It had been interesting, those short few minutes with Ditzy; Ever since having spoken to her, that nagging pain in my head had suppressed slightly, as though despite not knowing what to do about it, she'd somehow made it better. I kept thinking about what she said regarding not seeing my friends as potential romantic partners. It was easier said than done. As a dragon, I'd grown up around ponies, it only made sense that I would share a pony's sense of beauty. And to me, every one of my friends was beautiful in their own way.
As if some higher power beyond mortal comprehension was out to get me, I spotted Rarity in the market district of town. Not an uncommon occurrence, but unfortunate all the same. She spotted me just as I considered sneaking away. She waved me over and I was drawn in.
"Spike, darling! I haven't seen you in a few weeks." she said, greeting me with a warm embrace. Without thinking, I returned the hug and dared to kiss her cheek, a gesture she did not fail to notice. "My my, how bold of you, Spike. What brought that on?" she asked with neither negativity nor discomfort. If anything she seemed to be playing with the notion that I kissed her. I decided to play along.
"Forgive me, my lady. I have had a rather bad week as of late; I thought I would be selfish and steal a kiss from a diamond in the rough." I replied. As expected, Rarity placed a hoof over her mouth and giggled, just like a true lady. She then placed that same hoof into my hand.
"You're too kind, Sir. I'm sorry to hear you've had a bad week though. Is there anything I can do?" she offered. I squeezed her hoof gently.
"I don't believe so; unless you know anything about Polar Headaches." I said.
I could tell right away that Rarity was stumped. "Polar Headaches?" she enquired. I explained to her the nature of the headache, how it moved around in my head, like the needle of a compass, pointing in a certain direction. As expected, Rarity was unable to help. It came as no surprise. If Twilight couldn't identify it, Rarity had no hope. In terms of knowledge, Rarity and Twilight were polar opposites. Where Twilight specialised in the theoretical and general knowledge, Rarity was a more social oriented pony. Her network of knowledge consisted of her social interactions with customers, friends and the gossip from Aloe and Lotus.
"Ah, there's an idea," I said, gaining Rarity's full attention. "Perhaps it's stress related. Rarity, would you be interested in accompanying me for a trip to the spa?" I asked. Rarity gasped and placed her hoof over her heart.
"Oh, Spikey. You know just what to say to a girl." she replied. As I smiled and walked with her to the spa, I couldn't help but think to myself: Fat load of good that's done me though.
Truthfully, I didn't expect a spa treatment to fix my headache, though it did alleviate what stress had built up over the years. As expected, Rarity enjoyed herself. And I'd managed to surprise her by paying for the both of us. In the past the cost of a single spa treatment would have been a kick in the balls, but since Twilight had become a Princess, my role had changed, earning me an income the likes of which would make a Noble cry with envy. I was close to rich, without the ego that went with it.
I'd dropped Rarity off at her boutique/home and bid her a goodnight. My reward was her stealing back that kiss from earlier. I wanted to feel as though I could fly through space, but my earlier conversation with Ditzy prevented me from gaining such elation. So I simply smiled in gratitude for the gesture and left without another word.
As I made my way back from the boutique to the castle, I spotted a familiar blonde mare sitting on the edge of the town's fountain, looking up at the sky. Deciding I had some time left before Twilight would start worrying, I approached her.
"Counting Luna's stars, Ditzy?" I asked, taking a seat beside her. She jumped with a start before realising it was me.
"Seven hundred and forty-two as far as the eye can see." she replied. I was speechless; not a single pony would ever be able to keep track of the stars they'd already counted, yet somehow, Ditzy had.
"I guess that ocular defect has its perks, huh?" I asked. Ditzy just chuckled and leaned into me. Something didn't seem right with her. She seemed sad about something. My mind got the better of me and I immediately thought that something might have happened to Dinky, either physically, or emotionally. "Is everything alright?" I asked.
Ditzy looked up towards me and smiled, trying to hide the sadness. "I had a date tonight, but he blew me off. Turns out he'd lost a bet." Immediately, I placed my arm around her. "It isn't the first time it's happened. But what really upsets me is that my heart wasn't even really in it. My faith in romance is gone. Really, I just hunt for father-figures for Dinky." she said. It was difficult imagining a romantically impotent Ditzy. She was by her very nature, a bubbly mare with so much more to offer than anypony could ever know. Being one of her best friends, I could see what the others couldn't.
It broke my heart to know that nopony could love her without first bothering to get to know her. But a society of love and tolerance simply couldn't tolerate an accident-prone single mother. "No matter what anypony says about you, I'll know the truth about who you really are. A lovely, lovely refrain from the difficulties of the world. What you've just told me just proves that you're the strongest pony I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Anypony else would be curled up in a ball, crying their eyes out. Just goes to show what an amazing pony my best friend is."
As I spoke, Ditzy's eyes began to water, and her smile was trembling with pure joy. She gripped my arm tightly and pulled herself up towards me. I knew what was coming, and I didn't want to stop it. I met her halfway and I felt her lips again for the third time that day, but unlike before, it wasn't a friendly mock-romantic kiss. This time, Ditzy was showing true affection, appreciation and wanting. The almost electric sensation that tickled my mouth as she pressed her lips against mine made me want to do more, but I knew better than to act so quickly. For now, I was perfectly content with just holding her closely and kissing her.
