Sparity Shipping Mega Epic

by Mareity

– 10: The Tea Party, and The Afterparty, and After That –

After a few minutes spent boiling the kettle, stirring drinks and tipping cookies out of the cookie jar for Yona and Rarity as well as himself, Spike returned to the parlour wearing his apron. His gait was faintly unstable as he hefted a silver tray with several cups and a couple of jugs on it around, along with a delicately-piled plate of chocolate-chip oatmeal cookies. ‘Alright, all ready!’ he chirped, eager to share in a job well done.

A blue glow manifested around it as Rarity took hold of the cups and levitated them gently onto the table, next to the gem basket she’d fetched from the workshop for his benefit within which rested the paper bag, still half-full of lime candies which Yona was again eyeing intently. ‘Careful, sweetheart… You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew, you know!’

‘Hey, I’m used to it,’ Spike said with a faintly sarcastic smile, flying upwards and clunking the tray onto the table beneath the floating cups before taking his seat atop a cushion next to her, ‘Thanks though. And thanks for bringing your gem basket through, too – I could really go for a diamond or two with tea!’

‘No problem at all, Spikey-Wikey,’ Rarity answered. Spike started to reach for one, but Rarity levitated one over to him with a smile. As he sat down and took a hearty munch of it Rarity scooted closer to him, sitting down with all four hooves tucked beneath her and pressing against his side gently, soft and fluffy like a shining silver cloud with a dark purple lining. He looked up at her, smiled and licked his chops, and she glanced down at him with a sparkling sweetness in her eyes as he made himself comfortable, leaning against her side. ‘Do sate my curiosity, Spikey… how do they taste?’ she inquired as he popped it into his mouth.

‘Uh, it’s like real strong, sugary lemonade, I guess?’ Spike said, shrugging, ‘You gotta suck ’em a while before you bite down because they’re so hard… the texture’s real crunchy compared to a ruby or an emerald but that’s just part of the mouthfeel. They’re not my favourite usually but they go best with something bitter, so like I said, they’re good with black tea.’

‘That is so fascinating,’ Rarity said with a tilt of the head that made her curls fall over her ear that she fiddled with by both hooves for a moment before tucking them back in beneath her again, ‘You’ve given me an entirely new perspective on the things lately, I feel… although please, do me a favour and don’t take that as a go-ahead to eat my finest accessories!’

‘Don’t worry, I know those’re important to you,’ chuckled Spike, ‘Appearance doesn’t matter much to taste, anyway. I’m cool with the off-cuts.’

Yona was gently reclined upon the other chaise-longue with Opalescence nearby, a pink furry wand in one hoof as she played with the cat who was having a ball, pouncing and darting around, scrabbling at its end with her ears back and a psychotic glint in her eye. Once tea was served she brushed Opal’s face with its wiggly tip for a second, one final tease for the time being, before giving it to her to roll around with and turning her attention to the other creatures in the room.

‘Ah! Tea time… merci, Spike. Yona take chai with small splash of milk,’ she said, turning over onto her belly and pouring some from the jug, taking as dainty a sip of the brew as she could muster, ‘So… Ms. Rarity say you visiting Changeling Hive soon? How things there? News from Ocellus?’

‘That’s true, I’ll be heading over there in a few weeks, and, uh, not lately, actually, not since you guys all graduated,’ said Spike, holding his steaming cup of black tea in both claws, ‘Now that you mention it, she did go back over there afterwards, huh? What’s she doing nowadays?’

‘Uh, sparklebug friend tell Yona she start acting troupe at hive. Ever seen her act? Very talented when firing all cylinders!’

‘Oh, yes, I have!’ Rarity piped up, ‘Several times over the past few years, each performance building upon the last! I suppose the ability to transform into most types of creatures being commonplace over there means the obvious edge she had during stage plays at the School of Friendship is somewhat diminished, but that young girl had presence you wouldn’t consider of her the rest of the time, as unassuming as she normally is…’

‘Yeah, I attended her last school performance with Starlight and Twilight back in the spring, some kind of Shakesponian production where she had a bugbear’s head for half the thing and was a breezie for the other half. Twilight loved it, at any rate, said it was true to its “source”, and Starlight was obviously proud of her… I guess I forgot about Ocellus, even though, yeah, she was in plain sight all those times after she realised she had the knack for playing a really convincing bear, or a troll, or a tree.’

‘Or pony celebrity! Ocellus do pitch-perfect Sapphire Shores! Big surprise first time in dorm! Only way Yona can tell was Ocellus can’t sing half as good!’ exclaimed Yona as Opal hopped onto her back, purring as she bedded down on her neck and shoulders like a stole just behind her mane. Yona didn’t mind, shrugging a little to make herself more accommodating.

‘Well, I’ll make a point to check in with her while I’m visiting Thorax. Who knows, maybe she’ll be doing a public performance then?’ said Spike.

‘I hope it’s going swimmingly for her, if so… she’s the potential makings of a true thespian, in this mare’s opinion! Her giving the other changelings the acting bug besides would be just fabulous! Just imagine the kind of dazzling transformations they could collaborate on together, up on stage before our very eyes!’ Rarity said, before taking a bite of a cookie, licking her lips and washing it down with her earl gray.

Spike took a polite slurp of tea before speaking again. ‘So… you like Sapphire Shores, Yona? Rarity’s worked on performance costumes for her before a few times, I dunno if she’s ever told you.’

Yona crunched down a chocolate lime she’d taken alongside her mouthful of tea before answering. ‘Well… yak music best, obviously, no pony music make good use of melancholic yet majestic sound of yovidaphone, but Sapphire Shores tres magnifique, Yona enjoy when Sandbar play her some! Lyrics about inner strength and independence very relatable to yak females. Ms. Rarity tell Yona about her work, yes, big part of why Yona take apprenticeship here! Hope to work with her one day! Other stars too!’

Rarity giggled at Yona’s overenthusiasm as she hopped up and down in her seat and jingled raucously enough to jostle Opal, who dug her claws into Yona’s hide in alarm and clung to her more tightly. ‘Oh, Yona… perhaps one day you can accompany me to her base in Manehattan to help with her costumes, but stars such as Sapphire Shores demand the utmost perfection! You have to build yourself up to the top through perseverance and expertise, you know!’

‘Yeah, yeah, Yona know… Yona work hard, learn and look forward to it!’ She punched the air once as she spoke before composing herself.

‘Goals,’ said Spike, ‘You gotta have something to work towards, and you’re shooting high as you can. Which is pretty cool, honestly! Anyway, you mentioned Sandbar… how’s he doing over at Quills & Sofas?’

‘Sandbar fine–’ Yona started, but before she got far into that topic of conversation the shop door’s bell rang. ‘Customer here!’ she interrupted herself before looking to Rarity, ‘May be Cloudchaser? You go, or Yona go?’

Rarity resisted the temptation to have a minute alone with Spike, having imposed upon Yona’s good nature enough this afternoon as it was. ‘You were mid-sentence, Yona dear… I’ll see to it. If it’s her or another pickup, I shan’t be two ticks fetching the dress.’ Then she magiced her teacup onto the table, rose from her seat and hopped onto the floor before trotting into the boutique, closing the door behind her.

