Chapter 3
“They’re so cute!”
That was the first thing I heard in the morning, followed by a chorus of hushed giggles. While it was true I wanted to pry open my eyelids and tell whoever they were to kindly be a bit quieter, Rarity’s grasp on me was far too comfortable. It was then that I realized -- by scent and touch -- that last night was indeed real, and I nearly jumped out of the bed with a start before thinking it would probably be pretty rude to wake my bedmate up that way. So, I instead slowly and gently pulled my arm out from underneath the unicorn beside me and sat up, letting loose a mighty yawn and stretching my stiff wings.
I finally opened my eyes to see that six ponies were gathered around me, Rainbow sitting with a smug expression to my left.
“So…” Rainbow Dash began, her smirk growing even larger, “did you sleep well last night?”
Letting my quick wit work this out for me, I immediately replied, “You were right beside me Ms. Cuddlepony; you tell me.”
The rest of the girls giggled as Rainbow’s face lit up in a fierce blush, and she turned away in embarrassment. It was cute to be honest, so I let it happen; besides, she’d laughed quite a bit over the years at my expense, so I counted this as payback. Rarity, however, was still getting her beauty sleep, so I hurriedly shushed the others and pointed to the slumbering unicorn. Not to sound cliche or anything, but I never really understood the reason for someone as physically and mentally beautiful as Rarity needing beauty sleep, but she would likely say something along the lines of it being needed for “maintenance”, so I just stop that train of thought before it even makes it to my mouth.
Let it be said that I do think ahead from time to time.
“All kidding aside though,” Twilight began, more quietly than her rainbow-maned friend, “is everything alright between the two of you now?”
I nodded, smiling as I glanced to my sleeping bedmate. “Yeah. Mom visited late last night too --” I then preempted Twilight’s correction by adding, “or this morning, if you want to be specific -- and spent some off-time with me for a bit.”
Scootaloo looked confused, as did most of the rest of them besides Twilight. “Your mom? A dragon came by here last night?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Not my biological mother Scoots, rather, the one I consider my mother: Celestia.”
Rainbow Dash had apparently recovered from her embarrassment since she broke in with, “Celestia’s your mom?”
I shrugged with a faint smile. “She raised me before Twilight took over later on, and like a lot of animals, dragons naturally imprint on those they spend the most time with shortly after birth. Twilight hatched me, but those first few months were spent exclusively with Celestia, so I’ve always thought of her as my mom.” I chuckled and added, “She actually had to explain to me later when I was old enough to understand that I was not, in actuality, a pony. It was quite the revelation, to say the least.”
“To find out that yer not just a scaly pony?” Applejack chimed with a grin. “Ah can imagine so. Bet that was cute; wish Ah could’a seen yer reaction.”
I chuckled softly at the memory, remembering my childish overreaction. “I cried...a lot; like any young pony would at learning they were not, in fact, a pony.” I glanced to Applejack and clarified, “I guess it would be like you finding out that you were actually a wingless pegasus and not an earth pony.”
It took the knowledge gained from years of study under Twilight to know that the two were not, in fact, the same thing. Pegasi were usually the smallest of the three tribes, whereas earth ponies were the largest. Mistaking an earth pony for a pegasus would be difficult.
I stretched and stood, doing both quietly so as not to wake the sleeping pony beside me. “Alright, who’s up for breakfast?”
As was the custom among my friends, I cooked us all breakfast. Besides Twilight and Scootaloo, the rest were perfectly capable of cooking a hearty meal for a group, but it was sort of an unspoken rule that I was the one to cook whenever all of us were gathered together. While some others might feel a bit used because of this, I didn’t mind in the least. Besides the fact that cooking for grateful friends was hardly a chore, I actually liked to cook; it was a bit of a private hobby of mine, and one that I’d perfected among other skills I possessed.
So it was that the cloudy morning was filled with pleasant chatter as I prepared the meal, with my totally macho frilly pink apron on, with “Kiss the Cook” written in glittery red letters across the front.
…
…
It was a gift from Rarity, so keep your judging judge-words to yourself. Besides all that, the “requirement” written on it had been followed by nearly all in attendance at least once, so I was perfectly content wearing something that was pink and frilly...a-and sparkly…alright fine, so it’s kinda girly, but whatever.
“Mmm, smells good Spikey!” commented the bright voice of Pinkie from behind me as she peered past my shoulder. “Could I just-”
As a pink hand reached around me toward the sizzling peppers and hay-browns, I tapped the digits with my spoon and shook my head. “It’s almost done, Pinkie. You’ll have some when everypony else does.”
She appeared in my field of vision, pouting adorably as her blue eyes seemed to widen to nearly comical levels; comical, at least, if it wasn’t so pitiful-looking. “Spiiiike…”
I glanced at her for a moment before my resolve completely fell away, and I huffed before grabbing a spoon from the drawer and scooping some of the mixture up and holding it in front of her mouth. She blew on the steaming food before wrapping her lips around the spoon, moaning in a borderline-inappropriate manner as she closed her eyes and chewed. It took all I had within me to keep my thoughts focused on something other than every fantasy I’d ever secretly had about her as a younger drake (and even from time to time more recently), but-
I slapped myself and took a deep breath, shaking my head at the fluffy-haired baker beside me. “You’re gonna get me in trouble one of these days Pinkie, and when that day comes you’re totally getting part of the blame.”
She shrugged with a smile as she swallowed her food with an exaggerated lip-licking. “As long as I get to share in the fun when it happens, that’s okay!”
