Spike walked along with a spring in his step along side the various Ponyville shops. He observed closely as he passed the general goods store, the florist stand, and the quill and sofa shop. How the last one remained in business, Spike would never understand. Many of the windows and lamp posts had fliers taped to them with Pinkie Pie’s trademark streamers and confetti dangling from them. The fliers described the date, time, and place of Twilight’s ‘Book Bash’ to raise money and books for the new library. The shopping district opened up towards his destination in the center of the street: Rarity’s carousel boutique.
He cleared his throat and continued his trot towards Rarity’s house. The overcast sky allowed just enough sunlight though to shine brightly off of the windows. Spike stepped forward and, noticing the ‘Open’ sign on the door, helped himself inside. The bell above the door clanged lightly announcing his arrival. He looked around the showroom floor and noticed Rarity at one corner guiding a tall and stout stallion from one manikin to another. She noticed Spike, but did not welcome him in.
“Are you sure these are the best there are?” the stallion asked in a smooth and thoroughly refined voice.
“Of course, sir. I needed to order the fabric for this piece from Saddle Arabia, and it took nearly a year for it to arrive,” she reassured the customer, who wandered from one display to the other without much thought. Rarity looked back at Spike and waved a hoof while her customer was looking away. She silently mouthed the word ‘Sorry’ and gave him a worried look. Spike smiled and waved her off, gesturing for her to get back to her customer. She smiled back and followed the colt to another display.
“I’m not so sure about this suit. It looks far too traditional and bland.”
“Oh, well yes I suppose. *Ahem*. Why don’t you look these over? This suit is much more bold and will surely draw the attention of anypony and everypony,” she said enthusiastically. Spike could tell the colt’s words really stung poor Rarity, and he thought about how to help her the best. He looked the colt up and down from the back, noticing a masquerade cutie mark. He could have been an actor from outside Ponyville. He was obviously important, which is why Rarity was being so understanding and patient with him. An idea struck him, and he walked over towards the two of them.
“I think I saw this exact coat in Manehattan last week! Are you sure these are not department store stock?” the colt boasted.
“Please, sir. I’m sure you’ll find these are made with quality and detail,” Rarity said, nearly begging.
“Well I’m not so sure . . .” he started.
“Excuse me, miss?” Spike interrupted and politely smiled at Rarity. “I am here on behalf of Fancy Pants from Canterlot. I’m his personal assistant here to pay for his custom order,” he said and gave her a quick wink. She stuttered for a moment, before looking back to the colt who had not missed Spike’s name-drop and looked at the two of them with great intrigue.
“Ah, yes of course. Please excuse me for a moment, sir. Feel free to look at more suits if you’d like. As for you sir, If you’ll follow me,” she said and led Spike towards the register desk where her order book was kept. She stood next to the table and faced Spike with a polite smile. The colt meandered a few feet away from them, pretending to look over some more displays while listening closely to their conversation. Spike fished out his checkbook that he brought with him and placed it on the table.
“Same figure as last time, correct?” Spike asked her, fighting a slight smile.
“Of course. Was he pleased with the order?” She asked, and carefully winked back at him.
“He said he could not be more amazed with your work. He liked it so much, he’s wearing it to the Grand Galloping Gala this year,” Spike said loud enough for the now-sheepish customer to hear. “I’m not surprised. After all, you design for royalty,” he said and scribbled an extremely large figure on a check, before tearing it out of his book and handing it to Rarity. Spike could hear the stallion muffle a gasp from behind him.
“Thank you, sir. Tell him that he’s far too kind and that I look forward to designing for him again,” she said and sweetly looked at him with nothing but gratitude in her gaze.
“I will, madam. Do you mind if I look around a little? I’d like to browse for a little something for myself,” he said and gestured back towards the eavesdropping customer.
“Certainly. Take as much time as you’d like,” she said and walked back towards the stallion who turned towards the suit he referred to as ‘bland’ a minute before.
“I’m sorry if I don’t carry anything to your liking, but if you’d like to be put on the waiting list for custom orders, I’d be happy to tailor something more specific for you,” she offered generously. The colt babbled for a moment and gestured back to the display in front of him.
“No, that’s quite alright. I was looking over this one again, and I was thinking that a traditional style might suit me quite well. I can see that it is made from the rarest material from a quality seamstress. How much for the entire suit?” he asked and sternly stomped his hoof down on the floor as if demanding something.
“For the entire piece? This one is 1,200 bits, sir,” she said a little surprised.
“I’ll take it!” he said and turned towards the register desk, passing by Spike with a bombastic stride and making a great show of his expensive purchase. Rarity was quickly removing the various parts of the suit from the manikin and neatly folding them into a box with her magic. Once she had collected everything and tied it all up in a satin bow, she floated it over towards the checkout desk and politely smiled at her customer.
“Will that be all today?” She asked with a satisfied tone.
“Yes, but I cannot guarantee I won’t be back. Don’t worry about the measurements, I’ll have my tailor in Baltimare alter them for me. Thank you very much, miss Rarity,” he said and with that, he ripped off a check out of his book and left it on the table for her.