As Rarity left Spike made an open-palmed “over to you” gesture towards Yona, and she continued as Opalescence yawned and stretched. ‘Sandbar doing good, works well with creatures needing quills and sofas but… well, not ambitious? Boss Davenport say he could become next manager but Sandbar say he content as is… likes job though. Yona happy for him, but tiny bit, uh, not disappointed, but Yona know he capable of more…’

‘Well, there’s nothing wrong with contentment in a role at all, but I’ve been learning the hard way lately that it can turn sour… if you’re worried about him, make sure it doesn’t become stagnation but don’t push him into anything he’s not ready for, y’know? It wouldn’t end well for either of you.’

‘Balance important, Yona agree,’ nodded the yak before sighing, ‘Yona just used to yak males being, uh, big go-getters, you know? Sandbar say “go with the flow” and that part of why Yona like him so much, but, well, Yona worry Sandbar fade into background…’ she trailed off as the door swung open and Rarity trotted back in, with Sweetie Belle in tow.

‘False alarm, not a customer after all but an addition to our little number!’ trilled Rarity, putting a hoof around her sister before aiming her at the table, ‘Take a seat by Yona and Opal, darling, and if you’d like anything to eat or drink, help yourself to a cookie and, ah, Spike?’

‘I’m up for catering some more,’ said Spike, still wearing his apron and showing, then wiggling, his claws, ‘Do you take tea, Sweetie Belle?’

Sweetie Belle had a laconic but cheerful look on her face, as if she’d had a gruelling but satisfying day. ‘But I thought caffeine “stunted one’s growth”, Rarity?’

‘I, eh, I may have said words to that effect in the past, yes… but if you’d like any in the present you’d be quite welcome… I mean, you do look positively pooped! How’s your day been?’

Spike extended a pinkie claw as he took a long draught of his jam-infused tea and Sweetie Belle took her seat, Yona sitting upright and shifting to the left slightly to make room. ‘Not gonna lie, it’s been pretty intense. Mainly the usual Crusading duties, though I have seen Gabby around today and had a word with her about… the situation.’

‘Situation?’ Yona asked, before cogitating for a moment, ‘Wait, Yona know. Happy griffon with arcade game colt Sweetie Belle like all yesterday, yes?’

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened as she turned tense for a moment before shooting Yona a knowing look and nodding. ‘You know, you're disarmingly perceptive,’ she drawled with a grin, which Yona returned despite not fully understanding what that meant, ‘That is true, she was, although Button Mash, uh, we’re firm friends… and I wanna keep things that way. Anyway, Gabby chased us up in the town square and apologised for standing us Crusaders up at the race, saying that she wanted to support Gallus and his griffriend personally and it was short notice after he told her Silverstream was participating the day before. That was part of why I was upset, so that was nice… and she says she’s no intention of monopolising Button Mash’s time. Said something about “sharing” him with me, which was better than I expected, but a bit strange… I figure it must be a griffon thing?'

Rarity cringed and chuckled nervously, casting an awkward glance at Spike who couldn’t suppress a smirk and a raised eyebrow. ‘Why, I haven’t the faintest idea where she got that from…’

‘So that’s where I’m at with her, no hard feelings after the initial rage-out you two caught onto… thanks again for defusing that, by the way. I wouldn’t mind bugging Mash later buuuuut… it’s time to call it a day after coaching three blank-flanks in one afternoon – one even got her mark even, in air hockey! We were actually at the arcade partly because I was keeping an eye out for the guy, but it worked out anyway.’

Rarity leaned over the table towards her sister and lightly patted her on the shoulder, and Sweetie Belle looked back up at her happily. ‘My talented little sister and her good friends, such productive fillies… at this rate everypony in Ponyville besides newborn foals will have attained their cutie marks from you three’s help before long!’

Sweetie Belle made herself comfortable next to Yona and coaxed Opalescence over with a kissing sound, who gingerly alighted Yona with a hop into her hooves. ‘Hah, I’ve been thinking that myself, but Equestria’s a big place with a whole lotta ponies. Anyway, after all that I wanna relax, not refuel, but thanks for offering, sis. You got any cocoa?’

Spike fluttered his wings before hopping off his cushion and hovering. ‘There’s a jar in the kitchen cupboard, I just boiled the kettle and there’s milk, so this won’t take long. Cookies?’

‘All of ’em, Spike, thanks,’ Sweetie Belle answered immediately before catching a smile and a mild glare from Rarity, ‘I mean, uh, some choc chips if you’ve got those. I like chocolate…’

‘So do I, but I’m not gonna hoard it,’ Spike laughed as he flew back into the kitchen, ‘Besides, you’re in luck since that’s all we’ve got. Be right back!’

‘Well, I gotta say I wasn’t expecting Spike to be visiting here again this soon,’ said Sweetie Belle after he’d made his exit, ‘Not that I mind, the guy makes it easier to relax after a long day.’

‘Purple dragon and Ms. Rarity have disagreement at Running of Leaves yesterday. Spend while together crying while sewing in workshop earlier,’ Yona said blithely, ‘All good now though. Friends again!’

Sweetie Belle almost-squeaked, ‘Is that so? Uh, Rarity, now Yona mentions it, you two have been hanging out a bunch lately, haven’t you? There was a period not all that long ago when I never saw him here without Princess Twilight, and I know he was with Gabby for some time before she got with Mash…’

Rarity half-smiled, half-cringed again before taking a deep breath and deflecting, without denying, the situation between Spike and herself. ‘I’m unsure what you’re insinuating, my dear sister, but it is true that Spike has been sorely in need of my emotional support in the wake of his, ah, difficult break-up with Gabriella this past moon or so… and it has indeed strengthened the, ah, previously decayed bond between us somewhat. Occasional misunderstandings aside, the two of us have very much been enjoying one another’s friendship lately, that is just as true.’

‘Yeah, not gonna lie, he is good company,’ said Sweetie Belle, taking the hint from her sister’s tone not to press the issue farther before lightly hitting the table with her free hoof, ‘And here he comes now, with the cookies Sweetie wants!’

Spike flew carefully back into the room with Sweetie Belle’s steaming hot request, some little white, pink and lilac marshmallows bobbing around on its surface that matched her fur and mane. ‘What Sweetie wants, Spikey provides,’ he quipped as he plunked the beverage and its accoutrements in front of her. She gave it a test with a ginger lick before scrunching and shrinking away from its heat and leaving it on the tray for the time being as Spike sat back onto his cushion and continued, ‘Hey, my ear frills are burning… you gals talking about me in here?’

‘Unicorn sisters just parlé about how great Spikey is,’ Yona said, beating Rarity to it, ‘Nothing bad, right, sisters?’ Then she tilted her head as Opalescence stretched and started idly batting at one of her earrings.

‘Rarity says she enjoys your company very much, Spike. That’s all,’ Sweetie Belle nodded in confirmation, pulling Opal away so as not to be drowned out by the jingling.

Rarity chuckled, then scooted back next to Spike and, with a big smile on her face, gave him a stroke of his frills from his head to his neck, which caused him an undeniable frisson all the way down them to the tip of his tail. ‘Well, where’s the lie, Spikey-Wikey?’ she said affectionately.

Spike responded with a hug and an upwards nuzzle into her neck and jaw, before taking his teacup back into one claw and poking the dimple of his cheek with the other as he beamed, ‘None whatsoever, Rare, and I didn’t mean it like that! I trust the three of you to be kind to little ol’ me. The old me might’ve gotten uh, weird and paranoid, but you may have noticed that I’m, uh, moving away from that and having more faith in others… with my firm friend Rarity’s support, of course.’

