Unfamiliar Patterns

by TheVClaw

Stitching it Together

By the time Zecora reached the Everfree Forest, the sky was already starting to grow dark. Since Rainbow Dash and her crew were planning on organizing another large storm before the summer season could really begin, the skies around Ponyville were shrouded by a thick blanket of clouds in preparation.

Just as the zebra walked away from the dark shade of the upcoming storm clouds, she was greeted by an even darker array of shadows from the looming trees now surrounding her. Despite the fact that the storm had yet to begin, Zecora's fur was still matted around her cheeks.

Shortly after storming off in pure anger, Zecora's conscience began to kick in by the time she reached the town limits. Thinking back to everything that was done and said, her guilt started to build up tremendously the more she thought on it.

While she didn't realize it until she was halfway to the border of the Everfree Forest, she was beginning to cry by the time she made it to the edge of town.

Luckily enough, due to the scheduled storm, most ponies were already indoors, so Zecora didn’t have to pass anyone on her way home; that just made her isolation that much more apparent with each regretful step. After all that had happened, she knew that a lot of mistakes were made, and that her chances of redemption were extremely low, if even possible.

Zecora was mad about Rarity not talking with her, there was no doubt about that. But, after thinking it over, she knew that she shouldn't have done something that irresponsible.

Despite how upset she was about Rarity’s inability to discuss their relationship, purposely trying to expose them as a couple was juvenile at best. All that she wanted to do was prove a point to Rarity by showing that nopony would care. Given how foolish her plan was (which just amounted to giving the unicorn a hickie), Zecora couldn't blame her one bit for being so angry at her.

Many things were said, most of which was extremely harsh from both sides. Even with how upset she felt during their heated argument, Zecora knew that she should've never said some of those things, even after Rarity's cold insults.

In the end, there was only one thing Zecora couldn't deny: neither of them won.

Both of them lost, not just in that fight, but each other as well.

With that last painful truth fogging her mind, more tears streamed down Zecora’s cheeks as she reached her hut. Unwilling to face anyone else, Zecora clenched her eyes shut as she stepped inside her home, slammed the door shut, and secluded herself in the darkness.

Through her pained, poorly concealed sobs, Zecora, who was too distracted by her own woes to think about anything, tried to seek salvation in her plush bedding.

She didn’t notice the dozens of glowing eyes peering around the outside of her hut, waiting for the right moment to strike.

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Spike was careful as he reentered Carousel Boutique in the evening hours. Knowing what kind of stuff he might be walking into, the drake made sure to stay quiet as he reached his desk. Although Twilight tried to warn him about the storm coming up, Spike told her that he forgot his backpack, which prompted her to allow him to leave. In all honesty, Spike wasn't lying about that; he really did forget his backpack, which had a lot of his comic books and quills he didn’t want to leave here for the night.

But that wasn't the real reason he came back.

When he originally left the Boutique earlier that day, he was solely focused on the gems Rarity gave to him. However, after thinking it over, Spike knew that something was off with how she was acting. Instead of looking cheerful or relaxed, Rarity looked really, really mad. And not the normal kind of mad either, like when she caught Spike going through her stash of rubies that one day.

No, her anger was a lot more… contained, like she was holding it back to use on her real target. He remembered seeing that same form of anger from her before when she helped save him from those teenage dragons.

Now, Spike wanted to make sure of two things: one, that Rarity was okay; and, two, that no one was killed or vaporized since he’d left.

After finding his backpack and placing it by the door, Spike refocused his attention on looking for Rarity, hoping that she was really alright. When he saw that no one was downstairs, the dragon slowly made his way up to the second floor, hoping not to hear any screaming (or moaning, which would honestly be worse to hear).

By the time he reached the top of the steps, Spike heard something else coming very faintly beyond the closed door of Rarity's bedroom.

Sobbing.

No longer worried about interrupting anything, he quickly rushed over to the door and knocked loudly, eliciting a muffled "Eep!" from inside.

"Rarity! Rarity, are you okay?"

"Oh, Spike! Spike, I…"

A long pause followed. After a brief moment of nothing, the bedroom door opened slightly. Spike could see Rarity’s head through the crack as she looked down.

"It… it's alright, Spikey…"

Rarity paused, attempting to breathe normally. Despite her attempts to sound fine, Spike could see from her unkempt mane and reddened eyes that she was anything but.

"I just… I'd rather be alone right now, alright?"

Seeing how distressed Rarity looked, Spike was growing more concerned with each passing second. Knowing that only Zecora was here before he left, his voice came out more sternly as he looked up at her. "What happened?"

"It's nothing to worry about, Spike. Okay?" Rarity tried to wipe the matted fur under her eyes. "You don't need to—"

"What. Happened?" Spike's nostrils began to flare.

Seeing how intensely the drake was staring at her through the door, the unicorn grew slightly afraid, unsure of what might happen. "S-Spike? Please… please don't look at me like that."

Spike didn’t move a muscle, keeping his stare on the worried unicorn.

Realizing she wasn't going to just brush him off like before, Rarity tried to look away from him and hoped he'd do the same. Unfortunately, after another moment, Rarity looked back to see that he was still staring at her, waiting for an answer.

"Tell me."

Rarity sighed painfully as she tried to avoid the dragon's eyes. "Spike, it's not… It's not like that! I…"

Rarity slumped her head down and looked at the floor. "Zecora… Zecora and I may… may have gotten into a fight, an—"

Spike's face reddened with pure, unbridled anger. He immediately ran toward the stairs again.

Rarity threw the door open, intent on stopping him before he did something horrible in a fit of rage. "SPIKE!"

Rarity lit her horn, using her magic to grab the drake before he was out of sight. Despite his small size and limited strength, the dragon's violent thrashing was making it difficult for Rarity to keep him in her aura.

"Spike, stop this right now!"

"LET ME GO!!!" His voice was much deeper than usual, which alarmed Rarity even more as she strengthened her aura. "SHE'S MINE!!!"

"SPIKE!"

Even though the last she wanted to do was hurt Spike, she knew she had to do something to stop him from going on a murderous rampage.

Rarity threw Spike to his back against the wall, pinning him tightly with her magic so he wouldn’t break free. While the dragon kept thrashing, Rarity didn’t waste any time and got right in his face.

"SPIKE!!!"

Spike paused for a moment as he stared right at Rarity with intense anger. Remembering what Zecora told her about her discussion with Spike, Rarity knew why he was acting this way. Though she was still mad at the zebra, she wasn't nearly angry enough to consider sending a bloodthirsty dragon after her.

Not wanting to lose Spike to his own rage, Rarity put her muzzle up against his as she spoke with intense authority and austerity.

