//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Things aren't the same anymore // Story: Finally Realizing // by xXLadyErica99Xx //------------------------------// It’s been 3 days ever since she heard those words in her head, torturing her brain and making her forehead throb uncontrollably. It’s been ringing and echoing, silently suffering from the memory of remembering everything that happened. The voice he used, the body language, those footsteps she heard that fainted after a couple of seconds, which broke her heart even more. She’s been crying pretty much after that incident, and she was doing so right now. Rarity levitates more tissue to her eyes and dabs them, trying hard to not think about it. She decided to think about her family, which caused her eyes to widen. She completely forgot that Sweetie Belle was visiting for the weekend and tomorrow was Saturday. Her little sister can’t see her like this, or else Rarity will draw suspicion. So, she made a decision to get ready for Sweetie’s visit, which she also saw was a way to clear her mind of her dilemma. Rarity got up from her bed, quickly sniffling and brought her hand to her nose from the pain she felt. A sign that she’s been crying for hours today. She got up and noticed black stains on her sheets. “Damn mascara… Why did I even bother to put some on today if I knew I was going to cry for hours?” Rarity said to herself, levitating another tissue to her eyes and wiped away the tears vigorously. She then made her way to Sweetie’s room/Guest room. Rarity opened the door to the room and turned on the light. As she was making the weirdly messy and unmade bed, her thoughts circled around her sister. Her dear sweet sister who seems like a maniac to Rarity, but she had to love her no matter what. The good thing about siblings is most of the time, they return your love… Right when you say ‘I love you’, they won’t mind if you have a good relationship with them. But for some, it might take some time for them to say it back to you. That’s what happened to her… She took her time to actually admit that she loved her Spikey-Wikey but she took too long and now he’s moved on. Rarity chuckled to herself as she realized she was thinking about her dilemma instead of her sister and family. Levitating a few of Sweetie Belle’s stuffed toys in her magic, she laid them down in the middle of the ‘made’ bed. Rarity smiled to herself and sat down on a chair in front of the window. She looked down at her backyard, noticing the grass long and ready to cut. She made a mental note of that and just sat there for a few more minutes in silence. After a few more minutes of daydreaming, Rarity gave out a long sigh and brushed away strands of stray hair in front of her eyes. She stood up and gave the room a last look before going back to her own. Rarity took a seat on the edge of her bed and abstractedly opened her bedside drawer to reveal a box. Rarity picked it up and placed it on her lap, breathing in as if to prepare for what’s inside. Once she opened the lid, a heart shaped ruby that perfectly fit a gold outlining was resting inside. Rarity started to feel tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she remembered the memory for this specific object. Rarity gasped as she set eyes on what Spike was holding in his claws. She quickly made her way towards him, her eyes glimmering in delight. “Is that a fire ruby?” Rarity said, looking at the jewel from different angles. “Huh, that must be at least twenty carats! No inclusions, pristine facets…” “And totally delicious.” Spike interrupted, smiling at both Rarity and the ruby. “Uh, if you guys don’t mind…” Twilight said, while levitating some of the books she was organizing. “Oh, uh, of course! I-I just came by to see if you had any books on historical fashions…” Rarity said, nervously smiling before rethinking what Spike said. She look to him. “Did you say...‘Delicious’?” Rarity asked, confused about Spike’s statement. “Sure did! Next week's my birthday, and this is my birthday dinner.” Spike said, basically crushing Rarity’s future plans with the ruby. She lifted an arm to it as Spike walks away. “Start with this one.” Twilight interrupted, levitating a book to Rarity’s gaze and startling her. “Thanks, Twilight. I've got a feeling ruffled taffeta capes are going to make a huge comeback this season, and I want to be ahead of the game…” Rarity trails off as she sees Spike admire the ruby in his claws behind her shoulder. Rarity bit her lip, thinking that she might lose her chance on getting it. “I hope it's as tasty as it is beautiful, Spike. I've never seen anything quite so stunning before.” Rarity said, making her way to Spike as he puts the gem into the case and changing the tone of her voice to a sweet one. Spike looked up to her, picking up the ruby, “Gosh... You really like it, huh?” Rarity saw this as her window and made her move. “Like it? It's magnificent.” She flips her hair and looks straight into Spike’s eyes. She bites her lips and closed her eyes half-way, fluttering her eyelashes to add more to the effect. After a moment or two, she backs away and puts a hand to her chest, silently congratulating herself. She succeeded seducing to get her way once again! Spike sighed in awe and looked away from Rarity, blushing.