Sweetie Belle stuck out her tongue with mock disgust, dunking a cookie into her cocoa as they rubbed cheeks. ‘Blech, cute… no kidding you’re getting along, huh?’ she said, her expression becoming a mixture of amusement and wistfulness, ‘I’m slightly jealous.’

‘I wouldn’t worry about Buttered Mash, if that’s what’s on your mind, my dear little sister… I have a good feeling it’ll all work out perfectly well for you one way or the other,’ said Rarity, sitting upright. Then her ears perked as the shop doorbell chimed again. ‘Just give it time… oh, that must be a pickup this time!’ she said, taking a quick but careful swig of her remaining tea and putting on her gown face, ‘I’ll tend to this, though I may need a hoof getting her all fitted if there’s any last-moment foofaraw!’

‘Hoof, or claw?’ Spike asked, ‘I mean, if Yona wants to catch up with Sweetie Belle I’m pretty, uh, I can help out…’

‘I pay Yona, not you, darling, although I wouldn’t object at all to your assistance this one time… ah, are you finished with your refreshments, Yona dear?’

Yona had loaded up on a number of chocolate limes in the very near past to the point that her cheeks were bulging, but as she looked at Spike and Rarity she just about managed to enunciate ‘Rmmmgh,’ over her half-empty cup with a shake of her locks.

‘Well, if you’re still taking your, ah, allotted time off, and Spikey's all done, there’s no true reason to impose further upon you, I suppose…’ said Rarity, ‘Would you care to accompany me onto the shop floor, Spikey-Wikey? I wouldn’t object to the presence of your nimble digits!’

Spike giggled dopily as he flew upwards to Rarity's eye level and put his claws on his cheeks. ‘Aw, like you have to ask, Rare! Right behind you…’ he said as she trotted off and he followed just behind her, ostensibly flying but looking every bit as if he was floating on a cloud.

As they left, Sweetie Belle gave Yona an elbow-nudge, which the yak returned with a wink and a nod before offering her a lime. The two of them snickered before Sweetie accepted, neatly cracking its hard shell in two with her front teeth before savouring its sweet brown insides as she petted Opal’s white fur some more. The cat snoozed limply on her lap as they commenced upon a new line of discussion, mostly unrelated to the creatures in the next room.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Sandbar approached the front door of the Carousel Boutique as sunset’s tendrils began their slow approach upon Ponyville, finding the oak tree opposite nine’o’clock of its premises, normally occupied by her presence at around five’o’clock in an afternoon, quite empty. As he quested for his yakfriend’s location he craned his neck upwards at the building and its outer décor, contemplating the light moss and weathering on the bronze ponequins on the outside of the little round palace’s first storey, and feeling his ears prick at the muted but persistent low-freq thud of a catwalk beat coming from the ground floor.

He came closer and tried the front door, finding both its upper and lower portions locked despite vibrating against the music inside, so he tapped a hoof against it a few times in the hope that whosoever was resident inside would hear. After a pause with no response he tried again, applying a bit more force which proved successful before long; the music turned down a notch and he could see a horned shadow moving in the yellow light within before the bolt holding the door clunked open.

Yona looked at Sandbar with a huge grin as she swung the doors inward, then looked apologetic. ‘Sandbar! Yona happy to see again, come in!’ she barked cheerfully, a bottle of root beer with a straw sticking out of the neck in her free hoof. Sandbar couldn’t help noticing some shiny pink ribbons in her braids and some polished jade jewels hanging off her horns as well as the accoutrements he’d seen her off with that morning as she peered past him and continued, ‘Wow, dark outside fast this time of year. Thought Sandbar early out of work but uh, Yona late out. Hm.’

‘I, uh, hey Yona… nice accessories, you look like you’re having some after-hours fun. You weren’t waiting by the tree when I came looking but I won’t ask why, I mean, it’s pretty obvious…’ Sandbar said, casually inspecting the shop’s interior as Yona ushered him in, ‘Unless Rarity’s hosting a modelling rehearsal or something like that? You usually tell me if that’s happening, though.’

‘Both, actually! Come see – Ms. Rarity and other friends having amusement impromptu in workshop! Yona’s special somepony spare few minutes for fashion, yes?’ Yona leaned backwards and batted her eyelashes at Sandbar seductively as she said that.

She relocked the door as Sandbar responded mostly in the affirmative. ‘Well, sure, there’s no need to go straight home and, uh, I don’t suppose you’ve got bread for a hoagie? I spent a couple hours shifting a bunch of quills and a couple of sofas for a little old grand-mare this afternoon and it’s kinda left me with the munchies.’

Yona chuckled. ‘Yona ask… Sandbar not wither away if not. C’mon, Sandbar follow!’ She lolloped excitedly towards the door to the workshop, beckoning towards then leading Sandbar through the beaded curtain to the party.

As he entered the room and turned his head he stopped dead in his tracks, feeling mild disbelief at the scene that swiftly unfolded before him. The gramophone playing the thick “oontz” of what he now recognised as the early-period Countess Coloratura track “Mane Mare” was still running at a muted volume, guarded by Rarity’s sister Sweetie Belle. She was slumped in one of several seats lining the catwalk, holding a bottle of the same brand of root beer as Yona, wearing a pink feather boa and a pair of maroon leopard-rimmed shades, a lollipop stick protruding from her mouth and looking very hip. Opalescence was seated next to her wearing the same garb scaled down to cat-size, casually licking her underside in a rather unbecoming manner.

Coloured overhead spotlights whirled around illuminating the makeshift catwalk and plush red curtain at the far end of the room, upon the former of which stood Rarity, one hoof raised. She looked exceptionally glamorous even for her as she wore an ornate, black pleather saddle with a frilly golden lining and a gold-embossed floral pattern on her back that peaked outwards towards the posterior. That was merely an accessory compared to the meat of the ensemble, which was carried by an unbuttoned, cobalt-blue jacket and ruffled skirt with a teal underdress beneath and tall black boots on her hind legs that matched the saddle, both of which were infused with sparkles that gleamed as they caught the light. Rarity’s mane had likewise been recently sprayed with something sparkly and tied back with several ribbons and clips, giving a voluminous yet classical aspect to her profile.

He was so bedazzled by Rarity’s magnificent get-up that Sandbar didn’t notice the little dragon jostle on her back until she reared up to greet him, then hopped off the catwalk. ‘Ooh, Sandbar, how lovely of you to pop in! We were having a little shindig before we closed up outright for the night, just us girls and Spikey!’ she cooed in greeting, ‘Spike and I were just demonstrating to Yona and Sweetie Belle some of my newest designs – next year’s range, of course. As well as my Spring range I’ve been tinkering with classy clothing for baby dra– I mean, dragons of juvenile stature, besides and, well, I’m rather pleased with the results! You simply have to see!’

‘Sandbar hungry,’ Yona stated before Sandbar could answer, ‘Another hard day’s work in world of quills and sofas. Yona make Sandbar snack, uh, if you got sandwich stuff? Not take long.’

‘There’s some sauces, luncheon hays, flowers and other veggies in the fridge leftover from the ones I made for the girls at the races yesterday, and a few slices of rye besides. Help yourselves; it would never do for dear Sandbar to go without.’

Spike raised an eyebrow. ‘You okay with doing it yourself, Yona? I can make it if you like…’

‘Nah, Spike do great tea and cookies before, but Yona take care of this. Spike strut stuff for Sandbar while Yona fix snack!’ Then she made her way back out towards the kitchen, leaving Spike feeling faintly awkward as Sandbar took a seat opposite Sweetie Belle, next to two chairs that had been placed close together.

