a Hearth's Warming Birthday

by CrimsonRose97

ch. 4 - Edit

After following Brimstone’s directions, Spike soon came to a small clearing in the Evergrove National forest. The cabin was small, smoke was coming out of the chimney, the dark maple grooves of the wood was visible from the light of the full moon.

Aside from the moon, the only light that shined through the freezing darkness was coming from the window.

Spike stood near a tree just ten feet from the cabin and he already could see what it looked like from inside. A roaring fire was on, in front of it were two chairs and a coffee table, a festive tree was pushed to one corner of the home. The other corner had a piano. He spots the corner of the bed from he saw where he was at. There were two other doors in there - he could assume one of them was the bathroom and the other a closet.

And near the window, sitting on some sort of dining table, was a purple and yellow frosted cake.

Rachel walked out of the bathroom, wearing a black sweater, a pink shirt and a green pair of sweatpants with snow boots.

She was about to walk over to the table when she looked up and gasped, seeing Spike outside. Rachel walked out of view for a moment before the front door opened, now wearing a blue scarf, hugging herself from the blast of cold, she walked outside.

Spike walked up to meet her half way.

“Hey…” Rachel said softly, she was both surprised….and not surprised at the same time to see Spike here.

“How are you feeling?” Spike asked, looking at her to make sure she was okay. So far she wasn’t tearing up.

“Good...freezing my butt off but I’m good...I’m guessing either the twins told you where I was at or Brimstone.”

Spike chuckled softly. “I met him. You were right, he does act like he has a stick up his flank.”

Rachel chuckled as well. “That’s Professor Brimstone alright.”

The dragon sighed, walking up to her all the way. He slipped his leather jacket off and put it over her shoulders. “Let’s go inside, it’s too cold.”

Rachel nodded before leading him inside of the cabin and closed the door behind him.

“How much do you know?” Rachel asked as she took his jacket and draped it over one of the chairs that was right in front of the table.

“I got the jist of it.” Spike said as he took his winter items off of him and tossed them on the table near the cake. “I know it’s your birthday tomorrow, you celebrate it with your mother and since her death you felt compelled to do it by yourself.”

Rachel sighed deeply, pulling her a seat. “I see…”

Spike nodded before looking around the tiny cabin since he was inside. Pictures, he saw pictures of her and her mother all around the cabin. From when they went skiing, to learning how to cook, having paint sessions, dance recitals. Next to the bed, he spotted a worn-out guitar. He did spot a fridge and a stove that wasn’t in the window’s view.

“My little sanctuary when I feel like I’m in a dark place. I come out here.” Rachel said, watching Spike looking at the place. “Brimstone gave it to me as a birthday present.”

“Yeah, he told me.” Spike said, dragging the other dining chair over to her and sat down next to Rachel. “Rachel, why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve understood and I wouldn’t have go ne across Equestria and all over Filly to get to the truth.”

“I know...and I thought of telling you.” Rachel said. “I just…”

“Got used to doing the same damn thing over and over again and are too stubborn to change it.”

That got Rachel to crack a smile. “Look who’s talking, big guy.”

Spike chuckled softly, reaching over and grabbed her hands and held them in his. “I get you want to have your own hide-away. You’ve seen mine underneath Twilight’s castle.”

“Oh I know.”

Spike smiled softly. “I want to know everything about you, birthdays included. You keep things to yourself and it’s not good. Yeah, we all have secrets...but i want to know yours, I want to get closer to you. But in order to do so, you have to let me in.”

Rachel sniffed, trying to blink away the tears before looking up at him. “My mom...she was an amazing woman. Despite being married to an abusive man, she would try and fill our home with laughter and smiles. Even when she would have us sneak off to get away from him, she would make the best of it.”

Spike nodded and listened in silence.

“Growing up back home, if i were to make any mistake near the holidays, dad would cancel it, taking all decorations off and left our home in the dark. Even if he doesn’t cancel it, he’d be out drinking, leaving my mom and I alone. Mom would bake a cake, using leftover halloween frosting every year to use it as our birthday present. Every year around that time, she’ll call me Doppleganger due to the fact we look so much alike.” She shuddered softly. “When she died, I felt alone...you knew how bad my life got after that and i left.”