“Then you should have it.” He took ahold of Rarity’s hand and placed the ruby on it, saying, “This beautiful gem was meant to be with you.” Rarity stared at the ruby, thinking about what just happened and how it was the sweetest thing anyone has done to her. She levitated the gem, smiling while doing so. “I don't know what to say... This is so thoughtful.” Rarity said, walking around Spike while he rocks back and forth on his feet. “Oh, my little Spikey-wikey!” She walks towards Spike and gave him a big kiss on his cheek, leaving a lip print. Spike faints in response while Rarity makes her way to the door, hopping now and then. “Thank you so much!” After closing the door, Rarity immediately thought of the things she was going to do to this fine jewel. She giggled and skipped all the way home. The room filled with sounds of sniffling and sobs as Rarity cried once again. Her vision blurred, seeing drops of her tears on the fire ruby. She wondered how a lady could cry this often without stopping while taking out the jewel from it’s box and gripping it tightly in her hands, slightly getting them damp because of the tears. “I’m such an idiot…” Rarity said in between sobs, digging her perfectly manicured purple nails on the surface of the jewel. She brought the ruby to her chest and continued to cry, not minding the salty tears that entered her mouth. “Sis…?” A voice quietly said, making Rarity stop her crying and looking directly towards her bedroom door. “Sweetie Belle?” Rarity sniffled, quickly putting back the fire ruby in the chest and wiping away her tears to leave no evidence. “A-are you okay?” Sweetie asked in both confusion and concern, walking towards where her big sister was sitting. “Ah, yes! O-of course!” Rarity said, trying to act cheery for her little sister. “W-what made you think I wasn’t alright, hm?” “Because when I came in, I heard you crying…” Sweetie said, sitting down beside Rarity. “Did you use the extra key in the flower bed where my Delphiniums are?” Rarity said sternly, and changed the subject. She remembered the last time Sweetie did this. She almost ruined a whole season’s worth of the lovely flowers and Rarity never got to show them off in front of her boutique. “Yeah… I-I didn’t ruin your Delphiniums this time!” Sweetie Belle added quickly, her voice cracking. “Well, thank you…” Rarity said, clearing her throat. Suddenly, she remembered something and looked to Sweetie. “Weren’t you supposed to arrive tomorrow morning?” She asked as Sweetie tried to avoid her sister’s gaze. “I miiight have sneaked out of the house…” Sweetie Belle said, drumming her fingers on her lap. “Sweetie Belle! You know how father and mother would react!” Rarity sighed, realizing that she was getting Sweetie even more nervous. “Why would you do this again? Was it the same reason as last time you were visiting?” Sweetie Belle hugged Rarity tightly, digging her face into her sister’s bulbous chest, which caused Rarity to turn red. “I just missed you so, so much, big sis! Oh, mom and dad wouldn’t let me go today because they said they wanted to take me here themselves, but I couldn’t help myself!” Sweetie Belle said, tightening her hug. “A-alright! I-I get it!” Rarity chuckled, hugging her sister back as tightly as how she was doing it, causing Sweetie to squeal a bit in Rarity’s arms. Once they released the hug, Rarity wondered something. “Sweetie, darling… Did you carry your bags by yourself?” She asked, earning a small nod from her little sister. Rarity sighed and smiled sweetly at her, receiving a smile back from Sweetie Belle. “I just really missed you…” Sweetie mumbled, lowering her head. It was raised back up by a hand and made her look directly at Rarity. Suddenly, she got kissed sweetly on her nose, making her giggle. “I’ve missed you, too, sweetheart…” Rarity said in a calming tone and they shared another sisterly hug. Rarity sighed and remembered herself crying just a little earlier. She chuckled to herself and heard her little sister ask, “What’s so funny?” “Oh, nothing… Just a funny memory, is all…” Rarity replied and her smile quickly turned into a frown. She patted Sweetie’s back, giving her the signal to stop hugging. “Now, Sweetie… What I’m going to do is call mother and father first thing in the morning and you unpack.” Rarity said as Sweetie Belle stands up. “You can go to sleep for now, we’ll discuss all of this tomorrow, alright?” “Mmh-hm!” Sweetie kissed Rarity’s cheek and made her way to the door. She stopped and looked back to her sister who was about to get ready for bed herself. “I love you, Rarity…” Sweetie Belle said sweetly, but got a different reaction from her big sis. “I-I love you, too, Sweetie… O-off to bed, now..” Rarity stuttered, trying to avoid her sister’s gaze. Once she heard her door creak to a close, she gave out a heavy sigh. “Celestian damnit…” Rarity said under her breath. “Why the hell do I have to suffer like this and feel like a total idiot…” She said to no one in particular and started to feel the familiar