Spike's love for Rarity knows no bounds. Even when she changes he still loves her, though with her new persona it's more like try. Only after breaking his heart does she see it too.
"What happens when you change so much that you don't recognize yourself? What happens when you push everypony away to fit in, even going so far as to shatter your own heart in the process? What do you do to fix everything while you still can?"
Over the years Spike and the rest of the Elements of Harmony have seen a dramatic change with Rarity, even going so far as to degrade the quality, the uniqueness of her dresses. Only after confronted by Twilight and breaking Spike's heart does she finally see what has become of herself. Determined to fix it though, she sets out across the land of Equestria to try and rediscover who she is.
Trees full of blooming buds swayed in the gentle breeze that rolled through the town of Ponyville. Blades of grass in the open plains to the North of the town brushed gently against each other, dust from the dirt paved road billowed about. In the skies above birds sang to one another as they dove around one another in their sacred dance. Spring was in the air, in the very earth itself.
The main road of the town curved away from the center and through the plains until it ended at a massive castle.
Striding along the wide stretch of road, whistling in tune with the birds' chirps, was a lone dragon. All across his back were teardrop shaped amethyst purple scales, while along his underbelly were softer light grass green wide scales. Atop his head was a frill that ran down to the back of his neck, colored a deep forest green. Beneath the frill was a line of dull spikes that were colored the same as his frill. Out of all of these features, it was his eyes that always drew the most attention from his friends and strangers. His eyes were colored a rich, almost pure, emerald green. Anypony who looked into them was instantly mesmerized by the wonder that the drake saw of the world he lived in.
Over the years the drake had grown into a rather fit young drake, his baby pudge morphing into lean muscle. He had finally grown his wings, the muscles of his newer appendages were strong, thanks to all of the training that he did with his friend Rainbow Dash. With his age his height grew as well, standing a few inches taller than Princess Celestia herself.
His body wasn't all that had changed. His heart, if it was all possible, had grown as well, moving farther away from the greed that normal dragons felt. For him the need, or thirst as Twilight had called it, never even came to him anymore.
The drake stopped in his stroll to take in a breath of air, catching with it the sensational scent of sweet treats that were being cooked at the town's premier bakery, Sugarcube Corner. His stomach rumbled as the thought of food crept into his mind. Although he was on a mission, he felt that he could take a few minutes to drop by and have a quick bite.
Upon entering the town, the drake made swift dash towards the bakery, his feet carrying him faster than he intended. His stomach wanted food, and the idea of stopping now seemed more appealing than ever.
Sugarcube Corner was a place of wander, what when you had Pinkie Pie making all of the treats, it was a miracle that the place wasn't a bustling metropolis in itself. The building itself looked like a child's gingerbread house. The bottom of the building was standard wood, having a bright pink front door with a little silver horseshoe hanging above the entryway. Numerous windows looked out upon the empty early morning streets. The roof looked as though it was made out of a pretzel with its dark brown color and white flecks of what he swore time and again was salt, there was a singular tower that rose in the center, wood until it reached the balcony, where it held a cupcake with a single window on top. Atop the cupcake were three violet candles, the flames flickering in the wind, while to the left was a pony weather vein which held a giant candy cane.
It was an impressive structure to be sure, but it never came close to the magnificence of the the castle that he now resided in.
With a sigh, the drake went inside.
Behind the counter was a bright pink mare hard at work, a white apron with a heart across the chest was wrapped around her body as she ran a cloth across the wooden counter. Her cotton candy looking pink mane bounced in place as she worked, humming a tune to herself. Below the counter top was a glass display case, showing off the daily and weekly treats that they had concocted.
“Hey Pinkie Pie.” Along with his body growing, the drake's voice went from that of a child's high pitched to a much deeper, and smoother tone.
“Spikey!” The mare shouted as she jumped across the counter, having to stand on her hind legs to embrace the dragon in a hug. “I've missed you so much!”
“Pinkie Pie, I was only here two days ago.”
“I know! It felt like forever.” Spike smiled warmly at her, his lips curling back to reveal his razor sharp teeth. To any other pony outside of the Crystal Empire or Ponyville, the sight of his teeth would have frightened them, but for Pinkie Pie and the rest of their friends, they knew that he wouldn't ever dare harm them. He loved them too much. “Sooooo... what brings you by?” She asked in a chipper tone.
“Well, I was on my way over to see Rarity this morning to help her get started on her fall line when I caught the scent of sapphires.”
“Oh.... You mean the new doughnut recipe I was trying this morning?” She placed a hoof to her face as she scrunched her eyes at him, checking to see if he was hiding something. “How did you know I was trying a new recipe?”
The drake had to stifle a laugh. “Pinkie Pie, I'm a dragon, I can smell gems from a mile away. Besides, you just told me.”
She gasped loudly as she took a step back. “I know silly filly, I was talking to Gummy.” The drake gave the mare a perplexed expression, then felt something gnawing on his leg. Looking down, he saw her little pet alligator. “There you are Gummy.” Pinkie Pie reached out a hoof and snatched up the little guy, pulling him into a hug. “Momma Pinkie Pie told you to stay in her room. We have guest here.”
In a flash the pink mare was gone, leaving the drake alone to look around the shop. A thin line of saliva had gathered at the corner of his mouth at the scent of sapphires, his stomach begging him to just rush over and take as many of the delectable delicacies that he could get his claws on.
Pinkie Pie had appeared right back behind him seemingly out of nowhere before he could even move. “You wanna try a doughnut?” In all his years with the mane six, he still could never figure out just how Pinkie Pie was, well Pinkie Pie. Around her things never seemed to make sense. Then again, when he was a dragon living among ponies....
“Sure, I'll take one.”
“Okie dokie loki.” With a flash of pink the mare was into the kitchen and back again with the pastry in her hoof, holding out to him. Chunks of sapphires covered the doughnut, some being covered by a glazing that was made up of frosting as ground rubies, the little tiny flecks reflecting the light of the sun through the open window. “Well, go on.” She insisted, holding it closer to him.
“Thank you Pinkie Pie.” The drake took the doughnut, care to not make a mess of everything as he took a bite. Not wanting to waste any more time, the drake took a huge bite, managing to stuff half of the doughnut into his muzzle in one bite. His senses exploded at the flavor. The sapphires tasted like the sweetest candy ever made, coupled with the sweetness of the frosting, it was delicious. “Celestia above Pinkie Pie, this is great. You've really outdone yourself this time.”
“Thanks Spikey. You want another one?”
“I'll take two more if you got them...”
The drake managed to kill a half hour with the pink party mare, managing to eat half a dozen of doughnuts before he was finally able to step away and say no more. After bidding a farewell, and promising to come by later, he left the bakery to resume his trek though town.
By now most of the ponies that lived here were starting to rouse themselves awake. With the weather being so nice, many of the buildings' windows started to open, some ponies watering their flower pots.
In the town square Spike saw one of his friends, Applejack, setting up a wooden stand. Applejack was an orange mare with a long blond mane, the end tied up with a bright red band to keep it from touching the product, or getting in the way. Atop her head was her signature brown stetson, tilted back a little as she worked.
Looking up towards the sun, he knew that he had at least another hour before he had to show up at Rarity's. With a smile, he made his way over to the mare to assist.
The two put the stand up in a matter of minutes, Spike holding up the boards while Applejack hammered them into place. The final piece was the board that went across the top of the stand, going a little too high above for Applejack to reach. She was forced to wait as the drake held up the board, using his tail to hammer the pesky board into place.
“Thank ya kindly fer yer help sugarcube.” The apple mare spoke with a sweet voice, her southern draw only adding to her natural charm. The brown freckles on her face moved up as she smiled, showing off her strangely white teeth.
“Your welcome AJ.” As a reward for his help, she tossed him one of the apples, a bright green granny smith apple, his favorite. “Thanks.” He stood with the mare for a minute, eyeing his apple. “So, how are things with Thunderlane?”
