Ace of Hearts

by blowngasket

Arpeggio

Chapter 22: Arpeggio

It was getting late, the sky already dark, and Rarity had to eventually close up shop, meaning Spike had to go home. He didn't want to go home, though. He kicked the dust outside of the boutique in slight aggravation, coming to terms with it. "I might as well see what Cata and Twi are up to. I hope Catacomb is making something awesome for dinner!" Spike said happily, his newfound happiness in not only the desire for dinner, but the fact it isn't him cooking. His speed quickened to a brisk jog, blissfully unaware of the person standing in his way. He came to a sudden halt as he collided with something that refused to budge. Collecting himself, he noticed a pair of legs, covered in jeans.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" Spike continued to look up, finally looking up into the cold golden eyes staring him down. Spike started to become nervous, only barely recognizing the glare of Ark, looking down at him. A sudden flash of lightning sparked from behind, sending a series of shivers up Spikes spine, and causing him to scream at a higher pitch than one would expect. "DON'T HURT ME!!!" Spike yelped out, scuttling back as quickly as possible. Ark continued to stare at him, but the now silence gave away a quiet giggle coming from above Ark, forcing Spike's attention upward. He noticed a dark storm cloud suspiciously close to him, and it seemed like the voice was coming from it. Spike sighed, feeling stupid and knowing exactly what happened. "Okay, Rainbow. You got me..."

Almost as if on command, Rainbow gracefully jumped off the cloud, letting it fly off to do its own thing, and landed next to Ark. "Haha...oh man, I am sorry Spike, I just couldn't resist." Rainbow spoke, calming down from her little laughing fit.

"Very funny...how the hell did you get him to do this though?" Spike asked, looking over at Ark, who seems relatively uninterested at the conversation at hand.

"I just told him to stand there, he is a natural at this." Rainbow said, another giggle escaping her. Ark looked over and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't see how this is fun." Ark said, looking mildly confused.

"It is, and believe me, you're perfect for this. You have a certain...quality." Rainbow said, patting him on the back. Ark still retained his confused stare, unsure of what she was talking about.

"You look scary." Spike said, clarifying. Ark gave a subtle nod in understanding and went back to staring around.

"So whatcha up to?" Rainbow asked, walking towards Spike.

"Just on my way back from Rarity's." Spike said, a slight blush on his face as he thought back to his day.

"Booooring. Was it at least better with what's his face hanging around?" Rainbow asked.

"You mean Discord? It was alright, though Rarity would disagree." Spike said, chuckling as he thought back to Discords attempts at dress design.

"Hehe, sounds great. Anyways, it's time for me to head on home. Let's go doom and gloom." Rainbow said to Ark.

"You two have surprisingly got along, huh?" Spike said, grinning.

"He ain't that bad once you get to know him. Right buddy?" Rainbow said, nudging Ark in the side. Ark gave Spike a look that spoke a thousand words, most of them synonyms for annoyed. "Alright, later Spike!" Rainbow said. Spike nodded and waved watching their wings spread outward as they both took off. A large gust pushing Spike back slightly, leaving a sense of wonder and excitement for when he grows his own set. Smiling, he proceeded to continue back towards the library.

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Catacomb, back in his human form, was laying on the bed, Twilight laying against him. They both stared at each other, a somewhat awkward smile. Catacomb's hand gently ran through Twilight's hair, being careful not to pull it. Twilight sighed happily, pushing her head into his hand. Catacomb chuckled lightly, looking down at her. "You know we will have to get up soon, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, but this is nice. I can see why people like to cuddle like this. The stories don't even begin to do it justice." Twilight said, reaffirming her position by moving closer into Catacomb.

"I can promise you that there are even better things." Catacomb said slyly, grinning ear to ear.

"I don't think we should rush it, Cata." Twilight said, a bit coldly.

"Twilight, I am hurt." Catacomb said, a mock sadness in his voice. "What kind of man do you think I am? I was talking about sunsets and long walks on the beach. Keep your mind out of the gutter."

"I am not gullible." Twilight said, looking up at Catacomb.

"I guess not." Catacomb said, laughing awkwardly and turning his gaze away. "I wonder how Shiny is going to take this."