I'd known for a while that I would choose Ditzy over the others, but it all boiled down to choice. I knew which pony I wanted to give my heart to, but hesitation born from the qualities the others possessed led my heart astray. It was a metaphorical tug of war that only the strongest pony would be able to win. And Ditzy showed me now, that she was the strongest, but ultimately desired somepony she could depend on. After all, strength is not infinite. She would have broken down eventually, but I would be damned if I was going to let that happen.
"You... are an angel, Spike. You came down from Canterlot and into my life. You took the time to get to know me, being nothing but kind and caring, Dinky finally found a friend in you... I told you earlier that if you kept on flattering me, I really would fall for you. But the truth is; I fell for you a long time ago." I'd read moments like these in romance novels. The moment when the two potential lovers bear their hearts to each other and see what page they're on. It was the make or break moment. And it was time I started making something with my life.
"Let's go out on a date tomorrow." I said, brushing a bit of her mane out of her face. She looked me in the eyes and I could have sworn she saw the same love she was projecting onto me.
She sniffled and wiped her eyes dry. "I can't tomorrow. Would the night after be alright?" she asked. I smiled and leaned in to kiss her again.
"The day after tomorrow it is then. I'll pick you up at six." I replied. Ditzy wrapped me up in a hug and gave me one last kiss before taking to the skies.
"I can barely wait." she said before flying off.
I watched as she flew off, the way she moved giving away the excitement she was no doubt trying to contain. "Nor I." I said. After she was gone, I looked up into the sky and counted the stars. "Yep, seven hundred and forty-two." I said, moving on to Twilight's castle.
As I opened the doors to the castle, I spotted the girls, all in their respective thrones, even Rarity. It would have been impossible for her to not notice Ditzy and I talking on her way here. And I'd find it hard to believe she wouldn't take the chance to try and help love bloom between us.
"Hi, girls... what brings you here at such a late hour?" I asked.
"Twilight." Applejack replied, as if that were an answer in itself. In a way, it was.
"And why has Twilight summoned everypony?" I asked, addressing the mare in third-person.
Twilight shifted in her seat and cleared her throat. "I realise the timing is terrible, but it's an emergency." she said before revealing a letter in a bright flash of light. The letter had the seal of the Royal Pony Sisters; a seal that Celestia would not use on a letter to Twilight unless it was of international importance. "Princess Celestia has ordered us all to Canterlot tomorrow to attend a meeting with the Dragon Empress. She's requested our aid."
"Wait, the Princess or the Empress?" Pinkie asked.
"The Empress. Whatever this meeting's about, its got the dragons pretty scared. Princess Celestia has asked that Spike be there as well." Twilight replied. "We leave first thing in the morning."
"I must say, darling. This is all very sudden. I understand that the Princess has asked us to come, but it leaves us next to no time to organize foalsitters. Maybe Ditzy will look after Sweetie Belle while we're gone." she said.
"No, Ditzy's busy tomorrow." I replied. Rarity looked at me with confusion painted on her face.
"How do you know that, Spike?" she asked.
"I spoke with her just after I dropped you off from the spa. I recommend leaving Sweetie Belle with Apple Bloom while you're away. She'll wind up there anyway, no matter who you leave her with." I said, taking my seat beside Twilight. A nifty little perk that the thrones had was that they grew with their user. When it was first erected, it was a tiny little seat, but now it occupied most of the space between Twilight's and Rainbow's.
Twilight paused for a moment as she tried to process what I'd said. "You were talking to Ditzy? What about?" she asked. I wasn't about to tell them that Ditzy got stood up by some colt who only asked her out as punishment for losing a bet. Thinking about that stupid bastard, even though I didn't know anything about him, just pissed me off. He'd hurt my Ditzy. But I suppose she wouldn't be mine if he hadn't.
Without realizing it, I'd gripped the arm of my throne in anger, thinking about that colt. Cracks were beginning to form in the crystal. This unwittingly worried the girls. I sighed and released my death grip on the throne. "If you must know, we have a date the day after tomorrow." I said, earning surprised exclamations from them all.
"Seriously?! You and Ditzy?" asked Rainbow. I turned to the chromatic pegasus and gave her a warning glare, which she took immediately as a sign to choose her next words carefully. "I mean... isn't she a little... clumsy for you?" she asked.
"She has an ocular defect which makes her nearsighted. If you took the time to get to know her, you'd know she has a diploma in Psychology from Oxford University.
"Seriously? She's actually smart?" Twilight asked. I sighed at their surprise at this knowledge. They didn't realize it, but this was my marefriend they were inadvertently insulting. I decided to screw with them.
I pointed to each pony in a clockwise order, starting from Twilight, then Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie and finally Rainbow. "Atychiphobia, Soteriophobia, Mysophobia, Pantophobia, Angrophobia and Apotemnophobia. For those playing the home game, these are a fear of failure, a fear of dependence, fear of dirt and/or germs, fear of everything, fear of anger and fear of being disabled." I said, pointing to each mare again as I explained the meaning behind those phobias. "Ditzy was able to correctly diagnose each of you on the day she met you. And don't try and deny those phobias, especially you, Twilight. Need I remind you of Lesson Zero?" I asked.
Each mare was dead silent as they tried to process what had just happened. I got up from my throne and made my way towards the back. "See you all in the morning." I called back before entering my room and closing the door behind me.