It was no big secret that the mare had started to date a year ago. She was never good at keeping secrets after all, she was the element of honesty. It didn't take long for all of them to figure out who she was dating, and for a time, she seemed happy. But as of lately, she had started to seem more downcast. “Over.” Was all she said, in a bitter tone.
The news shocked the drake. He had thought that maybe he was going to be her very special somepony. To hear that he wasn't upset him, but no more so than her. At a glance, he caught a tear flowing from her eye. Taking a knee so that he could look her in the eyes, he brushed away her tear with his scaled finger. “Don't cry AJ.”
The orange mare turned away from him. “Fella's a genuine varmint.”
Spike grasped a hold of her cheek, turning her to face him. Her beautiful emerald eyes displayed naught but hurt, seeing the tears trying to escape, but she wouldn't let them. “Applejack...” The drake wanted to say something, anything to comfort her, but all he could think about was what he wanted to do to the pegasus the next time that he saw him. “What happened?” It was all he could manage.
“At first... Ah thought he felt somethin' fer me....” Spike could see that she was having a hard time trying to tell him.
“I'm here Applejack,just your best friend Spike.” The dragon enveloped the mare in his arms, to further prove that he was there for her.
“All that no good varmint wanted was Dash.” The drake nearly slammed his tail into the ground at the thought of Rainbow Dash going after the pegasus that Applejack had set her heart on. “When she heard 'bout what all happened, she and Big Mac had a word with him.”
Spike held his laughter at bay as he thought about the 'talk' that the duo had with the pegasus. Somehow, whatever he was thinking of doing seemed pale in comparison to what they had done.
“Applejack.” The drake pulled back to look in her eyes again, this time though, he showed her a smile. “You didn't do anything wrong. He couldn't see what he had right in front of him. You're a wonderful mare, caring, honest, and above all, emotionally strong. You can be a little stubborn sometimes, but that's what makes you... you. There is a special somepony out there for everypony, we just have to find them.”
“When did ya get so wise sugarcube?”
“Picked up a lot from you girls.” They shared a laugh at that. “You gonna be okay?”
“Ya. Don't need to worry about me sugarcube. Ah'll be right as rain.”
“If you ever need to talk, I'm always here.”
“Thank you sugarcube.” With a final hug, the drake left the mare to tend to her stand, knowing that he had somewhere to be.
As he walked on, he couldn't help but think of himself, and what he would do if Rarity ever used him, that is, if he would ask her out. Out of all of the adventures they've been through, all the fears that he had to face, the one that he couldn't face was her. Spilling out his heart to her terrified him, especially now. She had changed so much since she had gotten more clients in Manehatten, spending more time there and Canterlot.
Every time that she went away, it seemed like less of her came back, they had all noticed it, but none of them had said a word to her. They were still clinging to the hope that it was just a phase and that she would snap out of it. He awaited that day, then he could tell her how he truly felt. Every time she returns, its like watching another mare come back. I can't help but think that somewhere out there she is lost, alone, or worse, and this is a changeling coming to take everything from me. He thought.
After what felt like hours, he finally arrived at the Carousel Boutique. It was an elegantly built home, the bottom being colored a dark sky blue, having two massive windows on either side and a violet door in the center. There was a bright white marble archway that housed the door, giving it the appearance of a Victorian era. Above the door was a white sign with a golden yellow ponyquin, above which was a pink heart interwoven with the fleur design. The building grew smaller as it rose into a sort of tower, having a balcony with two carousel ponies on either side, a massive window overlooking the road leading to the building, two smaller ones facing in different directions. It continued up until it came to a gazebo, at the top of which waved a crimson red flag, moving with the wind.
With a shaky breath, the drake stood upon the threshold of the home, debating on whether or not he should knock, or just go in. After a few seconds of debate, he took a deep breath, and prepared himself for whatever happened. His claw grasped the door handle, holding his breath as he stepped inside.
Rarity was as still as a statue as she sat on her specially made wool cushion on the floor, believing that her bottom was too precious to sit on the clean wood. Her eyes looked straight ahead at the blank ponyquin that was before her. All morning she had sat in the same spot, thinking of something, anything, but all that she could see was one thing, an amethyst drake known only as Spike.
For some odd reason, she had another dream about him last night, and it was a rather uncouth dream, but it was wonderful all the same. She has thought about all of the hard work that he had put in to helping her over the years, and she had never really properly repaid him. So this morning she had wanted to make him a new suit, but as she thought about it, she realized that all the measurements that she had were from years ago, she had nothing recent.
This had gotten her thinking about the drake, and how it seemed that over the years he had been more and more distant. It wasn't just him though, it was all of her friends. They never seemed to come around anymore, they didn't seem to invite her out on picnics or to a pet play date anymore. It was like they had forgotten about her. Even Spike seemed to be a less common sight around the boutique.
It was true that it was no big secret how the drake felt for her, he had nearly told her once before, but she already knew. She knew from day one, the way that he looked at her. At the time, she thought it only because of her beauty, that was why she never really thought about him that way. It wasn't until recently that she realized he actually truly loved her for who she was, and she couldn't help but to start feeling the same way.
That was then. Now.... Now she didn't know. He had changed,getting closer to Applejack, and she thought that he was over her. She was still going to be a good friend, but it broke her heart that he would fall for somepony else. There was a small part of her that knew she was being selfish, and not for the right reasons.
The bell downstairs rang as the door swung open, but the mare paid it no mind. She was too lost within herself to even notice that there was somepony there with her. In the back of her mind, she could hear a tiny voice trying to say something to her, but she couldn't quite make out what it was saying.
The door to her second most private room opened, the amethyst drake standing within the doorway, looking at the mare. He felt his heart starting to beat faster as he beheld her pristine and perfectly groomed silvery-white fur, her royal blue mane that was brushed back into ending curls, and her tri-diamond cutie mark. She was the spitting image of natural beauty, except for her face. Even from where he stood looking at the side of her face, he could see that as per the usual as of lately, she overdid it with the make-up. Like all of their friends, he had thought that she was the most beautiful in her natural state, without all of the product.
Hesitantly, the drake strode into the room. “Rarity?” There was no response from the mare, who still hadn't noticed that the drake was there. “Rarity.” He spoke a bit louder, still with no response. He gulped as he laid a hand on her shoulder.
The silvery-white mare launched herself into the air as she screamed at the top of her lungs, not expecting to feel the warm touch of anypony. Her breath came in rapid gasps as she turned to look at who had touched her, feeling a pit of anger starting to build inside of her as she beheld the drake whom she had been thinking of. “Spike! Where are your manners?! You know it's improper to scare a lady such as moi!” She had to place a hoof against her beating heart to help her start breathing normally.
Rarity looked back at the dragon as she got her breathing under control, noticing that he seemed to be shying away from her, like she was going to strike him. Taking a steady breath, managing to get her breathing more regulated, she rose to her hooves. “I'm sorry darling, you just startled me is all.” She spoke with chin held high, nose in the air. “Do be a dear and fetch me a cup of tea.”
Spike grumbled to himself as he turned tail and left the room, heading back down to the kitchen to 'fetch' a cup of tea. It was like she didn't even see him as a friend anymore, just a mindless animal servant. He felt as if he were going to burst at any moment. For over two years he had been waiting for Rarity to return to normal, and although he loved who she used to be, he accepted the fact that she would probably never be the same again.
Rarity felt perplexed as she looked at where the drake had been standing. He hadn't said a word, just walked out of the room. Usually he would say things like 'Yes milady' or 'Yes Rarity', but he uttered any response. It made her think of when he was younger, so eager to please her, so eager to do whatever she wanted just to gain her attention.
Once more she felt a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, something telling her that she was being selfish again, for all the wrong reasons.
The drake was back in a matter of minutes, a fresh hot cup of tea on a plate. Normally this was what she wanted, but he had taken it upon himself to also cut up an apple into slices and place it them around the cup. “What is this?”