wetness in the corner of her eyes. Rarity stopped herself and stomped her way into the washroom, taking a nice, long, hot bath before fully retiring. "Twi, I'm leaving!" Spike shouted to the mare in the kitchen, still finishing her dinner. Spike was about to turn the door knob when magic took control of his claws. He looked behind his shoulder, seeing Twilight walk towards him. "You've said that for 3 days now... Where are you going and what are you doing?" Twilight asked, releasing Spike's claws and crossing her arms, waiting for an answer. "I take a walk at the park near us, clear my mind..." Spike said quietly, making Twilight raise an eyebrow. "If you do take walks, it takes you two hours to come home?" She said, making Spike feel uneasy. "Seriously, last I checked, it only takes about fifteen minutes to get here from the park near us." "Well, I walk really slow..." Spike said with slight cockiness in the tone of his voice. "Spike, you're a dragon, not a sloth... Or Rainbow Dash when she's really tired... You can easily beat me home when we go to Sweet Apple Acres..." Twilight reminded the teen, earning a sigh. "Can I just go for tonight? I promise I'll be home real soon." Spike said as he starts to do his puppy dog eyes. Twilight could not stand seeing her number one assistant sad, but the puppy dog eyes were worse. She tried to avoid them by looking at the bookshelves that surround them, but now she hears whimpering. She looks back at Spike, seeing a dragon who is now on his knees, begging like a poor man. Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes while opening the front door with her magic. "Go before I change my mind..." Twilight mumbled. She looked to Spike, who was still begging. "Go!" "Haha, alright!" Spike laughed, standing up and giving Twilight a quick hug before going outside and making his way to the park. "Be back at midnight!" Twilight yelled out to him, earning a smile and a nod. Once Twilight closed the door, he changed his route. He wasn't going to the park near the library. He was going to the Ponyville bar, and he practically rushed there. Spike took a moment to catch his breath when he reached to front of the building. He greeted the bodyguard beside the front doors and walked in. He breathed in, smelling the aroma of alcohol and cigars. It was a quiet night tonight, the classy songs coming from the piano completed the atmosphere. Spike made his way towards to counter in his usual spot from the las three nights. He asked the bartender for two shots of vodka, something that he starts the night with. He was given two shot classes filled with the liquor a few minutes later and grabbed hold of one while thanking the bartender. He chugged it down, letting the liquid go down his throat and ignoring the burning feeling in his stomach. Spike knows that he should not be drinking, but he's of age here in Ponyville for some reason so he thought of taking advantage of it when he's in need of one. He grabbed the second shot glass, but before he could chug it down, a mare sat beside him, ordering red wine. He suddenly remembered Rarity serving some red wine at a few of Pinkie's parties and said it was was her signature liquor. He shook his head to clear his thoughts of Rarity, which had been very hard ever since he first came to the bar and having a few drinks. "Hey, aren't you Spike?" The mare asked, making him look at her. When Spike laid eyes on her, he couldn't help but be reminded of the mare he's been trying to erase from his mind. She was like a spitting image of her! She had a darker violet mane than Rarity, as well as her fur being just a few shades away from Rarity's. Spike couldn't believe what he was seeing, even her eyes were azure! 'Who is this mare?' Spike wondered, as she chuckles. "I'm guessing you are Spike... You know it's rude to stare at a lady..." She said, as Spike adjusts himself. "Uh... Sorry, miss...?" "Clarity." She said, smiling and holding her hand out, expecting a handshake. Spike hesitated to shake her hand, but did so anyway while slightly blushing at the touch. "Nice to meet you, miss Clarity." Spike greeted confidently and smiled widely, earning one from her. "So, what's a fine mare like yourself doing here?" Spike asked, trying to communicate with the odd and uncanny mare. "Well, I usually come here often, but took a break for a month or something along those lines... Yes..." Clarity explained, taking a sip from her glass of wine while Spike continues to stare at her, wondering how she's so similar to Rarity but still listened to Clarity's explanation. Spike cleared his throat, "Oh? And why come tonight?" Clarity set the glass down and smirked. She looked directly at Spike, causing him to turn red at her face. "Just looking for a little fun..." Clarity whispered loud enough for only Spike, and possibly the bartender, to hear. Spike swallowed the unexpected lump in his throat and tried to look away, but didn't. She giggled, continuing her expression, noticing the teen's reaction. "Did you come here for the same reason, Spike?" She asked, changing the subject, catching Spike's attention and quickly shook his head. "I, uh... I'm here