"Probably not well. He can be a bit protective, but I know he does care." Twilight said. "Perhaps we should hide us, just until everything blows over."

"Nah, getting it out in the open would be for the best...preferably in front of enough people to hold your brother back long enough for me to get away." Catacomb said, laughing. Twilight joined him, laughing as well. They took a few minutes, catching their breaths, laying silently there, the sound of breathing being the only noticeable noise. "Come on, time to get up. I'll get to work on dinner." Catacomb said, smiling.

"We don't really have food, though. I will have to go to the market tomorrow." Twilight said, frowning slightly.

"Hmm, that is true. We could just go now. "Catacomb responded after thinking for a few seconds.

"It is late though." Twilight said, pointing outside at the night sky.

"Then how about we go bother Pinkie! She seems like the kind who has both food and the desire for company!" Catacomb smiled at the thought of those pastries.

"I wouldn't want to bother the cakes." Twilight said, shaking her head slightly. Catacomb looked down at her, a sly grin on his face.

"You just don't want to move, huh." Catacomb said, putting a bit of charm into his voice.

"Is that a problem?" Twilight asked, grinning as well.

"Not really, but Spike is almost here." Catacomb said to Twilight, who stare with a confused expression. "He spent the day at Rarity's...a lesser changeling could smell him from a mile away." Twilight chuckled, nodding. Begrudgingly, she moved herself into a sitting position, stretching out the kinks from laying for so long. Catacomb slipped off, rearranging his suit so it didn't look disheveled. Catacomb walked out, giving Twilight time to do whatever it was that girls did to look presentable, and headed downstairs to greet Spike. He smiled evilly, a mischievous thought coming across his mind.

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Spike approached the door, seeing the candles lit from the window. He smiled happily, recounting the day spent with Rarity in his head. He would officially win her heart soon, but for now he had to keep on going the path he was on. He opened the door to the library, looking around. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

There was Rarity, sitting on the couch in a long black one piece dress, smiling at him as he walked through the door. "R-R-Rarity...what are you doing here?!" Spike asked nervously, finding it hard to keep his sights off of her.

"I am terribly sorry for the intrusion, my little Spiky Wikey. I just couldn't wait for you until tomorrow. The nights are oh so lonely, and seeing you again felt like the only way to rid myself of this loneliness." Spike stared awkwardly. He couldn't believe this was happening. He stood there, thinking to himself that this couldn't be happening. He sighed and glared over at Rarity, annoyed.

"Catacomb, will ya quit teasing me." Spike said, walking past the couch and into the kitchen.

"But...I am Rarity, my dear Spike, why don't you believe me?" Rarity asked, a slight pout in her voice.

"What is the purpose of darning?" Spike asked Rarity, knowing that only the real Rarity would know that. He opened up a drawer and pulled out a sapphire. He walked back out into the living room, Rarity staring for a few seconds before sighing.

"Aren't you a nancy know it all?" The voice came from Rarity, but it was clearly Catacomb's. He shifted back into his usual appearance and draped his upper body over the couch. Spike casually chomped down on the jewel, getting nothing more than an odd look from Catacomb. "So, me aside, how did your day go?"

"Meh, it was alright, though Discord kept me from laying the moves on her." Spike said, leaning against the couch. "How about you?"

"Nothing really interesting. Went out for lunch, let Twilight play with my guns for an hour or so, then we came back here." Spike nodded, taking another bite out of the gem. "Oh yeah, I am dating Twilight now." Catacomb said with a grin, moving his head to the side to avoid the gem fragments being spit out in his directions.

"NO WAY!" Spike said, in complete disbelief. "YOU'RE DATING TWILIGHT?!"

"Really...five minutes...couldn't keep it a secret for five minutes." Twilight said, walking down the stairs. Catacomb turned towards her and gave her a cheeky smile and a thumbs up.

"Wait...it's true?!" Spike said, amazed. Twilight nodded slowly, still glaring slightly at Catacomb. "That is awesome! Does that mean you're going to be my new big brother?" Spike asked, the shock of the question causing Twilight to trip on the last step, falling towards the floor, only barely catching herself with her magic.