I waited for Pinkie to clarify her statement for me since it was pretty vague as far as how I was supposed to take it, but she just winked at me before walking away. I knew for a fact that Pinkie was smarter than most strangers took her for, so I was pretty sure she knew when she was messing with me. No one, no matter how innocent, could tease the way she did and have no idea of the implications of what she said and did.
Sometimes it’s hard out here for a drake, but the perks make it worth it...most of the time.
With a flourish I began to serve the food up into the bowls set aside, topping Twilight’s with a generous portion of ketchup and adding fresh habanero Mexicolt peppers to Pinkie and Rainbow’s. With the meals ready, I began bringing them to the crystal dining table the mares were all sitting near. Conversation quickly died, replaced by grateful words and praise, but I didn’t let it get to me. Nope, I surely didn’t let the praise of six of my best friends inflate my ego, and I’ll completely deny that I had a bit of a swagger in my step as I served the meals up.
“Y’all might as well be an Apple with how good at cookin’ ya are, Spike.” Applejack praised with a smile and wink.
I shrugged, making my way back to the kitchen after setting all the assembled ponies’ meals in front of them. “It doesn’t come naturally, I’ll admit. Still, practice makes perfect, and dragons do have a lot of experience with cooking things. I just had to learn to stop heating food before it became ash and everything was good.” I ignored Rainbow Dash’s amused chuckle and instead looked to the stairs leading to Twilight’s room. “Anypony know if Rarity’s coming down?”
Scootaloo snorted to conceal a laugh. “Maybe she’s waiting for her dreamy dragon to come wake her with a kiss.”
My shock and surprise at the youngest of us all having put the pieces together was clear, and I looked worriedly to the rest of them. Pinkie decided to save me from my anxiety by adding, “You two aren’t really good at keeping a secret, Spikey. Rarity doesn’t hold just anypony like that.”
I furrowed my brows as I looked at the faces of all who were gathered. “You all aren’t...weirded out by this?”
Twilight shrugged with both her shoulders and wings, for some reason. “It was a little strange when she was twice your size, but it’s a lot easier to see you as a mature dragon when you look the part. Personally, I think it’s great; you finally got what you had been chasing all your childhood.”
I smirked as the metaphorical door was left open for me. “I also wanted to be a superhero and a valiant knight; do you think those will come true for me too?”
“Now you’re just being silly.” she retorted, but couldn’t hide a grin.
I raised my hand as I made my way to the stairs. “Well this silly dragon is going to wake up Miss ‘I-Need-My-Beauty-Rest’.” Before climbing the steps, I stopped and turned, offering a grateful smile. “All kidding aside though, I’m happy you all are being so supportive. I’ve had nightmares about something like this going horribly wrong.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me. “How could this have gone horribly wrong?”
I shrugged, beginning my ascent. “I’ve imagined things from stern scolding ranging all the way to banishment and a forced make-out session with Discord.” At the silence that reigned after my explanation, I glanced to the room of silent ponies and shrugged. “If there is something worse than trading spit with one of my guy friends, I can’t think of it.”
Another bit of laughter answered my words, but I didn’t stay any longer; there was a portion of greasy, thrown-together breakfast with Rarity’s name on it, and I wasn’t going to let her miss it. I quickened my pace to skipping a stair or two with each stride, and soon arrived at the door to Twilight’s room. I knocked softly and waited for an answer, but only silence answered me. Assuming that Rarity was still asleep, I turned the crystalline knob and pushed the door open, shutting it behind me.
Rarity was still and breathing deeply, though without me nearby she had fully extended her legs to cover the entire surface of the bed. Contrary to what many of the others thought with how often I had been over Rarity’s home, this would mark the first time I had caught her in a natural sleep state...and it was adorable. She was holding the pillow we had shared tightly as she slept peacefully. Rarity was apparently just as refined asleep as she was awake, since she didn’t snore, didn’t drool, and only tossed and turned when she was ill.
Still, as blissful as she may have been, breakfast waits for no pony.
I made my way to her side and sat down on the bed, extending a hand and shaking her gently. “Rares...Rarity, it’s time to wake up.”
She groaned loudly before rolling onto her back, fluttering her eyes a few times before looking over to me. Once our eyes met hers closed once again, and she reached out to me as she sat up, embracing me. “Good morning Spikey-wikey.” She then surprised me with a few kisses to my cheek and jawline, causing me to stiffen a bit. While it was true she had finally seen me as more than just a friend (much) earlier in the morning, it was going to take some getting used to in order to not flinch or react when she openly showed affection to me. It was okay though; for her, I would weather a storm of kisses. Ah, the things I’ll do for love.
I felt blood rush to my cheeks as she repeatedly planted her lips against my face, slowly and lovingly. I did my best to keep from looking too much like I was losing myself to an overpowering giddiness, but my eyes momentarily rolling back in my head probably ruined that.
After gathering enough of my composure to speak I greeted, “‘Morning, Rares. How did you sleep?”
Rarity ceased her oral assault upon me (and I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed) as she laid her head against mine. “Mmmm...wonderfully, darling. And you?”
I chuckled and nodded. “Same.” I then gently nudged her and gestured to the door. “C’mon, I made breakfast.”
Rarity nodded against me and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, standing with a dainty yawn as she adjusted her sleepwear. While at one point in our history I might have to worry about her taking the next two hours just to make herself “presentable”, our years together as a family of seven had done wonders for her self-confidence around us. I suppose it took someone seeing you at both your best and worst -- still sticking around to offer love and support through it all -- in order for us to feel truly confident that we would not be judged by something so trivial as bedmane or mussed fur. Scootaloo might not have spent as much time with all of us, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t also trust her in that respect, since we had been the ones to help her through her tough times.