“Your tea, with an apple from AJ.”
“Her name, dear, is Applejack. It's most rude to use short names.” She had said the word 'dear' with such distaste that he thought she was going to fly from her cushion and backhoof him. “Those are treated apples I hope.”
“What do you mean?”
“Please stand up properly when you speak to a lady darling.” The distaste for him was growing with each word that she spoke. He could hear it, he could feel it in the air. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he dropped the plate.
Rarity jumped when she heard fine dishware crashing to the floor, her tea spreading across the floor in a puddle, the apples floating in it. “Rarity.” The silvery-white mare was taken aback as the drake clenched his claws into fists, malice lacing her name as he spoke it.
“There's no reason to get mad. You had an accident, just clean it up and fetch me another cup.”
“No.” Spike ground his teeth together as he eyed the mare with hatred. His heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces as he looked at the mare who was clearly not Rarity, a false ghost in the shell of the mare that he loved.
The mare rose from her cushion and glared back at the dragon, keeping her head held high as she did. “Well, I don't know what's gotten into you, but if you insist on being barbaric, then I guess I was right. You have changed for the worst darling.”
That was the final lash against the beast. He fought to control his rage as he spoke in bitter hatred to the mare. “No Rarity, you have changed.” Tears started to come to the drake's eyes as he felt the burning sensation of his heart being ripped from his chest. “All I've ever done, all that we have ever done, is love you! I love you Rarity, but I guess that doesn't mean anything to you!” The drake roared as he swung a fist out, missing the mare and hitting a mirror that was beside of her ponyquin.
Glass shattered around his fist, some getting lodged in the knuckles between his fingers. “Well I never...” She began.
“No, you don't get to talk! Shut up and listen!” His back was to her as he spoke, each word was laced with pure venom, all of his hatred coming forth. “You are not the mare that I love. Not anymore! I don't know what the buck happened to you....” He couldn't finish, all of the pain was becoming too much for him to bear. “Buck you Rarity!” He screamed as he looked up to the window a few feet in front of him.
The silvery-white mare watched as the dragon took a single step forward, looking out the window across Ponyville. In the reflection of the window she could see the tears running down his face, she could see the pain in his eyes, and when she looked closely, she could see that he was looking back into her eyes, looking past her facade and into her very soul. His anger had vanished, replaced now only by pain.
“I loved you.” It was the last thing she heard him say as he jumped through the window, glass shattering as he dove in. She screamed as she ran to what remained of her window, looking out to see the drake soaring away through Ponyville.
Her own anger had yet to subside, but it was dissipating as the realization of what he did dawned on her. Sighing, she used her blue aura of magic to pick up a dustpan and broom from the supply closet in the room, starting to sweep up the shards of glass.
As the mare worked she kept replaying the scene over in her head, listening intently to each word that was said, each move that was made. When he swung, he had missed her on purpose. Even in his rage he could not bring himself to harm her, it was against his nature, his morals, his code.
Rarity paused as she came across a shard of glass, looking into her broken reflection and seeing all of the make-up on her face, the way that she was holding her head high even when she was cleaning. Realization struck her like a lightening bolt, she had become what she never wanted to be. She had become a Canterlot Elite Snob, she was the very thing that she hated the most. Everything that she had done, everything that she had said, it wasn't really her. It was this false image, this facade that she had tried to pass off as herself.
Pain wracked her heart as she finally knew what Spike was feeling. Here she was, happiness in front of her, and she had spat on it. No, she had done worse than that. She had said that happiness for him, for her, for all of their friends, was meaningless. She had done the one thing that she had always feared the Elite would do, she abandoned them.
A deafening scream echoed through her home, and it took her a moment to realize she was the one who made it. Tears were flowing freely from her eyes, her make-up smearing all over her face as she cried her heart out. She fell to the floor, tightening into a ball as the pain overwhelmed her. It was never his fault, it was hers.
A bright, blinding light encompassed the room. It went from white to purple in the fraction of a second before it was gone. In its place stood two mares, neither of which were pleased to see the mare. Neither one felt sorry for her. She could see it in their eyes.
On the left stood Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic and the Princess of Friendship. Her beautiful lavender coat shone as she stood tall and regal, the crown upon her head as she looked down at the silvery-white mare. Her wings were folded upon her back, her mane side swept and, soaked oddly.
Beside of Twilight was Applejack, the fur on her chest and neck matted down with moisture as well.
It was Twilight who finally broke the silence in the room. “Rarity...” She began. The lavender princess was too angry to speak, to hurt by her adoptive younger brother's pain to say anything. She was so angry, but at the same time she was hurting so much.
“Don't ya ever go near him again.” Was all that Applejack had to say. There was more rage within her than Rarity had ever seen before, and she knew that she was the cause of it.
“Applejack please....” The silvery-white mare gasped as she rubbed her cheek, feeling the sore flesh beneath her beautiful coat of fur. As she looked, Twilight was drawing back her hoof from where she had smacked her. “Twilight I...”
There was another loud smack as Applejack struck her now, more forceful that Twilight had,and it sent the mare back to the floor, where she cried even harder now. “The others don't know about this yet. I doubt any of them will want to see you after what you have done. Look at you Rarity, look at what you have become.” Twilight turned away from the mare, as did Applejack. “I hope your finally happy Rarity, I hope that all of your dreams have come true. As far as we are concerned, don't ever speak to us again.”
There was a raging inferno in the eyes of the princess as she looked at the mare that she had once called friend, one of the first mares she had ever had over for a sleepover all those years ago. There was pain twinkling in the middle of the inferno. It seemed to be gnawing at the lavender alicorn as she glared at the mare, holding back from both crying, and tearing her apart.
In the blink of an eye, the princess turned away from the crumpled mess of the silvery-white mare and vanished with her orange companion, never wanting to see her again.
She was all alone now. Her younger sister, who loved her dearly, had taken to staying with their parents or at Sweet Apple Acres with her best friend. The little filly was too afraid of her sister to stay around, too afraid that the sister she loved was gone from her life forever. She hadn't seen the little filly in nearly a year now. She hadn't understood why, until today, until what Spike had said to her.
She could feel the guilt of it all gnawing at her soul like a rabid beast, tearing her apart one little piece at a time. The years of her going to Canterlot, to Manehatten, the endless months of working herself to the very bone to complete her orders and making herself look, act, and feel like one of the elite, it all came rushing back. The very ponies and friends she should have kept close, she had pushed away, and the ponies that claimed to be her friends, had always kept her at arms length.
A deep chasm of emptiness weighed her down, an unending sea of doubt and horror crashed upon her heart, shattering it into millions of tiny pieces. She was alone in the world now, nobody to love, and nobody to love her in turn. What had she done? Who had she become?
Go. A voice whispered to her. It was the same voice that she had been hearing for years, ever since she started her en devour to impress the elite. She had forsaken it, thinking that it only wanted to bring her despair. She realized that it her own conscious, trying to protect her, and she had ignored it.
A sense of warmth washed over her as she embraced the voice, feeling its soothing presence return to her after all these years. It was strangely comforting as she welcomed it back. Go, it whispered again.
“Go where?” She whispered back to the air around her. She didn't understand what the voice was trying to tell her. It had wanted her to go, but to where was a mystery.
Go away. At first she was still perplexed as to what it was saying, but as she looked back out over the fields beyond Ponyville, she realized what it meant. She had to leave, forsake everything. She didn't know where she was to go, just that she didn't need to stay here anymore. News of Spike's broken heart would travel quickly, and when it did, she feared of what would come.
Casting her gaze from the fields to the distant horizon, she finally understood one clear thing, she was alone in her venture. None of her friends would stop her, none of her friends would help her, they had all left her, if not now, then when they heard of what she had done to Spike. For the first time in as many years, she felt her heart swell with love thinking about the drake.