"There are many steps to dating..." Catacomb started, glancing over at Twilight to make sure she is ok. "Well first there is...umm...Twi what the hell do we do?" Catacomb asked curiously.

"Well..." Twilight focuses her magic on a book on one of the shelves, pulling it towards her, and opening it to the proper page. "According to the awkward teen's guide to dating, the first step is..."

"Ya know what, let's just wing it." Catacomb said, chuckling nervously. Twilight looked over at him and shrugged, placing the book down. Spike stared for a few seconds at the awkward duo, a small smile creeping up his face. Catacomb and Twilight looked at him, starting to feel a bit tense. Spike walked up to Catacomb and started to shake his hand.

"Catacomb, thank you." Spike said to him. Catacomb stared at Spike, then turned towards Twilight. She shrugged, leading him back towards Spike.

"You're...welcome?" Catacomb responded politely, though puzzled.

"Now that you are here, I can have more time off to spend with Rarity!" Spike said excitedly. Catacomb laughed, enjoying Spike's simple enthusiasm.

"Don't think you're getting off that easy. All this means is you will be doing less cooking around here." Twilight said, though smiling as well, Spike's happiness hard to not enjoy.

"Works for me!" Spike said. Catacomb nodded and relaxed, laying back down on the couch. Spike resumed chomping down on his sapphire, walking up towards his room. Twilight walked towards Catacomb, flicking him across the nose. He flinched, and glared upwards.

"What was that for?! We were going to tell him anyways." Catacomb said, rubbing his nose.

"That is for pretending to be Rarity and trying to seduce Spike." Twilight said, not amused.

"...Sorry, but teen boys are not my type." Catacomb said, shaking his head. "I was simply trying to startle him, that's all. I promise I won't imitate your friends in sexy poses." Catacomb said, chuckling. Twilight shook her head, and walked over towards the front, Catacomb following her with his gaze.

"We got a big day tomorrow, so let’s just get some sleep." Twilight said, blushing slightly. Catacomb smiled, and got up from his spot. He quietly follow Twilight, who used her magic to blow out the candles around the house. She headed upstairs, Catacomb following along. Twilight opened her bedroom door and walked in, Catacomb following as well, but stopped by a large wooden door hitting him in the head. "You have your own room, don't you?" Twilight said, laughing playfully. Catacomb, rubbing his head, chuckling.

"Fine, fine. You have a good night." Catacomb said, waving as he walked away. He didn't make it halfway before being stopped by someone's grip. He turned around to see Twilight standing there, blushing slightly as she tried to avoid his eyes.

"Cata...thank you for saying yes." Twilight said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before returning to her room. Catacomb smiled, waving her away as she left. He walked into the guest bedroom, the first time he had actually been in here. It was subtle, a decent sized bed, nightstand, and closet being the only real furniture here. Catacomb shifted into something more comfortable and laid down into the bed, sighing happily that he was actually getting to sleep in one.

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Catacomb stared off towards the ceiling, taking this alone time to come to terms with everything that happened today. Looking at the back of his hand, he shifted it back and forth between human and changeling. On the outside he was calm, but he really was nervous. He really did like her, but he wasn't sure what to do. His usual relationships lasted for only a night, not wanting to get attached because of what he was. Someone knowing and still liking him was a new concept, and the more he dwelled on it, the more nervous he actually became about slipping up, doing something stupid and making her miserable. He wanted to avoid this at all cost, but his heart ultimately won out over his head. He couldn't help but be afraid that he might not be the same man he thought he was. He wasn't even sure if who he was is the same person he wanted to be in the first place.

"Cata..." he froze as a voice softly spoke from behind his door. The door slowly opened, prompting Catacomb to quickly close his eyes, making himself look like he was sleeping. He heard soft sound of footsteps, followed by a slight movement on his bed. The covers were moved slightly, something warm coming into contact with him. Catacomb slowly opened one eye, looking down, not even needing to see to know who it was. Twilight was covered up and snuggling against him. He moved slightly, making more room for his unexpected guest. She moved with him, getting more comfortable as well.