Still, I was often thankful that I didn’t have any fur to muss, and no mane to get tangled; it made getting ready in the morning a breeze.
As Rarity stumbled sleepily a few times, I bounded down the stairway ahead of her to prepare a strong cup of coffee. While it was true I was eager to prove I was observant and thoughtful enough to do that for the mare I loved, I knew it was more for everypony else’s benefit than hers. A cranky Rarity is scarier than an angry ursa, and I wanted our first day together as a couple to be a good one, as cheesy as it sounds.
I arrived at the common room to find the others already eating and chatting happily, so I silently prepared the steamy caffeinated drink and arrived with it at the table just as Rarity arrived in the room. She nodded thankfully to me as she took her place between Applejack and myself, sipping the beverage slowly and letting out an audible sigh of contentment.
“Mornin’ Rare. Ya sleep alright?” Applejack greeted with a smirk, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Rarity took a breath and muttered, “Honestly Applejack, must you be so crass? As a lady I would never submit myself to raising my tail so quickly for anyone, much less in the company of others. Proper etiquette demands restraint and self-control, and I would never lose myself to such a base desire.”
I noticed a few things at that moment. First of all, Rarity never once denied that her and I were an item. Also, Applejack’s grin had slowly fallen away until she looked a little worried for offending a friend. Lastly but certainly not the least, Rarity’s mouth had slowly curled into a mischievous grin...and it was the following words that flowed from her mouth that proved to me that while Rarity considered herself a proper lady, this particular fashionista was far more complex than a stranger would think.
“But,” she began, taking another sip of her aromatic coffee, “more than that, I simply didn’t want to wake the entire town when I began shrieking Spike’s name to the stars in an attempt to find an outlet for the sheer bliss of mutual loving release.” The last word was said more slowly, and with a seductive purr; her words had the desired affect as Rainbow Dash began choking on her food and Fluttershy began chanting “oh my goodness” repeatedly as her face turned from pale yellow to ruddy orange. Twilight and Applejack just stared with slack jaws as Scootaloo giggled, and Pinkie was actually…
“I’m…actually kinda jealous.” Pinkie admitted, biting her lip. It took a playful shove from me to cause the pink mare to begin giggling, and I laughed as well. Soon, much as we had the day before, all eight of us were laughing loudly as the contagious joviality spread among us, and I basked in the warmth and love of great friends.
While we all made it a point to spend time together as often as possible, each of us still had our own obligations -- the farm for Applejack, for example -- so, after breakfast we were forced to say our goodbyes as the group split up.
As Rainbow pulled Scootaloo up onto her back to take her home, Rarity, Twilight and I were the only three left standing out in front of the Friendship Castle. Seeing as how I didn’t particularly have anything important to do at the moment, I thought it a good idea to suggest, “So...lunch later?”
Rarity and Twilight turned to me before briefly glancing to each other. After nodding Twilight answered, “That sounds nice, Spike. Your treat?”
While it was true we practically had to fight with the restaurant owners of some places simply to pay for our meals, most of the ponies who had known us when we were younger treated us exactly the same as they always had. It was because of that issue that Twilight and I often ate out at a specific eatery when we wanted to spend time out of the castle, so I already had a place in mind.
With a nod, I smiled. “Sure; we’ll head to Chunky’s at around 1:00, alright?” Before Rarity could comment on the name I added, “They have healthy food options available too, Rarity.”
Considering my answer, Rarity looked to Twilight again before smiling at me. “That sounds lovely, Spike. Thank you for offering.”
Taking a chance, I leaned forward and planted a kiss on her mouth, lingering for a moment before pulling away and cupping her face in my hand. Her eyes fluttered open after having closed for a moment, and she smiled at me as I whispered, “Just thought I’d treat two of the world’s greatest to a simple lunch, as well as show you off a bit.”
Rarity pulled away with a soft blush and shoved me half-heartedly, only to drape her arms around my neck a second later to plant a single kiss on my lips. By the stars, that will never get old.
“Then, my shining knight, your lady will see you midday.” she replied, still smiling warmly.
‘My lady...’ I thought quietly to myself. With a radiant smile I nodded before releasing her. “I’ll see you then, Rares.” Then, deciding to see just how-
“I love you.” she murmured, her hands still around my neck.
I stood stock still for a moment before answering, “I was literally just about to say that.” Even though she said it first (and in doing so, sent a very potent thrill through my entire body), I eagerly reciprocated with a soft, “I love you too, Rares. See you later.” Rarity finally released me and began walking away, her designer overnight satchel in hand. It seemed that even doing something so mundane as spending the night over a friend’s house, she still had to be “chic and magnifique” while doing it.
*sigh*...I love that mare.
“It’s about time, Spike.” Twilight snarked from beside me, leaning her weight against me as she did so.
I extended one of my wings and wrapped it around her, still keeping my eyes locked on Rarity as she slowly disappeared around a few buildings. “It just kinda all happened at once last night, Twi. We finally had a serious -- albeit short -- talk about what happened to me in Canterlot, and then it just kinda...escalated. Next thing I know we’re kissing, and I’m fighting my own instincts to keep from hurting her...or mentally scarring the rest of you.” After realizing what I’d just said I turned my eyes to Twilight with a sheepish smile. “Sorry; TMI, right?”