As much as she wanted to admit it, she had to leave for him just as much as she did herself. In her heart she knew that nothing would ever be the same between them, between their friends, but if she could fix it all by leaving, then she would. No matter how long it took, she was going to make things right. “For all of us Spikey-Wikey....”
Rarity could feel her heart beating rapidly against her breast as she trudged on towards the Castle of Friendship. With each step closer she could feel her breath starting to become more shallow, her mind was already a mess, conflicting emotions of fear and anger, but also of love and sorrow. As with every journey they had taken together, she had packed a few needful essentials; sleeping bag, blanket, food, water, a small tent, just about everything that she hoped would get her on her way.
Just beyond the rise in the hill she could make out the tall translucent sapphire crystal star, similar in shape to Twilight's cutie mark, as it rose from the tower below it. As more of the castle came into view she could feel her nerves starting to fail her. After the talk with Twilight the day before, after the long hours afterwards where she cried until her cheeks were rubbed raw and sore, after feeling the pain of what she said to Spike sink in, she was scared to say the least.
Now, standing before the tall crystal castle made out of their love for each other, out of their friendship, out of their harmony, she felt more insignificant that she ever had before. The twin golden doors, guarded by two purple hearts, and flanked by two almost lavender purple windows, seemed menacing to her.
She could feel the anger, the malice that the pony inside had for her as she raised a hoof up to open the door. It was like the castle was alive, an extension of the mare who inhabited it. Gulping, she slithered inside.
Past the threshold was a large open room with a four way intersection, a carpet laid out to show that you could go left, right, back the way you had come, or straight down a narrow corridor to a staircase that rose up then split to the left or right, colored a light ocean blue. Atop the staircase, just before the junction, was a banner that rolled down from the top, colored a deep amethyst purple with Twilight's cutie mark plastered upon it.
Looking up, she could see the two tall crystal spires that flanked the corridor, hanging between them two crystal hearts colored a very vibrant white. Above, just past the golden railing of the upper floor, she could see a set of stairs on either side leading even higher up into the castle.
Pushing away her nervousness, she proceeded down the corridor towards the first set of stairs, ignoring the lingering feeling that there were ponies inside of each room that she passed, talking ill about her. She could hear the echo of laughter coming from somewhere deep within the castle.
She tried her best to put a smile upon her face as she ascended the second set of stairs on the second floor. With each lingering, hesitant step up she took she could hear the laughter, the voices growing louder. For some strange reason, she swore they were of the Canterlot Elite. It sounded as though the very same ponies that she had worked tirelessly for ages to impress, were fed up with her antics already.
Thinking back to those that she claimed to want to be a part of, she couldn't help but feel even more foolish about who she chose to be around more. If they were smart, which she knew some of them certainly were, then they could have easily seen through her facade and could have easily known about her. They all already knew that she came from Ponyville, thanks to a certain alicorn princess having her party in the Canterlot Castle.
A few tears spilled out from her eyes as she turned on the stairs and began her final ascent. The laughter was even louder before, and though she could recognize it as that of Pinkie Pie and Applejack, it still felt as if it was directed at her. She already knew that she was treading on thin ice with Twilight, maybe she was foolish for coming here. Maybe she should have just left a note and been on her way. No Rarity, you need to do this. It is the first step to becoming a new mare, the mare that you really are.
After what felt like an eternity of walking, the mare came to rest before a wide open corridor that ended at a set of closed doors. To either side were doors, each one looking exactly the same, except for the one at the end. It was encrusted with the symbol of harmony, and all of their cutie marks intricately laid around it. It was from behind the door that the laughter was the loudest. Though it was a short distance away, to Rarity, it felt like it was clear across Equestria.
Rarity felt her throat go dry when she could make out the soft sobbing of a certain amethyst drake amid the laughter and voices. Her heart ached, it burned with want, want to rush to him and tell him that everything was alright, to tell him that she didn't mean what she said. It was a fruitless endevour, as Twilight would never allow her to get anywhere close to her little brother.
What would normally take anypony a few seconds to arrive before the door, took her almost an hour. And when she finally was close enough to hear the voices of her friends as if she was in the room, she felt her whole body go rigged with fear. Was she ready to face them? Was she ready to hear what they had to say? Was she ready to take their anger, their hurt? Worst of all however, was she ready to see a heartbroken dragon?
Sucking in a shallow breath, she whisked the doors open with her magic and stepped inside.
All at once the voices faded away into silence, replaced only by silent stares from all of her friends. To each she looked in the eye. Twilight still carried her fiery resolve from yesterday, Applejack tilted her head down to avoid her gaze, Rainbow Dash just watched with a mixture of anger, and also of protectiveness, of whom she was already clear about. Fluttershy covered her face with her mane, while Pinkie Pie's mane was somewhat deflated, and her eyes were downcast with worry, and yet too of anger. Finally, her eyes came to rest on the very same dragon, who until yesterday, was always happy to see her.
If she was a nervous wreck walking up, she just felt like a hydra straight out of tarturas now. She felt no better than discord or Tirek. Tears welled up inside of her eyes as she slowly opened and closed her mouth, looking for something, anything to say. “What are you doing here Rarity?” Twilight's voice was filled with so much malice that she felt small, like when they had first been terrorized by Nightmare Moon.
In a shaky voice that was barely audible above a whisper, she said, “I-I'm leaving.” They all softened their expression a bit as they regarded her with a new-found interest. Even Spike, an amethyst purple dragon that stood almost a hoof taller than Princess Celestia, a dragon with an open heart that could never be contained, stopped his weeping to regard her with the same fascination that he always did. She could see it when he looked at her, even though she had broken his heart, it didn't seem to matter, he still was madly in love with her.
Feeling a bout of courage rise from her chest, she said in a slightly louder tone, “I'm so sorry for what I said yesterday Spikey... I mean Spike. I wasn't myself, and it wasn't until Twilight talked to me that I realized what I had become.” She looked from Spike to Twilight, then to the rest of her friends. “I haven't been the best of friend lately. I know that all of you have noticed the change I went through, and to that extant I'm leaving Ponyville.”
Spike spoke up next, “Where are you going?”
When Rarity turned a bit to fully face the dragon she noticed that her friends caught sight of her saddlebags finally, and that they all looked at each other with worry. “I don't know Spike, I really don't. All I know, is that I need to get out of here. Not just Ponyville, but Canterlot too, I need to find out who I really am, so I can be the mare that you deserve Spike.” A collection of gasps, even from Twilight, startled her a bit, but none so much as Spike. Past the surface of tears, she could see the pure joy, and confusion that he had.
Without even giving him a chance, she stepped forward and captured his lips with her own. A husky, smokey flavor danced across her taste buds, and when she opened her lips for more, she was brought into a whole new world of flavor at the added bliss of charred wood that reminded her of a roaring fire in the winter, with a warm cup of coco and a nice book. There was a sweet taste akin to that of one of Pinkie's famous cupcakes, but it had a sort of mineral taste like dirt. Though it all was a weird combination of flavors and reminded her of such uncouth things such as mud and dirt, she didn't care. She was sharing a beautiful moment with the dragon that she loved. Who knew when she was going to get to do so again.
For what felt like a century the two reveled in their sweet and tender moment. But like all good things, it had to come to an end. Their eyes stared deeply into each other when they broke apart, and though a thin trail of saliva connected their lips, neither one dared swat it away. “I love you Spike, I always have. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner.” With that, she turned and raced out of the door and down the stairs to the main foyer, where she didn't even stop to open the doors. Instead, she burst out of them and continued down the dirt road leading out of Ponyville, not even taking one glance back.
Back in the map room, Spike was at a loss for words as the full weight of what Rarity had said washed over him. He could feel his heart leaping for joy at her words, but then it stung when he realized that she had left, and he didn't know when she was coming back. Wordlessly, he left the room with all of his friends watching, ascending a hidden staircase out of their view and up to his own room.
