Date Night
Spike woke up early the next morning and stretched a little. He heard a soft snoozing sound and saw Rarity sleeping next to him. The purple pegasus couldn't help but smile as he gazed at the white unicorn resting soundly. Despite everything that happened in the last few days, Spike couldn't help but feel relaxed as he looked upon Rarity.
A soft yawn came from Rarity's mouth and opened up her eyes slowly. She looked up at "Sparky" and said, "Good morning darling. Do you feel any better now?"
"I'm feeling a lot better now." Spike said. "I guess all that sleeping kind of helped."
The door to Spike's room knocked, making both ponies look to see who it was. The door opened to a grayish brown stallion wearing a white coat. He had a combed back white mane, thick black framed square glasses, and had an expression on him that made Spike think the stallion meant business.
"Good morning, are you Mr. Sparky?" The stallion asked in a monotone voice.
Spike nodded and said, "Yeah, who are...?"
"Good, I am Dr. Clark." The stallion said. He looked at a medical chart handed to him by Nurse Redheart and read it. "It seems you've suffered some bruises and cuts. I'm here to make sure you are ready to leave the hospital. If you aren't, you'll be kept here another day." He then noticed Rarity. "Excuse me miss, but are you his spouse?"
Rarity blushed a little and said, "Oh no doctor, I'm actually his friend. I was here all night to make sure he had some company."
Dr. Clark nodded and said, "Very well miss, but we must ask you to leave. The tests will take a while. We'll let you know what will happen to Mr. Sparky here."
Rarity looked a little crestfallen and nodded. "I understand doctor." She said and then looked at Spike. "Good luck darling, I'll wait in the lobby area for you." She got up and left the room, leaving Spike alone with Dr. Wright.
Nurse Redheart pushed in a small cart through the door that had a blood pressure machine and thermometer. "Let's get started now shall we Mr. Sparky?" Dr. Clark asked as he washed his hooves.
Spike spent the next two hours doing various physical and medical tests. He underwent some X-rays, walked on a treadmill, have his wings examined, and many more tasks. Dr. Wright stated he was quite impressed to see "Sparky" be able to pass everything without a hitch. He allowed the purple pegasus to be discharged. Nurse Redheart ordered him to eat some food first, which consisted of a few apple slices, oatmeal, and a tall glass of orange juice. After finishing his breakfast, Spike went down to the hospital lobby. He saw Rarity standing near the door.
She went over to Spike and gave him a brief hug. "The doctor told me you're allowed to leave. It's actually good that you are since Twilight wants to see you."
Spike looked at Rarity feeling puzzled. "What does she want from me?"
"I honestly don't know darling. She came by an hour ago to pass that message onto you. So let's not keep her waiting."
Spike and Rarity went out into the streets of Ponyville where he was greeted by something that him jump a little. The town was swarming with many guards in golden armor that Spike recognized as the Royal Guard. They were trotting around the streets and flying around town. There was a checkpoint near the entrance of Ponyville with guards asking for ID from ponies leaving or entering the town. The pony citizens looked round and felt a little intimidated.
"What's going on here?" Spike asked.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you darling." Rarity said. "Twilight sent a message last night to Princess Celestia about what happened. She sent a team of royal guards over here to watch over the town."
"Why?"
Rarity shrugged and said, "I don't know Sparky, but whatever the reason it certainly has her worried. Now come darling, we have to go see Twilight."
Spike nodded and followed Rarity to the Ponyville Library. As they passed through Ponyville, the two ponies saw countless patrols of royal guards trotting around. Some of the guards were questioning the town's inhabitants. The Market Square had guards standing at every shop stand watching over them, making the merchants nervous. Before long, Spike and Rarity reached the library entrance and looked at each other.
"Sparky, can you do me a favor tonight?" Rarity asked.
"Sure Rarity. What is it?"
"You know that suit I made you the other day? Well I was wondering if you would kindly wear it tonight. We'll go to a nice place to eat."
"Huh? Oh yeah...the dinner." Spike facehooved himself and realized what he said. "Rarity, I didn't mean it like that."
The white unicorn placed a hoof over his mouth and said, "It's quite alright darling. These last few days have been quite stressful on all of us. Why I'll barely have time to get the rest of my designs finished by this week with all of this. I do wish Spike would come back from royal business and help not only me, but the others as well."
At the mention of his name, Spike felt sentimental from what he heard. Rarity showed she cared about him and it made him feel like all his troubles melted away. An idea suddenly hit the purple pegasus' head.
"Spike huh? I didn't really get to talk to him. Do you know him?"
"We'll talk more tonight darling." Rarity said. "Twilight said she needed to see you as soon as possible. I won't keep her waiting anymore. Meet me at Carousel Boutique at seven tonight, okay?"
Spike nodded and said, "See you Rarity.".
Spike waved goodbye to Rarity as she left for her shop. He entered the library and saw only darkness. He heard the door slam shut behind him and the lights came on. Spike saw something that made his insides churn. He saw Twilight looking at the floor with an ashamed expression on her face. Standing next to her was none other than Princess Celestia, who was looking right at Spike with a stern look.
"Uh....Princess Celestia." Spike said while bowing and trying to maintain his cool. "I'm Spar..."
"You don't need to hide yourself from me Spike." The white alicorn said in a disappointing tone.
Spike looked at Twilight with a mix of shock and horror on his face. "Twilight, you told her? You told the princess about this?"
"Oh Spike please...I...I didn't mean to." Twilight said in a cracked voice. "I...I just...well..."
"Twilight, you didn't do anything wrong." She turned back to Spike who was looking terrified\. "Spike, Twilight told me about what happened to you. I learned about it last night after I received a letter from Twilight. I tried to send it back to you, but it kept coming back to me for some reason. I came by last night to check to see what was going on."
"Spike, please I..." Twilight cried out but a hoof was gently placed on her mouth by the white alicorn.
"As much as it did pain me to do this to my faithful student, I had to make her confess. She broke down telling me about how you became a pony and why."
