//------------------------------// // III // Story: Twilights Journey: Escape Equestria // by Merotik //------------------------------// Spike had just arrived at the Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door four times. From inside he could hear items crashing and the stomping of running hoofs. He could also hear Rarity and Sweetie Bell shouting. "I told you to stay away from Tom! Now go to your room!" shouted Rarity. "Its just a stupid rock!" shouted Sweetie Bell. "Tom is not a rock! He is the most beautiful diamond I have ever seen in all my life! His huge size and sparkling beauty is far beyond any other diamond to ever exist! He's a beautiful diamond and he's MINE!!!" shouted Rarity. "Big beautiful diamond? More like a giant dirty boulder!" shouted Sweetie Bell. Rarity gasped, "you take that back!" "Make me!" shouted Sweetie Bell. "You go to your room right now until you learn to treat Tom with the respect he deserves!" Rarity shouted. "You can't tell me what to do! I'll go to my room because I feel like it, not because you told me to!" shouted Sweetie Bell. "Fine! Then just leave!" Rarity shouted. "I'm going!" shouted Sweetie Bell. "Good!" shouted Rarity "I hate you!" "I hate you more!" "I hate you the most!" 'Sheesh, and I thought my argument with Twilight was bad' Spike thought to himself. He knocked on the door again. He only had the chance to knock once before Rarity threw the door open. "CANT YOU READ THE SIGN!!! WERE CLOSED!!!" Rarity roared. Rarity's mane was in a mess, and just like the rest of her fiends, her color had also faded. Her color however was worse then Twilights or Spikes. She had lost all color entirely and had changed to a light gray. Rarity looked down and saw Spike lying on his back. The force of Rarity's shout caused Spike to jump back and fall to the ground. "Oh, Spike! Its just you. Wait, what are you doing here? And where's Twilight? You two aren't planning on stealing Tom are you? Cause I won't let you steal Tom! He's mine! All mine! And no pony can have-" "Rarity shut up!" Spike shouted. Rarity froze, she had never heard Spike tell anypony to shut up before, especially not to her. It was then that she noticed that Spike's purple and green color had faded. "Spike, what happened to your color?" asked Rarity. Spike lifted himself to his feet and dusted the dirt off. "There's nothing wrong with my color, and I didn't come to steal Tom. I don't even know who Tom is". "Oh really? You don't know Tom? Didn't you see the diamond I had earlier at the library?" asked Rarity. "The big rock you were carrying? That's Tom?" asked Spike. "He is not a rock he is a diamond! A big beautiful diamond!" Rarity shouted, taking a step towards Spike. "Okay! Okay! He's a diamond! Jeez!" Spike closed his eyes and pinched the end of his nose, sighing. "Look, I need your help". "My help? Why would I want to help YOU? I am too busy attending to Tom" said Rarity. "What could you possibly be doing for that giant ro- er, diamond?" asked Spike. "Well a diamond as big as this one needs to be properly maintained if it is to sustain its beauty! One does not simply muck around and let a diamond as big as this one collect dust you know" said Rarity. "Uh . . . sure. But I really do need your help! Twilights gone and I need a place to stay! And I was kind of hoping you would let me stay with you" said Spike. "Twilight left? Without you? Why would she have done that?" Rarity asked. Spike hung his head and held back on tears. "She said . . . she said she didn't need me anymore". Rarity clasped a hoof to her mouth, "my stars! She really said that? Oh Spike you must be devastated". Spike sniffed, "ya . . . something like that . . . so, will you help me?" Rarity walked closer to Spike and placed a hoof to his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. "Spike I would love to help . . . but no". Spike stared at Rarity with a surprised expression. "What?" "No, I can't possibly help you Spike. I just have SO much that needs to be done!" Said Rarity. "And when you say you have "SO much that needs to be done", you actually mean your going to take care of Tom? Aren't you?" said Spike, annoyed. "Precisely!" said Rarity. Spike sighed, "what if I help you take care of Tom, then will you let me stay with you?" Rarity looked as if Spike had just committed murder. "You! Touching my precious diamond! Celestia forbid the very thought! I won't have you touch your dirty little claws all over Tom! If you or anypony else so much as touches Tom, oh I swear you will regret it!" Spike looked at Rarity, deadpanned. 'Did I seriously have a crush on this mare?' Spike thought to himself. Once again, he sighed, "what if I help you with everything else besides Tom? I could clean your bathroom, wash your dishes, take care of the laundry, and everything else that you need taken care of". Rarity thought for a moment. "I guess so, but I still don't know if I should trust you-" "And with your house clean you won't have to worry about anything. That way you can spend more time with Tom" Spike interrupted. Rarity hadn't thought about that. "Oh you are absolutely right! With no chores I can spend as much time as I want with Tom! . . . Wait, what if your just trying to trick me (Spike face palmed)! Your probably planning to steal Tom while we're all sleeping! Aren't you!" 'Maybe I should have gone to Applejack. She's a liar, but at least she isn't crazy over some dumb old rock!' thought Spike. "If your really worried about me stealing Tom then why don't you have Tom sleep with you. That way I have no way of stealing him without waking you up first. Okay?" Spike asked through clenched teeth, becoming extremely annoyed by this point. "Hmmm, I suppose so. Toms a bit too big for the bed but I'm sure I can find a way to fix that. But wait, what if this is also a trick ('OH MY CELSTIA!!!' Spike mentally shouted)? I'll bet you have some sort of secret devious plan to steal my precious diamond! And I know just how your going to do it!" Rarity shouted. Spike wanted to head butt a wall from pure annoyance. "Oh really . . . and what exactly IS my plan?" "Don't pretend you don't know! I'll bet when everyponies asleep you'll sneak into my room and lock the door. Then while I'm distracted with brushing my teeth, you'll sneak behind me and knock me out with chloroform! Then with-" "How am I suppose to use chloroform while your brushing your teeth? Your toothbrush is in the way?" interrupted Spike. " . . . . Then while I'm distracted brushing my HAIR (Spike face palmed hard, leaving a mark)! You'll sneak behind me and knock me out with chloroform! Then with me unconscious you'll steal Tom and be on your merry way!" Rarity explained. Spike was seriously wondering why he had chosen to ask Rarity for help. "So . . . your saying that I'm going to knock you out . . . with chloroform . . . just to steal Tom". Rarity practically leapt into the air, "ah ha! You admit it! So you are going to steal Tom!" Spike's eyes bulged and his entire body shook. He was struggling to keep control of his temper. He needed to find a place to live and didn't want to ruin his chance by shouting at the only pony that could help him. Then again he could still go to Applejack. 'Why didn't I go to Applejack?' thought Spike. Spike placed his hand on Rarity's shoulder. "Rarity, I promise you, I will not steal Tom. You've known me for almost a year, do you really think I would take something that's so precious to you?" Rarity thought for a moment. "No I suppose not. I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you stay for a little . . . wait. Your trying to be nice to me just so I can let you stay with me! I'll bet! (Don't say it!) That this is! (DON'T SAY IT!) A! (DON'T YOU FREAKING DARE!!!) Trick!" Rarity shouted. ' . . . . AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!' Spike mentally screamed. Spike took hold of Rarity's cheeks and brought his face close to hers. "RARITY!!! I'M NOT GOING TO STEAL YOUR FREAKING DIAMOND!!! NOW WILL YOU PLEASE JUST LET ME STAY WITH YOU!!!" he shouted. Rarity pushed Spike back and dusted herself off. "Fine, I'll let you stay, but only if you promise to NEVER go near Tom. Understand?" Spike nodded and followed Rarity inside.