His room was comprised of a newly acquired bed sprawled out from the wall, made from a very fine collection of gems that had been melted down and molded into the shape of a basket, large enough to fit two dragons. Across from the doorway leading in was an open archway that led out to a balcony overlooking Ponyville.
Walking out upon said balcony, he leaned against the railing, watching over the town that he had come to love so much, for more than one reason. Rarity plagued his mind, thoughts of where she was going, of what dangers she might run into. He wasn't sure why, but he felt as though he needed to go with her, and that he needed to protect her. Maybe it was just his dragon instinct to protect his treasure, or maybe it was his need to protect those that he loved.
“Are ya l'right sugercube?”
The drake turned around to look at all of his friends in turn, seeing naught but concern etched onto each of their faces. Looking past them to a small picture that was sitting on a small crystal stand beside of his bed, he smiled. I'll come for you Rarity...
Translucent, golden rays from the morning sun steadily crept upon the sleeping form of the lavender alicorn princess known only as, Twilight Sparkle. Her former mentor's warming light seemed to elict a small sigh of satisfaction as said alicorn's eyes were already breaching their darkened captor by the time that the tendrils of light cascaded upon her face, welcoming her to the new day.
A small smile graced her features as she roused the rest of her body from slumber to begin a new day. Running through her mental checklist, she had to groan when she realized that today was not going to leave her much room to catch up on her studying. She was far too busy, what with having to schedule a meeting with the mayor for some new improvements to the town, giving a foreign dignitary the 'grand tour' of Ponyville, have a lunch date with Fluttershy in place of Rarity, and even having promised to let Rainbow Dash give her some flying lessons.
Using her magic, she amplified her voice so that she could shout out to her ever faithful number one assistant and adopted younger brother, “Spike! Time to wake up.” When she didn't smell breakfast cooking upon waking up she assumed that he was still sound asleep in his room. No response came, elicting another groan from the alicorn mare. “Sometimes I wonder why I keep him around.” She joked to herself as she finally forced her body down the stairs from her room.
While Twilight was walking up the stairs to the dragon's room high up in the peak, she silently cursed the elements for giving her such a large castle with this many steps. She went even further to curse herself for letting Spike have the room in the first place. When she looked up from the steps however, she had to admit that the crystals that glowed with their own warm magic was not only impressive, but they were very beautiful, as was the rest of her castle.
Sometimes it irked the princess to know that not only had her status changed, but also too that she hadn't even been a princess that long when she was given her own castle, and by the Elements of Harmony no less! It was funny when she thought back to when she was younger, she had never expected her life to turn out the way it had. Her one and only dream was to get into Celestia's Academy for Gifted Unicorns, and it was her true passion for magic that drove her to want to get in. Instead of simply getting accepted however, she was personally taken in by Princess Celestia herself! For years she studied under the princess as her own personal protege. When she was older, nearly in the prime of her teenage years, she was whisked away on a mission to Ponyville, where she met her best friends and even became a bearer of an Element of Harmony. It only went on from there to the point that she had been crowned the Princess of Friendship.
At times, she felt that she didn't deserve anything that she got, that she was just another unicorn. She couldn't defeat Tirek by herself, let alone Starlight Glimmer, even Discord was stronger than she was. She only even won when her friends stepped in to help. Spike, when he was just a little dragon, helped her during the return of the Crystal Empire. When she had gotten trapped by the crystals and dropped the Crystal Heart, Spike, with a heart of courage, jumped off of the tower where she had been caged and saved the Heart without thinking about what would happen to him if Cadence hadn't been there to catch him. He was a hero to the Crystal Empire, probably the most famous dragon in all of Equestria by the way that the Crystal Ponies all but worshiped him.
A sigh escaped her as she finally reached her younger brother's door. “Spike! Wake up!” She yelled as she knocked, or rather banged, on the door with her hoof. “Spike! Do you hear me?!” With a puff of breath, she used her magic to open his door and step inside. Instead of gazing upon the form of a sleeping dragon sprawled out atop a pile of crumpled up sheets, he was nowhere to be seen.
Twilight was perplexed to say the least when she saw that his bed was made up perfectly, that his floor seemed to sparkle, and that his pillows were placed neatly upon his headrest. After shaking her head to see if it was a dream, she made her way back down the long staircase thinking about anyplace that he might be or could have gone. Halfway down she realized that he must have been at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack, seeing as how that would be the only place he would have gone since Rarity's departure yesterday.
She laughed quietly to herself while making her way into the kitchen.
If only for a moment of pure solitude, she wanted to forget about her days tasks and enjoy a nice relaxing cup of tea. Putting on some water and her choice of leaf brew, she set about tidying up the kitchen while she waited. For all that Spike had done upstairs, he never even glanced in the kitchen to see how dirty it was.
Twilight was careful as she used a duster to reach every place that was in sight, until only the table was left. That's when she noticed that there was a rolled up scroll lying in the middle, a green sash tying it together. Carefully, she slid of the sash and unrolled the paper, her curiosity perking up as she assumed it was a letter from Spike explaining his absence.
A few minutes passed as Twilight read the parchment in relative silence, save for the steadily rising whistle of her tea pot. It was of no concern however as her eyes darted over the paper a total of seventeen times, her breath getting more ragged with each pass she gave it. A few tears welled up inside of her eyes before she finally bolted out of her kitchen and castle as fast as her legs would carry her.
“Spike! Spike!” Twilight called out loudly as she ran through the town, going wherever her hooves were taking her. All she could think about was her assistant, her friend, her brother, and what he had written on the paper. “Rainbow Dash!”
Almost as if on cue said pegasus was zipping through the sky at breakneck speed, coming to a sudden halt when the alicorn princess enveloped her in a bright magenta aura and brought her close, eye to eye. “What's up Twi?” Rainbow seemed a bit nervous with the way that the princess was looking at her with her left eye twitching.
“Its Spike, get all of the girls to meet at Sweet Apple Acres." Rainbow looked into Twilight's eyes for a moment longer to see the pure fear and terror that she held inside. When the cyan mare was released, she zoomed off towards Fluttershy's cottage, knowing that Twilight was most likely headed towards Sweet Apple Acres to let Applejack know that they were coming.
It wasn't long before all five mares were gathered inside of the Apple family homestead, waiting for the reason that they were summoned there. Twilight was pacing nervously before them as they watched her in silence, each one worried about what she had to say since Rainbow had told them that it was something to do with Spike.
Applejack herself had her own suspicion as to why Twilight was all worked up, but she didn't want to say anything and risk coming to any conclusions without knowing all of the more 'finer details'.
Twilight finally stopped her pacing to look at each of her friends, seeing their worry and concern for her, before she finally found her voice. “This morning, w-when I went to make a cup of tea, I s-saw a letter on my table. It was from Spike.” Applejack was almost sure of where this was going, and glanced out of the corner of her eye to the packed camping saddlebag that was sitting just inside the kitchen doorway. “He's gone after Rarity.”
Rainbow Dash felt as though a great weight that had befallen the room was lifted, of only for a moment as the full scope of what Twilight said finally struck her. She herself knew that Spike was a big dragon, and that he was more than capable of handling himself, but she felt that Twilight wasn't just upset about his departure. Talking to Applejack the night before almost made her realize that what she had said was right, they were wrong to let her leave like that.
Fluttershy bowed her head. A few tears escaped her eyes as she ran through her talk with Discord the night before, and realized that what he said was right. Even though it was the day after Rarity had left for her journey, it felt as though there was a hole in their group. So, with Discord's help, she had prepared her bags for a journey, letting her critter friends know that Discord was in charge. For once in her life, she had felt the courage to go after her friend.
Pinkie Pie's mane deflated some as she looked down at the floor with a frown. All night she had beaten herself up over not saying anything to Rarity, but with the way she had been acting, and the way she had been treating Spike, she only say the unicorn as a big meanie. Now that she was gone, she felt a twinge of guilt, as they all did, for not stopping her.