"Comfy." Catacomb said softly to the girl in his bed. Twilight made a light motion with her head, nodding. Catacomb grinned and leaned back, letting sleep take him, and giving him the much needed rest he would need for tomorrow.

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"Twilight?" A voice rang throughout the house, reverberating on the walls. Catacomb slowly opened his eyes, glancing around the room. "Twilight?" the voice spoke again, giving a small mental boost to Catacomb, though not nearly enough to be declared functional yet. Trying to move, Catacomb felt weight against his body, something he wasn't unfamiliar with. Curiously he glanced over to his side to see Twilight laying in the bed with him, though all he could really see was her currently messy hair sticking out of the top of the blanket. Everything came back to him, remembering that she snuck into his bed while he was trying to sleep. He chuckled, sitting up slowly as to not disturb her. "Twilight!" The voice was up the stairs now, a chilling realization hitting him. He recognized the voice, all too well. Catacomb gulped, knowing full well that his life might end in the next few minutes, though the sound of the door opening shortened that time frame.

"Hey Cata, have you...seen...Twily..." Catacomb and Shining Armor, best frienemies for as long as they have known each other, stared awkwardly. Shining Armor's facial expressions changed constantly, shock, confusion, anger, rage, and deep loathing in a short amount of time. Catacomb, a nervous smile on his face, never changing, watched as the end of his life drew closer and closer.

"Shiny...I promise you this is not what it looks like..." Catacomb said, looking at him. The room was quite, except for the sound of another approaching person.

"Hey Shiny! Guess what?! Twilight and Catacomb are a couple!" Spike said innocently as he approached the room. Spike looked inside, and after a bit of squinting, noticed the reason everyone was so quiet. He stared, confused, and looked back at Shining Armor.

"Spike, I brought over some doughnuts. They are in the kitchen, along with AJ. Keep her company for a few minutes while I have a talk with our pal here." The calm in Shining Armor's voice was terrifying to Catacomb, like being stuck inside a giant twister, knowing that danger was completely surrounding you, ready to tear you limb from limb in the most agonizing way possible.

"I'll...go do that then." Spike said, walking past him quickly and making a dash downstairs. The silence continued, with the exception of a shout from downstairs saying "Applejack! You're not going to believe what is happening!" Catacomb wanted to cry, this situation becoming increasingly worse.

"Catacomb..."

"Shining..."

"This is going to end very badly for you, I just want you to know."

"I know...I would say I am not stupid, but a smart person wouldn't be in this predicament."

"Damn right he wouldn't..."

Twilight started to stir, slowly moving upwards from her soft comfortable position. She looked around, slightly startled by all the voices in the room. She first took notice of Catacomb, smiling happily that he was there, though confused by his look of pure horror. She looked at his face, then moved to see where he was looking towards. Her eyes went wide, and with a loud 'eep', she ducked back under the covers. Her voice could easily be heard though, obviously wanting to speak as well.

"H-hey...Shiny. Good morning...heh...heh..." Twilight said, chuckling nervously.

"Twilight, could you please leave me and Catacomb for a moment? We have some business to discuss..." Shining Armor said, looking over at both of them.

"About that..." Twilight said, blushing heavily. Catacomb slowly lifted the covers, earning a speedy response from his partner in crime as she quickly pulled it back down.

"Shining, in all seriousness, I promise you that nothing happened." Catacomb said, a blush forming on his face. Shining Armor looked furiously at Catacomb, before taking a deep breath and suddenly becoming calm.

"Dual...outskirts of town...one hour..." Shining slammed the door shut leaving Twilight and Catacomb alone in the room.

"Sorry, Cata..." Twilight said, sliding under the covers again.

"Don't worry, Twi." Catacomb said, lightly ruffling up her hair. "I am flattered that you wanted to spend the night with me, and even more so about your lack of attire. I can at least die happy today." Catacomb said, gulping through a smile.

"I don't think he wants to kill you..." Twilight said, a nervous blush on her face.

"Are you sure?" Catacomb asked, looking down at her.

"Yeah...though he will still try." Twilight said, Catacomb groaning.

"I am going to need some coffee..."

Comments

[Luna Secret Stallion]

LOL!

[1st Lieutenant Dave]

"I am going to need some coffee..."

So do I.