He jerked around unsteadily on Rarity’s back a bit and chose to hover off of her as she pranced over to explain the situation to Sandbar. ‘Why yes, do let us entertain you, dear! After the last customer came by for pickup an hour or so ago, well, you saw Spike wearing the jacket I made for him at the races yesterday, didn’t you?’ she warbled with glee, continuing after Sandbar responded in the affirmative, ‘Well, he’s been around much of the afternoon helping out and once we were all done Yona and I spent some time fitting him up for another outfit and, well, just look at how handsome he is!’

Sandbar’s eyes darted around with trepidation before looking at Spike, trying his best but failing to look unflapped. ‘Uh…’ he uttered.

As Rarity gestured proudly in his general direction, after a second’s pause, Spike took the hint to fly back onto the catwalk for the best view. ‘Alright then, I guess I didn’t let you doll me up like this not to flaunt it!’

‘Alrighty, show that stallion what you’re made of, Spike!’ drawled Sweetie Belle, grinning and lazily cranking the music back up to its original volume. Opal yawned and stretched as Spike posed and showed off his brand new costume, bathed in normal room light this time as well as the spinning coloured spotlights. The green he’d had in mind earlier had been available, an iridescent-yet-muted reptile-scale green that shimmered half a rainbow in the light like a splash of oil in a rain puddle, and a silken pink-to-magenta patterned bandana around his neck that glittered in the rotating spotlights much like Rarity’s boots. Upon his shoulders were three rows of silver pyramid spikes that spread from near the neckline to the approximate edge of his delts, obviously an homage to his namesake.

As he whipped around in a series of several overexaggerated poses – arm flex to the left, leg flex to the right, a spin with an over-the-shoulder grin before expanding both the wings protruding from his jacket and pointing both thumbs at the “MAGNIFIQUE” roughly daubed on his back in glitter and gold fabric paint – in time to the accompanying beats, Spike started to feel a bit bolder. He looked over to Rarity, who was standing next to the slightly quizzically-expressioned Sandbar with her own expression of deep concentration and admiration, happy but intense, and dramatically leaned over to her. ‘Hey, Rarity, why don’t we show Sandbar that routine we did before right before he got here?’

She snapped out of her reverie and looked at Spike with excitement, then looked around at the others in the room. ‘Why, of course! How’d you like Spike’s look so far, Sandbar?’

Sandbar was still feeling some sensory overload from suddenly being left alone in this room with the terminally fabulous company present without Yona, and it took him a moment to find his words. ‘Uh, nice jacket, bro,’ he eventually said, leaning forward in his seat, ‘But um… what’s going on with the skirt and heels?’

Spike grinned and blushed as Rarity leapt back onto the stage, before shaking off his inhibitions. He looked down at himself and pinched the hem of the skirt he was indeed wearing with both claws, beholding the sequin-encrusted cerulean skirt and matching strappy support heels he’d been wearing for the past short while, the former cutting off just above his swirly knees. ‘Oh, those… hah, yeah, you caught me out. Rarity had the pattern ready and Sweetie Belle was real interested in seeing how it looked in action… I mean, they’re not something I’d wear in public!’ He spun around and posed from behind again, putting his weight on one heel, one hand on his hip and flicking his tail as Rarity made a much more feminine pose behind him, raising her hoof to her face and puckering her lips. ‘But who cares, in the present company? Sure they’re for girls, but they’re my size and I can model ’em, and I kinda doubt Smolder would be thrilled if Rarity asked her to wear ’em…’

Rarity giggled. ‘Quite true… perhaps it’s simply a pipe dream, but I confess I’m thinking towards the future of Equestrian fashion, and seeing Spikey-Wikey all dressed up does make me believe that dragons as a whole could be more, ah, amenable to stylings such as my own one day! Heaven knows I think you look absolutely fabulous, darling! And if, say, Smolder could open up to such a thing one day, well… wouldn’t that be just lovely…’

‘Well, if you asked her outright she might surprise you, Rarity,’ Sandbar said matter-of-factly, ‘But right now, uh, yeah, go on. I was just a bit taken aback at first, I mean, I wasn’t expecting any of, uh, this! I won’t lie, this isn’t in my ballpark, but you all know what you’re doing. And Spike, uh, you look alright wearing that, honestly.’ He almost winced at complimenting Spike over something like that, before deciding he was right – this was as safe a space as any for such things. Besides, with his yakfriend fixing his snack in the next room, in a weird way he felt more comfortable saying something like that to Spike rather than to a pony of the opposite sex.

‘Thanks, but, well, this ain’t the first time I’ve worn mares’ clothing in this building, let me tell you that right away, my good colt,’ Spike smirked before turning to Rarity, who bowed her head towards him warmly, ‘But enough with the chit-chat, let’s get some glam going!’

‘Sweetie, care to flip the record back to “Rein it In” before we start over?’ Rarity requested, and the beat changed as Sweetie Belle obliged her sister’s request. ‘Now behold, the fashion, the passion, the allure! The twin majesties of Spikey and Rarity!’ Sweetie Belle’s shades concealed her eye-roll, but not her smirk as her older sister revelled in the moment before Spike hovered back beside her.

As they bowed their heads mildly at one another Sandbar relaxed in his seat, though he stayed upright as the pair performed. For an impromptu performance their dance was fairly well choreographed, although it helped that after Spike’s initial spin around Rarity before plopping himself onto her saddle the first portion of the movements were on her to elegantly strut, turn and twirl, holding onto it with one claw or another and only needing to move his lower body for balance as she reared up once in a while, the fourth time incorporating a particularly powerful twirl that was Spike’s cue to fly upwards as if inverse-diving before swooping back down in front of her. Nonetheless, as Spike separated from her he hit the ground with both feet and one claw most dramatically before he and Rarity encircled one another for a moment, staring at one another as they zipped around, showing their outfits off from all angles.

After that they slowed down a bit, but the song was approaching a crescendo and, facing away from one another and upon their audience suddenly – Spike looking down on Sweetie and Opal, Rarity towards Sandbar – they seemed to be resting, Spike with his arms folded and legs apart in a power pose and Rarity with her mane swept back and her head held high, both gearing up to redouble their efforts as the bridge reached its peak…

Just then, Sandbar’s left ear pricked as he heard the tinkle of fine porcelain on metal just a little behind him. ‘Sandbar snack here! Yona rustle up honey and hay surprise on wholemeal! Sandbar okay with kale, yes?’

‘Thanks, Yona, you’re good to me,’ said Sandbar, smiling at Yona for a moment before taking the four-tiered Sandbar Snack in hoof and taking a bite, ‘Mmm. Hey, I gotta admit I wasn’t sure about this at all at first but look at ’em go!’

‘Hah, Sandbar transfixed, barely heard Yona re-enter room… dance very good, Yona agree,’ she replied as she plonked herself back down on her seats, ‘Yona help with outfits… spikes and gold word on back of jacket Yona’s doing! Ms. Rarity shocked at first but impressed! Called it “punk style”! Yona think that good… anyway, Yona watch with Sandbar.’

