Spike knocked on the blue doors of Octavia's penthouse studio, a bouquet of roses in claw, a spark in his heart, and a master plan in his head.
Octavia answered around the third knock. "Good morning Spike, you're here early."
"I just couldn't wait to hear your lovely symphonies in action, Octavia." He held up the bouquet for her to smell. "And just a little something for your sake."
"Roses, the flower of passion," Octavia observed. "I see you're quite fervent in adding to the atmosphere of this practice."
"Uh, yeah, that's...what I was going for?" Spike said with a confused smile.
Octavia, knowing full well the symbolism was lost on the young drake, took the roses in one hoof and smiled. "They're lovely, Spike. I like them very much. Have a seat on my couch and get comfortable while I find a good vase for these and set up my equipment. I won't be more than a few minutes."
Spike scooted onto a plush throw pillow as he smiled at Octavia. "Take your time, Octavia."
The minute Octavia went over into another room, Spike jumped off the couch and made a mad scramble out the door. So far so good! Time to put my dragon speed to action!
Run, run, run, through the hallway.
Down, down, down the stairs.
Grab the extra bouquet he left in the lobby.
Run, run, run across the street.
Up, up, up the stairs.
Run, run, run to the door.
Stopping to catch his breath for just a moment, Spike reached up and knocked.
The lovely Rarity answer the door this time. "Oh, Spikey-wikey! Just in time! I was just about to get started!"
"'Tis my pleasure to be at your service Rarity," Spike knelt, holding the bouquet forward.
"Ohh, for me?" Rarity gave a playful turn of the head and a wave of the hoof. "You shouldn't have!"
She barely suppressed a giggle as she noted the slight increase in red tinge around Spike's sheepish face. "Well then, no need to stand in that hallway all day. Come in, come in! Make yourself at home." She levitated the bouquet and proceeded to the backroom. "Just give me a few moments to freshen up and fetch my designing glasses and we can begin!"
"No hurry here," Spike said. "You can't rush perfection."
Rarity smiled back at the little dragon and continued to walk out of earshot. The moment she was, Spike spun on his heels and headed back the way he came.
Run, run, run, through the hallway.
Down, down, down the stairs.
Run, run, run across the street.
Up, up, up the stairs.
Run, run, run into Octavia's apartment.
He managed to leap onto the couch just as Octavia walked right into the room with her cello and score stand balanced upon her back.
"Thank you for waiting Spike," she said as she set up in her usual practice corner. She gave a pluck of her strings. "Would you like to have a cookie while I tune up? I have double chocolate chip almond, your non-gem encrusted favorite."
"Really? Thanks!" Spike hopped off and headed straight for her kitchen. "No need to get up, I'll get it myself."
As the sound of overture commenced from the next room over, Spike opened the fire escape and jumped out.
Down, down, down the fire escape.
Run, run, run across the *HOOOOONK* 'HEY! Use the crosswalk, genius!'.
Up, up, up the stairs.
Run, run, run into Rarity's studio.
He skidded into the room, stopping just in time to avoid collision with several rolls of fabric. Rarity just reentered with her glasses on and her hair freshly curled.
"Wouldn't you know it? They're always in the last place I'd expect, on top of the washroom mirror." She levitated a ponyquin over and placed it center between her board and machines. "Again, let me say I am ever so grateful for your assistance today, Spikey. It would be so much more difficult to get all these outfits done before the end of the weekend without someone helping me like this."
"Well of course! What kind of dragon would I be if I didn't keep my promises?" Spike held his head up proudly.
"Fantastic. Now let's begin. Fetch me my shears and measuring tape while I warm up the sewing machine, will you? Second top shelf, three drawers to the left."
"No problem!" Spike wheeled over the ladder and began to climb the shelves of fabrics and tools.
Rarity, meanwhile delicately starting threading the machine with her spools. "I was thinking we could start with Octavia's dress-"
*CRASH*
Rarity turned abruptly to the sound of a suddenly stupefied dragon falling to the floor with scissors and tape in claw. "Oh, dearie me! Spike! Are you alright, darling?"
"Uh, uh, yeah! I'm okay! Just missed a rung coming down. Not as though a certain word caught me off guard or something. But it's alright, dragon toughness here!" He regained his composure by beating his chest with his free claw.
Rarity seemed a tad concerned, but dismissed it steadily. "Well, if you're sure, I wouldn't want someone as nice as you getting hurt on my account you know." She pulled several reams of different cloths out. "But anyways, I was thinking white to go with her gray, with layers of violet to do her frills. Of course that's just the main piece, detailing and stylization will come after the first part comes together."
She handed Spike a ream of violet cloth. "Here, measure this piece from end to end and mark up each three hooves length and then cut appropriately while I do the white. Let me know when you're done."
Nodding quickly, Spike carried the cloth away from Rarity's view. Then with unparalleled rush, he flung the whole thing flat out on the floor and slapped the tape on the edge just as fast.
3, 6, 9, 12!
No time to mark, he just cut where he saw the multiples lined up with a swift tearing motion, and then he was out the door.
Run, run, run, through the hallway.
Down, down, down the stairs.
Run, run, run across the street.
Up, up, up the fire esc-*CRASH* Ow! Who put that trash can there?
Climb, climb, climb into Octavia's kitchen.
He staggered back into the living room, and Octavia looked up with a curious eye.
"That was certainly a while, how many cookies did you have?"
"Oh, well, hard to say," Spike said with a shrug. "Your cookies are always the best. How can I stop at just one?"
"Anything worth experiencing is worth experiencing again," Octavia agreed. "So, what does the measuring tape have to do with it?"