Spike hung his head in shame and felt a million things going through him. It was over, Princess Celestia was going to turn him back into a dragon again and be exiled from Ponyville. He would never see his friends or Rarity again. The thought of that brought back that nightmare again and it made him sick.
"Spike..." Princess Celestia said in a gentle tone.
"I'm so sorry Princess!" The purple pegasus cried out. "I...I was just trying to win over...somepony and I wasn't thinking. I understand if you want to punish me, but don't hurt Twilight." Spike closed his eyes and expected the worst. He felt a hoof raise his chin and opened his eyes to see Princess Celestia with a concerned look on her face.
"Spike, I'm not finished yet." The white alicorn said in a gentle tone. "I understand why you did what you did. I...I knew somepony long ago that did the same thing, but things went badly for him."
"So...you're not going to banish me or turn me back into a dragon?" Spike asked sounding a little calmer.
The white alicorn shook her head and said, "I'm afraid I can't turn you back into a dragon Spike. That potion lasts only for three more days. There could be some consequences to changing you back while the potion is still in you."
Spike let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but Princess Celestia didn't notice.
"Now that I know what's going on, you need to know what the Disciples of Nightmare Moon are."
"I'm confused by this princess." Spike said. "How come Twilight or any has ever heard of this group?"
"There are so little records left on the events Spike." The white alicorn explained. "Most of them were lost in a fire and the remaining ones are kept in my private archives. Even if I did have the complete records, I would refuse to allow it to be written in books. It was one of our darkest hours in Equestria and something that should never be mentioned."
"What happened anyway?"
"This all took place a couple years before the rise of Nightmare Moon. A group of ponies started to organize a new group to dedicate Princess Luna since they actually liked her nights better than my days. This group was called the Moonlight Council. They honored Princess Luna and wanted ponies to love the night as equally as they love my day. They would call for holidays or special occasions that praised my sister and spread the love for her."
"However, many ponies refused to accept this group since they considered nighttime to be wasteful. They argued that my daytime brought life and beauty, but my sister's nights brought only dread and darkness. Many refused to honor my sister because she became cold and snapped at other ponies. It also didn't help that many close nobles to me started to haze many of the members. Things got so bad, that the members of the council and its followers over time became as bitter and hateful as Princess Luna before she became Nightmare Moon."
"Some of the Moonlight Council members and a founder told me about what was going on. I was too late though to realize what happened as my sister became the dreaded Nightmare Moon. I tried to reason with Princess Luna, but she heard about what happened to her followers and that she was going to rally them to start a new era of darkness. I knew I had no choice but to use the Elements of Harmony to banish her to the moon. I thought with that it was over, but it only started a chain of events."
"What was it?" Spike asked.
"After my sister's banishment, the remaining Moonlight Council members and founders caught wind of what happened. Their anger and resentment towards me reached their critical point after what I did to Princess Luna. They claimed that what I did was an act of treason and an attempt to rule Equestria with an iron hoof. I tried to tell them the truth, but they wouldn't have any of it. They all began to rally a cause against me and recruited many ponies of all kind to join them. At that moment, my worst fears were confirmed; Equestria was entering a civil war."
"They organized an armada against me and declared war on the other ponies. The group decided to call themselves the Disciples of Nightmare Moon in honor of their fallen leader. Their goals were simple: overthrow me and bring back my corrupted sister to take over. They relied on sneak attacks that easily crippled a lot of towns and the few major cities in the land. Any town or city that had statues or monuments dedicated to me were made an example of by being destroyed and the inhabitants being killed. We tried to find a way to defeat the disciples, but they were always one step ahead of us for some reason."
"All of Equestria soon fell to the disciples in eight months. The only cities that hadn't been taken over were Manehattan and Canterlot. Things took a turn for the better though as a member of the Disciples of Nightmare Moon defected to us. He told us that there were spies leaking information about our movements to the disciples' armies. We tracked them down and captured them. We began to turn the tide with sending false movements to the disciples and watch them take the bait. We began to divide and eliminate their armies slowly.
"It wasn't long after those small victories that the rest of the troops rallied and pushed the disciples' forces back and weaken them. We soon tracked down the capital of the disciples' city that they decreed, New Moon. We besieged the city for a couple of weeks by cutting off their supplies and destroying their underground tunnels out of the city. I oversaw the charge against the disciples as we took over New Moon from them. It wasn't easy with how fortified they were, but we soon captured the remaining leaders who didn't die in the fight and ended the war."
"The war lasted only eleven months, but it was so costly to Equestria. The death count went well into the thousands with many of the casualties coming from my side. I soon put all the Disciples of Nightmare Moon on trial for war crimes. Many of them were sentenced to death for their actions, but a couple hundred were forced to rebuild Equestria and then were banished forever. I then put the nobles who supported me on trial."
"Why?" Spike asked.
"Their actions of what they did helped fuel this war and cost us so much. They hazed them and turned the Moonlight Council as bitter and heartless as Nightmare Moon herself. I stripped them of everything and had them rebuild Equestria with the other inmates as well. After their work was finished, they were sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in jail."
"The war's end should've brought a period of peace, but I was starting to hear from my advisers that the remaining disciples were hiding in Equestria under new names and looks. I never knew if the rumors were true or not, but I stayed on high alert for the next thousand years. My patience paid off when I realized Nightmare Moon was coming back."
"How so?"
"I had started to hear reports of ponies going into the Everfree Forest a few days before Nightmare's return. A scout found a badge like the one Twilight sent me and I knew it was them again. I prepared an army to deal with any disciples that were flocking to the castle ruins in the forest. Shortly before I was captured, I told the guards that they were to engage and destroy any members of the disciples and to not attack Twilight or her friends. The plan succeeded for the most part after Nightmare Moon was defeated. The remaining Disciples of Nightmare Moon were killed at last. There was one thing were were missing though: their leader."
"Who was it?"
"A dark green stallion unicorn named Lord Gavin." Princess Celestia said. "He was the one who orchestrated the attack and tried to lead the new Disciples against me. The strange thing is that he turned himself in after Nightmare Moon was defeated. He came to the castle and surrendered with him saying there was no catch. He was later tried and executed for his crimes, but he just smiled at me as he was executed. I thought with his death it was all over, but I didn't trust his words and kept my eye out on the cult. It seems my intuition was right all along now."
