//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: You Found Me (Extended) 
// by RedCharge 
//------------------------------//

				You Found Me (Extended Edition)
Chapter 1
It was a cold, rainy day in Ponyville, the overcast and fog giving it a sad look. Spike, the local dragon was just waking up at 2 in the afternoon. 
"Ugh, guess I gotta wake up now" he said, rubbing his emerald colored eyes. He pushed a few empty bottles of whiskey off of his chest. As he stood up he winced, "Gah, freaking hangover". He had been having  a hard time lately, between his still unnoticed feelings for a certain snow white unicorn and his new, less friendly appearance. Spike was now an adolecent, approximately 13 years old. Twilight Sparkle, his surrogate mother, gave him his own room by now. After all, at a length of 5 feet, he was much too large for his old basket. He walked over to his closet and opened a bottle of vodka, with a few swigs he set it back down. 
"That should help it" he said, already feeling the hangover begin to recede, he let out a big sigh, 'Rarity.' she was the only pony that he had ever thought of as anything more than a friend. He was feeling really conflicted lately. For as long as he could remember, he never really minded being single, but now his feelings for Rarity had been getting deeper and deeper. As he walked over to his door, he heard a knock.
"Spike? Are you awake yet?" it was Twilight, Spike cracked the door a little.
"Yeah, what's up Twi?"
"Spike, I'm worried about you" she held up an empty bottle of Gin, "Now be honest, have you been drinking?"
"Yeah, maybe a little too much." he said, remembering his hangover.
"Spike, this won't help whatever problem you're having."
"Who said I have any problems?"
"Well, you've been drinking a bit too much, you're sleeping past noon and you haven't gone to Rarity's in days."
"Rarity can take care of herself, I'm a dragon, we sleep alot, and so what if I drink?" he retorted.
"Spike, are you sure you're ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine..."
"Ok, well I need you to help me organize the books today."
"Sure, I'll be out soon"
He closed the door gently and walked over to his nightstand. "*sigh* Well, time to buck up Spikeo." 
The day went rather uneventfully, a couple schoolfillies came in getting books for research papers, Applejack needed a few books on home distilling moonshine, and by about five o'clock, the library was closed.
"Twi, you mind if I go out for a little?"
"Sure Spike, just be careful, and if you go drinking, take it easy?"
"Yeah, see you later Twilight."
He walked out the door and into the main square. 
'Rarity, why can't you see how I feel for you? Is it because I'm a dragon? Am I just not good enough for you? Do you already have a coltfriend? Why can't I be good enough?' he sighed as he opened the door to McDaniels' pub, the regulars were all there, Soarin, Doc Whooves, and of course the pub's namesake Feinien McDaniels.
"Oi, Spike me boyo, come on up to the bar and have a drink!" the freindly green bartender said, pouring 4 shots of vodka for the downtrodden group and himself. Feinien was like Pinkie, never in a bad mood. Always quick with a joke.
"Hey Soarin, Doc. How've my best buds been?" he said, depression plain in his voice.
"I think you can tell," Soarin said
"Lemme guess, a mare right?"
"Spot on bud." he said, pulling a picture of Rainbow Dash from his jumpsuit pocket. "Her name's Dash, Rainbow Dash."
Spike grinned, "Well, I wish you luck with that one, how 'bou you Doc?"
"Well, I keep wanting to ask Ditzy, but I just can't, you know how I am with mares." True enough, Doc had never been a lady killer
"Never say never Doc." Fenien said.
With that they all downed their shots, "How about you Spike, what's got ye down?" Feinien was always good with reading people, but that was his job after all.
"Well, I really like this mare, and it's been 10 years since we met, and every day I've been attending to her every wish. But she just can't see the way I feel aout her, or she just doesn't want to say that she'll never love me back." His eyes began to water.
"You know  Spike, some ponies drink to solve their problems, at least that's what I do" Soarin said.
The night went on, the pub' bussiness was slow anyway but Feinien had switched the sighn to closed about 3 hours early so they could drink in private and try to have a good time. And a good time they had, until about midnight they all drank, and drank, and drank. before too long they were all too drunk to walk straight. The night went on with long bursts of laughter as they remembered the good times they had, and made jokes about everything.