"Spike, I am going to say this once, and ONLY once! Zecora did NOT hurt me! Do you hear me?! She did NOT hurt me! Not like that!"

Still panting in anger and frustration, Spike tried to squirm and break through Rarity's magic. Luckily, Rarity kept her grip on him as she continued, "Zecora did not hurt me, Spike! I swear that to you! So, say that to me!"

Spike clenched his lips shut, unwilling to say something he didn’t believe was true. However, with the unicorn's insistent stare on him, he slowly realized that she wasn't lying.

After a moment of silence, the drake slowly reopened his lips, and said in a reluctantly faint and bitter tone, "She… she didn’t hurt you…"

"That's right," Rarity said firmly, still maintaining her grip with her magic. "It was just an argument, and nothing physical. Do you understand?"

Spike's breathing came out slightly less forced, though he was still resistant enough to stay silent. This prompted Rarity to lean in closer.

"Do. You. Understand, Spike?"

After a few seconds, Spike exhaled heavily and slowly nodded.

As she continued to keep close to him, Rarity narrowed her eyes and continued, "Now, I am not going to let you go until you promise me that you will not go after her. Alright?"

Spike pursed his lips shut again and tried to look away. "Bu… but—"

"But nothing!" Rarity exclaimed. "I am not going to risk losing you because of you doing something foolish, so look at me!"

Slowly, the dragon's green eyes peered back at the mare, who was staring at him intensely.

"Pinkie Promise me, Spike. I want you to Pinkie Promise that you will not go after Zecora if I let you go."

Spike's face scrunched in. He didn’t want to agree to something like that after seeing his good friend crying because of that zebra. Due to the unicorn's unrelenting stare on him—which could honestly rival Fluttershy's Stare right now—Spike's lips trembled for a moment before he took another breath.

"C… cr… crossmyheart—"

"Say it, like you mean it," Rarity ordered.

Closing his eyes, the dragon sighed through his teeth, hating that he had to do this. Nevertheless, after another bout of silence, Spike finally reopened his eyes, and spoke with great reluctance.

"Fine… Cr… Cross my heart, hope to fly… stick a cupcake in my eye… I promise."

Rarity's eyes narrowed further. "You promise what?"

Spike groaned in frustration, only faltering for a second as he hung his head. "I… promise I… I won't go after Zecora…"

Rarity didn’t move a muscle for a moment, staring at the dragon for any sign of insincerity. Fortunately, after several seconds of silence, Rarity nodded before lowering her magic grip. "Alright… I believe you."

Rarity then placed Spike on the floor once more, releasing her aura. Spike immediately looked over at the front door, which was just at the bottom of the stairs. Knowing he could easily escape now, the drake's eyes narrowed on the exit for a moment, weighing his options while the unicorn stared at him.

At remembering what he said, he knew he couldn't break what he promised, and sighed before turning back to her.

"See?" Spike put his claws out, standing before Rarity while speaking sincerely. "I'm not going to go after her. Alright?"

Rarity gave a light smile to the dragon and nodded, glad that her friend would keep to his word. "Good. Thank you, Spike."

"But!" Spike pointed a claw at her and added, "If I'm not going after Zecora, I want to know what happened!"

Rarity's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting him to make a demand like that. Remembering how the whole debacle started, the last thing she wanted was to bring up some of those details to him.

"Oh, Spike…" Rarity tried to look away from him as said, "I really don't think it's something you should hear abou—"

"I don’t care!" Spike kept his insistent tone as he continued, "If this is something that made you cry, then I want to know why! I promised I would be there for you when I first found out about you two, so the least you can do is talk to me about it maturely!"

Rarity turned back to him to make a rebuttal, pausing as she processed his words. Thinking it over, she realized that he was right; Spike really had been fairly mature about this whole thing, and had been able to handle a lot up to this point. Plus, considering how helpful he'd been lately, maybe talking with him wouldn’t hurt.

"Besides," Spike continued, "aside from Cheerilee, there really isn't anyone else you can talk to about this, right? So, it's either you talk to me, or you keep this bottled in. Which one do you want?"

Rarity's eyebrows rose in astonishment. She had a slight difficulty grasping Spike's level of logic right now. Though she knew he was surprisingly adult for his age, she wouldn't have expected him to say something like that.

Nevertheless, Rarity knew he was right. She sighed before nodding faintly.

"I… I suppose so…"

Spike smiled slightly and nodded back, glad to see Rarity agree to talk.

Soon, the two were back in Rarity's bedroom. Spike sat on the bed. Looking back at her patiently, Spike kept a look of concern on his face as he began, "So… what happened?"

"Well…"

Looking away sheepishly, Rarity knew that, even with Spike's insistence, saying how it started would probably put him off. After taking a deep breath, Rarity turned away and showed the side of her neck to the dragon. "Earlier today, Zecora did this."

"Ugh!" Spike shut his eyes and looked away from the hickey. "Come on! I don't need to see that!"

"I'm just trying to prove a point!" Rarity turned back to him as she said bitterly, "This morning, before I went for my weekly spa visit with Fluttershy, Zecora and I got into an argument, and she did this to me on purpose, just to try exposing our relationship to my friends!"

Spike's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? But… but why? That seems kinda odd for her to do."

"Because," Rarity said as she looked away from him and began to pace around the bedroom, "I kept on trying to tell her how we should keep our relationship a secret, but she was insistent on trying to convince me otherwise.

“Despite what I tried saying to her, she didn’t think anything would happen if ponies knew! I knew the conversation wasn't going to go anywhere, but she wouldn’t stop prodding me about it! She wasn't able to understand how important it was for me to keep this hidden, and thought that I was acting irrationally, so she did THIS!"

Spike's eyes began to narrow. "Wait… what?"

"I mean, is it really that difficult to understand? Can she really not grasp how much my career would get jeopardized if ponies were to discover I was with a zebra? Or a mare, for that matter?! I mean, my reputation would be completely ruined! And what does she do?! She deliberately tried to expose me, JUST to try proving something that's completely pointless!"

"Umm…" Spike blinked a few times, trying to process Rarity's rant, though his face gave off a clear look of even deeper confusion. "So… Why didn't you just talk with her?"

Rarity quickly turned back to him, appearing shocked to hear that suggestion. "What?! Are you serious, Spike?!"

"Well, why not?" Spike asked. "I mean, yeah, it's weird, but do you really think it would hurt your career?"

"YES, Spike!" Rarity deadpanned, "of COURSE it would! You know how judgmental my clients are! I've seen designers get shunned from Canterlot ponies for things lesser than a relationship like this! How do you think I would compare!? They would take one look at me and Zecora, and immediately blacklist me! Do you really think I want that?!"