"This is freaky." Spike said. "How could they be back if they have nopony to lead them?"
"I don't know Spike." The white alicorn said. "Ever since the death of Lord Gavin, I feel like I'm being watched by the cult. I know they're making their moves, but I don't know what they're doing. I don't even know why they are targeting you and the others. As such, I have ordered your friends to stay within Ponyville."
"It's true Spike." Twilight said. "Fluttershy is staying with Pinkie and Rainbow is staying with Applejack. Rarity is still staying at her shop since there is more security in her area. You and I will be staying here in the library."
"Spike, I have one last thing to say." Princess Celestia stated. "Watch who you talk to and stay close to your friends. Not everypony is who they seem to be." She turned back to Twilight. "I must be going now my faithful student. I am suspending your studies until this matter is dealt with and stay close to your friends. I shall contact you again soon if anything comes up." A burst of white energy surrounded the library and Princess Celestia was gone.
Twilight used her magic to open up the window blinds around the library, allowing the sun to shine through. She then looked at Spike with a tearful look. "Oh Spike, I'm so sorry." She said with her voice cracking. "I-I just couldn't lie to the princess and disappoint her. I hope that you..." She was cut off by her assistant hugging her and giving a gentle smile.
"It's okay Twilight." He said. "I know the others will know sooner or later. I'm just glad the princess didn't banish me or anything."
Twilight smiled and wiped the tears off her face. "Thank you Spike. You really are a number one assistant and friend." She returned the hug briefly and looked at him. "Spike, I'm going to read up on some spells just in case any of the disciples attack. Could you check on the others at Sweet Apple Acres? I already checked on Pinkie and Fluttershy this morning while I was on my way to see Rarity at the hospital."
Spike nodded and said, "Sure Twilight, I'll head down to check on Applejack. I also need to see a certain filly and make sure she's okay."
"She's fine Spike. Applebloom was released this morning and should be home right now."
"Great! Oh, Twilight one more thing."
"What is it?"
"I now know why you wanted to speak to me about the crusaders."
"Applejack told me last night about what you found."
"I'm sorry Twilight. I guess I was being a real mule huh?"
"It's okay Spike, it was just a little mistake. Now run on down to Applejack's and see her."
Spike waved at Twilight and went out the door to Sweet Apple Acres. The lilac unicorn smiled to herself as she watched her friend run off and felt proud of him. She closed the door and levitated a book of her shelf to begin studying magic spells.
Spike trotted down the path leading to the apple farm, passing by the buildings and guards around Ponyville. He looked around town to see some of the guards going around shops and doing inspections. A small group of them passed by a building and mumbled something about it. Spike looked to see to his side was none other than Barry's shop. He went over to the window and looked inside it to see the shop still had potion ingredients in there, but nopony was in it.
"Watch who you talk to and stay close to your friends. Not everypony is who they seem to be." The voice of Princess Celestia rang out in Spike's mind.
The purple pegasus began to think about what Princess Celestia told him. Ever since he met Barry, everything had taken a turn for the worse. His friends were now being targeted by a group not known by many and they wanted him for some unknown reason. Spike couldn't help but think that maybe Barry had something to do with all that was happening. He wanted to go in and see if the gray unicorn was there, but a part of him told him not to. Spike decided against seeing Barry and decided that he would tell Twilight his suspicions later. He galloped away from the shop and headed towards the outskirts of Ponyville.
Spike walked down the path leading to the farm and was greeted by a tan stallion standing at the entrance. He had a tidy brown mane, blue eyes, and had three blue horseshoes on his flank. The stallion gave Spike a glare as he approached the entrance and halted him with a hoof.
"Who are you?" The tan stallion asked. "I've never seen you hear before."
Spike froze, feeling a little afraid. "My name is Spi...um Sparky. I was just here to check up on Applejack."
"How do I know you're the same Sparky? You could be another one in disguise."
"Um...I..."
"Caramel, that's enough!" A mare's voice ordered. Spike and Caramel turned to see Applejack looking a little annoyed and tired. "Now y'all calm down now sugarcube." She said to the tan stallion. "He's mah friend and the one who saved Applebloom yesterday from that Jordan fella."
"But Applejack, what if it's a trick?" Caramel argued. "He could be another attacker or raider here."
"Ah understand yer worried Caramel." The farmer pony said in a soft voice. "Y'all gotta trust me though and believe me."
Caramel thought it over for a minute before nodding slowly. "I'm sorry Applejack, I'm just worried about this farm and you as well since you are...a very good friend and the one who got me to work here."
The orange mare smiled a little and said, "It's alright sugarcube, yer just worried like Big Mac and Ah are. Ah'm gonna talk to Sparky here and git t'mah shift after that."
"Alright Applejack." Caramel said before returning to standing guard.
"Come along now Sparky." Applejack said waving a hoof. "Ah gotta talk t'ya about last night."
Spike walked with Applejack until the two went into a secluded area of the apple orchards. The farmer pony checked on all sides to make sure no pony was near.
"Spike, did ya speak to Twilight this morning? There's something she needed to tell ya."
The purple pegasus nodded and said, "Yeah, I ran into Princess Celestia this morning as well and now she knows my secret." Spike had a glum look on him as he lowered his head. "So the others know?"
Applejack shook her head and said, "No they don't sugarcube. The princess came on by to speak t'us 'bout this cult that follows Nightmare Moon."
"You know about the Disciples of Nightmare Moon?" Spike asked.
"We all do Spike." Applejack said. "The others and mahself learned 'bout this cult early this mornin'. Princess Celestia told us 'bout them and had guards posted all over Ponyville. This town is bottled up tighter than a barrel of apple cider sugarcube."
"Does the whole town know about the disciples?"
"No sugarcube, fer the sake of keepin' the town from jumpin' around like mad, Princess Celestia stated these guards were doin' some trainin' drills in Ponyville. The others and Ah had t'swaer not t'say a word to any other pony, 'sides from ya."
