It Isn't The Mane Thing About You (Spike's Side-Story)
It was a sunny day in Ponyville. Spike was walking home, to Friendship Castle, carrying his latest issue of Power Ponies, while eating an ice cream.
He just finished walking the stairs, and was about to open the door, when suddenly, there was a flash of blinding lights, and a whole flock of manes, flooded the castle.
"HELLO?!" Spike exclaimed in bewilderment, rushing into the castle halls, following the trail of manes, before he reaches the library. "Twilight? What's going-" Spike froze in place, as he looked, to see Twilight, Starlight, and Rarity, all tangled in locks of mane.
What's more surprising, was the fact that Rarity was standing in the room, draped in a long dark cloak, and surprising of all, her once beautiful mane, was reduced to a tattered mess.
"Um, hello Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity smiled sheepishly.
"R-R-R-Rarity?" Spike finally found his voice. "What happened?"
"Uh, funny you should ask," Starlight began, chuckling nervously.
One Long Drama Explanation Later
Spike was later cleaning up the library, and the rest of the castle, of the manes that have flooded the castle, courtesy of Twilight and Starlight's failed attempt at restoring Rarity's mane.
As he was wheeling the messy piles away, in a wheelbarrow, he couldn't help but overhear the girls' talking.
"I don't think there's anything else we can try," Twilight said, sadly, to an even more crestfallen Rarity.
"But Zecora says there was still a chance!" the marshmallow unicorn cried, hysterically.
And as if on cue, Zecora appeared, from another door to the library, "At last, Rarity!" the wise zebra announced. "I have searched for so long! What I've told you before was totally wrong!"
Upon hearing the news, the girls smiled, as they went over to the zebra, while Spike stood by the door, wanting to hear what Zecora had to say.
"You mean, I'll get my fabulous mane back in time for the shoot?" Rarity asked, while hugging their zebra friend.
Spike couldn't help but smile, happy for Rarity.
"Oh, no," Zecora chuckled, as she gently pushes Rarity off. "I'm afraid I can't fix it, before the big shoot," Rarity frowned, while Zecora rubbed some of the bald spots on the unicorn's head. "But in time, the hair will grow back from the root," With that, Rarity glumly pulls her hood back over her head, in shame. "There is no magical cure to hasten us to it. Unless you went backward in time, to do it," Zecora said.
Spike groaned, 'Oh no,' Spike thought, as he recalls his time traveling adventure with Twilight, to stop Starlight Glimmer from rewriting history.
Fortunately, both Starlight and Twilight voiced their disapproval, "I think we can both say, that's not a good option," Starlight said, to which both Twilight and Spike shook their heads in agreement.
With that, Rarity pulls her hood back over her head, as she wails hysterically, with Twilight patting her back for comfort, while Zecora and Starlight looked on, feeling sorry for the unicorn.
Spike, meanwhile, just couldn't bear to see Rarity cry. Walking out of the room, and back to the wheelbarrow of hairs, he began to think, 'There's got to be some way to make Rarity happy again,' he said. 'She doesn't deserve to go through all this. Come on, Spike. Think, how to make her happy again.'
While he was in his thoughts, Spike didn't look where he was going, and tripped on some stairs, causing him to roll down, with the hairs following.
After reaching the bottom, Spike got up to rub his head, while getting some of the hairs out of the way.
"Oh," Spike groaned. "I'm going to feel this tomorrow," Looking in a nearby crystal wall, Spike looked, to see that he had a pile of mane, all over him. In appearance, he looked as if though he had grown a long bushy mustache, and a goatee, with a hair on his head, that was curled at the top, and at the sides of his head.
Spike couldn't help but snicker to himself, as he walks over to the wall, and begins talking to his reflection.
"Um, hi other me," he greeted. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
"Why yes, it is old chap," he imitated, in a British accent. "I must say, your hair looks simply fabulous!"
"Oh, please, it's nothing. I just made it looked best for Rarity. Besides, it compliments my awesome mustache."
It was right then and there, that an idea struck up in Spike's head, "Hey! That's it!" Spike said, as he picks up some of the mane, that was lying around. "If Rarity can't get her mane back. Then, I'll make her a new mane!" With that, Spike scanned through the messy piles, trying to salvage the best one he could find, before he went off.
Spike was later flying in Twilight's hot air balloon, as he reaches Cloudsdale. Tagging along with him, is Scootaloo.
"Hey, thanks again for doing this, Scoots," Spike smiled, to the young pegasus. "I really appreciate it."
"Happy to be of some help, Spike," Scootaloo replied. "I guess some of us who couldn't fly, have to stick together, too."
"Now let's go to Fluttershy's family, and save Rarity!" Spike said to the filly, as the two were on their way to the said family's home.
"So let me get this straight," Zephyr Breeze began. "You want me to make you a wig, for your mare friend, who's having a bad mane day?"
"She's not my mare friend," Spike replied, blushing a storm. "But I'm willing to help her all the way!" He said boldly, while presenting the manes he manages to salvage from Twilight's castle. "But I need your help! So, can you do it?"
"Well, I don't know, Spike," Zephyr began, looking at the manes he was being presented with. "I may be a licensed mane therapist now, but I'm not a miracle worker. I can't garuntee that I'll make a replacement that's guaranteed to put Rarity on the front page of a fashion magazine."
"Doesn't matter!" Spike said. "Rarity's down in Ponyville right now, crying, and feeling depressed, because ponies are treating her differently, all over an accident she's had with the wrong potion, from Zecora! And she's too ashamed to go out in public, and I'm willing to travel to the ends of Equestria, just to restore her confidence again! So I'm begging you, please! Help her!"