“You’re very welcome. Have a good day,” she said and waved her customer off, watching him walk out the door with another clang of the bell and striding off down the street with a box of very expensive clothes on his back. Once she was satisfied that the stallion was far enough away and out of any possible earshot, she picked up Spike’s enormous check and walked over to him quietly.
“Eight thousand bits, Spike? What would happen if I went to cash this check?” she asked with a smug smile on her face. Spike shrugged at her in response.
“Ehh, I think the bank teller would laugh at you.”
The two of them erupted into laughter and Rarity sat down beside him trying her best to hold her composure. The check was waving back in forth, encompassed in blue magic, as they continued to laugh at their little game. She smiled widely and threw two hooves around his shoulders and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you so much, Spike. I never knew you could pull off a scam like that,” she said and let him go. He smiled back at her and waved a claw back and forth.
“That was no scam, Rarity. That guy paid a fair price for an awesome suit that was worth every penny. He was just too dirt-brained to see how much you’re stuff is really worth,” he countered.
“Still, that was quite a little fib there ‘Mr. Fancy Pant’s assistant’. I’d say you earned yourself a sale commission for that. What can I help you with?” she asked and politely hooved over the check back to Spike. Spike took it in his claw, heaved a breath through his nose, and lit a green blaze above him, turning the check into a black pile of ash and vapor. He looked back at Rarity and cleared his throat again.
“Rarity, you know how tomorrow is the book drive?” he said very clearly.
“Mm-hmm” she happily nodded.
“Well, me and Twilight are going out afterwards. To dinner, on a date?” he said shyly. Rarity gasped and her eyes went wide.
“Oh goodness that is so exciting! Your first date out in public, yes? Do tell me where you are going!” she said and ran in place a little in excitement.
“I got us a reservation tomorrow night at Arty Heart’s,” he said and bashfully rubbed his scales.
“What? How in Equestria did you get a reservation there? I just tried yesterday to get a reservation for the same night and they told me they were booked!” she said in an ‘it’s not fair’ tone.
“I helped Applejack catch a cabbage thief and she set it up for me in return. Apparently she knows Artichoke Heart through the business,” he replied.
“Really? Dash it all Applejack! She never told me anything of the sort,” she said and stomped a hoof lightly. “What a perfect place for your first date, Spike. It’ll be so romantic! But what can I do to help?” she asked sincerely.
“Well, I was hoping you could help me look my best for it?” he asked bashfully. “Nothing too fancy like a tuxedo, but maybe I can wear a white shirt with a tie or something?” Rarity smiled at her scaled friend.
“Of course I can help you Spike. Free of charge, after that sale you helped me win so put away that checkbook. I think a dress shirt and a brilliant green tie would suit you perfectly. I’ll throw in some cuff links for you as well. But I’ll need a little help if I’m going to sew this all for tomorrow. Would you mind being my assistant for a short while? I do not exactly have any dragon sized manikins to work on,” she said glancing over at the blank pony bodies that lined her windows.
“Sure! It’s been forever since I’ve helped out around here, huh?” he said with a laugh.
“I suppose it has,” she said simply and led them both upstairs to her inspiration room. Spike looked around at the fabrics on the walls and floor. The place was always such a mess, but Rarity preferred it that way. He recalled how he would frequently visit back when he was still baby-sized, trying to win over her affection by doing favors. But that was some time ago.
She stood him on a platform facing 3 mirrors that surrounded him. He watched as she pulled a rich white fabric out of her drawer and pulled a few tools out as well. She measured him at his shoulders, forearms, chest, and back, all the while commenting on how he’s gotten so big and grown up. He smiled and offered the back of his hand to use as a pincushion. Over the next hour or so, she draped the fabric over his back, cutting pieces here and there, and held it all together with pins she pulled from his scales. After some amount of stitching and examining her work, Spike’s chest was draped with something that vaguely resembled a shirt. It stretched back towards his mid-section where it was tied neatly in a leather belt.
“I’d say that’s enough. Thank you for helping, Spike. I’ll finish the rest before tomorrow and I’ll bring it to you at the book drive. How does that sound?” she offered and removed the pins from his scales.
“Sounds great. Thank you so much Rarity! I hope Twilight likes it,” he said looking at himself in the mirror.
“You’ll look positively dashing, dear Spike,” she reassured him and began removing the shirt from his back with her magic.
“You think so?” he asked and shuffled off the sleeves.
“Oh yes. By all accounts you will be the most handsome gentlecolt there, despite being a dragon of course. I do love how tall you’ve gotten. I’ll be sure to write down your measurements in case you ever want me to make you a suit,” she complimented and tucked the fabric onto her desk. She heard Spike smirk from behind her, and looked at him puzzled.
“What is so funny?” she asked him.
“It’s nothing,” he said with a bright smile on his face.
“Spike, it is quite rude to keep secrets from a lady who is doing you a favor,” she scolded.
“Really, I was just thinking about something funny. Don’t worry about it,” he said and waved her off. She did not like being denied her curiosity and scowled at Spike. Her glare set Spike back a few steps and told him to cough up whatever he was keeping from her. He cleared his throat and sighed.