"But then why is Caramel standing at the entrance like that?"
"That's 'cause he's protectin' the farm like Big Macintosh and Ah are doin'." Applejack stated. "Since that Jordan fella attacked, mah family's been worried. Why just last night, Granny Smith yelled 'bout Applebloom's safety and feared fer the family."
"So where is Applebloom anyway?" Spike asked looking around. "I heard she's okay and wanted to see her."
The orange mare had a sad look on her and said, "Ah'm 'fraid yer a lil' late Spike. Ah decided t'send both Applebloom and Granny Smith t'mah Aunt Orange and Uncle Orange in Manehattan 'til this whole thing blows over."
"She's gone?" The purple pegasus frowned a little.
"Now don'ya look so glum there pardner." The farmer pony said. "Applebloom and the other crusaders wrote somethin' fer ya last night." She pulled out from under her hat a white piece of paper and showed it to Spike. The note was a bit of a scribbly mess with the writing, but he was still able to read it.
Hiya Mr. Sparky,
We sure had a lot of fun yesterday didn't we? The girls and Ah are writin' sayin' thank ya fer the time we had together. We also want to thank ya fer savin' mah flank yesterday. Mah friends and family say they're in yer debt. Whatever the hay that means. When we come back to Ponyville, we're gonna have more fun. Don't forget to tell Spike 'bout how sorry we are. We still want to see him again. Thanks again Mr. Sparky!
XOXOXOXO
Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo
Spike felt a little sentimental as he read the note. He did his best to hold back any tears and looked at Applejack with a smile. "Wow...thanks Applejack."
"T'aint nothin'." The orange mare said. "Ah was just passin' a message is all. So now that that's all out in the open, what can Ah do fer ya?"
"Oh, I was just checking on you Rainbow. Where is she anyway, napping in one of your trees again?"
"She actually had t'do some guard duty fer Ponyville." The farmer pony said. "All pegasi are bein' assigned to watchin' over Ponyville fer any outsiders. She said she'll come on down and see ya at the library later so y'all can hang out."
"Thanks Applejack, I..."
"Applejack, where are you?" Caramel asked. "Big Macintosh says it's your turn to guard the entrance."
"Ah'm a comin' sugarcube!" The farmer pony shouted and then turned back to Spike. "Sorry Spike, but Ah gotta git goin'. If it makes ya feel any better, Ah think Rarity ain't busy."
A big smile spread across Spike's face. "I'll go see her then. See you later Applejack." He took off from the area and went through the gate of the farm galloping down the path. As he went down the dirt path, Spike had an idea about his date with Rarity and grinned a little bigger.
Spike made his way across Ponyville carefully. He made sure not to draw any unwanted attention from the royal guards that seemed to be everywhere he turned. He galloped his way towards the center of town and soon found Carousel Boutique. Spike was going to knock on the door when he heard a crash and a wailing noise. Instinct and panic took over him, and charged through the door.
He looked inside the shop to see it was a complete mess, much like when he saw it a few days ago, but it seemed to be even worse now. Fabric rolls were cluttered and rolled out, dress designs were scattered, and some ponyquins had dresses on them that looked halfway done. He saw a shift amongst the cluttered ponyquins and moved slowly. Spike moved one of the ponyquins to see Rarity lying on the floor and was looking exhausted.
"Rarity, are you okay!?" Spike asked with worry in his voice. "What happened here?"
The white unicorn looked at "Sparky" with a dazed look. "Oh thank goodness you're here Sparky." She said. "This has got to be the worst thing to happen to me yet, it's dreadful, it's uncouth, it's revolting."
Spike knew Rarity was a drama queen, but never thought she'd act like this. "Um...what's wrong anyway? I heard you scream."
Rarity got up and fixed her mane. "Do forgive me darling, but I wasn't kidding when I said this had to be the worst thing to happen to me yet." She raised a hoof to point to all the ponyquins. "All these dresses here have to be done for my show tomorrow in Fillydelphia. I can't finish them in time since Sweetie Belle and Spike are gone. Oh, I do wish the others weren't busy so I could get some assistance."
"Where is Sweetie anyway?"
"Well Sparky, Princess Celestia came by this morning telling us about this cult called the Disciples of Nightmare Moon. She advised me to get Sweetie out of danger's way in case they came back. She sent a carriage and message for my folks. She's now in vacation with them in Trottingham. Scootaloo also left early this morning for Manehattan as well and is staying with her grandfather."
"That's great to know." Spike said feeling relieved the crusaders were out of harm's way.
"It is indeed darling. However, I don't have anypony to help me out now."
Spike took this as a golden opportunity. "I'll help you out Rarity."
The white unicorn was shocked upon hearing this. "Darling, I can't simply ask you to do that. You've done so much for me and my friends. I can't keep using you like this."
The purple pegasus shook his head and said, "It's okay Rarity. I like helping you out anyway." Spike could feel some heat rush through his cheeks and hoped Rarity didn't see him blushing.
The white unicorn smiled and gave a nod. "Very well then darling." She then pulled out a box of gems, some fashion designs, and a sewing machine. "We have little time to work with Sparky, so let's not waste anymore time." Spike gave a nod and the two went to work on the dresses.
Spike and Rarity worked for the next few hours on putting the finishing touches on the dresses. They would either put some gems along the edges of the dresses, or do some sewing together as they worked. After they finished the dresses, Spike helped Rarity pack them up in small white boxes for shipping them. The two of them then proceeded to clean up the shop. When they finished, Spike sat down at the same table he and Rarity shared when they had lunch. Rarity returned with some bottles of Sweet Apple Acres own apple juice and the two ponies drank them. None of them said a word to each other as they rested from the work they just did.
The clock chimed and echoed throughout the shop. Rarity looked to see it was already twelve. "Darling, I don't know if you're busy, but would you care to help me do some shopping?" The white unicorn asked.
Spike shook his head. "Not at all Rarity. What are we looking for?"