“Yeah...you did.”

“After a couple of years of living with the twins, I realized that i didn’t have any pictures, any belongings from her. Around this time, my only time I went back home.”

Spike’s eyes widened at that, hearing that she went back to him...even for a moment.

Rachel cleared her throat before continuing. “When I came back home, i came to discover that the man got remarried and gave birth to my little brother.” she let out a humorless chuckle. “He may repaint and refurbish his life and may have gotten better, but under that mask, the bastard was the same and there was proof. Same injuries I saw on his new wife like my mother did. I couldn’t tell you how angry I was, seeing that history was being repeated. He was so pissed off that I came back, telling me that he burned everything relating to me and my mother. When I didn’t back down he attacked me, broke my wrist in the process. As i tried to fight him off, my little brother - I don’t know his name but he looked just like me but with blue eyes - that four year old, takes a metal bat the old man tended to use and wacked him on the head.”

“Oh shit.”

Rachel chuckled, “the wife and I were congratulating the little shit.” she said, shaking her head. “The wife then gave me a box of items from the basement that had my mother’s belongings, telling me thanks for sticking up to him and then told me to never come back.” She said with a smile. “It felt good that night, I felt like i conquered my demons, I got my mother’s things”

Spike smiled softly, leaning over and gave her a kiss. “I’m glad.”

Rachel returned it to him and sighed. “Yeah, though old habits die hard.”

He poked her tummy.

Rachel got up and walked over to the piano, grabbing a book from it and waved Spike over to her.

Spike got up and walked over to her and sat on the bench next to her. Spike looked at Rachel as she showed him the book. It was a book of songs, some were lyrics and a few were piano sheets with lyrics. “My mom was, not only a dance teacher, but before she had her dancing shoes, she was a musician. She wrote amazing music, her voice...my god, she had the voice of an angel. You wouldn’t believe how amazing she was.”

“Only i could imagine.” Spike said. He then noticed the last song of the book. “Have you heard every song she sang?”

“Well, all but one.” She said as she pointed to the last song. “I have been trying to get the song right. I got the lyrics down pat, but trying to play on the piano, I can’t get it right.”

Spike smiled at that. “It’s a good thing I can.” He scooted Rachel off the bench to where he got full control of it.

“You would actually do that?” Rachel asked as she stood next to him.

“Anything for you.” Spike smiled. And it’ll go surprisingly well for what I plan for you, he thought before he grabbed the book from Rachel and read over the piano notes. He did a few test on the piano before he found the right rhythm and looked to Rachel, using her to start.

Rachel looked at him for a moment before taking a sigh. She opened her mouth, and began singing the song.

---

Song Spike plays on piano and what I think Rachel’s voice is

---

Rachel’s voice, though it wasn’t as beautiful as her mothers, it had that sort of chill and breathtaking beauty to Spike that he nearly stopped playing. But he persevere and kept playing.

The ballad had a haunting feel to it, with the feels of it just pour out of Rachel’s soul as she sung. Though her voice sounded like she could sing in an indie rock band by the way how her voice has that type of gruff to it, but when singing this heartfelt song, her voice fits it perfectly.

Spike continued to play on the piano, listening Rachel sing her heart and soul out. He could feel the love Rachel has towards her mother as she sang this one last song her mother never got to sing before she died. He waited for the twins to make their mark. He asked them to help Spike with this surprise for Rachel.

When he didn’t hear Rachel react to anything and kept on singing, he had to admit, he was getting annoyed. The twins said they were going to help though it’s their busiest time at work. He stifled a grunt.

When he got to where Rachel wasn’t singing by the time he got to the crescendo, he heard Rachel let out a loud, surprised gasp.

Rachel raced over to the window and stood by and saw what was outside. Outside dancing around...was her mother and a younger child version of herself dancing along the snow. Though Rachel could tell that it’s the twins - she could always tell which one’s which when they are in other forms - her eyes swelled up in tears.