Spike's mouth was slightly open as he narrowed his eyes on the unicorn. "So… let me get this straight… The reason you didn't talk with Zecora about this… was because you think your relationship with her… would mess up your reputation?"

"Yes!"

Hoping that he saw her point, Rarity continued to pace around the room as she spoke with more infliction.

"Spike, you have to understand—when you work with high-class ponies, any little thing could break you for good! If they knew I was with a zebra, or that I was a… lesbian…"

Rarity still had a slight problem saying that word, wincing a little before continuing, "I would lose every ounce of respect I earned since I started! Nopony would want to use my designs, and I would never be able to sell a dress again! I would be completely forgotten, and I do NOT want that to happen!"

Rarity looked back at him, seeing that the dragon was staring at her with a completely dumbfounded look on his face.

"Please say something, Spike! Surely, you have to understand what I'm saying!"

After blinking again in silence, he put up a claw, halting Rarity's ramblings long enough for him to speak. "Do you… do you really want to know what I think?"

"Why… yes, Spike," said Rarity, looking slightly surprised. "I want to hear your opinion about this."

"You're not gonna like it.”

Rarity merely huffed before replying, "Oh, come now, Spikey! I'm an adult! I think I can handle whatever it is you have to say."

Spike looked away and took a deep breath. "Well… okay… if you say so…"

"Alright," Rarity said, looking at Spike with interest. "So, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Reluctantly, Spike looked back at Rarity with an unsure look on his face. After exhaling slowly, he looked more stern as he began, "Rarity…

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard."

Rarity's jaw dropped. Absolutely shocked at what Spike had just said, her muzzle started to twitch and turn red from confusion and anger. "W-W-WHAT?!?"

Spike put up a claw. "Just hear me ou—"

"HOW DARE YOU!!!" Rarity declared with fury, "HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT TO ME?! After all I've done for you, and all that I said, you actually go and call me STUPID?!?"

"I'm not calling YOU stupid!" Spike deflected. "I'm saying that your excuse is stupid!"

"It's the same thing!" Rarity yelled back. "I can't believe that you would actually say that to me! Do you not realize how insulting that is?!"

"Do YOU not realize what you're saying?!"

Spike's concern had completely shifted. He looked at Rarity in bewilderment. "I mean, if you were just saying you're worried about this relationship because of your friends or your family finding out, then I would understand a little! But to actually say you need to hide it because of your career is just… DUMB! I'm sorry, Rarity, I really am, but it really is dumb!"

Rarity scowled as she looked away from him. It didn’t stop him from continuing, "Do you really, and I mean really think that your reputation would be ruined just because you're with Zecora?!"

"Yes!" Rarity glared back at him."If my clients knew, they would immediately turn on me and look for somepony else!"

Spike's look of disbelief intensified, his jaw dropping lower with each passing word from the mare. Fed up, Spike hopped off the bed and stood on his feet while looking straight at her. "You really think that ponies would stop respecting you?"

"Yes!" Rarity insisted.

"You?!"

"Yes!"

"You," Spike pointed a claw at her, "Rarity?"

"YES! Me, Rarity!"

Spike put his claw down, resting it at his hip as he kept his stare on her. "The mare who helped save Equestria, like, five different times?"

"YE—"

Rarity’s mouth hung open. The unicorn was silent for a moment, which gave Spike enough time to put his claws back up and look at Rarity, wide-eyed.

"Element of Generosity?!? HELLO?!? You're one of the Elements of Harmony, for crying out loud! Do you seriously think ponies will forget that?!"

"I… I…"

Rarity was barely able to make any more words escape her muzzle. Spike, knowing he had her attention, didn't pause as he kept going.

"Rarity, how many lives do you think you helped save in the past few years?! You helped stop Nightmare Moon! You helped take down Discord! You helped save the Crystal Empire!"

"THAT was YOU!" Rarity snapped, pointing a hoof at him.

"But YOU still helped!" Spike snapped back, pointing a claw at her. "Just like you helped stop those vine things around that Harmony Tree, AND when you helped stop that Changeling invasion!"

Rarity looked away from Spike sheepishly, unsure of how to respond. Though she tried to scowl, she was having a hard time denying what Spike was saying.

"Speaking of which," he continued, "do you seriously think that any pony in Canterlot would turn on you after all the Changeling butt you kicked that day?! I mean, I'm surprised that most of the ponies there aren't kissing your hooves whenever you walk into the room after that!"

"Spike! I…"

Rarity tried to turn back to him and defend herself. Yet, she wasn't able to think of anything to contradict him. Even though she didn't want to admit it—especially given Spike's brutally honest attitude right now—she knew that he was starting to make a valid point.

Slowly, Rarity closed her muzzle and looked down to the ground while she tried to collect her thoughts.

"Rarity," Spike explained, "I know you're worried about how ponies would think of you, but you have to think this over. After everything you've done, and after all that you helped to accomplish, do you honestly think that ponies are gonna look at you and say, 'Oh, thanks for saving all our lives several times over, but we don’t want you anymore because you're gay?!' I mean, come on! You could be with five zebras and a Diamond Dog and they wouldn't say anything!"

"SPIKE!" Rarity tried to give him a strong scowl, but that didn’t change the persistent look on his face as he stared back at her.

"Rare, you are a national hero! You're on several of the stained-glass windows in Canterlot Castle! You are friends with a Princess! With Royalty! And, technically speaking, ever since the wedding, you're Royalty, too!"

When Rarity's scowl began to soften, Spike tried to look more sympathetic as he added, "Do you seriously think that anypony would look at all that and be stupid enough to still disrespect you? Just because you're with Zecora?"

Biting her lip, Rarity's looked down at the floor and thought his words over. Though she tried to be adamant, the unicorn couldn't deny what Spike was saying. She really had done a lot for Equestria in the past few years, and knew that none of her efforts would be forgotten anytime soon.

In fact, given her title as the Element of Generosity, she wouldn't be surprised if she and her friends ended up living on for centuries in countless history books. Still, that didn't change how apprehensive she felt about what would happen if she was discovered with Zecora.

Spike, noticing the look on Rarity's face, kept a stern expression on his own as he said, "Try to tell me that I'm wrong about this."

Rarity looked back at Spike in surprise.

Spike repeated his request. "Seriously, Rarity, I want you to look me in the eyes and say that I'm wrong. Do you really think ponies will stop respecting you just because of this?"

Rarity blinked, unsure of what to say. As she looked at the dragon before her, she knew that she couldn't lie to his face. Seeing the look of sincerity in his emerald eyes, Rarity winced a little and tried to look away.

"I… I suppose…" Rarity sighed under her breath before finishing, "I suppose… you might be right…"

"Might?" Spike asked condescendingly.