"Well I need to get some more fabric rolls. One of my clocks needs to be replaced since Sweetie Belle and her friends tried to get their cutie marks in repairing clocks. There are other things I would like to check out as well. I just need somepony to help carry the stuff I would buy. Now don't you worry Sparky, I don't plan on overloading you with a lot of stuff to carry. I just need to pick up a few things."
"It's okay Rarity." Spike said. "I'm always happy to help you."
"Let's not wait anymore then." She went over and flipped the sign to her shop to Close. "Come along now Sparky, we haven't got all day now."
The purple pegasus nodded and went out the door with Rarity. After she locked her shop up, the two ponies trotted together side by side. Spike couldn't help but stare at the white pony trotting besides him. He wished that he could confess that he was really Spike, but he remembered Barry saying something about a curse if he told her or his friends. The purple pegasus couldn't help but wonder what the curse was Barry mentioned now that Applejack and Princess Celestia knew the truth. Maybe Barry ran into Rarity at one point and was trying to keep Spike away from her.
"Hey Rarity, can I ask you something?" Spike asked.
"Of course you can darling." The white unicorn said.
"Have you ran into any pony named Barry? He's a new shop owner here in Ponyville."
"The new potion shop owner? I have seen him around town, but I've never really talked to him. He's a rather odd pony that's for sure. He seems to be rather reclusive and wasn't even at the welcoming party for you. Why are you curious about me knowing him?"
Spike let out a sigh of relief in his mind. "It was nothing Rarity. I thought that maybe you and him were...well dating."
Rarity chuckled a little bit. "Oh, heavens no Sparky. I have to admit that Barry isn't really the gentlecolt I'm looking for. I'm sure he's a nice pony, but I'd rather much stay friends with him. That is if I ever see him again. He seems to have just disappeared out of Ponyville for some reason."
"That's a little strange. I don't know why, but I think that OOF!" Spike accidentally bumped into something and stumbled a little.
"Watch it you buffoon!" A oice shouted. Spike looked to see there was a dark brown unicorn stallion wearing royal guard armor and giving him a cold stare. "State you name and identification in the name of Princess Celestia!" The stallion ordered.
Panic overtook Spike and was lost on what to do. "Uh...well you see the thing is that um..."
"Good sir, please wait!" Rarity objected. "It was my fault that Sparky here didn't see where he was going."
The stallion looked at Rarity intensely for a few minutes before giving a snort. "Fine...I'll let him off with a warning. That pegasus better watch himself now, or I will take him away." The guard marched off, leaving Spike and Rarity by themselves.
"Uh...t-thanks Rarity." Spike said nervously. "That was close."
"That's quite alright darling. But what was so close?"
"Um...nothing!" Spike retorted, realizing he nearly gave himself away. "I uh...was just close to being taken away...heh heh heh."
Rarity looked at "Sparky" a few minutes curiously, but shrugged it off. "Very well then. Come, let us head back before we run into another ruffian guard like that."
Spike nodded and followed the white unicorn through the streets. As they trotted through, the purple pegasus couldn't help but think that stallion sounded familiar. He just couldn't remember it at all though and it left him frustrated. He decided to put the matter behind him though as he and Rarity came across the market square.
Spike spent the afternoon with Rarity in the market. She got some cloth from the fabric stand and a new clock to hang on her wall. Rarity showed "Sparky" around other stores she liked to visit such as where she gets her makeup and the spa twins, Aloe and Lotus. Spike happily trotted alongside Rarity and carried the stuff she had bought on his back. The two soon stopped for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Spike got himself some hay fries while Rarity got a salad. After eating and finishing some window shopping, Rarity and Spike went back to Carousel Boutique.
After they arrived back at the shop, Rarity took the stuff off "Sparky's" back and set it in a corner of her shop.
I really appreciate what you have done for me Sparky." Rarity said giving Spike a warm smile. "I shall get ready for our dinner together. In the meantime, please go home and wear the suit I made you the other day. Come on by my shop at seven."
Spike nodded at this. "I'll see you then Rarity." The purple pegasus turned around and looked back to give a wave back at the white unicorn before going back to the library.
As Spike approached the library, his mind raced with thoughts of wonder and excitement of his date with Rarity. He opened the door to see many books covering the library floor. The purple pegasus made sure not to trip over the books as he made his way through. Throughout the library, he didn't see or hear Twilight at all, making Spike feel a bit nervous and worried. He decided to go see if the lilac unicorn was upstairs. He opened the door to see Twilight lying on the bed asleep with her head on a book.
Spike chuckled a little and decided to wake Twilight up, so she wouldn't worry about where he was. "Twilight?" He asked while poking her on the shoulder.
The lilac unicorn mumbled and opened her eyes to see Spike with a gentle smile. "Oh...uh...*yawn*...hi Spike." Twilight said groggily. "How did everything go today?"
"It was great Twilight." Spike told Twilight about how he spent the day with Rarity from helping her finish some dresses and shopping with her.
"I'm glad you had a wonderful time with Rarity today." Twilight said with a smile. "I'm feeling hungry actually, what do you want for dinner?"
Spike's smile faded away and looked a little guilty. "Twilight the thing is that...I'm...I'm going to dinner with Rarity tonight."
Twilight froze and looked at Spike curiously, making him feel even worse.
"I...I know you may not like this, but please Twilight...I may never get this chance to..." He felt a hoof cover his mouth and looked to see Twilight giving a warm smile to him.
"Spike, I know how hard you've worked for Rarity." The lilac unicorn said. "You've done so much for all of us and I think you've earned this reward." She levitated a saddle bag to Spike and pulled out the suit Rarity made for him. "I found this when I came upstairs and I think you'll need it. Suit up Casanova, you've got a hot date."
Spike looked in awe at Twilight for a few minutes before embracing her tightly. "Thank you Twilight. You really are a great friend."
Twilight blushed and smiled softly as she broke the embrace. "You're welcome Spike. What time do you have to meet Rarity?"
Spike looked at the clock to see it was going on six. "Seven at her shop. Why do you ask?"
Twilight smiled a little and said, "Well you better get cleaned up then Romeo. I'll give you a hoof in cleaning up." Her horn glowed and levitated Spike off the ground. She trotted to the bathroom with a struggling Spike behind her and closed the door.