Twilight felt the worst of all, thinking that Rarity had left because of her. She kept thinking that if she hadn't been so blunt in what she said, if she hadn't been so furious with what she did to Spike, that she could have prevented this. Somewhere deep down in her heart, she knew that it had to be said, but in her head, she kept asking herself questions of, What if?
It was Applejack who finally broke their silence as she looked around the room and seeing their grim expressions, “Ah kinda expected this.”
She was blunt and to the point, which sort of bothered Twilight a bit, and made her scowl at the country mare. “What do you mean by that?” She snapped.
“If ya would've seen the shinin' in his eye last night, y'all would've known what it was he was fixin' to do.”
Twilight lowered her head in shame as she realized that, though she hated to admit it, Applejack was probably right. She always seemed to see things when the rest of them didn't. She always looked at the finer details that created the big picture.
Dash looked between the two mares, seeing a hurt expression on both of their faces. She took to her hooves as she embraced Twilight in a hug, “Let's go.”
“Where?” The lavender alicorn barely whispered back.
“All of us, let's go with them.” Dash was smiling proudly as the other mares joined in on the hug, growing closer together so that they could all see their friend's warm smile. “Come on Twi, you know that we always go on our most fun adventures when we're together.”
Rainbow made a very valid point, and as much pain as it caused her to admit it, she liked the idea. She had wanted to go after Spike initially, but she didn't want to openly say it.
Fluttershy seemed to pick up on this, as she spoke up for the first time since her arrival, “We know that you are worried about Spike, but he is almost a fully grown dragon without his greed.”
“I know. It's just that, I don't think I'm ready for him to leave. He has always been there for me you know? I'm afraid of losing him.” A few tears rolled down her eyes when she looked away from her friends. Rainbow however didn't seem to want her to turn away, so brought her chin up with a hoof and flashed her a smile.
“He may be moving out, but he isn't leaving you. Just like all of us have been there for you, so will he.” Twilight smiled as she nuzzled Rainbow Dash, making both mares glow with bright, radiant blushes as they realized that all of their friends were still in the group hug with them. Both just shied away before looking around to their other friends.
Pinkie Pie gasped as she launched herself from the roof and attaching herself to the ceiling, in perfect fashion that would suit the party mare, she shouted out, “FRIENDSHIP ADVENTURE PARTY!!!”
Together, the five mares laughed while the pink pony gently drifted back down to the floor. “What do ya say sugercube?”
All eyes were upon Twilight as she looked about her friends once more, seeing their determined expressions, and the love that they had for their friend was evident. To her, this was what made their friendship stronger than anything else in Equestria, that in moment of need, where a friend was needing their help, they were always on the call, at the ready as it were, to assist them in the most minimal of tasks. This though, this would be their biggest adventure ever. They all knew it, but didn't say anything.
It wasn't just Rarity's life that was going to change forever. They were all going to experience new things, and they would all discover something about themselves that would either excite them, or leave them scared forever with painful memories.
She didn't know why, but Rainbow Dash felt that their friendship was going to truly be put to the test. Somewhere deep down in the pit of her stomach, she felt that things were going to change, that they would never see things in the same way. For some strange reason, she felt that one of them wasn't going to be coming back.
“Rainbow?” The sky blue pegasus started as she felt a hoof laid out over her shoulder. Upon noticing the lavender color, she relaxed as she realized that all of their friends had already left to go grab their things, giving the two some time alone.
Twilight, though still a little uneasy about what had transpired today, managed to at least put on a smile for her. “I'm sorry Twi. I was just lost in thought.”
“About Spike?”
“Well, yes, and no.” Twilight was bit perplexed, even more so when Rainbow had them both sit down. “I was thinking about this journey, and to be honest, it afraid Twilight.”
“Of what?”
“Of losing you.” Twilight blushed a little as Rainbow leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “We've been together for two years now, and they have been the best two years of my life.” Twilight looked a little hurt. She was afraid now that Rainbow wanted to end things. “That's why I've come to a decision, something that I have been wanting to do for a couple of weeks now, but never found the courage to.” She reached a hoof back beneath her left wing, pulling out a small velvet box that made Twilight's heart nearly freeze. Gulping, the cyan mare spoke up, “Twilight Sparkle, will you marry me?”
It was a long few minutes before Twilight finally managed to brush aside her shock and look forward again to the object of her heart's desire. “Yes!” She shouted as she brought the cyan mare in for a kiss. Never before had they felt so happy as they did right then and there. Twilight, who had paused their kiss just long enough to slip on the hoof band, was more ecstatic than ever to know that she was loved so much, that somepony wanted to marry her. No, not just anypony, Rainbow Dash.
When the happy couple broke apart, they both pressed their heads together with drunken grins plastered across their faces. “I love you Twi.”
“I love you too Dashie.” Both mare giggled, or in Rainbow's case, chuckled as she liked to say, as they finally rose to their hooves again. Both couldn't be happier, and even though Rainbow still felt a bit uneasy about the trip, she felt that with Twilight by her side, everything was going to turn out alright.
Wind whistled through his ears as he dove down from the clouds high above the land of Equestria, the land that he had always known as home. A rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins as the sense of pure freedom set in to his heart. He had flown before with Rainbow Dash, and even Twilight, but out here on his own was a new sense. There was a sense of purpose, of sense of adventure as he twisted and curled around in his new playground.
Below him the vast open plains that stretched from Ponyville to the nearby river that separated Equestria from Ragnîeren, the dragon kingdom, was all but a blur to his trained eyes. Though he had been flying for nearly three days already, he could feel that he was getting closer to his target, that somewhere not too far ahead, his beloved unicorn awaited him. It was a long shot that she suspected he was coming, but it was something that he thought of and clung to as he flew.
Only twice had the dragon stopped in his pursuit of the silvery-white mare, and both times was to relieve himself and eat some gems. On the second night he had slept for nearly three hours, but with the excitement that he felt from Rarity's revelation as well as his own adrenaline rush, sleep seemed to evade him. It didn't matter really, not when his fruitless efforts were about to pay off.
Just beneath where he was flying was a single dirt road that twisted and curled like gnarled roots of a tree seeking solid soil foundation with the land around it. From afar it looked as though it was a trail made simply by heavy hoof traffic rather than something that was purposely made. For the past few hours he had followed it hoping to find Rarity somewhere along it. She had only left at midday four days ago, and at most had a couple hours head start of him, since he had left before the crack of dawn.
His eyes followed the curves of the road until they ended maybe a league ahead at a small village along the river's edge. From where he was high in the clouds, he was easily able to see the rather large bridge that pushed across to the opposing embankment. Slipping out the map that was in his pack, he found that it was the village of Dravonia.
Dravonia was the only village of its kind in known Equestria and Ragnîeren. It had started out as a small village that used the nearby river to feed their canals which they had built to water their crops. Not too long after their founding a group of dragons had set up their own little settlement across the river for fishing and harvesting gems, which the area was rich for on both sides. Instead of fighting each other for resources, they built a bridge as a link between them to assist in trade and to open friendliness between two different species. It was the only place in Equestria outside of Ponyville where dragons and ponies lived together in harmony.
It was nearly twilight by the time that the amethyst dragon came to touchdown on the outskirts of the village, landing midst the plowed fields that were ready for their seeds. Wherever he looked he could see the two different species working together in harmony. The dragons would use their claws to dig the holes, while the earth ponies would plant the seeds and cover them up. It brought a smile to his face to see something as beautiful as the union that he was witnessing.
The dragon's joy was short lived however no sooner than when he had passed the city gates. On the Eastern side of the river's embankment, the pony side, he could see what he assumed was a shanty town. Each of the buildings was crude in their construct, being made out of earth and mud with pieces of wood as support for the roofs. The road was muddy and filled with sewage, from what he hoped was not their excrement.
Across the river on the Western side, he could see that the dragons fared no better in their construct of homes. Each was made of stones piled high to resemble a cave, with a single sheet draped over the entrance, and from what he could tell, the dragons had used earth to hold together their stones.