They turned their attention back to the catwalk just as Spike rose upwards, then did an aerial flip as Rarity bowed to facilitate the landing, before Spike deposited himself lightly onto her back again. He held on tight as Rarity kicked her beautiful boots left and right gracefully with obvious delight as Spike bucked around exaggeratedly in his seat, one last upward kick tossing him back into the air where he stayed aloft for a moment, then carefully let himself back down onto the catwalk with his arms outstretched. The song’s finale echoed away as he fell backwards into Rarity's hooves, and they both slumped slowly to the floor, pleased with themselves but noticeably exerted from the effort of their combined display.

Everycreature in the room applauded as they stood back up, Rarity taking a bow while Spike waved jazz-claws. Even Opalescence had become entranced by her mistress’ moves during the routine, and sat wide-eyed to attention at the pair. As Rarity dramatically blew kisses at Sweetie Belle and Yona in a series of audible “mwah”s, Spike hopped off the stage and shook Sandbar’s hooves with both claws. ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you! And thanks for sticking around, Sandbar. Hey, that went even better than the first time, don’t you reckon, Rarity?’ he asked, turning to her.

Rarity laughed at nothing in particular, a rush of euphoria sizzling between her ears as she blushed and squealed. ‘Yes, yes, my darlings, thank you so, so much! Ooh, I’ve posed and modelled my own wares several times over the years but that was especially wonderful… oh, come over here, Spikey-Wikey!’ Then she spun around, scooped Spike up with watery eyes and gave him a big bear hug, rubbing her cheek against his ear frills before looking back at Sweetie Belle, who tipped her shades forward and peered over the rims with a cool expression as she sipped the dregs of her root beer as quietly as possible. ‘Surely this wouldn’t have been half as marvellous without your continuing presence, sweetheart!’ Rarity continued, plucking him off his feet and swaying him around from side-to-side joyously.

He chortled and kicked his legs as she did that, one of the heels’ straps coming undone and clattering onto the floor. ‘Hahaha! Rarity, put me down, I’ll barf!’

That was enough to make her stop after a few seconds more. ‘Not on my brand spanking new handiwork, Spikey,’ she sighed happily, rubbing her cheek against his affectionately before she gently plopped him back down on his rump onto the floor, ‘So, Sandbar, did you like our outfits?’

Sandbar’s enthusiasm for the performance had soundly defeated his nerves at this point, and he grinned as he clapped his hooves a few more times before swallowing his mouthful of sandwich. ‘Yeah, and the rest… you must’ve been practising, right? It’s hard to believe you just came up with those moves in an hour.’

‘It was kind of a callback to when we went flying a few weeks ago,’ said Spike, elaborating as he noticed Sandbar’s eyebrow slowly rise, ‘I mean, kite flying. And real flying. By Rarity, and myself, respectively…’ he trailed off awkwardly again before resuming, ‘Once or twice since besides, actually. Anyway, the improv just came naturally, I guess?’

‘And it seems to me your air control has greatly improved since that day, darling,’ said Rarity, ‘Though truth be told I was keeping an eye on you… if I’d needed to, I’d’ve course-corrected any potential whoopsiedoodles! But that wasn’t necessary, thank goodness…’

As Spike giggled at Rarity’s turn of phrase Sandbar opined, ‘The two of you just seemed so, so in sync, dancing like that, that’s all. I’m pretty impressed.’

‘Eh, I’m a novice at best. Rarity did a lot of the heavy lifting, literally in terms of me getting into the saddle, but thanks, Sandbar. It was a blast.’

Yona interjected, ‘Yona love it! Ms. Rarity and Spikey-Wikey make Yona want turn! Can Yona? If Sandbar join in, even better!’

Rarity peered at the clock nearby. ‘We can just about spare the time, but I must be off in an hour… I promised to meet Applejack and Pinkie Pie at AJ’s farm for dinner and I’d like to lock up before then,’ she uttered.

‘The ’rents’ll expect me back by then, too,’ said Sweetie Belle, nonetheless sitting upright for the first time since Sandbar had entered the boutique, ‘But, well… Rarity, Yona’s been working here for a few moons now, hasn’t she? I don’t suppose you’ve made any progress on yak clothing in the meantime for her like you have for Spike?’

‘Hmm… now that you mention it, I have been workshopping a few things that I’m yet to manufacture… you know, that’s a wonderful idea, and if Sandbar would oblige so much the better! Just… please be careful not to, ah, please tread carefully upon the stage! I’ll need that again before long!’

Sandbar nodded with an enthusiasm that surprised even himself. ‘I mean, there’s no way I can pull off anything close to those moves, but… sure! Dress me up. Do it,’ his expression paled a little and he cringed as he contemplated the implications of what he was agreeing to before he added, ‘Uh, just stallion clothes though? I don’t think I can fill out a miniskirt quite like Spike did.’

Spike grinned, having removed his remaining heel and his skirt while the others had been talking. ‘She’s got stuff for guys, Sandbar, you’re not expected to do that unless you wanna. I’m kind of a special case – an, uh, seasoned professional on the matter, you could say.’

That was enough to convince Sandbar, and Rarity clapped her hooves to signal a change-around. ‘Alright then, everycreature trade places! Yona, Sandbar, follow me while I fetch the goods from backstage! Fair warning, it won’t be a full outfit for you, Yona, but I have just the thing that’ll dovetail perfectly with your golden attire!’ she wittered before skipping behind the curtain. That was Spike’s cue to take his seat next to Opal while Sandbar and Yona followed her lead.

He looked up at the catwalk eagerly, clasping his claws together, shifting in his new jacket and wondering what his favourite pony had in store for them all next, before turning to Sweetie Belle. ‘I probably should get to the gone soon myself,’ he said as she leaned towards the box containing Rarity’s records and rummaged around with one hoof for a new single or extended-player, ‘I don’t love flying back to Canterlot after dark and I don’t wanna impose on Rarity more than necessary…’

Sweetie Belle looked up at Spike and removed her shades, revealing an intense but not unkind gaze that nonetheless made Spike a little uncomfortable. ‘Well, geez, I dunno, Spike. You two seem to be getting along so well, you probably could stay the night here and get a makeover off of her. I’ve done it!’

Attracted to his heightened warmth following the dance, Opal looked up at Spike, and he moved his claws from his lap to let her hop onto it and bed down on him for a while. ‘Heh, that’s a nice thought but no… oh, I should come clean a bit about me and Rarity. I can trust you not to tell anycreature something important to me, right?’

‘If your secrets are Rarity's secrets, by all means,’ Sweetie Belle said, a bit absently.

‘Well, we’ve, uh, got a thing going on… and it’s not something we can rush, you know? Staying over like you said, I don’t think it’d be appropriate right now.’

She used her magic to flick through the box with more finesse than hooves alone allowed, pausing on something she thought looked interesting before acknowledging Spike further with one eyebrow raised. ‘No kidding, Spike? I kinda figured… it’s pretty obvious. Heck, it was plain years ago that you liked my sister. Has she finally lowered her standards enough that you’ve gotten in there at last?’ Sweetie Belle balked as Spike looked singularly affronted, ‘Kidding, sorry. But you know what I mean.’

Spike frowned before answering in earnest. ‘Don’t be a jerk, Sweetie Belle… but yeah, I do… it’s only felt possible at all pretty recently, and it seems to be happening. At any rate, our friendship’s definitely become something more lately, and she confessed just this afternoon that she really, really likes me… and I won’t lie, it feels great that, uh, you’ll have to excuse me calling your sister this, it’s probably weird, but it’s almost unbelievable that such an amazing mare is into me! But, well, I’m small, and that’s a problem… a temporary one, we’re sure! Just, in the meantime I mustn’t come on too strong. There’s a bunch of reasons…’ His demeanour increasingly lightened as he spoke and became more and more excited, then darkened again at the last couple of sentences.