"M-measuring tape?" Spike looked to his left claw and realized with dread he was still holding on to the tape. "Oh, uh, I...brought it with me in case you needed it, since you and Twilight are always talking about measures in music!"
Octavia remained stoic as Spike gave a nervous chuckle, but relief soon came to the little dragon as she relented a small giggle, a clear sign she bought his on the spot witticism.
"Very well, but one more thing before we start." She fished through her desk drawer and pulled out a strip of gauze, and then knelt down to wrap it around the scrap on his knee. "You really should be more careful when you're scampering about in somepony else's home.
Oh...must have gotten that when I hit that trash can, he thought to himself. Any further thoughts however, like how to explain it, flew from his mind when the mare kissed the applied bandage lightly for comfort. Fortunately, she didn't inquire further about it and simply carried Spike to the couch before taking up her fully tuned cello.
"Now then, let us commence."
Spike dreamily lost himself in both the memory of her recent kiss and the calming composition that came from her steady and rhythmic hooves. In fact, it wasn't until the clock chimed the eleventh hour ten minutes later that Spike remembered his plan with a start.
"Uh, Octavia, my lady? Would you mind if I stepped out to use the little dragon's room real quick?" he asked in the most innocent way possible.
Octavia halted her bow and rested it against her side gently. "Of course Spike. I certainly wouldn't want you listen in discomfort."
"Thanks, I'll just be a minute." Spike zipped right out, only to poke his head back in for just a second to add, "Or fifteen, I did have a really big breakfast today."
Run, run, run, through the hallway.
Down, down, down the stairs.
Run, run, run across the *HOOOONK* 'Hey buddy! Didn't you hear me last time?!'.
Up, up, up the stairs.
Run, run, run to Rarity's.
Spike grabbed the cut fabric he left on the floor and whisked it over to Rarity. "Hah, hah, here...Rarity..."
"Wonderful Spikey, I was just finishing up- Goodness gracious!" Rarity recoiled as ladylike as she could at Spike's bandaged knee. "Did you cut yourself with those shears? Ohh, Spikey-wikey, you poor thing! I should known better than to let a precious little thing like you handle sharp objects so briskly!"
Spike was about to object that he wasn't that much of a baby dragon to need safety scissors, but swallowed his pride in delight when Rarity proceeded to give the knee a get better kiss of hers.
"Well, don't you worry about a thing," she continued, "I'll make sure no needles, pins, or scissors come close to you from this point on! I'll just delegate the safer tasks to you. Say, fetching some lace ribbons, black if you please. They will really complete the embroidery here!"
As Rarity began sewing the fabric on her half completed dress in the making, Spike ran back behind the shelves and returned in a few moments with some ribbons in his claws.
Rarity however, took one look at them when he presented them to her, shifted her glasses once, then shook her head slightly. "No no no, that's charcoal, not black, common mistake."
So Spike ducked around the maze of drawers again, and when he came back again, Rarity didn't even look up from her sewing machine.
"Actually, that's licorice."
So he fetched again...
"Ebony."
And again...
"Dark taupe."
And again...
"Midnight."
And again...and again...and again...
They all look black to me... Spike grimly thought as he returned to the rather large reject pile near Rarity for the 50th time. Thankfully, his quest was finally rewarded as Rarity looked up and grinned widely.
"Ohh, perfect! I knew you could find it!" she said as she patted his head. He turned to the side with a bashful expression.
All worth it to see that smile...
"And it only took you twenty minutes, not bad for a first time!"
Wait, WHAT?!
Spike twisted his head with a jerk to the clock to find out Rarity spoke the truth, it had taken him twenty minutes to get the ribbons right! No one took bathroom breaks this long!
Rarity hmm'd as she held the ribbon up to the violet cloth. "Actually, I think obsidian might go better with this. Spike, would you be a dear and-?"
"Already on it!" Spike said quickly as he jogged away. "May take awhile though as I have to start my search all over!"
Run, run, run, through the hallway.
Down, down, down the stairs.
Run, run, run across the street.
Up, up, up the stairs.
Run, run, run to Octavia's.
"Spike, I trust you're relived?" Octavia asked as Spike stumbled back in.
"Uh, yeah." Spike didn't even stop as he made his way towards the kitchen. "Say, it's getting close to noon right? How about I make us some lunch?"
Run, run, run to Rarity's.
"Would you like a mint? I think there's a bowl of them in the lobby."
Run, run, run to Octavia's.
"You know what this sandwich needs? Some mustard. I notice you're out, so why don't I just make a quick trip to the store and get some?"
Run, run, run, through the hallway.
"Oops, I just dropped your stencil out the window. Let me go down and fetch it."
Up, up, up the stairs...
"I...*pant* have to..."
Down, down, down the stairs...
"With the...*wheeze* you know...*gasp*"
Stumble...stagger...collapse on the sidewalk.
"Uggggggh..." the pooped out marathoner groaned. "It hurts to even breathe..."
This double dating thing was turning out to be harder than he thought, especially on his legs! There had to be an easier, faster way to get from one apartment to the next.
Spike turned over and searched his person for something to wipe his brow with, but instead came up with something much more potent. Hey, is this...?
His eyes fell over the vial of purple liquid held in his claws.
"Twilight's potion, I still have it with me!"
His thoughts turned back on Twilight's exact words.
"Anything a pony can do, this potion can increase their capabilities to do it tenfold."
"Tenfold huh? Should be no problem to cover only double my work then."
And well...Twilight did want to test it...
"Don't drink it! That's the absolute last thing you want to do!"
The vial stopped an inch from his lips. The little dragon tapped his chin, considered all options, and what was at stake.
Octavia...
Rarity...
Their complete trust in me...
"...eh, what's the worst that could happen?"
And with a shrug he chugged the whole thing down.