"ALRIGHT!" Rarity shouted, looking back at him. "Alright, already! You're right! Okay?! You're right, Spike! You're absolutely right!"

The unicorn walked away a couple steps and tried to contain her anger. "I… I probably… wouldn't be dismissed by ponies so easily due to my status. It… might seem rather foolish to assume that, wouldn't it?"

"Thank you!" Spike said, relieved.

"BUT!" Rarity snapped as she turned back to him, "I am not worried about my reputation as a hero! I know that won’t go away!"

Spike began to look confused again as Rarity continued, "What I'm worried about is my reputation as a designer! Do you know how delicate it is to maintain my status well enough to keep the clients I have?"

Spike groaned in frustration and rubbed his temples with a claw. "Rarity, are you serious?"

"I most certainly am! Spike, do you have any idea how quickly a designer can lose their reputation for one small thing? I've seen many designers, some more renowned than myself, lose everything for the smallest issues: bad-talking a client, promoting summer colors while it was still spring, marrying their second cousin…"

Spike's eyebrows skewed a little. "A second cousin?"

"What? It happens sometimes." Rarity kept her tone as she began to pace around once more. "And most of those were fairly minor in comparison to me!

“Spike, even if I'm to be remembered as a hero, I know there will still be ponies who will lose respect in me as a fashionista, just because of how controversial interspecies relationships can be! I mean, sure, I might not lose all my clients, and I still might be able to make a dress or two, but I won't be looked at the same! I just know some other, more 'desirable' designer will take my place, and the moment I'm out of the room and away from earshot, I know that they'll start talking badly about me, saying things like, 'Can you believe that Filly-Fooling Zebra-Lover?!' Ugh, just the thought of that is enough to make me develop a grey hair!"

Noting how stressed Rarity was looking, Spike tried to put up a claw and talk her down. "Rarity, it's no—"

"Tell me I'm wrong!" Rarity snapped, turning back to him with an upset look on her face. "Come on, Spike! Let's see how you like it! I want you to look me in the eye and try telling me that I won't be looked down on as a dressmaker!"

Spike stayed silent for a moment, looking at Rarity as he thought it over. After a few seconds of contemplation, Spike breathed in before staring back at her. "Fine."

Spike then turned around and sat back on the bed. When he got to a comfortable position, he faced Rarity again before crossing his arms.

"Tell me about your competitors."

Rarity furrowed her brow. "What?"

"You heard me," Spike said with more authority as he sat patiently. "I want you to tell me about some of the other designers and what they've done. Who do you think will take your place? Because, quite frankly, I can’t really think of any."

Realizing what he was getting at, Rarity raised her eyebrows for a moment before sighing in agreement. "Fine. Well, where do I start?"

Rarity began to walk around the bedroom, thinking about her competition while Spike sat on the bed. Not noticing his eyes following her, Rarity looked down at her carpet as she spoke.

"Well, I know that Coco Pommel has been doing fairly well since she helped make all the costumes for that show. She's still a bit young, but I feel like she'd be rather big someday…"

"Okay," said Spike, his tone indicating that he was waiting for more.

"There's also Limelight up in Vanhoover. She managed to get the attention of Photo Finish with her designs, which was something even I wasn't able to do at first. She also made some great clothing, which was featured in Ponies Weekly, including an impressive dress that was worn by Citrus Blossom for the front cover!"

Spike shrugged his shoulders a little. "Alright…"

"There's also Sandy Tino, who impressed a lot of the Canterlot Elite with his tailored works. Although, I heard he also got in a light scuffle with Hoity Toity when he was being caught impersonating him among some friends, but I heard that settled a little bit."

Spike shrugged again, but didn't interrupt Rarity as she continued to speak.

"And then there's countless others who I constantly have to compete with every year for the attention of new clients and buyers. Styles and trends always change, and I feel that sometimes I get by more often by luck than I do with just skill. I've seen ponies become a smash success one day and be immediately forgotten the next! There are dozens of ponies who I can name off the top of my hoof who are big now, but what about next week? Or next year? It's always something I have to look out for, and it's hard enough to keep my success up without any controversies exposed in my life! This is my dream, Spike, and I can't even pretend to imagine it slipping away from me."

Rarity then looked back at Spike, who was still keeping a contemplative look on his face. Before Rarity could try to add more, Spike saw that she said what was needed to be said, and began to make his rebuttal.

"So… If I'm hearing this right, your biggest rivals include Coco, who made a bunch of costumes for a show, as well as some pony who made some dresses for a magazine, a guy who makes suits, and a bunch of competing newcomers?"

From the way Spike listed everything, sounding like nothing that impressive, Rarity had to contain her contempt as she replied, "Yes, Spike… And all of those tasks are very difficult to accomplish, so I don’t appreciate you taking them so lightly."

Spike shrugged again as he took in Rarity's defense. "Okay."

He jumped off the bed, brushing himself off before taking a deep breath. After cracking his neck, Spike looked up at Rarity before asking, "So… those are the biggest accomplishments those ponies made?"

"Yes," Rarity said firmly.

"Alright… Meanwhile…" Spike pointed a claw up at Rarity, looking at her sternly as he began to make his case.

"YOU managed to make all the costumes for the world tour of Sapphire Shores, one of the biggest pop stars in the world!" Spike then put up a second claw. "TWICE!"

Rarity bit her lip and tried to look away.

"You also impressed Hoity Toity AND Fancy Pants, two of the biggest names in Canterlot, with your dresses! And you STILL do business with both of them! Am I wrong?"

"N…no…" Rarity whimpered as she tried to avoid eye contact.

"And then there was the Manehattan Fashion Week you did, which you managed to win using only materials from your hotel room! I mean, do you think anypony else could pull that off?! You also constantly get work with dozens of other Canterlot clients, and were featured in how many magazines?! Seriously, how many times have you had to do interviews with ponies over your dresses?"

"I… well…" Rarity began to blush while she thought about it, realizing that she actually may have lost count.

"Oh, and do I even NEED to mention the Royal Wedding?!"

Rarity looked back at Spike, who was staring at her, wide-eyed.

"HELLO?! Rare, that was like, a once-in-a-century event! They could've gotten ANYpony to make Princess Cadence's wedding dress, and Celestia chose YOU! And how long did it take you to make that dress, anyway? Like, a day?! Maybe two?! Doesn't that kind of thing take like, YEARS to make?!"

Observing how Rarity was blushing, Spike didn't wait for an answer to his rhetorical question and just kept going.

"And YOU not only managed to make that dress perfectly in less than a couple of days, but you made all the bridesmaids’ dresses as well! BOTH times! For BOTH weddings! Rarity, do you honestly, and I mean HONESTLY think any of those other ponies could've accomplished all that?!"

