//------------------------------// // Chapter Six // Story: The Purest Amethyst // by BOM //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle tossed and turned, in a state where she wasn’t asleep but couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes. The stone slab felt wrong somehow, it was soft and comfortable, plus her head seemed to be resting on a pillow. Sweetie Belle shot up and wiped the dust out of her eyes. She wasn’t in the stone room any more that was for sure. She was lying in a four poster bed with a red duvet, a large double window let in light revealing the rest of the room. Further down the bed, a familiar purple dragon had pulled up a chair and was resting his head on the sheets. Spikes eyes were closed and he seemed to be muttering something about ice-cream. Giggling, Sweetie Belle pulled the up covers. She felt slightly embarrassed at Spike being here, but at the same time couldn’t help feeling happy as he lay there. Spike muttered one last sentence about the ice-cream being sweet before flicking his eyes open, Sweetie Belle smiled at him and he returned the favour. “Hay Spike.” Sweetie Belle pulled the covers up even higher so they covered her mouth. “Hay.” Spike leant back and stretched out his entire body making several clicking noises as he did. He still had the scar from the Changeling attack clearly visible on his chest. The attack! “Spike Spike what happened? What happened to the Changelings? Is Rarity alright? Where’s Apple Bloom and Scootaloo?!” Sweetie Belle was panting, a wave of panic having consumed her. The last thing she remembered was sleeping in the panic room and now here she was in a four poster bed with Spike! Well, not with Spike with Spike but… I know what I mean! Spike took hold of her hoof. Sweetie Belle looked down at it, time seemed to stand still as she looked up into Spike’s emerald eyes. She was starting to tingle again. Spike gave her an understanding smile and soon she was breathing normally again. “Spike, where are we?” “We’re in Canterlot Castle,” Spike said calmingly. Using her free hoof Sweetie Belle rubbed her forehead trying to make sense of the situation. “What happened? Where is everypony?” “A little while after you three had dozed, off a Canterlot guard came to check the panic room. He found us and we brought all three of you back to the castle. He told me that Princess Cadence and Shining Armor had summoned a spell so strong that it banished all the changelings in Canterlot and-” “Sweetie Belle?” A familiar voice whispered from the door. Sweetie Belle turned to see Rarity standing in the doorway, her magic suspending a tray of food in mid-air. Spike shot his claw away from Sweetie Belle’s hoof at lightning speed, this hurt her just a little more than she cared to admit. Rarity dropped the tray she was levitating and galloped over to Sweetie Belle, wrapping her arms around her whilst crying into her shoulder. “I-I-I-‘m s-o-o-o glad you’re o-k-hay-hay,” Rarity cried into her little sisters shoulder. Sweetie belle wrapped her hooves around her sister returning the hug. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so glad to see her big sis’. Rarity withdrew from the hug after they had held each other for long enough and placed her hoof onto Sweetie Belle’s forehead, wiping her eyes with the other. “Do you feel ok darling? Are you hot? You feel hot.” Sweetie Belle gently pushed her sister’s hoof away. “I’m fine Rare.” “Are you sure darling, maybe an ice pack or maybe some nice herbal tea?” Rarity poured a cup of tea from a flask that sat on the bedside cabinet, practically forcing it down Sweetie Belle’s throat. The hot liquid burnt her tongue as it not so pleasantly slid down her throat. Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out trying to air it off as well as expunge the taste stuck in her mouth. “Oh Sweetie I am so sorry quick drink this.” Rarity offered Sweetie Belle a glass of water which she took greedily. The cool water swam down her throat as the crisp ice brushed against her dry lips. Giving off a satisfied sigh she placed the empty glass on the cabinet licking her lips as she did. “Spike, I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you brought my little sister back in one piece.” Rarity nuzzled Sweetie Belle’s cheek. “Oh it was nothing.” Spike was looking anywhere but at Sweetie Belle. “Nothing! Nothing!” Rarity gasped. “It was certainly not nothing, why it is everything,” Spike was starting to blush, “from what you’ve told me, Spike, you were quite the, quite the, oh, how to put it…” “You were my hero Spike.” The moment Sweetie Belle said it she clamped her hooves to her mouth. Spike faced Sweetie Belle, an electric charge formed as their eyes met. Every hair on her body stood on end and her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. The pair of them broke eye contact and each looked in opposite directions. “Thanks Sweetie Belle.” “Don’t-don’t mention it.” A couple of minutes passed where Sweetie Belle and Spike continued to look at anything but each other. Rarity sat there very confused looking from one to the other. Slowly piecing to together what was going on, a smile wove onto her face. “So I’m gonna go now,” Spike said as he got off his chair. “What! You mean right now?” squeaked Sweetie Belle, her voice sounded far more upset than she had intended. “Yeah, I mean, I’ve got loads to help Twilight with, you know re-planning the wedding and also, um, I’ll see you around.” Spike was trying to hide his face from Sweetie Belle and he quickly dashed out the room. “Oh-ok,” Spike had already left. “I’ll see you around,” Sweetie Belle whispered, more to herself than anypony else. Sweetie Belle laid back onto her pillow, her ears flopped to her side and she wore a glum expression. “Soooooo,” Rarity got her attention. “What happened between you and Spike?” Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Wha-what do you mean?” “Well it’s just you two seem,” Rarity paused searching for the right word, “closer.” Sweetie Belle lay there shell shocked by the accusation. “I-um-we-I. We’re just friends.” “Well darling it seems to me that you two are a little closer than-“ “We’re just friends!” Sweetie Belle pulled the covers up so that they covered her whole body. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m tired and want some sleep!” She didn’t mean to shout at Rarity but for some reason Sweetie Belle felt very defensive. She heard Rarity sigh and make her way to the door. “Let me know if you need anything, darling,” Rarity said as gently as possible, before shutting the door behind her. Me and Spike. The thought gave Sweetie Belle goose bumps. Lying flat on her back she brought her hooves in front of her face. She clapped them together several time whilst making small kissing noises, all of her hair suddenly stood on end again. She brought her hooves down to her chest. “Me and Spike,” she sighed. Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep; her dreams populated by purple and green.