Taken by surprise, at the dragon's bold declaration, Zephyr was speechless for a moment, before he chuckled, "I guess Fluttershy wasn't joking, when she said you're that devoted to her," With a face of determination, Zephyr began, "Alright! I'll give it a try!" With that, Zephyr ushered both Scootaloo and Spike out of his room. "This may take awhile. So, just sit tight."
With that, Zephyr went back into his room, as he begins to work his magic. A few minutes have passed, during which both Scootaloo, and Spike, shared some snacks, with Mr. and Mrs. Shy.
After some silence have passed, Mrs. Shy was the first to break the silence, "Um, Spike," the mare began. "I would like to say, that was very kind of you, back there."
"Indeed," Mr. Shy added. "I never thought a little dragon like you would go through all this trouble, just for a unicorn, like Rarity."
"Rarity's not 'a' unicorn!" Spike replied. "She's the unicorn!" he said, dreamingly. "She's the most beautiful mare, in all of Equestria. She's generous, and she's heroic in her own way. And even now, I still think of her as my princess. She's my diamond in the sky."
"Aw," Mr. and Mrs. Shy awed, while Scootaloo smiled in respect.
"That's so, sweet," Mrs. Shy smiled.
"Ah, young love," Mr. Shy smiled in sympathy. "Reminds me of the time, when I met you, dear," he said, while gazing lovingly at his wife, who reciprocated the feeling, all the while feeling a sense of nostalgia.
Soon, Zephyr Breeze got out of his room, "Presenting, a new wig for Rarity! Dun dah daaaaah!!!" Zephyr declared dramatically.
In appearance, the wig looked similar to Rarity's former mane style, with the exception of the colors, which are a mix of blue, and purple, with a streak of white.
Needless to say, everyone in the room, gasped, as they marveled at the wig.
"Wow," Spike gasped, as he walks over to pick it up. "It looks beautiful!" he commented. 'But not as beautiful as Rarity herself.'
"I hope this makes us square for that time I tricked ya, doing work for me," Zephyr whispered, while blushing in embarrassment.
"Oh yeah," Spike replied. "We're square," With that, both dragon and stallion shared a fist bump. "I just hope, Rarity will like it."
After he made it back to Ponyville, Spike was on his way to Carousel Boutique, while carrying the wig, inside a box. He wanted to make it a surprise for Rarity.
Speaking of whom, the small purple dragon was on his way to the boutique, when he ran into a certain mare, wearing a purple leather jacket, sparkling bracelet, and ruffled mane, and tail, of yellow, turquoise, and purple.
"Oh, Spike!" the mare greeted. "So lovely, to see you again!"
Spike could hardly believe his ears, "Rarity?!" he asked. "Is that you?"
"Indeed it is, darling," Rarity smiled, showing off her new look to the dragon before her. "Um, what do you think?" she asked, nervously.
"What do I think?" Spike asked rhetorically. "You look amazing!!" he exclaimed, as he walks around to check her out. "I mean, you've always been amazing! But seeing you like this! You're really stepping up your game!"
Rarity couldn't help but chuckle, "Oh flatterer," she smiled.
"So, what happened?" Spike asked. "Did your mane just, miraculously grew back, or something?"
"Well, I can't say it's a miracle, per say," Rarity began. "I simply improvised, so as to shine my beauty, from the inside-out."
'Inside-out, indeed,' Spike thought, as he stood, awestruck at Rarity's new and improved style.
Rarity looked, before she noticed the box that Spike had just dropped, "I say," she began. "What's this?"
Snapping back to reality, Spike snatched the box away, before the unicorn had the chance, "Oh, it's nothing," Spike grinned, sheepishly, while trying to walk away. "Really. Nothing at-" Spike didn't look where he was going, as he slipped up on a banana, causing him to fall on his back, and sent the box flying in the air.
Fortunately, Rarity was able to catch the box with her magic, before she looked inside, seeing the wig.
"Oh my," she gasped. "Is this, a wig?" Turning to Spike, Rarity began to ask, "Darling, whatever were you doing with a wig?"
Seeing no way out, Spike replied, "It's a long story."
"I'm listening."
"And that's about it," Spike replied, finishing the story.
Needless to say, Rarity was beyond surprised, and touched, "You went through all that trouble, just for me?" she asked, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Well, yeah," Spike replied. "I mean, what was I suppose to do? Just sit idly by, and do nothing?" Rarity shook her head, while Spike continued, "Though, from the looks of it, either way, you'd still be okay, and would still make an impression with Photo Finish, in the Vanity Mare photo shoot."
Rarity frowned, "About that, Spikey-Wikey," she began. "I've canceled my shootings with Photo Finish."
"You did what?!" the purple dragon exclaimed.
"I'm afraid, I've missed my chance at Vanity Mare," Rarity smiled, as she looked at the sadden dragon. "But it's alright, darling. Because now, I've been able to make up for the times I've wasted, for feeling sorry about myself. And that's good enough for me," the unicorn then placed her hoof, under Spike's chin, bringing his face to look at her. "But, I do appreciate the effort you've put, into trying to lift my spirit up."
"Well, that's me," Spike chuckled, blushing a storm. "Spike, the noble dragon, doing what he can to help out his friends."
"Oh, come here you!" With that, Rarity kissed Spike on the nose, leaving him in a loving daze. "See you around, Spikey-Wikey!" she smiled, shooting a loving glance his way.
"See you around, Rarity," Spike swooned, as he skipped down the streets of Ponyville, singing in the rain.
--Singing In The Rain - Gene Kelly--
"Made you look!" Discord grinned.
