Spike sat on the bridge, twiddling his thumbs. The sun had long since set and the moon hung high in the sky, bathing the lands in a cool blue aura. Stars were littered across the sky, twinkling in the dark and piercing through the black canvas that blessed the night. Spike looked up at it with envy. He was the stars, and Rarity was the moon. Spike was just another thing that helped with her duties, nothing more, nothing less. Sighing, he looked back down to the river below.
Rarity popped into his head.
Everything reminded him of Rarity. The flowing water reminded him of her beautiful flowing mane. The way the moonlight shone on the river and sparkled reminded him of her cutie mark. Three perfectly cut diamonds on her flank, a constant reminder to him that she was absolutely perfect, a diamond in the rough, just waiting to be noticed.
"It's just not fair!" Yelled Spike, slamming his claw down onto concrete wall of the bridge.
In his eyes, everything about her was absolutely perfect. The way her eyes glowed when she got happy, how her hair and mane practically shimmer with life after hearing something relatively good, how she always tried to make her and everything around her the most elegant it could possibly get. But Spike could never have her. It just wouldn't work.
Even if they did get together, which Spike knew was impossible, they could never be. Spike was a dragon. A monster in some ways. He destroyed half of Ponyville at one stage, almost killing Rarity in the process. Had it not been for that gem around her neck, Spike doesn't know what he would have done.
The world was against him. Everypony saw him as something only capable of harm and destruction. He knew deep down, that was all he was. He's only allowed live with Twilight because she is his closest thing to a family he can have. There will come a day when he has to leave. He will become an outcast. Everypony will look down at him, thinking that he is nothing better then the ground they trot on.
A single tear slid off his cheek and into the water below, stirring it.
This is where it had happened. The second kiss given to him by Rarity. Spike would always come here to clear his mind, or to wallow in self pity. This was not the first time he had these terrible thoughts of himself.
Almost every night, he would sneak out after Twilight went to bed, come to this very same place, and think. Think about ways to make his life better. Ways to keep his mind off things. These were always in vain. Somehow, he would always end up thinking of Rarity, and the rest of the night was spent wallowing in his misery.
"Spikey...?"
The words cut through him like ice. He couldn't let her see him like this. He hopped of the wall and glanced at Rarity. Her azure eyes were staring right back to him, as if they were staring directly into his soul, studying every little detail. He snapped his head back and started walking in the opposite direction, ignoring her as she called out.
He rubbed his eyes ad sniffled, still walking away from the mare of his dreams. Rarity seemed to pick up on these subtle movements and quickened her pace, trying to catch up with the little baby dragon.
Spike heard the gentle sound of hooves getting nearer and he, in turn quickened his pace. He would not let Rarity see him like this. Not because he would seem weak, but because it would only make matters worse for him. Rarity would care, but that would be it. She would just be helping a friend.
A Friend.
"Spikey!" Rarity called out again.
Spike kept moving, letting the tears fall freely down his face and onto the path below.
Friend...
The word kept on repeating itself in his head. He wanted to be more then friends, much more. Though he knew it would never happen. She would probably get married to a big time Canterlot pony, making dresses and having the time of her life. Spike only wished that it could be him.
"Spike!" Rarity called again. She was starting to get desperate. Why was her little Spikey-Wikey ignoring her? He'd always shown interest in her, she knew that, but why would he suddenly not care?
Spike must have heard the desperation in Rarity's voice, because he stopped dead in his tracks. Rarity walked up behind him and spoke softly.
"Spike, is everything all right?"
Spike rubbed his eyes and spoke in hoarse voice.
"No, nothing is right..."
Rarity was a bit taken aback at this. This wasn't the same dragon that swooned over her every time she came near. If Spike wasn't even trying to hide his sadness from Rarity, something must be wrong.
"Well why don't you come along with me, back to the Boutique? We could talk about whate-"
"No!" Spike interupted Rarity. "Don't you know that that will only make things harder for me?!"
Spike swung around and faced Rarity, letting her see his bloodshot eyes and still wet cheeks.
"You know exactly what's wrong with me! You've been toying with me since the first time I met you!"
"Spikey, I assure you I don't know what yo-"
"Yes you do!" He practically screamed. "You've been playing with my heart for over a year now, making me do your biddings. And what do I get in return? Nothing! Just more misery!"
Rarity simply stared back at the teary-eyed dragon, completely shocked. Her mouth hung open to speak but no words came out. She was letting Spike's words sink in. Did he really feel this strongly about me? For so long? And I've been making him do everything. I've been leading him on all along...
"Now just leave and stop playing with my heart!"
With that Spike turned back and ran. He didn't know where he was going, he just kept on running, desperate to get away from that mare.
Rarity sat down on her haunches, still digesting everything that Spike had just said. He liked me all this time, and I was just toying with him... Her heart fluttered at the thought. He liked me... But did she like him? Was the reason she had kissed him twice not because she was happy or thankful, but because she grabbed the chance to steal a kiss from someone that truly mattered to her?