Everypony or dragon bore a deflated expression that showed their struggles to simply live in the village. It was so much different from the fields outside, where the ponies and dragons looked almost happy to be working. A sigh escaped him as he looked around before seeing a sign ahead for the local inn.
Spike was a bit surprised when he laid eyes upon what they called the Gentle Dragon Inn. The outside was made of logs that were cut to a mirror shine and coated in a layer of crystallized amber, which has managed to wither away over the years and leave huge spots of wood where the beautiful amber once was. The sign, or the single piece of wood that lazily hung, was fastened by a small piece of fishing string to the roof. The front door was instead replaced by a series of dangling beads that served as some sort of privacy from the outside world.
Heaving his pack high up on his back to nestle between his wings, he stepped inside. The foul stench that wafted into his nose almost made him gag. Nestled in one corner of the room was a pile of what he could only assume was somepony's waste, while lying in another corner was a pile of dirty clothes. All along the floors the dragon could see bugs of all shapes and sizes running a muck into whatever crevices they could find.
The counter, if it could be called that, was comprised of nothing more than a few pieces of wood stacked only three feet high. Behind said counter was a pony that looked as old as the inn was. Her clothes, or what little cloth was over her barrel, was torn and tattered to the point that there was almost no use in wearing it. Just past her was a rack that had holes in it from where previous tenants had thrown things at the wall in a vein attempt to probably lower their bill for the night.
Lowering his head a bit, the dragon approached the pony while walking on his two hind legs, unaware of the deathly glare that she seemed to be giving him from beneath the brim of her straw hat. “Whadda yursan be wantin' filth?”
The dragon, slightly taken aback, didn't move from his spot as he calmly addressed the mare. “I seek a room for the night ma'am.”
“Fur da likes of yurs'lf, to Tarturas wich ya Ah say.” Spike simply placed four gold bits on the counter, letting her eye them for a few minutes in silence. “If'n yur promisin' to not filly 'round.”
Spike never looked up when she slid a key over to him, silently thanking her before going up past the counter down a hallway and up to his room, the stairs creaking with every step that he took.
It was nightfall when Spike slipped away from his cozy room in the inn to the tavern that was down the street. The vibrant lights that were pouring out into the street, along with the tunes that were coming from inside, he could only assume it was a lively joint.
The dragon wasn't disappointed as he passed the threshold and stepped inside. All around him he could see dragons and ponies all drinking some form of alcohol, the most common being either apple cider or ale. A few of the patrons were already too far gone to be there, let alone sitting in their chair. Some where already passed out in front of the bar, a few even seeming to find comfort in their stools as they drooled all over the bar table.
Managing the bar was a proud green dragon that bore a small smile when he saw the amethyst drake, but as quick as it had come, it vanished. Sighing, Spike made his way through the mass of patrons who were either dancing to the music or were trying to please themselves to the antics of a few mares or dragonesses.
Spike felt his heart start to beat faster and his breath catch in his throat as he saw the only mare that he wanted to find, Rarity. There she was sitting at a table in the far back next to the window, with two stallions sitting around her. One was drinking eagerly from his glass, while the other was busy flirting with the bar maid as she dropped off another round of alcohol for the two. When she made to leave the second stallion, a cream colored pony sporting a straw hat similar to the one that the mare in the inn was wearing, reached a hoof out and slapped her on her flank. He felt his face flush at the scene.
Steadily, the dragon made his way towards the mare, his mare, as he focused his ears on her conversation with the two stallions. The first, a dark grass green pony with a scar running down his right eye, and the cream stallion were now solely focused on her. The cream stallion was busying saying something to her, while his partner was trying to slide his hoof between her legs. The stallion only laughed when she swatted away his hand.
As he drew near, he could finally make out what they were saying. Rarity, even in this place, had the most beautifully sounding voice in the world, aside from Celestia that is. “No thank you sir, I assure that I don't drink that um... type of uh.... drink.” She managed a sheepish smile to them, which both just shrugged off as they downed their new glasses in a matter of seconds.
The cream colored stallion looked at her for a few seconds, then belched as loudly as he possible could. “Where do ya fay yus was from?”
“Um, Ponyville, seven days walk from here.”
The green stallion seemed to perk up a bit, “I know that place. Over there just beyond the pure bloody lake eh?”
“Why yes, where the newly appointed Princess Twilight Sparkle lives.”
“That place is a bloody dump.”
Rarity was a bit taken back, but kept her composure. “Well I assure you sir, that it is nothing of the sort. All of my friends happen to live there, as well as somepony, um... special.” She weakly smiled at them, seeming to look out the window to some unforeseen spectacle up in the sky.
“What, yus ot yuself a wench or somethin'?”
“Celestia no! I was talking about my special somepony.” Spike's heart seemed to quicken its pace, and she swore he could hear hers doing the same thing.
“Well the chap can't have been any good if'n your hear eh? We could show you a proper welcome miss.” Rarity resisted the urge to reach up and wipe away the sweat that was starting to gather on her brow.
“I'm.... uh just fine.... thanks.” She started to scoot away from the table a bit, was caught by the green stallion as he placed a hoof on the back of her chair.
“Leavin' so soon miss? I thought ya needed a bloody room eh?”
“Ya, we's ot'n 'special' bunk for yus.” By now, both stallions were closing in on the mare, and were letting their hooves start to run around her chest and slide lower.
Spike broke out into a full sprint when he saw the tears that were cascading down the eyes of the mare, no, his mare, and he had to prove it. “Take this!” He shouted as he slid across the table and into the cream colored stallion, knocking him to the ground.
“Bloody hell?” The green stallion was on his feet in seconds, wondering what had just happened. Rarity, seeing her chance, darted away from the stallion and over towards the bar, where the bartender allowed her to slip behind the counter with him.
She gasped when she watched Spike rise from where he had slid into the cream colored stallion. “Don't you ever touch her again.” Spike's voice was calm, yet it's icy chill made the green stallion gulp, but he still raised his horn towards the dragon.
“Who the bloody hell do you think you are eh?”
“Her drakefriend.” A devilish smile danced across his lips, and it made Rarity quiver with fear as she realized what was about to happen. Knowing Spike however, she knew that he wouldn't hurt them too bad, or at least, she hoped.
“Buck yus 'ragn.” The cream colored earth pony rose to his hooves as well, glaring with a drunken haze of anger at the young dragon.
“Get 'em!” Both roared as they charged at the dragon. Spike merely flipped backwards away from, the two, letting them collide with each other.
There was a loud groan as the two conked their heads together, yet neither one was fazed at all by it. Rather, it seemed to fuel their rage from a simple brush fire into a raging incinerator.
The amethyst dragon swirled back around to face them, a low smirk etched across his lips as he raised a hand and with it, motioned them to continue. Rarity had to stifle a set of giggles as she noticed a few of the dragonesses eyeing him up, some even liking their lips, all the while Spike seemed to be toying with the two drunk stallions. He was oblivious to anything but her, and her would-be assailants.
The green stallions charged first at the dragon with his horn raised to strike him in the chest. Spike took a step to the side, and as the pony missed him, he swung his tail low to make him trip and lodge his horn into the wooden floor. Laughter was heard as everypony and dragon were watching the fight with great amusement.
“Next.” The dragon taunted the drunker of the two on, and yet, it was for naught. He only had to take a step forward and push the stallion down, to make him pass out from his drunken stupor. Another chorus of laughter rang in the tavern as they found joy in the stallions misfortune.
The green unicorn finally managed to dislodge his horn, and turn to face the dragon. Using what little instance of magic he had left, he pulled out a small dagger from beneath the fold of his garment and threw it at the dragon. Spike was too slow to catch the dagger as it impaled itself in his left shoulder.
He fell to the ground in mock surrender, which only spurred on the unicorn. Lowering his horn, he prepared to charge again, unaware of the smirk that the dragon was holding onto.