Rarity looked down at the floor, unable to open her muzzle. Her wide-eyed gaze at her hooves was more than enough for Spike to know that she wasn't going to claim otherwise.

"I mean, think about it! Any of those things would've been good enough for a designer to do! Heck, most of those ponies would've probably killed to do just one of those things in their lifetime! But YOU! You managed to do ALL of that! And it only took you a couple of years!"

Noting how this was all starting to get to her, Spike slowly walked up closer to her. Placing a claw on her shoulder, he caught Rarity's attention and got her to look back at him. Keeping a look of utmost sincerity on his face, Spike kept his eyes on the unsure mare as he made his point.

"Rarity, there is absolutely, positively, no way anypony could ever match up to you. You… YOU… are the best designer… Period."

Rarity's eyes widened at hearing that, realizing that Spike said that with the purest form of truth.

"And I'm not just saying that because you're my friend, Rarity. I really mean it. You are the best designer… EVER. And I know I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Overcome by the dragon's honesty, Rarity looked away and tried not to cry. "Oh, Spike I… I don—"

"Don’t what?" asked the drake as he kept his eyes on her. "Don’t think it's true? Do you honestly think any other pony would actually be able to pull off as much as you have in that short an amount of time?"

Thinking it over, Rarity had to bite her lip to keep her smile from growing too wide. Knowing that her friend was absolutely right, Rarity turned back to him.

"I know you're worried about your image, and I get it. But you shouldn’t be afraid that your dreams are going to go away. Rarity, you… you already reached them! You've managed to do more with your life than most ponies could ever dream of, as a hero AND as a designer! And there's no reason you should act like any of that is ever going to go away."

With a faint smile, Spike placed a claw up to the side of her face, catching a stray tear that was rolling down her cheek.

"You know there's nothing to be afraid of, right? You already made your dreams come true, so you shouldn’t worry about it going away. Especially because of Zecora."

Rarity tried to muster up a grateful smile. However, that last mention of the zebra was enough to make her smile drop again as she started to look more confused.

"W-what?" Spike asked, noticing Rarity’s change.

The unicorn looked down to the floor between them, thinking it over before she looked back at him with a puzzled glance.

"Why… why are you helping me?"

"What do you mean?" Spike asked in a confused tone. "I can’t help out a friend?"

"No! I mean…" Rarity pulled Spike's claw from her face before looking at him more perplexedly. "Why… why are you helping me in my relationship with Zecora? Are… are you… wanting us to get back together?"

"Well… " Spike looked away for a moment. Thinking it over, Spike sighed before looking back to her. "M-maybe… I mean, it's not like you're breaking up with her for a valid reason. I… I really don’t see why you couldn't work this out."

"Spike, I…"

Thinking back to all that occurred before Spike came back, Rarity's heart sank when she recalled all that was said. Remembering how coldly she acted, and for something that she could now see wasn't fairly justified, the unicorn winced as she looked away from the dragon.

"I really… really don’t think she'll want to talk to me. I… I said some horrible things to her… Things I really shouldn’t have said."

"It's alright," Spike assured. "I'm sure she'll understand. Just apologize and talk it out. It sounds like that was what she wanted anyway."

"Spike, you…" Rarity looked at him in an even more confused state as she realized what he was trying to do. "You really want me to stay with her?"

"Well…" Spike bit his lip and looked down, then nodded before looking back up. "Yeah. I mean… Isn’t that what you want?"

"But…"

Rarity pursed her lips as she thought about his question. In her mind, she couldn’t deny his claim. She really did want to get back with Zecora. After all that was said and done, she knew that she didn’t want to lose her, especially for the reasons she originally had. She wanted to talk it out and make amends, but that still didn’t explain how someone who was infatuated with her wanted her to go ahead with it.

"But what about you?" Rarity asked, turning to him with concern. "I… I can’t even begin to imagine how you might feel about this! I mean…"

Rarity bit her lip in worry. Of all the time they spent as friends, she knew that Spike cared about her as more than that. Even after his discovery and becoming used to the idea of her with Zecora, Rarity wasn’t sure whether or not he still had feelings for her.

Confused as to why he wanted to help her out now, Rarity tried to speak with the utmost caution.

"I know you've always had feelings for me, so… I really didn't expect you to react this way. I mean…I wasn't sure if you still felt that way… Honestly, I thought you would be absolutely elated at the idea of me being single again! I… I thought you would be happy about this…"

"Well, I'm not happy.”

"But… but why?"

"Because you're not happy."

Rarity's eyes widened, unsure of what to say to that.

"Rare," began the dragon as he began to speak in a sincere tone, "I know that I wasn't exactly happy when I first found out about all this, and… yeah. It still feels off, but…"

Spike looked down to the ground as he thought it over, trying to gather the right words.

"Honestly, I… I've been friends with you for a long time, and… and I don’t think I've ever seen you act this way for anyone else before."

"Spike," Rarity began to correct him, "I don't think what I have for Zecora is—"

"Please," Spike said in a stern tone as he put up a claw, attempting to hold back the faint look of pain in his face. "Just… just let me say this, alright?"

Spike glanced down at the floor and took a breath, knowing what he had to say in order to help his friend when she needed him.

"I… I really do care about you, Rarity. You… you're one of the most caring and generous friends I've ever known… And… I'm pretty sure that's why I've cared about you for so long…"

Spike bit his lip as he took another deep breath, his heart thumping faster from a mix of fear and worry.

"I… I still do care about you, though… You… you're not wrong. I… I know there's a part of me that would love to see you single again… because I… I still do love you…"

Rarity just stared at him in shock, never having expected him to actually say that one word out loud. Spike slowly looked back up at Rarity, his eyes slightly welling as he spoke with the purest honesty.

"I… I love you, Rarity. And… and I know that's never going to change…"

Spike then closed his eyes again and breathed in deeply, wanting to keep himself strong before he continued.

"But… if there's one thing I learned from you, it's that I shouldn’t let my own feelings get in the way of somepony else's happiness… and… Nothing makes me feel better than when I see you happy. And I've seen you happy for a lot of different reasons…"

Rarity was still stunned silent by Spike's earlier admission, but she didn’t interrupt him as he kept speaking. The drake looked back to her with an optimistic smile.

"Like… I remember how happy you were when you were chosen to make the dresses for the Royal Wedding… How proud you were of Twilight when she became a Princess… How much you laughed when Rainbow Dash accidentally tipped over the outhouse with Applejack inside..."

Rarity tried not to snicker as she turned her head away. "I… I wasn't laughing about that, Spike!"

"Well…" Even though he could tell she was lying, Spike didn't bring it up, and instead continued to make his point.

“Anyways, I… I've seen you happy for a lot of stuff, but… honestly, I don’t think I've seen you as happy about anything… as you are when you’re with her."