“I was just thinking of how, maybe a year ago, I would have been over the moon to hear you say that about me,” he said softly. Rarity immediately regretted pushing the issue and blushed as she looked away.
“Oh, right. I see,” she said nervously.
“Don’t get me wrong. It’s so great to hear that now. But the smaller dragon I used to be would not be able to contain himself,” he said and saw her quietly shuffle back to her desk where she stitched a few threads through the shirt as if ignoring him. Spike sighed again and approached his friend carefully.
“Rarity?” he asked.
“Hmm?”
“Did you know? I mean, all that time ago, did you know about how I felt about you?” he asked and looked at her with a comforting smile. She looked back at him with a frown and bit her lip. A silence hung in the air and Rarity put down her needle and thread. She faced him and took a breath before looking him dead in the eye and speaking softly to him.
“That you had a crush on me, yes Spike I knew,” she confessed. He smiled again and dropped his head in exhaustion.
“Figures,” he said. “Everypony else knew too, right?”
“But I never meant to hurt you, Spike!” she said and threw her hoof up.
“Rarity, it’s ok,” he started, but she did not seem to hear.
“I mean, you were only a child, and it would have been terrible to break your little heart like that,” she defended herself.
“Rarity.”
“I’m sorry, alright Spike? I was being a terrible friend and I understand if you hate me.”
“Rarity!” Spike bellowed. She froze and looked back at him with wide eyes, half expecting to get eaten. “I’m not angry, okay? I do not hate you, I do not think you’re a terrible friend, and my heart is not broken. It never was, actually.”
“Really?” Rarity said a little surprised. “Well, if you don’t mind me asking, what happened then?”
“I guess . . . I don’t really know. I started crushing on you the minute I saw you, so everything I learned about you after that could only be the most amazing thing in the world to me. When I was in Canterlot, I spent time studying and thinking about the important things that make us who we are. One day, I realized that I was not seeing you. I just saw what I wanted to see, and I pretended that every part of our lives meshed together perfectly.”
Rarity put a hoof to her mouth and regarded the dragon with sad but thankful eyes. She wanted to speak up again, but she held her tongue to let Spike say everything he needed to.
“The truth is, we just don’t work. I have no interest in glamour and high society and you have no interest in living a quiet modest life here in Ponyville,” Spike said.
“Look who is talking, Spike. You’re living in a castle, and I’ve hardly ever left Ponyville,” she retorted, to which Spike laughed.
“Touché. But the point is that we both want different lives and we really never fit together the way I once hoped. It wasn’t an easy thing to realize, but that is what got me thinking about the person I want to be, and the person I want to be with. I started falling for Twilight soon after, so I guess I should thank you,” he said and smiled at her. Finally, Rarity smiled back at him and shook her head.
“Don’t be silly, Spike. You are quite the gentledrake now and I’m proud of how mature you are about the whole thing. I’m glad you and I can still be good friends,” she said and walked towards him. He nodded and leaned over to give her a warm hug. She wrapped a hoof around his shoulder gently before letting him go and smiling at him.
“Thanks, Rarity. I’m glad I can still lend a claw to help out. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” he offered.
“Yes. I’ll see you at the book drive and I’ll bring your clothes with me. I shall see you then,” she said and walked him down the stairs again to the main show room. He gladly followed and bid her goodbye again at the door. The bell rang as the door swung open and closed as he left, and Rarity happily sighed as she wandered back up the stairs to work on Spike’s shirt.
“What a wise dragon,” she wondered aloud as she began sewing stitches into the shoulder of his shirt. It was true that she had always considered Spike to be a helpful and kind friend. Now that he was grown, she was proud to see how much he had remained the same adoring dragon she had always known him to be. He was absolutely right, as well. She had no intention of staying in Ponyville forever, and Spike would not be himself if he was swept away into that kind of world. She needed somepony who could climb the world with her, not for her. Twilight was lucky to find someone she could be herself with.
Just then, another ring from the bell came from downstairs. She placed the thread back on the desk and called out towards the stairs.
“I’ll be right down!” she hollered and took a moment to fix her mane in the mirror. She trotted down the stairs and pre-emptively greeted her new customer.
“What can I help you with today?” she offered, then she saw who it was at the door.
“Hi Rarity.”
“Twilight? Why hello! What brings you by?” she asked her royal friend.
“Umm,” she pondered aloud and drew little circles in the carpet with her hoof. She blushed and looked up at Rarity much like Fluttershy might. “I have a date tomorrow with Spike, and I was hoping you could help me with a dress?”
Rarity blinked, then laughed aloud at the request. She was sure going to give Spike something in return after all.
“What’s funny?” Twilight asked a little confused.
“Nothing, Twilight. Of course, my dear, we’ll get you dressed in something fabulous. I promise his heart will melt when he sees you.”
“Thank you, Rarity, but nothing too fancy okay? I don’t want to over do it at a simple dinner,” she clarified.
“Of course. After all, it’s only Arty Heart’s, not the Gala,” she said with a smile.
“Exactly, so . . . wait, how did you know where we were going?” she asked. Rarity smiled and guided her friend up the stairs towards her inspiration room.
“Oh, I have my sources.”