For the next half hour, Spike was bathed, had his mane and tail combed back to look like the style Rarity gave him, and gargled some mouthwash. Twilight used a book called The Dummy's Guide to Dating and went by everything the book said to do, even pick up lines. Twilight suggested to Spike some of the lines, but he declined the offer. The clock rang out and both looked to see it was nearly seven. The lilac unicorn pushed Spike to the door and straightened him up, making him look like a real gentlecolt.
"Spike, I want to say good luck with Rarity." Twilight said with a tearful smile. "I know you're probably feeling nervous, but I know you'll do fine."
The purple pegasus hugged Twilight briefly and said, "Thanks again Twilight. When I get back, I'll help you out with any new spells you've learned." He gave a wave and hurried down the street to Carousel Boutique. His moral was high and he had happy thoughts racing through him.
Spike approached the entrance to Carousel Boutique with butterflies in his stomach. He never thought that out of everything that had happened since he turned into a pony, he would be on a date with Rarity. The purple pegasus regained his composure and knocked on the door firmly. The door opened to a sight that nearly made Spike's jaw drop. He saw Rarity give him a warm smile while wearing an elegant and glittery sleeveless black dress, a large white pearl necklace, and was wearing two black slip on shoes on her front hooves. He was utterly speechless by the way she looked and nearly fainted.
"Hello darling." Rarity said. "You certainly look like the gentlecolt now don't we?" All Spike could do was mumble a little, earning a bit of a glare from the white unicorn. "Sparky, it is uncouth for a gentlecolt like yourself to act so speechless to a lady."
The purple pegasus broke out of his trance and looked down. "Sorry Rarity, it's just that well...you look beautiful."
The white unicorn smiled at this. "Why thank you darling. I have booked us a reservation at The Stable for us."
Spike nodded and held out his hoof. "May I escort m'lady then?"
Rarity laughed softly and nodded. The two ponies left the shop for the market place with Princess Luna's moon shining down upon the town. Spike and Rarity reached an elegant looking building that was painted red with gold trimming on the side. There was a sign that read, The Stable and the two ponies entered it.
Spike's looked around to see a large room with many round tables with white table cloths and roses in a vase in the middle. There were several chandeliers hanging but not giving off a lot of light, making the place seem dim. The tables were occupied by ponies that were talking softly as they ate. He could also see and hear Moonlight Sonata being played by somepony on a piano in the middle of the room. Spike heard a throat clearing and looked to see a white earth pony stallion wearing a black tuxedo looking at him impatiently.
"Do you have a reservation sir?" The stallion asked in a sophisticated Trottingham accent.
"Yes Nigel." Rarity said before Spike could say anything. "This is the guest I was bringing tonight."
Nigel looked down at a list and nodded. "Forgive me Miss Rarity. I shall escort you and your guest, follow me."
Spike followed Rarity and Nigel through the restaurant to the booth. He was shown a large alcove in a corner with a small chandelier hanging about a small table, two large comfortable chairs on opposite sides, and two plates and sets of silverware on the table.
"Here we are Miss Rarity." Nigel said. "I will leave you and the good sir here to talk amongst each other. I will return to take your order shortly." The stallion turned to leave the two ponies alone.
Spike saw that Rarity wasn't sitting yet, and pulled out a chair for her. "A seat for m'lady?" He asked.
"Oh such a gentlecolt." Rarity said as she sat down. She passed a menu to "Sparky" as he sat down and opened hers to look at her options.
Spike opened his menu to see various salads, sandwiches, hay fries, and pasta. Most of these foods looked good to him, but he didn't know what to choose. The purple pegasus shot a glance at Rarity who was still looking at the menu and just looked around at it some more.
Rarity looked up and saw Spike's eyes darting across the menu. "Darling, are you alright?"
Spike looked to see Rarity and shook his head. "Uh...well Rarity it's just that I've never eaten at a place like this so..." His voice trailed off as he looked away.
"Oh my, I'm terribly sorry Sparky." Rarity said. "If it helps darling, I'll order for the both of us. I'll order you what I usually get: the Blooming Daisy Salad, a glass of water, and a bowl of French Onion Soup on the side. Does that sound good to you darling?" Spike thought it over for a few minutes before nodding, making Rarity smile.
Nigel came in with a pen and pad. "Ready to order Miss Rarity?" The white unicorn nodded and told the white stallion what her and Spike wanted. When he finished writing the order, Nigel gave a nod. "I shall have it out soon Miss Rarity." He left once more.
"So tell me darling." Rarity said to Spike. "How do you like Ponyville so far?"
"It's great Rarity." Spike said. "I was shown around town yesterday by Sweetie Belle and her friends."
"I heard about that yesterday. I think it's wonderful you spent the day with them. So where exactly are you staying?"
Spike smiled at hearing this and decided to put the plan he came up with this morning to use. "I'm staying with Twilight over at the Ponyville Library. I actually got to talk to her and her assistant, Spike, before he left for Canterlot."
"My goodness, you got to talk to him? What did he tell you if you don't mind me asking?"
"Well, he talked about..."
"Excuse me good sir." A voice said causing Spike to look and see it was Nigel with a tray full of food. "I don't mean to intrude on this conversation, but here is your order." He used his hooves to gently place the plates and water down onto the table. "Let me know if there's anything else you need now." The white stallion turned and walked out.
"Wow, that was quick." Spike said looking in awe at the food. "We just ordered and we got it that fast."
Rarity laughed softly at this. "That's because I know one of the chefs here. He was a client that I helped out a while ago and he promised me that he would provide quick, top quality meals."
"That's amazing." Spike looked at the salad which was covered with lettuce, daisy petals, grass, and cheese. He then looked at the brownish soup and a tall glass of water with a lemon in it. "So what should I eat first?"
Rarity was about to eat a spoonful of soup, but stopped when she heard the question. "You must try this soup Sparky; it's simply divine and exquisite."