Rarity wanted to scream as she watched the unicorn charge at her dragon, but held her tongue when she seemed to notice his subtle shift in position, and how his arms were lower than they had been. The unicorn never had a chance, for as soon as he stepped close enough for Spike to slip his hand underneath of him, he hoisted the stallion up and threw him through the window.
Shards of glass rained down from where the stallion went through, and there was a low groan from the other side. Spike adopted a solemn expression as he waltzed over to the window and gazed out, seeing the pony lying lifeless outside with several shards of glass impaling his body, one large one in his throat.
Spike held a hand over his wound as he walked away from the tavern with Rarity by his side. She had a few tears still falling down her eyes, but she remained silent as they walked together through the town back to the inn. “I've got a room that we can use.” He didn't say anything more as they made their way up into the room that he had gotten.
Rarity was shocked when her eyes finally gazed upon the room. It was beautiful compared to the rustic look of the rest of the building. There was a large bed in the center, with a wash basin beneath a mirror, and a window with a view, though there were curtains that could be drawn over it. The floor was spotless of anything remotely resembling dirt, and even the aroma was like that of freshly cut grass rather than the pungent smell of the village streets.
Spike motioned for Rarity to take the bed as he walked over to the window, sitting down in the chair before it and looking up to the moon and the stars. A pregnant, and unwelcome silence hung in the air between the two. Since their reunion they had yet to really speak to each other, and it felt awkward, especially for Rarity. She was so happy and ecstatic to see her dragon, but she couldn't help but wonder why he was there in the first place.
“I'm not here to take you back Rary.” Spike said as he reached into his bag, withdrawing a long piece of metal.
“Then why are you here?” Rarity still hadn't moved from her spot in front of the door, watching the dragon as he raised the bar to the moonlight and began to breath fire on it.
A few minutes passed in another awkward silence, during which time only the steady release of his flames crackling could be heard. By the time that he ceased his fire the metal was white hot from the extreme heat. Before Rarity could ask, he placed it against his wound, grimacing as the heat sealed the wound shut and stopped the bleeding.
The metal clattered to the floor as the dragon finally released it, panting from the exertion of not only breathing the fire for so long, but also of having to keep his body loose as he cauterized the wound.
Spike turned to the mare of his dreams, his eyes with a longing gaze as he studied her expression to his next words, “I came for you Rarity. I'm going with you.” She felt a lump develop in her throat as she gazed upon him with the same longing, knowing that anything she could say to deter him was a fruitless endevour. He was determined to see this through, just as she was.
“Oh Spikey.” She ran into his massive arms, welcoming the warmth as it seeped though his scales and into her fur. Without even realizing it, she was burying her head in the crook of his neck, taking in his welcoming scent as if it was her own.
“I love you Rary, and I want to be there for you.”
“I know, I love you too Spikey.” The young couple sat there together in relative silence, the beat of their hearts sounding in a perfect union to their ears.
Luna's brilliant moon seeped in through the open window to illuminate the form of a resting dragon as he lied on the floor of the massive room. His eyes were glued to the stars that were painted in the night sky, looking like they were positioned with the skill of an artists paint brush. It seemed so serene, so peaceful, and all he could do was feel a pain deep in his chest. Though he would never admit it to his sister or his adoptive mother, Spike liked the night more than the day. There was a certain calmness that dispelled over the land at night, and it allowed him time to think.
The amethyst dragon chanced a glance over towards the sleeping mare, a smile spreading his lips when he saw her sound asleep on the bed. Though she had the blankets wrapped tightly around her, he could see her little shivers as her body tried to escape the cold with the thin blankets. He sighed as he turned back to the stars, memories of when he was younger flashing before his eyes.
He could remember when he first moved to Ponyville with Twilight, when he had first laid eyes upon each of their friends. To this day, he still remembered exactly what kind of perfume Rarity was wearing that day, and even how long ago she had gotten her hooves ponicured for the occasion. To look at her now, her lithe body coiled in a bundle of blankets as she slept, made the butterflies in his stomach start to wonder across their field. To think that not only a few days had passed since their admission for each other, and here they were, out on an adventure together.
A deep, heavy sigh escaped him as he thought about his last birthday a few months ago, and what he had done. A few tears ran down his face as the screams of innocent fillies and colts filled his ears, the taste of blood on his teeth, and he fear that he saw from both dragons and ponies alike. He shook his head as he rose to his feet, walking to the window and gazing out over the field laid before the city, watching as the grass swayed in the breeze beneath the moon's luscious glow.
Putting aside his memories for a moment, he allowed his mind to encompass the beauty that he was gazing upon. It was no where close to Rarity by any means, but it did make him smile to see it all the same. All traces of the scuffle from earlier were gone, the street quiet as the ponies lied in their beds sound asleep. As though they were in a trance, a few dragons walked along the street in silence, looking at each home as if they were safeguarding it from intruders.
Spike started when he heard the shuffle of hooves drawing closer to him. He whisked around just to come face-to-face with his beloved mare. She simply laid her head against his breast as she rose to her hind legs, wrapping the forelegs around his chest while his arms fell around her. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.” He said in a quiet, almost timid voice.
“I was too cold to sleep for long anyway.” Though it was Spring in Equestria, it seemed that some nights were still colder than others. With a small hole in the wall to the outside, it didn't help any. Spike gave the mare a smile as he wrapped his wings around her form, protecting her from the cold. She hummed as her body welcomed his warmth, it was all she could do to not fall asleep right there in his arms.
“I was dreaming about you Spikey-Wikey.” She almost whispered to him.
“Really? What was it about?” He asked with earnest in a much softer voice.
“Us, about what kinds of things we are going to encounter on our journey together. Mostly about us though, as a 'family'.” He blushed when she said 'family', knowing that she was talking about their future, as well as their friends.
“I'm sure when we get back the others will be supportive of us. Twilight, she pretty much encouraged me to tell you about my feelings on, um... that day.” Rarity felt a tear run down her cheek as she remembered her words.
“I'm so sorry for what I said Spikey-Wikey. I hope you know I didn't mean any of it.”
“It hurt for a while, but then when you came back, and you gave me that kiss, I felt the same as I had before. Your words I knew then meant nothing, and that it wasn't really you talking. This here, tonight, it feels like I'm finally getting the Rarity I fell in love with back. At least here, around me, you aren't talking like a Canterlot snob.”
They both shared a quiet laugh. “Well darling, whatever shall we do now?” she joked in a mock Canterlot voice. Again they laughed, but kept it quiet so as not to disturb their neighbors.
“I guess you could go back to sleep.”
“What about you?” She managed through an intensive yawn.
“I'll be fine, I was just thinking anyway.”
“What about?” She spoke in a sleepy voice.
“Last year, on my birthday.”
Rarity brought his face down so that she could look into his eyes, her gaze piercing his as she spoke, “Not tonight Spike. Please, please don't talk about that tonight.” She pressed her lips to his, hoping that somewhere in his mind he could repress those memories.
“I'll never be able to forget that night Rarity. It'll haunt me until the day that I finally die, but I'll try not to let it ruin my life, especially for you.”
“Thank you Spike.” They shared a brief smile. “I'm tired.” She yawned against his chest.
“Alright princess.” He joked as he scooped her up in his arms and laid her down on the bed, wrapping her up in her sheets once more.
As he was about to step away he felt a hoof reach out to his clawed hand, “Please, stay with me...” She was practically begging him to stay, and it tore his heart asunder to hear her say anything like that.
“Anything for you Rary.” Without another word, he slipped into the bed beside her, draping a wing around her while pulling her closer to his warm chest with his arms. She cuddled against the warmth with a smile plastered across her face. “Goodnight,” he whispered.
Rarity muttered something in reply, having already fallen asleep as soon as her back had hit his chest. Another sigh escaped him as he turned his head to look out the window one final time to the stars, “Please Aunt Luna, watch over her dreams tonight, and mine too...”