Twilight had a mild blush along the tops of her cheeks, but she smiled supportively at me. “Don’t ever be afraid to talk to me about anything, Spike. There are things that Discord just wouldn’t understand, and I honestly don’t think Snips or Snails could help you out with anything pertaining to Rarity or your relationship with her.” She then nudged me with her shoulder. “Besides, I’ve known you the longest. If you can’t talk to the pony you’re closest to, who can you talk to?”
While it was true that my concept of Twilight had slowly changed from friend/sister to something else over the years, it was times like this that reminded me of just how close we were. There were things I’d spoken to her about that no pony else knew...not even Celestia. I’d spoken to her about my greatest fears of turning into an aggressive, hoarding dragon, and of my most loved dream of us always being together -- yes, even more than winning Rarity’s heart. Twilight was the pony I valued most in the world, and so long as she stood by my side, I knew everything would be alright.
“I thank whatever force put us together, Twi.” I commented, tightening my wing-hold around her. “We’d be messes alone.”
I felt Twilight nod against my shoulder before she moved away from me toward the door behind us. “I have to get cleaned up,” she then threw a glance over her shoulder, “and you get to start the laundry.”
I groan and threw my hands up as I followed her to the interior. “But I did it last week!”
Twilight nodded, but her mouth curled into a satisfied smirk. “You did, but who was the one that filed all those tax forms for the mayor? And, in case you’ve forgotten, I was the one that made sure you were able to make it to Canterlot for Vinyl’s party last week; you owe me, Spike.”
While normally I would consider the favors she did for me a gift, she quite clearly said in the past on both occasions that I would owe her for it...and I couldn’t go back on a promise to deliver.
I sighed, groaning at the end of it. “Fine, I’ll do the laundry...but I won’t like it!”
Twilight giggled softly and said, “You’ll make the perfect husband someday.”
While it was new to hear Twilight say such a thing to me, the thought itself was not...and I have to admit, the thought of “Husband Spike” one day for Rarity was a pretty nice one.
“Spike, stop! It isn’t going to fit like that; just push harder!”
“Ugh...this is a really tight fit, Twilight. Are you sure that’s where you want it?”
“Quit playing around and just shove it in, Spike! You’ve kept me waiting far too long!”
*grunt*
“Harder S-Spike!”
*grunt*
“A-almost there…”
With a final, satisfying push, Twilight and I collapsed to the floor, completely spent. Twilight was sweating, both of us were gulping down air, and the library was silent once again.
“Oh *pant* Celestia, I *pant* can’t feel *pant* my legs.” Twilight whispered hoarsely.
I barked a laugh through my own heavy breathing. “You’ll *pant* regain feeling *pant* soon.”
Twilight lay on top of me for a moment before turning and looking at the relocated crystal bookshelf, now moved next to the fireplace. “I like it *pant* much better there.”
I lay with Twilight leaning over me from the side, looking to the bookcase as well. “You better, because *pant* I’m not moving that thing again for a long *pant* time.”
Twilight sighed heavily as she finally got her breathing back under control and stood, offering her hand to help me stand. I accepted and stood next to her, looking at the newly-organized library of our home. It was better-stocked than the Golden Oaks used to be, but it was also much more spacious. The problem was that Twilight -- ever since coming to terms with the fact that this was our home now and Golden Oaks was truly gone -- made it a point to “freshen the flow” of the room every now and again by moving things around periodically. While I appreciated the fact that we both lived here, sometimes I wish she could just do it on her own. Twilight’s excuse for requesting my help was that she didn’t trust she had enough control over her levitation to move such large things without bringing the whole castle down.
I call horseapples; she dealt with an ursa minor when she was still just a unicorn, but whatever.
“Looks good, Spike. Thanks so much for your help.” she spoke with a grateful tone and a smile.
Even though my breathing was still moderately heavy and my muscles were burning, I nodded with a smile. “Anytime, Twilight.”
Twilight then glanced to the clock on the wall, nodding with a smile. “We have some time before meeting Rarity at Chunky’s, so I want to clean up first.” Twilight made to walk toward the cloud-shower she had installed off of the commons room, but suddenly yelped and began to fall as she reached toward her thigh. I reacted quickly and caught her in a “dip” position as if we were dancing...which would have been smooth and -- dare I say it -- romantic if I hadn’t fallen as well when my balance shifted.
My wings flailed as I fell, still gripping Twilight in my arms. At the last possible second, my wings reacted as if by instinct, sticking both sharp spines that grew at the joints into the crystal floor and stopping my fall. I cringed at the sound of the crystal cracking, but breathed a sigh of relief as I found myself hovering a mere few inches off the floor with Twilight safe in my grasp. Twilight’s face was one of utter surprise as she stared back at me, her amethyst eyes focusing on my own. Her breathing was splashing over my face as gentle puffs of air, and I couldn’t help but notice just how matted her sweaty fur was. Still, it made her look...cute.
After a few moments of complete and awkward silence she whispered, “Thanks…”
I nodded slowly before setting her down and kneeling, looking over her worriedly. “What the hay happened?”
Twilight’s hand was still on her thigh as she sheepishly answered, “Muscle cramp.”
I recognized the problem and pushed myself up, retracting my wings and internally wincing at the two small dips my spines had cut into the floor. Nonetheless, I made my way quickly to the fruit bowl on the table a short distance away and grabbed a banana, tossing it to Twilight.
She raised an eyebrow at me before she slapped a palm to her forehead with a groan. “Potassium...right.”