Sweetie Belle exhaled. ‘My sister, the amazing mare, huh… I don’t doubt she told you “claws off” despite her feelings, she’d be wise to keep up appearances given her stock-in-trade. I mean, it’d be weird to me if I didn’t know you both so well… even though she’s my sister she’s a lot older than me, and I know you’re just a couple of years older than me, even though I’ve gotten taller lately and you’re still, ah, like you said, small.’

‘That’s what we agreed on before, pretty much. But there’s nothing wrong with hanging out and having fun like this evening, is there?’

‘Absolutely not,’ Sweetie Belle agreed with a pointed nod, ‘Although I could be biased after the both of you helped me out yesterday. Plus you indulged me with the skirt before, though Sandbar might’ve dug you wearing that more than me, in the end!’ Spike blushed as she turned her attention back to the box before asking, ‘Hey, I’m at a loss here. Think Yona would go for the Cloud Factory Colts or should I choose something more traditional?’

‘She’ll go nuts for Sapphire Shores, she told us she really liked her not long before you got here. There’s some of hers in there, right?’

Vinyl clacked against vinyl for a moment before Sweetie Belle located one. ‘Ah! “Hot to Trot”, I know this one. Thanks for that, Spike.’ He watched her slide it onto the turntable and carefully pop the gramophone’s needle onto its edge before she turned to him. ‘You know, Sandbar seems uh, aggressively normal and all but he’s actually a bit more open-minded than you’d think? I guess being the first pony to date outside of his own species since anypony can recall is a dead giveaway. And if things work out between you two, the plan’s for Rarity to be the second?’

‘I’d really like that,’ Spike sighed, before snapping back to reality, ‘So you’re, uh, okay with that?’

‘It’s my parents you’d really need to check in with,’ said Sweetie Belle, ‘And if I know my dad, there’d be words to the effect of “If you break my little girl’s heart, this horn ain’t just for show, firebreather! This baby’s a lethal weapon!” He’s just like that…’ Then she looked Spike dead in the face and said, ‘As for myself, I haven’t a problem with you being with Rarity, you already know each other pretty well and Celestia knows she could do far worse… but if you ever did anything to hurt her, emotionally or otherwise, you’d have me to deal with besides my dad. I love my pain-in-the-flank, high-falutin, head-in-the-clouds, self-absorbed, prissy sister. You do not want to deal with Sweetie Belle on the warpath, I don’t care how big you get.’

‘I’d never do anything like that, you know me,’ Spike said, raising both claws and bravely smiling, trying not to flop-sweat as Sweetie Belle stared blankly and moved her face, uncommonly menacingly for a squeaky marshmallow pony, very closely towards his before backing off. ‘I couldn’t.’ He shook his head, a solemn feeling overcoming him at the possibility that he could and with faint echoes of “Spikezilla” tugging at his memory. ‘Could I?’

Sweetie Belle’s face lost its glare, but she only smiled a little. ‘Just something to keep in mind, Spike. Rarity might be waiting for you to catch up, but if and/or when you do, mind your strength as much as anything, mister. I don’t wanna get all anti-dragon on you, but I know how burly dragons can get long before any end-stage growth, that’s all.’

‘I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I really should, huh. Well, all I can really do is promise never, ever to do that… to myself as much as to anycreature else. I couldn’t live with myself.’

Her expression softened in response to Spike's worry and she sat back in her seat, raising a hoof towards Opalescence who stood on all fours and nuzzled into it. ‘No, I know you’re a “perfect gentledragon” to the core, Spike. I’m sure we won’t have to discuss this further, but I love my sis. Be good to her.’

‘Aye-aye to that, Sweetie Belle,’ Spike said with a mock salute and an anxious wobble in his voice. Then the pair jolted in their seats as they heard a yelp and a series of bumps from behind the curtain for a moment, then laughter.

Then Rarity popped her head out from the curtains to address them, and Spike couldn’t help his heart fluttering as she smiled brightly, if slightly nervously. ‘Not long now, dearhearts! I’m just applying the finishing touches to Yona’s outfit! Aha, ha, um, hold on!’ Then she zipped back in, an action followed by a squeak and more giggling.

‘I guess “perfection simply can’t be rushed!”,’ snickered Sweetie Belle, turning to Spike and finding him with a faraway, faintly wistful look in his eyes. ‘Spike, I’m kinda sorry if I shook you a bit just now, I didn’t mean to make it weird. If it makes you feel any better, I know Sandbar’s mom had similar words with Yona when they first became a thing? You know how rough-and-tumble she can get, but she’s yet to put him in traction, and they’ve been together over a year.’

Spike shifted in his jacket uncomfortably. ‘Yeah, I believe that… but the physical power imbalance between a yak and an earth pony is probably smaller than between a grown dragon and a unicorn,’ he ruminated, ‘I gotta think a while about all this. Something to discuss with her later, I think, but I need time first…’

As he trailed off Rarity’s head popped back out between the curtains. ‘They’re both quite ready now, so I’ll alight to join your little audience presently and we can all behold them together, if that’s alright with you? Sweetie, darling, could you dip the lights and put on some, ah, Sapphire Shores? Yona’s request.’

Sweetie Belle donned her shades once again and gave Rarity another of her hip over-the-rim mid-distance peers. ‘Way ahead of you, sis. We’ve been discussing her musical preferences while you’ve all been getting dressed up back there and Spike said she’s into that.’

‘Ah, fabulous! I see Spikey-Wikey’s on the ball as usual!’ Rarity said, looking at him and just about containing her excitement regarding the upcoming performance, ‘Well, just pop the record on in the next minute or so, and we’ll begin.’

She trotted a way along the catwalk before hopping off onto the chair Opal had been inhabiting prior to lying on Spike’s lap, and Sweetie Belle dimmed the room lights, revealing the full, spinning glory of the overhead disco ball’s blue-green lights. It was too dark for her to handle wearing the shades, and after a few seconds’ fumbling around she put them on her forehead over her horn, then sheepishly returned to her seat before plugging the gramophone back in, which cued the music as requested.

Rarity reclined in her chair, her legs crossed, and looked at Spike, one hoof flicking a curly strand of her mane that had gone astray during certain difficulties with Yona’s outfit, back behind her ear. He looked up at her with shimmering eyes and smiled, but she could tell it was a slightly more troubled smile than before. ‘Aren’t you excited to see what we’ve got in store, Spike? For a fixer-upper I feel it’s rather good, but I need second and third opinions! Improvisation is once again the name of the game!’

He surprised her as he suddenly grabbed her on one side, leaning into her and burying his face into her shoulder, but after a moment she reciprocated. ‘Ooh! I, ah, oh… oh Spike, you are warm…’ she sighed.

Spike closed his eyes and mumbled something that Rarity couldn’t hear over the music. ‘Oh, Rarity… I really wanna make this work…’ he muttered, silently resolving not to fly from his problems this time. While aware of his inaudibility, he felt Rarity reassuringly relax onto him a little more besides as he said that and he looked up at her, his worries fading into the background now that she was with him again.

‘Aww… did you miss me, precious?’ she whispered, putting her hoof around him.