Rarity turned back at him with a surprised look on her face. Spike, knowing what he had to say, kept his genuine smile as he finished.

"Rarity, I… I know you said you were worried, but… I really do think Zecora has made you happier than anything else… I mean, I don’t think I've ever seen you act this happy for such a long amount of time. Like… when I've been working for you the past month, I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much, despite how much work you had. You had a lot on your plate, but… it was pretty clear that she made everything go a lot better for you."

Rarity placed a hoof over her chest, feeling like her heart was becoming warmer with his each passing word. While she began to grow a gracious smile on her muzzle, Rarity kept listening.

"I… I honestly can’t remember ever seeing you act this happy before. And when I came in to check in on you, I don’t think I've ever seen you look this sad about something before. And… it's pretty clear that Zecora is the reason for both those things, right?"

Looking down at the hoof on her chest, Rarity silently nodded. Remembering how heartbroken she was about Zecora leaving, she couldn’t deny anything that Spike was saying. She really did feel happy when she was with her, which just made her feel worse when she left. Thinking it over, Rarity's breathing began to come out heavier as she realized what she was feeling.

"Rarity, I…"

Spike exhaled slowly, making sure his voice wasn't coming out shakily as he told her the truth. "All that I really want is to see you happy. And… I really don’t want to see you give up on something like this… Not when it's obvious how much it really means to you… And not for the reasons you had…"

Rarity looked down to the floor and nodded. Now in full realization of what she was really feeling about Zecora, she knew that she couldn’t let this slip away so easily. She wasn't going to let it end like this, and she certainly wasn't going to let this pass because of the worries she used to carry with her.

When she looked back up to Spike with a gracious smile on her muzzle, Rarity was just about to say something before he put a claw on her shoulder. Keeping her silent for a moment, he kept his caring smile as he finished his statement.

"I really do want you to be happy, Rare. I mean… after everything else that you've done… do you really want to give up on this?"

Rarity's lips trembled a little as she kept her smile and shook her head, struggling to keep herself from tearing up in front of her friend. Seeing how Spike was smiling back at her, Rarity closed her eyes and hugged him, holding him as tightly and warmly as she possibly could.

"Th… thank you, Spike," Rarity whispered as she clung to him, savoring how the dragon hugged her back. "I really mean it… Thank you so much… You… you really are the perfect gentledrake…"

"It's alright," said Spike in return as he continued hugging her. "All that matters is that you're better, because you’re my friend… And that's all I really want."

Rarity kept her embrace on the dragon for another moment before slowly pulling back to smile at him. "Spike, I…"

Thinking it over, Rarity knew what she had to do. Even though it was getting dark, she couldn’t care less; she had to talk with Zecora before it's too late. "I… really need to do something, Spike…"

"It's okay," said Spike with the purest tone of understanding as he smiled back, "I get it."

Rarity then bent in, kissing Spike sweetly on the cheek before pulling back. Looking at the blushing dragon, her smile turned slightly worried as she asked, "Are… are you sure you'll be alright about this?"

"Yeah, Rare," Spike said with a smile. "I already told you, I'm pretty mature for my age. I'll be fine, I promise."

Happy at his answer, Rarity gave him one more affectionate hug before heading off. Knowing what needed to be done, the unicorn hoped that she could make it to the Everfree Forest before nightfall.

You're one of the most caring and generous friends I've ever known.

Her movements began to slow as she reached the stairs, and she recalled all the things Spike said to her.

Nothing makes me feel better than when I see you happy.

Before she could reach the bottom of the stairs, Rarity stopped completely and stayed silent, realizing how significant her friend's words really were.

I love you, Rarity. And… and I know that's never going to change…

Blinking a couple times, Rarity looked back up the stairs, realizing how hard it must have been for him to admit all of that, especially since it was in regards to him basically letting her go. With all of his words coming together in her conscience, Rarity took a moment before making a decision, knowing what she needed to do.

Rarity headed back up the stairs, taking a deep breath as she reached her bedroom. Standing in the same spot he was before, Spike was silent as he looked around the room, probably waiting until she left before he would make his leave.

Not realizing that she was still here, Spike was slightly surprised when she heard her voice.

"Spike…"

Spike turned around to face her, looking slightly confused as he saw the warm smile on her face.

"Rare, what… what are you still doing he—"

"Spike," Rarity said as she walked up to him, "I… I just need to do something before I go, so…"

Rarity sat down in front of him, keeping her face at level with his as she kept her gracious smile. "Before I go," she said in a caring tone as she kept her eyes on his, "I want you to close your eyes."

"Huh?" Spike asked, "Why do yo—"

"Shhh…" Rarity covered his mouth with a hoof. "Just… just do this for me, alright?"

After a second, Spike reluctantly complied, nodding and closing his eyes. Keeping her hoof over his lips, Rarity slowly moved it to the side of his face before speaking sweetly.

"Spike… You really are the most caring friend I've ever had the pleasure to know… And I want you to know… that I really do love you back…"

With that, Rarity closed her eyes and slowly bent in. After all he had done to help her, she knew exactly what she needed to do to show her appreciation, which helped to take away any sign of hesitation.

Holding the dragon in her grasp, Rarity gently pressed her lips against his, making Spike's eyes shoot wide-open as he realized what was happening.

After a second of brief shock, Spike's eyes became half-lidded as he felt the mare's lips on him, making him slowly close his eyes and kiss her back.

Even though the kiss itself lasted no more than five seconds, it felt almost infinite to the dragon, who was blushing heavily by the time Rarity finally pulled back. Seeing how overwhelmed he was by her kiss, Rarity tried not to giggle while she kept her smile on him.

"There you go," said Rarity in a caring tone. "A token of my appreciation, Spike. Because you earned it."

"Uhhhh… appaaaa…."

Blushing deeply enough to almost forget that he was supposed to be purple instead of red, Spike was barely able to utter a single comprehensible word. After a couple seconds of overwhelming shock, Spike was able to muster up a crooked smile on his lips as he struggled to stand upright. "Th… thank you…"

"No problem…"

With that, Rarity stood back up on her hooves, then bent down to give the dragon another quick peck on the lips before leaving.

Before she could reach the doorway, Rarity heard a loud whump! from behind her, making her giggle when she turned around to see the blushing dragon passed out on her floor.

Knowing that he would be fine, Rarity went back to the hallway to make her leave, feeling much better that she did something like that for a friend who deserved it the most.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zecora struggled to lay comfortably in her bed, despite how lush the mattress and blankets were. Of course, considering who it was who gave her this bedding, it wouldn’t be difficult so consider why she felt so downtrodden about laying in it in the first place.

