Dream Date
Rarity scrubbed herself as hard as she could to rid herself of the imaginary grime that she felt Fluttershy’s animals left on her after fulfilling her promise of feeding them. A quick rinse and the unicorn felt sufficiently clean to call it a night, but not before a knock at her door caught her attention. Her vigorous bath had taken her mind completely off the favor she had asked of Fluttershy, who she found on the other side of the door. However, seeing the little yellow Pegasus looking a bit winded and nervous reminded her of the task she had asked Fluttershy to do.
“Umm…” Fluttershy found herself at a loss for words; still a bit in shock from what she had witnessed that night.
“Do come in, Fluttershy,” Rarity invited her sweating friend into the boutique. “Now, tell me. What happened?”
“Uh… umm…” the Pegasus gulped, trying to calm her nerves. “Well… they were… out in the fields…”
“Yes, yes… go on,” her friend plopped down on the floor, anxiously waiting for more details.
“And… then…” Fluttershy paused as the memory of the scene flashed in her mind. “They…”
“They…?” Rarity repeated.
“They… kissed…” the timid mare said in high pitch voice.
In that moment, Rarity could swear she felt her heart sink to a low that she had never felt before. Her eyes shrunk as she imagined her dragon suitor lost to her purple counterpart so early in the game. Her small pupils and irises and distant stare began to concern the yellow Pegasus.
“Rarity…?” Fluttershy nudged the unicorn. “A-are you ok?”
“I… I don’t know…” the dress maker said, still not breaking her thousand-mile stare.
“I-I didn’t know that Twilight and Spike… were like that…” the naïve mare commented. “I mean… I knew that they were close, but… I never would’ve guessed… I always thought he liked you like that.”
“I think I need some time to myself…” Rarity told her yellow friend, fighting back the tears coming from her eyes. “If you don’t mind, Fluttershy.”
“Rarity?” Fluttershy called her name in concern. However, the white unicorn merely led her to the exit without a word slipping passed her lips.
The young designer awoke the next morning, not defeated state, but in a determined demeanor. She was not just about to roll over and let her “Spikey-Wikey” get away from her; no, not without a fight. He had been her little suitor for as long as he and Twilight had been in Ponyville, there was no way that she would lose him so easily.
It was her physical allure that had first brought her to Spike’s attention, and her feminine charms and refined manners that sealed the deal. If being a proper mare had been the thing to win over his heart, so too it could be the key to winning him in this little contest. So long had she known him, that she had learned just how to press the dragon’s buttons to make herself irresistible. A flowing gown that would turn any male’s head, a dash of eye-shadow and lipstick that would make him never want to look away and finally a fragrant perfume that would drive him wild. She smiled at herself in the mirror, filled with anticipation for Spike’s reaction once he caught sight of her.
After last night’s date with Twilight, it only seemed fair to Spike that he should spend the day with another of the mares. Leaving the library, the dragon locked his gaze on the ground as he began deciding who should be next. Guilt still lingered in his mind. He felt like he was toying with the mares’ feelings by spending such intimate time with each. But without doing so, he knew he could not make a fair choice, for them or himself. It was a persistent thought he could not shake, no matter how he tried to rationalize it.
However, in an instant, all the thoughts in his head seemed to just fall into the deepest chasm in his mind as he found himself unable to pry his unblinking eyes from a certain white unicorn. His jaw hung so low that he swore he could the grass brush against his chin. The young dragon’s forked tongue also lolled out as his drool dripped off of it. Inaudible mumbles were all that was heard from the dragon as he tried to come up with a coherent thought, only to fail miserably.
“Hey there, Spike,” Rarity greeted the dragon with a cocky smile, loving every second of the desired effect she had on him.
“Uh… uh-waa…” Spike slurred, still unable to come up with even a single real word.
“How would you like to come over to the boutique later today for dinner…” the unicorn said in a breathy voice. “Just you… and me…”
Rarity only continued to receive garbled words in response. “I’ll take that as a yes…”
He had informed Twilight off his upcoming dinner date with Rarity. It seemed to have hit her straight in her heart as she heard this from him. She looked strained and clearly fought back tears that had pooled in her eyes as she faked a smile to encourage the young dragon to attend the dinner with the unicorn he had adored for so long. She wished him well and left him to get ready for the date. However, it was not the last he heard from the purple unicorn. Spike caught the sound of quiet sobs coming from Twilight’s desk where she was pretended to study.
The young dragon could not believe himself. He had just decided to correct his behavior with mistreating the mares’ feelings, but now here he was hurting one of his closest friends by going on a date with a rival mare. On the other hoof, he was living his dream: he finally got his date with Rarity. It was what he always wanted, and yet, it did not seem as fulfilling as he imagined it. Though he found himself unable to resist her and reject her offer of a private dinner with her, something just nagged at the back of his mind.
Of course, the guilt of his selfishness remained from before, but this was something different and he could not quite put his claw on it. Spike could feel it in his gut that this dinner was not going to be the date he had fantasized about. It was as if he knew something was going to occur that night, something not too good. Readying himself for the date only seemed to allow this feeling to fester inside him. Taking a last look in the mirror, he took a deep breath and left the library.
“Spike…” Rarity nuzzled the dragon. “I’m very happy to see you could make it.”
The lingering feeling from the library made it impossible for him to totally forgo his thoughts and mindlessly adore the unicorn in front of him. However, it did not mean it was easy for him to ignore his long-time love’s attempt to captivate him. She was even more made up than earlier and had an enticing tone in her voice that made steam blow out of his ears and nose. Instead of stammering in some nonsensical language like before, he was able to find the words to communicate clearly.
“Hi, Rarity,” he greeted her, fumbling with a single rose in his claws.
