> Dearest Rarity > by Tranquil Serenity > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Dearest Rarity > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- My eyes search for yours in a world devoid of color - for the sapphire blue offset by lashes of dark ebony - those eyes haunt my thoughts, echoing enchantingly in my most treasured remembrance. Your ivory coat, so pure and smooth; a white more pristine than any shade or hue found in all of Equus. Your sweet voice is as a song, a tune wafting though the air, only giving form to the most musically sublime harmonies. Your flowing lavender locks fall elegantly, swirling and whirling in hypnotically tantalizing curls. The whole of your appearance is imbued with your own uniquely feminine poise, shining out with the most angelic countenance. You are so beautiful, dearest Rarity. So beautiful, and so beyond a mortal such as I. But of more beauty still is the heart, the soul beyond the face I so admire. You have a truly generous spirit, Rarity. So kind and so giving. In inspiration you inspire others, and in satin labors you weave and create masterpieces. Your talents never cease to awe and impress, nor do I expect shall they ever. With a name that befits your uniqueness, you are indeed a rare being in this universe, dear Rarity; a truly rare being. And I know that a creature as precious as you, as prized and as cherished, would likewise seek a gem of similar intrinsic value... and as well you should. But where is one to be found that can match you in anything? And where is a being who could ever hope to be worthy of you? Besotted as I am, I have remained ever-watchful for that champion, that challenger, but I confess to having seen none who could even contend. But if none is your equal, dearest Rarity. If not one can ever be worthy of you... Could you ever think consider...? Could you ever conceivably accept someone as inadequate as I? I have gazed into a mirror and seen past my modest appearance, and into my own heart, searching it tirelessly, seeing that my character is flawed and that I am in much lacking... but that nevertheless my heart for you has ever remained true. For a long while it was enough to merely bask in the luminous glow of your striking presence, but that question... that burning question I have tried so hard to push back into the deepest recesses of my mind... it resurfaces faithfully, and now it does so once again. Is devotion enough for you, radiant angel? Is it sufficient that I could dare ever address you as my beloved? A thousand times; yes, a thousand times I have put quill to ink to tell you these things, and in every instance the result was a crumpled paper I would burn to ash, desperate to keep the secret of the depths of my feelings to myself, until I could finally find the words to properly express them. I now realize, Rarity.... that such a day can never come. For no words could ever express my true feelings for you; a little older and wiser than before, I see that now. I could put pen to paper a million times, or even a hundred million, and the words would still render themselves insufficient, cold and apathetic compared to the passionate intensity of my sincere affection for you; of my adoring allegiance to you. For a dragon, duty is all. But the desire of a dragon's heart is stronger still. So say the word, dearest Rarity. Tell me once and for all where your own heart lies. Speak it. Tell me no and I'll enshroud these feelings in darkness, covering them up in veil of night that will never again reveal the unquenchable fire that eternally roars within. To you I am a friend, and if you wish it, I shall ever remain to you as a friend. But... if you should say yes... If you should tell me you feel even a tenth what I do for you, or that you'll at least give me a chance, or better still... that you care for me as I do you... Then I will remain at your side until Celestia's sun dims to nothing, and Luna's stars and shining moon are no more, my heart yours from the moment I first saw you... until the end of all things. And make no mistake, oh graceful princess of my heart; my priceless, exquisite, and wondrously magnificent Rarity... I love you.... With all that I am, was, or ever will be. ---*--- With an attentive flourish, Spike signed his name in the bottom right corner of the parchment with his quill pen. He sighed and set the feathery instrument down, drawing up a breath before commencing to feverishly inspect his words once more. It was to the be the final draft of many, and he wiped nervously at the beads of sweat beginning to show on his young drake forehead. As painstakingly composed as it was, he knew it only to be imperfect. And he had, not for the first time, that sickening, gnawing feeling in stomach that he should just scrunch it up into a ball, set it aflame, and start all over again... but he knew where that train of thought always led, and that if he gave in, the years would just continue to draw on as they had before... until they finally culminated in a perpetual cycle of regretful self-questioning, one phrase repeating itself endlessly: 'what might have been?' He took the letter into his claws and stood, rolling the paper into a scroll which he then tied a deep purple ribbon around after the much shaky fumbling of his usually well-coordinated digits. He cradled the finished product in his arms, close to his chest, and looked up at the crystal ceiling of his bedroom in the Friendship Castle, praying silently that he was not making the most grievous mistake of his life. Forcing back the tears threatening to fall from his eyes, he drew himself up firmly and cast a look towards his closed bedroom door. Resolve played out on his features. He walked across the glossy fractal floor, turned the doorknob, and cast aside what was not the first obstacle in a very, very long line of them he'd had to face. And he promised himself that it would be the last. He walked through the archway and quickly disappeared into the hall, leaving the door swinging uselessly behind him. The breeze from the open window breathed softly through the wistfully flowing chiffon curtains, slowly easing the chamber entryway to a gentle close with a resounding click.