The tears had stopped flowing from her eyes some time ago, but that didn’t mean she wasn't still overcome with tremendous grief about everything that happened. And as she pushed her head in against the soft pillows, their faint lavender scent only made Zecora's pain even worse; she couldn't stop thinking about Rarity.

Clenching her eyes shut, the zebra tried to bury her face in the pillows and shut out everything around her. Nonetheless, her heart still ached deeply from all that happened earlier that day. With every venomous word and reply replaying in her head, Zecora was barely able to think of anything else in her state, let alone notice anything happening outside.

Ponyville was currently going under a strong downpour under Luna's night, but the Everfree Forest laid within its own weather, and was surprisingly dry tonight.

Within the looming darkness, the glowing eyes began to move in closer around Zecora's hut. Slowly, the shadows emerged from the trees, revealing the Timberwolves, who returned to strike. Stepping past the charred remains of the ones Rarity destroyed earlier, none of them felt any hesitation or caution, feeling only the coldest malice towards the one inside.

Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to just sleep her troubles away, Zecora lumbered off her bed, hoping to find a different form of distraction in her kitchen. As she made her way through her hut, it wasn't until she reached her fridge that she noticed the eerie glow outside her windows.

Before she could turn to see what was outside, the front door crashed open, revealing a large Timberwolf standing at the entranceway with a murderous stare in its glowing green eyes.

Zecora tried to run to her staff by the wall, but the Timberwolf quickly lunged, keeping itself in front of it before she could grab it. Half a dozen more Timberwolves entered her home, surrounding the zebra who stood defenseless.

While this wasn't the first time she dealt with a pack of Timberwolves before, the zebra never saw them look this brooding or bloodthirsty before. Seeing the intense look of anger and wickedness in their glowing orbs, Zecora could tell they weren't in attack mode for their territory or food like usual.

They were out for blood, and had Zecora right where they wanted her.

Zecora tried to step back, but one quick glance around her hut proved that she was cornered. Trapped without a single weapon or viable escape, the zebra started to breathe heavier, realizing that she was starting to feel legitimate fear for the first time in a very long time.

Even after all the time she had spent in these woods, and all the years she had lived in seclusion, this was one of the first moments that Zecora actually felt helpless.

And, after everything else that happened today, Zecora never felt so alone.

The main Timberwolf stepped forward, keeping its murderous stare on the zebra as she began to shake in her hooves. Zecora tried to keep her distance, but felt the purest form of fear envelop her as her backside touched the wall. She was trapped.

Snarling its jagged teeth, which were made from the toughest preserved bark against its wooden body, the Timberwolf narrowed its eyes on its prey, anxious to finally receive revenge for the fallen brethren outside.

With the other Timberwolves walking up closer as well, Zecora knew there wasn't any way out of this. With nothing but fear and regret flowing through her mind, the zebra slowly closed her eyes, only hoping that her end would be painless.

Suddenly, a bright flash of white light enveloped the room. A blast of magic shot across the room and hit the main Timberwolf directly.

In one strike, the beast was immediately vanquished, leaving the other Timberwolves stunned in surprise as they searched for the source.

Standing at the doorway of Zecora's hut, Rarity was panting loudly from near exhaustion as she kept her horn lit. Not seeming to notice how matted her fur or mane were from the rainfall, the muddied unicorn stared down her foes with bloodthirsty fury.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BRUTES!" shouted the mare, not giving them a chance to react before she unleashed her magic against them.

The moment Rarity yelled out, Zecora reopened her eyes in surprise, just in time to see every single Timberwolf get struck down and cremated by her.

After using the last of her magic to close the door behind her, Rarity slumped down on the floor of Zecora's hut, feeling like she was going to pass out after all her running and magic. Zecora quickly ran up to the mare, hoping that she wasn't seriously hurt.

"Rarity!" Zecora exclaimed, not expecting to ever see her again after their fight. "Are you alr—"

Rarity gathered enough strength to wrap her hooves around her and give a deep kiss to the zebra's muzzle. Slowly, Zecora's eyes began to close in pleasant surprise as she felt the unicorn's lips on her own, not wanting this moment to end anytime soon. The zebra wrapped her hooves around Rarity, holding her tightly as she kissed back.

After a long moment of deep embrace, Rarity finally pulled her head back and looked into Zecora's eyes with desperate longing and guilt. "Zecora, I… I'm so sorry! I should've never acted so worried abo—MMPH!"

Zecora didn’t pay much heed to the mare's apology, kissing her once more. Wanting to keep her like this as long as she could, she held onto her tightly when she finally broke her kiss and said between pants, "Rarity, I'm sorry too… I never meant to hurt you."

"Don't apologize," Rarity said faintly, making sure to keep kissing her muzzle while she spoke. "I was wrong… I… I shouldn’t have ignored what you had to say… I don't want to keep hiding this… Not if it's hurting you."

"I was the one who acted badly!" Zecora insisted. "I just wa—"

"I know!" Rarity held the zebra in a tight hug, closing her eyes. "I know you were sick of hiding, and I get it now! I shouldn’t be worrying about my future, or my career. I shouldn't have acted like you would make me lose my dreams. I… I realized…"

Rarity then pulled back, staring into Zecora's welling eyes as she spoke with a smile on her muzzle.

"I already reached the dreams I had… And, now, I have you to reach the dreams I still want."

Zecora didn’t need to say anything to show her gratitude, just reciprocating the feeling with an even tighter hug. "Oh, Rarity! You don't know how happy you made me!"

Remembering all that was said earlier, Zecora started to feel guilty again as she closed her eyes. Knowing what had to be said, she slowly pulled back and stared into the unicorn's eyes. "And… I wish I could take back what I said… I'm sorry."

"Oh, Zecora! I'm sorry, too!" Overcome by what she recalled saying to Zecora, Rarity clung to her as she tried not to tear up. "I'm so sorry! I should've never said any of that to you! You're not a brat, I swear! I was just mad at you, but… I feel awful!"

Hearing the sincerity in her sobbing voice, Zecora held her close to her chest, knowing that she wasn't being dishonest at all. Rarity sniffed a little before pulling her head up, managing to keep herself steady as she looked at her.

"Zecora, you… You're one of the greatest things to ever happen to me… You've made me happier than anything else in my life… I… I don't want to lose you…"

With tears beginning to appear in her eyes, Zecora could only smile back at her, knowing that she felt the exact same way. Even after all that happened, she knew that Rarity was too important to her to give up now.

They may have been hurt, but nothing could've been lost forever—not after every tender moment they shared, or every minute they became closer. They may have just been friends, or even just acquaintances when this all started; but now, within the zebra's hut and in each other's hooves, neither one could deny how much closer they really were.