Spike smiled ear to ear as he continued to play. Though she wasn’t saying anything about what was happening, he could feel this emotion pouring out of her, tears of joy and love of what she was seeing. It’s what she wanted to see, what she needed…

To see her mother again. To see her running, laughing, smiling, to see her mother happy again.

And the look on Rachel’s face as she watched this happening, that was Spike’s Hearth’s Warming from here. Seeing that look on her face was everything he wanted.

Rachel resumed singing but this time her voice had that crack in it that just warmed his heart. Spike knew that she was loving her gift.

Spike kept playing along her voice, along that warmth and lovingness she was portraying more. Rachel sang until her voice fell into a whisper at that last note, tears flowing out of her eyes as she turned back to Spike as he stopped.

The twins, after complaining that it’s so cold that they might freeze their tits off, changed into their bug forms and flew off.

Rachel looked at Spike as he smiled at her with tears of his own in his eyes. Rachel walked over to him, slid onto his lap, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him deeply.

Spike could taste the saltiness from her tears on her lips and he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her there.

“Spike…” Rachel whispered against his lips.

Spike used his thumbs to wipe the corners of her eyes, wiping the tears as they fell. “Are you happy?” he asked her.

“Spike,” Rachel giggled softly. “I’ve never been happier than the day I met you. This thing you did with the twins-”

“You knew the twins were out there?” Spike raised a brow at that in a surprise.

“Dude, I lived with them for years, i know that Ruby was my mother and Gemcity was me. I could tell which is which.”

Spike chuckled, rubbing the small of her waist. “I should’ve expected that.”

“Regardless, what you did with the twins, it’s absolutely amazing. It’s the best gift i could ever receive from anyone...I’m glad it was you who did it.”

“Just the words i wanted to hear.” Spike said before bringing Rachel in for a hug.

Somewhere, the clock struck twelve. It was Hearth’s Warming.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Spike.” Rachel said.

“Happy birthday, Rachel.” Spike responded, kissing the crown of her head.

“So...what’s with the other girls?” Rachel asked as she sat there with him.

“Twilight going bonkers as always, AJ is getting ready to celebrate with her family,” Spike explained. “Starlight is with Trixie, Pinkie I think is boarding up her house for Krampus.”

Rachel looked at him confused. “The Evil Santa Claus?”

“Seriously, I’m surprise your earth’s holidays are terrifying.”

Rachel let out a laugh. “Krampus is what you tell kids in other cultures to behave. He’s not real.”

“Tell that to Twilight’s books.”

Rachel shook her head with a laugh.

“Fluttershy is with Soarin and Discord, Dash is celebrating her own way, Rarity’s in a mental ward and-”

Rachel raised a hand to that. “Sexy purple teddy bear say what now?”

“Um…?”

“Rarity’s in a mental ward? What the hell?” Rachel slid off of Spike’s lap. “Why didn’t you tell me she was in a ward.”

“Um...after you last talked to me, you turned your cell off.” Spike said, watching her go to her closet, opening the door and changed into warmer clothes. “What are you doing?”

“We’re going to see her.” Rachel said as she changed.

Spike blinked at that. “Rachel, are you serious?”

“Yes, I am.”

Spike scuffed as he stood up. “After what she did to you at the cruise, you want to visit that psycho?”

“Spike, i wouldn’t send my worst enemy to the asylum.” Rachel changed into a long sleeve shirt, a fluffy white jacket and thick red snow pants and boots on. Throwing on her typical black beanie, scarf and gloves on. “We’re going to see her.”

“What’s with the we? I don’t want to see her. She had a mental break and is taking this time to-”

“Spike, you need to seriously rethink what your saying.” Rachel said. “Rarity may have set me up, but she didn’t physically harm me. Since she didn’t, she has a chance to redeem herself to both of us. She can’t do that when she’s all alone, especially not on this holiday.

“You don’t have to speak to her, you can stay in a corner and let me do the talking. We’re going.”

Spike stared at Rachel before letting out a defeated growl, grabbing his coat and stuff. The two then set off to see Rarity.

Comments

[SonicBlitz18]

So Rarity lost her mind, this is gonna be fun.

[Sage the Ero Harem Kami]

9287353
Let's hope she can get better dude.