“You drink enough water, so it’s not that.” I replied, grinning at her forgetfulness. While it was true that Twilight was a wonderful friend and well-loved princess, she could often forget to take care of herself...but then again, that’s what she had me for. “Besides all that, bookworm princesses aren’t made for strenuous physical activity...like moving a bookcase by hand.”
Twilight huffed, but couldn’t logically rebuke my argument. Granted she was stronger and more fit than she had been in the past, but working out with Rainbow only once a week wasn’t going to turn her into a powerhouse of physical strength, no matter how much her alicorn blood tried to change that; some ponies were just squishy.
Twilight quickly finished the yellow fruit (insert lewd banana joke here) before attempting to stand, only to wince and sit on her rump once again, rubbing her leg with a grimace. “Still hurts…”
I walked over and took a knee once again, bringing my hand to the affected area and kneading it gently. “Much as you wish it weren’t so, food takes time to digest. We talked about this once before, remember?”
Twilight rolled her eyes at my mention of another failed spell. “It would make things more efficient, though. How was I supposed to know it would make me sick?”
I chuckled as I continued working the tension out of the cramped muscles, shaking my head. “I hope you’ve learned not to test spells like that on yourself anymore. You were on the washroom floor for hours afterward, and I don’t think the toilet bowl can take it again.”
She crossed her arms as a light blush began to blossom over her cheeks and grumped, “It wasn’t that bad…”
I stuck out my bottom lip and nodded, giving me a very disbelieving look. “Right...so we must not remember the same night.” I cleared my throat and continued with, “S-Spike, hold my mane *BWLARGH*!” I glanced at Twilight with a smug smile. “That went on for almost four hours; I thought I was going to have to take you to the hospital! Could you imagine what kind of news headlines would have circulated because of that?”
The blush that had been growing on Twilight’s face began to extend to her ears and neck as she placed her head in her hands. “I know; Rainbow Dash was calling me ‘princess puke’ for weeks!”
“Haha...yeah, that was great.” I blurted with a chuckle before I could think about it. Twilight’s glare silenced my laughs however, and I coughed awkwardly before amending, “I-I mean, terrible...just terrible. How could she joke about one of her best friends’ suffering?”
Twilight stared at me with an unamused expression for a few tense seconds before breaking into a grin and releasing a giggle. “I guess it was pretty funny though. We can always trust Rainbow to be Rainbow.” Twilight’s smile then fell away briefly before she noticed me staring at her, at which point she plastered a noticeably fragile smile back on her face.
I wasn’t buying it.
“Twilight, what’s wrong?” I inquired, frowning at the sudden change in her mood. Just as she began to shake her head and open her mouth I added, “And if you say ‘nothing’, by the stars I’ll hide Spells, Rings, and Other Things until you spill.”
My threat of hiding Twilight’s favorite nighttime reading material (lately, anyway) hit home, and her eyes widened in horror briefly before she closed her eyes, sighing deeply. “W-well, you and Rarity are together now, and that got me thinking about life moving on and all that…”
As she trailed off and went silent for a few seconds, I nodded encouragingly. “And?”
For some reason a noticeable sadness entered her eyes, and the looked away from me. “I got to thinking about, y’know, life moving on and-”
“You’re repeating yourself, Twilight.” I commented, placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
She breathed deeply a few times before looking up to meet my gaze once again. “What’s life going to be like for us in ten years -- or twenty, or so on…” Just from the way her lip trembled, I could tell she was holding back tears. “I mean, I know I’m not pretty like Rarity or outgoing like Pinkie, and I’m definitely not ‘awesome’ like Rainbow Dash...b-but I just…” She sniffled once, and that single sound seemed to launch a crack through my heart, even as she composed herself enough to say, “I just don’t want to go through life knowing that I have to be alone.” She then smiled weakly at me and waved it away. “I’m sorry Spike, I’m being selfish.”
While selfishness was generally viewed as a bad thing, everyone was allotted a certain degree of it during their lives for self-preservation and sanity. So, with a shake of my head, I gave her shoulder a brief squeeze. "Twilight, you're allowed to want things for yourself once in awhile. It's natural to desire things for your own use and experience, and no pony, not even Celestia and Luna, is completely without selfish desires." I smiled gently at her, proud at how she had lived her life. "You give far more than most ponies would, often asking for little to nothing in return, so you're allowed to be a little selfish from time to time." I then sighed and brought her a bit closer, resting my head just to the left of her horn. "But besides all that, don't ever think you're going to be alone. You'll always have me, and the girls as well; we're not going anywhere anytime soon."
Twilight sighed and reached a hand around my back, doing her best to hold me in the awkward position. "I know it's just..." she breathed deeply again, her body language laden with worry, "dragons live a long time Spike, and no pony really knows the lifespan of an alicorn either. Eventually, it's just going to be the two of us;" she then pulled away briefly to stare at me with tears brimming in her eyes, "doesn't that scare you?"
I had been told the same thing by Celestia years ago, once she felt I was mature enough to handle such a revelation -- the realization that I would remain while many others passed on, and would likely live and grow for a thousand lifetimes before death finally took me...if at all. Much like it was for Twilight, said revelation hit me pretty hard, and it was at that point that I began making my weekly trips out to explore other parts of the world, wanting to see and experience as much as I could. Granted I would have eons to do so, and the planet rarely changed so much that I wouldn't recognize it in ten years, but I wanted to experience the world as it was now, with all of my friends here; I wanted to remember everything about this time, which I had no doubt would be one of the best times of my entire life, regardless of how long I would watch time march on. Celestia, in my sorrow, had comforted me with wise words from a pony who had seen more in her life than most could ever imagine:
"Enjoy life to the fullest including all the ponies in it, and keep them alive in your heart forevermore. No one can stop time from moving ever onward, but in experiencing joy and love, those of us blessed and cursed to remain when others fade away will find life worth living, even in the darkest of moments."