"If you insist." The purple pegasus took a spoonful of the soup and gave it an experimental taste. He tasted a wonderful spicy taste as well as some cream in it. "Oh man, this is amazing Rarity." The white unicorn smiled upon hearing this and went back to eating her soup as well.
For the next half hour, Spike ate his dinner with Rarity with neither pony saying anything to each other. The purple pegasus tried the Daisy Blossom Salad and found it to be better than any food he had in his life, maybe even better then gems. Soon, the plates and glasses were empty. Nigel came by to clean them off as he showed Rarity the bill. She pulled some bits out and the white stallion took it. He stated he would return with a receipt in a few minutes and left Spike and Rarity alone once more.
"Well Sparky, I hope you enjoyed yourself." Rarity said. "Now that dinner's done with, what were you saying about Spike earlier?"
Spike, who was resting after eating a large dinner, just looked up. He remembered what he had to do and went back to his plan. "Oh, Spike actually talked about Twilight and her friends. He couldn't stop talking about you. He kind of went on about you."
Rarity blushed upon hearing this. "Oh my, that's quite cute of him." She looked up to make sure no pony was coming. "Sparky, do you mind if I tell you something?"
Spike nodded at hearing this.
"Well darling, the truth is that it's no secret in Ponyville that Spike is smitten with me."
The purple pegasus' eyes widened in anticipation, but Rarity didn't seem to notice.
"I've seen what he's done for me like hunting for gems with me and being a pincushion. I think it's rather sweet of him to do so much for me."
Spike felt like he was going to explode with joy from what he was hearing and couldn't help but smile.
"I do wish that he stop chasing after me though."
Spike's smile drooped slowly and thought he misheard Rarity. "Um...what did you say?"
The white unicorn looked down with a sad smile. "Oh, I know Spike has been after me since he came to Ponyville, but I wish he'd stop trying to chase me. I appreciate all he's done for me, but it does get annoying to see him always just follow me wherever I go. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I need to tell him that I don't have the same feelings for him as he does. He needs to find somepony or some dragon of his own age to be with."
Spike felt everything freeze up and could literally hear the sound of his own heart shattering from what he heard. After everything he did for his crush, Rarity thought he was annoying and had no feelings for him. It took all of Spike's willpower to stop himself from crying, but could feel some tears watering up. It was all over and he couldn't believe what he heard. Everything went into a blur for the purple pegasus. He could see Nigel handing the receipt to Rarity and being escorted out with Rarity, but he couldn't hear anything. The only thing he heard were the harsh words Rarity said.
"Sparky!" Rarity's shouted. Spike looked at her with a forced straight face. "Darling, we must hurry back to my boutique! The storm is coming!"
A huge gust of wind blew right passed the white unicorn. She closed her eyes as it picked up and shielded herself. The wind died down in a few minutes and Rarity opened her eyes again.
"Well Sparky, would you escort me back home?" She heard no response and looked to see he was gone. "How dare he leave a lady like me..." A huge gust of wind cut her off and started to feel rain drops. "Oh good heavens no! My coiffure will be ruined!" She took off to her shop, forgetting her anger to "Sparky".
Spike rushed on back to the library as the rain started to pick up. Spike could feel tears build up in him and streak down his face as he ran. He wanted to get away from the pain he was feeling. It was worse than anything he ever felt in his life. By the time he reached the library, the rain was coming down in a steady pace. He entered to see Twilight was putting away some books and looked at the soaked purple pegasus with a warm smile.
"Hi Spike." The lilac unicorn said. "Give me a minute to dry you off from the rain." Her horn glowed, casting an aura around Spike for a few seconds until a poof noise went out. His body was now dry.
"So how was your dinner with...?" She noticed Spike hanging his head and drops coming from his eyes, making her concerned. "Spike, are you okay?" She got no response. "Spike look at me."
The purple pegasus raised his head and looked at Twilight with a mixture of sorrow and pain on his face while tears streamed down his face. "Twilight...you were right." He said in a cracked voice. "You were right about Rarity."
"Spike what do you...?" The realization suddenly hit the lilac unicorn. "Spike...did...did she...?"
Spike couldn't hold it back anymore and cried. "Y...yes Twilight!" The purple pegasus blubbered between sobs. "I...I asked her...about...about how she felt about me. She doesn't like me...SHE HATES ME! She thinks I'm annoying and creepy!"
Twilight was shocked at hearing this and went to give her assistant a hug. "Spike...I'm so sorry." She suddenly felt herself be pushed away by the purple pegasus as she got close.
Spike hung his head as he turned and went upstairs to the bedroom. "You...you and Applejack were right. I should've given up on her." The purple pegasus went into the room and shut the door.
Twilight looked at the door to her bedroom door feeling guilty and depressed. The rain was falling heavily, but the sound of it was drowned out by her assistant's wailing. She decided to give Spike some time alone and used her magic to conjure up a large fluffy purple sleeping bag. The lilac unicorn turned off the lights and crawled into bed, but she couldn't sleep. All she could hear was Spike's sobbing echoing.
Twilight felt a tear swell up in her eye and run down her cheek. "I'm sorry Spike." She said in a cracked voice.
Deep in the castle of the Disciples of Nightmare Moon, Lord Sandro sat on his throne and looked towards the tall brown doors. They opened to a dark brown stallion in royal guard armor. He bowed before the throne and removed his helmet to reveal it was Captain Sanderson.
"You may rise captain." Lord Sandro said in a cold menacing tone. "What do you have to report?"
The brown stallion rose and said, "Lord Sandro, as we feared Princess Celestia sent down the Royal Guard to block us. Thanks to some of our spies we were able to capture and kill some of them to take their places."
"You have done well Captain."
"I have even more good news for you my Lord. I've found the one that betrayed us all those years ago. He's hiding in town in some run down building."
"Hmmm...most interesting Sanderson." The hooded stallion said sinisterly. "Now that we know where he is, it's time to make an example of him. I want you to lead a team in capturing him."
"It shall be done my Lord." The brown stallion said as he bowed. "What about those ponies? Princess Celestia will soon notice that we have..."