Rarity felt herself start to tear up. She bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling and gazed in the direction that Spike had run off to. She felt as though she had lost something dear to her, like her life was suddenly taken away. She quickly stood back up and ran off after Spike, letting tears spill freely from her cheeks.
* * * *
Spike sat on top of a hill overlooking Ponyville. He positioned himself against a tree and was enjoying the shelter it gave him from the crisp night air. He was letting tears fall freely now, not bothering to wipe them off his cheek. He was ashamed of himself for yelling at Rarity, but at the same time glad he had gotten that out of his system.
Why did he still feel horible though?
He had just come clean about his feelings towards Rarity, and yet he still felt depressed.
"Why can't things be easy for me?"
Spike pulled his knees close and hugged them for comfort, resting his head on them.
He rubbed at his nose and eyes, sniffing as he did so. He had stopped crying but his eyes were still puffy and bloodshot. Lifting his head, he looked up towards the sky and started noting constellations in his head.
'Musca, Norma, Octans...'
He stopped and stared up at the sky, staring at three groups of four stars, forming three diamonds beside each other.
He quickly looked down. His mind was racing again, and every thought was of the beautiful mare he had fled from moments ago.
* * * *
Rarity had stopped a mere ten meters away from Spike, gazing at him. She had never really noticed how handsome he looked until now. The way the rays of moonlight danced across his scales, making them shimmer and glow, enchanting her. She had noticed he had still been crying. His eyes were still bloodshot and his cheeks were a darker shade of purple, damp from the tears.
The tears I've caused...
He was sitting with his back to a tree, gazing up at the night sky, taking in It's beauty. Rarity followed his gaze and was lost momentarily, taking in every tiny detail the black canvass had to offer.
She looked back at Spike who had buried his head between his knees. He had began crying again, but it wasn't quiet like before, this was sobbing. The sight made Rarity's heart ache and she wanted to do nothing more then to help him, comfort him, love him...
But all that would have to wait.
Spike would never forgive her.
"Why do I always buck up this kind of stuff?!" Spike yelled out, banging his fist against the ground. "I want nothing more then to be with her, but now I can't ever show my face to her again..."
Rarity was still watching him, biting her lower lip to refrain from crying out.
"I love her... but she doesn't have any feelings for me...I'm just another po-... I'm not even a pony, what chance would I have?
"To care for her, that's all I want. I would love her until my dying day, defend her, treat her right... But I can't... I'm a dragon..."
Rarity had stopped trying to refrain from crying. She was letting tears fall freely down her cheeks, a smile on her face, her heart warmed by the dragons words. But at the same time, she felt a pang of sadness. He was being so hard on himself, all because of his appearance.
"A diamond in the rough... that's an understatement for her." He looked up at the night sky, a gentle smile forming across his now wet face. "She's a star in the sky, one in a million... but she's the only one I pay attention to. She's the one that makes me smile everyday, the one who I care about more then anyone... she's the definition of perfect..."
Rarity couldn't keep to herself any more. She trotted up behind Spike slowly, building up to the courage to explain her emotions to him.
"Spikey?" She asked gently.
spike jumped a little and snapped his head around.
"... How much did you hear?"
"Every last word." Replied Rarity, sitting down beside Spike, the smile still splayed across her face.
"Listen, Rarity..." Spike said, shuffling away from her a bit. "I'm sorry about earlier... It's just I've a lot on my mind..."
"Oh I know, I do too..."
Spike looked at her and was enchanted by the sight. The moon shone down on her coat, making it glow. Her purple hair hung loosely around her shoulders and her eyes... he could stare into those eyes for eternity.
Rarity looked around at Spike, still smiling.
"Did you mean everything you said Spike?" She cooed, gazing intently at him.
Spike could feel himself blushing. "I... um... yeah, every last word..."
Rarity looked away again, her smile growing slightly.
"I understand though Rarity, you need a stallion in your life, one who loves you and cares for you, as much as... I... do..."
Rarity snapped back at Spike, her smile now completely gone. "But what if I don't find that stallion Spike? What if I grow old and alone, never once being loved?"
"Then you'll just have to remember I'll always be thinking about you..." He let out a long sigh "And I... I'll always love yo-"
Spike was cut off by Rarity, who had leaned in, pressing her lips against his. Spike opened his eyes wide in shock, but closed them quickly, getting lost in the moment.
They kissed for what seemed like an eternity to Spike, although it was only a few minutes. Rarity pulled her head back and scooted over to Spike, resting her head on his shoulder. Spike was too baffled to say anything, instead her just looked up into the sky again.
Rarity lifted her head up to face Spike. "How was that?" She cooed.
Spike looked down and locked eyes with Rarity.
"Perfect."