because I've been trying to clear my mind about something problematic lately." He said, fiddling with the empty shot glass with his claws. There was suddenly a hand on top of his claws, making him look at the source. Clarity was uncomfortably close to him, a worried look on her face. "Oh, Spike... Do tell me about it... I'm sure I can resolve it!" She promised, causing Spike to sigh and took his hand away from her's. "It's been three days, and I've been keeping those thoughts to myself... How's somebody going to resolve it when I've been trying to solve it myself for three days?" Spike complained, taking hold of his second shot glass and chugs it. He sighed, "I mean, if I can think about it for long enough, I can resolve it on my own!" "But having someone there for you can help the process go faster!" Clarity said, cupping Spike's cheeks and turned it to face her's. He stared at Clarity's ocean blue eyes, reminding him of Rarity. "Please, Spike... I don't want you to be pained by yourself. I want to share your pain..." Clarity whispered once again, but this time, only Spike heard it. He sighed and closed his eyes. Clarity released her grip and let Spike take in everything that just happened. "Hey, bartender!" Spike called, raising a claw at him. "Give me another couple shots... I have a feeling that I'm going to be here for longer than two hours." Twilight turned the page and read the contents in her head as silence continued to surround her. It was quickly broken by hoofsteps downstairs, making Twilight subconsciously blast her horn with magic. She slowly looked up from her book and got off her bed, trying not to make an echo to the sound downstairs. The steps suddenly stopped, halting Twilight in her tracks who was halfway to the bottom of the stairs. Once the steps continued, Twilight descended and reached the bottom, seeing a shadow of not a pony, but... "Spike?" Twilight called, making the shadow stop and look back. Twilight adjusted herself to see Spike descending the stairs to the basement. "Hi, Twi! What'cha doing, still up?" Spike laughed nervously, facing an angry Twilight. "W-what is it?" "It is 4 o'clock in the morning... And that's what you look like," Twilight paused, massaging her temples. "You ask me 'what'?" "What's wrong with me?" Spike looks down and sees his buttoned up shirt opened at the top and his belt undone as well as one sock missing from his foot, angering Spike; it was one of his favorite pairs, too. "Spike, what in Celestia's name did you do?!" Twilight practically yelled, catching Spike's attention. He could already feel the sweat from above his brow as he tried to explain, "T-this isn't what it looks like, Twi!" "Not what it looks like?! What do you want it to look like, huh, Spike?" Twilight asked sternly, crossing her arms. "Uh, I was just..." Spike stuttered, angering Twilight even more. "Don't make excuses, cause in this situation, there is no excuse." Twilight said, making Spike lower his head. He raised it and walked towards Twilight, looking straight into her eyes. "Can't you at least hear me out, Twi?" He asked as Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. "Look, I just had a couple of drinks and I met this mare there..." "Are you sure I'm hearing you out, Spike? Cause this is exactly what I was thinking you did, so you don't have to explain it to me." Twilight interrupted, putting a hand on her hip. "Well, it was different after I got drunk," Spike said, crossing his arms as he continues. "Her name was Clarity and she had an uncanny similarity to Rarity. I told her my problem and she helped... I don't know how, but I somewhat feel a little bit better now." Spike explained, earning an eyebrow raise from Twilight. "N-not like that! I don't think she did... Um, t-that's not important! The point is, I'm home, I'm safe and all is good..." Twilight sighed, "Spike, you are missing the actual point here. You came home at 4 o'clock in the morning from the bar and met a mare while you were getting drunk there. You really sure I heard your story properly?" "I wasn't going to drink a lot tonight, I was just there to clear my mind... There was just a little bit of a distraction that got into my way while I was doing so." Spike said, rubbing the nape of his neck. "Well, you obviously weren't responsible enough to realize what was going to happen to you..." Twilight sighed disappointedly, going back upstairs. "Wh-where are you going?" Spike quickly asked, reaching his hand out as if to stop her from leaving. "Going back to bed, what do you think? I'm done... Alright? Done." Twilight said, not even bothering to stop or look over her shoulder. Spike cursed under his breath and kicked the shelf near him, making him curse again. He sighed and shut his eyes for a few seconds as if holding back tears. When Spike opened them back up, he yawned and looked at the clock. "4:36, huh?" He whispered to himself and went down to the basement, going straight to his bed. He got comfortable before recalling what happened at the bar tonight. He closed his eyes and hugged a pillow, burying his nose into it. Then, silence filled the library once again until morning.