Before he could answer the curtain laid across the room withdrew and they all looked up as the song began in earnest, revealing Yona looking every bit like a Somnambulan goddess in a tall, faux-ivory and gold headdress with a gleaming red ball in its centre, and Sandbar in a dark-tan, vermilion-tinged suede bomber jacket, checkered white scarf and a streak of fluorescent cyan face paint over one eye along with laceless boots on all four hooves that matched the jacket. The spotlights flashed over them at high speed as they struck a dual pose together, and the next performance was on!

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

‘…So I’d advise they spend some time patrolling the Hyboreal Forest trail together. They’ll come to an understanding one way or another if they’ve got a shared goal,’ Twilight said into the mirror. Princess Cadance, reflecting back at her, smiled and nodded.

‘Agreed, dear sister. I was considering something along those lines, it worked partway to rehabilitate Berrytwist too… oh, look behind you,’ said Cadance, suddenly rearing slightly to look behind her sister-in-law, ‘It’s your boy, Spike the Brave and Glorious!’

‘Oh, Spike’s back?’ said Twilight, turning her head, seeing an open door and Spike land on the floor right there, ‘Hey, you are back! A bit later than your scroll said you’d be… should we talk about this more later tomorrow, C? I’d like to talk to Spike in private for a bit.’

Cadance pouted for a second before smiling again. ‘Aw… oh, I understand. Besides, we’ve been on the line long enough I probably should check up on Shiny and the Princess of Explosions before bedtime,’ Cadance smiled slyly, referring to her daughter, ‘I’ll get back to you like you said. Keep me posted on you-know-who and you-know-what, and I’ll see you both soon!’ she said in a hushed tone.

‘Hi and bye, Princess… see ya later!’ Spike stretched upwards and waved at Cadance, who winked and waved back before twinkling out of existence, replaced with his and Twilight’s own reflections in the throne room.

He looked down and put his arms behind his back, feeling faintly awkward after Twilight’s tone during the last bit of her mirror call with Cadance. ‘I’m not in trouble for being tardy, am I?’ he asked.

Twilight turned around fully to look down at Spike, who smiled nervously in response as she casually magiced off the regalia she’d been wearing during her call, absent-mindedly giving the six-pronged amethyst on her crown a quick polish as she peered at him a little. ‘Maybe be a bit more careful about flying home in the dark, I won’t pretend I don’t worry about you getting mown down by a stray helicopter… but you’re here. So, how’d it go with Rarity?’ she asked, ‘I’m guessing pretty well after all that panic this morning?’

While Twilight was somewhat aware of the borderline-romantic nature of the disagreement between Spike and Rarity at the picnic after she’d asked him what had happened, he hadn’t told her about its true impetus – that kiss was solely between the two of them, Rarity had made it quite clear over the last twenty-four hours. Nonetheless, the Princess of Friendship had been concerned about their friendship, so he was open about it apart from that detail.

‘We talked about what happened at the picnic, which was… well, it went pretty well, all things considered. There were tears, from both of us, I’m dragon enough to admit it! But we’re friends again, anyway. Then we spent after-hours at the shop having tea and a fashion party with Yona and Sweetie Belle,’ he replied, ‘Sandbar too when he showed up halfway through. I’ve got a new jacket waiting for me next time I go over there, but I didn’t take my bits with me so it’s awaiting pick-up. Looks great and fits nicely though, you’ll love it!’

Twilight grinned, especially pleased to hear that everycreature had gotten along all afternoon. ‘Still with the discount, then?’ she asked, to which Spike nodded in response, ‘Good… great, actually! Oh, I’m so pleased to hear you worked it out. So, I guess you’ll be visiting over there again before long?’

‘I’d like to, we need to talk about something else besides the jacket, but this evening wasn’t the time – I might need your advice about it before we do. Anyway, she’s on the express a bunch for the rest of the week – there’s a fashion show in Manehattan she’ll be taking Yona to, and she says she’ll be meeting somepony in Baltimare about something fashiony over there, too, which is fine, I’m meeting a Saddle Arabian emissary about those magical pyramids appearing in the desert over there tomorrow, anyway. They seem to think it’s something to do with Somnambula, the town I mean. They’re neighbours and it might be a territorial matter as much as anything?’

He inhaled before rattling off his expected itinerary for the week even further. ‘Provided that goes well I’ll be back in Ponyville on Wednesday after lunch for the jacket and maybe a mining expedition, and besides that Rare’ll be coming by while she’s checking in with Sassy Saddles at the Canterlot Boutique on Friday,’ he stopped for a second as he remembered a convergence, ‘Wait, that’s actually the same day as this moon’s Friendship Council, of course she’ll be visiting then along with the rest of the girls… anyway, she asked me to show her the castle heights for some sightseeing, which’ll happen after we’re done with that. And then Nightmare Night’s not far away… I probably oughta ask, what’s in store for that this year? We should plan ahead a bit.’

‘Spike, I can’t believe I, of all ponies, am saying this, but one thing at a time!’ laughed Twilight, ‘Yes, this moon’s Friendship Council’s soon and I need to prepare something fun for that. Regarding Nightmare Night, Pinkie’s throwing a ghost house at the Sweet Apple Acres barn, with Applejack’s blessing; an eerie music, no lights, batty and spidery herbal cookies-kinda shebang, and we’re going. If nothing else, Fluttershy said she might attend, I suspect after a nudge from Discord? Anyway, I’d like us to show our support. You know she’s had problems with, uh, spooky scary stuff before… I don’t suppose you’ve got any ideas for trick-or-treat costumes in the meantime?’

Spike laughed too as Twilight approached both him and the door exiting the room. ‘I got nothing yet, but our options are open! Maybe one of the castle ponies can tailor something, or we can grab something off of the market, or even Rarity…’ his voice turned dreamy for a second and he paused as Twilight rolled her eyes as kindly as possible, ‘…Could make something for us?’

‘The Nightmare Night sky’s the limit, Spike,’ Twilight smiled, moving to leave the room as he flew upwards, then beside her as he followed, ‘And whatever we settle on’s gonna be just right for the occasion. Now, let’s get something to eat before it gets too late! You didn’t fill up too much at the boutique, right?’

‘I had some diamonds and tea, but that was hours ago! I’ll tell you all about my afternoon while we do dinner if you like. You wouldn’t believe the catwalk performance Yona and Sandbar put on for us!’ Spike said cheerfully as Twilight swung the door shut, leaving the mirror in the darkness. The pair’s chatter faded as they wandered down the hallway towards the throne room, leaving it behind for now.

–––✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*💎*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧–––

Comments

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

Great chapter!

Twilight turned around fully to look down at Spike, who smiled nervously in response as she casually magiced off the regalia she’d been wearing during her call, absent-mindedly giving the amethyst on her tiara a quick polish as she peered at him a little. ‘Maybe be a bit more careful about flying home in the dark, I won’t pretend I don’t worry about you getting mown down by a stray helicopter… but you’re here. So, how’d it go with Rarity?’ she asked, ‘I’m guessing pretty well after all that panic this morning?’

Were some of Earth’s modern technologies like helicopters and other things existed mentioned in this story before?

Is the mirror supposed to be a foreshadow for something happening later on?

[Mareity]

10172398
Don't read too much into the helicopter, I was just making fun of the time there was a Hasbro-mandated pony-driven helicopter in the show for like two seconds that got used for a gag. It's meant to be ridiculous and anachronistic!

The magic mirror may well figure into things later. It's the same one that traverses between dimensions but it can also do video calls now! I think in continuity the only thing that was capable of that was the Storm King's crystal ball in the movie , but I'm taking artistic license and rolling the two things up together... besides, long-established magical stuff in the show had a way of surprising everyone once in a while!