"It terrifies me," I began, swallowing hard at the thought of having to watch a pony as vibrant and lively as Pinkie grow old and wither away, "but I won't let it keep me from enjoying every moment to the fullest. Our memories of these important times and beloved ponies will ensure we remember them forever, even if it hurts when they're gone." I then brought myself forward once again, resting my forehead against Twilight's. "But even after the skies fall and all that remains of Ponyville is dust, I'll still be here." I focused hard on her glassy eyes, which swam with both sorrow and hope. "No matter what, you'll always have me; you promised once to never leave me alone, and I promised you the same."
The hope I saw in her gaze retreated briefly as Twilight muttered, "B-but Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash...a-and Rarity..."
I nodded, understanding. "Yes...but they're not gone yet, and won't be for a long, long time. Worrying about the future isn't going to change it, and you've learned that not everything can be fixed with magic." I then smiled, "But you're the Princess of Friendship for a reason, so honor that title by ensuring the ponies who helped you attain that title realize how important they are to you."
Twilight sighed and nodded, closing her eyes. "Yeah...but it just kinda..." she motioned generally with a hand, "hits you sometimes, you know?"
"Because you try not to think about it," I replied knowingly, "and nor should you. Like I said, worrying about it won't change anything. Still, it's something you know in the back of your mind, and so every now and then those thoughts will rear their heads and will have to be dealt with." I shook my head, releasing my own sigh of sorrow. "Much as I love them all, our friends just wouldn't completely understand the situation -- sure, they'd be understanding, but they'd never really understand something they'll never experience." I then nudged Twilight's jaw with a curled finger, smiling affectionately. "But that's what you have me for, Twi. Don't ever be afraid to bring stuff like this to me, because I'm always willing to help any way I can, even if it's just to offer an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on."
Once again, as she had many times before, Twilight looked back at me with an expression of utter gratitude and love as she brought her free hand to the hand I had on her shoulder. She sniffled once again as a few tears fell, but she was smiling this time. "T-thank you s-so much Spike. I love you." I nodded, though nothing needed to be said, so I simply held Twilight and allowed her to bask in the comfort of an important person in her life.
After a few minutes, however...
"Um...S-Spike?" Twilight muttered, her voice shaking a bit with some sort of emotion I couldn't quite identify. "You uh...you can stop now; my leg feels better."
I raised an eyebrow before looking to her legs...and noticing my left hand was still kneading her sore muscle. I snatched my hand away in the same way that someone who felt the heat and danger of fire would, coughing nervously and stammering, "S-sorry about that, Twi. Didn't even realize I was doing that, to be honest."
Upon actually looking at her face, I noticed she seemed visibly flustered with both a blush and increased breathing rate, and internally cursed myself until she cleared her throat and replied, "I-it's okay, Spike. It felt really nice and my leg feels much better, so thank you. Just, umm..." she glanced away shyly, "b-be more careful should you find yourself in a similar situation; your hand was drifting a little bit." My shame at practically fondling my roommate without her consent must have been clear since she shook her head with a smile. "I know you didn't mean anything by it, Spike. You might be a little oblivious sometimes and even mischievous, but you're not a pervert."
I wisely decided to keep from her the fact that I had occasionally admired Pinkie's rump...physically, once or twice.
"Furthermore," she continued, making to stand and accepting my helping hand to do so, "you are almost constantly surrounded by nothing but mares, day in, day out. I think you need to be extended a little leeway to keep your sanity."
I raised an eyeridge at Twilight skeptically. "So you wouldn't be mad if something like that happened again?"
"Depends on whether or not it was on purpose." Twilight replied with a deadpan expression. "If it was, you can expect a slap to the face or other repercussions, depending on the offense committed."
I rolled my eyes. "I understand, but now you sound like a guard. It was an accident, and I think you know me well enough to realize I wouldn't do something like that on purpose." I glanced at the clock, only now realizing how much time had passed since Twilight had initially stated she was going to clean up. "Twi, we've been sitting here talking for almost an hour. You should probably hurry if you want to get cleaned up properly."
Twilight's eyes widened as she flared her wings and whipped her head around, smacking her mane in my face as she gasped. "Oh Celestia, I have to hurry!" She then rushed off to her room, completely overlooking the fact that I'd damaged the floor.
I chuckled and looked to the crystal stairway. "Don't ever change, Twilight."
"Twilight, hurry up! We're going to be late!" I urged playfully as my companion rushed to catch up with me, flapping her wings rapidly as we soared through the air. "If you don't hurry, we'll be *GASP* tardy!" Twilight was breathing rapidly, but spared enough energy to glare at me silently as we flew on. I shot her a playful grin before angling down to land at the restaurant, which we were fast approaching.
After a moment of waiting for the area to clear she and I landed, receiving a plethora of friendly greetings and even a few respectful bows, the latter of which we both felt weren't really necessary, but whatever.
"Spike, Twilight!" called a familiar voice, who could only be the friendly entrepreneur who owned the successful restaurant.
I turned to see "Chunky" Cheery (who, oddly enough, was in no way related to Cheerilee) bouncing happily on her hooves as we approached. I had always found it strange that such a fit mare was nicknamed "Chunky", and while I'm sure there was a story behind it, I had never been forward enough to ask.
I smiled and walked forward, embracing the tan pegasus tightly. "Heya Chunk, how is the family?"