"You don't need to worry about that Sanderson." Lord Sandro said cutting him off. "Tomorrow, we finally reveal ourselves and start to capture not only those six ponies, but Sparky as well."
"My Lord...does this mean...?"
"Yes Captain Sanderson, the time has come at long last."
The dark brown stallion's eyes widened upon hearing this. "My Lord, forgive me but even if we do execute the order, I still see no reason to bring Sparky here. We don't even have the..."
"Still that tongue of yours Sanderson." Lord Sandro said in an icy tone. The dark brown stallion wisely closed his mouth. "Now then as I was saying, the archeologists found the seventh one at last. It's being kept in my private chambers."
Captain Sanderson's eyes narrowed and smiled smugly. "Shall I attack them tomorrow?"
"Patience there Sanderson, we will still need time in setting up the Ritual Circle here. I expect no more than two days for all of them to be captured and brought here. Soon we will have our revenge against Princess Celestia and the disciples will take what is ours."
"What do you wish me to do Lord Sandro?"
The hooded stallion used his magic to conjure up five scrolls. "Return to Ponyville posthaste and give these scrolls to the 'commanders' of the Royal Guards. Each one of them has a name on it and they are to be given to these 'commanders' only. Before you capture our traitor, I want you to deal with the Princess' prized pupil. She won't be easy to capture, but I won't accept any failure from you."
"Yes my Lord."
"Afterwards, I want you to go to this building our traitor is hiding at and bring him to me. I want you to also bring me the tablets I'm sure us being kept in the building."
"As you wish Lord Sandro."
"Good, now go and give those orders. I need to put the final touches on our plan."
Captain Sanderson bowed and went out of the throne room to do his duty.
Lord Sandro stood as he looked upon a moon that was being covered up by dark billowing storm clouds. He smirked from under his hood. "Once more the Disciples of Nightmare Moon will rule Equestria." He said to himself. "Princess Celestia will soon feel the queen's wrath and we shall burn her."
He let out a cold menacing laugh that echoed throughout the throne room. His horn glowed a dark energy and with a flash, teleported out of the castle.
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i love this chapter
some grammar errors but AWESOME for that i give you pinkie
Ouch. Poor Spike.
Keep up the great work, dude! I find your stories pretty damn awesome
Well wasn't that just a buck to the balls for spike
But I love it because I did not think that was going to happen. It is a great twist in the story
5/5
"I don't know Spike"
I'm pretty sure that these comments (there are a few others, addressing somepony like that) need a comman, but I can't be quite sure.
Also, the letter from Applebloom, do you think that she actually writes like that? Are you sure that you should do the accent there as well?
Also, Spike, why you see too deep into Rarity's words?
667840 Thanks!
though. (not the filly BTW)
667868 Thank you!
668061 It didn't come up as a spelling error for me.
668323 Thanks! There shall be more
668469 The letter was written by all three fillies including Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Besides, you DID see the letter they all wrote in Ponyville Confidential right? Yes I'm keeping her accent in there.
668469 And no, nopony is asking for a comma there.
First of all, I'd like to say it's weird reading your own name in a fic (that waiter was such a pimp, but i digress)
Second of all, really liked the chapter, Rarity broke Spikes heart, etc.
Keep up the good work!
668920 Thank you!
655388
what do you mean
this will be intresting.
P...poor Spike!!
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT RARITY?!
That's... so... sad...
But... really good chapter
This is one of my favorite fanfictions that I follow here.
Cqan't wait for more
I have a feeling that Rarity only said what she did because she met Sparky- a PONY that had all the traits she liked in Spike. She couldn't very well turn down the full package deal, so she had to brush Spike off as just a dragon with a crush on her.
... Or maybe I'm just over analyzing things. Certainly can't wait for the next update!
669841 It shall be indeed.
670231 Thank you! I'll upload more soon.
670301 You'll just have to wait and see what happens.
i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/BlackWaterG29/MLP/mlp-spike-crying.png
678347 Everytime you make Spike cry, a dragon dies.
woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow this was really awesome D: !!! waaaa i didnt see this comin !! poor spike D: !!
ma gad !!! :D this chap totally rock !!! i cant wait to see da next chap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
678754 Thanks.
678570 Indubadubly. I overheard that a large corpse of a dragon suddenly fell onto Sweet Apple Acres.
I wonder how Rarity is going to feel after learning that sparky is actually spike and when spike turned into sparky. Im the spike did put her on a pedastal, helped her in anything she needed without anything in return, and u cant forget the fact that he under went an inter species transmutation to simply have a better chance with her. Im guessing shes gonna feel like shet but thats just me. Love ur story its one of my favorites.
Oh and for those who think this is sad than u havent read heart of a dragon. Dont get me wrong i love this story but heart of a dragon makes my little dashie look like a badly made soul popper story. I was depressed for 2 weeks after reading it.
670301
that's exactly what I'm thinking too.
One thing that always shot over my mind, if people play spikes age the way they do now when it comes to him and rarity, changing him into a pony should make no difference, or be worse really. A lot of these story seem to have spike transformed closer to a pony closer to rarity's age, which I would take it as a baby dragon "age" is the equal to a teenage pony. Meaning whether or not changed there shouldn't be a problem. Now if that is not the case, than shouldn't he be the age and size of the CMC even after transformed into a pony. .
693454
that was the first mlp fanfic I red, I loved rarity part in it, i didn't finish celestial since if it isn't rarity it isn't worth it XD.
derpicdn.net/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTMvMDIvMDMvMjBfNTdfMTdfMTUwXzIzMjU4NF9fVU5PUFRfX3NhZmVfc3Bpa2VfcmVhY3Rpb25faW1hZ2VfNTBlMDMwNjdhNGM3MmQ3NzQ2MDAwNmI2LnBuZy5wbmciXV0/232584__safe_spike_reaction-image_faic_50e03067a4c72d77460006b6_why.png
when rarity said that about spike iwas like
and then i was like YOU BITCH 
now i hope spike says sometihng mean and shes all like 
Read Werepony and you can see another version of the spike rarity dynamic. It's sad and romantic and completely wonderful.