[Mareity]

10172398
Hey I was phone-posting on the comment from before and didn't specify exactly what I meant. The helicopter I was thinking about was this -

derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/4/5/593430.gif

- from "Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3". As you can see it is pony pedal-powered. There's also a really rudimentary helicopter kind of thing Pinkie Pie uses all the way back in "Griffon the Brush-Off" but that's not mowing anycreature down

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

10176520
Thanks for the info!

[Victoria_the_dragoness]

Oh, what another wondrous addition to the tale, dear. I quite like your characterizations and your vocabulary usage as well. I am always positive to look for different words, and styles for that matter, to use with my own writing and I always seem to glean something from you that I would like to use or that has simply faded from my internal list. I am excited to see whether Rarity heard what Spike and Sweetie Belle were speaking about. That could explain her nerves a little, unless that is purely her fretting about the well-being of the outfits, which is possible.

It also has me absolutely gleeful to see Rarity and Spike cuddling one another. It is always delightful to see how connected they are. I loved their dance as well as their somewhat matching ensembles. I am patiently awaiting the next chapter in their complicated, but nonetheless magnificent relationship.

[Mareity]

10192092
Hey, thanks for reading. I'm curious, what did you like about the characterisation in this chapter? Regarding the characterisation outside of our heroes (which was intentionally light on the emotional interaction after the depths of angst the previous chapter took them to, I wanted them to just enjoy doing stuff together for a while) I have slightly mixed feelings about it, although I'd like to think I did a decent job!

Part of me is concerned that I made Sweetie Belle a little too bratty but, like I said a few chapters ago, she's entered an age wherein she seeks to assert herself more, and it's not like the stuff she said to Spike was malicious, just a bit overprotective of Rarity... or at least that was the intention! I hope I didn't make her too out-of-character but it's difficult to tell! (In terms of her physical size, I may not have made it all that clear but she's no longer as small as she was in FiM and resembles her older appearance in "Growing Up is Hard to Do" almost exactly, as do the other CMCs at this point)

On the other hand I see people around saying Yona is stupid and that's just not so, she's a monosyllabic barbarian for sure but stupid she ain't, so much as rough around the edges (and seeking polish, to extend that metaphor, as we saw in "She's All Yak" -- I hope I'm doing a halfway-decent job projecting her personal development between that and her appearance in the epilogue episode).

Next chapter is on track for a majestic choir of angelic pegasi to descend from Heaven to upload it to Fimfiction before the end of April, btw. Haha I wrote all this to procrastinate from working on it, ain't that crazy and not at all counter-productive 🙀

[Victoria_the_dragoness]

10195545

Well, I think that you did an excellent job of showing the side characters. Yona and Sandbar were easy to view doing and saying what they did, but they have also changed in a believable, natural manner. Sweetie Belle can be a bit like this at times. She acts a bit like Rarity too, both in good and bad ways, which she has likely seen and is trying to stop or at least ease. She wants her own mannerisms and idiosyncrasies. I can understand Sweetie wanting to protect Rarity and you explained that she is taller well enough. Rarity and Spike are very sweet with one another, even with something unspoken. It is one of my favorite complicated relationships.

Yona is hilarious, I love her. She is simply a bit naive, perhaps. She doesn't have the same boundaries that other characters have. I think that you are faring well with her development. Speaking of the last episode, what do you think of Rarity and Spike at the end? I think that the writers left it for interpretation in a way, if you want to believe that they have been dating or not. Even if they didn't, I think that after the Dragon Dropped episode, Rarity realized that she liked him more than as a friend and they eventually told Twilight that they had started dating when she returned to Canterlot, myself. They have been dating and married ever since.

Ooh, that sounds divine, dear Mareity. It isn't the silliest excuse I have heard. I look forward to it.

Toodaloo,

Victoria

[Mareity]

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My read on Dragon Dropped is, well, the premise I've been going along with this whole time in SSME; that Spike and Gabby spent a couple years dating even after Spike moved to Canterlot, then split up, then Spike and Rarity reconnected and got together not long after that.

Dragon Dropped is an interesting thing for me and not just because it's pivotal to my fanfiction, I keenly recall hitting up a pirate video site to see it the day after it aired in China -- July 2019 was a difficult time, pony-wise, I tried not to break American air dates for the most part but I just couldn't bear it for that one thing!! I was initially really mad that a character I'd loathed in her single previous appearance -- I'd found Gabby profoundly irritating in "The Fault in Our Cutie Marks", to say the least -- was not only back but was also breaking up my favourite ship?!?!?!?! But it actually worked out pretty well all things considered. It's true that there was an imbalance between Spike and Rarity that needed addressing, and the shenanigans that transpired in that episode acknowledged and resolved them well enough that their relationship was ultimately healthier for Gabby's reappearance.

As for the time skip/epilogue, I consider the time that elapsed to be around fifteen years with the ponies in their forties. All the stuff that's insinuated in the future of the mane 6 and Equestria is grist for the mill, and it gives me an anchor point for where I'm going with this. I kind of have mixed feelings about it overall (IT'S THE END OF PONIES 😭) but more good than bad... most pertinently I was a bit mad that there was zero interaction between you-know-who besides A Look during the final song! But that was also the impetus for starting fanfic in the first place so it works out, I guess. I am no longer mad, about anything, except maybe the "season 10" comics getting delayed by the 'rona because damn right I want to see Zecora's homeland 😓

[Victoria_the_dragoness]

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I see. I am sorry, I suppose that I should have guessed. I was simply wondering if you had a different opinion if you only referenced the show.

Actually, that is rather entertaining. I delayed watching any of season nine for months. I was positively dreading that episode, myself. I honestly wasn't particularly fond of Gabby either when she first appeared. That is a terrible thing to say, but the high-pitched voice reminds me too much of anime characters like that. She can also seem rather attached and moody, which is hard to deal with. Was there not a better alternative for Spike to start spending time with, like Moondancer or Ember? Eugh, ah, well. I like her more now, because she helped to improve Rarity and Spike's relationship, but the episode actually made me a little annoyed with Spike. He kept leaving with Gabby without at least saying goodbye to Rarity. Simply because Rarity mistreated him before doesn't give him the right to mistreat her. Spike also calls himself a romantic and a gentledragon, but that doesn't seem like it. He should have apologized for that too.

Yes, I quite like how it was handled. It did acknowledge and remove the imbalance, as you say, or the separation between the two. I can appreciate it from both sides and either way it ends with Rarity and Spike being together, but because Rarity and Spike's relationship was growing and developing, they continued to be closer, and Rarity never told him to stop being affectionate or attentive toward her, I doubt that he would disregard that and be with someone else. Perhaps Gabby thought that it was more of a romantic sort, but Spike only recently wrote Rarity an apology instead of a loving serenade during the special and received another kiss from it. Rarity could hardly string three words together after that wonderful, heartfelt song, and he definitely saw that.

Ooh, my apologies. I went on a bit of a tangent with that, didn't I? Pardon me, my goodness. I don't have many opportunities to talk about this situation, so that is likely why. Still, I am sorry and this doesn't mean that I don't accept or love different stories, like this particular tale of yours. I just love to see Rarity being snuggly with Spike.

Actually, I am writing a story that happens directly after the Dragon Dropped episode ends, where Rarity and Spike have an important talk in a bush after hiding from the bats.