Chunky hugged me back tightly before releasing me and smiling. "Just great! Cloud Bolt is starting to get a little air with his wings, and his sister just started flight school." She then squealed in a way that was adorable and disturbing at the same time for a grown mare, giggling as well. "Oh, I'm so proud of them!"
I grinned as she next latched onto Twilight, who unlike me was quite a bit more excited about the mare's children. "They are?! Wow, and at such young ages! Rainbow Dash will be proud, I'm sure!"
Chunky released Twilight before gesturing with her head to the restaurant off to the side. "A friend of yours came by just a few minutes ago; she's waiting inside for you." She then glanced to me with a sly smirk as she walked away. "Go on, loverdrake."
I raised an eyeridge at her as I muttered to Twilight, "What was that all about?"
As we entered the restaurant, I found out. Rarity was wearing a dress I'd never seen before. It was a long white gown with violet accents, but it was only when I arrived at the table she had chosen that I recognized just what the accents were made of
Scales...my scales.
Dragons shed scales all the time, in much the same way that ponies shed fur during the summer. However, strong as the scales are, they often drop off without me even knowing, and they aren't really of great value to me, since I grow new ones constantly. It appeared that Rarity had placed great value on them though, and had silently collected the ones she could when I would visit or do work for her. I hadn't thought something so simple would cause such a great impact on me, but the mere thought that Rarity was willing to wear literal pieces of me in public was an unbelievably large ego boost.
"R-Rarity...you..." Twilight gasped out, likely in utter shock as well. She slowly stepped toward our mutual friend, who was standing with a wide smile on her face, and reached out tentatively with her hand to touch the dress. "These...these are Spike's scales! They're small, but there are hundreds of them!" Just as Twilight's hand made contact with the dress accents, she gasped again and locked eyes with Rarity. "How did you get all of these?"
Rarity smiled gently and glanced to me. "Spike has been in my life a long time, and over the years has left behind quite a few shed scales. Being the resourceful mare that I am, I always thought it was a shame that such a beautiful, strong material, small as it is, could not be put to use after the dragon no longer needed it. So," she gestured to her dress with a smile, "I've been saving them. I didn't know quite what I would use them for until last night, when I suddenly found some inspiration."
"No coincidence there." I muttered, grinning.
Rarity giggled at my comment before lovingly replying, "I've worried for far too long what others would think of me for so many things, and I wanted to be sure this" she motioned to herself, then me, "was not one of them."
I smiled to myself; Rarity truly does go all-in when it regards matters of the heart, and I was going to do the same. Deciding once again to take initiative and having faith that Rarity was being completely honest in what she said, I leaned forward and kissed her softly, lingering a few moments before pulling away with a smile.
Rarity pulled back as well with a smile, bringing her hand to my cheek. "I'm glad you approve, Spikey."
We took our seat in the round booth in time to see Twilight roll her eyes, but I could tell my friend's reaction was in good fun. Besides, Twilight and I's conversation after the others left seemed to have deepened our bond even further, so I knew if anypony would be fine with me being affectionate with my new marefriend, it would be Twilight. Chunky arrived not a minute later to take our orders, and then Twilight, Rarity and I sat and made small talk while we waited...at least we were until Rarity randomly asked:
"So Twilight, what do you know about herding?"
Unfortunately I was taking a gulp of the glass of water provided to me, and ended up choking on a large quantity of it as I wet my shirt with the spill. Twilight let out an adorable squeak of shock and embarrassment as she reflexively raised her wings to shield herself, doing a very accurate impersonation of Fluttershy in the process. While it was true blushes didn't show too well through my scales, I was sure my face was crimson by now, and if drowning wasn't my demise, the amount of embarrassment I felt would surely kill me.
After spending a few seconds coughing and pounding my chest in an attempt to get the water out of my lungs, I calmed myself enough to stammer, "R-Rarity, what the hay?!"
Rarity, by her token, looked to me with a bemused expression on her face. "What? It's a perfectly valid question, and it isn't as if our dear Twilight-" Seemingly realizing what she had implied, Rarity suddenly brought her hand to her lips and shook her head. "N-no no no, that isn't what I meant! I was simply asking because a client of mine from Canterlot was thinking of starting one with his wife, and wanted some more information beforehand. I apologize if you took that the wrong way."
While Rarity's question had surprised me, what I failed to mention to either of them was that somewhere deep inside I wasn't exactly averse to the idea of a herd, but I kept my thoughts to myself; simply by Twilight's reaction, I knew she'd probably have a heart attack if I mentioned it, and I didn't want to cause her any undue stress since we'd already met our quota for this day's "heavy talks". Even without Twilight's reaction being taken into consideration, Rarity and I had just gotten together, so I wanted to spend some time getting comfortable before I even thought about adding any-
Oh horseapples, now I'm thinking about herding...
"Spike...Spike, are you alright?"
I snapped my head up and glanced at the mares on either side of me, nodding once I realized their faces held concern for my blank stare. "Y-yeah...yeah, I'm fine."
Twilight looked to be unconvinced. "We lost you for a few seconds there; are you sure there's nothing on your mind?"
For the first time in years, I followed through with a lie to Twilight...and I felt dirty with every word I spoke. "Nope, I'm good. Thanks for asking though." What hurt even worse was the fact that Twilight accepted my answer as truthful without another thought, nodding to me with a bright smile.
Lunch passed pretty slowly for me from then on.