And now, as she looked at the sopping-wet mare, Zecora could tell exactly how she felt. Looking at Rarity, the dainty unicorn who ran through a thunderstorm and the Everfree Forest at night just to reach her, Zecora knew just how important she really was to her.

So, with a warm smile on her muzzle, Zecora put a hoof up to the mare's face, keeping it against her cheek while Rarity held it beside her.

"Zecora…"

Staring into Zecora’s deep azul eyes, Rarity knew exactly what she needed to say. After all they experienced, she knew she could never feel this way about anyone else, and that she never wanted to let this go.

Breathing in, Rarity wrapped her hooves around the back of Zecora's neck, and gave a caring smile as she moved her head in closer. "I… I…"

Before she could utter the words she knew she wanted to say, Rarity kissed her lips once more, letting her taste fill her senses and remind her of what she really wanted. She couldn’t care less about her snooty clients, or her immovable reputation right now. All that she wanted now, what she wanted from now on, was right in front of her, staring back her with pure intensity and desire.

The moment she released her lips from Zecora’s, Rarity took a deep breath, feeling no hesitation or second thoughts as she opened her muzzle.

"I… I love you…"

Zecora's eyes widened, looking straight at Rarity, who was giving her a look of complete honesty.

"You… really do?"

Rarity's smile grew a little bigger as she only needed to nod. Feeling the warmth blooming in her chest, Rarity knew that she really felt that way now.

It might not have been a dashing Prince or traveling writer, but Rarity didn’t care. She was in love.

And that feeling only grew stronger as she saw Zecora's smile widen as well.

Holding her close, Zecora only said one last thing as she bent in closer.

"I love you, too…"

With that, the two closed their eyes and joined their lips in tight embrace.

Holding each other tightly within the darkness of the Everfree Forest, both of them knew that this moment couldn't have felt more perfect. With their hearts beating in synchronicity, and their lips united in warm embrace, Rarity and Zecora knew that their bond could never be broken. Even after all their words and fears, all that mattered now was each other, leaving them to savor this unbreakable moment for what it truly was:

Love.

Author's Note:

Happy Hearts & Hooves Day, everypony! Here's some feels to get you through the day!

Comments

[Theta KnightMare]

Thank you.

[DARKPHANTOM13]

I hope you ship Spike with someone. After all that he deserves it.

[ThePrimoChocolatePony]

Best chapter EVER

[Puzzle Reader]

I don't think I've ever seen Spike be that awesome before. He was WIN right in this chapter! There's nobody else in a better position to have given her the talking she so desperately needed.

[OmniFox]

Spike IS the Voice of Reason.
I nominate Sweetie Belle to ship with Spike. All in favor?

[Shock and Awe]

Great chapter

[Bad_Seed_72]

Spike is so damn awesome in this story.

[DanvilleBengal]

THIS.....this is how everyone, fanfiction writers as well as the actual writers for the show, should write Spike.

Mature for his age (still peeved that he's considered a kid, i.e. <18, but that's a personal issue [I admit i'm a little perverted, I'm fine with it]), the voice of reason, the straw in the drink--especially when it looks like the ponies are divided or defeated.....just beautiful. He even knows when to let it go, he's probably already learned about the most painful lesson about loving someone: knowing when it's time to let yourself be happy for somepony else instead of yourself.

Easily the best thing about this chapter is Spike's rebuttal after Rarity's rant---the perfect counterpoint for every point. Makes sense, Spike has seen it all (some more than he wishes ). Simply awesome how you stitched all her feelings, her fears, her successes, and her thoughts into a few paragraphs, and even more impressive---it's coming from the eyes of the one person that can easily see it from both ends, the one that finally realized that he never had a chance, but that Rarity is still his best friend.

Also, according to this, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo are way too young in this story to even attempt trying to ship one of them with Spike. For one thing, Spike's already hooves and tails above the CMCs, so in that effect that would be the equivalent of a college student dating a eight-grader. I can't even begin to imagine how awkward and just......wrong that would be.

However, I don't really see anyone else in this story that could be shipped with Spike. So even though he's did the right thing and officially let Rarity go for real, he's still alone. And that, frankly, sucks.

[Aryame]

This story has been very enjoyable so far. Zecora's rhyming is difficult to include and not make it annoying, but you've managed to do that. The tension around needing to keep the relationship secret has been built up well and you did a good job of making it seem like a hickey is a big deal (since in Rarity's eyes, it is).

But Spike in this chapter... oh, Spike...

I can't fathom why you thought her kissing him (on the lips, apparently) was a good idea. I don't say that to be mean - really, I don't - but after finishing the chapter, I've just sat and thought. The more I thought, the more nonsensical and grotesque it became. The very idea of Spike getting ready to go assault Zecora as though Rarity were his property to protect is disquieting, and after that discussion it seems like she kisses him because he... deserves it. By virtue of having been attracted to her for so long, having been a "nice guy" at every opportunity, and by finally starting to act like a decent being in putting her desires before his own (although not entirely, because he repeatedly states that he loves her), he has "earned the prize" of female affection.

"A token of my appreciation, Spike. Because you earned it."

Yeah...

[TheVClaw]

4232183

She didn't do it just because "he earned it." She did it because she realized how much of a good friend he's been for her, and she wanted to show her appreciation for his help in a profound way. She knew how much Spike truly cared for her, and did what she felt was the best way to give her thanks. He helped save her relationship by sacrificing his own desires, and he got a glimpse of her affection in return.

[Aryame]

4232450
I get that, and the temptation to make the audience say "oh, that's so sweet!" behind it. However, anyone in a relationship will tell you what a fantastically bad idea it is to kiss someone on the lips as a reward when you don't intend to pursue a relationship with them. And Rarity does say it was because he earned it. That made me uncomfortable, especially considering it is followed by

for a friend who deserved it the most.

You never deserve someone's romantic affection - even "a taste of it" if such a thing exists - by being a good friend, by being a good person, by any means whatsoever. It's supposed to be sweet, but it just didn't work.

And even though I'm being emphatic, I want it to be understood that on the whole, I really do like this story. You've taken a pairing that sounds like it would be a joke and made it work.

[TheVClaw]

4232528

I understand what you're saying, and I agree with you as a whole. I just wanted to give Spike a better send-off from his crush than just a hug, especially after everything he said.

And thanks for your input, by the way. It's always nice to hear what readers have to say.

[fireflutterpony]

This chapter quickly became nauseating to read. Both Spike and Rarity completely miss the point of what's really vile about Rarity's behaviour - that she prioritises her high-society-chasing ambitions over her relationships.

[JovianStorm]

8058619
4 years late yes but I totally agree. In the end she doesn’t stop caring about the racist and homophobic opinions of others, she just realized she’s so successful it doesn’t matter. Just so bad man.