“Is that for me?” Rarity asked him.
“Uh… yeah… sorry,” Spike answered with a bit of a delay, quickly handing her the flower.
“Why thank you, Spike!” she responded, taking the flower and placing it in a nearby thin vase. “What a proper gentlecolt… well, dragon.”
Rarity had expected him to be a bit off with her, but she had thought his focus would totally be on her. In fact, he had seemed distracted with something in his mind. His eyes moved from one object to another without lingering too long on anything in particular. It was not how she predicted he would act based on his earlier reaction. Though a little disappointed, she was not dismayed.
“Well, I bet a hard working dragon like yourself has built up quite the appetite,” Rarity told him, inviting him to sit down at a candle-lit table. “I have two surprises for you tonight that I’m sure you’re going to love!”
Rarity simply stared at her date as he thoughtlessly poked his food, never once looking up at her. He did not even take a single bite; he merely rearranged it on his plate. After a few more minutes of silence, Rarity finally decided to speak up.
“You know, Spike. I do care about you… more than anypony else,” the unicorn said. “And if something is bothering you, I want to help.”
Suddenly, it hit him. All the thoughts that had been making him feel distracted and distant finally became clear.
“Then did you know how I felt about you…?” he spoke, still not looking up from his plate.
“Of c…” Rarity started.
“Even BEFORE what happened with Photo Finish?” the dragon interrupted her.
“I-I…” the wide-eyed mare stammered, caught off-guard by his sudden bluntness. “I apologized for what I did, Spike. It was wrong…”
“Did you know?” Spike asked again.
“I… I did, but…” Rarity answered disheartened.
“And you still pretended not to know me…” the dragon said sadly.
“I’m sorry about that, Spike. I should have never done it…” Rarity responded.
“How long did you know about my feelings for you?” he asked.
“It has been… a while since I’ve known,” she admitted.
“Why didn’t you tell me then?” Spike asked. “I’ve been coming over here and spending all my extra time helping you because I thought maybe I could make you care about me like I do for you. Do you really care about me or… are you just jealous that Twilight or Applejack might take me away?”
“Spike, I…” the mare tried to defend herself, only to be interrupted once again.
“You told me about Twilight’s birthday party and how you had to choose between them or Fancy Pants and you chose them…” Spike recounted. “Why didn’t you choose me when it came to me or Photo Finish? Did you think I would just come back to you like always?”
“I…” Rarity paused, wiping her tear-soaked face. “It’s not like that, Spike. I swear! I meant what I said… when I told you I loved you…”
“For how long?” the dragon demanded.
“I-I don’t know… I… it just happened,” the unicorn said. “But I know it’s true… I DO love you, Spike.”
“Well… you haven’t been acting like it…” Spike replied, leaving the table and storming out of the boutique.
Rarity sat there in disbelief, tears still streaming down her face. In an instant, her plans to woo Spike were shut down. Perhaps even worse, she might have lost him completely. She could not help but wonder if what he said held some truth. She had his affections all to herself for so long and never acted on it, not until Spike started to show interest in Applejack. Perhaps her confession was a bit brought on by jealously, but her feelings were genuine.
As for the Photo Finish incident, she could never provide a real explanation as to her actions, to him or herself. All she was able to do is apologize for her actions, but even that might not have been enough. Maybe the explanation the angry dragon had given was as close to truth as she could come up with. Rarity did remember hurting the dragon before, both emotionally and physically, only to watch him return, his feelings for her being too strong to stay away. Subconsciously, she may have believed that the situation with Photo Finish would be yet another event that he would forget in time.
Slowly, she cleared the table and stared at the two gifts she had planned to give Spike that night. Calling in a few favors from her clients, Rarity managed to acquire two tickets to the Gala. Working hard to make some spare time in her busy schedule, she also managed to design a custom suit for the dragon. Though their first time at the Gala went pretty poorly, she was sure this Gala would be a night to remember. No longer was she looking for her “Prince Charming,” having already found him in her Spikey Wikey. But now, it was all for naught.
She sluggishly trotted up to her bed and allowed herself to fall into her bed, though she knew the emotional distress she had gone through was going to keep her up all night.
Spike’s thoughts created a maelstrom in his mind. He had no idea where his sudden outburst came from. Perhaps he had been keeping it in longer than he thought; perhaps Rarity’s manipulative behavior that night was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. Either way, he felt horrible for ruining the dinner with his crush.
The dragon contemplated going back and apologizing, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was how he truly felt. He knew that Rarity did not always treat him the best way she could, but he always gave her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was blinded by love and now that he had others that he felt strongly about he was able to think a bit more clearly. But even so, he could not just allow himself to act so rudely to the unicorn.
However, he himself needed time to calm down and allow emotions to settle. He did not want to go back there only have yet another explosion and hurt the mare all over again or give her an insincere apology. Though angry at her, Spike could not fool himself into believing he had lost his love for Rarity. She would always have a special place in his heart.
Entering the library, quiet sniffles could still be heard from the bedroom. As he reached the top of the stairs, he found Twilight lying on her bed, muffling her cries into a pillow. Hearing the creaking of footsteps behind her, the unicorn wiped her face of tears and turned around to greet her assistant.
“So… h-how was it? W-was it everything you wanted, Spike?” Twilight stuttered, trying to make it not too obvious that she was choking back tears.
“I… I don’t really want to talk about it…” the dragon replied, not being able to look the pained unicorn in the eye. “Not right now…”
Climbing into his bed, he wrapped himself tightly in his covers. He just wanted to drift off into sleep and forget all of today. He single-handedly made two mares he cared for cry their eyes out over what he did. He could not help but ask himself the question: what was he turning into?