The three of us walked away from the restaurant an hour later to a bright and sunny day, though to me it felt gray and dreary. I hadn't been able to get what I'd done out of my mind, and because of that, I hadn't been able to forget about why I'd lied either. It seemed my draconic instincts were surfacing stronger than they should have with such a situation, basically melding a dragon's instinctive greed with a pony's instinctive desire for a herd. It was something that I could never have predicted, and I knew this was something no other dragon would be able to level with. After all, as far as I knew, I am the only dragon to be raised by ponies instead of his own kind, and that alone made my situation a rather unique one.
Since we had opted to head home after lunch, I was walking Rarity to her door when she suddenly asked, "Would you mind if I borrow Spike for a short while, Twilight? I just have a few minor requests for him to complete for me, if you don't mind."
Twilight smirked at me and nodded, shooing me away with her hand. "Of course you can, Rarity. Don't tire him out too badly though; he has to be able to make it home!"
Rarity rolled her eyes while I tried my best to melt into the ground as Twilight took to the air and headed home. Who'd have known having Rainbow Dash as a friend would turn Twilight into a snark-shark? Ugh...
After Twilight left though, I was going to make it a point to-
"Spike, how long are you going to keep lying to her?"
Buck...
I turned to Rarity and feigned innocence the best that I could, including the large glistening eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Rarity's eyes narrowed to a glare, and she pointed to her door. "We'll talk about this inside, young drake."
I chuckled and shook my head. "Rarity we're together now; ordering me around like a little kid isn't going to work any-"
"INSIDE NOW!"
"Yes ma'am!" I whimpered, unwilling to make her more angry than she already was.
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Huzza! More!
Spike's going to be whipped in this story isn't he.
5203060 probably but he's gonna like it and ask for more. Lol lol
waiting is good
oh I see what you did there
And again I'm reminded that Rarity is the scariest mare in Equestia
Good to see an update. And don't be hard on yourself Spike. Any straight blooded man has thought of having mulitple women at the same time, whether the ladies are in the know or not, at least once in their lives. It's whether or not you actually do it in poor taste or actions is the real cause for concern.
Why Catwoman, my dear, may I please borrow that fine whip of yours?
Sure!
Thank you, darling. Oh Spikey-Wikey~
Yes an update!
I have greatly looked forward to this, and I truly enjoyed this chapter. Spike's teasing nature is so in character and believable, and you've got the gamut of emotions in there that keep us in tune with the characters.
Although I was slightly disturbed for a moment about the idea of Rarity wearing Spike's skin.
Poor Spike. He loves all of them so much doesn't he. Honestly, I love the idea of Spike having all six of them in his herd, if that's the direction you're taking this.
Can't wait for the next chapter.
My Favorite chapter so far, rarity was amazing. Good luck spike. Can't wait for more.
Awwwwww yis! I love this story!
I'm really curious to see how you handle spikes approach to the herd (which I obviously support wholeheartedly).
For me though, what really sets this story apart from others is your attention to the characters and their relationship with spike. Each of them have their own nuisances that bounce against him in thier own way, making the intimacy more real.
I also like spikes wings, in particular the scene where they gouge the floor. Perhaps his draconian heritage might also enhance his strength?
Might I also recommend perhaps a heroic display by spike in the future to woo one of the girls? I think it will be excellent way to convey their importance to him, but don't let me stop you from doing what you do!
I really do love all the characters so far and hope to read more!
You know about dragons and have two in their anatomy?
5208224 ? I'm very unsure what you're asking, exactly.
5208911 What it means is that does the dragon have two 'heads', if you will. Many reptiles have more than one.
5209560 This is not a clop story, so is that relevant to the storyline?
Awesome chapter! I'm glad, Rarity, brought it up so we can get the real fun going!
Cant wait for Chapter 4!!!!
Love this story so far.
buck, i thought there was so much more my life is unfulfilled
This is a great story. You have a fantastic handle on the characters and all of their interactions seem so warm that it is a joy to read. Funny too.
Can't help but think the anthro tag is odd, half the time I forget they even are anthromorphic, what with the only thing generally indicating it the use of hands. Though I don't mind in this particular case. I personally think it is a testament to your writing skill that you have written an anthro story that I want to read, I'm generally not a fan of anthro stories.
Great job, now you just need to update please. Happy writing.
5272825 Most readers that read for quality tend to avoid anthro stories, since 95% of them are shameless clop. I aim to change that with a slew of clop-less anthro submissions; Trans-Cosmic is another I've begun, so check it out if you're interested.
5284409 Spike x mane six, plus maybe one or two others. The readers can already guess one of the possibles, though I haven't included her in a chapter just yet, but any other(s) are going to remain a mystery.
At night. I just sit on my bed while a fan blows cold air at me. I sit silently, reading fanfics of multicolored equine cartoon characters, and wonder where the next chapters are for the continuation of these tales. I reread this one and many other stories to fill the void. The suspense, the anticipation, and not to mention the love. I sit and stir my thoughts. You sir/madaam Radiant Dawn, have inspired me to write a story of my own. I hope it can compete. I have never written anything, but i have often been entertained by the idea. So keep up the good work. I believe chapter 4 will be most amussing and wonderful, not only because i love this story, but because i see no failure in the future.
Cmon please finish it just got good
Can't wait!!!!!
Now Spike has to deal with his own nature. What's gonna win out in the end?
I was reading this at night and the rest of my family was asleep so I had to put a pillow over my mouth to keep my laughing from waking up anyone else
the wall..... IT HAS BEEN BROKEN!
5209700 nice way of awnsering and ending the conversation
that's what I look like as I read this face and hand, and trolling to comment