They treated me like I was nothing, worse than nothing. I was just worthless, dirty little gutter snipe to them, that's what they all thought! But did they ever try to help me or understand me? No! They just treated me like a piece of old trash, like they, with their money and their status, they acted like they were so much better than me because they were privileged. Because they felt that, with that wealth, they were somehow in the right! THEM!"

His shout echoed horribly around the tunnel and he was on his hooves now, glaring right at her with fire in his eyes. He collapsed again from the pain and sighed.

"I hated them for it. I swore to myself though that I wouldn't let them get to me, that I wouldn't become as bad, as worthless as they truly are. Because I had my own values, my own worth, which was more than they could ever have and I would never let them take it away from me." He looked up again, staring into nothing. "That's why I left, why I travelled. I found new places to go, new ways to laugh and be happy that didn't need them. I hoped that, maybe, I would find somewhere, anywhere that… that I could…"

As he broke down a little now, some tears trickling down his cheeks, Rarity looked on. She could feel the beginnings of her own tears now and felt so much shame for getting it so wrong. At last, she knew why. He had acted this way towards her because she reminded him of that, as Dusk might have done as well, when he no doubt told him where he grew up.

Rarity, of course, never grew up in anywhere like Idahoof or Canterlot. She had grown up in Ponyville and, though she had aspired and dreamed to be part of the glamour and glitz of the royal city, she could see now that not everypony would see it. Ray was one of those ponies. If she had any doubts of abandoning the social scene of Canterlot, for standing by her friends, they were gone now.

Now, there was a chance. Dusk had done it, what was to stop her from trying with Ray too? She approached him, placing a hoof on his shoulder. When he raised his head to look at her, she wiped away his tears and locked eyes with his.

"I understand now, Ray," she said softly. "You may have been rude and we may have fought, but… now I know why. And let me say that I am truly sorry, for what's happened. Nopony deserves to have lived with what you have had to."

He looked stunned by this, but she pressed on.

"I can see now, how I reminded you of what you resent. It's just how I prefer to behave, with class and sophistication," she said smartly. "I thought that you were just rude, but it's clear now that I have greatly misjudged you. I should have tried to see it from your perspective and not just assume the worst. Can you ever forgive me for that?"

He just stared up at her in shock from hearing this. She wondered at first if it was enough, but there was something now replacing the fire of anger in his eyes… and it gave her hope.

"Wow… I can honestly say I wasn't expecting that," he finally said.

"Neither was I," she admitted. "I do mean it though. I am sorry and I'm not just saying that."

"I know, I believe you. I see it now." He was smiling now. "You may act like them, walk, talk and dress like them but… you are nothing like them. You're something… so much better. You could teach them a few things really."

"Thank you," she replied, surprised that she was returning the gesture. "So, am I forgiven?"

"You are and… I'm sorry too," he added. "I was wrong to just assume the worst about you, based on what had happened to me. I just thought that… you were like the rest."

"One bad apple spoils the batch, as Applejack always says," she quoted lightly.

"Yeah, but I had to put up with more than one." Though there was still some of an edge, the lighter tone was winning over. "So yeah… sorry."

"Fear not, Ray, I forgive you too. A lady doesn't hold a grudge."

"You already said that," he noted, with a small laugh.

"Only because it's true, especially so when it comes to her friends. Do you think then, that we can be friends, Ray?" she dared to ask.

"Sounds good to me!" he replied with a grin. "Even if you are a bit of a snob."

"Only because you are quite the ruffian," she countered. "Now, I think we have lingered in these tunnels long enough, don't you?"

"My thoughts exactly. Mind giving me a hoof?" he asked, gesturing to his side.

"Certainly." She let him lean against her side, though in a more friendly fashion than before. "Shall we, then?"

"I don't know, shall we?" he quipped, making her laugh a little.

Though Rarity couldn't really tell how close they were to the surface yet, she could tell that the journey back up was going to be a lot easier than before. A significant load had now been lightened from their journey, one that she could easily tolerate. Now, there was something else she was thinking about. A letter she would need to write when she got home…

Dear Princess Celestia

Not everypony's life is as idyllic and easy as some of us have. Bad experiences can happen to some ponies and the resentment they feel can prevent them from making friends, from deep-set personal beliefs.

It may be difficult, but with a little understanding and cooperation, you can help to find the root of the problem and while you may not be able to treat it completely, you can at least make it so that friendship is still a very real possibility, as it should be for anypony.

It took me a while to learn this, but it's safe to say that I and the pony in question are all the better for it.

Your faithful subject

Rarity.

Yes, that sounded good. She had a feeling too that the Princess wouldn't be the only one happy to hear about this. The thought of seeing her friends again… no, their friends again. Their relieved faces and voices gave her added strength to continue.

It became even better when she saw signs of a light ahead and was about to point this out to Ray… when she saw them getting closer. She could make them out now. Two shining forms of ponies, one of and one of Ray, cantering in the air above and halting above them. With them came the sounds of hurried hooves against the earth, along with worried voices.

Ray stared up at his own puppet. "Is that…?"

"Who else could it be?" Rarity raised her voice now. "Hello everypony! We're down here, hello!"

Within seconds, they all rounded the corner and Rarity felt her smile grow at the sight of them all. Seconds later, they were on them, hugging, breathing sighs of relief, expressing how thankful they were they'd found them.

"That's the second time we've had ta come runnin' down here ta find ya," Applejack said after her hug. "Y'all gotta find a better place ta get yer rocks."

"I'm sharing those thoughts myself," agreed Rarity.

"Oh my goodness, we were so worried about you!" Fluttershy hugged Ray, but drew back fairly quickly, a blush on both of their faces. "We thought… you'd be stuck down here."

"Yeah, what a winning combination that would be," added Spike, hugging Rarity now.

"Nah, we were fine, weren't we Rarity?" said Ray, grinning at her.

"We certainly were, Ray," she answered, returning it.

"I saw that!" Pinkie was grinning now too. "You two made up then?"

"Indeed we have," affirmed Rarity, though she decided not to specify how. He could tell them what he had told her when he wanted to.

"This mean you too aren't gonna be trying to use heat vision on each other anymore?"

"Yep, although it would be cool to have heat vision," said Ray lightly.

"How about we settle for both eyes working first?" Twilight was looking over his wounds. "Most likely sustained from the fall. I think his leg's broken too."

"A stallion in a cave, being rescued by a group of mares after having his leg broken? Where I have I seen something like that before?" asked Dusk jokingly.

"At least there's no giant snake after us this time." Rainbow saw Ray's confused look. "Long story, I'll tell ya later. Right now, I think you need to get patched up."

"And after your recovery, I suggest a celebration. Fancy a trip to the spa, Ray?" Rarity suggested.

He grinned back at her. "I thought you'd never ask."